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A06935 Honour in his perfection or, A treatise in commendations of the vertues and renowned vertuous vndertakings of the illustrious and heroycall princes Henry Earle of Oxenford. Henry Earle of Southampton, Robert Earle of Essex, and the euer praise-worthy and much honoured Lord, Robert Bartue, Lord Willoughby, of Eresby: with a briefe cronology of theirs, and their auncestours actions. And to the eternall memory of all that follow them now, or will imitate them hereafter, especially those three noble instances, the Lord Wriouthesley, the Lord Delaware, and the Lord Montioy. Markham, Gervase, 1568?-1637. 1624 (1624) STC 17361; ESTC S112100 25,787 50

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Aubery Vere was created Earle of Oxford and High Chamberlaine of England to him and his heires males for euer in the daies of Henry the first who was sonne to William the Conquerour which is Honour almost as early as could be for before the Conquest there is no certaintie any of Honour hereditarie in this Land and thus they haue successiuely followed till this day Next O Britaine reade vnto thy softer Nobilitie the Storie of the Noble House of Southampton That shall bring new fier to their blouds and make of the little sparkes of Honour great flames of excellency shew them the life of Thomas Wriothesley Earle of Southampton who was both an excellent Souldier and an admirable Scholler who not only serued the great King his Master Henry the eight in his warres but in his Counsell Chamber not only in the field but on the Bench within his Courts of ciuill Iustice This man for his excellent parts was made Lord Chauncelour of England where he gouerned with that integritie of heart and true mixture of Conuience and Iustice that he wonne the hearts both of the King and people After this noble Prince succeeded his sonne Henry Earle of Southampton a man of no lesse vertue prowesse and wisedome euer beloued and fauoured of his Prince highly reuerenced and fauoured of all that were in his owne ranke and brauely attended and serued by the best Gentlemen of those Countries wherin he liued his muster role neuer consisted of foure Lackeys and a Coachman but of a whole troupe of at least an hundred well mounted Gentlemen and Yeomen he was not knowne in the Streetes by guarded Liuories but by Gold Chaines not by painted Butterflies euer running as if som monster pursued them but by tall goodly fellowes that kept a constant pace both to guard his person and to admit any man to their Lord which had serious businesse This Prince could not steale or drop into an ignoble place neither might doe any thing vnworthy of his great calling for hee euer had a world of testimonies about him When it pleased the diuine goodnesse to take to his mercy this great Earle hee left behinde to succeede him Henry Earle of Southampton his Sonne now liuing being then a childe But here mee thinkes Cinthius aurem vellet something puls me by the elbow bids me forbeare for flatterie is a deadly sinne and will damme Reputation But shall I that euer loued and admired this Earle that liued many yeares where I daily saw this Earle that knew him before the warres In the warres and since the warres shall I that haue seene him indure the worst mallice or vengeance that the Sea Tempests or Thunder could vtter that haue seene him vndergoe all the extremities of warre that haue seene him serue in person on the enemy and against the enemy shall I that haue seene him receiue the reward of a Souldier before the face of the Enemie for the best act of a Souldier done vpon the Enemie Shall I be scarrd with shadowes No Truth is my Mistresse and though I can write nothing which can equall the least sparke of fire within him yet for her sake will I speake some thing which may inflame those that are heauy and dul and of mine owne temper This Earle as I said before came to his Fathers dignitie in his childhood spending that and his other yonger times in the studie of good Letters to which the Vniuersitie of Cambridge is a witnesse and after confirmed that Studie with trauell and forraigne obseruation As soone as he came to write full and perfit Man he betooke himselfe vnto the warres was made Commander of the Garland one of Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie her best ships and was Vice-Admirall of the first Squadron In his first putting out to Sea hee saw all the Terrours and Euils which the Sea had power to shew to mortaiitie insomuch that the Generall and the whole Fleete except some few shippes of which this Earles was one were driuen backe into Plimouth but this Earle in spight of stormes held out his course made the coast of Spaine and after vpon an Aduiso returned The Fleete new reenforst made fourth to Sea againe with better prosperitie came to the Ilands of the Azores and there first tooke the Iland of Fiall sackt and burnt the great Towne tooke the high Fort which was held impregnable and made the rest of the Ilands as Pike Saint Georges and Gratiosa obedient to the Generals seruice Then the Fleete returning from Fiall it pleased the Generall to diuide it and he went himselfe on the one side of Gratiosa and the Earle of Southampton with some three more of the Queenes Ships and a few small Marchants Ships sailed on the other when early in a morning by spring of day This braue Southampton light vpon the King of Spaines Indian Fleete laden with Treasure being about foure or fiue and thirty Saile and most of them great warlike Gallioons they had all the aduantage that sea winde number of ships or strength of men could giue them yet like a fearefull heard they fled from the fury of our Earle who notwithstanding gaue them chase with all his Canuase one he tooke and sunke her diuers hee dispierst which were taken after and the rest he draue into the Iland of Tercera which was thē vnassaileable After this he ioyned with the Generall againe and came to the Iland of Saint Michaels where they tooke and spoiled the Towne of Villa Franca and at Porte Algado made a Charrackt runne on ground and split her selfe after being ready to depart the enemie taking aduantage of our rising and finding that most of our men were gone aboard but only the General the Earle of Southamptō Sr. Francis Vere som few others left on Shoare they came with their vtmost power vpon them but were receiued with so hot an incounter that many of the Spaniards were put to the sword and the rest inforced to runne away and in this skirmish no man had aduantage of safetie for the number was on our part so few that euery man had his hands imployment and here the Earle of Southampton ere he could dry the sweat from his browes or put his sword vp in the scaberd receiued from the Noble Generall Robert Earle of Essex the order of Knighthood After this he returned for England and came fortunately home but fel he here a sleep with any inchantment either of Peace or Pleasure O no but here he did as it were but new begin the progresse of his more noble actions for now the wilde and sturdy Irish rebels fatned with some Conquests and made strong with forraigne aide to get more Conquest began to rage like wilde Boares and to root vp euery fruitfull place in that Kingdome so that without a sodaine chastisement it was likely the euill would grow past all cuer To this worke
in which charge he bore himselfe so nobly and with such Brauerie of spirit that whilst Arnam or the Sconces Duesburie Zutfen Deuentrie Blankenburie and a world of other places taken from the enemie stand the renowne of this Noble man can neither perish nor be forgotten He is no sooner entranchised from this seruice but the poore King of Portugale Don Antonio held violently out of his right by the King of Spaine after the death of Sebastian comes into England fals at the feet of the great Queene Elizabeth shewes his Iniury and pleads to her mercy for Succour Shee who was altogether a plentifull Fountaine of pittie after cautious and assurances giuen of the reuolt of the Portugals if an Army should be brought to relieue him presently vouchafes him aide and sends away a Royall Army vnder the conduct of the second Hannibal of the World Sir Iohn Norris Knight and that much Sea-loued Gentleman Sir Frauncis Drake In this expedition Essex desires to bee imployed but his Soueraigne who held him either too pretious or the action too low or else had imployments for him of greater and higher nature refuseth to admit him which hee perceiuing and being all then on fire and such a fire as no imployment of Peace was able to quench secretly and vnknowne to any creature but his dearest obseruer Sir Roger Williams hee stole from the Court and the Ships beeing ready to dis-imboage put himselfe aboard and so went the whole voyage what there hee did the very Gates of Lysbone can testifie and the Suburbs at this day are ficke of his ruines and had the Citizens beene halfe as faithfull as he was Valiant Don Antonio and his seede had in probabilitie worne the Crowne till this houre The Groine will speake of him for she felt him nay generally all Portugale did admire him and to the whole Kingdome and people of Spaine his name was dreadfull Some few yeares after this expedition ended it pleased God by the hand of a paricide Villane a Popish Fryar one that the Deuill and the Iesuites had beene long in breeding to suffer the life of Henry the third of France to be taken away whose next Successour was Henry the fourth sirnamed the Great of the House of Burbone and then King of Nauarre but vp starts the Deuils ministers by the name of Leaguers or the League and they with-stood that inuincible Prince so powerfully though treacherously that the distressed King is compelled to complaine to the great Mistresse of comfort the renowned Elizabeth Shee presently vouchsafes him aide and vnder the conduct of this most excellent Earle Robert Earle of Essex whom she made her Generall she sent into France number for number the goodliest the richest and the most glorious Army that euer the Sunne shined on O! yet me thinkes I see the enter-view or first meeting betweene the King and this Earle where the Flowers of England and the Flowers of France mixing together gold so reflected vpon gold that the Ayre and the Earth seemed all to be one flame and the Sunne blushing shrunke to see his glory ecclipsed The Earle had not beene many daies in France but he reduced to the Kings obedience all the Country of Normandie the Citie of Roan only excepted against which the Earle laid a strong siege brought it to that low ebbe of safetie that hee offered to giue it the King when he pleased for he had made breaches so large and passages so easie that there was no difficultie in the conquest but the King said He desired to winne France not to conquer France so that the worke by sufferance grew longer yet in the ende hee made it become prostrate to the Kings obedience What shall I say to the actions of this great Earle but only thus that Fortune in these daies was so far from displeasing him that shee seemed to labour for nothing so much as for his exaltation After he had finished his great worke in France and was returned home with the admiration and applause of both Kingdomes and had receiued from his great Mistresse a condigne reward for the Queene made him the Master of the Ordnance After some few yeares spent in Peace occasion being offered by the iniuries of the King of Spaine then liuing who like a Lyon lay euer sleeping with his eyes open to catch all aduantages which might any waies molest vs The Queene with a Royall Armie vnder the conduct of this thrice Noble Earle sent him into the very heart and bowels of Spaine I mean to the most feeling members and fruitfullest parts of all that Kingdome here in this Iourney he tooke the Towne of Cales sacked it and burnt it and brought away not onely all the wealth of the place but of all the Country round about it After his departure thence hee came into Portugale and there tooke the Towne of Pharo and sackt it had his Commission giuen his great heart libertie I thinke his Lordship found easinesse enough to haue sackt also both Siuil and Lisbone but laden with these spoiles he returned home and brought into England an infinite masse of wealth The next yeare following this expedition hee by the Queenes appointment raised vp an other Army and went with it to the Ilands of the Azores belonging to the King of Spaine being nine in number to wit Saint Michaels Saint Maries Tercera Gratiosa Fiall Pike Saint Georges Flores and Coru● and most of these well fortified strongly guarded and of great consequence for they are the very Store-houses or garners which giue reliefe to all the King of Spaines shipping in their returne from the West Indies All these Ilands this Noble Earle tooke some hee sackt some he ransomed the entier wealth he brought home into England for which braue exploit and many others the Queene created him Earle Marshall of England After he had reposed himselfe a little at home for I cannot call it rest the Irish Rebels vnder the Generall conduct of the Earle of Tiron but especially in Vlster vnder the conduct of the bastard sonne of Desmount Oni-mac Sori and others in Munster vnder the conduct of Filo-macesufe and Redmeale his broin Lemster and vnder the conduct of Captaine Terrol in both East-meathe and West-meathe had set all Ireland on fire by their treacherous and base combustions To suppresse this the Noble Essex is called for and made Lieutenant of Ireland a Royall Armie is raised and with it hee came into that much ruined Kingdome where betwixt May day and Michaelmas he brought Munster into obedience draue all the Rebels out of Lenster made East-meathe and Westmeathe as peaceable as any part of England setled in quietnesse the greatest part of Conagh euen from Athlone to the foot of the vnfortunate Curlewes and brought the Earle of Tiron himselfe to a fearefull Capitulation But then other Planets rising and this Noble Earles fortunes beeing to be gouerned by new constellations he is compelled to
would haue told him that a wiser Prince there was not any found a more couragious the World bare not and a better there could not be and to this his after actions gaue testimonie for when he had seene the last ruine of his royall Master with whom although he could not vtterly fall yet hee must of necessity a little decline and although the smallest capitulation might haue made him greater then his owne desires or full as great as the greatest of his friends wishes yet did neither the one nor the other moue him but he is content to sit silent and fixing his heart neither on this side nor beyond the loue of his Country but iust vpon that obiect watches and consumes his times to behold what constellation rules her as soone as he espies that Canicular starre Richard the third to arise and sees how he burnes vp the Nobilitie wasts the Gentry brings into contempt the Clergie and leaues no moisture to supple the whole face of the Land but blood weepings then this Romane Eagle Iohn of Oxford rouses himselfe shakes his wings and flyes into the bosome of Henry Earle of Richmund the greatest and next suruiuing branch of the House of Lancaster him she inspires with the knowledge of his own right with wisdome how to chalenge that right and with courage how to gaine it hee giues him a feeling of those calamities which call vpon him shewes how needfull it is that those teares should be dryed and lastly with what ease his Sword may performe both the one and the other cuer This done hee brings him into England pitches his Tents neere vnto Bosworth makes that field a Theater where Richmund acts his part so to the life that Honour comes downe from Heauen to dwell with him and his posteritie for euer and Richard acts his part so for life that valour and courage appeare glorious how euill soeuer the cabinet be which containes them and betwixt these Oxford acts his part with such Iustice that wheresoeuer his sword comes Angels seeme to weild it while Victorie Crownes it neither did he in this Battaile suit his place according to his greatnesse which Reason and the necessitie of those times would haue wisht to haue beene most secure for there were greater expectations in him then Hazard but hee makes his Greatnesse now to serue the necessitie of the place and where danger appeared most powerfull there he made his abode and there he triumphed The Front or Vanguard that day of the Earle of Richmunds Armie were Archers and these the Earle lead these hee brought on with such brauery these hee ordered with such skill and these he taught to fight with such noble encouragements that euery shower of arrowes which he sent to the Enemie fell like Tempests vpon them so that some split with the Lightning some perisht with the blow and a world of hearts fell downe with amazement whilst still this braue Earle keepes his constant behauiour and like a Thunderbolt flyes through his enemies Battalions and breakes them asunder and when any of his party began to droope it is said that the very sight of him and his actions like liquid Bitumen set them new on fier and made their flames so strong there was no power to quench them thus he brought victorie to the wisest of Princes Henry the seuenth and restored againe to its former greatnesse the almost lost House of royall Lancaster and that it might neuer fall againe he ioyned it in a perpetuall loue-knot with the House of Yorke making the white Rose and the Red one entier flower by the happy and blest Marriage with the Lady Elizabeth daughter to Edward the fourth vnto which Obligation only the Earle of Oxford first bound the Earle of Richmund before he vndertooke his quarrell what shall we say more of this excellent Prince this good Prince but only thus that as few or none equalled his great deeds so fewe or none ariued at his great reward for his life was happy and crownd with all the blessings which Greatnesse could desire as the loue and fauour of a wise King the respect of a powerfull Nobilitie and the admiration of a strong and potent people So also was his death happy for he dyed ere any of these blessings could wither and so carryed them all to the graue greene and flourishing Lastly he was blest in his posteritie for he left an Issue behind him which were then as hopefull and proued after as fortunate and of this Issue Time hath yet neuer found an end neither doe I thinke it euer shall while Vertue ruleth After this Iohn succeeded his sonne who in the daies of Henry the eight shewed equall vallour and encountered with equall Fortune all which to expresse at large were to turne a short Encomium into a large Chronicle and therefore to those Annals I referre you only as Geographers doe demonstrate out infinite Riuers by small lines and huge Cities by little prickes so I will by a short relation of one of his smalest actions discouer the vnbounded greatnes of his minde and the rare temper of his condition Being in France vpon serious negotiations for the King his Master this Earle of Oxford was entertained with all the pompe and State that either Pleasure or Magnificence could produce and amongst the rest by reason of his warlike disposition he was inuited to the hunting of a wilde Boare a sport mixt with much danger and deseruing the best mans best care for preseruation of his safetie whence it comes that the Frenchmen when they hunt this beast are euer armed with light Armes mounted on horse-backe and hauing chasing staues like launces in their hands To this sport the Earle of Oxford goes but no otherwise attyred then as when hee walked in his owne priuate bed-Chamber only a dauncing rapyer by his side neither any better mounted then on a plaine English Tracconer or an ambling Nagge Anone the Boare is put on foote which was a Beast both hudge and fierce the chase is eagerly pursued many affrights are giuen many dangers escaped at last the Earle weary of the toyle or else vrged by some other necessitie alights from his horse and walkes alone by himself on foot whē suddenly down the path in which the Earle walked came the inraged Beast with his mouth all foamie his teeth whetted his bristles vp al other signes of fury and anger the Gallants of France cry vnto the Earle to run aside saue himself euery one hallowed out that he was lost more then their wishes none there was that durst bring him succour But the Earle who was as carelesse of their clamours as they were carefull to exclame alters not his pace nor goes an haires bredth out of his path and finding that the Boare and he must struggle for passage drawes out his Rapyer and at the first encounter slew the Boare which when the French Nobilitie perceiued
returne for England and so shooke hands with the warres for euer After him succeeded in his dignities his sonne Robert Earle of Essex now liuing whom he left vnto the world young and tender yet a Souldier from his cradle for his whole delight was in Martial Exercises of this I dare iudge because I professe it that when he was a very child both in yeares and strength few horsemen in the Kingdome the Gentleman that taught him excepted did ride better valianter or with more discretion and iudgement In the Vniuersitie he spent his first time where he got both admiration loue and Learning and indeed being the sonne of that Father the very naming of his Name was enough to raise an army to gaze vpon him cry out That Heauen would protect him From the Vniuersitie he betook himself to trauell wherin he spent many yeares for the bettering of his knowledge and some in beholding the warres in the Neatherlands being an obiect to which his heart was fixed as soone as occasion was offered he entred himselfe into the lyst of Souldiers like a Soulder humbling himselfe to the lowest degree considering his greatnesse that thereby he might make his Scale more noble and persit In the Palatinate he did both Summer and Winter held out all extremities and in despite of Famine Sword and Sicknesse returned home with Honour Now last of all new matter being offered he hath put himselfe on this present action Proceede in it braue Earle and prosper thou that art the Image of thy Fathers body be the imitatour of his actions and I doubt not but Heauen will powre vpon thee a ten times treble measure of his blest and Glorious Rewards go on I say couragiously and be the Heart of this warlike preparation the large heart the vnyeelding heart that thou maist inflame burne all things before thee till the Enemie be glad that thy Masters Children will receiue their Inheritance for so my hopes Prophesie and so I hope God himselfe hath spoken Lastly reade O Britaine to thine vnkindled spirits the Storie of the House of Willoughby a Storie that whosoeuer will turne ouer that great Volume shall finde it full of Honour full of wonder full of Vertue full of great actions for mine owne part I can but touch at the names the matter and Substance lies at large inrolled by a much better pen-man And first as fittest for this short discourse and omitting many that went before him I will begin with William Lord Willoughby in the daies of King Henry the eight who was a man of infinite courage and vertue of high thoughts deepe wisdome and discreete caryage hee commanded whilest he liued in all the Kings Warres went on euer with renowne and came off euer with glory insomuch that Henry the eight that potent King held him as one of the richest Iuels which adorne his Kingdome and thought no fauour too deare or pretious for such great deseruings but the best things on earth are euer subiect to Mortalitie for it pleased God when this braue Lord was in his greatest prosperitie of Fortune and the highest fauour with his Soueraigne to take him to his mercy and he died without any Issue male of his body and only left behind him a Daughter and heire called Katherine which was maryed to that great heroyicall Lord Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke so that the King seeing the name of Willoughby which he loued so dearely and had so dearely deserued at his Royall hands likely to be lost in this sweete Lady began to take it to his consideration and to make as it were a monument to preserue this great Name and to giue it still a quickning life in his remembrance hee called for a well-loued Kinsman of this Lord Willoughbies and created him in memorie of the other Lord Willoughby of Param But see the effect working of Prouidence after the death of the Duke of Suffolke this Lady Katherine his Duchesse maryed with Bar●ue by whom shee had a sonne borne beyond the Seas which she called Peregrine and was in her right Lord Willoughby of Eresby To tell the Storie of this great Duchesse life how worthily Religiously and bountifully shee liued here in England how malitiously cruelly and treacherously shee was hunted and pursued for her life ouer all Christendome by an whole Kennell of the Popes worst deuouring Woolues to tell the dangers shee escaped the magnanimitie shee vsed the extremities shee was put to to tell the snares that were laid to intrap her and the pretty sleights her sweetnesse vsed to escape them to see how busie the Deuill was to vndermine her and how strong God was to protect her would raise vp amazement euen in stones and make the Earth cry out O Dea certe After her succeeded Peregrine Lord Willoughby the myrror and myrackle of his time This man must needes bee a Souldier for hee was borne in the Warres nurst in the Warres brought vp in the Warres his whole life nothing but a Storie of the Wars and the last act of his life was playd in a Town of Garison Of this mans actions all the Neatherlands can report and especially Bergenupzone for in them where was any fury of Warre out of which hee brought not Triumph and the Duke of Parma himselfe wheresoeuer his Chronickle is read of the Neatherlands must bee contented if Truth bee witnesse to haue this Lord Willoughby triumphant against him France thou must likewise bee a Trumpet of this Noblemans Glory and Paris thou must bee an euidence too strong to bee refelled thou knowest hee blew vp thy Ports and battered downe thy Walls and had not the Kings mercy throwne cold water on his anger t is well knowne hee had wrapt thee vp in a bloudy mantell for exceeding great were his designes and very good both his successe and Fortune so that lawfully without arrogance he might haue assumed Coesars inscription which was Veni vidi vici for althings proued easie to his vndertakings Lastly when hee had performed all his great Mistresses commandements and brought peace to her Neighbours he then returned into England where in recompence of his great seruices she made him Gouernour of her warlike Towne of Berwicke and in that Gouernment with peace of contience and the loue of all sorts of People he died and was exceedingly lamented After him succeeded in his dignitie Robert Lord Willoughby his sonne now liuing who hitherto hath followed his Fathesr step for step to Honor put on his Armour almost as soone and had imployments been as frequent and abundant as in the daies of his Father doubtlesse he had ariued at a great part of his glories notwithstanding he did neither neglect nor loose time but tooke hold vpon all occasions neither did Peace or Ease cast any such mist about him but that our Royall King Iames his great Master found him worthy of imployment so that when his deare Brother the