stande renoumed in hystories and for euery one left to memory by name a thousand of great worthines are past ouer without mentione But this is generally to be noted in the warlike Princes and Nobilitie that as they exceede in militarie prowesse and worthines so doe they excell in wisedome and all noblenesse of hart and hee that will worthely bee called a militarie man must cast off all vilanies and basenes of minde and full charge his thoughtes and doinges with honeste inclinationes and like effectes Neither are the commendable vertues of the minde so necessarye for any occupatione as they are for them that professe and exercise armes And the martialist that wanteth them shall not prosper in warre but sinke in obloquie and dishonor neither is there anye state or vocation of man that can worse susteyne the infection and vse of vices then can an army gouerned in warlike maner Foolishe therefore and beastely is the common speach vsed of the base and humble mynded sort of our natione that doe not onely saye but also affirme in their doinges that the worst sort of men and such as for the vilenes of their conditiones the earth is not able to susteyne are fit for the warres and accordingly doe call out the refuse of the people to be soldiers for the seruice of their Prince and countreie where in deede the worthiest people ought to be chosen and preferred as to a state most honorable and of most credite and importance But if Englande stood in the continent of the world enuironed with mightie nationes that in the dayes of frendeship would moue discretion to feare their malice in the time of controuersy then should it know the value of a soldier lick the dust off the feete of her men of prowesse then would the lawer the marcheant humble themselues to the warriers be glad to geue honour salary to the martialist and shew frendly grace to his page and fauor to his lackye And al be it our state is better at ease and that we by the benefite of the seate of our lande doe stande in more securitie then the nations of the firme land yet is not our assurance such as may so deliuer vs vp in the time of peace to the carelesse spitefull contempt of armes as though the common welth and state publique stood in such prosperitie and saftie by the wisedome of the lawier and by the riches of the marchant as that they should neuer stande in neede of militarie forces nor to nourrishe men of warre but to consume them with penurye and with the galowes Let al the miserable drudges of this present worlde whose God is their belly and whose idoll is their riches that so beastly and opprobriously disdaine the warlik people looke into the recordes not onely of the former times of olde but also of these present dayes and see in what hazarde not onely the Throne of their souereigne Prince but also the whole state of the common welth and consequently the chest the chamber the bedde and cradle the wife and daughter of the lawier and marchant the Pulpyt and Preacher the Judge and the Judgement seat haue bene to suffer generall and particuler shippwracke by the conspiracies mutinies and tumultes of traitors and of the rebellions multitudes of the vulgare people cruel and implacable And confesse by whose diligence wisedome perill iudustrie and bloud all these thinges haue bene defended and saued out of the power of the furious spoylers restoringe iustice to her seate the plowe to the feelde the cowe to the payle the shephearde to his flocke the merchant to his trade and the learned to his quiet study and exercise Yea and let them be ashamed of their ignobilitie of harts consent with other nationes to geue vnto the people of prowesse and milytarie profession the honor that is due vnto them For it is a rare age of the worlde wherein the sureste Kingdome and the safeste state and nation vpon earth flieth not at one time or other to the couert and succor of Armes to saue it selfe either from intestine violence or from forren depopulation or else from both Whoesoeuer therefore will see the value of martial prowesse in preseruing a kingdome in vpholdinge the souereigne maiestie of theire Prince in redeming their countrie from the power of forren ennemyes mightie and warlike in pacifyinge ciuil vprores and in extinguishinge the most ragiouse furies of any rebelles in the worlde and in reducinge the gouernement to obedience iustice housbandry traffique literal exercise and all ciuill policies and ordinances to their places againe Looke throughe the state of France from the beginning euen to this day But specially in the dayes of Kinge Iohn of his sonne also Kinge Charles the fift and eke of Charles the sixte aud aboue all in the dayes of Charles the seuenth who being so molested and ruinated not onely by the victorious warres of the Englishmen and Bourgonyons but also by intestin diuisiones ciuill vprores that hee helde not the fifte parte of his kingdome in obedience insomuch that he was driuen to holde himselfe in a smale corner of his lande and was contempteously called King of Bourges For his ennemies possessed ranged al the parts else of his Realme at their pleasures But that famous King aided with the prowesse fidelity of his approued martialistes neuer gaue ouer the fielde til hee recouered his kingdome and restored the common welth which had bene so spoiled wasted and depopulat that the fieldes and vineiards were growen to a wildernesse their cities become heapes and their habitationes desolate When the Lord meaneth to plague a wicked natione for sinne and to translate them to the power and scepter of another nation then he filleth them with the fatnesse of the earth and geeueth them peace that they may wax rotten in idlenesse and become of dulle wittes slowe of courage weake handed and feeble kneede that when the spoiler commeth they may in al pointes be vnfurnished of warlike prowesse and not able to resiste but so made a praye to their ennemies As the Persians were to Alexander the Greekes and Hungarians with many other natones to the Turkes and the olde Brutes to the Saxons And likewise when the Lord meaneth to aduance a nation and to make any people famous and honorable vpon earth he stirreth them vp to high courage and maketh their mindes and bodyes apt to the warre and in all points sufficient for the pursuite and accomplishment of Militarie trauaile As he did the Israelites for the recouery of their promised inheritance by subduing and destroying the mightye Canaanites Cyrus the Persians for the subuerting of the empire of Syria Alexander the Grecians for the conquering of the Persians for translating of the Monarchie from Asia to Europa The Romanes eke being a poore smale people and of an opprobrious foundation were made fit in pollicy and
possessed Babylon giuing libertie to Israel yea and through his great victories restored Sion and Ierusalem and the people to their inheritaunce againe By Armes the Romanes enlarged their Empire ouer many nations by vertue of their wisdom and prowesse they brought many barbarous countreis to ciuilitie and prosperitie For where they gouerned ther raigned Prudence and Justice as ordinary companions to Martiall noblenesse By the Armes of rude nations the Goths Hunnes Vandalles the Lorde visited the proude Empire of the Romanes for their pride and tyranny confounded it By the Armes and prowesse of the Emperour Constantine the Lord relieued his church and restored true religion amongst many nations By Armes El Enfante de Pelago recouered the kingdom of Leon and comforted Spaine in the daies of cruell afflictions when all the lande was harrowed and possessed by the Moores and Infidels By Armes is the worthy kingdome of France garded and preserued in a State moste honorable so is Spaine so are the commonweales and principallities in Italy By Armes the Switzers purchased their freedome and by Armes they defende and preserue their limits and liberties to their great fame and benefite By Armes hath Germany made her might and prudence knowen to the whole worlde by Armes they holde the maiestie of the Empire in their power and election and bytheir inuincible prowesse they mayntaine and preserue their states and honours priuate and publike and are terrible to the nations rounde about them By Armes are the kingdomes of Denmarke and Polonia defended and saued from the power of the cruell Russians and Muscouites So is Germany from the powers of the cruell and mighty spoylers of the world the Turkes Tartarians Muscouites also and Russians and by Armes they establish peace amongst theÌ„selues and are preserued at home and abroad By Armes Ferdinando the king of Spaine seazed into his power the West Indias and by Armes are the same possessed and holden in obedience to the Scepter of Spaine By the Armes and prowesse of ciuill princes are many rude and sauage nations subdued to ciuill gouernement The Lorde our God vseth no occupation of men in his works and proceedings vpon earth like as he doth Militarie prowesse For by it hee executeth his wrath and Justice vpon the rebellious and faithlesse people of the world Also by the same meanes it pleaseth the heauenly maiestie to deliuer the righteous from oppression and to giue waye to his trueth vppon the earth to restore his Churche and to defende his Sanctuarie from the rage and violence of the tyrants As for example After the great and wonderfull fauour of God in relieuing and comforting his Church in olde time by the Emperour Constantine being suffocated with heresies and ruinaâ—â—d by persecutions the rebellious and bastarde christians falling from the way of trueth and abandoning the pathes of righteousnes were not onely deliuered ouer to the regiment and conduction of Antichrist and made slaues to the Scepter of darkenesse but were also for their incurable corruptions in Asia Greece and Affrica deliuered ouer into the power of the cruell Turkes and Sarrasens whome the Lord raised of a vile people to be mightie dreadfull and inuincible in Armes for the lamentable spoile ruine and extirpation of many Empires states kingdomes nations not onely in honour names bouÌ„ds and liberties but also in ciuill policies honest sciences in knowledge of true religion and in the verye tongues generations and procreations of the vanquished people Wherein the Lorde hath shewed foorth a fearefull hande of his intollerable wrath and Justice for the sinne and disobedience of these irrecouerable nations to the good warning of the nations that doe yet rest in their olde seates in knowledge eke and libertie to professe and to serue GOD according to his trueth in Christ Jesus Which if they abuse and contemne as their forefathers did and as they of Asia Africa and Greece haue also done and receiued their punishment for their offences by vtter destruction then let vs and our children looke that the Lord God of hostes High generall of all warres can leuie an inuincible Armie when and where him lysteth to vexe vs and to punishe vs and vtterly to destroy vs For it is he onely that beareth the sword of vengeance that striketh in the battell and giueth the victorye to himselfe The warre is his the Armie is his and he is cheefteyne of the feelde and as hee vseth them for the punishment of the worlde so doth he occupie the same also to the comfort and deliueraunce of the righteous and to make way for the Scepter of peace that is of true religion to come to her regement and orderly occupation Wherein the Lord hath shewed and daylie doth more and more shewe his wonderfull works and power in this last restitution of his Gospel which began in Germanie with peace but was forced to holde on the way by the ayde of warlike prowesse and fidelitie which was valiantly attempted and prosperously atchieued by that famous Souldier of God Maurice Duke of Saxoni the first vanquisher of the Armed enemies of the Gospell in this latter restitution By the fidelitie also and industrie of Militarie occupation doth the Lord holde possession for his saintes in the proude and mightie kingdome of France preseruing Rochel the fortresse of his sanctuarie for the inuocation of his holy name amongst that nation in true religion That holy citie Geneua with all the godly places of the neighbourhead and confederacie are also garded by Armes as the appoynted meanes which God occupieth for the defence of his people against the power of their ennemyes By armes also hath the Lorde God of hostes entred foot in Belgia and there taught the ignorant hands to fighte and the slowe couraged to be bolde and hardie Whereby the pride of the ennemyes is dauted and their glorye abased and that before oure eyes in such apparant and wonderfull maner as wee may wel say that the Lorde of hostes is abrode with his armyes to pourchase to himselfe honor and prayse for the yeere of his redemed is come neither will he geue ouer the fielde any more til he hath vtterly destroyed his ennemyes and confounded the wicked for euermore and giue perpetuall rest to Israel according as it is writen Thes being the publique effects and workes of martiall Judustrie what occupation or vocation darre putte forth it selfe to make comparison withit the exercise and substance whereof consisteth of prudence high courage and magnamitie Prudence to inuent to direct and to gouerne Courage to execut and to perfourme that which politique prudence hath deuised and set downe to be done And magnanimitie to sustayn with irremoueable temperancye what soeuer happeneth And farther to amplifie vpon the praise of this occupation what worke or volume can be sufficient to expresse in orderly recital the noblenesse and particular vertues of the famose martialistes of the olde and later worlde which
put to the worse and fearing a further mischief was driuen of necessity to make a profer with his horsemen but did not breake which caused our men to stay their going ouer into the fields so that in this meane while the Spanish footmen before the English Scottish men were a ware were a quarter of a mile off retiring in running maner ouer hedge and ditch with their ensigns and so ended the skirmish The Coranels and captaines both of the Englishmen and Scots did lead the seruice themselues that day with such great boldnesse that it greatly imbased the glory and force of the Spanyards and had vtterly ouerthrowen them if the horsemen had done their endeuor halfe so well as did the footmen Thus gentle reader I haue briefly described the seruice of our countrimen vppon Lammas day last past whose valiant seruice for the exalting of the worde of God honor of their countrie deserueth the fauourable liberalitie of all honest and louing harts that where occasion serueth and need requireth they would reach forth their hands and out of their plentie relieue the necessitie of such poore soldiers as haue aduentured their liues for the aduauncement of true religion so shall others thereby be encouraged to imploy themselues in the like seruice and be ready and prest at all times to offer vp themselues and their seruice in the defence of the quiet state and prosperitie of their prince and countrey for these dayes are dangerous and more dangerous will yet be Honos enim alit artes Let England therefore while it hath blessed rest and leasure wise regiment and God present in the Sanctuarie waken it selfe out of senselesse securitie and diligently looke to her Tacles for a storme will come and a tempest will fall for at this present houre the hand of the Lord God of hostes is in the seconde time for gathering together of the remnant of Israel the yeere of his redeemed is come and euery kingdome that wil not serue the Lord shal vtterly perish from the earth stand fast therefore O ye people of England for the sworde of the Almightie is drawne and will not be put vp till hee hath confounded and vtterly consumed all the enemies of Iacob from the face of the earth for euermore Euerie vaine and misbelieuing soule is aduersary to Iacob and it shal be cut of Serue the Lorde therefore in trueth of heart and remember the wonderful benefites and blessings of God so abundantly bestowed vpon you vpon your fathers and be thankful for you and they haue enioyed your countrey many yeres in vniuersal peace and in dayly increase of priuate and publike prosperity The Lorde hath nowe twise deliuered you his Gospell without blood and in this second restitution he hath holden you twentie yeeres in the free occupation thereof without murther or molestation the Lord hath not so dealt with your neighbours looke vpon the miserable state of France and lowe Dutchland and in the viewe therof consider the goodnes and prouidence of your heauenly Father towardes you for their troubles haue nourished your rest and their miseries haue continued your blessings Sée into the procéedings of the Amighty and be wise hearted lest through lewde ingratitude you moue the Lord God of hostes to wrath through your rebellious insolencie you prouoke the most high to forsake his Sanctuary in England as they of Iudah and Ierusalem through their wickednes draue him to abandon his holy mounte Sion in the dayes of Zedekiah But if the Lord depart from you woe shal be vnto you as it was to them of Iudah and Ierusalem Looke wisely to your selues and as ye loue the aduancement of Gods kingdome in England so will you pray and labour for the prefermēt of the same amongst the French Dutch as that the Lord may set his sanctuarie at rest amongst them as he hath done it amongst vs and that they may haue the grace so to receiue and so to reteine the Lord their God as he may haue delight to continue with them As time draweth to his ende and the corrupt world to her death so shall all maner of euils abound amongst men and these last dayes shal be troublesome daungerous and cruell for the last drams of Sathan that must fill vp the measure of wickednesse to the brimme shal be most infectiue and pestiferous be wise therefore and acquainte your selues with armes both corporal and spiritual that you may at al times and in all causes be compleat Israelites ready for the fielde God grant ▪ it The Lorde God of hostes blesse and preserue our good Queene ELIZABETH the Nobilitie people and comminaltie of England Lord Amen FINIS VVhat worldly estate most honorable The onely meane to vpholde the seat of Iustice all other estates is the profession of Armes VVhere militarie prowesse preuaileth iustice florisheth al vertues No state in safety without Militarie profession Abraham ▪ had fyghting men ▪ Iacobs sonnes The Israelites Cyrus The Romanes Constantine by armes restored religion Turkes were raysed of a vile people to spoyle the bastard Christians The victorie is of God. Maurice Rochel Geneua Warre in Belgia Whereof warlike industrie consisteth Warlike Princes Commendable vertues necessarie for them that professe Armes The glorious effects of Militarie industrie Valiant Kinges in France Peace and idlenesse before conquests God maketh apt to warre whome he will aduaunce Cyrus and Alexander Romanes Goths c Turkes Tamberlan Spanyards The worthie actes of the Duke of Saxoni Lantgraue c. Philip vexed lowe Duchland The duke of Alua his force God by an vnlikely hoste sheweth his migt Hollanders and zelanders against Philippe King of Spaine Litle Vlushing famished strong Middleborough The lowe countrie reuolted from the Spanyards The good successe of the Holanders and zelanders caused the rest of the countries to ioyne with them Tyranny abhored of God ◠man. The siege of Harlam The duke of Alua by a tempest driuen from the seege of Alkemer The duke of Alua vnto his last trump The Lord prouideth for the zelanders contrary to expectation Zuriksea surprised by the Papistes The duke of Austria his fonde false deuise failed him The qualities of militarie men Who is to be accomted a right souldier The prince should be an example to his people ▪ Vices in soldiers must strōgly be brideled Iupiter Belus Hercules Israelites that excelled in Armes Kings of high prowesse and vertues Renowmed Kings of England Renowmed princes of our age Dissolute soldiers ar worthely despised The profession of Armes is honorable though some professours stand rightly vnreproued Contemners of Arme The description of them that be no louers of Armes The estate of that countrey is ruinous that is not able to stand in Armes The Lacedemonias bringing vp They that mak shifts not to beare armour are corrupted with three vices The Midianites vanquished by Gedeon what danger may ensue by preferring hirelings to the seruice of warre Citizens should be furnished and practised for the feelde Defenced cities VVherefore the Maiors of London are adorned with knighthood Anthony Fugger Englishmen by training vp the most valiant and famous in martiall feates and knowledg The English and Scottishmen encounter the Spanyards at Pel Mel. The Spanyards put to flight