call â—anizariâ—s discontinued from the exercise of true warre in idlenesse and city-delights are growne to a mutinous but 〈◊〉 boldnesse Hence the proud souldiers beginne to lose their discipline as not fit to endure 〈◊〉 labour or felicity There were the 〈◊〉 that made the Romans there to 〈…〉 But those of them which gouerne Aegypt especially the 〈◊〉 at Great-Caâ—re do with great praise exercise the glory of their old warfare for remooâ—ed farre from Court they are exercised to daily labours incurbing those troopes of robbers which from the mountaine-tops vse to make rodes into the valleyes But these souldiers valiant onely against a troope of flying theeues and yeelding enemies if they should fall vpon the strengâ—h of our armies would perhaps vse the 〈◊〉 of their horses in which they excell not so much for battell as for their owne safety by flight That vse of the bow the specâ—all strength of the Turke which was once so formidable to the world is now neglected I suppose because this art cannot bee attained without much 〈◊〉 and labour of the body and at this day the souldiers spoyled with â—ase and discipline ceasing will not buy valour at so deare a rate Their bowes are short and cannot be bent but by those that are skilfull but they discharge their arrowes with much more violence then our 〈◊〉 do their leaden bullets We saw indeed and could scarce credit our owne eyes a piece of 〈◊〉 three inches thicke pierced by a little arrow And no lesse wonder was it that a shalt wanting an iron head shot from a bow thorow the body of an indifferent tree appeared at both sides This art was taught to a man of great account among vs when hee was at Constantinople by an old souldier of Sclymans who confessed that skill by the slothfulnesse of his fellowes was quite lost and that there were scarâ—e three in that vast Empire which were carefull to preserâ—e in themselues that fortitude of their ancestours hee sayd the rest had weake bowes and onely dangerous to light-armed men If wee would make vse of the benefit of God and their vices what were more easy then at this time to 〈◊〉 those wealthy Prouinces out of their barbarous hands their oâ—dâ—ury which they accounted valour being now forgotten This do those poore Christians who groane vnder the yoake of their barbarous tyranny expect froÌ„ vs being a great multitude but destitute of armes and leaders this â—ur temples and rites of religion which they wickedly haue abolished and lastly humanity extinguished and countries once richly tilled now rude and desart nor euer vnlesse by our aide able to regaine their old lustre But if any be discouraged to thinke of so many attempts and so much wealth heretofore vainely wasted whilst our ancestours striued to redeeme Syria Palestine and Agypt out of the hands of Saracens and as often with great forces taking expeditions against the Turkes let him consider that they were more vanquished by emulation among themselues then by those enemies To let passe the Grecian Princes who were alwaies ill affected to our Western soldiers how often haue wee by vnprofitable hatred wasted our owne strength against our selues It were not fit to shame this age with late examples nor curiously to rehearse old calamities The mortall dissensions of the French and English in those warres shall bee argument enough of griefe and caution Richard the first King of England surnamed Cor de-lion led an Army into Syria and hauing reuenged the wrongs which Cyprus had done him hee had driuen the Souldan to extreme feares who was aduising to deliuer vp Ierusalem and so make peace with the Christians when loe Philip King of France surnamed Augustus returning himselfe from Syria ill affected to King Richard marched with his army into Normandy Normandy was then vnder the crowne of England and assaulting his townes some he tooke by force others by feare and faction So King Richards intent on the publike quarrell of Christendome was called home into Europe to preserue his owne estate and the Saracens at that time were by meanes of the French deliuered from the Christian army who were afterwards beholding to the English for the like benefit For scarce an age after when Philip of Valois King of France with all the strength of his Kingdome was bent vpon this Pious warre there came to ioyne with him the Kings of Nauarre Arragon and Bohemia and many besides whom eyther the strength of their kingdomes or the holynesse of the warre had inuited Their Fleete lay at anchor which carried forty thousand armed men and victuall for three yeeres their army to march by land was 300000. men But this so great preparation and hope of the Christian world was quite hindered by Edward the third King of England who at that time began to lay claime to the crowne of France as the inheritance of Isabel his mother So haue we turned our strength against our owne bowels and vanquished by ourselues haue giuen triumphs to Turkes and Saracens These are most sad chances but great is the comfort that wee haue yet strength enough to destroy that barbarous Monarchy Nor need all the Christian Princes so 〈◊〉 in this there are many of them that are alone sufficient to gaine this victory Wee neede no innumerable Army nor a Fâ—eet to oreâ—pread the wide Ocean A man of singular iudgement and prowesse and by long experience well acquainted with the Turkish affaires was not affraid to promise to his King that if hee would giue him a Fleete and an Army of thirty thousand with pay for two yeeres and victuall for a yeere hee would reduce vnder his dominion Peloponnesus 〈◊〉 the greater part of Achaia which vnlesse he performed he desired that that Army which was committed to him should take punishment of him for deceiuing the King and by 〈◊〉 most cruell death reuenge the rashnesse of his vaine promise The same hope of victory there and scarce with so much charge not long since was giuen to a great King by a 〈◊〉 expert Captaine a man â—oth for dignity and blood worthy of the charge of so great an expedition But death 〈◊〉 his great designe and 〈◊〉 was whether by poyson or no. Both these Captaines grounded their hopes vpon the strength and warlike discipline of our souldiers the number of Christians there and their prayers imploring our armes to their reliefe and lastly the slothfulnesse of the Turkes who hold by no other title the fame of â—ortitude then 〈◊〉 memory of their ancestours not yet wholy expired But it was the aduice of those Captaines that this firebrand must be throwne into the enemies bosome and not stand to defend our owne bounds in which the greatest reward of victory is to remooue the enemy from our Countrey who will afterwards returne more fierce vpon vs But if subdued our owne bondage and our Countreyes is present and therefore they would not haue vs stay in Hungary but marching speedily to encampe our selues in
for humane diligence to attaine but the excellency of an Italian wit will aspire to it From the meanest rankes of their common people many daily by happy industry doe aduance themselues both to great name and plentifull estates No kinde of cares or if neede bee no condition of humility will they disdaine if it promise wealth long paines and long hopes they will vndertake and foster one of which the pride of Spaniards the other the suddaine and hot dispositions of the French will not endure They haue deepe and able mindes for the gouerning of Commonwealths and fit for any fortune frugall men and prouident of the future Many among them can write Latin but not speake it so well That language also which vulgarly they vse though it bee nothing else then a mixture of barbarous words with corrupted Latin yet both in speaking and writing they striue to alter as farre as they can from all markes of the originall and to that end they draw backe the words into their throates so that the roughnes of the sound and contraction of words for scarce do they come wholy to your eares may seeme to bee nothing a-kin to the old Latin After that manner hath Spaine also at this day infected her language so that drowning the simplicity of words with a confused harshnes forced as it were from their brests they lose the sweetenesse of many letters but the sweetnesse of learning doth not a little flourish in Italy especially those parts of learning to which the liuely elegance of nature doth inuite them which is witnessed by that faire plenty of their natiue poetry enuy'd by all their neighbour-nations which hath made sacred the Poets names burning in so many fained fires of loue to the renowning of their supposed sufferings For it is no matter whether they expresse themselues in their owne language or in the old learned tongues seeing it is the same rapture which leades a pure and rich wit in their owne popular eloquence as well as in the ancient For the Grecians wrote those things which their people vnderstood and the Romans fitted the Greeke Comedies and all the pith of Athenian eloquence to the eares of their common people Last of all what shall we say of Italian Historians those whose sincere and faithfull wisdome shall eternize their writings or those that offend by too much eloquence and partiality but religion and heauenly wisdome as well as humane learning with whatsoeuer is left in the custody of the Muses was euer highly indebted to the wits of that Nation And to conclude you shall no where finde more true examples of sacred vertues or abominable vices then in Italian mindes so that as one sayd of Athens There growes in no place more venomous hemlocke nor any where else are the Bee-hiues filled with extraction of sweeter flowers * ⎠* The seuenth Chapter SPAINE THe 〈…〉 â—ouâ—d of Europe as you trauâ—â—â— to 〈…〉 great Oceâ—n is Spaine 〈…〉 it 〈…〉 from the name of 〈◊〉 and lastly by that name which it now 〈◊〉 A spacious Land â—â—â—â—posed 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and Affricke an Iland 〈◊〉 way vnâ—â—sse onely there where the Pyrenâ—â—â— mountaâ—nes are the 〈◊〉 of it A land famous heretofore for her fertility but at this day by her great barrennesse derogating 〈…〉 〈…〉 blessed 〈…〉 in those places 〈…〉 as doth almost recompense the barrennesse of the other grounds You would thinke it strange that in some fields the husbandman receyueth 〈…〉 with increase an hundred fold Their townes are 〈◊〉 many and in those that are they want prouision to entertain trauellers in such a manner as France Brittaine or Italy can do The inhabitants are constant in keeping still the ancient habits and the very Genius of their forefathers They are able men and patient of labour not such labour as belongs to â—illing of the ground or handy-crafts but such especially as is suitable to waâ—re-like actions as for example Watch-fulnesse hunger thirst and all kinde of sufferance that belongs to military discipline For their mindes being constant in pursuing those hopes which they once conceiue account it an especiall point of vertue not to bee wearyed with misfortunes and dangers From hence in old time was Saguntus so constant to the Roman party renowned for her ouerthrow and the courage of their mutuall slaughter Afterwards Numantia a small City in respect of the greatnesse of her fame a conquerour first of so many Romans and lastly of it selfe Lusitania also vnder the conduct of Viriatus with sodaine forces easily raised and disbanded againe And last of all all Spaine both in their fayth and manners fitted to the discipline of Sertoriâ—s were able to weary both Metellus and Pompey While the Spaniards were yet barbarous and diuâ—ded into many and rude gouernements they were taught theâ—r owne strength by the Carthagiâ—â—ans Romans waâ—â—ing against each 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 their conquerours that Spaine was 〈◊〉 altogether quiet but almost euery yeere prouoking the 〈◊〉 Italy Augustus Casar himselfe also 〈◊〉 not that warre against the Cantabrians to bee an action oâ— light import and therfore commâ—tted not the managing of it to his Lieutenant but was thâ—â—e in person as accounting it a dâ—â—ger and achieuement worthy of his felicity Noâ— did the Spaniards in so many wars and so much effusion both of their own and others bloods think at all of forreâ—â—e conqâ—ests but striued only not to bee 〈◊〉 themselues At last when they were accustomed 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 with the 〈…〉 fierce storme of 〈…〉 afterwards 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 which lighted not onely vpon 〈…〉 with the same shocke 〈◊〉 vpon France spâ—eading 〈…〉 strength and violence of those inuading Saracens But those Moores beaten out of France and the neighbouring parts of Spaine seated themselues beyond the riuers Bâ—tis and Iberuâ— The other parts of Spaine were diuided then into seuerall and 〈◊〉 principalities vntill being the first pledge of 〈◊〉 Spaine Isabella who succeeded her brother in the Kingdom of Castile was married to Ferdinand the Arragonian King and by the greatnesse of her dowry brought Arragon a Prouince that had euer beene more free then befitted a true Monarchy into due subiection afterwards with conioyned strength they vanquished the Moores and chased them againe into Affricke who almost eyght ages had possessed Spaine Vnder the felicity of their reigne did that Columbus discouer America in the West-Indies and that the affaires of Spaine with prosperous faâ—es might bee fully exalted on all sides the Neâ—ther-lands also by the new alliance of Philip of Austria were added to the Spanish Empire At the same time also the forces of France being driuen out of Apulia did Ferdinand make himselfe mâ—ster of the the Kingdome of Naples Immediately after did Charles the fift honoured with the title of Româ—n Emperour bring to the growing affaires of Spaine a new reuerence and ripenesse as it were and by prowesse subdued the Dutchy of Millane There remained now out of Spaine onely Portugall disioyned both by name and affection from
seasoned that ability of wit with soâ—eyne arts and manners The Nations though valiant beware can very well 〈◊〉 peace They are not suddainly mooued to 〈◊〉 but being once raised they 〈◊〉 like men and are not easily â—ppeased The people are excellent at working in 〈◊〉 or iron and drawing it into curious sculptures For the Inuenâ—tion of Printing and Gunpowder the world is indebted to the Germane wits a benefit altogether doubtfull whither 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 or behooâ—e of mankind Their mindes are full of 〈◊〉 nor â—â—ying nor carâ—ing at the vertues deedeâ— or 〈◊〉 of other men especially thâ—se thâ—â— are absent but extolling them with sincere and many times immoderate pruises But nothing is more magnificent in that Nation then that the Christian Empire and Eagle is seated there as if Germany had vanquished Rome and the lost of the Prounces that bowed to the Romane yoake it now the onely country where the name and reliques of the Romane fortune doe rest themselues The Sacred Maiesty of soe great a name is eclipsed by noe a mulation of other Princes and Kings though farre greater in power then he yet willingly giue place to the Imperiall Maiesty That highest dignity was heretofore supported by a power answerable which by little and little as were in a fatall old age did lessen and consume away For by domesticke warrs and the immoderate power of Princes of the Empire and besides the dignity being electiue not haereditary the vigour of the Empire falling to ground hath onely retained a venerable name more by the piety of others then her own strength Among other causes of the decay of this power this you shall finde to bee the greatest the Princes being of great wealth and encreased by the bounty of former Emperours haue at last changed those Prouinces which were first deputed vnto them into absolute Principalities to haue some priuiledge about the Emperour who oweth his estate not to right of inheritance but their suffrages they haue made their own dignities inheritances to their posterity By this meanes the mindes of those Nations and People which are naturally enclined to honour their Princes and heretofore onely in loyalty to the Emperour came by degrees to honour those Princes as his deputies and afterwards as their owne absolute Lords which was a nearer way either to profit or danger See the power of those Princes begun and strengthned did exhaust the strength of the whole Empire and first of all as much as remayned in France then Italy it selfe the fountaine of the Empire afterwards the strongest parts of Germany taken as it were out of their owne body did fall away and were diuided by the variety and number of Princes into other loyalties But in France and Brittaine which are most true Kingdomes it was ordered farre otherwise and those Princes whose power was too great and worthy of suspition by the prouidence of God and industry of the Kings were suppâ—essed and rooted out For what roome were left for the Maiesty and State of Kings if Normandy Brittaine Aquitaine Burgundy Auuergne Pâ—cteirs Prouence and Champaine were possessed by Dukes or Earles as once in the gouernment of petty Kings who safe in their owne strength would obey the King vpon curtesie and onely not contemne him as inferiour to themselues But what miseries in the Kingdome of Brittaine haue beene caused by the great and too formidable power of Dukes and Count Palatines endued with regall priuiledges and mighty in faction and attendance what bloody rebellions haue they oft raised against their Kings there is noe more certaine safety of the Kingdome at this day then that the power of those great men and their Families are vtterly suppressed and the nerues of the Kingdome guided by one onely The Emperours therefore should then haue preuented this renting of the Empire when first the Princes began to grow too great But now the disease too farre growne and all affaires too long setled so that the Empire especially consisteth of those Princes to extort the power out of their hands were not onely an vnseasonable but a vaine enterprise soe many vpholders of those dignities would ioyne in confedency against him for their common security especially seeing at this day their Principalities doe as lawfully belong to them as the Empire doth to him their titles accrewing both from the consent of them that first gaue that power into their hands and also by time and long possession whereby all titles of Soueraignty which for the most part are weake or wrongfull at the first are made lawfull But the last and mortall disease of the expiring Empire was this that many or most of the cities imitating these Princes gathered themselues into Commonwealths making themselues Lawes and ordaining Magistrates and to make it knowne that they had renounced their first loyalty in this sliding from the Empire they challenged the name of Free States entering into leagues among themselues to maintaine each other against the Soueraignty of the Emperour Soe that country which in one State vnder one Gouernour had beene able to contest with all Europe puissant in men and strong cities and worthy to receiue the translated dignity of the Romane Empire can now finde noe Prouince nor scarce any city that shee can deliuer to her Emperour in free power and Soueraignty For the Commonwealths and Principalities will suffer noe Imperiall garrisons within them nor can that Prince that beares soe great and glorious a title finde any place among soe many cities where hee may hâ—â—e his subiects leaue to dwell By this sweet and pâ—blike errour they haue diserâ—ed the Maiesty of their owne country The seauen Electors by the custome of the country are to choose no man Câ—sâ—â— but a great man possessed of a Kingdome or other great wealth and Territoryes of his owne already Vertue and Nobility alone can neuer carry those voices For where should the seate of the Emperour bee vnlesse be had one already without the Empire where should that Court bee kept which were answerable to the title of soe great Maiesty they would hardly suffer him to dwell any where among them whom they loue to honour in his absence But if the fate of that valiant Nation would permit that the whole Prouince might be absolutely subiect to their Elected Casâ—â— then they might easily finde among themselâ—â— some that were fit for that great and puissant honour and bee forced to seeke after nothing in their Elections but vertue onely The Emperour then hath some power but limited and straightned ouer all the country In ciuill contentions they doe often appeale to him But capitall crimes the Princes and Free States doe iudge in there owne territories The Emperour has power to call diots to proclaime warrs and determine controuersies betweene the Princes themselues When warrs doe threaten Germany hee commands men and money from the Prouinces if that may bee termed by command which cannot bee obtained without their free consent The Free Princes