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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12567	Certain discourses, vvritten by Sir Iohn Smythe, Knight: concerning the formes and effects of diuers sorts of weapons, and other verie important matters militarie, greatlie mistaken by diuers of our men of warre in these daies; and chiefly, of the mosquet, the caliuer and the long-bow; as also, of the great sufficiencie, excellencie, and wonderful effects of archers: with many notable examples and other particularities, by him presented to the nobilitie of this realme, & published for the benefite of this his natiue countrie of England	Smythe, John, Sir, ca. 1534-1607.	1590 (1590)	STC 22883; ESTC S117657	85,512	138

alleage two the one ancient the other of this time The first is of the Arabians which nation vnder Mahomet that false prophet his successors Halifas conquered a great part of Europe Affrike and Asia were so long as they had but one supreme Halifa or Prince to gouerne the Arabians and al their dominions by them conquered so mighty through their excellent Milicia that no forren Nation durst assaile them But after by their long liuing in peace and great prosperitie in the end through the viciousnes and insufficiencie of one of their supreme Halifas that at that time raigned ouer them fell into reuolt and intestine wars amongst themselues striuing for the supreme throne and gouernement in such sort that in few yeres they did so corrupt and confound their ancient discipline Militarie so weaken themselues by many cōfused battels sackings and spoiles and by diuiding their great Empire into diuers partes vnder diuers Halifas that the Turkes a new Nation who had an excellent Milicia did inuade their dominions and within few yeares brought them into subiection to the Turkie Empire Now the other example which is of our time is Fraunce which kingdome vntill Lewes the eleuenth did serue himselfe with mercinaries had a well ordered Milicia offensiue and defensiue and that chiefly on horsebacke and yet diuers yeares had some reliques and remnants of the same but nowe in this later time the French Nation hauing continued seauen or eight and twenty yeares in ciuile warres amongest themselues they haue so corrupted and confounded all their ancient orders and proceedings in matters Militarie that they haue at this present no shew token nor mention of the same but disorder disobedience and confusion which hath proceeded of the like causes that brought the Arabians and many other Nations through intestine warres to corrupt and confound their Arte and Science Militarie as it shall more particularly appeare by that which followeth I think all men of experience iudgement in matters of warre do know that the first principall thing that is requisite to assemble and forme an armie or armies and to keepe the same in obedience with good effect is treasure to maintaine pay and reward with seuere execution of excellent Lawes Militarie Which what Prince soeuer he be that hath with sufficient Generals other Officers to commaund and gouerne may very well haue a well ordered Milicia by reason that no souldiours well payd and chiefly being subiects to the Prince that they serue can vse any excuses not to obserue all lawes and orders Militarie of Sea or Land Towne Campe or Field Besides that vpon any transgression of orders it is lawfull for the Captains and higher Officers to correct reforme and punish according to the lawes and ordinances Militarie from whence it commeth to passe that euen as the Citizens of a wel ordered Citie through the execution of good lawes ciuil and criminall by excellent gouernors doo liue in great order quietnes and prosperitie without any ciuile dissention Euen so an Armie in the field being well payed prouided for and gouerned doo liue as orderly in towne campe and field without robbing spoiling or otherwise iniuring any other but the common enemie Now to maintaine and continue the same it dooth behoue a King in his kingdome and chieflie in the bodie of the same to be well obeyed that by the quiet obedience of his subiects he may receiue all his customes rents and reuenewes with all other subsidies and aides that of antiquitie his progenitors haue accustomed to receiue with newe supplies of men and munitions from time to time to ranforce his Armie or Armies All which the French Kings through their subiects so often taking Armes and such intestine warres so manie yeares haue so come to want that they haue not had anie meanes possible to maintaine any other but a deformed and disordered Milicia by reason that the Nobilitie and Princes of the bloud vppon diuers legitimate causes by them pretended with their friends and followers taking Armes against them a great part of the reuenewe of the Crowne with all other customes subsidies and aides haue in diuers Cities Townes and Prouinces come to cease and the same to be enioyed by the Kings enemies armed by meanes whereof the French Kings that haue liued in the times of these intestine warres haue not had treasure to pay their Armies whereby to keepe their men of warre in any discipline Besides that by those continuall dissentions they haue lackt a great part of their Nobilitie and subiects to ranforce their Armies The Nobilitie also and Princes of the bloud that haue continued in Armes against their Kings notwithstanding their vsurped reuenewe and treasure of the Crowne haue beene as little or lesse able to pay their men of warre so that all the intestine and ciuill warres that haue continued so manie yeares in France with the slaughter and destruction of such infinite numbers of all sorts of people haue beene maintained and continued tumultuaritie more by spoyle sedition passion and faction than by any pay order and discipline Militarie Whereof it hath come to passe that such Armies as haue serued vnder the French Kings or vnder the Nobilitie that haue continued in armes against them how good Officers gouernors soeuer they had could not haue any certen nor ordered Milicia by reason that through the lacke of certaine pay and no hope of reward for extraordinary deserts it hath come to passe that the souldiors thereby being made voluntary haue obeyed their Captaines no otherwise than hath pleased themselues altering and changing their weapons as also themselues out of one band into an other and sometimes horsemen to become footemen and footemen to become horsemen besides their forraging and stragling from their Ensignes without order as also their negligence and lacke of vigilancie in their watches bodies of watches and centinels and by disordering themselues vpon euery light occasion both in battallion squadron and troupe Captaines also haue oftetimes formed or rather deformed their bands both on horsebacke and on foote with armors and weapons new inuented by themselues without controlment different from all orders Militarie The Generals and whole armies also both of the one side and of the other haue very seldome or neuer according to the Arte Militarie lodged themselues in any campe formed but dispersed and scattered by bands in many Townes and Villages with great disorder Besides that both Captaines Souldiors and all other men of warre for lacke of ordinary pay haue liued a great deale more vpon the spoile and misusing of the common people their fellow-subiects and friends than vpon any spoile or annoying of the enemy armed through which great disorders and lack of pietie contrary to all diuine humane lawes it hath come to passe that such Officers Captains and Souldiours that haue serued any long time in such licentious and tumultuarie wars be they subiects or mercenaries can very hardly after be reformed and

kept in seruitude by the Milicia and force of Archerie of diuers other sober Nations The Empire of Constantinople and Rome also at such time as they were vnder one Empire and that the Emperours held their imperiall seate in Constantinople as carefull as some of those Emperours were to keepe their subiects the Grecians in exercise of Armes and chieflie of Archerie yet after in the time of other Emperours that were careles and effeminate their subiects giuing themselues through long peace vnto feasting and drunkennes and neglecting the exercize of Bowes and Archerie did so forget the vse of that most excellent weapon that they were many times vanquished by the Milicia of the Arabians that consisted most of all of Bowemen which conquering Nation at that time gaue themselues to labour and trauell and to the exercise of their bowes with great sobrietie and not to drunkennes And the subiectes of the very same Empire of Constantinople long after the time of their great ouerthrowes by the Arabians through the negligence of some of their effeminate Emperours as aforesaide were by the constraint of certaine imperiall statutes and ordinances of some other wise and valiant Emperours reduced in a great part from their drunkennes to sobrietie and from idlenes to their ancient exercize of Archerie by the which they did defend themselues against the Turkes and Sarazins during the time of those woorthie Emperours very valiantly but after againe in processe of time through the effeminacie and negligence of other Emperours of no valour nor worthines the said Grecians did returne againe to their former drunkennes superfluities and vtter forgetting of the vse and exercize of their bowes and Archerie Whereby it came to passe that Mahomet the second of that name of the house of Otoman with his notable Milicia of Turkes and Ianissaries that consisted most of Bowe-men a Nation no wayes giuen to drunkennesse did vtterly subdue and conquere that Empire Besides which examples I coulde if it were not too long alleadge many others of many kingdomes and mighty Nations that through the detestable vices of drunkennes couetousnes and superfluities haue giuen themselues to effeminacie and forgetting of all vse of their Bowes and Archerie and other exercises Militarie by meanes whereof they haue bene after conquered and brought into seruitude by other sober and valiant Nations that haue had the vse of the Bowe in great perfection And to be briefe there is no man that hath read many notable histories of great antiquitie as also of later ages with obseruation but hee shall most manifestly see that drunkennes couetousnes and superfluities haue caused the forgetting and contempt of the vse of Archerie and all other exercises Militarie which hath beene the ruine of most of all the Empires Kingdomes and Nations that haue beene knowne or written of in Europe Affrick or Asia And if any of our such men of warre be so obstinate that they wil not beleeue such notable Histories let them then resorte to the Bible which is the Booke of God and then if they be not possessed with some infernall spirit that doth breed in them infidelitie they shall not onely there see the great account that King Dauid that holie prophet made of that weapon after the ouerthrow and death of King Saul slaine by the Philistines great effectes perfourmed with that weapon by the Iewes vnder Iosuah their most excellent Captaine that did depose so many Kings with many other particularities by the which it may be iustly gathered that God gaue such excellent effects to that weapon that when he diuers times promised helpe to the Iewes against the Gentiles hee made speciall mention of that weapon And when it pleased him to punish the Iewes for their idolatrie gluttonie by the handes of the Gentiles they receiued diuers ouerthrowes by the effect of Bowes Besides that King Dauid dooth call Bowes a mightie power and in his Psalmes the vessells of death By which examples before alleadged that drunkennes and neglecting of the exercize and vse of Bowes hath bin the ruine of many Empires and kingdomes I thinke all men of consideration and iudgement may euidently see what pernicious and dangerous matters our such men of war haue by their euill and foule examples and sinister perswasions sought to drawe and perswade our Nation vnto Which with their innumerable disorders Militarie by them committed in the Lowe Countries as also elsewhere to the consumption and destruction of many and many thousands of our Nation as is before declared may I thinke euidently shewe how vnfit and vnable such men of warre are to compare themselues with the great Captaines of former times or with the ancient men of war yet liuing that haue bene trained vp in matters of armes in the warres of Emperours or Kings as also how much more insufficient they are to erect and innouate anie new Discipline Militarie amongst vs or any wayes to suppresse or find fault with the exercise vse and effectes of our peculiar and most victorious weapon the Long-bowe And now that I haue in this Proëme laid open many foule detestable proceedings disorders of some of our such mē of war practised and put in execution by them in the Low coūtries as also some here at home greatly to the hurt preiudice of our country Nation I thinke it good to notifie vnto your Lordships that I haue not taken it in hand performed the same any waies moued therunto vpō any priuat hatred or malice by me to anie of them borne For I protest that if they were all my verie neere kinsmen the cause being publique I would respect them no more than I haue respected these but as for those men whosoeuer they be to my remembrance I haue had verie little or no conference with anie of them Besides that there is none of them to my knowledge that euer gaue vnto me in respect of mine owne particular anie occasion of offence but the verie originall and principall cause that hath mooued me to set downe my discourses following as also this my Proëme to your Lordships in this forme and phrase hath been the exceeding loue and extraordinarie zeale that I beare vnto my Prince Countrie and Nation That seeing and foreseeing the wonderfull euills that haue alreadie and are likelie daylie and from time to time more and more to ensue if the same bee not speedilie prouided for and remedied to no lesse in processe of time thā to the ruine or great hazard of this most noble Monarchie I therefore thought it my duetie all priuate passion of feare of loue of hatred and affection set aside to make manifest vnto your Lordships those great disorders and euills before declared that by your being put in remembrance and knowing of them your Lordships being the Nobilitie and Magnates of the Kingdome and the verie eyes eares and of the King and the bodie of the watch and redresse of the Common wealth may prouide for preuent and reforme the aforesaid

both auncient and moderne that haue serued in the well ordered wars of Emperours or Kings that their wars are now growen to greater perfection and greatlie altered from the wars of times past in the which I do concurre with them and the rather because they verifie the olde Prouerb which is That such as were neuer but in Hell doo thinke that there is no other Heauen For true it is that the ciuile and licentious wars of France and the tumultuarie and disordered wars of the Lowe Countries which haue beene their schooles and the chiefe warres that euer they sawe haue beene altogether without anie formed Milicia and discipline militarie therfore farre different from the well ordered wars that haue bin in former times betwixt Emperors Kings and formed common wealthes And now because I intend in this Proëme vnto your Lordships as brieflie as I can to shewe by what meanes our Nation hath verie much decaied or rather forgotten all our auncient orders and exercises Militarie with the wonderfull euills that haue in other ages and do now through long peace threaten vs againe to happen as also that it hath been impossible for them or any others to learne any Art or Science Militarie in the ciuill warres of France nor in the disordered warres of the Lowe Countries vnder the States but rather the contrarie that is disorder and confusion I therefore will first make manifest by diuers examples by what meanes and accidents the Art and Science Militarie hath in many Empires Kingdomes and Common wealths as also in this Kingdome come sometimes to be vtterlie forgotten and at other times to growe to great disorder and confusion and so finallie that it is most euident that such of our Nation as haue seene and serued in no other wars but in such confused and disordered wars as aforesaid could no wayes attaine to anie such vnderstanding in the Art and discipline militarie that they may be anie wayes deemed or thought worthie to controll or finde fault with the orders and proceedings of our wise and worthie auncestours nor of the olde and auncient Noblemen Gentlemen and Captains yet liuing that haue bene trained vp in matters of armes as it shall euidently appeare by a fewe of their infinite vnsoldiorlike proceedings and disorders which I will set downe in the end of this Preface I thinke it is euident to all men of wisedome and discretion that haue read diuerse notable Histories with consideration and iudgement as also that haue well considered of this our age that there are two thinges of all others that are the greatest enemies to the Arte and science Militarie and haue been the occasion of the great decay and oftentimes the vtter ruine of many great Empires Kingdoms Common wealths of the which the first is long peace which ensuing after great warres to diuers Nations that haue had notable Milicias and exercises Militarie in great perfection they by enioying long peace haue so much giuen themselues to couetousnes effeminacies and superfluities that they haue either in a great part or els vtterlie forgotten all orders and exercises Militarie in such sort that when they haue been forced to enter into a warre defensiue for the defence of their Dominions against any forraine Nation or Nations that haue had a puissant and formed Milicia they haue been so voide of the orders exercises of war of their forefathers that either they haue bin cōquered by their enemies inuading or at least haue been put in hazard of the losse of their estates and dominions as it may verie well appeare by the Egyptians who being one of the first Nations of the world that had the Art and science Militarie in great perfection by the which they ●●tained many victories and conquests And thereby finding no Nation that durst assaile them they did after by enioying long peace and prosperitie so giue themselues to their delights couetousnesse and effeminacies neglecting all orders and exercises Militarie that being in processe of time and in diuerse ages assailed and inuaded by diuers other warlike Nations that had the Arte and Science Militarie in great perfection and were allured thereunto partly by the wonderful fertilitie of Aegypt but chiefly because the Aegyptians were growen effeminate without anie orders and exercises Militarie they came to be by them subdued and conquered and euer since haue liued in subiection and seruitude to diuers other Nations The Macedonians and Grecians also that had vnder that notable conquerour Alexander the great and other notable Princes and Captains of those Nations the Arte Militarie in great perfection whereby they atchieued many notable victories and conquests did after by liuing in long peace accompanied with great dissention couetousnes and superfluities so forget al their orders and exercises Militarie that they came to be conquered by the Romanes and of late yeares by their like negligence in matters of warre were vtterly subdued and brought into seruitude by the Turkes The Romanes also themselues after that they had by their notable milicia atchieued wonderfull victories and conquests through the peace but of a few yeares did growe so to decay in their discipline Militarie that Hanniball that notable Captaine of Carthage atchieuing diuerse victories in Spaine against the Romanes and marching with his army through France and passing the mountaines of the Alpes did before that the Romanes could renue and reduce themselues to their auncient Milicia inuade Italie and woon diuers notable battailes and killed diuers of their Consuls and their whole Armies and put Rome it selfe in great feare to be sacked and conquered And if we list to consider of our owne Countrie and Nation in diuers ages omitting infinite numbers of other examples of greater antiquitie as also of later ages we may see that our auncestours the Saxons that conquered and expulsed the Britans the auncientest inhabitants of this Realme by reason that they found them altogether without any orders and exercises Militarie wholie giuen to idlenes vitiousnes delights the same Saxons after by lōg peace with forren Nations being giuen to couetousnes vice and superfluities as also to ciuile dissention amongst themselues at home did so confound and forget their Arte and Science Militarie by the which they in former times had bene conquerours that they themselues came after to be conquered by the Danes and shortly after by the Normans All which examples of conquests and daungers of conquering with infinit others of great Empires Kingdoms and Common wealths haue proceeded chiefly through the negligence of their Princes Rulers and Magistrates who through long peace and ouermuch securitie did gouerne their subiectes onely by lawes politike neglecting and contemning all orders and exercises Militarie And this dooth most manifestly appeare by many notable Histories that doo containe great actions The second cause which doth confound and disorder all discipline and orders Militarie is intestine and ciuile warres as we may see by many examples of the which for breuities sake I will only

Besides that it is most manifest that before some of our such men of warre tooke those voluntarie warres in hand there were verie few theeues and roges in England in cōparison that there are now that haue come out of their discipline for it is certaine that this new deformed Milicia and euill gouernment of our such men of war by suffering their soldiers for lacke of pay in those warres to go a robbing and spoyling the countrie people their friends as aforesaid hath brought many of them from good to euill and made most of those that haue returned into England impudent roges and theeues that were true men before they went ouer By which their merueilous disordered and deformed discipline it is come to passe that many and many thousands of the brauest and lustiest sort of people able to weare armes and to serue in any warres either offensiue or defensiue are as aforesaid consumed in those warres and the number of exercised and expert soldiers meete vpon any occasion to serue the Prince and Realme by those seruices no waies increased by reason that all such as haue come out of those seruices vnlesse it be the Captaines and a fewe Officers of bands are almost all turned from miserable soldiers that they were in those Lowe Countries to most impudent roges and theeues that by no order nor pollicie can be reformed and reduced to any honest course of life all which hath come to passe through the extreme euill gouernement of some of our such men of war as aforesaid And whereas they talke and boast so much of their new discipline Militarie and of their owne sufficiencies and that they doe exceede and excell all the ancient men of war of times past as also such as are yet liuing Certainely all men that list may beholde their newe Milicia of their owne forming as aforesaid of theeues and roges that doe swarme in all the high wayes and gaoles of England Which doth make manifest the great insufficiencies of such as haue beene Authors actors and performers of that infernall discipline some of the which also haue not contented themselues to worke the aforesaid great euills to their Countrie and Nation before declared but haue of late yeares since they came out of those Lowe Countrie warres sought to bring to passe two other such notorious and deformed effectes amongst the English Nation as may in time to come be the vtter ruine of this most noble kingdome and people euen as the like hath beene of diuers other great Monarchies of the which two effects the one hath beene to celebrate the other to abolish and extinguish That to celebrate hath been to the feasts of Bacchus with carowsing and drunkennesse Which most foule and detestable vice is enemy to all Discipline and Exercises Militarie and to be short to all vertues and excellencies both of bodie and soule and in the rest is the very mother and nurse of effeminacie of cowardice of sensualitie of rebellion of couetousnes and all other vices that can be imagined as we may euidently see by our next neighbours the Flemings and Dutch whose vices and imperfections sauing onely their pollicie to grow rich and gather goods for breuities sake I ouerpasse And this forren vice hath bene brought out of those Lowe Countries by some of our such men of warre within these very fewe yeares whereof it is come to passe that nowadayes there are very fewe feastes where our said men of warre are present but that they doo inuite and procure all the companie of what calling soeuer they be to carowsing and quaffing and because they wil not be denied their challenges they will with many new conges ceremonies and reuerences drinke to the health and prosperitie of Princes to the health of Counsellors and vnto the health of their greatest friends both at home and abroad in which exercise they neuer cease till they be dead drunke or as the Flemings say Doot dronken Which their quaffings and carowsings with all their ceremonies is no other but a blaspheming and offending of God in the highest degree a touching of the honour of the Princes vnto whose healths they carowse and a very offering of sacrifice vnto Satanas or rather to Belzebub himselfe the Prince of feendes Certainely a wonderfull pitifull case that anie of our such men of warre or nation vnder the pretence of souldiorie and warlike Discipline should nowadayes in steade of praying to God for the health of Princes which hath beene alwayes very commendably vsed amongst all good subiects Christians drinke and carowse drunke to the health prosperity of Kings Kingdoms and States And that men that haue beene created by God to his owne similitude and likenes should contrarie to his glorie by such filthie disorder make themselues farre inferiour to most brute beasts And this aforesaid detestable vice hath within these sixe or seuen yeares taken wonderfull roote amongest our English Nation that in times past was wont to be of all other Nations of Christendome one of the soberest And this is one of the fruits and merchandize of their discipline that our such men of warre haue brought in amongst vs. Now the other effect that they haue sought most blindlie and maliciouslie to bring to passe to the great daunger that vppon diuers accidents may hereafter happen to the Crowne and Realme of England and English Nation hath been and is to seeke to abolish and extinguish the notable exercise and vse of our Long-bowes and Archerie by which weapons our auncestors with many miraculous victories haue made our Nation famous both in Europe Affrick and Asia so that in stead of Archerie which is the soberest exercise of all others to auoide drunkennes and other euills and a most manlie exercise and wholesome for the health of the bodie and to encrease strength and for battailes and victories of farre greater effect than any other weapon that euer was or shall be inuented our such men of warre vnder pretence of the excellencie of the weapons of fire by them misreported would bring in carowsing and drunkennes which two things I meane of the neglecting and suppressing of the vse and exercise of Bowes and Archerie and bringing in of superfluities and drunkennes hath been the ruine of manie great Empires Kingdoms and Common-wealthes as it is apparant by the testimonie of many notable histories As for example the Aegyptians before mentioned in this Proëme vnder their most valiant and mightie King Sesosis or Sesostris and other their notable Princes did conquer a great part of Asia Europe Affrick by their notable Milicia which did consist most of Archerie and Bowes but after through long peace and the negligence of some of their effeminate Kings the same warlike Nation did growe to such drunkennes and gluttonie that thereby forgetting the vse and exercise of their Bowes they were conquered and subdued Alexander the great the greatest part of whose Armie did consist of Archerie and after that many times subdued and

insufficiencie of our such men of warre of the Lowe Countries by the lack of skill imperfections and insufficiencies of their trained souldiers according to the old prouerbe In discipulis magister videtur like masters like men Which aforesaid action at Tilburie doth not onlie make manifest that our such old soldiers Harquebuziers are now as vnskilfull as the newe Soldiers Vison̄os Spaniards of two moneths pay were manie yeares past but if that anie forraine enemie with such vnskilfull Harquebuziers as they were should assaile a quarter of the like number of our Archers they should not be able to abide two volees of arrowes without casting away their peeces and turning their backes And now hauing in this my discourse made manifest the excellencie of our Long-bowes and Archers by many reasons examples ancient and moderne both against well horsed and armed Launces as also Harquebuziers which I thinke by all reason may suffice to conuince and confound all the ignorant opinions and friuolous obiections of our such men of warre as also to induce all such as are of any right consideration and iudgement to acknowledge the sufficiencie excellencie of that weapon that it is further euident by all forren Histories that haue made any mention of the differences of Bowes vsed by many Nations as also by such as haue trauailed in many parts of Europe Affricke or Asia that our English Bowes arrowes and Archers do exceed and excell al other Bowes vsed by all forren Nations not only in substance strength but also in the length bignes of the arrowes I will now further shewe the wonderfull effects that hath bene wrought by diuers sorts of forren Bowes as Gothian Parthian Arabian Turkish and Tartarian all which as aforesaid are inferiour vnto ours that by such notable effects by thē performed all such as are of sound iudgement not caried with toyes fancies and new fashions may very well knowe that God hath giuen such exceeding and excellent effects vnto that weapon that of all others it hath euer bene and yet may be iustly accounted the chiefe weapon of battells and conquests I thinke it is most manifest by all Histories that haue written of puissant and conquering Nations that in many and diuers ages vnder their great and notable Captaines haue giuen themselues to enlarge their dominions or with force to possesse the habitations of other forren people that they haue erected some kinde of milicia and discipline militarie to atchieue and performe the same And as the best kinds of weapons in the handes of well disciplinated obedient and exercised souldiers is a principall part of a milicia to atchieue victories so I thinke it is most euident that all those conquering Nations haue made chiefe choise of the Bowe as of the most excellent kind of weapon for victories and conquests And although they haue not vsed in their armies that weapon alone but other weapons also incorporated with them yet it is most manifest that the greatest number of such mightie armies haue consisted more of Archers either on horsebacke or on foote than of any other sorts of weapons and by their excellent effects chiefly haue beene atchieued most notable and wonderfull victories as for example Were not diuers Emperors and great Captains Romains with puissant armies many times inuading the Parthians and Persians sometimes ouerthrowne and many times repulsed by them and that chieflie by their Archers Were not Crassus and Cassius with a mighty armie which did consist of many legions of olde soldiers Romaines ouerthrowne and vanquished in the plaine fields with the force of the Parthian arrowes And was not Valerian the Emperour ouerthrowne and taken prisoner in a great battaile by the Persians and that chiefly by the great effect of their arrowes Besides all which it is most euident by diuers Histories that neither the notable Consulls of the ancient Romanes nor yet after them the Emperors Romans with their conquering milicia were euer able to conquere the Parthians and Persians defending themselues chiefly with that excellent weapon of Archerie on horsebacke But now to speake of foure mightie and conquering Nations that of later yeares but in diuers ages haue vanquished and subdued diuers great partes of the world It doth appeare by many Histories that the Gothes Vandalls Alans and other septentrionall Nations vnder their notable Princes great Captains making warre at diuers times vpon the Emperour Romanes and inuading Greece did besiege the imperiall citie of Constantinople and did spoile the Panonias now called Hungarie and Austria with Illyria Dalmatia and many other prouinces Also they inuaded and wasted Italie sacked the most auncient and famous citie of Rome with a great number of other Cities And in diuers notable battailes wounded and killed many great Captaines and some Emperours their Generals with their arrowes After which they passed through spoiled Frāce inuaded and conquered Spaine and caried their armies to the straights of Hercules now called Gibraltar Also the same Vandalls and Alans passed the straights and inuaded Affrike and conquered in a maner all the Leuant sea coasts of the same now called Barbarie And it is most euident that they did performe atchieue al those their battailes victories and conquests more with the effect of their Archers and Bowes than with all the rest of their weapons And not many yeres after that the Arabians a nation before that time litle spoken of vnder their false Prophet Mahomet his successors Halifas with infinit numbers of Arabian Bowmen on horseback some numbers of Zagaias which are double headed Lances did inuade the dominions of the Empire of Constantinople And with those weapons chiefly did conquere al Mesopotamia Suria Armenia and Persia. Also they did win Ierusalem and many other Cities and Prouinces and brought the Emperour Heraclius and some other of his successours to be tributaries vnto them And in diuers great battailes with their arrowes did wound and take some Emperours and many of their Generals prisoners Also they inuaded Affrike conquered Egypt and subdued all Barbarie euen to the very Ocean sea And shortly after passing ouer the straights of Gibraltar into Spaine and finding the Gothes Vandalls possessours of the same through the exacting and tyrannicall gouernement of their two last kings Gothes Vitissa and Don Rodrigo brought from all their ancient exercises militarie and vse of their Bowes they did conquere the kingdome euen to the very mountains Perinëos and atchieued many other notable victories and conquests in Italie Greece Sicilie Candia and other Islands of the Archipelago and all those chieflie by the wonderfull effectes of their Arabian Bowes After all which notable conquests atchieued by the Arabiās vnder their Halifas that they through long peace and some ciuil dissention were now growen into ambition enuie and couetousnes and to neglect their ancient discipline militarie and vse of their Bowes the Turkes a new Nation at that time in a maner vnknown