tooke good assurance of king Peter for the paiment of the souldiers wages 1367. The Prince setteth forward to Spaine Thus when the Prince had taken order for his iourny in each condition as was thought behoofefull he with the king of Spaine in his companie passed forth with an army of thirtie thousand men Henrie king of Spaine hauing knowledge that the Prince of Wales was thus comming against him to restore his brother king Peter to his former degrée assembled of the French and of his owne people to the number of fourescore seuen thousand or there about of men of warre wherof seuen thousand were horsemen King Henrie sent to the Prince an Herald of armes with a letter The king of Spaine sendeth to the Prince requiring to know of him for what cause he moued warre against him sith he had neuer offered him any such occasion The Prince dispatched the Herald with an answer to the Letter containing in effect that for great considerations he had taken vpon him to aide the rightfull king of Spaine thased out of his realme by violent wrong and that if it might be he would gladly make an agréemēt betwixt them but so algates that king Henry of necessitie must then forsake all the title of the kingdome of Spaine which by no rightful meanes he could enioy and therfore if he refused thus to do he was for his part resolued how to procéed The Herald departed with this answer and came therewith to king Henrie and deliuered it vnto him as then lodged with his puissant armie at Nouarret which he liked not whereupon both parties prepared themselues to battell and ioyned The battell was eagerly fought the victorie fell to the Prince There were staine of men of armes fiue hundred and thrée score The number slaine at this battell at Nouarret and of Commons about seuē thousand and fiue hundred of the kings part and of the English part there was slaine of men of account but verie few viz. foure knights two Gascoynes one Almaine and the fourth an Englishman and of other meane Souldiers not past foure hundred Froissard as Froissard saith but other affirme that there was slaine of the Princes part about sixtéene hundred which shold séeme to be more like a truth if the battel were fought so sore fiercely as Froissard himselfe doth make report This battell was fought vpon a Saturday Caxton the third of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1367. There was taken prisoners of the kings part to the number of two thousand and amongst them the Earle of Dene Sir Berthram de Cleaquine the Marshall Dandrehen or Dandenhien and many other men of great account After the battell King Peter went to Burgis and was receiued into the Citie and shortly the Prince came thither Froissard and there held his Easter with king Peter and taried there aboue thrée wéeks in the meane time they of Austergus Toledo Lisbon Cordeua Gallice Ciuill of all other places of the kingdome of Spaine came in did homage to King Peter promising him to be true to him euer after for they saw that resistance would not auaile so long as the Prince should be in the Countrie I note by this discourse Note the mightie courage of this noble Prince that durst enterprise to displace a king of his royall seat in his owne kingdome being there a méere stranger and to encounter him in so great an action hauing not aboue thirtie thousand in his Campe the king being about fourescore sixe thousand strong whereof aboue seuen thousand were horsmen and in his owne countrey where he might be furnished to supply his want And here I may not omit to speake of the notable and valiant seruice performed by the said noble Earle of Essex and the right noble Charles Haward now Earle of Nottingham high Admirall of England and diuerse other Lords Knights Esquires and Gentlemen at Cales in Spaine in the thirtie eight yere of her Maiesties raigne where they found fiue Gallions of the king of Spaines that is to say the Philip being Admirall the S. Matthew the S. Andrew the S. Thomas the S. Iames three Leuantices two great ships of Noua Hispania and diuerse gallies and 20 marchant ships richly loden for the Indies at which time the English had fight with the said Gallies about an houre the next day the English men and the Spaniards incountred each the other valiantly which conflict continued from seauen of the clocke in the morning till one in the after noone which was so sharpe that some of the Spanish ships did runne vp the riuer further into the country to saue themselues The said ships called S. Mathew and S. Andrew were taken and brought into England the Philip another being Uiceadmirall ranne themselues on ground and the English entred the Philip to haue had the spoile of her which the Spaniards perceiuing did set on fire and went out and the English men escaped the fire with danger some other of their ships were fired by vs there the Generall landed about sire thousand men and marched towards Cales citie being led by the said noble Earle of Essex giuen in the head of that troupe whome certaine of the Spaniards met some on foote and some on horsebacke out of the citie about halfe a mile but they did not tarie but retired to the towne The said Eerle of Essex pursued them resolutely and with such inuincible courage vnto their walles where they played vpon them with their ordinance and small shot awhile but in the end they entred by plaine force with small losse of their men The Earle of Essex was one of the first that entred with many voluntarie Gentlemen and they which entred were not aboue 1000 men which wanne the towne but there was good ayde at hand In the towne there were 500 horsemen and a thousand footmen besides a great number of other townesmen and great store of munition ordinance and victualles The towne was strongly walled hauing a castle strongly edified in the midst thereof and so fortified and victualled that it was thought impossible to haue bene wonne without cannon shot and the houses were all of stone very strongly and defencibly builded so as if they had stood to it it had not bene possible with a far greater number to haue bene so soone surprised We tooke the spoyle of the Citie being very rich in Iewels Plate Money Cloth of gold Silke Sugars Wine Oyle Rice and other marchandise which was esteemed with the losse of the said ships and goods in them to be worth a huge sūme of money The said noble Earles of Essex and Nottingham knowing the loosenesse of soldiers very honorably caused the Ladies and gentlewomen wherof there were diuerse in that Citie with the rest of the women and children with 500 men to be safely conueyed out of the Citie and a straite proclamation made that none should offer to any of them any
est When the Prince doth ordain punishment to any he is sad also where any is punished he taketh it as it were don to himself She is a most milde Prince not fearefull to behold or to be spoken vnto Ouid metamor li. 2. f 30. Nullae in fronte minae nec formidabile lumen But with most benign and gracious countenances receiueth and answereth the petitions supplications of her subiects she is of that honorable and princely disposition in all things that euen the greatest Princes do honor her And in that hir Ma. 4 cause of incoragemēt hath fortified the borders of this realme in places dāgerous for inuasion with such castels and strong holds with a mighty nauy of warlike ships Fortification of the realme and furnished her kingdome with such abundāce of armor all other things necessary for the wars and defence of her cuntry people as the like hath not bin seen in any Princes dayes before her time If we will consider the miserable conditions of such Nations as liue vnder Princes where the pleasure of the Prince standeth for law Miserable cōditions of other people and where the king saith Sic volo sic Iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas So I will Iuuenal so I command my will shall stand for reason And compare the same with our happy state we haue iust cause to thinke our selues much bound to God for our Princes not only make good and wholsome lawes Good lawes but are wel pleased also to be ordered by them in the day of their Coronation take a solemne Oath vpon the holy booke of God to indeuor themselues Othe that the same lawes shall be obserued and executed to all indifferently Osor fo 105. And therein is the difference saith Osorius betwixt a kind and a Tyrant Non mediocre discrimen est inter regematque tyrannum quòd Rex legibus s◠deuinctum profitetur Tyrannus vero in interitu legum omnem dignitatem suam collocandam existimet Among many other what an Honorable law was made in the 9. yeere of king Henry the third 9. Hen. 3. A most honorable Law as followeth No frée man shal be takē or imprisoned or be desseised of his freehold liberties or frée customes or be outlawed or exiled or anie waies destroyed nor we shall not passe vppon him nor deale with him but by lawfull iudgement of his peeres or by the Lawes of the land we shall sell to no man wee shall deny nor deferre no man 42. li. Ass either of iustice right or equitie By which statute a Commission granted out of the Chancerie to take I. N. and seize his goodes and chattels was iudged void for that it was done without iudgement or sute of the partie or other due processe How happie be we in respect of the Russes amongst whom there is a lawe Russes if any man die without issue male though he haue many daughters yet the Prince seizeth all his goods to his own vse except perhaps of his goods he giueth some part amongest the daughters to bestowe them in marriage And likewise if a man that is vnfit in his owne person for the warres hath such wealth that thereby many warriours might be maintained or that if any of the Courtiers hauing knowledge thereof doe present his name to the Emperour the vnhappie man by and by is sent for and in that instant depriued of all his riches which with great paines and trauaile all his life time he hath gotten togither except perchāce some small porcion thereof be left to maintaine himselfe his wife children and familie withall and then the Emperour bestoweth these goodes amongst his Courtiers according to their deserts Booke of Nauigation fol. 788. 417. as appeareth in the booke of Nauigation But no such vse lawe nor custome is amongst vs. For if a man haue no sonnes then his daughters or some other of his line possesse his landes and his Executor his goodes as pleaseth the owner to limit And when our Prince would haue ayde of her subiects towards the maintenance of her warres or for other necessarie respects she taketh not her subiects lands or goodes from them neither can so doe by her Highnesse lawes except they be first thereby condemned and so forfait them for some offence but vseth to call a Parliament and by the assent of all her Nobles and Commons hath Subsidies and other aydes of her subiects towards the defraying of som of these charges and the subsidie or ayde thus granted if it be of lande for the most part amounteth not to the thirtieth part of the yeerely rent of the same and if it be of goods reacheth not oftentimes to the fiftieth part thereof Againe whereas in France Tributes for meat drink in other countries Flanders and other Countries the people pay certain tribute to their princes for some sort of meat and drinke and for their dwellinges We are not charged with any such impositions Neither is such torment vsed heer in execution of offenders Torments in execution as breaking of their legs armes and backe and so laide on a whéele of a cart pitched on a pole and there to lie till hee be dead which is common in other Realmes by the Ciuill lawes but is executed here by hāging onely till he be dead except it be in case of high treason Therfore I say we are in these respects most happy in regarde of other Nations ¶ How much we are bound to God that doth assist her maiesty with such graue wise and most honourable Counsellers and also diuers and sundry perswasions in respect of the premisses and other things why we should all resolutely fight in the defiance of the enimy And of the miseries of warre where the enimy preuaileth Chap. 3. AS a further cause of this incouragment Fift cause of incoragemēt how much are we bound to God in that it hath pleased him alwaies to assist her Ma. with such honorable counsellers men of such grauity Wise Counsellers truth faithfulnesse and wisdome of such deep skil consideration policie forecast and experience as to speak it plainly simply no Prince vnder the sun is furnished with the like or at least with a better by whose great wisdome trauel and indeuour this common peace and quietnesse hath bin so long preserued and mantained If any thing hath bin intended to the perill of her maiesties person or danger of the state that hath been by them quickly espied deeply looked into and with greate wisdome pollicie in time preuented and auoided to their great honors immortall fame so as in the choise of them her maiesty hath most graciously wisely considered of the saying of Osorius Osor sol 292. Necesse est vt Regis consiliarij sint maximo ingenio praediti bonis artibus exculti longo rerum vsu per ti in historijs diligentissimè versati What men must be
s. which amounted to an inestimable sum Holinsh f. 11. Graft abridg An. 1085. when it came all together into his exchequer And did not he shortly after cause all mens goods and chattels to be valued and raised thereof also a maruelous great masse of mony to the great greife and impouerishment of our people who so sore lamented the miserable case wherein they were thrawled that they hated the Normans in their hartes with deadly mallice howbeit the more they spake and séemed to grudge against such sore touls tallages and cruell oppressions as were daily deuised to their vtter vndoings the more they were burdened after the manner of the bondage which the children of Israel sometime suffered in Egipt for on the other side the Normans perceiuing the hatred which the Englishmen did beare towardes them were sore offended in their mindes and therefore sought by all manner of waies how to kéepe them vnder In like sort did not Wil. Rufus ouerthrow diuers and sundry townes Holinsh 313. parishes villages and buildings for the space of thrée miles together to make thereof a Forrest which to this day is called the new Forrest for wilde beasts and deare whereby no small member of the poore lost their houses their lands and liuings for the maintenance of sauage beasts Nevv forrest Camden 188. of whose hard dealing in this case Doctor White Bishop of Winchester hath these verses written as Camden affirmeth fo 198. B. of Win. Templa adimit diuis fora ciuibus arua colonis Rufus instituit Beanlensi in rure forestam Rex ceruum insequitur Regem vindicta Tirellus Non bene praeuisum transfixit acumine ferri Did not he cause a greiuous paine to be ordained insomuch that who so euer did kill any of the same deare he should haue his eies put out Eies put out for hunting wherevpon many refusing to sustaine such an intollerable yoke of thrauldome as was dayly laid vpon them by the Normans choose rather to leaue both lands and goods and after the manner of outlawes got them to the woods with their wiues children and seruants meaning from thenceforth wholy to liue vppon the spoyle of the Countries adioyning and to take what so euer came first to hand wherevpon shortlie it came to passe that no man might in safetie trauel from his owne house or towne to his neighbours and euery quiet and honest mans house became as it were a hould or fortresse and was furnished for defence with Bowes Arrowes Billes Pollaxes Swordes Clubbes and Staues the dores kept locked and strongly boulted and namely in the night season for feare to be surprised as it had bin in time of war and amongst publique enimies Prayers were made also to almighty God by the maister of the house to saue and defend them as though they had bin in the middest of the seas in some stormy tempest by meanes of these hard dealing towards the English nation The people in the North parts of this Realme did rebell whome the Normans suppressed Hands cut off for rebelling and caused some of their hands to be cut of in token of their rebellious dealings and others by death to be punished and tooke so great a displeasure with the inhabitants of those parts that he wasted all the land betwixt Yorke and Durham so that for the space of 90. miles there was left in manner no habitation for the people by reason whereof it laie waste and deserte by the space of nine or tenne yeares so that no greater misery in the earth could happen then that into the which our nation was now falne Likewise did not he take from the Towns and Citties from the Bishops and Abbies all their ancient priuiledges and frée Customes to the end they should not onely be cut short and made weaker but also that they might redéeme the same of him for such somes of money as it pleased him to appointe to obtaine their quietnesse and made protestation that as he came to the gouernance of this Realme by plaine conquest so he would and did seize into his hands the most parte of euerie mans possessions causing them to redéeme the same at his handes againe and yet retained a parte in the most parte of them so that they that shoulde afterwardes inioy them shoulde acknowledge themselues to hold them of him in yéelding a yearely rent to him and his successors for euer In like manner when the Spaniards by violence possesthe sed Crowne of Portingall Booke of the estate of Fugitiues did not the king of Spaine vse the authoritie of a Conqueror and the tyrannicall cruelty of an vsurper altring their Lawes confounding their priuiledges ouerturning the whole estate of their gouernment strangling some of their Nobilitie and other of them beheading imprisoning and banishing some other of them with many other horrible and pittifull actions These are also other miseries which followe where the enemy doth get the vpper hand and shall we looke for any other dealing if they should ouercome vs ¶ That we shal preuaile against our enimies by faithful praiers to God wherof diuers examples are here set down out of the Bible also diuers other good perswasions to withstād the enimy and how that euery man is bound so to do whereby great fame is attained and left to posterities Chap. 4. IF we wil consider how valiantly our forefathers haue alwaies resisted forren forces prepared against our countrey 6. cause of incorragemēt and what great renowne and same they haue gotten for their valour in Armes which is spread amongest all Christian Nations of whom it is written Anglia Bistonio semper gens inclita marte England a Nation euer famous in battell Bysto is a coūtrey of valiāt people in warres in thrace Camd. fol. 7. Of whome Iohn Wheathamsted sometime the Abbot of S. Albons in his Granario writeth Sufficiat igitur Britannis pro nobilitatis suae orgine quod sint fortes potentes in praelijs quodque vndique debellent aduersarios nullumque penitus patiantur iugum seruitutis It is sufficient for the Britaine 's of whom we are descended for the beginning of their Nobility that they are strong mightie in battell and that they doe euery where beate downe their enimies and cannot suffer by any meanes the yoke of any bondage If we will remember that no Nation sithence the Conquest of this lande which is about 529. yeares past coulde yet ouercome vs praised be God therfore notwithstanding sundry attempts made to that end if we will call to mind the notable ouerthrowes which king Richard the first gaue the Infidels with a few Englishmen Foxe 245. Hol. 1191. and made the king of Cypres to doe him homage for his kingdome and besides him diuers other valiant kings and people haue we brought into subiection and made them stoope to the Crown of England as by our Chronicles is euident we haue nowe then great cause to be mightily incouraged in
a ring with a diamond therein as I haue heard valued at xv hundreth pounds a thing meet to remaine as an heire loome to that house for euer for a remembrance thereof And now to returne to the valiant seruice of diuerse others to their Prince and countrey let me tell you of Iohn late Duke of Northumberland Iohn Duke of Northūberland of whose fall by his disloyalty to his Prince though there be great pitie yet his courage valiancy and hardinesse in wars and his great aduenture therein I trust without offence may here be remembred as an incouragement to others to follow his steps therein who being in king Edward the sixt his time sent as Generall to suppresse the rebellion of Ket in Norfolke Holinsh 1672. his number being but small by reason his whole power was not yet come to him and the rebels were many was by some of his army aduised to regard his owne safety and to leaue the City of Norwich for that it was thought he was not able with his small company to defend the same against the sayd rebels to whom with noble courage shewing an inuincible hart he sayd that so long as any life was in him he would not consent to such dishonor but rather would suffer whatsoeuer either fire or sword should worke against him and thereupon did draw out his sword as other of the honourable and worshipfull then there present likewise did and commaunded that each one should kisse the others sword according to an auncient custome vsed amongst mē of war in time of great danger wherupon they all made a vow binding it with a solemne oath that they would not depart from thence vntill they had either vanquished the rebels or lost their liues in manfull fight for defence of the kings honour Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Ibid. 1532. How valiantly did Ambrose Earle of VVarwicke in the fourth yeare of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lady the Queenes Maiestie that now is defend the towne of Newhauen in Fraunce notwithstanding they died in great numbers of the plague so as they wanted men and other things necessarie for defence yet would not yéeld the towne by force but manfully stood ready in the breaches to receiue the assault whē the Frenchmen had with their Cannon made great breaches verie easie for the enemie to enter wherupon the Frenchmen perceiuing the resolutenesse of the Englishmen sounded their Trumpet of parley and so vpon honorable agréement then concluded vpon the towne was yéelded vp to the Frenchmen Besides how valiantly did Sir Iames Wilford and other Captaines with their souldiers defend the towne of Haddington in Scotland against the French and Scots being about eightéene thousand in king Edward the sixt his dayes and would not yéeld it although they had scarsitie of men and munition and were also greatly visited with the plague so as manie died thereof dayly but most valiantly and with inuincible courages defended the same Holinsh 1638. so as it was not surprised by the enemie How valiantly resolutely did the Lord Gray of Wilton Lord Iohn Gray the Lord Ed. Seymer Edward Shelley Preston and others to the number of seuen and twentie all Gentlemen set vpon the foreward of the battell of the Scots at Musclebrough in Scotland Expedition paten folio in king Edward the sixt his time meaning to haue broken their array but the Scots had so strongly fortified themselues that they could not enter and so in their retiring they were all slaine sauing the Lord Gray of Wilton and the Lord Iohn Gray and Lord Ed. Seymer who not without wounds and marks vpon their bodies of their being there escaped By these examples it appeareth that those Noblemen and others respected not their liues nor any painfull seruice or extremities in the seruice of their Prince and countrey for which they shall liue in fame for euer Mē may not respect any trauell or pain to serue their Prince and country He that hath desire to liue in name when he is dead in bodie must indeuour himselfe according to his calling as God hath indowed him to leaue some memorie whereby it may appeare that once hee liued as these verses following shew 1 THough Death the fatal threed of ech man cuts in twaine Yet vertues ay shall liue and worthie acts remaine 2 For others to ensue their painefull steps therein Whereby they may attaine like lasting praise to winne 3 But such as not regard to leaue some deed of fame When they are dead shall lie without regard or name 4 And soone shall be forgot as they had neuer bin And shall not be thought of no scarce amongst their kinne 5 What difference shall be then twixt great and meanest man When of their worthie acts no booke record ought can 6 What booteth titles great of honour for to haue Or Croesus golden store when men lie in the graue 7 More worth a thousand fold t is famous for to be For vertues and noble acts then all the rest to thee 8 That moued mightie kings and great States of this land And manie others mo great things to take in hand 9 Some kingdomes to subdue by sword both farre and neare Their persons ventred haue and dangers did not feare 10 And manie worthy Peeres their Prince to serue in field And countrey to defend great acts with speare and shield 11 Performed haue which fame with blast of trumpe hath spread Whereby they liue in name though they in graue ly dead 12 And some haue Churches built in honor of our Lord Where they did giue him thanks and praise with one accord 13 Some Colledges for such as learning list embrace Their countrey and their Prince to serue in euerie place 14 Some Schooles to traine vp youth in skill and vertues lore While tender yeares do last in age to haue in store 15 Some Hospitals for poore where they may be relieued When crooked age of strength to worke hath them bereaued 16 And these they haue endow'd with liuing and with land To their immortall fame for euermore to stand 17 These for their Founders pray and benefactors all And for their off-spring eke on God cease not to call 18 For their prosperitie and foes eke to withstand That all things prosper may which they do take in hand 19 And when they are gone hence that in the latter day They may rise vp with Christ in ioyes to dwell alway 20 None only for himselfe but for his countrey too Is borne and bound for her the best he can to do 21 The Brutish kings that long did beare the scepter here Faire temples to their gods and Castles strong that were 22 And cities large and townes erected manie one The enemie to defend they walled them with stone 23 And manie famous men the founders of our skill Their learned works haue left to studie on that will 24 Before that Christ was borne whose glorie liues this day And while the
world doth last shall neuer fade away 25 The summe of all is this who that will liue in name Must leaue some deed behind that worthie is of fame And to this end Salust writeth Salust fol. 1. Qui sese student praestare caeteris animantibus summa ope niti decent ne vitam silentio transeant veluti pecora quae natura prona ac ventri obedientia finxit quomam vita nostra qua fruimur breuis est memoriam nostri quā maximè longam efficere oportet nam diuitiarum formae gloria fluxa atque fragilis est virtus autem clara aeternaque habetur They which studie to excell other creatures ought not to passe their liues in silence as beasts do whom nature hath made altogether subiect to the belly but because our liues be short we ought to endeuour our selues to the vttermost of our power that our memorie may continue perpetuall for the glorie of riches and beautie are vnstable and fraile but vertue is a noble thing and most worthy to be had in euerlasting remembrance ¶ How we ought to beware of sedition amongst our selues and how that sundry attempts haue bene made by forreine enemies for the inuasion of his realme through the occasions therof as appeareth by diuerse and sundrie examples in this Chapter following CHAP. 6. NOw my deare friends and countreymen We must beware of sedition amōgst our selues to the intent to make vs the more able in this seruice of defence one thing there is of which we must chiefly beware namely of sedition rebelliō and diuision amongst our selues for out of doubt there is no greater mischief or inconuenience that can happen to a kingdome then ciuill discord as one writeth well Regnorum pessima pestis seditie Sedition is the greatest plague that may happen to a kingdome And the holy Gospell saith Math. 12. Omne Regnum in se diuisum desolabitur Euery kingdome in it selfe deuided shal be desolate As want of the feare of God Hol. 1772. disobedience to rulers blindnesse of guides briberie in Magistrates rebellion in subiects ciuill disagreement flattering of Princes vnmercifulnesse in rulers and vnthankfulnesse in subiects are causes of the ruine of a common wealth so the feare of God a wise Prince learned rulers obedience to officers in subiectes louers of the common wealth vertue rewarded vice chastened are the chief causers of a florishing common wealth It is not without great cause that we pray in our Letanie vnto God to be deliuered from sedition for sedition alwayes implieth daunger to the person of the Prince State it openeth the gate to forreine inuasion as by sundry examples we may see for when great dissention and warres were in England betwixt Herrauld and Tostus his brother Dissentiō in England opened the gate to forrein inuasiō Stow. 1066. after the death of king Edward sonne of Etheldred because Herrauld vsurped the crowne against his oath the trust put in him by king Edward who committed the gouernement of the realme to Herrauld during onely the nonage of Edgar his nephew to whom he gaue the crowne did not then William Duke of Normandy Duke of Normandie Hall 251. seeing a conuenient time and occasion offered to conquer this kingdome with a great army come into England and landed at Hastings in Sussex where in battell Herrauld was slaine Herrauld slaine and so William possessed this land by conquest Also when the great warres were in England betwixt king Iohn some of his Barons Barōs wars and sundry bloudy battels were fought betwixt them to the slaughter of many noble other valiant men Holinsh 199. did not the Barons being sore distressed with the kings forces pray ayde of Philip the Foxe 255. French king Frenchmen entred this realme when the ciuill warres were here requiring him to send Lewes his eldest sonne into England with some conuenient number of men and they would receiue him to be their king and do him homage whervpon the French king thinking rather by this deuice to conquer the realme sent Lewes his sonne with a great army of men into England whom the Barons receiued to him yeelded homage according to their promise whereupon diuerse great conflicts happened betwixt the king and the French Ibidem 600. and such of the Barons as ioyned with them who greatly indomaged the said king and got the possession of diuerse Castels Townes and other places and so became strong within this realme Likewise whē the ciuill warres were in England betwixt Edward the second his Barons concerning the Spensers did not the Scots waste destroy the countrey of the Bishoprike of Durham Scots inuaded England when ciuill warres were here and did not the French then enter the borders of Guyen hoping to haue recouered all the lands which the king had in France What imboldened the French king to surprise the holdes and fortifications neare Bulleyne in king Edward the sixt his dayes but the rebellion in Norfolke which greatly troubled the realme Fox 1309. and also to attempt the Isles of Gersey and Garnesey thinking to haue surprised the same also our ships but was repulsed to his great losses both of men and ships If we marke the fruits which haue proceeded of ciuill warres Cōquest by ciuill dissention Greece we shall sée that they haue bene alwayes guided after a most cruell and horrible kinde of hostilitie and that their issue hath bene the losse and ouerthrow of many commō wealths The Romaines came to the great Empire of Greece more by dissention and ciuill warres which they did sow amongst their neighbours then by force of armes French Academie Prou. 1. There are seuen things which God hateth and the eight his soule abhorreth and that eight is he which nourisheth discord amongst brethren French Academic ca. 63. Iustin li. 8. After the Romaines had kindled the fire of dissention in one nation they maintained one side a certaine time vntill in the end they had ouerthrowne both the one the other and so they deceiued sundry nations as the Carthagenians the Asians the Gawles Qui apertè concordiam simulant occulta dissidia serunt Bodinus li. 4 fol. 487. nihil est immortali Deo detest abilius saith Bodinus And by sowing of the sayd dissention in the end the Romaine Empire fell from her greatnesse by the meanes of ciuill warres which they had long time nourished amongest others Incidit in foueam quam fecit The Empire of Alexander being the greatest that euer was Alexander vanished as a fire of tow through the diuision and discord that was among his successors French Academie ca. 63. Iudea And Iosephus saith that the kings of Iudea became subiect and tributarie to the Romaines through the ciuill warres betwixt Hercanus and Aristobulus who were brethrē The afflictiō of Spaine by ciuill dissention There was no countrey more afflicted then
4. fol. 480 for as Bodinus writeth whē ciuill warres were raised amongst the Florentines and great slaughter and bloudshed happened amongst them in the Citie and no force of man could restraine the same Frauncis Soderinus the Bishop hauing on his pontificall ornaments and a companie of Priests attending on him and the Crosse borne before him entred into the middest of the Citizens thus assembled whereupon they forthwith for the feare they had of religion did put off their armour so did Iudas Bishop of the Hebrues High Priest when Alexander the great came to the citie of Ierusalem with a great host being apparelled in his holy vestiments met him which sight and the brightnesse whereof being feared Alexander did reuerence the Bishop did not spoile the countrie nor holy Citie but with great benefites did inlarge the same By like meanes Vrbane the Pope is said to haue turned and remoued away the siege of Attila from the citie of Aquila 5. Ioseph in anti as Iosephus writeth but when none of these will serue then the extermitie of armes must be vsed And because good perswasions and mild spéeches are thought so conuenient to be vsed to appease such vprores I haue thought good to set downe this simple exhortation which followeth After that Almightie God had destroyed the world for the finne of man Exhortation to rebels sauing Noah and his family who were preserued in the Arke by Gods prouidence and that nations and people did againe increase and multiply vpon the face of the earth knowing in his euerlasting wisedome how necessarie good and wholsome lawes should be for the gouernment and direction of his people he gaue the lawes of the tenne commandements in the mount Sinay wherein is contained first our dutie to almighty God and next to our neighbour then he also ordained Kings Princes and Gouernors to rule and order their subiects and to punish the offenders thereof by these lawes and gaue them power to make lawes as Salomon saith Prou. 8. By me kings raigne through me Princes make good lawes And lastly he gaue straight commandemēt to the subiects touching their obedience to their Soueraigne Lords and rulers Rom. 13. as Saint Paule saith Let euerie soule submit himselfe to the higher Powers there is no power but of God all powers that be are ordained of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist procure to themselues damnation for rulers are not fearefull to them that do well but to them that do euill Wilt thou be without feare of the power do well then and so thou shalt be praised of him for he is the minister of God ordained for thy wealth But if thou do euill then feare for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance of them that do euill Wherfore we must obey not onely for feare of vengeance but for conscience sake also for that cause we pay tribute for they are Gods ministers seruing for that purpose Now what euill counsel hath moued you thus to enter into armes against your naturall Prince and Liege Ladie whom Almightie God hath ordained to supply his place and to raigne ouer you Who hath be witched you thus to abuse the great loue and fauour of so gracious a Quéene which she hath borne alwayes and doth dayly shew to her good subiects to oppose against her that is studious to set forth the Gospell that is and hath bene so carefull to maintaine such common peace amongst vs these fortie yeares and more Though this be touched afore yet it is not vnmeet to be vsed here to these men as the like hath not bin séene nor heard of neither is to be found in anie record or Chronicle of this realme sithence the conquest therof which is aboue 528 yeares for the like time of gouernment that is desirous to raigne with mercie with loue with pitie and tender compassion and not by tyrannie nor by effusion of bloud neither alwayes by inflicting the extremitie of her lawes vpon such as most iustly haue deserued the execution of the same that is mercifull to offenders bountifull to well deseruers of her Maiestie and their conntrey that to her great charge hath fortified this realme with strong Castles and a Nauie of warlike shippes and all other things necessarie for the warres in great aboundance for the defence of her kingdome and people that hath not laid vpon vs any taxes or tallages but the like thereof hath bene before her time and greater also that hath made good lawes and taken a solemne oath in the day of her coronation to endeuour her selfe that the same shall be holden kept and executed vnto all her subiects indifferently without respect of persons and is also well pleased to be ordered by the same her selfe If you consider the horrible murthers of great persons the pitifull slaughter of man woman and child by fire and sword the lamentable rauishments of maids wiues and widowes the ransacking and spoiling of Cities and townes with many other miseries and calamities which haue hapned continued in other countreys not farre hence these many yeares by occasion of ciuill warres and dissention you shall find that we haue cause to thinke our selues most bound of all nations to the goodnesse of God in that he hath not suffered vs to be afflicted and visited with the like all which haue bene preuēted by the great wisedome and prouidence of her Maiestie her graue Councell These besides other infinite great kindnesse and benefites her highnesse hath daily most graciously bestowed vpon vs that more nor greater no Prince can extend to her people and shall we now be vnthankfull for the same shall we yéeld vnkindnesse for kindnesse shall we recompence her daily care studie to do vs good by seeking danger to her person and perill to her state which may ensue by your forcible and violēt opposing against her There is nothing worse bestowed then that is done to the vngratefull and forgetfull man as Erasmus writeth Nihil peius confertur quà m quod hemini ingrato atque non scienti A man that receiueth a good turne if there be any good nature in him will alwayes be thankful and so much the more when he is not able to deserue or requite the least part thereof king Dauid that receiued many good things at the hands of God shewed not himselfe vnthankfull but breaking out as it were on a suddaine sayd vnto himselfe Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi calicem salutaris accipiam nomen Domini inuocabo Psal 116. 107. What shall I yeeld vnto God for all that he hath done vnto me I will take the cup of thankesgiuing and call vpon the name of the Lord. It is all that Almighty God doth looke for at our hands that we should be thankfull vnto him for all his mercies louing kindnesse that
They remēbred not that the Fowlers whistle soundeth swéetly when he deceiueth the bird most cunningly according to the saying Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps Neither Cato lib. 1. that faire words make fooles faine and that vnder the gréene grasse often lurketh the suttle serpent nor that in the fairest floure a man may soonest find a canker Poemata Ciceronis 249. fol. 161. Nullae sunt occultiores insidiae quà m quae latent in simulatione officij aut in aliquo necessitudinis nomine Tully de amicitia saith Apertè enim adulantem nemo non vidit nisi qui admodum est excors callidus ille occultus ne se insinuet studiosè cauendum est They had also forgotten the counsell which Vicount de Melloir a Frenchman gaue to certaine of them in his sicknesse at London Holinsh 603 Booke of Martyrs fol. 214. which was as followeth I lament saith he for your destruction and desolation at hand because you are ignorant of the perils hanging ouer your heads for this vnderstand that Lewes and with him sixtéene Earles and Barons of Fraunce haue secretly sworne and vowed that if fortune should fauour him so much as to conquer this realme of England The oth of Lewes the French kings sonne with other his Earles ◠Barons and to be crowned king to kill banish and consume all those of the English Nobilitie which now do serue vnder him persecute their owne king as traitors and rebels and furthermore to dispossesse all their linage of such inheritance as they now hold in England And because saith he you shall not haue doubt hereof I which lie here at the point of death do now affirme vnto you and take it on the perill of my soule that I am one of those sixtéene that haue sworne to performe these things and therefore I aduise you to prouide for your owne safeties and also of your realme which you now destroy and that you kéepe this thing secret which I haue vttered vnto you After this he shortly died but the curteous offer of Lewes to the Barons as is aboue remembred so lulled thē on sléepe as it were Holinsh 601. that they regarded not this good aduise for after this diuerse of those which before had taken part with king Iohn as William Earle Warren William Earle of Arundell William Earle of Salisburie William Marshall the younger and diuerse other supposing verily that the said Lewes should now attaine the kingdome reuolted to Lewes but after that Lewes was setled Note here what followed by trusting of faire words and had gotten the tower of London diuerse other holds Castles defencible places of this realme into his hands and thought himselfe in maner sure of the kingdome then the Frenchmen began to shew their inward disposition and hatred towards the Englishmen and forgetting all former promises such is the nature of strangers whē they are become Lords of their desire they did manie excessiue outrages in spoiling robbing the people of that country without pitie or mercie and bare little good will towards the Engish men as it appeareth sundry wayes and first of all in that they had them in maner in no regard or estimation but rather sought by all meanes to spoyle and kéepe them vnder Booke of Martyrs fol. 257. not suffering them to beare any rule nor putting them in trust with the custodie of such places as they had brought them in possession of Secondly they called them not to counsell so oft as at the first they vsed to do neither did they procéede by their directions in their businesse as before they were accustomed and thirdly in all their conuersation neither Lewes nor his Frenchmen vsed them so familiarly as at the first comming they did but shewed more loftie countenance towards them whereby they greatly encreased the indignation of the English Lords against them who might euill abide to be so ouerruled To conclude Holinsh 602. where great promises were made at their entring into the land they were slow enough in performing the same so as the expectation of the English Barons was made quite voyd for they perceiued daily that they were despised and scoffed at for their disloyalty shewed towards their owne naturall Prince hearing now and then nips taunts openly by the Frenchmen saying that as they had shewed themselues false and vntrustie to their owne lawfull king Note so they would not continue anie long time true to a stranger Hereupon the Barons better considering the words of the sayd Vicount of Melloit and withall the great daunger that the realme was brought in by their dissention and opposition against their soueraigne Lord and the litle account the Frenchmen made of them Booke of Martyrs 247. gaue them iust occasion to take a better course and so they reuolted to king Henrie their naturall Liege Lord for King Iohn shortly after the comming of Lewes into England departed this life and they ioyned with the King in battell against Lewes where he had a great ouerthrow whereupon he and all his companie departed into Fraunce and king Henrie possessed the Crowne after that in quiet Caesar was wont to say of such as were false to their Prince and countrey Caesar that he loued Traitors to serue his turne but abhorred them as monstrous to the common wealth It is written of Alexander the Great Alexander who had conquered many countreys that he did long time séeke many wayes to winne a certaine countrey pertaining to Darius king of Persia and perceiuing that it was inuincible he dealt with a noble man that had the charge thereof vnder the king for a great summe of money to yéeld that countrey to his possession and so did Alexander giue good countenance in his Court to this noble man a good space and in the end entring into a déepe consideration of the matter and meaning thereby to make an example to such as hée might commit trust vnto to beware of such treasonable practises he suddenly commaunded execution to be done of this noble man who hearing thereof and litle deseruing the same as he thought desired to come to Alexanders presence which was graunted besought him to know the cause of this sudden execution who sayd thou hast bene false to thine own Prince how can I then trust thée or hope thou wilt deale truely with me or be my true subiect Tullie lib. 2. officiorum Alexander if I should credit thée with the like and so he was executed Philip king of Macedon did greatly blame his sonne Alexāder in an Epistle which he did write to him saying what occasion or consideration hath brought thée into this hope that thou shouldest thinke that they wil be and continue true and faithfull vnto thée whom thou hast corrupted with money I reade of one Christopher Paris Holinsh 98. Christopher Paris Irish Chron. that had the charge of a Castle in
often exceeded vs in number although they were and be right valiant Princes mighty people in armes to all which haue trauelled in our Chronicles that is euident whereby the inuincible courages and valour of our nation in martiall acts hath appeared which ought exceedingly to incourage vs in this seruice of defence for that we are descended of them and not to doubt or dispayre any whit if we be true amongst our selues though the force of our enemies be great and their number exceede vs farre for God neuer fayleth them which put their trust in him and walke in his wayes as by diuerse examples out of the Scriptures of God afore remembred appeareth most euidently Did not the English fleete in the yeare of our Lord 1350 which was in the foure and twentieth yeare of Edward the third meete with the Spaniards comming out of Flaunders loden with Marchandize Holinsh 946. and slue a great number and drowned also many of them and tooke sixe and twentie of their ships vpon the coast of Sussex Did not the great army of the king of Spaine at the siege of Barke when it was bruted that the Earle of Lecester her Maiesties Lieutenant generall with the English forces came to relieue the towne and yet they retired without so doing did not they come to remoue the siege which we made against Dusborow and the great Sconce of Sutfen where that most renowmed Knight S. Philip Sidney was slaine neither could they haue euer won those things againe from vs had not treason more preuailed then force and valiant courage Haue not we seene a few yeares sithens the mighty preparation by sea of the king of Spaine and his Allies appointed with such number of huge ships souldiers armour weapon shot powder and other things incident to the warres sent to conquer our countrey as the like was neuer seene on the seas in so much that they called the same the inuincible nauy they trusted in their forces but yet God confounded their purpose and deuises for did not we with a few ships and furniture of men and munition litle in respect of theirs send some of their mightiest vessels to the bottome of the Sea with great numbers of their men in them Did not we with our shot and artillerie slay many of them Did not we chase diuerse of them into Irish coastes where about xvij of their greatest ships perished so that Lucans verse Lucan which in those dayes he did write to the glory of our nation against the Romaines may be verified in this seruice Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis And were not numbers of their souldiers which entred into Ireland with the sword destroyed Spaniards slaine in Ireland Did not we also in the Low countries kéepe diuerse other of their ships in their hauen so as they could not come foorth into the seas to ioyne with the rest of the Spanish Nauy This was done without hand-fight and is to be taken as the only worke of God and to him therefore we ought to yeeld our most humble thankes and say with the Prophet Dauid A Domino factum est istud est mirabile This is the Lord his doing and is maruellous in our sight and therfore Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be all glory and thankes And we may further say as the Prophet Dauid sayth If the Lord himselfe had not bene on our side now may Israell say if the Lord himselfe had not bin on our side when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at vs yea the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soules The deepe waters of the proud had gone ouer our soules But praysed be the Lord which hath not giuen vs ouer for a pray vnto their teeth our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are deliuered Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord which hath made both heauen and earth Neither did they though they were as the report went thirtie thousand strong at that time land a man And did not the noble Earle of Essex Sir Iohn Norris and Sir Frauncis Drake the next yeare following with a little Nauy Landing in Spaine contayning not aboue eleuen thousand men land in Spaine burned their ships and put their people to the sworde and their townes to the fire and so coasted thence along into Portugall Portugall and there landing marched vp into the countrey euen to the gates of Lisbone with drums sounding and with Ensignes displayed from whence they returned vnfought withall by any of his forces either by sea or laud Did not the Duke of Lancaster with a compaine of souldiers saile into Spaine The Duke of Lancasters voyage into Spaine Stow. 1390. 14 R. 2. Gallicia Indies to claime the realme of Castile for that he had maried the eldest daughter of Peter king of Spaine that was expelled by Henrie his bastard brother he conquered the Countrie of Gallicia against Don Iohn sonne of the said Henrie And some doings we haue had at the Iudies where our couragious English Captaines and souldiers conquered manie Cities and townes How valiantly did they likewise behaue themselnes at S. Domingo Carthagena Cales and in manie other places where the Englishmen were few in number and the enemies infinite and in their owne countrie whose valiant actions there haue deserued such fame as lenght of time shall neuer take away for that the like hath neuer bene performed or read of in any age before our dayes In the yeare of our Lord God 1365 Hol. 971. and in the 39 yeare of Edward the third was not Peter king of Castile chased out of his realme by his bastard brother Henrie by reason wherof the said Peter was constrained to flie and came to Burdeaux to sue for ayde at the hands of the Prince of Wales the said king Edward his sonne who thereof aduertised his father by aduise from whom The Prince of Wales his voyage into Spaine the said Prince determined to bring home the said king Peter and to restore him againe to his kingdom by force of armes maugre his enemies The Prince indéed was verie desirous to take this enterprise vpon him both of a certaine pitifull affection mouing him to relieue this miserable state of king Peter and also of an ardent desire which he had to purchase a glorious fame through martial déeds noble acts of chiualrie Therefore hauing this occasion to imploy his time in such exercises and now commaunded thereto of his Father he was excéeding glad in his mind and with all the spéed that might be made his prouision both of a sufficient armie of men of warre and also of all other things necessarie for the furniture of such an enterprise but first he
Spaine by ciuill warres when it was deuided into many kingdomes The Mores did ouercome it on the one side the French and the Englishmen deuoured it on the other side And Hungarie which had valiantly resisted the Turke almost two hundreth yeares together Hungarie was at the length subdued by them by the diuisions that happened amongst themselues What a great slaughter was there of the Nobilitie of Fraunce Fountaine at the battell of Fountaine neare to Anserre by the ciuill warres that were betwixt Lithargus Lewes and Charles the Bald What ciuill warres and bloudsheds did ensue of the diuision betwixt the houses of Yorke and Lancaster here with vs in EnglaÌ„d The houses of Yorke Lancaster which being beguÌ„ in king Henrie the fourth his dayes continued till Henrie the seueÌ„th who maried the eldest daughter and heire of Edward the fourth by which the said two houses were vnited together and so all ciuill wars then ceased These sactions continued diuerse yeares in which time there died in sundrie battels and skirmishes Camden 474. as Philippus Comineus saith aboue foure score of the bloud royall with the floure of the Nobilitie of England besides a great number of the Lords Knights Esquires and Gentlemen and infinite thousands of the common people And to passe ouer manie examples of like sort Fraunce in what pitifull state doth Fraunce now stand which hath bene one of the most flourishing realmes of Europe by ciuill warres and dissention which hath afflicted that kingdome aboue thirtie yeares wherof hath ensued not only the slaughter of manie noble persons but also infinite thousands of other subiects and in the end the shamefull murther of their owne naturall liege Lord and King Murther of their Prince These miseries may be examples to vs to beware of such like sedition and diuision and happie are they that can beware by others dangers as the wise Cato saith Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Sedition is perillous Cato although it shew to haue neuer so good a countenance of honest cause and it were better for the authour of such sedition to suffer anie losse or iniurie then to be the cause of so great an euill Bodynus lib. 4. fol. 168. Vt morbi ac vulnera ipsaeque animae egritudines ac perturbationes tum corporibus tum mentibus noxiae sunt ita quoque bella ciuilia rebus publicis ac ciuitatibus pestifera sunt ac perniciosa As diseases wounds and the griefes and troubles of the mind both to the bodie and mind are hurtfull so likewise ciuill warres to the common wealth are pestiferous and daungerous For ciuill warres bring forth and nourish want of reuerence towards God contemneth authoritie lawes and gouernment without which Nec domus vlla nec ciuitas nec gens nec rerum natura nec ipse mundus stare potest No house no nation no citie nor the nature of things nor the world it selfe can stand The fruits of sedition Sedition causeth change of lawes contempt of iustice base estimation of sciences it procureth horrible reuenge forgetfulnesse of pareÌ„tage consanguinitie and friendship it causeth extortions violence robberies wastings of countries sacking of townes burning of buildings coÌ„fiscations vanishments sauage murthers alterations and ouerthrow of pollicies with other infinite and intollerable miseries pitifull to behold sorowfull to expresse and lamentable to thinke of Non Virgil. mihi silinguae centum sunt oraque centum Ferrea vox omnes scelerum comprendere formas Possem If I an hundred tongues and mouthes had for to tell And voyce as yron hard expresse I could not well The perils to a state and kingdome that may fall By ciuill warre which makes to strangers bond thrall SeditioÌ„ armeth the father against the son brother against brother kinsman against kinsman men of the same nation prouince and citie one against another Hereupon the fields which before were fruitful are left vntilled corne groweth where townes did stand there the ground with bloud of men is made ranke which before was barren that a man may say as Ouid writeth of Troy Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit resecandáque falce Luxuriat Phrigio sanguine pinguis humus What doth not the fire and furie of sedition ciuill wares bring with it as one writeth well Quid non discordia frangit Epist 1. Dissipat eneruat fera cum dominatur Erynnis What doth not discord breake waste and make weake when Erynnis which is fayned by the Poets to be the Lady of dissention and strife doth rule Erynni 1. And in the ende the bodies thus dismembred and the parts thereof infected with the same poyson of discord 2. Reg. cap. 24. destroy themselues Dauid the Prophet iudged war worse theÌ„ either famine or pestilence he did rather chuse a plague amongst his subiects then ciuill warres and tumults Pythagoras saith that three things are by all meanes to be remaued a disease from the body ignorance from the soule and sedition from the city Plato affirmeth that no euill is worse in a city then that which diuideth and of one maketh it twoÌ„ and that nothing is better then concord which tyeth and vniteth it together Concordia res paruae crescuâ—t discordia antem maximae dilabuntur By concord small things do increase but by discord great things come to confusion Let vs heare what the noble Orator Tully sayth Senten lib. 1. fol. 190. of the miseries which ensue by ciuill wars Omnia sunt misera in bellis ciuilibus sed miserius nihil quà m ipsa victoria quae etiamsi ad meliores venit tamen eos ipsos ferociores impotentiorésque reddit vt etiamsi natura tales non sunt necessitate tamen esse cogantur multa enim victori eorum arbitrio per quos vicit etiam inuito facienda sunt All things are miserable in ciuill warres but nothing is more miserable then the victory it selfe which although it happen to the best sort yet it maketh them cruell in so much that though they be not so by nature yet of necessity they are compelled so to be for many things by the ouercommer at the pleasure of such by whose ayd he doth ouercome euen against his will are to be done King Henrie the fift When king Henry the fift not hauing aboue fifteene thousand men gaue a great ouerthrow to the French king at Agincourt in Fraunce where he had assembled to the number of forty thousand of the flower of all his countrey had taken many prisoners of the french Hol. 1181. both Nobles and others the french as they are men of great courage and valour so they assembled themselues againe in battell array meaning to haue giuen a new battell to king Henry which king Henry perceiuing gaue speciall commaundement by proclamation that euery man should kill his prisoners whereupon many were presently slaine whereof of French king hauing intelligence dispersed his army and so departed