law that the vnnaturall rage and furies of the mightie of the cruel of the wicked being restrained and repressed sociall vnitie and vniuersall obedience may be nourished and holden in the ciuil felowship of men so that the Lambe may sucke safely by the Wolfe the Calfe by the Leoparde and the Asse féede quietly by the Lion c. And happie is the state where this is accomplished by the industrie and prudence of the peaceable Lawyer But forasmuch as the thoughtes of man are wicked euen from his youth and all his wayes naturally inclined to extreme euill desirous to satisfie his owne lusts and affections with iniurie and crueltie to reuenge and to reigne in his owne will and power without correction and yeldeth not vnto the obedience and direction of any other but for feare of stripes There must bee therefore an other state and profession of men whose power and prudence must comprehend the maintenaunce and defence not onely of the Seate of Justice but also of the Cowe and Plowe of the Bed and Cradle yea of the Altar and of the souereigne state which resteth in the profession neither of the Priest nor Lawyer nor in the occupation of the Housbandmen Artisans nor Merchants but lieth in the prowesse and value of them that professe Armes For when Preaching processe Plee or Perswasion cannot preuaile in reforming the euils and outrages of the wicked then must the sword of violence be put in execution by the hands of them that are able and skilfull to abase and to extinguish the furies of tumults and Rebellions and either to bring to obedience the disordered multitude or else to cut them off from the earth that peace and ciuill iustice may possesse and rule all the lande to the restitutiō and preseruation of domestical concord and Societie without the which mankinde shoulde decay from the face of the earth the rest that remained in the worlde should be in more miserable state then the wilde beasts of the desert And as it is proued by experience in all ages that Justice and Ciuil pollicie is not surely seated without the ayde attendance of Martial gard So is it to be sene that where military prowesse hath in any part of the worlde moste preuailed there hath orderly most flourished Justice Noblenesse Science and all manner of vertuous and commendable occupations both of body minde Witnes of Greece Italie and France and nowe last of Germany Whereupon this is to be cōcluded that as Justice is not of it self able to set vp it selfe in authoritie and to exercise rule ouer the multitude of Adams rebellious and stiffe-necked broode without the friendship ayde of Armes so must wee estéeme martial prowesse as the common fortresse wherein ciuill Policie with all her partes and appendants are hatched nourished preserued for the orderly nourishment and preseruation of Man and Beast of Fishe and Foule of Fire and Salte of Earth Water Where this benefit wanteth there wanteth Science and gouernement without which the whole worlde woulde soone become a desolate wildernesse ewithout man to manure or to inhabite it So that the wickednesse and transgressions of men being the founder and mother of humane lawes and pollicies we must giue most honourable place to that profession and occupation that is moste of force and value to chastise the wickednes of the wicked and to vphold the righteous to preserue the weaklings little ones and to giue frée passage and estimation to right and vertue And further as man naturally is inclined to pride and emulation and thereby infected with malice and couetousnesse and looke how much mightier the person is that is possessed of the vices so muche the more hurtfull they are in worke and practise And therefore are they moste pestiferous and noyfull in kinges and souereigne Princes whiche as they are of hautie courage and ambitious so are they daungerous and commonly full of quarrels troublesome to their Neighbours When such are encouraged with a desire to conquer and to bring to their obedience them that are frée from their bondage or to spoile them of liues goodes and habitations they are not ruled ouer by the equitie of lawe neither pacified by persuasions nor mollified with praying or preaching but violence must be resisted with violence and one lawlesse iniurie satisfied with an other iniurie which without the force and terror of armes cannot be once offered much lesse accomplished Euery state therefore that wanteth the garde and assistance of martial prowesse lieth open to be ruinated by euery spoiler that will inuade it whereby we finde that no state Kingdome Empire or common wealth can stande in any assured safetie either inward or outward but by the benefite of military profession the friend and nurse of Lawes of Religion and of ciuell concord The necessarie vse and high value whereof made the wise Grecians and valiant Romans to commend all high courages to the vse and exercise of Armes as the noblest and most profitable occupation that a worthie minde should desire whiche estimation it also holdeth continually and must in al estates kingdomes and Empires of the continent of the world And though the wickednesse infidelitie of the world be generally punished by sworde fire famine spoyle and murther the ordinary workes of warre Whereby the Justice of God is executed vpon the inhabitants of the earth yet hath the Lord plāted mainteined and restored his trueth and religion by the meanes and assistance of warlike force and policie and practised his most especiall Sonnes in the knowledge of Armes For Abraham being called to receiue the promise of saluation to the whole worlde and brought by the Lord his God to dwell in the land of Canaan had of his owne family and aliance aboue three hundred fighting men by whose power and courage he not onely defended himselfe and al his from the spoile and iniuries of the wicked but also reuenged the wrong done to his neighbours the Kinges of Sodom and Gomorha and recouering their goodes from the spoylers hee restored to euerye man his part that was lost by the ouerthrow For which famous deede of prowesse Melchisedech the King of Salem blessed Abraham and praysed the Lorde God possesser of heauen earth in his behalfe In the value of warlike prowesse Simeon and Leui the Sonnes of Iacob reuenged the violation of their Sister Dyna vpon the sonnes of Sychem By force of Armes the Israelites comming out of Egypt made their way through the Amalekites vanquished the Kings of Hesbon and Basan and possessed their landes their cities and their riches so did they vanquish and destroy the mightie Kings and inuincible people of Canaan and possessed their landes and cities By Armes their posteritie defended their inheritance and helde the same for by Armes the Lorde God vanquished and destroied the enemies of Iacob and therefore is called the Lorde God of hostes By Armes Cyrus conquered Chaldea and
stande renoumed in hystories and for euery one left to memory by name a thousand of great worthines are past ouer without mentione But this is generally to be noted in the warlike Princes and Nobilitie that as they exceede in militarie prowesse and worthines so doe they excell in wisedome and all noblenesse of hart and hee that will worthely bee called a militarie man must cast off all vilanies and basenes of minde and full charge his thoughtes and doinges with honeste inclinationes and like effectes Neither are the commendable vertues of the minde so necessarye for any occupatione as they are for them that professe and exercise armes And the martialist that wanteth them shall not prosper in warre but sinke in obloquie and dishonor neither is there anye state or vocation of man that can worse susteyne the infection and vse of vices then can an army gouerned in warlike maner Foolishe therefore and beastely is the common speach vsed of the base and humble mynded sort of our natione that doe not onely saye but also affirme in their doinges that the worst sort of men and such as for the vilenes of their conditiones the earth is not able to susteyne are fit for the warres and accordingly doe call out the refuse of the people to be soldiers for the seruice of their Prince and countreie where in deede the worthiest people ought to be chosen and preferred as to a state most honorable and of most credite and importance But if Englande stood in the continent of the world enuironed with mightie nationes that in the dayes of frendeship would moue discretion to feare their malice in the time of controuersy then should it know the value of a soldier lick the dust off the feete of her men of prowesse then would the lawer the marcheant humble themselues to the warriers be glad to geue honour salary to the martialist and shew frendly grace to his page and fauor to his lackye And al be it our state is better at ease and that we by the benefite of the seate of our lande doe stande in more securitie then the nations of the firme land yet is not our assurance such as may so deliuer vs vp in the time of peace to the carelesse spitefull contempt of armes as though the common welth and state publique stood in such prosperitie and saftie by the wisedome of the lawier and by the riches of the marchant as that they should neuer stande in neede of militarie forces nor to nourrishe men of warre but to consume them with penurye and with the galowes Let al the miserable drudges of this present worlde whose God is their belly and whose idoll is their riches that so beastly and opprobriously disdaine the warlik people looke into the recordes not onely of the former times of olde but also of these present dayes and see in what hazarde not onely the Throne of their souereigne Prince but also the whole state of the common welth and consequently the chest the chamber the bedde and cradle the wife and daughter of the lawier and marchant the Pulpyt and Preacher the Judge and the Judgement seat haue bene to suffer generall and particuler shippwracke by the conspiracies mutinies and tumultes of traitors and of the rebellions multitudes of the vulgare people cruel and implacable And confesse by whose diligence wisedome perill iudustrie and bloud all these thinges haue bene defended and saued out of the power of the furious spoylers restoringe iustice to her seate the plowe to the feelde the cowe to the payle the shephearde to his flocke the merchant to his trade and the learned to his quiet study and exercise Yea and let them be ashamed of their ignobilitie of harts consent with other nationes to geue vnto the people of prowesse and milytarie profession the honor that is due vnto them For it is a rare age of the worlde wherein the sureste Kingdome and the safeste state and nation vpon earth flieth not at one time or other to the couert and succor of Armes to saue it selfe either from intestine violence or from forren depopulation or else from both Whoesoeuer therefore will see the value of martial prowesse in preseruing a kingdome in vpholdinge the souereigne maiestie of theire Prince in redeming their countrie from the power of forren ennemyes mightie and warlike in pacifyinge ciuil vprores and in extinguishinge the most ragiouse furies of any rebelles in the worlde and in reducinge the gouernement to obedience iustice housbandry traffique literal exercise and all ciuill policies and ordinances to their places againe Looke throughe the state of France from the beginning euen to this day But specially in the dayes of Kinge Iohn of his sonne also Kinge Charles the fift and eke of Charles the sixte aud aboue all in the dayes of Charles the seuenth who being so molested and ruinated not onely by the victorious warres of the Englishmen and Bourgonyons but also by intestin diuisiones ciuill vprores that hee helde not the fifte parte of his kingdome in obedience insomuch that he was driuen to holde himselfe in a smale corner of his lande and was contempteously called King of Bourges For his ennemies possessed ranged al the parts else of his Realme at their pleasures But that famous King aided with the prowesse fidelity of his approued martialistes neuer gaue ouer the fielde til hee recouered his kingdome and restored the common welth which had bene so spoiled wasted and depopulat that the fieldes and vineiards were growen to a wildernesse their cities become heapes and their habitationes desolate When the Lord meaneth to plague a wicked natione for sinne and to translate them to the power and scepter of another nation then he filleth them with the fatnesse of the earth and geeueth them peace that they may wax rotten in idlenesse and become of dulle wittes slowe of courage weake handed and feeble kneede that when the spoiler commeth they may in al pointes be vnfurnished of warlike prowesse and not able to resiste but so made a praye to their ennemies As the Persians were to Alexander the Greekes and Hungarians with many other natones to the Turkes and the olde Brutes to the Saxons And likewise when the Lord meaneth to aduance a nation and to make any people famous and honorable vpon earth he stirreth them vp to high courage and maketh their mindes and bodyes apt to the warre and in all points sufficient for the pursuite and accomplishment of Militarie trauaile As he did the Israelites for the recouery of their promised inheritance by subduing and destroying the mightye Canaanites Cyrus the Persians for the subuerting of the empire of Syria Alexander the Grecians for the conquering of the Persians for translating of the Monarchie from Asia to Europa The Romanes eke being a poore smale people and of an opprobrious foundation were made fit in pollicy and
oppressors he that loueth the habitationes of the iust the prosperity of the righteous he that tendereth the widowe and the fatherles he that delighteth to se science social amitie and vertue to floorishe in his countrie deuine honor aduanced faith peace and equitie to reigne in euerye felowshippe and hateth couetousnes robbery theft extortion brawlinges striffe murther fornication idlenesse and dronkenesse that man is worthie and fit to be a Soldier For the first foundation and vse of Armes was erected of necessitie to restreine and to represse the violent crueltie and beastly disorder of men and to establishe social peace and Justice vppon earth which els coulde haue had neither seat nor possession in the worlde for that the nature of man is so euel and his hart so peruerse that there is no meane to bridle his furies and to hold him any while in a peaceable order but by feare of corporal punishement For howe vnwillinge man is naturally to bee subiecte to the rule and direction of an other and to suffer an examiner of his offenses and to minister stripes for the same that woteth euery hart of fleshe in his owne feeling and vnderstandinge The power therefore and wisedom to reforme to gouern people is absolutly giuen of God for the benefite and preseruation of mankinde established vpholden by force of Armes as the mean iudged fittest in the heauenely wisdome to preserue and to gouerne this rude and rebellious worlde The cheefe man therefore of militarie order is ech souereigne prince in his state gouernement Hee being a man complet in all the vertues condicions that are behoofull to one of that charge and proffession shall passe full fraighted of loue honor and rest in glorie prayse vpon earth as the Sunne in the firmament The office charge of euery soueriegne maiestie in general is to minister iustice for the maintenance of right and domesticall peace amongest his people eke to defende the same from intestine and forren violence For the true accomplishement whereof this Prince or cheefteine must be furnished with prudence to consider the state and nature of all partes and particulars pertaining to the commodity and aduauncement of the health and wealth of his people priuate and publike and accordingly to prouide to establishe and to continue the same For as hee is the heade of his people so must he bee their wisdom their light and their example and looke what equitie what modestie what temperance what vse and exercises of vertue he would should raigne and dwell in his people of the same must hee himselfe bee the very springing Fountaine running in continuall streames throughout all his Regiment In vulgus enim manant exempla regentum The Commons doe followe as they haue their ruler for a guide But seeing that corruption doth sticke so fast in flesh and blood that neither Prince nor vassall can be without imperfections we must allowe more libertie of infirmities in the citie then in the fielde For as the Armed hoste is the extreeme remedie to chastise and to represse the insolencie iniuries and â–ª offences of others so shoulde the regiment of warre be free from the same euery vice in a Souldier strongly bridled and extremely punished So did and doe all Cheiftaines that euer preuailed or shall preuaile by Armes and be renowmed in Militarie prowesse For where corruption and libertie is suffered in a Souldier there is the shame and confusion of Armes Precise Discipline therefore is the ordinarie nourse of honorable warfare whereby the Prouerbe no lesse wise then it is olde is also profitable as it is moste true He that is fitte for the Chappell is meete for the fielde And whereas Armes are most in vse and bee best gouerned there are the vertues and worthinesse of the minde had most in exercise and honour Whereof it followeth that the Cheeftaine must be wise in counsaile temperate in life affable in speach faythful in words courteous in greeting wakefull in charge prouident in perill abstinent in dyet continent in life apt to traueile prudent and couragious in Battell constant in wisdome prowesse and vertue bountifull to the worthie amiable to the honest seuere to the wicked gratious to the afflicted and mercifull to the Captiue modest in victorie and constant in magnanimitie not fearing the frailetie of warlike state and prosperitie nor drowping vnder the alteration of the same Such a prince is a compleat Martialist Such was Iupiter Belus that first repressed by force of Armes the furious crueltie and ragious insolencie of men and subdued many people to the authoritie of ciuill gouernement laying thereby the foundation of the Empire of Syria whereof proceeded such a benefite to mankinde that he was esteemed and honoured as a soueraigne God amongst the Gentils So was Hercules of Lybia that for to chastise the tyrannous Girones that vsurped and oppressed Spaine tooke his voyage out of his countrie into Spaine and destroied them And after his returne came Cacus out of Italie and molested Spaine which brought Hercules againe who vanquishing the robber redeemed the land and people restoring them to ciuill peace and libertie whereby he purchased deuine honour amongst the heathen Such also was Cyrus King of Persia Such was Alexander the great til he began to waxe idle as not hauing whereupon to exercise his prowesse and to giue ouer his life to drunkennesse and incontinency Suche was Philippe the Father of Alexander Such was Agesilaus Themystocles Simon Aristides and other most famous Captaines amongst the Greekes Such were the Metelli the Fabij the Scipiones such was Pompeius and many other most renowmed Cheefteynes amongst the Romanes Such was Mythridates the most valiant and warlike king of Pontus and such was Pyrrhus king of Epyrus Such was Iulius Caesar the most worthie and best renowmed martialist of the world Such were also Octauius Augustus Marcus Anthonius Pius Alexander seuerus and many other renowmed Emperours kinges and Cheefteins amongst the olde heathen And by these vertues they prospered in Armes and became great in the world vnder the gouernment nourishment and protection of them flowrished science honest exercises and ciuill policies Amongst the Israelites and Christians are also to be remembred in dutifull loue and honour many Emperours kinges and princes endued with plentie of high and most noble vertues and as they excelled in Armes so were they riche in wisdome and goodnes to the great benefite of the world to the euerlasting praise of themselues and eke to the glorious reliefe aduancement of the knowledge and honour of God vpon earth which without the zeale industrie wisdome and prowesse of noble princes had bene in hazarde to make vtter shipwracke many hundreth yeres past And of these are chiefly to be renoumed with sacred reuerence perpetual thansgiuing to our good God Moses the first ruler captaine of the speciall people Army of the Lord God of hosts Then Iosua
THE Defence of Militarie profession Wherein is eloquently shewed the due commendation of Martiall prowesse and plainly prooued how necessary the exercise of Armes is for this our age ⧠IMPRINted at London by Henry Middleton for Iohn Harison 1579. VERO NIHIL VERIVS ¶ TO THE RIGHT honorable Edward de Vere Earle of Oxenford vicount Bulbecke Lord of Escales and Bladesmere and Lord great Chamberlaine of England EXperience beareth such a soueraigntie ouer all thinges humane and diuine that without it the quality or power either of worde deede deuise or matter cannot make it selfe knowen to the vnderstanding of mē for the heauenly trueth iustifieth it selfe by the effects of his nature and power made apparant to the eyes capacities of earthly creatures Adam not well staid vpō the trueth of Gods word transgressed the cōmandement feeling the plagues of his offence had thereby experience of the power trueth of his Almightie Creator The first worlde ouerflowing in wickednesse was drowned in the flood of Gods vengeance to geeue experience to the world that ensued what it is to contemne his worde and Prophets Noah beleeued the word of the Lord and obeying his commandement prepared the Arke was saued in the flood he all his family by experience wherof the world is made to vnderstand the power and assurance of Gods trueth and fauour towarde his elect people The Lord willed Moses to denounce his plagues against Egypt and in the effect of his power trueth he accomplished the same vpon man and beast vpon fruit and tree vpon earth and water the experience whereof made Moses and the Israelites so hardie in fayth that they tooke their way through the red Sea as through the fieldes on drie land Pharao in the hardnesse of his heart pursued the Israelites and was drowned he and all his armie in the pathes where Iacob went drye shod ▪ whereby all the kings and princes of the earth had haue experience what it is to contemne God to persecute his people to despise his worde and ministers The like experience made Iosuah bolde to lead Israel through the deepe waters of Iorden where they passed on foot and went dry shod to land The Israelites breaking the couenant of the Lorde their God standing in their rebellion were destroied out of the land of Iudah and Ierusalem and made slaues to the Chaldeans whereby they were taught by experience and so are wee by the same example what it is to despise the Lord of hostes and to stand in disobedience against his maiestie The Lord restoring Iacob out of Chaldea to his inheritance againe according as he had promised by the mouthes of his Prophets doth teach vs by experience how faithfull he is in his promises that we therefore should rest vpon him without doubting Christ our Sauiour wrought wonders before all Israel that their eyes might see his diuine power and beleeue him for his works sake but they beleeued not their owne eyes and are therefore confounded by the experience that testifieth against their owne consciences By examples of experience the Lord Iesus taught the Iewes as by that of Diues and Lazarus of the sower of seed of the euill Steward c. As by familiar demonstrations Our forefathers the olde Christians so polluted their Tabernacles with the workes of impietie that they extinguished the holy Ghost in the Sanctuarie whereby they fell to ignorance and corruption ▪ and were giuen ouer to superstition and Idolatrie The experience whereof should teache vs of these dayes and our children to walke wisely in the presence of our God. Experience discouereth the effects of wisdome and folly and maketh demonstration of the fruits of vertue and of vice and teacheth to distinguishe betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt the foole and the wise man c. Experience is the mother and nurse of the policies and gouernements ciuill and martiall priuate publike guiding the counsailes and doinges of men with orderly discretion Experience of the inordinate iniquities of mē fuonded the lawes and the iudgement seat The experience of the troublesome furies of men founded Armes and aduaunced Militarie profession for the repressing and restraining of the tyrannies and noyfull malice of the wicked The experience of the profit and value of lawe and armes maketh al prudent states and commonwelths to embrace and to vphold them both with much care and endeuour So to conclude experience is the ordinarie companion and naturall ornament of reason which maketh mē wise in knowledge prudent in the direction and vse of things He therefore that iudgeth or directeth against experience is not in deede a man but a foole more ignorant then a beast The experience of other mens harmes warneth the wise to be ware The experience of forren euils warneth England to waken it selfe out of securitie and to be watchfull and wisely to take it selfe Experience hath taught me to loue and to honour armes and in the zeale of a good heart to couet the aduancement of martial occupation which made me an vnlettered man to take vnto me a notarie to sette downe in writing this drift in the defence and praise of warlike prowesse against al cōtemners of the same for the benefite and encouragement of my countrie countrimen And finally the experience of the high noblenes honour of you my singuler good Lord doth enboldē me in the loue of a faithful hart to your renoumed vertues most humbly to commend this litle work to your honorable protection that vnder the shielde of your noble fauour and iudgement it may stande in grace before our nation to some good effect God graunt it To whom be praise to your good Lordshippe abundaunce of heauenly graces and fatherly blessings euen to euerlasting life Amen London 23 Decemb 1578. Your honours most humble GEFFREY GATES ¶ The defence of Militarie Profession IT hath bene an old controuersie in the opinions of the English nation what profession of life is most honorable in worldly states They being Ilanders what by their famous might and prowesse and what by the naturall safetie of the situation of their Soyle enuironed with the maine Ocean sea and dwelling in greater securitie then any one nation that inhabiteth the continent they may reasonably differ from the iudgement both of Greekes Romanes in discussing this question For it may well be granted that the profession and occupation that is most in vse and most necessarie for the maintenance and preseruation of the common wealth that the same should be had most in honoure standing most in vse and value England therefore dwelling in safetie and commonly in peace may séeme to giue the preheminence vnto the lawer For by his wisedome and trauel is iustice ministred to the maintenance and aduauncement of souereigne authoritie by the benefite of whose maiesty Reuenge and Tyrannie is forbidden in publique and priuate euery iniurie and quarell committed to the iudgement and direction of the
courage for the pursuite and exercise of Armes whereby they became Lords and commanders of al the chiefe nations Empires states and kingdomes of the world And againe for the chastisement and confusion of them the Lord raysed vp to Armes and warlike courage the rude and barbarous multitudes of the Goths Hunnes and Vandales And so the Turkes of a small people and of the sauage Scythian kinde to be the most cruell and noyfull spoylers and destroyers that euer were vpon earth to subuert all the ciuill states and Empires of Asia and Affrica and to subdue and depopulat ▪ the noble Empire of Greece and the kingdom of Hungarie Tamberlan a heardman with the rude Scythians to chastise Baiezet the Turkish Emperour and all his dominions ▪ And lastly the Spanyard to chastise France Italy Germany and lowe Duchland And now let vs farther beholde with discretion what worke the Lord is entred into by Armes in these last dayes of the worlde And how martiall prowesse and industrie hath mightely serued to aduaunce the name and glorye of God and to giue passage to his Gospell where it lay prostrate and troden vnder the feete of Antichrist and his consorts For when the time was come in the yere of our Sauiour Christ 1517. that the Lord set foote on earth to restore his Sanctuary he beganne his businesse by a poore ministrie vnder the couert protection of the most worthie prince Duke Frederick of Saxonie and so encreased vnder the defence of the most noble Princes Iohn Duke of Saxonie Philipe Lantgraue of Hesse of the famous and warlike cities Augsborough Strasborough Vlmes Magdeborough c. And when the champions of the kingdome of darkenesse vnder the conducte of the most renowmed Emperour Charles the fifth seemed to renge the hoste of Israel vnder a terrible victory then did the Lorde of hostes bestirre himselfe and frustrating the counsailes and dispersing the forces of his enemies he vanquished the troupes of the Philistims by the Armed hand of his chosen captaine Maurice Duke of Saxoni who vy the vertue of Martiall prowesse ayded by the Lord God of hostes brake the teeth of the vngodly and restored the worde of God to a free passage throughout all Germanie So did the Lorde preuaile by Armes in Surike by vertue of which also wydened the passage of his gospell into France and by the force and power of one poore towne there holdeth possession for his Sanctuarie maugre the might and malice of all his enemies This being the most glorious effects of Militarie industrie in these saide countreis to the enlarging of Christes kingdome for the saluation of many and comfort of the whole worlde praise the inuincible Arme of our God mighty and victorious in battell and see yet a greater worke then all these nowe a doing by force of Armes for the ciuill libertye and for the freedome of true Religion in lowe Dutchelande where the hande of the Lorde hath bene so apparant fauourable that in all the progresse and successe of these warres it may be saide This is the worke of the Lord our God in the sight of all the Heathen and it is marueilous in our eyes Let vs therfore examin some part of those affaires see how Iacob hath preuailed in his warres by slow and vnexpert souldiers against the most famous arrogant implacable enemies of the gospel of Christ and then let the swinish fooles that contemne martiall profession stoppe their mouthes and be ashamed For the heauens doe reioyce the worlde is comforted and Israel shal be glad through the victories of God purchased by the fidelitie prowesse of his valiant men at armes When King Philip had wearied his good subiects of low Duchland with fained pacifications in the aduantage wherof the defendants being taken vnprouided vnarmed were daylie spoyled and murthered they fell to armes for publike defence stoode vpon their gard but béeing ouercome by the false promises of the faithlesse Regent the Duches of Parma they accepted conditions of agreement and while they rested vpon the same came the Duke of Alua accompanied with chosen forces and tooke the countrey in charge as Lieutenant to the king He planted his bands of warre in all the stronge townes and holdes through out the Lowe countrey he apprehended the Counties of Horne and Degremont and executed them as captains and chiefe pillers of the Mutiners He builded the Castell of Antwerp for mastering of that proude citie and renged all the whole Lande vnder feare and oppression minding to bring the people vnder extreeme exactions for the nourishment of their own plagues seruitude I mean for the maintenāce of the kings forces fortifications throughout for the holding of the people in subiection to what yoke or ordinances so euer should be enforced vppon them Wherein the Duke missed the Tracte of that wisedome and pollycie that was famed to bée in him For this tirannous porpose coming to common apparance then reuolted the Holanders and Zelanders in an vnlikely state to stande to theire cause But the Lord God of hostes that had stirred vp this quarel meaning to proue the force of his blowe by an vnlikly host against the troopes of the prowde and dredfull warriers his ennemyes did shewe himselfe sufficient able to confounde the mightie by the weake the prudent by the foolishe the industrious by the slowe the courageouse by the cowarde the glorious by the vile the noble by the churle and the King by the vassale the rich and imperiall by the poore and seruile multitude For comparison beinge consideratly made of the Holanders and rude Zelanders with their King hee mightie in powers both by lande and by sea standinge in continual redines they weak and vnprouided both for lande and water he in renowmed armes stronge experimented and politique they naked and of al other their Kings people and subiects contemned for their natural slowenes cowardise ignorance dronkenesse and most vnwarlike spirites the King infinite in artillarye munitiones treasures and eke in frends lieutenantes commanders martiall bands of incomparable fame and approued value the mutiners easye to be exhausted of their monie vnfurnished of all habilementes of warre of trained Soldiers and experimented Capteines and hauinge their neerest neighbours yea and them of their kinred and alience to bee their moste fyerse and noifull enemies And in this vnequal match to entre warre it woulde haue seemed a motion in the mutiners proceedinge rather of a desperat rage then grounded vpon any reasonable hope to preuaile to any other effect then to the thraldome and confusion of themselues and of their posteritie Howe be it the Lord that commandeth his Soldiers and capteines that beare armes in the quarell of trueth and righteousnesse not to feare the multitude of their enemies stoode by the Hollanders in their honest cause and hath iustified their quarell wil maintaine it to the ende as it seemeth at this day
For hee hath in the behalfe of that contemned people naye rather to make good the glory of his great name against the vanity of flesh blood brought impossible thinges to a marueilous prooffe Els coulde it not haue come to passe that poore litle and weake Vlushing shoulde haue famished and subdued the riche large and strong Citie of Middlebourgh aided by the riche and mightie townes of Antwerpe and Ansterdam and eke of Tregose and Barowe and garded with 2000. approoued Souldiers vnder the commaundement of that famous Gentleman Mont Darragon who was driuen by distresse of victuals all the forces of the king being not able either to relieue him or to succour him to render vp the town departing from it with 1400 men of war in armes wherby the whole Island of Walkeren came entirely vnder the direction of the Prince of Orange to the inspeakeable comfort of the cause publike For by the benefite of this victory the Zelanders vtterly vanquished the kinges forces vppon the Sea and bet him quite from it whereby the Brabanders and Flemings were put from their fishing and traffike other then vnder the courtesie of the Zelanders which so endamaged all the continent of the lowe countrey that the inhabitaunts finding themselues pressed in an extreeme wrenche betwixt the warres of their neighbours and the oppression of the Spanyardes they fell in conclusion to ioyne handes with the mutiners in a more conuenient and a farre better policie and in a more assured hope that by a generall consent in Armes they might redeme their countrey froÌ„ the power of the oppressers and driue the Spanyards with their adherents out of the lande then to nourish the warres against their neighbours in whose discomfiture and subuersion stood the thraldome of them all in whose victorie the libertie and desired restitution of the one and of the other should rest assured Herevpon proceeded the generall reuolt of all the lowe cuntrie yea rather enforced by the good successe and prowesse of the Hollanders and Zelanders then willingly accepted of them of Flanders Brabant and of other Countries for anye free zeale to the cause publike But blinde were the heartes of them that did not see that the Prince of Orange and his poore vnexperimented adherents were the very Army of the Lord God of hostes who will neuer faile to breake the Jawes of his aduersaries turning their wisedome to folly and their glory to shame which was fully accomplished in the Duke of Alua that dreadfull and renowmed chieftaine of the Papistes For had not hée bene ouercome with a very tirannous madnes hee woulde not haue entred his gouernement in Belgia with oppression murther pillage and intollerable decrees vpon the people that were by easier prouocations then these stirred and ready to breake out in Armes in mind rather to dye in the field for the defence of their ancient liberties so dearly purchased and defended by the blood of their forefathers then to yeeld themselues and their posteritie vnder the heauie yoke and arrogant domination of so implacable people as bee the Spanyardes which might well haue bene considered in the wisdome of the Duke of Alua but that God blinded him with the might of his Prince and the opinion of himselfe that if this whole Countrie of lowe Ducheland should in generall consent fall to Armes and withstand their Prince by vyolence and that they were not to bee reduced to obedience but by extreeme warres and infinit charges after much blood and spoyle of the lande the King should reduce them to his yoke and subiection by the sworde that euen so and by that wearisome and cruell meanes he must euer after reteine them their posterity in his obedience which would be an intollerable charge to him and would set downe a continuall pillage and oppression vppon the Subiectes whereof should ensue the orderly decaye of the common wealth and nourishe a perpetuall malice in the people against their Soueraigne Lorde and continually pricke them to tumultes which at the last shoulde eyther set them free and reiect their Prince or els vtterly confounde them by the increase of their tyrannie and miserable seruitude which also would eate the king out of his inheritance But had the Duke called to memorie howe apt this nation hath bene in olde time to fall to warre in quarell of their liberties and for defence of their ancient compositions and how they shooke of the tyrannous Soueraigntie of the French kings yet more gentle and profitable then this of the Spanyards and howe dearely and painefully the French kings haue in times past forced their obedience and coulde not but were at the last after much warres and many bloody victories quite shut out he would haue endeuoured his wisdome and labour to reconcile them by mollifying the gouernment and by gratious gentlenes and bountie rather then proudlye to presse downe the yoke that had already wearied them which cannot prosper nor long endure for the Lord God in his Justice hateth tyrannie and destroyeth tyrants from the face of the earth and vsually destroyeth the roote and branche of euerye cruell grinder of the faces of the poore and casteth him of for euermore And farther he fell into this ouersight that he exceeded so farre in the proportion of the kings charges by fortifications and superfluous supplies aboue all the leuie and receiptes that were to come in by all the pillage dueties and lones that he could deuise that he ranne indebted to the men of warre aboue xxxiij Monethes paye whereby the souldiers became disordered spoylers at the last so mutinous that the Spanyardes forced their pay and bound the Duke to shamefull conditions and for his last farewel he was forced to kéepe his lodging vnder gard durst not present himselfe openly to the men of war at his departure out of Belgia vntil the Commander Don Lewes de Requezes the new lieuetenant had giuen his promise in the wordes of the king and set downe an order for the soldiers full pay With these errors he ioyned many faultes in the direction pursuit of these wars which turned to the aduauntage of the poore defendauntes but much to the disgrace discredit of himself Immediatly vpoÌ„ the getting of Harlam the horrible massacher there done the Spanyards mutined for their pay putting away their coÌ„manders officers of sworn loyalty they chose vnto theÌ„selues a coronel captains other officers at the opening of the day they tooke vp their ensigns marched toward the wals of Harlam making vpon them that garded the vnrepaired breaches of the same they draue theÌ„ to abandon their charge folâ—â—â—â—â—d theÌ„ with match in the cock into the market place there Monseur Lamot don Iulius Rhomero who with fiue ensignes of footmen possessed garded the town being assembled with their companies departed with their people leauing the town to the possession of the mutiners which standing stiffely vpon the