A Watch-Word to All Religious and True Hearted Englishmen, Title page – To the reader
A WATCH-WORD TO ALL religious, and true hearted Engliſh-men.
By Sir Francis Hastings, Knight.
Deuter. 31. verſ. 6.
Plucke vp your hearts therefore, and be ſtrong: Dread not, nor bee afraide of them: for the Lord thy God himſelfe doth goe with thee; he will not faile nor forſake thee.
AT LONDON, Printed by Felix Kingston for Ralph Iackſon. 1598.
To the Christian Reader.
THE raging hearts of Rome and Spaine being ſet on fire, with all force and furie to ſet vponupon England; I hold it the part and dutie of eueryevery true Engliſh-man, to be prepared inwardly with loyaltie and courage, and outwardly with all neceſſarie prouiſion and furniture, as his bounden dutie is in the one, and his abilitie & purſe will reach in the other. And to this end J hauehave been caried in the true loyaltie of my heart to ſet my thoughts on worke, not onelyonly how to prepare my particular ſelfe in all readines, to doe all ſeruices enioyned and commanded to me, and to adde anything of my ſelfe, that the ſtrength of one poore man can affoord: but alſo how I might incite and prouoke others to carrie the ſame minde. To my ſelfe I hauehave ſet downe this law, that ſhall neuer be repealed, that for the libertie of my conſcience, the ſafetie of my deare Soueraigne, and the peaceable prosperitie of my countrie, if my wealth were millions, if I could bring thouſands of fighting hands to the field, and if my life were ten thouſand liues; wealth, ſtrength, life and all ſhall goe, to be ſpent, hazarded, and ended for my God, my Queene, and my Countrie, againſt that Antichriſt of Rome, the ambitious tyrant of Spayne, and all forren forces, and home-borne traytors whatſoeuer; elſe ſhould I thinke my ſelfe vnworthie to liue. To ſtirre vp others, I hauehave preſumed to giuegive an attempt in theſe few leaues following: wherein if I hauehave erred in any part of the matter, let my want of experience excuſe me: if I hauehave erred in the forme, let my ignorance excuſe me: and if I hauehave erred both in matter and forme, yet let my faults in all be excuſed; becauſe my zeale to religion, my loyaltie to my deare Soueraigne, and my louelove to my natiue Countrie, hath enforced me to make this aduenture, rather chooſing to bewray my ſimplicitie & wants, than that I would defraude my countrymen from being put in minde of matter ſo needfull for them (in my conceit) not onelyonly to thinke of, but to be throughly reſolued in; that with confidence, boldnes, & aſſurance of the goodnes of our cauſe, we might with heart and hand be preſt and readie to take our places, and to march on to the field, when our Soueraignes authoritie commaundeth, and there to ſet forward with a ſwift foote againſt theſe enemies of God, our Queene Elizabeth, and our Countrie, whenſoeuer they ſhall dare to ſhew their faces againſt vsus.
F. H.