The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The orderly purſuit of War.
THE fifth circumſtance, eſpecially to be obſerved and inſiſted on, is the orderly following of warre, or proceeding in it. PreparatiōIn which we muſt begin with preparation of all things fitting, as Souldiers, Armes, Money, Munition, Victuals, and the reſt. What circumſpection Princes ought to hauehave in vvar the book of God teacheth us. What King going to warre againſt another King, Luk. 14.13. Longa pre paratio belli celerem facit victoriā. Chryſoſt. Pacis tempore exercitatio lyronum non negligenda. Longa ſecuritas pacis, &c. Lib. 1. cap. 28.ſitteth not down first, and conſulteth whether he be able, &c. A long preparation (ſaith one) maketh a ſpeedy victory. Yea, in our greateſt peace, or eaſe, we ſhould be fitting for warre. A good note of Theoderic King of the Gothes; Let a ſouldier learn while hee is at eaſe, that which may ſtand him in ſtead when he is in fight. Long peace (ſaith Vegetius) breedeth deep ſecurity; ſecurity neglect of Armes; whereon followeth (ſaith the ſame Authour) a diſſembled ſhew, or bare flouriſh of Armes, and last of all the true uſe of Armes falleth in utter oblivion. The truth hereof by relation of antiquity, and late experience, is manifeſt. The twenty yeares peace of the Romanes, after the firſt punick warre, together with their eaſe and victories, and diſuſe of Arms; did ſo enervat their skill and courage, that they were not able to ſtand before Hannibal, in the ſecond punick vvar: Inſomuch, that till by the loſſe of many Captains, and many Armies, they redeemed their uſe of Armes and skill in fight, they never got the victory. As for late experience, look upon the Germans, who, as Iſidore ſaith, hauehave their name from their war-like ſtature; who for their proweſſe in Armes hauehave been admired, and extolled highly by the Caeſars of the vvorld; yea, who hauehave eternized their names by vindicating the Goſpell of Chriſt, and the profeſſors thereof from that man of the Popes right hand, Charles the 5; whoſe forces they did not onelyonly foile, but quaſhed the courage, and brake the heart of him that was not eaſily daunted; yet for all this (without contumely be it ſpoken) through their long injoyed peace, their plenty, diſuſe of Armes, and want of exerciſe, they are become the ſcorn of the Turke, and are like to be made a prey to him that casteth at all.
But to come home to our ſelues; Application. Quid nos decipimus? non eſt extrinſecus nostrum malum intra nos eſt, ad Lucel. ep. 50.I may ſay with Seneca; why deceiue we our ſelues? This evill we ſpeake of, is not a forraign, but a domeſtick evill, not without us, but within our bowels. From uſe of Armes, we are come to neglect, and to palliate our neglect with ſhews. Oblivion is the laſt degree, in which I fear vvee are gone too farre. Neither …ould I goe ſo farre in opening of the dore, to let the ene…y look in, but that I know he is already in our boſome. For the Roman Dog, and the Spaniſh Linx, hauehave ſo profited …n the optic Art, that by the help of Riſnerus his glaſſe, they …an ſee into our houſes, what Armes we hauehave; and into the Fields, what skill we want. We are juſt like unto Seneca his old blinde woman, vvho vvas ſtarke blinde, but vvould not beleeue it: but in this, Coeci ducem q…ae ūt, nos tamen ſine duce erramus.vve are vvorſe then ſhe (as he ſaith) for ſhe would hauehave one to leade her, but we will not ſuffer our ſelues to be led. Our bodily Leaders are like Oyſters in May; and they ſay to our ſpirituall Leaders, propheſie not.
But to goe on; Proviſion neceſſary.As preparation and fitting of ſouldiers is neceſſary; ſo with Victuals and Armes, and other neceſſaries they are to be fitted. An Army without proviſion, Piut. Apoth. G…ſper Coll…gni Adm…all of France.as Quintus Flaminius ſaid of Philopomenes his Army, hath legs …nd armes, but hath no belly. To this effect one ſaid well, That bee that will ſhape this beast muſt begin with the belly. Therefore (ſaith ‘Antequaē iuchoctur bellum de copii, expē ſiſ que ſolert deb…t eſſe tractatus, lib. 3. cap 3.Vegetius) diligent care ſhould be had of maintainance. He giveth a good reaſon, Ferro ſevior fames eſt; hunger is ſharper then the ſword. It was well conſidered of ”Diſci linam nō poteſt ſervare te unus exercitus, C…ſſid l: 4.Theode…ic, that an Army in want cannot obſerue diſcipline. Caeſar, Adrian, and other Emperours, and Roman Generals, had a ſpeciall care that due maintainance ſhould not be wanting …o the Souldiers.
And as for Armes they had a ſpecial care, that none ſhould come into the hands of any that might annoy them. And therfore by the conſtitution of Martian the Emperour to Aulus; or as ſome, to Constantine the Treaſurer, it was enacted, that neither ,,Nilprorſ… …rrt vel f… vel inf…lt …. uit.Marchant, nor Souldier, upon any pretence whatſoever, ſhould ſell, or exchange, any pecce of Arms, or matter wherof Arms are made, upon pain of confiſcation of his goods, and loſſe of his head. Yet notwithſtanding of this ſtreight charge, and watchfull care, ſome treacherous fellows and runawayes, betrayers of the State (ſuch as cur Romanists be) were now and then, conveying their Armes to their enimies; by the which (as Herodian obſerveth) they ſuſtained great hurt and damage.
God grant we be not ſo ſerved with our Ordinance. Applicatō.What univerſall hurt and damage brought he to all Chriſt endome, that taught the Great Turke the uſe and making of Ordinance? What evill ſome of Gods people; yea, our neereſt and deereſt friends, hauehave ſuſtayned by our conveyed Ordinance; Or what evils our ſelues may ſuſtain, we know not. Yet this we know, that we hauehave as good Laws in that behalfe as others hauehave: but the maxime proveth true. Silent leges inter arma. It is not unknown to all, that knoweth any thing in State buſineſſes, how the State was gulled, by a great Ones tranſporting of Ordinance with a double Bore. Which being complained of in Parliament, was put off by that little great Statiſt, that it was a Myſterse of State. Richard of England was ſlain vvith an Arbaliſt, the uſe whereof he had ſhewed to the French. It was a good blunt ſaying, of Blunt the Maſter, to the Kings Majeſtie at Chatton. That it ſtood him upon it, to looke to his Ordinance, for they were his walles of braſſe.
I would I could ring a peal of complaint that might make all your ears tingle; A peal to the Patliament.by rubbing up your memories. It is not unknown how Gondomar, that craftie Marchant, who lay here to buy and ſell our State, did by the grand Papiſts his factors, get up about ſome 400 cheſts of Ordinance, which he ſent away in a fortnight. This he did when he lay in Barbican, in the year of our Lord 1618. Add to theſe the 500 Truncks heavie laden, ſent from the Embaſſadors houſe; the many braſſe peeces of Ordinance; the 30000 Muskets conveyed to Rome. What meant the Archduke, when a little before the Gun-powder Treaſon, by his forces at Dover, he bought up all the gun powder in Kent? Yea, what ſhall I ſay of our home bred Harpies, who hauehave got the moſt part of our Armes into their hands, that therby they might ſerue the enemy and undoe us? What meant he, that ſome two moneths before the powder-plot, did beg of his Majeſtie all the refuſe Armour and Artilery (as he called it) in the Tower, which vvould hauehave ſerved to hauehave inarmed ſome 16 or 17 thouſand men? I verily beleeue that the devill might hauehave had it for money. That Marſhall, or rather Marre-all, that ſent away two ſhips laden with Artillary, vvas paſſed over with a little impriſonment; or, why did you ſo my ſon? If this vvill not awake you, I fear the clattering of your own Armes ſhall awake you. Beſides the danger, I appeal to your conſcience if the like was ever ſuffered in any Nation that meant not to play the Sybarits, vvherein the crowing of a Cock, much leſſe the ſound of a trumpet might not be heard. But the Lord in mercy awake you.