The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. Of the generous behaviour of the conquered in regard of his enemie.
NOW it followeth how the conquered thus reconciled to God, ſhould demean himſelfe in regard of his enemy. It is true indeed, that a man eſpecially in this caſe muſt alwaies walk humbly with his God; yet in reſpect of his enemy, he muſt reſolue, even in his greateſt extremity, on true fortitude, and couragious carriage. Extremity may change the greateſt State into the furtheſt point of oppoſition; but it can never make a noble mind baſe, nor captivate a generous ſoule; Miſerum quanquam fortuna Sinonem finxit, &c. Homo quadratus.though in an inthralled body. Craftie Synon could brag ſo much of himſelfe, that howſoever fortune had made him miſerable; yet of a baſe and lying diſpoſition it ſhould never make him. A truely magnanimious man muſt be like a foure cornered ſtone, on what ſide ſoever he lighteth, he can lie: he can ſhew himſelfe as truely noble in the depth of adverſity, foreign.as in the height of proſperity. What remarkeable examples hauehave we in the Heathens of this kind! Agiſelaus ſaid of himſelfe; I doe ſo uſe my ſelfe, that in no change I am changed. When all things went with Caeſar againſt Cato, and the caſe grew ſo deſperate, that his friends counſelled him to ſubmit himſelfe to the clemencie of Caeſar; he anſwered, That it was for the conquered and delinquent ſo to doe; Plutarch. in vita Lacon.but Cato had behaved himſelfe ſo all his life, that he was never, neither conquered nor taken; meaning that he was alwaies a free man howſoever. The Scottiſh Alexander, in his trivmphant prize of Poetry, (for ſo I may call the work) bringeth in Darius almoſt conquered by the Grecian Alexander, yet with this braue reſolution if all ſhould come to the worſt.
And ſhall this tongue inur'd for to command;
return as now to be a baſe intreater?
So long'ſt this ſword doth homage to this hand,
I'le not acknowledge in the world a greater.
This tongue inur'd for to command doth ſcorn.
to breathe baſe words, to ſcape a minutes paines:
Let them obey who to obey was born;
for Darius this indignitie diſdaines.
Such was the princely carriage of Francis the firſt; and ſuch an inbred Majeſtie did he ſhew in his countenance, carriage, habit and diſcourſe, that the hearts of Borbon, and the reſt of his enemies, to whom he was captiue, were ſo raviſhed therewith, that they honoured him with no leſſe obſervancy, then if he had been in the top of his proſperity. Homer much commendeth Vlyſſes, when by ſhipwrack being caſt on ſhore, he had nothing to commend him but his carriage: Such is the force of vertue, it will manifeſt and extoll it ſelfe. The noble behaviour of Daniel, and the three Children, did ſo grace them in the eyes of their conquering enemies, that of Captiues they became Commanders. A King indeed, or the truely Noble, will ever be like themſelues, neither will they for any eaſe or feare, imbrace any baſe or diſhonourable conditions. The puſillanimity of ſome hath vaſſalled them more, and done them more diſhonour, then all their own adverſity, or the power of the enemy. King Perſeus being taken by Paulus Aemilius, fell on his face before him, and holding up his hands, with womaniſh cryes and teares, did deprecate his offence; whom Aemilius beholding with an auſtere countenance, told him that hee was a miſerable man indeed, and more worthy to be a captiue then a King: onelyonly this, he was ſorry that the Romanes ſhould contend with ſuch an unworthy adverſary; in whom as there was no worth, Plutarch. in vita Aemil.ſo he had no glory by the conquering of him. The like is related of Tamerlane to Baiazet. The more wicked and cruell the Conquerour is, the conquered muſt be the more wary of conditions: ſuch be Rome and Spaine; with whom there are no conditions to be had with Gods people; but diſhonour and extirpation: juſt ſuch as Naaſh the Ammonite would put upon Iabeſh Gilead; namely, the thruſting out of all their right eyes, 1 Sam. 11.1.that he might reproch them. It is their profeſſed cunning (to their ſhame) aboue Turkes and Heathens, to murther and maſſacre by equivocation; witneſſe the uſage of Malaſtate, by Paul the third, who cauſing him to be ſlain under his unſafe-conduct; excuſed himſelfe thus; That he gaue him leaue to come, but not to goe. Whence one obſerveth, Molineus de abuſibus Paparum.that it is more ſafe dealing with the Turke, then with the Pope. They doe not contend, as the ancient Romans did, for command and glory, making the conquered their friends; or as the Turkes doe at this day, to bring people to tribute, and Civill Obedience; but to bring them and theirs to ſlavery, diſhonour, and utter ruin. They are ſuch as Marcellus, of whom Hanibal ſaid; That hee was ſuch an enemy as was never quiet, whether he conquered, or were conquered: So whether they giuegive or take conditions, they are never to be truſted, as by their horrible perfidie and monſtrous cruelty, to all the world appeareth.
If I were worthy to intreat your Majeſtie; ApplicatiōI would on my knee beſeech you and others, to admit no condition from them unworthy of your ſtate and cauſe; yea to looke for no good of them, except it be againſt their wils. You and yours are the prey that they would teare in peeces: what good the lambe may expect of the woolfe, or the ſheepe of the Beare, ſuch may you expect of them. Therefore ſince God hath hitherto preſerved you; truſt him till he lift up your horne: for there is no peace to be had with the wicked, ſaith my God. But, I meane, if your Majeſtie will giuegive me leaue, that you ſhall have a whole treatiſe of this ſubject, wherein their dealings ſhall be ſet out in their colours. It is the very ſinger of God that keepeth the Vnited States from any conditions with them, but ſuch as are made at ſea, and ſealed with great ordinance. As for the King of France his conditions to the Proteſtants, when they ſee the King, they had best truſt in God, and looke to themſelues.
As the conquered is thus to reſpect their owne honour, Touch n… idolatrie.ſo eſpecially they are to reſpect the honour of God, in matter or manner of religion, that neither for feare of death, nor deſire of deliverance, they admit any point of falſe worſhip. The three children are a good patterne herein, that preferred obedience to their God, before place & preferment, before the Kings favour, yea & to life it ſelfe. Amongſt many other inſtāces of this nature, I reade of ſome in the Scottiſh hiſtorie pertinent to the matter in hand. When the caſtle of Saint Andrewes was takē by the French, there were may of good faſhion put into the French Gallies; but the chiefe men of birth & place as the two Liflyes, the Laird of Grange, & others, were committed to ſtrong holds in France, wherein were Captains; by whom they were much preſſed to heare maſſe: but they replyed, that though they had their bodies in keeping; yet they had no command over their conſciences, neither would they do any thing against their conſciences, if the King himſelfe would command them. Thoſe that were in the Gallies were no leſſe reſolute: for being arrived at Nanſes, and the great Salve being ſung, a gaudie picture of the Lady was offered to them to kiſſe; amongſt the reſt a Scottiſhman being urged, he meekly deſired them not to trouble him, for he knew it was one of the devils iewels, and a curſed idoll, and therefore ſaid he, I will not touch it. But the Patron, and the Arguiſier, with two officers, having the chiefe charge of all ſuch buſineſs, thruſt the idoll on his face, and put it betweene his hands, whereof when he ſaw he could not be rid, he tooke it verie orderly in his hands, and looking adviſedly upon it, he flung it into the river, and ſaid, let our lady now ſave herſelfe, ſure ſhee is light enough, let her learne to ſwim. After which they urged no Scottiſhman with their idolls. Let men keepe themſelues from idolls, and God will keepe them, if it were in the middeſt of a firie furnace. I cite theſe the rather, becauſe a great many of our Mirmaid-Profeſſors thinke outward preſence at Maſs very lawfull, though it be not inforced; and for ſuch vaine toyes they eſteeme them as they are; if a man be compelled, who will hazard his life or libertie for ſuch a ſmall matter? but let me tell ſuch, that he that will ſave his life ſo, ſhall looſe it; and he that will looſe his life rather then diſhonour God in the leaſt thing ſhall ſaue it. The Iſraelits in their captivitie are ſtraitly enioyned to quit themſelues of the cuſtomes of the nations; that is, not to defile themſelvs with any of their Idols, though they were to obey in all things lawfull. Yea, when they ſhould ſee the heathens dote upon their idolls, they ſhould boldly ſay unto them; the gods that hauehave not made the heavens, and the earth, they ſhall periſh from the earth, Ier. 10.11.and from under the heavens. I wiſh that the afflicted in the Palatinat and Bohemia, may ſo quit themſelues, for they be in great danger: and ſo much for this particular.