The New Policy of War, Title page – Dedication
The new pollecye of warre, wherin is declared not only how ye mooste cruell Tyraunt the great Turke maye be ouercome, but also all other enemies of the Christen publique weale, lately deuised by Theodore Basille.
Prouer. 21.
¶The horse is prepared agaynst the day of battel, but the Lorde gyuethe the victory.
¶The prayer of Kinge Asa.
ii. Parali. xiiii.
O Lord it is all one wyth the, whyther thou helpest, in few or in many. Helpe vsus, O Lord, our God. For we hauynge our whole affiaunce & truste in the & in thy name be come agaynst thys multitude. Thou art the Lord our God, let no man therfore preuayle agaynst the.
¶The prayer of Kynge Iosaphat.
ii. Parali. xx.
IN vsus, oh Lorde, there is not so great strengthe, that we may be able to resist this great company, that commethe agaynst vsus. But wh… ̄ we know not what to do, thā hauehave we none other refuge nor socour, but only to lyfte vp our eyes vntounto the.
¶Kynge Iosaphat to his Souldiours.
BEleue in the Lorde youre God, and so shall, ye be witheout all ieopardye. Beleue his Prophetes, and all thynges shalbe prosperous vntounto you.
¶To the right worshypfull Syr Thomas Wyet Knyght, Theodore Basille wysheth long lyfe, cōtinual helth, and prosperous felicite.
I Thynke ther is no man so farre estrasiged from ciuile humanite, whiche knowethe not, howe moche eueryevery one of vsus is endetted to his natiue coū trey. For all be it the duty that we owe to oure parentes,Howe greatly we are bounde to our countrey. kynnesfolke, frendes &c, be great euē by the very lawe & instincte of nature, yet the det, wher wt we are obliged to oure contre, semeth to be greater and of moche more valour, than we maye at ony time be able to set our selues francke & fre from it. Our parētes onelyonly gyue vsus this grosse, rude and moortall body. Our countrey doth not only receaue and ioyfully sustē tate it, but also opulently adourne & garnysh both that and the mynde wyth moost goodly and godly vertues. It engraffethe in vsus the true knowledge of our selues,Our countrey is to be more regarded thē oure parentes. the fear of God, the louelove of God and of oure neyghbour, the true fayth in Gods promises, the vnfayned obediēce toward our superious. It tylleth our hartes wyth the plough of paynful diligēce. It eradicateth all vnfruytful wedes. It eiecteth all vnprofitable cloddes, and maketh the earthe of our hartes so fine, pure, pregnāt & fertile, that it is ready to receaue ony manner of good seed, that may be sowne therupon, and to produce innumerable encrease.What great commodities we receue of our countrey. It sowethe also in the …elde of our brestes many precious seedes, as modesty, grauite, gentlenes, honest behauour, affabilite, comite, liberalite, frugalite, pacience, long sufferaunce, moderacion, temperaunce, obedience, fortitude, magnanimite, iustice, equite, continence, humilite, erudicion, prudence, learnynge, wysdome, probite of manners, wythe an whole see of good thynges mo. All this doth our countrey for vsus thorow the diligēt exercyse of wyse and sage teachers. So that it may appeare right wel, men be not only moche endetted to theyr natiue coūtrey, but also allured vntounto the louelove and desyre of the same euen by a certayne inspiraciō both of God and nature. For howe glad is an Englyshe man beynge in Fraunce, Germany, or Italy or els where, to knowe by the transmissiō of mutuall letters, what is done in Englōd, in what case the publique weale consisteth, how it prospereth, howe Gods word is set forward, after what manner vertue is mayntayned, and vice detested. &c? Agen, is not the Frenche man, Germayn, or Italion, beyng herein England very desyrous to knowe lykewyse, what is done in his natiue contre?
We reade of some,The feruēt affecciō that some hauehave had to theyr countrey. whiche, whan they were in straung places, where they wanted no kynd of pleasures, desyred rather to be at home t̄ theyr owne natiue countrey, and to eate beanes and drosse with hogges, thā to be in y• moost floryshyng Realme in the worlde, & to syt at the tables of Kynges, Prynces and such other terrene potestates, and to affl…e wt all maner of delicious meates.
To whom is it vnknowē, yt whā a certen noble mā called Leo Byzā tius,Leo Byzantius. was greuously accused of certen of the Citie, where he was inhabited, and lyke to be in daunger of death, and therfore councelled of diuers of hys frēdes to fly into some straung countrey, he came boldely into the assembly, which consulted about hys matter, and sayde, O ye my Cytysenies, I am counselled to fly but certes I had rather be slayn of you, & so to dye among you, than once to make my self captiue to ony straung countrey. O valeaunt and conrageous harte. O noble & prince lyke stomacke. O vnfayned louer of his natiue countrey. He cho…d rather to be flayne although vnrighteously of his contremen, and so to dy amonge them, than he woulde once departe oute of his natiue contre.
The victorious Champyō SertoriusSertorius. also, beyng in the warres or els wher, was wont to saye, that he had rather be at home in his owne countrey, and to be the moost base & vile Cytysen of Rome, than beynge absēt to be Emperour of al y• world so swete a thynge is it for a man to in his owne natiue countrey.
Thus se we how eueryevery nacion is led euen of nature wyth such an vnspeakable louyng affeccion toward his contre, as neuer dyethe, excepte paraduenture ony be of that pestiferous and poysoned nature, wherof one is, which beyng an Englyshe man borne, dauncethe nowe lyke a Traytoure in a Carnalles wede at Rome, & as a shameles mōsture abasheth not to write, Roma est mihi patria.
The louelove of our countrey muste nedes be great, seyng that y• graue, prudēt, sage, and wyse gouernours of the publique weale heretofore in all theyr actes soughte nothynge so much as the prosperite and wealth therof. What goodly swete sentences dyd they instille into the brestes of theyr yonglynges euen from the cradles, to encourage them vntounto y• louelove of theyr countre? As these are: Pugna propatria. Mortem oppete propatria. Dulce & decorū estpropatria more. Fight for the contre. Dye for the coūtrey. It is a swete & semely thyng to dye for the cōtrey. And as they taught other to do this, so dydde they shew goodly & vertuous examples moost worthy imitacion of theyr posterite For no kynd of perel did they refuse for the safegard of theyr conntrey. No rytches, no substance, no possessions, no not theyr owne lyfe dydde they spare for to profyt theyr countrey. And this maye we se done in y• Histories not only of the baser sorte but also of moost victorious Emperours, puissaunte Princes, and noble Consulles.
Kynge CodrusCodrus. ascertayned by y• infallible oracle of Apollo, that hys contre men the Athenians could by no menes enioy the victory of theyr enemies, excepte he hymselfe were slayne in the batayle, came forth in to the felde amonge the other warriours wyth a iustye and valeaunt chere, fyghtyng wyth his aduersaries couragiously. But in as much as it was not only knowē to yt Athenians, but also to the cōtrary parte what aūswere was gyuen Codrus of Apollo, therfore y• enemies gaue a commaundement that no manne should hurte the body of kynge Codrus. Which whan he perceyued, he conueyed himselfe out of the army, put of his princelyke armours, clad hymselfe lyke a cōmon Souldiour, and returned shortly into the hoost where both manfully and wyllyngly he dyed, and by this menes saued his contre O moost excellēt Prince worthy immortalite. O condigne spectacle for all rulars to beholde.
A lyke thyng do we read of that noble Consulle Publius Decius,Publius Decius. which whā he sawe his army greatly disconforted and almoost slayne, spoored vp his horse sharply, and wt a valeaunt courage braste into the myddes of his enemies army, wher after that he had slayne many, and by his valeaū …e encouraged of new the hartes of his Souldiours, he beynge greuously wounded dyed at y• instant, for the healthe of his countrey, so that notwithstondynge by his woundes, bloud and deathe the Romans gatte the victory, wherof before they dyd so much dispayre.
A certen woman also among the Lacedemonians, caulled Gyrtias,Gyrtias. whā she herd y• Acrotatꝰ her doughters sonne was greuously woūded in the warres, yea and dead therof, aunswered wyth a lustye harte and sayd, whan he went forthe vntounto the enemies, was it ony other lyke, but that he should dye, or els slay them? It is more mery to heare that he is dead, as it was worthy hym, and y• citie and his progenitours, than to lyue all his lyfe lyke a dastarde, and shew no poynte of valeaūce. O hart more courageous, thā the feminine sexe requireth. Grand mothers are wonte for the mooste parte to louelove theyr neuewes and childres chyldrē more tēderly than y• very mothers. Yet this granddame Gyrtias lamē ted nothyng the deth of her neuew, but entierly reioysed that he died so valeauntly in the warres.
Another womā of Lacedemony,A womā of Lacedemony after that she had sent forth fyue of her sōnes vntounto battaile, stode before the suburbes of the cytie, waytyng what should be the ende of the battell. In the meane season came a certen man and shewed her that all her sonnes were slayne. To whome she sayd, I dyd not demaūd this of the, O thou sluggysh slaue, but in what case the contrey stondeth. Whan he had aūswered, that the contrey had gotten the victory, she sayde, oh thā very well, I am glad that my sōnes are thus dead. This noble woman dyd set more by the safegarde of her contrey, than by her priuate affecte toward her chyldren.
DamatriaDamatria. also an womā of that nacion, slewe her owne sonne at his returne from the battell, because he behaued hymselfe lyke a coward in the warres, and dyd not fyght manfully for the wealthe of his coūtrey. This semeth to smell barbaryke immanite, and to be to moche cruell, notwithstandyng it is a goodly example to shewe yt all mothers should desyre nothynge so muche in theyr chyldren as to hauehave them euermore bent to serue the publique affayres of theyr contre, euē to y• very deth.
The Emperour Otho SyluiusOtho Syluius. was determined at a certē tyme, I knowe not for what cause, to gyue ouer the regimente of his Empyre. Many came vntounto hym, and desyred hym very instantly, that he woulde not leaue of his imperial dignite, & so forsake the commō weale, and the valeaunt company of noble warryours y• he had besides other. Among all one beynge but a Souldiour taken at aduenture, perceauyng that the Emperour persisted in his determinaciō, toke out his swerd & sayd, O Emperour knowe thou, that we all are franckely encouraged thus to do for the. And streyghte wayes he kylled hymselfe. O lusty harte, & frāke couragious stomacke. Whom woulde it not animate to gyue hys lyfe for the health of his contrey, seyng so many goodly examples viuely described and lyuishly set forth in histories before his face? To moche brutall is he, that is not moued wt these moost memorable antique monumentes.
But yf I shoulde go forthe to rehearse all the Histories, whiche declare how greatly the feruent petie, the godly affeccion, & the reuerende louelove toward the countrey hath ben euer estemed in times past of all gē tle and naturall hartes, I should cō pyle a worke moche longer than the Iliades of the Greke Poet Homere, yea I shoulde not only farre excede y• limites of an epistle, but also onerate and ouercharge the reader.
But to make few wordes,we ar no les boūde to our coūtrey now than our aū cetours were ī times past. euen the very same godly affecciō owe we at this daye to this our natiue countrey Englond, that mē of olde time hauehave shewed vntounto theyr countrey, except we be estraūged from all naturall humanite. And what soeuer oure Auncetours hauehave done in tymespast, vntounto the very same are we boūd nowe lykewyse. So that who so euer detrecteth & refusethe to do for his countrey, what so euer lieth in his power, is an vnnatural braū che, and a corrupte seed, vnworthy to enioye ony fruyte or commodite therof, as I may adde nothing here vntounto.
But all men hauehave not all gyftes, neyther can eueryevery man profitte his countrey alyke. Yet oughte the studious endeuours and diligent employmentes of all men, tende vntounto this, that the cōmodite of the publique weale and the helth of the coū tre should be sought aboue al thynges. The rytche man with his rytches, the stronge mā wt his strēgth, the wyse with his wisdome, the poletike with his pollecy, the eloquēt with his eloquēce, the learned with his learnynge, the artificer wythe hys science, the plough mā wt his tillyng, and so eueryevery man in his degre accordyng to his knowledge ought to serue his coūtrey. For vntounto this doth the lawe both of God & nature bynde vsus, the whiche to resist is extreme impiete & playne wickednes.
But if ony nacion be estraunged from y• vnnatural affecciō towarde theyr coūtrey,The hartye affeccion of English mē toward ther countrey. certes I thinke Englonde, I meane the Inhabitauntes therof, maye iustly contende wythe ony cōtrey for the alienaciō of this vice. It doth me good yea it maketh me seriously to reioyce euen at y• very harte, to se how glad my countre mē are to serue the commodities of this our countrey Englond. What so euer our moost excellent Prince, or ony in his name commaundeth, it is with all reuerent feare and louyng expedicion accomplyshed. No man grutcheth, no man muttereth no man thyncketh the precepte vnrighteous, nor the burden heuy, so feruente a louelove do they beare vntounto theyr countrey. All with one cōsent employe theyr endeuours to satisfy euen vntounto the vttermoste of theyr power the imperiall precepte of the kynges moost royall maieste. This hath Gods word wrought in them, so myghty and fruytfull is yt swerd of the spirite.Ephe. vi. Thanckes be to God for it. The Lorde of heauen myghte graunt, that it may longe prosper, yea & florish in this Realme of Englond. So maye we be sure neuer to be wtout his diuine blyssyng. Lorde let it so come to passe.
It wyl not easly be beleued,The Gētle mē of Kent. after that y• kynges graces letters were delyuered nowe of late to certayne Gentyll mē in this Coūtye of Kent for the prepacion of certē men apte for the warres, howe expeditely his graces pleasure was accomplyshed in eueryevery condicion. The Gentyl mē (all other businesses layd asyde) immediately prouided theyrtofore appoynted nomber of men, arrayenge them wyth decēt martiall armours so that nothyng wāted, but al thinges set at such a staye, that they receyuyng premonicion of very lytle time, are redy at al houres to bring forthe theyr men apte & redy for the warres.
Agen the men,The … of Kent. which were prest to go vntounto the warres, it is almoste incredible to se & perceaue what alacrite & quickenesse of spirite was in them. They semed to be so desyrous to defend theyr countrey, that they in a manner neglected theyr domesticall trauayles, theyr priuate businesses, not moch estemed ther dere wyues and swete chyldren, no nor yet theyr owne lyues, so that they myght in ony poynt do good to the publique weale of Englond. Whan I sawe this valeaūt courage in thē, and perceaued theyr vnfayned affeccion & louelove toward theyr countrey, Lorde God, wyth how great admiracion and stupore was I affected & striken? My ioye was surely greater thā I cā here expresse, to se this faythfull obedience in them toward the Kynges graces maieste, this feruent louelove toward theyr countrey, this harty affecte toward the cōmō weale of Englonde. And I doubte not, but that lyke obeysaunce and prōptitude was also found in other places of this Realme.
These thynges thus done,The good mynd & feruent affecciō of y• Author towarde his countrey. I began to thynke with my selfe on this manner, Lord God, vnderunder howe vnfortunate starre was I borne, that am endewed neither with wyt, pollecy, valeaunce, strength, wysdome, rytches, or ony other thynge, wherwythe I maye do good to my countrey, as other men do. The vayne of my wytte is barren, my pollecye is grosse, my valeaunce is nothynge, my strength is lytle, my wisdom is base, my riches are not worth a Gally halfe peny besydes a few bokes & a lytle slender apparell. Alas what shall I do? Shall I shewe my selfe in no poynt thanckefull to my coū trey? Shal other men ieopard both theyr lyues and goodes for the safegarde of the publique weale, and I in the meane season do nothynge? Shall I be founde an vnnaturall braūche and a corrupte seed: It shameth me to lyue, and I maye ryght well recount my selfe moost miserable seynge I am coniecte into suche vnfortunate state, that I am able by no meanes to do that for my coū trey in acte, whiche my mynde coueteth in wyll.
At the last I remembred ye poore wydowe of ye Gospel,Luke. xxi. which althogh she were not able to cast into y• treasury so moche as the rytche mē dyd, yet offered two minutes & ware accepted for her good wyll. I called also vntounto remembraunce, howe gentylly king Artozerzes,Kyng Artozerzes. with diuers other were wont to receaue base, sī ple, homely & cōmon gyftes of theyr subiectes, & to geue them rewardes worthy a Prīce for theyr good wyl. Whan I perpēded these thynges wt my self it encouraged me to do some what (althoughe ye somewhat maye ryghte well be recounted some lytle nothyng) that I may shew my selfe not altogither vnworthy the beneficence of my countrey. And for as muche as I hauehave bene trayned vp from my cradles in the court of Lady Mnemosyne & her doughters, & exercised in the wrastlynge place of Apollo (althogh I maye iustly seme to hauehave bene there but a vayne gazer and ydle spectatour) I thought it not vndecente accordynge to my profession of letters to bryng for the some litteral lucubraciō which beīg diligentely red and followed of my coūtremē, shoulde not be altogither vnfruytfull to our cōmon coūtrey. I hauehave therefore in thys tumulte & noyse of warres compyled a certen lytle Treatyse, entitled, The pollecy of warre,The cont…tes of thys boke. not vnworthy the readynge chefely at this tyme. In it I hauehave declared in howe pitefull case y• christen publique weale consisteth almoost vniuersally. I hauehave shewed also what is the cause of these cruell warres, that reygne n…we almoost thorowe out the whole worlde, & by what meanes they maye be ceased. I hauehave furthermore openned after what manner we maye get the victory of our enemies. Agayne I hauehave shewed howe y• Souldiours ought to behaue them selues bothe whan they go to ye warres, and whā they are in them, that God maye be on theyr syde. Moreouer I hauehave declared, howe they that tarye at home, oughte also to behaue them selues, vnlesse that for theyr iniquite & vnryghteous behauoure God forsake our army. Finally I hauehave here opē ned how christen men shall returne frō the warres after they hauehave gotten the victory, and on what manner they shall behaue them selues, y• theyr countrey may enioye peace & tranquilite euer after.
All theyse thynges hauehave I done in this lytle treatyse followyng,Si quis loquitur ut sermones Deiloquatur. accordyng as I trust, to the vayne of the holy scripture And as gladly as I hauehave compiled this shorte worke, so gladly would I hauehave done ony other thynge for the incolumite and safegarde of my countrey, yf it had lyghen in my power. Uerely let all men beleue me, if my rytches & wisdome had bene equall withe Salomons, if my pollecy & strengthe had bene lyke with Sāpsons, I would no lesse hartelye hauehave employed thē all for the wealthe of my countrey, than I hauehave bestowed my labour in settynge for the this lytle treatyse. But whan I maye not do y• one, let it suffice that I do the other. The Poet sayth, In magnis uoluisse satest. Nether is he altogyther ingrate & vnkynd, which for his puissaūce maynly cōtēdeth to shewe hymselfe thākefull and kynd agayne, although his acte at all tymes dothe not greatly aunswere his good wyll. Notwythstandyng I trust, yf this my worke be diligently read, marked and followed, it shall not onlye declare my honest and naturall harte towarde my countrey, but also teache men a more godly fashō in the warres, thā hathe bene hytherto vsed of many. I praye God, it maye brynge forthe no lesse frute, than I hauehave entēded. But this my labour what so euer it be I offer to your ryght worshypful mastershyp, both because ye are one whom God aboue many other hath endewed wt moost goodly qualities, worthy the renowne of worshyp, & apte for the godly administraciō of the publique weale no lesse in y• perfecte knowledge of the diuersite of Languages, than in the actiuite of martiall affaires, & also for as much as ye hauehave euer hytherto earnestely embrased not only the studies of humayne letters, but also y• graue exercises of diuine litterature, trustīg y• ye wyll accepte this my lytle gifte with that beneuolence, which al mē cōmende & prayse in you. If I shall maye obtayne this, it shall not only not repēt me of my labour employed ī this behalfe, but also encourage me hereafter to attēpte some other enterprises of no lesse weyghty and graue importaunce, & dedicate thē also vntounto your name. In the meane season God the Author of all goodnes and the myghty shelde of them, that repose theyr affiaunce in hym, …ought vouchsafe to preserue your good mastership in continuall worshyppe, and dayly encrease the same more & more vntounto the glorye of hys name, the conseruacion of the publique weale, the cōtētacion of your good mynde, & the cōforte & ioye of so many as vnfaynedly louelove you.
AMEN.