The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. That Feare and Fury are both enemies to true valour.
I HaueHave taken vponupon me a very hard queſtion to decide: for I can not well ſet out the office of the one, but with diſgrace of the other; the one is ſo cleane contrarie to the other: Firſt, that Feare is an enemy vntounto valour, I neede not to make any long diſcourſe, for eueryevery one will ſay, that the fearefull man will neuer attempt any thing worthy the name of Valour, but alwayes beare a loade of injuries vponupon his broade ſhoulders, excuſing all the wrongs which are done him, ſaying, that they were done with no intent of wrong, and ſo himſelf firſt crauing pardon of thoſe which offend him, but yet bearing an iniurie in his minde, vntill he can reuenge it, by vertue of an office, or one way or another; alſo, he is a raiſer of mutinies, and loueth to ſee other together by the eares, and yet keep himſelfe out of danger, but ſome I hauehave known, which hauehave bin timerſome and cowardly, ſhew great valour, but indeede it was when there was no remedie but that they muſt needes fight. Againe, I hauehave knowne many ſimple cowardly men, who being well experienced with skill, and being practized therein, doe waxe bolde and valorous; for when (by often trial) they ſee that they can ſaue and defend themſelues, what neede hauehave they to feare, for there is a certainty of defence, and hee which hath it, may bee as ſure without making any doubt or queſtion, as it is for Arithmetitian to caſt vp ſeuerall ſummes iuſt to a penny: euen ſo certaine may a skilfull man be in his defence: and it is as eaſie to make a fearefull or cowardly man, perfect in knowledge, and ſo by knowledge to bring him to be valorous; yea more eaſie it is then to make a haſtie man, of valour and ſtomacke, to forbeare his former reſolution; for as no perſwaſions will make a drunkard forſake his drunkenneſſe, but onelyonly pouertie or death: euen ſo there is almoſt no meanes to perſwade the furious and haſtie man from this ſodaine quarrelling and ſtabbing, but onelyonly many dangerous wounds, impriſonment, or death: Yet if ſuch a one doe runne through many brawles, and ſo continue, vntill his owne rod hath beaten him, by croſſes and troubles: if all theſe can not make him liue ciuill, and in ſober faſhion, as he ought to doe, yet olde age will bring experience, and will make him as tame as a ſheepe; for when hee is olde, then hee will ſay, that a man ſhould not aduenture further then skill being tempered with diſcretion, doth allow: for obſerue I pray you, if you chance to ſee two skilfull men play or fight; and if theſe two fall into choller and furie, ſo that like two wilde Bulles they goe to it pell mell, then it is chance noddy to hitte or miſſe; for where fury hath the vpper hand it is not worth the ſight to the beholders, for they can ſhew no true Art, except they obſerue diſtance, for diſtance being broken, they cut or hurt one another which is a great diſgrace vntounto true Art, and a diſcouragement to many which would learne skill, but that they ſee by ſuch haſtie fooles, that skill auaileth not, and indeede it doth little auaile ſuch as cannot bridle their haſtie affections; but yet many will ſay it is true, yet they cannot beware of the diuell, vntill they are plagued with his damme. For after a skilfuil man hath receiued hurt he preſently condemneth his owne folly, for receiuing that which he might hauehave auoided if his mind had been on his buſineſſe; now as I would hauehave no man turn coward but to anſwer a good quarrell, ſo likewiſe I would moſt earneſtly wiſh all men to forbear and not maintain ſuch light and idle braules which either ſpring from lewd women, as that are pot frayes, for drunkenneſſe is the cauſe of the moſt quarrells that be, yet ſtill I doe allow and commend any man to anſwer his enemy vponupon a good quarrell, and to ſtand againſt him, if he doe aſſault thee: for that wil make others to feare to doe thee wrong or thy friend wrong, thinking that thou wilt rite it. Now he which is valorous by nature, and hath no skill, and yet hath a good ſtrength, courage, and ſtomacke, many times doth aduenture raſhly without feare or wit, not much vnlike a fooliſh gameſter which vrgeth and neuer counteth vponupon his fellowes game, but many times it were better hold then vie, for as ſom looſe their mony by their raſh vying at the one, ſo many looſe their liues by a fooliſh bold hardineſſe at the other: for many in their very firſt attempt, or as it were their entring into hope to get the praiſe of the world to bee accounted valorous looſe their liues, which is for wāt of mixing diſcretion with ſtomacke.
Many examples to this effect might bee ſhowne which hapned in the wars of France, Flanders and Ireland, for in all theſe places as good men for valor as euer the Sun did ſhine vponupon, loſt their liues vponupon the very firſt attempt, onelyonly by raſhneſſe, and ſo their honor is written in a Chronicle of duſt, for it euen dyed with them.
I hold it a greater credit to retreat for thine owne ſafety being in danger, rather then ſtill to charge one and ſo be ſlaine or ſore wounded, yet miſtake me not, for I doe not here commend running away neither, but vſe a meane and policy in retreating, for running away is a cowards defence. A good man may giuegive backe for his aduantage, and no diſgrace at all, if men of iudgement doe ſee it, and doe iudge with diſcretion. For the valianteſt Captaine that euer did breath, for his aduantage would retreat without any diſhonor at all, therefore he which will be accounted valorous, and runne through many dangers and bry ats of miſchiefe, quarrells and troubles of this world, he muſt many times be patient vponupon a great wrong profered him, but afterwards with diſcretion examin thy force and thy skill together, how thou maiſt without hazard of thy life reuenge the wrong offered, and that thou maiſt ſo fight as thou maiſt fight againe, without looſing thy life vponupon the firſt aſſault as many doe. but he is a foole which will aduenture all his goods in one ſhip, eſpecially if it be in a dangerous voyage, or all his mony at one throw at dice although hee know the runne of the dice neuer ſo well, for he that doth ſo may hap to looſe all. For there are many dangers at ſea and many chances at dice, but a good quarrell doth halfe defend himſelfe, and alſo a good quarrell many times maketh a coward fight: againe, it is a great diſcredit to bee counted a run away, the vnskilfull muſt doe for his owne defence at ſomtimes and yet ſtomacke enough.
Therefore whether it be in ſingle combat or other wiſe, vſe thy weapon with diſcretion, without choller or haſtineſſe, looking vntounto thy buſineſſe which thou haſt in hand, ſoberly & mildly, and let wiſedom guide the bridle, for ſo maiſt thou go through many a quarrell and run through many skirmiſhes often without hurt, although not without danger.
There is no exerciſe learned but by often practiſe, for ſo it is made perfect: valor, and ſtomacke commeth by nature, but skill neuer commeth by nature, and he which is grounded in skill by arte and practiſe will not feare the proud brags of any man. But now if ſuch a one fight he vſeth his skill and dependeth chiefly vponupon it, but the haſty and furious man thinketh tſtat he is neuer neere enough, and ſo many of them neuer fight but once, for they are ſlaine in their owne haſtineſſe, the very firſt time of aduenturing; for haſte oftentimes maketh waſt.
I doe remember a prety ieſt of King Henry the eight as I hauehave heard it, that when he went to Bulloigne hee ſent out his Preſſe-maſters, commaunding them to bring all the luſtieſt hackers in the country, and they brought and preſented him with many that in fight had receiued many wounds, the skarres whereof remained, and the King beholding them ſaw that ſome of them had beene cut in the face in one place, and ſome in another, and ſome on the head, and ſome had loſt ſome of their ſingers; then ſaid the King vntounto the Preſſe-maſters, I like theſe men well; but yet goe fetch me them which did cut thoſe fellowes, whereby he meant that thoſe which had the moſt hurts were not the beſt men.