Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The king being informed that the pope by insti|gation of cardinall Poole,Prouision for defense of the realme. had mooued and stirred di|uers great princes and potentats of christendome to inuade the realme of England; without all delaie rode himselfe toward the sea coasts, and sent diuerse of his nobles and councellors to surueie all the ports and places of danger on the coast, where anie meet and conuenient landing place might be doubted, as well in the borders of England, as also of Wales: in EEBO page image 947 which dangerous places he caused bulworks and forts to be erected. And further, he caused the lord ad|merall earle of Southampton to prepare in a readi|nesse his nanie of ships, for defense of the coasts. Be|side this, he sent forth commissions to haue generall musters taken through the realme, to vnderstand what number of able men he might make account of: and further to haue the armor and weapons séene and viewed. Nothing left he vndoone that tended to the foreséeing and preuenting of a mischiefe to insue, which in a prince is counted a vertue, because such prouidence and circumspection is reputed no lesse in a priuat & ordinarie man, as the poet Plautus saith;

Virtus est, vbi occasio admonet, dispicere.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Sir William Forman knight, at that present maior of London, was commanded to certifie the names of all the able men within the citie and liber|ties thereof, betwéene the ages of thrée score and of sixtéene, with the number of armors and weapons of all kinds of sorts. Wherevpon the said maior and his brethren ech one in his ward, by the oth of the common councell and constable, tooke the number of men, armor, and weapons. And after well consi|dering of the matter, by view of their bookes, they thought it not expedient to admit the whole number certified for apt and able men: and therefore assem|bling themselues againe, they chose forth the most able persons, and put by the residue, speciallie such as had no armor, nor for whom anie could be proui|ded. But when they were crediblie aduertised by Thomas Cromwell lord priuie seale (to whome the citie was greatlie beholden) that the king himselfe would see the people of the citie muster in a conue|nient number, and not to set forth all their power, but to leaue some at home to kéepe the citie; then eftsoons euerie alderman repaired to his ward, and there put aside all such as had iacks, cotes of plate of maile,Preparation in London for a muster to be made and shewed before the king. and brigandines, and appointed none but such as had white armor, except such as should beare mo|rish pikes, which ware no armor but sculles, and there was no stranger (although he were a denisine) permitted to be in this muster.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Euerie man being of anie abilitie, prouided him selfe a cote of white silke, and garnished their base|nets with turues like caps of silke, set with owches, furnished with chaines of gold and feathers, or cau|sed their armor to be guilt, and likewise their hal|berds and pollaxes. Some, and especiallie certeine goldsmiths, had their whole armor of siluer bullion. The lord maior, the recorder, the aldermen, and e|uerie other officer beside were gorgeouslie trimmed, as for their degrees was thought séemelie. The ma|ior had sixteene tall fellowes on foot attending on him with guilt halberds, apparelled in white silke doub|lets, and their hose and shooes were likewise white, cut after the Almaine guise, pounsed and pulled out with red sarsenet: their ierkins were of white lea|ther cut, and chains about their necks, with feathers and brooches in their caps. The recorder and euerie alderman had about him foure halberders trimmed also in warlike sort. The chamberleine of the citie, the councellors & aldermens deputies were appoin|ted to be wiflers on horssebacke, which aloft on their armor ware white damaske cotes, mounted on good horsses well trapped, with great chaines about their necks, and proper iauelins or battell axes in their hands, and caps of veluet richlie trimmed.