Compare 1577 edition: 1 This exhortation incouraged all such as fauoured him; but such as were present (more for dread than loue) kissed them openlie, whome they inwardlie ha|ted. Other sware outwardlie to take part with such, whose death they secretlie compassed, and inwardlie imagined. Other promised to inuade the kings eni|mies, which fled and fought with fierce courage a|gainst the king. Other stood still and looked on, intend|ing to take part with the victors and ouercommers. So was his people to him vnsure and vnfaithfull at his end, as he was to his nephues vntrue and vnna|turall in his beginning. [How then was it possible that this princes regiment could long stand, seeing the preseruation and prorogation of his reigne con|sisted not in the loue of his subiects? In place whereof bicause feare (yea seruile and forced feare succéeded) he was the sooner forsaken of his people, whose harts fell from him as isicles from a penthouse in a sunnie daie; and in this case the poet saith truelie, and was well worthie of credit when he craued it, saieng:
Credite quem metuit quis perire cupit.]
Compare 1577 edition: 1 When the earle of Richmond knew by his fore|riders that the king was so neere imbatelled, he rode about his armie from ranke to ranke, & from wing to wing, giuing comfortable words to all men, and that finished (being armed at all peeces, sauing his helmet) mounted on a little hill, so that all his people might sée and behold him perfectlie, to their great re|ioising.The person of the earle of Richmond described. For he was a man of no great stature, but so formed and decorated with all gifts and lineaments of nature, that he séemed more an angelicall crea|ture, than a terrestriall personage. His countenance and aspect was chéerefull and couragious, his haire yellow like the burnished gold, his eies graie shining and quicke; prompt and readie in answering, but of such sobrietie, that it could neuer be iudged whether he were more dull than quicke in speaking (such was his temperance.) Now when he had ouerlooked his armie ouer euerie side, he paused awhile, and after with a lowd voice and bold spirit spake to his com|panions these, or the like words following.
18.1. The oration of king Henrie the sea|uenth to his armie.
The oration of king Henrie the sea|uenth to his armie.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _IF euer God gaue victorie to men fighting in a iust quarrell, or if he euer aided such as made warre for the wealth & tuition of their owne naturall and nutritiue countrie, or if he euer succoured them which aduentu|red their liues for the releefe of innocents, suppressing of malefactors and apparant offendors; no doubt my fellowes & freends, but he of his bountifull goodnesse will this daie send vs triumphant victorie, and a luc|kie iournie ouer our proud enimies, and ar|rogant aduersaries: for if you remember and consider the verie cause of our iust qua|rell, you shall apparantlie perceiue the same to be true, godlie, and vertuous. In the which I doubt not, but God will ra|ther aid vs (yea and fight for vs) than see vs vanquished and ouerthrowne by such as neither feare him nor his laws, nor yet regard iustice or honestie.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Our cause is so iust,The earles cause iust and right, & there|fore likelie of good successe. that no enterprise can be of more vertue, both by the lawes diuine & ciuill. For what can be a more ho|nest, goodlie, or godlie quarrell, than to fight against a capteine, being an homicide and murtherer of his owne bloud or progenie, an extreame destroier of his nobilitie, and to his and our countrie and the poore sub|iects of the same a deadlie mallet, a firie brand, and a burthen intollerable? Beside him, consider who be of his band and com|panie: such as by murther and vntrueth committed against their owne kin and li|nage, yea against their prince and soue|reigne lord, haue disherited me and you, and wrongfullie deteine and vsurpe our lawfull patrimonie & lineall inheritance. For he that calleth himselfe king, keepeth from me the crowne and regiment of this noble realme and countrie, contrarie to all iustice and equitie.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Likewise, his mates and friends occu|pie your lands, cut downe your woods,A great mo|tiue to the no|bles & gentles assisting the earle. and destroie your manors, letting your wiues and children range abroade for their li|uing: which persons for their penan [...]e and punishment I doubt not, but God of his goodnes will ether deliuer into our hands, as a great gaine and bootie; or cause them (being greeued and compuncted with the pricke of their corrupt consciences) cow|ardlie to flie, and not abide the battell. Be|side this I assure you, that there be yonder in the great battell, men brought thither for feare, and not for loue; souldiers by force compelled, and not with good will assem|bled; persons which desire rather the de|struction than saluation of their maister and capteine: and finallie, a multitude, whereof the most part will be our friends, and the least part our enimies.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 For truelie I doubt which is greater, the malice of the soldiors toward their cap|teine; or the feare of him conceiued of his people. For suerlie, this rule is infallible, that as ill men dailie couet to destroie the good; so God appointeth the good men to confound the ill. And of all worldlie goods the greatest is to suppresse tyrants, and re|leeue innocents; whereof the one is as much hated, as the other is beloued. If this be true (as clearkes preach) who will EEBO page image 758 spare yonder tyrant Richard duke of Glo|cester,K. Richards offenses and ill qualities summarilie touched by the earle. vntruelie calling himselfe king, con|sidering that he hath violated and broken both the lawes of God and man? What vertue is in him which was the confusion of his brother, and murtherer of his ne|phues? What mercie is in him that slei|eth his trustie freends as well as his ex|treame enimies? Who can haue confi|dence in him which putteth diffidence in all men?
Compare 1577 edition: 1 If you haue not read, I haue heard good clearkes saie, that Tarquine the proud for the vice of the bodie lost the kingdome of Rome; and the name of Tarquine bani|shed the citie for euer: yet was not his fault so detestable as the fact of cruell Ne|ro which slue his own mother, and opened hir entrailes, to behold the place of his conception. Behold yonder Richard, which is both Tarquine and Nero:K. Richard a notorious tyrant. yea a tyrant more than Nero, for he hath not onlie mur|thered his nephue being his king and soue|reigne lord, bastarded his noble brethren, and defamed the wombe of his vertuous and womanlie mother; but also compassed all the meanes and waies that he could in|uent, how to defile and carnallie know his owne neece, vnder the pretense of a cloked matrimonie, which ladie I haue sworne and promised to take to my make and wife, as you all know and beleeue.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 If this cause be not iust, and this quarell godlie; let God (the giuer of victorie) iudge and determine. We haue (thanks be gi|uen to Christ) escaped the secret treasons in Britaine, and auoided the subtill snares of our fraudulent enimies there, passed the troublous seas in good and quiet safegard, and without resistance haue ouergone the ample region & large countrie of Wales, and are now come to the place which we so much desired:Incourage|ments to his armie to plaie the men in a iust cause. for long we haue sought the furious bore, and now we haue found him. Wherefore let vs not feare to enter into the toile, where we may suerlie sleie him; for God knoweth that we haue liued in the vales of miserie, tossing our ships in dangerous stormes: let vs not now dread to set vp our full sailes in faire weather, hauing with vs both God and good for|tune.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 If we had come to conquer Wales and had atchiued it, our praise had beene great, and our gaine more: but if we win this battell, the whole rich realme of England, with the lords and rulers of the same, shall be ours; the profit shall be ours, and the ho|nour shall be ours. Therefore labour for your gaine, & sweat for your right. While we were in Britaine, we had small liuings and little plentie of wealth or welfare; now is the time come to get aboundance of ri|ches, and copie of profit; which is the re|ward of your seruice, and merit of your paines. And this remember with your selues, that before vs be our enimies; and on either side of vs be such, as I neither suerlie trust, nor greatlie beleeue; backe|ward we cannot flee; so that heere we stand like sheepe in a fold, circumuented and com|passed betweene our enimies and our dout|full friends.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Therefore let all feare be set aside, and like sworne brethren let vs ioine in one; for this daie shall be the end of our trauell, and the gaine of our labour, either by honora|ble death or famous victorie: and as I trust, the battell shall not be so sowre, as the profit shall be sweet.Uictorie con|sisteth not in multitude but in manlinesse. Remember that victorie is not gotten with the multitudes of men, but with the courages of hearts, and valiantnesse of minds. The smaller that our number is, the more glorie is to vs if we vanquish: if we be ouercome, yet no laud is to be attributed to the victors, considering that ten men fought against one. And if we die so glorious a death in so good a quarell, neither fretting time, nor cancarding obliuion, shall be able to dar|ken or rase out of the booke of fame either our names, or our godlie attempt. And this one thing I assure you, that in so iust and good a cause, and so notable a quarrell, you shall find me this daie rather a dead carrion vpon the cold ground, than a free prisoner on a carpet in a ladies chamber.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Let vs therefore fight like inuincible gi|ants, and set on our enimies like vntimo|rous tigers, & banish all feare like ramp|ing lions. And now aduance forward true men against traitors, pitifull persons a|gainst murtherers, true inheritors a|gainst vsurpers, the scourges of God a|gainst tyrants. Displaie my banner with a good courage, march foorth like strong and robustious champions, and begin the bat|tell like hardie conquerors. The battell is at hand, and the victorie approcheth; and if we shamefullie recule, or cowardlie flee; we and all our sequele be destroied, and disho|nored for euer. This is the daie of gaine, and this is the time of losse; get this daie victorie, and be conquerors: and leese this daies battell, and be villaines. And there|fore in the name of God and S. George, let euerie man couragiouslie aduance foorth his standard.