[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 [page 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.