At such time therefore as the partie transgressing is conuicted by a
sufficient inquest impanelled for the same purpose, and the time come
of the execution of the sentence, the sergeant of the kings wood-yard
prouideth a square blocke, which he bringeth to some appointed place,
and therewithall a great beetle, staple, and cords, wherewith to
fasten the hand of the offendor vnto the said blocke, vntill the whole
circumstance of his execution be performed. The yeoman of the
scullarie likewise for the time being, dooth prouide a great fire of
coales hard by the blocke, wherein the searing irons are to be made
readie against the chiefe surgeon to the prince or his deputie shall
occupie the same. Upon him also dooth the sergeant or chiefe farrour
attend with those irons, whose office is to deliuer them to the said
surgeon when he shall be redie by searing to vse the same. The groome
of the salarie for the time being or his deputie is furthermore
appointed to be readie with vineger and cold water, and not to depart
from the place vntill the arme of the offendor be bound vp and fullie
dressed. And as these things are thus prouided, so the sergeant
surgeon is bound from time to time to be readie to execute his charge,
and seare the stumpe, when the hand is taken from it. The sergeant of
the cellar is at hand also with a cup of red wine, and likewise the
chiefe officer of the pantrie with manchet bread to giue vnto the said
partie after the execution doone, and the stumpe seared, as the
sergeant of the ewerie is with clothes, wherein to wind and wrap vp
the arme, the yeoman of the poultrie with a cocke to laie vnto it, the
yeoman of the chandrie with seared cloths, and finallie the maister
cooke or his deputie with a sharpe dressing knife, which he deliuereth
at the place of execution to the sergeant of the larder, who dooth
hold it vpright in his hand, vntill the execution be performed by the
publike officer appointed therevnto. And this is the maner of
punishment ordeined for those that strike within the princes palace,
or limits of the same. Which should first haue beene executed on sir
Edmund Kneuet, in the yeare 1541. But when he had made great sute to
saue his right hand for the further seruice of the king in his warres,
and willinglie yeelded to forgo his left, in the end the king pardoned
him of both, to no small benefit of the offendor, and publication of
the bountifull nature that remained in the prince. The like priuilege
almost is giuen to churches and churchyards, although in maner of
punishment great difference doo appeere. For he that bralleth or
quarelleth in either of them, is by and by suspended "Ab ingressu
ecclesiæ," vntill he be absolued: as he is also that striketh with the
fist, or laieth violent hands vpon anie whome so euer. But if he
happen to smite with staffe, dagger, or anie maner of weapon, & the
same be sufficientlie found by the verdict of twelue men at his
arrainement, beside excommunication, he is sure to loose one of his
eares without all hope of release. But if he be such a one as hath
beene twise condemned and executed, whereby he hath now none eares,
then is he marked with an hot iron vpon the chéeke, and by the letter
F, which is seared déepe into his flesh, he is from thencefoorth noted
as a common barratour and fraie maker, and therevnto remaineth
excommunicate, till by repentance he deserue to be absolued. To strike
a clearke also (that is to saie) a minister, is plaine
excommunication, and the offendor not to be absolued but by the prince
or his especiall c[=o]mission. Such also is the generall estate of
the exc[=o]municate in euerie respect, that he can yéeld no
testimonie in anie matter so long as he so standeth. No bargaine or
sale that he maketh is auaileable in law, neither anie of his acts
whatsoeuer pleadable, wherby he liueth as an outlaw & a man altogither
out of the princes protection, although it be not lawfull to kill him,
nor anie man otherwise outlawed, without the danger of fellonie.
OF ARMOUR AND MUNITION.
CHAP. XVI.
How well or how stronglie our countrie hath béene furnished in times
past with armor and artillerie, it lieth not in me as of my selfe to
make rehersall. Yet that it lacked both in the late time of quéen
Marie, not onlie the experience of mine elders, but also the talke of
certeine Spaniards not yet forgotten, did leaue some manifest notice.
Vpon the first I néed not stand, for few will denie it. For the second
I haue heard, that when one of the greatest péeres of Spaine espied
our nakednesse in this behalfe, and did solemnelie vtter in no obscure
place, that it should be an easie matter in short time to conquer
England, bicause it wanted armor, his words were then not so rashlie
vttered, as they were politikelie noted. For albeit that for the
present time their efficacie was dissembled, and semblance made as
though he spake but merilie, yet at the verie enterance of this our
gratious quéene vnto the possession of the crowne, they were so
prouidentlie called to remembrance, and such spéedie reformation
sought of all hands for the redresse of this inconuenience, that our
countrie was sooner furnished with armour and munition, from diuerse
parts of the maine (beside great plentie that was forged here at home)
than our enimies could get vnderstanding of anie such prouision to be
made. By this policie also was the no small hope conceiued by
Spaniards vtterlie cut off, who of open fréends being now become our
secret enimies, and thereto watching a time wherein to atchieue some
heauie exploit against vs and our countrie, did therevpon change their
purposes, whereby England obteined rest, that otherwise might haue
béene sure of sharpe and cruell wars. Thus a Spanish word vttered by
one man at one time, ouerthrew or at the least wise hindered sundrie
priuie practises of manie at another. In times past the chéefe force
of England consisted in their long bowes. But now we haue in maner
generallie giuen ouer that kind of artillerie, and for long bowes in
déed doo practise to shoot compasse for our pastime: which kind of
shooting can neuer yéeld anie smart stroke, nor beat downe our
enimies, as our countrie men were woont to doo at euerie time of néed.
Certes the Frenchmen and Rutters deriding our new archerie in respect
of their corslets, will not let in open skirmish, if anie leisure
serue, to turne vp their tailes and crie; Shoote English, and all
bicause our strong shooting is decaied and laid in bed. But if some of
our Englishmen now liued that serued king Edward the third in his
warres with France, the bréech of such a varlet should haue beene
nailed to his bum with one arrow, and an other fethered in his bowels,
before he should haue turned about to sée who shot the first. But as
our shooting is thus in manner vtterlie decaied among vs one waie, so
our countrie men wex skilfull in sundrie other points, as in shooting
in small péeces, the caliuer, and handling of the pike, in the
seuerall vses whereof they are become verie expert.
Our armour differeth not from that of other nations, and therefore
consisteth of corslets, almaine riuets, shirts of maile, iackes
quilted and couered ouer with leather, fustian, or canuas, ouer thicke
plates of iron that are sowed in the same, & of which there is no
towne or village that hath not hir conuenient furniture. The said
armour and munition likewise is kept in one seuerall place of euerie
towne, appointed by the consent of the whole parish, where it is
alwaies readie to be had and worne within an houres warning. Sometime
also it is occupied, when it pleaseth the magistrate either to view
the able men, & take note of the well kéeping of the same, or finallie
to sée those that are inrolled to exercise each one his seuerall
weapon, at the charge of the townesmen of each parish according to his
appointment. Certes there is almost no village so poore in England (be
it neuer so small) that hath not sufficient furniture in a readinesse
to set foorth thrée or foure soldiers, as one archer, one gunner, one
pike, & a bilman at the least. No there is not so much wanting as
their verie liueries and caps, which are least to be accounted of, if
anie hast required: so that if this good order may continue, it shall
be vnpossible for the sudden enimie to find vs vnprouided. As for able
men for seruice, thanked be God, we are not without good store, for by
the musters taken 1574 and 1575, our number amounted to 1172674, and
yet were they not so narrowlie taken, but that a third part of this
like multitude was left vnbilled and vncalled. What store of munition
and armour the quéenes maiestie hath in hir storehouses, it lieth not
in me to yéeld account, sith I suppose the same to be infinit. And
whereas it was commonlie said after the losse of Calis, that England
should neuer recouer the store of ordinance there left and lost: that
same is at this time prooued false, sith euen some of the same persons
doo now confesse, that this land was neuer better furnished with these
things in anie kings daies that reigned since the conquest.
_The names of our greatest ordinance are commonlie these._
Robinet, whose weight is two hundred pounds, and it hath one inch and
a quarter within the mouth.
Falconet weigheth fiue hundred pounds, and his widenesse is two inches
within the mouth.
Falcon hath eight hundred pounds, and two inches and a halfe within
the mouth.
Minion poiseth eleauen hundred pounds, and hath thrée inches and a
quarter within the mouth.
Sacre hath fiftéene hundred poundes, and is three inches and a halfe
wide in the mouth.
Demie Culuerijn weigheth three thousand pounds, and hath foure inches
and a halfe within the mouth.
Culuerijn hath foure thousand pounds, and fiue inches and an halfe
within the mouth.
Demie Canon six thousand pounds, and six inches and an halfe within
the mouth.
Canon seauen thousand pounds, and eight inches within the mouth.
E. Canon eight thousand pounds, and seauen inches within the mouth.
Basiliske 9000 pounds, eight inches, and thrée quarters within the
mouth. By which proportions also it is easie to come by the weight of
euerie shot, how manie scores it doth flée at point blanke, how much
pouder is to be had the same, & finallie how manie inches in height
ech bullet ought to carrie.
_The names of_ } {_Weight_ | _Scores_ |_Pounds_ |_Height_
_the greatest_ } {_of the_ | _of_ |_ of _ |_ of _
_ordinance._ } { _shot._ |_cariage._ |_pouder._ |_bullet._
+--------------------------------+-----------+----------+----------+
|Robinet. } { 1 li. | 0 | 1/2 | 1 |
|Falconet. } { 2 li. | 14 | 2 | 1-1/4 |
|Falcon. } { 2-1/2 | 16 | 2-1/2 | 2-1/4 |
|Minion. } { 4-1/2 | 17 | 4-1/2 | 3 |
|Sacre. } { 5 | 18 | 5 | 3-1/4 |
|Demie Culuerijn. }hath{ 9 | 20 | 9 | 4 |
|Culuerijn. } { 18 | 25 | 18 | 5-1/4 |
|Demie canon. } { 30 | 38 | 28 | 6-1/4 |
|Canon. } { 60 | 20 | 44 | 7-3/4 |
|E. Canon. } { 42 | 20 | 20 | 6-3/4 |
|Basiliske. } { 60 | 21 | 60 | 8-1/4 |
+--------------------------------+-----------+----------+----------+
I might here take iust occasion to speake of the princes armories. But
what shall it néed? sith the whole realme is hir armorie, and
therefore hir furniture infinit. The Turke had one gun made by one
Orban a Dane, the caster of his ordinance, which could not be drawen
to the siege of Constantinople, but by seauentie yokes of oxen, and
two thousand men; he had two other there also whose shot poised aboue
two talents in weight, made by the same Orban. But to procéed. As for
the armories of some of the nobilitie (whereof I also haue seene a
part) they are so well furnished, that within some one barons custodie
I haue séene thrée score or a hundred corslets at once, beside
caliuers, hand-guns, bowes, sheffes of arrowes, pikes, bils, polaxes,
flaskes, touchboxes, targets, &c: the verie sight wherof appalled my
courage. What would the wearing of some of them doo then (trow you) if
I should be inforced to vse one of them in the field? But thanked be
God, our peaceable daies are such, as no man hath anie great cause to
occupie them at all, but onelie taketh good leisure to haue them in a
readinesse, and therefore both high and lowe in England
Cymbala pro galeis pro scutis tympana pulsant.
I would write here also of our maner of going to the warres, but what
hath the long blacke gowne to doo with glistering armour? what sound
[Sidenote: Malè musis cum Marte.]
acquaintance can there be betwixt Mars and the Muses? or how should a
man write anie thing to the purpose of that wherewith he is nothing
acquainted? This neuerthelesse will I adde of things at home, that
seldome shall you sée anie of my countriemen aboue eightéene or
twentie yéeres old to go without a dagger at the least at his backe or
by his side, although they be aged burgesses or magistrates of anie
citie, who in appeerance are most exempt from brabling and contention.
Our nobilitie weare commonlie swords or rapiers with their daggers, as
dooth euerie common seruing man also that followeth his lord and
master. Some desperate cutters we haue in like sort, which carrie two
daggers or two rapiers in a sheath alwaies about them, wherewith in
euerie dronken fraie they are knowen to worke much mischiefe; their
swords & daggers also are of a great length, and longer than the like
vsed in anie other countrie, whereby ech one pretendeth to haue the
more aduantage of his enimie. But as manie orders haue béene taken for
the intollerable length of these weapons; so I sée as yet small
redresse: but where the cause thereof doth rest, in sooth for my part
I wote not. I might here speake of the excessiue staues which diuerse
that trauell by the waie doo carrie vpon their shoulders, whereof some
are twelue or thirtéene foote long, beside the pike of twelue inches:
but as they are commonlie suspected of honest men to be theeues and
robbers, or at the leastwise scarse true men which beare them; so by
reason of this and the like suspicious weapons, the honest traueller
is now inforced to ride with a case of dags at his sadle bow, or with
some pretie short snapper, whereby he may deale with them further off
in his owne defense before he come within the danger of these weapons.
Finallie, no man trauelleth by the waie without his sword, or some
such weapon, with vs; except the minister, who c[=o]monlie weareth
none at all, vnlesse it be a dagger or hanger at his side. Seldome
also are they or anie other waifaring men robbed without the consent
of the chamberleine, tapster, or ostler where they bait & lie, who
féeling at their alighting whether their capcases or budgets be of
anie weight or not, by taking them downe from their sadles, or
otherwise see their store in drawing of their purses, do by and by
giue intimation to some one or other attendant dailie in the yard or
house, or dwelling hard by vpon such matches, whether the preie be
worth the following or no. If it be for their turne, then the
gentleman peraduenture is asked which waie he trauelleth, and whether
it please him to haue another ghest to beare him companie at supper,
who rideth the same waie in the morning that he doth, or not. And thus
if he admit him or be glad of his acquaintance, the cheate is halfe
wrought. And often it is séene that the new ghest shall be robbed with
the old, onelie to colour out the matter and kéepe him from suspicion.
Sometimes when they knowe which waie the passenger trauelleth, they
will either go before and lie in wait for him, or else come galloping
apace after, wherby they will be sure, if he ride not the stronger, to
be fingering with his purse. And these are some of the policies of
such shrews or close booted gentlemen as lie in wait for fat booties
by the high waies, and which are most commonlie practised in the
winter season about the feast of Christmas, when seruing men and
vnthriftie gentlemen want monie to plaie at the dice and cards,
lewdlie spending in such wise whatsoeuer they haue wickedlie gotten,
till some of them sharplie set vpon their cheuisances, be trussed vp
in a Tiburne tippet, which happeneth vnto them commonlie before they
come to middle age. Wherby it appéereth that some sort of youth will
oft haue his swinge, although it be in a halter.
I might also intreat of our old maner of warfare vsed in and before
the time of Cesar, when as the cheefe brunt of our fight was in
Essedis or wagons; but this I also passe ouer, noting neuerthelesse
out of Propertius, that our said wagons were gorgeous and gailie
painted, which he setteth downe in these foure verses insuing,
Arethusæ ad Lycotam, lib. 4. eleg. 3.
Te modò viderunt iteratos Bactra per ortus,
Te modò munito Sericus hostis equo,
Hiberníque Getæ, pictóque Brittannia curru,
Vstus & Eoa discolor Indus aqua.
OF THE NAUIE OF ENGLAND.
CHAP. XVII.
There is nothing that hath brought me into more admiration of the
power and force of antiquitie, than their diligence and care had of
their nauies: wherein, whether I consider their spéedie building, or
great number of ships which some one kingdome or region possessed at
one instant; it giueth me still occasion, either to suspect the
historie, or to thinke that in our times we come verie farre behind
them. For what a thing is it to haue a ship growing on the stub, and
sailing on the sea within the space of fiue and fiftie daies? And yet
such a nauie was to be séene in the first war of Carthage, led thither
by Duellius the Romane. In the warres also against Hieron two hundred
and twentie tall ships bare leafe & saile within fiue and fortie
daies. In the second warre of Carthage the nauie that went with Scipio
was felled in the wood, and séene to saile on the sea fullie furnished
in sixe weekes: which vnto them that are ignorant of things doth séeme
to be false, and vnpossible. In like maner for multitude, we find in
Polybius, that at one skirmish on the sea the Romans lost seauen
hundred vessels, which bare ech of them fiue rowes of ores on a side,
and the Carthaginenses fiue hundred. And albeit the formes and
apparell of these vessels were not altogither correspondent to our
ships and gallies made in these daies: yet the capacitie of most of
them did not onelie match, but farre excéed them; so that if one of
their biremes onlie conteined so much in burden as a ship of ours of
six hundred tun: what shall we thinke of those which had seauen rowes
of ores walking on a side? But least I should séeme to speake more of
these forren things than the course of the historie doth permit
without licence to digresse: giue me leaue (I beséech thee gentle
reader) to wade yet a little further in the report of these ancient
formes & kinds of vessels. For albeit that the discourse hereof maketh
little to the description of our present nauie in England: yet shall
the report thereof not be vnprofitable and vnpleasant to such as shall
reade among the writings of their capacities and moulds. It shall not
be amisse therefore to begin at the nauie of Xerxes, of which ech
meane vessell (as appéereth by Herodot) was able to receiue two
hundred and thirtie souldiers, and some of them thrée hundred. These
were called triremes, and were indéede gallies that had thrée rowes of
ores on euerie side; for the word _Nauis_ is indifferentlie applied so
well to the gallie as ship, as to the conuersant in histories is easie
to be found. In old time also they had gallies of foure rowes, fiue
rowes, six, seauen, eight, nine, twelue, yea fifteene rowes of ores on
a side; iudge you then of what quantitie those vessels were. Plinie
lib. 7. noteth one Damasthenes to be the first maker of the gallies
with two rowes called biremes: Thucidides referreth the triremes to
Ammocles of Corinthum; the quadriremes were deuised by Aristotle of
Carthage; the quinquiremes by Nesichthon of Salamina; the gallie of
six rowes by Xenagoras of Syracusa: from this to the tenth Nesigiton
brought vp; Alexander the great caused one to be made of twelue;
Ptolomeus Soter of fiftéene; Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus of
thirtie; Ptolom. Philad. of fortie; Ptol. Triphon of fiftie: all which
aboue foure were none other (in mine opinion) than vnweldie carts, and
more seruing for pleasure and to gaze vpon, than anie vse in the wars
for which they should be deuised. But of all other I note one of
fortie rowes, which Ptolo Philopater builded, conteining 200 and
eightie cubits in length, and eight and fortie cubits in breadth: it
held also foure thousand ores, foure hundred mariners, and three
thousand souldiers, so that in the said vessell were seauen thousand
and foure hundred persons: a report incredible, if truth and good
testimonie did not confirme the same. I must needs confesse therefore,
that the ancient vessels far exceeded ours for capacitie:
neuerthelesse if you regard the forme, and the assurance from perill
of the sea, and therewithall the strength and nimblenesse of such as
are made in our time, you shall easilie find that ours are of more
value than theirs: for as the greatest vessell is not alwaies the
safest, so that of most huge capacitie is not alwaies the aptest to
shift and brooke the seas: as might be seene by the great Henrie, the
hugest vessell that euer England framed in our times. Neither were the
ships of old like vnto ours in mould and maner of building aboue the
water (for of low gallies in our seas we make small account) nor so
full of ease within, sith time hath ingendred more skill in the
wrights, and brought all things to more perfection than they had in
the beginning. And now to come vnto our purpose at the first intended.
The nauie of England may be diuided into three sortes, of which the
one serueth for the warres, the other for burden, and the third for
fishermen, which get their liuing by fishing on the sea. How manie of
the first order are mainteined within the realme, it passeth my
cunning to expresse: yet sith it may be parted into the nauie roiall
and common fleete, I thinke good to speake of those that belong vnto
the prince, and so much the rather, for that their number is certeine
& well knowne to verie manie. Certes there is no prince in Europe that
hath a more beautifull or gallant sort of ships than the quéenes
maiestie of England at this present, and those generallie are of such
exceeding force, that two of them being well appointed and furnished
as they ought, will not let to encounter with thrée or foure of those
of other countries, and either bowge them or put them to flight, if
they may not bring them home.
Neither are the moulds of anie forren barkes so conuenientlie made, to
brooke so well one sea as another lieng vpon the shore in anie part of
the continent as those of England. And therefore the common report
that strangers make of our ships amongst themselues is dailie
confirmed to be true, which is, that for strength, assurance,
nimblenesse and swiftnesse of sailing, there are no vessels in the
world to be compared with ours. And all these are committed to the
regiment and safe custodie of the admerall, who is so called (as some
imagine) of the Gréeke word _Almiras_ a capiteine on the sea, for so
saith Zonaras "in Basilio Macedone & Basilio Porphyriogenito," though
other fetch it from _Ad mare_ the Latine words, another sort from
_Amyras_ the Saracen magistrate, or from some French deriuation: but
these things are not for this place, and therefore I passe them ouer.
The quéenes highnesse hath at this present (which is the foure and
twentith of hir reigne) alreadie made and furnished, to the number of
foure or fiue and twentie great ships, which lie for the most part in
Gillingham rode, beside thrée gallies, of whose particular names and
furnitures (so far foorth as I can come by them) it shall not be
amisse to make report at this time.
_The names of so manie ships belonging to hir maiestie as I could come
by at this present._
The Bonaduenture.
Elizabeth Ionas.
White Beare.
Philip and Marie.
Triumph.
Bull.
Tiger.
Antlope.
Hope.
Lion.
Victorie.
Marie Rose.
Foresight.
Swift sute.
Aid.
Handmaid.
Dread nought.
Swallow.
Genet.
Barke of Bullen.
Achates.
Falcon.
George.
Reuenge.
It is said, that as kings and princes haue in the yoong daies of the
world, and long since framed themselues to erect euerie yeare a citie
in some one place or other of their kingdoms (and no small woonder
that Sardanapalus should begin & finish two, to wit, Anchialus and
Tharsus in one daie) so hir grace dooth yearelie build one ship or
other to the better defense of hir frontiers from the enimie. But as
of this report I haue no assured certeintie, so it shall suffice to
haue said so much of these things: yet this I thinke worthie further
to be added, that if they should all be driuen to seruice at one
instant (which God forbid) she should haue a power by sea of about
nine or ten thousand men, which were a notable companie, beside the
supplie of other vessels apperteining to hir subiects to furnish vp
hir voiage.