Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

Warre.

Lastly stood warre in glistering armes yclad, With visage grimme, sterne lookes and gastly hood, In his right hand a naked sword hee had, That to the hilts was all with bloud imbrude, And in his left that kings and kingdomes rued, Famine and fire he had, and there withall Hee rased townes, and threw downe towres and all, Cities hee sackt, and realmes that whilome flowred In honour, glorie, and rule aboue the best, Hee ouerwhhlm'd, and all their fame deuoured, Consumde, destroyde, wasted, and neuer ceast, Till hee therewith their name and all opprest: His face forhued with woundes, and by his side, There hung his targe with gashes deepe and wide, In midst of which depainted there wee finde Deadly debate, all full of snakie hayre, That with a bloudy fillet was ybound,

Out-breathing noght, but discord euerie where. M. Sackuille.

The Poets old in their fond fables faind, That mightie Mars is God of warre and strife: Th' Astronomers think that wheras Mars doth raign That all debate and discord must bee rife: Some thinke Bellona, Goddesse of that life. Among the rest that Painter had some skill, Which thus in armes did once set out the same, A field of gules, and on a golden hill. A stately towne consumed all with flame, On chiefe of sable taken from the dame, A sucking babe (O) borne to bide mischance, Begoard with bloud, and pierced with a launce. On high the Helme, I beare it well in mind, The wreath was siluer powdred all with shot, About the which (goutte du sang) did twind. A rowle of sable blacke, and foule beblot, The crest two hands, which may not bee forgot, For in the right a trenchand blade did stand, And in the left a fierie burning brand. G. Gascoigne.

— Warre the mistresse of enormitie, Mother of mischiefe, monster of deformitie, Lawes, manners, arts, shee breakes, shee marres, shee chaces, Bloud, teares, bowres, towres, she spils, smites, burns, & races, Her brasen teeth shake al the earth asunder: Her mouth a fire-brand, and her voyce a thunder, Her lookes are lightning, euerie glaunce a flash, Her fingers guns, that all to powder pash, Feare and dispayre, flight and disorder, coast

With hastie march before her murderous hoast, As burning, waste, rape, wrong, impietie, Rage, ruines, discord, horror, crueltie, Sacke, sacriledge, impunitie pride, Are still sterne consorts by her barbarous side. And pouertie, sorrow, and desolation, Follow her armies bloudie transmigration. I· Siluester.

O warre begot in pride and luxurie, The child of wrath and of dissention▪ Horrible good, mischiefe necessarie, The foule reformer of confusion: Vniust iust, scourge for our iniquitie. Cruell recurer of corruption. S. Daniell.

O goodly vsage of those anticke times, In which the sword was seruant vnto right, ƲƲhen not for malice and contentious crimes, But all for praise, and proofe of manly might, The martiall broode accustomed to fight: Then honour was the meede of victorie, And yet the vanquished had no dispight, Let later age, that now the vse enuie, Vild rancour so auoyd and cruell furquedry. Ed. Spencer.

VVarre rightly handled is most excellent, And easie makes impossibilitie: It mounts the Alps, and through the seas doth rent▪ By it in bloud a way to heauen wee see. I. Markham.

Vnder warres brazen feete stoopes all the earth,

His mouth a flaming brand, his voyce a thunder, Idem.

No warre is right, but that which needfull is, S. Daniell.

The God of warre hath many men in store, Which wait alwaies to keepe his kingdome vp, Of whom no one doth shew his seruice more, Then lingring hope, which still doth be••re the cup, And flatteringly lendes euerie man a sup, Which haunts his course, or in his progesse passe, Hope brings the bowle wherin they all must quaffe, G. Gascoigne.

Warre seemeth sweete to such as raunge it not. Idem.

Men know not Warre, nor rightly how to deeme it, That first by War haue not been taught t'esteeme it. S. I. H.

—Wise men euer haue preferred farre, Th'vniustest peace, before the iustest Warre. S. Daniell.

—Time obseruing prouidence and Warre, Still makes their foes farre stronger then they are. Idem.

Sad be the sights and bitter fruits of Warre, And thousande furies wait on wrathfull sword, Ne ought the prayse of prowesse more doth marre, Then foule reuenging rage and proud contentious iarre. Ed. Spencer.

—Great reuenew The chiefest sinew vnto Warre affoords. D. Lodge.

—Warres that publike good pretend, Worke most in iustice being doone for spight, For th'agreeued euermore doe bend, Against those whom they see of greatest might, Who though themselues are wrongd and often forst, Yet though they can doe most are thought the worst. S. Daniell.

—Mars is Cupidoes friend And is for Ʋenus loue renouned more, Then al the wars and spoiles the which he did before. Ed. Spencer.