The remains of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brooke being poems of monarchy and religion : never before printed.

Of War. SECT. XII.

522.

MAn's error having fram'd his Mind and Sence So divers, as no real works long please, Is justly scourg'd by that Omnipotence Which never in it self lets Vice find ease; Whence the vicissitudes of Peace and War, Pow'rs punishments, as well as Glories, are.

523.

Yet since excess in some bounds must subsist, And War have bounds from other heads then Might, Because her torrents else run where they list, And in desire raise titles infinite; Right and Defence must therefore be her Base, Which yet may varied be, in many a case,

524.

Among which, let Protection be a chief, When weak Crowns threatened are to be opprest, An Image of the Deities relief, Shewing that Thrones at once can move and rest And so grow greater by that aid they give, As in whose pow'r more then their own States live.

525.

Crown-right again which natively descends, Claiming Estates in other Crowns possession, Must not neglected be in Princes ends, And yet have curious Audits in progression, Wealth, Right, Occasion from the Barr of words, In Princes States appealing to their swords.

526.

In petty Rights therefore proportion'd care Doth well become the Royal States of Pow'r; But that indeed by which Crowns honour'd are, Is care, no one Throne may the rest devour; So that to wain a growing Empires Might, Infallibly is every Princes Right.

527.

Lastly, it much more danger will be found, Where Princes shall be thought adverse to war, Out of the hearts Effiminatish ground, Then to be held as Wit and Courage are, Ambitious undertakers, and no friends To any Right that interrupts their ends.

528.

For since most Crowns were first established By War, can times or States vicissi tudes So constantly by Man be governed, As they shall not his idle times delude; And on those Monarchs desolation lay, That will neglect that Bafe whereon they stay?

529.

Hence sprang that wisdom, whereby Martial Rome Did Janus Temple, in Eight hundred years, Not Three times shut, but open to the doom Kept them of Mars, whose force each question cleers, And to his Banners did one Consul fit, As she in justice made the other sit.

530:

Then let not Kings by their neglect invite A spiring States or Princes to do wrong; Security exposeth Wealth and Right, And prays to their ambitions that are strong; Nor is the spoilers hand so soon made free, By any thing as inhabilitie..

531.

But so provide for unprosperities, As fate at least may qualified succeed, Framing for change of time such Policies, As no distempers or diseases breed; By home broils to tempt forrain Enemies; Lest we for them, not for our selves prove wise.

532.

To which end Princes must raise Ordinance, Provide Munition, Armor, Fortify Such places as may best secure mischance, Siege, or surprize, which Conquest trafficks by, And such again, as if a tumult grow, Wise Princes to them may for Refuge go.

533.

Euphrat, Danuby, Rhene were those old bounds Of Rome, which Barbars ventur'd not to pass, While many Legions kept their winter grounds, But chang'd by Constantine when that force was, Goths, Hunnes, and Scythians over-spread her face, Like Horses running in a champian Race.

534.

Such Bulwarks modernly have held out Spain, From her mixt stiles of Right and usurpation; Such have withstood the Sultan's force again, And sav'd the Germans from depopulation Whereas for want of these, fair Albion Hath Five times been assail'd, Four times orecome.

535.

Besides, strong Kings must arm and exercise Troops of their people in securest times; And to the same end ever patronise Some active spirits in wars of forrain Climes, To train up Leaders, who, before need come, May discipline their men for Mars his doom.

536.

Luctatius, who the good luck had to end Romes first great Punick war, did on the Land By practice teach his Seamen how to mend That discipline in peace by which wars stand; As Philopoemen made Achaia spread By lazy peace, yet lively governed.

537.

If Roderigo that unlucky King, Over those Goths which did inhabit Spain, Had well observ'd these Rules, that savage Spring Of Saracens could not have shak't his Raign, But still confin'd unto the Africk shore, Must have remain'd and not have sought for more.

538.

Where he at home, afraid of Civil war, Disarm'd his Men; which to bold Tarrif was A sign that active force might venture far, And by Spains weakness bring his ends to pass: Which shews again, when friends or foes draw swords They ever loose that rest or trust in words.

539.

Who knows not that the Roman conquering nation, Lest their brave people should degenerate By peace, to keep up spirit and reputation, Trained their soldiers in each neighbor State, And under colour of protecting friends, Laid new foundation for her own new ends.

540.

Sounding the wit and force of every Nation, That when time serv'd, they might their Masters grow; Thus held they up the AEtolians reputation, To conquer Greece, and Asia overthrow: By friending Eumenes, Africk's made theirs, Colour'd by help to Masanissa's heirs.

541.

Pow'r must again so plant intelligence, And Ballance neighbor Princes by their good, As in our dangers they may feel offence, And hold it fit even with their Subjects blood, In our protection so to work out theirs, That publick pow'r may warrant publick fears.

542.

Not highly changing Party, ends, or way, But constant keep their course on beaten grounds, Urging, that equally all Princes may Abjure incroaching, rest within their bounds, Not strive by adding others to their own, To make the Worlds divided Empire one.

543.

And as the times now stand, unto this end They must keep open still that chief division, Not peiecing it for Enemy or friend, Fear, Want, or any false gloss of misprision; For it takes hold upon the Soveraign part, Which still by Conscience multiplies the heart.

544.

I mean that many headed separation, Which irreligious being, yet doth bear Religions name, affects her reputation, And which, (as it is now us'd every where) Becomes the ground for each ambitious thought, And shadow of all actions that be naught.

545.

Her name being dearer far, then Peace, and Wealth, Hazard for her, of Freedom, Life and Goods, Welcome, as means to everlasting health, Hope with no mortal pow'r to be withstood; So much of greater force is Conscience, Then any lower vision of the Sence.

546.

This Rupture therefore never must unite, Nor yet the heat of opposition slack, Chiefly, because her Pope is infinite, And to his own ambition lives awake; Affecting greatness by that temporal pow'r, Which in all else he studies to devour,

547.

Deposing Kings as Hereticks that leave her, And poizing of her own Kings in such manner, As of Supremacy none shall bereave her, But march as soldiers underneath her Banner, And all her Armies, both of War and Faction, Wage at their charge, to serve the Church in Action.

548.

So that to let her Seminaries spread Within the bowels of a Soveraign State, Or leave her Enemies abandoned, By force, or secret practice unto fate; Were to let friends decrease, and factions grow, As still they do by Neuters overthrow.

549.

Nor let this falacy of her declination Perswade, that with her strength, her ends are chang'd; Since Pride had never such an elevation, As when aspiring superstition rang'd; Which sin was at the first the Angels fall, And in the outward Church, since natural.

550.

Whereby she still unform'd lives, till a head Supreame she finds, or to her self makes many; A body such as must be governed, Within it self, not subject unto any And in each minute of her nature swels, Even with that Pride, wherewith the whole excels.

551.

So as this Flesh-born Church Supremacy, Whether form'd in Monarchal Government, Or State Aristocratical it be, With less then all can never be content; But by the Sophistries of Wit and Will, Strive ever to be head of good and ill.

552.

Therefore I say, let not this gathering Mass Of Superstition (whose true Base is fear) Lurk, and by false faith, bring her ends to pass, Or to the World such threatening Ensignes bear, As Time will shew are form'd to serve the turn, Of other Kings, that in her Lust do burn.

553.

But let Kings rather watch this Governess, That by her wisdom, they may fashion theirs; When to be merciful, when merciless, Time having taught her, to use hopes, and fears, Power, and Wit, that each may help her ends, Which are to have all slaves, no foes, no friends,

554.

Therefore when she lets Inquisitions raign, Pow'rs, Laws, as freely should their Process use; When by Confession she seeks to maintain, That mapp of Secrets which she doth abuse; Then must Kings by all Tryals gage her Nest, So as her Birds may neither Hatch nor Rest.

555.

Nor must we give her ear when she propounds Freedom of Conscience, that yields others none; But work against her on the same strict ground, Whereby she would bind strangers to her own, Suffring no freedom in Dispute, or Book, But such as her false Discipline doth brook:

556.

For if she Conscience plead, the like do we, And so in Faith the same Religious bands; If she doth therein claim Supremacy; Soveraignity (which under no pow'r stands) Plead, that we may deal so with forraign pow'rs, Here, or abroad, as they shall deal with ours.

557.

Lastly, when she, and her sword-bearers strive In Peace, War, League or any Combination, By fall of other Princes States to thrive, We must of force break that association; And if they arm in clouds, then arme so too, And Countermine by doing as they do.

558.

Or else she by her Contracts without charge As well as War, will still divide in gain; Where Kings their Crowns, she there her Cells enlarge, And bring her Harvest home with others pain; Making poor Princes by her dreams of spirit, Like slaves, that onely for their Lord can merit.

559.

Trust not their Church with her scope infinite, As King-ships in this world, more in the other; Here to seem greater then refined right, There both of Grace and Innocence a Mother; For God, a Pope; for Angels, Cardinals; A Church more over-built then Babels walls.

560.

An outward Church, that must stand as it grew, By Force, Craft, Rapine, and Hypocrisie, An earthly Faith, even every day made new, Built on the Base of one's Supremacy; A pride born of that Angels pride that fell, Prising for Peters pence, Heav'n, Purgatory, Hell.

561:

Trust not this Miter which forgiveth none, But damns all souls that be not of her Creeds, Makes all Saints Idols, to adorn her Throne, And reaps vast wealth from superstitious seeds: For must not she with wet or burnt wings fall, Which soars above him that created all?

562.

Suffer not men of this Divine profession, Which should be great within, Religious, True, As Heralds sent by God to work progression From Sin, to Grace, and make the old Man new; Let them not with the worlds Moralities, Think to hold up their Doctrine with the wise.

563.

Let them not fall into those common moulds Of frail humanity, which scandal give; From God they must take notice what they should; Men watch not what they speak, but how they live. Malice soon pierceth pomps mortality, The sin derides her own hypocrisie.

564.

The Clergies praise, when they from Pulpit come, Is to keep that Decorum in their lives, Which wall them in, from each unreverend doom Of Libertines, who to deface them strive: For messengers of Heav'n must still appear, As if that Heav'n, not Earth, were to them deer.

565.

From Abbies let them not hope to uphold Excess and Riot by the peoples voice; Where good and ill alike are cheaply sold, And frail Mankind confounded in his choice. Good Life, and Doctrine, are both Light and Food To starve the Ill, yet doe the chosen good.

566.

Now though this Council seem to fit a King, And not the steep excess of Tyranny: Yet Beams and Bodies being divers things, Finely in shadows may resembled be; Whence in the outward varying forme of things, Tyrants may well use rules set down for Kings.

567.

Let not Kings therefore on this old foundation Fear to continue Taxe, to hazard paid, Since War and Crowns consist by reputation, Which must not eas'ly from their course be sway'd Either by want of Ship, or Sail, or Shroud, Unless Kings will loose Tides, for every Cloud.

568.

But rather follow Mars in forrain parts, Who ever friends the undertaking spirit, With honor, hope of spoil, and all those Arts, Which still as Treasure are reserv'd for merit; Nor be these helps in Minutes understood, Which in the Mass, make undertakings good.

569.

Since here admit the worst that threatens come, And causeless Fortune like her felf should raign, How can the assistance yet find heavy doom, Whose Chance at home is to be cast again? And by their neighbors stumbling, not their fall, Each Monarch taught to have an eye to all.

570.

Nay, grant these mutual succors should at length Engage our own Estates into a war; Yet can they never take us in their strength, Who in their growings interrupted are, And to assail those pow'rs which wounded come, Doth certainly pronounce them fatal doom.

571.

Besides, it often falls out in distress, Where States by want exhausted are, and spent; That change of vices give their wounds redress, And qualify the common discontent In people, who when Peace is turn'd to War, Find Subsidies no Taxes, but Revenues are.

572.

Whereby disease grows cure unto diseases, A wisdom proper to humanity; For while in something, she her self ore-peazes, Yet stands by equal balla nc't vanity, And unto Chance things present sacrificing, Finds from those Ashes better times arising.

573.

And so we see in muddy Northern air, Winds, Thunders, Storms, (Earths present misery) Yet instantly makes foul horizons fair; So doth the war and her impiety Purge the imposthum'd humors of a Peace, Which oft else makes good government decrease.

574.

Only let Princes that will Martial be, Reform that common stained Discipline, Which is the Base of unprosperity, Sin against nature, Chance, and Pow'r Divine, Wherein I fear the Turk doth us excell. They keeping deeds, we words of doing well.

575.

Again, for those which unto war are bent, To right their wrongs, revenge themselves, or gain, How brave advantageous an instrument A well-fram'd Navy is to entertain, Let them be judge who understand how sea For hers, like Air, doth every where make way.

576.

For whatsoever odds in Man or Beast Between the Christian, and the Turk there be, By delicacy, hardness, industry or rest, Our fatal discord, or their unity; Yet we that thus on disadvantage stand, Stand fast, because he makes his wars by Land.

577.

Whereas each man of understanding spirit Knows well, that if this Mighty Tyrant would Have chang'd his war, and so his ways of merit, From Land, and made the waving Ocean mould Of all his Expeditions undertaken, The Christian Churches had long since been shaken.

578.

Nay in the Indians East and West again, What great things men may with sea forces do, Not only in suppressing of the main, But in possessing Land and Cities too, By undertakings of a Maiden Queen, * 1.1 May as in Models to the world be seen.

579.

So as since seas be Mothers unto Fame, Whose bravest Feathers Martial actions be; And Mother-like, since their breasts nurse that name Which they beget by strange prosperity; Let those Kings seek the secret of that womb, That will of Riches, Right and Wrong give doom.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Queen Eliz.