Historie & policie re-viewed, in the heroick transactions of His Most Serene Highnesse, Oliver, late Lord Protector; from his cradle, to his tomb: declaring his steps to princely perfection; as they are drawn in lively parallels to the ascents of the great patriarch Moses, in thirty degrees, to the height of honour. / By H.D. Esq.

The Parallel.

Nor lesse doubt can there be sure of the personal Valour, of our second Moses, who though he slew no man, that ever I could hear of, in any private quarrel, yet was known to be alwayes ready to draw his Sword upon a good occasion.

His Highnesse was never of the temper of those spirits, that upon the misconstruction of a word, or a cold countenance, must presently desire to see a man with his sword in his hand, and swear that they will evict reparation from him, sealed with his blood. No, it cannot be but an argument of a base spirit, and of ig∣noble extraction, to seek out occasions of quarrelling, and Duelling; for by that sure, they must have some design, to blot out some ignominy of their births, or other unworthi∣nesse. Heretofore truly, none but slaves, lackies, butchers, gladiators, or such kind of fellows, did use that trade of Duells; but now forsooth, the opinion of some fooles, will make it fit for Gentlemen: But our first, and second Moses, ever had such pitiful Hectors in extream contempt, who go about by that means, to purchase glory out of vice, gain hell by their execrable carriage, and but acquire on earth, the qualities of a Clown. They have taught us, that we are not to make our

selves like Fierabras, nor the Knight of the burning-sword, in matter of valour: and I dare aver, that if there were a hundred such like Rodomonts, brayed, and stamped to pow∣der in a Morter, they would not be able to make up one half ounce of true fortitude. Nay, I have seen some of those most impor∣tunate fellows, to fight Duells, when they come to bear arms in a good cause, where they ought to shew true valour, and an undaunted resolution, they have been the first that have most desperately run away; they have passed over hills, without being sensible of the ascents, through woods, without seeing of a tree be∣fore them, and measured many miles without casting one look behind them; nay, some∣time whole flocks of them together, that will run away like sheep, with the very appre∣sion of a fear, that the noise of their own feet gives them.

Our first and second Moses, were as little given to make discourses of their own Va∣lour; Those who brave it most in words, are most commonly found most failing in perfor∣mance. When Homer makes his bravest Cap∣tains to march, he gives them alwayes silence for a guide; contrariwise, he makes cowards to babble, and chatter like Cranes. The first passe along like great Rivers, letting their streams glide softly with a silent majesty; but the second keep a murmuring, and bubling, like little Brooks: Indeed, the world is too full of these Rodomonts, now called Hectors,

who are transported with od, arrogant, and sudden furies, like Rabsheketh in Scripture, and yet will tremble at the Lancet of a Sur∣geon, and cry out for a little pain, more than a woman in Labour: in short, the true sign of not being valiant, is to strive to seem to be so.

Our second Moses was known to be none of all this Swash-buckler brood, sprung from the race of Cadmus, derived from the teeth of Serpents; and yet never more ready to eat, than to fight, upon a good occasion, nay, a Duel out too, if there were a cause for it; that is, either in the Head of an Army, by publick consent, against some Goliah, to defend the honour of his Nation, and so to end some no∣table War, and stay a greater effusion of blood: or else, if justly called to it, in his own, or any dear friends vindication; not upon some silly Chymera of spirit, upon the interpreta∣tion of some ambiguous words, or, which is worse, for the love of some unchast woman, who will not be otherwise propitiated, but with the sacrifice of humane blood. No, this is no part of our Mosaical courage: The men of this make, were always those that his High∣nesse fought against, and proved upon them in the end, that, to be a true compleat Chri∣stian Souldier, was not to become a braving Cyclop, without any feeling of God, or sense of Religion, but such a one as his Master Mo∣ses would have him to be, that goes into the field; that is, clear from all wickednesse, and

uncleannesse: and so accordingly did our second Moses, alwayes make his sacred choise of men. His inspired wisdom, knew full well, that none are fitter to go to War, than those, who had made their peace with God, nor can there be any more valourous, than he that has a true fear of the Lord before him: for first, such a mans soul is a Fort impregnable, which cannot be scaled with ladders, for it reacheth up to Heaven, nor be broken with batteries, for it is walled with brasse, nor un∣dermined by Pioneers, for he is founded upon a rock, nor betrayed by treason, for faith it self has the keeping of it, nor be burnt with granado's, for that can quench the fiery darts of the Devil, nor yet be forced by famine, for a good conscience is a continual feast.

It was not for nothing then, that these two great souls of honour, our first and second Moses, would not onely be so provided them∣selves, but have all that followed them, be so likewise, and to carry about them, the whole armour of St. Paul; for undoubtedly there is nothing so strong, nothing so invincible, and triumphant, as a valour, which marcheth bravely under the Rules of true Christian Religion: Whatsoever Mr. Machiavel would perswade us, that Devotion and Piety, are the greatest weakners of courage, and warlike dispositions, and that honesty and vertue, do but expose a Prince to dangers; the truth of it is, of a Prince as he has proposed him, he has made little better, than a wilde beast, and

yet would perswade us, tis a man, and none I presume, will believe it, but such as carry their eyes in their heels.

The brave Belizarius, sure was of another opinion, who was one of the most excellent Captains in the World, being to put some lewd souldiers to death, for some military crimes, declared his mind so freely to his Army, in these Terms,* 1.1 that Procopius recites: Know ye (saith he) that I am come to fight with the arms of Religion, and Justice, without which, we can expect neither Victory nor Happinesse; I desire my Souldiers should have their hands clean to kill an enemy. Never will I suffer any man in my Army, that hath fingers crooked or bloody, were he in arms as terrible, as lightning: force is of no worth, if it have not equity and conscience for companions. This now, methinks, was spo∣ken like a Souldier indeed, like the very spi∣rit of our Moses.

And this is most certain, that no man can loose his courage, but he that never had it, and no man can have it, if that he beg it not of the true Lord of Hosts. Where is light to be sought for, but from the Sun? or water, but in Rivers? and heat, but in Fire? and where think you to find true Strength, but in the God of the strong? I mean, not that strength of body, that Milo had to carry a heavy beast, but the strength of soul and courage, to carry a man through all extre∣mities; which hath its root in reason, its en∣crease in piety, and its Crown in true glory:

and this courage our second Moses had to the full, and that I hope, there is no man but will grant, is so far from being lessened, that it is onely heightened by Religion, and godliness. His sacred Highnesse therefore chose for his Companions in arms, none of those roaring, ranting fellows, that think there is no way to be esteemed valiant, but to dare to be impious, to make the pillars of heaven, to tremble with their blasphemies, and have nothing of soul∣diers in them, but to pill, and ravage, in their Quarters, like Harpyes, and to feed themselves with humane blood; and in a word, have but this one shame left to them, that is, not to be shamelesse. What a ridiculous thing is it, in the mean time, for people to live like Cy∣clopes, that they may be accounted valiant, and act the part of Turks, to gain the reputation of good Christian souldiers? But here his Highnesse his pious wisdom, most eminently, after the example of his Great Master Moses, has ever shewed it self, and made us to know such persons well enough: his inspired judge∣ment, could never be subject to so much fal∣lacy, as to take chaff for Gold, hemlock for Parsly, or an Ape for a Man; and he has plainly taught, and proved to us, that all their pretended courage, is nothing else but despair and rage, boiling in their passionate breasts, and counterfeiting vertue. So I hope we shall have no more such false spectacles clapt over our eyes, by that spirit of lyes forged in the shop of Hell, to make us take that glass

for Diamond, and those Kestrells for Faulcons; indeed, fitter for Stallions, than War-horses; all their courage is nothing but a boiling fury in their hearts, like to that of some Lunaticks, or possest with an evil spirit, which makes very children, and women, to be sometimes stronger, than many men; But such as these, were none of our second Moses his election; for he being to go on God Almighties errand, would have no associats, but such as the Lord should approve of, and were free from all manner of uncleannesse, as that Great Ma∣ster of War, and his incomparable President, both prescribed, and practised.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Procop. lib. 1. de Bello Vandal.