12.
[Sidenote: Exhortatio generales in custodiam totius Anglia per diligentiam
custodia circutus maris circa littora eiusdem: qua debet esse per
vnanimitatem Consilariorum regis, & hominum bona voluntatus.]
Now than for loue of Christ, and of his ioy,
Bring it England out of trouble and noy:
Take heart and witte, and set a gouernance,
Set many wits withouten variance,
To one accord and vnanimitee.
Put to good will for to keepe the see.
First for worship and profite also,
And to rebuke of eche euill willed foe.
Thus shall worship and riches to vs long.
Than to the Noble shall we doe no wrong,
To beare that coyne in figure and in deede,
To our courage, and to our enemies dreede:
For which they must dresse hem to peace in haste,
Or ellis their thrift to standen and to waste.
As this processe hath proued by and by
All by reason and expert policy;
And by stories which proued well this parte:
Or ellis I will my life put in ieoparte,
But many londs would seche her peace for nede,
The see well kept: it must be doo for drede.
Thus must Flanders for nede haue vnitee
And peace with vs: it will non other bee,
Within short while: and ambassadours
Would bene here soone to treate for their succours.
[Sidenote: Tres sunt causa pradicta custodia scilcet, honor commodum
regnum, & opprobrium inimicis.]
This vnitie is to God pleasance:
And peace after the werres variance.
The ende of battaile is peace sikerly,
And power causeth peace finally.
Kept than the sea about in speciall,
Which of England is the towne wall.
As though England were likened to a citie,
And the wall enuiron were the see
Kepe then the sea that is the wall of England:
And than is England kept by Goddes hande;
That as for any thing that is without,
England were at ease withouten doubt,
And thus should euery lond one with another
Entercommon as brother with his brother
And liue togither werrelesse in vnitie,
Without rancour in very charitie,
In rest and peace, to Christes great pleasance,
Without strife, debate and variance.
Which peace men should enserche with businesse,
And knit it saddely holding in holinesse.
[Sidenote: Ephes. 4. Solliciti sitis seruare vnitatem spiritus in vinculo
pacis.]
The Apostle seith, if ye list to see,
Bee yee busie for to keepe vnitee
Of the spirit in the bond of peace.
Which is nedeful to all withouten lese.
The Prophet biddeth vs peace for to enquire
To pursue it, this is holy desire.
Our Lord Iesu saith, Blessed motte they bee
That maken peace; that is tranquillitee.
[Sidenote: Matth. 5. Beati pacifici quoniam filij Dei vocabuntur.]
For peace makers, as Matthew writeth aright,
Should be called the sonnes of God almight.
God giue vs grace, the weyes for to keepe
Of his precepts, and slugly not to sleepe
In shame of sinne: that our verry foo
Might be to vs conuers, and turned so.
[Sidenote: Cum placuerint Domino via hominis eius inimicos ad pacem
conuertet]
For in the Prouerbs is a text to this purpose
Plaine inough without any glose:
When mens weyes please vnto our Lord,
It shall conuert and bring to accord
Mans enemies vnto peace verray,
In vnitie, to liue to Goddis pay,
With vnitie, peace, rest and charitie.
Hee that was here cladde in humanitie,
That came from heauen, and styed vp with our nature,
Or hee ascended, he gaue to vs cure,
And left with vs peace, ageyne striffe and debate,
Mote giue vs peace, so well irradicate
Here in this world: that after all this feste
[Sidenote: Vrbs beata Ierusalem dicta pacis visio.]
Wee may haue peace in the land of beheste
Ierusalem, which of peace is the sight,
With his brightnes of eternall light,
There glorified in rest with his tuition,
The Deitie to see with full fruition:
Hee second person in diuinenesse is,
Who vs assume, and bring vs to the blis. Amen
Here endeth the true procease of the Libel of English policie, exhorting
all England to keepe the sea enuiron: shewing what profit and saluation,
with worship commeth thereof to the reigne of England.
Goe forth Libelle, and meekely shew thy face;
Appearing euer with humble countenance:
And pray my Lords to take in grace,
In opposaile and cherishing the aduance.
To hardines if that not variance
Thou hast fro trought by full experience
Authors and reasons: if ought faile in substance
Remit to hem that yafe thee this science;
That seth it is soth in verray fayth,
[Sidenote: The wise lord of Hungerfords iudgement of this booke.]
That the wise Lord Baron of Hungerford
Hath thee ouerseene, and verely he saith
That thou art true, and thus he doeth record,
Next the Gospel: God wotte it was his worde,
When hee thee redde all ouer in a night.
Goe forth trew booke, and Christ defend thy right.
Explicit libellus de Politia conseruatiua maris.
* * * * *
Breuis Commentarius de Islandia: quo Scriptorum de hac Insula errores
deteguntur, & extraneorum quorundam conuitijs, ac calumnijs, quibus
Islandis liberius insultare solent, occurritur: per Arngrimum Ionam
Islandum. Serenissimo Principi ac Domino, domino Christiano IIII, Dania,
Noruegia, Vandalorum, Gothorumque, Regi electo: Slesuici, Holsatia,
Stormaria & Dithmarsia Duci: Comiti in Oldenburg & Delmenhorst: Domino
suo clementissimo.
Praclaram sane apud Historicos meretur laudem, Sereniss. Princeps, Anchuri
illius Mida regis filij ausus plusquam humanus, & in patriam pietas, fere
exemplo carens, quod ad occludendum ingentem circa Celanam Phrygia oppidum,
terra hiatum, quotidie homines haud exiguo numero, & quicquid in propinquo
erat, absorbentem, sese vltro obtulerit. Cum enim ab oraculo Midas pater
accepisset, non prius conclusum iri istam voraginem, quam res eo
preciosissima immitterentur: Anchurus existimans, nihil esse anima
pretiosius, sese viuum in illud profundissimum chasma pracipitem dedit:
idque tanto animi cum feruore, vt neque parentis desiderio, neque
dulcissima coniugis amplexu vel lachrymis, ab isto proposito se retrahi
passus sit.
Nec inferiorem multo consecuti sunt gloriam Sperthius & Bulis, Lacedamonij,
qui ad auertendam potentissimi Regis Persarum Xerxis, ob occisos a
Lacedemonijs Darij patris legatos, vltionem, ad Regem profecti sunt, & vt
legatorum necem in se, non in patria vlcisceretur, erectis & constantibus
animis sese obtulerunt.
