Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/226

 i ^6 Copies of Two Manujcnpts fafety of our country, for our religion, for our goods, wives and children, we would hazard all in that order and form w r herein we are altogether ignorant and unexperienced. But becaufe I have found it by experience and reafon a very defperate and dangerous kind of tryal, I would not wifh. any prince to adventure his kingdom that way, unlefs he be weary of the fame, being the only thing for an invador to feek, and for a de- fender to iliun. For the one doth hazard but his people, and hath a lot to win a kingdom ; the other in lofmg of the battle hath fre- quently loft his crown. A battle is the laft refuge, and not to be yielded unto by the de- fendant .until fuch time as he and his people be made defperate, or until opportunity mall offer unto him great advantage. .For which kind of tryal feldom or never fhall you fee the invador to quail, not though his numbers have been much lefs than the other. There is a kind of heat and fury in the encounter and joining of battle, the which fide can longeft retain, on that part goeth the victory. Contrarywife, which fide conceiveth the firft fear, whe- ther it be upon juft caufe or not, namely, for lack of good training, that fide goeth to wreck, yea, and oftentimes falleth fo out before the pikes be couched. Thus much to the uncertainty of battle, wherein albeit I would wifh our nation to be well exercifed and trained, being a thing of great moment, yet to be ufed in our own country as the iheet- anchor and laft refuge of all. A caveat for the avoiding of that dangerous courfe in running to the fea fide at the firing of the beacon. That there be in every fhire places appointed whereunto the country may refort upon the firing of the beacons, which places of afiembly would not be lefTer diftant than five or fix miles from the fea