An exhortation to England, to ioine for defense of true religion and their natiue countrie Seene and allowed according to the order appointed.

¶ AN EXHORTAtion to Englande . A Wake each English Wight , both high and low awake : Feare not the froward boasting bragges , that forraine foes doe make . Conspiring your distresse , for sticking to the troth , And for refourming the abuse , of such as liued in sloth . But way the rightfull grounde , and state wherein you stand : And marke th accursed cruell cause , that they doe take in hand . You doe your sacred faith , and countries soyle defend : Tabolish faith , and conquer you , they surely doe intend . Each cause of yours may cause your hart great comfort take : Each cause of theirs may iustly cause their coward hart to quake . They hope perhaps to haue , some help within this Ile : But sure I hope their firmest frindes , will iustly them beguyle . For though they thinke that some , doe so digresse from kynde , That tryfling toyes and childish chattes , can chaunge their English mynde : I trust when triall happes , they shall haue their desarts . Not Traytours ayde , but sharpe reuenge by trustie english harts . Thinke they we force so light , the losse of English soyle ? Our natiue countrie so long kept , will we now lose with foyle ? Our kinred and Alies , our wiues and children deare Shall we not seeke to shielde from death ? shall we so vile appeare ? Each brute and saluage beast his kynd will séeke to saue : Shall Christians then ? shall they be séene more beastly mindes to haue ? I hope what euer cause doth cause debates to bée , The doubt to lose life , landes , and goods , will cause vs to agrée To ioyne our willing myndes , our goods and greatest force : Tannoy our foes , to shield our selfe from bloudy stained corse . What should vs daunt one ioate , or make vs be dismayd ? Let neuer threates of forraine foes make English men afrayd . Looke back to auncient writ of valiant enterprise : And sée with how great foyles their foes your Elders did agrise . Read Froysart that did write the Frenchmens happes that fell : What ouerthrowes by th english giuen to Fraunce , doth he there tell ? 1 Let Cressy battell great most ioyfull comfort yéelde : Who there but manfull Englishmen did winne the foughten fielde ? King Edward third of name , ematcht with eight to one , Did yet preuayle : shall we then quayle , though Edward now be gone ? 2 At Poytiers note our fight with Bow and rested Launce : Did not one handfull ( as it were ) beate all the force of Fraunce ? For as their Storie telles , no French were from the same , But such as forced not too lose their honor or their fame . The king himselfe was tane , each noble ( welnigh ) slaine : Right few or none but dint of sword did put to deadly paine . 3 How delt the Englishmen in Britaine at Alroy ? Did they not French and Britaines both full deadly there annoy ? 4 The Spanyardes may not boast to daunt an English hart , If they to auncient historie their memorie doe reuart . Prince Edwardes noble act call vnto mynde agayne , Who did discomfit Henrick , that vsurpt the crowne of Spayne : Did vanquish both the French and Spanyardes there in fight : And set king Peter in his seate , and state of souereigne right . 5 Where had our hardy harts of courage greater vse For our auayle , than on the sea before the towne of Scluse ? The fight was fierce , and we there matcht with foure to one : Did yet from French and Normans both , winne victorie alone . 6 The fielde of Egincourt the Frenchmen yet may rue : Their greatest force our army small did nobly there subdue . 7 The iourney of the Spurres so calde by hastie flight The French did make , and by our hote pursute of them in fight May make vs to reioyce , and passing comfort finde : As oft as we the hap thereof doe haply call to minde . Our king had then in Fraunce that field in chase to scoure The most of his nobilitie and other his chiefest powre . But yet the Scottish king that sought this Realme to sack , Found men ynow ( huge though it were ) to beate his army back . His chaunce each other Prince by proued skill may teach To gouerne well his owne , not roanie for that he cannot reach . ¶ We that haue thus so oft bene vsed to victories , Shall we now doubt for to subdue such deadly enimies ? Nay rather thinke we sure , that these their plagues forepast , To deale with vs on this side sea , will make them sore agast . ‡ I trust as of one realme , euen so they shall vs sée Of one allegiaunce , of one hart , and firme fidelitie . Behold the wofull state , our neighbours stand now in : By cloked craft , with show of sooth , their sorrowes did begin . Those that did nothing doubt defended for to bée , Doe now with bitter teares lament their heauy hap , you sée . Their land and riches great , confiscate to the spoyle , That they and theirs in many yeares haue woon with painfull toyle . And shall we thinke to finde more courtesie than those , If we permit , and not withstand the force of forraine foes ? Nay rather , this deceipt may driue vs for to dréed , And of such like most subtile sleight to take most carefull héed . Our foes like friends will fayne to come for our soule helth ; But God doth know their foule pretense , they shoote but at our welth . The help they hope to haue , for that we not agrée ( As they suppose for sacred writ ) most iustly forceth mée , To call to mynde th aduice of Scorios hoast alone The Romaines in dissension then . that he would set vppon . Not so said Scorio , I not allow your réed : For that were euen the nearest way to make them soone agréed . For argument whereof two Mastiffes forth he brought , And deadly foes he did them make , by cause right aptly sought . A Woolfe put forth in place no sooner in their sight , But they as friends their common foe , did set vpon with spight . ‡ Let then our foes forecast , in séeking vs to sack , That naturall loue in English hartes shall not be séene to lack . And lack we men to fight ? nay were there euer moe ? More actiue or more firmely bent , to kill their common foe ? Munition wanteth not , nor ordinaunce for warre : Each storehouse stust , each priuate house hath furniture from farre . The Quéene hath courage stoute , hir subiects to defend : Hir people haue as willing mindes , their goods and life to spend . The cause is chiefly Gods , whome euer his elect Haue found most ready from their foes to shield them and protect . Examples manifold , for proofe thereof most strong I might alleadge : but some , perhaps , would thinke the worke to long . Let this therfore suffise , and let vs firmely trust , God neuer did nor neuer will forget them that be iust . Let each repent in hart , and mend that is amisse : Then God , no doubt , our chiefe defense will take vs to be his . That we may grace obteine by his most gracious will , Let euery well disposed Wight crie out vnto him still . Looke Lord on Englandes state , we humbly pray thée then , And graunt that each true English hart consent to say , Amen . R. D.