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AN EXHORTACION to all English Subiects, to ioine for the defence of Queene ELZIABETH, and their natiue country.
¶Printed by Richard Iohnes.
AN EXHORTATION to al English Subiects.
AWake each English wight,
both high and low awake:
Feare not the froward boasting braggs,
that forraine foes doe make,
Conspiring you to spoile,
for sticking to the troth:
And for reforming vile abuse,
of such as liu'd in sloth.
But way the rightfull ground,
and state wherein you stand:
And marke th'accursed cruell case, that they doe take in hand.
You doe your sacred faith, and countries soile defend
T'abollish 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 helpe within this Ile,
But sure I trust their firmest frinds, will iustly them beguile.
For though they thinke that some doe so digresse from kinde,
That subtil peeuish practises, can change their English minde:
I trust if triall hap, they shall haue their desarts,
Not traitors aide, but sharpe reuenge by trustie English harts.
Thinke they we force so light the English soile,
Our natiue countrie so long kept, will we now lose with foile:
Our kindred and alies▪ our wiues and children deare,
Shall we not seeke to shield from death: shall we so vile appeare.
I hope what euer cause may cause debates to bee
The douht to lose life, lands and goods, will cause vs to agree:
To ioine our willing mindes, our goods and greatest force,
T'annoie our foes, to shield our selfe from bloudie stained corse,
What should vs daunt one iot: or make vs be dismaid,
Let neuer threats of foreine foes, make English men afraid:
Looke backe to ancient writ of valiant enterprize:
And see with how great foiles their foes your elders did agrize,
The French haue often found the force of English harts,
The Spaniards (if they call to minde) haue felt thereof their parts
The Scot can make no boast of many ouerthrowes,
The stories tell in most attempts, these bare a way the blowes.
We that haue then so oft, beene vsde to victories,
Shall we now doubt for to subdue, such deadly enemies:
Nay rather thinke we sure, that such their plagues forepast,
To deale with vs within this ile, will make them sore agast.
I trust, as of one realme, euen so they shall vs see,
Of one allegeance, of one heart and firme fidelitie:
Behold the wofull state, our neighbours stand still in,
By cloaked craft, and show of sooth, their sortowes did begin.
What traines by tyrants tride, what store of guiltlesse blood,
Euen from the harts of innocents, was shed with cruel mood
No faith, no truth, no law, nor naturall loue tooke place,
O cursed Caines, O cruell facts, O deadly wofull case.
Those that did nothing doubt, defended for to bee,
Doe now with bitter teares lament, their heauie haps you see:
Their land and riches great, confiscate to the spoile,
That they & theirs in manie yeares, haue woon with painful toile
And shall we thinke to find, more courtesie then those,
If we permit and notwithstand, the force of forreine foes:
Nay rather this deceit may driue vs for to dread,
And of such like most subtill slight, to take most carefull heede,
Our foes like friends, will faine to come for our soules health,
But God doth know their foule prentense: they shoot but at our wealth,
With losse of life to all, let each him selfe assure,
The protestant and papist both, like torment shall indure.
In histories we read (each wight take heede therefore,
The traitor to his country soile, is neuer trusted more:
No, not by such as wan the gole by his deceit,
Who rather cuts him off before, he worke a second sleit.
Though some by feare be fled, for that they neede not dreede,
And some againe for want of wit, or want of better reede
When they shall wiselie wey, what realmes haue run to wracke,
Where such as they with forraine foes, their owne haue sought to sacke:
Though now they be abusde, yet God I hope will than,
So rule their hearts for countries cause, to change thē euery man,
To helpe the hope they haue, for that we not agree,
(As they suppose for sacred writ) most iustly forceth mee:
To call to minde th'aduise of Scorios hoast alone,
The Romans in dissention then, that he would set vpon.
Not so, then Scorio said, I not allow your reede,
For that were euen the neerest way, to make them soone agreede
For argument whereof, two Mastiues foorth 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 seeking vs to sacke,
That naturall loue in English harts, shall not be seene to lacke.
And lacke we men to fight' nay were there euer moe.
More actiue, or more firmely bent, to kill their common foe:
Munition wanteth not, nor ordinance for war,
Each store-house stuft, each priuate house, hath furniture from fat
Our Queene hath courage stout, hir subiects to defend,
Her people haue as willing mindes, their goods and life to spend.
The cause is chiefly Gods, whom euer his elect,
Haue found most ready from their foes, to shield them & protect,
Examples manifold for proofe heereof most strong,
I might alledge, but some perhaps, would think the work too long
Let thys therefore suffice, 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 cheife defence, will take vs to be his▪
Who grant vs all t'agree, our countrie to defend,
And to vouchsafe into our harts, his holy spirit to send.
That we may grace obtaine, by his most gratious will,
Let euery well disposed wight, crie out vnto him still:
Looke Lord on Englands state, we humbly pray thee then,
And grant that each true English hart, consent to say, Amen.
FINIS.