FULKE GREVILLE, LORD BROOKE 255 he himself had lately been very weak, and tasted of the same extremity that his company did: for, in the time of our former want, having a little fresh water left him, remaining in a pot; in the night it was broken; and the water drunk and dried up. : Soon after, the sick and wounded men were carried to the next principal town, called Dingleacush, being about three miles to the eastward of the foresaid haven, where our ship rode that there they might be the better refreshed: and have the surgeons daily to attend upon them. Here we well refreshed ourselves, whilst the Irish harp sounded sweetly in our ear and here we, who, for the former extremities, were, in a manner, half dead, had our lives, as it were, restored to us again. FULKE GREVILLE, LORD BROOKE THU THE WOUNDING OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY 'HUS shall it suffice me to have trod out some steps of this Britain Scipio, thereby to give the learned a scantling for drawing out the rest of his dimensions by proportion. And to the end the abruptness of this treatise may suit more equally with his fortune, I will cut off his actions, as God did his life, in the midst; and so conclude with his death. In which passage, though the pride of flesh, and glory of mankind be commonly so alleged as the beholders seldom see anything else in it, but objects of horror and pity; yet had the fall of this man such natural degrees, that the wound whereof he died, made rather an addition, than diminution of his spirits. So that he showed the world, in a short progress to a long home, passing fair and well-drawn lines; by the guide of which, all pilgrims of this life may conduct themselves humbly into the haven of everlasting rest. When that unfortunate stand was to be made before Zutphen to stop the issuing out of the Spanish army from a strait; with what alacrity soever he went to actions of honour, yet remembering that upon just grounds the ancient sages describe the worthiest persons to be ever best armed, he had completely put on his; but meeting the Marshal of the camp lightly armed-whose honour in that art would not suffer this unenvious Themistocles to sleep-the unspotted emulation of his heart, to venture without any inequality, made him cast off his cuisses; and so, by the secret influence of destiny, to disarm that part, where God, it seems, had resolved to strike him. Thus they go on, every man in the head of his own troop; and the weather being misty, fell unawares upon the enemy, who had made a strong stand to receive them; near to the very walls of Zutphen; by reason of which accident their troops fell, not only unexpectedly to be engaged within the level of the great shot, that played from the rampiers, but more fatally within shot of their muskets, which were laid in ambush within their own trenches. Now whether this were a desperate cure in our leaders for a desperate disease; or whether misprision, neglect, audacity, or what else induced it, it is no part of my office to determine, but only to make the narration clear, and deliver rumour, as it passed then, without any stain or enamel. Howsoever, by this stand, an unfortunate hand out of those forespoken trenches, brake the bone of Sir Philip's thighs with a musket-shot. The horse he rode upon was rather furiously choleric than bravely proud, and so forced him to forsake the field, but not his back, as the noblest and fittest bier to carry a martial commander to his grave. In which sad progress, passing along by the rest of the army, where his uncle the general was, and being thirsty with excess of bleeding, he called for drink, which was presently brought him but as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he saw a poor soldier carried along, who had eaten his last at the same feast, ghastly casting up his eyes at the bottle. Which Sir Philip perceiving, took the bottle from his head, before he drank, and delivered it to the poor man, with these words Thy necessity is yet greater than mine. And when he had pledged this poor soldier, he was presently carried to Arnheim. EDMUND SPENSER IRENAEUS HIS SETTLEMENT OF THE IRISH PROBLEM TRENAEUS. The end will (I assure me) be very short and much sooner than can be in so great a trouble, as it seemeth hoped for, although there should none of them fall by the sword, nor be slain by the soldier, yet thus being kept from manurance, and their cattle from running abroad, by this hard restraint they would quickly consume themselves, and devour one another. The proof whereof, I saw sufficiently exampled in these late wars of Munster; for notwithstanding that the same was a most rich and plentiful country, full of corn and cattle, that you would have thought they should have been able to stand long, yet ere one year and a half they were brought to such wretchedness, as that any stony heart would have rued the same. Out of every corner of the woods and glens they came creeping forth upon their hands, for their legs could not bear them; they looked like anatomies of death, they spake like ghosts crying out of their graves; they did eat the dead carrions, happy where they could find them, yea, and one another soon after, insomuch as the very carcasses they spared not to scrape out of their graves; and, if they found a plot of water-cresses or shamrocks, there they flocked as to a feast for the time, yet not able long to continue therewithal; that in short space there were none almost left, and a most populous and plentiful country suddenly left void of man and beast; yet sure in all that war, there perished not many by the sword, but all by the extremity of famine, which they themselves had wrought. R VIEW OF THE STATE OF IRELAND 1596 Irenaeus. It is most true, that such Poets as in their writings do in their writings labour to better the manners of men, and through the sweet bait of their numbers, to steal into the young spirits a desire of honour and virtue, are worthy to be had in great respect. But these Irish bards are for the most part of another mind, and so far from instructing young men in moral discipline, that they themselves do more deserve to be sharply disciplined, for they seldom use to choose unto themselves the doings of good men for the arguments of their poems; but whomsoever they find to be most licentious of life, most bold and lawless in his doings, most dangerous and desperate in all parts of disobedience and rebellious disposition, him they set up and glorify in their rhythms, him they praise to the people, and to young men make an example to follow. Eudoxus. I marvel what kind of speeches they can find, or what face they can put on, to praise such bad persons as live so lawlessly and licentiously upon stealths and spoils, as most of them do, or how can they think that any good mind will applaud or approve the same. Irenaeus. There is none so bad, Eudoxus, but shall find some to favour his doings, but such licentious parts as these, tending for the most part to the hurt of the English, or maintenance of their own lewd liberty, they themselves being most desirous thereof, do most allow. Besides this, evil things being decked and attired with the gay attire of goodly words, may easily deceive, and carry away the affection of a young mind, that is not well stayed, but desirous by some bold adventures to make proof of himself, for being (as they all be brought up) idly, without awe of parents, without precepts of masters, and without fear of offence, not being directed, nor employed in any course of life which may carry them to virtue, will easily be drawn to follow such as any shall set before them, for a young mind cannot rest if he be not still busied in some goodness, he will find himself such business as shall soon busy all about him. In which, if he shall find any to praise him, and to give him encouragement, as those bards and rhythmers do for little reward, or a share of a stolen cow, then waxeth he most insolent and half mad with the love of himself, and his own lewd deeds. And as for words to set forth such lewdness, it is not hard for them to give a goodly and painted shew thereunto, borrowed even from the praises which are proper to virtue itself. As of a most notorious thief and wicked outlaw, which had lived all his life-time off spoils and robberies, one of their bards in his praise will say, that he was none of the idle milksops that was brought up by the fireside, but that most of his days he spent in arms and valiant enterprises, that he did never eat his meat, before he had won it with his sword, that he lay not all night slugging in a cabin under his mantle, but used commonly to keep others waking to defend their lives, and did light his candle at the flames of their houses, to lead him in the darkness: that the day was his night, and the night his day, that he loved not to be long wooing of wenches to yield to him, but where he came, he took by force the spoil of other men's love, and left but lamentation to their lovers ; that his music was not the harp, nor lays of love, but the cries of people and clashing of armour: and finally, that he died not bewailed of many, but made many wail when he died, that dearly bought his death. Do you not think (Eudoxus) that many of these praises might be applied to men of best deserts, yet are they all yielded to a most notable traitor and amongst some of the Irish not smally accounted of. For the song, when it was first made and sung to a person of high degree there, was bought, (as their manner is) for forty crowns. Eudoxus. And well worthy, sure. But tell me (I pray you) have they any art in their compositions? or be they anything witty or well favoured as poems should be? Irenaeus. Yea, truly. I have caused divers of them to be translated unto me, that I might understand them, and surely they savoured of sweet wit and good invention, but |