AN

ADVERTISEMENT1

TOUCHING

AN HOLY WAR.

The Persons that speak.

EUSEBIUS. GAMALIEL. ZEBEDEUS. MARTIUS. EUPOLIS. POLLIO.

Characters of the Persons.

Eusebius beareth the character of a Moderate Divine. Gamaliel of a Protestant Zelant. Zebedæus of a Romish Catholic Zelant. Martius of a Militar Man. Eupolis of a Politique. Pollio of a Courtier.2

THERE met at Paris (in the house of Eupolis) Eusebius, Zebedæus, Gamaliel, Martius, all persons of eminent quality, but of several dispositions. Eupolis himself was also present; and while they were set in conference, Pollio came in to them from court; and as soon as he saw them, after his witty and pleasant manner, he said:

POLLIO. Here be four of you, I think were able to make a good World; for you are as differing as the four Elements, and yet you are friends. As for

1 Dialogus.

2 Zebedæus, Romano-Catholicus, fervidus et Zelotes. Gamaliel, in Religione Reformatâ, fervidus item et Zelotes. Eusebius, Theologus Orthodoxus et moderatus. Martius, vir Militaris. Eupolis, Politicus. Pollio, Aulicus. Omnes præter Gamalielem Romano-Catholici.

Eupolis, because he is temperate and without passion, he may be the Fifth Essence.

EUPOLIS. If we five (Pollio) make the Great World, you alone may make the Little; because you profess and practise both, to refer all things to yourself.

POLLIO. And what do they that practise it, and profess it not?

EUPOLIS. They are the less hardy, and the more dangerous. But come and sit down with us, for we were speaking of the affairs of Christendom at this day; wherein we would be glad also to have your opinion.

POLLIO. My lords, I have journeyed this morning, and it is now the heat of the day; therefore your lordship's discourses had need content my ears very well, to make them intreat mine eyes to keep open. But yet if you will give me leave to awake you, when I think your discourses do but sleep, I will keep watch the best I can.

EUPOLIS. You cannot do us a greater favour. Only I fear you will think all our discourses to be but the better sort of dreams; for good wishes, without power to effect,2 are not much more. But, Sir, when you came in, Martius had both raised our attentions and affected us with some speech he had begun; and it falleth out well to shake off your drowsiness; for it seemed to be the trumpet of a War. And therefore (Martius) if it please you to begin again; for the speech was such as deserveth to be heard twice; and I assure you, your auditory is not a little amended by the presence of Pollio.

1 minus animosi.

2 absque spe effectûs, nedum tentandi copiâ.

MARTIUS. When you came in (Pollio), I was saying freely to these lords, that I had observed how by the space now of half a century of years there had been (if I may speak it) a kind of meanness in the designs and enterprises of Christendom. Wars with subjects; like an angry suit for a man's own, that mought be better ended by accord. Some petty acquests of a town, or a spot of territory; like a farmer's purchase of a close or nook of ground that lay fit for him. And although the wars had been for a Naples, or a Milan, or a Portugal, or a Bohemia, yet these wars were but as the wars of Heathen, (of Athens, or Sparta, or Rome,) for secular interest or ambition, not worthy the warfare of Christians. The Church (indeed) maketh her missions into the extreme parts of the nations and isles; and it is well: 1 but this is Ecce unus gladius hic. The Christian princes and potentates are they that are wanting to the propagation of the Faith by their arms. Yet our

Lord, that said on earth to the disciples, Ite et prædicate, said from heaven to Constantine, In hoc signo vince. What Christian soldier is there that will not be touched with a religious emulation to see an order of Jesus, or of St. Francis, or of St. Augustine, do such service for enlarging the Christian borders; and an order of St. Jago, or St. Michael, or St. George, only to robe, and feast, and perform rites and observances? Surely the merchants themselves shall rise in judgment against the princes and nobles of Europe. For they have made a great path in the seas unto the 1 nobili operâ atque instituto.

2 nihil aliud fere perpetrare, neque majora meditari, quam ut vestes solennes induant, festa patronorum suorum anniversaria celebrent, et cæteros ritus ac cæremonias ordinis sui observent.

ends of the world; and set forth ships and forces of Spanish, English, and Dutch, enough to make China tremble;1 and all this for pearl, or stone, or spices: but for the pearl of the kingdom of heaven, or the stones of the heavenly Hierusalem, or the spices of the spouse's garden, not a mast hath been set up. Nay they can make shift to shed Christian blood so far off amongst themselves,2 and not a drop for the cause of Christ. But let me recall myself; I must acknowledge that within the space of fifty years (whereof I spake) there have been three noble and memorable actions upon the infidels, wherein the Christian hath been the invader. For where it is upon the defensive, I reckon it a war of nature," and not of piety. The first was that famous and fortunate war by sea that ended in the victory of Lepanto; which hath put a hook into the nostrils of the Ottomans to this day; which was the work (chiefly) of that excellent Pope, Pius Quintus; whom I wonder his successors have not declared a saint. The second was the noble, though unfortunate, expedition of Sebastian King of Portugal upon Africk, which was atchieved by him alone; so alone, as left somewhat for others to excuse. The last was, the brave incursions of Sigismund the Transylvanian prince; the thread of whose prosperity was cut off by the Christians themselves; contrary to the worthy and paternal monitories of Pope Clement the eighth. More than these, I do not remember.

POLLIO. NO! What say you to the extirpation of the Moors of Valentia?

1 quantæ Indias quidem et Chinam tremefacere et concutere possint.

2 Illud interim pro nihilo ducunt, sanguinem Christianum in partibus tam remotis inter se præliantes effundere.

3 Necessitatis.