AN ENGLISHMAN'S LOVE TO BOHEMIA:  
WITH A friendly Farewell to all the noble Soldiers that go from great Britain to that honourable Expedition.  
AS ALSO, The names of the most part of the Kings, Princes, Dukes, Marquess', Earls, Bishops, and other friendly Confederates, that are combined with the Bohemian part.  
BY JOHN TAYLOR.  
Printed at Dort. M DC XX.   

We bear the outward form of Martialists,  
But worth and manhood in the mind consists.  
And noble Soldiers that our shapes do see,  
We are but shadows, you the substance be.  
  

TO THE HONOURABLE WELL APPROVED AND accomplished Soldier, Sir Andrew Grace, Knight; Colonel of the forces of Great Britain, in this noble Bohemian Preparation.  
SIR ANDREW GRACE. Anagramma. I GARDE IN WARS.  
Honourable Knight:  
THere are two especial Causes that have moved me most boldly to thrust these rude lines into the world: the first is my hearty affection to the generality of the cause you undertake, (which I believe God and his best servants do affect:) and the other is my love and service which I owe to your worthy self in particular, for many undeserved friendships which I have received from you, and many of your noble friends for your sake. Ingratitude is a Devil, so far worse than all the devils, that if it should crave harbour of me, in the likeness of an Angel of light, yet I would never be persuaded to entertain it. My thankful acknowledgement of your goodness towards me is my prayers and best wishes, which shall ever be a poor requital towards you, not forgetting my thanks in the behalf of all the worthy Ladies and others of that Angelical sex that are married and resident in London, whose chaste honours you (as became a true Knight) defended, when an audacious Frenchman most slanderously did (without exception) swear there was not one honest woman dwelling within the bounds of this populous City, but that they had all generally abused the bed of marriage: then did your noble self enforce the pestiferous peasant to swallow his odious calumny, and in humility to confess there were fifty thousand or a greater number that never had wronged their husbands in that unlawful act. I have made bold to speak of this matter here, because the abuse was so general, & your quarrel so honourable, which I think unfit to be buried in silence or forgetfulness: howsoever, I crave you pardon and worthy acceptance, whilst I most obsequiously remain  
Ever to be commanded by you, john Taylor.   

A FRIENDLY FAREWELL to all the noble Soldiers that go out of Great Britain unto BOHEMIA.  
Wars, noble Wars,  
and manly brave designs;  
Where glorious valour  
in bright armour shines:  
Where God with guards of Angels  
doth defend,  
And best of Christian Princes do befriend,  
Where mighty Kings in glittering burnished arms  
Led bloody bruising battles, and alarms,  
Where honour, truth, love, royal reputation,  
Make Realms and Nations join in combination,  
Bohemia, Denmark and Hungaria,  
The upper and the lower Bavaria,  
The two great Counties of the Palatine,  
The King of Sweden friendly doth combine,  
The marquis and Elector Brandenburge,  
The Dukes of Brunswick, and of Lunenburge,  
Of Holsten, Deuxpont, and of Wittemberge,  
Of the low-Saxons, and of Mackelberge,  
Brave Hessens Lantsgrave, Anholts worthy 
* Prince of Ascania.  Prince,  
The enhance Towns, whom force cannot convince:  
Prince Maurice, and the States of Netherlands,  
And th'ancient Knights of th'Empire lend their hands.  
These and a number more than I have named,  
Whose worths and valours through the world are famed,  
With many a marquis, Bishop, Lord and Knight  

Bishops of Halberstadt, Magenberg, Hilsheine, Osenburgh  T'oppose foul wrong, and to defend fair right:  
Whose warlike troops assembled bravely are  
To aid a gracious Prince in a just war.  
For God, for Natures, and for Nations laws  

The marquis of Anspash, Cullinbagh, Durlagh. The Count Palatine of Lowtrecke and Luxenburgh. The States of Venice & Savoy.  This martial army undertakes this cause;  
And true born Britain's, worthy countrymen,  
Resume your ancient honours once again.  
I know your valiant minds are sharp and keen  
To serve your Sovereign's daughter, Bohems Queen.  
I know you need no spur to set you on,  
But you think days are years till you are gone;  
And being gone, you'll wealth and honour win,  
Whilst riot here at home adds sin to sin.  
You (God assisting) may do mighty things,  
Make Kings of captives, and of captives Kings,  
Riches and love those that survive shall gain,  
And fame, and Heaven the portion of the slain.  
The wounds and scars more beautiful will make  
Those that do wear them for true honour's sake.  
Since God then in his love did preordain  
That you should be his Champions, to maintain  
His quarrel, and his cause; a fig for foes,  
God being with you, how can man oppose?  
Some may object, Your enemies are store:  
If so, your fame and victori's the more;  
Men do win honour when they cope with men,  
The Eagle will not triumph o'er a wren:  
The Lion with the Mouse will not contend,  
Nor men 'gainst boys and women wars will bend,  
But clouds of dust and smoke, and blood and sweat  
Are the main means that will true honour get.  
Thus to fame's altitude must men aspire  
By noble actions, won through sword and fire,  
By trumpets clangor, drums, guns, flute or fife:  
For as there is an end to every life,  
And man well knows that one day he must end it,  
Let him keep't well, defend, and bravely spend it.  
O grief to see how many stout men lie  
Half rotten in their beds before they die;  
Some by foul surfeits, some by odious whoring,  
In misery lie stinking and deploring,  
And e'er a lingering death their sad life ends,  
They are most tedious loathsome to their friends;  
Wasting in physic, which adds woe to grief  
That which should yield their family's relief:  
At last when wished death their cares do cure,  
Their names like to their bodies lie obscure.  
Whereas the soldier with a Christian breast,  
Wars for his Sovereign's peace, and Country's rest:  
He to his Maker's will, his will inclines,  
And ne'er 'gainst heaven impatiently repines,  
He to his Saviour says, that thou art mine,  
And being thou redeemest me, I am thine,  
That if I live or die, or die or live,  
Blessed be thy name whether thou take or give.  
This resolution peirces heavens high roof,  
And arms a soldier more than Cannon proof.  
Suppose his life ends by some noble wounds,  
His soul to heaven, from whence it came rebounds:  
Suppose blown up with powder up he flies,  
Fire his impurity repurifies,  
Suppose a shot pierce through his breast or head  
He nobly lived and nobly he is dead,  
He lies not bedrid stinking, nor doth rave  
Blaspheming against him, that him should save,  
Nor he in Physic doth consume and spend  
That which himself and others should defend,  
He doth not languish, drawing loathsome breath,  
But dies before his friends do wish his death,  
And though his earthly part to earth doth pass,  
His fame out wears a monument of brass.  
Most worthy countrymen, courageous hearts,  
Now is the time, now act brave manly parts,  
Remember you are sons unto such sires  
Whose sacred memories the world admires,  
Make your names fearful to your foes again  
Like Talbot to the French, or Drake to Spain:  
Think on brave valiant Essex, and Mountioy,  
And Sidney, that did England's foes destroy,  
With noble Norris, Williams, and the Veares,  
The Gray's, the Willoughbies all peerless Peers,  
And when you think what glory they have won, 
34 Battles fought in France by Englishmen since the Conquest. Henry the sixth.   
Some worthy actions by you will be done.  
Remember Poicteirs, Cressy, Agincourt,  
With Bullen, Turwin, Turnyes warlike sport,  
And more (our honours higher to advance)  
Our King of England was crowned King of France,  
In Paris, thus all France we did provoke  
T'obey and serve under the English yoke.  
In Ireland 18 bloody fields we fought,  
And that fierce Nation to subjection brought,  
Besides Tyrones' rebellion, which soul strife  
Cost England many a pound, lost many a life,  
And before we were Scotland's, or it ours,  
How often have we with opposed powers  
In most unneighbourly, unfriendly manners,  
With hostile arms, displaying bloody banners:  
With various victories on either side,  
Now up, now down, our fortunes have been tried,  
What one fight wins, the other losing yields,  
In more than sixscore bloody fought fields.  
But since that we and they, and they and we  
More near than brethren, now conjoined be.  
Those scattering powers we each 'gainst other lead,  
Being one knit body, to one royal head.  
Then let this Island, East, West, South and North  
jointly in these brave wars emblaze our worth.  
And as there was a strife, that once befell  
'twixt men of juda, and of Israel:  
Contending which should love King David best,  
And who in him had greatest interest:  
Long may contention only then be thus  
'twixt us and Scotland, and 'twixt them and us,  
Still friendly striving which of us can be  
Most true and loyal to his Majesty.  
This is a strife will please the God of peace,  
And this contending will our love's increase.  
You hardy Scots remember Royal Bruce,  
And what stout Wallace valour did produce:  
The glorious name of Stewarts, Hamiltons,  
The Ereskins, Morayes, and the Levingstons',  
The noble Ramseys, and th'illustrious Hays,  
The valiant Douglases, the Grimes and Gray's,  
Great Sir james Dowglas, 
The praise of sir james Dowglas, in the reign of K. Robert Bruce 1330.  a most valiant Knight  
Led seventy battles with victorious fight,  
Not by Lieutenants, or by deputation,  
But he in person won his reputation.  
The Turks and Saracens he overcame,  
Where ending life he purchased endless fame, 
In 13. main battles he overcame God's enemies, and at last was slain.   
And his true noble worth is well derived  
To worthies of that name that since survived.  
Then since both nations did and do abound  
With men approved, and through all Lands renowned,  
Through Europe, and through Asia, further far,  
Then is our blessed Redeemer Sepulchre.  
Through all the coasts of tawny Africa,  
And through the bounds of rich America.  
And as the world our worths acknowledge must,  
Let not our valour sleeping lie and rust:  
But to immortalize our Britain's name,  
Let it from imbers burst into a flame.  
We have that Land and shape our elders had,  
Their courages were good, can ours be bad?  
Their deeds did manifest their worthy minds,  
Then how can we degenerate from kinds?  
In former times we were so given to war  
(Witness the broils 'twixt York and Lancaster)  
Having no place to foreign foes to go,  
Amongst ourselves, we made ourselves a foe  
Full threescore years with fierce unkind alarms,  
Were practised fierce uncivil civil arms,  
Whilst fourscore Peers of the blood royal died,  
With hundred thousands commoners beside.  
Thus Englishmen to wars did bear good will,  
They would be doing although doing ill.  
And Scotland's history avoucheth clear,  
Of many civil wars, and tormoyles there,  
Rebellion, discord, rapine and foul spoil  
Hath pierced the bowels of their native soil,  
Themselves against themselves, Peers against Peers,  
And kin with kin together by the ears,  
The friend 'gainst friend, each other hath withstood,  
Unfriendly friends weltering in their blood.  
Thus we with them, and they with us contending,  
And we ourselves, and they themselves thus rending,  
Doth show that all of us have ever been  
Addicted unto martial discipline:  
Spain can report, and Portugal can tell,  
Denmark and Norway both can witness well,  
Sweden and Poland truly can declare  
Our service there, and almost every where.  
And 
* The low countries, Holland, Zealand etc.  Belgia but for the English and the Scots,  
Perpetual slavery had been their lots  
Under the great commanding power of Spain,  
By th'Prince of Parma's and the Archdukes train.  
far for my witnesses I need not look,  
'Tis writ in many a hundred living book.  
And Newports famous battle bravely tells  
The English and the Scots in fight excels:  
Yea all, or most towns in those seventeen Lands  
Have felt the force, or friendship of their hands.  
Ostend whose siege all sieges did surpass  
That will be, is, or I think ever was,  
In three years, three months, Scots and Englishmen  
Did more than Troy accomplished in ten.  
Ostend endured (which ne'er will be forgot)  
Above seven hundred thousand Cannon shot:  
And, as if hell against it did conspire,  
They did abide death, dearth, and sword and fire.  
There danger was with resolution mixed,  
And honour with true valour firmly fixed.  
Were death more horrid than a Gorgon's head,  
In his worst shapes they met him, free from dread.  
There many a Britain died, and yet they live  
In fame, which fame to us doth courage give.  
At last when to an end the siege was come,  
The gainers of it, cast their losing sum,  
And the uneven reckoning thus did run:  
The winners had most loss, the losers won;  
For in this siege upon the Archdukes side  
Seven Masters of the Camp all wounded died.  
And fifteen Colonels in that war deceased:  
And Sergeant Mayors twenty nine, at least.  
Captains five hundred sixty five were slain.  
Lieutenants (whilst this Leaguer did remain)  
One thousand, and one hundred and sixteen  
Dyed, and are now as they had never been.  
Ensigns three hundred twenty two, all even:  
And nineteen hundred Sergeants and eleven.  
Corporals and Lantzprizadoes death did mix  
In number seventeen hundred sixty six.  
Of Soldiers, Mariners, women, children, all,  
More than seven times ten thousand there did fall.  
Thus Ostend was at dear rates won and lost,  
Besides these lives, with many millions cost.  
And when 'twas won, 'twas won but on conditions,  
On honourable terms, and compositions:  
The winners won a ruin'd heap of stones,  
A demi-Golgotha of dead men's bones.  
Thus the brave Britain's that the same did leave,  
Left nothing in it worthy to receive.  
And thus from time to time, from age to age,  
To these late days of our last pilgrimage,  
We have been men with martial minds inspired,  
And for our meeds, beloved, approved, admired.  
Men prise not Manhood at so low a rate  
To make it idle and effeminate:  
And worthy Countrymen I hope and trust  
You'll do as much as your forefathers durst,  
A fair advantage now is offered here  
Whereby your wont worths may well appear,  
And he that in this quarrel will not strike,  
Let him expect never to have the like.  
He that spares both his person and his purse,  
Must (if ever he use it) use it worse.  
And you that for that purpose go from hence  
To serve that mighty Princess, and that Prince,  
Ten thousand, thousand prayers shall every day  
Implore th'Almighty to direct your way.  
Go on, go on, brave soldiers, never cease  
Till noble war, produce a noble peace.   

A brief Description of Bohemia.  
THe Kingdom of Bohemia is well peopled with many brave horsemen and footmen: rich, fruitful, and plentifully stored (by the Almighty's bounty,) with all the treasuries of Nature fit for the use and commodity of man: it hath in it of Castles and walled towns, to the number of 780 and 32000 villages; by a grant from the Emperor Charles the fourth, it was freed for ever of the payments of all contributions to the Empire whatsoever, Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia are as large as Bohemia, well replenished with stout horsemen and footmen.  
FINIS.