For Katja, Lana and Martin

 

For the People are naturally not valiant, and not much cavalier.

– Sir John Suckling

 

Note on the Text

Superscribed numerals refer to notes at the end of the text, which are mainly bibliographical. Early modern spelling has been preserved except where it would no longer be intelligible to the general reader. Dates are given according to new style – i.e. following a calendar beginning on 1 January rather than on 25 March.