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Sir Roger Williams (1539/1540 – 12 December 1595) was a Welsh soldier of fortune and military theorist, who served the Protestant cause, fighting against the Spanish in several theatres of war. Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester said that as a soldier he was "worth his weight in gold". He was later a close associate of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and became a national hero because of his exploits fighting the Catholic League. He has been described as "an obstreperous, opinionated Welsh soldier" who was "Essex's devoted confederate and agent".〔David J. Baker, ''Between Nations: Shakespeare, Spenser, Marvell, and the Question of Britain'', Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 1997, p.54.〕 In his writings on the art of war, Williams was a strong advocate of the modernisation of armies and the exploitation of new military technologies. Some Shakespeare scholars have suggested that he was the basis for the pugnacious Welsh captain Fluellen in William Shakespeare's ''Henry V'', a character who is also both argumentative and unflinchingly loyal. ==Life== Born in Penrhos, Monmouthshire, Williams was the son of Thomas Williams and his wife, Eleanor, daughter of Sir William Vaughan.〔(Dictionary of Welsh Biography )〕 He was said by Anthony Wood to have attended Brasenose College, Oxford.〔Lawrence, David, ''The Complete Soldier: Military Books and Military Culture in Early Stuart England, 1603-1645'', Brill, 2009, pp.64-5.〕 He spent most of his life soldiering, mainly on the continent. In his own writings he says that his first experience of war was as a page under William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, participating in the storming of St. Quentin in 1557.〔 Williams may have pursued his career in the service of Spain, before becoming associated with its enemies, though Sidney Lee thinks this is "doubtful".〔 He is said to have risen to the rank of Colonel in the Spanish forces.〔Alan Palmer, Veronica Palmer, ''Who's Who in Shakespeare's England'', Palgrave Macmillan, 1999, p.268.〕 Whether or not he ever served Spain, in 1572 Williams took part in a raid on during the siege of Ter Goes, South Beveland, an outpost of the main Spanish base at Middelburg which was also under siege. The garrison was far larger than they had expected and the attack failed, with many of the raiding party being killed. Williams and Rowland Yorke escaped by crawling out through ditches on their stomachs.〔〔The Actions of the Low Countries〕 In 1577 he joined John Norreys' expedition of English volunteers to the Low Countries, serving as Norreys' military adviser.〔Rowse, Alfred Leslie, ''The Expansion of Elizabethan England'', Harper & Row, 1965, p.341.〕 In the 1580s he was in the Netherlands fighting on behalf of William the Silent, Prince of Orange, against Spain. He was present when the Prince was assassinated in 1584, and helped capture the assassin, Balthasar Gérard.〔 In 1585 he joined Earl of Leicester's command in the Netherlands, to confront the Spanish forces under the Duke of Parma. Though the campaign was not a success, Leicester wrote: "Roger Williams is worth his weight in gold, for he is noe more valiant than he is wise and of judgement to govern his doings".〔 He was duly knighted after the Battle of Zutphen in 1586 by Leicester. He also fought for the Protestant Elector of Cologne, Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg, and fought with the Dutch soldier of fortune, Martin Schenck von Nydeggen in Westphalia. During the Siege of Venlo in 1586 Schenck and Williams came very close to killing the Duke of Parma. In 1587, Williams and his regiment were in Sluys (Sluis) when the Duke of Parma laid siege to the town. After a heroic defence, the English and Dutch defenders were forced to surrender on 4 August. Parma gave generous terms; the garrison marched out with all their banners and baggage and all the honours of war. Parma sought Williams out and offered him a command where he would not have to fight either his fellow-countrymen or his co-religionists. Williams replied politely that if he ever fought in the service of any other than his queen, Elizabeth, it would be in the service "of that hero of the Protestant cause, King Henry of Navarre." Williams was in England to assist in the fight against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Williams accompanied Sir Francis Drake in the expedition to Spain and Portugal 1589, and later fought on behalf of the French Huguenots. He met the Earl of Essex in 1589, and the two became close when they were sent by Queen Elizabeth to lead an army as allies of Henry of Navarre against the Catholic League during the Spanish occupation of Brittany in 1592.〔 He went on to serve Henry against the League during the late 1580s and 1590s, scored a major victory at the Battle of Arques.〔Terry Breverton, "Williams, Roger" in ''Wales: A Historical Companion'', Amberley, 2012.〕 After Essex returned to England Williams became overall commander of the English forces supporting Henry and ''de facto'' envoy of the Queen.〔Wagner, John, ''Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World: Britain, Ireland, Europe and America'', Routledge, p.327.〕 Shortly afterwards he captured Aumerle with only 600 men. During the Siege of Rouen in 1592, he almost killed Albanian-Italian leader Giorgio Basta in personal combat, slicing his neck and driving him and his men from the field.〔Lawrence, David, ''The Complete Soldier: Military Books and Military Culture in Early Stuart England, 1603-1645'', Brill, 2009, p.66.〕 These actions made Williams a famous hero in England, and pamphlets of his exploits were published.〔 Sir Henry Umton stated that King Henry was full of praise for Williams and his men, "I never heard him give more honour to any service nor to any man than he doth to Sir Roger Williams and the rest".〔Motley, John Lothrop, ''History of the United Netherlands: From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Years' Truce - 1609'', Cambridge University Press, 2011, p.145.〕 He returned to England permanently in 1594, but broken in health he died the following year and his death elicited a great show of public mourning. He left his property to the Earl of Essex. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral with "full military honours" in an expensive funeral funded by the Earl.〔〔Alexander Gillespie, ''A History of the Laws of War: Volume 1: The Customs and Laws of War with Regards to Combatants and Captives'', Bloomsbury, 2011, p.141.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Roger Williams (soldier)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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