due tymes in fauour of your Princes helpe theim and counsaâ—le them wherein I would haue you not to bee afraied or mistrustfull bicause this Prouince seemes to bee altogether giuen to raise vp againe the thynges dedde as is seen by the perfeccion that poesie paintyng and writing is now brought vnto Albeit as moche as is looked for of me beyng strooken in yeres I do mistruste Where surely if Fortune had heretofore graunted me so moche state as suffiseth for a like enterprise I would not haue doubted but in moste shorte tyme to haue shewed to the worlde how moche the aunciente orders auaile and without peraduenture either I would haue increased it with glory or loste it without shame ¶ The ende of the seuenth and laste booke of the arte of warre of Nicholas Machiauell Citezein and Secretarie of Florence translated out of Italian into Englishe By Peter Whitehorne felow of Graise Inne Nicholas Machiauel citezein and Secretarie of Florence to the Readers TO thentente that such as rede this booke maie without difficultie vnderstande the order of the battailes or bandes of men and of the armies and lodgynges in the Campe accordynge as they in the discription of theim are apoincted I thinke it necessarie to shewe you the figure of euerie one of them wherefore it is requiset firste to declare vnto you by what poinctes letters the footemen the horsemen and euerie other particuler membre are set foorthe Know therfore that Target men ‘ Pike men a Capitaine of ten men v Veliti ordinarie which at those meÌ„ that shoote with harcâ—â—uses or bowes r Veliti extraordinari which at those meÌ„ that shoote with harcâ—â—uses or bowes C a Centutrion or captaine of a hundred men which ar those meÌ„ that shoote with harcâ—â—uses or bowes k Singnifieth a Constable or a captaine of a band of fower hundred and fiftie men H Singnifieth The hed captain of a maine battel G Singnifieth The general Captaine of the whole armie t The Trompet d The Drum b The Ansigne s The Standerde m Men of Armes l Light horsemen A Artillerie or ordinance In the first figure nexte folowyng is discribed the forme of an ordinarie battaile or bande of fower hundred and fiftie men in what maner it is redoubled by flanke And also how with the verie same order of lxxx rankes by chaungyng onely to the hinder parte the fiue rankes of Pikes which were the formost of euerie Centurie thei maye likewise in bringyng them in battaile raie come to bee placed behinde whiche may be doen when in marchyng the enemies should come to assaulte them at their backes accordynge as the orderyng therof is before declared Fol. xxxij fol. xxxv In the seconde figure is shewed how a battaile or bande of men is ordered whiche in marchyng should be driuen to faight on the flanke accordyng as in the booke is declared fol. xxxv In the thirde figure is shewed how a battaile or bande of men is ordered with two hornes Fol. xxxv and after is shewed how the same maie be made with a voide place in the middest accordynge as the orderyng therof in the booke moste plainely is declared fol. xxxvj In the fowerth figure is shewed the forme or facion of an armie apoincted to faight the battaile with the enemies and for the better vnderstandynge thereof the verie same is plainlier set foorthe in the figure next vnto it wherby the other two figures next folowyng maie the easier be vnderstoode accordynge as in the booke is expressed Fol. xliiij In the fiifte figure is shewed the forme of a fower square armie as in the booke is discribed Fol. lxvij In the sixte figure is shewed howe an Armie is brought from a fowersquare facion to the ordinarie forme to faight a fielde accordyng as afore is declared Fol. lxix In the seuenth figure is discribed the maner of incamping according as the same in the booke is declared Fol. lxxviij The firste Figure This is the maner of ordering of CCCC men into .lxxx. rankes fiue to a ranke to bring them into a .iiii square battaile with the Pikes on the front as after foloweth This is the foresaied .lxxx. rankes of .iiii. C. men brought into a fower square battaile with the Pikes on the fronte And the fiftie Veliti on the sides on the backe The seconde Figure This is the maner of ordering of CCCC men into .lxxx. rankes fiue to a ranke to bring them into a .iiii square battaile wiâ—â— the Pikes on the side as after foloweth This is the foresaied .lxxx. rankes of .iiii. C. men brought into a fower square battaile with the Pikes on the side The thyrde figure These are the noÌ„bers of rankes appoincted to make the horned battaile of the square battaile with the voide space in the middest as aâ—â—er foloweth The seuenth figure Capitaine waie Ouerthwart waie The Market place Market waie The midde waie Prouision of Victualles Prouision of Armour Priuate and publike Artificers A place for cattell ¶ The table of certain principall thinges contained in this woorke of Machiauel In the firste booke WHy a good maÌ„ ought not to exersise warfare as his arte Fol. vi Deedes of armes ought to be vsed priuatly in time of peace for exersise in time of warre for necessetie and renoume Fol. viii The strength of an armie is the footemen Fol. ix The Romaines renued their Legions and had men in the flower of their age Fol. ix Whether men of armes ought to be kept Fol. x. What is requisete for the preparyng of an armie Fol. xi Out of what coÌ„trie souldiers ought to be chose Fol. xi xii Souldiers ought to bee chosen by thaucthoritie of the Prince of suche men as be his oune subiectes Fol. xii The difference of ages that is to be taken in the chosinge of souldiours for the restoring of an olde power and for the making of a newe Fol. xij The weapons or power that is prepared of the naturall subiectes of a common weale bringeth profit and not hurte Fol. xiiii What cause letted the Venetians that they made not a Monarchi of the worlde Fol. xiiii How an armie maye bee prepared in the countrie where were no exersise of warre Fol. xv The custome that the Romaines vsed in the chosyng of their souldiours Fol. xvi The greater number of men is best Fol. xvii Whether the multitude of armed men ar occation of confusion and of dissorder Fol. xviii How to prohibite that the Capitaines make no discension Fol. xix In the Seconde booke WHat armour the antiquetie vsed Fol. xx The occation of the boldenes of the duchemen Fol. xxij Whiche maner of armyng menne is better either the Duche or Romaine fasion Fol. xxij Diuerse examples of late dayes Fol. xxiij An example of Tigran Fol. xxv Whether the footemen or the horsemen ought to bee estemed moste Fol. xxv The cause whie the Romaines were ouercome of the parthians Fol. xxvi What order or what vertue maketh that footemen ouercum horsemen Fol. xxvi Howe the
antiquitie exersised their men to learne thē to handle their weapons Fol. xxvij What the antiquitie estemed moste happie in a common weale Fol. xxviij The maner of maintainyng the order Fol. xxix What a legion is of Grekes called a Falange and of Frenchemen Catterua Fol. xxix The deuision of a legion and the diuers names of orders Fol. xxx The order of batellraye and the manner of appoincting the battels Fol. xxxij How to order CCCC L. men to doo some seuerall feate Fol. xxxv The fation of a battaile that the Suisers make like a crosse Fol. xxxvi What carriages the Capitaines ought to haue and the number of carriages requisite to euery band of men Fol. xxxvij Diuerse effectes caused of diuerse soundes Fol. xxxviij Whereof cometh the vtilitie and the dissorder of the armies that are now a daies Fol. xxxviii The manner of arminge men Fol. xl The number of carriages that men of armes and lighte horsemen ought to haue Fol. xli In the thirde booke THe greatest dissorder that is vsed now a dayes in the orderinge of an armie Fol. xlij How the Romaines deuided their armie in Hastati Principi and Triarij Fol. xlij The manner that the Romaines vsed to order them selues agayne in the ouerthrow Fol. xlij The custom of the Greekes Fol. xlij A maine battaile of Suissers Fol. xliij How manie legions of Romaine Citesens was in an ordinarie armie Fol. xliiij The manner how to pitche a fielde to faighte a battaile Fol. xliiij Of what number of faighting men an armie oughte to be Fol. xlvi The descriptiō of a battaile that is a faighting Fol. xlvij An exsample of Ventidio faighting against the Parthians Fol. xlviij An example of Epaminondas Fol. xlix How the Artillerie is vnproffitable Fol. xlix How that a maine battaile of Suissers cannot ocupie more then fower pikes Fol. lij How the battailes when thei cum to be eight or ten maye be receyued in the verie same space that receiued the fyue Fol. liiij The armes that the Standarde of all th armie ought to haue Fol. lv Diuers examples of the antiquetie Fol. lv In the fowerth booke WHether the fronte of the armie ought to bee made large Fol. lvij To how many thinges respecte ought to be had in the ordringe of an armie Fol. lvij An example of Scipio Fol. lviij In what place a Capitain maie order his armie with sauegarde not to be clene ouerthorwen Fol. lviij Aniball and Scipio praised for the orderynge of their armies Fol. lix Cartes vsed of the Asiaticans Fol. lix Diuerse examples of the antiquitie Fol. lx The prudence which the Capitaine ought to vse in the accidence that chaunse in faightinge Fol. lx What a Capitaine ought to doo that is the conqueror or that is conquered Fol. lxi A Capitaine ought not to faighte the battaile but with aduauntage excepte he be constrained Fol. lxij How to auoide the faightinge of the fielde Fol. lxiij Aduertismentes that the Capitaine ought to haue Fol. lxiiij Speakyng to souldiers helpeth muche to make them to be curagious and bolde Fol. lxiiij Whether all the armie ought to bee spoken vnto or onely to the heddes therof Fol. lxv In the fyueth booke THe manner how to leade an armie gowinge thorough suspected places or to incounter the enemie Fol. lxvij An example of Aniball Fol. lxviij Wether any thing oughte to bee commaunded with the voise or with the trompet Fol. lxx The occations why the warres made now a dayes doo impouerish the conquerors as well as the conquered Fol. lxxij Credite ought not to be giuen to thinges which stand nothinge with reason Fol. lxxiij The armie ought not to knowe what the Capitaine purposeth to doo Fol. lxxiiij Diuerse examples Fol. lxxv In the sixte booke THe manner how to incampe an armie Fol. lxxviij How brode the spaces and the wayes ought to be within the campe Fol. lxxxij What waye ought to be vsed when it is requiset to incampe nere the enemie Fol. lxxxiij How the watche and warde ought to be apoincted in the campe and what punishmente they ought to haue that doo not their dutie Fol. lxxxiiij How the Romaines prohibited women to be in their armies and idell games to be vsed Fol. lxxxv How to incampe accordinge to the nomber of men and what nomber of menne maie suffise againste what so euer enemie that wer Fol. lxxxvij How to doo to be assured of the fideletie of those that are had in suspition Fol. lxxxviij What a Capitaine ought to doo beinge beseged of his enemies Fol. lxxxix Example of Coriliano and others Fol. lxxxix It is requiset chiefly for a Capitain to kepe his souldiers punished and payed Fol. xc Of aguries Fol. xc Moste excellent aduertismentes and pollicies Fol. xcj. The occation of the ouerthrowe of the Frenchmen at Garigliano Fol. xciij In the seuenth booke CIties are strong either by nature or by industrie Fol. xciiij The maner of fortificacion Fol. xciiij Bulwarkes ought not to be made oute of a towne distante from the same Fol. xcv Example of Genoa Fol. xcv Of the Countes Catherin Fol. xcv The fation of percullesies vsed in Almaine Fol. xcvi Howe the battelmentes of walles were made at the first and how thei are made now adaies Fol. xcvij. The prouisions that is mete to bee made for the defence of a towne Fol. xcviij Diuers pollicies for the beseginge and defendinge of a toune or fortres Fol. xcix Secrete conueing of letters Fol. Cj. The defence againste a breache Fol. cij Generall rules of warre Fol. ciij. The ende ARMIPOTENTI ANGLIAE Certain waies for the orderyng of Souldiers in battelray settyng of battailes after diuers fashions with their maner of marchyng And also Fygures of certaine new plattes for fortificacion of Townes And more ouer howe to make Saltpeter Gunpoulder and diuers sortes of Fireworkes or wilde Fyre with other thynges a pertaining to the warres Gathered and set foorthe by Peter VVhitehorne A PERFECTE RVLE TO BRINGE men into a square battell of vvhat number so euer they be Cap. 1. FOr to make a square Battell of a number of men or of an Armie the fowersquare roote or quadrant nūber of them must be taken and so many as the same roote conteynes so many ought to be set in araye As for example in a littel number for the better vnderstandyng therof Admit there be a .100 men the fouresquare roote of a .100 ought to be taken out which is ten Then puttyng ten of these men in a ranke there will be tenne rankes ten to a ranke Whiche ten rankes placynge them ordinarely the one behinde the other so that al the distances that shal be between man and man as well on the sides as before and behynde be equall suche .100 men will make a fouersquare battayle as by the figure here folowyng apereth Head Flanke Flanke But for that men ordered in battelraye stande not nor marche not as aboue is supposed I meane in equall distance for that euerie man as Vegetius affirmeth would
The Arte of warre written first in ItaliaÌ„ by Nicholas Machiauell and set forthe in Englishe by Peter Whitehorne studient at Graies Inne with an addicioÌ„ of other like Marcialle feates and experimentes as in a Table in the ende of the Booke maie appere Anno. M.D.LX. Menss Iulij To the moste highe and excellent Princes Elizabeth by the grace of God Quene of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defender of the faithe and of the Churche of Englande and Irelande on yearth next vnder God the supreme Gouernour ALthough commonlie euery man moste worthie and renoumed Soueraine seketh specially to commend and extolle the thing where unto he feleth hymself naturally bent and inclined yet al soche parciallitie and priuate affection laid aside it is to bee thought that for the defence maintenaunce and aduauncemente of a Kyngdome or Common weale or for the good and due obseruacion of peace and administracioÌ„ of Iustice in thesame no one thinge to be more profitable necessarie or more honourable then the knowledge of seruice in warre and dedes of armes bicause consideryng the ambicion of the worlde it is impossible for any realme or dominion long to continue free in quietnesse and sauegarde where the defence of the sweard is not alwaies in a readinesse For like as the Grekes beyng occupied aboute triflyng matters takyng pleasure in resityng of Comedies and soche other vain thinges altogether neclecting Marciall feates gaue occasion to Philip kyng of Macedonia father to Alexander the Great to oppresse and to bring theim in seruitude vnder his subieccion euen so vndoubtedly libertie will not be kepte but men shall be troden vnder foote and brought to moste horrible miserie and calamitie if thei giuyng theim selues to pastymes and pleasure for slake the iuste regarde of their owne defence and sauegarde of their countrie whiche in temporall regimente chiefly consisteth in warlike skilfulnesse And therefore the aunciente Capitaines and mightie Conquerours so longe as thei florished did deuise with moste greate diligence all maner of waies to bryng their men to the perfect knowledge of what so euer thing appertained to the warre as manifestly appereth by the warlike games whiche in old time the Princes of Grecia ordained vpon the mount Olimpus and also by thorders and exercises that the aunciente Romaines vsed in sundrie places and specially in Campo Martio and in their wonderful sumptuous Theaters whiche chiefly thei builded to that purpose Whereby thei not onely made their Souldiours so experte that thei obtained with a fewe in faightyng againste a greate houge multitude of enemies soche marueilous victories as in many credible Histories are mencioned but also by thesame meanes their vnarmed and rascalle people that followed their Campes gotte soche vnderstandyng in the feates of warre that thei in the daie of battaile beeyng lefte destitute of succour were able without any other help to set themselues in good order for their defence againste the enemie that would seke to hurte theim and in soche daungerous times haue doen their countrie so good seruice that verie often by their helpe the aduersaries haue been put to flight and fieldes moste happely woÌ„ne So that thantiquitie estemed nothing more happie in a common weale then to haue in the same many men skilfull in warlike affaires by meanes whereof their Empire continually inlarged and moste wonderfully and triumphantly prospered For so longe as men for their valiauntnesse were then rewarded and had in estimacion glad was he that could finde occasion to venter yea and spende his life to â—enefite his countrie as by the manly actes that Marcus Curcius Oracius Cocles and Gaius Mucius did for the sauegarde of Rome and also by other innumerable like examples dooeth plainly appeare But when through long and continuall peace thei began to bee altogether giueÌ„ to pleasure and delicatenesse little regardyng Marciall feates nor soche as were expert in the practise thereof Their dominions and estates did not so moche before increase and prospere as then by soche meanes and ouersight thei sodainly fell into decaie and vtter ruine For soche truly is the nature and condicion bothe of peace and warre that where in gouernemente there is not had equalle consideracion of them bothe the one in fine doeth woorke and induce the others obliuion and vtter abholicion Wherfore sith the necessitie of the science of warres is so greate and also the necessarie vse thereof so manifeste that euen Ladie Peace her self doeth in maner from thens craue her chief defence and preseruacion and the worthinesse moreouer and honour of thesame so greate that as by profe we see the perfecte glorie therof cannot easely finde roote but in the hartes of moste noble couragious and manlike personages I thought most excellente Princes I could not either to the specialle gratefiyng of your highnesse the vniuersall delight of all studious gentlemen or the common vtilitie of the publike wealth imploie my labours more profitablie in accomplishyng of my duetie and good will then in settyng foorthe some thing that might induce to the augmentyng and increase of the knowledge thereof inespecially thexample of your highnes most politike gouernemente ouer vs giuyng plaine testimonie of the wonderfull prudente desire that is in you to haue your people instructed in this kinde of seruice as well for the better defence of your highnesse theim selues and their countrie as also to discourage thereby and to be able to resist the malingnitie of the enemie who otherwise would seeke peraduenture to inuade this noble realme or kyngdome When therfore about .x. yeres paste in the Emperours warres against the Mores and certain Turkes beyng in Barberie at the siege winnyng of Calibbia Monesterio and Africa I had as well for my further instruction in those affaires as also the better to acquainte me with the Italian tongue reduced into Englishe the booke called The arte of VVarre of the famous and excellente Nicholas Machiauell whiche in times paste he beyng a counsailour and Secretarie of the noble Citee of Florence not without his greate laude and praise did write and hauyng lately againe somwhat perused thesame the whiche in soche continuall broiles and vnquietnesse was by me translated I determined with my self by publishyng thereof to bestowe as greate a gift sins greater I was not able emongeste my countrie men not experte in the Italian tongue as in like woorkes I had seen before me the Frenchemen Duchemen Spaniardes and other forreine nacions moste louyngly to haue bestowed emongeste theirs The rather vndoubtedly that as by priuate readyng of thesame booke I then felt my self in that knowledge marueilously holpen and increased so by communicatyng thesame to many our Englishemen findyng out the orderyng and disposyng of exploictes of warre therein contained the aide and direction of these plaine and briefe preceptes might no lesse in knowledge of warres become incomperable then in prowes also and exercise of thesame altogether inuincible which my translacion moste gracious Soueraine together with soche other thynges as by me hath been
of theim hauyng onely a carte that carrieth after them their necessary thynges The Romaine horsemen were likewise a lone true it is that the Triarij lodged nere them whiche wer bound to minister helpe vnto theim in the kepyng of their horses the whiche maie easely be imitated of vs as in the distributyng of the lodgynges I shall shewe you Thesame then that the Romaines did and that whiche the Duchmen doe now a daies we maie doe also ye not doyng it we erre These horses ordained and appoincted together with a main battaile maie sometymes be put together when the battailes bee assembled and to cause that betwene theim bee made some fight of assault the whiche should be more to make thē acquainted together then for any other necessitie But now of this part there hath been spoken sufficiently wherefore let vs facion the armie to be able to come into the field against the enemie and hope to winne it whiche thyng is the ende for whiche the exercise of warre is ordeined and so moche studie therein bestowed The thirde Booke of the arte of warre of Nicholas Machiauell Citezeine and Secretarie of Florence vnto Laurence Philip Strozze Cosimo SEing that we chaunge reasonyng I will that the demaūder be chaunged bicause I would not be thought presumptuous the which I haue alwaies blamed ī other therfore I resigne the Dictatorship and giue this aucthoritie to hym that will haue it of these my other frendes Zanobi We would be moste glad that you should procede but seyng that you will not yet tell at leaste whiche of vs shall succede in your place Cosimo I will giue this charge to signor Fabricio Fabritio I am content to take it and I will that we folowe the Venecian custome that is that the youngeste speake firste bicause this beyng an exercise for yong men I perswade my self that yong menne bee moste apt to reason thereof as thei be moste readie to execute it Cosimo Then it falleth to you Luigi as I haue pleasure of soche a successour so you shal satisfie your self of soche a demaunder therefore I praie you let vs tourne to the matter and let vs lese no more tyme. Fabritio I am certain that to mynde to shewe wel how an armie is prepared to faight a fielde it should be necessarie to declare how the Grekes and the Romaines ordeined the bandes of their armies Notwithstandyng you your selues beeyng able to rede and to consider these thynges by meanes of the auncient writers I will passe ouer many particulars and I will onely bryng in those thynges whiche I thinke necessarie to imitate mindyng at this tyme to giue to our exercise of warre some parte of perfection The whiche shall make that in one instante I shall shewe you how an armie is prepared to the field and how it doeth incounter in the verie faight and how it maie be exercised in the fained The greatest disorder The greateste disorder that is vsed now a daies in pitching of a fielde that thei make whiche ordeine an armie to the fielde is in giuing them onely one fronte and to binde them to one brunt and to one fortune the whiche groweth of hauyng loste the waie that the antiquitie vsed to receiue one bande within an other bicause without this waie thei can neither succour the formoste nor defende them nor succede in the faight in their steede the whiche of the Romaines was moste excellently well obserued Therefore The order how a Romain Legion was appoincted to faight purposyng to shewe this waie I saie how that the Romaines deuided into .iij. partes euery Legion in Hastati Prencipi and Triarij of which the Hastati wer placed in the first front or forward of the armie with thorders thicke sure behinde whō wer the Prencipi but placed with their orders more thinne after these thei set the Triarij with so moche thinnes of orders that thei might if nede wer receiue betwene them the Prencipi and the Hastati Thei had besides these the Slingers and Crosbowshoters and the other lighte armed the whiche stoode not in these orders but thei placed them in the hed of th armie betwene the horses and the other bandes of footemen therefore these light armed began the faight if thei ouercame whiche happened seldom times thei folowed the victorie if thei were repulced thei retired by the flanckes of the armie or by the spaces ordained for soche purposes and thei brought thē selues emong the vnarmed after the departure of whō the Hastati incountered with the enemie the whiche if thei saw themselues to be ouercome thei retired by a little and little by the rarenesse of thorders betwene the Prencipi and together with those thei renued the faight if these also wer repulced thei retired al in the rarenesse of the orders of the Triarij and al together on a heape began againe the faight and then if thei were ouercome there was no more remeady bicause there remained no more waies to renue them again The horses stoode on the corners of the armie to the likenes of twoo winges to a bodie somewhiles thei fought with the enemies horses an other while thei rescued the fotmen according as nede required This waie of renuyng theim selues three tymes is almoste impossible to ouercome for that fortume muste three tymes forsake thee and the enemie to haue so moche strengthe that three tymes he maie ouercome thee The Grekes had not in their Falangi this maner of renuyng them selues and although in those wer many heddes and many orders notwithstandyng thei made one bodie The maner that the Grekes vsed in their Falangi whē thei fought against their enemies or els one hedde the maner that thei kepte in rescuyng the one the other was not to retire the one order within the other as the Romaines but to enter the one manne into the place of the other the which thei did in this maner Their Falāge brought into rankes and admit that thei put in a ranke fiftie menne commyng after with their hedde againste the enemie of all the rankes the foremoste sixe mighte faight Bicause their Launces the whiche thei called Sarisse were so long that the sixt ranke passed with the hedde of their Launces out of the first ranke then in faightyng if any of the first either through death or through woundes fell straight waie there entered into his place thesame man that was behinde in the second ranke and in the place that remained voide of the seconde thesame man entred whiche was behind hym in the thirde and thus successiuely in a sodaine the rankes behinde restored the faultes of those afore so that the rankes alwaies remained whole and no place of the faighters was voide except the laste rankes the whiche came to consume hauyng not menne behinde their backes whom might restore theim So that the hurte that the first rankes suffered consumed the laste and the firste remained alwaies whole and thus these Falangi by their order
theim selues together to defende the passage but after that thei sawe those men ill apoincted accordyng to their facion euill horsed regardyng theim little enlarged the orders of their warde wherof so sone as the NumidiaÌ„s wer a ware giuyng the spurres to their horses and runnyng violently vpon theim passed before thei could prouide any remedy whom beyng passed destroied and spoiled the countrie after soche sorte that thei constrained the enemies to leaue the passage free to the armie of Lucius Some capitaine Howe some Capitaynes haue suffered them selues to be compassed aboute of their enemies whiche hath perceiued hymself to be assaulted of a greate multitude of enemies hath drawen together his men and hath giuen to the enemie commoditie to compasse hym all about and then on thesame part whiche he hath perceiued to be moste weake hath made force and by thesame waie hath caused to make waie and saued hymself Marcus Antonius retiryng before the armie of the Parthians A polecie of Marcus Antonius perceiued how the enemies euery daie before Sunne risyng when he remoued assaulted him and all the waie troubled hym in so moch that he determined not to departe the nexte daie before None so that the Parthians beleuing that he would not remoue that daie retourned to their tentes Whereby Marcus Antonius might then all the reste of the daie marche without any disquietnesse A defence for the sâ—otte of arrowes This self same maÌ„ for to auoide the arrowes of the Parthians commauÌ„ded his men that when the Parthians came to wardes them thei should knele and that the second ranke of the battailes should couer with their Targaettes the heddes of the firste the thirde the seconde the fowerth the third and so successiuely that all the armie came to be as it were vnder a pentehouse and defended from the shotte of the enemies This is as moche as is come into my remembraunce to tell you which maie happen vnto an armie marchyng therefore if you remember not any thyng els I will passe to an other parte The sixthe Booke of the Arte of warre of Nicholas Machiauell Citezeine and Secretarie of Florence vnto Laurence Philip Strozze Zanobi I Beleue that it is good seyng the reasonyng must be chaunged that Baptiste take his office and I to resigne myne and wee shall come in this case to imitate the good Capitaines accordyng as I haue nowe here vnderstoode of the gentilman who place the beste souldiours before and behinde the armie semyng vnto theim necessarie to haue before soche as maie lustely beginne the faight and soche as behinde maie lustely sustaine it Now seyng Cosimus began this reasonyng prudently Baptiste prudently shall ende it As for Luigi and I haue in this middeste intertained it and as euery one of vs hath takeÌ„ his part willingly so I beleue not that Baptiste wil refuse it Baptiste I haue let my self been gouerned hetherto so I minde to doe still Therfore be contente sir to folowe your reasonyng and if we interrupte you with this practise of ours haue vs excused Fabritio You dooe me as all readie I haue saied a moste greate pleasure for this your interrupting me taketh not awaie my fantasie but rather refresheth me But mindyng to followe our matter I saie how that it is now tyme that we lodge this our armie for that you knowe euery thyng desireth reste and saftie bicause to reste and not to reste safely is no perfecte reste I doubte moche whether it hath not been desired of you that I should firste haue lodged them after made theim to marche and laste of all to faight and we haue doen the contrary whereunto necessitie hath brought vs for that intendyng to shewe how an armie in going is reduced from the forme of marching to thesame maner of faightyng it was necessarie to haue firste shewed how thei ordered it to faight But tournyng to our matter I saie that minding to haue the Campe sure it is requisite that it be strong and in good order the industrie of the Capitaine maketh it in order the situacion or the arte maketh it stronge The Grekes sought strong situacioÌ„s How the Grekes incamped nor thei would neuer place theim selues where had not been either caue or bancke of a riuer or multitude of trees or other naturall fortificacion that might defende theim but the Romaines not so moche incaÌ„ped safe through the situacion Howe the Romaines incamped as through arte nor thei would neuer incampe in place where thei should not haue been able to haue raunged all their bandes of menne accordyng to their discipline Hereby grewe that the Romaines might kepe alwaies one forme of incamping for that thei would that the situacion should bee ruled by theÌ„ not thei by the situacion the which the Grekes could not obserue for that beyng ruled by the situacion and variyng the situacion and forme it was conueniente that also thei should varie the maner of incampyng and the facion of their lodgynges Therefore the Romaines where the situacion lacked streÌ„gth thei supplied thesame with arte and with industrie And for that I in this my declaracion haue willed to imitate the Romaines I will not departe froÌ„ the maner of their incamping yet not obseruyng altogether their order but takyng thesame parte whiche semeth vnto me to be mete for this present tyme. I haue told you many tymes how the Romaines had in their coÌ„sull armies twoo Legions of Romaine men whiche were aboute a leuen thousande footemen and sixe huÌ„dred horsemen and moreouer thei had an other leuen thousande footemen sente from their frendes in their aide nor in their armie thei had neuer more souldiers that were straungers then Romaines excepte horsemenne whom thei cared not though thei were more in nomber then theirs and in all their doynges thei did place their Legions in the middeste and the aiders on the sides the whiche maner thei obserued also in incampyng as by your self you maie rede in those aucthoures that write of their actes and therefore I purpose not to shewe you distinctly how thei incamped but to tell you onely with what order I at this presente would incampe my armie whereby you shall then knowe what parte I haue taken out of the Romaine maners You knowe that in stede of twoo Romaine Legions I haue taken twoo maine battailes of footemen of sixe thousande footemen and three hundred horsemen profitable for a maine battaile and into what battailes into what weapons into what names I haue deuided theim you knowe howe in orderyng th armie to marche and to faight I haue not made mencion of other men but onely haue shewed how that doublyng the men thei neded not but to double the orders but mindyng at this presente to shew you the maner of incampyng me thinketh good not to stande onely with twoo maine battailes but to bryng together a iuste armie made like vnto the Romaines of twoo maine battailes and of as many mo aidyng men the whiche I make to the