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A10716 A path-vvay to military practise Containinge offices, lawes, disciplines and orders to be obserued in an army, with sundry stratagems very beneficiall for young gentlemen, or any other that is desirous to haue knowledge in martiall exercises. Whereunto is annexed a kalender of the imbattelinge of men: newlie written by Barnabe Rich souldiour, seruaunt to the right honorable Sir Christopher Hatton Knight. Perused and allowed. Rich, Barnabe, 1540?-1617. 1587 (1587) STC 20995; ESTC S115957 39,416 89

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thinke my labour might very well haue beene spared to write of any thing appertaininge to warres where euery man is desirous to liue in peace I knowe will rather purchase dislike then win mee looue yet as I am not ignorant that quiet peace is to be preferred before bloody warre so in the time of peace warlike disciplines must not be omitted in a well gouerned common wealth where so many euill neighbours are so readie to incroch but especially when both Prince Countrie religion lawe iustice subiectes and altogether are vnder the protection of armes VVhere is become the dominions of the Assirians Persians and Grecians or what is become of the glory of that learned Citty of Athens or what hath wasted the renowne of the Cittie of Rome that it had not beene perpetuall but onely when in the time of peace they fell to inordinate ryot and delicacie neglecting the feates of war laying aside their armes and weapons For to doubt and feare nothing was more hurtfull to common weales then their very neighbour enimies the feare of whome was their safety and assuraunce For this cause Scipio though it vnnecessary that Carthage should vtterly be destroyed fearing that after the subuersion the Romaines leauing of their martiall mindes should fall to idlenes ryot and outrage and as he looked for so it came to passe as it was testified after by Saint Augustine who in a booke which he had written intituled De ciuitate Dei hath these wordes More hurtefull was the Citty of Carthage to Rome after hys distruction then duringe the whole course season of the warres whych the Romanes had wyth her for that whylest they had enemyes in Affricke they knewe not what vyces meant in Roome In the time of peace therefore there must be had speciall regarde to the disciplines of warre and not onelie prouisions of warlike furnitures to be made but also men of seruice and practised Souldiours to be had releeued and maintained for what should you doo with armes weapons munitions and furnitures when you haue not men of experience to vse them King Phyllyp of Macedon vsed the lyke comparison to that noble Captaine Antipater in these wordes VVhat fearest thou the Cittyzens of Athens the Gallyes and theyr peere are but trifles vnto mee for what account is to be made of those fellowes that giue themselues to daunsinge loytring banqueting and to belly cheere but if Demostines onely were not amongst them I would sooner make account to winne Athens then eyther Thebes or Thessalia of which I am already possessed By these premisses it may be perceiued that it is the Souldiour that protecteth the Prince in his seate it is the Souldiour that defendeth the Diuine in his pulpet it is the Souldiour that vpholdeth the Iudge in his place of Iustice it is the Souldiour as Varo sayth that resisteth the outward force of enemies that represseth domesticall seditions and defendeth the libertie of subiects If his seruice be then so beneficiall to all O what pitty he is not better considered of by some that are so bountiful in rewarding pipers parasites singers and dauncers and other like ministers of their pleasures and suffer poore Souldiours to begge and will sooner affoorde him a payer of stockes then a single pennie for his almes Epaminondas Captaine generall of the Thebanes vndestanding of a very ritch man that had no care of the poore sent a needy souldiour vnto him cōmaunding him vnder great penaltie to giue 600 crownes to this poore man this Cittizen receiuing this commaundement came to knowe the cause it is quod Epaminōdas because this man being honest is poore and thou which hast liued by the spoyle of the common wealth art ritch O that our Vsurers in England might sometime haue such messengers sent vnto them I thinke the errande would neither offen de God nor man Neither can I see why there should not be a generall contribution giuen through the realme for the mayntenaunce of men of warre when theyr seruice concerneth such publique profit The Prince is not able to recompence all and the souldiour must fight in defence of all why should hee not be maintained by the helpe of all But here some wil think I speake for my selfe I confesse it souldiours must learne of other men to speake for them selues for there is no body else that will VVhat trade or handicrafte haue you so simple but if it begin a little to decay but by and by it pleades pouerty runninge to the Prince or Parliament for releefe eyther by repelling some statute by making some priuiledge or by attayning some consideration And if vppon any occasion betweene Nations trafique be stopte howe clamerous is the Marchaunt in the eares of hys Prynce till hee hath his passage againe freely set open The Lawyer will permitte no Edicte to come forth that makes against his owne profit though otherwise it be beneficial for the whole common wealth The Deuine findes fault that their spirituall promotiones should so many wayes bee bereaued them and I thinke complaineth of it not without some cause If euery profession hauelybertie to say for them selues giue souldiours leaue to speake when by the vnkindnes of their countrimen they are brought to the worst and yet as profitable members to their common wealth as they that thinkes them selues best Is it not the Souldiour by hasarding his life abroade that vpholdeth the Artificer to sit quietly by his worke at home And what would it auaile the Marchaunt to speake for forraine gaine if the souldiour were not to defende him from domesticall spoyle The Lawyer makes no plea but for priuat profitte and burldes goodly houses and purchaseth whole countries about him The souldiour serues his countrye for a small stypende and would be contended with alowance but to buie meate drinke and cloath And that very religion which the deuine but coates downe in his quiet studie without any perill that very religion the souldiour maintaineth with the losse of limme and life How much more might heere be alleadged in the behalfe of souldiours and their seruice yet these be they that the politique wyse man him I meane that is better practised in Machauils policies then studied in the new Testament would haue to be kept vnder But leauing prophane histories out of the which great volums might be writtē haue we not examples out of the holy Scriptures howe valiant mindes haue beene rewarded and men of seruice liberallie gratified in the 14. Chapter of the booke of Numbers Caleb was promised reward by Gods owne mouth for his owne constancie and couragious perswasion to the children of Israell The same Caleb to gratifie Othuiel his brothers sonne for takinge the Cittie Cariathe bestowed of him his faier daughter Athsah Dauid likewise receiued great ritches with the daughter of King Saule for killing Goliah Dauid him selfe promised great rewardes to such as should ouerthrowe the Iebusits and Iesus the sonne of Syrach sayth There be two thinges that greeue my hart
of souldiours who as they are little prouided for in the time of peace so they are as smally cared for in the season of warre and this is not a little to bee meruailed at that when any occasion of seruice dooth happen some bee appointed for Captaines as knowes not how to place 100. men in good order of araye vnlesse it be peraduenture to marche them 3 or 5. in a rancke as they vse to fetch home a may pole VVee doo finde in the holy scriptures and that in seuerall places both in the bookes of Moyses in the booke of Iosua and others where they haue vsed not litle regard aswell in the chosing of their Captaines leaders and conductors as also in prescribing lawes and disciplines of warre which sometimes were appointed by the almighty God him selfe Phillip King of Macedonia did meruaile why the Athenians did euerye yeere choose newe Generalles and Captaines of the wars when he him selfe had found but one good namely Permenyo Alexander admitted none to the roome of a Captaine vnder the age of 60. But in England wee neuer number his yeeres we neither consider his knowledg we little regard his worthines we lesse esteeme his experience wee scarce examine his honestye Our Captaines are appointed more for fauour then for knowledge more for feendshippe then for experience more for opinion then for desert God graunt wee neuer come to make triall of the seruice of suche Captaines as I haue seene some if wee should there were great feare of vnhappy successe And this is to bee lamented amongst vs that wee can bee so prouident in matters of no importaunce and such causes where in our owne safeties dooth especially consist wee eyther neglect them altogether or else performe them with little care and lesse foresight If the matter were well examined we should finde that the safety both of Prince state country subiects and altogether consisted in the worthines of the Captaine and to this most fitly agreed the saying of that noble souldiour Sir VVylliam Drury who many times woulde vse these wordes The want of a horsse shooe nayle may bee the losse of the shooe the losse of the shooe the spoile of the horsse the spoyle of the horsse the losse of the man the losse of a man the ouerthrowe of an army the ouerthrowe of an army the losse of a Princes crowne If small thinges thus by degrees may conclude suche great preiudice in the wynding vppe as it can not bee denayde what successe is to be looked for where captaines and leaders are so vtterly ignoraunt that many of them knowes not when it is time to charge nere when it were good to retire and as Socrates saith the boldenes of the ignoraunt ingendreth manye euilles and Agesilaus affyrmeth the lacke of experyence breedeth the lacke of corage And as histories make mencion more feeldes haue beene loste for wante of gouernement then for want of strength To giue a braue charge is a thing proper to euery ordinarie souldiour but to make a good retreat in time in order therin consisteth the skill of the Captaine The vnexpert Captaine and the vnlearned phisition doo buy their experience at to deere a rate for it is still purchased with the price of mens liues The place of a Captaine is honourable and ought not to bee giuen but to men of experience of valiaunce and of vertue and yet I haue heard tell where they haue beene made marchandyse of and bought and solde for money but I dare not say that I haue knowen it my selfe for paraduenture I should offend But I hope souldiours shall not bee still illegitimate they shall be esteemed accordinge to desert The Deuine for tellinge a learned discourse in a Pulpette is rewarded with a Bishopricke and but accordinge as hee is worthy the Lawyer for makinge a good Plea at the Barre is brought to the Benche and it is doone wyth consideration The Souldiour that watches that wardes that trauelles that toyles that makes hys bodye a defence for Cannon shotte and feareth no perrylles for the looue of hys Countrye I trust will be better considered of God hath wonderfully blessed vs with sweete and quiet peace but let vs not be secure as though we had it by patten we haue enemies abroade if they had oportunitie but take heede of papistes here at home they are more to be feared then hee that was borne in Spayne Haue they not made sundry profers to stirre vp seditious tumultes nay what doo they leaue vnattempted to disturbe this happye gouernement But would you haue some speciall markes howe you may knowe them then listen and by these meanes you may easely smell them out You shall haue them inquiring of newes spreading of rumours lying forging counterfeiting and dissembling what action hath there beene so honouraly performed sithe that noble Earle of Leicester vndertooke these lowe country seruices whych hath not beene defaced heere at home by our slaundering Papistes VVhat good newes hath there come ouer which they haue not paraphrased what enterprise so iustly attempted which they haue not eclipsed or what exployt so brauely accomplished which they haue not methamorphised Such is the deuotion of our religious Catholiques that they straine no curtesie to forge lyes to practise treasons to commit murthers to stirre vppe rebellions nay what outrage is there so mischeeuous which they wil not enter into to doo their holy father seruice These be their workes meritorious which so many times they boast of and by this ladder they thinke to clime vp to heauen gates where saint Peter standes watching ready to let them in O how many vngodly practises haue they intended against our most gratious princesse how are they continually busied in conspiring against her but that almighty God who first planted her to their subuersion hath not fayled still to protect her no doubt to their confusion VVere not the furie that ouerruleth them more then extreame they could not be such enemies to their owne discretion but that they might well discerne it is Gods blessing that so mightely defendeth her against the Popes cursing and although his holines hath taken great paines in sending foorth his Iesuits his Seminaries and other his ministers from time to time with so many conspiracies and such seuerall practises against her maiesty yet at their departure when they come to craue his fatherlye benediction God be thanked he blesseth them al to the gallowes And although that accidentes are many times sufficient to serue their turne either to confirme eyther to confound religion according to the euent I wonder they cannot aswell condemne a Papist in his ill successe that is sent ouer with so many hallowed bulles as they will doo a protestante for the least misfortune that may befal him but if this light were sufficient for men to iudge cullours by who more blessed then our gratious Elizabeth who so happily hath raigned ouer vs this 28. yeeres how mightily hath God preserued her from the conspiracies of
Gallies and to other places of like slauery And those Captaines that hath made triall of such Souldiours would gladly be ridde of his charge to be eased of his trouble The first thinge therefore that is to be respected in a Souldiour is the honesty of his minde which beeing lincked with religion there is no doubt but that Souldiour will be brought both to the feare of God to the obedience of his Captaine and to the obseruaunce of discipline The Romaines who for theyr martiall obseruation were most renowned the rather to kéepe Souldiours vnder awe and discipline they adioyned to theyr owne lawes and ordinaunces the authority of God and vsed with great ceremonie to make them sweare to keepe the disciplines of warre The Grecians in like manner their souldiours being armed and brought to the Church receiued this oathe I will not doo any thinge vnworthy the sacred and holy wars neither wil I abandō or forsake my band Captaine to whom I am appointed I will fight for the right of the Church and safety of the State I will not make my Countrey to be in worse case then it is but I will make it better then I founde it I will euer frame my selfe reuerently to obey those lawes also that the State shall hereafter by common assent inacte or sette downe that if any one shall chaunge the lawes or not obay them I will not suffer him to my power much lesse will I allowe in so dooing but I will be a sure defender of right aswell by my selfe alone as when I am with others and I wil euer more honor the religion of my Countrey To these my sayings I call the Gods to witnesse These and such other like cathes the antiquitie administred to their Souldiours to nourishe obedience for besides valiaunce a souldiour must be adorned with these special vertues which are silence obedience and truth a good souldiour must haue speciall regard to the kéeping of his furniture cleane seruiceable in stéede of dicing drincking swearing let him vse running wrasteling leaping or such other like exercises of agility let him kéepe his owne quarter and not depart without the licence of his officer a Souldiour thus disposed may cōfort him selfe with hope of aduauncemēt ¶ Of Disciplines AS these considerations in the choosing of Captaines officers and souldiours haue euer béene especiallie regarded amongst the most renowned and best experienced warriours so an army béeing thus chosen the lyke respect must be had in the appointing of lawes disciplines and orders the which the Generall by aduise of his counsaile is discréetly to set downe and to haue them openly published by sound of Trumpet that the whole Campe may take notyce therof and béeing thus proclaimed he must vse as great seuerity to haue thē maintained for what wil it auaile the making of good lawes where there is no care had to sée them surely kept We doo finde in the holy scriptures and that in many places aswell in the booke of Moses as the booke of Iosua where lawes and disciplines of warre were many times appointed by the almighty God him selfe and that he would not suffer disobedience to escape vnpunished it is euident by Corah Dathan and Abiram that were swallowed vp in the earth for mutinie But the Romanes who aboue the rest did most excéede for their martiall prescriptiones so they were as seuere in punishing the offences of suche as shoulde infringe and breake theyr lawes of armes They punished with death him that lacked in the watch he that forsooke the place that was giuen him to fight in he that caryed any thinge hidde out of the Campe if any man should say he had doone some worthy thinge in fight and had not doone it he that for feare had cast away his weapon and when it happened that the whole Legion had committed the like faulte their names were taken and put together in a bagge and euery tenth man as they were drawne were executed When Marcus Cato after a token giuen had loosed from the coast of his enemies where he had laine a certaine space and sawe one of his Souldiours lefte on the shore crying calling and beckoning to be taken in hée cast about with his whole Nauie to the shore againe and commaunded the same Souldiour to bee taken and straight put to death willinge rather to make him an example to the rest then that he should be slaine by his enemies with reproch and infamie The Romanes punished nothing with more seueritie then those actions that were either attempted against commaundement or enterprised against reason but as they punished those victories that were attained by lewde hardines so misfortune deminished not his reputation that attempted with discretion neyther attributing cowardlines to ill successe nor valiaunce to good fortune for the euent of such enterprises commendes not the execution neither is it the successe that makes vs perfect wise but to attempt with reason and iudgement confirmes wee séeme to haue wisdome Papirius Cursor being Dictatour required that Fabius Rutilius should first be beaten with roddes and then bée beheaded because he fought without his commaūdement notwithstanding he had the conquest neither would he forgiue the punishment for the contention or entercession and request of the Souldiours neither per suing him to Rome whether he fledde would he there remit this dreafull sentence till Fabius him selfe with his father fel both on their knées and that also the whole Senate and people made intercession for him This were a harde world for some hare brainde Captaines that are ready to choppe vpon euery chaunce like a gudgion that is readie to bite at euery baite neuer fearinge the hooke till she be hanged by the lippes Manlius Torquatus caused his sonnes head to be stricken of because he had forsaken his place and went to fight with an enemie that had challenged him and stue him And Salust dooth report that there were more souldiours put to death amongst the Romanes for setting vpō theyr enemies before they had licence then for running out of the fielde before they had fought And as the Romanes were thus precise in maintaininge theyr discyplines seuerely so their Campe in those daies was a Schoole of honour Iustice Obedience duety and loyaltie where nowe a denne of deceipte trechery theiuery iniurie and all manner of impiety ¶ Heereafter followeth sundry Stratagemes and many good instructions practised by the antiquity and necessary for diuers purposes ❧ What is to be respected before you enter Battel THe most renowned Emperour Augustus gaue these instructions for Captaines as followeth that although a Prince were mighty yet if he were wise hee would neuer giue battel vnlesse there were more apparant profit in the victory then losse if the enemie should ouercome And the most approoued Captaines helde this opinion that it were not good to bringe theyr men to fight except they had aduauntage or else brought to it by constraint The aduaūtage groweth by the Scituation of the