occupation For a Generall ought neuer to stay in such like places except he haue meanes as I haue before said to plant all his forces that there be no other place to passe farre from that hee dooth kéepe yet it is necessarie that the place where the Campe should stay should haue all these commodities that are necessary for it as wood water forrage the passages for victualers to come to the Campe free and open and moreouer that the scituatiō should be wholly as necessary as might be A Lieutenant Generall lying neare vnto his enemies Campe may somtimes bee importuned by his Souldiers to giue battaile although that hee knoweth by the number of his people or by the scituation of the place or by some other reasō that it should be to his great disaduantage to fight It may likewise come to passe that when either necessitie or occasion giuen do constraine him to fight that he shall then find his Souldiers discomforted and not disposed to doe well therefore it is necessarie to knowe howe to bridle their desire in the one case and howe to animate them in the other As concerning the first case if perswasions would not suffice there were no better remedye then to suffer some small companie to léese themselues at their owne desires to the intent that the rest might giue him the more credit which happened vnto Fabius Maximus vnlooked for for when as his hoast was desirous to fight against Anniball Minutius the Captaine Generall of the Romanes Horsemen being himselfe as forward in the matter as the rest which although it was contrary vnto the opinion of the sayd Fabius being Dictator yet proceeded so farr in this variance that they deuided the armie the armie being deuided Minutius presenting battaile vnto his enemies who accepted it had bin vtterlye ouerthrowne had not the Dictator helped to succour him Which the said Minutius and his Souldiers séeing gouerned themselues euer after by the counsell of Fabius as the most surest without enterprising at any time after any thing of their owne heads Sertorius when he could not bridle the bouldnes of his men was content to suffer part of them to be well beaten yet least that they should be vtterly ouerthrowne he succoured them at their néed after which correction he was euer after better obeyed Concerning the animating of Souldiers vnto the Combate it is not amisse to make them to haue their enemies in contempt and to account but little of them by giuing them to vnderstand that their enemies speake reprochfull words of them or to make shew to haue intelligence with some of the chiefest of their armie and that a great part of them are corrupted and also to lodge the Campe in some place where the Souldiers may fee their enemies and skirmish with them because that those things which men doe dayly see they doe acquaint themselues withall by little little but we must handle these skirmishes so wisely that our Souldiers may alwaies haue the better hand of their enemies for if they should haue the repulse at the first it is a thing most certaine that their feare want of courage would bee much more increased and so it might happen quite contrarye vnto the Generall his meaning in approching so neare and skirmishing with his enemies to wit for the imbouldening of them and not for the dismaying of them wherefore a Generall must employ his studie that nothing may take away his Souldiers harts from dooing well what accident soeuer might happen And nothing may more discourage them then to bee beaten at the first and therefore all the remedie that I can see in this matter is so to procéed against his enemies that his may haue the better hand of them at their first arriuall if it be possible And to doe this he ought not to skirmish at all with his enemies but to keepe his men within his fort vntill that hee see an aduantage and séeing the aduantage manifestly that then they might issue out of the forte vpon their enemies vanquish them A Lieutenant Generall may likewise make shew that hee is angrie with his people and may make vnto them some oration of purpose wherein he may reprooue them for the little valor that is in them and to make them ashamed he might say that hee would fight with his enemies although he should bee left all alone or if hee had but such and such to follow him and this may bee an occasion that the one to be accoumpted of no lesse estimation then the other will present themselues and the other to maintaine their reputation will shew themselues the readier to come vnto the Combate Caesar helped himselfe by this meanes in Fraunce his souldiers being afraid of the Almaignes to make them to fight resolutely and bee the better serued of them in the Battaile Souldiers ought neuer to bee suffered to send anye of theyr booties or of their owne goods home vnto theyr houses or out of the Campe vntill such time as the warre bee ended to the intent that they might knowe that although in running awaye they might saue theyr liues yet they could not saue theyr goods the loue whereof will bee an occasion to make them to fight as resolutelye as the daunger of the loosing of theyr liues And as touching the perswading and diswading of a small number to doe any thing is a thing easie ynough to be done for that if they will not obey the Lieutenant Generall his words he may vse his authority and force but the greatest difficultie is when as it shall be expedient to remooue a multitude from an euill opinion which might be contrary vnto their common welfare or vnto his will in which case for that he may but vse perswasion he must doe it publikely in the hearing of all his Souldiers because the matter dooth touch them all for this cause good Captaines ought to be good Orators for that not knowing how to exhort a whole armie it will be hard to do any thing ought worthe But at this day we make no great accompt of it and yet it is a thing so necessarie that to doe well without it is almost a thing impossible I meane for to doe anye act of importance Who so would read the life of Alexander the great of many other Princes and Chiefes that haue bin héeretofore he should finde that it hath oft times beene néedfull for them to speake publikely vnto their armies and to vse exhortations vnto them when as they would haue any great matter doone for many times there maye accidents happen in an armye by meanes whereof it might be ouerthrowne if the Generall could not play the Orator or if hee should not speake vnto them publikely as the auncient Chiefes were accustomed to doe the reason is that speach hath manye and sundrye effects in it selfe for it taketh away feare it enflameth the hearts of Souldiers it maketh them the more firme and resolute for the
because that of himselfe he shall easily vnderstand what space and how much place euery man ought to occupy in his quarter which may not be vnderstood and obserued by those that do seeke to lodge their Camps in strong places because that they are constrained to alter the formes of their Camps according vnto the varietie of the scituation wherevnto the Romans would in no case be subiect for as I haue said before they did alwaies fortifie by their arte the scituations which were weake of themselues as we may do if we will and vse it in the same sort that they did or in better for we haue Ordnance which they had not albeit that they had certayne other engins which neuer haue béen put in vse since the sayd Ordnance hath béen inuented neither were they of that violence that it is nor so easy to be carryed too and fro For the rest it is knowne that the greatest part of theyr fortresses were made of wood which might not endure against one shot of those pieces that we do vse to beate places withall at this instant against which there is no other remedie but to make rampars of earth and of the greatest thicknes that is possible which yet can very hardly withstand them and were it not that it doth yéeld vnto the shot and by that meanes doth kill it a man should make but sorie worke in ramparing with earth or with other matter for it would be time lost I do meane for the strengthning of a Towne but not of a Campe for that Camps do thinke themselues to be as strong in the field as their enemyes are and consequently will not suffer themselues to be besieged beaten with Ordnance so that they néede not to make any such great rampars as I speake of except that they be very weake and feare to be forced to fight or do forbeare attending succour for in these cases they must séeke by all meanes to fortifie themselues and to haue all the aduantages that might be thought vpon as to make plat-formes of earth and caualiers raysed high to beate round about the Campe a farre off The Lord Constables Campe that was before Auignon was of the most incomparable force of all other that euer I haue séene in my time for a camp scituated in plaine ground By this appeareth that we haue the meanes industry to fortifie a Camp as well as the auncient Romanes had if we do consider of the little force of their engins of the marueilous violence of ours And furthermore that our rampars being of earth we néede not to build towres or castles of wood to the intent to be the surer against the violence of the Cannon which breaketh shiuereth to pieces all that it doth meet withall wherefore we must not thinke that it would be hard for vs to keepe alwaies one forme of camp if we would but also we must belieue that it is as easy for vs to do it as it was for the said Romanes and easier because wood is hard to be found but there is earth ynough to be had euery where In this passage I must speake somewhat of the considerations that a Lieutenant Generall ought to haue when he will incampe néere vnto his enemies before that he enterprise to approach so néere vnto his enemies that the two armies cannot afterwards depart the one from the other without shame or battaile He ought to haue consideration of his estate and force to knowe whether his men haue a good will to fight or not or if they are strong enough to doe it whensoeuer his enemies should assault him or else I would not bee of opinion that he should put himselfe into that daunger forasmuch as it would be to be doubted that his enemies would assayle him at such time as he would thinke to lodge and before that his Campe could be fortified Suppose that he were not fought withall at that instant I cannot thinke but that the sayd enemie atttendant would famish him or else the scituation of the countrie must bée very fauourable For to auoyd these incoueniences the aforesaid Generall ought to looke vnto his busines and if so be that he bée strong enough to deale with thē there is no daunger if he do approach them within Cannon shot hauing viewed himselfe the place whereas he will plant his Camp or caused it to be viewed before that his Legions do ariue And the Legions being ariued he must cause the Hastaries and Princes to keepe themselues in order of battaile with their faces towards their enemies and must helpe himselfe with the Triaries to make his trenches vpon the flankes when as he is not sufficiently furnished with Pioners and to inclose the other sides he might imploy the seruants and boyes with other followers of the armie all which should labour at the backe of the battaile being couered by the Hastaries and Princes The Forlorne hope should be in their order of battaile and the horsemen likewise If the enemie would fight in the meane time the Triaries should alwaies haue time enough to leaue their worke and to take their armes and to raunge themselues in their order whilest that the Hastaries do make resistance so his battailes should by no meanes bee surprised But let vs suppose that his enemie do make no great shewe to assayle him raunged in battaile but doth giue him skirmishes all day long to trouble his people and to keepe them in armes to hinder the fortification of his Campe this bragge must be no cause of stay but they must do the like by thē and giue them good store of great shot withall causing the Hastaries and others as I haue sayd to keepe themselues continually in battaile and the Triaries to continue at their worke not stirring from it vntill such time as the Campe were fortified and the quarters made This done the sayd Triaries must bee first lodged and the prouision immediatly And after them the Princes and the Ordnance which must be brought into the place where it is accustomed to be placed The Hastaries must afterwards take their places and afterwards the horsemen to wéet the men of armes first the light horsemen after them and the Hargoletiers and Harquebuziers on horsebacke after them and last of all the Forlorne hope so that those that ought to bee formost when they should enter into battaile against their enemies shall bee the last that shall bee lodged and in lodging them after this manner there might be no disorder nor cryings as there is amongst vs. For when our Souldiers are to bee lodged in Campe euery man runneth to bee the first lodged crying and making such a noyse that it is a confusion ofttimes lodging thēselues before their turnes making no accompt to leaue their Ensignes and to abandon them hauing their enemies in their teeth The Lord Marshall of Montian was in great distresse through this disorder with his Auantgard before Montcailer for that euen at that
his enemies may not besiege it nor cut it off from victualls and water He ought neuer to lodge in a marish ground or in a place of ill ayre for the auoyding of diseases which is easely knowne by the scituation of the place and the euill colour of the inhabitants that dwell there As for the other poynt to be free from siege he must consider of the nature of the place and how he may keepe the way open towards his friends and where his enemies do keepe and may annoy him and therevpon to make his coniecture whether he may be besieged or recouer victualls and other things necessarie in despite of his sayd enemies An armie may be besieged and ouerthrowne without striking stroke if it bee lodged where an enemie may drowne it by breaking of Sluses and fludgates as happened vnto the Christians in the yeare 1221. being alongst the Nile nere vnto Caire against the Souldan this matter must be looked vnto And certainely a Lieutenant General ought to haue great knowledge of the countries he must passe through and to haue those about them that do know them The sicknesse and famine that ofttimes do happen vnto an armie may bee auoyded by taking heed vnto the excesse that the Souldiers do vse and to keepe them the better in health there must bee prouision made that they may lye in tents and a care had to lodge them in places where there are good store of trees to shadowe them from the Sunne and wether and for to boyle their meate It is also necessarie to take heed that they doe not trauaile in hot wether and therefore in Summer they must depart from their lodgings before day and be lodged againe before the great heate of day and in winter they must neuer bee made to martch through snowe and yce except they may finde vpon the way wherewithall to make fire Moreouer they must not be suffered to drinke ill waters nor to be ill clad for all these do cause great sicknesses and they must be all carefully prouided for of how base condition soeuer they bee and this care doth binde the hearts of Souldiers more vnto their Generall then any other benefite he can bestowe vpon them And in so doing it shall be for his owne profite for if that he should haue warres with sicknes and likewise with his enemies he might quickly be ouerthrowne in resisting two such aduersaries Exercise helpeth much to keepe mens bodies in health wherefore the Generall must cause all the Souldiers of his hoast to exercise themselues in armes once a day at the least vntill that they do sweat if not longer for there is no better meane to keepe an armie in health and to make it victorious ouer their enemies then this Concerning the famine that may happen vnto a Campe it is not sayd that a Generall ought to take heed but of his enemies only that they should not cut off his victualls but furthermore he must foresee from whence it might be brought vnto him and to giue order that the victualls which he hath do not too hastely consume except he know incontinent where to haue others And for to do well he ought alwaies to haue one moneths victualls in store for his whole armie Suppose that he hath in his Camp of men of warre and all other maner of people 40000. persons and more 35 Muys of Paris measure will suffice them a whole day honestly out of euery one of which as sayth maister Bude will bee made 1152. loafes euery one of which loafes will suffice one man a whole day By this accompt the prouision for 30. daies doth amount vnto 1656. Concerning horse meate Oates and Barley is good but if that these cannot be had there would be no great daunger if that they liued sometime without them prouided that they did not want other foode if it were possible that is hey chaffe or grasse yet grasse doth weaken them greatly The leaues and small boughes of trees are good for them when as there is no better to be had and the staulkes of vines and for that they are hard they may bee broken with mallets and so the horses may eate them the better But to come againe to my matter I say that a Lieutenant Generall ought to taxe the townes in the countrie where he makes his warres or his aliance if that they bee néere to bring a certaine great quantitie of victualls vnto his Campe to feed his Souldiers if that monie do want or to cause them to sell it at a reasonable price both to refresh his prouision and to keepe it for a need for as all things that concerne the warres may be trayned long so also famine without helpe will bring a Campe lowe and ouerthrowe it in time and an enemie if he can haue meanes to ouerthrowe it by famine will neuer prooue to ouerthrowe it by battaile because that the victorie would bée so much the lesse bloudie and daungerous although it bee not altogether so honorable That which is sayd may suffice to auoyde this incouenience and Iustice if it be obserued will do seruice in an hoast and the order which may bee giuen to bridle Souldiers from liuing after their owne willes is likewise as necessarie as any other that can be named And to proue this to be true concerning the one all men do knowe that if Iustice do not gouerne in an armie all things will go quite contrarie and there is no victualler or other that will bring any thing vnto it And as concerning the other if there were no order a moneths victuall would not last one day wherfore Iustice ought to be maintained whosoeuer should vse force against a victualler ought to be grieuously punished Therefore euery Souldier must haue daylie giuen vnto him some such quantitie of victuals as he may spend in a day moreouer they must be forbidden to eate but at certaine houres This would bee an occasion that the victualls would bée the better spared and that those that do liue this soberly will bee much more peaceable watching and healthfull then if they should eate drinke at all houres as we don which causeth many perticular quarrells and the braue mutiâ—ies that wee see do raigne amongst vs. Furthermore if wee had more people to lodge then the number aboue sayd I say that they may be lodged in the places in the middest of the Campe and alongst the streates or with the Legionaries themselues for they are lodged at large But me thinke that these foure Legions with their horsemen Chiefes officers and others which I haue appoynted to followe the hoast are sufficient to enterprise any act of what importance soeuer it were for to fight with twice as many enemies as themselues The best is euery man may vse his owne free wil and make his warres with as great a number of people as he will himselfe Wherefore if the number were much greater the Campe must bee of greater compasse then that
to aduance theirs and our common wealth to make themselues lords and monarks of all Suppose that our said Princes should do no other good but deliuer the poore Christians which they do tirannously and outrageously vse at all times and hinder that little infants should not from henceforth be taken out of the armes and laps of their fathers and mothers to be circumcised as they are and instructed in countryes vnto them vnknowne in that most damnable sect of Mahumet their parents neuer hearing what is become of them and which is worse of the members of Iesus Christ are made members of the Diuell should not this be ynough for our said Princes me thinke yea and to their great honor whereas it is to their great shame that they do no better indeuer Well I doubt that they shall one day yeld an accompt for it and not only they but also those that haue any authority amongst vs principally my maisters the prelates of the Church who little regard to declare it vnto them vnto whom it appertaineth and furthermore to employ a good portion of their owne goods seeing they haue wherewithal to do it and very good occasion to speake of it Notwithstanding they are cold and make no reckning as is aboue said of the danger that they are in nor of the seruitude that the poore Christians which dwell in Greece and Asia are held in vnder the hands of Infidels to the great preiudice of our Religion for the which all faithfull Christians ought to take armes in hand against our common aduersary rather to day then to morrow And to that end I beleeue firmely that it is lawfull for vs to make warres if it be not lawfull for any other intent Prouided alwayes that the cause that moueth vs therevnto be sutch as it ought to be and that the determination be not to kill those that will not by and by beleeue For it is not with the stroke of the sword that Infidels are conuerted and become Christians but it is example and conference that may do more then force and the force I say which we may do vnto them is only that we should defend our marches or deliuer the Churches of the abouesaid Countryes out of the captiuities that they are in or if so be that the said infidels would enter further vpon vs or would not freely depart out of the countryes which they do vsurp I am of opinion that we might goe vpon them for these causes and make thē a most cruell and sharp warre and yet notwithstanding hauing the victory vse them as gently as we do vse one another in our warres forasmutch as peraduenture they might heereafter be conuerted and in truth no man was euer reproached for making of honest warres and for shewing mercy vnto the vanquished This then is the most iust warres of all that a Christian may make the defence of our Prince and his Realme is the next Likewise a Prince may goe out of his Countrey to assault another so that it be to get his owne againe if so be that it were taken wrongfully from him or that any people his subiects did rebell for sith Princes haue charge of their subiects and therefore may punish those that do wrong one to another who is it then that shall forbid them to aske theyr owne and to recouer with force that which is kept from them by force seeing that they haue no body to runne vnto greater then themselues or that is their superior I speake of a king of Fraunce or of another his equall specially after hauing made the requests and demonstrations vnto the withholders that in sutch a case are necessary In which case if it were not lawfull to haue recourse vnto armes it would therof ensue that the world would be so ful of vprores of those that seke to surprise one another chiefly the suttle sort being assured they should not suffer smart for the violence they cōmit a thing not tollerable because the common peace would be too mutch disquieted I say further for the subiects that if the King do compell them to enter vpon the lands of another man vnder what title so euer it be that they are not to enquire whether it be good or euill nor are so culpable as so me perhaps will say that they are so that they do it to obey him for they ought to depend vpon him all in all But as concerning the King who is the occasion it shall be his deede and those that counsayled him therevnto Then to play surely a Prince which pretendeth to make warres ought to handle the matter so that his pretences do not sauour of any of the conditions aforesaid or else he cannot so well colour his fact but that his cause would be wrongfull And suppose further that he hath some colour to make warres yet is it better first before any thing be taken in hand to haue recourse vnto arbitrers then to be the occasion of the great mischiefes which do follow a warre but if so be that his aduersary refused conference or would not put his controuersie to arbitrers that are not to be suspected and that it behoued him with all speed to take armes for his refuge and to inuade his said aduersarie or those that do him wrong it ought to be done with a maxime to make the least outragious and bloudy warres that he might and the shortest In consideration whereof a Prince which at any time findeth himselfe driuen vnto the necessitie to assault his neighbours or to be assaulted himselfe ought betimes to furnish himselfe with good souldiours which should not only be valiant men and well practised but moreouer should be men of good life to the intent he might in short time ouercome his enemyes without too great a losse of his owne people or of his aduersaties but as the equitie of a gratious warre requireth But for that it would be impossible to conduct a warre of great importance soone to an end without the hauing of very good Souldyers and further to keepe them from endomaging himselfe and others except they were men of very good life it should be necessary that the said Prince should haue a care that those whome he pretendeth to employ in this busines should be the least vitious and most expert in the feat of armes that he possibly could finde And that he should seeke by all meanes possible to make them so perfect which cannot be done without reading of the Authors that haue giuen rule for it wherein I haue somewhat spent my time because I would gladly be the occasion of some profit vnto the King if I might And hauing seene and read the said Authors sufficiently at least the most renowned I haue in fyne assayed to shew by this worke how the said Lord might recouer sutch Souldyers as are spoken of and to that ende I haue distributed this worke into three parts The first shall shewe how to leuie a great number in Fraunce
them must go but slowly that those in the right corner should not be constrained to run or els all would come to a confusion but this may better be shewed by effect then by writing As for the two bands that should make the forlorne hope their Pikemen may be ranged in battell to learne them to keepe order for I would vse them and those of the flankes in particular factions to wit in skirmishes and other extraordinary seruice where it should not be needfull to send any great number of people but principally I will haue those of the flanks to defend and couer the Bataillon and as for the forlorne hope I appoint them both Pikes and Harquebusiers to begin the Battell and to fight amongst the Horssemen without keeping any order And to that intent I haue armed them lightlye for their office shall be to fight not standing firme but running from one place to another be it that they haue the enimie in chase or are chased themselues wherein the Pikes may doe great seruice for they may reskue the Harquebusiers and may shew their faces vnto those that would force them whether they were on Horsebacke or a foote or to follow those that should flye and to force those that shrinke So that as well the one as the other whether they be of the body of the Bataillon or of the flanks or of the forlorne hope haue need to be well exercised to the intent that they might knowe how to keepe their ranks and to put themselues readilye againe into their places if they were broken by meanes of ill and straight passage or that the enemy should put them into any disorder and if they can doo this in their particular bands euery band wil afterwards easily learne what place it ought to keepe in the Bataillon and also what they ought to do in a Campe. As for the bands of these legions that are already made in France which are of a 1000 men to bring them into order fyrst make their single order of 6 and 6 and afterwards reduce the six Corporals men which are for the bodie of the Batailon into 96 rankes not comprehending the Corporals nor the Chiefes of Squadrons then double them and make them of 12 in a ranke causing the one ranke to enter within the other as is abouesaid so that the 96 rankes shall come vnto 48. Moreouer they must be doubled againe and from 12 in a ranke they will amount vnto 24. and the Cheife of the Squadron shall ioyne with them so that euery ranke will be 25 men The Corporals shall put themselues before their Squadrons euery man before his owne two Corporals of Pikemen shall make the forepart of this small Battailon and two Corporals of Halbardiers shall make the middest and hee that is formost of them shall make one ranke of Halbardiers and then two ranks of Pikes and after them one ranke of Halbardiers The other corporall that is behind him shall also make one ranke of Halbardiers then 2. rankes of Pikes after them one ranke of Halbardiers by which accoumpt there shall be 2. rankes of Halbardiers together in the middest the Ensigne in the midst of them The other two Corporals shall make the taile of this Batailon and each of their troopes shall make foure rankes Touching the other foure Corporals that remaine one must be appointed for the flanke and the other three for the forlorne hope And this is the forme that I would keepe in ranging one of the bands of these Legions by it selfe wherein the Souldiers must be often practised And if the King would permit that these orders should be diligently executed and put in practise he should haue many good Souldiers in his kingdome in short time but the disorder that is amongst our men of warre at this present is cause that these things are dispraised and therfore our armies can not be good albeit that the Chiefes were naturally vertuous for that they being ill followed and obeyed can neither shewe their knowledge nor their vertue It may bee also that the number of Chiefes which I doe ordaine in a Legion shoulde seeme superfluous or might make a confusion amongst themselues because of the number which I doe institute which thing would be to be doubted except they should referre themselues wholly vnto one Chiefe but hauing one principall Cheife aboue them all the great nomber of officers wil cause good order for if there should not be a great number of Cheifes it would be impossible to gouerne so great a multitude of people for as a wall that ouer hangeth doth require rather to be vpholden with many shoores although they bee not very strong then with a fewe of greate strength for that one alone how strong soeuer it bee cannot assure the wall but onely where it standeth so likewise must it be in a Legion for it is necessarie that among euery ten men there should be one of more courage or at least of greater authoritie then the rest to keepe the other Souldiers firme and in order to fight through their good courage examples words and authoritie specially the Deceniers are necessarie if they did but serue to keepe the rankes right and firme and in so doeing it were impossible that the Souldiers shoulde disorder themselues and if so bee that they shoulde bee so far put out of order that they coulde not immediatly finde their places by meanes of these Chiefes who shoulde haue regard therevnto being by them the Chiefes of the Squadrons are to commaunde the Deceniers and the Corporalls are aboue them who looke into al things that doeth concerne the duety of the Souldiers and theirs But at this day wee serue our selues with all these officers to no other effect but to giue them more wages then vnto other men for that they haue credit to bring certaine compagnions vnto the bands which is cause of many Leagues amongst Souldiers We vse likewise Ensignes at this present more to make a great shew then for any militarie vse our auncetours did vse them for guides and to knowe how to bring themselues into order by them for euerie man after the Ensigne was placed knew his place by it and placed himselfe incontinent they knew also that if it mooued or stayed they ought to mooue or to stay Wherefore it is necessarie that in an hoast there should bee many bodies that is to say bands and that euerie body should haue an Ensigne to conduct those that are of the same body and so the hoast shall haue many soules and by consequent many liues The Souldiers ought then to gouerne themselues by their Ensignes and the Ensignes by the sound of the Drume which being well ordered as it ought to be doth commaund a whole Legion which Legion marching in such sort that the steppes of the Souldiers do agree with the stroke of the Drumme shall easily keepe their order And for this purpose had the auncient Souldiers Flutes Phiphes perfectly agreeing
men that were before at the tayle of their battailes marched now at the front and all the hoaste followed them and those who had kept the passages before who were fresh and had rested kept at the tayle to maintaine skirmish against their enemies whilest the others did goe theyr wayes they themselues following them skirmishing and resisting theyr enemies all daye long vntill such time as they did come vnto theyr lodging And this is concerning those that doe retyre in the sight of theyr enemyes which is more harde then when as they doe depart not beeing discouered in a good while after that they are remooued or vntill the next daye for in such a case they shall haue time enough to get away farre enough off from their enemies And those that would so dilslodge that theyr enemies being neare should not perceiue it ought to vse all the meanes that they may possible to make their enemies to thinke that they do still remaine in their fort they must dislodge by night their fyers must bee refreshed that they should not goe out in long time after their departure but continue burning vntill it were day Moreouer they must place the bodies of their dead if they haue any round about their trenche which should bee vnderset with shoores and clothed and weapened as if they were alyue or they should plant some bushes and clothe them with Souldiers apparell or stuffe the sayde clothes with grasse and leaue certaine head peeces placed vpon the trenche layeng stakes by them with matche burning for to represent Harquebusiers the one of these deuises will serue by night and the other by daye Moreouer they might leaue Dogges Bullockes Asses and Horsses made fast within their Campe whose cryeng neyeng and howling might make theyr enemies to beléeue that the Campe were not remooued and Cockes also would doe the like if there were anye in the Campe the Almaignes doe carrye good store I thinke not but these policies would couer the departing of an armie And when as the Ordnaunce could not be saued it might bee broken in péeces and carryed away to be new melted afterward or might bee buried so that it might afterwarde bee hard to be founde or if it should come vnto the woorst it coulde bee but loste although it should fall into our enemyes handes the losse whereof coulde not bee so great but the losse that might fall vpon the men would bee more to bee feared because that Ordnance might be easier recouered then the men that would bee loste to defende it notwithstanding at this daye wee doe make such accoumpt to preserue it that we doe almost forget all our other busines making our accoumpt that if it maye bee saued it is all that wee doe care for and that if it were left behinde all were loste for which cause wee leaue oft times to giue order for many things of great importance being troubled with a great quantitie of Ordnance which may not be left without a great gard to kéepe it notwithstanding the estimation that we doe make of it if it were requisite for an army to make any extreame hast whether it were to indomage an enemy or to kéepe vs from their hands through these occasions we must eyther abandon the said Ordnance or doe our busines ill as we did ours at Landrian for the desire that we had for to saue a naughtie Cannon Wherefore as often as we are in this extremitie it were much better for to saue the men albeit that the ordnance baggage other mooueables should be lost then to hazard men for a thing that may so easily afterward be recouered Sithe I haue before spoken of a retreat made in the sight of an enemie I will now speake of a retreat made which an enemie dooth not see Let vs put case that a Generall dooth retyre by night so secretlye that his enemies doe not perceiue his going vntill long time after his dislodging it is to be thought that in short time he will bee farre on his way and so far as it were not possible for his enemies to ouertake him what hast soeuer they should make whether they should pursue him or might pursue him if they would the sayd Generall can vse no better counsell then to trauaile daye and night without rest vntill such time as he were out of daunger in resting by the way to take great héed not to be one minute of an hower without good watch nor without Horssemen skouting out vpon the wayes a good waye of from his Campe and not suffer his Souldiers to goe out of their quarter but to be ready with their armes at euerye hower for to resist those that would assayle them and to set forward vpon the waye when they should depart and this order must bee kept at the meales that they doe make by daye and as concerning their night resting it must be as short as it may be possible the Souldiers hauing continually their armes in their hands that euery man might bee readye to defende himselfe If the stay that they did make by night should bee anye thing long I would counsell the Generall to lodge his men in some strong place of aduantage but the surest and safest waye is not to staye but to winne grounde as much as he may possible thinking vpon the daunger that he was in but a little before and the daunger and greefe it would bee vnto him to bee ouertaken through his owne default It were therefore better for him to vse diligence whilst he may doe it without let then to tarry the comming of his enemies and to bee constrained to fight or to fall into their mercie this dooing he shall saue himselfe and his people and giue his enemie no time to ouertake him or to force him to fight but the pursuer must take heed least in pursuing foolishly rashly he fall into the ambushes that are made in such cases against the pursuers who oft times become so audacious that they doe thinke scorne to foresee into anye thing that might hurte them so that those whome they doe pursue might easilye surprise and greatlye endomage them and sometime put them vtterlye into disorder if the Lieutenant Generall who is pursued be a man any thing hardy and aduenterous into which inconuenience they doe sometimes fall that are fullest of pollicy but those good Chiefes which will auoide it pursue as coldlye as they can the colder that they doe pursue the more they doe staye the gate of their people which staye dooth giue them the more leasure to get a way that doe retyre Moreouer it is better to be too slowe in this busines then too hastie for those that doe retyre haue many wayes to annoye them that doe pursue them specially if their way doe lye through a strong countrey or forrest for that they may cut downe trées and fell them crosse the wayes and likewise may laye ambushes which they may make vnto their aduantage being in
instant that wee looked that the Spanyards should haue assayled vs our Ensignes were left from time to time without people who were gone to seeke lodgings albeit that they had no leaue of him nor their Captaines and in lodging themselues God knowes what a noyse those gapers and cryers did make and what was the cause of this disorder but the disobedience that is amongst vs Frenchmen who are so delicate that we cannot suffer want one whole day but wee wast with griefe of it as snowe against the Sunne Certainly the sayd Lord did his endeuour to stay them and it was needfull for the daunger that we were in and at that time was seen asmuch as in any other place the great want of order that is amongst vs specially in the morning in passing a little brooke for except it were some of the first rankes of the Battailon the others made no difficultie at all to breake and put themselues out of their ranks to passe at their case one after an other ouer a little planke that was in the same place so that it was our good fortune that we were not assayled at that instant for the first should haue suffered the smart of the others negligence and disorder and perhaps there might haue insued some great inconuenience as it was told me within two daies after when as I did ariue at the Campe for at that time I was not there because of the Commission that the Lord Constable had giuen vnto the Lord of Roberual and the commaundement that he gaue me by his letter to accompanie the sayd Roberual with my hand to ceaze vpon the vallies of S. Martin and Lucerne to the King his vse and by that meanes I was not there notwithstanding I was told of it afterwards of all that happened in the Campe by men of credite who were in the daunger afore sayd very néere vnto the person of the sayd Lord to weet the Barron Castelnan and the Vicont Dorth and since much better by the Lord Dambres who told me all helped to repayre couer the disorder as others haue tolde me Those cryings must not bee vsed amongst these Legions of whom I treate they must be alwaies lodged timely before night if it were possible Which doing vsing the manner that I haue so many times spoken of before that is the Campe hauing alwaies one selfesame forme it shall not bee needfull for the Souldiers to seeke their quarters or where the bands should lodge for they shall know the places of themselues for they shall see where their Ensignes do stay and by them know their places easely and the Ensignes shall know their places as easely by the General his lodging and the gates which shall be towards the foure Regions as I haue sayd All that may make any alteration in a Campe is that the first and second Legions shall be alwaies lodged next their enemies and thereunto the Souldiers must haue a regard euery man vnto the place that he shall lodge in Further it must not be forgotten to appoynt certaine bands to watch for that without watch the fortification of the Campe and all that may be sayd or done for these Legions would bee labour lost But sith I am fallen into this matter I will speake mine opinion of the Skoutes and Sentenells that are placed by night without a Campe which is a custome that I cannot iudge to be either good or seruiceable neither can I finde vppon what example they were grounded that were the first inuenters of this manner for it is not after the manner of the auncient watches at the least those that I haue read of I do thinke that they had a more care to auoyd the mischief that might happen through the renewing and chaunging of the Skoutes and Sentenells for that they might perhappes be sometimes corrupted with monie or bee surprised so neere that the watch might not bee aduertised by them of the comming of their enemies specially if it were so that the watch were kept after the French fashion that is to say if the Souldiers did sleepe their bellies full in hope to bee wakened by the Sentenells it should be in daunger to bee surprised and to haue their throtes cut For which cause the auncient men of warre made their watches within their trenches and had no bodie to skout without and by this manner of watch they were alwaies so well preserued that they altered it not but vsed very great diligence in it and very good order and punished all those with death that fayled of their dueties in the same as wee may see in Polibius vnto whom I send all those that would see the manner of their doing at large Me thinke that the reasons aboue sayd may suffice to shewe the profite of sending of Skoutes out of a fort which is that they do serue for no other purpose but to make the watch within to bee the more carelesse and negligent for they do giue themselues vnto nothing but to play dronkennesse and sleepe as I haue sayd whilest peraduenture the Sentenells do keepe as ill watch as they But is not this a great fault to commit the safetie of a whole armie vnto two or three roysters who haue neither regarde of honestie nor any other thing and albeit that those that are Skoutes on horsebacke are gentlemen and men of credit and likewise those that visite the watch do their indeuour asmuch as is possible may not both sometimes be surprised by their enemies or may they not sleepe aswell as the others and forget their busines by that meanes be slaine by their enemies but may it not happen that their enemies might haue the watch word or that they might gesse at it and approach the Sentenells with false tokens giuen them to vnderstand that they are of their Souldiers I knowe not who hath shewed vs this manner nor what reason wee haue to obserue it at this day men of warre being more subtile and politicke then they were in times past except we will be voyd of reason to persist in a most euident and manifest error whereunto I wil not from henceforth that a Lieutenant Generall should consent but that he should forbid it expressely And furthermore that for his ordinarie night-watch he do appoynt the one third part of his people which are 16. Ensignes of footmen to the intent that the Souldiers might haue two nights free the one of which Ensignes must watch round about the General his quarter and another must guard the Powder two other Ensignes must bee placed vpon the two market places for the maister of Ordnance his quarter is well enough furnished with gunners carters and pioners By this accompt there should bee in the middest of the Camp one band of euery Legion who shal guard the Generall and principall Chiefes and also impeach the mischiefes which oftimes do happen by night and the excesses and thefts that are done more at time then by day The 12. bands
like vnto the Mammeluks of the Souldane or the Ianissaries of the Turke which manner although it seemed at the first sight to haue been for the profit of the Empyre notwithstanding it turned it oftentimes vpsidowne because that this number of Soldiers disposed of that dignitie at their pleasure being vpon the place and in armes against naked men and vnarmed On the other side the other armies which were in Fraunce Barbarie and elswere would stand in their owne conceipts the one naming one to be Emperour and the other another insomuch that sometime there were two or three pretendants who in thinking to consume one another consumed the Empyre which had cost so much the getting a thing that they were ignorant of But after that most of the Emperours were of straunge nations as the soldiers which had made them were it was an occasion that they had lesse care of the preseruation of the Empyre then if they had béen borne within the citie Whereof insued that as well those that were declared Emperours as those that had elected them marched against the sayd citie with one consent as against their enemies with intent to triumph ouer it And God knowes whether that these things might be handled without the committing of many robberies insolencies in those chaunges and also of many murthers aswell of the Emperours them selues as of the Senators other great personages in Rome Certainly wee must say that it was impossible seeing that wee may beleeue that if the institutions which the Romanes had at that time that their vertue florished had béen alwaies maintained that was to make warre with their owne people and not to haue waged straungers nor likewise to haue suffered their neighbours and alliance in their camps in greater number then they themselues were their Empyre had not been deuided nor had not béen transported out of their hands nor their citie so many times destroyed and abandoned as it hath béen For if they had maintained their first manner of warre they had escaped all their inconueniences and had brought all their enterprises to as happie ende as they did while they serued themselues with their owne citizens Michaell Paleologus the Emperour of Constantinople may likewise be an example who calling a number of Turkes to his aide to make warres against certaine princes of Greece that rebelled against him shewed them the way to passe out of Asia into Europe and therevpon the said Turkes tooke occasion to come vpon Greece with great force and to inuade it by little and little Of which mischiefe the sayd Emperour was cause for that he chose rather to cause straungers to come to his assistance then to take vp in his countrie those that were necessarie for him to make his warres withall with whom if he had would he might with little labour haue vanquished a Lord of Bulgarie his subiect and haue chastened him without thrusting an armie of Turkes into his countrie who if they had not come there Greece had not suffered the miseries which it hath suffered in time past and which it must yet euery day suffer And therefore without hauing regard vnto the old opinion that is to say whether the countrie be cold or hot and to withstand the manifold inconueniences that may happen vnto those that may make their warres with the helpe of straungers me thinke that euery Prince ought to strengthen himselfe with his subiects without making any accompt to hyer others or at the least if he would be serued with strangers not to make them his principall force for the daunger that might happen As for to commit the person of a king or of the greatest personage of a kingdome vnto the trust of those that are not his subiects and who loue him not and the seruice which they do him is but for a few crownes is a counsaile grounded vpon no reason because it is to bee thought that straungers are much more easie to bee corrupted then those that are borne and bred in the same countrie that their king is The preseruation of whom ought to bee more deare vnto them then vnto those that serue him but for his monie which once failing they abandon him as if they had neuer knowne him Herevpon I may alleadge that which a great troope of Launceknights did vnto Monsiure Montpensier in Naples who left him there at the mercie of the Spanyards only because his monie failed and that the enemies promised them payment at their first arriuall and assoone as they were turned from that parte which was cause of the losse of the same kingdome the first time And not to accuse the Almaignes only I say that the Switzers left Monsiure de latrec at that time that the terme of their payment was expired because they doubted that they should haue borrowed vppon the moneth following And although that the sayd Switzers did not go from vs vnto our enemies yet euery man knoweth well that they forsooke the sayd Lord when as his enemies were equall vnto him in strength which was cause of the losse of the Dutchie of Millain Since that the Grisons departed frō our campe before Pauie and abandoned the King his person euen at that instant that the Spanyards were determined to hazard the battell and to assault him which happened within few daies after so that the going away of those bands did greatly weaken our armie for they were sixe or eight thousand and was cause that the enemie did enterprise more boldly to assault vs and that our men were more discouraged to receiue them in so much that putting thereunto the euil behauiour of our Switzers who went away without striking stroke we lost the battel Whereby appeareth plainly the little trust that is to bée giuen vnto straungers and how daungerous it is for vs to repose our state in their forces Whosoeuer he were I wil not be of opiniō that a King should make his force of straungers nor that he should entertaine so many that they should bee of equall force with his owne subiects if it were so that he were constrained to take any For if the straungers be as strong as his owne people and that it were necessarie that the sayd straungers should doe any thing that were contrarie vnto their mindes which they refused they must bee fought withall or there will bee no obedience but if they finde themselues the weaker they will neuer haue the heart to disobey nor to busie themselues with the authoritie of a Captaine Generall as they are when there is no meane to bridle them For which cause a Prince that might find himselfe in extremitie not to be obeyed of the straungers which he might retaine ought to haue in his campe such a number of his owne subiects that if he were driuen to vse force they might be of power sufficient to constraine the rebels to accomplish his will For otherwise there will be nothing done because the seruice of the sayd Prince will be slacked and sometime
a disobedience may be cause of many great domages as was that of the Almaignes which Monsiure de Humiers had with them in Italie which made the King not only to loose all that season but also was cause of the losse of diuers places that held for vs and put all Piemount in great daunger to be lost without recouerie And this is most certaine insomuch that if the Lord Constable had any whit deferred to succour them and had not vsed his accustomed diligence that which was left had fallen in fewe daies after into the Spanyards hands without striking stroke Yet he arriued so luckely that the townes that had but the newes of his comming were preserued and part of those that were lost were recouered and others also but not without a merueilous charge and all to repayre the fault of the foresayd Almaignes who had conducted the warres both according vnto their owne appetites against the will of the sayd Lord of Humiers as euery man knoweth who besides that he was disobeyed in his charge being Lieutenant Generall for the King was also in hazard of his life which is a thing that I cannot so much meruell at nor likewise at the arrogancie of the sayd nation But I must much more meruell at our negligence seeing the iniuries that straungers commonly do vnto vs and that we notwithstanding cease not to dispraise the seruice of our countrimen to become tributaries and subiects vnto straungers as if we could not do without them now aswell as wee haue done at other times and alwaies vntill the time of King Lewes the 11. who was the first King of Fraunce that did giue pension vnto strangers especially vnto the Switzers for he kept ordinarily in wages sixe thousand King Charles the 8. followed him who carried a great band to Naples King Lewes the 12. serued him self long time with them and with Almaignes and other strangers So likewise hath the King that raigneth at this present in all his warres yet in the ende he perceiued that his subiects were as fit to serue him as straungers so that they were practised or if he hath not had that opinion of the Frenchmē yet he hath made a proofe of it And to that ende as I thinke haue a very great number of Legionaries béen leuied in this realme which number if it had béen leuied by a true election had béen sufficient to haue withstood all our enemies But the Frenchmens fortune would not that this leuie should haue had his perfection for that if this leuie had been made as it ought to haue been wée should haue been become their maisters vnto whom wee now are subiects Wherfore it hath left vs in the same state that wée haue béen learned to liue in many yeares ago and for that wee make so little accompt of our owne forces and do so much esteeme of straungers it may one day happen to be the occasion of our ruine if our neighbours should enterprise ioyntly to come vpon vs. For one part alone hath put Fraunce in great feare to weet the Switzers when as they came downe into Burgundie so that to make them to retier back againe it cost vs great sommes of monie And so much fayled we of the courage to present our selues in battell to resist them that the greatest part made their accompt to make them place and to runne out of the country O almightie God! what was become of the ancient valour of Fraunce At the name whereof all the nations both on this side and on the other side of the sea did tremble and which was in possibilitie to assault other countries and not to be troubled at home but by her owne nor constrained to buy peace sith those that sould it vnto vs were in fewe yeares before not able to resist in their owne countrie the armie of King Charles the 7. vnder the conduct of Lewis his sonne being at that time Daulphine since king We may beléeue that their comming down was for our profite sith they serue vs for an example for by the great troubles that Fraunce was in for 20. or 30. thousand Switzers all a foote ill furnished with artillerie and with all other things to inuade such a countrie may bee coniectured what it would do if the same Switzers should come againe And furthermore if the Almaignes Flemings Englishmen Spanyards and Italians should come vpon vs with one common consent who could want nothing but good agreement I could not imagine how we should find meane to withstand such a coniuration For to tarrie to make hed vnto them were a much worse counsaile then that of Monsiure Tremouille was to appease the Switzers with crownes because that disordred people ill trained and ill furnished cannot serue for any other purpose against people well ordred well trained and well furnished with armes and withall that appertaineth vnto such a busines but to harten and to encourage them the more And as for vs to trust vnto that the frontiers are well furnished with strong townes is a hope euill assured for whosoeuer is Lord of the plaine countrie I meane of so great and large a countrie as Fraunce is shall easily afterward haue the vpper hand of the places that they keepe principally when so great a number or a great part of those that I haue spoken of shall enter in at diuers places euery nation vpon his quarter that they had deuided the countrie before hand For else we might haue some reason to hope that in forbearing they might seperate themselues through discord or that a part taking might be practised notwithstanding these things must haue time and in the meane while wee should suffer many euills to be committed before our eyes without remedie And suppose that to see such a desolation to come to passe vpon so noble a realme were almost a thing impossible yet is there none more apparant remedie to withstand it and to take away from our sayd enemies all the occasions that might hinder them from the conceipt of this impossibilitie then to make our selues strong with our owne people I meane so strong that those that now do take pension of vs should be very glad to be simplie allied vnto vs and others which priuilie haue shewed themselues to be our enemies should be constrayned to dissemble and those which dissemble should openly shew themselues to be our friends by good proofe Which to bring to passe I would not counsaile that our force should be any whit mingled with straunge souldiers aswell for to haue the credite vnto our selues when as our souldiers should do any good seruice as also to auoyde the great daungers that might happen by an armie made of many nations for that is the occasion oft times that our enemies do knowe our secrets almost assoone as they are spoken except it should be to weaken our enemies or to content our confederats and to get the good will of the countrie where the warres should be made
in the last ranke which wasted because theee was no man to supplie it so that the losse that the first rankes suffered was cause of the consuming of the last By this meanes the Phalanges might sooner be consumed then disordred for to ouerthrowe them was impossible because of their great number The Romanes at the first vsed Phalanges instructed their people after the Greekes manner but it is long sithence that they misliked of their order and therfore they deuided their people into many bodies to wit into Cohortes Manipules for they thought as I haue said before that that bodie which had many soules was compounded of many partes ought also to haue manie liues The Batailons of the Switzers Almaignes ours and others do somewhat imitate the Phalanges aswell for that wée doe range a great number of people together as also that wee doe place them in such sort that they may enter one into another his place But why this manner should not be so good as the Romanes many examples of the Romane Legions do shew for that as often as the Romanes fought against the Greekes their Phalanges were ouerthrowne and consumed by the Legions for the difference of their armes and the manner of releeuing thrée times had a more force in it then the great number or the diligence of the Phalanges Being therefore to frame a Batailon after all these examples I haue thought it good to imitate partly the fashions of the Greekes Phalanges and partly the Romane Legions and partly these that we doe vse at this instant and therefore I would that in euery one of our Legions there should be 3600 ordinarie Pikes for the body of the Batailon 420. for the flankes and 170. extraordinarie Pikes for the forlorne hope which are armes that the Phalanges did vse Besides I would haue 600. Halbards 420. Harquebusiers for the flankes and 680. for the forlorne hope all which are armes inuented in our time I haue deuided the body of the Batailon into 10. bandes as the Romanes did theirs into 10. Cohortes and haue appointed the Harquebusiers and the forlorne hope to begin the Battell and for skirmishes as the Romanes did their Velites and haue giuen them two Captaines and two Ensignes to the intent to haue better seruice of them then if they had none and also for to imploye them in the labours of the warres as the other bands And for that the armes are borrowed of diuers nations the bandes must also bee perticipants of the orders of diuers nations and therefore I haue ordained that euery one of the ten bandes should haue 8 rankes of Pikes before the Ensigne and 8 behinde and 4 rankes of Halbardes in the middest so that by that meanes euery band dooth make 20 rankes and euery ranke hath 21. men The Pikes doe serue for to resist Horssemen to breake into the footmen and to withstand the first assaults of their enemies which Pikes I will vse onelye to defend my selfe and afterwards vse the Targets which the Pikemen doo carry at their backes and Halbards to vanquish myne enemies And who so would consider of the force of this order shall finde that euerye sort of armes shall doo his office thoughlye for the Pikes are profitable against the Horssemen and when the footmen doe meete Batailon against Batailon they serue to a good vse before that the rankes are throng together but after that they are once at the close the Pikes can doe no more seruice Wherefore the Switzers to auoide this inconuenience after euerye three rankes of Pikes do place one ranke of Halbardes which they doo to the intent to giue their Pikemen space and place to fight in a prease but yet this is not ynough but as for vs we will haue our Pikemen both before the Ensigne and behinde to carrye Targets and there shall be Halbardes in the middest by meanes of this order to resist bothe Horssemen and footmen and to breake into an enimie for you know that Pikes may serue no turne after that the rankes are preassed together because that the Souldiers are then as it were one in anothers necke and therefore if the Pikemen had nothing but their Pikes and Swordes the Pike being abandoned they should be naked for which cause I haue giuen them Targets to couer themselues from blowes and to fight in all places what prease soeuer there were Moreouer the Halbardiers maye also fight better in a prease then the Pikemen which Halbardiers are expressely appointted for this purpose and likewise they may followe the sayde Targets at the heeles who are heauily laden to reskue them with their Halbards And as for the Target men I would haue them but onely to thrust at the face and legges or at any other parte that were vnarmed But leauing these small things I will goe range the ten bands in one whole Batailon How to range a Legion in battaile and after what maner it must be practised The 10. Chapter WHo so would range ten bands in a Batailon must first put a side by themselues the Pikemen and Harquebusiers that are appoynted for the flanks those of the one 5 bāds on the one side those of the other on the other And likewise one bād of the forlorne hope on the one side the other on the other side in such sorte that the said bandes of these two flankes shall leaue a great voide space betwixt them for to range the batailon in which shal be done after this manner The first band shall goe before the second and the second before the third and the third before the fourth and so likewise the others They shal marche in their single order that is fiue and fiue in a ranke as I haue said before Afterwards the Colonell shall commaund his trumpet to sound that the King commaundeth them to double their rankes And then the ranks of fiue shall be doubled and made 10. This done the Colonell or Sergeant Maior shall commaunde the trumpet to sounde againe that the King commaundeth them expresly to redouble their rankes which at this second cry shal be 20. in the middest of euerie ranke shall the Chiefe of Squadron place him-selfe to make it to be 21. The Trumpet shall sounde the third time by commaundement as before and at this sound the first bande shal goe forward vnto the place where the front of the Batailon shall be placed and shal stay there in that order that I haue ranged the perticular bands The space which euerie Souldier must occupie marching in single order must bee three paces in bataile 2 and when he fighteth 1. The distance from one ranke vnto another being in single order must be 4. paces and being placed in battaile 2. and in fight one So that the said 21. men being in battaile will occupie 42. paces in fronte and the 20. rankes will occupie 60. in length heere in comprysed the space that euery Souldier dooth occupie which is one pace The first
Batailons to succour those that haue the enemies in chase if paraduenture any ambushe shoulde charge them or that the flyars would put themselues againe to defence should repulse them And as concerning that I haue kept the rest of our men of armes and caused them and the battailons to bee brought againe into their order it was to this intent to haue alwaies the greatest strength of mine hoaste ready to fight if so bee that the enemies shoulde ioyne together againe or that freshe people should come vpon them for the not doing of it hath oftentimes happened vnluckely vnto diuers Chiefes as vnto Coradin in Naples in the yeare 1268. who thought that he had won the victorie against Charles the King of the countrie because he sawe that no man made any longer resistance but the said Charles comming out of an ambush with freshe men charged the others that were busie in kiling and striping of his men and ouerthrew them and the said Coradin also It might seeme that I had not ranged our Battailons well forasmuch as I haue placed fiue bands in the front there in the midst and two at the tayle for we might thinke that it were better to order them otherwise because that a Batailon is woorst to breake when he that doth assaulte it doth finde it the stronger the further that he doeth enter into it and it should seeme that the manner that I haue framed should be alwaies the weaker the deeper it is entred into although that I doe knowe that the Romanes did appointe but 600. men in their third battaile which are the Triaries yet I haue put two bands into the saide battaile eache of which bands hath 425. men which are 850. in all besides the Captaines and other members and those of the flanks Wherfore in following the Romanes I doe rather fayle in taking too many men then to few although that in imitating so good a forme as theirs is I do nether thinke to fayle nor to be reprooued yet wil I giue a reason for it You do vnderstand that the front of euerie square Battailon ought to be made sure and thick because it must withstande the first assaulte of the enemies and so ought likewise the midst the taile except that they be ranged after the maner that I haue ranged these here spoken of But to order the midst and the taile in such sorte that the one may receiue the other within their ranks it is necessary that the second which are the Princes should be a great many fewer in number then the first which are the Hastaries And for this cause I haue put in euerie ranke of Hastaries 105. men and in euery ranke of Princes there is but 63. men which are 42. lesse in euerie ranke Furthermore I haue appoynted the grounde that the saide Princes should occupye in length to bee the one halfe longer then that which the Hastaries doe occupie to the intent that the rankes and spaces that the Princes doe occupie might receiue the Hastaries when as they should retyre vnto them The rankes of the Triaries are thinner for they are but 42. men in a ranke and the place that they doe occupie in length is twise as long as that the Hastaries doe occupie because that this last Battaile should receiue into it the Battailes aforesayde Now for that it might be sayd that how much further the enemie dooth enter in that so much the weaker hee shall finde the Battailons because that the Battailes as I haue sayd are deminished of people and their rankes thinner and thinner It must be vnderstood that in keeping of this order an enemie can neuer fight with the Princes vntill hee hath first ouerthrowne the Hastaries who by our discipline ought not to staye vntill they were quite ouerthrowne So that when as they should find the enemies so strong that it were not in their power to make resistance I say that then the Colonell of the said Battailon ought to commaund his Trumpet to sound to this effect that the King dooth commaund the Hastaries to retyre within the Princes which sound being heard the Hastaries shal retire but not before easilye not turning their faces from their enemies and to the intent that this retreat may be made without disorder the last ranke of the Hastaries shall first retyre then those next them and the others following All which rankes shall range themselues betwixt the rankes of the Princes the last ranke of the Hastaries with the last ranke of the Princes and so consequentlye the other rankes shall range themselues with the other rankes their like And for that the rankes of the Princes should not bee too thicke I meane that those that might place themselues in their rankes should do so and that the others shall range themselues betwixt their ranks and make new ranks for they shall haue place ynough to doe it in the length that the Princes doe occupie If then the first doe range themselues with the second and that of these two Battailes there is made but one is this to finde the Battailes the further that they are entred into the weaker for you see that the enemies cannot fight with the second Battaile but the first must bee ioyned with it so that an enemie shall alwayes finde the middest of the Battailon stronger then the front and not weaker forasmuch as they shall now haue to deale with eight bandes whereas before they had to doe but with fiue And so likewise if this second Battaile be forced to retire vnto the third for an enemie shall not onely deale with fresh men but with all the Legion together for that this last Battaile of the Triaries must receiue the Hastaries and the Princes And for this cause they must be ranged thinner and of greater length then the second Battaile was and therefore I haue made the rankes but of 42. men and their place in length twice as long as the Hastaries to receiue the first and the second the more easier betwixt them And if this space seeme to be too little to receiue the eight bands vnderstand that the rankes being in their first order do occupie much more place then when they are retired because that the rankes do shrinke together or open when they are too much preased I meane that they will open themselues when as they will runne awaye and when they will tary by it they will close themselues together to the intent not to bee opened or entered hastilye Moreouer if it be so that the enemies doe come vnto the Triaries it must be thought that there are a great many slaine and ouerthrowne and therefore there néedeth not so great place for the two first Battailes as if they had remained in their intier Furthermore I suppose that our said Triaries will haue a good will to defend themselues and the others that are retyred vnto them also and therefore they will occupie lesse place and at the vttermost the place is great inough
to receiue the ten bands altogether besides that they haue the backe and wings at their commaundement I must heare declare one other thing that is for what intent I caused the Forlorne hope the Harquebusiers a Horsebacke and the Hargeletiers to depart with so great a crye when they went to assault their enemies and also whye I made so great silence to bee kept when our Battailons approched the sayd enemies for it is to the matter to know the causes of these two varieties whereof many ancient Captaines haue had diuers opinions to wit whether they should hasten them in making great noyse or marche easilye without speaking worde although that this last maner serueth better to keepe order more firme and to vnderstand the commaundements of the Chiefes and the fyrst serueth to kindle and heate the hearts of Souldiers Notwithstanding I doe thinke that we must haue a regard vnto both these things and that it is the necessary that the one should make as great a noyse as they might and that the other shoulde bee as silent as might be possible for I doe not thinke that to crie continually should be done to good purpose my meaning is that Chiefes shoulde be vnderstoode And for to begin a battaile without crie is a token of feare for commonlie the voice serueth for an index of the effect of the battaile whereby they may hope the victorie or mistrust the obtayning of it So that I thinke that it is good that a battail shoulde beginne with great cries I meane onelie at the first assault and not after the Battailon are neare approched for wee may see in the Romane Cronicles that Souldiers which were flying haue many times tarried through the words and comfortes of the Cheifes and haue immediately changed their order which could not haue bin doone if the noyse had bin lowder then the voices of the said Chiefes or if that the crie had alwaies continued Touching the hastie proceeding in the begining of the Battaile I haue shewed in what manner wee ought to beginne it Concerning the Battailons it is necessary that they should assault with great haste specially if the Ordnaunce doe much indomage them and sometimes it will be good that they should attend the comming of an enemie to wit when as the place is vnfit or that they might breake off themselues not being verie skilfull souldiers Now I doe thinke that I may passe further forward hauing aquitted my selfe reasonably well here before of my promise in shewing the reasons why I ranged the battailons and gaue battaile after that manner that you haue seene take in hand to speake of the other poynts which are no lesse necessary then those aboue spoken of which I will doe after that I haue recyted that our Legions must oftentimes bee exercised and brought together and ranged after the manner aboue said that aswell the Souldiers as the officers Members and Chiefes might know what they ought to doe For the Souldiers in euerie bande ought to keepe their rankes well and the officers Members and Chiefes to keepe their rankes in their order and the bands well ordred and they should knowe to execute the Captaine Generall his commaundement and therefore they ought to bee experte to ioyne one bande with another and to teache the Souldiers to knowe their places readily And to doe this with little difficultie the Ensignes must bee marked to knowe who they are aswell for to bee there by commaunded as for to bee easelie knowne for if so bee that the Ensignes doe knowe their places and the Souldiers their places you shal see that a Battailon wil quickly range it self after that maner that it ought to be ranged assoone as the Trumpet doth sound consequently the whole armie assoone as the Lieutenant Generall shal make signe And this is the first exercise of foure that an armie ought to knowe wherein it ought to be exercised euerie day that it dooeth lie still and many times in one day Secondly an armie ought to be exercised to marche in battaile and to keepe their rankes well going an ordinarie pace trot and course The thirde excercise is that the Battailons should learne what they ought to doe vppon a day of battaile as to discharge the Ordnance and to cause it to be retyred and to put forth the Harquebusiers in the flankes and to cause them to go forward with the Forlorne hope And after that the Harquebusiers haue discharged three or fower shot euerie man running here and there without order and although that they doe ioyne with the Pikes and horsemen whome this charge doeth touche yet they shall retire vnto the flankes through the spaces betwixt the Battailons eache to his place to weet the Harquebusiers of the flankes vnto the flanks and the Forlorne hope behinde for to range themselues there as I haue said for if they should tarrie before the Battailes they would hinder the battailons to fight The Horsemen likewise shall retyre vppon the winges and the Hastaries must retyre within the Princes as if they were forced and afterwards the Princes and Hastaries must retyre together with in the Triaries and this done the Hastaries should retourne vnto their first place and the Princes likewise vnto theirs The fourth excercise is that euerie man shoulde giue himselfe to vnderstande the commaundement of the Chiefes and the meaning of the sounds of the trumpet and the strokes of the Drums by whom shal be signified al that should be don in general that is when it shall be time for them to put themselues together in battaile and when they ought to marche or to staye to goe forward or to turne their faces towards the one side or the other to kisse the ground and to fight Likewise there shall be signified by the sayde Trumpet when it shall be necessarie to discharge the Ordnance when it shal retire when the Harquebusiers Forlorne hope and others should goe forward and at what time they should doe it also at what time the Hastaries ought to retire towards the Princes and afterwards when the two Battailes ought to retyre towards the Triaries and finallye when it shall be time that euery man should retyre from the Battaile all which things must be doone by the commaundement of the Lieutenant Generall and immediatly signified by his Trumpet his sounding will easilye bee heard by the other Trumpeters that are neerest him and so the sounde will goe from one to another vnto the furthest Trumpet in the Hoaste Most part of these things may bee signified by signes without vsing of Trumpets or Drums and likewise by voice yet me thinkes that the sounde of the Trumpet is the most surest because that euerye man cannot sée a signe but they may easilye heare a sound a voice sometimes may be misunderstood wherein there must bee good heede taken for many times the commaundements of the Captaines being ill vnderstood or ill interpreted haue brought the hoasts that were vnder their charge to an ill
Combate it discouereth deceits it promiseth recompence it sheweth danger and the meane to auoide them it reprooueth entreateth exhorteth filleth full of hope praiseth and blameth and in sum a Lieutenant Generall may by his speach doe all those things wherwith mens passions are either mortified or kindled Wherfore if the King were determined to maintayne his first Legionaries or to leauie other after the maner spoken of in the firste booke or a better he should cōmaund his Colonels to accustome thēselues to speake publikely to their souldiers that they might bee accustomed to heare them to speake to the intent that they should not find it strange to come together vnto the declaration that their Lieutenant Generall would make them whensoeuer they should be called therevnto by his Trumpet Heeretofore the reuerence that men had vnto religion was much worthe to kéepe Souldiers in feare and obedience and likewise the othe whith they made when they were led into the field for then those that committed any offence or those that did contrary vnto their othes and promises were not so greatly threatned to incur corporall paines which equitie and lawe ordeined as they were threatned that they should fall into the indignation of the gods whom they worshipped which being mingled with other superstitions was oftentimes an occasion that the Chiefes who were at that time came more easily vnto the end of their enterprises and at this day it would doe no lesse if so be that God were feared better then hee is and that wee made a greater account of Christian religion then we doe Sertorius did make his Souldiers to beléeue that a tame Deare which he had did aduertise him of all things touching the pleasure of the gods which was cause that the Spaniards gaue too great credit vnto his words specially for that they beléeued that he knew their newes secretly before that they did themselues and as for those things that were doone farre from the Campe and those things that hee tooke in hande with an assurance to bring to passe hee made shew that he vnderstood them by the sayd beast Silla said that he had intelligence by an Image that he had out of the Temple of Apollo in Delphos which hee carried alwayes in his bosome when he entered into Battaile In the time of King Charles the seauenth in the warres which he had with the Englishmen was Iahane the maiden of Fraunce esteemed to bee a diuine person and euery one affirmed that she was sent from God but some wil say it was the King that inuented this policie to incourage the Frenchmen giuing them to vnderstand that God had a care of the realme and therewithall the King tooke great paines that the sayde Iahane might bee found veritable in her words and that the most part of her enterprises might come to good effect for the execution whereof shee armed hir selfe and was alwaies amongst the knights in the combate The Frenchmen were so encouraged through the trust that they had therin that from thenceforth the Englishmens force did diminish and theirs did augment Moreouer there may bee meanes found to make Souldiers to make but little accompt of their enemies which to doe Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians shewed vnto his Souldiers certaine Persians naked to the intent that they séeing the bodies of the saide Persians white and delicate should haue no occasion to feare them but to estéeme of them as softe and effeminate people Diuers good Captaines haue hetherto made their Souldiers to fight through verye force taking from them all the hope that they might haue to saue themselues if they should breake or séeke to escape otherwise then by the victory Agathocles helped himselfe by this means in Affrike and it is also the most surest to make Souldiers resolute which resolution will bee augmented through the confidence that they haue to get the victorie also through the loue that they doe beare vnto their Captaine Generall vnto their Prince which confidence procéedeth of that they are better armed or better ranged then their enemies and of their getting of some battaile of fresh memorie and likewise of the good opinion that they haue of their captaine Generall As for the loue which they do beare vnto their naturall Prince country it is nature that is cause of it as vertue is cause of the affection that Souldiers doe beare vnto their Captaine Generall which may doe much more in this matter then giftes or any other thing and although that a man may vse other meanes to win the hearts of men of war yet the reputation that a Generall Chiefe hath to be a valiant good man passeth all the other that may be thought vpon Concerning the constraining of an armie to fight against their wils may be in diuers manners notwithstanding that is the greatest which constraineth an armie to vanquish or to die in the field which is a fit remedie for those who fight not for the loue that they do beare vnto the Prince that dooth pay them nor for the confidence that they haue in their Generall Of which sorte are all the mercinaries properly who would neuer giue one only thrust with a Pike if they should not be forced therevnto or that it were not too great a shame for them not to do it as for any other cause they will neuer put themselues in danger wherfore it is most certaine that the seruice of those who fight for the loue of their naturall Lorde and their countrie is much better and more assured for besides this bonde of amitie they shall be renowmed to bee valiant men which is of no lesse value with them then force and constraint is with the other The order that a Lieutenant ought to keepe in martching through the enemies countrie and the maner howe to range a square Battailon with foure faces leauing an emptie place in the midst of it The 4 Chapter I Haue héertofore spoken of the maner that an hoast ought to keepe in giuing of a battaile and after what maner it ought to be gouerned hauing their enemies harde by them and also the manner how to vanquish them Moreouer I haue spoken of many circumstances appertinent to this busines wholly according vnto the accidents that might happen before the giuing of a battaile in fighting after the vanquishing of an enemie or the receiuing of an ouerthrow as I thinke I haue said so much therein that it were now time to change purpose and to shewe how foure such Legions as these which I haue ordained ought to be ranged in traueling although no enemies be seene when as a Leiutenāt Generall that hath foure such legions in charge is continually in doubt to be assaulted which may happen when as he marcheth through his enemies country or through a countrie suspect First of all we must vnderstand that the Romanes armie being in this case did alwaies send out certaine troopes of Horsemen far before their battailes for to discouer the
occupy 230. paces in breadth and 350. in length and the square that should be left empty in the midst should haue 110. paces in breadth and 230 in length Touching the raunging of these legions by themselues three bandes of Hastaries might make the fronte and the other two should be placed one band vpon the one Flanke and the other Bande vppon the other Flanke Likewise two bandes of the Princes might raunge themselues vpon the Flanks behind the other two bandes of the said Hastaries in a right line the third band should make the taile with the Triaries for by that means the space that one legion so ordred would occupie might bee 136. paces in breadth and 219. in length the space which is left empty in the midst should haue by this reckoning 16. paces in breadth and 99. in length This forme might serue as often as it should bee necessarie that the Legions should march through the countrie one after another or one alone not being accompanied with some good number of horsemen if so be that they would be prouided against the surprises and sodaine assaults of their enemies haue their sicke and hurt men and also their baggage out of daunger of the sayd enemies For that this manner of martching doth require that the way where it should passe should be large and euen and is also inuented but to withstand people that should assayle it without keeping order and at vnwares to the intent to put those that trauell into disorder if they could or at the least to make their hands with the baggage the chiefest remedie as I haue aboue said is to raunge the Souldiers in such order that they might defend themselues on euery side and also haue their baggage in a sure place for otherwise it would not be possible to defend it so well if it should bee without the battaile but that in martching and staying there might be much lost wherefore this order of martching for doubt of our enemies whom we see not is most necessarie And it would bee a most profitable thing to accustome our Legionaries to put themselues together and to martch in this order And vpon the way to take them out of this order and raunge them according vnto their first manner of battaile or like vnto the others which we haue shewed and immediatly to bring them againe into the order of martching that is here spoken of Moreouer to cause them to make the tayle of their battailes the head and the head the tayle and afterwards to make of either of the two flankes sometimes the one and sometime the other This done they may then be raunged againe in their first order and it shal be necessarie to exercise them often in these exercises if we will haue them to be right good and expert Souldiers for Militarie discipline is nothing else but to know how to begin and to execute the things aboue sayd wherein all Captaines and others that haue charge of the gouernment of Souldiers ought to take paines And I beleeue that an hoast so ordred should bee alwaies the vanquisher and could neuer at any time bee broken and vanquished If so bee that the formes aforesayd do seeme any thing hard it is most certaine that the difficultie will become easie enough by meanes of exercise Moreouer who so doth knowe how to raunge an hoast and to order them in these formes shall knowe the easier how to raunge and order an hoast in others which are not altogether so hard The order that a Lieutenant Generall ought to vse for the victualling of his armie and how the auncient Chiefes did vse their booties with diuers meanes that a Generall may vse to endomage his enemies and to keepe himselfe from surprise The 5. Chapter A Lieutenant Generall ought to haue a care so to prouide for his hoast that it might be frée of all incombrances as might bee possible and ought to looke into all those causes that might hinder the compassing of his enterprises Amongst all which there is none greater then this to weet to keepe a Camp furnished with bread and wine The auncient Chiefes were not carefull for wine for when the wine fayled them they dranke water mingled with a little vineger to giue it colour and sauour And amongst their prouisions for their hoasts there were no speeches made of wine but only to haue water and vineger Moreouer the auncient Souldiers had not their bread baked in ouens as we haue at this instant euery where but baked cakes themselues of a certaine quantitie of meale that was deliuered vnto them day by day out of the store and besides that a certaine quantitie of larde and this was all so that the victualls whereof the auncient Chiefes made their prouision for the sustentation of a Campe was only meale vineger and lard for the Souldiers and barley for the horses They had moreouer a great number of cattell both great and small that followed their Campes which cattell for that it needed not to be carted or carried nor likewise was fed with any thing that was carried was not chargeable nor troublesome vnto an armie which was the occasion in times past that their armies went many iournies through deserts and solitarie places without lacke of victualls for that they liued of victuall that might easely follow a Camp The Turke his Souldiers neede no wine because that their lawe doth forbid them to drinke it and also they go long without eating bread if so be that they may haue water and rice and seldome it is that they do suffer want for they carrie ordinarilie sackes full of poudered flesh minsed so fine that it seemeth to be a pouder and to eate this poudered flesh they take but a little at a meale and temper it in warme water and afterward sup it vp and so doe the sayd Turkes liue Moreouer if they haue great want of victuall the said flesh being spent they do let their horses bloud for they are almost all horsemen and do liue certaine daies with this bloud And if so be that the famine doe too much oppresse them they do kill their horses and eate them before they do forsake to do their Prince loyall seruice and the vttermost of their power which our delicate Souldiers will not do for they will very hardly serue one day without they bee in wine vp to the eares or full crammed readie to burst but when I say our Souldiers I meane those that are at this instant but not those that might bee leuied in Fraunce for that they might easely be made temperate enough so that the Chiefes themselues would giue them example and that they were not so much giuen vnto disordinate eating and drinking as they are The Scotchmen as sayth Froisard haue a very good manner to liue in time of warre for first of all they do carrie no prouision of bread and wine with them Moreouer they content themselus long time so that they may haue flesh but halfe
sodden which they do eate very well without bread and drinke water And moreouer they are not troubled with the carrying of kettles or pannes because that they do see the their flesh in the skinnes of beastes when they haue flayed them nor haue no care to carrie prouision with them because they are sure to finde in the countrie where they do pretend to make warre One thing they haue care of that is to carrie a plate of yron and a bagge of meale to the intent that when they feele their stomackes weake and féeble with the eating of too much rawe flesh they might comfort them with cakes which they do make after this manner They temper a little meale in a dish and cast their plate into the fire and when the plate is hot enough they do make little cakes of their paste and bake them vpon the sayd plate and by this meanes they do make great iournies to surprise their neighbours without rumour of their enterprises and without any great cost As for vs Frenchmen we will haue a regard not to liue so soberly what need soeuer there were for hardly wil we one houre indure the lacke of good wine or good bread nor of any other daintie no more then if we were at home in our owne houses and that euerie man were of abilitie to haue all that he desired And therfore our armies are quickly famished as well for that it is hard to make prouision for many daies of so many things as wee do require as also for the meruelous spoyle that are made of our prouisions when we haue them Wherefore we must reforme our hoasts after a new manner that is neuer to suffer men of warre to eate other bread then that they should bake themselues And in so doing it should be necessarie to furnish the sayd Souldiers euery man with a quantitie of meale whether it were by gift or in rebating it vpō their wages As for wine the General should not trouble himselfe to prouide any nor impeach the victuallers from bringing it aboundantly and yet he should vse no great diligence on his part to cause any to be brought vnto the Camp As for the other prouisions they may bee vsed altogether according vnto the auncient manner This doing all well considered you shall finde that a Lieutenant Generall shall free his armie of a most great charge and ease himselfe of a great burthen And to the intent that our Legionaries should finde the want of victualls to bee the lesse straunge vnto them if that they should lacke at any time and that they might passe at a neede without wine and choyse of meates I am of opinion that in going and returning from their musters they should be forbidden to drinke wine and to eate bread baked in an ouen and likewise the eating of flesh except lard whereof only I would cause prouision to be made at the places where they should passe lodge and for the rest they should carrie vpon their backs asmuch meale as should serue them during the voyadge if that they would eate for other prouision I would make them none of any thing Through this order the Souldiers would learne to suffer all necessities at a need the countrie should be eased and the Souldiers would not bee so readie to make quarrels and debates amongst themselues as they are when they haue great aboundance of victualls To treate of the booties that are gotten after the winning of a battaile or in going through an enemie his countrie or in getting any towne by assault or by the raunsoming of the towne or countrie where an armie doth passe and for prisoners that may bee taken first it shall not bee amisse to examine how the auncient Chiefes did gouerne their armies in the like busines And consider what is the cause that the warres at these daies do aswell impouerish the Princes that are vanquishers as those which are vanquished for that if the one do loose honor and any part of his lands the other doth spend his treasure and his goods which was not so in times past because that the vanquisher enriched himselfe alwaies with the goods and spoyles of his enemies and at this time we do make no such accompt of the booties which we do get as they did then but all is abandoned vnto the Souldiers which is cause of two great disorders the one is that which I haue spoken of touching the impourishing of a Prince and the other is that the Souldiers do become the more couetous to get and lesse carefull to keepe the orders of the warres For many times it hath béen seen that the couetousnesse of the pillage hath ouerthrowne the vanquisher as happened vnto the Frenchmen at Guyngate where the victorie was wholly ours if the French Archers had not giuen themselues vnto pillage which they payd for dearely for they lost all their liues there The Romanes who without doubt haue béen the maisters of this exercise did prouide wisely for these two inconueniences for it was ordayned amongst them that the bootie that was gotten should appertaine vnto the common vse and that the Consull should distribute it as he thought good in the name of the Senate and people And in this case they had Questors which were as we would say Treasourers into whose hands were assigned all the booties and raunsomes that were made wherewithall the Consull did helpe to pay his Souldiers to succour sicke and hurt men and to helpe to support the other charges of the hoast But yet the Consull might suffer his men to ransacke and they did it sometimes but it neuer caused any disorder for that their enemies hoast being ouerthrowne al the spoyle was placed in the middest of the armie and afterward it was distributed vnto euery man according vnto his qualitie and vertue which manner was cause that the Souldiers gaue themselues vnto the fight and not vnto pillage and also that the ordinarie bands raunged in the bodie of the Battailon did not pursue those that fled but continued fast in their rankes without daunger for the light armed men only had the charge to followe the victorie so that if the bootie should haue appertayned vnto those that did first gather it vp it had not béen possible nor agreeing vnto equitie to haue kept the battailons in order haue giuen others libertie to make their profite By this meanes the common treasure augmented merueilously and that was the occasion that a Consull carried so much treasure at his triumph hauing gathered it together of his booties and raunsomes The Romanes did also another thing with great consideration that was that the one third part of the wages that they gaue monthly vnto euery Souldier was deliuered into the hands of the Ensigne-bearer which he might not render vnto them agayne vntill such time as the warres were finished And this did they being thereunto mooued by two reasons the one was to the intent that the Souldiers might haue some profite
and to stop the passage which oft times doth happen I do knowe no better remedy therein then to imitate Caesar who hauing his Hoast at the edge of the riuer to goe into Auuergne perceiuing that Vercingenberix did kéepe the other side against him who had caused all the bridges to be broken so that by that meanes he could not passe He trauailed certaine daies alongst the said riuer waighting an opportunitie that might helpe him to passe but for that his enemyes marched on the other side of the riuer right against him to hinder him for passing Caesar could finde no meanes in certaine daies to do it vntill at length he found a place couered with trées where he lodged and in the morning he stayed in that place with part of his army and sent the rest to follow their way coasting the riuer as they did before and this he did to the intent to repayre a Bridge there which was broken but a fewe dayes before and when his enemyes were dislodged Caesar fell to worke for Vercingentrix thinking that the Romans had béen altogether continued his way and neuer perceiued Caesar his policy vntill the Bridge was layed and fortified Let vs also speake of the inclosing of an army betwixt two high Mountaines where there is but two issues to passe through to wéete that before the said army and the other that it is entred in at and let vs suppose that both these wayes the army being entred are ceazed vpon by their enemies and the tops of the Mountaynes also the best remedy in this case is to make a great ditch toward that issue that the army is entred at to the intent that their enemyes might thinke that it were done to stop those behinde them from assaulting them whilest they did assay to open the passage before them and to confirme theyr enemyes the better in this opinion they may make shewe to march forward to repulse those that keepe the passage before them and it will be a great chaunce but that both those that are behinde and those vpon the Mountaynes will make haste to succour the others at the place where they thinke that the army will seeke passage and if so be that they do forsake the place where the army entred there is no more to be done but speedely to make passage ouer the ditch and to returne that way that they are entred After this manner escaped Pericles from the Peloponesians Quintus Fabius Consull of Rome being inclosed in the Mountaynes of Genes not knowing how to get out except he might helpe himself with some policie sent a good company of his Numidian horsemen towards one of the straights that his enemies kept who at the first sight ranked themselues in battaile to keepe the passage against them but seeing that the Numidians did make no great shewe or to be of no great force to winne the passage and that they were in poore estate and their Horsses verie leane they made so little accoumpt of them that a great part of those that had the passage in charge went home and others stoode gaping vpon the Numidians expressely to sée them wherevpon the said Numidians perceiuing the euill order and little accoumpt that theyr enemies did make of them pricked their horsses all at once and charged theyr sayd enemies so violently that they passed through the straight and after that they were past they ranne vpon the countrey to spoile it so that their enemies were constrained to leaue the passage open for the sayd Consull and his men to reskue their owne goodes which the said Numidians did make spoile of Brasydas the Lacedemonian being assayled by a great number of Athenians did kéepe his men close vp together as néere as he could that his enemyes might the better enuiron him but séeing himselfe inclosed he charged with all his men vpon the weakest part of his enemyes and made them to make him way by force of armes Mark Anthony as he marched in retyring out of the countrey of the Parthians where Crassus had béene newly slaine seeing that his enemyes did assayle him ordinarily earely in the morning and skirmished and troubled him all day long vntill that he lodged and that then they let him alone and lodged themselues farre from his Campe to passe the rest of his way with the lesse trouble he determined one day not to dislodge vntill it was very late and did so wherevpon the Parthians being dislodged and séeing that the Romanes remained in their Campe thinking that they would not haue sturred that day returned againe vnto their lodging and Mark Anthony remoued immediatly after and had leisure ynough to march all the rest of that day without trouble In this place I must make mention of one thing which his souldiers did through his counsaile to couer themselues from the great number of arrowes that the Parthians did shoote amongst them that was as often as the said Parrhians did charge them they knéeled downe vpon one knée and those of the second ranke did lay their targets vpon the heads of those of the first ranke and those of the third vpon the heads of those of the second ranke and those of the fourth vpon the heads of those of the third and so following so that all the ranks were couered as if it had been vnder a roofe which manner might be obserued by our Legionaries by meanes of their targets if so be that at any time they were in danger of archers During the warres with the Englishmen Shields were in vse which at this instant would not be ill so that a Harquebusse could not pearce them for to haue one ranke of men that should carry them before the battailes to the intent that the first ranks of the battailes might continue whole when as they should come hand to hand with their enemyes I will not forget in this place this one rule of the science of the warres which is of great importance that is to make ouerture and passage for an enemy on some one side when as he is so inclosed that he can escape no way except a man haue some great aduantage of them for it is to be feared that they would do some great mischiefe seeing themselues out of hope for that all good Souldyers which do make theyr reckoning to dye but once will sell their liues so deare that the remembrance of it may continue long after and sometimes this desperation is cause of their safety that are in this danger because that then they do make of necessitie a vertue as the Englishmen did at the battaile of Poytiers where they were but a handfull of people inclosed by a great number of Frenchmen who would take no reasonable compositiō at their hands wherefore as men out of hope to escape from the place the said Englishmen stoode all vpon this resolution that it was more honor for them to be ouerthrowne in fighting vertuously although that they should all dye then to escape and to
endomaged and surprised A Generall may also make great destruction of his enemies in giuing thē occasion to eate and drinke disordinatly I meane hauing to do with those nations that are subiect vnto Wine He might make shewe that he dare not abide them and for a collour abandon his Campe which he might leaue in as great disorder as might be possible to the intent to dissemble his pretence the better and might leaue his bagage tents and all the rest in their estate and his Campe as well furnished with Wine and meates ready drest as he might possible to the intent that his enemyes entring after his departure might fill their bellyes with the victuals that his men had left and when as the said Generall shall thinke his said aduersaryes to be ouercome with Wine and sléeping like Beasts he may returne vpon them and ouerthrow them for it is to be presumed that hauing them at that point he might haue of them as good a market as he would himselfe Grimault King of the Lombards did once ouerthrowe the Frenchmen at Ast by this pollicie and many others haue vsed it For to deceiue the enemyes we ought oftentimes to change our manner of doing or if not often at the least sometimes I speake not of the order of the Battailes nor of the lodging of a Campe nor of other generalties but I speake of little small things which haue but small shewe a farre off and at hand do serue more then we thinke for as this of a certaine Captaine who to haue it signified that his enemyes marched through the countrey caused a signe to be made with fire by night and with smoke by day and knowing that his enemyes were aduertised of these signes and therefore were the more wary knowing that they were discouered wherefore to take them in the snare he was driuen to vse some pollicy which he did after this manner that is he appointed his people to make fire and smoke as well by day as by night without ceasing whether they sawe enemy or none and that when as they did sée the enemyes armye they should make neither the one nor the other This being ordained as I haue said was executed from point to point by those which had the charge and when as his enemyes were in the fildes the signes ceassed and thereby the Captaine of whome I make mention at this present knewe that his enemyes approched the which on the other part séeing the accustomed signes to faile thought they were come the watches not knowing and therefore they were so much the lesse carefull to march in good order whereas the said Captaine was wholly prouided and comforted in his busines waighting to charge vpon his enemies which he did ouerthrowing them quite and destroying thē vtterly Mennon of Rhodes finding no meanes to drawe his enemyes out of a most strong place that they were in to cause them to come to the Combat in an open place sent vnto the Camp of his aduersaries one of his houshold seruants vnder collour of a fugitine who gaue them to vnderstand that the people of the said Mennon were mutined together that for that cause the greatest part went away at that instant and to the intent that there might be the greater credit giuen vnto his words there were sent away certaine bands whome they sawe to depart from the said Campe and so vnderstoode that there was a great tumult which was done of purpose and being perswaded by the said fugitiue to take that opportunitie and moued through the disorder that they thought for a certaintie to be in the Campe of the said Mennon they were so euill aduised that they issued out of their strong place to assayle those who afterwards ouerthrew them There are many other pollicies to be vsed then these that I haue spoken of héerebefore that haue bin put in practise to hurt an enemy which I might haue inferred in this place as well as those that I haue spoken off The order that the Generall ought to keepe in the besieging of a Towne The 2. Chapter I Haue shewed before how townes suspected might sometimes happen to fall into our hands without striking stroke those whom we do mistrust But suppose that there are Townes not only suspected but also haue declared themselues to be enemies so that there is no remedie but to procéede against them in this busines by armes and to proue to conquer by force that which we haue failed to get by pollicie In this busines there are two meanes to be vsed the one is to ouercome the townes either by assault or by composition In the first we may likewise vse two other meanes to wéete force mingled with fraud or manifest violence I call it force mingled with fraud when we haue any intelligence with the souldiers of the garrison or with the Citizens by whose meanes we attaine to get or win a good part of the inhabitants or of the men of war who kéep the townes to enter into them the rest not knowing I tearme it to be manifest violence when as we assault a towne vnlooked for or at our first arriuall not staying whilst the Ordnance hath beaten the walls or when we do assault it after that there is a breach made As touching that point that the townes do fall sometimes into our hands by composition we must note that this composition is voluntary or forced Voluntary hath place when as a towne doth deliuer it self from the iurisdiction of one to giue it frée vnto another as Geneua hath done within these few yeares hoping to be better gouerned by the Switzers then she was by her Duke And Casall of Montferat called in the Frenchmen and gaue her selfe vnto the King desiring rather to be on his side then on the Emperours I knowe not vppon what consideration this said voluntary composition is grounded likewise when as a towne doth giue it selfe vnto a Prince to be mainteined against her enemyes as Genes did who gaue her selfe vnto King Charles the seuenth throwing her self into his armes to be defended from King Alphonsus of Naples who made her warres but because this péece doth nothing serue my purpose I will leaue it aside and will speake nothing of it Concerning forced composition either it proceedeth of the long siege that is kept before a place or through the courses which are continually made not besieging it neere by which courses the countrey is ouerrunne pillaged and destroyed and the goods of the inhabitants and of those that are retired thither if they be of the countrey and furthermore in keeping them subiect in such sort that they can not issue out of their gates without danger of their persons nor suffer victuals or any other prouision to enter without great difficultie for which cause the sayde inhabitants shall be constrayned to yéeld themselues and their towne vnto those which doe so hardly deale with them least they should be afterwards euill vsed Also townes sometimes yéeld
strong places round about it suffered the garrisons of the sayd places and all others to retire vnto Leucadie to the intent that the great multitude of people that retired thether should famish the towne the sooner Phalaris hauing had warres with certaine knights of Sicil fayning afterwards to bee friends with them gaue them certaine corne of his to keepe which was as he sayd remayning which corne he put into certaine Garners within their towne causing secrete holes to be made in the roofes of the sayd Garners whereby the rayne running into the corne might corrupt it vpon the trust of which corne the inhabitants sould their owne corne so much the better cheape but being besieged the yeare following finding the corne that the sayd Phalaris had giuen them to keepe to bee corrupted their owne spent he forced thē to do what he would With these policies the aforesayd Generall might helpe him selfe if they might fall out for his purpose and on the other part if he would make the besieged beleeue that he would not stirre from before their towne vntill he had his pretence he might imitate the examples following as Clearchus the Lacedemonian who being aduertised that the Thracians were retired vnto the mountaines hauing carried with them all things necessarie for their sustentation and that they hoped to bee deliuered from him by meanes of the famine which would constraine him to go his waies he commaunded that at the comming of certaine Ambassadours vnto him in the behalfe of the Thracians that some one of his Thracian prisoners should bee publikely slaine and that afterward he should be cut in small peeces which being done he sent these peeces into diuers quarters of his Campe in the sight of the sayd Ambassadours making shewe that it was the victuall wherewith he fed his Campe which inhumanitie being reported vnto the sayd Thracians made them so afrayd that they yeelded sooner then they would haue done imagining that the sayd Clearchus sought by all meanes possible to keepe himselfe long time in the countrie seeing that he fed his men with so execrable a meate Tyberius Gracchus hauing warres with the Portugalles besieging a certaine towne of theirs which vaunted that they were sufficiently victualled for ten yeares he aunswered them that he would haue them the eleuenth yeare wherewith they were so dismayed that they came to composition with him immediatly An enemie may also be perswaded that a siege should continue long by building of houses and lodgings which may hold out winter and sommer and by making of great prouision of victualls and building of Milles and Ouens to grinde corne and bake bread The Generall must seeke by al meanes possible to make the besieged afrayd and helpe himselfe with all the subtilties that might serue his turne specially with the same that Phillip vsed against a Castle which he could not take by force who caused a great quantitie of earth to be brought vnto the edge of their ditch by night making shewe that he mined for which cause those of the Garrison fearing that their place would bée pearced through in short time by the mine yéelded themselues incontinent Pelopidas besieging two townes that stood neere together being before the one commanded secretly that foure of his knights should come vnto him out of the other siege with the greatest ioy that they might possible and crowned as it was the manner of those that did bring any good newes and had giuen order that a wood that was betwixt both the townes should bee set on fire to the intent to make them beléeue that it was their neighbours towne that burnt And moreouer hee caused certaine of his owne men to bee apparelled and led like prisoners néere vnto the towne side that hee besieged wherefore the inhabitants thinking that the other aforesayd towne was taken doubting that the like miserie would happen vnto them if they did not yeeld gaue themselues ouer incontinent vnto Pelopidas who knewe that the other would do no lesse when as it sawe it selfe to be left alone A Generall may likewise cause a towne to bee assaulted on that side that it doth least doubt an assault beginning first to assault it on that parte that they doe keepe greatest watch He might alsso practise to intice them into the fielde if that there were no other way to vanquish them and do as many good Chiefs haue done in times past amongst whō Lucius Scipio in Sardaigne hauing besieged a most strong towne appoynted at a certaine time during the assiege that his men should make shewe to mutin and to bee in armes one against another for which mutins sake he fayned sodainly to flye and all his in disorder which being perceiued by the townes men they issued out at their heeles with a great power and went so farre after them from their towne that a certaine ambush which the sayd Scipio had layd neere vnto the towne had time enough to assault and take it for that there was not one soule that did defend it selfe Anniball being before a great towne placed a good number of his Souldiers in ambush néere vnto the sayd towne and hauing inticed the citizens out with a skirmish making shewe that he was not in safetie for them in his Campe he abandoned it suffering them to take it the townes men thinking that all was wonne seazed vpon his Campe besides those that were left within issued out both great and small thinking to haue their part of the pillage but when as they thought that they had woon all they lost al because that those that were in the ambush thrust themselues into their towne and tooke it easely for that there was no bodie in it to defend it Himilco likewise placed an ambush by night neere vnto a towne which he besieged called Agrigentum commaunding them that when as he had inticed the townes men out drawne them farre of that they should set certaine wood and other things on fire and issue out of their ambush and when the day came he offered them of the towne skirmish who issuing out vpon him chased him farre of for he would haue it to bee so Wherevpon the ambush put fire vnto the wood the smoake whereof was so great that the Agregentins thinking that it was their towne that was set on fire by some mishappe returned to saue their towne who best might fastest wherevpon the ambush presenting themselues before them and Himilco following them neere they got the townes men betwixt them and ouerthrewe them The Children of Israel vsed once this policie against the line of Beniamin To make short if all these subtilties can bring foorth no fruite the Generall may assay to ouercome them by making shewe to leaue them quite remoouing his hoast for in so doing perhappes the townes men will thinke themselues so sure that they will keepe but little watch or none at all wherevpon the sayd Generall may returne with all speede to assault them trauailing as much ground in one
night as he did before in foure daies I had forgotten to tell that in pretending to besiege one towne a Generall may make shew to besiege another to the intent that the towne that doth doubt nothing might vnfurnish it selfe of garrison for to helpe the other wherevpon that may be left which is furnished the other besieged that is vnarmed as the Lord of Lautrec did when as he approached néere vnto Milan who fayned that he cared not for Pauie although it was the towne that he sought for after that he was aduertised that the Countie of Belleioyense had sent part of his people vnto the succour of Milan and thereby to haue disarmed Pauie which he ought to haue better furnished and armed the said Lord of Lautrec placed his siege before Pauie tooke it easie enough But for to get out of this matter leauing all these subtilties a part I say that a Lieutenant Generall ought neuer to keepe the field nor an assiege so long as winter lasteth for it will be a great chaunge if it do not happen ill in the ende for that a winter siege wasteth and consumeth an armie whereas those within a towne are well lodged and do take no more care then they neede Moreouer the besiegers are at the mercie of the colde snowes raines and a thousand other persecutions so that there néedeth no other enemie but the wether it selfe to ouerthrowe them if the siege do continue any time besides in winter victuals can hardly be brought vnto a Campe for the difficultie of the waies waters if so bée it should come by land and if it should come by sea the tempestes and outrages which are more common in the winter then at any other time would hinder the bringing of it so that we must conclude that all things necessarie for the maintenance of a siege will then fall out ill for the besiegers Winter therfore is a most daungerous season for those that do keepe the Campe and of most aduantage for those that are besieged so that if they bee strong and can tarrie for a time conuenient they may raise the siege and ouerthrowe all or at the least giue the besiegers some scourges Also the Garrisons of the other townes and forts that are in the countrie may be in short time assembled to charge the sayd Campe of whome in mine opinion they might haue as good a market as they would wish forasmuch as the sayd Garrisons are fresh and rested men and the others are pined and halfe dead with famine The like may happen vnto those that do keepe the fielde or do martch from place to place in an enemie his countrie in the winter for that ill wether will consume them in short time if so be that they lodge without doores and for to lodge them couered they shall be forced to seperate themselues in villages here and there and being assaulted when as they are so lodged they may bee ouerthrowne easely In fine the best way for a Generall is to retyre his men into townes when as winter doth come and to go into the field about the last of March and to keepe the field vntill the last of October the countries might be such where the wars should be made that the moneths of Iuly and August would be asmuch to be feared by reason of the extreame heate that it doth make in some regions as the most coldest winter that might be for these two extremities are not to be indured for either of them may be causes of many great sicknesses and euills who so doth not prouide for it Wherefore the Generall must haue a care to ende his warres before winter And being constrayned to keepe his armie in the field in a very hote countrie he must alwaies plant his Camp in such places where it might be couered with trees and watred with springs to refresh his Souldiers And moreouer lodge them housed if it were possible to keepe them from the heate But this matter hath lasted long enough specially for that mens wittes at these daies are so quicke that they do prouide of themselues for al things that are necessarie in such like cases I do but only say that if the Generall do get a towne by composition that he ought to keepe all the articles that haue béen agreed vpon betwixt him those of the towne from poynt to poynt for in doing otherwise he should neuer finde towne or man that would giue him credit or trust his promise afterward but they would do all that they could imagine before that they would fall into his hands As I do say he ought to keepe his promise vnto those of a towne that doth yeeld so meane I that he should keepe it vnto all others after that he hath once passed his word vsing towards all those that he doth conquer as great lenitie and méekenes as he may possible and aboue all things to eschue crueltie because that the true office of a conquerour is to pardon and to haue pitie vpon the conquered yet reason would that this pardoning should be done with aduise least he do giue them an occasion to begin the warres againe at their owne appetites For oftentimes the clemencie of Captaine Generalles of hoasts is so great that they do pardon all those whome they do conquer and all those that haue offended which facilitie in pardoning doth cause them ofttimes to commit newe offences for that they doe looke to bee receiued whensoeuer they should yéeld In such cases me think there ought a meane to be vsed somtimes some one ought to bee chastened to make others to bee afrayd specially those which do reuolt without cause I doe say moreouer that they ought likewise to bee chastened that are so foole hardie that they dare defend a place which is not defenceable and but a doue house hoping to be receiued vnto mercie at all times causing vpon this hope a great quantitie of prouision to bee spent and an armie to spend time for a thing of no value I say that such ought to be vsed somewhat rigorously so wee do reasonablie well at this day for their least punishment is to bee married vnto the Gallies for euer yet some doe vse it more gratiously then others of whome the Countie of Tende is one who might haue vsed prisoners more rigorously then he did but it is not sayd that faults should bee alwaies punished according vnto their deserts specially if he that hath fayled bee otherwise a man of vertue nor likewise that great harts should not shewe their greatnes many waies specially to pardon a fault that toucheth them perticularly as the sayd Countie did the offence of a certaine Captaine which he tooke in one of his fortresses in Piemont whome he vsed alwaies so courteously that the remembrance of that clemencie ought not to bee forgotten and for that cause I haue inferred it in this place But the crueltie that a Lieutenant Generall ought to flie is
as neither sort of bullets do exceede the one halfe of the number of Iudges because that some perhaps might require that the matter might bee better looked into in which case the iudgement shall be referred vntill the next day or two daies after In the meane while the Prouost and his Counsaile shall precisely ouersee the euidences to see if there were any poynt that were not well verified to the intent to put the inditement in good order and take from the Iudges all occasions of prolonging iudgement If the prisoner be released there is no more to be done but that he may returne vnto his lodging when as he will But if so be that the matter be deferred vntill another day the Colonell shall appoynt the day and houre when the Counsaile shall méete againe at which day and houre the prisoner shall be brought againe by the Prouost This delay of saying that the matter is not euidently enough prooued may bee vsed three times and not aboue and then the Seriant maior shall giue but two sorts of bullets to weet those two that do release or condemne but if he be condemned so that there be 19. bullets or more marked with C the Colonell shall immediatly pronounce that the prisoner is condemned then the Seriant maior shall set the two emptie pots at the Colonell his feete as before and shall giue foure bullets vnto euery one of the Iudges vpon the one of which bullets shall be a great S which shall signifie for to smite off his head vpon another shall bee a great G which shall signifie that he hath deserued the gallowes vpon the third there shall be a great P which shall signifie to passe the Pikes vpon the fourth shall be an H which shall signifie that the prisoner shall be shot to death with Harquebuziers wherevpon the Iudges shall put the bullets of their opinions which sort of death they do thinke the crime hath deserued into the pot appoynted and if there were more bullets found in the pot marked with S then with any one of the other letters the prisoner shall haue iudgement to haue his head to bee smitten of Likewise if there were more bullets marked with P then with any other letter the prisoner shall bee iudged to passe the Pikes and so likewise of the others which iudgement shall bee first registred in wrighting and afterwarde pronounced by the Colonell And if so bée the prisoner should loose his head or bée hanged he shall bée deliuered vnto the Prouost to bee executed And if so bée that he should bee condemned to passe the Pikes or bée Harquebuzzed hée shall bée deliuered vnto the Seriants of the bande for this execution appertayneth vnto Souldiers And if this execution were the first that were made in the Legion the Souldiers of the first band should do it and the other executions must bée done afterwards by the other bands euery one in his turne After this manner must bee proceeded as often as any man shal be condemned to dye and more precisely if it were possible and after the sentence pronounced it shal be necessarie to proceed vnto the execution immediatly without shewing mercie vnto any man whosoeuer it were For if one offender shall be pardoned the Souldiers would afterwards haue the lesse care to refraine from offending And likewise if any man were attainted of crime and should suffer death for the same he would take it the more impatiently for that mercie should be vsed vnto some and not vnto others Concerning the manner of procéeding in appeales in these cases which do not concerne death it shall suffice that all the summons be made publikely except the last but for to iudge any man vnto death we must proceed secretly as I haue sayd which neede not to bee so handled when as the fault doth not deserue so haynous a punishment for in such cases a man may declare his opinion openly and speake his mind with out vsing of bullets Concerning the punishment of the horsemen that appertaineth vnto their Captaine and the punishment of the Captaines vnto their Generall who likewise is vnder the iustice of the King his Lieutenant whilest they are in the warres or elsewhere vnder his charge or else if it be in time of peace the ordinarie Iustice of the countrie will looke into them reseruing the qualitie of their estates in which case my Lords the Marshals of Fraunce will looke to haue a saying vnto them but being in Campe or elsewhere vnder the charge of the Lieutenant Generall the Iustice of euery Captaine of an hundred men of armes ought to punish his owne men and for default therof the Generall might be complained vnto A Captaine of an hundred men of armes may chuse certaine of his own officers to assist him in his iudgements if he will and may vse his owne authoritie or lot which he thinketh best without calling any other assistance vnto him but his owne members who at the least ought to bee called yet men of warre do with greater patience suffer punishmēt when as they do see that many Iudges are assembled to iudge them then when as they are wholly referred vnto three or foure And if that they do vse lots the manner before shewed neede not to be greatly altered because there are Chiefes amongst the horsemen aswell as amongst the footmen of which Chiefs there may be a certaine number taken to haue the hearing of the matter and the Marshall that is appoynted to lodge the horsemen must execute the office of the Prouost aswell for to informe as to accuse and moreouer the execution must be done by the Captaine Generall of the horsemen his Prouost or by themselues in the selfe-same manner that the footmen do for as the one sort haue Pikes so the other haue Launces and either of them haue Harquebuziers but I will not stand longer vpon this matter but will shew that the manner of procéeding in iudgement with bullets hath two good considerations in it The first is that neither the Colonell nor Captaines haue authoritie to iudge alone The other is that those that do iudge do not speake their opinions publikely but with silence do signifie their opinions by a bullet which two manners me thinke are very good better then to giue authoritie wholly vnto the Colonells or Captaines to iudge according vnto their owne willes and without information as they might sometimes do through hatred or fauour Moreouer if a prisoner should be set at libertie or condemned by a small number of Iudges those that should skanne vpon the matter might sooner haue an euill opinion of a small number then of a great and the common Souldiers would exclaime that their right were ouerthrowne because there should bee no bodie on their sides to maintaine it for which cause I haue appoynted a certaine number of Deceniers who haue a more familiaritie with the common Souldiers and a greater authoritie to speake vnto the chiefest then the common
helpe that it would be impossible if the matter were once set abroach and put in question but that it would haue good successe and for to make the matter the more easy this realme is so well furnished with experimented wise and wellwilling men that there wanteth nothing to set vp this arte incontinent but the setting of them aworke and shewing them the manner how to exercise those small things that appertaine therevnto wherefore there is no more to do but to make a leuy of men after the manner that I haue shewed or after a better and immediatly to commit them vnto the charge of those that are fittest and do best vnderstand this busines for to traine them and if the matter were so handled you may be sure as you do well vnderstād that this discipline well exercised would restore vs vnto the reputation that we haue lost through our negligence and besides that you should get an immortall fame for your trauell Moreouer my Lord if I did not knowe the great affection that you haue borne of long time vnto this reformation I would enforce my self to perswade you therevnto at this instant but knowing that it would be but folishly done of me to trouble you with a matter that you so greatly desire I wil but only remember you for the spéedy effecting of your desire to the intent that we might yet one day haue amongst vs the manner valew aduantage that a well ordered hoast hath aboue an hoast that is ill ordered to do vs seruice chiefely against the enemies of our faith if so bee that the King would take any voyage in hand against thē as euery man hopeth that he will do or if so be that he would attend vntil that they should assaile vs at home as it is to be feared that they will doe if that our Lord GOD doe not put to his helping hand which were a thing very néedfull for vs as for vs to thinke that we could resist them with our accustomed manner of warre we should deceiue our selues séeing they do farre excell vs in power discipline and except we do reforme our naughty manner of liuing it were nothing for euery man knoweth that they are the iust scourge of God by whome he will punish vs for the grieuous faults which we do commit But this amendment will be found to be a hard matter with those that are accustomed to liue at their owne pleasures and yet it is nothing else but the custome that we haue taken in it notwithstanding the first is easie if so be that we would take a little paines in it and the last is not impossible if that we would imitate the Lord Camille Vrsin who hath so well amended and reformed the Italyans that are vnder his charge for the Venetians in Slauony whose manner of liuing before was too manifest corrupt as it is well knowne that of all the nations that do haunt the warres there is none so excéeding vitious as the Italyans are commonly that of such as I say they were he hath brought them into so good order that the worst amongst them may be compared with any of the best religious that we haue in our Monasteries And to say truth it is the miracle of our time for both the act which he hath done and the victories they haue gotten may rightly be tearmed to be wonders I do say that our men are neither of stéele nor stone more then his were but that they may be brought vnto a maner of good life aswell as they so that we had another Camille amongst vs or that the Captains who should haue the charge of these men would do their indeuour to imitate him as néere as they might and for this cause haue I made mention of him in this place as also to shew that it would not be impossible to reforme a great many of our souldiers to wéet those that are least hurtfull so that euery one of the Chiefes would first reforme himselfe for his owne part and moreouer did proceed in his busines for another and better intent then they do that go to the warres at this day But I now go without my bounds and in stead of dispatching do intangle my selfe further then euer before and do borrowe a new occasion for euill speakers to reproue me specially for that I do speake of matters at my owne pleasure willing this and that to be done as if it were in me to appoint or that I were better then other men which I am not and therefore it is the worsse wherefore not to detaine you longer with words nor to wéery you with rehearsals which I do feare more then the toongs of those that would cut me through I wil take my hand from this worke for it is time besieching you my Lord Constable to take my defence in hand against those that will after diuers manners controule this Booke and will make their laughing stock of it in your presence reprouing here one thing and there another as the most part of people do at this day whē as any new thing doth light into their hands chiefely if it do come from the forge of any one that is of their acquaintance or of their profession as I am sure that more then foure that are about you will do who would be very sory if they should not speake their rablement rather in euill part then in good if there should be any of these of whome I speake I appeale from their iudgement from henceforth and at this instant vnto you for to mainteine my right I do cast in their teethes the honest desire that I long time haue had to do or to wright somewhat that might please you which hath moued me to take this matter in hand as a thing most agreeable vnto you and therfore sith it is you who haue caused me to take this worke in hand there is no reason that you should excuse me of the fault that I haue committed in it or contrarily that I should defende mine innocencie against all those find faults that would wrongfully reprooue me whome it shall please you to forbidde not to enter into the reading of thys worke for to dispute nor to correcte my sayings except they haue written better of this matter then I haue done or that you do estéeme them to be of the number of those that haue perfect knowledge in militarie discipline for I do consent and permit all those with a good will to reproue me fréely and to teare out at their pleasure all that they do finde to be ill penned and contrary vnto their opinion and it shall be so farre from me to be displeased for any thing that they shall blot or teare out of the booke were it a great part or all as if I might knowe their names I would giue them thanks and also accoumpt my selfe to be greatly beholding vnto them for the honour they had done me in declaring their opinions vpon a
at Hauens and Roades where a Fléete of Ships may be harboured and haue commodious landing in which places because the grounds may be of diuers natures for this purpose I will shewe the manner of fortifieng in all sorts of grounds and the commodities and discommodities that a fort may haue of the place where it standeth in The manner of fortifying in all sorts of grounds and the commodities and discommodities a Fort may haue of it scituation The 2. Chapter WHo so shall fortifie in playne ground may make the Fort he pretendeth of what forme or figure he will and therefore he may with lesse compasse of wall enclose a more superficies of ground then where that scope may not be had Also it may be the perfecter because the angles that do happen in it may be made the flatter or sharper Moreouer the ground in plaines is good to make ramperts of and easie for cariage but where water water wanteth the building is costly and chargeable for that a Fort scituated in a dry playne must haue déepe ditches high walles great bulwarks large ramparts and caualieros besides it must be great to lodge fiue or sixe thousand men and haue great place in it for them to fight ranked in battaile It must also haue countermines priuie ditches secret issuings out to defende the ditch casmats in the ditch couered wayes round about it and an argine or banke to empeache the approach will require great garrison much artillerie powder victuals and other things necessarie for the kéeping and mainteining of it is subiect to mynes and to caualieros may be surprised skaled battered and assaulted on euery side and may be kept besieged with forts men horsse and artillerie Where water may be found the fort may be the lesse and needeth not the ditches so déepe as in dry ground for it will be frée from surprise skale and myning and being battered the assault will be troublesome for that one man standing vppon firme ground may resist fiue vpon a bridge boat floate or such like Moreouer the fort standing neere vnto any riuer may receiue great commodities of it for the bringing of things necessarie vnto it both for making and mainteining of it and it may haue the riuer turned into the ditch to skowre the ditch of any thing that may be cast into it and the same may also be kept vp with stuses within the fort to drowne the ground about it and in those lowe places which abound with water an enemy can hardly couer himselfe from the fort Betwixt these two scituations there are diuers opinions helde some commending dry ditches alleadging that by a dry ditch a fort may receiue reliefe the ruine that a batterie maketh may be taken away and any thing that an enemy may cast into the ditch to fill it may be burnt by the sallies that may be made out of a dry ditch an enemy may be charged in his trenches on euery part which may serue the turne for a while but these consider not the counterscarpe being wonne the benefit and vse of the ditch will be taken away by the artillerie and harquebusserie of the enemy nor that of those three meanes wherewith a wall may be breached to wit the Cannon myne and mens hands water hindereth the putting in practise of two of them The discommodities that proceede of water are these in hoate Countreys standing water engendreth infectiue ayres and in colde Countreys it freeseth that men horsse and artillerie may passe ouer In fortifying amongst hilles make choise of those that are like piramides or that haue no ground of equall height with the superficies of their tops more then the fort and the ditch will occupy to the intent that from the Fort an enemy may be impeached the assent of the hill For which consideration the fortifier shall be oftentimes constrained to make the Fort greater then it were néedfull it should be and ofttimes with great circuit of wall shall enclose but a small superficies of ground but being so placed it néedeth no great place in it nor royall defences as great Bullwarks Flanks or Ramparts because it will not be subiect vnto batterie but will be assured through the valley and hanging of the hill which will giue an enemy trouble in lodging trenching taking away the defences batterie and assault and being myned the effect might happen to little proffit for the inequalitie of the ground Besides if the defenders should charge their besiegers the one quarter of the Campe could not succour or be succoured of the other Or if the defenders should be enforced to retire they might do it with aduantage ynough hauing most commonly a higher ground to repaire vnto but when that choise may not be had but that the superficies of the hill top be more then the Fort may occupy then must he choose the higher part of the hill placing the Fort that so great part of it may enioy the benefit of the hanging of the hill as possible may and towarde the other part of the same build as in a dry playne for as part in respecte of the valley vnder it may enioy the benefite of the hilly scituation so part in respect af the equalitie of the ground without it vppon which an enemy may lodge trenche myne batter and assault especially if the grounde may be broken with Spade Pickaxe and such like is subiect to all those discommodities that a Fort scituated in a dry plaine A Fort scituated among Mountaines can hardly be kept besieged with fortes men horsse and artillerie but those fortes that are scituated vpon hills and mountaines are troublesome to make for the difficultie of bringing of stuffe to the place are subiect to surprize suffer oft times great penurie of water and oft times are troubled with great raynes which séeking issue do cause ruyne of their walles A Fort scituated in a lake néedeth no great defences as great bulwarks ramparts caualieros nor large flanks because it is frée from batterie and assault but through the euill aire of the lake it will oft times be besieged of it selfe Besides an enemy may easily besiege it in placing Forts where it hath recourse to the land and procéede on hys voyage assuring himselfe that the Fort must come into his hands for as it is hard to be aborded so it is to receiue succour and able to do an enemy but little hurt Of Forts placed vppon small riuers is sufficiently spoken before and those that stand vpon great riuers may partly be compared with those in lakes but where they may be approched their defences must be great are free of the infectiue aire which the lake oft times yéeldeth may better receiue succour and giue an enemy great trauell in the assiege A Fort scituated in the Sea is not only free from batterie and assault because the batterie that may be made at Sea is feeble weake and vncertayne by reason of the Seas continuall motion but also is free from besieging not