the very art of warre And as for the power of their Machines and ballisters it was also greater then that of our Cannons and of our musket-shot only they were as I have said before more combersome because their great Rams required two hundred men to mannage them and their ballisters four or six men and six Cannoniers with their six mates and four and twenty matroses will mannage six Cannons mounted upon a plat-forme and every one of our souldiers can mannage a musket and notwithstanding this advantage they excelled us in the art of warre CHAP. IIII. Of the true use of the Art of Fortification THis Art was invented at the first to preserve a handfull of men against the oppression and cruelty of a multitude for according to the rules of it a Garison Town is not sufficiently fortified except one hundred men within it can oppose a thousand assailants without and a thousand ten thousand that is one defendant against ten assailants but it is with this caution that the place besieged be provided with a competent number of men ordnance ammunition arms victuals and a Magazine furnished with all manner of fire-works morter-pieces engines of warre ladders and pioneers tools for if any of these necessaries be wanting this Garison will not subsist against a lesser number then is here spoken of But the Committees and Governours of our Garisons are for the greater part so carelesse of these things that few or none of our Garisons are provided of victuals for a moneth and of ammunitions arms fire-works ladders and pioneers-tools so sleightly that the first assault would deprive them of all their store nay I have been in a Garison so ill provided that in their timber-yard there was not so much good timber as to make a draw-bridge nor a ladder nor barrows to be had when occasion did require to use them but was enforced to stay while they were made Now how such a Garison could subsist against an active army if it were besieged I leave it to the judicious Reader to judge of it But our enemies are more provident witnesse the long resistance of Basing of Latham-house of Carlile of Skipton and Scarborrow-Castle and now of Chester 2. It was invented to preserve a small Army in the field against a great and powerfull army or of an army against three armies As l See Caesar Comment of the warre of Africa Caesar did preserve himself and the small army he had with him in Africa against the three powerfull armies of King Juba of Scipio and of Labienus and by his great experience in this Art did overthrow them all more by the spade and pickax then by his sword And one of the main secondary causes of the spining out of this unnaturall warre hath been that our Commanders in chief have neglected to make use of this noble Art that Caesar himself did not disdeign to practise for he often lined out the intrenchments of his own Camp and would draw upon paper the models of the Forts or Engines of warre that he would have his Enginiers to set out and have made And for the erecting of bridges over m See Caesar Commentary in the warres of Gaul Rivers and raising of high mounts and plat-forms to place high wooden Towers and his Machines of warre he excelled all his Enginiers as may be seen in his Commentaries by the strong and stately bridge that he erected over the Rhine when he past over into Germany which bridge he fortified with four Forts and rare intrenchments to secure his return into France leaving for the defence of them one of his Legions and for the raising of incredible Towers Mounts and Plat-forms and for the setting out of an intrenched Camp with a double line of Communication I will referre the Reader because I shall have occasion to speak of it in another place to the siege of Alexie in France where we may see his admirable industry and skill in this Art But we have shamefully been inforced sundry times to raise our sieges for want of an intrenched Camp as at Newark Dudley Castle Pomfret-Castle Banbury-Castle and Dennington-Castle and in all these by an handfull of men whereas if we had beâ—â— in an intrenched Camp an Army six times as great could not have forced us to a retreat Therefore to besiege Towns or Castles of any moment without an intrenched Camp except we come to a generall and furious storme the next day after our Army hath faced the same it is properly to spin out this war wittingly and for to receive rather an affront then to obtaine a victorie or honour and reputation 3. It was invented to erect strong holds upon the Frontiers of a State or Kingdome to prevent the incursions of a forraine Enemy that might with a great Army come like a roaring floud that throwes downe all the river banks into the verie heart of a Kingdome without opposition and by meere activitie conquer the same as the Duke D'Alva conquered for the King of Spain as unjustly as suddenly the Kingdome of * See the Historie of Spain in Ferdinand and Isabels Raigne Navar under pretext to passe thorow that Kingdome to go against the French King then in Languedock And the essentiall cause of this great losse came by the negligence of the King of Navar that had not provided as he should have done with men Ammunition and victualls his Frontier Garrison Townes 4. It was invented to preserve mens habitations and the Suburbs of Corporations and not for to burne or pull them downe as many of our Enginiers have done in these dayes to their shame and guilt of conscience For if an Enginier to comply with those in authoritie or with the selfe-conceited men of a Garrison assent to pull downe Suburbs or small Hamlets that are joyned to their Corporations except they are suddenly and certainly in danger of a Siege it argues that hee is either unskilfull in his profession or voyd of all Christian charitie and naturall humanitie for by the experience of his Art or alteration of his method of Fortification he may preserve these Suburbs or Hamlets to the great advantage of the Town or of another Fortification and so dispose of his works that he may secure them and yet the Corporation shall rather need fewer men to man their works then it would require when these Hamlets are pulled downe This hath been the case of Leicester for had they not rejected a good counsell they might assuredly have been preserved by a larger Line of Communication then there was by halfe a mile for this Line might have been defended with three hundred men lesse then that they made for the which they were enforced to pull downe many honest mens houses and draw a true imputation of inhumanitie upon themselves for what greater inhumanitie could these poore soules expect from their cruell Enemies then to see their houses burned or pulled downe And by this instance you may see how
all these fore-named moderne Commanders * See the siege of Ostend were but weak imitations of the noble and unparalleld actions that he did execute and perform at the siege of Alexie in France * See his Commentarie as the master-peece of this admirable Souldier Now if any should presume to inquire the reasons why God was pleased to be larger in dispensation of his gifts to Caesar then to any of the greatest Christian Commanders hee being but a Heathen I answer That it was his free will and pleasure and that it is not for us to dive into his private and unrevealed will yet wee may suppose in all humilitie that it was his pleasure to inrich Caesar with these unparalleld parts of the Art of war to make him the instrument of the greatest revolution that ever happened in the world for the three former revolutions of the three Monarchies of the Caldeans Persians and the Greeks were nothing in comparison of this last revolution that Caesar was the maine instrument of to reduce the greatest and most powerfull Common-weale that ever was under the absolute command of one man And by this meanes to accomplish the Prophecies of the Prophet Daniel that prophesied many hundred yeares before See Daniel chap. 7. ver 17 that the Roman Monarchy should excell the other in might and power We may conjecture that he was pleased to have the instrument of so great a work to excell all others in the Art of war as this last revolution did excell the former And wee may also collect by the Commentaries of Caesar that the finger of the admirable Providence of God had the ruling of all his actions for it is beyond humane reason or beleefe that fiftie thousand men should pen up fourescore thousand in Alexie and rout and defeat one hundred and fourescore thousand more that came to their releefe Or overcome with a handfull of men as he did the great Kingdome of Aegypt and defeat so many great Commanders joyned together in Africa and Spaine To conclude the point God under Caesar was the Author of all the segreat actions and so hee is of all our moderne Commanders exploits yet wisdome valour activitie and experience in Armes are the secondarie causes of their great atchievements and these rare qualities are as much required to be in a Commander in chiefe that will excell others in this Art of Assailing that we are to speak of as in any other essentiall part of the Art of war Now since the erecting of strong and well-lined works are but a part of the Art of defence that will availe little except the Governour of a Garrison thus fortified be provident valiant and experienced in the practicall Art of war to make the better use of these works I will in the next Chapter set out the charge of a prudent Governour before I come to the particulars of the Art of Assailing Because this Art and the Art of Defence are like two inseparable twins that are to go hand in hand together for it is impossible to assaile judiciously except the Assailant be experienced in the Art of Defence or for a Defendent to defend a place as hee ought except hee be versed in the mysteries of the Art of Assailing to prevent in either of them what may bee done by the Assailants or Defendents CHAP. XXXII Of the charge and qualities of a prudent and experienced Governour 1 HE is to be well-affected to the party he stands for his owne interest rather inducing him to it then otherwise and faithfull and diligent in his place for upon his fidelity valour and experience in Armes Of the parts of a Governour depends the safety of a County nay sometimes the welfare of a Kingdome for the losse of a well-seated Garrison indangers a State more then the losse of an Army and therefore it behoveth a Prince or a State to be verie circumspect in the choice of a Governour if the place assigned to him be a frontier Garrison Of the choice of a Governour it matters not if he be of great descent and allied with great families for when they are such upon the least discontent they are apt to foment civill discords neither is he to be of a low descent but a Gentleman by birth and by merit whose valour and fidelity makes him to deserve such a place he is to be of competent meanes borne in the same County and allied to men of repute and abilities and trained from his youth in Armes and such a man is reputed amongst States-men the fittest for such a place 2 He is to be of an approved conversation Of his manners and disposition honourably inclined no swaggerer nor a vanting rover but temperate in all his actions not over young to be seduced or missed nor over old to avoid heavinesse feare and apprehensions infirmities incident to old men but in the flower of his age from forty to threescore that he may be active provident and vigilant and well acquainted with all things that appertaine to his charge 3 He is to be well versed in Histories and to be adorned besides his naturall parts with divers acquired vertues and qualities but above all he is to have a practicall knowledge of all the essentiall parts of the Art of Warre that he may know how to assaile and to defend places how to Martiall his men both horse and foot how to advance and how to retreat for if he hath not been present in great battells in famous sieges in routs in great batteries in stormes and assaults he will be terrified or astonished upon any unexpected accident 4 He is to be free from avarice oppression drunkennesse licentiousnesse and from all impiety He is to be free from vices and adorned vvith vertue and adorned with the opposite vertues to these vices sincere in Religion and rather fervent then of the Laodicean temper temperate and moderate frugall and yet charitable punctuall in his promises cherishing valour and punishing cowardice a loving father to his souldiers relieving them in their need rather then to detaine or deprive them of their pay by wiles or collusions 5 He is to be acquainted with the ancient and the moderne Military Laws and with the Civill and Politike Statutes He is to be learned and versed in the Militarie and Politique Lavves and Ordinances to decide all controversies that may happen between the souldiers of his Garrisons and the Countrey-people or the Inhabitants of it he is also to love as his owne life the place where he hath been assigned and to procure the good and the welfare of the Inhabitants and of all honest and religious people that sojourne there and to have especiall care of the preservation of it having alwaies in mind that his life honour and reputation depends upon the safety of it 6 He is to provide his Garrison of all necessaries for a siege He is to be provident in the repaire of the vvorks
twenty foot broad for if they have but courage they will undoubtedly take the same And for the Defendants they are not to wast their men and Ammunition in ridiculous sallyes but to bee watchfull and valiant to oppose the assailants in a generall storme for if they can beat them off twice or thrice they will free themselves from their â—ury But if the works of a Garrison be regulary and lined out according to Art and well flanked with upper and lower flanks having the Rampiars and Brest-works of Cannon proof and twenty or thirty foot high with a graft of twenty foot deep and forty foot broad besides the small ditch called La cunette with a good Contre escarpe having a brest-work of six foot high with a foot-step going round about the inward work and well manned and provided with Ordnance and Ammunition then is the Generall or Commander in chiefe that undertakes to besiege such a Garrison to intrench himself in such an intrenched Camp that is demonstrated in Plate 24. and by degrees to make his approaches both open and private to break into the Contre escarpe and to beat to dust the defendants flanks by his batteries that he may cast his Galleries over the mote and set his Miners at work to blow up by Mines the Point or Faces of the Bastions to come to a generall assault for otherwise he will but spin out the time and at last come off with little honour and reputation CHAP. XXXV Of the entrenched Camp demonstrated in Plate 24. TO besiege such a strong hold to some purpose marked in this figure by the letter A. that the Generall or Commander in cheife of an Army that undertakes such a siege may come off with honour he is in the first place to entrench himself in four * The first operation of the ten that are to be done in a fiege large quarters of a continent convenient and proportionable to his Army if it exceed not foure thousand horse and twelve thousand foot the dimensions of these foure quarters marked in this figure by the letter B. will as I conceive be sufficient if it be greater or lesse his Enginers are to encrease or to diminish the Continent of it For we have found by experience in this unnaturall civill warre of ours that to besiege strong holds without an intrenched Camp * One of the causes of the spining out of this unnaturall warre is wittingly and wilfully to spin out this war because it is an easie thing for an experienced and active Commander to beat up and put to rout a quarter of our Armies as they lye open and that are at so great a distance one from another as ours commonly doe it hath been the overthrow of divers of our forces before Newark Pomphret Dennington Banbury and Dudley Castle and the tedious spinning out of the reducing of Basing and Latham house Besides they exhaust the meanes of the Kingdome for a Garrison begerted with a circulary intrenchment will be sooner reduced in a month then another will be in six that is besieged as we have done hitherto For instance How had it been possible for * See Caesars Commentaries of the warres of Gaul lib 7. Caesar to have penned in fourscore thousand fighting men in the great city of Alexie and to defeat an Army of one hundred and fourescore thousand more that came to their releife with his small Army of fifty thousand men at the most if he had not doubly entrenched himselfe against the town and against the great Army that came to raise the siege And yet some will maintain that we excell in these dayes the ancient Romans in the Art of warre But it is not so for the French or Gaules were then a Warlike Nation and their Generall Vercingentorix was a very resolved and valiant Commander but it was by the Art of Fortification and the excellent military discipline of the Roman souldiers with the great activity and the experience in Armes of * Caesars works and Carriage before Alexie in Erance Caesar that brought to passe in so short a time such incredible things for he inclosed Alexie with a double entrenched Camp with a ditch of twenty foot broad and twenty foot deep without a slope and erected a Rampiar of twelve foot high and twenty foot thick beside a brest-work having at every fourescore paces a distance high wooden Towers to secure his Archers and to discharge his Balisters against the Assailants and the exterior of these entrenchments was at the least twelve English miles compasse and the inward entrenchment could not be lesse then eight English miles circumference as may be supposed by the Continent of the city of Alexie You may see how much it availeth to be in a double intrenched camp since it was able to billet fourescore thousand fighting men besides her own inhabitants And all these works were erected and perfected in lesse then a month for he was not in all six weeks before it so that it may be supposed that the interior intrenchment or the circulary line that did begert the city round was done in eight or ten dayes and so sufficiently made and so vigilantly guarded that the besieged could never break through these works to joyn with them that came to their releife Nor that great Army could not also goe over these works but tired themselves in endeavouring to break through And being thus over-tired Caesar made a sally with his fresh Army and by these means routed them and obtained the city that yeelded to his mercy being not able to hold out for want of victuals By this unparalleld example it is apparent that there is no way to this to reduce a strong hold and to be able to oppose a potent Army that cometh purposely to relieve it when it is besieged But to return where I left these foure quarters being set out and finished and the Huts or Tents being set up and the horse and foot with the Carriages and the Train of Artillery being placed and the Generalls Tents being erected in the midst of one of the best seated quarters a double line * The second operation of Communication marked C. is to be lined and taken in hand having in every side smal flankers as it is demonstrated to secure the covered way made between the two Rampiars markt by the letter M. whereby one quarter may releive the other as occasion requires without danger Now if a deep and unfordable river run in the midst or on the side of this Garrison two bridges (a) The third operation are to be erected over the same in the two broad sides quarters of this entrenched Camp for in that place they will be secured without any other works and seated conveniently to releive from both sides the river any of the quarters if any of theÌ„ were assailed by the besieged or any partie that should come to their reliefe These bridges * Four kind of bridges
A PRACTICALL ABSTRACT Of the Arts of Fortification and Assailing Containing Foure different Methods of Fortifications with approued rules to set out in the Feild all maner of superficies Intrenchments and approches by the demy Circle or with lines and Stakes Written for the benifit of such as delight in the Practise of these noble Arts. By Dauid Papillon Gent I haue diligently perused this Abstract and do approue it well worthie of the Publick view Imprimatur Io Booker London Printed by R Austin and are to be sould at the south side of the Exchange in Popes head Alley 1645 Tho Cross fâ—cit PLVS GLADIVS QVAM SCEPTRA VALENT TOMAS FAIREFAX ANAGRAMMA FAX ERIT FAMOSA THOMAS FAIRFAX Generalis exercitus Anglicani Mirare tacitus fataque vergant vide IN ANAGRAMMA Ferri-Fax erit haec patriae Famosa salutem Civibus ense suis exitiumore fereus TO HIS EXCELLENCIE Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX Generallisime of the Forces of the honourable Houses of Parlement Excellentisime IF the subject of this Abstract were rightly considered it would appeare to all ingenious spirits that the dedication of it doth properly appertaine to your Excellency as the most experienced Commander in the Art of Warre of all these Northern parts as it may appeare by your Martiall atchievements having like a lightning past this Summer from the North part of this Kingd me to the utmost point of the West of it throwing downe like a rapid Torrent the banks that did endeavour to stop his course and therefore the better able to judge aright of the benefit that might redound to the State if these Methods of Fortifications were observed in the Works of our Garrisons and these field * The Arts of Defence and Assailing are tvvo of the most essentiall parts of â—he Art of VVar. intrenchments and double intrenched Camps here described were used in all our formidable sieges and pitcht battells the neglect of which hath been one of the maine secondary Causes of the spinning out of this unnaturall Warre But since it hath pleased God to raise you to that eminency of place that affords you power to rectifie these defects I have presumed to tender to your Excellency these essayes * The neglect of these intrenchmâ—nts is to be rectified containing some approved directions for the future of the Works of our Garrisons and for the double intrenched Camps that we are of necessity to make use of if we intend to give by the gracious favour of God a speedy and a blessed period to the miseries of this poore and desolated Kingdome If I were not assured that you are extraordinarily well versed in the ancient and moderne Histories I should endeavour by manifold instances to perswade you to be the restorer in these Northerne parts of the Military Discipline of the ancient Romans and of the field-intrenchments and double intrenched Camps whereby * See Caesars Commentaries in the vvaries of the Gaules and of Africa Caesar made himselfe the absolute Monarch of the world as Maurice Prince of Orange was the restorer of them in the Netherlands to his eternall fame For certainly it is the onely meanes after Gods favour to conduce these civill distractions to a speedy and a blessed accommodation but being confident that these things are familiar to you I will refer them to your judicious consideration and onely beseech you to be pleased out of your gracious affability to all men and particularly to my selfe to be the * Mecaenas vvas the Emperour Augustus Caesars favourite and the Patron of learning Mecoenas to these Essayes and to accept of them with the like affection as Artaxerxes the great King of Persia received two hands full of fresh water that were presented unto him by a poore Subject of his for want of a better gift to expresse his love So shall I for ever be obliged to remaine Your Excellencies most humble and devoted Servant DAVID PAPILLON From London Jan. 1. 1645. To the Reader SOme will corceive this time unseasonable for the publishing of this Abstract because of the prosperous successe of our Armies this summer and therefore say they it were more seasonable to write of razing to the ground our old Garrisons then to write of directions to erect new I answer that I wish their conceits should prove reall truths for although I write of two of the most essentiall parts of the Art of Warre yet I daily pray and wish that all the Inland Garrisons in this Kingdome were razed to the ground that his sacred Majestie might the sooner returne in love and peace to his most loyall Parliament But when I consider First Consideration that the virulency of the humour of a Civill Warre is like a canker in a womans brest that never gives over the sucking of her blood till by her death he slay himselfe and that the two parties of all civill warres Second Consideration may be compared to a couple of tennis-ball players that have sometimes the best and sometimes the worst one after another and that they that doe rely over much upon their advantage doe commonly lose the game I dis-assent in judgement with these imaginarie conceits For as a wise and learned Physitian can partly ghesse by the symptomes of the disease of his patient The evidences that signifie our miseries are not yet come to their last period whether his sicknesse will be of a short or long continuance even so ingenious spirits may partly ghesse by these insuing symptoms visible to all men that the dangerous maladie of this unnaturall warre is not yet near her crise First by a generall antipathie that continues still in the incliclination of men The symptomes of the generall maladie Secondly by the Heresies Sects and Schismes that rent and make greater breaches in the Church then ever was knowne since Queen Maries daies Thirdly by the great obstinacy of such as would seem more holy then their Brethren and yet preferre their own ends before Gods glorie and the unitie and concord of the Spouse of Christ These dangerous symptomes I say are evident signes that Englands mieseries are not yet neaâ—e to their highest period yet Gods waies are not like our waies for hee can when he pleaseth draw light out of darknesse and deliverance from things that seem most destructive to his Church As concerning these that conceive the publishing of this Abstract unseasonable at this time and would have us because of this sumines prosperous successe cast our selves in the bed of a carnall securitie I will prove by two instances that there is nothing more dangerous then to rely upon prosperous events and upon our ownâ— pâ—â—ts and activitie 1 It is recorded that Attelante running the race in the * See Plutarch in his discourse of the Olympian Games Olympian games did so relye upon her activitie that shee took up twice one after another in her race two golden balls that her Antagonist did cast downe to retard her speed