doe neerest bonds of duetie and alleagiance might know it is their office to punish euen their deerest freinds offences that our souldiers worthely indeuoring in God their Prince or Countries quarrell to exchange their liues for honor onely might learne to account it their greatest honor to be an honor to their calling by performing the necessarie duties of their calling Then as the Romaines with their victories droue away barbarisme out of our countries by leauing vs a patterne of more ciuill life from their warlicke gouernmeÌ„t of which most parts of Europe yet to this day retaine some remnants I see not but it might please God to reward our industrie by making our conquering swordes the instruments to plante religion amongst Turkes and infidelles and reforme the errors of wandring Christians when they seeing our souldiers such as the Indians did Albuqueria and his company of Portingalls may stedfastly beleeue that God omnipotent as they did that King worthy that hath such vertuous seruaÌ„ts theÌ„ would our warriours like true auncieÌ„t souldiers striue to be religious vertuous full of honesty and we might iustly thinke with the Thessalian those of our countrimeÌ„ most dull and sottish that went not to the warres or say with the Aetolian the warre is better farre than peace for him that hath a minde to proue an honest man For then our Campe would be a schoole of vertue where by dutifull obedience men should be trayned vp and taught what appertaind to wise coÌ„manding where religion perhaps the cause of the quarrell should be so feruent that men would thinke it their cheifest ioy in midst of greatest miseries to haue the feare of God their meditation and an vnspotted life their comfort For theÌ„ the memorie of Alexander that the night before the battell with Darius cald for Aristander to winne the fauour of Gods with sacrifice or of Aeneas Quo iustior alter Nec piâ—tate fuit nec bello maior et armis Than whom there was none more vpright in goodnesse nor more great in fight that in Virgil leaues his companions busied et Arces quibus altus Apollo Praesidet horrendaeque domus Secreta Sibillae antrum immane petit c. To high Apollos temple hies and to those dreaded mysteries the horride vault where Sibil lies c. Or of Camillus that would begin and end his skermishes with prayers or of the Romans whose victories built Churches with whom contempt of the Gods was a certaine signe of ouerthrow would make our souldiers call to minde it is their dutie to be as earnest in holy workes of piety as they were zealous in their superstition they blindly did they knew not what and though through the soules strugling to ascend from whence it came there arose some sprakes that gaue them light to see there was ens entium a power aboue all humane power that lookt for reuerence yet wanting meanes to apprehende that rightly their best endeuors proued but fruitles workes of darkenesse but out of doubt our Christan souldiers as they haue much more hope more helps and more incitements I do presume are much more truely and more earnestly religious These haue assuraÌ„ce grounded on infallible witnesses that they serue the only true and euerliuing God that giues the victory to theÌ„ that rightly call vpon him for it and rewards plentifully those that deserue it These by the orders of their discipline as helps to their weakenes coÌ„forts to their miseries and Ministers of Gods blessings haue necessary Leuites to performe to them all rites that may prepare them that are in health and therefore lesse hindred froÌ„ being prepared for death that hourely haÌ„gs ouer them To assure them when they sometimes beseiged suffer famine as fearefull as that of Ierusalem as great as King Sous his souldiers that would not sorbeare drinke to gaine a Kingdome yet choose to die miserably rather than yeeld to change their faith that that faith shal be rewarded with a happy crowne of Immortalitie To teach theÌ„ that to be sometimes for Christs cause made gallisâ—aues where with the constant spirits of true Christian souldiers they indure afflictions that would make softehearted men such perhappes as speake against souldiers eueÌ„ forsake their great captaine Iesus is a sure meanes to gaine in exchange of those bonds the freedome of Heauen To exhort them last of all if by Gods mercifull preseruation when death came a tithing on any side wheÌ„ multituds of enimies encoÌ„passed them about they proue the sole remnant of many hundreds to returne to their natiue Countrie there to dye in peace that whiles they liue they cannot haue a better president to imitate than the worthy Captaine Cornelius Besides these Minesters these souldiers haue the Scriptures where contemning play bookes and base pamphlets vnfit studies for dying men they may reading learne to imitate Iosua before the battell that prayed the Israelites might not be deliuered into the hands of the Amorites or Moses in the battell that lifted vp his hands to heauen for victorie or Dauid after the battell that praised God the author of his conquests with ioyfull songs of thankesgiuing where they may reading learne to giue continually all honor and religious worshippe to that God That teacheth their fingers to fight and their hands to Battell euen in the midst of their armies from whence he pleases to appropriate vnto himselfe one of his great glorious titles The Lord of Hostes. But perhaps some one obseruing how great Anthony did sacrifice himselfe to luxurie or hauing reade the true cause of Charles the 8 of Fraunce his posting pilgrimage to Paris when he should haue gone for Naples may thinke he sees good reason to condemne a souldiers religion as consisting of too much Deuotion to shee Saints I must confesse the folly of some souldiers in time of Idlenesse hath giuen some colour to the fable of Mars and Venus but I cannot see how the profession can deserue that imputation for either that fable is a Poets mere fiction and so not to be credited since through their lyinge madenesse euen Heauen iâ— selfe is defiled or els is grounded on some naturall cause and then as Sol and Mercurie the Patrons of Poets Lawiers and the like are in the Celestiall Globe neerer to Venus as oft in coniunction and for their naturall proprietie more concordant In reason me thinkes those Poets Lawiers and the like that leade Vitam sedentariam a quiet life sleepe their fill and eate their meate at due seasons must of necessitie be much more subiect to incontinency than Souldiers that may well with Scipio contemne lasciuiousnesse since thinking still how to conquere men their leasure serues them not to become slaues to women that may learne of Scanderbreg to liue long vnmarried and yet most honest that their bodies may be the stronger and better able to do or suffer what pertaines to Souldiers
pathes of these two sorts of Officers I cannot better than by these Briefe Conferences of the Good and Bad ensuing A conference of a Good and Bad Muster-maister with his inferiour Commissaries of Musters by the fruites to discerne the Tree The Good THis Officer will not willingly serue but with such a competent conuenient entertainment both for himselfe and for his inferiour Commissaries Clerkes and Substitutes as hee neede not take Bribe or Beneuolence or depend on the fauour of any but the Generall alone This Officer will bee in his Expences temperate rather sparing than wasting that hee bee not by want enforced to straine his conscience and deceaue his Prince This Officer seeketh by all meanes to cause the Generall to establish Lawes and Ordinances whereby orderly Entrances and discharges of Souldiers may bee registred and thereby neither the Prince nor the Souldier abused This Officer deliuereth these Lawes to his inferiour Commissaries with other strait particular Instructions and calleth them to account how they haue discharged their Duties This Officer will not set down any penny check certaine vpon any Captaine or Band without apparant proofe and for such as cannot bee decided wil respite them to farther triall That neither Prince Captaine nor Souldier be defrauded or iniured This officer if any such doubt arise in the Checques as hee cannot determine by the Lawes established hee either desireth the Resolution of the General or that it may bee determined by a Counsell at warre or some Commissioners especiallie aucthorized to assist him This Officer if the Captains shew any reasonable cause to be relieued out of the Checques either in respect of the losse of horse or armour in Seruice or such like that deserueth consideration hee presenteth his proofes thereof together with his checke to the Lo Generall desiring his Lordship to haue honorable cōsideration thereof This Officer if hee see ouermuch familiaritie betweene anie of his Commissaries and Captaines is presently iealous of them and calleth them to account And if hee finde them conniuent or faultie presently displaceth them or if he finde no other proofe but vehement suspition yet remoueth them to another Garrison and placeth such other in their roomes as may sift and examine their former behauiour This Officer as hee would not to gaine a Million doo anie Captaine apennie wrong so wil he not for the fauour of the greatest persons in the Armie or his neerest kinne or friends staine his conscience to abuse his Prince one pennie and therfore presents the Checque truly as he findes it and leaues all fauour to be shewed by the Lord Generall onely This Officer procureth orders also to bee established for trayning of the Souldiers and himselfe requireth the Captaines to performe them And to encourage men to doo well will not spare out of his owne purse to giue rewards to such shott as by proofe hee findes the best marke-men This Officer will not accept penny nor penni-worth of any Captaine or Souldier more than the fee due to his Office and that not as a beneuolence secretly but as his due openly This Officer reposing himselfe onely on GOD and his cleere conscience laboreth not to make other friends but his Prince and Generall And for the Generall himselfe will not straine his conscience any way though hee bee sure of many enemies and small backbiting and euen to his Prince for faithfull seruice store of false backebitings yea the Swanne must bee made a Crowe and the Faulcon a Bussard This Officer as hee is thus precise himselfe as neyther to giue penny for such an Office nor to receiue Bribe or Beneuolence more than due fees So maketh hee a matter of conscience whilest hee carrieth such office to giue to any of his honourable friendes any present lest they or others should haue cause to suspect hee did it to bee borne-out in any lewde Action The Bad. This Officer careth not howe little Entertainment certaine hee haue for himselfe or his Substitutes presuming hee can make what gaine hee list of his Office make such Friends thereby also as may beare him out of his lewdnes c. Such an Officer hauing so good meanes to get immeasurablie by playing the good-fellowe wil spend infinitely especially in keeping company with such as must ioyne with him in deceauing the Prince Such an Officer can no more abide Lawes and Ordinances in Musters than lucrous Captaine saying It barreth the Officer of his discretion whereby the Office ought to be directed braue men gratified Such an Officer likes none of these strict Courses saying Among Martiall men a man must play the good-Fellowe and not to be too pinching of a Princes purse Such an officer calleth this Examination nice Curiositie and sayeth So there bee some Checques for fashion sake it is no matter make them little enough that the Captaines be not angry and all is well One good-fellowe must pleasure another Such an Officer saith It is great folly to loose that prerogatiue of his Office to resolue these doubts as he sees cause And to subiect him selfe to Commissioner that is Maister of the Musters himselfe Such an Officer will bee Chauncellor himselfe neuer trouble the Lord Generall with these matters who hath matters of greater importance to thinke vpon saying Princes purses may not be spared braue men must be rewarded Officers must get loue honor by dealing bountifully Such an Officer likes none of these seuere Iealousies but liketh well such Officers as be plausible and gratefull to the Captaines knowing the Captaines bee liberall and will not be vngratefull to him seeing hee mindes and hath good meanes to requite their curtesie tenne folde out of the Princes purse Such an Officer being of another molde will none of these melancholie courses hee will pleasure his Friends and crosse his Enemies and make them know he is an Officer can please or displease thē but displease he will not for all that and for his excuse alledgeth that Princes Cookes may giue a good fellowe a piece of Beefe and the Butlers or Cellarers a cup of Wine or Beere and that he wil shew his Friends a cast of his Office Such an Officer will none of this saying it is but a turmoyling of Captaines and souldiers and intruding on the Captaines Offices to offend and discontent them and that braue men should not be comptroled or the imperfection of their souldiers discouered by such open exercises and that such expences are foolish and make more Enemies than friends Such an Officer wil accept any thing money or ware so it come secretly and like a good-fellow will on the Princes purse requite it tenfolde as easily he may doo and none but his fellowetheeues able to accuse him Such an Officer will not onely for the Generall but for any other person of authority strain his conscience any way and to all other Captaines also so kinde and liberall of his Princesse her Maiesties purse as he is generally extolled for
and Outrages as the common crew of such Caterpillers and Vermine doo As hauing nothing at home to loose or Art to liue seeke the warres onely like Free-booters for rauine and spoile 2 I say it was also a commendable custome in those States and common-weales to choose Captaines and Commaunders of credit and account in their Countries Cities or Townes that might traine and exercise neighbours in all Martiall and Militarie Exercises at home before they led them to the warres whereby the very children in those States only by looking on knew farre better both the vse of euerie sort of weapon and how to march and raunge themselues into any forme of battell yea how to defend themselues like souldiers from euery kinde of charge or assault of their Enemies farre better I say than many of our braue men that haue haunted such licentious warres or pickories many a yeare 3 I say also that it was a commendable course to make such choise of Captaines in those Antique warres as being men of Reputation of the same countrey or Citie from whence their souldiers were leuied might haue the greater care to performe their duties towards their countrimen and neighbours among whom they should liue at their returne from the warres and thereby receiue euer after vnto their death from them and their friends eyther conuenient praise and loue or infamie and hatred as their Gouernement had merited So in these daies that the Captaines are become not onely the leaders but also the Pagadores or Pay-Masters of their Bandes there is greater cause to haue them chosen not onely of skill and reputation but also of abilitie to aunswere an accompt of such Treasure as shall come to their handes for the payment of their souldiers Seeing otherwise if they bee base-minded corrupt persons they may full easily wrong starue and waste their Souldiers many waies to make their owne profit by their death and consumption of their Band especially where fraudes in Musters by lewde custome shall also growe tollerable For if any such Captaines bee chosen as eyther haue nothing of their owne at home to liue vpon or neuer meane to turne into the Countrey whereas the Souldiers were leuied to receiue from them and their friendes the honour or infamy the loue or hatred that their behauiour hath merited what hope is there that such a one will leaue the excessiue sweete gaine hee may make by the fliecing or rather flaying of his flocke and not according to the Moderne Discipline scrape and rake-in what hee may to liue afterward hauing neither land liuing nor Art otherwise to maintaine himselfe when the warres are done 4 Likewise where Captaines were rightly chosen of such Reputation and credit as is before repeated that they had a speciall care in health and sicknesse to prouide things necessarie to preserue the liues of their Souldiers being their Tenaunts or Neighbours that euer after to their death would honour and loue them for it and the kindred and friends of those Souldiers also whensoeuer it came to any fight with the Enemie they were euer most assured and faithfull to such Leaders and they likewise to them In such sort as it was almost impossible to breake such a knot ef vnited mindes but being otherwise leuied as too too commonly in our Moderne warres hath beene accustomed where the Captaine neither knowes his Souldiers nor the Souldiers their Captain before the Seruice nor euer meane to meete againe when the warres are ended As the loue is small betweene them So is their fidelitye and confidence much lesse And as the Captaine taketh small care to prouide for them eyther in health or sicknesse for any necessaries to preserue liues So haue as smal deuotion to aduenture their liues for him or his honour to whom indeed the chiefe reputation of their good seruice alwaies should redound But rather in all Encounters with the Enemie how to make shift by flight to saue their liues If then these kinde of Captains also very prouidently foreseeing the worst which is likely to happen will not bee vnprouided of a beast to run-away trusting rather to the legs of his horse than to all the hands in his Band What can bee conceiued But that heereof chiefely it comes to passe that in these moderne warres wee heare of so many violent Retraits For so in their new discipline they terme that which in the olde warres was called shamefull flight I meane when the Captaine and some of his Officers spur-away on horsebacke and the rest throwe away both armour and weapons to leape ditches the more lightly and are shamfully slaine without resistance and many times by multitudes pressing to get boats do drowne themselues Now whether such accidents bee too vsuall or no I referre it to their owne consciences that most boldly will commend this base moderne discipline And if it be true whether there bee any more likely cause thereof than the diffidence before recited betweene the Captaine and his souldiers and the want of shame which in the Antique Souldiery was euer accounted the highest vertue But now by depraued custome in our licentious degenerate warres vtterly lost and abandoned and such accounted brauest men that are become of all others the most impudent 5 I say also it was a most honorable order to haue it punished with great shame in any souldier to lose or throw-away his Armes being held among the Graecians a perpetuall disgrace for any priuate souldier so much as to loose his Target But if now both Captaines and some chiefe Commaunders also of the Moderne new Militia will bee much offended to haue any of their Band so much as checked by the Censor or Muster-Master for lacke of his Curates or Caske And to encourage either to leaue their Armes wil seldome themselues euer weare any but take it for a great brauerie and Magnanimitie in Seruice to bee seene vnarmed What shall I say but that indeed for them that neuer meane to fight but to escape by flight to bee the lighter for a swift carrier it is a verie politique inuention and a gainfull Discipline 6 It was also an honourable course of Antiquitie besides the choise of the Captaines of such credit in their Townes Countries at their entring also into Seruice to binde them and their Souldiers all with a sacred solemne Militarie oath being holden no better than a thiefe or Free-booter that followed the warres vnlesse hee were enrolled vnder some Ensigne and had receiued his Militare oath whereby hee vowed both obedience and fidelitie and rather to die than dishonourably to abandon his Leader and Ensigne But in such new Discipline these ceremonies are scoffed at and Captaines chosen sutable to their loose depraued Soulderie 7 It was also a laudable custome to haue the Captaine cary his own Armes in his Ensigne besides the Ensignes of the Regiments which were among the Romans alway Eagles And that hee that lost his Ensigne should bee held a disgraced man not fit to carrie Armes
Foure Paradoxes or politique Discourses 2 Concerning Militarie Discipline written long since by Thomas Digges Esquire 2 Of the worthinesse of warre and warriors by Dudly Digges his sonne All newly published to keepe those that will read them as they did them that wrote them from idlenesse Horace Me castra iuuant lituo tubae Permistus sonitus bellaque matribus Detestata Imprinted at London by H. Lownes for Clement Knight and are to be solde at his shop at the Signe of the holy Lambe in Saint Paules Churchyard 1604. To the Honourable THEOPHILVS HOVVARD Lord HOVVARD of Walden sonne and heire apparent to the Right Honorable Earle of Suffolke Lord Chamberlaine to his Maiestie A Generall report worthy Lord of your honourable disposition bred in mee euen at my first cōming into France an earnest desire to see you which through your courtesy my good fortune was happily effected But when I perceiued with what vertuous industrie you indeauored to make the best vse of your wel spent time in those parts I cōceiued great hope to receiue much greater contentment in so truly honourable acquaintance and the tast I had of your fauours assureth me I had beene happy in my hopes had not my vntimely returne such were my vnfortunate crosses depriued mee of the comfort I tooke in the company of your admired vertue Notwithstanding I haue hitherto fed my selfe with the hope of your returne c. Hoc equidem occasum Troiae tristesque ruinas solabor this shall bee my refuge In the meane time as Lewes of France did his country friends rape roote or as the Percian King did the poore mans Apple I intreat your Lordship to accept these sleight discourses as a token of the dutifull respect I owe you They are I know most vnworthy your Maiden patronage yet my first fruites they bee and I earnestly desire that my first borne should beare your honours Name Your Honors deuoted Dudly Digges To the Reader THat there are many faultes in these fewe leaues I doubt not neither would I but you should finde fault yet not maliciously with wrested and vnnaturall applications yet not too peremptorily till you haue children of your owne onely this if you bee such a Merchant as hateth a Souldier thinke it no victorie to picke matter of aduantage out of my weake handling of their good cause If on the contrarie you loue the profession take in good part these slight endeauors till some one of better abilitie speak more effectually and let this publike protestation assure you I am no dissembler but one that heartily desireth to shew himselfe a louing countreyman to men that so well deserue the loue of their Countrey Farewell The First Paradox That no Prince or State doth gaine or saue by giuing too small entertainement vnto Souldiers Officers or Commaunders Martiall but doe thereby extreamely loose and vnprofitably waste their Treasure besides the dishonour and foiles that necessarily thereof ensue I Confesse sparing of Treasure and all due prouidence for the preseruation thereof to bee a thing verie necessarie especially in the warres of this our age where treasure is indeed becom Neruus Belli and therefore by all reasonable prouisions to be regarded But there are in all actions some sparings or pretence of profit that are vtterly vnprofitable fond and foolish and woorking effects cleane contrary to that end for the which such pinching is pretended As who seeth not that if a husbandman that hath first allotted a reasonable proportion of graine for euerie Acre of his arable ground shall of a couetous minde abate a quarter or one third part of his due proportion of seede thinking thereby to saue somuch who I say seeth not that by this foolish sauing in the seede in the crop hee shall loose thrice as much besides the hurtfull Weeds that for want of seede sufficient grow-vp and spoile the rest Or if a Merchant setting forth his Ship to the seas fraught with Marchandize shall know that to rigge her well and furnish her with all needfull Tackle furniture and prouision it will cost him full 500. pounds Yet of a coueteous and greedie minde to saue thereof some 100. pounds or two hee shall scant his prouision wanting perhaps some Cables Ankers or other-like necessaries and after by a Storme arising for fault thereof shall loose both Ship and goods Who will not condemne this miserable foolish Merchant that peeuishly to saue one hundred pounds or two hath lost both ship and goods perhaps of 10. times greater value Much more is the folly of this error in Martial causes where the Tempests are as sodaine and no lesse perrilous And therefore such fond sparing is farre more absurd in these Actions than in eyther of those of the Husbandman or Merchant For proofe whereof if I should produce Antique Examples out of the Romane and Graecian Chronicles of such Kings and Princes as by such fond sparing of their Treasure had lost both their Treasure and their Kingdomes also I could easily make of this subiect a great volume but for breuitie sake leauing many Antiquies I come to our present age and time and to matters of our owne Remembrance and Experience For who knoweth not What course the States of the Vnited Prouinces tooke for payment of their souldiers before the arriuall of her Maiesties Lord Generall the Earle of Leicester Who for sparing or to make as they pretended their treasour stretch did pay their Bands after 48. daies to the Moneth their pay being so scant and bare at 30. onely to the Moneth as it was verie hard for souldiers or Captaines to liue honestly vpon it And the same being now stretched to 48. daies vtterly impossible for them to liue without Frauds in Musters and pickories besides on their Countrey and friends Hereof it came to passe that the honest and valiantest men retired themselues from the warres and the worst disposed Free-booters were readiest to enter with these base conditions For such a Captaine as intendeth onely dishonestly by Fraud and Robberie to enrich himselfe to the ruine of his Countrey will especially desire to serue on such base conditions as honestly it is impossible for euerie man to liue vpon And so hauing iust colour thereby to shift hath all these meanes ensuing infinitely to enrich himselfe First in the choise of his officers to get or accept such Free-booters and Theeues as onely to haue the name and priuiledge of a souldier to escape the paine due by Martiall lawe to such vnsouldierlike persons will serue without pay or with halfe pay Then euerie of these his officers Lieutenaunt Ensigne Serieants c. being men of that Crewe will draw in as many also as they can of the same Moulde to liue on pickorie without pay and therefore very readie to serue in their loose manner with halfe pay Of such Rakehels then the Captaine hauing rayzed an Ensigne passeth his Muster and is sent to his Garrison or place of Seruice Now the Prince or State
shamelesse Fugitiues If this famous Generall so highly respected the honor and safety of his countrey as hee resolued to execute the lawes Martiall of this his onely and most valiant sonne Not for any cowardize or corruption but onely for want of due obedience in accepting without leaue the Combate choosing rather to depriue himselfe of his onely sonne and incomparable Iewell than the Martiall discipline of his countrey should in the least point bee corrupted How much more hath the sacred Maiestie of a Prince and honourable Ephores of any State cause with seueritie in time to see due execution of Martiall Iustice on such as not mooued by Magnanimitie or hautie courage but contrariwise of a corrupt custome and base minde for lucre pleasure or ryot onely commit premeditately not one but many of those grosse and shamfull abuses and breaches of true Martiall discipline That in those daies and States the most inferiour souldier of an Armie for feare of perpetuall shame would not Faults I say so farre surmounting this error of the worthy Manlius sonne as the foulest leprosie or pestilent Feuer doth the Ephimeris Ague Tending indeed not onely to the robbing of their Prince and publique Treasure and to the spoyle and betraying of their fellow souldiers Men many times of better valour and woorth farre than such Leaders or superiour Commaunders but also to the vtter ouerthrowe of all true Martiall valour and dishonour perpetuall of their Nation and smally tending to the vtter ruine of their Prince and Countrey But to passe ouer infinite honorable Praecedents of Antiquitie to returne againe to our owne Age I say That euen by experience of the warres and Nations of our owne time it is manifest that these abuses and corruptions haue beene the verie ruine of the Realmes and States where they haue beene practized as in time they will be also of all other that shall admit the continuance of them And first for France that woorthy souldier Mounsier de la Nôe in the Military Discourses plainely sheweth how with these ciuill warres these corruptions there began and by what vnlawful Generation Mistresse Picorea was at Boygenye first begotten which bastard in short time had such a Multitude of Seruants both in France and after in the Low-Countries as they created their mistresse a Ladie And that mightie Ladie Madam Picorea hath now so many braue seruants not onely among the French and Dutch but of other Nations also as it is to bee feared they will make her a Queene to the Ruine of all Kings Queenes and Realmes that shall endure her and not suppresse in time both her and her shamelesse presumptuous lewde licentious seruants What extreeme misery they haue within these thirtie yeares reduced all France vnto wee see What desolation in Flaunders Brabant and other base countrey Prouinces by the Ruines remaining is manifest Shal wee suffer her and her followers also in our Nation to see what they can likewise doo of England Absit omen But the French Prouerbe saith most truly Qui par son peril est Sage celuy est Sage malhereux And Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum He telleth of an honorable Executiō done by that worthy souldier the Armirall of France in hanging vp a Captaine 5 or 6 other chief seruāts of this basterdly lady Picorea adoring their gallows with their booties which honorable souldier Shattillion I meane he commendeth highly to haue beene a most fit and meete Phisition to cure this Maladie For hee was saith La Nòe seuere and violent neither could any Fauour or vaine friuolous excuses take place with him if the partie were faultie Which is indeed the onely way to cure it For it is most fond and vaine to imagine that eyther by verball perswasions or printed Lawes or proclamations it is possible to cure this fore but with armed Iustice some of the Ring-leaders must be seized and roughly chastized to bring a terror vpon the rest For if these mischiefes saith that woorthy Souldier were like to other crimes where men condemned by publique Sentence are quietly content to bee led by the Executioner to receiue their due they might full soone bee banished But they fare more like a rough and restife horse that being touched with his Riders spurre lasheth yerketh and biteth and therefore such a Iade must roughly and rigorously bee corrected and made to know his fault For if ye spare him or seeme to feare him hee will sure vnhorse you for generally these Militarie vices are presumptuous And if they smel you feare them they will braue you But giue them the terror of Lawes and their due punishments seuerely and so shall you cure their maladie For most mercifull is that rigour that by dispatch of foure or fiue many saue the liues of so many hundreds or rather thousands and recure such a pestilent contagion as is able in time to subuert the most mightie Realmes and Monarchies When yron is fouly kankored it is not inough to annoint it with oyle but it must bee roughly and forcibly scoured and polished to make it returne to his perfect brightnes And if in Pleuresies and other like corrupt exulcerations wee haue no remedie but to open a veine and content our selues to part with many drops of our blood to saue the whole bodie from destruction So must we be content though it were with the losse of many such corrupt persons to recure our Militarie bodie from vtter confusion Seeing thereupon dependeth the health or ruine also of the whole politique body of the Realme For the French haue a true Prouerbe Le Medicin piteux fait vne mortelle plaie And most wisely the Poet. Obsta principijs serò Medicinaparatur Cum mala per longas inualuêre moras As France and Flanders both our next Neighbours by their calamities may teach vs where no kinde of abuse or corruptions haue beene practized Their Bands not 40. for 100. strong Which kinde of Picoree Mounsier de la Nôe termeth Desrober enfalquin non pas engentilz homes But of gentlemen all piciories ought indeed to be detested as fitter for base minded slaues than honouable free minded souldiers But for other extortions and Robberies vpon the poore Payzants Booers or husbandmen it were as hard to name any one kinde that hath beene omitted as to recite particularly euery sort that hath bene executed by these insatiable cormorants whose maw is neuer full though their gourmandize be infinite besides the defacing of so many goodly Churches and stately Pallaces in the countrey as by the Remnants of their Ruines is to bee seene and the Ransacking of Villages Castles Townes and Cities and infinite outrages otherwise committed in all places where this misbegotten Ladies seruants or filching followers could lay their gracelesse hands But seeing the first pretext and colour they had in France to engender this monster and since in the base countries to foster her was by reason of want onely of conuenient pay Which enforced euen the
most famous Generals of our time I meane the Prince of Condee and the Prince of Orange at the first to tollerate these cankers which after wrought the very Ruine of those States It is a singuler warning to King and Princes that haue Realmes to commaund that not yet so farre corrupted and able to yeelde maintenance for honest and right Martiall souldiers by no meanes for want of conuenient wages stipend and pay to giue any colour or excuse to this degenerate bastardly kinde of Seruitors or rather Pickers to excuse their corrupt Artes or Diuellish craftes and abuses And for their Subiects of all degrees rather to giue double and treble Subsidies yearely to continue an honourable pay for maintenance of sober valiant painefull honest obedient souldiers in true Martiall discipline than to become a praye to these mercilesse carrowsing degenerate insatiable monsters And it is to bee hoped the present King of Fraunce if God blesse him with any obedience of his Subiects as were to bee wished and his constancie in Religion and other Heroicall vertues meriteth will no doubt by all due meanes in his Territories endeuour to procure a Reformation of these horrible disorders which is yet vtterly impossible for him to redresse being in that state by long continuance growne to a most difficile and hard cure But as the Estates of the vnited Prouinces by meanes of such bad pay and collections of corruptions in their Martiall or rather mercenarie Commaunders did also for many yeares together continually lose by peacemeale a number of strong Fortes Towers and Prouinces in their possessions being driuen almost on euery side downe into their Marches where they were enforced to implore her Maiesties present ayde to escape their impendent ruine So hauing of late by honourable Example of her Maiesties Bands well reformed that their base kinde of pay and in part thereby also their other abuses which of late yeares hath crept in among their Enemies haue beene able to make head and recouer againe many of those important places that before they lost Repayring thereby somewhat the fault of their former Errors Yet when I perswade to giue vnto all Colonels and such like chiefe Commaunders such Entertainment as may suffice them contentedly to liue without seeking so much as by tolleration or suffering of Frauds to enrich themselues or to supply their wants It is no part of my meaning to haue Collonels so commune or such multitude of needlesse Officers as in disorderly warres hath beene accustomed For one Collonell or Maestro del Campo may very well suffice for three or foure thousand men and the contrarie is but an abuse and embasing of that name which should not bee bestowed but on olde souldiers of iudgement and experience able to discharge a place of that importance And this Officer hauing for himselfe his Martiall his Serieant Maior and other necessary chiefe Officers of his Regiment conuenient allowance to maintaine on honourable Table the inferiour priuate Captaines may and ought to content themselues with meaner port till by vertue and desert they bee aduaunced to higher place And abhorring all vanitie in apparrell and wastefull expences in baser appetites endeuour themselues by trauell care good Armes and trayning of their companies in right Martiall exercises and exploits in the Field vpon their Enemies to make their value knowne and by such Aemulation one to excell another whereby they may bee chosen and aduanced to higher offices The priuate Captaines place being indeede but the first steppe toward Martiall honour And therefore not to bee accompanied with such pompe as now is too too vsuall It may perhaps be replied So long as men are content to accept these glorious names only without any charge to their Princes purses or crauing any encrease of pay it is a small matter to content phantasies with Feathers I answere it it a matter of farre greater consequence than is conceiued For first it embaseth those degrees of honor which chiefly should allure right Martiall mindes and makes them seeme vile when they are so common as they fall to the the lot of persons vnworthy such degree and so grow in contempt and not affected after by the true honourable mindes Besides wanting maintenance for the due port of that place they are enforced to bee patrons to all or many of those disorders and abuses before mentioned vnlesse they would choose to vndoo themselues and friends to maintaine it otherwise which fewe I thinke now a daies vse to doo Farther hauing once taken a greater name they disdain euer after to serue in any inferiour calling fitter indeede for their Experience And so become persons altogether vnprofitable and to maintaine those glorious names enforced by shift of braine to trie conclusions And so by all these meanes the cause of greater inconueniences I conclude therefore by all these reasons before alleaged and the successe of plaine experience also both of old time and in our owne age that as it is more honourable for the Prince and most necessary for the aduancement of the Seruice to haue all chiefe needefull Commaunders to haue such compleat Entertainment as they may without extortion or corruption in themselues or alteration of abuses in others maintaine their place with Reputation and execute Martiall discipline with seuerity So discharging their duties honorably and honestly they shal saue at least one third part of the royal or publike Treasure and yet the forces though not in shew of Ensignes to scare Dawes yet in armed hands to conquer Enemies farre more strong and puissant than those multitudes of colors farced with Freebooters or other seely vnarmed Ghosts or disordered Mutinous persons that by licentious education will scarcely endure the paines of Watch and Ward or abide the due execution of any true Martiall discipline And as these superiour Gouernours and Commaunders doing their duties are worthie of all reputation credite aduauncement and honour So contrariwise after they haue conuenient entertainment if they shall be found the Patrones or Pandars to such corruptions and abuses as tend to the ruine of all true discipline Militare I would wish them disgraded and with all shame disarmed as vncapable euer after to their graue of any true Martiall honour And for proofe of this Proposition in all the chiefe officers also of an Armie for a taste of the rest hauing chosen to treate of the Martiall Censor or generall Comptroler of Musters I say there are of this kinde of Officers as likewise of all others two sorts The one honest iust fearing God respecting the honour commoditie and aduauncement of their Princes Seruice The other neither iust nor honest nor possessed with any Feare or Reuerence of God but ayming onely at fauour wealth and aduauncement in this corrupt world care not what becomes of the Seruice so they may by any meanes enrich themselues and purchase friends to backe them in all their vnhonest proceedings But more briefely or plainly to set forth the different or repugnant
deposed Kings conquered great Princes and brought home to the Treasure of the countrey mightie masses of Gold Siluer were neuerthelesse conteÌ„t to returne home to their poore houses no whit enriched in wealth but only in honour liuing soberly and temperately as before on their priuate patrimony and scarcely a peece of Siluer-plate to be seene in their own houses that haue brought in millions to their State and Realme But if in our Moderne Discipline wee shall see pettie Commaunders that neuer brought into their Princes Realme or State the hundred part of any such masses of Treasure but rather haue had their share in wasting huge sums to little purpose to abound in brauery wast infinitely in all kinde of vanities that I say no worse And more Siluer dishes on their Table than Quintus Dictator or Scipio that conquered Hanniball and razed Carthage It seemeth these men serue themselues as the other did their countrey 28 Wee may read of Romane Generals that by conquering some Prouinces brought so great a masse of wealth to the publique Treasurie of Rome that it ceased Taxes Tributes or Subsidies there for many yeares But if our Moderne Militia cleane contrarie doo still waste and consume the publique Treasure and bee the cause not of ceasing but rather of encreasing of Tributes or Subsidies on their countrey the difference of Discipline indeed is great But which were the better for the honour and commodity of our Prince and countrey is easie by the wise honest and right honourable to bee discerned By the Auncient Discipline little Macedonie conquered all the large and spacious Orientall Empire of the proud rich populous Persians And that smal Realme of Rome subdued so many Nations vnder their obedience in Europe Africke and Asia and made Tributarie so many mightie Kings as their Monarchie was of the whole world admired And that their discipline Militarie was the chiefe or onely cause thereof That famous Romane Emperour Alexander Seuerus in his Oration to his Souldiers declareth saying Disciplina Maiorum Rempub. tenet quae si dilabatur Et nomen Romanum Imperium amittemus If then not onely by the censure or prophesie of that famous Emperour concerning that State but by verie experience also in our owne age of many others our Neighbours round about vs wee may plainely beholde the successe of this corrupt degenerate Moderne Militia so repugnant to the Auncient It were wilfull blindnesse not to discerne which were the better And no lesse negligence to permit the continuance of so daungerous a disease 30 Wee shall also read of Generals in those warlike Common-weales that so highly esteemed of the Martial Discipline of their Nation and were so zealous therein as they would not haue it violated in the least point As Manlius Torquatus that would haue executed his own sonne for encountring in particular combate with his Enemie without leaue and before the Signall of battaile giuen Albeit hee had the victorie and strake-of his enemies head in the sight of both Armies to the great encouragement of the Romanes and terrour of the contrarie side that tooke that particular Encounter as Ominous for the successe of the battaile as it fell indeed out to the great honour of the Romanes and vtter ruine of their Enemies Yet after the victorie this honourable and famous Generall considering the daunger that might haue fallen out if his sonne had not beene victorious and that the discipline Romane was broken by this attempt to fight without licence hee would not spare it in his owne sonne but commaunded the Serients to apprehend him and after hee had beene whipped with rods to bee openly executed wherein hee so constantly perseuered as his whole Victorious Armie on their knees could scarcely obtaine his pardon If then this breach of one point onely of Militarie obedience committed of Magnanimitie and noble courage and aboundance of Zeale to his countrey was in those daies so seuerely censured As the father would not haue pardoned his owne sonne notwithstanding by his happie successe also hee was the chiefest cause of that honourable victorie What shall wee say of such Ring-leaders of corruptions in the new discipline As shall not of any such Magnanimitie or haughtie courage or Zeale to their countrey but of a base corrupt and lucrous minde breake not one or two but many points of Martiall Discipline and therby not get victorie but more than once or twice receiue those dishonourable foiles and disgraces that for shame in those daies no priuate souldier would neuer returne home to abide the due shame and disgrace of What can be said But that it is high time to haue these important Errors looked into least the same succeed heere which in all other States haue done where Martiall Discipline hath beene so neglected and corruptions triumph vnpunished It were infinite to recite all the disorders of our Moderne warres and would require a long Treatise to lay-open all the commendable Ordinances Customes and prouisions of the famous Graecian and Romane Armies whereby they honoured and immortalized their Generals and amplified and enriched their States and Countries But these few notes may suffice to shew how great a difference there is betweene the one and the other Neither is it my meaning to call in question the doings of any particular persons but onely to open the daungerous error of that opinion That the loose customes of our time should be better than the Auncient Or of such excellency as wee neede no reformation or amendement For I doubt not by due consideration of these few by mee recited it is manifest how great a difference there is betweene that Auncient Discipline whereby meane and poore Estates were aduaÌ„ced to mighty Monarchies And these Moderne corruptions whereby flourishing States haue beene spoyled and defaced and mightie Realmes and Empires brought to ruine But because some Patrones of these new corruptions for defence of their bad cause alleage That the late famous inuention of Great Artillerie and Fireshott vnknowen to the Antiquitie and so farre surmounting all the Auncient Romane and Graecian Engines both in terror and effect hath necessarily enforced so great an alteration of Armes Weapons and Militarie Order as the discipline also must cleane chaunge I thinke it fit to set downe some of their chiefe and principall Reasons 1 First therefore say they it is now to small purpose to weare Armes seeing the furie of the Fireshott is such as no Armour is able to holde it out 2 It is vaine to make Battailes or Battalions in such order and forme ranked as among the Graecians or Romanes were accustomed Because the furie of the great Artillerie is such as it oâ—â—â—eth breaketh and dissolueth all Orders or Ordinances that yee can imagine to make And therefore experience hath taught us say they to leaue those massie Bodies of armed Battailes that serue but for Buts for the great Artillerie to play upon And to seeke more nimble and light Fanterie that may bee readie to take