Montiean in Thurin but this maner was not like in all things because that the auncient Chiefes declared theirs to be vnfit for all honest busines those that the said two Lords did cassier were not so handled but they may aswell attaine vnto any office as if they neuer had bin cassierd The cause of this cassiering was for a mutinie that was cōmitted by the Souldiers of both the foresayd townes against the said Lords who presented the king his person they procéeded so far that they did enter both their lodgings forceably We are so giuen vnto these mutinies that there is no nation that dooth care for our companies one hower but they had rather be farre from vs then neare vnto vs because that we runne from one vnto another for euery small occasion and are hastier to begin these quarrels amongst our selues then to fight with our enemies when time requireth and these disorders doe oftener happen when as we haue our enemies neere vs then farre of for which there must be some good order taken and most sharpe punishment vsed as often as these mutinies doe happen and that Souldiers do rise against their Chiefes As for the mutinies of perticular bandes amongst themselues I would haue him layd handes vpon that were the occasion of the mutinie or had begun it and would haue him put to death after the maner that we are accustomed to punish mutiners at this present And if so be that any did lay hands vpon the Captaines or Chiefes I would haue them to bee put to some cruell death as to bee buried aliue to haue their bones broken or to bee drawne at a Horse taile vntill such time as their bodies did fall a pieces or haue thē to be punished in such sort that it might be an horror and a feare vnto all others And for to waight a time conuenient to laye hands vpon one of these mutiners I would haue the greatest patience that might be possible and rather dissemble a yeare or two then to suffer one mutiner to escape the punishment that he had deserued And if so be that a whole Legion had committed this offence that there were no meanes to know the principall mutiners there were no better way then to imitate the auncient Chiefes heerein who tooke out the tenth man or a great part of their people when as the fault was generall and this taking was doone by lot which was an occasion that the punishment did touche but some certaine number and yet they all in generall were made afraid to be of that number that the lot did condemne Wherefore because that euery man was in daunger of this lot they endeuoured with all their powers to doe their duties iustlye fearing to beare the burthen of other mens faults The lot likewise was vsed when as the bandes or Legions did forsake a place or runne away before their enemies for that to put a whole armie vnto death had beene too great a losse therefore they tooke the tenth man and sometime more and he was executed immediatlye That which Appius Claudius did amongst his Souldiers may witnesse my sayengs who fighting against the Voloces fled from the battaile for which cause he did put to death all the Captaines Centeniers Corporals and Souldiers of his hoaste that had lost their armes and the Ensigne bearers that had lost their Ensignes and not content with all this hee caused the tenth man of the Souldiers to be put to death by lot Augustus Caesar caused likewise the tenth man of certaine bandes that fled from their enemies to bee flaine Many other Chiefes haue procéeded extraordinarely in this busines as the one was more seueere then the other The Lacedemonians made a lawe that who so fled from a battaile might neuer attaine vnto office in theyr commonwealths nor marrye theyr daughters if that they had any nor take wiues if they were to marry Moreouer it was lawfull for any man that did méete them vpon the waye to strike or beate them at his pleasure so that those poore miserable creatures were subiect vnto blowes and vnto a thousand infamies that the woorst Cittizens might doe vnto them And to the intent that they might bee knowne from other men they did weare their coates of two coulours and their beards shauen on the one side and long on the other If this law had béen established in Fraunce during the warres which haue béene in our time there would be more Souldiers found wearing partie couloured coates and halfe shauen then others but let that passe it might suffice if wee had a good will to amend our faultes for that that is to come and to doe our endeuour from hencefoorth better then wee haue doone hitherto To be bréefe the seueritie of the ancient Chiefes did not onely extend vnto the punishment of those faultes which deserued death But also they had a regard vnto those faultes that were not of that importance to the intent to leaue no fault vnpunished how little soeuer it was contrarie vnto the discipline of the warres as their Histories do make mention Our Generall shall likewise take order that all the faults which his souldiers should commit might be gréeuously punished how little soeuer they were contrarie vnto the discipline of the warres or vnto the King his seruice although they were not damageble at that time that they were cōmitted but might be afterwards Wherfore the said Generall must looke deeply into this matter causing offenders to be punished according vnto the qualitie of the offence that they did commit hauing a regard vnto the euill that hath insued or the inconuenience that might ensue for which cōsideration it is necessary that the said General should be somwhat cruell if he would be well serued by his people cheefely at the beginning vntill he hath brought thē in order to liue wel to that point that they do excercise their faculty as it ought to be And if so be that he himselfe were of so gentle and pittifull nature that he would not punish offenders rigorously yet were it necessarie that some other should cause the punishment to be doone for him For which intent I haue instituted before the Iustice of the Legions which maner of iustice he may vse if hee will both for to ease himselfe of trouble as also for not withdrawing his wits frō his other busines but whether he himself dooth take knowledge of the offēces that his people do commit or that he doe referre it vnto their Chiefes those that doe commit any heynous crime and amongst others the one of them that I haue named before ought to be extraordinarily punished And to the intent that these wicked offenders might bee punished according vnto their desarts and that the example might withdraw others from dooing the like it were necessarie to deuise some new torment to punish them with the most terriblest death that might be inuented And if so be that any man will saye that a Captaine Generall ought
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
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
the greatest token that may be of the losse of a battaile is whē as souldiers haue a conceipt in themselues that their enemyes cannot be ouercome Therfore all occasions that might bring a Chief vnto this point against his wil must be auoided Fa. Maximus imitated herein who alwaies placed his Camp in strong places which was the occasion that Anniball had neuer the heart to assaile him And when a Captaine Generall doth doubt that his enemie hath so great power that he might or would assaile him in his trenches there is no better remedie for him then to leaue the field and to retyre his men into strong Garrisons parting his bands some one way and some another to the intent that the trouble of the besieging of many townes and strong places might wearie his enemies so that they should bee constrayned to loose their time altogether or at the least he himselfe haue respit to strengthen himselfe to go againe into the field when he should see time or else I do not thinke that it were possible for a Chiefe to auoyde the battaile whatsoeuer should happen if so be that his enemies had will for to fight except he kept himselfe alwaies twentie or thirtie miles from them to the intent to haue time enough to raise his Campe before his enemies comming if so bee that they would assault him as did the aforesayd Fabius Maximus in keeping himselfe farre from Anniball And although that the distance was not aboue twentie or thirtie miles yet the coūtrie was so fit for to auoyd the combat that if so bee he would haue fled he might haue done it although he had been hard followed which Fabius neuer ment to do for he did not so much auoyd the combat for the feare he had of his enemies as to constrayne them to assault him in his fort at their disaduantage or to wearie them in deferring to come to the combat and thereby to constrayne them to abandon the countrie or at the least to keepe themselues the closer together and to make lesse spoyle and wast of the countrie then if he had left them alone And on the other part Anniball through his obstinacie attended to vanquish the Romanes patience vntil such time as they should come downe into the plaine to fight with him putting his men in greater daunger then if he had tried to vanquish Fabius by assaulting him in his fort with the losse of a fewe men We must thinke that he should haue béen forced to come to the battaile or to haue gone his waies how vnwilling soeuer he had been to fight Phillip of Macedon father of Perses hauing warres against the Romanes placed his Campe vpon a mountaine to the intent that he would not bee constrayned to fight but with his owne freewill but the Romanes how daungerous soeuer it was went and fought with him in his fort and ouerthrew him The Venetians when they were at Pandin sith they were not determined to fight ought betimes to haue remooued farre of from the hoast of King Lewis or at the least to haue assaulted the Frenchmen whilest they were in passing the riuer of Adde but they tarrying too long could not depart when they would without strokes for in the remouing of their Camp the French men charged them and ouerthrew them How a Captaine Generall ought to deferre to come vnto combat with his enemies as much as he may possible when as the sayd enemies are entred into his Princes countrie and whether is the greater daunger to attend for his enemies at home in his owne countrie or to go seeke them in theirs And likewise if the sayd Generall should be importuned by his Souldiers to fight how he might auoid it and how to encourage them if so be they were afrayd of their enemies The 3. Chapter IT is a great poynt of wisedome to deferre the comming to battaile when as a man is assayled in his owne countrie his enemies hauing better souldiers and a greater number then he hath for if the battaile should be lost through the assayling of them the countrie would be in hazard to be lost The example of the last King of Hungarie may proue it to be true who being assailed in the yere 1526. by the Turke thē raigning thought it better to hazard the battaile and to fight with the Turkes at their ariuall then to forbeare and to stand vpon his guard which was cause that he himselfe was slaine and his kingdome lost Wherefore the surest way is to make a defensiue warre in prouiding for the townes that are vpon the frontiers to cause the victualls to be spoyled that cannot be brought safely away this doing our enemies shal be famished or constrained if they do not retire to seeke to fight with vs how greatly soeuer it be to their disaduantage And we shal be at choyse to accept or to refuse the battaile as we shal see it to be for our aduantage As concerning this poynt of forbearing an enemie wisely defending of a coūtrie I cannot alleadge a more fresh example then the manner that was obserued by the Lord Constable in Prouince against the Emperour for after that he had well furnished the townes vpon the frontiers that were defenceable and those that might hinder his enemies comming forward if so bee that they would haue entred farre into the countrie hauing caused all the milles and ouens to be spoyled the corne and fruite to bee destroyed that could not safely be carried away and likewise the wells and springs to be corrupted the sayd Lord Constable made himselfe strong in Auignon and there determined to attend to receiue the Switzers and other Souldiers that came for to ayd him and also the cōming of his enemies if they had will for to fight with him which act was cōmended both of the one side the other for the most surest counsaile that might haue béen vsed at that time considering the force of our enemies and how ill accompanied the King was and that the warre was stirring in many places within his countrie therefore to deceiue the Emperour his pretence for he made his accompt to haue had a better match at our hands at home in our owne countrie then abroad it was the best remedie that might haue béen thought vpon not to fight at the first ariuall nor at the will of the sayd Emperour but to suffer him to coole to weaken himself of men victuals mony whilest the said Lord Constable did make himselfe strong of all things necessarie attending for a time conuenient to make him to knowe in what daunger he putteth himselfe that entreth into another man his countrie with a wrong conceipt which daunger to say trueth is greatly to bee feared As for me I would neuer be of the opinion to assaile a Prince in his countrie that is so mightie and so well obeyed as the King of Fraunce is what reason soeuer is alleadged vnto the contrarie As for to saye
keepe their people in good quiet for as much as these two points do comprehend a great number in generall but sith I haue spoken mine opinion of many other perticularly me thinke I haue fully satisfied this matter But yet I will say further the foure aforesayd Chiefes ought to gouerne their people in such sorte that there might no one Souldier be found who should be the occasion of any disorder but that all things should be so gouerned and moderated that the Campe might be the harbour of all honest men and their refuge and Sanctuary within which all things ought to be as safe as in one of our Churches and therefore there must a regard be had that the Souldyers might liue well within the Campe and is also necessary to giue order that they should kéepe their hands from taking other mens goods without the Campe either néere or farre off except it be from their enemyes and yet not from them without leaue of the Generall of the Army for it is he that must permit before that any thing may be done that the Souldiers might spoile and bring away that they could finde and vse it afterwards as their owne But this rule is not obserued at this day amongst our Souldiers they will not stay while the spoiling of a towne or countrey be permitted by the Generall for they will take authoritie of themselues and they do not only vse this liberty against their enemyes and in a conquested countrey but also they handle those that yéeld vpon the brute of their comming long time before the army do come néere vnto their countrey as ill as those who haue stood obstinate vntill the comming of the army and vntill they are declared Rebels and enemies Yet if we will indifferently consider of the robberies raunsomes thefts and violences which they do in Fraunce not farre from their owne dwellings we shall thinke that the hurt that they do after that they are out of Fraunce in another countrey not to be strange but I leaue that for this time to take in hand to speake of the charge of foure principall Officers of the army the one of which is a Ciuilyan and doth execute the office of Chauncellor properly for that he is an assistant vnto the Generall as often as there is cause to speake of the administration of iustice be it in Ciuill causes or in Criminall and in cases of complaint whether it be one perticular person that complaineth or a whole countrey and for to aunswere the demaunds of Ambassadors and the requests of a perticular person towne or countrey and if any Proclamation should be made it is he that ought to penne it specially for that the knowledge of the lawes of the Emperours which are necessary are not commonly in the heads of the Lieutenants Generals that are now adayes This said Ciuilyan is to assist the Generall when he will make any newe orders concerning any matter of consequencie and finally to make aunswere vnto Letters that do come from any great personage chiefely if it be matter of importance in summe he is called to all counsailes wherein there lieth any difficultie And moreouer besides all these seruices abouesaid he may busie himselfe to cause victuals to be brought into the Campe and to all other places where any prouision ought to be layd whether it were to victuall the Campe a Towne or for a passage and yet this charge is more fit for the Marshall of the Campe or for the Prouost generall or for an expresse commissioner of the victuals then for a long gowne yet I haue séene the Lord Chauncellor that is at this instant execute this office as well within Fraunce as without continuing the warres that we haue had within these foure yeares Before him I neuer knewe any of his qualitie execute that office but to be a Counsellour vnto the Generall as is abouesaid I do not denie for I haue seene one with Mounsieur de Lautrec who vsed the title and office of Chauncellor Now to speake of the Marshall of the Campe who is one of the principall officers of an hoast vnto whome it apperteineth to place the Campe and to distribute it into quarters and to fortifie it he also is to regard that the victuals should be equally distributed throughout all the quarters of the Campe and that euery thing should be set in his place The controuersies which are not vnder the Colonels or of those that are not of the Campe the complaints of victualers of artificers and of other mē of occupation which do follow a Campe do come before him he also must haue care of the sick men The third principall officer is the maister of the Ordnance who is of no small estimation at this day because of the estimation that we do make of that instrument His charge is to cause his pieces to be well mounted and to haue them furnished with great quantitie of shot and powder Moreouer he ought to haue good Gunners many Pioners Smithes Carpenters Carters and other people fit for the occupation of the Ordnance It apperteineth vnto his office to be expert to make the approches before a place for to batter it to haue iudgement of himselfe and also to be inquisitiue of them that knowe the place where it may be best approched and beaten is weakest and easiest to be taken Moreouer he ought to haue vnderstanding in Mines to deuise them and to cause them to be made as they ought to be which being made with iudgement may do them great seruice that do besiege a strong place and hardly will they be preuented The Countie Pedro of Nauarre had the best skill in these Mines of any man in his time and ours and by the meanes of them hath taken many Townes and Castles as well against the King as for him We may say that the Lord of Bury hath succéeded in the said Countie his place for he in mine opinion doth vnderstand this businesse as well as any man in Fraunce or if I durst say better I should not greatly faile if I said better then any other nation Concerning the Ordnance it ought to be accoumpted amongst the most excellentest armes as in the vse of it we do see the effect but leaue that to it selfe which doth sufficiently commend it selfe I do say that he that doth exercise the office of the Maister of the Ordnance must haue an eye vnto all those that do belong vnto it and to punish those that do offend It had bin necessary that I had followed my Lord great Esquyer who is at this present to speake further in this matter for euery man knoweth that he doth vnderstand this occupation better then any other man but I haue neither had leysure to follow him nor time to learne after other wherefore I will content my selfe with these Generalities which I haue spokē of without passing further Now it is necessary to speake of the Threasurer who is one of the necessaryest Officers
know all maner of vagabonds and haue power to punish them with death when they doe get them but for that the Legionaries are sworne knowne men it is requisite that they should haue their ordnarie Iudge who should administer iustice vnto them aswell in ciuill causes as in criminall as long as the Legions are vnder their Ensignes and to that intent I haue instituted vnto euerie Legion a man of lawe to coūsaile the Colonells wherefore I will not spend the time to shew the order that the prouosts ought to obserue in their iudgements for asmuch as it is to be thought that they should not haue their offices except they vnderstood how to execute them and they are clearks of the right stamp which I haue appointed them to assist them in all their courts that they doe holde when as they would iudge in any matter I will therefore begin to speake of the maner that the Colonell and his people ought to vse in their iudgements and first of all I will chuse a certaine number of Iudges by lot to auoide confusion and the iealousie that might be had of them that doe iudge and afterward shal be shewed how we must proceede to condemne or discharge a prisoner Concerning the first point I doe presuppose that the accuser I doe meane he that doth make the reporte wheather it be one of the preseruers of Militarie discipline or other must first come vnto the Prouost of the League and informe him very well of the matter and this done the Prouost shall conferre with his counsaile wheather the partie doe deserue death or not if the cafe doe not concerne death he shall procéed therein according vnto his charge But if the crime be so haynous that it doth deserue death he shall goe immediately vnto the Colonell informe him of it and thus the matter shal be handled at the first complaynt Concerning the maner of bringing of an appeale before the Colonell it is too manifest The Collonell being fullie informed of the accusation shall cause the offender to be taken and commit him vnto the custodie of the Prouost If the Colonell doe know that to summon him to appeare personally will serue the turne the offender shal be summoned to appéere personally the one of which commissions must be executed by the Prouost his men to weete that of taking him prisoner except the accused were a Chiefe or Member for in such a case the maister of the Camp or the Seriant maior accompanied with the Colonell his gard shall goe take them as for the adiourning the Drume maior or the Colonell his trumpet must doe it If it be late before the accused be taken the matter shal be deferred vntill the next day but if it were any thing timely hee shall cause proclamation to be made that all the Captaines Lieutenauntes Ensignes Corporals Chiefes of Squadrons and Deceniers of his Legion should immediately come vnto his lodging which proclamation being made all these that I haue named shall goe thither incontinent carrying no other armes with them then their swords The Seriants of the bandes must bee there also and if the Colonell his lodging or tent bee not great inough to receiue al this people the assembly must be made with out dores and the Colonel before hee doth proceede further shall shewe vnto them for what intent he hath called them togither that is to administer iustice vnto his souldiers to preserue the good from oppression to punish the offences that the wicked doe commit If so be that this assembly were made for to heare any appeale the Colonell shall shewe them the matter and for whether soeuer of these two causes it were hee shall cause them all to lift vp their handes and to sweare with one voice to help to maintaine iustice with all their power against all those of the Legion that should cōmit any crime with out exception of person except the Colonel who is to be iudged in an other place not there The othe being taken in generall the Deceniers shal assemble by them selues together the Chiefes of Squadrons by them selues and the Corporals likewise by them selues the Colonell shal sit in a chaire shall haue two pots set at his féet in the one of which pots there shal be as many leadden bullets as there are Deceniers in one band lacking one in stéede of the one leadden bullet which wanteth there shal be a Lattin bullet so that amongst a great many of white bullets there shall be one yealow the other pot shall haue nothing in it shal be set at the Colonell his right foote and that with the bullets at his left The Maister of the Campe the Seriant Maior and the Prouost and his Clearke shall be by him These two pottes being so placed the Colonell shall make signe vnto the Dceniers of the first bande who shall march one after another according vnto the order that they are accustomed to keepe in the Battailon The first shall shewe his right hand vnto the Seriant Maior stripping his sleeue vp vnto the elbow to auoide all suspition of deceipt and afterward shall put his hand into the pot to take out one of the bullets and shall shewe the bullet that he doth take vnto the Maister of the Campe to shew what bullet that it is and if it be a leaden bullet the saide Decenier shall put it into the emptie pot immediatly and shall retourne vnto his lodging but if he doe drawe the lattin bullet the Clearke shall take his name and he shal stand aside in a place appoynted After that this first Decenier hath drawne all the rest of the same band shall drawe vntill such time as some one hath drawne the lattin bullet And this being done by the Deceniers of the first band the Colonell shal cause al the leaden bullets with the lattin bullet to be set againe in their places remouing the full pot into the emptie pot his place and shall afterwards make signe vnto the Deceniers of the second band to come forward as hee did before vnto those of the first who shall doe as they did and so shal al the other following so that by this meanes when as all the Deceniers of the 12 bands haue drawne he shal haue 12 men of those sortes of officers ready to iudge And to the intent that hee might haue as many Chiefes of Squadrons as Deceniers hee shall cause the Chiefes of Squadrons to drawe eache band after other vsing so manye bullets with the lattin bullet as are Chiefes of Squadrons in a band afterward the Corporalls shall doe as much one bande after another Concerning the Members and Captaines they shall not drawe bullets at this time but their number shall continew whole Wherefore of all these six sorts of officers there shall be 12 mē of euerie one which is in number 72 that is 6 of euerie band all which 72 men shall range themselues in forme of
a none as hee woulde haue his Souldiers for to bee Moreouer if there were occasion to put any man to death the cause being iust hee deferred it not so that things were handled by him that hee was not to bee reprooued In like manner must our Generall lyue with his people and to haue that excellencie in him to make him selfe to be loued and feared How Souldiers ought to bee recompenced after that they haue doone good seruice with the Author his excuse Chap. 5. To the Lord Constable FOr asmuch as the lawes that doe concerne Militarie discipline where vnto souldiers that doe exercise the warres are bound and subiect are so rigorous that it cannot bee possible that they should bee more it is reason on the other parte to institute certaine Priuiledges Honors Authorities Dignities Gifts and profits to recompence those that haue honostly acquited them selues of their dueties and which haue patiently borne the burden of the warres during the time that the king his pleasure was to bee serued by them For there is nothing more iust then where offenders are greatly punished that wel deseruers should be well rewarded if so be that we would haue men to hope and feare all at once For which cause the Romans did ordaine a certaine recompence for euery vertuous acte to weete for him that saued any citizens life fighting against his enemies likewise vnto him that got vp first vpon a wall or that entred first at a breache or into his enemtes Forte likewise for him that in any sally out of a towne besieged did first passe his enemies trenches in summe euery vertuous acte was remembred and recompenced by the Consuls and moreouer praised publikely of euery man And besides the honour good fame that those that did obtaine those gifts did get amongst other souldiers they might weare them amongst the citizens and goe to and fro with them and none other durst weare the like but onely those which had gotten them by the way abouesaide I will not stay to tell what gifts they were nor whereof the garmentes were that were giuen them for it is inough that the recompence was good and although it was not riche yet it was honourable The King had ordained that the Legionaries which did any acte of valour should haue certaine gould rings giuen them and that order had beene very good if it had beene kept I would likewise that those of whom I treat here should haue vppergarments or rings or bracelets or Iewels I doe not care what they were so that they might serue for tokens and shewes vnto the world that those that did weare them had behaued them selues like vnto men of vertue Moreouer they might enioy the Priuiledges and other freedomes which the lawes of Emperours doe permit and also the Prerogatiues which the auncient Souldiers did enioy amongst the auncient Romans The King might likewise exempt them from taxes and though not from all yet at the least from parte And if so be that he conquered any country or towne by force of armes hee might people them with those souldiers that had taken paines to doe him seruice and bannishe the other inhabitaunts as I haue saide before or place them amongst the first inhabitaunts if the said towne countrie were able to receiue them all The orders of the Legions doe import that those that haue bene maymed of their limmes in the king his seruice should be put into Garrisons be kept there as the other dead paies were and the recompence is honest But for that it is not only inough to recompence maimed men to forget others that haue shewed them selues to be honest men although that they were not maymed for I am of opinion that the king should make accompt of all those that had serued him faithfully in his warres and should be informed of euery man his deserts to the intent that he him selfe might cut their bread and not a quidam whom the matter doth not touch at all and who will passe it lightly except it bee the Generall that hath had them in charge or some other that doth know their deserts which to doe well must distribute here one thing and there another according vnto euery man his valour and merite whether they bee places of dead payes keeping of Castles Captaine shippes Baliages Prouosties Steward-shippes or other courtlike offices and if so be that those offices and estates may not suffice the king hath wherewithall to recompence them richly by pension or otherwise at the vttermost there are many gouernments in France which may be charged to maintaine a great number Moreouer the Prelats great benefices of France might be charged to maintaine another parte with the third penny of their reuenewes which they are bound to imploy for the maintenance of the poore but they doe it not wherefore it would be labour well spent to make them to be charitable that will not be so of them selues And this I meane for the recompencing of simple souldiers pore gentlemen as for the Chiefs they may be recompenced with the offices and estats abouesaide If that souldiers did hope to be recompenced honestly when as the warres were ended to liue without feare of pouerty it is a thing most certaine that whilst they are in the wars they would incline them selues to no other thing but to do the king good seruice whereas they are constrained before all things to thinke vpon their perticuler profit and afterward to exercise their facultie But God knoweth howe for wee doe see that who so doth not win by his industrie doth loose his time in tarrying vntill that an other doe geue him any thing and that is also the occasion that souldiers at this day doe vse the warres for their occupation not to the intent to doe the Prince seruice that doth giue them their wages Wherefore when as the warres doe fayle there are fewe souldiers that will labour or worke againe at the occupation that they did learne in their youth and then if they haue nothing to maintaine thē to liue idlely they do become robbers skouters vpon wais as Montclou his men did and many other the like haue done in France since the king his raigne I speake nothing of the subtleties that they doe vse nor of the desire that they haue of the continuance of the warre nor what enemies they are vnto the peace nor how they doe seeke many inuētions to delay the king his seruice which they would not doe if that they had any hope to be recompenced To conclude I doe say that who so shall leuie souldiers after the maner before spoken of in this booke and shall vse the obseruations of punishment and rewarde abouesaide towardes those that through their good or ill déeds had deserued praise or blame that he should haue as good souldiers as euer were Wherof there must be no doubt made for I dare affirme that these here spoken of are in all points so