THE Accomplished Commander Being Necessary INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE Prudent Conduct OF OFFICERS IN AN ARMY Written by a Person of great Experience in Military Affairs and published for the common Benefit By R. C. LONDON Printed for J. Taylor at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard and S. Holford at the Crown in the Pall Mall 1689. The Preface MY Zeal to oblige the World though it has still been unkind to me has tempted me to be unjust to my Friend in publishing this his admirable Work without his knowledge For his Occasions having called him beyond the Seas I took this Opportunity of printing it to which I could never as yet obtain his Consent But to make some Attonement for my Fault I discover hereby the Authour 's great Modesty as well as you in the Perusal hereof will find his solid Learning and judicious Observations in all things relating to a good Soldier To these let me add that his other Vertues are so conspicuous in the conduct of his Life and his Knowledge and Experience in Military Affairs so exquisite that those who have been so happy to enjoy his admirable Conversation in his several Marches and Camps up and down in the World will be apt to say That the Character which he has so ingeniously painted out of an accomplished Commander in an Army may not improperly be attributed to the Authour After a long Contest which I had within my self betwixt my Respect to my Friend and the Temptation I had to gratifie the Publick with a sight of this small but excellent Treatise I upbraided my self not much unlike the poor Lepers of Samaria when they had found the Treasures and tasted of the Stores of Provisions the Assyrians had left in their Camp at their hasty Flight from thence Shall we cried these Lepers conceal this great good and not communicate it to the famished Inhabitants of our City So Shall I argued I with my self at a time when we have such Armies in the Field not only at home but in other Countries where this Treasure may be so acceptable and of such great Advantage amongst them keep it lockt up in Obscurity These and the like Thoughts were sufficient Motives to prevail with me for its publication But were I sure to obtain my Friend's Pardon for this breach of Trust which I do not much doubt for I am confident I shall gain Advocates enough to plead in my behalf and because the Piece in it self is such that some of our best Pens need not blush to own yet I can never hope it for permitting it to come forth thus disguised and blemished with Faults merely through the unskilfulness of the Transcriber For my part I can make but too just an Apology for my self herein for ever since I delivered the Copy to the Bookseller my own troublesome Affairs have unhappily diverted me from taking that due Care of it which I ought to have done either by reviewing it before it went to the Press or preventing its being so published so that it happens to be printed with many gross Errours particularly amongst the proper Names some of which I have rectified in an Errata for the present and promise beforehand that if it bear another Impression I shall be very industrious to make it appear very correct and in its native Beauty R. C. The Contents OF War Page 1. Preparation for War Page 9. How Commanders ought to be qualified Page 17. How to gain and keep the Love of Soldiers Page 29. Of Wisdom and Policy in War with Examples thereof Page 35. Of Courage and Valour in War with Examples thereof Page 49. Of Strategems in War with Examples thereof Page 65. Of Expedition and Resolution in War Page 76. Of Errours in War and the evil Consequences thereof Page 88. Of honourable Retreats with Examples thereof Page 95. Of Temperance and Chastity in War with Examples thereof Page 99. Compassion in War Page 108. Of Fame gotten in War with Examples thereof Page 116. Of Monarchy Page 124. Experience in Arms is the Original of true Nobility Page 129. ERRATA Page 51. read Callisthenes Lysimachus p. 59. r. then the best Prisoner home by p. 61. r. Aemyties have p. 63. r. Gauls Cyrnbri p. 80. r. Lerida p. 81. r. Munda Corduba p. 89. r. three great p. 112. r. Crasus taken OF WAR AFter a long scene of Peace War ever enters the Stage and is so much of the World's Physick as it is both a purge and a Bloud-letting Peace Fulness Pride and War are the four follies that being let in to one another make the wheel that the Times turn on as we see in Bees when the Hive multiplies and fills nature hath always taught it a way of ease by Swarms so the World and Nations when they grow overpopulous they discharge themselves by Troups and Bands 'T is but the distemper of the Body politick which like the natural rest and a full diet hath burthen'd with repletion and that highthens humors either to Sickness or Evacuation When 't is eas'd of these it subsides again to a quiet rest and temper so War is begotten out of Peace graduately and ends in Peace immediately Between Peace and War are two Stages Luxury Ambition between War and Peace none at all The Causes of War may be reduced to five heads Ambition Avarice Revenge Providence and Defence The first were the most usual causes of War among the Heathen yet what all the conquered call'd Pride and Covetousness both the Romans and Grecians were taught by their high bloud to call Honour and increase of Empire That which hath grown from the propagation of Religion was never of such force as since the Mahumetan Law and Catholick Cause hath ruffled among the Nations yet questionless to lay the foundation of Religion in bloud is to condemn it before we teach it The Sword may force Nature and destroy the Body but cannot make the Mind believe that lawfull which is begun in unlawfulness yet without doubt in the enterprizes the Opinion has animated much we see how it formerly fired the Turk and is yet a strong motive to Spanish and French attempts For that of Revenge I see not but it may be lawfull for a Prince even by War to vindicate Himself and People and the reason is because in such causes of injury the whole Nation is interessed and many times the Recompence is more due to the Subjects than the Sovereign That of Providence may well have a pass as when Princes make War to avoid War or when they see a storm inevitably falling 't is good to meet it and break the force should they ever sit still while the blow were given them they might very well undoe themselves by Patience we see in the Body men often bleed to prevent an imminent Sickness For that of Defence both Religion and all the Rules of Nature plead for 't Sharp War and the very novelty of sudden Violence use to dismay any State or Country
a Spartan answered It s good news for then we shall fight in the shade Julius Caesar was a very Valiant Man and successfull in all his Wars so that in his Life time he took a Million of Men Prisoners and slew as many But why should I range the world for Examples of Valour whilst our own Nation can give a better account than any Romish Author for if we read what a French Writer saith of the inequality that was between the French and English when King John was ready to give the onset upon the Black Prince at the Battel of Poictiers John had all the advantages over Edward both of Number Force Show Country and Conceipt the which is commonly a consideration of no small Importance in Warlike Assairs and withall the cheif of all his Horsemen esâ—eemed them the best in Europe with the greatest and wisest Captains of his whole Realm and what could he wish more I think it would trouble a Roman Antiquary to find the like Examples in their Histories the Example I say of a King brought Prisoner to Rome by an Army of eight Thousand which he had surrounded with forty Thousand better appointed and no less expert Warriours all that have read of Cresse and Agincourt will bear me witness that I do not alledg the Battel of Poictiers for lack of others as good Examples of English Valour the Proof whereof hath left many hundred better Marks in all quarters of France than ever did the Valour of the Romans If any man shall ask How then came it to pass that they won so many great Battels having no advantage to help them I may with best Commendation of Modesty reser him to the French Historian who relating the Victory of our men at Crevant where they passed a Bridge in face of the Enemy useth these Words The English comes with a Conquering bravery as he was accustomed to gain every where without any stay he forced our Guards placed upon the Bridge to keep the passages Or I may cite another Place of the same Authour where he tells how the Britains being invaded by Charles the Eight King of France thought it good Policy to apparel a Thousand one Hundred of their own men in English Cassocks hoping that the very sight of our English red Crest would be enough to terrifie the French. But I will not stand to borrow of French Historians all which excepting Deserres and Paulus Aeucylius were reported wonders of our Nation and likewise our own Histories who tell us that the Military Vertue of the English prevailing against all manner of difficulties ought to be preferred before that of the Romans which was assisted with all advantages that could be desired If it should be demanded Why then did not our Kings finish the Conquest as Caesar had done my Answer may be I hope without offence That our Kings were like to the race of the Aeacide of whom the old Poet Ennius gave this note They were more Warlike than Politick Who so notes their proceedings may find that none of them went to work like a Conquerour save only King Henry the Fifth the course of whose Victories it pleased God to interrupt by his Death But the question is more easily answered If another be first made why did not the Romans attempt the conquest of Gall before the time of Caesar At all these times they had good leasure and fit opportunity when under the Conduct of Marius they had newly vanquished the Cymbry and Tutones by whom the Country of the Galls had been pitiously wasted Surely the Words of Tully were true that with other Nations the Romans fought for Dominion with the Galls for the Preservation of their own safety But now it is high time to lay aside Comparison and end my Discourse of this matter Were it possible for me to particularize the Valour of our English Princes Nobles and Gentry I should swell my Volume and not attain my end which is Brevity Of Strategems and Examples thereof IT hath been ever held for a Maxim in War that it is more Commendation to overcome by Strategeme than by Sword for how many Cities has there been surprized by Warlike Strategems when all the strength imaginable could not have taken them otherways Certainly Strategems in War are like Diamonds in a Ring for as the Stones are more to be valued than the Ring it self so Strategems in War are more to be esteemed than any other Warlike action besides and the lawfulness thereof we need not doubt Joshua 8.2 we read that God commanded Joshua to lie in ambush behind the City of Aiâ— Judg. 20.29 by which Stategeme it was destroyed and likewise Israel to set lâ—ers in wait round about Gibeah c. Other Examples Darius besieging the impregnable City of Babylon which had revolted from him after many ways and means assayed knew not how to prevail at last one of the Cheif Collonels called Zopyrus caused himself to be beaten black and blue his Nose Lips and Ears to be cut off and acquainting Darius with his purpose he went to Babylon into which being admitted he shewed the People his dismembred and torn Body complains of the cruelty of Darius and profereth his best assistence to them against him the Citizens knowing the worth of the Man and not suspecting the fraud made him their Captain in some Skirmishes he beat the Persians at last having drawn forth all his strength of the City he betrayed them to Darius and so delivered up Babylon into his hands After which Darius used to say That he had rather hove one Zopyrus than twenty Cities of Babylon After the Lacedemonians had taken Thebes seven of the banished Men forsook Athens privately and entred by night into the fields of Thebes where spending the next day secretly they came late in the evening to the Gates like Husbandmen returned from work and passed undiscovered unto the house of Charon whom Philidas the Scribe had drawn into conspiracy The day following a solemn Feast being held in the City Philidas promised the Governours who were insolent and lustfull Men that he would conveigh unto them that night the beautifull Dames of the Town with whom they should take their pleasure having cheared them with such hope and plenty of good Wine he told them when the time of performance which they urged came that he would not make good his promise unless they would dismiss their followers because the Gentlewomen who attended without in a Chamber would not indure that any of their Servants should see their faces upon which occasion the Attendents were dismissed and the Conspirators attired like Ladies and their Maids brought into the place who taking advantage of the Governours loose behaviour slew them all upon a sudden with Daggers which they brought hidden under their Garments so by this Strategeme they did not only purchase the Thebans liberty but freed themselves of the Lacedemonian Garrison Sir W. Rawleigh Cymon General of the Athenians triumphed over the
not they go about the business it self how hard soever it be not standing to consider of danger which the mischief hanging over their Heads may bring and as truly of those that do know the Wars but by hear-say they have ability enough and to spare till dangers appear but when Perils indeed come they get them gone In the Year one thousand five hundred and eighty two was that memorable Retreat of Gaunt than which there hath not been an Exploit of War more celebrated for the number of English were but three hundred Horse and as many thousand Foot commanded by Sir John Norris charged by the Prince of Parma coming upon them with seven thousand Horse beside that the whole Army of Spaniards was ready to march on nevertheless Sir John Norris maintained a Retreat without disarray by the space of some Miles part of the way Campaign unto the City of Gaunt with less loss of Men than the Enemy the Duke of Anjou and the Prince of Orange beholding this noble Action from the Walls of Gaunt as in a Theatre with great Admiration Of Temperance and Chastity in Commanders with Examples thereof TEmperance in Commanders is the only Safeguard against all Surprizals We read of Commodius his Deputy in Britain Vlpius Marrellus was so Temperate that he caused his bread to be brought into the Camp from Rome that for the staleness of it he might eat no more than was needfull and so vigilant that his Soldiers thought he never slept at Night by which imitation they became a most Watchfull and Obedient people for it is very observable that Soldiers are ambitious to follow Examples of their Captains whether it be either in Arts of Vertue or Vice. Alexander as long as he lived within the bounds of Temperance how Obedient were his Officers and Soldiers to him but as soon as he gave himself up to Wine we read not only Mutinies amongst his Soldiers but Treason by his Officers hatching against his own Person for Wine begets Fury Fury matter of Repentance but preceding mischiefs are not amended by succeeding bewailings Drunkenness both kindles and lays open every Vice it removes out of the way that shame which gives impediment unto bad attempts for where Wine gets the Mastery all the ill that before lies hidden breaks out Drunkenness indeed rather discovers Vices than makes them Amongst the Turks the prohibition of Wine in time of War is ever punished with Death I have read of two men put to Death for bringing a very small quantity of Wine into the Camp for here men become Sober Diligent Watchfull and Obedient in the Turkish Camp no brauls quarrels nor clamours are heard no abuses are committed on their People in the march of their Army all is bought and paid with money as by Travellers that are guests at an Inn There are no Complaints by Mothers of the Rape of their Virgin Daughters no violences of Robberies offer'd on the Inhabitants All which good order tends to the Success of their Arms and the Enlargement of their Empire as on the contrary too much Liberty given to the Christian Soldiers especially in drinking is the only cause which moves them to a lust and promtitude to all Evils and is the occasion of the horrid outrages they commit quarrels amongst themselves and disobedience to their Officers and betrays oftentimes a whole Army to ruine by surprizal for how can those men be watchfull whose Heads are charged with the fumes of strong drink Agesilaus King of Sparta Chastity was a great Lover of Chastity and he was a great Conqueror of others so also he conquered his own Lusts insomuch that in his Journeys he would never lodge in private Houses where he might have the Company of Women but ever lodg'd either in Temples or in open Fields making all men witnesses of his Modesty and Chastity Plut. Alexander the Great being in the heat of Youth shewed an admirable Example of Chastity when having taken the Wives and Daughters of Darius which were Women of admirable Beauty yet he neither by Word nor Deed profer'd them the least Indignity thinking it a greater Honour to overcome himself than his Adversaries and when he looked upon the other Captive Ladies that exceeded in Stature and Beauty He merrily said Persides oculorum dolores esse That the Persian Women were a disease of the Eyes and yet he looked on them as but on so many Statues and understanding that two of his Captains under Permenio had ravished two of the Persian Wives he wrote to him to enquire after the matter and if he found it true that he should cut off their Heads as of Beasts born for the hurt of Mankind he also wrote him Word that he himself was so far from contemplating the Beauty of Darius's Wife that he would not as much as have her commended in his presence and that he was so carefull of her and her Daughters Chastity that they lived in his Camp shut up in their Tent as if they had been in a Temple Plut. Scipio Africanus warring in Spain took new Carthage by Storm at which time a Beautifull and Noble Virgin fled to him for Succour to preserve her Chastity He being but Twenty four years old and so in the heat of Bloud hearing of it would not suffer her to come into his sight for fear of a Temptation but caused her to be restored in safety to her Father Aurel. Victor Aurelian an Heathen Emperour was so carefull to preserve the Chastity of Women that one of his Soldiers being found guilty of lying with his Hostess he commanded that two young Trees should be bowed down and the Soldier 's legs tied thereto which being suddenly let go tore him into two pieces Compassion in War. VAlour is then best temper'd when it can turn out of a stern Fortitude into the mild strains of Pity It is written to the Honour of Tamberlane that Conquering the Moscovites with a Princely Valour he falls from the Joys of the Victory to a Lamentation of the many casual miseries they endure who are tied to follow the leading of Ambitious Generals and all this from the sight of the Field covered with the Soul-less men Some report of Caesar that he wept when he heard how Pompey dyed Though Pity be a downy Vertue yet she never shines more brightly than when she is clad in Steel A martial man compassionate shall conquer both in Peace and War and by a two-fold way get Victory with Honour Titus Vespasianus was so Compassionate That he said he would rather dye himself than put others to death He proceeded no farther against two Noble Men convicted for Affecting and Aspiring to the Empire than to admonish them to desist and give over saying That Sovereign Power was the Gift of Destiny and Divine Providence if they were Petitioners for any thing else he promised to give it unto them Sueton when Alaxander by Permenio won Miletus and by force mastered Halicarnassus which because