Canoneers lives that would otherwise be exposed to the Canon shot of the enemies If it be a City or a great garrison Towne then it requires two platformes and two batteries with six Canons apiece the one on the one side of the towne and the other on the other side and both these platformes and batteries are to be made and to begin to play at the breake of the day that shall be appointed for the storme and so they are to continue without intermission untill they have made two breaches of twenty yards broad apiece and the dikes to be levelled with the rubbish even with the firme ground Now if these breaches cannot be done in one day then are the Commanders to give order that some Companies of Musquetteers be appointed to stand on the two flanks of the breaches all night one company after another to fire their Musquets at randome into the breaches to hinder the defendants to repaire the breaches or from retrenching of themselves within it And then the next morning to storme againe without intermission untill the breach be sufficient and the dike levelled as afore-said And in the meane time the Commanders may set in order their reserves to come to a generall Assault after this manner following 6. In our manner of Assaults There is an erroneous opinion crept in the minde of some men that say we are not to take Townes or Castles by storming assaults to avoid the shedding of Christian bloud but we ought rather to take them by famine But these men are either ignorant of the events of warre or desire this unnaturall warre should be spinned out untill the Kingdome were utterly consumed For it is certaine that long sieges consume more men by diseases ten for one then are slaine by storming or assaults as it shall be proved by Instances 1. 2 Vigentia a great City in Italy was besieged ten yeares by the Romans and at that siege was the use of Tents first of all invented because of the number of Souldiers that perished by diseases that did proceed from the wet and cold they endured in Winter time and Furius Camilius took the same in a moneth by a Mine and a generall assault 2. The siege of a Marseilles under Francis the first and the siege of Mests under Henry the second Kings of France consumed above threescore thousand men by diseases because the Emperour Charles the fifth strove to take them by famine 3. The Protestants in the second Civill warre of France besieged the City of b Poitiers with an Army of thirty thousand men and because they did not storme it at their first coming they lost above six thousand men by diseases and were inforced to raise the siege 4. The c Earle of Foix Generall for the French in the Kingdome of Naples having besieged the City of Naples lost his owne life and the greater part of his Army before it by the Pestilence because he fell not a storming of it at his first coming In a word long sieges consume more men treasure and time then townes that are taken by assault There are so many accidents that happen by the long time that a Towne requires for to be taken by famine that the events of it are very seldome successefull or happy and there is no towne or Castle but may be taken by storming as it may be proved by instances 1. Henry the fourth took d Moutmeillan Castle in eight dayes that had required two yeares siege for it stood upon a steep Rock judged of the greater part of his Commanders impregnable and well provided of Ammunition and provisions But he having viewed thes at of it himselfe saw there was another steep rock within Canon shot of it whereupon he gave a Regiment of Switzers a Largesse to draw up upon that rock six Canons with the strength of their armes and these being pointed and storming the same furiously the defendants yeelded upon composition If the like was done to Scarborow Castle it would be taken in three dayes for it is nothing to the fore-named in seat and fortifications and it hath also a hill that commands the same and likewise Beaver Castle that is also commanded by a hill 2. The Towne of Gravilling one of the strongest Garrisons in Flanders that had required two yeares siege to take it by famine because it had three double dikes of forty foot broad and twenty foot deep and all flanked with bastions made with Casamates and no probabilitie to come to an assault without Galleries yet the French did so terrifie the defendants by their furious batteries and assaults that they were constrained to deliver the same upon composition before it had been fully besieged three months 3. Our brethren the Scots might have endured many a wet and cold night before New-Castle and have spinned out that siege untill the next Spring if they had not nobly and valiantly stormed the same If Basing house and Banbury Castle had been stormed with sixe Canons that might have made such breaches as are spoken of before and had the besiegers given such an assault so ordered and the men so armed as followed they had not lost their reputation as they have nor left that work undone to spinne out this warre to the next yeare When a breach of twenty yards broad is made and the dike filled up as aforesaid even with the firme ground then are three reserves to march after one another in this manner but if there be two breaches then six reserves are to be in a readinesse and every reserve is to consist of fifty nine men that is for every breach one hundred threescore and seventeen men and for the two breaches it is three hundred fifty foure men These men are to be chosen men of the most valiant and experienced souldiers of the Army for raw souldiers are not to have that honour neither would they stand to so furious a storme but would turne back and run away and over-throw the designe for among the French the Marshals of France Earles and Barons doe not disdaine to be of the first ranke that go up to the breach and those of the first ranke are to be of the most e eminent in birth and degree this first ranke are to be all Rondachiers armed from the head to the knees with armour of proofe with broad swords in their right hands to cut the enemies pikes their Rondachiers in the left and a Pistoll ready charged at their girdle and are to be placed a foot asunder that the next ranke of nineteene Musquetteers may fire their Musquets between that foot light and these Musquetteers are to be armed with good swords on their side a buffe coat on their back and a Pistoll ready charged at their girdle and a head piece on their head they are to march two yards distant from the Rondachiers and next to them are to be a ranke of twenty Pike-men armed with Corselets and Cuisiers of
might be produced to prove how dangerous it is for a State to employ Commanders in Chiefe in one Service that have had formerly or may yet have secretly some Antipathie of affections so much predominant are the passions of men over their naturall reason except they be curbed and restrained by a great measure of supernaturall Grace Now having sufficiently described some part of the deformity and of the dangerous effects of this fury of contention and division I come to shew the sweet Harmony and the excellent fruits of Unity and Concord The whole frame of nature without Concord and Unity would suddenly be changed into a Chaos of confusion if the powerfull hand of the Almighty did permit contention to raigne between any of the elements for we see what strange combustions happen in the aire for a small distemper that befals sometimes between the Meteors Concord and Unity is the humane saviour and preserver of Kingdomes and Common-weales A s Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot subsist saith our Saviour And how much lesse shall a weaker party subsist if it be divided by contentions and Antipathies of affections as ours is It was an ingenious Metaphor used by a Scythian t King to induce his sonnes to Unity To command a servant of his to bring before him a bundle of Arrowes knit together and to charge his sonnes one after another to endeavour to breake the same but they were not able whereupon he bad them to take them one by one and they brake them all easily Even so said he to them If you remaine constantly united one with another it will be impossible for the neighbour Nations to subdue or overcome you but if you let divisions and contentions be fomented among you you will become the prey of your meanest enemies And for the greater confirmation of the point I will endeavour to prove it by Instances both ancient and moderne 1. As long as the Ancient Greeks continued in unitie one with another it was impossible for u Philip the first King of Macedonia to reduce them into servitude But as soon as they by the covetousnesse of some of their Oratours were divided into factions it was an easie thing for him and Alexander the great his sonne to deprive them of their liberty 2. As long as the Romane Senatours were linked in unity one with another the Romane liberty was preserved and their Common-weale flourished and commanded the greater part of the world but as soon as they were divided into factions some for x Pompeius other for Caesar other for Crassus and other for Lepidus Caesar in a short time deprived them of their liberty 3. As long as the ancient y Gaules and Britanes were united together they flourished and sacked the Citie of Rome But when they were divided into factions by the Romane agents they were in a short time subdued by the Romanes 4. The Unitie and Concord that was among the z Commanders in Chiefe of the Protestant Party in the Civill warres of France was the only meanes after Gods favour of their subsistance for one cannot otherwise chuse that reads that History but admire the wisdome and meeknesse of the Admirall of Chatillon and the great industry he used to accord with the incompatible dispositions and naturall inclinations of some that were violent and fiery in all their designes and enterprises as was the Prince of Conde and Monsieur Dandelot and others yet with his humility and meeknesse he did quench all contentions that did arise from this Antipathy of dispositions and kept alwayes their will and affections constantly united to the Generall Cause 4. The unity and concord that was between Fabius Maximus P. b Decius two great Generals and Scipio and Lellius two other great Commanders was wonderfully profitable to the Romane Common-weale and that of Phocion and of Aristides to the Athenians Common-weale 5. The unity of c Themistocles and Aristides that were otherwise mortall enemies in their private affaires was extremely profitable to all the Greeks in the Councell of warre that was called by Euripidias their Generall before the battell of Salamine for their unity in opinion was the cause to obtaine that famous victory and of the preservation of all the Greeks 6. As long as the Duke of d Sommerset and the Lord Admirall his brother in the time of Edward the sixth King of England were united and linked in love and affections one with the other they preserved their credit and honours at Court against all their opposites But as soon as they came to be disunited and that by the instigations of their Ladies private discontents and contentions were fomented the Lord Admirall was presently arraigned by the connivance and the want of the assistance and support of the Lord Protector his brother and he himselfe shortly after by the potency of his adversaries brought to the same miserable end To conclude this point all the well affected Christians are obliged to pray daily to our gracious God that he will be pleased to indue abundantly the honourable Houses our Commanders in Chiefe the Assembly of Divines the Civill Magistrates the Militia the Committees in the City and in all the well-affected Counties the Citizens and common people with this speciall grace of Unity and Concord and with an unanimous spirit and resolution to maintaine his Truth his sacred Majesties just Prerogative the Priviledges of Parliament the Lawes of the Land and the Liberties of the Subject according to our last Covenant The fifth Secondary Cause is The unknowne Method of our Warre OF all the Judgements of God that are familiar to men the Pestilence the Famine and the Sword are reputed to be the greatest And of these three Warre is esteemed the most dreadfull And of all Warres the Civill is conceived to be the most destructive And therefore it is no wonder when the Lord sent his Prophet Gad to King David saying a Thus saith the Lord Choose thee Either three yeeres famine or three monthes to be destroyed before thy foes while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee or else three dayes the sword of the Lord even the Pestilence c. if that good King did rather chuse to fall into the hand of the Lord for very great are his mercies then into the hands of cruell men Neither doe we finde in any ancient or moderne Histories that any Nation or Kingdome hath been utterly destroyed by the Pestilence or the famine for these two Judgements proceed more immediately from the hand of God that is mercifull and leave alwayes a remnant as an evidence to men of his incomprehensible compassions and mercies But Warre seemes more to proceed from men yet there is not any warre that hath any beginning continuance or end without the speciall will and pleasure of God that are of a more cruell disposition then Tygers when the Lord hath cast the bridell of permission over their neckes And
Martiall expeditions and the cause of the spinning out of this Unnaturall Warre for by these long and tedious Marches the enemies conjoyne their Forces or recruite their scattered Armies and so make our designes vanish away to smoake In a word speed and activity in all Military attempts is as needfull as valour to conduce an intestine warre as ours is to a blessed Period 4. In our Preparations If our Marches are tedious our preparations are yet longer and yet we omit in them the most necessarie implements of warre I meane Tents Pick-axes Shovels and Spades Waggons Hand-barowes and Wheele-barowes Tortues Mantelets and Ladders If the Militia of the City of London doth then desire to see a speedy and a blessed end of this unnaturall warre they are to provide this Winter these necessaries following for if our Armies were provided with them they would expedite more warlike attempts in one month then they can now doe in three months as it shall be proved when I come to speake of intrenching and sieges 1. They should alwayes have ready twelve hundred Tents of six yards broad and eight yards long 2. Foure hundred Waggons two hundred of them close covered and two hundred uncovered 3. Foure hundred Ladders two hundred of sixteen foot long and two hundred of twelve foot long 4. Fourescore light flat botes to crosse Rivers 5. Foure hundred Barowes two hundred with Wheeles and two hundred Hand-barowes 6. Twenty Tortues and twenty Mantelets that are Engines that goe upon Wheeles to preserve Souldiers from the Musket-shot when they make their approaches and are to be so made that they may suddenly be dismounted and carried in Waggons 7. Two thousand Pick-axes two thousand Shovels two thousand Spades 8. Eight Sommes of six peny Nailes foure Sommes of ten peny nailes and two Sommes of double ten peny nailes 9. Foure hundred deale boards of twelve foot long and foure hundred round deale Poles of twelve foot long and of six Inches thick 10. And twelve Canons twenty-foure Colverins forty eight Drakes ready mounted with all their appurtenances Balls Pouder and Match proportionable 11. One hundred Ovens of iron plate to bake a Bushell of bread at a time 12. Forty Bakers forty Brewers forty Butchers twelve young Carpenters with their Tooles and twelve Commissaries of Victuals having every one of them six Waggons apiece belonging to themselves to provide the Army with all maner of Provisions for if this warre continue but one yeere longer our Armies will be famished and not able to advance because the Counties will be so desolated except there be Commissaries of Victuals appointed to provide the Armie by Waggons out of the Adjacent Counties But some will say you perswade us to incredible and unnecessarie charges for the greater part of these things we can procure in those Counties thorow which our Armies doe march or intend to lay siege against any of the enemies Garrisons I answer it is a great improvidence for an Army to be without the necessaries that belong to it and we know by experience that before the Countrie can be summoned to bring in Ladders Barowes Pick-axes Shovels and Spades for that only can be found in the Country that an Army may be intrenched about a Garrison Towne and suppose they bring them in sooner yet are they so worn broken and out of repaire that they are of no service but to spinne out time I remember when one of our Armies was last yeare to storme or to scale Basing House that they were constrained to send to London to have them made and so lost a fortnight of faire weather and then when the Ladders came the weather being rainy and cold they were inforced to raise the siege for want of Tents Now had they had all these implements with them they had come off with honour and taken that house and not left the worke to be done this yeare or for the next as they carry themselves before it The very charges then that hath been cast away about that house would have paid for ten times as many implements as are here specified besides the losse of the time which is worth as much more and the blemish of the reputation of the undertakers which is more then all the rest I conclude then that an Army is not to advance without all these implements to crosse Rivers to besiege Townes to intrench it selfe to make mines to erect plat-formes gabions and to storme or assault strong-holds without loosing halfe a dayes time by staying for materials to hinder their prosecution in any warlike attempt 5. In our Discipline Our indulgence in Military Discipline is also a great cause of the spinning out of this warre for Souldiers doe what they please their Generals Commands are not regarded at all For an Officer this Summer against the speciall order of his Commander forsook his Station and by it indangered the whole Army and was the cause of the losse of many valiant men And in the West many have this Summer forsaken their Station appointed by their Generall and by their disobedience sold his honour and Reputation And the last Brigade of the five Regiments that went out of the City notwithstanding that an Order was expresly published a moneth afore they went out to be ready at an houres warning yet there went out very few with their colours but lingered away the time two or three dayes our runawayes are neither degraded nor punished and that is the cause they make a custome of it as they have lately done at Banbury where three moneths time and a great summe of money hath been cast away If any t Officer or Souldier among the Romanes did forsake the Station appointed to him by his Generall it was present death if Souldiers did not go out of the City with their colours they were tried by a Councell of warre if they runned away before the enemies the tenth man suffered for it the Officers were degraded and the rest cashiered The ten u thousand that ran away from the battell at Cannes notwithstanding the Romane Common-weale had never so much need of men as at that time yet all the Commanders and Officers were degraded of their Nobility and cashiered for ever to beare Armes and the common Souldiers banished for ten yeare into Sicile And surely if our Military Discipline be not reduced to the Roman austerity or after the Greeks that was that all runawayes should stand three market * dayes in womens apparell upon a stage to be derided at for their cowardize all will goe to confusion and this Unnaturall warre will be spinned out till there be no more oyle in the lamp of this Kingdome to give it life 6. In our Rules of warre The order or rules of warre were never so neglected as they are in our dayes 1. In intrenchments 2. In fortifying Camps 3. In scaling 4. In mining 5. In storming 6. In our manner of assaults Of all which particulars I shall speake of as briefly as
to follow like a slave the Triumphant Chariot of Paulus Aemilius his Conquerour And yet it is not to be doubted but this King had wise Counsellours and Politicians about him but God had decreed that the Kingdome of Macedonia should be of the number of those Kingdomes that should exalt the Romane Monarchy 4. The omission of the opportunity that h Antiochus the great had to proclaime warre against the Romanes when their forces were busied in Macedonia was the cause that he was defeated in divers battels constrained to make a dishonourable peace with the Romanes and that Armenia the great was presently after brought under the Romane yoke by Lucullus and Pompeius neither did this great Monarch want great Politicians and experienced Commanders for Hannibal attended at his Court but God had decreed that his large Dominions should increase the Romane Empire 5. The omission of the opportunitie that Mounsieur the i Lautrec Generall of the French in the Kingdome of Naples had to take the Citie of Naples if he had pursued the Prince of Orange as the rules of warre required after he had routed his Army was the cause of this valiant Commanders death and the losse of the whole Kingdome of Naples 6. The omission of the opportunity of an houres time that Henry the fourth k King of France had to defeat the Duke of Parme and all his Army at a strait passage leading to the ford of a small River three small Leagues from Paris where he had purposed to fall upon him was the cause he was constrained to raise his siege and to see before his face that great City relieved that was then reduced to extreme Misery by want of Provisions This slip of opportunity proceeding certainly from the secret will of God that decreed that Paris should be yeelded presently after to the will and obedience of her lawfull Prince without the shedding of a drop of bloud for Henry the fourth was one of the most active and experienced Commanders of that Age Now I come to prove by Instances out of the Word of God that all opportunities are guided and directed by the speciall providence of God 1. The favourable opportunity of l Rebekah comming the first of all the Virgins to the well according to the request of Abrahams servant cannot be said to be accidentall for the circumstances doe so clearly manifest that it was guided by a speciall Providence of God 2. The gracious opportunity of the m Ishmaelites comming by presently after Josephs brethren had cast him into a Pit that he might be sold and led into Egypt to become the preserver of all his fathers family came not casually but by a speciall and gracious providence of God proceeding from the love and care he hath of his Children 3. The blessed opportunity of n Pharaohs daughter comming down to wash her selfe at the River Nylus was not accidentall but directed by an admirable Providence of God to save Moses that he might be instructed in all the Sciences of the Egyptians to be more able to discharge the great and honourable charge the Lord had appointed him unto viz. to be the deliverer of his elected people of Israel that groaned under the cruell bondage of the Egyptians 4. The favourable opportunity for o Saul of the losse of the Asses of Kish his father came not accidentally but by a speciall Providence of God that Saul might be privately anointed King of Israel according to the will and pleasure of the Lord neither did those signes that the Prophet Samuel told him he should meet withall upon the way as he returned homeward happen casually but by the speciall Providence of God that the words he had spoken by his Prophet concerning the election of Saul to the Crowne of Israel might be confirmed 5. The gracious opportunity that p Hushat tooke by the fore-lock to overthrow the wise Counsell of Ahithophel came not accidentally but by an admirable Providence of God that Ahithophel might for his former impious Counsell concerning King Davids concubines runne head-long to confusion notwithstanding his worldly wisdome and that Absalom should receive the just reward of his persidious and abhorred rebellion against so loving a Father 6. The blessed opportunity that q Hezekiah King of Judah tooke upon the blasphemies of Rabshakeh against God and the Temple of Jerusalem to goe up into the House of the Lord and there rehearsed all the words of Rabshakeh and rent his clothes and humbled himselfe greatly was the cause that the Lord hearkened to his prayer and sent one of his Angels into the Camp of the Assyrians and smote one hundred and fourescore thousand of his men and caused Sennacherib to returne the same way he came 7. The gracious opportunity that r Nehemiah tooke upon the King Artaxerxes notice of his dejected countenance for his extraordinary humiliation because of the desolation of Jerusalem was the cause that he obtained a Commission from the King to erect again the Temple of Jerusalem and to restore there the true worship of God and to deliver from Captivity many thousands of the Jewes 8. The blessed opportunity that Queene s Esther took by the fore-lock to petition to the King Ahasuerus when he was invited to her banket for the preservation of herself and of her people was the cause of one of the greatest blessings that ever happened to the Church of the Jewes for it was the cause of the preservation of all the Nation of the Jewes and of the House and Family of King David from which our blessed Saviour according to the flesh was to descend and therefore an incomparable blessing By these and the former Instances we may see that the observations or omissions of all Spirituall Civill and Military opportunities depend upon the speciall Providence of God and that they are guided and directed by it to that end that God in his wisedome knowes to be most convenient to conduce to the greater advancement of his glory and the good of his Church And that we are to addresse our humble supplications to him alone if we intend for the future to prevent the slips of such opportunities as he shall be pleased to afford unto us againe or be able to embrace them as so many gracious mercies of his favour to us in Christ And that we are also to humble ourselves before our gracious God for having hitherto so carelesly omitted ten speciall opportunities that might greatly have conduced to obtaine a blessed peace and to procure a happy Period to this Unnaturall Warre if he had been pleased to have given us the grace to have embraced them by which omission of ours and by as many more faire opportunities omitted by the other party by the like Providence of his we may be perswaded upon a sure ground since it is his pleasure to poise in the balance of his divine Justice the events of this Unnaturall Warre so equally that our Humiliation
growne more opulent in wealth then all other Nations in Christendome This may seeme a paradox to some yet it is most certain for although the French are extraordinarily burdened with taxes yet because the Countrie men are freed from plundering and pillaging and their cattell and corne secured and trades men set at worke and the commerce of all manner of Commodities in request to furnish the great Armies they entertaine upon the enemies frontiers the money of their contributions remaineth in the Kingdome as it goes out of one hand for taxes and contributions so it comes in on the other for the great utterance they have of all their Commodities But alas it is cleane contrary in this Civill and Unnaturall Warre of ours for the trading and commerce is utterly decaid in the City and in all the Boroughs and Market Townes of the Kingdome most of the Countrey people are plundered of their moneys goods and cattell the Gentlemen have their grounds cast up upon their hands although they pay all charges and abate halfe their rent and no redresse to be had and the Sequestrations of the one side or the other bring them to penury and disable them be they never so willing to contribute any longer to this warre by which meanes this Kingdome is likely to fall into an incurable consumption because of three pernicious qualities besides the miseries above-said that pertaine to her alone and not to other Civill warres 1. It is of a consuming nature 2. It is accompanied with an unparalelled infidelity 3. It is of an unknowne Method I. For her consuming nature it may justly be compared to the Hectick Feaver that consumes not onely the flesh of all the members of the body but also by degrees the vitall spirits the radicall humours and the very marrow in the bones of her patients untill she hath brought them to their grave more like an Anatomy then a Corps Or like unto a fire kindled in a house seated in one of the corners of a long street the flames of which fire being driven by a violent wind along that row of houses doth at last consume the whole street for want of pulling down speedily three or foure houses next to that house that was first of all set on fire to stop the flames of it to proceed any further Even so the flames of the fire of this unnaturall warre that brake forth in the North was driven by the violent winds of jealousie and discontent into the North West and then to the South West and at last to the furthest part of the West and so by degrees hath consumed already three parts of the Kingdome and left in the other part but a small degree of vitall spirits for want of pulling down three or foure houses to stop the flame of it from going any further I meane for want of such Counsell as was given to g Charles the seventh King of France by his wise Counsellours that he should give over to quench the fire of the Civill contentions fomented between the Houses of Orleance and Burgundy that had almost consumed his Kingdome into the hands of Justice at the request of Philip Duke of Burgundy some of his Favourites that had their hands in the murder of his father to which Counsell he condescended unto although this murder had been committed with his assent whereby such a firme reconciliation was procured between these two Houses that it fell out to be the secondary Cause of the restoring of that desolated Kingdome into its former flourishing Estate Or for want after the Noble Ambassage and the humble Petitions of the Honourable Houses had been rejected to have sent speedily a thousand horse in the North untill a strong Army had been sent to stop the flames of this fire to goe beyond the River of Trent But by our accustomed delayes and the small forces that were sent to Woster the fire of this Unnaturall Warre hath spread it selfe as it is to be seen at this present day and is like to spread further and to consume the rest if God in his Mercy prevent it not and induce the Honourable Houses to change the Method of this lingring and destructive Warre II. For the unparallelled infidelity of some of the Agents of one of the partiés all the Civill warres of the ancient Greeks and Romanes or of the moderne intestine warres of the French and the Germane Nation cannot produce so much infidelity and apostacy as may be collected out of these three yeares warre For where they sided at the first they remained constant to the last in that party and never deserted the same untill an Accommodation was procured Nay divers of them have sealed their constancie with their h death rather then to accept of their liberty upon condition to serve against their party But divers of ours that make show to fight for Religion more then for pay betray the trust reposed in them and doe us more mischiefe then any of the contrary party And it is no wonder for Christian Runagadoes are more cruell to Christians then the naturall Turks and the Protestant Apostates are greater enemies to the godly then the professed Papists and the hypocriticall Saints are more violent against the true Power of Godlinesse then the Prince of darknesse The cause of this infidelity may proceed 1. From the toleration of divers religions for men that are not well grounded in the true Principles of Religion are never cautious of their wayes and will betray their own fathers for money 2. From the great Clemencie of the Honourable Houses for if the perfidious Synons of the North had been severely punished so many Iudasses would not have been found in the West to procure that blow that we have received there lately Clemencie is an Heroicall vertue but infidelitie is incapable of it because it is so pernicious a seed that except it be pulled up by the root it will over-grow the garden of the Common-weale 3. From the partiall election of our politick and Military Officers that are for the greater part preferred by favour and not for their sincerity in Religion or for their integrity and wisdome in politick or Civill affaires nor for their valour or experience in Martiall exploits but for feare to displease or to please some in Authoritie and that is the reason why we have so many weake Committees in the City and in our Counties and so many unexpert Commanders and Officers in our Armies that dare not look the enemies in the face nor know not how to leade a Troope of horse to a charge nor set a Company of foot in a posture of defence And these are they that out of timiditie inconstancie and for want of experience in warlike affaires spinne out this unnaturall Warre by surrendring of places of great concernement that will prove deare favours unto us The remedy of this is to punish severely the Synons of these dayes and to imitate in our elections the method and
wisedome of k Charles the fifth King of France for it is recorded that he never elected any of his Chiefe Commanders or Officers of warre or any of his Counsellours of State Judges or Magistrates to favour any of his favourites or at the sute of any of his Peeres but for their own merits made known to him by their former actions in Military Politick and Civill employments And by this Method and unpartiality in his elections there never was King more successefull in his Military enterprises nor more happy in his Politick Resolutions nor more beloved of his Subjects because Justice was unpartially administred in his dayes III. For the unknowne Method of this warre it is different from the Method of the ancient Greeks and Romanes and from the moderne Method of the most warlike Nations of these dayes In these particulars 1. In the true season of warre 2. In our Scouts 3. In our marches 4. In our preparations 5. In our Discipline 6. In our rules of warre 7. In the stratagems of war 8. In the true Maximes of warre 1. In the season of our warre There hath been from time to time one season more fit and convenient for warre then another as it may appeare 1. Chron. 20. 1. l At the time that Kings go out to battell Ioab led forth the power of the Army and wasted the countrey of the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah c. But because the seasons doe differ according to the climate of the seat of every Countrie or Nation I will ground this observation according to the Climate of those that come nearest to ours In * Affrica the latter end of February was the ordinary season for Armies to take the field In Italy in the midst of March and in France in the beginning of April so that our most convenient season should be to take the field at the furthest in the midst of April and to withdraw our armies into their garrisons at Holland Tide or at the latter end of October But if we made use of Tents as we should indeed for the greater expedition of this warre then we might conveniently keepe the field untill the latter end of November But as the watermen that row against tide make lesse speed and have far more labour to goe to their Journies end then those that take the opportunity of the Tyde Even so to spinne out this Warre and to increase the labours of it and to waste our men and money we ordinarily imploy the greater part of the Winter time in actions of warre and suffer the Summer to passe away in recruiting our Armies or in our preparations of warre whereas Winter is the most convenient time to raise and inrole Forces and Reserves to recruit those Forces and to get ready all manner of provisions and necessary implements for warre And this is a great cause of the spinning out of the publike miseries 2. In our Scouts One of the greatest Secondary causes of the spinning out of this warre is our want of faithfull and diligent Scouts The City of London should never be without sixteen young active and faithfull Scouts that it might have every other day true intelligence from all the parts of the Kingdome and every day from our Armies for it would be the best spent mony of any and that would soon come in again twenty for one besides it would prevent many false rumours that are daily spread in the City greatly prejudiciall to the City and State Moreover for want of faithfull Scouts the City may very well be surprised or taken unprovided of many necessaries for a defensive posture as many other have been for want of them and divers others preserved by the speedy activity of their Scouts as I might prove by instances if I did not feare to make this Treatise greater then I purpose to doe And for our Armies faithfull and active Scouts would be the only preservation of them and the way to prevent for the time to come the slips of such Military opportunities that they have lost heretofore but these Scouts are to be experienced souldiers and very swift horsemen and not sillie countrey men or unexpert souldiers but such as are acquainted with all the stratagems of warre and that have the capacity to judge by the march of the enemies their project or intentions m Asdrubal Generall of the Carthaginians was defeated and all his Army for want of diligent Scouts for he never was acquainted that Claudius Nero and his Army was joyned with his Collegue Marcus Livius untill his Army was routed and himself mortally wounded 2. n Lewis the eleventh and Charles Duke of Burgundy and both their Armies were extremely terrified and amazed and like to fly away by the false report their Scouts brought to them that both Armies were advancing because they judged in a misty morning some high thistles that grew upon a high and long banck in the fields between the two Armies to be so many Regiments of their enemies Lanciers 3. o Marcellus an active and valiant Generall of the Romanes was slaine and his Collegue mortally wounded and his men defeated by Hannibal for want of faithfull Scouts to discover an Ambush that was laid to intrap them 4. Tiberius p Graccus and all his followers were slain by another Ambush of Hannibals for want of Scouts to discover the same 5. And q Crassus a Romane Commander was preserved and all his followers by the diligence of his Scouts 6. Sir William Waller was surprised the last yeare at the Vises and my Lord Generall was insnared this Summer in Cornwall for want of faithfull Scouts for to acquaint the one in time of the sudden coming of the enemies and the other of the straites and narrow passages to Foy The want then of diligent and faithfull Scouts in the City and in our Armies is a Cause of the spinning out of this Unnaturall Warre 3. In our Marches The Romane Souldiers did alwayes march when they did intrench themselves in a fortified Camp r eight miles a day and carried upon their backs three dayes provision their Armes and a Pallisado for the parapet of their Camp and when they carryed nothing but their Armes and three dayes provision they marched 16. miles a day the Germans in Hungaria marched in my time three Germane leagues which is 15. miles when they had Waggons to carry their Lumber and the French Armies march ordinarily 5. French Leagues that is above ten miles a day and Claudius Nero marched with his Army sevenscore miles in six dayes by which activity and swift March he defeated Hannibals brother and all his Army And s Caesars Marches were so swift that he and his Army passed the Craggie mountaines of the Alpes before the Romane Senate could have intelligence by their Scouts that he was departed out of France But our Armies require six weekes time to march sixscore miles which is the overthrow of all
may be 1. How we are to intrench our selves in a siege By the Rules of warre a Commander in Chiefe that undertakes to besiege any strong hold if he doth not begirt the same with a strong trench and incamp his Army in a fortified Camp in a fortnights time and chance to be routed or constrained to raise his siege is to be tried by a councell of Warre This ancient Romane Law hath been lately revived in France and many have been punished for neglecting of it And a Commander in Chiefe in Artois had lost his head for it about three yeares since if some great ones had not obtained his pardon And our neglect of it hath been a great cause of the spinning out of this warre for by this onely neglect we have been foiled at Newark at Basing house both this yeare and the last and now of late in Cornwall and at Banbury Castle And had also been foiled at York if God in his mercy had not prevented the same All intrenchments are to be lined and directed by an experienced Engineer that may according to the situation of the hold and the small or great circumference of it order the same after a regular or irregular forme if it be but a Castle or a house a square or a long square or a Patagonde forme will serve the turne so there befoure or five small Redoubts to flanke the trenches if it be such another Towne as Newarke an Octogone forme will serve so there be two bridges erected over the river and two small redoubts erected to secure them that the one side may be presently relieved by the other if it be a great City the Dyadecagone forme is to be used and the trenches are to be lined within pistoll-shot from the wals or rampiars for the neerer the safer And for the approches that are of al things the most dangerous they are to be directed by the Engineers by whose advice and some Mantelets to preserve the Pioners from the enemies musket shot there will be no great losse so there be Brigades appointed to stand ready to hinder the Sallies out of the enemies Two good Engineers in a siege may doe more service to the state then a thousand men by their counsell and directions And for want of experienced ones we are daily foiled there can be no money better imployed nor that will be more beneficiall to the State then by a good round pay to procure the most ingenious and experienced Engineers that can be obtained 2. Of a fortified Camp There is no erecting of fortified Camps without Tents and that is the reason why I presse the Militia to have a thousand or twelve hundred alwayes ready of that size spoken of for to expedite sieges that will be long and tedious without them and will consume a number of men by diseases but having Tents a fortified Camp is to be erected upon a raising ground without Cannon shot of the Towne if it be no bigger then Newark one fortified Camp will serve so it be seated in the midway of the circumference of the Trenches between the two Bridges that reliefe may be sent to all the trenches speedily but if it be a great City that hath a river running in the midst of it then there is to be two fortified Camps on either side at a just distance on both sides of the river I meane that there may be no more distance on the right hand to the river side then on the left and from each of the two Camps there are lines of Communication to be made to relieve without danger the trenches or the two Brides that are erected on both sides the City I will therefore set out the proportion of a fortified Camp to containe twelve hundred Tents of that size abovesaid that will harbour foure thousand horse and eight thousand foot with conveniencie if the Army be greater it is to be increased if smaller it is to be diminished proportionably The forme of this Camp is to be square and of six hundred yards on each side of the square that makes foure and twenty hundred yards of continent and is to have foure bulwarks at the foure Corners to set two pieces of Ordnance in each bulwarke for to flanke the Dikes of it that are to be of six yards broad and foure yards deep the rampier to be of six yards thick in the bottome and of foure yards thick at top and three yards high besides the Parapet that is to be foure foot high and two yards thick This Camp is to have foure broad gates one in the midst of each side of the square and a square market place of two hundred yards one each side of the square that make eight hundred yards of continent just in the midst of the Camp then it is to have foure broad streets that are to be drawne upon a strait line from every gate to the market place of twelve yards broad in manner of a perfect crosse and foure great streetes more drawne out from one corner of the Camp to the other and every one distant from the rampiar ten yards that the souldiers may without impediment come from all parts to defend the rampier Now the foure angles that remaine are to containe the Tents that are to be set up back to back and on both sides a street of eight yards broad to come in to the Tents the ends of which are to be close together that there may be no passage between them The two Angles toward the South are to be reserved for the lodging of men and the other toward the North for the horse The Generals Tent and other Chiefe Officers Tents are to be set up in the foure corners of the streetes next to the market place that all the officers may the more speedily repaire to him and the Courts of guard are to be placed in the eight Tents that make the eight corners of the foure Crosse streetes next to the gates A Camp thus fortified and so ordered having lines of Communication to the trenches of the circumference that begirt the Towne or City will be able to make good a siege against an Army that should come to raise the same of forty thousand men as Caesar did in * Affrica before Adrumet and Henry the fourth did before x Amiens against the Archduke Mathias and the last King of Sweden before y Norenberg against the Duke of Walstaine This fortified Camp may be finished by six thousand foot souldiers in eight dayes if the Army be provided as it is abovesaid so the souldiers have but four pence a day paid them every night above their pay as a gratuity to encourage them in this work and a Towne so besieged will be sooner reduced in a moneths time then it will be in three moneths if the Army quarter in the adjacent villages and with more ease and lesse danger of the enemies or of any diseases to infect the Army for in such a Camp with