touch-box there is a late invented fashion of spanner or key which I have represented in figure 1. which contains six charges of powder at the least and priming powder sufficient for those charges and for the cartouches wherewith the pistol cases be furnished which the Cuirassier will find to be of very good use when he is used thereunto this means he shall much expedite the lading of his pistol The Cuirassier being become ready in his postures his next and chiefest study is to be an exact marks-man And to this end he must frequently be practised at some c The Romanes exercised their souldiers at severall heights at stakes set up in Câ—â—â—â— Naâ—â—io Ad palum quoque vel sudes juniores exerceri percommodum est cùm latera vel pedes aut caput petere punctim cacÃmque condiscant Veg. lib. 2 cap. 23. But their manner of fighting with their swords was not casim but all upon the thrust or point because that manner sooner pierced the malis and laid not open the body in fetching of a blow Ibid lib. 1. cap. 12. marks to be set up at some tree or stake of severall heights Now because the Cuirassier is armed pistol-proof he must not give fire but at a very d La pistolle ne fait quasi nul effect si elle n'est tirec de trois pas Monsieur de la Noue discours 18. near distance being carefull to bestow his bullets so as they may take effect The principall place of advantage to aim at is the lower part of the belly of the adverse Cuirassier also his arm-pits or his neck Some would not have a Cuirassier to give e Les Reitres bien instruits ne deschargent point leurs pistolles qu'en heurtant qu'ils addressent tousiours aux cuiffes ou aux visages Ibid. fire until he have placed his pistol under his enemies armour or on some unarmed parts If he fail of an opportunity to hurt the man he may aim at the breast of the horse or his head as he shall see occasion He usually giveth his charge upon the trot and seldome gallopeth unlesse it be in pursuit of a flying enemie or such like occasion Having spent both his pistols and wanting time to lade again his next refuge is his sword whereof the best manner of using is to place the pummell of it upon his right f As is shewed in the posture 22. thigh and so with his right hand to direct or raise the point to his mark higher or lower as occasion serveth either at the belly of the adverse horse-man about the pummel of the saddle or at his arm-pits or his throat where if it pierce not as it is very like it will not fail by slipping under the casque yet meeting with a stay in that part of the body where a man is very weak and having a sword of a very stiff blade as aforesaid it will doubtlesse unhorse him Being past his enemie he is to make a back-blow at him aiming to cut the buckle of his pouldron whereby he disarmeth one of his arms c. Basta highly commendeth the aiming at the enemies sight and so by raising the vizures of his casque with the point of the sword to run him into the head But this seemeth not so likely to take effect as that of aiming at the throat and sometimes as some casques are made it would be of no use In these and the like exercises the Cuirassier is frequently and diligently to practise himself at some mark which will render him fit for service when need shall require Some authors for the disposing of the Cuirassiers for fight hold that they ought to be ordered in grosse bodies that so g The Cuirassiers among the horse are like the gravis armatura of foot among the Romanes quae tanquam murus ferreus stabat si hostes fugasset non sequebatur quia ejus jus est facilè nec fugere nec sequi Veg. lib. 2. cap. 17. Or like the Equites Cataphracti among the Grecians Aelian cap. 2. by their solidity and weight they may entertain and sustain the shock of the enemie They are also fit for troops of reserve to give courage to the other Cavallrie and to give them opportunity to re-assemble themselves behind them c. CHAP. XXX Of exercising the Harquebusier and Carabine ALthough there be some difference between the Harquebusier and the Carabine in regard of their horse their arming and their piece howsoever most authors take them for one and the same yet in regard the harquebuse differeth nothing from the carabine in length but onely in the bore their manner of using their severall pieces is one and the same and so one instruction may serve for both See figure 3. posture 23 and 24. In march he is either to carry his carabine hanging at his belt by the right side as is shewed chap. 24. or else to order it upon his right thigh as the Cuirassier in posture 4. In fight he is to strive to gain the left side of his enemy contrary to the Cuirassier because that in presenting he is to rest his carabine on his bridle-bridle-hand placing the but end on the right side of his breast near his shoulder He must be taught to use his carabine with all exactnesse and dexterity and to be an exquisite marks-man a Walhausen would have the Harquebusier to give fire not onely to the front and flanks but to the rear also by turning his body onely the horse running the contrary way in full careere But how possible this is to be done I leave to the judgement of any man that knows what belongs to Cavallrie For the manner of handling of the harquebuse or carabine the directions for the pistol in the foregoing chapter mutatis mutandis may serve for sufficient instruction Yet in regard the carabines with us are for the most part snap-hanes and so something differing from the fire-lock I will set down the order of handling it in the words of command holding it need lesse here to dilate them Postures for the snap-hane carabine 1 Order your carabine 2 Sink your carabine into your bridle-hand 3 Bend your cock 4 Guard your cock 5 Prime 6 Shut your pan 7 Cast about your carabine 8 Gage your flasque 9 Lade your carabine 10 Draw your rammer 11 Shorten your rammer 12 Lade with bullet and ramme home 13 Withdraw your rammer 14 Shorten your rammer 15 Return your rammer 16 Recover your carabine 17 Order your hammer 18 Free your cock 19 Present 20 Give fire For the use of his sword he is to demean himself as the Cuirassier CHAP. XXXI Of exercising the Dragon THe Dragon was invented for speciall services to assist the Cavallrie as Infantery considering there be many exploits which cannot be effected by the Cavallrie alone The musketier must exercise himself to give fire on horseback as the Harquebusier Being come to guard a passage or to do any other the like
done in Figure 3. Part 1. Chap. 29. and for this the word of command is 1. To Horse a The horse-man being to mount must be carefull that his horse be very well girt Such was the admirable industrie of the Romanes as that all their horse-men were continually practised to mount on wooden horses and that on either side first unarmed afterwards compleatly armed also with drawn swords or lances in their hands without the help of stirrops which were not known in those times Hoc enim continuâ meditatione faciebant scilicet ut in tumultu praelii sine mora asscenderent qui â—am studiosé exercebantio in paco Veg. lib. 1. cap. 18. Both reins hanging in a loose position over the horse neck and upon the pummel of the saddle the horseman is First to take the ends of the reins above the button in his right hand and with the thumbe and two first fingers of that hand to draw them to an even length Then putting the little finger of his left hand betwixt both reins under the button with the other three fingers of the same hand on the further rein and the thumbe on the near side of the button to grasp both reins that so before he endeavour to mount he may have his horse head in ballance and at command Then grasping the pummel of the saddle with his left hand and standing with his full body close to the horse-side and just between the bolster and cantle of the saddle alwayes on the near side of the horse with the help of his right hand he shall put the left foot into the left stirrop and with his right hand taking fast hold on the highest part of the cantle behinde he shall with the help of both hands gently yet strongly and in a right-up posture without inclining his body to either hand raise himself untill he may stand perpendicular upon his left foot and then putting over his right legge place himself in the saddle 2. Uncap your pistols With the right hand he is to turn down the caps of the pistol-cases 3. Draw your pistol He is to draw the pistol out of the case with the right hand and alwayes the left pistol first and to mount the muzzel of it as in posture 15. 4. Order your pistol He is to sink the pistol into his bridle-bridle-hand and to remove his right hand towards the muzzel and then to rest the but end upon his thigh 5. Span your pistol He is to sink the pistol into his bridle hand and taking the key or spanner into his right hand to put it upon the axletree and to winde about the wheel till it stick and then to return the spanner to his place being usually fastened to the side of the case 6. Prime Holding the pistol in the bridle-hand as before he is to take his priming box into his right hand and pressing the spring with his fore-finger to open the box to put powder into the pan 7. Shut your pan He is to presse in the pan-pin with his right thumbe and so to shut the pan 8. Cast about your pistol With the bridle-hand he is to cast about the pistol and to hold it on the left side with the muzzel upward 9. Gage your flasque He is to take the flasque into the right hand and with his forefinger to pull back the spring and turning the mouth of the flasque downward to let go the spring 10. Lade your pistol Having gaged his flasque as in the former posture he is to presse down the spring which openeth the flasque with his forefinger and so to lade his pistol 11. Draw your rammer He is to draw his rammer with the right hand turned and to hold it with the head downward 12. Lade with bullet and ramme home Holding the rammer-head in his right hand as before he is to take the bullet out of his mouth or out of the bulletbag at the pistolcase being in fight with the thumbe and forefinger and to put it into the muzzel of the pistol and the rammer immediately after it and so to ramme home 13. Return your rammer He is to draw forth his rammer with the right hand turned and to return it to its place 14. Pull down your cock With the bridle-bridle-hand he is to bring the pistol towards his right side and placing the but end upon his thigh to pull down the cock 15. Recover your pistol He is to take the pistol into his right hand mounting the muzzel 16. Present and give fire Having the pistol in his right hand as in posture 15. with his forefinger upon the tricker he is to incline the muzzel with a fixed eye towards his mark not suddenly but by degrees quicker or slower according to the pace he rideth and that not directly forward toward the horse head but towards the right turning his right hand so as the lock of the pistol may be upward and having gotten his mark he is to draw the tricker and give fire 17. Return your pistol He is to return his pistol into the case and then to draw his other pistol as occasion may serve and to do as before Now concerning the snap-haue pistol those postures wherein it differeth from the fire-lock pistol are these as in figure 18. Bend your cock Holding the pistol in the bridle-hand as before hath been shewed with the right hand he is to bend the cock 19. Guard your cock With the right hand he is to pull down the back-lock so to secure the cock from going off 20. Order your hammer With the right hand he is to draw down the hammer upon the pan 21. Free your cock With the right thumbe he is to thrust back the back-lock and so to give the cock liberty But the more compendious way of lading for the gaining of time which in the instant of skirmish is chiefly to be regarded is by using cartouches Now the cartouch is to be made of white paper cut out of convenient breadth and length and rolled upon a stick or the rammer if it be not too little fit according to the bore of the barrell to contain a due quantity of powder and the bullet The proportion of powder usually required is half the weight of the bullet but that is held too much by such as can judge Having moulded the paper the one end of it is to be turned in to keep in the powder and the due charge of powder to be put into it at the other end which powder is to be closed in by tying a little thred about the paper then the bullet is to be put in and that also tied in with a little thred When the Cuirassier is to use his cartouch he must bite off the paper at the head of it and so put it into the barrell of his pistol with the bullet upward and then ramme it home By b For the more speedy lading of the pistol and avoiding the trouble of carrying either flasque or
therefore better to diminish their b La discipline manquante plus y a d' hommes plus y a de desordre et confusion De la Nâ—üe disc milit polit 13. number then their profits That done they may easily be brought to a strict observation of discipline and obedience The laws and articles which ought to be propounded unto them should comprise all that is to be observed in military discipline for brevitie sake presupposing all good orders about the service of God the severe chastising of blasphemers the strict forbidding of gaming as the occasion of waste of money and begetting quarrels and such like morall institutions it shall here suffice to touch upon some few of the most necessary for the Cavallrie 1 c The States edict intituled Crychs-recht c. in the 17. article Alle Capitejinen c. punisheth every Captain with death that shall receive any souldier of another companie without lawfull consent of his former Captain That no Captain receive any souldiers of another company or make any officers without approbation of the Generall to the end he may take notice of the quality of the person And that such souldiers as are disabled to undergo the labour of the warre through age be removed to some castle c. and be provided of some competencie out of dead payes or otherwise 2 That to avoid the d The baggage the Romanes called impedimenta because of the hinderance which it bringeth to the armie marching trouble of much baggage which much slackeneth the motion of the Cavallrie no man carrie a e Among the militarie institutions of the Emperour Frederick the fiâ—st anno 1152 recorded by Guntherus this is one Non erit in nostris nobiscum foemina castris c. woman into the field That no souldier have above one horse of service for his baggage unlesse some person of qualitie with whom the Commissarie Generall may dispense And that no officer of a companie have a waggon but onely the Captain and he to have onely one 3 That rewards and honourable recompenses be established for souldiers of speciall desert and punishments for sluggards in particular about attending the Cornet and obedience to the sound of the trumpet And that such as forsake the standard or cornet whilest it is advanced be punished with death That in fight when the trumpet soundeth a retreat g Cyri miles hosti imminens repressit ensem simul receptui canere audurat Plutarch Lac. Inutilis miles qui signum receptui datum negligu Seneca de ira cap. 9. whosoever presently retireth not be punished with severitie And that the Captain as oft as the Cornet entereth the Corps-du-guard himself enter with it all excuses set aside 4 h So saith the said edict totidem verbis artic 38. And that on pain of death That the souldiers be kept from straggling here and there and have the companies ready upon all occasions the officers are bound not to absent themselves from their companies without leave of their superiours i To this agreeth the edict whether it he under pretence of forraging or any other colour whatsoever Artic. 22. And if any souldier depart without licence he is to be punished with death 5 That good order be observed about distribution of bootie whereof shall be treated in the chapter following 6 k All Mutiners or accessaries thereunto all causers of unlawfull assemblies or such as are present at any such or that shall utter words tending to mutinie c. the said edict commandeth to be punished with death Art 6 7 10 11. c. That mutinies be prevented and whosoever is found to have a hand in any is to be proclaimed infamous and perpetually banished 7 To the end that these and what other orders may be thought fitting be duly observed the authoritie of the Captain and other officers must be established and confirmed f Die marcherende c syn vaendel oft Cornette sal verlaeten sal sonder alle genade metter do ot gestrast worden Ibid. artic 24. as also that of the Provost Marshall according to those rules before-mentioned in the office of the Provost Marshall CHAP. XVI Of distributing bootie ALl a The Romanes had excellent laws for distributing of bootie It was all brought to the Questor and by him sold The Tribunes divided it equally among the souldiers At the taking of any town by assault none left their stations but such as were appointed to pillage because they were sure of their just share Spe enim lucri inter omnes certâ sive maneant sive praedas agant nemo locum ordinémque deserit Polyb. lib. 10. The States in their edict for Martiall law have established many excellent laws about the taking registring selling and distributing of bootie as may be seen Crychs-recht Artic. 41. 59 60 61 62 63 64. Also about taking and ransoming of prisoners ibid. bootie whether it be given by occasion of defeating the enemie or going out upon parties c. is free to them that take it whether they be prisoners or any thing else the Lord Generall being in the field But otherwise it is to be shared among them that were employed in the action One part is for the Infanterie and two for the Cavallrie and it is death to him that shall let go any prisoner or horse or other bootie or shall use any fraud whatsoever and they that shall not discover it knowing of any such deceit shall loose their shares The Captains being present at the taking of bootie use to have five shares and two for two pages The Lieutenants three and the Cornets two and either of them one for a page But of later times the Captains take ten parts the Lieutenants six the Cornets foure according to the places which they have in forage The bootie being reparted every companie giveth 10. per centum to their Captain of what is gotten though he were not present to the chief of the troop though but a private souldier two parts and so to the guides All the bootie being brought together they choose two of the discreetest souldiers to cause the bootie to be sold these keep account of the money taken for it certifying the Chief thereof who ordereth to every man his due proportion The Trumpets must have leave of the chief Commander of the place to sell the said bootie and the buyer is to give one of every twentie to the trumpeter for his pains in the sale which money is to be divided among the trumpeters which were employed in the taking of that bootie they having no other share If one or more horses were hurt or killed in the combat or any souldiers chanced to be hurt in the said action those horses must be made good and the souldiers are to be recompensed before the bootie be divided at the discretion of the Chief If any souldiers horse fall lame after the troop be marched a good distance from the quarter so as he