not inured to the like but custome of Danger hardeneth those that are unwarlike Nineveh had been the Palace of many valiant Kings lately reigning therein it had suffered and resisted all the fury wherewith either domestical Tumults between the Sons of Senacharib or foreign War of the Babilonians could afflict it and therefore it is less wonderfull Phraortes did speed so ill in his journey against it he and the most part of his Army perished in that expedition For the weapons of War they differ much from those in antient times and I believe the Invention of Ordinances have mightily sav'd the lives of men they command at such distance and are so unresistible that men come not to the shock of battel as in former ages We may observe that the greatest numbers have fallen by those weapons that have brought the Enemies nearest together then the pitcht field was the tryall and men were so ingaged that they could not come off till bloud had desided Victory The same advantages are still and rather greater now than of old the Wind the Sun the better Ground in former Wars For all their Armies the air was ever clear but now their Peices mist and thicken it which beaten upon by disadvantages may soon endanger an Army Surely Wars are the same with Offences they must be yet they are mightily in the fault that cause them even Reason teaches to cast the bloud of the slain upon the unjust authors of it that which gives the Mind security is a just cause and just deputation let me have these and of all other I shall think this one of the noblest and most manly ways of dying Preparation for War. HE that will make Preparation for War ought principally to consider six things First In calling a wise and judicious Council according to that of Solomon every purpose is established by Counsel and with good advice make War. Cyneas got more Cities by his Wisdom than Pyrrhus by his Puissance Caridemus a banished Grecian of Athens told Darius when he made a view of his Army about Babylon viz. That the multitude which he had assembled of divers Nations richly attired but poorly armed would be found more terrible to the Inhabitants of the Country whom in passing by they would devour than the Maeedonians whom they went to assail who being old and obedient Soldiers embattell'd in gross Squadrons which they call their Phallaux well covered with Armour for defence and furnished with Weapons for offence of great advantage would make so little account of his delicate Persians loving their ease and their palate being withall ill arm'd and worse disciplin'd as except it would please him to entertain having so great abundance of treasure to doe it withall a sufficient number of the same Grecians and so to encounter the Macedonians with men of equal courage he would repent him over late as taught by the miserable success which followed but Darius who had been accustomed to nothing so much as his own Praises and nothing so little as to hear Truth commanded that this poor Grecian should be presently slain who while he was a sundering in the Tormentor's hands used this speech to the King That Alexander against whom he had given this good avice should assuredly avenge his death and lay deserved punishment upon Darius for despising his counsel It is a saying of a wise man The Princes safety is in a desperate case whose ear judges all that is profitable to be sharp and will entertain nothing that is unpleasant for liberty in Counsel is the life and essence of Counsel The Second Provision of Victuals without which no one ought to enter upon any designment The Third Provision of Money for all such things as might be necessary or behoof-full for the action The Fourth In a Megazine well furnished with all sorts of Ammunition which may at least be thought usefull or advantageous in all designs or undertakings for the want of which store we have often seen that great Armies have been for'cd to quit the field leaving the Victory to men of smaller number and of less courage having the advantage in being better furnished The Fifth In an Army well arm'd either in all or for the most part consisting of old beating Soldiers for upon raw and fresh Fellows it is not safe to repose one's hopes And in truth that General can never securely come to the tryall of Battel nor safely encamp whose Army for the greatest part consisteth not of old experienc'd Soldiers a rule ever verified by the most judicious Captains that ever were Alexander Hannibal Scipio and Caesar who never entred into any Enterprise but did first of all provide themselves of great numbers thus qualified The Sixth In experience of his Enemies Forces by which measuring thy own and if thou feest the advantage on thy side then bid them battel if it stands upon indifferency or equal terms if thou canst trust on thy own skill and conduct never refuse it but if thou find thy self inferior then either by Strategems make thy self fuperior or by temporifing stay untill time shall either lessen thy Enemies Forces or make thy own more stronger But in all such warlike cases that Prince which is most absolute in his self seems to have the greatest advantage The Empire of Germany had doubtless sooner encountred the Turks and given a stop to his free entrance the first year of thee War into Hungary had he not been necessitated to expect the consent of his several Princes and the result of a Diet when the Turks were ready to enter Germany for when many heads or hands are required all business moves slowly and more time is spent in agreements of the Manner of Action in arguments and debates which are most commonly carried on by Faction than in the most difficult point of Execution How Commanders ought to be qualified COmmanders in War ought to be built upon these three Vertues they should be Wise Valiant and Experienced Wisdom in a General many times ends the War without War of all victories the Romans thought that best which was least stain'd with bloud and they were content to let Camillus tryumph when he had not fought in these times It is especially requisite since Strategems and advantages are more in use than the open and daring valour yet valiant he must be else he grows contemptible loses his Command and by his own fear infects his Troups with Gowardice To the eternal honour of CaesarCicero reports that in all his Commands of the Field there was not found an Ito but a Veni as if he had scorn'd in all his on-sets to be any thing but still a Leader always teaching by the strongest authority his own forwardness his own examples Although these be excellencies they be all without experience lame let him be never so learned his books cannot limit his designs in several and though he be perfect in a paper plot where his eye has all in a view he will fail in
he in a manner stole the Retreat and recovered the Bridge over Ticinus which he had formerly built but notwithstanding all the haste he made he left six hundred of his Rear behind him who were the last that should have passed and staid to break the Bridge Herein he followed the rule of a Politick Man of War which must be understood in this sort If a General of an Army by some unprosperous beginnings doubt the success or find his Army fearfull or wavering it is more profitable to steal a safe Retreat than to abide the uncertain Event of Battel Alexander Severus gave such Lands as he won out of the hands of his Enemies to his Lords Marches and Soldiers that they should be theirs and their Heirs for ever so they would be Soldiers neither should they at any time come to the hands of private Men saying They would the more carefully serve if they fought for their own Lands Campidus Lycurgus commanded his Spartans that they should never make War often with one Enemy lest in process of time they should grow more expert and valiant than themselves It was look'd upon as Policy in Scipio because he would not hazard his own Person unless moved by opportunity or forced by necessity whereupon being in some sort taxed for not adventuring himself he made answer That he was not born a Soldier but a Commander inferring thereby that Forwardness is especially to be expected in private Soldiers good Conduct and Temporizing to be the most requisite parts in a General It was likewise a saying of his That the passage whereby an Enemy was to take his flight is not to be stopped for as their flight will administer occasion of slaughter and advantage so it is most dangerous to fight with People standing upon terms of despair and necessity But the truest Policy in War and for the most part with good success is that which is ordained against the richest Nations for as the Needy are always adventurous so Plenty is wont to shun peril and Men that have wherewith well to live do rather study how to live well I mean wealthy than care to dye as they call it Honourably no man makes haste to that Market where is nothing to be bought but blows Of Courage and Valour in War with Examples thereof VVHilst a People walk in obedience to God he hath promised that they shall chase their Enemies who shall fall before them on the Sword and that five of them shall chase one hundred and one hundred shall put ten thousand to flight whence it appears that the Spirit of Courage and Valour is from the Lord who by weak and small means doth many times effect great and wonderfull things that the Glory of all may be his What wonderfull Valour did David show in killing the Lion and the Bear and in the duel with that huge Polypheme of the Philistians and in many other Martial Acts against them so that it seems that action is best done which being good is done with the Vigour of the Spirits What makes Zeal so commendable but the Fervency that it carrieth with it Other Examples In the Battel of Cynaegyrus an Athenian who shewed such incomparable Valour that pursuing the Persians to their Ships when some of them were putting off from the shoar he caught hold of one of the Ships with his right Hand holding it till his Hand was cut off then he laid hold on it with his left Hand till that also was cut off and then he caught hold of it with his Teeth Justin When Alexander had put Calshenes to death he suspected Lysimaches another of his Captains because he had been a familiar to Calshenes and thereupon caused him to be cast naked to a most fierce Lion but when the Lion came roaring upon him Lysimaches wraped his shirt about his arm and thrusting his arm into the Lion's mouth and taking fast hold of his Tongue he slew the Lion of which Alexander being informed having his Valour in admiration he not only forgave him but esteemed him more highly than before Valour was so much esteemed among the Lacedemonians that in publick Feasts they had always three dances The 1st of old Men who Sung We have been young and strong And valiant heretofore Till broken Age did hold us back And bid us doe no more The 2d of young Men who Sung We yet are young bold strong And ready to maintain That quarrel still against all Men That do on Earth remain The 3d. of Children who Sung And we do hope as well To pass you all at last And that the World shall witness be E'er many years be past In their War they assaulted their Enemies very fiercely and never gave over till the flight of their Enemies had assured them of Victory and then they quickly and quietly return'd into their own Camp judging it unworthy of their Manhood and an ignoble action to kill and hew in peices Men once scattered and out of order this much further'd their Victories their Enemies being upon slight secure from farther danger Julius Caesar was of a most Magnanimous Resolution insomuch as being forewarn'd of a Conspiracy that was made against him in the Senate he answered That he had rather dye than admit of fear Arestomenes King of the Messenians was a very Gallant and Valiant Man who in a Battel against the Corinthians slew one hundred Men with his own hand the like he did in divers other Battels whereupon he used to offer Jupiter a Sacrifice call'd Hecatomphona or conticideum Pausen After the Battelat Chaeronea wherein Philip King of Macedon overcame the Athenians and after the Victory looking upon the dead bodies of his Adversaries he much commended them for their Valour for that all their wounds were in their fore-parts and for that they dyed in those Stations which were assigned by their Captains The two Scipios Brethren were samous for the Wars in Spain and against the Carthaginians so that they were called duo fulmina belli the two thunder bolts of War. Claudius Marcellus fought one and fifty Battels and was for his Valour called Gladius Romani Populi the Sword of the Romans as Fabius was called Clypeus their Buckler for his Policy George Castriot alias Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus was inspired with such a Spirit of Valour by God in defending his Country against the Barbarous Turks that in fighting against them for very Egerness of Spirit his Bloud would usually burst out of his Lips and with such Violence he struck that many of them he clove in sunder from the head to the Middle and usually cut off an armed Arm at a blow and with his own Hand he slew above two thousand of them at several times News being brought to the Grecians of the huge Army that Xerxes had brought over into Greece whole Archers were so many as it was reported that the flight of the Persian Arrows would be so thick as they would darken the light of the Sun Dioneces
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