THE ADVICE OF Charles the Fifth Emperor of GERMANY AND KING OF SPAIN To his Son Philip the Second Upon his Resignation of the Crown of SPAIN to his said Son LONDON Printed for H. Mortlock at the Sign of the White Hart in Westminster-Hall 1670. TO THE READER A Long preface to a little book is a Giants head on a Pigmies shoulders This shall be so short as not to spend a line in promising brevity The following discourse really contains Magnum in parvo being of small bulk but treating of the greatest Subject Government to Authorize it I name the Author Charles the fifth Emperour of Germany and King of Spain That he was a person of as exalted reason as quality One Argument pertinent to the matter in hand shall serve instar omnium that in the height of prosperity and flourishing in reputation He resigned his Crowns to enjoy himself That the day after his resignation was the first of his repentance will appear to them who weigh the grandure of his spirit and actions a saying of more sharpness than solid truth and Calculated to the Meridian of their thoughts who admiring Crowns they never possess make their passions the measure of other mens Actions and conclude no man can willingly part with what they so vehemently desire But the Genius of Charles having attained these altitudes others aspire to as the Ne plus ultra of humane happiness quitted them to mount into a higher sphear The Roman Empire ruined as it raised it self and having awed all forreign hostilities into subjection or allyance Employed against it self the strength and reputation of its Arms which had not left in the world an Enemy that deserved the honour of falling by so vast a Power Charles the fifth held it Greater Glory to Conquer himself than the Nations he had subdued and finding no Antagonist worthy his encounter like the Roman State turned his force against himself but with this difference that the Romans by Civil War destroyed their Empire Charles by conquering himself in vanquishing those ambitious passions which reign over Kings and have Emperors their vassals by retyring from the Throne into an Ermitage obtained a Crown more Glorious than that he resigned having divested himself of temporal honours to fit himself for investiture in Caelestial Dignities But admitting that saying as true as 't is smart and piquante and that he quitted his Crowns for fear of losing them it derogates not from the authority of his discourse nor diminishes the reputation of his wisdom For if he had Cause to fear the loss of his Crowns it argues greater prudence by resignation to make an happy Exit in full felicity than to outlive his happiness by seeing his Scepter wrested out of his hand and the glorious day of his splendid triumphs ending in the dismal Storms of War with his Son like a new Phaeton justling his Father out of the throne The Discourse is of Government but presumes not to instruct our Governours and thought it may please the humour of the times where Subjects are more inquisitive into the duties of Soveraigns than careful to practise their own readier to learn what Princes ought to do then to perform what Liegemen are bound to and like the Scribes and Pharises in Moses seat study Law and policy to teach others not themselves 'T is published to do it right as worthy of publick view and for publick advantage For 't is with men in society as with figures in Arithmetique they receive their value from the place they stand in but authority thought it enlargeth the influence doth not change the nature of persons as the figure that signifies a million is the same as when it denotes One the greatest Kingdom is but a Society made up of individuals as the greatest numbers are composed of the Digits and the hugest volumes of the Letters of the Alphabet The Emperour and his Subjects being a grand Corporation as a Major and Commonalty are a lesser which resolves into that of Masters and Families and they consist of particular persons whereof every one is a Corporation in himself as made up of a mind to govern and a body to obey 'T is a maxime in Philosophy Simplicia Compositis priorca And the model of Civil Government was taken from the natural where the Soul is Soveraign to direct and command and the affections and members are subjects to obey and execute Thus private men are Princes and have a harder Prevince than the greatest Soveraigns for those lusts and passions which are private mens Subjects have reigned over Soveraigns and conquered Conquerors who bridled Nations and governed the greatest Communities These are advises to Govern a Kingdom but by the trick of Mutatis Mutandis what was designed only for John at Noke may be fitted for John at Styles and what Charles delivered for a direction to order States may serve you for instruction to govern your self THE ADVICE OF Charles the Fifth Emperour of GERMANY To his Son Philip the Second King of Spain Upon the Resignation of his Hereditary Crowns to his said Son Most dear Son NO Jewels appear so glorious as those that embellish the Crowns of Princes Soveraignty is the Mistress to which the Greatest Spirits devote their Services Making the Universe a Theatre of Heroick Actions to Justifie their Title to the Dignity they Affect This hath made the Regal State an Object of Veneration or Envy to aâ—l Inferiours and given cause to Kings to think the Earth a Stage too narrow whereon to display the Beams of their Majesty and the Prerogatives of that Condition which hath no Equal under the Sun This hath raised Ambition to that height that Men trample on all Rights Civil or Sacred that obstruct their passage to the Throne And even devest themselves of Humanity in offering violence to the Laws of Nature that they may with more security put on and wear the Royal Purple sacrificing the Lives of nearest Relations to the Interest of the Crown Hence it is that the Examples of Quitting Crowns and Resigning Scepters are so rare that succeeding Ages entertain the Relation thereof as Fancies rather than Historical Truths So natural to Man is the thirst of Independant Freedom that the Quitting of that which all desire to enjoy seems a Paradox not to be esteemed true in any Case but Theirs who by their incapacity to use that Excellent Priviledge are unworthy to enjoy it or by pretending a Voluntary Resignation think to palliate their Weakness and hide their Disability to hold that Scepter which if not yielded would be wrested from them Like those vain Sophists who decried Riches not out of a real Contempt of them but because they wanted them and knew not how to gain them The value of Gifts depends much on the Knowledge or Ignorance of the Donor in proportion to which it rises and falls The most magnificent Present from the hand of him that esteems it mean becomes common and lays on the Receiver
use all occasions to best advantage I have often observed a great disorder in the Modern Discipline and had an earnest desire to redress it which will appear to you by my large Collection of Notes to that purpose but could never obtain leasure from my Great Employments to perfect my Design which may deserve the Pains of so great a Prince as you to compleat The disorder is That our Battels and Squadrons are marshalled in a direct Line every particular Man and the Ranks in general standing directly behind one another so that 't is impossible for the first to retreat without disturbance to the next Ranks And thus the full strength and effect of the Army depends on the three or four first Ranks of the Battel My design was to find out a method whereby the first Rank being forced to retire might not bear upon the second nor the second upon the third but that the hinder Ranks might without disorder or disturbance readily step forward into the place of the wearied men and at once relieve them and engage the Enemy so that no inconvenience may befall the Army upon the Retreat of the first Ranks which I look as the chief Perfection of the Roman Discipline To effect this my project was to divide the Vantguard-Battel and Rereguard into three Squadrons one to anothers side in a Triangular Form the first to represent the point the other two the sides for being thus dis-joyned and severed by Art it were easie to bring forward the second to fight without disturbing the first and the third without disordering the other two Whereby besides other Advantages the fortune of the Field will be thrice attempted in one Encounter And from this rough draught of the Design you may proceed to an exact Method how these Squadrons being sub-divided into smaller may relieve one another with like Advantage which Experience must perfect Another Errour in the Modern Discipline is That the best Souldiers are put in the first Ranks whereby it comes to pass that if these begin to shrink and give back the rest by their example do the like as if it were their Duty to imitate their Betters even in bad Actions which hath been the Ruine not only of Companies and Regiments but intire Armies And herein the Romans are worthy imitation who placed in the Front those they called Hastati or Pikemen consisting of young men of greatest strength and courage mixed with a third part of old Souldiers to temper the heat and direct the valour of the Youth in the second Squadron called Principes were two parts of old experienced Souldiers and a third of young The third called Triarii was intirely made up of the most expert and couragious in the Army By this excellent Order it came to pass that not only the first on-set of the Roman Army being made by the warm Blood and emulous Courage of their choicest Youth was violent and impetuous and their Defence vigorous against the most brisk Assaults but that if at any time they gave back or were repulsed the second Squadron was ready to sustain the shock with greater Bravery and upon their Retreat the Triarii succeeded to maintain the fight with assured hopes of Victory to beat off those Enemies who could not but be extreamly weakned by the Valour of the Hastati and expert Courage of the Principes This Order I approve of as of greatest use And though the high Reputation of the Roman Arms may by their great and long success in War justifie the imitation of their Discipline without further Reason yet 't is obvious to every Eye on what solid Grounds of Prudence this Order was established and that of the Greek Phalanges marshalled in direct Lines rejected by the Romans who though they received the Rudiments of War from the Greeks became greater Proficients in the Art than their Teachers making themselves Masters of the one and the other by conquering Greece with those Arms the use whereof they derived from the Grecians Another Argument for Collateral Squadrons is That the Phalanges or Ranks marshalled in a direct Line are subject to greater Execution by the Enemies Artillery which scours all that stands before it in a strait Line Besides many other Observations which you will find scattered in my Notes for your direction in this and other points of War Nothing can render your Name more Illustrious than the Glory of perfecting this project for the better ordering of Forces in Battel But let not your Employments at Land make you forget that the Sea is part of your Dominion Provide stores of all necessary Implements for Fleets Let your Vessels be well rigg'd mann'd and employ'd in the service of the State and augmented to that number that may be sufficient to serve your Designs without depending upon your Neighbours or Subjects And never admit any Vessel into the List of your Fleets but such only wherein you have propriety For private men are so wedded to their particular Interest that upon the appearance of danger their study is to preserve their Vessels though to the Ruine of the State Cause your Forts to be often viewed their works frequently surveyed and see them repaired and improved where requisite and the Stores fill'd with all necessaries Provide faithful expert and couragious Governours and trusty Souldiers The Accidents of Death Sickness and loss of men will prompt you to exceed in number rather than fall short but make choice of such as may give you cause with the Romans to rely more on the Valour of your Souldiers than the strength of the place though never so well fortified by Art and Nature Let your Forts on the Frontier be few but strong When you are assaulted rather meet your Enemy bravely in the Field than coop your self up in a Garrison When you are the Aggressor choose to annoy the Enemy by Forts and Sconces raised for that purpose and not with intolerable expence of Moneys and Time and loss of Men to sit down before his places of strength which seldom recompence your pains in the taking In erecting Forts take your Model from the nature of the place and apply your Industry to make the whole proportionable to the parts and the parts to the whole And though no place can be impregnable make yours of that strength that may deprive the Enemy of hopes to take them without a tedious siege great loss of men vast expence and other disadvantages that attend those difficult Enterprizes The Provisions of War are Victuals Artillery Ammunition Supplies and Coyn which are then sufficient when the quantity seems to maintain an Army in a capacity to perform any Martial Attempt which had my weighty Occasions permitted I had reduced to a certainty My project was to raise a Gallant Army composed of Flemins Germans Spaniards and Italians to be kept in constant exercise against the Turk and Christian Princes whom Danger or Interest should oblige me to engage with For their Maintenance I design'd to
capitulate with them That all Booties belonging to the adverse State as Artillery Ammunition c. should be intirely mine and my Successors and all private Spoils to be distributed among the Souldiers yet so as to oblige them at reasonable Rates to sell to an Officer to be appointed to that purpose such Garments Victuals and other things of that nature as were not necessary for present use which should be stored up by him and sold again to the Souldier upon occasion with some profit to me This had been of great conveniency to me but more to the Souldier in having at hand all Necessaries to supply his wants at cheaper Rates than he could expect to receive them from those who follow the Camp to raise their fortunes and make unreasonable Gains by excessive Prices This done my intention was to constitute an Officer to receive and secure such Moneys or Goods as the Souldier upon apprehension of any dangerous Service or other consideration should deposit with him and to be answerable for the same to the Souldier his heirs and assigns with allowance of a reasonable gain at so much per cent for the use with Provision that the goods of such as died without Heirs should according to the course of the Civil Law belong to the Chamber of the Prince and the like Constitution for such as departed intestate and what Souldier in the Army whether private or in Commission would not prefer the securing of his Goods where he his Heirs or Assigns should certainly receive them before the exposing them to the hazard of Loss by the Enemy and other Accidents And to defray the charge of Carriage requisite for such things allowance should have been made by the Souldier out of the Gains to come to him from the Use This Course will be of great Advantage to the Prince who may make considerable profit of the Moneys remaining in the hands of his Officers on this Account to supply his Occasions for payment of his Army and other necessary Charges without injury to to the Proprietors And besides this it will secure the dependance of the Army upon him the things deposited being good Pledges of their Loyalty and serve as an inexhaustible Mine of Treasure by the Moneys and Goods of those that die without heirs and Intestate or forfeit them by Disloyalty Notwithstanding the received Opinion that Moneys are the Sinews of War you may believe it on my Experience that it conduces much to the strength of an Army well appointed in all other things but is far less necessary than good Discipline Courage Experience and other Conditions requisite in well-ordered Troops and indeed of no efficacy in point of War where these are wanting Therefore think your self more obliged to provide able Leaders expert Souldiers and good Orders for your Forces than Moneys the reason is That such an Army under the Conduct of a valiant and prudent General can never want means to maintain it self by Pillage and Victuals to be gained even in the heart of their Enemies Countrey And though Provisions may be sometimes scant the bare Promises of Pay and Rewards from a Prince in Reputation with his Army for Power to perform and for keeping his Word will keep them in heart in the greatest Difficulties 'T is true the nature of War is such whether offensive or defensive and the Charge so excessive that without some help 't were impossible for a Prince to bear it but the Courses intimated before and the Booty of rich Towns and Cities to be gained by Sieges or Stratagems will render it tolerable and easie And it must be your Care to make the War contribute to the maintenance of it self by employing your Forces in Actions attentended with Profit as well as Honour and declining all useless and unprofitable Enterprizes Mortality and other Accidents common to Man make it impossible for an Army to subsist long intire in the same State without Supplies in order to which you are to cause frequent Musters to be made in all Places of your Dominion fit to yeild Supplies of men and Registers to be kept of all the Youth able to bear Arms where it may be done without apparent danger to the State by Tumult and Insurrection And as your old Souldiers must be preserved from Sloth by constant Exercises so must the Youth that is to supply the Camp be trained by sufficient Leaders for the Service of the War In your choice prefer those who are naturally addicted to Arms and amongst them chiefly those who have Lands Goods or Relations to secure their Loyalty to your Crown and implant in them a greater fear of shame or punishment than can be expected from them who carry all their Interests in their Persons and have nothing to care for but their own safety But never press any man upon whom the subsistance of a Family depends but such onely who may be spared without great inconvenience whom you are to encourage with hopes of Honour and Profit by the War The Dominions you succeed in are so many and populous that they will easily furnish you with means to raise and maintain a potent Army according to the Rules I have shewed And if you keep good Correspondence and preserve the Amity established between Us and our Allies of the House of Austria you will besides the Flemish Italian and the Spanish Nations have the Germans at your Devotion who are a mighty and a brave People and make your self formidable to the greatest Powers on Earth Whereas if you be at Discord with your Kinsmen of that House it will impair your Authority encourage your Enemies weaken your Power and cool the Affections of your ancient Friends Above all have due regard and express extraordinary respect for your Cousin the King of Bohemia as a person of so much worth that the greatest Empires are too narrow for the exercise of his Excellent Vertues And observe it as a Maxime That though matter of unkindness may sometimes fall out between the nearest Relations yet more good may be hoped from the Love that springs out of Consanguinity than the fairest pretences of Amity from a Stranger And that it is more glorious to preserve the Good Will and Friendship of your Kindred by yeilding to them in some things to end differences than by Arms to force Strangers to a Compliance with your Will To conclude this point of training Youth please their Humour and encourage their love to War by Priviledges of wearing Weapons and exemption from the burdens of Civil Offices c. Study an exact knowledge of the situation and nature of all places under your Government wherein their abundance consists and where their defects supply these and use the other as a means to establish Amity between the several Members of your Empire making the Abundance of one part to fill up the Defects of the other Cause Plots to be drawn of all their Places of strength Mountains Rivers c. That by resorting to
your Map you may upon occasion order matters with more certainty Think it worth your pains to inquire not only into the Humours and Dispositions but the Interests Alliances and Factions of your potent Subjects for the Balance of Authority remaining in your Hand you may easily make that side most weighty and considerable that is best affected to your service and prevent all disorders that may ensue upon their engagements in Parties against one another If any of your Countreys stand in danger of a Confining Enemy secure them from injury by your providence And when you have an exact account of their Inclinations Power Alliances Interests Wants Stores Customs Affections Commodities Incommodities and Dependancies use all to your best advantage Then consider the State and Power of those you esteem your Friends or stand Neuters in the Quarrel Weigh well the Persons Places Times Natures Customs Neighbours Officers Adherents and other siderations incident to the Affairs of your Foes and Friends For nothing conduces more to a happy Victory than a perfect knowledge of your own and your Enemies Abilities and a prudent use of that Knowledge Be sure you never quarrel a great Potentate for relief of such whose weakness will rather endanger than assist your Crown unless it appear that their Ruine may turn to your Inconvenience In War who spends most makes least waste Never engage in a Quarrel but on just Grounds and with prudent forecast of the Event but when engaged assure your self 't is never safe to dally or delay Make Provision ever in the best time and of more than may seem necessary for the loss in the over-plus can be but small and though it were great can bear no proportion with the danger of of hazarding the greatest undertakings by want or scarcity Victory is the mark of the Art Military and requires in the beginning Wisdom Diligence and Vigilance in the pursuit Courage and Perseverance Rather assault first than stay till you are set upon and lose the advantages of making War in your Enemies Countrey If your Enemy prevent you herein make Good your Defence and by all means endeavour by diversion to force him to retreat Repose not the whole confidence of success in your Armies at Land nor Fleets at Sea which are subject to great uncertainties as the Waves that bear them but think Prudence and Courage the best means for Victory and remember that at Sea commonly the greater Number prevails Caeteris Paribus But for your further Instructions in matter of War I refer you to my Notes which will afford you Rules for all Occasions And now I shall apply my discourse to the Enemies you are to grapple with that you may perceive my sence of their several Conditions and your Conduct in your Wars against them The Turk is your greatest and most certain Enemy both on the Account of Religion which you are to prefer before all other Interests and that the violent Constitution of his Tyrannical Government keeps him always on his Guard to secure his Power against sudden Attempts and so his Forces are ever in readiness to be poured where hope of success invites him who desires no other Cause of Quarrel When I consider the long course of Danubius and the great Champaign of Hungary the situation of Vienna and Neighbourhood of Germany with the Power of the Neighbours on the one side and the desert Condition of the Borders on the other I am induced to believe that he will wave the prosecution of his Conquests there for the present and bend his Forces against the Islands and your States in Italy which he will assault before he breaks with Venice the reason is That if he fall on the Venetian first he may expect greater Opposition by such Auxiliary Forces as you may send in their Aid but need not fear the Venetians engagement against him in your Quarrel in a time of peace with them as well for that all Republiques whether Aristocratical or Democratical flattering themselves with hopes of a perpetual subsistance do naturally decline all hazardous Undertakings especially when the Tranquility they enjoy and dangers of Action represent every Alteration for the worse Besides the plausible pretext of keeping their Faith inviolable and the necessary dependance of the Venetian on the Ottoman Empire in point of Traffique and the reasons they have of being satisfied with their new Acquest of the Isle of Candy from the Turk The Turkish Empire hath its period but known only to God and 't is in vain to expect his Fall by Miracles from Heaven which must be effected by sound Policies and strength of Armed Men. The poor effects Experience hath shewed of an Universal League and Combination of Christians against the Turks afford you this Rule That while men manage the Affairs of the World they will often sacrifice the best Cause and nearest Concerns of true Interest to Humours and Passions whereof you have a pregnant instance in the behaviour of the French King on a causless Jealousie in the matter in hand This makes me conclude it a common Errour that the excessive Power of the Ottoman is to be humbled rather by the United Forces of several Princes who cannot but have several Designs and several Interests than by the strength of one mighty Potentate whose Designs are like his Person single and intire and his Interest one and the same This great Work seems reserved for you as the greatest Prince of the Christian Profession and with the Aid of your Allies of the House of Austria of sufficient Ability to encounter that Pagan Giant but not without a serious Consideration of the most proper means to attain your ends by such ways as sound experimental Wisdom shall direct And first what War is most available against him Defensive or Offensive by Prevention or by Diversion As for Defensive War nothing but pure Necessity can justifie the choice of it being the most unprofitable uncomfortable and dangerous as that wherein we do but expose and lay our selves open to the injuries of Hostility to the manifest consumption of our strength and to the apparent danger of our whole Interest without hope of Restitution of Loss or Reparation of Damages The impossibility of making the Preparations requisit for an Offensive War without the knowledge of the Turk and finding him on his guard may disswade you from that course as the multitude of Forces he maintains in constant pay and always in readiness anticipates all Designs to molest him by preventive Wars or by way of Diversion so that my Advice is To avoid the simple kinds of War and to resolve on a mixt Defensive in appearance but Offensive in act which if wisely managed may by degrees of Prevention and Diversion be at length converted into a pure Offensive which must be effected more by slights and stratagems than plain force against this potent Enemy And to his purpose you will find frequent Opportunities by the Troubles and Encombrances of his other
of Relief from the presence of their Prince be extinguished Receive Petitions courteously hear patiently express Compassions to those in misery and endeavour that none may depart unsatisfied from your presence See that the Power of Great Ones weigh not down the Right of the Poor And in giving of Judgment respect not for the time the good or ill report of the Persons but the merits of the Cause Confer Offices of Judicature on Persons of Learning and Integrity And to engage them to discharge their Duties well give them cause to believe that the first step to higher Dignities is to behave themselves well in the lower Conscience and Charity oblige to a special regard of Churches Orphans Widows Prisoners Captives and all Persons in misery and necessity fail not to relieve them with expedition in their Causes And settle it in your mind as an undoubted Truth That God who judges all without respect of Persons hath declared himself propense and ready to hear the Cries of the Distressed and will certainly punish those Kings and States where such Causes are slighted or sacrificed to Power or Affection Which I could clear to you by Examples in the compass of my Experience but that your Piety and Tenderness of Conscience make it superfluous to adde more on this point The like expedition is to be used in the Causes of Merchants and other men who lose more by spending time in attending the tedious and chargable formality of Courts than the matters in difference amount to in value Dispatch in person what Causes you can the rest refer to your Officers to whom you are for expedition to assign severally their proper Tasks In capital matters temper Severity with Lenity and incline rather to absolve a suspected Criminal than condemn an Innocent Person but let not your Lenity be so excessive as to encourage Offenders Weigh seriously the circumstances of Persons Times and Places and hold not your self so obliged to the strict observance of the dead Letters of your Laws but that on just grounds you may dispense with the Rigor of those punishments they inflict Frame your Proceedings by the Lesbian Rule plyable to the variety of Circumstances for then only the people have just cause to complain that Justice is not equally administred against Criminals when they see the same Crime in several persons unequally punished but cannot discern any Reason of the diversity However have such respect to the majesty of your Laws that the power of Dispensation may remain in your self incommunicable to any but by special Commission on weighty Occurrences And in these Cases Governours of States are the best Judges to moderate Laws who see those Reasons to incline them which pass the Knowledge and exceed the Capacity of ordinary Advocates But be sure this moderation arise out of a Right in Equity not Errour in Affection Let no Service done you pass unrewarded at least in good words which may beget an expectation of real Benefit when time serves Be not curious to inquire into the private Actions of your Subjects but let it satisfie you that they live conformable to your Laws without scandal and manifest offence to the majesty of your Government Leave secret faults to his Judgement who searches the heart and sees all things What reason is there our hands should execute where the Eye cannot pierce Beware of prejudicate Opinions and ever reserve an Ear for the other side in matters of complaint Encourage not undue Practices by too much Facility nor discourage just Addresses by a Rigor that may preclude all expectation of Reason from you of your proceedings Never pass sentence in Choler or any other perturbation lest you give just Cause as Philip of Macedon of Appeal from your self blinded with Passion to your self seeing with the Eye of Reason Let the Guards of your Person be so kept about you that it may appear done more to set forth the majesty of Government than out of any necessity to secure your Life To use Princely Garments sometimes begets Reverence for your Person and strikes Awe into the Multitude but generally to wear a plain Habit fitted to the Mode of the Country procures much love the Subject being much pleased to observe in their Prince a careless contempt of those Complements in which others vainly place their principal felicity Observe the like Rule in your Diet neither incurring hatred from the people by Excess and Profuseness nor Contempt by sinking too near the condition of a Subject To conclude this point the time of Peace is most fit for adorning Cities repairing High-Ways and Bridges making Rivers Navigable building Churches Hospitals Guild-Halls reforming Abuses in Religion visiting Universities Colledges and Courts of Justice Education of Orphans Marriage of poor Maids Redemption of Prisoners and other Works of publique Benefit which will oblige the People to Love and Thankfulness remain Monuments to Posterity of your Goodness and happy Reign and crown you with Eternal Glory As the Tempests and Storms of blustering Winter do by natural Revolution succeed the serene and calm Summer Season So the tranquility of the securest Peace does by the Politique Vicissitude and Circulation of Affairs end in the Troubles of War by a necessity immutable as the Laws of Nature But my present Business is not to demonstrate the Truth of this Sepeculation but to direct your Conduct in Military Business by Rules approved by my long experience in several Wars of greatest importance The Skill of a Pilot is not seen in the Halcyon Dayes of fair Weather when a rude Seaman in a Cock-Boat can lead a Dance for a whole Fleet to sport securely on the smiling Ocean but when the angry Marine Gods in a scornful defiance swelling their huge Waves unto the Clouds threaten to throw back those Waters into the face of Jove which he had showred down to make a disdained Addition to the liquid Element The Ship of State is easily guided in Times of Peace when all Discontents are husht into an intire Obedience to the Laws and no Disturbance nor Contention appears but what arises out of Mens Emulation to conform to their Princes Wills To steer an even and steddy Course to your desired Port through the Audacious Tumults of Popular Insurrections confronting your Authority the violences of Forraign Enemies who attaque your Power as it will try your Prudence and Courage so it is always attended with the Glory due to an excellent Conduct and will crown your Head with the Immortal Lawrels of a Triumphant Conquerour Directions are so much the more necessary for the Affairs of War than Peace as the accidents of War are more various and unexpected the Conduct thereof more uncertain and subject to alteration on all sudden Occurrences and the Errors irrecoverable or not to be redeemed without much Damage and Inconvenience Nor can a Prince give better proof of his Vertue and Goodness than by Moderation in time of War when Custom seems to tolerate and Power tempts him
Wars his Losses and the Disorders of his Camp and the Discord about the succession of the Empire But rely chiefly on the favour of God which is partly procured by the use of means approved by humane Discretion as conducing most to the ends we aim at and therefore you are to preserve the Affections of your Allies of the House of Austria to your Person and Interest And as the state of their Affairs cannot but oblige them to a strict Correspondence and Amity with you for the better Atchievement of their Enterprizes so you are to believe that to maintain Friendship and Good Intelligence with them will not only strengthen your Interest in general but is of absolute necessity in order to Success against the Turk Accompt that your best time of war with the Ottoman when he is engaged with some potent Enemy else where or perplexed with dangers and seditions discontents or factions at home But if the Condition of your Affairs cannot conveniently allow the expectation of these opportunities when your preparations have given him the Alarm and drawn his forces into the field make use of shifts and delayes to frustrate his designs by declining engagement and putting upon him the loss of the whole expence of that Campagn And the next year take the advantage of his security want of preparation and disability to appear on the sudden in compleat equipage And be sure to march forward with all expedition that you may fortifie your new Conquests and be in a capacity to maintain them against him by a resolute defence before he advances to stop your course and dispose your affairs so that when he begins to disband and draw off into his quarters you may be ready to fall on And by renewing the war put him on the necessity of continuing his vast Armies in pay which he can by no means endure long or reduce his Army to so mean a proportion as may give you assured hopes of victory No place is fitter for the seat of the war than in some parts of Hungary remote from Danubius for besides the narrowness of several passages extremely incommodious for the huge bodys of his Cavalry He will be destitute of those Conveniencies which the River affords for that immence baggage and cumbersome train usually attending his Camp whereof you may make excellent use to the benefit of your and prejudice if not ruine of his designs And to that purpose I again Commend to you a good Correspondence with your Uncle the King of the Romans to whom you are to Grant and offer all Aydes of men or mony to keep the ballance even till you find an opportunity to appear in the field The Turk relies intirely on the number and strength of his men And your way to defeat him being by stratagem be carefull to draw him into straight and narrow places where he cannot for want of room make use of his whole power And may be pinched for defect of Carriages and necessary provisions In Engagements and Conflicts provide Stout Companies of Foot to annoy his horse who being generally without Armour are soon routed by the strong impressions of a Gallant infantry 'T is a point of the Turkish discipline to reserve the Janizaries for the last onset and recourse to victory And if a choice sequadron be pickt out to engage them from the beginning to the end of the battle the unexpectedness of the stratagem will surprize and much disorder the Janizaries and abate the courage of the rest of their Army who are never out of hopes of victory till the Janizaries are engaged and repulsed By this policy Hannibal gained several victories against the Romans And to it the Romans owe theirs over the Latines Use all indeavours to invite the people to Rebellion against him by good usage immunities exemptions or by building rampires and forts fit for defence and offence wherein you will find excellent instructions in my memorialls for speed and cheapness and in the work their best use when perfected to subdue the forces of a great estate whereof Caesars actions in France are an instance as related in the Commentaries And you may esteem the least declination of the Ottoman power a great advantage to your affairs by the opportunity it affords his suppressed subjects to endeavour the recovery of their lost liberties which his tyranical government makes them willing to embrace when invited by a fit occasion The solid strength of the Kingdom of France receives addition of power by the willingness of other Princes and especially the Italians jealous of our forces to Assist that Crown against us threfore let us consider next the best way of making war upon the French Had they known to improve the taking of Casab or Revolt of Sienna to the best advantage we had felt e're this by dear experience how much the Italians are inclined to novelty and the great benefit the French may obtain with inconsiderable charge in the wars of Italy For though it cannot be doubted but that the Government of the French if possessed of those places we hold in Italy would in a short time become more offensive and insupportable to the inhabitants than ours yet such is their itch of change so great their jealousies of our forces in Milan Naples and Sicily that they throw open their Armes to receive any that promises to restore their liberty which they think lost in the fetters of our power in the places I have named But 't is your happiness that by assaulting that King in his own dominions which you can easily doe you will infallibly force him to recall his forces from Italy to defend France And gladly imploy them to quench the fire kendled in his own house whom he had commanded to burn yours It hath been their maxime long not to leave an Enemy behind them it must be yours to winn and fortifie some place of importance in their passage to Italy which may either stop their farther march or at least entertain their forces so long till yours be in readiness to receive them by defence or stop them by diversion To this end it was my design to build two or three forts between Turine and the Alps of that Art and strength that mâ—ght deter the French from attempting Italy that way by the difficulty of reducing those places to their obedience at so great distance from their Country But this as other designes was prevented by my imployments else where So that I propose it only as worthy your consideration and hasten to give you brief rules for your wars in France That King may be assaulted in his own Country two wayes by taking some strong places upon the frontiers or by entring the heart of his Dominions with a compleat Army and making your self Master of the field But the strength of his Towns and Castles on the borders the vast expence and tedious difficulties of Sieges the constant charge and great Garisons requisite to maintain and preserve them in