the dawning of the day the myst being somewhat thicke and the Ayer much obscured he made a few of his souldiers to shew themselues to those that kept watch in the Romaines Tents while Fuluius adressed him thetherward with hys Host Hanibal on the otherside inuaded his Campe and so brake out in the back of the Romaines and slew theyr Captaine with viii M. of their valiant men of Armes Alevvred King of Brytaine when the Danes wer entred his Realme of purpose to vnderstand their orders put himselfe in the habit of a Mynstrel by these meanes he came into their Campe wherby he toke occasion to geue them a great ouerthrow When Iphicrates of Athens had knowledge that his enemies dyd eate at one certayne tyme of the daye he commaunded that his men should take theyr repast somwhat more tymely then ranging forth in battayl at the same instant that his enemies should haue falne to their victuals he so delayed them that he neyther would geue them battayle nor yet suffer thē to depart when it drew towardes night hée reculed back againe but yet keping his men still in their Harnise but his enemyes being weried not only with long standing but also with long fasting made hast to refresh them selues and to take their repast Iphicrates agayne brought forth his Army and set vpon his enemyes whom he found all vnredy and out of order It behoueth a Captayne in some causes as much as in him lieth to abstayn from fight that is when eyther famishment or other naturall necessities hath brought the enemy into some vtter desperation which caused the Lacedemonians being certified by their spyes that the Messenians wer set on such a rage as they came to battayle with their wiues and children which caused the Lacedemonians to defer the fight Likewise when Caeser in the ciuil war had inclosed the Host of Affranius and Petriens within a Trench that they were pyned with thirst insomuch that they became desperate destroying all that would withstand them or profered with them to fight which Caeser perceiuing kept in his men supposing it not méete time then to begin But now to shew vppon how manye occasions noble victoryes haue bin attayned it would aske to long discourse considering they be so infinite yet for that many tymes it hath bin found to be of great importaunce during the time of fight to spred certayne rumors affirming the Captayne of the enemies to haue bin slayn or to haue ouercome on the other syde of the Armye or such lyke I will not forget considering it hath bin the cause of many victoryes to such as hath vsed it Iugurth in the battayle agaynst C. Marius by the same policy made the Romaines to recule so did Mironides of Athēs against the Thebians wherby he got the victory When Valerius Leuinus fought against Pirrhus and had kild a rascall Souldier he held vp his Sword all blody and made both the Hostes beléeue that hée had kyld Kyng Pirrhus wherfore his enemyes supposing them selues to bée destitute by the death of their Captayne all abashed with that lye gaue ouer the fight Whē Claudius the Emperour of Rome came to recouer tribute of Gwider King of Britaine who in the stead of tribute gaue vnto hym stronge and forceable battaile Hamo a Romayne Captayne Arming him self in a Britaines Armour by meanes wherof he came wher Gwider the King was and flew him which being perceiued by Aruiragus the Kinges brother tooke on him the Kinges Cognoscaunce and thus being taken for the King continued the fight whereby hée obtayned the victory against the Romaines When a Barbarouse Alien in battayle had broght word to Q. Sextorius that Herculeius was slain he straight slew him with his dagger least he should haue borne those newes any farther discouraged the Army One speciall regard ought to be had amongst Captaines when they be in fight which is not to bring the enemy into any extreame desperacion or so to inclose them that dispair should cause thē to fight which caused Haniball when he had inclosed the Germās at Trasimenus by which cōstraint they fought exceding fercely to opē his Army and to make them away to get out beating them downe as they fled without any losse of his owne men The lyke vsed L. Marcius a Romayne Knyght when hee had inclosed the Carthaginēces and so did Agesilans with the Thebans When Themistocles had vanqished the power of Xerxes he would in no wise agrée that the Bridge shuld be broken ouer the which they shuld returne saying it wer better to driue them out of Europa then to inforce them to fight in despayre Captayns shuld haue regard with what order they folow for he that with his people disparted pursueth his enemyes may hope to geue his enemies the victory as appeareth by Q. Fabius Maximus Consul being sent to succour the Sutrines agaynst the Hetrusciens so ordred the matter that whē the whol power of his enemies set against him then desembling as he feared them and as though he fled got the higher groūd the other folowing him out of order were by him not only vanquished but also bereued of theyr Campe. The lyke respect ought to be vsed by such as should fortune to be Conquerours and not through affiaunce of their victory to leaue them selues disordered least it might happen vnto them as happened to the Percians for whē T. Martius a Romain Knight being gouernour of the residue of the Hoast that remayned after the death of the twoo Scipyons perceiued that the twoo Hoastes of the Percians lay at hand not many miles a sunder he incouraged hys Souldyers to set vpon the Hoast that laye nexte hym at midnight being carelesse and out of order through affyaunce of their victory flewe them leauing not so much as a messenger to beare tidings of the miserable mischaunce and then geuing his Souldiers a litle space to rest them the same night with all spéed preuēting the fame of any thing don inuaded the other Army and thus twice in one night enioyed like chaunce of battaile and euery wher distroying the Percians hée restored Spayne againe to the Romaines And now for the better safetie of the pursued to cause such as folow to slack their pursute Triphon King of Syria vsed this meane to scatter money by the way as hée fled which so hindered Antiochus Horsemen that pursued him that he therby escaped When the Gaulls should fight with Attalus they deliuered all their Gold and Siluer to be kepte of certayne men that might scatter it abrod if it happened them to be put to flight to the intent they might the more easly escape their enemyes being let with the gathering vp of the pray When Q. Sertorius was put to flight of Quintius Metellus Pius he supposed not a thing sure ynough onlye to flée but also warned hys Souldiers to disparte themselues diuers wayes and tould them whither hée wold haue them resort Some
they thinking them selues halfe ouercome yelded vp There be many other practices wherwith the besieged hath bene beguiled some tyme when it hath bin knowne to the enemy that there should come ayde to assist them haue therfore appareled their Souldiers vnder the aunsients of those that should come and thus haue deceiued them Sometyme by taking of those that haue gone aforaging sending others in their apparaile Sometime by sending Souldiers vnder the colour of market men dryuing beastes laden with trashe Sometime by turning from them their water or else by poysoning of the same as did Clisthenes of Cicion the water that serued the towne of Criseans Sometyme when a Captayn hath found a Citie to be strong haue therefore conquered rounde about it all the Townes and Casteles of purpose to send in aboundaūce of people to the same Citie which they desired and by these meanes haue spent their victuals when famishment hath caused them to yeld Sometyme when Townes haue bin well replenished with men which beyng knowne to the enemy that came to besiege it haue turned to other places and by these meanes haue brought abought that the townes men on trust that their chiefe citie was strong enough haue emptyed themselues to defend others wherby it hath ben made easy to be won Fabius Maximus wasting and destroying the countrey of Campania to the ende he would leaue his enemies as bare as might be he departed from them in the séede time to the entent they might sow the residue of theyr Corne and when it was sprong vp he returned and trod it to naught and thus by famyn got them to yelde Thus I haue briefly shewed thée such sleyghtes as hath béen vsed by the noblest Captaynes the knowledge wherof would not a little norish the imaginations of such as should peruse them ther resteth now to shew thée certayn general rules which are no lesse worthy to be noted then profitable to be folowed and thus they begin That whatsoeuer is profitable to thée is hurtfull to thy enemie and that which helpeth him hindereth thée He that in war most laboureth and exerciseth his Souldiers in warlike trauails shall alway sustayne lest perill and sonest hope of victory Those counsailes are best which the enemy knoweth nothing of tyll they be executed Occasion or sodaine hope in battail helpeth more then vertue or strength To know in war how to take occasion helpeth more then any other thing Neuer conduct Souldiers to fight the fielde tyll theyr myndes be setled The greatest part of prudent Captains rather receue the vyolence of the enemye then to go wyth vyolence to assaught It is hard to ouercome him that can truely iudge his owne strength and what power his enemy is of A fewe men well practised more auayleth then great numbers vnperfect The well chosen place doth sometyme more auayle then valiaunce or strength He that with disorder followeth his enemy vnwisely may of a cōquerour become sometimes a loser He which is vnprouided of necessary victuall is ouercome with out weapon He that asseyeth more in his horsemen then in his footemen or in his footemen more then in his horsemen must chose his ground ther after If thou thinkest thy coūsayl to be known to thy enemyes it standeth thée in hande to chaunge thy pretence Consult with many what thou oughtest to doe but what thou myndest to execute kéepe secret to thy selfe Good Captaynes neuer fight the fielde except they be driuen vnto it by sodayne hap or great néede The greatest pollicie is to greue thy enemie rather with hūger then with weapon It is necessary that Captaynes be well furnished with thrée kyndes of trusty people that is to say spyes scowtes guides ther trusty seruice bringeth good assurance to an Army the lacke of them is great hinderaunce to inuasion Learne what may preuent thy enemie and profit thy selfe Captaines ought rather to say with pity this I can doe then with tyranny this I will do To vse victory gently is more famous then to conquer cruelly The hardy courage lyberall heart and good perswasion maketh a Souldier more profitable to the battaile in the day of fight then the coward Captaine folish and vnthankfull with multitudes of treasure Though many other matters might here haue béen expressed yet thus much at this instāt touching captaines shal suffice Soul. The goodnes of thy godhed doth so graciously abound that it maketh me perseuer in demaunding being not afrayde to be reputed presumptious and bicause it hath pleased thée of thy owne beneuolence thus throughly to instruct me in the knowledge of martiall feates and the seruice in the warres on the lande yet forasmuch as the knowledge of the seruice at the Sea hath euer lykewise bene accompted a most honorable seruice but in specially with vs in England considering the greatest parte of our defence doth something consist in the knowledge of the same that it would therfore please thée to informe me likewise in some thing appertayning to that noble seruice and of what gouernment Captaines should be that ought to take such charge in hand Mer. Touching the noble seruice at the Sea it were much better for me to be sylent rather then in speaking that I should seme to speake to lyttle the which of necessitie I shuld be constrayned or else to speke to small effect considering that neyther by woord ther may be expressed neyther with pen ther may be prescrybed any certayne derection that might gretly profit the skillest man for the knowledge of that seruice is not to be attayned but onely by seruing on the sea and it behoueth such as shold be Captaynes or to take charge that way to haue some skil in Maryners Arte the which at the shore is not to be come by Soul. And yet I haue known some which I am wel assewred cam neuer at the Sea that hath bene able to discourse of Nauigation in a more perfect maner then a great number of those that be accōpted for skilfull Maisters Mer. And yet those perfect talkers should be founde as ignorant to execute their own prescriptions if they wer brought vnto the Sea as thou shewest thy selfe to be deceyued in my meaning to aunswer me thus in a cleane contrary matter for it forceth not so much in a man of war to haue knowledge in the Art of Nauigation as to be well experimented in many other causes but bicause the variacion of thy aunswere falleth out so fit to talke of Maisters skill I wil shew thée therfore how the Maisters should be chosen whereby thou maiest the better perceiue the meaning of my former words Fyrst thou must vnderstand ther are as they be termed two sorts of Maryners in whom ther is likewise found two sundry skylls that is Art in the one experience in the other then first to speak of the artificiall Nauigator who best deserueth the greatest commendation be such as vse to trauail to far and vnknowne countries who sayleth altogether by
he chose the leaste which was Rutilius Army bicause it was thought to be the better trayned Epaminondas Captayne of the Thebians with 4000. trained men ouercame the Host of the Lacedemonians in which was 24. M. footemen and 16. hundred horsemen 14. M. Greekes which number came to help Cirus against Artaxerxes ouercame in battaile .1 C.M. Barberouse Aliens Therfore I say that Captaynes should vse great diligence in the trayning of their men considering that an Army is not to be chosen for the multitude or bicause in the same be hardy men but bicause they be wel trained and in their orders wel apointed thus hauing practised his men redy for to fight it should be well done then if time or place might serue to bring them to some lighte skirmish with their enemyes for their better encouragement and to make thē know the better what to doo but yet as neare as they may to chose such a place as their smal experience may not be hurtful vnto them But héere omitting to speake of skyrmishes because they be diuersly vsed and vppon sundry occasions procured I will shewe thée now what obseruations were vsed by such as were noble Captaynes before they would attempt to procéede in battayle and by what inuentions they haue escaped when they haue bin daūgerously beset and how by many deuises they haue attayned diuers noble vyctories c. And first to speake of their opinions concerning to ioyne in battayle it was a generall vse amongst such as were the best aproued Souldiers neuer to bring their mē to fight except they had aduantage or else brought to it by constraint The aduantage groweth as wel by the situacion of the place as by order or hauing of more and better men The necessitie groweth whē they shal perceiue by deferring of battaill it must nedes fall out to theyr great discommoditie as when famishment wer redy to assayle thē or when the enemy looketh for some new supply or such lyke in these causes it wer to attempt Fortune wher she may fauour rather then by deferring to sée theyr certayne rewine Vygesius counsayll is neuer to bringe an Army to fight except they hope to haue the victory for what greater signe is there to lose then not to beleue to be able to win wherfore to encourage Souldiers to fight theyr hath ben sundry practises L. Sylla in the wars against Archelaus Mithridates léefetenaunt at Pirea perceiuing his Souldiers had lyttle courage to fight he so weried them with continual labour that they wer glad to desyer to fight that the wars might be finished Cyrus king of Persia mynding to concitate the myndes of his people to wery anger them with payneful labour held thē all one day at worke and vtterly tyred thē in hewing vp a certayne Wood on the morow after he made for them a very plentitious feast demaunding in the feast tyme which day lyked them best and when they all alowed the pastime of the day present and yet quoth he this pleasure must be obtayned by the other dayes payne for except you first ouercome the Medes ye can neuer lyue in fréedome and at pleasure wherby they toke great courage to fyght Q. Fabius who knew very wel the Romaines to be of so lyberall and honest nature that by dispightful and contumelious dealings they would be sone moued vexed and gréeued loking also for no ryght nor equall dealings of the Percians who were his enemies sent vnto Carthage Imbassadours to intreat of peace which was consented vnto vppon certayne condicions which when they wer brought and perceiued to be vnreasonable and full of pryde the Romaines army was strayght styrred and incouraged to fight When Agesilaus had pight his fielde not far from Orchomeno a Citie that was in league with him and perceiued that many of the Army had their treasure chéefe ryches in the Campe he commaunded the Townes men to receue nothing into the Towne belonging to his Army to the entent his Souldiers might fight the more fiercely knowing they should fight both for their liues and goods Fabius Maximus fearing that his Host would not continue the fight manfully by reasō they might quickly fly to their Shippes commaunded they should be set on fire before he would begin the battayle When Agesilaus had taken certayne of the Persians whose aport was very terrible as long as their clothes were on he striped them starke naked shewing their effeminate bodyes to his Souldiers to the ende they might despise them Gelo. the Tyran of Siracuse entring war agaynst the Percians after that he had taken many of them brought forth the weakest and most vncomely persons naked in the sight of all his Army to perswade them that they wer but wretches and men worthie to be despised Some haue constrayned their men to fight through necessitie taking away from them all maner of hope of sauing themselues vnlesse they did ouercome Shame hath sometime constrained Souldiers to fight agayne afresh that haue byn redy to haue geuen ouer As when M. Furius Camillus beholding his Armye to stagger and stande at a stay caught violently the Standerd bearer and drewe him with his handes vpon his enemyes when verye shame made the rest to followe Likewise L. Silla when the Legions reculed gaue place vnto Mithridates Host led by Archelaus with his Sword drawne ranne forth into the foreward and called to his Souldiers and sayde if any man inquyre of you wher you left your Captaine aunswer fighting in Boetia for shame wherof they folowed him But yet the greatest incouragemente that may bée vsed is by perswasion for that effecte of speakyng to hym that hath knowledge to perswade or diswade preuayleth more then any other thyng to kyndel the myndes and humayne passyons of a man it taketh away feare it increaseth obstinatenesse to fight it discouereth deceipts promiseth rewards sheweth the perils the way to auoyd thē it reprehēdeth praieth thretneth it incourageth the myndes and fylleth full eyther of hope or else dispayre as might apere by Epaminondas who being redye to enter battayle with the Lacedemonians to the ende that the strengths of his Souldiers might be holpen with some feruent affection he pronounced in his Exortation that the Lacedemonians had determined if they gat the victory to slay all their men to make theyr wyues and children bonde for euer and to beat downe the Citie of Thebes flat to the ground with which wordes the Thebians were so moued and agreued that at the first brunt they ouercame the Lacedemonians It is lykewise much requisit for Captaynes to know the disposition of the Captayne of the enemies whether he be rash or politike whether he be fearful or hardy whether he be more puisant with footemen or with Horsemen whether he wyll assayle thée in the Euening or in the Morning and so to prouide for themselues When Hanibal dyd perceiue that Fuluius the Romaine Captaine was negligent and that he attempted many thinges vnaduisedly in
hath vsed to preuēt the worst to begin the fight a litle before nyght to the ende that if they were ouerthrowne they might yet through the darkenesse of the night the better escape away Though many other matters myght heare haue bin expressed yet I omit them and will something shew thée how carefully the discipline of war hath bin continued and how precise the antiquitie hath bin in punishing those that hath broken their prescribed orders or hath procéeded anye farther then they haue bin limitted Papirius Cursor being dictator required that Fabius Rutilius Mayster of the Horsemen should be beaten with rods beheaded bicause he fought against his commaūdement notwithstanding he had the vpper hand neither would hée forgeue the punishment for the contencion or intercession and request of the Souldiers and fleeing to Rome pursued him neyther would he ther remit the dreadfull punishment vntil that Fabius and his father fell downe on theyr knées and that also the Senate and people made intercession for him Manlius caused his sonne which against his commaundement had incountred with his enemy that chalenged him though hée got the victory to be beaten with rods and haue his head striken of The Romaynes punished with death him that lacked in the watch he that forsooke the place that was geuen him to fight he that caryed anye thing hidde out of the Campe if any man should say he had done some worthy thing in fighte and had not done it if any for feare had cast away his weapon and when it happened that a Legion had committed the like faute because they would not put all to death yet theyr names were taken and put to gither in a bag and so by lot they drew out the tenth person and put those to death When Marcus Cato after a token geuen had loosed from the Coast of his enemyes wher he had layne a certayne space sawe one of his Souldiers left on the Shore crying calling and beckning to be taken in he cast about with al his Nauy to the shore agayne and commaunded the same Souldier to be taken and straight put to death willing rather to make him an example to the other then that he should be slayne by his enemyes with reproch and infamy Alisander of Lacedemonia corrected a certayne man because hée strayed from his company and when the man sayde hée strayed not from the Army to rob or steale any thing he aunswered I will that thou shewe no likelihode of robbery A very good lesson to be learned aswell of English Captaynes as also of English Souldiers but inspeciallye of these newe leuied bandes which are no sooner twoo miles from home but fall presently to robbing spoyling and euell intreating their own Countrey men to shamefull to be suffered and to much to be borne withall whether this that I say be true or no I stande to the report of such as hath dwelte in theyr way where they haue had occasion to trauaile ▪ but the greatest faulte of thys is to bee imputed to the Captayne who hath so litle care that he wil suffer it or so simple gouernment that hée will not amend it but such Captaynes are méete to gouerne such Souldiers when Haniball should passe a long iourney by land he caused his Souldiers Swordes to be sealed vp in their Scabardes to the end the◠should vse no disorder by the way The Army which was led by M. Scaurus was of such abstinence that it is left in memory how the Appell Trée which was inclosed at the foote of the Campe in the morning when the Hoast remoued was lefte standing without touching of the fruit There resteth now to shewe thée what diligence Captaynes should vse when they haue occasion to march through vnknowne places wherin with out great foresight he is in more perill then when he is in fight wherfore Alexander vsed to haue such places discribed in mapes which should be hanged in the Campe for all men to beholde wherby they might learne to know the places the distaunces the wayes the Hilles the Riuers the Fennes and all the qualities of them but inspecially wher the countrey is wooddy or hilly Captaines ought to beware of ambushes which being not foreséene may quickly ouerthrow them Ambushes haue many tymes bin discouered by the raysing of great dust or when Doues or other Byrdds hath bin séene to slye about in flocks turning to and fro and hath not séemed to light in these respectes there ought to bee wyse scowtes to sée and vewe the Countrey cleare And as they may enter into these daungers by marching vnawares so may they lykewyse by craft of the enemy be trained into thē as were the Fideniens by Romulus who laying a parte of his Army in secret ambushment approched vnto them from whome hee fayning him selfe to flye brought them hastely agayn pursuyng him where his Ambushmentes lay who assayling them on euery syde easly slewe them They ought therefore to take héede and not strayght way to beleue those things which are nothing reasonable and that they are not as they import Some to intrap their enimyes hath set before them a pray if many of the one side be driuen away by a few of the other or if a few on the one side assaught many of the other or if some sodayne flight should be made not standing with reason let them in these causes take héed and iudge the worst so shal they be sure to be the lesse beguiled To passe Ryuers or straightes there hath bene diuers means vsed some to passe Ryuers haue cut out a Trench like a rainbowe filling it full of Wood and setting it on fyre by these meanes haue passed This policy was vsed by Q. Sextorius in Spayne likewise by Pelopidas a Thebian against the Thessalonians When Cressus might not wade ouer the Riuer Halis neither yet could make Boat nor Bridge he cast a ditche behynd his Army and so turned the course an other way Caeser being in Fraunce and hauing to passe a Ryuer and his passage being letted by the enemy on the other side who were still ready to receiue him marched many dayes along the Ryuer and the like did the enemy wherefore Caeser incamping in a wooddy place fit to hyde men he tooke out of euery Legion iii. Cowardes and made thē to tarye in the same place commaunding them that so soone as he was deperted they should cast ouer a bridge and fortify it and he with his other men kept on his way but when he supposed the Bridge was redy he returned passing the Ryuer without anye great let When Pericles of Athens being driuen by them of Peloponesus into a place inuironed with stepe Hils where was but twoo wayes to escape out before the one way where hée entended to get out hée caused a ditch to be cast of great breadeth vnder pretence to shut out his enemyes and to the other syde he led his Hoast as thogh he wold
ther haue broken forth wherefore his enemyes beleuing he might in no wise escape that way where he him self had cast the ditche withstood him with all their power on the other syde thē did Pericles cast Bridges prepared for the nonce ouer the ditche that way conuaid out his Army wher ther was no man to let him Whē Spartacus was inclosed by L. Varinus Proconsul he pitched vp stakes here and there before the entring of his Campe and set theron dead carkases clad Harnised lyke men to make a show vnto them that were farre of that watch and ward was diligently kepte leauyng also fyers in euery quarter of the Campe vnder the which deceiptful colour he deceiued his enimyes and conuayed away hys Hoast by night Darius to deceyue the Scithes at his departing left Dogs and Asses in his Tents whose barking and braying the enemyes hearing thought Darius to be ther still With the lyke errour the Genowayes blynded the Romaynes And now to speak something of such as hath bin inuaded some hath sent their own men with their enemyes Aunsyentes to spoyle and burne their owne Countrey whereby the enemy beleuing them to bée some of their owne company or some that wer come in their ayd running forth with out respect hath bin therby made a pray By this meanes Alexander hauing a company of Epirotes agaynst them the Illiriens sent forth certayne of his men in the Illiriens apparell giuing them commaundement to wast and destroy his own countrey Epirus the which when the Illiriens espied they now carelesse began to run forth on euery syde to pillage and thus they wer intised brought into daungerouse places where many of them were slayne and the rest put to flight Some haue suffered the enemy to take many Townes to the intent that by putting in the same Garisons he might by that meanes deminish his power and be made weake and then by assaughting them they haue ouercome them Wher Souldiers hath bin found to be fugitiue or to run to the enemy I think ther may be no better meane then that vsed by Haniball who knowing certayne of his mē to be fled the night before wist well that the enemyes spyes were in his Campe he pronounced openly that those runagates were gon by his commaundement to harken and spye what his enemyes pretended this being known to the Romanes spies returned told these newes to their company whervpon these runawaies wer taken and their hands cut of and thus they wer sent agayn to Haniball When Hanno Captayne of Carthage in Cicilia vnderstood that Gaulls which hée had hyred about 4000. would leaue hym and go to the Romaynes bycause they were behynde vnpayde for certayne monethes wages and durst not punish them for feare of sedicion but promised very liberally to recompence the iniury they had by prolonging the tyme which something appeased them and at conuenient he sent his most trusty Steward to Otacilius consull fayning as though hée had fled away for a controuersy betwéene hys Captayn and him in a certayn compt making and shewed him the nexte night hée might take at aduantage 4000. Galleys which should be sent to get pray pillage Otacilius neyther geuing credit by and by to the runaway neyther yet thought it a matter to be despised layd an ambushment for thē of the most piked men that he had which incountring with the Galleyes satisfied the drift of Hanno double they slew many of the Romaines were themselues all slayne Noble Captaynes hath vsed great circumspection in their affayres for being preuented with spyes wherefore aboue all thinges it behoueth him to be secret One demaunded of Metellus pius being in Spayne what he was minded to doo the day folowing who aunswered if I wist the shirt on my back did know it I wold surely burne it When one asked Lucinius Crassus what tyme he would remoue his Army he aunswered art thou aferd thou shalt not know that by the Drum. But forasmuch as in al this time ther hath yet bin nothing sayd appertayning to thée besieged I will therefore shew thée something what respects they ought to haue and so will end To shew thée what prouision of victuall Artilery shot Powder and such other firnitures they ought to be prouided of were but in vayne here to make rehersall considering they be thinges that euery man vnderstandeth and is requisit to be prouided before the siege doth come I thinke it should as litle neede to aduertise them to beware of treasons for those examples are likewise as generall But this ought to be had in regard amōgest them that the enemy take no comodity of their cattel victual hey strawe or any other prouision in the Coūtrey neare about them for these thinges ought rather to bée destroied thē to be left as prouisions wherwithall to serue the enemy The besieged ought to haue a speciall care to haue good watch to be kept yea euen in those places wher they thinke they may take least hurt for many Towns haue bin lost when the enemy hath assaulted it on that part which the besieged hath thought to be inuincible By this policy Fabius Maximus wan the Citye Arpos by the same meanes Marius in the war against Iugurth obtained a castel Let them lykewyse take héede for being drawne out of the Towne by any deuyse as if the enemy fayneth to flye or to make some other staall for by these means many hath bin deceiued Haniball by these meanes obtayned the Citie Hymera Himilco of Carthage at Agrigentum layd priuily in wayte neare to the Town part of his Army and commaūded that when the Townes men wer issued out a good way of they should set gréen◠wood on fyre and in the morning very early with the other part of his Army he wen◠to intise out his enemyes and making a◠though he fled reculing backe drewe the◠a good way from the Citye then they tha◠lay in ambushment neare the wals as the◠wer commaunded set the greene Wood on fyre the Agrigentiues beholding the smother ryse vp supposed verily their City had bin on a fyre thus fearfully running back to defend it they wer incountered by those that had layne in ambushment and thus betwéene them and the other which pursued they wer discomfited and slayne The besieged are sometymes beguyled by signifying vnto them some victory gotten as did Pelopidas of Thebes who pursuing to conquer twoo Townes at one instant of the Magnecians and which stood not far a sunder he cōmaunded that foure Knightes shuld come from the one siege to the other with Garlands on their heades as though they brought tydings of victory and to help forth this dissimulation he ordayned that a Wood which stood betweene both the Townes should be set on fyre to make a show as though the Towne had burnt besides that he caused certayne men to be brought as prisoners in Townes mens apparell by which assuraunce hee so amased the besieged that
as both by his apparell and the reste of his furniture doth shew himselfe to be but of some base minde or of some other simple condytion and noble Captaines hath euer sought al meanes and occasions to discorage their enemies and not to incorage them Wherfore the Romaynes were accustomed to garnishe their souldiers with Feathers to the ende the shewe of their Armye might seeme the more teryble to their enemyes Lykewise the first inuention of the wearynge of Scarfes in the warres was vsed as well for terrifinge the enemye with the brauery of the show as also for necessaryes verye meete and readye to bynde vp a wounde when they shoulde not come by clothes at a souddayne where with to serue the tyme. Thus much touching the choyse of Souldiers at this present shall suffice yet not forgetting to geue them these few precepts Which is principally and aboue all things to be obedient to their Captaine to practise the vse of such weapons wherewith they be appoynted to serue to be secret to be silent and to be couragious And now beholde where the court of Venus doth shew it selfe to be but euen heere at hand and therefore there is better time to end our talke then when we shall ende our iourney Soul. But if without presumption I might but demaund this laste question wherein I greatly desire to be satisfied and this it is whether the Calyuer or the long Bowe as we tearme them heare in Englande be of greatest force I haue harde this question diuers times to be argewed on some that haue bin supposed to haue had good experience haue preferred the Caliuer to be of greater force in seruice then the bow which I think few wisemen wyll beleeue and our enemies can witnesse to the contrary that from time to time haue felte our Archers force and how many noble victoryes haue bin by them achiued Cronicles are ful and Histories can well make mencion and I am of that mind that one thousand good Archers would wronge two thowsande shot yea and would driue them out of the Feeld and there be a great many of that opinion beside my selfe What hath bin don in time paste maketh nothing to the purpose for the time present for the order of the warres is altogether altered and in an other manner then they haue bin in time past but now to answer to thy demaund and breefly to satysfye thy desire thou must first consider to what perfection shot is lately growne vnto ouer it hath bin within these few yeares when paraduenture if there were one that sarued with a Halfehaake or a Hagbus as they termed them which were peeces to small efect vnlesse it were euen hard at hand ther is now ten for that one which serueth with the Caliuer or Musquet which peeces ar of a new inuension and to an other effect So lykewise they haue a better composition for the makynge of their powlder and the Souldier is grown by practise to a greater celerity in the vsing of his peece then in time paste he hath byn of Thus the effecte of the one by practise is increased and the force of the other by nature is deminished for the streÌ„gth of men is generally decaied whereby they are not able to draw so stroung a bow nor to shoote so stronge a shotte as in the olde tyme men haue bin accustomed But to the ende thou mayest the better perceaue wherein the aduantage or disaduantage doth growe I wyl vse this comparison wherby I doubt not but thy owne reason shall perswade thée Suppose one thousande Archers shoulde be leuyed within any two Shiers in Englande let them vse no further regard in the choice then of ordinary they ar accustomed In the seruice of the Prince let these Archers be apoynted with such liuery Bowes as the Country generally vseth to alow let these Archers continnewe in the feelde but the space of one wéeke abidynge such fortune of weather with their Bowes and Arrowes as in the mene time might happen I would but demaunde how many of those thowsand men were able at the weeks end to shoote aboue x. score I dare vndertake that if one hundred of those thousande doo shoote aboue ten score that .ii. hundred of the rest wyll shoote shorte of .ix. score and is not this a peece of aduantage thinkest thou when euery Calyuer that is brought into the Feelde wyl carry a shot xviii score and xx score and euery Musquet .xxiiii and xxx score Besides this euery Bushe euery Hedge euery Ditch euery Tree and almost euery Moalhil is a sufficient safgarde for a shotte where the Archer is little worse but on a playne when the shotte wyll conuay them selues into euery couerte that the Archer shall not see whereat to shoote and yet hee himselfe remayne a fayre marke for the other or els can vse no seruice Now whether part hath the aduantage I thinke may well be deemed and whether weapon is of greatest force a man maye easâ—ye perceaue when the shotte shall be able to preiudice the Archer who shal not be able to shoote halfe the grounde towardes him agayne Farther when the Shotte shal take aduantage almost in eueri ground to shrowd himselfe where the Archer must remaine an open mark vppon the plaine or els to occupy his Bow to smal efect But let it be that one thowsand Archers and one thowsande shot should meete in the playne Feelde where no vantage were to be taken by the ground admit they were ioyned in skirmish within .viii. or .ix. score where the Archer is able to shutte twice to the others once wherby the Arrowes comming so thick amongst them wil so astone them that the contrarye part shall not well know where at to shoote Mer. But those that frame this argument hath little practise in the vse of the Calyuer and lesse experience in the order of a skyrmishe for if a thowsand Archers were brought into the Feelde I trust all woulde not be brought to shootte at one instant for yf they were some of them would shoote to small a vayle as he that hath experience can well say And yet if there were no other aduantage to be vsed in skirmshe but who can shoote fastest he that is a ready shotte I dare say would be loth that an Archer should shoots aboue viii times to his .v. And this aduantage in often shootyng is not so great in the one but the difference is much more in the other consideriÌ„g their force for where the one doth but gaulde the other doth either mayne or kyll But to shew thée what farther aduantage the shot hath of the Archer thou shalt vnderstand that where the Archer may shoot both wide short and gone the other may shoott but wyde onely But because thou mayst the better perceayue my meanynge thou must consider that when the Archer shooteth any distance of grounde the Arrowe commeth compasse of a great height so that when it commeth where it should indanger