THE Prospectiue Glasse of VVARRE Shevving you a glimps of VVarres Mystery in her admirable Stratagems Policies Wayes in Victualling of an ARMIE prouiding Money to pay Souldiers finding out the Enemies Purposes Traps and Stratagems Ordering of Marches Framing of Battails sundry Fights Retreats and the like to auoide Battell or Fight Furnished with Argument to encourage and Skill to Instruct By C. E. Warre is a Schoole of necessary Knowledge LONDON Printed for Michael Sparke dwelling at the signe of the blue Bible in Greone-Arbor 1628. TO THE HONORABLE Sir IOHN COOKE Knight Principall Secretarie of State to his Maiestie SIR AS shape beautifies an Image so good actions commend a man That which did commend Lucullus most was this Hee would rather deliuer a Roman Citizen from the hands of his enemy then win all that his enemies had in their power Lucullus in this did conquer himselfe as Alexander did in containing from Darius his most faire wife and daughters and Caesar in sparing to punish his greatest enemies To whom Cicero said that in other Victories Fortune Policy Souldiers might claime a part but in this he alone should haue all the glorie Glorie Thirst of prey and loue of Country were the three things that set all the Romans vpon admirable action The first is counted but a Vice the second no better then Theft the third is the Vertue Heroicall In this Vertue Cicero excelled the other three and therefore was honoured with this Epitaph Pater Patriae He was called Father of his Country because he kept it from decay All those that in their Consultations doe seeke the benefit of their Country doe deserue the like like reward and praise You then Sir are to be praised and honoured of all men whose Consultations tend to the benefit of the whole Kingdome hauing obtained a Conquest of your selfe being a Christian far aboue that of Lucullus and Caesars Therfore you shall attaine a most sure triumph the guide of whose Chariot shall be Grace giuen from aboue and Glory that shall neuer faile you It is reported of Roscius the Tragedian that men durst not aduenture to Act in a Tragedie in his sight because of his excellencie in that facultie And shall I dare to discourse of Warre or any other subiect before so great a Statesman so learned exquesite a Mathematician as your selfe Behold I were blanckt and should stand as Queene Hester did dead in all mens opinion did not your Septer of benignitie giue me life and tell me that you are a Fauoror of Arts and Armes Therefore I take courage and prostrate this my poore labor to Kisse your Honorable hands not as any addition to your vncontroleable and approued knowledge but as a weake Fabrick which onely wanteth the support of your much admired goodnesse Pleaseth it you therefore to accept my Booke to peruse and allow of the same that it may the more safely come abroad and thereby deserue the better fauour and acceptance of all the Readers thereof as allowed of him whose Noble acts as well within the Realme as without haue alwayes from time to time so well appeared So I shall be the more boldned and encouraged to take the like paines hereafter if good and meet occasion may serue there vnto Euer vowed to you Honourable Sir in all dutifull seruice Edward Cooke The Preface to the Reader Iudicious Reader IT is not the least but the greatest kinde of folly when a man hauing but a little science presumeth to teach not onely those which haue onely science but such as haue most certaine experience For mine owne part among many I am most free from this guilt though for the good of many I haue published this Treatise which will make me thereby seeme guiltie Yet I confesse the Booke or Treatise is a collection of such notes as haue bin by me selected out of the best Tacticke writers both Ancient and Moderne All which I haue illustrated with examples and precepts the better to instruct all yong Commanders who by reading them may get much knowledge But it may be these braue spirits are minded to get knowledge by experience and not to ioyne experience vnto knowledge therefore they affect the bloody fields of Africke better then the beautifull Schooles in Greece Well let them doe so but in my opinion it seemes a farre better and shorter way for them to attaine to the name of worthy perfect Captaines to ioyne experience vnto knowledge then to get knowledge by Experience For Mans life is short and subiect to many casualties oftentimes it is cut off before it can come to any such perfection as is required in an excellent man of War whereas small experience with diligent reading and perfect learning of feats of Warre may frame and make many politicke Captaines in a small time I doe not meane that knowledge without experience can doe any great thing at all but being ioyned both together doubtlesse they may be as able to bring to passe as great and as merueilous things in valiant men in these our dayes as they haue done to others before our time To which not only experience alone brought them but diligent learning and study of the Art of Warre written and set forth by Historicall Writers and Poets Innumerable are the Bookes which this age doth afford of the like subiect for their direction the number of which I haue augmented by two namely The Character of Warre and The Prospectiue Glasse of Warre The Character of Warre doth instruct them in the vse of the Postures in the vse of Facing Wheeling Countermarching Doubling Distances and the like And how to Command a Company The prospectiue Glasse of Warre doth instruct them how to Victuall an Army how to prouide money to pay Souldiers how to finde out the enemies purposes Traps and Stratagems how to direct an Army to march either by day or by night how to Embattell how to behaue themselues in battell when to fight when to auoide fight with many other excellent things worthy of their knowledge Then let them read and reading they will learne to iudge aright of the Author who puts a difference betweene the state of Philosophers and the state of Captaines betweene the skill to read in Schooles and the knowledge to rule an Army between the science that wise men haue in Books and the experience that others haue in war betweene the skill to write with the pen and others to write with the sword betweene one that for his pastime is set round with deskes of Bookes and another in perill of life encompassed with troopes of enemies Therefore presumes not to teach any such graue experienced Souldiers onely records what they haue done or can doe which he recounts to others to imitate who it may be haue neither seene nor read them Spare not then to iudge and censure him who will euer remaine thine C. E. Hiss Hiss A Battell both with Seconds and Ayds for all attempts containing 12000. Foote and 4000.
Battels send onely a small or conuenient company to persue the chase and with the rest inuade quickely some part of his Army fighting with any one of your Battels This must of necessitie be done for sundry victories haue beene lost vpon this occasion that when one Battell hath ouerthrowne his first encountered Enemies Battell it hath immediately followed the chase and not holpen his owne fellowes in danger Likewise in your first ioyning of Battell if your foreward gaine the victory ioyne your other Battels immediately whilst comfort is on your side on your Enemies discomfort This got Bucoy the victory at Prague 6. If your Footmen be vehemently oppressed with your Enemies footmen send your horsemen to inuade the sides of your Enemies and with them some shot to hold them play but if you can plant a peece of Ordnance against their flanke it will much abate their courage 7. If your Enemies come vpon you vnprouided and vnlooked for send your Horsemen or shot to skirmish with them whilst you intend to make you ready for Battell Also your Horse may extend themselues into a deepe Heirse battell for to inuade your Enemies with their more trouble and stay 8. Or to deceiue your Enemies march towards them with a company of Horse and make semblance of fight as if the whole Army followed The Enemy at this will stand your battels in the meane time be set you by this may outface the Enemy and returne againe without fight 9. Then being in good order if your occasion be such that you would not haue your Enemies vnderstand of your orders and policies cause you Horsemen to run vp and down the dust to let their fight Doe the like if you haue planted and ordered your Army all in stratagems 10. If your Enemies maine battell doe vrge very valiantly your foreward and his other battell be not ready to helpe or rescue cause both your other battels one on the one side and the other on the other side freshly to inuade your Enemies maine battell and herein you shall doe wisely imitating your predecessours the braue English at the battell of Poytiers 11. If you hauing a small and weake number and you vnderstand that your Enemies goe for to distresse a certaine aide comming to helpe you where you be sent after the Enemy to inuade the backes of them when they be fighting with your aide comming set not you on rashly vpon your Enemies before your time appointed for if you fight with your enemies so being stronger before your aide haue set vpon their Front you foolishly cast away your selues and also leaue your aide in danger and by your vntimely rash and vnwarlike onset bereaue your selues of your aide and helpe And withall you much comfort your Enemies who might haue beene discomforted for if you had obserued your discipline and purpose you should haue followed your Enemy closely with as little noyse as might be vntill your Enemies had set vpon your ayde then in the heat of their fight you should haue set vpon their backes before your Enemies were knowing of your comming which kinde of dealing had beene most hurtfull to your Enemies commodious to your Ayde and profitable to your selues for warlike discipline is that a weaker company neuer fight with a greater strength without a speciall aduantage of time occasion and place for to helpe you Also neuer to breake your aduised determinate purpose without you be either enforced either drawne to fight by occasion of some notable accident offered by chance Accident will happen for in warres no most certaine rule can be appointed which is not broken by some meanes at some seuerall times therefore wait time and so I proceede to other Councell 12. If you abound in number couet to compasse your Enemies and to distresse them being weake 13. If your Enemies abound in number prouide by order or stratagem or place that your Enemies cannot compasse you 14. Plant your Campe or Army to fight in a very strong ground by nature and helpe it by Art 15. Some haue vsed to choose their ground fortified by nature as Prosper Colonno 16. Some haue no regard of the strength of the place by nature but choose rather to fortifie all wholly by Art and industry as the ancient Romans 17. Some seeke places somewhat by nature strong and by Art and industry make them more stronger They fortifie themselues as well in Fight as in Campe which the good Captaines of our time doe vsually 18. Therefore if you be vnwilling to fight and your Enemies must needes fight with you by your industry make a ditch three foot deepe and fiue or sixe foot broad and cast the earth towards you which ditch if you thinke good let it be especially in the Front also in the sides and on your backes also as Prosper Colonno would often dot 19. Which Ditch if it haue sundry places open and free for your Enemies to enter of no great space it shall encourage them there to enter where if you prouide some stratagem against them you doe well The fittest stratagem for this occasion is to place certaine Companies before the gaps and certaine Ordnance behinde them to be discharged when they open in the midst 20. Whereupon if your Enemies desist vrge them hardly onely make a faire shew but proceede no further For you are not to put your confidence in such weake fortification nor in the arrogancy of your men to fight by arrogancy many Armies are ouerthrowne where by wisedome many are saued I present you the Figure of such an Intrenched Battell to peruse in the next page following but you may doe as you please 21. If your Company be small and your Enemy haue great store of Horsemen against you so that you be likely to loose the Battell if your Enemies againe set vpon you if any great Wood be neere seeke to saue your Army by the thicknesse of the same Wood and suffer your Enemies to gaine your Ordnance and Baggage and Victuals that they spoyling the same you may the better escape 22. Likewise when you haue a Battell more then the Enemies diuide it into two parts and where you see any danger among your Enemies send first one A Foure-Fronted Battell for Stratagem being enuironed with a Ditch THe Ditch is 6. foot broad and 3. foot deepe It hath foure gaps for sallyes twentie paces broad to allure the Enemy there to enter It hath at euery gap fiue battalions of 300. a peece it hath a field Peece behinde euery middle battell euery middle battell must open in the midst before the Peece doe discharge then the Horse must issue forth vpon the Enemy for this cause the Horse haue their place in the midst remote from the Foot diuided into foure squadrons in the forme of a crosse ready faced to the gaps being in all 1600. the foot 6000. If you will haue no Horse in the midst then diuide them into 8 troupes place them for wings in an euen front
or on the angles so the Battell will be hollow and the foot battels for the gaps but 3 a peece part and then another or else if occasion serue ayde your Battels as reason shall moue you to helpe 23. And in the heat of your Fight if newes come that your Baggage is in danger in no case the Captaines must not suffer the Souldiers or Horsemen confusedly for to runne for to recouer the same in case of losse but by aduice to send a company of conuenient men for to doe it onely by their Commandements and no otherwise for by seeking to recouer the same pelfe or baggage sundry Armies haue been ouerthrown which otherwise might haue beene saued 24. If your Enemies come ouerstrongly vpon any part of your Army shoot off your great Ordnance amongst the thickest of them and when your great Ordnance hath dispersed them then cause your Horsemen to inuade them so disordered most furiously 25. As for your Ordnance you may plant them either before you or on your wings or else vpon some conuenient Hils behinde you to shoot ouer your heads or on some high grounds on the sides or before 26. Some haue planted their Ordnance on a leuell ground behinde their Battell and causing the Battell to open in the midst haue deliuered the volly vpon the Front of the Enemy In which case you are to marke that if your Enemy so open then his great Ordnance is so planted and then you haue no better remedy but to open your selues as you see them doe before you In which case also your Footmen may suddenly fall down flat vpon the ground and that safely and rise againe immediately after the Enemies haue shot for in such a case they will neuer inuade you in your Front before their shot haue been discharged and being down your Ordnance behinde you may flanke-wise immediately play on them if you were so prouided 27. In marching against an Enemy if you feare his great Ordnance shooting directly against you fetch a long compasse to passe by them and so to auoid them if no greater impediment let you 28. Likewise fearing your Enemies great Ordnance let your iourney be behinde the couert of Corne high standing creeping close and your Pikes trayling so couet to inuade the sides or backes of your Enemies 29. Some haue being in danger of the great Ordnance caused their seruants in Armour for to stand behinde great trees standing directly in the face or sight of the Gunners therby to cause them to shoot off the more vehemently as though the whole Battell came that way and ment for to come vpon the Ordnance In the meane space vnder that colour their Souldiers haue come conueniently some other way or else behinde their seruants creeping loe towards their Enemies which to imitate you must beforehand learne perfectly the nature of the ground which you are to passe that you may take all aduantages which the nature of the soile can render vnto you 30. If your Enemy March with all his Ordnance in the Vantgard and his other Battels lagge halfe a dayes iourney behinde follow him with all your power with as great celeritie and secrecie as you can and so fight with him being depriued of his chiefe strength 31. If your Enemy March away in good order with his Ordnance before and in the Reare of his Army so trauelling not determined to fight and you seeke by following your Enemy to fight with him you must haue a great regard vnto the place where your Enemy and you both iourny and there a company of Dragons with Curassiers or Pistoliers with two or three field Peeces are to be sent before to stay your Enemies and to disturbe them that when you see them thereby stayed you may haue the more leasure to order your Battels and to make choise of your ground to fight Then if you fight if it be possible by all meanes bring your great Ordnance round about your Enemies Armie plant them vpon some high ground that you may without impediment shoot free vpon your Enemies backes or sides and withall guard your Ordnance with a conuenient number of shot that they may not be surprised by the Enemy and turned vpon your selues 32. If it chance that your Battell be ouerpressed by your Enemies and begin to scatter or for to disorder then all your Captaines must with all diligence bestir themselues first in exhortation and comforting their Souldiers then by bringing them againe into order and turne them againe which haue turned from their Enemies If faire words will not serue then let them vse foule and from words fall vnto blowes it may be that will force them to returne If they persist and will flye then let some few valiant Captaines as know such streights through which they must passe runne before to possesse the streights there after blowes and slaughter force them to fall into order againe 33. Bridges deepe Riuers streight wayes inuironed are to be set 34. By which waies oftentimes recoueries haue bin gotten although very deerely 35. It is very necessary for a Generall to haue before-hand perfect knowledge of these wayes that hee may somewhat the better behaue himselfe after the losse of his Battell His behauiour after his Battell lost consisteth best in his good prouision of all kindes of duties made before his Fight or Battell For if he haue prouided beforehand by wisedome some place of safe refuge neere hand vnto the place of the Battell hee hath very well taken order for all mishaps If he by wisedome before haue taken order that the enemy can in no safetie but with his danger persue him he hath well holpen his danger If knowing no other helpe to be likely he began the Battell ouer night in which case hauing lost the Battell his Enemies could not persue him very farre hee hath done very well If he haue beforehand when hee saw himselfe likely to loose the Battell in some conuenient place laid some Ambush which in order will set vpon his Enemies persuing out of order he hath performed the part of a good Generall A good Generall will forecast what may happen and therefore will consider alwayes of euery ground as he passeth by it what occasion it can worke and how he can take aduantage or helpe himselfe thereby either by the impediments of his Enemy there or else by some Ambush or some other stratagem to be wrought vpon the occasion of the same ground good or bad And if his Enemy very wisely and with good reasons and discretion seeke Battell or Fight he with like wisedome and discretion wil auoid Battell or fight and seeke to get away by flying which is the next point to be handled CHAP. IIII. In what case it is best for a Commander or Generall to flye and how AS great Iudgement was required of you in the ordering of your Battels and behauiour of your selfe in Fight and after the Battell lost so there is as much required of you in
also Many haue felt this to their sorrow Therefore let their losses admonish you to let nothing slip that may either dispatch your warre quicke or prolong it to your Enemies losse and your owne aduantage That you may be enabled to doe this take these Rules for your direction 1. If your Enemies be few in number and raw Souldiers ill furnished ill willing for to fight and not fortified by place if you abound in number which are better Souldiers you are to seeke the Battell Vegetius lib. 3. 2. When your Enemies aboundeth in all things and therefore auoideth to fight and where you want of prouision and your Souldiers lustie and desirous of Battell there you may seeke Battell Antony at Philippi against Cassius and Brutus 3. Where you be determined to seeke the Battell make good choise of your ground where you be to fight and see your selfe in perfect order and direction and yet seeke all aduantages you can by any meanes finde out Prosper Colonno against the Frenchmen at Bicocca and Bassan 4. Though you abound in number seeke not to fight rashly neither be very desirous of Battell without very good apparance of likelihood of victory neither fight before you haue intelligence of your Enemies strength pollicies and orders except extreame necessitie compell you 5. Auoide not to fight with one great Army when you know that if you stay you shall shortly be compelled to fight with two great Armies This was well foreseene by Claudius Nero and as well executed to his glory Claudius Nero the Roman Consull intercepting Asdrubals Letters directed to his brother Hanibal to meet him at Vmbra to ioyne both their powers together for the subuersion of the Romans presently vpon the reading left his fellow Consull in the night vnknowne to Haniball and with six thousand foot and one thousand horse came to Liuius another Roman Consull who was to intercept Asdruball comming from the Mountaines into Italie and there ioyning force with his gaue Battell to Asdruball ouercame him and slew him before euer Haniball knew of his being in Italie Haniball vpon this was much grieued both for the death of his Brother and the depriuation of his power and remoued into the fields the Brutians And for that hee had no power left him of men to defend his Portresses that hee held being so farre off hee gathered together all the Metapontancs and the Lucanes such as were his friends and brought them all into the Countrie of the Brutians where hee remained for a season Counselling what were best for him to doe Thus was Haniball brought to distresse by the wisedome of one man taking his time and opportunitie to fight Hauing showne you when to Fight now let me shew you when to auoide it Auoide Fight vpon these occasions Where you by deferring the Battell are to finde all things in better case and contrary your Enemies are to lacke and loose by the same victuals wages good will or friendship you are to auoid Battell Vegetius lib. 3. Where you abound in number and victuals and other prouision and your Enemy wanteth of your abundance and therefore seeketh to fight auoid you the Battell Cassius and Brutus at Philippi against Antony and Caesar Where the Enemy must needs dissolue his Army shortly if he fight not with you there you are to auoide the Battell Pompey at Durazzo against Caesar Where you are in danger to loose a Realme or two if you loose the Battell your Enemies are in danger onely to loose their present Army Being no stronger then your Enemies seeke not to fight Hispani Bell. Verona Where your Souldiers and Captaines be marueilously vnwilling to fight seeke not to fight Vegetius lib. 3. cap. 9. If your Enemies be poore and needy beware of their necessitie for alwaies necessitie makes men desperate and causeth them to thinke there is no remedy but victory in fight If you be in any strong place so planted that your Enemy cannot fight with you but with his great losse seeke not to fight with him Prosper Colonno at Bicocca If your Enemy be so placed in a strong Campe seeke not there to fight with your Enemy Carolus Caesar in Germany Frenchmen are by long dalliance and time to be deluded because they be hot and desirous to fight when they be fresh and eager to be put on in the beginning of the warres afterwards when by long time they are wearied they are tractable enongh so will others be besides Frenchmen If you haue warres made against you by a number of confederate Princes or Magistrates take Caesars counsell deferre the Battell for a time and weary them out by polliticke vsage Keepe them from victuals kill all such as goe for Forrage or any other purpose make many Alarams nightly vpon them in their Campe and toyle them with watches and sodaine labours By this meanes you shall make the warres seeme loathsome vnto them and protract it the longer whereby they may fall into dissention one with another for such a number of Confederates cannot long agree but that some quarrels will fall out betweene them or else some grudges so that some may be deuided from the other by some kinde of perswasion or other whereupon you may if you thinke good giue Battell to the relinquished or chase them as the Imperials did the French out of Millan with light skirmishes For the better performance of these skirmishes let all your Souldiers haue the perfect vse of their Armes They may haue the perfect vse of their Armes quickely if the Seriants doe but at vacant times plye and exercise them FINIS At the signe of the Angell in Lumberstreet you may haue an excellent Plotforme for the postures of Pike and Musket * Plutarch in the life of Lucullus * August de Ciuit. dei li. 5. cap. 3. Precepts for prouision of victuals Precepts for the payment of Souldiers wages Wayes to get money to pay Souldiers Charles the 8. of France Waies to finde out the Enemies purposes Traps and Stratagems Precepts for Marching How to troule an enemy out of a wood Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus Example How to passe Riuers ☞ Precepts for the ordering of your Battels How a Generall should behaue himselfe after the losse of his Battell Precepts for Flying Zenaphon of the Graecians retreat from Babylon lib. 3. When to Fight When to auoide fight Aluians
many daies along the Riuer and the like did the Enemy wherefore Caesar encamping in a woodie place apt to hide men he tooke out of euery Legion 3. Cohorts and made them to tarry in the same place commanding them that so soone as hee was departed they should cast ouer a bridge and fortifie it hee and his other men followed on the way Wherefore Vergintorige seeing the number of the Legions thinking that there was not left any part of them behinde followed also his way But Caesar when hee supposed the bridge was made turned backward finding all things in order passed the Riuer without difficultie In marching to auoyd contention about place let euery Nation haue his honour of place That which had the Vantgard this day must haue the Reareward the next day and so of all the rest by turnes Thus much for Marching CHAP. III. How a Commander or Generall should order his Battells and how behaue himselfe in the time of Fight and after the Battell lost THe substance of the Art Military doth subsist in this How to order your Battell and how to behaue your selfe in the time of Fight and after the Battell lost To do which obserue these particular precepts and you will be enabled to doe accordingly I begin with the ordering of your battels 1. You are to chuse your place both for Rainging of your battels before fight and in the fight of the battell that the same place be able to containe your whole Army without disturbance 2. Next in ordering your battels you must consider what dangers are likely or else may happen by causualtie or fortune and to prouide for remedies by your order beforehand 3. Likewise you are to consider that you ought not to order your battels in all cases and respects alike but very diuersly as your case shall require For you are to order your battels according partly vnto the nature of the ground partly vnto the quantity quality or regard of your Enemies Army and partly vnto such respect as is fittest against such orders or battels of your Enemies best knowne to your selfe for your best aduantage 4. You are to order your Army into conuenient parts and to appoint euery one his place number and action 5. You are to order your battels that no part of your Army be any disturbance to any part of your battels 6. Your are to chuse your place and to order your Army so that your Enemies cannot compasse you either with their horsemen or with their shoot great or small or otherwise to your hurt 7. You are with discretion to learne and know the equality and inequality of the number of your Enemies Army with your owne Army For you can neuer most aptly order your Army in iust battels for to be ordered according to discipline of warre before you know and consider throughly the nature force and weakenesse of either of your Armies 8. Also you are to consider how you may take any aduantage vpon any orders prouisions oractions of your Enemies present order weakenesse or strength 9. Consider also what kindes of aduantages the times of the yeare or the day affordeth which can bee had by your Enemies or your selfe or else of the Ayre or else of Tempests past or present 10. Further consider which things first are possible or may be then which are likely next which are apparant before your eyes easie to bee knowne or to bee prouided for 11. Which well knowne and considered you are then to order your battels to take your ground for to plant your ordnance to auoyd your dangers to take your aduantages for to worke your stratagems also for your most comfort and so to fight accordingly But how to order your battels and so to fight accordingly is to bee discussed of more largely for therein is the chiefe substance of the Art Military in which some Generals haue beene more expert then others Excellent Generals of old commonly did vse to ordaine of footmen apt for to fight three great battels a Vantgard a Battell and a Rearward and two wings of their horsemen And when they came to fight they did set them for the most part in an euen front The Battell in the midst on the right hand the Vantgard which was called the right winge on the left the Reareward which was called the left winge Their order we doe in a manner follow For wee haue Vantgard Battell and Reareward which wee place in Front as they did onely we differ in the kinde of Embattailing By kinde of Embattailing I meane not bils bowes but grosse Bodies For they parted their Army into three parts and Embattailed them into three grosse Bodies Wee diuide our Army into three parts but not into such grosse Bodies as for example Say wee haue 12000. Foot and 4000. Horse if we bring them into one front without seconds we do thus In our Vantgard or right winge we put 3000. men diuiding them into three battalions sometimes into more as we see occasion In our Battell wee put 6000. men diuiding them into three battalions euery one containing 2000. a piece for the battalions in the Battell must exceede those in the wings In our Reareward or left winge we put 3000. men diuiding them into as many battalions with as many men in either of them as was to bee in the Vantgard aboue mentioned Our horse we place halfe in the righwinge and halfe in the left winge the ordinary place for horse For proofe of this looke into the ordinary practise of the Netherlands and you shall see them sometimes to put two Regiments into one battalion sometimes but one and sometimes they will make two battalions of one Regiment Wee as they are not tyed to any certaine number but may vary as we see occasions Occasions are produced by the Enemy by the ground by our selues to our best aduantage and therefore we do accordingly If our number bee more wee haue the more battalions if lesse the fewer vnlesse some pollicie be vsed Some Generals haue Martialed their Army onely into one Battell some into two some into three some into foure some into fiue some into six and some into nine The Venetians at the battell of Taro did martiall their Army into nine battalions whereof three was to fight with the Enemy other three to bee aide to the other three fighting and the other three was appointed for sundry other purposes and effects King Ferdenand besides his ordinary battalions had another standing aloofe behinde his other battailes for to take aduantage or else to helpe in necessitie as occasion serued which were light horsemen The Earle of Surry at the battell of Sloddon had likewise besides his ordinary Battels one battell of light horsemen with which hee discomfitted Iames the fourth King of Scots Iames King of Scots at the same battell of Sloddon did martiall his Army into six battailes without horse reliefe or seconds which lost him the field For the English with their horse
to surprise the enemies Ordnance in such a place of aduantage was heretofore practised by ancient Generals and lately by our great Commander Sir Horatio Vere in the Palatinate though the Battel were vnfought The planting of Ordnance in the Front of the maine Battaile betweene the interuals to breake the Enemies Battalia was and is at this day practised by the Turkes and other Nations Likewise the placing of Ordnance in the Reare with seconds for all attempts was and is at this day practised both by Italians French Germanes and other Generals besides You see then that all this is no crotchet of mine as the pacing of the shot before euery battalion was no crotchet of the French Kings but the vsuall custome of all Generals before and in his time The ancient Romans did continually obserue it in placing their Velites before euery Maniple Their Velites were their light Armed such as vsed throwing weapons in Latine Massilia as Bowes Slings and Darts To a popular Legion they allotted 1200. Velites 1200. Hastalij 1200 Principes and 600. Triarij These made vp a Legion This Legion of 4200. foot was deuided into 30. Maniples ten of the Hastatij ten of the Principes and ten of the Triarij The ten of the Hastatij made the first Battell the ten of the Principes the second Battell the ten of the Triarij the third Battell if but one Legion were Embattailed To each of these Battailes were allotted 400. Velites fortie to a Maniple the Battels containing 3000. of well armed men besides the Velites which were but lightly armed How these Maniples were placed how far distant each Battell stood one from another the order of the Velites the number of their Horse and how ranged by Troopes must not be passed ouer Briefly thus The Embattaling of a Romane Legion shewing you how the Velites were first placed being in number 1200. They are marked with Prickes being fiue in ranke eight in depth 40. before euery Maniple The Maniples of the Hastatij are marked with H. those of the Principes with P. those of the Triarii with T. Fiue Troupts of horse in the right Wing fiue in the left and 32. in a Troupe Lastly at a larger distance behinde these were the Triarij set aud deuided with spaces betwixt euery Maniple which spaces were great enough to receiue the Principes in case they retired also but how bigge the crosse interuals were I cannot truely and soundly set downe rather I beleeue they varied according to the Forces and will of the Generall Polibus noteth that Haniball in his Affrican Battell remoued the third Battell for so he had diuided them according to the Roman fashion more then a furlong from the second And although I dare not affirme that the Romans did the like yet may I probably guesse it differed not much because they had neede to haue such space to retire and to auoid the mingling and confusion of Troopes Now the direct waies were indifferent sometimes of one distance sometimes of another as vse required if the Velites were there placed as often as they were they had neede be broad so large as to receiue them with the Maniples yet not so large as the crosse interuals of which I haue spoke The manner of the Velites fight dismarching from their Maniples marked with S. with their retreat in the Reare of all behinde the Triarii marked with V. and prickes The Horse of this Legion were in number 320. diuided into ten troopes 32. in a troope fiue troopes placed on the right wing fiue on the left wing oblique wise withall closing in the Front and opening in the Reare like this letter A put downewards The manner of the Velites fight with their Retreat into the Reare of all behinde the Triary is in the former page figured to the life With the station of the Horse on the Flanks to saue the Battell from inuironing and to charge the Enemy in the Flanke if the Enemy gaue the charge with his Horse in the Front I with Iustus Lipsus doe admire the Romane Embattailing and will affirme as much as hee that if this ancient discipline were ioyned with these our new found Armes the old and new world would be subiect to one man for surely if our light Souldiers so I call shot were mixt betweene the Maniples and before the Maniples of the armed with Interuals and distances for retreat and that against the Horse and Armed Foot what Battalia durst assaile nay what Battalia could resist vs For in regard hereof our men should be alwayes fit to charge fit to retire for a second charge All which notwithstanding is to be done with long vse and exercise least they trouble vs in the doing If any obiect against the Romans discipline because such Maniples are not able to cope with great Battaliaes Let them know that the Romans did make their Maniples Cohorts and their Cohorts were sometimes 500. sometimes 600. nay a thousand if we beleeue Vegetius and is not this our number when wee Embattaile and will not you imitate them well if you will not yet follow the discipline now in vse a discipline approued for instruction instructing you to doe thus 1. When your Battalia of Footmen come to ioyne Battaila with your Enemies Footmen haue a great company of Muskettiers before you to hurt and weaken your aduersary before you ioyne battell or fight which shot when they haue wrought their effect must haue roome ready open for them to retreat into the Reare from whence they may be fecht to serue against the Enemies Flankes Your Enemies Battalia in such case comming without shot before hath his next remedy in all haste to ioyne to handy stroakes Your care must euer be to auoid confusion of fight Confusion of fight isto begin before your time which causeth such inconuenience as is cause oftentimes of losse therefore in the beginning of your Fight take great heede that you inuade nor fight confusedly Whereas euery part of the Army hath his ordinary time to fight neither suffer any part of your Army to fight with your Euemy in any other fashion then you appointed him And for such casualties and accidents as may happen to you in Battell or Fight keepe these conclusions following in memory and heart and they will much auaile you in time of neede 2. If your Horsemen be oppressed with your Enemies Horsemen send for succour a supply of Musketties who may scattering and out of order as occasion shall serue shoot at the oppressors and vpon occasion retire and returne very often 3. To these you may send a gard of Pikes for rescue the better to bring them off safe but if you inuade your Enemy with Muskettiers with your gard of Pike send some Horse that both may defend them from inuasion of the Enemies Horsemen 4. Likewise to giue the Enemy his hands full follow him with a battalion resolutely to put all or one of his battalions to rout and hauing discomfited any one of his
taking time to Flye for if you flye not like a good Souldier but like one voide of iudgment without Discipline you will bring distruction to your Army shame to your Friends and dishonour to your selfe but if you flye with iudgement as a Souldidier you bring safetie to your Army glory to your Friends and hope of victory to your selfe That you may be enabled to flye thus with honour obserue these precepts following 1. When your Enemies being mightie or else very strong vrgeth you being weake in strength helpelesse then know that vpon such an occasion so necessitated that a wise orderly and politicke flight is better then an indiscreet stay without reason 2. If you be by necessitie compelled to flye flye in order and in Battell array fully prouided of rescues and helpes that your Enemies eagerly vrge you not 3. Flye with sufficient space of time and place that your Enemies cannot easily ouertake you before you come into safetie I meane places of aduantages for you 4. Flye in many parts and sundry wayes which conceale that your Enemies may haue no intelligence of your meaning and diuersitie of flying 5. If you flye or auoid the fight doe it either compelled by necessitie or subtiltie or cautiously to bring your Enemy into your danger or else to seeke places or occasions for your best or better aduantage 6. If you flye your Enemy hardly vrging you in the Reare and Flankes your Hosemen or else your Muskettiers or both should eagerly skirmish with them which persue so earnestly so that your Army may in the interim win a good space of ground 7. Before your Horse and Muskettiers should issue out as aboue said you should haue a Peece of Ordnance remaining in the Reare of your Army for to shoot off vpon the vrgers as opportunity should serue 8. In like fashion two or three peeces of Ordnance in the Reare of euery battalia trauelling iournying or flying 9. Commonly your Muskettiers in such cases last rehearsed are vsed to be placed both in the Reare and Flanks for the said speciall purpose namely to skirmish with such as doe disturbe your March and yet to keepe on their iourney with the rest 10. Some such as flye vse to leaue some great Stales or Ambushes in places very conuenient as Woods Mountaines Forrests Rocks banks of Riuers Caues Hils hollow and deepe wayes Corne-fields and the like for such a purpose to intrap the vrgers if occasion can serue 21. Sometimes as Count Mansfield they fire houses to stay their Enemies following and on that side the smoake fals by reason of the winde they lay an Ambush to intrap the Enemy The like doe you that the rest of your Army may passe with safetie 12. When you flye onely the Battell and seeke order and time conuenient for the same send all your baggage and carriage before and after them all your Footmen and with a strong company of Horse fortifie your Reare and leaue many fires in the Campe And for time choose a cloudy darke morning 13. In your flying or before learne exquisitely of them as be skilfull of the wayes and places where how farre off or how lye such places as you hope may somewhat defend you from any danger of your Enemies and make the greatest haste towards them 14. If you can learne of any narrow passage between two great Hils or betweene some great Riuer or Wood some dangerous Hill or some other dangerous place wherein you may safely rest from your Enemies make haste thither 15. In which case learne very diligently whether there be not some secret place in the same place of your quietnesse whereunto your Enemies getting may disturbe your quietnesse and if there be cause such kindes of dangerous places to be either well warded or else stopped by a trane-ditch or by another good way 16. Also learne very diligently whether your Enemy seeke not by their Horsemen to fetch a great compasse about any side of your said place of your securitie either to inclose you there or else for to goe before you to some place of their aduantage against you 17. In which case if your Enemies with their whole Army seeke to compasse the place and for to be before you take good aduice if you may not turne that their practise vnto your commoditie by some new inuention As first for to returne backe againe vnto some place of refuge for you are else as the Graecians to seeke another way not suspected of your Enemies Or else to returne a little backe to giue a colour to your Enemy of flying away so to draw him into the same streight to follow you the easier in his opinion and to returne to incounter him the more easely 18. A chiefe or else a notable place of refuge for Flyers is to flye to be vnder the wings or safetie of some Citie or else strong Fort well furnished with great Ordnance vpon the wals it is able to shoot ouer your flying Army into the Army of your prosecuting Enemy and so hurt him to his great danger and your great securitie and comfort many wayes 19. If you flye or iourney in three Battels or more euery Battell must alwayes be in sight of the next before or behinde in such order that the one be alwayes able to succour the other in case it be inuaded by Enemies so Flying or Iournying Otherwise for lacke of such order and aide one may be discomfited for want of others helpe To conclude 20. If Flying your Enemy with a great company of Horse and shot inuade your hindermost Battell discharge two Peeces of Ordnance vpon them or more which will coole their courage and will likewise by their roaring and thundering noise warne your other Battels to make Alt or stand whereby you may worke your will Example The Landgraue with his Germaine great Army when Charles the fift Emperour sent a great company of shot for to inuade their hindmost Battell and to stay them hee caused two Culuerins to be discharged vpon them and all the Army staid Thus much for Flying CHAP. V. How a Commander or Generall must auoid Battell and when accept of Fight THe wisedome of a Generall doth best appeare in the auoiding of Fight and in the taking of opportunitie to fight both of which are so necessarie in the Warres that the one cannot be without the other but which of these for a time are first to be vsed and for a time laid aside resteth in the wisedomes of a wise Generall to determine Wisedome willeth you to begin with wars when you see your selfe very strongly prepared and your Enemies contrariwise altogether weake and vnprouided And wisedome willeth you as you begin well so to continue your warres wisely for your most commoditie In warres if you either for lacke of knowledge or by negligence or else by pride let slip most apt occasions you seldome after can get them againe To let slip a good opportunitie bringeth both repentance shame and losse
Horse with Ordnance on the Hils Reare Flanks THE PROSPECTIVE Glasse of VVARRE CHAP. I. After what manner a Commander or Generall should best prouide Victuals and Mouie to content his Souldiers how to finde out the purposes Trapps and Stratagems of his Enemy VIctuals is the Soule of an Army Money but the Sinewes without the first your Army cannot at all subsist without the second but indifferently but with both admirable well That your Army may haue both Soule and Sinewes thereby to subsist long and well prouide for it good store of victuals and money Likewise prye into the wiles and stratagems of the Enemy in time that it may go well with your Army Which that you may well do these precepts following will direct you aright But first of Victuals Victuals consist first in conuenient prouision of them then in safe keeping and preseruing of them then in good distributing or spending or bestowing of them alwayes All which you must carefully execute if you would not willingly taste of want 1. Prouide for victuals before you vndertake the warre for then is the time of best prouision 2. In your warre begun store your selfe with victuals either neere hand or farre off And conduct it with good and strong conuoyes lest the Enemy surprise it 3. In your Townes of warre either without or within haue great store of Milles to grinde corne to sustaine you the better in a seidge And bee sure to looke well vnto them sufficiently to defend them especially those that are without the Towne 4. If you beseidge Townes or Cities you ought to hurle downe all Milles within and without and to cut of the water from them if you cannot keepe them for your owne vse 5. Prouide that such neighbours as dwell neere vnto you may safely bring victuals into your Campe without danger of the Enemy 6. In case of necessity send your Souldiers into their Prouince to abide be relieued with victuals for a time Example Galli being in some distresse of victuals choose the Citie Attella a Citie full of victuals to stay there vntill by their friends they might bee relieued both with victuals and Souldiers In which Citie their Souldiers for a while were largely relieued and freely with or at the charges of the Cittizens 7. Seeke by all meanes to intercept your Enemies victuals and lay seidge to those places from whence their chiefe reliefe of victuals doth come Example The Captaines of Charles the sift in the warres against the Germans lacked victuals somewhat where on the other side the Germans lying in a plaine fertill Country had plenty of victuals vpon the occasion of the aoundance of the Country being large and partly because certaine friendly Cities and Countries lay behinde them on the otherside of the Riuer For the same purpose Charles the Emperour went about for to gaine the Cities standing about the Riuer from them and so the aduantage of the same Riuer with victuals which was a braue act Like this was that of Francis Sforsa who vnderstanding that the Frenchmen or Army at Nouaro had great comfort of victuals from Biagrassa he beseidged that Towne suddenly tooke it by which occasion hee tooke from them their chiefe victuals And shortly after the French Army was faine to remoue 8. If you are for to iourney towards the warres iourney in a plentifull Country and which hath in long time beene in peace Thus did the French King Charles the eight when he came to the Citie of Ast 9. Also you are to iourney in your Confederates Country and who vpon very great occasion is to desire your society for such will ayde you liberally This was likewise practised by Charles the eight when he inuaded Naples For other wayes of getting of victuals and preseruing them so got peruse these presedents 10. Some Kings Captaines and Generals which haue either taken or saued some Citie which was likely to be lost haue caused their Souldiers to be releiued of victuals in the same in the houses of them which were their Enemies 11. Some haue vsed for to send certaine Captaines of Souldiers into other Cities for to ease the present spending in the place where they were 12. Some haue vsed to send all the poore and impotent people out of their Citie so beseidged that their victuals might last the longer 13. Some would suffer none either to returne or to haue reliefe of victuals Which vnreasonable hard vsage needed not if Gouernors would before hand and before need prepare both for abundance of victuals or else withall take order for the moderate spending of their victuals For negligence of prouision of victuals in time and mispending or else lacke of good keeping or ordering them which you haue should be well seene vnto I pretermit this And I fall vpon the prouision of money for the payment of your Souldiers wages Hauing money sufficient it is best to pay your Souldiers beforehand or monthly 1. If you be bare of money pay some wages and procure that the Souldiers may haue victuals good cheape all the while you lacke money or imploy them where continuall spoyle may be had 2. If you haue little money pay a part of that openly in the hands of such souldiers as are most likely to make a Mutiny 3. Some Generals when as their souldiers haue beene ready to reuoult or mutiny for lacke of pay haue straight way brought them to the battell for this purpose if victory happened on their side they would pay their souldiers of the spoyle of their Enemies or else if their Army were ouerthrowne then they should be cleerely and well discharged of the grieuous and dangerous complaint 4. Some haue caused the Cittizens of Cities to receiue souldiers into their houses for to giue vnto them meate drinke and lodging and to giue wages vnto the same souldiers Thus did Anthony de Leua at Millan This was he that forbad all his Cittizens for to eate any bread but onely such as should bee bought of him For which purpose he appointed in euery streete certaine houses where bread should be sold at what price he lusted and none durst do the contrary By which kinde of means he got into his hands all such kinde of money as any Citizen of Millan had in his Chests or else could make or reserue by any meanes or wayes with which he payd his souldiers This was his way but some haue found other wayes besides these 5. Some Generals haue gaged all their plate and Iewels vnto rich monyed men to pay their souldiers 6. Some Kings haue borrowed all the Iewels and ornaments of certaine great Ladies or Estates which were their friends and kinsmen and haue pawned the same to Vsurers for to pay their souldiers 7. Borrow largely of your Confederates money who seeketh your society in his warres for his speciall purpose The French King Charles the 8. could do this passing well 8. Seeke of such a Confederate any other ayde or
furniture for your warres which furniture can stay your laying out of much expence 9. Seeme to such a Confederate to deferre your warres that you may the better wring forth of him greater summes It may bee he may proue like Lodowicke Sforza Duke of Millan This Duke seeing Charles the eight make no haste to inuade Naples according vnto promise because Lodowicke was to worke a feate by Charles his comming which otherwise hee was very hardly to do he sent his sonne in Law with a braue Captaine into France vnto the King offering him money shippes horsemen and many other things of great importance which the King accepted and for that cause before did stay the warre Thus much of this which shall suffice for the wayes of getting of money to pay souldiers and likewise for victualling your Army I will now shew the wayes by which you may finde out your Enemies purposes Trapps and Stratagems To doe which well obserue these precepts 1. First you are to suspect vehemently or else to feare how your Enemy hath an invention by some subtiltie or politique stratagem or inuention or else some crafty deceite or wile to entrap beguile or ouerthrow your Army 2. Next for such intents or purposes you should entertaine very good and sundry espialls who by all meanes are to be very attentiue inquisitiue curious liberall suspitious and bold 3. Which especially should remaine or abide neer the Court of your Enemy or else neere vnto the Army of your Enemies or in some friends Country of your Enemies or neere some neighbour of your Enemies or in the way of your Enemies or else a Common Trauellor or else a Studient in the Land of the Enemies or a subiect of reputation in the Land of your Enemies or else a Merchant or common seller of wares or a Barber or a Victualler in your Enemies Country 5 Which kinde of espialls you are neuer to trust throughly but euer to bee iealous of them and to weigh and conferre their reports with the reports of other espialls and with likely-hoods oppertunities and reasons Haue espialls continually if it be possible in your Enemies Army The Langraue with other Captaines of the Germans against the Emperour Charles the first by name had in Charles his Army â—00 good Espials whereby he almost euery houre had certaine knowledge what was done or said in Charles his Campe or Tents Charles the first Emperour lacked good Espials for which cause he left many things vndone which had beene for his singular profit if hee had knowne of such occasions Therefore prouide you good Espialls which Espials are so necessary in the wars as any thing else for by them you shall vnderstand how your Enemie will fight what hee will doe against your Army Marching Fighting or Flying Which motions or rather principall heads of the Art of warre shall be handled in the foure next Chapters following CHAP. II. How a Commander or Generall should order his March both by day and night for the saftie of his Army How passe Woodes Hills and Riuers beset or not beset with Enemies With many other necessary circumstances appertaining to Marches I Am now to enter by degrees vpon these foure principall heads of the Art of warre namely Marching Embattelling Fighting and Flying from an Enemie All which I will deliuer with as good method plainnesse and breuitie as I can I am to begin with Marching wherein I pray obserue my method and order which shall be fiirst by precept to prescribe it Then by Example to approue it Example being the life of precept I begin 1. In Marching you must bee very mistrustfull of your Enemie lest he entrap you with Ambushes 2. You must therefore appoint some to march before to discouer suspected places as Woodes Mountaines Forests Rockes Banckes of Riuers Caues Hills hollow and deepe wayes The most of which are rough and intricate and scarce passable for the heauy Armed and horse 3. The fittest for this seruice are your Musketteers I and your Dragons to ioyne with them for they may alight from their Horses and serue on foot 4. You must march sometimes in one forme sometimes in another according to the place and occasion offered Example Alexander at the Riuer Granicus marched with his horse foremost to passe the Riuer and to assaile the Persians who had opposed their Horse against him on the bankes 5. Marching through the streights to fight the battaile of Issos he marched with his Horse behinde his Foot because he was vncertaine how neere the Enemy lay and was loath to put them to hazzard before they had libertie of ground to order themselues and might haue assistance of the Foot At the Riuer of Ister hee did the like for hauing past the Riuer hee marched through a Corne field and therefore so marshalled them for feare of an Ambush Otherwise it was his custome in marching as it is the manner also at this day to dispose his Horse halfe behinde and halfe before the Carriage in the midst or Otherwise But how to March properly both by day and by night with your Carriage truely placed and euery thing rightly ordered is a point worthy to be taken notice of Briefely thus Being to March in the day obserue the manner of March now in vse 7. Let some Dragons and Musketteers march before to represse the Enemies incursions and to search Woods and Forrests for Ambushes and to surprise straight Wayes Bridges and Foords Send after them your Pyoneers to mend the wayes to cut the woods that are in the way least by bad way the Army be tyred 8. Let the Foot of the Vantguard or right wing follow enery battalion there of in order hauing halfe the horse of the Army before them and all their baggage and Carriage behinde them 9. After let the battalions of the battell follow with all their baggage and carriage in the Reare as the former Let the battalions of the Reareward or left wing follow with all their baggage or carriage behinde them Let euery one of the battalions haue their shoot before and behinde And let the remainder of your Horse bring vp the Reare As for your Ordnance distribute that as your Carriage both behinde the Vantgard the battell and the Rereward the better to serue against all attempts 10. At night quarter the Battalions of the Vantgard all in one place those of the Battell all in another and those of the Reareward all by themselues but not too farre a sunder for feare of danger 11. In the morning being to dislodge First shoot off one peece of Ordnance a little after that another and so a third in his time Shooting the first the Army takes notice you will dislodge therefore they trusse vp their baggage and load it Shooting the second they take vp their Armes and fall into ranke shooting the third they set forward to march Thus Graue Maurice did dislodge his Souldiers Vespatian did it by the sound of a Trumpet as Iosephus doth
report in the third Booke of his Antiquities Chap. 3. 12. Being to march in the night obserue the Graecian order Send your baggage and carriage before with a sufficient guard Then follow first with your Pikemen then with your light Armed being Musketteers next with all your Horse in the reare the better by breake of day to come all together into one place as ought to be This way your Army in the night is easily kept together and is soonest espied if it breake 13. Being to inuade an Enemies Countrie march with your Carriage in the Reare When you doe dismarch from an Enemies Countrie let your Carriage be in the Front vnlesse great store of Enemies be suspected to intercept it then you must place it in the midst 14. Now in fight you may dispose of it fiue manner of wayes either before the Army or behinde or on the one flanke or on the other or in the midst Before the Army when you feare to be charged behinde behinde the Army when you lead towards the Enemy when you feare to be charged in Flanke on the contrary side in the midst when a hollow battell is needfull and fit This last was practised by S r Horatio Vere in the Pallatinate and by the Graecians as Zenophon doth record in his third booke of the Ascent of Cyrus 15. Being to march through a wood obserue Zenophons counsell Let your Foot and Horse in order single themselues as the way fals out and you shall make your passage the more secure and easie Zenophon did thus as you may read in his sixt book of the Ascent of Cyrus 16. It were not amisse to haue some Musketteers to march on the sides of the Wood to secure the rest within 17. If your Enemy be in a Wood Fenne Hill Fort Towne or other place of strength that admitteth no accesse send your Musketteers to shew themselues and with a brauado to toule him out of his aduantage and bring him into the field where he may the more easily be dealt withall with these Musketteers send some Horse to set vpon him if he dare to venture forth Example Alexander leading his Army against the Tribals that had hid themselues in a wood commanded his Archers and slingers to run out and shoot and sling among the Barbarians to see if he could toule them into the plaine The Archers and slingers spared not to let flye and the Tribals being wounded with arrows threw themselues out of the wood with all speed to fall vpon the vnarmed Archers Then Alexander with his Horse presently charged them and being ouerborne by the Horse they fled through the Wood to the Riuer 18. Alexander whensoeuer he was to vse expedition marched away with the Horse and light armed leauing the Armed to come after The Armed are for a firme and stedfast fight not for Concursions 19. Being then forsome farre yet sodaine attempt leaue your Pikemen behinde and march away with your Horse and Musketeers for when celeritie is requisite who so fit to be imployed as they who haue nothing to hinder their speed 20. Being to march against an Enemy in his owne Countrie giue the word to come to such a Prouince but Inuade another by this you shall deceiue your Enemy Agesilaus to deceiue Tisaphernes made countenance as though he would first inuade Caria whereupon Tisaphernes gathered all his power together but Agesilaus on a sodaine returned backe againe and entred into Phrygia tooke there many Cities and won great spoile 21. Many Generals besides Agesilaus haue done the like then be not you carelesse of it for by such a plot the Enemy some other time may perchance be drawne to deceiue himselfe Example Agesilaus vpon another time gaue out that he would enter Lydia not meaning to deceiue Tisaphernes againe but Tisaphernes deceiued himself and thought he would haue inuaded Caria a woodie Countrey very ill for horsemen in which he was the weaker but Agesilaus tooke the champion Countrey of Lydia contrary to his expectation so that Tisaphernes was inforced to come with all the speed that might be to the rescue thereof therefore leauing all his Foot behinde him he came stealing vpon them with his Horse Agesilaus vnderstanding by his men that Tisaphernes was come and had made some slaughter of such as were found stragling abroad out of order imagined with himselfe that the footmen of his Enemies could not yet be arriued therefore with all speed he thrust in among the horsemen which he had his light armed footmen and commanded them straight to charge the Enemy whilst he caused the heauy armed men to follow at their heeles as they did but Tisaphernes men fled vpon it immediately and Agesilaus men lustily followed the chase tooke his Campe and made a great slaughter of them that fled 22. Being in an Enemies Countrie march in battell array and let your Pyoners worke the harder for a long march here is dangerous Send Horse and Musketeers a good way before to search the hils and to surprise them from the Enemy 23. In marching betweene Mountaines and Hils see that your Vantgard succour your Rereward your Rereward the Vantgard if your Enemies goe about to intercept or molest you marching Zenophon and Cherisophus did thus against the Carduchans Obserue the manner The Carduchans by fighting took the streights which lay in their way and indeauoured to hinder and shut vp their march but when they opposed against the Vant Zenophon from the Reate ascending the Mountaines and gaining the vpper ground remoued all the impediments the Enemy could cast vpon the way when against the Reare Cherisophus ascending vp tooke the vpper ground likewise and freed the way from them that came behinde So they alwayes succoured and had mutuall care one of another 24. Lighting in your March vpon deepe and impassible Riuers and hauing no Boats to make Bridges to waffe you ouer marching further to the heads of the Riuers you may goe ouer without wetting your knees Zenophon in the third Booke of the Ascent of Cyrus 25. Being come to some passable Riuer where the currant runnes exceeding strong cause your Horse to breake the waters and then let your Foot march ouer but sheltered on each side with the Horse 26. If the currant be ouer bigge so that you cannot waide ouer cut the same Riuer in diuers places and turne it into the landward with other currants and you may passe ouer with ease 27. Being to passe a great Riuer where the Enemy on the bankes stands to intercept your passage to withdraw him from thence and to deceiue him seeme to leaue the attempt and march away then hauing left some behinde you to make a Bridge vnknowne to the Enemy returne when you see your time and passe your men ouer with ease Example Caesar hauing his Army on a banke of a Riuer in France and his passage being let of Vergintorige a Frenchman the which on the other side of the Riuer had his men marched
when the King had the better would presently giue vpon his Flanks so snatcht the victory out of his hands hauing neither Horse nor seconds to recouer it The Argonians haue diuided their Army into fiue Battels which battels in forme of straight or direct hornes were extended from the great battell or midle-ward But these were partly Horse and Foote The Heluetians haue martialed their Army into three battels without Horse or seconds sometimes into one battell onely of footmen which was their vsuall forme by custome But not to be imitated The Spaniard haue martialed their Army into two battels one of footmen in one winge and another of horsemen in another winge all in an euen Front Now they do otherwise The Ancient Romanes haue martialed their Armed foote into three Battels The first subsisting of the Hastatij the second of the Principes the third of the Triarij with Velites to either of them and Horse in the winges How their Velites light Armed men were placed being too weake to deale with Horsemen or armed Foote without aduantage I will shew you hereafter Some haue ordered a weake battell of Foot or horsemen against a strong battell of their Enemies Foote or Horsemen thereby to bring their Enemies strength into some stratagem which was wisely done by the great Captaine Gonsaluo against the Frenchmen This Gonsaluo sent a noble Spaniard called Mondotius against the Generall of the Frenchmen to fight with his Reareward which Mondotius had a company of light horsemen for to inuade the Reare of the Frenchmen and with him likewise went two Cohorts of Calliuer-shot which kept company in the front almost with them being extended as in two spred winges Mondotius horse left these shot and inuaded freshly the hindermost of the French The French barbed horsemen with fury set vpon Mondotius light horsemen Mondotius light horsemen retired as though they were not able to encounter the barbed Horsemen thus flying caused the barbed horsemen to persue out of order Then the Calliuer-shot keeping aloofe off about a furlong and in forme of a halfe Moone shot of vpon the French barbed horsmen before on the Flanks Gonsaluo thereupon sent a company of his barbed horsemen to the aide of his light horsemen flying his Calliuers fighting Thereupon his light horsemen returned and ioyned with their owne barbed horsemen that came for aide and both of them in order did set vpon the Frenchmen out of order the shot continuing on both sides and backes as before Which kinde of order you see and flying and ayde of the Spaniards was for to bring first such French force to disorder and so thereby to discomfort them the easlier which was done to their mindes The forme of the French Kings battell containing 12000. Foote and 4000. Horse The Horse should haue beene higher placed and more inclining to the three vppermost field Peeces Where you shall see 15. battalions of Foot martialed in a manner after the French Kings forme viz. In the Vantgard or right wing are three battalions of 500. a peece Flanckt with Muskettiers before euery one of which are raunged ten files of Muskettiers three in the right angle three in the left and foure in the midst iust before them euery file containing ten men which shot are to make their way through the interuals of the battalions in the Reare of all there to giue vpon the Enemies Flanks In the Battell are three battalions containing 3000. men a thousand a peece flankt with Muskettiers and with Muskettiers before them in the same fashion as the rest In the Reareward or left winge of the battell are likewise three battalions of 500. a peece Embattailed as the rest with Muskettiers before them in the same forme as the other Behinde these battalions for seconds are foure battalions of 500. a peece standing against the Interuals of their opposite battalions which Interuals are 200. foote broad that the foure battalions may the better passe through them These foure battalions haue shot before them as the former which with the rest may march forth to skirmish with the Enemie or stand still to second them vpon their retreate before the Battels ioyne after being in the Reare to giue vpon your Enemies flanks as the other The rest of the battalions are in Front but twelue foote distance one from another and at three foote order The diuisions of Muskettiers are allowed six foote that they may the better fall through hauing giuen fire In the Reare of all are two battalions of a thousand a peece standing iust behinde the three battalions of the Battell about a furlong of On the Flanks of these are 800 Horse 400. in each flanke oblique wise the better to start forth and inuiron the Enemy In like manner are the Horse martialed in the outward flanks of the rest but in greater numbers peruse the Figure By the winges of these two battalions are two field Peeces ready turned and bent to the Reare to discharge vpon the Enemy if he should with Horse or Foote giue vpon that part if not then these field Peeces may bee with ease brought from thence to some other place to annoy him other wayes As for the rest of the Ordance I haue planted them vpon two Hils opposite against the Enemies flanks thereby to distresse him And for the better performance of this I haue planted 700. Muskettiers to guard them and will ayde them with more if neede be Now against this Battell hauing Ordnance in the Reare and on the Hils to distresse the Enemies Flanks I oppose this Battell following A Battell of 12000. foot and 4000. horse with Ordnance in the midst and on the wings Described in the next page The pricks inclosed with lines are 800. shot to surprise the enemies Ordnance on the hils Here or in the Figure going before you see are sixteene Battalions The Ordnance planted both in the Wings and in the Front of the maine Battell The Ordnance in the maine Battell hath before them 400. Muskettiers ranged in the same forme as the Enemies the better to hide the deceit for so soone as the Muskettiers are cleare of the Battell the Ordnance are to discharge vpon the Enemy to breake his maine Battell and then the other Battels are to march on to charge the Enemy in disorder the Horse are martialled outward on the wings and stand oblique wise to inuiron the Enemy Now before the Horse giue the charge eight hundred Musketties doe sallie forth to surprise the Enemies Ordnance being planting on the hils The Figure doth demonstrate it as plaine as can be with the number of euery battalion onely take notice that the shot before euery battalion are to make their passage through the interuals and sides of the battailes in the Reare of all from thence to giue vpon the Enemies Flankes if occasion be otherwise to aide their own men in the Fight All the shot before the battalions are in number 1200. This appointing of shot for to march before and