Man to live sluggishly on the Labour of another The justest Mean therefore must be a well-manag'd Militia and if we are for Teaching Warlike-discipline in Peace Why do we not also turn our University Speculative Mathematicks to the more useful Improvements of Fortification and Enginery But in a Militia the Disciplining a few Men and they every time strangers and drawn with Charge from remote parts to meet in a Body surely such a Martial-discipline can avail little or nothing Let it rather be that every Man of such an Age and Stature be a Souldier that every Parish be a distinct Body of them having its proper Officers in it's self and that no one capable on any account be exempt from Discipline This would force our Gentry as their Officers into esteem and if by any means make a Nation Invincible And surely 't would rather be a delight and a diversion than a Charge for such a Militia like as at our Ancient Wakes to meet and Exercise an hour or two in a Week And do you fear in such case such Disciplines being superficial How easie is the Cure by the Examination of Commissioners for Hundreds and Counties c. And Do you want an Army How quick does every Parish proportion you a Supply Nay and such an Army you may easily Disband with a Donative and every Man knowing his home is welcomely receiv'd while you are out of danger of being pester'd by Vagabonds indeed if any such should happen to be disabled 't would be a Generous Charity in the State to provide Hospitals for them or else they are provided for with a kind welcome to your hand Donatives to Standing Armies are most pernicious even to make them at last State-robbers but Donatives here would be the justest reward of our Brethrens Blood Besides such an Army would have Humanity and Christianity nor need we doubt but that their constant Exercise would make them brave as Souldiers by profession besides that Souldiers thus rais'd would know truly how to value their Liberty To conclude The constant and universal Exercise could not but whet their Spirits and Courages in Emulation and make them familiar to Force and Arms while every Souldier imploy'd would like the Romans of old know how to Fight heartily for that Peace he knew what 't was to enjoy and especially if when Maim'd they were assur'd of a comfortable Subsistence in their several Parishes Of BATTEL ARe you suddenly to give Battel Publish a Speech against Cowardize Alass Are not all our great slaughters made when Men run away And can you want Topicks So if possible before you fight also give your Men from some Hill the prospect of your Enemy by that you may deride their Discipline and expose them to the Contempt of your Army Fear is seldom so considerable as when of something unknown So when you Fight make their Ensigns carry their Pay and that will make your Souldiers vigorously defend them Nor be without Rewards or Punishments Thus to kill a Captain so much a General so much and to Mount a Breach so much c. Does a Regiment offend Decimate them Are they Cowards Mark them with a C. and let them live to the Disgrace Are they Treacherous give them the death they deserve And yet to avoid Sedition let the General but give them a little blow with a Wand for when you make a Souldier pass the Pikes the Army are their own Executioners As to Figures Armies are generally drawn into Three Lines and the Turkes use the Crescent but surely the Ground and Circumstance ought in this Case to be considered Thus Is your Army biggest fight in open field and try to compass your enemy Is it little flank your self with Trenches and fight close Have you no Horse seek to enclosures but above all beware of the Wind or Sun in your Faces So Are you assaulted in a Wedge to distract you become a pair of Sheers to cut off your enemy Are you enclin'd to compass him equal his breadth advance gradually your Wings and retreat your Front but this is a dangerous Work When the Battel begins Generals by Drums and Trumpets Order their Souldiers to the field and Great Guns attempt the first Execution while the Dragoons Attack them and e're a second discharge the fight begins and they become useless Thus Are the Guns in the middle of their Battalions divide your Army and you avoid them the first shot is distant and goes over or under or your Infantry by their wide ranks avoid them while your Horse are secure in their Reer After this Shouts joyn both your Dragoons who bearing the first shock make room by retiring to your Flanck and Reer and while more silent Orders join the Battel And now the Pikes advance to keep off the Horse while the Armies once join'd the Pikes withdraw within the Bucklers and your Bucklers worsted within your Pikes Musquets serve a shot or two till the Fight is clos'd but then your Man at Arms with Sword Buckler and Armour does all who if the first Rank but kneel their very Bucklers keep off the Bullets But What can fence your Rapier with Armour The wise Romans had their Ranks wide their Hastati or Young Men bore the fury of the Battel if worsted they retired among their Principes or strong Men and they again among their Triarii or Old Souldiers Your Horse in the mean time engage at the side of your Army while your Dragoons retire to take care of your Camp the proportion of your Foot is Have you Ten Battalions Five Hastati Three Principes and Two Triarii the benefit of such Orders is your Men are refreshed by the new support of your best Men at last while a square Army runs and is defeated before half can fight But now Why do I stay the fight 's begun Stratagems follow Pits Ambuscades False Allarums Surprizes of Novel Words Engines Shouts and Appearances of Succours Officers fling their Colours among the Enemy to reward the Souldiers that fetch them again while the General minds Intelligence and Orders Succours to the side that is oppress'd and the Dragoons refresh'd return to try to flank the enemy After all Have you worsted an unequal enemy either perfect the Victory or snap at his disheartned Terms of Peace The only time of slaughter is when Men are disorder'd and lose their Confidence in one another to let them Rally spoils all So Was your flight doubtful and parted by Night carry off some Dead to dismay your enemy through their fewness next morning such a Night cannot but be a Night of Dread and the least push will be likely to give the Morning's advantage But are you beat to hinder pursuit fight where you may retreat at worst retreat part of your Army orderly first and so your Enemy not daring to divide appoint a common place for the rest to meet at but are your Souldiers forc'd to fly yet at worst let them detard their Pursuers and
On pretence of kindness take some of the NOBLES Sons as Hostages with you when you depart Thirdly Continue Titles of Honour to the Natives but keep all Offices to your own Servants Fourthly Let your Ministers be only seen in harsh things And Lastly take particular care of all popular Meetings on any pretence whatever To be short All alterations naturally leave a toothing for new Changes and therefore the best way to secure what you have got is like the generous Romans also to make one law of Nations And so if you let Humanity Crown your Peace as Valour has adorn'd your War you need not fear but to govern without danger When your Conquests find themselves united to you by Marriages their Taxes eas'd and remitted and their whole States chang'd for the better when you change not the customs of their Provinces and your impartial Justice gives them not the least jealously of their Rights you will find men are not mad to embroyle themselves And yet Are your Conquests in different Languages your vigorous beginnings must not end in too supine a negligence you must have a jealous Eye on Neighbours least they joyn the discontented Natives and in this Case if you cut off Seditious Heads yet withall you must pardon and reward as generously but especially your NOBLES But lastly Are you so necessitated and would you secure your Conquests by force Do it rather by Colonies than firing them against you through standing Forces he that by right of Conquest is Master of all surely may command any little particular part and dispossess the Natives of a few convenient fortified Towns for Colonies Are a few dispossest do you obiect 't is for the good of the whole and they become too poor to be formidable and as they are you may make them satisfaction in another place if you please and which is best or if not others injoying their Rights justly will never assist them Of Stratagems of WAR THere are many advantages of Stratagems but above all that they breed confidence in your own Army and dismay your Enemy He 'll dread to take the advantage of your Miscarriages while he fears the Reputation of your Designs Nor is it the least Excellency of Stratagem to alter at every turn your methods Thus if sometimes a Cap on a Staff be made the Signal of Battel as well as the Sound of the Trumpet c. how can your Enemy measure your intentions So to encourage your Army print sometimes a hearty Speech to your Souldiers with the promise of Rewards so do they dread your Enemy Skirmish him with some of your best men to make him familiar to them So Would you make your Souldiers unanimous let them do but the Enemy some considerable mischief before they Mutiny and fear will do the work Hannibal finding his Souldiers desert in a Speech told the rest that staid That those that had left him had leave and went as Spies to the Romans the Romans hearing of this cut off the Deserters right hands and sent them back to Hannibal again So by Letters or chance words in Embassies to insinuate that the Eenemies Generals or Officers are false will give just the same jealously and distrust as if they were so Above all Spyes are greatly to be feared are they run-aways command but every Man to his Tent and they are discovered immediately but Spyes near your Counsels are most pernicious if an inconsiderable Enemy can so far undermine you you may justly dread at last least he destroy you by Stratagems also Some to feel an Enemies Pulse send Ambassadours often with good Souldiers in disguise while others to blind such discoveries continue their number of Tents and draw their parties out of the whole Army To obtain your desire on your Enemy counterfeit but that you fear or desire the contrary and you need not doubt his readiness to cross or disappoint you But would you avoid fighting him besure keep at least 50 Miles from him So does he streighten you amuse him by some Truce or Stratagem Thus some have driven Oxen with combustible matter fir'd on their horns before them and so escap'd Nor is it inconsiderable the skill and Command of Posts and Passes in this case and yet not but that to repose your whole trust on them is as ruinous But has your Enemy distressed you already in Stratagems use the following or like Remedies Thus does your Enemy encompass you gather your self close and break through his weaker sides does he press you between two Hills make but a Trench behind you and you may fight which half of him you please does the other half come round upon you a wooden-Bridge made and laid cross the Trench frees you of all So does he stop you at a River either privately send out a Detachment to make a Bridge cross to secure your passage at another place or divert the Channel and so make it fordable some have laid combustible matter in their Trenches while others have turn'd the River and drown'd their Enemies with it Some have counterfeited preys and fears to draw an Ambush while others have set up Sayles on sticks and shewn their Baggage retinue on an Hill to terrifie their Enemy with the approach of Succours Some by favours to Captives have divided their Enemies and by little Messages sooth'd them in their divisions but then remember that to attack them too soon upon it is to unite them and here a General 's dispositions and passions are to be regarded Some also have let their Enemies enter and take Towns and assaulted them when weakned by garrisoning others have waited only for some advantage over him as his passing a River c. but in all cases a General had better fight than baulk his men by too much caution But to proceed Is your Army at leisure ravaging is the best employ Seiges are uncertain Conspiracies loss of time storming Towns is dangerous and Battels more hazardous but the best Plundering is under the Enemies Colours But above all the Reputation of a Geneals justice his clemency and severity to perfection are most useful he that is gentle to all but the stubborn and implacable to the obstinate has a double force to beat his Enemies with And yet after all a possibility of Retreat and a Back-door to Cowardize ought to be left to the most Obstinate 't will influence your own Souldiers with Fear to deal with an Enemy desperate and beyond all power of escape And thus Caesar would not let his Souldiers see that a Town they besieg'd was reduc'd to a Bread of Herbs To reduce your own Men to a necessity therefore were much the rather to be chosen Thus I would Burn my Ships if I Invaded an Island to make my Men desperate But if I storm'd a Town I would Proclaim not to kill a Man that laid down his Sword rather than to suggest I intended no Mercy So also 't is dangerous after a Battel to fall upon the Conqueror
it a second frights his Reader by his Voluminousness Alass we must consult the weakness of Man as well as the Meer extent of our Subjects Nay did the real dignity of our Subjects lead Books they would be short enough while sprightly hints would more delicately pourtraicture our Minds than the largest Circumlocutions And surely therefore I may add there is an empty Wantonness in all the profuse Embroideries of Authors And what are our Legendaries our varnish'd Comparisons and Explanations but a beggarly and tedious Tautology in a better dress Thus the pedling Canter never wants a Nosegay of Vertue or Religion be his Text never so barren and there is not a Subject that he shall not screw in his whole stock of Knowledge upon it On the contrary your finer Poets have made but six Verses a day and a late famous Author would return back to his Study again but to secure some more excellent Notion from Oblivion and yet there is an Error even in this also One keeps his Book Seven years by him ere he Prints it as if it ripen'd by lying and not Care Examination and Perusal A Second cites Euclid to prove a Circle Round and a Third condemns the whole Body of Wisdom for some little pedling Nostrum A Fourth Enamour'd with the Whimseys of the Ancients had half his Book Quotations and creeps along by the Shore of Authors as if he were afraid to trust himself to the free Compass of Reasoning Surely I would no more Quote Authors by Tables thus than slight their Assistance altogether by laying New Foundations When thou Readest my Book therefore I expect thou look for my Sense not Aristotle or St. Austin's So shall I Write nothing that is not purely my own alass there is nothing New under the Sun nay And why have not I as much right to my Thoughts as he that Wrote them a 1000 years ago Should I say I borrow nothing from no Man Who could gain-say me I have the same circle of Creatures and I must needs therefore track after others and surely therefore our invention about them is equally ours also Succeeding Ages feed upon one another and the Sense and Flesh I have digested are as much mine as they have been others before me or else may be I cannot say I have either Sense or Flesh at all VVe have all our appointed seasons to enjoy VVisdom and the Sun in our Ancestors have but beat the Track before us where our Posterity would follow of course And who can claim a Common Road VVhere then is the injury of Plagiarism does an Author deserve his Merits must preserve him nay and they will too if he has them VVho shall add to a Picture of Apelles Ex pede Herculem At worst is Honey the worse for being gather'd from many Flowers Indeed to theive meanly is ungenerous and to follow Parties corrupts all or else is not my diligence in Collections to be preferr'd But alass after all the Fountain Errour of Authours is vanity and that which puts them upon the Tenters is that they seek Eternity but surely 't is one thing to have it and another thing to deserve it You think your Truths will make the World commend you whether they will or no alass you must prostitute you honour to obtain the common Vogue A Man had as good be a common Hangman as an impartial Moral Monitor and as for Speculative Knowledge the Man that found but that the World was round was treated even by St. Austin as an Heretick As my Lord Bacon rightly says the World like a River bears up things swoln and empty while Gold and Jewels sink and thus Vain-glorious and Romancing Ovid no doubt survives many a better Author Of CRITICKS A Critick to a good Author like the Refiner's Fire but Purges his Imperfections to make him shine the brighter whilst the Answerer like Don Quixot exposes himself with post-absurdities Shall we say of a Garrison'd Army of Thoughts that'tis taken because the enemy has defac'd the Walls with dirt when the truth is the Answerer like the Viper by gnawing the File has but bit his own Teeth away Criticks like Bald-pate Boxers while they attack others generally take care to Print nothing of their own they malitiously root up all they can thought they Plant nothing in the World of Learning themselves Criticks the Robbers are only excellent in a Plunder and in which case their onely Game is to Magnifie themselves by Exposing others their Armory the whole Field of Malitious Rayling and VVrangling Surely if our Brother is weak we ought rather to pity him than abuse him nay is he Perverse and Fallacious yet can it either become us or our Cause to Confute him otherwise than with Humanity that Conquest is to our Credit where our Adversary is duly Magnified What says the Scripture of Pious Frauds Will it let us hold the Truth in Unrighteousness No we may not do ill that good may come if we do we are assur'd our Damnation is Just Some Men indeed are so linked to their Errors that Charity which loves to Answer all with Tenderness and Softness would be glad to part them he that errs through Frailty is at least out of the harms-way of Errour but he that offends Presumptuously and Obstinately must need fall together with it But the meaner Critick that even hunts for Slander and delights in Contumely the generous Mastiff should teach us to scorn such Currish Yelping indeed 't is a Reflection on a Man of Sense to give a Common Rayler but the hearing OF DIVINATION and ASTROLOGY THere are certain Truths enough in the VVorld surely to improve our Understandings by that we need not confound our selves so much by Conjectural ones as we do 't is true the Influence of the Sun and Moon might tempt one to an Essay in this matter but when it has been so long successless I don't know whether the prosecuting it further will argue rather a Madness and a Folly than a Presumptuous Contempt of God's Commands in prying into those things he has so designedly conceal'd Nay did Men understand themselves aright the very vanity of these things were enough to make them hate them and they would sooner be idle then squander away their time so impertinently but above all had they any Conscience they would regard God's VVrath against our deluding Diviners if they had not the VVit to see how they were imposed upon by them 'T is full time now to sweep away these Cobwebs of Superstition and Relicks of Paganism were we to contract with the Devil then these Little Blinds might be wisely set to Disguise the Predictions he acquaints us with and to seem to tell that little Fore-knowledge he hath by our own Skill but for us otherwise to dive into Senseless Groundless and Irrational ways of Prediction I declare in my Opinion is such a meer stupidity and weakness that we had much better cast the Dye for our Fortune So would not
Friend head the jealousie and expostulate satisfaction who besure will be more tender than if his Enemies were to Judge him But Does a General find his Prince jealous of him his only way to anticipate it is by laying down his Commission and when he is so ingenious he need not fear further mischief Princes know the evil consequence of ill-treating such great Officers if he punish one too easily the next he may expect to secure himself by going over to the Enemy Of VVAR in General WAR is the decision of a Right too high for Judicature wherein Arms is the Trial and Conquest the Judgment To begin a War after Conquest perfected and Mercy shewn is a piece of perfidy that deserves no Quarter Are you a private Man and have receiv'd Mercy through yielding up your Right surely you Merit a Thousand Racks if you ungratefully reassume it again you might have died in the Field or now continue Neuter but Is it nothing to fight against that Benefactor that has given you your being and so spill innocent blood So to allow Quarter when ask'd is both a Christian and a Humane duty while to execute Men by Law-Civil forgiven by Quarter Military is most barbarous But does some Hen-roost Garrison withstand a Royal Army they deserve no Quarter or at least they ought to be decimated 't is not Generosity but Madness that makes Men prolong Wars and destroy one another without prospect of Relief So Is mine Enemy perfidious 't is his fault that our slaughters are endless who by his Treachery has put it out of our power to believe or trust him Not that Stratagems are disallowable or that Victory is the less honourable for them neither 't is Jesting not Fighting to proclaim every blow we intend 'T was a generous Custom of the Antients indeed to give notice of Battel by the sound of a Bell the course of late is more wary but not less bloody to secure Frontiers by Garrisons and spin out Wars by the Tricking of Armies Wars are usually of two sorts either of Conquest or like Moses's to root out the Inhabitants In a common dispute the Decision of a Goliah or Horatii may save blood but an extirpating War and such as Papists and Protestants at this day are can safely admit of a Peace on no Terms Thus Am I entred into a War and am I like to engage with a stronger State by Garrisons I will stop mine Enemy till either by Diversion or Assistance I can withstand him but if neither my self nor Allies can probably resist him I will rather generously fling my self under some agreeable Protection than stand with a silly Sullenness to be destroy'd But are your Forces equal and are you well fortified Admit the War in your own Country where you may command both Men and Provisions upon a loss and which abroad may be fatal to your Army Thus the Suiss that can fight an â—00â—00 at home strain hard to maintain but 40000 men when abroad and yet without Forts your whole Country 's destroy'd So is your War with a Trade-State pen them but in and stop their Course and you make them ruine themselves But is such a State too powerful for you Either buy your Peace make in with its Enemies or distract him by some intestine Commotions perhaps some of the Royal Family have a Claim to be assisted Would you delay a War Send an Ambassador with Proposals of Peace but with such perplex'd Terms as may judicially require some time to deliberate them But are you resolv'd on a War and in the mean time would blind your Enemy while you are preparing Amuse your Enemy by Secret Counsels and close Ambassadors nor need you be wanting in Congratulatory Complements and Civilities Must I presume my honest Demands will create a War and may not I wait till I am duly enabled to make them So Is a War begun Invite your Enemy by mercy and fright him through severity Have you two Armies By the one block up Forts while the other enters on the Enemy So also are you forc'd to proceed by Sieges Blood will save Blood and by destroying every Man in the Garrison where there is not a Surrender on Summons you will make a quick dispatch of the War So also to manage Secrets well is a great point in War and so for Precepts and Orations to bear up mens Courages One General on his Death for this very cause order'd a Drum to be made of his skin only to hearten his Souldiers So as for punishing Warlike Offences nothing deserves a greater care Cowards alass are not worthy of Death let them rather live to expiate their Disgrace but as for the false and treacherous let them be no sooner discover'd than sent to the Father and promoter of Perfidy lest it prove too late for you to destroy them in their second Wiles Of CONQVEST A Pious Conqueror ought but exactly to do Justice and Right to himself if he acquires new Dominions it should not be out of ambition but necessity and because that his Enemies are perverse and implacable As the Pirate notably answer'd Alexander the Great What are great Conquests but great Robberies So surely one might as justly be guilty of a Robbery as a Conquest unless one had the justest cause of War to move one to it For my part had I the Empire of the World through Conquest yet like Lycurgus with Sparta it should be but to settle their States the better by it Did I root out a Tyrant yet like the Old Romans would I not rob his Heirs or should I subdue a Common-Wealth t' should be but to reinstate them in their Ancient Purity Surely I but pretend to War for my Neighbours Relief while I make a Prey of him Indeed if a State be so corrupt as not to be able to bear to be reform'd I will rather take the Conquest into my own protection than leave it weltring in Anarchy and Blood To be short Robbers and Murderers of thousands in Corruption and Flattery we admire without regret while the more innocent Rogues from necessity we destroy in this World and damn in the next but surely God will be more just to them But to proceed Would you secure a Conquest you must root out the antient Governours or the Mobile in Faction will reinstate the worst of Tyrannies so would you transform a corrupt Common-wealth you must either raise their chief Cities or transplant their principal Heads or else the first advantage that offers them will confound your Establishment Thus also a Conquest where there are NOBLES is easier than where all are SLAVES the Turkish Vassals will be forc'd unanimously to withstand you tho when subdued your Conquest is entire and secure while English NOBLES that may assist your Victory will withall by the same Hereditary Power render your Conquest as ticklish To preserve a Conquest therefore First Reside personally sometime upon it the better to prevent all Plots And Secondly
unless he has had a very hard Victory of it Slaughters are generally in the flight and not in the field and 't is therefore no little disadvantage to attack a flush'd Victor and one just practis'd in ready fighting To conclude Histories may teach us more and better Stratagems than these But where shall we find them Has a General leisure to consult Volumes for the result and occurrence of an hour Surely therefore even in this Precepts exceed History also Of Plunder and Slaves NOt only the Goods Slaves and Lands of the Conquer'd but their very Persons also by the Laws of Conquest are at the discretion of the Victors and yet not but that at worst they owe them all the freedoms and duties of Humanity nothing can excuse us of Rapes of putting Women or Children to death or Men except Souldiers or actually in Armes Nay if even Souldiers become your humble Suplicants and surrender on discretion only the Principal Guiltists among your Enemy ought to suffer Death I mean in Prudence as well as Justice for sure the Mercy that can soften your Enemies is highly to be esteem'd of In the partition of Plunder 't is not agreeable the State should have all surely the Soldiers deserve the price of their blood but then let an Oath be Administred for every Souldier to bring in his Plunder to be divided or else not only they may lose the day through the Avarice of Plunder but the worst of Souldiers will get most while the General and other Officers that deserve best will want even an equal distribution In the Roman Distribution the State had the Lands Houses and Goods Royal of the Conquer'd while other Goods were distributed to the Merits and Dignity of the Officers and Souldiers a share being always reserved as a Reward for all singular Bravery But Free-plunder is most Barbarous and of all Military Offences deserveth Death Nor is the Maxim less Bruitish of spoyling Countries where we come to stop the progress and advantage of our Enemies to destroy dangerous Castles and Fortifications and the Fruits of the Earth has some Sence in it but to Burn Houses and ruin Temples and Plantations What is it but a Cowardize and a Malicing the very good of Mankind Does mine Enemy overcome me therefore let me bravely let his Valour have such fruits of his Conquest as may reward it and if it be my own happy lot is not a Country Dress'd and Civiliz'd better than Ruine and Destruction Of SOVLDIERS NOthing more Embroyls a State than a Standing Army if they have not Work you 'll quickly find they will make it tho' even as in Turky by Domineering over their very Princes Besides Is there any truer Method to Barbarisme Could Experience ever shew us that Souldiery did not destroy Property and corrupt all Vertue And yet nothing is more unsafe than to Disband a great Army all at a time it oftentimes creates a New Disease in a State the better way therefore to move is by degrees and to Casheer those that can live without pay first and the other after But Are you to Raise an Army choose your Officers of the Gentry and if possible Volunteers yet still provided they be not profligate or dissolute for such Men are no fitter to be Officers than of any other Employment So let your Souldiers be hardy your Horse from the City and your Foot from the Countrey their Age between 17 and 40. As for their Strength and Activity you would do well to Exercise them before you List them To choose an Army of your common Volunteers and Miscreant Fugitives is the most imprudent an Army ought rather to be a Body of Martyrs Debauch'd Men are fitter for an House of Correction than to be of an orderly and designing Body tho' in an Army So a mean Militia and Army of your own is much better than a great Mercenary Force By good and constant Discipline you may inspire the worst of Men by degrees while Forreigners damp the Courage and Estimate of your own Besides How many States have felt the Ruine of Auxiliary Forces if you trust them they either give up your Cause or Prey upon you at least they are interested but to Fight in Jest for you as in Italy they shall not suffer your sawcy Bombs to disturb their rest at night in their Sieges Further Forces of your own you may Command at your pleasure while Forreigners will be only desperate for their own ends Are you necessitated to Forreigners therfore front them in your Army or mix them so as to force them to Fight As for the breeding Souldiers liberty only can give us good hearts The old Roman Peasants durst face Kings and make Generals in the Field their Country was as worthy their Love as their Courage while Men cow'd can slave to all Tyrants alike Hen. the Seventh therefore politickly settled Farms of such a Size c. to breed good Boors by As for the sorts of Souldiers your Granadeers are a Body of Men design'd for any extraordinary occasion they wait at the Flank of your Army as the Dragoons do and they are often as well Horse as Foot and on sudden and desperate Emergencies very needful As for Horse and Foot in a well-disciplin'd Army experience has shewn Foot doubly to excel Horse indeed Foot with Pikes have often beat double their number of Horse Horse 't is true at a Rout or as Scouts or to raise Contribution or to confound a weak Enemy are excellent but to think a Spur can force an Horse upon a Pike is as absurd as dangerous So What are Pikes or Muskets either without defensive Arms for Head Breast Arms Thighs and Legs with a Buckler Men thus Arm'd put by your Pikes and come in with ease upon your Men with naked Swords nay if such Men Ride but as Dragoons they attack you more speedily and even just where they please Nor is this a Fiction neither the Romans who by use made such Defensive Arms tolerable withall Conquer'd the World with them And if either the best Politicians or the best Historians be to be credited this sort of Men for all our Fire-arms are not even yet to be despis'd Of MILITIA THat Souldiers are Voluptuous is not always so much from their Corruption as that Perils ask to be paid by Pleasures To dye a Souldier surely is a kind of Martyrdom and he that blames the Profession for the Abuse forgets that on sudden approaches of Enemies and Invasions 't is every Man's duty to be a Souldier but more especially the Young and Vnmarried Luke 3. 14. 1 Cor. 9. 7. But then I would rather be a Volunteer than a Listed Souldier Surely it can never be lawful to kill Men purely at the Call of the Ambition of Princes Souldiers in War are Sinews to the Body-Politick in Peace its Feaver Not that it is safe neither quite to lay aside your Warlike Discipline in Peace But think you there is any Justice for one
save their Lives by scattering their Treasures On the whole in a pitch'd Battel to be first in the Field is of great use you choose your Ground and you hearten your Soldiers by it but even on this nay on Victory beware of a too careless Success for that almost ever ruines the day and too often sacrifice all while the Souldiers are careless merry or plundering to some trifling Reinforcement To conclude As for Engines surely Archimedes's Arrow-Engine must needs even at this day gall Horse worse than any Guns whatever Arrows not only are of equal execution but fret Horse doubly more than Guns can but as for your Scithe Charriots they are now become of no use being so readily stopt by Stakes Of Military Discipline I Shall not trouble you with the mechanick Rudiments of Discipline as Shoulder your Musket advance your Pike c. a Formality not without its use for how can men charge together otherwise But this I shall say You should keep your Rancks at 6 foot distance your Files at 3. lest you cramp your Motion so your Collours and Drums between your Muskets and Pikes your Captain with the Pikes and your Lieutenant with the Muskets So the general order of Martialling Souldiers is to every Squadron or Ten a Serjeant or Corporal to head hearten and command to every 100. a Captain to every 1000. a Collonel and to the whole Body a General Or in Battalions of 6000. thus 10 Companies in a Battalion 450 in a Company and which making 4500. the remaining 1500. are to be 1000 Pikes and 500. Velites extraordinary So the proportion of a good Army should be in 6000 men 3000 with Bucklers 2000 with Pikes and 1000 with Musquets as for your Ranks the closer the better as not so easily broken yet still provided that they leave convenient space for motion and that their Files be so constant that their Souldiers never want to find out their Post again If your Company contain 400 men you may draw them up 5 in a File and 80 in a Rank or if you 'd reduce them to a square for fighting 't is but casting your first File into your second your third into your fourth c. and then there will be 40 Files of 10. and so you may bring them to 20. of 20. if you please to be ready to answer which way soever attack'd And as inferiour Officers ought to reduce Souldiers to a readiness in such Discipline to be able to answer their Generals Commands upon occasion so ought they to enure their Souldiers to hardship also that they be not dismay'd in extremity Thus to let them carry their own Corn will not only help but strengthen them so for them to learn to swim may save them on occasion while to drown them in luxury and ease What is it but to soften and effeminate their very Courages withal to their Destruction As for your disciplining Dragoons there needs not so much care they being design'd rather upon extraordinary occasions than in any thing like a regular fight Your Horse indeed should be more orderly thus suppose 300 in a Battalion of which 150 to be men at Arms and 150 to be Light Your Pikes are to front the square of your Army and as 5 Ranks of them is as many as can well charge at once and as the Fight begun and the Army secur'd from the Horse they fall to make room for the Men at Arms so 7 Files of Pikes that is 1 or 2 to be ready to supply falling men is as many as you can have occasion to front with The manner of Commanding an Army is the Souldiers follow the Colours and they the Drums the inferiour Officers command the Centinels and the Superiours them while the General governs all A bad General or a bad Army therefore are equally dangerous On the whole an 100 men in Military Discipline and convenient Arms are a match for two in confusion the one helps each other the other promotes but one another's destruction while the cull'd Angular men of Officers and Corporals in an Army bind and hearten the whole regular Number as into a Body Of Marching an Army TO march an Army through a Foreign Country observe these Rules First that the Prince have due notice that Quarters may be provided and a sufficient pay prescrib'd Secondly That the second Body go the same way that the first did and that if they are in great Bodies they march not every day Thirdly That damage done by Souldiers be made good Fourthly That they approach no prohibited place within a Mile And lastly That they do not quarter in Cities or Towns that are intrench'd The usual method is your Dragoons march first to scower the Road then your right Wing and Carriages are to follow then your Body with its Carriages and after those your left Wing with its Carriages and after all your Cavalry And thus withdrawing a little your Carriages you are ready for the Enemy any way and he cannot well attack you in your march if you are circumspect but that he will be at as much disadvantage as your self Your Dragoons who scower the Road guard your Pioneers also who are to plain your ways and make Entrenchments for your Camp and in this not to multiply Men needlesly your own Souldiers may serve as Pioneers and who when an Enemy approaches may retreat to their Arms your Spades and Pick-axes being carried by for them in Carts If you march where you may be streightned in Provisions have at least a Months necessaries before hand and take continual care for Supplies and to this end you may have a Market with Sutlers in the middle of your Camp while your Cattel laden with Corn are driven by your Bakers Butchers and Cooks after them Above all take care to march in exact order and if a few Men assault you and flye or a Prize of Cattle appear do not let them decoy you into an Ambushment a General must anticipate Stratagems as he marches So Do you fear surprizes or ambushes beware of Hills of Woods and Hedges and you need not fear but that either Scouts Dust or Birds will give you notice that you may at least provide your self of Advantage against their attack Further when you march never acquaint your Army with the enterprize lest it perish through the discovery but rather getting a Chart pick up some Countrey Guides and make them yours through threats and rewards to conduct you As for the size of your Army the Romans by their Conquests seem'd best Judges of fighting and they thought 24000 or at most 50000 Men a double Army enough indeed more not only confounds and devour one another but are not well manageable nor can they conveniently march in the Field Of Treachery c. IS an Enemy Treacherous or extream Bloody in his Wars Does he break his Word or lay Countries waste causelesly He has flung up his Right either to Treaty or mercy from thee and the mildest
Terms than at least to go out Arm'd and in order Surely He 's mad that can trust himself naked with a Triumphant and Revengeful Army Nor is 't a little imprudence for a General to divide himself to destruction in besieging little Henroosts before a Royal Army and if there be no such Army Forts alone cannot hinder your Army from ravaging your Enemies Country To conclude Forts are only of use against Enemies on Frontiers 't is a Self-destructive Policy to think to retain Subjects in Obedience by them the wise Romans chose rather to demollish them but while you have Forts Military Discipline is as necessary for your Garrisoners in their Sallies as your Field Souldiers in their March Of the CAMP THE Order of your Camp ought to be as if you were ready to charge your Enemy only you may stand a little wider for the conveniency of Streets and Air and for the benefits of reintrenchments but always in the same manner that the Souldiers may naturally know their home and the whole seem a moving City constantly with the same Gates and Lodgings Nor ought your Camp if near an Enemy to want either Water or Provisions nor if your stay be long a good Air above all streighten not your march by want of securing Passes nor lye too near to Hills lest your Enemy incommode you Your Ditch ought at least to be 6 Yards wide and 3 deep together with Half-Moons for your Artillery to flanck your Enemy as he approaches and so your Camp may be better for conveniences than either as on a Hill or by a River Further While you are encampt beware of Surprize and while your enemy is near besure watch all comers and goers nay a third part of your Souldiers ought to be continually Arm'd and a fourth of those perpetually on the Watch some at the corners and some on the Patroll or Search lest your enemy either Stratagem or Besiege you in your Camp Lastly In decamping the usual order is the General Sounds his Trumpet thrice the first time to give notice to take down Tents and pack them up the second to load their Sumpters and the third to march away FINIS THE TABLE THe Entrance or the Digester P. 1. Of Books p. 15. Of Criticks p. 20. Of Divination c. p. 22. Astrology p. 26. Its Dependants p. 31. Of Meckness p. 38. Of Contention p. 40. Of Contradiction p. 42. Lapis Errantium p. 44. Of Cunning p. 55. Of Wisdom p. 57. The Seeming Wise p. 59. Of Logick p. 61. Its Parts p. 63. Arguments p. 66. Method p. 70. Of Anger p. 76. Of Murder p. 78. Of Revenge p. 80. Of Reformation p. 82. By A. B. Tillotson p. 97. Of Wit p. 100 Of Rewards p. 103. Of Pedantry p. 104. Of Pity p. 118. Of Pardon p. 120. Of Rhetorick p. 123. Delivery p. 125. Perswasion p. 128. Parts of Discourse p. 134. Invention p. 137. Figures p. 139. Of Judgment p. 142. Of Happiness p. 144. Of Presence of Mind p. 147. Of Secrets p. 149. To attain Secrets p. 153. Occult Writing p. 155. Of Collections p. 161. Of Precepts p. 163. Of Sincerity p. 166. Of Vows and Oaths p. 169. Of Censure p. 177. Praises p. 177. Contempt p. 180. Libels p. 183. True Satyr p. 186. Rash Judgment p. 189. Reports p. 194. Of Poetry p. 198. Of Preface and Dedication p. 203. Of Study p. 208. Method p. 209. Limitation of Study p. 214. Choice of Books p. 217. Speculat and Practice p. 222. Of Constancy p. 226. The Art of War Of the Lawfulness of War p. 231. Of Generals in War p. 236. Of War in General p. 239. Of Conquest p. 243. Of Stratagems in War p. 247. Of Plunder and Slaves p. 252 Of Souldiers p. 255. Of Militia p. 257. Of Battel p. 260. Of Military Discipline p. 265. Of Marching an Army p. 268. Of Treachery p. 270. Of Fortifications p. 273. Of Camps p. 278. ERRATA PAge 34. Line 17. read together with your Rosacrucian figments P. 64. l. 1. r. quatuor modis for Quarto modo P. 85. l. 13. r. That dominion for the dominion P. 112. l. 12. r. with such formalities and the like as P. 124. l. ult r. of That nature for that of nature P. 130. l 14. r. Judged by him for judged by them P. 189. l. 17. r. currunt for current P. 193. l. 2. r. fancy and Idea for fancy an Idea 23. r. their indifferency for as an indifferency P. 224. l. 15. r. Hypocrites dele as
an unjust War upon their Subjects before they begin it I might add Is the Right doubtful And what will not an Arbitration serve and save humane Blood In truth War without Cause is predatory and bruitish and a meer Souldier is worse than an blangman a Generous Officer sure would die rather than fight without a good Cause declar'd In doubtful cases indeed I 'le obey my Prince but shall he make a Man-Butcher of me Not but that War undoubtedly may be most lawful too for even the same Christ that could abolish the rule of an eye for an eye c. in forbearance and mercy yet himself could once think a Sword necessary Luke 22. 36. and Lash the Thieves out of the Temple To be short God has given us a Being And shall we not value his kindness by all the lawful ways of self-preservation And what may we not then justly resist all violent Aggressors and avenge our selves of our secret Enemies to incapacitate them in their evil designs Nay and if this be the Law of Nature Pray where is 't abolish'd and surely it is such nay and to that degree that a People may lawfully Raise a War of Self-defence of their own heads and without the Authority of their Prince where 't is necessary even as all Casuists allow And yet not but that I may wickedly Prosecute the Justest War too War should be manag'd as by a Judge to Pay the Original Debt and not as by a Robber to Murder and Plunder Thus I have a just occasion of War when I see another assault me nay when I have a good Ground of Jealousie and Suspicion I am not bound to wait the first Blow But are my Suspicions weak and his Preparations trifling Peace and Charity commands me to entertain no ill opinion of them So Do I see my Neighbour's Subjects miserably distrest 't is my Duty not to see Piety Honesty and Innocence discouraged and yet though to Relieve the Opprest for Religion may be a good cause of War yet to propagate it can be none So Is my Brother Ignorant or an Heathen Charity will let me advise him but not force him But does my Brother Sacrifice his Children Is he a Sodomite or a Murderer as Benjamin surely I with Israel may War with him to bring him to a better temper So Papists by their Principle That no Faith 's to be kept with Hereticks give an Immortal cause of War We sight a more generous and open Enemy And are not we Bewitch'd to forgive one Bloody Barbarous and Inveterate as the Devil himself is then 'T is pity indeed we don't Indulge their Tender Consciences and let them Murder us 't is their Principle and Religion If it be their Religion I say 't is from the Devil and let us fight them till they alter it What! Profess our selves Sheep for the slaughter I don't know whether Protestant States may not Answer for 't to God as Self-murderers that they have tender'd such Vermin-Principles so long So surely I have a right to take a Sword from a Mad-man to Arbitrate my Neighbour's Popular Commotions and to interpose towards setling the Peace of my Neighbours Thus If my Neighbour begins a War though with another Neighbour the Wolf shall not think by my standing Neuter to devour me next and yet I will not help a too Potent Prince abus'd neither For why should I assist him to destroy my self Thus 't was the War of Righteous Abraham to reduce those Conquerors that carried away his Brother Lot And yet if the War for my Brother be too desperate I am not bound to fling away my Life for his sake But are only my Merchants Injur'd and by private Persons I have no cause of War if either satisfaction be tender'd or the Offenders deliver'd up but such an Injury by a Commission'd Subject is a compleat cause of War So I may Naturalize a Subject of my Neighbours without offence but if I offer to Naturalize a Town or to encroach but one foot on his Dominions he has a just Cause of War against me and yet even then he ought not only to demand a Reasonable Satisfaction but solemnly to denounce it e're he begins with Acts of Hostility Of Generals in WAR ONe ordinary General is better than two excellent ones for nothing is more pernicious than Confusion and Irresolution And yet 't is hard to trust the courage of one General only the Mean seems the appointing Three several Commanders for Van Main Body and Reer and changing their Commands each Week and so you may not only be assur'd of a General on all hazards but as well secure their Fidelity as relieve their Courages Nor were it amiss also for the same reason once a Year for a General to make all his Under-Officers change their Commands and which to avoid offence he may do by Promotion for so he will not only instruct all and make Military Discipline familiar but hinder all Corruption in False Musters and prevent all Factions in his Army whatever As for the Skill of a General it has two advantages Duty and Stratagem Duty to know the force and order of Military Discipline and therefore a General must be a Souldier and Stratagem to prevent and secure future Accidents to his advantage and in this 't is his own ingenuity and a Council of War must aid him Nor is any thing more worthy a General 's care in this case than the choice and management of his Council of War Does he fear Treachery in it and can't he talk of what he will though he never resolves on it then and seem to doubt in what he most intends But above all a General ought to esteem his Life as the whole Armies indeed he acts the greatest publick good in preserving it nay he ought in this to be so nice as to be always in temper and never suffer himself to be harrass'd out he is the head of the Army and therefore ought never to be without vigorous Thoughts and Counsils for every opportunity of Stratagem or Service that may offer And in this a General ought to remember also that in all extremities he has a Commission from the Law of Nature as well as his Prince not I mean but that in affronts and trifles he should choose to let Time give him satisfaction but in imminent dangers his own discretion as well as his Princes words ought to be his Rule Further a General ought to be most severe and yet most just also severe to awe his Enemies and preserve his own Discipline and yet just that he provoke neither to hatred And indeed in this matter nothing is better than that the General be belov'd and yet for a Prince to permit his Army to choose their own General for their Loves-sake is to Dethrone himself But Does a Prince see the Army hate their General he will do well to choose them a better So does a General see his Army jealous of him let his