hadde appoynted hym a player at the sword a wretched person and very aged he sayde If thou ouercome this felowe I wyll take the victor to taske Celius capitayn of the company in the forwarde whan the Romaines were besieged in Germania fearynge lesse his aduersaryes wolde conueye a heape of wodde lyenge therby vnto his fortresse and so fyre his tentes fayned that he lacked wodde and sent forth on euerye syde to steale it bryngynge thereby to passe that the Germayns them selfe toke great peyne to remoue the wodde away Cn. Scipio in a battayle by see threwe into his ennemyes shyppes tankerdes of pytche and tarre that both the weight therof myght hurte theym and also the sheddynge therof myght nourysshe and encrease the fyre Anniball fyrst taught king Antiochus to cast vessels full of adders into his ennemies shyppes wherof the souldiours amased myght be let bothe in fyght and in all their other dueties belongyng vnto the shyppe ¶ The same thynge dyd Prusias whan his nauy beganne to shrynke ¶ M. Portius violently brake into the nauie of his ennemies and whan he had tumbled out the Peniens distributynge theyr armure and badges wherby they were knowen amonge his souldyours he drowned many shippes of his enmis deceyuing them with felowlyke apparel The Atheniens beinge oft tymes gretly disquieted and troubled by the Lacede moniens came vpon certayne festyuall dayes whiche they kepte hyghe and holy without the walles vnto Mynerua and hauynge al thyng therto belonging made as thoughe theyr intent were to do sacrifice hydynge priuily theyr armour and weapons vnder theyr clothes And whan they had done theyr sacrifice they retourned not immediatelye to Athens but forthe with in good order of battayle marched towarde Lacedemonia at the tyme whan they were least loked for and so ouer ranne and spoyled the countreye of theyr ennemyes whiche were wont to robbe and spoyle them Cassius set certayne of his great shyppes on fyer whiche were lyttell worth for any other purpose and beinge dryuen with the wynde amonge his ennemyes shyps set them also a fyer brent them Whan Marcus Liuius had put Hasdruball to flyghte and was by certayne exhorted to pursue his ennemies to deth he answered Lette some remayn alyue to beare tydynges to oure ennemyes of our vyctorie Hasdruball entrynge into the borders of Numidie and intendynge to subdue them affyrmed whan they prepared to resyste hym that he came but to take elephantes wherof Numidia had greatte plentie and made promyse not to hurte them so that they wold graunt hym this his requeste and whan they were departed a sunder by reason of that perswasion he sodeynly sette vppon them and so brought them vnder his subiection Ptolomeus being to weake to encoun tre with Perdicca whiche had a stronger and more valiaunt army caused a fewe horsmen to driue al the beastes drawing the wagons after the host and he going before them with that smalle power that he had broughte to passe that the duste reysed vppe by the beastes mustred as thoughe an other army to ayde hym had folowed after The feare of whose commynge so bashed his ennemies that he ouercame them Whan Mironides of Athens shoulde fyght with the Thebans whiche hadde moche better horsemen than he informed his hoste that there was some hope of helthe if they kepte theyr grounde but if they fled or reculed backe there was no remedy but death By the whiche reasone he strengthened his men and wan the victory Iphicrates captein of Athens apointed his nauye in apparell lyke his ennemyes and whan he was arriued among them whom he suspected and was receiued with highe reuerence theyr falshode spied out he spoyled theyr towne ¶ After the fyelde foughte at the lake Trasimenus where was gret slaughter of the Romayns and. vi M. taken prisoners a pacte and couenaunt made Anniball suffered the confederates and felowes of the Romaynes gentyllye to departe home to theyr owne cities and to reporte that the cause of his warre was onely to set Italy at libertie and by their helpe and meanes certayne people committed them selues into his gouernance ¶ What tyme the Locriens were besyeged of Crispyn captein of the Romayne nauye Mago spredde abrode a rumour that night vnto the Romaynes host that Hanniball hadde slayne Marcellus and was come to delyuer the Locriens that were besieged and after he sent out horse men priuily commaundyng them to muster and shewe them selues on the mountaynes that laye in the syghte of the Romaynes hoste by the whiche pollycie he brought to passe that Crispine thinking Anniball to be at hande toke shyppyng and fledde ¶ P. Scipio in Lidia perceyuing that Antiochus hoste was soore beaten with gayne that fell day and nyght contynually and not onely his men and horses began to faynte but also his bowes the strynges beinge wette were weake and vnprofytable encouraged his menne to pytche the fielde the morowe folowyng not withstandyng it was a dismall day and by this counsell he wan the victory ¶ Whan the Vacceians in a pyght field were hardly matched with Sempronius Gracchus they compassed all their army with waynes furnysshed with valyant men of armes in womens apparell Whan Sempronius boldly vanced forwarde to besiege his enmies as though he had gone agaynst a companye of women they that were in the waynes sette on and put hym to flyghte Eumenes Sardianus one of Alexanders successours was inclosed in a certaine castell where he coulde not exercise his horses auaunced them vp before at certayne houres dayly in suche wise that they rested vpō their hinder fete hauyng their forefete reysed vppe on hyghe and whan they sought to haue their naturall wonte and standyng they trauersed and flonge with their heles vntil they swette ¶ What tyme the barbarous aliens pro mised Cato men to conducte hym in his iourney and also a garrison to ayd him so that he wolde gyue them a great some of money he stacke nat at the matter to promyse them largely bycause he might other paye them obtaynynge the victory with the spoyles of his ennemies or by their deathe be lowsed of his promyse ¶ Quintus Maximus commaunded to calle vnto hym oone Statilius a noble man of armes approued in dede whiche intended to flee frome hym vnto his enemies and made an excuse vnto him that through the enuye of his felowes he neuer knewe vnto that day his manly qualities than gyuynge to hym a horse and money he opteyned that this man whiche came vnto him feareful his conscience accusynge hym departed chierefull And soo of hym that was before to be mystrusted he had a faythful and valyant man of armes euer after Whan Phylyp hard that one Pithias a valyant warriour of his had withdrawen his good wyl from him bicause that he had scante to susteyne his iii. doughters and was nothynge relieued of the kynge certayne men warned the kynge to take hede and beware of hym What quod the kynge if I had a parte of my body diseased shoulde I rather
want may seme not to lacke or howe we may supplye the vse of them Capit. 7. L. Cecilius Metellus bycause he lacked shyppes to conuey his elephantes ouer the water ioyned barrelles and tonnes togyther and couered them with bourdes and theron sette his elephantes and so paste the see at Sicile Whan Anniball coulde not compel his elephantes to take the streame of a depe ryuer neyther had any vessels to conuey them in he commaunded one of the fiercest elephantes to be wounded vnder the eare and as soone as he that strake hym had so done to swymme ouer the ryuer and then to ronne streight forthe The elephante beinge sore moued and greued with the wounde swamme after hym ouer the ryuer to reuenge his griefe so gaue all the other stomake to do the like Whan the capitayns of carthage shuld tacle theyr nauye and wanted stuffe to make ropes they clipped womens heare and made ropes therof Lykewyse dyd the Masiliens and the Rhodiens M. Antonius gaue his souldiers barkes of trees in stede of tergates Spartacus and his army vsed shildes of osyers couered with beastes skynnes The noble dede of Alexander of Macedon I thynke worthy to be remembred in this place He leadynge his armye through the desertes of Afryke was greued with extreme thyrste whan one of his souldiours brought hym water in a salet he poured it out in the syghte of all his army countynge more profyt in giuyng them example of temperancy than either to haue dronke the water hym self or to haue bestowed it on some the other remaynynge styll thirsty ¶ To set ennemies at diuision Cap. viii VUhat tyme Coriolanus by warre wolde reuenge the shame of his con demnation he commaunded his men of armes in any wise to spare the senatours landes burnynge and wastynge all that longed to the common people therby intendinge discension sowed among them to set the commons agaynste the lordes ¶ Anniball not able to matche Fabius in strengthe and feates of warre thynkynge to greue hym by some sclaunder forbare to hurte Fabius landes and possessions and spoyled other mennes On the other syde Fabius to thende the cytezens shulde not mystruste his fydelitie gaue all his landes to the comon welthe through which great noblenes of minde his trouthe and loyaltie was nothynge suspected ¶ Fabius Maximus the fyft time that he was consull bycause the army of the Gaulles the Umbrians the Etruscians and Samnites ioyned together agaynst the Romaynes whiche to withstande he fortified his fielde beyonde the mountayne Apennine wrote letters to Fuluius and Posthumius that laye in garryson to defende the citie that they shulde remoue with theyr power to Sitium whiche thynges doone the Etruscians and Umbrians drewe home to defende theyr owne leauynge behynde them the Samnites and Gaulles whom Fabius and his felowe Decius did set vpon and ouercame ¶ What tyme a huge nombre of the Sa bines lefte theyr owne costes and inuaded the borders of the Romaynes Marcus Curius sent forthe by secrete wayes a power of menne to sette fyer here and there on theyr vyllages and townes and so were the Sabines fayne to retourne and to rescue the wast and destruction at home Thus Curius withoute fyght droue backe the great host and greuously assaulted theyr borders nowe in maner vacant fleing them that they caught here and there scatered ¶ T. Didius mystrustynge his smalle nombre sought meanes to prolonge the battayle vntyll the commyng of certain legions that he loked for and whan he also perceyued that his ennemies went to mete and kepe backe the legyons he called his souldiers together commandynge them to be in a redynes to fyghte gyuynge them warnynge neglygentely to kepe theyr prysoners of the whiche some fled awaye and broughte worde to theyr company that Didius was prepared to battayle the whiche thynge harde they lefte of to laye any longer wayte for the legions by that meanes they came safe without any resistēce vnto Didius ¶ In the warre ayenste the Carthaginenses certain cities had purposed to fal from the Romaynes vnto them but fyrst they imagined how to get home agayne the hostages which they had giuen vnto the Romaynes Therfore they fayned that there was a great sedytion amonge the borderers the whiche coulde not be aswaged and appeased excepte the Romaynes sente ouer theyr ambassadours and whan they were sente and come the cities kepte them as contrary hostages and pledges and wolde not suffre them to retourne home vntyll they had receiued agayne theyr owne ¶ The Romayne ambassadours sente vnto kynge Antiochus which had nowe after the conquest of the Carthaginens Annibal in court with him whose counsayle he moche vsed ayenst the Romaynes brought to passe by their sondry talkynges with Annyball that the kynge suspected him whyche before was greatly in his fauour and worthy so to be both for his wylynesse and greate experience in warre ¶ Q. Metellus warrynge agaynst Iugurth corrupted the ambassadours sent to hym that they shuld betray Iugurth Also whan other came he dyd lykewise and euen soo vsed theym that were the thirde tyme sent to hym But as for the takynge of Iugurth the matter wente slowely forwarde for he wold haue him delyuered alyue but yet he wroughte a great feate by this polycie for whan the letters that he addressed to Iugurthes frendes were intercepte and taken he slewe theym all and beynge spoyled of his counsaylours he coulde afterwarde gette no frendes ¶ Whan that C. Cesar had taken a certayne water lagger and had knowlege by hym that Afranius Petreius that night wolde remoue theyr tentes he purposyng to lette his ennemies of their intent withoute vexynge of his armye by and by in the begynnynge of the nyghte made his men to crie and cal for vessels and to dryue mules with moche noyse ayenst the campe of his aduersaries and to contynue that noyse the moste part of the nyght and so made them beleue whi che of purpose he caused to tary styl that he hym selfe had remoued ¶ Whan the Affricanes passed the sees into Sicille with a great hoste to assaut Dionisius kynge of Siracusa he fortyfyed Castelles in dyuers places commaundynge the kepers neuer the lesse to yelde theym to theyr ennemyes and whan they were dysmissed to retourne priuily vnto Syracusa whiche castelles of necessitie the Aphricans were dryuen to furnyshe with garrisons And by this meanes whan Dionisius had broughte the armye of his ennemies to a smalle number as his desyre was and had gathered his own strength togither setting vppon them vanquished his ennemies ¶ Agesilaus of Lacedemon makynge warre ayenste Tysaphernes fayned to conducte his armye into Caria there to take the aduantage of the hylles ayenst his enemies whiche were stronger than he in power of horsemen by the whiche bragge and polycie he entyced Tysaphernes into Caria which done he brake into Lidia the heed of the kyngedom of his ennemie and oppressynge those that he there founde gatte the kinges tresure ¶ To pacifye the sedition
the necessitie of fyght and therfore conducted and lay with his host on a rough rocky hylle behynd vynes Liuius Salinator and Claudius Nero brought all their power vnto the syde wynges leauynge the fore frunt voyde and soo settynge vppon hym on bothe sydes ouercame hym ¶ Xantippus capitayne of the Lacedemoniens in Aphrike ageynste M. Attilius Regulus sette his lyght harneysed in the forwarde and in the rerewarde the chiefe and strengthe of all the hoste and cōmanded other his souldiors after they had flung their dartes y t they shuld giue place to their ennemies and as soone as they were come agayne into their order and araye by and by they shulde rounne forthe on eche syde and breake out agein from the wynges and so gette behynde their ennemyes that whan their ennemies were no we come and receyued of the stronger warde they myghte inclose them rounde aboute ¶ Sertorius vsed the same feate in Spayne ageynste Pompey ¶ Cleandridas a Lacedemoniē against Lycaonos set his host very thicke thronged togyther that it myght muster moch lesse than it was and his enemies therby takynge the lesse regarde euen in the very fyght he opened and deuyded his order and arraye into syde wynges and so inclosng his enemys distroied them ¶ Whan Castronius of Lacedemonia came to succour the Aegyptians against the Perseans knowynge that the Grekes were the better menne of warre and more dreade of the Perseans theyr armure and apparell chaunged he set the Grekes in the forefrunt and whyle they held the Perseās hard egally matched them he sent to theym a bande of the Egyptians armed lyke Grekes the Perscans whiche were scante able to resyste the Grekes whom they toke for Aegyptians no we perceyuynge an other multitude come vpon them whome they beleued to be Grekes were vtterly dismaied and fledde ¶ Cn. Pompeius in Albania perceyuinge that his ennemyes were stronger bothe in nombre and of horse men commanded his horse men that in the straites nere vnto a lyttell hyll they shoulde couer theyr helmettes lest by theyr bright nes they myghte be sene Then to march forth on horsebacke and as it were to go forthe before the fotemen and charged them also that at the fyrste assaulte they shoulde gyue backe vntyll they came to the fote men and thenne flee out in syde wynges the whiche thynge doone the place beinge dyscouered the battayle of the fote men appered sodenly in the middes inclosyng his enmys slewe them ¶ Whan Anniball in Aphrike agaynste Scipio had furnyshed his army of Penians and other that aided hym For he had in his host straungers not onely out of dyuers partes but also of Italye next to lxxx elephantes whiche he hadde set in the forewarde to trouble and breake the arraye of his ennemyes he sette the frenchemen Genowayes Baliares and the Mauritans to the intent they shuld not flee the Penians beinge at theyr backes and beynge set ageynste his ennemies if they dyd none other hurte yet at leaste they shulde wery theym then his owne and the Macedons freshe lusty to encountre with the Romaynes weried he set in the myddell warde and laste of all he ordred the Italians whose fidelytie and faynte courage he mystrusted bycause he had brought many of theym out of Italy ageynste theyr wylles Scipto ageynste this order and arraye set the strengthe of his legion ordred in thre batayles in the front the speare men and the chiefe and strongeste souldiours he ioyned not his cohortes to gether but lefte a space betwene them through whiche the elephantes dryuen by theyr ennemyes myght easely passe without troublynge or breakinge the order of his battayles those spaces betwene he fylled with souldiours in lyghte harneys that the arraye shulde not be sene or shewe open whiche had in commaundement that at the violent commynge of the elephantes they shulde eyther recule backe orels go a syde farther he ordeyned that the horsemen shoulde be in the wynges and ouer the Romayne horsemen in the ryght wynge he appoynted Lelius and Masinissa ouer the Numidians in the lefte wynge whiche prudente order no doubte was cause of the victorie C. Cesar by the same meanes that is to saye with stakes kepte of the hoked chariottes of the frenche men Whan Alexander at Arbela was in drede of the multitude of his ennemies and yet neuerthelesse had good affyance in the manlynesse of his souldiours he so ordered his battayles that they might tourne them selfe euery way and fyghte on euery syde if they chaunced to be enclosed of their ennemies Archelaus ageynst L. Sylla set chariottes armed with hokes lyke sythes in the fronte of his battayle to trouble and breake the array of his ennemies in the seconde battayle he sette al the foote men in array after the facion of Macedons in the thyrde battaylle as the Romaynes vsed he sette them that came to ayde hym myngled with fugitiues that were fledde out of Italie whose constancy he moche trusted the lyght harneised he set vttermooste of all Than to inclose his ennemies he ordred his horsemen in two wynges of whome he had a great number Agaynst these ordinaunces Sylla lette caste a brode diche on eyther syde of his campe the heedes of whiche he fortified with bastiedes or fortresses to the intent he wolde not be inclosed of his enmies and assayled on all sydes with the number of fote men and namely of the horsemen whiche were very stronge Than he ordered his foote men in thre battayles leauynge spaces for the lyght harneysed and for the horsemen whome he sette vttermoste of all that whanne nede requyred he myghte sende theym forthe Farther he commaunded theym that shuld defende the standerde whiche were in the seconde battayle to driue stakes in the grounde thycke together bytwene the whiche whan the waynes armed with sythes approched he receyued his armie Than at laste makynge all a great shoute togyther he commaunded the souldiours that were lyght harneysed to throwe their dartes whiche done the enemies waynes armed with sithes eyther combred with the stakes or feared with the clamour and noyse or greued with the dartes tourned agayne vppon their owne host and disturbed and brake the array of the Macedones whiche reculynge backe and Sylla pursuing Archelaus sette to incountre hym his hors men the whiche the horsemen of the Romaynes put to flyght and acheued the vyctorie Whan that C. Duillius perceyued his great shyps to be deluded with the excedyng swift nauy of the Carthaginenses and that the manlynesse of his sowldyours stode hym in no stede he imagined handes of yron to catche and claspe his enmies shyppes to his whyles he might caste ouer brydges and so come togither to trie the matter by the whiche meanes he distroyed them ¶ Howe to trouble and disorder the araye Capit. 4. VUhan that Papirius Cursor shuld encountre with the Samnites in tyme of battayle he commaunded Spurius Naucius his company knowinge nothyng therof that a fewe of the drudges and horsekepers rydyng on
mules drawynge grene bowes after them on the grounde shulde runne out togyther ouerthwart the hyll with a great noyse as sone as these felawes were come forth on this maner Papirius beholdyng thē cried with a lowde voice that his felowe was surely come to preuente hym of the vyctorie By the whiche bragge the Romaynes were greatlye encouraged and dryuynge their ennemies fiercely before them ▪ put them to flyght F. Rutilus Maximus in his fourthe consulshyppe at Samnium assayed by all meanes howe be it in vayne to breke through the aray of his ennemies yet at the last he priuily brought in a company of speare men and sent them about with Scipio to take the other syde of the hyl where they might comme downe on the backe syde of his ennemies the whyche thynge doone the Romaynes courage encreased and the Samnites being dismayde and seckynge to flee were all togyther slayne Whan that Minutius Ruffus was ouermatched with the great multitude of the Scordisciens and the Daces he sent his brother and a fewe horsemen before hym with the trumpetours to blowe a larum and so it came to passe that when his ennemyes harde the great noyse and sawe a face of a great multitude appere out of the hylles they were vtterly amased and fledde Acilius Glabrio consul agaynste the hooste of kynge Antiochus whiche he brought into Achaia throughe the straytes of Thermopylas had not ben deceyued but also discomfited by the inconuemency of the place excepte he had sente Portius Cato tribune to ouerthrowe the toppes of the mountayne Callydronius and so hadde sodeynely appiered on the backe syde the hyl ouer the kynges cāpe for by this meanes was Antiochus host disturbed and put to flyght the Romaynes breakyng in on bothe sydes of them and takynge theyr campe also Whan C. Sulpitius Petreius consul shuld fyght agaynst the french mē he cōmaunded the horse kepers and carters priuily to conuey them selfe into the next hylles with theyr mules and to aduance and shewe them selfes whan both hostes were ioyned together in fight as though they hadde ben horsemen at the whiche syght the frenche men supposynge that there came socour to the Romayns gaue backe where they had almost gotten the vpper hande Whan Marius nere vnto the waters called Aque sextie purposed the day folo wynge to fyght agaynst the duche men he sente by nighte Marcellus knyghte with a small power of fotemen and certayne horsemen on the backe syde of his ennemies and that they myghte make a shewe of a great multitude he commanded the horse kepers cookes and drudges to goo also harneysed takynge theyr beastes with them couered and laden with beddynge and other baggage and to come down on the backe side their ennemys whan they perceyued the battayl began by the whiche colour theyr ennemys were striken with so gret feare that they tourned theyr backes and fled ¶ Licinius Crassus in the battaylle of the fugitiues in the campe of Calamarcum rangynge oute his army agaynste Castus and Canimocus capitaynes of the frenche men sente behynde the hylle xii cohortes with C. Promptinus and Q. Martius Rufus his capitains whiche whan the battayle beganne makyng great shoute and crie soo sharpely set on their ennemies behynde at their backes that they were discomfited and in euery place where they shulde haue foughte sought meanes to flee ¶ Marcellus fearyng lest the cry of his souldiours shuld disclose the smal nombre of them commaunded the drudges horse kepers and all the rascalles that folowed the host to make noyse and crye to gether and soo vnder the colour of a great multitude he feared his ennemys ¶ Whan Ualerius Leuinus fought agaynst Pirrhus and had kylde a rascall souldiour he helde vp his sworde al blodye and made bothe the hostes beleue that he had slayne kynge Pirrhus wherfore his ennemyes supposyng them selfe to be destitute by the deathe of theyr capitayne all abasshed with that lye returned agayne into theyr campe ¶ Iugurthe in the batayle agaynste C. Marius hauyng knowlege of the latine tongue by longe conuersation with the Romayne hoste came out in to the forewarde cryinge in latyne Ego C. Marium occidi I haue slayn Marius which wordes caused many Romayns to recule ¶ Mironides of Athens in a doubtfull and daungerouse battayle agaynste the Thebans sodenly lepte forthe in to the ryghte wynge of his host cryenge with a loude voyce that he had got the victory on the lefte wynge Wherby he so encouraged his owne men and so discomfited his ennemies that he gatte the vyctorie ¶ Cresus agaynste a myghty power of horsemen of his ennemies sette oute a great nomber of camelles at the which straunge syght the horses beinge amased not onely ouerthrewe those that bestrod them but also bore downe the aray of the foote men makynge theym a pray for their ennemies ¶ Pirrhus kynge of the Epirotiens in battayle with the Tarentines agaynste the Romaynes after the same maner brake the aray with elephantes The Carthaginenses also ofttymes vsed the same policy ageinst the Romans ¶ Whan the Uolsciens on a tyme had pitched their tentes nere vnto groues woddes Camillus sette fyre on all that wolde bourne euen vnto his ennemies tentes and brent them out of their cāpe ¶ The Spanyardes ageinst Hamilcar sette oxen in their forward with waynes fast yoked one vnto an other and in the waynes layd they brondes apt to burne with drie styckes myngled with brymstone and whan the token was gyuen to fyght they set those thynges a fyre dryuyng the oxen vpon their ennemies and so amased them and brake theyr aray ¶ The Phalisciens and the Tarquiniens decked and set forth certayne of their souldiours in prtestes apparaylle with fyrebrandes and serpentes like furies of helle and so troubled and disordered the Romaynes araye ¶ Whanne Athas kynge of Srithia fought agaynst a huge hoste of the Tribulliens he commaunded that women chylderne and all that were vnmete to battayle shulde brynge droues of asses and oxen on the backwarde of their ennemies auauncyng and shewyng their speares in their handes than he caused a rumour to be spred abrode that the farther Scithiens were come to ayde hym by the whiche polycie he putte his ennemies to flyght ¶ Of traynes and disceytes Cap. v. ROmulus layenge parte of his army in secrete embushement approched vnto the Fideniens from whom he faynyng hym selfe to flee brought them hastily pursuyng him thither where his imbushementes lay whiche being sparpled out of order they assayled on euery syde and easily slewe Q. Fabius Maximus consul beynge sente to succour the Sutrines agaynste the Hetrusciens so ordered the matter that the hole power of his ennemies set agaynste hym than dissemblynge as he feared them and as though he fled got the higher grounde on whom folowing him out of aray and order he sharply set and not onely vanquyshed them but also gotte their campe Sempronius Gracchus ageynste the Celtiberiens fyrste makynge as though he had bene afrayde kepte in
gaue them good hope and comfort that some profit shuld folowe therof The same Sylla whan they that came to ayde hym were by chaunce inclosed of theyr ennemyes and slayne standynge in dreade leste that misaduenture shulde discourage all the rest of his army sayde openly that those felowes had conspired to forsake hym Wherfore he sent them of set purpose in to those inconuenient places Thus vnder a colour as he had reuenged hym selfe he cloked that manyfest calamite and comforted al his army Whan kynge Syphax ambassadours broughte worde vnto Scipio that he shulde not passe oute of Sicilia in to Aphrike in truste of his societie and ayde and fearynge lest these tydynges myght abate his souldiors courage to here that the leage and societye betwene them and the kynge was broken he sent away the ambassadours quickly and spred abrode a fame that Syphax had sent for him of his owne accorde When a barbarouse alyen in battayle had brought worde vnto Q. Sertorius that Herculeius was slayne he strayte slewe hym with his dagger lest he shuld haue borne these tydynges any further and discouraged the army Alcibiades in a sore battaylle agaynste the Abydiens perceyuynge a messanger make great haste to warde hym with sad and heuy chere wolde not suffer hym to doo his message openly but after by secrete relation he had knowlege that his nauye was assaylled of Phannabasus the kynges lieutenaunt he kept all thinges close bothe from his ennemies and also from his owne men and the batayl ended went and rescued his nauie Anniball takynge his iourney towarde Italy was left and forsaken of iii. thousande carpenters whiche were horsemen fightyng in chariottes and lest his other men shuld haue ben therby discouraged he sayde openly that he hym self had sent them away and that credence myght be gyuen to his sayeng he sent also certayn home ageyne that coulde away with no great labour L. Lucullus perceyuing that the hors men of Macedony which were hyred to helpe hym sodeynely consentynge togyther fledde frome hym to his ennemies commanded to blowe the trumpettes to battayle and sent forth certayne companies to folowe theym his ennemies supposynge that they shoulde ioyne in battayle receyued the Macedoniens fleing to them with the poynt of their wepons they than perceyuynge that the contrary part receyued them not and that they were in great ieoperdy of them that they forsoke by necessitie compelled tourned them selfe vnto fyght and fiercely inuaded Lucullus ennemies Whan Datames capitayn of the Perseans agaynst Anthophradates in Cappadocia perceiued that part of his horsmen were fledde away he commaunded all the reste to folowe hym and whan he had ouertakē them he lauded and gaue them great thankes that they hadde soo cherefully sette oute before hym he also exhorted and encouraged them manfully to sette vppon his ennemye The whiche thynge brought these runawayes for very shame to repentaunce in soo moche that they chaunged theyr purpose thynkynge that it was not perceyued T. Duintius Capitolinus consul on a tyme whan the Romaines began to flee imagined and fayned that his ennemies on the other wynge were put to flyghte and so comfortynge and strengthnynge his men obteyned the vyctorie Whan Cn. Manlius agaynste the Hetrusciens perceyued that his felowe Fabius whiche gouerned the lefte wynge was sore wounded therfore part of his host began to flee beleuyng that the consul had ben slayn he ranne agaynst them with companyes of horsemen cryenge that bothe his felowe lyued and that he had vanquished the ryght wynge by the whiche constant and bolde mynde he refreshed and renewed his mens courage and got the vyctory Marius agaynst the Cimbrians and Almaynes when they that pytched the tentes hadde soo vnwysely chosen theyr campe that the water was in the barbarouse mens handes his army complaynynge and callynge for water poynted theyr ennemys with his synger saying Yonder you must fetche it by the whiche secrete incitation he so moued them that strayght waye they dystroyed the barbarouse alyens ¶ Howe to order the Battayle by constancy Capi. viii SCruius Tullius a yonge man in the battail wherin Tarquinius the king encountred with the Sabines perceyuing that the souldiers fought nothinge freshely toke the standarde and violently flange it among his ennemies the Ro maynes so ardently foughte to wynne agayne theyr standarde that they recouered theyr standarde and also the vyctory Furius Agrippa consull for as moche as a wynge of his army began to recule plucked the baner from hym that bare it and flonge it amonge the horsemenne of the Hernitiens his ennemies wherby he restored the battayle the Romaynes endeuoured them selfe with hygh courage to recouer their standerde T. Duintius Capitolinus lykewyse flunge his standarde amonge his ennemies the Phalisciens and bad his souldiours go fetche it ageyne Whan M. Furius Camillus marshal of the hoste and hauynge the consulles power behelde his armye stagger and stand at a stay caught violently the stan derde bearer drew hym with his handes vppon his ennemies the Uolsciens and Latines and than very shame made all the other to folowe Whan M. Attilius consule in the battayle agaynste the Samnites sawe certayne of the souldiours flee ageyne into their tentes out of the fielde sette out an armye of his agaynste them affirminge that they shuld fyght with him and with worthy citezens if they wolde not gladly fyghte with theyr ennemies and by that meanes he brought them all agayne into the battayle L. Sylla whanne the legions reculed and gaue place vnto Mithridates hoste ledde by Archelaus with his sworde drawen ranne forth into the forewarde and callynge his souldiours sayde If any man inquyre of you where ye lefte your capitayne answere fyghtyng in Boetia for shame wherof they all folowed him Diuus Iulius at Munda his men reculynge backe commaunded his horse to be led out of his syght and stept forth a fote in to the forewarde his souldiours beinge ashamed to leaue theyr capitayne destitute began lustyly to fyght a freshe Philippus fearynge lest his men wold not susteyne and endure the vyolence of the Scythians set his most trusty horsemen on the rere warde commaundynge them to suffer none of theyr felowes to flee out of the fyght and to slee all suche as wolde neades departe by reason of the whiche charge it came to passe that they whiche were mooste fearefull and cowardelyke chose rather to be slayne of theyr ennemies thanne of theyr owne felowes and so he obteyned the victory ¶ What thynges are to be doone after the battayle ys the mattier prosper and to confirme and establishe the resydue of the warre Ca. ix VUhan C. Marius had vanquyshed the Almaynes in battayle bycause the nyghte was at hande he enclosed the resydue fearynge and kepynge them all nyght wakynge by noyse and crienge of a fewe souldiours wherby on the morow he more easily ouercame theym disquieted all the nyght before Whan Claudius Nero had ouercome the Penians with theyr capitayne Hasdruball hastynge oute of Spayne
vnto the campe wherin the fyres were diligentely maynteyned by a fewe that remayned behynd to make a shewe as there hadde layne a great multitude Of fleinge away Cap. xiii VUhan the Gaules shuld fyght with Attalus they delyuered all theyr golde and syluer to be kepte of certayne men that myghte scatter it abroode if it happened them to be putte to flyghte to the entent they myght the more easily escape theyr ennemyes beinge let with gatherynge vp the praye Tryphon kynge of Siria being vanquyshed scattered money al the way that he fledde and so he hyndered Antiochus horsemen that pursued hym and escaped theym ¶ Whan Q. Sertorius was putte to flyght of Quintius Metellus Pius he supposed not a thynge sure inough only to fle but also warned his souldiours to disparple them selfes diuers wayes and tolde them whyther he wolde haue them resorte ¶ Uiriatus capytayne of the Lucitaniens escaped the Romayne army and also the daungerouse incommoditie of the costes by the same reson that Sertorius dydde fyrste disceuerynge his host and then assemblynge it together agayne ¶ What tyme Porcennas host laye sore vpon Horatius Cocles he had his men retorne into the citie by the bridge and to hewe it downe behynde hym to thende theyr ennemies shulde not folowe them and all the meane space while this thing was doynge he hym selfe standynge before the head of the brydge kepte of his ennemies and at length whan he hard the brydge cracke as it brake he sprange in to the myddest of the ryuer and swam ouer not with weapons but with woūdes all to loden ¶ Whan Afranius fled from Cesar in Spayne vnto Ilerda Caesar styll pursuynge nere vppon hym he stayde and pighte his tentes and whan Cesar had done lykewyse and sente his men a forragynge sodeynly he gaue a token to departe agayne ¶ Philippus beinge discomfyted in Epirus lest the Romaynes shuld oppresse hym fleinge opteyned a truce to burye them that were slayne by reason wherof the watche beinge somwhat negligente he escaped Whan P. Claudius was ouercome of the Penians in battayle on the see and must nedes breke out through the strēgth of his ennemies he commaunded other xx to be garnyshed and sette forthe lyke shyppes of victory at the syghte wherof the Penians supposed the Romains had gotten the vyctory and this he brake out terrible and dreadful to his enemys The Carthaginenses beinge vanquyshed by see and ymagynynge howe to turne backe the Romaynes that folowed and pursued them fayned them selfes to be dryuen vppon the shalowe sondes and whyles they that chased theym stode in dout what to do for feare of lyke misaduēture where none was they gaue them space to escape and go theyr way Whan Comminius Atrabas vanquyshed of D. Iulius fledde out of France into Britayne and arryued by chaunce in a part of the Ocean with a gayl wind but with a lowe tyde although his shippes stacke faste in the drye strondes yet neuer the lesse he commaunded to hoyse vp the sayles than Cesar that pursued and folowed hym seynge afarre of the sayles swellynge with fulle wynde and supposynge his enemy to haue ben plucked from hym with prosperous passage returned backe ageyne The ende of the seconde boke THE THYRDE BOKE THE PREFACE IF I wyst that the two bokes afore dyd accordingly answere to their titles and that they hadde hytherto assured the reder to harken to them I wolde nowe descriue the stratagemes and policies touchyng the assaute and defense of townes nother wyll I make any delay by presocution but woll fyrste wryte what thinges ar nedefull for the assautyng conqueryng of townes and than what thinges may instructe the besieged Of sodeyne assaute Capit. i. WHAN T. Quintius Consul had vanquyshed the Equiens and the Uolsciens and determyned to conquere the towne called Antium he assemblynge his armye to gyther declared to them howe necessarie and howe easy a thyng it was to do if they wold spedily go theraboute and with that lusty courage that his exhortation had kyndeled vp he sette vpon the citie ¶ Marcus Cato consydered that the meanes to obteyne a certayne Citie in Spayne was to inuade them vnwares and soo he traueyled in the space of two dayes throughe a rough rocky and deserte grounde iiii dayes iourneye and oppressed his ennemyes dredynge noo suche thynge And after whan his souldiours that had wonne the victorye inquired of hym howe this mater came so easely to passe he answered That then they got the victorie when in two dayes they trauayled iiii dayes iourney ¶ showe to deceyue them that be besyeged Capi. ii VUhā Domitius Caluinus had besieged Luca a Citie of the Genowayes not onely sure fensed with situation and prouysion but also with force and strength of men he vsed ofte tymes to range about the walles with al his ar mye and soo to recule agayne in to his Campe the whiche custome perswaded the townesmen to thynke that the Romaynes vsed this feate onelye for a pastyme and therfore lyttell regardynge what theyr endeuour was Caluinus no longer ranged out after his olde wonte but sodeynly assauted the citie and scaled the walles so sore oppressyng them that they were fayne to yelde them selfes and theyr towne C. Duillius consul ofte tymes exercisynge his men of warre and also his mariners caused the Penians to be careles and therfore they lyttell regarded hym at the tyme when he sodenly layde his nauy harde to the wall and scaled it Anniball toke many cities in Italy by sendynge certayne of his men of armes before hym arrayed lyke Romaynes the whiche by reason of the longe warre betwene them spake also latyne The Archadiens besiegynge a castell of the Messenians prepared certayn armure and apparayle after the fascion of their ennemies at the same season whan they had knowlege that theyr ennemies shoulde haue other succours come vnto them and puttyng on the sayd lyke harneys and apparayle that they ware whiche the Messenians loked fore came and were receyued as theyr felowes and soo with slaughter of their enemies wonne the castelle Cimon capitayne of the Atheniens intendynge priuily to take a certayne citie in Caria he vnloked for sette fire on the religious temple of Diana and the wod which stode without the walles so the townes men runnynge oute to helpe to quenche the fyre he toke the citie voyde of them that shulde defende it Whan Alcibiades capitain of Athens layde siege to a cite of the Agrigentines strongely fortified he desyred that they myght consulte and talke togyther and as it were of thinges pertayning to both their welthes he longe reasoned and argued in the Theater and thus whyle he withhelde the multitude vnder a coloure of counsaylynge the Athenians whiche he had appoynted for the nonce toke the citie vndefended Epaminundas of Thebes in Archadia vpon a holy day seinge the wyfes of his enmies wandering without the walles sent out amonge theym many of his souldiours in womens apparaylle and they beinge receiued at nyght within
cut it of than heale it Afterwarde he priuily called Bithias vnto hym and perceyuyng howe poore and harde a life he lad gaue hym money largely and so euer after he founde hym more trustye faythfull and better than euer he dyd before T. Nuintus Crispinus after the great misauenture in the battayle ageyust the Carthaginens wherin his felow Marcellus was slayn ê‘ceiung that Annibal had gotten the signet of his sayde frende Marcellus he sent letters throughe out all Italy that they shulde gyue noo credence if any pistle came vnto them sealed with Marcellus signet throughe the whiche monition Annibal his disceites wherby he attempted to gette Salapia and other cities were all in vayne After the gret losse and dyscomfiture at Cannas the hartes of the Romaynes were so dismayde and discomfited that a great parte of them whiche were lefte alyue toke counsell with the nobles and determyned to forsake Italye Publius Scipio beinge yet a very yonge manne broke vyolently into the same company where as these thynges were reasoned and playnly protested that he wolde slee hym with his owne hande whiche so euer of theym wolde not take an othe to stande and abyde by the common welth and whan he had fyrst bounde hym selfe with an othe he drewe his sworde thretnynge to slee hym that was nexte hym if he made not the same oth thus by fear he compelled hym and the other by his example to sweare the same othe ¶ Whan Milciades had scattered and ouerthrowen a great number of the Perseans at Marathon he compelled the Athenians whiche prolonged the tyme in thankes giuynge to make spede toward the aide of a citie whiche the Perseans nauye intended to inuade And whan he had preuented them replenysshed the walles with harneyssed men the Perseans thynkynge the number of the Athenians to be great and that the battaylle at Marathon was foughte with one armye and the walles kepte with an other made about streyght way with their nauy toke their passage ageyn into Asia ¶ what time Pisistratus had taken the Megarenciens nauy wherin they came to Elewsis by nyght to haue rauysshed the women of Athens beinge as than occupied in the sacrifyce of Ceres and had wel reuenged their grefes in sleinge a gret number of the sayd Megarenses he manned the same shyppes that he had taken of theirs with souldiours of Athens settyage oute in syghte aboue the hatches certayn women ordred lyke prisoners at the which syght the Megarensians beinge disceyued and scatteringe out to mete them as though they had beÌ„ their owne companye whiche after their enterprise luckely achieued had returned home and so being vnarmed were ageyn discomfyted ¶ Whan Conon capitayne of the Athenians had ouercome the Perseans nauye at the Ilonde Cyprus he put theyr harneys vpon his owne souldiours and than sayled into Pamphilia where his enmies were in the same shippes whiche he had taken of theyrs The Perseans bycause they knewe the shyppes and the apparayle of them whiche stode aboue the hatches toke no hede to theym selfe and so they beinge sodeynly oppressed were in one selfe day vanquished in battayle bothe by see and on the lande The ende of the fourth boke ¶ Bycause the pages shulde not be vacant we haue added these generalle rules of warre taken out of Vegetius IN all battayles of expedition this is a sure rule That what so euer is profytable to the is hurtefull to thyne aduersarie and that that helpeth hym hyndreth the. Therfore after our ennemies mynd and intent we shuld nothing do or dissemble but do that onely whiche we iudge profytable for vs. For than thou begynnest to do agaynste thy selfe whan thou folowest that that he wolde faynest thou dyddest Ageyne what soo euer thou enterprisest for thy profite shal be agaynst hym if he woll folowe it He that in warre moste laboureth and exerciseth his souldiours in trauayles that longe to the warres shall alwayes susteyne leaste perylle and daungier Neuer range out in the front of the battayle a souldiour of whome before thou haste had none open profe It is better to vanquyshe thyn ennemy with neede with sodeyne inuasyons or with terror thaÌ„ with fyghtyng in playne battayle in the whiche Fortune is wont to beare a greatter stroke than vertue Those counsayles are beste whyche thyne aduersarie knoweth nothynge of tyll they be done in dede Occasion or sodeyne happe in battayle helpeth more than vertue or strength In solycitynge and receyuynge of ennemies whiche faithfully flee vnto the is great truste for the fleers from thyne ennemye to the are to hym more harmefull than they that thou sleest It is better to kepe many stronge wardes behynde the forefront than to sprede to wyde thy warriours It is harde to ouercome hym that can truly iudge his own strength and what power his aduersarye hath More auayleth vertue and strengthe than multitude The well chosen place dothe often tymes more auayle thaÌ„ vertue or strength Nature bringeth forth few strong men but wel diuised ordinance maketh many The armye with labour profiteth with idelnesse waxeth dull Neuer brynge oute thy souldyours to fyght a battayl except thou se them hope to haue the vyctorie Sodayne dedes of warre affrayeth the enmies the vsual featis ar not regardid He that with his people disparpled pur sueth his enemies vnwisely may happe to gyue to his ennemie the vyctorie that he before had gotten He that prepareth not before wheate and vyttayle necessarie for his hooste is vanquyshed without weapon He that hath mo people and is stronger than his ennemie let hym make his forewarde foure square whiche is the fyrsie maner of assaylinge He that is febler than his foo lette hym set his ryght wynge ageynst his enmyes lefte wyng whiche is the seconde maner He that feleth hym selfe strongest in the lyft wynge let him assayle his ennemies ryght winge which is the thyrde maner He that hath in bothe wynges stronge souldiours and well exercised lette hym sette on bothe wynges at ones whiche is the fourthe maner He that can beste rule his lyght harneised lette hym inuade eyther wynge of his ennemies settynge the archers in the forefront whiche is the fyfte maner He that trusteth neyther in the number nor in the strength of his souldiors and must nedes fyght let him with his right wynge assayle his ennemies left wynge stretchynge out the reste of his army like a spyt or broche whiche is the. vi maner He that hath fewer and weaker souldiours lette hym so pytche his fielde that he haue on his one syde a mountayne a citie a see a ryuer or some other thynge and this is the seuenth maner He that trusteth in his horsmen let him ordeyne his fielde in a playne and let the burthen of the battayle reste mooste on the horsemenne He that trusteth in his footemen lette hym pytche his felde on a knap or highe grounde and lette the burthen of the batayle reste most on the foote men If thou suspect that a spye of thyn ennemye lurketh in thyne hoste command that euery man be in his owne lodgynge by day light anon the spy is perceiued Whan thou wottest that thy counsaylle is discouered to thyn enmies than it behoueth the to chaunge thy purpose Treate thou with many what oughte to be done but what thou wylte doo disclose that to fewe that ar most faithfull or els kepe it secrete to thy selfe Peyne and drede chastyseth souldiors whan they lye styl in settynge forwarde hope and mede maketh them better Good capitayns neuer fyght in a pight fielde excepte they be dryuen thereto by sodeyne happe or great nede It is a gret wise policy rather to greue thyn enmie with huÌ„ger thaÌ„ with wepon Let not thyne enmie knowe with what ordinaunce in what maner wyse or how thou intendest to assayl him lest he pÌ„pare ordynance to withstand or distroy thyne Londini in aedibus Thomae Bertheleti typis impress Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ANNO. M. D. XXXIX
to no man his mynd he answered nothing to the messanger sente frome his sonne but walking by chaunce in his gardein with a lyttell rodde strake of the heades of the hyest poppies the messāger retornynge ayen without any aunswere told the younge man Tarquinius what he hadde sene his father do and he vnderstode that the chiefe of the citie were so to be serued ¶ Cesar mistrustinge the Egiptians made as thoughe he hadde bene sure of them passynge the tyme there in beholdynge the pleasures the workes and occupations of theyr Cytie Alexandria gyuynge hym selfe to bankettynge and feastynge as one taken and enamoured with theyr commodities and pleasures fallynge from his olde wonte vnto the maners and lyfe of the Alexandrians and in the meane tyme he prepared and conueyed in to the citie a garrizon wherwith he held and kept the contray Uentidius in the warre of the Parthenians perceyuinge that one Pharncus a Cirreslen borne which were associate with the Romaynes dydde vtter vnto the Parthenians all that was doone in the hoste by policye conuerted the falsehode of the barbarouse straunger vnto his owne greatte profyte for he fayned hym selfe to stande in dreade leste those thynges shulde happen whiche he most coueted and wyshed for those thynges to chaunce whiche he feared most of all Therfore he being pensiue and not a littel afrayde leste the Parthenians shuld come vpon him and passe ouer Euphra tes before that his legyons coulde repayre vnto hym which were in Cappadocia beyonde Taurus he wente ernestlye in hande with the traytour that he shulde by some solemne and accustomed poynte of falshode entise the Parthenians to passe ouer theyr host by Zeugma for as moche as it semed to be the nerest wave saying that if they toke that way he wolde lyghtly delude and auoid their arowes by the oportunitie of the place helpe of the hilles for if they dyd arange forthe theyr army into the open champion grounde he shuld there stande in vtter dispaire The barbarouse host being by hym brought into this opinion lefte the hylles and led about theyr army the lower waye and whyles they were preparynge all thynges nedefull and leyinge bridges ouer the brode water whiche was a very laboriouse and paynfull worke they spente and loste aboue xl dayes In the whiche tyme Uentidius had gathered his strength together and stode in a redynesse iii. dayes before the Parthenians came and so ioyned with theym in battayle and sleinge the better parte of them wonne the felde Mithridates being enclosed by Pompeius sought meanes to flee the morow folowynge and to cloke this his purpose he sent forth his men a forraging euen vnto the valeys harde vnder his ennemies nosis And furthermore to put awaye all suspition he appoynted with many his ennemies to talke with them on the morowe and commanded many fyers to be made through all his army And the nyght folowynge at the sounde of the trumpette in the seconde tyme of watch he brought forthe his hole army euen by the tentes of his ennemies The emperour Domitian called also Germanicus sekynge all meanes how to represse the Germayns whiche kepte them selfes in their armour knewe very well that if the Germaynes shulde perceyue the commynge of so great a capitayne and emperour that they wold prepare theym selfes to warre with moche more endeuour and greter enforcement deceyued them by a pretense of his goinge into France And so sodenly brake in vpon that barbarous and fierce nation and vanquisshed them to the great sauegarde and welthe of the prouinces ¶ What tyme Asdrubal and Anniball his brother lay with theyr armies in son dry placis Claudius Nero chosing and setlyng his campe nye vnto Anniball forasmoche as the sayde Nero coueted to matche and breke the strength of Asdruball before his brother Annibals strength and his were ioyned togyther hauynge also lyttelle confydence in his owne power made haste to his felowe Liuius Salinator that was appoynted to warre ayenste Asoruball And to thende Anniball shoulde not perceyue nor suspecte his departynge whan he had picked out ten thousand of the most valyant men of his hoost he commanded the other that he lefte behynde to kepe watche and warde as they were wont to do kyndlynge as many fyres and settynge forthe the same face and bragge of the armye as before whanne they laye all togyther lest Anniball suspectynge somewhat theyr smal number shulde set upon them And so he departed priuily and came to his felowe and ioyned theyr armyes in one sufferynge in no wyse the campe to be enlarged lest Asdruball perceyuynge some token of his commynge shoulde haue refused to fyght so with bothe theyr powers togither they set vpon hym and ouercame hym and than he agayne with all spede possible returned vnto Anniball Thus by one policie he begyled the oone and oppressed the other two of the moste experte and skylfull capitaynes of Carthage ¶ Themistocles capitaine of Athenes exhortynge the cytezens to repayre spedily their walles whiche they had caste downe by the commaundemente of the Lacedemoniens made aunswere vnto the ambassadours sente from Lacedemon to interrupte that their pourpose that he hym selfe wolde come and putte awaye their suspition And thyther he came where faynynge hym selfe sycke he droue forthe a certayne space and whan he perceyued that his cautell and crafte was suspected he ernestly contended that the rumour was false whiche they had herde requiryng them to sende some of the noble men to Athens which myght credibly informe them of the fortification of the Citie and priuily conueyed letters to his frendes wyllynge them to retayn these ambassadours vntyll they had fully fynyshed theyr work and thanne after to sende worde vnto the Lacedemonians that the citie was well strengthned and defensed and that theyr ambassadours and noble menne myght in no wyse retourne agayne before that they hadde sent Themistocles home the whyche requeste the Lacedemoniens were fayne to fulfylle leste the losse of one man shoulde haue bene the deathe of many Metellus Pius in Spayne beinge demaunded what he was mynded to do the day folowynge aunswered on this wyse If this cote on my backe knewe and coulde vtter it I wolde bourne it Whan a certayne man axed Licinius Crassus what tyme he wolde remoue his armye he aunswered Arte thou afraid thou shalte not knowe that by the trompette ¶ To serche out the secretes of ennemies Capit. ii SCIPIO Aphricanus takyng his occasion and time conuenient sente Lelius in ambassage to kynge Syphax and with hym certain of his chiefe capitaynes and centurions in slaues apparell whose charge was to viewe and marke of what strength the kynges army was They goinge about this of purpose let go an horse and run nynge vppe and downe after hym sawe the place where the greattest parte of al the kynges prouision lay whiche whan they had shewed Scipio the warre by fyer was ended ¶ Whan the Carthaginenses perceyued that Alexanders ryches and power was so greate that he gaped
also after Aphryke they caused one of theyr cytyzens Hamilchar a quycke wytted man and full of courage fayninge hym selfe banyshed to go vnto the kynge and by all endeuour and study to wynne his fauour whiche at length obteyned he disclosed the kinges secretes vnto his contrey men ¶ The same Carthaginenses sent certayne men vnto Rome there to tary for a longe tyme vnder colour of ambassage and so to espy from tyme to tyme what they intended ¶ M. Cato in Spain bicause he coude by no other meanes come to knowlege of the councille of his ennemyes commanded iii. hundreth souldiers violent ly to runne al together vpon the watche men and to snappe vp and safelye to brynge one of them to hym whiche man Cato so racked and tormented that he vttered all the secretes of his company ¶ C. Marius cons. in the warres agaynste the Cymbrians and the Almaynes to the entente to trye whither the frenche men and the Genowayes were his faythfull frendes or no sent them a letter wherof the fyrst parte commaunded they shulde in no wyse open the later parte beinge sealed vntyl a certayne tyme Afterwarde before the daye appoynted was come he sente and requyred those letters agayne and whan he perceyued by the seale that the letters had ben opened he vnderstode they were not his frendes ¶ There is a nother way wherby capitaynes may perceyue moche them selfe As Aemilius Paulus which in the war of the Hetrusciens at Colonia suffering his armye to wander in to the playne sawe a farre of a great flyghte of birdes rise and sodenly flushe out of the wodde wherby he perceyued that there lay embushementes couertly wherfore he sent out strayght way outriders and founde that there laye x. thousande of the Boyens redy to receyue the Romayns thā sente he forth his legions an other way where they were not loked for and on al sydes dyd discomfite them ¶ Lykewyse whan Thyamenes the sonne of Horrestis herde that his ennemies were lodged on a mountaine very stronge of naturall situation he sente his currors afore to know and they makynge relation it was not trewe that was supposed he marched forwarde and as he behelde a great flyght of foules to flye togither from the hylle suspected and in no wyse to alight he demed that the hoste of his ennemies lay there couertly and so conductynge his armie aboute an nother waye he begyled the deceyuours ¶ The kepynge of an order in warre Capi. 3. ALexander Macedo hauyng a vehement and fierce army toke euer this waye in warre to fyghte in playne battayle ¶ Likewise C. Cesar in the ciuil war hauynge his armie by longe vse perfect in feates of armes and knowynge the army of his ennemyes to be yonge and vnexpert alwayes endeuored hym selfe to trie with his enemy in a pyght felde ¶ Fabius Maximus lyenge in warre ayenst Anniball wanton and proude of his great vyctories determyned not to fyght but onely to defend kepe Italy and therby deserued to be called Cunctator a tarier slowe in fyght and yet to be taken for the best and wysest capitayne ¶ The Byzantes ayenst Philyp eschewynge and auoydynge all daungier of playne fyght neglectyng the defence of theyr borders kepte them selfes within the munimentes of their cities and ther by brought to passe that Philyp beyng soore agreued and lothe to abyde the longe besiegyng and assaultes of them wente his way ¶ Has drubal sonne of Gisgon at the se cond warre of Carthage ayenst Spain where as scipio laid hard to his charge deuided his army discomfited into sondrye cities and therby brought to passe that Scipio bycause he wolde not be troubled with the assaut of so many and dyuers cities withdrewe his army into places of reste for all the wynter ¶ Whyle Anniball taryed styl with his armye in Italy Scipio conueyeng his into Aphrike made the Carthaginenses of necessitie cal him home to the defence of his owne countrey and so droue the force of his ennemies out of Italy ¶ To conducte an armye through places besette with ennemyes Cap. 4. EMilius Paulus cons. conductynge his armie throughe a strayte nyghe vnto the see side the Tarentines laying wayte for hym with a nauy and setting vpon his companye with Scorpions couered the syde of his hooste passinge forthe by with suche as he hadde before taken prysoners for regard of whome his ennemies forbare their shotte ¶ When Agelilaus capytayne of the Lacedemonians retourned from Phrigia laden with pillage spoyle his ennemies pursued hym and at all places apt for battaile prouoked him to fyght wherfore he set his prisoners and captyues on both sides his army and so whiles his ennemies fauored them the Lacedemonians at theyr commoditie went away euen by them ¶ Bycause the same Agesilaus coulde not passe with his host certayne straightes defended and kept by the Thebans he vaunced his banners towarde theyr citie of Thebes whereof the Thebans beinge afrayde left the strayghtes and wente to defende theyr citie and so Agesilaus came backe and wente on the same waye that he intended before no man withstandynge hym ¶ Nicostratus capitayne of the Aetolians ayenst the Epirotes seing the passages into theyr borders were straytely kepte ageynste hym he made a face as thoughe he wolde breake in by an other place whither whan all the multytude of the Epirotes ranne to defende he leauynge there a fewe to make a shewe as thoughe the hole hoste taried still with the residue entred in that waye that he was not loked for ¶ Kynge Philip of Macedon in his iourneye towarde Grece harde that the straytes called Thermopylas were taken and kepte of his ennemies and that the Ambassadours of the Aetoliās were come to hym to intreate of peace kepynge them surely by great iourneys hasted to the straytes where they that were set to defende them beinge carelesse and lokynge for the retourne of the ambassadours he passed the straytes ¶ Whan Iphicrates capytayne of Athenes warrynge agaynste Anaxibius of Lacedemon shulde conducte his army by places kepte and defended of his ennemies his passage being on the one syde let with cleues of hylles and on the other syde with the see taryenge stylle a season there came a daye moche colder than was wonte and therfore no manne suspectynge hym he pycked out all the strongest of body of his hoste which beinge warmed with wyne and oyle commaunded theym to swymme so farre by the sees syde tyll they were past the rockes and so vnwares to set vpon and oppresse the kepers of the straytes ¶ Whanne Cn. Pompeius coulde not passe ouer a certayne ryuer by reason of his ennemies whyche laye on the other syde he vsed this polycie ofte tymes to range out his hooste towarde the ryuer and to recule ageyne to his campe at lengthe his ennemye beinge perswaded that he wolde do so stylle he sodaynly rushed out and so wonne the passage ¶ Alexander Macedo beinge lette of Porus kynge of Inde to passe ouer the ryuer Hydaspes with his
of sowldyours Capit. 9. VUhan A. Manlius consule hadde ê‘ceyued that his sowldiours grudged agaynste the menne of Campania where they were nowe lodged conspyrynge togyther to slee theyr hostes and after to take away their goodes he spred abrode this rumour that they shulde lye there stylle all the wynter and thus they of their purpose let and disturbed he delyuered Campania from greate perylle and as tyme and occasion serued punysshed theym that were causers of that sedition ¶ What tyme the legyons of the Romaynes were furiousely sette and bente on peryllous sedition Lucius Sylla restored them from theyr rage vnto a quietenes by this policie He commaunded that worde shulde be broughte hastily to the hooste that their ennemyes were at hande and that they shoulde rayse vp a crye and call them to harneys and blow vp the trumpettes whereby he brake of the sedition they al togyther consenting as nede required agaynst their enmies ¶ What tyme Pompeius hooste hadde slayne the Senatoures of Millan for feare of trouble and busynes that might haue happened yf he shulde haue callid the offenders aloone to examination he sent for them all togither as well for the fautlesse as the gyltie so that they semed to be sent for for some other purpose and therefore appered they that were fautie with lesse feare bycause they came not alone and they whose conscience pleded them not gyltie gaue good attendaunce to kepe them that were fautie leste peraduenture theyr escape and flight might haue tourned them to displeasure ¶ Howe to inhibit the desyre to fyght at tyme inconuenient Cap. x. Q. Sertorius hadde lerned by expetyence that he was not able to matche with the hole host of the Romaines therfore to instructe the barbarouse people that vnaduisedly desired to fight with them he brought forthe two horses before them all the one lusty and strong the other feble weke and two yong meÌ„ also of lyke condition the one strong and lustye the other leane and feble and the strong felowe he commaunded to plucke of the weake horses tayle all at ones the feble felowe to plucke of the lusty horses tayle by lyttell and lyttell And whan the weake man had done that he was commaunded the myghtye man of armes was styl wrastlynge and tuggynge with the weake horse tayle and all in vayne Nowe I haue shewed you saide Sertorius by this example the power of the Romaynes army he that setteth on them all together shall fynde them vnuincyble but he hat setteth on them parte by parte shall easyly crop and weare them to noughte ¶ When Agesilaus capytayne of the LacedemonieÌ„s in warre ayenst the Thebans had pyghte his tentes alonge the ryuer side and perceynynge the power of his ennemies moch stronger than his to restrayne his army from rasshe desyre to fyghte sayde that he was warned of god to fyght on the hylles and thus leauynge a lyttel garrison on the ryuer side gat vp on the hylles The Thebans takynge this to be done for feare passed ouer the ryuer and the garryzon beinge easely put to flyghte pursued very gredely after the other and soo by inconueniencye of the place they were ouercome of a smaller nombre When Scorilo capitayne of the Daciens knewe that the Romaynes were at dyscorde amonge theym selfes nor yet thought the tyme mete to assayle theym for outewarde warre causeth Cytyzens to growe to a concorde he caused in the syght of the people two dogges to fighte together to which most egrely fightyng he shewed forthe a wolfe and forthewith the dogges lefte theyr malyce and felle vpon the wolfe By which example he alayde and ouercame the rage of the barbarouse people that other wyse wolde haue torned to the Romaynes profytte Howe to incourage and stomake an armye to fyght Capit. xi M. Fabius and Cn. Manlius consules in warre ayenst the HetruscieÌ„s theyr armye refusyng to fyght by reason of sedition fayned them self to prolonge and put of the battayle wyllyngly vntyll suche tyme the souldiours constrained with reproches of theyr ennemyes desyred to fyght makyng a solemne oth that they wolde retourne ageyne with vyctorie ¶ Whan Fuluius Nobilior muste nedes trie the matter in fyght with a smalle armye ayenst a greatte noumber of the Samnites whiche were very haute and proude by reason of fauorable fortune he fayned that he had corrupted one of the legions to betraye their felowes and that this myght be the better beleued he commanded the Tribunes the Centurions and all the fyrste order to brynge togyther all the redy moneye golde and syluer that they had that he myght shew the traytours their rewarde promysing to restore them their money agayne whaÌ„ he had opteyned the vyctorie with great rewardes besyde the whiche perswasion gaue the Romaynes greate comfort and courage wherby they pighte a fielde by and by and gatte a worthy vyctorie ¶ Whan C. Cesar shulde fyght agaynst the Germaynes and Ariouistus perceiuynge his souldiours to be of small courage sayde in his exhortation to them he wold haue no mo that day to helpe hym but the tenth legion wherby he brought to passe that the tenthe legion as with a speciall testimonie of manlynes was encouraged and so were the other for very shame least those alone shulde haue had the prayse of manhode ¶ Q. Fabius whiche knewe very well the Romaynes to be of so lyberalle and honest nature that by despite and contumeliouse dealynge they wolde be soone moued vexed and greued lokynge also for noo ryghte nor egall dealynge of the Penians sent vnto Carthage ambassadours to intreate of peace vpon certain condytions whiche whanne they were brought and perceyued to be vnreasonable full of insolency and pryde the Romaynes army was strayghte styred and encouraged to fyghte When that Agesilaus had pyghte his fielde not far from Orchomeno a citye that was in leage with hym and perceyued that many of the armye hadde theyr chyefe ryches and treasure within the campe he commanded the townes men that they shuld receiue nothynge into the towne belongyng to his army to the entent his souldiers myght fyght the more fiercely knowynge that they fought for lyfe and goodes When Epaminundas shulde fyght ayenst the Lacedemonians to thende that the strengthe of his souldiers mighte be holpen with some feruente affection he pronounced in his exhortation that the Lacedemoniens had determyned if they got the vyctory to slee all the men and to make theyr wifes and chyldren bonde for euer and to beate the cytye of Thebes downe flat to the ground With the whiche wordes the Thebans were soo moued and agreued that at the fyrste bront they ouercame the Lacedemoniens Eutidias capitayne of the Lacedemoniens preparynge hym selfe to battayle the same day that other of his companye had obteyned in battayle on the see althoughe he knewe nothynge what was done publisshed abrode that theyr syde had got the vyctory wherby his souldyours were constant and moche imbolded to fyghte A. Posthumius in the battayle wherin he had
encountred with the Latines settynge forthe the shappe of two yonge men on horsebacke greatly stomaked his men of warre sayinge that it was Castor and Pollux whiche came to helpe them and so he recouered the fielde Archidamus capitayne of the Lacedemoniens warrynge ayenst the Archadians caused priuily by nyghte certayne harneys to be layde within his campe and horses to trample aboute the place where the harneys was On the morowe he shewed the trackes or fotynges of the horses as thoughe Castor and Pollux hadde there ryd perswadynge that they wolde not fayle to come and ayde them in theyr battayle ¶ Whan Pericles shuld gyue battaile he espied oute a certayne wodde frome whens both y e hostes myght be sene whi che wodde was very greate thycke and darke dedicate to father Pluto there he ordeyned an image lyke a man of greate stature boted vp aboue the myd thighe in a robe of pourple with a greatte and comely bushe of heare sytting on a hygh chariot drawen with whyte horses the whiche as sone as the banners were displayed and the token of battayle gyuen appered out in the syght of both hostes and called Pericles by name exhortynge and encouragynge hym sayenge The goddis ar on the Atheniens part which caused his enemies at the fyrste encountre to tourne theyr backes and flee L. Sylla to encourage his menne to fyght feyned that the goddis hadde shewed hym what shulde befall And after in the syght of his army euen a lytell before the battayle he prayed to a lyttell image that he hadde from Delphis and desyred that he wolde haste the vyctorie to hym promysed C. Marius had with hym a certayne witche of Siria of whom he fayned to know al aduentures that fel in batayle Q. Sertorius hauynge a very barbarous hoste and dulle of vnderstandyng ledde about through Lusitania a verye fayre and goodly white hynde playnely affirmynge that he knewe by her afore hande all thynges that were eyther to be done or to be eschewed to the entente those barbarous felowes shulde obey all his commaundementes as though they had come from heuen Whan Alexander Macedo shulde doo sacrifice he writte with a certayne water made by crafte for the nonce in the same hande of the southesayer that he shulde put into the beastes bowels the letters sygnified that the vyctorie shulde be giuen to Alexander the which letters quik ly receyued and printed on the warme liuer and by the kyng shewed to the army couraged theyr hartes as thoughe god had promysed them victorie Epaminundas warring ayenst the Lacedemoniens thought it mete to increase the good affiance of his men of armes with some poynt of religion toke awaye by nyghte the harneys and armure that was offred and set vp to adorne the temples perswadynge his souldiours that the goddes folowed hym in his iourney to ayde and helpe them in battayle ¶ Whan Agesilaus had taken certayne of the Persians whose apporte was very terrible as longe as theyr apparayle was on whome he stryped naked and shewed theyr whyte and effemynate bodies to his souldiars to the entente they myght despice them Gelo the tyran of Syracuse entrynge warre ayenste the Penians after that he had taken many of them broughte forth the weakest and most vncomly persons naked in the syght of al his army to persuade them that they were but wretches and men worthy to be despised Cyrus kynge of Perse intendynge to concitate the myndes of his people to wery and angre them with paynefull labour helde them all daye at worke and vtterly tyred them in he wynge vp a certayne wodde and the morowe after he made for them a verye plentuous feaste demaundynge in the feaste tyme whiche daye lyked them best And when they all alowed the pastyme of the daye presente And yet these que he muste he come by by the other for excepte ye fyrste ouercome the Medes ye can neuer lyue in fredome and at pleasure Wherby they toke great courage and desyre to fyght and subdewed theyr ennemies Bycause L. Sylla in warre ayenst Archelaus Mithridates lieuetenant at Pirea perceyued his souldyars had lyttell courage to fyght he so weried them with continuall labour that they were glad to desyre that the token of battayle gyuen they myght fyght Fabius Maximus fearynge leste his host wolde not continue the fyghte manfully by reason they myght quickely flee to theyr shyppes commaunded them to be set on fyer before he began the batayl ¶ Howe to put awaye feare that souldiours conceyue in all vnlucky chaunces Cap. xii SCipio conucyinge his hoste oute of Italy into Aphrike in landynge by chance slypte and cought a fall and perceyuynge that his souldiours were therat abashed with greatte constancye and bolde stomake tourned that whiche cau sed feare into comforte sayinge Harke what I saye my souldiours I haue fallen vpon Aphrike and oppressed it Whan C. Cesar takynge shyppe hast to falle he sayd I perceyue O countrey what thou meanest By whiche interpretation he broughte to passe that they all beleued he shulde safely retourne from whence he departed ¶ Sempronius Gracchus consule his hoste beinge ranged in battayle ayenste the Picentes and bothe partes beynge confounded with a sodeyne erthe quake comforted and couraged his men to inuade theyr ennemyes beinge superstitiousely amased and by this exhortation he ouercame his ennemyes Whan Sertorius sawe that the outesyde of his horsemens tergates and the horses breastes sodeynely as it had bene by some wonderfulle prodigie appered blouddye he by and by expounded it to be a playne token of victorie bycause those partes of the shieldes and horses are wont to be sprinkeled with the bloud of theyr ennemies ¶ Epaminundas perceyuynge that his souldiours were sadde and sorowfull bycause that the banner clothe was blowen of by a great wynde and caryed in to a graue where a Lacedemonian had ben buried sayd Be not afrayde my soudiars this sygnifieth the deathe of the Lacedemoniens for sepulchers be adorned with funerals The same Epaminundas seynge his souldiours were afrayde with a flaake of fyre that fell from heuen in the night sayd Surely god sheweth vs this light in token of comforte As he an other tyme beinge redye to fyght ageinst the Lacedemonians wold haue sytten downe by chance his chayre fell vnder hym wherof his souldiours were greatly abashed saying that commonly suche chaunce betokened greatte mysfortune No not so quod he but here by we be warned that it is no time no we to sytte L. Sulpitius Gallus knowynge that the Eclyps of the mone was at hand lest his souldiours shulde take it for a heuye token warned them therof before hand declarynge vnto them al the reason and causes of the eclyps Lykewyse dyd Agathocles Siracusanus in warre avenst the Penians what tyme the eclypses happened the day before they shulde fyght expounded all the reason therof vnto the armie leste they shulde take any conceite therat taught them that what so euer chanced there it was by course of nature
and not appertayned to theyr affaires Whan on a tyme there fell a great and terrible flushe of lyghtnyng in Pericles campe and made his souldiours greatly afrayde he callyd them togyther and in all theyr syghtes with two stones beaten togyther strake oute fyre shewynge them that lykewise the vyolent dashing to gyther of coutrary elementes and brekyng out of the cloude caused the lyghtnynge wherby he alayde all theyr trouble and feare Whanne that Timotheus of Athens shulde fyght by water ayenst the Corcireens and the shyppe saylynge forthe to encounter their enemyes the shyp mayster hearynge oone of the rowers snyse was going backe than said Timotheus vnto hym What arte thou amased to here that oone of so many thousandes hath caught colde Whan that Chabrias of Athens shuld foght by see and perceiued that his souldiours were soore amased with a lyghtnynge that flashed out euen before the nauie as a prodigiouse fortoken of some mysaduenture he sayd Nowe syrs is the chief time to encounter with our enmies whan Iupyter the great God hym selfe sheweth his power to be present with vs. Thus endeth the fyrste boke THE SECONDE BOKE The preface THE exaumples that instructe and teache a capitayne what he ought to doo and howe to behaue hym selfe before the battayle are in myne opinion sufficiently declared in the fyrste boke nowe I wolle shewe you what is wont to be done in the self battayle and what after the fielde is done ¶ To chose the oportunitie and tyme conuenient to fyght Ca. i. WHAN Publius Scipio in Spayne knewe that Hasdruball capitayne of the Penians had ranged out his armye earely in the mornyng before they brake theyr faste he kept in his vnto the vii houre cōmanding thē to syt at rest take their repast and whan his enemyes with hungre thyrst and longe taryenge were nowe tyred in theyr harneys and beganne to recule to their campe sodenly he ranged forthe his hoste and gyuynge battayle ouercame them Whan that Metellus Pius warred agaynste Herculeius in Spayne and that this Herculeius by and by at the sprynge of the day had raynged out his army euen vnto Metellus campe the season of the yere beinge moste feruente and hote he kepte his in vnto the. vi houre of the daye and so his men beinge fresshe and lusty ouercame easelye the other weryed with great heate Whan the same Metellus ioyning his power with Pompeius agaynst Sertorius in Spayne had ofte ranged out his armye his ennemie euermore refusynge to fyghte bycause he thoughte hym selfe not able to matche them bothe after on a certayne tyme he perceyued that Sertorius souldiours were greatly encouraged to fyght valyantly exercising feates of armes chargynge and dischargynge their speares thought it best to forbeare for a tyme tyll that theyr heate and courage were abated and so reculed his armye caused Pompeius to do the same Posthumius in Sicile laye with his host iii. myles from the Penians the dictatours wherof ranged out their army dayly euen before the Romayns campe the whiche he resisted with a lytell bende of men and smal skyrmyshes standing euen before the trenche Whiche custome the Penians nowe despisyng he keping the residew within his campe freshe and redye after his olde wonte with a fewe susteyned thassault of his ennemies and kept them skyrmyshyng longer than he was accustomed And thus they weried and sore an hungred after the. vi houre beganne to recule whome Posthumius with his army freshe lusty vāquished Forasmoche as Iphicrates of Athens had knowledge that his ennemies continually vsed to eate at a certayne tyme he commaunded his men to take theyr repast more timely and ranged them out in battayle and settynge vpon his ennemies he soo dalyed with theym that he neyther wold gyue them batayle nor yet suffer them to departe nowe whanne it drewe towarde nyghte he reculed backe agayne kepynge his men neuer the lesse redy in theyr harneys and whan his ennemyes beinge weryed not onelye with standynge at theyr defence but also with longe fastyng made hast to refreshe their bodyes and to take theyr repaste Iphicrates againe brought forth his army set vpon his ennemys being vnredy and out of order The same Iphicrates warringe ayenst the Lacedemonians kepte his campe a longe space harde by his ennemies and both parties went forth at certayn dewe tymes a forragynge On a certayne day he sente abrode aboute theyr busynes the slaues and drudges of the armye in souldiours apparell kepynge the souldiors stil within and whan his ennemies were scatered abrode for lyke busines he wan theyr campe by assault and the vnarmid retornynge vnto the rore and noyse here and there with theyr burdeyns he easely eyther slewe or toke prisoners Whan Uirginius consull sawe afar of his ennemies racynge out all abrode he commanded his to pitche theyr dartes in the grounde and reste them then with his army lusty and fresche he sette on the other nowe almost breathelesse and put them to flyghte Fabius Maximus knowinge that the frenche men the Samnites were most valiant at the fyrste brayde and that the courage of his men grewe and encreased more and more as the fyghte continued commaunded his souldiours that they shulde be content at the fyrste encountre to susteyne and forhere that so with tarienge they myght wery theyr ennemyes the whiche thynge succedynge he sent in socour vnto them with al his strength in the vawwarde oppressed and subdued his ennemies Philip at Cheronea remembryng that he had warryours hardened with longe vse and exercyse and that the Athenienses were quicke and fyerce but vnexercised and onely vyolent at the fyrste brayd he of pourpose prolonged the battayle and anone after the Athenienses fayntinge he auanced his baners more fierce ly forwarde and slewe them ¶ The Lacedemonians beinge certified by theyr espyes that the Messenians were set on suche a rage that they came to battayle with theyr wyues and chyldren differred to fyght When Cesar in the cyuill warre had enclosed the hoste of Affranius and Petreius within a trenche he pyned theym with thyrste in so moche that they therby erasperated distroyed all that withstode them and profered to fyght Cesar kept in his men supposynge it no mete tyme for battayle whan yre and dispayre had inflamed his ennemies It is playne that Iugurthe hauynge wel in mynd the puissance of the Romaines vsed alway to gyue battayle to ward nyghte to the entente that if his menne shulde be put to flyght they myght haue the oportunitie and succour of the nyght to hyde them Lucullus in warre aienst Mithridates and Tigranes in Armenia the greatter at Tigranocerta whan he hauynge but xv thousande men and his ennemys an innumerable multitude whiche therfore were vnrulye toke this aduauntage to inade his ennemies oute of araye and order and so forthwith disparpled them that the kynges them selfes were fayne to caste away their cote armure and flee Claudius Tiberius Nero in warre ayenst the Pānoniens seing the fierce bar barous
felowes come forth in aray early in the mornynge kepte in his and suffered his ennemys to be beaten with the myste and rayne as it chaunced the wether to be very foule that daye and after whan he perceyued their courage faynted and their bodies were soore weakened with the rayne and longe standyng the token of battayle gyuen he assayled and ouercame them Whan Cesar in France had perceyued that Ariouistus kyng of the Germayns had an ordynaunce in maner of a lawe not to fyghte in the wane of the moone than chiefly he ioyned batayl with them and ouercame his ennemies entangled and lette with their superstitious obseruynge of the tymes Uespasian the emperour on the saboth day whan it is not lauful for the Iewes to do any ernest busynesse assaulted and ouercame them To chose a place to fyght in Cap. ii MArcus Curius perceyuynge that kynge Pyrrhus armye beinge at large myght not be resysted dyd his indeuour to fyght in strayte places where they thronged togyther myght be a lette to them selues ¶ Cn. Pompeius in Cappadocia chose a hygh place and theron pight his tentes where the stypyng of the hyll holpe the couragious settynge out of his souldiours and so he easily ouercame Mithridates euen with the violent decours and descendynge downe from the hylle ¶ Whan C. Cesar fought against Pharnaces Mithridates sonne he ordeyned his aray on a hyll the whiche thyng got hym spedy vyctorie For the dartes throwen from aboue vppon the barbarouse people that came vnderneth forthwith put them to flyght ¶ Whan Lucullus shulde fight ageinst Mithridates and Tygranes in Armenia the gretter at Tygranocerta he toke quyckely the playne toppe of the nexte hylle with parte of his armie and froo thens rushed downe vpon his ennemies vndernethe and inuaded their horsemen on the one syde and puttynge somme to flyght some oute of araye so pursewed them that he retourned with ryght noble vyctorie Uentidius agaynst the Parthians moued not once his armye before his ennemyes were within halfe a myle of hym and then with a sodeyne race he marched so nere them that theyr arrowes whiche dyd good seruice a farre of coulde nowe do hym no harme nere hande By which policie and with a lustye bolde courage as thoughe he mystrusted nothynge he quickely vanquysshed and subdued the barbarous people When Anniball shulde fyghte ageynst Marcellus at Numystron he fensed his armye on the one syde with holowe broken wayes and vsynge the naturall sytuation of the place for a fortifycation and defence he ouercame a ryghte worthy capitayne ¶ Whan the same Anniball at Cannas knewe that the brooke Uolturnus farre passynge the nature of other ryuers sent out in the mornynge excedynge ayre and wynde which reysed and blewe vp sand and duste he so ordered his battayle that all the vyolence therof shuld be on their backes and in the faces and eies of the Romaynes by the whiche incommodities wonderfully greuing his ennemies he opteyned that famous and notable vyctorie ¶ Whan Marius shuld fyght on a day appoynted agaynst the Cymbriens and Deuche men he fyrste strengthened his souldiours with meate and than caused theym to reste before the campe to putte theyr ennemyes to the more peynes in trauaylynge the space that laye betwene bothe hostes and whan he had put them to this labour he added thervnto an other incommoditie that is to say he soo chose his grounde and ordred his aray that the wynde the duste and contrarye sonne laye in the face of his ennemies Epaminundas capitayne of the Thebans rangynge out his army ageynste the Lacedemonians commaunded the horsemen to race out before and to reyse vp a greate duste in his ennemyes eies pretendynge as thoughe he wolde haue set vpon them with the horsemen conducted the fote men from that parte where the horse men were and came behynde on theyr backes vnwares and slewe thē Thre hundred against an innumerable multitude of the Persians kept the strai tes of the hil called Thermopylas where mought but like nomber of men mete together to fyght and by that meanes as touchyng the meting together they were equall in nombre with the barbarouse alyens and beinge moche more valyaunt in warre slewe a great nombre of them neyther had they ben ouercome excepte the traytour Ephialtes had led theyr ennemys about and oppressed them on the backe syde ¶ Whan Themistocles capytayn of Athens perceyued that it was moste profytable for the Grekes to trie the matter agaynste Xerxes multitude in the straytes of Salanes and could not perswade the cities therto by polycie he broughte to passe that his enemies compelled the Grekes to do accordynge to his aduyse dissemblynge with Xerxes as though he wold betray his contrey sent him word that the Atheniens intended to flee and that it wolde be a very harde thynge for hym to lay siege to al their cities Wherby he perswadid the barbarous host whi che was disquieted with lyenge out all nyght in watche to fyght with the Atheniens fresh and lusty euen in those straites that he desyred where in no wise Xerxes coulde vse his greatte noumber of souldiours To order the arraye Cap. 3. VUhan Cneus Scipio in Spayne agaynst Hanno at the towne named Indibilis perceyued that the army of the Carthaginenses was on this wise ordered that in the right wyng were the Spanyardes a sturdy kynde of souldiours the whiche not withstandyng had nowe in hande an other mannes matter and in the left winge were the Aphriens not all thing so sure in strength and man lynes but of moche more constant mynd and purpose he brought backe and with drewe the lefte wynge of his armye to the ryght wynge whiche he furnysshed and besette with most valyant warriors and so assayling the weakest of his ennemies with the strongest of his army and vanquyshynge the Aphriens he easilye constrayned the Spanyardes whiche stode as though they had ben lokers on to yelde them selfe Artaxerxes in battail agaynst the Grekes for as moche as he had the greatter nombre deuysed his araye to be spreade broder then the host of his ennemys and set the horse men in the fore frunte and the lyght harneysed in the wynges so caused the mydward to procede somwhat softer for the nons wherby he inclosed the host of his enmies and so slew them ¶ Contrary wyse Anniball at Cannas somewhat withdrawyng the wynges of his hoste and aduancyng forth the midwarde at the fyrste brunte and metynge droue the Romaynes backe but whan they were nowe ioyned in fyght the winges at a certayne watche word comming forwarde the mydwarde gyuynge somwhat backe enclosed their enmies whiche gredily folowed the mydwarde and so pressed them on bothe sydes and slewe them vsynge the polycie of the olde and longe taught armye For this maner of order and aray scasely any man may easily put in vre but namely he that is an experte warriour redy at all poyntes ¶ Asdrubal in the second warre of Carthaginenses sought meanes to auoyde
his hoste a certayne space and afterwarde sent oute the lyght harneised to prouoke and vere his ennemies and so to recule agayne Whan he had thus entysed and brought farther his enemies and by chasyng in out sette them out of order he sodeynly strake out assaylynge them so sore that he toke their campe also Q. Metellus consul kepynge warre in Sicilia ageynste Hasoruball was the more circumspect bycause that Hasdruball besydes his great armye hadde also the helpe of Cxxx. elephantes fyrst therfore he shewed to mystrust hym selfe and as oone discouraged kepte his armye within the precincte of the citie Panormus castynge a great dyche before hym than after perceyuynge that Hasdruball hadde sette his camelles in the foreward of his fielde he commaunded his speare men to goo and throwe their dartes on the elephantes and streight waye to recule backe into their campe the whiche thyng done the guyders of the elephantes beinge soore moued so to be mocked droue their beastes euen into the verye dyche where at the fyrste being combred and lette some were slayn and some driuen backe agayn vpon their owne company to the great trouble of the hole armye Than Metellus tarienge for this occasyon auaunced forwarde with all his host and settyng on them on the syde slewe the Penians so conquered them and also their elephantes Tamiris quene of the Scythians feinynge as though she for feare had fied entysed out Cyrus capitayn of the Perseans vnto certayne straytes very welle knowen of her souldiours where sodenly she tourned her hoste and wanne the vyctorie beynge holpen by the situation of the place The Egiptians pitchynge their fielde in a marishe ground couerid the ground with reite or wides of the see and at the fyrst bronte of the battayle faynynge to flee they ledde their ennemyes that folowed and chased theym into the fenne and so enclosed them Uiriatus whiche of a robber and rouer became the capitayne of the Celtiberiens fayninge as though for feare he fled to gyue place to the Romayn hors mē brought them into a verye foule and depe gogmier and whan by sure pathes well knowen he was escaped and gone he slewe the Romaynes ignorant of the places and drowned in mudde Fuluius chyefe capytayne in the battayle agaynste the Cymbrians pight his campe very nygh his ennemyes commaunded his horsemen to chase theym euen vnto their campe prouokyng them fyrste to fyghte and than to fayne theym selfe to flye and to retrace agayn Thus he accustomed them certayne dayes vntyll that he perceyued that the Cymbrians chasynge theym very gredily were wonte to leaue theyr campe without defence after espieng his time while part of his armyes kirmyshed with them as they were wont to do conueyd hym selfe priuily with the lyght harneysed on the backe syde of their tentes and beinge out of order sodeynly sette vpon theym and passynge ouer the bulwarke wanne theyr campe Cneus Fuluius whan the Phalisciens hoste farre greatter than the Romayns had pight their tentes in the Romaynes borders sette on fyre certayne vyllages a good way from the hoste by his owne souldiors to the entent the Phalisciens thynkynge their owne felowes to haue doone it myghte scatter abrode in hope of pyllage Alexander hauyng a company of Epirotes ayenst the Illyriens sent forth certayne of his men in the Illyriens apparayle gyuynge them commaundement to waste and distroy his owne countreye Epirus the whiche thynge whan the Illiriens espied they nowe carelesse beganne to run forth on euery syde to pyllage supposing those that set the townes a fire to be spies scoutwatches of their owne parte and so they were intised and led into daungerous places where many of them were slayne and the rest put to flyghte Leptenes Syracusanus also warryng vpon the Penians commaunded to set a fyer his owne fieldes vyllages and certayne castelles the Penians supposynge their owne felowes hadde doone that enterprise ranne out to helde them and soo they were receiued and slayne of their ennemies Maharbal sent of the Peniās ageinst the Aphriens that rebelled perceyuyng that this nation was very gredy and desyrous of wyne myngled a great quantitie therof with Mandrage which hath a vertue to caste men into a deade slepe this doone he made a lyghte skyrmyshe with theym and of purpose gaue place and after in the nyght fayned to departe thens leauynge behynde hym certayne packes in his campe with the wyne infected the barbarous alyens perceiuyng he was fled came and toke the campe and for ioye soo gulled in the wyne thus infected that they laye alonge strayght on the grounde lyke dead men Maharbal turnyng ageyn toke and slew them Anniball perceyuynge that bothe his owne hoste and the Romaynes also lay in suche places where was but lyttelle wodde leauyng for the nonce in that barayne and deserte coste greate plentie of cattayle in his campe departed thens whan the Romaynes came and founde the cattayle they slewe and eate verye moche of the flesshe whyche coulde not be holsome bycause they wanted wodde to dresse it Anniball knowynge this full well returned by nyght whan they feared nothynge and were very vnlusty by reason of the fleshe that they eate halfe rawe and vexed them very soore Whan Tiberius Gracchus in Spayn hadde knowlege that his ennemie was verye nedy and troubled for lacke of vitayles he forsooke and lefte his campe plentuously furnished of all maner meates than his enmies takyng the campe ingurgyng them selfes immoderately became all heuy and vnlusty Gracchus sodeynly retourned with his hooste and oppressed theym They that warred ageynst the Erithriens takyng a spye of theirs that lay out in a hygh place slewe hym and clothed in his apparayle one of their owne men whiche gyuynge the Erithriens a token from the same place called and broughte them forthe to theyr discomfiture The warriers of Arabia perceyuinge that theyr custome was knowen whiche vsed to gyue warnynge with smoke by daye time of theyr ennemes comminge and with fyre by nyghte commaunded that this custome shulde be continuallye kept but after theyr ennemyes aproched nere them that custome was laide asyde theyr ennemyes therfore supposyng that theyr commynge was not knowen bycause the lyghtes were not sette vp after the olde maner came in amonge theym hastily and were discomfited and slayn Alexander Macedo his ennemye pitchynge his tentes in the hygher ground conducted parte of his hoste asyde commaundyng the rest to kendle vp fyers after theyr accustomed maner and setting out a face of the matter as thoughe the hole host had layne styll he conueyed his power about by hygher regions and so draue his enemy from the vpper groūd Memnon kynge of Rhodes hauynge a great power of horsemen and desyring to bryng his enmy down into the valey whiche kept hym selfe on the mountayn sent certaine of his souldiours vnder the colour of runnagates to his ennemyes to tell that Memnons host was so vexed with perillous sedition that now one parte of his host fell away and after an
other and that credence myght be giuen to this theyr sayenge he caused smal castels and holdes to be furnished with de fence in the syghte of his ennemyes as thoughe the seditiouse persones had ordeined such places of socour one agaynst an other than came they that kepte the hylles downe into the valey and assaulted the castelles where they were by the horsemen enclosed and discomfited Harridas kynge of the Molossiens beinge assaulted of Ardias Illirius whiche had the greater hoste sente in to the costes of Aetolia suche as were vnable to fyght spredyng abrode a rumour that he wolde gyue vp his cities to the Aetolians but he him selfe in the meane time with all that were able to beare weapon deuysed and layde wayte in the hylles and holowe wayes wherby the Illyriens shulde come they fearynge leste the Aetolians wolde preuent them and take all that belonged to the Molossiens as men hastynge to pillage regardyng not theyr order and aray made greate haste and as they came out of order fearynge noo suche thynge Harridas sodeynelye brake out of his inbushmentes and vanquisshed them T. Labienus leuetenaunt to C. Cesar agaynst the frenche men couetynge to assayle them before they receyued ayd of the Germaynes pretended a colour of desperation and remouynge his hoste to the other syde of the water spredde a rumour abrode that he wolde departe the daye folowynge The frenche men beleuynge hym to flee appoynted to passe ouer the ryuer that was betwene them Labienus perceyuing that tourned his army and euen in the water slewe them Whan Anniball perceyued that the campe of Fuluius the Romayne capytayne was negligently kepte and that he enterprised many thinges vnaduisedly in the dawnynge of the daye the mist beinge some what thycke and the ayer therwith moche obseured he made a few of his souldiours to shewe theym selfe to those that kepte watche in the Romayns tentes whyle Fuluius addressed hym sodeynly thitherwarde with his hoste Anniball on the other syde inuadynge hym toke his campe and so brake out on the backe of the Romaynes sleinge theyr ca pitayne with viii M. valiaunt menne of armes The same Anniball perceyuynge that the Romayns host was deuided betwene Fabius whiche was dictatour and Minutius mayster of the horse menne and that Fabius wayted nothynge but an occasyon Minutius beynge inflamed with desyre to fyghte pytched his tentes in a fielde that lay betwene his enemis and after that he hadde layde pryuily in wayte a certayn of fote men in the rocky and holowe wayes he sent a company to take the next hyll so to call out his enemie Minutius had no sooner broughte forth his hoste to assaulte them but they which Annibal had layd in wayte arose vtterly had destroid Minutius host if Fabius had not socoured theym in theyr great daunger Whan the same Anniball laye at Trebia where he mighte beholde Sempronius hoste he sette his vnder capitayne Mago with chosen men of armes the wether beinge excedynge colde at the riuer that ranne betwene them than caused he the horsemen to race out euen vnto Sempronius pale therby to prouoke hym to folowe them commandyng that at the fyrste settynge out of the Romaynes they shuld recule ouer at suche fourdes as they knewe well The consul vnaduysedly settynge vpon and folowing after them caused that his hoste yet fastynge was clunged and frosen by reson of the feruente colde before they coulde passe the ryuer Anniball forthwith they being ouercome with colde and hunger set out agaynste them his armye whiche he had cherysshed for the same purpose with fyer oyles and meate Mago also appoynted for the same purpose fyersely set on them behinde and slewe them The same manne at Trasimenus in a place where a strayght way leadeth vnto the fote of an hyll and thense in to an open fielde fayned to flye and escaped by the strayghtes into a brode fielde and there pitched his tentes and by nyght settynge in araye his menne of armes brought forthe his hoste in the dawninge of the day being also holpen with a mist by the hyll that hunge ouer the strayghtes on bothe sydes Flaminius styll pursued hym vntyll he came into the straytes where he was iclosed before behind and also on bothe sydes and was slaine bothe he and all his company The same Anniball agaynste Iunius that was dictatour commanded at midnyght vi C. horsemen deuided into sondry companies to shewe them selfe continually by course about theyr ennemies tentes and after that the Romayns with lyenge out in wayte al nyght in the rayn were sore disquieted and weried the capitayne Iunins gyuynge them a token to recule Anniball brought forth his armye that had layne all nyght at rest and inuaded their tentes Whan Anniball had pyght his campe at Cannas he caused v. C. Numidians to flye frome hym vnto the Romaynes and that they myghte the better be beleued they yelded vp their swordes and their tergats and soo were receiued into the rerewarde and as soone as both hostes ioyned togyther they drewe theyr shorte weapons whiche they bare about them priuily and caught vp the tergats of them that were slayne and soo slewe the Romaynes The Iapigiens also gaue vnto P. Licinius proconsul vnder a pretēce to yeld them selfes certayne vyllages and townes and whan they were receiued in the rerewarde they slewe the Romayns Whan both the army of Syphax and also the Penians hoste lay against Scipio Aphricanus he appoynted by nyght to sette vpon Syphax armye with fyre bycause there was of wodde and other thynges apte to bourne great plenty to the entent he myght bothe slee the Numidians for feare runnynge out of their tentes also receyue the Penians whiche no doubte wolde come forth to helpe their felowes and both came to passe after his owne mynde and sentence ¶ Pompeius kepynge warre in Armenia agaynste Mithridates whyche had the greatter power of horsemen disposed by nyghte iii. thousande souldiours in lyght harneys and. v. hundred horse men in a valey amonge the shrubs betwene the two hoostes and in the morninge at the breake of the daye he sente forthe agaynst his ennemies horsemen so addressed that whan the hole hoste of their enemies shulde enter battayle with them they myghte kepe theyr araye and gyue backe a lyttell and lyttelle vntylle they had gyuen space vnto them that lay in wayte for the same purpose to ryse behynde on the backe of theyr ennemies and whan they had so done they turned agayn that semed to haue fled and slew their enmies tremblynge for drede whiche they had gotte betwene theym also the fote men approchynge nere gored in the horses wherby they quite abated the courage and great affiance that the king had in the multitude of his horsemen Mithridates whom Lucullus ofte tymes ouercame by very power of chiualrie sette vpon hym agayne by craft subornatynge and priuily hyrynge a certain excellente man of strengthe callyd Adathantes to runne away vnto Lucullus and fyrst by all meanes to wynne
his fauour and than to slee hym whych thyng he manfully attempted all thoughe he myste his purpose for not withstandyng that Lucullus reteyned hym as oone of his knyghtes yet he layde priuie wayte on hym supposynge that it was neyther mete rashly to trust a fugitiue runnyng frō his capitayn nor yet to forbyd other to do the same Thā after he had shewed his diligent seruice labour in many ba tayles and was put in greatte truste he chose the tyme for his purpose whan all was at rest and quiete in the pretors pauilyon but fortune fauored Lucullus for this felawe that mighte at all tymes whan he wolde come vnto the capitayn if he were waking cam nowe by chance whan he was a sleepe therfore whan he wolde haue gone in to the capytayne as though he hadde brought worde of some sodeyne chaunce or other thyng nedeful and beinge obstinately kepte oute by the seruantes that had greatte regarde vnto theyr maysters helthe fearyd leste he had ben suspected and so fledde agayne vnto Mithridates disapoynted of his pourpose ¶ Melanthus capitayne of the Athenians whome Xanthus kynge of Boetia prouoked vnto battayle was no sooner come within his reache but he sayde O Xanthus thou doeste vnlaufullye and contrary to thy couenant to come forthe agaynst me alone man with an other folowyng the. whan Xanthus maruayled who that shoulde be that accompanyed hym and loked backeward Melanthus stept in and slewe hym at one stroke ¶ Whan Iphicrates of Athens at Cheronessum vnderstode that Anaxibius capitayne of the Lacedemonians ledde his hoste by lande he conueyed the moste valyaunt warriours out of the shyppes into a secrete place commaundynge the shyppes neuerthelesse as thoughe they had ben styll manned with souldiours to passe ouer the sees openly and so by land he brake in behinde the Lacedemoniens fearing no suche thynge oppressed and discomfited them ¶ For as moche as Alcibyades capytayne of Athens agaynste the capytayne of the Numidians and the Lacedemonians had vpon the narow see called Hellespontus a great host and many shyppes he landed part of his souldiours by nighte and hydde parte of his nauy behynde certayne promontories saylynge forthe hym selfe with a small nombre to prouoke his ennemies whom makynge towarde hym he styll fled vntyll he had brought them where his shyppes laye Then they fleinge and landynge were slayne by those that he before had landed for the same purpose Whan the same Alcibiades shuld fight in battayle on the see he caused to set vp mastes in a certayne promontorye commaundyng his men that as sone as they perceyued the battayle begyn they shuld hoyse vp the sayles Whiche feate caused his enemies y t supposed whan they sawe the mastes that an other nauye came to ayde him to turne away and flee ¶ To lette an ennemy escape lefte he beinge inclosed shulde through dispaire renewe the battayle Cap. vi IN the battayle wherin Camillus was capitayne the senate thought it beste that the Gaules whiche desyred vessels to passe the ryuer Tybris shulde be caried ouer and also holpen with vittayles And afterwardes to men of the same nation seekynge to flee by Pomptinus fielde the Romayns gaue way the whiche is therfore callyd Gallica via ¶ Whā L. Martius a knight of Rome whom the host chose to be their capitain after the two Scipions were slayne had enclosed the Carthaginenses whiche to sell their lyues derely fought very egrely he somwhat slacked and opened the wardes of his armye gyuynge theym space to flee and soo beinge sparpled abrode he slewe them without any danger of his owne men ¶ What tyme Cesar hadde enclosed the Germaynes whom dispeire caused most fiercely to fyght he commaunded to let theym passe and as they fledde he sette vppon theym ¶ Whan the Germaynes at Trasimenus were enclosed of Anniball fought excedynge fiercely he opened the army and made them a way to gette out beatynge them downe as they fled without any losse of his owne men ¶ Whan Antigonus kynge of Macedonia had compelled the Aetolians to take them to their places of succour and refuge and afterwarde perceyued that they beynge constrayned with hunger had determyned to breake oute and dye manfully togyther he gaue them a way to flee and so breakynge their vyolente rage slewe theym whan they had tourned theyr backes ¶ Whan Agesilaus capitayn of the Lacedemoniēs in battayl against the Thebans perceyued that his enemies were inclosed through the situatiō of the place it selfe and that they fought therfore the more fiercely as men in dispayre he slacked and opened his araye makynge the Thebans a way to escape out and than closynge agayne his army without losse of any of his owne parte slewe theym fleinge ¶ Whan Cn. Manlius consule retourned out of the fyght and founde the Romayns campe taken of the Hetrusciens and all the wayes in strongely kepte he so troubled his ennemies inclosed in the campe that in the greatte outrage they slewe bothe hym and also many of his men his lieuetenant perceyuynge that remoued their standyng and gaue them way to passe out agayne towardes their owne companye and as soone as they were sprede abrode he pursued theym agayne and slewe theym by helpe of the other consul Fabius that mette hym ¶ Whan Themistocles had vanquysshed Xerxes he wolde in noo wyse agree that the bridge shuld be broken ouer the whyche he wolde returne home sayeng It was better to dryue hym oute of Europe thanne to enforce hym to fyghte of despaire The same Themystocles sente one to Xerxes to brynge hym worde in what perylle he was onelesse he fled quyckely Whan Pirrhus kynge of the Epirotes had takē a certayn citie perceyuing that the citizens theyr gates being shut were compelled by extreme necessytie to fyghte manfully he made them a waye to flee The same Pirrhus amonge his other preceptes belonginge vnto a worthy capitayne hath lefte in remembrance that a man shulde not ouer fiercely folow his ennemye not onely leste necessitie shuld compell hym to play the man but alsoo that he might euer after be the better wil ling to flee for as moche as he wyl suppose that he that hath the vpper hande wyll not pursue hym vnto deathe ¶ Howe to dissemble abuersities Cap. vii Vuhan Tullus Nostilius kynge of the Romaynes in battayle agaynst the Ueients sawe that the Albanians forsakynge the Romayns gat them vppon the nexte hylles the whiche thynge sore troubled the Romayns he sayde all a loude that the Albanians had so done by his commaundemente to inclose his enemyes wherby he put the Ueientes in great feare and the Romaynes in great comforte and thus by wysedome he restored the matter that beganne to go to wracke ¶ Lucius Sylla his lieutenant fleinge from hym with a greate power of horsemen in the settinge forth of the battayle sayde playnly that he commaunded him so to do and by that meanes he not onely areysed the myndes of his souldiours out of dispayre but also
into Italye he cutte of the sayd Hasdrubals heed and flung it into Annibals Army wherby Anniball was soore afflicted for sorowe of his brothers dethe and the armye stode in despayre of the ayde that was comminge to them L. Sylla shewed vp to them that were beseged in Praeneste the heedes of their capitaynes slayne in battayle sette vpon speares endes and so abated and brake their obstinate frowardnes Arminius capytayn of the Germains lykewyse commaunded to stycke vp the heedes of them that were slayne in battayle and sette theym vp euen before the trenche of theyr ennemies campe Whan Domitius Corbulo besyeged Tigranocerta and the Armenians seemed styffely to endure the siege he putte to deathe one of their chiefe magistrates whiche he had taken in warre and flung his heed with a slynge into the citie the whiche heed by chance fell in the middest of the counsell where the barbarous felowes were assembled the same tyme at the whyche syght as a thynge monstruous they were abasshed and made haste to yelde them ¶ Howe in harde chaunces to ease aduersyties Cap. x. VUhan the nyght had broken of that greuous and sharpe battaile which T. Didius fought ageynst the Spanyardes wherin was great nomber slayne on bothe sydes Didius caused many of his mennes carcases to be buryed in the nyght on the morowe after the Spaniardes came forthe to do lykewise and by cause they founde a greatter number of theirs slayn than of the Romayns they argued them selfe to be ouercome by reason of the nomber and condescended to the requeste of the Romayne capitayne Whan T. Martius a Romain knyght beinge gouernour of the resydue of the hoste that remayned after the deathe of the two Scipions perceyued that two hostes of the Penians laye at hande not many myles asonder he encouraged his souldiours to set vpon the host that laye next hym at mydnight beinge carelesse and out of order throughe affyaunce of theyr victory and slewe them leauynge not so moche as a messanger to beare tydynges of the miserable mischaunce and then gyuing his souldiours a lytte space to rest them the same nyght with al hast preuentynge the fame of the thing done inuaded the other army And thus twise in one nyght enioying like chance of batayle and euerye where dystroyenge the Penians he restored Spayne agayne to the Romayns ¶ Howe to vetayne and keepe wauerynge myndes faythfull Capi. xi P. Ualerius at Epidaurus fearynge that they of the towne wolde deceyue hym for as moche as he had but smalle aide preparyd games of exercise a good waye from the citie and whan the moste parte of the multitude was thither assem bled to se the syghtes he shut the gates after them and wolde not let theym in agayne vntyll he had receyued hostages of the chiefest of the citie ¶ Whan Cn. Pompeius suspected the Catinenses and feared leste they wolde not receyue his garrison he desired them to suffer in the meane space such as were syck and diseased to be refreshed among theym in theyr citie the whiche thynge graunted he sent thither his moste valiaunte men of armes as though they had ben sycke and dyseased the whiche toke the citie and kepte it After that Alexander hadde conquered the Thraciens iourneying to ward Asia he feared leste after his departinge they wolde rebel wolde nedes take with him as though it were for honor the kinges the gouernours and all suche as seemed carefulle for theyr lybertie lost leauynge the commons behynde makinge mean men theyr gouernours so he opteyned that neyther the nobles beinge bounde with his benefites and pleasures wolde desyre any chaunge neyther coulde the commons goo about any suche thynge being spoyled of their chiefe gouernours and heedes Whan Antipater sawe that the Necieus herynge that Alexander was deade arose together to inuade and trouble his empire he dyssemblynge as thoughe he knewe not for what pourpose they came gaue them thankes that they were assem bled to ayde Alexander agaynst the Lacedemoniens addynge here vnto that he wolde certifie the kynge thereof by wrytynge Howe be it forasmoch as he neded not their helpe as than he exhorted them to departe home agayne By the whiche asseueration and affyrmaunce he dyspatched the peryll that was at hande by reason of the commotion ¶ What tyme amonge the women that were taken prisoners in Spayne a virgine of excellent beautie and also of noble parentage whiche rauished all mens eies was brought vnto Scipio he causyng her to be kept with hygh dyligence restored her to Luceius her spouse and forther gaue vnto hym for a dowery the golde that her parentes had broughte to redeme her By the which manyfold magnificēce the hole nation was ouercom and submytted them selfe to the Romain Empyre ¶ It is also writen that Alexander Ma cedo with so highe abstinence regarded a virgin taken in warre of excellent beaultie forasmoche as she was espowsed vnto a prince of the nexte nation that he wolde nat ones beholde her face sending her forthewith vnto her spowse by the whiche benefytte he allured and wanne the hartes of all the nation The emperour Cesar August building turrettes and places of fēce in the costes of Fraunce in the warre wherin he ouer comynge his enmies deserued that surname Germanicus commaunded that the price shulde be trewely payde for the fruites of all those places whiche he had enclosed with his trenche and by that renoume fame of Iustyce he made them all his faythfull frendes ¶ What thynges are to be doone before the campe whan menne mystrust theyr puyssannce Capit. xii VUhan the Uolsciens were about to assaut T. Quintius campe he kept watch and ward with one cohort and let all the rest of the army lye in quiete commaundynge the Trumpettes no we and than to blowe rangynge on horsebacke about the tentis whan he had by this deceytefull bragge kepte of his ennemies and helde them wakynge all nyghte in the dawnynge of the daye he brake oute sodeynly vpon them beinge werye with watche and easily ouercame them ¶ Whan Phares capitayn of the Atheniens loked after succour and ayde and feared leste his ennemies despysyng his small power shoulde in the meane tyme assaut his tentes he cōmanded the more part of his men to go out by night on the backesyde and to retourne ageyne into the campe that way frome whens theyr ennemies myght playnely see theym as though newe succour and strengthe had comen to hym And thus he defended his hoste with feyned succour vntylle it was furnished with y e ayd which he loked for Whan Iphicrates of Athens hadde pight his tentes in the playne champyon grounde and knewe that the Thraciens wold come by night from the hilles whiche had but one waye to come downe by to robbe and spoyle his campe he priuily conducted forthe his army and distributed them on ech syde the way that the Thraciens shulde passe by where he set vpon them on both sydes and oppressed them runnynge downe
besyeged dyd not so moche as make defence before theyr bulwarke and kepte them selfe so close that Popilius Lenates boldely beganne to reyse vp ladders and scale the walles Whiche after suspectynge some deceyte gyle for euen then they made no resistence and so wning to the retreat The Numantines breakynge out sette vpon them tournynge theyr backes and descendynge downe The constancie of the besieged Cap. xviii THe Romaynes beseged of Anniball hard at their walles boldly to shew they nothynge mistrusted sent forth succours at a gate on the other syde to aide their armies that were in Spayne ¶ The same Romaines wolde after the tenant was deade lette for noo lesse price the fielde where Annibal had pight his campe thā it was wont to go before the warre beganne The sayd Romayns beinge besieged of Annibal they besiging Capua decreed not to reuocate and call home agein their armie vntyl they had taken the towne The ende of the thirde boke THE FOVRTHE BOKE THE PREFACE SITHENS I haue nowe by moche redynge gathered togyther the stratagemes and polycies of warre and with no small diligence digested them in thre bokes accordyng to my promyse which I trust I haue accomplyshed I woll in this fourthe exhibite and declare to you suche thynges as coulde not aptely be descriued with the polycies of the forsayde bookes beinge rather exaumples of stratagemes or sleightes than stratagemes them selfes which although they be worthy feates yet haue I separated them bicause they are of dyuers matters leste some by chance readynge those shulde suppose theym to be omitted for lacke of knowlege and therfore woll I explicate them as thin ges remaynynge of the other and wolle obserue lyke order in their description as before ¶ Of discipline of warre Cap. 1. PVBLIVS SCIpio at Numātia redressed the army which was corrupted with y e slouthe and idelnes of the capytaynes that had ben before hym dismyssynge a greate number of the slaues and drudges brynging the fouldiours by dayly exercise to do theyr duetie whiche he caused to make many iourneys and to beare on theyr backes as moche vittayles as shulde serue them many dayes so that he accustomed them to suffer colde and sharpe showres and to wade ouer waters a fote Nowe and than he imbrayded them of fearefulnesse and cowardise breakynge such vesselles in pieces whiche they vsed more of delycacie than for nede in theyr expedition In this behalf the reproch that he gaue to the capitaine C. Meuius is right notable to whome he sayde To me but a whyle to thy self and to the cōmon weale thou shalt euer be lewde vnprofytable Q. Metellus in the warre Iugurthine with like seuerite restored the Discipline that was decayed and neglected amonge the souldiours and further prohybited them that they shuld vse none other flesh but rosted or sodde It is written that Pirrhus shulde saye to hym that toke vppe souldiours Chose thou those that be gret and I wol make them stronge ¶ Whan Scipio Aphricanus sawe a souldiour beare a targate galyardly decked and trymmed sayde He maruailed not that he had so curiousely garnysshed his tergate wherein he had more truste than in his sworde ¶ Whan Philyp had prepared his armye to go forthe he commaunded that no man shulde haue any carte or other thynge vsed for cariage with hym nor a horseman to haue but one page x. foote men one slaue whiche shulde beare quirnes and cordes whan they wente forthe in such places as they lay in the sommer he commanded theym to beare on theyr neckes meale for thirty dayes Caius Marius somewhat to ease the armie in carieng their traficke and baggage wherwith they were greatly loded deuysed their vessels and vittayles into fardels laide vpon staues vnderset with forkes whiche made their burthen lyghter and they myght more easily rest vnder it Whervpon they were called in pro uerbe Marius mules Whan Theogenes of Athens ledde his hoste towarde Megara and was inquered howe the army shuld be ordered said He wolde euen there order his battayles Than priuily he sent forthe the horsmen and commaunded theym lyke ennemies to retourne and fiersely sette vpon theyr felowes Whiche thynge doone he permytted the battayl to be thus ordred that they that remayned with hym as it were prepared to encoūter with their enmies shulde take euery manne what place he wolde and whā the faint harted felowes drewe backe the stronge and valyaunt boldly stepte forth into the forefront and as he founde theym standynge so he aduaunced them in the order of chiualry ¶ Lysander of Lacedemonia corrected a certayne man bycause he strayed from his company And whan the man sayde he strayed not from the army to robbe or steale any thynge he answered I wolle that thou shewe no spece or lykelyhod of robberye Whan Antigonus hard that his sonne had taken vp his lodgyng in a womans house that had three verye fayre doughters he sayde My sonne I here say ye be to straytelye lodged where be many masters in the house take a larger Inne Thus he beinge commanded to remoue and go thense Antigonus caused to proclayme that no man vnder the age of fifty yeres shoulde lodge in the house of a sole woman ¶ All be it that N. Metellus cons. was let by no lawe but that he mighte contynually haue his sonne in his companye yet wolde he rather haue him wynne wages in warre Whan Publius Rutilius cons. mighte accordynge to the lawe haue his sonne always in his company yet he made him a souldiour in the legion T. Scaurus forbad his sonne to come in his syghte bycause in the foreste Tridentine he gaue place to his enemies the yonge man pressed with shame of that re proche and infamy slewe hym selfe The auncient Romaines and other nations dyd constitute and make theyr tentes and pauilions throughe the hole bodye of thyr army lyke rounde cotages where as the olde worlde knewe none other but walled townes Pirthus kynge of the Epirotes was the firste that ordeyned to lodge his hole armye within one trenche or bulwarke After whan the Romaynes had ouercomen hym in the fieldes Arusine nere the citie Statuentū and had got his campe markynge and obseruynge howe he ordered his armye by lyttell and lyttel they came to this maner of pitchynge of tentes and lodgynge their armye that is nowe vsed P. Nasica lying with his army in their wyntryng places ordeined that his souldiours shulde falle to buyldyng of shippes though the vse of them was to hym nat nedefull leste they shulde be corrupted with slouthe and idelnes orels by reson of leysure hauynge nothynge to do wolde imagyn and commytte some iniurie ageynst those that were confederates and frendes to the Romaynes Clearchus chieftayne of the Lacedemoniens sayde to his armie The capitayne ought rather to be dredde than the ennemie sygnifienge that they whyche feared the doubtefull darte of deathe in battayle if they left their capitayn were sure of extreme punyshement By the counsayle of Appius Claudius the
syde counsayled their felowes to drawe their swordes and to breake oute with them euen through the garrison of their enmyes affirmynge that they were bent so to do though no man els wolde folowe them and with xii men accompanied they brake through the warde of their ennemies and came safe and sound vnto Canusium C. Fronteius Crassus in Spayne goinge forth to get his pray with thre thousande men and circumuented of Asdruball in a daungerous place his purpose and counsell tolde vnto the fyrste order onely in the begynnynge of the nighte whan he was nothynge loked for brake out through the watche of his enemies P. Decius chiefe capitayne in warre ageynst the Samnites counsayled Cornelius consull beinge taken in a daungerous cooste of his ennemies to sende forthe a lyttell power of men to preuent and take the hylle that was at hande offerynge hym selfe to be their guyde and his enemies being intised an other way lette out the consull and besette Decius the whiche wrastled out of those straites also by nyghte and came ageyne safe to the consuls armie The same polycie he vsed vnder Attilius Calatinus consull for whan he saw the hoste was come downe into a valey his ennemies lyenge in the vpper sydes rounde aboute he required and toke of the consul iii. huÌ„dred souldiors whom he encoraged manfully to fight for the hole army ranne downe into the myddes of the valey his ennemie commyng downe on euery side to oppresse them and being holde a good whyle with sharpe fyghte gaue the consull good occasion to range and spreade out his armie A certayn noble man of Lacedemonia Phylyp sendynge theym worde that he wolde vtterly forbydde them many thinges excepte they delyuered vp the citie sayde what woll he forbydde vs also to dye for our countrey Whan it was sayde that the Perseans wolde sende oute arrowes as thycke as cloudes vpon the Lacedemonians Leonidas answered We shall fyght the bet ter in the shadowe Whyle Celius a hygh iuge sat to gyue sentence a Hickwall alyghted sat vpon his heed whervpon the Wissardes gaue aunswere that if the byrd were let scape theyr ennemies shulde haue the victory if she were killed the Romaynes shulde obteyne but Caelius with all his familye shulde perishe at the whiche answere Caelius slewe the byrde and so came it to passe that the Romayns gat the victory and Caelius with xiiii of the same family and kinred were slaine in the batrel Some reporte this of Lelius and not of Caelius Publius Decius fyrste the father and efte the sonne in theyr magistrate vowed theym selfes to dye for the common welthe and sprynging out on horsebacke amonge theyr enemis gotte the victory and lefte it vnto theyr countrey Whan P. Crassus in warre ageynste Aristouicus fell into his ennemyes handes betwene Aelia and Mirina was caried away a lyue he abhorringe captiuitie in a Romayne consull with his rydynge rodde threste oute the Thratians eye that helde hym whiche beinge soore moued with the spitefull dede with the griefe of his maime thrust him through Thus willingly he auoyded the reproche and shame of seruitude M. Cato the sonne of Censorius in battayle felle through the stomblyng of his hors and after he had recouered and perceyued that his sworde was slypt out of the scabarde fearynge to be sclaundered he retourned backe vppon his enemies and his sword recouered at length gatte ageyne vnto his owne company The Peteliniens inclosed of the Penians for great nede of vyttayles thrust out their fathers mothers their chylderne prolonged their owne lyfe with beastes hydes moysted and dryed ageyn with the fyer with leaues of the trees and with all kynde of beastes so endurynge the siege of a. xi monthes The Casiliniens besieged of Annibal were brought to so greatte nede and famyne that a mouse was solde for a hundreth pence and though the one famysshed that solde it the other lyued that bought it yet they styll contynued faithfull vnto the Romaynes ¶ Whan Mythridates lay de syege vnto Câ—â—icuÌ„ he brought forth the prisoners y t he had taken of the cite shewed them to the besiged thynkyng to compel them by compassion and pitie to yelde theym selfes But they exhortynge the prysoners manfully to endure the death kept styll their fealtie vnto the Romayns The Aeginenses what tyme their wyues and chyldern were slayne of the Uiathotiens chose rather to behold the turment of those their so dere pledges than to fall from the Romayns The Numantiniens rather than they wolde yelde them selues agreed to die al to gether and brente theyr howsen slewe theyr wyues theyr chylderne and theym selues that there remayned not one to be taken prisoner soo that theyr ennemyes coude not triumphe nother of their goodes theyr Citie nor yet of theyr persons but of theyr name onely ☞ Affection and moderation Cap. vi VUhan Q. Fabius sonne exhorted hym to take a commodiouse place thoughe it were with the losse of a fewe menne he sayde Wylte thou be oone of those fewe As Xenophon syttyng on horsbacke coÌ„maunded the fote men to take a certayne hyll toppe one of them grudgynge and sayinge that he myghte easely syttynge on horsebacke commande them so painfull thynges he lighted of his horse and set vp that symple soldiour and began to runne hym selfe a fote vnto the hyll appoynted the souldiour not able to abyde the shame therof his felowes laughinge hym to scorne lyghted down of his owne accord and they al coulde scasely brynge Xenophon to take his horse ageyne and to reserue his labour to other dueties belongynge to a capitayne As Alexander lyinge out in warrefare the wynter tyme sat by the fyer and perceyued a souldiour in the army all moste deade for colde made hym sytte in his owne place saying If thou haddest ben borne in Persia it had ben treson for the to haue sytte in the kynges seate but to hym that is borne in Macedonia it is lawefull Diuus Augustus Uespasian perceyuynge a certayne yonge man wel borne vnable vnto warre yet by reason of gret pouertie thruste into the longe order and araye appoynted him a certayne fee and so honestly dysmissed hym ¶ Of dyuers counsels Cap. vii CEsar was woÌ„t to say that the same counsell pleased hym ageynste his ennemye that many physitions vsed agaynst the diseases of the body that is to subdue theym with famyne rather than with force Domitius Corbulo sayde that an enemy must be ouercome with a brode chyppyng axe y t is to say with diligent labor L. Paulus sayde that it became a noble capteyne to be aged and auncient in maners meanynge that sage and sober counsayle was to be folowed It is reported that Scypio Aphricanus whan some men callyd hym a sory lyghter sayd My mother broughte me forthe to be a worthy capitayne and nat a common souldiour Caius Marius to one Teutonius prouokynge and chalengyng hym to fyght aunswered If Teutonius wolde fayne dye he may go hang hym selfe and whaÌ„ he