Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	foot_n	horse_n	pike_n	975	5	11.2951	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40443	Select essays tending to the universal reformation of learning concluded with The art of war, or, A summary of the martial precepts necessary for an officer / by William Freke, Esq.	Freke, William, 1662-1744.	1693 (1693)	Wing F2165; ESTC R483	109,423	300

unless he has had a very hard Victory of it Slaughters are generally in the flight and not in the field and 't is therefore no little disadvantage to attack a flush'd Victor and one just practis'd in ready fighting To conclude Histories may teach us more and better Stratagems than these But where shall we find them Has a General leisure to consult Volumes for the result and occurrence of an hour Surely therefore even in this Precepts exceed History also Of Plunder and Slaves NOt only the Goods Slaves and Lands of the Conquer'd but their very Persons also by the Laws of Conquest are at the discretion of the Victors and yet not but that at worst they owe them all the freedoms and duties of Humanity nothing can excuse us of Rapes of putting Women or Children to death or Men except Souldiers or actually in Armes Nay if even Souldiers become your humble Suplicants and surrender on discretion only the Principal Guiltists among your Enemy ought to suffer Death I mean in Prudence as well as Justice for sure the Mercy that can soften your Enemies is highly to be esteem'd of In the partition of Plunder 't is not agreeable the State should have all surely the Soldiers deserve the price of their blood but then let an Oath be Administred for every Souldier to bring in his Plunder to be divided or else not only they may lose the day through the Avarice of Plunder but the worst of Souldiers will get most while the General and other Officers that deserve best will want even an equal distribution In the Roman Distribution the State had the Lands Houses and Goods Royal of the Conquer'd while other Goods were distributed to the Merits and Dignity of the Officers and Souldiers a share being always reserved as a Reward for all singular Bravery But Free-plunder is most Barbarous and of all Military Offences deserveth Death Nor is the Maxim less Bruitish of spoyling Countries where we come to stop the progress and advantage of our Enemies to destroy dangerous Castles and Fortifications and the Fruits of the Earth has some Sence in it but to Burn Houses and ruin Temples and Plantations What is it but a Cowardize and a Malicing the very good of Mankind Does mine Enemy overcome me therefore let me bravely let his Valour have such fruits of his Conquest as may reward it and if it be my own happy lot is not a Country Dress'd and Civiliz'd better than Ruine and Destruction Of SOVLDIERS NOthing more Embroyls a State than a Standing Army if they have not Work you 'll quickly find they will make it tho' even as in Turky by Domineering over their very Princes Besides Is there any truer Method to Barbarisme Could Experience ever shew us that Souldiery did not destroy Property and corrupt all Vertue And yet nothing is more unsafe than to Disband a great Army all at a time it oftentimes creates a New Disease in a State the better way therefore to move is by degrees and to Casheer those that can live without pay first and the other after But Are you to Raise an Army choose your Officers of the Gentry and if possible Volunteers yet still provided they be not profligate or dissolute for such Men are no fitter to be Officers than of any other Employment So let your Souldiers be hardy your Horse from the City and your Foot from the Countrey their Age between 17 and 40. As for their Strength and Activity you would do well to Exercise them before you List them To choose an Army of your common Volunteers and Miscreant Fugitives is the most imprudent an Army ought rather to be a Body of Martyrs Debauch'd Men are fitter for an House of Correction than to be of an orderly and designing Body tho' in an Army So a mean Militia and Army of your own is much better than a great Mercenary Force By good and constant Discipline you may inspire the worst of Men by degrees while Forreigners damp the Courage and Estimate of your own Besides How many States have felt the Ruine of Auxiliary Forces if you trust them they either give up your Cause or Prey upon you at least they are interested but to Fight in Jest for you as in Italy they shall not suffer your sawcy Bombs to disturb their rest at night in their Sieges Further Forces of your own you may Command at your pleasure while Forreigners will be only desperate for their own ends Are you necessitated to Forreigners therfore front them in your Army or mix them so as to force them to Fight As for the breeding Souldiers liberty only can give us good hearts The old Roman Peasants durst face Kings and make Generals in the Field their Country was as worthy their Love as their Courage while Men cow'd can slave to all Tyrants alike Hen. the Seventh therefore politickly settled Farms of such a Size c. to breed good Boors by As for the sorts of Souldiers your Granadeers are a Body of Men design'd for any extraordinary occasion they wait at the Flank of your Army as the Dragoons do and they are often as well Horse as Foot and on sudden and desperate Emergencies very needful As for Horse and Foot in a well-disciplin'd Army experience has shewn Foot doubly to excel Horse indeed Foot with Pikes have often beat double their number of Horse Horse 't is true at a Rout or as Scouts or to raise Contribution or to confound a weak Enemy are excellent but to think a Spur can force an Horse upon a Pike is as absurd as dangerous So What are Pikes or Muskets either without defensive Arms for Head Breast Arms Thighs and Legs with a Buckler Men thus Arm'd put by your Pikes and come in with ease upon your Men with naked Swords nay if such Men Ride but as Dragoons they attack you more speedily and even just where they please Nor is this a Fiction neither the Romans who by use made such Defensive Arms tolerable withall Conquer'd the World with them And if either the best Politicians or the best Historians be to be credited this sort of Men for all our Fire-arms are not even yet to be despis'd Of MILITIA THat Souldiers are Voluptuous is not always so much from their Corruption as that Perils ask to be paid by Pleasures To dye a Souldier surely is a kind of Martyrdom and he that blames the Profession for the Abuse forgets that on sudden approaches of Enemies and Invasions 't is every Man's duty to be a Souldier but more especially the Young and Vnmarried Luke 3. 14. 1 Cor. 9. 7. But then I would rather be a Volunteer than a Listed Souldier Surely it can never be lawful to kill Men purely at the Call of the Ambition of Princes Souldiers in War are Sinews to the Body-Politick in Peace its Feaver Not that it is safe neither quite to lay aside your Warlike Discipline in Peace But think you there is any Justice for one