enemy discouered let vs next consider the differences of groundes The plaine champion country is to be chosen of those that desire to fight and are stronger then the enemy Those that are vnwilling to fight let them shunne such ground so much as they can therein there is no feare of ambushes nor impediment to breake the aray of the army which in this ground is no lesse to be obserued in marching then in fighting The champion countrey being without hedges or ditches is aduantageous for horsemen whose force in that ground without a hedge of resolute pikes of no number of other armes can well be susteined Two thousand a Cohortes 4 câ—tratorum à Caesaris equitibus in planitie depreheÌ„sae concisae sunt Caes bel Ciu. 1. targetters ouertaken by Caesars horsemen vpon a plaine were all cut in pieces neither could Afranius their Generall succor them b Curio ex locis superioribus copias deducens à Iubae equitatu circumfusus occiditur Caes de bel Ciu. 2. Curio Caesars lieutenant in Afrike leauing the aduantages of the hilles and descending downe into the plaines being compassed about with Iubaes caualery was slaine together with his army Caesar hauing great aduantage against Afranius and Petreius in his horsemen did force them for their safegard to forsake the plaines For how can can an army c Eques leuisque armatura nunc ab tergo nunc ab lateribus occurrendo fatigabat morabaturque Liu. 28. march in the plaines so long as the enemy with his horsemen and light armed chargeth the same now on the sides and then on the backe Caesar marching in Afrike where he was inferior to the enemy in horse was much by their charges encombred and hindred in his march The Romanes d Equitatu melior erat Poenus ob id campi patentes quales sunt inter Padum Alpesque bello gerendo Romanis apti non erant Liu. 21. perceiuing Annibals strength in horse yeelded to him the plaines and kept themselues vpon the higher grounds If therefore we desire to keepe the plaines we must prouide a competent force of horsemen to match the enemies if we be weake in horse let vs keepe our places of aduantages but if necessity force vs to march through plaine and open countries then must wee make head against the horsemen with our pikes and mosquets disposing our army so that not onely the footmen but the horsemen also may haue succour of the battaillions of pikes and shotte Caesar by this meanes repulsed the enemies horse in the plaines of Afrike and charging them with some few horse seconded with halfe pikes put them to the gallop If our horsemen be not too much inferiour to the enemy then if wee mingle some shotte and halfe pikes lightly armed with doublets plated or other light armour among them and second them with some battaillions of pikes wee need not greatly feare to encounter the enemies horsemen By this e Liu. 26. mixture and aray the Romanes ouerthrew the Capuan horsemen in the siege of Capua which before that they durst not vpon euen hand encounter Afranius had no other meanes to breake the charge of Caesars f Caesaris equitatu Afranianos premente expeditae cohortes extremum agmen claudebant Caes bel Ciu. 1. horsemen pursuing him in Spaine but by opposing against them in the rierward certeine companies of halfe pikes lightly armed and ready not being laden with baggage By this onely deuice Caesar with 2000 horse all weried and faint put 7000 of a Caes de bel Ciuil lib. 3. Pompeyes horsemen to flight for no horsemen will endure the point of the halberd or halfe pike The Prince b Histoire de troubl de France of Condey in the encounter at S. Denis in these late troubles of France assigning to euery company of horse a company of shot which should discharge when the enemy came to charge the Princes horse by this deuice preuailed against the enemy which otherwise he was not able to encounter Wooddy countries and thicke bushes are not to be passed either with our horse or pikes before we haue cleared them with our shot and targetters and short weapons for as in those groundes horse for that they cannot there fetch their carreire and pikes by reason of their length are vnseruiceable so they are exposed to the shot of the enemy which in such places commonly lie hidden The c Tacit. Annal. Romanes taking the Germanes with their long pikes in a certein wooddy couÌ„trey taught them that such groundes were not for them Caesar pursuing his enemies into d Caes bel gal 2. the wooddes would not follow them before the wayes were made and the woods cut downe Hilles and straits are yet more difficult to passe then woods for in woods short weapons and shot may do seruice in hilles and straits possessed by the enemy neither horsemen nor pikes nor any sort of weapons can do seruice but with great disaduantage In surmounting whereof these cautions are to be vsed first that we do not enter a strait before we haue assured our selues of an issue either before or behinde or at least on the sides The e Liu. 9. Romanes not vsing this caution entring the strait at Caudium were so compassed in by the enemy on euery side that they could neither goe forward nor backeward but must there compound for their liues Cornelius the f Liu. 7. consul had likewise bene entrapped and compassed about in a valley by the Samnites if that Decius a valiant man with certeine troupes had not taken the hill aboue their heades and driuen them from thence by his owne danger opening a passage to the rest of the army If we be not assured to force the enemy before vs yet let vs assure our selues of the highest groundes both behinde and vpon the sides of the army and keepe them vntill the passage before be opened Which course Annibal taught vs by his example passing the Alpes and the Pyrenean mountaines Being g Liu. 22. brought into a strait by the mistaking of his guide he forced the passage in the night and deliuered his armie safe out Cyrus perceiuing the danger of his armie in passing the straites and hils of Cilicia taken and kept by the enemie remooued him thence by sending certaine troupes farre about another way to charge him on the backe In passing of mountaines garded by the enemie we are further to take heed that our companies doe not march vp to the hill directly before that our shot and light armed haue either taken the higher ground if any be or els some euen ground either vpon the sides or the backes of the enemie Annibal a Liu. 21. perceiuing that the inhabitants of the Alpes had seased the passages in the night time marching vp with the lustiest yong men hee had tooke the ground aboue their heads and so draue them from the places which otherwise by rolling downe of stones might haue
on the sides of the place to charge him with aduantage when the battell is begun By which meanes Annibal ouerthre we the Romanes at Trebia and the Thrasimene lake Neither is it sufficient for him onely to prouide that the enemie haue no aduantage nor his owne souldiers any disaduantage but he must consider also if he may take the enemie either in trap or at any disaduantage and that either in vneauen ground or in straites or passing of riuers or any place where his army is disordered either in lodging or marching or fighting If the enemy be beaten out of the fielde by force it is in part the souldiers praise if he be entrapped by the Captaines pollicie that is his hondur In the ioyning of the battell the Generall is likewise to endeuour to take the winde and to haue the Sunne and Moone if the fight be in the night vpon his backe The winde being fauourable driueth our darts arrowes and whatsoeuer we throwe against the enemie with greater force forward and being contrarie doeth diminish their force and stoppeth the souldiers breath and filleth their eies full of dust In the battell betwixt Theodosius and Maximus the tyrant nothing holpe the a Histor Ecclese ast Theodoret. side of Theodosius more then the winde that draue backe the darts arrowes and stones of Maximus his souldiers The b Poeni auersiterga tantùm afflante vento in occaecatum puluere à Vulturno vento hostem pugnabant Liu. 22. Romane souldiers in the battell at Cannae hauing the winde against them had their eies and throates filled with dust which fauoured the Carthaginians blowing vpon their backs The Sunne with great heate frying the bodies of the Gaules made them c Sol ingenti ardore torrebat minimè patientia aestus corpora Gallorum Liu. 35. very faint fighting on a certeine time with the Romanes Vespasians souldiers hauing the d Tacit. l. 19. Moone on their backe when they fought in the night with Vitellius his army seemed greater then they were and did see to strike more directly The same aduantage had the Sicilians against the Athenians in that nights encounter wherein they ouerthrewe them neere Syracusae The season of the yeere also and the weather is to be considered before we range our army to fight Northren people endure colde better then heate And therefore as they are to auoide fighting in the heate of the day and summer season so they are to chuse the coole morning or euening and of the times of the yeere the Spring or drie Winter which Southren people can not brooke The Romanes protracting time vntill the heate of the day did then charge the e Liu. 9. Gaules when with heate and thirst they were of themselues ready to faint which occasioned vnto them a great victorie In rainie weather shot cannot doe almost any seruice that tyme therefore is fittest for armed men targetters and such like to charge them Finally whatsoeuer maketh for the encouragement of our souldiers or discouragement of the enemie the same ought a wise Generall to deuise and practise The strength of the enemy is in wordes to be diminished the goodnes of our cause and strength of our army to be amplified Whatsoeuer a Fama bellum conficit parua momenta in spem metúmque impellunt animos Liu. 27. reportes may hurt the enemy or helpe vs are to be spread abroad Reportes oft times preuaile as much as truth small matters make men in that case both feare and hope as said Claudius Nero. The report of a succour comming did daunt b Tacit. 19. Vitellius his army and confirmed the enemy Which also happened in a certeine incounter betwixt the Romanes and Samnites Wordes also cast out in the time of the battell as that their Generall is slaine or that part of the army flieth and such like profite much Therefore if at any time heere especially the skill and iudgement of a Capteine is to shewe it selfe in taking aduantages auoiding disaduantages preuenting of mischiefes laying ambushes for the enemy and vsing all maner of stratagems and deuises of warre Nowe hauing spent thus much time in considerations and preparatiues of a battell let vs come to the ranging of our battels and to the action it selfe in encountring and vanquishing the enemy CHAP. XII Wherein is discoursed what aray and course is best in charging the enemie THe aray of an army placed and prepared to fight is diuers according to the number and qualities both of the enemies and our owne forces likewise according to our strength in horsemen or footemen in shot or armed men and last of all according to the difference of groundes and places To part a small number into so many partes as we doe a full armie were rather to breake it then orderly to part it and a matter in shewe ridiculous If the enemies force be greater on the corners then in the midst we must haue consideration of that in framing and ranging our army Horsemen in rough ground in woods straits and hilles are vnprofitable If the enemy be stronger then wee in horse wee are to change the place of our horsemen to auance our footmen Where the wayes are strait we cannot spread our army as in open field This and other circumstances being referred to the iudgement of the Generall let vs now consider what aray is best in open field our army being full and hauing all the partes thereto required This I haue touched already where I shewed before how an army marching is suddenly to be drawen into order by what rules the same may be exactly performed remaineth now to be declared The whole army considered without horsemen or shot consisteth of three partes in the front I call them the a That word cōmeth neerest to the sence though not to the proper signification of the word right corner the middle battell and the left corner the Romanes called them Dextrum cornu mediam aciem sinistrum cornu and of two or three partes from front to the backe The first I call the front the second the supply the third if there be a third the last hope The Romanes diuided their aray as it was considered in depth or from front to backe in hastatos principes triarios The shot I would haue placed both before and on the sides and behinde euery of these partes diuided into seuerall troupes and guided by seuerall leaders Without the shot the horsemen would be placed on the winges vnlesse some speciall cause mooue vs to the contrary The three partes of the front may either stand ioyned together or with some distance separated and either may they be framed as one body with rankes continued or els euery of these partes may consist of diuers battaillions or squares of armed men very commodious for the seuerall vse of them and also for the retrait of shot within the distances The breadth and depth may be greater or lesser according to our
number and the ground where they stand As the front is diuided so likewise is the supply and last hope in like sort The supply would be neere so many as the front but it is sufficient if the last hope be halfe so many The distances of the supply would be greater then of the battaillions in front which charging the enemy are to ioyne close together and being wearied may retire within the distances of the supply which two partes ioyned together do then make one front if both be foiled then are they to be receiued within the distances of the last hope which are largest and all the partes to vnite their whole forces together If any doubt of the confusion that may arise in the retiring of the first and second battell backe to the third then may the supply and last hope be drawen vp vpon the sides which will worke the very same effects In the midst of euery battaillion or square somewhat toward the first rankes would the ensignes be placed with their garders well armed and furnished with short weapons Euery battaillion would haue his seuerall leader which would be the first man of the right hand in the first ranke of the square for that the inferior leaders in a maine battell should stand out of ranke is contrary to practise of warres If in euery battaillion there were some part targetters contrary to the moderne vse there might be good vse made of them when the armies come to ioyne both against shot and pikes a Ante signa modico interuallo velites eunt Liu. 38. Before the front of the battell are certeine troupes of shot to take their standing which may not onely defend the head of our army but also anoy whosoeuer offereth himselfe to the charge If they be pressed with horsemen or targetters their retreit is within the distances of the battaillions if the ground affoord them no other defence From thence they are to be drawen eftsoone againe and employed where theyr leaders shall perceiue they may doe most seruice A ranke of mosquetiers vnder the first ranke of pikes may doe good seruice if they be drawen into the distances when the enemy commeth to the charge The horsemen if they be not strong enough to encounter the enemies horse would be seconded with certeine troupes of shot and halfe pikes but diligently are they to take heed that they goe not directly before the front of their owne footmen lest retiring thence they fall vpon their owne pikes The great ordonance if there be any hill in the place either on the right hand or left hand of the army is there best placed both for seeing of the enemy and for feare of disordering our men either going to the charge or retiring backe If the ground be euen it is placed in the head of our army a little before our troupes of shot which after the same is discharged auance themselues while that is drawen within the distances either of the battaillions or of the midbattell and corners For defence of the artillery there are good gardes to be appointed wheresoeuer it standeth If this order cannot be obserued yet this rule is generally to be respected that euery weapon and souldier is there to be placed where he may most anoy the enemy and best defend himselfe The partes are so to be placed that one may succour another and one retire to another Horsemen may not come within the ground of the footmen nor shot within the rankes of pikes but both either on the sides or behinde the battaillions He is most iudicious that can bring most men to fight and stop the way to the enemy that he can not extend his men to hurt him There is no company to be sent forth to ioyne with the enemy but with some to relieue them againe and againe and to receiue them retiring and stop the enemies pursute Horsemen may not charge pikes nor come in ground where they cannot fetch their carriere Other rules in their speciall places shall be prescribed Shot in marching and standing obserue order The distances before I haue shewed In fighting they obserue no order but euery man marking his enemy right before him and shooting at him taketh his best aduantage yet if they obserue not a certeine course where the shot are many they soone fall in disorder Archers for that they shoot and fight standing in ranke obserue better aray their distance from shoulder to shoulder is one foot from ranke to ranke foure foot Some now a dayes doe little esteeme this weapon yet if our archers were armed with plated iackes as in time past neither shotte could abide them in euen ground nor pikes without shotte Against horsemen where they may finde defence of hedges or ditches or stakes or rough ground they do very good seruice Pikemen against a charge of horsemen ought to stand close with the blunt end of the pike in the ground the poynt bent vpon the horse brest Ranke from ranke standeth not more then three foot asunder that many endes of pikes may garde the first ranke That the pikes may be commodiously bent and crossed the first rankes are to bow theyr bodies that they may the better breake the charge of the enemies horse before them they are to haue a ranke of mosquetiers as hath bene said already Where the pikemen go to charge other pikes betweene shoulder and shoulder there would be a foot distance betwixt ranke and ranke so much as charging with the pikes aboue hand and breaking the same they may vse theyr swordes and daggers and either in striking auance forward theyr right legges or els receiuing the enemies blowes draw backe the same Sixe foot I thinke for that purpose to be sufficient The halberdieres bilmen and targetters would haue likewise betwixt shoulder and shoulder one foot betwixt ranke and ranke fiue foot In pikes and short weapons this is generally to be obserued that they stand as close together as may be so they may haue roome to manage themselues and their weapons the lesse roome may serue considering that I would haue all souldiers to strike with the point of their weapon and euery man to succour his fellowes before him and on the sides The horsemen go to the shocke with equall front so neere as they can and runne so close side by side as they may without hurt ech to other If horse be distant from horse two foot and ranke from ranke seuen foot when horsemen goe trotting to the charge the proportion is good The aray of the Frenchmen that charge with single rankes is of no strength neither the orders of the Reiters that goe to the charge in a ring for so soone as they are inuested with lances they are broken and therefore I thinke the former aray better as vsed both by antiquity and the Italian and English caualery which giueth ground at this day to no other The ancient leaders of time past which for their skill in armes are famous to
h Maxima pars ab equitibus in flumen acti sunt Liu. 1. pursue those that are put to flight But those that leade horsemen are to proceede with great caution they may not charge pikemen standing resolutely together The price of their folly that did otherwise our men did somewhat vnderstand at Muscleborough field Neither may they charge shot or archers that haue a defence either of a trench or a hedge or a wall or certaine rankes of pikes before them For in the case they make them selues markes to the enemie whom they cannot come at Further they had better charge the enemie disarrayed by shotte or other weapons then when the armie standeth close together For against an armie well empaled with pikes yea with halberds close set and well backed with shotte horse cannot preuaile whatsoeuer a certaine a Histoire de troubl de Fr. l. 2. French man in his glorious stile vaunteth of the strength of the French men of armes Against men out of order in open fielde horsemen worke great effectes and so no doubt they haue done in these late disorderly braules of France and did alwayes among b Arist polit barbarous nations which fought out of order But against an army well ordered they can do but little And any small impediment doth make them vnseruiceable The Romanes although their pikes were not halfe so long as ours yet did they not feare any numbers of horse Against the Macedonian pikes the Persian horse could doe no seruice Neither will the French horsemen looke vpon our pikes well backed with musquets if they be wise notwithstanding their great crakes Nay our archers at Agincourt fielde founde them not so rough in handling as they would seeme Horsemen therefore in all expeditions I accompt very requisite for the causes aboue rehearsed and for that without them albeit we could foyle the enemie yet we cannot kill many nor preuaile against him that is swifter of foote then we as c Xenoph. exped Cy. 2. Clearchus both said and proued by experience in the warres against Artaxerxes At the bridge of Burgos in Galicia where the Spaniards ranne so lightly before vs we felt what want we had of horse Of horsemen I thinke it requisite also to haue some part lances some light armed like to our borderers and some carbines The barded horsemē both for their heauines great charge I thinke not very needefull When Lucullus his men were much afraide of Tygranes his barded d Plutarch in Lucullo horses he willed them to be of good cheere for that there was more labour in spoyling them being so armed then in foyling thē they were so vnweldy And so it came to passe For I neuer read that euer they did any seruice but in diuers places that they were foiled e Xenoph. exped Cyr. 1. Cyrus had diuers barded horses in his iourney against his brother but there is not any mentiō of any seruice that they did Darius had multitudes of them in the encounter betwixt him and Alexander a Arrian exped Alex. 3. at Arbela and Antiochus in the battell against b Liu. Scipio but scarce did they giue one blowe to hinder the course of the enemies victorie The armour of the c Cataphracti inhabiles ad resurgendum humi dilabentes caduntur Tac. annal 17 man and the horse is so heauie and so boisterous that if they fall there they lye stopping the way to those that come after Neither can they auoide it but many shall lye vpon the ground especially if the pikes stand close and be well flanked or backed with mosquettiers shooting ouer their heades If we haue fewe horsemen or not so many that wee may therewith match the enemie we are then to followe the prudent deuise of Caesar both here in Briteine and in Afrike and Greece shewed him by valiant men before him Before Capua the Romanes not being able to match the enemie with horse seconded their men with certeine lusty young men armed lightly and weaponed with short pikes Which while their men were at the charge did so gall the enemie with their pikes that presently they turned visage Caesar by reason that his shippes wherein his horse were helde not their course comming into this Iland had onely 30. horse yet foyling the enemie with his footemen with those fewe horses and the lustiest of his young men he so pursued them that many remained behinde their company In Afrike likewise he susteined the charge of the enemies horsemen with his footemen and after that he had made them turne their backes did so charge them with some fewe horsemen which he had that they had no desire to returne thither againe Seconding his horsemen with certaine halfe pikes lightly armed he not only repelled Pompeis horsemen in Albany and Scipioes in Afrike but also vanquished their forces By the same d Caes bel gal 7. deuise before time he foyled 7000. Gaules well horsed with a very fewe of his owne ayded and seconded by his footemen e Xenoph. exped Eyr 3. Xenophon charging the enemie that would haue fled from him with a few carriage horses shewed vnto vs that bad horses serue for a shift to follow the chace and run better then good footemen In the warres of Naples 12. Italian horsemen fighting in steccato as they call it with so many Frenchmen the Italians f Guicciard 1. preuailed by this meanes In the place where they met the Italians let fal certain iauelins which those that were first vnhorsed by the French tooke vp ioyning with their companions striking the French in the faces preuailed against them The Admirall of France at the encounter of S. Denis by Paris being ouermatched by the enemy in horsemen placed behinde euery company a company of shot which following the horsemen going an easy trot to the charge vpon the approch of the enemy auanced themselues forward and discharged so thicke and full vpon him that all his companie came not to the charge and those that came were more gentle in handling then otherwise they would haue beene This may serue those that are inferior to the enemy in horsemen For this nation I trust this discourse is needelesse For albeit we haue hitherto had great want of horsemen in our expeditions in France Flanders and Portugal yet there is no reason that this land should want hereafter hauing such meanes There onely wanteth liberall mindes and good order that some part of that is now spent in surfet silkes golden laces and other vanities may be employed in keeping horses for seruice Lances and Carbines haue like vse in following the victory and chase But while the enemy standeth lances are best employed against shot and carbines against pikes But yet must they take heed how they do inuest them In discouering the enemy and fetching in of victualles and brideling the enemies forragers both lances and carbins and archebuziers on horsebacke would be ioyned together But carbins and
footemen especially shot and targetters vpon the flanke of the enemy that chaseth our men and if hee stay not then resolutely to charge him In the meane time those that flie are to be rallyed againe Annibal in that last battell which hee fought with the Romanes in Afrike thrise rallyed his forces and so many fresh charges gaue he vnto them If his souldiers had bene answerable vnto him or els if the Romanes had not followed very orderly he might percase haue broken them b Liui. 35. Philopoemen charging the enemy that followed the chase of his men too egerly did ouerthrow him At Rauenna the c Guicciatâ— Spaniards that remained after the battel vnbroken retiring in good order and vsing the aduantage of the ground did so receiue the enemy that charged them that they slew the General and diuers of his company Those therefore that retire Iet them marche resolutely and orderly the shot let them approch neere to the flanks of the squadrons of pikes There also is the defence of targetters against horse The pikes let them not disdeine the helpe of shot and short weapons The horse are to bee ranged behinde the squadrons or on the flankes Which if they be vnited in one body are not easily broken nor rashly to be charged If being neere the enemy thou desirest to depart without fight at least without Iosse thy best course is to make him vncertaine of thy purpose by pretending that which thou meanest not By making of fires hauging of matches in bushes and standing of tentes the enemy is oftentimes abused especially in the night That thy companies may make more speede thou art before thou beginnest to dislodge to sende thy hurt and sicke together with the baggage and great ordonance before thee and then to followe with the rest a Sauciorum aegrorum habita ratione impedimenta omnia silentio prima nocte ex castris Apolloniam praemittit Ac conquiescere ante iter confectum vetuit his vna legio praesidio missa est Caes de bel Ciu. 3. Caesar departing from Pompey at Dyrrhachium that he might not be charged at disaduantage in his marche tooke this course The sicke hurt and baggage of the campe hee sent away first garded with one Regiment Other Regiments he caused to marche after them some good distance with two legions that remained hee followed last And hauing marched so much as he meant to doe that day and making shewe to lodge there when the enemy that followed was not aware and vnreaby hee departed presently and that day got so much ground that after ward hee ould neuer be ouertaken before hee came whither hee meant to goe If the enemy be ready in armes to follow it is hard to goe from him vnlesse the neerenesse of hils or straites doe fauour thy retraite Lest thou be charged in retiring with the enemies horse or shot or disordered in some straite great care must be vses To represse the force of horsemen vse either thy horsemen entermingled with some shot or squadrons of pikes flanked with musquetiers against shot vse horsemen in the plaine and shot and targetters in straites If thou fearest to be charged in some straite take the vpper ground with thy shot and targets and seeke those aduantages which before I haue shewed thee in the discourse of the vse of diuers weapons and aduantages of ground To stoppe the enemies pursuite where he must passe a straite before be come at thee it is a good course to cut downe trees and woods and to set them on fire For horse will hardly passe through the fire nor can lightly passe but in hye wayes or made wayes By this meanes Xenophon retired safe with his men from b Xenoph. exp Cyr. 5. Dryla and the a 〈…〉 Bellouacians escaped the handes of Caesar in the warrâ—s of France Pompey being to take shippe at Brundusium and fearing least if he abandoned the walles Caesar would enter the towne and charge his men as they went on boord b Pottas obstruit vias platealque inaedificat sâ—sâ—ar transuersas vijs perducir ibique sodes stipiésque praeacutos defigir haec ciatibus teriaque ina quat aditus ad portus maximis trabibus praesepit Milites silentio naues conscendunt expediti ex euocatiâ— sagittarijs in muro collocantur quibus certo loco actuarias naues relinquens signo dato renocat Caes de bel Ciu. 1. stopped and dammed vp all the gates and wayes saue one and in the streetes made blinde trenches staked them and couered them on the walles he placed his archery and light armed for defence of them vntill the rest were all shipped when all the rest were on boord then did these runne toward the porte where there were boates and fregates readie to receiue them That there may be some ende of flying either thou art to direct thy course to the hils and there to make head as aduantage is offered vnto thee or els to take some strong towne for thy safegard The Romanes keeping with their army in the higher ground wearied Annibals victorious army and cut betweene the same and prouision So long as the c Caes bel Gal. 7. Gaules kept on the higher ground and straited Caesars victuals hee coulde not hurt them D. Brutus in taking of Mutina arrested Antonies army that was going into France The retraite of Vercingetorix into Alexia stayed Caesar a great time in that siege in which meane time the Gaules leuied newe forces The siege of townes doe oftentimes breake the force of an army The Protestants finding no resistance in open fielde were harrassed and tyred out in the siege of d Hist de troubl de Fr. Poytiers and like hap had the aduerse party For being victorious at Moncontour they lost all vigour and strength at the siege of S. Iean d'Angeli That thou doe not receiue dishonour by retiring two things thou art especially to haue regard vnto first that thou doe not leaue behinde thee thy sicke and hurt men secondly that thou doe not loose thy carriages and baggage nor leaue them For without them thou canst neither commodiously cary armes nor victuals with thee nor mainteine thy company To do whatsoeuer in this case is requisite nothing is more auaileable then expedition By that thou dispatchest all impediments thou winnest ground thou preuentest the enemy thou sanest thy selfe and thy friends And therefore if in good successe much more in calamitie ought we to vse all celeritie Afranius being almost past all danger yet for idlenesse suffered the enemy to come betweene him and his retraite which e Caes de Bel. Ciuil lib. 1. was his ruine These things they hinder and stoppe the enemies proceeding for sometime But if thou meanest to driue him out of the countrey or to hinder him for winning any more ground newe forces must be leuied and an army sent into the fielde if not to fight with him vpon eauen grounde yet to watche all aduantages and to
proceeding and continuance of warres and warlike actions I haue followed in this discourse the order of time setting downe those things first which are first to bee considered prouided and executed and so prosecuting euery action of warre seuerally by it selfe Those that haue done otherwise I see they haue trifled away many words without any small profite They talke of rankes and arayes at large others of building of fortresses that belonging to a good Serieant properly this to a good mason But howe souldiers shal be prouided and how they shall proceede and howe souldiers and fortresses are to be gouerned they scarce mention sure few of them know or can declare Besides these they omit manie other necessarie poyntes of warre wherein the safetie of an armie and a state consisteth Wherefore omitting or slenderly handling those sleight poyntes I haue chosen other matters more important to dilate beginning first with the causes of warres then with the prouision that is made before warres be attemted For although souldiers are the principall actors in these tragicall matters yet before wee drawe an army into the fielde or make leuie of souldiers manie things are to be considered and prouided First wee are to consider that our cause be good and iust For warres without cause are nothing but robbery and violence contrary to humanitie and reason secondly all things necessary for the warres are to be prouided thē are souldiers to be leuied and exercised and so brought into the field to prosecute all other necessary faits of armes 1 First therefore I will God willing declare what causes make warres iust or vniust and what are the effects of lawfull warres and therein also what solemnities or circumstances are to be considered in defiance of our enemies or first attempts of warre 2 Secondly what prouision is to be made of treasure armes munition victuals ships by sea and carriages and tents by land 3 Thirdly that wee are to strengthen our selues with the helpe of confederates and associates so much as we can and to draw what friends or strength wee can from the enemie both before we attempt warres and after 4 Fourthly what partes and qualities are required in a General and what counsell he is to adioyne to himselfe and whether it is better to giue souereigne authoritie in warres to one alone or to more likewise what authority and commission the Generall ought to haue further what is to bee respected in the choyce of Colonels of Captaines of companies and other officers of the army and what in the choyce of common souldiers what othe they are to take and how much the souldiers of our owne nation are to be preferred before strangers what inconueniences ensue of want of pay what numbers of souldiers are required in warres and finally how souldiers are to be exercised that they may be made ready for the warres 5 Fiftly what things are to be considered of those that are to transport an army by sea or by land into an other countrey and whether it is better for the English nation to inuade the Spaniard or any other forreine enemie in his owne countrey then to receiue his assault at home or to stay vntil he come on our coast or within our countrey and lastly what cautions souldiers sent abroade in succour and ayde of other nations are to vse 6 Sixtly what order and aray an army is to obserue in marching and how the same may march safely in the enemies countrey surmounting all difficulties whereby either in champion or wooddy countries or els in the passage of riuers or hilles and straites it may be disordred stopped or hindred 7 And for that we are not onely to offend but also sometimes to defend we are also to shewe what oppositions and trauerses the defendants are to make thereby to stoppe the progression and marche of the enemie and how to send our men safely forth on forraging and howe to stoppe and cut off the enemies forragers 8 For that oft times time is vainely spent in deliberations daliances and delayes to the impouerishing of many states and ouerthrow of many good actions we will shew by many proofes that nothing is more aduantageous then expedition and celerity in preparing marching executing fighting and all enterprises of warre nor any thing more hurtfull or dangerous then delaies 9 What orders are to be obserued in the fortifying defending and gouerning of our campe and lodging that we be not either charged a l'improuista or easily forced to fight 10 We will also shewe that as the assaylants in the enemies countrey are to seeke that the matter may be soone tried by battell so the defendants without great aduantage are to auoyde it and further by what meanes the enemie may be brought to fight and how those that feare to fight may auoyde the encounter with least losse 11 Before the Generall doeth bring foorth his armie into the fielde many things are to be considered all which shal be declared in the eleuenth Chapter 12 In the twelfth we are to discourse of the aray and charge of an armie encountring the enemie in open fielde and therein of the vse of horsemen of pikes halberds targets small shot archerie and great ordonance 13 In the thirteenth shall follow a briefe treatise of stratagemes ambushes and whatsoeuer deuises serue for the more ready atchieuing of our purpose 14 After the victorie once obteined and the enemie vanquished in the next Chapter we are to shew how the victorie is to be vsed and the conquest may best be mainteined 15 And because the hazard of warre is doubtfull in the fifteenth Chapter we purpose to declare by what meanes an army that is foyled or feareth to fight may most safely or with least danger or losse retire and howe the enemie in following the course of his victorie may be stopped 16 The sixteenth Chapter shall conteine precepts and orders for the gouernment of a camp that besiegeth a citie or fort and what course is best in besieging battering assaulting or entring the same 17 For the behoofe of the defendants the 17. shall declare what proceeding is best in the defence and gouernment of a towne or place assayled besieged battered assaulted or demyforced 18 And for that sea townes are not easily defended nor besieged without a nauie at sea in the next place followeth a discourse concerning the vse of ships of warre and how they are to be prouided ranged and managed in sea-fightes 19 Next vnto the execution of warres followeth the treaty of peace truce and confederacies of which we are in the 19. Chapter to intreate and also of the assurance of articles of peace truce and confederacie and likewise of the priuiledges of ambassadors and messengers by which such matters are treated and brought to passe 20 After warres ensue rewardes of such as haue behaued themselues valiantly in the seruice of their countrey and therefore in the 20. Chapter we are to entreat of the rewards of valiant souldiers punishment of
see not how our people can mainteine their honor but the next course to assure them selues is to haue cautionary townes or hostages or both deliuered into their handes townes that they may assure them selues of retraite in case of bad dealing hostages that they may be assured of their good dealing Without townes their case is desperate if the enemie preuaile The b Froâ—ssart French that came to aide Galeazzo Duke of Millain vnder the leading of the Countie of Armignac being scattered in the siege of Alexandria were slaine by the Pesants of the Countrey The like happened to those poore Lanceknights that were defeated at c Anno 1569. Moncontour Neither were the Spaniards better vsed that came in aide of the Leaguers being defeated by the present french king neere Dreux anno 1589. This towne that is giuen in caution is to be garded with a sufficient force of English furnished with victuals and munitions in the garde of the garrison and not as in Vlissingen in the keeping of the townesmen vnto whom whosoeuer trusteth shall assuredly be deceiued Thirly let those that haue the gouernment of our men see that they both march and lodge vnited and strong that they be not either disturbed in the night nor betraied vnder colour of frieÌ„dship Strangers that stragle are a spoile not onely to the pesants but to their secrete euil-willers And those that lodge without defence or suffer any to come within them in the night are open to euery enterprise of their enemies That they may both lodge and march hard together order is to be taken that they may haue victuals deliuered them alwaies before hand and that they be not driuen to seeke abroad for them To conclude the onely meanes of safetie is neither to trust enemy nor friend for none are abused but they that trust dissoyall people If that our men can neither haue townes nor hostages nor victuals nor good vsage what should they be sent among such people or why should they trust others being not themselues trusted or why should any succour be sent but such as may command and punish the dissoyall and haue strength to stand vpon themselues Those therefore that are gouernours I trust they will maturely consider of this point if not let them looke for this issue if the enemy be stronger then are our men either to be slaine or famished by the enemie if by our forces our friendes preuaile then for their rewarde shall they either be turned out of the countrey with disgrace or be famished or cut in peeces by their friendes These things considered let vs nowe consequently proceede to declare howe an army after that it is exercised and furnished and that the Generals haue all due considerations both therein and in all other prouision and proceeding required before the marche of the army may march orderly and safely CHAP. VI. Part. I. Of the order and aray of an army marching toward the enemy THe first care of him that meaneth to march safely in the enemies countrey or where an enemie is neere ought to be that his troupes obserue good order and aray and the neerer that he approcheth to the enemy the greater ought his care to be The neglect of this point onely hath bene the ouerthrow of many armies It giueth opportunitie to the enemy to assaile vs and confoundeth yong souldiers when they are ignorant how to come in order to defend themselues Easie it is to be obserued of men that are willing and vnderstand reason and sharpe effects and correction it worketh on the stubborne and wilfull That the General or his officers may put the armie in good order of march first they are to vnderstand what is the aray of the whole armie considered together as one whole body Secondly the places of euery part as of horsemen footemen and of footemen of the diuers sortes of weapons Thirdly the iust distances of souldier from souldier according to euery mans qualitie and weapon Fourthly the places of the Generall and other chiefe Commanders Fiftly of the great Ordonance and munition Lastly of the cariages and baggage and boyes and seruants that attend vpon it and likewise of marchants and victualers and others that followe the army for other causes then to fight The armie consisteth of three partes commonly considered especially as it marcheth for in fighting the orders and parts doe much differ The first part that marcheth wee call vantgard the second the battell the third the arier ward Euery one of these ought to be a perfect body of it selfe hauing both his smal shot and great ordonnance and his horsemen and his pikes targets and halberds placed in good order Oft times I know it is otherwise and that either horsemen or pikes or targets are wanting in some part or other But howe much of these they want so much they want of perfection and due proportion in a iust army For we speake not of 6 or 7 thousand which cannot obserue this order but had better to march vnited but of a ful army of 24 or 30 thousand which number marching in this order so that one part may succour an other I accompt doth march orderly and strongly If one part goe farre before an other it may fall out as it happened to the Protestants in the plaines of S. Clere anno 1569 that one part shall be in route before the other can come to succour The Romanes marched distinguished by legions whose numbers were diuers and which seldome were complete but in effect the aray was one saue that the Romanes commonly made but two partes of their armie and placed their baggage in the midst as did Caesar marching against the Neruians In the order of the partes and placing of horsemen and footemen and sorting of weapons the same reasons haue place for the most part among all nations Before the auantgard light horsemen by ancient prescription may challenge the first place If they be seconded with some shot and targetters lightly armed they may be the bolder to come neere the enemy and to abide his charge These are called auantcoureurs and serue for discouery of the enemies proceedings and of the situation of the Countrey and intercepting of the enemies espials and diuers other vses Vpon the front of the auantgard march small shot and musquetiers after them follow the armed men with the ensignes in the midst or rather somewhat toward the first rankes On either hand and behind the armed men are other companies of shot to be ranged and without the shot somewhat auanced forward argoletiers and then launces take their place If the enemie make countenance as if he would charge some part of our army with his horse they are to be drawne toward the side where the enemie threatneth to giue the charge but if the enemie doe flie before vs and shunne to fight the horsemen of the whole armie would be ioyned together and sent to charge him on the sides or backe and to stay his marche
as Caesar practised first against the a Caes bel Gal. 1. Heluetians then against the b Caes bel Gal. 2. Aduaticans and lastly against Petreius his c Caes bel ciu 1. armie in Spaine By which meanes he ouertooke those that were farre before him But this hath vse where we are stronger then the enemie in horse Howe many horsemen or shot or pikes or targets and other weapons shall march in a ranke I referre to the iudgement of a good Sergiant maior according to the bredth of the waies and approches of the enemie The more doe march in a ranke the lesse paine he shall haue to set them in order when he would place them in order of battell and the stronger the aray is d Guicciar lib. 9. Ten thousand Switzers in Lombardy in the warres betwixt the Spaniards and French marched foure score in a ranke harde by the French armie which seeing their resolution durst not charge them The same course is to be taken in the aray of the battell and arierward marching saue that these two partes following without any great distance betweene neede not light horsemen or auantcoureurs especially where the enemie is before Neither haue they such vse of shot or horsemen as the auantgard where they are vsed for supplies rather then to fight in front In the placing of horsemen footemen in sorting and employing of diuers weapons so that euery sort may doe best seruice consisteth the speciall iudgement of a wise leader For therein are infinite differences according to the diuers strength of the enemie and our owne forces and likewise according to the diuersities of grounds and times Yet commonly in marching this order is obserued first the light-horse seconded if need be with shot and targetters especially where the country is rough and wooddie serue for auantcoureurs Caliuers and musquetiers are not onely to march on the front but also on the sides and backe of the armed men Lances and men of armes are ranged the outmost on the sides for the most part Next to the shot march the pikes of that part of the armie these would bee rāged rather in battaillions according to the fashion of the Romans that the shot and other light armed men might saue themselues and againe make head within the distances then all in one front ioyned togither But this is where the plainnesse of the ground will giue leaue In euery battaillion the ensignes are to bee placed somewhat toward the first rankes garded with good store of targetters and halberds well armed In placing and sorting of weapons the Generall is to consider that the charge of horsemen against shot and targetters is mortall if they be not either garded with pikes or haue the vantage of ditches or hedges or woods where they cannot reach them In which case the shot gauleth the horse if they come within the leuell of the piece Shot and targetters against pikes worke good effects pikes ioined close and standing firme togither doe breake the carriere of horsemen especially where they haue their musquetiers placed neere by them Archers where they haue a defense before them doe good seruice in the field against horsemen These things let the General haue so in mind that he may rather take the aduantage of weapons in the encounter then giue it to the enemie In marching the distances of euery ranke from ranke and of euery souldier from his companion by him are greater then whē they stand ranged in battell readie to fight It skilleth not much what the distance be so they may beare their weapons commodiously march seemelie yet that euery man might know what distance is sufficient what is most seemly it were good that one rule were obserued Shot although in fighting they obserue rather a course then aray and are to stirre vp and downe to espie where they may hit the enemie yet that they may with more ease and speed bee drawen to seruice are to march in distance from ranke to ranke fiue or sixe foote from shoulder to shoulder one foote or a foote and a halfe Argoletiers or Pistoliers in march from horse to horse on the side are distant two foote from ranke to ranke a yarde and a halfe or thereabout The Lancier without bardes rideth in the same distance Pikemen from their fellowes side by them are distant a foote and a halfe or two foote from the pikemen behind and before by reason of the length of their pikes twelue foote Their march to their corps de gard when they hold their pikes vpright which the Italian calleth inalborar is out of this rule Of their distances in charging or receiuing the charge of horse or foote wee shall speake when we come to the place Halbardiers march a foote and a halfe from shoulder to shoulder and seuen foote from ranke to ranke The targetter may obserue the same distance from shoulder to shoulder but hee needeth not such distance from ranke to ranke The Generall as he hath the commandement so he ought to haue the care of all and therefore ought to be in all places But because he cannot bee in all places at one time therefore doeth the practise of warre require that he assigne the guiding of his three battaillions to three of his chiefe officers and commaunders that are men of iudgement and experience to see and commaund in his absence all men in their battaillion to march in order Himselfe may march with the battell vnlesse for some cause it shall please him to march in the vantgard or arierward The Romanes ouer euery legion or regiment of fiue or sixe thousand placed a principall commaunder they called him Legatum the same was of the Generals counsell and in his absence one of his lieutenants Euerie seuerall troupe of horsemen are to haue their seuerall commaunders and euery compaine of shot likewise All which ought to be obedient to the Generall of the horse or Colonell of the footemen which know the Generals counsell The seuerall troupes also of armed men are to haue their seuerall commaunders prouided alwayes that no one companie haue more then one commaunder for auoiding of confusion and that euery of these hearken to their superiours which vnder the Generall haue the chiefe gouernement of euery battaillion The Serieant maior and corporals of the field his officers are to acquaint euery commaunder with the Generals direction which the same is to execute These are therefore suffered to goe vp and downe to see things in order For others it is not good they should leaue their araie unlesse it bee for necessarie causes as sickenesse the necessities of nature and such like The commaunders of euery troupe are to march in the head of their troupes their lieutenants behind the same All other colonels captaines lieutenants and serieants are to keepe their ranke and araie wherein they shall be placed For although ouer their priuate companies when they are single they commaund yet in the armie vnited togither they
hurt his men and stopped their passage When Philip the king of Macedonia had lodged his armie by the banke of the riuer Aous and at the foote of certaine mightie mountains the Romane Generall by the direction of a shepeheard vnderstanding the site of the b Deleri exercitus Philippi potuit sed equitem angustiae â—ocorúmque asperitas peditem aâ—morum grauitas impedijt Liu. 32. ground sent foure thousand targetters about the hils and comming vpon his backe draue him from his ground and had vtterly defeated his armie had not the roughnesse and straightnesse of the ground hindered the carriere of his horsmen and the weight of their armes the speed of the footemen The Persians did driue Leonidas from the straites of Thermopylae by comming vpon his backe and taking the vpper ground which likewise was done by the Romane Generall Acilius when Antiochus kept the same straites to stop the proceeding of the Romane armie In all their expeditions through the mountaines of c Liu. 32. 46. Thessalie and Athamanie the Romanes passed without any losse into Macedonie for that they alwayes tooke the tops of the hils with their light armed before they suffered their armie to descend into the valleis Xenophon returning into his countrey through the hils of the Carduchians to passe them safely tooke this course d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. exped Cyr. 4. His companie he deuided equallie into two partes whereof if the first were stopped the second auancing it selfe forward another way wanne the hill and draue the enemies from their ground if the enemie made head against the second then did the first compasse the hill while that part held the enemies in breath The araie of the armie in passing of hils and straites is diuers from the common order of marching for here not the horsemen but shot and light armed targetters and short weapons march first and serue to discouer the enemie they also gard both the sides and backe of the armie next them march the horsemen and pikes with the baggage and great ordonance in the midst Diuers are the dangers and difficulties which an armie is subiect vnto passing of great riuers where there is no bridge nor easie foord no lesse to be considered then other impediments opposed against an armie marching for here the enemie commonly maketh head against vs here he lieth in waite either to charge vs in front or on the backe our forces being diuided and one part not able to succour the other If we bee driuen to fight in the riuer or as soâ—ne as we come on the other side our armes and clothes being wet doe hinder vs and tyre vs. If our armie passe by boates it is to bee feared least the enemie comming downe the riuer with greater vessels and boates then wee haue doe diuide our companie likewise and take away our meanes to passe bridges are broken with great waters yea with great barges and pieces of timber sent downe the riuer and falling ouerthwart them a Belgas nostri in flumine aggressi magnam corum partem conciderunt Caes bel Gal. 2. Caesar charging the Belgians as they passed a riuer cut a number of them in pieces The Spaniards that forced to passe a riuer in the pursuite of b Liu. 21. Annibal were likewise slayne in the midst of it by his horsemen returning backe vpon them and finding them in disorder When the c Inopinantes impeditos aggressus magnam eorum partem concidit Caes bel Gal. 1. Heluetians were all passed the riuer of Soane saue a fourth part Caesar setting vpon them that remained and looked for no such thing discomfited and killed the most of them d Caes bel Gal. 7. Labienus suffering them of Treuers to passe the riuer betwixt him and them before they were halfe passed set vpon them and ouerthrew them before the rest could passe Those e Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 9. Protestants likewise which for want of meanes could not passe so soone as their fellowes were defeated at the passage of Dordonne anno 1569. Hard it is and dangerous to passe a riuer where there is an armie on the other side readie to debate and denie the passage The f Heluetij nauibus iunctis ratibúsque compluribus factis alij vadis Rodani perruÌ„pere conati operis munitione militum concursu â—elis repulsi Caes bel Gal. 1. Heluetians at foordes and by boates often attempted to passe the riuer of Rone but what with the height of the bankes and trenches made and force of men they were repulsed Therefore in passing of great riuers the Generals had need to proceed discreetly and to looke both forward and backward that whether he passe by foords or by bridges made for the purpose or by boates or peeces of timber bound together or skinnes blowne full of winde or howsoeuer he loose none of his companie nor be troubled as men are that are taken vnprouided King Edward the third passed the riuer of Some at a foord notwithstanding the resistance made by the French but if withall he had passed ouer some thousand or two thousand archers which by appointment might haue come vpon the backe of the enemie the passage of the riuer had bene more easie and the defence of the enemie and escape more difficult for by that meanes Annibal defeated the Gaules in the passage of Rone For making she we to passe by force those companies that he had sent about an other way came vpon their backes and cut many of them in peeces The Admirall of France anno 1569 when he could not force the garde at Port de Pile by reason of the Gabions and Barriquadals vnder which the enemies shot lay couered sought and found a passage a litle aboue the place which the enemie had no sooner espied but he left his stand without any great intreatie The Prince of Orenge anno 1568 breaking the force of the streame of the riuer of Mosa by placing horses ouerthwart founde meanes to passe his armie ouer before the enemie knewe where he would passe There is no riuer but lightly higher or lower it may be foorded a Xenoph. exp cyr 3. Xenophon with his companie not being able otherwise to passe the riuer of Tygris yet marching vp towards the head of it founde a foorde b Fossis Caesar Sycorim auertens vadum fecit Caes bel ciu l. 1. Caesar by deepe trenches deriuing part of the riuer of Sycoris in Spaine made the rest so shallowe that the souldiers might wade ouer it Where the enemie doeth fortifie the bankes on the other side and deny vs passage there some part of the armie is to be sent about some other way to come vpon the enemies backes and to open the passage for the rest Annibal when the Gaules stopped him the passage of Rone in the night sent Hanno away with part of his armie which marching that night fiue and twentie miles vp the riuer and finding no
resistance vpon boates brought with him and timber bound together passed his men which making a signe to Annibal that they were passed came vpon the backes of the enemie at such time as Annibal was ready to passe in front c Caes bel Gal. 7. Caesar when by force he could not passe the riuer of Allier in France the enemie still coasting him on the other side cunningly leauing two legions behinde a wood and marching away with the rest of his army when the enemy followed him those that remained behinde hauing boates and things ready passed suddenly and made a bridge ouer the riuer so that the rest of Caesars army returning passed also at ease Neither could the enemie remedy it being drawne so farre from the place a Labienus magno tumultu aduersa Sequana partem copiarum ducens naues aliquot nactus in alio loco exercitum tâ—a luxit Caes bel Gal. 7. Labienus by like practise passed the riuer of Seyne notwithstanding the enemies gard and opposition part of his army he led vp against the riuer of Seyne in the night with great noise which the enemy hearing followed thinking that all his army had bene there In the meane while certeine chosen companies left behinde passed the riuer in great silence in boates made of purpose which taking the banke gaue passage to their fellowes returning Aemilius Paulus with a skirmish busying the mindes of the Macedonians at the same time sent certeine companies about the hils to passe there the riuer of Enipeus which comming on the enemies backes caused them speedily to dissodge and leaue the passage Caesar at b Nauibus ex leui materia viminibus corio contextis 22. millia denectis legione traducta collem occupat munit pontémque facit Caes bel ciu 1. another time when he could not passe the riuer of Sycoris at a foord made certeine boates of twigs and light timber and couered them with leather In those boates caried 22 miles off in one night he passed a regiment tooke a hill and fortified it and there made a bridge for the passing of the rest of the armie In the warres of Charles the 5 against the Protestants in Germany the c Sleidan Spaniards pursuing the Duke of Saxony passed with their horsemen at a foord and diuers of the rest swimming ouer the Elbe with their swords in their mouthes seased the boates that were tied on the other side and by that meanes passed ouer their fellowes The d Lusitani sine vtribus ad exercitus non eunt Caes bel ciu 1. Lusitanians in time past did seldome goe into the warres without girdles of skinnes which being blowne full of wind they easily passed any riuer The Germanes when no way they could force e Caes bel Gal. 4. a passage ouer the riuer of Rhein feined as if they returned into their owne countrey but hauing marched three daies iourney they ridde backe so farre in one night and comming backe vpon a sudden found the countrey peoples boates tied at the riuer side in which they passed themselues and sent backe the boates to passe the rest of the company Where the enemy maketh no resistance there it is easie to passe by boate yet the practise of warre requireth that either for quicke dispatch a bridge be made or els that trenches be made vpon the riuer side both for defence of those that passe first and for those that stay last and also that boates may passe and repasse safely vnder the fauour of some pieces placed on the bankes How a bridge may be made a Caes Bel gal 4. Caesar hath taught vs by the example of that which he made ouer Rhein Take two posts long or short according to the depth of the riuer and couple them two foote asunder and so driue them downe with a rammer leaning somewhat towards two other such posts so ioyned and driuen downe 30 or 40 foote aboue them in the riuer which fastened together with other timber below couered with square beames are the foundation of the bridge Vpon diuers such couples laying timber and couering the same with planks and hurdles and straw the armie hath meanes to passe I thinke there is no carpenter but he knoweth this kinde of worke and therefore the rest I referre to his occupation and workemanship The bridge being made great care is to be taken that the same be not broken as it happened to the bridge made by the Protestants ouer Garonne Anno 1569 caried away by timber wooden milles sent downe against it Which had not happened if either defences had bene made aboue or els a broade place left in the bridge for such things to passe Sometimes bridges are made of boats fastened with cables and stayed with ancres Such a bridge was made by the Prince of Parma ouer the riuer of Scald and also by the Protestants ouer the riuer of Garronne 1569. At the siege of Poytiers the same yere the Protestants made a bridge ouer the water vpon emptie pipes bound fast together with ropes Mouuans to assure his passage ouer the riuer of Rone dressed there a litle fort on the banke where some artillery being placed beat the fregates that would haue hindered the passage and defended the fort against such as would haue disturbed them in passing from the land The same course was also practised by Montbrune and diuers others But as the Generall is to haue care to passe toward the enemie so he is to haue care that he may repasse againe Therefore did Caesar passing ouer Rhine build two forts at either ende of the bridge one to assure himselfe a passage The Romane Emperour Crassus passing the riuer of Euphrates if hee had had the like care more of his armie percase might haue returned then did It was likewise a great error in the Counte Aremberge that passing the riuer he had no regard to assure himselfe of the bridge which being taken froÌ„ him by the enemie he was slaine with most of his company and depriued of retrait The aray of an army passing of riuers is much according to the opposition made by the enemie if none be made the common order is sufficient If the enemie she we himselfe the great ordonance is to be drawne to the banke on the sides of the army other shot likewise if they will reach so farre to the entent the enemie may be forced to giue place If the riuer be gueable let the shot marche on the sides the targets in front seconded with pikes the horsemen may follow in the midst And when the other side is assured then are the impediments and great ordonance to be passed the rest of the army following afterward the backe being armed as the front If the riuer be not to be passed at a forde then a part of our army being sent about to winne some more easie passage when that is ready to come on the enemies backs certaine boates with some small pieces in the
commanders and counsell to depart from legions or regiments before the worke fortification of the camp was finished Neither could the countenance of Afranius his army in Spaine making shew as if the same would sight deterre him but that he d Cas bel ciu 1. fortified his lodging keeping the rest in armes to receiue the enemies charge The barbarous Gaules by their many losses perceiuing the aduantages that the Romans had vpon them in this point at length by the counsel of Vercingetorix their leader began to e Caes bel gal 7. fortifie their camp as they saw the Romandes do He that doth not so lie entrenched goeth oftentimes out of his may to seeke ease for his souldiers lodgeth with his army disioyned looseth time and labour and lastly may not if hee be wise lodge neere an enemy as strong as himselfe that hath the vantage of ground and trenches He that chargeth an army that lyeth wel entrenched receiueth seldome honour of his rashnesse The Frenchmen because they vnderstoode not so much before were taught it of Prospero Colonna at the Bicocke in Lombardy For aduenturing rashly to fight with a Guicelardin Prospero and his company that lay strongly fortified within certaine bankes made for the keeping of the riuer within the channell they were tumbled into the ditch as fast as they came vp the bankes and many of them slaine That such fortification may be made orderly and strongly diuers rules are to be obserued and some prouision like wise is to be made more then ordinarie First a conuenient place in the way where the army marcheth is to be marked and staked out by the Quarter-master generall which woulde bee a man of iudgement with him also may bee sent other men of iudgement All these with a garde ought to goe b Centuriones exploratoresque praetermittit Caesar qui locum castris idoneum deligant Caes bel gal 2. before that at the comming of the army to the place euery man may knowe the gates and the sides and the places of the campe Within that presently they may begin to worke euerie man may know where to pitch his tent or make his caban to discharge the impediments and baggage and where the ordonance is to be placed This may seeme intricat at the first but with practice it may be made most easie Further to the end that our men be not disturbed when they are at their worke good espialles and discouerers would be sent before to see that the enemy lie not in ambush neere that place where wee meane to lodge Which happening to Caesar in the expeditioÌ„ against the Belgians did more endanger him then the enemies open force For his men c Caes bel gal 2. hauing laide downe their burthens and being scarâ—eâ—ed to fetch stakes earth and stones â—odainly the enemy appeareth out from vnder a hil there by and chargeth him The same was the ruine d Liu. 10. of Fabius his â—ieutenant For going to take a hil alreadie possessed by the enemy without espial he was there slaine in the place with al his comany For defence of those that worke one good part of the army woulde be kept in armes especially where the enemy is neere And those that worke are to haue euery man his sword and dagger girded to him and his other armes fast by him Which not only Caesar a master in these matters but al the Romanes generally obserued There is no time more pâ—oper for the enemies assault nor more daâ—gerous for vs then when wee are newly come to our lodging For then most are secure and put off their armes and either rest themselues or runne about to seeke things necessarie The e Castra ponentes Romanos Poeni aggressi sunt turbassentque munientes ni abditi post tumuluÌ„ opportunè ad id positi à Scipione equites in effusos incurrissent Liu. 28. Romanes as they were pitching their tentes were charged by the Carthaginians in their warres in Spaine and had beene soyled had not Scipio fearing such a matter run through theÌ„ with his horsemen which very opportunely hee had couered vnder a hill in the way as they came to the charge At that time also Caesar was set vpon by the Neruians and lost diuers braue men The Venetians were no sooner arriued in their a Conte de Purlilia ad Ferdinand lodgings at Trent and disarmed but the enemy obseruing his time commeth vpon them and forced them to seeke an other lodging Yet not all for many were lefte behinde to take vp their lodging in that place for euer The place most commodious for lodging is where our companie may not onely haue wood water good ayre and for horses forrage and if it may be some reliefe of victualles for our men but also aduantage of the ground fit to be wrought and hardly to be taken from vs by the enemy Wood may not be wanting for fire stakes and â—abans and lesse water for our men and cattell A riuer also doeth oftentimes ease our men of trauell Especially if it be deepe For that the campe is well fensed on that quarter Good ayre is necessarie for the health our souldiers especially when me lie long in a place The aduantage of ground is requisite for the defending of our lodging Which opportunities those that haue wanted haue beene driuen to great extremities b Caes bel ciu 1. Afranius his army was driuen to yeeld to Caesar in Spaine for want of water And by like necessitie Caesar forced the reliques of Pompeys army which hee c Caes bel ciu 3. besieged on a hill and excluded by trenches from the water to flie to his mercie Himselfe in d Hirt. de bel Alexandr Alexandria had beene driuen to great extremity for want of fresh water had hee not by digging of pits found store In hie and drie countries water is hard to be found vnlesse it be in valle is and deepe botcomes that shewe signes of moisture Lautrecke in the fiege of Naples lodging his army in the lowe grounds brought great contagion among his people and of New hauen and other places want of water and the filthy keeping of our lodgings which cannot be kept too cleane bred the pestilence among our men and wrought the victory to out enemies The disaduantage of the ground at Landresie not considered by the French had sike to haue taught them a lamentable lesson For being lodged in the lower ground they were continually amoyed by the artillery of the imperiallâ—s placed vpon a hill that comntâ—â—ed the French campe and almost forced them to fight with great disaduantage The Italians and Spaniardes were by the French forced to fight against their willes at a Guicciard Rauenna in Lewis the twelft his time for that being lodged in the lower and open ground they were beaten with the enemies great ordonance that continually stroke among their horsemen Which inconuenience coulde not be remedied so but that is was the
enemie wholly vanquished a Turbasset vtique nouissimum agmen Liu. 22. Annibal pursuing the Romanes after his victorie at Trebia had sure ouertaken them and disordered their rierward had not the Numidian horsemen turned aside to spoyle the campe of the Romanes And in the time of the Emperours of Rome the Germanes had giuen the b Obstitit vincentibus prauum inter ipsos certamen hoste omisso spolia consectandi Tacit. 20. Romanes a mightie ouerthrowe if leauing them they had not contended among themselues who shoulde first goe to spoyle But howe so euer it was in auncient time the disorder of souldiers in this point is such that with no lawes nor penalties they canne bee kept from following the spoyle which oftentimes maketh them a spoyle to their enemies The French at Guingast had put the Dutch to flight and were almost in possession of the victorie but while they ranne after the spoyle the enemie rallied himselfe and charging them afresh did extorce the victorie out of their handes and put them to flight At c Guicciar li. 2. Taro the Italians had foyled the French returning out of the kingdome of Naples but that in the beginning of the victorie they fell to spoyle the baggage which was the cause of their owne spoyle and ruine The same was the cause of the escape of the d Guicciar lib. 8. French and losse of the Venetians at Treui Gaston de fois at the taking of Brescia made proclamation that vpon paine of death no man shoulde fall to spoyle before licence giuen yet coulde hee not keepe his souldiers fingers in temper The more dangerous effectes doe ensue of this disorder the greater care ought the Generall to haue to preuent it CHAP. XII Part. 2. Wherein the vse of horsemen pikes halberdes and other such weapons also of targets small shotte archers and great ordonance is declared THat which before I promised concerning the vse of horsemen and diuers weapons that is nowe to be performed A matter of great importance and aduantage if it be well considered and therefore not to be omitted You that knowe the traine of armes yeelde here the testimonie of your experience to this discourse and if you heare any cauill against it yet let not such as neuer marched further then out of the kitchin or from the dresser into the hall or parlour censure that which they vnderstand not Horsemen among the Romanes were al of one sort barded horses with men all armed mounted on them they vsed not If they vsed any archers on horsebacke they were beholding to other natiōs for them Nowe vse of late times hath brought in diuers sortes of them which according to their armes and furniture haue diuers names Some horse are barded others without bardes The Frenchmen of armes in time past vsed barded horses for feare of our arrowes Nowe since archerie is not so much reckoned of and bardes are but a weake defence against shotte lanciers leauing their bardes are armed much like to the Albanian stradiots Vpon the borders betwixt vs and the Scots horsemen haue staues for the purpose and for their armes iackes of male The Dutch Reitres although well armed for the most part yet seldome vse lances or staues or other weapon then pistoles and mazes at their saddle bowe Beside these there is an other sort of horsemen lately come in vse We call them carbines pedrinals or argoletiers which vse firelocke peeces on horsebacke and are cōmonly armed to the proofe of their piece Horsemen in warres are most necessary in diuers respects With them we range and spoile the enemies countrey with them we fetch in victuals for our selues with them we discouer the enemies proceedings with them we bridle his courses and stop his forragers with them we both helpe to foyle him in open fielde and pursue him flying from vs. a Caes bel gal 7. Caesar by the enemies horse alwayes coasting him and ready to charge his forragers was driuen to great extremitie for want of victuals In b Hirt. de bel Afric Afrike likewise being a plaine countrey he suffered many algaradaes by the enemies horsemen often charging him and cutting off his victuals If Pompey had not rashly aduentured to fight with Caesar by his horsemen wherein he farre passed him he had famished his armie The Greekes in their returne frō their voyage with Cyrus by experience learned what incommodities followe them that march without horse in the enemies countrey And this is the vse of horsemen out of fight to witte to cut off the enemie from victuals to keepe him short to discouer his proceedings to cut off straglers and to fetche in victuals and prouision for our owne armie Which he that is strong in horsemen cannot want In fighting with the enemie there are diuers vses of horsemen If we charge him on the sides or backe we stop his march as before I haue shewed With a fewe horsemen any number of shotte taken in open fielde may be disordered The Protestants in the encounter at S. Gemme in a Hist de troubl de Fr. li. 13. Poitou with a few horsemen defeated diuers olde companies of shotte led by Puigalliard That was the ruine of the Prince of Parmaes ayde sent to the Duke of Mayne by the horsemen of the present French king by Dreux an 1589. No number of short weapons can resist the carriere of horse in a plaine ground The Sabines saith b Ab equitibus repentè inuectis turbati sunt ordines Sabinorum Liu. 1. Liuy were put out of their araie being suddenly charged by the Romane horsemen The Volscians and c In media primùm acie vinci coepti qua praemissus equitatus turbauerat ordines Liu. 3. Aequians after long fight beganne to giue ground after that the horesemen had broken their array by charging them in the midbattell The force of horesemen for their violence is called a d Procella equestris Liu. 30. tempest The Romane e Dictator immisso equitatu cùm antesignanos hostium turbaffet legionum signa properè inferri iussit Liu. 4. Generall perceiuing the weakenes of the enemies battel by charging them with his horsemen did disorder all to the ensignes after which entrance made he cut the rest in pieces with his armed men The Corinthians in a certaine battell hauing put the f Thucid. 3. Athenian footemen to flight were accoyled and ouerthrowen by a fewe horsemen The reason that the horsemen preuailed so much in time past were two first they seldome vsed any long weapons but targets and iauelins for the most part secondly they did then vse to charge with their horsemen when they sawe the footemen out of array and not otherwise if they did wisely g Reliquos omnes equites nostri consecuti interfecerunt Caes bel gal 1. This is therefore an other vse of horsemen in the battel to charge those that are already disordred The fourth and last vse of them is to execute and
commoditie we may not forget to rayse such a mount and make it formall for height breadth and length with his stayres parapets and places for the corps de garde that defendeth it So soone as the artillery is placed and fitted so soone the same ought to beginne to speake and that without intermission day or night vntill the breach bee made reasonable and the defences and flankers bee broken The continuance of the batterie and the artillerie that beateth in flanke together with the mosquetiers being placed where they may discouer the breach doeth hinder not onely the repayring of the breach but also the retrenchement behinde If thy batterie once cease thy labour and charge increaseth Nothing hurt Monluc more in the siege of Nyort nor la Chatre in the siege of Sancerre then the discontinuance of the batterie which happened by reason of want of powder Sausar remouing his batterie at Vezelay confirmed the Townesmen to holde out whose heartes before fainted Nothing did more helpe them of Rochel in the last siege then the frequent intermission of the batterie By which meanes they made defences stronger then the walles were before The more artillerie is employed the more speedy and forcible and lesse chargeable will the battery be The Turke in the battery of Vienna employed aboue threescore canons culuerins and other pieces At Rochel the king had fourtie and the prince of Parma litle lesse in the siege of Scluse He that employeth lesse then twenty cannons and other pieces cannot looke for any good effect That some hoped with foure small pieces to batter the walles of Coronna was without reason Yet I will not deny that in these late troubles of France the Protestants with three or foure pieces tooke diuers Townes For where the walles are bad and within them no defendants it is not hard to take Townes either with a fewe pieces or without pieces But where there are men within and walles sufficient it is better to make no battery then a battery not sufficient The great artillery being placed the canoniers are to place their pouder in safe places and to make their bollets rammers waddes charges matches and al these instruments fit and ready before they begin their worke What is the leuell randon charge and effect of euery piece euery canonier either knoweth or ought to knowe And therefore I neede not spend time about the declaring thereof While the canon is in placing and the batterie in making al those souldiers that are not employed about that worke are to fortifie their quarters with bankes trenches and barriquades and to barre and trenche the wayes and to keepe good garde or watche that none enter or sally out that if not with assault yet for feare of want the Towne may be forced to come to reason That against the breach bee made all things may proceede orderly ladders mantellets and targets and all things requisite for the assault are to be made ready and to bee deliuered to the companies that are to vse them If there be any time remayning the same is to be employed in making of trenches and parapets along the enemies counterscarpe likewise in stopping all the auenues and wayes whereby any may come to the succour of the Towne The horsemen and footemen that may be spared from the campe are to range the countrey to discouer to represse the enemie to conuey victuals to the campe All which may be done easely if there be no time lost nor any disorder in proceeding If the ground be fit to be wrought from the trenche behinde the counterscarpe it is no hard matter to carry a mine into the Towne or vnder the walles The earth that cōmeth out of the mine being cast into the ditch or vp to the banke shall seeme to come out of the trench especially where there is continuall working In making of mines obserue these rules first worke not if the ground be full of springs or rockes The a Liu. 36. Macedonians going about to vndermine Lamia were frustrated of their purpose encountring with rockes Secondly beginning to digge make the mine crooked that the force of the powder be not broken hauing vent backward Thirdly see that the distance from the entrance to the wall be well measured least the powder be placed either short of the wall or beyond it Arriuing to the foundation of the wall the miners are first to make a broade place along the foundation of it and to vnderproppe the earth well that it fall not secondly they are to place their barrels of powder with their heads knocked of and bored through with diuers holes and to strawe powder vpon the bordes where the barrels stand Thirdly they are to conuey a match well boyled in gunpowder in a pipe of wood or betweene boordes and therein also to make a traine of gunpowder from the place where fire is to be giuen to the barrels their next care is to see the mine well stopped and rammed that the fire breake not out backward Lastly when men stand ready to goe to the assault yet without danger of the mine and when the defendants approche the breach the fire is to be giuen Any of these points neglected doeth frustrate or hinder the effectes of the mine At Rochel the place where the powder was placed being too narrow and the entrance not wel stopped the mine did no great effect In the same siege the souldiers not being retired when fire was giuē many men lost their liues by their owne mine At Coronna the mine being direct not well stopped the force of it brake out backward Before the assault be giuen the breach is to be viewed whether it be reasonable likewise some men of iudgement are to consider whether the flankers be ruinated sufficiently These things appearing and the ditch made passable the assailantes are to march to the breach in this sorte first certaine targetters well armed and with them the ensignes after them halberdes and pikes On the flankes of the targetters and somewhat before them all along the counterscarpe are shot to be placed to beate them that offer themselues to the defence of the breach and wall These are to be seconded with other targetters halberdes and pikes with shot likewise on their flankes At the same time if there be other breaches in the bulworkes some are to march to them also ranged in like sorte The distances of men marching to the breach are small for they are to march so thicke as they can one by an other being first to enter then to fight The thinner they go the more open they are to the enemies force In these late warres of France commonly shot hath beene placed in the first rankes of those that went to the assault and therefore no maruell if they neuer preuayled where there was anie resistance But they could not do otherwise hauing so few armed men At that instant when the assault is to be giuen at the breach other companies are to be
olde guise of the Romanes exercised his souldiers at all idle times albeit many of them were expert in warres Much more therefore ought we to exercise our young souldiers and that first in fat̄tes of actiuities as running leaping throwing wrastling secondly in the vse of their weapon that both singly by themselues euery man also in company thirdly in marching and keeping of rankes and other exercises of warre By these exercises the souldiers obteine three commidities the body is first made actiue and strong and fit for labour souldiers also learne to march in their armes to carry some weight to run to work in trenches and other necessary fortification without which neither can the souldier rest safely in his campe nor so easily preuaile against the enemie in the fielde Caesar did no lesse preuaile against the Gaules with the mattocke and spade then with the sword In a short time he made huge trenches and mountes such as the a Cae. bel gal 2. enemie wondred at Now because we haue forgotten the true practise of warre our souldiers refuse to worke and Princes vse the helpe of pioners insomuch that hardly we see that brought to passe in a moneth which Caesar could effect in fewe houres The Romanes from their youth exercised their bodies in running leaping wrastling swimming Coruinus the Romane captaine in his youth in these exercises was b In ludo militari cum velocitatis viriū certamen esset ceteris par Liu. 7. equall to the best By this c Ferebant dimidiati mensis cibaria vallum Cic Tuscul qu. 2. exercise they were made able to carry beside their armes halfe a moneths victuals and certaine stakes Secondly euery souldier is made acquainted and cunning with the weapon wherewith he serueth The shot learneth to charge and discharge redily and at marke The piquier how to vse his pike both against footemen and borsemen the halbardier vnderstandeth the vse of his halberd both to defend to strike his enemie the targetter how to manage his sword and target and euery one learneth the vse of sword and dagger for that they are common weapons Without skill men oft times wearie themselues breake their weapons hurt not their enemie The d Discebant Romani tractarescutum obliquis ictibus venientia tela deflectere Veget. l. 1. c. 4 Romane youthes learned first to vse the target or shield and sword for that was their most cōmon armes and howe with slent blowes to breake the force of their enemies weapons or dartes Afterward they practised the vse of all other sortes of weapons And as absurd it is for a souldier to take on him that name not knowing the vse of his armes as for an ignorant person to call himselfe an artificer and yet not to know the vse of the tooles of his occupation Lastly by learning vnderstanding the arrayes iust distances of horsemen footemen the standings of all sortes of weapons and the differences in marching fighting retiring according to diuers sortes of groundes how to march to the assalt or defence of a Towne or place which may be shewed them by those that are good leaders Souldiers may learne howe to place themselues vpon an instant and not as I haue seene done runne away or runne vp downe like men amazed they may also vnderstand how to cake aduantage of the enemie howe to rally themselues being disordered and in what place euery kind of weapon is to be sorted employed with most aduantage In summe array order may both better be kept more easily repayred without which a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist polit armes haue no vse And as well can an armie march or fight being out of array as a body doe the functions of the body hauing the partes out of frame There is certainely nothing b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. oeconomic more beautifull in the eyes of friendes then an armie set in order neither is any thing more fearefull to the enemie But this cannot be done without instruction and exercise of which I hope our gouernours will haue more care hereafter But may some say what neede so many wordes in these matters especially if we consider both the charge labour that hath bin spent in trayning of souldiers within our Realme of late time men able as some thinke to encounter the most florshing armie in Christendome against whom I haue no purpose to speake Nay I wish with al my heart they were so strong and ready as is imagined Onely I thought good to shewe first the defectes in our trayning which I would wish were supplied and our men better instructed and next howe little trust there is to be put in trayned men that neuer sawe enemie vnlesse there be many olde souldiers mingled among them In trayning of souldiers therefore in places where I haue bin these wants I haue obserued First the souldiers are not alwayes best chosen secondly their bodies are not exercised as they should be thirdly they are not taught the vse of their seuerall weapons Fewe teach souldiers the right vse of the piece and none the vse of the pike halberd and sworde and target Fourthly the men are rather wearied in marching vp and downe and wheeling in ringes and filing of rankes which are to no vse in fighting then instructed howe to take their places in marching in fighting assalting retiring or other deede of armes Fifthly there is seldome or neuer sufficient companie brought together so that men may conceiue the reasons of the places of euery sort of weapons horsemen are seldome seene in traynings of souldiers So that hardly can any conceiue howe things should stand by any thing that is shewed Lastly such for the most part vpon some cōmendation of some great mans letters are employed in teaching our souldiers as either neuer went to the schoole of armes or know very little themselues So that I see no other effect of training men then expense of time powder And for mine owne part I wish rather to haue men neuer exercised then in this sort trayned But were they better trained then they are yet are we not to put too great trust in them The Venetians making reckoning of the trayned men of their state which are such like as ours are were abused saith a Guicciar lib. 8. Guicciardin and ouerthrowen And b Confidauano Piu Chenon si doueua ne fanti d'ordonnanza del su◠dominio i Fiorentini Però non si prouedeuan di soldadi e sercitati Guicciar lib. 11. euill were the Florentines apaid trusting in their trayned souldiers The same being appointed to the garde of Prato a Towne of their dominion seeing but two Spaniards to mount vpō a litle breach threwe downe their weapons and ranne as fast as they might out of the Towne Generally there is no trust in yong souldiers A small c Pluris facienda est parua veteranorum manus quà m indocta
Consul in the Macedonian warre seizing a e Praesidium ibi imposuit Nam erat oppidum opportunum ad impetus in Macedoniam faciendos Liu. 31. towne that lay fitly against Macedonia did put garrison in it and from thence made diuers attempts against the Macedonians Antiochus f Liu. 45. purposing to inuade Aegypt furnished Pelusium which is the kay of that countrey with sufficient garrison Yet before the army be brought in sight of the enemy the same is to bee refreshed certaine dayes whether it bee of their trauailes by land in their march or iactation and disease at sea g Liu. 21. Annibal before hee brought foorth his army to fight with the Romanes in Italy caused the same to refresh and rest it selfe diuers dayes after his wearisome iourney through the Alpes And likewise returning out of Italie into Afrike to defend his Countrey against Scipio hee h Paucos dies ad reficiendum militem ex iactatione maritima sumpsit Liu. 30. refreshed his men certayne dayes of their trauaile at sea before he marched against the enemy Whether the country be knowen to the General or not yet ought be not to march without diligeÌ„t discouerers sent before at any time least of all when hee commeth into a strange country all enemy Wherefore after hee hath setled his matters in the towne or port which hee hath seased and refreshed his men let him then send forth espials and discouerers to vnderstand the site of the countrey and proceedings of the enemy a Annibal consulis consilia atque animum situÌ„ regionum itineraque explorauit Liu 22. Annibal before he incountred with Flaminius the Romane Generall sent before him certaine men to espy his purposes and to view the situation of the countrey and the wayes which he was to trauaile It is the practise of all wise Generalles The Romanes neglecting to make this discouery were enclosed at Caudium by the Samnites and shamefully ouercome and Annibal himselfe trusting an ignorant guide was almost intrapped at Cales by Fabius Curio b Caes de bel ciu l. 2. marching in the sandes of Afrike without knowledge of the enemies power or the disaduantage of the country being drie and plaine was ouerthrowen together with his whole army by the Numidian horsemen of Iuba Appius c Appius Boiorum agros populans inexplorato riullisque stationibus sirmatis caesus cum legionibus Liu. 31. spoyling the country of the Boyans without espiall sent before guards placed in conuenient distances was himselfe slaine together with his company The meanes to escape these trappes and ambushes is viligent espiall and discouery If our army do march farre vp into the countrey then is diligent heede to be taken that the enemy do not cut betweene vs and our succours or victuallers For fauour whereof wee are to assure our selues of the passages and to place garrisons in conuenient distances Caesar distributed tenne thousand d Caes bel gal 7. quo expeditiore re frumenâ—â—rià vteretur Heduans in diuers townes and fortes vpon the way that his victualles might come to his army with safety He tooke Vellaunodunum that lay upon the way lest the enemy might stop the passage The towne of e Liu. 28. Astapa in Spaine was taken and ruinated by L. Martius for that the garrison of the enemies there did spoyle the confederates of the Romanes and intercept the victuallers that came to the army The same course did f Caes de bel ciu lib. 3. Caesar take for the brideling of the enemy and assurance of his victualles in his warres against Pompey But because nothing is more to be feared of an army transported into a strange country then want of victuals therfore must the Generals mind be intentiue and carefull not only for the g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. Cyr. paed 1. present but also for the future time He may not thinke that hee shall alwayes finde corne and prouision in the country especially if the enemy vnderstand the traine of warres Caesar found the same by experience in his warres in France when the enemy burned the country before him When the Persian king vnderstood the intention of Cyrus to be to depriue him of his crowne he sent a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. exped Cyr. 1. horsemen before to burne all things that might profitably serue the enemy And in the inuasion which Annibal made in Italy Fabius caused all the prouision that might serue for an army to be either spoyled or brought into strong townes in all places neere where Annibal and his company passed Therefore is it requisite that store of horses and carriages go along with the army for carriage of victualles munitions and other necessaries Cyrus b Xenoph. exped Cyr. 1. had foure hundred wagons laden with prouision beside those that belonged to particulars When in the country nothing is to be found then may this serue Further for fetching in of victualles the army ought to haue a sufficient strength of horsemen seconded with troupes of footemen for their retraite Annibal at one roade in Italy beside infinite cattell tooke foure thousand horses notwithstanding the strict commaundement of the Romanes that all things should be brought into strong holdes Whatsoeuer prouision may be found the same is to be saued and conueyed into those places that best may be defended and serue fittest for the prouision of our army c Salapiarn frumentum ex agris Metapontino Heracleensâ— comportat Annibal Liu. 24. Annibal brought all the corne and prouision which he found in the territorie of Metapontus and Heraclea into Salapia After that d Liu. 29. Scipio in his expedition in Afrike had taken Vtica he caused all the prouision and corne that could be found in the country to be carried thither and to be laid vp in store The same course did Quintius take in his warres against Nabis the tyrant and Caesar in his inuasion of this e Caef. bel gal 4. frumentum comportat Iland If the country where our army passeth doe not furnish vs with victualles the same is vtterly to be ruinated and burned Which if the countrey people do perceiue either for feare or for hope they will succour vs. f Liu 38. Manlius inuading the Gallogrecians forced all those countries where hee passed to compound for feare of spoyle For like dreade the Frenchmen where the English army g Froissart passed in the dayes of Edward the third did supplie the same with necessarie prouision It is a shame saieth h Cyr. paed 1. Xenophon for him that hath a sufficient army not to bee able to get victualles and things necessarie for the same If the enemie shall spoyle one countrey as looking for our forces that way yet shall it be hard for him to spoile the whole vnlesse hee meane to famish his owne people also The Romanes against the a Quò expeditiores commeatus essent incertior hostis quà venturum
Liui. 6. Romane Consul hauing receiued newes that some of his company would be defeated without present succour and not reteining the messenger fell into an ambush layde for him The most assured way of intelligence is by espials secretly sent or discouerers approching the enemie Annibal f Liuy 30. returning out of Italy to defend his owne countrey against Scipio sent diuers espials into his campe g Pro perfugis speculandi gratia in Caesaris castra mittit Hirt. de bel Afric Scipio in the warres of Caesar in Afrike sent two Getulians to espie Caesars campe disguised as fugitiues But because such persons cannot long stay there without being discouered therefore sometimes vnder colour of parley and sometime vnder colour of buying or selling or other busines souldiers disguised like marchants espie out the enemies proceeding Scipio while the treatie of peace continued betwixt him and h Liui. 29. Syphax sent diuers captaines in slaues apparel which wandering about the enemies campe discouered the accesses and issues of it which being reported to Scipio gaue him the meanes to charge Syphax in the night being quiet and safe as he conceiued in his lodging i Scipio cum equitatu iaculatoribúsque expeditis profectus ad castra hostium exque propinquo copias quantae cuius generis essēt speculandas obuius fit Annibali ipsi cum equitibus ad exploranda circa loca progresso Liui. 21. Scipio this mans father before the battel with Annibal at Trebia drew foorth his horsemen and light armed to view Annibals campe Annibal for the same purpose came against him with other horsmen But because this maner of discouery cannot be made without force therefore did a Equitatum omnem ad numerum 4000 praemittit qui videant quas in partes hostes iter faciant Caes bel Gal. 1. Caesar pursuing the Heluetians send all his horsemen in number 4000 to see what wayes the enemies marched The b Histoir de trou de Franc. lib. 9. Admirall of France hauing receiued some losse in the plaines of S. Clere anno 1569 for want of good espiall sent certeine horsemen to the number of sixteene which going nere and taking some prisoners might vnderstand the enemies resolution but because they were so few they were beaten backe before they could see any thing and returned without effect Yet we thinke we doe much when we send foorth sixe or seuen horsemen badly mounted for some do rashly proceed without them but both courses are contrary to the practise of warre The view of the countrey well described in cards both teach a wise Generall many thinges for there he may see the tract of riuers the distances of places the rising of hilles and many such opportunities The c Mouerat senatum maximè maris terrarumque regionis eius situm demonstrando Liu. 32. Romanes in ancient time vsed when they consulted of any action to view the situation of the countrey layed before them The Counte of Purlitia in his aduertisements to Ferdinand the Emperour and Don Sancho de Londonno stand vpon the same as a necessary point for by view of regions described many thinges appeare that otherwise cannot be conceiued But much better may the countrey be discouered if men of iudgement go before with the horsemen to view the same and to follow the traces of the enemies those that obserue this course both go returne safely Marcellus d Exploratò cunfirmisque praesidijs tuto receptu praedatum ierat Liu. 23. searching out the lurking holes of the enemy and placing strong gards in places conuenient returned safely from forraging the countrey They that march forward blindely without either view of the countrey or knowledge of the enemies proceedinges are subiect to many mishaps The Romane armie at the straits of Caudium compassed in by the enemy on euery side complaineth that like e Non ducem locorum fuisse non exploratorem belluarum modo caecos in foueam missos Liu. 9. brute beastes going on without guide or espiall they were carried headlong as it were into a pit f Liu. 31. Appius spoiling the countrey of the Boians without either discouery or standes of men well placed was drawen into an ambush and slaine together with his army This one point neglected cost many of the Romanes their liues in the warres with Annibal Marcus Marcellus going himselfe with a small company to view the countrey was himselfe drawne into ambush and slaine g Vocula nec aduentum hostium explorauit eoque simul egressus victusque Tacit. 20. Vocula charging the enemy without knowledge of his forces was assoone slaine as he went fast out of his lodging to fight with him The Counte of Aremberge by the brauery of the Spaniard forced to passe the Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 1. riuer before he knew the strength of the enemy which seemed not great was defeated with his company by the Counte Lodwike The Admirals vantgard was broken in the plaines of S. Clere an 1569 b Ibidem lib. 9. for that the same did bluntly charge the enemy of whose forces and number the same was ignorant The carelesse march of Mouuans and Pierregourde that were charged before they vnderstood of the enemies approch was cause of their ouerthrow and hath also both vnto the enemy and to vs wrought many calamities in the Low countries which those that escaped narrowly may remember and can report Dangerous therefore it is to march by night especially in countries vnknowen and where the enemies proceedinges are vnknowen Asdrubal c Liu. 27. in the night lost his guide his way and wearied himselfe and being the next day forced to fight was ouercome by the Romanes at the riuer of Metaurus Puygalliard in these late troubles of France marching all night most of his troupes lost their way the rest the day following were defeated at S. Gemme by a very few Protestants Those that escape by policy out of straits as Annibal did at Cales and Asdrubal in Spaine he driuing away the corps de gard by feare of fire the other escaping during parley of yeelding and likewise they that haue had good successe charging the enemy at all aduentures haue bene more happy then wise Those therefore that march against their enemies are to discouer the countrey and affaires of the enemy diligently and to shun night marches but if necessity force them thereunto yet wisedome admonisheth them to vnderstand the enemies doings perfectly to procure sure guides and to keepe them fast to march close together now and then to make alta that those that lagge may come vp by sure marks to know frends frō enemies and to giue certeine perfect directions Which course while d Liu. 25. Martius did holde in Spaine Scipio in Afrike he ouercame the Carthaginians and dislodged them twise e Liu. 29. Scipio foiled Syphax and burnt his campe and slew his people in the night The countrey and proceeding of the
noses of them and furnished with shot and targets are first to set forward with equall front and after them other boates laden with piquiers are to folow the ordonance and impediments must come in the midst and the rest of the army afterward But in passing of plaines woods straites mountaines or riuers there is no course more effectual then to vse expedition celeritie In all practises of warre the same is most auaileable For by this meanes the danger is often passed before the enemie be ready to withstande vs. a Caes bel gal 7. Caesar by his expedition had woÌ„derful successe in al his affaires He passed the hils of Auuergne before the enemy had any suspition of his coÌ„ming He passed his army in one day ouer the riuer of Soan which the Heluetians could not do in many By the same he preuented b Caes bel ciu 1. al Pompeyes preparatiues and draue his enemies out of Italy before they had any respit giuen them to take breath c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. exped Cyr. 3. Xenophon taking the tops of the hils before the enemie looked for him passed great dangers with great ease Montgomery in his iourney into Bearne vsed that speede that before the enemies were assembled to resist him he had passed all the riuers straites and mountaines which were in his way No marueile therefore if they do nothing that make such intollerable delayes in all things Loyterers are taken in trappe and made often to flye because they will not runne The army of Afranius in Spaine being nere to the hils where they might haue escaped Caesars hands and marched safely delayed time and suffred Caesars army to come betwixt them and their safetie which was the ruine of that company Yet if the heauens should be ruinated some as it should seeme would not mend their pace CHAP. VII Part. 1. Wherein is declared what trauerses and oppositions the defendants are to make that thereby they may stoppe or hinder the progresse and march of the enemy THis may be vnderstood in part by that which hath bene said already For seeing the difficulties that hinder the proceeding of an army are either wants and weaknesse in it selfe or oppositions made by the enemy that taking the aduantages of hilles or wooddes or straits or riuers is alwayes ready to hurt or hinder it who seeth not that the stronger our oppositions are the slower will the army be able to proceed The principall meanes to breake the course of an army ranging vp and downe the countrey is want of prouision This was the course that Fabius vsed against Annibal in Italy To effect this strait order is to be taken that the a Edictum proponebatur vt quioê° oppida castellaque immunita essent in loca tuta commigrarent ex agris quoque vti demigrarent omnes regionis eius qua Annibal iturus esset tectis priùs incensis ac frugibus corruptis ne cuius rei copia esset Liu. 22. people saue themselues in places of strength and that thither also they conuey their corne prouision and cattell whatsoeuer cannot be carried away the same is to be burned and spoiled all along where the enemy commeth Which order Fabius caused to be proclamed and obserued in the warres in Italy with Annibal b Liu. Philip king of Macedonia not being able to defend the townes countrey of Thessalia transported the people into other places the townes villages he burnt the corne he laid vp safe the cattell he caused to be driuen into places of strength c Pabulatione commeatu Vercing etorix equitatu abuÌ„dans Caesarem prohibere conatus est Caes bel Gal. 7. Vercingetorix the captain of the Gaules seeing himselfe no way able to match Caesars army in open field yet by spoiling the country burning whatsoeuer might be coÌ„modious for the enemy draue him to great extremities and percase had done more if that the necessity of poore people hope to defend townes of no strength had not spared much that should haue bene spoiled The Greeks that returned froÌ„ the voyage of Cyrus into Persia were by nothing hurt more then by the wilfulnesse of the people through whose countries they passed which burning their prouision which they coulde not saue made them go far about suffer great want The duke of Alua had not bene so easily rid of the army which the prince of Orenge brought into the Low countries if he had not without compassion spoiled the country forced him to returne for feare of hunger The duke of Aumale likewise did spoile the country where the Almaines that came to ayd the Protestauts anno 1569 passed If pitie of the poore and fauor of friends will permit vs to execute this without respect there is nothing more auâ—â—lable against a strong enemy for whatsoeuer prouision the euemy bringeth with him yet if he finde no supply in the countrey he cannot long coÌ„tinue there a Adeoque inopia est coactus Annibal vt nisi tum fugâ—â— speciem abeâ—ndo timâ—isset Galliam repetituâ—us suerit Liu. 22. Fabius by following this course brought Annibal with his victorious army into those straits that had it not bene for shame and danger that would haue followed him by flying he would haue returned backe into France Lest the enemy range too farre abroad he is to be restreined with strong garrisons placed in cownes defensible and with a power of horsemen these will intercept straglers and garrisons sallying vpon outriders will keepe them in order It is not the point of a wise Generall to leaue the enemy vpon his backe b Repressus remotus Lucterius quod intrare intra praesidia periculosum putabat Caes Bel. Gal. 7. Lucterius the French capteine would willingly haue spoiled the countrey of the Romans in France but he stayed himselfe fearing to enter among the garrison townes which hee could not doe without apparant danger Caesar c VellaunodunuÌ„ ne quem post se hostem relinqueret oppugnare instituit Caes Bel. Gal. 7. besieged Vellaunodunum that lay in his way for feare the garrison of the enemy left there might doe him some annoyance The army of the Protestants anno 1569 retiring out of Poitou into Gascoigne thence into Dauphinè receiued many algarades of the enemies garrisons in the countrey where they passed but nothing doth keepe the enemy straiter nor more hinder his march then a power of horsemen galling him continually on the sides and watching all opportunities By them d Caes Bel. Gal. 7. Vercingetorix kept Caesars forragers very short Cassiuellanus with his e Pabulatores essedarijs aggressus ne latiùs vagarentur continuit Caes Bel. Gal. 5. essedarians that fought in charets kept the Romanes from going farre on forraging the countrey and f Frumentatum exeunti Annibali diuersis locis opportunè aderat Liu. 22. Fabius with his horsemen meeting at euery turne with such as Annibal had sent out to fetch in
corne and other prouision made them returne many times short home So long as horsemen do hang vpon the sides and taile of an army they make but a slow march Caesar sending his horsemen before to charge the enemies last troups did so trouble them that he ouertooke the g Caes Bel. Gal. 1. Heluetians and h Omnem equitatum qui nouissimuÌ„ agmen moraretur praemisit Caes Bel. Gal. 2. Belgians in France Afranius his army in Spaine although they had gotten farre before him himselfe and his army were so molested by the horsemen of i Hirti de bel Afric Scipio in Afrike that in foure houres he could not march much aboue an hundred paces being driuen to stay and receiue euery charge and stirre as also befell the Romans an other time a Ad crebros â—quitum velitum tumultus signa consistebant Liu. 28. encountring the enemie in his marche The French horsemen that coasted the Almaines that anno 1569. came in aide of the Protestants of France kept them from stragling but if they had bin more and durst haue charged them they had staied them longer in their iourney For if the first marche while those that are behinde fight then are these left to the butcherie as it happened to the b Caes de bel gal 2. Belgians pursued by Caesar Further such straites and hilles as the enemie is to passe if he meane to enter further into the Countrey are to be garded and the wayes to be trenched that both our men may haue a couer and the enemie more difficultie in forcing the passage Leonidas to stoppe the Persian army kept the straites of Thermopylae which was also practised by Antiochus against the Romanes Philip c Liu. 32. purposing to stop the Romane army at the straite of Aous trenched the passage and on the higher ground placed archers and slingers and the rest of his army in conuenient places But it succeeded not for that he suffered the enemie not onely to take the higher ground but also to come on his backe Which also was the ruine of Leonidas and Antiochus Those therefore that keepe hilles and passages are to take heede of three dangers the first that they suffer not the enemie to take the higher ground the second that they doe not so lye open that the enemie may come on their backes and thirdly that their company be not vnable to abide the enemies force or to defende the grounde committed to their charge For in this case those that seeke to stoppe other are often taken in trappe themselues especially if they lye not strong nor looke well to their garde If the enemie enter into a strayte which hath but two or three issues take those issues and garde them strongly and thou hast the enemie enclosed as it were in a nette So were the Romanes enclosed at Caudium and compassed in before and behinde on the sides But take heede that thy garde be strong and watchfull least the same be forced and all thy labour frustrated as happened to Fabius hauing enclosed Annibal at Cales by the weakenesse of the corps de garde placed on the hill Calicula If the king of Macedonia had placed strong garisons in the straites of Athamany and Thessaly and shewed himselfe in head of the Romanes they could d Ne Romani abnuunt se magna clade pugnaturos Liu. 42. neuer haue issued thence without great slaughter and losse There is no greater tryall of a captaine then in the taking of the aduantage of grounds And therefore let him proceede wisely and cause his men to worke diligently that his trenches be sufficient and well furnished with stones and shotte and all things necessarie And especially that he be not enclosed nor beaten from the higher ground Woods are a good couer for any enterprise and therefore wise captaines therein doe place such companies of souldiers as may eyther charge the enemie passing through or by them Yet let them take heede that they haue a place of retrait there that going about to hurt others they be not cutte in pieces themselues The surest defence against the enemies proceeding is a riuer not to be forded ouer but the bridges are to be broken and the botes to be taken from the other side and the bankes where they are most lowe and easy to be raysed with earth and fensed with stakes and the same to be garded with a competent force both of horsemen and footemen with their sconces in coÌ„uenient places By this meanes a Caes bel gal 1. Caesar kept the Heluetians at a baye and stopped them from passing the riuer of Rone notwithstanding their diuers attemptes both by night day the b Praesidia disponebant quibus locis videbatur pontesque rescindebant fluminuÌ„ Liu. 22. Romanes stopped the outcourses of Annibal Which course if the French king had taken the Protestants had not so easely retired from the battell of S. Dennis c Hist de troubl â—e Fr. l. 3. anno 1567 nor had they passed so many Riuers nor taken so many Townes so easely But neither were the Townes garded with souldiers nor the bridges broken nor the bankes garded In garding of Fordes great care is to be taken first that the enemie passe not ouer some other way and so come on our backes secondly that he force not our garde This is preuented by good fortification and that by diligent watch and sufficient number of men He that looketh not to these things is fitter to keepe goslings then the passages of Riuers By these meanes an army is slopped or at least hurt and hindred But for that men are hardely induced to fire their owne goods and fewe men can endure the lamentable flames of his countrey and without a sufficient force of men all other meanes to stoppe an enemie are nothing let there first be a sufficient armie leuied and opposed against the enemie not that I would haue the same to hazard lightly or come to the triall but for that he that hath an army ready may take all aduantages of Hilles Straites Woods and Riuers and cut off such as wander abroade and execute that which priuate men will not doe in spoyling where the enemie is to passe as the practice of Armes requireth a L. Portius Licinius per locâ— alta ducendo exercitum cum modò insideret angustos saltus vt transituÌ„ clauderet modo ab latere aut tergo carperet agmen ludificatus est Asdrubalem omnibus belli artibus Liu. 27. L. Licinius though inferiour in force to Asdrubal in Spaine yet taking the aduantage of hilles and straytes and nowe charging the enemie on the sides then on the backes practised on him all the precepts of warre for which he deserued great commendation The proceeding of Monsieur the French kings brother and lieutenant that disbanded his souldiers and sent them into garrison when he should haue resisted the Almaines that came to succour the Protestants anno
1569. and kept the fielde doeth contrariwise deserue reproofe as contrary to the practice of warre and profite of his Prince For if that Poytiers had not arrested the Protestants and susteined the siege contrary to expectation there had ensued great losse to his partie In the meane while what reason had he to suffer the enemie to spoyle the countrey at his pleasure CHAP. VII Part. 2. Wherein he speaketh of forraging and stopping the enemies forragers HOwe the whole armie may marche assured and what the same is to feare in marching I haue already spoken sufficient The same rules may also serue for direction to those that are sent foorth to spoyle the Countrey and to fetche in corne and forrage For whatsoeuer the Generall is eyther to obserue or to feare in his whole armie the same is he that leadeth a part thereof out to forrage to obserue and to feare He must see that his companie keepe good arraye that they straggle not from the grosse of his troupes He is further to haue good intelligence and espiall vpon the enemies proceeding In passing of Plaines Woods Hilles Straytes and Riuers he is to vse more diligence for that his strength is the lesse Likewise he is to consider that as he goeth safely forward so he may also haue a sure retraite if necessitie force him to returne backward Further he is to make appointment where to meete with the rest of the army that the same be not diuided when the enemie is ready to charge b Caes bel gal 4. Caesar charging the Germanes while their horsemen and some troupes of footemen were gone abroade vpon spoyle found them farre more easie to bee dealt withal a Caes bel ciu 3. Domitius sent by Caesar vpon forrage if he had not mette with the rest of the army vpon an instant could not so wel haue escaped out of a manifest danger the whole enemies power being at hand ready to charge him That he may doe that wherefore he goeth he is to carry with him sithes sicles hookes axes and all necessary instruments and to bring that he findeth safe away he is also to haue with him store of horses and carriages For what auaileth it to finde corne and prouision vnlesse the same be carried away to our vses And little deserue they to haue things necessarie that will not fetche them The b Socordia negligeÌ„tia Campanorum in vehiculis contrahendis ad frumeÌ„rum comportandum rem ab HaÌ„none compositam turbauit famemque quae secuta est fecit Liu. 25. Capuans being in distresse for want of victuals and being willed by Annibal to send carriages to fetche sufficient did send so fewe that it was nothing to relieue their neede Afterward they wished like opportunitie to be offered againe but in vaine For within short time after they were forced by famine to yeelde vp their Citie That his men be not disturbed in their worke by the sudden assaults of the enemie let him place gardes in places conuenient for befence of those that goe abroade and worke In this respect the proceeding of c Marcellus explorato cùm firmisque praesidijs tuto receptu praedatum ierat Liu. 23. Marcellus that wise leader deserueth well to be followed For in no place did he goe before he had diligently discouered the same and assured his retraite and those that wrought by standes of men fitly placed Appius d Appius cum subitarijs legionibus ad popuâ—andum Boiorum agrum nec exploraâ—ò nec stationibus firmis profectus cum legionibus caesus est Liu. 31. ruinated himselfe and his armie for that without search of the countrey and order vsed in such cases he suffered his men to wander vp and downe more mindfull of spoile then of their owne safety The e Liu. 42. forragers of the Romanes marching without suspicion or order or sufficient defence were easely ouerthrowen by Perseus king of Macedonia This hath beene the ruine of many armies not onely of small companies and wil be if better order be not taken It is a common course of the enemie with hope of spoile to bring the army into distresse Therefore let no man be so greedy of spoile but that he see before into the danger and albeit there appeare no danger yet let him keepe most of his troupes in armes that he be not ouerwhelmed with sudden danger The prouision that is to be founde is diligently to be saued and laide vp in those Townes that we doe holde as in part before hath bin declared By this meanes Annibal mainteyned his army by others labours And much more we might haue done then we did if in our iourney into Portugal we could haue saued that we found in Galicia The cattell may he driuen along with the armie and ought to be distributed frugally as our neede requireth But as he is to spoile his enemie so he is diligently to take heede that he couche not his friendes and associates which wrought Annibal much woe But what lawe against necessitie Seeing then that those that marche in the enemies countrey if they proceede wisely may not onely hurt their enemies but also mainteine themselues at the countries charge it behoueth the Generall to be watchfull to keepe order and neuer to say had I wist For he that is entrapped hardly breaketh the snares To auoide danger nothing is better then celeritie and expedition of which I will nowe speake more particularly CHAP. VIII Wherein is prooued that nothing in warres is more aduantageous then expedition or any thing more hurtfull then delayes I Haue shewed this in part already But the detestation that I haue of the delayes of our times and daliance commonly vsed in martiall affaires by those that want skill together with the exceeding losses and dangers that Princes haue incurred and shall further incurre thereby it there be no redresse hath so affected me that although I haue spoken much and often thereof yet I suppose I can neuer say ynough To number all the commodities of expedition or the hurtes of delayes in matters of warre it is not possible though I shoulde speake of them continually those which come to my minde presently I thought good to lay downe in this place Through expedition the enemie is taken vnprouided those places that are opportune for vs are seased where the enemie is most open there haue we commoditie to charge him the malice of the enemie is preuented our speede giueth vs all leysure to prouide our confederates and friendes that stand in feare of inuasion are assured matters are spedde with little charge and good successe Caesar a Caes bel gal 2. hearing of the conspiracie of the Belgians by suddein coÌ„ming vpon them disordered all their counsels and remedied the mischiefe before it was ripe Another great conspiracie of all b Caes bel gal 7. France he dissolued by his speede in taking the heads single before their forces were ioyned Neither the deapth of Winter nor height of
the defence At euerie corner especially towardes the enemy there woulde bee made a litle bulwarke or platforme somewhat auanced from the cortine of the campe for the placing of the great ordonance for defence of the ditch and cortaine and clearing of the grounde wythout the campe In the sides there woulde bee lefte two great passages or issues for the army to enter and issue and two lesser on the outsides for the necessarie vses of the campe The compasse is according to the number of the armie allowing tenne foote square for euery horseman and foure foote square for euery footeman or thereabouts There are to be left foure broade streetes in the place for the passing and repassing of souldiers and for the commoditie of victuallers and Marchantes a market place The Generall ought to pitch his tent in the middest of the camp about him are his Gentlemen and garde to bee placed if there bee not place sufficient for them in his tents The horsemen are to be quartered in the middest of the camp for that they are most vnreadie if any sodaine assault should happen but in some conuenient square for the beauty of the campe The shot and archerie are to haue their tentes next to the ring of the campe round about the same within them are the halbardiers targettiers and other short weapons to haue their quarter assigned and betwixt them and the horsemen the pikes So that euery man may know both where to lodge directly and what place to goe vnto if the enemy doe charge vs. The waste places remayning are to bee assigned to the carriages and the boyes and seruants that followe the campe For flaughter of beasts and necessities of nature there are two places to bee assigned eyther in some out place of the campe or without the campe The whole distance and compasse is rather with the iudgement of the eye then with Geometricall instruments to bee cast out Yet must the quarter-master take heede both that his compasse be not too great for that is hardly defended and that it be not too litle For in that case the army shall be straited That souldiers may bee commodioussy lodged in the field without going out of the way to finde townes or villages it is necessarie that euery company haue their a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. paed Cyr. 2. tentes assigned to them of publike charge and carried with them in cartes For to lodge without couer in colde raine or heate is verie intollerable and wood to make cabbanes sufficient in fewe places can bee found and if it could yet were it a matter long for one nightes lodging to make a cabbane of boughes Contrariwise tentes are easilie pitched and not heauie to bee carried nor verie chargeable to bee bought That the souldiers may finish their work with more speed it were necessary likewise that euery company had their spades mattocks axes and other tooles caried along with their tentes and baggage that euery man presently vpon view of his lodging staked out might know where to worke For ease of the souldiers a iudicious Quartermaster will chuse some place neere a wood or a riuer or some hill that with the naturall situation of the place a small fortification may serue If the Quartermaster do chuse some Villages to lodge in yet fâ—â— greedines of couer for his men let him take heed how he do diuide separate the army farre a sunder And further let euery part fortiâ—â— the quarter where they are lodged The cause of the ouerthrow of the Prince of Conde at Cognac in which encounter hee lost also his life was the distance of the lodging of the auantgarde and battell which was so great that the one part being charged by the enemy the other could not come to succour it before it was too late a Histoir de 〈◊〉 bl lib. 4. Dandelot dispersing his companies in Villages was surprised on the sudden by Martigues and put to flight himselfe hardly escaped most of his company were defeated which if his troupes had bene together could not haue happened For his forces were foure times greater then those that ouercame them La Louè might haue bene succoured when the enemy charged him but that he b Hist de troubl lib. 12. lodged so far from helpe that before the same could come he his men were dispatched The cause of the ouerthrow of the Baron Donaw his Almains was for that they lay dispersed without defence c Xenoph. exped Cyr. 3. 4. Xenophon although necessity forced him in his return from the battel against Artaxerxes to lodge his company in diuers Villages yet whensoeuer the enemy made shew to approch hee drew them all together into one place If so be that necessitie driue vs likewise to lodge our armie in Villages let vs know first how vpon neede we may bring them together and next how euery part may susteine the enemies assault vntil helpe come to it This I say is wrought first by trauersing the waies then by trenching places of easy accesse The wayes are to be trauersed by deepe ditches banks for defence of our shot next by palissadaes barres placed ouerthwart the sides are to be viewed and either with trenches or walles to be fortified Those wayes that leade vs into the Village on the backside are to be dammed vp where there is greatest shew that the enimy wil assault vs there gretest store of shot are to be placed in the chambers looking that way The carts baggage conueniently placed may breake the force of the enemies horse make the accesse for footemen also more difficult The Heluetians a Caes bel gal 1. had no other defences of their lodging neither do the Germans at this day vse any other defence or encamping vnlesse the place naturally aforde it But nothing is more weake nor vaine where the enemy commeth resolutely to the charge Scipio his father that ouercame Annibal being foyled by the Carthaginians in Spaine through the trecherie of the Celtiberians that forsooke him thought to shroude him selfe and his b Liu. 25. company vnder the carts packs and such things as he could bring together to make a defence on But it serued for nothing but to linger the enemies victory a litle For in such defences there is no strength If therefore we wil neither fortifie our campe as did the Romans nor barre the Villages where we lodge strongly as is the vse of wise Captaines in these dayes I will neither warrant our troupes nor by my wil keepe among them lying so open The c Philip. Com. French king Duke of Burgundy lying in the suburbes of Liege without trenche or barriquade escaped very narowly in a certaine sally of the townesmen by them besieged Besides the fortification of the campe or lodging it is requisite for the assurance of our company that we place not only sentinels and scoutes within but also good gardes at all the gates
Annibal who by all meanes prouoked the Romanes to come to fight with him but also of the Romanes inuading the Macedonians of Caesar warring in France and folowing of Pompey into Epeirus and of our Kings transporting their forces into France and generally of all that euer knewe the trade of warre doeth teach vs. To force the enemy to accept that which willingly hee would shun the meanes are these first to pursue him with all conuenient speed If thy horsmen doe once ouertake any part of his army either he must stay to succor his men or els must he leaue them to thy mercy if hee haue so many a Eques carpeâ—â— do nouisâ—imos premendoque iniquis ad transitum locis agmen detinuit Liu. 8. stayes thou canst not chuse but ouertake him To depart farre away from thee is to yeelde the countrey into thy hands then which it were better to hazard many mens liues Caesar by b Caes bel gal 1. this meanes drew the Heluetians backe to fight with him which they would gladly haue passed and by the c Caes bel gal 2. same he so galled the Belgians that they were constreined to fight with disaduantage d Caes bel â—iu â— Afranius would gladly haue recouered the hie countreys with his army but Caesar did so trouble his marche with his horse men that vnlesse he meant to flye he could not runne from him without fighting He that flyeth long before thee without fighting he abandoneth a great countrey without fighting to be spoyled of thee Secondly if the enemy hath any courage by ranging and spoyling and firing whatsoeuer thou canst not saue for thine owne vse thou shalt either drawe him foorth into the fielde or breake his heart By that meanes the e Cos vastandâ—â— maximè agâ—is hostem ad conferoÌ„da propius castra dimicandumque acie exciuir Liu. 2. Romanes forced the Volscians and others to come downe from the hilles into euen ground and to defend their countrey from rauage and spoyle And although another time the force and prouision of the Romane army made the enemies to shut them selues vp within their walles as most safe for them yet when they sawe the spoyles and f Populatione agrorum inceÌ„dâ—js villarum coegit eos egâ—edi vâ—be Liu 5. flames of their countrey they coulde not continue their former deliberation but were forced to come forth and fight When Villages g populando atque vrendo recâ—â— hostium sataque in aciem extraâ—â— Liu. 8. are fired and the corne and the countrey spoyled he must be either very cowardly or very hard hearted that is not drawen foorth to fight Flaminius the Romane Consull could not endure to see the fires which Annibal kindled in Hetruria but would needes succour the countrey and fight with the enemy whatsoeuer it cost him Who can endure to see the enemy to rage spoyle without restraint or who can restreine him without fight The Frenchmen although alwayes vnwilling to deale with the English nation vpon euen hand yet haue bene diuers times forced thereto by vs what with indignitie to see their countrey spoyled and what with feare of further losse and what with necessitie to defend their country Albeit Fabius could in his time endure to see the rauage and spoyle of his countrey yet all haue not that singular patience If neither by celeritie thou canst ouertake the enemy nor by spoyles of the countrey moue him to defend the same yet will hee neuer endure vntill thou hast taken some of his principall cities Shame and necessitie wil in the end force him to come to their succour When the a Post quam Romulum castra ponere ad vrbem necedere VeieÌ„tes accepere egressi sunt obuià m vt potiùs acie decernerent quà m inclusi de tectis moenibusque dimicarent Liu. 1. Veians being beaten before refused to encounter the Romanes in the fielde any more yet when they perceiued that the Romanes made toward their citie they came foorth chusing rather to trye it in playne fielde then to be pend vp and fight for their houses and walles b Metellus vbi se dolis fatigari videt neque ab hoste copiam pugnandi fieri Zamam statuit oppugnate ratus Iugurtham subsidio suis venturum Salust bel Iugurth Metellus forced Iugurtha to come into the fielde by besieging Zama a citie which he specially fauoured albeit hee knew him selfe inferior in strength to the Romanes By like meanes Caesar in Afrike forced c Scipio ad necessitatem adductus dimicandi ne per summum dedecus Thapsitanos rebus suis fidissimos Virgilium amitteret Hirt. de bel Afric Scipio to bring his forces into euen ground least loosing a citie of importance that fauoured him and a Captaine of name hee should dishonor himselfe Philip de Valoys to raise the siege of Calais brought with him the power of France King Edward the third might haue fought with him if hee had would but hee would not fight with him but vpon aduantage The Protestants Anno 1567. by straiting the citie of Paris of victuals forced the king to send a power against them to fight with them Vnwise were they that not vnderstanding this had sent away a great part of their forces which might in that battell which was fought at Saint Denys had greatly ayded them to obteine the victorie If the siege of Poytiers An. 1569. had continued any longer then it did the King should haue bene forced to fight with the Protestants that besieged it But there was no neede that a Kings power should beat them whom want so many disorders had beaten before But if the Generall of the enemies forces be enforced to take a towne for his safegarde much more behoueth it them to come forth into the fielde to relieve him if he be besieged The whole power of France came before a Caes bel gal 7. Alexia to disengage Vercingetorix their Generall there besieged by Caesar Whosoeuer hee is that can be content to loose a citie and refuseth to come to fight with his enemy cannot long endure The reason that the Prince of Orenge so long helde out against the Spaniard was the tyranny of the enemy whom the people could not endure certaine small supplyes that came out of England and the Princes good will to helpe such townes as were distressed the best he could and last of all the libertie of the sea which the enemy could not take from him On the other side the defendants taking a contrary course for the safety of them selues and their countrey ought as much as they can to linger and weary the enemy and not to fight without manifest aduantage This course the Romanes tooke and found to be best not only against Annibal but also against other Barbarous nations that came to inuade them The same did experience teach the Gaules and Briteins to be best against Caesar And the generall practice of warre hath nowe confirmed it
for a precept to be folowed in such cases When b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucid. 2. Sitacles King of Thracia inuaded the Macedonians the countrey people not being able to resist fled into strong cities and holdes and as occasion aduantage was offered from thence issued to fight with him as they could Many c Multa bella impetu valida peâ— taedia moâ—as euanuerunt praesertim vbi non est prouisum frumentum nec maiores expectaâ—a copiae Tacit. annal 18. warres that haue bene violent at the first brunt by delayes and tedious lingering haue come to nothing sayth Tacitus And therefore neuer is it good to fight with those that want prouision and looke for no further supply When the Gaules with great forces came into Italy some would haue had the Romane Generall to fight with them foorthwith but the d Dictatori neutiquam placebat cum nulla cogeret res fortunae â—o committere adversus hostem quem tempus deâ—eriorem indies locus alienâ—s faceret sine praeparato commâ—atu sine siâ—mo munimento morantem ad hoc â—js animis corporibusque quorum omnis in impetâ—vis esset parua eadem languesceret mora his coÌ„siliis dictator bellum trahebat Liu. 7. Generall thought it more wisedome to protract time His reasons were for that he dealt with an enemy which euery day waxed weaker by reason he was in another couÌ„trey had dayly more and more hinderances comming vpon him further neither had hee prouision nor towne of retraite therefore must needs be wearied with delayes and decay of himselfe and great folly sayd he were it to fight with men when they are stroÌ„g when they may deale with them when they are weake feeble When Caesar sent Crassus into Aquitany with part of his army to subdue the countrey the enemy being taught by experience would not come into open field but a Duces consuetudine populi Romani loca capere castra munire commeatibus nostros intercludere institâ—unt Romanos se rei frumentarâ—ae inopia recipientes impeditos agmimine sub sarcinis insirmiore animo adoriri cogitant Caes bel gal 3. began to take places of aduantage to fortifie his campe to keepe Crassus from victuals when the army for want should retire then he meant to charge the same being laden with baggage and out of aray in the marche That which Liuy sayth of the b Boij gens ad morae taedium minimè patiens dilapsi sunt Boyans we finde it true in many Northren nations they are impatient of delayes and if they be not fought withall doe scatter of them selues Those that fight with such enemies are like to those that hope to quench fire by throwing on of wood when as if the fire be not supplyed with wood it will goe out of it selfe And therefore our ancesters that haue fought with the Scots haue done valiantly but wisdome would haue perswaded them to let them dissolue of them selues The Romanes by their haste in fighting with Annibal receiued three great ouerthrowes and brought them selues within very litle of their ruine Pompey when he might haue ruinated Caesars army for want of victuals aduenturing to fight at the request of his army ouerthrew himselfe The way to weary the enemy without fight is first with an army consisting most of horsemen shot targets and halberdiers lightly armed to coast him a farre off next to spoyle the countrey where hee passeth and to bring all the cattell corne and prouision that may any way serue his turne into strong townes thirdly to store the townes of warre with prouision and assure them with strong garrisons fourthly to cut the bridges ouer great riuers and to sease all narow and straite passages The army that coasteth the enemy although it may not ioyne battell with him in euen ground yet hath many necessary vses and without it all other impediments are easily passed the same doth bridle the enemies courses that he dare not diuide his army to send the same on foraging It keepeth victuals from him and him from victuals it defendeth the straits and passages of riuers it succoureth such townes as are besieged it is ready to charge the enemy vpon all aduantages The Athenians c Thucid. 3. not being able to fight with the army of the Lacedemonians that came against them tooke this course for their defence they brought their people and all that they had into the citie placed gardes at passages and cut of the straglers with their horsemen Which course d Caes bel gal 7. Vercingetorix also vsed against Caesar in France hee burned the countrey droue away all the cattell kept the passages of riuers The e Custodias ad ripas Ligeris disponere equitatumque omnibus locis ostentare caeperunt Caes bel gal 7. Heduans reuolting from Caesar kept the banks of Loyre with gardes and in all places where the Romanes came charged them with their horsemen But of this matter I haue spoken sufficient where I shewed what trauerses made against the enemie are most effectuall Now I am to shew how the enemie is to be wearied without fight the meanes I haue set downe But this caution thou must vse further that thou keepe thy selfe and thy companie alwayes on the higher ground and take heede that the enemie doe not entrap thee nor compasse thee about Fabius in the warres of the Romanes against Annibal in Italie and Licinius in the warres against Asdrubal in Spaine haue by their example shewed thee what thou art to doe and how warilie thou art to garde thy selfe and to watch thy enemie These precepts haue vse in all countreys with whatsoeuer enemie thou dealest but especiallie where the countrey is full of hils woodes straites and great riuers and also where by force is neere equall to the enemie But if thy power be slender or if thy countrey bee playne and open then presume not to come neere the enemie for thou canst not auoyd but either thou must flie or fight The a Fuga se longinqua ab hosse tutati sunt Galli Liu. 6. Gaules pursued by Camillus seeing themselues vnable to fight with him had no other meanes to auoyd fight but to flie farre from him Neither could Asdrubal haue escaped from b Liu. 27. Scipio but that he fled with his armie from him into the vtmost coast of Spaine After that c Vercingetorix ne contra suam voluntatem dimicare cogeretur magnis iâ—ineribus antecessit Caes bel Gal. 7 Caesar had once passed the riuer of Allier which was betweene him the enemie Vercingetorix was coÌ„strained to go farre before least he might be constrained to fight agaynst his will For where the armies come neere each to other in eauen ground it is hard for the one to auoyd fight where the other seeketh it Antonie forced Cassius to fight at Philippi albeit he auoided it what he could and had the vantage both of ground and trenches The
d Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 9. Admiral at Moncontour would willinglie haue passed the day without fight but being neere the enemie hee could neither passe the riuer without disordering his armie nor retire without manifest danger of being vtterly broken and ruinated Philip of Macedonia albeit hee was encamped vpon the banke of the riuer Aous very strongly and had most high mountaines for his defence vpon his backe yet being charged suddenly from the vpper ground he was both driuen to fight against his will and foyled by Tit. Quintius Wherefore considering the losse and calamities that come of suffering the country to be burned and spoyled the hazard that to wnes besieged by the enemie without hope of succour stand in the discouragement of our people that see and enemie in the countrey whom they dare not encounter I hold it a rule most certaine that no countrey nor state can well be defended against a strong enemie any long time vnlesse the same either haue or can procure an armie to come into the field able to encounter him and not vnwilling also if the same may haue any good aduantage to fight with him And therefore all valiant men that loue their countrey are rather to endeuour to ouercome the enemie by force then dull him and wearie him by patience and delaies which bring with them contempt of those that want an edge and force That wee may fight with aduantage and proceed with reason let vs now examine and see what things are to be foreseene and considered before that the General do bring foorth his armie into the field to fight CHAP. XI Conteining speciall matters to be well considered before the Generall bring foorth his armie to fight with the enemie in open field MAnie things in warre are executed by force and strength of men but seldome doeth force preuaile much without counsell and direction Counsell in all deedes of armes chalengeth a principall place but especially in ioyning battell with the enemie To refuse good counsell therefore in this case is a brutish follie oftentimes seuerely punished The Constable of France peeuishly refusing the good counsell of Coucy that dissuaded him at that time to fight with the Turkes was the cause of the miserable slaughter of Christians at Nicopolis The Frenchmen detest in their histories the pride and insolencie of a certaine Duke of Bourbon who a Froissart being Generall in a certaine enterprise against the Saracens in Afrike ouerthrew the action by disdaining to heare any man speake and refusing all counsell but his owne A man wise inough to ruinate any enterprise Wise captains therefore as they will consider many things themselues so I trust they will not disdaine to vnderstand the experience and aduise of others Before a Generall doeth resolue to fight with the enemie with all his force hee is first diligently to vnderstand both the strength of the enemie and the numbers and strength of his owne men least presuming too much of his owne power or contemning the enemie he doe that which afterward hee may repent a Guicciandin Francis the first of France not knowing how much hee was abused by his moster rolles and supposing his strength to bee greater then it was accepted of the battell of Pauie where himselfe was taken and his armie discomfited b Caes bel ciu ◠Curio not knowing the great strength of the enemies horsemen did rashly leaue the aduantage of the ground and fight with him that in the plaines was to strong for him which was his ruine Cassius in the battell of Philippi not vnderstanding the victorie of Brutus his companion desperately slew himselfe and was the cause of the discouragement of his side and the victorie of the enemie If therefore he shall vnderstand that his enemie is too strong for him let him keepe his aduantage of ground and auoyd fight if his owne power be greater let him not delay it for it is no lesse dishonour to let slip an opportunitie then to aduenture rashly Yong souldiers are not rashly to be brought into the field against an armie exercised and beaten with long practise of warre The Romanes found this true by their owne practise in the warres with their c Veterani exercitus tobore rex Rom. vicit Liu. 1. neighbours and with Annibal Where their armie was well trained they preuailed their fresh souldiers could not endure the force of Annibals beaten men Caesars old souldiers were inuincible With the men that Philip of Macedonia had exercised in many warres Alexander ouerthrew the Persian empire For it is not d Veteres non tam numerosos exercitus habere voluerunt quà m eruditos Veget. l. 3. c. 1. number that preuaileth but experience and skill The e Philip. Comin gallants of Charles Duke of Burgundie bragged that they would doe and venture but when they sawe their enemie they forgot their wordes and ranne away in the encounter with Lewis the eleuenth at Mont le herie Therefore did Caesar wisely that carying ouer with him diuers yong souldiers into Afrike f Noluit conuulncrari exercitum tyronmen Hirt de bel Afric would not put them to the triall before he had made them better acquainted with warres Souldiers likewise when they are faint wearie hungry or thirstie fight but faintly And therefore as there is no trust in young souldiers so there is no strength in souldiers that are faint with labour or want of victuals Doe not therefore rashly encounter the enemie when they men are either wearied with long marching or watching or faint for want of meate or drinke The a Inde cibo corpora firmare iussi vt si longior esset pugna viribus sufficerent Liu. 27. Romanes before they entred the battell refreshed their men with victuals and rest that if the same continued long yet their strength might continue b Syllanus ante pugnam militem cibum capere iubet Liu. 28. Syllanus being readie to charge the enemie commaunded his souldiers to dine first The principall cause of the ouerthrow of the Romanes at Trebia was that Annibal brought foorth his men to fight fresh hauing well dined warmed themselues and rested where as the Romane c Liu. 21. Generall brought foorth his armie fasting and cold by reason they passed a riuer and wearie for that they stoode many howers in armes before the battell began Aemilius in the warres against Perseus in Macedonia albeit his souldiers desired to fight with the d Statuit Aemilius lassitudinem sitim sentientes milites integro hostinon obijcere Liu. 44.214 enemie so soone as they saw him yet considering that by their long march they were wearie thirstie and faint would not fight with the enemie that was fresh and lustie but deferred it to the next day Yea although aduantage be offered yet if our e Furius lassitudini militum timens occasionem rei praeclarè gerendae omisit Liu. 31. souldiers be faint and wearie it is more safe to
posterity howsoeuer in some circumstances they departed from these rules yet neuer did they neglect the Generall reasons of them neither ought they to be neglected of any as I will make manifest by particulars Scipio in the encounter betwixt him and Annibal in Afrike according to the Romane guise diuided his army from front to backe into three parts placing first those which they called hastatos next principes last triarios All these albeit at the first their armes were different yet when the Romane empire was come to the height were armed much after one sort with plated iackes which they called Loricas morions on their heads a shield on their left arme a sword well poynted and sharpe by their side and a iaueline which they called pilum in their right hand which they threw at the enemy when they ioyned battell and then fought with their sword and target Some had also defences for theyr thighes and legges and shooes plated in the soles that they might not be pearced with nayles The light armed by them called Velites which stood not among the armed men had onely a head piece and a target and sword or els if they were slingers onely a head piece a sting and a sword The Triarij that stoode last were the oldest and most tried and best armed souldiers and next them Principes that stood before them the hastati were yongest and of least experience first in place but last in accompt The front where the hastati were placed Scipio made not of Regiments ioyned together and placed before the ensignes but of companies of two hundred made into litle battaillions or squares distant one from another some space that the Elephants of the enemie receiued within these distances might not disorder the aray He placed Laelius with the Italian horsemen without on the left corner Masinissa and the Numidian horsemen on the right corner The distances betweene the battaillions he filled with the first troupes of the light armed which were arches and slingers commanding them when the Elephants came forwarde on them either to retire behinde the first battaillions or standing fast to the sides of them to giue the Elephants way and to throw their iauelins at them as they passed Liuyes words I haue set downe for the satisfaction of those that vnderstande the tongue which course I haue also in other examples out of him and other authors obserued If my translation answere not worde for worde yet doeth it answere the Romane vse of warre The wordes I could not translate precisely if I meant that any should vnderstand mee the termes of warre then and now being so different a Liu. 30. Instruit deinde primos hastatos post cos principes triarijs postremam aciem clausit Non confertas autem cohortes ante sua quámque signa instruebat sed manipulos aliquantum inter se distantes vt esset spatium quò Elephanti hostium accepti nihil ordines turbarent Laelium cum equitatu Italico ab sinistro cornu Masinissam Numidásque ab dextro opposuit Vias patentes inter manipulos antesignanorum velitibus compleuit dato praecepto vt ad impetum Elephantorum aut post rectos refugerent ordines aut in dextram laeuámque discursu applicantes se antesignanis viam qua irruerent in ancipitia tela belluis darent Annibal placed first his Elephants then the Ligurians Gaules hired to ayde the Carthaginians Among their troupes and before them he placed slingers and archers which were Mores and of the Ilands of Maiorca and Minorca In the second battel he set the Carthaginians and Africans and Macedonian Regiment ioyned in one aray and after them a litle way distant he placed his last hope or third battell consisting of Italians The Carthaginian horsemen were placed on the right wing the Numidians on the left His error if any error may be thought to haue bene in such an expert Captaine and not rather in the execution of his directions was this that not making any distances in his second battell for the first to retrayte into the first battell being repulsed was for the most part slaine and returning backe vpon the Carthaginians standing in the second battell had almost disordered them Percase he thought that seeing no place of retraite they would haue fought more desperatly But what can wearied and hurt men doe or who can animate men altogether discouraged Scipio contrarywise drawing backe the hurt and wearied men of his first battaillions auanced the second battel where those stoode which the Romanes called Principes on the one hande and the thirde battell which they termed Triarios on the other hande and so ioyntly charging the enemie on front with his footemen and on the backe with his horsemen he foyled Annibal and his army which before that had alwayes bene victorious a Liui. 30. Annibal primum Elephantos instruxit deinde auxilia Ligurum Gallorumque Balearibus Maurisque adiunctis in 2 acie Carthaginenses Afrósque Macedonum legionem modico interuallo relecto subsidiariam aciem Italicorum militum instruxit equitatum circumdedit cornibus dextrum Carthaginenses sinistrum Numidae tenuerunt At Trebia Annibal brought into the field first his archery and slingers of the Ilands of Maiorca and Minorca about 8000. men then his armed men ten thousand horsemen hee disposed by the right and left corners of the first battell and without them his Elephants diuided equally into two partes When the Romane legions vrged the light armed he drew them backe lightly into the spaces betwixt the midbattell and the right and left corner Afterwards hauing foyled and put to flight the Romane horsemen the archers slingers came forward charged the Romanes vpon the flanks of the armed men b Liui. 21. Annibal Baleares leuem armaturam 8 ferme millia hominum erant locat ante signa deinde grauiorem armis peditem in cornibus circumfundit decem millia equitum ab cornibus in vtrámque partem diuisos Elephantos statuit Balearibus cum maiore robore resisterent legiones diductae properè in cornua leues armaturae sunt Baleares pulso equite iaculabantur in latera The army of the Romanes and Carthaginians at the famous encoūter of Cannae by Liuie is thus described On the right corner stood the Romane horsemen and within them footemen the horsemen of their associats were ranged on the left corner within them footemen in the midst were placed the Romane legiōs diuided after their vsual maner into three parts hard before them ioyning with them were archers and slingers placed and before them other archers and slingers and other light armed souldiers of which consisted the first range of the battel Annibal set his slingers archers and light armed foremost on the front of the battell the Spanish and French horse he placed on the left wing against the Romane horsemen the Numidian horsemen on the right The midbattel he strengthened with footemen placing the Africans equally diuided in the right
and left corner the Gaules and Spaniards with their aray in forme of a wedge auanced somewhat forward being in the midst The charge was begunne by the archery and light armed afterward did the left wing of the Gaules and Spanish horsemen meete with the right wing of the Romanes then followed the encountre of the armed men a Liui. 22. In dextro cornu Romanos equites locauit deinde pedites laeuum cornu extremi equites sociorum intra pedites ad medium iuncti legionibus Romanis tenuerunt iaculatores Ex caeteris leuium armorum auxilijs prima acies facta Annibal Balearibus aliáque leui armatura praemissa Gallos Hispanosque equites laeua in cornu aduersus Romanum equitatum dextrum cornu Numidis equitibus datum media acie peditibus firmata ita vt Afrorum vtraque cornua essent interponerentur his cuneo aliquantum prominente medij Galli atque Hispani Pugna leuibus primum armis commissa deinde equitum Gallorum Hispanorumque laeuum cornu cum dextro Romano concurrit deinde peditum coorta pugna Scipio fighting against Asdrubal in Spaine did thus dispose his army he strengthened both the corners of his battell diuided from front to backe after the vsual maner with Romane souldiers his associats he bestowed in the midst his horsemen and light armed hee sent out against the corps de garde of the Carthaginians placed in the gates of their campe and in conuenient places neere When the Carthaginians came foorth against them hee receiued his horsemen and light armed within his battaillions and diuiding them into two partes placed them behinde the corners of the battell Perceiuing where the enemie was weakest hee there beganne the charge with that part of his army that was strongest The first battell of the enemies being discomfited he chargeth the midbattell with his Regiments of Romanes on the sides with his associats that were Spaniards in front and on the backes with his horsmen and so put the same to flight Scipio cornua firmat a Liu. 28. Romano milite socijs in mediam aciem acceptis equites leuem armaturam in stationes Punicas immisit egredientibus Poenis equitatum leuem armaturam in medium acceptam diuisamque in partes duas in subsidijs post cornua locat Cum cornibus vbi firma eius erat acies Poenorum infirma pugnam incipit ea acie fugata mediam Poenorum aciem ipse a latere equites à tergo Hispani à fronte adorti fuderunt Scipioes father encountring the same man their armies were then thus ordered the front of the Romane army stoode vpon three parts the footemen after the maner of the Romanes were part before the ensignes and part behinde the horsemen stoode beyond both the corners of the Auantgard or first battell Asdrubal placed the Spaniards in the midst in the right corner hee ordered the Carthaginians the Africans and other mercenary souldiers in the left his Numidian horsemen hee placed fast by the Carthaginians on that wing where they stoode the rest of his horsemen in the other corner Triplex stetit b Liu. 23. Romana acies peditum pars ante signa locata pars post signa accepta equites cornua cinxere Asdrubal mediam aciem Hispanis firmat in cornibus dextro Poenos locat laeuo Afros mercenariorúmque auxilia equitum Numidas Poenorum peditibus caeteros Afros pro cornibus opponit Scipio he that subdued Annibal encountring with Syphax vsed the vsual aray of the Romanes making his army triple in breadth and in length the Italian horsemen he placed by the right corner of the first squadrons the Numidians ledde by Masinissa by the left Syphax and Asdrubal opposed the Numidian or Barbary horse against the Italian horse the Carthaginians against Masinissa The Celtiberian footemen they placed in the midst opposite against the squadrons of the Romane Regiments c Liu. 30. Romanus hast atorum prima signa post principes in subsidijs triarios constituit Equitatum Italicum ab dextro cornu ab laeuo Numidas Masinissamque opposuit Syphax Asdrubalque Numidis aduersus Italicum equitatum Carthaginensibus contra Masinissam locatis Celtiberos in mediam aciem in aduersa signa legionum accepere In a certaine encounter in Spaine the d Liu. 29. Romans perceiuing that the enemy had left spaces betweene the midbattel those squadrons that made the corners purposing to send out his horsemen by those spaces preuenting him filled those spaces first with their horsmen which both made the enemies horse vnseruiceable and holpe to disorder his footemen Their other aray was ordinary saue that the horsemen made not the outmost wings but the footemen as appeareth by these wordes of Liuy following Cornua dextrum Ilergetes laeuum alij Hispani mediam aciem Ausetani tenuere Inter cornua mediam aciem interualla patentia fecerunt satis lata qua equitatum vbi tempus esset emitterent Romani cùm inter cornua loca etiam patentia fecissent hoc vicerunt quod primi equites inter interualla miserint quod hostium equites inutiles fecit turbauit hostium pedites Yet was not the aray of the Romanes alwaies the same as appeareth by that encounter which the Romane Proconsul Pretor had with Mago in Liguria The Pretors legions made the front of the armie first squadrons the Proconsul placed his legions behind for supply The twelfth legion being almost cut all in peeces the thirteenth was auanced forward to relieue it Mago against this legion opposed fresh men reserued behinde for supply the Elephants comming ouerthwart the first rankes of the eleuenth legion being drawen foorth fought with them with their iauelins a Liu. 30. Praetoris legiones in prima acie fuerunt procos suas in subsidij tenuit Duodecima legione magna ex parte caesa decimatertia legio in primam aciem inducta Mago ex subsidijs Gallos integros legioni opposuit hastati legionis vndecimae pila in Elephantos conijciunt Furius fighting with the Gaules in Liguria placed his army in this sort The souldiers of his associats he diuided into b Wings were so called for that they were placed on the sides of the battell yet were they not so alwaies wings and of them made the front of the battell Two regiments he placed behinde for a supply When the right wing was almost oppressed bringing vp the two regiments on either side of it he garded the same and with his horsemen he charged the enemy vpon the side of his battell c Liu. 31. In alas Furius diuidens socialem exercitum eum in prima acie locauit in subsidijs duas legiones oppressae dextrae posteà alae duas illas legiones circumduxit equites in latus hostium emisit When afterward the Romane Empire was enlarged that the Romanes began to haue diuers nations in their armies although the generall order was still obserued yet there happened in their armies by reason of this
2. beginning of the battell there is great aduantage And as Pinarius saide to his men lying in garrison in Aenna a Citie of e Qui prior strinxerit ferrum cius victoria erit Liu. 24. Sicile so it falleth out very often that hee that draweth the sworde soonest first obteineth the victorie They that first beginne seeme to haue greater courage then those that stand still as it were to warde their blowes There is many aduantages in beginning the battell They may more easely take the aduantage of the winde and Sunne of the grounde and of the sort of weapons wherewith they fight then those that stand still which are forced to turne which way soeuer the enemie commeth They may there beginne where the enemie is weakest and themselues strongest and therefore the vse of the Romanes was first to begin the charge as appeareth both in the warres of Scipio in Spaine and Caesar in France A certaine f Lez consederez remanquet qu'en touts lez combus passez ils ont mieulx fait chargeans lez premiers que quand ils en◠attendu la desmarcke catholique Hist de troubl de Fr. Frenchman albeit he vnderstood not the reason yet by obseruation vnderstoode this poynt For sayth he in the warres of France it hath beene noted that the Protestants did alwayes preuaile more charging the enemies first then attending the enemies demarche and charge It appeareth both in the braule at Moncontour anno 1569. and diuers other skirmishes which they call battels Those that charge first take the aduantage of any disorder committed by the enemie which others let slippe Whatsoeuer can be deuised to encourage our owne souldiers or to discourage the enemie as at all times so especially in the hazard of battell is to be practised by cryes reportes shewes wordes spoken in the hearing of the enemie and whatsoeuer else can be imagined If there lye any wood or hollowe grounde neere the enemie the same is to be seased that in the heate of the fight our men suddenly arising thence may more amaze and hurt the enemie But of this point we shall haue better occasion to speake at large in the treatise of stratagemes and ambushes Least by flying of some cowardly companions the rest might be discouraged order is to be taken that whosoeuer in the fight beginneth to turne his backe bee presently slaine The a Cohorti suae dictator dat signum vt quem suorum fugientem viderint pro hoste habeant Liu. 2. Romane Generall by this strict commaundement and execution appointing certaine troupes to execute it made his armie stand resolutely Of Attilius it is reported that when his army beganne to giue ground by b Liu. 10. killing the first with his owne hands he made the rest to make head against the enemie which Annibal likewise practised in his battel with Scipio in Afrike albeit he had not like successe This is the case wherein Clearchus the Lacedemonian c Plutarch saide that souldiers ought more to feare their owne Generall then the enemie Finally when by his good direction and the valiantnesse of his souldiers the Generall shall perceiue the enemie to beginne to shrinke and giue ground then must he be most carefull first that he giue him no time to recouer himselfe or to supplie that which is broken secondly that hee keepe his souldirs from spoyle vntill such time as he hath assured himselfe of the victorie When the enemie beginneth to shrinke and to be dismaide any little force more maketh him to runne in a small time he recouereth himselfe againe Therefore d Orant vt perculsos inuadant nec restitui aciem sinant Liu. 29. then is he to bee vrged with the rest of our strength that remaineth entire and not to be suffered to escape Scipio in the battell with Asdrubal in Spaine when the e Liu. 28. Carthaginians disliking the party would haue retyred wholly together did so presse them on all sides that before they could recouer any place of safetie they were forced to change their pace and euery man to flye for his life In the a Caes de bel ciu 3. battell betwixt Caesar and Pompey when Pompeyes horsemen were driuen out of the fielde by those halfe pikes that hee had ordeined for succour of his owne horse with the same men he cut in pieces Pompeyes archers and light armed men That done with the same troupes he charged Pompeies battell that yet stoode firme vpon the backe And after he had driuen the enemie out of the fielde yet rested he not vntill such time as hee had taken his campe and dispersed the reliques of his armie Yet may some say it is not good to presse the enemie too farre and that a bridge of golde is to bee made to those that flie away Gaston de fois was ouerthrowen and slaine pursuing the Spaniards that retired after the battell of Rauenna And diuers others driuing the enemie to dispaire that otherwise would haue fledde haue hurt themselues But this is to be vnderstoode of an enemie that would so flye as he would also yeelde the victorie and contende no more in which case Themistocles perswaded the Greekes that meant to dissolue Xerxes his bridge to suffer the same to continue that thereby he might runne away Others that meane to fight againe are to be pursued diligently with all our forces Gaston de fois had not beene slaine but that hee was badly followed and too farre auaunced Neither coulde the Spaniards haue escaped if they had beene charged with shotte or taken at aduantage and kept from victuals The Romanes had so certaine an order in this point that they doubt not to accuse their b Ex subsidiis quòd tardiùs successissent signum equitibus tardiùs datum Cos accusatus Liu 35. General of trecherie for that when the enemie staggered hee gaue not the worde to the horsemen to charge nor aduaunced his footemen in time to supplie those that were wearie c Victor equestri praelio rex paruo momento si adiuuisset debellare potuit Liu. 42. Perseus for that hauing foyled the Romanes with his horse and hauing the victorie in his hand he did not pursue the rest of their troupes and breake them but suffered them to passe a Riuer quietly is condemned for a man of no iudgement in warres The same errour was committed by the Carthaginians in Spaine who hauing slain the two Scipioes foyled their armie gaue them selues to rest while the Romanes gathering head againe were able afterwarde to matche them and foyle them Those that cannot thrust the enemie downe that is already falling will be lesse able to doe it when he standeth vpright And therefore let wise captaines pursue their enemie to the vtmost and not suffer him when hee once beginneth to looke backe to turne head againe and take breath And in any case let him take heede that his souldiers runne not to spoyle before the victorie be assured and the
argoletiers are to take heede that they come not neere the lances of the enemy lest they make holes in their horses sides if no worse Where the enemy is in disorder there al sorts of horsemen may do seruice At Cerisoles after that the shot had made way in the enemies battell the French entred with their horse among them and ouerthrew them Pikes are the onely defence of footemen against horsemen if they be taken in plaine ground Yet doe I not thinke it good that there should be such numbers of pikes in our armies as is vsed For that vse excepted which I spake of I see no other great profite they haue For execution is seldome doone by pikes Sometime I grant pikes do charge other pikes but it is not the piquier that maketh the slaughter In woodes and shrubbie or brushie groundes these kinde of long weapons are vnprofitable and vnweldie The Germanes by the disaduantage of their long pikes d being taken in such ground were ouerthrowen by Germanicus and the Romane targettiers In straites likewise when souldiers come to lay handes and haue prize ech on other long pikes cannot a Longae hast 〈◊〉 in syluis inter virgulta non tam aptae quam pila haerentia corpori tegmina gladij Tacit. 2. not be a Nec minor Germanis animus sed genere pugnae armorum superabantur cum ingens multitudo arctis locis praelongas hastas non protenderet nō colligeret Tacit. annal 2. managed as the experience of the Romanes fighting against the Germanes and Macedonians armed with long weapons teacheth vs. Further the assailants in assaults of townes and forts haue small vse of them For there is no vse of horsemen there greatly against which pikes are good neither do the defendants greatly vse them saue in the breach Pikemen are too heauie armed to pursue others and without shot they cannot well garde themselues either against shot or targets At Muscleborough field a fewe shot opened the Scottish squadrons of pikes for those that folowing after inuested them And likewise did the French arquebuziers at Cerisoles deale with the lancequenets among whose battelles making lanes they gaue entrance to the horsemen that presently charged them And so little defence there is in that weapon that not onely the Biscaine buckelers entred within them at the battaile of b In the dayes of Lewis the 12. of France Rauenna where they made a foule tailliada and slaughter but also the Counte of Carmignola dismounting himselfe and his company entred among the squadrons of the Switzers pikes and cut them in peeces in an other encounter in Lombardie The Romanes dealing with the c Sarissae Macedonicae Macedonian pikes both in the warres with Philip and Perseus kings of Macedonia and of Antiochus king of a great part of Asia neuer feared to enter vpon them with their targets nor made reckoning of that weapon And not without cause For who seeth not the strength and effect of the pike being in the point that as soone as targettiers or other armed men enter among pikes the piquiers throwe downe their pikes and take them to their other weapons the Portugalles did perceiue by the experience of that fight with the Moores where Sebastian their king was slaine that fewer pikes would haue serued and other weapons done better effects The Switzers that are for the most part piquiers will not march anie whither without their companies of shot attending on them for their garde At Moncontour the Almaine piquiers abandoned of their shot were miserably shot to death most of them For this cause I would haue onely so many pikes as woulde serue for the defence of the army against the enemies horse The Frenchmen haue but ten pikes to euery companie of shot which is too little yea and sometimes they haue no pikes at all But he is abused that maketh the French precedentes and examples to followe in any practice of warre The first rankes of pikes woulde bee armed with corsalets of caliuer proofe on the breast from the twelfth ranke backeward and inward it is sufficient if they haue anie armes or iackes of male Brassats and other peeces of armes except the head-peece gorgeron and corsalet I thinke to be more then they can eyther wel march with or fight with The Frenchmen in time past had some called a Cruppellarii cōtinuo ferri teg mine inferendis ictibus inhabiles dolabtis securibus à Romani◠caeduntur Tac. 3. Cruppellarii by Tacitus that were armed as they saie de cap en pied at which the Romane souldiers laughed For that they were vnable by reason of the weight of their armes eyther to strike the enemie or to defend themselues Therefore did they hew them downe with billes and pollaxes The pike I would haue if it might be of Spanish Ash and betwixt twentie and two and twentie foote long and by his side euerie piquier would haue sword and dagger and a dagge at his girdle especially in the vtmost ranks The number of targettiers I woulde haue encreased Not onely of such as haue targets of proofe which are vsed of those that stand in the first rankes but also of those that haue light targets These would be made of wood either hooped or barred with yron It would be three foote and a halfe in length for that was the measure of the Romane shield two foot a half in breadth in forme ouall A kinde of armes now disused but most excellent in all seruices saue against horsemen in the plaine field Against archers targets are a sure defence and dangerous to the enemy after that men come to close b Liu. 27. Scipio with his targetters cut the Carthaginian archers and slingars in peeces c Romani tela densatis excipiunt scutis Liu. 28. Targets are a good defence against stones in an assault and whatsoeuer is throwen from hand The same are very effectuall against shot A small number of targetters if once they come to reach shot with their swordes put great numbers of them out of the field Put case that some come shorte yet sure not manie considering that onely the first rankes of shot can discharge and that all doe not hit and few mortally especially if the first targets be of proofe and the men march resolutely to the charge Neither can shot retire where many of them are in the field nor saue thēselues in any place but targetters wil come to them Targetters also are mortall to the pikemen as not onely the Romanes dealing with the Macodonian and Germane pikes but also the Biskaines with their bucklers in the battell of Rauenna and Cirignola declared Targettiers in execution are singular and ready and light if their targets be light in following the chase They may be vsed in all seruices and all groundes In assaults of townes and in sallies in fighting in open field and in streites in woodes and in hils in retraites and in chases there is
vse of them Pikes and horsemen of which the French make such reckoning are but for plaine ground and for some few vses shot can doe nothing in the crowde for that they want defensiue armes onely targettiers armed haue this priuiledge that in all places and at all times they may be employed of iudicious leaders The Romanes with their great targets and swordes and iauelins which they called Pila subdued the worlde Other armes as corsalets and iackets plated and morions were common to others these were proper to the Romanes and those that folowed their vse of warres a Germani genere pugnae armorum superabantur Tac. 2. The aduantage of their armes experience prooueth to haue beene great The Germanes excelled them in strength of bodie and stature the b Britanni ingētibus gladiis breuibus cetris à scutatis Agricolae caeduntur Tacit. in vit Agric. Brytaines Gaules and Spaniards were superior to them in number and equall in courage but in their furniture and armes and manner of fight they were inferior All Romane souldiers both on horse and foote for the most part vsed a kinde of targets But the light armed wanted maled iackets and had lighter targets as not onely appeareth by their images in marble yet to be seene at Rome but also in their c Hic miles tripedalem parmā habet in dextra hastas quibus eminus vtitur Hispaniensi gladio est cinctus quod si pede collato pugnandum est translatis in laeuam hastis gladium stringit Liu. 38. 31. histories So would I haue our targetters some armed with light corsalets and morions heauy targets other onelie with light targets plated doublets sufficiēt to beare the thrust of a sword And if thereto some had short halfe pikes also the same woulde bee effectuall to throwe at footemen and good to stand against horsemen Halberds and blacke billes pertisans borespeares and pollaxes and all such like weapons to be vsed in hand haue one and the same vse with swordes and targets But neither are the men that vse them so well defended against shot and pikes nor is that sort of weapon so effectuall If the enemy giue ground they are proper for execution and may be employed in open field in straites in woodes in assaultes sallies and many seruices Their armes are eyther corsalets and gorgerons or plated doublets or iackes with skirts for defence of the thighes and morrions on their heades The Romanes vsed few of these weapons The Dutch place diuers rankes of them among their pikes and commonly they are planted by the ensignes The shot is diuided into mosquetters caliuers and archers The vse of shot is diuers In open field therewith wee defend our pikes and with the same offend the enemies pikes Where the same hath a defence against the force of horsemen it is verie profitably employed against them In the defence of a towne forte or passage it is excellent Likewise for the assailantes therewith to cleare the walles while their armed men mount by breach or by scale But the same must take heede of the force of the horse and charge of armed men which without defence of pikes or other naturall wall or banke the same cannot sustaine The force of shot is greater in skirmish then in set battelles For shot if they bee driuen to stand thicke haue no vse As the vnprofitable number of shot at the battell of Moncontour and Dreux and other incounters in the late warres of France declare sufficiently As oft as the enemies shot make coūtenance to charge our armed men so oft must our shot encounter them and driuing away the enemies shot are mortall if they strike right thicke among the enemies pikes For pikes against shot arrowes being heauy armed haue no defence As the disastre of the a Thucid. 4. Lacedemonians at Pylos of the Romanes at b Liu. 24. Trebia of the c Thucid. 3. Athenians compassed by the light armed Aetolians of Titurius Sabinus and his d Caes bel gal 5. company at Vatuca of the Almanes at e Histoir de troubl de Fr. Moncontour where heauie armed men destitute of shot and light armed were compassed about and slaine by shot archers and slingars doth declare In rainie weather they cannot doe almost anie seruice Yet some say that at Rocheabeille firelockes did I know not what seruice in the raine But neither in raine nor out of raine are shot assured against horse or targets or armed men but where they haue a defence and retrait So that I maruell what the French meane to bring into the field so many shot and so few armed men At the incounter of Rocheabeille the Protestants had 14000. shot and f De long bois peu ou point Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 7. scarce anie pikes But percase they could not otherwise do Archers in assaults and defence of townes cannot do like seruice to mosquetiers and caliuers For neyther can they hit so right nor so mortally In pight fields I thinke them nothing inferiour to them For being armed with iackes as they shoulde bee when they come to gripes they driue the shot to his feete and shooting manie rankes one ouer an others head twelue arrowes shall fall before one boullet For onely the first rankes of shot discharge vnlesse they meane to pierce their fellowes Nowe then that the shot are disarmed and archers armed who seeth not that two thousand archers in open field may preuaile against three thousand shot especially seeing as archers may keepe ranke and not shot and archers may fight standing thicke but shot cannot file their rankes if they stand thick Archers therefore in open field may be employed against shot and likewise against horsemen and pikes But if against horsemen they must haue a defence of stakes or trenches or pikes And likewise dealing against armed men they had neede to haue a front of armed men The archers at Agincourt field and at manie other battelles haue made the name of this nation famous for the seruice they did against the enemie But then they had a defence of stakes and trenches a Xenoph. Cyr. paed 2. Cyrus in his array placed behinde euerie dozen rankes of armed men certaine archers by which deuise when his enemies came to ioyne battell with him hee preuailed against them not being able to abide the arrowes that comming ouer the formost rankes light in their faces and other bare places And therefore whatsoeuer some say of the vse of bowes and arrowes which they haue not seene tried I woulde that among others our Generalles that goe in seruice into other countries woulde also employ some archers Great artillery against troupes standing thicke and in euen ground worketh great effectes But in other places and against men ranged otherwise the sound is greater then the hurte At Moncontour the Kings ordonance beating among the horsemen ranged hedge-wise did not in twentie shot hit once Neither
death of the Cardinal king Vnder colour of parley of peace at Dunkirke hee brought his Nauy vpon our coast before we looked for it and I may say before some were well prouided for it These pretenses though false yet make shewe and are beleeued of some and take simple people before they be prepared For when Scipio had put men aborde and prouided many things as for a siege e Vt ab eo quod parabat in alterius rei curam cōuerteret animo◠Liu. 29. Syphax beleeued that as the brute went he meant in deede to besiege Vtica but being in the night inuaded and seeing his campe all fired hee learned with the losse of his army one point of warre neuer to trust the enemy when hee giueth out such reportes Some vnder colour and during the treaty of composition haue wound them selues out of danger Asdrubal being taken by the Romanes at an aduantage promised that if he might be assured to depart out of that place hee would cary his army out of Spaine but while the Romanes were secure thinking that he would not stirre during the treaty of composition the man by litle and litle had gotten out of the snare into a safe ground The king of Macedonia sending messengers to treate with the Romanes for the buriall of his souldiers that lay slayne by their campe in the meane time of the parley remoued his campe out of a strayt and so escaped The Massilians besieged by Caesars souldiers began to treat of composition But when by diuers dayes vaine talke they perceiued their negligence and securitie they sallied vpon the sudden and burnt their engins works which cost them much labour Vnder colour of treaty of peace a Liu. Marcellus espied the walles of Syracusae and another time entred the towne of Salapia seasing a gate Nothing is more commodious for dressing of enterprises against a towne besieged The L. b In the dayes of Q. Marie Grey by the trechery of the French entring the trenches and ditches of Guines during the parley escaped narowly a great danger Rumours of succours comming encourage our souldiers discourage the enemy The c Liu. l. 9. 10. Romane Consull giuing out a report at the time of the beginning of the battell that another army was comming to charge the enemy vpon the backe made the enemy hearing it to doubt and his own souldiers to fight more courageously Vaine shewes doe often deceiue the enemy Caesar mounting certaine slaues and horse boyes vpon cariage horses and mules at Gergouia and causing them to shewe them selues a farre off made the d Caes bel gal 7. enemy feare least a company of horsemen were comming vpon them to charge them vpon the backe Which being practiced long before against the Samnites e Sp. Nautius mulos detractis clitellis alarijs impositis circumduxit quod Samnitibus terrorem attulit Liu. made them feare looke about Annibal not being able to force the garde that kept the passage of Calicula binding fagots on the heads of oxen setting them on fire driuing them toward the place what through wonderment what through feare made them to giue way Martigues seeing the inconuenience of his lodging neere f Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 5. Pampron An. 1568. at the shutting of the euening caused all his company to displace went away safely abusing the enemy with fires made and peeces of matches tyed among bushes which made the enemy suppose hee had bene there still The which practice he seemeth to haue learned of Annibal who fearing least he shoulde bee charged as hee remoued his campe left diuers tentes standing toward the enemy some souldiers armes as if the rest had bin stil there which long before had gained ground were gone Wordes making for vs comming to the enemies eares doe often strike a terror in them Quintius the a Quintius dicens Volscotum alterum cornu fugere pepulit Volscos Liu. 1. Romane Generall crying out aloud that the other corner of the battel of the Volscians fled made that where he stood to flie in deede Valerius Leuinus speaking aloud saying that he had slaine Pyrrhus with his owne hands holpe to discourage the enemy Annibal causing one of his owne men in the Romane Generals name to command the Romanes to flee to the hils next adioyning had done them some hurt but that the guile was perceiued I haue heard some say that a certaine voyce raised in the eares of the Scots at Muscleborough field how their company fled made them both feare and flie False sounds also signes doe often abuse those that are credulous Annibal hauing slaine the Romane Consul with his ring scaled diuers forged letters whereby he had deceiued some if the other Consul had not giuen the cities round about warning of it Hauing taken Tarentū he caused one to sound an alarme after the Romane note which caused diuers Romanes to fal into his hands and the Tarentines to imagine that the Romanes meant to betray them more harme it had done but that the trumpet sounded vnskilfully Suborned messengers are dangerous if credit be giuen vnto them A certaine Lucanian while Annibal warred with the Romanes in Italy led Sempronius a famous leader among them into an ambush promising him to bring him to the speech of his countrymē of whom he feined himself to be sent vnto him b Liu. Annibal causing them of Metapontus to write letters to Fabius as if they were purposed to deliuer vp their citie into his hands had almost drawne him into an ambush where with his army he lay ready to welcome him to the towne Men disguised like women or like countrey people or c Danaûm insignia nobis aptemus Chorabus apud Virgil. armed like the enemies entring within their strength doe now and then abuse them and giue their felowes meanes of entrance In d Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 12. these late troubles of France diuers negligent Gouernors haue by these practises bene surprised Enemies pretending friendship play many odious partes therefore not lightly to be credited Before the battell of Cannae certaine Numidians suborned by Annibal pretending discontentment and seeming to reuolt from him in the middest of the hurly burly charged the Romanes vpon the backe and greatly preiudiced them Ambiorix vnder colour of friendly counsell trayned Titurius Sabinus out of his strength and taking him at aduantage flew him and most of his company Such was a Metuo Danaos dona ferentes Virg. Sinons counsell who as Poets feigne betrayed Troy To auoyde these traps these rules are to be obserued first no b Inimicorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 counsell is to be trusted that proceedeth from the enemy for who can beleeue that he will counsell vs well that seeketh onely to doe vs hurt secondly if any reuolt from the enemy yet is he not to be trusted nor suffered to remaine among vs armed especially if he
fight nor lodge without danger But yet in dressing of Ambushes he is to take great heede first that the enemy haue no notice of his purpose so prouide against him For by this means traps theÌ„selues are oft entrapped c Caes bel gal 8. Corbey of Beauois lying in waite where he supposed Caesars souldiers would come to seeke prouision was himselfe and his company cut in peeces by a greater number then he looked for which Caesar sent thither hauing intelligence of the matter before hand Secondly those that lie in ambush must rise suddenly and execute speedily and courageously least the enemy putting himselfe in order and gathering courage giue them more then they came for Labienus had placed certaine felowes in ambush that should haue charged a Hiâ—t de bel Afric Caesars army as the same passed by but they came foorth so faintly irresolutely that Caesars horsemen before they could doe any thing had hewen them in peeces Thirdly let them beware least while they thinke to doe the feat the rest of the enemies come on their backes before they can dispatch The b Liu. 41. Dardanians had well hoped to haue executed a part of the Macedonian army which they charged vpon the backe as it passed through the countrey but before they were aware they were them selues charged by them that folowed after and were taken as they say betweene the hammer and anuill and well beaten Fourthly when a part of the army is sent to lie in ambush the rest of the army ought to haue correspondence with it that as those that rise vp in ambush doe charge the enemy one way so the rest of the army may charge him another way and alwayes be ready to succour their men Which if they of c Caes bel gal 8. Beauois had considered they had not suffered their best men to haue bene cut in peeces without reliefe The reason that Ambushes doe preuaile so much are diuers first the terrour that the same strike the enemies minde withall comming vpon them vpon the sudden secondly the disorder and confusion that is in the enemies army surprised suddenly and thirdly the vantage of ground which they chuse and the weaknes of the enemy where they charge him Therefore let all valiant souldiers to whom such executions are committed beware how they protract time or loose their aduantage or by vntimely noyse or stirre giue notice of their purpose to the enemy or by stirring before the time cause the enemy to retire before he come within danger By reason whereof I haue seen some my selfe but haue heard of many more enterprises that haue come to nothing CHAP. XIIII Wherein is shewed how the enemy being vanquished the victory is to be vsed and the conquest mainteined HI therto we haue declared by what meanes the enemy may be vanquished in open fielde a marke whereat all valiant Captaines aime and whereunto they addresse all their actions and â—ounsels Yet all consisteth not so in victory but that they deserue farre more commendation that can vse it to purpose and mainteine that which they winne a Vincere scis Annibal victoria vâ—i nescis saâ—de Maherbal vnto him Liu. 22. Annibal had the happe to ouercome the Romanes in diuers battels but he had not the wisdome or happe to vse the victory And diuers great victories hath God giuen to our nation against the Frenchmen and many partes of France haue our ancesters possessed but we could not vse our time nor Gods graces nor at this day haue we so much grounde in France as to builde a fishers cabane in Therefore seeing it is a miserable thing to say we haue had when wee haue not and b Non minor est virtus quà m quaetere parta tueri wise men no lesse consider how they may keepe them winne let vs see if God would so much fauour vs as to suffer vs to winne any thing hereafter how the victory may be vsed and our purchase assured Least as the Spaniard foyled by sea An. 1588. escaped without pursuite or memorable losse saue of some shippes so hee or any other might escape againe so good cheape and continually returne to inuade vs with hope of victory at the least without feare of pursuite or great losse Either the enemies army is altogether vanquished and dispersed or els some good part there of is retyred entire and whole In both these cases what course the Generall is to take let vs nowe consider beginning with the latter If the enemy be not so vanquished but that some part of his army remaineth sound or at least vnbroken then is the Generall to follow him and vrge him while the terrour of the late affright is not yet out of his minde Caesar hauing obteined a great victory against the Heluetians c Caes debel gal 1. ceased not to pursue the remaynder so long vntill all yeelded And afterward hauing foyled Vercingetorix in the fielde and caused him to retire with the rest of his army hee did not d Caes debel gal 7. leaue him vntill hee had forced him to take Alexia for his defence nor then neither vntill such time as he had the towne and all within it yeelded to his mercy e Caes debel ciu â— Vanquishing Pompey in open fielde he would not suffer him to take Sanctuary in his campe but droue him thence and rested not vntill he had taken his flight nor before the reliques of his army that fledde to the hilles thereby had yeelded being cut from water Gaston de Fois hauing foyled the Spaniards at Rauenna did like a man of iudgement follow the reliques of the enemies army the reason hee had no successe was for that hee charged the pikes with his horsemen which should haue bene done with shot and with small forces auanced himselfe too farre forward being so euill followed which cost him his life If he had charged them with shot and taken the way before them with his horse or staied vntill he had taken them at aduantage in some straite where they could not haue kept their rankes or cut betweene them and their victuals without many blowes they had bene forced to yeelde Scipio after he had vanquished Asdrubal in Spaine and driuen him to retraite he so followed him with his horsemen that the man could finde no rest vntill he came vnto the vtmost coast of Spaine Those that after they haue victorie giue themselues either to pleasures or to rest for a small rest purchase to themselues great labour and sometime losse If a Caes de bel cin 3. Pompey after he had giuen Caesar two repulses at Dyrrhachium had vrged the reliques of his armie not yet being recouered from their late affright his successe had bene farre better The Carthaginians not pursuing their victorie in b Liu. 24. Spaine after the death of the two Scipioes but suffering the reliques of their armies not onely to breath but also to gather head were themselues ouercome not
is to send Colonies of the English nations into the country conquered But forasmuch as both garrisons and sometimes greater forces are required for defence of it the rentes of diuers cities countreys and grounds are that way to bee imploied And to this end the fruits of the roialties are to be conuerted and corne and prouision to be laid vp in storehouses The Romanes taking that course did in all places where they commaunded finde meanes to maintaine their armies without anie great exactions yea oftentimes the fruites of the countrey were so great that beside that charge there came much to the publike treasurie Charles b Guicciard lib. 1. the eight of France hauing conquered the kingdome of Naples and diuided the roialties yea and the publike store among his Fauorites when neede required had almost nothing to maintaine his armie and therefore as vnwoorthie of so good happe presently lost the same agayne Xenophon in the consultation of c Xenoph. Cyr. paed 2. Cyrus and Cyaxaris sheweth that for maintenance of the warres and of countreys vanquishe an armie must bee maintained and that an armie cannot bee maintained vnlesse the reuenues that maintaine it be certaine and continuall That lesse force may serue such as giue suspicion of reuolt are to bee disarmed so a Herodot Cyrus vsed the Lydians The Romanes likewise would not suffer such as were their subiects to b Liu. 8. arme without their commandemeÌ„t Futhermore those that are like to prooue heads of factions are to bee remooued out of the countrey for seldome doe the common people mooue vnlesse they be stirred by factious heads The Romanes hauing conquered the countrey of Macedonia and conuerted it into a prouince for more assurance of peace brought away with them the last c Regis amicos purpuratos ducésque exeâ—cituuâ—â— praefectósque nauium Liu. 45. kings friends and Fauorites and all his captaines both of his armie and nauie and likewise men of apparence and qualitie If so be time or sicknesse doe decaie our forces the same are to bee supplied in time that the rebellious take not occasion by our weakenesse to make stirres For want of this consideration in time past we lost our conquest in France and all that want it cannot chuse but loose For the rest if the gouernours of countreys newlie conquered be carefull and watchfull trust no man without cause vse equalitie in taxations and do good iustice against raueuours bribetakers and rebels they need not feare rebellion if they doe not all force that may bee vsed will not long serue to keepe them in subiection The d Liu. Priuernatians desiring peace of the Romanes and offering to yeeld themselues being demanded how long they would keepe it answered plainelie that if the conditions were reasonable long if vnreasonable and vniust no longer then they were forced For no people can long like of a gouernement wherein they are spoyled vexed iniuried and to say all in one worde pilled and tyrannised CHAP. XV. Containing a discourse concerning the meanes whereby an armie that is foiled or feareth to fight may most safely retire and how the enemie in folowing the course of his victorie may be stopped HOw an armie that is strong in the field may safely march fight with aduantage and vse the victorie I haue spoken sufficient But because the successe of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warres is doubtfull and Mars as Poets faine fauoureth b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now one then an another To perfite this discourse it remaineth that Ialso declare how when blastes of winde blow contrary wee may either retire from the enemie that seemeth to haue prise and fast hold on vs in marching or fighting or els stop his course that hee proceed no further or els our selues gather new forces It is a matter very difficult for an armie that is broken to rallie it selfe and depart without vtter discomfiture where the enemie knoweth it and vseth his aduantage For nothing can be more hardly remedied then feare and disorder of the multitude if once it enter throughly or the enemie followeth speedilie If the enemie giueth vs respite or our forces be not altogether broken the meanes to saue the rest and succour those that retire are these First if there be any ground of aduantage in the place the same is to bee taken with that part of the armie that remaineth intire which diuided into squabrons may receiue their owne people flying within the distances and repell the enemie from the higher ground In the meane while those that are in disorder are to be brought into order agayne behinde those squadrons The c Vulneribus defesti pedem referre quod mons suberat circiter mille passuum eò serecipere coeperunt Caes bel Gal. 1. Heluetians beyng wearried and foyled in the fight with Caesar retyred to a hill hath by and there making head saued the rest The forragers sent out by Cicero at Vatuca being charged by the Germanes retired and defended themselues well as long as they kept on the higher ground At d Caes bel Gal. 7. Gergouia when Caesars men pressed by the enemie and briuen from the higher ground began to flie hee succoured them and staied the enemies pursuite by placing other squadrous at the foote at the hill with whom they had no courage to encounter Neither did a Antonius cum cohortibus 12 descendens exloco superiore cernebatur cuius aduentus Pompeianos compiessit nostróque firmauit Cael de bel Ciu. 3. Pompeyes men that chased Caesars souldiers at Dyrrhachium pursue them after that they once saw Antony comming with succour from the higher ground If there be no higher ground neere to retrait vnto the next course is for those companies that are pressed to retire within the distances of those squadrons that stand firme For this cause the Romanes did alwayes so range their battels that the squadrons of the first battell might retire within the squadrons of the next and both be releeued within the squadrons of their last In the encounter at S. Clere Anno 1569 where the Kings Auantgard fled the same was succored by the battell that followed which so charged the Protestants that pursued it and draue them downe the hill that if the Lansquenets that stoode at the foote of the hill had not stoode firme many of them had there bene cut in pieces That aduantage which the higher ground giueth the same a deepe trenche or thicke hedge or a straite like wise affordeth so that if our squadrons that stande firme be there placed the rest that are discouraged may runne behinde them and take breath The Romanes retiring oft times within the fortifications of their campe haue there againe made head against the enemy and saued themselues If neither the place where the army is ordered nor the ranging of our battels do admit any such retraite the last remedy is to auance forward either our horsmen or some firme squadron of
yet they would needs loose some of them going out to sâ—irmish with the enemie Oftentimes subtill enemies drawing out the townesmen by deuises doe make them come short home as I declared by the practise of Romulus against the Fidenians of Annibal against the Locrians At Nola b Liu. 23. drawing out the townesmen he circumuented a braue troupe of horsemen in an ambush laid for them Sallies therefore are to be made onely when we haue men sufficient and doe see the enemies negligence or other aduantage c Diaphanes Achaeus stationem Antiochi regis ad Pergamum inuadens semisomnem nullis stratis equis aut peditibus paratis fudit Liu. 37. Diaphanes sallying out of Pergamus vpon a corps de gard placed by Antiochus before the towne at such time as the same was negligent cut the same in pieces By opportune sallies many sieges haue bene raised as I declared by the example of Philip lying before Apollonia Souldiers that sallie vpon aduantage doe hinder the approches of the enemie so that he is to win inch after inch but wheÌ„they sallie let them take heed first that they go not too farre least they be drawen into ambush and secondly that they haue some behind to fauour their retrait as Aluarus Sandze obserued in his sallies vpon the Mores in defending a fort in Zerbe Before that the enemie approcheth the Gouernour is to cause all houses and villages neere the towne to be ruinated and fired and all the wood and timber as neere as may be either to be brought into the towne or spoyled Lamentable I confesse it will be to the country but who would not rather spoyle such things then suffer the enemie to vse them against himselfe In stopping of the enemies approches let him vse this course first if there be any narow wayes which the enemie must passe before hee can come before the towne let them bee well trenched and garded when the same cannot longer be garded for feare least the enemie cut betwixt the corps de gard and the towne let them then retire make head in the d The Italians call it Via coperta couert way behind the counterscarpe not onely for the defence thereof but also for defence of the playne before the towne especiallie of that place where the enemie meaneth to range his pieces for the batterie For defence whereof likewise both the great ordonance from the bulwarkes and other shot from the walles are to be imploied In case the enemie by his negligence giue occasion either in the euening or in the night hee may make a sallie vpon those that labour about the plaÌ„ting of the ordonance the gabions If the enemie be so strong that hee is able to take away the a The counterscarpe is the banke that is made all along without the ditch of the fortresse counterscarpe then by traines and b Casemates are defences of earth within ditches or trenches where the souldiers lie couered to shoote at those that present themselues vnto them casemates in the ditch by sallies and shot from the bulwarkes and wals he is to defend his ditch so long as hee can And last of all being beaten out of the ditch his last hope is in the defence of his wals and bulwarkes sustaining them with good terrasses of earth and when they are beaten downe repairing them and when no longer they can be defended by making retrenchments behind them For defence of a breach this course is good and commonly vsed First all along where the enemie maketh his batterie let there bee presently vpon the first shot a retrenchment made the deeper the ditch is and the higher the banke is raysed the better the worke prooueth vpon the banke or els behind the banke let some pieces be placed in counterbatterie In houses neere adioyning and vpon the banke let the small shot be disposed chicke Against the enemies artillerie that beateth in flanke let there be an high terrasse of earth raised On both sides of the breach in places conuenient the armed men are to be placed to repell such as escape the shot If the place haue bulwarkes or towers that looke along the ditch from thence the enemie is to be galled vpon the flankes as they enter the ditch if there be none then mounts or terrasses are to be raysed in such places as most commodiouslie wee may looke into the ditch and toward the breach Walles or bankes are to be cast vp beneath the breach in the ditch Lastly if store of men will permit it a sallie of targetters and other armed men is to bee made out of the towne vpon the sides of those that are vpon the counterscarpe or within the ditch which no doubt will make the enemie make more speed to returne This or the like proceeding both ancient and later practise of warre hath taught vs in the defence of townes besieged and assaulted The Plataeans besieged hauing set order for their prouision and the gouernement of their people to repell the enemies force raysed their walles higher in that part where the enemie made shew to assaile them All along the mount which the enemie built without they made a new wall within their olde When the a Thucid. 2. enemie went about to smother them and to burne their engines vpon the wall they defended themselues with their archerie and slingers and quenched the fire with water and earth and when they could no longer defend the towne in a tempestuous night they passed ouer the banke which the enemie raysed against them The Massilians when they perceiued Caesars intention to besiege them b Frumenti quod inuentum est in publicum conferunt Caes bel Ciu. 1. prouided souldiers brought corne out of the countrey into the citie erected workehouses for armes brought their prouision into the publike store repaired their walles trimmed vp their ships When the enemie began to force them they defended themselues by diuers sallies and engines fitted on the wals The like diligence did the Gaules vse agaynst Caesar besieging Auaricum they frustrated his engines with hookes c Laqueis falces auet tebant Caes bel Gal. 7. and other engines they caused his mount to sinke by vndermining Vpon the wals they made diuers towers by diuers sallies they hindered his workes his mines they opened with crosse mines and filled with great stones The like did the Prenestins d Transuersis cuniculis hostium cuniculos excipiebant Liu. 23. against Annibal Against escalades the e Caes bel Gal. 2. Aduaticans besieged by Caesar placed great stones and pieces of timber vpon the walles and likewise they of f Zamenses saxa voluere sudes pila picem sulphure taedam mixtamardenti mittebant Salust bel Iugurth Zama to resist the enemies assault Vpon those that set the ladders to the walles tumbled downe stones and pieces of timber and cast vpon them pitch brimstone and shot and cast dartes at them In the defence of new
Carthage in Spaine assailed by Scipio all things being prouided Mago assigned to euery man his quarter his charge and both with engines from the wall beat the scalers and with archerie and armed men defended the breach The Romanes hearing of the approch of Porsena to besiege their citie sent into other countreys to buy victuals fortified their citie assigned to euerie man his seuerall charge delt well with the common sort The same reasons alwayes continuing the same course for the most part hath bene vsed also of late time Lignieres deputed gouernour of Chartres an 1568. which then was threatened by the Protestants to be besieged first encouraged the people with good words then together with the principal mē of the towne going about to marke the weakest places of the walles caused rampiers and trenches to be made presently In that worke hee caused all the inhabitants to labour Afterward being bet in flanke he raised vp a terrasse neere the breach spreading sheetes and clothes before it for to couer the workemen for grinding of corne he caused handmils to be made and finally set good order for the administring of matters of warre and iustice But if he had burnt the suburbes and beaten downe the houses neere the wals and defended the Rauelin by the gate Drouaize more carefully and strongly hee had done farre better These things being neglected the enemie placed his ordnance neere to the wall in houses from whence he discouerd the breach and diuers places of the towne and hurt diuers He lodged his men very commodiously in the suburbes and taking that Rauelin had entred the citie if he had folowed his good hap or kept the place The duke of Guise Gouernour of Poitiers entring a litle before the siege which the Protestants laid before the town anno 1569. spent first one day in viewing the walles and appointing fortifications and defences to be made which was also executed with great expedition He tooke the next day the moster of all the souldiers and inhabitants able to beare armes to see what strength hee had Afterward hee appointed officers orders for the storehouses of victuals Further he set some on worke to make pouder others to burne the houses nere the gates The light horsemen he sent out to take some prisoners of thē to vnderstand the disseins of the enemie for auoiding of surprises would not suffer bell to ring nor clocke to strike during the siege For defence of the breach he caused a retrenchment to be made behind the wall against the pieces that bet his men in flanke he opposed a trauerse of earth and directly against the breach placed certaine pieces in countrebatterie For sustaining the assault he assigned to euerie man his quarter disposed his shot vpon the wals in certain houses neere to beat the enemie approching both in front in flanke Neere the wals he had his armed men readie his horsemen he sent about the streetes to keepe men in order and to send those that were there to the breach onely this was omitted hee burnt not the suburbes nor spoiled the countrey round about nor prouided cornemils nor discharged the towne of such as were vnfit for seruice nor of asses and iades that spent the haie so fast that in the ende there wanted for the maintenance of his horse of seruice They of Rochel against the siege that folowed an 1573. first fortified their towne and then set order for their gouernement withall they made the best prouision of victuals and munitions they could they sent to their friendes for succour they hindered the approches of the enemy by diuers sallies for defence of the breach they made a retrenchment behinde and filled the breach vp with sackes of earth and other things For couering those that wrought they made a thicke smoke before the breach Against the breach they ranged diuers peeces in contrebatterie To susteine the assalt they placed the shot on the flankes and walles placed squadrons of armed men both by the breach and in other places with traines of powder in the ditche they scorched the enemie that came to the breache Vpon the formost they cast stones fire scalding water hot tarre and pitch yet might they haue done better if they had made better prouision of thinges necessarie next if they had not made so many vaine and weake sallies If in one sallie those that went out first had bene well seconded they had surely raysed the siege while they spared the houses and villages and woods neere the Towne they ministred many commodities to the enemie without which hee coulde not as hee did haue continued his siege the whole winter long In the siege of S. Iean d'Angeli anno 1569 capteine Piles wan to himselfe great commendation The towne was not strong yet did he holde it long The enemy wanne no ground vpon him but it cost him deare Vpon his first approch he made so couragious a sally that he made the enemy to giue ground In the place of the breach he made a wall in the ditch before it and a retrenchment within behinde it and casting the earth inward raised a banke vpon it wherevpon he placed diuers pipes of earth for defence of his souldiers Vpon the side of the breach he raised vp a platforme of earth with a parapet for sauing his men By this meanes he susteined diuers assaults and at diuers sallies cut diuers of the enemies in peeces and cloyed and dismounted diuers Canons If his prouision of victuals and munitions and the strength of men had bene greater he had no doubt kept the Towne still but wanting all thinges and his platforme being newe and but fifteene foote thicke and pierced by euery Canon shotte and not able long to stand force it was for him to accept of an honourable composition offered him by the king And although the Towne of Sancerre was yeelded in the ende to the enemy yet doe the defendants deserue to be remembred for their resolute defense and reasonable good gouerment When they heard that the enemy determined to besiege them they chose a Gouernour and ioyned with him a Counsell of Capteines and the most apparent Citizens Next they mostred their people enrolled them in bands and assigned to euery man his charge and quarter appointed orders such as the time required For defence of the breach they made a retrenchment and defended the same with gabions on the front and sides where they placed their shotte to serue at the time of the assault To susteine the assault they ranged their shot there and on the wals and in a certein gallery and other houses neere the breach Vpon the sides of the breach and in other places conuenient they placed their halberds pikes and armed men but wanting victuals munitions and men requisite for defence of such a place they were driuen to accept of a harde composition Whereunto if they had not spared their money in the beginning or had sent out such as
like a base minded beast laden with baggage How many cities haue vnder colour and in the time of parley bene betraied I haue heretofore declared The very motion of parley doeth daunt the courage of souldiers and therefore such motions are not to bee made but in secret counsell and in extremitie 5 No captaine officer nor souldier c. The first part of this law the Romane souldiers when they were first enrolled did sweare to performe the second part is comprised in the Romane lawes against such as depart the army without leaue A matter very dangerous for by such starting aside of souldiers many garrisons are taken vnprouided and many companies that are full in mosters are very thin in time of seruice And therefore although among vs euery captaine of a companie take on him to giue licence of absence yet is the same against all practise of warre By the lawes of the Romanes no man had a Solus dux exercitus missionem dare potest l. 1. ff de his qui notantur infam power to dismisse souldiers but the General if otherwise it were the army might be dissolued or at least greatly weakened without his priuitie the cause hindered by inferior persons trechery 6 All that runne c. It is a great fault for a souldier in time of seruice to forsake his General But farre greater to turne his hand against his country and friends and to flie to the enemie Such therefore deserue no fauour being not only traitors but enemies The Romanes punished such more b De perfugis grauiùs quà m de fugitiuis consultum nominis Latini qui erant securi percussi Romani in crucem sublati Liu. 30. grieuously then fugitiue slaues and howsoeuer they compounded with others yet alwayes excepted them Sometime they were nailed to gibbets sometime they were c Perfugae omnes virgis in comitio caesi ac de saxo deiecti Liu. 24. throwen downe from hils Those that did but endeuour to flie to the enemie although they perfourmed it not were d Volens transfugere qui deprehensus est capite punitur l. desertorem ff de remilit put to death Yet would I not haue them so depriued of hope of mercy but that they may find fauour if they with any new seruice can blot out their former offence No man fought with more resolution against the Romanes then these reuolters Fabius would not suffer the e Liu. 23. Romanes to punish Altinius that offered to restore Arpi vnto them which himselfe before had caused to reuolt to Annibal Marcellus knowing the purpose of Bantius and that hee meant to flie to the enemie yet by curtesie and liberalitie did chuse rather to draw seruice from him being a man of value then to punish him If then such poore men as by extremitie and want are driuen to flie to the enemie wil voluntarily returne againe and craue pardon I would not haue them debarred from hope of mercie which rigour is due onely to stubborne and wilful rebels 7 No man shall bewray c. This being a difference and somtime as in the darke the only difference whereby souldiers know their fellowes great care is to be taken that the enemie haue no notice of it In the night fight betwixt Vitellius and Vespasians souldiers nothing did more preiudice f Tacit. 18. Vitellius his side then that the enemie came to haue notice of the worde Which happened by the often repetition of it in the darke By the same the enemie either passeth away safe or commeth among vs without resistance Great punishment therefore doeth he deserue that giueth the enemie to vnderstand it by simplicitie or negligence but greater if by trecherie and false dealing Likewise doeth he deserue punishment that neglecteth his watch For seeing that the safetie of those that rest consisteth oft times in the watch who seeth not that they that neglect their watch betray their fellowes safetie the a Liu. 5. watchman that suffered the Gaules to enter the Capitol while hee slept was throwen downe from the rocke whereon the Castle stood there to sleepe for euer By the lawes of the b l. Qui excubias ff de re milit Romanes hee that slept in the watch was put to death Epaminondas going the round slew the c Plutarch in Epaminonda watchman whom he found sleeping affirming that he did him no wrong leauing him as he found him Yet woulde I not that any man in punishing these faults should proceede rashly and without cause spill poore soldiers blood that is so willingly spent in the seruice of their countrey For if the enemie be farre off and the danger little this fault is much lessened 8 Whosoeuer of wantonnesse c. By two meanes especially the enemie cōmeth to haue notice of our purpose against the wil and purpose of him that giueth the notice first by making of noyse and signes which may be heard or seene of the enemie being farre off secondly by talking and prating of matters that ought to be kept secret by either of which meanes many enterprises are broken many good counsels discouered The practise of the protestants against the towne of d Hist. de troubl de Fr. l. 5. Saumur anno 1569 was broken by fiering of certaine houses whereby the enemie had notice of their comming A like enterprise of theirs against Diep the same yeere was discouered by discharging of a pistole In our voyage of Portugall the Spanish horsemen that coasted our companie had fallen into a trappe layd for them if one rash companion had not discharged his piece too soone therby giuen them warning before they entred into danger If that certaine rash fellowes had not risen vp too e Hist. de troubl de Fr. l. 11. soone and discharged their pieces vpon the gallyes of the Baron la garde both he and his company had bene taken at Tonne Charente by Rochel An. 1569. by the babble and prating of a certaine f Philip. Comines Herald sent to the French king he knew more then was conuenient of the estate and proceedings of Edw. the 4. as I before haue shewed Caesar therfore that he g Caes bel Gal. 7. might take the Gaules vnprouided forbade his soldiers in their marche to make fiers And Homer expressing the h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer 3. courage and good order of the Greekes saith they marched with great silence whereas the Troians made a noyse like a flight of cranes Froissart reporteth that in ancient time the English did take an oath that they should not discouer any practise or counsel of their superiors But now it seemeth that custome is out of date for no nation doth march with more noyce or talke more willingly Wherefore although these matters may seeme trifling yet experience sheweth what impediments they bring to our affaires which caused mee in this place seeing other meanes too weake to worke it to forbid discharging of pieces