driuen vnto for diuers causes not altogither for want of experience in the thing it selfe but for want of knowledge how to parfect the same in the setting down being vnlearned saue only to write a very simple stile it may be thought in me a presumption yet for that the thing is laudable and tendeth to no other end then for the triall of so good a cause as this is the which all good Subiects are bound to fauour wherein I doo with a cleere conscience protest not willinglye to offend any partie or parties vnder the Sunne of what qualitie or calling soeuer he or they be I am not to treat of any matter of auncient times but as some occasion may cause me for proofe but only within my owne knowledge or at the least recorded or to be prooued And for that I entred to be a Souldier at the age of 18. yeeres which was the second yeere of tht good and godly King Edward the 6. at which time our English Archers were in force and greatly vsed and Harquebuziers not as then common For the first that euer had any whole band in England was Syr Peeter Mewtas Knight who had as I doo remember the charge of 500. halfe Hakes the which were but mean stuffe in comparison of those that are now in vse and at that time there were not in most bands of 100. men aboue 10. or 15. and in many none at all sauing Captain Hugh Smith who had in Guymes 100. Harquebuziers sauing 10. or 12. of other weapons insomuch that the perfection of them were not as then in England knowen to any purpose nor yet vnto this daye but with few in respect that the sa 〈…〉 is in other countries neere vnto vs which I would wish might be as well in England as elsewhere for those weapons of fire are not to be vsed without exercising of the same to any good purpose for seruice vpon the suddaine but being once throughlye practised it is an excellent weapon and next vnto the Musket as in place heerafter shalbe showne It may be thought by some Captaines of late experience for that I haue not entred into these troublesome toyles in the Low Cuntries or the ciuill warres in Fraunce that I cannot haue that experience knowledge as others haue wherunto I answere that when I was young I did seeke to serue both in England Fraunce and Scotland to that end I might the better doo my Prince and Countrye seruice and also to sustaine myselfe who otherwaies was not able to liue as I did desire to doo wheras I learned to know the vse of most weapons of warre both for Horsemen and footmen that are or haue beene vsed in this age with as good Schoolemaisters as any Italian Spaniard or Wallon whatsoeuer hath been or now is And further I hope I maye without offence set downe the seueral paies that in my own Princes seruice I haue receiued for my own person The first pay that I had was 6. pence per diem for 3 months after that 8. pence per diem 16. pence per diem 20. pence per diem 2. shillings per diem 4. shillings per diem charge after 4. shillings per diem charge after 6. shillings per diem charge after 8. shillings per diem charge after 14. shillings per diem In all which aduauncement of payes credit I did neuer make sute nor require any of the same paies sauing my first paye of 6. pence per diem but they were all bestowed vpon mee either by the Prince or by those who had the next place without sute either of myselfe or of any other in my behalf my entertainment in the French Kings seruice was such as none of our nation for a footman euer had only captain Lampton excepted who after hee was discharged from his band of footmen became a priuat Souldier in the foote bands of Fraunce and had great allowance for his owne person and seruants I haue been offered in Fraunce better pay and greater aduauncement then euer I had or desired I was promised by the King of Spaine to haue a pencion of 200. Crownes by yeere to be paide vnto me in England for my seruice doone vnto him at St. Quintins but before I could come from whence I was prisoner his Queen was dead and hee againe married to the French Kinges Daughter and at my return from my troubles in Fraunce I was answered that the King was gone who did promise the said pencion and the Queene was dead wherefore the promise was not to be perfourmed I required letters into Spaine to the King I was answered that it was no time as then but when time serued I should haue letters of Sertificate and so the cause grue worse then before and so as yet I had nothing This haue I set down to th'end that those who doo not knowe me may the better vnderstand that I doo not write or speake by reading or heare-say but by experience only Wherfore I doo hartely wish that we may growe all to one perfect knowledge without contending in any point so far differing from all true knowledge and experience and let the times past rest with such weapons and engines as in those daies were the best and yet but trifles in respect of things now in vse As for example was not our olde Castles and Towers sufficient to defend against all Rams and engins in those daies vsed wheras in these times there is hardly any deuice of fortification will serue against the force of the Cannons Was not that famous King Edward the third constrained to lye before Callice 13. or 14. moneths for that he wanted the vse of the Cannon the which in foure or fiue daies was lost with the force of the same and other fiery weapons some may say it was lost by treason but those that doo know any thing doo perceiue how that was doon And again was not Iack and Sallet within our remembrance thought to be sufficient for arming of Souldiours and further concerning our simple arming in times past notwithstanding that Syr Iohn Smith dooth affirme that men were as well armed in times past as now present which for example looke into the Histories the 11. yeere of Edward the fourth where it appeareth that Robert Basset Alderman of London and the Recorder there was thought to be well armed being both armed with Iacks to defend the Cittie against that Rebell Bastard Neuell a man would think that being an Alderman if Armours had beene as then in such store as now they are that the Alderman would haue had one for himselfe and another for the Recorder Againe did not the Duke of Bedford arme the most parte of his Souldiours with tanned leather for the cheefe partes of their bodies at such time as he was commaunded by that prudent Prince Henry the 7. the 2. yeere of his raigne to encounter with that Rebell the L. Louell whereas now by reason of the force of weapons neither horse nor
best begin to intrench I seeing him going about the same and notwithstanding I had no acquaintaunce of him and yet knowing that hee had neither serued in Fraunce nor with the Emperour of good will that I bare vnto the seruice I wente vnto him in courteous manner and saide maister Pelham it were verye good for you to beginne at the foote of this hill and runne straight to yonder hillocke whereat he seemed to be offended and saide that I stoode not charged with these matters it was his charge and not mine I was sorie of that I had spoken considering how vncourteouslie he did accept of my good will But how did the matter fall out before tenne daies by leauinge his trenche open the French perceiuing that they might without any let come both on horsebacke and foote and so did wheras it cost the liues of 200. souldiers and Captaine Bartlet taken prisoner with diuers others and at the reskew wherof the L. Gray of Wilton that now is hauing not time to arme him selfe was shotte through the body with a Bullet so that many thousandes haue dyed of lesser woundes then that was And againe at the time that the good Earle Frācis of Bedford was L. Gouernour of Barwicke and L. Warden of y ◠East Marches it chanced amongst other warlike talke procéeding from his L. at dinner time he demaunded of the Captaines there present how many shot a harquebuzier might discharge in one hower one Captaine Brode euen sodainelie did answer and sayd tenne the rest of the Captaines did not reprooue his answer although that they did knowe he was farre short of the matter and I sitting at the table though not to crosse the said Captaine Brode but rather to tell him thereof after dinner the which I did and withall tolde him that it was not so well done as of right he ought to haue done as all the Captaines there present did confesse But the said Captaine Brode to maintaine his said answer sayd that he had said truely and thereupon did offer to wager whereto I did offer there to shoot fortie in the like time single Bullettes foorth of one peece but the Captaine would abide no triall the which I did offer to make And thus may we see that Noble men by wrong information of such as they doo suppose shoulde knowe may be abused The second discourse ANd for further example the two Tresmains they were very proper Gentlemen and had beene in Fraunce foure or fiue yeres during the wars betwixt the Emperour Charles and the French Kinge and it was supposed at their returne into Englande that they had beene trayned in that seruice during theyr abode there but it was not so they neuer did commaund in the feelde neither were they of any other commaunded in any Marticall cause neuerthelesse at their home comminge they were appointed to take charge but what was the end of them both euen death without dooing theyr Prince or country any good to theyr freendes or themselues any praise or reputation Wherefore I wishe all young Gentlemen and others mindinge to doo theyr Prince and countrie good seruice to learne first to obaye and the vse of warlike weapons and not to thinke by reading only to attaine to knowledge without some further experience and that done they may the better proceede according to their callinges to commaund and leade others the better with more commendation for their seruice and for the security of them selues and followers There is no greater greefe can be offered to a Captaine that doth rightly and truely vnderstand what seruice is then to be commanded by his Chieftaine to doo and execute to the contrarye wherein there may be no deniall It is euen so with the skilful souldier vnto his vnskilfull Captaine these thinges I doo perfectly knowe to be true of mine knowledge I will set downe a little further touchinge a matter reported vnto me by men of skil and knowledge concerning a Gentleman who was accounted to be one of the most skilfullest Souldiers in England and in troth he was a maruelous honest Gentleman and offaire conditions but a souldier is neuer iustly tried vnto such time as cause and action hath made due proofe thereof I did once heere S. Richard Lee the fortifier say vnto a counseller in England that it is better for a man to be counted a good souldier in the Court then to be the best souldier in the feelde and not knowen in Courte And nowe to the reported matter It pleased her Maiestie and counsell to sende M. Edward Randall Esquire into Ireland about the tenth yeere of her Maiesties raigne with diuers bandes of footemen for the better garding of some parte of her highnesse countries and subiectes there against such rebellious persons as then pretended to iniure the same and so béeinge placed in Ireland it fell out that either vpon some false report or the ignoraunt aduertisement of such as was put in trust for the discouering of the enemies numbers but howe so euer it was the Collonell commaunded that Captaine Cornewall Captaine Gorlay Captaine Skreuen and Captaine Ward should be ready with their seuerall bandes to march forward as they should bee directed and about two houres before day they did march foorth towardes the enemies At the point of the day before the soune was vp the fewe Englishe horsemen did discouer of the enemies to the number of 3000. horsemen and footemen being very néere vnto our foote men who were in number about 400. with 50. horsemen leade by Captaine Haruy wherevpon our Captaines perceiuing that there was no hope to retire with any safetie by reason the enemies were so many horsemen tooke their groundes for their best aduantage and aranged their men in good order and incouraging their souldiers to trye their vallures in that parcell of ground of some aduantage and to showe themselues to bee the men that they professed to bée wherupon they made readie their weapons to receiue the enemies Uiolence Now maister Randall the Collonell hauing not perfect sight demaunded how far the enemies were off and what number they were It was told him they were in horsemen and footmen to y ◠number of 3000. euen hard at hand readie to charge the footemen where withall he without eyther taking time to incourage and accompanye his men or to suffer the footmen to giue their volley of shot as reason did require but euen presently put the spurs to his horse and ran into the thickst of the enemies euen at the instant that the Harquebuziers did giue their volley of shot at the enemies insomuch that he was slaine with his owne men and fréends most wilfullye to the great discouragement of the rest had there not béen men both of courage and knowledge in their doinges who in that action did right well trye themselues to be Souldiers for the enemies were there by Gods help their good seruice
can hinder the Archers from shootinge but I am not of that minde for that the archer lyinge in Campe where as hee maye not lye foorth of his appointed place and hauing not to couer his Bowe nor scantlie his heade then I thinke his bowe to be in danger to dissolue the Glewe in the hornes of the bowe and something hinder his stringe and sheffe of arrowes whereof he dooth make his pillowe but to conclude in this pointe howe shall a man make a stronge argument or aunswer vnto a matter of no substance except he haue helpe by Logike the which for my part these fewe lines may witnesse that it is not my profession Nowe to aunswere the thyrd question which is whether the Bullets of weapons of fyre or the arrowes of archers doo annoy the enemie most which question is friuolous for by the propounding of the question and aunswered by the authour him selfe it dooth carrie a showe in wordes to be taken as a thinge most certaine with such especallye as dooth not vnderstand to the contrarie But with all souldiers Captaines and skilfull Conductors of the warres it is euidently and manifestlie knowen that where as there hath béene one slaine with arrowes there hath béen a hūdred slaine with manual wepons of fire since the vse of the same hath beene practised and rightlie knowen Wherefore if death be annoyaunce to eyther Horse-man or foote-man let this suffise for it is not woundes or small hurtes that daunteth the souldiers where as death is not greatly to be feared as before is declared And where as Sir Iohn Smith dooth saye himselfe that the archers doo hurte and wounde as in the face and places vnarmed yet dooth hee confesse that the same dooth but sometimes kill whereby it may well be vnderstoode to be a thing of small force in respect of the weapons of fire Againe whereas it is sette downe in the same place that the arrowe heades beeinge rustie is the cause that woundes giuen by the same will not heale whereby some will imagine that it is for the beif to haue their arrow heades rustie But truelie I neuer did see any archer in the warres that had any other then such rustie arrowe heades and besides I did not at any time see anie of those archers goe about to mende them and to make them cleane and smooth that thereby the same might the better enter through the doubletes or garmentes of theyr enemies for by common reason and dailie proofe any thinge that is rustie be it Bodkin or Dagger or arrowe heade it will not with great force enter through any meane thing if it were but a meanely bumbasted doblet And I am of that opinion that the doubletes vsed in these dayes are as good a defence against a rustie arrowe as a Target of the best proofe and as touching the heades of the archers arrowes beinge barbed and broade before by reason whereof it can not enter as a smooth sharpe heade would doo therefore it must of necessitie bee that the same heades was deuised for galling of naked horses And doubtlesse the same being of so small force and entring so little waie into the horse should immediatelie fall foorth againe whereas by reason of the barbe it was supposed to stay trouble the horses the more All which annoyaunces are but meane stuffe towardes the defence or inuadinge of a kingdome as by some other argumentes hereafter shall by Gods helpe be showed and prooued But first to conclude with these our archers and of their disabillitie in respect of the seruice of these dayes true it is that before the weapons of fire were inuented and vnknowen as also vntryed to be weapons of great force and effect in all seruice on horse-backe as one foote as before is declared and yet but of late dayes that the same haue beene made publicke in armes and not as yet throughlie and generallie knowen vnto this our Nation as vnto some of the greater calling and to the most of the meaner sorte as the Long-bowe or archer is by reason that we are brought vp therewith euen as a parcell of our chéefe pleasure But yet there is good hope that by reason of suche good prouisions as are made within this realme that in some conuenient time the same may be more vsed and practised then it is and speciallye the Musket the Harquebuze and the Pistoll the which without exercise can not bee commodious or profitable in any good sorte to be answerable against the vsurping enemies the Spaniards who are wholy and fully practised therewith and specially with y ◠Musket and Harquebuze And would it pleased God our Prince and Maiestrates to haue our able men in England to be vsed and trained in the same weapons of fire it would not onely incourage them but also be a great delight to theyr Captaines and leaders the rather to incounter with those wicked enemies or any other And also it wold be a terror to al our enemies that should chance to offer any iniurie to this realme of England or Ireland for wee may assure our selues that it is our want of skill that maketh these forreine enemies the more bolde to inuade vpon vs. For if wee were practysed in our weapons as they are they would neuer séeke vs in England nor else where For in respecte of this nation the Spanyardes in deede are but péeuishe wéedes For by experience I doo know that in al the time of the wars continued betwixt the Emperor Charles and Henry the 2. French king the Spaniards were the least accounted off in the field of any other nation whatsoeuer they will doo wel in skirmishes with their shot or in defending of a hold or assaulting of any breach but for any other great incounters you shall heare little of their dooings to any great purpose For the ouerthrowes that were at Saint-quintins and at Graueling was not doon by them though King Phillip bare the name but by the Duke of Sauoy and the Countie Egmond with his Wallons and by the Duke of Brunswick and those Almaigns all which was doone with horsemen insomuch that without exercise of our weapons we shalbe a great deale woorse able to encounter with them but to our great gréefe and losse The 10. Discourse THus hauing spoken of the fierye weapons and the Long bow in which I haue partely shewed mine opinion yet for the better proofe of my allegations heerin declared for that the contrarye is so fixed and rooted in the mindes of many of these our fréends in England that vnlesse it be tried and with action in their sight proued they will in no wise yet be perswaded from their former opinions in y e matter Wherfore I haue thought it my part in respect therof to set downe some course whereby the same maye by action be made manifest vnto all that are doubtfull in that behalfe And thus if it may please our Prince and state to
allow some Gentleman who shall haue the best opinion in archerie as in the Long bow for the better satisfying of all parties to call by commission foorth of any one hundred or weapon take in all England so many Archers as shall suffise to make a hearse according as Sir Iohn Smith hath said that archers should be let them be twenty rankes or more and euery rank to containe in flanke seauen or eight as by him is set downe to be the best ordering of them and let them be placed in the plaine fielde to the best aduauntage so that there be no impediment to let horsemen to come close to them but theÌ„selues their Bowes and sheafes of arrowes and so being set in their best order I will be one if it may be permitted that shall take in hand to charge them and to run through them hauing no let but their Bowes and arrowes and we will be but for euerye ranke one horseman for 20. rankes of 7. in a ranke twentye horsemen and we shall arme our selues and our Horses with no armours of Proofe further then the Pistoll proofe And wheras it is further set downe in the same Booke that Harquebuziers may not giue their vollyes of shot but within 8. 10. or 12. yardes and not 8. 10. or 12. skores that archers will hurt wound gall and sometimes kill at 9. 10. and 11. skore as well as the fiery weapons can doo To this I say that for triall thereof I will stand at six score yardes distant from the best of these Archers aforesaid and let him shoot 10. arrows one after another at me and if I doo stir from the place let me be punished and I wil be armed as before is said of the Pistoll proofe and if I be therwith wounded I am conteÌ„ted to take my mends in my own hands and againe let me be set in the same place where this lustie Archer stood to shoot his ten arrowes and let there be a whole complete armour set right vp where I did stand and let me haue but two shootes with a Musket or Harquebuze and let it then appéere what the one and the other is in force or cunning this in my opinion were no harm and it were not amisse that triall were made for it is supposed by many that haue read Sir Iohn Smiths booke that there néedeth no Pikes to garde the Archers for saith he they are Pykes good enough of themselues And again it seemeth that Sir Iohn Smith dooth commend the Long bowes and the Crosbowes to serue on horseback to be better wepons then either the Petronelliers or the Pistolliers as in the same booke is set downe where also he affirmeth that the same weapons doo far excéed and excell all weapons of fire on horsebacke It dooth appéere in the same place the manner how that he would haue them armed for the fielde the which arming and weaponing in my slender opinion are very meane For y â— Crosbowes he alloweth to be of â— pounds and a halfe and the Longbowes all men know them And for armours he wisheth the Crosbower to haue a murrian of the Spanish fashion collers light and short wasted cuirasses and backs with sleeues of maile or cheined sléeues or with Brigandines and broade Swoords c. And the Archers on horseback saith he would be armed with a deepe steele Scull with a narrow brimbde hat well stuffed for the easines of his head and either Iacks of maile according to antient manner when they were called Loricati Sagittarii or else light and easie Brigandines or at the least I let holed dublets very easie and so foorth The 11. Discourse NOw as concerning these Souldiers thus armed and weaponed as afore is saide I thinke with men of experience and iudgemeÌ„t both are but meane As for both the weapons euery man that hath seen a Deere killed or shot dooth understand the full force of them And for the long bow it standeth in the like estimation that other Archers on foote dooth as for the armours the best is the Brigandine the which is but equall with a coate of plate of the best making which M. Euers or Ewry was armed with when as the Lord of Grange called Kirkaudie a Scot and the saide M. Ewry did runne the one at the other in a challenge by them made with sharpe Speares but how fell out the same euen like to haue beene the death of that good and valiant Gentleman M. Ewrye for Kirkaudy ranne him cleane through the armour as in at the brest and forth at the back through both theÌ„ to what purpose is that arming in that maÌ„ner For shot all men doth know that the like armours will not defend y â— force therof no not the Pistoll being the least of all the rest For example was not the Duke of Anieu the â—icount of Tourain the Lord of Chandeuoir slaine with Pistoll shot vpon S. Laurence day néer vnto Saint quintins in Varmendoe with manye thousands of mener persons and likewise the Constable of Fraunce Memorancie was slaine with a Pistoll before Paris who were better armed then any Brigandine can be of as by the Duke Anieu his armour yet readye to be shewed in England it may be witnessed Why then should such meane armors be allowed with men of vnderstanding and knowledge it were most fit that our enemies were so armed for if it would defend against any thing it wold serue best against archers whose force is like vnto that maner of arming And now wil I by Gods helpe shew my simple opinion touching the arming of light horsemen as Hargolets Petronels and Pistolliers the Hargolets or as they terme them Hargoletters which when I serued in Fraunce against Charles the 5. were called Hargolets or being but one Hargolet These were taken into pay in the time of the wars for to be guides for they were al those countrimen wheras they were in Garrison notwithstanding that the other bands had remooued yet these Hargolets remained for that they knew the passages streights through all néere adioining to them and yet good lustie soldiers and would serue well And in my opinion these soldiers last spoken of may be armed all after one sort as a good strong burganet a coller with a paire of good Cuirasses of the Pistoll proofe and a paire of well arming Poldrands one Gantlet for the Bridle hand and no Uambraces the horse with a good strong saddle with strong furniture with two rains to his Bridle wherof one should be with a prety strong chain of wier and the head part also of the Bridle for being not cut in sunder with the blowe of a sword Then a good sword and a dagger for weapons either a Harquebuze with a snaphance or a Speare and one Pistoll or else thrée Pistols two in cases and one at his girdle or at the hinder part of his saddle I do account the