importance that more tolerable it were for all the officers of the company were it the Captaine himselfe to bee vnskilled men and of little experience rather than the Sergeant who of necessitie ought to bee an expert Souldier and of great spirit and diligence Hee is to ranke the Souldiers as hee shall thinke good not suffering them to contend or fall out amongst themselues for the Front or best places THE CORPORALL AS hee is a degree aboue the privat Souldier so ought he in skill let no man that is a Souldier seeke to come to preferment in any office in the Field except hee know himselfe fit to discharge the same or els hee shall become a laughingstock to others and be contemned of all men as he justlie deserues that taketh vpon him more than hee is able to performe I thought to haue written more at large of every officer but for brevities sake I haue but onely touched every one apart hoping God-willing my selfe to showe it more at large by my selfe vnto them in exercise which I hope will worke more in them than writting So wishing all to take this in good part not set foorth for the well experimented Souldier but for such as yet haue not tasted thereof Heereafter followeth how a Company should march as lykewayes the severall words of Commands for exercising a Company with their reasons The order how a company should march of 200 men 100 Picks and 100 Musquets C M M M M M Leaders M M M M M First division Musquets M M M M M D M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M Bringers vp H P P P P P Leaders First division Pickes D P P Bringers vp 1. S P P Leaders 2 division Picks P P Bringers vp 2. S M M Leaders 2 division Musquets D M M Bringers vp L The Company brought vp in battell for the exercising 200 in Company Front  Left division  Right division left wing M M M M M P P P P P * P P P P P M M M M M right wing M P  P M   M P P  P P M  *                    *  6 Ranke or Reare division M P P  P P M 6 Ranke or Reare division    M P P * P P M The Reare Next followeth the handling of Musquet and Picke with the severall words for every posture The words for the Musquet The Musquet shouldered 1. Sinke your Musquet 2 Handell your Musquet with your right hand 3 Vnshoulder your Musquet and hold her vp 4 Fall backe with your right leg and hand 5 Bring your rest to your Musquet 6 Ioyne both in your left hand 7 Hold your Musquet mouth over your leaders right shoulder 8 Open your pan with right finger and thumb 9 Take your pryming wyre and clense your touchholl 10 Blow your pan 11 Morse with powder 12 Clese your pan 13 Grip the but-end of your Musquet and rest with your right hand and shake off the loose powder 14 Bring about your Musquet to your left syde 15 Discharge your measure into your barrell 16 Draw foorth your scrow or ramming sticke with the middle finger and thumb of the right hand 17 Shorten the same at your right pappe within a handfull 18 Ram in your powlder furring and bullet 19 Draw foorth your scrow and shorten it as before 20 Put vp your scrow in its place 21 Recover your Musquet and hold it vp with your left hand 22 Take it bee the butt hard at the pan and shoulder it 23 Your rest being in your left hand with your thumb vpon it aboue the butt 24 Sinke your Musquet 25 Handell your Musquet 26 Vnshoulder your Musquet 27 Hold vp your Musquet 28 Bring your rest to your Musquet 29 Ioyne both in your left hand 30 Take foorth your match with the finger and thumb of the right hand 31 Blow your match vnder your right arme 32 Cocke your match 33 Try your match to your pan 34 Guard your pan with the first two fingers of the right hand and the thumb at the backe of the pan 35 Blow your match againe 36 Take off your pan 37 Present your Musquet vpon your rest your left foote being at the rest vpon the ground 38 Giue fire 39 Fall off either be the right or left hand as the Command is given 40 In going off take foorth your match and returne it in your left hand againe betwixt your little finger and middle finger or in both having two ends lighted In service all this being learned and practised in exercise there is but only three words of Command viz. make reddie 2. present 3. giue fire The postures of the Picke Your Picke lying vpon the ground going to list it vp 1 PVt your toe of your right foote first to it 2 Then your right hand with your thumb at the but-end of it 3 In lifting step forward with your left foote and left hand and so lift it vp 4 Then your Picke is mounted 5 Ordour your Picke at 3. 6 Mount your Picke at 3. 7 Shoulder your Picke at 3. 8 Mount your Picke at 3. 9 Port your Picke at 1. 10 Traile your Picke at 4. 11 Cheeke your Picke at 1 12 Recover your Picke at 4. 13 Port your Picke at 1. 14 Mount your Picke at 3. 15 Sinke your Picke at 1. The but-end being at halfefoote to the ground 16 Hold your Picke vpon your right shoulder with your right hand and your thumb vpon your shoulder the palme of your hand vp and your foure fingers lying aboue the Picke 17 Vpon a long march and vpon double distance in rankes you may carry your Picke levill vpon your shoulder but not so comely as sinked 18 Your Picke being ordoured at close ordour the but-end of it must bee betwixt your feete holding the same with your left hand being ready to present to charge horse and your right hand to draw your sword setting forward your left foote laying your Picke and left hand vpon your left knee the butt being close at the right foote and your sword in your right hand 19 Your Picke being ordered at open ordour your feete must bee a foote a sundrie and your Picke in your right hand with thumb vp and the Picke a foote from your right foote 20 Your Picke being ordered at order your feete may be close at halfe a foote and the butt of your Picke at the toe of your right foote a little distance from it When you come to vnderstand distances of Rankes and strings these Will bee more clearer AS for the presenting and charging of your Picke when wee come to the exercising of the Pickes the whole forme shall bee showne God willing which can not be done but by practise and vse of
your pan with the middle finger and thumb of the left hana your thumb being at the backe of the pan 9 Take your pryming wyre and clense your touchholl and blow it 10 Morse with powder 11 Close your pan 12 Grip the but-end of your Musquet in your left hand with the rest also and shake off the loose powder 13 Bring about your Musquet to your right syde 14 Discharge your measure into your barrell of your Musquet 15 Draw foorth your scrow with the middle finger and thumb of the left hand 16 Shorten your scrow wand at your left pappe within a handfull 17 Ram in your charge 18 Draw foorth your scrow wand againe and shortenit as before 19 Put vp your scrow wand or raming sticke againe in its place 20 Recover your Musquet alittle before you lift it vp 21 Hold vp your Musquet in your right hand 22 Take it by the but-end hard vnder the pan with your left hand and shoulder it 23 Put your rest in your right hand at the inside of your Musquet and your hand at the backe of the panne Your Musquet is now charged ready to doe service and execution vpon the enemie 24 Sinke your Musquet 25 Handle your Musquet with your left hand 26 Vnshoulder your Musquet 27 Hold vp your Musquet in your left hand 28 Bring your rest to your Musquet 29 Ioyne both in your right hand 30 Take foorth your match with the middle finger and thumb of the left hand 31 Blow your match vnder your left arme 32 Cocke your match 33 Try your match 34 Guard your pan with the first two fingers of the left hand and the thumb at the backe of the pan 35 Blow your match againe 36 Take off your pan or put of the cover of your pan 37. Present your Musquet vpon the rest your right foote being at the rest vpon the ground 38 Giue fire 39 Fall off either be the right or left hand as the word of Command is given 40 In going off take foorth your match or lunte and returne it in your right handagaine betwixt your little finger and second finger having two ends lighted Note that when you handle your Musquet with your right hand that your bandelier be over the left shoulder vnder the right arme Also when you handle with the left hand that your bandeleirs be over the right shoulder and vnder the left arme A Company drawne vp with the Musquetiers in the front  Front  Left wing M M M M M M M M M M Right wing M M M M P P P P P P P P  The Reare  Heere the reare division of Pickes hath doubled the front division of Musquetiers to the right hand  Front  Left wing M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P Right wing M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P M P  The Reare  A Souldiers resolution to brauo Souldiers GEntlemen and braue Souldiers having now ended all that I haue thought expedient to be set downe by writ for the present touching this matter what amisse and error I haue herein committed I yeelde the same to bee considred and reformed by the wisdome of those whose experience authoritie and good indevour may bee answerable to the performance thereof Desiring that the same may bee deemed as proceeding from a Souldier who more of zeale than of any desire to offend not to instruct the expert Souldier but to indevour my selfe by the observations to make knowne my goodwill and wishes I haue conceaved to set forward the vnexpert and vnskilled sort which if I haue obtained it is the hight of all my desires and I shall esteeme this a full recompence of my travell if I perceaue this discourse of the rudiments of Martiall affairs to bee gratiously accepted though it be roughlie drawne as it were with the Picke and Musquet of a Souldier and no◠trimmed with the delicate pen of an orator for I haue ever judged it more becomming a Souldier to vtter himselfe by workes than by wordes and in effect as I shall doe declare the affection and readinesse I haue To doe you better service I. A. 〈◊〉 cap. ◠25. Chron. 2. cap. 1. 14. cap. 9. 25. The posturs of the Musquet Charge Discharge The posturs of the Musquet Charging Discharging
exercise The first principall in Military instructions bindeth every one that myndes to practise in Military discipline after the handling of his armes to vnderstand the severall soundes of the Drumme without the which no Souldier is able to knowe his commanders pleasure when to march charge or make a retreat c. for when the commanders voyce can not extend to the hearing of the company the Drumme denunceth and expresseth the same The soundes especially to bee learned are these viz. A Gathering A March A Troupe A Charge A Retreat c. THE second principall is to knowe how to offend and and defend after the learning of his Armes the readiest and easiest way with skill The third principall to be learned is the distance and order of standing and marching that is to bee observed betweene strings and ranks which is a speciall poynt of discipline some make fiue sort but I content mee onlie with three most in vse Distance in Strings Order is three foote Open order is six foote Close order is a foote and halfe Distance in Ranks Order is six foote Open order is tuelue foote Close order is three foote Great is the necessitie of the learning of this principall for if order and perfect forme be not observed it can be tearmed no other thing but a disordered company In the next place let the Souldier know how to distinguish betwixt every severall place in the company as followeth The Front The Front is alwayes where the faces of the company are directed all one way The Reare The Reare is ever where the backes of the whole company are turned A String A String is a sequence of men standing one behind another back to bellie and consisteth commonlie of 10 or 8 or sometyme 6 depth A Ranke A Ranke is a raw of men standing one by another shoulder to shoulder their faces being directed all one way Leaders of Strings Leaders of Strings are these that are in the first ranke every one in the same ranke is a leader of a string Bringers vp Bringers vp these that are in the last ranke are called bringers vp every one being a bringer vp of a string Reare division half strings or sixt rank all these three names may bee given to this division The Leaders of the reare division are the sixt ranke if their bee ten depth if but eight the fift ranke Also this division is called by some middle-men but the most sure being what depth they will reare division separats best and is soone knowne The wing The wing is the side of the company from the front to the reare the right side being called the right wing and the left side the left wing Heereafter followeth certaine generall observations Let every Souldier know that in marching they are to follow their leaders in strings as also keepe even with their right hand man which is their leader in ranke the like must bee done vpon a stand to stand right after their leaders in string and ranke even with their right hand man in ranke observing true distance and forme according vnto such order as shall bee enjoyned by the commander Let the Pickeman know that in a march hee must alwayes shoulder his picke either just or sinking as the word shall be given and comming thorow any port or gate hee is to port his pick vpon a troupe hee must carry his picke mounted and vpon a stand let him alwayes set downe or order his picke vnlesse he haue command to the contrary Let the Pickeman further know and obserue that in charging being ten depth half the ranks or front division are to charge or present their pickes the other half or reare division are to carry their pickes mounted or ported over the heads of their leaders that they bee no hinderance to them either in charging or in retiring Obserue likewayes that when they present standing to fall backe with the right foote and marching to present the left foote being stopped fordward The Musquetier must obserue vpon a march to shoulder his Musquet and carry the rest in his right hand except he prepare to giue fire then is he bound to carry his rest in his left hand the like also in a troupe but in a stand let him ever rest his musquet except he haue command to the contrary In exercising of the company first cause the bodie to stand in good order and being in such order as they are enjoyned to let them face to the right or left hand and so looke vpon them round seing them stand right in strings and ranks Ten ranks and fiue strings face them to either hand and then their is as many strings as ranks were before the strings being become ranks and the ranks being converted into strings When you double your strings to any hand by doubling of ranks to the contrary hand they are brought to their first forme likewayes having doubled ranks to any hand by doubling of strings to the contrary hand they become to their first order or as they were Now the next for the fift principall shall bee expressed the most vsuall words of command especially vsed in the exercising of a company with the reasons thereof which every Souldier must bee well acquented with all otherwayes they can never rise vnto any preferment The words of Command following 1. Strings double to the right Doubling of strings to the right is after this manner the vtmost string moveth not but standeth fast the next string vnto the right string moveth into the right string so that of ten in deepe it is now become twentie accordingly every second string moveth into their next string on their right hand 2. Strings double to the left The left string must stand fast and every second string is to moue into their next string on their left hand The vse Thus you strengthen your wings 3. Ranks double to the right In doubling of ranks you must know the formost ranke stands fast the second moveth into the first to the right hand for that is commounlie first done in exercising the third ranke standeth fast the fourth moveth into the thrid and so of the rest every second ranke moveth into the ranke before them that of fiue in ranke they are doubled and become ten in ranke 4. Ranks double to the left Doubling of ranks to the left every second ranke moveth passing vp by their leaders left hand and so stand in the ranke with them beginning at the front first and so take it one from another Note that in doubling to any hand in going to your first order that you fall out with the contrare foote The vse Thus you strengthen your front 5. Strings close Being in open order the word is strings close without nameing to any hand which is thus performed the two middle leaders close first the one to the right the other to the left till they are in the distance commanded the rest of of the company to take their distance from them on