place of the depth that every Prince appoints for his Foot Before the Reign of the Great Gustavus Adolphus for any thing I could ever learn Foot-Companies were marshal'd ten deep almost universally but he marshal'd Ten deep all his Infantry in six ranks And after he had invaded Germany the Emperour with most of the European Kings and Princes kept their Foot still at ten deep but before the end of that War which he began all of them follow'd his way and made the file of their Foot to consist of six men except the Prince of Six deep Orange who still kept ten in file I should except likewise the Earl of Strafford who in his Instructions for the better Discipline of his Army order'd every Eight deep Captain of Foot to draw up his Company eight deep In a business of this nature where there is difference a man may tell his opinion without affectation of singularity and therefore I suppose it will be granted me that the more hands a Captain can bring to fight the more shrewdly Reasons for six deep he will put his enemy to it provided still his Batallions be of that strength as to receive the shock of a resolute Impression and in case of the worst that he have Reserves to come to his rescue Of Reserves I shall speak hereafter Now I am hopeful it will not be deny'd me but that more hands are brought to fight by eight men in a file than by ten and more by six men in a file than by eight Take a second argument The more able you are to save your self from being surrounded or out-wing'd by an enemy or the more able you make your self to surround and out-wing that enemy of yours the greater advantage you have over him Both these are done by a large front now it is undeniable that eight in file enlarge the front more than ten and six more than eight and consequently eight deep contributes more than ten and six more than eight for gaining the victory That more hands are brought to fight is very soon instanced first by a Body The great advantages 1500 Musqueteers six deep have of 1500 Musqueteers ten deep of Musqueteers and next by a Body of Pikemen Let us suppose a Body of fifteen hundred Musqueteers marshal'd ten deep is to fight with a Body of Musqueteers of equal number that is fifteen hundred six deep and that they are equally stout and experienced and equally good Firemen The fifteen hundred ten deep must give fire by ranks as the fifteen hundred six deep must likewise do now the fifteen hundred ten deep can make no more but a hundred and fifty in rank for a hundred and fifty multiplied by ten produceth fifteen hundred but the fifteen hundred six deep make two hundred and fifty in rank for two hundred and fifty multiplied by six produceth fifteen hundred so that the fifteen hundred six deep at every Volley pours one hundred Leaden Bullets more in the Enemies bosom than the fifteen hundred ten deep and consequently when six ranks of both parties have fired the fifteen hundred ten deep have received six hundred Ball more than the fifteen hundred six deep which without all doubt hath made a great many men fall more of the one side than the other Next one hundred and fifty files of the fifteen hundred six deep take just as much ground up in front as the whole Body of the fifteen hundred ten deep and therefore the other hundred files of the fifteen hundred six deep may fall on the sides of the fifteen hundred ten deep if they be not flanked either with Pikes or with Horsemen It is the like case mutatis mutandis between fifteen hundred eight deep and fifteen hundred six deep for fifteen hundred eight deep will make but a hundred and eighty eight in rank for a hundred eighty eight multiplied by eight produceth fifteen hundred and four now the fifteen hundred six deep make two hundred and fifty ranks and so shoots at every Volley sixty two Bullets more than the fifteen hundred eight deep Make the like trial of two Batallions of Pikes each of them fifteen hundred The same advantages Pikemen also have strong equally arm'd for the defensive and their Pikes of equal length the hundred files wherewith the fifteen hundred six deep out-wings the fifteen hundred ten deep will likewise enter on their sides and very soon ruin them if they be not flanked by their friends and though they be yet these hundred files of the fifteen hundred Pikemen six deep being otherwise idle may happily give their flanks some work to do Nor hath the fifteen hundred Pikemen ten deep any advantage of the fifteen hundred six deep in the force of the impression for I have demonstrated in one of my Discourses of the Grecian Militia that six ranks of Pikemen may either give or receive the charge abundantly and therefore where Pikemen are ten deep at their charge the last four ranks should keep their Pikes ported because the presenting the points of them is altogether useless Neither was it the apprehension of the weakness of his Body of Musqueteers drawn up six deep that made the King of Sweden make use of his Feathers to defend his Musqueteers against the Polonian Horse for these Feathers may serve a Body of Firemen drawn up ten deep as well as a Body of Firemen drawn up six deep neither indeed is it the deepness of a Body of Musqueteers that can resist a resolute charge of Horse it must be Pikes Halberts or these Feathers or something like them Nor do I think after the Invention of Gunpowder that ten deep was thought fit for Foot in imitation of the Romans as some fancy for I have shewn in another Reasons for ten deep place that Vegetius who is lookt on by many as the Oracle of the old Roman Militia doth make the Roman file to consist of eleven men but I think it was out of this consideration that after the first rank had fired their Guns they could not be ready to fire again till the other nine ranks had all fired and withal a Musquet rest was taken to help with so much wariness did our Ancestors walk when first they made use of the new found Engines of fire We read of a Count of Vaâ—dâ—mont who within thirty years after the Invention of Gunpowder made use of two Culverines in his Wars with the Duke of Bar and by their help defeated his enemy but at every time the Pieces were discharged the Count himself fell to the ground for fear But as Great Câ—sar says Vsus est rerum Magister Use and Custom over-master things and therefore the Cannon is not now so dreadful as it was nor is the Musquet so unmanageable as it was thought daily experience lets us see that the first rank of six can fire make For fine deep ready and stay for the word of Command before the other five
and then they fall down to the reer and so of Leaders become Bringers-up till another rank comes behind them But I The first not at all good would have this manner of falling off banisht out of all armies for in a great Body it breeds confusion and though in drilling it may leisurely be done without any considerable disorder yet in service with an enemy where men are falling it procures a pitiful Embarras and though it did not yet it ought to The second good give way to a more easie way of falling off which is the second way I promised to tell you of and it is that I spoke of of falling down by the Intervals of ground that is between files and this I would have constantly done by turning to the left-hand after they have fired because after that Musqueteers recover their Matches and cast about their Musquets to the left-side that they may charge again which they are a doing while they fall off to the reer But But not at all to fall off is â—est there is a third way for Musqueteers to do service better than by any of these two and that is not to fall off at all but for every rank to stand still after it hath given fire and make ready again standing the second advancing immediately before the first and that having fired likewise the third advanceth before it and so all the rest do till all have fired and then the first rank begins again It is not possible that by this way of giving fire there can be the least confusion or any thing like it if Officers be but half men there is another way of firing sometimes practised that is by three ranks together the first kneeling the second stooping and the third standing these having fired the other three ranks march thorough the first three and in the same postures fire likewise But here I shall desire it to be granted to me that which indeed is undeniable Three ranks to fire at one time and then the other three that when the last three ranks have fired the first three cannot be ready to fire the second time Next firing by three ranks at a time should not be practised but when either the business seems to be desperate or that the Bodies are so near that the Pikemen are almost come to push of Pike and then no other use can be made of the Musquet but of the Butt-end of it I say then Not so good as all six ranks to fire at once that this manner of six ranks to fire at two several times is not at all to be used for if it come to extremity it will be more proper to make them all fire at once for thereby you pour as much Lead in your enemies bosom at one time as you do the other way at two several times and thereby you do them more mischief you quail daunt and astonish them three times more for one long and continuated crack of Thunder is more terrible and dreadful to mortals than ten interrupted and several ones though all and every one of the ten be as loud as the long one But that I seem not to pass my word to you for this be pleased to take the authority of Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden who practised it at Practised at Leipsick the Battel of Leipsick where after he had fought long and that the Saxon Army on his left-hand was beaten by the Imperialists he caused the Musqueteers of some of his Brigades to fire all at once by kneeling stooping and standing which produced effects conform to his desire If you ask me how six ranks can fire all at one time and level their Musquets right I shall tell you the foremost three How to do it ranks must first be doubled by half files and then your Body consists but of three ranks and the posture of the first is kneeling of the second stooping and of the third standing and then you may command them all to fire If you command your ranks after they have fired to fall to the reer any of the two ways already spoken of though you take never so good heed you shall lose ground besides that it hath the show of a retreat but by making the ranks successively go before those which have fired you advance still and gain ground In this order should Dragoons fight in open field when they are mixed How Dragoons should fire and fall off with Horse in this order also should they fire and advance when they intend to beat an enemy from a Pass But when they are to defend a Pass a Bridg or a Strait they must then after firing fall off to the reer by marching thorough the Intervals of their several files because it may be supposed they have no ground whereon they can advance Martinet the French Marshal de Camp tells us of another manner of firing different from all these that I have mentioned as thus Of six ranks of Musqueteers he would have the first five to kneel the sixth to stand and fire first then the fifth to rise and fire next and consecutively the rest till the first rank have fired after which he will have the foremost five ranks to kneel again till the sixth discharge if the service last so long By this way you can gain no ground and I think its very fair if you keep the ground you have for I conceive you may probably lose it and which is worse the ranks which kneel before that which gives fire may be in greater fear of their friends behind them than of their enemies before them and good reason for it in regard when men are giving death to others and in expectation of the same measure from those who stand against them they are not so composed nor govern'd with so steady reason as when they are receiving leisurely lessons in cold blood how to pour Lead in their enemies bosoms But I have spoke of this in another place perhaps more than becomes a private person since I find that manner of giving fire is practised in the French Armies by order of his most Christian Majesty In the marshalling of Regiments Brigades Companies and Troops either of Horse or Foot Commanders must be very cautious when they have to do with an enemy not to charge the ordinary forms for if at that time you offer to introduce any new form wherewith your men are not acquainted you shall not fail to put them in some confusion than which an enemy cannot desire a greater New figures of Battels commendable advantage If you have a new figure of a Battel in your head be sure to accustom your Companies and Regiment very often by exercise to the practice of it before you make use of it in earnest But by this let me not seem to put a restraint on any ingenious spirit that is capable to create new figures I think they should be exceedingly cherisht by Princes and
hand of the Battel Before the Battel begin there use to be fore-parties of both Horse and Forlorn Hopes Foot sent out to skirmish these are called Forlorn Hopes and Enfans Perdues Those of the Foot should advance one hundred paces before the Body those of the Horse further But I find at the Battels fought both at Dreux and St. Dennis between the Protestants and Roman Catholicks of France none of those Forlorn Hopes were made use of at all and as few were used at Lutsen where Gustavus Adolphus lost his life When an Enemy is marshalling his Army your Artillery should incessantly To advance on an Enemy play upon him to hinder him all you may to order his affairs and if your Battel be already marshall'd under the shelter of your Ordnance you should advance and take your advantage of him before his Batallions or Squadrons be drawn up but in so good order that the Scene be not changed that by your precipitation you give not him an opportunity to take advantage of you Your advance on an Enemy in what posture soever he be should be with a constant firm and steady pace the Musketeers whether they be on the Flanks or interlin'd with either the Horse or the Pikes firing all the while but when you come within Pistol-shot you should double your pace till your Pikes closely serr'd together charge these whether Horse or Foot whom they find before them It is true the business very oft comes not to push of Pike but it hath and may come oft to it and then Pike-men are very serviceable If a misfortune fall out that a Brigade Regiment or other part of an Army be beat or begin to run and quit the Field this should be conceal'd from the rest of the Army and the Souldiers told that the Enemy in other places is beaten and if they fight but a little the Victory will be instantly theirs I shall not speak here of what advantage a large Front is having done it so often before but if a General perceive that the business may be quickly decided To marshal the Foot in three Rankâ— I think he should double the Front of his Foot and make but three Ranks where formerly they were six and so being able to out-wing his Enemy he may fall on his Flank for at no extraordinary march an Army may be brought to push of Pike before three Ranks of Musketeers have fired successively if they do not begin to fire till they be within distance less than Musket-shot and after they have given their three Volleys then they may give the fourth which will signifie as much if not more than all the three by kneeling stooping and standing whereof I have spoke in the eleventh and twelfth Chapters When any Regiment or Brigade runs or offers to quit the Field the Reserve behind should be order'd immediately to advance and encounter the Victorious Enemy who will hardly be able to withstand that fresh charge for it may be almost received as a Maxime That a Troop Regiment or Brigade A good Rule but not Infallible how strong soever it be which hath fought with and beaten that Body of equal number that stood against it may be easily routed by a Troop Regiment or Brigade that hath not fought though far inferiour in number If any part of an Army get the Victory of those who stand against it he who commands that part ought to send some Troops in pursuit of the routed Enemy and Not to fall on the Flank of an Enemy a great neglect with the rest fall on the Flank of that Batallion which stands next him and yet keeps ground The neglect of this duty lost the famous General Count Tili the Battel of Leipsick for himself being on the Right hand of the Imperial Army beat the Duke of Saxe and his Army out of the Field whom Tili hotly pursuing did not fall on the Left Flank of the Swedish Army left naked Inflanced by the flight of the Saxons But at that same time the King of Sweden who was on the Right hand of his own Army had routed Count Pappenheim who The doing it contributes to the Victory commanded the Left Wing of the Imperialists upon which that martial King did not fail to charge the Flank of the Imperial Battel which was left naked by Pappenheim's Flight and this help'd to procure the Victory to the Sweed As I told you in another place Banier's Right Wing was well near beaten at Woodstock nor did the Reserve come so soon to his succours About that same Instanced time Lieutenant General King had routed the Right Wing of the Imperial Army and with it bore down the Right hand of their Reserve and â—â—ll on the Right Flank of their Battel which yet disputed their ground with Felt-Marshal Leslie who thereupon cast down their Arms and yielded the Victory to the Swedes And the mentioning this Victory puts me in mind to advertize all Officers of Foot not to teach their Musketeers to neglect the use of their Rammers a lesson too often taught and practis'd for at this Bartel I speak of the Imperial Foot were on a Hill up which Leslie advanced with his Infantry but neither his nor the Imperial Musketers made use of Rammers only as the common custome is when they charg'd with Ball they knock'd the Buts of their Muskets at their Right foot by which means most of the Bullets of the Imperial and Saxish Fire-men fell out at the mouths of their Musket when they presented them down the Hill upon the Sweeds whose Bullets could not run that fortune being presented upward And for this reason it was observ'd that few of the Sweedish Foot fell When a Reserve or a part of it advanceth those who fled have a fair opportunity to rally and in a short time to second the Reserve and though To rally rallying at so near a distance is not frequently seen yet it is not banish'd out of the Modern Wars or Armies At Dreux both Armies rallied twice or thrice with various success the Generals of both Armies being both made Prisoners And at Lutsen both Armies rallied often for they fought from morning till night most of the Imperial Cannon being twice taken was as oft retaken Fresh succours in time of Battel discourage an Enemy Some Great Captains have thought it fit in time of Battel to make a show of their Waggon-men Carters and Baggage-men at a distance as if they were succours newly arrived and certainly nothing terrifies an Army more in time of equal sight than an unexpected Enemy as Robert Duke of Normandy's fortunate arrival in the time of Battel between Godfrey of Bouillâ—n and Instance the Saracens in the Holy Land deliver'd the Victory to the Christians But these feigned Musters of Baggage-men and Carriage-horses produce not always False shews sometimes happy the wished effects Sulpitius a Roman Dictator being to fight with the Gauls order'd
have discharged their shot even in the hottest Piece of service and without the help of Musquet-rests And I suppose it needs be thought no Paradox in me to say that five ranks of Musqueteers can fire one after another without intermission and Five deep the first of the five be ready to fire again before the last have discharged let any Commander try it with expert Firemen he will find it will be done easily enough And that you may see that this is no new conceit of mine I shall tell you that Giovio informs us that at Vienna the twenty thousand Harquebusiers that were in the Christian Army were all marshal'd five deep and so made four thousand files It is without all peradventure that the best Commanders then in Europe were there who would not have permitted this if they had not known that the first rank could have fired and made ready again before all the other four had discharged neither must you impute this to the ignorance of the Historian as being a Churchman for he is so punctual as to write nothing of any Military action but what he had from the relation of the greatest Captains that were upon the place And truly if you will consider all I have said or all that may be said on this subject Reasons for it you may perhaps think with me that both Musqueteers and Pikemen may be marshal'd five deep with no inconvenience at all to the service I think I hear some speculative persons cry out that this is against the rules of all Tacticks who reject odd numbers as unfit for doubling But stay do you exercise for shew only or for use If only for shew I grant you should neither have odd ranks Objections against it nor files but if for use I say that five deep is better than six deep for those very reasons that made six deep better than eight deep and eight better than ten You say you cannot double your ranks at five deep what then I say you need not for I would have your ranks no fewer than five when you are ten Answered deep why double you your ranks is it not to make them five and thereby to enlarge your front and why then may you not be five ranks at first and thereby save your self the labour of doubling And as it is not at all necessary to double your ranks when your Batallion consists of no more but five ranks so I conceive the doubling of ranks not necessary when your Battel is but six deep for three ranks of Pikes is not strong enough either to give or receive a Charge nor are they numerous enough for Musqueteers to fire one rank after another without interruption it not being feasible for the first rank to fire and be ready before the third rank have discharged so that when six ranks are made three it is only for a parting blow for the Musqueteers to fire kneeling stooping and standing Now you may order the first three ranks of five to fire in the same fashion kneeling stooping and standing and you have by the bargain two ranks in reserve till the first three recover and those two ranks may afterward fire the first rank kneeling and the second standing and then all the five ranks have fired and are as ready either with Buts of Musquets or Swords to receive the enemy if he advance as the six ranks doubled in three and in far better order Either then your doubling of ranks is unnecessary in service or five deep at first is as good if not better as ten ranks to be doubled in five or six ranks doubled in three And though five ranks cannot be doubled the inconvenience of that is not so great as the advantages it hath of a large front and bringing many hands to fight and if upon any emergency which will fall out very seldom you conceive your front too large you may quickly help it The Authors private opinion by causing your files to double and then you are ten deep But I shall quickly part with this opinion when I hear a stronger argument against it than that which says that thereby ranks cannot be doubled for the truth is it is my private opinion that there be many superfluous words in Exercise and though I think doubling of ranks and files too sometimes convenient before the near approach of an enemy yet I hope none will deny that both of them are very improper in the time of service But Loquendum cum vulgo is a Golden sentence Well we have our Foot-Company no stronger than one hundred men and Seventeen Files in a Company of one hundred men divided into three parts whereof two are Musqueteers and Pikemen are glad to be admitted to make the third These must be marshal'd six in one file now seventeen times six is more than one hundred and sixteen times six is less than one hundred Add therefore three Corporals to the hundred Soldiers you shall have seventeen compleat files and one man over whom you may appoint to help the Ensign to carry his Colours for a Furer is not allow'd him in all establishments A Company being thus marshal'd in seventeen files eleven must be Musqueteers and six Pikemen to wit on the right hand of the Pikemen six files of Musqueteers and on the left hand five files The Captain is to teach his Soldiers to keep their just distances between file The several kinds of Distances and file end between rank and rank Distances are ordinarily threefold Order open Order and close Order The first of three foot the second of six the third of one foot and a half to which in some case is added open open order which is of twelve foot At Exercisings both ranks and files should stand at open order in Marches the files at order but the ranks at open order because of the Pikes which must have more ground than Musqueteers require and in service both the files and ranks of Musqueteers must be at order that is three foot distance but the Pikemen both in file and rank at close order that is at the distance of one foot and a half I must tell you in this place of a general mistake Mistakes in reckoning Distances and is the very same I accused Vegetius of in the Roman Militia and it is this All say that the files when they stand in Battel should be at order that is at the distance of three foot as indeed they should But if you ask how many foot of ground seventeen files whereof our Company consists possess in front they will immediately answer you fifty and one And here there is a double Distance of Files error first no ground is allowed for the Combatants to stand on for the distance of three foot between files takes up that one and fifty foot or very near it Secondly they make seventeen files to have seventeen distances whereas they have but sixteen This oversight I
to beat an Enemy out after he hath come over the Wall confusedly This Interval all ancient Towns had and they call'd it Pomaerium for they had two of them one before or without and another within the Wall Thirdly If the Horses be called to the Shambles which in Sieges is no extraordinary case the Horse-men may either have a Post given them to defend or they may be divided among the Foot When Count Nauso about one hundred and thirty years ago an Imperial General storm'd Peronne after a great breach made in the Walls of it he was beat off by the French Gens d'arms belonging to the Lord Florenge who left their Horses and in full Harness with Pikes Partizans and Hâ—lberds maintain'd the breach two hours till they were relieved And I have seen my self Horse-men alight from their Horses to storm with the Foot The estimate of the number of the Foot for maintaining a fortified place against a Siege must be taken from the circuit of it Some will have for every Bulwark of the greater Royal Fortification one thousand Souldiers and for the lesser Royal eight hundred meaning still besides the Inhabitants others four or five hundred Souldiers enough with the Citizens But since we know not what the number of the Inhabitants will be such I mean as are able to bear Arms or whether they may be trusted or not we must cast up our account without them Some therefore will have for every ten foot of the circumference of the whole Fort six Souldiers but others think one Souldier enough for two foot and so five Souldiers for ten How many men requisite to maintain ten foot of ground foot of ground If this calculation hold for all the out-works Counterscarp and Fause bray as well as for the Fort it self then it can hardly be deny'd me that the whole Infantry of an Army Royal will be few enough to maintain a lesser Royal Fortification of ten Bastions commonly call'd a Decagon But let us speak only of the Fort it self and suppose it to be an Octogon that is a Town fortified with eight Bastions a greater number than which our late Engineers require not in regular Fortifications though there be some to be seen of ten some twelve and some more Bulwarks We are first to see of how many foot of circumference our Octogon will be We shall appoint every Curtain of this Fort to be five hundred foot long an Engineer may make it shorter or longer as he pleaseth by this account eight Curtains take four thousand foot every Flank shall have the allowance of one hundred foot and there being sixteen Flanks in our Fort they require sixteen hundred foot for the face of every Bulwark shall be allowed three hundred foot and there being sixteen faces in the Fort they must have four thousand eight hundred foot Add these three numbers 4000 1600 and 4800 the aggregate will be 10400 foot Allow then one Souldier to maintain two foot of ground of this Town you shall need 5200 men But if you will allow six Souldiers to every ten foot of ground then you must have 6120 Foot Souldiers to maintain this Octogon without mentioning How many requisite to defend an Octogon any of its Out-works and how necessary these be I shall not offer to dispute since it is certain that the longer an Enemy can be kept from the principal Fort he is at the greater loss of time men munition and expence and consequently the longer time is gain'd to the Prince or State to whom the besieged place belongs to provide for its relief But on the other hand many Out-works require many men to maintain them many men require much meat and the shorter time meat lasts the sooner will the Outer-works Fort give over besides the mouldering away of men in Out-works hugely weakens the defence of the Fort it self Neither are these Out-works of an old date if it be true what Cardinal Bentivoglio says that Maurice Prince of Orange first added them to Fortification I dare not believe this for I suppose it is not above sixty four years since Maurice was Captain General of an Army But if the Inhabitants of this Octogon of ours be the Subjects of the Prince or State for whom the Fort holds out and more especially if they be of that Of the Inhabitants of a Fort. same perswasion in matters of Religion with the Garrisâ—â— Souldiers then fewer Souldiers will serve perhaps by half for those Burgesses within the Walls will fight stoutly for their Wives Children Goods and Liberties which is pro aris focis But if neither of these be and that the Citizens are to be mistrusted the Governour hath to do with a double Enemy an avow'd and open one without and a secret yet a certain one within And therefore he had need of both more Men and more strict Watch neither must he fail to disarm these Inhabitants and command them for most part to keep within doors but in such cases Cittadels are ordinary These Fortresses that are by nature strong as situated on a Hill or flanked with some inaccessible and steep Rocks or helped by the nearness of some River or Marsh besides their artificial Fortification will need by a great deal fewer men and so be defended at a far less expence The number of these Souldiers I spoke of is to be reckon'd without Officers neither are you to imagine that in storm or assault all the How Musketeers should fire from a Parapet Souldiers are to be drawn up in one Rank or row on the Bulwarks or the Curtains for at that rate two foot being allowed to every man none of them should have room to handle their Arms neither should their giving fire be successive as it should be In time of storm Souldiers appointed for the guard of a Post should be drawn up three deep or in three Ranks that when one Rank hath given fire over the Parapet it may descend and the second mount the Foot-bank and after it the third The third thing requisite for a besieged place is Money and so long as there Money is Money to pay the Garrison and meat and drink to buy for that Money the publick Magazines of Proviant should not be touched and for this reason many Governours cause Brass to be coyned some Leather and order it to pass for currant Money engaging thereafter to give good coyn for it So did Toyras Marshal of France forty years ago when he was besieged in Casal by the famous Marquess Spinola Yet a Governour should always reserve if he can a stock of Money unspent for all accidents as knowing the difficulties of the Siege will encrease with time for though loyalty duty reputation good words and hopes prevail frequently with Souldiers to stand out against all hardships and difficulties manfully yet as the French say Argent faict tout Great use for it in Sieges Money doth all Intelligence is bought with Money
he knew best but the old Romans darted their â—avelines as they were advancing towards the Enemy and were commanded by their Generals to make haste to come to dint of Sword esteemed by them the Prince of Weapons So Caesars Legionaries at Pharsalia were order'd after each man had cast his Javeline to run to the shock which accordingly they did The manner of throwing their Pila was that the first Rank threw first and immediately How they were thrown bowed down that the second Rank might cast over their heads so did the third and fourth and the rest till all the Ranks had thrown When they stood in order of Battel they us'd to stick their Javelines in the ground till the sign was given so it seems they were sharp at both ends and no doubt in time of Battel they might have made a Pallisado of them against Horse as Suedish Feathers have been used in our time yet we read not in History that any such use was ever made of the Roman Pilum Being now to speak of the Roman light armed foot I shall desire my Reader once for all to take notice that Vegetius was desir'd by the Emperour Valentinian to give him the Constitutions Laws and Practice of the Ancient Roman Art of War and not of any customs lately crept in Notwithstanding which he reckons among the light armed Foot Plumbati whom he likewise calls Martiobarbuli and Fustubularii whom I cannot English otherwise than the first to be Lead-casters and the second to be Slingers with Battoons He reckons also Archers but in Ancient History we do not read of any of those three for the old Romans acknowledg'd no other light arm'd or Velites but Slingers Roman Velites and Darters Both these were armed Defensively with Head-pieces of Raw-Hides and a Target four handful long and of an oval form For Offence How arm'd the Darter had a Sword and seven Darts the Slinger had a Sling a Sword and a number of Stones Some allow also to both of them a little Javeline of three or four foot long The Spanish Darts being wing'd at the point could hardly be pull'd out of a Shield or the Body of a man such Arrows are common and are called Barbed But the Sagumine Dart which was called Falarica deserves The Saguntine Falarica to be taken notice of Livius describes it thus in his twenty first Book Falarica was a kind of Dart used by the Saguntines when Hannibal besieg'd their City perhaps they invented it at that siege it had a long shaft round and even every where except toward the end of it and that was headed with Iron three foot long Tow being wrapp'd about it smear'd with Pitch this Tow they fired when they were to lance the Dart the violent motion increased the fire insomuch as when it could not pierce the Body it forc'd the Souldier to cast away his Shield or Corslet and so expos'd him disarm'd to the Darts or Arrows which were shot afterward The Timber of the Roman Dart Roman Darters might be two foot long and the bigness of a mans finger the point of it of Iron one foot long sharp small and subtile that it might pierce and in piercing bow that so an Enemy might not make use of it by throwing it back again but this was the practice of other Nations as well as the Romans yet I pray observe what Livy saith in contradiction of this In that Battel which I mention'd but a little before the Triarii gather'd up all the Darts for they were allow'd to carry none of their own which were strayed all over the field and no doubt had been all cast before and with these they disorder'd the Gauls who had made a Pent-house of their Shields and so put them to flight What shall we then believe And is it not strange too that these Darters would throw their Darts four hundred foot for my part I dare not believe it and if it be true certainly the blow could not be mortal The Roman Slingers used to cast Stones out of ordinary Slings which they Roman Slingers wheel'd about their heads and would hit at the distance of six hundred Foot for no less as Vegetius affirms was allow'd them at their exercise Other Slingers the Ancient Romans had not The Inhabitants of the Balearick Islands which now are called Majorca and Minorca were Balearâ—ans esteemed both the best and the first exercisers of the Sling the Mothers refus'd to give their children meat till they had hit the mark was given them to throw at Livy in his thirty eighth Book crys up the Aegean Slingers of whom one hundred â—â—â—ans not only beat back the stout Samians when they sallied out of their Town but also never missing to â—it them when they appear'd on the Parapets of their Walls forc'd them to render their City to Marcus Fâ—lvius the Roman Consul And yet it is more than probable that neither the one nor the other were skilful â—enjamites or so ancient practicers of the Sling as the Israelites for there were 700 of one Tribe who could hit within an hair-breadth With this Weapon did David obtain the Victory over Goliah of which I shall speak in another place Vegetius hath reason to prefer the Sling to the Bow in this regard that an Arrow cannot wound unless it pierce but a Stone bruiseth though it pierce not and if it be of any weight it killeth notwithstanding the resistance of any Head-piece or Corslet In the times of the Emperours or a little before came the Plumbati or Martioâ—arbuli in fashion with the Romans Vegetius tells us what great services Lead-casters they did in the reigns of Dioclesian and Maximian but doth us not the favour to describe the thing it self They threw Bullets of Lead of one pound weight I do not remember whether Livy mentions any of them to have been among those Roman Slingers who beat the Gallo-Greciant at Olympâ—â— The Fustibalus Battoon-Slingers or Battoon-Sling was a Sling of Leather tyed to a Battoon of four foot long which the Slinger manag'd with both his hands and out of which saith Vegetius he threw Stones as out of an Onagra with so great force that neither Target Head-piece or Corslet could resist it But these expressions are ordinary with him I am of the opinion there was no difference between the Plumbati or Lead-casters and the Fustibalarii or Battoon-Slingers but that the first cast Lead and the last great Stones but how far our Author tells us not Archers were not reckon'd among the Velites till the second Punick War Archers Auxiliaries and even then they were rather Auxiliaries than either Romans or Allies They were however made good use of after Hannibal invaded Italy Vegetius in the fifteenth Chapter of his First Book affirms for which he hath no authority of History that the fourth part of the youth of Rome was train'd to the use of the Bow for
make not their Captains do their duty in so necessary a point of War I have seen in Germany and Denmark Regiments newly raised and some also sent out of Sweden in the time of the long War before the Peace of Munster only exercised and drill'd three or four times and that was enough for them Supine carelesness of Colonels for the whole time they were to serve for a man would have made himself ridiculous if he had spoken of drilling old Soldiers to keep them in mind of their Postures and Motions this would have been lookt on as a disparagement to them for it would have been presupposed that they stood in need of Exerciseing as in truth most of them did It is a pity and sometimes matter of sport to hear men glory that they are old Soldiers who either never have learned Old Soldiers or have forgot what belongs to their profession and so upon the matter prove themselves to be old fools Nay I have seen in these same Wars many new levied Companies Troops and Regiments never Train'd or Exercised at all nay not so much as one lesson given to a Soldier for the handling his Arms. It is true most of those who were levied in my time had serv'd in those Wars which were before my time but all had not and therefore some were raw and unexperienced and the oldest Soldiers of them needed exceedingly to have had their memories refresht This was the condition of five thousand Foot and three Troops of Horse which the City of Dantzick levied and entertain'd in the time of the late Swedish War against Poland from the year 1656 till the year 1660. I have not seen braver men nor better equipp'd in any Militia than these were but in one whole Summer that I was there I never saw one Company or one man of a Company drill'd or exercis'd Since the Estates of the Vnited Provinces made their Peace with the King of Spain their Officers have been negligent enough of this duty which might have been easily observ'd in most of their Garrisons wherein I have been But I suppose their late alarms have made them resume their ancient care and diligence These Military Exercises were so far worn out of use that I knew Count Koningsmark in the year 1655 when he raised some new Regiments for his Master the King of Sweden take some old Officers to be Drill-masters to the Drill-masters new levied Companies which notwithstanding were provided with all the Officers belonging to them and these Drill-masters he entertain'd with Monthly wages which I thought was not done without some blemish to the reputation of all the Officers especially of the Colonels and Captains That part of Training which teacheth the handling Arms is different to wit that which teacheth a Horseman to manage handsomely and readly his Pistol Carbine and Sword whether he be a Curiassier or Harquebusier and that which teacheth a Foot soldier to handle his Musquet and Pike and his Swedes Feather if he have one And as a Horseman is obliged to learn to Saddle and Drilling of Horsemen Bridle his Horse quickly and well to mount and dismount handsomely to ride decently and carry his body well or as it is called to have a good seat in his Saddle and how to use his voice his hand his leg and his spur so he is obliged to teach his Horse to obey him whether it be in trotting galloping running standing stopping turning or wheeling The Horseman ought to be taught how to keep his Pistols and Carbine fixt and bright without rust how to charge them quickly and prime them how to fire them and readily charge again And he must be especially careful not to ride a shie-horse for such a one may not only bring his Rider in danger and disgrace but disorder the whole Troop Exercise and accustoming his Horse to all feats of Horsemanship especially to see fire to stand when a Pistol or Carbine are discharg'd close by him and to hear the Trumpet will by degrees banish shieness from him and therefore frequent Drilling-troops of Horse teacheth both man and horse their duties Troops should in some points be exercised by sound of Trumpet that Horsemen may know the several points of War by their several names as to the Watch to Saddle to Horse to March to Charge to Râ—tire The particular words of command for Drilling a single Horsemâ—â— that is to teach him the right and true use of his Arms whether he be a Curiaâ—â—â—â—r Harquebusier or Carbiner are too tedious to be set down here and indeed needless for they are vulgarly known and so are those for the Arms of the Infantry whether for the Pike or the Musquet To teach either Horsemen or Foot-Soldiers their Motions and Evolutions Motions or Evolutions of Bodies both of Horse and Foot when they are in Bodies greater or smaller is the second part of Training or Drilling The words of command for both Horse and Foot in these Motions are the very same only the Distances are different Three Foot are allowed between files of Foot and that is order six is open order and twelve is open open order or double double distance and these you may make use of in Exercising Marching or Fighting as you think convenient In Marches the length of the Pike requires six foot of distance between ranks Some allow in Distances exercising Bodies of Horse six foot for single distance between ranks and files and twelve for double distance The Germans ordinarily allow ten for the one and twenty for the other All these Motions and Evolutions may be reduced to four kinds these are Facings Doublings Countermarchings and Wheelings I do not intend to trouble either my Reader or my self with the several words of command ordinary Drill-masters have most of them though not all But he who would have those for Horse exactly may find them in the Supplement to the Compleat Body of the Art Military and both for Foot and Horse in the famous Earl of Straffords Instructions for the Discipline of his Army And those for the Foot alone very well done by Sir Thâ—mas Kâ—lliâ— and compleatly indeed by Lieutenant Colonel Elâ—on in his compleat Body of the Art Observations concerning Training of War Yet I shall desire my Reader with me to observe in Exercises of Foot and Horse these few Particulars First That none of the three ordinary ways used for doubling of ranks in First Observation Bodies of Foot can be made use of in exercising Bodies of Horse as now they are Marshalled in most places of Europe that is three deep or three in file nor can it be where they are five in file as in some places they were all odd numbers being improper for doublings either of ranks or files Secondly That the Facing of a great Body of Horse to either right or left Second hand or about by either right or left hand is a difficult work though with
was marshal'd in one Division I know some are of opinion that the Majors Company should be in the Reer Objection against that way of marshalling of the Lieutenant-Colonels Division because the third place of honour in the Regiment belongs to him and the Colonel having the Van of the first Division and the Lieutenant-Colonel of the second the Major should have the Reer of the second Division because it is the Reer of the whole Regiment I should easily subscribe to this if it were not for two reasons First though it be but Answered one Regiment yet being divided it should be lookt on as two distinct Bodies and it is more honourable to have the Reer of the first than of the last Secondly when a Regiment is divided into two parts the Major ought to wait and lodg at the quarter of that Division of the Regiment where the Colonel is because from him he receives his Orders Directions and the Word which he is not oblig'd to carry to the Lieutenant-Colonel if the quarters of the two Divisions be divided as many times they are but the oldest Captain is obliged to come and receive them from the Major at the Colonels Quarter the first Captain in that case officiating as Major for the Lieutenant-Colonels Batallion Now if the Major ought to be where the Colonel is as I think he should then I think the Majors Company should be where himself is The Great Gustavus used another way of marshalling his Regiments and Brigades of Foot which taken altogether was not square of front yet all the four parts or Bodies which composed it were square The manner was this Regiment or Brigade marshal'd a third way Suppose one of his Brigades to be eighteen hundred men as I can assure you he had many weaker whereof twelve hundred were Musqueteers and six hundred were Pikemen the Pikes advanced twenty paces before the two Bodies of Musqueteers who immediately join'd to fill up the void place the Pikemen had possest Then were the Pikes divided into three equal Bodies two hundred to each Batallion the middle Body whereof advanced before the other two so far that its Reer might be about ten paces before the Van of the other two The two Bodies of Pikes that staid behind were order'd to open a little to both hands and then stand still all fronting one way to the Enemy by this means the place which the two hundred Pikes possest in the middle remaining void there were two passages like sally-ports between the Reer of the advanced Body of Pikes and the two Batallions that staid behind out of one whereof on the right hand issued constantly one or two or more hundreds of Musqueteers who before all the three Bodies of Pikes gave incessantly fire on the Enemy and when the word or sign for a Retreat was given they retir'd by the other passage on the left hand back to the great Body of Musqueteers where so many of them as came back unwounded were presently put in rank and file the fire continuing without intermission by Musqueteers who still sallied thorough the passage on the right hand and it is to be observed that the firemen fought thus in small Bodies each of them not above five files of Musqueteers and these for most part but three deep So you may consider that near the third part of the Musqueteers being on service the other two thirds were securely shelter'd behind the three Batallions of Pikemen who were to be compleatly arm'd for the defensive These Pikes had Field pieces with them which fir'd as oft as they could as well as the Musqueteers this continued till the Pikemen came to push of Pike with the Enemy if both parties staid so long as seldom they did and then the Musqueteers were to do what they were order'd to do and the order did depend on emergencies and accidents which as they could not be then seen so no certain rules could be given for them In this order did I see all the Swedish Brigades drawn up for one year after the Kings death but after that time I saw it wear out when Defensive Arms first and then Pikes came Worn out to be neglected and by some vilipended For the March of a Regiment if it can all march in one breast it should The March of a Regiment do so but if not and if the ground permit it let the right hand of Musqueteers march in breast next it the Body of Pikes and after it the left wing of Musqueteers But if none of these can be then as many should march in one petty Division as the way can permit as suppose twelve eight or ten and so soon as you come to open ground you are to march presently in Squadrons or as they are now called Squads or in full Battel that is the Regiment all in one front for by that means your Soldiers are readiest to receive an Enemy they march in a more comely order and straggle far less than when they march few in breast and in a long row The Major appoints Captains Lieutenants and Ensigns to lead Divisions and Serjeants to attend the flanks every one according to their dignities but for my own part I never thought it convenient much less necessary that every small Division of a Regiment should have a Bringer up since he must be as some will have it a Commission'd Officer as well as the Leader of a Division should be For first consider that in a Regiment of one thousand strong there are an hundred sixty and six files and admit that the way will permit eight files to march in breast as that falls not always out by that account you shall have one and twenty Divisions consisting of eight Files apiece multiply twenty one by eight the Product is a hundred and Reasons why every petty Division cannot have a Bringer up sixty eight Files which consists of a thousand and eight men eight more than the number Reckon again how many Commission'd Officers you have in ten Companies besides the three Field-Officers you shall have but twenty nine now of these twenty one must be allow'd to lead the Divisions and by that account you have but nine Officers to bring up so you want thirteen Commission'd Officers for that imployment for Serjeants should neither be permitted to lead or bring up but in case of necessity their duty being to attend the flanks Besides all Commission'd Officers are not always present some frequently being either sick wounded or absent on furloff It will be enough therefore if all these petty Divisions be led by Commission'd Officers which yet cannot be unless you allow some Ensign-bearers to stay from their 〈…〉 ours and by this means you may spare six foot of ground between two Divisions for those who will allow Bringers up allow eighteen foot between two Divisions to wit six foot between the Reer of the first Division and him that brings it up secondly six foot between
the rest resent it as an injury done to the whole fraternity for which they will very readily make him march a whole week without a Trumpeter to sound before him None may sound a Trumpet before a Troop but he who is master of their Art and he must prove himself to be so by producing a Certificate sign'd by a certain number of Master Trumpeters with their Seals annexed to it and this in their Language they call a Lerbrief If any wanting this offer to sound before a Company of Horse the Masters may come and take him away with disgrace in spite of the Ritmaster Those who have not yet got Lerbriefs they call Boys who must serve the Master Trumpeters in all manner of drudgery though they could sound all the points of War never so well They pretend to have got these priviledges from the Emperour Charles the Fifth under his Manual Subscription and Imperial Seal Ask them where this Patent of theirs lyeth some of them will tell you at Augsburg others say at Strasburg and a third will say at Nuremburg I have not seen any of them punished by their Officers and whatever discipline of their own they have I know not but I have not heard of any of their gross misdemeaners I knew one Colonel Boy an ancient Gentleman who for many years had commanded Horse in whose Regiment no sound of Trumpet was heard for none of them would serve under him because in his younger years he had kill'd a Trumpeter with his own hand But it is well these pretended priviledges of theirs are confin'd within the bounds of the German Empire There is another Martial Instrument used with the Cavalry which they call a Kettle-drum there be two of them which hang upon the Horse before the Kettle-drum Drummers Saddle on both which he beats They are not ordinary Princes Dukes and Earls may have them with those Troops which ordinarily are called their Life-guards so may Generals and Lieutenant Generals though they be not Noble-men The Germans Danes and Sweedes permit none to have them under a Lord Baron unless they have taken them from an Enemy and in that case any Ritmaster whatever extraction he be of may make them beat beside his Trumpeters They are used also for State by the Princes of Germany when they go to meat and I have seen them ordinarily beat and Trumpets sound at the Courts of Sweden and Denmark when either of the two Kings went to Dinner or Supper Dragoons are Musketeers mounted on Horses appointed to march with the Dragoons Cavalry in regard there are not only many occasions wherein Foot can assist the Horse but that seldome there is any occasion of service against an Enemy but wherein it is both fit and necessary to joyn some Foot with the Horse Dragoons then go not only before to guard Passes as some imagine but to fight in open Field for if an Enemy rencounter with a Cavalry in a champaign or open Heath the Dragoons are obliged to alight and mix themselves with the Squads of Horse as they shall be commanded and their continuate Firing before the Horse come to the charge will no doubt be very hurtful to the Enemy If the encounter be in a close Countrey they serve well to line Hedges and possess Enclosures they serve for defending Passes and Bridges whether it be in the Advance or a Retreat of an Army and for Serve on foot beating the Enemy from them Their service is on foot and is no other than that of Musketeers but because they are mounted on Horse-back and ride with the Horse either before in the Van or behind in the Rear of an Army they are reckon'd as a part of the Cavalry and are subordinate to the Yet are part of the Cavalry General Lieutenant General or Major General of the Horse and not to those of the foot And being that sometimes they are forced to retire from a powerful and prevailing Enemy they ought to be taught to give Fire on Horse-back that in an open field they may keep an Enemy at a distance till they get the advantage of a closer Countrey a Straight a Pass a Bridge a Hedge or a Ditch and then they are bound to alight and defend that advantage that thereby though perhaps with the loss of the Dragoons themselves the Cavalry may be saved When they alight they cast their Bridle Reins over the necks of their side-mens Horses and leave them in that same order as they marched Of ten Dragoons nine fight and the tenth man keeps the ten Horses For what they have got the denomination of Dragoons Whence they have their denomination is not so easie to be told but because in all languages they are called so we may suppose they may borrow their name from Dragon because a Musketeer on Horse back with his burning Match riding at a gallop as many times he doth may something resemble that Beast which Naturalists call a Fiery Dragon Since then a Dragoon when he alights and a Musqueteer are all one I have The several services of a Musqueteer forborn hitherto to speak of the several ways how the ranks of Musqueteers fire having reserv'd it to this as a proper place Take them then thus If the enemy be upon one of your flanks that hand file fires that is nearest How he fires in the flank and falls off the danger and the next standing still to do the like that which hath fired marches thorough the rest of the files till it be beyond the furthest file of that wing of Musqueteers But if you be charg'd on both flanks then your right and left-hand files fire both and immediately march into the middle of the Body room being made for them and in such pieces of service as these Officers must be attentive dexterous and ready to see all things done orderly otherwise confusion first and immediately after a total rout will inevitably follow If your Body be retiring from an enemy who pursues you in the reer the two last How iâ— the reer ranks stand whereof one having fired it divides it self into two the one half by the right the other half by the left-hand marcheth up to the Van making ready all the while this way is much practised especially in the Low-Countries but with submission to their better judgments I should think it more easie for these ranks that have fired to march every man of them up to their Leaders and then step before them thorough these Intervals of three foot that is between files and this may be done without any trouble either to themselves or their neighbours If the service with the enemy be in the Van as mostly it is Musqueteers after firing fall off two several ways ranks may after they have fired fall off two several ways First the rank which hath fired divides it self into two and the half goes to the right hand and the other half to the left
made useless by Countermures and Retrenchments but Mines are more imperceptible yet they are dangerous works for them that are in them because of Countermines which when the Mine-master finds he is to divert his course Countermines to the Right or Left hand or sink his Mine deeper and if the Counterminers be under him he had need make haste and take his advantage by piercing holes and chacing them away with scalding Water But take a few general Rules for Mines The entrance should be seven foot high and five foot broad say some four foot and a half high and four broad say others This last and indeed perhaps no Mine is for a fat corpulent man The Mine all along General Rules for Mining must be lin'd on both sides and cover'd above with boards and underpropt for keeping up the Earth The mouth of the Mine should be carefully conceal'd from the besieged Philip King of Macedon who was afterwards beaten by the Roman Consul Flaminius did not ill to cause a great heap of Earth to be laid on the other side of a besieged Town there where his real Mines were and so deluded the besieged The heighth and breadth of the Mine should decrease and grow less by little and little from the entry till it arrive at the place which should be undermined so that the mouth of the Furn should be no wider than to receive the Vessels wherein the Powder is whether these be Barrels or Troughs Some will have this Powder Chamber to be six or seven foot high four or five broad and five or six long others say only four foot and a half high the breadth four or three foot and a half But I think assuredly it should be proportion'd to the quantity of the Powder and the number of the Vessels that are ordain'd to be put into it These Furns should be closely and strongly stopp'd that the Powder get no vent but that which naturally it seeks upwards The train whereby the Powder in the Furn is to be fired The Train should be so well order'd that it be not too long a firing for that disappoints them who are to storm making them apprehensive of danger of they know not what And this occasion'd the death of two French Marshals within these forty years who admiring why the Mine did not spring after they had order'd the train to be fired went into the Mine to know the cause where they both dyed the Mine at their being there working its effect Nor must it fire too soon lest he who fires the train be buried in the ruins of the Mine Besides Countermining What hinders Mines to spring several things hinder the effectual operation of a Mine such are the ill stopping the Powder-Chamber the weakness of the sides occasion'd by Countermines Caves Caverns and hollow grounds as also the failing of the train in its duty by reason of its wetness moisture or some bad contrivance and the placing the Powder too low in the Furn. When a Mine hath sprung if it cast the Wall outwards towards the Besiegers it makes the entrance very difficult for the assailants if the Defendants act their part with Courage and it is just so with a breach after a Battery which Charles the Fifth and his General the Duke of Alva experimented at the memorable Siege of Metz. When large Breaches are made by furious Batteries and that Mines have Assaults operated happily then an universal Assault should be given by the whole besieged Army each part of it being to storm at its assigned Post These Assaults being given resolutely and continued obstinately though the first or second may perhaps be beat off will probably reduce the place And then it will be a noble part of the Victorious General to order fair Fair quarter to be giveâ— quarter to be given or if the besieged have with too much obstinacy and upon weak grounds by holding out too long and by making him spend too much of his time provok'd him to wrath and revenge to make examples of them to others he should order no hurt to be done to women old men and children and in one word to kill none but those who are found in Arms But a promiscuous putting all to the Sword sparing neither sex nor agâ— is too often practis'd for the Pillage the Ancients used after the expugnation of Towns to bring it all to the Treasurers Lodging who sold it and distributed the money as he was appointed by the General sometimes all of it to the Army sometimes a part of it and sometimes none of it The like hath been often practis'd in the Modern Wars but the custome is almost worn out the Plunder belonging to those who can take it which is Capiat qui capere potest and this is truly a very unequal partition for those who stay in Arms upon the Wall or perhaps in the Market-place to make them good against any opposition may arise from hidden Reserves of the Enemy share not so well as those who so soon as they Plunder enter run presently to the Plunder Some Princes and Generals give the Pillage of Towns taken by storm to their Armies for so many hours sometimes for a day for two days or three days It is commonly thought the Prisoners and their ransomes belong to those who took them and so it is commonly practis'd unless they be great Officers and those should be deliver'd to the General yet that General should be so generous as to bestow some handsome Present or gift on those who took them which some do but many do not The Ordnance and all that belong to it all publick Magazines of Provisions Munitions and Arms belong to the Prince or State who manageth the War But if all Assaults be beat off and all the Besiegers have done hath prov'd successless or that the besieging Army is wasted as no doubt it will diminish Beasons to leave a Siege and retire every day or that a numerous and fresh succourse be expected or other unhappy accidents fall out then a wise General will raise his Siege in time and rather march away than be chac'd away and he should go where he may refresh and recruit and be wise by the examples of those otherwise renown'd Princes and Generals who have obstinately continued Sieges to their irreparable Obstinacy in continuing them loseth Armies loss and danger So did Lautrec a great Captain continue the Siege of Naples fighting against a redoubted and couragious Enemy within the City and a contagious disease which rag'd within the bowels of his own Army which occasion'd first the loss of his own life secondly the ignominious rout Instances and destruction of all his Forces and thirdly the utter undoing of the French Interest in that Kingdom to this very hour So Charles the Fifth a fortunate and waâ—like Emperour and his General the Duke of Alva a renowned Captain continued the Siege of Metz which was