they put not their Battaillons in an inextricable confusion then which an enemie can desire no fairer advantage As to that that the Pikes sould charge at the same time that the Musketeers make readie the originall hath it present their Pikes which the Translator as I observd before renders charge I know not to what purpose Pikes sould either present or charge when the Musketeers are either makeing readie or giving fire unless they be comd within the length of their Pikes of an enemie nor doe I thinke it convenient they sould for it is neither a necessare nor an easie posture for Pikemen to keep their Pikes presented the whole time they are advancing towards an enemie which I suppose both they and the firemen are bound to doe thogh all that while the Musketeers are either making readie or giving fire FRENCH AUTHOR To the right double your ranks in front ranks as you were To the left double your ranks in front ranks as you were To the right double your ranks in the reare ranks as you were To the left double your ranks in the reare ranks as you were Animadversion THis way of doubling ranks mentiond here is done thus The second ranke doubles the first the fourth the third and the sixth doubles the fifth for what use this doubling serves let these tell who are more in love with it then I am Is it necessare and usefull in encounters I trow not nor am I bound to take this Gentlemans word for it But waveing that question I affirme The Author hath committed two grosse errors in this one Paragraph First by mentioning onlie this way of doubling ranks after he had promisd to give us the Exercise of foot in things necessare and usefull he prefers it to any other way of doubling ranks wheras it may be done with more conveniencie and advantage by making either Leaders of halfe files or Bringers up of files to double ranks My reason is because thogh when by the last two ways ranks are doubled the files of these ranks are at a closer distance yet the ranks doubled keepe the same distance they had bot by this way of the Author not onlie files are at a closer distance bot the ranks doubled are at twice as great distance as they were before and so the more unserviceable The truth is the most advantagious way to double ranks is to make the last three halfe files by right and left hand double the three rankes that stand before them Entire or as this Author calls it on the wings for therby you not onlie keepe both your ranks and files at the same distance they were at before their doubling bot also you possesse twice as much ground in front as you did before your doubling His second error is that he orders ranks to double in the reare which must be done thus The first ranke doubles the second the third doubles the fourth and the fifth ranke doubles the sixth Assuredlie then the ranks doubled stand with their faces to the Drill-master bot the ranks doubling turne their backs to him and stand still with their backs to him for against this ridiculous posture the Author hath provided us with no word of command either before or after the doubling Bot to strike home the necessitie of doubling ranks in the reare must needs arise from the news you have of an enemies approach in your reare In this case you will resolve either to leave him or stand and fight him If the first I pray you trifle not away your time in doubling ranks either in front or reare If the second that you mind to fight then I suppose you will face your Battaillon to the reare whether you doe this by a Demy tour which is the best way or by a Countermarch which is not so good or by a halfe conversion which is the worst of the three is not the question here Bot the face of your Battel being changd that which was your reare is your front and what was your front is your reare and consequentlie your Collor's and Officers must change their places and stations If then you thinke it fit that ranks double you may doe it without bidding them double either to front or reare for by what I have said you may see that ranks must all wise double to the front bot never to the reare If you be please to consider this rightlie you will perhaps conclude with me that all the Authors doublings of ranks in the reare either by this may prescriv'd in this section or by Leaders of halfe files or Bringers up of files wherof he speaks in his generall exercise are not onlie needless useless and inconvenient bot redundant to call them no worse FRENCH AUTHOR The whole Bodie take care to Countermarch To the right by ranks Countermarch March halt to the right To the left by ranks Countermarch March Halt to the left Animadversion WHy not a Countermarch by files as well as by ranks The one is as necessare everie bit as the other And if he had said that neither the one nor the other was necessare or yet ordinarlie used in encounters I sould not at all have contradicted him Bot the Author in his generall Exercise speaks of Countermarches by files as well as by ranks So doe some others who write of exercising bot I wish that seeming difference were expunged out of all their Books for it does bot puzle a young Soldier when he hears or reads of two several Countermarches one by files and another by ranks and if his judgement be not subtiler then mine he will never distinguish them And indeed they are bot one thing files cannot countermarch bot ranks must doe it too nor can ranks countermarch bot files must doe it likewise Imagine a regiment of a thousand men drawne in battell on a Field wheron they may march a hundreth in breast That Bodie is drawne up ten deep in file and so there are one hundreth files and ten ranks It were superfluous nay ridiculous for the Colonell of that regiment to bid the ten ranks march or yet the hundreth files march because the one cannot move but the other must move also It is the very same thing in a countermarch And therfor in exercising Officers sould say no more bot To the right or To the left hand Countermarch without mentioning either file or ranke Countermarches in the dayes of old were on some occasions thought usefull till the force of Gun-powder made the performance of them before an enemie dangerous and consequentlie the command for it somthing Impertinent The old Graecians and other nations too made much use of them in their bodies of foot which were sometimes eight very oft sixteene deepe as also in their bodies of Horse which were foure five eight and sometimes ten deepe There were three kinds of those Countermarches The Macedonian The Laconian and the Persian which was also calld the Choraean All these three are still used in our Europaean
AS YOU WERE OR THE NEW FRENCH EXERCISE OF THE INFANTERIE Ballanced with the Old Printed in the Year 1674. PUblike warre one of the effects and salaries of sinne began to show its ouglie face among the sonnes of men not long after the generall Deluge The art used in it then was certainlie rude bot time and Industrie haveing a litle polishd it Militarie Exercise was no doubt one of its products if it was not coetaneous with it We may therfor after so many ages looke for some additions to drilling and training bot not for any new sisteme of Exercising To invent new arts is difficill to adde to them is feasible bot to perfect them not so easie a worke Many things are convenient that are not necessare bot nothing is necessare which is not convenient thogh not at all times and in all places So it is that many motions that were usuall with the Graecians and the Romanes in their exercises of warre have beene thought fit to be retaind in ours which for my owne part I never thought to be necessare in the moderne art of warre and on the other hand some motions frequentlie used and practisd by them wold have beene perhaps both fiting and needfull for us to have Imitated and yet we have totallie neglected them There is sometimes an absolute necessitie to adde to former inventions and thus it was purlie necessare for Tacticks and Masters of the art of warre to adde to former exercises words of command for the Dexterous and comelie handling and mannaging Hand-guns and Harquebuses Carabines Pistols and Muskets all of which acknowledge Gunpouder to be their Mother which foure hundreth yeares agoe was not heard to make any noyse in the world There be likewise many things brought in fashion by curieous wits that serves more for show then for vse and very convenient I thinke it sould be so provided a necessitie of practise be not imposd vpon them For I am none of those who thinke that none of the old customes of warre sould be alterd nor am I one of these severe men who hate all Novelties nay I looke on all these old soldiers as little better then old fooles who will not heare of any new Introductions in the art and discipline of warre for no other reason bot because they never saw them before for by this argument if they had livd three ages agoe they had rejected the whole art of Gunnerie concerning all kinds of great Ordinance and artificiall Fireworkes which suceeded the Machines and Engines of warre used in the days of old Bot notwithstanding of all I have said I am obligd to tell you that more then two yeares agoe I red this French Exercise in its originall and had the very same sentiments of it that I still have these for some particular reasons I publish now which I did not at all intend to doe then I looke vpon it as a very ingenious peece and the birth of a fertile braine yet whether all the severall parts of it be necessare nay whether they be all convenient whether they be all for vse or for show or for both or whether some of them be for neither vse nor show may by these who are not so great lovers of Innovations as to fall out with old customes be both questiond and examind without makeing either schisme in the Church or sedition in the State Each section of this French Exercise that I looke on as singular I shall set doune apart in the Translators words and immediatlie subjoyne an animadversion to it Nor shall I be troubled that my Reader reject all my Observations as impertinent because I know he has as much libertie to adhere to the French Author in all things as I have taken to my self to dissent from him in some things FRENCH AUTHOR The Major takes the Muskers and formes the front of the Battaillon The Adjutant ought to be at the head of the Pikes which he draus up in the same maner in the reare of the Muskets at twentie paces distance if he have ground sufficient Animadversion IF the Major forme onlie the front of the Baitaillon who formes the Reare the wings and the middle of the Battaillon And since this Author exeems the Major from the care of the Pikes I conceave he may with very much case forme the whole Bodie of the Muskereers and perhaps the Author intended it so bot then I say he hath worded it ill in calling it the front of the Battaillon for a Battaillon is a Bodie consisting of severall parts If any say by the front of the Battaillon he means The Musketeers and by the Reare the Pikemen I can not be satisfied with that answere because the Musketeers of a Regiment drawne up in a Bodie by themselvs make a Battaillon apart and so doe the Pikemen another Battaillon each wherof hath a front and a reare till they be joynd in one Bodie and then they make indeed bot one Battaillon In the nixt place I say An Ayde Major or Regiment Adjutant is not to be found everie where thogh the French have him neither is his Office or his helpe either so requisite or so necessare in the marshalling a Battaillon as this section of the exercise seems to import I am so charitable as to beleeve that there is none of the Field Officers of a Regiment Colonell Lieurenant Colonell or Major bot may forme and draw vp a Regiment or Battaillon without helpe if they doe bot indifferentlie understand their charges and if any of themselvs be askd the question I presume nothing bot modestie will move them to contradict me FRENCH AUTHOR No Companie shall enter into the Field bot in its order and six deepe in file Animadversion SIr you say well sixe deepe in file in regard it hath beene appointed to be so of a long time by two of the most Christian Kings for thogh the French be liberall enough to lend fashions to other nations yet they have beene content to borrow this from a colder Climate then their owne But since ten deepe was the custome of old and sixe deepe is now the custome how come you to introduce an exercise that can neither be performd by the one nor the other Doe not you heerby reflect on all these famous Generalls both of your owne other nations who by makeing their Infanterie either ten or sixe deepe bard entrance to this Quarter file exercise of yours which you now bring with so much pompe vpon the stage For my part I think if ever any fancy of it enterd their heads they have lookd on the Theorie therof as losse of time and the practise of it as pure fopperie Nay who knows bot some of them have thought that to draw up a Battaillon sixteene deepe and exercise it by halfe Quarter files might be a suteable object of an Idle mans speculation But assuredlie never one of them conceavd it to be either necessare or convenient for this toy of yours to
Muskets by the left hand Demiranke the whole Pikes to the right hand and the Demiranke of the Muskets to the left hand that so by the word of command March they may interchargablie take vp one anothers place for so I vnderstand the Author when he says It sera saire a scavoir l'Aide Major a gauche au Demirang de lagauche des Mouquets an droict aux Picques The Adjutant says he shall make the left Demiranke of the Muskets face to the left and the whole Pikes to the right and then by a command march c. But let the translation be as it will To the thing it selfe I say that in forming a Battaillon consisting of two wings of Musketeers and one Bodie of Pikes any of the ordinare ways vsed formerlie seemes to me as formall more easie as the way prescrivd by this French Author And when the Major hath drawne the Musketeers in one Bodie And the Adjutant the Pikemen in another twentie paces behind the muskets according to the Anthors direction I shall by his permission say the Pikes may joyne the Battaillon of muskets with seuer words of command in a shorter time and with lesse trouble and embarras then by the way mentiond by the Author I say with fewer words of command thus The Author will have the Pikes to march in foure severall Divisions for so I vnderstand his quarter rankes and this requires foure severall words of command for to everie quarter ranke he must say march When the Pikes have marchd to the left hand of the muskets for there the Author will needs have them to be They must face to the right hand and that requires the fifth word of command Immediatlie after the halfe of the muskets must be orderd to face to the left hand and that is the sixth word of command Then the halfe Bodie of muskets and the whole Bodie of pikes must march or rather countermarch to take vp enterchangeablie one anothers ground that is the seventh word And lastlie when muskets and pikes have changd their grounds they must be orderd to face as they were and that will be the eight word of command Bot I say foure words may serve the turne first let the halfe ranks of muskets face to the left hand that is one nixt let that halfe ranke of muskets march till there be a competent Intervall made betueene it and the other Demiranke of muskets to receave the pikes that is the second word thirdlie order the pikes to march all in one entire Bodie from the reare and take vp that Intervall that will be the third word of command lastlie cause the forsaid Demiranke of muskets face as it was and that is the fourth word of command and then your Battaillon is formd without more words Secondlie I say in a shorter time as thus To march in a whole bodie is a worke of quicker dispatch by three parts of foure then to march in foure severall Bodies or quarter ranks as the Author orders the pikes to doe before they joyne the musketeers Secondlie a bodie greater or smaller will twice as soon march twenty paces in a straight and parallel line then fortie perhaps fiftie in an oblique or croocked line as these pikes must doe which stand twentie paces behind the Battaillon of muskets and must march to the left hand of them Now the Author in this section says without loosing time therfor it is that I propose a way that looseth lesse time then this way of his Thirdlie I say The Battaillon of muskets standing in one Bodie and the pikes in another twentie paces behind the other as the Author appointeth them to be The pikes may be receavd in the middle of the Battaillon of muskets with much lesse trouble and embarras then by the way prescrivd by the Author thus Let the Demirank of the Battaillon of muskets face and march to the left hand leaving the right Demirank standing firme and so make an Intervall this is done without any embarras at all nixt let the whole Bodie of the Pikes advance at one time and take up that intervall and this is likewise done without any embarras Thirdlie the Demirank of muskets which did face and march to the left hand being commanded to face as they were doe it also without any embarras at all Bot when the Pikes that stand on the left hand of the whole Battaillon of muskets and the left Demirank of the muskets are orderd to face one to another and then by a Countermarch to take up one anothers ground there will be some shouldering some justling and some clashing of armes even among the best trained Soldiers and that I call Embarras The French Kings Officers are obliged by this Section to marshall their Regiments according to its prescriptions and no other way Bot these Officers Drill-masters who receave no French pay may try either this way of the Author or the good old way or a third if they please and then retaine any of them they find most convenient for themselves and most easie for their Soldiers Lastlie This Author requires a Sergant to be at the wing of each Division to prevent their falsifying Observe here that a Regiment standing in Battel there are two divisions of muskets and one of pikes Two Sergants being required to attend each division will be sixe that are appointed for that dutie In my observation upon the nixt section we shall see how the rest of the Sergants are disposed of FRENCH AUTHOR When a Battaillon is formed the first Lieutenant shall stand in the reare of the first division of muskets and the last in the reare of the last division an Ensigney in the reare of the Pikes with one half of the Sergants to hinder the Souldiers from dispersing or breaking their ranks Animadversion I Never had so strong a conceit of the usefulness of a Lieutenant in a Companie or a Lieutenant Collonel in a Regiment that I need care where this French Gentleman place the Lieutenants whether with the Pikes or the Muskets In the front or the reare nor should I be much troubled if in imitation of a wise and a warlike Nation he should banish them for ever out of all his Battaillons Bot indeed I am astonished to fee him make Lieutenants Ubiquitaries for in the sixth section of the way to forme a Battaillon as I have observed he appoints the Lieutenants to be in the reare of the pikes if there be Ensigneys and in the front of the pikes if there be no Ensigneys and consequentlie still with the pikes either in front or reare whether there be Ensigneys or not Now in this section which I last cited he orders one of the Lieutenants to be in the reare of the first division of muskets and another Lieutenant to be in the reare of the second division of muskets Can two Lieutenants be with the muskets if all the Lieutenants be with the pikes unless a Lieutenant can be in two places at