Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	face_n	left_a	right_n	4,099	5	9.2282	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75685	As you vvere, or the new French exercise of the infanterie ballanced with the old.		1674 (1674)	Wing A3917A; ESTC R223521	29,647	34

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

one time If it be said the Lieutenants are to be with the pikes when the Battaillon is forming bot when it is formed they may be otherwise disposed of to shun contest I am content to be so charitable though I see no reason for it to beleeve the Author meant so bot then I say why takes he so much notice of the first and last Lieutenants and tells us nothing where the rest of them shall have their stations whether still with the pikes which most probablie he meanes or some more of them then two with the muskets which most rationallie he sould have meant or that he leaves the rest except these two to be individua vaga to wander where they please And indeed though he doe so with all of them I am sure I shall not fall out with him for the matter In the nixt place I desire it may be rememberd that in the eight section of the way to forme Battaillons the Author requires a Sergant to be at the wing of each division which in my animadversion on that section I reckond to be sixe in this section he requires the halfe of the Sergants to be with an Ensigney in the reare of the Pikes Now let us suppose there be in one Regiment ten Companies these have twentie Sergants allowd them of these the Author takes the halfe to wit ten and placeth them in the reare of the Pikes and sixe on the wings of three Divisions this is in all sixe teene there remaines then bot foure of the twentie to attend the reare of the Musketeers which being twice as numerous as the Pikes makes this Division of the stations of Sergants very disproportionable Sergants formerlie were obliged onlie to attend the wings Bot if the Author doth allow as he doth Sergants to be in the reare as well as on the wings I shall agree with him for I have oft wonderd why so necessare an Officer as a Sergant sould be pind to the flanks as I have seene too oft practisd Bot I will still dissent from him in allowing so many Sergants for the reare of the Pikes and so few for the reare of the Muskets till he make it appeare that Pikemen may break their ranks bot Musketeers cannot FRENCH AUTHOR The Drums shall be placed on the right hand and the left Animadversion IF he meane on the right and left hands of the whole Battaillon or Regiment I would gladlie know what they sould doe there I sould thinke it most consonant to reason not to speake of practise that when a Battaillon Brigad or Regiment is formd everie Officer among whom Drummers ordinarlie are reckond sould have his station assignd him in that place where he can doe best service whether they be to fight or to march Bot to what use Drums shall serve either on the right or left hands of the whole Battaillon and in no other place when they are either to fight or to march is a thing not so easilie understood Bot if the Author meane that Drums shall be placed on the right hand and the left onlie so long as the Battaillon is Exercising I say he was obliged to tell us at what distance on the right and left hand the Drums sould have their stations for I am sure The French Drill-masters will confesse that there be some motions of Exercise which will not suffer either Drummers or other people to be within a great distance of either right or left hand of the whole Battaillon As when halfe files are commanded either by halfe File-leaders or Bringers up of whole files to double the front of the Battaillon Entire or to the right and left hand by Division when this word of command is obeyd the Battaillon possesseth in front twice as much ground as it did before bot these halfe files can not performe this till they chace the Drums a great way from both the right and left wings of the Battaillon Bot before I part with this head of forming a Battaillon I shall take leave to say that I conceave The Author hath not said so much on it as he might at least not so much as he sould and consequentlie that his rules concerning it are Defective and because I am obliged to give reasons for my opinion I offer these first he hath not told us what Companie sould have the precedencie of another that is where the Lieutenant Collonels Musketeers and Pikes sould stand for I suppose he allows the Collonels the right hand where the Majors where the oldest Captaines where the youngest and where the rest that everie one of them may have their due according to their prioritie This is a point wherin there is neither custome nor law of warre universallie observed it being variable according to the pleasure of the Prince or State who wageth the warre or of their Generalls who mannageth it Secondlie he has not assignd to everie Officer belonging to the Battaillon their proper stations for thogh it may be soone knowne where the Officers of a private Companie fould stand so long as it is a Companie apart yet when the several Companies are incorporated in one Bodie the stations of the Officers are sensible changed as any who never saw a Battaillon bot in paper may easilie understand All he hath done in this so necessare a point is to tell us where the Ensigneys Sergants and Drums and the Lieutenants sould be and that in so confusd and unintelligible a way as I have demonstrated that he might better have said no more of them then he hath done of the Captaines and the three Field Officers Nor doe I imagine any man will be so litle the Authors friend as to say he needed not speake of these two points because they are knowne in the French Armies for by that reason he might have held his peace of very many things mentiond by him in his Booke which were not onlie knowne in France bot in most places of Christendome long before his Grand-father was borne To support these reasons given for my opinion I shall say further that a Battaillon Regiment or Brigad or give it what name else you please is formd for one of foure reasons These are either to be lookd upon and viewd by a Prince a General or some great Personage or to fight or to march or to Exercise In the first case it is very proper and convenient that everie Companie be placed according to its prioritie and everie Officer have his station assignd him according to his Dignitie In the three last cases those two points are not onlie convenient bot purlie necessare And therfor I conclude a Battaillon is not formd or not formd as it sould be where any of these two things are either omitted or forgot The Author haveing with many niceties formd his Battaillon as you have seene proceeds thus FRENCH AUTHOR The Generall Exercise for the Infanterie After haveing drawne the Regiment into Battailla they draw out the files of Halberdeers which are