are commaunded and onely to see those that follow them where they march to do their dueties which consent vnlesse it be obserued these inconueniences will ensue By contrarie commaundements there will fall out confusion and contention and many captaines lieutenants and serieants will walke out of order and much time will be spent in setting of men in their places which euery souldier ought to doe of himselfe The great ordonance being parted betwixt the vantgard battell and rereward sometime is drawen in head of the a So was it at the battell of Moncontour and in the battell betwixt the Conte Egmont and Thermes by Graueling pikes of euerie battell but for that it must needes trouble those that would march on to fight with the enemie farre better it were if all the great ordonance were drawen on the sides of the vantgard as oft as the enemie made shew of charge and then drawen vpon some hill or some other place of aduauntage In the field it doeth more trouble then seruice the effectes of it is but noyse and foolerie onelie that small townes should not make resistance it is drawen along and also for the vse that it hath in sieges and batteries Concerning the baggage and those seruants and boyes that attend vpon the same and such as follow the armie as merchants or victualers rather to gaine then to fight this rule is generally to be obserued that the same be placed betweene the bataillions so that in a charge the same may best be defended and yet not trouble the araie of the armie The same is to be placed where there is least danger The Greekes returning from the battell betwixt Cyrus b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. exped Cyr. 2. and Artaxerxes being coasted and pursued by the enemie placed their cariages neere the riuer along which they marched and their armed men toward the enemie Caesar marching a Caes bel gal 2. against the Neruians after three partes of foure of his whole forces placed his baggage being garded with the other fourth part following behind At other times when there was lesse suspition of the enemie euery legion marched by it selfe and the baggage thereof after b Praecedunt cohortes sequitur prima legio medijs impedimentis sinistrum latus 19. legio c. Tacit. 2. Germanicus after certaine chosen troupes placed the first regiment or legion and after that hee caused the baggage to follow garded on either side and behind with the rest of the armie If our baggage and impediments be great so much as may be spared is to be left in some strong towne Or if the enemie bee behind The c Caes de bel ciu 3. baggage togither with our hurt men is to bee sent before into some place of safetie as Caesar practised in his retraite from Dyrrhachium This is the common course which is I thinke also best for an armie to vse in marching But if the enemie make countenance or rather doe begin to charge any part of the same then that part which is neerest him is to be made the head or vantgard the other two parts of the armie are to be drawen the one on the right hand the other on the left If the enemie come on front then the rankes of the auantgard are to bee doubled or multiplied according to the capacitie of the ground The battell and rierward are to be drawen vp the one toward the left hand the other toward the right or els one part is to bee drawen vp vntill the same bee equall of front with the auantgard and the other beyng deuided into battaillions to serue for supplie where neede is The shot is to bee placed part in front and the rest on the sides and without them ought horsemen to take their standing expecting their aduauntage and the commaundement of their leaders But if our horsemen bee few and not able to match the enemies cauallerie let them not bee to farre aduaunced vnlesse they bee seconded with shot and halfe pikes armed à le legiere but rather let them bee reserued to chase the enemie beyng foyled by the footemen and placed betweene either ground of aduauntage or battaillions of pikes And this if it be done of those that haue skill ye shall neither heare noise nor see confusion nor time spent about it The souldiers of Caesar beyng suddenly charged by the d Caes de bel gal 2. Neruians as they were newlie come to their lodging did euerie man presently set himselfe in aray to fight And Annibal had so taught his souldiers that euery one issuing out of his lodging coulde fall in aray of himselfe either being ready to fight or to marche And why might not our souldiers also be so instructed and exercised that they might doe the like but some want care some skill and some both Some percase will aske Who gaue me auctoritie to prescribe which are very simple not to see that I prescribe nothing of mine owne but onely declare the auncient practise of warre and proceeding of most famous warriers The Romanes vsed this course and so did the Greekes and Carthaginians First marched the light horse then the light armed after them the armed men The baggage was placed in the midst of the armie This order did Caesar oserue in his marche against the a Caes bel gal 1. Heluetians b Caes Bel. gal 2. Belgians and in c Caes bel Ciu. 1. Spaine against Afranius and Petreius The same did d Liui. 21. Annibal practise in his marching all along Italy The same course for the most part is obserued of those that haue skill in our times but that the differences of groundes and diuers conditions of mens armies make them alter some circumstances Metellus e Metellus cum expeditis cohortibus item funditorum sagittaâ—iorum lecta manu apud primos erat in postremo C. Marius cum equitibus curabat in vtruÌ„que latus auxiliarios equites permistos velites dispertiuerat Salust bel Iugurth marching against Iugurtha placed first certaine choise companies of slingers and archers and after them troupes of armed men without impediments or baggage there himselfe commaunded C. Marius folowed with the horsemen vpon both sides he placed horsemen and light armed of his associats mingled among them guided by certaine captaines of horse the legions marched in the midst Xenophon for that a square battaile in straites is easily disordered did deuide the square into f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph exped Cyr. 3. companies which knowing their places in the square marched few in a ranke in straits and in open ground came into their aray againe His horse and slingers he cast out on the front and sides Corbulo so g Corbulo viae pariter pugnae composuerat exercitum latere dextro 3 legio sinistro 6 incedebat medijs decumanorum delectis recepta inter ordines impedimenta teâ—gum mille equites tuebantur in coâ—nibus pedes sagittaâ—ius câ—tera manus
number and the ground where they stand As the front is diuided so likewise is the supply and last hope in like sort The supply would be neere so many as the front but it is sufficient if the last hope be halfe so many The distances of the supply would be greater then of the battaillions in front which charging the enemy are to ioyne close together and being wearied may retire within the distances of the supply which two partes ioyned together do then make one front if both be foiled then are they to be receiued within the distances of the last hope which are largest and all the partes to vnite their whole forces together If any doubt of the confusion that may arise in the retiring of the first and second battell backe to the third then may the supply and last hope be drawen vp vpon the sides which will worke the very same effects In the midst of euery battaillion or square somewhat toward the first rankes would the ensignes be placed with their garders well armed and furnished with short weapons Euery battaillion would haue his seuerall leader which would be the first man of the right hand in the first ranke of the square for that the inferior leaders in a maine battell should stand out of ranke is contrary to practise of warres If in euery battaillion there were some part targetters contrary to the moderne vse there might be good vse made of them when the armies come to ioyne both against shot and pikes a Ante signa modico interuallo velites eunt Liu. 38. Before the front of the battell are certeine troupes of shot to take their standing which may not onely defend the head of our army but also anoy whosoeuer offereth himselfe to the charge If they be pressed with horsemen or targetters their retreit is within the distances of the battaillions if the ground affoord them no other defence From thence they are to be drawen eftsoone againe and employed where theyr leaders shall perceiue they may doe most seruice A ranke of mosquetiers vnder the first ranke of pikes may doe good seruice if they be drawen into the distances when the enemy commeth to the charge The horsemen if they be not strong enough to encounter the enemies horse would be seconded with certeine troupes of shot and halfe pikes but diligently are they to take heed that they goe not directly before the front of their owne footmen lest retiring thence they fall vpon their owne pikes The great ordonance if there be any hill in the place either on the right hand or left hand of the army is there best placed both for seeing of the enemy and for feare of disordering our men either going to the charge or retiring backe If the ground be euen it is placed in the head of our army a little before our troupes of shot which after the same is discharged auance themselues while that is drawen within the distances either of the battaillions or of the midbattell and corners For defence of the artillery there are good gardes to be appointed wheresoeuer it standeth If this order cannot be obserued yet this rule is generally to be respected that euery weapon and souldier is there to be placed where he may most anoy the enemy and best defend himselfe The partes are so to be placed that one may succour another and one retire to another Horsemen may not come within the ground of the footmen nor shot within the rankes of pikes but both either on the sides or behinde the battaillions He is most iudicious that can bring most men to fight and stop the way to the enemy that he can not extend his men to hurt him There is no company to be sent forth to ioyne with the enemy but with some to relieue them againe and againe and to receiue them retiring and stop the enemies pursute Horsemen may not charge pikes nor come in ground where they cannot fetch their carriere Other rules in their speciall places shall be prescribed Shot in marching and standing obserue order The distances before I haue shewed In fighting they obserue no order but euery man marking his enemy right before him and shooting at him taketh his best aduantage yet if they obserue not a certeine course where the shot are many they soone fall in disorder Archers for that they shoot and fight standing in ranke obserue better aray their distance from shoulder to shoulder is one foot from ranke to ranke foure foot Some now a dayes doe little esteeme this weapon yet if our archers were armed with plated iackes as in time past neither shotte could abide them in euen ground nor pikes without shotte Against horsemen where they may finde defence of hedges or ditches or stakes or rough ground they do very good seruice Pikemen against a charge of horsemen ought to stand close with the blunt end of the pike in the ground the poynt bent vpon the horse brest Ranke from ranke standeth not more then three foot asunder that many endes of pikes may garde the first ranke That the pikes may be commodiously bent and crossed the first rankes are to bow theyr bodies that they may the better breake the charge of the enemies horse before them they are to haue a ranke of mosquetiers as hath bene said already Where the pikemen go to charge other pikes betweene shoulder and shoulder there would be a foot distance betwixt ranke and ranke so much as charging with the pikes aboue hand and breaking the same they may vse theyr swordes and daggers and either in striking auance forward theyr right legges or els receiuing the enemies blowes draw backe the same Sixe foot I thinke for that purpose to be sufficient The halberdieres bilmen and targetters would haue likewise betwixt shoulder and shoulder one foot betwixt ranke and ranke fiue foot In pikes and short weapons this is generally to be obserued that they stand as close together as may be so they may haue roome to manage themselues and their weapons the lesse roome may serue considering that I would haue all souldiers to strike with the point of their weapon and euery man to succour his fellowes before him and on the sides The horsemen go to the shocke with equall front so neere as they can and runne so close side by side as they may without hurt ech to other If horse be distant from horse two foot and ranke from ranke seuen foot when horsemen goe trotting to the charge the proportion is good The aray of the Frenchmen that charge with single rankes is of no strength neither the orders of the Reiters that goe to the charge in a ring for so soone as they are inuested with lances they are broken and therefore I thinke the former aray better as vsed both by antiquity and the Italian and English caualery which giueth ground at this day to no other The ancient leaders of time past which for their skill in armes are famous to
passe it f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. Clearchus seeing his souldiers faint and hungrie would not charge the enemie albeit good occasion was offered The prince of Conde bringing his men that had watched for the most part all the night into the field before Saint Denis anno 1567. found what faintnesse watching worketh Asdrubal being charged at Metaurus when his owne souldiers were wearie and sleepie by the reason of his nights march and his enemies fresh and lustie was ouerthrowen with a mightie slaughter The g Sitis calor hiantes caedendos capiendósque Gallos praebebat Liu. 27. Gaules gaping for thirst and heate and being wearied with trauell and watching were slaine or taken Puigalliard in these late troubles of France causing his troupes to march continually two dayes and two nights thinking by his speed to surprise the Protestants at S. h Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 13. Gemme was himselfe the cause that his men were cut in pieces by la None not being able for want of sleepe and rest to doe any seruice But least cause hath he to venture whose souldiers stand in feare of the enemies forces Caesar therefore would not begin his iourney against a Caes bel Gal. â— Ariouistus and the Germanes before he had resolued his men that stoode in feare of them to fight And hauing had euill successe in one or two encounters at Dyrrhachium which much dismated his souldiers he remooued from thence and would not fight vntill such time as his souldiers were confirmed He that doubteth any such thing in his men is first to confirme them with hope and report of their former valiant actions and with declaration of the enemies wantes and weakenes and disaduantages he is to encourage them with promises and hope of rewarde to feare them with shame and plainely to declare vnto them that there in no hope but in victorie and therefore that if not for their honour yet for b Virture pares necessiâ—ate superiores Liu. 21. sauing of themselues they ought to fight valiantly Necessitie c Nusquam nisi in virtute spes est milites Liu. 34. enforceth men to fight and the example of their Commanders ready to abide with them in all danger maketh them ashamed to flie Much did it encourage Caesars souldiers when they sawe him in the battell against the Heluetians put his horse from him ready to take the common hazard with them and a very coward he is that neither with persuasion nor example will be encouraged The souldiers for their persons strength and courage being such as they should be the next consideration of a Generall that purposeth to fight is that they haue their armes fitted and all baggage and impediments that may hinder them remooued Alexander before he fought with d Plutarch Darius forgat not so much as to giue order that the haire of his souldiers heades and beardes should be cut lest the enemie might take holde by it Small matters you will say but in this not the smallest matters are to be contemned But yet nothing is more to be respected then the ground where thou purposest to abide the enemie There is great aduantages in hedges ditches and the higher ground Caesars e Milites e loco superiore pilis missis facile hostium phalangem perfregerunt Caes bel Gal. 1. souldiers throwing their iauelins from the higher ground and following the same did easily breake the rankes of their enemies troupes f Pharnaces aduersus collem subiens detruditur vincitur Hirt. de bel Alexandr Pharnaces leading his men against the hill where Caesars armie stoode ranged was presently thrust downe and vanquished Caesar wondered at his rashnes The enemie hauing seased a hill by Rome the Consul g Temerè aduerso Ianiculo Seruilius ad castra hostium aciem erexit soedéque inde pulsus est sed interuentu collegae ipse exercitusque seruatus est Liu. 2. Seruilius mooued with the indignitie of it did rashly cause his troupes to march vp the hill against him which aduantage the enemie taking had ouerthrowne him and his armie had not his Collegue come in the instant and fauoured his retraite Marius a Plutarch in vita Marij ouerthrewe the Germanes and Danes more easily taking them mounting vp the higher ground Certeine of the Admirall of France his companies foolishly striuing to winne the hill neere the plaines of S. b Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 9. Clere were driuen backe with losse and had vtterly bene defeated if the Almanes belowe had not kept their ground and arrested the formost of the enemies that pursued them A smal c Exiguum loci ad decliuitatem fastigium magnum habet momentum Caes bel Gal. 7. aduantage in the vneauennes of the ground is much saith Caesar in the furthering of the victorie At Auaricum albeit he had the victorie in his handes and had foiled the enemie yet would he not followe them up the hill for feare of the discommoditie of the ground At Gergouia he lost many braue souldiers that contrary to his commandement would needes pursue the enemie vp the hill him selfe was neuer in greater danger to loose the fielde then at Munda in Spaine which happened by the forwardnes of his men that needes would d Hirt. de bel Hispanic charge the enemie standing on the higher ground That care that a Generall hath in the first charge of the enemie the same he ought also to continue in the pursuite of his victorie that his men descend not downe into the lower ground nor be too eger following them vp the hill The e Romanus cedentem hostem effuse sequendo in locum iniquum pertractus acie fusus Liu. 6. Romanes following the enemie without order and being drawne into a lowe valley were discomfited and slaine the enemie turning backe vpon them The Corinthians not looking before them in their retraite fell into a f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hollowe bottome of ground which the Athenians perceiuing and that there was no issue out compassed them round about with their light armed and slingers and stoned them all to death The Romanes entring the straite of Caudium were entrapped by the Samnites Annibal g Liu. 21. susteined many losses by the people of the mountaines that tooke the toppes of the hilles and rolled downe stones vpon his souldiers marching along the sides of the hilles Which difficulties h Xenoph. exped Cyr. 4. Xenophon also prooued in passing the mountaines of the Carduchians All difficulties which hinder the armie in marching as woods hilles straites riuers and such like are farre more dangerous if they be obiected against vs in fighting And therefore let the Generall take heede that he be not charged in passing of riuers or straites or at any like disaduantage Further let him diligently view and search the Countrey that the enemy haue not bestowed some part of his army in some wood or beyond some hil behinde or
as Caesar practised first against the a Caes bel Gal. 1. Heluetians then against the b Caes bel Gal. 2. Aduaticans and lastly against Petreius his c Caes bel ciu 1. armie in Spaine By which meanes he ouertooke those that were farre before him But this hath vse where we are stronger then the enemie in horse Howe many horsemen or shot or pikes or targets and other weapons shall march in a ranke I referre to the iudgement of a good Sergiant maior according to the bredth of the waies and approches of the enemie The more doe march in a ranke the lesse paine he shall haue to set them in order when he would place them in order of battell and the stronger the aray is d Guicciar lib. 9. Ten thousand Switzers in Lombardy in the warres betwixt the Spaniards and French marched foure score in a ranke harde by the French armie which seeing their resolution durst not charge them The same course is to be taken in the aray of the battell and arierward marching saue that these two partes following without any great distance betweene neede not light horsemen or auantcoureurs especially where the enemie is before Neither haue they such vse of shot or horsemen as the auantgard where they are vsed for supplies rather then to fight in front In the placing of horsemen footemen in sorting and employing of diuers weapons so that euery sort may doe best seruice consisteth the speciall iudgement of a wise leader For therein are infinite differences according to the diuers strength of the enemie and our owne forces and likewise according to the diuersities of grounds and times Yet commonly in marching this order is obserued first the light-horse seconded if need be with shot and targetters especially where the country is rough and wooddie serue for auantcoureurs Caliuers and musquetiers are not onely to march on the front but also on the sides and backe of the armed men Lances and men of armes are ranged the outmost on the sides for the most part Next to the shot march the pikes of that part of the armie these would bee rāged rather in battaillions according to the fashion of the Romans that the shot and other light armed men might saue themselues and againe make head within the distances then all in one front ioyned togither But this is where the plainnesse of the ground will giue leaue In euery battaillion the ensignes are to bee placed somewhat toward the first rankes garded with good store of targetters and halberds well armed In placing and sorting of weapons the Generall is to consider that the charge of horsemen against shot and targetters is mortall if they be not either garded with pikes or haue the vantage of ditches or hedges or woods where they cannot reach them In which case the shot gauleth the horse if they come within the leuell of the piece Shot and targetters against pikes worke good effects pikes ioined close and standing firme togither doe breake the carriere of horsemen especially where they haue their musquetiers placed neere by them Archers where they haue a defense before them doe good seruice in the field against horsemen These things let the General haue so in mind that he may rather take the aduantage of weapons in the encounter then giue it to the enemie In marching the distances of euery ranke from ranke and of euery souldier from his companion by him are greater then whē they stand ranged in battell readie to fight It skilleth not much what the distance be so they may beare their weapons commodiously march seemelie yet that euery man might know what distance is sufficient what is most seemly it were good that one rule were obserued Shot although in fighting they obserue rather a course then aray and are to stirre vp and downe to espie where they may hit the enemie yet that they may with more ease and speed bee drawen to seruice are to march in distance from ranke to ranke fiue or sixe foote from shoulder to shoulder one foote or a foote and a halfe Argoletiers or Pistoliers in march from horse to horse on the side are distant two foote from ranke to ranke a yarde and a halfe or thereabout The Lancier without bardes rideth in the same distance Pikemen from their fellowes side by them are distant a foote and a halfe or two foote from the pikemen behind and before by reason of the length of their pikes twelue foote Their march to their corps de gard when they hold their pikes vpright which the Italian calleth inalborar is out of this rule Of their distances in charging or receiuing the charge of horse or foote wee shall speake when we come to the place Halbardiers march a foote and a halfe from shoulder to shoulder and seuen foote from ranke to ranke The targetter may obserue the same distance from shoulder to shoulder but hee needeth not such distance from ranke to ranke The Generall as he hath the commandement so he ought to haue the care of all and therefore ought to be in all places But because he cannot bee in all places at one time therefore doeth the practise of warre require that he assigne the guiding of his three battaillions to three of his chiefe officers and commaunders that are men of iudgement and experience to see and commaund in his absence all men in their battaillion to march in order Himselfe may march with the battell vnlesse for some cause it shall please him to march in the vantgard or arierward The Romanes ouer euery legion or regiment of fiue or sixe thousand placed a principall commaunder they called him Legatum the same was of the Generals counsell and in his absence one of his lieutenants Euerie seuerall troupe of horsemen are to haue their seuerall commaunders and euery compaine of shot likewise All which ought to be obedient to the Generall of the horse or Colonell of the footemen which know the Generals counsell The seuerall troupes also of armed men are to haue their seuerall commaunders prouided alwayes that no one companie haue more then one commaunder for auoiding of confusion and that euery of these hearken to their superiours which vnder the Generall haue the chiefe gouernement of euery battaillion The Serieant maior and corporals of the field his officers are to acquaint euery commaunder with the Generals direction which the same is to execute These are therefore suffered to goe vp and downe to see things in order For others it is not good they should leaue their araie unlesse it bee for necessarie causes as sickenesse the necessities of nature and such like The commaunders of euery troupe are to march in the head of their troupes their lieutenants behind the same All other colonels captaines lieutenants and serieants are to keepe their ranke and araie wherein they shall be placed For although ouer their priuate companies when they are single they commaund yet in the armie vnited togither they
vse of them Pikes and horsemen of which the French make such reckoning are but for plaine ground and for some few vses shot can doe nothing in the crowde for that they want defensiue armes onely targettiers armed haue this priuiledge that in all places and at all times they may be employed of iudicious leaders The Romanes with their great targets and swordes and iauelins which they called Pila subdued the worlde Other armes as corsalets and iackets plated and morions were common to others these were proper to the Romanes and those that folowed their vse of warres a Germani genere pugnae armorum superabantur Tac. 2. The aduantage of their armes experience prooueth to haue beene great The Germanes excelled them in strength of bodie and stature the b Britanni ingētibus gladiis breuibus cetris à scutatis Agricolae caeduntur Tacit. in vit Agric. Brytaines Gaules and Spaniards were superior to them in number and equall in courage but in their furniture and armes and manner of fight they were inferior All Romane souldiers both on horse and foote for the most part vsed a kinde of targets But the light armed wanted maled iackets and had lighter targets as not onely appeareth by their images in marble yet to be seene at Rome but also in their c Hic miles tripedalem parmā habet in dextra hastas quibus eminus vtitur Hispaniensi gladio est cinctus quod si pede collato pugnandum est translatis in laeuam hastis gladium stringit Liu. 38. 31. histories So would I haue our targetters some armed with light corsalets and morions heauy targets other onelie with light targets plated doublets sufficiēt to beare the thrust of a sword And if thereto some had short halfe pikes also the same woulde bee effectuall to throwe at footemen and good to stand against horsemen Halberds and blacke billes pertisans borespeares and pollaxes and all such like weapons to be vsed in hand haue one and the same vse with swordes and targets But neither are the men that vse them so well defended against shot and pikes nor is that sort of weapon so effectuall If the enemy giue ground they are proper for execution and may be employed in open field in straites in woodes in assaultes sallies and many seruices Their armes are eyther corsalets and gorgerons or plated doublets or iackes with skirts for defence of the thighes and morrions on their heades The Romanes vsed few of these weapons The Dutch place diuers rankes of them among their pikes and commonly they are planted by the ensignes The shot is diuided into mosquetters caliuers and archers The vse of shot is diuers In open field therewith wee defend our pikes and with the same offend the enemies pikes Where the same hath a defence against the force of horsemen it is verie profitably employed against them In the defence of a towne forte or passage it is excellent Likewise for the assailantes therewith to cleare the walles while their armed men mount by breach or by scale But the same must take heede of the force of the horse and charge of armed men which without defence of pikes or other naturall wall or banke the same cannot sustaine The force of shot is greater in skirmish then in set battelles For shot if they bee driuen to stand thicke haue no vse As the vnprofitable number of shot at the battell of Moncontour and Dreux and other incounters in the late warres of France declare sufficiently As oft as the enemies shot make coūtenance to charge our armed men so oft must our shot encounter them and driuing away the enemies shot are mortall if they strike right thicke among the enemies pikes For pikes against shot arrowes being heauy armed haue no defence As the disastre of the a Thucid. 4. Lacedemonians at Pylos of the Romanes at b Liu. 24. Trebia of the c Thucid. 3. Athenians compassed by the light armed Aetolians of Titurius Sabinus and his d Caes bel gal 5. company at Vatuca of the Almanes at e Histoir de troubl de Fr. Moncontour where heauie armed men destitute of shot and light armed were compassed about and slaine by shot archers and slingars doth declare In rainie weather they cannot doe almost anie seruice Yet some say that at Rocheabeille firelockes did I know not what seruice in the raine But neither in raine nor out of raine are shot assured against horse or targets or armed men but where they haue a defence and retrait So that I maruell what the French meane to bring into the field so many shot and so few armed men At the incounter of Rocheabeille the Protestants had 14000. shot and f De long bois peu ou point Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 7. scarce anie pikes But percase they could not otherwise do Archers in assaults and defence of townes cannot do like seruice to mosquetiers and caliuers For neyther can they hit so right nor so mortally In pight fields I thinke them nothing inferiour to them For being armed with iackes as they shoulde bee when they come to gripes they driue the shot to his feete and shooting manie rankes one ouer an others head twelue arrowes shall fall before one boullet For onely the first rankes of shot discharge vnlesse they meane to pierce their fellowes Nowe then that the shot are disarmed and archers armed who seeth not that two thousand archers in open field may preuaile against three thousand shot especially seeing as archers may keepe ranke and not shot and archers may fight standing thicke but shot cannot file their rankes if they stand thick Archers therefore in open field may be employed against shot and likewise against horsemen and pikes But if against horsemen they must haue a defence of stakes or trenches or pikes And likewise dealing against armed men they had neede to haue a front of armed men The archers at Agincourt field and at manie other battelles haue made the name of this nation famous for the seruice they did against the enemie But then they had a defence of stakes and trenches a Xenoph. Cyr. paed 2. Cyrus in his array placed behinde euerie dozen rankes of armed men certaine archers by which deuise when his enemies came to ioyne battell with him hee preuailed against them not being able to abide the arrowes that comming ouer the formost rankes light in their faces and other bare places And therefore whatsoeuer some say of the vse of bowes and arrowes which they haue not seene tried I woulde that among others our Generalles that goe in seruice into other countries woulde also employ some archers Great artillery against troupes standing thicke and in euen ground worketh great effectes But in other places and against men ranged otherwise the sound is greater then the hurte At Moncontour the Kings ordonance beating among the horsemen ranged hedge-wise did not in twentie shot hit once Neither
midst of the cortine cannot easily beforced if it be wel defended Whether it be better to haue fiue or sixe or more bulwarkes about one towne or forteresse it is hard to determine for if the cortine be made right and of a reasonable length and the bulwarkes bee so placed that one may entresuccour another how many corners soeuer the forteresse is the same is good Onely forteresses of foure corners and bulwarks and much more those of three because the bulwarkes cannot one defend another vnlesse they be made very sharpe weake of men of experience haue bene found defectiue The forteresse of Porto Hercole in the territorie of Siena is of three corners but it was so built either by reason of the ground that would admit no other forme or for that the insufficiencie of those smal bulwarkes with three corners was not knowne when that was made Those that either haue not time or meanes to make walles and bulwarkes of stone if they will obserue the same measures and proportions may make the same very wel and strongly of earth clay and small rubble mingled together and either made in morter stiffened with straw or els borne vp with small and straight sticks layd thinne in the workes In Holland Zeland and other places of the low Countrie there are diuers good fortifications made onely of turffes of earth well layde and fastened together on the out sides and within stuffed with earth and rubble Onely the places for the canon which are made in bulwarkes of stone in these kindes of fortifications are wanting and the pointes of the bulwarkes made very weake and subiect to zapping Yet with timber I would not doubt to make one sufficient place on either side of the bulwarke to range the canon in to beate low along the ditch and cortine and with fagots also to make both the shoulder and point of the bulwarke as stiffe as if were made with stone Those that fortifie their places only with turffes or earth of which both the walles and bulwarkes are to consist are thus to proceede in their worke First the ground is to bee plained so broade as they meane to make their banke or rampar or bulwarke and that would I not haue lesse then 14 pases at the bottome Some what lower in the midst then in the outsides The ground being plained a ranke of turffes is to be layde outwarde euery one a yarde or three quarters long if the earth be tough and likewise a ranke of turffes of a worser sort inwarde to the towne They are to be made thinne to the inside and thicke to the outside vpon the endes of these turffes are other worser turffes to bee layde and the space within to be filled with small earth well rammed together Vpon these rankes of turffes other rankes of turffes are to be layde and to be fastened together and to be filled in the midst vntill the same come to a sufficient height The banke is to be made leaning inwarde the better to holde vp the earth The earth must be digged out of the ditch al along the banke leaning a yarde or more from the foundation of the banke which the worke being finished may be plained and fashioned to the banke and may serue to make the banke seeme hie To make a banke of earth and hasell rods or other brush mingled together this is the course First the earth is to be plained where the foundation is to be made then small earth well sifted and rammed to bee layde halfe a foote thicke and aboue that small rods with their heads layde as eauen as may be and to the endes of those other rods are to be layde and earth ouer them this is to be done both on the outside and inside and so to be mingled and rammed together vntill the banke come to the full height The banke is to be made slope for the better lying of the earth and to bee filled with earth digged out of the ditch for ease of the labourers If neither turffes of earth nor sticks may be had sufficient then the outward crust on both sides of the ramper would be made of morter well mingled with hay and straw or els if the ground be stony of stones layde in morter The inmost part if it be filled with earth and rubble and well rammed wil stand when the stones ruse downe and beare many canon shot if it be of sufficient thickenesse This maner of fortification requiring no great cost and being perfited onely with labour greatly were it to be wished that Plimmouth Falmouth and other Port townes in England were so banked and fortified For albeit in continuance of time such bankes are beaten flat yet would they beare off any suddeine force When the worke is come to the height then is the parapet to bee made 4 pases broade if thy banke will beare it And to mount vp the rampar staires would be cast out in diuers places The broader the banke is the better the earth will lye and the better resistance it will make But if the same be weake in any place then is the same to be defended with mounts from within and rauelins without The measures of the bulwarkes of earth with al their parts would be either equal to those that are made of stone or larger because otherwise the ditch would soone be filled with the rusing downe of the earth In making the walles and bulwarkes the breadth also and fashion of the ditch is to be cast for if they be done both together the earth that is digged out of the ditch may serue to make the rampar The ditch where it is narrowest would be 15 pases broade If it be made narrower it may the more easily bee filled vp by the enemy and by the ruines of the bankes and walles In France the ditches made in olde time are either a dos de l'asue that is deepe and narrow in the midst and rising on both sides as the ditches about Amiens and Paris or els a fond de cuue that is equally deepe in the bottome and steepe vpon the sides In both which the foote of the wall is open to the view and easily battred Neither doe the defenses made vpon the rampar on which the wal is built which they cal fausses brayes helpe the matter Now the wall being raysed out of the ditch the bottome of the same would be leuell but broade and deepe And in the midst of it a deepe trench which in dry ditches serueth to discouer the enemies Mines in watry places to conuey away the water Some for defence of their ditch haue built a wall in the midst of it as in the ditches of Caleis but it is to no purpose seeing for the lownesse of it either with the ruines of the wall or with earth and faggots cast into the ditches it is soone couered Whether the ditch be drie or full of water it skilleth not greatly For as both haue their discommodities so they haue also