and serueth for the pikes onely for the Musquettiers cannot be so close in files because they must haue their Armes at liberty that is when euery one is distant from file to file a foote and a halfe and 3 foote from Ranke to Ranke And this last distance is thus commanded Close your selues throughly But it is not to be taught the Souldiers for that when necessitie shall require it they will close themselues but too much of their owne accord without command To begin therefore to doe the exercises the Company is set in the first distance to wit of 6 foote in file and ranke and thus is said These are the generall words of Command which are often to be vsed Stand right in your files Stand right in your rankes Silence To the right hand As you were To the left hand As you were To the right hand about To the left hand as you were To the left hand about To the right hand as you were You must note that when they are commanded to be as they were they must returne thither from whence they parted and if they turned to the right hand they must returne to the left and so in countermarch The headpiece The forepart The headpiece close The backe the right gantlet The left vambrace The left cuishe The brest The backe the gard the left â—â—â—â—let The Armour of the Pikman The Gorget The Brest The Tales The Hedpiece The Back The Pike To the right double your rankes Rankes as you were To the left hand double your rankes Rankes as you were To the right hand double your files Files as you were To the left hand double your files Files as you were With halfe files to the right hand double your Rankes Halfe files as you were With halfe files to the left hand double your Rankes Halfe files as you were Files to the right hand countermarch Files to the left hand countermarch To the right hand or left at discretion as you were Rankes to the right hand countermarch Rankes to the left hand countermarch To the right or left hand as you were Close your Files to 3 foote distance Close your Rankes to 3 foote distance Vnderstand that in Closing from the outsides to the middle the Soldier is â—stand in his distance of 3 foote in file and not closer To the right hand wheele To the left hand wheele Open your Rankes backwards in your double distance to wit at 12 foote and this for a single Company Rankes as you were sc. at the first In opening Rankes or Files you must keepe them closed vntill the second Ranke or File beginning from the outsides haue taken their distances and so shall the rest remaine close vntill euery Ranke or File haue taken their distanceâ— in order Open your files to wit to the first distance of 6 foote If you will command to close files to the right hand or left hand the outmost file standeth still and the rest close to that file For the Pike with a firme stand Advance your Pikes Order your Pikes Slope your Pikes Charge your Pikes Order your Pikes Traile your Pikes Cheeeke your Pikes More for the Pikes first with a firme stand and then marching Charge your Pikes Slope your Pikes To the right hand charge your Pikes Slope your Pikes To the left hand charge your Pikes Slope your Pikes Charge your Pikes to the Reare Slope your Pikes Order your Pikes This must be obserued charging your Pikes with a firme stand to set the right foote behind and charging the Pikes marching to set the left foote before For the Musquet THe Postures in his Excellencies Booke are to be obserued but in exercisinâ— you must onely vse these three termes of direction Make ready Present Giue fire Your Musquettiers must obserue in all their motions to turne to the right hand and that they carry the mouth of their peeces high aswell when they are shouldred as in pruning and also when they hold their pannes garded and come vp to giue fire In advancing towards an Enemy when they doe not skirmish loose and disbanded they must giue fire by Rankes after this manner Two Rankes must alwaies make ready together and aduance ten paces forward before the body at which distance a Sergeant or when the body is great some other officer must stand to whom the Musquettiers are to come vp before they present and giue fire first the firstranke And whilest the first giues fire the second Ranke keepe their Musquets close to their Rests and their pannes garded and assoone as the first are fallen away the second presently present and giue fire and fall after them Now assoone as the first two Rankes doe moue from their places in the front The two Rankes next them must vnshoulder their Musquets and make ready so as they may aduance forward ten paces as before assoone as euer the two first rankes are fallen away and are to doe in all points as the former And all the other Rankes through the whole diuision must doe the same by twoes one after another A manner there is to giue fire retyring from an Enemy which is performed after this sorâ—t As the Troope marcheth the hindermost ranke of all keeping still with the Troope is to make ready and being ready the souldiers in that ranke turne altogether to the right hand and giue fire marching presently away a good round pace to the front and there place themselues in ranke together iust before the front As soone as the first ranke turne to giue fire the ranke next makes ready and doth as the former and so the rest We giue fire by the flanks thus The vppermost file next the Enemy must be commanded to make ready keeping still along with the body till such time as they be ready and then they turne to the right or left hand according to the sight of their enemies either vpon the right or left flanke and giue fire altogether When they haue discharged they stirre not but keepe their ground and charge their Peeces againe in the same place they stand Now as soone as the foresaid file doth turne to giue fire the vttermost next it makes ready alwaies keeping along with the Troope till the Bringer-vp be past a little beyond the Leader of that file that gaue fire last and then the whole file must turne and giue fire and doe in all points as the first did and so the rest one after the other A Sergeant or if the Troope be great some other better qualified Officer must stand at the head of the first file and assoone as the second file hath giuen fire and hath charged he is to lead forward the first file vp to the second file and so to the rest one after another till he hath gathered vp againe the whole wing and then he is to ioyne them againe in equall front with the pikes Last of all the Troope or whole wing of Musquettiers makes ready altogether and
or Ochane which was the Macedonian manner and not to hold them any more by the Porpax or handle and so to free their left hand to apply both to the menaging of a pike This I take to be the direct meaning of Plutarch Cleomenes then perswaded them to leaue theire speares take pikes And left the target in the left hand might proue an impediment to the vse of a pike hee thought best they should cary them at their backe by the Ochane To cary them then by the strappe at the backe is to giue free vse to the left hand without which a pike specially a long pike such as Cleomenes advised them vnto cannot be wielded as experience will teache any man that list to make triall 4 And long pikes Pikes for the most parte haue beene called by two names by the Graecians Doru and Sarissa Aelian nameth them Dorata both heere and in other places of this book Xenophon speaking of the weapons of the Chalybes saith they had Dorata of 15. cubits long armed with iron at one end onely Tet is Doru taken for a speare oftentimes as in that place of Plutarch last recited where Cleomenes perswaded the Lacedemonians to chaunge theire Dorata speares into Sarissas pikes The like recounteth hee of Philopoemen whoe chaunged the speares of the Achaeans into pikes calling the speares Dorata the pikes Sarissas And even in this place Aelian termeth them not Dorata simply but with addition of Perimekestera of a longsise And after describing the armes of the Peltastes hee saith theire speares Dorata were much shorter then the pikes Sarissae of the armed Properly the pike of the Macedonian is termed Sarissa if sometime Doru some other word is added to avoide the ordinary signification of Doru as Doru macron in Xenophon Doru perimekes in Aelian Yet deny I not but it may bee called Doru of the matter For Doru signifieth wood of any kinde and by consequent the wood a pike is made of But as I said the Macedonian pike is properly called Sarissa What the length of this pike was Aelian will shewe in the 14. Chapter And for the wood it was made of I take it to haue beene Corneil For I finde that the Macedonian horsemans staffe was of that wood Arrian confirmeth it saieng And nowe the Macedonians had the better both by reason of the strength of theire bodies and experience in warre and also because they fought with Corneil launces against Iavelins For I assent not to the translater of Arrian whoe turneth Xystois Craneinois into Corneil dartes where it should bee Corneil launces For in that place Alexander is reported to haue fought with a launce and to haue broken it in fight and to haue asked another of Aretes one of the Quiries of his stable whoe had also broke his and fought with the truncheon and to haue taken the launce of Divarates the Corinthian and returned presently to the fight and therewith overthrowne Mithridates the sonne in lawe of Darius Besides it is said that the Macedonians had the advantage in weapons Take it thus that they fought with dartes against Iavelins what advantage had they especially being come to the shock Dartes are vsed a farre of At hand noe man fighteth with them vnlesse hee haue noe other weapon I thinke noe man will deny but that a Iavelin in closing is more advantagious then a darte And that Xyston signifieth a launce Aelian himselfe testifieth in this Chapter calling the launciers Doratophori or Xystophori The Macedonian then had his horsemans staffe of Corneil Whiâ— Pliny affirmeth to bee a sound and a fast wood If his launce a man may â—bably coniecture his pike also which exceeded the launce in length and thicknesse onely Wee at this day preferre the Ashe before all woodes for toughnesse lightnesse and beautie especially if the vaine runne through to the end Notwithstanding I finde in Cicuta a knight of Venice an old souldier and one that followed the Emperour Charles the fift in his warres of Africk that the opinion of his time enclyned rather to Firre both for lightnesse and strength I haue not seene the experience therefore leaue I the iudgement to triall Wee haue then out of Aelian that the armed had both target and pike that one man should at one time vse both target and pike in fight against the enemy will seeme incredible in our dayes Yet vsed the Macedonian souldiers both at one instant they both charged theire pikes and covered themselues with theire targets against the flyeng weapons of the enemy The manner was this when they closed with the enemy they charged theire pikes with both handes and with a slight wryeng of the body and lifting vp the right shoulder whirled their target hanging at their backe vpon the left shoulder that stood next the enemy in the charge and so covered all theire body to the midle and beneath I haue touched it in the practise of Cleomenes It appeareth more plainely in Plutarch describing the battaile betwixt K. Perseus and the Consul Aemilius Hee hath this The enemy approaching Aemilius issued out of his Campe and fownd the legionary Macedonians bearing nowe the heades of their pikes stiffe vpon the targets of the Romans not suffering them to come vp to the sword which when hee sawe and sawe with all the other Macedonians casting about their targets from behinde their shoulders and receiving the Roman targetiers with their pikes abased together at one signal and likewise the firmenesse of the battaile shutte vp serred the roughnesse of the front the pikes lyeng out before he became astonied affrighted as having never before beheld so fearefull a sight Which passion spectacle hee afterward oftentimes recounted to his familier friends This ioyâ—ing of targets in the front is called Synaspismos whereof wee shall haue occasion to speake heere-after 5 The light They had divers names given them in the Greek history Sometimes they are called Euzoni because they so girded vp theire apparaile about theÌ„ that they were light and fitt for motion Sometimes Askeuoi because they beare no military furniture of defence Sometimes Elaphroi because they resemble as some think a harte in lightnesse and swiftnesse Sometimes Gynnietae naked because they were without defensiuâ— armes Sometimes Psyloi naked or light as they are heere termed by Aelian and by Appian and the other that I cited 6 Flyeng weapons onely The light-armed are divided into three kindes Archers Darters and Slingers Which three kindes were of much vse emongest the Graecians and they beare onely flieng weapons Xenophon testifieth that Cyrus the elder had them And the Graecians in theire returne out of Persia Alexander had them in his warre against Darius and Pyrrhus in his warre in Italy Sicill and Greece The Graecians against Brennus King of the Gaules Both the Athenians The bans at the battaile of Delos 7 Arrowes Archers haue alwayes
by force some by feare he came before Rhage and besieged it He found the siege longer and more difficult then any man would haue thought And the enemy made his resistance that way the Consull would hardly haue beleeued he could For he imagined that all his labour should be in throwing downe the walls If once he found passage for the Army to enter there would after be nothing else but flight and slaughter as is wont in wonne-Cities But after that part of the wall was throwne downe with the Ramme and the Armie entred the Citie by the breach it was the beginning of a new and fresh labour For the Macedonians that were there in Garrison being many and chosen thinking it also a glory to them if they could defend the Citie rather with armes and valor than with walles serring themselues close together in a deepe Phalange when they perceiued that the Romans began to enter the breach droue them out the place being cumbersome and hard to make a retreat The Consul much offended therewith and thinking that shame concerned not only the delay of winning one Citie but also the state of the whole warre which for the most part dependeth vpon moments of small matters purging the place which was heaped vp with the fall of the halfe-ruined wall aduanced a Tower which in many stories was stuffed with multitudes of armed men and sent besides Cohorts vnder their Ensignes to breake with maine force if it were possible the body they call it the Phalange of the Macedonians But the kinde of weapons and fight was more aduantagious for the enemy than for the Romans especially in that place which was narrow and streightned with the small space of the ouerthrowne wall When the Macedonians serring themselues close had charged pikes of a great length before their front and the Romans after their darts throwne in vaine against the Iestudo compacted as it were of the thicke knitting together of the Targets had drawne their swords they could neither come vp close nor cut a sunder the pikes And in case they cut the heads of or broke any the steale amongst the rest of the whole pikes filled vp the roome with their sharpe fragments Ioyne that that part of the wall which was yet whole secured the enemies flankes on both sides neither needed they much ground in retiring or advancing to charge which things are wont to cause the breach of array There also fell out a chance which increased their hopes and spirits For the Tower being driuen on vpon a rampier that was not well rammed vnderneath but had loose earth one of the wheeles sinking deeper into the ground than the rest made the Turret to nodd lie of one side that both the enemy beleeued it would fall and they within it were put in a pitifull feare When nothing succeeded well the Consull was euill appaide that the Macedonian souldiers and kinde of Armes might seeme matcheable to his and seeing no great hope of speedy winning the Citie and that the place was vnfit to winter in raised his siege So here the Macedonian souldier is not onely equalled but also preferred before the Roman and that onely by reason of his armour the Pike and Target An other experience fell out in the battaile betwixt Perseus and Aemilius whereof I spake in this Chapter The storie is this The Romans comming to ioyne battell with the Macedonians and not able to come vp to them by reason of the length and ioint out-bearing of their pikes There was one Salius a Captaine of Pelignans who tooke the Ensigne of his Company from the Ensigne-bearer and threw it into the Macedonian Phalange The Pelignans ranne in heapes to the place for it is not lawfull nor honest for the Italians to forsake their Ensignes where the medley brought forth wonderfull effects For the Pelignans fought with swords to put by the pikes and to presse them downe with their Targets And seazing vpon them to pull them out of the handes of the Macedonians The Macedonians contrary-wise maintaining their charge with both hands and striking such as approached neare thorough the bodies armes and all neither Target nor Curace being able to sustaine the violence of the blow turned topsy-turuy the bodies of the Pelignans who not with reason but with the rage of wilde beasts threw themselues desperately vpon wounds and vpon certaine and fore seene death So the formost falling the followers began to slacke And yet they sled not but retired to the mount called Olacrus I will out of Appian ioyne a third experience in the battaile of Antiochus against L. Scipio which I likewise touched before in this Chapter As soone as the Horse and Chariots of Antiochus were put to flight by the Roman horsemen and by Eumenes his Phalange of foote being destitute of horse first opened and receiued the light-armed that had all this while fought in the front into the middest of it Then after-ward againe closed And when Domitius Scipio's Lieutenant incompassed it round with horse and light-armed which he might easily doe by reason it was thrust vp into a thicke Plinthium it was driuen to great distresse being neither able to charge the enemy nor yet to countermarch in so great depth as it carried It grieued them much that their long experience nothing auailed them to annoy the enemy and that notwithstanding they were subiect to arrowes and darts at all hands Yet bearing out a multitude of pikes on euery side of their square they called the Romans to come to handy blowes and still made a countenance as though they meant to charge keeping themselues for all that within their Ranks as being footmen and heauy armed and the rather because they had to doe with an enemy on horse-backe Besides they were loth to breake the thicknes of their battaile which forme they could not now alter The Romans also durst not approach them and come to sword fearing their experience in warre and closenesse of array and desperation But running about here and there plied them with arrowes and darts whereof none was throwne in vaine falling amongst a troupe so closely put vp together that they could neither auoide and decline any thing throwne nor giue way albeit they saw it comming At last being weary and irresolute what to doe they retired easily with a threatning countenance notwithstanding and in good order and not deliuering the Romans of feare who durst not yet come neare but sought to annoy them aloofe till the Elephants placed in the Macedonian Phalange being affrighted and not to be ruled by their Gouernours troubled all and gaue occasion of flight hitherto Appian Out of these three examples the truth of that which Aelian saith is to be seene that is that the Macedonian Phalange can not be forced or resisted by an enemy taking with all Polybius his caution if it be in the right posture and figure and haue such ground as is fit The Romans the best souldiers of all
antiquitie were repulsed by it at a siege forced to retire in a battell durst not come neare it after they had gained the field of the rest of the Army And the Consull Aemilius a man that had seene much seruice and fought many a battaile and was one of the best Generalls of that time confessed he neuer saw so fearefull a sight as when he beheld the Phalange advancing into the field the bodies ioyned the Targets serred and locked together darting out fire like lightning the front rough with couched and charged pikes and armed with yron and threatning present death to him that durst approach 3 Occupying two Cubits of ground We may not take it as though the souldier betwixt file and file had two Cubits or three foote of ground For we learned before that in locking vp the Phalange the distance betweene man and man in front was but a Cubit But it is to be vnderstood betweene ranke and ranke For Polybius saith that the souldier ought to haue roome for the vse of his weapon which cannot be without granting him three foote behinde the pike being some-times to be pushed forward some-times to be drawne backe sometimes otherwise handled as occasion of fight shall require The length of the Pike is 16 Cubits a Sixteene Cubits which is twenty foure foote is a great length for a Pike and it verifieth the words of Livy that the Macedonian Pike is vnwealdy by reason of the length and weight yet doe wee read of pikes of that length The Aeâ—essans had such The Chalybes pikes were about 15 cubits long But 16 was the length at the first the Maccdonians brought it to 14 which they tooke to be a sufficient length against the enemie and easier for the Pike-man to beare and handle 4 The space in charging betwixt the handes taking vp two cubiâ—s Herein is a difference betweene Aelian and Polybius Aelian would haue no more then 2 cubits lost in charging Polybius saith 4. are lost and with Polybius agreeth Leo. But the cause of the difference arisetâ— out of the forme of the pike and of the manner of holding it in the charge If it be held at the butt end with the right hand and supported toward the armed end with the left as the manner in charging is it cannot loose aboue two cubits and Aeâ—an is in the right But if in holding it you set the right hand 2 cubits from the butt and then must 4 cubits of necessitie be lost Whereof 2 rest behinde the right hand the other two are taken vp by the space betwixt both hands Our manner of charging is at this day to take the butt end in the right hand and in so doing we loose but two cubits But it seemeth our pikes are not made in that forme they were in Polybius time In Polybius age they had weiâ—hts at the but end to make the sharpe end the lighter as the heauie pummell lightereth the sword in handling This weight was called secoma as it were a counter-weight to the heauinesse and length of the pike Neither do I read any thing elsewhere then in Polybius concerning the counter-weight of a pike To the handle of an Oare I finde in Atheneus that lead was added to make the part standing out from the shippe more light But yet Polybius and Aelians opinions may well agree and in pikes that haue counterweights at their ends the hold for charging being taken two cubits from the butt end there may be lost foure cubits where the other sort being held at the butt end it selfe loose but 2 cubits 5 The pikes of the other behinde cannot reach to the first ranke How shall they beare their pikes then Polybius sheweth what the manner was Those rankes saith he that stand behinde the fifth can helpe nothing to the fight in front And therefore they charge not their pikes low but beare them towards their forestanders shoulders the points somewhat erected to secure the battaile from aboue intercepting by their thicke lying the missiue weapons which flying ouer the front would otherwise fall vpon their heads that are placed toward the reare Polybius saith the manner was neither to charge nor order their pikes but to beare them forwards stoping towards the shoulders of their companions before Yet by bearin them so what security they could â—ue from the missiue weapons that came aloft I cannot yet conceiue An arrow dart or stone vnlesse it hit iust on the middest of the pikes would do as much and sometimes more harme by glancing then if it had not touched them at all Some would haue the hinder pikes longer The opinion of them whom Aelian here speakâ—th of hath little reason to ground vpon For either the pike of thâ—m that come in the fiue rancks behinde especially the two last must exceede in length or else the fileleaderâ— pikes in shortnesse both which are â—like vnprofitâ—ble If they bee too long they cannot be weilded if these too short the enemie shall reach the file-leaders and not the file-leaders the enemie The measure of the longest pike was 16 cubits which yet for aptnesse and vse was by the Macedonians reduced to 14. Say then the sixteenth ranke carrieth pikes of 16 cubits two of the cubits according to Aelian are taken away in handling other ten by reason of the distance of the fiue former rankes Foure cubits alone remaine and reach ouer the front If the file Leader in the front shorten his pike to foure cubits to make an euen extention he shall not come neere the enemie by ten cubits who in pushing will reach home to him For what length soeuer is taken from the file-leader in front the same is giuen to the enemie that pusheth with him And hee shall bee able to wound the file-leader and not the file-leader him especially the pikes differing in so great a proportion 6 The superordinarie Lieutenant of euery Syntagma I haue before noted the dutie of a Lieutenant of the Syntagma and it is here well expressed by Aelian He that desireth to see more touching the same let him resort to Xenophons Cyropaedia lib. 3. 28. and lib. 7. 178. B. and to Leo cap. 14. § 79. The place of the light-armed and the number of euery file CHAP. XV. THus much of ordering and marshalling the armed-foote I will adde a word or two of the light-armed or naked 1 The Generall is to place the light-armed so that they be readie for all attempts of the enemy sometime in front sometime in flanke sometime in the Reare according to occasion or necessity For our purpose let them be thus ordered We will frame also of them 1024 files as many as the Phalange of the armed conteined So that the first file of the light-armed be placed directly behinde the first file of the armed and the second file behinde the second and so the rest 2 Yet shall they not be sixteene to the file but halfe so many namely eight
Metabole For Metabole is the conuersion of euery mans face particularly to the place which was behinde his backe And the same that Metabole is in ech seuerall Souldier the same is Perispasmos or wheeling about in the whole battaile There are 4 two kinds of Metabole the one from the enemie the other to the enemie Metabole is defined to be a changing of euery mans face in particular from the front to the reare or contrariwise Turning about from the enemie is when the Souldier turneth his face twice towards the Pike To the enemy when hee turneth twice towards the Target Notes FOure kinde of Motions are set downe by Aelian whereby vpon any occasion the battaile may be somewhat changed Turning of faces countermarch wheeling and doubling whereof the first may be vsed in what order soeuer your battaile standeth the second onely in open order the third â—n close order only the fourth either in close or open order Clisis or turning of faces whereof this Chapter intreateth albeit it may bee brought in also in open Order Yet is it not don for the most part but in close order and then especially when none of the other motions haue place The Graecians alwaies coueted to bring their file Leaders that is their best men to fight In open Order they chose to countermarch In close Order hauing place to wheele their battaile about and so turne the face of it against the enemy If they could doe neither of these they came to the last remedy which was turning of faces of euery particular man in the battaile 1 Clisis or turning of faces This motion is of lesse paines then any other but of no lesse importance or necessitie In the rest the Phalange changeth the place or the forme In this it holdeth both and yet is ready for any attempt of the enemy Onely euery Souldier in particular turneth his countenance to the right or left hand as he is commanded To turne his face to the Pike is to turne to the right hand because that hand bore the pike to turne to the Target is to turne to the left hand because the Macedonians caried their targets on their left shoulder For the vse of this turning of Faces Aelian saith It hath place when the enemie sheweth himselfe in flanke 2 To incompasse our wings Clisis is no more then bearing faces to the right or left hand that is to our wings When then we finde our enemies to incompasse our right wing wee turne our faces and weapons that way to receiue him to the left when he commeth to charge vs on that side If on both sides then turne wee the faces of our Phalange halfe to the right halfe to the left hand which is the Antistomus Phalange whereof Aelian speaketh hereafter Briefely there is almost none of the marching Phalanges which are afterward discribed but it hath neede of this motion Besides if vpon any occasion the Phalange be to moue from any of the flanks you are only to command Turning of faces to that flanke and then to lead on I will giue an example or two Alexander at Arbela hauing imbattailed his armie to fight with Darius had intelligence that Darius had strowed the ground betwixt the two armies with Calthropes He commanded therefore the right wing which himselfe led to turne faces to the right hand and follow him to the end to go round about and auoide the places that were sowed with Calthropes Darius marching against him to the left hand disioyned his troupes of horse and Alexander taking the aduantage and giuing in quickly betwixt the spaces put Darius to flight If Alexander had marched on with the right front he had fallen vpon the Calthropes To auoide them be vsed the benefit of this motion and turning faces to the right hand he led on vntill hee had passed the danger and then turning againe to the first posture went to charge and defeated the enemie An other example is in Polybius who describing the battaile betwixt Machanidas the Lacedemonian Tyrant and Philopoemen the Achaean Generall telleth that Machanidas hauing in the left wing put the Achaean mercenaries to flight followed hard the chase Philopoemen as long as there was hope indeuoured by all meanes to stay his men when he saw them vtterly defeated hee hasted to the right wing and perceiuing the enemie busie in chase and the place voide where the fight had beene commanding the first Merarchies to turne their faces to the right hand hee led them on with high speede not yet breaking the order of their imbattailing And quickly seazing vpon the forsaken ground hee both cut betwixt them that gaue chase and home and withall got the aduantage of the vpper ground against the left wing of the armed Whereby hee obteined the victory If Philopoemen had in this action vsed wheeling of his battaile which onely was the other motion which would haue serued his turne besides the troublesomenesse of the winding about he should haue beene forced to haue vsed two wheelings and so failed of the câ—lerity which was at that time requisite Faces were turned in a trice and he made himselfe Master of the ground hee desired before hee could haue wheeled once his battaile 3 Two turnings of the Souldiers face Clisis or turning faces to the right or left hand consisteth of one turning and moueth no further then the side If the motion be to the reare it hath two turnings and is called Metabole which is defined to bee a changing of euery mans face in particular from the front to the reare or contrariwise And as wheeling of the whole body carieth about the fronts of the battaile to the reare So doth Metabole turne the face of euery particular Souldier and maketh him looke from the front to the reare The word properly signifieth a change which happeneth herein when the souldiers are changed from the front to the reare or contrariwise The vse of Metabole is principally to resist the enemy that giues on vpon the reare So Pyrrhus being entred the Citie Argos with a few and ouerpressed with multitude retired by little and little and defended himselfe often turning his and his souldiers faces against the enemy So the armie of Cyrus the elder retiring from the walles of Babylon often turned about their faces to the left hand and waited their enemie who were reported to be on foote and ready to come and charge them And if the enemy assault both the front and reare it hath beene the manner to continue halfe the souldiers in each file with their faces to the front and command the other halfe to turne their faces to the reare against the enemie behind And this forme is called Phalanx Amphistomos discribed by Aelian cap. 38. And sometimes it is vsed to speed our march and preuent the enemie as was said before of Clisis Agesilaus made an incursion into the Territory of the Thebans and finding a Trench and Ramper cast vp by the Thebanes for
themselues of the weight of their Targets Where Diodore hath en ortho tò dorati menein to continue their Pikes vpright Polienus hath protinomenous ta dorata ortha holding before them their Pikes vpright But both haue pikes vpright and Diodorus his Continue hath relation to the Posture they were in which Chabrias would not haue them to alter Polienus his hold before to that they were commanded to doe In ordering of Pikes at this day I haue shewed that the Souldiers hold them vpright the but end set on the ground before and somewhat wide of their right foote Aemilius Probus reciting this historie peruerteth the Stratagem Hee saith that Chabrias forbad the Phalange to giue backe and taught his Souldiers to receiue the enemies charge kneeling with one knee the other set against the Target and with the Pike abased Wherein hee quite dissenteth from Diodore and Polien Diodore saith the command was to keepe their array Polienus not to runne forward but quietly to stand still Probus not to giue backe Probus saith they should kneele with one knee and rest against the Target with the other Diodore that they should hold their Targets sunke to their knees Polienus that they should carry their Targets before at their knees Probus that they should abase and charge their Pikes Diodore that they should continue and order them vpright Polien that they should hold their Pikes vpright So that Diodore and Polien agree and expound one another Aemilius Probus bringing in a new historie dissenteth as I said from the other two especially in making that to be a forme of fight prescribed by Chabrias a simple forme to receiue the charge vpon their knees which was a contempt to shew how little especially in that strength of ground he regarded Agesilaus which contempt also made Agesilaus retire not doubting but it proceeded from a great assurance of the enemy Therfore as I said I take these words ep ' orthon apodounai not only to appertaine to the aspect of the Souldier but also and that much rather to the erection and ordering of Pikes Of Countermarches and the diuers kindes thereof with the manner how they are to be made CHAP. XXVIII THere are two sorts of Countermarches one by file the other by ranke each of these againe is diuided into three kindes The first called the Macedonian The second the Lacedemonian The third the Choraean which is also the Persian and the Cretan 1 The Macedonian is that which leauing the ground it first had taketh in liew thereof the ground which was before the front of the Phalange and turneth the aspect of the Souldier backeward where before it was forward 2 The Lacedemonian is that which leauing likewise the ground it first had taketh in steed thereof the ground which was behinde the Reare of the Phalange and turneth also the face of the Souldier the contrary way 3 The Persian is the Cretan and Choraean This keepeth the same ground of the Phalange euery souldier taking another place for that he had the file-Leader the place of Bringer-vp and so the rest in order and turneth also the face of the Souldier the contrary way 4 Countermarches by ranke are made when a man would transferre the winges into the place of the Sections and the Sections into the place of the wings to the end to strengthen the middest of the battaile Likewise the right hand parts into the left hand parts and the left hand parts into the right hand parts They that feare to countermarch the Phalange in grosse the enemy being at hand doe it by Syntagmaes I will now set downe in what manner countermarches ought to be made The Macedonian countermarch by file is said to be when the file-leader turneth about his face and all the rest with the Bringer-vp go against him on the right or left hand and passing on to the ground before the front of the Phalange place themselues in order one after an other according as the file-Leader himselfe hath turned his face Therefore it maketh shew to the enemy appearing in the Reare of running away Or it is when the file-Leader turneth about his face and the rest passing by him on the right or left hand place themselues orderly one behinde another But the Lacedemonian is when the Bringer-vp turneth his face about and all the rest turning also their faces and proceeding forward together with their file-Leader order themselues proportionably in the ground which was behinde the Reare of the Phalange Wherefore to the enemy appearing behinde it makes a semblance of falling on Againe the Lacedemonian is when the file-Leader turning his face about to the Pike or Target transferreth the whole file to another place equall to the first and the rest following stand as before behinde him Or else when the Bringer-vp turneth his face about and hee that stood next before him passing by on the right or left hand is placed againe next before him and the rest following are placed one before another in their former order till the file-Leader be the first The Choraean is when the file-Leader turning about toward the Pike or Target precedeth the file and the rest follow till the file-Leader haue the place of the Bringer-vp and the Bringer-vp the place of the file-Leader And these are the Countermarches by file In the same manner are Countermarches made by ranke in case a man would countermarch by ranke For euery ranke Countermarching either keepeth the same ground or changeth the right hand place or else the left hand place of the battaile one of which must needes fall out and neuer faileth Notes THe two former motions are performed one in close Order the other in all Orders Epistrophe when the battaile is shut so close that as Aelian saith a man can turne his face neither the one way nor the other Clisis in open Order Order and close Order The two ◠following motions Countermarch and Doubling one is done in open Order the other for the most part in open order too and yet sometimes in Order and close order as we shall see in due place This Chapter handleth Countermarches the next Doublings Countermarch is a motion whereby euery souldier marching after other changeth his front for the reare or one flancke for the other For there are two kindes of Countermarches one by file and the other by ranke And each of these is againe diuided into three the first called the Macedonian the second the Lacedemonian the third the Choraean or Cretan A Countermarch by file is when euery souldier followeth his Leader of the same file By ranke when euery souldier followeth his sideman of the same ranke in the Countermarch 1 The Macedonian Countermarch In this Countermarch the purpose of the Commander is to turne the front of his battaile against the enemy that sheweth himselfe in the Reare and withall to take the ground that lyeth before the front of the Phalange It is called the Macedonian Countermarch saith Aelian because
the distance required to the right hand Faces as you were Close your hinder ranks forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first posture File-Leaders stand firme The other Rankes turne faces about and open behinde to the first distance Faces as you were The right-wing-corner-file stand firme the rest turne faces to the Target and proceede to your first distance Faces as you were and order your Pikes Closing to the left wing It differeth not from the other but that the mouing is to the contrarie hand Closing to the middest of the Battaile The right-wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike Each moue vp to the middest of the Phalange and stand at the distance named Faces as you were Close the hinder rankes forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first Posture The first ranke stand firme The rest turne faces about and open the rankes to the first distance Faces as you were The files next the middle section stand fast and the right wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike and moue on till the first distance recouered Faces as you were and order the Pikes We may not forget Aelians generall rule for turning of faces out of Closings that the Pikes be alwaies aduanced For when you come vp to the closenesse required the Pike vpon the shoulder will hardly admit turning of the face The like falleth out when you would open from the Closing The vse and aduantage of these exercises of armes CHAP. XXXIV THese precepts of turning about of faces of wheeling and double wheeling of the Battaile and of reducing it to the first posture are of great vse in suddaine approches of the enemy whether hee shew himselfe on the right or left hand or in front or in the reare of our march The like may bee said of Countermarches Of which the Macedonians are held to bee the inuentors of the Macedonian the Lacedemonians of the Lacedemonian and for this cause either to haue name accordingly The Histories witnesse that Philip who much enlarged the Macedonian kingdome and ouercame the Graecians in battaile at Cheronea and made himselfe Generall of Greece and likewise his sonne Alexander that in short time conquered all Asia made small account of the Macedonian countermarch vnlesse necessitie forced it and that they both by the vse of the Lacedemonian became victorious ouer their enemies For the Macedonian countermarch the enemy falling vpon the reare is cause of great confusion in as much as the hindermost dismarching toward the front and making a shew of running away it more encourageth and emboldneth the enemy to follow For feare and pursuit of the enemy ordinarily accompanieth that kinde of countermarch But the Lacedemonian is of contrarie effect For when the enemy sheweth himselfe in the reare the Leaders with their followers brauely aduancing and opposing themselues it striketh no small feare and terror into their mindes Cap. 30 The File-leaders A Deduction to the left hand A right induction The Front A Deduction to the right hand Cap. 36. The Coelembolos or hollow fronted wedge The Front The right Induction Cap. 36. The Coelembolos The left wing The right wing The front The Phalange set against the left wing of the Coelembolos The Phalange set against the right wing of the Coelmebolos The forbearing Phalange Of the signes of direction that are to be giuen to the armie and their souerall kindes CHAP. XXXV WEe are to acquaint our forces both foote and horse partly with the voice and partly with visible signes that whatsoeuer is fitting be executed and done as occasion shall require Some things also are to be denounced by the Trumpet for so all directions will be fully accomplished and sort to a desired effect The signes therefore which are deliuered by voice are most euident and cleere if they haue no impediment But the most certaine and least tumultuous are such as are presented to the eye if they bee not obscured The voice sometime can hardly be heard by reason of the clashing of armour or trampling and neighing of Horses or tumult of cariage or noyse and confused sounds of the multitude The visible signes also become many waies incertain by thicknes of aire and dust or raine or snow or sun-shine or else thorow ground that is vneuen or full of trees or of turnings And sometimes it will not be easie to find out signes for all vses occasions eftsoones presenting new matter to the which a man is not accustomed Yet can it not fall out that either by voice or by signal we should not giue certaine and sure direction Of marching and of diuers kindes of Battailes fit for a March And first of the right-induction of the Coelembolos and the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kind of march is a Right-induction other some a Deduction on the right or left hand And that in a single or double or treble or quadruple-sided-battaile In a single when one enemy is feared In a double when two In a treble when three In a quadruple when the enemy purposeth to giue on on all sides Therefore the march is vndertaken sometimes in a single Phalange sometimes in a twofold Phalange or else in a threefold Phalange or in a fourefold Phalange A right-induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead and the rest follow Xenage-wise Or a Tetrarchy lead and the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe out into a wing hauing the Depth much exceeding the length Against it is opposed the Coelembolos which is framed when the Antistomos Diphalange disioyneth the Leading-wings closing the Reare in manner of the letter V as the figure after placed doth teach In which the front is disseuered the reare ioyned and knit together For the Right-induction pointing at the middest of the enemies battaile the Coelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front and to claspe in and circumuent the flankes of the right-induction Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Coelembolos one Phalange fighting against one winge of the Coelembolos The second against the other and the middle and third forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge Of Paragoge or Deduction CHAP. XXXVII PAragoge or Deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in a wing not by file but by ranke hauing the Commanders or file-Leaders either on the right hand which is called a right-hand-Deduction or on the left hand which is called a left-hand Deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a double treble or quadruple-side accor̄ding to the place and part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the Paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe make the length double to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of
Whoe will reade of Iphicrates let him goe to Aemilius Probus that writeth his life His actes are also declared by Xenophon and Diodorus Siculus and Polyaen and Iustin and divers others as they were incident to theire generall histories Hee was esteemed one of the best Generalls of his time and was called out by name by Darius King of Persia to bee generall of the Graecians his mercenaries in the warre hee had against the Aegyptians His fame and aestimation was soe great with Alexander the great that when his sonne whose name was also Iphicrates with other Graecians were taken prisoners by him for that they came embassadours into Persia to Darius he not onely spared him for the loue of the City of Athens and for the remembrance of his fathers glory the wordes of Arrian but held him about him in honour so long as hee liued and after his decease sent his reliques to Athens there to be interred by his friendes and kinsfolk 9 Posidonius the Stoick Posidonius in his time was a Philosopher of high renowne and of the sect that were called Stoicks Tully citeth him often in his workes In the second booke of Tusculan quaestions hee recounteth that Pompey the great on a time comminge to Rhodes was desirous to heare him But vnderstanding hee was extreame sick of the goute hee forbore not notwithstanding to visit him being a most noble philosopher whome after hee had seene and saluted and vsed with honorable wordes and told him hee was sory hee could not heare him discourse you may if you please quoth Posidonius and I will not suffer paine to bee cause that so great a man seeke mee in vaine Then as hee lay in his bed began hee gravely and copiously to dispute that nothing was good but that which was honest And when firebrands as it were of torment towched him to the quick amiddest his disputation he broke foorth often into these wordes Sorow all this is nothing Though thou trouble me never so much I will not yet confesse that thou art of thy self evill So Tully Pliny likewise telleth that Pompey after the warre of Mithridates going into the howse of Posidonius a man famous in Philosophy forbid his serieant to knock at the doore as the manner was and the serieants bundles of roddes saith he were submitted to a doore by him to whom East West had submitted theÌ„selues The same Tully attributeth to this Posidonius the invention of a Sphaere whose particuler conversions did worke the same in sonne moone and the other fiue planets that is wrought by the motion of heauen euery day and night The preparation of warlicke forces and division of them and how they are armed CHAP. II. I will then beginne with such 1 preparations as are absolutely necessary for service in warre the forces whereof are of two sortes the one Land forces the other ship forces Land forces are such as fight on land Ship forces such as are ordered for fight in shippes vppon Sea or Rivers But the order of Sea service I will reserue for another place and intreat now of things pertayning to Land service The levies then for land service are either of those that fight and mannage Armes or else of those that fight not but remaine in the campe for necessary vses They fight that stand ordered in battaile and with armes assaile or repulse the enemy The rest fight not as Phisitians merchants servants and other which follow the campe to minister vnto it Such as fight are either footemen or Riders footemen properly that serue on foote Of Riders some vse Horses some Elephants They that vse Horses are carye â—ither one Horse-back or else in Chariotts And these are the differences in generall But in speciall the foote and Horse receaue many other divisions onely the Elephants and Chariotts never varie Footemen then are reparted into three kindes one being Armed another Targettiers the third light or naked 2 The Armed beare the heaviest furniture of all footemen 3 vsing according to the Macedonian manner large round Targetts and 4 longe Pikes 5 The Light contrarywise beare the lightest having neither Curace nor Greue nor longe or round Targett of any weight but 6 flieng weapons onelie as 7 Arrowes 8 Dartes 9 Stones either for hand or sling To this kind is referred the 10 armour of the Argilos who hath his furniture like to the Macedonian but something lighter For hee carieth 11 a little slight Torgett 12 and his Pike is much shorter then the Macedonian Pike which manner of arming seemeth a meane betwixt the light or naked and that which is properlie called heavie as being lighter then the heavie and heavier then the light and that is the cause that many place it amongst the light The forces of Horse which wee distinguished before from Chariotts as being ordered in Troopes are either 13 Cataphracts or not Cataphracts They are Cataphracts that cover theire owne and theire horses bodies all over with armour Of not Cataphracts some are Launciers some Acrobolists 14 Launciers are such as joyne with the enemy and fight hand to hand with the Launce on horseback Of these some beare longe Targets and are therevppon called Targetiers Other some Launces alone without Targets who are properlie called 15 Launciers and of some Xestophori 16 Acrobolists on horseback are such as fight a far of with flieng weapons Of these some vse darts some bowes They vse darts whome wee call 17 Tarentines Of Tarentines there are two sortes for some throw little 18 darts a farre of and are termed Darters on horseback but properlie Tarentines others vse light darts 19 after they haue spent one or two close presently with the enemy like the Lanciers which wee spake of and fight hand to hand These in common speech are named light horsemen So that of Tarentines some are properly called Tarentines whose manner is to darte a far of Some light horsemen who joyne and fight hand to hand 20 The horsemen that vse bowes are termed Archers on Horseback and of some Scythians These then are the differences of such as are in the Campe the kinds of Souldiers being in nomber nyne Of footmen armed Targetiers Light armed or naked Of horsemen Lanciers Darters Archers Cataphracts And lastlie Chariots and Elephants Notes IN this Chapter the kindes of Souldiers are distinguished according to theire seueral armes borne in fight And therefore of foote some are called armed because they beare heavy armes other light-armed or naked because they weare no defensiue armes other some Targetiers because theire chief defence rested in a slight target wherewith they covered theire bodies The horse also haue theire appellation as theire armes are And some are Cataphracts because themselues horses were armed compleatly other Launciers for that they vsed a launce other some Acrobolists by reason they fought with flieng weapons a farre of The first thoughts of a Prince or State that is resolved to put an army into the field ought to
be to provide armes Armes are the security of theire own souldiers the terror of the ennemy the assured ordinary meanes of victory The antiquity of armes is all one with the beginning of warre For when of auncient time mighty men puffed vp with pride and led by ambition sought by violence to enlarge their empire and to bring vnder subiection their bordering neighboures they were enforced to flye to the invention of armes without which noe victory could bee obteyned Since armes haue been taken vp for defence also necessity the mother of artes inventing a meanes to withstand ambition As Antalcidas wel obiected to Agesilaus being wounded by the Thebans you are well rewarded for your labour quoth hee since you would needes teache the Thebans to fight that had neither will nor skill so to doe For the Thebans being put to necessity of defence grewe warlick through many invasions of the Lacedemonians saith Plutarch Whoe were the inventers of the seueral pieces of armour and of the diuers kindes of weapons vsed in old tyme may appeare by the relation of Pliny in his natural history This is certeyne that the most warlick nations and most victorious haue alwayes sought to haue advantage of theire enemies by advantage of armes The end of armes is either to defend or assault Hence are armes diuided into two kindes Defensiue and Offensiue Defensiue are those which are worne to resist the force and charge of the enemy Of this sort are the head-piece gorget curace vambrace gantlets tases greves and target For whereas there are eleven partes in man the woundes of any of which bring with theÌ„ vndoubted death as some authors write the braines the two temples the throate the breast the belly the two muscles aboue the two elbowes the other two aboue the knees the privy members pierced with a thrust the headpiece serveth for the defence of the braine and temples the gorget for the throate the curace for the breast the vambrace for the muscles of the armes the tases for the privities belly the greves for the muscles aboue the knees and the target for further assurance of the whole body being moueable against all strokes and profers of the assailants Offensiue armes are such as men endevour to wound or kill withall as flieng weapons of all kindes arrowes stones out of slings or the hand swordes pikes partizans iavelines and the like But as defence and security of a mans self is more agreable to nature then to hurt an enemy so are the defensiue armes preferred before the offensiue in that they bring safety to him that beareth them where as the other are imployed in annoieng the enemy onely The Poets sett foorth theire bravest and valiantest men alwayes best armed for defence So Achilles in Homer and Aeneas in Virgil are armed to point with armes wrought by Vulcan to the end to remaine vntowched amiddest the stormes of theire enemies weapons The Graecian Law-givers punished that souldier that in fight cast away his target not him that lost his sword or pike Plutarch writeth that at such time as Epaminondas assaulted Sparta the most warlicke City of Greece there was in the City a Spartan named Isadas who was the sonne of Phoebidas hee that surprised the Castle of Thebes called Cadmaea and thereby stirred vp the warre betwixt the Thebans and Lacedaemonians ruinated the principality of the Lacedaemonians in Greece This man being in the flower of his age and personable and large of lymmes ranne foorth of his howse all naked his body annointed with oyle without apparaile or armes except a sword in one hand a Iavelin in the other and breaking through the throng of those that fought on his side came to handes with the enemy and overthrowing some and killing other some continued the fight till the enemy was repulsed and at last returned into the City without wounde The chief magistrate vnderstanding hereof rewarded him with a Crowne for his valor but yet fined him at a hundred drachmes for that he durst veÌ„ter to fight without armes defensiue iudging it a 〈◊〉 almost impossible that a naked man should escape with life fighting against the armeaâ—andes of so many valiant enemies as the Thebans were In armes was required that they should bee strong that they should bee fitte that they should bee comely strong to protect or annoy fitt to sette close to the body and bee manageable comely to grace him that beareth them That defensiue armes ought to be strong may bee shewed by the end of armes which is to saue harmlesse against arrowes dartes and other offensiue armes of the enemy If they faile of this end they are of noe vse it being better to be vnarmed then cary armes that will not defend Without armes you haue the body free and at liberty carieng armes though never so light they must bee a cumber to you and some what hinder the motion of your body Armes therefore ought to bee sufficient to resist the weapons of the enemy The inconvenience of defectiue and weake armes is well noted by Vegetius From the building of the City of Rome saith hee till the time of the Emperour Gratian the foote armed theire bodies with Cataphractes and head-pieces But when field exercise through negligence and slouth was given over armour began to growe heavy because it was sieldome put on They made suite therefore to the Emperour first that they might leaue of their Cataphractes then their headpieces So our souldiers encountring with the Gothes were oftentimes wholy defeated and slaine by the multitude of theire arrowes And a litle after so cometh it to passe saith he that they whoe without armes are exposed in the battaile to woundes thinke not so much of fight as of running away Yet must wee not imagine that those souldiers fought in theire ordinary apparaile onely I encline rather to the opinion of Stewechius whoe holdeth that they tooke themselues to theire military coates called in Notitia vtrâque Thoracomachi and to theire Targets This Thoracomachus was a garment invented long before Gratians time and worne vnder the armours of the souldiers and was a kind of felt but being noe profe against arrowes and theire targets not sufficient to cover theire heads and whole bodies from arrowes They were obnoxius to the shotte of the Gothes and receyved those overthrowes Vegetius speaketh of The matter whereof strong armes were made I find to bee divers Some were forged of Steele as the armour of Goliath and the head-piece of K. Saul For it is not there sette downe what his curace was of Notwithstanding it is likely it was of the same matter of which his headpiece was made WheÌ„ I say these armours were of Steele I follow therin the iudgement of Tremelius and Iunius whoe so translate it with them also agreeth Vatablus For the old traÌ„slation hath that they were of brasse I haue not elsewhere read of steele armour And
were called Thureo and were in forme like a doore from whence they had theire name For Thura signifieth a doore These the Romans and Gaules vsâ—d albeit sâ—me what different in forme The round had eight full handfulls in diameter as Alian saith and were termed Asâ—ides Long targets were much disliked by the Graecians Cyrus in Xenophon derideth them as both hindering the sight being vnwieldy and Philopoemen chaunged them into round targets following the Macedonian manner The targets of PhilopoemeÌ„ Pausanias termeth Argâ—lican targets It may be because they were first vsed by the Argiues in the battaile betwixt Acrisius Danaes father and Praetus who contended about the kingdome of Argos Of what matter these targets were is a quaestion Some take them to haue been made of other matter covered over with brasse that otherwise the souldier should not haue been able to haue born them for the weight I deny not that in auncient time some targets were plated with brasse the rather because I find that Alexander to match the Indian pompe covered the targets of his souldiers with plates of silver But that the ordinary Macedonian target was so covered I deny Aelian after calleth them chalce brasen not epichalce covered with brasse Polyb. saith that the Macedonians in the time of K. Philip the sonne of Demetrius were called Chalcaspides Brasen targetiers not epichalkitai by which name as Hesychius hath they were called that had their targets covered with brasse So likewise in the time of Perseus And the Megapolitans whoe imitated the Macedonian manner of arming are termed Chalcaspides in Polybius I haue shewed that the Lacedemonians had brasen targets by the institution of Lycurgus that in the time of the Heroes almost all armour was made of brasse The targets of the Lacedemonians that were slaine at the battaile of Leuctra were brasse and to bee seene in the time of Pausanias and the brasen target of Pyrrhus Which he left at Argos being there slaine was kept in the temple of Câ—es As for the weight it is not so great but it may become lighâ— enough by vse and exercisâ— wee see iron targets in vse at this day and not hard to be borne And albeit the weight bee not for euery mans strength yet since it hath beene and is the manner to make choice of souldiers and to fitte them with armes according to the ability of their bodies I see noe reason but the stronger sort might well bear them Another sort of targets there was which differed from the Macedonian not so much in forme of roundnesse as in matter and manner of carieng They were made of wicker and borne in the left hand as our bucklers which wee vsed not long since and some covered over with hides some not Xenophon saith that Cyrus the elder armed the Persians with these wicker targets reko ning vp the nations through whose Countries the Graecians passed in their returne out of Persia describing their armes reporteth that the Chalybes Taochi Phasians had targets of this kinde Now that they were borne in the left hand is clear by the same Xenoph. Hee writeth thus of the fight betwixt Cyrus Craesus The Egyptians Persians encountring together the fight was hard sharpe the Egyptians aswel in number as in armes had the advantage For they fought with stiffe long pikes theire large targets better covered their bodies then Curaces or wicker targets and being borne on their shoulders availed to joint-thrusting foreward Serring therefore their targets close they advaunced ranne on The Persians were not able to endure the shock by reason they bore theire wicker targets at the armes end but retiring by litle litle giving taking blowes they mainteined the fight till they came to the Engins So farre Xenophon Out of which words a man may plainely vnderstand the manner af bearing these wicker targets which by reason of lightnesse might easily bee held out at armes end And as the Egyptian target which reached downe to the foote must needes bee heavy and therefore had â—eed of the shoulder to support it so was it with the brasen targets of the Macedonians which were also weighty by reason of the matter they were made of These therefore were likewise caried on the shoulder Plutarch witnesseth it in the life of Aemilius And the same Plutarch rehearseth that Cleomenes the King of Sparta taught his Lacedaemonians in steede of a speare to vse a pike with hoth handes and to beare theirâ— targets vpon the strappe not by the handle The wordes are obscure need light which I will giue as shortly as I can I find three wordes emongest the Graecians all perteyning to a target They are those Telamon ochane or ochanon and porpax Telamon in this sence for it signifieth otherwise a band is by all confessed to bee the broade strappe which is fastened to the handle of the target holdeth the target being cast about the necke vnto the back Of Ochane porpax is some variance Suidas saith that Ochanon is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The hold of the target Hesychius calleth it the Porpax of the target the band 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Porpax Hesychius saith it is the handle of the target taketh Porpe iâ— the same sence making it the thing bearing vp the targett into which the hand and arme to the elbow is thrust Suidas saith Porpax is it that they hold the target by which is called ochanes againe that some take it for the band of the target other some for the middel iron that goeth through the target on which the souldier taketh hold So that both Hesychius Suidas agree that Ochanon Porpax are sometime alone and signify the handle of the Target In which sence Herodotus Pausanias take Ochanon also Hesychius further interpreteth it for the band of the target 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signification better agreeth with the meaning of Plutarch who maketh an apparant difference betwixt theÌ„ reporting that Cleomenes taught the Lacedemonians to cary their targets by the Ochane not by the Porpax When he saith by the Ochane bee meaneth by the strappe by which being fastened about the necke the target is throwne over to the back resteth vpon the left shoulder That which I say will better appeare if we marke what the Lacedemonians did before what Cleomenes adviseth them vnto Before they caried a speare in the right hand and a target by the handle in the left so that both their hands were ful The speare was not able to match the enemies pike for Cleomenes had often to doe with the Macedonians Achaeans whoe both vsed pikes pikes the Lacedemonians could not wield with one hand So then to giue them liberty of both hands he counselled theÌ„ to cary their targets at theire backs by the strappe
raine snowe fogges or when the enemy hath gayned the winde they haue small vse Adde that but one ranke that is the first can giue vpon the enemy at once For the rest behinde discharging shall either wound theire owne Companions before or else shoote at randon and so nothing endaunger the enemy the force of a musket being onely availeable at point blanck Contrary wise the disadvantage of arrowes is in the weaknesse of the stroke which is not able to enter a Curace that the foote or horse nowe vse Yet can noe weather bee founde where in you may not haue good vse of bowes raine snowe winde haile fogges hinder litle especially the string of the bowe being not to wette may rather profit Because in them you can hardly discerne much lesse avoide the fall of the arrowe As for quicknesse in delivery the bowe farre excelleth the musket A good single archer is able to giue fiue shotte in exchaâ—nge for one of the musketier and that with such certainty that you shall not heare of an archer that misseth the delivery of his arrow where the musketier often faileth by reason of the accidents and impediuients before by mee rehearsed Ioine that a whole squadron of archers being embattailed may shoote at once together which onely the first ranke of musketiers may doe And make the case there were a hundred musketters and a hundred bowe-men eche digested into ten fâ—les eche file conteyning ten men the bowe men shall bee able to shoote at once a hundred arrowes all theire arrowes for ten bullets given by the musketiers namely those ten of the first ranke discharging alone It must not bee pretermitted that the bowe and quiver both for marching all service are lighter and of lesse labour to â—se then a musket which is noe small advantage in armes and fight To conclude the bowe-men may bee placed behinde the armed foote and yet in shooting over the Phalange anoy the enemy before ioyning and all the time of fight even whilest they are at pushe of pike where the musketier there placed must either idlely look on or else playeng with his musket most of all endaunger his owne friendes Neither is the force of arrowes so weake as is immagined noe not in the arming of our dayes For the pike albeit hee haue his head and body covered yet are his legges and feete his armes and handes open to woundes any of which parts being wounded bringes a disability of service To say nothing of his face and eyes before which the showers of arrowes falling like a tempest without intermission must needes breed a remedilesse terrour and make him thinke rather of saving himselfe then offending his enemy The musketier being also vnarmed is as subiect to the shotte of arrowes as the archer is to the shotte of the musket and the arrow touching any vitall parte as much taketh away life as doth the musket Lastly a horse-man for his owne person I must confesse is safe enough from the daunger of arrowes by reason of his armour but his horse being a faire and large mark and having neither barbe nor pectorall nor ought else to hide his head or breast how can hee escape woundes Witnesse our fieldes in France where our Archers alwayes beate the frenche horse being barbed and better armed then our horse are at this day And for the bloudy effect of bowes the story of Plutarch is worth the rehersing He in the life of Crassus hath thus The Parthians opposing the Cataphracts against the Roman horse the other Persians galloping heer and there dispersedly and troubling the face of the field broke vp from the bottom hills of sand that raised infinite dust whereby the Romans lost theire sight and voice and thronging together thrusting one another were wounded and died not a simple or quicke deathe but tormented with convulsions and panges of grief walllowing vp and downe in the sande to breake the arrowes in theire woundes or else endevouring to pluck out the hooked heades which had pierced vaines and sinewes renting a freshe themselues adding torment to torment so that many died in this manner the rest became vnprofitable And when Publius Crassus desired them once more to charge the Cataphracts they shewed theire handes nailed to their targets and theire feete fastened to the grownde whereby they were vnable either to fly or fight These wonders did the Parthian bowes which notwithstanding were not to bee compared to our auncient English bowes either for strength or farre shooting And that wee may not seeme to rely vpon antiquity alone The battaile of Curzolare commonly called the battaile of Lepanto fought in our dayes betwixt the Turkes Christians by sea may serue for an experience of the service of bowes and arrowes In which there died of the Christians by the arrowes of the Turkes aboue siue thowsand albeit they were in galleyes and ships and had theire blindes pretended to saue from sight and mark of the Turks where as the artillery of all sorts of the Christians consumed not so many Turkes notwithstanding the Christians had the victory Nowe then for vs to leaue the bowe being a weapon of so great efficacy so ready so familiar and as it were so domesticall to our nation to which wee were wont to bee accustomed from our Cradle because other nations take themselues to the Musket hath not so much as any shewe of reason Other nations may well for beare â—at they never had Neither Italian nor Spaniard nor Frenche nor Dutche haâ— these fiue hundred years been accounted Archers It was a skill almost appropriated to our nation By it wee gayned the battailes of Cressy of Poitiers of Agincourt in France of Navarre in Spaine By it wee made our selues famous over Christendome And to giue it over vpon a conceit onely for noe experience can say that our bowe was ever beaten out of the field by the musket will proue an immitation of Aesops dogge whoe carieng a piece of fleshe in his mouth over a river and seing the shadowe in the water snatched at the shadowe and left the fleshe I speake not this to a base the service of muskets which all men must acknowledge to bee great I onely shewe there may bee good vse of bowes if our archers were such as they were wont which is not to bee dispaired and will easily come with exercise 8 Dartes The names of dartes are divers in the Greek Story A Darte is often called Acontion and thereof cometh Acontizo to throwe a darte and darters are called Acontistae So doth Aelian heere terme a darte Sometimes a darte is termed Palton of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieng to shake or make quiver The word Palton is much vsed in Arrian and Xenophon especially when they speake of the Persian dartes Yet Diodorus Siculus nameth the Persian darte Saunion which name also is given to a Graecian darte by Plutarch and by the same Diodorus Sometimes a
Souldier which fought vnder the Ensigne had excepting the Target both to assure himselfe from the flying weapons of the light armed and from the pike and sword of the armed in case the battaile were entred and pierced as farre as the Ensigne For it was no reason he should carry a Target lest both his hands should be bound the right with the Ensigne the left with the Target and so he haue no vse of either against the enemy And in the left hand I would giue him a speare or â—auelin not a pike which cannot be weilded with one hand for his owne defence and to offend the enemy Which weapon I haue read Ensignes of ancient time did beare What the Ensignes place was whether in front or in the middest of the Battatle I see it controverted Patricius absolutely affirmeth that the Ensignes were placed in the middest of the front and had 8 files on the right and 8 on the left to the end they might be seene and followed by all That Ensignes were first invented to be a marke of seuerall bodies military in an Army I haue before shewed But it followeth not thereof that they were placed in the front in time of fight For being in the middle they no lesse gaue notice what the body was than in the front The reason of following is of lesse force Inasmuch as the Souldier well knoweth whom to follow though he had no Ensigne at all the Commander alwaies with his motion giuing him direction when to advance forward when to turne his face to the right or left hand when to countermarch when to double and when to vse all other motions military And the Commanders were therefore called Leaders because they went on before and the Souldiers followed after So that the Ensigne in regard of following neede not to be set in the front Yet in exercising the troupes and in marches I finde that the Ensigne was in the front together with the Captaine Crier Trumpeter and Guide But I take the reason to be because being in the middest and hauing neither file nor ranke with the rest they might happily bring a confusion and be a hinderance to the changes and diuers figures of the Battaile When the time of fight was the Ensigne retired to his place that is to the middest For so Leo interpreteth himselfe in his precept of closing files which must be done saith he not onely by File-leaders in front Commanders of fiue and Bringers-vp in the Reare but in the middest also where the Ensigne standeth And I rather agree to Leo herein because I see it was the manner of the Romans also to place their Ensignes in the middest of their Maniples From whence came the appellations of Antesignani Souldiers that stood before the Ensignes and Postsignani that stood behinde Besides the Ensigne being in the front the Ensigne bearer may soone get a clap who falling the Ensigne goeth to ground and is in danger of loosing which was the greatest disgrace among the Romans that might befall Lastly Aelian himselfe in plaine words placeth the Cornet of horse farre from the front For speaking of the ordinarie Horse-troupe he saith it is to consist of 64 horse the first ranke of 15 horse the 2 of 13 the 3 of 11 the 4 of 9 descending still and diminishing 2 horse in euery ranke till you come to one He addeth he shall carry the Cornet that standeth in the second ranke next the ranke-Commander on the left hand which ranke is the second ranke himselfe declareth making the ranke of 15 the first the 2 the 13 which is the 7th from the front and next the reare but one If the Cornet haue no place in front why should the Ensigne considering both serue to one vse and the reasons of seeing and following are equall to both And albeit Suidas place the Ensigne the Crier the Trompet and Sargeant before the Battaile the Lieutenant in the reare he is notwithstanding to be vnderstood of the times of marching or of exercise which I noted before For what should that Rable of vnarmed being 4. in euery Syntagma and in the whole Phalange 256. doe in the front in the time of fight but onely pester the chosen of the Armie who therefore haue the front that they may make speedier way into the enemies battell 7 A Reare-commander Was the same that a Leutenant is with vs. He commandeth the Souldiers in the Reare no lesse then the Syntagmatarch in the front and had his place in the Reare What the duty of a Reare-commander was I haue shewed out of Cyrus words in Xenophon And Aelian afterwards setteth it downe most plainly He was armed as the rest of the armed of the Syntagma namely with Pike and Target and with such other armes as I haue described in my notes vpon the second Chapter 8 A Trumpet The invention of the Trumpet is attributed to Tirrhenus Hercules sonne But the different vse of these officers is worth the noting out of Suidas The Crier saith he serueth to deliuer directions by voice the Ensigne by signall when noise taketh away the hearing of the voice the Trumpet by sound when thorough thicknes of dust a signall cannot be discerned The Sargeant to bring such things and dispatch such messages as his Syntagmatarch commands So that these officers were held all necessary for a Company the one supplying the defect of the other and seruing for vse when the other failed The Trumpet then was to be vsed according to Suidas when neither the Crier nor Ensigne could doe seruice With the Trumpet was the signall giuen for the Campe to remoue for the Campe to lodge By the Trumpet the Souldiers were taught their time to fight their time to retreate The Trumpet set and discharged the watch From the Trumpet came the measure of the Marche and the quicknes and slownes of Pace In briefe the Trumpet did all the offices that the Dromme doth with vs at this day Whether the Trumpet or Dromme are of most vse in the field I may not now dispute Onely I will say that the Graecians and Romans the most expert and iudicious Souldiers that euer were held themselues to the Trumpet and neuer vsed the Dromme The Dromme was first invented by Bacchus who as Polyenus reporteth fighting against the Indians in stead of Trumpets gaue the signall of Battaile with Cymballs and Drommes From him it came to the Indians who vsed it altogether as Curtius noteth in the battell betwixt King Alexander the Great and Porus. The Dromme of Parthians is described by Plutarch in the life of Crassus and by Appian And Leo saith the Saracens who invaded Christendome and infected the Turkes with their superstition ordered their fights by the Dromme From this Easterne Asiaticall people it was brought into Europe and now the generall custome is among stall Europaean Nations that the foote haue Drommes in the field the horse Trumpets And
which regard I preferre the Target of Aelian before that of Leo Aelians reaching vp to the height of the necke from the middle of the thigh Leos carying a handfull more in bredth which in the circumference groweth to a good proportion of weight and greatnesse 4 No shorter than 8 Cubits That is 12 foote Short pikes against long haue a great disadvantage With the long pike a man is able to strike and kill his enemy before himselfe can be touched or come in danger of a shorter the pike keeping the enemy out so farre as the length is The experience of the battaile of Sorano sheweth it where Vitellozzo Vitelli discomfited the Almaines onely with the advantage of pikes an arme longer than theirs Against long pikes this policie was vsed by Cleonymus the Lacedemonian King as Polienus tells Cleonymus besieging Aedessa and hauing ouerthrowne the wall of the City the pikemen of the City sailed out whose pikes were each 16 cubits in length Cleonymus closed his Phalange in depth and commanded the file-leaders to lay away their pikes and when the pikemen of the enemy came to charge to seaze vpon their pikes with both hands and hold them fast and the followers to passe thorough by the file-leaders sides and maintaine the fight The file-leaders laid hold on the pikes and the enemy stroue to recouer them out of their hands In the meane time the followers passing thorough the ranke of file leaders to the front slew the enemies pikemen and got the victorie This was Cleonymus deuice against long pikes which notwithstanding derogates nothing from the length of pikes more than from shortnes For the same policie might haue prevailed as well against short pikes as long each assoone as the enemies haue seized vpon them growing to be of no vse But that the longer pike is to be preferred before the shorter I haue shewed before by reason and the reformation of armes made by Iphicrates amongst the Athenians and by Philopomen amongst the Achaians will be warrant enough so to hold In the length notwithstanding ought to be a reasonable consideration that it exceede not the measure of his strength that shall beare the pike The worth that the File-leaders and next followers should be of CHAP. XIII THE File-leaders as the Commanders of files of the Phalange are to be the choice and flower of the Army and to excell the rest as well in stature as in experience and martiall skâ—ll For this Ranke knitteth and bindeth in the Phalange and of all other yeeldeth greatest vse For as a sword taking to the edge as a weight and sway the swelling yron towards the backe exhibiteth thereby more violence in piercing so in a Phalange the Ranke of File-leaders is the edge it selfe and the multitude of after-commers is the swelling and sway and increase of weight Consideration must be had likewise of those that follow in the second Ranke For their Pikes reach ioyntly ouer the front and being next in place they are alwaies ready for vse And the File-leader falling or being wounded the next follower stepping to the front in his place holdeth together and preserueth the tenor of that Ranke vnbroken Furthermore we are to order the third and the rest of the Rankes according to reason and as the valour of our souldiers shall require THis Chapter sheweth how the Souldiers are to be ordered in euery File whereof because I haue before spoken sufficiently in my Notes to the fifth Chapter and the words of this Chapter carry no difficultie or obscuritie with them I will forbeare to treat any further Of the strength of the Macedonian Phalange and length of the Souldiers Pikes CHAP. XIIII THE 1 Macedonian Phalange hath of enemies beene thought vnresistible by reason of 2 the manner of embattailing For the Souldier with his Armes standeth in close order or shutting when he is ready for fight 3 occupying two Cubits of ground And the length of his Pike is sixteene Cubits according to the first institution but in truth it ought to be foureteene Cubits whereof the 4 space betwixt the hands in charging taketh vp two Cubits the other twelue lye out from the front of the Battaile Those in the second Ranke that stand next to the Leaders loosing foure Cubits in the Phalange haue their Pikes reaching ouer the first Ranke ten Cubits Those of the third Ranke eight Cubits of the fourth Ranke six cubits of the fift 4 cubits of the sixt 2 Cubits 5 The Pikes of the other behind cannot attaine to the first Ranke And seeing fiue or six pikes are charged ouer the first Ranke they present a fearefull sight to the enemy and double the strength of the souldier standing fortified as it were with fiue or six Pikes and seconded with a maine force at his backe as the figure sheweth Moreouer they that are placed after the sixt Ranke albeit they push not with their pikes yet thrusting on with the weight of their bodies r'enforce the strength and power of the Phalange and leaue no hope for the File-leaders to flie or shift away Some would haue the hinder pikes longer then the formost that they of the third and fourth Rankes might beare out the heads of their pikes equally with the first 6 The Superordinary Lieutenant of euery Syntagma must be a man of vnderstanding ouerseeing the souldiers of his command that they file and ranke and if for feare or other occasion any forsake their ground he is to compell them againe to their places and in Closing to put them when neede requireth as neare vp together as they should stand For it is a great strength and assurance to the Phalange to haue some principall Commander not onely in front but also in the Reare of the Battaile for the causes before mentioned Notes THE strength of the Macedonian Phalange which consisted principally in the protension and charging of pikes and knitting together of Targets is here set downe The whole Chapter seemeth to haue beene taken out of Polybius who handleth the same argument and almost with the same words but that Aelian and he differ about the number of Cubits which the Pikes take vp reaching ouer the front of the Phalange 1 The Macedonian Phalange hath beene thought to be vnresistible The strength of the Macedonian Phalange appeareth no way better than by the conquests it hath made King Philip was the inventer of it and by that invention raised the kingdome of Macedonia from the poorest to the powerfullest and greatest kingdome of Europe and that I may vse the words of Diodorus Siculus finding the Crowne at his comming to it in bondage to the Illyrians made it afterward Lady of many great Nations and Cities and purchased to himselfe to be declared Generall of Greece And first ouerthrowing the Illyrians Pâ—onians Thracians and Scythians afterward let vpon the kingdome oâ— Persia to breake it after he had enfranchised the 〈◊〉 Cities of Asia And albeit death intercepted him yet he left such
forces to his sonne Aleander that he needed no other Allies to ouerthrow the Soueraâ—gnety of Persia. After his death Alexander â—ooke his langdome and Armie and with it encountring and v inquishing Darius in two great Battailes runne thorough Asia like a flash of 〈◊〉 renâ—ing a pieces aâ— that resâ—ted or stood in his way and laid the foundation of that kingdome which albeit afterward diuided continued long in his Successors Neither was the experience of their invinciblenesse against the barbarous people onely but as much against the Graecians who â—ill Philips time were esteemed the chiefe masters of Armes in Europe This is cleare by the victories the Macedonians obteined against the renowned Cities of Greece both ioyntly and seuerally Philip ouerthrew the Phoceans albeit the Lacedemonians and Athenians ioyned with them The same Philip at Cheronaea defeated the power of the Thebans and Athenians ioyned together Alexander tooke and sacked the Citie of Thebes that about that time was accâ—unted the mighttest Citie of Greece His Lieutenant Antipater foyled the Lacedâ—nians 〈◊〉 battâ—ile â—nd steâ— their King Agis Antigonus Tutor of King Phiâ—p the sonne of Demetrius broke an Armie of the Lacedemonians and Peloponesi◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and chased out of Greece Cleomenes the last brave King of Sparta 〈◊〉 they were not beaten in the field by any Nation but onely by the Romans And yet the iudgement of Polybius doth in this also proue it selfe good For where the Romans had these victories against the Macedonians he assigneth this to be the cause that the Phalange at the time of the fight had not the proper place nor meanes to vse it owne power in the encounter so long as the Phalange hath ground enough and can meete the enemy with a right front he holdeth it not possible to be foyled being diuided and in places vneven he is of opinion and experience hath taught it may easily be put in a route Plutarch compareth it for strength so long as it is one bodie and maintaineth the Synaspisme iointly to an invincible beast being disâ—euered he saith it looseth the force in the whole and in euery man particular both in regard of the manner of arming and also because the violence oâ— it consists rather in knitting of all parts together than in particular of any mans valour Three battailes to praetâ—rmit aiuers skirmâ—shes I finde the Romans 〈◊〉 with and thâ—em 〈◊〉 the Macedonians One against King Philip the sonne of Demeâ—us an 〈◊〉 against Antiochus the third against Perâ—eus the soâ—e of King Pâ—lip For I paâ— ouer those wherein they were beaten by Pyâ—hus 〈◊〉 worâ— Philip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phalange and not vsing the whole together but fighting against the Romans with the right winge onely yet had the better and wâ— too â—ard for that part of the Roman Army that ioyned with him but the other winâ— comming into the field fit rather for a march than a fight and not being able to order themselues Phalaâ—ge-wise were soone defeated and the Roman victorious fell vpon the râ—re oâ— the right winâ— where Philip was and had now gotten the victorie and so 〈◊〉 the field Antiochus vnskilfull in true ordering of a Phalange truste◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horse than his Phalange and being to fight with L Scipio where hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giuen full scope anâ— extâ—nded the front of the Phalange by making it 16 deepe 〈◊〉 contrary-wise narrowed it 〈◊〉 out the depth into 32 whereby he lost the advantage of matching the â—ront of the Romans and after his horse were beaten gaue facilitie to the enemy of 〈◊〉 on it all sides Perseus ioyning â—attaile with Paulus Aemiâ—us 〈◊〉 long 〈◊〉 the Phalange continued in the right figure slew many of the Romans anâ— forced them to retire but following on too eagerly he came to vneuen and rough ground wherein the Phalange being disseuered left spaces and breaches for the Romans to enter and defeat it So long then as the Macedonian Phalange had fit ground and the right property of embattailing it stood fast against the Romans the greatest souldiers that euer were being in their hands that kâ—ew not how to vse it as a sword in the hands of a childe it yeelded to time and fortune The cause of the strength of the Phalange is assigned to be 2 The manner of embattailing Which consists principally in ordering of Target and pike in closing of the Targets by Synaspisme and in ioint charging of the pikes which lying out thicke from the front besides the horror of the sight giue almost an impossibilitie to enter the Phalange I haue alledged the iudgement of Aemilius concerning the sight presented by a Phalange when the Pikes lie so charged out of the front Polybius thinketh nothing can resist the force thereof Livy albeit many times more than partiall to the Romans yet in the selfe-same fight betweene Perseus and Aemilius giueth his iudgement thus of the Phalange The second Legion saith he inâ—inuated it selfe into the middle empty place and so broke asunder the Phalange Neither was there any more euident cause of victory then the fights in diuers places at once which first troubled the Phalange in turning many waies and afterward plainly disioynted and scattered it whose forces being vnited and rough with charged pikes are intollerable If by giuing on in diuers places you constraine it to bring about the pikes immoueable through length and weight it entangleth it selfe with confused crossings If at one time you charge it both flanke and reare they fall asunder like a ruinous building As then they were compelled many waies to answer the Romans and so to breake their battaile into many parcells And the Romans vpon the first opportunitie of a breach straight waies conveighed in their troupes who if they had met the enemy in front had runne vpon the pikes as in the beginning it hapned to the Pelignans being too forward to come to hand and could not haue resisted the Phalange fast shut and serred vp for the encounter thus Livy concerning the Phalange Who albeit a Roman holdeth the same opinion that Polybius doth And in another place telling of Philips encamping â—e saith he was lodged in a wooddy plot which was vnfit for the Phalange especially of the Macedons which vnlesse it cast the pikes as it were a muniment before the Targets and that cannot be but in open ground is of no great vse So then if Pikes may be charged out before the Targets the Phalange is of great vse But that I may not seeme to rely vpon bare opinion let vs heare by an example or two the experience of the Pike and Target of the Macedonian against the Roman armes When T. Quintus Flaminius the Rom Consull had driuen King Philip and his army from the streights neare Antigonia seeing that the enemy kept himselfe with his strength and absteined from the field he determined to try the Cities of Thessaly and hauing wonne some
which respect a place fit hath alwaies beene sought for their seruice to secure them from the accesse of the Horse or of the enemies armed Which place was either behinde the Phalange as Aelian here would haue it or else in the wings betwixt the Horse and the armed or if they skirmished loose before the front and chanced to bee pressed with the enemy they retired into the interualls and conueied themselues behind the Phalange in safetie Leo saith if there be any place of strength it will much helpe the light-armed For after their flying weapons spent reâ—iring thither they will be in more securitie as a steepe rockie place or the bancke of a riuer or a high hill or such other Our stories report that at the battaile of Agincourt in France 200 English Archers were bestowed in a meddow fenced with a deepe ditch from whence they so gauled the French horse and foot that they were a great helpe to the victorie The like happened before at Poitiers where that braue Prince of Wales eldest sonne of Edward the third hauing to fight with the whole power of France vnder the leading of their King gaue safegard to his Archers with hedges and ditches and other strengths So that the French-horse hauing no accesse to disorder them were ouerwhelmed with the tempests and stormes of their arrowes and such a victory obteined by our nation as might maâ—ch the most renowmed of all antiquitie To say nothing of the inuention which Henrie the fifth vsed against the horse of France for securing his Archers The storie saith he deuised stakes of two yards long and armed both ends with pikes of iron the one to sticke into the ground and the other to gall and enter the horses bellies in case they came to charge our Archers home By meanes whereof he caried the famous victorie of Agincourt This for the assurance of the light armed when they come to fight without which assurance their seruice would be weake and scarce worth the hauing Their seruice then according to Aelian hath many particulars And they are good to Prouoke the enemie If the enemie be in a wood a fenâ—e a hill a fort a towne or other place of strength that admitteth no accesse the manner hath beene to send out the light armie to shew themselues and with a Brauado to towle him out of his aduantage and bring him into the field where he may more easily be dealt withall Examples are plentifull but I will content my selfe with a Macedonian example Alexander leading his armie against the Triballs that had hid themselues in a wood commanded his Archers and Slingers to runne out and to shoote and sling amongst the Barbarians to see if he could towle them into the plaine The Archers and Slingers spared not to let flie and the Triballs being wounded with arrowes threw themselues out of the wood with all speed to fall vpon the vnarmed Archers Alexander presently commanded Philotas with the Horse of vpper Macedonia to charge the right wing on which part they cast out themselues furthest And Heraclides and Sopolis with the horse of Bottiâ—a and Amphipolis the left himselfe stretching out in length the Phalange of foote setting the rest of horse before the Phalange led against the midst of the enemie As long as it was but a skirmish the Triballs had not the worst But after the Phalange close serred came vp roundly to them and the Horsemen charged them no longer with darts but pressed and ouerbore them with their horse they fled thorough the wood to the riuer To beginne the fight Leo agreeth If saith he we haue light-armed enough let them before the armie ioyne send their darts and arrowes at the enemie and after the fight of the armed is begunne plie the flanke with their missiue weapons that at ouce both their flankes may be assaulted It hath beene and is now the ordinarie course to beginne the fight with the light-armed And because wee shall read of no batâ—aile almost wherein it was not so I will forbeare examples To wound a farreof The light serue to great purpose if the Generall desire not to come neere to fight but seeke to annoy his enemie a farre of without danger of his owne folkes Liuy telleth of Cn. Manlius Volso that being to make warre against the Gallo Graecians that fled into the mountaines and awaited the Romans there and sought to defend themselues by aduantage of the place he prepared great plenty of darts arrowes bullets and small stones for Slinges and leauing his legionariâ— soulâ—iers behind led his light armed against the enemy that possessed certaine straights by which his armie must passe After some fight the Gallo-Graecians being not sufficiently armed to dâ—fend their bodies from the missiue weapons the light-armed of the Romans forced the passagâ— And following them euen to the Campe where their Companions came to their aide they first droue them into their Campe and after the Legionarie Souldiers comming vp they wonne it I haue before rehearsed the historie of Iphicrates who with his Targetires that came seldome to hand blowes but plied the enemie with darâ—s a farre of ouerthrew and slewe a whole Moira of the Lacedemonians The Acarnans likewise with this kinde of fight much incumbred Agesilaus that made an excursion into their Countrey The story is this a Agesilaus hauing taken a great prey in the territory of the Acarnans rested that day where he had taken it being busie in selling of it In the meane time many Acarnan Targetieres assembled themselues together where Agesilaus was incamped vpon the side of a mountaine and with darting and slinging they forced his Campe to descend to the plaine themselues in the meane time being free from hurt The next day Agesilaus led away his armie The passage out of the place was straight by reason of the mountaines lying about in a circle which the Acarnans possessing plied the Lacedemonians with darts and stones from the higher ground and sometimes descending to the skirts of the hills they pressed the armie so that it could not moue forward And when the armed foote or horse fell out vpon them they profited little For the Acarnans retired immediately to their strength Agesilaus perceiuing it would be hard for his armie to winde out of those straights so long as the enemy so hung vpon them resolued to charge those on his left hand For the ascent on that side was more easie both for his horse and armed foote Commanding therefore his men to charge the armed of 29 yeeres of age first fell on and the horse after them vpon the spurre Himselfe followed with the rest The Acarnans therefore that were descended and busie a darting were quickly put to flight and many slaine in seeking to remount the hills But their armed foote and most of their Targetiers stood imbattailed on the toppe and from thence both threwe other missiues and lanced Iauelines wherewith they wounded horsemen and killed
some horse But being ready to be charged by the Lacedemonian armed they fled loosing some 300 in the flight These light-armed then as long as they can keep aloofe from the enemie annoy them sore by wounding as Aelian saith a farre of as soone as the armed come vp they are glad to quite their place and saue themselues by flight 4 To disarray So long as a battaile remaineth in order no victorie is gotten against it Breaking of array and disbanding are companions of flight and of forsaking the field The armed that are to endure the efforts of the light armed must either keepe still their order and suffer themselues to be knocked downe and slaine as they stand or else prouide for themselues by flight or by yeelding For the light-armed effect with their missiue weapons the one or the other An example may be seene in the Aegyptians in Craesus his battaile who after the defeate of the rest of the armie maintained yet the fight and yeelded not to Cyrus though he had now the victorie Cyrus at the first charged their backes with his horse and being not able to breake them was faine to command his Archers and darters to shoote and cast their darts at them whâ—rby the Egyptians after many wounds and losse of their people were finally constrained to yeeld A like example is before alledged of Domitius the Lieutenant of L. Scipio who with missiue weapons alone forced the Macedonian Phalange to scatter and take themselues to flight 5 To repulse their Horse The light armed alone without a sure retreate to the armed or else some place of strength can dâ—e little in repulsing of horse I haue shewed before in the â— exploite of Crassus into Persia how the lightarmed were beaten in by the Persian horse and by the shew of wounds they receiued and with their feare discouraged the armed The like happened in Antonies retreate out of Persia the light-armed being faine to shroude themselues from the Persian horse within the Phalange of the armed Be they neuer so many without some such assurance the horse will soon ouerrunue them hauing this assurance their seruice much afflicteth horsemen both in wounding them and in killing their horse Therefore of ancient time it was vsuall to mingle horse and light armed together For the enemies horse so charged cannot be able to resist both A notable example is in Hirtius Caesar saith hee hauing a iourney in hand and but a small number of Horse and legionary Souldiers was in his way set vpon by the enemie abounding in store of Horse and of light armed Numidians amongst them And when the Souldiers of Caesar fell out to charge the enemies horse galloped away and the foote stood fast till the Horse with a full carreare returned to the rescue This kinde of fight troubled Caesar much and would haue troubled him more had hee not recouered hills that were not farre of and by that meanes shaken of the molesting enemy And for repulsing horse there is no better meanes for the armed foote then with the light armed to line that part of the battaile where the horse shall be about to giue on 6 To beat in the light armed The light armed being nimble and quick and seeking alwaies aduantages by changing of ground can neuer be forced by the armed foote who are charged with heauie furniture and by reason thereof can make no speed to seeke succour in the battaile of their armed Either they must be beaten in by the horse or by the contrary light armed as Aelian hath heere The Horse are commonly to encounter with Horse and the light-armed with light-armed amongst whom the greater number preuaileth their skill and armes being alike For the fight being a farre of many will sooner wound or kill a few then a few many saith Xenophon If the fight bee at hand the better armed or better minded will driue the other out of the field The Roman Horse and the light-armed were too hard for the Macedonians and chased them to their Campe. And that happened by reason their armour was fitter to close and to fight at hand So our Archers at the battaile of Cressy compelled the Genua crossebowes to forsake the field the english bowe being better in vse then the Genua crossebowe When they haue made the contrary light armed to quit their place they are at liberty themselues to serue where most aduantage may be had of their seruice 7 To discouer suspected places and lay ambushes Suspected places are such for the most part as ambushes are laid in Ambushes are of two kindes being laid either to endamage the enemies battell in the field or to hinder and disapoint his march The places such as are remoued from sight and had neede of speciall discouery As woods mountaines forrests rockes banckes of riuers caues hills hollow and deepe waies and the like The most part of which are rough and intricate and scarce passable for the heauy armed and horse But the light armed that are not incumbred with weight of armes able quickly to aduance or retire are fittest to lie close in such places or to search if the enemie be lodgâ—d there For the first kinde of Ambushes wee read that both heauy armed and horse haue beenâ— imploied The warres of Anniball in Italy afford plenty of examples herein For the other which is to bâ—set or discouer waies there are none so fit as the light armed whose quicknes and expedition giueth then aduantage to assault their enemy with their missiue weapons though the ground be neuer so vnequall and meanes to view any place suspected without almost any danger of their owne 〈◊〉 Cap 18 The Square 9.in Front .3 in Flank 8. in Front .4 in Flank .10 in Front .5 in Flank 8 For speedy and farre attempts A heauie armed man is not fit for farre or suddaine attempts he is armed for a firme and stedfast fight and not for concursations Alexander whensoeuer he was to vse expedition tooke with him the horse and light-armed leauing the armed to come after So did he when he oppressed Clytus and Glaucias in their campe so when he possessed himselfe of the streights of Cilicia so in preuenting of the burning of Tarsus so in seeking to take the straights of the Vxians and the gates of Persia and the rocke of Aorne The same hath beene the manner of other Generalls as I haue noted in other places For when Celerity is requisite who so fit to be imploied as they who haue nothing to hinder their speede The Targetiere had but a light target and a spâ—are the lightarmed but their armes And what are they bowe and arrowes darts and slings which haue no weight in them Which was the reason also that in victory they were imployed in giuing chaâ—e to the enemie that had lost the field The armed vsed to follow in good order of batâ—ell the slaughter and execution was deliuered
the notable effect thereof at Mantinaea Now Aelian bringeth reasons why the wedge was holden better than the square Let me with leaue adde a word or two why I take it to be better than the Rhombe And first it cannot be denied that the wedge hauing the same manner of disposition that the Rhombe hath that is a front ending in a point where the Captaine standeth two points of the two flanks where the flanke-commander stands the Lieutenant in the reare and the best men in the flanks but it must be as powerfull to open the enemies battaile as the Rhombe is Then it hath this advantage of the Rhombe that it bringeth more hands to fight For let the Rhombe and wedge be framed of an equall number the wedge in figure resembling the forepart of the Rhombe must haue the horse that should be ranged in the reare of the Rhombe orderly couched within the 3 sides thereof where by both the number of the horse in the sides is increased and the bulke of the body betwixt flanke and flanke inlarged And seing both the Rhombe and the wedge goe to the charge with the point of their front the wedge both hath the property to pierce and enter the enemies battaile by art and sleight as well as the Rhombe and doth it with more strength because of the great number of hands in the sides which all come to fight Ioyne that the hinder part of the Rhombe serueth onely to auoide surprizes and worketh nothing in charging For after the two flanke points are entred the rest of the Rhombe growing narrower and narrower toward the Reare falleth further off from the enemy and is content onely to follow the way that was made to hand by the front and flanks without being able to strike a stroke especially if it preserue the order it ought to keepe whereas all parts of the wedge are effectuall the point to enter the sides euen to the flanke corners where the Reare endeth to dispart and disseuer and finally to disorder the enemy whereby the victorie ensueth And if we may rely vpon authority the authority of King Philip will sway much for the wedge For vnlesse he had held it better than the Rhombe hee would not haue chosen nor accustomed his Macedonians to it nor Alexander after reteined it if he had not beene of the same opinion Neither did the euent deceiue them for almost in all battaileâ— their horse thus disposed caried away the victorie But as I before noted neither Rhombe nor wedge haue found grace in the eyes of the great Generalls of our daies nor can we tell what to insist vpon till experience hath taught how well these formes will agree with the weapons and seruice of our moderne warres 4 The Persians made choice of squares The square is the third and last forme of horse-battaile that Aelian mentioneth whereof there are three kinds one with a larger front then flanke an other with a larger flanke then front the third with front and flanke equall All these three were vsed amongst the Persians and Graecians For two of the first Xenophon may witnes When Agesilaus after Tissaphernes the King of Persia's Lieutenant in part of the lesser Asia had broken truce with him made an incursion into Phrigia Xenophon telleth that the rest of his iourney was without impediment till he came not farre from Dascylium There when his horsemen galloped to a hill to discouer the country by chance the horsemen of Pharnabazus an other of the King of Persians Lieutenants being about the same number that the Graecians were and sent by Pharnabazus vnder the command of Rathynes and Bancaeus his bastard brother galloped vp the same hill and discouering one the other no further of than two parts of a furlong at the first they stood still the Graecians ordered Phalange-wise 4 in depth the Barbarians making their front 12 in length the depth many more Afterward the Barbarians began first to charge when they came to hands all the Graecians that ioyned broke their staues The Persians hauing Corneil darts killed some 12 horsemen and 2 horses Herevpon the Graecians fled But when Agesilaus came with the Armie to the reskew the Barbarians againe forsooke the field The Persians then vsed a square longer in flanke then front The Graecian a square longer in front theu flanke But which of the three squares is most to be esteemed Aelian sheweth in the words following saying those squares are best that 5 Double the number of the length to the number of the depth What the length and depth in a battaile are we haue seene before Yet to vnderstand Aelian the better let vs repeat that the length of a battaile is the extension of the front the depth the extension of the flanke To double then the number of the length to the number of the depth is to place twise so many men in front as in flanke As for the purpose 6 in front 3 in flanke or 8 in front 4 in flanke or 10 in front 5 in flanke And that this was the manner of the Lacedemonians appeareth by the Oulamos or horse-troupe instituted by Lycurgus which was figured Tetragonally with 4 equall sides and conteined in it 50 horse Now that it could not be a square of number that is to haue as many horse in flanke as in front may hereby be shewed because no square number will make 50. The nearest is 7 times 7 which amounts to 49. But proportioning the number of the length double to the number of the depth that is 10 in front and 5 in flanke euen 50 will arise So that the horse troope of the Lacedemonians had the number of the length double to the number of the depth and made a square in the equality of measure of the sides not in number which is the Tetragonall figure whereof Plutarch speaketh And where Xenophon as I haue alledged before reporteth that the horsemen of Agesilaus were but 4 in depth it hindereth not this truth For as I noted before the ordinary aray of the Lacedemonians foote was 8 in depth Yet did Pausanias the Lacedemonian King cast his men into a deepe Phalange against Thrasibulus Other examples I haue alledged in the same place touching the same matter Besides this appeareth to be but a tumultuous fight either of the parties comming soddainely in the sight of the other and going presently to charge before they could haue time to alter the order they then were in And to say the horse troupe of the Lacedemonians ought to haue beene but 4 in depth it must thereof necessarily follow that they were 12 in length which yet will come short of 50 4 times 12 makes but 48. Indeed Leo holdeth opinion that in a horse battaile the depth ought to be no more than 4. I will set downe his words as neare as conveniently I can english them The depth saith he or thicknes as it was of ancient time limited is sufficient if it be of 4
the other would needs bring in a fourth neither filing nor ranking to make an opposition likewise against the third But because this kinde also is specified by Aelian let vs see how it is to be framed Aelian for examples sake would haue the Troope to consist of 36 horse To put these 36 horse in a forme that shall neither file nor ranke we are thus to worke First we must begin with the two front sides of the Rhombe and make them of 11 horse placing them thus The Leader and Captaine in the point next him backwardly on each side a horseman his horse head reaching to the shoulders of the Captaines horse then on the outward side of each of these a Horseman and their horses heads must likewise reach to the shoulders of the next horses before So must you goe on till you haue in like manner bestowed 2 a peece more on each side still opening the two sides of the Rhombe proportionally Thus done you haue two sides of the Rhombe which will be in this forme Then are we to fashion the two Reare sides of the Rhombe of 9 horse placing them after this manner The Lieutenant in the Reare angle directly opposite to yet looking toward the Captaine on either side of him forward toward the front 2 Horsemen their horses shoulders lying euen with the head of the Lieutenants horse And after them the other 6 3 on one side and 3 on the other in the same proportiō And so haue we the other two sides of the Rhombe in this forme which being ioyned to the former make the 4 sides of the Rhombe In the framing whereof 20 of the 36 horse are bestowed There remaine 16 which are thus to be ordered Within the Rhombe we must at reasonable distance place a horseman behind the Captaine in aright line and in the manner as before lay 3 to him on each side The number will amount to 7 and this is the figure Then another horseman is to be set at the same distance directly before the Lieutenant and on ech side of him two other toward the front which will be 5 in all and in this forme And these 12 horse ioyned together will fashion out a lesser Rhombe comprehended within the sides of the first So are 32 horse disposed of The 4 that are left are thus to be ordered In a right line againe after the Captaine and at the former distance is another horsemā to be set Then 2 one of the one side the other of th' other side of him their horses heads reaching to his horses shoulders thus The horseman left must supply the voide place standing directly before him that stood next before the Lieutenant thus And this is the true description of the Troope neither filing nor ranking I haue beene the longer in describing it because the figure grauen is not fully to my minde no horse head reaching to the shoulders of the horse that standeth before him 5 Polybius maketh it to consist of 64 men Aelian tooke the number of 36 horse to frame this Rhombe Polybius requireth 64. The number is not materiall so the forme be obserued If you make it of 64 you are to take 15 horse for the 2 front sides and 13 for the 2 reare sides and so in euery ranke within to diminish 2 as you did in the former 6 Which file but ranke not The third kinde of Rhombe fileth but ranketh not It is easie to frame Take what number of horse you please and make a file then lay to the distances betwixt horse and horse of that file on each flanke two other files each file conteyning one lesse in number than the first And the heads of the files are to be laid right against the space which is betwixt the Captaine and his follower and the rest of the horses against the other spaces successiuely In all the paires of files that follow and are laid to the flanks you must still diminish a horse a peece till you come to the points which haue but one either of them And of this abatement of one in euery file both front and reare and flankes grow into points and make a Rhombe As of the euen number in euery file a square battaile would arise See the figure This was the forme the Thessalians fought in as appeareth by Aelian 7 Turning to the right hand The turnings of horsemen and footmen to the right and left hand are not termed by the same names And the difference commeth of the diuersitie of weapons caried on the right or left side The horseman in his right hand held his staffe in the left the raines of his bridle The armed-foote in his right hand his pike on the left shoulder his Target Hence was it that when the horseman was commanded to turne to the right hand they bid him turne to his staffe the footeman to his pike When to the left hand they bid the horseman turne to the Raines the footman to the Target 8 To ranke and not to file This is the last kinde of Rhombe and it ranketh but fileth not It is made by a contrary way to the former The filing Rhombe began at the front point reare-point proceeded to the flanks This beginneth at the flanke points proceedeth to the front and reare First therefore a ranke is to be laid of what number you list Aelian would haue it of an vneuen number but it will fall out as well in an euen number as the figure sheweth To the distances of this ranke you must lay 2 ranks more one on either side whose number must be one lesse a peece than the former ranke Thus continue laying ranks still toward the front and reare and in euery paire of ranks diminish one a peece till you come to the points either of which haue but one namely the Captaine the Lieutenant and the Rhombe will ranke and not file Cap 20 The ordinary horse troupe consisting of 64 The right Flank Commander The Capteine The Front The Lieutenant The left Flank Commander The place of Horsemen in the field the number of an vsuall horse troupe the degrees and names of the officers of the Horse in generall CHAP. XX. THE Troopes of Horse as the light-armed are placed sometime before the Phalange sometime on the right or left hand in flanke of the Phalange sometime behind the light-armed in the Reare For our purpose let them be placed in the Reare and 1 let the first Troope be of 64 men and the first ranke thereof 15 Horse The next 13. The next 11 and in all the rest abate 2 till you come to the last which is one 2 He shall carry the Cornet that standeth in the second ranke next the Ranke-Commander on the left hand All the Troopes shall be 64 in number The horsemen in all 4096. 3 Two Troopes are called an Epilarchy of 128 horse Two Epilarchies 4 a Tarentinarchy of 256 horse Two Tarentinarchies 5 an Hipparchy of 512.
particularly to the first aspect So that this is vsed after the making of an Anastrophe For alwaies in motions it is requisite that the Souldiers faces moue forward To moue backeward hath many inconueniences of stumblings vpon vneuen ground or stones or pittes or stubbes or such like Which is the cause that in Anastrophe after a Wheeling Aelian willeth that the Souldiers turne their faces the contrarie way first then moue on till they haue recouered their first ground then open rankes and files and lastly to restore to the first aspect And as it differeth from Anastrophe so differeth it likewise from Metabole Metabole only turned faces about this setteth the Souldier in his former posture not onely for his face but for his armes also which are ordered as at first The wordes wherein this motion is expressed by Aelian are Ep orthon apodounai and Eis orthon apocaâ—astesai which is interpreted by Gaza in arrectum reddere to restore vp right by Arcerius rectum reddere to restore right and so the words sound Aelian interpreteth it to set againe the Souldiers sight in the same aspect in which it stood at first as if being placed with his face against the enemy he be commanded to turne his face to the Pike and then againe to restore his face to his first posture he must returne and set his face against the enemy Aelian therefore referreth it to the sight he first had which if it bee the right meaning how can it be vpright or right more in that then in any other posture For the Souldier not onely in front but in flanke and in the reare carrieth himselfe vpright or right I doubt not but that it may be applied to the vpright standing of men as appeareth by sundry places of Pausanias Who reherseth that Mineruas Image set in the Temple Parthenion standeth vpright orthon esti and in an other place that in Corinth in the Temple Pantheon there were two Images of Mercurie standing vpright Ortha and that in the Temple of Fortune the image of Fortune was carued of Parian stone and stood vpright Orthon and that in Neptunes Temple situate in the Corinthian Isthmus the images of Amphitrite and Neptune stand in a Chariot and the boy Palemon vpright vpon a Dolphin Orthos In all which places Orthos designeth the site of men But here as I take it cannot be so applied Because in euery motion not onely in this the men stand vpright How then can they be restored to their standing vpright when they doe it already I take the originall of the appellation to come from another cause and that is from the ordering of the Pike For when the battaile is first set in the field euery Souldier standes with his Pike ordered that is vpright For to order a pike is to set the butt end on the ground before the Souldier somewhat wide of his right foote and to hold it vpright with the right hand borne euen with the shoulder But when you beginne or continue any motion the manner is to aduance or to shoulder the Pike and so to proceede But being commanded to returne to the first posture it must bee ordered againe So that the first posture of an armed man is to stand with his pike vpright And after many motions and windings he at last returneth to the same posture which I take the command of Ep'orthon apodounai to signifie Now that I may not seeme to relie vpon a probable coniecture alone I will bring witnesse for the confirmation of my opinion It is reported by Diodorus Siculus that Agesilaus the Lacedemonian King with an armie of eighteen thousand foote and fifteen hundred horse inuaded Boeotia The Athenians before hearing of Agesilaus comming had sent fiue thousand foote and 200 horse to aide the Thebans who gathering their armie together seized vpon a long narrow hill distant 20 furlongs from the City And making the hard accesse to the place a kinde of fortification against the enemie they there waited his comming fearing to hazard vpon euen ground in regard of the renowne and glory of Agesilaus Agesilaus hauing imbattailed his troupes led them against the Boeotians and approching neere sent his light armed to sound their disposition to fight which being easily repulsed by the Thebans by the aduantage of the higher ground hee aduanced the rest of his forces being imbattailed in such manner as might giue greatest terror Chabrias the Athenian willed his Souldiers to awaite the enemy contemptuously both keeping their first array and their Targets at their knees and continuing their Pikes vpright ordered who when they iointly as vpon a word giuen did as they were commanded Agesilaus both wondering at the good order and at the assured fashion of the enemy thought it not fit to striue with vnequall ground and by forcing them to fight to compell them to be valiant whether they would or no. Hitherto Diodor Sicul. of the Strategem of Chabrias against Agesilaus which consisted in the contempt of Agesilaus and all his forces First in not stirring one foote to meete the enemy then in keeping the array they held before further in sincking their Targets to their knees Lastly in continuing the former order of their Pikes that is not making readyto charge but remaining with their Pikes ordered as they were at first Agesilaus aduancing his armie thought to strike a feare into his enemie Chabrias trusting to the strength of the place scorned the Brouado of Agesilaus conceiuing he would not be so hardy to aduenture the fight vpon so great an inequallity of ground He therfore willeth the Cap 28 The Macedoman Countermache by file The reare The front of the first standing The Countermarche in action The file leaders with their faces about standing firme The bringers vp dismarching The front after Countermarche The ground taken before the front of the Phalange Cap 29 The Lacedemonian Countermarche The Countermarche in action The file-leaders aduancing in Countermarche The bringers vp standing firme w th their faces turned about The front after Countermarche The ground taken beyond the reareof the Phalange Cap 20 The Chorean Countermarche The Front in the first standing The Bringers vp moving The fileleaders dismarching The front after Countermarche Cap. 20. Countermarche by Ranke The Countermarche in action diers not to alter their posture but to continue as they were The words concerning the Pike are En ortho tò dorati menein That is to continue their pikes vpright En ortho Now whether the same be the posture that the Tacticks describe when they speake or restoring Ep ' ortho vpright I referre to the iudgement of the Reader a Poliaenus remembring this Stratagem vseth somewhat different words and yet consenteth in meaning Chabrias saith he commanded his Souldiers not to runne out against the enemy but quietly to stand still holding their pikes before vpright and their Targets before their knees which they were wont to doe when they would a little ease
three-fold gate or doore How the motions of wheeling double and treble wheeling of the battaile are to be made CHAP. XXXII IT followeth to shew how a battaile may be turned or wheeled and how after reduced to the first posture or Station Cap. 30. Plagiophalanx or the Brode-Fronted Phalange Orthiophalanx or the Herse Protaxis or forefronting The Front Lâ—â—halanx or the vneven fronted Phalange Cap. 31. Hypotaxis or double-winging Entaxis or insertion Protaxis or forefronting Cap. 32. The manner of wheeling The first posture Closing of files Closing of rankes forward The Front But in case we desire to wheele to the left hand we command the left-hand-file to stand still and all the rest to turne their faces to the left hand and mooue forward close vp to the left hand file Then to turne their faces as they were Then to gather vp the hinder rankes Then to wheele the battaile to the left hand and stand and so is it done that was commanded But if restitution to the first posture be needfull we must doe as we did in returning from the right For euery man must turne about his face to the Pike Then the whole battaile wheeling about the left-hand-corner-file-Leader must returne to the place it had Then all the file-Leaders stand firme and turne about their faces and the rest open their rankes in mouing forward and make Alte Then the left hand file is to stand firme for it hath the place it first had and the rest turning their faces to the right hand to open their files and moue forward till they haue recouered their first distances then to turne their faces as at first and so shall euery man be in his first posture Now if we would wheele the battaile about to the pike we are to make 2 wheelings to the same side so will it come to passe that the file-Leaders shall in the change haue their faces turned to the Reare where before they had them looking out from the front But in restoring to the first posture we command it to wheele about to the right hand That is we giue it two wheelings more the same way So the file-Leaders will haue their faces set as at first Then we command the file-Leaders to stand firme and the rest to open their rankes behind then to turne their faces about Then the right hand file to stand still for it hath the right place and the rest turning their faces to the right hand to march on till the former distances are regained then to make Alte. So is the battaile reduced to the first Station If you would haue the battaile turne about to the Target you are to giue contrarie directions That is in stead of commanding a double wheeling to the Pike to command a double wheeling to the Target Then by making two turnes the contrary way to vse the like changes we spake of before There is likewise a treble wheeling of the battaile when it turneth thrice to the same hand namely to the Pike or Target The double wheeling to the Pike transferreth the Souldiers face from the front to the backe of the battaile The treble wheeling to the Pike bringeth his face to the left flanke The treble wheeling to the Target contrariwise to the right flank Notes BEfore in the 26 Chapter Aelian discoursed of wheeling and the kindes thereof The manner how it is to be done is reserued for this place I neede not therefore remember any thing else besides the words of command The words of command in Epistrophe The vttermost file on the right or left hand stand firme The rest turne faces to the side purposed and march vp to the file standing firme Faces as you were Close your rankes forward Wheele the body to the hand appointed and when you haue your ground stand Returning to the first Posture or Anastrophe Faces to the right or left hand Wheele backe the body to the ground it first had File-Leaders stand firme the other rankes open to their first place Faces about to which hand you will The corner file to which the turning was stand firme the rest open to their first ground Faces as you were and order your Pikes Perispasmos or wheeling about In wheeling about the same wordes to close the files and rankes are to bee vsed which were vsed in Epistrophe there remaineth no more then to say Wheele about your body to the right or left hand Anastrophe or returning to the first Posture Returne to your first Posture The same forme is vsed that was held in the former returning vnto the first posture for opening rankes and files Ecperispasmos or treble wheeling In this motion the same course is held that was in the wheeling But only that you command a treble wheeling And the returning to the first Posture or Anastrophe is all one but for the same difference Of closing the battaile to the right or left hand or to the middest CHAP. XXXIII Cap â—â— Of Changes The front after closing Closing to the right hand in action Closing to the left hand Closing to the middell Closing to the right hand The Front before closing The Front of the 〈◊〉 before closing If the Phalange be to be closed in the middest the Diphalange on the right hand must turne their faces toward the Target and the Diphalange on the left hand their faces toward the Pike Then moue forward toward the middest of the Phalange Then after their true distance gained to set their faces as they were and to gather vp the Rankes behind When we would reduce the Phalange to the first posture wee command to turne faces about then to open the Rankes and all to moue on but the first Ranke then to turne their faces againe and the right Diphalange turning to the Pike and the left Diphalange to the Target to follow their Leaders till they haue recouered their first distances Then to set their faces as they were This rule is to be obserued in all turnings about of faces when they are made out of closings that the Pikes be aduanced least they hinder the Souldier in making his turning The light-armed are to be taught and exercised after the same manner Notes IN the 11 Chapter the distances that ought to bee betwixt souldier and souldier are particularly treated of This Chapter sheweth how they are to be gained that is how we are to proceede out of one distance into another And because the open order is it that is commonly begunne withall it is here taught how from thence to passe to the rest and to returne to it againe The end of closings is spoken of before In regard of place they are said to be of two kindes One to the wing right or left the other to the middest of the Phalange I cannot expresse the manner better then by setting downe the wordes of command or direction which are these in Closing to the right wing The right-wing-corner-file stand firme The rest turne faces to the Pike and moue according to
the enemy not onely in front but also in flanke Of the Phalange Amphistomus CHAP. XXXVIII THe Phalange Amphistomus for it is so called because it hath two fronts and that part of the battaile that is set and aduanced against the enemie is called a front Seeing then in this forme the middlemost are ordered backe to backe and those in front and reare make head against the enemy the one being Commanders of the front the other of the reare therefore it is called Amphistomus It is of great vse against an enemy strong in Horse and able to giue a hot and dangerous charge and principally practised against those Barbarians that inhabit about the riuer Ister whom they also call Amphippi because they change Horses in fight The Horse battaile to encounter this forme hath a Tetragonall shape being for the purpose diuided into two broad-squares they are broad-squares that haue the front twice as much as the depth And these Squares are opposed seuerally against the diuisions of the foot-battaile Of the Phalange Antistomus CHAP. XXXIX THe Phalange Antistomus is like the Amphistomus the forme being a little altered so that it accustometh the souldier to resist the seuerall kindes of incursions of Horse All that hath beene spoken concerning the former Phalange both for foote and Horse agreeth with this figure also Herein they differ that Cap. 37. A foure fronted Phalange against all allemptes of the Enemy The Front of the reare The Front of the right flank The Front of the March The Front of the left flank Cap. 38. The Phalange Amphistomus Cap 39 The Phalange Antistomus Front Cap. 40. The Horsmans wedge Front A Diphalange Antistomus the Amphistomus receiueth the charge in front and reare the Antistomus in flanke But aswell in the one as the other they fight with long Pikes as doe the Alans and Sauromatans And the one halfe of the souldiers in the files turne their faces forward the other halfe backward so that they stand back to backe This forme hath two fronts the one before where the file-Leaders the other behind where the back-Commanders stand And being also diuided into a Diphalange it maketh the fore-front with the one and the after-front with the other Phalange Of the Diphalange Antistomus CHAP. XL. A Diphalange Antistomus is that which hath the file-Leaders placed not in Deduction outwardly but inwardly face to face one against-an other and the reare-Commanders without one halfe in a right the other in a left-hand Deduction This forme is vsed when the Horse giue on and charge Wedge-wise For the * Wedge shooting foorth into a point and hauing the Commanders following in flanke and endeauouring to disseuer and breake the front of the foote the Leaders of the foote foreseeing their purpose place themselues in the middest with intent either to repulse them or else to giue them a thorough passage without losse For the Wedge flieth vpon the foote in hope to charge the multitude in the middest and to disorder the whole battaile And the foote Commanders conceiuing well the fury of that kinde of forme leaue a little space betwixt either front and stand like walles on both sides and iointly turning their faces toward the middest giue them a fruitlesse and empty passage This forme of Horse-battaile is called a Wedge by Tacticks which was inuented by Philip King of Macedon who placed his best men before that by them the weaker sort might be held in and enabled to the charge as we see in a speare or in a sword the point whereof by reason of the sharpnesse quickely piercing maketh way for and letteth in the middle blunt iron Of the Diphalange called Peristomus CHAP. XLI THe Phalange of the Diphalange * Peristomus proceedeth by deduction in a wing the oblique deduction on the right hand hauing the file-Leaders without the left hand oblique deduction the reare-Commanders within The figure sheweth the intent of them that fight so ordered For the battaile going to charge hauing beene at first Tetragonall diuideth it selfe into two oblique wings the right and the left of purpose to enclose the aduerse square-battaile And they fearing to bee inclosed transforme themselues into two seuerall marching-Phalanges directing one against the right the other against the left wing Therefore it is called Peristomus as hauing the front bent against the enemy both waies Of the Diphalange called Homoiostomos and of the Plinthium CHAP. XLII A Diphalange * Homoiostomus is so named because a whole file that is 16 men mouing by it selfe another file followeth it And it is therefore called Homoiostomus because they that follow follow in a like figure This kinde is opposed against the Plinthium * Plinthium is a forme of Battaile that hath the sides equall both in figure and number In figure because the distances are euery where equall In number because there are as many men in length as in depth In this foure-sided-Battaile are none in the flankes but armed without Archer or Slinger to helpe When therefore two Phalanges march together one by another and both haue their Leaders either in a right-hand or left-hand Deduction it is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus Of the Diphalange Heterostomus CHAP. XLIII A Diphalange * Heterostomus is that which proceedeth by Deduction hauing the Leaders of the former Phalange in a right-hand-Deduction and of the following Phalange in a left-hand-Deduction so that the battailes march counterchangeably one hauing the Leaders in one flanke and the other in the other and so the rest Againe of the Battaile called a Rhombe and of the foote-halfe moone to encounter it CHAP. XLIV THe battaile framed in forme of a Rhombe was first inuented by Ileon the Thessalian and was called I le after his name and to this forme he exercised and accustomed the Thessalians It is of good vse in that it hath a Leader at euery corner at the point the Captaine of the Troupe the reare-Commander behinde and on either side the flanke-commanders The foote battaile fittest to affront this is the Menoides or Cressant hauing both the wings stretched out and in them the Leaders and the middest imbowed to inuiron and wrap in the Horsemen in their giuing on Whereupon the Horsemen ply the foot a farre off with flying weapons after the manner of the Tarentines seeking thereby to dissolue and disorder their circled frame of marching Tarentum is a City of Italy the Horsemen whereof are called Acrobolists because in charging they first cast little Darts and after come to hands with the enemy Cap. 42. The Battaile called Plinthium The front The Diphalange Homoiostomus Cap. 43. The Diphalange Heterostomus The File-leaders The bringers up Cap. 45. Heteromekes or the Herse of Horse The front Plagiophalanx or the broad fronted battaile of foote Cap. Epicampios Emprosthia The front Of the Horse-battaile Heteromekes and of the Plagiophalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XLV THe Horse battaile Heteromekes is that which hath the depth double to the
length It is profitable in many respects For seeming to cary but few in so small a bredth it deceiueth the enemy and it easily breaketh his forces with the thicknesse and strength of the embattailing and may without perceiuing bee lead thorough straight and narrow passages The Foot-battaile to encounter it is called the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted Battaile For being but slender in depth it beareth foorth and extendeth it selfe in length so that albeit it be broken in the middest with the charge of the Horse yet is nothing broken but a little of the depth and the fury of the Horse is carried not vpon the multitude of the foote but straight and immediately into the open field And for that cause is the length thereof much exceeding the depth Of another kinde of Rhombe for Horsemen and of the foote-Battaile Epicampios Emprosthia to encounter it CHAP. XLVI ANother sort of Rhomboides there is whereof I need say no more but that it fileth and ranketh not For I haue before shewed the vse and that Ileon the Thessalian was the inuentor and that Iason Medeas husband most put it in practise The vse thereof is great being directed and lead in the foure corners by the Captaine the Lieutenant and the two flanke-Commanders It is commonly fashioned of Archers on Horsebacke as the Armenian and Persian manner is Against it is opposed the foote-battaile called Epicampios Emprosthia because the circumduction of the front is like an embowing The end of this forme is to deceiue and ouer-reach the Archers on Horsebacke either by wrapping them in the voide space of the front as they charge and giue on vpon the spurre or else disordering them first with their wings and breaking their fury by ouerthrowing them finally with their rankes about the middle Ensignes This kinde of Battaile was deuised to entrappe and beguile For opening the middle hollownesse it maketh shew but of a few that march in the wings hauing notwithstanding thrice as many following and seconding in the reare So that if the wings bee of power sufficient for the encounter there needeth no more if not retiring easily on either fide they are to ioyne themselues to the bulke of the Battaile Of the foot-battaile called Cyrte which is to be set against the Epicampios CHAP. XLVII THe Battaile to be opposed against the Epicampios is called Cyrte of the circumferent forme This also maketh semblance of small forces by reason of the conuexitie of the figure For all round things appeare little in compasse and yet stretched out in length and singled they proue twice as much as they appeared to be as is euident in pillars which are round and therefore in sight shew the one halfe and conceale the other The greatest piece of skill in embattailing is to make a shew of few men to the enemy and indeed to bring twice as many to fight Of the Tetragonall Horse-battaile and of the wedge of foote to be opposed against it CHAP. XLVIII THe Tetragonall Horsebattaile is square in figure but not in number of men For in Squares the number is not alwaies the same and the Generall for his aduantage may double the length to the depth The Persians Sicilians and most of the Graecians doe affect this forme and take it to bee easie in framing and better in vse Against it is opposed the Phalange called Embolos or Wedge of foote all the sides consisting of armed men This kinde is borrowed of the Horse-mans wedge And yet in the Horse-wedge one sufficeth to lead in front where the Footewedge must haue three one being vnable to beare the sway of the encounter So Epaminondas the Theban fighting with the Lacedemonians at Mantinea ouerthrew a mightie power of theirs by casting his armie into a Wedge It is fashioned if the Antistomus Diphalangy in marching ioyne the front of the wings together holding them open behind like vnto the letter A. Of the foot-Battaile called Ploesium and of the winding or saw-fronted foot-battaile to encounter it CHAP. XLIX THe Battaile Ploesium hath the length much exceeding the depth And it is called Ploesium when armed foote are placed on all sides the Archers and Slingers being throwne into the middest Against this kinde of Battaile is set the winding-fronted-battaile to the end that with the vnequall figure they may Cap. 47. The Cyrte or convex half Moone The front The Epicampios The front Cap. 48. The foote wedge The front The Horsbattaile square in figure not in horse The front Cap. 49. The Peplegmene The front The Plesium Cap. 50. The aduerse battaile The overfrontnig battaile Cap. 50. The aduerse battail The overwinging battail traine out those of the Ploesium to cope with the foremost of the winding-fronted-battaile and by that meanes dissolue and disorder the thicknesse oâ— the same And the file-Leaders of the winding-battaile are to obserue and marke the file-Leaders of the Ploesium that if they still maintaine their closenesse and fight serred they also incounter them in the like forme if the Ploesium file-Leaders seuer themselues and spring out from their maine force then they likewise bee ready to meet them man to man Of Hyperphalangesis and Hyperkerasis and of Attenuation CHAP. L. HYperphalangesis or ouer-fronting is when both wings of the Phalange ouer-reach the enemies front Hyperkerasis or ouerwinging is when with one of the wings we ouer-reach the front of the enemy So that hee that ouerfronteth ouerwingeth but hee that ouerwingeth ouerfronteth not For they that match not the enemy in multitude may yet ouerwing them Attenuation or lessening is when the depth of the battaile is gathered vp and instead of 16 men a smaller number is set Of conueying the Cariage of the Army CHAP. LI. THe leading of the cariage if any thing else is of great importance and requireth a speciall Commander It may bee conueyed in fiue manners either before the Armie or behinde or on the one flanke or the other or in the middest Before the Army when you feare to bee charged behind Behind the Army when you would leade toward the enemy When you feare to bee charged in flanke on the contrary side In the middest when a hollow-Battaile is needfull and fit Of the words of Command and certaine obseruations about them CHAP. LII LAst of all wee will briefly repeate the words of direction if we admonish first that they ought to be short then that they ought to be without double-signification For the Souldiers that in hast receiue direction had neede to take heede of doubtfull words least one doe one thing and another the contrarie As for the purpose If I say turne your face some it may be that heare mee will turne to the right some to the left hand and so no small confusion follow Seeing therefore these words turne your face import a generall signification and comprehend turning to the right or left hand we ought in stead of saying turne your face to the pike to pronounce it
thus To your Pike turne your face that is we ought to set the particular before and then inferre the generall Like reason is if you say turne about your face or countermarch For these are also generall words And therefore wee should do well to set the particular before As to the Pike turne your face about or to the Target turne your face about Likewise the Lacedemonian countermarch not the Countermarch Lacedemonian For if you place the word Countermarch first some of the Souldiers will happily fall to one kind other to another kinde of Countermarch For which cause words of double sense are to be auoided and the speciall to be set before the generall Of silence to be vsed by Souldiers CHAP. LIII BVt aboue all things silence is to bee commanded and that beed be giuen to directions As Homere specially signifieth in his discriptions of the Graecian and Troian fights The skilfull Cheef-taines pressed on guiding with carefull eie Their Armed troupes who followed their Leaders silently You surely would haue deem'd each one of all that mighty thronge Had been bereft of speach so bride led he his heedfull tongue Fearing the dread Commanders checke and awfull hest's among Thus march't the Greekes in silence breathing flames of high desire And feruent zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire As for the disorder of the Barbarians he resembleth it to birdes saying As sholes of fowle geese cranes and swannes with necks far stretched out Which in the slimy fennes Caïsters winding streames about Sheare here and there the liquid skie sporting on wanton wing Then fall to ground with clanging noise the fennes all ouer ring None otherwise the Troians fill the field with heaped sounds Of broken and confused cries each where tumult abounds And againe The Captaines marshall out their Troupes ranged in goodly guise And foâ—rth the Troians pace like birds which lade the aire with cries Not so the Greekes whose silence breathed flames of high desire Fernent in zeale to back their friends on foes to wreake their ire The words of Command CHAP. LIIII Thus then are we to command TO your Armes Stand by your Armes Cariage away from the battaile Marke your directions Seperate your selues Aduance your Pikes File and ranke your selues Looke to your Leader Reare Commander order your file Keepe your first distances Faces to the Pike moue a little further stand so as you were Faces to the Target moue a little further stand so Faces about to the Pike moue a little further stand so Double your Depth To your first posture Double your Length To your first posture The Lacedemonian countermarch To your first posture The Macedonian countermarch To your first posture The Choraan countermarch To your first posture Battaile wheele to the Pike To your first posture Battaile wheele about to the Pike To your first posture These precepts of the Art Tacticke most inuincible Caesar I haue laide out to your Matie which will be a meanes of safety to such as shall vse them and of â—he ouerthrow of their enemies THE EXERCISE OF THE ENGLISH IN the seruice of the high and mighty Lords the LORDS the ESTATES of the vnited PROVINCES in the Low COVNTRIES THE Soldiers are diuided into two kindes Foote and Horse The Foote againe are of two kindes Pikemen and Musketiers Pikemen are armed with a head-peece a Curace and Tases defensiue and with a Pike of fifteene foote long and a Rapier offen siue The Armour is all yron the Pike of Ashen wood for the Steale and at the vpper end an yron head of about a handfull long with cheekes about the length of two foote and at the butt-end a round strong socket of yron ending in a pike that is blunt yet sharpe enough to fixe to the ground The forme thereof is expressed in the grauen figure The Musketier hath a head-peece for defence a Musket the barrell of the length of 4 foote the bore of 12 bullets to the pound a Bandelier to which are fastned a convenient number of charges for powder sometimes as many as 15 or 16 a lether bagge for bullets with a pruning yron a Rest for the Musket with an yron forke on the vpper end to support it in discharging and a pike on the nether end to sticke into the ground lastly a Rapier The figure of this armour also is here inserted These soldiors both Pike-men and Musketiers are diuided into Companies and euery Company consisteth halfe of Pikes halfe Musketiers The Companies are some more in number some lesse Some reach to 300 men some 200 some 100 some 90 some 80 some 70. Euery Company hath these officers of the field A Captaine a Lieutenant an Ensigne 2 Serieants 3 Corporalls two Drommes and for other vses a Clerke a Surgion and a Prouost Companies are compacted into Regiments and the Regiments commanded by Coronells Regiments conteine not alwaies a like number of Companies some hauing 10 some 11 12 13 14 15 some 30 Companies and aboue In euery Regiment are a Coronell a Lieutenant Coronell a Serieant Maior all officers of the field a Quarter-master and a Prouost-martiall for other imployments It shall not be greatly to the purpose to mention higher officers then Coronells my principall intent being no other then to set downe the armes and exercise of our Nation in the said vnited Provinces Their armes are spoken of Their exercise followes FIrst both Pikes and Muskets are ordered into files of 10 deepe The Musketiers are sometime placed before sometime in flanke sometimes in the reare of the pikes To exercise the motions there are two distances to be obserued The first is when euery one is distant from his fellow 6 foote square that is in file and ranke 6. The second is when euery Souldier is 3 foote distant one from the other aswell in file as in Ranke And because the measure of such distances cannot be taken so iustly by the eye the distance of 6 foot betwixt the files is measured when the Souldiers stretching out their armes doe touch one an others hands and betwixt the Rankes when the ends of their pikes come well nigh to the heeles of them that march before And the measure of 3 foote betwixt the files is when their elbowes touch one another betwixt the rankes when they come to touch the ends of one anothers Rapiers For to march in the field the distance of 3 foote from file to file is kept and of 6 foote from Ranke to Ranke To order themselues in Battaile as also to goe towards the enemy the distance of 3 foote in file and ranke is obserued and likewise to conversion or wheeling The Musquettiers also going for to shoote by Rankes keep the same distance of 3 foot but going to skirmish they goe a la Disbandade which is out of order There is yet another sort of distance which is not vsed but for to receiue the enemy with a firme stand