euery man shall haue three foot distance from other in ranke double them twice the file hath but foure men and euery mans distance in ranke is no more then a foot and halfe which as it is allowable in close order so admitteth it no third dou 〈…〉 wherein the space betwixt man and man cannot exceed three quarters of a foot As therefore the second doubling of ranks in a Phalangarchy albeit it extend the front of the battell leaueth yet too small a depth to the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile it containing no more then foure men in depth so the doubling of files twice fitteth not the Orthiophalange or Herse as hauing 64 in depth and as many in length which number neither holdeth proportion of the depth manifold to the length of the Orthiophalange or Herse nor yet by reason of the length hath conueniency to apply it selfe to streight waies a thing that containeth the principall vse of that manner of battaile which was the cause that antiquity vsed another course If the march were to be made out of a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile they framed a Herse by putting forth out of the right or left wing first one Tetratchy or other body which might march whole according to the largenesse of the ways and after it followed from the same wing the rest of the Army in the same kinde If contrariwise a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile were to be framed out of an Orthiophalange or a Herse they caused the body which had the vaunt to stand firme and the rest following to sleeue vp by it on the right or left hand till they all came to an euen front Xenophon sheweth the manner in a Company whose words are these in English Then he Cyrus the elder beheld another Captaine leading his Company from the river side to dinner one souldier following another in a single file who when hee thought â—it commanded the second and third and fourth file to sleeue vp and make an euen front with the first the file-leaders being new in front hee commanded the halfe files to double the front so that new the Decadarches or leaders of halfe files stood in front Againe when it seemed good he commanded the quarter files to double the front so the Pempedarches or leaders of the quarter of files led vp and the files marched on being diuided into foure parts When they were come vnto the Tent doore hee commanded the first file to single out againe and to enter in and the second to follow it single in the reare and so the third and fourth till all were within the Tent. To cleare these words of Xenophon It is to be vnderstood that the Company or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here mentioned consisted of 100 men and was diuided into foure files or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 each file containing twenty foure men The file had fiue Officers the file leader the Decadarch two Pempedarchs and the bringer vp At the head of the file stood the file-leader and behinde him directly fiue men next after them stood the first Pempedarch and fiue men that followed him in the middest of the file that is after the Pempedarch and his fiue was placed the Decadarch who â—ed the hinder most halfe file and after him fiue men more Lastly the second Pempedarch and fiue more after him the last of which was the bringer vp Now when Xenophon saith that the whole Company followed by one or file wise he meaneth that the foure files were cast into one file and followed one another in a right line and by that meanes had 100 in depth and but one in front To bring it therefore to conuenient length from this depth the Captaine commanded the first file leader to make Alte or to stand and the second file leader with his file to aduance and to sleeue vp on the left hand and to front with the first file leader and so both files to stand euen fronted in open order The like he commanded the third and fourth file to doe so that the foure files being laid one to another and fronting equally the front or length of the body had foure men the depth 24. Then because he held this depth disproporcionable to the length in so small a body he againe enlarged the front by doubling commanding the halfe files to double their front The Decadarchs hereupon marched vp to the front and ranked with the file leaders and the halfe files following them ranked with the front-halfe files man to man Now was the front eight in length the flanke or depth twelue To enlarge againe the front and to make the length exceede the depth he commanded the quarter-files to double the front hereupon the Pempedarchs aduanced marching vp with their quarter files after them till they fronted with the file leaders and Decadarchs and each man of the quarter files ranked with the rest so that the front came to be of 16 men in length the flanke six men in depth and each man in ranke had a foot and halfe distance in file six foot And thus the Company from one file as it were from an Orthiophalange or Herse was formed into a long body somewhat resembling a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile To reduce it againe to an Orthiophalange or Herse the Captaine at the entry into the Tent where the whole Company was lodged together first directed the first file to march out namely by the file leader with his fiue then the first Pempedarch with his fiue after him the Decadarch with his fiue lastly the second Pempedarch with his fiue which drawing out of the Officers one after another in depth with the parts of the file Commanded by them immediately brought the file to the iust depth of 24. This being done the second file followed the first in like order and the third the second last of al came the fourth and this was the manner of changing one forme into another and albeit the example be but of a Company yet is the reason all one in a Phalange or battaile for as a company is compacted of many files so is a phalange of diuers companies and as one file in the example before was led after another filewise so is or may one company or other body be led after another making thereby an Orthiophalange or Herse and as one file aduanced to front with another to the intent to alter the forme of the Orthiophalange so must the bodies or companies sleeue vp one by another to make a plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile yet want there not Examples in the Greeke History of turning the Orthiophalange or Herse into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile and by consequence the plagiophalange into an Orthiophalange Cherisophus in the returne of the 10000 Grecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia had the leading of the Vant-gard all the way He in his march in Armenia perceiuing the Chalybes Taochians and Phasians had taken
certaine mountaines ouer which the Grecians were to passe made alte some 30 furlongs before hee came to the Enemy lest encountring with the enemy hee should fight with his army being led in a wing or Orthiophalange He commanded therefore the Captaines that followed him with their companies euery one after another to sleeue vp their companies by his to the intent to cast the army into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile When thereare Commanders were come vp hee called a counsell to aduise of the best course in proceeding Here is the order of the Grecians march expressed to be in a Herse or Orthiophalange which consisted of many companies one following another and likewise the manner of transfiguring the Herse into a broad fronted phalange viz. the Captaines one after another sleeuing vp their companies by Cherisophus his company on the left hand and making an equall front with him And yet this example containeth no more then the sleeuing vp of the Companies vpon one flanke Cherisophus first made a Stand with his companie hauing the vant the following Captaines sleeued vp their companies on his left hand as the files did one after another in the other example Alexander vsed another kinde of sleeuing a little before he fought the battell of Issos For caufing the vant-gard first to stand he commanded the rest of the foot to march vp to the front of the vant-gard on either flanke The words lye thus in Arrian Alexander hauing by midnight gained the Streights of Cilicia setting out a streight watch vpon the rockes rested and refreshed his army till morning b◠day-breake he descended from the streights in the ordinary way and as long as the passage was narrow he led in a wing afterwards the mountaines opening a greater distance he enlarged his wing into a phalange by little and little still sleeuing vp the armed one body after another to the front on the right hand toward the mountaines on the left hand toward the Sea The Horse all this while marched after the foot but comming to ground of larger capacity they were ordered on the wings This manner of working to make a phalange out of Herse was by drawing the following companies vp on both flanks on the right toward the mountaines on the left toward the sea so that it differeth from the other forme wherein the Companies were sleeued but vpon one hand A third way of making a Plagiophalange of a Herse I finde in Polybius Machanidas the Lacedemonian Tyrant saith he being to fight with Philopaemea the Achaean Generall who had fashioned his army into a broad fronted phalange made semblance at first as though he meant in a Herse to charge the right wing of the Enemies battaile but approaching neerer at a conuenient distance he brake off the hinder part of the Herse and facing it to the right hand marched out and led it out in length and ioyned it in equall front with his right wing thereby equalling the left wing of the Achaeans In this manner of transforming the Herse into broad fronted phalange the companies or bodies follow not one another to sleeue vp to the front but halfe the Plagiophalange is broken off at once the reare halfe and facing to the right or left hand is led vp and ioyned in an euen front with the other halfe not vnlike to our vsagein exercise when we command our middle men with their halfe files to face to the right or left hand and marching out to double the front of our battaile Thus much may suffice for the names vse and reduction of one of these two Phalanges to another The third Phalange mentioned in this Chapter followeth 7 The Phalange Loxe There are two kindes of Loxes or vneuen fronted Phalanges The front of the one is figured in a continued right line stretched out bias-wise thus The other hath as it were two fronts formed out of two seuerall parts of the Phalange the one aduancing against the Enemy to begin the fight the other staying behinde and keeping the first ground being ordered without the flanke of the first that vpon occasion it may likewise aduance and ioyne or else retire from the Enemy and giue backe the figure shewes the shape of it the last hath bin vsed by great Generals as a forme of aduantage in fight The first onely to win a passage as I take it ouer a riuer or such like where the broad-fronted Phalange could not passe and to bring the Armie to a ground where it might be ordered in better forme for fight I will giue one Example for I read not many of the first Alexander hauing conueied his armie ouer Hellespont and entred into Phrygia came as farre as the riuer Granicus Three Lieutenants of Darius with 20000. Horse and well nigh as many foot had embattelled themselues on the other side of the riuer to hinder his passage The riuer was full of depths and slallowes somewhat dangerous to enter and the bankes on the further side high rough and steepie besides the Enemy was ready with horse cast into a long or broad-fronted phalange and with seconds of foot to beat him backe that should offer to clymbe the bankes Alexander being resolued to passe ouer first ordered his troopes in a broad-fronted phalange The right wing he commanded himselfe and gaue the command of the left to Parmenio then putting the Scout-horse with the Paeonians into the riuer and after them a Phalangarchy of foot led by Amyntas the sonne of Arrabius and then Ptolomy the sonne of Phillip who commanded the troope of Socrates which troop had the Vaunt of all the horse that day himselfe with the right wing entred the riuer the Trumpets sounding and the Army giuing a shout extending still his battell bias-wise against the Streame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end the Persians might not fall vpon him as he led in a wing but himselfe as much as was possible might come to ioyne with them hauing the front of his phalange extended in length The Persians cast Darts from the high ground against the troopes of Amyntas and of Socrates as they approached to the further banke and some of them where the ground was more euen descended to the brinke of the riuer so there was thrusting and sholdering of Horsemen some to ascend out of the riuer some to hinder the ascent The Persians let flye many a dart the Macedonians fought with speares The first Macedonians that came to hands with the Persians were cut a peeces fighting valiantly saue only those that retired vnto Alexander who was now neere aduanced with the right wing He himself first of all charged the Persians where the principal strength of the whole body of their horse and the Generals of the field stood about him was a strong fight and in the meane time one troope after another passed easily ouer the riuer This passage of the History is long and therefore I forbeare to recite the rest onely
a battaile and to behold a direct space betwixt files and rankes For that is the grace and beauty as I may terme it of a Phalange ordered for fight This proportion cannot be maintayned without obseruing distance curiously Open order is sixe foot both in ranke and file betwixt man and man euery way If then any souldier in file gather vp to his leader and stand at distance of three foot it is manifest that his ranke is thereby disturbed and made vneuen although the file continue streight Contrariwise if he beare himselfe out of his place three foot toward either of his side-men by this meanes he disordereth his file and maketh it crooked This fault if it were committed by many a generall disorder would follow in the body and therefore Aelian well aduiseth to keepe the first distances especially till you be commanded to the second or third distance which will often fall out in the foure motions Of which Facing is the first and the words of direction in it are these as before in Aelian 12 Face to the Pike That is Face to the tight hand For the pike was alwayes borne in the right hand 14 Face to the Target The Pike-men in the Macedonian army bore targets on their left armes or on the left side so that facing to the target is all one with the word of command Face to the left hand 16 Face about to the pike or target That is face about to the right or left hand But where hee addeth moue a little further he signifieth that the direction is not fully accomplished and he would haue the souldiers continue their motion till their faces were fully come about to the reare and then hee willeth them to stand so because they haue gayned their place These facings here expressed by Aelian are of the whole body Other facings of the parts he hath not set downe which notwithstanding are oftentimes of great vse For say the enemy charge in front and reare your front must continue as it did but the word for the reare is Halfe files face about to the right or left hand If the enemy charge you on both flankes then is the word of command Halfe rankes face to the right halft to the left hand If in front and one flanke the front standeth firme and the word for the flanke that is charged is Halfe rankes of the right or left flanke Face to the hand named If in front and both flankes the front is to stand firme and both the flanks to face to the enemy And this is done in a hollow square or Plesium and the word is Flankes face one to the right the other to the left hand If on all sides or round about it is as before for the flankes but for the reare The reare face about to the right or left hand Now in Countermarch of the reare the ranke of file-leaders is oftentimes commanded to face about to the right or left hand In countermarch of the front the ranke of bringers vp must doe the like as wee shall see in Countermarch Doubling is the second motion vsed in battaile the precept of it in this in Aelian 18 Double your depth The word in our exercise for this motion is Double your files because files measure the depth of the battaile or rankes measure the length This doubling is made many wayes The first is when the euen files that is the 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. file fall into the odde As if the doubling be to the right hand the right hand corner-file standeth firme and is the first after doubling the third is the second file the fifth the third and so the rest of the odde files in order But the manner is that the leaders of the second file fall directly behind the leader of the first file and the second man of the second file behind the second man of the first and so the rest of those two files The same order is for the rest of the euen files when they double the odde files And the word is Double your files to the right or left hand Another manner is when halfe the body of files conueyes it selfe into the spaces oâ— the other halfe of the body be it to the right or left hand according to direction giuen so that the first ranke of the halfe body which is to moue fals into the space next after the first ranke of the halfe body that standeth and so the rest of the rankes of the halfe body that moueth and the word is Halfe the body double your files to the right or left hand Another is when files are doubled by a countermarch As if the second file of the right or left hand as it is appointed countermarch and the leader of that file place himselfe behind the bringer vp of the corner file to that hand to which the doubling is to be made and so the rest of the files of euen number behinde those of odde number as the second behind the first the fourth behind the third the sixt behind the fifth and so the rest The word is Double your files by countermarch to the right or left hand The next word in Aelian is Double your length That is double your rankes or front For as I before noted the rankes make the length of the battaile which likewise is many wayes done The first is when the rankes of euen appellation as the 2. 4. 6. 8. c. fall out into the spaces of the odde namely into the spaces of the 1. 3. 5. 7. c. which stand before them and place themselues euen with them in ranke The word is Double your rankes to the right or left hand Another way is when the bringers-vp their halfe files following them by countermarch aduance vp to the front and place themselues in the spaces betwixt the file-leaders to the hand appointed and the rest of the ranks accordingly namely the ninth ranke in the spaces of the second the eight in the spaces of the third the seuenth in the fourth the sixth in the spaces of the fifth And the word is Bringers vp double your front by countermarch to the right or left hand Another is when the reare-halfe-reare-halfe-files one halfe face to the right the other to the left hand and diuiding themselues march out till they bee past the flankes of the standing halfe-halfe-files Then facing to the front sleeue vp and front with the standing halfe-halfe-files Then the word is Reare halfe-halfe-files double your front by diuision to the right and left hand Another way is when the reare-halfe-files vndiuided face to the hand appointed and being beyond the flanke of the rest of the body face to the front and sleeue vp and ioyne in front with the standing halfe-halfe-files The word is reare-halfe-Reare-halfe-files enter double your front to the right or left hand It is to be obserued that in all these motions of doubling rankes or front the souldiers are to returne after
their motion to their first posture which is done by facing about to the right or left hand and then by mouing and by recouering their first place The word is As you were Countermarch is the third motion vsed in the change of a battaile The vse and necessity thereof appeareth in Aelian before and that there are two kindes one by file the other by ranke The words of command that hee here setteth downe are onely of countermarch by file which may be reduced to two kindes viz. the Countermarch of the front and the Countermarch of the reare That of the front hath likewise two kindes the Lacedemonian and the Chorean That of the reare onely one and it is called the Macedonian Countermarch Now Aelians direction followeth 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch This is one of the Countermarches by file and of the front The manner is that the file-leaders beginne the Countermarch and paâ—â—e beyond the reare their files following them In our exercise the word is Countermarch the front to the right or to the left hand It is done after another sort also as when the bringers-vp face about to the right or left hand and then the whole body facing about to the same hand passe thorow the spaces of the bringers vp to the same hand and the ninth ranke beginning the rest of the ranks after one anothers place themselues euery paticular man before his follower in the same file till the file-leaders are first The word is Bringers vp face to the right or to the left hand The rest beginning at the ninth ranke passe thorow to the same hand and place euery man himselfe before his follower As you were In Aelian followeth 22 The Macedonian Countermarch We in our exercise tearme this Countermarch of the reare and it is done in two manners First when the bringers vp begin the Countermarch and their files following passe thorow the spaces of the file-leaders till the file-leaders become the last of the file and then the whole body face about and stand The word is Countermarch the reare to the right or left hand Face about to the contrary hand and stand The other when the file-leaders face about to either hand and the rest of the ranks beginning at the second ranke successiuely passe thorow the spaces of the file leaders to the hand appointed placing themselues euery man behind his next leader and facing about as they did The word is File-leaders face about the rest of the rankes passe thorow and place your selues behinde your next leaders The next in Aelian is 24 The Chorean Countermarch This Countermarch is of the front as I said but it keepeth the ground that the body had before the file-leaders their files following them remoued to the places of the bringers vp and the bringers vp to the places that the file-leaders had The word is File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and stand viz. when they come to the bringers vp Other Countermarches thereare which are not here set downeby Aelian but are remembred in his Chapter of Countermarches of which the countermarch by ranks of the whole battaile is one the other is the countermarch by ranks in the parts And as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the rankes first began to moue so in Countermarch of the flanke the files entire beginne to moue and as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the ranks followed one another by file so in Countermarch of the flankes the files follow one another by ranke that is the souldiers of euery ranke follow one another If you would countermarch the right flanke so to change one side of the battaile for the other the word is Countermarch the right flanke to the left hand In countermarching the left flanke the word is Countermarch the left flanke to the right hand To countermarch the wings into the middest both the vttermost corner-corner-files are to moue toward the middest their halfe rankes following them and meeting in the middest to stand there and face to the front and the word is Countermarch your wings into the middest of the battaile Obserue that in Countermarch by ranke the three Countermarches Macedonian Lacedaemonian and Choraean may be practised as well as in Countermarch by file If the flanke neerest to the enemy begin the Countermarch this the Macedonian countermarch because it maketh a shew of shifting away If the flanke furthest from the enemy begin it is the Lacedemonian in that it carrieth a semblance of falling on But when one flanke countermarcheth till it come iust vp to the other and no further it is the Choraean because it keepeth the same ground Wheeling is the fourth and last motion and it is vsed in the whole entire battaile or in the parts thereof Aelian giueth words of direction for the whole battaile onely and they are these Wheele the body to the Pike or to the Target When the battaile is to wheele to the pike or right hand the right hand corner file-leader is onely to turne his body by little and little to the right hand facing euen with the ranke of file-leaders till such time as hee haue gained the right hand aspect and the rest are to moue about him making him the centor as it were of their circled motion If to the left hand the left hand corner file leader is to doe the like The same order is of wheelin the battaile about to the right or left hand Aelian as I â—aiâ— giueth here no other words of command then for the wheeling of the whole body yet are the wheelings of the parts of great vse for either the flankes are wheeled into the front or the front into the flankes The front is wheeled into the flankes when we desire to forme the Antistomus Phalange to resist the enemy giuing on both flankes And then the two middlemost bringers vp are to stand and the middle file-leaders to diuinde themselues and to moue halfe the battaile to the right halfe to the left hand making those two bringers vp the center of the motion In this the word is Wheele the front into flanks by diuision If the flanks be to be wheeled into the front the two middle file-leaders are to stand still and the two halfe bodies to moue about them one to the right hand the other to the left till the two flanks be in the front and the front in the middest This kind is practised when we would frame the Diphalange Antistomus The word is Wheele the flanks into the front It is to be remembred that after euery motion a restitution to the first posture is to be commanded in these words As you were In facing you are to returne to the contrary hand as if the command were to face to the right in returning you come to the left In doubling you must doe the like In countermarch likewise whether you countermarch the whole body or the parcels thereof you are to returne by the contrary hand After
march on and that the rest about that time should lay hands vpon the Polemarches that vsed to guard the gates while they reposed themselues and slept And that this done the Acheans should with all speed hasten to the gates out of their Ambush These things concluded and the time approaching Aratus came accordingly and hiding himselfe by the riuer awaited the signall About the fifth houre one of the Citie an owner of sheepe that bore extraordinary fine wooll were vsually feeding about the Citie came out of the City gate in a cloake desirous to speake with the shepheard about some priuate businesse of his owne and standing vpon the same hill looked round about for the sheepheard Aratus and his folke imagining this to be the expected signall ran in all hast toward the Citie but because nothing was ready within the gates were quickly shut and not onely Aratus missed of his purpose but the Citizens also that conspired with him fell into great misfortunes being taken with the manner and presently brought forth and put to death This may be an example of error and misprision of the signe Of the neglect and likewise of the like error and misprision there is a notable example in Caesars Comentaries in the siege of Alexia Where Caesar hauing won the Enemies campe lying vpon a hill neere the Towne sounded a retreat to his army that was in fight the Ensignes of the tenth legion made a stand but the Souldiers of the other legions not hearing the sound of the trumpet by reason of a valley beyond which they were were yet held backe by the Tribunes and Legats as Caesar had giuen direction Notwithstanding being puffed vp with the hope of a speedy victory and with the fight of the Enemy and their happy battailes of former times thinking nothing so hard that it might not be atchieued by their valour they made no end of their chace till they came neere to the Wall and Gates of the Towne and some of them entring at a gate othersome clymbing vp the wall imagined they had gotten possession of the towne In the meane time the Enemies forces who were busie in fortifying without on the other side of the towne being acquainted herewith by message sent their horse before and followed after themselues and in great numbers charged the Romans The fight was hard the enemy trusting to the aduantage of the place and to their number the Romans to their valour when on the sudden were seene on the open side of the Romans the Heduan Horse who serued in Caesars Armie and were by him sent on the right hand to get vp the hill another way they by likenesse of their armour put Caesars souldiers in a great feare And although it might easily â—e discerned that their left shoulder was vnarmed which was the signe of such as were friends yet the Romans conceiued them to be enemies and to vse that deuice onely to ouer-reach and entrap them Being oppressed on all hands and 46 Centurions slaine they were beaten from their ground with the losse of few lesse then 700 men Caesars Souldiers here offended in both kindes in the neglect of their Generals Command which he gaue by signe and in mistaking the signe which was vsuall for the Heduans to be knowne by Caesars iudgement of these two faults appeareth in his speech which he made to his Army presently vpon the losse in which he reprehended their rashnesse in that they would needs take vpon them to iudge how farre they were to proceede and neither be held in with the signe of retreat that was giuen â—or yet be commanded by the Tribunes and Legates He shewed of what force the disaduantage of ground was and what his opinion was before this time at Auaricum where surprising the Enemy without a Generall and Horse he let an assured victory slip out of his hand because he would not hazard no not a small losse in fight vpon inequality of ground As much as he admired their braue mindes and resolution whom neither the fortifications of the Enemies Campe nor the height of the Mountaine nor the wall of the Towne could hold backe so much hee reprehended their presumption and arrogancy in that about the victory and issue of things they preferred their owne conceits before the opinion of their Generall For his part he required aswell modesty and continencie in a Souldier as valour and magnanimity So Caesar insinuating that obedience and heedfulnesse were two principall vertues in a Souldier by the one to be ready at all commands by the other to execute with discretion what was commanded by want of heedfulnesse they perceiued not the signe of retreat which was proposed vnto them and mistooke the marke of the Heduans whom they esteemed for their foes by want of obedience to their Officers they incurred the danger and losse which they sustained diligent care therefore is to be had of signes by which the minde of the Generall in all directions is declared and as it were set before the eyes of the whole Army The Inuentors of the Signes of Warre were many The Ensigne was inuented by the Egyptians as I haue shewed in my notes vpon the 9 chap. of this Booke where also the reason of the inuention is giuen The order of an Army the giuing of the signe the watch the watchword was inuented by Palamedes the trumpet by Tirrhenus the Sonne of Hercules To giue signes to an Armie pertaineth as I haue shewed to him that is the Gouernour thereof that is to the Generall The manner how signes were by him giuen appeareth in Onosander I will recite his words Let all signes quoth he he meaning by voyce and by-signes be deliuered to the Officers of the Armie in asmuch as for a Generall to goe vp and downe and proclaime the signe to all is the part of an vnwise and vnexperienced Man and both time is lost in denounâ—ing it and it is often a cause of tumult whilest euery man asketh what the signe is Besides one addeth something to the Generals words another diminishâ—th them through ignorance Leo hath almost the same wordes at least the same sence and as I take it hee borroweth them from Onosander Onosander addeth It behoueth him to giue the word to his highest Commanders who are to deliuer it ouer to the next to themselues and they to their next inferiour Officers till it come to the last for so shall euery one speedily decently and quietly know what is commanded And this was the manner of the Grecians as may appeare by Thucydides who describing the vsage of the Lacedemonians in giuing the word and signes of direction hath thus And presently the Lacedemonians ordered themselues in battaile Agis the King commanding as their law is for when the King leadeth all things are vnder his command and hee giueth direction to the Polemarches they to the Lochagij who deliuer it to the Pentecosters and they to the Enomotarches
and after in the 9 Ch. he saith you shall command the Souldiers to stand by knowing exactly the souÌ„d of the Trumpet again to moue by the sound of the trumpet So that although other signes were giuen for marching retreat yet the most coÌ„mon signe was by the Trumpet Now we are to vnderstand that all signes giuen by sound to the eare except by the voyce are called signa semiuocalia because albeit their sound be lowder and stronger for the most part then the voyce is yet they are not articulated as is the sound of the voice Hitherto of signes that were giuen to the eare by the sound Now are we to speake briefly of mute signes or those that were set vp as it were a marke for the eye Mute sign swere of two kindes for either they were simple and vsed by themselues as an obiect of the eye alone or else they were mixed and ioyned to signes of sound and so communicated both to the eye and to the eare Of the second for were those whereof I haue spoken a little before and they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely when a mute si ne is added to a vocall as when to the Word in the night is ioyned some speciall gesture of the body as holding downe or nodding of the head lifting vp the hand putting off the hat heauing vp the skirt of the garment c. concerning which see Onosander and Of the first kinde were signes presented to the eye alone which extended very largely and serued where neither voyce not trumpet could be heard by reason of the remorenesse of the place these were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signes properly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise because it was agreed by the parties who gaue and tooke them that they should haue such and such signification The words be different but the meaning and effect is all one for as no signe can be but there must be a giuer and a taker of the signe so â—â— that respect the signes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of the communication betwixt the giuer and taker of the signe may aptly also be tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And albeit I noted before that the signe of the battaile and the watchword was called by no other name but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken often for a mute signe also Many occasions were of giuing these signes and they were sometimes shewen by day sometimes by night and in the day time they were sometime proposed in the battaile sometime in other places where they might be perceiued Arrian historieth of Alexander the Great that at his being in the Country of the Taulantians his enemies Clytus and Glaucias had with manâ— horse darters and slingers and not a few armed men taken the Mountaines and high places by which he was to passe in returning The place was streight and wooddy shut vp on the one side with a riuer on the other side with an exceeding high mountaine the sides whereof were very steepe so that the Armie could not march with more then foure armed in front Alexander marshalled his troopes to 120 in depth and ordering 200 horse on each wing he commanded silence and heede to be taken to his directions And first he willed the armed to aduance their pikes then vpon a signe giuen to let them fall and charge then to turne them close knit to the right hand then to the left and sometime he moued the battell quickly forward and sometime he moued it to the one wing sometime to the other And so fashioning it into diuers shapes in short time and at last casting it into a wedge as it were he led it against the Enemy who stood wondering at the speedinesse and good order of the diuers motions and now perceiuing the Armie to be led against them abode not the charge but left the hill which he held and fled Here are mentioned seuen seuerall motions of the phalange which wee haue in practice at this day 1 Aduancing of Pikes 2 charging of them 3 first to the right hand 4 then to the left hand 5 mouing of the battell forward 6 mouing it to the right wing and then 7 to the left And all these motions were directed by a signe what this signe was may be doubted because it is not expressed whether it was by voice trumpet or a mute signe For my part I would not take it to haue beene by voyce for how could the voice be heard in so great an Army as Alexander had which according to Diodorus Siculus consisted of 30000 foot and 3000 horse and was stretched out in depth and had but foure armed in front nor yet would I imagine it to haue beene giuen by trumpet because though perhaps the trumpet might be heard of all the Army by reason of the Eccho rebounding from the Mountaine and riuer yet could it not fitly and cleerely distinguish the sound that should direct these seuen seuerall motions I haue before declared in what case the trumpet was employed Let me with leaue therefore thinke that it was a mute signe presented to the eye as for the purpose a Coate or other garment fastned to the end of a long staffe the colour whereof being eminent and the staffe being lifted aloft might be perceiued by the whole Army The signe then aduanced to the full height might signifie aduancing of Pikes which was the first motion Being abased and held leuell before the front charging to the front which was the second motion held out leuell to the right flanke charging to the right hand to the left flanke charging to the left hand which were the third and fourth motions of Alexander mouing forward in front it might be a signe for the battell to follow which was the fift Mouing to the right hand for the battell to march to the right which was the sixt to the left for the battell to moue to the left which was the seuenth which motion might more easily be performed in case the ensignes of the particular Companies tooke their direction from the maine signe and so framed themselues to the same motions and the Souldiers to the motions of their Ensignes This I say is my coniecture wherein notwithstanding I preiudice no mans opinion but leaue euery man to his owne conceit and sence Xenophon relateth a notable example of Iphicrates the Athenian who being chosen Admirall by the Citie as soone as he began to take the Sea with his Nauie both at once sailed and also prepared all things necessary for Sea-fight for he left at home the greater sailes as one that sailed forth to fight and seldome vsed the greater masts were the winde neuer so faire but hasting forward with the oare he both made the bodies of his men strong and healthy and the Nauie gained a speedier way and oftentimes where he meant to dine there would he draw his whole
in the 24 Chapter rehearsing shortly the appellations or words of Military discipline he placeth these formes after Induction and Deduction I take it therefore that their proper place is after the 37 Chapter the rather because all the formes of Marches from thenceforth handled are either Squares of the one kinde or other or else spring out of these Squares I noted before that there are three kinds of Squares one that hath a longer front then flanke another that hath a longer flanke then front the third that hath the front and flanke equall Of the third Aelian speaketh in the 42 Chapter of the first and second in this Chapter of these two therefore I will treat in order And first I will handle the Names then the Vse lastly the Manner how to transforme one into another The first is called 1. Plagiophalanx or the broad-fronted Phalange The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often interpreted for oblique which signification it cannot haue heere the oblique Phalange being in this Chapter tearmed by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet distingnished from the Plagiophalanx They that translate Plagiophalanx the transuerse or ouer-thwart fronted Phalange agree better with Aelians meaning because it meeteth the enemy with a front trans-uerse and drawne out in length and directly opposite against him I haue rendred it the broad fronted Phalange as more fitting the English tongue It may also be called the long-fronted Phalange For breadth I haue remembred it before and length of a Phalange are all one In this sense is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Arrian being applied to the manner of bearing of a Pike He telleth that Alexander transported his Army ouer the riuer Ister to inuade the territory of the Getes and hath thus The number of those that passed the riuer with Alexander were about 1500 horse and 4000 foot They passed in the night and landed where the Corne was high which was the cause that their arriuall was not descried As soone as the morning appeared Alexander led them through the Corne fields Commanding the foot that bearing downe the Corne with their Pikes held a thwart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should march into the Champeigne The manner of their bearing of Pikes as I interpret it was this They tooke the Pikes in the midst with both their hands and so bore them out not with the points forward but crosse and paralell the front of the Phalange that the file leaders with one ioynt force might ledge and beare downe the high-growne Corne and make easier passage for those that followed If they had carried them out slope or oblique which is the other signification of the word it had beene no more then the particular force of euery man a part that held his Pike sloping besides that they would haue beene intangled in the Corne whereas the bearing of them crosse parrallell with the front was the ioynt force of so many file-leaders as did thrust forward against the Corne. Therefore as when the Pike is borne in full length crosse the front of the battaile the posture of the Pike is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is a Phalange termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath a front stretched out in euen length and opposed against the euen front of the aduerse battaile of the enemy 2. The length manifoldly exceeding the depth Aelian sets not downe expresly any proportion of the excesse of the length aboue the depth onely he saith it must manifoldly exceed the depth We must take it then that the excesse of the length must be at the least threefold for thrice fals into the appellation of manifold A Macedonian fourefold Phalange may iustly challenge this name being 1024 men in length onely 16 in depth And likewise a Phalangarch led seuerally and by it selfe as hauing 256 men in length but 16 in depth The rest of the bodies of the fourefold Phalange till you come downe to a Pentecosiarchy albeit ranged by themselues are likewise Plagiophalanges or broad-fronted bastacles A Pentecosiarchy hath onely twice so many in front as in flanke as 32 in front 16 in flanke and therefore commeth not vnder the name of a broad-fronted Phalange So that let the battaile be as long as you list hauing but the ordinary depth it still is accounted a Plagiophalange When it is but twice so long in front as in flanke it cannot deserue that name but it is to be termed rather a Square of ground because the flanke in a square of ground taketh vp as much ground as the front To the Battaile-broad-fronted is next added the Phalange called 3. Orthiophalange or Herse which albeit it haue the length and depth vnequall as hath the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted Phalange yet must the depth manifoldly exceede the length which is contrary in the Plagiophalange This saith Aelian proceedeth in 4. A wing To proceede in a Wing is to march on with a parcell or one body of the Army namely with a certaine number of files as with a Tetrarchy Taxis or Syntagna and to follow with the rest in like manner so that the whole army holdeth no proportion of length or breadth to the depth That which is called by Aelian Orthiophalanx is called by Diodorus Siculus and by Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deepe phalange because the forme of it ariseth out of the depth of the embattailing as I haue noted vpon the seuenth Chapter This kinde of march the Greeke writers expresse by the words of leading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a wing whereas the other kinde with a large front I meane the broad-fronted Phalange is said to be led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a Phalange and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in front 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in extention of breadth The words I recite to helpe them who although they be skilfull in the Greeke tongue yet are not so well acquainted with the Tactickes and may easily mistake or not vnderstand the signification if they be not forewarned But because I haue before in my notes vpon the seuenth Chapter touched this matter I will here vse an example or two onely to explaine and to giue light to both formes Arrian reporteth that when Alexander was to passe the riuer Granicus on the further side whereof the Persians had embattailed themselues in a broad-fronted phalange to hinder his passage Parmenio one of his eldest and best Commanders came vnto him and gaue him this counsell Sir said hee Consider the Persians are ready to encounter you on the other side my opinion is you cannot gaine the passage without exceeding danger both because your phalange cannot be led in front that is in a broad front by reason of the many and sundry depths that are to be
seene in the Riuer and of the height and steepenesse of the banks as also for that the enemies horse ordered in a phalange will be ready to charge vs whilest we disorderly and wingwise which is the weakest kinde of fight endeauour to scamble vp the bankes Thus Arrian vsing the words before recited and noting the difference of both the formes Leo hath the like passage instructing his Generall how in the night to surprize an Enemy in his lodging His words are these in effect When you march saith he to the intent that no tumult or confusion of noise be heard nor the stretching out of your battaile into a great length breede error and inequality in marching and hereupon cries and loud commands arise so that the Enemy may easily perceiue the accesse of your Armie It behoueth you to march not in front that is in a large extension of breadth but wingwise that is to say in a deepe forme of Embattailing as if one file should follow in the reare of another obseruing still to maintaine the depth or thicknesse of the battaile His meaning is That in the night an Army ought not to be led in a broad-fronted Phalange because the places are wayes through which you are to march are sometimes large sometimes streight sometimes rough sometimes plaine and so you cannot preserue an euen front but must change the forme and disorder it but in a Herse or deepe Phalange which will fit all passages and in the greatest inequality of way maintaine the forme of the battaile entire And so much of the signification of the words marching in a Wing and marching in a Phalange 5. Euery thing is called Paramekes It is to be obserued that there is a difference betweene Paramekes and Heteromekes I thought good to note it because Aelian in diuers places mentioneth both Paramekes is the figure according to Aelian wherein the length many times exceeds the depth it may be Heteromekes albeit it be but twice as long as deepe I am not ignorant that Euclyde nameth all foure sided figures that haue right angles and vnequall sides Heteromekes But Aelian though hee apply Heteromekes sometimes to the front sometimes to the flanke yet he giues no more then a double proportion either of front to flanke or flanke to front 6. Orthion Albeit the word Orthium properly signifie things rising in a height yet in military discourse it is applied to the dimension of the depth of a battell and not of the length Here a Phalange is termed Orthia and in Leo in the place last by me cited mention is made of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— deep embattailing and in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Company stretched out in depâ—◠〈…〉 Polyen also and Arrian and Appian Polyen hath besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an army that is cast into a great depth and into a narrow 〈…〉 Therefore as Paramekes signifieth the length of the front so Orthion signifies the depth of the flanke of any battell ordered as is aforesaid Thus much of the names of the two battels It remaines to shew the Vse of them and how one may be transformed into the other The Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battell bringeth most hands to fight with conueniency and therefore is accounted the better forme and as neere as opportunity of ground would giue leaue the ancient Generals principally affected and sought to put this forme in vre It hath the commodity to ouerfront the aduerse battell and is safe it selfe from ouerfronting vnlesse the Enemy bring a greater multitude then you haue to ouer-match your Army The Macedonian Phalange was for the most part of this forme as all the fields Alexander fought euidently declare So ordered he his troopes at Granicus so at Issos so at Gangamelos so in other places if the ground would serue This Caution notwithstanding was obserued that the depth held proportion with the length otherwise the length profiteth not so much as the thinnesse of the depth hurts by giuing meanes to the enemy to breake through and put the aduerse battell in a rout I haue noted it before out of Leo. The Herse or deepe Phalange was thought the weakest kinde to fight in Parmenio one of the chiefest Commanders Alexander had distrusted it as I haue shewed a little before Cyrus the elder in the embattailing of the Egyptians derided it yet cannot the forme of the broad-fronted Phalange be so exactly taken vp but that necessity will sometime force the other In straight places it hath beene often vsed So Darius in the battaile of Issos by reason of the straightnesse of ground was forced to this forme So Boâ—ilâ—ar the Carthaginian was faine in a straight place to make a narrow front of his phalange and to extend it in depth And Acilius Glabrio the Roman Consall in the streights of Thermopyle against Antiochus and P. Scipto in Spaine against the Illergets Therefore in large grounds the first forme is to be chosen in narrow and rough places the other The Herse is also fit for Marches because in a March you are assured to meet with variety of ground sometimes with woods sometimes with bushes sometimes with streight wayes with riuers with hils with pits with bridges with ditches and such like impediments so that the front of your broad-fronted phalange must needs be dissolued whereas no difficulty of wayes can hinder the passage of a Herse the front whereof may be narrowed according to the ground you march in as you list Alexander being to lead his Army against the Thracians that had planted themselues in the mount Aemus was â—â—ine to narrow the front of his phalange according to the way that led vp to the Mount The same did Agesilaus passing through the streights of Mantina the History is by me recited before in my notes vpon the 26 Chapter Panimenes likewise leading his Army through Phoâ—is toward â—hebes and finding that the Enemy had taken and possessed a place called Philoâ—aeoton that had two streights leading toward it one of which the Enemy held with a gard casting is troopes into a Herse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making the bulke of his Army slender and â—it to march shaped himselfe to the right hand as though he ment to hold on to that passage The Enemy therefore leauing the left hand streight which they had in gard ran with all speed to the right hand to stop his passage but hee taking the opportunity speeded hastily to the left and conueyed his Army thorough without danger Many like examples of Herses accommodated to streight wayes where a broad-fronted Phalange cannot march are to be found in Histories The Orthiophalange or Herse was also muchâ—sed in an ascent against a hill which the enemy possessed and in this sence are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deepe Companies takes in the Greeke writers especially when a
Enemy If the Enemy come sodainely vpon vs he must direct himselfe either against our front or our reare or our flankes If against our front we neede no other motion then that whereby we may strengthen our front which is vsually done by doubling of rankes we march for the most part in a herse in which forme there cannot come many hands to fight and that is the reason why it is accounted the weakest forme to ioyne with the Enemy Doubling of rankes helpeth that defect and bringeth as many hands to fight as the proportion of forces will allow If against the reare and time streight you not and your battell be in open order you haue the vse of countermarch which bringeth the best hands to fight for the File-leaders are esteemed the flower of the Army your battaile being in order or close order you are to wheele it about to your right or left Cap. 32. The action of wheeling Cap. 32. The manner of wheeling The first posture Closing of files Closing of rankes forward The Front Cap 33 Os Cloinges Closing to the middesâ— The front after closing yâ— right action Closing to yâ— left â—and Closing to yâ— right â—and The Front before closing The Front of yâ— battaile before closing hand and so to oppose the front against the Enemy But in both these motions the caution of Aelian is that the Enemy surprize you not whilest you are in the a 〈…〉 ion of countermarch or wheeling lest taking his aduantage hee charge you being in disorder Therefore if he come so neere that you haue no liberty to countermarch or wheele your onely refuge is to face about to the right or left hand for so he shall not be able to giue vpon your backe If the enemy appeare vpon any flanke countermarch of the Front will not auaile much lesse doubling against the flanke of ranks or files but you must either wheele your Front to the flanke or if you haue not time enough so to doe you are to face your battell to that hand The vse of these motions hath been handled in their seuerall Chapters more at large Of the Signes of Direction which are to be giuin to the Army and of their seuerall kindes CHAP. XXXV 1 WE are to acquaint our Forces both Foot and Horse perfectly with the 2 voice and perfectly with 3 visible signes that whatsoeuer is fitting may be executed and done as occasion shall require 4 Some things also are to be denounced by the Trumpet for so all directions will be fully accomplished and sort to a desired effect 5 The signes therefore which are deliuered by voice are most euident and cleere if they haue no impediment 6 But the most certaine and least tumultuous signes are such as are presented to the eye if they be not obscured The voice sometime cannot bee heard by reason of the clashing of â—rmour or trampling or neying of Horses or tumult of carriage or noise and confused sound of the multitude The visible signes also become many waies vncertaine by thicknesse of ayre by dust by raine or snow or sun-shine or else through ground that is vneuen or ful 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 which a man is not accustomed yet can it not so fall out that either by voice or by signall we should not giue sure and certaine direction NOTES 1 THe ordinary motions in a Phalange are all represented by Aelian Now commeth hee to speake of Signes which direct and are meanes of effecting all these motions and without which the Army is no Army but remains a body vngouernable and may aptly be resembled to a Shippe that hath no rudder For as a Ship in a tempest is driuen by all windes tossed by waues throwne euery way vpon rockes vpon sands vpon dangerous shoares that is not guided by the Master who standeth and moueth at the helme So an Army not directed by signes and forecast of the General is carried away through ignorance and violence of affection sometimes of anger sometimes offeare sometimes of reuenge and other vnbridled desires and breaketh or else falleth into confusion through disorder working little against the enemy may rather giuing him meanes of a certaine victory The shippe is like the Army the Generall like the Master the words of Direction like the Rudder guiding all and euery motion of the Army For the Army being a body of many heads whereof euery one hath a seuerall sense hangeth together not by the naturall coherence and knitting of one member to another but by artificiall ioyning of man to man file to file body to body whereby it is gathered together into one Masse and figured into many members and ioynts and ruled not by the reason and iudgement of it selfe but by the reason and vnderstanding of the Generall So that no man is to demand why this or that is commanded but is to execute it alone for this Cause because it is commanded The Generall then being to Command and direct the actions of the whole Army ought to finde out meanes to speake and discourse with them all at once in such a language as it were that all may vnderstand at once For the occurrence of warre being oftentimes sudden and once slipt by irrecouerable require sudden meanes of speedy direction that nothing fall out so vnlooked for but the Army may haue notice how to preuent and auoid or else to turne it to their most aduantage the rather because in warre safety and life come in question in losse of which no pardon of negligence can be admitted And seeing there are two principall sences of aduertisement the eare the one the other the eye the eare to heare all manner of sounds the eye to discerne all manner of colours and shapes it hath been the witty inuentions so antient Generals to informe their Armies by the one and by the other by the eye when there was no vse of the eare by the eare when the eye could not be informed The true obseruation and vse of these signes auaile much in warre Vegetius saith that nothing profiteth more to victory then to obey the admonition of signes Former experience hath taught that the neglect or error of signes hath brought in great inconueniences and quite ouerthrowne the enterprises in hand Polybius remembreth it in Aratus the elder a Generall of the Achaeans Cratus saith hee the Generall of the Achaeans seeking to get the Cyâ—ethian City by a plot agreed with those of his party within the Citie vpon a certain time to come by night to the riuer that runneth by Cynethe there refreshing and staying his Army a while and that those within taking their time should send about mid-day out of the gate secretly one of their companions to stand in a cloake by a hill appointed which was not farre from the Citie to giue aduertisement to Aratus to
both Greeke and Latine These were the signes vsed in the battell and in the Campe without the Campe were set Sentinels both horse and foot to fore-warne and giue aduerrisement to the Generall of the Enemies approach To these oftentimes the Generall gaue a signe amongst themselues and they by signes signified what was done abroad For the manner of placing these Sentinels see Aeneas The signes themselues were such as might be discerned by the eye and of that kinde and forme whereof I haue made mention already Of Marching and of the diuers kind of battels fit for a march And first of the right induction of the Caelembolos and of the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI 1 BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kinde of march is a 2 right-induction othersome a 3 deduction on the right or left hand and that in a single or double or treble or quadruplesided battell 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 all sides Therefore the March is vndertaken sometimes in a single sometimes in a double or in a threefold or in a fourefold phalange 4 A right induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead the rest follow Xenage-wise or if a Tetrarchy lead the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe forth into a wing hauing the depth many times exceeding the length Against it is opposed the caelembolos or hollow-wedge which is framed when the Antistomus diphalange disioyneth the leading wings closing the reare in forme of the letter V as the figure after doth teach in which the front is disseuered and the reare ioyned and knit together for the right induction pointing at the midst of the Enemies battell the Caelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front of the induction and to claspe in and circumuent the flanks thereof Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Caelembolos one Phalange fighting against one wing of the Caelembolos the second against the other and the middle or third phalange forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge NOTES THe Marching of an Army is a principall head of warre Aelian toucheth it no further then to shew the order and shapes of battels fit for a March and were it possible that all grounds were alike open and without impediments as namely without trees ditches hedge-rowes ragged waies valleys hils brooks and such like the best forme of your marching should be to proceede with your whole phalange in a square battell which forme is teady for all attempts of the enemy and is the beginning and sourse of other formes and with no great difficulty wil take be changed into any shape you desire Leo sheweth the inconueniency of the Herse or induction in marching thorow Champaine and large plaines first in that the Enemy with a broad-fronted battaile may enfold and encompasse the front and so easily rout it then because if the Enemy charge the flanke it will quickly be broken as being without depth further if he fall vpon the reare it is in the like danger of encompassing as was the front lastly neither can the front giue succour and assistance to the reare in case it be ouerpressed by the Enemy nor yet the reare to the front they being so farre distance one from another And he concludeth that the forme of a square or broad-fronted battaile is fit for a march in all occasions being easily to be ordered and without danger But seeing it is not possible as Polibius saith or else very hard to finde out places of 20 furlong or more where in none of the impediments aboue recited shall be the formes of marching must necessarily be accommodated to the ground and wayes through which your forces are to passe what formes they be the following Chapters will shew 2. Some kinde of March is a right Induction The expectation of the enemies approach is oftentimes a cause of varying thâ— kindes of march if he alwayes appeared in front there should need no other proceeding then with the file-leaders in front because he seekes his aduantage and in the March sometimes attacheth the reare sometimes one flanke sometimes another the Grecians to prouide for all attempts so ordered their March that wheresoeuer they feared the enemies giuing on there they opposed the file-leaders as the best men of the Armie and most able to receiue the affront yet for the most part the March was vndertaken in a right induction that is without inuerting the ordinary kind of file-leading in front which also is our manner of marching at this day But yet sometimes in a 3. Deduction on the right or left hand There is but one kind of right induction viz. a march that hath the file-leaders in the front Of Deductions there are 2 kinds one to the right the other to the left hand And because the file-leaders march on the right or left hand flanke not in front therefore the one is called a right hand deduction the other a left hand deduction So that not the body which continueth or beginneth the march but the place of the file-leaders in the march makes the difference betwixt Induction and Deduction What the Vse of Deduction is we shall see in the next Chapter 4. A right Induction is Aelian describeth the right Induction by the marching of seuerall bodies of one kind one after another as if a Xenagy lead all the rest of the forces are to bee separated into Xenagies and singly one after another to follow the first leading Xenagy so of other bodies lesser or greater Notwithstanding in a right Induction wee must take this caution withall that the file-leaders proceed in the front for otherwise if they bee placed in the flanke it is now no induction but a deduction howsoeuer the seuerall bodies of a kind follow one another This is that manner of marching which is called marching in a wing of which I haue spoken sufficiently in my notes vpon the 30 Chapter There are other kind of inductiue marches set forth in the Greeke History which are not altogether of the forme which Aelian describeth for where Aelian would haue Xenagies to follow one another with the file-leaders in front his meaning is that the whole 16 files of the Xenagie should bee laid together all the file-leaders being layed in an euen front Now you haue examples where whole Companies march in one file so that all the file-leaders haue not the front but rest included in the inward parts of the file and yet many of these files ioyned together make an induction Xenophon reporteth that when Cyrus the elder was mustering and exercising his Army in the field there came vnto him a messenger from Cyaxares the King of the Medes being Cyrus
to be changed nor any number of Souldiers to be transported to other places then they haue For hereof tumult and confusion will streight arise and the enemy will easily take aduantage of such as are not ready or fallout to be disordered I haue said that the Latines and Grecians differ in the name of this battaile howbeit they agree both about the forme which may here appeare by Aelian who resembleth it to the letter V neither can there a better resemblance be made for as the letter V consisteth of two lines which are open in the top close in the bottome so doth this forme of battaile of two sides which in front are void open and disseuered in the reare ioyned and closed fast together If you will therefore frame this battaile you must first make a square the file-leaders being all in front then must you wheele the wings of your battaile into the middest and so your file-leaders shall be in the middest lastly you are to open the front of your battaile leauing halfe the file-leaders in the inside of one flanke and halfe in the inside of the other keeping the reare close knit together and for the opening it ought to be somewhat more then will receiue into the void space the front of the right induction which being once let in the inward two flanks of the wedge where the file-leaders are ought to face to both hands and to charge the outward flanks of the right induction and so circumuent them 7. Furthermore a Triphalange A Triphalange in this place of Aelian is when a square body or phalange is from front to reare diuided into three parts The figure shewes the manner The Triphalange hath as much aduantage against the Caelembolos as the Caelembolos had against the right induction The Caelembolos compelled the right induction to fight with the worst men and auoided the affront of the file-leaders which were the best The Triphalange hauing the file-leaders in front opposeth two seuerall fronts against the two wings of the Caelembolos where there are no file-leaders for they are alwayes disposed for the inside and both auoideth the aduantage the Caelembolos sought and maketh the Caelembolos fight with the worst men in as much as one of the Phalanges chargeth the front of one wing of the Caelembolos the file-leaders whereof are in flanke within the hollownesse the other chargeth the other Now it hath this aduantage besides that it spareth reserues for all occasions by off-holding the third Phalange If the Caelembolos be beaten by the two opposing Phalanges all is lost and no hope left of winning the field no other forces being to second it where notwithstanding the Caelembolos hauing gotten the better may be curbed and the victory arrested by this reserue and by the remnant of the other two Phalanges broken Words of direction in the right induction 1 The right-corner Xenagy march out So is it of all other bodies if they begin the march 2 The rest follow in Xenagies Direction for the Caelembolos 1. Wheele the wings of your battaile into the middest of your body So shall the file-leader be in the middest but we must note that the two midlemost leaders must be centors for the other to wheele about 2. Open your front to the right and left hand keeping your Reare close For the Triphalange 1 The two wings face to the right and left hand the middle remaining as it was 2 Match out to the distance required That is to be able to meet in a right line the two fronts of the wings of the Caelembolos 3 Stand When they come to the place required 4 Face as you were 5 Aduance and charge Of Paragoge or deduction CHAP. XXXVII 1 PArogoge or deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in 2 a wing not by 3 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 a left-hand deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a 4 double treble or quadruple front according to the place or part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe 5 make the length doubte to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of the enemy not onely in front but also in flanke NOTES 1 DEduction is when the Phalange Induction is spoken of Deduction followeth which is the second kinde of march For these are no 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 left flank The Front of the Narch other kinds then Induction and Deduction the one with the file-leaders in front the other with the file-leaders in flanke Neither doth the greatnesse or smalnesse of the body make any difference herein be the body neuer so great as is the Phalange or so small as one Company yet must the file-leaders either lead or else be in flanke of the march The reare in necessity may well be made good by the bringers vp Deduction is the mother of many formes of battailes vsuall in marches from it come the Caelembolos whereof we spake before from it are the Antistomus the Peristomus the Homoiostomus the Heterostomus of which hereafter 2 When the Phalange proceedeth in a wing Suidas hath that Paragoge or deduction is said to be when the phalange marcheth with the file-leaders on the right or left hand if on the left it is said to be a left-hand deduction if on the right a right-hand deduction He maketh no mention of a wing as Aelian doth for it may so fall out that the body may be such as hath the depth and breadth all one as a Xenagy which hath sixteene in breadth and sixteene in depth some bodies also as the Taxies and Tetrarchies haue the depth lesse then the breadth the first holding sixteen in depth no more then eight in breadth the last foure in breadth and sixteene in depth so that they march not in a wing But because marches for the most part are vndertaken in a wing it is the cause why Aelian saith that deductions proceed in a wing the depth whereof manifoldly exceedeth the length and they proceed 3. Not by file but by ranke That is the file-leaders being wheeled to the flanke after they haue setled themselues to march proceed on their iourney as they stand in the flanke onely facing that way the march is intended and returne not to lead in the front of the battaile as they did at first To lead by file is when the file-leaders proceede and haue their files following at their backe To lead by ranke is when that which was the flanke at first becommeth the front and beginneth the march and the rest follow accordingly flanke-wise yet this is to be noted that albeit the front of the battaile be changed in the deduction
vpon their owne people other falling vpon the Macedonians who made large distances those which entered were partly ouerwhelmed with darts partly passed queit thorough some being carried with the violence of their course and working mightily with their sharpe sythes brought with them many and sundry kinds of death for the force of their sythes had such power to destroy taht from many it cut off the armes and targets and all the necks of not a few were carued heads falling to the ground the eyes yet seeing the countenance not altered of some the it tore out the sides and put them to a speedy death Hitherto of the history of Diodorus But where he noteththe harms that came from the sythed chariots I take it they might haue beene auoided if the distances had beene wide enough because I finde in Xenophon in the battaile betwixt Artaxerxes and Cyrus mentioned by me before that many of the chariots of the Persians ranne thorough the Phalange of the Grecians without hurt to any man To returne then to the vse of this forme it hath heeretofore and may at this day bee put in practice against horse and not onely against horse ordered in a wedge but also giuing on in a square if it be so they charge by troopes and the opening be wide enough and sudden to receiue the front of the horse For against a grosse of horse they cannot haue time to open wide enough and if they open too timely they leaue liberty to the horse to charge either of the parts opened as themselues shall please and by diuiding themselues they diminish their owne strength Words of direction for the Diphalange Antistomus 1 Wheele the wings into the middest of the battaile This is done if the middlemost 2 file-leaders stand firme the rest with their files wheele till they meet and then stand thē face to the front and when the Horse charge open the middest suddenly and facing one against another charge your Pikes against the Horse 2 Face to the Front 3 Open your battaile 4 Face to the middest 5 Charge your Pikes Restoring to the first Posture 1 Aduance your Pikes 2 Close your battaile 3 Face to the right and left hand 4 Wheele the middest of the battaile to the wings 5 Face as you were at first and stand Of the Peristomus Diphalange CHAP. XXXXI THE Phalange of the Diphalange Peristomus proceede by deduction in a wing the oblique deduction on the right hand hauing the file-leaders without the left hand oblique deduction hauing the reare-comānders 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 be enclosed transforme themselues into two marching Phalanges directing one against the right the other against the left wing therefore is it called Peristomus as hauing the front bent against the enemy both wayes NOTES 1 ABout the inscription of this Chapter also there is a controuersie amongst the Interpreters some would haue it of the Peristomus diphalange some of the Amphistomus Diphalange and of the Peristomus Why any man should imagine that the Amphistomus Diphalange is here described I Cap. 41 The square deured in two and sett against y◠Peristomus two winges The Diphalange Peristomus The vneuen front of the Peristomus The right wing of the Peristomus The left wing of the Peristomus conceiue not vnlesse he should seeme to make Aelian contrary to himselfe For the Amphistomus Diphalange hath nothing to doe with the flanks as appeareth by Aelian in the 34 Chapter This Diphalange fighteth altogether in flanke as the description declareth The Phalanges of the Diphalange Peristomus What a wing is and what deduction I haue shewed before The meaning is that the Phalanges Peristomus are both of them led obliquely with the file-leaders in flanke and in two deepe bodies whereof the one hath in purpose to charge the right flanke the other the left flanke of the aduerse square battaile 2 The oblique deduction on the right hand Albeit both these Phalanges are called oblique yet we may not imagine that these Loxe-phalanges are the same that is described in the 30 Chapter For in that one of the Phalange forbeare the fight the other aduanceth to ioyne with the enemy in this both fight at once and haue their aduantage by charging the flanks of the enemy That began the fight in front had there the file-leaders this in both flanks this seeks to encompasse that to auoid encompassing it selfe as I haue shewed in my notes vpon the same Chapter 3 The oblique deduction on the right-hand hauing the file-leaders without I must imagine till further information that here is a fault in the text my reason is this all deductions are made to oppose the file-leaders against the enemy in fight So is the right-hand deduction vsed when it is suspected the enemy will charge the right-hand flanke the left-hand Deduction when it is suspected he will charge the left so in wheelings we turne the front against the enemy so in countermarches Now this forme being inuented to encompasse the enemy and to fight vpon his flankes I would thinke the file-leaders ought to be placed on the inward flanks of the Diphalange as it is in the Caelembolos for were the bringers vp to be within they should sustaine all the weight of the fight the battaile being once diuided and the file-leaders standing without should idlely looke on which is contrary to the military discipline of the Grecians whose care was to vse the file-leaders in fight as much as was possible Neither is it thereupon to be concluded that this Diphalange and the Diphalange Antistomus are all one For although both haue their file-leaders within yet doe they differ both in forme and end In forme because this moueth forward with both Phalanges the other standeth still this is oblique the other in a streight line that hath the front of the two phalanges euen this as it falleth out in the motion sometimes the one more forword sometimes the other In their ends because this goeth to assault and to breake the enemies battaile the other standeth fast and seekes onely to saue it selfe the one being offensiue the other defensiue So that as I said before the Caelembolos and this are both framed out of the Diphalange Antistomus both hauing their file-leaders within the middest of the battaile and yet differ in that the Caelembolos is but one body hollowed within this diuided into two bodies And they fearing to be enclosed The case of this square is almost all one with the square against which the Caelembolos is opposed For both are in danger to be enclosed Now as the other square was faine to cast it selfe into a Triphalange and to oppose two of the phalanges against the two wings of the
Caelembolos reseruing the third for all accidents so this square diuideth it selfe into two phalanges but hath no third setting the one against the right-hand battaile of the Peristomus the other against the left for by this opposition they inhibit the enemy from attaching their flanks Of this forme I finde not many presidents in the Greeke history I will receite onely one out of Arrian concerning Alexander which if it hit not this forme in euery point yet it hath fully the effect of that which is intended by Aelian Alexander being to deliuer battaile to Porus a King of part of India lying on the other side of the riuer Hydaspes found his enemies army to be thus embattailed He had placed his Elephants in the front 100 foot distant one from another and he placed them there to giue terror to Alexanders Horse for hee imagined that no enemy durst approach the spaces betwixt the Elephants neither with Horse for feare of the Elephants and much lesse with foot because the armed on his side were there to receiue them and the Elephants would tread and trample them vnder their feet Next he ordered the foot not in an equall front with the beasts but in a second front after them so that the files came vp almost to the spaces betwixt the Elephants besides he added foot vpon the wings aboue the Elephans On both the wings of the foot he ordered his Horse and before them his Chariots This was the embattailing of Porus. Alexander as soone as he saw the Indians stand in battaile array caused his Horse to make alte that he might haue his foot come vp who aduanced still forward And when the Phalange was come vnto him running he embattailed it not presently nor forthwith led it against the enemy lâ—st he should deliuer it weary and out of breath into the hands of the Barbarians that were fresh but circling and riding here and there in rounds with his Horse he rested his foot and gaue them time to refresh themselues And after he beheld the Indian manner of Embattailing hee thought it not good to giue vpon the middest of the front where the Elephants stood and the Phalange was close ordered against the spaces of the Elephants fearing the reasons that led Porus to embattaile in that forme But as he was stronger in horse taking to him the most of his Horse he speeded to the left wing of the enemy in purpose to giue on there and sent Coenus with Demetrius his troope and his owne troope against the right wing commanding him that when the Barbarians seeing his troopes should turue their strength of Horse against him Coenus should inuade their backs He gaue the Phalange to Seleucus Antigones and Tauron to lead commanding them not to fall on before they saw the enemies foot and horse put into a bransle by his Horse What the euent of the fight was I haue before shewed in my notes vpon the Phalange Amphistomus where I haue cited the latter end of this history Now may be seene by this example that Alexander began the fight not in the front but in the flankes and the cause why he did it was because the front was exceeding strong by reason of the Elephants And by this meanes defeating first the enemies Horse then his foot he left the Elephants naked and without defence against the darts and other missiue weapons of the Macedonians and gained a worthy victory against a strong enemy Now albeit this example come not home in all points to the Peristomus for Aelian limiteth it to foot against foot this fight was betwixt Horse and Horse yet is the reason of warre alike in both For as the file-leaders of the Peristomus giue on vpon the flanke of the aduerse square which is the weakest part of it so did the Horse of Alexander surmounting the Indians both in number and valor giue on vpon the flanks of Porus his army which was weakest and so began and ended the victory It is called Peristomus as hauing the front bent That is being diuided into halfe the one Phalange marching obliquely commeth vp and chargeth one Cap. 42. The Battaile called Plinthium The front The Diphalange Homoiostomus flanke of the aduerse battaile the other chargeth the other and so hath the fronts against the enemies both waies Words of direction in the Peristomus 1 Wheele your front into the middest of the battaile 2 Face to the front 3 One wing march out obliquely and charge the right flanke of the enemy the other the left flanke Of the Diphalange homoiostomus and of the Plinthium CHAP. XLII A Diphalange 1 Homoiostomus is so named because a 2 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 3 This kind is opposed against the Plinthium 4 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 5 In this foure-sided battaile are none in the foure sides but armed without archer or slinger to helpe when therefore two Phalanges march together and both haue their leaders in a right-hand or left-handed deduction it is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus NOTES 1 HOmoiostomus is a Diphalange the battailes whereof haue like fronts To this forme is incident first that it be marching then that it march in deductions lastly that the deductions be vpon one and the selfe and not vpon contrary sides viz. that the file-leaders of the Phalanges be all of them either vpon the right hand or vpon the left hand of their Phalanges And therefore Suidas defineth it to be a Diphalange which hath the leaders of either Phalange ordered in the same side of the march Where he saith that the leaders are ordered on the same side in both Phalanges which words are likewise in Aelian in the end of the Chapter wee must vnderstand noâ— the leaders of the March but the file-leaders who are also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or leaders For as Aelian saith elsewhere the march in a Deduction proceedeth in wing not by file but by ranke so that the file-leaders are in the flankes not in the front of the march and yet a man may truely tearme it the front of the battaile as long as it standeth and faceth against the enemy 2 Because a whole file I am out of doubt that this place is corrupted any man that marketh the coherence will easily be of mine opinion The inscription is of a Diphalange which consisteth of two phalanges The cause why this forme is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus is in these words assigned to be because a whole file that is 16 men mouing another file followeth it let one file follow another what is that to two Phalanges Euery Phalange hath many files in it as the
his horse into two parts the one he tooke to himselfe and obserued Eumenes the other hee gaue to Python willing him to charge the the Argiraspides and siluer targateers old soldiers of Alexanders depriued of the aide of the horse but they casting themselues into a Plinthium retired safely to the riuer Aelian remembreth nothing concerning the vse of the Plinthium But wee may learne by the examples rehearsed that it was then practised when the enemy was too strong and able to charge euery way and it is one of the foresided battailes that is mentioned in the 36 37 Chap. and vsed principally against horse but sometimes against horse and foot Philip the father of Alexander the Great being to take armes against the Illyrians who vsurped many Cities of his kingdom leuied 10000 foot 600 horse and with them entred the enemies countrey Bardilis the Illirian King met him with as many foot and 500 horse when the armies came together and with shouts ioyned battaile Philip hearing the right wing and the best Macedonian souldiers commanded the horse to fall on and charge the enemy in flanke himselfe giuing vpon the front began a strong fight The Illyrians ordering themselues into a Plinthium valiantly abode the onset and at the first the fight was equall and so continued a good while by reason of the valour shewen on both sides afterward the horse plying hard the reare and flanke and Philip with his choice valiantly laying at the front the multitude of the Illyrians were forced to fly Heere the Plinthium resisted both horse and foot I will ad one example more of repulsing horse the army being cast into a Plinthium Marcus Antonius seeking to subdue Persia and to reuenge the losse which Craesus receiued by the Parthians for in that warre Craesus himselfe was slaine and his army defeated and hauing laid siege to a great City called Phreata and finding not the successe he looked for determined to dis-march and lead his arm out of the Countrey hauing first â—adâ—truce with the King of Persia proceeding on his iourney he was set vpon by the Parthians but being repulsed they retired that day Antonius hereby resolued what to doe and strenthening his reare and flanks with many darters slingers he formed hâ—s army into a Plinthium and willed his horse â—o fall out and repulse the eâ—nmy but not to follow the chase too farre The Parthians the next foure daies began to be more coole and neither charged nor were charged and making winter their pretence were glad to retire â—o their houses By this president wee may see that the Parthians who were mighty in horse were fierce vpon the Romans as long a they held their ordinary kinde of march but after they had ordered themselues into a Plinthium so that the Parthians could not come vp to them without much indangering themselues they thought it best to let them quietly passe and goe whither they would And thus much of the Diphalange Homoiostomus and of the Plinthium Words of direction in the Homoiostomus 1 Wheele your battailes if they stand in euen front to the right or left hand 2 March one battaile after the other To restore to the first Posture 1 Fâ—â—e about to the right or left hand 2 Wheele the battailes to the right or left hand according as the case requireth 3 Face as you were at first Cap. 43. The Diphalange Heterostomus The File-leaders The bringers-vp For the Plinthium If there be 4 battailes standing togethler in an euen Front this I would hold the fittest way to make a Plinthium 1 Let the first battaile stand firme or march on in going forward wheele to the right hand in falling backe vse the Lacedemonian countermarch 2 The 3 countermarch the front with a countermarch then wheel to the left hand then march forward and place it selfe behind the right hand flanke of the first that the Front of it may be in a right line with the said flanke 3 The 4 in going forward countermarch the reare with a Macedon countermarch then wheele your battaile to the right hand face abount then wheele to the left hand then march and apply it selfe to the point of the strst battaile as the third did to the right then face about and stand thus 4 The 2 countermarch to the right or left hand then march on til it be beyond the left point of the 4 battaile then face to the left hand and march vp to lay the right-hand-point eueÌ„ with the right point of the 1 battaile and face to the right hand to make the reare of the Plinthium thus The seuerall bodies being brought into a Plinthium must front euery way as long as they make Alte. When they march in a Plinthium they are all to face toward the head of their march that is the right and left flanke battailes are to face the one to the left the other to the right hand The reare battaile is to face about to which hand it list and so march on The battailes beside haue euery one their place of dignity the first battaile hauing the front the 2 battaile the reare the 3 battaile the right flanke the 4 the left flanke Of the Diphalange Heterostomus CHAP. XLIII 1 A Diphalange Heterostomus is that which proceedeth by deduction hauing the leaders of the former Phalange in a right-handdeduction and of the following Phalange in a left-hand Deduction so that the battailes march counterchangeably one hauing the leaders in one flanke the other in the other NOTES 1 A Diphalange Heterostomus As the Homoiostomus consisted of two Phalanges both proceeded by deduction so must this forme They differ in this onely that the first had all the file-leaders on one side either on the right or left this the file-leaders of one battaile on the right of the other on the left hand For if the leading Phalange haue the file-leaders on the right-hand the following Phalange shall haue them on the left If the first haue them on the left the other shall haue them on the right See the figure The vse of this form is when the enemy sheweth himselfe on both flanks of our march and of it the double sided battaile whereof Aelian spake in the 36 and 37 Chapters may be made by the sleeuing vp the latter to the former and ioyning reare to reare and if the leading battaile haue the file-leaders in the right-flank it is to make alte when the enemy commeth neer and the following battaile to sleeue vp by the reare of it to make an euen front with the leaders of the first Contrariwise if it haue the file-leaders on the left hand Besides this orme hath further vse and you may frame of it a Diphalange Antistomus by sleeuing vp the following battaile on that side where the file-leaders of the leading battaile march for by such sleeuing the file-leaders of both I halanges shall be in the middest Words of direction in the Heterostomus There
the front of the enemy Agis and his troopes stood in the middest Aratus after he had imparted his purpose to the Arcadians fled himselfe and with him that part of the army which he commanded as if he feared the impression of the Lacedemonians in giuing backe hee brought the army into the forme of an halfe moone The Lacedemonians and Agis thinking they had the victory in their hands pursued Aratus and his troopes more egerly The wing followed the King esteeming it no small conquest to haue soyled Aratus In the meane time they perceiued not the Arcadians that were at their backe and the Lacedemonians being encompassed round about lost both many other of their army and Agis also their King the sonne of Endamidas was flaine Leo also in sea fight giueth his Generall counsell how to entrap his enemy with a shew of flight in giuing backe with fashioning an halfe moone These be his words in effect If a Generall be to retire before the enemies Nauy let him retire fashioning his Nauy into a battaile Menoeides anasailyng with his poupes forward and so seeme to shunne the enemy For if he flye not but retire fighting hee shall haue his ships ready to turne vpon the enemy with their prowes bent against him And if need require he may retire with his poupes toward the enemy for the enemy shall not dare to enter into the hollownesse for feare of being encompassed So Leo. The Menoeides therefore may be framed during fight but this caution is to be remembred that in sudden transmutations of battailes you vse not the seruice of raw souldiers but of such as haue experience lest all be brought into confusion and the enemy charge you while you are changing your forme Now as formes of aduantage are to be sought against the enemy so is it needfull to aduise what best opposition is to be made against such battailes in case the enemy vse them The Rombe of horse was of old time accounted a forcible figure against foot the horse therein had the better The Menoeides was inuented to resist and ouerthrow the horse The foot had beene the better what was then best for the horse to abstaine from charging saith Aelian and to ply the foot with missiue weapons to the end to force them to break their strong forme of embattailing So now they stand vpon equall tearmes and the foot can with their shot annoy the horse as well as the horse can annoy the foot Aelian then sheweth a meanes for the horse to auoide the danger of this manner of embattailing for foot vsing this forme against foot hee sheweth no remedy I will set downe what I finde and here I neede not to repeat the remedy that Epaminondas vsed against the Lacedemonian halfe-moone it is related at large in my Notes vpon the 30 Chap. Onosander giueth this aduise Diuide your battaile saith hee into 3 parts with the two outwardest charge the Enemies winges the third that is ordered against the middle and as it were the bosome of the Cressant aduance it not but let it stand firme for either they that are placed in the middest of the Cressant shall standidle or else aduancing in an euen front will throng one another and breake their battaile For the two fronts fighting in the winges and keeping their place it is not possible for the halfe circle to come forward with an euen front when they are therefore confused and haue broken their array let the third battaile that remained in the middest for seconds charge them as they disorderl aduance If they still keepe their place in the bottome of the hollownesse oppose the light-armed and darters against them who will exceedingly distresse them with their missiue weapons likewise you may doe well to frame a Loxe-phalange of your whole Army and with your two Loxes charge the winges preuenting so the circling and encompasing of the Menoeides For the Enemy being a long while hindered from comming to blowes with his whole Army shall bee kept in play with a few none fighting but those onely that are in the winges which first of necessitie must ioyne because of the oblique onset It will not bee a misse also leisurely to retire with the Army sometimes as though you were in feare or else facing about to make your retreat orderly as if you fled and afterward turning sudd onely to meete the Enemie that presseth vpon you For sometimes the Enemie being ouer-ioyed in the imagination of a true flight doth follow vnaduisedly and make a disorderly pursuit euery man pressing to be formost vpon whom you may returne without danger and againe chase them that follow you who will be struckes with a fear in that you dare contrary to their expectation turne again make head against them Onosander giueth here three wayes to resist the Menoeides one by diuiding your battaile into a Triphalange opposing two phalanges against the two wings of the Cressant forbearing and standing firme with the third till opportunity be to moue which is the battaile that Aelian opposeth against the Caelembolos The second by vsing the Loxe-phalange against it as did Epaminondas at the battaile of Leustra against the Lacedemonian halfe moone as I haue shewed elsewhere namely Chap. 30. § 7. The third in making semblance of flying for the halfe moone is a forme which in standing may well be kept whole in mouing will soone be broken and fall into disorder as Cicuta an Italian writer noteth very well If then you faine to flye keeping your men in order the Menoeides following you will breake of it selfe and so you haue good opportunity to returne and in all likelihood to win the day against it especially being in disorder Leo giueth the same aduise to his Generall onely he speaketh of Sea matters Onosander of Land seruice Words of direction for the Rhombe For the forming of the Rhombes see the 19 Chapter and my Notes vpon that Chapter § 6. For the Cressnnt First order your body into a long square Plagiophalanx 1 The 2 file-leaders in the middest of the square stand 2 The next 2 on either hand mooue forward one foot before the other two their files mouing withall and holding their distance 3 So the 4 next file-leaders each before other on either side a foot 4 Then two more on either side aduance before the rest that mooued two foot a peece 5 Then the 2 next on either side 3 foot apeece To restore to the first Posture Face about Moue all at once excepting the 2 middle files and take your first ground Of the Horse-battaile Heteromekes and the Plagiophalange to bee opposed against it CHAP. XLV 1 THE horse-battaile Heteromekes is that which hath the depth double to the length It is profitable in many respects 2 For seeming to bee but a few in so small a breadth it deceiueth the Enemie and easily breaketh his forces with the thicknesse strength of the embattailing and may without perceiuing
the sound of the instrument they might not in the march breake their order of embattailing which great armies often doe in aduancing to ioyne with the enemy When they were ready to ioyne King Agis bethought himselfe of this strata gem It is the manner of all armies in the onset to stretch out their right wings and with them to circumuent and encompasse the left wings of their aduersaries because euery souldier carefull of his owne sefety seekes to couer his vnarmed side with the target of him that standeth next to his right hand and imagineth that the setting of targets close serues for the best defence against the enemy The cause is this the corner file-leader of the right wing desiring to withdraw as much as hee can his naked side from the weapons of the enemy proceedeth to the right hand and the rest follow him And at that time the Mantineans a great deale ouer-reached the Scirites with their wing The Lacedemonians and Tegeats much more the Athenians by reason they oâ—ermatched theâ— in number Agis therefore fearing the encompassing of his left wing seeing that the front of the Mantineans was very broad and farre extended gaue a signe to the Scirites and Brasideans to stretch out their wing and to equall the front of the Mantineans And for the void space that should remaine vpon their aduancing he commanded two Polemarchs or Coronels Hipponoidas and Aristocles to lead therin two cohorts from the right wing and fill vp the void space conceiuing that he should this notwithstanding leaue himselfe strength enough in the right wing and that the wing opposed against the Mantineans should hereby be better enabled to the encounter But it happened that Hipponoidas Aristocles followed not these directions whether the reason were in the suddenâ—esse of the command or in the preuention of the enemies giuing on for which fault they were afterward banished Sparta as men effeminate cowards When they came to hands the right wing of the Mantineans put the Scirites and Brasideans to flight And they and their allies and the 1000 selected Argiues falling into the empty space that was not filled vp made a great slaughter of the Lacedemonians and encompassing them forced them to turne their backes in hast and flye to their waggons and slue also some of the elder sort of souldiers that were left for guard there Hitherto Thucydides I prosecute not the remanenâ— of the battaile because it is somewhat long That which I haue recited is enough for my purpose namely to shew the manner of ouerwinging Thus then apply it The Mantineans had their right wing farre extended beyond the point of the left wing of the Scirites and brasidaeans who by marching out to the left hand sought to equall the front of their aduersaries but left the ground voyd wherein they were first placed This ground by Agis his commandement should haue been filled by the Cohorts of Hipponoidas and Aristocles It was not filled so that in the charge the enemy had the aduantage to enter it and to circumuent on that side the Scirites and Brasideans and put them to flight which danger will be common to all that shall be so ouerwinged by their enemie The danger then of ouer-fronting and ouer-winging being so great let vs see what remedies and preuentions against either of them haue beene deuised by antiquity Against â—ner-fronting they sought to secure the flanks of their battailes sometimes by ordering their army in such a figure as should be sufficient to sustaine the charge of the enemy wheresoeuer he gaue on Of which kinde is the Plesium or hollow-square spoken of in the last Chapter This was practised by the Grecians at their returne out of Persia and oftentimes by other Grecians as is euery where to be found in their histories And Alexander when he was to fight with Darius at Gaugamela the countrey being Champaigne and Darius abounding in multitudes defended himselfe with an Epicampios opisthia or a reare hollow battaile I haue shewed the manner of it before in my notes vpon the 46 Chapter And sometimes againe by foreseeing the danger and placing reserues in the reare or some other secret place to charge the enemy in their flanke while they busie themselues against your flankes This was practised by Cyrus the elder against Croesns as I haue shewed in my notes vpon the 46 Chapter Of this kinde also it is when you lay an ambush to charge their reare while they charge your flankes The place will likewise helpe much to auoid encompassing For if the battaile be fought in a streight place by nature where the enemy cannot draw out his Phalange in length there is no danger of encompassing So Alexander at Issos in Cilic 〈…〉 was freed from encompassing the place being too narrow for Darius to bring all his forces into an equall front The place may also be helped by art in case it be otherwise to open and fit for the enemy that aboundeth in number to encompasle vs on euery side So Caesar being to fight against multitudes of Gaules drew a deepe trench on both the flanks of his army to assure it from the charge of the enemy The like did Sylla against Archelauâ— the â—enerall of Mithridats in the battaile Cheronea and both oâ— them so securing their armies from circumuention became by that meanes masters of the field and conquerours of their enemies Of later time 10. Huniades the Hungarian King being to fight against a huge army of the Turkes gained a noble victory against them by placing his army on the one side against a fenne and enclosing it on the other side with his waggons And these preuentio 〈…〉 haue beene deuised against Hyperphalangesis or ouer-fronting Against ouer-winning they thought it sufficient to strenthen and make safe the wing that was like to be endangered by the enemy so that all remedies against ouerfronting are good also against ouerwinging but the remedies against ouerwinging are not sufficient to frustrat ouerfronting Ouerwinging therefore hath beene auoided sometimes by drawing out the endangered wing in length to equall the enemies wing that opposeth against it This is done by doubling of rankes as Aelian teacheth in the 29 Chapter and as it was practised by Cleandridas the Lacedemonian against tâ—e Thurians Wherein netwithstanding this caution is to be held that you doubâ—e not your rankes so that you make the depth of your body to thin for in so doing your body will be as subiect to breaking for want of depth as for want or length to ouerwing Beside it is done by facing to the hand where the enemies battaile ouerwingeth and marching out against it paralelly till your wing equall the wing of the enemy but so notwithstanding that the void space from whence you drew your wing be filled vp for feare the enemy giue in to it and distresse you there as may be seene by the president which in this
your army into a hollow square wherein the baggage is to be couched and to be desended on all sides For if the ground be open enough to cast your selfe into a square hee holdeth the forme the safest to giue security to your baggage These be his words Place all four carriage seruants and baggage and prouision in the middest of your army And in another place speaking of a retreat to be made after an ouerthrow receiued he writeth thus You shall order your whole power into two Phalanges or battailes or into one square Plinthium in the middest whereof you shall put the carriage beasts and baggage and without them the souldiers in order and without them the archers and so retire and depart in safety Againe he saith In marches the enemy approaching it is necessary to haue your carriage in the middest lest being vnguarded it be spoyled and rifled With Leo doth Xenophon agree His words haue this shew I will not wonder if as fearfull dogges are wont to follow and bite such as passe by if they can and to flye from such as follow them so the enemy hang vpon our reare Therefore we shall perhaps march the safer if making a Plesium of the armed the carriage and vnprofitable multitude be throwne into the middest for more security And if it be now determined who shall command the front of the Plesium and who the two wings and who the reare wee shall not need to consult when the enemy approacheth but execute that which is resolued vpon This is Xenophons counsell for the march in open ground when the enemy aboundeth in number of souldiers which counsell was often put in practice and the Grecians being but 10000 secured themselues against infinite multitudes of Persian horse that charged them on all sides and also preserued and led their carriage sate in dispite of the enemy The like was practised by Xenophon afterward in the last warlike action of the Grecians in their returne out of Persia He setteth downe the history after this manner Now was it time viz. after they had assaulted a fort in vaine the enemy of the country gathering head to thinke vpon a faire retreat and conueâ—ing the oxen and sheep they had taken and likewâ—se the slaues into a Plesium they quickly dismarched not so much esteeming their prey as fearing in case they left it behind their departure might seeme a plaine running away and the enemy gathâ—r heart the Grecian souldiers be discouraged So now they departed fighting as it were about the prey The Souldiers with Xenophon being shrewdl annoyed wiâ—h bowes slings cast themselues into a ring to the end to oppose their targets against the shot of the enemy and with much adoe passed the riuer Caicus the one halfe of them being wounded Agasias also the Stymphalian Captaine was hurt whilest hee maintained fight with the enemy during the whole retreat Yet they all returned safe to the Campe bringing with them about 200 slaues and sheepe enough for Sacrifice Here Xenophons souldiers figured themselues first into a Plesium couching their prey in the middest afterward being ouerlayed with the enemies shot they conuerted their Plesium into a Ring in which forme they tecouered their Came notwithstanding the molestation and often charging of a great multitude of horse and foot that were enemy and followed them Of the forme of Rings I finde not many examples amongst the Grecians the Romans vsed them often when they found themselues encompassed by the enemy as Vegetius hath and may bee seene in Caeâ—ars Commentaries And let thus be said of the foure manners of placing the carriage in a march Of the words of Command and certaine obseruations about them CHAP. LII LAst of all we 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 haste receiue direction had neede to take heede of doubtfull words lest one doe one thing and another the contrary As for the purpose If I say turne your face some it may be that heare me 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 for so will all doe alike together Like reason is if you say Turne about your face or countermarch for these are also generall words and therefore wee should doe 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 kinde other to another kinde of countermarch For which cause words of double sence are to be auoided and the speciall to be set before the generall NOTES IF we admonish first that they ought to be short The ordering and motions of an army ought to be quickly performed the rather because the transmutations of the body and the occasions of them are sudden for the most part And therefore the meanes to worke the transmutations commanded these meanes are the words of direction ought to suite to the nature of the motions themselues and to be applyed to celerity by shortnesse of speach Short speach is better carried away and sooner put in execution then speech that is longer Yet is not such a shortnesse to bee affected as will bring with it obscurity according to the saying of the Poet Breuis esse laboro Obscurus fio I labour to be short and so become obscure And therefore I take the practice of French Commanders when they command Facing in these words A droie a gauche to the right to the left without adding face and likewise of the Netherlanders in imitation of the French Reehes om slinks om and of some English in these words To the right to the left not pronouncing the motion which is to be made to the hand appointed These I say I take to be without the warrant of reason and of all antiquity from which Aelian draweth this rule For the command of right and left alone sheweth that the Commander would haue a motion performed to the named hand but leaueth vncertaine what the motion should be so that albeit some souldiers fall to a countermarch some other to wheeling or to doubling or to facing they are to be reputed blamelesse and to haue performed that which their direction willed them to doe because the command was of mouing to the right or left hand onely not shewing what motion should be made to either hand Shortnesse therefore is required by Aelian but such a Shortnesse as
is not wrapped vp in obscurity and which may fully deliuer the minde of the Commander to the souldiers which hee hath in exercise And as the words ought to bee short so ought they to be Without double signification Where they haue a double signification that is may be diuersly vnderstood by them who are vnder direction some of the souldiers as Aelian saith will doe one thing some another which must needs breed a confusion in the body exercised For as vniformity of motion in euery particular souldier preserueth the whole body and euery ioynt or part thereof entire so the dissimilitude of motion in the particulars induceth a disioynting as it were a disorder of the multitude of the whole battaile in generall To auoid then the inconuenience of double vnderstanding in words Aelian thinketh fit that the speciall word should be placed before the generall and in stead of Face to the pike he would haue the Commander to pronounce thus To the pike face that is to the right hand holding the word right hand to be more speciall or streighter in signification then the word Face Let me haue pardon if I differ from Aelian herein For Logicians hold those words more generall that stretch vnto and comprehend vnder them most particulars Now considering there are foure motions of the battaile which cannot be put in vse but by words of direction and in the direction the word right or left hand is of necessity to be applyed to euery of them as for example Countermarch to the right or left hand Face to the right or left hand and so of the rest it is euident that the word right hand or left hand is more generall then any one of the motions because it stretcheth to them all So that albeit we retaine the rule of Aelian namely to set the speciall before the generall yet may we very safely from his example and not onely in facing but also in the three other motions pronounce the direction thus Face to the right or left hand Double to the right or left hand Countermarch to the right or left hand Wheele to the right or left hand because the word right or left hand is more generall then any one of the motions But admit it were more particular yet the necessity of our language would force vs to forsake this rule of Aelian For in euery language there is an idiome or propriety of speech and that not onely in the phrase it self but also in the very ioyning tying together of the words of the sentence So that that which sorteth well with one language will not be receiued in another In Greeke in which tongue Aelian wrote it soundeth well to place the nowne gouerned by a verbe before the verbe it selfe So in Latine Dutch French and other tongues In English if a man should doe the like vnlesse it were in verse wherein the number of the feet is more respected then the ordering of the words he should be accounted ridiculous or vaine For take the example here set downe to the right hanâ— face to the right hand double or countermach or wheele and let vs vse the same order of words in common speech and a man say to his seruant To the Church goe to the mill corne carry bootes cleane make To the cutler my rapier carry Who would not laugh at his speech or thinke him idle in so pronouncing Wherefore albeit Aelian hold that forme agreeable to the Greeke tongue yet I cannot see how it will be fit that our English according to which I hold it better to pronounce after this manner Face to right hand Countermarch to the right hand and so in the rest then after this To the right hand face to the right hand countermarch the rather because the property of speech auaileth much to the capacity of souldiers who for the most part are vndearned and will hardly vnderstand in case the wonted custome and ordinary vse of ioyning words be inuerted CHAP. LIII BVt aboue all things silence is to be commanded and heed giuen to directions as Homer especially signifieth in his description of the Craecian and Troian fights saying The skilfull Captaines pressed on guiding with carefull eye Their armed troopes who followed their leaders silently You surely would haue deem'd each one of all that mighty throng Had beene bereft of speech so bridled he his heedfull tongue Fearing the dread Commanders checke and dreadfull hests among Thus march'd the Greeks 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 Birds saying As sholes of fowle Geese Cranes and Swans with necks far stretched out Which in the slimy fens Caisters winding streames about Sheere here and there the liquid skie sporting on wanton wing Then fall to ground with clanging noyse the fens 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 troopes ranged in goodly guise And forth the Troians pace like birds that lade the ayre with cryes Not so the Greekes whose silence breathed flames of high desire Feruent in zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire NOTES SIlence when a battaile is put in order either for fight or exercise is one of the principall points of obedience which belongeth to a souldier the breach whereof more endangereth the proceeding of warre then a rawe souldier would thinke who onely is wont to offend in that kind I haue before entreated of signes and shewed that in the obseruing of directions consisteth the greatest helpe of victory in neglecting them the chiefest meanes to take an ouerthrow and be defeated For as directions being executed giue life vnto warlike actions to effect that which the Commander desireth so whatsoeuer hindereth the receiuing of directions must needs crosse the designes of the Commander and by consequence frustrate and disanull that which was thought by him most fit to be put in practice either for the good order or for the preseruation of the Army or else for the gayning of victory A man that is not attentiue cannot marke the command deliuered Nor can he be attentiue that whilest it is deliuered busieth his head with other thoughts or else entertaineth his next standers by with talke a meanes to diuert aswell the speaker as the hearer from that heed which ought to be giuen to direction in asmuch as no man hath the ability to heare another mans speech and himselfe take at the same instant or at the same time to discerne two mens seuerall speeches which are deliuered together All generals haue held Silence a principall point of warlike discipline And therefore in Commands they make it the first Leos precept is this When the troopes are drawne together and ordered for exercise let the cryer for euery company had then a cryer giue these
directions Doe what you are commanded with silence keepe your places euery man follow your colours And in another place he writeth thus When your Army goeth out to ioyne with the enemy there ought to be a deepe silence For that both preserueth the Army from disorder and also maketh the directions of the Commanders to be heard with more attention And againe thus There ought to be as much silence as may be in the Army and if the bringers vp of any file heare but a whispering of their fellowes in the file they are to pricke the parties with the points of their pikes and so to redresse the fault Alexander when he was returning from the Countrey of the Taulantians into which he had made an inrode found his way beset with enemies and being to cast his Army into a forme of battaile to fight he first commanded an absolute silence and then proceeded to other directions And for the effect of silence our owne story hath a memorable example of the Army of Edward the fourth in Barnet field As for the silence here prescribed by Aelian it extendeth not onely to exercise and fight but oftentimes to the marching of an Army and to the Campe as appeareth by the last example and by Leos precept in his eleuenth Chapter And yet this precept of silence is not inuiolably to be kept in an Army at all times for there is a time when the Souldiers ought to giue a generall shout and cry thorow the whole Army to the end to terrifie the aduerse battaile of the enemy and that time hath alwayes beene chosen and by all Nations obserued when the fight is presently to be vndergone I neede not bring instances thereof euery man knoweth it that is although but meanely acquainted with History It is termed in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine clamor in English a shout of the whole Army the which being performed silence is to be restored in as strict manner a before And thus much of silence Now followeth the words of direction in Aelians last Chapter Of the words of direction CHAP. LIIII THus then are we to command 1 To your armes 2 Carriage away from the battaile 3 Be silent and marke your directions 4 Take vp your armes 5 Seperate your selues 6 Aduance your Pikes 7 File your selues 8 Ranke your selues 9 Looke to your leaders 10 Reare-Commander strengthen your file 11 Keepe your first distances 12 Face to the pike Moue a little further Stand so 13 As you were 14 Face to the Target Moue a little further Stand so 15 As you were 16 Face about to the pike 17 As you were 18 Double your depth 19 To your first posture 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch 21 To your first posture 22 The Macedonian Countermarch 23 To your first posture 24 The Choraean Countermarch 25 To your first posture The precepts of the art Tacticks haue I deliuered vnto you most inuincible Caesar which I make no doubt will bring to the practice safety and victory ouer his enemies NOTES THese words of direction here set downe are rather to shew the manner of Command then to expresse the iust number of directions vsed in exercise yet doth Leo the Emperour transcribe some of them albeit not all out of Aelian and the last in Leo hath a mixture of two motions in one direction being deliuered in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in Latine translated by Sir Iohn Check Laconicum ad hasta 〈…〉 triuolue and may be thus englished wheele thrice the Lacedemonian Countermarch to the right hand wherein there is both wheeling and the Lace emonian Countermarch commanded at once a thing impossible to be performed For as in wheeling the whole battaile remaineth entire and moueth circlewise about the right ot left corner fileleader as about a Center So in a Countermarch Lacedemonian it is broken and beginneth to moue by seuerall ranks and continueth the motion in a direct line from the front to the reare and not in a circle But for the precepts of Aelian I purpose to explaine onely such as are vsed by the Souldiers and Commanders of our time And after taking of armes I hold this to be the first at lest when we begin to moue 6 Aduance your Pikes Pikes in ordering of a battaile must be first aduanced before any motion can be performed in as much as all other postures of the Pike doe hinder or else are vnfit for transmutations and variety of changes and from aduaneing the rest of pike-postures doe spring Ordering of the Pike was deuised to ease the Souldier standing still shouldering to ease him in matching aduancing to giue facility to the other postures and to finish them because they both begin and end in it 7 8. File and ranke your selues It is needlesse to note that no battaile can be without filing and ranking This we must vnderstand that the Captaine is to see whether the Souldiers be filed and ranked but the action it selfe pertaineth to the Souldiers who knowing their files and rankes are euery man to take their place accordingly for so ought it to be in true discipline of Warre 9 Looke to your Leader The file-leader is the life and giuer of forme vnto the file He is the life in that he moueth first and draweth the rest vnto the same motion he giueth the forme vnto it because it being nothing else but a right line his standing being the first point directeth the rest to follow lineally one after another In this precept therefore Looke to your Leader two things are commanded one that the rest of the file should obserue to moue and stand still as he doth the other that they should maintaine a straightnesse and rightnesse in length which is the forme of the file 10 Reare-commander order your file In the Greeke Edition of Aelian is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is file-leader But in a Manuscript which I haue seene is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bringer vp or reare-commander and so is it read in Leos Tacticks and I take it to be the true reading this command rather appertaining to the reare-Commander then to the file-leader for the file-leader being the foremost of the file and bearing his face out of the front how can he see whether the file that is behinde him be in right order or not The bringer-vp hath his face toward the whole file as it standeth out before him and therefore may easily discerne if any man be in disorder and reforme them that are the cause of the disorder In which respect it is euident that he is fitter for the command then the file-leader which is the cause that I haue translated the word of direction as before Reare-commander order your file 11 Keepe your first distances That is stand in your open order For in that distance is the exercise first legunne It is a seemely thing to see an euen proportion obserued in the motion of