Ranke may consist of as many men as you please but a File how euer the Spaniards and Italians vse it vncertaine ought neuer to bee aboue ten persons deepe except it be in marching or especiall seruice where aduantage of the ground requireth the contrary for the first man hauing discharged his Peece may in the space that nine other men shal discharge their Peeces one after another be againe in readynes and make his first place good there to discharge his Peece againe besides it is the readiest and best way for the drawing of Groses and great numbers into any forme whatsoeuer Next hee shall teach them the carriage and vse of their armes especially the Pike for the Musquet is in the Office of the Serieant the manage wherof he shall deuide into these Postures first three standing that is Lay downe your Pike Take vp your pike Order your pike Then sixe marching as Aduance your pike Shoulder your pike Leuell your pike Slope your Pike Checke your pike and Traile your pike and lastly seauen charging as Port ouer hand Port vnder hand Charge ouer hand Charge vnder hand Coutch ouer hand Couch vnder hand Charge against the right foote and draw your Sword ouer arme When these are perfect he shall teach them distance of place in Files and Rankes as when he would haue the Files to march Closest then the distance is pouldron to pouldron or shoulder to shoulder if but Close then the distance is a foote and a halfe man from man If at their Order then the distance is three foote betweene man and man and if at Open-Order then the distance sixe foote betweene man and man so likewise in Rankes Closest is at the Swords point Close is at three foote Order at sixe foote and Open-Order at twelue foote Now there be some that vary in the tearmes but not in the distance for they wil haue Close Order Open-Order and Double Distance and not the word Closest at all but the scruple is small and may be left to euery Commanders discretion After this he shall teach them March and Motions In the first whereof is little art more then in obseruing truly their Rankes and Files and distance in places For Motions they vary diuersly and some are no Marches as when The Souldier turnes but his face on one hand or other or about Some Motions change place yet no more then a remoouing from one ranke to another or from one File to another in which though some remoue yet others stand stil as in doubling of Rankes or doubling of Files and in this Motion is to be obserued that Rankes when they double to the right hand must euer turne on the left to come to their place againe and if they be doubled to the left hand they must turne on the right hand to come to their pltces againe so likewise Files when they are doubled to any hand by the doubling of Rankes to the contrary hand they are brought to their first place againe and so of Rankes in the same nature To conclude there is another Motion to be taught in which all doe moue and yet none doe March and that is the opening or closing either of Ranks or Files is of great vse when one Ranke should passe through another or the whole body of the Battalion make a Countermarch or when the Battell should bee drawne speedily more of one hand or another Lastly the Lieutenant shall teach his Souldier how to know all the sounds or beatings of the Drumme in which he shall make him obserue not only what the Drumme doth beate but also what time and measure hee keepeth and according to that time and measure so to march slower or faster to charge with greater violence or to come of with more speede also he shall teach them to know when by the Drumme to attend the Captaines directions when to repaire to their Colours and when to doe other duties and as thus by the Drumme in seruice so by his voyce and the words of directions in Trayning he shall make them doe whatsoeuer hee pleaseth and therefore the Liuetenant shall haue perfecttly in his memory all the words of directions which are accustomably spoken As Close your Files To the right hand To the left hand and all these shall be done either Closest Close to Order or open Order Then Open your Files to the right hand To the left hand and these to any order And thus to open or close Rankes and to any Order with this obseruation that Rankes when they open ought to turne to the Reare and open downeward and when they close to close vpward then Files and Rrankes close Files and Rankes open and these to any order also then Double your Files To the right hand To the left Aduance your Files to the right hand to the left Aduance by deuision to right hand or left Files ranke by conuersion to the right hand to the left Files ranke 3. 5. 7. c. Shorten your Files to 5. 8. c. Lengthen your Files to 10. 12. 16. c. Files countermarch to the right hand to the left Double your Rankes to the right hand to the left Rankes file by conuersion to the right hand to the left Rankes ranke 5. 7. c. Middle men double your front to the right hand to the left Double to both by deuision Rankes countermarch c. as in Files Then faces to the right hand to the left to both by deuision Faces about Wheele by conuersion to the right hand to the left to both by deuision Charge to the right hand to the left to both by deuision Charge to the Front Charge to the Reare Charge to both by deuision then to reduce any of these words to the same Order or Station in which the Souldier stood before they were spoken the word is As you were And herein is to be obserued that in Charging with Pikes halfe the Rankes are but to Charge and the other halfe to carry them aduanced or ported so neare the heads of the formost as they may doe them no anoyance either in Charging or Retiring and they must also obserue when they doe Charge standing to fall backe with the right foote and marching to step forward with the left Thus I haue shewed in a briefe Epistle the large extent of the Liuetenants Office in which if I be either obscure by reason of the compendiousnes thereof or a little confused in snatching here and there at his duties without setling constantly vpon any one I hope your Lordship will call to minde it is an Epistle the lawes whereof alowes me the libertie of familiar speech not of subtill argument and for mine owne part I had rather leaue many nice wits vnsatisfied then your minde cloyed or tyred The end of the Second Decad. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE WILLIAM LORD EVERS THE ARGVMENT Of the Officers of Caualarie IF I could loue Fortune in any thing my worthie Lord I should surely loue her in
his companions and as he is in a place aboue them so in the merit thereof to exceede them and both in Marches Skirmishes and euery other occurrent of warre to be vnto them an example and president Touching the perticular duty of this Lanspesado and what he is to exercise in his place first it is to be vnderstood that he is the Captaine or Leader of that File which is next in true degree below his Corporall of whose Squadron he holdeth his place and is to giue them all examples of good ready and perfit seruice leading them on vpon the enemie in such sort as he is commanded withall courage counning and dexterity and bringing them off with equall care good order and discresion He is to looke that euery Souldier within his Command or Deuision haue his armes neate cleane and well scowred that he be furnished with all Implements and accoutrements belonging vnto the weapon wherewith he serueth as Powder Match Bullet Armes and all things else whatsoeuer which belongeth either to the Musquet or any other weapon hee is to giue the Souldiers encouragement and to make any thing facile and easie vnto them which shall trouble their mindes or seeme hard and doubtfull as also to hold them in the perseuerance of good actions and to declare the honor and worth that is in Diligence and Obedience he is to aduertise and giue notice vnto his Commander if he vnderstand of any malecontents or men whose spirits are apt to muteny and sedition or whose speach and language tendeth therevnto hee is also to discouer all manner of thefts or purloynings whether of victualls or other matter and any Iniury whatsoeuer which shall be done betweene peason and person for he being within the Cammarade or fellowship and a man of equall quality and ranke more then the name and shaddow of his place and feeding and lodging continually amongst them It is intended considering the freenes of such mens thoughts how vnapt they are to conceale what they imagine that nothing can be done or pretended to which he shall not be preuie of what nature soeuer the mischeife be if he be discreete honest he shall be watchfull and diligent to listen after all alarmes and when hee heareth any to awaken and rouse vp those of his Deuision and to see that they issue not rudely or vnprouided but with their armes about them in a decent and necessary fashion and to his vttermost power doe all thinges that may bring on or further the seruice In their watch they are Deputy Corporals and when the Corporall is absent the Lanspesado shall take his place command the Guard appoint set forth relieue Sentinels he shall take the word receiue Prisoners taken in the watch deliuer them ouer vnto his Superior Officer indeede doe all things whatsoeuer which belongs to the Corporall and to this end as in his owne place so in the Corporalls also he shall be pregnant and ready the substance whereof followeth in the next insuing Epistle lastly it is his duty to instruct his Deuision in all the rudiments which belongs to their places as well in the manage of their Armes as in the comely and well keeping of the same and to that end hee shall shew them how to keepe their Armours weapons from Rust with what Ingredience how to take their Pieces assunder and to make them cleane and when need is how to vnbreech them he shall if need be cast their Bullets for them dry their powder and haue alwayes spare match in a readines or at least instruct them how to doe it themselues for that shall be to him some ease and to them a greater profit Thus hauing shewed the duty of this Officer I will now returne to his vse which though it consist in many things and all without any extraordinary charge yet the greatest vse of all is when Battalions are deuided or subdeuided into many petty fractions then this Inferior Officer who in a greater Body would be Ignorant in this lesser Body will bee as knowing as any Officer can be And superior Officers who command Battalions Regiments Companies and Squadrons hauing many vnder their commands cannot attend to reuisite and looke into Files and halfe Squadrons or see being farre remoued whether they stand in their true and perfit distance in this case this Officer is as helpefull as any to them which command in cheife and obserues all proportions qualities and motions both of such as follow or such as front with him for indeed the motions in Files I can compare to nothing more fitly then to the dauncing of the old measures in which if there be a good Leader that by his eare can truely distinguish the sound of the Instrument and knowes when to double or single forward backward sideway and on either hand or when to begin and when to end that then it much skills not what the followers counnings be So in Files if there be a perfit Leader but tractable obseruers hardly can any Ignorāce do hurt in the motiō but here me thinks an old Souldier that loues not booke knowledge pulls me by the eare and saies what haue all warrs these distinctions or haue these places beene from the beginning beleeue it I haue beene in seruices where if you should speake of Decario or Lanspesado they would take it for some heathen Greeke or a more dangerous language to which I answer that indeed they are not vsed in all warrs much lesse in euery company but I dare with constancie affirme that the best vnderstanders in Martiall Discipline doe with all seuerity both vse them and apply themselues vnto them finding them so necessary and behouefull that where there is a neglect or disdaine thereof there without all question the company hath a wound and the whole Armie wants if not more yet one feature of an excellent beautie Some latter writers haue giuen this name a farre different interpretation calling them voluntary Lieutenants or Knights of Saint Georges Squadron and applying them to the duties of a Gentleman of the companie or a Rounder but it is only a fancie and I haue already shewed what they are and what depends vpon them therefore in mine Epistle I will auoid disputation and only conclude that what I haue writ mine experience hath seene and what I affirme all readings will allow to haue the best authoritie TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THOMAS LORD WINDSOR OF BRADNAM THE ARGVMENT Of the Corporall LEt it not my Lord be offensiue if for an houre or lesse I begge you from your more serious thoughts to vouchsafe the reading of this blunt Epistle for beleeue it noble Sir there must bee an Affection to your Goodnesse to moue me and some hope in the labour that this seruice will Inne the time you spend in the traffique or else questionlesse I should wish my selfe halfe lost and the papers consumed howsoeuer it is Warre which is the Garland of Nobilitie and though time be
himselfe to their execution without an vtter wound to all his directions If the Captaine be commanded to any peece of seruice of what nature soeuer he shall goe to it willingly and cheerefully making good all his superiors directions to the vttermost commandment but not exceeding the limits though intic't with neuer so great hopes for it is not lawfull for him to take vpon him a knowledge which his superior hath concealed from him When his turne commeth to the Captaine of the Watch or Guard he shall send his Serieant to the Serieant Maior to fetch the Word or to some other that hath order for the same and by that Word at night he shall direct all his Sentinels and Corpes de Guards and himselfe in person shall goe the first Round yet receuing the Word not giuing it but when he pleaseth the to search Sentinels or Rounds out of a voluntary disposition then he shall giue the Word and not receiue it He shall be obedient to all the Supreame Officers of the Field to his own Colonell the Liuetenant Colonell and Serieant Maior of his owne Regiment He shal prouide for all necessaries belonging to his company as Money Meate and Munition He shall euer lodge and haue his Tent amongst them feede with them and giue them all the examples of hardnesse and frugaltie To conclude and finish vp this Epistle hee shall bee of a sweete and temperate disposition amongst them intreating aduising instructing and commanding them with all the noble pleasing Language that Nature Art or study can produce and not as men teach Dogges or Bear-wards Apes with Bitts and Blowes for it is an vnmanly and absurd crueltie neither begetting loue nor respect but Ingendring hate and discontentment whereas if he did rightly looke into the true nature of his condition the Father should be no more tender ouer his Children then the noble Captaine ouer his well deseruing Souldier for that will linke and ioyne them together as men made of one peece and as hauing but one head to contriue one heart to encourage one hand to execute and but one soule to flie to Eternity TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM LORD PETER of WRITTLE THE ARGVMENT Of the Captaine of Horse HOwsoeuer my Lord the question hath been disputable amongst all the greatest Masters of this Military Science whether the Captaine of Foot or the Captaine of Horse should take the prior Precedencie yet I notwithstanding all the Arguments doubtfully discussed on either part and of which I haue also treated in a former Epistle will be contented to submit my selfe to the common and most generall receiued opinion which is that the Horseman though not in particular yet in the ordinary vse ought to receiue the vpper hand in dignitie for in France amongst their Gentlemen at Armes and also amongst the Reisters the Lieutenants albe they haue not place nor voyces in Marshall Courts yet hold themselues in all Rankes equall with Captaines of Foot yet not euery Lieutenant of Horse but some of an espetiall order for it is to be conceiued that in Horse troupes all are not of one lineage as Foot-Companies are but differ in dignitie order and estimation according to the worthinesse of the Armes which the Horseman beareth for in the first times when Horsemen were in the height of their glories the Lieutenant to a Troupe of Gentlemen at Armes was accounted better then a Captaine of an hundred Foot a Lieutenant of Launciers his equall and a Lieutenant of Light-horse his next and imediate younger brother and before all Lieutenants of Foot whatsoeuer so in like manner in these our present times a Lieutenant of a Troupe of compleat armed French Pistoliers is reputed better in degree then a Captaine of an hundred Foot a Lieutenant of the late inuented Dragoones being not aboue sixteene inche Barrell and full Musquet bore the Foot-Captaines equall and the Lieutenant of a Troupe of Harquebussiers or Carbines his immediate younger Brother Againe Horsemen challenge the dignitie of their places according to the numbers which they hold in list and according to the manner and forme of raising those numbers for a Captaine of a hundred Horse notwithstanding any former Antiquitie is better then a Captaine of fiftie A Captaine of an hundred and fiftie will euer take place of a Captaine of one hundred and a Captaine of two hundred Horse carry on his left hand a Captaine of an hundred and fiftie Horse and so contrariwise ranking with the Foot fiftie Horse precedes an hundred Foot an hundred horse two hundred foot and so of all numbers whatsoeuer and to this the Horsemen doe adde sundry Reasons saying that a man may as easily raise fiue hundred Foot as fiftie Horse and a thousand Foot as one hundred Horse now if the Captaine raise this Troupe of his owne charges it must needs argue that hee is of greater estate and hath made himselfe liable to a greater charge then any Footman can doe and so consequently deserueth a greater respect from the Magistrate and more serious reuerence from the common people But if the Prince raise the Companies then it includes that he inferres vpon the Horseman the greater Trust and so of necessitie the greater honour Lastly there is required from the Captaine of Horse a greater vnderstanding and a much deeper Consultation in the manage of his affaires then from the Footman which greater Vertue must carry with it the greater Place or else there will be partialitie and not vprightnesse in the Iudgement Touching his Election the Horse-Captaine must haue all those vertuous parts which are acquired in the Foot-Captaine and that with a more larger and fuller measure of perfection in as much as he hath not onely to doe with Man but with Beastes also and must by the excellencie of his owne gouernment tame and bring to obedience both wilde Man wilde Horse and sometimes Boyes wilder then either the one or the other creature And to this Fasickle or bundle of vertues which are needlesse againe to repeat hee must haue one other excellencie added which is as good as great as necessary and as glorious as any of the other and that is he must bee a perfit and absolute Horseman not knowing like one of our Signe-Saint Georges onely how to bestride and sit vpon a horse faire armed without motion but how and in what manner both to mooue himselfe and the horse making an vnreasonable Beast doe reason to all his commaundements and by the motions of his hand legge or body to vnderstand as from a sensible language to performe all things belonging to the mans reasonable pleasure In plainenesse hee shall not onely bee a good Horseman himselfe but also shall with diligence labour to make his whole Troupe good Horsemen teaching them first how to sit vpon their horses in a faire and comely pasture carrying their bodies straight and vpright the right hand bearing his Launce or Pistoll coucht vpon his thigh the left hand with the Bridle raine