into the field there causing them to run to leape to iumpe to wrastle to throw the sledge to pitch the barre and such like exercises and sometimes also to learne to swim as a qualitie very befitting a souldier Moreouer they did many times cause their souldiers as well foote as horse to march armed at all points euen as it were to serue against their enemie once or twise in a moneth euery man carrying his owne prouision and victuals and giuing and receiuing the charge euen as in hostile fight and this did they for the space of ten miles fiue out and fiue home Thus with these exercises they brought their people to be able quicke and ready to serue vpon all occasions and did more good seruice with twentie thousand of such so trained and practised then with thirtie or fortie thousand of raw and vntrained men But to haue a souldier to be very perfect and a good executioner indeede it is needfull to haue bin in some good peeces of seruice to haue seene men to fall on both sides which doth flesh harden a souldier very much Finally the good Picquier ought to learne to tosse his pike well with the due handling of the same and to be skilfull therein sith it is the weapon he professeth for 100 of ready pikemen are better then 200 that know not the vse of the weapon Now the halbarders ought to be fully armed with a corslet as is the Picquier but in marching he is alwayes to beare the same on the right shoulder holding the lower end thereof with his right hand almost close to his right thigh and knee Gent. You haue well discoursed touching the caryage and handling of the calliuer musket pike and halbard But now I pray what meane you by doubling your ranke and file Capt. By ranke I meane euery row or order of men standing shoulder by shoulder either in march or squadron reaching a long from the one side of the squadron vnto the other And by file I vnderstand all the line order or row of all the souldiers standing consequently one after another from front to the traine either in march or squadron Now the doubling of ranke or file is thus First suppose your company to be of 100 pikes as for the shot we will speake of hereafter and you would bring them into a iust square of men first search out the Cubike roote of your number and it is 10 then after the first order you shall cause them by the sound of the drum to embattell to march vp in single files at 10 men in euery file the head man of euery 10 to be a Caporal or Cabo de Camera and as the first 10 is come vp vnto the place where you meane to frame your squadrō cause them to make Alto then cal vp the second file at 10 per file causing them to march vp close pouldron to pouldron of the first tē and there to firme stand then the third file then the fourth and so consequently the rest vntill your squadron be formed your ensigne marching vp in the middle file as in this figure may appeare Here you see them drawne vp in single files at 10 men in euery file and so your squadron is framed 10 files and 10 rankes or 10 in flanke and 10 in front An other order is thus you may march them vp in 2 3 4 or 5 files at once and 10 rankes for the number euen or od importeth nothing if at 2 files at once then are they marched vp and framed at fiue commings vp if at 3 files at once then at three marchings vp at 3 files per Maniple which make 9 files and 1 single file at 10 men per file which maketh your iust square of men Now if you will march them vp by 4 files at once they are 2 marchings or Maniples at 4 files 10 rankes and one Maniple at 2 files per Maniple and so againe is your squadron formed And againe if you would march them vp by 5 files at once and 10 rankes they come vp in 2 Maniples and so is your squadron iustly framed Your squadron being thus framed set at 10 rankes 10 files thē to double the rankes you shall cause vpon an other sound of the drum those of the second ranke to step in betwixt them of the first ranke beginning either vpon the left or right hand first as you will and the 4 ranke to double the 3 and againe the 6 ranke to double the 5 and the 8 ranke to double the 7 and finally the 10 to double the 9 so shall your battell or squadron come to be 20 in breadth and 5 in length or depth or 20 files and 5 rankes which is in forme of a battell of double front as by these figures appeareth Here you see the rankes doubled into 20 files and 5 rankes Then cause them vpon another sound of the drumme to fall of or backe againe into their former places and so to double againe vpon the other hand and fall off againe Now to double the file cause the second file to double the first either vpon the left or right hand as it shall please you to begin and the fourth file to double the third and the sixt the fift and the eight the seuenth and the tenth file to double the ninth as in these figures following may appeare And here you may see the file doubled reduced into fiue files at 20 men per file vpon the right hand the like you shal cause them to do vpon the left hand hauing first caused them to fall off from their file bringing them into their former square againe Then shall you go vnto the traine of your battell or squadron and vpon another sound of the drumme you shall command all your souldiers to turne their faces vpon a sudden towards you then causing them to double both ranke file that way as you did the other way before thus with a litle paines taking and practise you shall soone bring your souldiers to be ready and skilfull in these alterations of formes and many more The like may be done with any other greater numbers either in battels or battallion or by making the front of any flanke Gent. But to what end serueth all this Capt. Marie to many good purposes For the first order of doubling the ranks besides the readinesse it breedeth in the souldiers doth serue to alter vpon a sudden your grand square of men into a square of ground or into a battell of double front and to many other purposes in framing of many small battallions one grand square And againe the second order in doubling of the files doth serue to many such other purposes as if vpon a sudden your foot enemy shall come to charge you vpon the flanke then by doubling their files and suddenly turning their faces vpon the enemie they shall make of flanke
and fore finger of his right hand and with his middle finger to measure at what length to cocke the same to fall with a proportioned length into the pan The which being done let him retire his right foote somwhat backe and stand firme vpon the same and holding fast both the musket and rest with his left hand to raise the but end of his musket from his thigh vnto his breast and to fasten the same firme and close vnto his right shoulder and brest holding fast the sayd hinder part of the stocke betwixt his right thombe and fore finger drawing downe the serre with the other three fingers and so taking due leuell to discharge Hauing performed the which let him vncocke his match clap his musket vpon his shoulder with a halfe turne and so retire trailing his rest or forke by the stringe and giuing place to others go charge again finally for other armes a reasonable short sword a meane dagger with no morion but a faire hat and feather Gent. Thus I perceiue your fiery shot haue many busie skils without knowledge of all the which it is hard to become a perfect shot Capt. True and therefore often to be practised But here let the muster-maister and trayning Captaine be well aduised not to suffer their shot to cary any bullet about them in time of their trainings and fained skirmishes for feare of danger that might thereby ensue among themselues But now and then after their training to take euery shot single and to see him charge his peece orderly with pouder and bullet as aforesaid and hauing a great but erected to that purpose the which ought to be in euery hundred or Baily-wicke to cause them to leuell and discharge at the blancke thereof orderly one after another encouraging those which do make the fairest shot Now for the Pike which the Spaniards do tearme SenÌ„ora y Reyna de las armas the Queene and mistresse of weapons The souldier which carieth the same is to bee well armed with a good corslet furnished with his gorget Morion tasses pouldrons vambraces and gauntlets also to be armed as he ought to be whatsoeuer opinion other men may hold to the contrary supposing a bare payre of Cuyrasses onely sufficient but I am of opinion that the armed Picquier ought to bee armed in all points as I haue said for defence and then to offend to be weaponed with a good Pike of ground Ashe of seuenteen or eighteen foote long at the least well and strongly headed with the cheekes three foote long or there about and for other weapon to weare a good short sword and dagger for the dagger is a weapon of great aduantage in Pell mell And if it be replied that the souldier so heauie armed is not for any great march or speedy execution I say that among well ordered Regiments there are also yet some vnarmed pikes that is without any corslet or at the most the bare cuyrats onely and morion the which the Italians do call Picche secche Now these are reserued imployed in such peeces of light seruice And the Picquier either armed or vnarmed is to be shewed and taught the carriage and vse of his pike as first to tertiar or carry the same orderly vpon his shoulder holding the same with his foure fingers vpon the vpper part of the staffe his thombe vnder the staffe neare vnto his shoulder basing downe the blunt end thereof to aduaunce the point and poizing the pike with an equall poize vpon his thombe and shoulder alwayes in march keeping the lower end of his pike on the one side of his foremans legge still aduertising that in march the pike is to be carried vpon the right shoulder of euery souldier throughout euery file sauing the vtmost file on the left side of the arrayes or ordinances which are to carry their pikes vpon their left shoulders onely alwayes regarding how those of the foremost rankes doe carry their weapon the rest to do the same throughout euery ranke and file following for order and forme do require the same Next hee is to be taught how to plant his pike on the ground at any stand or Alto then how to arbolare or aduaunce his pike that is to reare his pike vpright against his right shoulder and with his right hand stretched downe vnto his thigh to hold the same neare vnto the but-end betwixt his foure fingers and his thombe stretching his forefinger downeward vnto the but-end of his pike and so aduaunce the same vpright high against his right shoulder resting and staying the same with his right hand against his right thigh and knee as before is sayd Now this is to be done at such times as being brought into a Ring and serreyng close shoulder to shoulder then to aduaunce their piks in this sort at the enclosing thereof so to continue vntill they fall out of the ring againe into a larger march Also the same is vsed by some at their arriuing vnto the corps de guard at the setting of the watch before their chief Commander or officer euen as the first ranke shall arriue into the corps de guard some ten or twelue pases from the place of their stand to arbolare their pikes and so rancke after ranck carrying them in the same order vntill they come vnto their place of station there to make Alto and to plant their pikes vpon the ground as the squadron is formed But principally the souldiers marching in squadron and vpon point to come to the push of the pike with their foote enemy then are they first to aduaunce their pikes as is said bearing the same orderly with the right hand against the right thigh and the left hand aboue neare about the shoulder and so to charge vpon the left hand and push standing firme and sure vpon the left foote But if the squadron be charged with any troupes of the enemies horse then must the Picquiers cowch their pikes fast vnder the right foote holding the same 〈…〉 the left hand and bow downe the point thereof against the breast of the horâ—e hauing his right hand ready to draw his sword if occasion shall be offered Now how necessary and auayleable this continuall vse and practise is may easily be gathered from the sundry victories of the auncient Romanes Who both in their Campes and Garrisons had their Tesserarios which were as our Sergeant Maiors to ensigne and teach their people of warre the vse and managing of their armes at all idle and vacant times The old souldier sometimes once in a day and the Tirones which we terme Bisognios or new souldiers twise in the day or as occasion serued so were their people alwayes ready and perfect And againe they did not onely practise them in the knowledge of their weapons but many times also did conduct their Companies for their recreation
some most conuenient place together then and there to be instructed in the orders how to march how to encampe and how to fight deuiding them into so many parts or battaillions as vnto their chiefe Officer shall seeme good Gent. What course would you wish the Captaine of a single companie to obserue in the trayning of his souldiers Capt. First hauing his companie leauied and chosen of the better sort of people as is said let your rawe Captaine for so I terme those which neuer were in action prouide himselfe if possible he may of a good Lieutenant and a sufficient Sergeant and a skilfull Drummer Then let his people be suted with such sort of weapon as is appointed The which I would wish to be as I haue said before to euery hundred of men 25. muskets 25. Calliuers and 40. or more of pikes and corslets and the rest short weapon as halberds swordes and targets and such like Now hauing suted euery man with a conuenient weapon I would wish your Muster-maister if your Captaine haue not the skil for your Muster-master ought to be a man of experience first to declare vnto them the partes that ought to be in a souldier in generall as before is declared then to ensigne them the right carriage of their armes and weapon then to knowe the seuerall soundes of the Drumme next to learne to keepe his ranke and file orderly and so to march eyther swift or slowe step by step with the sound of the Drumme then how to keep their array being cast into a ring or any other forme with the comming out againe and returning into a counter-ring and out of the same into a march and counter-march then how to make their Alto or stand and how to double their rankes vntill they bring themselues into a iust square of men if their numbers will permit it and how to double their â—â—les eyther vpon the left or right hand and so to fall off againe both from file and ranke and being in squadron how to turne their faces on either or any part making front on any flank or traine as occasion shall be offered Then the perfect vse and managing of euerie weapon in his due nature and kind and so by a continuall vse they may by good instructers become soone to be ready souldiers Gent. Here be manie good parts vnder a few words but they are too briefe for me to vnderstand wherefore I pray dilate more at large thereof and first what meane you by the cariage of his weapon Cap. To discourse vpoÌ„ al these points particularly it wold be ouer long might better be shewed in act theÌ„ in words yet to satisfie you somewhat herein I will speak of the particulars here there as I shal be occasioned shal cal theÌ„ to memory First therfore the soldier that is appointed to cary a calliuer is first to be ensigned how to cary his peece vpon his left shoulder with his flaske at his girdle or haÌ„ging by at Port-flask or Flask-leather vpoÌ„ the right thigh vpoÌ„ the left side of his girdle to haue his touchboxe fastened by the string hanging downe somwhat long by the strings sufficient to be taken and to prime his peece with touch-powder and on his right side a Bullet bagge or purse of canuas or leather for bullets Also some three or foure yards of match in seuerall peeces hanging at his girdle with one peece of match of a yard long in his left hand holden fast by the third finger of the same hand hauing the one or both the endes of the same lighted or fired Also to be prouided of a priming iron or wyer of a steele and flint stone to strike fire vpon any suddaine occasion either to spare the burning of match or to fire their matches if the same do chance to go out Then how to charge his peece either with his flask or bandelier theÌ„ to let slip the bullet down into the barrell after the powder and to ramme the same with paper tow or such like thrusting the same downe with the scouring stick if time will permit or else a more readier way thus After that the bullet is slipped downe vnto the powder to put after the same some two or three cornes of powder which will wedge fast the bullet This being done let him hold his Calliuer with his left hand as in his charging hee ought to do the like griping the same by the stocke somewhat neare vnder the cock betwixt his thombe and foure fingers then holding the nose of his peece somwhat vpward for not to endaÌ„ger his fellows to take the one end of his lighted match with his forefinger midle finger thoÌ„be of his right haÌ„d so to cock the same hauing a regard that it may fall due within the pan finally if it be a crooked stock peece to set the same vnto the left side of his breast retiring his right foot some halfe step behind the left or aduancing the left foot some halfe pace before the right and so to take his due leuel holding the hindermost part of the stocke betwixt the thombe and fore-finger of his right hand with the other three fingers to draw to the serre so to discharge his peece with agility hauing done the which to retire souldier-like and charge againe giuing place to his next fellow or seconder But being a straight stocked peece the which I hold for the better he is to place the same vpon the right side of his breast fast against his shoulder leuelling and discharging as aforesaid And for other armes he is to be fitted with a short sword and meane dagger and a Spanish morion Now the musketier is to cary his musket vpon his left or right shoulder for it importeth not much on whether so they obserue the order of the first rancke with his Forke or rest in his left hand fastned about his hand wrest or little finger by a string hauing his flask and touchbox fitted as before is sayd or hauing a bandalier the same to be ouer the left shoulder and vnder the right arme Now to charge the same he must hold his musket with his left hand hauing his rest trayling by the string and put the but end of the stocke vpon the ground then with his flaske or bandalier to charge his peece with powder slipping downe the bullet into the barrell after the same and to fasten it with two or three cornes of powder as is aforesayd then to clappe the musket into his forke planting the lower end or pike of the rest into the ground neare vnto his left foote and resting the but ende of the stocke vpon his left thigh then to prime his pan with touch powder And hauing his match ready as before is sayd to take the peece of match that hangeth by the midle or third finger of his left hand betwixt the thombe
the front and so bee ready with double hands either to receiue or giue the charge For those battels of square of ground or battels of double fronts do bring many hands to fight at once being verie aduantagious for footmen against footmen as reason and experience proueth and sheweth And againe if you draw or diuide your battell or battallions into maniples to march through straights or narrow passages this order of doubling the files is verie ready and auaileable as thus If your battel or squadron be of 5184 pikes whose square roote is 72 now your passage will permit but 8 men to march in front then must you diuide your square root 72 by 8 so commeth it to be 9 maniples of 8 men in rank or breadth And say yet againe that the straight or passage doth fall yet more narrow or straighten lesse then to containe 8 men in front thē cause euery maniple at the verie entring of the straight to double their files and so of 8 you shall make 4 files per maniple the which being shouldred vp close together will containe no more roome in breadth then the 8 did before And hauing passed the straight cause them to fall into their former proportion and so maniple after maniple in passing the straight Gen. But if the squadron or maniple were of od nūbers it wold not so fal out Capt. That importeth not for the od file or rank which resteth vndoubled may in passing of the straight close vp shoulder to shoulder vnto the rest obseruing their proper stations in files and if the passage will not permit that then to fall backe after the traine of their maniple hauing passed the straight to sleeue vp in file pouldron to pouldron of their fellowes and so to fall into their former proportion The like of any other od numbers may be done with very great facility Now for as much as I entend to frame both figures and tables of sundry sorts of battels and battallions in our discourse following I will at this instant bee the more briefe supposing this at this present to suffice For he which conceiueth and vnderstandeth this well may do the like with any other numbers great or small Gent. And what course do you appoint the shot belonging to those numbers of pikes to obserue in these alterations of proportion Capt. The shot appertaining vnto euerie such number may be practised in the like or semblable sort either alone by themselues or placed in two grand sleeues along by the flanks of their squadron or battallions As for example If vnto the former number of 100 pikes there were proportioned suted 100 shot calliuer and musket these would I draw out into 5 per rank which would make 20 ranks Those 20 ranks would I cut off or deuide in the middest so should I haue 10 ranks for to sleeue the one flanke of the battallion and 10 ranks for the other flanke at 5 men per ranke or 5 files in euery ranke which is all one These 2 sleeues being placed may be doubled with the pikes by ranke or file for practise sake only But if you were engaged to fight with the enemie I would wish all great sleeues of shot to be deuided into many small troupes the one still to second another as hereafter shall be declared shewed And lo here another order the 2 grand sleeues being al musketiers as the battell or battalliō doth aduance march on toward the enemy comming once within reach of the musket then the first ranks of these sleeues of muskets many discharge in marching in this sort The first ranks stepping some two or three paces forward there those of the right sleeue to step one halfe pace toward the right hād those of the left sleeue one half pase toward the left hand hauing in the meane space made themselues ready and cocked their matches then with readinesse expedition all those of thē first ranks their muskets being vpon their rests or forks to discharge at once and keep their station charge againe permitting other rankes to proceed before them Then presently those of the second ranke to step vp iust before the first rank as the battell or battallion marcheth and so to discharge as their former fellowes had done before then the 3. rank before the 2. the 4. before the 3. and so all the other ranks consequently with this kind of double march and at the traine of the last rank those of the first to follow vp againe and so consequently the rest But if it chance their squadron of pikes to be distressed forced to retire they are to discharge at the enemy retiring backe vpon a countermarch as these figures following shal plainlie denote vnto you the maner and order The First Figure The second Figure with the Muskets discharging in marchings The third Figure vpon the retrait the shot discharging vpon a Counter-march There is yet another order of discharging of troupes of Muskets in vollie the which I haue seene vsed by the Italian and Spaniard thus Your Musketiers being deuided into sundrie troupes of 30 40 or 50 in a troupe the one to second the other then the two first troupes standing vpon the two angles of your squadron or battell may bee drawne vp by two officers by three foure or fiue at the most in a ranke and the said officers being at a sufficient distance to discharge shall cause the Musketiers to close somewhat neere shoulder to shoulder and so wheeling them about in figure of a halfe Moone shall at their due semi-circle or halfe compasse cause the Musketiers to make Alto and clapping their muskets on their rests close one by an others shoulder and each one hauing a care to his forefellowes they shall at one instant discharge altogether at one vollie vpon the enemy and so retire giuing place to other troupes the maner and forme whereof shall by these figures following appeare Troupes or squadras of muskets at 50. per troupe 5. in ranke Gent. Your calliuers or small shot would you haue them to discharge in these maners and orders before spoken of and figured Capt. No but I would with the calliuers or small shot to be deuided into sundry small troupes of 20 30 40 or 50 in a troupe and by their seuerall officers to be led vp and to skirmish in single file discharging readily one after another in file and so wheeling about vpon the left hand to retire giuing place vnto others to second them and to fall into their forme of troupe againe and then recharging aduisedly to be ready to come vp to second others as their turne commeth of which maner of small troupes shall often in our discourses following be denoted and shewed Now to conclude these orders of training I will set downe one point more to be obserued by one single company or two or three companies ioyntly comming into the Corps de
corslets and I set that there be 2000 as before is said in arming the Quadrat battell of number of men Now shall you part these 2000 armed pikes into two proportionall parts as 10 to 3 the one part to arme the two flanks the other to arme the vaward and rereward of the battell then place downe your rule in this sort If 10 require ⅔ what 3 2000. Now multiplie 3 the second with 2000 the third and it resulteth 6000 and this 6000 deuide by 10 the first so will there come 600 armed men and these 600 armed men shal be to arme the two sides and deducting 600 out of 2000 there resteth 1400 armed men the which are to arme the front and reregard of the battell Now must these 600 armed men be reparted by the length of the battell that is by 46. so will there come 13 in ranke for the length And of these 13 rankes you shall place 7 per ranke on the one side 6 per ranke on the other side of the battel in length as in the figure on the next page appeareth Now the 72 men remaining I haue placed in the 4 angles as in this 8 figure aboue appeareth Gen. I perceiue how to arme a battell of proportiō of inequalitie the vaward the reareward the two sides But I pray tell me the battell being thus framed how I may know whether this battell hath this proportion of his breadth to his length that is 2 times and ⅓ more broade then long or as 7 to 3. Capt. To know if the length to the breadth of the battell hath his proportion as 7 to 3 you shall deuide 108 the breadth by 46 the length the product wil be 2 and 16 remaining which is about ⅓ of 46 a litle more Gent. But how shall I proue that in this battell of inequalitie there be the 5000 men conteined Capt. Thus multiplie the breadth of the battell 108 by 46 the length and they will amount 4968 vnto the which adde the 32 men which remained and the summe is 5000. Gent. Now I beseech you to declare vnto me the length breadth of ground that the battell of inequalitie doth occupie Capt. Marrie thus It shall be supposed to allow 3 foote in breadth and 7 foote in length for euery souldier or litle more or lesse as shall be thought good Now multiplying 3 foote with 108 men the breadth of the battell it will amount 324 foote and 324 foote shall be deuided by 5 accounting 5 foote to a pase thereof will come 64 pases and ⅘ which is 4 foote and that is the breadth of the battell And to know the length of the battell multiplie 46 rankes of length by 7 foote there will come 322 foote and deuide the sayd 322 by 5 there will come 64 pases and ⅖ which is 2 foote for the length of the battell which will bee neare about the length of proportion and this is the perfect battell of ground Gent. I pray let me aske you In what manner might I accommodate the calculation of the battell to the end that it might be done with dispatch and readinesse as you haue shewed me before in the Quadrate battell of number of men Capt. To doe this deduct 13 rankes of armed men which are in the two flankes in length out of 108 men in breadth there will rest 95 per ranke in breadth of the battell Then shall be sought in 13 men by ranke in length how many armed men by multiplying 46 of length by 13 rankes will amount 598 and 598 shall be deuided by 95 the product will be 6 rankes of men at 95 per ranke of armed men and 28 armed men remaining And of these 6 rankes of armed men there shall be put 3 at the head and 3 at the taile of the battell with the other 7 rankes which were there before And so the battell shall conteine in length 52 rankes at 95 men per ranke in breadth with 10 rankes at the head and 10 rankes at the taile of armed men as I will shew you in this 9 figure following and there remaines 28 armed men the which at the time that this battell is made shalbe placed in one of the flankes for there they want as before is said in the account of the 5 figure of the Square battell of men Gent. I rest so well satisfied with your good discourses and demonstrations that I finde my selfe more and more desirous to demaund of you other particularities wherefore I pray you to shewe mee the manner to march and set a battell with speed occasiō offering to fight Capt. Willingly as farre as my small skill wil extend Therfore touching the order of marching and out of the order of the said marching to set a battell with speed I say that there are three manners obserued in the making therof of the which before that I declare their orders one by one I will with breuitie repeate all that which before I shewed you I haue told you before how to make the Calculation of battels as well of the squares of men as of Proportiōs of inequalitie containing more men in breadth then length termed by vs Englishmen Bastard squares Broade squares and Base squares And I haue told you of the proportion of the breadth vnto the length and moreouer how brode and long will the said battels containe in ground the which instructions will serue to frame any other battell that may be more brode then long in any other proportion with the helpe of the Tables which before I haue shewed you for in the same may be found euerie proportion that shall be needfull to frame any battell which may be more brode then long in number of men or equall Now wil I shew you the maner how to frame a battell with speed and this shal be by the instructions of the tables before giuen And this battell shal be speedily set after the order of the three maners of marching as at the beginning I told you The first maner is when the companies do march with one part of the armed Pikes at the foreward and an other part at the rereward of the vnarmed Pikes as I will shew you in the tenth figure In this case hauing the Table in memorie onely there resteth to commit vnto two expert officers as Caporals of the field or such like at the time of setting the battell that the one go vnto the head and the other vnto the traine of the Ordenances or Arrayes and let him that stands at the head cause or commaund to turne or wheele either from the right hand or from the left as shal be most conuenient 95 rankes at 10 armed men per ranke and hauing finished to set the 95 rankes at 10 armed men per ranke he shall cause them to turne their faces from that part whither the Ordinances or Arrayes do looke as you shal see designed in the eleuenth figure on the page next