are commaunded and onely to see those that follow them where they march to do their dueties which consent vnlesse it be obserued these inconueniences will ensue By contrarie commaundements there will fall out confusion and contention and many captaines lieutenants and serieants will walke out of order and much time will be spent in setting of men in their places which euery souldier ought to doe of himselfe The great ordonance being parted betwixt the vantgard battell and rereward sometime is drawen in head of the a So was it at the battell of Moncontour and in the battell betwixt the Conte Egmont and Thermes by Graueling pikes of euerie battell but for that it must needes trouble those that would march on to fight with the enemie farre better it were if all the great ordonance were drawen on the sides of the vantgard as oft as the enemie made shew of charge and then drawen vpon some hill or some other place of aduauntage In the field it doeth more trouble then seruice the effectes of it is but noyse and foolerie onelie that small townes should not make resistance it is drawen along and also for the vse that it hath in sieges and batteries Concerning the baggage and those seruants and boyes that attend vpon the same and such as follow the armie as merchants or victualers rather to gaine then to fight this rule is generally to be obserued that the same be placed betweene the bataillions so that in a charge the same may best be defended and yet not trouble the araie of the armie The same is to be placed where there is least danger The Greekes returning from the battell betwixt Cyrus b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. exped Cyr. 2. and Artaxerxes being coasted and pursued by the enemie placed their cariages neere the riuer along which they marched and their armed men toward the enemie Caesar marching a Caes bel gal 2. against the Neruians after three partes of foure of his whole forces placed his baggage being garded with the other fourth part following behind At other times when there was lesse suspition of the enemie euery legion marched by it selfe and the baggage thereof after b Praecedunt cohortes sequitur prima legio medijs impedimentis sinistrum latus 19. legio c. Tacit. 2. Germanicus after certaine chosen troupes placed the first regiment or legion and after that hee caused the baggage to follow garded on either side and behind with the rest of the armie If our baggage and impediments be great so much as may be spared is to be left in some strong towne Or if the enemie bee behind The c Caes de bel ciu 3. baggage togither with our hurt men is to bee sent before into some place of safetie as Caesar practised in his retraite from Dyrrhachium This is the common course which is I thinke also best for an armie to vse in marching But if the enemie make countenance or rather doe begin to charge any part of the same then that part which is neerest him is to be made the head or vantgard the other two parts of the armie are to be drawen the one on the right hand the other on the left If the enemie come on front then the rankes of the auantgard are to bee doubled or multiplied according to the capacitie of the ground The battell and rierward are to be drawen vp the one toward the left hand the other toward the right or els one part is to bee drawen vp vntill the same bee equall of front with the auantgard and the other beyng deuided into battaillions to serue for supplie where neede is The shot is to bee placed part in front and the rest on the sides and without them ought horsemen to take their standing expecting their aduauntage and the commaundement of their leaders But if our horsemen bee few and not able to match the enemies cauallerie let them not bee to farre aduaunced vnlesse they bee seconded with shot and halfe pikes armed à le legiere but rather let them bee reserued to chase the enemie beyng foyled by the footemen and placed betweene either ground of aduauntage or battaillions of pikes And this if it be done of those that haue skill ye shall neither heare noise nor see confusion nor time spent about it The souldiers of Caesar beyng suddenly charged by the d Caes de bel gal 2. Neruians as they were newlie come to their lodging did euerie man presently set himselfe in aray to fight And Annibal had so taught his souldiers that euery one issuing out of his lodging coulde fall in aray of himselfe either being ready to fight or to marche And why might not our souldiers also be so instructed and exercised that they might doe the like but some want care some skill and some both Some percase will aske Who gaue me auctoritie to prescribe which are very simple not to see that I prescribe nothing of mine owne but onely declare the auncient practise of warre and proceeding of most famous warriers The Romanes vsed this course and so did the Greekes and Carthaginians First marched the light horse then the light armed after them the armed men The baggage was placed in the midst of the armie This order did Caesar oserue in his marche against the a Caes bel gal 1. Heluetians b Caes Bel. gal 2. Belgians and in c Caes bel Ciu. 1. Spaine against Afranius and Petreius The same did d Liui. 21. Annibal practise in his marching all along Italy The same course for the most part is obserued of those that haue skill in our times but that the differences of groundes and diuers conditions of mens armies make them alter some circumstances Metellus e Metellus cum expeditis cohortibus item funditorum sagittaâ—iorum lecta manu apud primos erat in postremo C. Marius cum equitibus curabat in vtruÌ„que latus auxiliarios equites permistos velites dispertiuerat Salust bel Iugurth marching against Iugurtha placed first certaine choise companies of slingers and archers and after them troupes of armed men without impediments or baggage there himselfe commaunded C. Marius folowed with the horsemen vpon both sides he placed horsemen and light armed of his associats mingled among them guided by certaine captaines of horse the legions marched in the midst Xenophon for that a square battaile in straites is easily disordered did deuide the square into f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph exped Cyr. 3. companies which knowing their places in the square marched few in a ranke in straits and in open ground came into their aray againe His horse and slingers he cast out on the front and sides Corbulo so g Corbulo viae pariter pugnae composuerat exercitum latere dextro 3 legio sinistro 6 incedebat medijs decumanorum delectis recepta inter ordines impedimenta teâ—gum mille equites tuebantur in coâ—nibus pedes sagittaâ—ius câ—tera manus
see not how our people can mainteine their honor but the next course to assure them selues is to haue cautionary townes or hostages or both deliuered into their handes townes that they may assure them selues of retraite in case of bad dealing hostages that they may be assured of their good dealing Without townes their case is desperate if the enemie preuaile The b Froâ—ssart French that came to aide Galeazzo Duke of Millain vnder the leading of the Countie of Armignac being scattered in the siege of Alexandria were slaine by the Pesants of the Countrey The like happened to those poore Lanceknights that were defeated at c Anno 1569. Moncontour Neither were the Spaniards better vsed that came in aide of the Leaguers being defeated by the present french king neere Dreux anno 1589. This towne that is giuen in caution is to be garded with a sufficient force of English furnished with victuals and munitions in the garde of the garrison and not as in Vlissingen in the keeping of the townesmen vnto whom whosoeuer trusteth shall assuredly be deceiued Thirly let those that haue the gouernment of our men see that they both march and lodge vnited and strong that they be not either disturbed in the night nor betraied vnder colour of frieÌ„dship Strangers that stragle are a spoile not onely to the pesants but to their secrete euil-willers And those that lodge without defence or suffer any to come within them in the night are open to euery enterprise of their enemies That they may both lodge and march hard together order is to be taken that they may haue victuals deliuered them alwaies before hand and that they be not driuen to seeke abroad for them To conclude the onely meanes of safetie is neither to trust enemy nor friend for none are abused but they that trust dissoyall people If that our men can neither haue townes nor hostages nor victuals nor good vsage what should they be sent among such people or why should they trust others being not themselues trusted or why should any succour be sent but such as may command and punish the dissoyall and haue strength to stand vpon themselues Those therefore that are gouernours I trust they will maturely consider of this point if not let them looke for this issue if the enemy be stronger then are our men either to be slaine or famished by the enemie if by our forces our friendes preuaile then for their rewarde shall they either be turned out of the countrey with disgrace or be famished or cut in peeces by their friendes These things considered let vs nowe consequently proceede to declare howe an army after that it is exercised and furnished and that the Generals haue all due considerations both therein and in all other prouision and proceeding required before the marche of the army may march orderly and safely CHAP. VI. Part. I. Of the order and aray of an army marching toward the enemy THe first care of him that meaneth to march safely in the enemies countrey or where an enemie is neere ought to be that his troupes obserue good order and aray and the neerer that he approcheth to the enemy the greater ought his care to be The neglect of this point onely hath bene the ouerthrow of many armies It giueth opportunitie to the enemy to assaile vs and confoundeth yong souldiers when they are ignorant how to come in order to defend themselues Easie it is to be obserued of men that are willing and vnderstand reason and sharpe effects and correction it worketh on the stubborne and wilfull That the General or his officers may put the armie in good order of march first they are to vnderstand what is the aray of the whole armie considered together as one whole body Secondly the places of euery part as of horsemen footemen and of footemen of the diuers sortes of weapons Thirdly the iust distances of souldier from souldier according to euery mans qualitie and weapon Fourthly the places of the Generall and other chiefe Commanders Fiftly of the great Ordonance and munition Lastly of the cariages and baggage and boyes and seruants that attend vpon it and likewise of marchants and victualers and others that followe the army for other causes then to fight The armie consisteth of three partes commonly considered especially as it marcheth for in fighting the orders and parts doe much differ The first part that marcheth wee call vantgard the second the battell the third the arier ward Euery one of these ought to be a perfect body of it selfe hauing both his smal shot and great ordonnance and his horsemen and his pikes targets and halberds placed in good order Oft times I know it is otherwise and that either horsemen or pikes or targets are wanting in some part or other But howe much of these they want so much they want of perfection and due proportion in a iust army For we speake not of 6 or 7 thousand which cannot obserue this order but had better to march vnited but of a ful army of 24 or 30 thousand which number marching in this order so that one part may succour an other I accompt doth march orderly and strongly If one part goe farre before an other it may fall out as it happened to the Protestants in the plaines of S. Clere anno 1569 that one part shall be in route before the other can come to succour The Romanes marched distinguished by legions whose numbers were diuers and which seldome were complete but in effect the aray was one saue that the Romanes commonly made but two partes of their armie and placed their baggage in the midst as did Caesar marching against the Neruians In the order of the partes and placing of horsemen and footemen and sorting of weapons the same reasons haue place for the most part among all nations Before the auantgard light horsemen by ancient prescription may challenge the first place If they be seconded with some shot and targetters lightly armed they may be the bolder to come neere the enemy and to abide his charge These are called auantcoureurs and serue for discouery of the enemies proceedings and of the situation of the Countrey and intercepting of the enemies espials and diuers other vses Vpon the front of the auantgard march small shot and musquetiers after them follow the armed men with the ensignes in the midst or rather somewhat toward the first rankes On either hand and behind the armed men are other companies of shot to be ranged and without the shot somewhat auanced forward argoletiers and then launces take their place If the enemie make countenance as if he would charge some part of our army with his horse they are to be drawne toward the side where the enemie threatneth to giue the charge but if the enemie doe flie before vs and shunne to fight the horsemen of the whole armie would be ioyned together and sent to charge him on the sides or backe and to stay his marche
number and the ground where they stand As the front is diuided so likewise is the supply and last hope in like sort The supply would be neere so many as the front but it is sufficient if the last hope be halfe so many The distances of the supply would be greater then of the battaillions in front which charging the enemy are to ioyne close together and being wearied may retire within the distances of the supply which two partes ioyned together do then make one front if both be foiled then are they to be receiued within the distances of the last hope which are largest and all the partes to vnite their whole forces together If any doubt of the confusion that may arise in the retiring of the first and second battell backe to the third then may the supply and last hope be drawen vp vpon the sides which will worke the very same effects In the midst of euery battaillion or square somewhat toward the first rankes would the ensignes be placed with their garders well armed and furnished with short weapons Euery battaillion would haue his seuerall leader which would be the first man of the right hand in the first ranke of the square for that the inferior leaders in a maine battell should stand out of ranke is contrary to practise of warres If in euery battaillion there were some part targetters contrary to the moderne vse there might be good vse made of them when the armies come to ioyne both against shot and pikes a Ante signa modico interuallo velites eunt Liu. 38. Before the front of the battell are certeine troupes of shot to take their standing which may not onely defend the head of our army but also anoy whosoeuer offereth himselfe to the charge If they be pressed with horsemen or targetters their retreit is within the distances of the battaillions if the ground affoord them no other defence From thence they are to be drawen eftsoone againe and employed where theyr leaders shall perceiue they may doe most seruice A ranke of mosquetiers vnder the first ranke of pikes may doe good seruice if they be drawen into the distances when the enemy commeth to the charge The horsemen if they be not strong enough to encounter the enemies horse would be seconded with certeine troupes of shot and halfe pikes but diligently are they to take heed that they goe not directly before the front of their owne footmen lest retiring thence they fall vpon their owne pikes The great ordonance if there be any hill in the place either on the right hand or left hand of the army is there best placed both for seeing of the enemy and for feare of disordering our men either going to the charge or retiring backe If the ground be euen it is placed in the head of our army a little before our troupes of shot which after the same is discharged auance themselues while that is drawen within the distances either of the battaillions or of the midbattell and corners For defence of the artillery there are good gardes to be appointed wheresoeuer it standeth If this order cannot be obserued yet this rule is generally to be respected that euery weapon and souldier is there to be placed where he may most anoy the enemy and best defend himselfe The partes are so to be placed that one may succour another and one retire to another Horsemen may not come within the ground of the footmen nor shot within the rankes of pikes but both either on the sides or behinde the battaillions He is most iudicious that can bring most men to fight and stop the way to the enemy that he can not extend his men to hurt him There is no company to be sent forth to ioyne with the enemy but with some to relieue them againe and againe and to receiue them retiring and stop the enemies pursute Horsemen may not charge pikes nor come in ground where they cannot fetch their carriere Other rules in their speciall places shall be prescribed Shot in marching and standing obserue order The distances before I haue shewed In fighting they obserue no order but euery man marking his enemy right before him and shooting at him taketh his best aduantage yet if they obserue not a certeine course where the shot are many they soone fall in disorder Archers for that they shoot and fight standing in ranke obserue better aray their distance from shoulder to shoulder is one foot from ranke to ranke foure foot Some now a dayes doe little esteeme this weapon yet if our archers were armed with plated iackes as in time past neither shotte could abide them in euen ground nor pikes without shotte Against horsemen where they may finde defence of hedges or ditches or stakes or rough ground they do very good seruice Pikemen against a charge of horsemen ought to stand close with the blunt end of the pike in the ground the poynt bent vpon the horse brest Ranke from ranke standeth not more then three foot asunder that many endes of pikes may garde the first ranke That the pikes may be commodiously bent and crossed the first rankes are to bow theyr bodies that they may the better breake the charge of the enemies horse before them they are to haue a ranke of mosquetiers as hath bene said already Where the pikemen go to charge other pikes betweene shoulder and shoulder there would be a foot distance betwixt ranke and ranke so much as charging with the pikes aboue hand and breaking the same they may vse theyr swordes and daggers and either in striking auance forward theyr right legges or els receiuing the enemies blowes draw backe the same Sixe foot I thinke for that purpose to be sufficient The halberdieres bilmen and targetters would haue likewise betwixt shoulder and shoulder one foot betwixt ranke and ranke fiue foot In pikes and short weapons this is generally to be obserued that they stand as close together as may be so they may haue roome to manage themselues and their weapons the lesse roome may serue considering that I would haue all souldiers to strike with the point of their weapon and euery man to succour his fellowes before him and on the sides The horsemen go to the shocke with equall front so neere as they can and runne so close side by side as they may without hurt ech to other If horse be distant from horse two foot and ranke from ranke seuen foot when horsemen goe trotting to the charge the proportion is good The aray of the Frenchmen that charge with single rankes is of no strength neither the orders of the Reiters that goe to the charge in a ring for so soone as they are inuested with lances they are broken and therefore I thinke the former aray better as vsed both by antiquity and the Italian and English caualery which giueth ground at this day to no other The ancient leaders of time past which for their skill in armes are famous to
warres and seeing that wee take armes in hand not to do wrong but that we may recouer or obtaine our owne right let no man refuse reason that may haue it But because many that seeme to offer peace haue nothing but warres in their hearts let vs now that we haue shewed the practise traine of war whose ende is peace declare also how we may assure our selues that we be not abused either with coloured treaties or vnequall conditions or bad assurance of peace which is more dangerous then any warre Metellus in c Verbis pax nunciabatur ceterùm re asperrimum bellum erat Salust bel Ingurth wordes and pretense made semblant that he would make peace with Iugurtha but his doings were the effectes of most sharp warres Maximilian the emperor being demanded what he meant to treate so much of peace with his enemy whom he deadly hated answered that thereby he hoped to giue him a d Per darli colpo mortale Guicciar mortal wouÌ„d when least he looked for it e Pompeius ab Augusto imagine pacis deceptus Lepidus amicitiae specie Tacit. annal 1. Sextus Pompeius by a fained shew of peace was abused by Augustus and Lepidus was ensnared vnder colour of friendship What the Spaniard meant by the treaty of Dunkirke his nauy at the same time comming in hostile manner vpon our coast declareth The very motion and mention of peace doth slake the preparatiues of warre and while men do either hope or desire peace they f Ex mentione spe pacis negligentia vt fit apud Paenos orta crat Liu. 29. stand more negligently vpon their garde Sometime vnder colour of seeking a Philippus de pace agendo nihil aliud nisi moram dilationâ— ad vires colligendas quâ—â—rebat Liu. 32. peace the enemy seeketh delayes vntill such time as he himselfe is ready Philip of Macedonia being foyled by the Romanes seemed very desirous of peace that in the meane time he might againe repayre his forces For this cause b Thucid. 1. Archidamus counselled the Lacedemonians rather to treat of peace then to denounce warre vnto the Athenians vntil such time as they were better prouided The Ambassadors of the c Caes bel gal 4. Tencterians and other Germans desired peace of Caesar that came against them because a great part of their forces was from them Sometimes trechery is wrought vnder colour of treaty of peace Metellus d Salust bel Iugurth during the treaty of peace with Iugurtha corrupted most of his friendes Scipio e Liu. 29. to the intent his men might haue accesse into Syphax his campe pretended the continuance of the treaty of peace albeit he misliked the conditions and meant nothing but to espy his campe and to surprise him at vn wares The messengers of the f Legati per speciem pacis petendae speculatum ad L. Aemilium venerunt Liu 40 Ligurians vnder colour of treaty of peace espyed what Aemilius did in his campe Cotys g Tacit. annal 2. king of Thrace vnder colour of confirming a league was drawen to a banquet and there slaine by his enemy Rhecuporis Caesar Borgia hauing made a solemne league with the Duke of h Guicciard Grauina other Princes of Italy contrary to his othe slew them hauing them once in his hands Therefore in treating of peace wee must first see that wee slacke not our preparatiues of warre nor defer to take any aduantage that is offered i Perseus ni vana spes pacis occaecasset consilia omnia praeparata atque instructa habens cùm nihil haberent Romani suo maximè tempore atque alieno hostibus incipere bellum potuit Liu. 42. Perseus king of Macedonia if a vaine hope of peace had not blinded his eyes might then with aduantage haue begun the warres when him selfe was most ready and the Romanes most vnready and vnprouided k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucid 1. Archidamus albeit hee perswaded the Lacedaemonians to talke of peace yet would he not haue them neglect to prouide for warre For peace is not obteined with parley or entreaty vnlesse wee also make ready our forces Secondly heede must be taken that wee trust not the enemy None are more easily abused then those that are light of credit we may not therefore let the enemy see our weaknesse or any thing that may preiudice vs nor commit our selues into our enemies handes either during the treaty or after the conclusion of peace Philip of Comines noteth it as a great simplicitie in our nation that hauing concluded peace with Lewis the French King did so familiarly come into Amiens and conuerse with the French that meant them no good Seeing peace is so easily violated vpon light occasions hee is not wise that will trust the enemy too farre That which certaine Italians perswaded Lewis Sforza that fayth is rather to be violated then wee suffer a Guicciar li. 4. any part of our State to be taken from vs that some doe nowe put in practice And yet breach of promise is oft times b Cosa facile a Principi di iustificar imprese con titoli Ch'apparisconâ— honesti Guicciar 16. iustified with glorious pretenses Wherefore seeing as experience teacheth vs that Princes c Principi si riconciliono piu tosto conle dimostrationi che con li effetti Guiciar lib. 1. are rather made friends in shew then in effect those that deale wisely doe so condition with the enemy that if hee breake they may haue the staffe in their owne handes to chastice him Thirdly great care is to be taken that wee yeelde no aduantage to the enemy The first iniury that we receiue at the enemies handes is but a step to the next as hath bene shewed and he that from the top of the staires descendeth one step shall sooner be thrust downe to the bottome then recouer the top againe Hee that once beginneth to fall is easily ouerthrowen The Africans that yeelded one little peece of ground to them of Carthage were in the end constreined to yeelde them their whole countrey The Germans receiued into France by the Gaules and Saxons into this Iland by the ancient inhabitants did after contend with them for the possession and right of the whole countrey The time to treat of peace which is fourthly to be considered is when both parties haue tasted of the cup of calamities that warres bring with them and yet neither part is ouerthrowen or throughly vanquished When things doe hang in equall ballance then is the fittest time to treat of peace by the iudgement of Annibal and then d Si integer quaÌ„ si victus pacem aequiorem impetrari posse ratus est Liu. 30. most equall conditions are liked of both parties For being vanquished the conquerour giueth rather then receiueth conditions as the Romanes did to the Carthaginians to Philip of Macedonia to Antiochus and to other Princes and nations which they vanquished Further