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
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
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
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-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-files Then facing to the front sleeue vp and front with the standing halfe-files Then the word is Reare 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-files The word is 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-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
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
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