water The world doth knowe our Armie by land retired at midnight from Blanckenborough to Ostend let enuie and malice speake what they list troath may be blamed but neuer shamed we were lost men but for our owne wits and resolution our powder was all spent so farre that wee had not to maintaine halfe a daies fight the Enemies had gotten into our rampier so farre that their shot flanked vs into our trenches for eighteene nights we lay alwaies Officers and all at our breach where we eate our meate continuallie we had not left vnbroken of twentie field peeces with their Artillerie foure wee endured in Towne and Fort seuenteene thousand foure hundred and aboue of Cannon shot Where malicious tongues speake of our assaults I protest we endured one assault in the Fort at breaches and mine from nine of the clocke in the morning vntill two in the afternoone where the braue Marquis of Renti was hurt the great Captaine Mounsieur de la Mote lost his right arme Mounsieur de Strippeny Colonell of the Burgonians slaine with diuers Captaines and Officers besides by their own report at that assault they had slaine aboue seuen hundred and as many hurt we had hurt and slaine at that assault aboue one hundred and fiftie where Colonell Huntley Sir Edmond Vdall Sir Iohn Scot Captaine Ferdinando Gorge Master Selinger Captaine Nicholas Baskeruilde with diuers other Gentlemen and Officers shewed themselues most valiantlie both at that assault and at all other seruices during the said Siedge Captaine Francis Alene swam in with Captaine Hart after the breach was made during his time none shewed greater valour Truelie all the Wallons with their souldiers shewed themselues constant resolute and valiant especiallie the braue Captaines Messures de Medkerke and Erogier We were but foure English bands neere two hundred strong a peece by reason wee diuided amongst them some two hundred and fiftie Muskettiers who through the meanes of the Gouernour of Vlishing came with vs from his Garrison from Berghen Ostend There were many Lieftenants Ensignes and Sergeants aduenturers beside those souldiers the better halfe of our men were slaine for of 1600. English Wallons and Flemings we carried not out 700. In respect of our losses our Captaines asked pay for the whole numbers wherefore our masters the States and others would not confesse our losses to bee so great from the first houre of our entrie vntill our comming out none came to vs but those which swamme The Duke of Parma himselfe asked me before a great number what were our losses I answered him with the troth as neere as I could himselfe and diuers other assured vs that he lost before Sluce fiue and fortie Captaines besides other Chiefes and more Souldiers than he lost at Nuse Berke Graue and Vendello What words I spake vnto the Englishmen that followed him my companions can witnesse Some others besides the Duke and my selfe knowes if I listed and promise kept I might haue had a farre greater number of Pistolls than euer I had of Angells True it is some Princes loue treason but neuer like the traitors did they loue them they should neuer loue me for the least thought of such matters Where it pleased some to speake of two Irish Greyhounds which the Duke requested me to send vnto him returning to Middleborow where I found the Earle our General he gaue me two faire Greihounds commanding me not to faile to send them vnto the Duke and finding Master Steeuens sometime seruant vnto the most noble Sir Philip Sidney returning vnto the Duke on my request he presented the doggs for the which it pleased the Duke to send me a faire Spanish horse with a rich saddle The saying is true It is better for some to steale a horse than others to looke on notwithstanding that I gaue nothing nor receiued nothing without the consent of my Generall it was enuied without more occasion A faire horse with rich furniture is easilie discouered by day light where bagges or rich bribes can hardlie bee seene if the parties hath wit to couer it the which the Spaniard presents often to many vnknown to their masters or estates els their credites had not troubled Europe as it doth nor the proceedings against them so slowlie as it is in some places Some said also if they had bin in such dangers in Sluce wherefore gaue the Duke of Parma such large composition vnto them I know no reason but this sixe daies before we gaue ouer the Towne all the Captaines and Officers met in counsell Hauing seene our daungers and some perceiuing the heate of our succours wee assigned our Articles of composition swore all to haue them granted vnto vs or to dye and to burne the Towne and Castle so escape that could through the drowned land The copie of those Articles with other letters wee sent vnto the Earle our Generall and Estates the which came into the Enemies hands by reason the messenger was slaine in swimming by their boates and pallisade on the riuer This is well knowne vnto all our companions for the Marquis of Renti out of his Trench tolde it me openlie before all our guards at the breach and that Owen a Welsh Gentleman had much adoo to put my foule hand in Italian to the Duke Also wee made a sallie where we lost two Officers who shewed them our resolution the which we maintained being face to face with the Duke in our parlie and returned once from him into the Towne thinking he would not agree vnto some of the articles but his prudeÌ„ce or his counsell perswaded him to send for vs againe and to signe them all But I protest on the faith of a Christian I thinke so wil the rest of my companions protest the like for my part I knowe not how wee might haue kept the Towne twelue houres with the losse of our liues had wee been al desperate if it had pleased the Enemies to attempt vs but most true it is rather than take any base conditions some and many would haue ended our liues in that place I protest to all manner of qualities I write not this with a meaning to condemne any particular nor generall that should haue succoured vs nor to robbe the least defendant of his right for I confesse my selfe the simplest Captaine of halfe a dozen that was within the Towne three or foure of them were they knowne and rightlie iudged are sufficient to conduct double that Garrison in anie Armie in the world and to conduct a greater troupe hauing authoritie Some may blame me because I tooke no care in writing this action of Sluce more larger and in better order I will doo it at large in my discourse of the Netherlanders actions perhaps both that and a number of other matters in better order than some perswaded great Personages I could doo True it is some are to write some to speake others to execute What I want in anie of those vertues my bloud shall witnes in others the zeal of 〈◊〉 towards my sacred Soueraigne and deare Countâ—â—â— if occasion presents it In the meane time and alwaies I pray most heartilie to the Almightie to preserue her sacred health and royall estate to the honour of God and confusion of her Enemies FINIS
Princes or Estates then likelie they will confesse no traffique so deare as liues especiallie being in action with equall enemies It is hard to please the most masters vnpossible to content the rude multitude the least worme will mooue hauing anie life being troden vpon for my owne part I doo confesse to bee one of the least in respect of thousands not so base but euer I carried a mind rather to be buried dead than aliue I speake this for the wrongs done vnto my selfe and companions for the defence of the towne of Sluce true it is those that serues many serues no bodie I meane they shall find none that will confesse to be their masters especiallie when they should be rewarded for their seruice but the multitude will bee readie to disgrace their seruants thinking by such meanes to pay them their debts or at the least sufficient rewards to bee reconciled vnto them and pardoned for their misconstred thoughts Wherefore I would wish all men of warre and they can to bee in all strange Princes or estates debts rather than they in yours if your masters bee giuen to any machiuell humours the debts that should pay you will hire them diuers others are you in their debts you are sure not to bee wronged thinking your seruice to come paied for Although our masters the States bee for the most part honest and vertuous personages notwithstanding looke into their actions you shall finde a number of Captaines wronged besides our selues they are partlie to bee borne withall Sometimes great Captaines are so ambitions that they will deface their inferiours deedes therefore there can been no great fault in the States nor any such when we wrong one another otherwise time and fortune might make inferiours Competitors with the great ones Sometimes fortune frownes on the greatest Captaines in such sort that they can not or will not performe that the world lookes they should do then likelie had they rather burie their instruments and inferiours rather than bee touched themselues with the least disgrace Therefore you cannot blame the poore Souldier to desire the eye of his master when he hazardeth his life Subiects are vassalls vnto Princes and States and not vnto the most Generals although I neuer knewe any notwithstanding it is well knowne ambitious Generals wronged often their masters being in those humors they will bee sure to wrong their inferiours vnlesse they serue their turnes Touching our wrongs I impute it to no bodie but vnto our owne fortunes as the Spaniards said vnto Charles the 5. Adeunda salta la diecha non apreuiecha la diligencia Touching Sluce I do protest by the faith of a Souldier what I write is troth As nigh as I can remember we kept the Towne about 60. daies diuers thinkes it no time because Harlam Mastricht and others were kept longer little doo they thinke how those places were furnisht with all necessaries especiallie the lesser of both had in them at the least 6000. hands to fight and to worke Let vs be rightlie iudged I will prooue that Bouennene was the furioust siege that was in the Lowe Countries since Duke D'aluas arriuall vntill this houre the which began and ended in lesse than twentie daies notwithstanding there was more Captaines and Souldiers spoyled by sword and bullet at that siege than at Harlam which dured ten moneths Experimented Captaines will confesse the furie of all breaches are tried in fewe houres and the furie of artillerie preuented without sodaine attempts Wee were not in Sâ—uce 1600. fighting workmen and all wee had to keepe counting the two Forts aboue two miles and a halfe It is well knowne before we entred the Towne lost one Fort. If wee shewed anie valour in our entrie let Sir Henrie Palmer his Seamen with them of Zealand iudge the danger was not so little but of the vessels that carried vs in fiue were taken the next tide in comming out The third tide Sir Charles Blunt offered fiftie pounds besides the commandement his Masters and Mariners receiued at his imbarking to carrie vs our necessaries from Sir William Russell then Lord Gouernour of Vlishing who indeed was the occasion of our entrie resolution and quick dispatch who sent with vs a good quantitie of victuals and munition and to say troth without his earnest dispatches wee had not entred then the world knowes the Towne had been lost without blowes as a number of others were in those Countries farre better than Sluce The best sort doth knowe had I and my companions marchanted our liues as traffickers doth their ware wee had no neede to haue entred Sluce for our direction was but to Ostend we were battered with thirtie Cannons and eight Culuerings on S. Iacobs eeue from three of the clock in the morning vntill fiue in the afternoone they shot aboue foure thousand Cannon shot By the Dukes owne confession he neuer sawe so furious a batterie in one day wee were made saultable aboue 200. 50. paces betwixt fiue of the clock and seauen wee were aboue fiue times at the push of the pike for our breach where wee spoyled the enemies in great numbers who perceiuing our Trenches within Ouerthwart the breach quieted their furies afterwards we kept the Towne eighteene daies the enemie being lodged in our port rampier and breach aboue three hundred paces in the which time the Enemie passed through the port sixe paces to beate our Trenches within wee kept our Fort vntill wee were made saultable more than our Troupes could guard vnles wee would quite the Towne being mined wee countermined them in the which wee fought hourelie for the space of nine daies with Sword Target and Pistols at our breach port and rampiet of the Towne wee fought daylie with pikes short weapons and stones besides our shot for the said space of eighteene daies Touching our sallies let the Enemie testifie The Duke of Parma being entred asked me which was Buskeruilde standing before him I shewed him who imbraced him turning towards his Nobilitie he said there serues no Prince in Europe a brauer man Most true it is at one sallie he had the point with an hundred corslets of the best sort who charged and made to runne eight Spanish Ensignes of the Tertia Vecho and hurt their master del Campo True it is he was seconded with a number of others but himselfe principallie knowne by prisoners and his great plume of feathers Also Sir Francis Vere marked for his red Mandilion who stood alwaies in the head of the armed men at the assaults of the Fort and Towne beeing twise hurt I and other his friends requested him to retire he answered he had rather be kild ten times at a breach than once in a house Captaine Hart most valiantlie swamme in and out to shewe our Generall and States our wants and daungers the world doth know what picks there was betwixt them at that instant such that none can denie but a full resolution was taken not to enter in by
A Briefe discourse of Warre Written by Sir Roger Williams Knight VVith his opinion concerning some parts of the Martiall Discipline Newly perused Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin dwelling in Paternoster Row ouer against the Signe of the Checker 1590. TO THE MOST HOnorable my singular and best Lord Robert Earle of Essex and Ewe Vicount Hereford and Bourghchier Lord Ferrers of Chartley Bourghchier and Louayne Master of the Queenes Maiesties horse and Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter Roger Williams wisheth increase of all Honor and Vertue MOst honorable Lord hauing busied my self more than two yeares in writing sundrie actions that passed in our daies especiallie the great actions of the Netherlanders since the first arriuall of Duke D' alua vntill the late sieges of Sluce and Bergis hauing resolued to print and dedicate them vnto your Lordship diuers occasions perswades me to craue pardon for a time assuring your Lordship if health and libertie permits leaue to present them vnto your selfe in the French tongue hoping by those meanes to bee rightlier iudged than I haue been hethervnto In troth but for the negligence of a seruant that lost part of my discourses I would not haue printed any thing without the whole wherefore I haue taken boldnes to present your Lordship with some of my lost papers humblie desiring you to accept them as from a Souldier that hath but smal skill in writing or inditing but could I doo better assuredlie it should bee vnto your selfe and shall bee in any thing I can performe Beare with my faults be assured of my loue and command my life next vnto my sacred Soueraigne deare Countrie Your Lordships most bounden to serue Roger Williams To all men of Warre in generall NOble Souldiers of what qualitie soeuer where I discourse of the vertues and vices that aduanceth and ouerthroweth all actions all that hath their honor to lose may claime part of the vertues neither needes any to bee grieued at the vices vnlesse they condemne themselues guiltie the greatest Captaines of Europe can witnesse that I robbed neither superiour nor companion of his right much lesse hath been euer my thoughts to wrong any generall action the which all or the most of you that knowe me will beare witnesse when my Netherlanders discourses with others comes out I thinke Gonsalua was called the last graund Captaine but I perswade my selfe neither he nor any other before him had euer carried that name without the seconding of a number of braue companions The most worthiest Caesar although hee was highly ambitious notwithstanding in his Commentaries written by himselfe hee imputed part of his honour vnto his Lieftenants and Officers Wherefore should not others doo at the least the like being not worthie to be compared vnto the basest sort of his followers no honorable minds can bee free from honorable ambition but the ambitiō may be such let the minde be neuer so great if hee robbs the honor of his companions he wrongs himselfe and imbates his action Few men of iudgement but knowes it impossible for one man to conduct an Armie without Officers vnpossible for any state to knowe the worth of their Captaines without being in action with great enemies but for that triall the Parisians Gauntois Antwerpians and such would onelie place squadrons in battailes chuse grounds march in what order you would arme men in good order fortifie and discourse with other matters to the shew as though they had been great masters of Campes but when they were tried with the furie of expert executioners their warres prooued but May-games Although I perswade myselfe my Discourse bee Vnpleasant with small iudgement notwithstanding being perswaded by honourable good friends I tooke courage to print it true it is no action ought to be printed without the consent of sundrie Actors or at the least by one Principall which ought to signe his workes with his name otherwise wee finde the most Actors wronged and robbed of the most of their reputation some with enuie or malice others with glorious ambition sometimes you haue most honorable quiet Estates wronged with ambitious follies libells the which are hardlie knowne and found out but being signed by the author deserues hee well the honour is his if ill the shame shall be his Men of Warre ought to bee more open hearted more liberall and more affable than any other profession although their secrets ought to bee but vnto fewe their hearts must be open vnto the multitude and liberall to confesse good deserts as well as with their purses although their resolutions be agreed on by two or three notwithstanding the more affable they shewe themselues vnto the multitude the greater will be their voges and loues Some tearme men wise for not speaking many words true it is idle speaches are windes and a disgrace vnto the speaker but bee they to good purpose the more hee speakes the greater is his praise You must thinke to repeate great actions it requires many words to perswade the fewe expert companions to offend or defend a fewe words will serue but to animate or disswade the rude multitude the more words and the oftner the better Wee doo finde the most Conquerours were greatlie aduanced with the orations of their Orators as well amongst the seruilest sort as the rude multitude without speaches the wise can not be discerned from the foolish nor without triall of gouernement against equall enemies the perfects Captaine cannot bee knowne from the most ignorant Otherwise ignorance will condemne Generalls their followers and actions let them bee euer so great although themselues neuer carried places of reputation either in field or towne nor commanded more than ouer their owne seruants saying wee haue knowne great Potentates Campes and Courts Let no man bee so simple to iudge them worthie to condemne great actions or their actors without being imployed in their great affaires it is hard for men to gouerne themselues well harder to gouerne a few more harder to gouerne many much more a great multitude some can gouerne a houshold and cannot gouerne a towne some can gouerne a towne and not a whole countrie A man may be sufficient to conduct a priuate companie and not sufficient to command a Regiment likewise sufficient for a Coronell and not for a Generall But whether it be for policie or Armes it is an error to thinke men without triall worthie to bee compared vnto the others tried in what place soeuer great or small Diuers play Alexander on the stages but fewe or none in the field Our pleasant Tarleton would counterfeite many artes but hee was no bodie out of his mirths Many haue a vertue few hath many none haue all the most men lookes into their fellowes faults but fewe lookes into their owne beare with mine I will beare with thine loue mee I will loue thee let vs loue each other and God will loue vs all on that condition noble superiours Roger Williams wisheth to you all honour
vnto mechanickes Also the proud Towne of Antwerpe which was left in good guard and Discipline by the late famous Prince of Orange hauing in it better than 16000. as well armed and in as good order as any Garrison in Europe furnished plentifullie with artillerie munition and all necessaries for warres for want of Chiefes to direct thē this prince of Parma made them slaues with lesse than 8000. men The difference betwixt raw men and expert Souldiers WHat is a multitude without Chiefes but bodies without heads Nations must not flatter themselues what they haue bin but what they are The Grecians and the Macedonians had the Monarchie so had the Romaines with others what are they now The people wanting their Chiefes and their accustomed braue minds All these actions with the rest that haue been aforetime or in our daies were executed by the lesser numbers and the praise of euerie seuerall action belonging vnto lesse than a dozen Chiefes It is an errour to think that experimented Souldiers are sodeinlie made like glasses in blowing them with a puffe out of an yron instrumēt There can be no Leaders of good conduct vnles they haue beene in foughten Battailes asseiged and defended Townes of warre the longer experted the more perfected The Duke of Alua was wont to say In leesing of 100000. in 10. yeares action their prooues not 20. famous Leaders To conclude a multitude without experimented Leaders that haue to warre with expert Captaines are to be compared vnto a Nauie in a Tempest without Masters or Pilots One noble opinion of Mounsieur de La Nowe THE famous Mounsieur de La Nowe was wont to say It was necessary for the greatest commanders to giue eare often vnto all their vnder Officers I meane their simplest Captaines to heare their opinions concerning their Discipline in open audience His meaning was noble without ambition for in all Armies there are a number of Captaines better Souldiers than many higher Officers which can neuer bee knowne without place to execute their art which must bee in action and audience before famous Superiours These liberties and curtesies make a number employ their wits and valours daily to aduance their credites It hinders no great Officers vnlesse they meane the warres should end with themselues it aduaunceth the Warres and Actions when they are gone other experted knowne men are placed in their roomes This order must maintaine good Discipline otherwise ignorance happens often into the high places vnknowne vntill actions bee ouerthrowne Those will say wee are expert and as valiant as the others let them say and bee what they list vnles they be knowne to be expert of action it is not necessarie for a State to hazard their action in trying their experience and vnknowne fortunes What corrupted the discipline of the Netherlanders chieflie placing their ignorant cousins fauorites to command Who could haue won Gaunt Antwerp Bridges Iper with an 100 other townes that wanted no necessaries for warres if there had been expert Commaunders in them These strong places were lost shamefullie without blowes with twentie ouerthrowes in the field with the like disorders Therfore this noble La Nowe would say alwaies Checune a son mety as much to say Euerie man ought to haue place according to his art The martial Byron would say also These Coronells of three dayes marres all the Armies of the world Notwithstanding it must be confest that some quick spirites proue to bee expert with small actions but so rarelie found that it is dangerous to giue them charge before they be well knowne What makes the Spaniards discipline to be so famous as it is Their good order otherwise it is wel knowne the Nation is the basest and cowardlie sort of people of most others so base that I perswade my selfe ten thousand of our Nation would beate thirtie of theirs out of the field let them bee chosen where they list sauing some 3. thousand which is in the Lowe countries And those for all they bee conducted by ancient expert Captaines accompanied with other Nations nothing inferiour to those Spaniards both for valour and conduct notwithstanding the trained Troupes of our Nation did beate them always number to number both in Generall Norris his time sithence In their Countries the world dooth know fiue thousand of our Nation made guardes at the gates of Lisborne foure dayes although there were in the Town fiue thousand Spaniards 4000. Portugeses carrying armes besides they were assured of all the Burgesses for they had sent into Spaine and kept in the Cytadell their wiues children chiefest goods Also by reason of our Armie staying in Galitia where 6000. of ours ouerthrewe 16000. of theirs Before we arriued at Lisborne they had 20. daies respit to arme and put themselues in order but had our Armie not touched at the Groine and sailed strait to Lisborne as the Earle of Essex did neither Soldier nor Captaine can deny but the towne had been ours for it was vnmanned without any good order when wee arriued had our Nauie entred wee would haue entred the Towne or the world should haue witnessed so manie Englishmen had bin buried in that place But let all the Captaines of Europe iudge rightlie of our proceedings from the first to the last considering our small means great crosses they cannot denie but both our valour and gouernment deserued 100. times more praise than the attempt of Duke Medina and his on England notwithstanding they wanted neither men victualls munition nor money Also the worlde knowes wee were not set out with our Soueraignes royall Forces notwithstanding we gaue them the law 30 daies in their Countries When sicknes with other wants forced vs to imbarke being followed with their Armie we returned towards them with lesse than 4000. Where the Earle of Essex sent his Trumpet to dare their Generall the Countie of Fuentes to finde himselfe in the head of his troupes to change the blows of the pikes giuing him signall of his attire and feathers so did Generall Norris command the Trumpet to tell them our small number to dare their whole Forces to battaile but the cowardlie besonions perceiuing our resolution before we could arriue within 3. miles of thē al their footmen ran away to Lisborne being 3. for one Fuentes with Don Gabriel de Ninis knowing wee had vnder fiftie horsemen staid where they were incamped hauing with thē at the least 600. horsemen notwithstanding the alrrme being giuen vs the Earle and General Norris with the most of the Chiefes giuing order to our Squadrons to keep in that order we marched and to march with al speed to recouer the top of a hil a fine place to giue battell assigned vnto them by the trumpet within halfe a league of their quarter The Earle Generall and Chiefs with the horsemen aduaunced with speed to the top of the hil both to discouer the Enemies order and to choose a commodious place to fight At their sight wee perswaded our selues by
to receiue their pays Into this place he commanded also al his Caualery with other footmen to come The mutinous Regiment being viewed with commissaries he placed the horsemen in Squadrons round about them commanding them to charge them like enemies vnles they would deliuer the mutiners into his hands The poore Almains seing thēselues deceiued fearing the furie of the horsmen deliuered vnto him all that he demaunded To reuenge their mutinie and to maintaine Discipline hee executed of them 200. Since that time we cannot learne that the Almaines mutined in the Spanish Armie Their great Officers in order as they commaund IN the absence of the Captaine Generall the hie Marshall or master of the Campe general commandeth al. After him the Generall of the horsemen after him the Generall of the Artillerie after him the eldest master of the Campe next vnto the Masters del Campo the Lieftenant general of the horsemen after him the Lieftenant of the Artillerie These Officers direct the field for the rest of the Colonells and Officers none meddle further than his owne particular charge vnles they be authorized Although the Threasurer at wars be an honorable place commanded by no bodie but by the Captaine generall he nor none of the others meddle with the Martiall Discipline I meane the Auditores Commissaries Muster masters such Touching the charge and duties of the Captaine Generall and the other great Captaines I refer it vnto the famous warriours which wrote it often before What other Officers ought to second their great Officers THe office of the Marshal is painful great for he medleth with the whole affaires of the warres he hath to serue and to help him the Serieant maior Quarter masters Prouosts and Captaine of the Spions The Generall of the horsemen hath to serue him his Lieftenants Colonells Captaines and Scoutmasters The Generall of the Artillerie his Lieftenant Commissaries of munitions Gentlemen of the Artillery Colonel of Pioners Trench-masters carriage-Carriage-masters The Treasurer is chiefe of al the others he the Auditor Muster-masters Commissaries aswell for musters as for victuals deliuer their accounts only vnto the captain general or to his deputy authorised by him for the vse of the King There is also one Secretarie authorized by the King who lookes into all their dealings and knows all the secret onlie that passeth betwixt the King and the Captaine generall This Secretarie hath always diuers blanks signed by the King With those blāks they haue redressed sodenly many disorders which could not haue bin done if they had bin forced to stay to know the Kings pleasure The greatnes of their Generall and Obeysance vnto his King ALthough the General hath his commission absolute from the King to alter to redresse place to displace whom he lists as occasion presents Notwithstanding he doth nothing without the aduise and consent of his counsaile of warre if he should he is sure to be dispised and contemned not only by his counsel of war but by his whole Armie in generall who will not faile to appeale vnto the King Estate of Spaine which redresseth presētly any disorders For sodain dispatches the King hath his counsell of war seuerally for euery of his kingdoms and prouinces where he hath occasion to vse Viceroyes or Captaine Generalls All these Counsailes of wars both in Spaine and abroad are expert and principall Captaines sauing a few Diuines and Ciuililians ioyned with them to aduise and redresse their high mindes and ambition the which is done easier and better by wise perswasions than by extreame iustice for if iustice were executed to the vttermost fewe great Captaines should liue The most great captaines cannot denie but their profession ouer-reacheth themselues more than anie other because all their speaches deeds and minds consists in ambition for honour seeking to ouerthrow all estates to aduance their owne weighing no perill in respect of fame I speake this for Captaines in generall but there are honest vertuous and iust yet so few that the number must bee imbraced els the multitude of the enemies would bee too to manie for the fewe friends If a Captaine be a good counsellor in Warre a good executioner or a good engioner he ought to be imbraced and as noble Sir Philip Sidney said borne withall vnlesse his faults are too intollerable How they diuide their Horsmen THey diuide their Caualerie into an 100. vnder a Cornet Vnles it be their two Generalls the most of the aduantagers and aduenturers march vnder the high Generall so doo all his domestiques When he is in person in the field his Cornet is alwaies foure or fiue hundred they giue seuerall commissions vnto Launtiers to the Hergulutiers to fiue hundred Launtiers they ioyne a hundred Hergulutiers they keep that rate from the lesser number vnto the greatest These Launtiers are called light Horsmen notwithstanding they are aswell mounted as the men at armes for one horse a peece and aswell armed sauing the barbd for their greeues and maces the most carrie one Pistoll but all carrie a curtilace I meane a good broad sworde Their Hergulutiers are also well mounted for 1. horse a peece more than halfe curaces of the proofe with an open burgonet or Millaine murrions many haue pistolls besides their peeces but all haue good curtilaces Both Launtiers and Hargulatiers haue al cassocks euery company seuerall colours to be knowne The diuisions of their foote bands THeir Commissions for foote Bands are like vnto ours some Ensigns 300. some 200. the most of an 150. Euery hundred hath forty armed men of which there must be 30. pikes the tenne others are halberds targets of the proof al their Gentlemen vantagers are armed men the most carry the pike hauing plasterons of the proofe I meane the fore part of the armour the 60. others are shot In the later dayes of Duke D'alua 25. of euery 100. were commaunded to be Musketters With their armed pikes and musketters they execute most of their seruices They found such seruice in the musket that this Prince of Parma hath the most of his shot musketters The order of their marching VVHen the Armie marcheth one commaundes the vangard another the battell the third the rereward None of these nor of the Officers appoynted with them whatsoeuer occasion presenteth although their fellowes were in fight dares breake out of his place to offer to fight without commaundement from the Principall If the Generall be in person hee is knowne by a signall like vnto a Cornet which is carried hard by him As hee sends often to know the State of his Armie in all the quarters so doo they send others vnto him as occasion presents both to acquaint him of their Estate to know his direction To giue equall honor vnto al their troups they alter their marches euery seuerall march He that had the vangard to day to morrow is to haue the rereward the third the battaile When occasion presents to diuide their Army into seueral parts to