in the last ranke which wasted because theee was no man to supplie it so that the losse that the first rankes suffered was cause of the consuming of the last By this meanes the Phalanges might sooner be consumed then disordred for to ouerthrowe them was impossible because of their great number The Romanes at the first vsed Phalanges instructed their people after the Greekes manner but it is long sithence that they misliked of their order and therfore they deuided their people into many bodies to wit into Cohortes Manipules for they thought as I haue said before that that bodie which had many soules was compounded of many partes ought also to haue manie liues The Batailons of the Switzers Almaignes ours and others do somewhat imitate the Phalanges aswell for that wée doe range a great number of people together as also that wee doe place them in such sort that they may enter one into another his place But why this manner should not be so good as the Romanes many examples of the Romane Legions do shew for that as often as the Romanes fought against the Greekes their Phalanges were ouerthrowne and consumed by the Legions for the difference of their armes and the manner of releeuing thrée times had a more force in it then the great number or the diligence of the Phalanges Being therefore to frame a Batailon after all these examples I haue thought it good to imitate partly the fashions of the Greekes Phalanges and partly the Romane Legions and partly these that we doe vse at this instant and therefore I would that in euery one of our Legions there should be 3600 ordinarie Pikes for the body of the Batailon 420. for the flankes and 170. extraordinarie Pikes for the forlorne hope which are armes that the Phalanges did vse Besides I would haue 600. Halbards 420. Harquebusiers for the flankes and 680. for the forlorne hope all which are armes inuented in our time I haue deuided the body of the Batailon into 10. bandes as the Romanes did theirs into 10. Cohortes and haue appointed the Harquebusiers and the forlorne hope to begin the Battell and for skirmishes as the Romanes did their Velites and haue giuen them two Captaines and two Ensignes to the intent to haue better seruice of them then if they had none and also for to imploye them in the labours of the warres as the other bands And for that the armes are borrowed of diuers nations the bandes must also bee perticipants of the orders of diuers nations and therefore I haue ordained that euery one of the ten bandes should haue 8 rankes of Pikes before the Ensigne and 8 behinde and 4 rankes of Halbardes in the middest so that by that meanes euery band dooth make 20 rankes and euery ranke hath 21. men The Pikes doe serue for to resist Horssemen to breake into the footmen and to withstand the first assaults of their enemies which Pikes I will vse onelye to defend my selfe and afterwards vse the Targets which the Pikemen doo carry at their backes and Halbards to vanquish myne enemies And who so would consider of the force of this order shall finde that euerye sort of armes shall doo his office thoughlye for the Pikes are profitable against the Horssemen and when the footmen doe meete Batailon against Batailon they serue to a good vse before that the rankes are throng together but after that they are once at the close the Pikes can doe no more seruice Wherefore the Switzers to auoide this inconuenience after euerye three rankes of Pikes do place one ranke of Halbardes which they doo to the intent to giue their Pikemen space and place to fight in a prease but yet this is not ynough but as for vs we will haue our Pikemen both before the Ensigne and behinde to carrye Targets and there shall be Halbardes in the middest by meanes of this order to resist bothe Horssemen and footmen and to breake into an enimie for you know that Pikes may serue no turne after that the rankes are preassed together because that the Souldiers are then as it were one in anothers necke and therefore if the Pikemen had nothing but their Pikes and Swordes the Pike being abandoned they should be naked for which cause I haue giuen them Targets to couer themselues from blowes and to fight in all places what prease soeuer there were Moreouer the Halbardiers maye also fight better in a prease then the Pikemen which Halbardiers are expressely appointted for this purpose and likewise they may followe the sayde Targets at the heeles who are heauily laden to reskue them with their Halbards And as for the Target men I would haue them but onely to thrust at the face and legges or at any other parte that were vnarmed But leauing these small things I will goe range the ten bands in one whole Batailon How to range a Legion in battaile and after what maner it must be practised The 10. Chapter WHo so would range ten bands in a Batailon must first put a side by themselues the Pikemen and Harquebusiers that are appoynted for the flanks those of the one 5 bāds on the one side those of the other on the other And likewise one bād of the forlorne hope on the one side the other on the other side in such sorte that the said bandes of these two flankes shall leaue a great voide space betwixt them for to range the batailon in which shal be done after this manner The first band shall goe before the second and the second before the third and the third before the fourth and so likewise the others They shal marche in their single order that is fiue and fiue in a ranke as I haue said before Afterwards the Colonell shall commaund his trumpet to sound that the King commaundeth them to double their rankes And then the ranks of fiue shall be doubled and made 10. This done the Colonell or Sergeant Maior shall commaunde the trumpet to sounde againe that the King commaundeth them expresly to redouble their rankes which at this second cry shal be 20. in the middest of euerie ranke shall the Chiefe of Squadron place him-selfe to make it to be 21. The Trumpet shall sounde the third time by commaundement as before and at this sound the first bande shal goe forward vnto the place where the front of the Batailon shall be placed and shal stay there in that order that I haue ranged the perticular bands The space which euerie Souldier must occupie marching in single order must bee three paces in bataile 2 and when he fighteth 1. The distance from one ranke vnto another being in single order must be 4. paces and being placed in battaile 2. and in fight one So that the said 21. men being in battaile will occupie 42. paces in fronte and the 20. rankes will occupie 60. in length heere in comprysed the space that euery Souldier dooth occupie which is one pace The first
one was called the right corner the other the left They would neuer suffer that theyr assistants should be more in number then theyr Legionaries but as for the horssemen they made no great accompt although they were more in number then theirs With such an army of 20000 footemen and about 1500. horsse of seruice at the vttermost a Consull of Rome did enterprise all factions and did execute them True it is that when as they were to deale with a verye great force of theyr enemyes they assembled two Consuls and caused the two Hoastes Consulares to ioyne together We must note moreouer that in all the thrée principall actions that an army doth as in marching lodging and fighting the aforesaid Romanes did put theyr Legions in the middest because they would that the force which they trusted most should be most vnited yet their confederates were not inferiours vnto them because of the great practise that they had together for in truth they were practised and raunged after one manner As they had two Legions of their owne Citizens and two of their assistants in euery one of their hoasts so likewise I will take foure Legions of Frenchmen or two at the least and they shall be of 6100. footemen for this number liketh me best for that Vegetius hath vsed it in the framing of his Legions and of the two abouesaid Legions I will make my principall force If so be that we would haue strange souldyers amongst them I would place the sayd strangers at the two corners of the army as the Romanes did their assistants But I suppose that there shall be no strangers in the hoast that I will make at this present or if there should be I would not haue the number of the Legions which I require to be diminished but that there should alwayes be foure by the ordering of which foure may easily be vnderstoode how a greater armye should be raunged for if there should be a greater number of people then the sayd foure Legions there were no more to do but to make many small Batailons and to place them behinde and at the sides of the Bataile in forme of Subsides to succour any part of the Batailon that might be oppressed of which Subsides it shall be necessary to vse for the diuers formes of Batailons that enemyes oftentimes do make to the intent that without changing or taking any thing out of place we might at all times haue wherewithall to resist them as if any of the enemyes Batailons should be raunged in Point that is with a narrow strong battaile we might immediatly bring forward those that are behinde and those vpon the flanks and range them in the forme of two vnited forces to receiue and inclose betwixt them the enemyes Point when it shall approch or if the said enemyes should march with their front of great breadth they then might march in Point and force to breake into them These people would be also good to repulse those that should sodainely charge vpon the flanks of the Batailon or behind they may also serue to relieue those that are in danger or to strike downe those that runne away and for many other good actions which I leaue to speake of wherein we might employ those that might be in our Camps ouer and aboue the said four Legions notwithstanding for these purposes there néede none to be leuied sith the Forlorne hope those of the flanks might serue the turne Furthermore I thinke that it shall not be néedfull to recite againe the number of people that I haue appointed for euery Legion nor that there are tenne ordenary bands and two extraordinary nor what armes and weapons they should carry nor the diuersitie of Pikemen nor what officers Chiefs there should be in euery Legion because that I haue before recited them perticularly wherefore without any more repetition I say that the first Legion for they must all be distinguished by degrées ought at all times to be raunged in the Batailon in one place and the others likewise Therefore I would that the first Legion should keepe the right side and the second the left and that the first rankes of the Hastaries of these two Legions should be raunged as farre forward the one as the other and all the other rankes following And for a more manifest demonstration suppose that the enemyes be towards the East and that we do raunge the fronts of our battailes towards them the first Legion being vpon the right hand on the South side the second Legion vpon the left hand on the North side and their backs towards the West and the Hastaries one right against another one as far forward as an other and the Princes Triaries of both these two Legions must likewise kéepe one and the selfe-same order ranks spaces distances there must a space be left betwixt the two Legions from the front vnto the tayle which must be thirty paces broade these two Legions shall occupy the place that the two Legions of the Citizens of Rome did occupy I would haue the third Legion to be placed on the right corner the fourth on the left and raunged in the selfe-same order that the two Legions betwixt thē are with spaces betwixt thē of 30. paces broade so that the foure Legions should occupy in breadth a thousand pases or more The Forlorne hope shall be at the head and the horssemen of the first and third Legion shall be on the right wing and the horsemen of the second and fourth Legion vppon the left wing And for to gouerne this army well it would be necessary to haue certayne principall Chiefes and Officers who should be subiect and obedient vnto one Lieutenant Generall There shall be therefore two Chiefes to wéet one Captaine generall of the horssemen vnto whome all the Captaynes that haue charge of horssemen must be obedient The other shall be Captayne generall ouer the footemen vnto whome all the Colonels and Captaines that haue charge of footemen shall be obedient The dignitie of these two Chiefes is equall because that the one commaundeth ouer the one kinde of Souldyers and the other ouer the other and they are the highest degrées that are in an army excepting the Generall chiefe and vnto which estates all other degrées may aspire each one in his facultie as he that is a horsseman may attaine to be Captayne generall ouer horssemen and he that is a footeman may attayne to be Captayne generall ouer the footemen to arise vnto which dignities there must be as many degrées passed in the one facultie as in the other for I make twelue degrées in either of them First amongst the footemen there is the Forlorne hope amongst whom I would place all those which I would inrowle to fill a Legion The second place is to be of the flanks in these two places they should passe through all offices except the Corporals before that they should be of the Battailon being of
kept themselues in the higher ground being there placed to haue doone him mischiefe enough if it had not béene spéedily looked into the sayd Lorde sent immediatly part of his people vnder the charge of Monsieur Dambres to get the higher ground to driue away his enemies which thing those that were sent did so well execute marching alwayes vpon the higher ground on the winges of his Battailes that there was not a Frenchman hurt afterwardes whereas before they were a marke for their enemies to shoote at it is all the remedye that may bee vsed in suche lyke passages But if it were in a plaine Horssemen with the helpe of Harquebusiers may staye an enemie farre off without hindering of the Battailes in loosing of theyr time for that Horsemen may maintaine a skirmish with an enemy winning ground alwaies not running far from the battaile nor forgetting themselues otherwise True it is that in marching in this order square it were necessary that the Country should be euen open that the battail might alwaies continew as it was ordred and therfore it should be necessary to haue a great number of Pioners to make the way plain open wheras it should passe the said Pioners might be defended by the Hargoletiers and other discouerers if their enemies were not able to repulse them but if so be that their enemies were of force sufficient to repulse the saide discouerers the other horsemen following at their backs would relieue them or if it came to the worst the Pioners might retyre within the battailes and the horsemen vnto the flanks if they could not stay their enemies otherwise for which enemies there néede no iot of this order of martching be changed except that they were so great a number that they might assail these Legions ranked in battaile but this assault cannot be done so suddainely but that the Generall shal haue time inough to retire the Pyoners to range his people in order to giue battaille for as he in marching on his way doth go but an ordinary pace so an enemy in comming towards him doth martch but an ordinary pace so that the one aswell as the other doe goe so leasurelie that they shall alwaies haue leasure inough to prouide on both sides Besides the discouerers who are abroad will aduertise the said Generall time inough then hee may bring the Legions into the same order that is taught in the first booke and if he be assaulted vpon the front he may turn the mouth of the Cannon towardes his enemies and put the horsemen vpon the wings and cause the third Legion to range themselues in their first order and accustomed place and the fourth likewise and the Princes and Triaries of eache Legion to take their places In the meane while the ordnance may play their partes and the forlorne hope with the Harquebusiers a horsebacke and hargoletiers many likewise doe theirs The Baggage must bee retyred behind the Legion with the Pyoners and the vnarmed men who may make themselues strong with wagons coffers packes and other carriages with al which they may entrenche themselues if so be that they had no strong place neere to retyre vnto or time to fortifie Yet if leasure would serue it would be better to stay and to make some place strong before the battail then to hazarde a battaile before a Campe were made to retyre vnto if néed were And if so bee that the said enemie would assault these Legions behinde the Lieuetenant Generall must make the head of the Battailons that way or towardes any other part that he looketh to be assaulted vpon And if so be that the said enemie should assault him vppon two sides and that hee were of force inough to doe it this Generall ought to take Souldiers from the other two sides that are not assaulted to strengthen those that are assaulted or els hee must vse another manner of order to witte to raunge the Princes and Triaries all in one front or to do otherwise that is in euerie Legion to retyre one band of Hastaries and to place it with another band of Princes and that those two bands should raunge themselues in 10. rankes at the backes of the said Hastaries and the other two bandes of Princes should retyre backwards to be ranged with the Triaries so that at the front their should be fower bandes and at the taile as many and the two bands in the midst shoulde stretche out their rankes and shoulde occupie asmuche ground in breadth as the other fower and this must bee doone throughout al the Legions and so their would be two fronts wel furnished and the Flankes also would bee sufficient inough of them selues besides the Pikes of the Flankes for to helpe them And when as the front were broken they might retire vnto the two bands in the midst to make an enemy to fight againe with them I haue spoken before of these two formes and therefore to returne to my matter I saye that if the Generall of our enemies Armie shoulde assayle these our aforesayde fower Legyons vppon two or three partes that eyther hee or wee were not bee thought wise For if a Generall Chiefe bee wise hee will neuer put hym selfe into a place where an enemye maye assayle hym with a great power vppon so many sides or parts For so it is that hee that will hurt another man and bee sure to take no hurt hym selfe but deale vppon the aduantage must néeds haue vpon euery side that hee would assaile his enemy asmuch people or very neer asmuch as his said enemie hath in all his if so be then that our Generall should he so euill aduised as to enter into a Prince his Countrie his enemie who had three or fower times as many Souldiers as him selfe and should take anye hurt there were no reason but that he should blame his owne lacke of vnderstanding not put the fault in his ill lucke But let vs put case that the General of our enemies hoast hath but a fewe Souldiers more then wee haue and not withstanding thinking to put vs into disorder he chargeth vs in diuers places you may say then that the folly is his and the aduantage is ours As for to assayle our fower legions in which of the fourmes abouesaid soeuer they should bee raunged hee shal be forced to make his battailes so thinne and small that our armie might easilie resist the one and beat the other and by that meanes get the victorie Our Generall might also if he thought it good raunge his Legions two and two together or euery one a part in manner of a square leaue a place emptie in the midst which he might doo after this maner that is that one Legion should make the front with his Hastaries the left Flank with his Princes and Triaries and that the other legion should make the tail with his Hastaries and the right Flanke with his Princes and Triaries and so these two Legions should
one of this number shall be Captaine and he shall haue the like number of members and officers that one of the ten Captaines haue in charge and the rest shall be deuided into fiue small companies which shall be gouerned by fiue Corporals euery one of which shall haue as many squadrons and men as one of the abouesaid Corporals hath Foure of these Corporals shall haue all their men Harquebusiers which may be mingled with Archers and Crossebowes who so would And the fift shall haue all his Pikemen which shall be called extraordinaries because they shall fight out of order not kéeping ranke The number of the Souldyers of all these twelue bands is sixe M. and seauentie Besides all which there must be one chiefe Officer aboue all the Captaines who shall be called the Colonel and he shall haue for his officers these that follow to wéete a maister of the Camp a Sergeant Maior a Prouost and vnder the Prouost some wise man to assist him in his iudgements and to counsaile him touching the administration of iustice The said Prouost shall also haue a Clarke certaine Sergeants and a Hangman Furthermore it is necessary that the said Colonel should haue a minister or two to do the diuine seruice to administer the Sacraments vnto all the Legion There must also be a Phisition a Pothecary a Chirurgeon some one that hath skill to make fireworks powder an Armorer the rest vntil the number of 30. places with those that I haue now specified may be reserued for the Colonel his gard After that the number aforesaid is so distributed there must be names giuen vnto the Captains the one must be named the first another the second another the third fourth fift sixt seuenth eight nine tenth and the other two shall be called Captaines of the Forlorne hope And all the 12. Ensignes ought to be of one colour to haue some difference in fashion or some barres to be knowne the better and the readier to find the places that they ought to kéep in battaile It were not amisse that the Souldiers were apparrelled like the colour of their Ensignes to be the better knowne and had some token or cognisance wherby the souldiers of the one band might be knowne from those of the other The Chefes officers should haue their head-péeces couered with some colour or should haue skarfes whereby they might be knowne a farre off In the manner aforesaid would I distribute a Legion for it is the best way that I knowe to raunge a Battailon in such sort that it might be as it were inuincible And if it should séeme too hard to raunge this Legion in battaile in that forme that I will speake of héere following that the forme which we do vse at this present in raunging our Legions were thought to be more easy sure likewise that their manner order were better liked then the Legions that I pretend to erect yet I am of opinion that the bands of the said Legions should be deuided in other sort then they yet haue bin for they would be in better order to do any good seruice then they now are although their order be not euill such as it is As for me I would order them after this manner that is that euery one of the 6. Captains which the King hath apointed vnto euery Legion should haue 4. Corporals or Centeniers all of ordinary Pikes and 3. other Corporals whose mē should haue the one halfe Pikes the other halfe Halbards to wéet 2. Squadrons of the one 2. squadrons of the other euery one of which 6. Corporals should haue vnder him 4. Chiefs of squadrons euery Chief of squadron 2. Deceneirs and euery Decenier should haue charge of 11. mē by this meanes euery squadron should haue 25. men and the sixe Centeniers should haue euerie one 100. souldiers vnder him which Centeniers should be for the bodie of the battel And as for the flankes euerie Captaine shoulde finde a Centenier which Centenier hath fower Chiefs of squadrons vnder him and vnder euery Chiefe of squadron are two Deceniers and vnder euerie Decenier 10. men Two of which said squadrons shoulde be Pikes and the other two Harquebusiers the one of the three Centeniers which rest to make vp the ten which are vnder euerie one of the abouesaid Captaines should haue all Pikemen which should be 93. in number the persone of the Centenier comprehended and the two other Centeniers of equall number should haue all Harquebusiers all those three Centeniers and their men shal be called the forlorne hope and shal serue for that purpose so may euerie band of a thousand men bee distributed and yet there would be left 28. places the which should bee for the Captaine and his two Lieutenants the two Ensigne bearers fower Sergeants of the bande two Harbingers two Drommes and two Fifes And for that the sixe Centeniers that were reserued to make the body of the battaile are not comprehended within the number of their people they shal be accompted with this number to fill vp the the 28. places and yet there will remaine fiue places which may serue the Colonel for the officers and garde that hee ought to haue and by that meanes there shoulde bee in euerie bande 504. ordinarie Pikemen 102. Halberdiers and to arme the flankes 46. ordinarie Pikes and as many Harquebusiers besides the person of the Centenier And for the forlorne hope there would be 93. extraordinarie Pikes and 186. Harquebusiers which make in all 978. the 22. places that remaine are for the Chiefs Members officers and for the Colonell his gard as I haue said before By that accompte there woulde bee in a Legion 3024. ordinarie Pikes 612. Halbards For the flanks there would be 282. Pikes and 282. Harquebusiers and for the forlorne hope there would be 358. Pikes and 1116. Harquebusiers The ouer plus is for the places of Chiefs Members Officers and others as is a foresaid Touching the manner that I woulde obserue to range one of these Legions in battaile shal be shewed after the speaking of certaine small perticular things and after that I haue ranged one of these Legions in battell which I will order after the auncient manner which being deuided as I haue shewed before shoulde consist of 3600. ordinarie Pikes heerein comprehended the 240. Pikes which shoulde arme the flankes of the Halbards and 600. Halbards all which serue for the body of the Batailon Now for the flanks there should be 420. Pikemen and 420 Harquebusiers and besides these ten Corporalls to gouerne them As for the forlorne hope there shoulde bee 680. Harquebusiers and 170. Pikemen all which doe amount vnto 5900. men the rest are Chiefs Members and Officers of the whole Legion who are not comprehēded in this nomber And if so bee the saide number of Harquebusiers should bee thought to bee too little they may be augmented and certaine bands made a parte
one manner of sounding in the field whether it be to sounde an allarme or to make a Crye to put themselues in battell for to marche forward or backward for to turne toward any part and for a retreate and in some to signifie all those other points with other Drums which by the sound of one Drum alone cannot so well be made knowne as by manye who make themselues to be heard in the greatest tumult and preases that may be The Souldiers likewise ought to be so attentife to listen vnto that which they are commaunded that they should neuer faile The Drums ought also to bee readye to sounde according vnto the sound of the Colonel his Trumpet by whome they must gouerne themselues in all that they do The Colonel his Trumpeter ought to be expert in all his soundings to handle them so clearly that one thing be not mistaken for an other but to expresse the Collonel his commaundement as he ought to do and to be alwayes attendant vpon him and not to be from his hand And to tell you the reasons that make me to ordaine a Trumpet amongst footmen is that it might bee better vnderstoode in a great noyse then the Drums or that when as the Drums should alter their stroke they might gouerne themselues by the sound of the Trumpet whose sounde is much lowder then the Drums which the Switzers knowing who are the inuenters of the Drums do vse Trumpets before their Bataillons wherby their Chefes do signifie what the Batailon ought to doe and it is not long since that they vsed great Hornes All these small things ought to be shewed vnto euery band a part before that the Legion should be assembled together to the intent that they might know to keepe their order and ranks that no force whatsoeuer might disorder them and that the sound of the Trumpet might be so familiar vnto them that they should not erre nor take one thing for another but afterwards might easilie learne all that the Bataillon ought to doe when they are assembled to-together And forasmuch as we put an armie into battell eyther for that we see our enemies or for that we doubt them not seeing them euery bande ought to be practised and instructed in such sort that it might marche vpon the waye surely and fyght if need require and euery Souldier to be taught what he ought to do if they should be assaulted vpon a sudden And when you do instruct them in the manner that they ought to keepe to resist their enemies vpon a day of Battell it shal be necessary to shew them how a battell dooth begim and after what maner one Batalilon dooth encounter another of the enemies and vnto what place they must retire being repulsed and who they are that should put themselues in their places vnto what signes sounds and cryes they ought to obey and what they should doe when they heare those soundes and cryes and see those signes and to accustome them so well with those fained battailes and assaults that afterwards they should not onely dare to abyde an enemie but desire the battaile which bouldnesse will rather proceede of the good order and raunging that they doe finde to be in themselues then of their owne proper hardines and specially because their battailes shal be ranged that the one may succour the other easilie which is a thing of no small importance to imboulden Souldiors For that if I be of the first battell that fighteth and know vnto what place to retire when I am repulsed and who it is that should come in my place I shall alwaies fight with a better courage seeing my succour neare then whē I see them not or knowe not of them Likewise if I be of the second battell although the first be repulsed and that I see them to giue backe that shall nothing dismaye me because I know before what that geuing backe doth signifie but shall be more desirous that it might be so to the intent to be of that number that should winne the victorye and that the first should not haue all the honour alone These exercises heere spoken of are necessarye both for our new men and for those that are practised also for we finde that although the Romanes knew all that they ought to doe in a perticular bande and also in an armie and learned all those pointes in their youthe notwithstanding they were practised aswell in time of peace as when their enemies were at hand Iosephus saythe in his Historie that the continuall exercise of the Romanes armie was cause that the multitude of those that did follow the Campe did serue vpon a day of battell aswell as the men of war for that they did know aswell as the others to keepe their rankes and to fight well But for an hoast of new mē whether it be you leauie them to haue present seruice of them or to haue seruice of them heereafter it would be worth nothing without these exercises wherfore sithe that order is so necessary a thing it must be shewed vnto them with double industrie and diligence that vnderstand it not and maintained in them that doe know it as we finde that many excellent Captaines haue taken paines to teach maintaine this discipline But this matter hath brought me somwhat out of the way for that I doe speake of the practising of the whole armie before I haue declared how to exercise the bands particularly but it is the affection that I beare vnto this matter that is the cause wherefore I will returne vnto my first purpose How to raung one band in battaile and the order that it ought to keepe in trauailing through the countrie and the manner how to lodge it in a campe in his quarter a part and a Legion together The 7. Chapter THe first thing of importance in the exercising of these bands is to teache them to keepe their rankes well wherefore they must be first raunged in single order that is three and three together or fiue and fiue or eyght and eyght as it will best fall out with-out respect of the number wheather it bee euen or od for that dooth nothing in this matter but is an obseruation with-out any grounde and Vegetius him selfe can giue no good reason for it but custome I haue sayd before that euery one of the ten bands that shal be appointed for the bodie of the Battailion of euery one of the newe Legions which I doe ordaine for I leaue a side the Legions heretofore leuied shall haue 510. men not coumpting the Captains which 510. ought to be brought into 102. ranks that is fiue men in euery ranke and afterward their ranks augmented either marching slowly or in hast as of two rankes of fiue to make one of ten and of two of 10. to make one of 20. and soddainly to reduce them out of this ranke into their first single order and to aduertise them that the second should alwaies follow the first not
leesing them and the third the second and the others likewise following vntil the last This done you may order euerie one of these bands in that order that they must be ranged in when al the Legion is in one Battailion together And for to doe this the Pikes for the flankes shal be taken out of their order shal be put one the one side and two Corporalls of ordinary Pikes shall make the head the one Corporall and his people first and the other Corporall and his people afterward and the Corporall of the Halbardiers shall followe them with the Ensigne in the midst of the Halberds The other two Corporalls of ordinarie Pikes shall make the taile eache one with his men and they shal be rancked fiue and fiue and euerie Corporall must be shewed what place he must keepe at al times and the Corporalls must afterwards shew the Chiefes of squadrons and the cheifes of squadrons their Deceners The Captaine must be at the head of the band and the Lieutenant at the taile The Sergeant hath no place of abiding except the Captaine doe giue him one but must trot vp and downe from place to place to make the ranks to keepe good order and to commaund that the Captaine willeth to be done The Clarke of the band shal be there also out of ranke to take view of those that wante that they might be punished afterward according vnto the lawes that the Colonell shall make for that purpose The second ranke shall enter with in the first the fourth within the third the sixt within the fifte and the other afterward following so that the 85. ranks which the fiue Corporalls with their Chiefs of Squadrons comprised doe come vnto 42. rankes in euery one of which ranks are 10. men besides their Corporals which are ranged before their people These 42. rankes shal be againe redoubled in making the on ranke to enter within the other as is a foresaid then wheras they were before but 10. mē they shal now be 20. with euery one of which ranks their Chief of squadrons shall range themselues in the midst so that he shall haue ten men vpon his right side and ten vpon his left which is a iust squadron Euerie Corporall shall place himselfe before his fower squadrons so that the Souldiers of this one band shall make 20. rankes euerie one of which rankes shall haue 21. men The first 8. rankes and the last shal be all Pikemen and the fower in the midst shal be all Halbardiers Or otherwise all the souldiers of one Squadron might followe one another and to make so many Squadrons as you intend to make rankes For my meaning is that euerie Squadron shoulde make but one ranke So that if they be ranked fiue and fiue and that you would range the 20. Squadrons in battaile the Squadrons must be brought vp the one by the side of the other vntill that they be all ranked the one nether before nor behinde the other The first of euerie ranke shal be the Chiefes of the Squadron and the second one of the two Diceneres and after him all his Dicenere The other Dicenere shal be in the last ranke and he shall serue for the guide behinde His Souldiers shal be ioyned vnto his companions in such order that the last of the one and the last of the other shall make the two middle rankes And as I did before place Halbardes in the midst so I pretend heere also to haue as many and these shal be the last of euerie Dicenere that shall cary Halbards and so there shal be no expresse Squadrons of Halbards By this reckoning there shal be in this little Batailon 21. rankes of 20. men in front euerie one of the Corporalls shall place himself before his Souldiers And whether the first maner be better then this or no allwaies it is euident that the Souldiers should be practised in such sort that they might know how to range themselues in battaile and must be made to martch hastely forward and backwarde and to passe through troublesome passiages not loosing or breaking their order and if they can doe this they deserue to bee called practised Souldiers although that they neuer sawe enemies and on the contrary parte those that cannot keepe these orders although they had bin in a thousand warres ought to bee called but new souldiers It is also a hard matter for men to put themselues suddainly into their first order after that they are once broken either through ill passages or by their enemies except they haue had great exercise and long custome But to helpe them it weare necessarie to haue two things done the one is that the Ensignes might bee easely knowne and that the Chiefes Members and officers should haue some cognissance vpon their armes or their garments and the other is that euery bande shoulde bee ranged in the Battaillion in one accustomed place and not chaunge at any time and that the Corporalls should know their places with their troups not altering at any time so that if a Corporall were accustomed to bee in the first ranke hee shoulde allwaies continew there in the place appoynted them at the beginning And if a band bee accustomed to be on the right side it shoulde there continew and that on the left side likewise in his place By this meanes if the Souldiers weare accostomed to knowe their places put case that they should be out of order they would quickly bring themselues in againe for the Ensigns knowing their accustomed places in the Battaillion the Corporalls knowing euerie one their place might soone see where they ought to range for those of the frunt would retyre vnto the frunt and those of the taile vnto their places also Moreouer the Chiefes of Squadrons doe knowe into how many rankes they should range themselues and aswell they as the Corporals doe knowe who shoulde goe before and who should followe Wherefore the Souldiers hauing nothing to doe but to follow their Chiefes woulde range themselues readily euery one in his place without Sergeant or any other to place them for that the custome would make them perfect Thse thinges heare spoken of doe teache themselues so that there be diligence vsed and custome and after that they are once well learned they will be hardly forgotten It shal be also necessarie to make them to turne all at once for somtime the head must be made the tayle or one of the flanks according vnto the enimie his force and the place he will assault them on and for to answer on that side that shall be necessarie there needes no more but to turne their faces and that part that they turne toward shall be called the front But who so would that a whole Bataillon should turne all together as if it were a massie body must haue therein great practise and discretion for as if they should turne toward the left hand those of the left corner should stand still and those next
them must go but slowly that those in the right corner should not be constrained to run or els all would come to a confusion but this may better be shewed by effect then by writing As for the two bands that should make the forlorne hope their Pikemen may be ranged in battell to learne them to keepe order for I would vse them and those of the flankes in particular factions to wit in skirmishes and other extraordinary seruice where it should not be needfull to send any great number of people but principally I will haue those of the flanks to defend and couer the Bataillon and as for the forlorne hope I appoint them both Pikes and Harquebusiers to begin the Battell and to fight amongst the Horssemen without keeping any order And to that intent I haue armed them lightlye for their office shall be to fight not standing firme but running from one place to another be it that they haue the enimie in chase or are chased themselues wherein the Pikes may doe great seruice for they may reskue the Harquebusiers and may shew their faces vnto those that would force them whether they were on Horsebacke or a foote or to follow those that should flye and to force those that shrinke So that as well the one as the other whether they be of the body of the Bataillon or of the flanks or of the forlorne hope haue need to be well exercised to the intent that they might knowe how to keepe their ranks and to put themselues readilye againe into their places if they were broken by meanes of ill and straight passage or that the enemy should put them into any disorder and if they can doo this in their particular bands euery band wil afterwards easily learne what place it ought to keepe in the Bataillon and also what they ought to do in a Campe. As for the bands of these legions that are already made in France which are of a 1000 men to bring them into order fyrst make their single order of 6 and 6 and afterwards reduce the six Corporals men which are for the bodie of the Batailon into 96 rankes not comprehending the Corporals nor the Chiefes of Squadrons then double them and make them of 12 in a ranke causing the one ranke to enter within the other as is abouesaid so that the 96 rankes shall come vnto 48. Moreouer they must be doubled againe and from 12 in a ranke they will amount vnto 24. and the Cheife of the Squadron shall ioyne with them so that euery ranke will be 25 men The Corporals shall put themselues before their Squadrons euery man before his owne two Corporals of Pikemen shall make the forepart of this small Battailon and two Corporals of Halbardiers shall make the middest and hee that is formost of them shall make one ranke of Halbardiers and then two ranks of Pikes and after them one ranke of Halbardiers The other corporall that is behind him shall also make one ranke of Halbardiers then 2. rankes of Pikes after them one ranke of Halbardiers by which accoumpt there shall be 2. rankes of Halbardiers together in the middest the Ensigne in the midst of them The other two Corporals shall make the taile of this Batailon and each of their troopes shall make foure rankes Touching the other foure Corporals that remaine one must be appointed for the flanke and the other three for the forlorne hope And this is the forme that I would keepe in ranging one of the bands of these Legions by it selfe wherein the Souldiers must be often practised And if the King would permit that these orders should be diligently executed and put in practise he should haue many good Souldiers in his kingdome in short time but the disorder that is amongst our men of warre at this present is cause that these things are dispraised and therfore our armies can not be good albeit that the Chiefes were naturally vertuous for that they being ill followed and obeyed can neither shewe their knowledge nor their vertue It may bee also that the number of Chiefes which I doe ordaine in a Legion shoulde seeme superfluous or might make a confusion amongst themselues because of the number which I doe institute which thing would be to be doubted except they should referre themselues wholly vnto one Chiefe but hauing one principall Cheife aboue them all the great nomber of officers wil cause good order for if there should not be a great number of Cheifes it would be impossible to gouerne so great a multitude of people for as a wall that ouer hangeth doth require rather to be vpholden with many shoores although they bee not very strong then with a fewe of greate strength for that one alone how strong soeuer it bee cannot assure the wall but onely where it standeth so likewise must it be in a Legion for it is necessarie that among euery ten men there should be one of more courage or at least of greater authoritie then the rest to keepe the other Souldiers firme and in order to fight through their good courage examples words and authoritie specially the Deceniers are necessarie if they did but serue to keepe the rankes right and firme and in so doeing it were impossible that the Souldiers shoulde disorder themselues and if so bee that they shoulde bee so far put out of order that they coulde not immediatly finde their places by meanes of these Chiefes who shoulde haue regard therevnto being by them the Chiefes of the Squadrons are to commaunde the Deceniers and the Corporalls are aboue them who looke into al things that doeth concerne the duety of the Souldiers and theirs But at this day wee serue our selues with all these officers to no other effect but to giue them more wages then vnto other men for that they haue credit to bring certaine compagnions vnto the bands which is cause of many Leagues amongst Souldiers We vse likewise Ensignes at this present more to make a great shew then for any militarie vse our auncetours did vse them for guides and to knowe how to bring themselues into order by them for euerie man after the Ensigne was placed knew his place by it and placed himselfe incontinent they knew also that if it mooued or stayed they ought to mooue or to stay Wherefore it is necessarie that in an hoast there should bee many bodies that is to say bands and that euerie body should haue an Ensigne to conduct those that are of the same body and so the hoast shall haue many soules and by consequent many liues The Souldiers ought then to gouerne themselues by their Ensignes and the Ensignes by the sound of the Drume which being well ordered as it ought to be doth commaund a whole Legion which Legion marching in such sort that the steppes of the Souldiers do agree with the stroke of the Drumme shall easily keepe their order And for this purpose had the auncient Souldiers Flutes Phiphes perfectly agreeing
thus I would fortifie the Horsemens quarter that they might rest the safer and be the surer from theeues that might steale away their horses as we see often done when that footemen may come amongst horsemen The space comprised within this smale trenche and betwixt the fower streets deuided into fower smale quarters euerie one of which conteyneth 100. pases square shall bee to lodge the horsemen in to wit the men of armes in those two places that are betwixt the Easte and South streete and betwixt the Northe and West streetes The space which is betwixt the East and North streete shall be to lodge the light horsemen and betwixt the Southe and West streetes shall the Hargoletiers Harquebusiers lodge In the Captaine his quarter shall the Marshall Harbengers and Trumpes bee lodged and the two conductors shall lodge in the quarters of the Hargoletiers Harquebusiers The Guidō shal lie amongst the light horsemen and the Ensignes shall lodge in one of the quarters of the men of armes and the Lieutenant in the other concerning the deuision of the fower quarters it shall be after this manner that is euery one shal be deuided into fiue partes eache of which partes shall contayne 100. pases in length and 16. in breadth and betwixt euerie two of this places there shall be a streate left of 5. paces in breadth eache one of these places shall haue roomth inough to lodge 100. horse and more Moreouer there may be raysed ten great tents along the same if the men of armes will euerie man haue his tente as for the other they shall lodge two and two together The places which are in the men of armes quarter wil euerie one easely receiue a whole Decury of men of armes and in the places in the other two quarters may lodge two Decuries of light horsmen Halgolbetiers and Harquebusiers at ease How it is necessary to deuide euery Batailon into three Battiles the one seperated from the other The .9 Chapter SIth the Legion is assembled and lodged we must proceed vnto the practising of the bands together aswell the footmen as the horsemen to the intent to haue seruice of them against our enemies which is the intent for which this discipline is ordained for whose well ordering we take all these paines To speake that I thinke we must vnderstand that the greatest disorder that those that frame a Batailon can make is that they haue no other regard but to make a good head wherein they place the Captaines and all the most valiantest men and the best armed of their bands making no reckoning of the backs flankes nor ranks in the midst as if the first rankes were all the hope of the victorie and that the other serued but to make number For by this meanes they make all the hazard of the Battaile subiect vnto two or three rankes as if they were immortall or sufficient of themselues to resist an enemie without the helpe of those that are behinde them which is directly contrarie vnto the order that the ancient men of war did vse for they ordered their men so that one ranke might be receaued within another and one Batailon within another and so to fight resolutely vntill the verie last man For without this maner it is not possible to succour the first rankes or to defend them nor likewise to retire them within the other rankes to come to the fight in their places With which maner of combat the Romanes helped themselues oftentimes and for this purpose they deuided their Legions into three sorts of people which were called Hastaries Princes and Triaries The Hastaries made the front or first battaile and their rankes were furnished thicke with men The Princes made the second battaile and their rankes were opener then the first And the Triaries who made the third and last battaile had their men ranged so wide that at a neede they could receiue the two first battailes Moreouer their Velites who were light armed did the same seruice that our Harquebusiers do at this present and were placed vpon the wings betwixt the Batailon and the Horssemen and they began the battell And if it were so that they ouercame their enemies they followed the victorie and if they were driuen backe they retired vnto the flankes of the Battailon After whose retreat the Hastaries came to fight with their enemies if they felt themselues to weake to resist their enemies they retired by little and little betwixt the open rankes of the Princes and renued the battaile with them and if they were then too weake they both retyred vnto the Triaries with whome they began the combat againe And if these three sorts were ouerthrowne there was then no remedye to helpe them Me thinkes that this manner of releeuing three times is inuincible because that fortune must thrise abandon you and moreouer your enemie must of necessitie fight and vanquish you thrice The Greeks vsed not this maner of relieueng with their Phalanges for although they had manye rankes and many Chiefes in their rankes notwithstanding there was made but one onely head and one onely body of them all And the maner which they vsed to succour one another was not to retyre one ranke within another as the Romanes did but that one Souldier should enter into anothers place which they did after this maner The Phalange was ranged by rankes as our Batailons are but it was not so confusedly as ours are for euery band did know his place The Decuries that is the Deceins or Squadrons were so ranged that the Souldiers followed one another in rowes and not in fronte as we place ours The first man of euery row was called the Doien or Decurion but I will terme him the Dicenier and the last man was called the Guide behind The second man of euery rowe was called Substes he that followed him was called Prestes and so throughout they were Substes Prestes vntill the sayde Guide which was the last mā Of these rowes they had so many that one Phalange had 256. men in fronte or more and 64. rankes in length True it is that they were distributed vnto foure Colonels but they marched all in front with a little distance betwixt them Let vs suppose that euerye ranke hath 256 men and let vs say that they come to ioyne battaile with their enemies If it happened that either in going or fighting that anye one of them was slaine or ouerthrowne he that before I haue termed Substes put himselfe presently into the first mans place so that by that meanes the Souldiers of the first ranke were alwayes their full number And to fill the second ranke they of the third ranke which were called Prestes put forward themselues into their emptied places and those of the fourth ranke did furnish the third and so following so that the last rankes did furnish the first in such sort that the first rankes were alwaies entier And there was no place left emptie but
band being so ranged the second shall march as far forwarde as the first and place it selfe vpon the right hand of it and shall occupie as great a space in breadth and length as it doeth Their rankes shall bee straight in the flankes one by another and the two bands thus ranged together shall make 42. in fronte and their order shall bee all one they must haue a space left betwixt them of 5. paces broade The thirde band shall bee brought forward vpon the left side of the first bande and shall bee ranged like vnto the other two and not otherwise and betwixt it and the first shall also a space be left of 5. paces broade The fourth band shall bee brought forward vppon the right side of the second and shall bee ranged in rankes and spaces like vnto the others and shall alwaies make the right corner The fyft shall bee brought forwarde vppon the left side of the third bande and shall bee ranged as the others and shall alwaies make the left corner These fiue bands thus ordered doe make 105. men in front and doe occupie in breadth 230 paces and 60. in length at the taile of these bands we must range the sixt seauenth and eight band right behinde the other fiue and distant from them 25. pases and in such sorte that these three bands must occupie as greate a breadth in front as the other fiue and therefore the men must be ranged much opener thē those in the first fiue The sixt band shall bee in the midst the seauenth vppon the right side of it and the eyght vppon the left which three bands doe make 63. in fronte and the space which they occupie in length is 90. paces At the backs of these three bands shall the ninth and tenth band be placed right behinde them and distant from them 25. paces The ninth shal be on the right side and the tenth on the left and they shall occupie as much breadth as the first fiue True it is that the rankes of these two bands shall bee opener then those of the second battaile are but it is necessarie that they shoulde bee so for the reason that I will shewe you by and by Their order shal be like vnto the other bands but that the distaunce of the rankes of these two bands shall be more then the distance of the rankes of the others for whereas the rankes of the second battaile doth occupie but 90. paces frō the first ranke vnto the last these shall occupie 120. paces wherefore al the 10. bands together will occupie 230. paces in breadth and 320. from the fyrst ranke of the Batailon vntill the last Moreouer I would that these three battailes should haue certaine expresse names for the Romanes did so distinguish theirs naming as I haue said before the Souldiers of the fyrst battaile Hastaries those of the second Princes and those of the thirde Triaries For to arme the flankes fyrst for the right flanke I would take the Pikemen of the fyrst second fourth seuenth and ninth band and would range them alongst the Batailon two and two so that the flanke should represent as great a number of men as the front doeth The Harquebusiers of the fiue bands aforesaide shall also bee ranged two and two together alongst the flanke of these pikes fyue or six paces distant from them The Pikemen of the third fyft sixt eyght and tenth bande shall be on the left side and shal be ranged like vnto those vpon the right side and the Harquebusiers like vnto the other The Corporals of both flankes shal be by themselues before their men The two bands of the forelorne hope shal be the one vpon the one flanke and the other vpon the other The Harquebusiers shal be ranged in 16 rankes and their Pikes in 4 euerie one of which ranke shall haue 21 men their Ensigne shal be in the midst of their Pikes The one companie of 100. men of armes shall bee vppon the one flanke and the other vppon the other flanke and shall bee like vnto two wings As for the light Horsemen they shall be ranged before the men of armes or at their sides who so would in such sorte that they both to gether might make one fronte or if you would range them both by two Decuries and two Decuries you may doe it The Hargoletiers shall be before them and the Harquebusiers a horsebacke formost the Captaines shall bee before the men of armes the Lieutenants before the light horsemen the Conductors before the Hargoleteires and the Harquebusiers either of them before his charge The Colonel shall place himselfe in the voide place betwixt the Hastaries and the Princes or at the head of the Batailon at one of the corners betwixt the fourth bande and the Pikes vpon the right flanke or betwixt the fyft bande and the Pikes vpon the left flanke as it shall seeme best I would that he should haue with him in his Squadron the Sergant Maior and some chosen men that knewe wiselye to execute a commission of importance His Trumpet and Drum Maior shall be alwayes by him to sound and to signifie his commaundement speedilye When the Battailon shall be thus ordered the Colonell shall commaund his Trumpet to sound that his men should marche easilye and in a while after shall sounde to make them to goe faster and afterward shall sound the combate The Hastaries must not be forgotten to be taught how they should retire themselues within the Princes nor how both these Battailes of Hastaries and Princes should retyre vnto the Triaries which must be doone without disordering or breaking themselues The Pikes vpon the flankes ought to retire as the Battailes doe retire to wit the firste ranke into the seconde the thirde ranke into the fourth and the fift into the sixt and the others consequentlye The forlorne hope and the Horssemen shall doe so likewise This doone a retreat shall be sounded and euerye bande shall fall of a part and put their men into single order to reenter the Campe as they came out And if it should séeme better to range the Princes and Triaries in one front they might be so aswell as the Hastaries for then there néede no more to be doone but to make the ninth and the tenth bande to put themselues betwixt the second and third band in whole bands and that the sayd Princes and Triaries should keepe the same order that the fiue bands of Hastaries doe keepe and occupie as much ground in breadth and length as the sayd Hastaries doe occupie or otherwise foure bands of the Hastaries might make the front and the fyft might be placed in the middle Battailon with one bande of Princes and both these bandes might range themselues in ten rankes 42. men in euery ranke and the seuenth and eyght band of the sayde Princes might bee ranged with the Triaries and so there should be aswell foure bandes behinde as foure before and two in the middest all ranged
lyke vnto the Hastaries or these two bandes may bee behinde occupyeng the place of the Triaries according vnto Polibius his order who would that the Triaries should bee alwayes the one halfe lesser then the Princes or Hastaries so that in eache of the other Battailes there should bee foure bandes and in this but two prouided that whereas these two bands before made 20. rankes they should then make but 10 to the intent that their frontes should stretch as wide as the frontes of the other Battailes Wee might also range one of these Legions in forme of a Phalange but to make it iust square as the order of the sayde Phalange requireth wee must alter a great part of the order of these Legions for to doe it so that there should be no difference But as concerning one of those Legions that I haue framed heere before I haue shewed the order that I would obserue in ranging one of them in Battaile or manie notwithstanding if I should range one of those Legions which the King hath ordeined in Fraunce I would proceed after another maner if so bee that the manner of Hastaries Princes and Triaries before spoken of were disliked for in this case I would make but two Battailes in the first I would place three bands and their Ensignes and in the last three bandes and their Ensignes and this I would doe according vnto the manner that I haue spoken of in the seauenth Chapter where I haue shewed howe to range one of these bandes alone so that the three bandes should make 75. men in front which bandes with the two spaces of 5 paces broade left betwixt euery one of them will occupie 160. paces in breadth and the 24. rankes will occupie 70. paces in length I would place the other three bandes behinde them in the selfe-same order that they are in but as they should make the force behinde and stand euen in ranke with the first so I would haue a distance of 20. paces broad betwixt them and the first by this meanes the length of the Battailon might be 160. paces The extraordinarie Pikes of three bands should serue for the one flanke and these of the other three for the other ranged two and two together and the Harquebusiers for the flankes a little distant from them The forelorne hope shall march before vppon the winges and the horsemen shall keepe the same place that they kepe in the Legions aboue saide and the Colonell shall be at one of the corners betwixt the bands and the Pikemen in the flanke or else where it might bee thought most expedent And although that this forme might seeme to be very good yet is it so that the manner before spoken of is much more sure because of the meanes that it hath to relieue it selfe three times and to fight thrice which this Legion here last ranged cannot doe for if it fought well once it woulde bee all notwithstanding it might bee taught through long exercise how the one ranke might fight after the other which to do it should be necessarie to teache the first ranke to retire within the second and so the others vnto the verie last man not putting any men out of his place which may be easilie done so that those which should make place for them to passe do put themselues a little aside immediatly come into their places againe The like must bee done when the second shoulde retire and the other also so that this manner might bee obserued I woulde much esteeme of this last manner And at the vttermost which soeuer of these manners you range them in it may serue so that the Souldiers be often practised therein But to repeat my sayings from the fyrst vnto the last the Legion which I haue framed after the auncient manner should be exercised in diuerse exercises euerie day as long as it contineweth together and by this meanes the Colonell should finde the diligence and negligence of the Captaines in the practising of their Souldiers to the intent to praise or blame them in the presence of al men according vnto their desarts the souldiers shall learne also to range themselues together vnto whome shall be shewed all the exercises that they ought to do in general being before accustomed vnto their perticular exercises And for their better instruction it should be necessarie that the Legion should assemble twice a yeare at the least and that the bands should excercise thēselues perticularly euerie moneth or oftener if it were possible and the Souldiers by themselues euerie holie day with their Deceniers Chiefes of squadrons and Corporals The Colonell ought to exhort them vnto this and vnto all other vertuous exercises both publikly and priuately and afterward to giue them leaue to tourne vnto their owne houses which retourning shall bee in euerie poynte like vnto their going to the muster keeping the same manner of matching lodging and well lyieng that is spoken of Which ought to be obserued as often as the Kings doeth leuie a Legion for his warres I haue caused in this place the forme to bee shewed that one of these Legions abouesaide shall haue being ranged in battaile Here must the figure be placed which doeth shewe the forme that a Legion shall haue being ranged in battaile This figure must be placed after the page 80. A The flankes to wit Harquebusiers ranged two and two together and Pikes likewise ranged two and two together B The Forlorne hope ranged in 16 ranks of Harquebusiers 21 mē in euerie ranke and 4. rankes of Pikes C Men of armes vnder their Ensigne and light Horsmen vnder their Guidon D Hargoletiers E Harquebusiers on Horsebacke How from poynt to poynt to raunge foure Legions in battayle wherein the Author doth giue the best order that may be obserued The 11. Chapter SIth we haue instructed the Legions seuerally it followeth that we should now speake of the manner of raunging of one whole Battaile together And for to do this it were necessary in this passage to declare amply after what manner the Greekes and the Romanes ordered their Battailes but sith that their manner may be found and considered of by euery man in the auncient Authors that do write thereof I will leaue many perticulars of their fashions and will speake only of the most necessaryest and of that which we ought to borrow of them to giue some little perfection vnto the Militarie Discipline of our time This doing I will shew all vnder one how an Army must be ordered vpon a day of Battaile and in what order one Hoast doth approach and assayle another being their enemyes and the manner how to exercise them in fayned Battailes We must vnderstand that in an ordinary Hoast of the Romanes which they called Consularis there were but two Legions of the Citizens of Rome which were in number 600. horssemen and 10000. footemen besides they had as many of their assistants as of their owne who were deuided into two parts the
the Battailon they should first be Pikemen or Halbardiers amongst the Hastaries which is the third place the fourth are the Princes the fift Triaries the sixt to be Decenier the seauenth to be chiefe of Squadron the eight to be Corporall the ninth to be Ensigne-bearer whether it were of the Batailon or of the Forlorne hope the tenth Lieutenant the eleuenth Captaine the twelfth Colonell And for the Horssemen the first point is to be Harquebusiers the second Hargoletiers the third light horssemen the fourth a man of Armes the fift a Decurion of Harquebusiers the sixt a Decurion of Hargoletiers the 7. a Decurion of light horsemen the eight a Decurion of men of armes or conductors of hargoletiers or Harquebusiers the ninth Guydon the tenth Ensigne the eleuenth Lieutenant and the twelfth Captaine Concerning the other places as Harbingers Sergeants of Bands Sergeants Maiors Marshals of Legions Maisters of Campe or Prouost for it is all one and others theirs are offices but not degrées whereby a man ought to attaine vnto the estates of the two Soueraignes except the King did appoint it to be so who may alter and change all orders As concerning the officers that ought to be in an Hoast besides these that I haue héere spoken of there must be first of all some wise man who should execute the office of Chauncellor or Councellor as you will tearme him and a maister of the Ordinance a Threasorer and a Marshall of the Campe we might appoint also a Prouost generall Now to appoint vnto euery one of these principall Chiefe their places the army being ready for the Combate and likewise vnto the other officers heere aboue named we must say that the Lieutenant Generall ought to be vpon the right side betwixt the footemen and the horssemen for that is the fittest place to gouerne an army The Kings Lieutenant Generall may haue in his company a 100. or 200. chosen men some a horssebacke and some a foote of which number there shall be some sufficient to execute a charge of importance he himselfe must be a horssebacke and so armed that he might helpe himselfe both a horssebacke and a foote according vnto the occasion that might be giuen His Cornet must be by him which is the Ensigne of those that are Chiefes of Armyes and the Kings Trompet generally after whose sound all the Trompets of the army must gouerne themselues and the souldyers likewise The Lieutenant generall of the army ought then to be vpon the right side for it is the fittest place to giue order vnto all parts of the battaile and to ouer-looke them with least trouble except the scituation of the place were fitter vpon the other side but I suppose that this Hoast is raunged in some faire plaine The Captaine generall of the footemen shall be at the head of that space that is left betwixt the two middle Legions to gouerne all the foure Legions and to remedy the accidents that may happen and therefore he shall haue about him certaine extraordinary footemen or may vse certaine Pikemen and harquebusiers of the flanks if he will specially those of the flanks betwixt the two middle Legions for it will be long before that they should be assayled there The Captaine Generall of the horssemen shall be vpon the left side to gouerne there as the Lieutenant Generall doth gouerne the right side and may haue about him certaine footemen Pikes and Harquebusiers which he shall take from the Forlorne hope and shall cause them to fight amongst the horssemen without kéeping order The Ordnance ought to be placed at the front of the Army except the ground were such that it might be placed vpon the flanks or else-where in some sure place where the enemyes might not easily come to it The maister of the Ordnance ought to be with his charge and his Officers and Gunners with him a good number of the chiefe Officers ought to be about the King his Lieutenant Generall and the rest behinde the Battailes to haue a regard vnto that might happen there As for the Baggage it should be placed in some place either strong by nature or by arte and the seruaunts of the Hoast may kéepe it and for this purpose I required that they should be chosen to be such as might serue for souldyers at a néede And an Hoast ranged after this manner héere spoken of might in fight do asmutch as the Greekes Phalanges or as the Romane Legions might do because that there are Pikemen in the front and vpon the sides and moreouer the Souldyers are ranged in sutch sort that if the first ranke should be slaine or beaten downe in fight then those that are in the second might presently supply theyr places and fill theyr ranks according vnto the vse of the Phalanges On the other part if the first ranks of Hastaries were so violently charged that they should be enforced to breake they might then retire vnto the Princes which are at their backs and range themselues anew betwixt their ranks who are not so thicke placed as the Hastaries for they are two bands lesse then they Moreouer there is a greater distance from the first ranke of the Princes vnto the last then the said Hastaries do occupie in their order and therefore they may fight anew and shew their faces being ranged with the Princes And when as this would not serue the turne they might retyre the second time as they did the first and enter betwixt the Triaries and fight the third time so that this manner of relieuing furnishing of the places of those that are striken downe is both according vnto the Greekes and Romanes manner Furthermore it were not possible to frame a more stronger forme of Battaile then this because that all the sides of the Battailes are most excelently well furnished with Chiefes and good armes so that they can not be assayled at any part that is not strong and well gouerned héerewith considered that the enemyes are verie seldome so great a number as they might assayle those with whome they should haue to do alike vpon all partes And if it were so that they were strong ynough to do it I would neuer counsaile the weaker to offer the Battaile nor to accept it nor to goe out of his Fort into an open Countrey But if the enemy were so strong that he had three times as mutch people as you and as good Souldyers as yours and should assayle you in diuers places if you could repulse but the one part the others would do no great deede for who so should assayle hys enemyes vpon diuers sides must of necessitie weaken and diminish his Battayles and be constrained to range them so farre asunder that if one part should be repulsed hauing no body to succour it the other parts would be dismayed or at least would but weakely resist And as for the enemy his horsemen if they were stronger then you yet are you assured from them by meanes of the Pikes which
enuiron your Battayles vppon euery side for what side so euer should be assayled you haue Pikemen to defend the same moreouer the officers numbers Chiefes are distributed into sutch places that they may easily commaund their people obey their Captain generall The distances betwixt the ranks bands battailes do not only serue for to receiue one another but also to make place for those that come and goe to carry re-carry the commaunds of the Chiefes Furthermore I haue said that the Romanes had in foure of their Legions the number of 21000. footemen which were all the people that they commonly had in one of their armyes This Hoast which I frame heere hath 25000. not accompting the principall Chiefes and Officers who also haue some followers Finally they had horssemen so likewise mine haue a good number who are better armed and furnished then theirs were wherefore sith the battailes are raunged in all points readie to fight there resteth nothing but to set these people aworke I do require therefore that I may be héere permitted to giue battaile with these foure Legions against another great Hoast of Enemyes to the intent to shewe after what manner I would haue them to fight afterward I will giue a reason for that I cause them to do during the battaile which battaile I do fayne by imagination The Author sheweth by a fayned Battaile how an army of foure Legions raunged after the manner that he teacheth should vse their fight against their enemyes vpon a day of battaile The 12. Chapter WE do suppose that euery one doth sufficiently vnderstand the ordering of this Hoast and do imagine to sée it readie to begin battaile when so euer it shall be néedfull Or else let vs put case that our enemyes are come out of their Fort and our men also and that both the one and the other meane nothing else but to méere and are approched within Cannon shot Let vs also suppose that the said enemyes are raunged in very good forme of battaile and that they haue a great force of all sorts of people aswell footemē as horsemen besides good store of Ordnance And furthermore that the place wherein these 2. armies do attēd to enter into battaile is large and plaine so that the scituation cannot helpe the one to annoy the other The matter being in these termes and the two armies in sight there resteth no more but to giue fire vnto the péeces and to discharge them You may now see that the gunners do not sleepe on neither side and also heare how the cannon doth rore Let vs marke what murder it doth Haue you seene how little hurt our Ordnance hath done vnto the enemies at the first vollie Herevpon the King his Lieutenant Generall doth cause his Trumpet to sound to begin the battaile This done you see our Forlorne hope and our Harquebuziers of the flanckes do go forwards out of their places and our Harquebuziers on horsebacke and Hargoletiers likewise and they altogether assault their enemies without kéeping any ranke approaching them most furiously and with the greatest crye that they can make The enemies Ordnance hath passed ouer our footmens heads not hurting them and to hinder it for shooting the second time our Forlorne hope Harquebuziers on horsebacke and Hargoletiers do runne vpon it and do all their endeuour to winne it and the enemies to defend it so that neither their Ordnance nor ours may do any more seruice You see how our horsemen and footmen mingled one with another do fight valiantly and to good purpose succouring one another the practise which they haue had and the trust that they repose in the Battailons that are at their backes are causes of it which Battailons haue alreadie kist the ground and march orderly as you see a good pace with the horsemen at their wings euery ranke of men of armes being one hundred horse And the light horsemen who do make as many rankes as they are vpon the out-side of the men of armes and are one ranke after an other and do march all very close marke how our Ordnance is retired into the spaces that are left betwixt the Legions for to make place for our Battailes and to leaue them the way free Do you see how the King his Lieutenant Generall and the Captaine Generalls of the horsemen and footmen do go before the Battailons encouraging the Souldiers to do well and the Captaines also calling euery man by his name or by his office declaring vnto them the victorie to be in their hands so that they abide and resist the enemies charge without feare Do you marke how our Harquebuziers on horsebacke and our Hargoletiers do open themselues to make place for our battailes and how the Harquebuziers of the flanckes do returne into their places The Forlorne hope of the right side do returne vnto the right side and those of the left vnto the left and do retire without feare or flight although they haue the enimie at their héeles and a farre greater number then they are and how they do returne all at once to weet the Forlorne hope of two Legions together toward the one side and the Forlorne hope of the other two Legions together toward the other side to put themselues into a newe order the Pikemen by themselues and Harquebuziers by themselues which Pikemen of each two Legions do ranke themselues in eight rankes and euery ranke is a Squadron of 21. men for they are all of this number which is a sufficient number to represent a small Battailon But these two small Battailons are raunged as you may see behind the Triaries each of them right behind the space that is betwixt the two Legions the Harquebuziers do raunge themselues in troopes by them to defend them behind while the fronts do fight They do also remaine there for to bée imployed when as the Lieutenant Generall should haue occasion to vse them But whilest I appoynt our Forlorne hope their place at the tayle of our Legions I do see that the two armies are come together vnto the push of the Pike Marke how resolutely our Battailons do withstand the violence of the enemie and with what vertue and silence they do it The King his Lieutenant Generall commaundeth the men of armes stoutly to resist but not to assaile and that they should not seperate themselues from the footmen and therevpon commaundeth the light horsemen to assaile and after they haue executed their charge they should returne againe into their places On the other part I see that our Harquebuziers on horsebacke and the Hargoletiers and Harquebuziers of the right flancke are gone to charge certaine troopes of the enemies Harquebuziers who would charge our men vpon the flanck and I see that the enemies light horsemen haue succoured their men immediatly and that at this instant the horsemen on both sides are so intermingled that the Harquebuziers can do no seruice with their Harquebuzzes but are constrained to retire vnto
occasioned to make the Halberdiers of the Hastaries to fight but only the first eight rankes of pikes neither haue we béen inforced to retire the Hastaries within the Princes nor to make the Triaries to feele of the warres for the Hastaries haue béen strong enough of themselues to abide the enemie his forces and to ouercome them Wherefore there resteth no more to be spoken in this matter but to shewe the reasons that made me to raunge these Battailes in the manner aforesayd and what moued me to order the things that are happened in this Battaile as I haue ordred them which I will do aswell and as briefly as possiblie I may The Authour yeeldeth a reason for euery thing that was done both before the beginning of the battaile after The 13. Chapter TO giue a reason why I made our Ordnance to discharge but once and why I caused it immediatly to bee retired betwixt the Battailes and what hath béen the occasion that I haue made no mention of it since and likewise why I sayd that the enemies had shot too high for it should séeme that I had layd the Ordnance at mine own pleasure to make it to shoote high or lowe as I would my selfe As concerning the first poynt I say that all men ought to haue a more regard to defend themselues from the enemie his shot and that it is a thing of more importance then to offend them with theirs For if so be you would that your Ordnance should shoote more then once of force your enemies must haue as great leisure to discharge against your battailes as you haue to discharge against theirs which cannot be without the hassarding of your people vnto the daunger of the sayd Ordnance which may do you many great domages before you come to handie strokes Wherfore it is better that your Ordnance should cease his effect then that in vsing of it your enemies Ordnance should weaken you in killing your good Souldiers for you must take heed of the blowes that do come farre of being assured that through the good order that your men are in so that your rankes may aborde the enemie you shall easilie obtaine the victorie for that your people are better practised raunged and armed then your enemies are So that you ought to haue care of nothing so much as to bring your Souldiers to encounter with your enemies their rankes being whole And for to keepe you from being indomaged with your enemies Ordnance it would bee necessarie that you should bee in such a place whereas it might not offend you or behind a wall or a rampar for there is nothing else that might saue you Yet to bee well assured it were necessarie that they should bee very strong but forasmuch as Captaines that wil giue battailes may not be couered with walls and rampars nor likewise put themselues into places where Ordnance may hurt them it must be therefore of necessitie that sith they cannot finde a meane to wholly assure themselues that at the least they do finde some one meane which may saue them from being too much indomaged And the best remedie that I do see herein is that that I am about to tell you which is presently to seeke to hinder the vse of the sayd Ordnance by assayling it speedilie without keeping order not slowlie or in troope for by meanes of the diligence that you vse herein you shall giue them no leisure to double their shot And for that your men are scattered it shall hit the fewer when it doth shoot and you knowe that a band being in order may not do this because that if it should march in so great hast as it were necessarie it should do it is certaine that the rankes would put themselues into disorder And if so be that the said band should be spred wide the enemie might breake it easilie because the rankes are broken of themselues without vsing any other force vnto them To withstand which perill I haue ordred this armie after that manner that it may do both without danger to wéete the Forlorne hope the Harquebuziers of the flancks who with the Hargoletiers and Harquebuziers on horseback are appoynted expressely for to charge vpon the enemies Ordnance and to hinder the vse of it which cannot be done if that the Ordnance should shoot alwaies for the reasons that I haue aboue alleadged which is that you cannot haue that leisure your selfe and take it away from others It followeth then that to make the Ordnance to bee of no value there is no other remedie but to assault it speedilie And if you can enforce the enemies to abandon it then you may vse it your selfe and although they would hinder you from the vsing of it yet they must leaue it behind them so that being inioyed by you or troubled by them it shall remaine vnseruiceable I conclude then that if you will defend your battailes from the Ordnance you haue no other remedie but to surprise it with the greatest speede that may bee possible As concerning that poynt that it might seeme that I had guided the enemies Ordnance at my pleasure making the shot to flye ouer our footmen I aunswere that great Ordnance doth oftner misse footmen then touch them for that the sayd footmen are so lowe and the Ordnance is so troublesome to bee vsed that how little soeuer it bee raysed the shot doth flye ouer their heads and if it be layd a little too lowe the shot liteth vpon the ground so that it commeth not amongst them If the ground wherein they are raunged bee any thing bowing it saueth them also but if the place were plain I would put the horsemen behind the battailes chiefly the men of armes and the light horsemen vntill such time as the Ordnance were vnseruiceable for by meanes of their height and close raunging for that they are raunged closer then the Hargoletiers or Harquebuziers on horsebacke they may be sooner hit then footmen One thing there is the enemies small shot may greatly annoy vs but we haue it aswel as they But to auoyd the worst there is no better remedie then to come to the combate although that at the first assault there are alwaies some slaine as some alwaies must dye at the first encounter yet the perticular daunger is not so much to be feared as the generall for that the losse of fiue hundred or a thousand men cannot bee so domageable but that the losse of a greater troope would be more except the losse should fall vpon some of the Chiefes and yet in such a case wee must not bee too much amased nor accompt the battaile to be lost for that for the default of one principall Chiefe there are so many other Chiefes distributed and raunged in so good order that the losse of one perticular Chiefe could not be mist so much as a man woulde thinke it shoulde be But this busines cannot bee done with out perill and all being well waied our maner is
the least venterous that may be so that you doe beginne betimes to foresee that your enemies do not hurt you afarre of for therin doeth the greatest daunger lie for as for hand blowes they may be auoided with lesse danger by means of armes and good order then those that come from farre as shot which nothing can resist against the which we must vse the Switzers custome who bowing downe their heads doe runne and assayle the Ordnaunce wheresoeuer it bee placed as I haue heard say they haue done manie times but specially at the battaile of Marignan and they doe not refuse battaile at anie time against any man whosoeuer he be for any doubt that they haue of the ordnaunce but haue a law amongst themselues to put them to death that shoulde goe out of their ranks or should make any shew to be afrayd of it I haue caused our Ordnance to be retyred vnto the taile of our battailes after that it had once discharged which I haue done to the intent that our Battailons might haue the way free before them And the cause why I made no mention of it since was because I thought it to bee inseruiceable when the troupes were at it hande to hande I must heere replie in this place vnto certaine people who iudge the Harnis that we do vse and the auncient order in ranging of a battaile to be vnprofitable hauing respect vnto the violence of this instrument for it shoulde seeme by their woords that the men of warre of the time present haue found some better order that they wold haue men to be slain or hurt at their pleasures Of those you shall fynd but few in mine opinion but they had rather to shew their heeles vnto their enemies then to receyue hurt For wherefore is it that they doe blame harnes sith that being naked they are subiect to blowes but to the intent rather to flie then to be hurte and to abandon their Prince at his most need I would but vnderstand why the Switzers the Almaignes do make Battails of 1000. 15000. men all in one peece after the auntient manner and for what occasion all the other nations haue imitated them sith that this forme of battaile is subiect vnto the same perill of the Ordnaunce that the others that are raunged after the auncient manner are subiect vnto I beleeue they knowe not how to answere this point but who so should aske any Souldiour of meane iudgement hee would answere that those that would not carrie Harnes are ill counsailed for although that Harnes be too weake to resist ordnance or Harquebushes notwithstanding it dooth defend a man from the stroke of Pike Halbard and Sword Crosse-bowe Long-bowe and from Stones and from all other hurt that may proceede from the enemies hande and sometimes a Harquebuze may bee so ill charged or so hotte or may bee shotte so farre of that a Harnes if it be good may saue a mans life The said souldiour would also answere vnto this other demaund that men of warre doe goe so close togeather as wee see they doe and as the said Switzers and Almaignes doe the better to resist horsemen and to giue their enemies the more trouble to break them so that we see that souldiers haue many things to feare besides ordnance from all which they may be defended by the meanes of armes and good order wherof insueth that the better that an armie is armed and the better that the ranks are closed so much the better it is assured so that whosoeuer is of the opinion aboue said is skant wise or his conceit is not great in this matter Wherfore sith we see that the least peece of armes which they vsed in times past which we now vse is the Pike and the least part of their orders which are the Battailions of the Switzers doe vs so much good and giue so great a force vnto our armies why should we not beleeue that the other armes orders which they vsed should not be profitable so that if we haue a care to defend our selues from ordnance placing our men close ioint togeather as the Switzers Almaignes doe we need not doubt any other thing as in trueth we ought to feare no order of Battaile so much as that wherein the souldiours are kept close and ioynt togeather Furthermore if the ordnaunce do not dismay vs in placing of a siege before an enemies towne which may annoy vs with a more certaintye which we cannot attaine vnto because of the walles which doe defend it neither is it possible in short time to take away the defence of it with our ordnaunce but that they may redouble their shot with ease why then should we be afraid of it in the field where it may be won incontinent To be breefe I rest vpon this that the Ordnance may not anye waye hinder the Souldiers of the time present to vse the auncient maners almost aswell as if there were none at all And am also of opinion that wee ought not to leaue our bodies vnarmed although that Harnesse cannot defend vs from Ordnance for as I haue shewed wee are subiect vnto many other more daungers then to bee hit with a shot of great Ordnance To proceede I am well assured that it will seeme that I haue ranged this Battaile and wonne the victory at mine owne pleasure notwithstanding I replye heare vnto that it is impossible but that an armie ordered as I haue spoken of should ouercome at the first encounter all other Hoastes that should be ordered as the armies are at this present for the Battailons that are framed at these dayes haue neuer but two or three rankes armed in the fronte wherein the Chiefes and all the valiantest men are imployed not making any great accoumpt of the rest So that if these two or thrée rankes were ouerthrowne the other would make but small defense Likewise the Battailons of our time haue no Targets and very few Halbards or none or if they haue any they keepe them onely for the defence of their Ensignes and not for to breake into their enemies Moreouer they are vnarmed and therefore being at hande strokes with those that are surelye armed and haue also a Target they will easilye kill them and so likewise will the Halbardiers do In sum our said Souldiers doe range themselues at this day to their disaduantage after one of these two maners that is eyther they range their Battailes of two great a breadth and place them one at the flanke of another to make the front to be so much the larger in so doing the Battailes are too thin and therefore are in danger to be entered with little difficulcie or they place them one behinde another wherin if they haue not the cunning to ritire one band within another to be receiued without disorder you may bee sure that the hoast wil be easile ouercome it helpeth not that they do giue it thrée names
Batailons to succour those that haue the enemies in chase if paraduenture any ambushe shoulde charge them or that the flyars would put themselues againe to defence should repulse them And as concerning that I haue kept the rest of our men of armes and caused them and the battailons to bee brought againe into their order it was to this intent to haue alwaies the greatest strength of mine hoaste ready to fight if so bee that the enemies shoulde ioyne together againe or that freshe people should come vpon them for the not doing of it hath oftentimes happened vnluckely vnto diuers Chiefes as vnto Coradin in Naples in the yeare 1268. who thought that he had won the victorie against Charles the King of the countrie because he sawe that no man made any longer resistance but the said Charles comming out of an ambush with freshe men charged the others that were busie in kiling and striping of his men and ouerthrew them and the said Coradin also It might seeme that I had not ranged our Battailons well forasmuch as I haue placed fiue bands in the front there in the midst and two at the tayle for we might thinke that it were better to order them otherwise because that a Batailon is woorst to breake when he that doth assaulte it doth finde it the stronger the further that he doeth enter into it and it should seeme that the manner that I haue framed should be alwaies the weaker the deeper it is entred into although that I doe knowe that the Romanes did appointe but 600. men in their third battaile which are the Triaries yet I haue put two bands into the saide battaile eache of which bands hath 425. men which are 850. in all besides the Captaines and other members and those of the flanks Wherfore in following the Romanes I doe rather fayle in taking too many men then to few although that in imitating so good a forme as theirs is I do nether thinke to fayle nor to be reprooued yet wil I giue a reason for it You do vnderstand that the front of euerie square Battailon ought to be made sure and thick because it must withstande the first assaulte of the enemies and so ought likewise the midst the taile except that they be ranged after the maner that I haue ranged these here spoken of But to order the midst and the taile in such sorte that the one may receiue the other within their ranks it is necessary that the second which are the Princes should be a great many fewer in number then the first which are the Hastaries And for this cause I haue put in euerie ranke of Hastaries 105. men and in euery ranke of Princes there is but 63. men which are 42. lesse in euerie ranke Furthermore I haue appoynted the grounde that the saide Princes should occupye in length to bee the one halfe longer then that which the Hastaries doe occupie to the intent that the rankes and spaces that the Princes doe occupie might receiue the Hastaries when as they should retyre vnto them The rankes of the Triaries are thinner for they are but 42. men in a ranke and the place that they doe occupie in length is twise as long as that the Hastaries doe occupie because that this last Battaile should receiue into it the Battailes aforesayde Now for that it might be sayd that how much further the enemie dooth enter in that so much the weaker hee shall finde the Battailons because that the Battailes as I haue sayd are deminished of people and their rankes thinner and thinner It must be vnderstood that in keeping of this order an enemie can neuer fight with the Princes vntill hee hath first ouerthrowne the Hastaries who by our discipline ought not to staye vntill they were quite ouerthrowne So that when as they should find the enemies so strong that it were not in their power to make resistance I say that then the Colonell of the said Battailon ought to commaund his Trumpet to sound to this effect that the King dooth commaund the Hastaries to retyre within the Princes which sound being heard the Hastaries shal retire but not before easilye not turning their faces from their enemies and to the intent that this retreat may be made without disorder the last ranke of the Hastaries shall first retyre then those next them and the others following All which rankes shall range themselues betwixt the rankes of the Princes the last ranke of the Hastaries with the last ranke of the Princes and so consequentlye the other rankes shall range themselues with the other rankes their like And for that the rankes of the Princes should not bee too thicke I meane that those that might place themselues in their rankes should do so and that the others shall range themselues betwixt their ranks and make new ranks for they shall haue place ynough to doe it in the length that the Princes doe occupie If then the first doe range themselues with the second and that of these two Battailes there is made but one is this to finde the Battailes the further that they are entred into the weaker for you see that the enemies cannot fight with the second Battaile but the first must bee ioyned with it so that an enemie shall alwayes finde the middest of the Battailon stronger then the front and not weaker forasmuch as they shall now haue to deale with eight bandes whereas before they had to doe but with fiue And so likewise if this second Battaile be forced to retire vnto the third for an enemie shall not onely deale with fresh men but with all the Legion together for that this last Battaile of the Triaries must receiue the Hastaries and the Princes And for this cause they must be ranged thinner and of greater length then the second Battaile was and therefore I haue made the rankes but of 42. men and their place in length twice as long as the Hastaries to receiue the first and the second the more easier betwixt them And if this space seeme to be too little to receiue the eight bands vnderstand that the rankes being in their first order do occupie much more place then when they are retired because that the rankes do shrinke together or open when they are too much preased I meane that they will open themselues when as they will runne awaye and when they will tary by it they will close themselues together to the intent not to bee opened or entered hastilye Moreouer if it be so that the enemies doe come vnto the Triaries it must be thought that there are a great many slaine and ouerthrowne and therefore there néedeth not so great place for the two first Battailes as if they had remained in their intier Furthermore I suppose that our said Triaries will haue a good will to defend themselues and the others that are retyred vnto them also and therefore they will occupie lesse place and at the vttermost the place is great inough
waies and after them marched the right pointe of their Battailon in order ready to sight at the taile of it marched all the baggage of the same point After that marched another Legion and their baggage behinde them and afterward the third Legion their baggage last of all the left point their baggage at their tailes behind which baggage marched all the horsmē this maner did the said Romans ordinarily vse in going through the country if the hoast were assayled either before or behinde they caused theyr baggage and carriage to be retired all at once either vpon the left side or vpon the right side as came best to hande and when the Souldiers and place were free of all incumbrances the Battailes turned their faces towardes that side that their enemies came to assault them on And if so bee that they were assayled vpon one of the flankes they put their baggage one the other side and made head vnto their enemyes Me thinkes that this manner of marching through an enemie his countrie should be the best that might be imitated in this case we might likewise send out before on euery side a good number of Hargoletiers and Harquebusiers a Horsebacke to discouer the wayes round about our hoast send part of our light Horssemen to follow the said Hargoletiers and Harquebusiers somwhat néere to succour them if they should haue anye encounter the battailes as is aforesaid marching in good order with their rankes at large so that the way were broad ynough or at the least that in euery ranke should be ten mē As for to marche at length being in an enemies country is an euill counsell The Legions ought euery one to march by themselues with their cariages at their backes after the maner of the Romanes And for that there are two sorts of baggage to wit one that perteineth vnto the Soldiers particularly and the cariages which doe appertaine vnto the common vse as the prouisiō of victuals armes Ordnance it would not bee amisse to deuide the sayd carriage into foure parts and to giue vnto each legion besides their particular baggage the one fourth part of the publke cariages Moreouer it would be well done to deuide the Ordnaunce into fower partes if it were but to auoyde the enuie that would bee amongst men of warre if the one part of the armie should haue it in charge and the other not or if the one should haue more then the other And likewise the vnarmed people ought to be deuided equally such as Pyoners Carters Victualers men of occupation and other poore people that do follow a Campe to get their liuing to the intent that euery number of armed men might haue iustly their charge that the one should not be more aduantaged and charged then the other But when as it dooth happen that an hoaste doth trauaile through a countrey that is not onely suspected but also is such an enemie as the sayde Hoaste dooth looke euerye hower to bee assayled then the forme of martching before spoken of may be altred and the hoast ranged in another order which order should bee so good that neither the people of the Countrey or an enemie his armie might at any time finde the Lieuetenaunt Generall nor his battailes in disorder in any one poinct nor likewise giue him any repulse or to doe any domage vnto his men To auoide the daunger of these suddaine assaults which are made by stealth the auncient Chiefes were accustomed to martch with their hoastes square not that they were altogeather square but they were raunged with foure faces and by that meanes they martched through their enemie his Countrey beeing ready to defend themselues whensoeuer that they should bee assaulted and vsed no other forme except they were constrained to fight with their Battailes raunged or that they were charged with too great a force of enemies This manner of marching will I vse in this place and will shew how to order fower Legions after this manner by immitating of whose example a greater armie may bee conducted to martch through out all Countries without daunger af enemies and to make head one what part soeuer that it should be assayled The Battailes must bee raunged in suche sort that the first Legion must be at the right corner of the said square and the Hastaries of this Legion should occupie their accustomed place towardes the east for it shal be supposed that they do martch toward the east and afterward the Princes and Triaries must place themselues towardes the South so that they and the said Hastaries shall make a right angle which is one fourth part of a quadrant The seconde Legion shal be placed vpon the left corner and the Hastaries of the saide Legion shal be raunged on the east part as the Hastaries of the first Legion so that the Hastaries of these two legions shall make the front of the said square vppon the east side leauing a space of ten paces distaunt betwixt the saide two legions The Princes and Triaries of the second legion must bee raunged on the north side who beeing ioyned vnto their Hastaries shall make another angle and by that meanes these two legions are the one halfe of the quadrant and to finishe it the third Legion must bee raunged behinde the first in suche sort that the Hastaries of that legion shall make the one halfe of the angle towardes the West to shew their faces that way if it should be needfull and their Princes and Triaries shall make the other halfe of the corner and shal haue their faces towardes the South if it should be needfull and shal ioyn vnto the Princes and Triaries of the first Legion reseruing the space that ought to be left betwixt them which shal be ten paces as is aforesaide and these spaces shall likewise be obserued betwixt the people and the other Legions to the intent that they do not touch one another and there must bee a regard had that those spaces may be kept The fourth Legion shal be raunged behind the second placing the Hastaries on the west side and the Princes and Triaries on the north so that the Hastaries of the first and second Legions shal make the front and the Hastaries of the third and fourth shall make the taile The Princes and Triaries of the first third Legions shall make the right side the Princes and Triaries of the second and fourth shall make the left side these two said sides when neede requireth shal turne the faces towards their two Regions to wit those vpon the right side towards the South those on the left side towards the North. All which fower Legions shall make one quadrant not that it shal be perfectly square forasmuch as it shal be a little more in length then in breadth for from the front vnto the taile there shal be a more space left then from the one side vnto the other which square or quadrant shal be ordred
in such sort that the spaces which I haue said that shal be left betwixt the bandes in the front when they are in their first order should likewise be left now the distance from the one rank to the other shold be alwais kept according vnto the forme of the Hastaries and as I haue said before By this meanes the place that this square btttaile wil occupie may haue in breadth 470. paces and 590. in length Within the saide battail there shal be an emptie space which shal be in length 470. paces and in breadth 340. and within the same place shall the fower Colonels be placed to witte the Colonell of the first Legion in the right corner of the front and the Colonell of the second Legion within the corner of the seconde Legion and the others likewise within the corner of their Legions with their garde to the intent that euerie man might be neere and haue an eie to ouer looke his people The Lieuetenant Generall may be within this emptie place right against the space which is betwixt the Hastaries of the two Legions in the front accompanied with his garde and with those that doe follow his Cornet The Pikes of the Flanks may be raunged within the said emptie place ioyning vnto their bands and the Harquebusiers of the flankes by them who shall leaue the spaces betwixt the bandes as the bandes them selues doo As for the Captaines and other members and officers they shal bee in their places appointed them before and the forlorne hope shal be without vppon the fower sides of the Battaile in their order or they may bee with in and likewise the baggage and carriage shall be within the emptie place which the fower Legions doe make And the Ordnaunce maye martch alongest the Flankes or at the heade and taile The Péeces vppon the Flankes may martch one after another but those in the front and at the taile shall martch one by another for otherwise they could not helpe them selues with it when it shal be needfull nor easily to defend it if it should be assaulted Concerning the Horsemen the Harquebusiers and the Hargoletiers must bee raunged on euerie side a good way off that the light horsmen might be betwixt them and the men of arms and that the men of armes might be at the least fifty paces from the battaile raunged vpon the fower ancomminges by simple Decuries or double or more to witte one of the companies of the first Legion shal be at the front and the other vpon the right Flanke the one of the companies of the second legion should be likewise at the front of the battaile before the saide legion the other vpon the left Flank the companies of the other two legions should be likewise behinde and vpon the Flankes eache of them by the legion they belong vnto One thing a Lieuetenant Generall must note in this place for a generall rule that is that as often as he shal range his army for to fight he take heed not to range his horsmen before his battails except he do place them so far of that beeing repulsed they may haue space inough to retire beside the footmen for otherwise hee might ouerrune them Or els he must leaue many spaces in the front of the said footemen to the intent that the horsmen might return with in them without breaking or disordering their rankes And of this aduertisement hee ought to make no small account For manye Chiefes which hertofore haue not regarded it haue found them selues deceiued and their people haue bene broken and mingled one among another when as their horsemen haue been repulsed by their enemies Our fower Legions beeing ordered in that fourme that I haue spoken off may put them selues forward to martch vppon the way when as it shall please them and may keepe the said order going a good pace I do not say that in traueiling not being troubled by an enemie that they should alwaies keep the ranks of their Hastaries so néer together nor the souldiers of the Princes Triaries likewise as I haue spoken before for they could not carry their Pikes vpon their shoulders but shold be constrained to beare them right vp an end for it would be impossible to carry them otherwise because of the little space betwixt the rankes But my meaning is that when as they would resist the assault of their enemies that then they should ioyne togeather in suche order as is spoken of And if so bee that their enemies did but skirmish with them to trouble them vpon the way notwithstanding were alwaies ready to assault them and that the sayd fower Legions would winne ground and not fight in suche a case the Souldiers must carrie their Pikes right vp although it be more painefull for the necessitie which they should haue to martch close togeather would ease their paines But if that they should not bee enforced there would bee no daunger if the Hastaries rankes should follow one another at more scope and that the princes and Triaries shoulde occupie more grownd in length to câ—â—tch their Pikes and to march at more ease for the horsemen and the forlorne hope which doe enuirone this square battaile would be sufficient inough to stay the assaulters vntill such time as the battaile were brought neere together into their order for their wold be no more to doo but stay the first ranks to cause the others to come forward neerer them Moreouer it is not to be doubted that people who assault without keeping order and ranke should euer haue the courage and good will to approche them that are well ordered and ranked within the length of a Pike nor the Harquebusiers within the shotte of a Harquebusse except they had some aduantage of ground as if it were that these Legions kept the lower ground and their enemies the higher or that there were some great riuer betwixte them my meaning is that this order is onely for a plaine countrie for in troublesome passages it is not good but when as they should passe neare or betwixte mountaines the plaine being large enough to receaue them in this order the remedy must be to get the highest ground and driue away their enemies For otherwise although that the Legions should keepe the forme of a square Battaile or of Battailons ranged by themselues I would neuer be of opinion that they should put themselues into straight passages except that they were maisters of the higher ground The Lord of Montpezat wheÌ„ he returned into FrauÌ„ce with the bands that he had vnder him at Fossar being constrained to take his way through the valley of Pratgella the entrey into which is most difficill seeing that the mountaines were held by the people of the countrey and certaine men of warre which were ioyned with them and that he was not entred farre within the sayde mountaines without the losse of a certaine number of his people which were slaine and maimed by theyr enemies who
them great recompence for their paines in doing theyr duties faithfully and also must threaten them with death if that they should faile and deceiue him and aboue all things his army must neuer know vnto what place he doth determine to bring them for in all the exercise of the warres there is no one point more profitable then to kéepe secret that which is pretended And to the intent that an army should not be troubled or astonied through any sodaine assault the souldiers ought to be alwayes in a readinesse to receiue their enemies that is to say to be aduertised and taught what they should do if that they should be assailed either by night or by day while they rest or are vpon the way for things that are prouided for do least hurt We must also note this aduertisement to vse it when as we do trauaile through the countrey that is that the one part of the army should not be too farre from the other And for that some do goe sometimes too fast and others too slowe it should be néedefull to place certaine expresse Chiefes both before behinde and betwixt the battailes who should haue charge to cause them to march all of one forme and time kéeping backe those that goe too fast and hastening those that goe too slowly for if a Generall do not cause that to be done they will fall into a disorder which might happen to cause their ouerthrowe Euery man shall measure his pace according vnto the stroke of the Dromme and so their gate will be all one The single order of euery Legion for the time that they do march together I meane when they do march one after another and that they be farre from enemyes must be 21. men in a ranke who so would raunge the Legions readily in battaile and therefore there must be order giuen that the waies where that they should passe should be at the least broad enough to receiue the sayd number A Generall ought also to consider of the custome and qualitie of his enemy to wéete whether he vse to assayle in the euening or in the morning or in the night and whether he be strongest of footemen or of horsemen to the intent to prouide for him How a Lieutenant Generall ought to gouerne himselfe when he findeth himselfe too weake to abide his enemyes with certaine policies to escape their danger when as he is fallen into it and how to haue the aduantage of them The 6. Chapter I I hapneth sometimes that a Generall doth raise his Campe being néere vnto his enemyes because that he doth perceiue himselfe to be too weake and therefore is neither determined to offer nor to accept Battaile but would auoide it by all meanes possible but so it is that his enemies are alwayes at his backe and endeuour to follow him as much as they may and therefore the said Generall séeking to auoid the danger he is like to fall into doth get away as fast as he can vntill at lēgth he doth ariue at the edge of a riuer which doth hinder him for want of ready passage so that his enemyes may ouertake him whilest he is at this point and enforce him to fight how vnwilling soeuer he be The remedy in this case is to imitate the example of Sertorius who hauing his enemies at his héeles being ariued at the edge of a riuer which he should passe deuised to stay his enemies whilst he did passe to enclose his Campe with a trench in forme of a halfe Moone and placed wood and other things apt to burne round about the said trench and afterwards set it on fire the flambe whereof was so vehement that his enemies durst neuer aduenture to make way through and by that meanes he passed ouer the said riuer at ease and saued himself Pelopidas of Thebes did the like in Thessalia Hanno being inclosed with his enemies enuironed the place where he would issue out at with a great many fagots not making any trench at all and causing the wood to be set on fire wherevpon his enemies assembling to keepe the other issues for they neuer thought that he could haue passed that way he went through the fire with his people hauing admonished thē that they should couer their faces with their targets their thighes with their skirts Quintus Luctatius being neere pursued of that Cimbres comming vnto the edge of a riuer that he should passe made shew to tarry for thē to haue that safer passage faigned to place his Camp there causing trenches to be made certaine tents to be raised and sent out certaine boyes for forrage by reason whereof the Cimbres thought that the Romanes would haue lodged all that night in that place and therefore they camped also deuiding themselues into many parts some going for forrage and other seeking to recouer victuals which when Luctatius perceiued he caused his forragers sodainly to be called back againe and immediatly passed the riuer without impeachment for his enemyes being scattered as is said could not assayle him at that instant for they could by no meanes haue béen assembled so sodainly to follow him Craesus seeing that he could not passe through a riuer called Halis and that he had nothing to help himselfe withall to make a Bridge caused a great ditch to be made which came from the saide riuer behinde his Campe which ditch was made so deepe that all the water in the riuer or at the least the greatest part thereof might issue out of the first currant into it which being done the riuer was drawne so lowe that his souldiers passed through almost dry shod And as for the passing through riuers with horssemen and footemen that are but of meane deapth but runne maruellous strong there is no other thing to be done but to place the greatest part of the horssemen which are best mounted vppermost toward the streame to resist and breake the force of the water and to place another part beneathe them leauing a broade passage betwixt them for the footemen and the other worst horsses to passe through without perill and if so be that the force of the water should ouerthrowe any of them those that were lowermost should succour him and take him vp But riuers that are not to be waded through must be passed ouer with bridges placed vpon boates which bridges and boates may be both carted and caryed alongst with an armye as we haue séene in our time one which the King caused to be made which was strong ynough to passe all carriges and the great Ordnance passed surely vpon it also and notwithstanding it was portable easy to be carted for one Waggon caryed one of those boates easily and the planks that were layd vpon it There may be many sorts of bridges made to passe riuers but that with boates is the surest and if there should be enemyes on the other side of the riuer to impeach the laying of a bridge or to kéepe the riuer
instant that wee looked that the Spanyards should haue assayled vs our Ensignes were left from time to time without people who were gone to seeke lodgings albeit that they had no leaue of him nor their Captaines and in lodging themselues God knowes what a noyse those gapers and cryers did make and what was the cause of this disorder but the disobedience that is amongst vs Frenchmen who are so delicate that we cannot suffer want one whole day but wee wast with griefe of it as snowe against the Sunne Certainly the sayd Lord did his endeuour to stay them and it was needfull for the daunger that we were in and at that time was seen asmuch as in any other place the great want of order that is amongst vs specially in the morning in passing a little brooke for except it were some of the first rankes of the Battailon the others made no difficultie at all to breake and put themselues out of their ranks to passe at their case one after an other ouer a little planke that was in the same place so that it was our good fortune that we were not assayled at that instant for the first should haue suffered the smart of the others negligence and disorder and perhaps there might haue insued some great inconuenience as it was told me within two daies after when as I did ariue at the Campe for at that time I was not there because of the Commission that the Lord Constable had giuen vnto the Lord of Roberual and the commaundement that he gaue me by his letter to accompanie the sayd Roberual with my hand to ceaze vpon the vallies of S. Martin and Lucerne to the King his vse and by that meanes I was not there notwithstanding I was told of it afterwards of all that happened in the Campe by men of credite who were in the daunger afore sayd very néere vnto the person of the sayd Lord to weet the Barron Castelnan and the Vicont Dorth and since much better by the Lord Dambres who told me all helped to repayre couer the disorder as others haue tolde me Those cryings must not bee vsed amongst these Legions of whom I treate they must be alwaies lodged timely before night if it were possible Which doing vsing the manner that I haue so many times spoken of before that is the Campe hauing alwaies one selfesame forme it shall not bee needfull for the Souldiers to seeke their quarters or where the bands should lodge for they shall know the places of themselues for they shall see where their Ensignes do stay and by them know their places easely and the Ensignes shall know their places as easely by the General his lodging and the gates which shall be towards the foure Regions as I haue sayd All that may make any alteration in a Campe is that the first and second Legions shall be alwaies lodged next their enemies and thereunto the Souldiers must haue a regard euery man vnto the place that he shall lodge in Further it must not be forgotten to appoynt certaine bands to watch for that without watch the fortification of the Campe and all that may be sayd or done for these Legions would bee labour lost But sith I am fallen into this matter I will speake mine opinion of the Skoutes and Sentenells that are placed by night without a Campe which is a custome that I cannot iudge to be either good or seruiceable neither can I finde vppon what example they were grounded that were the first inuenters of this manner for it is not after the manner of the auncient watches at the least those that I haue read of I do thinke that they had a more care to auoyd the mischief that might happen through the renewing and chaunging of the Skoutes and Sentenells for that they might perhappes be sometimes corrupted with monie or bee surprised so neere that the watch might not bee aduertised by them of the comming of their enemies specially if it were so that the watch were kept after the French fashion that is to say if the Souldiers did sleepe their bellies full in hope to bee wakened by the Sentenells it should be in daunger to bee surprised and to haue their throtes cut For which cause the auncient men of warre made their watches within their trenches and had no bodie to skout without and by this manner of watch they were alwaies so well preserued that they altered it not but vsed very great diligence in it and very good order and punished all those with death that fayled of their dueties in the same as wee may see in Polibius vnto whom I send all those that would see the manner of their doing at large Me thinke that the reasons aboue sayd may suffice to shewe the profite of sending of Skoutes out of a fort which is that they do serue for no other purpose but to make the watch within to bee the more carelesse and negligent for they do giue themselues vnto nothing but to play dronkennesse and sleepe as I haue sayd whilest peraduenture the Sentenells do keepe as ill watch as they But is not this a great fault to commit the safetie of a whole armie vnto two or three roysters who haue neither regarde of honestie nor any other thing and albeit that those that are Skoutes on horsebacke are gentlemen and men of credit and likewise those that visite the watch do their indeuour asmuch as is possible may not both sometimes be surprised by their enemies or may they not sleepe aswell as the others and forget their busines by that meanes be slaine by their enemies but may it not happen that their enemies might haue the watch word or that they might gesse at it and approach the Sentenells with false tokens giuen them to vnderstand that they are of their Souldiers I knowe not who hath shewed vs this manner nor what reason wee haue to obserue it at this day men of warre being more subtile and politicke then they were in times past except we will be voyd of reason to persist in a most euident and manifest error whereunto I wil not from henceforth that a Lieutenant Generall should consent but that he should forbid it expressely And furthermore that for his ordinarie night-watch he do appoynt the one third part of his people which are 16. Ensignes of footmen to the intent that the Souldiers might haue two nights free the one of which Ensignes must watch round about the General his quarter and another must guard the Powder two other Ensignes must bee placed vpon the two market places for the maister of Ordnance his quarter is well enough furnished with gunners carters and pioners By this accompt there should bee in the middest of the Camp one band of euery Legion who shal guard the Generall and principall Chiefes and also impeach the mischiefes which oftimes do happen by night and the excesses and thefts that are done more at time then by day The 12. bands