or distance This doubling of the bringers up or of middle-men is very requisit in giving a generall salve of Musket and as it is to be observed in rancks that the best men are placed in front reare and middle even so in files every Corporalship being foure files of Musketiers the likeliest are put ever in the right and left files of the foure being also of best experience The doubling of rancks being done and all remitted in good order and to their first distance of open order you are to command and exercise Souldiers in three severall wayes of counter-marching requisit in some respects but in my opinion to be used but seldome except it be in necessity in such parts as the ground will not permit otherwise therefore to avoide disorder Souldiers ought not to be ignorant of any of the three sorts of counter-marching First having commanded the Souldiers to dresse their rancks and files and to carry their Muskets handsomly keeping silence say To the right hand the counter-march without noise or losing of ground To the left hand retire againe to the former ground Then command againe to dresse rancks and files and to right their Armes keeping silence taking heede to what is to be commanded and say To the right hand turne Then the Flancke before being now the Front command To the right hand counter-march and lose no ground To the left hand as you were This is used ordinarily to change one wing of Battaile in place of the other then that the Front may be as it was first before they Countermarcht To the left hand turne dresse your Rankes and Files and be silent Another sort of Countermarch is the Slavonian countermarch where you lose ground the Front being changed also then you command the first Ranke to turne about to the right hand then you say to the rest Countermarch and through to your former distance after your Leaders Then say Leaders as you were and to the rest To the left hand countermarch as you were to your first ground The third sort of countermarch I esteeme most of to be practised being rather a conversion very requisit to be well knowne to all Souldiers in all Armies chiefly to be used before an enemy for as it is most sudden so in my opinion it breeds least disorder and disturbance the Souldiers once used to it of themselves they will willingly doe it on any occasion the body being before in open order or Battaile order say Close the Ranks and Files to your closse order without encumbering one of another every man following right his owne Leader keeping closse to his side man then say To the right hand the quarter turne halfe or whole as the occasion and the ground doth permit and then say Dresse your Armes and follow your Leaders and open againe to your Battaile order Lastly the body of your Musketiers exercised perfectly after this manner for the better bringing of them in exercise and breath that in case any disorder may happen amongst them they may the better afterward be acquainted one with another say to your open order of six foote distances Open both Rankes and Files and set downe your Armes handsomely where you stand then command your Sergeant to goe an hundred paces from the body of your Musketiers and sticke in his Holbert in the ground then admonish your Souldiers that at the tucke of your Drumme they runne from their Armes about the Holbert and to stay there till the Drumme recall them againe to their Armes which being done it makes the Souldiers able in breath to know one anothers place in case they should be brought at any time in disorder to recover themselves the better Thus much for the training of Souldiers in changing of place as you will have them without giving of fire When you have gotten your Souldiers thus experimented in their motions then are you to acquaint them with shot in giving of fire to make them fix against their enemies which is easily done having once apart and singularly used their Muskets after the order of the severall postures belonging thereto as was commanded their inferiour Officers and Leaders to teach them before they were exercised Therefore before you come to the particular formes of giving fire you shall first give some generall directions to be observed by all for avoiding the hurting of themselves or of their Camerades as also how they can best offend their enemies and to this effect you shall admonish in love all brave Musketiers first to have their Muskets cleere and hansome and above all fix in the worke especially every Souldier would be well knowne with his owne Musket and cocke to cocke aright then to hold the mouth or Cannon of his Musket ever high up either being on his shoulder or in priming or guarding of his panne but in giving fire never higher or lower than levell with the enemies middle then your Musketiers being in readinesse your Muskets charged they may be commanded to give fire in skirmish disbandoned as their Officers doe direct them to advance or retire as the occasion offers also to give fire by Ranckes Files Divisions or in Salves as the Officer pleaseth to command to the effect they may be fixed Omni modo though in my opinion one way is the best yet there are severall wayes of giving fire in advancing to an enemy as retiring from an enemy or in standing firme before an enemy either by Rancks or by Files made to Rancks Advancing to an enemy not being disbandoned but in one bodie they give fire by Rancks to Rancks having made readie alike they advance ten paces before the bodie being led up by an Officer that stands in even Front with them the Cannon or mouth of their Muskets of both Rancks being past his bodie The second Rancke being close to the backe of the foremost both gives fire alike priming and casting about their Muskets they charge againe where they stand till the other two Rancks advance before them and give fire after the same manner till the whole Troope hath discharged and so to beginne againe as before after the order of the through-countermarch ever advancing to an enemie never turning backe without death or victorie And this is the forme that I esteeme to be the best as for the rest they are not to be much used but this order can be used winning ground advancing or losing ground in a Retreate When you would command the body of your Musketiers to give fire in a Salve as is ordinarie in Battell before an enemy joyne or against Horsemen then you command the bringers up or Reare to double the Front to the right hand and to make readie having the match cocked and their pannes well guarded having closed the three Rancks though not the Files the Officers standing in equall Front with the foremost Rancke betwixt two Divisions he commands to give fire one Salve two or three and having charged againe and shouldered their Armes they retire to
having cast off his loose powder then to cast about his Musket to his left side drawing backe with his Musket his left foote and hand till the mouth of the musket come right to his hand to charge againe in the same place standing firme till his follower marched by him on his right hand standing at the same distance before him that he stood behinde and then to give fire blowing his pan priming casting off and retiring his musket with his left hand and foote and to charge againe as is said and so forth one after another discharging at a like distance till at last the Rot-master should be under-rot and the under-rot Leader and then his follower marching up by him while as he is charging giving fire on the enemy and having discharged standing still also charging till in th' end the Rot-master come to be Leader againe and so forth still advancing per vices till the enemy turne backe or that they come to push of Pike and Buts of Muskets Thus having exercised the Rots apart for a weeke or two doubtlesse they will become expert Souldiers in using their Armes when they are joyned in a strong body lesse or more The Pike-men would be exercised also by Rots apart in the severall Postures thereof till they were acquainted also with their Leaders and were made expert in using their Pikes aright till thereafter the whole body of Pikes might be exercised apart with great ease to their Officers The Musketiers being drawne in a body being sixteene or thirty-two men in Front being but six Rancks deepe the first Rancke discharging at once casting about their muskets and charging all alike the second Rancke marches through every follower going by on the right hand of his Leader standing before him at the distance they were behinde and then being firme they give fire all alike on their enemies blowing priming casting about and charging all alike where they stand till per vices the whole Ranckes have discharged and so forth ut antea successively advancing and giving fire till the enemy turne backe or that they come to push of Pike and being thus well exercised in advancing to the enemy and winning ground if through necessity they be forced to retire from an enemy losing ground they must also keepe their faces to their enemies the Reare being still in fire and the last Rancke having given fire they march through the Rancks till they that were last are first comming off and so per vices till they have made a safe retreate the Reare which is ever the Front coming from an enemy is in fire The manner to exercise a body of Musketiers TO exercise a Squadron of Musketiers how strong soever they be the number of Rancks being no deeper than six the files being even may be so many as your voice can extend to ever observing that your Command be given in the Front otherwise may breede disorder and before you begin to command you would enter first with a Prologue as good Orators commonly doe to reconciliat their hearers attendance even so you ought with an exhortation of attendance entreate but by way of command your Souldiers not to be gazing in time of their exercise but with stedfastnesse to settle their mindes on their exercise that they may the better observe and obey the words of command and above all things you are to command them to keepe silence not babling one to another neither in their motions to suffer their Armes to rattle one against another alwayes to take heede to their Leaders that goe before them and to follow them orderly without disturbance keeping and observing their due distance either of Ranckes or Files which may be easily done if they but duely follow their Leaders and have an eye on their right and left fellow Camerades for keeping their Ranckes even in a like Front Likewise they are to observe when they are commanded to turne any where whether it be by Rancks or Files that their faces may by turned to the hand they are commanded to before they sturre to march and then to march alike and when ever they double Rancks or Files or counter-march they must ever observe to retire to the contrary hand they were commanded to double on if they doubled to the right when they fall off they retire turning to the left hand et contra for avoiding of disorder or hinderance that their Armes would make if they retired to the same hand they were commanded to double or march to In their counter-marches it is also requisit in time of exercise that neither Officer nor Souldier doe presume to command direct or finde fault with the errour but he that commands in chiefe whether he be superiour or inferiour Officer for the time since it is said when many speake few heare Therefore he must command alone suffering no rivall for avoiding of disorder Order therefore of distance being a chiefe point observed in exercising is three fold to wit Open order of Rancks or Files is six foote of distance being betwixt Rancks and Files both alike only requisit to be observed in mustering or while as they stand in danger of Cannon not being in battaile where in battaile order the distance to be observed betwixt Rancks or Files should be three foote where Elbow to Elbow of the side Camerades may joyne where in the open order aforesaid hand to hand can but joyne But in close order used most in conversion or wheeling is shoulder to shoulder and foote to foote firme keeping themselves together for feare to be put asunder by the force of their enemies and then to disorder which is ever to be looked unto chiefely before an enemy Your speech thus ended for your generall directions you begin againe to command silence and to take heed what is commanded to be done saying Height your Musketiers dresse your Rancks and Files to your open order of six foote and take heede To the rìght hand turne as you were To the left hand turne as you were To the right hand about turne as you were To the left hand about turne as you were To the right hand double your Rancks as you were To the left hand double your Rancks as you were The even Rancks or Files double ever unto the odde and the fourth Rancke is the middle Rancke of six To the right hand double your Files as you were To the left han◠double your Files as you were Middle-men or fourth Rancke to the right hand double your Front To the left hand retire as you were Middle-men to the left hand double your Front To the right hand as you were Nota. The sixth Rancke is called bringers up or reare or under Rot-masters Bringers up to the right hand double your Front To the left hand as you were Bringers up to the left hand double your Front To the right hand as you were All that doubled turne first about and then they retire falling behinde those were their Leaders before in the same place
the left hand againe every man falling behinde his owne Leader Being on retiring from the enemie the whole bodie having made readie as they march off in order a qualified Officer being in the Reare and qualified Officers in the Van to order them that fall up the last two Rancks in the Reare turne faces about and the whole body with them and the two Rancks having given fire they march through the body to the Van and order themselves as they were before and so successively the whole bodie gives fire ever by two Rancks and falls off till such time as they have made their Retreate sure Thus much of fire-giving by Rancks on two or three as you please at once and no more Now a little for the exercising of the Squadron of Pikes in generall for the generall motion certaine directions are to be observed concerning Pikes that the Souldiers keepe their Pikes cleane and cleere and never to be suffered to cut off the lengths of their Pikes as often is seene upon marches being very uncomely to see a Squadron of Pikes not of one length likewise in all motions with the Pike the hand and foote ought to goe alike and the Souldier would be expert in giving the right pousse with the Pike backwards and forwards Your Squadron of Pikes as they ought to march with the Drumme so they ought to obey the Drumme beating a Troope a Charge a Call a Retreate As also to traile their Pikes to make reverence with the Pike being shouldred and your Squadron of Pikes being but six deepe in Rancke your Files may be so many as can well heare your voyce in Command providing there be no odde File and thus well ordered at their open order of six foote distance command to mount their Pikes then calling for a Drumme beside you let him beate a march then they are to shoulder their Pikes flat or slaunt carried and then to march a little let your Drumme againe beate a Troope then they mount their Pikes and troope away fast or slow as your passe leades them stopping or advancing as you doe then let your Drumme beate a Charge then they charge their Pikes and advance fast or slow as you lead them and retire also backwards their Pikes charged as you will have them then troope againe and they mount their Pikes march and shoulder and haulting let the Drumme beate againe and they order their Pikes on the ground as first being at their distance and trooping againe they mount their Pikes so that you can command them to Battell order or closse order for Wheeling or Counter-marching at your owne pleasure In repayring to their Colours or comming from watch they should ever walke with their Pikes mounted as also they may use this posture on Contrie and your Pikes mounted and at your open order you can use all doublings that your Musketiers used as also to present to Front Reare right or left hand the curiositie of the turnes to the right or left hand in Van or Reare the Pike being shouldred you can also teach them as you will though not much to be used in exercise and the Pikes thus well exercised having seene frequent danger can doe good service against Horsemen and against foote to foote either in battell entering a Towne or breach or retiring or advancing to choake an enemie on walls within Townes or Forts they are very commodious for service providing they resolve to fight well and to abide by their Officers and in my opinion being well led they may beate Musketiers accidently off the Feild and being well lined with shot they are a safeguard against Horsemen having the least advantage of ground Thus much in briefe for the use of the Pike the most honourable of all weapons and my choice in day of battell and leaping a storme or entering a breach with a light brest-plate and a good head-piece being seconded with good fellowes I would choose a good halfe-Pike to enter with CERTAINE OBSERVATIONS VVORTHY THE YOVNGER Officer his consideration being short and practicall for his Highnesse speciall use I. THIS life is a Comedy or a Play wherein every one doth his part we should presse to passe it over with moderate affections that the end be not cruell or dolefull as in Tragedies but full of mirth like a Comedy II. Vnto the Victor the life is sweete and happy but to those that are overcome nothing is more bitter then to put their hopes in their Enemies mercy III. As unto Champions of old lots gave fellowes and not election with whom they should fight so every one of us hath destines in our times where with to strive IIII. As he who goeth a journy doth reckon the miles so he that hath entred the way of this life shall not determine of his yeares For as from the spring flow the Rivers from the roote the branch so from the first education cometh the rest of mans life And if thou wouldst live truely thou must presse to profit thy country to defend the Common-wealth and to live well without liberty thou must preferre death before ignominious shame or slavery For as this life is Rosie so it hath flowers mixed with thornes the one to be plucked up the other to be eschewed so farre as we may V. It is a part of victory to trouble the enemy before we fight and as it is laudable to overcome an enemy it is no lesse praise worthy to have pitty on the miserable For as courage doth merit infinite glory so the love of all and the good will of all merits mercy and meekenesse VI. The feeble and weake minded man is ever pridfull in prosperity for he thinkes his vertues are such as can maintaine the Fortunes which he hath gotten and thinks still he is able to attaine and acquire more and more but when the tempest of adversity doth arise then is he so farre afraid that he becomes voide of all hopes and this oftentimes is the cause of the suddaine change of his fortunes VII Nothing doth diminish more the publishing of praise then when one continually casteth up his owne successe in actions of warre and oftimes striving to get abundance of honour men show their riches of swelling pride for disdaining his former friends he misk nowes his acquaintance pressing to goe before he is greevous or displeasing to all his familiars Our care then should be to want this arrogancy ostentation or pride and pray for humility being more acceptable unto God then detestable pride which is an unprofitable evill a secret poyson a hidden pest the ingenier of deceipt the mother of hypocrisie the parent of envy the beginner of vice the moth of holinesse the blinder of hearts breeding sicknesse out of remedies and begetting langour out of medicine VIII There is ever some fatality incident unto those that desire vaine-glory or ostentation and those that are proud rejecting the prayers of the humble with disdaine they often incurre the indignation of God and fall