Ranke may consist of as many men as you please but a File how euer the Spaniards and Italians vse it vncertaine ought neuer to bee aboue ten persons deepe except it be in marching or especiall seruice where aduantage of the ground requireth the contrary for the first man hauing discharged his Peece may in the space that nine other men shal discharge their Peeces one after another be againe in readynes and make his first place good there to discharge his Peece againe besides it is the readiest and best way for the drawing of Groses and great numbers into any forme whatsoeuer Next hee shall teach them the carriage and vse of their armes especially the Pike for the Musquet is in the Office of the Serieant the manage wherof he shall deuide into these Postures first three standing that is Lay downe your Pike Take vp your pike Order your pike Then sixe marching as Aduance your pike Shoulder your pike Leuell your pike Slope your Pike Checke your pike and Traile your pike and lastly seauen charging as Port ouer hand Port vnder hand Charge ouer hand Charge vnder hand Coutch ouer hand Couch vnder hand Charge against the right foote and draw your Sword ouer arme When these are perfect he shall teach them distance of place in Files and Rankes as when he would haue the Files to march Closest then the distance is pouldron to pouldron or shoulder to shoulder if but Close then the distance is a foote and a halfe man from man If at their Order then the distance is three foote betweene man and man and if at Open-Order then the distance sixe foote betweene man and man so likewise in Rankes Closest is at the Swords point Close is at three foote Order at sixe foote and Open-Order at twelue foote Now there be some that vary in the tearmes but not in the distance for they wil haue Close Order Open-Order and Double Distance and not the word Closest at all but the scruple is small and may be left to euery Commanders discretion After this he shall teach them March and Motions In the first whereof is little art more then in obseruing truly their Rankes and Files and distance in places For Motions they vary diuersly and some are no Marches as when The Souldier turnes but his face on one hand or other or about Some Motions change place yet no more then a remoouing from one ranke to another or from one File to another in which though some remoue yet others stand stil as in doubling of Rankes or doubling of Files and in this Motion is to be obserued that Rankes when they double to the right hand must euer turne on the left to come to their place againe and if they be doubled to the left hand they must turne on the right hand to come to their pltces againe so likewise Files when they are doubled to any hand by the doubling of Rankes to the contrary hand they are brought to their first place againe and so of Rankes in the same nature To conclude there is another Motion to be taught in which all doe moue and yet none doe March and that is the opening or closing either of Ranks or Files is of great vse when one Ranke should passe through another or the whole body of the Battalion make a Countermarch or when the Battell should bee drawne speedily more of one hand or another Lastly the Lieutenant shall teach his Souldier how to know all the sounds or beatings of the Drumme in which he shall make him obserue not only what the Drumme doth beate but also what time and measure hee keepeth and according to that time and measure so to march slower or faster to charge with greater violence or to come of with more speede also he shall teach them to know when by the Drumme to attend the Captaines directions when to repaire to their Colours and when to doe other duties and as thus by the Drumme in seruice so by his voyce and the words of directions in Trayning he shall make them doe whatsoeuer hee pleaseth and therefore the Liuetenant shall haue perfecttly in his memory all the words of directions which are accustomably spoken As Close your Files To the right hand To the left hand and all these shall be done either Closest Close to Order or open Order Then Open your Files to the right hand To the left hand and these to any order And thus to open or close Rankes and to any Order with this obseruation that Rankes when they open ought to turne to the Reare and open downeward and when they close to close vpward then Files and Rrankes close Files and Rankes open and these to any order also then Double your Files To the right hand To the left Aduance your Files to the right hand to the left Aduance by deuision to right hand or left Files ranke by conuersion to the right hand to the left Files ranke 3. 5. 7. c. Shorten your Files to 5. 8. c. Lengthen your Files to 10. 12. 16. c. Files countermarch to the right hand to the left Double your Rankes to the right hand to the left Rankes file by conuersion to the right hand to the left Rankes ranke 5. 7. c. Middle men double your front to the right hand to the left Double to both by deuision Rankes countermarch c. as in Files Then faces to the right hand to the left to both by deuision Faces about Wheele by conuersion to the right hand to the left to both by deuision Charge to the right hand to the left to both by deuision Charge to the Front Charge to the Reare Charge to both by deuision then to reduce any of these words to the same Order or Station in which the Souldier stood before they were spoken the word is As you were And herein is to be obserued that in Charging with Pikes halfe the Rankes are but to Charge and the other halfe to carry them aduanced or ported so neare the heads of the formost as they may doe them no anoyance either in Charging or Retiring and they must also obserue when they doe Charge standing to fall backe with the right foote and marching to step forward with the left Thus I haue shewed in a briefe Epistle the large extent of the Liuetenants Office in which if I be either obscure by reason of the compendiousnes thereof or a little confused in snatching here and there at his duties without setling constantly vpon any one I hope your Lordship will call to minde it is an Epistle the lawes whereof alowes me the libertie of familiar speech not of subtill argument and for mine owne part I had rather leaue many nice wits vnsatisfied then your minde cloyed or tyred The end of the Second Decad. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE WILLIAM LORD EVERS THE ARGVMENT Of the Officers of Caualarie IF I could loue Fortune in any thing my worthie Lord I should surely loue her in
giue and receiue the word that is to say that Rounder which receiueth the word his cōpanion to the contrary partie shal giue the word so that on both sides the word shal be both giuen and taken one of each party hauing the swords point at his bosome for whosoeuer receiueth the word must draw his sword and he that deliuereth it must tender against it his bosome for the maner of the encounter it is thus the first discouerer calleth Qui-va-la the other reply The Round the first answereth the Round also then they meet a little distance asunder and hee that first discouered receiues the word and his Companion giues it and so à conuerso Now if the Rounders be sent out so early in the night that they meet the Captaine of the watch who should go the first Round then of him they must take notice both one after another deliuer him the word and so doing reuerence passe along To conclude and finish vp this dutie of the Rounder if they shall in their round meet either with the Generall of the Army or the Gouernour of the garrison vndisguised and like himselfe in all parts both of person and attendants so that without excuse they must know him then to him they shal giue the word also but to no other whatsoeuer more then such as are before specified no not to his owne Captaine nor to the Captaine of the watch after the first Round is performed and of these Rounders there must bee at least two or more in euery Squadron who performing this dutie twice or thrice euery night or as necessity shall requier will no doubt both keepe the Watches in good order bring much safetie to the Armie In some places they haue Round houses where the Captaine of the watch and all the Rounders together remaine all night who setteth out his Rounders each halfe houre or houre according to the space of the Round TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE IOHN LORD DARCY OF the North his very good LORD THE ARGVMENT Of the Clerke and Harbenger THe great Respects which many Ties both of Blood and Fauour haue bound me daily to acknowledge to your Lordship are as so many alarumes to awaken me in the depth of my Meditation and to pronounce vnto me how vnworthy I were if in this Cattalogue of Martiall designes I should omit the memory of your name and Honor I doe know the Studie you affect and when it shall please either God or the Kingdome to call you to the practise I doubt not but there will be found in you such a Readinesse of Will and such an ability both of Person and Courage that all the lost or consumed Epitaphs of your noble Progenitors shall as new Texted Records be read a farre off in your Honorable disposition till when I beseech your Lordshipe Anchor one houre vpon this Epistle and howsoeuer the words be roughly and plainely thrust together yet shall the matter giue you content for it brings with it a witnesse of certaine knowledge and the mind of a writer which without flattery will euer honor and loue you The Clerke of a Band in a Company of well disciplin'd Souldiers being a man worthily worthy of the place and Office which hee holdeth I cannot fo fitly compare to any thing as to an honest Steward of a noble and well gouernd Family for their faithfull cares and seruices are knit and made vp almost of one and the same Members each being drawne by his Industrie fore-sight and prouidence to haue a care of his Commanders honor and profit and of the weale and good estate of all those which haue any dependance vpon them It is true that in the Clerke of a Band is not required much Souldiery or Martiall vnderstanding for he is rather to bee a pen-man then a Sword-man yet by all meanes no Coward for that slauish feare is a great weakener of honesty and a discouerer of deceitfull paths which he must by all meanes auoyd it teacheth him how to flatter the world to disesteeme all the lawes of true friendship to addulterate only with his owne pleasures and to make of himselfe to himselfe both a Mistris and a prodigall Seruant he that feares to die can neuer bee Master of a good Conscienee and when that is hackneyd vpon either by Couetousnes or Pride there is no respect of persons but all things are sweete which bring him gaine though in the vildest manner that may be Let the Clerke of the Band then by all meanes be chosen a man of great honestie and Integrety discreete and ciuill in his behauiour of temperate qualitie and modest countenance hauing in him a certaine Grauity or face of authority which may euen challenge and as it were command both loue and respect from the Souldier he must of necessity be a good pen-man writing a swift legible and readie hand he ought to haue good skill in Arithmaticke and the knowledge both of whole and broken Numbers at the worst he must be prefit in casting al manner of accounts and able in Merchantlike manner to keepe the account betweene debtor and creditor If he haue the Lattin tongue he is a Treasure but if to it also the vnderstanding of other Languages he is an inestimable Iuell for so he shall be able to trucke with strangers for the benefit of the Company and also to Interpret and take charge of Prisoners when any are taken It is the Office and duty of this Clarke to keepe the Rolls and muster Bookes conteining the names and surnames of the whole Company and these hee shall haue in sundry and diuers manners as in one Booke or Roll according to the Armes and weapons which they carry sorting euery seuerall Armes by themselues as first all the Officers in their true Rankes then all the Pikes and short weapons then the Musquets and Harquebusses or bastard Musquets if there be any In another Booke or Rolle all their names according to their Squadrons hauing the Officers of euery Squadron first then the Gentlemen and lastly the common Souldier and in the third Booke or Rolle all their names as they March in their owne perticular Battalia and according to the dignity of their places so that when the Muster-master or Captaine shall come to make a generall call of the Campany he may deliuer them the first Booke If it be to goe to the watch and to reckon any one Squadron he may deliuer the second Booke and if it be to question or find out any one perticular man as he stands in the Grosse whether he haue quit his place or remaine according to dutie that then hee may vse the third and last Booke and of these hee shall neuer be without sundry Coppies of which first Booke he may tender one to the Muster-master when he is commanded another to his Captaine a third to his Lieutenant and a fourth for himselfe which hee ought to keepe as a president for in it hee shall enrolle all Souldiers
occupations to relieue euery want before it be complaind of so that vsing them with any proportion of affection or moderation though this Officer be wanting yet shall the Armie not feele any sufferance vnder the hand of Necessity To come then to the perticular charge and nature of his Office hee hath as before I said the Charge and Commandmend of all Horses Mules Garrons Waggons Carts Sleads and other implements whatsoeuer to carry conuey all the needfull Baggage either of Meate Drinke or Apparrell which any way dependeth vpon the Armie and not only appointeth vnder him all such ministers as shall see the same mounted and laden out of euery seuerall quarter but also being so furnished placeth them in aray and Rankes as he purposeth they shall March designeing euery man to his place and order which no man shall dare or presume to breake vpon paine of either hauing so much money defaulted and taken from his wages or else some other bodily punishment at the discretion of the Waggon-Master And that these Necessaries or Baggage of the Armie may be conueyed with greater safetie the Officers of the Horse and Commanders of Infantrie are to allow vnto the Waggon-Master a good and sufficient Guard both of Horse and Foote to secure the Luggage and to bring it safe to the Rendiuous where it is to bee vnladen in the seuerall Quarters With this Baggage doth march all women of what qualitie soeuer whether they be Wiues Laundresses or Seruants all Boyes belonging to Horse or Foote and all base and idle persons being generally comprehended vnder the title of Baggage people how necessary or vsefull soeuer and indeede they are Creatures of a most base and vnhappy condition none vnder heauen induring greater slauerie or contempt especially the Horse Boyes who are vp early and downe late that eate little and labour much that finde no end of their trauell nor beginning of their rest to whome the day is too short for their Iourneing and the night not longe enough to finde out their Masters prouisions Forrage being farre to seeke Straw hard to get Boughes for their Cabines ill to come by many times in danger of Bullets with ranging wants drawing on sloathfull sicknesses sloathfull sicknesses speedy death and indeede but in death I know little they haue to call their comfort so that to conclude of a thousand what with the Bullet Sicknes Sword Famine Gallowes and other mischances except their Masters bee much the honester men scarce one liues to boast he is as old as the horse he keepeth Only some blacke Swanne amongst the rest who hath beene by God strangely preserued I haue obserued to come to aduancement and from Souldiers Horse-boyes proue valiant and braue Captaines but it hath beene like Winters Thunder hardly aboue one Cracke in a mans remembrance and therefore they may well be accounted amongst the Baggage for in the world are not found creatures of a more Baggage nature their education in the warres and their continuall early exercise in body so steelling their dispositions that if they liue to come to any mature age some proue Freebooters betweene whom and the Deuill hardly goes the sheares some Fugitiues and some whom God endueth with more spetiall grace Souldiers yet of them the least and hardest to be found out in the compasse of mans memory Now for the propper place wherein this Officer is to march with all his Baggage and prouisions although the Range and Marshalling of the vnruly company be in the discretion of the Waggon-master yet is his owne place at the appointment of the Serieant Maior who is to consider in the marching of the Armie vpon what poynt thereof the enemie is most likely to assaile as if it be vpon the head or vantguard then all the Baggage shall march in the Reare and if it be on the Reare then shall the Baggage take their place in the Van for where the greatest safetie is there this necessary-weakenesse should euer finde their security so likewise if the ememie should giue vpon the right side of the Battell then must the Baggage passe vnto the left and if vpon the left side then must it likewise passe vnto the right thus shall the Battell still become a wall to their goods and where the strength and abilitie thereof consisteth there shall their goods and weaker persons remaine as in a mansion meetest of all for their safety neither can this luggage munition nor dispised persons vpon any assault or ioyning with the enemie bee any hindrance to the armie but they shall haue full liberty to exercise their armes without being anoyed or falling foule vpon the Waggons The Horsemen which are to guard the Baggage ought to be either light horse or else Carbines or if it might be a company of such Dragons as were but lately produced which are certaine Horse-men lightly armed carrying short snaphaunce Peeces whose barrels are no more but iust sixteene inches longe and board at full Musquet boare which taking a Musquet charge will carry as all proofe can witnes directly twelue score point-blanke These Shot shall scower before the baggage that if any of the enemies stragling Horse shall offer to make Incurssions vpon them they may instantly resist them and beate them backe to their maine bodies But if it be so that the armie march in a place of safety and where there is no danger of the enemie then shall the luggage haue their place in the middest of the vauntguard alwaies with a stronge guard of pikes and shot continually about it and the Waggon-master in the head thereof to giue directions vpon any alteration which will be very commodious for the Souldier who by this forwardnes of the Baggage shall not stand to waite and expect but finde his Tent pitcht assoone as he commeth and all things which can accomodate his wearines to be ready and prepared Lastly it is the Office of the Waggon-master to looke to the goodnes and sufficiencie of all the Waggons and other carriages which hee hath in his charge to see that the bodies be whole and tyght the wheeles stronge and well bound the axletrees vnstrained and well clouted and all the harnes and implements belonging to the cattell for draught that it be firme new and vntatterd and to this end he shall euer haue neare and about him men of these trades as Codders or Knackers Cartwrights Smiths and the like with whatsoeuer is needfull for their vse which hee shall receiue by appointment from the master of the Ordnance and so he shall keepe euery thinge perfect and in good order both to the Generalls good the Souldiers profit and his owne reputation for howsoeuer some other smaller thinges depend vpon his knowledge yet these I haue already shewed are the maine substance of his cares and the full duties which are expected in his Office TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM LORD PAGET OF BEAVDESERT THE ARGVMENT Of the Forrage-Master SO little am I knowne to your Lordship that
despight of his owne will from running into disorder It is also the office of this Forrage-master when he approcheth any of those places where he findeth in part or whole the commodities he seeketh to haue a circumspect regard to the situation of the place and in what manner those commodities grow there as also what aduantage the ground or any place neighbouring neere vnto the same may haue for the placing and concealing of any ambush or other stratageme which may put himselfe and his company in danger and finding any suspition or doubt thereof it is his part presently to collect what ground of aduantage may againe relieue himselfe if any such vnlookt for accident should happen and hauing armed himselfe against the worst of all disastrous suppositions he shall yet notwithstanding dare to engage either himselfe or his company further then he hath a safe and assured retrait whereby to bring them off in despight of all the politike engines which the subtiltie of the enemy can deuise Lastly when the Forrage-master bringeth hom his Bootie which is all necessary prouisions belonging to the Horse-troupes he shall before it be shared make in his owne account a true value and estimation thereof and if he find it bee in any great measure or large quantitie so that the abundance amounteth to a very plentifull ouerplus then shall hee first of all deduct out of the whole Grosse a competent proportion to serue all the Troups of horse for the present and then the necessitie of their occasions and the profit of the Armie desiring such frugalitie he shall cause the rest to be stored and laid vp in some conuenient prouision house and thence weekely by his inferiour Officers haue it deliuered out to the Clerks of the Troups without any lauish expence or vnthrifty consumption of the same and questionlesse a better care cannot be preserued for I haue knowne in mine owne experience when at our first sitting downe before a place besieged comming vnexpected and before such prouisions could bee taken from our possessions wee haue found wondrous great plentie of all sorts of these accommodations yet hauing carelesly wasted and consumed the same without remembring any necessities that might arise from future times and being by the stubbornenesse of the enemy fixt to the continuance of a lingring Siege we haue vndergone such penury and want that it hath bin questionable whether the Besieger or the Besieged haue sustained at the hand of Fortune the greater calamitie whereas the smallest spark of Care in the beginning had fixt such a sure nayle in the wheele of Fate that nothing would haue troubled vs which had the least shadow or shape of Necessitie Many other complementall Obseruations might bee added to the nature of this office but being partly immateriall to my purpose and partly such neere dependants to the things already discussed that the one is no more but an exposition of the other I will neither bee tedious to your Lordship nor a breaker of order in the method I haue vndertaken but shut vp mine Epistle with this Conclusion That whosoeuer doth as much in this Office as is already deliuered albe hee doe not all that can be imagined yet he shall doe as much as any necessary Reason can be expected TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THOMAS LORD DARCY OF THE SOVTH NOW Viscount COLCHESTER THE ARGVMENT Of the Victuall-Master FOr me to Coine vnto your Lordship any new complement whereby to insinuate more then mine Ignorance vnderstands were a thing stranger then my strangenes vnto you Therefore I only take by the hand in this place the necessitie of your noble Range to which I am bound and the goodnesse of your honorable minde which I know will giue allowance to euery worthy study these I hope shall excuse mee and for these I know you will so farre know me as in reading this Epistle you shall finde me worthy your notice more I will not begge lesse I dare not desire and this I hope I shall euer reape from your noble vertue The next Officer assending in this warlike legend and with which I am to account in this Epistle is that of the Victuall-Master Prouant-Master or Purueyor of victuals for the whole Body of the Armie and is indeede a principall and eminent person holding a place both of great Trust Care and Estimation his generall dependance is vpon the Armie and the Generalls especiall Commandments but the perticular looketh most at the Treasurer for he supplyeth all those necessities which he is not able to furnish The ellection of this man ought to be out of the best sort of Gentlemen hauing in him both the dignity of Blood and the glory of vertue with the one to feele and pitty mens wants and extreamities and with the other to giue a speedy honest and an wholesome remedy he ought to be endued with three especiall vertues as first Wisdome which he is to exercise in making his prouisions then Temperance which is to gouerne him in the expence of his commodities according to order and lastly Frugalitie by which to increase and keepe good his store in an honest profitable and thrifty manner he should be a man of yeares and great experience both in the natures of men the necessities of the warrs and the proportioning of allowances but especially he must be a man notably well seene in all manner of houshold prouisions knowing both the Rates of all manner of victualls the places where best to find them and the safest and wholesomest way how to keepe and preserue them he must not in any wise be a Begger for he that hath neglected to feede himselfe will either little regard how hee feedeth others or else so extreamely feed himselfe first that other men will sterue whilst he is in surfeting To conclude he must in no wise be a hard harted or couetous person for Couetousnes is the mother of many vices and if this Officer either to gaine at cheape Rates by vnsound and insufficient victuals or to keepe them till the extreamity of times doe compell the Souldier to accept them store them till they rot and turne to putrifaction and then force them on those where deniall can not be heard nor relieued then belieue it this man doth his Prince and Country most wicked seruice hath the curse of the liuing and the blood of many slaughter'd Soules hanging at his elbow for from this ground aboue others doe mutenies and deuisions amongst Souldiers arise which is seldome apeas'd but with death and from hence in mine owne experience I haue obserued two such insurrections that they started the whole Armie with amazement Touching the nature and qualitie of this Officer he is to make prouision for the Armie of all kind of victualls whatsoeuer carefully and faithfuly and for that purpose is to haue at euery Rendiuous or place of Garrisson a fit and conuenient Store-House in which to pile vp and accomodate the same whether it be Bread Bisket Cheese Butter