where they shall ride amongst the souldiers on white horses clothed in white and pure silke crowned with bright triumphant garlands as the scriptures do witnesse This and such like belongs vnto such personages as take care of the souldiers in a warlike band Now then to conclude to make an end of my first discourse I would wish all valiant minded souldiers carefully to carrie in mind those precepts which are proper and due vnto a priuate souldier which I partly haue collected and set downe in this short pamphlet that when he shal be called vnto a hyer office he may deseruedly ascend the third steppe of martiall office and so by degrées rise to the height of supreme gouernment How pikes are to be carried in aray march or battaile THose that are appointed to carrie pikes in aray of rankes or battell must know that pikes amongst all other weapons that belongs to souldiers is of greatest honor and credite and truely whosoeuer doth carie and manage the same weapon wel and with good grace doth make a verie beautifull and pleasant shew to the beholders and chiefly when it is caried vpon the shoulder sustained and supported with a good grace and the hand that doth sustaine it be on that side the shoulder where it is placed and with il Gombedo alto They must likewise be aduertised which march in the formost ranckes if they be vpon the right side to hold their pikes continually in marching in the right hand and vpon the right shoulder without euer changing it and so likewise being vpon the left side of the ranck to hold it alwayes vpon the left shoulder those that be in the midst of the ranckes haue libertie to vse that side that is best for their commoditie either vpon the right or left hand and to moue their pikes from shoulder to shoulder at their choise and pleasure It is true that the iust carying of the pike of those that march in the midst of the ranckes is to hold it vpon the left shoulder to carie their right hand behind vpon their dagger or vpon their side and so generally all as well they that be in the midst as those that be in the head of the ranckes are to obserue this order to carie that hand which is at libertie behind them or vpon their sides Let him march then with a good grace holding vp his head galantly his pace full of grauitie and state and such as is fit for his person and let his bodie be straight and as much vpright as is possible and that which most imports is that they haue alwayes their eyes vpon their companions which are in rancke with them and before them going iust one with the other kéeping perfite distance without committing error in the least pace or step and euerie pace and motion with one accord and consent they ought to make at one instant time And in this sort all the ranckes entyrely are to go sometimes softly sometimes fast according to the stroke of the drum The héele and tippe of their pikes would be equally holden both of length and height as néere as is possible to auoid that they fall not out to be by bearing them otherwise like vnto Organ pipes some long some short The measure proportion thereof to hold the héele of the pike is this It is necessarie for him to haue an eye to the rancke that doth march before him and so carrie the butte end or héele of his pike that it may be iust ouer against the ioynt of the ham of the souldier that in march shall be straight before him and so euerie one from hand to hand must obserue the proportion of that height that is right behind vpon the ioynt of the knée for by doing so they cannot commit errour carying in their march that legge that is vnder that arme that sustaines and carries the pike of iust and euen proportion by mouing their pace right vnder the staffe of the pike going in their march as I haue said before iust and euen with a galant stately and sumpteous pace for by doing so they shal be estéemed honored aâ—…d commended of the lookers on who shall take wonderfull delight to behold them march in that order THE SECOND BOOK OF MILITARIE DIRECTIONS WHEREIN IS SET DOWNE THE office of a Sergeant Ensigne bearer Lieutenant and the Gentlemen of a band how to traine skirmish and discouer And first the Office of the Sergeant of a Band. SInce euerie officer through his continuall exercise and dayly diligence in executing his charge doth attaine vnto perfite experience by dayly practise which is as it were conuerted into nature therefore he which determines with himselfe to be accounted sufficient and of abilitie to discharge the place of a good Sergeant of a band with a forward intent to learne and bée thorowly instructed ought first to be a souldier that hath séene much and a Corporall of good experience according to the direrections of my first booke In which two roomes it is verie conuenient that he haue tasted and bene present at great diuersitie of seruice warlike enterprises and to carrie a resolute mind to delight in the exercise of this office to the end he be not found therin irresolute and ignorant and that likewise he faile not in the readie performing of any enterprise when martiall affaires do call him forth to put the same in execution First of all it is verie requisite that he haue most perfitely in memorie the number of all the souldiers of the band and distinctly with what weapons they are armed what quantitie of Corsâ—…ets and pikes how many armed and disarmed carrie short weapons what number of hargabusiers with murrians and without how many musket-eares how many light armed pikes and targets of proofe that the better more redily vpon a sodaine he may put the company in order He must euer plant the best armed in places most necessarie as at the front and backe the right and left side of a square The first ranck in ordinarie long marching the targets of proofe must go in as a readie rouer and bulwarke against the enimies shot next to them the musketyres then the hargabuziers and after them the armed light armed pykes amidst whose ranckes he must at al times place the Ensigne garded with halberds or bils then againe the light armed and armed pikes hargabuse and musket-eares and last of all targets of proofe by this equalitie of deuision the whole band at one instant shal be readie to receiue any suddain surprise of the enimy The sergeant carrying these things in his mind hauing laid a distinct plat he may verie easily varie their forme and order as he shall be appointed and as the situation of the place doth require or the accidents of warre do constraine He must neuer worke vnwarily or at al aduentures and tending to no determined purpose as those that doe not remember the perfite rules and reckonings of their
mouth c. or such like appointing two or three rankes of Gentlemen of the 〈◊〉 of S. Georges Squaâ—…ie to lead the voward who know the encounter and how to ioyne and thereby that way by order of the officers the shot doth issue to skirmish betwixt the skilfull 〈◊〉 beforesaid The battaile may ioyne close togither if oâ—…casion requireth also the rest of the shot may waâ—…e thorow to helpe the voward EUen as presently you haue placed 12. in ranke with your halberds and Ensigne in the midst so may they likewise fal out to be 12. in ranke in bredth and 13. in length if you place your shot in the front rereward the which as occasion serueth may be brought to skirmish any wayes This battell as the ground serueth is verie strong against the enimie SOmtimes marching in straights and especially hauing some gard in the rereward for the safetie of the Ensigne you may send certaine rankes of pikes in the front towards the enimie which shall wade through to strengthen the battaile placing the one halfe of your shot to skirmish in the front the other halfe in the rereward SOmtimes hauing scope of ground standing in doubt of horsemen cause the numbers to march 12 in a ranke at large a good distance a sunder and so to stand stil euerie man towards their quarters placing their shot on al sides betwixt the pikes which after they haue discharged being charged with horse may retire to the halberds and your outward fronts farrie close togither vntil the shot haue charged at the repulse of the horsemen to open your pikes at large and the shot to be commanded to issue and to skirmish as they were in the fronts This battell is of great force To order and imbattell 400. in quadrant proportion FOure hundreth men whether they serue in one band or vnder two seuerall Ensignes may be brought to this quadrant proportion against the defence of the enimie by placing 15. in the front ioyning foure rankes of pikes in the voward foure in the rereward and foure in the flanks your halberds and Ensigne in the midst placing your shot in sixe wings for the rescuing of ech other the rest of your shot in the voward and rereward in Diamond wise This battell for so small a number is of great force THe ground may be such as it shal be necessarie to place the same number in manner of a herse or twofold battaile placing ten in ranke in length and 20. in bredth placing your halberds and Ensigne in the midst encountring the enimie on your broad side so shall you occupie more hands then the quadrant battaile doth taking vp lesse ground in marching then the other battaile You must cause them to sarrie close togither trailing their pikes on the ground being readie to offer the push to the footemen and to crosse for the defence of horsemen your shot to be placed as before you appeareth This is of great strength so that the enimie cannot enuiron you To embattaile 500. men in a quadrant proportion ACcording to the worthinesse of the Captaine the greater is his charge as one Captaine to haue charge of 500. men vnder one Ensigne the which if any Caualliere of the order would bring into quadrant battaile hée must place 16 Pikes in front making 4. rankes quadrant placing his halberds in the midst with the Ensigne so hath hée in the bodie of the battaile 250. men his shot to be placed in the front and Rereward 110. and in the flanks of the battaile in the 8. winges 140. the which béeing discharged may discharge retire whereby to be rescued by the rest They may in this proportion March any way vnto them néedefull bée it either to trauaile or else to win grounds by any aduantage SOmetimes by reason of the ground it is necessarie to bring such a number into an hearse or twofold battaile which may bée more auailable then the Quadrant battaile To bring them into this proportion you must place 13. Pikes in breadth and 21. in length your Halberds and Ensigne in the midst your shot in the fâ—…onts and wings Thus in order they may turne their faces and march any way to them néedefull which practise may greatly auaile at time of néede as vnto great numbers appertaineth In what sort Hargabuziers and Archers are to be guided to skirmish FOr that in all skirmishes shot is the first that beginneth the fight I haue thought good in some few figures to set downe how they may March skirmish inuade and retire in politikâ—… maner and how by rankes to rescue one another whereof the practise in this smal number wil giue a light to greater knowledge which still may increase as the deuises of new inuentions do spring wherein I would wish all worthie Gentlemen couragious minds to whet their politike industrie that therby they may shun diuers discommodities and vnknowen daungers attaine to the tipe of true valiancie but to procéede This number following vpon the sight of the enemies must march thrée in a ranke casting themselues in the proportion of a Ring so to abide there appointing themselues to approch stil in aray there to discharge by rankes and so in the Rereward to charge againe being readie for seruice still marching round and whéeling about like vnto the Rutters THis number encouÌ„tring the Ring must discharge by ranks and after the first ranke hath discharged to retyre betwixt the rankes vntil they come to the Rereward there to charge and to follow his loadsman to seruice againe Thus may you continually maintaine skirmish how litle or great soeuer your number bée it giueth great encouragement to the Souldiers standing but one shot and retireth THese two bands of Hargabuzers set to encounter the enemy on their broad sides the fronts discharge turne their faces retyring betwixt the other which aduance in like maner for their rescue These retire and charge againe to seruice by practising the skirmish in this sort you may bring bands of Archers to seruice to the great anoying discomfiting of the enemie These two bands change rankes and place on their broade sides These bands of Archers be brought to seruice by the Callieuers afore them THese bands of Archers béeing brought to seruice by the Hargabuziers although the hargabuziers bée accompted to be of greater force then they bee of and the Archers not now so much vsed in the field as they haue bin yet hauing light shaftes made to shot 12. or 14. scoore may kéepe their place shooting al together ouer the heads of the hargabuziers to the gauling blemishing and great annoy of the enemie THese two bands following discharge by rankes and returne to the Rereward and charge againe who béeing placed fiue in a ranke like to two hornes are to bée brought to skirmish in like proportion to this figure The fronts or voward hauing discharged the one retyreth on the left hand the other on the right hand vnto the Rereward there
remember you of the manner that is obserued in the distance and measure in the circumference of the battell And now returning to my discourse of one ranke from another when the Souldiours are ioined closed in battell with their pikes when they stand in terme to fight to me it séemes that then in that accident the battell is to close and ioyne as straight together as is possible in such sort as they may manage and bestir themselues with their weapons without being an impediment one to another to the intent that the rankes being straite in fighting or that the souldiors be inuaded by their enemies or that they recoile by force of an onset they néed not to fal to the ground but rather that they may by those ranks that bee behinde their backes receiue helpe that vndersetting them with their brests they may hold them straight vp vpon their féete And this is not onely my opinion but of diuers other mosâ—… excellent wits The other rule of the distance of seauen foote from ranke to â—…anke which we haue spoken of is meant of marching and the managing and exercising of a battell to the intent the soldiors may receiue exercise discipline in the said battell in the which alwaies the foresaid order of measure distance is to be obserued to the intent that the Sergeant the other heads which do gouerne them may the more comodiously manage and enter in and out through the space of the said ranks How battels of euery number of footmen are compounded and placed together in order MAny sundry be the waies which be obserued in compounding together the battels of footmeÌ„ but I verely thinke that the most expedient short way amongst practised soldiors is in these two sorts that is the one to ioyne together the battel with diuided maniples and the other to double the ranks of the aray The sergeant Maior Captaine or other Sergeant hauing first determined in his minde of how many men in a ranke he will make his battell knowing first the number of the pikes that are to be had so making of one company as he may do of many one onely battell procéeding to make the battell in which of the â—… waies he list either by parting it into maniples or by doubling the ranks It is therefore first requisite to set the footmen in aray that are to be found there present numbring all the pikes and accomodating the araye in such sort that the battell may afterwards be made withall spéed and that it may serue the turne for either of those two waies as I haue said It is necessarie therefore to know the place where the battell is to be set and to take care that there be so much space as may be capable thereof knowing the rules of distance which is vsed in warfare that is how much ground the Souldiours hold from shoulder to shoulder and how much distance is left betwixt ranke and ranke of pikes But touching the measure I néed to speake no more for that the officer may measure the ground by pases yet I would commend a Souldiour that is of such discretion that of himselfe can accomodate those things by racke of eye without such precise trouble in measuring the grounde And if a battell require 300. paces in circumference hee by racke of his eye maye sée whether the place bee capable or no noting that the rules to put the distance of ranckes is made for this other respect which is of much more importance that the rankes of the battell may fight without any impediment of the Souldiers foreséeing that euerie third ranke may succour the first with their pikes and speaking of battels you must euer thinke that I speake of pikes for battels are neuer made of hargabusiers it is verie true that hauing made the battels of pikes you may accommodate them afterwards as you list about the battels by the flankes in the corners hornes or betwixt one pike and another of the formost rankes of the battell or in such other sundry wayes as may best aid and helpe the battell let iâ—… suffice that of Hargabusiers there is neuer any certaine rule set downe but euer is to be vnderstood of the order of pikes in battell of the which two wayes where I speake how a battell must be made wel and spéedily I will endeuour my selfe to let you vnderstand the way the best I can Desiring therefore to worke by the first way I haue spoken of that is to make any battell by maniples if it be to be made of any one company alone let it be of what number soeuer of footmen it is first requisite to set the aray with intent to diuide it into thrée parts that is to say into 3. maniples which may be iust of as many rankes one as another in the which maniples you ought by numbring the rankes of the pikes cause the Ensignes of the said aray to kéepe one ranke like vnto the pikes and this is obserued when the thrée maniples be vneuen that is to say that two of them should chance to be of 20. ranks and the 3. of 19. or 18. rankes and then the Ensignes shal be numbred for one ranke but alwayes the other two maniples are to be of iust number as for example There is a company of 300. pikes the which if you desire to put in aray before you make your battell consider how many ranks they will be 5. in a rank and you shal finde them to be 60. ranks diuide the aray into 3. parts cutting them off at euery 20. ranks and after draw vp to the first ranke the second part that is the maniple of the middest and ioyne in order the first ranke to the head of the first maniple the which being on the right hand of the maniple with the Ensignes you shal draw then the 3. maniple to the left side ioyning the first rankes to the head of the other two maniples so that the aray hauing bene of fiue for a ranke the battel shal be one way 15. and the other way of 20. pikes Now desiring to haue the battell to be more large in the front then in the flankes the which I commend of what number soeuer the pikes are of he shall cause the Sergeant to go to yâ— flank where he would make the front and standing still a little distance forth of the battel he shal crie aloud Turne your faces this way the which being heard of the souldiers sodainly they shall turne them selues towards that side which he shall giue them notice of Obserue then this order at all times when you haue made a battell let the pikes be of what number soeuer let it suffice that I aduertise you that at al times when you list to make the front where the flanke is so that the place where you would make it be capable and commodious that you may frame and make the battell according to your determination you
some other enterprises but these things cannot be accomplished without long abode in warres 7. yeares seruice at the least of an armie in sundrie hazards of fights and battailes Therefore it is necessarie for the Sergeant Maior in time of rest when the enimie is absent to cause the bands to assemble and to put them in sundrie sorts of standing and marching battailes to reduce them sometimes into small squadrons of 400. 500. 600. 700. 800. 900. 1000. in a battaile more or lesse at his pleasure and to cause these battailes to march forwards swiftly or slowly to sarrie open shut close and disclose their squadrons some times in sundrie battaillons reduce themselues vpon a sodaine into one maine square and from that againe to haue passages galleries for the shot through diuers places of the same marching forwards and backward according to the stroke of the drumme to stay and retyre in perfite measore with no lesse facilitie then Gentlemen dance their Measures by a noyse of vyolens as hereafter ensueth When the army can perfitely do this then cause them sodainly to make any flacke or front or turne entirely togither as if it were one bodie without breaking aray for it is a cunning point to make a squadre to march vpon one corner maintaining his square forme This and such like varietie in marching brings the souldier to be verie readie so that although he neuer saw the enimy in the face yet he may be rather accounted a trained souldier then he which hath bene 20 yeares in seruice and in 20. battailes if this skil be wanting in him and merites the name of a raw souldier and Bisognia Note that there is no battaile apt to march but only the square battaile or the compound of squares all others as the Lunule the Triangle the Pentagonall and the Hexagonall the circular and ouall battailes and others which easily may be inuented neuer serue to any vse but onely in fixed and immoueable battailes for presently and by and by in marching they disorder Therefore great consideration is to be had betwixt a marching and standing battaile which kinde of immoueable battailes though of themselues they are smally seruiceable considering that in all encounters continuall motion is required it being vnpossible to train men to that perfection but that in marching they shall breake their aray yet for exercise sake and for some speciall seruice it is most conuenient for the Sergeant Maior oftentimes to plant his souldiers into those fashions of imbattelling that appeare hereafter by figures sodainely changing them from a triangle to a square and from one shape to another and thereby bring them into such perfection in these lesse necessarie and hard cunning toyes that the other plaine seruiceable formes may séeme most plaine and easie He must beforehand premeditate as partly I haue touched and cast in his minde in what sort with most facilitie he may bring his men to order of battaile committing to the peculiar Sergeant of euery band the charge to draw theÌ„ forth in sléeues and maniples and so cause one to march close vp by another till al the battailes be furnished placing alwaies the Ensignes and drums in the middle rankes of the battaile There néede no such curious order to be vsed in placing the shot in any forme of battaile but only to put them into certaine wings and flankes for the battailes and if he thinke good euery wing to be deuided into sundrie pettie troopes of 25. 50. or 100. men a péece and euerie of these troopes to haue a leader which is either Corporall Sergeant or Cauallier of Saint Georges squadre so that to maintaine a skirmish first one Corporall or leader marcheth forth and bringeth to the face of the enimie his troope who presently discharging retyre themselues and in his place another leader with his companie presents himselfe continuing this order of supply succouring seconding shadowing and encreasing the skirmish continually maintaining the same without any intermission either inuading retyring or in any charge or enterprise a requisite obseruation for the forlorne hope But the place being large it shall be requisite to present oftentimes many of these troopes at once to the face of the enimie who hauing deliuered their volée of shot may if it be thought good march about and giue place to those that shall supply their place so relieue succour one another by turnes And this kind of discharging and supplying may in the open field be verie well maintained in the ring march as the rutters do so that in whéeling about the head shall be sure alwayes to haue charged before the taile haue discharged and thus in a circular march the skirmish all day shall continue In plaine ground he shall neuer turne out any shot to the skirmish without certaine sléeues of pikes to gard them vpon the retraite from the charge of horses and also troopes of short weapons as swords and targets Halberds or such like to backe them if at any time they should come to the sword or ioyne pell mell with the enimie and such were called of the Romaines vindices but if euery shot had likewise at his backe a light leather or Uenecian target to vse with his sword when he saw occasion they would doe great good seruice Our English bowes for want of shot and fornecessitie to gall and disorder a troope of horsemen drawing néere to them may â—…erue to verie good purpose but they must be garded with Pikes or shadowed with shot c. The Sergeant Maior must likewise haue knowledge in Arithmetike Algebra of those proportions which are set out by M. Digges in his Stratioticos whereby he may sodainely for all forme of battailes resolue how many ranks and how many in a ranke to frame battailes what number of Pikes of Halberds of Musket and Hargabuse shot is requisite how manie maniples or sléeues euerie battaile may be resolued into how many rankes of pikes in the front backe and flankes how many rankes of Halberds to gard the Ensigne vpon sight of the ground to iudge whether it be capable of such a multitude and what forme of imbattelling may best agrée vnto it c. When he doth cause any squadron or battaile to turne his face or front he must take order that the souldiers turne onely their bodie and face but not their armes and weapons whose points they ought to kéepe in their hands thereby to shunne the noyse that by linking and striking togither they will make and to auoid confusion which oftentimes in such cases doth fallow since that in this sort more readily and with greater silence this act is executed all the weapons remaine readie and fast in the souldiers hands the which order makes a verie stately shew and after brings great commoditie when they must of new accommodate themselues and make large in the flanckes to march at large Let al that which he determines and appoints to be done be commanded and ordained from the
nothing can please their fantasie but such as doth best agrée to their own humours and inuentions specially in ordering and imbattelling souldiers wherein euen as the sundrie vse of diuers nations at this day do differ so do the minds of many new leaders alter change embrace despise inuent and set downe manifold wayes to plant an armie in ranged battell in the fielde which I well considering haue thought good in part to make collection out of diuers Authors Italian Spanish French Latine and English and part such as of my owne experience I haue séene put in practise of the Spaniards and other warlike nations vnder Don Iohn D'austria and the Prince of Parma out of both which Callenders I haue chosen the greatest number that séeme any thing to the purpose that thereby at leastwise the dainty tasted monthes of our age may light vpon some apt for their digestion But before I wade into great numbers M. Stewards formes shall serue my turne to satisfie the priuate Captaines Lieutenants of Regiments and Collonels as fit for their peculiar offices and will first begin with a table of discouerie of all marches within the compasse of 1500. men A Table to discouer numbers by hundreds placed by 3. 5. 7. 9. c. in ranke and aray assembled from one hundreth vnto a 1500. As thus marching 3. in ranke 34. rankes containe 102. men by which example you may plainly perceiue the methode following and discouer like numbers  Rankes Men. 3. in Ranke 34 is 102 67 is 201 100 is 300 5. in ranke 20 is 100 40 is 200 60 is 300 80 is 400 100 is 500 7. in ranke 15 is 105 29 is 203 43 is 301 57 is 399 72 is 504 86 is 600 100 is 700 9. in ranke 11 is 99 22 is 198 33 is 296 45 is 405 56 is 504 67 is 603 78 is 702 89 is 801 100 is 900 11. in ranke 9 is 99 18 is 198 27 is 297 37 is 406 46 is 506 56 is 616 64 is 715 74 is 820 81 is 897 91 is 1017 100 is 1100 13. in ranke 8 is 104 16 is 208 2â—… is 299 31 is 404 39 is 507 46 is 70â—… 54 is 〈◊〉 62 is 〈◊〉 69 is 1014 78 is 1105 8â—… is 1196 92 is 1230 100 is 1300 15. in ranke 7 is 10â—… 14 is 210 20 is 300 27 is 404 34 is 510 40 is 600 47 is 707 54 is 810 60 is 900 67 is 1005 74 is 1110 80 is 1200 87 is 1305 94 is 1410 100 is 1500 An order to imbattell 600. men at the sodaine against horsemen and footemen IT is appointed vnto the Lieutenant of a Regiment or vnto two or thrée Captaines to bring 600. men to conuey charge or do exploits as the commandement of the higher officers shall appoint them The Leader or Captaines aduertised of straites passages and situations of the countries also on what part the enimies be most like to assault them must giue order vnto your officers to place 13 in front as here is set downe by proportion of figure your Ensigne in the midst with the halberds your shot placed in the wings as appeareth At such times as the enimies shall assault you ioyne both your bands become one strength as the ground doth serue This order is verie necessarie to doe many exploits How the like number may be brought into the manner of a hearse to defend horsemen SOmetimes marching by 10. in rank vpon the fight of the enimies diuide into two parts and ioyne their broad sides diuided togâ—…ther become in one strength which bring thus placed is in length 24 in bredth 10. Against horsemen they must pitch their pikes on the ground and crosse them against footemen beare aboue hand They must sarriâ—… close togither and not disseuer to follow or flie leâ—…t their disorders make place for the enimies to enter as by this proportion doth appeare Somtimes for the saftie of your shot you must receiue them within the gard of your pikes This H signifieth horsemen galloping the fielde to break vpon you where they may best enter most easily as by the void space appeareth the ouerplus of your shot to be placed in 4. wings without the battel This proportion to disseuer is verie perillous How to imbattell 900. souldiers at the sodaine MArching with 900. men and vnderstanding by scout or spie that the enimie pretendeth to skirmish with them or otherwise to ioyne battel you may diuide your bands in thrée parts marching 9. in a ranke placing officers betwixt euerie band that being assaulted may ioyne the Uoward and the Rereward to the middleward so fall they out to be an hearse battell placing your shot in the wings that they may the better resort to the skirmish likewise to retyre as occasion scrueth this is a singular good order for the obtaining of any grounds or doing of exploites An order how to imbattell 900. men at the sodaine An order to imbattell the like number in Quadrant proportion WHen battels are to be made if the Sergeant Maior should chance to be absent giue commandement vnto the Sergeants of the bands to bring their companies seuerall and then ioyne your bands and sorted weapons the brode sides togither as your number serues your Captaines drums and 〈◊〉 with your Ensigne placed in the midst of the execution as well for the saftie of the same as for the comforting of the souldiers neuerthelesse such order is taken that Lieutenants and Sergeants of bands with other seruiceable Gentlemen of S. Georges squadre be placed to leade the Uoward and Rereward of the battell where onsets be vncertaine whose beautifull Armours pollitike and couragious charge is a great terrour to the enimie and a great comfort to their owne companie the shot to be placed in foure froupes with two wings in the Rereward for that they may easier maintain skirmish round about the battell on which side soeuer they be assaulted An order to imbattell 1200. men quadrantly at the sodaine THe foure Quarters ioyned in one seeme to be 1200. men vnder 4. Ensignes euerie way who at the enimies sight must place 13. in ranke which fall to be a quadrant euerie way which â—…odainly may ioyne their long weapons togither making one Quadrant of the foure your drummes and fiffes with the Captain placed next to the Ensigne the Lieutenants in the wings and the Sergeants in the Uoward and Rereward wherby they may the better giue intelligence by signe or word what is best to be done 300. men being shot in the wings and the 300. in Demie Diamondwise after the Almaine manner in the midst the which being discharged the musket and hargabus shot will greatly preuaile This wayes they may march wholly togither or retyre any wayes to seruice néedful ready with their shot to encounter the enimie any wayes in skirmish either wing rescuing other as néede shall require And although the Sergeants maior appointeth order for the same yet the Sergeants of euery band
hauing experience onely ruleth and giueth order to their owne charge and appoint and place such in the fronts Rereward and wings as to them séeme most conuenient This proportion is after the Almaine manner of imbattelling much like vnto the order of the Romaines who deuided their Legions into diuers Cohorts to this intent that when the fronts were wearied the Mainward and Rereward succéeded which the late experience of the Frenchmen hath tried that the deuiding of the battell into many bands so that they haue pikes sufficient to impale the Halberds or Bils and to euerie Band their number of shot and Horse is more auaileable then any battel being made of a whole bodie or as the Gréeks tearme it a Phalange for they are to be drawne out in length or bredth as the ground or occasion serueth to charge and encounter the enimie placed in one battell vpon euery quarter to their detriment and ouerthrowing of any so placed being of sufficient strength for defence of horse and though the first or second or third should be ouerthrowne yet be rest kéeping their order are to succéede Whereas the battell being one after the frontes be ouerthrowne the Rereward is readie to run the which being disordered can hardly recouer to place them in order againe An order to imbattell a Collonels charge COllonels and Chieftaines who oftentimes according to their experience and worthinesse of seruice haue the charge and leading of 1500. men more or lesse to whom is committed diuers sundrie exploits and points of seruice in the fielde whereof they discrie any multitude of horsemen pretending for to charge them and to enuiron your battel hauing no waghon borough or pale of carriages water hedge ditch or other succours but only the strength of their manual weapons pollicy of defeÌ„ce vpon the sight of the enimies must cast in this sort the Uoward Rereward to become one strength to serue and sarrie close togither to couch to crosse and defend as by this order may appeare The thrée vtmost rankes must consist of faire armed and skilfull Gentlemen and Caualliers and others pitching their pikes on the ground couching crossing them the two rankes next giuing the push at the length of the pikes the shot placed within the pikes for safegard stand readie to shoote charge stil in their places This order to encounter with footemen if it be possible will recouer the aduantage of wind hil and full in good order on the one side of the hill to ioyne in fight where God giueth the victorie before these same encounters An excellent order to repulse horsemen Reuiue your souldiers with meat drinke and good counsell and with comfortable words to animate and encourage them withall How to imbattell 1500. men in quadrant proportion AS before I haue set forth the order or imbattelling of 1500. men in two fold wise the which in some ground is much auaileable for that it occupieth more hands then the iust square in fight at one instant notwithstanding such must be assured that the enimie can approch but one way which else may be preiudiciall therefore in the plaine field the iust square or quadrant is the strongest order that may be neuertheles it is conuenient that at such times as you purpose to ioyne battel with the enimie hauing Ordinance and other carriage to place the same on the wings and Rereward thereby to impale the squadron to the intent the enimie enter not but in the fronts Also the expert Captaines must foresée to obtaine hill wind sun or any other aduantage the which diuers wayes greatly profiteth If your battell be assaulted with horsemen and lances then couch and crosse your pikes as appeares in the last figure against footemen sarrie close trailing your pikes vntill the encounter and then to offer the push till repulse be giuen and God giue victorie In the fronts you must place your best armed and most valiant men as well to encourage the rest as to be a terrour to the enimies your shot to be placed in the wings and rereward for being placed in the fronts they cannot well retyre but vpon their owne pikes or else vpon the shot in the wings To bring 1500. men to this proportion you must place sixe rankes of pikes 59. in ranke euerie wayes which comes to 500. and 12. the shot to be placed in 4. troups in the wings 10. in ranke which is 400. And 300. ten in ranke and 29. in bredth in the Rereward the which are to succéed the other troupes after they haue discharged the 50. shot and 48. pikes are to be placed about the Artillarie or otherwise at the discretion of the Collonell the Captaines and Lieutenants with the Sergeants to be placed about the battell to giue order as may best preuaile The Chieftaine Collonel to be placed within the battell as appeareth in this figure The Characters to be vsed in proportions of greater Squadrons BUt to touch more at large greater numbers both how they are ranged and battelled wherein the Sergeant Maior generall of an armie is called to vse his office I do here according to my promise set downe sundrie proportions of diuers kinds for the better vnderstanding whereof it is requisite to carrie in minde the signification of these Characters These Characters S Signifie Shot ☌ or this P Signifie Pikes ✚ or this H Signifie Halberds E Signifie Ensignes â–¡ Signifie Launces â–µ Signifie Light horsemen * Signifie Argoletteares A Quadrant or twofold battell of 2000. men THe form of this battel following which represeÌ„ts a quadraÌ„t hath bene ofteÌ„ vsed as very profitable of many Italians wel experienced of great authoritie in the field it is as it doth appeare flanked enuironed with two great bodies or sléeues of Hargabusiers the which containe in number for ech flank 380. men in the Uoward 100. and in the Rereward 140. which shot are to be carried about the battel very commodiously for seruice and as they shall séeme otherwise to be imployed by the Sergeant Maior In the bodie of the battell are 800. pikes 200. Halberds or Bils and ten Ensignes hauing to euery Ensigne 200. men the which to be brought to this forme you must place 45. in rank for the breadth and 22. in ranke for the length The Captaines Lieutenants and Sergeants as appeareth by this figure in the heart of the battel although this manner or forme giueth scope to mooue which way they list yet I hold it best not to suffer theÌ„ to stir much and the litle mouing which is to be granted to them must not be ouer hastie but in pace â—…loe sober well measured vnlesse he hath to set againe the like battel of the enimie for then the last rankes must be somewhat quicker in stirring And to bring tenne thousand or twentie thousand to this order readily they must in setting forward march with maniples well seuered and deuided hauing a Sergeant Lieutenant or Cauallier at the head
Campe for the defence of thy lodgings munition and carriages least the enimie vnderstanding the place to be left voide sende his Souldiers to take the Campe and so to spoile all vpon occasion some Captaines will destroie their owne lodgings or els passe riuers or leaue behinde them hils and déepe places to the ende that the Souldiers standing constantly may ouercome the aduersarie and obtaine the victorie or otherwise altogether to perish for that if they should thinke to saue themselues by running away they shall sée by all manner of meanes taken from the possibilitie to escape Nowe béeing come to ioyne battaile with thy enimie cause thy Souldiers somewhat before to flourishe oft their naked Swordes and Halberds against the Sunne for that the glistering of the weapons and their shining pointes through the brightnesse nowe of the one and nowe of the other against the resplendant Beames of the Sunne dooth shew a certaine horrible terrour of warre the which will strike a dread and feare into the mindes of the enemies Likewise it is sometimes requisite that thy battailes goe forwardes with rumours and showtings sometimes running with violence forasmuch as the semblaunce of such thinges with the noise of Trumpets Drummes and great Ordinance woonderfully troubleth and feareth the heartes of the aduersaries also it is great wisedome in a Captaine not with desire to bée drawne to bée the first to giue the onset but to staie thée néere thy trench till thou hast viewed thy selfe and the Rendies of the enemies that is howe manie battailes howe they are placed of what condition and where they are disposed to fight for after this manner thou maist more commodiouslie sée to thine affaires considering which of thine thou hast to sette against those of thy enimies and in what manner thy men are to bée ordeined and placed dooing in like sort to a good Physition the which considering first the infirmitie and knowing the cause commeth afterwards to giue remedie therefore ordeine thy men so as may turne most vtilitie to thy businesse The manner of ordering of battels lately vsed I cannot greatly command for the armie being 20. 30 or 40. thousand they are deuided but into 3. battels whereby ensueth many perils and discommodities because the Pike being but fiue yards thrée quarters long euerie man occupying a yard and halfe a quarter of pike can occupie but foure or fiue rankes at the most so that the rest are superfluous and lost besides they are easily to bée compassed and to be charged on euerie side wherefore I haue set downe an order of one of the battels in figure according to my opinion the which if it may turne profite to my countrie I would be most glad The occasion of the prosperous successe of the Romaines was onely through their good orders by diuiding their Legions into cohorts the which were bands of 400. and 50. the 50. were shot the 400. were armed their weapons pikes swords and targets the which were placed in quadrant manner 20. euerie wayes being 10. battels in front leauing a certaine space betwéene euerie battell for their retrait vpon occasion vnto the next order which were but sixe battels and the rereward foure battels all in like number kéeping one bredth the voward were called Hastatie their battel 's thicke and close the Maineward were called Principie who had such space betwéene their rankes as they might receiue the Hastatie the rereward were called Triarij whose spaces betwéene their rankes were such as they might receiue the Principie and Hastatie on the wings were placed seauen rankes of Pikes of strangers which did distend in length from the voward to the rereward through these good orders they became conquerours of many countries Now because of the diuersitie of the weapons hauing 20000. footemen I would deuide them into tenne battels to euerie one of the battels shall be according to my proportion set downe 1000. shot 800. pikes and 200. Billes the which placed in twofold wise according to my proportion set downe in figure will be in bredth 45. and in length 22. and ten ouerplus the which are to be placed at the discretion of the Sergeant Maior the shot placed in the wings and rereward in maniples for the readier seruice who must be placed a good distance from thy battel thy men at armes vpon the wings of the shot thy Lances as two hornes in the front of the battell the light horse in the fronts of thy Lances the hargulaters in the fronts of thy light horse who with the pistoleters are the first that begins the battel thy great ordinance to be placed in the fronts of the battels or in such conuenient place as may most terrifie the enimie there would be appointed certaine troupes of Lances whose guidons would be contrary to the rest the which the Germaine cals their Forlorne hope the French Infants perdus who must at such time and instant as shall be thought good by the General giue the charge vpon the enimies battels whatsoeuer shall happen who are for the same to receiue double pay The second battell not to be placed in the front with the first battell as the Romaines did but in the rereward of the first so far wide and with such distance as the horsemen and shot a foote giuing the first charge may retire themselues without disturbance to the battels hauing thy shot placed as in the voward with the lances and shot on horsebacke the third battell to be placed in the rereward of the second with like distance with shot and horse and so to the fourth fift and the tenth in the rereward of the which if occasion require thou maist as in the rereward of the battell place for the defence certaine of thy carriages Thy battels being thus ordered thou shalt be sure no wayes to be compassed by the enimies whereas thou maist easily compasse in him not ordered in the like manner and thy battels being but little yet as strong as the greater being strongly fortified euerie way with pikes and when a signe is giuen your hargolateares pistolateares and lances may at the sodaine be with the formost or readie for any other place of seruice Also your second battell may ioyne with the first and the third with the second and so to strengthen your battels at pleasure as otherwise two or thrée of thy battels to giue the charge to one of his battels and if it should so happen that thy first and second battels should be ouerthrowne thy battel placed in this order thou maist retire thy selfe and leaue of the field maugre the head of thy enimie who in prosecuting thée disorder themselues as many times happens may be easily conquered vsing thy battels in this order I hold to be of greatest force and most auailable THese 4. foresaid battels were taken by M. T. Steward out of his second booke Captaine Francesco Ferretti della Osseruanâ—…a Militare out of whom he hath likewise borrowed the greatest part of his Pathway to
Militarie Discipline wherein he hath followed the steppes of Leonard and Thomas Digges Gentlemen in their Stratioticos for the which they merite great commendations by the benefite our country may reap by their trauels But neuerthelesse because I will not attribute that vnto my selfe which is none of my owne I haue thought good to deale more directly and not to reape the fruites of other mens toyles and therefore in following my determination in setting downe diuers battels this battell following I borrow out of M. Digges his Stratioticos The proportion of a battell out of M. Digges Stratâ—…oticos MAster Digges in his third booke intituled Stratioticos hath imbattelled an army of 30000. footmen and 6000. horsemen which hâ—… for an excellent forme of imbattelling figures thus First as you may behold he hath diuided the Armie into two Fronts or faces hath separated them into 8. battaillons euery of them hauing 30. in a ranke and 33. rankes They are armed in the front with 7. ranks of pikes all the rest of the short weapons as swords and targets halberds billes or such like Euery battaillon containeth 1000. men lacking 10. and are placed 3. or â—… paces one from another The second front is diuided into fiue great battaillons euerie one of them being of 2000. men 40. in ranke and 50. rankes euerie battaillon armed in the front with 6. rankes of pikes These battaillons ought to be one from another at the least 25 paces the one front of battels from the other at least 60. paces in or nigh the middle battaillon of this second front shal be the Generall himselfe when he séeth time These battaillons are impaled on either side with 100. ranks of pikes 7. in a ranke and on the backe with 6. rankes of pikes without these hath he placed the shot in 24. troups euery troup containing 100. There is also the forlorne hope before the face of the battell likewise 18. troupes of shot 100. a péece who after they come to the face of the enimie disband and maintaine sâ—…ir mish Last of al the wings of horsemen which M. Digges hath placed in a preposterous order by placing the Argolatâ—…ares last but I both altering their course names say that two of the first are Argolateares 50. in a ranke 25. rankes the second light horsemen 30. in a ranke 33. rankes and the last Demie lances 30. in a ranke 25. ranks Thus there is in the first front of pikes 1680 In the second front 1200. In the impalement 3800. These in all amount to 6680 so is there left 320. pikes to be imployed in loose fléeues to accompanie such thâ—…t short weapon as shal remaine for the gard of the Ordinance Likewise in the first front there are of short weapons 6240. in the second front 8800. so there do remaine 960. short weapons to be imployed togither with the remnant of the pikes for gard of the Artillerie or carriages or else to mingle with the shot in the forlorne hope the which when they shall grow to pell mell with the enimie will do great seruice Also after the battels approch they may retire with the forlorâ—…e hope to assist their horsemen The shot you may behold sorted in troupes 1800. in the front and in either wing 2400. so doe there remaine 400. shot more to ioyne with the pikes and short weapons extraordinarie in any seruice Thus after the great Ordinance on either side haue discharged the Forlorne hope is continually to be supplied with new troupes of shot from the flankes and wings and these troupes of the Forlorne hope that haue discharged should retire betwéene the battaile and the troopes of horse to the backe of the wings so maintaining the flanckes alwaies furnished and thus skirmish may continually be maintained with fresh men the battell alwaies impaled But after the battell begins to approch the forlorne hope must withdrawe themselues then is your first battell strongly fronted and impaled with pikes to abide any charge of horsemen and after their pikes are broken are together with the rest of the short weapon to deale with the enemie and during the continuance of the fight betwéen these battailons the shot may continually discharge in the face of the enemie Likewise there may be certaine small carriages some laden with muskets some with Calabashes others with murdering fire balles and these cariages may during the battell continually spoile the enemies front being safely garded betwéen the battaillons but if fortune should abandon them in the first encounter and that they be broken by the enemies yet haue they those ample spaces betwéene the battaillons of the second front to retire vnto there to make head and giue the enemie battell againe And these spaces or lanes betwéene the battaillons serue not onely to receiue the skirmishers or other that shall retyre but also for the messengers which among the Romans were called Mâ—…ndatores to passe to and fro and to signifie vnto all parts from time to time the Generals pleasure The Argolateares are to gallop the field and scale the side of a squadron the light horsemen to charge vpon the skirmishers and the lances to breake vpon the scaled battel and one to helpe an others course as néed dooth require Thus farre M. Digges prefers this battell which he would haue vsed when no aduantage is gained by the nature of the place but that the Generall must trust to the strength of his good order wherein hee dooth wish such perfection in ouâ—… souldiorie as was in the Romane that they might be able to fight and retire in order and so make many sundry heads vpon the enemie if fortune did abandon them in the first or second encounter the which is farre better in respect of our common brute maine battel or 3 battailes in one front committing the whole field to one brunt of seruice which is a barbarous order therefore it were good the soldiours of our time did applye practise and reforme diuers errors The figure of a Battell out of Monsieur de Bellay his instructions in the Arte of warre MOnsieur de Bellay in his first booke of Militarie discipline sets downe this proportion of a battell This battell euen as the other before consists of receipts one into an other so that the front being broken they must retire into the voide spaces of the second front and they both consequently being repulsed to plant themselues within the thirde last succours the pikes of both flankes ought to retire as the battels retire that is to say the first ranke ought to retire within the 2 and the 2 within the 3 the 3 within the 4 the 4 within the 5 the 5 within the 6 so consequently the rest The Hargabusiers and horsemen must likewise do their duetie according to all warlike order But for your further and perfect instruction howe this battell and all other of like qualitie are to be directed read the Chapter following which is intituled A notable
brunt in the front as though they were immortall and not able to be ouercome By this order a battell shall be able to sustaine a charge of horsemen or footmen to repulse them after enter into the enimies throng for experience declares that the pikes are made voide of seruice when the rankes be closed pell mell togither for then the souldiers are almost one vpon the bodie backe of another Wherefore if the pikemen should haue no other weapons but their pikes and swords they should remaine naked which doth moue me to commend the rondell to receiue the blowes and to fight withall in any presse or throng whatsoeuer The halberdeares may verie well fight in a presse likewise with their halberds rather then the pikemen with their pikes The which halberdeares are expresly appointed for execution and so consequenly to follow the said rondels at the héeles to frée them from the charge of those that be armed through the great heauie blowes which they shall giue with their halberds But touching the rondels I would haue them alwayes to thrust with the point of their swords although it were but at the face the legges and féete if the enimie be not disarmed in other parts The ground that euery souldier doth occupie at large in marching in simple and single aray is thrée pace and being in battell two and when they fight one The distance of one ranke from another in simple and single ordinance and aray is foure and being ranged in battell two and in fight one The first sound of the Collonels trumpet is to enter into the ranke and march the second to alter the single aray into forme of battell and the thirde is to aduance and plant the battell The Collonel being in such a place as from thence he may sée his whole Regiment hauing the Caualliers of his squadre of S. George about him being such expert souldiers as I haue set downe in my second booke of directions togither with the Sergeant Maior and such as can execute any commission of importance his drum and trumpet maior about him to sound and cause his pleasure to be sodainly and spéedily vnderstood The Collonel must commande the sound to be made of his trumpet which is appointed for the ordinarie march and soone after to sounde that which is to trot and then at the selfe time that which commands and appoints the fight and combat When a battell doth consist of diuers battaillons he must not forget to exercise the first to retire within the battaillons of the second the second to retire within the battaillons of the third And to accomplish the same without breaking or disordering the squadrons The pikes in the flankes must retire as the battaillons retire the first into the second the 3. within the 4. the fourth within the 5. the fift into the 6. of the ranks and so consequently to the end The forlorne hope and horsmen shal likewise do their dutie These things done the retrait must sound and euery Ensigne must recoile his people apart to put them again in a new and single ordinance of aray for the march The enimie aduancing to fight in triangular battel with the point forward frame the battell of sheares to receiue enuiron and fight with the said pointed battaillon If the enimie march with a front stretched out in length make a triangle or pointed battel to pearce the same The baggage of an armie ought either to be in a place strong by nature or well defended by art and industrie togither with the followers of the campe pages and muchachos who must be chosen able to fight in a day of seruice for the defence of themselues and their masters baggage The spaces interualles galeries and passages which are amongst the ranks amongst the bands and amongst the battaillons do serue not onely to receiue one another either in retire or when the first ranke doth retire through the midst of the second and the 2. 3. 4. and 5. c. following him like a Laborinthus mase going forward to the last ranks and turning backe again or that his next follower steps a side and lets him passe and enter into ranke againe but also those spaces betwixt the battaillons serue the Caualliers such like that come go which carrie bring directions of the Chieftaines Collonels or Generals The forlorne hope and extraordinarie pikes must inuade the enimie with continuall great cries the battaillons or maine battell likewise at the first must giue a chearefull shout when encounter is giuen in the beginning and ioyning of the battels but afterward maintain a solemne silence that they may the better vnderstand what commandements and directions procéeds from their chieftain either for the altering of order or otherwise which cannot be heard or vnderstood if they continue a barbarous crie Squadrons battaillons must sometimes assault in great hast chiefly if the enimies artillery doe endomage them verie much and sometimes must abide the charge without remoouing when the place is vneasie that they shall be in danger to dismember specially if they be such as be not accustomed to the march maner of battels Therefore in conclusion these 4 things ought to be obserued of all armies first that all soldiors priuate bands be exercised a part in all things belonging to the wars secondly that they know how to range themselues in battell how to varie exercise and march in the same softly apace and in full course kéeping their araic Thirdly to learne that which appertaines to the exercise which they must accomplish in a day of battell and how to drawe forward and retire the artillarie to giue way and cause the Hargabuziers to issue out of the flanks hauing shot sixe or 7 Hargabusades a péece in running héere and there and without kéeping order so that they know how to ioyne and agrée with the pikemen and horsemen to whom the care ouer their safety belongs They shall retire by the flankes and by the interuals and passages each one into his place that is to say the hargabuziers of the flankes into the flanks the forlorne hope to the reregard there to range themselues according to the Collonels appointment as the day of seruice requires for if they should remaine and continue before the squadre or battel they shall hinder the maine battaillons in their fight and bring confusion The light armed pikes horsemen must likewise retire to their places vpon the ioyning of the battels The fourth exercise is as partly I haue touched before that euery one apply himselfe to vnderstand the commaundement of the Chéeftains the signification of the sounds and trumpets and the batterie of the drums by which be signified all that which is generally to be vnderstood that is to say when it shall be time to plant themselues in battell when they ought to march when to stay or go forward when to turne visage to one part or other to crosse the ground
must cause them to turne their faces towards that side where you would haue the front of the battell to be I iudge it good likewise to aduertise you that desiring to make any battell with maniples for that it oftentimes fals out that some rankes in the aray do remaine vnperfite which are called broken rankes these are taken out are accommodated about at the sides of the Ensignes so diuided neuerthelesse that they may remaine in good order The which Ensignes alwayes when you make any battell you must haue respect that they may haue a large roome and space that they may accommodate themselues with the souldiers which make the broken number as for example in aray of fiue and fiue in a ranke in the last ranks there remaines 3. or 4. souldiers which do not furnish out the full ranke And the like is to be obserued when you are to part your aray into 3. maniples and that they haue some rankes more then the entire and full aray As would fall out hauing to make an aray of 500. pikes and put the case that you would place them 7. and 7. in a ranke they would fall out to be 71. rankes and 3. pikes more and diuiding into thrée parts these 71. pikes and 3. pikes they amount to 23. rankes doubling the 3. maniples as I haue said so that 3. times 23. makes 69. rankes and there is ouer and besides two rankes of the aray and 3. pikes which is in all the brokeÌ„ number 17. pikes which in making of the battell must be set aside by themselues vntil the 3. maniples be ioyned in battell the which on one side will be 23. pikes on the other 21. The 17. pikes then that are taken out shal be accommodated diuided here there where the Ensignes stand And when it fals out that there doth arise to be pikes or broken rankes that are so many as were able to make a whole ranke in the battel then it is to be made ioyning it either before or behind the Ensignes or at the flankes of the battell or where it shal fal out to be best for it imports not much and so you work by this rule of maniples in one companie alone as well as with many And hauing to make a battell of sundrie companies the true rule is to work by these maniples and you must procéed in this sort First take order with all the heads of the companies that they frame all their order of aray in one manner and sort if any of the said heads haue any greater number of pikes then his commission doth allow let him take them forth giue them in supplie to those Captaines that are found to haue lesse then he hath appointed for their aray Let vs then vse this example in this sort that is that if there be found in companie or in any other place vnder the gouernmeÌ„t of ten Captaines to the number of 3. thousand souldiers in aray that is to say only pikes after the rate of thrée hundred vnder euerie Captaine being iust 3000. of which the Sergeant Maior hauing to make a battaillon must do in this sort He must giue order to all the Sergeants of the bands that they make all their araies after one sort after one number and the one head or front being distant from the other a little he shall cause their arayes to march and let vs put the case that the Sergeant Maior haue giuen them order that they place themselues sixe and sixe there will be in euerie companie 50. rankes and so it is néedfull that euerie one haue put their aray 6. and 6. in 50. rankes and desiring to ioyne and close these battels he shal cause these companies to march one after an other shall close them togither ioyning the first rankes to the head of the aray one of another knitting the maniples to their portion and this battell will fall out to be on one side 50. pikes which wil be flanks and the other which wil be the front wil be of 60. pikes for so much as being 10. maniples 6. in a rank it wil fal out to be iust as I haue said before to make it a right square it wil be of 54. on euery side remaining out of the battel 84 which at pleasure may be put in ranke so taking 54. out of 84 there remaines 30. pikes which being not able to make a ranke are to be placed about the Ensignes as I haue said before There be othersome that hold this other manner in making of battels to double the ranks that is hauing set his araie and marching with them they begin at the head of the aray where the Sergeant staying doth cause them to march forward and the first beginning to passe doth appoint the second that it ioyne it selfe with the first and so the third with the fourth And finally the ray going forward doth cause the rankes to double two by two so that if first the ranke were 9. and 9. they arise to be 18. in a ranke And desiring to make them more large he may put 3. rankes in one which will be 27. in a ranke and so he may double them to what number he wil and of as many ranks as he will but it is requisite before he make his aray to consider well how many pikes he hath and afterward accommodating his aray to his appointed number that by doubling it by two or thrée rankes it may become as square as is possible neither is he to do it without this consideration for otherwise working by haphazard it fals out to be euill fauoured to be by halfe more long then large and sometimes double But it is first necessarie for him to number the rankes of the aray and consider if doubling two rankes at a time it will fall out to be well or better to double it thrée at a time And this must be well considered for otherwise he shall make and vnmake to his great disgrace Therefore now I conclude that the first way is euer best most readie without toile or trouble in doubling and redoubling So that helping your memorie with certain Tablei or Tariffas made of purpose to know the numbers of the souldiers that are to enter into ranke and what number of rankes will performe the iust square you can neuer erre but vpon any sodaine set in battell any number of souldiers whatsoeuer THE FOVRTH BOOK OF MILITARIE DIRECTIONS ENTREATING OF THE OFFICES APpertaining to the Generall of Horsemen the Scout master and the office of the Marshall of the Field And first of the office of the Lieutenat or Generall of the Horsmen THe Maine squares of all sorts of battels receiue great safetie accomplish worthy seruice by the companies of the couragious Cauallarie chieâ—…ie when their bands be guided by those that be of perfite experience and of approued practise in armes whereas the contrarie effect doth follow being directed by light heads and such as
Argolateares a pretie distance off In this sort if one squadron happen to be broken yet shal another make head vpon the enimie while they may retyre troupe againe which is the only safetie as wel of Horsemen as footmen And albeit in the day of seruice it is the part of the high marshall himselfe to giue order in what sort and with what troupes the charges shal be giuen or receiued it is also the Lieutenants part as well to giue his aduise as also to be a leader in all these actions He ought therefore to take great regard to the ground where he meaneth to giue the charge for if he charge in troupe the falling of a few horse in the for most rankes may disorder and foile the whole troupe Before the front of his owne footmen let him neuer giue charge for it hath bin séene that horsemen being repulsed haue bene foreed in vpon their own footmen disordered them Let the horse therefore charge vpon the flanke of the enimie and diligently attend if by any accident they can perceiue any breaking or opening in the side of his enimies battell and then sodainly to charge that breach for as horsemen are inferiours to wel ordered footmen so vpon any smal disorder they carrie with them victory And for that in our age there hath arisen diuers fodaine effects not looked for wrought by the good and well guiding of horsemen I thinke it good somewhat more amplie to delate vpon this point specially as I said before in appointing out a place apart from the battel ranks wherin the Cauallarie may be ranged to the intent they may with good scope fréely and fitly turne and run with their squadrons and ranks in charging the enimy in taking charge likewise of them and in all other enterprises considering that the troopes of horsemen in retyring or turning round do often disorder and break their own infanterie either through the discommoditie of the place or through the want of the good and warie guiding of them Contrariwise at other times by their aduised and spéedie serâ—… a small number of horsemen well bent and better guided haue bêene séene to enter very couragiously into a great battaite of the enimies footemen and either for that they were slenderly flanked with Hargabuziers or by the disaduantage of the grouÌ„d or being disordered by meanes of some errour or through some other sinister chance or by meanes the said battaile was guided by vnequall or vncertaine pase or through the naughtie indeuor and diligence of rawe and vnpractised souldiers or in going through a streight place or passage of water or otherwise horsemen haue easilie disordered and broken their battailes and all the rest of a whole armie But yet are they not able to encounter with a well ordered square battell of pikes if their couragious and well ranged rankes keepe their araie and when the horsemen charge doe clinge and sarrie verie néere together in the fore rancke and set shoulder to shoulder with their pikes well couched and crossed bending them in both their handes straight before them and their followers at their backes laying theyr pikes ouer their foregoers shouldiers and so stand at the push besides the shouldering of the foreranks together hauing pitched their pikes vnder one of their feete in the ground they stoope and bow downe so loe with their bodies that their followers may easilie come to seruice behinde their backes where some doe vse to place the light armed pikes who amongst some nations for want of brest plates of Iron vse tand lether paper platecoates iackets c. For a gorget thicke folded kerchefes about their neck a scull of Iron for a head péece and a Uenetian or lether Shéeld and Target at their backes to vse with their short Swordes at the close of a battaile and in a throng The squadron of pikemen hauing couched and crossed their pikes brest high closely sarred together are as hard to be pearst with horsemen as an angrie Porcapine or Hedgehog with the end of a bare finger Wherefore to ouerthrowe a maine square battaile planted in that order it is good to vse the aide of Hargolateares who must first scale the fronte and ranks of the battels and then being seconded by the lances men at armes breake their araie and whole battaile In the erecution whereof it is good to vse the Rutters order which somewhat differs from the French mans fight for he encountring the enemie cannot indure any troope to be néere his long stretched ranckes because of breaking his course but the retire fighteth in this sort When the retire is approched néere enough vnto the enemie the first ranke dooth aduance vpon them and when he hath discharged his Pistolet he doth run still in forward as dooth the French who doth still pursue his point but more short on the right hand or on the left according vnto the place where he is and so is also spéedely followed by the second ranke which dooth the same Then the third followeth the second to giue the charge as soone as euer he séeth him departed that stood before him all the rankes following one another in such maner euen vnto the last the hindermost runneth they fighting with Pistolets onely for to come vnto their foreriders they standing all along one at anothers backe And for so much as it is impossible but that when they do present themselues some of them or else their horses be slaine Therefore so soone as euer one of the formost ranke is séene to fall downe he that is in the second ranke directly behinde him that is departed or else disabled must take his place and the next behind him in the third ranke must furnish the same voide ranke wherein he was in the second and so the rest in like order so that they alwaies make their formost rankes of the most assured for in all things namely in â—…eates of armes the beginning is of greatest moment some to break the front of armed pikes do vse to cause the men at armes dismount and in their complet armor to charge them with their launces Some others hold an opinion that the maner of the Germans is best who kéepe alwaies their maine troopes standing cause only one ranke from the front to charge the same being repulsed to retire to the taile and backe of the standing troope then an other to charge and retire to the taile backe as the former whereby they maintaine the whole troope in full strength vntil they sée the footmen sway or breake that their horsemen enter Then presently they back them with an other ranke those againe with an other vntill they sée cause either to follow with the whole troope or to staie this is thought to be the surest and most orderly forme of charging of all others notwithstanding the accustomed whéeling about of the rutters which they vse with their whole troopes euery one after an other giuing the enemie
water which in raine doth runne downe alongst the wood Euerie Souldier ought to carrie his Hargabuse Pike or Halberde vppon that Shoulder and side which is outward in rancke for that side which is discouered inward is more defended by the general order that is kept then any of the other Which order of carying Armes is not onely ready and commodious to vse at all occasions but also doth make a gallant shew and a generall forme of good proportion and true prospect a thing most necessarie for a man of valour to vse in all his doings Hee ought likewise euer to haue good regard to weare his weapon of like length the other Souldiers vse which in marching doth make the rancks to be of one iust line and in shew of a seemely and streight proportion causing the whole band to carie a braue and singular grace A Souldier ought euer to retaine and keepe his Armes in safetie and foorth comming for hée is more to be detested then a Coward that will loose or play away any part thereof or refuse it for his ease or to auoid paynes wherefore such a one is to be dismissed with punishment or made some abiect Pyoner Therefore during his seruice and after his returne home let him still be wedded to his weapons and armour that when hee is called vpon againe to serue his Prince he be not enforced to furnish himselfe againe with new Armes sometimes old of little value and lesse goodnes as some Souldiers now a dayes to their great discommendation do vse A custome altogether different from the true exercise of Armes and varying from the rule of other warlike Nations which make true profession of Armes amongst the which the Spaniards and Zuitzers at this day are to be commended the one for obseruing an apt sumptuous and warlike choise therein and the other for that they beare all sortes of Armes with great aduantage both in length strength the which vnto them becomes very familiar through the ability of body they possesse Those Souldiers which can not endure the toile and trauaile to beare Armes of defence namely the Pikeman and Halberdier are made subiect to receiue both blowes and death by the handes of their Enemies or through their disaduantage to take a shamefull flight or at the first encounter to remaine their prisoners Therefore it is very necessary for a Souldier to take paines in daily practise and to acquaint himselfe throughly in the exercise and carryage of Armes whereof hee ought to vse practise specially of those that bee offensiue and in those which ordinarily wée are accustomed to carrie as the Rapier and Dagger Pyke and Halberd with such like without making open and apparant profession of the practise thereof but secret and seuerall from the wide sight of the world that afterwardes hee may put the same in practise to his greater aduantage and commendation Finally the Halberdier who is armed either with Brigandine or Corslet ought of dutie to attend with his Halberd when his turne comes about his ensigne in marching set Squares in the Captaines Lodging and Tent for his guard and at the entrance of a house c. to bée the formost person to force the passage But in a day of battaile the old Romaine Shield and a short sharpe pointed sword to execute in a throng of men excéedes the Halberd and browne Bill Besides the pikeman which is armed all ouer with a Corslet and is to performe his dutie in a maine Square stand oâ—… Battaile to receiue the shocke of horse men or charge of the enemies infanterie There bee yet another sort of light armed Pikes which only haue the forepart of a Corslet and a Headpéece as is the Almaine Riuet or a good light Iacke or plate Coate these sometimes may be sent amongst the forlorne hoope of Hargabusiers to defend them from the inuasions of Horsemen But touching shot I would wish our Nation being men of strong constitution of bodie to beare a Peece betwixt the boare of a Caliuer and a Musket the which with smal vse they would be able to wéeld very well at the armes end which would cary a great aduantage in skirmish the which like vnto the Hargabuse they might as I said before exercise and with a galant and assured raising vp the crooked end of the stocke to his breast hauing before hand fitted the Coale of his match to giue quick iust fire wherof euer he must take the certain measure must then discharge amidst his modest trauerse to his greatest aduantage and to endomage his enemies which done he must first fold vp againe the â—…lne match in a ready and conuenient sort betwixt his fingers hauing both the endes of his match light at once that whilest the one is spent and in kindling againe the other may serue his turne Besides these foresaid weapons I would not thinke it inconuenient to haue in a band certaine Targets of proofe to march in the front which were very necessarie to defend a ranck of men in a streit lane passage breach or other place from the enemies shot they all closely and in a low order marching vnder the fauour and shade of them as in askirmish I saw put in practise when Cassimire did march with the States Armie vnder Louaine 1578. The Captaine is to set downe by the Generals appointment the summe of all their paies and the difference therein according to euery mans weapon and qualitie But to speake of other directions and Militarie obseruations A Footman that is a Souldier ought aboue all thinges to bee obedient to his Captaine and Officers and neuer abandon his Ensigne nor bee absent from his companie without leaue or speciall let In his march he ought to be modest ready in his rancke obserue a long distance in his Laumbande and kéepe an equall stay in his Alta. If wordes of aduertisement do passe ouer from rancke to rancke alongst the marching band let him deliuer those words plainly and with diligence which the Captaine giues ouer to be pronounced from mouth to mouth as to Passe Parole appertaines If the enemie cause sodaine Arme let his Bale en â—…ouche and his match in the Cocke shew his readie good will either to receiue repulse or giue charge If either for pleasure in a Muster or in any other shew in sport or earnest his company be commaunded to discharge certain volies of shot or a Salua he must either hold his Péece sidelong the ranckes whilest he doth prepare the same or with the end higher then their heads and discharge ouer the toppes of the formost ranckes for feare of hurting his companions which rule they ought to obserue and thereunto be constrained vppon paine of seuere punishment If any enterprise be made in the night let him not only keepe his match close from open shew or falling sparkes but be vigilant and keep silence to the intent that through his negligence and noise their actions be not discouered If he keepe
out may the better be apprehended Also if the scout-watch be taken from their quarter faining to be a souldier of the campe when they are to spie in the night they for so offending shal be cruelly punished with death 61 Item whosoeuer shall make anie wordes déedes or questions in the ward or in an ambush or in other place where respect and silence is néedfull shal be punished 62 Item he that should be reuenged of anie iniurie receiued either newly or before-time done by an indirect way that is traiterously and not by way of reason or by way of combate bodie to bodie by the licence of his Generall shall suffer death 63 Item he that should dare be so bold as to play with false cardes and dice or should vse in play anie priuy falshood theft or deceit in any wise shal be punished 64 Item he that of presumption should passe out of his place into another either before the battell or in marching should out of order make hast to go before to be the first that should come to the lodging of the campe or in marching should goe out of his rancke from one battaile to an other or he that doth not obserue the order of marching shall die 65 Item he that shall taske or ransom vpon his host or lodger or vpon any other that is not his lawfull prisoner by good order of warre and that he is lawfully taken the ransome excell not the articles of agréement that there be a iust ransome set vpon paine of punishment 66 Item he that shall enter in or goe forth by any other gate stréete or way then that which shal be accustomed into the citie pales or list or fort where the campe is lodged that is going ouer the walles or vnder some breach and not by the ordinarie gate let him fall into the paine of death 67 Item whosoeuer doth not immediately retire when hee shall heare the trumpet or drum sound the retreat either of a set battaile or of a skirmishe or batterie or of anie other fight or should goe in or come forth of the citie when the assault is giuen to the walles thereof shall die 68 Item he that speaketh or calleth or crieth aloud amongst the ordinance or in the battaile or in anie place where silence néedeth except he were a head or other officer or sergeant commanding some new order shall die 69 Item hee that shall commit anie thing whatsoeuer it be whereby it may be coniectured that it is against the prince and domageable to the generall and the campe shall die 70 Item drums and fifes must oft sound and exercise their instrumentes warning as the mouth of man to all pointes of seruice so must souldiers diligently learne and obserue the meaning of the same that none plead ignorance and neglecting their dueties to seruice appertaining Also sometimes they shall receiue from the higher officers or captaines secret commandementes by word of mouth the which must withall diligence be obserued and truely executed vpon the losse of their liues 71 Item no man in their marching through what place soeuer they shall passe shall set any thing on fire no not their cabbins and iâ—…camped place at their departing without commandement from the chief general vpon the pasue of the losse of their liues 72 Item iâ—… at any time any man shal in the time of his drunkennesse quarrell and fight with his fellowe and in so doing chance to kill him he shall in so doing receiue as great punishment by death as if he had bene sober 73 Item if any souldier doe drink himself drunke or be found drunke within the compasse of the day and night of his watch and specially if he be vnable to stand in Sentinel or do his duetie such a one must be most seuerely punished 74 Item note that souldiers shall sweare at their first entring into seruice that they will faithfully and truely serue their captaine for sixe monethes togither and when the sixe moneths are expired they shall sweare to serue him sixe monethes more if he reed them And if the captaine needeth them not so long but mindes to discharge his band the captaine shall allow ech of them halfe a monethes wages at his departing and so discharge them 75 Item there shall no man make anie showt or other stirring noise in anie corner or open place of Citie Town Castle Fort or Campe whereby any danger or inconuenience may grow vnto the companie any maner of wayes on paine of the losse of his life 76 Item he that shall disclose the watch-word to enemie or friendes except it be to such a one as hee shall be appointed by his gouernor or shall be found a sléepe in the watche scout or ward shal be punished with death 77 Item if any captaine for corruption sake shal giue licence to his own souldier or to any other souldier without the licence of the Generall to depart the campe shall receiue the same punishment that the souldier should receiue 78 Item that no souldier should goe out of the campe in the night time without the watch-word in danger of his life for if he be slaine so by the watche there is no blame to be laid vpon them that kill him 79 Item there shall no souldier go out of the campe without his armor and other weapons vpon the paine of the losse of his life 80 Item euerie captaine shal be sworne that he shall charge euery corporall vpon his oth that he shall denounce euery souldier that is vnder his charge and that is not able and meete to serue 81 Item in like case if the said corporall shall receiue anâ—…e new or strange souldier into his band his part and dutie is that he giue vnto the higher captaine knowledge thereof 82 Item no man of what condition soeuer he be shall â—… so bold as to conuey away anie offender vpon the paine of the losse of his life 83 Item that euerie souldier shall haue vpon his outermost garment some special signe or taken wherby he may be known such a one as the higher captaines shall agree vpon As for example he shall haue vpon his garment a red crosse and vpon his armour a red lace or such like whereby he may the better be knowne of his fellowes and if there be anie shall be sound without the said signes and tokens he shal be vsed as an aduersarie or enemy 84 Item that all souldiers entring into battaile assault skirmish or other faction of armes shall haue for their common crie and word S. George S. George forward or vpon them S. George wherby the souldier is much comforted and the enemy dismaied by calling to minde the ancient valeâ—… of England which with that name hath bin so often victorious and therfore he that vpon any siâ—…ster zeale shall maliciously omit so fortunate a name shal be seuerely punished for his obsâ—…ate erronious heart and peruerse mind 85 Item if anie Captaine or other Officers shall procure skâ—…mishe
office whereof there be now adayes ouer many for when it is necessarie for them to alter their order and that perforce they must quite change the forme and fashion that then they obserue they know not which way to begin Therefore to the end his order and ranckes may be to the purpose duely and directly changed and with facilitie disposed let him euer disseuer and deuide one part of his weapons from another causing euery one to turne and enter into their ranckes and order by themselues so shall he procéed in taking away setting forward and intermixing one sort of rancks within another very orderly And thereby the ful proportion of his baÌ„d shal be framed as he hath determined or as it is deuised by him that commands either in marching forward and backward or in turning without disorder by 3. 5. 7. or 9. in a ranck as the Lieutenant Captaine or Sergeant Maior appoints He ought euer to beware that in ordering the rancks and appointing the souldiers their places that they begin not to make debate or stomake one another for dignitie of place the which doth oftentimes fal out to their great anoy and domage and the officers tedious toile for in enterprises of great importance euen in the presence of the inuading enimy some vaine glorious fellowes are accustomed to striue for the chiefest places the which roomes by all reason of duetie appertaine to the best armed and not to any others whose vnrewly rashnes may be the ruine of the whole band Therefore fit and conuenient places are to be obserued with humilitie the naked in their places and the armed in theirs but to touch one point which we haue alredie spoken of I iudge it most conuenient that the armed those for skirmish excepted must remaine in Maine stands and battailes as some say so abide by the stake who ought to be so wel armed as they may beare and support the blowes of their enimies and resist any furious charge either of horsemen or sootemen Whereas besides their well ordered ranckes by reason they be armed they make a more galant shew giuing courage to thy owne people and discourage to the enimie and in proofe are more profitable then the disarmed who remaining in their roomes the contrarie succéeds The Sergeant of the companie must haue speciall regard when victuals cannot be had for money by forage or otherwise to make repaire togither with the clarke of the band to the principal munitions that his companie â—…ast not of famine and from thence procure to haue so much as he wel caÌ„ or as is coÌ„uenient and according to his receiued order so must he depart and distribute all manner of munitions amongst the Corporals that euerie one of them may giue to their souldier their portion The like ought he to vse touching powder for the Hargabusyres and Musketyres lead for bullets match for them to burne and ech thing else whereof they haue néede to the end they may alwayes remaine in order and be verie well prouided and stored as néere as is possible as is most conuenient and to perswade the souldier that to gaine a place of more account he will spare his pay to arme himselfe the more brauely He must likewise haue diligent eye that the said munition of match powder be conserued warily from wetting and kept with a speciall spare from vntimely spending for this prouident precept doth import verie much in all enterprises by reason that the negligence of the Sergeant touching this necessarie foresight care hath bene the cause that the shot haue not bene able readily to performe their duties according to the appointed determinations or as necessitie did require by reason of their vnwarie kéeping their munition in wet weather or their generall want through vain mispence by which meanes many most notable â—…rrors haue succéeded of great losse and moment to the hinderance shame and totall ruine of a whole companie or campe Therfore it is most expedient that the Sergeant togither with the seuerall corporals do diligently and narrowly examine visite search and view the proper flaskes tutch-boxes pockets other places where the souldiers are accustomed to carie kéepe their powder and match and peruse diligently all those things without negligence faining or fauouring diuers haue receiued great ignomie shame in their office for want of the performaÌ„ce thereof wheras by carying a contrary care they haue bene vniuersally wel thought of and commended of al good souldiers and valiant Captaines Therefore as occasion doth serue and offer he may admonish put in minde and reprehend with dexteritie the souldiers vnder his charge and guiding To him it appertaines to lay his helping hand about al things necessarie for his companie as well in prouiding for them as dispencing or deferring necessarie charges except for the prouision and deuiding of lodgings which is the office of the Furrier or Harbinger who ought to be very tractable diligent altogither officious not being partial to any one for peculiar profite or pleasure and therfore it is necessarie a Sergeant should know how to write for it is hard by memorie to discharge his charge The Sergeant must be careful to accompanie at the houre appointed the guard to the place of the watch in going vp and downe alongst their stanckes when he hath placed them in order to sée them kéepe due distance make the Laumband march in straight line with their ranckes carrie their armes in conformable proportion and if vpon pleasure they giue a volée of shot in passing to aduertise them to doe it orderly with due forme one rancke after another as they passe ouer against the Generall or other great officer or personage and not in a confused sort altogither or by péeces When he is arriued at the Corps of gard and hath placed euery one in order and prouided for all things necessarie for the watch of that night he must then giue his aduise and counsell to the Corporals that they kéepe good order in their Sentinels yea sometimes and verie often it is good that he himselfe aide them to choose out the most fit places for them to stand in to the end that the circuit of ground which for all their safties is to be kept may be conueniently garded At the ioyning of the day the night or somwhat later he shal secretly giue the Corporals the watchword with the which they are to gouerne the gard as wel by night as day the which word by the commandement of his Captaine he must procure the Sergeant maior to giue him or of some other that shall haue the charge to giue the same for want of his presence or in place of this great officer He must arme himselfe in such sort that he be no lesse apt then any other souldier to be able at time of néed both to defend himselfe and offend the enimie touching which effect Duke Octauâ—…o Farnese in the expedition of 12000 footemen and 600. horsemen
which Paulus the third Pope of Rome sent into Germanie against the Lutherans in aid of Charles the fift did dispose that all the Sergeants of his bands should arme themselues with hargabuzes and murrians saying that so great a number of valiant men being Sergeants as was in so great an assemblie and expedition of such importance it was neither good nor commendable that they should onely be armed with their halberds and therefore he ought to haue his Page or Muchacho second him with those furnitures Neither séemes it inconuenient but hauing placed in order all things pertaining to his office that he place himselfe in ranke with the rest of the souldiers yet in such a place as he may easily depart from thence when necessitie calles him away to reforme or vse remedie to any disorder he vnderstands of He must with dexteritie procéed in reprehending and exhorting the souldiers to kéepe their due order and not to disband and stray abroad but vpon néedfull and lawfull occasions and to take order in all other particular points which are requisite to be obserued for the honour and profite of the companie which thinges are chiefely to be procured and obserued by other officers Let him beware and abstaine from beating of souldiers at any time that thereby he grow not odius for it is not conuenient nor comely for an officer to strike a souldier for thereby he so offends that he doth incurre the paine to receiue punishment for so doing of his Captaine or the master of the Campe. He must be diligent carefull and vigilant in all his affaires for in this office diligence and dexteritie is both to the purpose and most necessarie It is necessarie he be alwaies conformable vnto the sergeant Maior by imitation and obedience in action and like his shadow to second him in all his doings Of whom he may alwaies receiue information and order of all such things as be necessary for seruice of his band And of him he may learne to proceede by conformitie in that which is conuenient for his office For hee that is in companie with men of vertue and valor that be of more excellent qualitie then he himselfe shall euer reape some profite and the rather for that he is bound to be in the sight and néere about the sergeant Maior at all such times as anie thing is to be done where he ought with a good â—…are and diligent eye giue readie attendance to execute such commission as shall be giuen him specially those which appertaines to the ordering of the ranckes and euerie thing else whatsoeuer without doing anie thing vpon his owne iudgement but conferre with that great officer towards whom he musâ—… alwaies be courteous and conformable and with an obedient and beneuolent minde diligently imitate him I suppose it moreouer necessarie as I said before that he be able to write and read considering the infinit number of things which are to passe through his hands and which he ought to execute for the benefite of his companie which cannot be alwaies ordered disposed and guided only by memorie So consquently the sergeant is to take diligent care of all the foresaid thinges to execute the pointes of his office spéedily and to rebuke and teach such as do amisse with lenitie and although hee cannot violently strike and hurt anie man yet neuerthelesse no man can resist his authoritie but obserue the same as to the Captaines owne person if he were present He is not to heare anie mutinous or rebellious wordes amongst the companie but immediatly to reueale the same that speedie reformation may be had and faults amended And thus must he be still occupied to reform mens maners mispence of munition broken araies and to be readie daie and night to seruice by the captaine or Lieutenants commandement to instrust the companie to march traine and trauaile aswell by signes from him framed as otherwise by wordes spoken and to haue speciall regard to the companie to see that their armour and weapons be in a readinesse alwayes for seruice for the diligent and skilfull vsage of this office is of no small momentanie good order throughout the whole band no lesse then the Centurion amongest the Romaines who was captaine ouer a hundreth and so likewise euerie hundreth in ech band ought to haue a seuerall sergeant to direct and gouerne The office of an Alsierus or ensigne bearer IF it be a thing most requisite that a priuate souldier should haue a speciall zeale ouer his proper honour and credite how much more is the same necessarie for a valiant Alfierus or Ensigne bearer Therefore hée must with all carefull diligence and due discretion ascend the fourth degree of this honourable discipline being alreadie trained vp in the thrée first degrees which is of a priuate souldier a corporal and a sergeant whereby to his great commendation he may sufficiently merite the swaie of this office Hauing solemnly receiued the Ensigne of his Captaine like a noble and expert Souldier hée ought carefullie to keepe the same and beare a certaine reuerent respect to it as to a holie thing yea and to be gelouse ouer the safetie thereof no lesse then an amorous person ouer his louing mistresse Since that onely with the sacred shade of the ensigne being well guided the generall reputation of all the band and companie is conseruer Therefore the Alfierus ought to be indowed with such custome and vse himselfe with such courtesie and ciuilitie that he may not onely procure the loue of his confederates and friends but of all the entire companie Besides it is necessarie to haue neere vnto him a couple of assistantes at the least that be practised and good Souldiers which may be of the number of the Halbardyres that go next his Ensigne to the end that when hee is constrained to absent himselfe from the same through some vrgent and necessarie occasion for otherwise it is not to be permitted hée may cause one of them take care and charge of his Ensigne in what accident soeuer might fall out during that time For that thing ought neuer to be left alone or abandoned to a slender and loose gard which is of such a great importance whereupon euerie mans honour and estimation dependeth wherefore it ought at all to be carefully kept and well accompanied Note that the Alsierus to defend his ensigne and himselfe at one instant must haue in his one hand his drawne sword and in the other the Ensigne which thing is conuenient of him particularly to be performed when it is time to assault the enemies vpon a Wall Trench Sâ—…alade Bulwarcke Breach or in anie strait passage or enterprise since that with the poynt of Iron of the Ensigne staffe small defence can be made aswell for the weakenesse of the staffe as through the trouble and continuall wauering of the silke which is about it so that in bearing the same displayed hée ought rather to haue regard where he shall set his foote then to
of the one and the other ought to be taken vntill the same be performed or the pay past and then may discharge him as is said to shunne a greater scandale for to enter into vnquiet quarrelling and discord one equal with an other and with one that receiues the like stipend is not the part and qualitie of a subiect souldier but of a frée carelesse cutter and band buckleâ—… and of an insolent and importunate person whose nature doth argue in him that his doings tend to an other end then to become excellent in the honorable exercise of armes Pâ—…t the case that one of them should valiantly ouercome the other yet vnto the Captaine doth arise no other then want losse and euill satisfaction for when first he did receiue them into his seruice he did presume that they were both of them equally to be esteemed men of good credite and behamour and that for such they were conducted and receiued stipend So that quarelling and â—…illing one the other as often it fals out in resolute persons oâ—… putting him so a dishonour or open foile such a one doth not oâ—…ely depriue the Captaine of a souldier but also of himselfe likewise For the law of reason doth binde the Captaine not to maintain an importunate person a malefactour and an homecide in one band no lesse then a well ordered citie Considering it is requisite and conuenient his souldiers rather then to imploy themselues in such quarrels should indeuour and aduenture their bodies so ouerthrow and kill the enimie thereby to procure his owne proper praise and peculier profite Always prouided that the occasion of the wars be concluded and published to be lawfull and honest which easily in this respect doth remoue all difficulties whilest a man doth place himselfe in the seruice of a prince that is religious prudent and iust and that haue expresse and lawfull power to louie armes and not with those which are of small authoritie or tyrannous vsurpers of other mens states and wicked blood suckers Therefore when the Lieutenant cannot by his owne dealings supply these wants or pacifie and accord them in such causes he may remit the care thereof vnto his superior Captaine And thus let him haue speciall care that by his meanes no quarrels do grow neither that he suffer any faction or disceÌ„tion to take déepe roote for feare of banding and mutinies He ought to haue speciall respect that the Corporals and Sergeants be able duely to execute their office with due diligence for the better performance of seruice and personally aid them in setting the watch Likewise to the intent that the Sergeant persist not ignorantly or fall in any one point of his office it behooues the Lieutenant in many particular pointes to aid him both in respect of his owne credite and for the generall benefite of the whole band as in vsing diuers directions disciplines inueâ—…tions putting the band in order rancke square in accompanying them to the watch and in executing such like enterprises which commonly are to be performed So ought he likewise to delight himselfe extraordenarily besides the other necessarie parts of his office in taking view of the Corps de gard and the Sentinels of his proper companie to the intent they may remaine continually vigilant and redie and ech mans duetie duly executed the martial lawes read and examined and a solemne silence generally maintained He must obserue great affabilitie and fraternitie with the Alfierus and friendly consult with him specially if the Lieutenant doth not manage both the one and the other office as the Spaniards and other nations doe vse and might very well be vsed of vs if the Generall or Coronell thinke good 〈◊〉 for auoyding of emulation and charge of pay but if they 〈◊〉 particular officers and beare distinct sway in the hand then 〈◊〉 the Lieutenant be very carefull as he that is the chiefe to auoide all stomaking and strife that might arise â—…etwixt him the Alsierus for therby oftentimes great scandales haue faâ—…ne out and the diuision of the company a thing aboue all other to be carefully forséene and shunned He ought to vse a gracious iesture a curteous entertainment to all his souldiers countenance euerie one ioyfully and solicite their causes carefully towards the captaine the other officers as the treasurers pay-masters coÌ„missaries and such like yet euer by the captaines consent yea to the captain himselfe by whose friendly fauour inferiour officers may be relieued for their pay or other wantes Besides he ought to giue order and direction to all the company deuiding distributing the Squadres indifferently and discréetly to the intent the Corporals other officers may be obeyed that ech enterprise may be performed without reply or contradiction It is necessarie that he put in euerie Squadre an equal number of euery sort of armes and that ech weapon be sorted in a redinesse to the intent the in what place time soeuer occasion doth require euery one of them may to his great aduantage procéede and front the inuading enimie with a forceable strength Like wise it is good sometimes not to suffer a Squadre or rather a whole Corps de gard to consist of souldiers al of one countrie and nation but ought rather to be artificially mixed and to separate them thereby to auoid quarrell and generalitie of factions which by reason of their being togither may the rather arise amongst consorts of one natiue countrie that more commodiously then if they were separated The Captain being absent the Lieutenant possesseth the principall and chiefe place and ought to be obeyed as captaine Neuerthelesse in his presence it is requisite he vse a certaine brâ—…therly friendship and familiaritie towards al yet that notwithstanding he must proceede in al things with such modestie and grauitie as he may retaine such authoritie and reputation as the office he doth hold doth most worthily inuest him withall There ought to be in him a reasonable good knowledge and faâ—… in expressing his conceit and meaning sensiblie that the 〈◊〉 may vnderstand what they haue to do to the intent he may 〈◊〉 mâ—…re easily imprint in the heartes and mindes of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all such things as he determines and that be necessarie for the better 〈◊〉 of his Prince and the benefite of his countrie and companie whereunto he ought to apply himselfe with all possible diligence since that of the Prince he is liberally paid hath his being of his countrie and is diligently obeyed of his band where he swayes his present office charge which is truely of great credite and no lesse commoditie Let him prouide himself of a horse to beare him to the intent he may be lustie and fresh in all enterprises and that he may continually take the view and diligently suruey the order which they are to kéepe in marching or in making Alta and at al other times besides in what enterprise soeuer He must take order that his baggage
exercise and instruct such as are not perfect in feates of warre which bee ordered sometimes by wordes and déedes and sometimes by framed signes from the officers that souldiers may learne and obserue the meaning of the same At such times of assemblie as at watch or ward the Clerke ought to read the bill and to call euerie souldier by his name that euerie man may aunswere for himselfe and none to be absent vpon paine without sicknes or licence The Sergeant as they bée called putteth them in Aray that euerie man follow his loadesman kéeping his ranck-fellowes iustlie on both sides placing the shot in voward and rerewarde the Ensigne and Halberds in the midst of the Pikes so bée they placed in beautie and strength as is accustomed sometimes to stand and aduance their weapons turne their faces and march any waie assigned and sometimes to receiue a woord that shall passe from man to man from the one end to the other with such silence that none heare the same but those in aray assembled Certaine woords to be vsed of the Officer that traynes VVHen any Officer determines to exercise his companie to traine them he must cast them into a King or such like necessarie forme and vse these or like woords My louing friends fellowes and companions in Armes wée bée gathered togither for the seruice of God his holie Church our Prince and Countrie and for that none through ignorance shall perish or run in daunger of the lawes of the field you shal from time to time by mée or other Officers of the band bée instructed by woords or déedes in such points as to your calling and the necessitie of seruice shall require the which you must diligently obserue and follow though the same shal séeme vnto you many times both dangerous and paynfull Also if any of you my followes shall find an occasion conuenient to declare to 〈◊〉 or any other officer his mind and opinion in any thing touching seruice wâ—… shall diligentlie heare and gratifie the partie the double value thereof and God willing equitie and iustice shall be ministred Also regard that all souldiers know obey their 〈◊〉 in their place according to their calling To teach and trayne Souldiers to march in Ranckes Squares battailes c. FIrst for that one hundreth is the least number that a Captaine can haue in charge I wil therefore begin with 100. setting your weapons in this order following that is twentie fiue shot next your shot twentie Pykes then tenne Halberds to gard the Ensigne and next your Halberds other twentie Pykes and then your other fiue and twentie shotte the which béeing thus placed may be brought to those proportions here set downe greatlie auailable to diuers seruices VVHen the souldiers are taught to march thrée in a ranke right forth you shall bring them in this proportion of a ring otherwise called a Limasson although it is not of any force it is necessarie to traine the vnperfect also by bringing them in close compasse togither they may better heare and vnderstand any preceptes touching their charge spoken by the Captain or any other officers as oft as is méete This figure folowing of the ring is not of force because the Ensigne lieth open to the enimies without gard of Pikes The Ring Sometimes vpon good occasion you shall bring your Pykes in order of an S. your Halberds planted in the midst with the Ensigne whereby it may be enuironed with Pykes for defence of horse your shot placed betwéene euerie rancke of Pikes so that they may serue to the skirmish either rescuing other within gard the which retyring into the void place the Pikes couched euerie way for defence the ouerplus of the shot with the Captaine and Lieutenant with other officers to be placed in the midst of the S. with the Ensigne An S. SOmetimes vpon the suddaine bring them into this order of a D. otherwise called a Snaile Place your Halberds and Ensigne in the Rereward of your Pikes and cast your selfe round so that you may enuiron your Ensigne hauing first placed your shot amongst the ranckes of Pikes euerie Captaine Lieutenant and other officer togither with the ouerplus of shot to be placed within the circuite of the weapons This is a strength at néede but in this order they cannot march or retire A D. or a Snaile How to traine souldiers and bring them to the vse of their weapon AFter you haue taught your company to martch thrée in a rancke right forth likewise to kéepe their order in Limasson or Ring in S. or D. you shall command your officers to teach them how to vse their weapons First deuide your shot from your pikes and Halberds causing a marke to be set vpon the water whereby you shall the better perceiue where the bullet falleth or striketh Then cause your drumme to go before and your shot to follow single teaching theÌ„ how to hold their péeces and to put pouder in the pan the match in the cocke how to couch and giue fire the better to bolden them and that those haue experience to discharge at the marke and euerie one for to follow his loadsman This done cast them all about round and bring them to the place where they began then afterward teach them to charge with bullet Sometimes deuide your pikes and halberds in two parts commanding your officers that they turne their broad sides as if they should encounter the enimie causing your drums to sound Then charge your officers to go in the front of your pikes to shew them how that they should vse their weapons as first to cause your pikes to sarie close togither then to traile their pikes with the sharpe end towards the enimie two yards from the end of the blade and to offer the push one at another This being done cause your drums to sound retrait that is to retire with your faces on the enimie Then must you teach them to ward with their pikes when the push is offered against them also to couch and crosse for defence of horse Likewise to aduance c. How to traine or place an hundreth men THis figure here placed doth shâ—…w how the hundred men before mentioned cast in a ring may march three in a ranke the which may be brought vnto these proportions of strength following SOmetimes marching in the ray before said you shall deuide the same into thrée parts by â—…1 ranks in ech part deuiding your shot into foure partes and your pikes into foure parts also placing your halberds to gard the Ensigne so be they readie at the sodaine in quadrant as appeareth following LIkewise you must instruct them from thrée to march fiue in ranke to the intent when néede serueth to ioyne vnto other bands In thus marching place halfe your shot before the other in the rereward ALso you may practise them to march seuen in ranke placing your halberds in the Rereward with your Ensigne the which maketh a iust quadâ—…ant placing your
shot in the wings and rereward as appeareth following To augment from three vnto fiue YOu may likewise by placing seueÌ„ in ranke the which is the greatest force that 100. men may be brought into place 21. shot in the front and fiftéene in â—…ch wing the which seruice being very apt to skirmish is greatly vnto the anoying of the enimie also it is readie to retyre to serue round about the battaile of pikes as before IF in marching you vnderstand or perceiue that horsemen will assault you then place fiue pikes in ranke and betwixt euerie pike a shot so marching forward they fall to be ten ranke quadrant placing your halbeâ—…ds and Ensigne in the midst A quadrant mixed with shot LIkewise you may for the defence of horsemen place ten ranks of pikes euerie way your shot next vnto theÌ„ your halberds and Ensigne in the midst the pikes ends couched on the ground the better to defend the enimie A quadrant defending the shot THis proportion sheweth the march or quadrant order at large of a hundreth men verie necessary to bee vsed in shew to the enemies when thou vnderstandest their â—…umbers to excéede thine Placing 7. Pikes in the Uoward also 7. pikes in the Rereward next vnto them 6. pikes in the second rankes your Billes or Halberds together with your Ensigne in the midst with the Drum and Fifte as is before mentioned the which number when thou perceiuest the enemie to take view of thine thou shalt alter and cause the second rankes of the Uoward and Rereward to steppe forward to furnish the voide spaces the which shall make of 7. thirtéene in a ranke Also if thou perceiuest the enemie pretending to encounter thee hauing no place of refuge shall cause the ranks that stepped forward to retire to their places and to sarrie close together remouing out of the second rankes into the winges the Halberds to step forward in their places wil be 7. euery way quadraÌ„t as in the order before is mentioned your shot to bée placed in the Uoward rereward may skirmish retire as occasion serueth The March at large Practises of training appertaining to the charge of two hundreth Men. FIrst marching fiue in Ranke 40. rankes containe two hundreth men suting their weapons as before they may bée brought to these orders following auailable for diuers intents although the same for a time séeme painfull although Archers bee not as heretofore they haue bin yet is it good in some of my figures following to shew you when you haue Archers how to place them SOmetimes deuide the Pikes and the Halberds into three parts by 1â—… rankes 7 to a ranke placing your Ensigne in the midst so ioining them together maketh a Hearse battaile readie at the suddaine against the enemie placing in the Uoward 40. Hargabuzers and 20. Archers and in the Rereward 10. Hargabuzers and 30. Archers LIkewise according to your ground you shall place your vttermost rankes with your best and fairest Corselets the which serueth not only to the shew but otherwise to the strength of the battaile commaunding your Officers to place 10. in a ranke the rest to follow on their march 10. in a ranke Likewise your Halberds and Ensigne in the midst which falleth to bée 10. euery way quadrant the which is a iust hundrethâ—… your Hargabuzers placed in the Uoward and Rereward and your Archers in the flankes the which is a iust 100. also as héere followeth SOmetimes by commaundement of the General or head Officers you are to accomplish some exploit by night the which béeing led by your guides through straites wrong ground woods c. It is nedefull that euerie pikeman and bilman take holde of his loadsmans weapon placing your shot betwixt your Pikes and your Ensigne in the midst your Pykes to march fiue in a ranke 16. rankes is iust 80. Pikes beside your Halberds The ouerplus of your shot to bee placed in the Rereward SOmetimes occasion scrueth to march through long broome corne fearne c. so that souldiers must traile their pikes from the ground close together at the halfe pikes in the Uoward the sharp ends of the pikes forward and in the Rereward the sharp ends of the pikes to the ground who may at the suddaine béeing assailed with Horsemen presently aduance and couch their pikes euery way for defence from the Horse your Hargabuzers in the front and Rereward the Archers in the flankes ALso when you shall bée called to the assaults of Townes Fortes trenches c. you must endure the great shot if it bée not dismounted wherefore the Officers must cause the soldiers to march a good distance a sunder and euerie man close to his loadsman march with expedition the shot making way to the hand weapons and all iointly together to employ themselues vnto victorie your Hargabuzers vnto the Uoward your Archers next to your Pikes as this example sheweth Certaine pointes to exercise and traine 300. men to seruice A Captaine hauing charge of 300. men that bée expert in seruice may oftentimes victoriouslie accomplish exploites and pointes of seruice to them committed which great numbers vnperfect may not attaine vnto The better to instruct the same here follow certaine Orders and strengthes in aray which practised in time conuenient may bring perfection of seruice at neede Sometime placing such numbers by 5. in ranke may bée brought to diuerse points of seruice conuenient 60. rankes containe 300. men 5. in ranke TO bring the first march of 5. in a ranke into a quadrant proportion you must deuide your long weapons into thrée parts placing soure in ranke your halbers and Ensigne in the midst and ioyned close togither fall out to be 12. quadrant euerie way your shot placed in the wings readie to skirmish in the bodie of the battaile are 120. pikes thirtie halberds and in the wings 140. shot in the rereward thirtie shot thus is the number at the sodaine brought to strength SOmetimes augment your rankes from fiue to seuen â—…o 〈◊〉 rankes containes 300. men which are to be ioyned vnto other numbers and to be brought to force SOmetimes augment these 7. rankes here adioyning to 9. the long weapons of the same containe 18. rankes your shot placed in the voward rereward as the ground may serue is a hearse or broade square By these exercises of augmenting rankes as doe appeare souldiers may be brought to perfection of order in aray and by the same be brought in quadrant or herse battaile according as numbers and ground will serue Orders of training three hundred men SOmtimes the Captaines with their bandes aforesaid be appointed to some eâ—…polits with such silence that Drums sound not nor clap weapons neither vse any noise vntill they haue recouered the place conuenient for their enterprises Also sometimes the Officers in Rereward sendeth a woorâ—… passing from man to 〈◊〉 vntil it come to the voward from one ranke to an other which may bée said Sarâ—…a aduance Bullet in the
then a leuen is put in a ranke how great soeuer the number of the footmen bée neither in troath ought they to bee more then a leuen for when they passe a leuen or twelue they are not to bée accompted an aray but rather a battaile Hauing then placed the number of the Hargabuziers you shal thinke good of to bee in a ranke you shall cause them to march in good proportion sending foorth one ranke after another the Sergeant standing still on one side causing them to passe before him iudging by eye-sight from ranke to ranke of all the Souldiers one by one whether they bee right in lyne obserue distance and whether they doe moue foorth of their order and aray for this is the beautie and importance of an aray Moreouer the Sergeant hauing speciall respect to accommodate and place at the head of the aray all the Corporals or Lancia Spezzata which carie Calliuers placing next vnto them the best and the best furnished Souldiers putting a Drumme behinde the second ranke that is to say before the third placing at the taile of the aray the best and best armed to the intent the aray may shew the better forasmuch as when they are deuided into aray the hargabuziers from the Pikes and that they turne their faces then the backe part is made the front therefore the backe ought to bée as well furnished as the front or the head of the aray as you will please to tearme it The which if you desire to doe it is necessarie you put in the midst of the rankes the weakest and worst furnished aduertising the Sergeant that the souldiers are best furnished when they haue all sortes of armes and furniments that bee necessarie for them and appertaines to a Hargabuzier good match fyer coall pouder and bullet and moreouer L'azzino And this is to bee obserued with that spéede and diligence that the time or occasion doth carie and the suspition of the enimie doth import And in one present time if the Sergeant haue commission hee must distribute munition to the Hargabuziers as bullet match or pouder and to haue a man about him to carrie the munition and hee afterwardes goe about dispersing of it and in giuing the pouder hee must haue a Tunnell with a small and narrowe pipe to the intent it may enter into the pipe of euery one of their flaskes and with a measure that doth holde so much pouder as hee will giue vnto euerie Hargabuzier at one time or at twice and so to euery ranke one by one as they goe passing forwardes the Sergeant causing to march forward his aray before him faire and softlie ranke by ranke by which meanes hée shall not confound them If it chaunce that hée do not distribute munition at one selfe time hee shall cause the Pikes on an other side to put themselues in aray as manie in a ranke as the Hargabuziers shall bee deuiding the best armed with Corselets the one halfe to the head and the other halfe to the backe and the disarmed pikes in the midst and in the midst of them place the Ensignes with their garde of Halberdes with certaine Drummes about the said Ensignes that is in the Piazza or void place where the Ensigne is to bée managed those Drummes and Fiftes that you haue shall march before the Standerd bearers And the Sergeant causing the Pikes to march foreward shall number howe manie rankes they bée and shall kéepe them in memorie to the intent that if hee bee to make a battillion hée may knowe how to gouerne himselfe and so cause the said Pikes to march and turne once againe and hauing then well accommodated the aray of the Pikes with the Ensignes placed iust in the midst with the Drummâ—…s and Fiftes before them as I haue said causing the Ensignes to haue an ample and large roome and Pâ—…azzo from the two rankes that bee about him that is from that which is before and from the other that doth march right behind him to the intent the Ensignes may bee well shewed and managed When they bee well set in order it is necessarie to cause the Pikes to stay and stand and the Sergeant hauing staied them hée shall then go where hée hath first accommodated the Hargabuziers and shall cause them to march forward néere where the Pikes are in order of aray And the Sergeant hauing first numbred likewise the rankes of the Hargabuziers and béeing staied where the Pikes after the one halfe of the Hargabuziers is past that is if they bée in all 50. rankes when 25. bée past the Sergeant shall enter with his Halberd ouerthwart them and staying and pressing backe the other 25. rankes hée shall cause to enter after a goodlie and readie manner all the Pikes and Ensignes causing them euer to march forward and when they bée all past away vpon the approching of the last rankes of Pikes hée shall cause the rest of the Hargabuziers to enter into aray the which béeing done the aray shall bée faire and perfect and it will bée good that hée cause them to march and turne thrée or sower times to the intent they may settle themselues the better and that they may enter into their pace their aray and the vnderstanding of the Drumme for that makes them more apt to go iust learning one of an other a stately and conuenient pace and to beare their weapons of all sorts with a good grace and specially the Pikes A good Sergeant must take care to make stay in euery discommodious place or streit passage as when they go downe or discend from some Mountaine at the passage of a foarde or streit bridge or at a ditch or a water or some such other vneasie and streit passage that hée iudgeth would breake the aray as oftentimes is found in marching And orderly without confusion cause them to passe ranke after ranke faire and easilie holding back with the end of his Halberd the ranke next to that which is in passing vntil it be thorowly ouer and placed in array as before to the intent the order of aray be not confounded in any ranke neither let him depart from that place vntill such time as all the rankes be past for so the aray wil not be disordered but shall march right and iust which is a thing of great importance specially in marching in doubt of the enimie and therefore hauing caused them all first to make Alta he shall command them to obserue aray distance and rankes without thrusting or crouding vntill all be past the straite passage A rule how to make the aray of the Bissa SInce there be sundry souldiers and persons which presuppose they know much more then others who discommend the making of the Bissa or Caraguolo as a thing not necessary amongst the orders of aray saying that the same is superfluous and of small moment I am of a contrarie opinion and make answere that they are much deceiued and haue small knowledge lesse iudgement in the benefite
and vse thereof for it séemes to mee according to the opinion of diuers expert persons that they are not onely commendable but also most profitable and doe helpe those souldiers much that do learne and exercise them and the reason is this That those souldiers which haue not as yet had discipline and be litle practised in the managing of sâ—…reite aray and in turning thémselues in their aray and in managing all sorts of weapons as pikes specially the hargabusiers with the which it is requisite to cause them make certaine salutations in shooting of the Bissa and also in opening of the same in such sort as the hargabusiers may stand in continuall motion redinesse to charge discharge their péeces alwayes marching in aray sometimes large sometimes straite and sometimes softly and sometimes fast it makes them very disposed nimble and readie as wel in managing their weapons as in marching iustly and with a good grace in their aray and in the battell whereby it may appeare that the making of the Bissa and Caraguolo it of great profite and of importance and those are to be reprehended that despiâ—…e and forgoe them as I haue said before Therefore all good souldiers are to command the iudgement of him that was first the inuentor thereof and we are to search with all diligence to imitate the same rule which I will here God willing go about succinctly and at large to declare because in my former proportions of a King an S a D and a Snaite I haue not done neither touched the manner of this Bissa or Caraguolo the which I the rather thinke necessarie to the intent euery souldier may sée with his eyes a perfect example and way how to make it and to the end his error in this his wilfulnesse arise not to be his discredite in greater causes and to those that hold them méere trifles and feare to faile therin with a litle exercise shall find it easie I haue séene some Captaines that hath made the same most gallantly to their great commendation by men of the greatest authorite in the field If therfore you would make a single Bissa obserue the order set downe in this proportion Presupposing that the figure of this Bissa here set downe is the plaine or ground where the muster is made you must begin to enter with your aray where the taile of this Bissa is turning first on the right hand afterward on the left hand winding your aray about another time on the right hand and on the left vntil such time as you sée the Ensigne be come iust into the midst of the Bissa and that you thinke it be well issuing forth after out of the head of the Bissa as here is set downe causing them to make a goodly salutation your Hargabusiers at the opening and disclosing of the aray aduertising you that these three and thrée in the Bissa are the ranks of the footemen and the D signifying the Drums the E the Ensigne so that beginning this order and well obseruing it you cannot erre The double Bissa Desiring to make a double Bissa that is more inuironed and closed then the single as here appeares you must note that the rankes ought not to be past fiue in a ranke or sixe or seuen at the most for when they are ouer large they make the aray ouer broad taking care likewise that the place be commodious and capeable that the footemen may be spred that they may march without perill of entangling aduertising them that are at the front of the aray when they march in their entring into the place of armes where they are to make the said Bissa to take so much space in the same as is conuenient to do that which in your minde you haue determined Alwayes in turning and doubling the aray holding the path and way large and marching as streit as is possible if you desire that the same shal fal out well beginning the entrie at the taile as in the single is declared turning alwayes as you may perceiue is set downe by the figure before And after that you haue made an end to double it sufficiently in the last doubling as in the single Bissa you must issue forth making large So in this double hauing ended all your turning you must go compassing and making a circuit after issuing forth you must make a generall Salua with your péeces and this will be easie and to the beholders shal appeare intricate firie A plaine rule to set the Ring in aray IT is requisite if you desire to make the King a Caraguolo to hold the same order that is set down in making of the Bissa which is that the rankes do not passe the number of sixe or 7. footemen to the intent they do not confound them in going out although they may be made of a greater nuÌ„ber but theÌ„ it is requisite that those that guide theÌ„ at the front of the maine be wel practised for that it is perilous to intangle themselues Therefore you must take care to vse greater diligence in the ring and Caraguolo then you doe in the Bissa and the guider thereof must stand at the front of the aray and conduct them into the market place or where the assemblie of Armes is Presuppose therefore in your minde hauing in charge to make this ring or Caraguolo that here you sée set down in portrature to be likewise figured in your mind vpon the earth and vpon the place where you are to make it entring first where you sée the crosse and go forward marching at large and frame a round circle alwayes turning vpon the right hand leauing betwixt one circle another a large way so great that at your returne you may come within the said way where this word the issue out is set downe which doth note the turning backe when you are in the midst of the King or Caraguolo that is when you do sée you haue closed and shut them togither sufficiently hauing left betwixt the one circle and the other of the aray so much space that in the same you may returne backe so the one do not touch another Then shall you cause a goodly Salua to be made of all the Hargabusiers generally at one instant Afterwards returning backe by the left hand you shall issue foorth by that way that you haue left betwixt the one circle and the other as it is drawne in the plat where this word The issue out is marching alwayes right forth and as equally as you can and cause to be made at your issue forth another generall Salua by the Hargabusiers You may begin the said Caraguolo vpon what side yée list either vpon the right or vpon the left hand hauing care that if you begin it vpon your right in your issue forth to turne towards the left hand And so likewise if you begin vpon the left in your issuing forth to turne to the right for so you shall finde the way
which is his best cast but yet which way soeuer the dyce turne either good or euill hée ought with as great discretion and art as hée can accommodate himselfe and serue his turne withall Hée should possesse and bée indued with a noble mind that hée may alwaies haue the same inclined to discréete liberalitie and 〈◊〉 to nigardlâ—… 〈◊〉 by which vice wee sée many 〈◊〉 and fall into most opprobrious chances into treasons and pernicious rebellions which are men worthie of most shamefull corrections I iudge it likewise verie necessarie for him to bée eloquent â—…nce that qualitie hath great efficacie in perswading of mens â—…nds which often times haue much néede to bée wakened and pricked forward with a spuâ—…re specially in those terrible accidents that fall out in the exercise of armes which in painfull perillous actions would otherwise languish faint and become fearefull Therefore lâ—…t the loue towards God the care of their Countrie their present perill the example of magnanimitie in their forefathers the quarrel cause and benefits to soule and bodie bée meanes to make them valiantly accomplish their actes Hée ought neuer to make conference concerning that which hée is to put in execution neither of any one thought imagination or inuention appertaining to the state of these warlike attempts and affaires but with those persons of whom hée may assuredly reserue faithfull and friendly counsell for that the importance of such and so great dealings ought euer to be had in suspition of discouerie Therefore a wise and carefull man will euer haue a warie iealous eye ouer such weighty affaires Now the order for him to punish his souldiers in cases wherin they are not guiltie of death I thinke the most important punishment which appertaines to the Captaine to giue them is openly amidst the whole companie band shamefully to disarme them to take away their money chiefest garmeÌ„ts so to banish them send them packing for to put them to death or furiously to beate them belonges to the office of the Master of the camp Marshal of the field not to the Captain for if hée should beate his souldiers hée should make himself hated embase him self bring his souldiers either to become mutinous or abiects Note that it is not sufficient only for a Captaine to haue ordained his companie discréetely therin to haue great numbers of good men which is to say in warlike affaires valiant men but aboue all thnigs it is very necessary when hée shall come to blowes fight hée should aduenture performe the same to his manifest aduantage or else constrained therunto by pure necessity although hée ought to flie the last so much as hée is able obseruing this for a generall rule not to fight either by chance either for pleasure or for ambition as many times wée sée done by rash ambitious chiefes and Captaines Moreouer hée must worke in such sort that his souldiers haue very good occasion apt meanes to win the victorie that they be fresh lusty to the inteÌ„t that in fighting they may ouercome for without these and like aduertisements by tempting fortune men for the most part both loose and are ouerthrowne It is very conuenient hée procure the hauing of an ample and autentike Patent of his Collonel with as large woords of fauor as may be wherein must bée declared at the instance appointment of what Prince the expedition is made so with modestie and prudence hée shall vse the aucthority that is giuen him but neuerthelesse there as it behooues him so to doe It is not requisite that in all places hée suffer his Ensigne to bée displayed the maner doing wherof shewes force aucthoritie the which many times is not to bée vsed neither in ech place When a man is inferior to others hée ought to vse great dexteritie modesty which euer fals out both to be commodious and coÌ„mendable And moreouer according to the order of passa parole of aduertisements from mouth to mouth hée ought euer to obserue a silent assured plaine information to his whole band wherby they may vpon the suddain alter aray make alta march slow or fast close or in wide ranks or prepare their péece match and â—…ullet for a suddain Alarum inuasion skirmish or defence A Captain that must leauy a band is to make his election and choise of his officers souldiers not only approued sufficieÌ„tly but also vse such spéedy march in his expedition iourney that hée may ioyne his company to the rest of the armie at or before the appointed day and place When hée may march by land with his company let him neuer haue desire to go by sea hoping to spare cost shorten time for by becomming subiect to the indiscretion of the wind either through long aboad or some accident by shipwracke or tempestes there hath risen many times great disturbance ruine without remedie since by this defect many good occasions and of great importance hath bin lost and made frustrate Hée ought neuer to take iourney in hand without a guide the which he must procure to bee giuen him by the chiefe that doth command him to the intent he may alwaies remain execused faultles from those errors that by such defects may or do coÌ„monly arise which diligence is not only particularly to be vsed when any iourney of smal length is to be guided but if any long iourney is to bée made not being able to do better hée must circumspectly haue him alwaies by his side neither ought to haue him slip away from him or absent since that euery smal error or going out of the way in a iourney marching doth displease souldiers warlik persons yéelds lesse reputation to the Captain who ought alwaies to march with them to prouide procure through his aucthority all things necessarie with the greatest fauor aduantage possible Hée ought alwaies to keepe his souldiers exercised by often taking view muster of them marching sometimes along in ranks by 3. 5. 7. 9. c. in a rank sometimes in training them in Kings esses dées battailes squadrons turning one rank through an other in leading them to skirmish in such sort as I haue set down in my second booke practise them daily And sometimes he must cause his souldiers to shoot vollées of shot sometimes all at once sometimes by ranks sometimes mixed The which vollées vpon the signe or sound of drum or word of mouth by the Captain must be accomplished with celeritie closely together cunningly not out of disorder or by péeces a great while one after another but vpon their discharge iointly together without rumor noise or tumult they must all charge again vpon a signe giuen by thâ—… Captain giue a fresh vollée c. Hée must likewise delight to sée them well armed with all sortes of armes euery one according to the weapon hée beares and
a ranke both to fight and giue the enimie the shocke The which thing doth not fal out in many other battails that likewise doth embrace and occupie in euery respect lesse compasse of ground both the one and the other aduertisement is very substanciall for the most part of greatest aduantage for euery man of experience doth know how much it doth profit so néere as is possible to be planted placed in one vnited order and to take on hand to defend a small circuite of ground as by this forme doth verie well ensue and succéede Hée must set both in the one and the other of these places that is to say at the head and backe of the battaile the onely choise souldiers and best armed men which order hée ought likewise to obserue in those which must impale the rest the face the back and flankes of the battaile consisting of well armed Pikes specially if the situation of the ground and cariages do want as by reason is requisite and conuenient and place the Ensignes béeing accompanied with good Halberds men of valour in their accustomed standing of the footmens rankes Hée must make to his battaile two wings of Hargabuziers the one lesse and the other greater as the situation of the ground wil beare or suffer the which wings are to defend and flanke the maine square euen in the same sort as curtaines or bulwarkes with their casamates do flanke a fortresse It is verie necessarie for him to haue certaine souldiers besides the battaile and wings in the front vnder the name of the forlorne hoope and an other part that readily and couragiously béeing kéept behind the battaile may bée imploied in diuers néedefull enterprises without discouering or disseuering the wings or any other bodie of battaile ordained to other effect flanking himselfe with these wings hee may sometimes fight with great aduantage on all sides although the flankes of the said battaile be weaker containe a lesse quantitie of souldiers then the head or the backe and therfore with great iudgements these flankes ought to bée placed towards the strongest part of the situation aided with the wings of Hargabuziers and the â—…eregard for that sometimes one of the â—…ankes béeing forced to bâ—…ecome the front the said hargabuziers by good reason and very aduisedly may retire thrust themselues into the thréede of the rankes of the Pikemen from whence they may shoot and wound the enimie and defend their owne partie The forlorne hope in the front of the battaile must bée succoured with nâ—…w supplies from behind and if néede require from the winges that the front of the armed men bée neuer left naked and vncouered till the battailes bée so néere that they bée ready to crosse their pikes then must the other retire into the wings or behind the battaile to the cariages To forme and set in order this battaile with facillitie which in my opinion is the best founded firme profitable and most expedient and if necessitie did require more apt to iourney then many other forme of battailes bée I therfore say it is conuenient for the Sergeant to haue a long practise in Millitarie profession or else very good Theoricke or that which is better both the one and the other together for if a man do but only possessâ—… practised experience hee doth not alwaies direct and bring his enterprises to perfection but doth worke with more spéede and facillitie which is a thing verie necessarie and altogether requisite by Theorick only matters be wrought with perfection but much more coldly slow and with longer time The which defects and imperfections ought to bée fled of men that bée of valour It is an accustomed saying that practise for that it is a thing more material is said to bée the bodie and Theoricke the mind for that the same looking into the matter doth first dispose set in order and the other execute whereby it followes that the one the other ioined together doth make vs aptly to conceiue and readily to execute this office and euery other enterprise so that wée cannot desire any further direction And for that euery man ought to apply himselfe in all his actions to attaine to full perfection for the absolute performance therof hée ought to ioine practise with Theoricke which is reading specially in Algorisme Algebra the platformes of battailes the which in forming the order of this square battaile both instruct that you must deuide the whole number placing the souldiers which are to bée bestowed in this battaile by 21. taking from the quotient the roote of the quadrant number placing it in some part a side then multiplying the said quadrant roote by 7. you shal haue the number of souldiers which doth enter by rankes then multiplying the same roote by 3. you may find the number of the rankes which béeing done if you multiplie the number of that which amounteth by 21. the product shall shew the number of those souldiers which are not to be placed in main battail which may serue in many profitable vses and thus this quadrant battaile may bée formed Tartaglie Bresciano in his booke of Martiall inuentions giues rule to forme the same perfectly in other sort In the which it is necessarie to make quadrate the number 49. that is to multiply it in it selfe which will make 2401. this 2401. hée shal multiply by the number of souldiers hée would put in battaile shall deuide the product by the number of 100. and of the product hée shal after take the square roote the which roote wil bée the number of souldiers which shall enter into ranks shal deuide with the said roote the quotient already mentioned which ought to bée put in battail that which shal arise is the number of the ranks and the surpluse which doth arise in this last quotient are the souldiers which remaine out of the square the which are otherwise to bée emploied But to frame the square of men there is nothing to bée done but to take the square roote from the number of souldiers and the same roote will bée the number of souldiers which must enter into rank and the selfe same roote wil bee the number of the ranks this béeing done hée must force himselfe to maintaine and kéepe them in due order and iust square To obserue good order hauing made proclamation that euery one shall kéepe his place béeing assisted by the 4. Corporals and the Sergeant Maiors of the Regiments in their quarters Hée must diligently ryde héere and there about the squadrons vsing certain manifest knowne signes wherin order must bée taken openly not priuely to the intent they may be credited obeied of those that know the manner of this obseruation for by declaring the same secréetly priuately it is vneasilie very hardly executed of certain ambitious and ignorant persons which are accustomed to make profession that they are not to bée commanded more of this man then of
skirmish diligently to execute such like enterprises and finally to pursue the enimy defending or expugning some strong place fortresse passage or breach or what other condition soeuer When he hath put the ordenance and march in this foresaid forme and maner that he doth carry in mind the Theorick Rules which before are mentioned he may so ingrosse and double the ranks specially when he aspects and stayes for the enimie that he may frame the square battaile of ground or of number aâ—…d of men both the one and the other without any difficultie He may likewise cause euerie particular Sergeant place all the Pikes armed and disarmed with the other weapons they haue in charge and also the Ensigne in so many liâ—…es rankes as the people of the other bands likewise armed by their Sergeant are formed and fashioned Besides it would be very good for the Sergeant Maior first of all aduisedly to consider with the Sergeants how many lines or ranks they are to be by companie prouided alwayes that one band be like vnto another in quantitie of lines rankes that their proportion may answere and be correspondent These bodies so ordained are of many called maniples or scales as thus Marching in this order he may cause al the Alfieres of euerie Regiment to march in ranke vnited togither without mixing themselues with others that pertain to other Collonels or with other priuate captains and when the maniple be doubled the battel is complet engrossed euery Alfierus may go to his own band and remain with the same for the more satisfaction of his company and his greater saftie And returning with the said order of maniples to march in long ordinance as before euery Alfierus shal turne amongst the other Alfierus or Ensigne bearers where he remained first The Hargabusiers must march disseuered from the battaile the one halfe in Uantgard and the other half in reargard or somwhat distant of vpon the right hand vpon the left hand as the way shall serue with most commoditie or as shall be thought most necessarie if suspect be had of the enimie so that according as néede doth require redoubling the rankes and causing one to enter into another or knit and ioyne togither he may engrosse them and put them in order with good aduisement to flanke this foresaid principall battaile in as good forme as he possible may It is a most necessarie note to be had in memorie that as wel the two wings or sléeues of Hargabusiers as also the front or backe part of the ordained battaile or generall square are alwayes recommended as before I said to the worthy Collonels and Captaines and honorable officers and souldiers to the intent they may alwayes giue remedie by discourse consider and by courage determine of al matters making choise of the chiefest part in those affaires of importance without attending or aspecting for counsell if in case such counsell be not present and readie at hand Neither is it to be misliked or out of course but as I iudge a thing verie necessarie to send for Uantgard and Reargard and on both sides some what farre off from the battaile squadrons troopes or hornes of Hargabusiers out of the forlorne hope the which without mouing the souldiers of the battaile the ordained square and flankes may verie sufficiently performe all enterprises discoueries and do great seruice of maruellous importance and profite and in effect may assure the way and passage to the squadrons that come behind or go before from surprises c. Marching out of danger or suspicion of the enimy the Sergeant Maior deuiding euerie armes by themselues must forme the accustomed ordinance and marching with this hée may accept the companies which ariue as they come and send the Hargabusiers of the front of this companie to the Uantgard of the Hargabusiers of the foresaid formed rankes and those of the backe to the reargard the Ensignes to the place of the Ensignes and the forepart of the Pikes and Halberds to the front and the hindermost part to the backe of this square battaile and ordinance in the midst of the day when the Armie makes Alâ—… to rest in the morning when they dislodge and at night when they encampe let the Sergeant Maior accompanied with the Marshall of the fielde range the armie into sundrie formes of battailes and squares that ech one may be well acquainted with euerie sort of battaile the which although part of them be not to march withall and not in vse yet for exercise sake and for that sometimes they are found to be profitable when they are diligeÌ„tly ordained and disposed being conformable to the situation of the ground and correspondent to that present enterprise specially when they be contained and framed of a great number of people I haue thought good in my figures hereunto annexed to set downe some of old and some of newe inuentions hoping that some of them may satisfie our curious conceited Captaines But to delate further of these foresaid particulars the Sergeant Maior must euerie day repaire to the Lord high marshal or the Lieutenant generall to receiue direction in what sort that day the armie is to march whose pleasures knowne he must as â—… said before sort euery kind of weapon by it selfe and then draâ—… them forth in maniples or sléeues in 3. 5. 02 7. in a ranke or morâ—… as occasion serues and so to place euerie band that their Cap taines may be with them to direct and animate them which iâ—… these our dayes is almost impossible to be done euery smal banâ—… being deuided into seuerall weapons so that he cannot in time of such generall seruice accompanie his owne band which surely is repugnant to antique Discipline Some hold opinion vnlesse the souldiers bee rawe and vntrained men that it is not good to aduenture the brunt in one maine square battaile but rather in diuers squadrons and sundrie battillions specially if by the continuance of many yeares seruice they be trained in such sort as in the furie of the fight they can both march forward if they preuaile or retyre vpon disaduantage and yet maintaine perfectly their arayes then by no meanes the battaile is to be committed to one hazard of fortune but imitating the Romaines ancient warlike discipline to place themselues in thrée or foure seuerall fronts with conuenient spaces for the first to retire and vnite himselfe with the second both these if occasion néede to serue with the 3. the shot hauing conuenient issues and lanes continually during the fight to discharge their péeces which will make an incredible spoile of the enimie so that vpon the charge of horsemen retyring within the squadrons who ioyning togither may bend and crosse their pikes to receiue the shocke and repulse them vpon whose retyre vnclosing their thorowfares lanes and galleries againe the shot and musketeares may issue out vpon their backes and either follow with the heat shore of their bullets or he imployed vpon
backe of the rankes and squadron and not from the front or from any other place for in marching more attentiuely and with lesse occasion of tumult and turning those things be better vnderstood and are more capable which are spoken and proceede from behind the backe then from the front and flankes and with greater facilitie doth runne all along the rankes and as they say according to the word Passa Parola aduanâ—… the word The Sergeant Maior when his squadrons ariue at any strait passage or bridge or other narrow or diâ—…icile place that might disorder him must cause them passe ranke by ranke one after another so that the ranke being a little disseuered or broken let him frame the ranke a new so taking like order in euery rank he shal immediatly forme behind the strait and bridge in the fashion of the first appointed squadron and in this â—…ort may hée procéed with good consideration with as manie squadrons battailes as there be When he giues a volée of shot or makes a Salua of Musket Hargabussers it is much better for him to begin at the head theÌ„ in any other place that he may in due order ranke by ranke cause one to follow another euen to the backe and last ranke so that how much more it yéelds a gallant readie grace so much more makes it shew that those souldiers be practised and argues the sufficiencie of him that guides them When nothing eâ—…e of importance remains behind to be done and that the forward and maine battaile hath stood in squadrons to attend and receiue the reregard leâ—… him the same being ariâ—…ed disband the battaile hauing beforehand taken order with the Herbingers of the bands that euerie one guide the Alfierus of his owne companie to his proper quarter In disbanding the battaile let him guide the Ensignes into such a place of aduantage in height as from thence all the squadron consisting of the vantgard battaile and Rereward may with commoditie behold and sée them to the intent that euery souldier following his proper Ensigne may go therewith to his lodging and appointed quarter The order which is accustomed to bée obserued in assaulting the enemie aswell in the day as in the night I suppose it cannot expresly and particularly from point to point bee declared considering it must bée conformable to the stratagemes of the Prince or Captain generall that gouernes But I haue oftentimes séene them pâ—…t in practise and resolutely wrought with Incamisados with assured and secreat rootes and with imbuscades placed in a conuenient and apt couert such as growes to bée of aduantage to them that lies in ambush who ought to attend the time to assault silently and secretely hauing his Sentinels vedettes countersignes and voices such as bée plaine manifest able to bée vnderstood not double doubtfull and obscure The which sometimes with greaâ—… error and infinite losse hath caused one thing to bée taken for an other And this is to be done to the end that with good order in perfect sort ech thing that is hurtfull to the enimie may bée performed and put in practise Likewise the Sergeant Maior by his office must take â—…are to prouide for the munition principally al sortes of armes and armour victuals and other munition necessarie for his people Likewise to distribute the same to performe his office alwaies in the companie of the Master of the campe or Marshall of the field in planting the gard round about the campe and euer to procure the watchword with the which the said gards are to bée gouerned and after discharged if such like causes still procéede in gouernment in one selfe order but because they varie according to the custome of him that gouernes principally and sometimes as occasion â—…oth best require therefore I passe ouer the same with silence and it is sufficient that at this time I haue inferred that such like actions and operations appâ—…rtain to his office to the intent hée may alwaies remaine in a readines to accompâ—… them gallantly and according to the rules and obseruations that shalbée appointed him by his Prince Hée must take order that the bodies of the watch or Corps dâ—…gard bée ful stoared with souldiers according to the proportion of their capacitie and that at the least there hée as many for euerie Corps de gard as may commodiously supplie and maintain all the Sentinels necessary to bée made during the night allotting at the least one hower of the clocke to euery Sentinel and chiefly in the vnseasonable time of winter an hower a halfe at such time as the season is mean betwixt two two howers at the most at any other time that is serene and hoat time of the Summer forséeing alwaies the Corps de gard consist of so manie souldiers that they may bée able together with the commodious situation of the ground by the perfect proportion and placing of the Corps de gard or by meanes of the trenches or other defences already made they may in such sort sustaine the furie of any surprise at vnwares that the enimie is able to come or assault him withall Those Commissions of any importance that depend vpon his charge and are of other Officers to bée performed ought to bée committed to writing whereof they must haue a copie to the intent that they bée made void of vsing contradictions if in case they do not obey If there should arise any error of moment by this meanes he shall not be charged to faile in his duetie or be occasion of such casualties He must take order with the Sergeants with ech Alfierus with the Lieutenants with all leaders Captaines and Collonels to the intent that al that which is to be done of them may be willingly executed thereby with facilitie to shun the strife and emulation which oftentimes doth arise amongst them and that euery one of them may enioy that which iustly appertains vnto him But when for any occasion he cannot in like causes orderly gouerne them and that it shall not be good absolutely to command them let him then permit that there may be lots cast amongst them and this manner is to be vsed in case of verie extraordinarie seruice which sorte of procéeding doth not diminish or plucke away any of his aucthoritie since he commits to chaunce that which was in his choyse expresly to commaunde Finally it is requisite for a Sergeant Maior to be so studious in theorik reading practise and inuention that through his industrie he may inuent new Artificiall formes of Battels squadrons marching such thinges as appertayne to this important office For no man without inuention can be accounted excellent in his arte and profession Necessarie practises set out in proportions and figures for Captaines Collonels and Sergeant Maiors to vse in squadrons battailes and maine exploits in marching skirmishing retyring rescewing and such like THe curious conceits of sundrie ouerweening warriours and superficiall Captaines is such at these dayes as
discourse of sundrie obseruations to be had in memorie of Captaines Collonels Sergeant Maiors c. whereby a discreet leader may ' learne what he hath to accomplish in all sortes of battels and encounters whatsoeuer Diuers proportions of new inuented squadrons THis battell following hath beene vsed of the Spaniards marching alongst the side of a riuer two squares and a triangle battell of pikes flanked with shot empaled on the front rereward and left flanke with 7 rankes of pikes the forlorne hope in the front their horsemen on the left wing in this sort The proportion of this battell was caried by the Almains into Italy against the Zwitzers being enuironed round about with a raile fastned with iron hookes to be taken in sunder carried with them planted with musket and base shot to resist horsmen and the squares of footmen This figure ensuing consists of a square battell of Pikes flanked by shot seconded by sléeues of Halberdeares for execution and reléefe or deffence in skirmish when it comes to pell mell with 4 smal squadrons of musketeres at the corners of the maine battell all the whole being enuironed and impaled with pikes before whose vaward front are placed the forlorne hope two wings of horsmen marching along the sides of the battell THe proportion of this battell next following is onely for the safe retire of shot being repulsed by horsemen or otherwise who may at eight places retire into this squadron which stands in the proportion of a fortresse which vpoÌ„ the charge of the enemie may ioyne close in one maine square by causing the flanks to march vp to the corners of the square which vpon occasion disclosing againe may let out the shot which may enter into skirmish in circular wise as followeth THe manner of this battell next adioyning which is to be vsed of a great armie dooth somewhat resemble a cressant consisting of battaillons the Generall in the midst of the 4 chéefe squadrons the whole impaled with pikes flanked with shot fronted with the forlorne hope and winged with horsemen This battell following is both strong and ready for the safetie of the shot for that either the forlorne hope in the forward or rereward ' may succor one another retire or issue out vpon any side through the lanes and galleries betwixt euery battaillon and yet vpon the enemies onset may sarrie close together and make one firme and sole battaile the shot being before hand drawne in out of the enemies danger This squadron is likewise flanked with Musket and Hargabuziers and winged with horsemen A notable discourse of sundrie obseruations to be had in memorie of Captaines Collonels and Sergeant Maiors in directing training exercising imbattelling and instructing of soldiors for the better planting of any of the foresaid Battels or proportions EAch Captaine Collonell and Sergeant Maior must in his degrée take care of his charge The Captaines must sée that his officers do acquaint teach his souldiors all the particulars in my first booke and that his other officers be able to execute so much as I haue set downe in my second Booke of Militarie directions whereby together with some notes written presently they may learne such particular knowledge as when they come to put generall matters in execution the same séeme not strange vnto them for in the exercise of armes we ought to indeuour our selues to be perfect in such things as belong to a band when it is by it selfe and that which a band is to performe when it is ioyned with others in campe so that those souldiers which be cunning in the first may easily obserue all occurrences and commaundements in the second Therefore a band is to learne by it selfe to kéepe ranke in each kind of motion that is to say in marching slowlie softlie fast to learne all the sounds all the signes and all the blasts voices and cries wherewith the officers commaund in a battell and that euery one know perfectly the signification thereof no lesse then the Mariners the whistle of the maister of the ship in which souldiours must be readie and diligent to obey incontinently aptly at the stroke battery of the drums whether it be to march forward to stay or to recoile or to turne their faces and weapons towards any place To this end all Collonels must ordaine that all the drums haue one kind and maner of battery and that they do vse al one forme of sounding to the field of sounding the alarme and to vse one proper sound to plant themselues in battell to aduance themselues to recoyle to turne in battell themselues from one side to another to make retraite and in sum to signifie all other points that the voice of one person alone cannot make so easily to be vnderstood as dooth the sound of many drums the which make themselues to be hard in the greatest tumults and throngs The souldiors also ought to be so attentiue to hearken and giue eare to that which is spoken and commanded that they néed neuer to be deceiued the drums likewise ought to be ready to batter their caisses according to the sound of the collonels trumpets by the which they must altogether direct and gouerne their batteries The Collonels trumpet ought to be expert in all these sounds that he be able to vtter them so plainly that the drums take not one thing for an other but that he know how to expres the same according to his Collonels commandement néere vnto whose person he ought to be euer not to abandon him to yéeld a reason what mooues me to appoint trumpets for footmen it is in respect that they may be more cléerly vnderstood then drums can be if any great tumult should arise that the drums should alter change their sound for they are to be directed by trumpets the sound wherof is hier theÌ„ the battery of drums the which yâ— Zwizers who first inuented drums haue very wel â—…ried therfore let colloâ—…ls prouide that they haue truÌ„pets before their battailloÌ„s that the Chieftains may signifie admonish theÌ„ what they haue to do All these things togither with ech seueral sound must be taught shewed from point to point to ech particular band apart before they be ranged togither in battel to the intent they may haue the full art to maintaine their order ranks without that any place how difficile soeuer be able to disband or disseuer them And also that the sound of the trumpet be so familiar vnto them that they caÌ„not erre neither take one thing for another but that the Collonels bands be ech one priuatly fully instructed in all that which the battaillons ought to do being assembled with the armie And for that armes are brought to seuerall kinds of battels either in respect of the enimies in sight or for feare of some sodaine assault ech band ought to be exercised in such sort and so instructed that they may with great assurance march
through the enimies countrie fight if néed require the officers instructing shewing the souldiers that which they haue to do if they were assaulted on one side or other at vnawares And that they be taught the order to resist the enimie in a day of battell or when the enimie doth approch in sight they ought to learne how a battel must begin and how one battaillon doth abord another battaillon of the enimies and to shew them the place where they ought to retyre if they be repulsed and who must enter into and supply their places and to what signes to what sounds to what voyces they ought to obey and that which they must do when they heare these voyces and sounds and sée those tokens signes and to accustome them with the sundrie sorts of battels and fained assaults in such sort that afterwards they may not onely dare to abide but also desire the fight in good earnest the which assurance shal so much the rather encrease by how much they sée themselues wel instructed ordered ranged rather then by their proper hardines chiefly if these battailons be ranged in such sort that they may easily succour one another which is of no small importance to encourage assure the souldiers For admit that I should be of the first combatants that I know into what part I ought to retire my selfe being ouermatched and likewise who he is that must come in my place I shall alwayes fight with a better heart beholding my succours néere at hand rather then if I neither knew them nor saw theÌ„ Likewise if I be in the second place although the first be repulsed that I behold them to recoile yet the same shal not astonish nor appale me for that I alredie know what this recoile doth signifie a thing which beforehand I shal desire to come to passe to the intent that I may be he that shall gaine the victorie and that the first do not carrie away the honour of the fielde alone to themselues These exercises therefore be most necessarie both for young and olde souldiers for it appeares that although the Romaines knew perfitely what were to be accomplished in a particular band and so consequently in a whole armie and that they did learne all these things in their youth in Câ—…mpo Martio yet neuerthelesse they were afterwards continually exercised as wel in the time of peace as when their enimies did front them Ioseph in his historie saith that the continuall exercise of the Romaine armie did make the common multitude of those that followed the campe serue in a day of battell as well as the souldiers for both the one and the other knew how to kéepe their ranks and in kéeping them how to fight in them But an armie of new souldiers whether they be leuied to serue presently or that an order be taken to haue them in readines to be imployed in time to come they will arise to proue vnprofitable without these practises and exercises Therefore order being so necessarie all Captaines Collonels and Sergeant Maiors must with double industrie and trauell instruct or cause to be instructed those which be ignorant and to continue and maintaine the same in those which are perfect imitating the steps of those excellent Captaines which haue trauelled to maintaine this discipline The souldiers therefore in priuate bands being instructed to kéepe their rankes by 3. and 3. fiue and 5. or 8. and 8. without hauing respect to the number euen or odde for that it is a thing of no importance but an obseruation brought vp without foundation specially Vegetius can yéeld no reason therefore but only vse They must then in marching softly or in hast learne to multiplie as two ranks of fiue to make 10. two of 10. to make 20. and by and by at one instant to bring them from the same rankes and to place them in their first and simple order of aray And to the end they may assure and accustome themselues the better it is necessarie they make Lymassons when they are in simple and single aray and to aduertise them that the second person in ranke doe kéepe alwayes iust behind the first without loosing him and the 3. right behind the second and so of the rest This done togither with the directions of my second booke eâ—…h band must apart be set in order and in the estate that is required and requisite to range them when a whole battell is planted togither To performe which the Pikes of the flankes and the Hargabusiers shall come out of aray and shall place themselues on the one side and the Corporals of the Pikes shall make head one of the Corporals and his people first and another of the Corporals and his people next the Corporall of the Halberdeares shall follow hauing the Alfierus with his Ensigne in the middest of the Halberds Then the other Corporals with their Pikes shal make the reregard with their people It must be shewed to euerie Corporall the place which he ought to kéepe at all times who likewise must declare the same plainely and particularly to euerie priuate souldier of his squadre The Captaine must be at the head of the aray and the Lieutenant at the backe the Sergeant hath no staying place vnlesse the Captaine do appoint him one but must alwayes trot here and there all alongst the rankes to see good order kept and to commaunde the performance of his Captaines pleasure Let continuall vse accustome the souldiers to know of themselues how to range themselues in battell for the better learning whereof they must be made to march forward and backward and to passe difficile places without troubling and breaking their aray the which if they be not able to doe they are not to be esteemed old souldiers although they haue serued twentie yeares The difficultie likewise is great to cause them place themselues vpon a sodaine in their first aray being broken or dispersed by reason of vneasie passages or that the enimies haue disseuered them for in this it is requisite to haue had good and great exercise of a long continuance Therefore that the same may be accomplished it is necessarie to haue two things obserued maintained the one that the Ensignes may be easily knowne by colours and figures of number and that the chiefe members and officers haue certaine cognisances or markes vpon their armes and apparell and the other is that one selfe band be ranged alwayes in one certaine and knowne place of the battaillon without causing the same to alter roomes and that the Corporals know the places that they must enter into without shifting at any time but if that one Corporall be accustomed to be in the formost ranke that he remaine there alwayes and the souldiers in the places which hath ben ordained them from the beginning And if that any one band hath bene taught to be in the right corner of the battell that the same doe not stirre from thence
and so consequently that which is vsed to the left shall go to the left By this meanes if the souldiers be accustomed to know their places put case they should be out of order yet should they be able to place themselues againe easily For the Ensignes do know alredie the place where they are accustomed to be planted in the battel and the Corporals knowing likewise their place may iudge also by ranke of eye vpon what part it is that they should place themselues so that those of the front shall steppe forwards to the front and those of the backe shall in like sort retire to their places Therefore the Corporals knowing in how many and what rankes they haue to arrange themselues it will follow that the souldiers not hauing any thing else to do but to imitate their Leaders and heads will readily range themselues euerie one in his owne place without hauing néede of any sergeant of a band nor any other to place them prouided that vse and practise hath made them perfect masters These things are instructed learned spéedily so that diligence be vsed that mē accustome themselues by little little and often the which after they haue once well learned they shall hardly forget It is moreouer necessarie to teach them to turne al at one time for it is somtimes requisite to make of the rereward the front or of one of the flankes the rereward according to the enimies face and according to the place of assault Now to answere towards the place néedful you haue no more to do but to turne your person towards the place appointed and so shall that part towards which the souldiers haue turned their faces be the front But he that would haue a whole battaillon turne all in one péece as if it were a massie body in this it were necessarie to haue great practise discretiō for to turne it vpon the left hand it is requisite to haue the left corner stay that those which be néere adioyning vnto the same do aduance themselues so slowly that those vpon the right corner be not constrained to run otherwise al wil be confounded but this may better be made apparant by experience then words The forlorne hope the light armed armed pikes are to be ranged in the front flanks rereward according to the proportion of the battell or as the seruice requires for these are to execute particular functions in cōuoyes forrages inuasions such like when it is not requisite to send great numbers of people The forlorne hope the pikemen hargabusiers are to begin the battel to fight amongst the horsemen without kéeping any order and therfore being lightly armed their office is to fight without stāding still or firme in running trauersing here there whether they pursue the enimies or be followed of them in which the pikemen wil do good seruice in backing sustaining the hargabusiers and may be able to make front to these that charge vpon them whether they be on horseback or foote or to follow those that be in flight to make entrance to thrust in amongst the enimies when they begin to stagger or sway Therfore al souldiers whether they be in maine battel in flanke forlorne hope in the impale or rereward haue néede to be well exercised that being disbanded they may immediatly finde againe their places rang themselues in the same aray they kept before wherein it is necessarie that all officers become more vigilant in execution then heretofore and the souldiers more obedient and expert in performing then at this day they be Our age brings forth Captaines more curious of gaine then of conseruing good order and troupes of officers rather to supplie number then sufficient to instruct The Ensignes thēselues are more in vse for a gallant shew then for any Militarie direction whereas the ancient Romaines did vse them for a guid whereby they knew how to put thēselues in order for euery one after the Ensigne did stay knew incontinently the place where they were to plant thēselues they knew that if the same did remoue or stand stil that they likewise ought to march or stay Therfore it is necessary that a camp haue diuers bands euery band his Ensigne wherin figures of number are to be portraited to shew what roome and place the same is of in euery regiment or armie and so consequently where the same is accustomed to be ranged And also necessarie Leaders and officers that the campe may haue diuers soules and so likewise diuers liues all souldiers then ought to gouerne thēselues according to their Ensignes according to the sounds the which being ordained set down according as they ought do command gouerne a whole regiment and armie The which so that it march in such sort as answeres to the batterie of the drums they shall easily kéepe their order and aray And to this end were the Flutes and fiffes found out and sounds of perfect accord for euen as men that dance by the measures of Musicke do not erre so likewise a whole battaillon which in march obeys the sound of the drum cannot breake aray and therefore the Romaines when they would change their pace when they would inflame appcase or assure the souldiers they did change sounds as the sounds did varie so likewise vsed they variety of names to them for they had the Dorike and the Phrigien sound the one did inflame the hearts of the souldiers the other did make méek appease them They had likewise other kinds of sounds as the Aeolien Iasien Lydien others the which did al serue to incite or coole the courage of men which diuersitie of batteries the Spaniards do presently verie well imitate a thing to be obserued of all good souldiers An armie that consists of diuers battaillons two or thrée fronts when they are constrained to break and are repulsed must retire one within another into the rankes of the next squadrons which of purpose are planted more thin so the first retyring enters into the 2. and the second into the 3. Note that in the first front of a square vpon the fal of any wounded or slaine souldier he the is next behind him in rank is his follower must enter and step into his roome and fill vp the void place that the front of the battel may still be maintained and so obseruing the retire of the battaillons and the renuing of their ranks we may accomplish both the Romain Gréeke discipline Those battaillons which are most necessarie to be had in vse ought to consist of pikes marching before the Ensigne behind it and on the flanks carrying light Uenecian rundels and targets on their backes and in the midst about the Ensigne the halberdeares must stand prouided alwayes that the notable personages good souldiers for seruice be dispersed as well in the flanks behind as before and not to put them all to one
sarrie close fight In like sort the sound of the said trumpets shall signifie when it is time for the artillary to discharge when to retire when the Musket Hargabusiers the forlorne hope and others are to set forward and when they are to retire and also when the first battels ought to retire to the second fronts and battaillons and when both together they are to arange themselues with those of the third finally at what time they must all retire from the battel the which things must in a plaine knowne vulgar sort be al set downe by the collonel and Chieftaine and suddenlye be signified by his trumpet the noise whereof shall giue sufficient intelligence to the other trumpets which are néerest him that it may so go from hand to hand to the furthest trumpet of the armie It should be good to vse a Cornet or a hunts mans horne for the retraite c. and a trumpet to begin the battell or contrariwise for it is a most difficile thing that the trumpetor should signifie so many diuers things with one instrument considering that the sound of a retraite dooth approch very néere vnto the sounding to the standard in such sort that then when as all men be troubled and as it were besides themselues they shall very hardly be able to discerne whether of these two things the trumpet sounds What the Sergeant Maior is to obserue touching the length of Pikes A Pike ought neuer to want in length any thing of fiftéene foot for this respect when the footemen are streightned and setled in order of battell they may for the aduantage and profite of the said armie in respect that the assaults of the enemie is to giue to the said battell couching bending their pikes against them worke so that the greatest number of rankes that is possible for the defence of the battell may endamage and offend the said enemies and therefore their pikes being shorter then fiftéene foote it prooues that no more of the ranks can fight but the first second and third standing all in order in their places and yet can the third ranke fight but discommodiously not aduance forward his pike to succor and defend the first ranke forsomuch as the distance of the ground from one ranke to another in any battell how straight and close soeuer it be would be neuerthelesse so much that men may manage and handle their weapons and sturre themselues without being a hinderance or trouble one to another Therefore it is to be considered that the distance of the ground which is betwixt one ranke and an other dooth take away a good portion of length in such sort that by reason we may sée that a pike ought to be in length fiftéene foot and no lesse for being so long footemen standing in order of battell in their places the third and fourth ranke may commodiouslye abasing themselues come in aright to succour with their pikes the first and formost rankes this is as much as I can imagine to be necessarie touching the length of pikes by reason of the succour the third and fourth ranke may giue to them before How pikes are to be raised vp and abased in closing and opening of a battell I Will not omit to put those in memorie that know not of the particular of those things that is required in making a battell of footmen Therefore those which would make a battell of footmen must be aduertised that in shutting vp of the said battell the rankes of the pikes aswell armed as vnarmed must not raise them vp confusedly but with order that is when the Sergeant Captaine or Sergeant Maior shall say raise or right vp your pikes then it is requisite that the first and formost ranke must begin to raise vp it selfe and that the second do not mooue to raise vp it selfe vntill the first be all raised vp so the third and fourth And finally the same order is to be obserued in all other rankes not to raise vp their pikes vntill such time that the rankes that are before them haue raised them vp and so from one to another all the rankes of the footmen must obserue this order aswell in battell as in araye The like order is to be obserued in battell and araye in laying downe their pikes vpon their shoulders forsomuch as ranke by ranke in order and without confusion they ought to let fall their pikes letting the first fall after the second the third and fourth following from one to another in the selfe same maner as hath béene declared in the raising vp of their pikes for by obseruing this order they cannot commit but rather make a gallant showe and preuent manie confusions How the Sergeant Maior Captaine or simple Sergeant are to gouerne themselues when their battell shall chaunce to be assaulted on foote and on horsebacke IN sundry and diuers manners and moreouer in diuers places and grounds battels are fought according to the occasions and the accidents that in Militarie occurrences doe chaunce at vnawares in time of warrefare abroade in Campania in Townes and in Fortresses for which causes it is necessarie that the wit of those that haue the managing thereof be prompt ready aswell in this as moreouer in finding out a good partie for himselfe all for the honor safetie of the prince whom he serues ioining to his couragious hart wit experience policie each aduantage that is possible to be vsed against his enemie therfore in two sorts do arise the means to fight one is when he doth séeke to fight with his enemie the other when he is sought of the enemie in such sort that it is néedfull he defend himselfe and therefore I say when the first occasion doothrise that the séekes the enemie speaking héere of striking battell in Campania it is requisite first he consider how the enemies armie is furnished with horsemen and footmen and if he looke to fight with horsmen that are to come to breake his battell in this case he is to be aduertised that he suffer himselfe not to be found if it be possible in Campania Rasa in the open fields or in plains but rather must accomodate his battell in some place of a hill or a mountaine or vpon some seat of ground which hath vpon one side either riuer or ditch or some other impediment against the enemies horsemen which on some side may be a difference as in some places be trées vines and diuers other such like as nature brings foorth in diuers places which are of great impediment vnto the enemies horsemen vnto foote battels are verie profitable and although the number of the souldiors are very small yet oftentimes by much aduantage remaine victorious but aduertisement is to be had that in such cases it is requisite that there be accomodated many hargabusiers in the battell many pikes for they be good against the enemies horsemen hauing to fight with footmen the open
fields is the best with a square battell and many pikes placing hargabuziers according to his discretion Since I haue spoken of the first maner of fight I will speake of the second which is when the enemie dooth assault at vnawares it is necessarie then couragiouslie not to loose any point of courage to place his people in square battell for that it is the most ready and most sure way that is making himselfe good flanks with the Hargabuziers of the band afterwards expecting the assault cause his battell to shut and close it selfe wel causing them to couche and abase 4 or 5 or somtimes 6 ranks of pikes in that case round about all the sides of the battel and the others to stand vpright vntill time of néede and the Hargabuziers are to hold their pikes vpon their thighes with their matches in their cockes a morce in their pan and all vigilant in a readinesse And the captaine before the battell valiantly giuing courage to his souldiors to performe the dutie of a leader aduertising that when the assault is giuen by horsemen that the pikemen couching and abasing themselues do hold the great end of their pikes fastned hard in strong earth to the end the pike may haue greater force What distance is vsed in Battell betwixt man and man ranke and ranke IN this present chapter you shall perceiue the order and maner that is to be obserued in the distance and space of ground betwixt ranke and ranke of souldiours in battell and how much space the souldiours do occupie from shoulder to shoulder aswell armed with Corslet as vnarmed Note that it is to be vnderstood of a pikeman I will first aduertise all Sergeant Maiors and all good Captaines and Sergeants and others that delight in profession of battels that there be two reasons wherefore the vnderstanding of these distances be of importance the one is to know how much ground is necessary to manage a battell how much space the circumference of the battell will take round about it according to the quantitie of the souldiours that are to be in the said battel And the other is that it is néedful to know how much space is limited to a souldior from shoulder to shoulder and from one ranke to another And this proportion hath bin found out and limited of great practised and cunning men to the intent that the said distance from one ranke to another may in a certaine space of time be accomodated that the souldiours may comodiously manage their pikes may fight and in such sort that one ranke of souldiours may succour an other that stand before them and deale in such sort that all the battell may worke good effect forasmuch as when they do accommodate themselues ouerstraite and narrowe they can neither fight nor yet hardlye mooue themselues And the same inconuenience would chance if souldiors were placed in battell one ouer farre from another or one ranke too much distant from an other Therefore it is a most conuenient thing to vse in this case those limited rules that the auncient and moderne souldiours haue set downe and such as our Captaines haue obserued The space therefore of grounde that one Souldiour with his necessaries dooth holde from shoulder to shoulder shall be of thrée foote and nothing lesse in such sort that when any battell is to bee made let vs put this example that if there be a ranke of 25 souldiours in a battell it is néedfull to imagine that the length of the said 25. footemen shall containe the space of 75. foote which is fiftéene pace Speaking of the Venetian pace which is fiue foote for the pace whereof I meane alwaies to speake The space moreouer of the ground that is to be obserued for the ouerthwart of a battell that is from one ranke to another that they may be able to manage themselues with their pikes aswell in marching as in fighting in maine battell no lesse then seauen foote is obserued from one ranke to another Moreouer to the intent he may more commodiously march with his pike on his shoulder the ground would be no lesse then of ten foote which is two pace but after when they are to close and ioyne more straite as I haue said before of 7. foote in such sort that a man in ranke with his space before him will amount to held vnto the other ranke ten foote which is two pace accounting thrée foote of ground which he holds with his person and the other 7 foote the space vnto the other ranke make 10 foote Let vs then presuppose this figure or example That he is to make a battell that is a perfect square of twentie euery way we must count how much ground the said battell will take in circuite and sée if the same be capable of the number of Souldiours which are appointed to be put and set in battell Our rule therefore shall holde vpon two fides that is vpon the fronte and the backe and taile of the battell where the Souldiours stand shoulder to shoulder in 60. foote which is 12. pace for both sides and both the foresaid sides be 24. pace The other two sides which be the flankes of the said battell where the space is left betwixt one ranke and an other of seauen foote and therefore the person of the souldier which is séene one with an other in such sorte that the battell which is to be made of 20 Souldiours for euery side a perfect square of people but not a perfect square of ground forasmuch as two sides will be 12. pace on a side which in both comes to 24. pace the other two will be for euery side 40. pace which is 80 pace and so hauing ioyned vnto the same 24. pace it will bee round about the said battell of 20 Souldiours on a side 104. pace which is 520. foote of circumference of ground and so alwaies this order is to be obserued not that you are to take a corde or a rod or pace to measure the distance of the said battell but by racke of eye by your witte and discretion consider this measure for whether it be more or lesse it little imports It dooth suffice that you obserue a certaine discretion that may come to the marke I haue written if it doe not light iust at leastwise néere the bounds and measure I haue set downe Now since we haue put this figure and example of a perfect square battel of people but not of ground for 20. souldiers we wil speak of an other forme or figure somewhat differing or disagréeing from such like battels and yet for all that of the same number of twentie Souldiours for euery side in perfect square the which is square of people of ground as some doe vse to make as may appeare in a battell of 400. Souldiours square in ground and people the which being in this forme hath for space of ground about in circumference 800. foote which is 160. pace This is sufficient to
an armie whether it be inferiour or equall to the enemie VVHen an armie dooth march néere vnto the enemies battels the high marshall Sergeant Maior and Collonels ought to vse diuers considerations First a Prince or his Generall not being of like force to the enemie or that he is not willing to giue battell because he will not hazard all his state and armie in one day into the hands of fortune he must prouide specially if he be inferior in Caualarie that he march through a countrie that is rough full of hils and where the situation of the ground is of such aduautage that the enemie haue not any motion to assault him But when he cannot shun the same then must he prouide at leastwise to enter into the action thereof to his great aduantage and almost with a certaine hope of victory the which will not arise to be difficile if he can apply the aduantage of situations to serue his turne In marching I would wish him to haue one part of his light horsemen so neere the enemie that euery houre he may haue notice what way he dooth march notwithstanding in a countrie where mounts and hils be not fauourable but that of necessitie you must march through plaines and champaine countries and that the enemie is néere at hand and that it is very hard to shun the battell I iudge it not farre amisse to accept the battell so that you be of greater strength in horsemen for being the stronger the iourney in no respect is to be fled for so much as horsemen yéeld the greatest part of the victorie when they bee well guided Charles the fift in Germany against the protestants armie by reason of the commoditie of the ground for the most part did not lodge his army further off from his enemies then commonly the shot of a Coluerine although he was far inferior in number Neuerthelesse that order cannot be alwaies vsed when an armie is in the champaine countrie for he that is in plaines and is not desirous to fight he must march from the enemie 9 or 10 miles and must determine to fortifie himselfe at each lodging in such sort that neither the enemies Cauallarie or infanterie may be able in battell to enter into his campe if not with great difficultie A meane fortification is sufficient in a champaine countrie chiefely when it is to be made with spéede which beginning of fortification when you meane to continue may encrease and be made as strong as you sée the case doth require When an armie dooth march inplaines and champaine countries that it comes to that point the it is able to haue any little riuer or wood which may couer one flanke of the said armie you must go about with all diligence to take this aduantage for that the same will arise to be of great importance Prouide euer that the bagage and the artillarie go continually on the contrarie side to the enemie or at leastwise in the midst of the armie The squadrons of men at armes must as appertaineth flanke the battels and rankes of footmen towards the enemie It is a laudable custome to deuide an armie into thrée squadrons that is to say into the auantgard battell and arreargard and that euery day they do exchange making of the auantgard the battell and of the battell the reargard it is requisite that euery one of them haue his necessary number of horsmen Hargaloteares that each one be disposed and placed in his due ranke Order must be carefully taken that amongst the ranks of the footmen vnprofitable people be not intermedled but that all the baggage be in a place deputed for the same vnder the Prouosts guidon Also that amongst the squadrons of the horsemen there be no vnprofitable horses nor other impediments The Rutters Cauallaries vse héerein a meruailous strict order and extreame diligence which verily dooth merit to be imitated It is a commendable thing also when the light horsmen be in such sort deuided and dispersed for discouerie of the countrie and espying the actions of the enemies armie as that they may continually returne and giue intelligences of the enemies demeanor whereby if néede require commoditie and leasure may be had to prouide for fight If the marshall of the field haue no experience of the countrie himselfe it is requisite that he carrie such a personage or worthie Cauallier with him as he knowes to haue experience that with them he may consider well of the situation and place whether he is to march with his armie through plaines by or néere hils or in valleys that haue hils ou both sides or by or néere to woods or alongst or néere a riuer It is also requisite the the light horse aswell for the discouerie of the enemie as otherwise to take the bredth of the straits passages go before and to make certificate that according to the bredth the hoast may march And put case that one part of the way be 15. foot broode the hoast shall be made to march by fiue in a ranke because euery footman will haue thrée foote in breadth from shoulder to shoulder and sixe foote in ranke betwixt ranke and ranke and one foote for euerie person so that 21 foote in breadth and 2 myles in length will containe an armie of ten thousand After the same reason whether there be 20 or 30 thousand footemen according to the measuring of ground by the foote they may be set in order very easily neither can the leader be deceiued whē he knoweth how many armed men euery place can containe and after the same order as the place dooth enlarge he must enlarge the rankes causing part of the shot to goe before the aray and part behind and others to go in succoures of the horsemen that go in viewing the passages and the ambushments with the whole dooings of the enemie and let an other part be for vantgard retrogard to the aray to be able to serue them at néed and an other part to go alwaies at the flankes of the raie the which if there be ditches shal serue as a countermure against the enemies horsmen And if they be men at armes they must march on both the sides of the battell and also of the Hargabuzies that do march by the flankes of the battell and the light horsemen to serue for scoutes both before and behind the aray There must be likewise abundance of Pyoners and labourers to make places plaine and to cast downe ditches bridges and to make defences and other necessarie things that are required in marching the which must be garded by your light horse and shot and when you depart to faine to go to some other place then that you go so and if there be no men at armes to appoint to euery regiment certaine Hargabuziers to serue on horsebacke the which may serue in stéed of men at armes and when occasion serues to serue on foote againe wherein the Caualiers of S.
they must be continued on euen to the Gates thereby to cut of sallies And against all the Portes make a Bulwarke of Gabions one vppon an other and if it bee possible néerer the Towne then the Trenches both to stoppe their battery alongst the Trenches and to barre theyr sallies Upon that side towardes the Campe must be made Ditches little Trenches for the Corps de Garde of those that must guard the Trenches wherein must remayne such number of Combattants as they may be able to repulse the enemie vntil succour arriue which must be vpon great necessity and then beeing ayded with some mayne squadrone to repulse them with great furie For the better prohibiting and knowledg of which issues and sallies it is not only requisite to aduaunce the Trenches euen to the Counterscarpe and brincke of the Ditch but also to haue lost Sentinelles euery night betwixt the Towne and the Trenches within the sayd Ditch if it be dry Wherein lykewise a good Ingeniour may worke many good deuises The Marshall must if occasion serue fortifie towardes the Champayne place the Princes or Generals lodging in the midst of the Campe that he may giue order to all mutinies sallies allarums and disorders And if the Towne be well peopled to make certaine such Fortes as before I haue set downe gouerned wyth valiant Captaynes and good bandes of Soldiours to kéepe shorte the enemy And those lodgings or Campes so well distributed that they may remayne safe from inuasion yet so apt to come together that vpon the ariuall of any Armie they may at one instant issue out and be ranged together in battaile to fight and therefore if a Riuer passe through the Towne a bridge must be placed to passe ouer guarded at both endes with bandes of Souldiours that thereby victualles and succours may be barred from the enemy It is rather to be placed aboue then beneath vpon the Riuer in respect to auoyde burning by artificiall fyre or else to be planted where they looke chéefely for succours Obseruations for an assault and the sacke of a Citty WHen the batterie of the Cannous haue made sufficient breach and that the same is saultable great diligence and celeritie is to be vsed for that diuers thinges at one instant are to be done The Campe must be all in armes and in battayles the Assaylants ready in the Trenches to giue assault the Pyoners to carry Ladders or such Engines as are inuented for the safety of the Souldiours If the Ditch be full of water and that the same hath neither beene cut down nor drawne drye by artificiall Milles and buckets such as béere Brewers vse Then must the Pyoners roul forward the artificiall Bridge made vpon Barrels of purpose for that respect hauing before cut the Counterscarpe to put the same into the ditch the which must be done nimblie and at one instant During which time the Artillarie must beate towardes that place to barre the besieged from endomaging the action Also when the great Master of the Artillarie shall perceiue the batterie to haue made large easie and sufficient breach to haue displaced the flankers He must giue aduertisement that the Assailants may procéede if the assault be first determined vpon Which beeing concluded the assailants must remayne ready and in order to aduance when the last blow of the Cannon is gyuen and that they beholde the ruinous fall of that which was determined to bée battered then shall all the Artillarie discharge great and small And when the Souldiours begin to march forwardes to the assault each one shal shoote to breake the remparts and other strengthes which it may be the enemy hath made and thereby to amaze them the more But then must the great Artillarie cease to shoote at the batterie for feare of hurting your own people but they shall shoote at the defences which shall be somewhat further of and the which might aryse to be hurtefull to the sayd Assailantes But the lesse Péeces shall alwayes shoote at the breach vntil such time as they sée their people past the Ditch and that they be mounted as high as the saâ—…d breach and so cease there It hath béene vsed of some to put all the Campe in Armes hauing determined in what place they will assault which is in the greater number the better but in two at the least for pollicie to make shew with inuaston cryes and noyse of Drums towards that place where hee meanes not to giue the assâ—…ult to amaze those within the Forte and also to seperat theâ—… into diuers places to the intent they may haue lesse at the breach and accordingly put his people in order that is to say at the two places where he meanes to make the assault in good earnest consisting of strong and puissant bandes all which companies must marche close and sacried together in this order following First if néede should require there must bee certayne people ready to carry Ladders and such Engines to addresse and reare them to the breach After them must followe the men at Armes and other Souldiours well armed which must goe ioyntly together with them that carry the Ladders The shotte aswell Musket as Hargabuziers ought to bee within the Trenches and so euery band which is to assault is to remayne in order and must march aflote and in troupe for whether it be to ascend the breach or Ladders the last must thrust the formost forwardes and vpwardes And from the time they begin to march the Artillarie must shoote to the end the enemies haue no leysure to shoote at them that march in the Ditches And when they are within the sayd Ditches the small Artillarie must alwaies batter at the defences and breach vntill such time as thy come hande to hande And likewise the shotte aswell Musket as Hargabuziers must be vpon the brincke of the Ditch alwaies shooting and defending that not one of the towne do so much as appeare at their defences or loope-holes The high Marshall of the fielde must stand with the rest of the Armie ranged in battaile and placed in such conuenient sort as is néedefull And this for thrée reasons First if the enemies should giue charge vpon the Armie during the assault hee must bee of sufficient power to defende the Campe which must bee so well fortified that he may resist anie force or inuasion Secondly if it bee necessary a fresh supplie for the assault hée must culle out such and so manie as will serue the turne and send them immediatly Thirdly if the Assailants shoulde bee repulsed and that they did retyre which is to be presupposed will be in disorder confusedly neither is it otherwise possible and that those of the towne thereupon doe make a sallie it being not like that those should be brought to make front that were so lately forced to retyre The high Marshall must then march in order with some maine Battillion to succour his people to repulse the enemies and so
to charge againe euery one a fresh following his loadsman to seruice Orders of shot verie necessarie for diuers intents of seruice auailable ACcording to the number of the enimies you must answers them with like proportion and numbers hauing great regard to obtaine the hill wind water wood marish strength of vitch coppes c. the which greatly auaileth Sometimes the aduantage of ground is such that small numbers may repulse greater numbers The grounds large and plaine make your main-ward of shot large and strong the better to answere the enimie the fronts to discharge and retyre to the Rereward there to charge againe and béeing thus ioined in skirmish with the enimie the Officer or hée that guides must foresée the best way to repulse and ouerthrow the enimie sending two wings to slanke the enimies and to encounter them the which béeing wisely foreseene will greatly profit SOuldiers likewise in marching charging or discharging inuading and skirmishing may from the first rankes and front of the square returne and wind himselfe thorow the ranke béeing seconded by his companions following this example THese thrée bands marching at large may wade thorough in skirmish or retyre betwixt the rankes as occasion serueth either band rescuing other to charge in the Rereward and to aduance to seruice againe Thus may you continually maintaine skirmish or volles of whole shot These practises and others of better inuention together with such like warlike exercises in times conuentent may bring perfection to seruice with shot at néede the rather through the good industrie and painfull trauaile of the Officers and the Souldiers by whose gentle patience it is sooner obtained The order of skirmish how it is to bee gouerned when it is to bee accepted and when to bee auoided IT béeing necessary for euery Sergeant Lieutenant and Caual liere of the band to know when where and in what order a skirmish is to bee gouerned when to bee auoided and when to bée accepted to the benefite of the whole band regiment or Armie I thought good to ioine to those proportions of training somewhat touching the same wherein for that there bée sundrie occasions which moue and constraine men to enter into skirmish I wil amongst the rest choose out thrée which I iudge most principall and of greatest importance The first is when wee will giue the enimie experience and triall of our valour and force and cunningly to perswade him by a souldier that yéelds of purpose or alter sides to giue credite to some thing which may arise to our commoditie and his domage Likewise by taking some of his souldiers prisoners to vnderstand the state of our enemies the which may bée more aptly termed the winning of aduertisements the which things is most expedient wée put in practise The second is when wée determine to gaine any passage or any fortresse or strength which is in the enemies possession or like to fall into his hands if preuention bee not vsed and hauing occupied and gained the same to retaine it for the seruice of our Campe. The third is when wée are of mind to kéepe the enimie so occupied as hée march not at his pleasure or that when wée do march our selues he become not domageable to our own people or to the bagage or any thing that is ours being of importance When therfore wée will giue trial or experience of our selues to the enemie gaine intelligences or win aduertisements of him it is requisite there be election made of a leader some worthie Caualliere that is indued with prudent pollicie and noble valour who must gouerne this skirmish which leader must take with him a quantitie of chosen souldiers according as the accustomed vse is must haue culled out of euery band so many as wil amount to the number of 10. out of ech hundreth a hundreth out of a thousand and a thousand out of ten thousand or some such like reasonable portion When the leader of the skirmish hath made choise of the place and ground fit for his purpose wherein hée meanes to méete with the enimies the which will not be difficile for that he is the chooser inuentor and author thereof he must then conduct thither a quantitie of good souldiers with an assured array and order Hauing first and beforehand exhorted theÌ„ to due obedience and opened and conferred with them the chiefe circumstance of his meaning both how long and in what manner the enterprise is to be performed to the intent that when he hath accomplished and erecuted so much as he was determined it do not séeme strange vnto them to make retire For the which there did arise great quarrell and bloodie issue in Germanie betwixt two Italian captaines Giouan Dominico Napolello of Naples and captaine Loatello of Cremenâ—… both valiant gentlemen the one of them perswading the other to retyre from a skirmish begin to the purpose before mentioned by appointment of their superiours but by reason the one would not obey it was the cause of great disorder He must likewise haue a prouident foresight and be verie circumspect that like a good souldier he go verie warily considerately into the fight and skirmish euer watching attending for his continuall aduantage to the end that retyring himselfe vpon a sodaine the enimy may remaine rest repulsed amazed and oppressed that the whole armie may conceiue and be kept in a good impression and opinion of victorie Now this foresaid leader being arriued with the people in the sight of the enimie he must immediatly with his souldiers occupie and take possession of the ground which doth best please him which is most apt for his purpose in effect is the strongest He must take order that these hargabussers be accompanied with armed pikes and corselets without whose fellowship hargabâ—…siers ought neuer to be sent about any enterprise specially wheÌ„ they suspect they shall méete with the enimy or with horsemen Whensoeuer souldiers are to enter into skirmiâ—…h their leader must deuide them into so manie parts as he shall think expedient which diuision must be vsed according as the quantitie of the people will beare so that in euerie part their ought to be at the least 50. souldiers and 5. or 6. seuerall parts and companies Neuerthelesse alwayes foreséeing and prouiding that as well all the parts togither as the number of the souldiers of euer to part by themselues be like in proportion to the qualitie and force of the enimy and equal to the quantitie of their number the which may be knowne verie well there by view and discouered by meanes of spies or by manifest and assured fame To euerie which part he must appoint a sufficient head guid a noble Cauallier of Saint Georges squadre Then must he send out certaine souldiers that be most nimble and readie to prouoke the enimie and when they be ioyned in skirmish he must sodainely increase the fight with sending forth the second part and then rest a little to behold to
and backe the better to discerne them one from another This manner as I haue alreadie touched is verie easie So that placing them in length doubling their ranks it brings them likewise to a verie formall order of battell as I haue sufficiently touched beforehand A Battell in forme of a crosse verie necessarie to be vsed as well in the night as by day because all the weapons are deuided by themselues THis battell following in forme of a full Crosse consisteth of 10. Ensignes euerie Ensigne hauing vnder it two hundreth souldiers so that the whole number cōtaineth 2000. mē It hath 4. fronts or faces whereof euerie one is accompanied with hargabusiers which may in time of necessitie be couered defended by the armed pikes so that the formost rankes be moued forwards all alongst the flankes sides of the shot This forme hath bene vsed of Spaniards and Italians It is a gallant battell and of force sufficient to resist the enimie in open fielde although they should set vpon you at vnwares besides superior both against horsemen and footemen the hargabusiers are 1000. the which are the halfe of the number These hargabusiers being deuided into 4. parts must be in euerie flanke 200. placing 14 in ranke euery way the halberds and Ensignes placed in the midst of the crosse are 200. and the whole number of pikes are 800. the which are to be placed on euerie quarter of the halberds 200. placing 14. euery way which make a iust quadrant of people so that there remaine to be placed by the Sergeant maior 16. pikes 4. halberds and 200. shot This rule may serue in proportion for any number being verie excellent for the night because ech weapon being deuided by themselues may be readie at the sodaine for any seruice either to giue battell or for defence of the Campe the horsemen and the field péeces to be placed as shall séeme best by the Chieftaines or the Sergeant Maior The bodie of a battell to be made in the night THe proportion of this Cressant or Moone is very conuenient and fit to be executed in the night there being a round ring drawne with a cord and a stake so that the Sergeant Maior according to my description in his office may place the companies that come to him and from hand to hand part them into seuerall companies according to this proportion for this forme doth require that it be done with expedition and it is no great labour to deuide the weapons without cōfusion either to march or otherwise to vse themselues seuerally from the rest in great or small companies as shal be néedful for that euerie weapon doth stand at his owne defence by it selfe the general artillerie Ensignes short weapons being safely enuironed with the armed pikes which may vpon the sodain by the Sergeant maior or the Corporals of the fielde be brought to any other forme of battell Also the Sergeant generall may place the Hargabusiers in so manie companies and so many formes and so farre distant one from an other as the situation of the place or the seruice thē present doth require to the intent that the maine bodie of the battell may be flanked and defended But for that I haue more largely touched this in the Sergeant maiors office I referre the Reader to the same aduertising him withall that all squadrons and battels in the night must haue euerie sort of weapons seueral by themselues whereby confusion may both be auoided and the troupes of souldiers remaine readie when they shall be called forth to execute any seruice what necessitie or sodaine assault soeuer befall Prouided alwayes that good watch scout be kept on horsebacke and on soote as néere the enimie as is possible by whose aduertisemēts you may know what is best to be accomplished The order of imbattelling before the fight THe Oration being made by the Generall and prayers finished to the immortal God it is requisite that thou haue care to bring forth thy army to the field with bright shining armour which easily may be done by giuing charge in time to the Captaines and so to the officers that their burgonets 〈◊〉 caléeuers halberds swords euerie other péece of 〈◊〉 be made cleane bright forasmuch as the cleannes and brightnes of the weapons maketh the armie séeme terrible and putteth feare trauel in the minds of the enimies Then cal forth thy bands the which béeing set in araie the Generall béeing expert hauing seene the preparation of the enimies giueth in charge to the Sergeant maior and the principall Corporalles to accommodate and ordaine his Souldiers in battaile according to the armie the men and the manners of them And if the enimie bee more puissent of Horsmen thou hauing the commoditie choose thée straight and difficult places or at the foote of mountaines and where the horse cannot easilie serue If in footemen he excéedeth then it is requisite to get the hilles and places of aduantage as the Sunne and winde c. and that with diligence to choose such fit places which either be néere Rockes or Riuers and aboue all things where thou maist put in araie thy battailes and by the qualitie of thy place be able to let thy enimies that they neither compasse thée about nor inclose thée the which requires not onely the counsaile and prudence of a wise Captaine but the counsaile of the most expert in the Campe because oftentimes an Armie hapneth vpon such places And notwithstanding the Captaine is ignorant how to choose such situation of ground as is best for him but of those that are present it is good to choose the best and to foresée which may be most profitable is surely a signe of a wise Captaine Caius Sulpitius to feare his enimies got a great manie of Mules and other beasts vnprofitable for the warres causing a great number of sackes to be gotten which were so ordered vpon the backes of the beasts as they séemed men at armes giuing in charge whiles hee was a fighting they should appeare vpon a hill whereby grew his victorie against the Frenchmen The Spaniards to ouercome Amilcar set in the fronts of their battels Cartes full of Towe drawne with Oxen that béeing ready for the encounter they set it on fire causing the Oxen vehemently to thrust forwards into the armie of the enimie deuiding the same Thy number small and the fields large and open it is good to make ditches the which being filled with boughes and slightly couered with earth leauing voide spaces for thy horse and shot to procure skirmish the which being of the enimie encountered may faine a running awaie and béeing prosecuted by the enemie shall bee ouerthrowne in the ditches where they are easilie slaine manie such notable deuises by wise Captaines hath béene practised the which vpon the suddaine put in vse will greatly profit Thy Battels being made and set in order it is requisite that thou leaue the warde within the trenches of the