having cast off his loose powder then to cast about his Musket to his left side drawing backe with his Musket his left foote and hand till the mouth of the musket come right to his hand to charge againe in the same place standing firme till his follower marched by him on his right hand standing at the same distance before him that he stood behinde and then to give fire blowing his pan priming casting off and retiring his musket with his left hand and foote and to charge againe as is said and so forth one after another discharging at a like distance till at last the Rot-master should be under-rot and the under-rot Leader and then his follower marching up by him while as he is charging giving fire on the enemy and having discharged standing still also charging till in th' end the Rot-master come to be Leader againe and so forth still advancing per vices till the enemy turne backe or that they come to push of Pike and Buts of Muskets Thus having exercised the Rots apart for a weeke or two doubtlesse they will become expert Souldiers in using their Armes when they are joyned in a strong body lesse or more The Pike-men would be exercised also by Rots apart in the severall Postures thereof till they were acquainted also with their Leaders and were made expert in using their Pikes aright till thereafter the whole body of Pikes might be exercised apart with great ease to their Officers The Musketiers being drawne in a body being sixteene or thirty-two men in Front being but six Rancks deepe the first Rancke discharging at once casting about their muskets and charging all alike the second Rancke marches through every follower going by on the right hand of his Leader standing before him at the distance they were behinde and then being firme they give fire all alike on their enemies blowing priming casting about and charging all alike where they stand till per vices the whole Ranckes have discharged and so forth ut antea successively advancing and giving fire till the enemy turne backe or that they come to push of Pike and being thus well exercised in advancing to the enemy and winning ground if through necessity they be forced to retire from an enemy losing ground they must also keepe their faces to their enemies the Reare being still in fire and the last Rancke having given fire they march through the Rancks till they that were last are first comming off and so per vices till they have made a safe retreate the Reare which is ever the Front coming from an enemy is in fire The manner to exercise a body of Musketiers TO exercise a Squadron of Musketiers how strong soever they be the number of Rancks being no deeper than six the files being even may be so many as your voice can extend to ever observing that your Command be given in the Front otherwise may breede disorder and before you begin to command you would enter first with a Prologue as good Orators commonly doe to reconciliat their hearers attendance even so you ought with an exhortation of attendance entreate but by way of command your Souldiers not to be gazing in time of their exercise but with stedfastnesse to settle their mindes on their exercise that they may the better observe and obey the words of command and above all things you are to command them to keepe silence not babling one to another neither in their motions to suffer their Armes to rattle one against another alwayes to take heede to their Leaders that goe before them and to follow them orderly without disturbance keeping and observing their due distance either of Ranckes or Files which may be easily done if they but duely follow their Leaders and have an eye on their right and left fellow Camerades for keeping their Ranckes even in a like Front Likewise they are to observe when they are commanded to turne any where whether it be by Rancks or Files that their faces may by turned to the hand they are commanded to before they sturre to march and then to march alike and when ever they double Rancks or Files or counter-march they must ever observe to retire to the contrary hand they were commanded to double on if they doubled to the right when they fall off they retire turning to the left hand et contra for avoiding of disorder or hinderance that their Armes would make if they retired to the same hand they were commanded to double or march to In their counter-marches it is also requisit in time of exercise that neither Officer nor Souldier doe presume to command direct or finde fault with the errour but he that commands in chiefe whether he be superiour or inferiour Officer for the time since it is said when many speake few heare Therefore he must command alone suffering no rivall for avoiding of disorder Order therefore of distance being a chiefe point observed in exercising is three fold to wit Open order of Rancks or Files is six foote of distance being betwixt Rancks and Files both alike only requisit to be observed in mustering or while as they stand in danger of Cannon not being in battaile where in battaile order the distance to be observed betwixt Rancks or Files should be three foote where Elbow to Elbow of the side Camerades may joyne where in the open order aforesaid hand to hand can but joyne But in close order used most in conversion or wheeling is shoulder to shoulder and foote to foote firme keeping themselves together for feare to be put asunder by the force of their enemies and then to disorder which is ever to be looked unto chiefely before an enemy Your speech thus ended for your generall directions you begin againe to command silence and to take heed what is commanded to be done saying Height your Musketiers dresse your Rancks and Files to your open order of six foote and take heede To the rìght hand turne as you were To the left hand turne as you were To the right hand about turne as you were To the left hand about turne as you were To the right hand double your Rancks as you were To the left hand double your Rancks as you were The even Rancks or Files double ever unto the odde and the fourth Rancke is the middle Rancke of six To the right hand double your Files as you were To the left han◠double your Files as you were Middle-men or fourth Rancke to the right hand double your Front To the left hand retire as you were Middle-men to the left hand double your Front To the right hand as you were Nota. The sixth Rancke is called bringers up or reare or under Rot-masters Bringers up to the right hand double your Front To the left hand as you were Bringers up to the left hand double your Front To the right hand as you were All that doubled turne first about and then they retire falling behinde those were their Leaders before in the same place
or distance This doubling of the bringers up or of middle-men is very requisit in giving a generall salve of Musket and as it is to be observed in rancks that the best men are placed in front reare and middle even so in files every Corporalship being foure files of Musketiers the likeliest are put ever in the right and left files of the foure being also of best experience The doubling of rancks being done and all remitted in good order and to their first distance of open order you are to command and exercise Souldiers in three severall wayes of counter-marching requisit in some respects but in my opinion to be used but seldome except it be in necessity in such parts as the ground will not permit otherwise therefore to avoide disorder Souldiers ought not to be ignorant of any of the three sorts of counter-marching First having commanded the Souldiers to dresse their rancks and files and to carry their Muskets handsomly keeping silence say To the right hand the counter-march without noise or losing of ground To the left hand retire againe to the former ground Then command againe to dresse rancks and files and to right their Armes keeping silence taking heede to what is to be commanded and say To the right hand turne Then the Flancke before being now the Front command To the right hand counter-march and lose no ground To the left hand as you were This is used ordinarily to change one wing of Battaile in place of the other then that the Front may be as it was first before they Countermarcht To the left hand turne dresse your Rankes and Files and be silent Another sort of Countermarch is the Slavonian countermarch where you lose ground the Front being changed also then you command the first Ranke to turne about to the right hand then you say to the rest Countermarch and through to your former distance after your Leaders Then say Leaders as you were and to the rest To the left hand countermarch as you were to your first ground The third sort of countermarch I esteeme most of to be practised being rather a conversion very requisit to be well knowne to all Souldiers in all Armies chiefly to be used before an enemy for as it is most sudden so in my opinion it breeds least disorder and disturbance the Souldiers once used to it of themselves they will willingly doe it on any occasion the body being before in open order or Battaile order say Close the Ranks and Files to your closse order without encumbering one of another every man following right his owne Leader keeping closse to his side man then say To the right hand the quarter turne halfe or whole as the occasion and the ground doth permit and then say Dresse your Armes and follow your Leaders and open againe to your Battaile order Lastly the body of your Musketiers exercised perfectly after this manner for the better bringing of them in exercise and breath that in case any disorder may happen amongst them they may the better afterward be acquainted one with another say to your open order of six foote distances Open both Rankes and Files and set downe your Armes handsomely where you stand then command your Sergeant to goe an hundred paces from the body of your Musketiers and sticke in his Holbert in the ground then admonish your Souldiers that at the tucke of your Drumme they runne from their Armes about the Holbert and to stay there till the Drumme recall them againe to their Armes which being done it makes the Souldiers able in breath to know one anothers place in case they should be brought at any time in disorder to recover themselves the better Thus much for the training of Souldiers in changing of place as you will have them without giving of fire When you have gotten your Souldiers thus experimented in their motions then are you to acquaint them with shot in giving of fire to make them fix against their enemies which is easily done having once apart and singularly used their Muskets after the order of the severall postures belonging thereto as was commanded their inferiour Officers and Leaders to teach them before they were exercised Therefore before you come to the particular formes of giving fire you shall first give some generall directions to be observed by all for avoiding the hurting of themselves or of their Camerades as also how they can best offend their enemies and to this effect you shall admonish in love all brave Musketiers first to have their Muskets cleere and hansome and above all fix in the worke especially every Souldier would be well knowne with his owne Musket and cocke to cocke aright then to hold the mouth or Cannon of his Musket ever high up either being on his shoulder or in priming or guarding of his panne but in giving fire never higher or lower than levell with the enemies middle then your Musketiers being in readinesse your Muskets charged they may be commanded to give fire in skirmish disbandoned as their Officers doe direct them to advance or retire as the occasion offers also to give fire by Ranckes Files Divisions or in Salves as the Officer pleaseth to command to the effect they may be fixed Omni modo though in my opinion one way is the best yet there are severall wayes of giving fire in advancing to an enemy as retiring from an enemy or in standing firme before an enemy either by Rancks or by Files made to Rancks Advancing to an enemy not being disbandoned but in one bodie they give fire by Rancks to Rancks having made readie alike they advance ten paces before the bodie being led up by an Officer that stands in even Front with them the Cannon or mouth of their Muskets of both Rancks being past his bodie The second Rancke being close to the backe of the foremost both gives fire alike priming and casting about their Muskets they charge againe where they stand till the other two Rancks advance before them and give fire after the same manner till the whole Troope hath discharged and so to beginne againe as before after the order of the through-countermarch ever advancing to an enemie never turning backe without death or victorie And this is the forme that I esteeme to be the best as for the rest they are not to be much used but this order can be used winning ground advancing or losing ground in a Retreate When you would command the body of your Musketiers to give fire in a Salve as is ordinarie in Battell before an enemy joyne or against Horsemen then you command the bringers up or Reare to double the Front to the right hand and to make readie having the match cocked and their pannes well guarded having closed the three Rancks though not the Files the Officers standing in equall Front with the foremost Rancke betwixt two Divisions he commands to give fire one Salve two or three and having charged againe and shouldered their Armes they retire to
the left hand againe every man falling behinde his owne Leader Being on retiring from the enemie the whole bodie having made readie as they march off in order a qualified Officer being in the Reare and qualified Officers in the Van to order them that fall up the last two Rancks in the Reare turne faces about and the whole body with them and the two Rancks having given fire they march through the body to the Van and order themselves as they were before and so successively the whole bodie gives fire ever by two Rancks and falls off till such time as they have made their Retreate sure Thus much of fire-giving by Rancks on two or three as you please at once and no more Now a little for the exercising of the Squadron of Pikes in generall for the generall motion certaine directions are to be observed concerning Pikes that the Souldiers keepe their Pikes cleane and cleere and never to be suffered to cut off the lengths of their Pikes as often is seene upon marches being very uncomely to see a Squadron of Pikes not of one length likewise in all motions with the Pike the hand and foote ought to goe alike and the Souldier would be expert in giving the right pousse with the Pike backwards and forwards Your Squadron of Pikes as they ought to march with the Drumme so they ought to obey the Drumme beating a Troope a Charge a Call a Retreate As also to traile their Pikes to make reverence with the Pike being shouldred and your Squadron of Pikes being but six deepe in Rancke your Files may be so many as can well heare your voyce in Command providing there be no odde File and thus well ordered at their open order of six foote distance command to mount their Pikes then calling for a Drumme beside you let him beate a march then they are to shoulder their Pikes flat or slaunt carried and then to march a little let your Drumme againe beate a Troope then they mount their Pikes and troope away fast or slow as your passe leades them stopping or advancing as you doe then let your Drumme beate a Charge then they charge their Pikes and advance fast or slow as you lead them and retire also backwards their Pikes charged as you will have them then troope againe and they mount their Pikes march and shoulder and haulting let the Drumme beate againe and they order their Pikes on the ground as first being at their distance and trooping againe they mount their Pikes so that you can command them to Battell order or closse order for Wheeling or Counter-marching at your owne pleasure In repayring to their Colours or comming from watch they should ever walke with their Pikes mounted as also they may use this posture on Contrie and your Pikes mounted and at your open order you can use all doublings that your Musketiers used as also to present to Front Reare right or left hand the curiositie of the turnes to the right or left hand in Van or Reare the Pike being shouldred you can also teach them as you will though not much to be used in exercise and the Pikes thus well exercised having seene frequent danger can doe good service against Horsemen and against foote to foote either in battell entering a Towne or breach or retiring or advancing to choake an enemie on walls within Townes or Forts they are very commodious for service providing they resolve to fight well and to abide by their Officers and in my opinion being well led they may beate Musketiers accidently off the Feild and being well lined with shot they are a safeguard against Horsemen having the least advantage of ground Thus much in briefe for the use of the Pike the most honourable of all weapons and my choice in day of battell and leaping a storme or entering a breach with a light brest-plate and a good head-piece being seconded with good fellowes I would choose a good halfe-Pike to enter with CERTAINE OBSERVATIONS VVORTHY THE YOVNGER Officer his consideration being short and practicall for his Highnesse speciall use I. THIS life is a Comedy or a Play wherein every one doth his part we should presse to passe it over with moderate affections that the end be not cruell or dolefull as in Tragedies but full of mirth like a Comedy II. Vnto the Victor the life is sweete and happy but to those that are overcome nothing is more bitter then to put their hopes in their Enemies mercy III. As unto Champions of old lots gave fellowes and not election with whom they should fight so every one of us hath destines in our times where with to strive IIII. As he who goeth a journy doth reckon the miles so he that hath entred the way of this life shall not determine of his yeares For as from the spring flow the Rivers from the roote the branch so from the first education cometh the rest of mans life And if thou wouldst live truely thou must presse to profit thy country to defend the Common-wealth and to live well without liberty thou must preferre death before ignominious shame or slavery For as this life is Rosie so it hath flowers mixed with thornes the one to be plucked up the other to be eschewed so farre as we may V. It is a part of victory to trouble the enemy before we fight and as it is laudable to overcome an enemy it is no lesse praise worthy to have pitty on the miserable For as courage doth merit infinite glory so the love of all and the good will of all merits mercy and meekenesse VI. The feeble and weake minded man is ever pridfull in prosperity for he thinkes his vertues are such as can maintaine the Fortunes which he hath gotten and thinks still he is able to attaine and acquire more and more but when the tempest of adversity doth arise then is he so farre afraid that he becomes voide of all hopes and this oftentimes is the cause of the suddaine change of his fortunes VII Nothing doth diminish more the publishing of praise then when one continually casteth up his owne successe in actions of warre and oftimes striving to get abundance of honour men show their riches of swelling pride for disdaining his former friends he misk nowes his acquaintance pressing to goe before he is greevous or displeasing to all his familiars Our care then should be to want this arrogancy ostentation or pride and pray for humility being more acceptable unto God then detestable pride which is an unprofitable evill a secret poyson a hidden pest the ingenier of deceipt the mother of hypocrisie the parent of envy the beginner of vice the moth of holinesse the blinder of hearts breeding sicknesse out of remedies and begetting langour out of medicine VIII There is ever some fatality incident unto those that desire vaine-glory or ostentation and those that are proud rejecting the prayers of the humble with disdaine they often incurre the indignation of God and fall
Lord Spences Regiment led by Lievetenant Colonell Musten and ordained to lie in the great Courte of the Palace night and day at our Armes to guard both the Kings persons and to set out all Guards about the Palace where I was commanded with our whole Officers not to stirre off our watch having allowance of Table and diet for us and our Officers within his Maiesties house to the end we might the better looke to our watch and the command of all directions under stayers was put upon me being then Commander of the Guards where I had power over the whole offices belonging to the house and might have commanded to give out any thing to pleasure Cavaliers having stayed in this charge three weekes nobly entertained Here in Munchen the Boarish-Boares alleadged the dead were risen since before his Maiesties coming by the Dukes command the great cannon were buried side by side in the Magazin house whereof his Maiesty being made acquainted they were digged up out of the ground and carried away to Ausburg above one hundred and fourty peeces of Cannon great and small whereof there were twelve Apostles and other Cannon which formerly were taken from the Elector Palatine and the Duke of Brunswicke with their names and Armes on them of which one was found wherein there were thirty thousand Duckets of gold being a present for a King Likewise in this Magazin house there were found clothes and Armes ready to cloth an Army of ten thousand foote which helped our Army much many other rarieties were gotten in this house worth much mony which were transported away by both the Kings As also all the Dukes servants of his whole houshold were there that bare offices about the house and the house it selfe was as well replenished and furnished as any Kings Palace needed to be of all magnificent furniture for bed board and hangings which were sumptuous and costly Here also about this Palace were pleasant gardens fish-ponds water-workes and all things yeelding pleasure in the most splendid grandure that can be imagined with a pleasant Tennis-court for recreation where both the Kings sometimes did recreat themselves Moreover this house was so magnificently situated that for three miles about it there was such pleasant Hare hunting that sometimes we could see the Hares flocking together in troopes above twenty As also for the Princes pleasure there could be brought together in prospect of the Palace heards of Deare sometimes above five hundred at once and sometimes for pleasure a thousand to be brought together His Maiesty having remained here above a fort night and getting intelligence of some turbulent uproares made by the Papists Boores in Schwabland his Maiesty leaving Generall Banier to command over the Army at Monchen his Maiesty with a strong party of horse and two Briggads of foote marched towards Memmungen in Schwabland and having presently stilled the uproare he retired upon Ausburg and from thence to Munchen againe where his Majesty on a sudden taxed the Towne in a hundred thousand Rex Dolours which the Burgers and Clergy were willing to give his Majesty to keepe the City unplundered for which summe there were fifty of the speciall Burgers and Clergy given as pledges unto his Majesty till paiment were made of the monies against a certaine day and to that effect the pledges were sent with a Convoy unto Ausburg to be kept there till the monies were paied His Majesty then fearing that Walestine lately made Generalissimus to the Emperours whole Army was coming with a strong Army out of Bohemia and his Majesty thinking he was to fall with those Forces into the Duke of Saxons country and seeing the Duke of Bavier had his Army ready at Rhinsberg and the passe open he might joyne with Walestine when he pleased and therefore his Majesty resolved suddenly to breake up with his Army from Munchen giving orders all should be in readinesse against the twenty sixth of May to march towards Donavert and from thence in haste to Nurenberg The thirty-one Observation WISE Generalls must resolve in time to rule their affaires according to the occurrences happening in the course of warres for the Duke of Bavier finding himselfe after Tillies death and his losse sustained at Rhine on the Leacke not bastant to rancounter his Majesties Army in the fields he very wisely resolved to make a defensive warre betaking himselfe with his Army within his Strengths and Passes collecting his Forces together at those two places of Engolstat and Rhinsberg which his Majesty perceiving thought againe it was not time for him to enter in beleaguering of such strengths being so strongly beset and so well provided especially seeing his enemies were drawing strong to the fields from all parts The Spaniard forcing his troopes on the Rhine within the Palatinat Generall Major Ossa coming behinde him with an Army in Schwabland the Duke of Bavier lying strong with his Army betwixt him and Nurenburg on the passes of Engolstat and Rhinsberg Walestine also drawing neere to the Duke of Saxon with a strong Army to fall into his country betwixt his Majesty and home and Papenhaim then dominiering in the nether Saxon Creitches in consideration whereof his Majesty very wisely resolved to hang the little Townes Cloisters and Abbacies belonging to the Papists in Bavaria by the Purse taking of them on the sudden all the monies they were able to give him and pledges for the rest promising unto them unlesse they would duely pay their promised contribution unto his Commissaries the next time he would burne their Dorpes and houses and put all to the sword whereas then he had used clemency in hope they would give the like obedience unto him as unto the Duke their Master For his Majesty did see the enemy forced him by a diversion And therefore he used his time while he was in Bavaria that they might not forget he had bin there but rather tooke tokens with him as men mony Armes rare monuments of antiquity and rich Iewells and which was worse wherein his Majesty had neither hand nor direction many of their houses Dorpes and Castles were burnt to the ground by evill and wicked instruments that repaied burning with burning using the Papists at home as they used Protestants abroade being neere the Baltique coast they never dreamed that the Protestants would come so farre up as to repay them under the foote of the Alpes And had Gustavus lived we had gone neere to warme them within Rome for their by-past cruelties where we see that God the righteous judge punisheth sinne with sinne and man by his owne iniquity His Majesty leaving no Garrison in Bavaria to keepe the country the better in awe and obedience he tooke Hostages and pledges of speciall men from them along with him to make them the readier to pay the summes they had promised As also their contribution and to make them the loather to rise againe in Armes against his Majesties Garrisons which lay adjacent unto them The Duke of Baviers
knowing how to command in warres Edward seeing his sword thus blunted and the course of his victories by the wisdome of Charles interrupted said who did ever see one out of his chamber to give a man so much adoe without Armes Thus Charles was so wise that his enemies did make no difficulty to praise him for he not onely freed his people from misery but also gathered afterward a great treasure for his sonne being called rich as he was wise and being respected of his subjects and of his enemies as this Magnanimous King of Denmark is for his prudence after his warres is as much to be commended as his valour was in preserving his subjects Throne from his enemies being redacted to a corner and his counsell served also well for the good of his subjects the estate of his Throne and for the recovery of his losses And therefore Cicero said that counsell availed for the good of the State as well as Captaines for it is oft seene in effect that by the good advice of the one the others have happily drawne and governed their swords And in another place he saith that Agamemnon Generall of Greece did never wish for ten such great Captaines as Ajax was but rather ten wise counsellours as Nester was which made Cicero so often to proclaime the honour due to eloquence above valour saying Cedant arma togae concedat laurea linguae but joyned together as in this Magnanimous King of Denmark they worke one to anothers hands for the establishment of his Throne which I wish so long to continue as the world Here also we may learne to eschevv vice by the punishment inflicted upon this souldier for his exorbitancy in having ravish'd a virgin of her honour he was bereft himselfe of life by Gods justice punishing man for sinne examplary to others Against this sinne of ravishing Emperours ordained punishment to wit to lose their heads and their goods also to be confiscate but the law of the Canonists treates more meekely with ravishers suffering them to marry those whom they ravished But the Lord judgeing more severely steeping his rods in viniger ordaines stricter punishment for such malefactors To eschew therefore the committing of such villanies I will here set downe some remedies to hinder man from such vices that we may eschew the like punishment The first remedy then is to abstaine from the excesse of wine and meates not to be drunke with wine wherein there is dissolution The second remedy is to eschew idlenesse and too much sleeping which is enemy to travell and diligence The third to eschew the company of uncleane persons whose delight is in filthy communications for he that will touch pitch must be defiled with it Evill speeches corrupt good manners and with Wolves we learne to howle and cry Dina the daughter of Iacob desiring to see what was not convenient neither for her shamefac'tnesse nor for the respect she ought to have carried to her fathers house was ravished violated and was the cause of greater evill The fourth remedy is to keepe both women and maides in a convenient modesty of a chast behaviour without which there is a doore opened to all villany and filthinesse which is able of vertue to make vice The other remedies are to live soberly and vertuously in ourcallings eschewing evill company and filthy communitations loving rather to take paines in our callings remembring our duty we owe to God in not delighting in any uncleannesse that we may eschew the malediction hanging over the heads of those which continue in their filthinesse without repentance abusing the long suffering and patience of the Lord our God and Father To conclude this observation there are lawes and justice observed as well among souldiers as in other governments and the strictest justice that is with least partiality our lawes are the Kings Articles we are sworne to obey our President or Iudge he amongst us present having the command to whom his Majesty joynes as assessor to the Iudge an Auditor for doing of justice our Assisers or Iury we have not to seeke viz. a competent number of thirteene of our owne Regiment Officers Captaines Lievetenants Antients Sergeants and Corporalls till our number be full our Proforce or Gavilliger brings in the complaints and desires justice in his Majesties name to the party offended and to his Master the Kings Majesty or Generall that fuers or leades the warre and every Regiment is bound to have an executioner of their owne which if the Regiment wants the Colonell is obliged to hire another to doe the execution for paiment and sometimes as the crime and the person is respected that is to suffer he is honoured to be shot by his camerades or beheaded not suffering an executioner to come neare him Other slight punishments we enjoyne for slight faults put in execution by their Camerades as the Loupegarthe when a Souldier is stripped naked above the waste and is made to runne a furlong betwixt two hundred Souldiers ranged alike opposite to others leaving a space in the midst for the Souldier to runne through where his Camerades whip him with small rods ordained and cut for the purpose by the Gavilliger and all to keepe good order and discipline for other lesser faults there is ordained slighter punishments as Irons standing at a poast his hands bound up above his head likewise sitting on a Treen or woodden Mare in some publicke place to make him ashamed of his fault As also sometimes to stand fix or seaven houres longer than ordinary at the centrie posture as I was once made to stand in my younger yeares at the Louver gate in Paris being then in the Kings Regiment of the Guards passing my prentiship for sleeping in the morning when I ought to have beene at my excercise for punishment I was made stand from eleven before noone to eight of the Clocke in the night Centry Armed with Corslet Head-piece Bracelets being Iron to the teeth in a hot Summers day till I was weary of my life which ever after made me the more strict in punishing those under my Command The eleventh Dutie discharged of our expedition by water unto the Isle of Feamer and of the in-taking of it THE twenty-second day of March 1627. his Majestie having come in person to Lowland with two thousand five hundred foote having appointed Randezvouz at Rubie I had orders to repaire with all diligence to the Randezvouz with the foure Companies commanded by me of our Regiment his Majesties intention being to ship at Rubie to fall on the Enemy upon the Isle of Feamer as being too neere in neighbourhood unto Denmarke for preventing of their evill his Majestie resolved to visit them before they should visit his Country and in the extremitie of a bitter frost we were all shipped in open Skouts or Boats where we lay three dayes with contrary winds in the Road very much perplext and troubled with the extremitie of cold weather being hard frost and snow the
storme continuing we were appointed to come ashoare and to retire to our former quarters till orders were sent us to rise againe so that the sixt of Aprill we shipped againe And on the eighth we anchored before the Island where the enemy with diligence planted Ordnance for hindering of our landing But was repayed againe by our Ordnance ten for one During which service we were landing our Souldiers with small Boats by twenties and thirties The enemy with Cannon and musket giving continuall fire on us till at last seeing a strong body of Souldiers landed and he having no horsemen to second his foote he was compelled to retire his Cannon making his Retreat to a strong Fort they had built of purpose on the Island leaving the rest of the Island and the Cities at our mercy the Townes being of no strength Before it was darke we were all landed with our Cannon and Amunition incamping for that night in the Fields keeping strong Guards and diligent watch The enemy being discouraged we had not so much as one Alarum The next morning his Majestie marched towards the Fort with his Forces and Artillery and having himselfe recognosced or spied the Fort retired giving orders for our severall quarters Our Souldiers were entred to worke the approaches which were ordained and assigned to us to approach on The enemy being scarce of victualls and knowing of no reliefe resolved as his best course to Parlé and having sent forth a Drummer which being received and the Parlé granted pledges being delivered Hinc inde the accord goes on and is presently agreed upon The conditions granted to the enemy were somewhat hard viz. that they should leave their Armes Baggage and Amunition within the Fort and that they should come forth in his Majesties reverence of mercy or of none which accordingly they did undergoe But before their out-coming there was a prohibition given to all our Souldiers that no man should wrong or injure them Neverthelesse at their comming out the Country Boores ever cruell to Souldiers remembring the hard usage of the Souldiers to them in the Winter time seeing them come forth unarmed ranne violently upon the Souldiers knocking them pittifully downe they caused great disorder so that in the fury the Count of Mongomrie Colonell to a French Regiment was knockt to the ground and left for dead being taken for a Walloone or one of the enemies Officers This insolency of the Boores continued in killing the poore Souldiers till by his Majesties charge I was commanded to put my Souldiers to Armes to suppresse the Boores which was presently obeyed by my Souldiers who againe robbed the Boores of that they had taken from the enemy and withall were well knockt The Tumult appeased the enemies were sent away by Boats to Holsten where they were put ashoare and left his Majestie then refreshed his Troopes for three dayes during which time the Island was brought under Contribution to his Majestie and a Governour with a Garrison being left on the Island to keepe them in obedience and to hinder the enemies returne we were commanded to be in readinesse for a second Expedition The eleventh Observation SCipio said we were most in danger when we wanted businesse for while we want businesse and have no foe to awe us we are readie to drowne in the mudde of vice and sloathfulnesse So our Regiment having laine six moneths in idlenesse and sloath eating and drinking and sometimes doing worse for lacke of employment in our Callings falling out amongst our selves unnecessarily and without reason abusing both Burgers and Boores so that when we lacked employment then was the Gavilliger and his Irons best employed insolency domineering so that when we came to endure hunger thirst and cold on our shippes we were growne so effeminate that we could not sleepe without a good bed our stomackes could not digest a Gammon of Bacon or cold Beefe without mustard so farre we were out of use till this Magnanimous King came to lead us who in a short time without the helpe of Physicke cured our cloyd stomackes hardned our effeminate sides in stead of a warme Chamber made us contented with a hole digged in the ground to let the winde and Bullets flee over us making hunger our best sauce giving us employment and to our Gavilliger rest and ease at home O how bright then doth the soule of man grow with use and Negotiation Now could our Souldiers having made a little bootie on this Island speake like Cleanthes when he had laboured and gotten some Coyne he shewes it his Companions that he then could nourish another Cleanthes even so our Souldiers shewing and telling their Camerades of their bootie they rejoyced the hearts of their Leaders whom before they had offended by their exorbitancy in their idlenesse bringing joy with profit when they were exercised in their Callings banishing mischiefe from themselves by their diligence for it is one of our greatest happinesse in our Calling to have a minde and love to vertuous exercises raising us daily to blessednesse and contentation for every one shall smell of that he is busied in and every noble Action addes sinewes to the vertuous minde where on the contrary surely he must be miserable that loves not to be diligent in his Calling when he ought to employ himselfe for if he growes no better yet sure it keeps him from doing worse not having time by his idlenesse to entertaine the Devill When our enemies least looked for us then came we with Bellona summoning him to the Combate but he obeyes not and for his cowardize we degrade him of his Armes and banish him to some other corner to lurke in seeing he lacked the courage to have made us sport at our landing or to have given us an Alarum in our Quarters to have once tryed what for Souldiers we were or what resolution or conduct we had for he ought to have busied us at our landing as well with the spade and the shovell as with the Pike and the Musket and so we could have said we had an Enemy as we had not but a flying dastard or coward This Fort was scurvily given over which any resolute Commander could well have kept for three dayes during which time he had added to his owne reputation and substracted doubtlesse from ours by diminishing of our number which at last would have made him get better Conditions of Quarters and a more honourable Accord for in such a case I would choose before I came in my enemies Reverence without Armes rather to fight to the last man and if I chanced to be the last I had rather die being resolved with resolution having Armes in my hands than unawares being unprepared to be knockt downe miserably when I looked not for Death Here I did see the Ingenier that built this Fort who in time of working did oftentimes beate the Boores to make them worke for his crueltie he was most cruelly beaten againe and he running to his Majesties