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A12567 Certain discourses, vvritten by Sir Iohn Smythe, Knight: concerning the formes and effects of diuers sorts of weapons, and other verie important matters militarie, greatlie mistaken by diuers of our men of warre in these daies; and chiefly, of the mosquet, the caliuer and the long-bow; as also, of the great sufficiencie, excellencie, and wonderful effects of archers: with many notable examples and other particularities, by him presented to the nobilitie of this realme, & published for the benefite of this his natiue countrie of England Smythe, John, Sir, ca. 1534-1607. 1590 (1590) STC 22883; ESTC S117657 85,512 138

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actions giue singular commendation of the Archerie of England To the like effect and singular commendation of Archers I haue also heard the aforesaid Earle of Warwicke diuers times further report that in the yeare 1562. he being at Newhauen in Normandie Lieutenant generall for the Queene that now is the notable and great Captaine Chastillon Admirall of France being then at the siege of Caen in Normandie and at that time fauoured by the Queene of England did send to the Earle for a succour of some English bands of the which he desired that the most might bee Archers But the Earle at that time hauing no Archers on that side the sea sent vnto him a supplie of sixe hundred braue Harquebuziers with some armed men also which he very thankfully receiued but therewithall signified vnto the Earle that he had rather haue had two hundred Archers and that he would haue performed greater seruice with that small nūber of Bowes than with all those braue Harquebuziers And this message was sent from that great Captaine to the Earle by Sir Francis Somserset Sir Nicholas Throgmorton and Sir William Pelham And shortlie after that notable Coronel Alman the Reingraue who had serued manie yeares in France accompanied with manie other braue Captaines both French and Almans with a great power both of horsmen and footmen comming downe and encamping not farre from Newhauen there happened a great skirmish betwixt certeine English bands of Newhauen and the French and Alman companies which continued verie hot with many volees of Harquebuze shot and newe supplies on euerie side but at the length the French and Almans exceeding the English farre in multitude forced them to retire with disorder euen to the verie gates of Newhauen during which action it happened that fourescore tall Archers Hamshire men did at that time land in the Hauen who taking their Bowes and sheafes of arrowes with their other furniture did presently march without any tarriance through the towne into the field where the skirmish was vpon whose comming the English bands that a little before were forced by the often charges and great multitude of the shot of their Enemies to retire euen to the verie town-ditches and gates taking courage a fresh they and the Bowmen entered againe into skirmish with the Almans and French where the fourescore Archers did behaue themselues so notably against the enemies with their volees of arrowes that with the braue and valiant charges which they and the rest of the English bands gaue vppon their enemies but chieflie with the excellencie of the Archers they forced them not onelie to retire but to turne their backes in such sort as putting a great number of them to the sword they became masters of the field Vpon which notable effect of those fewe Archers as also vpon diuers others that the Reingraue had before time seene in seruing against the English he shortlie after vppon the returne of a message that had been sent vnto him by the Earle of Warwicke Sir Edward Horsey being the messenger did most highly commend the notable effects that he long before in diuers seruices had seene performed by the English Archers against both horsemen and footmen said also that long before that time he knewe by experience that great numbers of English Archers were able to performe verie great matters in the field but that so small a number of Bowmen as were in that last great conflict should bee able with their arrowes to do so great mischiefe against his old bands of Almans French and Gascoignes he would not haue beleeued if he himselfe had not seene it And therefore did with great reason and experience protest and acknowledge the Long-bowes of England to bee the most excellent weapons for the field that were vsed by anie Nation in Christendome and said that the Queene of England had great cause so to esteeme and accompt of them And to this effect I haue diuers times heard the Earle of Warwicke himselfe verie notablie report I haue also heard Sir Iames Croft that honorable and most sufficient Gentleman that hath serued diuers of our Princes in manie great and principall offices and charges Militarie both in England France Scotland and Ireland declare verie notable effects which he himselfe hath seene by our Archers in diuers actions performed The particularities whereof as also his opinion concerning the excellencie of that weapon I remit to his owne report Now notwithstanding all these notable experiences and examples of the excellent effects of Archers against Harquebuziers our such men of warre haue vsed to alledge that neither the Harquebuzes were so good nor yet the Harquebuziers so skilfull in those daies as now their Caliuerers are whereunto it may be answered with great reason and experience of diuers auncient Captaines both Italians and Spaniards that I haue knowne of the which some are yet liuing that not onlie the Harquebuzes which the Italians Spaniards did vse fiftie or three score yeres past were as maniable and of as good forme as now they are but also that the Harquebuziers were as skilfull and perfect with that kind of weapon as they are now in these our daies And that hath manifestlie appeared by the infinite numbers of great skirmishes that haue bin verie effectuallie performed with Harquebuze shot in the Emperour Charles the French Kings warres in Italie France the Lowe Countries and Burgundie as also in Barbarie against the Turkes and Mores and in the warres of Germanie betwixt the said Emperour and the Duke of Saxonie other Reystates and Princes of Germanie Which opinions aforesaid misconceiued and verie ignorantlie alledged by our such men of warre to the disabling of the Harquebuziers of other Nations in times past and enhabling their Caliuerers of this time thereby to detract the excellent effects of our Long-bowes doth further manifest their lacke of sufficiencie to iudge of the exercises and vse of those weapons of fire not onlie of times past but also of this present time and that hath appeared in diuers of their seruices of the Lowe Countries as I haue heard certeine of our old Captaines of good experience affirme that haue seen some of their vnskilfull seruices in those parts and was also confirmed by the fained skirmish that some of their Captaines Officers and old bands of Harquebuziers and Mosquettiers of the Low Countries of their owne training did the last sommer most disorderlie performe before my Lord Treasurer at Tilburie where they discharged one in anothers necke and hauing discharged their peeces did run out of their troupes and stand still and charge their peeces againe and returning to giue newe volees did discharge their peeces at their fellowes hammes legges and backes running together thicke and threefold so disorderlie that it was a scorne to behold them and this in the opinion of many Gentlemen some old Captaines of good seruice and experience that were there present and beheld the same who concluded the
resisting of the Enemie in their Ports and Hauens but also to haue as great regard to some such open and commodious shoares as are before mentioned Which cannot be performed 〈◊〉 with ensconcing of Sconces 〈…〉 but onelie with a great and extraordinarie wisedome and with the valiant hands of a puissant Armie and Campe formed Now whereas they attribute such excellencie vnto Mosquettiers with their Mosquets that being in great numbers and backed with some squadrons of Piques they are able 20 or 24. scores off to break and dismember squadrons both of horsemen and footmen True it is that Mosquets being in the hands of skilful Mosquettiers are of great effect for diuers purposes and that kinde of weapon of that length with restes and so ranforced was first vsed in Italie aboue 60. yeares past as I haue diuers times heard auncient Captaines of the Italian and Spanish Nation say and that at that time they were employed for the defence of places fortified as also out of trenches against places fortified being besieged which were the verie naturall places and of greatest effect for that weapon howbeit since that time they haue been vsed in most Armies in the field both on horsebacke and on foote but chieflie on foote but neuer in anie great number vntill the Duke of Alba came to gouerne the Lowe Countries who greatlie encreased the nūber of that weapon for soldiers on foote To the which encrease of Mosquettiers he long before had perswaded with the Emperour Charles howbeit he could neuer bring it to passe because there were diuers great notable Captaines such as the Marquesse of Guast Don Fernando Gonzaga Iuan Baptista Castaldo Antonio Dorea and the Marquesse of Marin●an with diuers other principall men of his councell of warre that did vtterlie mislike the encreasement of that weapon for the field as too burdensome and heauie for soldiers to vse in battailes or great encounters but for within townes besieged or out of trenches against places fortified they did greatlie allow of them But the Duke at this time being Lieutenant generall and absolute Gouernour in the Lowe Countries as aforesaid seeing the numbers of Rutters in all Armies encreased and that the most of those Rutters as also that manie Captaines and Officers of footmen were armed at the proofe of the Harquebuze he to the intent to frustrate the resistance of their armours did encrease his numbers of Mosquettiers the blowes of the bullets of which no armours wearable can resist And this I haue heard of diuers auncient Captaines both Italians and Spaniards who did rather allowe of the opinion of those great Captaines than of the Duke of Albas so great encreasing of that weapō Since whose time the Duke of Parma after the death of the Commendador and Don Iuan d' Austria being appoynted by the King of Spaine to bee Lieutenant generall and gouernour there seeing the greatest part of the Lowe Countries reuolted and lost through Don Iuan d' Austrias composition that he was therfore to recouer citie after citie and towne after towne because they were all fortified more or lesse and that when he had won them he must keepe defend them with garrisons for the which two effects of winning defending of townes places fortified that kind of weapō being verie excellent he encreased his Mosquettiers to a farre greater number as I haue heard than the Duke of Alba euer had Howbeit I knowe that the Duke of Alba had more cause to vse Mosquettiers in seruices of the field vpon diuers occasions than anie of his successors gouernours of those Prouinces euer had by reason of the often inuasions of Counte Lodowick the Prince of Orange and others and therefore he being as he was a great Captaine and of great experience and skill in all discipline and science Militarie did vse to conferre with his Coronells and Maestros de Campo and Sergeants Maiors of the vse of all weapons in their due times and places and of their distances in euerie sort as of verie important matters belonging to the Arte Militarie in such wise as there was not anie Captaine Alferez Sergeant of band or Cabo de Esquadra that did not knowe both by instruction and practise the particular operations and effects of all weapons and chieflie of the Mosquet and Harquebuze in which two weapons the Spaniards haue been accompted of manie yeares to bee most perfect and skilfull in such sort as there were not anie Captaines or Leaders in his Milicia so ignorāt that would permit their Mosquettiers to giue anie volees from their restes either at horsemen or footmen in march or anie motion aboue 8. or 10. scores at the farthest because they knewe both by instruction and experience that with that weapon being for diuers causes verie vncertaine they should in discharging farther of haue wrought verie small or none effect to the anoyance of their Enemies For although the Mosquet ranforced and well charged with good powder would carrie a full bullet poynt and blancke 24. or 30. scores doth it therefore followe that they should giue volees of Mosquet shot 20. or 24. scores of whereas in failing to take their iust sight at poynt and blancke no more but the length of a corne their bullets doo worke as much effect against the Moone as against the Enemie that they shoote at Besides that in so great a distance of ground how truelie soeuer they take their sights at poynt and blancke the ayre doth worke verie great effect with their bullets that are lower by a bore than the height of their peeces to carrie them from the marke or markes that they are shot at As also that by proofe they may finde that in giuing their volees of Mosquet shot but onlie twelue scores at either horsemen or footmen that are in motion they shall worke no great annoyance by reason that the bullets being so much lower than the heigth of their peeces as is aforesaid doo naturallie mount and flie vncertainlie Besides that no Mosquettiers in actions of the field can haue the time to charge their peeces and take their sights at poynt and blancke as they may being within trenches or from out of Bulwarkes Curtins and Rampiers in places fortified where with great leisure they may charge their peeces with full bullets and charges and shoot from verie certeine rests as it were de man puesto as the Spaniards call it By which reasons and experiences of the vse of that weapon in the field the lacke of experience and iudgement in our such men of warre that talke of 24. or 20. scores like nouices and Vison̄os may verie euidentlie appeare and giue occasion to anie such as haue seene the true effects thereof to thinke that they neuer sawe anie important matter performed with that kind of weapon in the field Now whereas they giue so great commendation to the Caliuer that with that kind of weapon soldiers may giue volees of shot in the plaine fields 10. or
was accompanied with a great part of the Nobilitie of France and of other Nations as Dukes Princes Earles other great Captaines and had in his Armie aboue threescore thousand horsemen and footmen of the which there were aboue ten thousand men at armes and of horsemen of all sorts aboue thirtie thousand where a little before the battaile the Prince with his notable Captaines considering the small number that he had to make head and resist the French King with so huge an hoast did take a ground of some strength and aduantage for the gard of the flanckes and backe of his small Armie and placing a great part of his Archers in frunt in the open place where the French horsmen and footmen were to enter and giue battle the Archers with their wōderful volees of arrowes through the great goodnes of God did that day so wound kil and mischiefe both horses men that he ouerthrew King Iohn of France with his whole Armie tooke him and one of his sonnes prisoners and of Earles Barons Knights and Esquiers to the number of sixteene hundred or more besides that there were slaine the Duke of Athens with so manie Earles Barons Knights and Esquiers that they were numbred to bee aboue seauen hundred and so manie prisoners of all sorts taken by the English and Gascoignes that they farre exceeded the number of the Princes Armie The battaile also of Nauarretta in Spaine fought by the same Prince Edward in fauour of Don Pedro el cruel against Don Henry of Castil may testifie the wonderfull effect of Archers where there were aboue a hundred thousand Spaniardes Frenchmen Portugueses Genoüeses Crossebowers Mores both horsemē and footmen ouerthrowne in that battaile The famous victorie and battaile of Agincourt also of later yeares fought by king Henry the fift against the whole power of France doth euidentlie shewe the most excellent effectes execution of Archers where with the grace of God and incredible volees of arrowes the Frēch kings army was ouerthrown which consisted of aboue fortie thousand horsemen footmen of the which there were ten thousand men at armes all Knightes Esquiers and Gentlemen whereas king Henries Army did cōsist but of ten thousand Archers fifteen hundred Launces two thousand footmen of other weapons In which battaile were slaine the Dukes of Lorain of Brabant of Alinçon and Bar with a great number of Earles Barons Knightes and Esquires besides that there were taken prisoners the Dukes of Orleans Bourbon with many other Earles Barons and Knightes The battaile of Herrings also so called by the Frēch Chronicles fought in king Henry the sixts time neare vnto a village in France called Rouuray not far frō Orleans doth euidently shew the great excellencie of Archerie against all other sorts of weapōs in which battel Syr Iohn Fastolf with other braue English Captains by the grace of God and terrible shot of the Archers ouerthrewe the bastard of Orleans the Lord high Cōstable of Scotland the Count of Clermount with manie other Captaines of great accoumpt and their whole Armie of Frenchmen Scots in the which there were a great number of French Harquebuziers and Crosse-bowers which against the Archers wrought no effect I might also alledge for the excellencie of Archers the most wonderfull victorie wonne by king Richard the first in the holy land manie yeares before anie of these battailes before mentioned where being Generall of the Christian Armie by the grace of God and wonderfull effect of his English Archers he in a most famous battaile ouerthrewe that braue Saladin Souldan of Egipt with his notable milicia of Mamelucks by many called Sarasins and all the rest of his Armie which did consist of an innumerable number of horsemen footmen Turks Arabians But for breuities sake I will omit the particularities of that most famous battaile and of many other great victories that I could alledge for proofe of the incredible effectes of our English Archers in battailes And will now come to answere certein other friuolous obiections of smaller moment than these that I haue alreadie by such notable examples and experiences of great battailes and victories answered Some of our such men of warre because by common and moderne experience no number of Mosquettiers nor Harquebuziers in the plaine fields without succours of some other weapon or ground of aduantage are able to abide the charge of halfe so manie Launces or Stradiots in number as they are without being ouerthrowne and broken doo therfore thinke and commonlie report that with a verie small number of horsemen they will breake a farre greater number of Archers by which their opinions and reports it seemeth that as they are vtterlie ignorant and without anie experience of the effects of Archers so are they as ignorant of all notable histories or els according to the newe fashion that they doo beleeue nothing but that which they thēselues haue seen which in troth appeareth to be verie little For answere whereunto according to the testimonie of the French Chronicles I say that in King Henrie the sixts time Iohn Lord of Bellay being accompanied with two hundred Launces at the least and taking his way to a towne called Mans met by chaunce with an English Captaine called Berry that had to the number of fourescore Archers who perceiuing the French men presentlie reduced his men into a hearse turning their backes to a hedge because the Launces might not charge them in back but onlie in frunt and so giuing their volees of arrowes at the French Launces charging did so wound and kill their horses that they ouerthrewe them and slewe and tooke diuers of them prisoners And within a while after a French Captaine of the countrie of Main called Guion du Coing departed from a towne called Sable accompanied with sixe score Launces to seeke his aduenture where he might finde anie English men in the fields who happened to meet with an English Knight called Sir William 〈◊〉 betwixt Mans and Alinçon that had in his companie sixteene or twentie Archers on horsebacke who perceiuing so manie French Launces alighted on foote and reducing themselues into forme in a broad high way where the Launces could not charge them but in frunt they put their horses from them and the French Launces charging them the volees of arrowes of those fewe Archers wrought such notable effect against the French horsmen that they brake and ouerthrew them in such sort that there were diuers of the French slaine and taken prisoners And in our tyme king Henry the eight being at the siege of Teroüenne and a conuoy of munitions and victuals being at that tyme to go from Guiens towardes Teroüenne all the French Captaines of Picardy and Vermandois hauing intelligence thereof did assemble all their men at armes Launces of those prouinces with some number of shot also both Harquebuziers and Crossebowers and attended the English conuoy in