Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35629
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The accomplished commander being necessary instructions for the prudent conduct of officers in an army / written by a person of great experience in military affairs, and published for the common benefit, by R.C.
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Person of great experience in military affairs.; R. C.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing C96; ESTC R3979
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26,949
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149
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as it plainly appeareth for after the Overthrow given and his Soldiers defeated by Sabynus he would never trim his Beard nor yet as much as once smile until such time as making their Loss his particular Prejudice he had revenged that disgrace He severely punished injuries and such as were treacherous unto him he was a most strickt and severe observer of Martial Discipline but at all other faults he would wink as if he saw them not So accomplish'd a Captain and Soldier was he that by his Humility Liberality and good Conduct he had so much won the hearts of his Soldiers that it is even said Caesar's Eye made his Soldiers prodigal of their Bloud Plt. To keep the Love of Soldiers But the chiefest thing in a General is when he hath brought his Soldiers under obedience and that he doth intend to keep their love he must as well make them partakers of his Victories as to oblige them by Gifts for he that doth not as well impart of the Honour which he gaineth in the Wars as he doth of the Spoils shall never be long followed by those of the better sort for men that are well born or well bred and have more of Wealth than Reputation do as often satisfie themselves with the purchase of Glory as the weak in Fortune and strong of Courage do with gain of Gold and Silver Lastly I could advise all Commanders to doe their Soldiers that right agreeable to that of Hannibal towards his Enemies Hostem qui feriet erit mihi Carthaginensis Let him be of what condition he will in all offices or actions he that deserves best shall have best Of Wisdom and Policy in War and Examples thereof A Wise Man scaleth the City of the mighty Wisdom is profitable for all things in Military affairs Prudence is better than Puissance How did Archimedes by his rare Engines preserve Syracusae against the Romans and how many impregnable Cities have been surprized by Warlike Strategems As Babylon by Cyrus and afterwards by Zaphirus under Darius Jerusalem by Pompey taking the opportunity of the Sabbath day wherein he knew the superstitious Jews would not stir to defend themselves A prudent Man foresees the evil c. Premission is the best means for Prevention A wise Man's Eyes are in his Head and his Heart at his right Hand The Chinois say That all others in the World see but with one eye and they only with two The Italians say that they look before they leap forecast all evil before it befalls them but these are praises belonging to those that have Heavenly Wisdom that by Signs discern a Tempest in the Clouds and seek seasonable shelter under the hollow of God's Hand under the shadow of his Wings as did Noah Joseph Jonadab Josiah the Christians at Pella c. Homer maketh the Prudentest and Valiant ever best Arm'd when they come to Battel And the Law-maker amongst the Grecians do ever punish him that casteth away his Target but never him that casteth away his Sword or Lance for every man should first think of defending himself before he seek to hurt his Enemy What a prize did Agamemnon set upon his Nestor for his Wisdom and Darius upon Zophirus Scipio did nothing without his Polibius and ascribed most of his Victories to his Wisdom It was said of Octavius Augustus that he never made War upon any People without just and necessary Causes His Saying was That neither Battel nor War was to be undertaken unless there might be evidently seen more hope of Gain than fear of Damage He likened such as sought after small Commodities with great Danger unto those that angle with a golden Hook which if it be broken off no draught of Fish whatsoever is able to make amend's for the loss He deemed nothing less beseeming a perfect and accomplisht Captain than Temerity or Rashness using this Speech That is done soon enough that is done well enough Policy governs the World Policy Nature Policy but Religion all and as we seldom see those Kingdoms govern'd by Viceroys flourish like those where the Prince is present in Person so we never find Policy or Nature to keep a Man in that quiet which Religion can The two first I may use as Counselours hear what they say and weigh it but the last must be my Sovereign Lysander King of Sparta Examples of Policy a gallant General and very Politick used to say That where the Lyon's skin would not suffice it was meet to put the Fox's skin upon it Philip and Alexander Kings of Macedon used to buy Victory with Money not Money with Victory by which Policy they did many notable things and conquered the World whence came that common saying That not Philip but his Gold and Silver won him the Cities of Greece For certainly Policy runs smoothest when it turns upon a golden Hinge without the supply of means 't is but like a Clock without a Weight to set it going curious Workmanship but it wants a Mover Alexander perceiving Darius with his huge Army at hand entrenches himself upon a ground of advantage which the Persian had abandoned And whereas Darius for fear of surprize had stood with his Army in Armour all the day and forborn sleep all night Alexander gave his Men rest and store of food for Reason had taught him this Rule in the Wars Soldiers do the better stand to it in fight if they have their bellies full of meat and drink for Hunger within fights more eagerly then Steel without The Constable of France made frustrate the mighty preparation of Charles the Fifth when he invaded Provence by wasting the Country and forbearing to fight So did the Duke of Alva weary the French in Naples and dissolve the potent Army of the Prince of Orange in the Low-Countries It was a Policy of the Romans to make their Conquest sure they would always ease the conquer'd of their burthens giving them more liberty than they had before that made the Gascoigres bear such a faithfull affection to the Kings of England for that they govern'd more mildly than the French. This enlarged the Venetian Jurisdiction in Lombardy for the Towns that they won they won out of the hands of Tyrannous Oppressors And this did cause the Macedonians with other Nations that had been Subject unto the prosperity of Alexander's followers to serve the Romans patiently if not willingly for that by them they were eas'd of many burthens which had been imposed upon them by their own Kings When Scipio saw his Horse to be beaten at the battel of Facinium by the strength of Hannibal and the rest of his Army thereby greatly discouraged he thought it a point of Wisdom having lost so many of his Fleet upon the first puff of Wind to take part with the rest before the extremest of the Tempest overtook him for he saw by the louring morning what manner of day it was like to prove Therefore his Battel of Foot being yet unbroken
not they go about the business it self how hard soever it be not standing to consider of danger which the mischief hanging over their Heads may bring and as truly of those that do know the Wars but by hear-say they have ability enough and to spare till dangers appear but when Perils indeed come they get them gone In the Year one thousand five hundred and eighty two was that memorable Retreat of Gaunt than which there hath not been an Exploit of War more celebrated for the number of English were but three hundred Horse and as many thousand Foot commanded by Sir John Norris charged by the Prince of Parma coming upon them with seven thousand Horse beside that the whole Army of Spaniards was ready to march on nevertheless Sir John Norris maintained a Retreat without disarray by the space of some Miles part of the way Campaign unto the City of Gaunt with less loss of Men than the Enemy the Duke of Anjou and the Prince of Orange beholding this noble Action from the Walls of Gaunt as in a Theatre with great Admiration Of Temperance and Chastity in Commanders with Examples thereof TEmperance in Commanders is the only Safeguard against all Surprizals We read of Commodius his Deputy in Britain Vlpius Marrellus was so Temperate that he caused his bread to be brought into the Camp from Rome that for the staleness of it he might eat no more than was needfull and so vigilant that his Soldiers thought he never slept at Night by which imitation they became a most Watchfull and Obedient people for it is very observable that Soldiers are ambitious to follow Examples of their Captains whether it be either in Arts of Vertue or Vice. Alexander as long as he lived within the bounds of Temperance how Obedient were his Officers and Soldiers to him but as soon as he gave himself up to Wine we read not only Mutinies amongst his Soldiers but Treason by his Officers hatching against his own Person for Wine begets Fury Fury matter of Repentance but preceding mischiefs are not amended by succeeding bewailings Drunkenness both kindles and lays open every Vice it removes out of the way that shame which gives impediment unto bad attempts for where Wine gets the Mastery all the ill that before lies hidden breaks out Drunkenness indeed rather discovers Vices than makes them Amongst the Turks the prohibition of Wine in time of War is ever punished with Death I have read of two men put to Death for bringing a very small quantity of Wine into the Camp for here men become Sober Diligent Watchfull and Obedient in the Turkish Camp no brauls quarrels nor clamours are heard no abuses are committed on their People in the march of their Army all is bought and paid with money as by Travellers that are guests at an Inn There are no Complaints by Mothers of the Rape of their Virgin Daughters no violences of Robberies offer'd on the Inhabitants All which good order tends to the Success of their Arms and the Enlargement of their Empire as on the contrary too much Liberty given to the Christian Soldiers especially in drinking is the only cause which moves them to a lust and promtitude to all Evils and is the occasion of the horrid outrages they commit quarrels amongst themselves and disobedience to their Officers and betrays oftentimes a whole Army to ruine by surprizal for how can those men be watchfull whose Heads are charged with the fumes of strong drink Agesilaus King of Sparta Chastity was a great Lover of Chastity and he was a great Conqueror of others so also he conquered his own Lusts insomuch that in his Journeys he would never lodge in private Houses where he might have the Company of Women but ever lodg'd either in Temples or in open Fields making all men witnesses of his Modesty and Chastity Plut. Alexander the Great being in the heat of Youth shewed an admirable Example of Chastity when having taken the Wives and Daughters of Darius which were Women of admirable Beauty yet he neither by Word nor Deed profer'd them the least Indignity thinking it a greater Honour to overcome himself than his Adversaries and when he looked upon the other Captive Ladies that exceeded in Stature and Beauty He merrily said Persides oculorum dolores esse That the Persian Women were a disease of the Eyes and yet he looked on them as but on so many Statues and understanding that two of his Captains under Permenio had ravished two of the Persian Wives he wrote to him to enquire after the matter and if he found it true that he should cut off their Heads as of Beasts born for the hurt of Mankind he also wrote him Word that he himself was so far from contemplating the Beauty of Darius's Wife that he would not as much as have her commended in his presence and that he was so carefull of her and her Daughters Chastity that they lived in his Camp shut up in their Tent as if they had been in a Temple Plut. Scipio Africanus warring in Spain took new Carthage by Storm at which time a Beautifull and Noble Virgin fled to him for Succour to preserve her Chastity He being but Twenty four years old and so in the heat of Bloud hearing of it would not suffer her to come into his sight for fear of a Temptation but caused her to be restored in safety to her Father Aurel. Victor Aurelian an Heathen Emperour was so carefull to preserve the Chastity of Women that one of his Soldiers being found guilty of lying with his Hostess he commanded that two young Trees should be bowed down and the Soldier 's legs tied thereto which being suddenly let go tore him into two pieces Compassion in War. VAlour is then best temper'd when it can turn out of a stern Fortitude into the mild strains of Pity It is written to the Honour of Tamberlane that Conquering the Moscovites with a Princely Valour he falls from the Joys of the Victory to a Lamentation of the many casual miseries they endure who are tied to follow the leading of Ambitious Generals and all this from the sight of the Field covered with the Soul-less men Some report of Caesar that he wept when he heard how Pompey dyed Though Pity be a downy Vertue yet she never shines more brightly than when she is clad in Steel A martial man compassionate shall conquer both in Peace and War and by a two-fold way get Victory with Honour Titus Vespasianus was so Compassionate That he said he would rather dye himself than put others to death He proceeded no farther against two Noble Men convicted for Affecting and Aspiring to the Empire than to admonish them to desist and give over saying That Sovereign Power was the Gift of Destiny and Divine Providence if they were Petitioners for any thing else he promised to give it unto them Sueton when Alaxander by Permenio won Miletus and by force mastered Halicarnassus which because