all carefulnes and secrecie for by Martiall Law it is death to discouer it contrary to appointment If any muteny happen in the company the Serieant vpon commitment shall guard them till they bee deliuered ouer to the Prouost hee ought to bee a punnisher of all sinne and an encourager to vertue In the absence to the superior Officers he commands as much as the Captaine he deuids euery Squadron to the places which are most fitting conducts them to their watches directs both the Corporalls and Souldiers what they are to doe and appoints how all the Sentinels must be placed to the best aduantage To be short it is one of the maine and principall points of his Office as conueniencie will giue him leaue to draw forth the short and to teach them the manage and true vse of the Peece and how in the comliest and brauest manner that may be to conforme both the weapon and their bodies to the most excellentest Postures as first by laying a Musquetiers Armes confusedly before him to command him to Take vp his Armes that is to say hauing his Morian on his head and his Sword by his side he shall first take vp his Bandeliers with his right hand and put them on with the same then take vp his Match and put one end betweene his little finger and his Ring finger of the left hand and the other end betweene the Ring finger and the great finger of the same hand then take vp his Rest and put it into his left hand then stepping forward with his right Legge take vp the Musquet within a hand full of the vpper end ank so raise it vpright then letting his hand sinke let him Iert it vp without sloping and so catch it by the breech and then laying the Rest to it let him shoulder it then the Serieant shall command him to Prepare for Skirmish that is to say hee shall light his Match at both ends put Bullets in his mouth and change his Rest if it bee in his right hand into his left Then the Sergeant shall teach the Souldier to Rest his Musquet then The Sentinell Posture then the Saluting Postures and all these Postures are to be done standing still After this he shall teach him the Postures which are to be performed in marching as Shoulder your Musquet and carry your Rest in your right hand Leuell your Musquet and Slope your Musquet Then the Postures which are to be performed in charging as Cleere your Pan Prime your Pan Shut your pan Cast off your loose powder Blow your pan Cast about your Musquet with both your hands and traile your Rest Open your charges Charge your Musquet with powder Draw your scouring Sticke Shorten your Sticke Rame in your powder Draw out your Sticke Charge with Bullet Rame in your Bullet Draw out your Sticke Shorten your Sticke and put it vp Bring your Musquet forward with the left hand Hold it vp in your right hand and recouer your Rest And lastly he shall teach him the Postures which are to be performed in discharging as Carry the Rest in the left hand preparing to giue fire Slope your Musquet and let the Rest sinke In the right hand poyze the Musquet In the left hand carry the Musquet with the Rest In the right hand take your Match betweene the second finger and the thumbe Hold the match fast and blow it Cocke your Match Trie your Match Guard your pan and blow your match Open your pan Present your Musquet Giue fire Dismount your musquet and carry it with the Rest Vncocke your match and put it vp betweene your fingers Now assoone as your Sergeant hath taught all these Postures perfectly and that the Souldier can doe them readily nimbly and exactly with a comely grace and a braue presence he shall then instruct the Souldier how to reduce and bring all this great number of Postures as namely the fiue which are done standing the three marching the eighteene charging and the fourteene discharging which are only for Military Instruction into three only and no more and which three he shall only vse in seruice or before the face of the enemie and no other and they are thus pronounced Make ready which containes all the Postures which are done either standing still or marching the next Present which containes all the Postures in Charging and lastly Giue Fire which containes all the Postures in Discharging Besides these he shall also teach them how to giue their vollies with those in their Ranke as when the first Ranke haue giuen their vollie if the Battalia march then that first Ranke to stand still and the second to passe through it and so giue their vollie and then to stand and the third to aduance vp and so consequently all the Rankes but if the Battalia stand the first Ranke hauing giuen their vollie shall fall backe to the Reare either in wheele or in countermarch and the second Ranke shall come into their places and giue their vollie and so consequently all the rest but if the Battalia fall backe or Retire then shall all the shot stand still and no man aduance a foote of ground but the first Ranke shall giue their vollie and then fall backe to the Reare so likewise the second Ranke and fall backe in like manner and so all the rest till they haue lost so much ground as to the Commander shall seeme sufficient so shall the vollie still be continued and the enemie neuer free from anoyance To conclude a good Serieant is an admirable benefit and if he liue and execute his place well any long time no man deserueth aduancement before him for besides all that hath beene spoken of him hee is of wonderfull vse in all Scalados Assaults Mines or things of that Nature and if to beautifie all the precedent vertues he likewise be inriched with any small proportion of learning espetially in the Art of Arithmaticke whereby he may iudge of the alteration and proportion of sundry bodies and how to deuide and subdeuide numbers at his pleasure then I dare affirme he is an absolute Serieant nor can his Captaine wish or desire a rarer or better Iewell to depend vpon his person TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE IOHN LORD MORDANT OF TVRVY THE ARGVMENT The Office of the Ensigne THe Ensigne or Alferes as the Spaniard cals him is my good Lord the first great Officer of a priuate Company for all the former howsoeuer necessary are but petty and low places this only the first of Eminence and Account and therefore in his election great consideration is to bee had and to the making vp of his perfection many great vertues are required as Valour Wisedome Fidelitie and Honestie he hath the guard of his Captaines Colours and therein is trusted with his Honour and Reputation and if hee be comely of person strong and amiable hee is a greater glorie to his place and more becomming in Seruice but because in the Warres Officers expect to be aduanc't by
also carrie his Bullet bagge in which hee shall beare his Moulds to cast his Bullets also his Wormes with which he shall cleare his peece when at any time it is cloid either by mischance or ignorance and his Screwes with which he shall vnloose euery vice-pinne or engine about the Musquet when he either intends to take it in peeces or else to scowie it to mend any thing that is out of frame or otherwise to vnbreech it and lastly he shall carrie in it his priming yron being a small artificiall wiar with which he shall clense and keepe open the touch-hole of his peece so as the priming powder may enter in and make the peece goe off vpon the first touch of any sparke with which it encounters all this perfitted he shall bee armed with a good and very sufficient musquet being of as neate and nimble a cast as can bee made prouided it bee strong cleane wrought and of a good temper of yron the Barrell must bee in length foure foot and a halfe and the bore according to the size of a full Musquet and tried by the gage or allowance of the Tower of London the Stocke must be straight cleane and smoothe wrought without knots or flawes in any part but especially towards the lower end the extreamest part at the nether end below the breech should be at least eight inches in depth flat and smoothe so as if the peece happen a little to recoyle yet it may not offend the Souldiers body and the wood of which these Stockes are made would be either good Wallnut-tree good Peare-tree or some other fast firme and smoothe light wood which is neither apt through the shortnesse of the graine quickly to breake nor yet through the largenesse to split or riue in sunder you must haue regard that the barrell be smooth euen and not galled within that it carry the full bore equally cleane throughout and not carry Musquet bore at the top and hardly Harquebusse in the bottome for it is an abuse too frequent amongst our Gun-makers and the effect is nothing else but deceit and the peece of such a bore is hardly so good as a Pistoll see that the pan be tight and the touch-hole vnworne for if it bee otherwise the one will scatter and lose the powder the other will blow backe in the Souldiers face or else recoyle and doe greater mischiefe and on the contrary part if the hole be too little the powder will want passage and the piece will hardly go off without much toyle and great losse of labour see that the breech be strong and close all the screwes and pinnes about it fast and sure the scowring stick straight round smooth and headed with a rammer of yron sutable to the bore of the peece let the Cocks and Trickers be nimble to goe and come for as concerning Seares they are vtterly out of date and the Inconueniences are found in our daily experience for vpon euery motion or touch of the Souldiers garments they are apt to make the piece flie off before there is occasion killing sometimes him that marcheth behind sometimes him that is before sometimes sets fire on him that beares it and sometimes wounds his Officer that comes to giue him direction so that for these and the like mischiefs they are vtterly forbidden neither is the charge of a Tricker greater then that of a Seare and whosoeuer shall bee drawne to reformation there wil be found little or no ods at all in the bargain only the stupidity and blockishnesse of our ignorant wilfull Plebeians is so great that but with huge difficultie they can neuer be brought to relish any alteration especially if there be but the value of one penny betwixt them and their first custome or that any debausht fellow who hath either runne from his Colours beene an vnder-slaue to a Sutlers boy and now for his last refuge keeps a Tipling house in the Countrey for men of his equall qualitie If he I say will but affirme what they surmise it is not the wisedome of Nestor nor the experience of Caesar no not Apollos Oracle which is able to change any part of their resolution to this I haue been a pregnant witnesse and at this I haue often smiled chiefly when I haue seene some of more eminent condition how well they could be pleased to be flattered in their owne yet a false opinion But to returne againe to the arming of this Souldier he shall haue for his right hand a handsome Rest of Ash or other light wood with an yron pike in the nether end and an halfe hoope of yron aboue to lay the Musquet in when hee rests it and double strong strings shall be fastened neere thereunto to put ouer the left arme when at any time the Souldier shall haue occasion to traile the same Now as touching the length of these Rests there is not any certaine quantitie thereof for howsoeuer generally they are foure foot and vpward yet they should be according to the stature of the partie which beares them carrying the Musquet so euen that hee may in a comely manner discharge at a leuell without very much bending either of his shoulders or bodie Lastly if about his necke hee haue a piece of Buffe or quilted leather cut in the proportion of a large Gorget and extending to the vttermost poynts of his shoulders he shall finde both profit and ease therby for it will both saue his garments from wearing with the Musquet and also make the burthen lesse and more easie To conclude then for the Bastard Musquet which differeth nothing from the full Musquet but in the bore onely and the charges which must be made sutable to the bore they are of excellent vse for they carrie as farre as the full Musquet and pearce as deepe though their bore be lesse and their lightnesse and nimblenesse to those which are weaker and of much lesse abler bodies is such an ease and comfort that they are able both to hold out in Marches and in Seruice with any man how strong or potent soeuer Now for their arming it is in all poynts like that of the full Musquet without any difference for as their Seruice is alike so alike are their Accoutrements and what adornes the one is as seemely and becomming for the other so that it shall be needlesse to wade further in this Discourse but leaue the rest to the discretion of the Captaine in whose power it is to alter and dispose of his Armes according to his owne will and the rule of his Iudgement TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND IVDICIOVS EMANVELL SCROOP Lord SCROOP of Bolton and Lo President of the North. THE ARGVMENT Of the Arming of Pikes SInce my Lord you are by his Maiesties fauor the Viceroy or President of your Country on whom all these Military actions depend I cannot be perswaded but any thing which comes cloathed with this Title and carrying the Badge of experimented Truth shall find from you
vnder the guard of the pommell of the Saddle and the legs close and straight by the horses side with the Toes turned a little inward and the horse standing constantly and firme without rage or distemperance yet in all his beautie and glory his lip alone playing vpon the Curbe his Necke bended his Head couched and the Raines of the Bridle vnstrained which are all the Postures to be vsed in standing still then how to put him foorth either by yeelding of the body or thrusting forward of the mans legs into a short or large trot with all the Postures beforesaid which is as much as is required in marching then how by the euen stroke of both the Spurres to passe into a swift carriere and first to dismount the Launce from the thigh secondly to gather in the arme and to lay open the right elbow bringing the Launce towards the Rest and lastly to lay it vpon the Rest and turne the poynt inward to make good the breach or encounter which three Postures are all that belong to charging then how to gallop the field either in large Rings middle or lesse Rings either on the one or the other hand carying his body euen and straight without bending forward or backward or declining more to one hand then the other and then his Launce being broken to draw foorth his Pistoll with the right hand to raise the cocke and either to charge it if it haue been discharged or to prepare it for a discharge on a second encounter and this is as much as is required in falling off and comming on againe Then how to manage that is vpon a gentle gallop to passe forthright in an euen line to encounter either with the sword or the Battle-axe in which hee is to obserue first his Posture of setting forward and drawing his Sword ouer his Bridle arme then the raising of his arme and carying it close by the side of his body then at the encounter the discharging it vpon the Helmet of the enemy then passing by and hauing broken it to stop gently and vpon the halfe stop to turne swiftly and roundly and then vpon the turne Terra Terra to enter into single combat then lastly how to retire backe or to make the horse flie sidewayes either on the one side or on the other according as the aduantage of fight shall giue him occasion and in all these to vse the posture of vpright and constant cariage both of body and weapon which no words but practise is able to deliuer to an ignorant vnderstander For the generall parts of this Captaines dutie as much as concerneth the ciuill gouernment of his company they are all those which belong to the Captaine of Foot only with an augmentation of care in as much as he hath to prouide both for Man and Beast and therfore it is his Office after the wholsome accommodation of his men to looke to the best prouisions which may be had for his horse according to the nature and necessitie of the place in which he liueth as if it be grasse hay straw forrage dry corne raw corne pulse or the like and of these to know which is most wholesome which vnwholesome and accordingly to moderate and temperat the diet of his horses As if he haue good dry hay wholesome grasse or drie corne he may then suffer his horses to feed liberally to rest from trauell if occasion be and to water as oft as he please but if he haue nothing for his horse but Forage raw corne or pulse hee shall then let them feed sparingly giue much exercise and water not aboue once in a day it is also meet that he know the nature of all horse foods to preuent surfet and diseases in his horses as that sweet Hay is nourishing Straw extreme binding and Forage cooling and loosning Wheat nourisheth much but soone cloyeth a horse dry Barley or old Mault breedeth the heart-burning in a horse and will if he eat much make him subiect to tyring Rye will force him to shoot scowre and indeed makes a horse weake and sicke but Beanes Pease and Oates so they be sweet and dry are the most wholesome and naturall for a horse but if otherwise they breed the Belly-ake Bots and other foule diseases and therefore to preuent all mischiefes bee sure if you can to giue them rather vnthrasht then thrasht for the straw will correct many euils which would else follow To conclude for all priuat duties belonging to this Captaine as for his Enrolling Mustering receit of Pay distribution of Victuals Quartering taking of his true Range and Place obedience to his supreme Officers and all things else whatsoeuer belongeth to his particular person they are the same quantities only excepted which belong to the Captaine of Foot and in that Epistle may be read and vnderstood by any diligent or skilfull Interpretation TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND HIS NOBLE LORD HENRY LORD DANVERS of DANT-SEY THE ARGVMENT Of the Serieant Maior of a Regiment WHen my Lord I saw you in the warres fighting and bleeding your noble courage commanded my tongue to praise you but when wounded my selfe I felt your bounty and fauour you then compelld my heart to loue you O let me to these two bring you a thrid though plaine yet an honest and faithfull Seruant and that is this short Epistle which if you shall please to reade then shall you nobly binde my Tongue my heart and pen euer to serue you The Sacrifice I send you is Warre in it I know you haue beene well pleased the Altar from whence it arises is mine Affection Honor should not dispise it and the Place to which I would haue it ariue is your good Opinion where if it find harbour like a plummet cast into a faire calme Sea from one poore prick it shall driue many large and plentifull Circkles The course into which by this warlike range I am now conducted brings me in this place to fixe vpon the Office of the Serieant-Maior of a Regiment or Squadron of men compounded of sundry Companies being as it were a little deminitiue Battell or Colonie ouer which the Colonell is as Generall the Liuetenant Colonell as Liuetenant Generall the Serieant-Maior as Marshall and the rest of the Captaines as the Inferior Commanders The Serieant-Maior of a Regiment is euer some especiall Captaine of most approoued and noble desert as it were outstriping and running before the rest either in Experience Vnderstanding Valour or else which is least accountable in the Colonells perticuler affection and so hath giuen vnto him this place of precedencie and commandment before the rest of the Inferior Captaines It is true that hee ought very carefully to be chosen both in respect of his Wisdome and Temperance but especially for his skill and experience for there is much more required from him then from an ordinary Captaine and touching the reuerence of his place he ought to be a man of eminent note both beloued and feared for