to be changed nor any number of Souldiers to be transported to other places then they haue For hereof tumult and confusion will streight arise and the enemy will easily take aduantage of such as are not ready or fallout to be disordered I haue said that the Latines and Grecians differ in the name of this battaile howbeit they agree both about the forme which may here appeare by Aelian who resembleth it to the letter V neither can there a better resemblance be made for as the letter V consisteth of two lines which are open in the top close in the bottome so doth this forme of battaile of two sides which in front are void open and disseuered in the reare ioyned and closed fast together If you will therefore frame this battaile you must first make a square the file-leaders being all in front then must you wheele the wings of your battaile into the middest and so your file-leaders shall be in the middest lastly you are to open the front of your battaile leauing halfe the file-leaders in the inside of one flanke and halfe in the inside of the other keeping the reare close knit together and for the opening it ought to be somewhat more then will receiue into the void space the front of the right induction which being once let in the inward two flanks of the wedge where the file-leaders are ought to face to both hands and to charge the outward flanks of the right induction and so circumuent them 7. Furthermore a Triphalange A Triphalange in this place of Aelian is when a square body or phalange is from front to reare diuided into three parts The figure shewes the manner The Triphalange hath as much aduantage against the Caelembolos as the Caelembolos had against the right induction The Caelembolos compelled the right induction to fight with the worst men and auoided the affront of the file-leaders which were the best The Triphalange hauing the file-leaders in front opposeth two seuerall fronts against the two wings of the Caelembolos where there are no file-leaders for they are alwayes disposed for the inside and both auoideth the aduantage the Caelembolos sought and maketh the Caelembolos fight with the worst men in as much as one of the Phalanges chargeth the front of one wing of the Caelembolos the file-leaders whereof are in flanke within the hollownesse the other chargeth the other Now it hath this aduantage besides that it spareth reserues for all occasions by off-holding the third Phalange If the Caelembolos be beaten by the two opposing Phalanges all is lost and no hope left of winning the field no other forces being to second it where notwithstanding the Caelembolos hauing gotten the better may be curbed and the victory arrested by this reserue and by the remnant of the other two Phalanges broken Words of direction in the right induction 1 The right-corner Xenagy march out So is it of all other bodies if they begin the march 2 The rest follow in Xenagies Direction for the Caelembolos 1. Wheele the wings of your battaile into the middest of your body So shall the file-leader be in the middest but we must note that the two midlemost leaders must be centors for the other to wheele about 2. Open your front to the right and left hand keeping your Reare close For the Triphalange 1 The two wings face to the right and left hand the middle remaining as it was 2 Match out to the distance required That is to be able to meet in a right line the two fronts of the wings of the Caelembolos 3 Stand When they come to the place required 4 Face as you were 5 Aduance and charge Of Paragoge or deduction CHAP. XXXVII 1 PArogoge or deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in 2 a wing not by 3 file but by ranke hauing the commanders or file-leaders either on the right-hand which is called a right hand deduction or on the left hand which is a left-hand deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a 4 double treble or quadruple front according to the place or part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe 5 make the length doubte to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of the enemy not onely in front but also in flanke NOTES 1 DEduction is when the Phalange Induction is spoken of Deduction followeth which is the second kinde of march For these are no Cap. 37. A foure fronted Phalange against all allemptes of the Enemy The Front of the reare The Front of the right flank The Front of the left flank The Front of the Narch other kinds then Induction and Deduction the one with the file-leaders in front the other with the file-leaders in flanke Neither doth the greatnesse or smalnesse of the body make any difference herein be the body neuer so great as is the Phalange or so small as one Company yet must the file-leaders either lead or else be in flanke of the march The reare in necessity may well be made good by the bringers vp Deduction is the mother of many formes of battailes vsuall in marches from it come the Caelembolos whereof we spake before from it are the Antistomus the Peristomus the Homoiostomus the Heterostomus of which hereafter 2 When the Phalange proceedeth in a wing Suidas hath that Paragoge or deduction is said to be when the phalange marcheth with the file-leaders on the right or left hand if on the left it is said to be a left-hand deduction if on the right a right-hand deduction He maketh no mention of a wing as Aelian doth for it may so fall out that the body may be such as hath the depth and breadth all one as a Xenagy which hath sixteene in breadth and sixteene in depth some bodies also as the Taxies and Tetrarchies haue the depth lesse then the breadth the first holding sixteen in depth no more then eight in breadth the last foure in breadth and sixteene in depth so that they march not in a wing But because marches for the most part are vndertaken in a wing it is the cause why Aelian saith that deductions proceed in a wing the depth whereof manifoldly exceedeth the length and they proceed 3. Not by file but by ranke That is the file-leaders being wheeled to the flanke after they haue setled themselues to march proceed on their iourney as they stand in the flanke onely facing that way the march is intended and returne not to lead in the front of the battaile as they did at first To lead by file is when the file-leaders proceede and haue their files following at their backe To lead by ranke is when that which was the flanke at first becommeth the front and beginneth the march and the rest follow accordingly flanke-wise yet this is to be noted that albeit the front of the battaile be changed in the deduction
vpon their owne people other falling vpon the Macedonians who made large distances those which entered were partly ouerwhelmed with darts partly passed queit thorough some being carried with the violence of their course and working mightily with their sharpe sythes brought with them many and sundry kinds of death for the force of their sythes had such power to destroy taht from many it cut off the armes and targets and all the necks of not a few were carued heads falling to the ground the eyes yet seeing the countenance not altered of some the it tore out the sides and put them to a speedy death Hitherto of the history of Diodorus But where he noteththe harms that came from the sythed chariots I take it they might haue beene auoided if the distances had beene wide enough because I finde in Xenophon in the battaile betwixt Artaxerxes and Cyrus mentioned by me before that many of the chariots of the Persians ranne thorough the Phalange of the Grecians without hurt to any man To returne then to the vse of this forme it hath heeretofore and may at this day bee put in practice against horse and not onely against horse ordered in a wedge but also giuing on in a square if it be so they charge by troopes and the opening be wide enough and sudden to receiue the front of the horse For against a grosse of horse they cannot haue time to open wide enough and if they open too timely they leaue liberty to the horse to charge either of the parts opened as themselues shall please and by diuiding themselues they diminish their owne strength Words of direction for the Diphalange Antistomus 1 Wheele the wings into the middest of the battaile This is done if the middlemost 2 file-leaders stand firme the rest with their files wheele till they meet and then stand thē face to the front and when the Horse charge open the middest suddenly and facing one against another charge your Pikes against the Horse 2 Face to the Front 3 Open your battaile 4 Face to the middest 5 Charge your Pikes Restoring to the first Posture 1 Aduance your Pikes 2 Close your battaile 3 Face to the right and left hand 4 Wheele the middest of the battaile to the wings 5 Face as you were at first and stand Of the Peristomus Diphalange CHAP. XXXXI THE Phalange of the Diphalange Peristomus proceede by deduction in a wing the oblique deduction on the right hand hauing the file-leaders without the left hand oblique deduction hauing the reare-comānders within The figure sheweth the intent of them that fight so ordered For the battaile going to charge hauing beene at first Tetragonall diuideth it selfe into two oblique wings the right and the left of purpose to enclose the aduerse square battaile and they fearing to be enclosed transforme themselues into two marching Phalanges directing one against the right the other against the left wing therefore is it called Peristomus as hauing the front bent against the enemy both wayes NOTES 1 ABout the inscription of this Chapter also there is a controuersie amongst the Interpreters some would haue it of the Peristomus diphalange some of the Amphistomus Diphalange and of the Peristomus Why any man should imagine that the Amphistomus Diphalange is here described I Cap. 41 The square deured in two and sett against y◠Peristomus two winges The Diphalange Peristomus The vneuen front of the Peristomus The right wing of the Peristomus The left wing of the Peristomus conceiue not vnlesse he should seeme to make Aelian contrary to himselfe For the Amphistomus Diphalange hath nothing to doe with the flanks as appeareth by Aelian in the 34 Chapter This Diphalange fighteth altogether in flanke as the description declareth The Phalanges of the Diphalange Peristomus What a wing is and what deduction I haue shewed before The meaning is that the Phalanges Peristomus are both of them led obliquely with the file-leaders in flanke and in two deepe bodies whereof the one hath in purpose to charge the right flanke the other the left flanke of the aduerse square battaile 2 The oblique deduction on the right hand Albeit both these Phalanges are called oblique yet we may not imagine that these Loxe-phalanges are the same that is described in the 30 Chapter For in that one of the Phalange forbeare the fight the other aduanceth to ioyne with the enemy in this both fight at once and haue their aduantage by charging the flanks of the enemy That began the fight in front had there the file-leaders this in both flanks this seeks to encompasse that to auoid encompassing it selfe as I haue shewed in my notes vpon the same Chapter 3 The oblique deduction on the right-hand hauing the file-leaders without I must imagine till further information that here is a fault in the text my reason is this all deductions are made to oppose the file-leaders against the enemy in fight So is the right-hand deduction vsed when it is suspected the enemy will charge the right-hand flanke the left-hand Deduction when it is suspected he will charge the left so in wheelings we turne the front against the enemy so in countermarches Now this forme being inuented to encompasse the enemy and to fight vpon his flankes I would thinke the file-leaders ought to be placed on the inward flanks of the Diphalange as it is in the Caelembolos for were the bringers vp to be within they should sustaine all the weight of the fight the battaile being once diuided and the file-leaders standing without should idlely looke on which is contrary to the military discipline of the Grecians whose care was to vse the file-leaders in fight as much as was possible Neither is it thereupon to be concluded that this Diphalange and the Diphalange Antistomus are all one For although both haue their file-leaders within yet doe they differ both in forme and end In forme because this moueth forward with both Phalanges the other standeth still this is oblique the other in a streight line that hath the front of the two phalanges euen this as it falleth out in the motion sometimes the one more forword sometimes the other In their ends because this goeth to assault and to breake the enemies battaile the other standeth fast and seekes onely to saue it selfe the one being offensiue the other defensiue So that as I said before the Caelembolos and this are both framed out of the Diphalange Antistomus both hauing their file-leaders within the middest of the battaile and yet differ in that the Caelembolos is but one body hollowed within this diuided into two bodies And they fearing to be enclosed The case of this square is almost all one with the square against which the Caelembolos is opposed For both are in danger to be enclosed Now as the other square was faine to cast it selfe into a Triphalange and to oppose two of the phalanges against the two wings of the
is not wrapped vp in obscurity and which may fully deliuer the minde of the Commander to the souldiers which hee hath in exercise And as the words ought to bee short so ought they to be Without double signification Where they haue a double signification that is may be diuersly vnderstood by them who are vnder direction some of the souldiers as Aelian saith will doe one thing some another which must needs breed a confusion in the body exercised For as vniformity of motion in euery particular souldier preserueth the whole body and euery ioynt or part thereof entire so the dissimilitude of motion in the particulars induceth a disioynting as it were a disorder of the multitude of the whole battaile in generall To auoid then the inconuenience of double vnderstanding in words Aelian thinketh fit that the speciall word should be placed before the generall and in stead of Face to the pike he would haue the Commander to pronounce thus To the pike face that is to the right hand holding the word right hand to be more speciall or streighter in signification then the word Face Let me haue pardon if I differ from Aelian herein For Logicians hold those words more generall that stretch vnto and comprehend vnder them most particulars Now considering there are foure motions of the battaile which cannot be put in vse but by words of direction and in the direction the word right or left hand is of necessity to be applyed to euery of them as for example Countermarch to the right or left hand Face to the right or left hand and so of the rest it is euident that the word right hand or left hand is more generall then any one of the motions because it stretcheth to them all So that albeit we retaine the rule of Aelian namely to set the speciall before the generall yet may we very safely from his example and not onely in facing but also in the three other motions pronounce the direction thus Face to the right or left hand Double to the right or left hand Countermarch to the right or left hand Wheele to the right or left hand because the word right or left hand is more generall then any one of the motions But admit it were more particular yet the necessity of our language would force vs to forsake this rule of Aelian For in euery language there is an idiome or propriety of speech and that not onely in the phrase it self but also in the very ioyning tying together of the words of the sentence So that that which sorteth well with one language will not be receiued in another In Greeke in which tongue Aelian wrote it soundeth well to place the nowne gouerned by a verbe before the verbe it selfe So in Latine Dutch French and other tongues In English if a man should doe the like vnlesse it were in verse wherein the number of the feet is more respected then the ordering of the words he should be accounted ridiculous or vaine For take the example here set downe to the right hanâ— face to the right hand double or countermach or wheele and let vs vse the same order of words in common speech and a man say to his seruant To the Church goe to the mill corne carry bootes cleane make To the cutler my rapier carry Who would not laugh at his speech or thinke him idle in so pronouncing Wherefore albeit Aelian hold that forme agreeable to the Greeke tongue yet I cannot see how it will be fit that our English according to which I hold it better to pronounce after this manner Face to right hand Countermarch to the right hand and so in the rest then after this To the right hand face to the right hand countermarch the rather because the property of speech auaileth much to the capacity of souldiers who for the most part are vndearned and will hardly vnderstand in case the wonted custome and ordinary vse of ioyning words be inuerted CHAP. LIII BVt aboue all things silence is to be commanded and heed giuen to directions as Homer especially signifieth in his description of the Craecian and Troian fights saying The skilfull Captaines pressed on guiding with carefull eye Their armed troopes who followed their leaders silently You surely would haue deem'd each one of all that mighty throng Had beene bereft of speech so bridled he his heedfull tongue Fearing the dread Commanders checke and dreadfull hests among Thus march'd the Greeks in silence breathing flames of high desire And feruent Zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire As for the disorder of the Barbarians he resembleth it to Birds saying As sholes of fowle Geese Cranes and Swans with necks far stretched out Which in the slimy fens Caisters winding streames about Sheere here and there the liquid skie sporting on wanton wing Then fall to ground with clanging noyse the fens all ouer ring None otherwise the Troians fill the field with heaped sounds Of broken and confused cries each where tumult abounds And againe The Captaines marshall out their troopes ranged in goodly guise And forth the Troians pace like birds that lade the ayre with cryes Not so the Greekes whose silence breathed flames of high desire Feruent in zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire NOTES SIlence when a battaile is put in order either for fight or exercise is one of the principall points of obedience which belongeth to a souldier the breach whereof more endangereth the proceeding of warre then a rawe souldier would thinke who onely is wont to offend in that kind I haue before entreated of signes and shewed that in the obseruing of directions consisteth the greatest helpe of victory in neglecting them the chiefest meanes to take an ouerthrow and be defeated For as directions being executed giue life vnto warlike actions to effect that which the Commander desireth so whatsoeuer hindereth the receiuing of directions must needs crosse the designes of the Commander and by consequence frustrate and disanull that which was thought by him most fit to be put in practice either for the good order or for the preseruation of the Army or else for the gayning of victory A man that is not attentiue cannot marke the command deliuered Nor can he be attentiue that whilest it is deliuered busieth his head with other thoughts or else entertaineth his next standers by with talke a meanes to diuert aswell the speaker as the hearer from that heed which ought to be giuen to direction in asmuch as no man hath the ability to heare another mans speech and himselfe take at the same instant or at the same time to discerne two mens seuerall speeches which are deliuered together All generals haue held Silence a principall point of warlike discipline And therefore in Commands they make it the first Leos precept is this When the troopes are drawne together and ordered for exercise let the cryer for euery company had then a cryer giue these
a battaile and to behold a direct space betwixt files and rankes For that is the grace and beauty as I may terme it of a Phalange ordered for fight This proportion cannot be maintayned without obseruing distance curiously Open order is sixe foot both in ranke and file betwixt man and man euery way If then any souldier in file gather vp to his leader and stand at distance of three foot it is manifest that his ranke is thereby disturbed and made vneuen although the file continue streight Contrariwise if he beare himselfe out of his place three foot toward either of his side-men by this meanes he disordereth his file and maketh it crooked This fault if it were committed by many a generall disorder would follow in the body and therefore Aelian well aduiseth to keepe the first distances especially till you be commanded to the second or third distance which will often fall out in the foure motions Of which Facing is the first and the words of direction in it are these as before in Aelian 12 Face to the Pike That is Face to the tight hand For the pike was alwayes borne in the right hand 14 Face to the Target The Pike-men in the Macedonian army bore targets on their left armes or on the left side so that facing to the target is all one with the word of command Face to the left hand 16 Face about to the pike or target That is face about to the right or left hand But where hee addeth moue a little further he signifieth that the direction is not fully accomplished and he would haue the souldiers continue their motion till their faces were fully come about to the reare and then hee willeth them to stand so because they haue gayned their place These facings here expressed by Aelian are of the whole body Other facings of the parts he hath not set downe which notwithstanding are oftentimes of great vse For say the enemy charge in front and reare your front must continue as it did but the word for the reare is Halfe files face about to the right or left hand If the enemy charge you on both flankes then is the word of command Halfe rankes face to the right halft to the left hand If in front and one flanke the front standeth firme and the word for the flanke that is charged is Halfe rankes of the right or left flanke Face to the hand named If in front and both flankes the front is to stand firme and both the flanks to face to the enemy And this is done in a hollow square or Plesium and the word is Flankes face one to the right the other to the left hand If on all sides or round about it is as before for the flankes but for the reare The reare face about to the right or left hand Now in Countermarch of the reare the ranke of file-leaders is oftentimes commanded to face about to the right or left hand In countermarch of the front the ranke of bringers vp must doe the like as wee shall see in Countermarch Doubling is the second motion vsed in battaile the precept of it in this in Aelian 18 Double your depth The word in our exercise for this motion is Double your files because files measure the depth of the battaile or rankes measure the length This doubling is made many wayes The first is when the euen files that is the 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. file fall into the odde As if the doubling be to the right hand the right hand corner-file standeth firme and is the first after doubling the third is the second file the fifth the third and so the rest of the odde files in order But the manner is that the leaders of the second file fall directly behind the leader of the first file and the second man of the second file behind the second man of the first and so the rest of those two files The same order is for the rest of the euen files when they double the odde files And the word is Double your files to the right or left hand Another manner is when halfe the body of files conueyes it selfe into the spaces oâ— the other halfe of the body be it to the right or left hand according to direction giuen so that the first ranke of the halfe body which is to moue fals into the space next after the first ranke of the halfe body that standeth and so the rest of the rankes of the halfe body that moueth and the word is Halfe the body double your files to the right or left hand Another is when files are doubled by a countermarch As if the second file of the right or left hand as it is appointed countermarch and the leader of that file place himselfe behind the bringer vp of the corner file to that hand to which the doubling is to be made and so the rest of the files of euen number behinde those of odde number as the second behind the first the fourth behind the third the sixt behind the fifth and so the rest The word is Double your files by countermarch to the right or left hand The next word in Aelian is Double your length That is double your rankes or front For as I before noted the rankes make the length of the battaile which likewise is many wayes done The first is when the rankes of euen appellation as the 2. 4. 6. 8. c. fall out into the spaces of the odde namely into the spaces of the 1. 3. 5. 7. c. which stand before them and place themselues euen with them in ranke The word is Double your rankes to the right or left hand Another way is when the bringers-vp their halfe files following them by countermarch aduance vp to the front and place themselues in the spaces betwixt the file-leaders to the hand appointed and the rest of the ranks accordingly namely the ninth ranke in the spaces of the second the eight in the spaces of the third the seuenth in the fourth the sixth in the spaces of the fifth And the word is Bringers vp double your front by countermarch to the right or left hand Another is when the reare-halfe-files one halfe face to the right the other to the left hand and diuiding themselues march out till they bee past the flankes of the standing halfe-files Then facing to the front sleeue vp and front with the standing halfe-files Then the word is Reare halfe-files double your front by diuision to the right and left hand Another way is when the reare-halfe-files vndiuided face to the hand appointed and being beyond the flanke of the rest of the body face to the front and sleeue vp and ioyne in front with the standing halfe-files The word is Reare-halfe-files enter double your front to the right or left hand It is to be obserued that in all these motions of doubling rankes or front the souldiers are to returne after
their motion to their first posture which is done by facing about to the right or left hand and then by mouing and by recouering their first place The word is As you were Countermarch is the third motion vsed in the change of a battaile The vse and necessity thereof appeareth in Aelian before and that there are two kindes one by file the other by ranke The words of command that hee here setteth downe are onely of countermarch by file which may be reduced to two kindes viz. the Countermarch of the front and the Countermarch of the reare That of the front hath likewise two kindes the Lacedemonian and the Chorean That of the reare onely one and it is called the Macedonian Countermarch Now Aelians direction followeth 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch This is one of the Countermarches by file and of the front The manner is that the file-leaders beginne the Countermarch and paâ—â—e beyond the reare their files following them In our exercise the word is Countermarch the front to the right or to the left hand It is done after another sort also as when the bringers-vp face about to the right or left hand and then the whole body facing about to the same hand passe thorow the spaces of the bringers vp to the same hand and the ninth ranke beginning the rest of the ranks after one anothers place themselues euery paticular man before his follower in the same file till the file-leaders are first The word is Bringers vp face to the right or to the left hand The rest beginning at the ninth ranke passe thorow to the same hand and place euery man himselfe before his follower As you were In Aelian followeth 22 The Macedonian Countermarch We in our exercise tearme this Countermarch of the reare and it is done in two manners First when the bringers vp begin the Countermarch and their files following passe thorow the spaces of the file-leaders till the file-leaders become the last of the file and then the whole body face about and stand The word is Countermarch the reare to the right or left hand Face about to the contrary hand and stand The other when the file-leaders face about to either hand and the rest of the ranks beginning at the second ranke successiuely passe thorow the spaces of the file leaders to the hand appointed placing themselues euery man behind his next leader and facing about as they did The word is File-leaders face about the rest of the rankes passe thorow and place your selues behinde your next leaders The next in Aelian is 24 The Chorean Countermarch This Countermarch is of the front as I said but it keepeth the ground that the body had before the file-leaders their files following them remoued to the places of the bringers vp and the bringers vp to the places that the file-leaders had The word is File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and stand viz. when they come to the bringers vp Other Countermarches thereare which are not here set downeby Aelian but are remembred in his Chapter of Countermarches of which the countermarch by ranks of the whole battaile is one the other is the countermarch by ranks in the parts And as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the rankes first began to moue so in Countermarch of the flanke the files entire beginne to moue and as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the ranks followed one another by file so in Countermarch of the flankes the files follow one another by ranke that is the souldiers of euery ranke follow one another If you would countermarch the right flanke so to change one side of the battaile for the other the word is Countermarch the right flanke to the left hand In countermarching the left flanke the word is Countermarch the left flanke to the right hand To countermarch the wings into the middest both the vttermost corner-files are to moue toward the middest their halfe rankes following them and meeting in the middest to stand there and face to the front and the word is Countermarch your wings into the middest of the battaile Obserue that in Countermarch by ranke the three Countermarches Macedonian Lacedaemonian and Choraean may be practised as well as in Countermarch by file If the flanke neerest to the enemy begin the Countermarch this the Macedonian countermarch because it maketh a shew of shifting away If the flanke furthest from the enemy begin it is the Lacedemonian in that it carrieth a semblance of falling on But when one flanke countermarcheth till it come iust vp to the other and no further it is the Choraean because it keepeth the same ground Wheeling is the fourth and last motion and it is vsed in the whole entire battaile or in the parts thereof Aelian giueth words of direction for the whole battaile onely and they are these Wheele the body to the Pike or to the Target When the battaile is to wheele to the pike or right hand the right hand corner file-leader is onely to turne his body by little and little to the right hand facing euen with the ranke of file-leaders till such time as hee haue gained the right hand aspect and the rest are to moue about him making him the centor as it were of their circled motion If to the left hand the left hand corner file leader is to doe the like The same order is of wheelin the battaile about to the right or left hand Aelian as I â—aiâ— giueth here no other words of command then for the wheeling of the whole body yet are the wheelings of the parts of great vse for either the flankes are wheeled into the front or the front into the flankes The front is wheeled into the flankes when we desire to forme the Antistomus Phalange to resist the enemy giuing on both flankes And then the two middlemost bringers vp are to stand and the middle file-leaders to diuinde themselues and to moue halfe the battaile to the right halfe to the left hand making those two bringers vp the center of the motion In this the word is Wheele the front into flanks by diuision If the flanks be to be wheeled into the front the two middle file-leaders are to stand still and the two halfe bodies to moue about them one to the right hand the other to the left till the two flanks be in the front and the front in the middest This kind is practised when we would frame the Diphalange Antistomus The word is Wheele the flanks into the front It is to be remembred that after euery motion a restitution to the first posture is to be commanded in these words As you were In facing you are to returne to the contrary hand as if the command were to face to the right in returning you come to the left In doubling you must doe the like In countermarch likewise whether you countermarch the whole body or the parcels thereof you are to returne by the contrary hand After
euery man shall haue three foot distance from other in ranke double them twice the file hath but foure men and euery mans distance in ranke is no more then a foot and halfe which as it is allowable in close order so admitteth it no third dou 〈…〉 wherein the space betwixt man and man cannot exceed three quarters of a foot As therefore the second doubling of ranks in a Phalangarchy albeit it extend the front of the battell leaueth yet too small a depth to the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile it containing no more then foure men in depth so the doubling of files twice fitteth not the Orthiophalange or Herse as hauing 64 in depth and as many in length which number neither holdeth proportion of the depth manifold to the length of the Orthiophalange or Herse nor yet by reason of the length hath conueniency to apply it selfe to streight waies a thing that containeth the principall vse of that manner of battaile which was the cause that antiquity vsed another course If the march were to be made out of a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile they framed a Herse by putting forth out of the right or left wing first one Tetratchy or other body which might march whole according to the largenesse of the ways and after it followed from the same wing the rest of the Army in the same kinde If contrariwise a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile were to be framed out of an Orthiophalange or a Herse they caused the body which had the vaunt to stand firme and the rest following to sleeue vp by it on the right or left hand till they all came to an euen front Xenophon sheweth the manner in a Company whose words are these in English Then he Cyrus the elder beheld another Captaine leading his Company from the river side to dinner one souldier following another in a single file who when hee thought â—it commanded the second and third and fourth file to sleeue vp and make an euen front with the first the file-leaders being new in front hee commanded the halfe files to double the front so that new the Decadarches or leaders of halfe files stood in front Againe when it seemed good he commanded the quarter files to double the front so the Pempedarches or leaders of the quarter of files led vp and the files marched on being diuided into foure parts When they were come vnto the Tent doore hee commanded the first file to single out againe and to enter in and the second to follow it single in the reare and so the third and fourth till all were within the Tent. To cleare these words of Xenophon It is to be vnderstood that the Company or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here mentioned consisted of 100 men and was diuided into foure files or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 each file containing twenty foure men The file had fiue Officers the file leader the Decadarch two Pempedarchs and the bringer vp At the head of the file stood the file-leader and behinde him directly fiue men next after them stood the first Pempedarch and fiue men that followed him in the middest of the file that is after the Pempedarch and his fiue was placed the Decadarch who â—ed the hinder most halfe file and after him fiue men more Lastly the second Pempedarch and fiue more after him the last of which was the bringer vp Now when Xenophon saith that the whole Company followed by one or file wise he meaneth that the foure files were cast into one file and followed one another in a right line and by that meanes had 100 in depth and but one in front To bring it therefore to conuenient length from this depth the Captaine commanded the first file leader to make Alte or to stand and the second file leader with his file to aduance and to sleeue vp on the left hand and to front with the first file leader and so both files to stand euen fronted in open order The like he commanded the third and fourth file to doe so that the foure files being laid one to another and fronting equally the front or length of the body had foure men the depth 24. Then because he held this depth disproporcionable to the length in so small a body he againe enlarged the front by doubling commanding the halfe files to double their front The Decadarchs hereupon marched vp to the front and ranked with the file leaders and the halfe files following them ranked with the front-halfe files man to man Now was the front eight in length the flanke or depth twelue To enlarge againe the front and to make the length exceede the depth he commanded the quarter-files to double the front hereupon the Pempedarchs aduanced marching vp with their quarter files after them till they fronted with the file leaders and Decadarchs and each man of the quarter files ranked with the rest so that the front came to be of 16 men in length the flanke six men in depth and each man in ranke had a foot and halfe distance in file six foot And thus the Company from one file as it were from an Orthiophalange or Herse was formed into a long body somewhat resembling a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile To reduce it againe to an Orthiophalange or Herse the Captaine at the entry into the Tent where the whole Company was lodged together first directed the first file to march out namely by the file leader with his fiue then the first Pempedarch with his fiue after him the Decadarch with his fiue lastly the second Pempedarch with his fiue which drawing out of the Officers one after another in depth with the parts of the file Commanded by them immediately brought the file to the iust depth of 24. This being done the second file followed the first in like order and the third the second last of al came the fourth and this was the manner of changing one forme into another and albeit the example be but of a Company yet is the reason all one in a Phalange or battaile for as a company is compacted of many files so is a phalange of diuers companies and as one file in the example before was led after another filewise so is or may one company or other body be led after another making thereby an Orthiophalange or Herse and as one file aduanced to front with another to the intent to alter the forme of the Orthiophalange so must the bodies or companies sleeue vp one by another to make a plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile yet want there not Examples in the Greeke History of turning the Orthiophalange or Herse into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile and by consequence the plagiophalange into an Orthiophalange Cherisophus in the returne of the 10000 Grecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia had the leading of the Vant-gard all the way He in his march in Armenia perceiuing the Chalybes Taochians and Phasians had taken
any part during the charge If that be the saw it cannot agree Cap. 50. The aduerse battail The overwinging battail Cap. 50. The aduerse battaile The ouerfronting battaile with Aelians description who would haue the file-leaders of the Peplegmene to aduance before their battaile and be still in motion of purpose to traine out the file-leaders of the Plesium to meet them thereby to dissolue the forme of their battaile And this is but a stratagem to prâ—uaile against the enemy For as Leo saith a good Generallought as a good wrestler to make shew of one thing and to put another in practice to the end to deceiue the enemy and gaine the victory as is done in this manner of embattailing but that the Sawe is no constant or setled forme of fight as the rest are which are described by Aelian in the Chapters going before appeareth by Fiestus whose words are these Serra praeliari dicitur cum assidue acciditur recediturque neque vllo consistitur tempore The skirmish is said to be made in the forme of a Sawe when they that vse this for me continually giue on and retire and at no time stand still But we must vnderstand that the mouing is not by mamples or by light-armed as Lipsius interpreteth it but by file-leaders of the armed as Aelian teacheth with intent to traine out the file-leaders of the Plesium and so to disorder their battaile the rest of the Peplegmene standing still in their forme Now then to make a Peplegmene or sawe-battaile direction is to be giuen to the file-leaders alone to fall out confusedly against the aduerse Plesium of the enemy and to the rest in the files to stand still Otherwise being not forewarned the whole files will moue and follow their leaders which if they doe this forme cannot be made but the battaile remaineth as a square as it did before the going to charge The forme of framing the battail called the Plesium and the words of command are described in my notes vpon the 42 Chapter Of Hyperphalangesis and Hyperkerasis and of Attenuation CHAP. L. 1 HYperphalangesis or ouerfronting is when both wings of the Phalange ouer-reach the enemies front 2 Hyperkerasis or ouerwinging is when with one of our wings we ouer-reach the front of the enemy So that he that ouerfronteth ouerwingth but he that ouerwingeth ouerfroÌ„teth not For they that match not the enemy in multitude may yet ouerwing him 3 Attenuation is when the depth of the battaile is gathered vp and in stead of 16 a smaller number is set NOTES IN this Chapter being the last that describeth formes of battailes are two kindes of battailes set forth which are if I mistake not of more efficacy I am sure such as haue beene more practised then any of the other that goe before in this booke and they specially giue aduantage to them that haue aduantage in numbers of men and can frame a larger fronted Phalange then the enemy is able And either of them opposeth a large front against the enemy the one stretching it beyoÌ„d the points of both their wings the other beyond the point one of their wings The first kind is called Hyperphalangesis ouer-fronting the other Hyperkerasis ouer-winging Hyperphalangesis or ouer-fronting is faith Aelian 1 When both wings of the Phalange ouer-reach the enemies front To make it then Hyperphalangesis the front must be much broader then the enemies extended beyond both their wings of purpose to ouer reach wrap them in charging not onely the front but also the flankes on both sides at once which is so dangerous a kinde of fight that he that is so assayled can haue no great hope of making resistance against his enemy because the front being the place which is ordained for fight and the pikes being bent and lying out from thence if at the same time the flankes be also charged the sides of the souldiers must needs lye open to wounds no man being able to defend himselfe and turne his weapons two wayes at once The ouer-fronting of Croesus vsed against Cyrus rehearsed by me in my notes vpon the 46 Chapter is an eminent example of Hyperphalangesis whereby Croesus at one instant inuaded the front and both flanks of the enemies battaile The like maybe said of the battaile of Darius at Issos Gaugamela against Alexander and of Scipio against Asdruball Gisgoes sonne in Spaine and of Lauâ—enus against Caesar in Africa The manner of framing this forme is diuers â—or either you shew all your forces at first or else conceale some part and shewing all you march in an euen and whole front and bowing afterward your wings enclose the flankes of the enemy or else in on embowed forme at first such as are the hollow fronted battailes and so encompasse your enemy taking him into the hollownesse as you march forward Of the first kind was the battaile of Labienus against Caesar which I mentioned last and those of Darius against Alexander Of marching in an embowed forme that of Croesus against Cyrus Of concealing your number that of Cleandridas against the Thurian cited by 〈…〉 y notes vpon the 29 Chapter of this booke and of Scipio against Asdruball which is set downe at large in the notes vpon the 28 Chapter 2 Hyperkerosis is when we ouer-reach the enemies front with one of our winges Ouerfronting is of both wings ouerwinging but of one So that albeit your number be smaller then the enemies yet it you wrap in a part of his front and one of his wings you so ouerwing him To shew an example of ouerwinging you may finde in Thucidides that the Argiues with their allies being in the field against the â— acedemonians and their allies the battailes were ordered thus The Lacedemonians gaue the point of the left wing to the Scirites who only of the Lacedemonians haue alwayes that place Next to them they ordered the souldiers that came with Brasidas out of Thâ—ace Next them the new maâ—e Citizens by companies by their siâ—es first the Heroeans then the Menalians Arcadians both In the right wing were the Tegaeans and a few of the Lacedemo iâ—â—s in the point of that wing The â—orse were ranged on both wings Thus were the Lacedemonians embattailed Their enemies thus The Mantinaeans had the right wing because the warre was made in their Territory by them stood the Arcadians their confederates Then 1000 selected Argiues whom the City had long time trained vp in military exercise to whom ioyned the other Argiues and after them were ordered the Cleoneans and the Orneatians their allies The last were the Athenians that had the left wing and their owne horse bâ— them This was the preparation and embattailing of both parties When they went to charge the Argiues and their allies marched forward with speed and great fury the Lacedemonians leysurely according to the sound of the fifes placed within their battaile not for any religion sake but to the end that framing their motion to