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A31706 The commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar of his warres in Gallia, and the civil warres betwixt him and Pompey / translated into English with many excellent and judicious observations thereupon ; as also The art of our modern training, or, Tactick practise, by Clement Edmonds Esquire, ... ; where unto is adjoyned the eighth commentary of the warres in Gallia, with some short observations upon it ; together with the life of Cæsar, and an account of his medalls ; revised, corrected, and enlarged.; De bello civili. English Caesar, Julius.; Edmondes, Clement, Sir, 1566 or 7-1622. Observations upon Caesars commentaries of the civil warres.; Hirtius, Aulus. De bello Gallico. Liber 8. English.; Edmondes, Clement, Sir, 1566 or 7-1622. Manner of our modern training or tactick practise.; Caesar, Julius. De bello Gallico. English. 1655 (1655) Wing C199; ESTC R17666 660,153 403

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thus commanded at sometimes to turn his face to the right or left hand or about the Battallion standing in order that is according to the distance before named so the whole Battallion being reduced into their close order is commanded to turn as one body to the right or left hand It is performed thus Imagine the Battallion stand first in order it shall be commanded that they close their files to the right hand when the right file standing still the rest turning their faces to the right hand march into their close order and return as they were next that they close their ranks from behind when every follower marcheth forward to his leader unto his rapiers point as is said before This done the leader of the right file standing immoveable all the rest as the body of a ship or a great gate turn about that leader as about the hinge or center every one keeping the same distance and order wherein they were first placed as if they were but one entire body When the same Battallion is to be restored into the same station wherein it was first it is commanded Faces about to the left hand and march into your order from whence you were closed Then let your leaders or first ranks stand still and the rest turning faces about march ranks in order as before then turn as you were and you are restored When the whole Battallion being in their close order should turn about and make the Rere the Front it is done by a double turning or declination and commanded to wheel about which is answerable to the former faces about or mutation There is also another wheeling in this sort when the front changeth the aspect thrice for as wheeling about maketh the Front the Rere so this wheeleth from the right hand to the left or contrariwise which fashion is so seldome used that we scarce afford it a name In all such motions and alterations it is most fit that all men perform their directions with their pikes advanced being in that sort most easie to be commanded as also lesse troublesome to their followers and leaders Countermarching Files and Ranks THere is also another means to prevent the enemy his assaulting us in the rere or flank lest he should find our worst men least able to make resistance and this is performed by countermarching both files and ranks three divers wayes apiece The first was used by the Macedonians after this fashion First the leader turneth his face about towards the right or left hand and so the next follower marching behind his leader turneth also and so the third and fourth untill the bringer up have carried himself out into a new place in the rere further from the enemy as he was before next unto him But this neither was nor is accounted safe or secure because it doth somewhat resemble a flying or running away from the enemy which might give him no small incouragement and therefore it is not much in practise Only at some times the bringers up marching throughout beyond the leaders untill they possesse the same space before them which they did behind them all turning their faces about make their leaders to affront the enemy who were before farthest from them The Lacedamonians used the contrary as it were pursuing the enemy the bringer up first being turned face about and so the next marching before him and so the third untill the leader himself became also turned and in the foremost front unto the enemy Which with us is somewhat otherwise but yet both affronting and as it were pursuing the enemy because our leaders first begin this motion and so countermarching through on the right or left hand become in the front in a new space of ground who were before in the rere The third and last was invented by the Persians whom when the place or near approch of the enemy would not suffer to change their ground they were wont to countermarch the front to the right or left hand and being come unto the depth of the bringers up to stand still untill the other half file had likewise marched forth and fallen upon their leaders in every file In all these it is especially commanded to march still in the same distance and by whole ranks to prevent confusion which especially the enemy at hand must needs be most dangerous and therefore carefully to be avoided In like sort the ranks may countermarch when either the right wing would be strengthened by the left or the left by the right alwayes marching by whole files towards the right or left hand according as they shall have the direction either changing the ground or upon the same ground as in the former countermarches There is used also another kind of strengthening both the front and flank when occasion shall be offered viz by doubling either files or ranks And this either by doubling the number of souldiers in the same files or ranks keeping still the same breadth and depth of ground or else by doubling the ground keeping the same number of souldiers The files are doubled when the second file shall insert it self into the first the leader thereof putting himself a follower unto the leader of the first and the next follower follower to the next in the first file and so forwards And likewise the fourth file inserting it self into the third and the sixth into the fifth And this is to be performed when the Battallion standeth in his order To double the place or depth is when the same number of men shall put themselves out of their order into their open order either by advancing forward or by falling backwards as they shall be commanded The ranks are doubled two manner of wayes either by inserting the second into the first to the right or left hand as before in the files or else the enemy being at hand by joyning whole troups together to the right or left wing according as occasion shall be offered and this is held to be the safest when the enemy is near to avoid confusion It is performed either in the same ground or by doubling the ground when either we desire to exceed the front of our enemy his battallion or to prevent lest we our selves be included The terms to both are Double your files or ranks to the right or left hand and when you would have them return again into their proper places it is commanded As you were The ordinary directions which are especially given in these martial exercises are first that no man in the time of exercising or marshalling shall be lowder then his Officer but every one attending to his place when he is commanded shall diligently hearken to such directions as shall be given The Captain in the front shall speak and the Sergeants in each flank shall give the word unto the Lieutenant or Ensigne
in the rere who as in his proper place seeth all things executed accordingly as the Captain shall command It shall be unpossible to performe any thing herein unlesse first every one do exactly observe his leader and his sideman and to this purpose it is often commanded Keep your files Keep your ranks Of Marches IN champains there needs no great labour to marshall particular troups for their after-marches because they may march either by whole divisions observing onely their course of indifferency that every division may every third day have the vantgard or else in such form and fashion as the Generall hath proposed for a day of battell according as the danger of an expected enemy shall give occasion But because all countries will not afford a champain for the marching of an army and therefore not possible to march far with many troups in front nor many files of any one troup or division by reason of often straights and passages betwixt hills woods or waters It is provided though by long induction the whole army shall be extended into a thin length and few files yet the souldiers well disposed shall be as readily able to defend themselves and offend the enemy on their flanks from whence only in such streights the danger is imminent as if they were to affront an enemy with an entire battallion in a champain country First therefore a division or Battallion being ordered and drawn before the Quarter into one even front of just files ten in depth the musketiers equally divided on the right and left slanks of the pikes all standing in their order that is to ●ay six feet distant in files and ranks the Captain carefully provideth that the first fifth sixth and tenth ranks be alwayes well filled and furnished with his most able and best-armed souldiers Which done he commandeth first the middlemen or half files to come a front with their leaders so that the division becometh but five in depth Next he commandeth to turn faces to the right or left hand as direction shall be to march from that quarter and so the whole division resteth ready in his fashion to march five in front the one half of the musketiers in the vantguard and the other in the rere the pikes in the battell and both flanks well furnished with the ablest best men to offend or defend as there shall be occasion that is to say the right flanks with the first and fifth ranks and the left with the sixth and tenth ranks If occasion afterwards shall be given of a halt in a champain or before the quartering the Captain commandeth first unto all they being first closed into their order Faces as you were next unto the half files Faces about and march out and fall again upon your files By which means the division becometh again reduced into the same front and fashion from whence it was first transformed ready to encounter an enemy or to be drawn into the Quarter When pikes are to charge pikes in a champain it useth to be performed two severall wayes First the whole division being commanded into their close order the five first ranks charging their pikes every follower over his leaders shoulder directeth his pike as equally as he can the first rank shall have three feet of his pike over the formost shoulder The other five ranks with their pikes advanced follow close up in the rere either ready to second the formost or to be employed in the rere as occasion shall be offered Otherwise and most usuall when the whole depth of the files throughout the division shall charge together all fast locked and united together and therefore most able to make the strongest shock offensive or defensive provided alwaies that none mingle their pikes in others files but the whole file one in anothers shoulder In charging with musketiers it is observed no way convenient that there should be too many in a rank or that the ranks should be too long For the first rank is commanded to advance ten paces before the second and then to discharge and wheeling either to the right or left hand falleth into the rere and so the second advancing to the same distance dischargeth and wheeleth as before and likewise the third and so forward as long as the Officer shall be commanded Which shall not so well be performed the ranks being extraordinary long because it will require so long a time to wheel from the front that the second may succeed unlesse by direction the rank may divide it self the one half to the right hand and the other to the left in wheeling to the rere In the retreat the whole ranks having turned their faces about are to march three or four paces forward their chief officer coming in the rere first commandeth the last rank to make ready and then to turn faces about discharge and wheel about to the head or front of the division and being clearly passed the next rank to perform as much and so the rest in order Where the passages are narrow and the division cannot come to charge in front as between two waters or woods the manner of charging is different for there being five or ten files led in the induction that file which flanketh the enemy dischargeth first onely and the rest marching continually forwards it standeth firm untill the last rank be passed and then sleeveth it self on the left flank and makes ready and so the second file and the third so long as the enemy shall continue there being a continuall discharging by files as before by ranks Unlesse it be in the pases of Ireland meeting with an irregular enemy where they use to intermingle their files of shot with pikes that the one may be a defence for the other when the enemy shall come up to the sword as they use there very often How directions are delivered in the warres ALl directions in the wars have ever been delivered either by signes subject to the eye by word of mouth or the sound of a drumme or some such warlike instrument Concerning those visible signes displayed unto the souldiers the falling of mists the raising of dust showers of rain snow the beams of the Sun hilly uneven and crooked passages by long experience have found them to be most doubtfull and uncertain as also because as it was a matter of great difficulty to invent different signes upon all sodain occasions so it is almost an impossibility that the common souldier who oftentimes is found scarce capable of the understanding of plain words distinctly pronounced should both apprehend and understand sodainly and execute directly the true sense and meaning of his Commanders signes The Drum and Trumpet are yet used But because many different sounds are not easily distinguished in souldiers understanding without some danger of confusion we onely command by the inarticulate sounds to arm to march to troup to
each others life in such sort as it was not to be judged which of them deserved greatest honour OBSERVATION CAesar inserteth this accident of the two Centurions as worthy to be related amongst the deeds of Armes contained in these Commentaries Wherein we are first to observe the grounds of this quar●ell which was their continuall strife for place of preferment which they sought after by shewing their valour in time of danger and approving their worth by the greatnesse of their desert a contention worthy the Roman discipline may serve for a pattern of true honour full of courage accomplished with vertue For these Simultates which desire of honour had cast between them brought forth emulation which is the spurr of vertue far from enmitie or hatefull contention for the difference between these two qualities is that enmitie hunteth after destruction only rejoyceth in that which bringeth to our adversary utter ruine dishonour or ill atchievement but emulation contendeth only by well deserving to gain the advantage of another mans fame that useth the same ●eans to attain to the like end and is alwayes mixed with love in regard of the affinity of their affections and the sympathy of their desires not seeking the overthrow of their Competitour but succouring him in time of danger and defending him from foul and unfortunate calamity that he may still continue to shew the greatnesse of his worth by the opposition of inferiour actions which are as a lesser scantling of desert to measure the estimation of the others honour A vertue rare and unknown in these dayes and would hardly find subjects to be resident in if she should offer her help in the course of our affairs or sue to be entertained by the crooked dispositions of our times For we can no sooner conceive the thoughts that breed emulation but it turneth presently to hatred which is followed to the uttermost of our malice and resteth better satisfied with the miserable end of our opposed partner then with thousand of Trophies deservedly erected to our honour Which maketh me wonder when I look into the difference of these and those ages whether it were the discipline of that time which brought forth such honest effects of vertue to their glory and our ignominy having learned better rules then were known unto them or whether the world weakened with age want strength in these times to bring forth her creatures in that perfection as it did in those dayes or what other cause hath made our worst affections so violent and our better faculties so remisse and negligent that vertue hath no part in us but words of praise our whole practice being consecrated to actions of reproach The injuries murthers scandalous carriages of one towards another which in these dayes are so readily offered and so impatiently digested will admit no satisfaction but private combate which in the first Monarchies was granted only against strangers forreign enemies as the only objects of Arms and wrath and capable of that justice which the private sword should execute for they well perceived that these single battels were as sparkles of civile discord and intestine wars although not so apparent in the generall view of their State yet as odious in particular and as dishonourable to good government And if there were a true record of such as have been either slain or wounded within these fourty years either in this kingdome or in France or in Germany by this licentious and brutish custom● I make no question but they would amount to a number capable of that fearfull stile which is attributed to Civile wars Neither is there any law how rigorous or hard soever that can give reliefe to this disorder but the restraint will draw on as great enormities and as intolerable in a good governmen● 〈◊〉 King of the Lumbards for●ade his subj●●ts this manner of combate but shortly afte● he was constrained to recall the Edict for the avoiding of greater evils although he protested the thing to be both inhumane and barbarous The like Edict was published in France by Philip the Fair but was within two years revoked again at the instant request of his Su●jects in regard of the murthers and assasinats committed in that kingdome The onely remedy that I find to take effect in this case was that of late time which the Prince of Melphe in Pi●mo●t invented to prevent this evill for perceiving how ordinary quarrels and bloud-shed were in his camp he assigned a place between two bridges for the performance of the Du●ilum with this charge that he that had the w●●st should alwaies be slain cast from the bridge into the water The danger joyned with dishonour which by this Decree attended such as undertook private combate made the souldiers wiser in their carriage and put an end to their sedition and civile discords But that which is yet worst of all is that custome hath now made it so familiar that every 〈◊〉 seemeth sufficient to call the matter to a private combate a crosse look calleth another mans honour in question but the word Lye is of as great consequence as any stab or villany whatsoever Whereat we may well wonder how it happeneth that we feel our selves so much exasperated at the reproach of that vice which we so ordinarily commit for in the custome of these times to cast upon us the Lye is the greatest in jury that words can do unto us and yet there is nothing more frequent in our mouth It may be a property in our nature to stand chiefly in the defence of that corruption unto which we are most subject I speak not this to qualifie the foulnesse of this vice for I hold a Lyer to be a monster in nature one that contemneth GOD and feareth man as an ancient Father saith but to shew the crookednesse of our disposition in disdaining to acknowledge that fault which we so commonly commit But I would fain learn when honour first came to be measureD with words for from the beginning it was not so Caesar was often called to his face thief and drunkard without any further matter and the liberty of invectives which great personages used one against another as it began so it ended with words And so I think our Lie might too for I take him that returneth the Lie and so letteth it rest untill further proof to have as great advantage in the reputation of honour as the former that first gave the disgrace CHAP. XXI Ci●●ro findeth means to advertise Caesar of this Accident who hasting raiseth the siege and putteth the Enemy to a great ●laughter AS the siege grew daily hoter a●d sharper and specially for that a great part of the souldiers were laid up with wounds and the matter brought into a few mens hands that were able to make any defence so they sent out Letters and Messengers the more often to Caesar of whom some were taken and in the sight of our souldiers tortured to death There
a knowl exceedingly fortified and hard to be come unto on all sides which if our men could get they were in hope to hinder the enemy both of a great part of their water and also from free forraging but the place was kept with a strong garrison Notwithstanding Caesar went out of his camp in the silence of the night and before any help could come out of the town he put by the garrison possessed himself of the place left two legions there to defend it and drew a double trench of twelve foot in breadth from the greater camp to the lesse that single men might go safe to and fro from any sudden incursion of the enemy OBSERVATIONS FIrst we may observe his manner of passing over the river Elaver without any impediment from the enemy notwithstanding the care which Vercingetorix had to hinder his passage which was plotted with as great dexterity as could be devised in such a matter and to shaddow his purpose the better that the number of legions marching up the river might appear to be the same he took the fourth part of every cohort which in the whole amounted to two legions For as I have already delivered in my former Observations a legion consisted of ten cohorts and every cohort contained three maniples and every maniple had two companies which they called orders so that every cohort having six companies the fourth part of a cohort was a company and a half and in a legion came to fifteen companies and in eight legions to one hundred and twenty companies which being reduced make threescore maniples which were equall to two legions and proveth that which I have already noted the fit and convenient disposition of their troups to take out at all times competent forces for any service without seeming to lessen any part Secondly I observe the phrase which he useth in this place Quintis castris Gergoviam pervenit he came to Gergovia at five incampings which implyeth their infallible custome of encamping every night within a ditch and a rampier for as we usually say that to such a place is so many dayes journey because an ordinarie traveller maketh so many journeys before he come thither so the Romans reckoned their journeys with their army by their incampings which were as duly kept as their journeys and were the most signall part of their dayes journey CHAP. XVIII Convictolitanis moveth the Hedui to a revolt WH●lst these things were a doing at Gergovia Convictolitanis the Heduan to whom the magistracy was ad●udged by Caesar being wrought upon by the Arverni with mony brake the matter to certain young men amongst whom Litavicus was chief and his brethren being youths of a great house with them he treated at first and wished them to remember that they were not only born free-men but also to empire and government The Hedui were the only State which kept Gallia from a most assured victorie for by their authority and example the rest would be concluded which being fet over there would be no place in Gallia for the Romans to abide in Touching himself he had received a good turn from Caesar but in such sort as he had but his right but he owed more to the common liberty For why should the Hedui rather dispute of their customes and laws before Caesar then the Romans come before the Hedui These young men were quickly perswaded as well by the speech of the Magistrate as by rewards insomuch as they offered themselves to be the authours of that Counsell But now the means was to be thought on forasmuch as they were perswaded that the State would not easily be drawn to undertake that war They determined at last that Litavicus should have the leading of those ten thousand men that were to be sent to Caesar and that his brethren should be sent before to Caesar and concluded likewise in what sort they would have other things carr●ed Litavicus having received the army when he was about thirty miles from Gergovia calling the souldiers suddenly together and weeping Whither do we go saith he fellow souldiers all our horsemen and our Nobility are slain the Princes of our State Eporedorix and Viridomarus being falsly accused of treason are put to death by the Romans without calling them to their answer Understand these things from them that are escaped from the slaughter for I my self my brethren and kinsmen being slain am hindred with grief from telling you what hath happened Presently those were brought forth whom he had taught beforehand what he would have said who verified to the multitude those things which Litavicus had spoken that all the horsemen of the Hedui were slain forasmuch as they were said to have had speech with the Arverni for themselves they were hid amongst the multitude of souldiers and were escaped out of the midst of the slaughter The Hedui cry out all together and do beseech Litavicus to look to himself and to them also As though saith he the matter needeth any advice or counsell and that it were not necessary for us to go directly to Gergovia and to joyn our selves with the Arverni For do we doubt but that the Romans having begun so wickedly will run presently upon us to take away our lives And therefore if there be any courage at all in us let us persecute their death that have perished so undeservedly and let us kill these thieves He shewed them divers Roman citizens that were in the troups for safety of convoy and forthwith he seized upon a great quantity of corn and other provisions and tortured them cruelly to death He sent out messengers throughout all the State of the Hedui continuing the same false suggestion touching the slaughter of the horsemen and the Princes perswading them to revenge their injuries in like manner as he had done THE FIRST OBSERVATION THis treacherous practise of Convictolitanis who a little before as we may remember had received so great a benefit from Caesar proveth true the saying of Cornel. Tacitus That men are readier to revenge an injury then to requite a good turn forasmuch as Gratia oneri ultio in quaestu habetur A good turn is as a burthen and a debt to a man whereas revenge is reckoned a gain The debt of loyalty and good affection wherein Convictolitanis stood engaged to Caesar for confirming that right unto him which civile dissension had made doubtfull together with the respect of the generall cause made him so willing to revolt from the Romans and in lieu of thankfull acknowledgement to requite him with hostility A part so odious and detestable that vertue grieveth to think that a man should be capable of any such wickedness or be stained with the infamy of so horrible a crime Other vices are faults in speciall and are branded with the severall marks of ignominy but ingratitude is equall to the body of evill and doth countervail the whole nature of hatefull affections according to that of the