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
cattalogue of the iust number of the Army together with the true sortment and diuision of euery weapon and in his memory he must euer carry ready framed the formes and proportions of sundry Battailes as quadrats or squares the equall or vnequall Tryangles diamunds and the like any of which he is to sorte fashion to the Grounde according as the necessity of the place requireth euer regarding to giue those Formes the greatest preheminence which are able still to bring the most hands to fight at one instant without disorder or trouble as in the champayne the broade Square is best the bastard or base square where there is aduantage of hedge diche water wood or marrish and the vnequall and imperfect proportion in Straytes amongst Hylls and Mountaines or in craggie or rockie places It is his place to take away all disorder from vnruly and Ignorant souldiers by letting them vnderstand the constant and true place of euery Ensigne as which shall make vp the first rankes Square or diuision which the second which the third and so of the rest wherein although some doe alow a constant rule yet many times it varieth vppon lot and may better be referred to the Serieant-maiors discretion who is to prouide that not the companies which challenge it by right but the companies which are euer best armed be still put into the vangard he shall after he hath framed his Battaile of pykes lyne them with shot on eytherside and not so onely but he shall also haue sundry loose wings of Short trouping by them in a pretty distance remote which shall euer be ready to entertayne any skirmish and keepe the Battayle from disquiet also he shall seriously prouide for the safety of his shot when the enemies horse aboundeth much by drawing out certaine ranks of pykes proportionable to the loose vnguarded shot vnder whose safety vpon euery extremity they shall retyer and then againe make good their places till the seruice be finished It is the Serieant-maior Generals office vpon any day of Battayle to goe to the Generall or Colonell Generall and from one of them to take his directions knowing whether the Generall will haue his owne Regiment to haue the vant-guard or no or otherwise the Battayle or reare which resolued he shall then atend the Lord Marshall to the ellection of the field In which it behotueth the Serieant-maior to be very skilfull in the situation of the Country and to know the distance of places and the difficulties of euery passage with all the seuerall circumstances which shall depend vppon the same as well for the guard and safety of his owne as for the hindrance and anoyance of the enemy so that althings being assured he may then cause the Drumme-maior to beate a remoue and all the Captaines being assembled to the place of armes he shall thence by the directions of the Lord Marshall draw forth the Battayle disposing euery Commander into the places which are most conuenient and framing his Maniples and diuisions sutable to the passages through which they are to march yet by no meanes into a lesse then a third or else fourth part of the front and keeping euery diuision iust tenne deepe and neither more nor lesse and herein he shall haue respect that in drawing vp the Maniples to make an entyre Battayle the Ensignes may fall into their due places as namely the Generalls vppon the head the Lieutenant generall the Lord Marshall the Master of the Ordnance the Treasurer the Colonell general and the Serieant-maior Generall one ranke within the Battell the Colonels of the Infantiue a ranke behinde them and the Captaines a rank behind them He shall haue an especiall care for the safe garding of the munition baggage placing it either before behind or on any side where the enemy is least suspected It is at his discretion to make stands which some call Altoes or Hallts when and at what time he please whereby the souldier may be refresht when he is weary with trauell and it must be done in places fit and commodious for the same as where there is cleane running water some shelter yet a large prospect so as no souldier may offer to straggle but the Officers may both perceiue him reprehend him Now that all these duties may be the better performed this Officer is intended to be euer on Horsebacke yet not vpon a horse of warre but rather vpon a comely and nimble Hackney on which he may ride in amongst the Ranks passe from File to File seeing euery man to performe his dutie in a carefull and modest manner and herein is to be obserued that if in his passages to fro he doe happen to encounter or meet with the Generall although on foot yet shall not the Serieant-maior alight from his Horse but keepe his seat for it is his particular preheminence neither shall he dismount at any time in the day of battel for any such errour is a cloud betwixt him and glory for being on foot he is no more then one man but mounted on horsebacke and assisting with directions he supplieth the places of many hundreds his Armour must be light and nimble being the same pieces which belong to a Foot-Captaine and in his right hand he shall beare a Trunchion with which hee may correct any man that wilfully offendeth as also with it to seperate vnruly horses carriage or baggage which troubles the Battalions or to demonstrat and point out to any thing which he commandeth his ordinary place is neere the person of the Generall or the Colonell generall for from them hee must take many instructions if any Squadrons or maine Bodies be broken hee is to bring Supplies and sawder them vp againe he is called the Guide of the Battel and therfore to looke that all things succeed rightly When the Army is encampt hee giueth the first directions for the Corps de guards charge for the Sentinels it is he that reacknowledgeth the Quarters and taking his orders from the Lord Marshall prouideth for the generall safty of all the Armie as the Watch the Ward the Scout Guard for the Munition Entrenchments and the like of all which I haue entreated something in the former Offices The Serieant-maior is first to take notice of alarmes of all kinds and to examine the causes then to giue information to the Generall and Lord Marshall and so to proceed according to order It is a very landable dutie in the Serieant-maior Generall if in the day of Battell he select and appoint a certaine number of Souldiers who from time to time shall draw forth the hurt maimed and slaine parties which else would trouble the Squadrons and to conuey them to cure or other place for other purpose It is his office to appoint the orders and formes of Camisados and Ambuscados to direct the place where the order how and the manner and forme of Silence he ought to awaken and stirre vp the Generall to the prouision of