he chose the leaste which was Rutilius Army bicause it was thought to be the better trayned Epaminondas Captayne of the Thebians with 4000. trained men ouercame the Host of the Lacedemonians in which was 24. M. footemen and 16. hundred horsemen 14. M. Greekes which number came to help Cirus against Artaxerxes ouercame in battaile .1 C.M. Barberouse Aliens Therfore I say that Captaynes should vse great diligence in the trayning of their men considering that an Army is not to be chosen for the multitude or bicause in the same be hardy men but bicause they be wel trained and in their orders wel apointed thus hauing practised his men redy for to fight it should be well done then if time or place might serue to bring them to some lighte skirmish with their enemyes for their better encouragement and to make thē know the better what to doo but yet as neare as they may to chose such a place as their smal experience may not be hurtful vnto them But héere omitting to speake of skyrmishes because they be diuersly vsed and vppon sundry occasions procured I will shewe thée now what obseruations were vsed by such as were noble Captaynes before they would attempt to procéede in battayle and by what inuentions they haue escaped when they haue bin daūgerously beset and how by many deuises they haue attayned diuers noble vyctories c. And first to speake of their opinions concerning to ioyne in battayle it was a generall vse amongst such as were the best aproued Souldiers neuer to bring their mē to fight except they had aduantage or else brought to it by constraint The aduantage groweth as wel by the situacion of the place as by order or hauing of more and better men The necessitie groweth whē they shal perceiue by deferring of battaill it must nedes fall out to theyr great discommoditie as when famishment wer redy to assayle thē or when the enemy looketh for some new supply or such lyke in these causes it wer to attempt Fortune wher she may fauour rather then by deferring to sée theyr certayne rewine Vygesius counsayll is neuer to bringe an Army to fight except they hope to haue the victory for what greater signe is there to lose then not to beleue to be able to win wherfore to encourage Souldiers to fight theyr hath ben sundry practises L. Sylla in the wars against Archelaus Mithridates léefetenaunt at Pirea perceiuing his Souldiers had lyttle courage to fight he so weried them with continual labour that they wer glad to desyer to fight that the wars might be finished Cyrus king of Persia mynding to concitate the myndes of his people to wery anger them with payneful labour held thē all one day at worke and vtterly tyred thē in hewing vp a certayne Wood on the morow after he made for them a very plentitious feast demaunding in the feast tyme which day lyked them best and when they all alowed the pastime of the day present and yet quoth he this pleasure must be obtayned by the other dayes payne for except you first ouercome the Medes ye can neuer lyue in fréedome and at pleasure wherby they toke great courage to fyght Q. Fabius who knew very wel the Romaines to be of so lyberall and honest nature that by dispightful and contumelious dealings they would be sone moued vexed and gréeued loking also for no ryght nor equall dealings of the Percians who were his enemies sent vnto Carthage Imbassadours to intreat of peace which was consented vnto vppon certayne condicions which when they wer brought and perceiued to be vnreasonable and full of pryde the Romaines army was strayght styrred and incouraged to fight When Agesilaus had pight his fielde not far from Orchomeno a Citie that was in league with him and perceiued that many of the Army had their treasure chéefe ryches in the Campe he commaunded the Townes men to receue nothing into the Towne belonging to his Army to the entent his Souldiers might fight the more fiercely knowing they should fight both for their liues and goods Fabius Maximus fearing that his Host would not continue the fight manfully by reasō they might quickly fly to their Shippes commaunded they should be set on fire before he would begin the battayle When Agesilaus had taken certayne of the Persians whose aport was very terrible as long as their clothes were on he striped them starke naked shewing their effeminate bodyes to his Souldiers to the ende they might despise them Gelo. the Tyran of Siracuse entring war agaynst the Percians after that he had taken many of them brought forth the weakest and most vncomely persons naked in the sight of all his Army to perswade them that they wer but wretches and men worthie to be despised Some haue constrayned their men to fight through necessitie taking away from them all maner of hope of sauing themselues vnlesse they did ouercome Shame hath sometime constrained Souldiers to fight agayne afresh that haue byn redy to haue geuen ouer As when M. Furius Camillus beholding his Armye to stagger and stande at a stay caught violently the Standerd bearer and drewe him with his handes vpon his enemyes when verye shame made the rest to followe Likewise L. Silla when the Legions reculed gaue place vnto Mithridates Host led by Archelaus with his Sword drawne ranne forth into the foreward and called to his Souldiers and sayde if any man inquyre of you wher you left your Captaine aunswer fighting in Boetia for shame wherof they folowed him But yet the greatest incouragemente that may bée vsed is by perswasion for that effecte of speakyng to hym that hath knowledge to perswade or diswade preuayleth more then any other thyng to kyndel the myndes and humayne passyons of a man it taketh away feare it increaseth obstinatenesse to fight it discouereth deceipts promiseth rewards sheweth the perils the way to auoyd thē it reprehēdeth praieth thretneth it incourageth the myndes and fylleth full eyther of hope or else dispayre as might apere by Epaminondas who being redye to enter battayle with the Lacedemonians to the ende that the strengths of his Souldiers might be holpen with some feruent affection he pronounced in his Exortation that the Lacedemonians had determined if they gat the victory to slay all their men to make theyr wyues and children bonde for euer and to beat downe the Citie of Thebes flat to the ground with which wordes the Thebians were so moued and agreued that at the first brunt they ouercame the Lacedemonians It is lykewise much requisit for Captaynes to know the disposition of the Captayne of the enemies whether he be rash or politike whether he be fearful or hardy whether he be more puisant with footemen or with Horsemen whether he wyll assayle thée in the Euening or in the Morning and so to prouide for themselues When Hanibal dyd perceiue that Fuluius the Romaine Captaine was negligent and that he attempted many thinges vnaduisedly in
vse victory gently as of Mars to become victors manfully I wyll begyn with Agesilaus that worthy Kyng and Captayne who was wonte very often to warne his souldiers that they shoulde not torment theyr prisoners but to vse them as men For children taken in the warre he prouided that they should be brought together into some place where they myght be in safetie the same prouision care he lykewyse had for such as were aged or impotent persons least bicause they were not able to folow they might be torne or deuoured by wylde beastes and this humanitie gatte him the hearts and wonderfull beneuolēce euen of his enemies King Demytrius was of such excedinge clemency that when he had recōquered the Athenians which sediciously had shronke from him and perceiuing that they wer ny famished for want of Corne he calling thē together in an open assēbly graunted them freely a great quantitie of Corne and as he fortuned in his speking to pronounce a certayne word amisse one of the assembly interrupting him in his speaking and shewed him how to pronounce that woorde aryght trewly quoth he for this correction I graūt you other .50000 busshells Tigranes king of Armenia being taken by Pompei throwing downe his Crowne kneling at his féete was taken vp by that noble Captaine being moued with his submission was restored againe to his former dignitie saying it better pleased him to make a King then to destroy a King. Augustus when he conquered Alexandria being moued with pitie in the sight of the Citizens which hoped of nothing more then death sayd for the bewty of your citie for the memory of Alexander for the loue I beare to Pryus your Philosopher and for the pitie I beare to you all I spare to you your lyues and Citie Metellus beseiging the great Citie Centobryca when the bulwarkes wer broken the walles redy to fall and victory euen at hand that the women of the town brought forth their children in their armes crauing mercy at Metellus handes Who although the victory conquest wer euen at a point yet was himself conquered by their pitifull requestes and thus remoued his siege Alexander being out in warfare the winter time sitting by the fyre and perceiuing a souldier almost dead for cold made him sit in his owne place saying if thou haddest bene borne in Persia it had ben treason for thée to sit in the Kings seat but to him that is borne in Macedonia it is lawfull An other time when he was in the wars in Persia meting an old man by the way in ragged and rent clothes alighted from his horse and caused the poore man to mounte vp in his roome An other vertue wherewith a captayne shoulde be indued is continencie for th 〈…〉 whiche that noble Captayne Scipio wa◠greatly to be praysed who being in Spaine ▪ a virgin of excellent beautie and also o◠noble parentage which rauished all men◠eyes being brought vnto him he deliuered her to Luceius to whom she was espoused and lykewise gaue vnto him for a dowrie the golde that her parentes had brought to redéeme her by the whiche magnificence the whole nation of Spaine was ouercome submitted them selues to the Romayne Empier The same Scipio triumphing lyke a valiant victor after the winning of Carthage and that Numantia a noble young virgin that for her passing beautie and great admiration of person was presented vnto him as a rare gift Scipio a long tyme amased at her sight yet thinking with him self· howe vnfitly it woulde fal out for a noble conquerour to be conquered by a woman ▪ he him self brought her home to her father to Campania saying Were it not that I am a cōquerour I had not ben able to haue brought home thy daughter Alexander Magnus with so great continencie regarded a virgin taken in warre of excellent beautie and for as much as she was espoused vnto a Prince of the next nation he woulde not once beholde her face sendyng her foorthwith vnto her spouse by the whiche benefite he allured and won the hearts of al the nation the lyke humanitie he also vsed towarde the wyfe of kyng Darius whose beautie at that tyme of al other dyd excell The examples of iustice hath likewise ben muche beneficial to noble Captaynes and hath sometime made more with them to subdue their enemies thē force of arms as when Camillus had besieged the Phalisciens the schoolemaister vnder pretence to walke abroade brought the Phalisciens children without the walles and deliuered them to Camillus and sayd the citie must néedes graunt to all thy request to attayne agayne those so deare hostages Camillus who abhorred to sée his falshood hauing regarde to his owne fame and renowme caused his handes to be bound behind him deliuering him to the children with rods to driue him home to the towne by whiche benefit he attained his desire and the Phalisciens for his iustice willinglye yéelded themselues King Pirrhus phisition came vnto Fabricius captayne of the Romanes promised to poisō Pirrhus so that he wold geue him a reward worthy of so great an enterprise Fabricius thinking he had no néed to purchase his victorie so wickedly detected the Phisition to the king which faythful act cōpelled Pirrhus to séeke the Romaines friendship The Emperour Augustus Caesar building places of defence in the coastes of France commaunded that the wood should be payde for wherwith he made his leases and that the rent should be truely payd for the fruites of al those places whiche he had inclosed with his trench by meane wherof he gat such a name of iustice that he made more easier the cōquest of the same prouince Couetousnesse hath ben euer abhorred of noble Captaines as may appeare by many examples for when Cineus the Ambassadour of the Epirotiens ▪ brought vnto Fabricius a great summe of golde for to present he would none of it saying that hee would rather rule them that had golde then haue it him selfe Iulius Ceaser hauing all the substaunce treasure of Pompey brought before him tooke nothing from his souldiers but Pompeis Letters Alexander when hée had conquered Darius hauing a great Chist of treasure to the value of 200000. li. besides other Iewels of inestimable value wold take nothing but a litel booke named the Iliades of Homer After the L. Mummius had takē Corinth and had not only adorned Italy but also all the prouince with rich tables and costly Images he of so great spoyles toke so litle to his own vse that the Senate was fayne for very néede to geue dowry to his daughter of the common treasures After that Lu. Scipio had accomplished his worthy enterprises noble feats in Spain he deceased in great pouertie and lefte not behynde him so much money as should suffice for the dowry of his daughters to whō for very néeds the Senate was faine to geue a dowry of the common treasure Nicostratus a Captayne being required by Archidamus that ▪ if hée would not deliuer
they thinking them selues halfe ouercome yelded vp There be many other practices wherwith the besieged hath bene beguiled some tyme when it hath bin knowne to the enemy that there should come ayde to assist them haue therfore appareled their Souldiers vnder the aunsients of those that should come and thus haue deceiued them Sometyme by taking of those that haue gone aforaging sending others in their apparaile Sometime by sending Souldiers vnder the colour of market men dryuing beastes laden with trashe Sometime by turning from them their water or else by poysoning of the same as did Clisthenes of Cicion the water that serued the towne of Criseans Sometyme when a Captayn hath found a Citie to be strong haue therefore conquered rounde about it all the Townes and Casteles of purpose to send in aboundaūce of people to the same Citie which they desired and by these meanes haue spent their victuals when famishment hath caused them to yeld Sometyme when Townes haue bin well replenished with men which beyng knowne to the enemy that came to besiege it haue turned to other places and by these meanes haue brought abought that the townes men on trust that their chiefe citie was strong enough haue emptyed themselues to defend others wherby it hath ben made easy to be won Fabius Maximus wasting and destroying the countrey of Campania to the ende he would leaue his enemies as bare as might be he departed from them in the séede time to the entent they might sow the residue of theyr Corne and when it was sprong vp he returned and trod it to naught and thus by famyn got them to yelde Thus I haue briefly shewed thée such sleyghtes as hath béen vsed by the noblest Captaynes the knowledge wherof would not a little norish the imaginations of such as should peruse them ther resteth now to shew thée certayn general rules which are no lesse worthy to be noted then profitable to be folowed and thus they begin That whatsoeuer is profitable to thée is hurtfull to thy enemie and that which helpeth him hindereth thée He that in war most laboureth and exerciseth his Souldiers in warlike trauails shall alway sustayne lest perill and sonest hope of victory Those counsailes are best which the enemy knoweth nothing of tyll they be executed Occasion or sodaine hope in battail helpeth more then vertue or strength To know in war how to take occasion helpeth more then any other thing Neuer conduct Souldiers to fight the fielde tyll theyr myndes be setled The greatest part of prudent Captains rather receue the vyolence of the enemye then to go wyth vyolence to assaught It is hard to ouercome him that can truely iudge his owne strength and what power his enemy is of A fewe men well practised more auayleth then great numbers vnperfect The well chosen place doth sometyme more auayle then valiaunce or strength He that with disorder followeth his enemy vnwisely may of a cōquerour become sometimes a loser He which is vnprouided of necessary victuall is ouercome with out weapon He that asseyeth more in his horsemen then in his footemen or in his footemen more then in his horsemen must chose his ground ther after If thou thinkest thy coūsayl to be known to thy enemyes it standeth thée in hande to chaunge thy pretence Consult with many what thou oughtest to doe but what thou myndest to execute kéepe secret to thy selfe Good Captaynes neuer fight the fielde except they be driuen vnto it by sodayne hap or great néede The greatest pollicie is to greue thy enemie rather with hūger then with weapon It is necessary that Captaynes be well furnished with thrée kyndes of trusty people that is to say spyes scowtes guides ther trusty seruice bringeth good assurance to an Army the lacke of them is great hinderaunce to inuasion Learne what may preuent thy enemie and profit thy selfe Captaines ought rather to say with pity this I can doe then with tyranny this I will do To vse victory gently is more famous then to conquer cruelly The hardy courage lyberall heart and good perswasion maketh a Souldier more profitable to the battaile in the day of fight then the coward Captaine folish and vnthankfull with multitudes of treasure Though many other matters might here haue béen expressed yet thus much at this instāt touching captaines shal suffice Soul. The goodnes of thy godhed doth so graciously abound that it maketh me perseuer in demaunding being not afrayde to be reputed presumptious and bicause it hath pleased thée of thy owne beneuolence thus throughly to instruct me in the knowledge of martiall feates and the seruice in the warres on the lande yet forasmuch as the knowledge of the seruice at the Sea hath euer lykewise bene accompted a most honorable seruice but in specially with vs in England considering the greatest parte of our defence doth something consist in the knowledge of the same that it would therfore please thée to informe me likewise in some thing appertayning to that noble seruice and of what gouernment Captaines should be that ought to take such charge in hand Mer. Touching the noble seruice at the Sea it were much better for me to be sylent rather then in speaking that I should seme to speake to lyttle the which of necessitie I shuld be constrayned or else to speke to small effect considering that neyther by woord ther may be expressed neyther with pen ther may be prescrybed any certayne derection that might gretly profit the skillest man for the knowledge of that seruice is not to be attayned but onely by seruing on the sea and it behoueth such as shold be Captaynes or to take charge that way to haue some skil in Maryners Arte the which at the shore is not to be come by Soul. And yet I haue known some which I am wel assewred cam neuer at the Sea that hath bene able to discourse of Nauigation in a more perfect maner then a great number of those that be accōpted for skilfull Maisters Mer. And yet those perfect talkers should be founde as ignorant to execute their own prescriptions if they wer brought vnto the Sea as thou shewest thy selfe to be deceyued in my meaning to aunswer me thus in a cleane contrary matter for it forceth not so much in a man of war to haue knowledge in the Art of Nauigation as to be well experimented in many other causes but bicause the variacion of thy aunswere falleth out so fit to talke of Maisters skill I wil shew thée therfore how the Maisters should be chosen whereby thou maiest the better perceiue the meaning of my former words Fyrst thou must vnderstand ther are as they be termed two sorts of Maryners in whom ther is likewise found two sundry skylls that is Art in the one experience in the other then first to speak of the artificiall Nauigator who best deserueth the greatest commendation be such as vse to trauail to far and vnknowne countries who sayleth altogether by
here omitting all other I will yet refer thée to pervse in Chronicles the time that Brithricus raygned King of England in whose tyme the Danes first entered his Lande robbed and spoyled many of his Successours and in the ende brought the people to bée seruile and bond vsing theyr wiues and goodes at their pleasure thus continued the space of two hundred fiftye and odde yeres to be briefe I thinke there is no man so simple which doeth not conceyue how necessary and néedeful the noble Souldiour is Soul. The more is the pitye that Kinges and Princes can not foresée vnto how many misfortunes they commit them selues their people and countrey when they first take in hande to prepare them to the field which if they dyd I thinke they would rather desire to gouerne their owne with quietnesse than to séeke by force of armes to bée conquerours of others But O vnhappy Prince that is so vngracious to imbrace so cursed a crewe as warre bringeth with him but O thrise vnfortunate countrey and people that harboureth such a company of vnluckye Gesse Well yet thou séest warres hath béene euen from the beginning and so shall continue to the ende especiallye when there be so many prouocations to styrre them and so many vyces imbrast almost of euery Prince to mooue them as Ambicion Pride Vaineglory Blooddinesse of mind Couetousnesse and such other these bée the chiefe occasions of any forraine warre ciuyll warre is likewise procured when the Prince is rygorous cruel a tyraunt ouercharging their subiectes with Taxes Subsidyes vnreasonable customes or other gréeuous exactions and as these vices bée general in Princes so there are as many mo as common to subiects wherby many times coÌ„mocions are raysed as contempt rebellion disobedience mutiny c. And yet warres are not wrongfully attempted but many times proued vpon ryght and reasonable cause Thou séest the noble Souldiour may in no wyse bée spared but euen as thou hast sayde vnhappy Prince and vnfortunate Countreye that once retayneth wars so mayst thou likewise crie O most wretched Princes and O most miserable Countreye whiche is vnprouided of sufficient and expert Souldiers if it be but to defende the rigours of such as would inuade Soul. In déede we haue a saying that Weapon many times maketh peace and so paraduenture where the Countrey is well replenished with Souldiours and other necessaries appertayning to warre maye bée an occasion that the enemye wyll bée the more cyrcumspect to styrre any stryfe thus I perceyue the Souldiour is verye necessarye but yet in my mynde more néedfull then profitable Mer. It might séeme as great vanitie to go about by any circumstance to proue howe néedefull profitable the souldyer is as if a man by great curiosity would go about to proue the sun were bright whose glittering gleames are knowne to euery man dayly séene through the whol world but whither the souldier be as profitable as he is néedful I will referre it to thy owne discretion First when the departing from his quiete house his louing wife and deare children maye neuer staye him when the sighte of hys enemies maye nothing daunt hym the hasarde of losing life or lime can neuer feare him when troublesome toyle continuall trauaile can once withhoulde him when excessiue watche and warde maye neuer wery him when hongar and thirst maye any white discourage him when cruell could homely lodging maye at any tyme restraine him when all these with a number of other extremities maye once withdrawe him from the seruing of his Prince and defence of his contrey Besides this in what security eyther of lyfe or liuing were those that be honest and of good disposition were it not for law to what effecte were lawe were it not for Iustice of what assuraunce were eyther Lawe or Iustice were not the Prince to maintayne them of what maintenance or power were that Prince that were bereft of souldyers for is it not many times séene that neither Iustice policy nor wisdome maye longer continue obedience in subiectes towardes their Prince but must be subdued by force of martiall power to be short in what assured state were that Prince or country which is vnreplenished with noble souldyers to defend them from the tyranny or others Soul. Thus I perceiue the souldyer is worthy to be maintayned yf it be but to withstand the malignitye of others according to the saying of Cicero who sayth Fortis et magnauimus est habendus noÌ„ qui facet sed qui propulsat iniuriam but when thy Godhead séemeth to preferre the souldiers as the principal piller where on doth consiste the Cheifest defence of King and countrie I remember Cicero likewise vsed an other sentence which sayeth Cedat arma coge concedat aurea lingue wherby it seemeth the souldyer muste geue place to the wise and politique counsailer Mer. To aunswere this obiection sufficiently woulde aske to long discourse and no man doubteth but the souldyer in all attemptes is or shoulde be gouerned by counsaile vnlesse occasion doeth sometyme fall oute when hee muste put in practise hys owne experience but who is able in anye occasion touching marciall causes to giue better counsayle than the experimented Souldiour as Alexander magnus sayth a Souldioure is worth hys kéeping in the tyme of peace who hath honestely serued bys Prince in the tyme of warre although for age hée can not trauayle his counsayle yet maye not bee spared But to shewe thee in part what counsaylers they be which Cicero meaneth and how the souldyer doeth giue him place I will shewe the. Cato perceyuing the Romaynes to degenerate and waxe sluggish ouer they had bene in times past and in stede of feats of armes exersised other vayn toyes other ydell deuises fearing that by this nicitye the Carthagians might take occasion to contende with them for the empire brought it in question that for their better securitye it shoulde bee moste conuenient that Carthage shoulde bee vtterlye destroyed although that Scipio were of the contrary opinion affirming that it shoulde séeme verye vnlawfull for the Romaines to committe so heynous a fact but hée rather thought it to be most expedient that the Romaines hauing suche an enimie whome they might feare might bee the more occasion to continue peace and amitye amongst themselues and the greater prouocasion whereby to incite theyr youthe to prowesse and actiuitye in conclusion Cato preuayled and Scypio after a long assaulte did take it and vtterly destroyed it Thus by the counsayle of the wise Cato Rome was deliuered of a daungerous neyghboure but the glorye and renowne remayned onelye to the Noble and valyaunt Captayne Scypio in manye such lyke causes Souldiours gyueth place to the counsaile of the wise but is nothing thereby diminished but the rather increased and augmented But because thou mayst the better perceyue in what estimacion the noble Souldiour hath béene aâ—counted of and howe their counsailes hath béene allowed with wyse and noble
the dawning of the day the myst being somewhat thicke and the Ayer much obscured he made a few of his souldiers to shew themselues to those that kept watch in the Romaines Tents while Fuluius adressed him thetherward with hys Host Hanibal on the otherside inuaded his Campe and so brake out in the back of the Romaines and slew theyr Captaine with viii M. of their valiant men of Armes Alevvred King of Brytaine when the Danes wer entred his Realme of purpose to vnderstand their orders put himselfe in the habit of a Mynstrel by these meanes he came into their Campe wherby he toke occasion to geue them a great ouerthrow When Iphicrates of Athens had knowledge that his enemies dyd eate at one certayne tyme of the daye he commaunded that his men should take theyr repast somwhat more tymely then ranging forth in battayl at the same instant that his enemies should haue falne to their victuals he so delayed them that he neyther would geue them battayle nor yet suffer thē to depart when it drew towardes night hée reculed back againe but yet keping his men still in their Harnise but his enemyes being weried not only with long standing but also with long fasting made hast to refresh them selues and to take their repast Iphicrates agayne brought forth his Army and set vpon his enemyes whom he found all vnredy and out of order It behoueth a Captayne in some causes as much as in him lieth to abstayn from fight that is when eyther famishment or other naturall necessities hath brought the enemy into some vtter desperation which caused the Lacedemonians being certified by their spyes that the Messenians wer set on such a rage as they came to battayle with their wiues and children which caused the Lacedemonians to defer the fight Likewise when Caeser in the ciuil war had inclosed the Host of Affranius and Petriens within a Trench that they were pyned with thirst insomuch that they became desperate destroying all that would withstand them or profered with them to fight which Caeser perceiuing kept in his men supposing it not méete time then to begin But now to shew vppon how manye occasions noble victoryes haue bin attayned it would aske to long discourse considering they be so infinite yet for that many tymes it hath bin found to be of great importaunce during the time of fight to spred certayne rumors affirming the Captayne of the enemies to haue bin slayn or to haue ouercome on the other syde of the Armye or such lyke I will not forget considering it hath bin the cause of many victoryes to such as hath vsed it Iugurth in the battayle agaynst C. Marius by the same policy made the Romaines to recule so did Mironides of Athēs against the Thebians wherby he got the victory When Valerius Leuinus fought against Pirrhus and had kild a rascall Souldier he held vp his Sword all blody and made both the Hostes beléeue that hée had kyld Kyng Pirrhus wherfore his enemyes supposing them selues to bée destitute by the death of their Captayne all abashed with that lye gaue ouer the fight Whē Claudius the Emperour of Rome came to recouer tribute of Gwider King of Britaine who in the stead of tribute gaue vnto hym stronge and forceable battaile Hamo a Romayne Captayne Arming him self in a Britaines Armour by meanes wherof he came wher Gwider the King was and flew him which being perceiued by Aruiragus the Kinges brother tooke on him the Kinges Cognoscaunce and thus being taken for the King continued the fight whereby hée obtayned the victory against the Romaines When a Barbarouse Alien in battayle had broght word to Q. Sextorius that Herculeius was slain he straight slew him with his dagger least he should haue borne those newes any farther discouraged the Army One speciall regard ought to be had amongst Captaines when they be in fight which is not to bring the enemy into any extreame desperacion or so to inclose them that dispair should cause thē to fight which caused Haniball when he had inclosed the Germās at Trasimenus by which cōstraint they fought exceding fercely to opē his Army and to make them away to get out beating them downe as they fled without any losse of his owne men The lyke vsed L. Marcius a Romayne Knyght when hee had inclosed the Carthaginēces and so did Agesilans with the Thebans When Themistocles had vanqished the power of Xerxes he would in no wise agrée that the Bridge shuld be broken ouer the which they shuld returne saying it wer better to driue them out of Europa then to inforce them to fight in despayre Captayns shuld haue regard with what order they folow for he that with his people disparted pursueth his enemyes may hope to geue his enemies the victory as appeareth by Q. Fabius Maximus Consul being sent to succour the Sutrines agaynst the Hetrusciens so ordred the matter that whē the whol power of his enemies set against him then desembling as he feared them and as though he fled got the higher groūd the other folowing him out of order were by him not only vanquished but also bereued of theyr Campe. The lyke respect ought to be vsed by such as should fortune to be Conquerours and not through affiaunce of their victory to leaue them selues disordered least it might happen vnto them as happened to the Percians for whē T. Martius a Romain Knight being gouernour of the residue of the Hoast that remayned after the death of the twoo Scipyons perceiued that the twoo Hoastes of the Percians lay at hand not many miles a sunder he incouraged hys Souldyers to set vpon the Hoast that laye nexte hym at midnight being carelesse and out of order through affyaunce of their victory flewe them leauing not so much as a messenger to beare tidings of the miserable mischaunce and then geuing his Souldiers a litle space to rest them the same night with all spéed preuēting the fame of any thing don inuaded the other Army and thus twice in one night enioyed like chaunce of battaile and euery wher distroying the Percians hée restored Spayne againe to the Romaines And now for the better safetie of the pursued to cause such as folow to slack their pursute Triphon King of Syria vsed this meane to scatter money by the way as hée fled which so hindered Antiochus Horsemen that pursued him that he therby escaped When the Gaulls should fight with Attalus they deliuered all their Gold and Siluer to be kepte of certayne men that might scatter it abrod if it happened them to be put to flight to the intent they might the more easly escape their enemyes being let with the gathering vp of the pray When Q. Sertorius was put to flight of Quintius Metellus Pius he supposed not a thing sure ynough onlye to flée but also warned hys Souldiers to disparte themselues diuers wayes and tould them whither hée wold haue them resort Some
hath vsed to preuēt the worst to begin the fight a litle before nyght to the ende that if they were ouerthrowne they might yet through the darkenesse of the night the better escape away Though many other matters myght heare haue bin expressed yet I omit them and will something shew thée how carefully the discipline of war hath bin continued and how precise the antiquitie hath bin in punishing those that hath broken their prescribed orders or hath procéeded anye farther then they haue bin limitted Papirius Cursor being dictator required that Fabius Rutilius Mayster of the Horsemen should be beaten with rods beheaded bicause he fought against his commaūdement notwithstanding he had the vpper hand neither would hée forgeue the punishment for the contencion or intercession and request of the Souldiers and fleeing to Rome pursued him neyther would he ther remit the dreadfull punishment vntil that Fabius and his father fell downe on theyr knées and that also the Senate and people made intercession for him Manlius caused his sonne which against his commaundement had incountred with his enemy that chalenged him though hée got the victory to be beaten with rods and haue his head striken of The Romaynes punished with death him that lacked in the watch he that forsooke the place that was geuen him to fight he that caryed anye thing hidde out of the Campe if any man should say he had done some worthy thing in fighte and had not done it if any for feare had cast away his weapon and when it happened that a Legion had committed the like faute because they would not put all to death yet theyr names were taken and put to gither in a bag and so by lot they drew out the tenth person and put those to death When Marcus Cato after a token geuen had loosed from the Coast of his enemyes wher he had layne a certayne space sawe one of his Souldiers left on the Shore crying calling and beckning to be taken in he cast about with al his Nauy to the shore agayne and commaunded the same Souldier to be taken and straight put to death willing rather to make him an example to the other then that he should be slayne by his enemyes with reproch and infamy Alisander of Lacedemonia corrected a certayne man because hée strayed from his company and when the man sayde hée strayed not from the Army to rob or steale any thing he aunswered I will that thou shewe no likelihode of robbery A very good lesson to be learned aswell of English Captaynes as also of English Souldiers but inspeciallye of these newe leuied bandes which are no sooner twoo miles from home but fall presently to robbing spoyling and euell intreating their own Countrey men to shamefull to be suffered and to much to be borne withall whether this that I say be true or no I stande to the report of such as hath dwelte in theyr way where they haue had occasion to trauaile ▪ but the greatest faulte of thys is to bee imputed to the Captayne who hath so litle care that he wil suffer it or so simple gouernment that hée will not amend it but such Captaynes are méete to gouerne such Souldiers when Haniball should passe a long iourney by land he caused his Souldiers Swordes to be sealed vp in their Scabardes to the end the◠should vse no disorder by the way The Army which was led by M. Scaurus was of such abstinence that it is left in memory how the Appell Trée which was inclosed at the foote of the Campe in the morning when the Hoast remoued was lefte standing without touching of the fruit There resteth now to shewe thée what diligence Captaynes should vse when they haue occasion to march through vnknowne places wherin with out great foresight he is in more perill then when he is in fight wherfore Alexander vsed to haue such places discribed in mapes which should be hanged in the Campe for all men to beholde wherby they might learne to know the places the distaunces the wayes the Hilles the Riuers the Fennes and all the qualities of them but inspecially wher the countrey is wooddy or hilly Captaines ought to beware of ambushes which being not foreséene may quickly ouerthrow them Ambushes haue many tymes bin discouered by the raysing of great dust or when Doues or other Byrdds hath bin séene to slye about in flocks turning to and fro and hath not séemed to light in these respectes there ought to bee wyse scowtes to sée and vewe the Countrey cleare And as they may enter into these daungers by marching vnawares so may they lykewyse by craft of the enemy be trained into thē as were the Fideniens by Romulus who laying a parte of his Army in secret ambushment approched vnto them from whome hee fayning him selfe to flye brought them hastely agayn pursuyng him where his Ambushmentes lay who assayling them on euery syde easly slewe them They ought therefore to take héede and not strayght way to beleue those things which are nothing reasonable and that they are not as they import Some to intrap their enimyes hath set before them a pray if many of the one side be driuen away by a few of the other or if a few on the one side assaught many of the other or if some sodayne flight should be made not standing with reason let them in these causes take héed and iudge the worst so shal they be sure to be the lesse beguiled To passe Ryuers or straightes there hath bene diuers means vsed some to passe Ryuers haue cut out a Trench like a rainbowe filling it full of Wood and setting it on fyre by these meanes haue passed This policy was vsed by Q. Sextorius in Spayne likewise by Pelopidas a Thebian against the Thessalonians When Cressus might not wade ouer the Riuer Halis neither yet could make Boat nor Bridge he cast a ditche behynd his Army and so turned the course an other way Caeser being in Fraunce and hauing to passe a Ryuer and his passage being letted by the enemy on the other side who were still ready to receiue him marched many dayes along the Ryuer and the like did the enemy wherefore Caeser incamping in a wooddy place fit to hyde men he tooke out of euery Legion iii. Cowardes and made thē to tarye in the same place commaunding them that so soone as he was deperted they should cast ouer a bridge and fortify it and he with his other men kept on his way but when he supposed the Bridge was redy he returned passing the Ryuer without anye great let When Pericles of Athens being driuen by them of Peloponesus into a place inuironed with stepe Hils where was but twoo wayes to escape out before the one way where hée entended to get out hée caused a ditch to be cast of great breadeth vnder pretence to shut out his enemyes and to the other syde he led his Hoast as thogh he wold
ther haue broken forth wherefore his enemyes beleuing he might in no wise escape that way where he him self had cast the ditche withstood him with all their power on the other syde thē did Pericles cast Bridges prepared for the nonce ouer the ditche that way conuaid out his Army wher ther was no man to let him Whē Spartacus was inclosed by L. Varinus Proconsul he pitched vp stakes here and there before the entring of his Campe and set theron dead carkases clad Harnised lyke men to make a show vnto them that were farre of that watch and ward was diligently kepte leauyng also fyers in euery quarter of the Campe vnder the which deceiptful colour he deceiued his enimyes and conuayed away hys Hoast by night Darius to deceyue the Scithes at his departing left Dogs and Asses in his Tents whose barking and braying the enemyes hearing thought Darius to be ther still With the lyke errour the Genowayes blynded the Romaynes And now to speak something of such as hath bin inuaded some hath sent their own men with their enemyes Aunsyentes to spoyle and burne their owne Countrey whereby the enemy beleuing them to bée some of their owne company or some that wer come in their ayd running forth with out respect hath bin therby made a pray By this meanes Alexander hauing a company of Epirotes agaynst them the Illiriens sent forth certayne of his men in the Illiriens apparell giuing them commaundement to wast and destroy his own countrey Epirus the which when the Illiriens espied they now carelesse began to run forth on euery syde to pillage and thus they wer intised brought into daungerouse places where many of them were slayne and the rest put to flight Some haue suffered the enemy to take many Townes to the intent that by putting in the same Garisons he might by that meanes deminish his power and be made weake and then by assaughting them they haue ouercome them Wher Souldiers hath bin found to be fugitiue or to run to the enemy I think ther may be no better meane then that vsed by Haniball who knowing certayne of his mē to be fled the night before wist well that the enemyes spyes were in his Campe he pronounced openly that those runagates were gon by his commaundement to harken and spye what his enemyes pretended this being known to the Romanes spies returned told these newes to their company whervpon these runawaies wer taken and their hands cut of and thus they wer sent agayn to Haniball When Hanno Captayne of Carthage in Cicilia vnderstood that Gaulls which hée had hyred about 4000. would leaue hym and go to the Romaynes bycause they were behynde vnpayde for certayne monethes wages and durst not punish them for feare of sedicion but promised very liberally to recompence the iniury they had by prolonging the tyme which something appeased them and at conuenient he sent his most trusty Steward to Otacilius consull fayning as though hée had fled away for a controuersy betwéene hys Captayn and him in a certayn compt making and shewed him the nexte night hée might take at aduantage 4000. Galleys which should be sent to get pray pillage Otacilius neyther geuing credit by and by to the runaway neyther yet thought it a matter to be despised layd an ambushment for thē of the most piked men that he had which incountring with the Galleyes satisfied the drift of Hanno double they slew many of the Romaines were themselues all slayne Noble Captaynes hath vsed great circumspection in their affayres for being preuented with spyes wherefore aboue all thinges it behoueth him to be secret One demaunded of Metellus pius being in Spayne what he was minded to doo the day folowing who aunswered if I wist the shirt on my back did know it I wold surely burne it When one asked Lucinius Crassus what tyme he would remoue his Army he aunswered art thou aferd thou shalt not know that by the Drum. But forasmuch as in al this time ther hath yet bin nothing sayd appertayning to thée besieged I will therefore shew thée something what respects they ought to haue and so will end To shew thée what prouision of victuall Artilery shot Powder and such other firnitures they ought to be prouided of were but in vayne here to make rehersall considering they be thinges that euery man vnderstandeth and is requisit to be prouided before the siege doth come I thinke it should as litle neede to aduertise them to beware of treasons for those examples are likewise as generall But this ought to be had in regard amōgest them that the enemy take no comodity of their cattel victual hey strawe or any other prouision in the Coūtrey neare about them for these thinges ought rather to bée destroied thē to be left as prouisions wherwithall to serue the enemy The besieged ought to haue a speciall care to haue good watch to be kept yea euen in those places wher they thinke they may take least hurt for many Towns haue bin lost when the enemy hath assaulted it on that part which the besieged hath thought to be inuincible By this policy Fabius Maximus wan the Citye Arpos by the same meanes Marius in the war against Iugurth obtained a castel Let them lykewyse take héede for being drawne out of the Towne by any deuyse as if the enemy fayneth to flye or to make some other staall for by these means many hath bin deceiued Haniball by these meanes obtayned the Citie Hymera Himilco of Carthage at Agrigentum layd priuily in wayte neare to the Town part of his Army and commaūded that when the Townes men wer issued out a good way of they should set gréen◠wood on fyre and in the morning very early with the other part of his Army he wen◠to intise out his enemyes and making a◠though he fled reculing backe drewe the◠a good way from the Citye then they tha◠lay in ambushment neare the wals as the◠wer commaunded set the greene Wood on fyre the Agrigentiues beholding the smother ryse vp supposed verily their City had bin on a fyre thus fearfully running back to defend it they wer incountered by those that had layne in ambushment and thus betwéene them and the other which pursued they wer discomfited and slayne The besieged are sometymes beguyled by signifying vnto them some victory gotten as did Pelopidas of Thebes who pursuing to conquer twoo Townes at one instant of the Magnecians and which stood not far a sunder he cōmaunded that foure Knightes shuld come from the one siege to the other with Garlands on their heades as though they brought tydings of victory and to help forth this dissimulation he ordayned that a Wood which stood betweene both the Townes should be set on fyre to make a show as though the Towne had burnt besides that he caused certayne men to be brought as prisoners in Townes mens apparell by which assuraunce hee so amased the besieged that
the vse of his instruments who knoweth by the eleuacyon of the Pooles by the Altitude of the sunne the place wher they neuer came in before with many other things which to the vnlearned might séeme very straunge and the perfect manner of this Arte is in déede to be learned by him that neuer came at the Sea yet not to be executed but by him that hath experience withall The second sort be those that be commonlye called Coasters and bée suche as hath little skill in the vse of Instruments but their helpe is onlye by knowyng of the Land where they happen to fall or else sometyme by sounding of the Depth or by knowing what ground they haue vnder theÌ„ in the place wher they sound such other lyke as experyence hath taughte them so that where there is occasion of seruice at the Sea ther must respect be had to the place when the seruice should be done and thereafter to make the choice of the Maister But forasmuch as English men are not greately troubled with Warres on the Sea but only vpon theyr own Coasts the last sorte of Maryners are therefore thought moste requisite to bée appoynted for Maysters the reason is bycause England is inuironed with Holand Sealand and Fraunce on the one syde and with Ireland on the other syde and the distaunce of the Chanyell is so narowe betwéene Land and Land that it is a great chaunce that a Shippe being betwéene eyther of these places should not once within xxiiii houres fall eyther with the one or with the other and then the perfect coaster that can ryghtly deserne to make know the lande is for many occasions the méetest man to serue in these afayres and bicause the Maisters charge is especially to kéepe the Ship in good securitie when stormes and tempestes happen to fall considering ther is here no Sea rome to try it out but must séeke some place to herbour themselues as wynde weather will geue them leaue I haue therfore briefly shewed how to make choyce of such a one as might be most fyt to aunswer the purpose But now to returne to our former talke considering that the manner of the fighte should altogether be ordred by the captain therfore as I saide before it is néedeful for him to haue some skill in Mariners Arte else shall he neuer be able to iudge what he ought to do Soul. I would thinke ther should be no great policie in Sea fight but when they méete he that hath the greatest number of Shyppes and the best apoynted by common reason were lyke to haue the victorie Mer. Nay not so for ther is yet an other helper which as it passeth the common reason of such as want experience so it preserueth him that can attayne it from any great daunger of his enemies were they neuer so many and that is to haue the aduantage of the wynde Soul. But then where the greater force hath bereft the other of that aduauntage and thereby haue gotten himselfe double benefite is there no other help then but to yeld Mer. Thou must vnderstand the order of Sea fight is this when enemies méete the stronger wil seeke to assayle the weaker the weaker then for his better securitie séeketh as much as he maye if he can not get from him with a sayl to get the winde which if he may obtayne the greatest fear is past but if he be preuented he must then determine to defende himselfe by blowes which with wise gouernment he may wel do for although the hauing of mo Ships or the greater company of men is in déede a great aduauntage so their daunger is a great deal more when they shall be driuen to assaught the other but to defend for as great pollicie and as much aduauntage may be vsed in the defence of a Shippe as in the defence of a Castell where one thousand men with good dyscresion may repulse ten thousand that should assaught them To shew thée any farther of their orders of â—ight it would fall out to as small effect as this which I haue alredy tould thée and therefore I would wish those that are desirous to haue knowledge in that seruice to séeke it at the Sea wher it is to be had and otherwyse to be come by to any perfection Soul. Although thus ignorantly I follow styll in my order of demaunding and séeing thy godhead so liberally to offer that which I should haue bene ashamed to haue asked it geueth me therfore the greater encouragement in specially when it procedeth rather of a desire that I haue to be satisfied my selfe then of any obstinacy or any other wilfull contencion and bicause I do now call to my remembraunce some part of our former discourse wherein thou séemest to mislike in our choyce of English Souldiers as far as I can perceiue by other of thy instructions ther ought greater regarde to be had in appoynting of the Captayne then in the choyce of the pryuate Souldier considering that it onely resteth in his dilygence to trayne and make hys Souldiers perfect and redy at such time as néede shall require Mer. what respecte should be had in the choosing of a Souldier I wyll a lyttle ouer passe and wyll fyrst shewe thée how Souldiers be chosen in Englande when occasion doth serue which commonly falleth out in this manner The Prince or Counsayll sendeth downe theyr warrant to certayne Commissioners of euerye such Shyer where they mynde too haue suche a number of Souldyers to bée leuyed and appoynted the Commissioner he sendeth hys precept to the hye Constable of euery Hundred the hye Constable of euerye Hundred he geueth knowledge to euerye petye Constable of euerye Parrysh within his cyrquet that vppon such a daye he must bring two or thrée able and suffycient men to serue the Prince before such CoÌ„missioners to such a place the pety Constable when he perceyueth that wars are in hand foreséeing the toyles the infinite perilles and troublesome trauayles that is incident to Souldyers is loth that anye honest man through his procurement shuld hazard him selfe amongst so many daungers wherfore if within his office there hap to remayne any idle felow some dronkerd or sediciouse quariler a priuye picker or suche a one as hath some skill in stealing of a Goose these shall bée presented to the seruyce of the Prince and what seruyce is to bée loked for amongest such fellowes I thinke may easily be déemed and I will somethinge shewe Fyrst by the way as they trauayle through the Countrey where they chaunce to lye all nyght the goodwyfe hath spedde well if shée fynde hyr shéetes in the morning or if this happe to fayle yet a couerlet or Curtins from the bed or a Carpet from the table some table clothes or table Napkins or some other thing must néedes packe away with them there comes nothing amisse if it will serue to by drinke And lykewise as they go by the waye wo be to that
as both by his apparell and the reste of his furniture doth shew himselfe to be but of some base minde or of some other simple condytion and noble Captaines hath euer sought al meanes and occasions to discorage their enemies and not to incorage them Wherfore the Romaynes were accustomed to garnishe their souldiers with Feathers to the ende the shewe of their Armye might seeme the more teryble to their enemyes Lykewise the first inuention of the wearynge of Scarfes in the warres was vsed as well for terrifinge the enemye with the brauery of the show as also for necessaryes verye meete and readye to bynde vp a wounde when they shoulde not come by clothes at a souddayne where with to serue the tyme. Thus much touching the choyse of Souldiers at this present shall suffice yet not forgetting to geue them these few precepts Which is principally and aboue all things to be obedient to their Captaine to practise the vse of such weapons wherewith they be appoynted to serue to be secret to be silent and to be couragious And now beholde where the court of Venus doth shew it selfe to be but euen heere at hand and therefore there is better time to end our talke then when we shall ende our iourney Soul. But if without presumption I might but demaund this laste question wherein I greatly desire to be satisfied and this it is whether the Calyuer or the long Bowe as we tearme them heare in Englande be of greatest force I haue harde this question diuers times to be argewed on some that haue bin supposed to haue had good experience haue preferred the Caliuer to be of greater force in seruice then the bow which I think few wisemen wyll beleeue and our enemies can witnesse to the contrary that from time to time haue felte our Archers force and how many noble victoryes haue bin by them achiued Cronicles are ful and Histories can well make mencion and I am of that mind that one thousand good Archers would wronge two thowsande shot yea and would driue them out of the Feeld and there be a great many of that opinion beside my selfe What hath bin don in time paste maketh nothing to the purpose for the time present for the order of the warres is altogether altered and in an other manner then they haue bin in time past but now to answer to thy demaund and breefly to satysfye thy desire thou must first consider to what perfection shot is lately growne vnto ouer it hath bin within these few yeares when paraduenture if there were one that sarued with a Halfehaake or a Hagbus as they termed them which were peeces to small efect vnlesse it were euen hard at hand ther is now ten for that one which serueth with the Caliuer or Musquet which peeces ar of a new inuension and to an other effect So lykewise they haue a better composition for the makynge of their powlder and the Souldier is grown by practise to a greater celerity in the vsing of his peece then in time paste he hath byn of Thus the effecte of the one by practise is increased and the force of the other by nature is deminished for the streÌ„gth of men is generally decaied whereby they are not able to draw so stroung a bow nor to shoote so stronge a shotte as in the olde tyme men haue bin accustomed But to the ende thou mayest the better perceaue wherein the aduantage or disaduantage doth growe I wyl vse this comparison wherby I doubt not but thy owne reason shall perswade thée Suppose one thousande Archers shoulde be leuyed within any two Shiers in Englande let them vse no further regard in the choice then of ordinary they ar accustomed In the seruice of the Prince let these Archers be apoynted with such liuery Bowes as the Country generally vseth to alow let these Archers continnewe in the feelde but the space of one wéeke abidynge such fortune of weather with their Bowes and Arrowes as in the mene time might happen I would but demaunde how many of those thowsand men were able at the weeks end to shoote aboue x. score I dare vndertake that if one hundred of those thousande doo shoote aboue ten score that .ii. hundred of the rest wyll shoote shorte of .ix. score and is not this a peece of aduantage thinkest thou when euery Calyuer that is brought into the Feelde wyl carry a shot xviii score and xx score and euery Musquet .xxiiii and xxx score Besides this euery Bushe euery Hedge euery Ditch euery Tree and almost euery Moalhil is a sufficient safgarde for a shotte where the Archer is little worse but on a playne when the shotte wyll conuay them selues into euery couerte that the Archer shall not see whereat to shoote and yet hee himselfe remayne a fayre marke for the other or els can vse no seruice Now whether part hath the aduantage I thinke may well be deemed and whether weapon is of greatest force a man maye easâ—ye perceaue when the shotte shall be able to preiudice the Archer who shal not be able to shoote halfe the grounde towardes him agayne Farther when the Shotte shal take aduantage almost in eueri ground to shrowd himselfe where the Archer must remaine an open mark vppon the plaine or els to occupy his Bow to smal efect But let it be that one thowsand Archers and one thowsande shot should meete in the playne Feelde where no vantage were to be taken by the ground admit they were ioyned in skirmish within .viii. or .ix. score where the Archer is able to shutte twice to the others once wherby the Arrowes comming so thick amongst them wil so astone them that the contrarye part shall not well know where at to shoote Mer. But those that frame this argument hath little practise in the vse of the Calyuer and lesse experience in the order of a skyrmishe for if a thowsand Archers were brought into the Feelde I trust all woulde not be brought to shootte at one instant for yf they were some of them would shoote to small a vayle as he that hath experience can well say And yet if there were no other aduantage to be vsed in skirmshe but who can shoote fastest he that is a ready shotte I dare say would be loth that an Archer should shoots aboue viii times to his .v. And this aduantage in often shootyng is not so great in the one but the difference is much more in the other consideriÌ„g their force for where the one doth but gaulde the other doth either mayne or kyll But to shew thée what farther aduantage the shot hath of the Archer thou shalt vnderstand that where the Archer may shoot both wide short and gone the other may shoott but wyde onely But because thou mayst the better perceayue my meanynge thou must consider that when the Archer shooteth any distance of grounde the Arrowe commeth compasse of a great height so that when it commeth where it should indanger
in maner foure square and in the middest of this knot was placed a stone of a marueilous bignesse whose brightnes did so excede that it daseled my eyes I was not able to behould it in euery square ther was likewise set a rich Emeraud from the which there issued forthe a Vine in maner of a fret which spreading all the Chamber as was wonderfull to be holde the braunches and leaues were all of pure Golde curiously Enameled in stede of Grapes the Rubyes ther did shine which were correspondent to the residew of the worke the hangings wer al of Arras very richly wrought In which was expressed the pitifull History of Romeus and Iuletta Gismonda and Guistairdo Piramus Thisbe Liuio and Camilla and of many other louing wightes who in regarde of Venus Law had indured many bitter torments and yelded themselues to martirdome Hauing passed this Chamber we came into a Gallery which in curiositie or workmanship in euery respect was as far exceding the rest as Phebus Rayes of light excedeth euery other Starre in the vpper ende wherof ther were many worthy Dames whose bewty might welbe compared to the place Well now quoth Lady Countenance thou must make quick dispatch be hould wher Mars and Venus are now here in place with the I espyed wher Mars was layed in Venus Lap before whome kneling on both my knées sayde as followeth O mighty Mars O dreadfull God to whom it wholly doth belong to geue victory and conquest the only stay and comfort of euery valyant heart loe heare the Supplicacions of poore dystressed wyghtes the which in their behalfes I humbly here present wherby thou maist perceiue the summe of all theyr gréefe With which words he arose and I kissing the Supplication deliuered it into his hand which when he had throughly perused sayd as followeth And are Souldiers then so slenderly accompted of be thei so lightly regarded now in this peaceable tyme who in the time of warres must offer theÌ„selues to the slaughter for theyr Countries defence well vngratefull Country and most vnthankfull people I perceiue your quiet state dothe make you to forget both me and myne but take hede you be not more sodainly ouertaken then you be aware of when you will wysh you were as well furnished with expert Souldyers as you are prouided with other warlike prouisions your enemies be as secret as they be malicious And as he was abought to procede in farther talke the Goddes Venus sodainely arose in a great rage as it semed turning her selfe toward me â–ª and sayd as followeth A syr and is this the cause of your repayer to my Courte I now perceiue right well the wholl cyrcumstaunce of your pretence bicause your vnbrydled mynds haue bene of late restrayned whereby you haue waÌ„ted some part of your vngracious wils you haue therfore amongst you made a byl of complaynte thinking your selues to be greatly iniured when in déede you are but iustly plauged and yet nothing in respectt according to your deseruings your malicious myndes are not to me vnknowne you hate the good hap of any one that is not of your own profession it greueth you that any shold be preferrid before you You think the princes before all others shold bestow offices promocioÌ„s vpon you to be short you despise al other in respect of your selues yet you your selues would not be despysed you hate al you wold be beloued how euident these matters be I think may wel be perceued when it pleaseth you to bestow so many nice names other rope rype terms vppon such as be my subiectes and professours of my Lawes geuing them the tytle of Carpet knights But if al be Carpet Knights which hath submitted to my behestes I trust you may put the greatest parte of your most renowned Souldiers and Captaines in the number Was not Hercules that noble conquerour conquered him self by loue with Dianayra was not the fierse Achiles in like maner with Polixena Troilus with Cressid was not Alexander when hée should haue geuen battayle to the Amazons comming to a Riuers side wher beholding the Quéene he was so subdued that their fierse and cruell fight conuerted to wanton amorous wordes Was not Haniball in like maner stayd in Capra and Iulius Caeser in Alexandria But here ouer passing a great number of others is not your god of battail him self obedient to my will and yet a many of you who in respecte are but reprobate persons would prefer your selues to be more worthy then any of these These wordes thus pronounced by the goddes did dauÌ„t me so with such dispayre that I ne wist what aunsweare I might make which being perceyued by the God of battayle sayd as foloweth Well well Lady deare if I should aunswer these causes effectually peraduenture I might vse greater vehemency in wordes then I willingly would but yet I wold not wish that any of these before named should be regestred amongst that effeminate number although I am not ignoraunt that not only these but also many other valiaunte Captaynes and noble Souldiers hath bin obedient to the lawes of loue for who commonlye are more subiecte to loue then the most valiaunt mynded wight and who soner disdayned by a number of scornefull dames who wil rather except of those that are in déed but Metamorphisis hauing but the shapes of men or that are as Hermaphroditus halfe men halfe women such as wil ly rowling in a Ladies lap kissing her hands feeding hyr eares with philed flattering talke But how should these womanlike mynded men or any other of these louing wormes inioy their delightes in such quiet maner were not the noble Souldier to backe them who is the very Wal and only Bulwark to defend them Wherfore deare dame you haue no iust cause thus to exclayme on Souldiers on whose valiauncy principally depeÌ„deth the quiet estate of such as be your subiects and professors of your law which else might remayne a pray for euery man if causes wer thorowly considered Well then qd the Goddes Venus what simplicicie might be imputed vnto vs betwéene whom ther hath bin such familiaritie and that of so long continuaunce and should now séeme to contend about so slender occasion agayne it séemeth vnto me as good reason that as great frindship and familiaritie shuld be continued between such as be our professoures on eyther paâ—te as there is loue and amitie betwéene vs our selues and for my parte from henceforth I will yeld my selfe beholding vnto Souldiers promising them my fartheraunce in any thing wherin I may pleasure them These ioyfull newes did bréede in mée such a sodayne alteration from dispayre to comfort from dolful doubt to assured hope from mourning to myrth that in the middest of al these surmounting ioyes sodainly awaked perceiuing my self to be but deluded by a dreame which I haue thus rudly penned desiring the gentle reader to beare with my infirmitie and to mend that is amisse FINIS Marcial exercises The discription of Mars his Court. The description of the wales Mars 〈…〉 nowe in Venus court â—he frutes â—f warre Ruine 〈◊〉 folower 〈◊〉 warre Warrâ— greeuouâ— plague 〈◊〉 swyftly 〈◊〉 be shunâ— Wars hath beene from the beginning and shall continue vntyll the worlds ende Souldiers maye not bee spared if it bee but to defend the inuasions of others To howe many incoÌ„uenieÌ„ces a souldyer committeth him selfe in his contries defence Howe many commodities are gained by the souldyer Who can giue better counsayle in Marcial causes then the experimented Souldiour How olde Souldiers hath beene accounted of with noble princes It is to bee supposed Herroldes of Armes toke the original of this Souldierâ— in EnglaÌ„â—â— had in small account The ordeâ— of apoinâ—ment vsdâ— with lesse regard Vnfit captaines Pollicye of more effect then force or strength No wisedome for a man to take vpon him that he can not skiâ— The opinioÌ„ of a Spaniard ItaliaÌ„ Frencheman the disiplin of war to be lerned without goinge to the filde The reputacion of the Captaine causeth obedience in souldiers Note To how many vertues noble Captayne haue ben disposed How Captaines should instruct their Souldiers ExaÌ„ples of incouragement Note Pollicy in Captains for some causes to forbeare to fight How many victoryes haue bene obteyned Not good to bring the enimy into desperation What regard should be vsed in the pursute What diligence should be vsed after a victory obteyned ExaÌ„ples of such as hath ben pursued ExaÌ„ples of disciplyne A necessary example for English Souldiers An example worthy to be remembred What diligence should be vsed wheÌ„ Captains march through vnknown places By what meanes many hath passed Riuers or strayghts Of such as hath bin inuaded Where Souldiers hath bin fugityue â–ª What circumspection shuld be vsed for fear of spyes Vhat regard should be obserued by the besieged Many deuises wher by the beseged hath ben deceiued Certaine generall rules Seruice at the Sea not to learned but by seruing on the Sea. The maner of chosing Souldiers in England Their vsage as they trauail thorough the countrey The best seruice that is to be loked for amoÌ„gst them Note this well How Souldiers ought to be chosen Snters at Venus Courte The infamous Docter and coursed Ladye haue agreed together He committed Felonye and Treson The adu 〈…〉 Lady hi 〈…〉 one to ki 〈…〉 husbande She fayneth desperation Ah vvicked vvoman Mansole The Doc 〈…〉 ouerseeth 〈◊〉 treasurie 〈◊〉 goods of 〈◊〉 innocent l 〈…〉 The Ladie had .4 children The eldest sonne admâ—nished the mother of 〈…〉 vvicked bâ—hauiour Marke hir straunge inuentions and persuasions â— faigned â—veeping A rare inueÌ„ 〈…〉 ion to murâ—her hir son Oh cursed fact His request to the Gods. Mars maketh aunsweare Venus checketh the Souldier Mars taketh vp the matter Venus is perswaded The Souldier awaketh