parte and by other such enducementes withdrewe him from the Romaynes with all his power to assiste them The like deuise had Hannibal after to wynne Antiochus kinge of Macedonia and Prusias kinge of Bithynia to the aide of the Carthaginoys Also it profiteth no lesse to geue occasion vnto the enemye to distrust or displace their best friendes or Captaines The Atheniens weare alwayes victours till they banished their excellent Captaine Alcibiades and shortlye after weare subdued by the Lacedaemoniens And if the Romaines had not banished Coriolan The Volsciens before subdued had not afterwardes put Rome in daūger of ruyne vtter ouerthowe Alcibiades vsed the like practise to make a iarre betweene Duke Tissaphernes and his mayster the kinge of Persia. Hanniball wasted and spoyled wheare euer he went in Italye sauinge onelye the possessions of Fabius vntouched which he dyd to cause the Romaines to houlde their best Captaine suspected Some haue vsed to the same ende to make manye priuate conferēces with the Generall of the enemyes sending sundry letters secretelye sometime presentes working also that some suspitious letter of an imagined conference or practise betwene thē may come to the Princes hādes vnder whom such Generall is deputed By these meanes haue excellēt Captaynes bene displaced warres stayed and the weaker parte in the meane tyme hathe gathered strength Other wayes there are to detracte battaile and to saue an armie at neede frō the greater power of the enemie which is to encampe stronglie within some trenche or lyke place or else to bee backed with some fenne maryshe steepe hyll or ryuer so that the enemye haue but one waye vnto them and that beinge the streyghter is the more aduauntage for the fewer number Fabius vsed this waye with Hanniball seekinge and endeuoutinge daylie for thauoydinge of dyuers enconueniences to fighte wyth him but Fabius encamped alwayes so cunninglie and with suche aduauntages for the fielde that the other without great daunger coulde not deale with him Marius thus encamped at the mouthe of the ryuer Rhodanus the infinite multitude of the Duchemen durst not inuade him till hee brought foorth his armie into the fieldes But two other wayes there are more certaine to bee saufe from the enemie The one is to puruey thy campe distant at the leaste a dayes iourneye from hym remoouinge alwayes in the open countrey that thou bee not stayed by hilles or ryuers c to passe vnto the sea syde or suche place where thou desyrest to rest thyne armie The other helpe is if thou bee wylling to assaye the force of the enemie without anie great losse and to abyde him in the fielde then it is best for thee to keepe thy selfe neare vnto some strong towne of thine owne or thy frendes where thou mayst withdrawe thine armie from pursute of the enemie if he prooue the stronger in battaile So did Eumenes saufelie retyre into the Cytie Nora from the armie of Antigonus It is good to prouyde for the woorst as it is common lie saide for the best will saue it selfe ¶ Howe to conducte an armie proceade with the same in a foreyne countrey of the necessaries thereunto Cap. 4. IT is first to be considered that armed men victualls and moneye be the accidentes inseperable or rather the substaunce and strengthe of warres There must bee prouyded also for an armie store of Iron and staffe tymber to make weapons of all sortes with sundrie artificers for dyuers purposes powder must bee had with plentie carriages and cattaill good store to followe the campe for necessaryes with vtensyles and suche like And if an armie be led into a foreyne countrey there must be the greater store of this prouision and forage also to bee had and yet maye not the campe bee pestered with caryages for then it can not so lightlie remoue as occasions maye require Also when souldiours haue muche carriage beinge greatlie enritched with spoyles their mindes are sometime more vppon their baggage thē vpon battaill And if they sende often of the same into their countrey their hartes be also at home Great Alexander therefore seeinge his armie one time so laden with booties and pryses he burned all the surplusage of the carriages whiche myght encumber them beinge of a great substance But a more politike and profitable waye it weare to pro uyde to haue some one stronge towne or twayne where the warres are to conuey the same into which shal bee moreouer a maker of great benefite vse daylie vnto the armie and to the state of the warres dyuers wayes as for reliefe of suche as bee hurte from time to time also to receaue suche ayde of men victualles or other necessaries as shal be sent from home to keepe the same till it maye be saufelie conueyed into the armie and not surprysed of the enemie by the waye Also it is a necessarie place to soiourne in wynter time for the wynter warres be more noysome tedious then profitable or to withdrawe into when the armie or store of thinges is spent or worne with warres there it is a good restinge place till supplie be had of their wantes And if the same be neare vnto the Sea syde and towardes home It is farre the more commodious Nowe the waye to obtayne and wynne suche a towne or herbour the more easelie is in the begynninge to make thyne aryuall so dayne and in a place vnlooked for that the enemye maye bee surprysed vnfurnyshed And it is not best to spende muche of thy store of menne or pouysion in the wynninge of manye Townes at the fyrste For fyue battayles haue beene fougheten wyth losse of fewer menne them some one Cytye is wonne withall and therefore will not the wise Captayne so weaken him selfe before the great necessitie mayne force of battayle For it is to be considered withall that manie townes taken requyre ma nie garrisons to bee assigned for the defence and keepinge of the same all whiche dismember an armie and put it downe as muche as anie practise of the enemie against the same maye do For the armie is the assurāce of warres without which thou canst little annoye or terrifie the enemie nor yet longe maintaine or defende thy walled townes from hym for if hee possesse the countrey with his men hee shall cutt of tyllage and stoppe all trades vnto the townes by whiche they onely maye liue and be maintained And therefore that Prince that possesseth stronge townes and dareth not or hath not power to keepe the fielde and defende his countrey by battaile if he be cunninglie dealt with will vndoubtedlie prooue a pesant And therefore the knowledge to guyde an armie into the fielde and to order make battaile with skill and aduauntage is misteresse of all dominion and victorye for thereunto all warres maye bee brought in the ende And in passinge foorth with his armie let the generall auoide streightes obserue good orders and choose his grounde and wayes commodious as he goeth Nowe let vs see
batterye the towne rendred and yelded vppe vnto him Great Alexander vsed this cūninge to gett a fort of wonderfull strength hee conueyed a fewe actiue men vnarmed vp to a rocke not doubted or loked vnto of the enemye for the steepenesse and difficultie to bee clymmed and when they had possessed the toppe thereof beinge nighe the walles where they might greatlie anoy them within the houlde makinge a great shoute or noyse of triumph on a sodaine and aduauncinge their banners as though there had been a great parte of the armye with them and all sure their owne Alexander also on the other syde then fiercelie skalinge the walles the people within beeynge stryken with great feare and in a maze the Castell was easelie by him surprised taken Thus to conclude of this vertue of Prudence it is the lyne of the Captaine to measure hys owne doynges the touchestone and the syue to trye sift the sleightes of the enemie to discerne the substaūce frō the shadow to shunne hys trappe not to bee abused by anie paynted or coloured crafte And this vertue encludeth in it constancie without which a man is no man for as well without reason as without iudgement or resolution in time to vse the same after cōsultation and good aduisement hadd speadye executyon shoulde followe ¶ Of the loue and diligent regarde of the Captayne vnto his souldiours Cap. 7. THe last parte of the furniture whiche armethe our Captayne complete is a tender affectiō diligēt regarde vnto his souldiers So that a good mynde well and vertuouslie enclined and disposed serueth not without diligence in exercysinge and geuinge forthe the fruites thereof And therefore a Captaine besydes his prouident care and studie of the generall and publicke weale and affaires of his armye ought also to respect the state and necessities of pryuate persones and commen souldiers And therefore if the gouernours of Ciuill estates haue been called fathers as the Senatours of Roome had first that name to remember them of the fatherlie affeccion and care whyche they ought to beare towardes the people muche more ought the generall ouer his martiall commō weale to haue a fatherlie minde and regarde for the souldier leaueth father all his frendes and estate of liuinge at home to followe his captaine in foreine countrey committinge his life and all to the guyde and good fortune of him And if lyke desyers with concorde of studies affeccions and continuance of conuersatiō of life do cause most entier loue and stronge bande league of frendshyp much more ought this socyetie of myndes linked and ioyned in honourable desyres and purpose with the vowed felowshippe of bodies in all perylles yea in life and in death vnyte the hartes of the captaine and souldiers in most deare affection and amitie which the captaine ought to professe towardes his souldiers they eche towardes other If the souldier be sicke or hurte the Captaine must prouide Phisitions of Chirurgien for him if he be troubled in minde he ought to be hys friende to visite him and comfort him to further his desires and endeuours to encourage him if he be a worthy souldier to conferre with him some time familierly of his estate and to further and deuise how to encrease and amende the same as wel in the armie as at home For perchaunce hee hath none other friende to cherishe or to haue regarde vnto him in the armie if he be iniuried he hath not the commen ayde and helpe of lawe for his money as in peace he may Therefore the Captayne must be his staye helpe in all his necessities And least it be obiected that if he had Argos eyes hee cannot see the wantes of all men and leasure will not at all times suffer to discharge the partes aboue requyred to preuent the same I say he must onelye extende his diligence as farre as maye be herein Xenophon wrote vnto king Cyrus that a Gouernour ought to be towardes his people kinde as a father towarde his children To note some examples of thys vertue we reade that the great kinge Mithridates vsed such diligence and had such regarde vnto all his comen souldier that of a great armie he coulde call euery man priuatelye by hys name and hauinge people of more then xx seueral natiōs languages he would talke vnto them all familierly in their proper Coūtrey speache The great king Cyrus before remēbred which foūded the Monarchye of the Persians vsed great affabilitie towardes his souldiers The excellent Captayne Scipio is noted and honoured for this curtesie Alexander the great passinge some daies in the desertes barrē drye places of Arabia where as no water was to be foūde so that both the army himself weare pained with great thirst almost intollerable in this neade a cōmen souldiour had by great trauayll gotten one helmet full of water and brought it vnto the kinge which when he had receaued very thankfullye he powred it out vpon the groūd shewing him selfe willing to be partaker of the comē want necessitie of his armie whereby the rest seeing the abstinence and noble minde of their Gouernour forgott the pinche of theyr thirst prepared them selues to suffer any hardnesse and not to bee weryed but constantlie to continue to ouercomeall labours difficulties The same Alexander no greater in power then in noble vertue of minde an other time passinge a iourney in extreme intollerable frost sharpe weather with rough vncomfortable wayes findinge a souldiour stiffe almost dead with could of the percynge ayer he caused him presentlye to be caryed into his tente theare being sett in his owne chayer he sawe him tenderlye dressed and cherished geuinge vnto him of his owne clothes to keape him warme Caius Iulius hauing Alexāders minde in manye thinges so did he no lesse tender and regarde his souldiers when he went to battaile he woulde saye come fellowe souldiours goe we together and call them sometyme good friendes Charles the fifthe beinge a great Emperour and of notable skill and practise in warres endued also with sundrye noble vertues ridynge thoroughe his Campe to viewe the state of the same a commen souldiour sicke and wantinge necessaryes cryed out and rayled vpon him bitterlye wishinge a vengeance and the diuell on hym for that in his seruice beinge fallen into infirmitye disease now had he neither knowledge nor helpe of him the Emperour mildelye aunswered good woordes my good souldiour and thou shalt not want the helpe that may bee had Now to conclude thys vertue not paynfull to plant in thy maners and exercise in actions and deedes yet it bringeth great and happy fruites for it procureth such loue and honour of the Souldiour to the Captaine that thereby he possesseth the more safetie of person and quiet of minde he purchaseth greater fame at home and abroad his attemptes affaires procede the better to effecte for it maketh the endeuour of the Souldiour wonderfull Loue is the surest armour that
daylye skirmishes withe the contrarie parte and eftsoones preuayled thearein An other tyme a shippe of Caesars souldiours beeinge taken by a gouernour vnder Pompeye which promised vnto one of them for the good reporte whiche hee had of his manhode that he should haue pardone and be receaued to serue Pompeye he aunswered that Caesars Souldiours vsed to geue life and libertie vnto other and not to receaue the same of almes or to sell their Captayne for crauenous feare And so resisting to be apprehēded after that hee had slayne diuers of his enemyes hee leaped into a riuer and escaped by swimming The souldiours of Caesar also sustayning so constantlie the greate and continuall battailles in Fraunce and Germanye withe terrible trauayles ouer mountaynes and harde passage of ryuers and floodes in the percyng coulde and sharpe stormes of winter shewed their inuincible courage good will to follow their Captayne ¶ How to vse victorye and what clemencye is to be vsed towardes the conquered and of the hurte which commeth by securitye Cap. 7. AFter a victorye obtayned howe to pursue the same to deale with the enemye two thinges are to be considered one is the enemye being subdued and all setled and confirmed in quyet that tyrannie bee not shewed but reasonable lawes orders and conditions established vnto the con quered The other is that theare bee no slacknes or negligence vsed vntill the victorye bee perfecte and accomplyshed in euerye parte daungers fledde farre awaye the force of the Enemye broken downe and suppressed For by securitye these myschiefes haue growen that after manye battayles withe greate honour and prowesse foughten infinyte trauayles sustayned and sundrye Realmes subdued one dayes careles securitye and vndiscrete dysorder hathe subuerted all turnynge the state of Conquerours into captiuitye As the Carthaginoys hauynge slayne the two Scipioes in Spayne and wythe greate ruyne repulsed and pulled downe the Romayne power not regarding those that remayned theareof dispersed they weare by the relycques of the same armie gathered together vnder Lucius Martius ouerthrowen Brennus Belinus before mencioned beeinge enryched by the plentifull spoiles of Italie and sacke of Rome as they retourned in securitie and disorder weare on the sodaine inuaded by Camillus withe a feawe of the people before conquered and the victorie being wrested againe out of their handes they weare cleane bereft the fruites of their former conquest The redoubted Cyrus beinge the verye example of great Alexanders noble courage when he had by martiall prowesse obtayned the mightie estate of Persia and subdued diuers kingdomes afterwardes inuadinge Scythia wheare he had a great victorye against that fierce nation by this policye fayning when he was entred within the Countrey that he repented of his attempte and makinge a shewe of hastie fliynge lefte his tentes stored withe good wynes and delicate cheare which the barbarous people pursuing after so plyed and typled square that tomblinge together at night surcharged with wyne and heauie of sleape Cyrus not farre with drawen came vpon them and slewe them euerye mothers sonne After which victorie Thomyris Queene of the lande not discomforted womanlike as Cyrus thought reckoning to rashely with a shrewde hostis but purposing preparing a reuenge by like crafte to acquite him ouer reache him in his owne arte she fled farre within the coūtrey fayninge feare but meaninge mischiefe to trayne the enemie followinge in disorder roominge at random into streigtes where she had priuelye plāted ambushes on the hilles on euery side which sodainlye inuadinge Cyrus and his hoste slewe them all so that of two hundred thousande men there escaped not one to make reporte of the battaill Marcus Antonius after manie most famous victories restinge in Egipt out of tyme regarded not the daungers at Roome whiche seemed so farre of remooued from him but soone they came on him whyle he snorted in carelesse securitie to his vtter ouerthrowe He that will goe drye must carrye a cloke for feare of the cloude which sheweth from a farre I will not waste tyme to declare the further mischiefes destructyons chaunced thoroughe rashe and ouerhastie reckoninge of vnrype victorie and vnsure saufetye These maye suffyce to warne him which maye assure him selfe by good order in armes and battaill to be saufe of power inuincible that by rashnes for lacke of guyde and circumspect foresyght hee tumble not vpon the enemies swerde After one victorie had foorth with the enemie must bee orderlie pursued and not suffered by rest to renue his faintinge force but when he staggereth stryke on still till he be downe and his power fast shutt vp Then the warres beinge thoroughlie ended the captiue liuinge vnder the lawe rule of the conquerour his honour is muche encreased by shewinge of clemencie shunninge of hatefull crueltye For that humanitie requireth this christianitye cōmaundeth to doe Sum̄ haue vsed their conquestes ouer suche as haue yelded vnto their dominion that sauinge onelie the chaūge of their prince or gouernour they haue suffered no alteration of lawes libertie estate or degree The Romaines vsed to appoint deputies gouernours with competent garrisons vnto the landes conquered taxinge them with a meane tribute and takinge hostages for the same so they retourned left thē quiet The noble courtesie which great Alexander vsed towardes the captyue wyfe and daughters of Darius enlarged spred abrode his honour to the furtherāce of his conquestes following What a preparatiue was made vnto Scipio his good successe what a foūdation towardes the proceadinge of his warrelike affaires by his honourable vsinge of prince Luceius his wife lyberalitie vsed towardes Masinissaes nephewe the great and continuall seruice of those princes afterwardes in his warres as before is recyted suffy cientlie sheweth And whatsoeuer lawes fraunchyse or grauntes the generalls of armies haue establyshed made vnto the conquered the princes and estates vnder whom they were deputed ordayned haue alwaies ratified inuiolablye obserued and allowed the same compositions ¶ Of the beginninge iust cause of warres Cap. 8. FOr that the iust quarell encouragethe and commenlye bryngethe prosperous successe it is to bee consydered what maye bee a good grounde and cause to vse weapons and begynne warres by the lawe of nature Iustice and pryncipallie by the lawe of God whiche ought to bee the foundation and rule of all our doynges of whom wee ought to take all our begynninges by whom affayres prosperouslye proceade and happelye ende without whom nothinge encreasethe or groweth to anie good effecte That warres may bee iustlye made and howe diuers good menne haue attempted and vsed the same we reade in the holye booke Almightie God hath stirred vp dyuers as well Prynces as priuate menne or commen persons to take armes and vse force agaynst the wicked The children of Israell vnder Iosua by the cōmaundement leadinge of God conquered the Cananites expelled the miscreaunt and idolotrous nations and possessed their landes Saul Sampson were raysed by him to
of the riuer is shallow or otherwise most conuenientlye to be passed thē to carry away the enemy by colour of some attēpt in another place after to retourne vnto the same by night or secretelie to lodge some sufficiēt parte of the armye behinde to passe the same inuade the enemie on a sodayne at their backe while the other parte of the armye proceadeth before in the viewe gaze of the enemy For the polityke Captayne oughte nothinge lesse to pretende in shewe then that whiche in purpose he intendeth For so haue famous Cityes bene surprised on the sodayne vnprouided while a counterfaite preparation hath bene made by the enemye a power lead an other waye sometime againste a secrete friende being in apparāce an enemy till they haue both ioygned to the mischiefe of a third partye so is it a practise at the syege of a Towne to bende encline al force batterie in shewe to one side of the sāe whē a secrete power is prepared to skale surprise it on sōe other parte little regarded or defended Hanno a Captayne of Carthage being streightlie besyeged within a trenche he enclosed himselfe most stronglye as it seemed on that parte where he purposed to breake forthe which he afterwardes setting on fire escaped thorough wyth his armie the enemies geuing no watche vnto that place Nabides at the syege of Lacedaemon set fire on a parte of the Towne where enemies weare entred by the trouble thereof with a fresh assaulte made of the Townesmen draue thē out agayne Hanniball on a time driuen into a streyght by Fabius the Romayne so that hee was enforced by a great enconueniēce to passe a hill where the armie of Fabius lay on the top thereof he therefore caused linkes brādes to be fastened vnto the hornes of a great nūber of oxen which weare in the campe setting thē on fire by night the cattail were driuē with great noise larum vp to the enemies campe which hearinge the terrible noise of the beastes whē they felt the force of the fire also being ama zed with the sight as though they stoode in doubt to fight with the dyuell that made such a whorlye burlie Hannibal the whilest quietly cōueied ouer his armie Diuers Captaynes whē they haue bene hardlie pursued or let in like passage by the enemy they haue setled their armies and begonne trenches as thoughe they would haue rested theare or ioygned battaile shortlye withe the enemye which markinge obseruinge the same hath encamped made the like preparation whilest that the other haue vsed oportunitie to passe suche ryuers hilles or gayne such groūde as they desired Also the excellent Captaines haue accustomed when they vnderstoode that the enemie had made strongest the front or some other singuler part of his battaile they haue sett against the flanke or weakest side theareof Some other haue suffered them selues to be enclosed by the enemies armie to the ende that the same beeinge brought out of order they woulde breake thoroughe the weakest parte theareof whiche hath happened to the great hurt of the enemie Manye thinges theare are to be obserued which geue great aduaūtage in the ioygninge of battaile as if thou canst trayne thy enemie into a streight or valley thy selfe to possesse the hilles on bothe sides as Hanniball caught the Romaine armie at Cannae And alwayes it is good policie to haue the higher ground of the enemy and to haue the aduauntage of the winde and the sunne for the same being in the face of the enemie thou maist sett furthe a part of thine armye to inuade his battaile on the one side or at the backe that their sight being troubled they shall not perceaue wheare about thou goest wheareby also if thou haue any ambushe in anye trenche wood or couert laide as he shall marche he is more apte to come into the same vndiscouered then sodaine daungers when they be not knowen or perfectlie sene are the more feared As the experience hereof was had by Epaminondas a famous Captayne of Grecia which supplyed this aduantage of the sonne another waye hee caused his light horsemen in verie dustie wayes to make an attempte vpon the enemye and shortlie to withdrawe and gallop backe before thē the whilest Epaminondas came about vppon them on the one syde before they coulde discerne the order of his battaile for the dust that was raysed so easelie vanquished them The like practise maye be by a pyle of wood or olde hedges in the waye of the enemyes sette on fire to rayse a smoke for a impedyment of their sighte till some enterprise bee atchyeued Where the one parte is exceading stronge by store of horsemen or of shott it is vndoubtedlie for the aduantage and sauftie of the other to keepe in rough groundes or neare some bankes hilles or woodes also to keepe their armie close that the horse men or shot be verie nigh vpon them before they bringe foorth their battaill So shall not the shott haue leasure or leuell to discharge likelie to hurte and horses in suche groundes disordered and leapinge one vpon an others backe for lacke of roome shall loose their force to take the starte vpō the enemie Great policie also it is if thou canst come with thy armie freshe vpon the enemie wearied with muche trauaile or beinge in anie mutine amonge thē selues weakened or discouraged by want of victualles or anie other perplexitie or distresse by ill tydinges out of their countrey or some losse else where sustayned before the same bee salued or supplyed by anie later victorye or other good happe fallen vnto them and it hathe been vsed cūninglie to coygne and cast abrode imagined rumours of mischiefes towardes to appall and dismaye the enemie Manie singuler and famous exploytes and victories haue been had done when the enemie hath been surprysed on the sodaine in disorder or by nighte for want of good espyall when hee hathe not doubted anie daunger and therefore it is good to bee circumspect and readie to stande still vpon guarde and defence and little to truste the enemie duringe the warres Titus Didius beinge weaker then his enemie which was remouinge to encoūter a legion comminge into his ayde to staye that purpose hee publyshed thoroughe out all his armie that he entended the next daye to fighte the fielde and suffered certaine prysoners colourablie to escape which freshlie coulde so orthe those newes when they retourned into their campe whereby the enemie stayed and the other sauflie receaued the succour sent vnto him ¶ To breake or disorder the battaile of the enemye Cap. 2. OTher policyes there are to be remembred and practised when a battayle is orderlie sette to breake or trouble the same and this is one to geue out with great noyse duringe the fight that the generall on the other syde is slayne or that parte of hys battaile duringe the fighte flyeth or to make some sodaine shewe to be a terrour
kept they might in the meane time receaue in ayde of mē or victuals And therefore the siege ought not to be slacked by suche pretence but good watche to be alwaies abrode For it hath chaūced that an army lying at the siege of a towne hath ben on the sodaine inuaded of enemies at the backe withall they of the towne haue issued foorth vpon them to their ouerthrowe It must be alwaies holden of the good captaine as a principall grounde that hee haue diligent espyall of the enemies doynges keepe his owne secrete And therefore hee consulteth and conferreth with manie what is best to be done but that which he determineth to doe hee reuealeth to fewe or none Hee must also haue regarde that his custome or certaine order vsed in some doinges disclose not anie of his purposes vn to the enemie and therefore the same must bee often varied and chaunged It is good also to encampe in suche place as the enemie see not what is done within the campe For if he perceaue that thou receaue in anie ayde or encrease of power or sende foorth anie troupe to anie attempte or exploycte he armeth him selfe and prouideth accordinglie For as sodaine daūgers be more dreadful so a man warned before is saide to be armed ¶ Howe the excellent Captaynes haue encouraged their souldiers vnto battail made thē hardie valiant in fight Ca. 6. IT is to be carefullie considered of the captaine that his souldiers be not afrayde when he goeth to battaill but that they maye valiauntlie desire to encounter the enemie And therefore such meanes as maye remooue from them doubte or distruste and put into them courage and hope are expedient for him to finde As for the purpose some people doe stumble muche at sygnes or tokens which fall before battaill cōiecturinge there by the determination of God and euente or successe of the battaile wherefore the wyse captayne will chearefullye expounde all suche chaunces for hys aduauntage as if an auncient happen to fall vppon the Captaines head before the battaill he sayeth the same is a happie sygne of the victorye fallinge vnto him For they which haue the substance of vertue are not to bee feared by the shadowe of coniectures It is written of Scipio that at his landing in Affryque his feete slipped so that he fell downe to the grounde where at when hee sawe diuers of his armie dismayed he laughed sayinge all is our owne I haue heare taken possession of the lande Other haue vsyd by some fayned dreame or olde prophecy to put their souldiours in firme hope expectation of victorye Marius when he was to deale with the Dutchmen an enemie not accustomed vnto the Romaines beynge tall bigge men of person they were not in cleane quiet conscience with the matter but somewhat afrayde whiche Marius perceauinge sayde those longe bodies shewe a sure signe that they be slowe lasye lowtes so stayed the battaill some dayes why lest that the Romaynes by custome of often syght some skirmishes had with them were established in stomacke desired to fight with thē It is written of a captaine when his armie was in the fielde ready to ioygne battail some of the formost ranke beinge afrayde seeinge the braue marching of the enemies he extēded helde his cloke before their faces sayinge nowe you see nothing to feare you are saufe by that meanes reprouing thē not to dreade beefore there was cause Alexander the great whē he was in the fielde with his plaine souldiours in his first warres manie of them beeinge poore fellowes hauinge woodden shyeldes and olde weapons vsed before in his father Phillip his warres whiche seeinge the huge hoste of Darius his enemie with the brauerie of the people their armure and all thinges glisteringe and gorgeous the noyse of a multitude of charyottes and horses also beinge terrible vnto them he saide to his men our enemies are come to make a shewe or maske therefore we must make them daunce runne also See you those golden armures gaye weapons and goodlie geare it is better to haue woodden shyeldes then woodden men to beare them the spoyle of this glorious hoste will make you riche gallant fellowes for all that you see is yours if you playe the men and whatsouer kinge Darius hath besides Also thinke you that thys dayes battaile maye geeue vs the dominion seigniourie ouer all the worlde For who can withstād vs if we conquere the great kinge Darius the fame of whiche victorie will moste swyftlie flye into Graecia and to the moste hyghe honour of your countrey all Prynces nations shall knowe the manhoode and prowesse of the Macaedoniens and where soeuer you goe the fame thereof shall followe you Nowesyth that hyther wee are come foorthe to wynne honoure lett not our longe trauayles bee frustrate or fruitelesse and wee to runne home deluded and laden wyth shame Our countrey shall then wyth dysdayne behoulde you remembringe howe your auncestours vnder my father by force euen on their shoulders lifted vp the dominion thereof ouer diuers natiōs your selues hunted chased home shal be ashamed to see your frindes And thearefore if we bee here repulsed wheare shall wee without reproche bee receaued So that to rest vpon wee haue but two wayes wheare of we must determine to take one that is either to wynne the victorie or to dye heare with honour By these perswasions wheare as Darius thought by his great pompe trayne of men to haue daunted dismayed the enemie Alexander turned the same to be a great encouragement vnto his armye Furthermore if the souldiour be afrayde by store of terrible ordinaunce straunge engins or daungerous deuyses of the enemie the same must be by like inuention industrie preuented or encountred as by setling sum̄ ambush priuelie to surprise the same or by settinge on sum̄ bande of horsemen to interrupte the plantinge theareof or to make sum̄ like exployte as noysome vnto the enemie that the battaile may come on before the same can take effecte to doe anye great hurt Thus must the politique captaine make readie an Oliuer for a roulāde to remoue all stumblinge blockes and impedimentes from the good courage of the Souldiour so that without stickinge most valiauntlie he maye marche to assaile the enemie Iulius Caesar excelled other for trayninge and makinge valiaunt noble minded souldiours by notable examples politike instructions and practises which he vsed to enduce thē thereunto and to aduaunce their courages to attempte and atchyeue moste highe and honorable thinges And with all he shewed such courtesie and good affection towardes thē that neuer any man had souldiours of greater endeuour and valure or more faithfull towardes their Captayne As it appeared a little before the great and finall battayle betwene him and Pompeye when his armie was in such necessitye of victualles that they hadde no foode but onelie of mylke and rootes as they coulde mingle the same Yet made they