number and the ground where they stand As the front is diuided so likewise is the supply and last hope in like sort The supply would be neere so many as the front but it is sufficient if the last hope be halfe so many The distances of the supply would be greater then of the battaillions in front which charging the enemy are to ioyne close together and being wearied may retire within the distances of the supply which two partes ioyned together do then make one front if both be foiled then are they to be receiued within the distances of the last hope which are largest and all the partes to vnite their whole forces together If any doubt of the confusion that may arise in the retiring of the first and second battell backe to the third then may the supply and last hope be drawen vp vpon the sides which will worke the very same effects In the midst of euery battaillion or square somewhat toward the first rankes would the ensignes be placed with their garders well armed and furnished with short weapons Euery battaillion would haue his seuerall leader which would be the first man of the right hand in the first ranke of the square for that the inferior leaders in a maine battell should stand out of ranke is contrary to practise of warres If in euery battaillion there were some part targetters contrary to the moderne vse there might be good vse made of them when the armies come to ioyne both against shot and pikes a Ante signa modico interuallo velites eunt Liu. 38. Before the front of the battell are certeine troupes of shot to take their standing which may not onely defend the head of our army but also anoy whosoeuer offereth himselfe to the charge If they be pressed with horsemen or targetters their retreit is within the distances of the battaillions if the ground affoord them no other defence From thence they are to be drawen eftsoone againe and employed where theyr leaders shall perceiue they may doe most seruice A ranke of mosquetiers vnder the first ranke of pikes may doe good seruice if they be drawen into the distances when the enemy commeth to the charge The horsemen if they be not strong enough to encounter the enemies horse would be seconded with certeine troupes of shot and halfe pikes but diligently are they to take heed that they goe not directly before the front of their owne footmen lest retiring thence they fall vpon their owne pikes The great ordonance if there be any hill in the place either on the right hand or left hand of the army is there best placed both for seeing of the enemy and for feare of disordering our men either going to the charge or retiring backe If the ground be euen it is placed in the head of our army a little before our troupes of shot which after the same is discharged auance themselues while that is drawen within the distances either of the battaillions or of the midbattell and corners For defence of the artillery there are good gardes to be appointed wheresoeuer it standeth If this order cannot be obserued yet this rule is generally to be respected that euery weapon and souldier is there to be placed where he may most anoy the enemy and best defend himselfe The partes are so to be placed that one may succour another and one retire to another Horsemen may not come within the ground of the footmen nor shot within the rankes of pikes but both either on the sides or behinde the battaillions He is most iudicious that can bring most men to fight and stop the way to the enemy that he can not extend his men to hurt him There is no company to be sent forth to ioyne with the enemy but with some to relieue them againe and againe and to receiue them retiring and stop the enemies pursute Horsemen may not charge pikes nor come in ground where they cannot fetch their carriere Other rules in their speciall places shall be prescribed Shot in marching and standing obserue order The distances before I haue shewed In fighting they obserue no order but euery man marking his enemy right before him and shooting at him taketh his best aduantage yet if they obserue not a certeine course where the shot are many they soone fall in disorder Archers for that they shoot and fight standing in ranke obserue better aray their distance from shoulder to shoulder is one foot from ranke to ranke foure foot Some now a dayes doe little esteeme this weapon yet if our archers were armed with plated iackes as in time past neither shotte could abide them in euen ground nor pikes without shotte Against horsemen where they may finde defence of hedges or ditches or stakes or rough ground they do very good seruice Pikemen against a charge of horsemen ought to stand close with the blunt end of the pike in the ground the poynt bent vpon the horse brest Ranke from ranke standeth not more then three foot asunder that many endes of pikes may garde the first ranke That the pikes may be commodiously bent and crossed the first rankes are to bow theyr bodies that they may the better breake the charge of the enemies horse before them they are to haue a ranke of mosquetiers as hath bene said already Where the pikemen go to charge other pikes betweene shoulder and shoulder there would be a foot distance betwixt ranke and ranke so much as charging with the pikes aboue hand and breaking the same they may vse theyr swordes and daggers and either in striking auance forward theyr right legges or els receiuing the enemies blowes draw backe the same Sixe foot I thinke for that purpose to be sufficient The halberdieres bilmen and targetters would haue likewise betwixt shoulder and shoulder one foot betwixt ranke and ranke fiue foot In pikes and short weapons this is generally to be obserued that they stand as close together as may be so they may haue roome to manage themselues and their weapons the lesse roome may serue considering that I would haue all souldiers to strike with the point of their weapon and euery man to succour his fellowes before him and on the sides The horsemen go to the shocke with equall front so neere as they can and runne so close side by side as they may without hurt ech to other If horse be distant from horse two foot and ranke from ranke seuen foot when horsemen goe trotting to the charge the proportion is good The aray of the Frenchmen that charge with single rankes is of no strength neither the orders of the Reiters that goe to the charge in a ring for so soone as they are inuested with lances they are broken and therefore I thinke the former aray better as vsed both by antiquity and the Italian and English caualery which giueth ground at this day to no other The ancient leaders of time past which for their skill in armes are famous to
vse of them Pikes and horsemen of which the French make such reckoning are but for plaine ground and for some few vses shot can doe nothing in the crowde for that they want defensiue armes onely targettiers armed haue this priuiledge that in all places and at all times they may be employed of iudicious leaders The Romanes with their great targets and swordes and iauelins which they called Pila subdued the worlde Other armes as corsalets and iackets plated and morions were common to others these were proper to the Romanes and those that folowed their vse of warres a Germani genere pugnae armorum superabantur Tac. 2. The aduantage of their armes experience prooueth to haue beene great The Germanes excelled them in strength of bodie and stature the b Britanni ingētibus gladiis breuibus cetris à scutatis Agricolae caeduntur Tacit. in vit Agric. Brytaines Gaules and Spaniards were superior to them in number and equall in courage but in their furniture and armes and manner of fight they were inferior All Romane souldiers both on horse and foote for the most part vsed a kinde of targets But the light armed wanted maled iackets and had lighter targets as not onely appeareth by their images in marble yet to be seene at Rome but also in their c Hic miles tripedalem parmā habet in dextra hastas quibus eminus vtitur Hispaniensi gladio est cinctus quod si pede collato pugnandum est translatis in laeuam hastis gladium stringit Liu. 38. 31. histories So would I haue our targetters some armed with light corsalets and morions heauy targets other onelie with light targets plated doublets sufficiēt to beare the thrust of a sword And if thereto some had short halfe pikes also the same woulde bee effectuall to throwe at footemen and good to stand against horsemen Halberds and blacke billes pertisans borespeares and pollaxes and all such like weapons to be vsed in hand haue one and the same vse with swordes and targets But neither are the men that vse them so well defended against shot and pikes nor is that sort of weapon so effectuall If the enemy giue ground they are proper for execution and may be employed in open field in straites in woodes in assaultes sallies and many seruices Their armes are eyther corsalets and gorgerons or plated doublets or iackes with skirts for defence of the thighes and morrions on their heades The Romanes vsed few of these weapons The Dutch place diuers rankes of them among their pikes and commonly they are planted by the ensignes The shot is diuided into mosquetters caliuers and archers The vse of shot is diuers In open field therewith wee defend our pikes and with the same offend the enemies pikes Where the same hath a defence against the force of horsemen it is verie profitably employed against them In the defence of a towne forte or passage it is excellent Likewise for the assailantes therewith to cleare the walles while their armed men mount by breach or by scale But the same must take heede of the force of the horse and charge of armed men which without defence of pikes or other naturall wall or banke the same cannot sustaine The force of shot is greater in skirmish then in set battelles For shot if they bee driuen to stand thicke haue no vse As the vnprofitable number of shot at the battell of Moncontour and Dreux and other incounters in the late warres of France declare sufficiently As oft as the enemies shot make coūtenance to charge our armed men so oft must our shot encounter them and driuing away the enemies shot are mortall if they strike right thicke among the enemies pikes For pikes against shot arrowes being heauy armed haue no defence As the disastre of the a Thucid. 4. Lacedemonians at Pylos of the Romanes at b Liu. 24. Trebia of the c Thucid. 3. Athenians compassed by the light armed Aetolians of Titurius Sabinus and his d Caes bel gal 5. company at Vatuca of the Almanes at e Histoir de troubl de Fr. Moncontour where heauie armed men destitute of shot and light armed were compassed about and slaine by shot archers and slingars doth declare In rainie weather they cannot doe almost anie seruice Yet some say that at Rocheabeille firelockes did I know not what seruice in the raine But neither in raine nor out of raine are shot assured against horse or targets or armed men but where they haue a defence and retrait So that I maruell what the French meane to bring into the field so many shot and so few armed men At the incounter of Rocheabeille the Protestants had 14000. shot and f De long bois peu ou point Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 7. scarce anie pikes But percase they could not otherwise do Archers in assaults and defence of townes cannot do like seruice to mosquetiers and caliuers For neyther can they hit so right nor so mortally In pight fields I thinke them nothing inferiour to them For being armed with iackes as they shoulde bee when they come to gripes they driue the shot to his feete and shooting manie rankes one ouer an others head twelue arrowes shall fall before one boullet For onely the first rankes of shot discharge vnlesse they meane to pierce their fellowes Nowe then that the shot are disarmed and archers armed who seeth not that two thousand archers in open field may preuaile against three thousand shot especially seeing as archers may keepe ranke and not shot and archers may fight standing thicke but shot cannot file their rankes if they stand thick Archers therefore in open field may be employed against shot and likewise against horsemen and pikes But if against horsemen they must haue a defence of stakes or trenches or pikes And likewise dealing against armed men they had neede to haue a front of armed men The archers at Agincourt field and at manie other battelles haue made the name of this nation famous for the seruice they did against the enemie But then they had a defence of stakes and trenches a Xenoph. Cyr. paed 2. Cyrus in his array placed behinde euerie dozen rankes of armed men certaine archers by which deuise when his enemies came to ioyne battell with him hee preuailed against them not being able to abide the arrowes that comming ouer the formost rankes light in their faces and other bare places And therefore whatsoeuer some say of the vse of bowes and arrowes which they haue not seene tried I woulde that among others our Generalles that goe in seruice into other countries woulde also employ some archers Great artillery against troupes standing thicke and in euen ground worketh great effectes But in other places and against men ranged otherwise the sound is greater then the hurte At Moncontour the Kings ordonance beating among the horsemen ranged hedge-wise did not in twentie shot hit once Neither
hard to bee forced whereunto eyther for height or for water or other inconuenience the souldier canne hardly come A Towne situate vpon a rocke which is well walled and flanked can hardly be assaulted For such grounde can neither bee mined nor trenched Other Townes that are placed in eauen ground and good soyle although they be strongly fortified yet either by breache or scale or mine may be entred especially where the souldiers are neither many nor skilfull nor resolute Of such Townes that are neither well flanked nor well manned there is no doubt to be made but that by a resolute charge they may be wonne The course that is commonly and best to be vsed in assaulting of Townes is this after that the Generall commeth in viewe of the Town that he determineth to assault let him send his campe-master or some other speciall mea of iudgement before with his horsemen seconded with shot and targets to viewe the walles of the Towne and the ground without the Towne where the batterie may most commodiously be made by reason of the weakenes of the walles or eauennes of the ground If he cannot approche with his horse he may then vse his shot and targets to beate those that wil offer themselues to hinder the discouery That he faile not in iudgement he is to vnderstand that where the walles are hie or weake or destitute of bulworkes or flankers and the ditche is narrowe and drie and the ground within and without plaine and eauen there is a good place to make a batterie Yea albeit the wall be strong and well flanked yet if there be no weaker place I would not haue him doubt to chuse that place to plant his artillery in If by espials we vnderstād where the ground and the defenses of the Towne giue vs best commoditie to make a breache then there needeth no great viewe but onely to see whether it be as is reported The quality of the ground would also be considered whether it be hard or soft plaine or hilly dry or miry and such like that after the batterie once begunne we be not driuen to remoue our pieces This being reported to the General he is to cause the great ordonance to be drawen toward the place so that about the shutting of the euening the same may be within mosquet shot yet couered from the Townesmens viewe if it may be With the same are two strong squadrons of shot to march seconded with halberds and targets and supplied with some horsemen The rest of the army diuided into foure partes are to take their lodgings in foure partes rounde about the Towne Somewhat farre from the walles vnlesse they may couer themselues with some hill from their shotte or that there be Suburbes about the Towne That night euery part is to fortifie their lodgings with trenches palissadaes barriquades or such meanes as they haue When the day is gone let all the souldiers that may bee spared and for default of them let pioners carry baskets and earth to the place chosen to plant the artillery in that may not be aboue sixtie or seuentie pases from the wall There diuiding their baskets into so many partes as the master of the Ordonance purposeth to diuide his piecies into let them beginne to fill their baskets ranged in order as fast as they can That they bee not molested in their worke the squadrons of shotte sliding along by their sides and shooting against such as shewe themselues from the walles are to prouide against sallyes the targetters and halberdes are to defende them When the baskettes are filled then they may range their pieces behinde them But if the baskets bee not defence sufficient as seldome they are against great shotte then vnder couer of the baskets they are to beginne a trenche casting the earth inwarde towarde the pieces to serue for a banke The same trench would bee made along the curteine of the wall the endes of the banke bending inwarde that there the artillery may bee placed that shooteth on slope to the curteine and direct against the bulworkes or flankers For defence of the artillery and those that are placed there to garde it on both sides reason requireth that the banke bee made with diuers corners and that the whole compasse of grounde where the artillerie standeth bee intrenched but so that there bee issues left for those within to goe within the trenches and without them Vpon the banke there woulde a sufficient parapet bee made all alongst where the canon is ranged fifteene or sixteene foote in newe earth is little ynough in that the holes for the canons are to be left In other places if the parapet bee three or foure foote thicke it is sufficient All along this banke and along the trenche are mosquetiers and other shotte to bee ranged The broader the trenche is the better it will serue to couer our men To effect this speedily many handes are to bee employed If there be conuenient speede vsed the ordonance woulde bee ready to speake the next morning But for that it is not possible that men shoulde worke all the night neither conueniently watche all night therefore both shotte and targetters and such as worke the first part of the night would be relieued at midnight and others sent in their places both to worke and to watch The artillerie is to be ranged in three places Two fourth partes woulde bee placed direct before the cortine of the wall of the other two partes one woulde be ranged some pretie distance off with the noses of the pieces pointed towarde the flankers if any be of the one hand the other toward the bulwarks or flankers on the other hand Yet sometimes they may hit slope wise in the cortine of the wall and those that are pointed against the cortine nay be discharged against the shoulders of the flankers If with thy pieces thou canst not see the foote of the wall then before thou beginnest the batterie thou must cause the counterscarpe or grounde betwixt thee and the wall to bee opened and the earth cast into the ditche of the Towne That is to be done both before the cortine and before the flankers If thou doest not hitte within two foote of the bottome of the wall thou doest but waste time and powder That the canon may bee managed with more ease if the soyle bee soft thou art to make a sole of plankes somewhat encliuing toward the wall for the same to runne vpon This being done which is principall wee are to dresse a mount or caualier as they call it some hundred paces from the wall or neerer directly looking along the wall where the breach is to bee made there placing foure or fiue pieces of artillerie wee may beate those that present them selues to the breache to defend it or repaire it By the same we may discouer those that are vpon the bulwarkes or goe in the streetes or within worke about the breache And therefore where the grounde afoordeth vs
d Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 9. Admiral at Moncontour would willinglie haue passed the day without fight but being neere the enemie hee could neither passe the riuer without disordering his armie nor retire without manifest danger of being vtterly broken and ruinated Philip of Macedonia albeit hee was encamped vpon the banke of the riuer Aous very strongly and had most high mountaines for his defence vpon his backe yet being charged suddenly from the vpper ground he was both driuen to fight against his will and foyled by Tit. Quintius Wherefore considering the losse and calamities that come of suffering the country to be burned and spoyled the hazard that to wnes besieged by the enemie without hope of succour stand in the discouragement of our people that see and enemie in the countrey whom they dare not encounter I hold it a rule most certaine that no countrey nor state can well be defended against a strong enemie any long time vnlesse the same either haue or can procure an armie to come into the field able to encounter him and not vnwilling also if the same may haue any good aduantage to fight with him And therefore all valiant men that loue their countrey are rather to endeuour to ouercome the enemie by force then dull him and wearie him by patience and delaies which bring with them contempt of those that want an edge and force That wee may fight with aduantage and proceed with reason let vs now examine and see what things are to be foreseene and considered before that the General do bring foorth his armie into the field to fight CHAP. XI Conteining speciall matters to be well considered before the Generall bring foorth his armie to fight with the enemie in open field MAnie things in warre are executed by force and strength of men but seldome doeth force preuaile much without counsell and direction Counsell in all deedes of armes chalengeth a principall place but especially in ioyning battell with the enemie To refuse good counsell therefore in this case is a brutish follie oftentimes seuerely punished The Constable of France peeuishly refusing the good counsell of Coucy that dissuaded him at that time to fight with the Turkes was the cause of the miserable slaughter of Christians at Nicopolis The Frenchmen detest in their histories the pride and insolencie of a certaine Duke of Bourbon who a Froissart being Generall in a certaine enterprise against the Saracens in Afrike ouerthrew the action by disdaining to heare any man speake and refusing all counsell but his owne A man wise inough to ruinate any enterprise Wise captains therefore as they will consider many things themselues so I trust they will not disdaine to vnderstand the experience and aduise of others Before a Generall doeth resolue to fight with the enemie with all his force hee is first diligently to vnderstand both the strength of the enemie and the numbers and strength of his owne men least presuming too much of his owne power or contemning the enemie he doe that which afterward hee may repent a Guicciandin Francis the first of France not knowing how much hee was abused by his moster rolles and supposing his strength to bee greater then it was accepted of the battell of Pauie where himselfe was taken and his armie discomfited b Caes bel ciu ◠Curio not knowing the great strength of the enemies horsemen did rashly leaue the aduantage of the ground and fight with him that in the plaines was to strong for him which was his ruine Cassius in the battell of Philippi not vnderstanding the victorie of Brutus his companion desperately slew himselfe and was the cause of the discouragement of his side and the victorie of the enemie If therefore he shall vnderstand that his enemie is too strong for him let him keepe his aduantage of ground and auoyd fight if his owne power be greater let him not delay it for it is no lesse dishonour to let slip an opportunitie then to aduenture rashly Yong souldiers are not rashly to be brought into the field against an armie exercised and beaten with long practise of warre The Romanes found this true by their owne practise in the warres with their c Veterani exercitus tobore rex Rom. vicit Liu. 1. neighbours and with Annibal Where their armie was well trained they preuailed their fresh souldiers could not endure the force of Annibals beaten men Caesars old souldiers were inuincible With the men that Philip of Macedonia had exercised in many warres Alexander ouerthrew the Persian empire For it is not d Veteres non tam numerosos exercitus habere voluerunt quà m eruditos Veget. l. 3. c. 1. number that preuaileth but experience and skill The e Philip. Comin gallants of Charles Duke of Burgundie bragged that they would doe and venture but when they sawe their enemie they forgot their wordes and ranne away in the encounter with Lewis the eleuenth at Mont le herie Therefore did Caesar wisely that carying ouer with him diuers yong souldiers into Afrike f Noluit conuulncrari exercitum tyronmen Hirt de bel Afric would not put them to the triall before he had made them better acquainted with warres Souldiers likewise when they are faint wearie hungry or thirstie fight but faintly And therefore as there is no trust in young souldiers so there is no strength in souldiers that are faint with labour or want of victuals Doe not therefore rashly encounter the enemie when they men are either wearied with long marching or watching or faint for want of meate or drinke The a Inde cibo corpora firmare iussi vt si longior esset pugna viribus sufficerent Liu. 27. Romanes before they entred the battell refreshed their men with victuals and rest that if the same continued long yet their strength might continue b Syllanus ante pugnam militem cibum capere iubet Liu. 28. Syllanus being readie to charge the enemie commaunded his souldiers to dine first The principall cause of the ouerthrow of the Romanes at Trebia was that Annibal brought foorth his men to fight fresh hauing well dined warmed themselues and rested where as the Romane c Liu. 21. Generall brought foorth his armie fasting and cold by reason they passed a riuer and wearie for that they stoode many howers in armes before the battell began Aemilius in the warres against Perseus in Macedonia albeit his souldiers desired to fight with the d Statuit Aemilius lassitudinem sitim sentientes milites integro hostinon obijcere Liu. 44.214 enemie so soone as they saw him yet considering that by their long march they were wearie thirstie and faint would not fight with the enemie that was fresh and lustie but deferred it to the next day Yea although aduantage be offered yet if our e Furius lassitudini militum timens occasionem rei praeclarè gerendae omisit Liu. 31. souldiers be faint and wearie it is more safe to
passe it f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. Clearchus seeing his souldiers faint and hungrie would not charge the enemie albeit good occasion was offered The prince of Conde bringing his men that had watched for the most part all the night into the field before Saint Denis anno 1567. found what faintnesse watching worketh Asdrubal being charged at Metaurus when his owne souldiers were wearie and sleepie by the reason of his nights march and his enemies fresh and lustie was ouerthrowen with a mightie slaughter The g Sitis calor hiantes caedendos capiendósque Gallos praebebat Liu. 27. Gaules gaping for thirst and heate and being wearied with trauell and watching were slaine or taken Puigalliard in these late troubles of France causing his troupes to march continually two dayes and two nights thinking by his speed to surprise the Protestants at S. h Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 13. Gemme was himselfe the cause that his men were cut in pieces by la None not being able for want of sleepe and rest to doe any seruice But least cause hath he to venture whose souldiers stand in feare of the enemies forces Caesar therefore would not begin his iourney against a Caes bel Gal. â— Ariouistus and the Germanes before he had resolued his men that stoode in feare of them to fight And hauing had euill successe in one or two encounters at Dyrrhachium which much dismated his souldiers he remooued from thence and would not fight vntill such time as his souldiers were confirmed He that doubteth any such thing in his men is first to confirme them with hope and report of their former valiant actions and with declaration of the enemies wantes and weakenes and disaduantages he is to encourage them with promises and hope of rewarde to feare them with shame and plainely to declare vnto them that there in no hope but in victorie and therefore that if not for their honour yet for b Virture pares necessiâ—ate superiores Liu. 21. sauing of themselues they ought to fight valiantly Necessitie c Nusquam nisi in virtute spes est milites Liu. 34. enforceth men to fight and the example of their Commanders ready to abide with them in all danger maketh them ashamed to flie Much did it encourage Caesars souldiers when they sawe him in the battell against the Heluetians put his horse from him ready to take the common hazard with them and a very coward he is that neither with persuasion nor example will be encouraged The souldiers for their persons strength and courage being such as they should be the next consideration of a Generall that purposeth to fight is that they haue their armes fitted and all baggage and impediments that may hinder them remooued Alexander before he fought with d Plutarch Darius forgat not so much as to giue order that the haire of his souldiers heades and beardes should be cut lest the enemie might take holde by it Small matters you will say but in this not the smallest matters are to be contemned But yet nothing is more to be respected then the ground where thou purposest to abide the enemie There is great aduantages in hedges ditches and the higher ground Caesars e Milites e loco superiore pilis missis facile hostium phalangem perfregerunt Caes bel Gal. 1. souldiers throwing their iauelins from the higher ground and following the same did easily breake the rankes of their enemies troupes f Pharnaces aduersus collem subiens detruditur vincitur Hirt. de bel Alexandr Pharnaces leading his men against the hill where Caesars armie stoode ranged was presently thrust downe and vanquished Caesar wondered at his rashnes The enemie hauing seased a hill by Rome the Consul g Temerè aduerso Ianiculo Seruilius ad castra hostium aciem erexit soedéque inde pulsus est sed interuentu collegae ipse exercitusque seruatus est Liu. 2. Seruilius mooued with the indignitie of it did rashly cause his troupes to march vp the hill against him which aduantage the enemie taking had ouerthrowne him and his armie had not his Collegue come in the instant and fauoured his retraite Marius a Plutarch in vita Marij ouerthrewe the Germanes and Danes more easily taking them mounting vp the higher ground Certeine of the Admirall of France his companies foolishly striuing to winne the hill neere the plaines of S. b Hist de troubl de Fr. l. 9. Clere were driuen backe with losse and had vtterly bene defeated if the Almanes belowe had not kept their ground and arrested the formost of the enemies that pursued them A smal c Exiguum loci ad decliuitatem fastigium magnum habet momentum Caes bel Gal. 7. aduantage in the vneauennes of the ground is much saith Caesar in the furthering of the victorie At Auaricum albeit he had the victorie in his handes and had foiled the enemie yet would he not followe them up the hill for feare of the discommoditie of the ground At Gergouia he lost many braue souldiers that contrary to his commandement would needes pursue the enemie vp the hill him selfe was neuer in greater danger to loose the fielde then at Munda in Spaine which happened by the forwardnes of his men that needes would d Hirt. de bel Hispanic charge the enemie standing on the higher ground That care that a Generall hath in the first charge of the enemie the same he ought also to continue in the pursuite of his victorie that his men descend not downe into the lower ground nor be too eger following them vp the hill The e Romanus cedentem hostem effuse sequendo in locum iniquum pertractus acie fusus Liu. 6. Romanes following the enemie without order and being drawne into a lowe valley were discomfited and slaine the enemie turning backe vpon them The Corinthians not looking before them in their retraite fell into a f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hollowe bottome of ground which the Athenians perceiuing and that there was no issue out compassed them round about with their light armed and slingers and stoned them all to death The Romanes entring the straite of Caudium were entrapped by the Samnites Annibal g Liu. 21. susteined many losses by the people of the mountaines that tooke the toppes of the hilles and rolled downe stones vpon his souldiers marching along the sides of the hilles Which difficulties h Xenoph. exped Cyr. 4. Xenophon also prooued in passing the mountaines of the Carduchians All difficulties which hinder the armie in marching as woods hilles straites riuers and such like are farre more dangerous if they be obiected against vs in fighting And therefore let the Generall take heede that he be not charged in passing of riuers or straites or at any like disaduantage Further let him diligently view and search the Countrey that the enemy haue not bestowed some part of his army in some wood or beyond some hil behinde or
2. beginning of the battell there is great aduantage And as Pinarius saide to his men lying in garrison in Aenna a Citie of e Qui prior strinxerit ferrum cius victoria erit Liu. 24. Sicile so it falleth out very often that hee that draweth the sworde soonest first obteineth the victorie They that first beginne seeme to haue greater courage then those that stand still as it were to warde their blowes There is many aduantages in beginning the battell They may more easely take the aduantage of the winde and Sunne of the grounde and of the sort of weapons wherewith they fight then those that stand still which are forced to turne which way soeuer the enemie commeth They may there beginne where the enemie is weakest and themselues strongest and therefore the vse of the Romanes was first to begin the charge as appeareth both in the warres of Scipio in Spaine and Caesar in France A certaine f Lez consederez remanquet qu'en touts lez combus passez ils ont mieulx fait chargeans lez premiers que quand ils en◠attendu la desmarcke catholique Hist de troubl de Fr. Frenchman albeit he vnderstood not the reason yet by obseruation vnderstoode this poynt For sayth he in the warres of France it hath beene noted that the Protestants did alwayes preuaile more charging the enemies first then attending the enemies demarche and charge It appeareth both in the braule at Moncontour anno 1569. and diuers other skirmishes which they call battels Those that charge first take the aduantage of any disorder committed by the enemie which others let slippe Whatsoeuer can be deuised to encourage our owne souldiers or to discourage the enemie as at all times so especially in the hazard of battell is to be practised by cryes reportes shewes wordes spoken in the hearing of the enemie and whatsoeuer else can be imagined If there lye any wood or hollowe grounde neere the enemie the same is to be seased that in the heate of the fight our men suddenly arising thence may more amaze and hurt the enemie But of this point we shall haue better occasion to speake at large in the treatise of stratagemes and ambushes Least by flying of some cowardly companions the rest might be discouraged order is to be taken that whosoeuer in the fight beginneth to turne his backe bee presently slaine The a Cohorti suae dictator dat signum vt quem suorum fugientem viderint pro hoste habeant Liu. 2. Romane Generall by this strict commaundement and execution appointing certaine troupes to execute it made his armie stand resolutely Of Attilius it is reported that when his army beganne to giue ground by b Liu. 10. killing the first with his owne hands he made the rest to make head against the enemie which Annibal likewise practised in his battel with Scipio in Afrike albeit he had not like successe This is the case wherein Clearchus the Lacedemonian c Plutarch saide that souldiers ought more to feare their owne Generall then the enemie Finally when by his good direction and the valiantnesse of his souldiers the Generall shall perceiue the enemie to beginne to shrinke and giue ground then must he be most carefull first that he giue him no time to recouer himselfe or to supplie that which is broken secondly that hee keepe his souldirs from spoyle vntill such time as he hath assured himselfe of the victorie When the enemie beginneth to shrinke and to be dismaide any little force more maketh him to runne in a small time he recouereth himselfe againe Therefore d Orant vt perculsos inuadant nec restitui aciem sinant Liu. 29. then is he to bee vrged with the rest of our strength that remaineth entire and not to be suffered to escape Scipio in the battell with Asdrubal in Spaine when the e Liu. 28. Carthaginians disliking the party would haue retyred wholly together did so presse them on all sides that before they could recouer any place of safetie they were forced to change their pace and euery man to flye for his life In the a Caes de bel ciu 3. battell betwixt Caesar and Pompey when Pompeyes horsemen were driuen out of the fielde by those halfe pikes that hee had ordeined for succour of his owne horse with the same men he cut in pieces Pompeyes archers and light armed men That done with the same troupes he charged Pompeies battell that yet stoode firme vpon the backe And after he had driuen the enemie out of the fielde yet rested he not vntill such time as hee had taken his campe and dispersed the reliques of his armie Yet may some say it is not good to presse the enemie too farre and that a bridge of golde is to bee made to those that flie away Gaston de fois was ouerthrowen and slaine pursuing the Spaniards that retired after the battell of Rauenna And diuers others driuing the enemie to dispaire that otherwise would haue fledde haue hurt themselues But this is to be vnderstoode of an enemie that would so flye as he would also yeelde the victorie and contende no more in which case Themistocles perswaded the Greekes that meant to dissolue Xerxes his bridge to suffer the same to continue that thereby he might runne away Others that meane to fight againe are to be pursued diligently with all our forces Gaston de fois had not beene slaine but that hee was badly followed and too farre auaunced Neither coulde the Spaniards haue escaped if they had beene charged with shotte or taken at aduantage and kept from victuals The Romanes had so certaine an order in this point that they doubt not to accuse their b Ex subsidiis quòd tardiùs successissent signum equitibus tardiùs datum Cos accusatus Liu 35. General of trecherie for that when the enemie staggered hee gaue not the worde to the horsemen to charge nor aduaunced his footemen in time to supplie those that were wearie c Victor equestri praelio rex paruo momento si adiuuisset debellare potuit Liu. 42. Perseus for that hauing foyled the Romanes with his horse and hauing the victorie in his hand he did not pursue the rest of their troupes and breake them but suffered them to passe a Riuer quietly is condemned for a man of no iudgement in warres The same errour was committed by the Carthaginians in Spaine who hauing slain the two Scipioes foyled their armie gaue them selues to rest while the Romanes gathering head againe were able afterwarde to matche them and foyle them Those that cannot thrust the enemie downe that is already falling will be lesse able to doe it when he standeth vpright And therefore let wise captaines pursue their enemie to the vtmost and not suffer him when hee once beginneth to looke backe to turne head againe and take breath And in any case let him take heede that his souldiers runne not to spoyle before the victorie be assured and the
argoletiers are to take heede that they come not neere the lances of the enemy lest they make holes in their horses sides if no worse Where the enemy is in disorder there al sorts of horsemen may do seruice At Cerisoles after that the shot had made way in the enemies battell the French entred with their horse among them and ouerthrew them Pikes are the onely defence of footemen against horsemen if they be taken in plaine ground Yet doe I not thinke it good that there should be such numbers of pikes in our armies as is vsed For that vse excepted which I spake of I see no other great profite they haue For execution is seldome doone by pikes Sometime I grant pikes do charge other pikes but it is not the piquier that maketh the slaughter In woodes and shrubbie or brushie groundes these kinde of long weapons are vnprofitable and vnweldie The Germanes by the disaduantage of their long pikes d being taken in such ground were ouerthrowen by Germanicus and the Romane targettiers In straites likewise when souldiers come to lay handes and haue prize ech on other long pikes cannot a Longae hast 〈◊〉 in syluis inter virgulta non tam aptae quam pila haerentia corpori tegmina gladij Tacit. 2. not be a Nec minor Germanis animus sed genere pugnae armorum superabantur cum ingens multitudo arctis locis praelongas hastas non protenderet nō colligeret Tacit. annal 2. managed as the experience of the Romanes fighting against the Germanes and Macedonians armed with long weapons teacheth vs. Further the assailants in assaults of townes and forts haue small vse of them For there is no vse of horsemen there greatly against which pikes are good neither do the defendants greatly vse them saue in the breach Pikemen are too heauie armed to pursue others and without shot they cannot well garde themselues either against shot or targets At Muscleborough field a fewe shot opened the Scottish squadrons of pikes for those that folowing after inuested them And likewise did the French arquebuziers at Cerisoles deale with the lancequenets among whose battelles making lanes they gaue entrance to the horsemen that presently charged them And so little defence there is in that weapon that not onely the Biscaine buckelers entred within them at the battaile of b In the dayes of Lewis the 12. of France Rauenna where they made a foule tailliada and slaughter but also the Counte of Carmignola dismounting himselfe and his company entred among the squadrons of the Switzers pikes and cut them in peeces in an other encounter in Lombardie The Romanes dealing with the c Sarissae Macedonicae Macedonian pikes both in the warres with Philip and Perseus kings of Macedonia and of Antiochus king of a great part of Asia neuer feared to enter vpon them with their targets nor made reckoning of that weapon And not without cause For who seeth not the strength and effect of the pike being in the point that as soone as targettiers or other armed men enter among pikes the piquiers throwe downe their pikes and take them to their other weapons the Portugalles did perceiue by the experience of that fight with the Moores where Sebastian their king was slaine that fewer pikes would haue serued and other weapons done better effects The Switzers that are for the most part piquiers will not march anie whither without their companies of shot attending on them for their garde At Moncontour the Almaine piquiers abandoned of their shot were miserably shot to death most of them For this cause I would haue onely so many pikes as woulde serue for the defence of the army against the enemies horse The Frenchmen haue but ten pikes to euery companie of shot which is too little yea and sometimes they haue no pikes at all But he is abused that maketh the French precedentes and examples to followe in any practice of warre The first rankes of pikes woulde bee armed with corsalets of caliuer proofe on the breast from the twelfth ranke backeward and inward it is sufficient if they haue anie armes or iackes of male Brassats and other peeces of armes except the head-peece gorgeron and corsalet I thinke to be more then they can eyther wel march with or fight with The Frenchmen in time past had some called a Cruppellarii cōtinuo ferri teg mine inferendis ictibus inhabiles dolabtis securibus à Romani◠caeduntur Tac. 3. Cruppellarii by Tacitus that were armed as they saie de cap en pied at which the Romane souldiers laughed For that they were vnable by reason of the weight of their armes eyther to strike the enemie or to defend themselues Therefore did they hew them downe with billes and pollaxes The pike I would haue if it might be of Spanish Ash and betwixt twentie and two and twentie foote long and by his side euerie piquier would haue sword and dagger and a dagge at his girdle especially in the vtmost ranks The number of targettiers I woulde haue encreased Not onely of such as haue targets of proofe which are vsed of those that stand in the first rankes but also of those that haue light targets These would be made of wood either hooped or barred with yron It would be three foote and a halfe in length for that was the measure of the Romane shield two foot a half in breadth in forme ouall A kinde of armes now disused but most excellent in all seruices saue against horsemen in the plaine field Against archers targets are a sure defence and dangerous to the enemy after that men come to close b Liu. 27. Scipio with his targetters cut the Carthaginian archers and slingars in peeces c Romani tela densatis excipiunt scutis Liu. 28. Targets are a good defence against stones in an assault and whatsoeuer is throwen from hand The same are very effectuall against shot A small number of targetters if once they come to reach shot with their swordes put great numbers of them out of the field Put case that some come shorte yet sure not manie considering that onely the first rankes of shot can discharge and that all doe not hit and few mortally especially if the first targets be of proofe and the men march resolutely to the charge Neither can shot retire where many of them are in the field nor saue thēselues in any place but targetters wil come to them Targetters also are mortall to the pikemen as not onely the Romanes dealing with the Macodonian and Germane pikes but also the Biskaines with their bucklers in the battell of Rauenna and Cirignola declared Targettiers in execution are singular and ready and light if their targets be light in following the chase They may be vsed in all seruices and all groundes In assaults of townes and in sallies in fighting in open field and in streites in woodes and in hils in retraites and in chases there is
is to send Colonies of the English nations into the country conquered But forasmuch as both garrisons and sometimes greater forces are required for defence of it the rentes of diuers cities countreys and grounds are that way to bee imploied And to this end the fruits of the roialties are to be conuerted and corne and prouision to be laid vp in storehouses The Romanes taking that course did in all places where they commaunded finde meanes to maintaine their armies without anie great exactions yea oftentimes the fruites of the countrey were so great that beside that charge there came much to the publike treasurie Charles b Guicciard lib. 1. the eight of France hauing conquered the kingdome of Naples and diuided the roialties yea and the publike store among his Fauorites when neede required had almost nothing to maintaine his armie and therefore as vnwoorthie of so good happe presently lost the same agayne Xenophon in the consultation of c Xenoph. Cyr. paed 2. Cyrus and Cyaxaris sheweth that for maintenance of the warres and of countreys vanquishe an armie must bee maintained and that an armie cannot bee maintained vnlesse the reuenues that maintaine it be certaine and continuall That lesse force may serue such as giue suspicion of reuolt are to bee disarmed so a Herodot Cyrus vsed the Lydians The Romanes likewise would not suffer such as were their subiects to b Liu. 8. arme without their commandemeÌ„t Futhermore those that are like to prooue heads of factions are to bee remooued out of the countrey for seldome doe the common people mooue vnlesse they be stirred by factious heads The Romanes hauing conquered the countrey of Macedonia and conuerted it into a prouince for more assurance of peace brought away with them the last c Regis amicos purpuratos ducésque exeâ—cituuâ—â— praefectósque nauium Liu. 45. kings friends and Fauorites and all his captaines both of his armie and nauie and likewise men of apparence and qualitie If so be time or sicknesse doe decaie our forces the same are to bee supplied in time that the rebellious take not occasion by our weakenesse to make stirres For want of this consideration in time past we lost our conquest in France and all that want it cannot chuse but loose For the rest if the gouernours of countreys newlie conquered be carefull and watchfull trust no man without cause vse equalitie in taxations and do good iustice against raueuours bribetakers and rebels they need not feare rebellion if they doe not all force that may bee vsed will not long serue to keepe them in subiection The d Liu. Priuernatians desiring peace of the Romanes and offering to yeeld themselues being demanded how long they would keepe it answered plainelie that if the conditions were reasonable long if vnreasonable and vniust no longer then they were forced For no people can long like of a gouernement wherein they are spoyled vexed iniuried and to say all in one worde pilled and tyrannised CHAP. XV. Containing a discourse concerning the meanes whereby an armie that is foiled or feareth to fight may most safely retire and how the enemie in folowing the course of his victorie may be stopped HOw an armie that is strong in the field may safely march fight with aduantage and vse the victorie I haue spoken sufficient But because the successe of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warres is doubtfull and Mars as Poets faine fauoureth b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now one then an another To perfite this discourse it remaineth that Ialso declare how when blastes of winde blow contrary wee may either retire from the enemie that seemeth to haue prise and fast hold on vs in marching or fighting or els stop his course that hee proceed no further or els our selues gather new forces It is a matter very difficult for an armie that is broken to rallie it selfe and depart without vtter discomfiture where the enemie knoweth it and vseth his aduantage For nothing can be more hardly remedied then feare and disorder of the multitude if once it enter throughly or the enemie followeth speedilie If the enemie giueth vs respite or our forces be not altogether broken the meanes to saue the rest and succour those that retire are these First if there be any ground of aduantage in the place the same is to bee taken with that part of the armie that remaineth intire which diuided into squabrons may receiue their owne people flying within the distances and repell the enemie from the higher ground In the meane while those that are in disorder are to be brought into order agayne behinde those squadrons The c Vulneribus defesti pedem referre quod mons suberat circiter mille passuum eò serecipere coeperunt Caes bel Gal. 1. Heluetians beyng wearried and foyled in the fight with Caesar retyred to a hill hath by and there making head saued the rest The forragers sent out by Cicero at Vatuca being charged by the Germanes retired and defended themselues well as long as they kept on the higher ground At d Caes bel Gal. 7. Gergouia when Caesars men pressed by the enemie and briuen from the higher ground began to flie hee succoured them and staied the enemies pursuite by placing other squadrous at the foote at the hill with whom they had no courage to encounter Neither did a Antonius cum cohortibus 12 descendens exloco superiore cernebatur cuius aduentus Pompeianos compiessit nostróque firmauit Cael de bel Ciu. 3. Pompeyes men that chased Caesars souldiers at Dyrrhachium pursue them after that they once saw Antony comming with succour from the higher ground If there be no higher ground neere to retrait vnto the next course is for those companies that are pressed to retire within the distances of those squadrons that stand firme For this cause the Romanes did alwayes so range their battels that the squadrons of the first battell might retire within the squadrons of the next and both be releeued within the squadrons of their last In the encounter at S. Clere Anno 1569 where the Kings Auantgard fled the same was succored by the battell that followed which so charged the Protestants that pursued it and draue them downe the hill that if the Lansquenets that stoode at the foote of the hill had not stoode firme many of them had there bene cut in pieces That aduantage which the higher ground giueth the same a deepe trenche or thicke hedge or a straite like wise affordeth so that if our squadrons that stande firme be there placed the rest that are discouraged may runne behinde them and take breath The Romanes retiring oft times within the fortifications of their campe haue there againe made head against the enemy and saued themselues If neither the place where the army is ordered nor the ranging of our battels do admit any such retraite the last remedy is to auance forward either our horsmen or some firme squadron of
no hope of life nor escape but in victory can not chuse but fight valiantly Contrariwise they that haue refuge and hope another time to fight more happily which is the case of euery man in his owne countrey will not fight so resolutely The Gaules in their owne countrey gaue ground and fledde before Caesar and other Romane Captaines that in Italy had oft foyled the Romanes And those Africans that in Italy were victorious coulde not withstande Scipio in Afrike Alexander entring into the middest of the Persian Empire ouerthrewe the same vtterly Further it standeth with the Spaniard now as sometime it did with the Carthaginians doth with al that vse mercenary souldiers For so long as they may enioy their countrey reuenues therewith hire most valiant souldiers of other nations so long they are strong but if they be inuaded in their owne countrey both their reuenues will fayle and their owne people not being exercised in warres wil make but slender resistance So that suppose the Spanish army in the Low countreys be strong which notwithstanding hath bene dealt withall by our people yet are wee not to looke for such souldiers in Spaine The Athenians inuading Sicile were ouerthrowen by the disagreement and insufficiencie of the Captaines the disorders of the souldiers and want of things necessary which may be remedied by diligent foresight prouision and gouernement But suppose some did miscary in foreine warres shall we therefore condemne that course there is no reason seeing as warres at home are not condemned because many nations haue bene subdued and vanquished in their owne countrey Betwixt the Athenians or the Achaeans this kingdome there is no comparison in force or greatnesse But if the citie of Athens could subdue all Sicile except one onely citie it is no such difficult matter to inuade the Spaniard as is supposed Finally some in trembling maner demaund what if such an armie so farre caried away should miscary which is a very ridiculous point for men to care more for those mens liues that d ee willingly offer themselues to the aduenture then they doe themselues Seeing they dare venture nothing themselues yet let them not enuie and hinder others that will But suppose the army should miscary yet would the losse be farre lesse then if so many should be lost at home For here the sequele would be great there would be only losse of men which God be thanked this countrey may well spare But what simplicity is it to talke of loosing where men goe with a resolution rather to winne then loose neither Annibal going in Italy nor Scipio into Afrike cast any such doubt Suppose nowe on the other side that the Spaniard should doe that which hee once attempted and God more then our owne force would not suffer him to doe and that an army of Spaniards were prouided to inuade vs these things would fall out not knowing where the enemie will land all the coast must be furnished with souldiers For to thinke that our trayned men would be trayned together in time to make resistance is simplicitie And if any port be left open as good all should be disarmed But this would be double the charge of leuying and furnishing an army for Spaine and the longer the enemy holdeth vs in breath the greater would the charge arise and all this for any thing that I can see without effect seeing it is neither possible to keepe an army from landing nor safety to fight without great aduantage immediatly vpon the enemies landing If the enemy should land as well he may comming with great force we neither haue strong townes nor many great riuers to stoppe his proceedings nor any way to resist but by force of men in open fielde and howe dangerous it is to oppose yong souldiers and almost tumultuary forces against a puissant army of olde souldiers the victories of Annibal in Italy of Scipio in Afrike of the Greekes in Persia of the English in Spaine and infinite Histories declare If the enemy be suffered to take breath who seeth not howe hee will fortifie him selfe if hee be suffered to range without fight who considereth not the wracke and spoyles of the countrey that will folowe When the countrey is all in trouble the reuenues both of the Prince and priuate men either will cease or at least be greatly diminished Ferdinando king of Naples in the inuasion of his State made by the French found it 23 S'annihilauan l'entrate Guicciar lib. 1. true And reason may teach vs that where the husbandmen part by the rapines of the enemy and part by the spoyles of our owne souldiers can not enioy the fruites of their ground their rentes can not be payde and if rentes bee not payd howe will our souldiers be payd suppose then that the charge of an army in a foreine countrey be great yet may it well be borne being equally diuided so long as men enioy their liuings peaceably if that may not be howe shall we mainteine twise so many souldiers at home If when the enemies inuade vs malcontent persons should discouer themselues then as the number of our enemies so the heape of our troubles would increase But suppose for what danger in such a case is not to be forecast that our army should receiue some checke what townes haue wee or straits to arrest the enemy the countrey people being vnacquainted with warres what lawes cankeepe thē in order helpe can wee looke for none our friendes being either not able or not willing to helpe vs for some seeme offended with the spoyles of their shippes others beare vs in hand they will remember our slender helpe aforded to them which notwithstanding is more then they deserued Other secret wounds may not be opened neither needeth it seeing as euery man may perceiue by these reasons which already I haue brought how easy safe profitable and honourable it is to inuade the Spaniard and how disaduatageous it wil be to this land if either we stay with our hands folded together or els deferre to charge the Spaniard with full force vntill such time as he shall come to cut our throtes at home Hiero 25 Liu. 21. king of Sicile when the Romanes were inuaded by Annibal gaue them counsaile to transport an army ouer into Afrike the happy successe of Scipio doing the same fifteene yeeres afterward and by that meanes making an end of the warres doeth confirme that counsell to haue bene most excellent If when Philip 26 Liu. 24. king of Macedonia ioyned in league with Annibal they had not sent an army into Greece to finde him occupied at home hardly could they haue made resistance against the force of two so mightie enemies vnited together The experience of the warres with Annibal in Italy made them more wise afterward and speedy For hearing of Philips of Macedonia and Antiochus his preparatiues to transport their armies into Italy they eased them of the paine and met them in more then halfe
corne and other prouision made them returne many times short home So long as horsemen do hang vpon the sides and taile of an army they make but a slow march Caesar sending his horsemen before to charge the enemies last troups did so trouble them that he ouertooke the g Caes Bel. Gal. 1. Heluetians and h Omnem equitatum qui nouissimuÌ„ agmen moraretur praemisit Caes Bel. Gal. 2. Belgians in France Afranius his army in Spaine although they had gotten farre before him himselfe and his army were so molested by the horsemen of i Hirti de bel Afric Scipio in Afrike that in foure houres he could not march much aboue an hundred paces being driuen to stay and receiue euery charge and stirre as also befell the Romans an other time a Ad crebros â—quitum velitum tumultus signa consistebant Liu. 28. encountring the enemie in his marche The French horsemen that coasted the Almaines that anno 1569. came in aide of the Protestants of France kept them from stragling but if they had bin more and durst haue charged them they had staied them longer in their iourney For if the first marche while those that are behinde fight then are these left to the butcherie as it happened to the b Caes de bel gal 2. Belgians pursued by Caesar Further such straites and hilles as the enemie is to passe if he meane to enter further into the Countrey are to be garded and the wayes to be trenched that both our men may haue a couer and the enemie more difficultie in forcing the passage Leonidas to stoppe the Persian army kept the straites of Thermopylae which was also practised by Antiochus against the Romanes Philip c Liu. 32. purposing to stop the Romane army at the straite of Aous trenched the passage and on the higher ground placed archers and slingers and the rest of his army in conuenient places But it succeeded not for that he suffered the enemie not onely to take the higher ground but also to come on his backe Which also was the ruine of Leonidas and Antiochus Those therefore that keepe hilles and passages are to take heede of three dangers the first that they suffer not the enemie to take the higher ground the second that they doe not so lye open that the enemie may come on their backes and thirdly that their company be not vnable to abide the enemies force or to defende the grounde committed to their charge For in this case those that seeke to stoppe other are often taken in trappe themselues especially if they lye not strong nor looke well to their garde If the enemie enter into a strayte which hath but two or three issues take those issues and garde them strongly and thou hast the enemie enclosed as it were in a nette So were the Romanes enclosed at Caudium and compassed in before and behinde on the sides But take heede that thy garde be strong and watchfull least the same be forced and all thy labour frustrated as happened to Fabius hauing enclosed Annibal at Cales by the weakenesse of the corps de garde placed on the hill Calicula If the king of Macedonia had placed strong garisons in the straites of Athamany and Thessaly and shewed himselfe in head of the Romanes they could d Ne Romani abnuunt se magna clade pugnaturos Liu. 42. neuer haue issued thence without great slaughter and losse There is no greater tryall of a captaine then in the taking of the aduantage of grounds And therefore let him proceede wisely and cause his men to worke diligently that his trenches be sufficient and well furnished with stones and shotte and all things necessarie And especially that he be not enclosed nor beaten from the higher ground Woods are a good couer for any enterprise and therefore wise captaines therein doe place such companies of souldiers as may eyther charge the enemie passing through or by them Yet let them take heede that they haue a place of retrait there that going about to hurt others they be not cutte in pieces themselues The surest defence against the enemies proceeding is a riuer not to be forded ouer but the bridges are to be broken and the botes to be taken from the other side and the bankes where they are most lowe and easy to be raysed with earth and fensed with stakes and the same to be garded with a competent force both of horsemen and footemen with their sconces in coÌ„uenient places By this meanes a Caes bel gal 1. Caesar kept the Heluetians at a baye and stopped them from passing the riuer of Rone notwithstanding their diuers attemptes both by night day the b Praesidia disponebant quibus locis videbatur pontesque rescindebant fluminuÌ„ Liu. 22. Romanes stopped the outcourses of Annibal Which course if the French king had taken the Protestants had not so easely retired from the battell of S. Dennis c Hist de troubl â—e Fr. l. 3. anno 1567 nor had they passed so many Riuers nor taken so many Townes so easely But neither were the Townes garded with souldiers nor the bridges broken nor the bankes garded In garding of Fordes great care is to be taken first that the enemie passe not ouer some other way and so come on our backes secondly that he force not our garde This is preuented by good fortification and that by diligent watch and sufficient number of men He that looketh not to these things is fitter to keepe goslings then the passages of Riuers By these meanes an army is slopped or at least hurt and hindred But for that men are hardely induced to fire their owne goods and fewe men can endure the lamentable flames of his countrey and without a sufficient force of men all other meanes to stoppe an enemie are nothing let there first be a sufficient armie leuied and opposed against the enemie not that I would haue the same to hazard lightly or come to the triall but for that he that hath an army ready may take all aduantages of Hilles Straites Woods and Riuers and cut off such as wander abroade and execute that which priuate men will not doe in spoyling where the enemie is to passe as the practice of Armes requireth a L. Portius Licinius per locâ— alta ducendo exercitum cum modò insideret angustos saltus vt transituÌ„ clauderet modo ab latere aut tergo carperet agmen ludificatus est Asdrubalem omnibus belli artibus Liu. 27. L. Licinius though inferiour in force to Asdrubal in Spaine yet taking the aduantage of hilles and straytes and nowe charging the enemie on the sides then on the backes practised on him all the precepts of warre for which he deserued great commendation The proceeding of Monsieur the French kings brother and lieutenant that disbanded his souldiers and sent them into garrison when he should haue resisted the Almaines that came to succour the Protestants anno
commanders and counsell to depart from legions or regiments before the worke fortification of the camp was finished Neither could the countenance of Afranius his army in Spaine making shew as if the same would sight deterre him but that he d Cas bel ciu 1. fortified his lodging keeping the rest in armes to receiue the enemies charge The barbarous Gaules by their many losses perceiuing the aduantages that the Romans had vpon them in this point at length by the counsel of Vercingetorix their leader began to e Caes bel gal 7. fortifie their camp as they saw the Romandes do He that doth not so lie entrenched goeth oftentimes out of his may to seeke ease for his souldiers lodgeth with his army disioyned looseth time and labour and lastly may not if hee be wise lodge neere an enemy as strong as himselfe that hath the vantage of ground and trenches He that chargeth an army that lyeth wel entrenched receiueth seldome honour of his rashnesse The Frenchmen because they vnderstoode not so much before were taught it of Prospero Colonna at the Bicocke in Lombardy For aduenturing rashly to fight with a Guicelardin Prospero and his company that lay strongly fortified within certaine bankes made for the keeping of the riuer within the channell they were tumbled into the ditch as fast as they came vp the bankes and many of them slaine That such fortification may be made orderly and strongly diuers rules are to be obserued and some prouision like wise is to be made more then ordinarie First a conuenient place in the way where the army marcheth is to be marked and staked out by the Quarter-master generall which woulde bee a man of iudgement with him also may bee sent other men of iudgement All these with a garde ought to goe b Centuriones exploratoresque praetermittit Caesar qui locum castris idoneum deligant Caes bel gal 2. before that at the comming of the army to the place euery man may knowe the gates and the sides and the places of the campe Within that presently they may begin to worke euerie man may know where to pitch his tent or make his caban to discharge the impediments and baggage and where the ordonance is to be placed This may seeme intricat at the first but with practice it may be made most easie Further to the end that our men be not disturbed when they are at their worke good espialles and discouerers would be sent before to see that the enemy lie not in ambush neere that place where wee meane to lodge Which happening to Caesar in the expeditioÌ„ against the Belgians did more endanger him then the enemies open force For his men c Caes bel gal 2. hauing laide downe their burthens and being scarâ—eâ—ed to fetch stakes earth and stones â—odainly the enemy appeareth out from vnder a hil there by and chargeth him The same was the ruine d Liu. 10. of Fabius his â—ieutenant For going to take a hil alreadie possessed by the enemy without espial he was there slaine in the place with al his comany For defence of those that worke one good part of the army woulde be kept in armes especially where the enemy is neere And those that worke are to haue euery man his sword and dagger girded to him and his other armes fast by him Which not only Caesar a master in these matters but al the Romanes generally obserued There is no time more pâ—oper for the enemies assault nor more daâ—gerous for vs then when wee are newly come to our lodging For then most are secure and put off their armes and either rest themselues or runne about to seeke things necessarie The e Castra ponentes Romanos Poeni aggressi sunt turbassentque munientes ni abditi post tumuluÌ„ opportunè ad id positi à Scipione equites in effusos incurrissent Liu. 28. Romanes as they were pitching their tentes were charged by the Carthaginians in their warres in Spaine and had beene soyled had not Scipio fearing such a matter run through theÌ„ with his horsemen which very opportunely hee had couered vnder a hill in the way as they came to the charge At that time also Caesar was set vpon by the Neruians and lost diuers braue men The Venetians were no sooner arriued in their a Conte de Purlilia ad Ferdinand lodgings at Trent and disarmed but the enemy obseruing his time commeth vpon them and forced them to seeke an other lodging Yet not all for many were lefte behinde to take vp their lodging in that place for euer The place most commodious for lodging is where our companie may not onely haue wood water good ayre and for horses forrage and if it may be some reliefe of victualles for our men but also aduantage of the ground fit to be wrought and hardly to be taken from vs by the enemy Wood may not be wanting for fire stakes and â—abans and lesse water for our men and cattell A riuer also doeth oftentimes ease our men of trauell Especially if it be deepe For that the campe is well fensed on that quarter Good ayre is necessarie for the health our souldiers especially when me lie long in a place The aduantage of ground is requisite for the defending of our lodging Which opportunities those that haue wanted haue beene driuen to great extremities b Caes bel ciu 1. Afranius his army was driuen to yeeld to Caesar in Spaine for want of water And by like necessitie Caesar forced the reliques of Pompeys army which hee c Caes bel ciu 3. besieged on a hill and excluded by trenches from the water to flie to his mercie Himselfe in d Hirt. de bel Alexandr Alexandria had beene driuen to great extremity for want of fresh water had hee not by digging of pits found store In hie and drie countries water is hard to be found vnlesse it be in valle is and deepe botcomes that shewe signes of moisture Lautrecke in the fiege of Naples lodging his army in the lowe grounds brought great contagion among his people and of New hauen and other places want of water and the filthy keeping of our lodgings which cannot be kept too cleane bred the pestilence among our men and wrought the victory to out enemies The disaduantage of the ground at Landresie not considered by the French had sike to haue taught them a lamentable lesson For being lodged in the lower ground they were continually amoyed by the artillery of the imperiallâ—s placed vpon a hill that comntâ—â—ed the French campe and almost forced them to fight with great disaduantage The Italians and Spaniardes were by the French forced to fight against their willes at a Guicciard Rauenna in Lewis the twelft his time for that being lodged in the lower and open ground they were beaten with the enemies great ordonance that continually stroke among their horsemen Which inconuenience coulde not be remedied so but that is was the
the defence At euerie corner especially towardes the enemy there woulde bee made a litle bulwarke or platforme somewhat auanced from the cortine of the campe for the placing of the great ordonance for defence of the ditch and cortaine and clearing of the grounde wythout the campe In the sides there woulde bee lefte two great passages or issues for the army to enter and issue and two lesser on the outsides for the necessarie vses of the campe The compasse is according to the number of the armie allowing tenne foote square for euery horseman and foure foote square for euery footeman or thereabouts There are to be left foure broade streetes in the place for the passing and repassing of souldiers and for the commoditie of victuallers and Marchantes a market place The Generall ought to pitch his tent in the middest of the camp about him are his Gentlemen and garde to bee placed if there bee not place sufficient for them in his tents The horsemen are to be quartered in the middest of the camp for that they are most vnreadie if any sodaine assault should happen but in some conuenient square for the beauty of the campe The shot and archerie are to haue their tentes next to the ring of the campe round about the same within them are the halbardiers targettiers and other short weapons to haue their quarter assigned and betwixt them and the horsemen the pikes So that euery man may know both where to lodge directly and what place to goe vnto if the enemy doe charge vs. The waste places remayning are to bee assigned to the carriages and the boyes and seruants that followe the campe For flaughter of beasts and necessities of nature there are two places to bee assigned eyther in some out place of the campe or without the campe The whole distance and compasse is rather with the iudgement of the eye then with Geometricall instruments to bee cast out Yet must the quarter-master take heede both that his compasse be not too great for that is hardly defended and that it be not too litle For in that case the army shall be straited That souldiers may bee commodioussy lodged in the field without going out of the way to finde townes or villages it is necessarie that euery company haue their a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. paed Cyr. 2. tentes assigned to them of publike charge and carried with them in cartes For to lodge without couer in colde raine or heate is verie intollerable and wood to make cabbanes sufficient in fewe places can bee found and if it could yet were it a matter long for one nightes lodging to make a cabbane of boughes Contrariwise tentes are easilie pitched and not heauie to bee carried nor verie chargeable to bee bought That the souldiers may finish their work with more speed it were necessary likewise that euery company had their spades mattocks axes and other tooles caried along with their tentes and baggage that euery man presently vpon view of his lodging staked out might know where to worke For ease of the souldiers a iudicious Quartermaster will chuse some place neere a wood or a riuer or some hill that with the naturall situation of the place a small fortification may serue If the Quartermaster do chuse some Villages to lodge in yet fâ—â— greedines of couer for his men let him take heed how he do diuide separate the army farre a sunder And further let euery part fortiâ—â— the quarter where they are lodged The cause of the ouerthrow of the Prince of Conde at Cognac in which encounter hee lost also his life was the distance of the lodging of the auantgarde and battell which was so great that the one part being charged by the enemy the other could not come to succour it before it was too late a Histoir de 〈◊〉 bl lib. 4. Dandelot dispersing his companies in Villages was surprised on the sudden by Martigues and put to flight himselfe hardly escaped most of his company were defeated which if his troupes had bene together could not haue happened For his forces were foure times greater then those that ouercame them La Louè might haue bene succoured when the enemy charged him but that he b Hist de troubl lib. 12. lodged so far from helpe that before the same could come he his men were dispatched The cause of the ouerthrow of the Baron Donaw his Almains was for that they lay dispersed without defence c Xenoph. exped Cyr. 3. 4. Xenophon although necessity forced him in his return from the battel against Artaxerxes to lodge his company in diuers Villages yet whensoeuer the enemy made shew to approch hee drew them all together into one place If so be that necessitie driue vs likewise to lodge our armie in Villages let vs know first how vpon neede we may bring them together and next how euery part may susteine the enemies assault vntil helpe come to it This I say is wrought first by trauersing the waies then by trenching places of easy accesse The wayes are to be trauersed by deepe ditches banks for defence of our shot next by palissadaes barres placed ouerthwart the sides are to be viewed and either with trenches or walles to be fortified Those wayes that leade vs into the Village on the backside are to be dammed vp where there is greatest shew that the enimy wil assault vs there gretest store of shot are to be placed in the chambers looking that way The carts baggage conueniently placed may breake the force of the enemies horse make the accesse for footemen also more difficult The Heluetians a Caes bel gal 1. had no other defences of their lodging neither do the Germans at this day vse any other defence or encamping vnlesse the place naturally aforde it But nothing is more weake nor vaine where the enemy commeth resolutely to the charge Scipio his father that ouercame Annibal being foyled by the Carthaginians in Spaine through the trecherie of the Celtiberians that forsooke him thought to shroude him selfe and his b Liu. 25. company vnder the carts packs and such things as he could bring together to make a defence on But it serued for nothing but to linger the enemies victory a litle For in such defences there is no strength If therefore we wil neither fortifie our campe as did the Romans nor barre the Villages where we lodge strongly as is the vse of wise Captaines in these dayes I will neither warrant our troupes nor by my wil keepe among them lying so open The c Philip. Com. French king Duke of Burgundy lying in the suburbes of Liege without trenche or barriquade escaped very narowly in a certaine sally of the townesmen by them besieged Besides the fortification of the campe or lodging it is requisite for the assurance of our company that we place not only sentinels and scoutes within but also good gardes at all the gates
for a precept to be folowed in such cases When b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucid. 2. Sitacles King of Thracia inuaded the Macedonians the countrey people not being able to resist fled into strong cities and holdes and as occasion aduantage was offered from thence issued to fight with him as they could Many c Multa bella impetu valida peâ— taedia moâ—as euanuerunt praesertim vbi non est prouisum frumentum nec maiores expectaâ—a copiae Tacit. annal 18. warres that haue bene violent at the first brunt by delayes and tedious lingering haue come to nothing sayth Tacitus And therefore neuer is it good to fight with those that want prouision and looke for no further supply When the Gaules with great forces came into Italy some would haue had the Romane Generall to fight with them foorthwith but the d Dictatori neutiquam placebat cum nulla cogeret res fortunae â—o committere adversus hostem quem tempus deâ—eriorem indies locus alienâ—s faceret sine praeparato commâ—atu sine siâ—mo munimento morantem ad hoc â—js animis corporibusque quorum omnis in impetâ—vis esset parua eadem languesceret mora his coÌ„siliis dictator bellum trahebat Liu. 7. Generall thought it more wisedome to protract time His reasons were for that he dealt with an enemy which euery day waxed weaker by reason he was in another couÌ„trey had dayly more and more hinderances comming vpon him further neither had hee prouision nor towne of retraite therefore must needs be wearied with delayes and decay of himselfe and great folly sayd he were it to fight with men when they are stroÌ„g when they may deale with them when they are weake feeble When Caesar sent Crassus into Aquitany with part of his army to subdue the countrey the enemy being taught by experience would not come into open field but a Duces consuetudine populi Romani loca capere castra munire commeatibus nostros intercludere institâ—unt Romanos se rei frumentarâ—ae inopia recipientes impeditos agmimine sub sarcinis insirmiore animo adoriri cogitant Caes bel gal 3. began to take places of aduantage to fortifie his campe to keepe Crassus from victuals when the army for want should retire then he meant to charge the same being laden with baggage and out of aray in the marche That which Liuy sayth of the b Boij gens ad morae taedium minimè patiens dilapsi sunt Boyans we finde it true in many Northren nations they are impatient of delayes and if they be not fought withall doe scatter of them selues Those that fight with such enemies are like to those that hope to quench fire by throwing on of wood when as if the fire be not supplyed with wood it will goe out of it selfe And therefore our ancesters that haue fought with the Scots haue done valiantly but wisdome would haue perswaded them to let them dissolue of them selues The Romanes by their haste in fighting with Annibal receiued three great ouerthrowes and brought them selues within very litle of their ruine Pompey when he might haue ruinated Caesars army for want of victuals aduenturing to fight at the request of his army ouerthrew himselfe The way to weary the enemy without fight is first with an army consisting most of horsemen shot targets and halberdiers lightly armed to coast him a farre off next to spoyle the countrey where hee passeth and to bring all the cattell corne and prouision that may any way serue his turne into strong townes thirdly to store the townes of warre with prouision and assure them with strong garrisons fourthly to cut the bridges ouer great riuers and to sease all narow and straite passages The army that coasteth the enemy although it may not ioyne battell with him in euen ground yet hath many necessary vses and without it all other impediments are easily passed the same doth bridle the enemies courses that he dare not diuide his army to send the same on foraging It keepeth victuals from him and him from victuals it defendeth the straits and passages of riuers it succoureth such townes as are besieged it is ready to charge the enemy vpon all aduantages The Athenians c Thucid. 3. not being able to fight with the army of the Lacedemonians that came against them tooke this course for their defence they brought their people and all that they had into the citie placed gardes at passages and cut of the straglers with their horsemen Which course d Caes bel gal 7. Vercingetorix also vsed against Caesar in France hee burned the countrey droue away all the cattell kept the passages of riuers The e Custodias ad ripas Ligeris disponere equitatumque omnibus locis ostentare caeperunt Caes bel gal 7. Heduans reuolting from Caesar kept the banks of Loyre with gardes and in all places where the Romanes came charged them with their horsemen But of this matter I haue spoken sufficient where I shewed what trauerses made against the enemie are most effectuall Now I am to shew how the enemie is to be wearied without fight the meanes I haue set downe But this caution thou must vse further that thou keepe thy selfe and thy companie alwayes on the higher ground and take heede that the enemie doe not entrap thee nor compasse thee about Fabius in the warres of the Romanes against Annibal in Italie and Licinius in the warres against Asdrubal in Spaine haue by their example shewed thee what thou art to doe and how warilie thou art to garde thy selfe and to watch thy enemie These precepts haue vse in all countreys with whatsoeuer enemie thou dealest but especiallie where the countrey is full of hils woodes straites and great riuers and also where by force is neere equall to the enemie But if thy power be slender or if thy countrey bee playne and open then presume not to come neere the enemie for thou canst not auoyd but either thou must flie or fight The a Fuga se longinqua ab hosse tutati sunt Galli Liu. 6. Gaules pursued by Camillus seeing themselues vnable to fight with him had no other meanes to auoyd fight but to flie farre from him Neither could Asdrubal haue escaped from b Liu. 27. Scipio but that he fled with his armie from him into the vtmost coast of Spaine After that c Vercingetorix ne contra suam voluntatem dimicare cogeretur magnis iâ—ineribus antecessit Caes bel Gal. 7 Caesar had once passed the riuer of Allier which was betweene him the enemie Vercingetorix was coÌ„strained to go farre before least he might be constrained to fight agaynst his will For where the armies come neere each to other in eauen ground it is hard for the one to auoyd fight where the other seeketh it Antonie forced Cassius to fight at Philippi albeit he auoided it what he could and had the vantage both of ground and trenches The
on the sides of the place to charge him with aduantage when the battell is begun By which meanes Annibal ouerthre we the Romanes at Trebia and the Thrasimene lake Neither is it sufficient for him onely to prouide that the enemie haue no aduantage nor his owne souldiers any disaduantage but he must consider also if he may take the enemie either in trap or at any disaduantage and that either in vneauen ground or in straites or passing of riuers or any place where his army is disordered either in lodging or marching or fighting If the enemy be beaten out of the fielde by force it is in part the souldiers praise if he be entrapped by the Captaines pollicie that is his hondur In the ioyning of the battell the Generall is likewise to endeuour to take the winde and to haue the Sunne and Moone if the fight be in the night vpon his backe The winde being fauourable driueth our darts arrowes and whatsoeuer we throwe against the enemie with greater force forward and being contrarie doeth diminish their force and stoppeth the souldiers breath and filleth their eies full of dust In the battell betwixt Theodosius and Maximus the tyrant nothing holpe the a Histor Ecclese ast Theodoret. side of Theodosius more then the winde that draue backe the darts arrowes and stones of Maximus his souldiers The b Poeni auersiterga tantùm afflante vento in occaecatum puluere à Vulturno vento hostem pugnabant Liu. 22. Romane souldiers in the battell at Cannae hauing the winde against them had their eies and throates filled with dust which fauoured the Carthaginians blowing vpon their backs The Sunne with great heate frying the bodies of the Gaules made them c Sol ingenti ardore torrebat minimè patientia aestus corpora Gallorum Liu. 35. very faint fighting on a certeine time with the Romanes Vespasians souldiers hauing the d Tacit. l. 19. Moone on their backe when they fought in the night with Vitellius his army seemed greater then they were and did see to strike more directly The same aduantage had the Sicilians against the Athenians in that nights encounter wherein they ouerthrewe them neere Syracusae The season of the yeere also and the weather is to be considered before we range our army to fight Northren people endure colde better then heate And therefore as they are to auoide fighting in the heate of the day and summer season so they are to chuse the coole morning or euening and of the times of the yeere the Spring or drie Winter which Southren people can not brooke The Romanes protracting time vntill the heate of the day did then charge the e Liu. 9. Gaules when with heate and thirst they were of themselues ready to faint which occasioned vnto them a great victorie In rainie weather shot cannot doe almost any seruice that tyme therefore is fittest for armed men targetters and such like to charge them Finally whatsoeuer maketh for the encouragement of our souldiers or discouragement of the enemie the same ought a wise Generall to deuise and practise The strength of the enemy is in wordes to be diminished the goodnes of our cause and strength of our army to be amplified Whatsoeuer a Fama bellum conficit parua momenta in spem metúmque impellunt animos Liu. 27. reportes may hurt the enemy or helpe vs are to be spread abroad Reportes oft times preuaile as much as truth small matters make men in that case both feare and hope as said Claudius Nero. The report of a succour comming did daunt b Tacit. 19. Vitellius his army and confirmed the enemy Which also happened in a certeine incounter betwixt the Romanes and Samnites Wordes also cast out in the time of the battell as that their Generall is slaine or that part of the army flieth and such like profite much Therefore if at any time heere especially the skill and iudgement of a Capteine is to shewe it selfe in taking aduantages auoiding disaduantages preuenting of mischiefes laying ambushes for the enemy and vsing all maner of stratagems and deuises of warre Nowe hauing spent thus much time in considerations and preparatiues of a battell let vs come to the ranging of our battels and to the action it selfe in encountring and vanquishing the enemy CHAP. XII Wherein is discoursed what aray and course is best in charging the enemie THe aray of an army placed and prepared to fight is diuers according to the number and qualities both of the enemies and our owne forces likewise according to our strength in horsemen or footemen in shot or armed men and last of all according to the difference of groundes and places To part a small number into so many partes as we doe a full armie were rather to breake it then orderly to part it and a matter in shewe ridiculous If the enemies force be greater on the corners then in the midst we must haue consideration of that in framing and ranging our army Horsemen in rough ground in woods straits and hilles are vnprofitable If the enemy be stronger then wee in horse wee are to change the place of our horsemen to auance our footmen Where the wayes are strait we cannot spread our army as in open field This and other circumstances being referred to the iudgement of the Generall let vs now consider what aray is best in open field our army being full and hauing all the partes thereto required This I haue touched already where I shewed before how an army marching is suddenly to be drawen into order by what rules the same may be exactly performed remaineth now to be declared The whole army considered without horsemen or shot consisteth of three partes in the front I call them the a That word cōmeth neerest to the sence though not to the proper signification of the word right corner the middle battell and the left corner the Romanes called them Dextrum cornu mediam aciem sinistrum cornu and of two or three partes from front to the backe The first I call the front the second the supply the third if there be a third the last hope The Romanes diuided their aray as it was considered in depth or from front to backe in hastatos principes triarios The shot I would haue placed both before and on the sides and behinde euery of these partes diuided into seuerall troupes and guided by seuerall leaders Without the shot the horsemen would be placed on the winges vnlesse some speciall cause mooue vs to the contrary The three partes of the front may either stand ioyned together or with some distance separated and either may they be framed as one body with rankes continued or els euery of these partes may consist of diuers battaillions or squares of armed men very commodious for the seuerall vse of them and also for the retrait of shot within the distances The breadth and depth may be greater or lesser according to our
h Maxima pars ab equitibus in flumen acti sunt Liu. 1. pursue those that are put to flight But those that leade horsemen are to proceede with great caution they may not charge pikemen standing resolutely together The price of their folly that did otherwise our men did somewhat vnderstand at Muscleborough field Neither may they charge shot or archers that haue a defence either of a trench or a hedge or a wall or certaine rankes of pikes before them For in the case they make them selues markes to the enemie whom they cannot come at Further they had better charge the enemie disarrayed by shotte or other weapons then when the armie standeth close together For against an armie well empaled with pikes yea with halberds close set and well backed with shotte horse cannot preuaile whatsoeuer a certaine a Histoire de troubl de Fr. l. 2. French man in his glorious stile vaunteth of the strength of the French men of armes Against men out of order in open fielde horsemen worke great effectes and so no doubt they haue done in these late disorderly braules of France and did alwayes among b Arist polit barbarous nations which fought out of order But against an army well ordered they can do but little And any small impediment doth make them vnseruiceable The Romanes although their pikes were not halfe so long as ours yet did they not feare any numbers of horse Against the Macedonian pikes the Persian horse could doe no seruice Neither will the French horsemen looke vpon our pikes well backed with musquets if they be wise notwithstanding their great crakes Nay our archers at Agincourt fielde founde them not so rough in handling as they would seeme Horsemen therefore in all expeditions I accompt very requisite for the causes aboue rehearsed and for that without them albeit we could foyle the enemie yet we cannot kill many nor preuaile against him that is swifter of foote then we as c Xenoph. exped Cy. 2. Clearchus both said and proued by experience in the warres against Artaxerxes At the bridge of Burgos in Galicia where the Spaniards ranne so lightly before vs we felt what want we had of horse Of horsemen I thinke it requisite also to haue some part lances some light armed like to our borderers and some carbines The barded horsemē both for their heauines great charge I thinke not very needefull When Lucullus his men were much afraide of Tygranes his barded d Plutarch in Lucullo horses he willed them to be of good cheere for that there was more labour in spoyling them being so armed then in foyling thē they were so vnweldy And so it came to passe For I neuer read that euer they did any seruice but in diuers places that they were foiled e Xenoph. exped Cyr. 1. Cyrus had diuers barded horses in his iourney against his brother but there is not any mentiō of any seruice that they did Darius had multitudes of them in the encounter betwixt him and Alexander a Arrian exped Alex. 3. at Arbela and Antiochus in the battell against b Liu. Scipio but scarce did they giue one blowe to hinder the course of the enemies victorie The armour of the c Cataphracti inhabiles ad resurgendum humi dilabentes caduntur Tac. annal 17 man and the horse is so heauie and so boisterous that if they fall there they lye stopping the way to those that come after Neither can they auoide it but many shall lye vpon the ground especially if the pikes stand close and be well flanked or backed with mosquettiers shooting ouer their heades If we haue fewe horsemen or not so many that wee may therewith match the enemie we are then to followe the prudent deuise of Caesar both here in Briteine and in Afrike and Greece shewed him by valiant men before him Before Capua the Romanes not being able to match the enemie with horse seconded their men with certeine lusty young men armed lightly and weaponed with short pikes Which while their men were at the charge did so gall the enemie with their pikes that presently they turned visage Caesar by reason that his shippes wherein his horse were helde not their course comming into this Iland had onely 30. horse yet foyling the enemie with his footemen with those fewe horses and the lustiest of his young men he so pursued them that many remained behinde their company In Afrike likewise he susteined the charge of the enemies horsemen with his footemen and after that he had made them turne their backes did so charge them with some fewe horsemen which he had that they had no desire to returne thither againe Seconding his horsemen with certaine halfe pikes lightly armed he not only repelled Pompeis horsemen in Albany and Scipioes in Afrike but also vanquished their forces By the same d Caes bel gal 7. deuise before time he foyled 7000. Gaules well horsed with a very fewe of his owne ayded and seconded by his footemen e Xenoph. exped Eyr 3. Xenophon charging the enemie that would haue fled from him with a few carriage horses shewed vnto vs that bad horses serue for a shift to follow the chace and run better then good footemen In the warres of Naples 12. Italian horsemen fighting in steccato as they call it with so many Frenchmen the Italians f Guicciard 1. preuailed by this meanes In the place where they met the Italians let fal certain iauelins which those that were first vnhorsed by the French tooke vp ioyning with their companions striking the French in the faces preuailed against them The Admirall of France at the encounter of S. Denis by Paris being ouermatched by the enemy in horsemen placed behinde euery company a company of shot which following the horsemen going an easy trot to the charge vpon the approch of the enemy auanced themselues forward and discharged so thicke and full vpon him that all his companie came not to the charge and those that came were more gentle in handling then otherwise they would haue beene This may serue those that are inferior to the enemy in horsemen For this nation I trust this discourse is needelesse For albeit we haue hitherto had great want of horsemen in our expeditions in France Flanders and Portugal yet there is no reason that this land should want hereafter hauing such meanes There onely wanteth liberall mindes and good order that some part of that is now spent in surfet silkes golden laces and other vanities may be employed in keeping horses for seruice Lances and Carbines haue like vse in following the victory and chase But while the enemy standeth lances are best employed against shot and carbines against pikes But yet must they take heed how they do inuest them In discouering the enemy and fetching in of victualles and brideling the enemies forragers both lances and carbins and archebuziers on horsebacke would be ioyned together But carbins and
fight nor lodge without danger But yet in dressing of Ambushes he is to take great heede first that the enemy haue no notice of his purpose so prouide against him For by this means traps theÌ„selues are oft entrapped c Caes bel gal 8. Corbey of Beauois lying in waite where he supposed Caesars souldiers would come to seeke prouision was himselfe and his company cut in peeces by a greater number then he looked for which Caesar sent thither hauing intelligence of the matter before hand Secondly those that lie in ambush must rise suddenly and execute speedily and courageously least the enemy putting himselfe in order and gathering courage giue them more then they came for Labienus had placed certaine felowes in ambush that should haue charged a Hiâ—t de bel Afric Caesars army as the same passed by but they came foorth so faintly irresolutely that Caesars horsemen before they could doe any thing had hewen them in peeces Thirdly let them beware least while they thinke to doe the feat the rest of the enemies come on their backes before they can dispatch The b Liu. 41. Dardanians had well hoped to haue executed a part of the Macedonian army which they charged vpon the backe as it passed through the countrey but before they were aware they were them selues charged by them that folowed after and were taken as they say betweene the hammer and anuill and well beaten Fourthly when a part of the army is sent to lie in ambush the rest of the army ought to haue correspondence with it that as those that rise vp in ambush doe charge the enemy one way so the rest of the army may charge him another way and alwayes be ready to succour their men Which if they of c Caes bel gal 8. Beauois had considered they had not suffered their best men to haue bene cut in peeces without reliefe The reason that Ambushes doe preuaile so much are diuers first the terrour that the same strike the enemies minde withall comming vpon them vpon the sudden secondly the disorder and confusion that is in the enemies army surprised suddenly and thirdly the vantage of ground which they chuse and the weaknes of the enemy where they charge him Therefore let all valiant souldiers to whom such executions are committed beware how they protract time or loose their aduantage or by vntimely noyse or stirre giue notice of their purpose to the enemy or by stirring before the time cause the enemy to retire before he come within danger By reason whereof I haue seen some my selfe but haue heard of many more enterprises that haue come to nothing CHAP. XIIII Wherein is shewed how the enemy being vanquished the victory is to be vsed and the conquest mainteined HI therto we haue declared by what meanes the enemy may be vanquished in open fielde a marke whereat all valiant Captaines aime and whereunto they addresse all their actions and â—ounsels Yet all consisteth not so in victory but that they deserue farre more commendation that can vse it to purpose and mainteine that which they winne a Vincere scis Annibal victoria vâ—i nescis saâ—de Maherbal vnto him Liu. 22. Annibal had the happe to ouercome the Romanes in diuers battels but he had not the wisdome or happe to vse the victory And diuers great victories hath God giuen to our nation against the Frenchmen and many partes of France haue our ancesters possessed but we could not vse our time nor Gods graces nor at this day haue we so much grounde in France as to builde a fishers cabane in Therefore seeing it is a miserable thing to say we haue had when wee haue not and b Non minor est virtus quà m quaetere parta tueri wise men no lesse consider how they may keepe them winne let vs see if God would so much fauour vs as to suffer vs to winne any thing hereafter how the victory may be vsed and our purchase assured Least as the Spaniard foyled by sea An. 1588. escaped without pursuite or memorable losse saue of some shippes so hee or any other might escape againe so good cheape and continually returne to inuade vs with hope of victory at the least without feare of pursuite or great losse Either the enemies army is altogether vanquished and dispersed or els some good part there of is retyred entire and whole In both these cases what course the Generall is to take let vs nowe consider beginning with the latter If the enemy be not so vanquished but that some part of his army remaineth sound or at least vnbroken then is the Generall to follow him and vrge him while the terrour of the late affright is not yet out of his minde Caesar hauing obteined a great victory against the Heluetians c Caes debel gal 1. ceased not to pursue the remaynder so long vntill all yeelded And afterward hauing foyled Vercingetorix in the fielde and caused him to retire with the rest of his army hee did not d Caes debel gal 7. leaue him vntill hee had forced him to take Alexia for his defence nor then neither vntill such time as he had the towne and all within it yeelded to his mercy e Caes debel ciu â— Vanquishing Pompey in open fielde he would not suffer him to take Sanctuary in his campe but droue him thence and rested not vntill he had taken his flight nor before the reliques of his army that fledde to the hilles thereby had yeelded being cut from water Gaston de Fois hauing foyled the Spaniards at Rauenna did like a man of iudgement follow the reliques of the enemies army the reason hee had no successe was for that hee charged the pikes with his horsemen which should haue bene done with shot and with small forces auanced himselfe too farre forward being so euill followed which cost him his life If he had charged them with shot and taken the way before them with his horse or staied vntill he had taken them at aduantage in some straite where they could not haue kept their rankes or cut betweene them and their victuals without many blowes they had bene forced to yeelde Scipio after he had vanquished Asdrubal in Spaine and driuen him to retraite he so followed him with his horsemen that the man could finde no rest vntill he came vnto the vtmost coast of Spaine Those that after they haue victorie giue themselues either to pleasures or to rest for a small rest purchase to themselues great labour and sometime losse If a Caes de bel cin 3. Pompey after he had giuen Caesar two repulses at Dyrrhachium had vrged the reliques of his armie not yet being recouered from their late affright his successe had bene farre better The Carthaginians not pursuing their victorie in b Liu. 24. Spaine after the death of the two Scipioes but suffering the reliques of their armies not onely to breath but also to gather head were themselues ouercome not
footemen especially shot and targetters vpon the flanke of the enemy that chaseth our men and if hee stay not then resolutely to charge him In the meane time those that flie are to be rallyed againe Annibal in that last battell which hee fought with the Romanes in Afrike thrise rallyed his forces and so many fresh charges gaue he vnto them If his souldiers had bene answerable vnto him or els if the Romanes had not followed very orderly he might percase haue broken them b Liui. 35. Philopoemen charging the enemy that followed the chase of his men too egerly did ouerthrow him At Rauenna the c Guicciatâ— Spaniards that remained after the battel vnbroken retiring in good order and vsing the aduantage of the ground did so receiue the enemy that charged them that they slew the General and diuers of his company Those therefore that retire Iet them marche resolutely and orderly the shot let them approch neere to the flanks of the squadrons of pikes There also is the defence of targetters against horse The pikes let them not disdeine the helpe of shot and short weapons The horse are to bee ranged behinde the squadrons or on the flankes Which if they be vnited in one body are not easily broken nor rashly to be charged If being neere the enemy thou desirest to depart without fight at least without Iosse thy best course is to make him vncertaine of thy purpose by pretending that which thou meanest not By making of fires hauging of matches in bushes and standing of tentes the enemy is oftentimes abused especially in the night That thy companies may make more speede thou art before thou beginnest to dislodge to sende thy hurt and sicke together with the baggage and great ordonance before thee and then to followe with the rest a Sauciorum aegrorum habita ratione impedimenta omnia silentio prima nocte ex castris Apolloniam praemittit Ac conquiescere ante iter confectum vetuit his vna legio praesidio missa est Caes de bel Ciu. 3. Caesar departing from Pompey at Dyrrhachium that he might not be charged at disaduantage in his marche tooke this course The sicke hurt and baggage of the campe hee sent away first garded with one Regiment Other Regiments he caused to marche after them some good distance with two legions that remained hee followed last And hauing marched so much as he meant to doe that day and making shewe to lodge there when the enemy that followed was not aware and vnreaby hee departed presently and that day got so much ground that after ward hee ould neuer be ouertaken before hee came whither hee meant to goe If the enemy be ready in armes to follow it is hard to goe from him vnlesse the neerenesse of hils or straites doe fauour thy retraite Lest thou be charged in retiring with the enemies horse or shot or disordered in some straite great care must be vses To represse the force of horsemen vse either thy horsemen entermingled with some shot or squadrons of pikes flanked with musquetiers against shot vse horsemen in the plaine and shot and targetters in straites If thou fearest to be charged in some straite take the vpper ground with thy shot and targets and seeke those aduantages which before I haue shewed thee in the discourse of the vse of diuers weapons and aduantages of ground To stoppe the enemies pursuite where he must passe a straite before be come at thee it is a good course to cut downe trees and woods and to set them on fire For horse will hardly passe through the fire nor can lightly passe but in hye wayes or made wayes By this meanes Xenophon retired safe with his men from b Xenoph. exp Cyr. 5. Dryla and the a 〈…〉 Bellouacians escaped the handes of Caesar in the warrâ—s of France Pompey being to take shippe at Brundusium and fearing least if he abandoned the walles Caesar would enter the towne and charge his men as they went on boord b Pottas obstruit vias platealque inaedificat sâ—sâ—ar transuersas vijs perducir ibique sodes stipiésque praeacutos defigir haec ciatibus teriaque ina quat aditus ad portus maximis trabibus praesepit Milites silentio naues conscendunt expediti ex euocatiâ— sagittarijs in muro collocantur quibus certo loco actuarias naues relinquens signo dato renocat Caes de bel Ciu. 1. stopped and dammed vp all the gates and wayes saue one and in the streetes made blinde trenches staked them and couered them on the walles he placed his archery and light armed for defence of them vntill the rest were all shipped when all the rest were on boord then did these runne toward the porte where there were boates and fregates readie to receiue them That there may be some ende of flying either thou art to direct thy course to the hils and there to make head as aduantage is offered vnto thee or els to take some strong towne for thy safegard The Romanes keeping with their army in the higher ground wearied Annibals victorious army and cut betweene the same and prouision So long as the c Caes bel Gal. 7. Gaules kept on the higher ground and straited Caesars victuals hee coulde not hurt them D. Brutus in taking of Mutina arrested Antonies army that was going into France The retraite of Vercingetorix into Alexia stayed Caesar a great time in that siege in which meane time the Gaules leuied newe forces The siege of townes doe oftentimes breake the force of an army The Protestants finding no resistance in open fielde were harrassed and tyred out in the siege of d Hist de troubl de Fr. Poytiers and like hap had the aduerse party For being victorious at Moncontour they lost all vigour and strength at the siege of S. Iean d'Angeli That thou doe not receiue dishonour by retiring two things thou art especially to haue regard vnto first that thou doe not leaue behinde thee thy sicke and hurt men secondly that thou doe not loose thy carriages and baggage nor leaue them For without them thou canst neither commodiously cary armes nor victuals with thee nor mainteine thy company To do whatsoeuer in this case is requisite nothing is more auaileable then expedition By that thou dispatchest all impediments thou winnest ground thou preuentest the enemy thou sanest thy selfe and thy friends And therefore if in good successe much more in calamitie ought we to vse all celeritie Afranius being almost past all danger yet for idlenesse suffered the enemy to come betweene him and his retraite which e Caes de Bel. Ciuil lib. 1. was his ruine These things they hinder and stoppe the enemies proceeding for sometime But if thou meanest to driue him out of the countrey or to hinder him for winning any more ground newe forces must be leuied and an army sent into the fielde if not to fight with him vpon eauen grounde yet to watche all aduantages and to
wherewith other small cities were so dismaid that they submitted themselues paid such tribute as he imposed on them and translating the warres into Italy he beset and tooke c Taurinum caput gentis expugnat Liu. 21. Taurinum the head city of all the countrey at the foot of the Alpes which made all the townes thereabout to yeeld themselues The Athenians inuading the Iland of Sicile made the attempt against Syracusae being the head city of the countrey first which course both the Carthaginians and Romanes in the Sicilian warres pursued The prince of Parma in the siege of of Antwerpe had like respect and reasons to make him begin there for commonly all the countrey doth follow the condition and proceeding of the capitall city Lautrec in the enterprise of Naples spending time in taking paltry townes by the way when his purpose was to go directly to the siege of Naples did tire his army spend his men and loose time which the enemy spent better in arming himselfe In our iourney to Portugall many do likewise mislike that setting our course for Lisbone we turned aside to Coronna which was no small hindrance to vs and helpe to the enemy In besieging of small townes there is often as much labour and cost as in greater and little or no gaine Those therefore that when they may goe to the head are paltring about small townes or castles are like vnskilfull souldiers that whē the hart lieth open without defence are still striking at the hand or foot but if our force serue not to besiege the strongest towne of the enemies countrey yet before we sit downe before any towne let vs see what commodity we may get by taking it Scipio considering that new Carthage in Spaine was a fit port for ships and the store house of the enemy and a place where his treasure and hostages lay did begin the warres with the siege of that towne Annibal made many attempts against Nola and Naples for the desire he had to haue a port in Italy that lay commodiously against Afrike failing of these at length he got Tarentum and Locri. For the same cause he made reckoning of Salapia for it lay conueniently in the midst of the country and was very commodious for the conueyance of victuals to his army King Edward the third after his victory at Cressi sat downe before Caleis for that it was a commodious port for his enterprises against France Those that spend great labour in winning paltry hamlets as did the French king that was also king of Poland in the winning of Liuron in Dauphinè although they winne the place yet winne nothing but repentance and if they faile scorne and losse Townes are taken diuers wayes viz. either by siege or by assault or surprise or by all or two of these ioyned together in euery of which the proceeding is diuers as the endes are diuers The end of a siege is to strait the towne so that either for want of victualles water munition souldiers hope of succour health or other commodity the same be driuen to yeeld The end of a surprise is slily to enter the towne without knowledge of the enemy The end of an assault is to force the enemy to giue vs entrance This diuersity of endes may teach vs both what to do and what to auoyd The end of sieges being to force the enemy to yeeld for want we are to vse all deuices and meanes to make him spend his store and to increase his want Alexander king of a Liu. 7. Epeirus hauing a purpose to besiege Leucadia suffered all the countrey people that would to enter the towne that they within might sooner spend their victualls When they of b Caes de bel Gal. 7. Alexia besieged by Caesar began to send out women and children and aged persons such as onely serued to spend victualles they could not be suffered to passe The French king that now is did otherwise in the siege of Paris an 1590 mooued with Christianity and pity but the practice of warre required rather rigour in that case In c Non facile est simul misereri sapere which hard it is both to shew mercy and wisedome together Where the defendants are not more politike then ordinary there the assailants may also by false shewes and fained escaladaes make them spend their powder in vaine In these late troubles of France while the braue souldiers within a certeine place shotte all the night at certeine matches conueyed from place to place and at an asse or two that made a stirre in the towne ditch in the morning they began to yeeld for want of powder Caesar by a d Caes bel Gal. 8. mine comming to the vaines of the spring that serued Vxellodunum tooke away the water from the towne and so forced the same to yeeld e Thucid. 1. Megabazus besieging the Athenians in the Iland Prosopis in Aegypt by a deuice turning away the water that ran into the hauen where their ships lay set their ships drie and gaue entrance to his men tooke away all escape from the enemy whose ships were on ground The towne of Chartres in France had likewise for want of water and other necessities bene driuen to great straits in the siege an 1568 the Protestants turning away the riuer out of the channell but that by conclusion of peace the siege was broken vp shortly after Caesar by keeping Pompey in a short compasse of ground by his entrenchments had almost famisht all his horse in which consisted his speciall strength Which gard and diligence if the Protestants anno 1569 had vsed in the siege of Poitiers they had not onely famisht all the horse of the enemy but otherwise hurt him but they did not so much as barre the wayes much lesse other ground so but that he sallied at pleasure There are two meanes principall to stoppe the towne besieged from victuals and things necessarie the one of which must necessarilie be vsed if wee meane to atchieue our purpose the first is to entrench the towne round about if it be a land towne if it stand vpon the water then to cast a banke about it on that part that is toward the land and with ships or boates to garde and stop the way to the sea or water The second is to barre the wayes and vpon all places of easie accesse to make in conuenient distances sconces or fortes The first is more laborious but very effectuall the second is easie but seldome taketh effect vnlesse time the weaknesse of the enemie doe helpe vs. Therefore was that course alwayes vsed of antiquitie this seldome vnlesse it were of such as either knew not what to doe or had not means to doe more The Lacedemonians besieging a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thucid. 2. Platea cast vp a banke round about the towne the same they garded with turrets built vpon it in equal distances and least any might climbe ouer it they
such time as his men forced the breach From the breach his men marched and tooke a place of aduantage others scoured the streetes and hauing assured himselfe of the towne in the ende he tooke the castell Scipio hauing enuironed the towne of new b Carthage in Spaine Liu. 25. and shaken the walles at noone time when the enemy was at rest sent part of his men by the lake and scaling the towne at one instant in diuers places both from the water and the land entred with part of his men which gaue accesse to their fellows which marching in order cut in peeces such as resisted and in the end tooke the castle The c Corona cinxit vrbem omnibus copiis admotis Liu. 10. Romane Consull besieging and assaulting the towne of Comimium first compassed the same round with all his forces against the gates hee opposed certaine troupes to repell those that should offer to sally out Couering his men with mantellets of wood he broke open the gates with others he scaled the walles marching into the towne with his men in order beat those that had seized the market place and assured himselfe of the walles and streetes In the assault of d Romani signo dato pars eminùs glande aut lapidibus pugnare alii succedere aut murum suffodere scalis aggredi Salust bel Iugurth Zama the Romanes hauing a signe giuen them by the generall at one instant some presented the scale others with slings stones beat the defendants others zapped the walles In the assault giuen to e Liu. 32. â—latia a towne in Greece they made shew to make all their force to enter in at the breach But when they perceiued the townesmen to drawthither they scaled the walles in an other place and so entred the towne The common course which antiquitie vsed in sieges and assaults as I haue declared was to compasse the towne besieged with banks and trenches The hauens or riuers they dammed with ships filled ful of stones and sunken If the same were broad they garded the issues with f Caes de bel ciu 1. towers built in the straitest places vpon which they placed their engins which Caesar practiced at Brundusium Sometimes they crossed the riuer with boats as g Liu. 29. Scipio did the hauen wheÌ„ he besieged Vtica and as h Liu. 2. Porsena did in the riuer of Tyber when he besieged Rome Before they went to assault the i Agger ab vniuersis coniectus ascensum dat Gallis quae in terram occultanerant Romani contegit Caes bel gal 7. walles they filled the ditches with earth The men that laboured they couered with mantellets made of square timber and fensed with occum made of olde ropes these planed the earth these beganne the trenches and bankes In working at their trenches bankes and mounts no man was exempted They neuer assaulted towne but with their whole forces and that in all places together Taking the towne first they assured themselues of the walles and gates and from thence in good order they went to take the open a Vt quisque intrauerat eques ad forum occupandum citato equo pergebat additum erat triariorum equiti praesidium Liu. places of the towne No man might depart from his b Inde signo dato milites discurrunt ad praedam Liu. 25. ensigne nor run to spoile but after a signe giuen And therefore no maruell if they preuailed for the most part as now men faile of their purpose for the most part being so far departed from the lawes of armes What is now the common proceeding in sieges batteries and assaults shall now appeare by the examples following The Protestants going about to besiege and win Poitiers 1569. first made their approches quartered their souldiers in the suburbs which they took at their first arriual for the most part Next they made their trenches mounts gabions for to accommodate their great ordonance Part was placed to batter the walles part to beate the enemy in flanke behind the cortine Certaine small peeces they leuelled against the parapet and certaine defenses made by the enemie vpon the walles Of these peeces some were placed in houses neere the walles others were ranged on the plaine behinde gabions or baskets of earth which they filled there in the night The breach being made 20 pases wide and very plaine the Admirall disposed his men to go to the assault in this order first 700. shot marched after them 300. gentlemen marched with targets on their armes after them followed halberds pikes the rest of the army was ready in armes to succor where neede should be But their errors were so many that these good orders auailed litle first they spent time about Lusignen and other small matters and made not their approch so soone as they might In which meane time the D. of Guise entred with his troupes fortified diuers weake places and prouided diuers thinges necessary secondly their auantgard going before the towne without direction did nothing but giue the enemy warning so returned thirdly they neither trenched nor barred the wayes nor kept such ward or gard but that both succors entred guided by Onoux and diuers times the enemy sallied both on horsebacke and on foote fourthly they did not take the suburbs nor bridge of Rochereuill but suffered the enemy to possesse it yet by reason that it flanked the breach stopped the water was it most necessary to be taken For the water being there stopped regorged vpward the enemy being there lodged had a ful marke at those that went along to the breach fiftly they made their breach beyond the riuer which by reason of the depth of it made them to their great preiudice differ the assalt al other things being ready and broke their arrayes as they went ouer the bridge They might haue done better to haue passed their troupes before had them on the other side before they went to the breach further they considered not that the ground behinde the breach being hie was not to be mounted albeit there had beene no wall And therefore a place euil chosen to make breach in For albeit they wan the breach yet could they not go forward vp the hill lastly they did neither diuert the enemies forces by escalades nor went to the assault with all their forces Of the simple prouision of victuals and bad gouernement in matters of iustice discipline of armes I wil say nothing because such disorders are inseparable companions of ciuil warres Yet was there not much better proceeding in the Kings campe besieging Rochell Anno 1573. which was in this sort The king before he sent his forces before the towne caused two enginers to goe thither about other matters but their purpose was to sound the hauen harbor and to marke the walles places of the towne to draw a plot of it Not loÌ„g after he sent Biron thither with
Carthage in Spaine assailed by Scipio all things being prouided Mago assigned to euery man his quarter his charge and both with engines from the wall beat the scalers and with archerie and armed men defended the breach The Romanes hearing of the approch of Porsena to besiege their citie sent into other countreys to buy victuals fortified their citie assigned to euerie man his seuerall charge delt well with the common sort The same reasons alwayes continuing the same course for the most part hath bene vsed also of late time Lignieres deputed gouernour of Chartres an 1568. which then was threatened by the Protestants to be besieged first encouraged the people with good words then together with the principal mē of the towne going about to marke the weakest places of the walles caused rampiers and trenches to be made presently In that worke hee caused all the inhabitants to labour Afterward being bet in flanke he raised vp a terrasse neere the breach spreading sheetes and clothes before it for to couer the workemen for grinding of corne he caused handmils to be made and finally set good order for the administring of matters of warre and iustice But if he had burnt the suburbes and beaten downe the houses neere the wals and defended the Rauelin by the gate Drouaize more carefully and strongly hee had done farre better These things being neglected the enemie placed his ordnance neere to the wall in houses from whence he discouerd the breach and diuers places of the towne and hurt diuers He lodged his men very commodiously in the suburbes and taking that Rauelin had entred the citie if he had folowed his good hap or kept the place The duke of Guise Gouernour of Poitiers entring a litle before the siege which the Protestants laid before the town anno 1569. spent first one day in viewing the walles and appointing fortifications and defences to be made which was also executed with great expedition He tooke the next day the moster of all the souldiers and inhabitants able to beare armes to see what strength hee had Afterward hee appointed officers orders for the storehouses of victuals Further he set some on worke to make pouder others to burne the houses nere the gates The light horsemen he sent out to take some prisoners of thē to vnderstand the disseins of the enemie for auoiding of surprises would not suffer bell to ring nor clocke to strike during the siege For defence of the breach he caused a retrenchment to be made behind the wall against the pieces that bet his men in flanke he opposed a trauerse of earth and directly against the breach placed certaine pieces in countrebatterie For sustaining the assault he assigned to euerie man his quarter disposed his shot vpon the wals in certain houses neere to beat the enemie approching both in front in flanke Neere the wals he had his armed men readie his horsemen he sent about the streetes to keepe men in order and to send those that were there to the breach onely this was omitted hee burnt not the suburbes nor spoiled the countrey round about nor prouided cornemils nor discharged the towne of such as were vnfit for seruice nor of asses and iades that spent the haie so fast that in the ende there wanted for the maintenance of his horse of seruice They of Rochel against the siege that folowed an 1573. first fortified their towne and then set order for their gouernement withall they made the best prouision of victuals and munitions they could they sent to their friendes for succour they hindered the approches of the enemy by diuers sallies for defence of the breach they made a retrenchment behinde and filled the breach vp with sackes of earth and other things For couering those that wrought they made a thicke smoke before the breach Against the breach they ranged diuers peeces in contrebatterie To susteine the assalt they placed the shot on the flankes and walles placed squadrons of armed men both by the breach and in other places with traines of powder in the ditche they scorched the enemie that came to the breache Vpon the formost they cast stones fire scalding water hot tarre and pitch yet might they haue done better if they had made better prouision of thinges necessarie next if they had not made so many vaine and weake sallies If in one sallie those that went out first had bene well seconded they had surely raysed the siege while they spared the houses and villages and woods neere the Towne they ministred many commodities to the enemie without which hee coulde not as hee did haue continued his siege the whole winter long In the siege of S. Iean d'Angeli anno 1569 capteine Piles wan to himselfe great commendation The towne was not strong yet did he holde it long The enemy wanne no ground vpon him but it cost him deare Vpon his first approch he made so couragious a sally that he made the enemy to giue ground In the place of the breach he made a wall in the ditch before it and a retrenchment within behinde it and casting the earth inward raised a banke vpon it wherevpon he placed diuers pipes of earth for defence of his souldiers Vpon the side of the breach he raised vp a platforme of earth with a parapet for sauing his men By this meanes he susteined diuers assaults and at diuers sallies cut diuers of the enemies in peeces and cloyed and dismounted diuers Canons If his prouision of victuals and munitions and the strength of men had bene greater he had no doubt kept the Towne still but wanting all thinges and his platforme being newe and but fifteene foote thicke and pierced by euery Canon shotte and not able long to stand force it was for him to accept of an honourable composition offered him by the king And although the Towne of Sancerre was yeelded in the ende to the enemy yet doe the defendants deserue to be remembred for their resolute defense and reasonable good gouerment When they heard that the enemy determined to besiege them they chose a Gouernour and ioyned with him a Counsell of Capteines and the most apparent Citizens Next they mostred their people enrolled them in bands and assigned to euery man his charge and quarter appointed orders such as the time required For defence of the breach they made a retrenchment and defended the same with gabions on the front and sides where they placed their shotte to serue at the time of the assault To susteine the assault they ranged their shot there and on the wals and in a certein gallery and other houses neere the breach Vpon the sides of the breach and in other places conuenient they placed their halberds pikes and armed men but wanting victuals munitions and men requisite for defence of such a place they were driuen to accept of a harde composition Whereunto if they had not spared their money in the beginning or had sent out such as
midst of the cortine cannot easily beforced if it be wel defended Whether it be better to haue fiue or sixe or more bulwarkes about one towne or forteresse it is hard to determine for if the cortine be made right and of a reasonable length and the bulwarkes bee so placed that one may entresuccour another how many corners soeuer the forteresse is the same is good Onely forteresses of foure corners and bulwarks and much more those of three because the bulwarkes cannot one defend another vnlesse they be made very sharpe weake of men of experience haue bene found defectiue The forteresse of Porto Hercole in the territorie of Siena is of three corners but it was so built either by reason of the ground that would admit no other forme or for that the insufficiencie of those smal bulwarkes with three corners was not knowne when that was made Those that either haue not time or meanes to make walles and bulwarkes of stone if they will obserue the same measures and proportions may make the same very wel and strongly of earth clay and small rubble mingled together and either made in morter stiffened with straw or els borne vp with small and straight sticks layd thinne in the workes In Holland Zeland and other places of the low Countrie there are diuers good fortifications made onely of turffes of earth well layde and fastened together on the out sides and within stuffed with earth and rubble Onely the places for the canon which are made in bulwarkes of stone in these kindes of fortifications are wanting and the pointes of the bulwarkes made very weake and subiect to zapping Yet with timber I would not doubt to make one sufficient place on either side of the bulwarke to range the canon in to beate low along the ditch and cortine and with fagots also to make both the shoulder and point of the bulwarke as stiffe as if were made with stone Those that fortifie their places only with turffes or earth of which both the walles and bulwarkes are to consist are thus to proceede in their worke First the ground is to bee plained so broade as they meane to make their banke or rampar or bulwarke and that would I not haue lesse then 14 pases at the bottome Some what lower in the midst then in the outsides The ground being plained a ranke of turffes is to be layde outwarde euery one a yarde or three quarters long if the earth be tough and likewise a ranke of turffes of a worser sort inwarde to the towne They are to be made thinne to the inside and thicke to the outside vpon the endes of these turffes are other worser turffes to bee layde and the space within to be filled with small earth well rammed together Vpon these rankes of turffes other rankes of turffes are to be layde and to be fastened together and to be filled in the midst vntill the same come to a sufficient height The banke is to be made leaning inwarde the better to holde vp the earth The earth must be digged out of the ditch al along the banke leaning a yarde or more from the foundation of the banke which the worke being finished may be plained and fashioned to the banke and may serue to make the banke seeme hie To make a banke of earth and hasell rods or other brush mingled together this is the course First the earth is to be plained where the foundation is to be made then small earth well sifted and rammed to bee layde halfe a foote thicke and aboue that small rods with their heads layde as eauen as may be and to the endes of those other rods are to be layde and earth ouer them this is to be done both on the outside and inside and so to be mingled and rammed together vntill the banke come to the full height The banke is to be made slope for the better lying of the earth and to bee filled with earth digged out of the ditch for ease of the labourers If neither turffes of earth nor sticks may be had sufficient then the outward crust on both sides of the ramper would be made of morter well mingled with hay and straw or els if the ground be stony of stones layde in morter The inmost part if it be filled with earth and rubble and well rammed wil stand when the stones ruse downe and beare many canon shot if it be of sufficient thickenesse This maner of fortification requiring no great cost and being perfited onely with labour greatly were it to be wished that Plimmouth Falmouth and other Port townes in England were so banked and fortified For albeit in continuance of time such bankes are beaten flat yet would they beare off any suddeine force When the worke is come to the height then is the parapet to bee made 4 pases broade if thy banke will beare it And to mount vp the rampar staires would be cast out in diuers places The broader the banke is the better the earth will lye and the better resistance it will make But if the same be weake in any place then is the same to be defended with mounts from within and rauelins without The measures of the bulwarkes of earth with al their parts would be either equal to those that are made of stone or larger because otherwise the ditch would soone be filled with the rusing downe of the earth In making the walles and bulwarkes the breadth also and fashion of the ditch is to be cast for if they be done both together the earth that is digged out of the ditch may serue to make the rampar The ditch where it is narrowest would be 15 pases broade If it be made narrower it may the more easily bee filled vp by the enemy and by the ruines of the bankes and walles In France the ditches made in olde time are either a dos de l'asue that is deepe and narrow in the midst and rising on both sides as the ditches about Amiens and Paris or els a fond de cuue that is equally deepe in the bottome and steepe vpon the sides In both which the foote of the wall is open to the view and easily battred Neither doe the defenses made vpon the rampar on which the wal is built which they cal fausses brayes helpe the matter Now the wall being raysed out of the ditch the bottome of the same would be leuell but broade and deepe And in the midst of it a deepe trench which in dry ditches serueth to discouer the enemies Mines in watry places to conuey away the water Some for defence of their ditch haue built a wall in the midst of it as in the ditches of Caleis but it is to no purpose seeing for the lownesse of it either with the ruines of the wall or with earth and faggots cast into the ditches it is soone couered Whether the ditch be drie or full of water it skilleth not greatly For as both haue their discommodities so they haue also
their commodities A fortresse enuironed with a deepe water is lesse subiect to sudden enterprises except it be in time of hard frost The same is more incommodious to passe or to fill to the enemie but the same is hurtfull to the retraite of the souldiers that sally and keepeth them vp as it were in mue and seldome is any ground so leuell but that in some place or other the water may be let out of the ditches contrarywise dry ditches make fortresses more subiect to surprises but yet they are more commodious for souldiers to sally out and to fauour the retraite of those that come backe If there be heapes of stones in them the canon doeth more hurt to the enemy beating among them Finally the dry ditch giueth the souldiers meanes to defend their contrescarpe which those that are enuironed with water doe as it were yeeld vp to the enemy There fore where the fortresse is strong and well flanked and manned it is better to haue a dry ditch where it is weake and euill furnished with souldiers it is better to haue ditches deepe and full of water The last defence which is thought of but first lost or wonne is the coutrescarpe or banke without the ditch The same is to be fashioned according to the ditch In the making of it we are to respect three pointes according to the three parts of it First that the same be made so plaine on the toppe that the enemy doe not hide himselfe behinde it and vse it for a parapet Secondly that toward the ditch there be made a couert or close way foure foote broad and foure foote and a halfe high Wherein the souldiers lying may hinder the approches of those that come to viewe the walles or full the ditch or place their artillery and sallying may retire thither safely being pursued by the enemy Thirdly that the pendant or banke of the contrescarpe be made so slope that the souldiers may goe downe in all places without breaking their armes or their legges although they cannot come vp vpon it but at the staires These are the common defences of Townes or Castles according to which by the same rules others may be deuised Of late there is an Italian that hath deuised by certeine terrasses of earth before the walles to keepe the enemy from battering the cortine of the wall and therefore he calleth them contraguardie the same are thus to be fashioned The cortine of the wall is to bee made bending inwarde some eight or tenne pases from the right line in the middest eight pases from this is a rampar of earth to bee raised all along the cortine betweene bulwarke and bulwarke higher then the contrescarpe but lower then the parapet of the wall this rampar is to haue a couert way like to the contrescarpe inward being made low towards the ditch is there likewise to haue a parapet the same at the endes is to be made small so that it doe not hinder the artillery of the bulwarke to scoure the ditch the artillery of the towne that is placed at the inward angle of the cortine is to beate all along the ditch and flanke of this contregard This manner of fortification hauing so many parapets and flankers and such a thickenesse of earth hee supposeth that no batterie shall be able to force but on the otherside hee considereth not that the forces of the castle or towne being not great are not sufficient to furnish so many places nor conuenient that they shoulde into so many partes bee deuided neither doth hee thinke that it is more easie to fortifie two townes or castles then to builde these double defenses nor that the charge would be infinite It is reported that the Castle of And warp cost a hundreth thousand duckats building what then woulde a citadel cost that hath double the defenses and workes and requireth twise so many men and twise so much ordonance if fewe goe to the cost of fortification with stone and content themselues with bankes of earth it is not likely that any beside the worke of stone will make so many terrasses of earth as by the rules of this kinde of Italian fortification is required The Prince of Orenge in his time traced diuers bankes about such places as hee thought necessarie to bee defended as about William stat and others where there is scarce any bulwarke caualier or good platforme but the walles being made in and out the inward angle of one part is made with great ordonance and mosquets to flanke the other besides this the Rampar is so large that the artillerie placed thereon may bee made to serue to many purposes He that vnderstandeth these rules and withall the vse of the canon and all lesser pieces together with their effects in what ground soeuer he is may vnderstand how to defend himselfe and his companie so long as his victuals and munitions last For example if he be taken in plaine ground and would there lie safelie let him trace his bankes and trenches either fiue square or sixe square with bulwarkes or terrasses at euerie corner like vnto a castle or towne fortified hee may make it big or lesse according to his number If he be appointed to gard the passage of a riuer hee may vnderstand how to couer his companie that hee bee neither forced in front nor on the banke Such places as are aduantageous by nature as hils and straites he knoweth how to make stronger by labour The a Guicciard Bicocke in Lombardie resolutelie defended by Prospero Colonna agaynst the French teacheth vs how hard it is to passe a banke that is well defended The Spaniards in their warres in the kingdom of Naples against the French hauing made betwixt themselues and the enemie a banke and ditch of no great strength yet by that small aduantage obtained a great victorie These rules may also teach vs how to strengthen such townes as are alreadie walled and ditched though weakelie and for the vse of the canon vnprofitablie The defences of walles made inartificiallie are diuers First rampiers cast vp behinde the walles Secondlie retrenchments with bankes made toward the towne with a strong parapet such as before I haue described Thirdly platformes made at the corners or on the cortine of the walles made in such places as our artillerie may best serue to flanke our walles and ditches The like effect haue mountes raysed behinde the wall vpon the rampar Fourthlie rauelins placed from the wall forward where the same is most straight and the ground most euen The same are to be made fiue square or at least three square and raised of earth and roddes mingled and rammed close together about the which a broad and deepe ditch is to bee wrought The last defence is in the depth of the ditches and strength of the counterscarpe which is to be wrought artificiallie all along where wee thinke the enemie will assayle vs. When the gouernour of the towne hath vsed all possible means
order herein that was requisite neither they in France nor others could at any time assure themselues of their number or strength 14 No souldier nor other c. Among souldiers there can be no greater fault then to forsake their ensignes standing so to run out of the field Be it for feare or spoile the same is grieuously to be punished b Liu. 2. Appius beheaded the ensigne bearers centurions that fled away froÌ„ their ensignes To those companies that fled and lost their ensignes in a certeine encouÌ„ter with Annibal c Cohortibus quae signa amiserant hordeum dari iussit centurionesque manipulorum quorum signa amissa fuerat districtis gla dijs discinctos destituit Liu. 27. Marcellus gaue nothing but barly to eate the centurioÌ„s he caused to staÌ„d with their garments loose and swords drawen which among their souldiers was a great shame Caesar did put certaine ensigne bearer froÌ„ their d Caes bel ciu 3. places for that they lost their grouÌ„d in a certaine encounter with Pompey at DyrrhachiuÌ„ Crassus e Appian Alex. causing his souldiers that fled to cast lots put euery tenth man to death which Antony did likewise execute vpoÌ„ his souldiers flying froÌ„ the ParthiaÌ„s Antonius Primus f Vexillarium fugientem transuer berauit hasta Tacit 19. one of Vespasians captaines seeing an ensigne bearer turne his backe stroke him through with a iauelin In this case Clearchus would haue souldiers to feare their captaines more then the enemie The fault of those that runne to spoile is not much lesse then of those that runne away While those that pursued the enemie turned aside to spoile the French were ouerthrowen at Guinguast the ItaliaÌ„s at g Guicciard 1. Taro and the h Liu. 8. Samnites in a certaine encounter by the Romanes that turning head vpon the victors tooke the victorie out of their hands i Caesar à militibus contendit ne in praeda occupati reliqui negotij gerendi facultateÌ„ dimitterent Caes de bel ciu 3. Caesar hauing ouerthrowen Pompey in open field prayed his souldiers that they would not so set their mindes on spoile that they would omit the occasion to atchieue the victorie and perfite other matters The Romanes what with reward what with seueritie wrought so much in the mindes of their souldiers saith k In bello saepiùs vindicatum est in eos qui contra imperium in hostem pugnaueraÌ„t quà m qui signa reliquere aut pulsi loco cedere ausi sunt Salust coniur Catil Salust that they were more often punished for fighting without coÌ„mandement then for flying away or forsaking their ensignes The Lacedemonians banished such cowardly persons Aristotle no souldier but a Philosopher l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist thetoric 2. holdeth it a dishonorable thing for a souldier to flie or to cast away his armes A certaine souldier of Caesar albeit he had vanquished his enemy yet craued pardon for that he was driuen to forsake his shield 15 No souldiers nor others c. the cries tumult and running vp and downe of disorderly persons do much discourage yong souldiers and a Caes bel gal 5. hinder them that they cannot heare the commandements of their leaders and therefore are diligently to be auoyded b Aemilius cum clamoribus omnia confunderentur tribunos militum Primipilo legionis secretuÌ„ edere imperium iussit singulos proximo cuique dicere Liu. 44. Aemilius perceiuing the diuers inconueniences that grew hereof gaue all his directions to the colonels and they to the first man of the legion and he to the Centurions and euery one to his fellow secretly and quietly Among the c Que ningun soldado gritte ni hable en la ordâ—n c. so pena de ser sacado de la hilera vergonçosamente Sancho de Lond. Spaniards no man may cry out nor speake loud either marching or embattelled in squadrons The punishment of the offence among them is shame and infamy Onelie at the ioyning of the battel it is not only lawful but also profitable to beginne with a great noise Of which as it was greater or lesser some haue gathered a d Veget. presage either of losse or victorie 16 No man shall giue an alarme c. False alarmes disquiet the army very much and often trouble those that ought to rest And therfore doth the enemy oftentimes suborne some to keep our men in continuall alarme that more easily he may preuaile against vs being tyred and ouerwatched Those difficulties therefore which the enemie casteth in our way let vs not e Que ninguna persona de arma falsa sin ' erden ded que se la pudiere dar so pena de la vida increase by our vnskilfulnes let vs in our watches and discoueries keepe good order and the rather for that lodging for the most part without strong defence and marching without diligent discouery wee lie open to many surprises and sodaine attempts of the enemy The penaltie is arbitrarie and may be more or lesse according to the qualitie of the offence Yet in auoyding the excesse we must take heede that we runne not into the defect and so for want of warning be taken vnprouided 17. He that by negligence c. If this did not fall out too often amoÌ„g our yong souldiers that either for want of skill or through feare not looking before them do kill hurt their fellowes this law might seeme needles But as now it is I would thinke this law very profitable if by this prouiso the souldiers might be made more wary By the same not only those that hurt others negligently but also much more they that hurt their felows maliciously are to be punished 18 No man shall challenge c. f In l. 18. 19. The Romanes contended among themselues rather who should kill most enemies then who could ouercome most of their fellowes g CommilitoneÌ„ gladio ferire capitale erat lapide percutiens militia reijciebatur l. 3. §. qui aliena ff de re milit Those that stroke their fellowes with their sword died for it those that threwe stones at them were displaced with shame And therefore did seldome anie quarrell or braule arise among companions Among vs nothing is more common neither will any law serue to restraine such disorders Yet do I not doubt but if these lawes whereby not onely the original that is iniurious wordes and deedes but also the meanes that is challenges and acceptance of challenges is taken away were executed and braulers punished that these faults would be lesse common In experience wee finde that these spadassines and common quarellers prooue not most resolute souldiers Many inconueniences come of these quarels For not onely braue men are often lost but also the common cause hindred by them The quarrels betwixt captaines and gentlemen in Tifauges Anno. 1569. caused diuers to depart malecontent of which the enemy hauing
did it anie hurte to the footemen by reason of the vneuenesse of the ground For eyther it fell lowe or high If the same be placed in the front of our armie yet can not the same be employed past one or two volies For at the ioyning of the battell it ceaseth And if our men march forward it breaketh their arrayes If the same be placed vpon some hill yet lying out of leuell and shooting downeward it doth no great hurt But let it doe the vtmost that it may being employed by iudicious gunners yet neuer was victorie obtained by great ordonance in open field nor the force of the enemy comming resolutely to the charge thereby stopped a Guicciard lib. 10. Gaston de Fois sallying out of the Castell tooke the towne of Brescia notwithstanding the number of great peeces that in euery streete were bracked against him And little did the Spaniardes that sacked Antwerpe Anno 1576. sallying out of the cittadell esteeme the peeces that barked against them at their first sally The Frenchmen although they had two and twentie peeces of ordonance in their campe at Nouara wherewith they thought themselues safely garded all the wayes and accesses being by them flanked and beaten yet b Guicciar lib. 11. were they broken and put out of their lodging by the Suitzers which came against them without eyther ordonance of shot If then in streetes and waies where artillery hath greatest force the same notwithstanding cannot repel the force of a resolute enemy much lesse vse hath it in open field The Admirall after the vnhappy encounter at Moncontour with the reliques of his army c Hist de troubl de Fr. trauersed the greatest part of France without any one peece of great ordonance Neither did his company being diuers times encountred by the way therefore lesse seruice Very troublesome it is in carriage and no lesse chargeable Guicciardin reporteth that the breach of the wheele of a canon did so long incomber the whole army that it lost a good opportunitie by that delay The vse of great ordonance therefore is first in gardeing of towns or passages some litle vse it hath in flanking the sides of our campe or defending the streets if we lodge in villages secondly in battering of walles or opening of passages For without ordonance sufficient euery petit castle or town wil scorne vs or braue vs. In our battery at Coronna wee felt the want of it but more at Lisbon The last vse is in the field either in the front of the battell or vpon some hill vpon the sides Where if we can see the enemies troupes hit amongst them we shal make them change the ground The great artillery of the French beating amoÌ„g the Italian horse in their campe at Rauenna made theÌ„ come to fight with disaduantage The which paine the French themselues suffered in their campe at Landresie being beaten by the imperials from a hill where they had placed their great ordonance as before I haue shewed Thus you may see how as al weapons may be profitably imploied with good iudgement so without iudgement they serue for nothing but to make a shewe Now forasmuch as Stratagemes doe worke as much as weapons and make weapons more effectuall and because the enemy maketh least resistance when he is most sodainly surprised let vs speake of Stratagems and ambushes which tend also to the obtaining of victorie CHAP. XIII Of Stratagemes and Ambushes STratagems I call those deuises whereby the Generall doeth eyther hurte or discourage the enemy or helpe and incourage his owne men so called because they proceede from the Generalles head and pollicie whom the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambushes the Italians call emboscate from whence both French and wee borrowe the worde The reason whereof is for that in woodes for the most part such trappes are laide The Romanes doe better terme them insidias and the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that wee doe not onely lay snares for our enemies in woodes but also in hollow groundes and also beyond hilles and in valleis and villages and townes and behind walles and wheresoeuer we can couer our men in such sort that we be not espied vntil we come vpon the enemie vpon a sodayne Stratagemes are infinite and can not bee comprised within any certaine rules For what can be so exactly saide but that the wit of man is able to deuise more and saie more some I will set downe practised by famous captains in former time that by them our Generalles of themselues may learne how to inuent others and not alwayes kill the enemy with downe-right blowes One speciall and yet common Stratageme it is to couer our counsels and enterprises by contrary pretenses For by this meanes the enemy looking or warding one way is often taken and striken mortally in an other place and by other meanes Annibal taking his bedde and giuing out that hee was verie a Liu. 25. sicke which rumour flying to the Romanes made them secure in the night time led out tenne thousand men and comming on a sudden surprised Tarentum To the intent that his enterprise might not be discouered before it tooke effect he vsed diuers other pollicies First he sent out diuers light horsemen to range the countrey to kill such as they met least any should escape and giue notice of his comming and that the enemy seeing them might suppose that they were only certaine outriders hauing an intention to surprise Puteoli he gaue out that he went forth with his army to sacrifice at the lake of a Ad lacum Aâ—uerni per specieâ—â— sacrificandi reâ—â—sa vt tentaret Puteolos quique ibi in praesid o erant descendit Liu. 24 Aruerne But in the night hee turned toward Puteoli b Consul in Lucanos ostendir iter cum peteret Gall. am Liu. 27. Claudius Nero caused a fame to flee abroade that he went to the countrey of the Lucanians when in deede hee went into the part of Gallia Togata that is now called la Marca Vnder colour of treaty of peace many practices of hostility are wrought Scipio sending men to intreat with Syphax of peace caused some to espy his campe c Liu. 29. Which gaue entrance to that enterprice which afterward he executed in the night vpon the same Metellus d Salust bel Iugurth treating of peace with Iugurtha did by fayre promises corrupt most of his folowers Both which practices the Spaniards of late time haue vsed against vs. When they entend any dangerous enterprise then it is bruted that either the king of Spaine or their chiefe Leader is dead or sicke Vnder pretence of warres against the Turke An. 1588. he gathered great forces against vs and nowe I vnderstand that newes is come of great preparatiues in Spaine against the Turke that our eyes may be bleared and not see his preparation against France or vs. By the same deuise hee surprised the realme of Portugal after the
warre and iustly after the victorie for as good successe procureth to the Conquerour friends so euery one abandoneth and contemneth the vanquished The Capuans and a great part of Italy reuolted from the Romanes after the infortunate encounter at Cannae Philip king of Macedonia being ouercome by Titus Quintius not onely sawe the departure of his confederates and friendes but also the rebellion of his owne subiects After that the Carthaginians side began to decline in their warres with the Romanes all their friendes forsooke them The same disloyall dealing of subiects and friendes Charles last Duke of Burgundy felt after his disastrous iourney against the Switzers at Granson Hereupon Philip of Comines taketh occasion to tell a long tale howe dangerous it is for a Prince to be ouercome in a pight fielde at which if he had knowne ancient histories he would not haue made such wonderment For there neuer was nor can be other successe looked for in such cases Wherefore after the victorie the Generall is to practise with the friendes and confederates of the vanquished and with good conditions to vnite them vnto him selfe Heerein the opinion of the iustice and good dealing of the Generall shall greatly further his desire as is euident by the example of Scipio and Annibal For Scipio sending vnto euery Citie in Spaine those pledges which the enemie had from them and which he had taken from the enemie he gotte him selfe much friendshippe and Annibal after his victorie dismissing such of the associats of the Romanes as he had taken without ransome and vsing them courteously procured him selfe amongest them great credite of good dealing so that many did adhere vnto him and forsake the Romanes Thus we see howe the victorie is to be pursued Nowe therefore let vs see howe our conquest may be mainteined and assured For want of which consideration we see whereto the victories of this nation in France and otherwhere are come and how hardly and chargeably that which we haue remaining in Ireland is kept in deuotion and what is there to be feared if euer any enemy with resolution and strength doe there assaile vs. To keepe our conquest there are two principall meanes both necessarie Force and Iustice for neither without force can those that are rebellious and desirous of innouation be repressed nor without iustice can the peaceable be defended or contented That Empire sayth a Id firmissimum longèimperiuÌ„ est quo obedientes gaudent Liu. 9. Camillus is most firme and durable which the subiects do willingly embrace and gladly continue And hard it is to keepe men discontent long in subiection by force A countrey a Impâ—rium sâ—cilèâ—js artibus râ—tinetur quibus initio partum est Salâ—st coniur Catilin subdued is kept by the same meanes that it was subdued that is saieth Salust by fortitude industrie iustice The vse of force is diuers First to repell the enemie if hee come againe and to keepe him downe that hee looke not vp Caesar vsed this course in the subduing of France being alwayes readie to represse the disobedient and the same was vsed both in the subduing of Spayne and Afrike and other countreys by the ancient Romanes The French not hauing force readie in Naples and Milan to encounter the Spaniards that came to molest them in their possession soone lost prise Secondly force is necessarie to subdue rebels and mutinous persons that may procure the trouble of the state The Romanes vntill the countrey was quiet which they had vanquished and vntill euery husbandman and other fell to labour kept an armie there continually when the same was pacified they brought away their maine force and placed some of their souldiers inhabitants in some strong places in the countrey which liued vpon the profites thereof and yet kept the same in obedience These townes they called Colonies The Romanes hauing diuers times vanquished the b Ea clade conterritis hostium animis vt etiam vbi ea remisissee terrore aliquo tenerentur Velitris auxere numerum Colonorum Romani Norbae in montes nouam Coloniam quae arx in pomptino esset miserunt Liu. 2. Volscians and Sabines and yet seeing them readie to rebell for to keepe them in order placed Romanes in the towne of Velitri and in the mountaines in Norba to serue as castles among them Afterward when they had vanquished the c Tum de praesidio regionis depopulatae agitari coeptum itaque placuit vt duae coloniae circa Vestinum Falernum agrum deducerentur Liu. 10. Vestinians and spoyled their countrey consulting by what gardes they might best keepe the countrey in deuotion They resolued to send two Colonies into the countrey of the Vestinians and the territorie neere the hill Falernum These townes being peopled with Romanes and placed in countreys of new conquest Tullie calleth propugnacles of the Romane empire Tacitus calleth Cremona a fortresse and d Propugnaculum aduersus Gallos trans Padum agenteâ— Tacit. 9. propugnacle against the Gaules beyond Padus This meanes also other nations haue thought fittest to keepe countreys in subiection And therefore nothing among them was more vsuall then to translate inhabitants from one place into another The kings of Syria hauing vanquished the Israelites placed a Colonie in Samaria The Athenians taking the Island e Thucid. 4. Cythera from the Lacedemonians remooued the old inhabitants and peopled it with their friends And against the f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucid 1. Thracians in defence of their conquest they sent ten thousand inhabitants into Strymon The kings of this realme peopling Caleis with English kept the same long in their possession which they lost not but by force If they had likewise peopled Rochel Poitiers Limoges Burdeaux and other townes with this nation they would not haue bene so hard to keepe nor readie to reuolt not doing that they did soone loose the same by treason And if Colonies had now of late bene sent into Ireland not as now scattering and disunited and few in number but in good strength and vnited by lawes and dwelling in townes as the Romanes did I doubt not but the countrey would bee better assured and the charge farre lesser then now it is For the charge of garrisons is great the insolencie of garrison souldiers greater And if an enemie come against them their strength is nothing If any man say that it is hard to dispossesse the ancient inhabitants of the countrey out of their dwellings he considereth not that rebels and enemies are so to bee vsed and that if they bee placed other where it is of mercie rather then desert which notwithstanding in all cases may not bee vsed Hard it is sayd a Plutarch apopth Agesilaus to be mercifull and wise both together Yet if inhabitants when the time was had bene sent into Ireland being voyde in some places diuers English might haue bene placed without iniurie to any To maintaine a force therfore without great charge the meane