since their first footing in Germany have had Swedish Train of Artillery the reputation to be the most exactly composed and conducted by the most experimented Artists of any in Christendom And no doubt but their Artillery helpt them much to take so deep a footing in Germany that they have not been since expell'd out of it though that hath been much endeavour'd When the late King of Sweden invaded Poland in the year 1655 the perfidy of the Polonians was such that they deliver'd almost that whole Kingdom into his hands But after they had returned to their Duties and that the Swede was at Zamoiskie in the year 1657. it was by the help of his Artillery whereof John Casimir was destitute that the Swedish King traversed much of the length of Poland in spite of eighty thousand Polonians crost the Weichsell and join'd with Ragoski and after he was forc'd to part with the Transylvanian being invited to come nearer home by the King of Denmarks unseasonable declaration of a War against him he came out of Poland and Prussia too with a very inconsiderable ill appointed and harass'd Army without any loss at all meerly by the advantage he had of his Train of Artillery Sweden furnisheth abundance of both Copper and Iron whereof great Guns Sweden abounds in all things necessary for a Train and Hand-guns are made and by art and industry that Country hath as much Saltpeter as any Kingdom can have and it being full of Woods it cannot want Coal for making Powder whereof they make such abundance as they are able not only to serve themselves but to help their neighbours and friends They also make within the Kingdom greater store of Arms both for offence and defence than they have use for I have seen some little Towns in Sweden wherein few other Artificers were to be found but Armourers and Gunsmiths These advantages encourage them to entertain full and well appointed Trains of Artillery He who commands in chief over the Artillery is called by the English General or Master of the Ordnance by the French Grand Maistre del Artillerie Great Master of the Artillery by the Germans General fetz Eugmeister which is General Overseer and Master of the Munitions for the Field a term very proper because he hath not only the inspection of the Ordnance but of the Munitions of War such are the Guns greater and lesser all manner of Arms A General of the Artillery and Weapons all Materials belonging to Smiths and Carpenters Powder Match Bullets Granado's for Pot-pieces and to be cast by the hand store of Instruments and Utensils for Artificers Shops Bridges or Materials for them Boats or Materials for them to be made and join'd quickly for passing unfordable waters all kind of Instruments for working in Fortification or Approaches such as Spades Mattocks Pickaxes and Shovels In Scotland we call this great Officer the General of the Artillery The Ancients though they wanted Fire-guns yet they had their great Artillery those were their great Machines and Engines whereof I have formerly spoken and they had likewise a Master of their Artillery who had the inspection of it which I have also made appear in the fourth Chapter of the Roman Militia But since the Invention His Trust of Gunpowder the Charge of General of the Artillery hath been look'd on as most honourable as it indeed deserves to be and with none more than with us in Scotland and was always confer'd by our Kings on persons of eminent note and quality James the Fifth King of Scotland made the Gentleman who had married his Mother Margaret Daughter to Henry the Seventh King of England Lord of Meffen and General of the Artillery of Scotland As Lesly Bishop of Rosse that active and loyal servant to his Mistress Queen Mary tells us in the Ninth Book of his History in these words In hisce Comitiis Rex His Charge honourable in Scotland Henricum Stuartum Reginae Maritum confirmavit Dominum Meffensem ac eundem omnium bellicorum Tormentorum praefectum quod munus apud nos est longe honorificum munifice constituit The King saith he in this Parliament confirmed Henry Stuart the Queens Husband Lord Meffen and bountifully made him General of the Artillery which Charge with us is most honourable He who bears this Office in either Kingdom Republick or Army ought to His Qualifications be a person of good Endowments but if you take his description from some notional writers you may justly conclude there is not such a man below the Moon Indeed I shall tell you there are two qualifications absolutely necessary for him these are to be a good Mathematician and to be something if not right much experimented in all the points of the Gunners Art he must be of a good judgment and a very ready dispatch The rest of his parts and abilities which some require in him alone I think he may divide among those who are under his His great Command command and authority who truly are right many as the Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance two Colonels if not more Lieutenant-Colonels Captains and Gentlemen of the Ordnance Master Gunner and all inferior Gunners Conductors and Comptrollers Engineers the Clerk of the Fortification Master of the Mines and Mineers under him Master of the Artificial Fires and his Conductors and Petardeers those who have a care of the Tools for Fortification for intrenching and approaching the Master of the Pioneers in some Armies and all his Pioneers the Master of the Batteries and all under him for to the General of the Artilleries direction and inspection belongs the Entrenching the Camp the making the Approaches Redoubts Batteries Zaps Galleries and Mines and other works at Sieges of Towns and Castles He hath also his own Commissary Quarter-master Waggon-master Minister and Chyrurgeon If then you will consider that he and all those under him are to have pay and wages and what a â—ast sum of money is spent in maintenance of this Train and how much Powder match and Ball may be spent in an active War you may conclude that Achilles Terduzzi the Italian Engineer The vast expence of a Train whom I have often mention'd spoke within bounds and but modestly enough when he said he conceiv'd the fourth part of the Treasure of an Army was spent on the Train of Artillery I think it something strange to read in Bockler the German Architect that it is of late condescended on by the greatest Practitioners of Artillery in Germany that for an Army of forty thousand men whereof thirty two thousand should Thirty Pieces of Ordnance thought lately a sufficient Train for an Army of forty thousand men be foot and eight thousand Horse thirty Pieces of Ordnance are enough either to besiege a strong place or to attack an enemy though never so advantageously lodged For the last I shall be easily induced to believe it but for the first part of his affirmative I
trees and the Stakes the shrubs Gustavus Adolphus was the first Swedish King that used them and it is said he invented them in his Wars in Liefland against the Polonians who far overpowered him in Horse I believe he used them first there but the invention of them is of a far older date than the Swedes would have them to be for Henry the Fifth King of England the night before the Battel of Agencourt fearing to be born down by the French Kings numerous Used by Henry the Fifth at Agen-court Cavalry caused each of his Bowmen to provide one of these Stakes whereof the Vines there afforded him plenty and being made sharp at both ends though they were not pointed with Iron they did his business well enough and contributed not a little to the gaining of that Victory which gave him so great footing in France To this kind of defensive Arms may be reduced that invention of Rangon in Rangons frame of Defence the French Army in the Reign of Francis the first which was a great frame of Timber that could be taken in pieces and carried on Carts and easily join'd together whereby Batallions were barricado'd and serv'd but to little purpose As also that frame which as I have heard from some Commanders the Great Duke of Muscovia useth with which the Russians are so well acquainted Muscovian Barricado that they can very suddenly piece it together and shroud themselves within it from the charge of Horse and as nimbly take it down and march away with it In my last Chapter of the Grecian Militia I spoke of the French defensive French Defensive Arms. Arms both for their Horse and Foot in the Reign of Henry the Second far different from those that are used now The Turk useth defensive Arms but neither so good or so many as other Turks Nations do The Persian Curiassiers are arm'd all over their Bodies men and horse and Persian this perhaps helps them to over-master the Turk in Cavalry Their Head-pieces are deckt with fair and large Plumes of Feathers and their Targets which they likewise use are gilded they have likewise light Horsemen who carry Head pieces and Corslets When the Mamalucks had the Soveraignty of Egypt Syria and Palestine the Mamalucks better sort of them for all were Horsemen were arm'd for the Defensive from head to foot man and horse the second sort carried large Targets wherewith they defended their Bodies in the shock but before they came to it they threw these Targets over their backs till they made use of their Bows and Arrows The Abyssens or Aethiopians one hundred and forty years ago arm'd their Abyssens Horsemen with Coats of Male which cover'd their whole bodies to their knees Morâ—ions for their heads and in their hands round Targets In the days of Charles the Fifth the Bohemians had great Targets or Shields Bohemians wherewith they cover'd their whole bodies Before that time and since too the Hungarians Walachians and Transylvanians used Head pieces Corslets and Hungarians Targets Since Gunpowder the Englishmen at Arms or Curiassiers were armed at all English pieces their light Horsemen with Morrions Jacks and Sleeves of Male. So were our Scots who used also Steel-caps or Bonnets Scottish John Petyâ— in his History of the Netherlands tells us that in the year 1599 when the Estates of the Vnited Provinces were making vast preparations for the prosecution Hollanders of the War against Spain and to that purpose were levying both Foot and Horse they made an Ordnance for the Arms that both their Horsemen and Footmen should carry of the Defensive he gives us this account The Reuters or Horsemen suppose Curiassiers were to have a Head-piece a Gorget a Breast and a Back two Poldrons a Gantlet for his left hand belly and thigh and Knee-pieces and Culots which saith he were pieces of Armour to defend the reins The Carabiners were to have a Head-piece a Gorget a Back and a Breast The Pikemen Head-pieces Gorgets Backs and Breasts The Musketeers Head-pieces What Offensive Arms or Weapons all these Nations used I am to tell you just now CHAP. IV. Of Offensive Arms or Weapons used by the Cavalry of several Nations THat there is no new thing under the Sun and that what is hath been may admit of a favourable Interpretation for time was when neither Pistol nor Carrabine were known in the world neither did Antiquity know Gunpowder which is the Mother of them both and many other Engines of fire The Sword is a weapon that is never out of fashion used in all ages and by The Sword all Nations of the world though the difference be that some Horsemen use long and some short Swords But this should not be left to the choice of the Horsemen for the length of their Swords should be limited to them by the Prince or State they serve Few tell us whether the Swords of the Horsemen they write of were for cutting or for thrusting or for both as the Roman Swords were The Persians Turks Russians Polonians and Hungarians for most part wear Scimiters and Shables which being crooked serve only for shearing and not at all for stabbing Monluc in the first Book of his first Tome says that in the Reign of Francis the first about a hundred and forty years ago the French Gens d'Arms carried broad Swords which were so well edged that they could cut through Sleeves and Caps of Male. The Scots and English used constantly broad Swords for if we believe some of the English Histories a Rapier is so new a Weapon in England that it is not yet above one hundred years old In the time of the late Troubles in England long Rapiers were used for a while and then laid aside The German Horsemen use Swords fit both to slash and thrust John Petyâ— in that place mention'd in the last Chapter says The Estates of Holland order'd their Horsemen to carry short Swords according to such a length appointed for that purpose It were to be wish'd that if Horsemen be obliged by their capitulation to furnish themselves with Swords that their Officers would see them provided of better than ordinarily most of them carry which are such as may be well enough resisted by either a good Felt or a Buff-coat A Mace is an ancient weapon for a Horseman neither was it out of use long The Mace after the invention of Hand-guns for we read of them frequently used by most Nations an hundred years ago And certainly in a Medley they may be more serviceable than Swords for when they were guided by a strong arm we find the party struck with them was either fell'd from his horse or having his Head-piece beat close to his head was made reel in his Saddle with his blood running plentifully out of his nose The Lance was the Horsemans weapon wherewith he charged neither do I The Lance. find that any Nation wanted
when he came to have a petty army under his own peculiar Command all went well with him and as he was advanced to higher imployments fortune attended him more and more so that he was esteemed to be one of the most successful Generals Queen Christina of Sweden had but observe the change when he came to serve the late King of Sweden in his War against Pole this Koningsmark is pitifully taken at Sea by the Dantzickers and kept Prisoner till the Peace was made It hath indeed been observed of some that they have lost all the Battels that ever they fought as if some inexorable destiny had constantly Some never fortunate attended their persons how brave and accomplisht soever they were They say never Battel was won for Henry the Sixth of England when he was Henry the sixth of England personally present but several were when he was absent There was one of our Earls of Douglas who had the nick-name of Tinefield or Loose-battel a couragious person and well experienced in the managing of the Wars of those One of the Earls of Douglas times and though he wanted no qualification of a good Captain yet lost he all the Battels that ever he fought and this ill fortune attended him when he join'd with Piercy in his Rebellion against Henry the Fourth King of England for that Battel was lost wherein he thought he had kill'd three or four Kings and he himself was taken Prisoner The same rigid fate attended him over to France where fighting at Vernouville against the Duke of Bedford he lost both the Battel and his Life There is another extravagant opinion that it is good for a General to be once beaten that he may thereafter shun those errors which occasion'd his overthrow An odd opinion but the Escapes neglects and Mistakes in the time of Action are so many that if a General did not endeavour to prevent them till by every one of them he lost a Battel Conflict or Rencounter he should never win a Field in his life A great deal better it is saith Monluc for a Captain to be wise by the loss of other men than by his own and by the neglect of others who thereby have shipwrackt themselves to steer his course so that he split not upon that same rock Many there be who fancy the safety of an army to be wrapt up in the safety of him who commands it and therefore will not have him to hazard his perâ—on but a distinction must be allowed here for if the Prince or Monarch be in person at the Medley when he exposeth himself to danger he hazardeth more than his army for he hazards the State and Commonwealth yet many Princes have done it Cyrus the Great Alexander Caesar Henry the Fifth of England and Henry the Fourth of France Charles Gustavus the late King of Sweden all of them successfully and his Majesty now raigning magnanimously aâ— Worcâ—ster But indeed it should not be done by them but in extream necessity But when we speak of any other Generals except Soveraign Princes whatever â—ame they bear I say he who will not have them to hazard their persons robs theâ— Generals should hazard their persons of one of the most essential qualities of their Office and that is Courage If a great Captain be never so prudent never so knowing in the Military Art nâ—ver so vigilant never so industrious if he be not stout all the rest is worth nothing Nor do I mean for all that that he should he rash there is a difference between staring and stark mad He should not hazard his person but where his presence is necessary as when he sees or understands that in time of Battel the enemy is prevailing against such a part of his army thither he should run for his presence may restore the fight as hath been seen a thousand times and it is In several occasions certain that in time of action hardiness is more necessary than prudence Neither is it enough for him in time of Battel to hazard himself but he must do it also in viewing those Forts and Towns which he is to besiege or the ground where he is either to fight or encamp yet he ought to be so well guarded that he may not be surpriz'd by any sudden eruption or the ambush of an enemy as the Roman Consuls Marcellus and Claudius were by one of Hannibals Nor must a Generals courage stop here for where he finds his advantages fears the weakening of his own or the strengthening of his enemies forces he should not only hazard but should dare the enemy to Battel and fight it boldly for occasion is so disdainful and nice that if you do not court her when she offers Fronte capillata est posâ—haâ— occasiâ— calva her self you will hardly ever find her in so good an humour again Let it not be said that a General may be couragious and yet not hazard himself He must shew his courage sometimes yea many times It is good for him to be cautious but he must be adventurous too and if he be not this he may happily preserve what he hath gain'd but cannot probably make any considerable new Conquests and it is upon such a subject that Monluc saith Vn Chef qui craint ne fera rien de bon a Chieftain who fears will never do good But I think I hear some say that a General should hazard his person least of all in Battel because if he fall the rout of the army immediately follows I Generals should hazard themselves â—â— Battel grant it hath sometimes fallen out so but that must not make a general rule for as the safety of an army consists not in the safety of the General so the loss of an army follows not necessarily the loss of a General Many brave Generals and Captains when their armies are irrecoverably routed in the field are forc'd to fly and so preserve themselves to better fortunes so on the other hand many armies have been sav'd and have gain'd the day after their Generals have either fled out of the field or been kill'd in it At a Battel fought with the Imperialists Loss of a General doth not lose an army in the year 1638 Paltsgrave Birkifeld fled with most of his General persons yet his army gain'd the Victory and in our own days the Generals of three armies join'd at that time all in one fled before the Battel was half fought yet the mishap was that the General who fought against them and bravely kept the field lost the honour of the day Titus Livius tells us that the two Decii Father and Son both Consuls in two several Battels which the Romans fought with their neighbours in Italy when they saw their own men began to fly consecrated and devoted themselves and their prevailing enemies to Mother Tellus and all the Infernal spirits with all the Hellish rites of that Heathen action describ'd at length by Livy
where ordinarily Clocks do not strike nor Bells ring then the Caporals are to have allowance of Match which they call Passelunt whereby they regulate Passelunts themselves to relieve their Sentinels when six seven eight or nine Inches of it are burnt In Camps and Garrisons Drummers are to beat Taptoo at night and in the morning Revallie This word Zapzu or Taptoo is High and and Low Dutch and Taptoo signifies no more drink to be tapp'd or sold and is not as some fancy to advertize the Guards to place their Night Sentinels but to acquaint Sutlers to sell no more drink and Souldiers to go home to their Lodgings and who is found out of their quarters after it ought to be punish'd It should be â—eat constantly at one hour Summer and Winter and ten a clock at night is a proper time for it But By-Guards as they are call'd and Night Sentinels are to be put to their Night Sentinels and By-guards Posts when day-light is well near spent and this in Winter will be about four and in Summer about ten a Clock at night neither ought the last Night Sentinels to leave their Posts till the Dian or Revallie beat which cannot be done at one constant hour as the Taptoo for in Winter it may be eight and in Summer three or four in the morning and beat it should not till the Captain of the Watch gives order for it and he is not to take up his measures by day-light Dian Travaille or Revallie but by the clearness darkness or mistiness of the morning the Night Sentinels being to continue on their duty till they can discover all the Fields about them When by order of the Colonel or Captain of the Watch the Dian is beaten at the Head Watch all the Drummers of the rest of the Guards ought immediately to beat and then the Night Watches and Sentinels come to their several Guards It is then also that the Souldiers who have been in their quarters or huts all night and either Towns-men or Countrey people who are ordered to work at the Fortification either of Town or Camp are to go to their work and therefore this beating of the Drum in the morning I think is more properly called Travaille than Revallie CHAP. XXII Of things previous to a Battel of a Battel it self and of things after a Battel OF all Martial Acts to fight a Battel well and gain the Victory is of the highest importance and makes the Prince or his General most renown'd It is this and neither Retreats nor taking Towns though both these shew the qualifications of an excellent Captain that crowns them with Laurel By the winning of Battels sometimes one sometimes more Kingdoms are gain'd by one party and lost by another Let us then take a view of those things that should be adverted to before so great a hazard be made Most men are of opinion that he who hath the conduct of an Army should never Generals should not be forcâ—d to fight if they can chuse suffer himself to be forc'd to fight I say so too if he can help it and what is the meaning of this but that his Intelligence should be so good that if he intend not to fight he should either quickly get himself out of the way or strongly entrench his Army in a place where he cannot want provisions But when he hath done either of the two he may be forc'd to fight for who can save his Army without fighting if his Enemy storms his Retrenchment or in his Retreat pursues him fiercely and powerfully To force an Enemy to fight To force an Enemy to Battel succeeds sometimes well hath a doubtful event for many times it succeeds well as it did with Alexander at Arbela against Darius with Scipio against Hannibal at Zama with his Brother against Antiochus in Asia with Charles the Fifth against the King of France at Pavia and Gustavus his Army against Wallenstein at Lutsen Yet peruse History you will find that many more have lost than ever gain'd by it take a few instances Edward the Black Prince was forc'd to fight at Poiâ—tiers so was Henry the Fifth of England at Agencourt yet both gain'd glorious Victories Harold when he might have protracted the War being Master of all England forc'd William of Normandy to fight and thereby lost both his Crown and his life Edward the Second of England forc'd Robert Bruce Sometimes very ill King of Scotland to fight at Bannockburne but lost the honour of the day and most of his numerous Army Julius Caesar made himself constantly master of his own dyet either by Entrenching or Retiring so that he was never forc'd to fight but when he pleas'd But when he forc'd Pompey he try'd both Fortunes At Dirrhachium he was beaten off with loss and was glad to retire which indeed he did with admirable Prudence and Courage At Pharsalia he brav'd the same Pompey to Battel which so soon as he accepted Caesar got the Victory Yet it seems most agreeable to reason that men should fight well when they are forc'd to fight Despair whetting their Courage and for this reason many Captains take away all means of escape from their own Armies to make them sensible their safety is in their hands and not in their feet and withal they leave an open way for their Enemy to run away and hence is the common Maxime in War That a Bridge of Gold should be made for a Flying A Golden Bridge Enemy Before a Battel it is fit to view an Enemies countenance and try his Courage by frequent Skirmishes and these very oft each Army sending help to their own parties draw on a Battel insensibly Good Intelligence if possible Intelligence should be had of his numbers of Horse Foot and Artillery and in which of these his greatest strength lyes but I will repeat nothing in this place of what I have said in my Discourse of Intelligence In the next place our General should view if he have time and opportunity for it the situation of the Field Situation of the Field where both his own and his Enemies Army are to fight that accordingly he may either lay ambushes or shun them This was one of Hannibal's Master-pieces he should take notice how the Wind blows that accordingly by the The Wind. ordering his Batallions he may take the advantage of it He should cast up his account how the Sun will shine if it be a fair day at such hours when he The Sun conceives the fight will begin that thereby he may oâ—der his affairs If his Intelligence be good within his Enemies Army he should endeavour to stir up jealousies divisions and dissentions in it and in the time of these if his To make an Enemy jealous Friends give him the sign fall upon him After his Army is marshall'd if he have tiâ—e he should ride along the Front of all his Brigades and by short
all that attended the Baggage of his Army to mount upon Mules and Sumpter-Horses and hide themselves in some near Hills and Woods and in the time of fight to make a show as if they would cut off the Gauls pass to their Camp which the Muleteers doing upon a sign from the Dictator the Gauls immediately fled Such a Stratagein did King Robert Bruce happily use against Edward the Second of England in the Battel nâ—ar Sterling But Not always the like being practis'd by the French at Agencourt against Henry the Fifth King of England had an issue contrary to the thing intended It hath been always and ever will be a rule of War Thaâ— no man offer to plunder or look for booty till the Enemy be totally routed and chac'd No plunder till an Enemy be totally routed out of the Field but for most part it is ill observed When Parmenio at Arbela sent word to his Master Alexander that the Perstans were fallen on the Baggage which was but slenderly guarded it was well answer'd of that great Prince Let saith he the Enemy be master of all the goods that belong to my Army so I over master him for then I shall recover my own and get his to boot The not observing this rule lost the Christians the Victory against the Turk at Agria At the Battel of Janquo in Bohemia in the year 1644. if I mistake Instanceâ— not the Imperialists were well near masters of the Field in so far that several Brigades of the Swedes had run away and very many of their Officers were taken Prisoners but they fell too soon to the plunder of the Swedish Waggons which Torstensone Christina's Felt-Marshal did not offer to rescue though his own Lady was taken with them but took the advantage of the Enemies disorder and with fresh and couragious Troops pluck'd the Victory out of his hand beat them out of the Field recover'd his Lady all his Prisoners and Baggage and made himself master of all the Imperial Coaches and Waggons took numbers of Prisoners and among them him who commanded in chief the Count of Hatsfeld I know not how the proposition of some will relish with our great Captains that some lusty strong men should be arm'd with Head-pieces and Corslet and long and large Targets all Musket-proof and a Rank of these serr'd together order'd to march before every Batallion of Pikes and so protect them from shot till they be within two Pikes length of the Enemy that they can make use of their own Weapons But whether this be approv'd or not I think it would be of no great charge to the Prince or State who manageth the War to order every Pike man to have at his girdle a Pistol with a Barrel two foot long whereof the three first Ranks may make use before they present their Pikes and the other three fire over the heads of those who are before them in the time they are charging Now the Battel is done and if it fall out that it hath been so well fought Things to be done after the Battel that none of the Armies can boast of Victory but that both have left the place of Combate as it were by mutual consent or that they are parted by night then either both prepare to fight next day or the one finding those wants of which the other hath no knowledge takes the advantage of darkness and retires to some place of security where he may provide for his hurt men be furnish'd with what he wants recruit his Forces and so give a stop to his Enemies further progress and this no doubt is a tacite acknowledgement that he yields the honour of the day to him who keeps the Field But this was never laid in ballance by any prudent Captain with the preservation of his Army the loss whereof may lose the Prince his Master more than such a Punctilio of Honour which at a more fortunate Rencounter may quickly be recover'd But if both resolve to try their fortunes next day then both prepare for it the wounded are sent away Ammunition is given out and those who are sound are refresh'd and encourag'd This falls out but seldome though sometimes it hath happen'd The Victory is pronounc'd to be his Badge of Victory who remains master of the ground where both fought and in ancient times he acknowledg'd himself to be vanquish'd who desired liberty to bury his dead Bernard Duke of Saxon Weymar having besieged Reinfeld and two Imperial Armies coming to raise the Siege he fought both till night parted the fray but with this difference that the Imperialists got between him and the besieged Town and so succour'd it upon which the Duke retired and left his Enemy the badges of Victory but with a resolution to return and throw the Dye of War once more as he did as you shall hear anon When an entire Victory is obtain'd he who hath lost the day should not lose What a Vanquish'd General should do his Courage too but ought to gather up his Shipwrack rally his dispers'd and broken Troops get new recruits dissemble his losses encourage his party and draw to a head again these are things practis'd by all intelligent Generals withal he should with all convenient diligence send a Trumpeter to the Victorious General to demand a list of his Prisoners which when he hath got he should make all the haste he can to get them ransom'd or exchang'd and this is a duty he owes to Prudence Honour and Conscience On the other hand he who hath gain'd the Victory may lose himself if he be What a Victorious General should do secure for a resolute enemy may soon take him napping As that same Duke of Weymar did the Imperial Army that had beaten him for having got together the rest of his Forces that were not with him at his late overthrow he return'd and gave Battel to the Imperialists who dream'd of no such thing and obtain'd so compleat a Victory over them that he made all the general persons his Prisoners who were led into Paris in triumph Duc de Savelli an Italian was one of them who escap'd afterward out of Prison but the deep contemplation of the sudden change of fortune in his Military imployments mov'd him to make an exchange of his Helmet with a Cardinals Cap. It is for that that he who commands a Victorious Army should not in sloth pass away his time but improve his Victory to the greatest advantage of his Master and not be guilty of that whereof one of the greatest Captains among the Ancients Hannibal was taxed that he knew not how to use Victory whereof two others one before him and another after him could never be accused and those were the Great Alexander and the Great Julius Caesar CHAP. XXIII Of Retreats TO Retire after a Battel or a brisk Rencounter leads me to speak of Retreats Next the sighting well and winning of a Battel the three great
those who have Articles The first Class we may sub-divide into those who have quarter verbally promis'd them and those who submit to the mercy of the Victor Of all these and each of these I shall say one word in general that though quarter be promis'd by inferiour Officers or Souldiers or that the vanquish'd hoping for mercy yield without any such promise he who commands in chief provided he be on the place may put all those Prisoners to the Sword for quarter given by the Inferiour signifies nothing till it be confirm'd by him who commands on the place and then the Prisoners have quarter That chief Commander may order them all to be kill'd without any imputation of breach of Faith or Justice as not being tyed by any promise his inferiour hath made and this he may do by the Law of War and that is grounded on the law and custome of Nations and if you will believe Cyrus and the Ahtenians it is grounded on the Law of Nature by which Prisoners of War may be used as the Victor pleaseth And Grotius says In Captivos quicquam impune fieri and Captivi Jure Belli occidi possunt What a General may do with Prisoners of War Suppose still that no quarter hath been promis'd by him who commands in chief on the place But though I say a General may do this by the Law of War yet he cannot do it without the imputation of horrible cruelty and inhumanity except in some cases And though Jure Belli they may be kill'd yet without invincible reasons to kill men in cold blood is not the part of a man for they cast up their account that the bitterness of death is past and therefore they should not be put to death unless he who inflicts it can produce as good a warrant for it as he could who hewed the King of the Amalekites in pieces after Saul had given him quarter The Heathen Tacitus could say Trucidare deditos saevum It is cruelty to kill those who submit Yet you will Cruelty to kill Prisoners in cold blood see anon that Christian Prisoners of War have been put to death in cold blood by Christian Princes and Generals without any other Authority for their so doing than what the Law of War gave them But after Quarter is confirmed or granted by the General the question is Whether upon the emergency of three several accidents they may not be put to the Sword The first is if an Enemy rally after a Battle is won and make Whether Prisoners may not be killed after Quarter given them by the General In three cases or offer to make a fierce onset the victorious Army not being so strong to oppose the charge and guard the Prisoners from whom also danger is to be expected This was Henry the fifth of Englands case at Agencourt where for the same reasons 6000 French Prisoners by his order were in an instant put to the Sword Froissard passionately relates to us the sad fate of about one thousand French men who were taken Prisoners and had fair quarter given them by John King of Portugal in a battle that he fought with one of his own name King of Castile the story was briefly this The King of Castile having a just pretence to the Crown of Portugal to which in hatred of the Castillans the Portugueses had advanced a Bastard invades Portugal with a great Army in which were many French Auxiliaries The Portuguese King being reinforced with a considerable number of English Archers resolves to fight The French would needs have the point which was given them with much indignation by the Castillans who lag'd behind them at a very great distance These French valiantly fighting are routed and most of the thousand I spoke of are taken thereafter the Castillans advanced with a resolution to fight the Portuguese seeing he was to fight a new Battle commanded under pain of Death every man to kill his Prisoner which was instantly performed with much pity and compassion and not without the sad tears of those who massacred them The second case is when an Army is retiring and a powerful Enemy fiercely pursuing it will be dangerous to leave your Prisoners behind you and forward you can hardly bring them And the third is When you are reduced to great penury and want of meat whether you had not better kill your Prisoners than let them starve for if you maintain them they insensibly cut your throat by eating your bread All these three cases Grotius comprehends in these words Si Captivorum multitudo oneri aut periculo sit If sayes he the multitude of your Prisoners be dangerous or burthensome in these cases he adviseth rather to dismiss them than kill them I think he speaks like a good Christian but I am afraid that they who lead Armies will think by such mercies they will prove cruel to themselves and treacherous to their Prince and when in any of these cases they are put to death often their numbers occasion their destruction which in other cases the same Gâ—otius would have to be the cause of their safety But the Prince or Generals promise of fair quarter admits â—a salvo for notorious To whom Quarter ought not to be given Thieves Robbers Murtherers such as have deserted their service and run over to the Enemy or have broke their Oath of fidelity ought not to be comprehended in this promise nor can it save them from the stroke of Justice Indeed if they get Articles signed for their lives these Articles should be religiously observed for faith should be kept to the worst of men Neither can the promise of Quarter secure Rebels from that death Rebellion deserves for nothing can save them but the mercy of the Sovereign Prince or State against whom the crime is committed Yet my humble opinion should be That when What to be done with Rebels Rebellion is come to that growth that she is not ashamed to take her mask off and that the success of Rebels hath clothed them with usurped Authority Princes and States should rather suffer Quarter though without Articles to be kept to those of them who are taken Prisoners than provoke them to shed the blood of loyal persons on Scaffolds as hath been done too oft for it is not to be doubted but Rebels will both by their Paper and leaden Bullets vindicate themselves and maintain their Authority to be lawful and roar out these distinctions which yet make our Ears tingle of the Prince his virtual and personal power of his legal and personal capacity Having told you who hath power to give Quarter and having spoken of Prisoners who yield on discretion Prisoners who yield upon promise of Quarter let us speak next of those who submit to the Victors discretion and have no promise of Quarter who certainly may be put to the edge of the Sword without any imputation of breach of Faith or promise yet not without the
is that of the Garter instituted by Edward the Third of England under the Patrociny of Saint George as that of the Thistle of Scotland was under Saint Andrew John of Valois King of France instituted the order of the Star under the protection of Saint Owen say the French as one of his Successors Louis the Eleventh instituted that of Saint Michael In the minority of Henry the Sixth of England when the War was hot between that Kingdom and France Philip le Bou Duke of Burgundy instituted the Noble Order of the Golden Fleece under the protection of Saint Andrew The King of Denmark makes Knights of the Elephant and the Duke of Savoy those of the Annunciation Christina Queen of Sueden instituted a new Order of Knighthood which she would have called the Order of the Amaranth which they say never withers and accordingly she appointed the Device to be semper idem The Knights of the Teutonick or Dutch Order those of St. John of Jerusalem called afterwards Hospitallers Knights of the Rhodes and now of Malta as also those of the Sepulchre or Knights Templars were and some yet are very Martial Knights whose renowned Actions are and ever Religious Orders of Knighthood will be on the Records of Fame But there were likewise Religious Orders for they vowed Chastity Poverty and Obedience And from Religion have come most of the Spanish Orders of Knighthood Sanctius the third of that name King of Castile for the more vigorous prosecution of the War against the Infidels instituted the Order of Calatrava in the Kingdom of Toledo The Master of which Order is a person of great Riches and Power His Son Alphonse the Ninth in the time of his dangerons War with the Moors instituted the Order of Saint James which hath since come to that heighth of power that the Master of it is one of the greatest Subjects of Spain But Ferdinand the first Catholick King made himself and his Successors with the help of the Pope Masters of these Orders One of the Kings of Portugal when he had Wars with both the Saracens of Africk and Spain instituted the Order of the Knights of Jesus Christ About the year 1570. the Queen of Navarre caused 12 Jane d'Albret great Medals of Gold to be coined which she distributed among 12 of the most eminent Chieftains of the Reformed Religion as tokens of their fraternity to incite them to Constancy Valour and Perseverance in the Cause against the Roman Catholicks Upon one side of the Medal were these words Assured Peace Entire Victory or Honest Death On the Reverse was the Queens own name with that of her Son the Prince of Bearne who was afterwards Henry the Fourth the Great King of France and Navarre War drains the Treasures of Princes and States so dry that for most part they are not able to pay the Wages and Arrears of those who serve them much less reward them The Roman Oak Olive and Laurel Crowns are out of fashion long ago nor would they signifie any thing but rather be ridiculous unless they were given with all the Wages due to the party who is to be honour'd with one of those Crowns as the Romans were accustomed to do I have observ'd in another place how in many parts of Christendome Officers above the quality of private Captains many times are reduced to beggary to obviate which since Princes and States cannot forbear War or will not live in Peace it would be a great work of Charity in them and would much redound to their Honour Works of Charity and Fame to build some Hospitals and endue them with some small Revenue in which those Commanders who are lame old and poor might get a morsel of Bread which would be an exceeding great relief to those distressed Gentlemen and much encourage younger people to engage in a fresh War for alass though written Testimonies sign'd and seal'd by the Prince or his General may be of good use to young and lusty Gallants who have their Health and some Money in their Purses to look for new Fortunes yet Passes though never so favourable to poor old men are upon the matter nothing else Passes but fair Commissions to beg CHAP. XXVIII The Comparison made by Justus Lipsius of the Ancient and Modern Militia examined IT is one of the Curses that follow'd Adam's fall and I think was inherent in Discontent follows humane nature him before his fall that as he was not so none of his Posterity can be content with his present condition The longing desire we have to enjoy that we want robs us of the content we may have of what we possess Hence it is that old men cry up those customes that were used when they were Boys vilifying the present and magnifying the by-past times Neither is this fastidium or loathing of present things the concomitant of age only for young men who are in their strength are tainted with it Some are displeased with the Government of the State others hugely dissatisfied with that of the Church because none of them are cast in those moulds which they fancy to be better than the present ones and though perhaps they cannot pretend to have seen better in their own times yet they have heard or read of those which they conceive were so absolutely good that nothing can be added to their perfection Others like only of those Governments which have their birth rise growth and perfection in their own giddy brains But to come nearer our purpose few Souldiers are satisfied with their own Countrey Militia for if they have been abroad in the World at their return home they cry up the Arms the Art and the Discipline of Foreigners nor can they find any thing at home can please them And though their occasions have never invited them to take a view of strange places yet their Books afford them matter enough to prefer those Arms those Exercises those Guards those Figures of Battels that Discipline of War they never saw to all those they may daily see Of this disease of Discontent I think Justus Lipsius hath been Justus Lipsius an admirer of the Roman Militia irrecoverably sick and though he did not compile a Military Systeme of his own as Machiavelli did yet I may compare these two in this that both of them were Speculative Souldiers Lipsius is so far disgusted with the Milice of his own time which truly being about eighty or ninety years ago was an excellent one which he might have seen and observ'd better than his Writings shows he did and is so much in love with the old Roman Militia which he never saw but by contemplation that in the comparison he makes of the two in the last Chapter of his Commentary on Polybius he is not asham'd to prefer the Ancient Art of War to the Modern one in all its dimensions As I conceive he was so Rational as to think no man would deny the Modern He compares
the first who have made use of it neither will we hinder it to be a perpetual Law to ages to come being assuredly confident said they that if you had that power over us that we probably may shortly have over you you would not fail to put this Law in execution against us So you see that both Cyrus and the Athenians thought Prisoners of War might be put to death if the Victor pleased not only by the Law of War but by the Law of both Nations and Nature Before I go further I shall premise one thing at which perhaps many of my own Profession scruple which is that notwithstanding any quarter granted in the field in time of Battel or skirmish or at the assaults of Towns or Castles How a General may use his Prisoners of War Jurâ— Bâ—llâ— he who commands in chief over the Victorious army may put all or any of the Prisoners to death that he pleaseth without doing any wrong to the Law of War because they had no quarter promised them by him either by word or in writing which we ordinarily call Parol What quarter is given by any Officer who is inferior for the time or by any Soldier is but till the General or Commander in chief judg of the Prisoners and then he may do with them as he pleaseth But observe on the other hand that though Jure Belli he may do so yet when he puts Prisoners to death in cold blood he may be justly branded with inhumanity and cruelty unless those Prisoners have been Traytors Rebels Runaways or Fugitives or that Quarter had been promised contrary to the express command of the General any of these alters the case Such was that act of Saul King of Israel who gave quarter to Agag contrary to the express command of the Lord of Hosts who had ordained him to die Let us take a short view how this perpetual Law whereof Cyrus and the Athenian Embassadors spoke was executed in ancient times and I believe we shall see that all Prisoners of War were either ransom'd exchang'd put to death or made slaves The Jews differ'd a little from other Nations in the matter of Jewish slaves Slavery for Deut. 23. they had a Political Law which order'd a refuge to their Slaves Slaves certainly who came to that calamity by none of their own fault and that is mostly to be understood of Captives of War Cyrus found the Law he spoke of practised against himself by Tomiris Queen of Scythia who put him to death in cold blood if the Historian tell us truth How the Assyrian Monarchs used their Prisoners though prophane story were silent the Sacred Writ would inform us by it we know how Tiglath Pilâ—ser took away the Ten Tribes of Israel and Nebuchadnezzâ—r the other two to Babylon and how this last put most of the Chiefs and Princes of the people to Death after How the Israelites used their Prisoners they were Prisoners and caused the Children of King Zedâ—kiah to be cut in pieces before his face that after having seen so sad a spectaâ—le he might have his eyes put out that so thereafter as Sir Walter Raleigâ— observes well he might never see any thing to comfort him The Captains of Gods chosen people of Israel and Judah thought not that their hands were bound up by any quaâ—â—er that was given by their inferiour Commanders and Souldiers but pass'd very ordinarily a Sentence of Death upon most of their Prisoners of War Joshua hang'd most of those Kings whom he took in the Land of Canaan Adonibeâ—â—k had his Thumbs and great Toes cut off for so he had used seventy two Kings before Zebah and Zalmunnah Kings of Midian after they had quarter given them were killed in cold blood by Gidâ—on perhaps by no other inspiration than that of Revenge because they had killed his Brethren And by the way I observe that the Israelites in their Civil Wars among themselves gave very bad quarter As for example after the rest of the Tribes had killed in one Battel eighteen thousand Benjamites they put five thousand of them to the Sword in the chace who no doubt called for quartor The Text saith they gleaned them that is killed them one by one in the way and after that two thousand of them were put to death at Gidoâ— who I make no question yielded themselves Prisoners How many thousand Ephraâ—â—â—tes were put to death by the Gileadites when they bâ—wrayed what they were by the wrong pronunciation of Sâ—bbâ—teth David King of Israels David very severe to his Prisoners not only â—â—aughtered those Ammonites whom he had taken Prisoners in the War but tortured them and put them to cruel deaâ—â—s Whether he did this â—or â—â—y other reason than to be revenged for the disgrace done to his Embassadours by Hâ—nan King of the A 〈…〉 it es I shall not offer to determine But â—ertainly the Prophet â—lisha gave a contrary advice to Jehorâ—â—â— King of Israel Elisha adviseth to give fair quarter who asking the man of God what he should do with those Syrians who were miraculously brought into Samâ—ria in these words Shall I smiâ—e them my Father shall I smiâ—e them Was answered Wiâ—â— thou smiâ—e those whom thou hast takâ—â— with thy Bow and thy Spear nay see Brâ—ad and Water before them and send thâ—â— back to their Master I confess this was very fair quarter but it was not to be imitated in all its points The obstinate keeping out of Towns Forts and Castles when there was An occasion of bad quarter neither hope nor probability of succours hath been often the reason why the Besieged after they have rendered have been â—â—tchered to death that is after they had yielded to the discretion of the Conquerour who having granted no Articles or Conditions may put them all to death without any stâ—â—â— of perfidy He may do it Jure bâ—lli but he may be taxed with severity if not cruelty for it yet generous Princes have practised it Titus a merciful Prince cast the Jews who were his Prisoners both men and women by hundreds to be torn and devoured by Wild Beâ—sts The Great Alexander caused some thousands of the Tirians to be Scourged and Crucified after they wore Prisoners because in defence of their City they had so long put a stop to the course of his Victories But I think he cannot be vindicated from extream inhumanity Inhumanity of Alexander used to the Noble Governour of Gaza who kept out that place couragiously against him till the never-failing Fortune of that daring Prince put the woful Governour into his hands whose Fâ—â—t he caused to be bored and through the holes he put Cords and tying these to Horse-tails in that manner caused him to be dragg'd about the City in imitation perhaps of what Homer saith Achilles of whom Alexander derived his Pâ—dâ—gree did to the dead body of the Valiant Hector The Veneti a people in Gâ—â—le were overcome by Câ—sar
actors and this they do either upon hear say registring the fables of vain and ignorant Solâ—â—ers who either have been or pretend to have been in the action for truths or write according to their own apprehensions of things which many times are so pitifully weak that their extravagancies put knowing Readers on the rack and force them to cast their Books away from them And indeed I have read the descriptions of some Battels in Books writ by no mean Authors wherein both Armies were Marshal'd in such order that I could not fancy it could be done by any except Aâ—adis de Gaul or the Knight of the Sun Let us except from these of Modern Historians Paolo Giovio d'Avita and the other unknown Author of the History of the Civil Wars of France Philip Noble Hisâ—orians de Comines Cardinal Bentivoglio Strada John Peâ—it Edward Philips his late History of England Chemnitius his History of the Swedish Expedition Theatrum Europâ—um these two last written in high Dutch and Di Sirâ— who hath written the History of these times very Voluminously in Italian These having either been Actors themselves or having got their relations from those Emperours Kings Princes or Generals who manag'd the Wars have given us Histories well worth the reading To these we may add Guicciardinâ— though for his prolixity he be used very scurrilously by Bocâ—alini who tells us that in Guicciardini taxed by Boccalini Parnassâ—â— a Laconian who had exprest his thoughts in three words which he might have done in two was order'd for his punishment to read Guicciardini The poor fellow beg'd rather to be fley'd alive than be tortur'd with reading an Historian who in the relation of the War between the Florâ—ntines and Pisans made longer discourses of the taking a Pigeon house than he needed to have made of the best fortified Castle Yet thus much most if not all Historians agree on when they speak of Armies they mention Van Battel and Reer which shews that the Roman method of Marshalling their Armies in three Bodies one behind another was observed by most Nations till of later years some Masters of the Military Art for some good reasons thought it convenient to reduce them to two It is pity so few since Vegetius his time have shewn themselves Tacticks that We have but few Tacticks is to teach us the Art of War used in their own time for so we should have known the Military Customs of several Nations and of several ages I have heard tâ—â—t Gonsalvo di Corduba who by his gallant Conduct recover'd the Kingdom of Naples from the French for the House of Arragon wrote in Spanish Traâ—â—ado de re Militari if it be extant it must be well worth the perusal as the work of one who by his great actions had acquir'd to himself the Title of Iâ— Gran Capitanâ— It Gran Capitano the â—reat Captain In the last year of the Reign of Henry the Fourth of France about sixty years ago Louis de Mâ—mgomery Lord of Carbâ—â—sâ—â— wrote a little Book De â—â— Louis de Mâ—â—gomery Milice Francoise of the French Militia it shows him to have been very much a Soldier but the marrow of that piece lyeth in his descriptions of some Artificial Fire-works the knowledg whereof lyes not in every mans way nor is it Preissac necessary for every Soldier though it add to his perfection The Siâ—â—r de Prâ—issaâ— wrote a little Treatise in French of Military Questions and Resolves very well Englished by Mr. Cruso an understanding Captain who I suppose wrote Captain Crusâ— Bockler himself in English a Book of Cavalry well worth the reading Bockler a German Engineer hath not many years ago written in his own language a piece wherein he gives us a pretty good account of the Military Customs of his own Country in his own time which may be from the year 1630 till the year 1664 or thereabout Lieutenant Colonel Elton his Compleat Body of the Military Lieutenant Colonel Elton Art with the Supplement added to it by Captain Rud without which it is not a Compleat Body is a piece well worth the perusal There are certainly others who have writ of this Subject whom I have neither seen nor read Some again there are who instead of informing us what method or ordinances of War Princes and States used in their time the want whereof I so much lament give us Models of their own framing either in whole or in part for Princes and States only to mould new Militia's my part I think any new mould of a Militia or the reformation of an old one is the work of a Prince or State who are able to bring together persons experienc'd in all kind of Military affairs to give their advices out of which the Prince or State may frame such Constitutions as are thought most conducible to carry on a War and then by their authority impose a necessity of obedience to those Constitutions and therefore they should not be the work of any private person Brancatiâ— an Italian peremptorily condemns the use of the Pike and in imitation of him Mr. Lâ—ptoâ— an English man writes a Book wherein he endeavours to prove the uselesness of that ancient weapon but I shall meet with his arguments in another place Machiavelli goes a greater length and presents the world with a Milice of Machiavelli his Books of War his own the birth of his own brain a hodg podg of some of the Ancient and some of the Modern Militia with a mixture of many of his own inventions In his Books of that Subject he fathers most of his notions on Fabritio Colâ—â—â—â— an excellent Captain who no doubt if ever he had seen them had rejected them as spurious Some of his mistakes I have touch'd in my Discourses of the Roman Art of War I shall only in this place trouble my Reader with two or three Animadversions that will shew his skill in Martial affairs In his fourth Book he makes it one of his Maxims that all good Captains should rather receive than give the charge of this I spoke in the Nineteenth First observation of them Chapter of my Essays of the Roman Art of War here I shall tell you the reason he gives for his opinion The first fury saith he is easily sustained by firm and experienc'd Soldiers and then it vanisheth in smoke But I ask first what if they who are charged be neither firm nor experienced for all Armies are not composed of Veterans next I ask what if they be both firm and experienc'd and yet do not sustain the charge in thosew two cases the first charge vanisheth not in smoke Pompey his Soldiers were firm and experienc'd yet did not sustain Câ—sarâ— Charge at Pharsalia but of this I spoke enough in another place In that same Fourth Book this Author shews us how an enemy may be surrounded in time of Battel and I pray you observe the Lesson he gives
custome was choice should be made of such young fellows who have had their breeding rather in the Countrey than in Towns unless they be Mechanicks that are not of a Sedentary Trade If he be to serve on Horse and that the Levy be not made by the Trumpet but where a right Election may be got only such should be chosen as are of an honest birth for their reputation will make them undergo any fatigue and a little time will inure them to toil though they have been bred with ease and plenty I have formerly shown you what years made a man capable to be enroll'd a Souldier among the Ancients I shall tell you now that though it be not generally Souldiers age look'd to by many yet I find that in our Modern Wars most Captains conceive sixteen years to be too young and if so I swear sixty is too old they need not be twenty for if they be of such Bodies as I have describ'd they may pass muster of eighteen and if they be not infirm wounded or mutilated they may well enough continue Souldiers till they be fifty and upwards though some think they should not serve after the forty sixth year of their age So upon this account of mine those who levy may enrol such as are not under eighteen nor above fifty And this may be easily observed in Countrey Elections where there is choice yet very often it is not done for which the Officers are to be blam'd But in that other Voluntary Levy made by the Drum where Souldiers are hired for Moneys the age is seldome look'd to old and young being promiscuously enroll'd which is an intrinsecal defect of that kind of Levy If men may not be enroll'd after the forty sixth or fiftieth year of their age it follows they should then have their dismission yet that is but seldome practis'd Necessity which is limited by no Law detaining them very often many years beyond that time which is no new thing having been often practis'd by the Romans and How long they should serve other Ancients as I have shown before Some limit the time of a Souldiers service from his Enrolling which is just The Sweedes order their Foot Souldiers of their own Countrey to serve twenty five years strangers fifteen but if they followed the Roman way the Horse-men should serve but half that time The French King is more gracious to Souldiers especially to strangers whom he orders to get their Dismissions if they require them after they have served four or five years But for all I have said I know not why all Kings Princes and Free States in their Election and Levy of Souldiers should not follow the example of the Great King of kings and Lord of lords who as you may read in the first Chapter of Numbers order'd his Servant Moses to muster all Males fit for the War of twenty years old and upwards and therefore we may conclude he thought all under that age unfit to go to the Wars As to the duties and qualifications of Souldiers whether of Horse or Foot there be some who make so many of them that if Princes keep none in their service but such as quadrate with all their properties they will make Duties of Souldiers but very thin musters But you may take all the duties of a Souldier as the Lacedaemonians did to be three First To give exact and perfect obedience to all the lawful commands of Superiours Secondly To endure the fatigue travel and discommodities of War whether it be in Marching or working at Trenches Approaches and Sieges Hunger thirst and cold with an exemplary patience Thirdly In time of Battel Skirmish or Assault to resolve either to overcome or dye But Reader do not you seek Not to be expected to be perfectly in any one all these in every Souldier do not seek any of these exactly in every Souldier nay nor in any Souldier for you will not find them let it be enough if they have some of them in some degree though not in perfection And why may you not comprehend the two last Duties under the first of Obedience For he who can obey his Superiour exactly will when he is commanded endure any fatigue and in any rencounter resolve to be victorious or perish And indeed Obedience is the very life of an Army A All comprehended under Obedience Lacedâ—monian in a Skirmish having overthrown an Enemy was ready to have run him through with his Sword but hearing the Trumpet sound a Retreat he left him lying and alive Being ask'd Why he did not dispatch him Answer'd He was more serviceable to his Countrey by his Obedience than by either his Valour or his Revenge The Sacred Oracles tell us that Obedience is better than Sacrifice CHAP. III. Of Armour or Defensive Arms used by several Nations both for their Cavalry and their Infantry WHat odds there is between a Man arm'd both for Offence and Defence and him who only hath Offensive Weapons may soon be understood though the practice had never been seen Why the same care is not taken now to defend mens Bodies in the time of fight as well and as much as of old there was since the Offensive Weapons of later times by the help of Fire pierce more deeply and more deadly than any of the former ages did Defensive Arms neglected before Gun-powder I suppose cannot well be told If the neglect be imputed to Great Commanders it were well done of Soveraign Princes and States by their authority to order the reformation of so hurtful an oversight But perhaps this reason will be given for it because the long and continuated marches of our Modern Armies not only for many days but for many weeks and months both in the extream heat of Summer and rainy and tempestuous weather of winter require that the Souldiers should be eased of the weight and trouble of their Defensive Arms that with less toyl they may endure and undergo those marches To which I shall answer first that The Reasons why answered we have no such Marches now adays as the Ancients especially the Romans had and if we consider that they in their Ambulatory March walk'd twenty miles in five hours and in their cursory one twenty five and what a vast deal of ground what large and long Countreys and Regions they traced in compleat Arms and burtheâ—'d otherwise as if they had been Beasts of Carriage we must either blame our selves for not imitating them or look upon most of their stories as pure Fables And if our Souldiers from the time of their first Levy were habituated to wear at their Exercises and Drillings constantly their Armour and accustom'd twice a week to march a good many miles in Arms I mean Defensive as well as Offensive suppose the first week five or six the second seven and so continue till they can march fifteen or sixteen miles in one day they would find it then an easie matter to
Wars The first Battel we read of in holy Writ was when the King of Sodom and his Confederates were beaten and the Prisoners and Goods rescued by Abraham we find none of these nine Kings had any Horsemen nor do I think any will fancy that Abraham mounted his three hundred and eighteen Servants on horseback when he pursued Chederlaomer Amraphel and the other two Kings If we had not the warrant of holy Writ for it we should not be obliged to believe that the Kings of Judah and Israel would have muster'd so many hundred thousands of men in such short and narrow spots of ground as that whereof they were masters and since we read not of any Horses we may conclude all their Armies consisted of Foot Nay more the Kings of Israel were commanded not to multiply Horses and Solomon is taxed for prevaricating with this command as well as for his multiplying Wives and Concubines Now if the Lord of Hosts had thought it necessary that Horsemen should have been in the Host of his Chosen people he would not have forbid their Kings to multiply horses but rather have commanded them to provide store of them for managing their Wars which they might easily enough have done out of Egypt where abundance of them were to be bought It seems then to me that neither the Israelites nor their neighbours the Ammonites Moabites nor the Nations whom Gods people were order'd to extirpate thought Horsemen necessary at all And if we peruse other Histories we shall find that many ancient people of the world had many bloody Engagements without the help of Horses And not to go so far back it is not yet above a hundred and sixty years since the Switzers with their Foot-Batallions without the help of one Horseman durst fight against Armies composed of numerous Foot Horse and Artillery witness their Victory at Novara over the French Army wherein they destroyed all the French Infantry took all their Cannon and chac'd away all their Cavalry And Francis the First knew well what work they gave him at Martignan when he was in person at the head of two brave Armies of Foot and Horse one French the other Venetians as you have it related in the seventh Chapter of the Modern Art of War The Americans following the light and law of Nature made fierce Wars among themselves before Columbus discover'd them without Horse and when they saw some of these Animals mounted by Spaniards they had such notions of them as fabulous Antiquity had of the Centaurs whom they imagin'd to be half men half beast The civiliz'd Grecians made use of horses but not as absolutely necessary for many of their Battels were fought without them And the Romans who conquer'd most of the then known World made use but of few of them and many times they made their Horsemen quit their horses and fight on foot so little accounted they them to be absolutely necessary but of this more hereafter Only observe that as the Grecians had but the sixth part or the eighth of their Armies horse so the Romans for most part had but the fourteenth part of their Army mounted on horseback And let no man say that this was done for want of horses for so it continued to be when they were Masters of all Italy Spain France much of Africk and a good part of Greece How little James the Fifth of Scotland conceived Horsemen to be necessary in his Armies you may see in an Act of his Parliament Anno 1640 two years before his death wherein he ordains that if any come to the place of Randezvouz on Horseback he shall send back his horse with a Foot-boy except Earls Lords and Barons and the reason he gives is because these Horses destroy poor peoples Corn and Meadows and are not necessary in his Hosts where all men must fight on foot In my Discourses of the Grecian and Roman Art of VVar I spoke not of these questions mentioned here for as the Lacedemonians being asked why their Law-giver Licurgus made no Law against Thieves answered because no such crime as Theft was heard of among them so I say neither Grecian nor Roman knew any thing of those questions mentioned in these Papers And since by what is said VVars have been and may be managed though not so well without Horse but not at all without Foot I conclude the last absolutely necessary but not the first what reason then that a Foot-Officer that is absolutely necessary should be commanded by an Officer of Horse without whom the War in case of necessity may be managed Next we are to consider whether the Horse or Foot is most trusted and which of the two Services is most honourable and these I shall speak of not severally but conjunctly for I suppose it will not be denied that the greater the trust be the greater is the honour for if the King intrust a Citizen or a Merchant who is neither Lord Knight nor Gentleman to be a Privy Councellor certainly that Citizen by that great trust is not only honourable but right honourable and that title belongs to him as well as to a Lord. We are here to consider that an Army composed of Horse and Foot represents a man the Infantry his body the Cavalry his sides assuredly the intrinsick parts of a man that are contained within his breast and belly are more honourable than the extrinsecal ones which be his sides legs and arms and hence it is that they get the name of noble and vital parts and if this comparison hold as I hope it will then it is as extravagant a desire of an Officer of Horse to be admitted to command over an Officer of Foot as for the rib of a mans side to seek power over the heart liver or lungs of the same man Or if you please an Army is like to a bird or fowl the Infantry is the body of the bird and the Cavalry the two wings the sides of a man may be pitifully wounded and the wings of a bird broken and yet the bodies of both man and bird preserved and even so as long as the Infantry keeps the Field Victory is there though both the sides or wings of the Horse be broken and fled And so it fell out at the Battel of Oxenfield in Germany in the year 1638. With the Infantry the Artillery both ancient and modern was and is constantly intrusted with the Infantry the Magazines of Arms Provisions Victuals Ammunition and Money is intrusted with the Infantry are intrusted the Castles Forts Ports Havens and Strengths of the Land and the Prince his Treasure and these make the vitals not only of an Army but of a State In fortified Camps not only all these but even the Cavalry it self are intrusted to the Infantry who are to maintain and defend the Ramparts Bastions and whole Circumvallation of the Camp With the Infantry the Prince who manageth the War or his General or both constantly intrust themselves and either
the one or other is the head of the Army Now as I said before where the greatest trust is there is the greatest honour and consequently the Infantry are more honourable than the Cavalry These things were well enough known to the Grecians and Macedonians he that commanded the whole Phalanx that is the whole Army stayed with the heavy armed Foot so did all the Artillery and Ammunition of the Army And certainly they had Detachments as well as we have and the Suntagmatarch of a Foot Phalanx had under his command two hundred and fifty six men with Colours and suitable Officers how would the merry Greeks have laughed if this Suntagmatarch whom our Captains sixty years ago in many places when Companies were three hundred strong did represent had been required to submit himself to the command of an Elarchos who was Captain of sixty four Horse and represented our Ritmasters now adays for sometimes the Grecian Troop of Horse was one hundred In the Roman Art of War a Legion was commanded by Tribunes by turns or as we call it from the French by toures he whose six month it was to command had ordinarily four thousand two hundred sometimes five thousand and sometimes six thousand Foot under his command the Horse ordained to attend this Legion were but adjectitious and were seldom above three hundred sometimes not so many The denomination of any Officer is à majori parte from the greater part and therefore the Tribune was a Colonel of Foot and yet commanded these three hundred Horse as absolutely as he did any Centuriate in the Legion Hence it is that with reason I aver that in the Roman Discipline the Horse were constantly commanded by Officers of Foot and peruse all the Roman Histories you shall not find that ever any Officer of Horse pretended to the command of any of the Foot With the Roman Infantry were intrusted their Balists Catupults their Battering Rams their Ambulatory Towns their Bridges and all the Materials whereof these were composed Now these were the Artillery of the Ancients with the Roman Infantry were intrusted the Treasurer and Treasure of the Army all Provisions for Man and Horse their Altars and places of Devotion and though the Troops of Horse had their petty Standards and Vexilla yet the Eagle which was mounted on a long Pole and was the great Ensign of the Legion was constantly intrusted to the keeping of the first Centurion who was a Foot-officer With the Foot the Consul march'd lodg'd and fought All these being intrusted to the Roman Foot and not to the Horse shews that these Conquerours of the World esteemed the Foot-service more honourable than that of Horse for still I say the more trust the more honour It is true the Roman Horsemen were all elected of Gentlemen for so I interpret the Equestris Ordo and therefore I doubt not but they had a Precedency at door and Table before the Legionary Soldiers who were all levied out of the Commons but that gave them no Superiority or command over the Foot which is the thing now pretended to Nor will the Roman Discipline which order'd the Horse to ride the Rounds about the Guards of Foot as you have it in the twenty second Chapter of the Roman Art of War entitle these Horsemen to any Superiority or command over these Guards of Foot no more than a Gentleman who is sent to go a Round with Musqueteers to attend him will evince that he hath the command of these Guards or any Centinel of them both the Ancient and Modern Rounds being only obliged to give an account to those who sent them in what posture they found the Guards and Centinels yea these four Roman Horsemen who were to ride the Rounds were commanded to lye at the door of the Hut or Tent of a Centurion of Foot which I think denoted their subjection to him Thus I think it is clear that with these ancient Romans to whose arms and discipline of War most of the world paid homage the Foot-service was more honourable than that on Horseback To confirm this I hope it will be granted me that where the greatest danger is there is to be expected the greatest honour Now very often the Roman Consuls where they saw the Enemy prevail in Battel they called the Cavalry or a part of it thither but mistake it not it was not to fight on horseback but to make them alight from their Horses and fight on foot with the Legionaries which encouraged the Foot when they saw the Horse could not ride from them And therefore since the danger was greater to fight on foot than on horseback the Romans thought fighting on foot more honourable than fighting on horseback and consequently the Foot-service more honourable than that of Horsemen Julius Caesar the greatest Captain that ever was practised this in the greatest Battel he ever fought which was against the Helvetians now called Switzers To shew good example he alighted first from his horse and then caused all his Cavalry to alight and as himself tells us caused all the horses to be driven away a great way from that place of Battel And so did several of the Roman Consuls before him And I think you need not doubt but the horsemen being on foot were marshal'd by the Tribune as the Foot were and so the Decurions who were Captains of horse received their orders from the Centurions each whereof commanded sixty Footmen whereas the Decurion had but the command of thirty So here we see Officers of Horse commanded by Officers of Foot but never the contrary I find Abâ—er Joaâ— Amasa fight still on foot and so did their Master David King of Israel so did Saul before him and most of the Kings of Judah and Israel after him except some who fought on Chariots to their small advantage but none fought on horseback I believe Absalom fought on foot though after his rebellious Army was routed he mounted on a Mule to carry him away with more haste than good speed Many Kings in the Modern Wars since Gunpowder made a noise have fought on foot Edward the fourth of England fought nine Battels on foot our Kings of Scotland did so frequently And if King James the fourth was kill'd at Flowdon he was slain fighting on foot and all these were Princes who trac'd the path of honour and studied both to shew their own valour and to overcome their enemies which they conceived they did more properly on foot than on horseback Since the best govern'd Kingdoms and States both ancient and modern have given the honour to the Foot and not the Horse by intrusting them with their chief strength their Treasure their Artillery Provisions Ammunitions Towns Castles and fortified places I cannot enough admire what new light the Commanders of Horse of our time have got that can move them to demand a superiority over the Officers of Foot of equal quality with themselves If they say because they can be sooner at an