holde military forme in generall or some garisons and ordinarie bandes of more power in cauallerie or fanterie or contrariwise Likewise whether they haue any quantitie of Shipps readie armed for defence thereof if it be an Yland or border much along the sea coste whether the gouernement therof be caried in forme of a Democracie which is Definicion of Democracie Aristocracie whē all the people in common or the maior part of them hold souueraingtie and commaund or Aristocracie when a lesser part of the people holde of one bodie within it selfe empire power giuing lawes to the more sorte of the rest in generall or particular or Monarchie which they tearme Royal Senorie the Prince hauing iustlie conquered it Monarchie becōming Lord of their persons and goods vnder which he may be able to gouerne them with equitie yeelding vnto them libertie with putting them in possession and proprietie of their goods from an absolute Lorde establisheth then to him selfe the gouuernement of a Royal Monarchie whether the Monarch or king be electiue and if his authoritie consiste more in the body and voice of his Prelates Nobles cities of the kingdome then of his royal person not being able to vse discipline enacte lawes or impose tributes or fynes without consent of the members of his kingdome remayning in the Court whether it come to him by succession or gayned by mariadge or right of inheritance what the age of the king is in possession what talent and partes God hath giuen vnto him howe he vseth them what heires he hath and whether he bring them vp alowing them a hande in gouernement or farre from him for suspition of what qualitie his officers be which he retayneth about his person to assist him in gouuernement and howe farre he yeeldeth vnto them whether he accounte of Souldiers and men of warre for affection hee beareth therevnto or onely for necessitie hauing among them any personages of experience and valour whether he be more beloued or feared of his vassalls in what sorte his rentes ariseth the summe and quantitie thereof whether hee bee able to augment them more if he holde them free or charged with such assignations as he shall haue giuen or solde vpon them if he be gouerned by any Tutor or protector through the minoritie of his age or want of vnderstāding whether there be any Gouernor either through the kings being taken prisoner or for distancie from the state where the Prince Gouernor or Captaine general resideth whether that Kingdome or Countrey be frō before time with other fallen vnto him or since the King or Prince enioyed it whether the leagues he holdeth be onely personall or successiue to his heires finally whether the disposition of that kingdome or state be of such a sorte as draweth the bordering Princes albeit they are not confederate with it not to suffer that any more powerfull shall enioy it for the difficultie and feare of greatnes looking the more narrowlie thereinto A naturall born Prince alwayes better beloued then a stranger for the conseruation of their owne estate Out of these considerations which I haue set downe Y. H. may be able to serue your turne in cōpassing such forces as your armie shall neede marking that alwayes a naturall Prince holdeth a greater pledge of beeing beloued then a straunger if his extremitie of vice doe not cause his vassalls to abhorre him Therefore in the continuance of a long gouuernement many occasions causes of noueltie are withdrawne and remoued which the chance of an Empire draweth with it the one opening the dore to the other as one building the frame and workemanship of an other for this cause a conquest is seldom times effected without hauing some intelligence with them of the kingdome or state being an enterprise of greatest daunger to enter warre within a countrie of which you shall hold no further knowledge then what you must be fayne to take by force and armes the which extreemely delayeth the proceeding thereof a matter which can not be auoyded vntill you finde your selfe so farre within the Countrey as the people for loue of their owne houses and impossibilitie which they see in maintayning of their wifes and children without them constrayne them selues to suffer the yoke in seeking to please those which impose it vpon thē And likewise the most ordinarie way is to entertayne speach before with some whō you may perceyue discontented with the Prince Causes breeding discōtēt towards Kinges and Princes through his want of vnderstanding vicious customes euill gouuernement naughtie administration of iustice and choise of ministers which engendereth partialities losse of wealth or couetousnesse in procuring of it oppressions and greeuances without reason which maketh honorable heartes to growe desperate resenting more an iniurie then death except the feare of God The loyalty of subiects admitteth of no conditions and obligation of a subiect which is not in any wise to admitt of any condition to make him faltar in the loyaltie which he oweth restrayne them or that Kinges refrayne their appetites and passions considering it is with their owne subiectes Besides this another cause manie times stirreth vp subiectes to intend nouelties * Yow put a good and a fit case for their owne home to be instance where to your vsurped estates a right heire can not be and to your hereditarie Su Alteza may not think to run so cleare away with that priests dispensations being but a mockery to contradict the direct ordinance of Iehoua according to your owne cēsure pag. your Princes like Conies still incestuously counterlyuinge with their nearest of tribe and consanguinitie and that is when their Prince hath no heire and there be diuers pretendours to the succession which some will aspire making great shewe of the sufficiencie of their partie to obteyne it and other more ambitious founding them selues vpon the authoritie and trayne they cary assay the ayde of neighbour Princes to be able to possesse them selues of the commaunde vnder such profites or Townes as they can offer vnto them diuers likewise are the readier finding them selues in necessitie hauing prodigallie wasted their substance imagining that through want therof they must needes decay in their credite and opinion and then necessitie so mouing them couer their ambition vnder the title of libertie vnder colour to remedy the publicke weale their owen particuler being their principall end to destroy the generall that with change they may bring their purpose about Sometimes in like maner it falleth out that there is either an estate or cities adioyning vnto the place attempted whiche albeit they depend not thereon the euill entreatie they haue receyued may make them wishe that other might occupie the roome offering thēselues to their ayde which is eftsoones also occasioned through feare and a forced good will for that they are not able to giue anie impediment therevnto Those persons which Y.H. is to vse in this negociation for the causes
Kings Princes and Gouernours A consideration for Kings often to laye before their eies which is that our Lord cannot bee better serued then in time of peace nor contrariwise more offended then in warre A matter which with my self oftentimes meditating hath made me to knowe howe artificially the deuill hath practised to make Kinges beleeue that it best beseemeth their greatnes and power to make warr vpon credit perswading them howe easily by that course they may vndertake many whereby increaseth sinnes and offences when the souldier is left vnpaide A pointe which spoyleth Generals and Heades of Armies causing them cleane to losen the raine of obedience good discipline in yeelding liberty to extortions robberies forces and mutines which is to multiplie sinnes besides those which a warre necessarily draweth with it through the freedome which they giue to such as follow them In case that such differences among Kings and catholike Potentates shal fall out betwene any Princes about whom Y.H. shall hold any resident Embassador A point to be obserued by Embassadours he is to obserue acquainting himself with the demaundes answeres the treaties if the Embassador runne not only a course for manage of his affaires but be besides a souldior of courage for that question beeing of matters out of which breach of armes is likely to arise it is very conuenient they should passe through the handes of such as will not bee moued with ambiguous speches which Princes their ministers vse in like occasions to aduantage their partie and negotiation nor yet with the demonstrations which they make of the leauies of men to countenance themselues with esteeming it the surest foundation they haue And likewise if he haue followed the warres that he be able to ballance matters in such a maner as he may aduise Y.H. at an inch of all such preuentions as are fit to bee vsed and not to abridge him in the end of his instructions without sending speedily vnto him which onlie serueth to leauie men to your expence and hinderance Neither must hee yeeld credit too much to the faire wordes giuen him when by workes they are not confirmed least Y.H. growe careles and at such time as necessitie shall require stand vnprouided In respect whereof Y.H. is to giue order your Embassador not being such a one as hath followed the warrs that some such as hath may be sent in his companie to assist him ioyntly in this his negotiation seeking if it shal-bee necessarie otherwise to color him wherof there will neuer bee cause wanting among Kings nor to withdrawe an Embassador when matters shall affoord to be handled but in the handes of one all such as by coniecture are to entreate of their affaires wel hauing to vnderstand that by no meanes they binde their Kinge or make shewe of his power force if it be not that occasion require it wherby they preserue reputation whose foundation is workes not wordes with which is very small maintenance Qualitie incident to kings And for that it is a qualitie incident to Kings that they cannot bee forced either to affect or dislike and so not to suffer themselues oftentimes to bee perswaded to that which is conuenient for them therby running headlong into all sortes of miseries which may be seene Y.H. must lende eares of obedience to the * Surely men of rare iudgment and profitable to the k. seruice if their manor and successe of councels be looked into Diuines who are to approue whether your cause bee iust or no so that they bee such personages for their much learning and example of life as Y.H. is to chuse for the resolution of a matter of so great moment it beeing one of the greatest pledges of a Kings wisdome to be able to knowe such among his vassalls and seruantes as may be fittest for him to harken to their iudgement and opinion according to such matters as they knowe and profession which they haue made therein Y.H. is in like sorte to giue hearing voide of passion to your Councellours of Cape and sworde when they shall represent vnto you that for the defence of your Kingdomes an estimation of greatnes and reputation it is requisite to take armes without leauing only to your owne opinion caried with the heate of age greatnes of minde which is to bee thought God gaue vnto Kinges the day when he sent them into the world with like vocation for that the only tearme of their bringing vp could not bee sufficient to inlarge them or to make them confidently imbrace some glorious enterprise or other notwitstāding that it carrie multitudes of difficulties therewith Y.H. standing fully assured by the Diuines that your demaunde is iust according to the lawe of God man and that it is wisedome to mainteyne it by armes and stronge hand may then vnder those two pointes hope for a good succor and victorie and euill in any other sort But say that God hath graunted victory to many which haue vniustly fought it hath bin through his secrete iudgments and as far as mans reason may cōceyue to serue himself of them as of a scourge chastning those which forget to serue him to glorifie him in paiement of benefites receyued such as to bestowe the light of faith knowledge of his inuincible veritie and promise of the greatnes of rewardes which may be expected of his bountifull and powerfull hand to all those which keepe his commaundements How much more are you which knowe this and do contrary to bee beaten c. which for no cause in the earth ought to be broke howe much more then to be obserued in warre being a flashe of lightning of our Lordes wrath and the charge not able to bee expressed which a King taketh vpon himself if he make it for any other motiue or end then the pure honor and glory of God What obligatiō Kings doe enter into defence of his Kingdomes and conseruation in them of our holy Catholicque faith fulfillinge in this the obligation which God hath laide vpon them that those soules should not be lost ouer whom he hath made them * Caudillo your self by this acknowledgeth the Supremacie which Kinges vnder God hold in the church Captaines on the earth and administrators of his Iustice which is not enough although they haue all they can desire in the world to make Kings know when a warre shall end though they stand sure of the beginning thereof I do not leaue to knowe that I haue bin tedious in the points which I haue touched but the greatnes of the profit which may be taken out thereof will make me blameles with Y. H. Christian pietie beeing as great a pledge and assurance of our actions in this life as is in buildinges the firmenes of a sure foundation Y.H. standing resolued to take armes making warres by lande or sea it must of force be offensiue or defensiue Two manors of war being the two blankes for all
headdes without any Iackes of mayle or corselettes and some carying light horse staues leading staues and Targuettes other with Pistolls or long Petrionells which difference of armes is as well required to be considered as the horsses may be able to beare out therewith in combat best The verie reason which at the first moued men to inuent them proportioning them according to the fitnesse of such horse as the Prouince or Climate did breede affirming iointlie that it is a very hard matter at this time to be able to frame an armie of one entiere nation when it is not for the defence of the same kingdome vpon the invasion of any stranger for the diuersitie of considerations which may therein be offred And in particular whether the Prouince be so well peopled as that it may yeelde so great a nūber of men as is necessarie for the maintenance of a warre abroad the which euery day consumeth men and to breede souldiers it is necessarie to employ youthes which haue passed sixteene yeares at the least and in case so much people may be drawne out of the Countrie The best cōposition of one entire nation if it may be and so many men trayned among them as is fit for the diuersitie of armes vndoubtedly an armie of one entiere nation is much more to be esteemed which cōforme them selues in customes and language then of diuers which ought to beare parte and all to depend of one selfe same cause thereby to be the more vnited in their conseruation and by consequent their force of greater vigour Of this there are not onely probable reasons but effectes consideringe that the greatest Empires which haue bene haue augmented and preserued them selues by warring with the Souldiors of their owne nation onely with whom they made an entier body of their armie lodging such of other nations as came to their ayde a parte thereby giuing to vnderstande that they depended not of them In this case hath our Lorde made Y.H. so powerfull a Prince as that you possesse kingdomes and many Prouinces out of which you may forme great armies of one entiere nation or diuers being all your vassalls or such countries assisting you where you haue Coronells in paye for the same effecte and so may Y.H. chuse the partie most conuenient according as your generall Captaines shall be of opinion the forme of warre may require which you vndertake and in what Prouince or state particularities which will giue light to the resolution of your leauies and places of musters which are to be assigned accordinge to their order and securitie Some are of opinion that in those Councells which Princes holde for giuing of order to leauie men Consideration for the not naming of a general it should be verie cōuenient the Princes person not being in place present not to name any general at all vntill all prouisions were at an end presupposing that there would be foūd so many persons fitt for the same charge as that the findinge of anie one to be named would bee an occasion for the more parte to backward the seruice encreasing the other inconueniences which mought be founde therein mooued by the competitorshipp which is naturallie founde among men of one profession I will assure Y.H. that this is a consideration of much moment not able to be kept with puntilio for many occasions which offer thē selues wherein necessarilie a Captaine must be declared before the leuies being the best meanes for the easie dispatche of them and the enterprise and that which is most troublesome to a souldior is that the circumstance of euery particular case is of that importance that he is bound to hold such rules as in generall he may finde to guyde him by worthying him selfe herein by his owne estimation as the principall parte which a souldior is to obserue Qualitie of a Generall All your leuies and preparations being once in a readines Y.H. may if it be not already done nominate the generall of the enterprise and the most headdes of the armie which ought to be soldiors considering that manie haue courage enough to fight which wante wisedome to be able to commaunde and combat in the fielde it being the greatest matter of importance to be required at a gouuernours handes and in particular the Campe maister generall ought to haue good skill in soulderie Qualitie of Campe-maister generall for that the executiō of his office is no wayes permissiue to any other person then a soldior of many yeares and experience being the liuely voice and spirit of the generall which hee participateth to the armie if he be a souldior and in case he be not one the actions of the Campe maister generall in respect he is so necessarie giueth spirit life to the Generalls in such sorte as he commeth to be helde a souldior though in deed he be none The which hath made mee discoursing vpon this matter to affirme sundrie times that men may be borne generalls but not Campe maisters generalls which is the second person of the armie since that the Generall thereof fayling howe great personages so euer carie any other charge it apperteyneth to the Campe-maister generall to giue the worde and likewise to administer ciuill and criminall iustice throughout the armie in the name of the Prince or his Lieuetenant generall and to this effecte he holdeth about him men of learning and the great Prouost I speake not of a Campe maister generall where there is a Conestable in an armie that being no office nowe in vse with like preheminences as they were wont to haue in former times being more or lesse in one Prouince thē in an other Office of Constable but in deed the charge of a Constable is a Lieutenant of the Kings person in peace or war in all matters depending theron within the kingdome Men in olde time esteemed it sufficient for the warre to haue some good partes in those which commanded as to guyde order armies to vanquishe the enimie which they perferred before most morall vertues which ought to be wished in a Captaine to be able with his wisedome and sharpnes of witte to compasse such matters by the helpe of some naturall giftes as courage quicknes affabilitie endurance of travailles and like qualities which hold affinitie with moral vertues though they be none and verie necessarie in the exercise of warre I haue handled with like precisenes of what condicion the person of the Campe maister generall ought to be by hauing sundrie times considered that there seldome happeneth a generall which is a souldior of experience albeit that wisedome and excellent partes are in no charge more to be desired then in persons which are to gouuerne armies for that the matters are innumerable which they are to prouide for and to commaunde carying withall a wauering common wealth of men vpon their shoulders besides a multitude of accidentes presenting them selues euerie moment and varietie of cases vpon which
blowe is of great force at full a matter which the verie reason of shooting proueth through the motion whiche the violence of powder giueth to the bullet a manner in which the artillerie is mounted in the gallies And if in assaultes by lande they staie shooting anie piece out of the trauesses vntill the men be clambered vnto the toppe of the breach that they may do the more hurte by the certeintie of the shott two gallies being borded which is to come to assalte one another without all doubt shee shall haue most aduātage which in that season and instance is able to helpe her selfe with her full Artillerie a particular of which great consideration is to be had and to be esteemed of great moment at that instant to vse artillerie then before with shooting off great shott which come all to be lost and none of that force they are when they come to borde If the Armie be compounded of galliasses Aduertisement for to fight the armie beeing cōpounded both of round ships and shippes of ores high round shippes you must frame the battayle according to the disposition which the enimie carieth Prouided that the galiasses and rounde shippes in case the weather serue them shoote first off their Artillerie because necessarilie it must doe much hurte and when they shall come to borde such shippes with their gallies it shall tende much to their aduantage by the nature of the boording and likewise the same occasion is to giue lawe in what maner the battayle shall be disposed and without doubt the shippes of high building will put the enimies to flight if some gallies or rowing vessells goe in the vanguarde and when not it prouoketh the enimie to borde them The Armie being arriued in harbour Forme of landinge men or place where you would lande your men the Capitana is to giue order to all the shippes that as soone as they see a flagge put forth of such a colour they lanche their squiffes and long boates embarque such men in them as the Generall shall appointe in which consideration is to be had of the qualitie of the countrye whether it aske a great quantitie of harquebuserie and fewer pikes or more of them a squadron being presentlie to be made for feare of the enimies cauallerie or a golpe of men ioyned togither the number being cast which euery skiffe can carrie a shoare then is it to bee ordered that in euerie squiffe or long boat a thirde parte of pykes and two of harquebusiers in such sorte as being tenne pikes there may bee twentie harquebusiers The Capitana lanching her owne squiffe or longe boate and therein such soldiours putt as are to goe an ensigne is to be caried in the prowe of that squiffe onely which all the rest are to followe and comming neare vnto the shoare they holde water turning their poopes vnto it to vse such little pieces as goe in them shooting them off if neede be giuing a tire vpon the enimie to make him stande further from the sea side and when he will not then to thrust them a shoare where a squadron is instantlie to be made the harquebuserie gayning the most conuenient stand and with this order the squiffes returne againe to sea to fetche the rest which are to desembarke an effect which he that is on lande cannot withstand the inuador being the more powerfull when he holdeth no place fortified or furnished with artillerie nor that it bee inaccessible for that he which commeth to land carieth litle pieces and they on lande being to remoue theirs from one place to another cannot weilde them with that readines that they are caryed vpon the water and when their is a place fortified where the men must needs land then doe they arme their boats with blinders which couereth the fore parte and serued for a defence and then letting it to fall when they come to land it serueth for a bridge helping them selues with this and such other maner of barkes which they defend with sundrie sortes of instruments Epiloge referring him selfe to better iudgements Albeit that I haue made no profession of a Mariner the hauing bene a soldiour in some voyages by sea and present where I haue seene armies inough ioyne sundry sortes of shippes hauing bene prepared for them shall excuse mee for entreating of the gouerment thereof and maner of fight without writing more at large of marinershippe for that it is not my profession referring my selfe as well in this as in that of the lande seruice to those whose iudgement is better and knowe more thorough their great experience of which I for those yeres I followed the warre in haue signified vnto Y.H. in seruice of lande and sea my iudgement to be most conuenient for a Prince like Y.H. to haue the Theorique and practise thereof and to aduantage more by this the experience which occasions may bring the which hath bene my ende in scribling of these papers ledde with the desire I holde that not onelie your souldiors should admire in Y.H. your wisedome and consideration in vndertaking enterprises liuelines and diligence in executing of them dexteritie in camping and forme of gouerning your Armies and forces but that it may be an example to the rest of the Princes and Kings for to come to be called renowmed Captaines of warre which Y.H. will attaine vnto and manie other things worthie of so great a Prince if you will fixe the ende of your Actions in the seruice of our Lord God What ought to bee the last end of our actions offering vnto him the greatnes of forces who hath put them into your handes for the augmētation of his glorie and honor and maintenance of peace and Iustice within your Kingdomes with which he will be least offended and most praysed A blanke on which all men are to looke euerie one following the vocation of his estate Laus Deo Vni soli semper Censure BY order from the Lordes of the Royall Councell I haue seene this booke intituled Theorique and practise of warre directed to the Prince our Lorde composed by Don Bernardino de Mendoza And by the experience which I haue of two and thirtie yeares which I haue serued the K. our Soueraigne in the warres Captaine of light horsse and Infanterie and Campemaister and Campemaister generall and hauing read all whatsoeuer with the best diligence I could gather written thereof antique or moderne in that profession and such histories as sett downe the reasons of their losse or victorie which haue had the commaunde or rule ouer armies which is the height of the arte militar holding experience to vnderstand them I say that this worke is verie worthie of His Highnes because firste hee proposeth such principall aduertisements as are to bee considered and vnderstood in the managing of a warre preuenting in the beginning excuses for taking armes as one that hath had experience howe vncerten the euentes are and laying down the matter of state with much christian zeale in which hee sheweth well the much Theorique and practise which he hath and after hauing done great and worthie seruices to the K. our Soueraigne it is not the least to haue made such a booke for the profitt which as wel the Prince our Lo. may drawe out thereof as the generals of his armie and leaders and soldiors which are to folowe them Therefore is it fit that it bee printed so great profit redounding thereby At Madrid the 12. of May 1595. Don Francisco Arias de Bobadilla