is not wrapped vp in obscurity and which may fully deliuer the minde of the Commander to the souldiers which hee hath in exercise And as the words ought to bee short so ought they to be Without double signification Where they haue a double signification that is may be diuersly vnderstood by them who are vnder direction some of the souldiers as Aelian saith will doe one thing some another which must needs breed a confusion in the body exercised For as vniformity of motion in euery particular souldier preserueth the whole body and euery ioynt or part thereof entire so the dissimilitude of motion in the particulars induceth a disioynting as it were a disorder of the multitude of the whole battaile in generall To auoid then the inconuenience of double vnderstanding in words Aelian thinketh fit that the speciall word should be placed before the generall and in stead of Face to the pike he would haue the Commander to pronounce thus To the pike face that is to the right hand holding the word right hand to be more speciall or streighter in signification then the word Face Let me haue pardon if I differ from Aelian herein For Logicians hold those words more generall that stretch vnto and comprehend vnder them most particulars Now considering there are foure motions of the battaile which cannot be put in vse but by words of direction and in the direction the word right or left hand is of necessity to be applyed to euery of them as for example Countermarch to the right or left hand Face to the right or left hand and so of the rest it is euident that the word right hand or left hand is more generall then any one of the motions because it stretcheth to them all So that albeit we retaine the rule of Aelian namely to set the speciall before the generall yet may we very safely from his example and not onely in facing but also in the three other motions pronounce the direction thus Face to the right or left hand Double to the right or left hand Countermarch to the right or left hand Wheele to the right or left hand because the word right or left hand is more generall then any one of the motions But admit it were more particular yet the necessity of our language would force vs to forsake this rule of Aelian For in euery language there is an idiome or propriety of speech and that not onely in the phrase it self but also in the very ioyning tying together of the words of the sentence So that that which sorteth well with one language will not be receiued in another In Greeke in which tongue Aelian wrote it soundeth well to place the nowne gouerned by a verbe before the verbe it selfe So in Latine Dutch French and other tongues In English if a man should doe the like vnlesse it were in verse wherein the number of the feet is more respected then the ordering of the words he should be accounted ridiculous or vaine For take the example here set downe to the right hanâ— face to the right hand double or countermach or wheele and let vs vse the same order of words in common speech and a man say to his seruant To the Church goe to the mill corne carry bootes cleane make To the cutler my rapier carry Who would not laugh at his speech or thinke him idle in so pronouncing Wherefore albeit Aelian hold that forme agreeable to the Greeke tongue yet I cannot see how it will be fit that our English according to which I hold it better to pronounce after this manner Face to right hand Countermarch to the right hand and so in the rest then after this To the right hand face to the right hand countermarch the rather because the property of speech auaileth much to the capacity of souldiers who for the most part are vndearned and will hardly vnderstand in case the wonted custome and ordinary vse of ioyning words be inuerted CHAP. LIII BVt aboue all things silence is to be commanded and heed giuen to directions as Homer especially signifieth in his description of the Craecian and Troian fights saying The skilfull Captaines pressed on guiding with carefull eye Their armed troopes who followed their leaders silently You surely would haue deem'd each one of all that mighty throng Had beene bereft of speech so bridled he his heedfull tongue Fearing the dread Commanders checke and dreadfull hests among Thus march'd the Greeks in silence breathing flames of high desire And feruent Zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire As for the disorder of the Barbarians he resembleth it to Birds saying As sholes of fowle Geese Cranes and Swans with necks far stretched out Which in the slimy fens Caisters winding streames about Sheere here and there the liquid skie sporting on wanton wing Then fall to ground with clanging noyse the fens all ouer ring None otherwise the Troians fill the field with heaped sounds Of broken and confused cries each where tumult abounds And againe The Captaines marshall out their troopes ranged in goodly guise And forth the Troians pace like birds that lade the ayre with cryes Not so the Greekes whose silence breathed flames of high desire Feruent in zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire NOTES SIlence when a battaile is put in order either for fight or exercise is one of the principall points of obedience which belongeth to a souldier the breach whereof more endangereth the proceeding of warre then a rawe souldier would thinke who onely is wont to offend in that kind I haue before entreated of signes and shewed that in the obseruing of directions consisteth the greatest helpe of victory in neglecting them the chiefest meanes to take an ouerthrow and be defeated For as directions being executed giue life vnto warlike actions to effect that which the Commander desireth so whatsoeuer hindereth the receiuing of directions must needs crosse the designes of the Commander and by consequence frustrate and disanull that which was thought by him most fit to be put in practice either for the good order or for the preseruation of the Army or else for the gayning of victory A man that is not attentiue cannot marke the command deliuered Nor can he be attentiue that whilest it is deliuered busieth his head with other thoughts or else entertaineth his next standers by with talke a meanes to diuert aswell the speaker as the hearer from that heed which ought to be giuen to direction in asmuch as no man hath the ability to heare another mans speech and himselfe take at the same instant or at the same time to discerne two mens seuerall speeches which are deliuered together All generals haue held Silence a principall point of warlike discipline And therefore in Commands they make it the first Leos precept is this When the troopes are drawne together and ordered for exercise let the cryer for euery company had then a cryer giue these
in the 24 Chapter rehearsing shortly the appellations or words of Military discipline he placeth these formes after Induction and Deduction I take it therefore that their proper place is after the 37 Chapter the rather because all the formes of Marches from thenceforth handled are either Squares of the one kinde or other or else spring out of these Squares I noted before that there are three kinds of Squares one that hath a longer front then flanke another that hath a longer flanke then front the third that hath the front and flanke equall Of the third Aelian speaketh in the 42 Chapter of the first and second in this Chapter of these two therefore I will treat in order And first I will handle the Names then the Vse lastly the Manner how to transforme one into another The first is called 1. Plagiophalanx or the broad-fronted Phalange The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often interpreted for oblique which signification it cannot haue heere the oblique Phalange being in this Chapter tearmed by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet distingnished from the Plagiophalanx They that translate Plagiophalanx the transuerse or ouer-thwart fronted Phalange agree better with Aelians meaning because it meeteth the enemy with a front trans-uerse and drawne out in length and directly opposite against him I haue rendred it the broad fronted Phalange as more fitting the English tongue It may also be called the long-fronted Phalange For breadth I haue remembred it before and length of a Phalange are all one In this sense is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Arrian being applied to the manner of bearing of a Pike He telleth that Alexander transported his Army ouer the riuer Ister to inuade the territory of the Getes and hath thus The number of those that passed the riuer with Alexander were about 1500 horse and 4000 foot They passed in the night and landed where the Corne was high which was the cause that their arriuall was not descried As soone as the morning appeared Alexander led them through the Corne fields Commanding the foot that bearing downe the Corne with their Pikes held a thwart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should march into the Champeigne The manner of their bearing of Pikes as I interpret it was this They tooke the Pikes in the midst with both their hands and so bore them out not with the points forward but crosse and paralell the front of the Phalange that the file leaders with one ioynt force might ledge and beare downe the high-growne Corne and make easier passage for those that followed If they had carried them out slope or oblique which is the other signification of the word it had beene no more then the particular force of euery man a part that held his Pike sloping besides that they would haue beene intangled in the Corne whereas the bearing of them crosse parrallell with the front was the ioynt force of so many file-leaders as did thrust forward against the Corne. Therefore as when the Pike is borne in full length crosse the front of the battaile the posture of the Pike is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is a Phalange termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath a front stretched out in euen length and opposed against the euen front of the aduerse battaile of the enemy 2. The length manifoldly exceeding the depth Aelian sets not downe expresly any proportion of the excesse of the length aboue the depth onely he saith it must manifoldly exceed the depth We must take it then that the excesse of the length must be at the least threefold for thrice fals into the appellation of manifold A Macedonian fourefold Phalange may iustly challenge this name being 1024 men in length onely 16 in depth And likewise a Phalangarch led seuerally and by it selfe as hauing 256 men in length but 16 in depth The rest of the bodies of the fourefold Phalange till you come downe to a Pentecosiarchy albeit ranged by themselues are likewise Plagiophalanges or broad-fronted bastacles A Pentecosiarchy hath onely twice so many in front as in flanke as 32 in front 16 in flanke and therefore commeth not vnder the name of a broad-fronted Phalange So that let the battaile be as long as you list hauing but the ordinary depth it still is accounted a Plagiophalange When it is but twice so long in front as in flanke it cannot deserue that name but it is to be termed rather a Square of ground because the flanke in a square of ground taketh vp as much ground as the front To the Battaile-broad-fronted is next added the Phalange called 3. Orthiophalange or Herse which albeit it haue the length and depth vnequall as hath the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted Phalange yet must the depth manifoldly exceede the length which is contrary in the Plagiophalange This saith Aelian proceedeth in 4. A wing To proceede in a Wing is to march on with a parcell or one body of the Army namely with a certaine number of files as with a Tetrarchy Taxis or Syntagna and to follow with the rest in like manner so that the whole army holdeth no proportion of length or breadth to the depth That which is called by Aelian Orthiophalanx is called by Diodorus Siculus and by Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deepe phalange because the forme of it ariseth out of the depth of the embattailing as I haue noted vpon the seuenth Chapter This kinde of march the Greeke writers expresse by the words of leading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a wing whereas the other kinde with a large front I meane the broad-fronted Phalange is said to be led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a Phalange and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in front 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in extention of breadth The words I recite to helpe them who although they be skilfull in the Greeke tongue yet are not so well acquainted with the Tactickes and may easily mistake or not vnderstand the signification if they be not forewarned But because I haue before in my notes vpon the seuenth Chapter touched this matter I will here vse an example or two onely to explaine and to giue light to both formes Arrian reporteth that when Alexander was to passe the riuer Granicus on the further side whereof the Persians had embattailed themselues in a broad-fronted phalange to hinder his passage Parmenio one of his eldest and best Commanders came vnto him and gaue him this counsell Sir said hee Consider the Persians are ready to encounter you on the other side my opinion is you cannot gaine the passage without exceeding danger both because your phalange cannot be led in front that is in a broad front by reason of the many and sundry depths that are to be
need few words of direction in this onely if the two ordinary battailes stand in equall front let the one wheele to the right the other to the left hand and so march the one before the other after Of the horse Rombe and of the foot-halfe-moone to encounter it CHAP. XLIIII 1 THe battaile framed in a forme of a Rombe was first inuented by Ileon the Thessalian and was called I le after his name and to this forme he exercised and accustomed his Thessalians It is of good vse because it hath a leader on euery corner in the front the Captaine in the reare the Liuetennant and on either side the flank-commanders 2 The foot battaile fittest to encounter this is the 3 Menoides or Cressent hauing both the wings stretched out and within them the leaders and being embowed in the middest to enuiron and wrap in the horse-men in their giuing on where upon the horse-men ply the foot a farre off with flying weapons after the manner of the Tarantines seeking thereby to dissolue and disorder their circled frame of march Tarentum is a City in Italy the hosemen wherof are called Acrobolists because in charging they first cast little darts and after come to hands with the enemy NOTES 1 THe battaile in forme of a Rhombe Of the Rhombe is sufficiently spoken in Chap. 6. before and in the notes vpon the same Chapter The manner of framing of it and the diuers kinds therof are there set down The Thessalians Cap 44 The half Moone or Menoides of foote The Rhombe of Horse The Front vsed not all those kinds but onely that which fileth but rankes not as Aelian testifieth in the 46 Chapter which kinde is there also described It was accounted a forme of great violence in that forme the Thessalians got all there reputation being esteemed the the best horse-men of Greece 2 The foot battaile fittest to encounter this The aduantage that horse-men haue against foot is great which is the cause that foot-men haue sought to helpe themselues by diuers kind of embattailing to the end to supply by art that which they want by force and strength Of which manner of embattailings many are set down in Aelian If more then one troope charge at once you haue the Phalange Amphistomus Antistomus and the Plinthium to resist If but one troope the Diphalange Antistomus All which kinds are before described by Aelian In this Chapter is another kind described namely the halfe moone and there follow in other Chapters the plagiophalange the Epicampios emprosthia and the wedge Of all which we are to discourse in order as they are remembred by our Authours 3 Is the Menoeids or Cressant Against the Rhombe of horse Aelian opposeth the Menoeides of foot a name of battaile borrowed from the shape of the moone For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the moone and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ioyned to make vp the composition signifieth a full shape or forme So the word importeth a shape or forme of the moon and yet this battaile is not like all shapes of the moone but like to the new moone when she hath two hornes and hath the shape of halfe a circle as it were In which sence Isis the Aegyptian goddesse which indeed was the moone saith Diodorus Siculus was pictured with two hornes from the shew which shee maketh being menoeides that is the new moone so is a wall sometime called because of the hollow forme As when the Rhodians hauing their wall shrewdly shaken by the engines of battery of Demetrius reared an inward wall in shape of a Cressant which with the compasse comprehended all the parts of the outward wal which were battered The same Diodorus calleth it Menoeides the like was don by the Halicarnasseans against Alexander the Great and Arrian giueth it the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a brick halfe moon the cause of the inuention of this forme is laide out by Onosander Leo. Oftentimes saith Onosader those that haue great numbers of men in the field are wont to figure them into a CressaÌ„t supposing that in charging the enemy wil be ready to ioyne man to man that is to enter into the semi-circle and fight with them that stand embowed in doeing whereof they will be hemmed and wraped in in the halfe Circle the wings of the halfe Circle being to bee drawne together round about them and the whole brought into the forme of a Circle And Leo likewise The figure bearing there semblance of halfe a Circle seemeth to be safe firme for it incloseth the enemy that coÌ„meth against it in the hollownesse of the Circle by drawing out the wings into a Circle on both sides and giueth more courage to fight against them The causes then to take vp this figure in fight are three one the aduantage of multitude of forces in the field whereby the Generall is enabled to encompasse another the ignorance of the enemy that ventureth within the compasse of the halfe moone the third the efficasie of the figure which serueth to entrap the enemy that is not heedfull and wary in ioyning battaile It hath beene vsed both against Horse and foot and sometimes in Sea by one Nauy against another Aelian esteemeth it good against horse no doubt when horse charge and are resisted both in front and plyed also with flying weapons in flanke they finde a greater â—n opposition and disaduantage then when they are receiued in front alone In square battailes of foot the front lying euen the horse in charging abide only the danger before whereas in the hollow fronted battailes of foot such as are this form and the Epicampios emprosthia they are endangered also in flanke yea in both flanks cannot enter the hollownesse of the front without losse of many of their horse the depth of the hollownes being as strong in hauing the file-leaders in front and the depth of the file the same as a square battaile to resist and the wings plying and infesting them with all sorts of flying weapons against foot it hath beene vsed oftentimes and it is the only forme that the Turks by reason of his multitudes vseth both with horse and foot against Christians at this day The Cressant may be framed not onely before fight is begun but also in the heat of fight Before the fight you haue an example of the Lacedemonians against Epaminondas which I haue cited at large in my notes vpon the 30 Chap. Leo also setteh downe the manner of casting a Nauy into a Cressant before fight During the fight Aratus the elder framed a Cressant against the Lacedemonians Pausanias reciteth it in this manner In the battaile of the Lacedemonians against the Mantineans The Mantineans saith he had the right wing all the rest of the Arcadians the left The middest was vssigned to Aratus and to the Sicyonians and Achaeans Agis King of Lacedemon and the Lacedemonians strethed out their battaile to inuade
the front of the enemy Agis and his troopes stood in the middest Aratus after he had imparted his purpose to the Arcadians fled himselfe and with him that part of the army which he commanded as if he feared the impression of the Lacedemonians in giuing backe hee brought the army into the forme of an halfe moone The Lacedemonians and Agis thinking they had the victory in their hands pursued Aratus and his troopes more egerly The wing followed the King esteeming it no small conquest to haue soyled Aratus In the meane time they perceiued not the Arcadians that were at their backe and the Lacedemonians being encompassed round about lost both many other of their army and Agis also their King the sonne of Endamidas was flaine Leo also in sea fight giueth his Generall counsell how to entrap his enemy with a shew of flight in giuing backe with fashioning an halfe moone These be his words in effect If a Generall be to retire before the enemies Nauy let him retire fashioning his Nauy into a battaile Menoeides anasailyng with his poupes forward and so seeme to shunne the enemy For if he flye not but retire fighting hee shall haue his ships ready to turne vpon the enemy with their prowes bent against him And if need require he may retire with his poupes toward the enemy for the enemy shall not dare to enter into the hollownesse for feare of being encompassed So Leo. The Menoeides therefore may be framed during fight but this caution is to be remembred that in sudden transmutations of battailes you vse not the seruice of raw souldiers but of such as haue experience lest all be brought into confusion and the enemy charge you while you are changing your forme Now as formes of aduantage are to be sought against the enemy so is it needfull to aduise what best opposition is to be made against such battailes in case the enemy vse them The Rombe of horse was of old time accounted a forcible figure against foot the horse therein had the better The Menoeides was inuented to resist and ouerthrow the horse The foot had beene the better what was then best for the horse to abstaine from charging saith Aelian and to ply the foot with missiue weapons to the end to force them to break their strong forme of embattailing So now they stand vpon equall tearmes and the foot can with their shot annoy the horse as well as the horse can annoy the foot Aelian then sheweth a meanes for the horse to auoide the danger of this manner of embattailing for foot vsing this forme against foot hee sheweth no remedy I will set downe what I finde and here I neede not to repeat the remedy that Epaminondas vsed against the Lacedemonian halfe-moone it is related at large in my Notes vpon the 30 Chap. Onosander giueth this aduise Diuide your battaile saith hee into 3 parts with the two outwardest charge the Enemies winges the third that is ordered against the middle and as it were the bosome of the Cressant aduance it not but let it stand firme for either they that are placed in the middest of the Cressant shall standidle or else aduancing in an euen front will throng one another and breake their battaile For the two fronts fighting in the winges and keeping their place it is not possible for the halfe circle to come forward with an euen front when they are therefore confused and haue broken their array let the third battaile that remained in the middest for seconds charge them as they disorderl aduance If they still keepe their place in the bottome of the hollownesse oppose the light-armed and darters against them who will exceedingly distresse them with their missiue weapons likewise you may doe well to frame a Loxe-phalange of your whole Army and with your two Loxes charge the winges preuenting so the circling and encompasing of the Menoeides For the Enemy being a long while hindered from comming to blowes with his whole Army shall bee kept in play with a few none fighting but those onely that are in the winges which first of necessitie must ioyne because of the oblique onset It will not bee a misse also leisurely to retire with the Army sometimes as though you were in feare or else facing about to make your retreat orderly as if you fled and afterward turning sudd onely to meete the Enemie that presseth vpon you For sometimes the Enemie being ouer-ioyed in the imagination of a true flight doth follow vnaduisedly and make a disorderly pursuit euery man pressing to be formost vpon whom you may returne without danger and againe chase them that follow you who will be struckes with a fear in that you dare contrary to their expectation turne again make head against them Onosander giueth here three wayes to resist the Menoeides one by diuiding your battaile into a Triphalange opposing two phalanges against the two wings of the Cressant forbearing and standing firme with the third till opportunity be to moue which is the battaile that Aelian opposeth against the Caelembolos The second by vsing the Loxe-phalange against it as did Epaminondas at the battaile of Leustra against the Lacedemonian halfe moone as I haue shewed elsewhere namely Chap. 30. § 7. The third in making semblance of flying for the halfe moone is a forme which in standing may well be kept whole in mouing will soone be broken and fall into disorder as Cicuta an Italian writer noteth very well If then you faine to flye keeping your men in order the Menoeides following you will breake of it selfe and so you haue good opportunity to returne and in all likelihood to win the day against it especially being in disorder Leo giueth the same aduise to his Generall onely he speaketh of Sea matters Onosander of Land seruice Words of direction for the Rhombe For the forming of the Rhombes see the 19 Chapter and my Notes vpon that Chapter § 6. For the Cressnnt First order your body into a long square Plagiophalanx 1 The 2 file-leaders in the middest of the square stand 2 The next 2 on either hand mooue forward one foot before the other two their files mouing withall and holding their distance 3 So the 4 next file-leaders each before other on either side a foot 4 Then two more on either side aduance before the rest that mooued two foot a peece 5 Then the 2 next on either side 3 foot apeece To restore to the first Posture Face about Moue all at once excepting the 2 middle files and take your first ground Of the Horse-battaile Heteromekes and the Plagiophalange to bee opposed against it CHAP. XLV 1 THE horse-battaile Heteromekes is that which hath the depth double to the length It is profitable in many respects 2 For seeming to bee but a few in so small a breadth it deceiueth the Enemie and easily breaketh his forces with the thicknesse strength of the embattailing and may without perceiuing
your army into a hollow square wherein the baggage is to be couched and to be desended on all sides For if the ground be open enough to cast your selfe into a square hee holdeth the forme the safest to giue security to your baggage These be his words Place all four carriage seruants and baggage and prouision in the middest of your army And in another place speaking of a retreat to be made after an ouerthrow receiued he writeth thus You shall order your whole power into two Phalanges or battailes or into one square Plinthium in the middest whereof you shall put the carriage beasts and baggage and without them the souldiers in order and without them the archers and so retire and depart in safety Againe he saith In marches the enemy approaching it is necessary to haue your carriage in the middest lest being vnguarded it be spoyled and rifled With Leo doth Xenophon agree His words haue this shew I will not wonder if as fearfull dogges are wont to follow and bite such as passe by if they can and to flye from such as follow them so the enemy hang vpon our reare Therefore we shall perhaps march the safer if making a Plesium of the armed the carriage and vnprofitable multitude be throwne into the middest for more security And if it be now determined who shall command the front of the Plesium and who the two wings and who the reare wee shall not need to consult when the enemy approacheth but execute that which is resolued vpon This is Xenophons counsell for the march in open ground when the enemy aboundeth in number of souldiers which counsell was often put in practice and the Grecians being but 10000 secured themselues against infinite multitudes of Persian horse that charged them on all sides and also preserued and led their carriage sate in dispite of the enemy The like was practised by Xenophon afterward in the last warlike action of the Grecians in their returne out of Persia He setteth downe the history after this manner Now was it time viz. after they had assaulted a fort in vaine the enemy of the country gathering head to thinke vpon a faire retreat and conueâ—ing the oxen and sheep they had taken and likewâ—se the slaues into a Plesium they quickly dismarched not so much esteeming their prey as fearing in case they left it behind their departure might seeme a plaine running away and the enemy gathâ—r heart the Grecian souldiers be discouraged So now they departed fighting as it were about the prey The Souldiers with Xenophon being shrewdl annoyed wiâ—h bowes slings cast themselues into a ring to the end to oppose their targets against the shot of the enemy and with much adoe passed the riuer Caicus the one halfe of them being wounded Agasias also the Stymphalian Captaine was hurt whilest hee maintained fight with the enemy during the whole retreat Yet they all returned safe to the Campe bringing with them about 200 slaues and sheepe enough for Sacrifice Here Xenophons souldiers figured themselues first into a Plesium couching their prey in the middest afterward being ouerlayed with the enemies shot they conuerted their Plesium into a Ring in which forme they tecouered their Came notwithstanding the molestation and often charging of a great multitude of horse and foot that were enemy and followed them Of the forme of Rings I finde not many examples amongst the Grecians the Romans vsed them often when they found themselues encompassed by the enemy as Vegetius hath and may bee seene in Caeâ—ars Commentaries And let thus be said of the foure manners of placing the carriage in a march Of the words of Command and certaine obseruations about them CHAP. LII LAst of all we will briefly repeate the words of direction if we admonish first that they ought to be short then that they ought to be without double signification For the Souldiers that in haste receiue direction had neede to take heede of doubtfull words lest one doe one thing and another the contrary As for the purpose If I say turne your face some it may be that heare me will turne to the right some to the left hand and so no small confusion follow Seeing therefore these words Turne your face import a generall signification and comprehend turning to the right or left hand we ought in stead of saying turne your face to the pike to pronounce it thus To your pike turne your face that is we ought to set the particular before and then inferre the generall for so will all doe alike together Like reason is if you say Turne about your face or countermarch for these are also generall words and therefore wee should doe well to set the particular before As to the pike turne your face about or to the target turne your face about Likewise the Lacedemonian Countermarch not the countermarch Lacedemonian For if you place the word countermarch first some of the Souldiers will happily fall to one kinde other to another kinde of countermarch For which cause words of double sence are to be auoided and the speciall to be set before the generall NOTES IF we admonish first that they ought to be short The ordering and motions of an army ought to be quickly performed the rather because the transmutations of the body and the occasions of them are sudden for the most part And therefore the meanes to worke the transmutations commanded these meanes are the words of direction ought to suite to the nature of the motions themselues and to be applyed to celerity by shortnesse of speach Short speach is better carried away and sooner put in execution then speech that is longer Yet is not such a shortnesse to bee affected as will bring with it obscurity according to the saying of the Poet Breuis esse laboro Obscurus fio I labour to be short and so become obscure And therefore I take the practice of French Commanders when they command Facing in these words A droie a gauche to the right to the left without adding face and likewise of the Netherlanders in imitation of the French Reehes om slinks om and of some English in these words To the right to the left not pronouncing the motion which is to be made to the hand appointed These I say I take to be without the warrant of reason and of all antiquity from which Aelian draweth this rule For the command of right and left alone sheweth that the Commander would haue a motion performed to the named hand but leaueth vncertaine what the motion should be so that albeit some souldiers fall to a countermarch some other to wheeling or to doubling or to facing they are to be reputed blamelesse and to haue performed that which their direction willed them to doe because the command was of mouing to the right or left hand onely not shewing what motion should be made to either hand Shortnesse therefore is required by Aelian but such a Shortnesse as
a battaile and to behold a direct space betwixt files and rankes For that is the grace and beauty as I may terme it of a Phalange ordered for fight This proportion cannot be maintayned without obseruing distance curiously Open order is sixe foot both in ranke and file betwixt man and man euery way If then any souldier in file gather vp to his leader and stand at distance of three foot it is manifest that his ranke is thereby disturbed and made vneuen although the file continue streight Contrariwise if he beare himselfe out of his place three foot toward either of his side-men by this meanes he disordereth his file and maketh it crooked This fault if it were committed by many a generall disorder would follow in the body and therefore Aelian well aduiseth to keepe the first distances especially till you be commanded to the second or third distance which will often fall out in the foure motions Of which Facing is the first and the words of direction in it are these as before in Aelian 12 Face to the Pike That is Face to the tight hand For the pike was alwayes borne in the right hand 14 Face to the Target The Pike-men in the Macedonian army bore targets on their left armes or on the left side so that facing to the target is all one with the word of command Face to the left hand 16 Face about to the pike or target That is face about to the right or left hand But where hee addeth moue a little further he signifieth that the direction is not fully accomplished and he would haue the souldiers continue their motion till their faces were fully come about to the reare and then hee willeth them to stand so because they haue gayned their place These facings here expressed by Aelian are of the whole body Other facings of the parts he hath not set downe which notwithstanding are oftentimes of great vse For say the enemy charge in front and reare your front must continue as it did but the word for the reare is Halfe files face about to the right or left hand If the enemy charge you on both flankes then is the word of command Halfe rankes face to the right halft to the left hand If in front and one flanke the front standeth firme and the word for the flanke that is charged is Halfe rankes of the right or left flanke Face to the hand named If in front and both flankes the front is to stand firme and both the flanks to face to the enemy And this is done in a hollow square or Plesium and the word is Flankes face one to the right the other to the left hand If on all sides or round about it is as before for the flankes but for the reare The reare face about to the right or left hand Now in Countermarch of the reare the ranke of file-leaders is oftentimes commanded to face about to the right or left hand In countermarch of the front the ranke of bringers vp must doe the like as wee shall see in Countermarch Doubling is the second motion vsed in battaile the precept of it in this in Aelian 18 Double your depth The word in our exercise for this motion is Double your files because files measure the depth of the battaile or rankes measure the length This doubling is made many wayes The first is when the euen files that is the 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. file fall into the odde As if the doubling be to the right hand the right hand corner-file standeth firme and is the first after doubling the third is the second file the fifth the third and so the rest of the odde files in order But the manner is that the leaders of the second file fall directly behind the leader of the first file and the second man of the second file behind the second man of the first and so the rest of those two files The same order is for the rest of the euen files when they double the odde files And the word is Double your files to the right or left hand Another manner is when halfe the body of files conueyes it selfe into the spaces oâ— the other halfe of the body be it to the right or left hand according to direction giuen so that the first ranke of the halfe body which is to moue fals into the space next after the first ranke of the halfe body that standeth and so the rest of the rankes of the halfe body that moueth and the word is Halfe the body double your files to the right or left hand Another is when files are doubled by a countermarch As if the second file of the right or left hand as it is appointed countermarch and the leader of that file place himselfe behind the bringer vp of the corner file to that hand to which the doubling is to be made and so the rest of the files of euen number behinde those of odde number as the second behind the first the fourth behind the third the sixt behind the fifth and so the rest The word is Double your files by countermarch to the right or left hand The next word in Aelian is Double your length That is double your rankes or front For as I before noted the rankes make the length of the battaile which likewise is many wayes done The first is when the rankes of euen appellation as the 2. 4. 6. 8. c. fall out into the spaces of the odde namely into the spaces of the 1. 3. 5. 7. c. which stand before them and place themselues euen with them in ranke The word is Double your rankes to the right or left hand Another way is when the bringers-vp their halfe files following them by countermarch aduance vp to the front and place themselues in the spaces betwixt the file-leaders to the hand appointed and the rest of the ranks accordingly namely the ninth ranke in the spaces of the second the eight in the spaces of the third the seuenth in the fourth the sixth in the spaces of the fifth And the word is Bringers vp double your front by countermarch to the right or left hand Another is when the reare-halfe-files one halfe face to the right the other to the left hand and diuiding themselues march out till they bee past the flankes of the standing halfe-files Then facing to the front sleeue vp and front with the standing halfe-files Then the word is Reare halfe-files double your front by diuision to the right and left hand Another way is when the reare-halfe-files vndiuided face to the hand appointed and being beyond the flanke of the rest of the body face to the front and sleeue vp and ioyne in front with the standing halfe-files The word is Reare-halfe-files enter double your front to the right or left hand It is to be obserued that in all these motions of doubling rankes or front the souldiers are to returne after
their motion to their first posture which is done by facing about to the right or left hand and then by mouing and by recouering their first place The word is As you were Countermarch is the third motion vsed in the change of a battaile The vse and necessity thereof appeareth in Aelian before and that there are two kindes one by file the other by ranke The words of command that hee here setteth downe are onely of countermarch by file which may be reduced to two kindes viz. the Countermarch of the front and the Countermarch of the reare That of the front hath likewise two kindes the Lacedemonian and the Chorean That of the reare onely one and it is called the Macedonian Countermarch Now Aelians direction followeth 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch This is one of the Countermarches by file and of the front The manner is that the file-leaders beginne the Countermarch and paâ—â—e beyond the reare their files following them In our exercise the word is Countermarch the front to the right or to the left hand It is done after another sort also as when the bringers-vp face about to the right or left hand and then the whole body facing about to the same hand passe thorow the spaces of the bringers vp to the same hand and the ninth ranke beginning the rest of the ranks after one anothers place themselues euery paticular man before his follower in the same file till the file-leaders are first The word is Bringers vp face to the right or to the left hand The rest beginning at the ninth ranke passe thorow to the same hand and place euery man himselfe before his follower As you were In Aelian followeth 22 The Macedonian Countermarch We in our exercise tearme this Countermarch of the reare and it is done in two manners First when the bringers vp begin the Countermarch and their files following passe thorow the spaces of the file-leaders till the file-leaders become the last of the file and then the whole body face about and stand The word is Countermarch the reare to the right or left hand Face about to the contrary hand and stand The other when the file-leaders face about to either hand and the rest of the ranks beginning at the second ranke successiuely passe thorow the spaces of the file leaders to the hand appointed placing themselues euery man behind his next leader and facing about as they did The word is File-leaders face about the rest of the rankes passe thorow and place your selues behinde your next leaders The next in Aelian is 24 The Chorean Countermarch This Countermarch is of the front as I said but it keepeth the ground that the body had before the file-leaders their files following them remoued to the places of the bringers vp and the bringers vp to the places that the file-leaders had The word is File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and stand viz. when they come to the bringers vp Other Countermarches thereare which are not here set downeby Aelian but are remembred in his Chapter of Countermarches of which the countermarch by ranks of the whole battaile is one the other is the countermarch by ranks in the parts And as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the rankes first began to moue so in Countermarch of the flanke the files entire beginne to moue and as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the ranks followed one another by file so in Countermarch of the flankes the files follow one another by ranke that is the souldiers of euery ranke follow one another If you would countermarch the right flanke so to change one side of the battaile for the other the word is Countermarch the right flanke to the left hand In countermarching the left flanke the word is Countermarch the left flanke to the right hand To countermarch the wings into the middest both the vttermost corner-files are to moue toward the middest their halfe rankes following them and meeting in the middest to stand there and face to the front and the word is Countermarch your wings into the middest of the battaile Obserue that in Countermarch by ranke the three Countermarches Macedonian Lacedaemonian and Choraean may be practised as well as in Countermarch by file If the flanke neerest to the enemy begin the Countermarch this the Macedonian countermarch because it maketh a shew of shifting away If the flanke furthest from the enemy begin it is the Lacedemonian in that it carrieth a semblance of falling on But when one flanke countermarcheth till it come iust vp to the other and no further it is the Choraean because it keepeth the same ground Wheeling is the fourth and last motion and it is vsed in the whole entire battaile or in the parts thereof Aelian giueth words of direction for the whole battaile onely and they are these Wheele the body to the Pike or to the Target When the battaile is to wheele to the pike or right hand the right hand corner file-leader is onely to turne his body by little and little to the right hand facing euen with the ranke of file-leaders till such time as hee haue gained the right hand aspect and the rest are to moue about him making him the centor as it were of their circled motion If to the left hand the left hand corner file leader is to doe the like The same order is of wheelin the battaile about to the right or left hand Aelian as I â—aiâ— giueth here no other words of command then for the wheeling of the whole body yet are the wheelings of the parts of great vse for either the flankes are wheeled into the front or the front into the flankes The front is wheeled into the flankes when we desire to forme the Antistomus Phalange to resist the enemy giuing on both flankes And then the two middlemost bringers vp are to stand and the middle file-leaders to diuinde themselues and to moue halfe the battaile to the right halfe to the left hand making those two bringers vp the center of the motion In this the word is Wheele the front into flanks by diuision If the flanks be to be wheeled into the front the two middle file-leaders are to stand still and the two halfe bodies to moue about them one to the right hand the other to the left till the two flanks be in the front and the front in the middest This kind is practised when we would frame the Diphalange Antistomus The word is Wheele the flanks into the front It is to be remembred that after euery motion a restitution to the first posture is to be commanded in these words As you were In facing you are to returne to the contrary hand as if the command were to face to the right in returning you come to the left In doubling you must doe the like In countermarch likewise whether you countermarch the whole body or the parcels thereof you are to returne by the contrary hand After