orders, thei should have made a new Monarchie in the world, whom so
moche the more deserve blame, havyng been armed of their first giver of
lawes: for havyng no dominion on the lande, thei wer armed on the sea,
where thei made their warre vertuously, and with weapons in their
handes, increased their countrie. But when thei were driven to make
warre on the lande, to defende Vicenza, where thei ought to have sent
one of their citezens, to have fought on the lande, thei hired for their
capitain, the Marques of Mantua: this was thesame foolishe acte, whiche
cut of their legges, from climyng into heaven, and from enlargyng their
dominion: and if thei did it, bicause thei beleved that as thei knewe,
how to make warre on the Sea, so thei mistrusted theim selves, to make
it on the lande, it was a mistruste not wise: for as moche as more
easely, a capitain of the sea, whiche is used to fight with the windes,
with the water, and with men, shall become a Capitaine of the lande,
where he shall fight with men onely, then a capitaine of the lande, to
become a capitain of the sea. The Romanies knowyng how to fight on the
lande, and on the sea, commyng to warre, with the Carthaginens, whiche
were mightie on the sea, hired not Grekes, or Spaniardes, accustomed to
the sea, but thei committed thesame care, to their Citezeins, whiche
thei sent on the land, and thei overcame. If thei did it, for that one
of their citezeins should not become a tiraunt, it was a feare smally
considered: for that besides thesame reasons, whiche to this purpose, a
little afore I have rehearsed, if a Citezein with the powers on the sea,
was never made a tiraunt in a citee standyng in the sea, so moche the
lesse he should have been able to accomplishe this with the powers of
the lande: whereby thei ought to se that the weapons in the handes of
their Citezeins, could not make tirantes: but the naughtie orders of the
governement, whiche maketh tirannie in a citee, and thei havyng good
governement, thei nede not to feare their owne weapons: thei toke
therefore an unwise waie, the whiche hath been occasion, to take from
them moche glorie, and moche felicitie. Concernyng the erroure, whiche
the kyng of Fraunce committeth not kepyng instructed his people in the
warre, the whiche those your wise men alledge for ensample, there is no
man, (his particulare passions laied a side) that doeth not judge this
fault, to be in thesame kyngdome, and this negligence onely to make hym
weake. But I have made to greate a digression, and peradventure am come
out of my purpose, albeit I have doen it to aunswere you, and to shewe
you, that in no countrie, there can bee made sure foundacion, for
defence in other powers but of their owne subjectes: and their own
power, cannot be prepared otherwise, then by waie of an ordinaunce, nor
by other waie, to induce the facion of an armie in any place, nor by
other meane to ordein an instruction of warfare. If you have red the
orders, whiche those first kynges made in Rome, and inespecially Servio
Tullo, you shall finde that the orders of the Classi is no other, then
an ordinaunce, to bee able at a sodaine, to bryng together an armie, for
defence of thesame citee. But let us retourne to our choise, I saie
againe, that havyng to renewe an olde order, I would take them of xvii.
havyng to make a newe armie, I would take them of all ages, betwene
xvii. and xl. to be able to warre straight waie.
[Sidenote: Of what science soldiours ought to bee chosen.]
COSIMO. Would you make any difference, of what science you would chuse
them?
FABRICIO. The aucthours, which have written of the arte of warre, make
difference, for that thei will not, that there bee taken Foulers,
Fishers, Cookes, baudes, nor none that use any science of
voluptuousnesse. But thei will, that there bee taken Plowmen, Ferrars,
Smithes, Carpenters, Buchars, Hunters, and soche like: but I would make
little difference, through conjecture of the science, concernyng the
goodnesse of the man, notwithstandyng, in as moche as to be able with
more profite to use theim, I would make difference, and for this cause,
the countrie men, which are used to till the grounde, are more
profitable then any other. Next to whom be Smithes, Carpentars, Ferrars,
Masons, wherof it is profitable to have enough: for that their
occupacions, serve well in many thynges: beyng a thyng verie good to
have a souldiour, of whom maie be had double servise.
[Sidenote: Howe to chose a souldiour.]
COSIMO. Wherby doe thei knowe those, that be, or are not sufficient to
serve.
FABRICIO. I will speake of the maner of chusing a new ordinaunce, to
make an armie after, for that parte of this matter, doeth come also to
be reasoned of, in the election, which should be made for the
replenishing, or restoring of an old ordinaunce. I saie therfore, that
the goodnesse of one, whiche thou muste chuse for a Souldiour, is knowen
either by experience, thorough meane of some of his worthy doynges, or
by conjecture. The proofe of vertue, cannot be founde in men whiche are
chosen of newe, and whiche never afore have ben chosen, and of these are
founde either fewe or none, in the ordinaunce that of newe is ordeined.
It is necessarie therefore, lackyng this experience, to runne to the
conjecture, whiche is taken by the yeres, by the occupacion, and by the
personage: of those two first, hath been reasoned, there remaineth to
speake of the thirde. And therefore, I saie how some have willed, that
the souldiour bee greate, emongest whom was Pirrus. Some other have
chosen theim onely, by the lustinesse of the body, as Cesar did: whiche
lustinesse of bodie and mynde, is conjectured by the composicion of the
members, and of the grace of the countenaunce: and therefore, these that
write saie, that thei would have the iyes lively and cherefull, the
necke full of sinowes, the breaste large, the armes full of musculles,
the fingers long, little beallie, the flankes rounde, the legges and
feete drie: whiche partes are wont alwayes to make a manne nimble and
strong, whiche are twoo thynges, that in a souldiour are sought above al
other. Regarde ought to bee had above all thynges, to his customes, and
that in hym bee honestie, and shame: otherwise, there shall bee chosen
an instrumente of mischief, and a beginnyng of corrupcion: for that
lette no manne beleve that in the dishoneste educacion, and filthy
minde, there maie take any vertue, whiche is in any parte laudable. And
I thinke it not superfluous, but rather I beleve it to bee necessarie,
to the entente you maie the better understande, the importaunce of this
chosen, to tell you the maner that the Romaine Consuls, in the beginnyng
of their rule, observed in the chosing of their Romain legions: in the
whiche choise of men, bicause thesame legions were mingled with old
souldiours and newe, consideryng the continuall warre thei kepte, thei
might in their choise procede, with the experince of the old, and with
the conjecture of the newe: and this ought to be noted, that these men
be chosen, either to serve incontinently, or to exercise theim
incontinently, and after to serve when nede should require. But my
intencion is to shew you, how an armie maie be prepared in the countrie,
where there is no warlike discipline: in which countrie, chosen men
cannot be had, to use them straight waie, but there, where the custome
is to levie armies, and by meane of the Prince, thei maie then well bee
had, as the Romaines observed, and as is observed at this daie emong the
Suisers: bicause in these chosen, though there be many newe menne, there
be also so many of the other olde Souldiours, accustomed to serve in the
warlike orders, where the newe mingled together with the olde, make a
bodie united and good, notwithstanding, that themperours after,
beginning the staciones of ordinarie Souldiours, had appoincted over the
newe souldiours, whiche were called tironi, a maister to exercise theim,
as appeareth in the life of Massimo the Emperour. The whiche thyng,
while Rome was free, not onely in the armies, but in the citee was
ordeined: and the exercises of warre, beyng accustomed in thesame, where
the yong men did exercise, there grewe, that beyng chosen after to goe
into warre, thei were so used in the fained exercise of warfare, that
thei could easely worke in the true: but those Emperours havyng after
put doune these exercises, thei wer constrained to use the waies, that I
have shewed you. Therefore, comyng to the maner of the chosen Romain, I
saie that after the Romain Consulles (to whom was appoincted the charge
of the warre) had taken the rule, myndyng to ordeine their armies, for
that it was the custome, that either of them should have twoo Legions of
Romaine menne, whiche was the strength of their armies, thei created
xxiiii. Tribunes of warre, and thei appoincted sixe for every Legion,
whom did thesame office, whiche those doe now a daies, that we call
Conestables: thei made after to come together, all the Romain men apte
to beare weapons and thei put the Tribunes of every Legion, seperate the
one from the other. Afterwarde, by lot thei drewe the Tribes, of whiche
thei had firste to make the chosen, and of thesame Tribe thei chose
fower of the best, of whiche was chosen one of the Tribunes, of the
first Legion, and of the other three was chosen, one of the Tribunes of
the second Legion, of the other two there was chosen one of the Tribunes
of the third, and the same last fell to the fowerth Legion. After these
iiij, thei chose other fower, of which, first one was chosen of the
Tribunes of the seconde Legion, the seconde of those of the thirde, the
thirde of those of the fowerth, the fowerth remained to the first.
After, thei chose other fower, the first chose the thirde, the second
the fowerth, the thirde the fiveth, the fowerth remained to the seconde:
and thus thei varied successively, this maner of chosyng, so that the
election came to be equall, and the Legions wer gathered together: and
as afore we saied, this choise might bee made to use straighte waie, for
that thei made them of men, of whom a good parte were experiensed in the
verie warfare in deede, and all in the fained exercised, and thei might
make this choise by conjecture, and by experience. But where a power
must be ordeined of newe, and for this to chuse them out of hande, this
chosen cannot be made, saving by conjecture, whiche is taken by
consideryng their ages and their likelinesse.
COSIMO. I beleve all to be true, as moche as of you hath been spoken:
but before that you procede to other reasonyng, I woll aske of you one
thing, which you have made me to remember: saiyng that the chosen, that
is to be made where men were not used to warre, ought to be made by
conjecture: for asmoche as I have heard some men, in many places
dispraise our ordinaunce, and in especially concernyng the nomber, for
that many saie, that there ought to bee taken lesse nomber, whereof is
gotten this profite, that thei shall be better and better chosen, and
men shal not be so moche diseased, so that there maie bee given them
some rewarde, whereby thei maie bee more contented, and better bee
commaunded, whereof I would understande in this parte your opinion, and
whether you love better the greate nomber, than the little, and what
waie you would take to chuse theim in the one, and in the other nomber.
FABRICIO. Without doubte it is better, and more necessary, the great
nomber, then the little: but to speake more plainly, where there cannot
be ordeined a great nomber of men, there cannot be ordeined a perfect
ordinaunce: and I will easely confute all the reasons of them
propounded. I saie therefore firste, that the lesse nomber where is many
people, as is for ensample Tuscane, maketh not that you have better, nor
that the chosen be more excellent, for that myndyng in chosing the
menne, to judge them by experience, there shall be founde in thesame
countrie moste fewe, whom experience should make provable, bothe for
that fewe hath been in warre, as also for that of those, mooste fewe
have made triall, whereby thei might deserve to bee chosen before the
other: so that he whiche ought in like places to chuse, it is mete he
leave a parte the experience, and take them by conjecture. Then being
brought likewise into soche necessitie, I would understande, if there
come before me twentie young men of good stature, with what rule I ought
to take, or to leave any: where without doubte, I beleve that every man
will confesse, how it is lesse errour to take them al, to arme theim and
exercise theim, beyng not able to knowe, whiche of theim is beste, and
to reserve to make after more certaine chosen, when in practisyng theim
with exercise, there shall be knowen those of moste spirite, and of
moste life: which considered, the chusing in this case a fewe, to have
them better, is altogether naught.
Concernyng diseasing lesse the countrie, and men, I saie that the
ordinaunce, either evill or little that it bee, causeth not any disease,
for that this order doeth not take menne from any of their businesse, it
bindeth them not, that thei cannot go to doe any of their affaires: for
that it bindeth them onely in the idell daies, to assemble together, to
exercise them, the whiche thyng doeth not hurt, neither to the countrie,
nor to the men, but rather to yong men it shall bryng delite: For that
where vilie on the holy daies thei stande idell in tipplyng houses, thei
will go for pleasure to those exercises, for that the handlyng of
weapons, as it is a goodly spectacle, so unto yong men it is pleasaunt.
Concernyng to bee able to paie the lesse nomber, and for this to kepe
theim more obediente, and more contented, I answere, how there cannot be
made an ordinaunce of so fewe, whiche maie be in maner continually
paied, where thesame paiment of theirs maie satisfie them. As for
ensample, if there were ordeined a power of v. thousande men, for to
paie them after soche sorte, that it might be thought sufficient, to
content them, it shal bee convenient to give theim at least, ten
thousaunde crounes the moneth: first, this nomber of men are not able to
make an armie, this paie is intolerable to a state, and of the other
side, it is not sufficiente to kepe men contented, and bounde to be able
to serve at al times: so that in doyng this, there shall be spent moche,
and a small power kept, whiche shall not be sufficient to defend thee,
or to doe any enterprise of thine. If thou shouldest give theim more, or
shouldest take more, so moche more impossibilitie it should be, for thee
to paie theim: if thou shouldest give them lesse, or should take lesse,
so moche the lesse contentacion should be in them, or so moche the lesse
profite thei shal bring thee. Therfore, those that reason of makyng an
ordinaunce, and whilest thei tary at home to paie them, thei reason of a
thing either impossible, or unprofitable, but it is necessarie to paie
them, when thei are taken up to be led to the warre: albeit, though
soche order should somewhat disease those, in time of peace, that are
appoincted in thesame, which I se not how, there is for recompence all
those benefites, whiche a power brynges, that is ordeined in a countrie:
for that without thesame, there is nothyng sure. I conclude, that he
that will have the little nomber, to be able to paie them, or for any of
the other causes alledged of you, doeth not understande, for that also
it maketh for my opinion, that every nomber shall deminishe in thy
handes, through infinite impedimentes, whiche men have: so that the
little nomber shall tourne to nothing: again havyng thordinaunce greate,
thou maiest at thy pleasure use fewe of many, besides this, it must
serve thee in deede, and in reputacion and alwaies the great nomber
shall give thee moste reputacion. More over, makyng the ordinaunce to
kepe menne exercised, if thou appoincte a fewe nomber of men in many
countries, the handes of men bee so farre a sonder, the one from the
other, that thou canst not without their moste grevous losse, gather
them together to exercise them, and without this exercise, the
ordinaunce is unprofitable, as hereafter shall be declared.
COSIMO. It suffiseth upon this my demaunde, that whiche you have saied:
but I desire now, that you declare me an other doubt. Thei saie, that
soche a multitude of armed men, will make confusion, discension and
disorder in the countrie where thei are.
[Sidenote: How to provid againste soche inconveniences as souldiours
maie cause.]
FABRICIO. This is an other vaine opinion, the cause wherof, I shall tell
you: soche as are ordeined to serve in the warres, maie cause disorder
in twoo maners, either betwene them selves, or against other, whiche
thinges moste easely maie be withstode, where the order of it self,
should not withstande it: for that concernyng the discorde emong theim
selves, this order taketh it waie, and doeth not nourishe it, for that
in orderyng them, you give them armour and capitaines. If the countrie
where you ordein them, bee so unapte for the warre, that there are not
armours emong the men of thesame, and that thei bee so united, that thei
have no heddes, this order maketh theim moche fearser against the
straunger, but it maketh them not any thyng the more disunited, for that
men well ordered, feare the lawe beyng armed, as well as unarmed, nor
thei can never alter, if the capitaines, which you give them, cause not
the alteracion, and the waie to make this, shall be tolde now: but if
the countrie where you ordein them, be warlike and disunited, this order
onely shal be occasion to unite them: bicause this order giveth them
armours profitable for the warre, and heddes, extinguishers of
discencion: where their owne armours bee unprofitable for the warres,
and their heddes nourishers of discorde. For that so sone as any in
thesame countrie is offended, he resorteth by and by to his capitain to
make complaint, who for to maintain his reputacion, comforteth hym to
revengement not to peace. To the contrary doeth the publike hed, so that
by this meanes, thoccasion of discorde is taken awaie, and the occasion
of union is prepared, and the provinces united and effeminated, gette
utilitie, and maintain union: the disunited and discencious, doe agree,
and thesame their fearsnesse, which is wont disordinately to worke, is
tourned into publike utilitie. To minde to have them, to doe no hurt
against other, it ought to bee considered, that thei cannot dooe this,
except by meane of the heddes, whiche governe them. To will that the
heddes make no disorder, it is necessarie to have care, that thei get
not over them to much auctoritie. And you must consider that this
auctoritie, is gotten either by nature, or by accidente: and as to
nature, it behoveth to provide, that he which is boren in one place, be
not apoincted to the men billed in the same, but be made hedde of those
places, where he hath not any naturall aquaintance: and as to the
accident, the thing ought to be ordeined in suche maner, that every yere
the heddes maie be changed from governement to goverment: for as muche
as the continuall auctoritie over one sorte of menne, breedeth among
them so muche union, that it maie turne easely to the prejudice of the
Prince: whiche permutations howe profitable they be to those who have
used theim, and hurtefull to them that have not observed theim, it is
well knowen by the kingdome of the Assirians, and by the Empire of the
Romaines: where is seene, that the same kingdome indured a M. yeres
without tumulte, and without any Civill warre: whiche preceded not of
other, then of the permutations, whiche from place to place everie yere
thesame Capitaines made, unto whome were apoincted the charge of the
Armies. Nor for any other occasion in the Romaine Empire, after the
bloud of Cesar was extinguished, there grewe so many civill warres,
betwene the Capitaines of the hostes, and so many conspiracies of the
forsaied capitaines against the Emperours, not onely kepyng continually
still those capitaines alwayes in one governement. And if in some of
those firste Emperoures, of those after, whom helde the Empire with
reputacion, as Adriane, Marcus, Severus, and soche like, there had been
so moche foresight, that thei had brought this custome of chaungyng the
capitaines in thesame Empire, without doubte it should have made theim
more quiete, and more durable: For that the Capitaines should have had
lesse occasion to make tumultes, the Emperours lesse cause to feare, and
the senate in the lackes of the successions, should have had in the
election of the Emperour, more aucthoritie, and by consequence should
have been better: but the naughtie custome, either for ignoraunce, or
through the little diligence of menne, neither for the wicked, nor good
ensamples, can be taken awaie.
COSIMO. I cannot tell, if with my questionyng, I have as it were led you
out of your order, bicause from the chusyng of men, we be entred into an
other matter, and if I had not been a little before excused, I should
thinke to deserve some reprehension.
[Sidenote: The nomber of horsemen, that the Romanies chose for a Legion,
and for a Consailes armie.]
FABRICIO. Let not this disquiete you, for that all this reasonyng was
necessary, myndyng to reason of the ordinaunce, the which beyng blamed
of many, it was requsite to excuse it, willyng to have this first parte
of chusyng men to be alowed. But now before I discend to the other
partes, I will reason of the choise of men on horsebacke. Of the
antiquitie, these were made of the moste richeste, havyng regard bothe
to the yeres, and to the qualitie of the man, and thei chose CCC. for a
Legion, so that the Romain horse, in every Consulles armie, passed not
the nomber of vi. C.
COSIMO. Would you make an ordinaunce of hors, to exercise them at home,
and to use their service when nede requires?
[Sidenote: The choosing and ordering of horsemen, that is to be observed
at this present.]
FABRICIO. It is most necessary, and it cannot be doen otherwise, minding
to have the power, that it be the owne proper, and not to purpose to
take of those, which make thereof an art.
COSIMO. How would you choose them?
FABRICIO. I would imitate the Romans, I would take of the richest, I
would give them heads or chief Captains, in the same manner, as nowadays
to other is given, and I would arm them and exercise them.
COSIMO. To these should it be well to give some provision?
FABRICIO. Yea marie, but so much only as is necessary to keep the horse,
for as much as bringing to thy subjects expenses, they might justly
complain of thee, therefore it should be necessary, to pay them their
charges of their horse.
COSIMO. What number would you make? and how would you arme them?
FABRICIO. You pass into another matter. I will tell you in convenient
place, which shall be when I have told you, how footmen ought to be
armed, and how a power of men is prepared, for a day of battle.
THE SECOND BOOKE
[Sidenote: Howe the Romaines armed their souldiers and what weapons thei
used.]