with an other armie, which is seen pitched against it, and have declared
unto you, howe the same is overcome, and after many circumstaunces, I
have likewise shewed you, what divers chaunces, maie happen about
thesame, so that me thinkes tyme to shewe you now, how an armie is
ordered, againste thesame enemie, whiche otherwise is not seen, but
continually feared, that he assaulte thee: this happeneth when an armie
marcheth through the enemies countrie, or through suspected places.
Firste, you must understande, how a Romaine armie, sent alwaies
ordinarely afore, certaine bandes of horsemen, as spies of the waie:
after followed the right horne, after this, came all the carriages,
whiche to thesame apperteined, after this, came a Legion, after it, the
carriages therof, after that, an other legion, and next to it, their
carriages, after whiche, came the left horne, with the carriages thereof
at their backe, and in the laste part, folowed the remnaunte of the
chivalrie: this was in effecte the maner, with whiche ordinarily thei
marched: and if it happened that the armie were assaulted in the waie on
the fronte, or on the backe, thei made straight waie all the carriages
to bee drawen, either on the right, or on the lefte side, accordyng as
chaunsed, or as thei could beste, havyng respecte to the situacion: and
all the men together free from their impedimentes, made hedde on that
parte, where the enemie came. If thei were assaulted on the flancke,
thei drue the carriages towardes thesame parte that was safe, and of the
other, thei made hedde. This waie beyng well and prudently governed, I
have thought meete to imitate, sending afore the light horsemen, as
exploratours of the Countrie: Then havyng fower maine battailes I would
make them to marche in araie, and every one with their carriages
folowyng theim. And for that there be twoo sortes of carriages, that is
partainyng to particulare souldiours, and partainyng to the publike use
of all the Campe, I would devide the publike Carriages into fower
partes, and to every maine battaile, I would appoinct his parte,
deviding also the artillerie into fower partes, and all the unarmed, so
that every nomber of armed menne, should equally have their
impedimentes. But bicause it happeneth some times, that thei marche
through the countrie, not onely suspected, but so daungerous, that thou
fearest every hower to be assaulted, thou art constrained for to go more
sure, to chaunge the forme of marchyng, and to goe in soche wise
prepared, that neither the countrie menne, nor any armie, maie hurte
thee, findyng thee in any parte unprovided. In soche case, the aunciente
capitaines were wont, to marche with the armie quadrante, whiche so thei
called this forme, not for that it was altogether quadrante, but for
that it was apte to faight of fower partes, and thei saied, that thei
wente prepared, bothe for the waie, and for the faight: from whiche
waie, I will not digresse, and I will ordaine my twoo maine battailes,
whiche I have taken for to make an armie of, to this effect. Mindyng
therefore, to marche safely through the enemies Countrie, and to bee
able to aunswere hym on every side, when at unwares the armie might
chaunce to be assaulted, and intendyng therefore, accordyng to the
antiquitie, to bryng thesame into a square, I would devise to make a
quadrant, that the rome therof should be of space on every part Clix.
yardes, in this maner. First I would put the flanckes, distant the one
flanck from the other, Clix. yardes, and I would place five battailes
for a flancke, in a raie in length, and distant the one from the other,
twoo yardes and a quarter: the whiche shall occupie with their spaces,
every battaile occupiyng thirtie yardes, Clix. yardes. Then betwen the
hedde and the taile of these two flanckes, I would place the other tenne
battailes, in every parte five, orderyng them after soche sorte, that
fower should joyne to the hedde of the right flanck, and fower to the
taile of the lefte flancke, leaving betwene every one of them, a
distance of thre yardes: one should after joyne to the hedde of the
lefte flancke, and one to the taile of the right flancke: and for that
the space that is betwene the one flancke and the other, is Clix.
yardes, and these battailes whiche are set the one to the side of the
other by breadth, and not by length, will come to occupie with the
distaunces one hundred yardes and a halfe yarde, there shall come
betwene theim fower battailes, placed in the fronte on the right
flancke, and the one placed in thesame on the lefte, to remaine a space
of fiftie and eighte yardes and a halfe, and the verie same space will
come to remaine in the battailes, placed in the hinder parte: nor there
shall bee no difference, saving that the one space shall come on the
parte behind towardes the right horne, and thother shall come on the
parte afore, towardes the lefte home. In the space of the lviii. yardes
and a halfe before, I would place all the ordinarie Veliti, in thesame
behinde, the extraordinarie, which wil come to be a thousande for a
space, and mindyng to have the space that ought to be within the armie,
to be every waie Clix. yardes, it is mete that the five battailes,
whiche are placed in the hedde, and those whiche are placed in the
taile, occupie not any parte of the space, whiche the flanckes keepe:
and therefore it shall be convenient, that the five battailes behinde,
doe touche with the fronte, the taile of their flanckes, and those
afore, with the taile to touche he hedde, after soche sorte, that upon
every corner of the ame armie, there maie remaine a space, to receive an
other battaile: and for that there bee fower spaces, I would take fower
bandes of the extraordinarie Pikes, and in every corner I would place
one, and the twoo Ansignes of the foresaied Pikes, whiche shall remain
overplus, I would sette in the middest of the rome of this armie, in a
square battaile, on the hedde whereof, should stande the generall
capitaine, with his menne about him. And for that these battailes
ordeined thus, marche all one waie, but faight not all one waie, in
puttyng them together, those sides ought to be ordained to faight,
whiche are not defended of thother battailes. And therfore it ought to
be considered, that the five battailes that be in the front, have all
their other partes defended, excepte the fronte: and therfore these
ought to bee put together in good order, and with the Pikes afore. The
five battailes whiche are behinde, have all their sides defended, except
the parte behinde, and therefore those ought to bee put together in
soche wise, that the Pikes come behind, as in the place therof we shall
shewe. The five battailes that bee in the right flancke, have all their
sides defended, except the right flancke. The five that be on the left
flanck, have all their partes defended, excepte the lefte flancke: and
therefore in orderyng the battailes, thei ought to bee made, that the
Pikes maie tourne on the same flanck, that lieth open: and the
Peticapitaines to stand on the hedde, and on the taile, so that nedyng
to faight, all the armour and weapons maie be in their due places, the
waie to doe this, is declared where we reasoned of the maner of orderyng
the battailes. The artillerie I would devide, and one parte I would
place without, on the lefte flancke, and the other on the right. The
light horsemen, I would sende afore to discover the countrie. Of the
menne of armes, I would place part behinde, on the right home, and parte
on the lefte, distante about thirtie yardes from the battailes: and
concerning horse, you have to take this for a general rule in every
condicion, where you ordaine an armie, that alwaies thei ought to be
put, either behinde, or on the flanckes of thesame: he that putteth them
afore, over against the armie, it behoveth hym to doe one of these twoo
thinges, either that he put them so moche afore, that beyng repulced,
thei maie have so moche space, that maie give them tyme, to be able to
go a side from thy footemen, and not to runne upon them, or to order
them in soche wise, with so many spaces, that the horses by those maie
enter betwene them, without disorderyng them. Nor let no man esteme
little this remembraunce, for as moche as many capitaines, whom havyng
taken no hede thereof, have been ruinated, and by themselves have been
disordered, and broken. The carriages and the unarmed menne are placed,
in the rome that remaineth within the armie, and in soche sorte equally
devided, that thei maie give the waie easely, to whom so ever would go,
either from the one corner to the other, or from the one hedde, to the
other of the armie. These battailes without the artillerie and the
horse, occupie every waie from the utter side, twoo hundred and eleven
yardes and a halfe of space: and bicause this quadrante is made of twoo
main battailes, it is convenient to distinguishe, what part thone maine
battaile maketh, and what the other: and for that the main battailes are
called by the nomber, and every of theim hath (as you knowe) tenne
battailes, and a generall hed, I would cause that the first main
battaile, should set the first v. battailes therof in the front, the
other five, in the left flanck, and the capitain of the same should
stande in the left corner of the front. The seconde maine battaile,
should then put the firste five battailes therof, in the right flanck,
and the other five in the taile, and the hedde capitain of thesame,
should stande in the right corner, whom should come to dooe the office
of the Tergiductor. The armie ordained in this maner, ought to be made
to move, and in the marchyng, to observe all this order, and without
doubte, it is sure from all the tumultes of the countrie men. Nor the
capitain ought not to make other provision, to the tumultuarie
assaultes, then to give sometyme Commission to some horse, or Ansigne of
Veliti, that thei set themselves in order: nor it shall never happen
that these tumultuous people, will come to finde thee at the drawyng of
the swerd, or pikes poincte: for that men out of order, have feare of
those that be in araie: and alwaies it shall bee seen, that with cries
and rumours, thei will make a greate assaulte, without otherwise commyng
nere unto thee, like unto barking curres aboute a Mastie. Aniball when
he came to the hurte of the Romaines into Italie, he passed through all
Fraunce, and alwaies of the Frenche tumultes, he took small regarde.
Mindyng to marche, it is conveniente to have plainers and labourers
afore, whom maie make thee the waie plaine, whiche shall bee garded of
those horsemen, that are sent afore to viewe the countrie: an armie in
this order maie marche tenne mile the daie, and shall have tyme inough
to incampe, and suppe before Sunne goyng doune, for that ordinarely, an
armie maie marche twentie mile: if it happen that thou be assaulted, of
an armie set in order, this assaulte cannot growe sodainly: for that an
armie in order, commeth with his pace, so that thou maiest have tyme
inough, to set thy self in order to faight the field, and reduce thy
menne quickly into thesame facion, or like to thesame facion of an
armie, which afore is shewed thee. For that if thou be assaulted, on the
parte afore, thou needeste not but to cause, that the artillerie that be
on the flanckes, and the horse that be behinde, to come before, and
place theimselves in those places, and with those distaunces, as afore
is declared. The thousande Veliti that bee before, must go out of their
place, and be devided into CCCCC. for a parte, and go into their place,
betwene the horse and the hornes of tharmy: then in the voide place that
thei shal leave, the twoo Ansignes of the extraordinarie Pikes muste
entre, whiche I did set in the middest of the quadrante of the armie.
The thousande Veliti, whiche I placed behinde, must departe from thesame
place, and devide them selves in the flanckes of the battailes, to the
fortificacion of those: and by the open place that thei shal leave, all
the carriages and unarmed menne must go out, and place themselves on the
backe of the battaile. Then the rome in the middeste beyng voided, and
every man gone to his place: the five battailes, whiche I placed behinde
on the armie, must make forward in the voide place, that is betwene the
one and the other flanck, and marche towardes the battailes, that stand
in the hedde, and three of theim, muste stande within thirtie yardes of
those, with equall distances, betwene the one and the other, and the
other twoo shal remain behinde, distaunte other thirtie yardes: the
whiche facion maie bee ordained in a sodaine, and commeth almoste to bee
like, unto the firste disposicion, whiche of tharmy afore we shewed. And
though it come straighter in the fronte, it commeth grosser in the
flanckes, whiche giveth it no lesse strength: but bicause the five
battailes, that be in the taile, have the Pikes on the hinder parte, for
the occasion that before we have declared, it is necessarie to make
theim to come on the parte afore, mindyng to have theim to make a backe
to the front of tharmie: and therfore it behoveth either to make them to
tourne battaile after battaile, as a whole body, or to make them quickly
to enter betwen thorders of targettes, and conduct them afore, the
whiche waie is more spedy, and of lesse disorder, then to make them to
turn al together: and so thou oughtest to doe of all those, whiche
remain behind in every condicion of assault, as I shal shewe you. If it
appere that thenemie come on the part behinde, the first thyng that
ought to bee dooen, is to cause that every man tourne his face where his
backe stode, and straight waie tharmie cometh to have made of taile,
hed, and of hed taile: then al those waies ought to be kept, in orderyng
thesame fronte, as I tolde afore. If the enemie come to incounter the
right flancke, the face of thy armie ought to bee made to tourne
towardes thesame side: after, make all those thynges in fortificacion of
thesame hedde, whiche above is saied, so that the horsemen, the Veliti,
and the artillerie, maie be in places conformable to the hed thereof:
onely you have this difference, that in variyng the hed of those, which
are transposed, some have to go more, and some lesse. In deede makyng
hedde of the right flancke, the Veliti ought to enter in the spaces,
that bee betwene the horne of the armie, and those horse, whiche were
nerest to the lefte flancke, in whose place ought to enter, the twoo
Ansignes of the extraordinarie Pikes, placed in the middest: But firste
the carriages and the unarmed, shall goe out by the open place, avoidyng
the rome in the middest, and retiryng themselves behinde the lefte
flancke, whiche shall come to bee then the taile of the armie: the other
Veliti that were placed in the taile, accordyng to the principall
orderyng of the armie, in this case, shall not move: Bicause the same
place should not remaine open, whiche of taile shall come to be flancke:
all other thyng ought to bee dooen, as in orderyng of the firste hedde
is saied: this that is told about the makyng hed of the right flanck,
must be understode to be told, havyng nede to make it of the left
flanck: for that the very same order ought to bee observed. If the
enemie should come grose, and in order to assaulte thee on twoo sides,
those twoo sides, whiche he commeth to assaulte thee on, ought to bee
made stronge with the other twoo sides, that are not assaulted, doublyng
the orders in eche of theim, and devidyng for bothe partes the
artillerie, the Veliti, and the horse. If he come on three or on fower
sides, it is necessarie that either thou or he lacke prudence: for that
if thou shalt bee wise, thou wilte never putte thy self in place, that
the enemie on three or fower sides, with a greate nomber of men, and in
order, maie assault thee: for that mindyng, safely to hurte thee, it is
requisit, that he be so great, that on every side, he maie assault thee,
with as many men, as thou haste almoste in al thy army: and if thou be
so unwise, that thou put thy self in the daunger and force of an enemie,
whom hath three tymes more menne ordained then thou, if thou catche
hurte, thou canste blame no man but thy self: if it happen not through
thy faulte, but throughe some mischaunce, the hurt shall be without the
shame, and it shal chaunce unto thee, as unto the Scipions in Spaine,
and to Asdruball in Italie but if the enemie have not many more men then
thou, and intende for to disorder thee, to assaulte thee on divers
sides, it shal be his foolishnesse, and thy good fortune: for as moche
as to doe so, it is convenient, that he become so thinne in soche wise,
that then easely thou maiste overthrow one bande, and withstande an
other, and in short time ruinate him: this maner of ordering an armie
against an enemie, whiche is not seen, but whiche is feared, is a
necessarie and a profitable thing, to accustome thy souldiours, to put
themselves together, and to march with soche order, and in marchyng, to
order theimselves to faight, accordyng to the first hedde, and after to
retourne in the forme, that thei marched in, then to make hedde of the
taile, after, of the flanckes, from these, to retourne into the first
facion: the whiche exercises and uses bee necessarie, mindyng to have an
armie, throughly instructed and practised: in whiche thyng the Princes
and the capitaines, ought to take paine. Nor the discipline of warre is
no other, then to knowe how to commaunde, and to execute these thynges.
Nor an instructed armie is no other, then an armie that is wel practised
in these orders: nor it cannot be possible, that who so ever in this
time, should use like disciplin shall ever bee broken. And if this
quadrante forme whiche I have shewed you, is somewhat difficulte, soche
difficultnesse is necessarie, takyng it for an exercise: for as moche as
knowyng well, how to set theim selves in order, and to maintaine theim
selves in the same, thei shall knowe after more easely, how to stand in
those, whiche should not have so moche difficultie.
ZANOBI. I beleve as you saie, that these orders bee verie necessarie,
and I for my parte, knowe not what to adde or take from it: true it is,
that I desire to know of you twoo thynges, the one, if when you will
make of the taile, or of the flancke hedde, and would make them to
tourne, whether this be commaunded by the voice, or with the sounde:
thother, whether those that you sende afore, to make plain the waie, for
the armie to marche, ought to be of the verie same souldiours of your
battailes, or other vile menne appoincted, to like exercise.
[Sidenote: Commaundementes of Capitaines being not wel understoode, maie
be the destruction of an armie; Respect that is to be had in
commaundementes made with the sounde of the Trompet; In commaundmentes
made with the voice, what respect is to be had; Of Pianars.]
FABRICIO. Your firste question importeth moche: for that many tymes the
commaundementes of Capitaines, beyng not well understoode, or evill
interpreted, have disordered their armie: therfore the voices, with the
whiche thei commaunde in perilles, ought to bee cleare, and nete. And if
thou commaunde with the sounde, it is convenient to make, that betwene
the one waie and the other, there be so moche difference, that the one
cannot be chaunged for the other: and if thou commaundest with the
voice, thou oughteste to take heede, that thou flie the general voices,
and to use the particulares, and of the particulars, to flie those,
whiche maie be interpreted sinisterly. Many tymes the saiyng backe,
backe, hath made to ruinate an armie; therfore this voice ought not to
be used, but in steede therof to use, retire you. If you will make theim
to tourne, for to chaunge the hedde, either to flanck, or to backe, use
never to saie tourne you, but saie to the lefte, to the right, to the
backe, to the front: thus all the other voices ought to be simple, and
nete, as thrust on, march, stande stronge, forwarde, retourne you: and
all those thynges, whiche maie bee dooen with the voice, thei doe, the
other is dooen with the sounde. Concernyng those menne, that must make
the waies plaine for the armie to marche, whiche is your seconde
question, I would cause my owne souldiours to dooe this office, as well
bicause in the aunciente warfare thei did so, as also for that there
should be in the armie, lesser nomber of unarmed men, and lesse
impedimentes: and I would choose out of every battaile, thesame nomber
that should nede, and I would make theim to take the instrumentes, meete
to plaine the grounde withall, and their weapons to leave with those
rankes, that should bee nereste them, who should carrie them, and the
enemie commyng, thei shall have no other to doe, then to take them
again, and to retourne into their araie.
ZANOBI. Who shall carrie thinstrumentes to make the waie plaine withall?
FABRICIO. The Cartes that are appoincted to carrie the like
instrumentes.
ZANOBI. I doubte whether you should ever brynge these our souldiours, to
labour with Shovell or Mattocke, after soche sorte.
[Sidenote: The victualles that thantiquitie made provision of, for their
armies.]
FABRICIO. All these thynges shall bee reasoned in the place thereof, but
now I will let alone this parte, and reason of the maner of the
victualing of the armie: for that me thinketh, havyng so moche
traivailed theim, it is tyme to refreshe them, and to comfort them with
meate. You have to understande, that a Prince ought to ordaine his
armie, as expedite as is possible, and take from thesame all those
thynges, whiche maie cause any trouble or burthen unto it, and make unto
hym any enterprise difficulte. Emongest those thynges that causeth moste
difficultie, is to be constrained to keepe the armie provided of wine,
and baked bread. The antiquitie cared not for Wine, for that lackyng it,
thei dranke water, mingeled with a little vinegre, to give it a taste:
For whiche cause, emong the municions of victualles for the hoste,
vineger was one, and not wine. Thei baked not the breade in Ovens, as
thei use for Citees, but thei provided the Meale, and of thesame, every
Souldiour after his owne maner, satisfied hym self, havyng for
condimente Larde and Baken, the whiche made the breade saverie, that
thei made, and maintained theim strong, so that the provision of
victualles for the armie, was Meale, Vineger, Larde, and Bacon, and for
the horses Barley. Thei had ordinarely heardes of greate beastes and
small, whiche folowed the armie, the whiche havyng no nede to bee
carried, caused not moche impedimente. Of this order there grewe, that
an armie in old time, marched somtymes many daies through solitarie
places, and difficulte, without sufferyng disease of victualles: for
that thei lived of thyngs, whiche easely thei might convey after them.
To the contrarie it happeneth in the armies, that are now a daies,
whiche mindyng not to lacke wine, and to eate baked breade in thesame
maner, as when thei are at home, whereof beyng not able to make
provision long, thei remaine often tymes famished, or though thei be
provided, it is dooen with disease, and with moste greate coste:
therfore I would reduce my armie to this maner of living: and I would
not that thei should eate other bread, then that, which by themselves
thei should bake. Concernyng wine, I would not prohibite the drinkyng
thereof, nor yet the commyng of it into the armie, but I would not use
indevour, nor any labour for to have it, and in the other provisions, I
would governe my self altogether, like unto the antiquitie: the whiche
thing, if you consider well, you shall see how moche difficultie is
taken awaie, and how moche trouble and disease, an armie and a capitaine
is avoided of, and how moche commoditie shall bee given, to what so ever
enterprise is to bee dooen.
ZANOBI. We have overcome thenemie in the field, marched afterward upon
his countrie, reason would, that spoiles be made, tounes sacked,
prisoners taken, therefore I would knowe how the antiquitie in these
thynges, governed them selves.
[Sidenote: The occasions why the warres made nowe adaies, doe
impoverishe the conquerors as well as the conquered; The order that the
Romaines toke, concerning the spoile and the booties that their
souldiours gotte; An order that the antiquitie tooke, concernyng their
soldiours wages.]
FABRICIO. Beholde, I will satisfie you. I beleve you have considered,
for that once alredie with some of you I have reasoned, howe these
present warres, impoverishe as well those lordes that overcome, as those
that leese: for that if the one leese his estate, the other leeseth his
money, and his movables: the whiche in olde time was not, for that the
conquerour of the warre, waxed ritche. This groweth of keepyng no compte
in these daies of the spoiles, as in olde tyme thei did, but thei leave
it to the discreacion of the souldiours. This manner maketh twoo moste
great disorders: the one, that whiche I have tolde: the other that the
souldiour becometh more covetous to spoyle, and lesse observeth the
orders: and manie times it hath been seen, howe the covetousnesse of the
praye, hath made those to leese, whome were victorious. Therefore the
Romaines whiche were princes of armies, provided to the one and to the
other of these inconvenienses, ordainyng that all the spoyle should
apertaine to the publicke, and that the publicke after should bestowe
it, as shoulde be thought good: and therfore thei had in tharmie the
questours, whom were as we would say, the chamberlaines, to whose charge
all the spoyle and booties were committed: whereof the consull was
served to geve the ordinarie pay to the souldiours, to succour the
wounded, and the sicke, and for the other businesse of the armie. The
consull might well, and he used it often, to graunte a spoyle to
soldiours: but this grauntyng, made no disorder: for that the armie
beyng broken all the pray was put in the middest, and distributed by
hedde, accordyng to the qualitee of everie man: the which maner thei
constituted, to thintente, that the soldiours should attend to overcome,
and not to robbe: and the Romaine Legions overcame the enemies, and
folowed them not, for that thei never departed from their orders: onely
there folowed them, the horsemenne with those that were light armed, and
if there were any other souldiours then those of the legions, they
likewyse pursued the chase. Where if the spoyle shoulde have ben his
that gotte it, it had not ben possible nor reasonable, to have kepte the
legions steddie, and to withstonde manie perils; hereby grewe therefore,
that the common weale inritched, and every Consull carried with his
triumphe into the treasurie, muche treasure, whiche all was of booties
and spoiles. An other thing the antiquetie did upon good consideration,
that of the wages, whiche they gave to every souldiour, the thirde parte
they woulde shoulde be laied up nexte to him, whome carried the ansigne
of their bande, whiche never gave it them againe, before the warre was
ended: this thei did, beyng moved of twoo reasons, the first was to
thintente, that the souldiour should thrive by his wages, because the
greatest parte of them beyng yonge men, and carelesse, the more thei
have, so muche the more without neede thei spende, the other cause was,
for that knowyng, that their movabelles were nexte to the ansigne, thei
should be constrained to have more care thereof, and with more
obstinatenesse to defende it: and this made them stronge and to holde
together: all which thynges is necessarie to observe, purposinge to
reduce the exercise of armes unto the intier perfection therof.
ZANOBI. I beleeve that it is not possible, that to an armie that
marcheth from place to place, there fal not perrilous accidentes, where
the industerie of the capitaine is needefull, and the worthinesse of the
souldiours, mindyng to avoyde them. Therefore I woulde be glad, that you
remembring any, would shew them.
[Sidenote: Captaines mai incurre the daunger of ambusshes twoo maner of
wayes; How to avoide the perill of ambusshes; Howe ambusshes have ben
perceived; Howe the Capitaine of the enemies ought to be esteemed; Where
men be in greatest perill; The description of the countrey where an army
muste marche, is most requiset for a Capitaine to have; A most
profitable thyng it is for a capitayne to be secrete in all his
affaires; An advertisment concernyng the marchyng of an armie; The
marching of an armie ought to be ruled by the stroke of the Drumme; The
condicion of the enemie ought to be considered.]