necessarie, intendyng to make of this exercise a perfecte science. The
Capitaines ought above all other thynges, whileste thei marche with an
armie, to take heede of ambusshes, wherein they incurre daunger twoo
waies, either marchynge thou entrest into them, or thoroughe crafte of
the enemie thou arte trained in before thou arte aware. In the first
case, mindyng to avoide suche perill, it is necessarie to sende afore
double warde, whome may discover the countrey, and so muche the more
dilligence ought to be used, the more that the countrey is apte for
ambusshes, as be the woddie or hilly countries, for that alwaies thei be
layd either in a wodde, or behind a hille: and as the ambusshe not
forseene, doeth ruin thee, so forseyng the same, it cannot hurte thee.
Manie tymes birdes or muche duste have discovered the enemie: for that
alwayes where the enemie cometh to finde thee, he shall make great
duste, whiche shall signifie unto thee his comyng: so often tymes a
Capitaine seyng in the places where he ought to passe, Doves to rise, or
other of those birdes that flie in flockes, and to tourne aboute and not
to light, hath knowen by the same the ambusshe of the enemies to be
there, and sendynge before his men, and sertainely understandyng it,
hath saved him selfe and hurte his enemie. Concernyng the seconde case,
to be trained in, (which these our men cal to be drawen to the shot)
thou ought to take heede, not straight way to beleve those thinges,
which are nothyng reasonable, that thei be as they seeme: as shoulde be,
if the enemie should set afore thee a praie, thou oughtest to beleeve
that in the same is the hooke, and that therin is hid the deceipte. If
many enemies be driven away by a fewe of thine, if a fewe enemies
assaulte manie of thine, if the enemies make a sodeine flight, and not
standynge with reason, alwaies thou oughtest in suche cases to feare
deceipte, and oughtest never to beleeve that the enemie knoweth not how
to doe his businesse, but rather intendyng that he may begile thee the
lesse, and mindyng to stand in lesse peril, the weaker that he is, and
the lesse craftier that the enemie is, so muche the more thou oughtest
to esteeme him: and thou muste in this case use twoo sundrie poinctes,
for that thou oughtest to feare him in thy minde and with the order, but
with wordes, and with other outewarde demonstracion, to seeme to dispyse
him: because this laste way, maketh that the souldiours hope the more to
have the victorie: the other maketh thee more warie, and lesse apte to
be begyled. And thou hast to understand, that when men marche thoroughe
the enemies countrey, they ar in muche more, and greater perils, then in
fayghtyng the fielde: and therefore the Capitaine in marchyng, ought to
use double diligence: and the first thyng that he ought to doo, is to
get described, and payncted oute all the countrie, thorough the which he
must marche, so that he maye know the places, the number, the distances,
the waies, the hilles, the rivers, the fennes, and all the quallites of
them: and to cause this to bee knowen, it is convenient to have with him
diversly, and in sundrie maners such men, as know the places, and to
aske them with diligence, and to se whether their talke agree, and
accordyng to the agreyng therof, to note: he oughte also to sende afore
the horsemen, and with them prudente heddes, not so muche to discover
the enemie, as to viewe the countrey, to se whether it agree with the
description, and with the knowledge that they have of the same. Also the
guydes that are sente, ought to be kepte with hope of rewarde, and feare
of paine. And above all thynges it ought to be provided, that the armie
knowe not to what businesse he leadeth them: for that there is nothyng
in the warre more profitable, then to keepe secret the thynges that is
to be dooen: and to thintente a suddeine assaulte dooe not trouble thy
soldiours, thou oughteste to see them to stande reddie with their
weapons, because the thynges that ar provided for, offend lesse. Manie
for to avoyde the confusion of marchyng, have placed under the
standerde, the carriages, and the unarmed, and have commaunded them to
folow the same, to the intente that in marchyng needyng to staye, or to
retire, they might dooe it more easely, which thyng as profitable, I
alowe very muche. Also in marchyng, advertismente ought to be had, that
the one parte of the armie goe not a sunder from the other, or that
thoroughe some goyng fast, and some softe, the armie become not slender:
the whiche thynges, be occation of dissorder: therfore the heddes muste
be placed in suche wise, that they may maintaine the pace even, causing
to goe softe those that goe to fast, and to haste forward the other that
goe to sloe, the whiche pace can not bee better ruled, then by the
stroke of the drumme. The waies ought to be caused to be inlarged, so
that alwaies at least a bande of iiii. hundred men may marche in order
of battaile. The custome and the qualitie of the enemie ought to be
considered, and whether that he wil assaulte thee either in the mornyng,
or at none or in the evenynge, and whether he be more puisante with
fotemen or horsemen, and accordyng as thou understandest, to ordeine and
to provide for thy self. But let us come to some particular accidente.
It hapneth sometime, that thou gettyng from the enemie, because thou
judgest thy selfe inferiour, and therfore mindynge not to faight with
him, and he comyng at thy backe, thou arivest at the banke of a river,
passyng over the which, asketh time, so that the enemie is redie to
overtake thee and to fayght with thee. Some, which chaunsing to bee in
suche perill, have inclosed their armie on the hinder parte with a
diche, and fillyng the same full of towe, and firyng it, have then
passed with the armie without beyng able to be letted of the enemie, he
beyng by the same fire that was betwene them held backe.
[Sidenote: Annone of Carthage.]
ZANOBI. I am harde of beliefe, that this fyre coulde stay theim, in
especially because I remember that I have harde, howe Annone of
Carthage, beyng besieged of enemies, inclosed him selfe on the same
parte, with wodde, which he did set on fire where he purposed to make
eruption. Wherfore the enemies beyng not intentive on the same parte to
looke to him, he made his armie to passe over the same flame, causing
every man to holde his Target before his face for to defend them from
the fire, and smoke.
[Sidenote: Nabide a spartayne; Quintus Luttatius pollecie to passe over
a river; How to passe a ryver without a bridge; A polecie of Cesar to
passe a river, where his enemie beyng on the other side therof sought to
lette hym.]
FABRICIO. You saye well: but consider you howe I have saied, and howe
Annone did: for as muche as I saied that they made a diche, and filled
it with towe, so that he, that woulde passe over the same, should be
constrained to contende with the diche and with fire: Annone made the
fire, without the diche, and because he intended to passe over it, he
made it not great, for that otherwise without the diche, it shoulde have
letted him. Dooe you not knowe, that Nabide a Spartan beyng besieged in
Sparta of the Romaines, set fire on parte of his towne to let the way to
the Romaines, who alredie wer entred in? And by meane of the same flame
not onely hindered their way, but drave them oute: but let us turne to
our matter. Quintus Luttatius a Romaine, havyng at his backe the Cimbri,
and commyng to a river, to thentente the enemie should give him time to
passe over, semed to geve time to them to faight with him: and therfore
he fained that he would lodge there, and caused trenches to be made, and
certaine pavilions to be erected, and sent certayne horsemen into the
countrie for forredge: so that the Cimbrise beleevyng, that he incamped,
they also incamped, and devided them selves into sundrie partes, to
provide for victuals, wherof Luttatius being aware, passed the river
they beyng not able to let him. Some for to passe a river havynge no
bridge, have devided it, and one parte they have turned behynde their
backes, and the other then becomynge shalower, with ease they have
passed it: when the rivers be swift, purposyng to have their footemen to
passe safely, they place their strongest horses on the higher side, that
thei may sustain the water, and an other parte be lowe that may succour
the men, if any of the river in passyng should be overcome with the
water: They passe also rivers, that be verie deepe, with bridges, with
botes, and with barrelles: and therfore it is good to have in a
redinesse in an armie wherewith to be able to make all these thynges. It
fortuneth sometime that in passyng a river, the enemie standynge agaynst
thee on the other banke, doeth let thee: to minde to overcome this
difficultie, I know not a better insample to folow, then the same of
Cesar, whome havynge his armie on the banke of a river in Fraunce, and
his passage beynge letted of Vergintorige a Frenche man, the whiche on
the other side of the river had his men, marched many daies a longe the
river, and the like did the enemie: wherfore Cesar incamping in a woddie
place, apte to hide men, he tooke out of every legion three cohortes,
and made them to tarie in the same place, commaundynge theim that so
soone as he was departed, they shoulde caste over a bridge, and should
fortefie it, and he with his other menne folowed on the waye: wherfore
Vergintorige seyng the number of the legions, thinkyng that there was
not left anie parte of theim behinde, folowed also his way: but Cesar
when he supposed that the bridge was made, tourned backewarde, and
findynge all thinges in order, passed the river without difficultee.
ZANOBI. Have ye any rule to know the foordes?
[Sidenote: How to know the Foordes of a river.]
FABRICIO. Yea, we have: alwaies the river, in that parte, whiche is
betwene the water, that is stilleste, and the water that runneth
fastest, there is least depth and it is a place more meete to be looked
on, then any other where. For that alwaies in thesame place, the river
is moste shallowest. The whiche thyng, bicause it hath been proved many
tymes, is moste true.
ZANOBI. If it chaunce that the River hath marde the Foorde, so that the
horses sincke, what reamedy have you?
[Sidenote: Howe to escape oute of a straight where the same is besette
with enemies; Howe Lutius Minutius escaped out of a strayght wherin he
was inclosed of his enemies; Howe some Capitaynes have suffered them
selves to be compassed aboute of their enemies; A polecie of Marcus
Antonius; A defence for the shotte of arrowes.]
FABRICIO. The remedie is to make hardels of roddes whiche must be placed
in the bottome of the river, and so to passe upon those: but let us
folowe our reasonyng. If it happen that a capitain be led with his
armie, betwen two hilles, and that he have not but twoo waies to save
hymself, either that before, or that behinde, and those beyng beset of
thenemies, he hath for remidie to doe the same, which some have doen
heretofore: that which have made on their hinder parte a greate trenche,
difficult to passe over, and semed to the enemie, to mynde to kepe him
of, for to be able with al his power, without neding to feare behinde,
to make force that waie, whiche before remaineth open. The whiche the
enemies belevyng, have made theim selves stronge, towardes the open
parte, and have forsaken the inclosed and he then castyng a bridge of
woode over the Trenche, for soche an effect prepared, bothe on thesame
parte, with out any impedimente hath passed, and also delivered hymself
out of the handes of the enemie. Lucius Minutus a Consul of Rome, was in
Liguria with an armie, and was of the enemies inclosed, betwene certaine
hilles, whereby he could not go out: therefore he sente certaine
souldiours of Numidia on horsebacke, whiche he had in his armie (whom
were evill armed, and upon little leane horses) towardes the places that
were kepte of the enemies, whom at the first sight made the enemies, to
order theim selves together, to defende the passage: but after that thei
sawe those men ill apoincted, and accordyng to their facion evill
horsed, regardyng theim little, enlarged the orders of their warde,
wherof so sone as the Numidians wer a ware, givyng the spurres to their
horses, and runnyng violently upon theim, passed before thei could
provide any remedy, whom beyng passed, destroied and spoiled the
countrie after soche sorte, that thei constrained the enemies, to leave
the passage free to the armie of Lucius. Some capitaine, whiche hath
perceived hymself to be assaulted of a greate multitude of enemies, hath
drawen together his men, and hath given to the enemie commoditie, to
compasse hym all about, and then on thesame part, whiche he hath
perceived to be moste weake, hath made force, and by thesame waie, hath
caused to make waie, and saved hymself.
Marcus Antonius retiryng before the armie of the Parthians, perceived
how the enemies every daie before Sunne risyng, when he removed,
assaulted him, and all the waie troubled hym: in so moch, that he
determined not to departe the nexte daie, before None: so that the
Parthians beleving, that he would not remove that daie, retourned to
their tentes. Whereby Marcus Antonius might then all the reste of the
daie, marche without any disquietnesse. This self same man for to avoide
the arrowes of the Parthians, commaunded his men, that when the
Parthians came towardes them, thei should knele, and that the second
ranke of the battailes, should cover with their Targaettes, the heddes
of the firste, the thirde, the seconde, the fowerth the third, and so
successively, that all the armie came, to be as it were under a
pentehouse, and defended from the shotte of the enemies. This is as
moche as is come into my remembraunce, to tell you, which maie happen
unto an armie marchyng: therefore, if you remember not any thyng els, I
will passe to an other parte.
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
ZANOBI. I beleve that it is good, seyng the reasonyng must be chaunged,
that Baptiste take his office, and I to resigne myne, and wee shall come
in this case, to imitate the good Capitaines (accordyng as I have nowe
here understoode of the gentilman) who place the beste souldiours,
before and behinde the armie, semyng unto theim necessarie to have
before, soche as maie lustely beginne the faight, and soche as behinde
maie lustely sustaine it. Now seyng Cosimus began this reasonyng
prudently, Baptiste prudently shall ende it. As for Luigi and I, have in
this middeste intertained it, and as every one of us hath taken his part
willingly, so I beleve not, that Baptiste wil refuse it.
BAPTISTE. I have let my self been governed hetherto, so I minde to doe
still. Therfore be contente sir, to folowe your reasonyng, and if we
interrupte you with this practise of ours, have us excused.
[Sidenote: How the Grekes incamped; Howe the Romaines incamped; The
maner of the incamping of an armie; The lodging for the generall
capitaine.]
FABRICIO. You dooe me, as all readie I have saied, a moste greate
pleasure; for this your interrupting me, taketh not awaie my fantasie,
but rather refresheth me. But mindyng to followe our matter I saie, how
that it is now tyme, that we lodge this our armie, for that you knowe
every thyng desireth reste and saftie, bicause to reste, and not to
reste safely, is no perfecte reste: I doubte moche, whether it hath not
been desired of you, that I should firste have lodged them, after made
theim to marche, and laste of all to faight, and we have doen the
contrary: whereunto necessitie hath brought us, for that intendyng to
shewe, how an armie in going, is reduced from the forme of marching, to
thesame maner of faightyng, it was necessarie to have firste shewed, how
thei ordered it to faight. But tournyng to our matter, I saie, that
minding to have the Campe sure, it is requisite that it be strong, and
in good order: the industrie of the Capitaine, maketh it in order, the
situacion, or the arte, maketh it stronge. The Grekes sought strong
situacions, nor thei would never place theim selves, where had not been
either cave, or bancke of a river, or multitude of trees, or other
naturall fortificacion, that might defende theim: but the Romaines not
so moche incamped safe through the situacion, as through arte, nor thei
would never incampe in place, where thei should not have been able to
have raunged all their bandes of menne, accordyng to their discipline.
Hereby grewe, that the Romaines might kepe alwaies one forme of
incamping, for that thei would, that the situacion should bee ruled by
them, not thei by the situacion: the which the Grekes could not observe,
for that beyng ruled by the situacion, and variyng the situacion and
forme, it was conveniente, that also thei should varie the maner of
incampyng, and the facion of their lodgynges. Therefore the Romaines,
where the situacion lacked strength thei supplied thesame with arte, and
with industrie. And for that I in this my declaracion, have willed to
imitate the Romaines, I will not departe from the maner of their
incamping, yet not observyng altogether their order, but takyng thesame
parte, whiche semeth unto me, to be mete for this present tyme. I have
told you many tymes, how the Romaines had in their consull armies, twoo
Legions of Romaine men, whiche were aboute a leven thousande footemen,
and sixe hundred horsemen, and moreover thei had an other leven
thousande footemen, sente from their frendes in their aide: nor in their
armie thei had never more souldiers that were straungers, then Romaines,
excepte horsemenne, whom thei cared not, though thei were more in nomber
then theirs: and in all their doynges, thei did place their Legions in
the middeste, and the aiders, on the sides: the whiche maner, thei
observed also in incampyng, as by your self you maie rede, in those
aucthoures, that write of their actes: and therefore I purpose not to
shewe you distinctly how thei incamped, but to tell you onely with what
order, I at this presente would incampe my armie, whereby you shall then
knowe, what parte I have taken out of the Romaine maners. You knowe,
that in stede of twoo Romaine Legions, I have taken twoo maine battailes
of footemen, of sixe thousande footemen, and three hundred horsemen,
profitable for a maine battaile, and into what battailes, into what
weapons, into what names I have devided theim: you knowe howe in
orderyng tharmie to marche, and to faight, I have not made mencion of
other men, but onely have shewed, how that doublyng the men, thei neded
not but to double the orders: but mindyng at this presente, to shew you
the maner of incampyng, me thinketh good not to stande onely with twoo
maine battailes, but to bryng together a juste armie, made like unto the
Romaines, of twoo maine battailes, and of as many more aidyng men: the
whiche I make, to the intent that the forme of the incampyng, maie be
the more perfect, by lodgyng a perfecte armie: whiche thyng in the other
demonstracions, hath not semed unto me so necessarie. Purposing then, to
incampe a juste armie, of xxiiii. thousande footemen, and of twoo
thousande good horsemenne, beeyng devided into fower maine battailes,
twoo of our owne menne, and twoo of straungers, I would take this waie.
The situacion beyng founde, where I would incampe, I would erecte the
hed standarde, and aboute it, I would marke out a quadrant, whiche
should have every side distante from it xxxvii. yardes and a half, of
whiche every one of them should lye, towardes one of the fower regions
of heaven, as Easte, Weste, Southe, and Northe: betwene the whiche
space, I would that the capitaines lodgyng should be appoincted. And
bicause I beleve that it is wisedom, to devide the armed from the
unarmed, seyng that so, for the moste parte the Romaines did, I would
therefore seperate the menne, that were cumbered with any thing, from
the uncombered. I would lodge all, or the greatest parte of the armed,
on the side towardes the Easte, and the unarmed, and the cumbred, on the
Weste side, makyng Easte the hedde, and Weste the backe of the Campe,
and Southe, and Northe should be the flanckes: and for to distinguishe
the lodgynges of the armed, I would take this waie. I would drawe a line
from the hedde standarde, and lead it towardes the Easte, the space of
CCCCC.x. yardes and a half: I would after, make two other lines, that
should place in the middeste the same, and should bee as longe as that,
but distante eche of theim from it a leven yardes and a quarter: in the
ende whereof, I would have the Easte gate, and the space that is betwene
the twoo uttermoste lines, should make a waie, that should go from the
gate, to the capitaines lodging, whiche shall come to be xxii. yardes
and a halfe broad, and CCCClxxii. yardes and a halfe longe, for the
xxxvii. yardes and a halfe, the lodgyng of the Capitaine will take up:
and this shall bee called the Capitaine waie. Then there shall be made
an other waie, from the Southe gate, to the Northe gate, and shall passe
by the hedde of the capitaine waie, and leave the Capitaines lodgyng
towardes theaste, whiche waie shalbe ix.C.xxxvii. yardes and a halfe
long (for the length therof wilbe as moche as the breadth of all the
lodgynges) and shall likewise be xxii. yardes and a half broad, and
shalbe called the crosse waie. Then so sone as the Capitaines lodgyng,
were appoincted out, and these twoo waies, there shall bee begun to be
appoincted out, the lodginges of our own two main battailes, one of the
whiche, I would lodge on the right hand of the capitaines waie, and the
other, on the lefte: and therefore passing over the space, that the
breadth of the crosse waie taketh, I would place xxxii. lodgynges, on
the lefte side of the capitain waie, and xxxii. on the right side,
leavyng betwene the xvi. and the xvii. lodgyng, a space of xxii. yardes
and a halfe, the whiche should serve for a waie overthwart, whiche
should runne overthwarte, throughout all the lodgynges of the maine
battailes as in the distributyng of them shall bee seen.
[Sidenote: The lodgings for the men of armes, and their Capitaine; Note,
which is breadth and whiche length in the square campe; The lodgings for
the lighte horsemen, and their capitain; The lodgings for the footemen
of twoo ordinary main battailes; The lodgings for the conestables; The
nomber of footemen appoincted to every lodging; The lodynges for the
chiefe Capitaines of the maine battayles and for the treasurers,
marshals and straungers; Lodginges for the horsemen, of the
extraordinarie mayne battailes; The lodgynges for the extraordinarie
Pykes and Veliti; How the Artillerie must be placed in the Campe;
Lodgynges for the unarmed men, and the places that are apoineted for the
impedimentes of the campe.]