be able to kepe the accustomed fashion of their maner, the whiche to
observe, thei had no other respecte: but concernyng for other
consideracions, thei had twoo principall, the one, to incampe theim
selves in a wholesome place, the other, to place themselves, where
thenemie could not besiege theim, nor take from them the waie to the
water, or victualles. Then for to avoide infirmitie, thei did flie from
places Fennie, or subjecte to hurtfull windes: whiche thei knewe not so
well, by the qualitie of the situacion, as by the face of the
inhabitours: for when thei sawe theim evill coloured, or swollen, or
full of other infeccion, thei would not lodge there: concernyng thother
respecte to provide not to be besieged, it is requisite to consider the
nature of the place, where the friendes lye, and thenemies, and of this
to make a conjecture, if thou maiest be besieged or no: and therefore it
is meete, that the Capitaine be moste experte, in the knowlege of
situacions of countries, and have aboute him divers men, that have the
verie same expertenes. Thei avoide also diseases, and famishment, with
causyng the armie to kepe no misrule, for that to purpose to maintain it
in health, it is nedefull to provide, that the souldiours maie slepe
under tentes, that thei maie lodge where bee Trees, that make shadowe,
where woodde is for to dresse their meate, that thei go not in the
heate, and therefore thei muste bee drawen out of the campe, before daie
in Summer, and in Winter, to take hede that thei marche not in the
Snowe, and in the Froste, without havyng comoditie to make fire, and not
to lack necessarie aparel, nor to drink naughtie water: those that fall
sicke by chaunce, make them to bee cured of Phisicions: bicause a
capitain hath no reamedie, when he hath to faight with sicknesse, and
with an enemie: but nothing is so profitable, to maintaine the armie in
health, as is the exercise: and therfore the antiquitie every daie, made
them to exercise: wherby is seen how muche exercise availeth: for that
in the Campe, it kepeth thee in health, and in the faight victorious.
Concernyng famishemente, it is necessarie to see, that the enemie hinder
thee not of thy victualles, but to provide where thou maieste have it,
and to see that thesame whiche thou haste, bee not loste: and therefore
it is requisite, that thou have alwaies in provision with the armie,
sufficiente victuall for a monethe, and then removyng into some strong
place, thou muste take order with thy nexte frendes, that daily thei
maie provide for thee, and above al thinges bestowe the victual with
diligence, givyng every daie to every manne, a reasonable measure, and
observe after soche sorte this poincte, that it disorder thee not:
bicause all other thyng in the warre, maie with tyme be overcome, this
onely with tyme overcometh thee: nor there shall never any enemie of
thyne, who maie overcome thee with famishemente, that will seeke to
overcome thee with iron. For that though the victory be not so
honourable, yet it is more sure and more certaine: Then, thesame armie
cannot avoide famishemente, that is not an observer of justice, whiche
licenciously consumeth what it liste: bicause the one disorder, maketh
that the victualls commeth not unto you, the other, that soche victuall
as commeth, is unprofitably consumed: therefore thantiquitie ordained,
that thei should spende thesame, whiche thei gave, and in thesame tyme
when thei appoincted: for that no souldiour did eate, but when the
Capitaine did eate: The whiche how moche it is observed of the armies
nowe adaies, every manne knoweth, and worthely thei can not bee called
menne of good order and sober, as the antiquitie, but lasivious and
drunkardes.
BAPTISTE. You saied in the beginnyng of orderynge the Campe, that you
woulde not stande onely uppon twoo maine battailes, but woulde take
fower, for to shewe how a juste armie incamped: therfore I would you
shoulde tell me twoo thynges, the one, when I shoulde have more or lesse
men, howe I ought to incampe them, the other, what numbre of souldiours
should suffice you to faight against what so ever enemie that were.
[Sidenote: Howe to lodge in the Campe more or lesse menne, then the
ordinarie; The nombre of men that an army ought to be made of, to bee
able to faighte with the puisantest enemie that is; Howe to cause men to
do soche a thing as shold bee profitable for thee, and hurtfull to them
selves; Howe to overcome menne at unwares; How to tourne to commoditie
the doynges of soche, as use to advertise thy enemie of thy
proceadynges; How to order the campe, that the enemie shal not perceive
whether the same bee deminished, or increased; A saiyng of Metellus;
Marcus Crassus; How to understand the secretes of thy enemie; A policie
of Marius, to understande howe he might truste the Frenchmen; What some
Capitaines have doen when their countrie have been invaded of enemies;
To make the enemie necligente in his doynges; Silla Asdruball; The
policie of Aniball, where by he escaped out of the danger of Fabius
Maximus; A Capitayne muste devise how to devide the force of his
enemies; How to cause the enemie to have in suspect his most trusty men;
Aniball Coriolanus; Metellus against Jugurte; A practis of the Romayne
oratours, to bryng Aniball out of Credit with Antiochus; Howe to cause
the enemie to devide his power; Howe Titus Didius staied his enemies
that wer going to incounter a legion of men that were commyng in his
ayde; Howe some have caused the enemie to devide his force; A policie to
winne the enemies countrie before he be aware; Howe to reforme sedicion
and discorde; The benefitte that the reputacion of the Capitaine
causeth, which is only gotten by vertue; The chiefe thyng that a
capitayne ought to doe; When paie wanteth, punishment is not to be
executed; The inconvenience of not punisshynge; Cesar chaunsynge to
fall, made the same to be supposed to signifi good lucke; Religion
taketh away fantasticall opinions; In what cases a Capitaine ought not
to faight with his enemie if he may otherwyse choose; A policie of
Fulvius wherby he got and spoyled his enemies Campe; A policie to
disorder the enemie; A policie to overcome the enemie; A policie; How to
beguile the enemie; Howe Mennonus trained his enemies oute of stronge
places to bee the better able to overcom them.]
FABRICIO. To the first question I answer you, that if the armie be more
or lesse, then fower or sixe thousande souldiours, the orders of
lodgynges, may bee taken awaie or joined, so many as suffiseth: and with
this way a man may goe in more, and in lesse, into infinite:
Notwithstandynge the Romaines, when thei joigned together twoo consull
armies, thei made twoo campes, and thei tourned the partes of the
unarmed, thone against thother. Concernyng the second question, I say
unto you, that the Romaines ordinary armie, was about xxiiii. M.
souldiours: but when thei were driven to faight against the greatest
power that might be, the moste that thei put together, wer L. M. With
this number, thei did set against two hundred thousand Frenchemen, whome
assaulted them after the first warre, that thei had with the
Carthageners. With this verie same numbre, thei fought againste
Anniball. And you muste note, that the Romaines, and the Grekes, have
made warre with fewe, fortefiyng themselves thorough order, and thorough
arte: the west, and the easte, have made it with multitude: But the one
of these nacions, doeth serve with naturall furie: as doe the men of the
west partes, the other through the great obedience whiche those men have
to their kyng. But in Grece, and in Italy, beyng no naturall furie, nor
the naturall reverence towardes their king, it hath been necessary for
them to learne the discipline of warre, the whiche is of so muche force,
that it hath made that a fewe, hath been able to overcome the furie, and
the naturall obstinatenesse of manie. Therefore I saie, that mindyng to
imitate the Romaines, and the Grekes, the number of L. M. souldiers
ought not to bee passed, but rather to take lesse: because manie make
confucion, nor suffer not the discipline to be observed, and the orders
learned, and Pirrus used to saie, that with xv. thousande men he woulde
assaile the worlde: but let us pas to an other parte. We have made this
our armie to winne a field and shewed the travailes, that in the same
fight may happen: we have made it to marche, and declared of what
impedimentes in marchyng it may be disturbed: and finally we have lodged
it: where not only it ought to take a littell reste of the labours
passed, but also to thinke howe the warre ought to be ended: for that in
the lodgynges, is handeled many thynges, inespecially thy enemies as yet
remainyng in the fielde, and in suspected townes, of whome it is good to
be assured, and those that be enemies to overcome them: therfore it is
necessarie to come to this demonstracion, and to passe this difficultie
with the same glorie, as hitherto we have warred. Therfore comynge to
particular matters, I saie that if it shoulde happen, that thou wouldest
have manie men, or many people to dooe a thyng, whiche were to thee
profittable, and to theim greate hurte, as should be to breake downe the
wall of their citie, or to sende into exile many of them, it is
necessarie for thee, either to beguile them in such wise that everie one
beleeve not that it toucheth him: so that succouryng not the one the
other, thei may finde them selves al to be oppressed without remedie, or
els unto all to commaunde the same, whiche they ought to dooe in one
selfe daie, to the intente that every man belevyng to be alone, to whome
the commaundement is made, maie thinke to obey and not to remedie it:
and so withoute tumulte thy commaundement to be of everie man executed.
If thou shouldest suspecte the fidelitie of anie people, and woulde
assure thee, and overcome them at unawares, for to colour thy intente
more easelie, thou canst not doe better, then to counsel with them of
some purpose of thine, desiryng their aide, and to seeme to intende to
make an other enterprise, and to have thy minde farre from thinkyng on
them: the whiche will make, that thei shall not think on their owne
defence, beleevyng not that thou purposest to hurte them, and thei shal
geve thee commoditie, to be able easely to satisfie thy desire. When
thou shouldest perceive, that there were in thine armie some, that used
to advertise thy enemie of thy devises, thou canst not doe better,
myndynge to take commoditie by their traiterous mindes, then to commen
with them of those thynges, that thou wilte not doe, and those that thou
wilt doe, to kepe secret, and to say to doubte of thynges, that thou
doubtest not, and those of whiche thou doubtest, to hide: the which
shall make thenemie to take some enterprise in hand, beleving to know
thy devises, where by easly thou maiest beguile and opresse hym. If thou
shouldest intende (as Claudius Nero did) to deminishe thy armie,
sendynge helpe to some freende, and that the enemie shoulde not bee
aware therof, it is necessarie not to deminishe the lodgynges, but to
maintayne the signes, and the orders whole, makyng the verie same fires,
and the verye same wardes throughout all the campe, as wer wont to be
afore. Lykewise if with thy armie there should joigne new men, and
wouldest that the enemie shoulde not know that thou werte ingrosed, it
is necessarie not to increase the lodgynges: Because keepyng secrete
doynges and devises, hath alwaies been moste profitable. Wherfore
Metellus beyng with an armie in Hispayne, to one, who asked him what he
would doe the nexte daie, answered, that if his sherte knew therof, he
would bourne it. Marcus Craussus, unto one, whome asked him, when the
armie shoulde remove, saied beleevest thou to be alone not to here the
trumpet? If thou shouldest desire to understande the secretes of thy
enemie, and to know his orders, some have used to sende embassadours,
and with theim in servauntes aparel, moste expertest men in warre: whom
havynge taken occasion to se the enemies armie, and to consider his
strengthe and weakenesse, it hath geven them oportunitie to overcome
him. Some have sente into exile one of their familiars, and by meanes of
the same, hath knowen the devises of his adversarie. Also like secrettes
are understoode of the enemies when for this effecte there were taken
any prisoners. Marius whiche in the warre that he made with the Cimbrie,
for to know the faieth of those Frenchmen, who then inhabited Lombardie,
and were in leage with the Romaine people, sent them letters open, and
sealed: and in the open he wrote, that they shoulde not open the sealed,
but at a certaine time, and before the same time demaundyng them againe,
and finding them opened, knew thereby that their faithe was not to be
trusted. Some Capitaines, being invaded, have not desired to goe to
meete the enemie, but have gone to assaulte his countrey, and
constrained him to retorne to defende his owne home: The whiche manie
times hath come wel to passe, for that those soldiours beginnyng to fil
them selves with booties, and confidence to overcome, shall sone make
the enemies souldiours to wexe afraide, when they supposynge theim
selves conquerours, shal understand to become losers: So that to him
that hath made this diversion, manie times it hath proved well. But
onely it may be doen by him, whiche hath his countrey stronger then that
of the enemies, because when it were otherwise, he should goe to leese.
It hath been often a profitable thyng to a capitaine, that hath been
besieged in his lodgynges by the enemie, to move an intreatie of
agreemente, and to make truse with him for certaine daies: the which is
wonte to make the enemies more necligente in all doynges: so that
avaylynge thee of their necligence, thou maiest easely have occacion to
get thee oute of handes. By this way Silla delivered him selfe twise
from the enemies: and with this verie same deceipte, Asdruball in
Hispayne got oute of the force of Claudious Nero, whome had besieged
him. It helpeth also to deliver a man out of the daunger of the enemie,
to do some thyng beside the forsaied, that may keepe him at a baye: this
is dooen in two maners, either to assaulte him with parte of thy power,
so that he beyng attentive to the same faight, may geve commoditie to
the reste of thy men to bee able to save theim selves, or to cause to
rise some newe accidente, which for the strayngenesse of the thynge,
maie make him to marvell, and for this occasion to stande doubtefull,
and still: as you knowe howe Anniball dyd, who beynge inclosed of Fabius
Maximus, tied in the nighte small Bavens kindeled beetweene the hornes
of manie Oxen, so that Fabius astonied at the strangenesse of the same
sight, thought not to lette him at all the passage. A Capitayne oughte
amonge all other of his affaires, with al subtiltie to devise to devide
the force of the enemie, either with makyng him to suspecte his owne
menne, in whome he trusteth, or to give him occasion, that he maye
seperate his menne, and therby to be come more weake. The fyrste way is
dooen with keepyng saulfe the thynges of some of those whiche he hath
aboute him, as to save in the warre their menne and their possessions,
renderynge theim their children, or other their necessaries withoute
raunsome. You know that Anniball havynge burned all the fieldes aboute
Rome, he made onely to bee reserved saulfe those of Fabius Maximus. You
know how Coriolanus comyng with an armie to Rome, preserved the
possessions of the nobilitie, and those of the comminaltie he bourned,
and sacked. Metellus havinge an armie againste Jugurte, all the
oratours, whiche of Jugurte were sente him, were required of him, that
they woulde geve him Jugurte prisoner, and after to the verie same men
writyng letters of the verie same matter, wrought in suche wise, that in
shorte tyme Jugurte havyng in suspecte all his counsellours, in diverse
maners put them to death. Anniball beynge fled to Antiochus, the Romaine
oratours practised with him so familiarly, that Antiochus beyng in
suspecte of him, trusted not anie more after to his counselles.
Concernyng to devide the enemies men, there is no more certainer waie,
then to cause their countrie to be assaulted to the intente that being
constrained to goe to defende the same, they maie forsake the warre.
This way Fabius used havynge agaynst his armie the power of the
Frenchemen, of the Tuscans, Umbries and Sannites. Titus Didius havyng a
few men in respecte to those of the enemies, and lookynge for a legion
from Rome, and the enemies purposinge to goe to incounter it, to the
intente that they should not goe caused to bee noised through all his
armie, that he intended the nexte daie to faighte the field with the
enemies: after he used means, that certaine of the prisoners, that he
had taken afore, had occasion to runne awaie. Who declaryng the order
that the Consull had taken to faighte the nexte daie, by reason wherof
the enemies beyng afraide to deminishe their owne strength, went not to
incounter the same legion, and by this way thei wer conducted safe. The
which means serveth not to devide the force of the enemies, but to
augmente a mans owne. Some have used to devide the enemies force, by
lettyng him to enter into their countrie, and in profe have let him take
manie townes, to the intente that puttynge in the same garrisons, he
might thereby deminishe his power, and by this waie havynge made him
weake, have assaulted and overcomen him. Some other mindyng to goe into
one province, have made as though they woulde have invaded an other, and
used so much diligence, that sodenly entryng into the same, where it was
not doubted that they woulde enter, they have first wonne it, before the
ennemie coulde have time to succour it: for that thy enemie beynge not
sure, whether thou purposest to tourne backe, to the place fyrste of
thee threatned, is constrained not to forsake the one place, to succour
the other, and so many times he defendeth neither the one nor the other.
It importeth besides the sayde thynges to a Capitaine, if there growe
sedicion or discorde amonge the souldiours, to knowe with arte howe to
extynguishe it: The beste waie is to chastise the headdes of the
faultes, but it muste be doen in such wise, that thou maiest first have
oppressed them, before they be able to be aware: The way is if they be
distante from thee, not onely to call the offenders, but together with
theim all the other, to the entente that not beleevynge, that it is for
any cause to punishe them, they become not contumelius, but geve
commoditie to the execution of the punishemente: when thei be present,
thou oughtest to make thy selfe stronge with those that be not in
faulte, and by meane of their helpe to punishe the other. When there
hapneth discorde amonge them, the beste waye is, to bryng them to the
perill, the feare whereof is wonte alwaies to make them agree. But that,
which above all other thynge kepeth the armie in unitee, is the
reputacion of the Capitaine, the whiche onely groweth of his vertue:
because neither bloud, nor authoritie gave it ever without vertue. And
the chiefe thyng, whiche of a Capitain is looked for to be doen, is, to
keepe his souldiours punisshed, and paied: for that when so ever the
paie lacketh, it is conveniente that the punisshement lacke: because
thou canst not correcte a souldiour, that robbeth, if thou doest not
paie him, nor the same mindynge to live, cannot abstaine from robbynge:
but if thou paiest him and punisshest him not, he beecometh in everie
condicion insolente: For that thou becomest of small estimacion, where
thou chaunsest not to bee able to maintaine the dignitie of thy degree,
and not mainetainyng it, there foloweth of necessitee tumulte, and
discorde, whiche is the ruine of an armie. Olde Capitaines had a
troubell, of the which the presente be almoste free, whiche was to
interprete to their purpose the sinister auguries: because if there fell
a thunderbolte in an armie, if the sunne were darkened or the Moone, if
there came an erthequake, if the Capitaine either in gettyng up, or in
lightynge of his horse fell, it was of the souldiours interpreted
sinisterously: And it ingendred in them so moche feare, that comynge to
faight the fielde, easely they should have lost it: and therefore the
aunciente Capitaines so sone as a lyke accidente grewe, either they
shewed the cause of the same, and redused it to a naturall cause, or
they interpreted it to their purpose. Cesar fallyng in Africa, in comyng
of the sea saied, Africa I have taken thee. Moreover manie have declared
the cause of the obscuryng of the Moone, and of earthquakes: which thing
in our time cannot happen, as well because our men be not so
supersticious, as also for that our religion taketh away altogether such
opinions: al be it when they should chaunse, the orders of the
antiquitie ought to be imitated. When either famishement, or other
naturall necessitie, or humaine passion, hath broughte thy enemie to an
utter desperation, and he driven of the same, cometh to faight with
thee, thou oughtest to stande within thy campe, and as muche as lieth in
thy power, to flie the faight. So the Lacedemonians did against the
Masonians, so Cesar did against Afranio, and Petreio. Fulvius beyng
Consul, against the Cimbrians, made his horsemen manie daies continually
to assaulte the enemies, and considered how thei issued out of their
campe for to folow them: wherfore he sette an ambusshe behinde the Campe
of the Cimbrians, and made them to be assaulted of his horsmen, and the
Cimbrians issuyng oute of their campe for to follow them. Fulvio gotte
it, and sacked it. It hath ben of great utilitie to a Capitaine, havyng
his armie nere to the enemies armie, to sende his menne with the enemies
ansignes to robbe, and to burne his owne countrey, whereby the enemies
beleevynge those to bee menne, whiche are come in their aide, have also
runne to helpe to make them the pray: and for this disorderyng them
selves, hathe therby given oportunitie to the adversary to overcome
them. This waie Alexander of Epirus used againste the Illirans and
Leptenus of Siracusa against the Carthaginers and bothe to the one and
to the other, the devise came to passe most happely. Manie have overcome
the enemie, gevyng him occasion to eate and to drinke oute of measure,
fayning to have feared, and leaving their Campes full of wyne and herdes
of cattell, wherof the enemie beyng filled above all naturall use, have
then assaulted him, and with his destruction overthrowen him. So Tamirus
did against Cirus, and Tiberius Graccus agaynst the Spaniardes. Some
have poysoned the wine, and other thynges to feede on, for to be able
more easely to overcome them. I saied a littel afore how I founde not,
that the antiquetie kepte in the night Scoutes abroade, and supposed
that they did it for to avoide the hurte, whiche might growe therby:
because it is founde, that through no other meane then throughe the
watche man, whiche was set in the daie to watche the enemie, hath been
cause of the ruin of him, that set him there: for that manie times it
hath hapned, that he beyng taken, hath been made perforce to tell theim
the token, whereby they might call his felowes, who commyng to the
token, have been slaine or taken. It helpeth to beguile the enemie
sometime to varie a custome of thine, whereupon he having grounded him
self, remaineth ruinated: as a Capitaine did once, whome usinge to cause
to be made signes to his men for comynge of the enemies in the night
with fire, and in the daie with smoke, commaunded that withoute anie
intermission, they shoulde make smoke and fire, and after commynge upon
them the enemie, they should reste, whome beleevyng to come without
beynge seen, perceivyng no signe to be made of beyng discovered, caused
(through goeyng disordered) more easie the victorie to his adversarie.
Mennonus a Rodian mindynge to drawe from stronge places the enemies
armie, sente one under colour of a fugitive, the whiche affirmed, howe
his armie was in discorde, and that the greater parte of them wente
awaie: and for to make the thynge to be credited, he caused to make in
sporte, certaine tumultes amonge the lodgynges: whereby the enemie
thvnkyng thereby to be able to discomfaighte them, assaultynge theim,
were overthrowen.
[Sidenote: The enemie ought not to be brought into extreme desperacion;
How Lucullus constrained certaine men that ran awaie from him to his
enemies, to fayght whether they wold or not.]
Besides thesaied thynges, regarde ought to be had not to brynge the
enemie into extreme desperacion: whereunto Cesar had regarde, faightyng
with the Duchemen, who opened them the waie, seyng, howe thei beyng not
able to flie, necessitie made them strong, and would rather take paine
to followe theim, when thei fled, then the perill to overcome them, when
thei defended them selves. Lucullus seyng, how certaine Macedonian
horsemenne, whiche were with hym, went to the enemies parte, straight
waie made to sounde to battaile, and commaunded, that the other men
should folowe hym: whereby the enemies beleving, that Lucullus would
begin the faight, went to incounter the same Macedonians, with soche
violence, that thei were constrained to defende themselves: and so thei
became against their willes, of fugetives, faighters. It importeth also
to knowe, how to be assured of a toune, when thou doubteste of the
fidelitie thereof, so sone as thou haste wonne the fielde, or before,
the whiche certain old insamples maie teache thee.