beuer under the fhelter of their Tars^ets. So that the only inconvenience was the weight of their Arms, and the trouble of carrying them along, which they eafily fur- mounted by accuftoming themfelvcs to all kind of difficulties and hardfhips; and you know cuftom is a fecond Nature. You muft know likewife that Foot are many times to engage both againfl; Horfe and Foot together, and confide r alfo that thefe kind of Soldiers would be altogether unferviceable, and could never ftand againft Horfe; or if they could bear up againft them, yet ihey would Hill be afraid of the Foot, left they fliould be better armed, and better ordered than they. Now if you confider the i?.o- mans and Germans together, you will queftionlefs difcover that the Germans had much the advantage in charging and breaking a Body of Horfe, (as we faid before) but to engage a Body of Foot armed, and ordered like the Romans, they have much the dif- advantage. So that by this you fee what advantage and difadvantage the one has of the other; the Romans were able to fight Foot and Horfe both, and the Germans are able to deal only with Horfe.
Cofmo. I would defire you to give us an example, that we may underftand it the better.
Fahritio. T fay you will find in many places of our Hiftory, the Roman Foot have overcome great Bodies of Horfe, and you {hall never find that they were overcome by Foot, by reafon of any defed in their Arms, or any advantage which the Enemy had in theirs. For had their way of arming been found inconvenient, one of thefe tw« things would have followed, they would not have advanced with their Conquefts fo far (their Enemy being better arm'd,) or elfe they would have arm'd as the Enemy did, and left their own way; and becaufe neither the one nor the other was done, it fol- lows probably that their way of arming was the beft. With the Germans it was other- wife, as appears by the ill fuccefs which they have had whenever they have been en- gag 'd with Foot that were well ordered, and as valiant as they; which proceeded from the advantage the Enemy had of them in their Arms. Phtlippo Vijconte, Duke of Milan., being afl'aulted by 1 8000 Swiz,z^rs, fent againft them the Count Carmigmiolat who was his General at that time. Carmignuola with dooo Horfe and a few Foot, went to encounter them, and coming to an engagement, was beaten for his pains, Carmignuola being a wife man, quickly difcover'd the advantage which the Enemy had in their Foot over his Horfe; having rallied and recruited his Army, he advanced againft the Suoizz,ers again, and when ne came near them, he caufed his Horfe to dif* mount, and engaging them fraartly in that pofture, he put them all to the Rout, and moft of them to the Sword, only 3000 were left, who finding themfelves paft remedyj threw down their Arms.
Cojimo. How comes that great difadvantage?
Fahritio. I told you before, but fince you did not regard it, I will repeat it again. The German Infantry have little or no defenfive Arms, and for ofFenlive they have the Pike and the Sword, and with thefe weapons, and in that order, they attack the Ene- my. But if the Enemy be well provided for his defence (as the Cavalry were which Carmignuola caufed to difmount) and receives them in any ^^ood order, they may deal well enough with the Swiz,z,ers if they can but come to the Sword; for when they once get within them, the length of their Pikes make them ufelefs, and falling then to their Sword, they have the difadvantage of wanting defenfive Arms, with which the Enemy is provided. So that confidering the advantage and difadvantage on both fides, it will appear that they who have no defenfive Arms are without remedy, if the Enemy charges but home, and pafles their Pikes; for Battles do always advance, (as I fiiall fhew, when I have told you the manner of drawing them up) and preffing on perpetually, they muft of necellity come fo near as to reach one another with their Swords; and though fome few perhaps may be killed or tumbled down with their Pikes, yet thofe that are behind prefTing ftill on, are fufHcient to carry the Viflory; and this was the reafon why Carmignuola overcame with ib great flaughter of the Swijfes, and fo little of his own Army.
Cojimo. Confidering that Carmignuola s Forces were men at Arms, and (though on foot) yet armed compleatly, in my judgment it would be convenient upon any great cnterprize, to arm your Foot in that manner.
Fabritio. Had you remembrcd what I told you before about the way of the Romans arming themfelves, you would not have been of that opinion: For a Foot-Soldier with a Head-piece, Breaft-plate, Shield, his arms and his legs covcr'd with Iron, is better a- ble to defend himfelf againft the Pikes, and break into them, than one of the men at Arms difmounted.
I will give you a modern example. Certain Companies of Spnnijh Foot were tranf- ported out of Sicil^t and landed in the Kingdom of N^ifeh being to fupply Gonjaho, who 452 Book I.
The Art of W A R.
453 who was befieged in Bavletta by the French. Monfuur Aulngny had notice of their inarch, and went to meet them with his men at arms, and fome 4000 German focti who prefTed upon them with their pikes, and opened the Spanijh body; but by the help of their bucklers, and the agility of their bodies, having got under their pikes, and fo near as they could come at them with their fwords, the Spaniards had the day, with the flaughter of mofl: of the Swtjfes. Every one knows how many of the Swi/fes foot were cut off at the battle of Ravenna^ and all upon the fame account^ the Spanijh foot having got to them with their fwords, and had cut them certainly in pieces, had they not been refciied by the French horfe: and yet the Spaniards drawing themfelvcs into a clofe Order, fecured themfelves. I conclude therefore, a good Infantry ought to be able not only to fuftain the horfe, but to encounter the foot, which (as I hav^ faid many times before) is to be done by being well arm'd and well order'd. ' Cojimo, Tell me therefore, I befeech you, how they would have theih ariti'd.
CHAP. IV.
How Foot Jhoald he arm d, and of the Force and Cbrivenitncie of Mefi at Arms.
pabritio, T Would take both of the Roman and German arms, and half my men fhould be arm'd with the oUe, and half wich the other; for if in <5ooo foot (as I lhall explain to you hereafter) I fhould have 3000 with bucklers like the RomanSi 2000 pikes, and 1000 mufquecs like the Siurjs; I think I fhould do well enough; for I would place my pikes either in my front, or where<.ever I fufpeftcd the Enemy's Horfe might make any impreffion; my bucklers and fwcrds fliould fecond ray pikes, and be very conducing to the Victory, as I fliall demonftrate. So that I think an Infantry thus or- dered would be too hard for any other.
Cofimo. What you have faid about the Foot, is fufficient. I pray let us now heat what you judge of the Horfe, and which way of equipping them is the beft, the an- cient or modern.
Fabritio. I think the prefent way is the beft, in refped of the great faddles and flir- rups, (which were not in ufe among the ancients) and make men fit ftr'onger and firm- er upon their Horfe. I think our way of arming now is more fecure, and a body of our horfe will make a greater irapreffion than a body of the old. Yet I am of opinion that Cavalry are not to be more efteemed now than of old, becaufe (as 1 have faid) they have in our days been oft worfied by the foot, and fo they always will be, if the foot be arm'd and order'd as above- faid. Tigrane'^ King of Armenia, came into the field againft the Roman Army, under the command of Luculiusy wich 150000 horfe, many of^ them arm'd like our men at arms, (which they called CatafraBi,) the Romans confifling only of ^000 horfe, and 15000 foot. Whereupon, in contempt of their number, whert "Migrants faw them, he faid. That thty -were Itker the Train of an Embaffador than an Army. Ncverthelef^ when they came to fight, he was beaten; and he who writes the flory* blames the CataJraBi, and declares them unferviceable; for (fays he) having Beavers over their faces, they cannot fo well fee how to offend the Enemy, and being laden with arms, if by accident their horfe be killed, or throws them upon the ground, they cannot get up again, nor help themfelves in any manner. 1 fay then, that Nation or kingdom which prefers thor horfe to their foot, faall always be weak, and in dan- ger of ruin, as Ita/y has experimented in our time, having been expofed to ruin and depredation by ftrangers, for want of foot, which has been very much negleded, and all the Soldiers fet on horfe- back. Not but it is good to have horfe too, yet not to make them the flrength of their Army, but fufficient to fecond the foot; for they are of great ufe for fcouting, making inroads into the Enemy's Country, raifing Con- tributions, infefting the Enemy, and cutting off Convoys and Supplies of Provifions j neverthelefs when they come to a Field Fight, which is the fiiain importance of a War* and the very end for which Armies are raifed, they are not fo ferviceable as foor^ though indeed in a rout they are better to purfue.
Cojiwo I cannot concur with you in this, for two reafons, one is, the Pciythians ufed hothing but horfe, and yet they had their {hare of the World as well as the Romans; and the other is, becaufe I cannot fee which way the Cavalry can be fuflained by the Foot, and from whence proceeds the flrength of the one, and the weaknefs of the o- ther.
Fabritio. T think I have told you, or elfe I will tell you now, that my difcourfe of military Affairs fhall extend no farther than Europe. Being intended no farther, I do noc The Art of WA R. Book II.
not think my felf obliged to give a reafon for their ciiftoms in Afta^ yet this I may fay, that the Parthian tiifcipline was quite contrary to the Roman; for the Parthiaas. fought always on horfeback in confufion and diforder, which is a way of fighting very uncertain. The Romans fought generally on foot, in clofe and firm order, and they overcame one another varioufly, as the place where they fought was open, or ftreight: m ftreight places the Roinans had the better; in champain, the Parthians^ who were able to do great things in refped of the Country which they were to defend, it being very large, a thoufand miles from the Sea, not a River fometimes within two or three days march, and Towns and Inhabitants very thin. So that an Army like the Roman, pefter'd and incumber'd with their arms, and their order, could not pafs thorough the Country without great lofs, by reafon the ftrength of the Enemy confid- ed in horfe which were nimble, here to day, and to morrow fifty miles off. And this may be a reafon why the Vanhians prevailed with their horfe, ruin'd the Army of Crajjust and put Marc Anthony into fo much danger. But as I faid before, my intention is not to fpeak any thing of the Armies out of Europe, and therefore I fhall infift on* ly upon the Romans, the Greciansy and the Germans, 454 C H A p. V.
The difference hetiv'ixt Men at Arms and Foot., and upon which we are mofl to rely.
Fahritio. "^ITE come now to your other demand, in which you defire to underfbnd • * what order, or what natural virtue it is that makes the foot better than the horfe.
I fay in the firft place, horfe cannot march in a!l Countries as foot can; they are not fo ready to obey orders when there is any fudden occafion to change them: for when they are upon their march, if there be occafion to wheel, or face about, to ad- vance, or flop, or retreat, they cannot do it with that dexterity as the foot. Upon any rout or diforder, horfe cannot rally fo well, (though perhaps they are not pur- I'u'd) which is not fo with the foot.
Again, it is frequently feen, a brave and a daripg man may be upon a bad horfe^ and a coward upon a good; and that inequality is the occafioa of many diforders. Nor let any one think ftrange that a body of foot can fuftain the fury of the horfe, becaufc an horfe is a fenfible creature, and being apprehenfive of danger, is not eafily brought into it. And if it be confidercd what forces them on, and what forces them off, it will be found rhat that which keeps them off, is greater than that which pricks them oni for that which puts them forward is but a fpur, whilft that which keeps them off, is a pike or a fword. So that it has been many times fcen both by ancient and modern experience, that a body of foot are fecure, and inft pcrable by horfe. If you objed, that coming on galloping to the charge, makes the horfe rufii fiirioufly upon the Enemy, and to be lefs careful of the pike than the fpnr. I anfwer, that though a horfe be in his career, when he fees the pikes, he will flop of himfclf; and when he feels them prick, he will flop fhort; and when you prefs him on, will turn either on the one fide or the other: and if you have a mind to make the experiment, try if you can to run a horfe againfi a wall, and you fhall find very few that will do it. Cafar^ when he was in France, being to fight a battle with the Stu/r.-.eri, caufed all his horfe to difmount, and fend their horfes away, as being fitter to fiy than to fight upon. Buc though horfe are naturally fubjeft to rhefe impediments, he who commaiRls the foot is to march fuch ways as are likely to be mofl difficult for hoifc, and he fliall fcarce come into a Country but fuch ways are to be found. If 3 0U march over mounrainoua and hilly places, the very fituation will fecure you againfl the fury of the horfe; if yoiip march be in a plain, you will feldom march any where but you wii! h,a\c plowM fieldssi or hedges, or woods to fecure you: for every ditch, every bank, how inconfiderable focver, takes off from the fury of the horfe, and every p'ow'd field or vineyard le- tards them. And if you come to a battle, it will be the fame as in a march; for every fmall accident that happens to a horfe, difmays him, and rakes off his courage. Howr ever, I will not omit to tell you one thing, that the Romans truflcd fo much to their orders and arms, that had it been in their power to have chofen a place that had been ftecp, and convenient to fecure them againft horfe, (thougii they had not been able to. draw themfelvcs up) or an open place (more obnoxious to the iiorfe) where they might put themfelves handfomcly in Battalia, they chofc always:he Lft, and rc/cdlcd the Briii The Art of IV A R.
Book II.
455 But it being time to come now to their manner of exercife, having arm'd our foot ac- cording to the ancient and modern way, Jet us fee what extrcife the Romans gave them before they brought them to a Battle.
CHAP. VI.
Hoiv the Soldiers were exercisi.
T Hough they be never fo well chofen, and never fo well arm'd, Soldiers are carefully to be exercis'd, for without exeicife they are good for nothing. And this exercife ought to be three-fold; one is to inure them to labdur and hardfhip, and make them dexterous and nimble; another to teach them how to handle their arms; and the third to teach them to keep their ranks and orders in their marches, battles and encamp- ments: which are three great things in an Army. For if an Army marches, is drawn up well, and ehcamps regularly and skilfully, the General fhall gain reputation, let the fuGcefs be as it will. Wherefore all ancient Common-wealths provided particularly for thefe eJcerCifes by their Culloms and Laws, fo that nothing of that nature was omitted. They exercifed their youth to learn them to be nimble in running, aftive to leap, ftrong to throw the bar, and to wreftle, which are all necellary qualities in a Soldier, for running and nimblenefs Hts them for pofTefling a place before the enemy, to fall up- on them on a fudden in their quarters, and purfue with more execution in a rout: afti- vity makes them with more eafe avoid their blows, leap a ditch, or climb a bank; and ftrength makes tbem carry their arms better, ftrike better, and endure thefhock better: and above all to inure them to labour, they accuftom'd their Soldiers to carry great weights, which Cuflom is very neceflary; for in great expeditions it happens many times that Soldiers aie forced to carry (befides their arms) feveral days provifions, which without being accuftomed to labour, would be more tedious to them \ and by thi?, great dangers are many times avoided, and great vidories many times obtained. As to their way of accuftoming them to their arms, they did it in this manner. They ittade their young men wear head-pieces twice as heavy as thofe which they were to wear in the field, and inftead of Swords, they gave Cudgels with lead run into them, much heavier than their Swords. They caufed each of them to fix a pale into the ground three yards high, and faften it fo ftrong that no blows might be able to batter or fhake it: againft which pale or flake the youth were accuftomed to exercife themfelves with their cudgel or buckler, as it had been an Enemy; flriking it fometimes as it were on the head, fometimes on the face, then on the fides, legs, before and behind; fometimes retreating, and then advancing again: and by this way of exercife they made them- felves dexterous and skilful how to defend themfelves, and offend an enemy. And for the heavinefs of their counterfeit arms, they did it to make the true ones appear more light. The Romans taught their Soldiers rather to thruft than to cut with their fwords, becaufe thrufts are more mortal, more hard to be defended; and he that makes it is not fo eafily difcovered, and is readier to double his thruft than his blow. Do not admire that the ancients concerned themfelves in fuch little things, for when people come to handy ftrokes, every fmall advantage is of great importance; and this is not my own opinion only, but is taught by many Authors. The ancients thought nothing more beneficial in a Common-wealth, than to have flore of men well exercis'd in arms; for 'tis not the Splendor of their gemms, nor their gold, that makes the ene- m"y run, but the fear of their arms.
The faults which one commits in other things may be repaired, but thofe which are committed in war are never to be redreffed; befides, experience in this kind makes men more audacious and bold, for no man fears to do that which he thinks he under* ftands.: the ancients therefore would have their Citizens exercife themfelves in all mi- litary aftions, and made them caft darts (much heavier than the true ones) againfl their pales: which befides that it taught them dexterity, it was a great ftrengthener of their arm. They brought up their youth likewife to the bow and the fling, in all which exercifes they were profefs'd Mafters j fo that when afterwards they were drawn out to the wars, they were perfeft Soldiers both in courage and difcipline,- nor were they defeflive in any rhmg but keeping their ranks in their marches, and receiving or- ders in their fights; which was quickly learn'd by mixing them with fuch as had ferv'd a long time.
Cifvno. What exercifes would you recommend at prefent?
■ I --' «.
Fabritio. Several of thofe which I have mtntion'd, as running, leaping, chrowing the bar, accufloraing them to heavy arms, teaching th-em to flioot in the crols, and long bow, and mufquet, which is a new engine, (as you knowj but very good. And to thefe exercifes 1 would accuflom all the youth in my Country, but with more induftry and folicitude thofe exercifes which are ufeful in war, and all their muflers fhould be in idle days. I would have them learn to fwim likewife, which is a very ufeful thing,' for they are not fure of bridges where ever they come, and boats are not always to be had. So that your Army not knowing how to fwim, is deprived of feveral conveni- encies, and lofe many fair opportunities of aftion. The reafon why tLe Romans exer- cifed their youth in the Campus MartniSy was, becaufe of its nearnefs to the 7)l?er^ where after they iiad tired themfelves at land, they might rtfrefh and Jearu to fwim in the water.
I would have alfo the Cavalry exercifed as of old, which is moft necelTary, for befides teaching them to ride, it teaches them to fit faft when they come to a charge. To this end they had horfes of wood upon which they exercifed, vaulting upon thtm foraetimes with their arms, and fometimes without, very neatly and exadly, without any afliftance; fo that upon a fignal from their Captain they were immediately on horfeback, and upon another fignal as foon upon the ground. And as thofe exercifes both for horfe and foot were eafy in thofe times, they would be the fame now to any Prince or Common-wealth that would employ their youth that way, as it is to be feen in feveral Cities in the Weft, where they are continued. They divide their In- habitants into feveral parties, and every parry is denominated by the arms which they wear; and becaufe they ufe pikes, halberts, bows, and harquebulfes, they are called Pike-men-, Halberdiers, Bo-w men, and HaiqueLuffitn: every inhabitant is ro declare in what Company he will be lifted; and becaufe fome for their age and other impedi- ments are not apt for the wars, thtre is a choice made out of every order, of fuch perfons as are called the Gmrau, being fworn to fee rhe rtft extrciftd in their feveral arms, according to their refpcftive denominations, and every one of them has a cer- tain place appointed where their exercifes are to be made; and all that belong to that Order (befides the Giurati) repair thither with fuch monies as are nectftary for their expence. What therefore is done aftually by them, we may do as well, but our iin- prudence will not fufFer us to imitate any thing that is good. By thefe exercifes the ancient's Infantry were very good, and at this day the weftern foot are better than our's, becaufe the ancients exercifed them at home, (as in the Common-wealths) or in the field (as by the Emperors) for the reafons aforefaid. But we will not exercife them at home, and in the field we cannot, they not being our fubjcds, are not to be com- pelled but to what txercifts they pleafe: and this want of authority to exercife them, has caufed our Armies to be firft neglicent and remifs, and afterwards oi.r difcipLine;.
and has been the caufe that fo many Kingdoms and Common wealths (efpecially in Ita/y) are fo weak and inconfiderable.
But to return to our order, and the bufinefs of exercifing, I fay, that it is not fuffi- cient to make an abfolute Soldier, to inure a man to labour, to make him ftrong, fwift and dexterous, but he muft learn likewife to keep his ranks well, to obey orders, and the diredions of the trumpet and drum; to know how to do right, ftanding ftill, re- tiring, advancing, fighting, and marching; for without this difcipline be obfervcd with all accurate diligence, your Army will never be good. And without doubt men who are furious and diforderly, are much more unferviceable than cowards; for order drives away fear, and diforder leiTens a man's courage.
CHAP. VIL Of what Mumher ef n?e», and of what arms a battalian is to confijl; and of ex- ercifing in Companies to make them ready either to give a charge^ or re- ceive it.
AN D that you may the better undcrdand what is faid before, you mnft know that there is no Nation, which, to put in order its men of war, has nor conlhtutid a principal member; which member, or body, though they have alrer'd it.is to their name, yet it is not much alter'd as to the number of their men; for in all places they confift of betwixt fix and eight thoufand. This body among the Romans was called a I egieu, among the Grecians a Phalanx, among the Fretxh Cattrve; tin: fame thing by the S-.vnzers (who are the only people which retain any thing of the difcipline of the ancients) is called that in their I Book n.
The Art of AR.
457.