THEORIQVE AND PRACTISE OF WAR.  
Written to Don Philip Prince of Castil, by Don BERNARDINO de Mendoza.  
Translated out of the Castilian tongue into English, by Sr. EDWARD HOBY Knight.  
Directed to Sr. GEORGE CAREW Knight.  
1597.   

Albina muy Ill tre y discreto Cauallero Don jorge Carew, Lugarteniente general de la Artilleria, porsu Sacra Caesarea Catholica, Real Magd. Donna ELIZABETH nuestra Señora, en todos sus Reynos, Provincias, y Estados.  
Señor,  
BOluiendo de Cadiz el estio passado en la felicissima y invictissima Armada de su SCCRM. nuestra Señora, despues de aver gañado la victoria en tam señalada empreza contra los herejes, enemigos, Vassallos del Rey de Castilia, en la piedra angular de so Reyno, debaxo de los muy poderosoes Generales, Don Roberto Conde de Essex, y Don Carlos Howard gran Almirante, commence a estudiar la lengua Castellana, de la qual common save V S. ants no tenia gusto. Siendo ayudado con la diligencia y discretion de Don Payo Patino Arcedeano de Cadiz, hombre muy honrrado, que posava comigo en la Capitana, y despues en la compania de Alonço de Baeça, Tesorero de los Almojarisfazgos del Rey, el qual he tenido en mi casa para este efecto: Ambos de los Rehenes del Cativerio Español: facilitandola con el muy discreto y raro Dicionario, que compuso Richardo Percival, por lo qual cierto los aficionadoes a esta milicia le devemos muchas gracias y loores, Occasion con que he engañado el tiempo con el curso de hablar y leer libros Españoles, hora de guerras, hora de plazeres. Entre los quales he hallado uno que compuso Don Bernardino de Mendoza, en tiempos passadoes embaxador en esta Corte, llamado Theorica y practica de guerra. El qual aun que a la primera parecia muy difficultoso por las palabras estrañas, estratagemas y ardides de guerras, Todavia por exerciçio he passado algun tiempo en traduzille en nuestra lengua vulgar; por este medio mejorando me en la perfection de la lengua Castellana: y con todo mi trabajo no quiero you persuadir a V S. que es possible yr tan perfecto palabra por palabra common en el mismo original: ni tan poco not se deue V S. maravillar, Si en nuestro Romance emprestamos muchas palabras de las otras naciones, pues los Castellanos mismos (gente tan Catholica) las empresta, not solament de los Italianos, Franceses, Flamencos, que son Christianos, pero de los Moros, Africanos, Alarabes, Barboros, judios, y Infieles. juntament es de advertir, que las materias y instrumentos de las milicias, por ser entre todas las naciones differentes, segun lo que acostumbra cada nation all pelear, es impossib-le con puntualidad exprimir las en otra lengua, sin mezelar la propia donde fueron primerament inventadas. Por manera que es menester que cada nation empreste poco o mucho de la vezindad de 'las otras. Assi mismo se vee cada dia trocar la forma de hazer guerra y con esto forçosament la manera y numbers de las Armas, ensangrentandose los Principes, los unos con los otros, movidos con la ceguedad de la ambition. De lo qual no puede aver testigo mas cierto, que el Author mismo, pues a platicado contra tantos principes, y en ninguna cosa hecho moyor daño a su Rey, despues muchos defafueros y agravios hechos indignos a Cauallero de ave Maria, que fue siendo embaxador con mucha confiança en esta Corte, buscar y platicar la destruction de la serenissima persona de su SCCRM. neustra Señora, por lo qual con mucha uerguença lo mando desterrar fuera de este Reyno. Cosa digna de exemplar castigo si no lo mitigara so mucha bondad y clemencia tan acostumbrada tanto a los estraños common a sus vassallos. Mas el Dios muy poderoso que tienne so juizio aparejado para castigar los pecadores, a tomado esta causa a su cargo, començandole a pagar su debito con un rayo de so yra, en el miembro de la vista, (de que se escusa en su carta a el Principe estar privado) que era el que mas le ayudava a pecar: conform a un Cauallero, que V. S. conoscio, que a la hora de la muerte dixo con muchas lagrimas: In qua part maximè peccavi, in ea maximè stringor miser. Y aun que el Author secretamente descubre su malicioso coraçon y flaqueza dando a entender en muchas parts a qual reyno pone el blanco, (que es a el a quien los cieloes hasta agora son propicios, contra la ambition, y insolencia, y cobdicia de los Castellanos, que primieramente començaron los daños de toda la Christianidad.) Todavia es digno de ser alabado en otras particularidades ', que le disculpan de muchos yerros, de que ningun author puede ser perfecto: y principalment los de la nation que nunca precio otra en sus brabatas, y siempre son menores en los hechos, pero en ninguna mas, que adonde alaba el que acomete, y menosprecia el que espera. Yo por mi part no dexare de hazelle compania en sus rogativas, ahincadament todos los dias suplicando a nuestro Señor, con muchas veras, que disponga los coraçones de los Principes (pues estan en su mano) en tall manera que bueluan el filo de su espada contra los infieles, dexando las puntualidades que unos contra otros tieñen, y que vea yo una paz entre Ynglaterra y Castilia, common en el buen tiempo que mi Tio Don Fesipe Hoby fue embaxador de la part de Don Henrico Octavo, de pia, y sancta, y felicissima memoria, padre de su SCCRM. en la Corte de Don Carlos quinto Emperador: los does açote de la ambition y tirania Papal, common loveless muestran 'las hazañas de Don Henrico en libertar su imperio del yugo y seruidumbre pontifical, y Coronicas de Don Carlos, quando debaxo de los Duques de Borbon, y de Alva por does vezes mando sitiar y saquear Roma. Mass por no alargarme, cesso remitiendome a la traduçion, aun que es Opus laboris non ingenij, common todas lo son: Pero persuadido de muchos amigos me parescio bien contentallos, y sacarlo a lumbre por el prouecho y entretenimiento de aquellos que no alcançaron la lengua Castellana, que V. S. me incito estudiasse: y pues a su Ruego lafoy he aprendido me atrevo a dedicarle este mi trabajo poniendole en sus manos para que me ampare y defienda de las calumnias y desdeñes del comun. De que no tengo duda considerando su gran valour y discretion, no solo por aver descendido de la Illustrissima y antiquissima casa del Marquese de Corcke, Vicecondes Durseys', y Varones' de Odrone y de Carew, pero por los señalados seruicios hechos a sum SCCRM. en Irlandia, donde fue Consejero y General de la Artilleria tantos años, y continuando el mismo officio en la ultima victoria de Cadiz.  
Nuestro Señor guard a V S. Del Castillo Real the Queenborowe, ultimo de Março, y de mill y quinientos y noventa y sieta años. EDWARD HOBY.   

❧ The authors epistle to Don Philip Prince of Castill.  
My Lord.  
IF the old Castilian proverb do affirm, That by a nail is lost a shoe: and by a shoe, a horse: and by a horse a Cavallero: and by a Cavallero a Cornet: and by a Cornet an Host: & by an Host a Battle: and by the Battle a Kingdom: and not only the succession of Kings therein, but many times religion: a loss inestimable: you may well judge, how much more speedily, many other inconveniences may bring like losses, which by carelessness, and small heed taking, may succeed in war, if that, which to look too is of so small moment, may come to be cause thereof. The consideration of which hath moved me to writ unto Your Highness a brief Theoric and practice of War, refreshing thereby the memory with what I have read and experimented in thirty and so many years, which I have followed, serving in that, and Embassages, the King our Sovereign, father to Y.H. since that my overtymelie blindness hath kept me from being able to occupy any room fit to serve Y.H. in, but only as a dumb Councillor, the office of books and paper, because they speak not but when they are sought, nor reply upon aught they have reported: which aught to bind Princes to spend some part of their time in good letters: since besides tilling of their wits with them, and opening their eyes, to order things present by example and warning of the passed, (which maketh able to foresee things to come): Books and writings deliver unto Princes many truths, which they that are living dare not presume to do. And although many will hold it for a hard matter to make a Theoric of knowledge, which consists entirely in practice, as the exercise of war, experience being the principal foundation thereof, Physic holdeth the same quality, by seeing in men's bodies, after the same manner as in war, so divers and unlooked for events: A particular which causeth experimented Physicians to be of more estimation, than those that are only Theorical. This hath not been any cause why the most learned in science should forget the Theoric which is in all, applying practice with it. Neither in the Mathematics, and Geometry, doth it leave to be of much profit, since that, except the reason and composition of lines and figures had been first known, Architectistes could hardly have traced out edifices, for the building whereof this is not sufficient alone, except the master workmen know what the nature of the depth of the soil is: by long use and experience the quality of the stuff for the building: what sort of stones endure longest the injury of the weather, and if it incorporate itself better with mortar and plaster. In the game of Chess the lively pattern of war, which consists really in use, those books leave not to be very fruitful, which are written of the Theoric thereof, advantaging such as read them, greatly in their play. Likewise it may seem to some, that I have written many things, which such as are soldiers already know, and some which are to be found in sundry books. To satisfy the first, if reason of offending and defending had not been from the first creation of the world until now the very same, the disposition of the people only varying in the difference of weapons, engines, and instruments, which have been invented for to obtain, which soever of the two effects, I might be able to tell novelties, the matter itself ministering me occasion: and God giving to all men the powers of understanding, memory and will, wherewith to dispose the discourse & reasoning, no wonder is it, if for all this, sundry wits do meet in one thought, when to do it is grounding themselves on one self same cause. The which doth not hinder that some understandings may not surpass more than others in finding the reasons and effects of it, nor breed in me any discontent, when mine shall go after others, who have passed before better than myself. To the second, although Bees do not frame or make the flowers, yet the liquor that they draw from them, doth not leave to be profitable, & the coppwebbes abhorred, notwithstanding they are woven of their proper substance. Now, if Y.H. vouchsafe to look upon these my papers, rather like a be, than a spider: I shall think the labour I have spent in them, well bestowed, for the desire I have to accomplish that duty, wherein God hath placed me, making me your subject: & to offer in reknowledging of this, the little might that is left me: In which Y.H. is more to respect the carrectes of the affection in presenting it, then of the talon.  
Our Lord preserve your Highness. From Madrid, the last of August. 1594. Don BERNARDINO de Mendoza.   

❧ THE ORICQVE AND PRACTICE OF WAR.  
GOD having made your highness heir apparent to the multitude of Crowns, Estates and Countries, which the K. our sovereign Lord Y.H. father possesseth, so diversly occupying a good part in Europe, and so mighty in America, East Indies, the new world, it is very likely, and forcible in man's reason, that Y.H. shall enter into many Wars by sea and land, either in conquering, 
* Guiltilio foreseen, most being in deed unjustly usurped, and all tyrannically overruled.  or defending. Together with which, the successes and chances of the world breeding differences, which ordinarily falls out between Kings, Common wealths, and Catholic Potentates, must needs lie awakened: And albeit your quality may require to appease them with arms, yet is Y.H. carefully to look that you make no use of them, before you stand desperate of any other means of negotiation or agreement, in respect of the great damage which in imbruing your sword in blood among Christian Kings may redound to the 
* A Christian consideration, if you mean it as the Apostle doth, Rom. 1. ver. 8.  Roman apostolic Church, hindering thereby the increase of our Catholicque faith, besides giving occasion to infidels and heretics, by not seeing the Catholicque force's united, to invade their kingdoms and territories.  
This consideration is accompanied with another fit for Kings, Princes and Governors, 
A consideration for Kings.  often to say before their eyes, which is that our Lord cannot be better served then in time of peace, nor contrariwise more offended then in war. A matter which with myself oftentimes meditating, hath made me to know how artificially the devil hath practised to make Kings believe, that it best beseemeth their greatness and power to make war upon credit, persuading them how easily by that course they may undertake many, whereby increaseth sins and offences when the soldier is left unpaid. A point which spoileth Generals and Heads of Armies, causing them clean to lose the rain of obedience & good discipline, in yielding liberty to extortions, robberies, forces, and mutines, which is to multiply sins besides those which a war necessarily draweth with it, through the freedom, which they give to such as follow them.  
In case that such differences among Kings and catholic Potentates shall fall out between any Princes about whom Y.H. shall hold any resident Ambassador, 
A point to be observed by Ambassadors.  he is to observe, acquainting himself with the demands & answers the treaties, if the Ambassador run not only a course for manage of his affairs, but be besides a soldier of courage: for that question being of matters out of which breach of arms is likely to arise, it is very convenient they should pass through the hands of such, as will not be moved with ambiguous speeches, which Princes & their ministers use in like occasions to advantage their party and negotiation, nor yet with the demonstrations which they make of the levies of men, to countenance themselves with, esteeming it the surest foundation they have. And likewise if he have followed the wars, that he be able to balance matters in such a manner, as he may advise Y.H. at an inch, of all such preventions as are fit to be used, and not to abridge him in the end of his instructions, without sending speedily unto him, which only serveth to levy men to your expense and hindrance. Neither must he yield credit too much to the fair words given him (when by works they are not confirmed) lest Y.H. grow careless, and at such time as necessity shall require stand unprovided: In respect whereof Y.H. is to give order (your Ambassador not being such a one as hath followed the wars) that some such as hath, may be sent in his company, to assist him jointly in this his negotiation, seeking if it shalbee necessary, otherwise to colour him, whereof there will never be cause wanting among Kings, nor to withdraw an Ambassador, when matters shall afford to be handled, but in the hands of one, all such as by conjecture are to entreat of their affairs well having to understand, that by no means they bind their King, or make show of his power & force, if it be not that occasion require it, whereby they preserve reputation, whose foundation is works not words, with which is very small maintenance. 
Quality incident to kings.  And for that it is a quality incident to Kings, that they cannot be forced either to affect or dislike, and so not to suffer themselves oftentimes to be persuaded to that which is convenient for them, thereby running headlong into all sorts of miseries which may be seen, Y.H. must lend ears of obedience to the 
* Surely men of rare judgement, and profitable to the k. service, if their manor and success of counsels be looked into  Divines, who are to approve whether your cause be just or not, so that they be such personages for their much learning and example of life, as Y.H. is to choose for the resolution of a matter of so great moment, it being one of the greatest pledges of a King's wisdom to be able to know such among his vassals and servants as may be fittest for him to hearken to their judgement and opinion, according to such matters as they know, and profession which they have made therein.  
Y.H. is in like sort to give hearing, void of passion to your councillors of Cape and sword, when they shall represent unto you, that for the defence of your Kingdoms (an estimation of greatness and reputation) it is requisite to take arms, without leaving only to your own opinion, carried with the heat of age & greatness of mind, which is to be thought God gave unto Kings the day when he sent them into the world with like vocation, for that the only term of their bringing up could not be sufficient to enlarge them, or to make them confidently embrace some glorious enterprise or other, notwithstanding that it carry multitudes of difficulties therewith.  
Y.H. standing fully assured by the Divines, that your demand is just, according to the law of God & man, and that it is wisdom to maintain it by arms and strong hand, may then under those two points hope for a good succour and victory, and evil in any other sort. But say that God hath granted victory to many, which have unjustly fought, it hath been through his secret judgements, and as far as man's reason may conceive, to serve himself of them, as of a scourge, chastening those which forget to serve him, & to glorify him, in payment of benefits received, such as to bestow the light of faith, knowledge of his invincible verity, and promise' of the greatness of rewards, which may be expected of his bountiful and powerful hand, to all those which keep his commandments, 
How much more are you which know this, and do contrary, to be beaten etc.  which for no cause in the earth aught to be broken, how much more than to be observed in war, being a flash of lightning of our lords wrath, and the charge not able to be expressed, which a King taketh upon himself if he make it for any other motive or end, than the pure honour and glory of God, 
What obligation Kings do enter into.  defence of his Kingdoms, and conservation in them of our holy Catholicque faith, fulfilling in this the obligation which God hath laid upon them, that those souls should not be lost, over whom he hath made them 
* (Caudillo) yourself by this acknowledgeth the Supremacy which Kings under God hold in the church.  Captains on the earth, and administrators of his justice, which is not enough, although they have all they can desire in the world, to make Kings know when a war shall end, though they stand sure of the beginning thereof. I do not leave to know that I have been tedious in the points which I have touched, but the greatness of the profit which may be taken out thereof, will make me blameless with Y. H. Christian piety being as great a pledge and assurance of our actions in this life, as is in buildings the firmness of a sure foundation.  
Y.H. standing resolved to take arms, making wars by land or sea, it must of force be offensive or defensive, 
Two manors of war  being the two blanks for all warlike eyes to aim at, leaving the one for the other, as occasions and successes of times, which draw with them the unconstancy of matters of this life, shall afford. The first thing which Y.H. is to look unto, is to command your counsellors & officers of your exchequer, that they certify you the estate thereof, what ready money you have, and the places where your rents be to be paid, to know if it be possible (necessity so requiring it) how you may take them up 
* A Councelor at wars in Spain, & an Ambassador of sundry employmentes, setting this down for advise to his Prince, belike believeth not over much in the Indian treasure.  before hand: consigning them to Merchants: the means which may be to raise a greater sum, without grieving your subjects, so as the Countries be able with their substance, and they with their wealth, to do greater service to their Prince then ordinary; for which Y.H. is to yield many thanks to our Lord, holding yours so affectionate, & your kingdoms and estates so 
* Moore barenes then in the kingdoms which the k. of Castill doth hold by right, can hardly be found in Europe, or few or soldados de pecho at his own home.  fruitful, and powerful, as that you need not stand in fear of what other kings do, in respect of the bareness and poverty of their lands, who comfort themselves, that they are only able to defend at home their own houses if they be sought out, & live in the same scantness, in which they were first nourished, 
* Belike somewhat sticketh in your maw, since you solemnly gave thanks to our Lady and saint Christo in nostre Dame church in Paris, for a mistaken victory 1588. and shameless untruth told by you to the late worthy K. H. 3. who bid you return again the next day, without yielding any credit to the report,  babtizing it for a greatness, if they can hold a title to have preserved themselves a while.  
Of all the means and expedients which Princes have to furnish themselves with money, I found none in my judgement of more efficacy, or mildness, then to have held before a form of governement in such sort, as for pure honour, & opinion thereof, the vassals may be brought to spend their wealth in the service of their prince, and not altogether upon their own profit. Because men, to attain to that, will naturally pluck out their own bowels, and will not adventure themselves in the other, except they may see a present gain before their eyes, for that honour stirreth them up to a kind of envy, and Competitorship one against an other, who shall attain to it, and so doth little or nothing at all profit. This will be compassed with greater facility, if you do but mark that the care is not less which men take in getting of wealth, than it is in studying to employ it as soon as it is got. In respect of which it were to be wished, the old custom might be kept, a matter of great estimation, that subjects in their provinces should be drawn to employ the substance of their wealth, in that which might prove geatest service to the Prince, & benefit of the public weal of the Realm, as that such as have where with, should find armour, men, and horse: accustoming themselves in the exercise thereof, out of which there redoundeth a greater interest to the conservation of the state, then out of rich furniture, and movables.  

A Prince's greatness, to have their subjects trained & furnished for the wars.  Albeit sundry are of opinion, that it may breed much inconvenience to Princes, to train their vassals in readiness of war: I answer, that if they be loyal, it is a much more greatness and power in Princes, to command over such subjects, other Princes and Potentates standing in fear of the like quality, and when God shall withdraw his hand, and blind them for their sins, not to become such, yet traitors leave not to be powerful, albeit they be not armed, able to force if altogether agreed in the same attempt, 
A right Spanish simile, out of their theoric & practise derived.  As in a monastery where are thirty Friars, and one Warden or Prior, albeit they have not Harquebusses, Calivers, or pikes, yet as often as they will join together, or the mayor part of them, to force their superior, that he bind them not to go to matynes, or deliver them the key of the gate, they willbe able to execute it, without being any impediment at all unto them their being unarmed. But if kings administer justice to their vassals, preserving them in rest & quiet, 
Security of Princes, and liberty of vassals.  this is the greatest security that can arise to princes, and liberty to vassals, whereby no change can be occasioned among the well disposed, the contrary being ordinarily coveted by all the rest, which are not contented with their own estate.  
Whereas I have touched arms and horses, 
Consideration for augmentation of things, according to the quality of the kingdom.  I mean it not as a general rule in all provinces, for that in each one the quality thereof is to be considered, and what the inclination of the people and common wealth requireth most, and in this sort it shallbe fit in some one to increase navigation, if they be provinces bordering on the sea cost, occupation, traffic, and trade of merchandise in other: & in other husbandry and herds of cattle. Whereby the prince may be able to keep his ordinary garrisons & men of war, with the pay and entertainment, arising out of the rents thereof. And the people of the province through their occupations in being set awork in some of these things, shall thereby augment their substance in particular, which is to maintain a public and general, besides that thereby redoundeth a great riches unto princes when their vassals be thus possessed. 
Point of government.  Of whom if they be to require extraordinary services, they must look that they raise it out of that which each city or province hath in most abundance: because not feeling the want thereof so much as of other things, it will be granted with much more will and readiness.  
Y.H. is to take great heed, 
How much ready money imports.  that you be well assured of a good bank of money, being that which giveth moving to arms and feats of war, as sinews do to living bodies: whereby such as hold much brawn and flesh, are accounted sluggie, and slothful, and contrariwise the sinewy one's most light and nimble, whereupon the old ancients were wont to say, 
Why money is called the sinew of war.  El dinero el nieruo de la guerra, which continual experience proveth: as albeit we see at home multitudes of people which joined together, will make the body of an army, yet when of force they must be divided to use them abroad, in a moment they dissolve, except there be money ready, without being possible to unite them again together, their force otherwise being only in appearance, & in effect nothing. This maketh me say, that the last crown will always be the conqueror, because he which hath money to pay, will always be able to hold together his Army: his soldiers being in such sort thereby relieved, is that only which so easily bringeth to pass good success, and enterprises, how soever the undertaking of them out of season may breed difficulty. A point which bindeth to frame your forces according to your money, as often as you shall have occasion to war with them, and to think that kings in there's are limited, how powerful so ever they be, and God only without.  
Y.H. holding your provision of money assuredly in readiness to pay your men, which I think willbe sufficient, having ever one years levy (in which time a prince's force in wars may very well be perceived) must join thereunto your General, Captains, and Councelours, such as may be soldiers, 
Who are to manage matters of war.  without suffering this matter to be managed by any other, than such as hath followed the wars, moved with this reason, which is, that how considerate, skilful, or wise soever a man be, if he would have a pair of hose made him of Karsey, he will not go about to cut it, until the Tailor come and bringeth his sheres, because it is his office to cut out the stuff with lest waist: so as well in war, for want of some little matter of money, there may depend a no less consequence thereof a kingdom, men, honour, and life of all.  
And albeit that most people will talk of war, although they never practised it, I find no better reason so fit to excuse them, as that the exercise of it is only proper to men, who think they degenerate out of their kind, except they be able to discourse thereof: which first occasioned the proverb, how Arms bread Nobility, as peace sciences, 
Arms bread nobility.  remembering the marriage between jupiter Saviour, 
Mariadg of jupiter saviour.  and Pitarchia, which signifieth obedience, out of which mach Felicity was born, as out of the mother of Mars, were Ignorance, Famine, and Pestilence, which were given to him for sisters.  
For that it is requisite in all things, 
The councelors are to be made acquainted with the motive of the war.  first to set down the principal end, and afterwards the means which maketh it feasible to be attained, which can hardly be done without the knowledge thereof, first, Y.H. is to signify unto those personages, which I have motioned, the disseyne which you purpose, for your taking arms by sea or land: commanding them to advise of the number of your ships, artillery, munition, foot & horse, which you are to press out of your aids & garrisons, or to levy a new for the composition of your Army: which before they frame or lodge, they are to set down in common the considerations, which they suppose necessary (according to the manner of the wars) to do it with more exquisiteness, being able with them, as general rules, to come more distinctly to entreat of what is fit particularly to be handled, as cause shallbe offered, and the present time require.  
Y.H. going about to conquer 
* General considerations for to move war.  a kingdom, state, country, or part of any such, which is the 
* Better teach him by clemency and piety to recover such his grandfathers territories as his father hath lost, before he overbusie himself with other.  most secure war for Princes, being voluntary, and not of force as a defensive is, 
* Especially where treasure is still exhasted upon false alarms, which proveth only action and charge to defendants to prevent what was never meant, of which none can have greater proof than her sacred Maje. whose powerful generals found 6000. of your Gallants at your own home but Galinas.  giving respite for your provisions to be made in time, and laid in at the best season, is to be held a natural matter in all sort of men, how much more, in kings the desire of a conquest, which a Prince undertaking, is worthy of much commendation, though not to be reprehended, if he attempt not like enterprises, for many reasons which they ordinarily have, wherewith to be able to excuse themselves: when a conquest is undertaken without convenient force to perform it, not only the people blameth him, but he committeth besides sundry errors which causeth great inconveniences, 
* As to your cost your experience of 1588. tried: when the council of Pedro de Valdes was of more credit, than the Marquis of Santacruz.  and who so counseleth him thereto under colour to make him more powerful, procureth his ruin, & that council is a prince to hold suspicious, where the conquest is not accommodated to the proportion of his forces, which although he hold great, such as the season and time may think convenient for the enterprise, yet is it to be considered, whether it be fit to move war to another king, or to stay until he break first, comparing the enemies forces with his own, & whether it be better to have many join in league with him in making of the war, or to undertake it alone. Provided that Kings always carry themselves in like occasions, without being overled with their own liking and passion, which seldom times councillors can temper, besides that when for their own sake they will not tell any lies unto their prince, yet will they all shun to discontent him, every one moved with care of himself, which causeth many truths to be kept silent. Moreover they must consider the quality of the kingdom which you attempt, what is the temperature, climate, and distance thereof, whether mountainous or plain, dry or many rivers and woods, fertile, abundant, well peopled, or not: any store of towns, or Cities: whether those they have be compassed about with any better defence then ordinary walls, which they call Casamuros, what 
* Of sundry English subjects (before they known you of good worth & virtue) have you been cause of cast away, through your exquisiteness of traitorous espials and practices whose blood will one day lie heavy on your soul, when no mortuary nor dirge shall or can help you.  entries or havens they have able to land an host or army, with great exquisiteness still searching out the disposition thereof: and whether they be fortified: in what manner, whether only the crabbedness of the stite bread, difficulty, or sterility of the country about (a means which some have used to stop invasions into their kingdoms and Provinces, not manuring the frontiers thereof, but making them lie waist) whether it be a nation given to war, able to endure all kind of labour, or lovers of their own ease and quiet, which many times the composition of their bodies may occasion, for the small vigour is in them, inclining of themselves to ease, other through their evil education living in idleness: whether they hold military form in general, or some garrisons and ordinary bands, of more power in cavalry or fanterie, or contrariwise. Likewise, whether they have any quantity of Ships ready armed for defence thereof: if it be an Island, or border much along the sea cost: whether the government thereof be carried in form of a democracy, which is, 
Definition of democracy. Aristocracy  when all the people in common, or the mayor part of them hold soweraingtie and command, or Aristocracy, when a lesser part of the people hold of one body within itself empire, & power, giving laws to the more sort of the rest in general, or particular: or Monarchy, which they term Royal Senorie, the Prince having justly conquered it, 
Monarchy.  becoming Lord of their people and goods, under which he may be able to govern them with equity, & yielding unto them liberty, with putting them in possession and propriety of their goods, from an absolute Lord establisheth then to himself the governement of a Royal Monarchy: whether the Monarch or king be elective, and if his authority consist more in the body and voice of his Prelates, Nobles, & cities of the kingdom, then of his royal person, not being able to use discipline, enact laws, or impose tributes or fines, without consent of the members of his kingdom, remaining in the Court: whether it come to him by succession, or gained by marriage, or right of inheritance: what the age of the king is in possession: what talon and parts God hath given unto him: how he useth them: what heirs he hath, and whether he bring them up, allowing them a hand in government, or far from him for suspicion: of what quality his officers be, which he retaineth about his person to assist him in governement, and how far he yieldeth unto them: whether he account of Soldiers and men of war, for affection he beareth thereunto, or only for necessity, having among them any personages of experience and valour: whether he be more beloved or feared of his vassals, in what sort his rents ariseth, the sum and quantity thereof: whether he be able to augment them more, if he hold them free or charged with such assignations as he shall have given or sold upon them: if he be governed by any Tutor or protector, through the minority of his age, or want of understanding: whether there be any Governor, either through the kings being taken prisoner, or for distancie from the state, where the Prince, Governor, or Captain general resideth: whether that Kingdom or Country be from before time with other fallen unto him, or since the King or Prince enjoyed it: whether the leagues he holdeth be only personal or successive, to his heirs: finally, whether the disposition of that kingdom or state be of such a sort, as draweth the bordering Princes, albeit they are not confederate with it, not to suffer that any more powerful shall enjoy it, for the difficulty and fear of greatness, looking the more narrowly thereinto, 
A natural born Prince always better beloved than a stranger.  for the conservation of their own estate.  
Out of these considerations which I have set down, Y. H. may be able to serve your turn, in compassing such forces as your army shall need: marking that always a natural Prince holdeth a greater pledge of being beloved, than a stranger, if his extremity of vice do not 'cause his vassals to abhor him. Therefore in the continuance of a long governement, many occasions & causes of novelty are withdrawn and removed, which the chance of an Empire draweth with it: the one opening the door to the other, as one building the frame and workmanship of an other: for this cause a conquest is seldom times effected, without having some intelligence with them of the kingdom or state, being an enterprise of greatest danger, to enter war within a country, of which you shall hold no further knowledge than what you must be fain to take by force and arms: the which extremely delayeth the proceeding thereof, a matter which can not be avoided, until you find yourself so far within the Country, as the people for love of their own houses, and impossibility which they see in maintaining of their wives and children without them, constrain themselves to suffer the yoke, in seeking to please those, which impose it upon them. And likewise, the most ordinary way is to entertain speech before with some whom you may perceive discontented with the Prince, 
Causes breeding discontent towards Kings and Princes.  through his want of understanding, vicious customs, evil governement, naughty administration of justice, and choice of ministers, which engendereth partialities: loss of wealth, or covetousness in procuring of it: oppressions and grievances without reason, which maketh honourable hearts to grow desperate, resenting more an injury than death, except the fear of God, 
The loyalty of subjects admitteth, of no conditions.  and obligation of a subject (which is not in any wise to admit of any condition to make him faltar in the loyalty which he owes) restrain them: or that Kings refrain their appetites and passions, considering it is with their own subjects.  
Besides this, another cause many times stirreth up subjects to intent novelties, 
* You put a good and a fit case for their own home to be instance: where to your usurped estates a right heir can not be: and to your hereditary Sum Alteza may not think to run so clear away with that: priests dispensations being but a mockery to contradict the direct ordinance of jehova, according to your own censure pag. your Princes like Coneys still incestuously counterliving, with their nearest of tribe and consanguinity.  and that is when their Prince hath no heir, and there be divers pretendours to the succession, which some will aspire, making great show of the sufficiency of their party to obtain it: and other more ambitious, founding themselves upon the authority and train they carry assay the aid of neighbour Princes, to be able to possess themselves of the command, under such profits or Towns as they can offer unto them: divers likewise are the readier, finding themselves in necessity, having prodigally wasted their substance, imagining that through want thereof, they must needs decay in their credit and opinion, and then necessity so moving them, cover their ambition, under the title of liberty, under colour to remedy the public weal, their owen particular being their principal end, & to destroy the general, that with change they may bring their purpose about. Sometimes in like manner it falls out, that there is either an estate or cities adjoining unto the place attempted, which albeit they depend not thereon, the evil entreaty they have received, may make them wish that other might occupy the room, offering themselves to their aid, which is eftsoons also occasioned through fear, and a forced good will, for that they are not able to give any impediment thereunto.  
Those people which Y.H. is to use in this negotiation, for the causes rehearsed, or any other that may occur, aught to be men of understanding, and soldiers, albeit they carry no such show, 
Of What quality people aught to be that are employed in conquests.  to be able to view in the entries and sallies of the kingdom, the quality and commodity of the country, and what for the better assurance of foreign forces may be found therein, and that they be not to light in believing their offers, with whom they practise, which commonly brag more than is cause, of their power, kindred, & accounted they hold in the kingdom, despising and setting their own princes at naught: with which they make them believe, to the end the Prince, by whom they seek to be relieved, should more fervently embrace the matter, that his design may be easily compassed, through the ill satisfaction of the subjects in general, wherein great difference is to be made between men desperate, and male content. The first whotly pursue the ruin of the Prince, endangering to bring it to pass, 
Difference between desperate, and malcontent  both substance and life: the other wish innovations, but without hazarding their own, more satisfying themselves with the present mischief known, than the future good that is doubtful. In such sort, as both the one, and the other, serve as tinder for the fire of a civil war, which to the desperate bringeth revenge, and increase, and to the malcontents, commodity & ease, which quickly maketh them to agreed with the Prince, when soever he will but vouchsafe and yield any authority unto them. Notwithstanding that they have before taken arms, which hardly can be nourished in a kingdom, or a civil war maintained, without great succours of money, and foreign aid, by reason that you may by negotiation corrupt a kingdom, but not maintain a war within it, without force of arms, and much celerity, for that the natural Prince will with time ever gain to be better followed, strengthening himself by his own authority and party. It is likewise to be noted in this matter of malcontents, that they are to be found in all Kingdoms, Provinces, and Courts of Princes, it being annexed to human nature, that men are never satisfied with those things, which our Lord ordaineth, and with the governement wherewith he guideth. And also it is not to be marveled at, that they be ordinarily discontented, with what contentment Kings and Princes carry, being men, albeit in some actions wise and confident, which is occasioned by the conceit that every one hath of himself, bringing him to imagine that he could govern better than he that is in place, and under this to condemn the proceeding of any other. And there is another sort of male contents, in not seeing themselves advanced, and promoted to rule: which though they be many in a kingdom, and of the principal sort, yet very seldom can they alone be able to make a sufficient party, for to stir up a civil war therein, with a foundation, & in manner that it may endure, notwithstanding that another Prince yield them assistance therein, except the commons and people, as well estrange their affection from the Prince, for some cause which may move all to a general distaste, which is the surest foundation to frame a civil war upon, and then not only the principal men and great personages, but any one whosoever that hath valour or hardiness, may be fit to serve as 
Aulaquida.  sulfer for the nourishing of a fire of war with facility, through the disposition of the matter, and detestations which the commons and people conceive, desirous of Novelties, whereby to better their own estate: with which it cometh to be maintained, & to take root in like manner, as storms do in gulfs, every wind altering them, for being so prove to move themselves, which is not seen on the land, though they be very boisterous, & furious for the hardness thereof, and on the sea, in that it is a licquide body, a small blast swelleth, and puffeth it up, taking a motion in itself, through the quality of the disposition thereof, which being once conceived, the fury lasteth for a long time, albeit the first mover cease, and the rebellions of kingdoms in like manner, when they shallbe nourished by commons, and the people, will last many years, though the heads which began them, may happen to fall & fail. A reason which bindeth very diligently to consider, of what quality the discontentment of a Kingdom or Province may be, whereby a civil war may the better be maintained therein, whether it be occasioned by any matter which breeds a general offence or no.  
In all the provisions or levies of men, 
Preparations of war are to be coloured always with some contrary end to the true meaning.  which are made for any manner of war, by sea or land, it is ordinarily to be understood, that they be coloured with some different motive, from what is meant, whereby no time may be given to the enemy to perceive it, by preventing disseins with the contrary. An advise very necessary, especially in conquests, for many respects, not being the lest, that albeit that kings love not to be unsavoury to their subjects, thinking that they hold all sorts of money to content them with, when they please, yet at the very hour that they discover their disposition to take arms, there is no means nor negotiation, which they will leave unpractized to reduce them to their train and affection, the thought hereof, being able to bind them to be more liberal than grateful, for their victories and services done: A means which bringeth them to be reconciled with those, whom before they feared, and to make the other leave off their treaties with foreign Princes, which before they had, declaring themselves enemies to them, and assured to their own.  
A matter which is fit to be avoided by concealing the causes of suspicion, 
What humour ordinarily reigneth in the blood royal of Princes.  and that other Kings and Potentates may not link themselves to assist him which assaileth, carried with an humour, which naturally a Royal blood is compounded of, in waxing fierce against any other King whom they see grow in power and force, imagining that that his greatness will overwaye the balance, for that the one came not up without the going down of the other. And by reason that it is as easy a matter to Princes, to deceive men by their devices and negotiations which pass by paper, as it is hard in matters of public actions, It is fit to cover their disseins and preparations, by seeking out of some notable apparent reasons, and as much as may lie in them to remove such shadows as are settled in their judgement, which think themselves of greatest reach, & most piercing understanding.  

Means for Princes to disguise their intended conquests.  By no better means may this be effected, then in sending upon such occasions Ambassadors to those Kings, who are most suspected would oppose themselves to your disseins, plotting with them treatises of new friendships, and good correspondency, according to the humour and disposition, in which they shall find them, lulling them a sleep with such offers as may hold in suspense, and at the gaze, the more part of the potentates.  
I have thought good to signify the premises unto Y. H. for that the desire of sparing is natural, not only to all sort of people, but to very Princes and Kings, having most times reasons to lead them thereunto: but Y.H. can not have a greater vigour, & surer foundation, then to stand continually prepared, since that in not being so many greater mischiefs, and inconveniences may ensue, then by the expense you should be at, & that with discretion you may suspect double dealings, though Y.H. for nothing in the earth would yourself mind the same, holding it for a most sure maxim, that who hath weapons & soldiers, preserveth friends, and despiseth him he seethe unarmed, & by consequent, who standeth with his sword in his hand, will take no great liking to content him, whom he seethe without, remaining thereby with great suspect, and very small security.  

Point of governement.  When Y.H. shall have entertained the Princes, & made your provisions and levies of men in readiness, and in so good estate, as no time may be given to the enemy to arm himself further, it shallbe fit that speedily among Y.H. vassals, in as short time as may be, you resolve of the enterprise you mean to execute, especially if it be against the infidels, barbarians, people or nation of the quality as they are at enmity withal, because that being of themselves inclined there unto, they grow inflamed in that sort, as they embrace the very day it is published with great content and rejoicing, whereby two things are gained: first, that they stand encouraged thereby to perform some extraordinary service to Y.H. in hope of the profit and success shall ensue thereof; secondly, most Princes and Potentates shall perceive the affection which Y.H. vassals carry towards you, with what applause they perform the service: Notwithstanding that it be done with excessive expense of Y.H. rents, and they willing to supply part thereof by diminution of their own.  
When any Prince shall attempt the kingdoms or estates of Y.H. the war is defensive, 
Defensive war.  and then the motive is to be respected, for which cause it is moved, if it be to recover any right, injury, or agrevance, which they think they have received, or for a common enmities sake, which the infidels and barbarians hold against all christian Princes, causes which they call extrinsical, or outward, for the destruction of a kingdom: intrinsical, or inward be such as I have described, whereof there is no marvel, though some shall happen in any of Y.H. estates, through fault of your governors, being men as Princes are, and holding commodity to condescend to their appetites and lusts, through the power of the place, which they occupy: and sometimes, when to give contentment to their Prince, requiring of them some sum of money, or assistance of other provisions, they over excessively charge the people, bringing them through this oppression, to mutiny, without advertising the Prince, what inconvenience may fall unto him, moved thereunto by the pleasure which they think they do him therein, and imagining more advancement and greatness to grow unto their own people thereby.  

Three manner of ways to defend.  To defend may be done three manner of ways, in sallying to receive the enemy without the kingdom, or to attend him upon the confines thereof, manuing the frontiers as the roughness or straightness of the ways and difficulty of passing the Rivers will yield commodity. The third may be likewise in two fashions, 
Division of the third manor of defence.  furnishing with good store of soldiers and munition one or two frontiers or more, when they may be places well fortified, having within their view all the rest of the army lodged to be ready upon any good occasion: and the other, if the frontiers be weak, villages round about, and the field open, is to choose such a sciete to lodge your army in, as may cherish the frontiers, and renforce with people where you shall fear the enemy, will seek to invest himself by the demonstration already declared.  

Considerations upon the first manner of defence.  In going forth to seek the enemy, may well be noted a greater courage and gallantness in him which attempteth, than which attendeth, and that ordinarily the successes of war favour more the invader than the defender: being to be considered in this, that to assail requireth more forces, then to be assailed, or at lest, in reason they aught to be equal, having like consideration between the qualing of a conqueror, & seeing himself come to be sought out, the one of force constrained to come to hands if he will seek to enter an others house, and the other to arm in his own defence, as the service shall require: and in this many are of opinion, that the soldier fighteth with greater courage out of his own Country then at home, losing the confidence of any other means to escape by, than the valour of his own hands: jointly they say, that as the good householder doth not take so much care in ridding them that are viciously given from his house, as in preventing that they come not at all, nor him to be a wise politician, which only chasteneth thieves in the common wealth, except he govern in such manner, as they come not in, so never did wise Prince give place to the enemy to set foot upon his land. If he had any means to hinder it, or convenient forces to break him before his entry in.  
On the contrary part, it is held a dangerous resolution to go to seek out the enemy, 
Reasons for not fight out of their own country.  except it be holding a sure place of retreat, or an other army upon the Confines or Frontiers, with which you may be ready to fight the second time: for that in doing otherwise, it were to endanger a whole estate in one battle, especially when they go not with superior forces, or at the lest equal. Having to consider upon any such occasion, whether the Captain be of valour and experience to whom the army for the first journey is commended, and that the Soldiers and men of war be well trained, & such as love the Captain which guideth them, for that this failing, they will never perform any matter of worth, nor the Captain, what fashion so ever he carry, except he hold a confidence and assurance in his Soldiers, for their much obedience, promising to himself, that they will be as ready to obey what he shall command, as they likewise stand persuaded of his sufficiency to be able to govern. Likewise if the person of the Prince remain with a second army upon the Frontiers with a body of people ready to relieve it, if it should retire, or to gather up the relics thereof, if there have been any loss, turning face to the enemy, which seldom times although he gain a victory, or rout leaveth to be broken in his own force, & strength, if the fight have been against old soldiers.  
In the second manner you are to consider, 
Considerations for the second manner of defence.  whether to keep the passages and entries, may be done with few people, through the strength of the situation, or with so many as it must ask a principal part of the army, for than cometh it to be divided, and consequently the first forces by the inferiority hereof remaining broken, and the passage being lost, it is impossible to fight with the second, or to be able in a long time to secure the Frontiers or Cities, when the enemy shall give upon them, mastering the field, and if he chance to seek out that part of the rest of the army which hath remained entire, there is no other help left then to stick close to some Town or strong place, to defend itself, attending succour, if there be any hope thereof, so as the room and place which they occupy be able to receive it, and to hold victuals, for otherwise they shall find themselves but in hard estate.  

Considerations for the third manor of defence.  The third manner is of a greater security by giving time to time with it, which is the foundation to preserve, enjoying the benefit thereof, and may always be held for such when they suffer not much, causing then no less damage. Besides that seldom times is any kingdom or estate attempted, which holdeth all the entries thereof in such wise as the very situation by nature maketh them hard, but that when they are such, always some intelligence is had in them, or hope to gain them by some cunning stratagem: and if it be to invade by Sea, ever to seek out a port or landing place, where the artillery of castles and plotformes may not reach the shipping at the landing of the men on shore.  

Considerations for the first form of the third manner of defence.  It shallbe very convenient in the first form of the third manner of defence to consider, whether the fortification of the places or any of them be so well understood, as that probably they may hope to defend it some months: what number of people such frontier is capable of, holding munitions and victuals for it, for that the muchnes of soldiers is that which maintaineth places for many days, albeit they be weak of themselves, and by consequent will prolong the defence of a fourth months, if there be a head of valour and courage to maintain it, and Soldiers that conceive the same opinion of him: with which undoubtedly the enemy must needs spend and weaken his forces, albeit the besieged consume them not, either in sallies, trenches, or bateries, the time being the greatest enemy that may be to those, which besiege, to whom in his degree it offereth no less difficulties, prolonging than from fight, then to be besieged, besides through pestilence, want of victual, munition, pay, fowl weather, and other successes, he which besiegeth cometh very often to diminish his forces, the contrary part resting with equality to succour the place, albeit they before held themselves inferior in number, not hazarding in consideration hereof, the whole for a part, which ordinarily falls out when they will secure a place within their own estate, with the body of an army, a reason which bindeth to provide in this sort of defence, for the frontiers and towns of soldiers, as if they should not need any after succours, & yet still to provide a new, as if they were not already provided for, at the instant that any occasion should be offered.  
In the second form of the third manner of defence, 
Considerations for the 2. form of the third manor of defence.  it is to be considered wether the situation where the army lieth for the defence of the places and frontiers, be in such a disposition, as that one town may be at hand to relieve an other, and that garrison be put with commodity of well knowing the country, and every sort of ways and passages, with which the enemy may not be so well acquainted, whereby he shall no sooner give upon the place, then find it furnished with soldiers, and an army at hand, which may be able to put him to his trumps, and cut off victuals, causing for the prevention thereof every one to retire into the main, to break down mills, and bridges over rivers, and to cut down quantities of trees: across the ways of the woods, to stop them: preventions which cause much toil to an army, for that there is few, or none, as it is used now a days which can carry all necessary commodities with itself, not presupposing to find some within the Country, & when they shall prevent them but for a few days, by reason of the barrenness or depopulation of the place, many must find themselves much annoyed. By this form of defence, and dispersing of the army alongst the towns and frontiers, which is almost all one, whilst that the enemy consumeth himself through want of victuals, and other discommodities, although he be Master of the field, which causeth great travail to his army, not holding inhabitation wherewith to refresh it, you are to consider, that if the Prince which defendeth himself hold not on his part the affection of his vassals, this kind of defence will never come to any good, for that he shall not be able to place within the towns so many soldiers, as may command the neighbours, who willbe ready to give passage to the enemy to free them of their oppression, yielding themselves as soon as they shall see him near their Towns: which is to confirm footing to the Conqueror, an inconvenience which can not be remedied without showing a boldness with it to resolve to fight, and to lodge so near the enemy, as that the very thought thereof, may make him not to let go much of his people from their lodging, looking to fight, & the countries to stand in suspense, without daring to declare themselves, until they see the end of the journey. In lodging so near, you must always choose out a strong situation: when you can not, you must by arte cause such a one, especially if you be fewer in cavalry, or fanterie, than the enemy to be able to equal the inferiority thereof, with the advantage which a good lodging and situation may yield to fight, for which there needeth no less travail, than the business requireth, which is so hard a matter to emcampe, nor less experience in the general, being one of the greatest acts that are in war, and which seldom hath been seen.  
Y.H. may in like sort, prepare your men in readiness to defend yourself, by preventing such King or common wealth, as you may have war with, or any suspicion of his breaking with you, & on that part where Y.H. imagineth he may most annoy you, using in this case the mean of diversion: the enterprise which you are to execute by sea or land, must be handled with great secrecy and speed, 
Considerations in war by way of diversion.  jest the enemy prevent by gaining the hand: you must in this, respect the quality of the action, & whether it require more cavalry than infantry, or light foot, which must assure footing where you mean to hinder the enemy, or upon any service done, to retire themselves.  
As well may Y.H. levy men in assistance of some Prince, 
Consideration for making War to assist a confederate Prince.  with whom you stand confederate: by reason of such league as you hold with him, which aught to be kept with all preciseness. Y.H. and all Princes being engaged to keep their faith and word, and contracts made upon trust thereof, for two considerations: first for that by the law of nature contracts are to be maintained: and secondly, a Prince is to keep his faith and word, for that it aught to stand as a pledge and inviolable gage, as well towards subjects as all other manner of people, well carrying in remembrance what God signified by the mouth of the Psalmist, saying: Et quae procedunt ex labijs meis, 
Psal. 88  non faciam irrita. In this nothing more rests to be considered, when the number of men shall stand limited in the capitulation, then whether such aids shallbe drawn out of the old soldiers and ordinary garrisons of Y.H. or of men which are to be levied of new, under experimented Captains.  
Y.H. may in like sort employ your forces for the conservation of any Prince, or common weal which you hold under your protection, 
Consideration for making war being a protector.  albeit the quality of a Protector comprehendeth not any subjection of his inferior under him, nor giveth any right at all to command, but only a certain honour & reverence which they own unto him, which put themselves under his protection. A matter nothing at all diminishing thereby any authority of their sovereignty, not yielding power to the Protector to overrule: whereby it may be gathered, that the Prince which putteth himself under protection, is of less authority, than he which yieldeth tribute: for that in paying tribute he rests free and exempt, but he which is under protection, hath ever need to be defended: which bindeth them to take greater security on their part, than the Protector shall need, by reason they are inferior unto him, & a dangerous matter to admit a protector, except for want thereof he shallbe forced to fall into his enemies hands. In which is to be considered, that a protector must hold some interest in defending such as fly unto him, and that for the conservation of his own estate, because in any other sort such protection willbe but of small durance, & many times it falls out, that when one hath yielded himself in protection as to a soverane, he may for some other particular acknowledge the subjection of a vassal, ask in such case aid of his Protector, he is bound in double obligation, to defend him: especially if his person be interested in the quarrel, honour, and goods, 
* How still you conclude with your own error, acknowledging hereby the great unjustice you have done her Majesty by having nourished & given pension to so many English trey terous subjects.  all Civilians agreeing, that a Prince can not in reason take into his protection, any vassal against his Lord, except he have just occasion of quarrel against him: which requireth a good consideration to be had of such as they take into their protection, for that it draweth many inconvenients with it. If the protection be not just, because all protections and leagues made with a powerful Prince, carrieth with itself an obligation to take arms in their defence, running the same fortune which they do, except a neutrality be specified in the contract, the honour and profit of what is conquered, remaining only to the protector a form of capitulation, which is not used in these times, except it be when the conqueror will give what law he list to the conquered.  
Y.H. may in like manner take arms for the assistance of some Prince, with whom you do not stand confederate, 
Consideration for making war in the defence of the oppressed.  nor hold in your protection, moved only thereunto through the injustice which is done him, and being convenient that he which assaileth so much without reason, should not make himself more powerful, neighbouring to Y.H. estates, in which is to be respected the quality of the Prince, and his forces, which defendeth himself in comparison of him which assaileth, & if there be more need of cavalero or fantery, munition or artillery: if you aid him with men, they must go well paid, and disciplined, so as they may be able to serve for a salve to his soar, & not to fester with the insolences & agreevances which they shall commit under colour of necessity, which causeth them no less hate among the country people where they war, than they bear to their proclaimed enemies.  
No less is it fit that Y.H. arm yourself in being prepared to preserve your vassals, 
Consideration for to arm standing neutral.  having war between two Princes whose kingdoms and estates border upon Y.H. showing yourself neutral, and that you stand not unfurnished of forces through the suspicion yielded in seeing them two arm, it being a no less convenience to prevent an injury, then having received it necessary to revenge, and this to perform without engaging yourself in their wars, giving assistance to neither, holding for a sure ground that if you do, the loss willbe general, and the fruit of the victory his only who maintaineth the quarrel, and yourself enforced to proclaim enmity to such a Prince as never offended you standing neutral there are ever found occasions and means to work a peace between them, gaining honour and thanks of each, besides preserving your own estate with the one's ruining of the other, for that among the best judgements it is held that the greatness of a Prince is the destruction of his neighbours, and his power not able to grow greater than by the weakness of the other Kings, and common wealths, founding their security by equalling their forces one with the other: And albeit some hold it for good, that not withstanding they show themselves neutral, yet secretly to kindle the fire of a war, in steed of quenching it, as the means to preserve their own estate, to have the other two Princes by the ears together, it is a matter which can hardly lie covered, & once being understood, in the end the two parties, as people which approved themselves, come to agreed to spend their forces upon the third, whereby he standeth most secure, which holdeth himself neutral, maintaining his own estate, without intermeddling in any sort with the war of his neighbours.  

Consideration for making war upon the rebellion of their own subjects.  Occasions may also fall out, upon which Y.H. shall stand in need to levy men, enabling yourself thereby and with taking arms to chastise some sedition or rebellion of your subjects in which no jot of time is to be lost for many reasons, not being the weakest, that such Princes, as suffer rise of Commonalties, Cities, or Provinces, give example to other to follow the like, when they see them not armed to punish them, which if they be, it is a means to draw those unto their Prince, with better will, which have not declared themselves against him, seeing him followed with men, and that he will not suffer himself to be trodden under: standing assured that he holdeth more certain means to reward, than rebels, upon whose party, larger promises do ever pass, then can be obtained, as well through the violence, with which those that rise are enforced to proceed in the beginning of their rebellions, as for the novelties which they must necessarily execute, with much extorsion: agreevances which pleaseth many voluntarily to hear of, when they see security of arms on their Prince's part: jointly the authority of an empire and rule is more strenghtned by the vigour of forces, which is very dangerous for you to employ against your own subjects, except in human reason there appear a certainty that you shall come to an end by punishing of them, lest you arm the Lion with claws, to hurt his governor, and fight with disadvantage, with a rover or pirate, who augmenteth and reenforceth himself with the damage of the contrary, and gaining of his shipping: sufficient considerations to move a Prince not to imbrue his sword in the blood of his vassals, if it be not done with much security, differing it with such secret means of negotiations, as may be offered to reduce some of the principal heads of the insurrection, by treaties of grace and pardon, as may move them, enjoying the benefit of time without suffering things to run so raw, as that another should thrust himself in, whereby he should be enforced to grant it, & so find himself neither in state to maintain an offensive war against them, nor to come to a peace, without much disadvantage, through the wrongs received, causing the wound to ulcer by the assistance with other Princes shall give to maintain the rebellion, & by that means weaken the Prince's force, of whose greatness and power they stood in fear, which (how troublesome it would grow to a Prince) a holy Doctor foreseeing, writeth: Plerumque Rex justus etiam malorum errores dissimulare novit, 
Saint I●do● lib. 3. Sen●. Cap. 5.  non quod iniquitati eorum consentiat, sed quod aptum tempus correctionis expectet, in quo eorum vitia emendare valeat, vel punire: which aught to be put in execution after the gaining of a victory, not otherwise: so as the punishment may seem to be done for a good example and not revenge: albeit the Barbarians hold it the better part of a victory, to refrain the just fury of shedding blood, and anger of men, when it falls out between those which before loved together, although occasion have been given to the contrary. A passion which can hardly be cooled in a Prince, except he consider the taste of revenge to last but few days, and the joy of piety eternally, and so to accompany justice with clemency, that it be no cruelty, and clemency with justice, that himself run not into contempt. This bindeth in the insurrections of Cities & Provinces, or mutinies of men of war, to punish such as make the beginning, or first motion, being authors thereof, pardoning the most part in general, since it is not possible to punish a multitude. The reasons which I have propounded may be occasion to take arms as well on Y.H. part as of any other Prince or Potentate. So may there be other which I writ not for being to tedious, and that they are sufficiently comprehended in the before mentioned, the considerations set down being able to serve for a rule as well to the one as the other, in resolving what foot or horse, artillery, or munition is fit to be levied for the compounding of an army, or fleet of ships, 
Opinions in forming an army of one only nation or divers.  if the service be by Sea: many are of opinion that it were much better to compound it of one only nation, then of divers, in respect of the diversity of language, and customs, which partly causeth confusion upon many occasions, not only in lodgings, but in fight, whereby ariseth diversity of complaints, infecting themselves in such sort as hath causeth the very loss of whole armies, and for that ordinarily among those of that quality, are soldiers which serve only for such pay and pillage, as in particular may fall out in the war, with either of which wanting, they lay aside the reputation, good and greatness of the Prince (owing no further fidelity to him then their service) for their private interest to whom their very Leaders give assistance, moved with the gain they have in pays and musters, in which they are greatly interested, always making such regiments and levies of men, more for respect of profit, than any affection they carry the Prince. Hence it doth rise that they have often refused to sight, at the very time of necessity, and go and served the contrary part, without resenting any whit at all to have failed in their fidelity not being paid: whereby the enemy cometh to be strengthened, the contrary part remaining more weak.  
Likewise seldom times do Kings & general Captains understand so many languages as to be able to speak to every one in his own: a matter which naturally maketh them affectionate, and winneth them to obey with more readiness, and sooner stirreth them up to fight.  
On the other side experience hath proved great Captains to have combated and warred years enough with armies of different nations, 
Reason on the other side.  without ever having had any mutinies or sedition among them, & gained many victories, and that one nation can hardly accommodate itself without a very large and continual experience in teaching the mamnage of such diversity of arms, as is necessary for soldiers to use at this day in the armies. In this respect and consideration men of ancient time were of opinion, that those instruments of war were of much credit and estimation among the most part of people, as might serve them without any exercise at all before had of them, and so we see one nation more fit for the readiness of the Harquebus, and other for the stand and firmness of the Pike, and better able to endure to go and march armed: and so by consequent as well in the cavalry, better accommodating themselves with the demi-lance & armour, or 
* Kinds of Buckleres made in Chyna much used in Italy.  with Tablachinas', & other with very long one's of two heads, without any jacks of mail or corselets, and some carrying light horse staves, leading staves, and Targuettes, & other with Pistols, or long Petrionells: which difference of arms is as well required to be considered, as the horses may be able to bear out therewith in combat best. The very reason which at the first moved men to invent them, proportioning them according to the fitness of such horse, as the Province or Climate did breed, affirming jointly, that it is a very hard matter at this time, to be able to frame an army of one entire nation, when it is not for the defence of the same kingdom, upon the invasion of any stranger, for the diversity of considerations which may therein be offered. And in particular, whether the Province be so well peopled, as that it may yield so great a number of men, as is necessary for the maintenance of a war abroad, the which every day consumeth men, and to breed soldiers, it is necessary to employ youths which have passed sixteen years at the lest: and in case so much people may be drawn out of the Country, 
The best composition of one entire nation, if it may be.  and so many men trained among them as is fit for the diversity of arms, undoubtedly an army of one entire nation, is much more to be esteemed, which conform themselves in customs, and language, then of divers: which aught to bear part, and all to depend of one self same cause, thereby to be the more united in their conservation, and by consequent their force of greater vigour. Of this there are not only probable reasons, but effects, considering that the greatest Empires which have been, have augmented and preserved themselves, by warring with the Soldiers of their own nation only, with whom they made an entire body of their army, lodging such of other nations as came to their aid a part, thereby giving to understand that they depended not of them.  
In this case hath our Lord made Y.H. so powerful a Prince, as that you possess kingdoms, and many Provinces, out of which you may form great armies of one entire nation or divers, being all your vassals, or such countries assisting you, where you have Colonels in pay for the same effect: and so may Y.H. choose the party most convenient, according as your general Captains shall be of opinion, & the form of war may require which you undertake, and in what Province or state: particularities which will give light to the resolution of your levies and places of musters which are to be assigned, according to their order and security.  
Some are of opinion that in those councils which Princes hold, for giving of order to levy men, 
Consideration for the not naming of a general  it should be very convenient, the Prince's person not being in place present, not to name any general at all, until all provisions were at an end: presupposing that there would be found so many people fit for the same charge, as that the finding of any one to be named, would be an occasion for the more part to backward the service, increasing the other inconveniences which might be found therein, moved by the competitorshipp which is naturally found among men of one profession. I will assure Y.H. that this is a consideration of much moment, & not able to be kept with puntilio, for many occasions which offer themselves, wherein necessarily a Captain must be declared before the levies, being the best means for the easy dispatch of them and the enterprise: and that which is most troublesome to a soldier is, that the circumstance of every particular case is of that importance, that he is bond to hold such rules as in general, he may find to guide him by, worthying himself herein by his own estimation, as the principal part which a soldier is to observe.  

Quality of a General.  All your levies and preparations being once in a readiness, Y.H. may, if it be not already done, nominate the general of the enterprise, and the most heads of the army, which aught to be soldiers, considering that many have courage enough to fight, which want wisdom to be able to command, and combat in the field, it being the greatest matter of importance to be required at a gowernours' hands, and in particular the Camp master general aught to have good skill in soldiery, 
Quality of Campe-maister general.  for that the execution of his office is no ways permissive to any other person than a soldier of many years and experience, being the lively voice and spirit of the general, which he participateth to the army, if he be a soldier: and in case he be not one, the actions of the Camp master general, in respect he is so necessary, giveth spirit & life to the Generals, in such sort as he cometh to be held a soldier, though in deed he be none. The which hath made me, discoursing upon this matter, to affirm sundry times, that men may be born generals, but not Camp masters generals, which is the second person of the army, since that the General thereof failing, how great personages so ever carry any other charge, it appertaineth to the Campe-maister general to give the word, and likewise to administer civil and criminal justice throughout the army, in the name of the Prince or his Lieutenant general: and to this effect, he holdeth about him men of learning, and the great Provost. I speak not of a Camp master general, where there is a Constable in an army, that being no office now in use, with like pre-eminences as they were wont to have in former times, being more or less in one Province than in an other, 
Office of Constable.  but in deed the charge of a Constable is a Lieutenant of the King's person in peace or war, & in all matters depending thereon within the kingdom.  
Men in old time esteemed it sufficient for the war, to have some good parts in those which commanded, as to guide & order armies, to vanquish the enemy, which they perferred before most moral virtues, which aught to be wished in a Captain to be able with his wisdom, and sharpness of wit, to compass such matters, by the help of some natural gifts, as courage, quickness, affability, endurance of travailles, and like qualities which hold affinity with moral virtues, though they be none, and very necessary in the exercise of war.  
I have handled with like preciseness, of what condition the person of the Camp master general aught to be, by having sundry times considered, that there seldom happeneth a general, which is a soldier of experience, albeit that wisdom and excellent parts, are in no charge more to be desired then in people which are to govern armies, for that the matters are innumerable which they are to provide for, and to command, carrying withal a wavering common wealth of men upon their shoulders, besides a multitude of accidents, presenting themselves every moment and variety of cases, upon which they are to resolve with quickness and determination. And albeit in all estates, benefits and graces undeserved, fall out to be prejudicial to those which receive them, in the charges of wars, it is groaped at with more certainty then in any other, for the mischief which falls out every moment, when such a one occupieth a charge as knoweth not what it means, imagining that they are able to discharge it only through the confidence which they have of themselves A matter easily confirmed, if you do but consider how great enterprises many Princes have atcheeved without ever having followed the war, by means of recommending them, and their armies to such as were soldiers.  
If Y.H. desire to hold within your kingdoms many people to be able to serve you, as well for Generals as in other charges of war, 
Means to make soldiers.  there cannot be a better means then that which is used in universities to preserve sciences, and to 'cause rare men of learning among them: which is, that notwithstanding the greatest nobility in blood, favour of kindred, riches, or show of ability, which he can hold that is willing to follow in the university, the profession of any science, yet can none of these things pointed out by themselves, or all joined together, be able to make him a graduate, hastening the courses which are necessary for it, except himself hath held them, & so when he resenteth himself most of his fortune, it is in bewailing that he studied not years sooner, to be able to enjoy the reward, and not in that other hold it with less gage and courses than himself, a matter apparent every day in the soldiery and warfare which Y.H. holdeth, many by favour, and intercession of friends occupying charges which they never deserved by their experience in the army, or for any service done, causing such as have to grow desperate in seeing those preferred, and themselves left out. In such sort as the hope which before served them for reward, imagining that passing so many years in following an army, they should come to be capable of the reward, whereof they see themselves defrauded, now faileth them, through the favour and negotiation which other hold, & this kind of singularity being once used, strait followeth corruption, which marreth all: which breeds a hatred in the army, discouraging them in such sort, as the military discipline cometh to be confounded altogether, by altering the conservation and soundness thereof: a matter which would breed the like inconvenience in learning, were it not for the inviolable order of years which they must needs spend in study, and such courses, since whether they be of ability or not, to have never so good pledge, they can not be admitted to degree, before their due exercises and course be performed. A reason which might move Y.H. to ordain, that none should be 
* Cabo de Esquadra. There is no place of Lieutenant in the Spanish Discipline but the ancient direction of the king is, A nuestors Capitanes' y Cabos de esquaedra.  Corporal, before he had served some years under colores, and more for a Sergeant, and by consequent of an 
* Alferez, an Ancient.  Alferes, or Captain, rising from his degree to be a Camp master, 
* Alcayde, A Captain of a Fort.  Alcayde, or Castillane, with time set down, inviolably observing the same order in your warfare, which Y.H. holdeth in your estates of foot and horse of all nations. By this means there will be found many soldiers worthy to receive charge, being capable of them: since that the Turk by observing this course, findeth them, over whose armies and Provinces we see none put to command, that hath not experience to enable him thereunto. Neither doth Y.H. want subjects of learning within your Kingdoms, for the exercise of such charges and dignities as are to be administered with them, all men animating themselves to take pains through a certain hope of reward, and since that virtue accompanied with learning without needing any other manner of gage rewardeth itself, in the ecclesiastical state and law, wherein in all ages their are found very singular men, let Y. H likewise reward valour & experience in war, and there will never be want of excellent Captains, to preserve, and augment your Kingdoms and estates, nor of courageous soldiers, God having given unto Y.H. Provinces in which men of great strength are bread, and so great disciplines to make them skilful and obedient.  
My meaning is not in writing that these orders are to be observed in warlike discipline, to set it down with such preciseness, as that I imagined Y.H. should not be able to dispense as occasions and success of time should require, being a thing annexed to the authority of a law giver to be able to altar the same always, as the common good should require, which is that which first caused it to be established: but to be done seldom times and that for service of so great consideration, as the people may come to allow thereof, in such wise as they may hold it for a good law not to observe the former: Like unto this was Scipio his answer to the people of Rome, murmuring that charges, and triumphs were yielded unto him, before he was of years, 
Tit. Liu. li. 8 4. Decad. vel lib. 38.  and age sufficient for them: Si vos aetatem meam honoribus vestris anteistis, & ego honores vestros rebus agendis praecessi.  

Means that they steal no pays.  And to the end the Captains of Y H. ordinary companies may not steal pays, which causeth great inconvenience, & when so many do arise as can not be amplified, the loss of your money being the lest to be reckoned among them: let Y.H. command the pay of your Captains, Officer's, and Soldiers to be increased, in such sort as they may be able to maintain themselves, and to serve you well armed, according to their charge: And this to be done by way of reward, advantage, or otherwise, framing the increase of pay, according as the quality of the Province where they reside, the climate thereof, plenty or want of victuals shall require, making it stand for an honour not to steal pays: which if they once grow to esteem, not to blot their life in the lest point, they will make less account of wealth, having pay to maintain themselves, and that Captain and Officer to remain defamed for ever, which shall avow to have more soldiers than such as in deed follow his colores, a punishment which will bridle them, and make them loath to be deservers of it: and let Y.H. hold them in estimation, giving honour unto them, without despising arms, which doing is the cause of losing states, as the maintenance thereof is to preserve them, and the only means to conquer other, according as great Empires have been, when they have been found unfurnished of arms, ships and soldiers, like unto great buildings when their props fail which were many years in framing, but by like defects marred themselves, and fallen in few months.  
And let not Y.H. suffer yourself to be persuaded that you shallbe able to make war although you have no experimented Captains, in respect that you are a most rich Prince, and Lord of so great Kingdoms, in which all sort of arms and instruments of war can be forged without help from ells where, two things being most certain, as the castilian proverb goeth, 
El comendado H 〈…〉 nan Nunes en el lib. de lo● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a A  Armas y dineros buenas manos quieren: both which require to be put into their hands which know how to manage them, and hold experience how to exercise them both to good purpose.  
Y.H. having named the general and heads of the army, is to advise with him and the rest in what manner you are to make your war, in which you are to hearken to, and follow their opinion which offer to execute the councils more, than there's which give them, not being themselves to put any hand thereto, (in case the resolution be not overrash, nor any evident peril therein) since that both honour and life in their own opinion lying on it, they will look into it with more open eyes than others, with greater affection and will, putting that in execution which themselves first counseled.  
Likewise Y.H. having your levies and provisions in a readiness, and your army compounded, is to consider, 
When instructions are to be given.  calling in like manner unto you the heads thereof, and the other of your Council, what proclamations & instructions are fittest to be published, as well to hold the people in good discipline, as in respect of the public good: & when as the heads of the nations which are in the army have not been at such your councils, being better that they were present, you are to communicate them unto them, whereby they approving them, may with greater care procure the accomplishing thereof. This being done, and resolution taken upon them, Y.H. shall command them to be ordained, and that they be given to the Provoste general, that he may 'cause them to be published in their time, and that to be done in so many languages, as there are nations in the army, to the end none may pled ignorance, imposing convenient punishments for those which break them, commanding them to be executed with all preciseness without the request or intercession of any hindering it, since that otherwise you shall never have obedience in war, because that in the heads of armies, softness and mildness without consideration is more hurtful, than sharpness and rigour in punishing, and therefore a forbidding or prohibition in matter of laws and statutes is altogether unprofitable, except a penalty be annexed, and a penalty but a scarecrow, except it be put in execution: and albeit that the discipline of war aught to be more severe than the civil or politic, for that ordinarily the penalties are loss of hand or life, yet are they not to be imposed to so many things, as that the rigour of them should come to a bloody cruelty, but a means whereby the soldiers may stand in awe of the severity of their Captain, without abhorring him for his cruelty.  
When Y.H. shall have in readiness your cavalry and infantry, munitions, artillery and necessaries fit for them, and that you have caused them to be raised for the enterprise, & precisely known the whole number of the men, by the musters which have been taken in divers places, not overcharging one country with the whole, Y.H. may in the same respect order their march, causing it to be done by sundry ways alongst the frontiers and confines of the Kingdom to the place where Y.H. shall hold it most convenient to join your camp together: provided that you choose the situation thereof in good ground, 
Qualities of the first lodging.  with commodity of wood, water, and forage to lodge the army, not being a matter necessary as then to look into such other particularities as I will hereafter handle, which are to be required in their lodgings, and that this be done only with an end to join the army in one body, so as the disposing of the market place, quarters, and fortification of the whole army, may be able to serve for view and pattern in these general matters of the rest of the lodgings, which must be accommodated according to the quality of the situation, demonstration of the enemy, & manner which you hold in war, the circular form in lodging, not being of any importance, nor the quadrangle, triangle, or in length, which is most ordinarily used.  
And here you must choose such a 
* Plaza de armas.  market place, as may be large enough to contain all your men in battle, upon any alarum by day or night, in such sort, as a distance be left between one squadron and an other, as well of fanterie as cavalry, that men may pass commodiously, if occasion require, being able with facility to close one within another, as shallbe necessary: near unto the market place, the quarters are to be appointed, every one setting out their colours in front, whereby the men may with more readiness, gathering themselves together, come out upon the alarum to form the esquadrons.  
Some allow to every colours ten pace to lodge in front, and in depth thirty or more, according as the companies are of greatness, & of distance from the front of the colours to the place where they are to stand in squadron, the space of thirty or forty paces, and from the front of the squadrons to the fortification of the trenches, between fifteen and twenty: considering that when men come to fight, and close, they occupy far less space & place of ground, then when the esquadron standeth stretched forth: measures which serve in manner of compass, that the marketplace be not disproportioned, wherein there is to be considered that when the men shall stand in battle, a convenient place be left. If necessity require, for any squadron what soever of cavalry or infantry to pass, between the back of the squadrons and the front of the quarters, without disordering themselves, entering by the quarters, nor to 'cause shunning this inconvenience the rest of the squadrons to break their own: and likewise that at the front of the squadrons, there be a space left for a squadron of cavalry or fanterie to pass without altering the order of the rest, or sallying forth of the trenches, and that it be not so great, as to have thereby the harquebusrie, & pieces of the field to remain unfurnished, or other which are placed in the trenches or their travesses.  

Place for the cordegarde.  In this market place where none aught to come to trouble it, the guard is to be placed with an ordinary fire some four score paces more or less from the colours, and in some places I have myself served, where they were fain to pitch tents to defend the soldiers from terrible colds and storms, and in other, from the excessive reflection and heat of the sun.  

Quarter for the Prince's Tents and battle.  In the midst of the quarters and front of the companies, Y.H. is to piche your own tents & quarter of your Cordeguarde, which the battle shall follow, when so ever the bodies of the squadrons shall be assigned for it, having in the quarter between the passages & pavilions, spacious streets for the men to repair to the market place without trouble: and at Y.H. Tents, there aught to be a toil of canvas round about, in manner of a brickwall breast high, and a little ditch cast at the foot thereof, which may serve to keep common passage from near Y.H. Tents, holding the respect that is dew without appearance of fortification, for that otherwise that would show either fear of the enemy, or distrust of your own army.  
On the one side Y.H. is to lodge the Campe-maister general, and the officers which follow him, Quartermaster, 
Quarter for the camp-master general and vanguard.  as much to say, as the Master which is to assign out the quarters, (who aught to be a man skilful) Captain of the guides of spialls, and likewise other which they call chieftains of the watch, which signifieth the heads or principals of the guards, and Sentinels of the Camp, who serve to visit them by day and night, and the whole circuit of the lodging, to report the state thereof to the Campe-maister general, for that it is unpossible for the Quartermaster to take so great toil, to whose office the care thereof appertaineth, and he to make relation to the Maister-generall, as also to the great Provost or Captain of the field, to report unto him what is done in the market of victuals or vivanders. And although it doth concern, the Seriantes, Alferes, Captains & Sergeant Maior, as also sometime the Campe-maister to overlook at sundry hours of the night, the guards and sentinels in the part where the colores stand: yet they are not to pass so far as the Tierces or Regiments of different nations: but to appoint when the armies are great, the headds of the guards and Sentinels for that purpose, to make a round about the circuit of the whole camp, presupposing that they are able to understand the languages of the nations which are therein, and diligently to look that guard be kept. Likewise are the Sergeant majors and officers to show the place, which the Campe-maister general hath assigned for the Corpse de guards in the night, not being himself in place to do it, which is sometimes by putting up a mark, as sticking into the ground some stake. On that part where the Campe-maister general is lodged, the quarter of the vauntguarde and Captain is ever wont to follow.  
Not far from this quarter, in place most convenient, is the general of the Artillery to be placed, with the powder, 
Quarter for the artillery  shot, and other munitions, and the furniture appertaining, the Captains and officers of his carge, and the Colonel & Captains of the gastadors or pioneers, which are to be lodged in the same quarter.  

Market of victuals.  On the other side of Y.H. Tents, a space is to be left for the market of victuals, vivanders, and merchandise, lodging the gran-Provoste in the end thereof, with the horse and officers that follow him, whose tents is to serve for a prison: & here aught a place to be raised on high, where justice & punishment of offenders is to be executed, 
Quarter for the great Provost.  preventing by the standing thereof so near Y.H. Tents, and with the assistance of the Provost, that no disorder be committed in the buy and selling, nor force offered to the Vivanders, which is a matter of very great moment for the conservation of a camp, and to be wary of the concourse of people, which repair thither from all quarters.  

Quarter for the Reregarde.  Next unto the gran Provost his tents, is the Captain of the rereguarde to be lodged, if any men be appointed for it. I have set down unto Y.H. this disposing of quarters, in case that the men be divided into vanguard, battle, and rearguard, and with heads appointed of purpose to march and combat with them, because in reason of war the vanguard aught to be most skilful and exercised, and consequently is of force to be the right horn in stand, or fight. And if they have not been appointed, & that there be different nations in the army, it is to be considered, that the quarter next unto Y.H. Tents, is to be given to those whom Y.H. hath commanded to take charge of your person, and the rest to be dispersed, considering that if there be so many colours of one nation, as that another alone will not by much be able to equal them in number, It shallbe good to dispose the quarters in such sort, as the colores of two nations joined together, may come to equal that which was superior to every one by itself: whereby they shall stand more united, & keep the stronger from doing any force to them, which of themselves are not able to resist: and sometime not having a sufficient number of colours of one nation, & being willing to mingle them with another to form a body of a squadron, they use to lodge them jointly in one quarter, whereby they may come to know the soldiers, and by a brotherhood the sooner to join to fight.  
Likewise it is very convenient to lodge in several quarters not only the light horsemen at arms, and 
* Herreruelos.  swart rutters, but the Regiments and Tierces distinctly, avoiding the confusion which groweth when they stand mingled together.  
The quarters of Y.H. being generally appointed of cavalry, infantry, 
Fortification of the lodging.  & artillery which the Quartermaster is to dispose of, the camp-master general is to view the circuit of the lodging, together with the general of the artillery, to give order for such fortification as is necessary, which many times is done, by putting wagons round about the quarters within the ditches which are made, by raising trenches, where the situation doth not yield easiness of breach, high banks, hollow or deep ways which may serve for defence: a matter which concerns the general of the artillery, with the gastadors, which in reason should give order to fortify his quarter with a good dich, leaving convenient places to issue out the wagons, and this to be done after all the munitions and furniture of artillery is gathered together, over which an ordinary guard is to be set: provided that the sentinels be Pikes, which are to stand about the wagons of powder, & not arquebusiers: for the danger which might happen by the fire of the maches to the powder: which guard may not permit any person once to come within the quarter, except he be very well known, nor that any come near the carts of munition, especially of powder, avoiding the mischief which might chance by the enemies sending some men in difguised habits, not only to view, but to fire the powder as some times it hath fallen out.  
The fortification of the camp, aught to be especially in the entries thereof, well provided, & in such manner as the men may sally speedily in ranks, if occasion require it, and the way by which they fett their water to be very broad, if their be none within the lodging, assigning some to keep the waters which they are to drink from being troubled, a particular which is to be accounted of, as in the cleanliness and neatness of a camp, especially if they be to tarry days in one lodging, and that the situation be not dirty, by the fall of rayne-water, and to appoint a convenient place in every quarter for the vivanders which follow it.  

Whom the guards of day & night concerns.  The sergeant Mayor, Commissaries of the light horse, and the rest of the Officers whom it concerns to know the number of men, which are to keep watch every one within his charge, aught to come to the Camp master general, to take order for the colours & standars which are to enterguard that might, and for the places where they are to set their Corps-de-guarde being men at arms, swart ruyters, and companies of pikes for the night, and light horse and arquebusiers by day, to whom appertaineth the scouts, when it is not so dangerous to be enforced to reinforce them with pikes, men at arms & swart rutters. And for the guards of like lodgings, having no suspicion of the enemy, Y.H. must command that your men travail no more than is fit, to exercise them in guards, continuing in the custom thereof: considering that with overtyring the men, 
An army a most tender body.  horses and the rest of the members which an army is compounded of, there is no one body so tender as that is, being form of such a fashion, as a corrupt air will soon throw it down, four days hunger, or foul weather, dissolving it, without the enemy ever using sword, which they fear most, which have not had experience of the rest. And likewise heed is to be taken, that the armies and men of war be not wearied in their guards and march, more than necessity requireth, to preserve them, and to hold them in exercise. This division of the guards in the form set down will serve for the lists which shallbe made of the colours, and standards of the army, dividing them into four parts, whereof one is every night to keep the guard, & so three still to rest, which is no great travail, & exercise sufficient to accustom them to the field. The guards are to be set at twielight, 
Hour of setting the guards.  withdrawing those which stood all day, to the end no place be given to the enemy to view the stands of the guards and sentinels, which ordinarily in these fortified lodgings, requireth the distance of a Corp-de-guard to be thirty paces from the trenches, the sentinels being so set as the one may see the other, not being necessary, except the enemy be at hand to double them. The corps-de-gard of the cavalry must be without the trenches and fortification of the camp, and the sentinels disposed alongst the ways, and placed in such manner as none shallbe able to pass to the camp without being perceived, and as well to the sentinels of horse as foot the word is not to be given until they be set in their stands, whereby none may pass, 
When the word is to be given to the sentinels.  enter or go out of the Camp, without order from Y.H. or the word given.  
I will not be tedious to handle the manner which the Sergeant's Mayor and officers of the cavalry must hold in appointing such standers & colours as are to serve that night for the guard, which are to have warning from the morning before, because it is a matter which in particular teacheth them, following the form of a discipline which every nation useth in changing the sentinels, either with sound of drum or without, and to make rounds and counter-rounds: nor likewise what care the Captains, Lieutenants and Alpheres of cavalry are to take in viewing, as soon as the standards are lodged, the way which is from their quarter to the market place, that upon any alarum by day or night, they may repair readily thither, every soldier to the standard which is to guide him.  

Publishing of orders.  In this lodging Y.H. is to command that those orders which you shall have set down be published, which is to be done by the gran Provost, Kings at arms, trumpets, drums, & 
* Atabales, made of brass like a round kettle, without a hail, with two handles, the ancientest kind of instrument which Spain useth and is used in solemn feasts as we do hautboys.  instruments, & that throughout the places most convenient as the market place and victuallers, and distinctly in all the quarters.  
jointly Y.H. is to command your council to debate whether it be fit to take a general muster of the army, or a particular in every regiment, standard or nation: a matter to be resolved of if it be well considered, whether it be necessary to make appearance and demonstration of the army, or to cover the number of your men, and power though it be very great.  
They are likewise to consult in what form the battle is to be set, guiding themselves in this by the lists of the musters of cavalry and fanterie, 
Consideration of the number of squadrons which are to be form.  to form the squadrons which are to serve for the right horn or left, battle or guard of the artillery: a matter in which you can not further particularize (when the case and occasions are not present) then in considering the quality of the cornets of cavalry, and with what sort of arms they fight, & in the fantarie the number of pikes and arquebusiers: accommodating to this the squadrons, which shallbe well to be framed according to the situation and disposition which the enemy shall show: which aught to be considered whether it must be a square of people or ground, of great front, or in length, with much depth, or of other fashion: A thing which is to be ordered according to the stand & custom which every nation useth in fight, more in one sort of squadron and battle form then in another, the sergeant being perfit in framing them, which observe certain measure to make them hold great front or depth, & that the depth be not more than three parts the number of soldiers which the front of the squadron holdeth, and those in the great front the third part of the flank: so as if three score be in front, twenty aught to be in flank: and if three score in depth, at lest twenty in front, rules by which they shall stand proportioned, and garnish the flanks of the shot: and if they draw one or two wings out of it, which is according as every nation is accustomed to fight, and the situation permitteth, it is to be considered, that when you would have a squadron to be in all parts reinforced with equal proportion, you must form a square of men; if you will reinforce the front or rereguarde by putting more soldiers to fight, you must make a square of ground, and to this end they make the squadrons large in front and little in flank, coveting to have most men fight in front, holding confidence in their dexterity, and when there is made a great depth, it is to the end that the same weight of the squadron might effect a breaking in upon the enemy, the light horse fight in troops, men at arms and swart rutters in ranks, and the Gynettes, which albeit they keep in ranks, yet joined with the foot upon the charge in gross: the men and squadrons for a battle, being to be disposed, 
Correspondency between an army and man's body.  with like correspondency, as the members in the body of a man proportion the arms which are at this day used in armies like unto them, the feet and hands being the arquebusiers on horse, the legs and arms the light horse, the thighs the men at arms, the squadrons of infantry the breasts, the head, the Prince or general, and the belly the baggage. And if you would set forth the body of a man to most show, the ground being well looked into where his feet stand, the members may be so disposed as he shall seem greater: By consequent, if one man come to fight with an other, he will first set his right foot forward, stretching out his right arm, turning sidelong his body to cover the rest of his members, showing less mark to be hit, but if he be disposed to wrestle with an other, he than seeketh to help himself with all his members equally, being to grapple with the enemy, and to serve his turn by them, uniting in that standing his whole force, to labour at one instant: The like is to be done in setting an army in battle, and if it be for representation to give it form according to the situation, and to the squadrons, so as they may seem greater, but if it be to attempt the enemy, then to do it with harquebuses on horseback, light horse, foot men, and some slight horse, beginning the skirmish with discretion, that when they come with greater liveliness to join, they do not so hastily charge as to be feign to come to close with the rest of the squadrons, which if they be forced to do, and to give battle, then to dispose it so, as all may fight at once, & every man grapple with an other of the enemy, when the battle serveth for it.  
The circumstances above written are to give law unto Y.H. for the forming of those squadrons, of which the battle is compounded, and having lances and argoletiers in the army, it is a very good way to mingle them, to put in the left flank of the lances, a Cornet of swart Rutters, which cometh to serve as a wing: the which is to join a little before the lances, 
Form of fight in company of swart rutters.  that their company may serve for some profit and purpose, and that the pistoliers do as much, giving their volley, as they use to charge when they are in form of a half moon.  
It is held as well for a good order of battle, to draw to the right side of the squadrons, 
Manner of fight upon a day of battle.  a troop of pikes and lances, containing a fift part of the squadron to set upon the flank of the enemy at the time of close: who if he turn front to the troop, leaveth the flank to the squadron, and if he front with it, forcibly he must discover his side to the troop. A practice which hitherto I have not known used in the fight of the infantry, and which myself have done upon a day of service in the cavalry, disposing the squadrons of light horse which were under my charge in this manner, and found it by experience of much effect for that which these troops performed, when not being five and twenty horse at the chock with the enemies squadrons, it pleased God that we broke them, giving the victory to the King our Lord, Y.H. father. jointly we find by experience in this occasion, of how much more worth lances are in fight, 
Form of fighting with ●war●● rutters.  then pistoleteres, and the manner with which they are to combat with swart ruyters: The squadrons of lances may not exceed one hundred, or one hundred and twenty at the most, albeit they be to set upon a squadron of four or five hundred argoleteres, and of this number to make many, dividing the lances, and to charge with fury, which is that which soonest putteth the swart Rutters to flight, in that the pistols be but of very small service mingled with them. So they use to have one or two squadrons volante, 
Squadron volante.  and that to uphold a skirmish in gross, maintaining it with purpose to allure the enemy to fight, and to prevent any charge shall be made with multitude of horse, being superior to them in shot & cavalry which accompany them, able with a squadron volante to succour with such dexterity as shall never need to put in danger the rest of the battle.  
When Y.H. holdeth the squadrons divided & plotted out by those of your council, in one, two, or more forms in which they may be set in battle, standing therewith prepared to compound it according to the demonstration of the enemy, and situation, with greater readiness and facility, you must command them to advise in what sort they will divide the army to march, & the manner in which the war is to be made, whether according to the motive of Y.H. and end of the journey it be to be done in resting in a place, or encamping.  
Of these and other things noted, Y.H. is to command that in way of conversation they treat of them, with some particular heads of the army, which be personages of experience and discourse, and charge them to do the like with the old soldiers, of whose judgement and reasoning they may hold some satisfaction, for that they know what they speak: because many times matters of importance come to be moved, on which councillors do not put their eyes, being clogged with businesses, which doth not give them leave to think thoroughly of matters, nor to be able thereby to direct them, not being possible for a man to consider all things which is required for the guiding of one well, and that it greatly furthereth, though it be much considered of, to hear the opinions of many, to resolve of what is best: a point which bindeth Kings to hold Councillors about them, affirming to those which are most confident, that Princes in their particulars of war, are to hear all, and resolve with few.  
That Y.H. may take resolution in marching and lodging as may fall out, notice must generally be had from the information of the natural men of the Country, or those which have lived in it, or by descriptions of Cards and Maps, which is fit Kings should have, although it cost them much money: and albeit upon entering into the country, some defects may be found in them, yet are they profitable for many considerations. The light which is to be taken out of these things, is not of that sort as that Y.H. should put so great confidence in them, as not to send before men practised to view the lodging, ways, and quality of the Country. 
Advise for those which go to discover the lodging.  And in case that for want of carrying sufficient number with them, the enemy should charge them, without giving them respite to discover or view far within the Country, yet they are to go with carrying such an eye, as to consider in the little or nothing which they pass, whether there be any place fit for to lodge in, or no.  
In conquests you must always have a care to get some town, assuring thereby your setting foot within the Province, and to be able to have a secure place to draw together the sick and hurt men, and others cumbers of munition, which can hardly be done in the spaciousness of a field, which consumeth multitudes of horse, and disturb any succours which come to reinforce the army.  
To these considerations may be added the reputation which is gained by taking of a town, weakening thereby the enemy and his train, who standeth as much endamaged as the contrary part profited, all which requireth that in endeavouring a conquest, you first seek out, & be able to seat yourself in some place which may be of profit, when there is no capital town within the Province, upon the giving up of which you may with reason promise' the rendering of the rest, or else to combat with the enemies army: particularities which aught to be looked into with the first, leaving the rest to be regarded after: when there are few men, 
Form of dividing an army for their march  the army is in their march to be divided into two parts, to wit, the vantguarde and rearguard, and ordinarily if there be a number of squadrons into three, forming a battle with part, which may hold equal proportion with the vantguarde and rereguarde, whereby it cometh to be a mean without participating of the two extremes, and a proportioned body through the equality which every one carrieth by himself to be joined together. In which Y.H. is to mark, that to divide an army into these parts, aught to be meant only of the infantry, which in deed is the very strength of the field, 
The infantry the strength of an army.  in respect that the force standeth more united in the footmen then in the horse, because that they move by reason, and horses by the spurs, and held back by the bridle, and both the one and the other can not be alike in all, as in men which have discretion.  

The pike in the infantry, & lance in the cavalry of greatest estimation.  And albeit that in old time the cavalry was of more estimation for their fury and readiness than the infantry, experience cometh to discover the contrary, & to put the ground of a war in the squadrons of fanterie, which serve with pikes, to which the first place is to be yielded in arms as to the lance in horsemen: albeit some soldiers of late years would prefer pistoliers, which grew through the impossibility of carrying lances which they saw in those against whom they were enforced to maintain war, To cover this relying upon the sharpness of their wits, they persuaded with apparent reasons that pistols were of most advantage for the soldiers, who were easily carried away with the belief thereof, in that they found the lance a weapon of much trouble and charge, and the pistol not so much. Among other their reasons, that of greatest force is, that pistols may do greater hurt, and further of then lances, upon a first charge carrying one in the right hand, and a sword drawn with the hilt fastened to the thumb in the left, which holdeth the rain, ready to use upon the discharge of the pistol, being put in the case, except it be fit to pull out the other, which is in that form, which those of this opinion would have the cavalry to fight in, and to be armed at the proof: whereby they do affirm, that they come more securely to mingle with the enemy, & to annoy him more, carrying sword in their hands: for these reasons they may be satisfied, that in the first charge, lances are mingled with arquebusiers on horse, which annoyeth further off then the pistol, and in coming to the shock, the lance hurteth with a more certainty than it following after wards the fury of the horse which runneth them over and over, & seldom times do they fail two encounters with the lance, although it be brook in the first, and many times thrice, not being the worst that which is left of the great end of the staff, or truncheon, since with an encounter therewith a man may be unhorste and thrown down, in such sort as it may well abide two encounters, if not three. These encounters being made, the pistol still remaineth with the light horse, which most carry at the saddle pummel, in steed of a mace or fawchion which they were wont to hang thereat, and the tuck or sword at the girdle, which is no less ready than if it were in the rain hand, where it must needs be a trouble for him which gowerneth the horse. Besides a pistol can not be shot off face to face without hurting a man's own horse, & to discharge it behind, is to hit by chance, which if you will be sure to do, you must level on your right side or left: whereby undoubtedly you give upon the flank of the enemy, which is no small advantage. I signify this opinion unto Y.H. for that by no manner of means you must permit your horse to leave lances, since, if no other reason were to persuade it, the very custom which all nations have used many ages to make their horsemen carry them, and continued it ever since the invention of powder hath been found, and made good proof of their violence, is a sufficient demonstration, that it is the best arms of horsemen, for this cause the squadrons of cavalry, are divided in such manner as a proportion be kept therein, the men at arms being the strength, and the squadrons in such sort as they may be able to renforce with them the vanguard, or any other part of the army, and to divide them likewise into three parts, to renforce every part by itself, with the cavalry and infantry.  
The handling of conquests, leadeth me to signify unto Y.H. before I proceed to the marching with the army, how earnestly you are to wish, the undertaking thereof upon the infidels, since finding yourself busied with other wars for the conservation of your kingdoms, you aught every day instantly to beseech our Lord to rid you out of the trouble of them, whereby you may employ the greatness of those forces, which it hath pleased him to give unto you, with so many Crowns, against the enemies of our holy catholic faith, setting at liberty the multitude of slaves, which the infidels hold in hard oppression and captivity: An enterprise worthy of Y.H. and of the Kings of Spain to busy themselves in, as always your ancestors have done, increasing (by serving our Lord in this) great proffites to their Crowns: A matter which moveth me jointly to handle the manner which I am acquainted with, 
In what manner they aught to march. which undertake conquests upon the infidels, or in country unpeopled.  how they are to lodge and march in conquests upon the infidels. The Country being unpeopled, in respect of the dryness thereof, and want of rivers, will ask that Y.H. bring store of cavalry, especially if the enemies force of his warfare consist therein, as the Kings of Africa, and other parts, the better to assure the lodgings, and to fetch water, and to be able to cover the baggage, munitions, droves, or carriage of victuals, which necessarily are to be carried: and when this may not be possible, and that you are forced to execute the enterprise, it will be fit to make little journeys, occupying the lodging in no further distance, then that it may find water, the squadrons well form, to martche by little and little, in such sort as they may be at hand one of another: the which will cherish the small number of cavalry, which is carried, assisted with the wings of the harquebuses & muskettes, the body of the Army covering the munitions & baggag, which aught to go close together within it: and in case that the troops of the enemies cavalry, set upon them, with the heat of his arquebusiers on horseback, they may fray them away with field pieces and instruments, whereof four may be carried in a waggon, and muskett shot, which will be the most certain, being able to discharge their voleiss more speedily, and with more nimbleness than the artillery, a muskett reaching much further off then a harquebus on horseback, although the petronells be never so long which they carry, coming to lose themselves hereby, without their shot serving to any effect.  
jointly it is to be noted, warring in Barbary, 
Form in which the Alarabos & Africanes fight.  that the Africanes, Alarabes, and Barbarians keep no order in their fight: only running in troops huddle together for the execution thereof, but we keep order in defending the enemies on set, and disorder ourselves at the close: the which requireth, that no volley of shot be bestowed on them, until you see them joined together, and to entertain them in skirmishes with shot of the artillery, and some muskett, for they are almost all lost, in respect that these nations do very much scatter themselves in skirmish, and not to charge them without a body of form squadrons. By marching in this form, you shall have time to fortify the lodging by day, standing with greater security in the nights, whereby the enemies cavalry can hardly break in upon you, and be able to enlarge yourself much, to repose with ease, for that it is not possible being always on horseback, to be master of the field. This will give time to put in order at a good hour, the army and baggage to martche without any impediment of the enemy, standing within view in battle, being of necessity, except he hold some walled Towns near hand enforced to come from far of.  
In Barbary you must be forced to lodge in such situation as the nature of the Country affords, near unto the water, without being able to choose any other more strong: an inconvenience which sometimes our forefathers prevented, carrying empty sacks, which they filled with sand to fortify the lodgings withal. 
Engines to fortify lodgings with.  And because this may fall out in such journeys as the King our Lord may make into those parts and provinces, I presented, in the year One thousand five hundred eighty & four, when I returned from my embassage 
* or rather for your practices banished.  in England, a form of engine of timber, and certain vices, with which they might arm in very short space, a cavalier of the height of thirty geometrical feet, & more, & broad of three score foot square, upon which might stand store of muskett shot, wherewith to defend the lodging, placing four of these cavaleres at the corners thereof: the which will come to serve as travesses to keep the entry thereof, and platforms for the field, being framed of little pieces of timber, which may well be carried upon a beast, and be not of much cumber and trouble in arming and disarming them, which is that which maketh engines and instruments to be of greatest profit. Of these timbers there might be likewise made an other engine, of fifty foot high or more, which a man might easily go up and down by, discovering the field as far as the height of the place will give leave, serving as a watch tower to give the alarum, in case any men come near, perceiving them from far off.  

New manner of pieces of artillery.  jointly I presented to his Majesty, for the effect of the same journeys, a sort of pieces of artillery of metal which might cost some forty crowns, & weigh thirty pounds, shooting a bullet of one pound with that fury, that it would peierce through a brick brickwall of two foot geometrical thick, notwithstanding the small weight of the body of the piece, and in respect thereof the greatness of the diameter of the bullet, and not being heated very soon, which is as well of moment, being able to put them aboard ships although they be small, and shooting like slynges for their little weight, which are qualities of very good service.  
Likewise I presented to his Majesty, 
Bridges to pass over rivers  a form of bridges of little pieces of timber, to pass over rivers withal, which are very easily made up, being strong, & every piece by itself of that bigness, that it might be carried upon any beast: and the truncheons of the model being not longer than half a foot geometrical of the bigness of one's little finger, and three broad, the bridge being five geometrical feet in depth, a man may very securily pass over it for the strength thereof: whereby you may imagine what might be done by increasing the proportion of the Truncheons.  
When you find a Country craggy & mountainous the cavalry willbe of small avail, & the infantry more profitable, especially if there be good Harquebusieres among them, which serve best to fight in a field of the foresaid conditions, finding in most parts a defence, to be able to discharge with security.  
The most days that Y.H. shall stand in this first lodging, you are to go out and walk, 
Fit that the Prince show himself many times to the soldiers.  that the people may of ordinary see you, increasing love in vassals, when they shall many times behold the face of their King: and in soldiers a liveliness, gallantness and affection, with the sight of their Captain, whose person and parts every one admireth according to the caractes of his understanding, and the most his pomp and train: from whence it rises, that by seeing Kings with that majesty and greatness which they show themselves withal in public, & composition then of their actions, every vassal accounteth of himself, moved thereto in that God hath given him a king so powerful, promising to himself to govern & guide his very secret actions with like discretion and consideration as his public. This maketh all men in common to be able to see things, but very few to have understanding to unripp the reason of them: the which causeth outward demonstrations to be of greatest effect when magnificence, and garb giveth help unto them.  
Y.H. is to go abroad, a little before the guards be set, to view the lodging, 
Much experience in matter of situations, is gained by seeing of the guards enter.  & see them enter in, an hour in which Y.H. may gain much experience in the knowledge of the situations, by the reasons which the Campe-maister general, and heads of experience shall deliver, which accompany Your Honour in placing the Corpse de guard, and the Centinelles more in one part then in an other, and what is necessary to be marked in the choosing of them.  
And if Your Honour will be a famous Captain, a quality of so great estimation for any the most powerful Monarch, you must know how to emcampe well, whence ensueth to be able to combat in season, the head corner stone of a General for that to fight alone there is none so base as doth it not. How to advantage yourself in encamping, Your Ho. shall learn much by being sometimes present at the choosing out of the lodgings, in hearing upon such occasion as shall fall out before your own eyes, the opinions of the Camp master general, and the rest of the Councelours, upon the disposing of them, what part will serve best for the cavalry and fanterie, and the difficulties which other offer in being fit to change them or not, and to occupy an other situation.  
A matter of which Y.H. albeit you be not present at the instant in the field with an army, may be able to take a general notice, 
The end Which is to be held in hawking & hunting.  by commanding such as accompany you in hawkenings and hunt, to make report unto you (if they be soldiers) of the quality of the country, where it may serve your best turn to assure the infantry, as also for the cavalry to fight, where the artillery may be situated, and the market place appointed, discoursing in this manner of the rest of the particularities, considering that in your recreation of hawking and hunting it be done, to the end to take knowledge of the field, situation of the stands, and to preserve in good estate the health of the army, that for any other end then these two, it is not fit that Kings should consume their time in a matter, whence there is no more honour to begotten, then that he which guideth himself with reason, shall have deceived or hurt a poor beast which is void thereof. And likewise it is convenient that where Kings take their recreation, it be done in such things as some profit may arise thereby, for to exercise the ministery, in which God hath placed them, reducing all their actions to this end.  
From this first lodging Yaur Honour is not to depart, before you have joined together all your men, artillery, munitions, and victuals, being necessary for the journey: and if it be a conquest, to command that forces be prepared of new, for to secure the army, since that obtaining good success, you may fend them away in case it be not necessary to reinforce it, lest otherwise you consume occasions and time, which is a great enemy to armies, and which finisheth all matters in the world: preventing hereby, if disgrace succeed that you stand prepared, so as no occasion be given to other Princes, to invade Y.H. estates, by seeing your forces put to rout, and disarmed, whilst that the enemy remaineth gallant, and victorious, which causeth reputation to be lost, and the liveliness and courage of the soldiers to abate, cooling thereby the faith and affection of the rest of friends & confederates, whereby most times through the spoil made in war, rents come to be diminished, things which breed ill success, and loss of reputation.  
The day being set down in which Y.H. purposeth to dislodge, 
Order in dislodging.  you must command that warning be given overnight to depart: whereby all may prepare themselves except it be necessary to watch the night, and cover your departure: giving order then by mouth, must be done without the infanteries striking up of any drum, and the cavalry sounding their Trumpets, with a sudden Y.H. must command to sound a boat sela, when your men are geathered together at the morning watch, & then to sound A Cavallo: at which time there aught to be present in the market place the camp master general, Quarter master, Captains of guides, & officers of their train. In old time, the Camp master general, when the army marched, was wont to carry an ensign, differing in form from the Princes, & the Quarter master a square banner, to make so many people the more easily find him out as are to seek him, and to the Quarter masters banner, the Prince's harbingers repair, personages, and Cavaliroes of his Court, and those of the rest of the Regiments, and Companies of horse, which they call Furriers. The like is done now, although without banner, & when there is no suspicion of the enemy, there is a troop of soldiers given to the Quarter master, to keep the furriers from running abroad to commit disorder.  
The Camp master general hath for many years since carried no guidon, and in some army's Princes have allowed him a company of horse, to the end he should have men still at hand to accompany him, without losing time in sending for the cavalry from their quarters, and to have the infantry at a moment when he should require them.  
As soon as the greater part of the army is come together within the market place, the camp master is to give order for the plaining of the trenches, and fortification of the lodging, whereby the men may sally out in squadron with greater commodity and readiness: and even so do armies use to plane the trenches when they go to combat with the enemy, giving to understand by like demonstration, how they contemn the strength of their defences, in regard of the valour of their armies. The fortification being explayned, the campe-maister causeth the vanguard to stand from the trenches such a distance as he thinketh fit, making way thereby for the battle & rearguard to march, and for to set in order the carriage of the artillery, munitions and baggage, a company or companies of the vanguard sallying before, to whom they give guides of the field, dismissing the curriers which serve to discover, & as a guard until they march.  
In this time the General of the artillery should go to place it in order, and the carriage of his train, 
In what place the artillery is to march.  according to the breadth of the way, helping himself with the gastadors, if it should be necessary to make planesse: and the grand Provost is to order likewise the wagons of the victuals and baggage, who is to carry a little banner for his better guiding, and then the Captains and 
* Barrachiles be Corporals of the field.  Corporals of the Regiments of the field, Terces, and cavalry, are to hold their baggage withdrawn by themselves, to sally forth of the lodging. All the wagons of the train or suit of the artillery aught to be the first, the vastadors marching with them, without any other being mingled among those of the munition which ordinarily go in this form, that is to carry the first cart laden with spades and mattocks, the which 
* What with false printing & unusual words some travail is offered to the translat. here he doth use the word A fuste twice in two sundry significations, in which I must confess mine own ignorance, as also of as many as I could confer with among the Spaniards themselves: but submitting myself I take the sense to be truly observed.  pioneers follow, serving to mark out the tracks of the way which they are to pass, and next the light pieces, and after them the greater, in the block carriages, being more easily able to be carried so, then in proper carriages, in which they are enforced to march withal when there is likelihood of combat time being gained thereby, which would be lost in the removing of them from the block to their wheel carriages. The pieces of artillery are followed by the Carpenters and smiths carts, and then by those of the powder and lead, & after with the match: such carts coming after these, as carry Pikes and Lances: and after, those which carry shot, at whose heels march the wagons of the General and officers of the artillery, and after them all the rest of the munitions appertaining to the train of the artillery: and last of all the wagons of victuals and hospital: and by & by those of Y.H. with which beginneth the baguage carrying before Y.H. wagons the bamners of the grand Provost whom the rest are to follow. And when it is necessary to advance any pieces, for being in suspicion, or doubting a fight, they carry with them such wagons of shot & powder as is necessary to serve their turn with.  
The artillery and baggage being set in order, and the vanguard, battle, and rearguard pointed out (which Y.H. is to give warning for over night) the Sergeant majors & Commissaries general of the cavalry, having taken order for such place as the men are to hold which are under their charge, dividing therein such as are to go in vanguard, or rereguarde by their lists, because none should be aggrieved, nor one travail more than another, the Campe-maister general must march with the vanguard, sending corriers before: which are ever to keep within sight of the vanguard, gaining the highest places to discover, & such as are likely for any ambushes, advertising continually what they view, being likewise the custom to carry in the vanguard some pieces of artillery, which must go renforced with more or less cavalry or infantry, according to the quality of the Country, narownes of the ways, largeness of the field, or suspect which may be had of the enemy on the vanguard, rereguarde, or upon the flank: A consideration which causeth the orders to be so divers which are given for marching, and of those I will writ to Y.H. in common, what I understand is to be noted in general, for that it is not possible for a soldier to be able to touch all particularities, although he should writ great volumes.  
At this time Y.H. must be already on horseback, who are to march with your guidon and 
* Besides the standard I take that he means such a pencil as the Deputies of Yrland when they are in the field use to have carried by a Page with their arms painted thereon,  pencil, which is the standard, whether all the grandes, Lords & Cavalleries, which serve Y.H. in the battle, are to repair, being their stand in the armies of Princes and generals, in that it is the place whether from all parts they are to resort. And albeit this be the fashion of the war, yet I have been myself in camp where the General hath been resolved to change it, and to march in the vanguard with the vastadors (which was a strange place to them) which he did in being enforced to go joined to the enemy, to starve him up, and keep him from possessing any place: And in case the enemy would seek him out for to fight, through his so near neighbourhood, yet was it not possible for him, although he defended him with an army inferior in number, besides saving much pains and travail thereby: 
The General's place upon a day● of battle.  an occasion that he would lose no time by remaining in the midst of the army, from whence he was to part upon any news of the enemies seeking of him out, to make choice of some convenient place for to fight: the which he remedied by being in the vanguard, and held by this, and the first intelligence of the enemies approach, the field well viewed, and situation where to fight, which he instantly commanded to be fortified, & so his army had no more to do, then as they came to the stand, to set themselves in battle, being by this means superior in situation, always to fight with advantage.  

Form to march in an open country.  If the field be large to be able to go from one lodging to an other in battle, & that the enemy be on such part as you can not be able to present it unto him for that day, it shallbe greater commodity for every squadron to march by themselves, being able to join together with ease, and the artillery and baggage upon the flank of the army, where lest fear may be of the enemy, the carriage covering the squadrons which are to go in eight or ten ranks in front, that they may be with the lest, and march with less trouble, provided that the artillery go on the side of the squadrons, and some field pieces before, for that in case it should be necessary to better them, it might be done without annoyance of the rest of the carriages, a matter which is fit to be prevented by the general thereof.  
Such leader as shallbe in the vanguard, must leave behind all, a company of lances, or arquebusiers on horse, with an experimented Captain, who is to draw out curriers, which are to march far from his company, or rereguarde, but not so far as to lose sight thereof, and this to be done in case the country be plain: and if hilly, then are the curriers to get up to the highest places, and mountains, to the end the enemy occupy them not: and from thence to discover the order of the march, retiring themselves in this sort from mountain to mountain. In case that the enemies follow the army with a greater troop of men, than the company of curriers and vanguard, and that they be enforced to retire themselves more than the situation where they march requireth, or is fit for to discover, them the Leader of the rereguarde shall enforce them to maintain their stands, giving order that they charge not with greater fury than is necessary, to conserve them without loss of the march, nor to suffer the watchword or alarum to pass, except there be occasion for it, giving every moment intelligence unto Y.H. how things pass. And if the enemies strain upon the curriers with such gallantness and force, as that they must be constrained to retire as far home as the rereguarde, then is he to sustain them by turning face, with making a halt, of which he must advertise Y.H. to the end you may renforce or secure them as necessity shall require: since it may be so great as putting themselves in battle, they may come to hande-stroakes, a matter which they are to forbear, except they be forced thereunto, attending to follow the Camp, which aught to be their end.  
When armies march through an open country, the enemy (being a Captain of experience) is wont to send a troop of lose cavalry to mark the order which they carry, viewing the number of the men by the body of their squadrons. To attain to this, as soon as they discover the curriers in vanguard or rereguarde, they charge them with resolution, who must be enforced being so much inferior to retire themselves, and the enemies horse thereby approach near the army to take the fuller view thereof. On this occasion if Y.H. carry a purpose to occupy forcibly any lodging, or passage which may be of much importance, and not to lose time in marching, you must entertain them, by putting squadrons of cavalry in front, which may skirmish coldly with them: whereby the army shallbe able to march without annoyance, Y.H. not holding any particular purpose, & being willing to break upon the horse, which after the manner of war carry no more succours behind them, then are discovered being lose men, must command the cavalry, which shall stand nearest hand unto them to close resolutely, mingling themselves among them: a matter which you are to give in charge to the captain of those whom they term 
* Horsemen about the Prince, so called.  Despepitadoes, because by this means they shallbe enforced to entertain them, giving time to charge upon them with the rest of the squadrons, which shall come to better their party, and the enemies horse having none to retire themselves too, when they shall have done: a matter which the cavalry doth at pleasure through their much dexterity, though very little time be given unto them.  
To close up the first horse, can not be done without danger, a mischief which must be recompensed with what the enemies undoubtedly may receive, by entertaining time to mingle with them always when it may be done with readiness and determination, which is that which Y.H. must order upon like occasions.  
Likewise at other times they send some horse to discover, who for not being of any great number, are to occupy some high place, or mountain, showing themselves thereon with great front, & so they make a greater appearance of men than they are in deed, whereby they can not be readily discovered: 
Advise to discover horsemen.  A case in which is to be noted, that such as are sent to discover, must look well to the horse feet, if they can clearly discern them, for that thereby may be perceived whether the front be of any thickness or not, or have any troop of horse, notwithstanding any show they make. The better to understand the certain number of horse or fanterie which a squadron may hold more or less, you must 'cause them to mark from on high downward, for them the form is discovered of all parts, not making more appearance thereof then is in deed. 
Manner of marching through a straight country.   
In marching through a strait of any Country, the vanguard must go renforced with the infantry, and that according as you hold any suspicion of the enemy in that part, accompanying it with some field pieces, if the way permit: And in case the enemy be able to charge, you shall as well reinforce the vanguard, dividing the battle in such sort, as the Artillery and baggage be placed in the midst, since it is not of any effect, carrying in the vanguard and rereguarde field pieces and arquebusiers on horse, or lances, such as the disposition of the Country shallbe capable of, if the way be so straight that the carriage must be feign to go so much in rank, as hardly the rereguarde can secure the vanguard, troops of infantry must march on the two sides of the baggage, in such sort as they may give hand one to another, making by this order an easy way for to repair to that part where most need requireth.  
It is as well to be considered in this disposition of the Countries, and straightness of ways, that other cross the valleys & breaches, where (for that the enemy may come out of them) for a gulp of infantry to make halt, to assure them until all the baggage and cavalry may be passed, the infantry retiring themselves then with the rereguarde.  
Being of necessity to march through woods which may be great, 
In what manner to march through woods.  Y.H. must command to put a golpe of harquebuserie in order, with which they must take the wood, and this harquebuserie is to march along the sides of the way which the Army is to pass, serving as wings to cover it, with spreading themselves upon the flanks of their own Army, & when there be found any planes in such woods, as sometimes it falls out, the cavalry is in them to make a halt, the better to assure the way, the baggage following assoon as they have passed the plane, and at the tail thereof the infantry, which necessarily is to rest with the rearguard, and at the coming forth of the wood, if the field be open, the harquebuserie is to stand, at the skirt of the same wood, making halt until the cavalry gain the field with their squadrons, or the high places, being a hilly country. And for that commonly in camping you may be enforced to pass rivers by ford or bridge, 
Passing of Rivers.  in which there is for the most part much danger by the advantage which is given to the enemy by the ableness of assailing a passage, or defending it: it is fit that Y. H. have good consideration thereof, first understanding whether the enemy hold it fortified or not, and in what manner, serving himself with Artillery for defence thereof: because than I would not council Y.H. to attempt it, since necessarily the Army is to be divided in the passage, and consequently the forces, which is to make the enemies greater, when as the conservation of the whole army standeth not upon it, being otherwise a most dangerous course: and albeit that some have put it in execution, it hath been more through the cowardice of such as kept like passages, then for any reason which could be alleged for the gaining of them, which must be attempted with so great danger & inequality, as falls in that manner of fight, and so it shallbe fit for the avoiding of this inconvenience, that Y.H. use great diligence and secrecy in passing of the rivers, serving your turn with all sorts of stratagems and devices, to the end the enemy may not prevent you, by before occupying the passage. In all actions of war, that is held for best and most secure, which the enemy lest suspecteth: and in passing of rivers it is of greater importance then in any other, for the danger wherewith it is performed.  
When there is found in the river any ford with much water, or his current carrying great violence, you are to be informed by the natural country men, in what part the fords lie, how deep they are, and in what season of the year it may be passed with less or more facility, giving light thereunto: if the River beareth ordinarily much water, or holdeth great quantity of land-waters swelling with rains, and melting of snows from of the mountains, which causeth much fury to the rivers; whether the landing places at the ford be a plane, with trees, or rough & uneasy: upon these qualities Y.H. may take resolution with your Council, touching the ford by which you determine to pass, whether your cavalry is to come before it grow morning, and with them a golpe of muskeeteers and arquebusiers, which the infantry is to follow, carrying in vanguard four or six demi Canons, whereby they may possess the brinckes of the river, so as the vanguard may begin to pass, the arquebusiers on horse following such guides and people as have already sounded the ford, and strait the light horse and men at arms, every soldier carrying on the buttock of his horse a arquebusier, or musketier, which may alight assoon as they are passed over, occupying the most convenient stands, and the cavalry there's, if the field permit it, when they are not to return, leaving the harquebuserie assured, and the infantry to pass on the horse buttocks, renforcing the first, if the enemy be discovered, which shallbe hardly able already to hinder the passage.  
If the depth of the River and water be in that manner, 
A new invention to pass artillery over Rivers.  as carts may pass, they use to frame of them a kind of bridges upon which the rest of the infantry may pass, wetting themselves very little, which is a great commodity to the army. Upon like occasions the carriage is wont to pass the ford, and the artillery when it is not much, I have seen passed over, dismounting them with raftes, martinets, and other instruments which they carry to that end to the other side of the water, where a great gable is fastened, which crosseth the River, stiff drawn, and upon that they hang strong cords, which they fasten to the ears of the piece, the which going between two waters, is easily moved, the great cord running alongst the cable, upon which the piece is hanged, and hereby the cable is able to bear it, when the cord is made in form of a sliding knot, that it may be wide enough to slip, and one other great cord which is tied to the sliding knot, & another to the handles of the piece, the which pull it to the other side of the River, by giving it motion, which is easily done, by reason in this manner, for that the very water by natural reason lighteneth the weight of the Artillery, a ●●ng which is palpable by experience. In this manner they use to land in little rivers the artillery on the other side, when the ford for the owse doth not serve to pass it in carts, nor the Bridge strong enough to bear the weight thereof.  
I have signified this particularity to Y.H. for that it is an invention of my time, and very profitable upon some occasions.  
When they encamp within Provinces where great & deep Rivers are, the Armies ordinarily carry bridges of Barks with them, that the whole army may the more securely pass, being very easy to be framed up: and albeit that at other times they make them upon barrills, cables, and planks of timber, it is but to supply necessity, when they can not carry boats whereby the Canon may securely pass.  
In case it be necessary that Y.H. make a bridge of boats, or of any other form, 
Manner how to cast a Bridge of boats over a River.  you must command that the whole Artillery may be placed, which you would have passed, upon the brink or shore of the River, marking it out for such places as you would use it in.  
The which being done, they must put the boats a cross the water, forming a Bridge, upon the planks whereof they shall place some arquebusiers & musketeers, the better to assure the other side of the river, if the enemy chance to discover that you mind to pass it. And assoon as ever the bridge is made, Y.H. shall command that some arquebusiers on horse pass over with a golpe of harquebuserie, and some lances, if the field yield commodity thereunto, & four or six field pieces, some carts & vastadors immediately following, wherewith the soldiers may fottifie the guard of the bridge, which very well may keep five hundredth men fortified, without endangering any greater number at the beginning, being sufficient for that effect: especially the rest of the Army and baggage being to follow, Provided that if Y.H. have any suspicion that the enemy may come to give upon the rereguarde, that the entry of the bridge on the other side be well fortified, in such sort, as the very last of the soldiers which are to retire, may do it with security: & the Pikes which are among them, are wont to carry them in their retreat, trailing the heads along the bridge to the enemy wards, to have them the readier in hand, if it be needful to serve with them, with but turning their faces, leaving the bridge afterwards, if it shallbe necessary. In case that Y.H. perceive that the enemy renforceth himself for to charge them, you must command that some pieces of artillery be planted, assoon as they have passed over the river to play upon the enemy.  
The whole Army being passed, Y.H. may march with it according to the quality of the country in one of the forms which I have set down, and according to the show which the enemy shall make, and before you come to the place where Y.H. purposeth to lodge, you must send the Camp master general before for to view it, and to make out the lodging, in which is to be considered, 
Quality of lodgings.  besides those parts which I noted of water, wood, soil, and wholesome air, whether it be fit to have it on a hill, for that ordinarily in such situations there is want of water and pastures, & coming to seek for it below the hill, besides the discommodity and toil in clamering up with the victuals, the enemy may easily hinder both, & besiege the men if the mountain be high, where likewise the artillery canserue to no great purpose, except it hold a proportion to shoot from an high downward.  
In lodging upon the side of an hill, they commonly point out the market place in the highest part thereof, provided that the distance from the quarters thereunto, be not so great as that the soldiers must be feign to bring their Arms breathless with clambering for to fight, which is a great inconvenience, and no small one to be feign to hold the Corpse de guard well renforced to entertain play with the enemy, while the men come together to set themselves in battle: if you descend from the side of the hill and quarters down to the market place in a plane, it is done likewise with great disadvantage, for that the whole power cometh to be discovered, which the enemy lying close may with great certainty play upon.  
These be the inconveniences which soldiers put in like lodgings, and so are they esteemed for best in a plain, when they are not near any mountain or hill from whence the enemy by occupying it, may offend with his Artillery the market place or quarters, for these causes are lodgings best on the plane, not holding any enemy near, especially if there be any wood behind their shoulders or flanks, or that there be any lakes, breaches or river whereby to guard the flanks or shoulders: provided that the quarters be not so placed, as that if the river swell, it may be able to do any hurt with coming in, nor the enemy by getting any Arm thereof, to drown them, nor yet to furnish the lodging by putting themselves in front at the entry thereof, when there is no other way for them which occupy it to get forth.  
jointly when there is any eminency of situation, and that you must be enforced to lodge near unto it, let it be kept by placing men, on the top, lest the enemy possess himself thereof, so as it be no further distant than you may be well able to secure it, for that otherwise it would be a greater mischief by losing your people: And I do not council (as some are of opinion) that it is fit to turn back to gain again the mountain, since that in matter of stands and lodgings, nothing is to be held for good which may be bettered, neither is it fit to occupy it to any other end, than still to maintain it, without thinking to recover it again  
These advertisements which I have signified unto Y.H. hold in general as concerning the election of lodgings, which are to be proportioned with the circumstances of the case, motive of war, forces of the enemy, & place in which they stand, holding always a consideration before their eyes, which is of greater importance than all the rest for lodgings, and that is, to choose them in such sort as may hold a very evil access for the enemy unto them, 
Quality of greatest importance in lodgings.  and a good sally for them which occupy them: A quality which is not possible to be particularised unto Y.H. except it be with the present occasion, and much experience, which teacheth of what moment an ill approach is for him which is to fight, & a good sally for those which would do it, or dislodge. This may be said to be it, which men in ancient time denied, when they desired that the frontiers of their common wealths, which they builded in rough and raggy places, might hold a good assent on their part, and an uneasy on the enemies, which sometimes cometh to give impediment to him to lodge, and then the election of the situation being made, he placeth all his cavalry in front, standing in squadrons to cover the fortifying, so as it can not be discovered before it be fully finished.  
In countries which are much peopled, they use to disperse the cavalry from the infantry, to give commodity of houses, and forage, which is done in such manner, as the cavalry covereth the infantry, when they are not sent out, and the infantry severed, to keep watch a nights, the Camp master general ordaining it, and that victuals be brought if it be necessary.  
When as the lodgings be fortified, & that there be houses round about, Y.H. may not permit your men to go & lodge in them, for that they serve to no other end then to give occasion to the enemy to cut their throats in the night by standing without guard.  
The Campe-maister general having divided the quarters, and market place, in such manner as I signified to Y.H. in the first lodging, the Quarter master is in particular to tickett them out to the harbingers & furriers: which done, he may go to rest, and the Captains of the scouts and Sentinels, 
Who are first to be lodged.  which are those that are to be first lodged by reason of being weary a nights, and the company of the campe-maister generals horse, if he have any, and this to be done while the vanguard standeth in squadron, and the battle be come, which is then to go to lodge, the battle remaining in squadron until the artillery, munition, baggage and rearguard have entered into the lodging.  
In this time the Camp master general, shall view the most convenient situation where to place the day guard on what part the enemy is likely to come, and the Captain which shall have charge thereof, shall draw out the Sentinels to their stands, without dispersing them so as they should lose the sight of the Corpse de guard, provided that if there be any valleys or woods, by which the enemy should be able to cut them off, more sentinels be placed to discover, in such sort as the corpse de guard may see them, who are ordinarily to advertise Y.H. of such men as the sentinels discover, be they more or less, which must by no means depart from their stands without order, nor the corpse de guard to charge the enemy, although he be superior unto him, with whom he may skirmish to entertain time, still advertising Y.H. who are to give order for what shallbe most convenient, & in case the enemy renforce themselves, and that no succour come, then are they to retire in good order, so as still they entertain them, giving time & advise to Y.H.  
In some lodgings it is not enough for discovery to place one Cordeguarde, a matter which the Camp master general is to foresee, be they two or more, according to the quality of the situation, and that the guards of horse, the days being long & hot, may be changed at noon, whereby they may not over travel.  
The situation for one cordeguard or more being chosen out, the Camp master general with the general of the Artillery, and other heads of the army must view the lodging round about, appointing the stands which the Cordeguardes are to be placed in by night, and such fortification as he ordaineth, the rereguarde being always in squadron; if there be any suspect held of the enemy, until the lodging be fortified: A matter which is done more or less, according as the time serveth, and as they think to occupy the situation.  
This being done, & that the day-guard which is to make it, stand in their places, the squadrons of the rearguard, and corryers' which come behind go to be lodged, the guard of the field remaining entirely where they are set.  
It is fit that Y.H. come to lodge in a good hour, as well for the greater ease of your men, as that you may have time to fortify yourself, if it be necessary, through the enemies being at hand, things which are very ill performed in the night: and the better to assure the foragers, you are to consider the enemy being able to do hurt, that horse be sent to discover, and make scout if occasion require it, preventing that the Army miscarry not, and your men be lost, who albeit they be not armed, yet is it a reputation to preserve them, and a benefit of the field.  

Guards to be renforced when you are near the enemy.  When the enemy draweth near to the situation which is already possessed, they use to renforce the guard more than in other stands, and this by dividing the Army into three parts, that one may keep guard a nights while the other two rest, and in case the suspicion increase, that then they put half of the army to guard, considering that it is a less inconvenience to stand ready prepared, although they toil for it, them to be careless: this maketh officers to answer soldiers, if they complain of their ever often guarding, that the K. payeth for the guards, not for the fight: The particular of one's self depending on the one, and the common security of the Army on the other.  
They use aswell to put between the principal corpse de guard, and the double Sentinels, other small cordegardes of such number of soldiers, as may serve to change the sentinels; the which careful Sergeants Majors will of themselves look unto, as well for that it may be done with greater facility, as also for that one single sentinel giving warning to the double, and by that which they see, they are more assured whether it be certain or not, then by report of others: & if it be necessary for him to retire, he doth it to the double Sentinels, which are three soldiers, and they to the lesser Cordeguarde.  
The same order may be held among the guards of cavalry, which they set without the fortification, if much suspicion be had: and the Captains and Lieutenants of horse, in reason as men experienced, shall place men in such parts & ways, as the enemy is to pass, the guards of horse being that which assureth the camp most, and likewise the garrisons which must of force be scattered from it: hereby time is gained with discovering the enemy to prevent him, standing ready prepared for him, the better to be able, to provide for any hurt before it falls out.  
jointly there is another way of prevention in time of suspect, the enemy being near, or if you be desirous to know whether he sand any men forth of his Camp by night, or dislodge, which is to place sentinels a foot and on horse so near his Camp, as that for danger thereof they may not have the word given them, and are named forlorn, 
Forlorn sentinels  carrying other marks whereby they may be known of the sentinels, in case they return to bring any news. Besides the care which must be had to seek out good spies, a matter of so great importance in the war, it is a very good means to hold day and night upon the enemy, one, two, or more troops of horse, which may go by divers ways, with good guides, fifteen or twenty in a number, & with every one an officer which may be experienced, and carry a soundness of judgement to view, without making any hurly-burly.  
These troops sallying out of the Camp by night, carry not the word but their leader giveth one among them selves when they are abroad, by which they may know one another, being that if any of them should be lost, the enemy should not come by it: and being to return with any intelligence by night, the officer which goeth with them, hath order to send before a soldier, who is to give warning to the Sentinel, that they take not the alarum upon seeing of the troop, and that he declare to his Captain, how such an officer of the Corriors is come, and then the Sentinel shall advertise him thereof, willing the soldier to retire, who shall make the same known to Y.H. or the Camp master general, who must give order for what shall be most convenient, & in case that he come into the camp that then an officer of the Cordeguarde go forth which knoweth the word, to give order that the Sentinels suffer him to pass after having well taken knowledge of him.  
The same course is held when any troops of infantry or cavalry have go to keep scout, or upon any other service, to send if it be at the hours that Sentinels are set, to give warning by some soldier which shall go before, that they make no stir, or raise any alarm upon the sight of them: The which must be prevented, and Y.H. or the Camp master general must have warning before they discover them, who are to march slowly: and in case that any come to enter within the Camp, and carry the word, for that the general gave it unto him, and would speak with him at any hour without losing time, the single Sentinel on foot or horse, is to bring him as far as the double, and one of them to carry him to his Captain at the Cordegarde, who is to deliver him to the principal officer, that he may advertise the Camp master general thereof, if the news be not of so great moment, as to deserve to be presently carried to Y.H.  

Preventions for fight by night.  Some use in like sort when the enemy is much superior in cavalry, & that they fear he will assail the lodgings in the night, to make great fieres before the market place, which discovereth whosoever cometh, and dazzleth them, not to be able to see again who there attendeth: other prepare themselves by making ditches before the market place, in manner of pitfalls for to annoy the horse, & scatter some pricks of iron, and in this conformity every one applieth what he thinketh most to purpose for his own defence, according to the occasion which is offered and suspicion had.  
I have signified to Y.H. all these forms of wars, for that it was never hurtful to any man, though he were far from the enemy, much less near, to stand upon his guard, and that with great warienesse, though some say that Y.H. in so doing, doth but give reputation to the enemy, and show a fear of him, for that in war such as are reachles, are every moment paid home, and never did a circumspect soldier receive hurt, nor an obstinate good, an enemy being to be contemned at the time of fight, but always to be esteemed for point of war; for this cause the errors of a Superior in matters of government and policy, may be compared to lingering infirmities, which give leisure to think in matters of remedy, but those of war to sharp one's, whose beginning is the end of the patiented.  
The alarm being taken by night, 
Order upon alarm.  which aught to be upon good ground, those officers being to look unto it that take charge of visiting the Sentinels at divers hours, that they may stand in readiness, the single Sentinels are to retire to the double, upon the enemies charge, and the double to the small corpse de guard, which join themselves with the principal, wherewith they make a squadron, and whether all the arms, banners and standards are to repair.  
Such companies as serve for guard unto Y.H. are placed in squadron without moving from their stands, and so are those which guard the Artillery, & sometimes in the lodgings some other colours stand for guard, in such parts as they are appointed to make a squadron in the same place, for the inconvenience which might follow in case it should be abandoned, being lost time in going to the general market place, as they must do by day, for that then being able to know which way the enemy directes, the Commander hath time to send men to withstand him, being ready in the market place, whether all make their appearance: a matter which upon alarm by night can not be done.  
Those officers whose Sentinels first began, are to inform Y.H. from what part they come, and upon what occasion, giving warning to the cordeguarde next hand, that they retire their Sentinels, the fury of the alorum continuing, and that no trumpet sound upon pain of losing a hand, until Y.H. own have done, which aught to be the best and most skilfulliest in that art.  
The like order is to be kept by the drums, when they do sound alarm, those which stand on Y.H. guard beginning, when they may be herded, being in reason that they are better able to know upon what ground the alarum rises, where Y.H. person rests, & before any other part: and many times the voice of Arm happeneth to come within the very camp, before any sentinels have cried it, who are not to retire from their stands without the enemy force them, or that their officer come to him upon the alarum, and then Y.H. must give a new word in returning to place again, and the men go to lodge, for fear lest the enemy should get the word by having taken any sentinel, nor that any spy, if he have entered that night upon the rumour of Alarom, should escape forth until it were day: when the Sergeants Majors, being of experience, & other officers come to ask the word of Y.H. after having put the men in squadron, and ordered them to lodge, you must know whether the Sentinels be retired or no.  
Y.H. encamping with intent to invade any land, the motive which is held in war so requiring it, 
Consideration in planting of a sieg against a place.  to 'cause the enemy to leave any strong hold, or to come to fight for the succour thereof, to get victuals, or set foot within the Province, must in reason before hand have relation and knowledge of the scite and fortification which it holdeth, the number of men which are to defend it, & whether they be soldiers or not, and with what head: and not to learn this only from the natural people of the country, but from spies, or such other as under colour of negotiations, treaties, or prisoners have been sent to view any such place, and the ways thereof.  
Y.H. must signify unto your Councillors the relation of any such information as people of experience, or the natural men of that country shall deliver, for to take the last resolution in what manner the siege must be laid, following with much preciseness their liking and opinion, for that to besiege a place is one of the matters in war, which asketh much consideration, weighing the enterprise, for that hastiness is an enemy of good council, & delay never good but to repress anger and displeasure, for which cause resolutions are to be taken with valour of the mind, for that they otherwise be ambiguous, which neither come to help those which take them, nor endemnifie the enemy, & from whence great mischiefs have redounded to Princes, as often as they have intended stages without it, and in particular if they have not held quantity of artillery, with boundance of munitions, wherewith to open a sufficient Battery, making the soldiers and Corporals which follow them, the more easily to show thereby their courage, when they come to handstrokes with the enemy, which is that which in the end gaineth the places, the honour thereof being dew to them, and to the general the blocking up of the passages, whereby to hinder succours, placing the battery in the best part thereof  
The first matter which Y.H. is to debate of, is whether they must make one or two lodgings or more before that you come to lay siege discovertlie, inquiring whether there be no towns round about, making show as though you meant to besiege one of them, and not that which you pretend in deed, to find it thereby the less provided: for this cause the Army must be divided and march on divers parts, and in the night with great diligence troops of soldiers must be sent to take the passages and places whereby men may come to enter within the country.  
Being able to besiege with making one lodging only, is the better, because of putting the greater fear in those which are within, seeing themselves suddenly enclosed, preventing with speediness that they do not hinder the taking of the lodging, and burn the suburbs & houses about, which is of great moment, nor to have ready their Artillery, and other things which in this conformity may be had by dallying the time of the siege, if those which stand upon their defence come to suspect it, for this they use when the Country holdeth three or four passages or sails, to sand by day or night men, if the situation permit, that at one instant they may occupy the passagages thereof, making great diligence in fortifying them, with trenches, ditches, and travesses, whereby they stop any succour from them, & let them within from saling forth, being so near, having many means to be able to offend them, if they intend any sally with greater security.  
To execute this enterprise, the Army is to march according as the country serveth, in one of the manners which I have set down, and in the vandguarde the Camp master general to be so well renforced with cavalry and infantry, as that he may be superior to those within, being able thereby, if they make any sally to charge them with determination, & readiness, so as he make them turn tail, without losing any time upon the occasion which may be offered, according to the disposition of the place and borders about, happening some times upon the like charges, to slay or take some of the leaders which sally out to guide the besieged, of whom intelligence may be taken: a matter which greatly quayleth them, and in particular if they receive much hurt upon the first brunt, which bringeth them to bethink themselves of yielding.  
It hath likewise fallen out that they have so mingled themselves with the enemy, as that they have gained the place, entering peel meal one with another into it, by reason of disordering themselves upon the retreat, and not holding the guard of the gates fortified with Baricadoes, & other things, which they use in like places where they live circumspectly and with good guard.  
And albeit these effects sometimes hap, to charge the enime with determination, is to get to approach the walls, assalting the enemy, and to view the manner of them, the ditches, loopeholes, & travesses, marking with the eye whether the fortification be changed or not, from the relation which before you had, and new defences made, & by this means gain time to straighten them, which is the end which the besieger is to work for, as to enlarge himself is his which defendeth, the most which may be possible for him, from his neighbourhood.  
In this charge the Camp master general is to mark that the squadrons of the cavalry be not placed in such sort as that the artillery from the plattformes and cavaliers of earth may much annoyed them, 
Advise how to present men at a siege.  viewing if he be a soldier the places as well in the ways as other stands, where the enemy may in reason aim with his pieces: a particular which may be known with the eye, and experience of a soldier, assoon as he seethe the field, and discovereth the country.  
The enemy being dulled within the place, the Campe-maister general is to mark out the lodging, assigning the quarters as near as may be unto it, and that without being subject to the Canon: and albeit that the bullets light from the place besieged upon some of the quarters, giving to the pieces as much charge as they can hold, it is no great inconvenience: The quarters aught to be disposed in such sort as that the Town be enclosed round about, that none may escape out, nor be able to relieve those which are besieged, with either men or victuals, being to no purpose to undertake any such enterprise, without a most strong lodging: neither can a Town in deed be said to be besieged, 
Consideration in disposing of quarters.  except it be environed on all parts, and when any suspicion ariseth, that the enemy is like to come with a main Army to secure it, them do they fortify the lodging aswell towards the walls as the fields, which they must have a great care over, preventing the approaches which the enemy may make for to put in succour, or give upon the lodging, which is to be fortified as shall be thought fittest, making travesses, Baricadoes, or trenches, if occasion require, and by Y.H. standing ready prepared after such manner as you are to dispose your Army in battle to attend him according to the situation, and that after such a fashion as may defend the whole body of the lodging, being assailed on diverse parts or one alone, one quarter giving hand to another, in the case the enemy attempt any one with greater fury than the rest; orders which are better executed by being before hand forethought of & prepared, then just upon the enemies discovery  
If any river run by the Town, the Camp must needs be divided into two or three parts for to besiege it, which asketh that they be well fortified, so as every one may of itself defend itself, with such leader as Y.H. shall place in every stand, and to secure from one quarter to another.  
I do not lay down to Y.H. such manner of bridges and engines as I have seen made, for to work all these effects, for that I would not be to tedious, and that it is necessary a man govern himself in these enterprises according to the preparations which are to be made for such a siege, & as the quality of such a river is, and fury of the current which it holdeth, which is to give law, whether it be better to frame the bridge making it above the town or below, or both, so as those within may not be able to serve their turn with the current for to undo it, by putting down of barks upon the ebb with men, and artificial fires for to break & burn it, if the current serve for it, and consequently if the bridge stand below the Town, that the enemy come not up assisted with wind and tide to spoil it, and secure the besieged, and so whether it shallbe convenient or no to fortify the entries of the bridges with any ravelin, or defence, keeping a renforced guard, for that it standeth joined to the quarters.  
The Army being lodged, and the town viewed, as well by the general of the artillery, as other leaders and soldiers of experience, Y.H. must take resolution on what part you will plant your battery, or batteries, 
Consideration in planting of battery.  considering that ordinarily in cold countries the walls which stand to the North, and which lie subject to the Septentrional winds, are weaker than the other, and in warm, those which stand on the South: A quality which is to be marked, and what rampire they hold, and the thickness thereof, and whether the brickwall be builded of new, in being more easy to batter it: whether there be space where you batter between one tower or bulwark and another, so as you may make your battery for eight or nine soldiers to be able to enter in front, which distance is held for a great Battery, & allowed for good in case they be not able to assail in front. jointly it is to be considered whether the brickwall yield commodity by any angle or corner to be able to cross the battery, for that then they within can hardly defend it, and to make two batteries when it may be by assalting the town in two places at once, is much better than a single, those which stand at one battery still fearing lest they enter by the other, and hereby stand upon their defence very jealous of their own destruction, and there is no noise of woomen or children herded, how small soever it be, which giveth them not some care looking back what it means: a particular which sundry times causeth places to be the sooner gained, and in this respect they attempt other by assalting in sundry parts, making show of carrying ladders & other provisions, where they never purpose to enter, only with intent to divert the enemy, putting him with the suspicion thereof in great fear, seeing himself ready to be assaulted, which every thing increaseth, augmenting a distrust, unless the resolution of honourable Breasts despise it; matters which must be resolved on without losing time, and in some place they plant pieces on the plain ground without gabions or trenches, when as the town which they would take, holdeth no defence, nor that it is necessary to use any greater diligence, then to batter a gate, or open a Portal. In this you must proceed according to the men which are within, and quality of the walls and ditches, if there be any, because when they within may be able to hold time without yielding, it is not good to go about to batter, without covering of the artillery, & making of trenches, for that without these two things is but to venture and put in hazard many men, and give greater courage to those within, when they shall see the loss which is without.  
In making the approach, as they term it, as much to say as to come near to the walls and ditches, the Artillery & munitions being ready, they use, the enemy being retired within the walls, and the place where they are to batter well viewed by the general of the artillery and other heads of the Army, to march with great culverins, and pointing them, to such parapetts, platforms and Cavaliers, as they may best serve in, to begin to quit some defences, drawing while the Coluerins' play, the Cannon as near as they can, to quit the loopeholes & defences, in such sort as they may not discover the culverins, or descry them near hand, being places where the ehimie may do mischief, the demie Cannons, culverins, and quarter Cannons following the Cannon as near as can be, and shooting where the culverins and Cannons have battered, throwing down the defences the best that they can, & that with speed and diligence, causing the enemy in one, two days or more, to quit the Canonries and travesses: which being done, or continuing to procure it, it giveth a beginning that no loss of time be to work more easily in the night, and with greater security upon the trenches, the enemy having no secure place whence to discharge a piece for his own defence, the great cannons being then able to better their place where the battery is to be made, and to begin or continue the trenches if they be in hand already, which in such place as much sand is, they raise with stones, 
Manner of trenches.  which are very dangerous trenches for hurting much people with their own stones, as often as a bullet lighteth, & when the soil is watery, some help it with chests of wood, filling it with earth, other with gabions, with which commonly they cover the artillery, allowing them eight foot of diameter, which is large enough for a defence: and in Barbary where there is so great abundance of sand, little earth and want of trees, they have been wont to make their gabions by putting stakes into the ground, fastening them with ropes of bentes, in steed of boughs, weaving them so close together, as that they may fill them with sand: It is a matter unpossible to deliver to Y.H. at what place the trenches are to begin, nor whether they should be long or short, nor whether for the better covering of the artillery with which they batter, they must bring it as far as the brink of the ditch, or come to disemboke within it, nor to go with travesses through the same ditch forward, if the quality thereof permit it, nor if it stand brim full of water, with the more ease to be able to make bridges within it, upon which after the battery made, the assault may be given, or to be able to come in barks or boats to the very battery and walls, particulars which I can not resolve, except I were present upon the very ground, & as occasion presenteth governing once self in this, and in the guards of the trenches & other things according to the resistance which the enemy maketh, and progress in prolonging or shortening the siege.  
The chiefest point to be considered is, that the trenches be wrought with much heed and consideration, 
What is to be considered in working of trenches.  taking care to guide them with the bulwarks, towers, and flanks of the walls, making the windings in such sort as no piece of the enemy may be able to emboke them, nor to batter by direct line any bow or windings of them, being so much the better, by how much they are deeper, broader, and higher, and approach nearest unto the quarters: and in case that the principal heads of the Army be enforced ordinarily to go unto them, it is very fit when there is a quantity of vastadors, to assure the entry, Y.H. not hazarding those personages which are about you, by reason that the want of any leader may prove very prejudicial.  
Albeit that trenches are commonly made after the manner which I have set down unto Y.H. yet I have myself been in place, where they wrought them strait, with flankers on high, which seemed very strange to those soldiers which saw it, & to very good purpose by gaining of time in not making windings: wherein is to be considered, the disposition of the ground, serving to be able to work a straight trench, that bows be made out from one part to another to renforce them with men, for that a straight one is not able to receive many, and it is very necessary to hold them well renforced with soldiers, and provided of budge-barills, that the harquebuserie may shoot with more security, to whom order is to be given, that by no means they talk to them within, avoiding thereby any advertisement which might under hand be given, as sometimes it hath fallen out of what hath not benefit to be discovered.  
Concerning the trenches, the place aught to be before hand well viewed and assured whence they are to batter: 
What it required in places whence to make battery.  In which six points are to be considered: first, that it be strong by nature, or capable to be made so by art. secondly, that the soldiers may be able to furnish and combat within it with commodity & defence. thirdly, to be able to retire the artillery easily from the place, if necessity should so require. fourthly, that the situation be capable to plant pieces within it, in such sort as they may be able to hit point blank upon such part or parts as they mind to batter. fiftly, that there be a place prepared ready for the soldiers to give the assault after the battery made, which will be to small purpose, if the approach unto it be unaccessible. sixtly, that the battery stand not to near the walls, lest the enemy chance to annoyed many men with his arquebusiers, nor consequently that to avoid this inconvenience, it be too far of, where the fury thereof shallbe able to work but small effect.  
Some hold that Battery for the best, when the pieces may be four score or one hundredth paces from the brickwall, 
What distance is best in planting of a battery  their fury being nothing so great, when they stand one hundredth and fifty or two hundredth of: upon which is inferred that at three hundred, or how much soever more, the pieces be planted, they batter with less force. For which cause other are of opinion, that the pieces were best to be placed, if it were possible, upon the very brim of the ditch, whereby they signify that according to their opinion they should be drawn to batter as near as might be to the walls: upon this when the place which is besieged holdeth a number of men within, it falls out a great inconvenience, if they be soldiers, besides being able to hurt many in being so near, which is to give occasion to those within to make brave sallies, under hope to clow some piece by lying so near, and to be able to be defended by their harquebuserie and musketrie from of the walls: a particular much to be regarded, considering the commodity of doors or close casaments, which the besieged may hold, to sally out upon the artillery, or trenches, and whether before they come near unto them, they must of force be descried a far of or not, to the end that if they be discovered before they enter skirmish, there may be space to renforce the guard of the Artillery with soldiers and arms, for which time serveth not, if suddenly they be able to give upon them and the trenches.  
It was held in old time a complete Battery to batter with six Cannons, two culverins, and four demie Coluerines, and twelve Sakers or Falconets, a thing which hardly can be delivered to Y.H. by any certain rule, for that the number of the pieces and battery is to be considered according to the quality of the place or fortress which you would batter with them: Those pieces which carry bullet between forty and three score pound, they now commonly call Cannons of battery, & those which pass three score, Basilisco's, notwithstanding this, such Cannons as commonly are founded for battery, be of eight and thirty, forty, and four and forty pound of 
* Calibre, from the word we took first the name of caliver, which is of a higher bore than the harquebus, & there is an instrument like to a pair of compasses, with the which the weight & height of bullets are measured: we call that in English a Calaber.  weight, & the demie Cannons of four and twenty, being found by experience not to be pieces of much waist, doing sufficient effect for battery, and with greater facility to be maneaged then any other sort of pieces, as well to encamp with all, as for a siege, and when a war is broken out between two Princes, one attempting upon another, they use to give more or less weight to the bullets of their Camnon of battery, than the contrary part useth, whereby one's bullet may not serve another, in sort as if the bullet on one side weigh two and forty pound, the other shallbe of eight and thirty, or six & forty, somewhat more or less: jointly they accompany these pieces in the batteries as I have set down with demie Coluerines, quarter Cannons, demie sacres, and field pieces, which commonly they carry when commodity serveth for it, great Armies bringing with them of all sorts of Artillery to every purpose placing the small pieces, on such parts and ground, as may best conveniently stop the sallies of the besieged, and other passages, by which the enemy might come to secure.  
These pieces being planted with their beds, which are made of timber planks or hurdles, they cover them with gabions and ditches, as well for the security of the Pioneers (which assist to retire them with the gunner's, & do other necessaries) as the guard of the artillery, fortifying the situation thereof, in such sort as when the enemy driveth the men from their trenches which they have to cover them, & pass forward either to gain or clowe the Artillery, the soldiers which stand at the guard, may hold sufficient strength to defend it. To batter the walls when they are only a casamure without rampire of earth, you must plant your pieces in such sort as they may batter the walls a slante, for that then they break them worse than shooting by direct line, by which they only pierce through the brickwall with much fury, without shaking it. The approach being made, driving the trenches as near the town as may be, the battery is to be planted, which is to begin in this order, that is to shoot of those pieces with which you batter determinably by volleys one after another, being of greater effect so, 
Manner how to batter.  then if they should be discharged every one by itself, and then after a volley passed, shooting off those pieces which stand at the defences, to the end the enemy may not discover while they be charged a new, and put in their place: and the like is to be done by the harquebuserie & musketrie from the trenches, keeping the enemy from showing himself until they return to give another volley, which is the manner whereby a battery is continued, serving themselves with the greater pieces to shake the brickwall, breaking it a pieces, and with the lesser to cut it after, and to make the greater ruin by the falling of that which was shaken, in any wise hastening the battery with all the diligence that may be, and to ply it so (if it be possible) as so many voleys as should serve turn, might be shot in one day rather than two, diligence in batteries being of great moment, and for many respects to be used: a business which will give them that are besieged to think on, when they see themselves furiously battered. For this purpose, besides the diligence which the general of the artillery, his Lieutenants and officers are to use, the gunner's finding that they gain particularly by every volley which they discharge, are to give cartages & budgebarrels, to charge more easily, & speedily: and by this means I have been present at a siege where there hath been discharged in the end of August when the days are not very long, fourscore and on tire in one day, the battery being of six and thirty pieces. It is true that in respect it was in a cold country, they cooled not their Cannons as they must be forced to do in hot, and thereby lose much time.  
At night when the last tire is shot of and the pieces charged, they place them as if presently they were to be discharged, to hinder them which are besieged from repairing any breach which is done by shooting of every piece by itself in the night at such hour as is convenient.  
In this time if the ditch be dry, may be viewed the Canoniries, and casamates which are within it, and the damage which the ruin of the battery hath wrought, and if it hold water, they to devise to let it out if the ground will serve for it, or to drain it with engines for the purpose, or to stop it up with Fagotts, or fill it with earth, as I have seen it in a siege, 
Form of bridges,  & to make ready if it hold any depth, bridges, which are to be thrown in for the assault made of Barrels, Barks, and ship-mastes: the throwing of them in being a matter of sufficient peril, and great danger for a general to command an assault to be given before he have well viewed the battery, and the travesses quited, using all diligence in this: albeit it is true that the travesses where the harquebuserie and musketerie may be set in such places as are fortified, can hardly be quit by the enemy, and in case the disposition of the place be of such sort, as he must be feign to lose them, at the instant he will treat of the delivery of them up, knowing if he be a soldier, that without them he can not be able to defend the entry.  
It is likewise to be considered that when the ditches where the battery is made, hold much water, it is not only very perilous to throw in the bridges, but most dangerous to give the assault on that part, because that the depth of the ditch swalloweth up the ruin of the battery, in such sort as the head of the bridge can have no fastening, or give any commodity at all by this for the soldiers at the assault to be able to find any place in the breach, where they may join together to fight against them within, whereby it is a very hard matter to be able to run up scattered, or to enter first in, if they within have any courage at all to defend themselves, because that the breadth of the bridges which are cast in, are not capable above five soldiers to march in front, and so few of the first come to fight, except they hold a place in the breach, for those which follow them to do as much: & so those which stand upon their defence within become more superior, and hold greater advantage, by the place which they occupy, and the soldiers which are to give the assault, go close together on the bridge, being thick upon the bank of the ditch, serving only as a mark for those upon the walls to shoot at without being able to give them any annoyance by fight. Inconveniences which were very fit to be looked into before the putting in of the bridges for the assault, or planting the battery on that part, Y.H. entering into consideration thereof according to the intelligence and information which shallbe given unto you of the depth of the diche.  
The battery being well viewed, 
Order for to give an assault.  and Y.H. resolved to have the assault given, you are to give order to such nation, Captains, and Camp master as must be of the vanguard, In which is to be considered, that it be recommended to such leaders and soldiers as have a desire to fight, showing their determination and courage, willing to enter into any danger: to whom particular order must be given, that in climbing up to the high of the breach, they run up the brickwall, if the disposition of the place will permit it, which is that, that most assureth the entry, and so likewise the rest which are to follow the vanguard, all standing armed in readiness within the trenches.  
In some assaults the soldiers have been necessarily feign to use ladders, which is a sign that the battery is not good, and the general enforced (cost what cost might) to take the town, or retire himself from it, the which he must be constrained to do, attempting it with so great danger for to avoid a greater inconvenience, a matter which Y.H. must by all means seek to shun.  
To withdraw the men into the trenches, Y.H. is to command that the rest of the Army, as well cavalry as fanterie, put themselves into battle, and squadrons within the market place, with whom the Camp master general is to be ready prepared, if the enemy should come to combat the quarters, which aught to stand well fortified, to stop him, and give impediment to his attempt, and likewise to renforce the men, that by one or two ways they may give upon him, and to refresh them, if it be necessary with some tierce, regiment, or colours, giving them charge to attempt a fresh: and in case that the besieged put back the men from the assault, if they retire, it is easily to be believed, that it will be done with disorder and scattering, for that it is not possible they should do it otherwise, and if they within the town with a new heart of grace, should make any sally out of the same breach, as hath been sometimes seen, you may not think to gather those again together which are retired to turn back to charge them, but to do it with those squadrons and men that remain in the market place: things which are prevented by keeping the rest of the Army in battle.  
Besides, it is to be considered, that when the soldiers come to stand pike to pike, and at hand strokes with the enemy, it may fall out that they can not enter, and so it is meet to hold the harquebuserie and musketerie in readiness, wherewith to furnish a new the trenches, to the end that they may shoot lively from thence, in case the men be commanded to retire from the assault, and in such manor as the enemy do not only not take upon him to charge them, but that he be not so hardy as to discover himself.  
Y.H. having these things in readiness, and your men withdrawn in such sort home to their trenches, & the rest set in battle, the general & officers of the artillery are to advertise Y.H. every moment of the estate of the breach, and which shallbe their last tire, which the gunner's term cleaning and sweeping of the breach, & what defences the enemy may have made, to the end that Y.H. who are to be on horse back, and in such a place, if it be possible, as you may discover both batteries, should make a sign at the instant when the last Cannon should be shot of, as Y.H. to hold up the same handquerchef at your arms end, and when that can not be, than some trumpet to sound which is well known.  
For to assault the men go in troops, every one using diligence according to such valour, boldness, and experience of assaltes as he hath, and while they be coming to climb the breach, the small pieces are to play if there be any, and the harquebuserie hastily from the trenches, occupying the enemy so, as he discover them not until they come pike to pike with him, and the soldiers to hand strokes, and then to cease shooting, and the general of the Artillery to keep his pieces still charged and appointed for what soever may fall out, shooting off if it be necessary some times a thwart in case the enemy in time of the assault, chance to discover himself, which sometimes falls out having kept himself close before, & being very requisite to shoot at the breach whereby the enemy upon the soldiers retreat, not being able to enter, may not discover itself.  
It falls out while an assault is in giving, that not only travesses be therein discovered, but fire given to some mine or mines, whereby the entry is made difficult, & the breach repaired in such wise as though it appeared good, yet it is not. By this occasion the soldiers are wont sometime to find what hath endemnified them, and battering anew to give the second and third assault: at other times they get place in the breach walls or towers where to defend themselves covert, going before with 
In all mines at the end of that there must be a place made either round or square where the barrels of powder must be laid. In English we have no other name for them then ovens.  Hornilloes, and mines, if the ground by not holding water yield commodity for it, a matter which is to be wrought with great industry, taking first precisely the distance from whence they begin the mine, to the place where they would come out, guiding by a compass which point they are to follow, and to have great quantity of posts to prop them up, doing it with great security, that the enemies may not perceive them, nor find whether they come to rest: Because otherwise they will remedy it by countermines, being very necessary when the mine goeth far forward, to hold so much better guard within it, that the enemies may not come to encounter them, and if they find a small guard or resistance within it, they will easily gain it, and then will it be a matter almost impossible for them without to recover it, losing all the time that they were a mining. And for that I will not be tedious I touch no further particularities in the manner of working them, be it up hill or down hill, or in a plane, nor in what sort they are to take measures, and mine a Wall or Tower which standeth on a rock: If with the mines they run so far, as to come to fight in them, it shallbe fit that Y.H. recommend the doing and guard thereof to soldiers of courage, for that it is one of the most dangerous fights which can be in a siege. 
Manner how to sap walls.   
In like sort they sap the walls, when they have come with trenches or travesses within the ditch, or by some other means to the foot of them, the soldiers covering themselves with blinders when they work, which they cover with leather on the out side, thereby keeping them from burning, being made of wood, if the besieged chance to cast any fire upon them. Some other times they put posts, digging under the foundations, and when they see that they only support the brickwall, they anoint them with tallow, and piche, that they may burn the better, putting powder about them, and a quantity of straw & wood, to which they put fire, when the men are ready to assault upon the falling of the brickwall, and so do they give order for putting fire to some mine or hornilloe, not to lose occasion.  
So do they use when as the rampires of the Bulwarks, Cavaliers, and Platforms, for the small firmness of earth within them are made with timber, to pull out such timbers which they draw from a far off with capstones, tying gables unto them, or other instruments which they call perpetual windels, which will hale up any never so great weight, with which the earth will moulder away, when the prop is go, and after this manner there are many engines too tedious for me to recite to Y.H. which they use in sieges, applying the use of them according as the state of matters and quality of the work shall require, & sometimes it hath been, that they have raised platforms and cavaliers without, whereby to domnere over the walls and them within, getting by this means the places to be yielded up, and at other times they have battered with balls of artificial fieres, that entering within the fortification, they might set all on fire being builded of timber and fagotts.  
While the assault or assaltes is in giving, Y.H. is always to be on horseback, looking upon all that is done, to give order for what shall be necessary for those which assault, according as occasion is offered, and if the town be entered by force then to give the sack thereof to all the infantry, reserving if they be christians, the Churches, Monasteries and things hallowed, and in some warts the men are held for the best booty, and in other their goods, and not their people, which must be put in execution according as Y.H. shall ordain, whom it concerns to give law in this, which they term Castrense, and so to the general when Y.H. is not in place by representing your person, the like authority is given of lawgiver.  
The Cavalerie not having had any order to light for to assault, is to have no part in the sack, and so no booty at all to fall to a horse man's share, although he do assault a foot, except he do it with leave, which sometimes is granted to those which want horses, having had their horse slain under them in the siege, which is so ordained because they should not leave their standards in the market place, moved thereunto through the covetousness of the sack.  
As soon as the town standeth assured, Y.H. is to enter within it accompanied with your guard and corte, or to send some heads of your Army to keep them from robbing of Churches, Monasteries, nor things hallowed, and from offering any force to those which are within them, for that the house of God is always to be frank and free, executing with all preciseness, and exemplary punishment such ordonnances as shallbe made upon it: and assoon as Y.H. shallbe entered within the town, you are to go to the principal Church to give thanks unto our Lo for the victory.  
This done, the Camp master general viewed the town to give order for the lodging of the men, which Y.H. is to command to enter in, when the days and hours of sack are ended, in which is to be considered, that one nation infect not themselves with an other, coming to blows in respect of pendences, & questions, which may arise between one soldier and another about their booties: And such as have showed themselves remarkable in the assault, as well soldiers as Alferezes', by putting first the colors upon the brickwall, you are to give thanks unto, advauncing them in the Acknowledgement of their valour, & that the rest may see them preferred for it, then for such pieces of Artillery, sorts of engines, fires, and quality of arms as they which were besieged held, they are to be bestowed upon those which first lighteth upon them.  
The Town, such Artillery as is mounted, and the munitions, is to appertain only to Y.H. such as are unmounted, in some Provinces, to the general of the Artillery, & them that are broken by battery, to the gunner's, and the victuals which shallbe found in store, to such general as Y.H. hath appointed for the enterprise.  
Y.H. lodging of the army within the town after it is gained, 
Considerations for the raising of a siege.  aught to be according to the greatness and commodity thereof, and such end as is held in the war, being the best if the enemy be not so puissant, as to be able to come to combat the quarters, to conserve them, putting garrison within the town.  
In case any occasion should be to raise the siege, through mutiny of the soldiers, want of pay, unseasonable weather, which undoth an army, or through suspicion of the enemies being renforced, and their own forts diminished, or other considerations which may induce it, it is to be understood, that it be first done in retiring the artillery and munitions, marching with that & the baggage according to such news as may be learned from the enemy, and this to be done by leaving the rearguard renforced, to stop any sally that the besieged should make to charge them, and in such manner as they dislodge not with confusion & disorder, making their retreat seem a flight: and in all other things which they are to do, it is to be noted, that there be always left to the front of the enemy in the rearguard squadrons of cavalry and fanterie, giving hand one to the other if the field permit it, because it there should be only left either cavalry or fanterie, the enemy which cometh with both to fight against them, hath greater advantage, and more easily breaketh them, than when they found cavalry to oppose against there's, and by consequence the infantry marching in such sort as I have rehearsed, according to the quality of the country, in one of those manners above written.  
I have not prescribed unto Y.H. in case the enemy come with a powerful army to raise the siege, 
Considerations upon the enemies coming for raising of an army.  in what manner Y. H. is to govern yourself, for that it is necessary to do it, as the Captains & councelors which Y.H. holdeth about you shall think most convenient, and according to the number of men in your army, & state in which it standeth, choosing upon the consideration of these things, whether it be better to attend him in the quarters, or leaving them & the lodging to go to combat him with the whole army or part thereof, the rest tarrying upon the guard of the trenches, artillery, & quarters, or to resolve to raise the siege altogether. Upon this occasion it is to be considered, if the enemy be able to take lodging, whereby to hinder the victuals, or be so well advantaged near his own, as that he may batter the market place and squadrons, for that upon any such chance, it is not fit to maintain the siege, attending him in the quarters, nor yet to divide the army to fight with him, leaving part thereof for the guard, for that it is much better to seek him out with the whole army, before he shallbe able to work any of both effects, either to hinder the victuals, or batter the squadrons. Then gaining the battle the town is got, & if it be lost that part of the army which is left upon the trenches & quarters standing divided, runneth the same fortune, and when the whole army shallbe found ready to fight, the victory may very well be gained thereby.  
When Y.H. is resolved to go to encamp with the enemy, seeking him out, and to give the battle, I written in common of such considerations as are to be had in forming of the squadrons, and putting them in battle, and seldom times men come to fight without having before made themselves lodgings, and viewed the armies: of which news is got by spies, & other intelligences, besides those which are sent to learn, wherewith the Princes and general captains advantage themselves, procuring to stand certified whether their camp be greater than the enemies, standing superior in cavalry, or infantry, or both, or contrariwise if there be an equality in both camps, and in the training of the soldiers, acquainting themselves precisely with this, for that it is a very hard matter to overcome any captain, who well knoweth both his own forces and his enemies: particulars upon which they are to found themselves before they join together, and give battle, ruling themselves according as necessity bindeth, to salve a greater inconvenience, considering when they stand upon defence that a kingdom is not to be adventured upon one battle, except it be upon great advantage of place, and in tarrying until the enemy come to seek you out, of which it is good to stand suspicious, as a wise and watchful soldier, which way he may do damage, to prevent him, looking circumspectly into all, but not with so great an assurance, as that though the contrary Captain hold like parts, he could not err, & choose the worse of the two parts, esteeming it for the best: a thing which he would never do if he were as certainly acquainted with the state of the enemies army as his own. Upon this runneth the Castilian proverb, Si sispiesse la hueste, que haze la hueste, 
Hernan Nuna● en el lib. de los refr. l●●. S.  mal para la hueste.  
When they encamp, they send ordinarily, and in particular when they stand somewhat far distant, 
What order is held in encamping.  great troops of cavalry to view from one field to another, recommending the service to men of courage & valour, and hereupon they come to make skirmishes, which they term Rencounters: In which the leader is to carry himself when he meeteth with the enemy according to the country and men which he discovereth, and his own which he bringeth, & to mark whether a large retreat may be made or not, in case the enemy charge with fury, the corriers having on both sides descried one another at an instant, and when the one hath any news before hand or discovereth the other, they are wont to make ambushes, serving their turn for this by villages, woods, and brakes, or other convenient places, in which the curriers are to go very circumspectly, & to take great heed not passing by any place of which any suspicion may be had without viewing it, sending two or three soldiers to that purpose. 
Advise for canvisadoes  When the Camps draw near together, and that there is place to view the lodgings, vigilant generals do seek to annoyed the enemy by giving him canvisadoes: an action wherein Y.H. is to give care to the old captains, enjoying readily the occasion if it offer itself, that it may not be lost by the enemies preventing of the mischief, which he may do in like actions by renforcing the guards, fortifying the quarters or bettering the lodging, matters which soldiers of experience will foresee, and the danger which is in a canvisadoe, which the younger sort through the greedy coil they make to fight, never dream of, recommending the execution thereof to some soldier of experience, able to execute, and of great carefulness, and of whom such as go with him to execute, may hold a good opinion, for that the good report, 
What parts are to be in the leader of a Can●isadoe,  and fortune of a Leader is that which most quickeneth and animateth soldiers, being fit to have like parts in him, for that being an action to be done by night, it is seldom times precisely lighted on, and they shall ever err, except the soldiers hold good satisfaction of him which guideth them.  
jointly it is to be considered that no canvisadoe be made on that part where the enemy holdeth his market place, because upon any alarm given within his quarters, all his men do necessarily repair thither: and thereby keep all help from those which give the canvisadoe upon their retreat, the enemies squadrons standing in the place where they entered, and for to sally out by any other part, the heads which lead than, had need be very well acquainted with the situation, and to hold the quarters well viewed (which can hardly be done) where the men are to enter, for that the harquebuserie and holbardes are to be divided in troops, particular leaders guiding them, that they may disperse themselves among the quarters, keeping with them the head of the canvisadoe, trumpet or drum, wherewith they are to give sign of the retreat, to the end that all hearing it, may repair to the place appointed, where they are to sally out, in which they aught to find supply and help to secure them, repressing the enemy if he charge them in gross, having before showed the situation in what part those men are to stand which come for the relief of those of the canvisadoe.  
Armies were wont to neighbour together in lodgings very near, for the desire which both parties had to fight, or by the one's procuring to cut of victuals from the other, or hindering him by being so near that he undertake not to give upon any place, which he might take in few days, setting foot within the Province, the country yielding commodity for him to do it, and to get new supplies. In lodging in this neighbourhood, by that which I have written, or some other occasions, it is to be noted, that as often as two armies stand very near encamped together, 
Consideration in the near neighbourhood of armies.  that which dislodgeth first doth it with great disadvantage, for the advantage which he giveth to the enemy, removing with the trouble of his whole army, and the contrary able to fight with him without any at all, and for this cause divers Capteins have used, seeing themselves so near neighbours to the enemy, & that of force they must be fain to dislodge, great stratagems and devizes to do it without their perceiving thereof: the which showeth the peril that is, & how much it is to be considered that they be not to near neighbours to the enemy, except they be sure of victuals, and of the situation, & understand that the enemy holdeth it for better to leave his adventuring the danger of dislodging, then to fight with the contrary.  

Considerations for a day of battle.  The day of battle presenting itself, which must be as Y. H. perceiveth the stomach and gallantness of your army for to fight, and when not to excuse it, for that it is not to be given, except necessity press it, or good occasion call for it. Y.H. is to note, that many leaders of the armies seek by their good wills to fight only to advantage themselves, but Y.H. must procure the gaining thereof, without leaving them to be carried with their own imaginations, when they hold no stronger a foundation of discretion and wisdom, then only a little foolehardines.  
It is likewise to be considered upon like days, whither the country be open where they are to fight, field champion, or full of valleys & mountains, what men the enemy bringeth, and number of squadrons, which the curriers have discovered, & composition of the battle, whether in one front or in form of a half moon, or with a vanguarde battle or rereguarde, or if the first of squadrons be followed with another equal unto it, to secure it. And when the camps are equal, Y.H. must divide your squadrons into jump as many, as the enemies, the old soldiers which have been most exercised in the war fronting the enemies, and strong men as well on horse as foot: whereof advise is to be taken according to reason, & the number of the enemies squadrons, by the spies, & such intelligences as may be got by roads & skirmishes, which are to be done with this intent only, and that the quality of those men which the enemy most accounteth of, and relieth upon for supply may be discovered: and so the confidence of his army, entertainment of pays, and victuals, to be able to maintain it, and the situation which he occupieth, whether he purposeth to fight in that, or come out and seek the other: advertisements which will give great light, if question be of having a day of battle, to the differing or not of the journey, and to show in what time it willbe most convenient to offer it.  
At the day that battle is presented, the weather is to be considered, and at what hour the fight beginneth, & whether it be helping themselves with their artillery, drawing it into a good place, the number of troops and squadrons which muster, & whether they be so many as may embrace the enemies battle by girding it in whether the sun and wind be in their faces, matters which men in old time highly regarded upon a day of battle, for that the sun offended the sight, and likewise the air if it came with whisking blusters or dust, and when not to give them breath to fight: Particulars which are not of so great moment at this day in land battles, but very much in getting the wind for those at sea: and albeit that the sun cometh sometime, by shining on the harquebus barrel, to dazzle the taking of level, yet with a little spittle & powder rubbed over it, it will keep it from by reflexing, to annoyed the sight.  
The reason why men of old time made so great account of the wind and sun, 
Why men in old time made so great account of the sun upon days of battle.  was for that their battles endured long, and stood upon the strength of their arms, but at this day, of very short durance, through the violence and dexterity of the cavalry, vivacity of the harquebuserie, and helped with the fury of the artillery.  
As well is it to be considered in what manner the enemy beginneth to fight, whether it be by hastening to much his charges for to come to the chock, or prolonging the skirmish for to seek a good occasion, according to the motive he hath, if in seeing his men timorous, he may renforce them, engrossing the skirmish over much, that he suffer not his men to lose courage, or after a charge retire back through the confidence of the help of his squadrons, in such sort as he may execute (if it be done with agility and good order) his purpose, and keep those which he charged, from turning back again, if being inferior in cavalry, he put them in such place as they may fly, running away upon the enemies charge, and afterwards to fight equally infantry with infantry.  
General notes for like days of battle in which it is unpossible for a soldier to describe unto Y.H. all the circumstances as a player at chess, albeit the sorts of draughts be very many, can not answer any that shall ask him for to learn, which is the best, further than to give the mate, and not being able to do that, to take the fierce, or some other peace, and finally to keep the gain with good advantage, but putting the board with the chesse-men set before him, in disposing them he may play many good draughts, when in the end with only putting forward of one pawn he shall mar all. The like falls out in war, & the best is to win, and when a squadron or part of the army can not be broken, then to stand to be superior, or with advantage knowing the situation, and which way the rather to profit himself according to the demonstration of the enemy, to ordain a squadron to advantage itself, with cavalry or infantry, or wings of harquebuserie, to seek out the flank of another, or to get some high bank, or ditch, or piece of a wood, places by which the enemy may be made to lose what he holdeth, giving occasion to charge them, or break them: a part which a general can hardly play by imagination, except the presence of the occasion present itself, as in many other things, neither am I able to signify unto Y.H. more than some in common, and those of most moment.  
Among other in my judgement, is the fury of the powder to be considered to be so great at this day, 
Considerations of importance in fight.  helped with the instruments of artillery, muskets & harquebuses, as not only it cometh to break, as in times past did, throwing weapons, 
This is derived from Phalanae, a Macedonian legion, or company of 8 co. as Caterua is used for a legion among the old Gauls: and legio is a company of choose soldiers, the number varied in times.  fallanges and legions, before coming to handstrokes, but disordereth and openeth squadrons & battallons, defeating them, and so the greatest part of victories which is gained at this time, is by having obtained them with artillery or readiness of harquebuserie by their lively volleys, disordering the squadrons of the enemy in such manner as they put them in rout, and defeating them, without ever seeing or afronting them, except seldome-times the squadrons of pikes.  
For this cause it is a matter much grown in disputation, in what place the artillery should be carried upon a day of journey, one being of opinion that it go before all the squadrons, to offend the enemy far of, discharging stronger, 
Opinions where the artillery is to be placed upon a day of battle.  & by this means the squadrons to be in no danger remaining behind, which are still to open and shut as the artillery passeth, where cannot be any profit at all. Some are of opinion that the best place to put the artillery is in the void places of the squadrons, without tying them to open at the chock, a matter which is the beginning of disordering themselves, although they know what they must do.  
Those that are of other opinion, hold for the best place to carry it at the sides of the army, & squadrons, fortifying by this manner of defence the flankers, or placing it on the right or left side, as shall give most advantage being the most convenient that may be to choose a most advantageous situation for the artillery, and so eminent, as it may be able to discharge as soon as they discover the squadrons of the enemy, disposing the harquebuserie and musketerie of the wings in places where they may play with most security, by the quality of them, or defence of the cavalry and squadrons, where by they come to obtain a great effect, which is to be able to judge, almost with a continual motion, if the harquebuserie be skilful, offending the enemy.  

Small wings of harquebusry, more commodious in fight than great.  These wings of harquebuserie or musketerie, although it is the custom to compound them of three hundred soldiers, I hold better to divide into smaller bodies, for that they may be able if occasion require the uniting of themselves in one, to do it always with facility, & when they are small by standing divided, they be much better able to fight with them, Captains of experience guiding them: especially if the soldiers be exercised in such manner, as if occasion require the first ranks may kneel upon the ground to shoot off, discovering thereby a blank to those which stand behind to make a good mark discharging their volley at one instant.  
In making the wings little, another effect is got, which is when they entertain a skirmish with them, maintaining it with the end to see the enemies disposition, that then the harquebuses wax hot, & many times the soldiers powder is done, & not being able to choose with their swords they are enforced to beg more with great gambling, and not fit that the enemy should understand it, and by being few they retire easily to fetch it, refreshing them with other, without any confusion at all in dividing it out of the barrels, which many times through the haste which is made, are set on fire and so the soldiers left clean without powder, which the enemy perceiving is the more animated to the close, and I have been myself in a skirmish upon a day of battle, when it hath been very available to know this, by the fire and crack which the barrel gave.  

Advise of impottance  jointly there must be a special care taken in viewing by experience, & the eye of a soldier, the situation which the enemy occupieth, and on what part by reason he is likeliest to plant his artillery, for that it is not fit to set the squadrons of cavalry upon any ground subject to be battered, nor to be hurt with the fury of the enemies harquebuserie or musketerie: because albeit in war artillery slayeth fewest, yet the fury thereof frighteth most, and seldomtimes can a squadron of cavalry keep his situation, if golpes of artillery light thick within it, or that the enemies harquebuserie assault it, causing it this mischief, to be feign to take one of the two parties, which is to retire themselves, a demonstration which upon like days putteth great courage into the enemy, causing great confusion among their own, and though such a squadron doth not charge without time, nor order, moved thereunto by being ill able to resist their blows, & esteeming it for less inconvenience to mingle themselves amongst those which give them, yet cometh it ordinarily to be done with great disadvantage: and notwithstanding that it hath sometimes fallen out to be no impediment at all to the gaining of the victory, yet grew it more by chance, than reason, through the rashness of the soldiers, & not wisdom of the general: who is to seek to forbear it, and likewise not to fight with men tired, unable to carry them with speed unto it, which wax breathless, the pikes not being able then to be held with strength, nor the harquebuserie to shoot with assurance, nor the cavalry to move with force and dexterity, and all for want of breath.  
It is likewise to be considered, that if necessity do not force unto it, the fight be not begun by engaging all the squadrons, in such manner as when the victory is got, they cannot enjoy the fruit thereof, for the great loss of many men: which bindeth a man to seek to give battle with a foot of led, discovering the intent of his enemy, and demonstration which he maketh to follow one motive from another, opening the door for a new and different success: and in any matter else what soever Y.H. & he which governeth, is to show a soundness, which the physicians say that good complexioned bodies hold, no whit altering themselves for overmuch cold or heat: the very same being fit to be in the mind of a soldier, not to disorder himself upon any good success, nor yet to grow coward upon any evil, but that his courage appear in the very midst of his adversity.  
I have set no place down for Y.H. guidon, & squadron of your corte, to stand in upon a day of battle, because that must fall out, as the reason of war causeth Y.H. to fight, not being possible to appoint it, without knowing the situation where the fight is made, and form of battle in which the army is to be put, wherein you must resolve to appoint such place as may be most convenient for such a squadron, provided that in the chose thereof, it be done in such part, as Y.H. may command and govern with most ease the whole body of the army, and parts thereof, without engaging to fight with your own standard, except it be upon the last brunt, because if you should otherwise do, it were impossible for you to govern, which is that which toucheth a Prince: And albeit this which I wright, is the manner of war, many Princes and generals, after having appointed out a place for the squadron of their court, setting their standard therein, have notwithstanding left it, going to view the rest of the squadrons, to see if they kept well the orders set down, and determination which the soldiers and heads of squadrons held, speaking unto them, & providing likewise other new, if necessity should so require, which is that which giveth law, not only in matters of war, but in all the rest of this life, and hath made Princes and Generals to fight in their own person, upon such ground as they lest thought of, not to lose opportunity, and according to other considerations which are wont to occur, as the motive which the enemy, and your own army maketh, which is unpossible to put in writing, except a man were present to see the occasion.  
If the enemy have such store or men, as that he thinketh with them to be able to guirde in the battle of his contrary, 
Form of fight when there is fear that the enemy may gird in the battle.  and that the situation be upon a plane, where nature doth not fortify it, without some flank of the army or squadrons, it is to be looked into, whether the enemies infantry be so many in number as to be able to do it, or only the multitude of horse brasing in of the army. In respect of these two things it is very good advise to garnish the flanks of the camp with the carts of baggage, if there be any, which may serve for trenches, & when there is none, nor place of advantage, that may be picked out, the artillery must be put alongst the flanks of the squadrons, to the end they may play a slante upon the enemy, with more hurt, making a greater front, to be able to better themselves with their own squadrons, binding the enemy by this means when he carrieth an intent to compass in the battle of the contrary part, to spread himself very much to effect it: and to come near to the close, he must be fain to go straightening in by little and little the squadrons, and drawing the front close together. Whereby time may be taken to give more voleys of artillery & musketrie upon the enemy, before clozing and coming to hand strokes, which is that only, which an army that standeth in a troublesome state, is able to help himself with to advantage his own strength, being otherwise with so great an unequality less in number.  
Upon days of battle, when there be men of divers nations in the army, and not of the same fashion of garments, by being free and serving sundry Princes, besides a commandment of carrying scarves of divers colours to be known by (a matter which is not done with preciseness) to prevent that friends offend not one another, at the time of the skirmish, a word is to be given in public to all the squadrons, by which they may be able to distinguish themselves from the enemy, and know one another.  
If the enemy waxing weak in the skirmish, you perceive that in any of his squadrons they depart from the harquebuserie with which they were fortified, 
Demonstrations which squadrons are wont to make upon a day of battle.  or empty the depth, by the soldiers retiring from the last ranks, the pikes to cross one another, and the colours to move with disorder, and that such a squadron of cavalry or fanterie go on such part, as it can not be able to yield any help to the rest, or be relieved by them, albeit that every one of these demonstrations show the small strength and courage they have to keep the place, giving occasion thereby to charge them, yet must you do it with the lose men that go in the skirmish, assisted with some good squadron of cavalry, the rest bettering themselves at the same instant: a motive which will discover the enemy and his weakness with the demonstration before said: which although it put him in rout, yet is it not to be followed by any way, disordering the principal squadrons of the battle, for that were to venture it, not having bodies ready form to follow the pursuit in such manner as the enemy might be kept from renewing himself therein. For that an army cannot be said to be vanquished and defeated, until all the squadrons come to be disordered, lest forming them selves of new, they may come to hold their former vigour. Which bindeth not to undo your own squadrons, upon any demonstration of good success, the heads which take charge thereof using great diligence, and care therein, and upon any appearance of harm, all the strength they can, that they disorder not themselves, opening the way to be put in rout: a point in which the safety of courage and soundness of a General is of great importance, considering thereby the proceeding of the enemy without ever altering in charging of him, or drawing together to resist him, ordaining that the squadrons of the fanterie, bettering of themselves, be done with a leaden foot, and the cavalry charge them with the reins in hand, for that in no one thing of this life, is there seen a greater change of fortune then in matters of war, where a commandment ill understood, or ordinance ill executed, a rashness without order, a light voice, or a false fancy, may 'cause those to recover the victory, which were before held for lost.  
Y.H. having gained the battle, 
What a Prince is to do after a battle gained.  is instantly to give thanks to our Lord, for such a benefit received, and to honour such as live, who have served you therein with their strength and stoutness, and those that are dead with their boldness & valour, whom you are to bury with all honour and solemnity, rewarding their sons, & heirs, according to the quality of their service done, showing a feeling that Y.H. hath had a loss, by the miscarrying of any head of the army, when he was a person of valour, and experience, for that it is one of the greatest losses that can fall to a King or Prince, to whom GOD hath given means to be able to make men rich, & to be followed, but not to be wise and experienced in war, except he have framed the course of his life to follow it, & had the fortune to see many fashions in it, which is the thing of greatest advantage for a man to better himself by in an army.  
Men in ancient time, never esteemed battles after they were summoned to be gained, except the conqueror held himself three days in the lodging, giving thereby to understand that the field remained for them, and that the enemy was overcome: a matter not greatly regarded now, holding it for a battle when all the enemies squadrons are broken, & that no one remaineth entire, gaining therein the artillery and colours, and when any squadron is left entire, although some artillery & ensigns be gotten, it is called a rout, a name which is used this day, as well when they kill and break any great number of men, although they carry no artillery nor many colours or ensigns. The artillery & munitions which are got, must be to Y.H. and the colours and ensigns, the Generals, giving ten crowns to the soldier that got it, when he bringeth it.  
According to man's judgement, it can not be probably thought, that ever Y.H. will come to be besieged, being a Prince so powerful, for that it is a chastisement to those which are, wherewith our Lord afflicteth Kings, when by his secret judgements he will wrap them in all sorts of miseries, but it may so fall out as some general of Y.H. may lose a battle, and by gathering together the relics thereof, which is that which must be done as soon as they see the principal squadrons routed, to save one, and when not, to gather the more part of the soldiers routed, making one body, wherewith to be able to defend the rest which come in from flying, and to hinder the enemy by this means, that he do not follow the pursuit at his pleasure.  

Causes which may enforce a man to defend a place.  Even so may it fall out that he may receive so great a rout, as that he be enforced, through the loss thereof, to quit the field, putting in one or two places such forces as are left him, to keep the enemy from being master of the field, or making a free progress through the Kingdom or Province as he listeth, binding him not to leave them behind him, & in case he would have them rendered, to resolve to besiege them, by this means when the mischief exceedeth the forces, gaining of time the whilst, that matters may change therewith.  
It may likewise be that some Prince or Potentate, may break into a war against Y.H. so suddenly, finding himself armed, as that he will give no time to compound an army, or to war with him, serving your turn upon any such occasion best, by well furnishing of places, in such sort, as they may be able to endure a siege, giving them in this time matter enough to occupy themselves, until you may be armed, and make front against the enemy.  
Upon these considerations, and such as the change of human things doth commonly carry with it, it is very probable that Y.H. Capteins are to defend many places, and therefore I am in reason to writ among other actions in the wars, after what manner a place is to be defended, being that which refineth a soldier, and serveth as a touchstone showing the quintecence of his valour and industry, when he holdeth the parts of wisdom and sufferance in those travails which daily pass in a siege or enclosed straight, carrying them with joyfulness and content, which animateth the soldiers which are with him, to make them seem not to be great, & causeth the fearfuller sort to hold them for less than the chastisement of death, if they should show their cowardice, much soundness, and resolution being very necessary for this purpose. Besides the head considereth better than any other those inconveniences, which are to be prevented by feeling them, and the weight which he carrieth upon his own shoulders. Particulars which naturally would 'cause men to be discouraged in defending, by reason that they find ordinarily many necessary things to want in sieges & enclosed places, which should maintain them, if the honour of their own person, & loyalty sworn to the service or their Prince, and to God, did not 'cause them to esteem little their own life, rather than their honour should be spotted in saving thereof.  
By this which I have set down Y.H. may judge what people you are to choose to recommend the keeping of such places unto, 
What is to be required in him which is to take charge of a place besieged.  as are to endure a siege not appertaining to Y.H. nor to a Prince to maintain any and very seldom to a captain general, but only to furnish them with heads that are soldiers, and other necessaries to defend themselves withal, being free to be able to be still succoured, and to oppose the enemy, according to such state, as they shall find him in.  
The captain or head to whose hands Y.H. shall commit the keeping or defence of any place, aught to be courageous, 
Consideration for the furnishing of a place with soldiers expecting a siege.  wise, and a soldier of experience, and having never before been in a place besieged, it is meet that he have with him some leaders, or particular soldiers which have been: jointly it is to be considered, of what quality the soldiers be which are in the place, and with whom it is fit to furnish it, in case it be necessary to have it renforced, and that they may not be bysognes, and easy to mutiny. In this respect those nations which serve Y.H. are to be thought upon, & what proof any hath made in conserving of places, whether they be your own vassals or not, and whether there be within the place any ordinary soldiers of the same Province, strangers or other being all vassals, what King he is, Prince or Potentate, or enemy whom suspicion is had of, will besiege the place, particulars which being nicely digested, will quickly 'cause Y.H. to resolve, whether the soldiers of the same Province aught to be all of one nation, or different, following the opinion and judgement of such Capteins & counsellors as Y.H. shall hold about you, whose experience aught to know, what head or soldiers upon the present occasion should be most available for the defence of the place, imagining that they may come to be besieged, if the enemy fight with gallantness.  

Consideration for the fortifying of places.  It is likewise to be marked whether the place be fortified already being a frontier, or had need to be fortified anew, & after what manner that must be, carrying themselves in this according as the enemy giveth time for it, with ingenors and people which know what fortification means, for that it falls out many times when one would fortify a place, strengthening it by ravelin, cavallere and pincer or spur, they make it weaker, because they understand not their business, & so cometh it to serve for no defence, but rather to help the enemy to offend more. In this it must always be provided to have a place kept, where you may fight in squadron, and travesses, which is that by which batteries are best defended: for which cause in old time they invented round towers for it, and in these days, to shun the inconvenience of a circular form, being notwithstanding a means to keep them from being offended by direct line, from the flanks and travesses where the artillery playeth, they have form great bulwarks to cover them in angular form, giving proportion from one bulwark to an other, & that the travesse may come to fasten (as the ingenors term it,) which is to have the bullets light upon the front of the bulwark, or part most convenient, while the enemy doth batter, for that at this day they use not to batter the curtain between the two travesses, but only the front of the bulwark, holding it for a more easy battery, to quite one traves or casamate, then both, especially if there be any place or room in them for a piece to batter, against which do travesses hardly resist, although they go by the ditch, and for to preserve these pieces (which while they are in being, and the travesses in life, maketh a good defence) they use to make the corners of their bulwarks so thick.  
jointly it is to be considered, that it is a most sure rule in matter of fortification, that whatsoever is seen the defendant loses, by shooting of the artillery in direct line as the sight goeth, and if there must be four men required to carry one dead man out of his house, how much more reason is it that there be as great a number or more to drive him being alive from thence. Whereby it cannot be imagined, that any will say a siege, without being sure to have equal forces to them within, and likewise artillery, and when the place serveth for it, and carrieth means, through many bulwarks, cavaliers, and platforms, to put two or three counterbatteries to that which is planted, it may not be presupposed that they can be able to keep them, since that he which besiegeth, will not in reason attempt the enterprise, except he hold forces proportionable to finish it, for that otherwise he should enter into an assured mischief without hope of any profit: It is likewise to be looked unto, that the fronts of the bulwarks may not lie subject to be battered by the corteyne of any mountain, or eminent place of situation, where the enemy may plant his artillery, the men not being able then to stand upon any defence & that the parapets may in no wise be broader than a pike can cover.  
These which I have touched unto Y.H. are the foundations, & principal points to fortify by, being no part of my meaning to handle herewith the fashion of the works, or manner of the rampires, which be the better, nor other particularities, for that I should run out too far, and it were fit to show the manner of fortification, ever with a compass in the hand, and composition of lines, which is no work for a blind man, albeit for the time which I have lived, I have spent enough in learning the Theoric of fortification by the Mathematicss, to ascertain thereby, and with other grounds, what the experience in war, and manage of the artillery brought me to learn, knowing the reason for founding it, and fitness of fashion for the stocks, and carriges, the better to assure the hitting of the mark.  
It is likewise to be considered, whether the place be little or great, or have many neighbours near it, accustoming to carry arms or to make guards, or not, and what confidence you may have of them to leave it unto them.  
Being a frontier town, or fortified, it aught in reason to have soldiers to keep it, & to have out of those offices of the artillery which Y.H. shall hold in that Province or Kingdom, a list made of the arms that are in it, quality of pieces, and stocks, & carriges for them, bullets, powder, manche, lead, hanspikes, timbers, mattocks, spades, & other munitions and furniture, appertaining to the officers of the state of the artillery to have a list always of them, whereby may be seen what is wanting, and necessary to be provided, and with what diligence  

Diversity of victuals.  In such like cases of frontier and castles, where garrisons and ordinary bands reside, there are to be houses of munitions, & victuals: as powdered flesh, fish, meal, salt, grain, as pease, lentils, wine, vinegar, oil, and other provisions which are always to be kept in store for many respects, and at their times to be sold and renewed, that they may not be marred without profit. And with like consideration must salpeter be kept, brimstone and coal, to make powder and refine it, as also artificial fieres, and wood, which in castles, and little places when they are besieged, there is great want of, not being so soon felt in great towns, for that upon necessity they pull down houses, for to burn their timber.  
Being a place, 
What a head is to do at his first entrance into a place of defence.  where no ordinary garrison hath been usually kept, it is meet that the head at his entrance in, together with the men that are to guard, go view the whole circuit thereof both within and without, whether the ditch be dry, or hold water in some part or all, what fashion the walls be of, for appointing of the stands where the cordeguardes be to be set, and sentinels by day and night, placing a cordegarde, two, or the most principal in the midst of the town or market place, to secure the rest, to appoint his rounds, overrounds, and conterrounds, increasing & diminishing them, as jealousy and suspicion shall grow of the enemy, without pointing out to any nation, or colours, if it be possible to refrain it, especially at the walls & gates where no soldier is to know on what place he shall become centinel, until his officer place him in his stand. And to this purpose, the colours when the watch is ready to be set, use to cast lots, every night when any fear is, for such place as they must stand in, without being assured of any one, giving order that the cordeguardes, through which the colours must pass, hold a good place, & little watc'houses, casamates, and sallies alongst the dich, being dry, or with water, where boats stand ready for them, thereby preserve 
* We have no other word in English but as we borrow of the Italian● strada coperta, which is a close or covert walk to defend men with a parapet, when they sa●e out of a town to fight with the enemy, it is made upon the top of the coūtersca●pe, & is in good fortification. 20. foot broad at the least: the like counterscarp have I seen in the citadel of Anwarpe.  the estrada cubierta on the brim of the ditch, and where double sentinels are to be placed, and where single, & whether in making the rounds it be necessary to carry lanterns or no.  
The cordegards being appointed, and stands for the sentinels in places most convenient, you must with great consideration proportion out those men that are to do it by day and night, helping yourselves with assistance of the neighbours if you may repose any trust in them. And for this purpose must a list be always had in readiness, of the number of the men, and people able to bear arms. Likewise they do shut some gates, walling them up for the better assurance of the place, pulling down such towers, walls, and other buildings, as cannot be defended, preventing that the enemy occupy them not with the siege for the same respect, when they fear that the battery of any building, or tower will make any great ruin upon the ditch, by giving any commodity to the enemies purpose thereby, they blow it up with powder, or put props, digging under the foundations, where they would have it to fall, a matter effected with great facility, putting fire to the timbers, and in these fortifications, as also in raising of cavaliers and rampires, the Governor of the place aught to be the first that taketh a basket in his hand, that by the ensample which he giveth, in seeing himself labour, the rest of the soldiers and neighbours of the place may do it with a better will.  
Besides they must pull down the suburbs, and spoil the gardens round about, lest the enemy reap any commodity thereby in finding them, & yet sometimes those of the country have been found so affectionate to the service of their Prince, as it hath been a means to keep them from receiving this mischief, leaving unto them their houses entire. And in case they stand about the ditch, if the enemy chance to seize of them, by making loopholes in them, he willbe able to keep his ground almost as well, as they shall do upon the walls, without ever spending time in working of trenches, the houses by boring through the walls, serving him to pass from one to another, which is done with great readiness, and with the same they hung blinders of canvas, alongst the ends of the streets, that the besieged may not discern any mark to shoot at while they fortify themselves with ditches & travesses, to hinder the sallies out of the gates upon the quarters: which they within are to adventure to stop, if there be men enough for it, burning the blinders, by putting after the harquebuses are charged, scouring sticks within the barrel, and upon the ramer, toe, & pyche, to which fire is to be given, discharging the harquebus straight upon the blinders, which the stick, so that it be no great distance, will set on fire, and burn it: an effect which hath been wrought with crossbows and which I have seen tried, being present at a time when such a remedy served to very necessary purpose.  
In case that any suspicion grow of the natural born of the country, fearing their small fidelity, 
Form of fortifying gates.  it is a good means to have the men of war with ordinary soldiers to seize upon the towers of the gates, which serve most commodious for it, and to fortify them the best they can against those of the country, putting some victuals and some munitions in them, and in this you must proceed with more or less circumspection, according as the soldiers are that keep it, and quality of men of the country, and disposition of the gate.  
Likewise when you see small store of victuals to be in a place, and that you are enforced to maintain it, you must prevent it in time, by putting out all such as are unprofitable people in a siege, as impotent men that are not able to bear arms, women, and children. Upon like occasions, fearing a siege, so many people may come to beg leave to depart, and go away with their goods, as it is meet to be considered of, whether it be to be granted or not, or to leave them and people of mark in the place, to fill up the guard with them, if the neighbours use to do it, matters which are to be ordained as occasion serveth, foreseeing that the place be not dispeopled by so many, as that the rest shallbe thereby discouraged, who not knowing how to dispose of themselves elsewhere, are content to tarry within. The colours in places of garrisons, do ever enter guard, 
When the watch is to be set in garrisons.  if necessity force no other matter, an hour before sun set, and until the gates be shut, which aught to be done in a good hour, the soldiers may not be permitted to disarm, in which their captain, and Alferez are to give good ensample unto them.  
About the guard of the keys of the gates, are divers customs, 
Advise touching the keeping of the keys of gates.  the Governors, Capteins, justices, or other people, whom it concerns keeping them, & some times the cordeguards themselves hold them, the captain taking charge thereof, not able to take them to go open the gates without making the whole cordeguarde privy, & so no precise order can be kept: Aswell when necessity requireth it, & that there is great cause of suspicion, two or three people pretending to keep the keys of the gates by their pre-eminence to do it, it is held for the best, to put so many locks upon the gates, as there are pretenders, & that these locks be strengthened with a great bolt, or bar, which shall bolt them, with another lock & key unto that, which the principal head it to keep, and to be the first at the opening thereof: the rest using the pre-eminence of their keys after him, & this to be observed for great gates, and posterns: and when it is feared that the men will attempt shamefully to go to kill the head, or force him to deliver up his principal key, the best way in such a case is, to give it every night secretly to divers people, where by they can not resolve determinately to procure it, because they know not who hath it.  
Much suspicion being had of the enemy, if the town be weak, almost all the men are to keep guard a-nights, sleeping upon the walls, especially if they fear any scale or surprise, & having any cavalry of garrison within it they appoint them to make round on horseback a nights, and between the two gates or percullises are those soldiers horses, which are to be put without the town for sentinels, if the ways be fit for it, having made barriers, that in case any noise be herded, they may retire with security, giving intelligence thereof, & when not, they put some of the foot bands for forlorn sentinels without the gates, to whom they give, as I written before a different word, very much thereby assuring the guard of places in the night, and in Barbary they keep dogs without their fortresses, which winding any men, bark in such sort, as the sentinels upon the walls must needs hear it.  
The forlorn sentinel hearing any noise, 
Form of guard in some places  is to bring news thereof, to such as stand upon the gate or raveline next unto it, for to give alarum to the rest, and that the Governor or captain may understand how things pass. In many frontiers or Castles where straight watch is kept, they use to hung a bell over the gates, which ringing out upon any advertisement, is answered by the greater bell of the principal cordeguard, which having commodity to do it, is to be hanged on the highest tower, the which the rest of the gates follow. Upon this greater bell every man is to arm, and as often as that ring, all the rest are to answer, that they may be seen to stand watchful upon the ward, & if any bell chance not to answer, strait the head of the principal cordeguard, is to sand to know the cause why it doth not, and when the bell of any gate ring, the captain which standeth at the guard, knoweth by that, on what part the sentinels find the noise, for that all the bells are not to be touched one answering another, except that of the principal cordeguarde have first rung out: the which it is to do at sundry hours of the night, by giving ear unto the rest, two sentinels standing always at this bell. In this manner the night watch is continued until day, without retiring the sentinels, 
Form of opening gates.  until they which stand upon the highest tower make three tolls upon the bell, which is the token to show that the daylight serveth to descry from far of, round about the town, and the guard withdraw from of the walls, & the rest to, sending the keys of the posterns, to take in the sentinels of the raveines & casemates, turning to shut them, and to open the principal gates, but if any suburbs be near unto it, cave, hole or place, where any men might lie hide, than they use to sand sentinels out at the posterns to view it, & standing assured of no danger, they return to give intelligence to the captain, that he may open all the gates, the soldiers standing in order with their weapons in their hands, commanding the men of the town to go forth without noise about their work, & necessaries, and such as come in from without, to do the like.  
Those sentinels of the tower, and principal cordeguard, which stand by day, aught to give so many tolls upon the bell, as they descry horsemen, and passing the number of fifteen, if any suspicion be of the enemy, or that they see many men, although on foot, they take the alarum, putting up a small ensign in that tower, that by that it may be known on what part of the town they are discovered: with which they shut fast the gates, that stand at the guard thereof.  
This warning is in some places given by a trumpet, and worketh the same effect, & so they make the sentinels which stand upon the gates, to understand that men are discovered from far, and they as they perceive them from their stand, sound the number of the horse that go by the way with as many more blasts to warn them that stand at the bars, & ward of the gates. In some place they shut them at dinner time, 
This discipline was scarce grown Spanish when Bredah was wone by a Turf boat: you do well to take example thereby.  the sentinels resting in their stands, & seeing any carts come into the town, which carry any great lading, wherein men may lie, they are to be well viewed before any enter in, & when any rivers or channels of water pass along the town, by which barks may come in from without, the grates or gates are not to be opened before some soldier have searched them: and being laden with hay, straw, wood, or any such like things, or timber laid in order, they are to sound it with half pikes, to be sure whether any men be therein or not, and not open the gates until that be done.  
In this manner is the guard to be continued in garrisons of towns where they live with suspect, giving it in writing to the sergeant majors, that they may do the like in their colours, and know the names of the gates, cavaliers, stands, & cordeguards, where they are to be kept, whereby after lots cast, every one may go to his own room.  
Orders being set down for the guards, the Governor or captain of the place is to take a view of all sorts of victuals, that are within it, distrusting a siege, as wheat, grain, salt-meates, wine, meal, salt, and to count according to number of men and soldiers within the town, how many days they may be able to maintain with them: advertising Y.H. thereof, and what artillery and arms are there, to the end that according to the lists you may command they may be furnished, with what is convenient, artillery being one of the most necessary things, with preparation and store of carriges and stocks, wheels, & workmen to make new, for them which are spent in a siege, repairing the touch-holes with time, if they be marred, and provision of some small pieces, and muskets, with rests, which is a necessary weapon to defend towns withal, for the easienes, with which they may be shot of, and hurt which they do, holding convenient munitions for all, as quantity of pikes, harquebuses, and other arms, and medicines for to cure weak, and hurt men.  
I do not writ unto Y.H. in particular, of the sorts of arms, and munitions, nor of the victuals, setting only down the strongest for the sustentation of man's life, for that it is unpossible for any soldier how experienced so ever he be, to be able to mention all things that are necessary for the maintenance of a siege, and albeit it be an ordinary fashion among soldiers to amplify what they think fit to defend withal, yet cannot the greatest soldier that is upon earth, tell, though his King say unto him, that he must defend such a place, and that he stand satisfied with the fortification thereof, ask what number of men for guard himself listeth, artillery, munition, victuals, and all other things, which shallbe esteemed necessary, but when all is granted unto him, within three days being besieged, he shall find want of many things, wherein he will blame himself for not having asked them, not being in his power to be able to divine all: which ariseth from hence, that no man can determinately imagine in what manner his enemy means to offend him, nor what men, instruments, engines, and artillery he will bring with him for it, and therefore it is unpossible to foresee all things, whereby to be able to resist him, the which is confirmed, but with considering how momentarilie a town used to have provisions every day borough to it, feeleth the want of them, if upon unseasonable weather, or any other respect, they leave to come for two or three days, the people complaining of the travail they endure, being many times for things, which they least thought, they should stand in need of.  

What necessity causeth to invent.  This inconvenience cometh many times to be remedied, very necessity sharpening wits, by practising things for some effects, & inventing of other which were never before imaginable: a particular which confirmeth such inventions as men have helped themselves withal in sieges, when they find themselves straightened, & in one of the three in which myself was present, coming in the end to be hardly straightened, and to suffer great hunger, all means failing us to send any men out to deliver our estate to the King's ministers, our Sovereign, for that the enemy had so seized the ditches and gates, as none could go forth without falling into their hands, we devised a river running cross the town to send men in a bark a swimming, who passed alongst to the very outmost parts of the enemy, making semblance of coming out for to swim, having given unto them, a little pellet of lead, in which was a ticket of paper written in cifer, carrying the intelligence, and soldered close up, about the bigness of a pill: the which they swallowed, passing freely with the same through the enemies, who did not only search their apparel and shirts, to see if they could find any letter in them, or any thing written in the linen, but washed their shoulders, when they came a shore, to discover whether any thing were written on them, a matter which sometime falls out: and in this manner we both gave and received intelligence, by the care which the men themselves took of the pills which they had swallowed: a piece of work which seemed unpossible unto us, before such time as necessity had made it easy. This same, and hunger causeth men to eat such things, as would astonish a man to hear them but named.  
Before that the enemy discover himself in planting his siege, or enclosing a Town, 
Consideration to 'cause the besieged to sally forth  they aught to mark well all the pieces thereof, and on what part in all reason he is to present himself with his squadrons of cavalry, playing upon them, using for this purpose, whole and demi culverins, in the platforms and cavaliers, being pieces which reach and carry furthest: and albeit they tear not so much as a cannon or demie cannon, yet are they very profitable to defend places withal, and so are many light pieces, for that they are easily carried to all parts, and brought back aswell when they have discharged: holding the places besides well viewed, where to place the harquebuserie out of the estrada cubierta, if there be any upon the bank of the ditch, for to help the cavalry, which shallbe in the town, which is to sally out to view the enemy, & the leaders to advertise the head, of the siege with what courage the enemy marcheth, & what quantity of men shallbe needful to be sent in those sallies and other, for that the end of him which is besieged is, to hinder any neighbouring upon him, entertaining him as far of as he can, for that he which cometh to besiege, is more powerful, and to defer this, there need not be so many soldiers ventured in the sallies, as that they shall come to want for the defence of the walls, which is that, where the last valour is to be used, & whether in the end all the besieged come, a far inferior number being able to fight with greater advantage, and to hold many men, is to conserve a place, for that a brickwall of men is held for the best brickwall, & which is able to defend such fortified places, as of themselves are not able to hold out, prolonging hereby time in defence: which cometh to be an occasion, by that which many times falls out in armies, and among Princes whose they are, that the place is still maintained for him which first possessed it.  

Consideration in prolonging the defence of a town.  It is to be understood, that a man should keep a place, as long as possibly he may, & that not only for days & hours to do it, is a matter of greatest importance, but for the lest moment: being well known that when any King or Prince shall command a town or fort to be yielded up, which any Captain or Castellane hath in charge, appointing him to do it by a day, giving him a countersigne if he have any, that such Captain or Castellane is to delay it even to the last of the four and twenty hours of the day, which is precisely set down unto him, accomplishing in this sort both his obedience towards his Prince, and his loyalty unspotted, not yielding the place up one jot, before he be bond to do it, nor falter one moment of time in his fidelity of maintaining it, while it remaineth under his charge.  
You must have likewise set at the loop-holes harquebuses a crock and great muskettes for rests, full level against the place where the enemy maketh demonstration to plant his battery, and to follow the trenches, which are to be discharged upon sight of the light of the lanterns, with which they sometimes work, and at other times at a venture, upon the hearing of any noise, the fire of the harquebuses, and pieces giving light.  

Advise how to stop mutinies.  When men besieged come once to be narrowly straightened, it falls out that some will show cowardice, which lest thought thereof: These give out speeches among the soldiers, relating the state of the siege, and small means of the defence thereof: for which they hold it a far better way to take a composition then to perish. To avoid any such prating, the best means the head of a siege can use, is to have some soldiers of whose valour and proceeding he hath before made trial, and to disperse them into the cordeguardes & companies of the rest, that by seeing their resolution and constancy, and how they are the first in putting hand to all perils and labours, the other may be animated to do the like: and if any soldier will shame himself, still continuing such prattling, let them be speedily cut of, without suffering them to proceed further: and the better to animate the men within, the chieftain himself must ordinarily visit the cordeguardes and Sentinels, showing himself affable towards all the soldiers, and giving them good example, being himself the first at the fortifying of all defences, which will 'cause the soldiers to do the rest with much more will and readiness: and in case any soldier be so much past shame, as that cowardice will make him utter unseemly words, tending to the rendering up of the place, or enticing and leading others to join with him to ask the same, he is to be punished exemplarily, and that readily, without giving time to have the voice run further.  
At the enemies working of his trenches, and planting of his battery, it cannot be delivered unto Y.H. in what manner they must annoyed him for that, besides what I writ of, that is to be done according as the disposition of the ditches, walls, & defences are, shooting ordinarily from them at the Trenches, with harquebuses and musketts, & great vigilance to be used in discovering how the trenches run, whether hastening the sallies or not, carrying themselves according to the men they have, & hope of having it succoured. In some sallies they use to plant the artillery on that part where the quarters are to charge, for to drive them which are besieged back into the town, annoying them worse thereby.  
When the battery is once begun, there must be very good watch both day and night kept on that part, 
Advise at the beginning of a battery  renforcing it according to such effect, as the enemies artillery hath wrought, and with order that none speak to any without, except he be commmanded. with the same circumspection must no clock sound, nor bell after that the town is once besieged, and at nights those that are besieged, stick in the battery a pole of the length of half a pike, and an iron, cross barred at the end thereof, where they hung 
* These we term by the name of cresset lights.  rundells of ropes, sodden with pitch and tar, which burneth giving a very great flame, & serveth sticking the pole without, to discover whether they be come to the ditch, & view what hurt the battery hath done, and to be able to hit them without, without the light causing any hurt to those within in continuing of their reparations. And in towns where they fear any scale, by reason there be few soldiers, and no great confidence held of the place, it is a very good way still to keep these fires on the towers of the walls, for to discover the ditches, which I have tried upon like occasion.  
The ditches being dry, if the battery continue long, they go out along the casamats thereof to view what ruin and damage it hath done, making it clean: other times they scatter pricks of iron in it before the assault, & at other times for to hinder it, they lay wood setting it afterwards on fire: Things which tieth him that besiegeth, to hasten the working of his trenches, until he desemboke out of the ditch, & quit the casamats, and if it hold water to assure himself of the bank, that no barks pass by him, being very deep.  

Which way to discover mines.  jointly they make mines to give fire when the enemy assaulteth them by the battery, making it thereby the more hard, and those without coming to work, they put the rimme of drums on the top of the defences, or in the countermines with little hawks, bells, or beans which stir upon the skin of the rimme, by the trembling of the earth when the pioneers dig, whereby it is known which way they take.  
The same effect is wrought by hanging at a rope, hard stretched needles, and putting under every needle a Barber's basin, that by their stirring of the earth, which mine, the needle may found in the basin, & sometimes they fill basins and little dishes full of water, and by the moving thereof know which way they go. It serveth even as well to make a little hole in the earth and stooping down, you shall find the noise by your ear.  
When they which besiege come to go with the mattock, 
Remedy when they dig the walls.  digging the foundations of the walls or towers, the remedy is to set a good guard there, and to go digging aswell to seek them out, to drive them from their ground, and always to repair the battery by the best means that you can. For this purpose sacks of wool (if there be any) serve very well, and flock beds, as also chests of wood filled with earth, or pipes, with wet straw or hay mingled with earth, casting featherbeddes into the one and the other, being a compound which incorporateth very well, treadding down the earth, 
Manner of reparations  and when it is clammy, and not dry, the straw and hay is wreathed like halters, more than two handfuls broad, & they fasten them into the earth with irons, as a man plants trees one near unto another. Wherewith they greatly fortify rampires, so that it be wrought sometime before the battery.  
These things be the common defences used, but when there is no matter to make them of, then must they be fain to do as necessity requireth, & inventeth, taking such to serve their turn, as they can find. Likewise they do say tables thick wrought with pikes of iron, like harrows in the breach, against the assault, and they let them down for that purpose with engines made with wheels, at such time as the enemy assaulteth, having chains made of wood, which are fastened, at the same instant, & at ease may be put to & taken away. Some use them of iron alone, on the top of the breach, and at the time of their assault raise them up with pulleys, and other engines, helping themselves with garlands and balls of wildfire, melted lead, scalding oil, and such like: and in the end they must be fain to defend themselves, notwithstanding that these and many other engines annoyed the enemy much with the travesses and strength of the pikes, on whom the foundation is to be builded, and to procure that the brickwall be always maintained, (without giving place to fear, who is a powerful Lord, as often as he finds way given unto him) for to form behind that new ditches, defences, or half moons, which seldom times willbe able to defend a town, if the brickwall thereof be lost.  

Advertisements for to prevent throwing of brigges into the ditch.  The state of the battery being viewed, and demonstrations which the sentinels discover them without to make, for to give the assault, by drawing together more colours, than they were wont, to the trenches, being no hour of watch, nor out of order as they were wont to do when they would renforce them, to enjoy th'occasionoccasion of some mine, or tower, which they are desirous to hold, the chief of the siege standing in the ditch, or some other place, is to mark whither the enemy, not being able to come to the breach without a bridge, have the night before thrown it in, or that it be to do. Because that if it be made of barks, and that it betokeneth good store of water in the ditch, he must procure sending some soldiers along the casamates & sallies, that they swimming, may sink them, making tronell holes in them, and being to be thrown in before the assault, made of barrels, boats, or any other light stuff, and with invention that the bridge hold a door drawn up, to serve for a defence to those which throw it in, letting it afterwards fall down, to make it the larger, them must he have in readiness, good store of fireworks, which may flame in the very water, and burn it, and in case that the bridge be covered with hides, therein they must help them selves with pieces from the travesses, if they have been able to preserve them, for to break the bridge withal. And if they have lost them, then to put one, if it be possible, in the front, wherewith to do the deed, and the bridge coming to the very breach, to see if by casting of great stones or pipes of them, lightning round about it, they may be able to split and break the bridge. jointly they are to furnish the breach, beside the ordinary guard, with a number of soldiers and ensigns, which are to be picked out for the same purpose, renforcing the weakest part thereof with soldiers, of whose courage and resolution good proof hath been made, the whole putting themselves with such weapons as they are to fight withal, into a squadron, and upon some occasion they lay pikes alongst the ground for such as brought none, to be able to serve with them, necessity binding them thereunto, as a weapon which is to be used even to the very last, against them which assault.  
This done, he must furnish the rest of the cordeguardes in such manner as he held them before ordered, according to the quality of the town, appointing a particular leader to every one, in such sort, as they may be at hand to help one another, and secure themselves, going, if it be possible, with their men in good order: and in the principal cordegarde of the market place, the men must be put into a squadron, as in all the rest, where the head is to stand to provide for what should be most convenient, and if the Town be great, to be on horseback: visiting the battery, walls, and cordeguard, to animate them more, to do their business with greater readiness, executing in his own person, what is convenient, and in case that the defence of the place bind him to do it, he shall do well to take a pike himself, and stand in the breach.  
Likewise he is to dispose of the women and men of the town, which do not bear arms, aswell near unto the cordeguardes, as the breach, that they may cast with ladles, and other instruments, scalding water, oil, melted lead, wildfires, & such like, when their be any to do it, and when not, then to give them to the soldiers, casting down great quantity of stones, which if there be many in the town, and do it with dexterity is not the worst defence, & in this, that the troops of men and women may have particular leaders to govern them, so as no confusion be made, in their service, nor disorder.  
jointly the town being little, and in danger of fire, for that the houses are all builded of timber, they are to have caudrons in readiness at the gates, and pipes full of water, and men appointed of purpose for to quench it, foreseeing that the enemy by intelligence had, nor any coward set them on fire at the time of the assault.  
When they that are besieged come to be narrowly straightened, it is a very hard case for them which are within, to give any intelligence of their estate, or of the quality of succours, which is to be required. For this cause they prevent it in the beginning thereof, by agreeing upon signs with fires in the night, & smoke in the day, or ensigns of sundry colours, & fashions, to show what they stand most in want of, or secure they desire: & they get from out of the country, swallows, doves, and dogs, which naturally return to the place where they first bread, putting under the wings of the birds, or tying to their feet, advises, and in the collars of dogs put up in a pellet of wax, and in like sort they have advertised again by these means & preventions, those within, at what time they should be succoured, encouraging them to abide it out, using like means and industries.  
For the most part towns come to be lost through want of men, powder, artillery, munition, and victuals, and if they which are besieged make instance for any of these things, 
Considerations in yielding supplies.  when they come to want, assuring that the enemy must needs enter, if they be not succoured, Y.H. is to consider in assisting of them, that the succour of men is the most easy, for that in marching they can defend themselves, but powder alone can not, & there must be men to carry that in wallets upon their shoulders, or upon the horse buttocks, when it is most secure to carry any cavalry. The succours of artillery, munitions and victuals be very cumbersome, if they go not by water (being then carried with ease) and of great danger through the toil and trouble about them, being things of so great bulk, and when the supply marcheth by land, they are enforced to have a great quantity of carts, and horse to carry it, and much force and men to attend it: whereby when you are desirous to supply any town with victual, you must be feign to make a whole journey of it.  
The armies being retired for to winter, the hardness of the time not yielding commodity for to encamp, they put such men as they dismiss not, into holds, and garrisons upon the frontiers, aswell to make them rest from the weariness of the field, & refresh themselves, as that they may war near unto the towns, wherein the Governors are not only to content themselves in keeping of them for a defensive war, but to procure the endemnifying of the enemy, by as much as may be possible for them, weakening of his forces.  
To this end they must be fame to help themselves with such manner of spies as according to the quality of the Province or country or peopling thereof, 
What is to be considered in the matter of spies.  they shall judge to be most convenient, entertaining them, within the enemies towns & countries, to be able to advertise his design, if he assemble together his men, what store he hath upon the frontiers, the estate of his fortification, what manner of guard he keepeth both by day & night, whether they go out ordinarily a freeboating or not, & such other occurrents as they desire to be resolved of by spies, according as occasions fall out, whom they must pay very well, giving unto them all satisfaction, as long as no double dealing is discovered in them, or treachery suspected, and in small time they shallbe able to judge of those which are faithfullest, and of best understanding.  
To look deeply into this, besides that they are to have divers spies comparing their intelligences together, they must mark with great heed, in the circumstances which they deliver in telling their news, how they have come to understand them, and if they have been able, conformable to the quality of their estate, to communicate with such people as they give out to have herded them of, whether they be matters likely to pass through many hands or not, or whether understood by private conference. 
Either your spies were not well paid, or failed you in Cadiz action.  Because that in war, by the outward preparations of men, artillery, munition & victuals, such as are soldiers will most commonly discover the end of the enterprise. And albeit that in frontiers and places of moment they use to give order unto sentinels, that they suffer no strangers to walk upon the walls, nor ditches, neither within nor without, yet whosoever will but set his mind to be informed of like fortifications, although he never before thought thereof, shall always find means paying those well that make him know what he desireth, for that money is the thing, which can do most in general with mankind.  
Likewise they do suffer men upon the frontiers, to whom they give no other pay then leave to freeboate, and to live in the town, bringing their booties to cell thither, and these be commonly men naturally born of the same province, and by knowing the ways and passages, annoyed the enemy greatly, taking prisoners by whom they come to understand many things: to this kind of people they are to give leave to freeboote according to the quality of the war, & profit which may be reaped by their service.  
Upon some occasions they spoil and destroy the villages round about the town, 
When a country is to be dispeopled.  if the inhabitants be not well affected, to bind them, by having no houses of their own, to fly unto the frontirs of their neighbours, and so the enemy finds himself overcharged by giving victuals to them, their wives and children. But when labourers and husbandmen of the country round about, cannot be dispeopled for some reasons, and are contented to victual the towns with the fruits of their labours, it is to be considered that all contentment be given unto them, and that the soldiers when they sally a freebooting out of the town, do not misuse them, for that by this they will be able to give good intelligence, and to pry with great care into the enemies actions, imagining that by his endemnifying their own profit will arise.  
For to know and view the field round about, the enemies frontiers, ordinarily they sand soldiers to freebote upon them, for the first days carrying good guides alongst with them, whereby they come to be well practised in the ways & passages, and to consider the estate of the field, to see, if coming nearer unto the town, taking men & cattle, they within will sally forth to defend, or recover them, and what ambushes may be laid, according to the men which sally out, and in what manner they govern themselves.  
In going out a freebooting, it must be kept very secret, 
Form of going a freeboting.  the men themselves not knowing at what hour they are to sally, but only to stand prepared, assembling them together after the shutting of the gates, and if it be necessary, to sound a trumpet for it, as they use to do at the guards, or a sordine, that it may not be understood although there be spies in the town, when they sally forth, but the best of all is to warn them to be ready by mouth.  
The men and guides being geathered together with the greatest secrecy that may be, the captain or Leader which goeth a freeboting with them, shall name unto them two or three places whither he would go, to see whither they know the ways, & to be sure they be perfect in them. This done, they shall open the gates, and at their sally out of the town, shall sand an officer, or soldier that is well practised with six or eight soldiers, to whom they shall deliver a guide, that they may go before the freeboters, willing them to carry them the closest way he can from the high ways, and villages, until they be a good way from the town, and being by day, the Captain shall march with another guide, and the greater troop of the men in the sight of the carriers, but at night nearer, because they are to serve to go a discovering, and he shall leave another practised soldier with six or eight soldiers more in the rereguarde, & a guide with them: the which are to march in sight of the greater troop, serving (if occasion require) when they chance to discover any enemies on that part, in stead of corriers: provided that at the opening of the gate, if it be by night, or in the day time, no other person sally out, than those which go to freebote, that no intelligence may be given to the enemy thereof, and in case that the freeboters carry but one guide alongst with them, when they light upon two ways, if the night be dark, the first troop is to leave a soldier there, to teach the second which way they are to take, and the second to leave another for the third to follow, and not to loose their way.  
Likewise when there go men of divers garrisons, or troops, at different hours, upon a piece of service, and that all are to pass by a cross way, then they take order, as every one passeth by that way, to leave a mark or token behind them, as to pitch up some stone, cut of bows, or somewhat else, that they may understand, the troops are go before, & this is to be done when it is not fit to leave any of themselves behind.  
In this order they are to march, and the Captain must sand some soldiers of his troop ever & anon, to see what the vanguard says, and if they march carefully. And in case they be to pass by any way where the enemy may annoyed them before their return back, by spying the print of their horses feet, if the weather be dry, it is a good way to put it out, by the troop which tarrieth behind, carrying of great boughs, and trailing them after them.  
When there is an intent to have any ambushes, or lay men in stealth, they are to use the same means of boughs to blot out the print of their footsteps, 
Advise for ambushes.  and that they may not be perceived to have trod there, looking as near as is possible to the horses that they neigh not, whereby many times they come to be discovered, the best remedy being when the horses are not many, to sever those that most are given to neigh.  
Being come to the stand of the ambush, they are to view well the sallies thereof, to choose the best for their purpose, aswell to charge upon the enemy, as to retire themselves if he be the stronger. This being viewed, they are to 'cause a soldier to climb up into a tree, whence he may descry furthest, and to give them notice of what they see, another soldier standing on horseback at the foot of the tree, to carry word to the head of the ambush, what he in the tree sayeth, and in case they be not able to discover enough from one place alone, then are they to set men up in two or three trees, that they may serve as a watch tower, soldiers on horseback standing at the foot of every one, and the like may be done in villages upon the tops of towers and high houses. In this manner they may continued the ambush, and refresh their horses, if need require, so as the watchmen discover far of, for that then they shall have time to bridle them. This ambush being laid near unto any frontier, with intent to do any damage to the people thereof, it must be provided that the ambush come near before it grow day, and as many men as they meet, to keep with them until two or three hours of the day be past, then is the leader of the ambush to send an expert soldier with such as he shall think fit, by a differing way about the country, taking as many cattle as they can, & to retire themselves by the same way where the ambush lieth, in such manner as by the haste which they make, they may make the enemy believe that they fear they shall not be able to bring it home, who will follow them with the more fury, and the ambush is not to sally out upon them, until they be clear passed them, and then they may be able to charge upon their backs, without giving means unto them to be able to return, which they are to do, sallying in good order, & to hasten or no the charge, by troth, or gallop, according to the matter they would execute, holding it for good, they are to put the booty and prisoners before, the Captain with troop remaining in the rearguard, and corriers behind him, making good speed until they get themselves out of the enemies country, and put themselves in safety, considering, that, by the standing of the soldiers busied about the guard of the prisoners, and wearisomeness having travailed all night, and the horses not so lusty to combat withal, the troop can not be so strong as when they came forth.  

divers manners of dividing booties.  The booty being safely brought home, it is to be divided according to the custom which the place carrieth, & as every nation useth: Because in some places the fift is given to the Prince, the General, or Governor taking a piece, dividing the rest among the whole, proportionable to their pays: in such sort as an equal part may fall to the Captain, officer and soldier, which tarried at home upon the guard, as well as to them that went abroad. Among other nations the Captains take the tenth out of the booties which the soldiers get, albeit they be not present at it, and at other times they divide the companies and they send so many soldiers a freebooting at one time, and afterwards other differing from them, running over all the companies to sally by course, that they may travail equally, & then the booty which every troop getteth, is divided among the soldiers of their own company, without any of the rest having share therein.  
Besides the freebootings which they use & damage growing to the enemy thereby, trade is to be endeavoured to be had within his country, which is a thing most to be practised with great wariness and consideration, and for the most part with people whose chief foundation must grow by falsifying their faith towards those whom they serve: whereby small assurance can be given to what they offer, except the same cause & occasion set them at liberty from their first faith, by which they may hold some more security of the second which they vow, weighing all circumstances, as who he is you treat with, for what cause, and in what manner, and whether he that hath charge of the place be a soldier or not, because being one, it may be himself peradventure which sendeth to treat with you to discover to what end you mean to make your sally, and when, that the damage may grow greater and double thereby, and sometimes to the end that the greater part of the garrison may be drawn to sally out of the town, for the execution of the plot which is offered, and then may he with much more ease execute what he list himself in the same place, by reason of the intelligence he hath had, or in any other, which he would never have dared to have conceived otherwise, for the many guards & soldiers, a matter easily brought about by such a stratagem or devise.  
They surprise towns in like sort by scale: 
Consideration for surprises.  And to that end they must sand soldiers of experience and trust to view the ways unto them, the breadth and depth of the ditches, & how far it is to the water, the height of the walls, quality of the ward which the enemy keepeth, disposition of the Sentinels, with what circumspection they stand in the places, what distance is between one another, whether one may be able to discover the whole brickwall over or no, at what hour the rounds use to pass, and whether they tarry long before they meet one with the other, in such sort as one may be able by gaining or kill of the Sentinel, to stand assured of the brickwall or tower before the round come to it.  
As well do men endeavour to gain towns by channels of water, which run through them, 
What hurt patardes do to gates.  low casamates in the ditches or secret gates, using patardes to break, and blow them open, which is a kind of artillery, which hath been invented few years since in these parts, which in a moment worketh great effect, in throwing down of gates, if a man may come to fasten the patarde in it, and the stronger they be, with the more violence doth the patarde work, overthrowing one, or two gates at once, albeit there be a distance between one and other, and a valte in the midst, except they be builded in such manner, as the patarde shall lose his force, having a vent by which the violence of the powder doth evaporate.  
The particularities set down being known, which are to be looked into, comparing one with the other, with great consideration, and the number of men, thought upon, wherewith the scalado is to be given, they are to assemble together after the gates be shut, if they go all forth of one town, if not to appoint a place and hour where to meet, and this, according to that in which you are to effect it, whether it must be at the hour of sentinel, which they term Modorra, or before, 
Midnight.  or at the Diana, being very fit that the day peep by that time you come within the place, putting the troops or companies of men in order which are to be divided into vanguard, battle and rereguarde, with a particular leader to each one, that may be a soldier of resolution, for that this is an action which requireth no less courage and valour than the canvisadoes, not only in the heads thereof, but in the soldiers which are to execute, who of force how valiant soever they be, can not but bethink within themselves whether they go sold or not, or there be any treachery, or the entry have been well viewed, or the going up good, or fortified since: stumbling blocks which the obedience of commandment, and resolution of their own courage must be feign to make plain and even: And for that in many places it is not only necessary to carry scaling ladders for such enterprises, but bridges of pieces of timber to frame them of, and boats for any arm of the water or ditch, I will writ in what manner it is good to proceed, being forced to carry all three alongst with them.  
The ladders for such a purpose are to be only of the height of the walls, because that if they be longer, 
Measure of scaling ladders.  it is an easy matter for them above, catching at the upper steps to turn them over with as many as are upon them, and if they be shorter, then can they not climb up to the top by them: To remedy this there must be great care taken, many towns having miss being won, by reason their ladders were to short, having taken measure to the just height of the wall, but not from that part of the ground where the ladders were feign to stand. The vanguard of your men must be divided into four parts, & the first ranks are to be laden with the scaling ladders, dividing them according to their bigness and number, in the second part of the same vanguarde must the timbers of the bridge be carried, and in the third the boats, the fowerth part consisting of those which are to climb up first, as the lest weary among them, and by the reason of war so required: which notwithstanding, there is no soldier of puntilloe, who if he come to set up the ladder, will suffer any other to climb up before him, except it be such as have helped to carry it, or his captain or Officer: the boats are made sometime of leather, that they may be light, 
Manner of boats.  and other of timber parted into four quarters or more, joining them afterwards together, with vices of iron, which some anoint with oil, to keep them from taking rust, although they lie many days in the water, closing the pieces in such order together with the vices, as the boat remaineth tyte, calking with speed the joints thereof  
The leaders being set down, order is to be given for their march, and for those ranks which are first to set up the ladders, or cast the boats or timbers of the bridge into the water, that they make no confusion or noise in doing it, being among all the rest of the orders which are to be made, most precisely enjoined, that when they shall have gotten the walls, no soldier be so hardy as to go to sack, until they be assured of the town, because than they shall have time enough. This being done, they are to send corriers out of the town, who are to go discovering before, the carts or moils following with the ladders and boats, in case the way be so far, as that it is not good for the soldiers to carry them, who are to march according to such order as their heads shall enjoin them, ever carrying the ladders and boats before.  
Being arrived near unto the town, which they are to scale, they shall unlade the ladders, barks & bridges in such places as no noise may be herded, he that is appointed giving order for every thing, & they which carry the barks shall put them into the water, taking halter's and ropes to draw the timbers of the bridge for to frame it, which are to be cast into the water by such as carry them. The bridge being framed, the leader of those which hold the ladders (who should be he which had viewed all, or to have him in his company which had done it) is to go before to assure himself of the entry, and if it be arising, to carry with him a small ladder of cords with a staff or half pike to fasten them to, and then to climb up on high to view whether they are perceived or not, & finding not, they shall set up the ladders in the securest place against the brickwall, climbing up by them, so as it may be done with greatest diligence and facility, and lest noise. The walls being gained, they shall go to the next gate to the place where they first gave the scalado, carrying with them pincers, files, hammers, crows of iron, and other instruments to open the gates with: a business which is to be done with diligence, that the cavalry or fanterie may enter into the town, which for this purpose tarried in the rearguard of all, and stood in squadron in the field, that upon any ill success, they might be able to help the soldiers running back, who continually must follow on without losing rank, to get up by the ladders: and in case there be any Citadel or Castle within the town, they must repair to that place, stopping that none of their men retire themselves in, and when there is no Castle in the town or place appointed to join themselves together in cordeguards, becoming entirely Lords of the town, then are they to give it to sack, & to fortify it, placing a good garrison: and when the Castle or Catadell, if there be any hath not yielded, then to prevent that no succour enter in at those gates, unto them, which Castles commonly have towards the country for that purpose, placing good watch at the entrance of the streets which lead thither, fortifying them with travesses, and other things convenient, as to make loop-holes out of houses, rampyring if it necessare, to defend the shot of the artillery, whereby they of the Castle will grow clean out of the heart from thinking to be able to recover the town again, and by that distrust will hold it a far better course to yield themselves.  
Those conquests which Kings & Princes attempt by sea happen at such time as they have ships, 
Consideration touching sea service.  mariners and other necessary things for it, much more easy then by land, for the commodity which they have in carrying in a small time great number of soldiers, munitions and artillery from sundry countries & far distant. By this means our Lord God doth open the way to such Kingdoms & states, as possesseth any sea coasts to expect their greatness and increase, which in our times hath been sufficiently proved, by that the Crowns of Castille and Portugal hath done, which the K. our Sovereign Lord father unto Y.H. possesseth, spreading out his empire & rule through the East and West Indies, with such a multitude of conquests though there were no more examples of the time past: a matter which the Castilian proverb aimed at, saing Reyno sin puerto, chimenea sin fuego: A consideration, which bindeth Y.H. to favour and honour the sea soldiers, 
Hernan Nunez lib. de refr. L. C  rewarding them and the Pilotts and mariners, and to entertain great Armies in ordinary, proportioning the forces of them with those of the land, 
How much it imports to maintain armies by sea.  which is that by which conservation of Empires standeth assured, being Lords of the sea, and the foundation (according to man's reason) of their greatness enduring, through the necessity which most Provinces hold to respect them, for maintenance of their trades and traficques, & facility with which he that is powerful on the sea may offend in sundry parts at one instant. And albeit this in general will not bind Y.H. yet the monarchy which you are to possess, and quality of your Crowns and estates requireth for their situation sake to hold Arms by sea, whereby to secure them upon any distress and offend the enemy, since of their very selves, every one holdeth by himself force's sufficient to hold out attending succour: which is one of the reasons that causeth many to judge Empires divided into sundry Provinces to be more firm, then in one body, where corruption once entering causeth a far greater ruin, then in the divided, and distant, being seldom times all infected at once with one morion, as it may fall out where they stand united.  
The preparation of your Y.H. fleet in the number of ships, soldiers and artillery, is to be according to the enterprise you purpose to undertake, & to consider therein the season, the power of the enemy, what confederates he may have, and the rest of the considerations which I have set down in common to be observed in forming of arms by land, the which will tell you of what burden ships willbe most convenient for navigation, whether they are to use Galleys or Boats of oars only, or carrying likewise of higher carving, if they be to carry cavalry, which will require convenient ships for this purpose, & by consequence for the carriadg of munitions victuals & the rest of the provisions. Provided that when it is an army of round ships, and that the wind which serveth you to sail, will bring with it, as mariners term it, grown seas, the navigation when the army is great must needs be much longer then with an other wound, which maketh fair weather, or that there were but a few ships which bindeth you to consider that albeit light Pinishes may in so many days perform the voyage, a great army must be feign with the very same wound to spend many more therein, in which care must be given to mariners which are of experience, & practise in the same trade, following their opinion, for the time which shallbe best to sail, and in particular the 
* Office of Admiral it is aswell taken for a chief commander upon the land, & therefore from ancient time there hath been an Admiral in Castilia, though the Kingdom be without any port, far distant from the sea.  Admirals, who is Y.H. Lieutenant at the sea: An office which holdeth more or less pre-eminence in some provinces, then in an other, according unto the authority which it hath pleaced Princes to give unto them. And when he doth not exercise his office, Y.H. is to name a general at the sea, and sometimes he is the same which is on land, and at other times no, whose office is to join together and compound the army, and to fit the ships with artillery, arming them with 
* Raretas, which they use in stead of our cariges with trucks, their wheels like field carriages.  carriges and other preparations, according to the burden, and men which are to fight in them, and form which every nation carrieth, accommodating things more carefully in that, then in an other. Furnishing likewise with victuals, placing in the office of a general victuler, a person of trust, much diligence, & little covetousness considering that by stinking victuals fleets & armies have many times received more loss, than they needed to have feared by tempests or enemies, & the covetousness of officers have been the only cause, who looking only into their own profit, have procured unto their Princes the destruction of their armies and men of war.  
Your ships and men standing ready for the enterprise, a few days before their departure, Y.H. is to command that your standard be arboled, which some 
* I can not blame you, you had so good success with your standard hallowed at Lasbone in presence of the Cardinal. 1588.,  Prelate is before to have for to hollow, and at the doing of it, order is to be given to all the ships, in what manner they shall give the Salve, at the a●boling of it, which ordinarily is, that it may make the more show, to discharge the harquebuserie, the musketerie following, & then the small pieces, & after in proportion the greater. I will not be tedious to set down in what manner the ship is to be dressed up in which Y.H. person goeth, nor what fashion of streamers or flags it is to carry, being to be more or less and according to the ostentation & magnificence which Y.H. means to use in the journey: particulars which 
* Their use at sea is different from ours, for what we call Admiral in which the General goeth, they term Capitana, and the Admiral with them is Vice admiral with us.  Admirals and Generals are to look unto, according to the pleasure & motive of the Prince, whether himself be present or no in the enterprise, which causeth to add or diminish, from the relations which are made of other Armies, in respect of this, & of the manner, how the Prince is to be saluted, embarking himself or no, or going to visit the army, and at his departure from the port, if he go himself in person.  
The Captana is to carry besides the 
* The standard is used to stand always in the poop near the general.  Royal standard, an other flag on the top of the main mast, & the Admiral an other in the top of the foremaste, flags which no other ship may carry, and before they go out of harbour, the squadrons must be divided, to the end they may be known: the Army being great, the ships of every squadron are to carry a streamer of such colour as his squadron carrieth, and that is to be hanged on the main yard Arm of the Starbord side.  
Likewise an order of fight must be agreed upon, that every ship may know his place, giving the same to all the Captains of the ships in writing, showing in what manner they are to govern themselves, as things fall out, & to be able to understand by such signs as the Capitana shall make, what they are to do, in which I will writ down the most principal points.  

General orders for sailing.  When Y.H. would have the Army, weather serving for it to be put in battle, there shallbe hung out in such a place of the Capitana as hath been appointed before, a flag of such colour: And if you would have the Captains of the ships to come aboard you, them another flag is hanged upon some mast of a different colour, upon which they will launch their Skiffes, and come to the Capitana, bringing along with them the Pillotes and Mariners of most experience.  
In case a schip of the army should descry another, they are wont to put up a flag hanging it on that side of the ship on which he discovereth her to lie, & being more than one, two flags, the one higher than the other, by which it shall give notice not only to the Capitana, but to the rest of the fleet. At other times with this sign they are wont to shoot of a piece when the army is very great, and that they can hardly perceive the flags, by the distance that they make in sailing.  
If any small Barks, sent out at any time by the Capitana to discover, make show that they have descried some, and that you would have them to pass onwards to view them better, they are wont to put a coloured flag on the forecastle, by which means they shall understand what they are commanded to do: and if Y.H. pleasure be that all the ships shall make way and do their best, a square flag is wont to be hanged between the main top and the foretop, & at other times the same flag is put on the top of the foretopmast that it may be seen further, being an army of many ships & that all may decern it, although they be far a sunder, whereby they shall know that they are to make way, and to use all diligence.  
Likewise the first ship which descry the land, aught to put on that side of his ship which he seethe it a square flag upon the main topmast, inclining it a little towards that part, where he see the land, and to discharge a great shot or two.  
If any ship be in danger of splitting, by running a ground or knocked upon any rock, or other misfortune, she shall discharge three great shot one after an other, & 'cause a man to go up to the main top and to go round about with a flag in his hand, by which they may understand she is in danger, & demandeth succour. And if any ship of the enemies should fortune to come among the great armadas to view them, and that they are willing to see whether it be one or not, the Capitana useth to hung up a flag of a different colour, in some part of the ship, & then all the rest of the army do the like, whereby the enemy is discovered.  
For sailing by night, they likewise give instruction, for whatsoever should hap, the Capitana carrying one lantern alone, and if the Admiral carry any than is the Capitana to carry two, that she may be known: and if the weather wax boisterous in such sort as it may prove dangerous that any fire should chance to light out of the lantern upon the poop, they change it to the foremast, and any storm growing, the Capitana lighteth two or three, which served for a sign that every ship should light his, & especially if they be Galleys or ships of oars, preventing that they do not grow fowl one of another by the darkness and hausines of the weather: and any tempest growing upon the storm, the Capitana is to discharge one or to cannon shot, to give warning that every Galley shifted the best she can for herself, without following of her, having instruction in writing (if the journey be resolutely appointed) in what place or height they are to return to join, in case that by storms the ships should come to be severed and dispersed.  
The Capitana making another board in the night, or changing her course, they use to hung a lantern in the shrouds, & shake of her bonnets, or take in her topsayles: and when she taketh in all her sails and means to hull, they put in the shrouds tree lanterns, & in case a leak be in any ship of the army, or that a mast or yard be sprung, they use to discharge a great shot, and being in great extremity, three.  
In discovering any ship of the enemies, they fling fire into the sea, or set up a lantern in such part of the ship as it may be well discerned, discharging some great shot: and if there be many ships, he shall shoot of four or five times together, setting up three lanterns upon the poop, and an other upon the forecastle.  
If one ship alone happen to descry land in the night, and not the rest, they use to shoot of one or two pieces, & setting up a lantern tacks into the sea, with small sail whereby the rest of the ships follow, plying up and down in this manner until morning.  
If you would have the ships come together in the night, the Capitana must shoot of a piece, putting up two lanterns upon the corners of the highest part of the Poop, and another upon the mysine mast, a sign whereby they will draw together, these being the principal points for which instructions be to be given in writing upon any occasion that may fall out by day or by night in navigation, with such tokens as are thought most convenient, these which I have set down being but to serve as a pattern to make other by.  
jointly order must be given to every Captain in what manner he is to arm his ship, if he have cause to fight, 
General orders for fight.  & that he execute it with preciseness, appointing the leaders and soldiers which are to fight expressly their places, so disposing the men which he carrieth in his ship as that they may serve both the decks, the poop, galleries, maintop and forecastle, appertaining to the head of the ship to stand upon the poop with some particular soldiers, of whom he holdeth a good conceit, allotting the principal places set down to such officers as are in the companies, giving order to such soldiers as he hath, that they obey them in their places as if it were his own person, and give hand one to help another, or come whether necessity shall require, & that in every one of these stands they have two dozen of half pikes, which are to have the third part of them talowed over, towards the head, that the enemy catching at them may fasten no hold, & that he 'cause such people as are there to fight to take pikes, not knowing how to manage a harquebus, because otherwise they should serve with them first, & take pikes after, & that there be men in time of bording appointed to the place of Arms, which is to be between the main mast and the prow.  
Likewise Y.H. is to command, that among such people as are known and have skill to use them, may be bestowed the artificial fires, and trunks and balls of wild fire, and such like, for the danger which may ensue if they should not know to use them as they aught.  
jointly you must command that such a one may be put in charge with the powder, as will look unto it with great care and circumspection, that by no means any touch it or come near that carrieth any fire, and that two or three trusty people may be appointed to assist him which hath charge of the powder.  
Likewise it must be ordained that when they come to fight, the Clarks and Religious men, Physicians, Surgeons, and the rest whose turn is not to fight, may be stowed in hold under water, who are to have a head to govern them, and sheets of lead, hammers, nails, skuppers, hides, plucks of wood, and other necessaries, that in case they should receive any shot, they may quickly remedy it, and caucke it, employing all diligence in this, which a matter of so great peril imports.  
Also that they command all empty cask to be sawed a sunder in the midst, and in fight fill them with salt water, and all the rest of the cask which hath been emptied in the ship, putting them in places where the soldiers fight, providing by this means to be able to quench the fire, and to have buckets to carry the water, and all other things which the artillery shall stand in need of, appointing a leader to take count of these things, & people to help him. The tops of the main and foremastes of the great ships are to be coiled with old cables without, & within with beds for the defence of those which are to fight in them, whether they are to carry up stones, pieces of iron, or lead, to fling down at time of fight: things which Y.H. is to command that every Captain be provided of by himself in his ship, in such sort as he shall not stand in need thereof at the very instant.  
At sun set the whole fleet cometh to hail the Capitana under her lee, and vaileth their sails, and she answereth them again, giving them the word for that night: when by occasion of weather that cannot be done, they have a word in writing set down for every day in the week, whereby they know one an other, and the Admiral tarrieth last in the rearguard to gather the Fleet up together. When night cometh, and that they have sung the 
* Used at the setting of the watch as we do clearing of the glass.  Salve in the ships, they put out all the candles, leaving none stirring but such as must needs, which shallbe lamps of oil for the danger of fire, or candles within lanterns, whereby they may set nothing on fire, which done, the men withdraw themselves to bed, all save the watch, and sentinels abiding in their stands.  
At morning by break of day, the trumpets sound the dawning, and all the Fleet cometh alee, & haileth the Capitana: whereby it is known if any be missing out of the fleet, and in case she be not perceived, some light Pinnish which attendeth a stern, is sent out to look her, following the course or point of the compass which was given for sailing, & the Capitana continuing hers, the rest of the Army sail a stern of her, and with such distance, as they may not lose sight.  
Offering to give battle, which is the most dangerous matter of all whatsoever doth concern the wars, aswell for the facility with which the ships are set on fire, as that of necessity he which will subdue his enemy, must enter him: and when he hath not done it by force of Artillery, he than cometh to fight with so much disadvantage, as having grappeled the ships, to leap upon the shrouds, maystering the poop, forecastle, and both the decks: A peril to which an other not the lest is added, fight upon the Sea, which is the greatest enemy of all, sparing none that falls into her, which is not so upon the land.  
In setting the ships in battle, when they do not fight in Channels, 
Form of battle for round ships.  and streams of shoals and shelffes, where of necessity they must dispose the fleet according as the room will afford, making vanguard battle, and rereguarde, all mariners are of opinion that fight with round ships, the best form of battle is to make one Front, putting the Capitana in the midst, and of each side of her (when there are but few ships) the greatest and of most bulcke, one lying as near the other as may be. Provided that they come not so to meet together, as to wax fowl with their shrouds, as it sometimes happeneth, and causeth very much trouble.  
And the Army being great, others compound the battle of one front, the ships of every squadron following their head, dividing them as they judge most convenient, according to the quality of the ships, and at other times for this consideration & the greatness of the ships, without caring to have them of any squadron, in sailing they mingle one with another, appointing them what place they are to hold when they come to fight: and this considering that the Army being great, and by consequent the front great, which is to be made upon putting themselves in battle, it is necessary the Capitana being in the midst, to disperse those people which carry the greatest ships, through the whole battle and front, garnishing the horn to windeward, with the greatest and strongest, to the end they may defend the smaller ships which are to fight on the lee on the contrary horn, and be able hereby to animate the rest, and guide them to board, for that the Capitana by reason of the great distance which a great Army must of necessity occupy, can not attend at such a time upon all, with such readiness as is to be required.  
In one of these forms they sail in the best order that can be, without any one ship going before an other, And if the weather will suffer it, so far a sunder as two or three ships may be able to go between every one. For which cause those which are best of sail do fit their sails in striking them lower, whereby they come to make no more way; the sluggie seeking to gain the wind on both sides to fight, & to come in order of battles before written, to board, which is that which most imports at sea, he which hath gotten the wind being able to give a greater thrust at bording, and to cast the smoke of his artillery upon the contrary ship, and to help him with more advantage by the fires, annoying the other thereby, and in case he list to shoot at the enemy before bording; he may commodiously do it, by reason of the wind, discharging both his broad sides at the time of his bordinge, which is where the ships carry most pieces: and to prevent this he which finds himself able in the burden of his ships and number of men to board, goeth assoon as ever he hath got the wind, with the greatest speed he can in a front to do it, and if he be desirous to shun bording, by reason his ships be lower, he entertaineth time shooting of still his Tires by making Boards, which is to annoyed the enemy, without adventuring to come to hand strokes with him, for the disadvantage which he knoweth he shall get by it, not having so high ships, nor multitude of soldiers, whose hands and force upon bording getteth the victory, because they discharge no other artillery than Cannons periall and small pieces in their upper works where they use not already slinges, shooting of all the artillery he can at such time as he is ready to board, when bullets work most effect, and almost none at all before, the rest being but short into the air, of which great consideration is to be had. For this cause some are of opinion, if the wind serve, that the Capitana should delay bording himself, until the rest of the ships had done, and in the mean time to be able to secure, where need should most require, governing himself therein, as they do upon the land in days of battle, where the generals squadron is the last which cometh to shock. A particular in which a great inconvenience ceaseth not to offer itself, and that is, that at sea every ship is to fight by itself, and to be a matter of greatest moment for obtaining of the victory to get some one of the enemies in as short time as may be, for which of force they are to gauge their greatest and strongest ships at first, to come to hand strokes, and to seek out the Capitanas, which by reason aught to be the best ships on both sides; and in ships it is not the heart of the Captain, which goeth in them that governeth them, but the Master or Pilot taketh many time's occasion through their own cowardice to put of the Capitana from bording, with that resolution which the General desireth: And likewise that which is most convenient, is, to have the Capitana of the first ships to board the Capitana of the enemies army, appointing some other to secure her, if need should be. In the judgement of the greatest Mariners and soldiers at sea, when there is an unequality in the number of ships, they esteem it a matter over dangerous to fight with them, grounding themselves upon this, that one ship is but to fight with another, and the advantage in number doth easily make them to fight two against one, and if they chance to yield, yet she must be feign to come to help the rest, and therefore they never blame any that shall refuse to fight with like disadvantage, and if one do it, and win, yet do they hold him for overuenturous, and of no great government, when the quality of his ships & men be not answerable to the number of the rest. These the mariners affirm to be the considerations of greatest importance in giving of battle, disposing it so, as one ship may board another without pusling two against one, except they be more in number, looking into the quality of the pieces of artillery which the enemy carrieth, and whether his ships be builded to be able to serve with it or not, with two or three tires on the sides, according to the burden of such ships, and whether they be of brass or the greater part of cast iron, which reacheth nothing so far, 
* This is very doubtful & I think he is deceived.  and is sooner heated.  
In time passed they kept a great stir in arming the tops for the mischief which was done to the enemy thereby, and now they do not hold it to be of so great moment, since musketerie is grown in use, against which they which stand in the tops can hardly defend themselves, and as men which stand naked are hurt easily. For this cause they fit themselves better by placing blinders to cover their men, save such only as are necessary for the government of the ship, and the rest to abide in their places, preserving themselves as long as they can before they come to the push of the pike. This same, & to procure that the poop and prow may be reared for to combat and defend the entry, hath made to heathen them with boards on both sides, making them hollow, a little less than a geometrical foot, filling up the hollow with old nets of fishermen, that may serve to be of muskett proof, without clogging the ship much with carging, & when ships have a long time grapeled, seeing themselves run a ground, and not able to enter to make her yield, by reason that her poop is so high, they use to cast out of them upon the other ship, ashes, scalding oil, and melted lead, to annoy those which stand defending upon the deck, and running through the shrouds to offend the rest.  
They likewise defend with woolbeds & bolsters, or wolsackes, if there be any, those places in the ships which are most convenient at such time as they go to fight, ordaining after that the men stand bestowed in the four principal places, that they fight in order, and not running themselves out of breath: for that it hath fallen out after grapeling, that ships have fought without being able to judge which was likeliest to have the victory, a whole day and a night, & more time too, & served their turn with wildfire upon good occasion, because if one have not the wind, it is a most dangerous mischief to fling fire into his enemy, his own ship being likely to take it, and very hardly able to loose himself.  
It may sometime fall out to be in an harbour, and that a more powerful enemy cometh to fight, in this case it falls into consideration, according as the harbour is, in which he finds you, whether it be friend or enemy. Being enemy they must in reason anchor where they are likeliest to receive lest annoyance from the land, and make themselves ready to fight at sea, one ship coming as near to the other as is possible to be joined together, by this means standing prepared to defend themselves on all parts, keeping a ship or pins at sea for watch, to give notice of such as they should descry: if it be friend, then do they put the poops of their ships as near shore as they can, and as close one by another, the weather serving for it, because by doing thus, the enemy shall not dare to come near them, for fear lest their ships run a ground, for that they can not be able to stay them coming under sail so near the shore without striking or casting Anchor, and the disposition of the place so serving, they draw Artillery a shore to defend the ships withal, from whence it reacheth further & with better mark, Being a calm, if the ships can stand very close together, they put bridges over one another to succour themselves by, and launch their squiffes and barks into the sea to stop that no enemy come to cut the cables of their anchors, nor to set their ships on fire, and when the tide and wind serveth, to keep any from sending ships with artificial fires, & mines wrought in them, which when the fire cometh to the mines should blow up huge stones, and other like things put upon the top of the work thereof: with which it doth not only great annoyance, but burning itself, setteth all the rest on fire that cometh near. These boats are to carry artillery, and some bring blinders to fight the better with them, and to keep away ships of such fires and inventions, where no body goeth in them, they carry in their boats long ropes, and at the end of them pieces of iron chains with great grapples to fasten to the ship of fires, which, after the iron grapples have taken hold on, they may easily toe, whether they list.  
So doth an Army of ships fall out to sail, 
Means to join round ships together in time of calm.  standing in fear, lest the enemy set upon them in time of calm with a number of galleys; then the best means they can use, if with the calm they be distant one from another, is to launch out the squiffes, and long boats into the water, and giving a tow with them to bring the ships together, putting them in the best order they can, and the galleys coming to shoot at them, they serve their turn with the Artillery, one helping another by standing near together, procuring in this manner to equal the advantage which the galleys have in shooting low, & almost level with the water, by discharging so great store of pieces, as the galleys must be enforced to loof of, not able to come to close.  
The army being all of galleys and ships of oars, they use to place their waste boards to fight with them, garnishing well the 
* We have not the use of galleys, & therefore we can not properly english their words of art.  rombadas, and to repair with travesses, bolsters, and beds the boat and mast, for that in case the enemy should gain the forepart, yet he should find fights able to turn him out again, the poop being well renforced with men, and the ladders pulled up where they put some little pieces, the Captain of the galley standing at the standeroll, which is his place to govern, the soldiers keeping their balesteras with their harquebuses, & in the spaces between the banks they are wont to put trunks or balls of fire, lighted, to use them, if occasion require, and pikes, targetts, and halberds upon the Cruzia for the same purpose, the men which are not to fight, standing in hold, and the Surgeons to cure those that are hurt, and the Carpenters with their instruments, to remedy any hurt, which might happen on that part by the fall of any shot.  

Form of ordaining battles with ships of oars.  To order Battles of ships of oars, is done, in a front, or in form of a half moon, The Capitana standing in the midst, garnishing the horns or wings (as they term them) with some galleys of the most strength. In this manner they go, having got the weather by oars in the hands, one as near unto another as they can be permitted for to sail with, hastening way according to the motive which the enemy discovereth, and when there are a great number of galleys, they leave squadrons at the stern of the Capitana, and so at the galleys of most strength others, wherewith to be able to secure them. In case the enemy should board them with more galleys, and carry as they term it, the wind in his hands by the oars, there can not be a matter of greater moment to annoyed him, than to blind him with the smoke of the Artillery, all the while it lasteth, & to help themselves with fires, if occasion serve to board, a matter which round ships do as they can, but those with oars when they list: and he which refuseth it must of force receive the chase, putting himself in flight, with which they come to board one another, & if there be a disequality in number, two against one.  
In shooting of the Artillery before bording, it is to be considered that it be at such a distance, as to be able to charge the second time, because that discharging the Artillery after bording, it doth not only come to hurt with more certainty, but with a far greater loss, for that a blow is of great force at full, a matter which the very reason of shooting proveth, through the motion which the violence of powder giveth to the bullet, a manner in which the artillery is mounted in the galleys: And if in assaults by land they stay shooting any piece out of the travesses, until the men be clambered unto the top of the breach, that they may do the more hurt by the certainty of the shot, two galleys being boarded, which is to come to assault one another, without all doubt she shall have most advantage which in that season and instance is able to help herself with her full Artillery: a particular of which great consideration is to be had, and to be esteemed of great moment at that instant to use artillery, than before with shooting off great shot, which come all to be lost, and none of that force they are when they come to board.  
If the Army be compounded of galliass, 
Advertisement for to fight, the army being compounded both of round ships and ships of oars.  & high round ships, you must frame the battle according to the disposition which the enemy carrieth. Provided that the galiasses, and round ships, in case the weather serve them, shoot first of their Artillery, because necessarily it must do much hurt, and when they shall come to board such ships with their galleys, it shall tend much to their advantage, by the nature of the boarding, and likewise the same occasion is to give law, in what manner the battle shall be disposed, and without doubt the ships of high building will put the enemies to flight, if some galleys or rowing vessels go in the vanguard, and when not, it provoketh the enemy to board them.  
The Army being arrived in harbour, 
Form of landing men.  or place where you would land your men, the Capitana is to give order to all the ships, that as soon as they see a flag put forth of such a colour, they launch their squiffes and long boats, & embark such men in them as the General shall appoint: in which consideration is to be had of the quality of the country, whether it ask a great quantity of harquebuserie, and fewer pikes, or more of them, a squadron being presently to be made, for fear of the enemies cavalry, or a golpe of men joined together, the number being cast which every skiff can carry a shore, then is it to be ordered, that in every squiffe or long boat, a third part of pikes, and two of arquebusiers, in such sort as being ten pikes, there may be twenty arquebusiers, The Capitana launching her own squiffe or long boat, and therein such soldiers put as are to go, an ensign is to be carried in the prow of that squiffe only, which all the rest are to follow, and coming near unto the shore, they hold water turning their poops unto it, to use such little pieces as go in them, shooting them off if need be, giving a tire upon the enemy to make him stand further from the sea side, and when he will not, then to thrust them a shore, where a squadron is instantly to be made, the harquebuserie gaining the most convenient stand, and with this order the squiffes return again to sea to fetch the rest which are to desembarke, an effect which he that is on land cannot withstand, the invader being the more powerful, when he holdeth no place fortified, or furnished with artillery nor that it be inaccessible, for that he which cometh to land carrieth little pieces, and they on land being to remove there's from one place to another, cannot wield them with that readiness that they are carried upon the water: and when their is a place fortified where the men must needs landlord, then do they arm their boats with blinders, which covereth the fore part and served for a defence, and then letting it to fall when they come to land, it serveth for a bridge, helping themselves with this, and such other manner of barks, which they defend with sundry sorts of instruments.  

epilog, referring himself to better judgements.  Albeit that I have made no profession of a Mariner, the having been a soldier in some voyages by sea, and present where I have seen armies enough join, sundry sorts of ships having been prepared for them, shall excuse me for entreating of the government thereof, and manner of fight, without writing more at large of marinershippe, for that it is not my profession, referring myself as well in this, as in that of the land service to those, whose judgement is better, and know more through their great experience, of which I for those years I followed the war in, have signified unto Y.H. in service of land and sea, my judgement, to be most convenient for a Prince like Y.H. to have the Theoric and practise thereof, and to advantage more by this the experience, which occasions may bring, the which hath been my end in scribbling of these papers, led with the desire I hold, that not only your soldiers should admire in Y.H. your wisdom, and consideration in undertaking enterprises, liveliness and diligence, in executing of them, dexterity in camping, and form of governing your Armies and forces, but that it may be an example to the rest of the Princes and Kings, for to come to be called renowned Captains of war, which Y.H. will attain unto, and many other things worthy of so great a Prince, if you will fix the end of your Actions, in the service of our Lord God, 
What aught to be the last end of our actions.  offering unto him the greatness of forces who hath put them into your hands for the augmentation of his glory and honour, and maintenance of peace and justice within your Kingdoms, with which he will be least offended, and most praised. A blank on which all men are to look, every one following the vocation of his estate.  
Laus Deo.  
uni soli & semper.   

Censure.  
BY order from the Lords of the Royal Council, I have seen this book, entitled, Theoric and practice of war, directed to the Prince our Lord, composed by Don Bernardino de Mendoza: And by the experience which I have of two and thirty years which I have served the K. our Sovereign in the wars, Captain of light horse, and Infantry, and campe-maister, and campe-maister general, and having read all whatsoever with the best diligence I could gather written thereof, antic or modern in that profession, and such histories as set down the reasons of their loss or victory, which have had the command or rule over armies, which is the height of the art military, holding experience to understand them, I say that this work is very worthy of His Highness, because first he proposeth such principal advertisements, as are to be considered, and understood in the managing of a war, preventing in the beginning excuses for taking arms, as one that hath had experience, how uncertain the events are, and laying down the matter of state with much christian zeal, in which he showeth well the much Theoric and practice which he hath: and after having done great and worthy services to the K. our Sovereign, it is not the lest, to have made such a book, for the profit which as well the Prince our Lo. may draw out thereof, as the generals of his army, and leaders, and soldiers, which are to follow them, Therefore is it fit that it be printed, so great profit redounding thereby. At Madrid, the 12. of May, 1595.  
Don Francisco Arias de Bobadilla.