THE Exercise of the English, in the Militia of the Kingdom of ENGLAND.   engraving of a foppish soldier  engraving of a soldier 
THe Soldiers are divided into two kinds, Foot and Horse. The Foot again are of two kinds; Pikemen and Musketeers.  
Pikemen are armed with a head-piece, a Cuirass and Tases defensive, & with a Pike of fifteen foot long, and a Rapier offensive. The Armour is all iron; the Pike of Ashen-wood for the Steal, and at the upper end an iron head, of about a handful long, with cheeks about the length of two foot, and at the buttend a round strong socket of iron ending in a Pike, that is blunt, yet sharp enough to fix to the ground.  
The Musketier hath a head-piece for defence, a Musket, the barrel of the length of 4. foot, the bore of 12. bullets to the pound; a Bandelier to which are fastened a convenient number of charges for powder (sometimes as many as 15. or 16.) a leather bag for bullets, with a pruning iron; a Rest for the Musket, with an iron fork on the upper end to support it in discharging, and a pike on the nether end to stick into the ground; lastly, a Rapier.  
These Soldiers, both Pike-men, and Musketeers, are divided into Companies; and every Company consisteth, half of Pikes, half Musketeers. The Companies are some more in number, some less. Some reach to 300. men, some 200. some 90. some 80. some 70. Every Company hath these Officers of the field: A Captain, a Lieutenant, an Ensign, 2 Sergeants, 3 Corporals, 2 Drums; and for other uses, a Clerk, a Surgeon, and a Provost.  
Companies are compacted into Regiments, and the Regiments commanded by Colonels. Regiments contain not always a like number of Companies, some having 10, some a 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. some 30. Companies and above. In every Regiment, are a Colonel, a Lieutenant Colonel, a Sergeant Major, all Officers of the field; a Quartermaster, and a Provost-martiall for other employments. It shall not be greatly to the purpose to mention higher Officers than Colonels, my principal intent being no other, then to set down the Arms and Exercise of our Nation, in the said united Provinces. Their Arms are spoken of. Their Exercise follows.  

The Exercise of a Foote-Company.  
FIrst both Pikes and Muskets are ordered into files of 10. deep The Musketeers are sometime placed before, sometime in flank, sometimes in the rear of the Pikes.  
To exercise the motions; there are two distances to be observed.  
The first is, when every one is distant from his fellow 6 foot square, that is in file and rank 6.  
The second is when every Soldier is 3 foot distant one from the other, as well in file, as in Rank.  
And because the measure of such distances cannot be taken so justly by the eye, the distance of 6 fout betwixt the files is measured, when the Soldiers stretching out their arms do touch one another's hands: and betwixt the Ranks, when the ends of their Pikes come well-nigh to the heels of them that march before. And the measure of 3 foot betwixt the files is, when their elbows touch one another; betwixt the Ranks, when they come to touch the ends of one another's Rapiers.  
For to march in the field, the distance of 3 foot from file to file is kept, and of 6 foot from Rank to Rank.  
To order themselves in Battle, as also to go towards the enemy, the distance of 3 foot in File, and Rank is observed; and likewise to conversion or wheeling.  
The Musketeers also going for to shoot by Ranks keep the same distance of 3 foot, but going to skirmish they go ala Disbandade, which is out of order.  
There is yet another sort of distance, which is not used, but for to receive the enemy with a firm stand, and serveth for the Pikes only, (for the Musketeers cannot be so close in Files, because they must have their arm at liberty) and that is, when every one is distant from file to file, a foot and a half, and 3 foot from Rank to Rank. And this last distance is thus commanded, Close yourselves throughly. But it is not to be taught the Soldiers, for that, when necessity shall require it, they will close themselves but too much of their own accord, without command.  
What the Soldier ought to know by the Drum.  

1. A Call.  
2. A March.  
3. A Troop.  
4. A Charge.  
5. A Retreat.  
6. A Battalia.  
7. A Battery.  
8. A Relief.   
To begin therefore to do the Exercises, the Company is set in the first distance, to wit, of 6 foot in File, and Rank, and thus is said  

Stand right in your Files,  
Stand right in your Ranks,  
Silence.  
To the right hand.  
To the left hand.   
These are the general words of Command, which are often to be used.  

As you were.  
As you were.  
To the right hand about. You must note, that when they are commanded to be as they were, they must return thither, from whence they parted; and if they turned to the right hand, they must return to the left & so in countermarch.  
To the left hand as you were.  
To the left hand about.  
To the right hand as you were.  
To the right double your ranks.  
Ranks as you were.  
To the left double your ranks.  
Ranks as you were.  
To the right hand double your files. Files as you were.  
To the left hand double your files. Files as you were.  
With half files to the right hand double your Ranks.  
Half files as you were.  
With half files to the left hand double your Ranks.  
Half files as you were.  
Files to the right hand countermarch.  
Files to the left hand countermarch.  
To the right hand, or left, at discretion, as you were.  
Ranks to the right hand countermarch.  
Ranks to the left hand countermarch.  
To the right or left hand as you were.  
Close your Files to 3 foot distance.  
Close your Ranks to 3 foot distance.   
Understand that in Closing from the outsides to the middle, the Soldier is to stand in his distance of 3 foot in file, and not closer.  
To the right hand wheel. To the left hand wheel.  
Open your Ranks backwards in your double distance, to wit, at 12 foot, and this for a single Company.  
Ranks as you were, sc. at the first.  
In opening Ranks or Files, you must keep them closed until the second Rank or File, beginning from the outsides, have taken their distances, and so shall the rest remain close until every Rank or File have taken their distances in order.  
Open your Files, to wit, to the first distance of 6. foot.  
If you will command to close Files to the right hand or left hand, the outmost File standeth still, and the rest close to that File.  

For the Pike with a firm stand.  

Advance your Pikes. Order your Pikes.  
Slope your Pikes. Charge your Pikes.  
Trail your Pikes. Cheek your Pikes.    

More for the Pikes, first with a firm stand, and then marching.  

Charge your Pikes. Slope your Pikes.  
To the right hand charge your Pikes. Slope your Pikes.  
To the left hand charge your Pikes. Slope your Pikes.  
Charge your Pikes to the Rear. Slope your Pikes.  
Order your Pikes.   
This must be observed charging your Pikes with a firm stand, to set the right foot behind, and charging the Pikes marching, to set the left foot before.   

For the Musket.  
THe Postures in his Excellency's Book are to be observed; but in exercising you must only use these three terms of direction.  

Make ready.  
Present.  
Give fire.   
Your Musketeers must observe in all their motions to turn to the right hand, and that they carry the mouth of their pieces high, aswell when they are shouldered, as in pruning, and also when they hold their pans guarded, and come up to give fire.  
In advancing towards an Enemy, when they do not skirmish lose and disbanded, they must give fire by Ranks after this manner.  
Two Ranks must always make ready together, and advance ten paces forward before the body, at which distance, a Sergeant (or when the body is great, some other Officer,) must stand, to whom the Musketeers are to come up before they present, and give fire, first, the first Rank. And whilst the first gives fire, the second Rank keep their Muskets close to their Rests, and their pans guarded, and assoon as the first are fall'n away, the second presently present, and give fire, and fall after them.  
Now assoon as the first two Ranks do move from their places in the front: The two Ranks next them must unshoulder their Muskets, and make ready, so as they may advance forward ten paces as before, assoon as ever the two first Ranks are fall'n away; and are to do in all points as the former. And all the other Ranks through the whole division must do the same by two's, one after another.    

A manner there is to give fire retiring from an enemy, and is performed after this sort.  
As the Troop marcheth, the hindermost rank of all, keeping still with the Troop, is to make ready, and being ready, the Soldiers in that rank turn all together to the right hand and give fire, marching presently away a good round pace to the front, and there place themselves in rank together just before the front: As soon as the first rank turns to give fire, the rank next makes ready, and doth as the former, and so the rest.  
We give fire by the flanks thus. The uppermost file next the Enemy must be commanded to make ready, keeping still along with the body, till such time, as they be ready, and then they turn to the right, or left hand (according to the sight of their enemies either upon the right, or left flank) and give fire all together. When they have discharged they stir not, but keep their ground, and charge their Pieces again in the same place they stand. Now as soon as the foresaid file doth turn to give fire, the uttermost next it makes ready, always keeping along with the Troop till the Bringer-up be past a little beyond the Leader of that file, that gave fire last; and then the whole file must turn, and give fire, and do in all points as the first did, and so the rest one after the other. A Sergeant, or if the Troop be great, some other better qualified Officer must stand at the head of the first file, and assoon as the second file hath given fire, and hath charged, he is to lead forward the first file up to the second file, and so to the rest one after another, till he hath gathered up again the whole wing, and then he is to join them again in equal front with the pikes.  
Last of all the Troop or whole wing of Musquettiers makes ready all together, and the first rank without advancing gives fire in the place they stand in, and speedily, as may be, yet orderly falls away, all the ranks doing the same successively one after another.  
Thus much of the arms and exercise of the foot.  
The horse ensue.   

The order and discipline holden in the Horse-treopes, or in the Cavalry.  
The Cavalry hath for his Chief the General, the Lieutenant General, and the Commissary general.  
To the Cavalry there is a Quartermaster general, and a Provost general belonging; the justice resorteth to the Council general of war of the Army.  
The Cavalry is of two sorts: Harquebusiers and Curassiers.  
The first have for defensive Arms, the Cuirass pistol proof, and a light head-piece. For offensive, the Carbine of 3 foot, 3 inches length, and the bore of 20 bullets in the pound; and Pistols like unto the Curassiers.  
The Curassiers have for defensive Arms a complete armour, the Cuirass pistol proof. For offensive, two pistols having the barrel of 26. inches in length, and the bore of 36 bullets in the pound.  
For the order in Regiments, the 40. Companies entertained by the States do make eleven Regiments.  
The Regiment of the General hath always the Vanguard, the others alternatively and by turns, and he that hath it this day, the next day after hath the Rear, the rest following in the same sort.  
Those which command the Regiments are called Colonels. The Regiments are compounded of 3; or 4 Companies, (of 3 at the least) and the Colonels Company marcheth always on the left wing of the Regiment.  
The Captains receive orders from their Colonels, as these from the Commissary General.  
All the Companies are divided in 3 equal parts, which are called Squadrons, and distributed to the 3 chief Officers, Captain, Cornet and Lieutenant, having each of them adjoined an old Soldier, which they do know to be of more desert, called a Corporal.  
Marching in the field, every Officer marcheth at the head of his Squadron, the Lieutenant excepted, which marcheth behind with the Quartermaster; and the third Corporal at the head of the Lieutenant's Squadron.  
The Companies are divided by files, and ranks, the file 5 deep, and no more, how strong soever the Company be.  
They observe that in marching in battle they must be close together, and to do the Motions there must be 6 foot distance from one Horseman to another.  
The Companies being in battle, there must be 25 paces distance left between every Company, and 50 betwixt every Regiment at the least.   

The exercise of Arms for the Cavalry.  
To open the Squadron, you must first open the ranks, and after the files.  
To close the Squadron, you must first close the files and after the ranks.  
There be two sorts of distances betwixt the files; the one close, and the other open.  
In the close there must be no distance or intervals betwixt the files, to the open there must be 6 foot betwixt every file  
Likewise there must be two sorts of distances betwixt the ranks; the Close, which must be without interval or street; and the Open, which must be six foot distance.  
In a march it must be understood, that the ranks must never be more opened, than the open distance of 6 foot.  
And to the end that the Troop may march in good order, and observe well their distance betwixt the ranks, without that the last may be forced to run or go too fast, there must be heed taken, that so soon as the first ranks begin to march, all the Troop, and the Rear also march.  

The words of Command, are  

Open your Ranks. Open your Files.  
Stand right in your Ranks. Stand right in your Files.  
To the right hand. As you were.  
To the left hand. As you were.  
To the right hand about. To the left hand as you were.  
To the left hand about. To the right hand as you were.  
Files to the right hand countermarch.  
Files to the left hand countermarch.  
To the right or left hand as you were.  
Ranks to the right hand countermarch.  
Ranks to the left hand countermarch.  
Close your Files. Close your Ranks.  
To the right hand wheel. To the left hand wheel.     
FINIS.