A COMPLETE SCHOOL OF WAR: OR, A direct way for the Ordering and Exercising of a Foot Company: Whereby may be attained with ease, the perfection both of Musket and Pike in short time. Now, as most necessary, thought fit to be set forth for a general good.  
By an expert Commander, R. M.  
Printed at London for Richard Harper at the Bible and Harp in Smithfield. 1642.   

The Order for exercising of a Foot COMPANY.  

STand right in your Files.  
Stand right in your Ranks.  
Silence.  
To the right Hand.  
As you were.   
Note, when you are commanded to be as you were, you are ever to turn to the contrary hand from whence you came.  

To the left hand. As you were,  
As you were. Ranks to the left hand double.  
To the right hand about. As you were.  
As you were. Files to the right hand double.  
To the left hand about. As you were.  
As you were. Files to the left hand double.  
Ranks to the right hand double. As you were.  
Half Files to the right hand, double your Front. As you were.  
Half Files to the left hand, double your Front. As you were.  
Ranks to the right hand Countermarch.   
When you will Countermarch to the right hand, the first Rank of Leaders only must advance one step forward with the right leg, and then turn; and all the other Ranks must march first up to the place from whence the first Rank did countermarch before they turned.  
Ranks to the left hand countermarch.  
Observe that if you will now countermarch to the left hand, the first rank must step forward one step with the left leg, and then turn; and all the other ranks behind, must come up to that place before they turn, where the Sergeant stands.  

Observations before you wheel.  
If you will wheel to the right hand, you must double your ranks to the left; and if you wheel to the left, you must double to the right.  

Ranks to the right hand double.  
Files close to the right hand, to your close order.  
Ranks close up to your sword's point.   
Note, that when you will wheel to the right hand, that the Leader of the right hand File must keep his Musket Rest fixed to the ground, and must only turn his body without losing of any ground, and also the left hand Leader, if you wheel to the left.  
To the right hand wheel. Or to the left hand wheel.  
Having wheeled to bring them in their former order, you must use these wor●s of Command:  

First to the ranks that were closed to the swords point.  
Ranks backward to your double distance of twelve foot.  
Open your Files to the left hand to your order of three foot.  
And then speaking to the Ranks that were first doubled  
Ranks as you were.   
Having performed the former motions, you may afterwards exercise your Company of Pikes and Musketeers together, or each a part.  
To begin with the Pikes, you may command them to do these motions standing, viz.  

Advance your Pikes.  
Order your Pikes.  
Shoulder your Pikes,  
Charge your Pikes.  
Order your Pikes.  
Trail your Pikes.  
Cheek your Pikes.   
But these motions are to be performed both standing and marching, vi●.  

Charge your Pikes.  
Shoulder your Pikes.  
To the right hand charge.  
Shoulder your Pikes.  
To the left hand charge.  
Shoulder your Pikes.  
To the Rear charge.  
Shoulder your Pikes.  
Comport your Pikes.  
Charge your Pikes.  
Shoulder your Pikes. Stand.  
Charge under hand.  
Charge your Pikes at the foo●  
Shoulder your Pikes.  
Order your Pikes.   
1. First, note that in charging, half the Ranks only must charge their Pikes, the other hindmost half of the Ranks do but port their Pikes, that is, they carry them so couched over the heads of the foremost, as any give them no offence in charging or retiring. Besides, this way the Pikes are not so subject to broken by the shot of the enemy, as when they are advanced.  
2. They must likewise observe when they charge, standing to fall bacl with the right leg and marching to step forward with the rest.  
3. The exercising of your Musketeers is likewise performed either standing or marching; that is, either by Ranks or Files, after three, manner of ways, always blowing your Match, moving your right leg foremost when you are ready to present.  

1. Having an enemy in your front.  
2. In your Rear.  
3. Upon your right or left hand Flank.   
Note also, that the first Rank falling bacl with their right legs, lies on, gives fire, and the first Rank falling away, the second in Ranke presenting, having their pans guarded, blows their matches, open their pan, and step forward with their right legs into the place of the first rank, lies on, gives fire, and fall away, whiles the rest of the body of Musketeers move up to their places, and so two ranks at a time making ready, you may give fire so often as you list.  
Observe that in charging of an enemy, that the right hand wing fall off the right hand, and the left hand wing to the left, and the officers are to give the same word of command.  
The Musketeers are to have a singular care to carry the mouths of their Muskets aloft, as well when they are shouldered as in priming, as also when they keep their pans guarded, and come up to give fire.  
Moreover, if an enemy should appear on either your right or left Flank, and that you resolve to maintain your ground, and would gall him from either Flank, it is performed by giving first this word of command, To the Right or left hand, which you please; and then making an interval of six foot distance between the middlemost Leaders of the half Files, for the half Rank on the left hand do fall away between the Files to the Rear before the Pikes, and the half Rank on the right hand, on the right Flank; likewise you may give fire from either or both flanks, so often as you list.  
Again, if an enemy should show himself in your Rear, the like is done by this term of direction:  
To the right hand about.  
And having given fire upon them, fall away to the place where the Front stood, even in the same manner as you did before.  
In advancing towards an enemy, two Ranks must always make ready together, and advance ten paces forwards before the bodies: at which distance a Sergeant, or when the body is great, some, other Officer, must stand, to whom the Musketeers must come, before they present and give fire▪ fir●●●he first Rank, and while the first Rank gives fire, the second keep their Muskets close to their rests, and their pans guarded; and as soon as the first are fallen away, the second presently presents, gives fire, and fall after them. Now as soon as the first Ranks do move from their places in the fro●● the two Ranks next it, must undershoulder their Muskets, and make ready, so as they may advance forward ten paces, as before, as soon as ever the two first ranks are fallen away, and are to do in all points as the former; so all the other Ranks through the whole Company or Division, must do the same by twooes one after another.   

A way how to give fire retreating from an enemy.  
As the troop marcheth, the hind most rank of all keeping still with the troop, maketh 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 ranks together, just before the front: as soon as the first rank turn to give fire, the rank next it make ready, and doth as the former, and so all the rest:  
Last of all● the troop or wing of Musketeers make ready all together standing, and the first without advancing giveth fire in the place it stands in, and speedily as may be, yet orderly, falls away, all the ranks doing the same successively one after another.   

A manner how to give fire either from the right or left hand flank.  
The company or division marching, the outmost File next the enemy, are commanded to make ready, keeping still along with the body, till such time as they be ready, and then they turn all to the right or left hand, according to the sight of their enemy, 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 aforesaid File doth turn to give fire, the outmost next it makes ready, always keeping along with the troop, till the bringers 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 all the rest one after another.  
A Sergeant (or if the troop be great) some better qualified Officer) must stand at the head of the first File, and as soon as the second File hath given fire and hath charged, he is to lead forwards 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 joyn● them again in equal front with the Pikes.   

The manner of ordering a Regiment.  
If there be ten Companies in a Regiment, consisting of 1000 or 1200. men, they must be drawn into two Divisions, five Companies in one Division: and because it is not sit that the eldest Captains should be all in one division, they are thus divided, viz.  
Colonel. Lieutenant Colonel. 1. 4. 5. 7. 3. 6. Sergeant Major. ●.  
The first Captain's company next to the Colonel's company.  
2. The second Captain's company the left hand of the second division.  
3. The third next the Sergeant Major in the first division.  
4. The fourth next the Lieutenant Colonel in the second division.  
5. The fifth in the middle of the first division.  
6. The sixth next the second Captain in the second division.  
7. The seventh next the fourth in the second division.  
The Sergeants are to march upon the flank of the divisions, as near as they can to their own men, to keep them in their rank, and from straggling.  
The Drummers betwixt the third and fourth ranks. But if the Regiment march in battle, then in the flanks of the Regiment, as equal with the third rank in the Front, and also to the third rank to the Rear; and so likewise in the flanks of the Pikes.   

The demonstration of Places in a Regiment.  
The first Captain leads the Van of the Pikes.  
The second the Rear of the Pikes.  
The third the first division of Musketeers.  
The Colonel's Captain shall lead in the Vanguard of the Musketeers, in the right wing upon the left hand of the third Captain.  
The first Lieutenant to lead the second division of Musketeers.  
The second to bring up the Rear of all.  
The third to lead up the second division of Pikes.  
The fourth to bring up the right wing of Musketeers.  
But because the absence of Captains may be such, as the Regiment may want the principal places of leading, it is in the Colonel's will to dispose of the places of leading as he shall find fitting.  
The Sergeant Major of every Regiment to have a special care before the Regiment moves out of the quarter, to call upon the Captains for their old men of every company to make files of them; and for the overplus, which cannot be above 7. in number, shall march in the Rear of the Regiment before the Officer that brings up the Regiment, not disbanding themselves.  
Upon the very motion that the Drums begin to beat a march, the hindmost ranks shall march forward together as well as the first ranks, that the hindmost ranks need not run or march away faster than the foremost.  
The distance between the ranks in marching, shall be six foot distance one from the other so that the but ends of the Pikes shall almost touch the heels of them that march before them.  
The files shall be no more than three foot distance one from the other.  
When a Regiment marcheth in division, than the half of the Musketeers shall march before the pikes, and the pikes in the midst, and the other half of the Musketeers to be in the Rear of the pikes.  
Observing well that they must march ten in front at the least, if the way be sit thereunto, keeping always their distances both in rank & file, as aforesaid.  
The Officer that shall lead any part of the Regiment, shall take up no more place than the space of a rank, which is 6. foot, to the end they may follow one another the better, and so neither lose time nor place.  
As for the officer that shall march after any part of the regiment or division, he shall follow the last rank of them that march before him, observing likewise the distance of six foot, to the end that betwixt him and the officer that shall lead any part or division of the regiment following, there may be likewise six foot, and so between the first and second division there must be 18. foot distance.  
If the regiment be divided, and led in two troops, the second division of the regiment shall follow the first about the distance of ten or twelve paces, and no larger.  
The distances between the regiments that march one after another, shall be 18. or 20. paces, to wit, 6. foot for the officer that marcheth in the Rear of the regiment, and six foot for the officer that leads in the front of the next regiment, and the rest of the places between both the officers aforesaid.  
And where there is room enough, the regiment shall march close and in one body, observing evermore the distance of ranks and files aforesaid.  
Between every 5. files at be most, and between every 3. files at the least, of Musketeers, they shall leave a space of six foot broad, keeping as much as possibly may be, the Musketeers of one company together, not marching but in fight.  
When the regiment stands in battle, and that the regiment consists of two divisions, each division shall be 50. foot distant one from another.  
And the Musketeers of a regiment being more in number then the pikes, and consequently falling out broader than the front or division of pikes, they shall close inward towards both the Troops of the pikes which stand before them.  
But if so the number of Musketeers be too great, and that by reason of the intervals or the spaces of six foot that are to be made between them for their number, having no place to fall or close inward, without touching one another, than the two Troops of Musketeers on both sides of the Pikes, after whom they stand, shall fall outward.  
The Ensigns of every regiment are to march with their Colours in the front 6 foot before the pikes when they move in a body, and in this parodo to be always ready to veil their Colours when the General passeth by: but when they march in battle, as command shall be given, all the Ensigns of each Division are to go down before the fourth and fifth Rank, but the Colonels own Colours to fly in the second Rank; the same to be done in the second Division: If you come to charge with an enemy, then for good reasons let the Colonel's Colours fall back to the rest: If the Lord General passeth by, make the body move their faces either in Flank or Rear, which way he passeth.  
That no Wagons shall be suffered to pass between the Regiments or Division, only each Colonel one, which is to march in the front of his Regiment, and the Commander of every Tertia to have two in the head of every Tertia, besides one of their own wagons in the head of their own Regiment; and if their own Regiment have the Vangurd of the Tertia, than they are to have three wagons.  
And for the wagons of the Captains to march in the Rear of the Army in their Signiority, according as their Colonels march that day, and are to be so ordered by the Garriage Master.  
And when the whole Army is thus marched, and at any time shall come to make a stand, either at noon tide to eat and repo●●, or at even tide to rest till the Quarter be made, than the Tertia shall be led up to the places all three in front, each Regiment in division one after another at fifty foot, and each Regiment at an hundred foot, and each Tertia distant in flank from other about 150 foot sometime, if the ground would give in, than the two divisions of each Regiment shall stand in front, and so the Regiments following in that order; and also in this order conformable all the three Tertias side by side, and so shall all the Cannons and Wagons front up in this wise in breadth, that train may be shortened in a near compass, which is done to keep the Army close, and in fare distance in the Rear.  
This order is to be observed especially as the General shall find fitting to give command for it, or otherwise not,   
FINIS.