General LESSLEY'S DIRECTION AND ORDER For the exercising of HORSE AND FOOT.  
BEING A most Exact, Compendeous, and Necessary Direction for all such as are studiously devoted to the due Exercise of ARMS, and principally intended for the young sort of the MILITIA.  
LONDON. Printed by Richard Badger, for L. Blaikelock. 1642.   

To the Reader.  
Dear Countryman.  
MY zeal for the public good hath invited me to expose this short, but excellent Treatise to the public view, being without controversy, the best of all modern Tracts upon this Subject. I need not amplify myself by way of Apology in commendation of the work, where Lesleyes' name shall command in chief, nothing doubting, but every noble spirit will willingly follow such a Leader, to whose conduct and direction I leave you.  
Farewell.   

General LESSLEY'S DIRECTION AND ORDER For the exercising of a FOOT COMPANY, The Files being eight deep.  
And that they frame their Companies, two parts Musketeers, and the third part Pikes.  
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.  
To the right hand about.  
As you were  
To the left hand about.  
As you were.  
Ranks to the right hand double.  
As you were.  
Ranks to the left hand double.  
As you were.  
Files to the right hand double.  
As you were.  
Files to the left hand double.  
As you were.  
Half Files to your 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 Sergeants 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 the close order.  
Ranks close up to the swords 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 to their former order, you must use these words of command.  
First to the Ranks that were closed to the swords.  
Ranks, backwards to your double distance of twelve foot.  
Open your Files to the left hand 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.  
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.  
Port your pikes.  
Comport your pikes.  
Charge your Pikes.  
Shoulder your Pikes.  
Stand.  
Charge under hand.  
Charge your pikes at the foot.  
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 their ranks do but port their Pikes, that is, they carry them so couched over the heads of the foremost, as may give them no offence in charging, or retering: besides, this way the Pikes are not so subject to be 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 left.  
3. The exercising of your Musketerees is likewise performed either standing or marching, that is, either by Ranks or by 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 the right or left hand Flank.   
Note also that the first Rank falling back with their right legs, lies on, gives fire, and the first rank falling away, the second in rank presenting having their pans guarded, blows their matches, o●ens their pans, and steps 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 lif●.  
Observe that in charging of an Enemy, that the right hand Wing fall off to 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, aswell 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 shall 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 the words of command, To the right hand or left hand which you please, and then making an interval of six foot distance between the middlemost leader 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 as ●ften 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 forward before the body, 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, first, the first Rank, a●d while the first rank gives fire, the second keep their Musket's close to their rests, and their pans guarded, and assoon as the first are fallen away, the second presently presents, gives fire, and fall after them. Now as soon as the two first ranks do move from their places in the front, the two Ranks next it must unshoulder 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 s●me by two so●e after another.   

A way how to give fire retreating from an enemy:  
AS the Troop marcheth, the hindmost rank of all keeping still with the Troop, maketh ready, and being ready, the soldiers in tha● rank turn altogether 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 the Musketeers make ready altogether standing, and the first without advancing giveth fire, in the place it standeth 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 utmost 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 altogether, 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 utmost next it makes ready always keeping along with the troop, till the bringers up be passed, a little beyond the leaders of the 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 join them again in equal front with the Pikes.   

The manner of Ordering a Regiment.  
IF there be ten Companies in a Regiment, consisting of a 1000 or 1200. men, they must be drawn into two divisions, five Companies in one division, and because it is not fit that the eldest Captains should be all in one Division, They are thus divided, viz.  

Colonel. 

I.  
V  
III.    
Sergeant Major.  
Lieut. Colonel. 

iv  
VII.  
VI  
II.     
1. The first Captain's Company next to the Colonel's Company.  
2. The second Company the left hand of the second division.  
3. The third next to 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 Hankes of the Divisions as near as they can to their own men to keep them in their ranks, 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 so likewise in the flanks of the Pikes.   

The Demonstration of Places in a Regiment.  
THe first Captain leads the Van of Pikes.  
The second the Rear of the Pikes.  
The third, the first division of Musketeers.  
The Colonel's Captain shall lead the Vanguard of the Musketeers in the right wing upon the left hand of the third Captain.  
The first Leader 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 the 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 odd men of every Company, to make Files of them. And for the over plus, which cannot be above 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 hindermost Ranks shall march forwards together as well as the first Ranks, that the hinder most Ranks need not come or march away faster than the foremost.  
The distance between the Ranks in marching, shall be six foot one from the other, so that the butt-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 fit thereunto, keeping always the distances both in Rank, and file, as aforesaid.  
The Officer that shall lead any part of the Regiment, shall take up no more ●lace than the space of a Rank, which is six foot, to the end they may follow one another the better, and so neither lose time nor place in marching. 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 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 eighteen foot distance.  
If the Regiment be divided and lead 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 distance between the Regiments that march one after another, shall be eighteen or twenty paces, to wit, six 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 place between both the Officers aforesaid, and where there is room enough the Regiment shall march close, and in a body, observing evermore the distance of Ranks and Files as aforesaid.  
Between every five files at the most, and between every three Files at the least of Musketeers, they shall leave a space of six foot bread, keeping as much as possible 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 fifty foot distant one from another.  
And the Musketeers of a Regiment being more in number than the Pikes, and consequently falling out broader than the front or division of Pikes, they shall close inwards, towards both the troops of the pikes which stand before them.  
But if so be the number of Musketeers be two 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 outwards.  
The Ensigns of every regiment are to march with their Colours in the Front, six foot before the pikes when they march in a body, and in this Barracado 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 march 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 the Tertia, besides one of their own Wagons in the head of their own Regiment, and if their own regiment have the Vanguard of the Tertia, Then they are to have three Wagons.  
And for the Wagons of the Captains to march in the Rear of the Army in their seniority, according as their Colonel's marcheth that day, and are to be so ordered by the Carriage Master.  
And when the whole is thus Marshaled and at any time shall come to make a stand, either at noontide to eat, and repose, or at eventide to rest, till the quarter be made, than the Tertia shall be lead up to the places, all three in front, each Regiment in division one after another at fifty foot, each regiment at an hundred foot, and each Tertia distant in flank from other about 150. foot, sometimes if the ground will give it, 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 Tertians, side by side, and so shall all the Cannons and Wagons front up in this wise in breadth, That the train may be shortened, into 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.   

Courteous Reader,  
WHen the Title Page of this book first came to the press, the like direction was intended for the Horse, as thou here findest for the Foot: but some defects appearing in the Copy, in the Publishers obsence, I held it not fair to abuse thy credulity.