THe authours , which heretofore haue busied themselues to giue rules appertayning vnto the warres , would by their sayings that those men of whome a Prince would pretend to haue seruice , should be leuied in temperate countries , if so bee he would haue them to bée both valiant & wise . For they say that hot countries doo bring foorth wise men , but they are cowards , and that cold countries do bring foorth hardie men , but they are fooles . But I suppose that they haue left vs this counsaile only to serue the turne of some monarke , or puissant king , whose dominions do stretch so wide , that both these qualities may be found seperably in the countries that are vnder his hands , and hath power to leuie and choose his men in what part he will , as the auncient Emperours did at that time when almost all the whole world was in their obedience . But to giue a rule that princes of meane power may helpe themselues withall : although their countries be scituated in extreame hot or cold regions , I doo affirme that this consideration shall nothing hinder such a prince to serue himself with his subiects , but that he may make them hardie which naturally are cowards , and those wise which of themselues are fooles , for that wee may plainly see by old examples , that in all places , whether they be cold or hot , there may bee very good soldiers , so that there be exercise vsed and diligence : for that which by nature wanteth may be supplied by industrie and exercise , in this arte specially which consisteth more in this poynt then in any other , by meanes whereof the Lacedemonians commaunded long time ouer all Greece , the Thebans deliuered them from the obedience of the Lacedemonians , restoring them vnto their former libertie : and the Romans ( as saith Vegetius ) surmounted through their exercise and discipline , the multitude of the Gaules , the pride of the Germaines ; the force of the Spanyards , the riches and warines of the Affricanes , and the wisedome and subtilties of the Greekes ; although they were inferiours vnto the said nations in all things , only except exercise , and skill to make warres . Furthermore , I say that if a Prince pretend at any time to preuaile , that he ought to leuie his men of warre amongst his subiects , whether that his kingdome were scituated in the midst of the frozen sea , or in the midst of Libia , which in mine opinion , are the two extreamest hot and coldest climates that are : so that he would imploy a little diligence to fashion them as appertaineth . Chiefly hauing occasion to take vp men for to make warres , except he do take his own subiects , it will be doubtfull that he shall receiue a shrewd turne by them , for that straungers can neuer serue a Prince so loyally , but that his owne subiects will serue him more faithfully then they , and with a better heart : because the Princes quarrell that hath them in charge , is not a matter that toucheth one perticular bodie , nor a third , but it concerneth all those that shall feele the smart of it for their Lord : forasmuch as if he receiue any losse , of necessitie it must redound vnto the great losse of his subiects , because they are the pray of the vanquisher , if their Prince bée vanquished . And on the contrary part , let them make themselues all rich , and not straungers , if their Prince be victorious . Besides , the good name and reputation that they shall get , which is a poynt that sometime maketh the greatest coward hardie ; & the shame which is to be looked for if they léese is theirs also . For it will not be sayd that the mercenaries haue lost ; but the nation of the Prince will bee named : as in the conflicts which the king hath had in his time , it hath not béen sayd , that the Lanceknights , or the Switzers , or the Italians haue béen ouerthrowne : although there haue béen fewe others in our camps ; but it hath béen sayd that they were the Frenchmen , and notwithstanding it may bée that there haue not béen thrée thousand Frenchmen , whereas the straungers haue béen fifteene , or twentie thousand persons . And if at any time we haue had the vpper hand of our enemies , the glorie hath not béen attributed so wholly vnto vs , but that euery one of the other nations haue looked to haue had their parts in it . And if perchaunce any man hath sayd the Frenchmen haue had the victorie in such a battell , it hath béen by and by cast in his nose , thanke such and such , and there is reason it should be so , séeing it is so that they haue done it . So much a do there is to kéepe our good name , as there were no better way then to let them alone , that from henceforth they should neither be the occasion of our winnings nor losings : but that euery man should meddle with his owne quarrell , and that wee Frenchmen should bee let alone to debate the controuersies we haue with our neighbours , without intermingling other nations , which haue but a little care to dye for vs . And who make so little accompt of the matter as we see that they do , because it toucheth them nothing , for all the thought that they haue , is to finde many occasions to lengthen the warres , to the intent that they may alwaies bee set a worke . And for to be without them there is no order taken , because of the little accompt that wee do make of our selues . I say then , that a Prince ought to serue him selfe with his owne subiects , for the reasons before alleadged . And if we will be warned by things past , wee haue many examples before our eyes for this matter . As by Empyres which are come to ruine through this fault , ( to weete ) both that of the Romans , and also of the Greeks . For the Romane Empyre after it was mounted vnto the highest in the time of Augustus Caesar , began to descend , when the Romane citizens were reiected out of the hoasts which the Emperous did make . And that they grounded themselues vpon the force of mercenaries , and those whom they before time had conquered . And although the great vertues and iudgement that were in the said Caesar , maintained the maiestie of the Empyre while he liued : yet is it so , that his successors learning of him to wage other nations then Romans : as Frenchmen , Spanyards , Almaignes and others , haue béen the occasion of the ruine of the same : for all the Emperours that were after Augustus Caesar , would keepe an hoast of straungers hard vnder the walles of the citie of Rome , which was called the Pretorie , & was such as we would say the guard that kings haue for the assurance of their persons : but this guard was of ten or twelue thousand chosen men , much like vnto the Mammeluks of the Souldane , or the Ianissaries of the Turke : which manner although it seemed at the first sight to haue been for the profit of the Empyre ; notwithstanding it turned it oftentimes vpsidowne : because that this number of Soldiers disposed of that dignitie at their pleasure , being vpon the place and in armes , against naked men and vnarmed . On the other side , the other armies which were in Fraunce , Barbarie , and elswere , would stand in their owne conceipts , the one naming one to be Emperour , and the other another : insomuch that sometime there were two or three pretendants : who in thinking to consume one another , consumed the Empyre , which had cost so much the getting : a thing that they were ignorant of . But after that , most of the Emperours were of straunge nations , as the soldiers which had made them , were : it was an occasion that they had lesse care of the preseruation of the Empyre : then if they had béen borne within the citie . Whereof insued , that as well those that were declared Emperours , as those that had elected them , marched against the sayd citie with one consent as against their enemies , with intent to triumph ouer it . And God knowes whether that these things might be handled , without the committing of many robberies , & insolencies in those chaunges , and also of many murthers aswell of the Emperours them selues , as of the Senators , & other great personages in Rome . Certainly wee must say that it was impossible , seeing that wee may beleeue , that if the institutions which the Romanes had at that time that their vertue florished , had béen alwaies maintained , that was to make warre with their owne people , and not to haue waged straungers , nor likewise to haue suffered their neighbours and alliance in their camps , in greater number then they themselues were , their Empyre had not been deuided , nor had not béen transported out of their hands , nor their citie so many times destroyed , and abandoned as it hath béen . For if they had maintained their first manner of warre , they had escaped all their inconueniences , and had brought all their enterprises to as happie ende , as they did while they serued themselues with their owne citizens . Michaell Paleologus the Emperour of Constantinople , may likewise be an example : who calling a number of Turkes to his aide to make warres against certaine princes of Greece that rebelled against him , shewed them the way to passe out of Asia into Europe , and therevpon the said Turkes tooke occasion to come vpon Greece with great force , and to inuade it by little and little . Of which mischiefe the sayd Emperour was cause , for that he chose rather to cause straungers to come to his assistance , then to take vp in his countrie those that were necessarie for him to make his warres withall , with whom , if he had would , he might with little labour haue vanquished a Lord of Bulgarie , his subiect , and haue chastened him without thrusting an armie of Turkes into his countrie , who if they had not come there , Greece had not suffered the miseries which it hath suffered in time past , and which it must yet euery day suffer . And therefore without hauing regard vnto the old opinion , that is to say : whether the countrie be cold or hot , and to withstand the manifold inconueniences that may happen vnto those that may make their warres with the helpe of straungers , me thinke that euery Prince ought to strengthen himselfe with his subiects , without making any accompt to hyer others : or at the least if he would be serued with strangers , not to make them his principall force , for the daunger that might happen . As for to commit the person of a king , or of the greatest personage of a kingdome , vnto the trust of those that are not his subiects , and who loue him not , and the seruice which they do him is but for a few crownes : is a counsaile grounded vpon no reason , because it is to bee thought that straungers are much more easie to bee corrupted , then those that are borne and bred in the same countrie that their king is . The preseruation of whom , ought to bee more deare vnto them , then vnto those that serue him but for his monie : which once failing , they abandon him as if they had neuer knowne him . Herevpon I may alleadge that which a great troope of Launceknights did vnto Monsiure Montpensier in Naples : who left him there at the mercie of the Spanyards , only because his monie failed , and that the enemies promised them payment at their first arriuall and assoone as they were turned from that parte , which was cause of the losse of the same kingdome the first time . And not to accuse the Almaignes only , I say that the Switzers left Monsiure de latrec at that time that the terme of their payment was expired : because they doubted that they should haue borrowed vppon the moneth following . And although that the sayd Switzers did not go from vs vnto our enemies : yet euery man knoweth well that they forsooke the sayd Lord when as his enemies were equall vnto him in strength , which was cause of the losse of the Dutchie of Millain . Since that the Grisons departed from our campe before Pauie , and abandoned the King his person , euen at that instant that the Spanyards were determined to hazard the battell , and to assault him , which happened within few daies after ; so that the going away of those bands did greatly weaken our armie ( for they were sixe or eight thousand ) and was cause that the enemie did enterprise more boldly to assault vs , and that our men were more discouraged to receiue them , in so much that putting thereunto the euil behauiour of our Switzers , who went away without striking stroke we lost the battel . Whereby appeareth plainly , the little trust that is to bée giuen vnto straungers : and how daungerous it is for vs to repose our state in their forces . Whosoeuer he were , I wil not be of opinion that a King should make his force of straungers , nor that he should entertaine so many , that they should bee of equall force with his owne subiects , if it were so that he were constrained to take any . For if the straungers be as strong as his owne people , and that it were necessarie that the sayd straungers should doe any thing that were contrarie vnto their mindes , which they refused , they must bee fought withall , or there will bee no obedience : but if they finde themselues the weaker , they will neuer haue the heart to disobey nor to busie themselues with the authoritie of a Captaine Generall , as they are when there is no meane to bridle them . For which cause a Prince that might find himselfe in extremitie , not to be obeyed of the straungers which he might retaine , ought to haue in his campe such a number of his owne subiects , that if he were driuen to vse force , they might be of power sufficient to constraine the rebels to accomplish his will . For otherwise there will be nothing done , because the seruice of the sayd Prince will be slacked , and sometime a disobedience may be cause of many great domages , as was that of the Almaignes which Monsiure de Humiers had with them in Italie , which made the King not only to loose all that season , but also was cause of the losse of diuers places that held for vs , and put all Piemount in great daunger to be lost without recouerie . And this is most certaine , insomuch that if the Lord Constable had any whit deferred to succour them , and had not vsed his accustomed diligence , that which was left had fallen in fewe daies after into the Spanyards hands , without striking stroke . Yet he arriued so luckely , that the townes that had but the newes of his comming were preserued , and part of those that were lost were recouered , and others also , but not without a merueilous charge : and all to repayre the fault of the foresayd Almaignes , who had conducted the warres , both according vnto their owne appetites , & against the will of the sayd Lord of Humiers , as euery man knoweth , who besides that he was disobeyed in his charge , being Lieutenant Generall for the King , was also in hazard of his life , which is a thing that I cannot so much meruell at : nor likewise at the arrogancie of the sayd nation . But I must much more meruell at our negligence , seeing the iniuries that straungers commonly do vnto vs , and that we notwithstanding cease not to dispraise the seruice of our countrimen , to become tributaries and subiects vnto straungers : as if we could not do without them now , aswell as wee haue done at other times , and alwaies vntill the time of King Lewes the 11. who was the first King of Fraunce that did giue pension vnto strangers , especially vnto the Switzers , for he kept ordinarily in wages sixe thousand . King Charles the 8. followed him , who carried a great band to Naples . King Lewes the 12. serued him self long time with them , and with Almaignes , and other strangers . So likewise hath the King that raigneth at this present in all his warres : yet in the ende he perceiued that his subiects were as fit to serue him as straungers ; so that they were practised , or if he hath not had that opinion of the Frenchmen , yet he hath made a proofe of it . And to that ende ( as I thinke ) haue a very great number of Legionaries béen leuied in this realme , which number if it had béen leuied by a true election , had béen sufficient to haue withstood all our enemies . But the Frenchmens fortune would not that this leuie should haue had his perfection : for that if this leuie had been made as it ought to haue been , wée should haue been become their maisters , vnto whom wee now are subiects . Wherfore it hath left vs in the same state that wée haue béen learned to liue in many yeares ago : and for that wee make so little accompt of our owne forces , and do so much esteeme of straungers , it may one day happen to be the occasion of our ruine , if our neighbours should enterprise ioyntly to come vpon vs . For one part alone hath put Fraunce in great feare : to weet , the Switzers , when as they came downe into Burgundie , so that to make them to retier back againe it cost vs great sommes of monie . And so much fayled we of the courage to present our selues in battell to resist them , that the greatest part made their accompt to make them place , and to runne out of the country . O almightie God! what was become of the ancient valour of Fraunce ? At the name whereof all the nations both on this side , and on the other side of the sea did tremble : and which was in possibilitie to assault other countries , and not to be troubled at home , but by her owne : nor constrained to buy peace , sith those that sould it vnto vs , were in fewe yeares before not able to resist in their owne countrie , the armie of King Charles the 7. vnder the conduct of Lewis his sonne , being at that time Daulphine , & since king . We may beléeue that their comming down was for our profite , sith they serue vs for an example , for by the great troubles that Fraunce was in : for 20. or 30. thousand Switzers , all a foote ill furnished with artillerie , and with all other things to inuade such a countrie , may bee coniectured what it would do if the same Switzers should come againe . And furthermore , if the Almaignes , Flemings , Englishmen , Spanyards , and Italians , should come vpon vs with one common consent , who could want nothing but good agreement , I could not imagine how we should find meane to withstand such a coniuration . For to tarrie to make hed vnto them , were a much worse counsaile then that of Monsiure Tremouille was , to appease the Switzers with crownes ; because that disordred people , ill trained , and ill furnished , cannot serue for any other purpose against people well ordred , well trained , and well furnished with armes , and withall that appertaineth vnto such a busines : but to harten and to encourage them the more . And as for vs to trust vnto , that the frontiers are well furnished with strong townes , is a hope euill assured : for whosoeuer is Lord of the plaine countrie , I meane of so great and large a countrie as Fraunce is , shall easily afterward haue the vpper hand of the places that they keepe : principally when so great a number , or a great part of those that I haue spoken of , shall enter in at diuers places , euery nation vpon his quarter , & that they had deuided the countrie before hand . For else we might haue some reason to hope that in forbearing , they might seperate themselues through discord , or that a part taking might be practised : notwithstanding these things must haue time , and in the meane while wee should suffer many euills to be committed before our eyes without remedie . And suppose that to see such a desolation to come to passe vpon so noble a realme , were almost a thing impossible : yet is there none more apparant remedie to withstand it , and to take away from our sayd enemies all the occasions that might hinder them from the conceipt of this impossibilitie , then to make our selues strong with our owne people : I meane so strong , that those that now do take pension of vs , should be very glad to be simplie allied vnto vs : and others which priuilie haue shewed themselues to be our enemies , should be constrayned to dissemble : and those which dissemble , should openly shew themselues to be our friends by good proofe . Which to bring to passe , I would not counsaile that our force should be any whit mingled with straunge souldiers , aswell for to haue the credite vnto our selues , when as our souldiers should do any good seruice , as also to auoyde the great daungers that might happen by an armie made of many nations : for that is the occasion oft times that our enemies do knowe our secrets almost assoone as they are spoken : except it should be to weaken our enemies , or to content our confederats , and to get the good will of the countrie where the warres should be made , as I thinke the King doth by the Italians : in waging of whom he thinketh to get the hearts of all Italie , & in waging the Switzers to keepe them : and moreouer to take away the forces of Germanie from those that might vse them against him , except they retayned a great number . And if so be that the King would bee serued with any number of these nations , he may do it ( as I thinke ) forseeing that his owne bée alwaies the stronger : and that he vse strangers as assistants , but not to giue them the preheminences and aduantages that they are accustomed to haue amongst vs : as to haue the charge of the Artillerie , and commonly to make the battell , not being subiect vnto labours and assaults , as the Frenchmen are , who are alwaies appoynted vnto the Auantgard , or Areregard , so that those of least value and straungers , haue alwaies the credite of the battell , as those whom wee ought to trust aboue all others , without whom wee haue not the courage to enterprise the least thing that may bee . I do not enuie them for the honor that is done vnto them , knowing well that the places wherein the Frenchmen serue bee very honorable , and that in them they may shew themselues to be such as they are , aswell in the Areregard , as in the battell , and in the battell as in the Auantgard ; it is all one : for there may be enough to do in euery place . But I would that the King should haue so good an opinion of vs , as to thinke that he might bee aswell serued of vs as of any other nation : and that he would not determine to make himselfe strong rather with Switzers and Almaignes , then with vs . For if they do now excell vs for order , wee may either bee equall vnto them , or better then they in a short time . And for other poynts , I see no reason to esteeme them more then our selues : and who so would narrowly looke into them , shall finde that they do rather serue vs with their name then with their deedes , and rather to make number then otherwise : for that at this instant there is almost no battell giuen ; for which they say they serue , and are waged only to that end . Moreouer , they go not to assaults nor skirmishes , nor such other seruices ; but all these seruices are for vs , which manner of warre is now more vsed then other : so that they serue and take their wages , not putting their persons in daunger . They take it not as the Frenchmen do that serue the King : for they haue the payne and the daunger , and the straungers the profite and the reputation . One thing there is that maketh greatly for the Switzers & Almaignes , which is the good order that they haue amongst them , aswell for the raunging of their men in battell , as in obeying their Chiefs : wherof we haue a great want . Therefore we must prooue to take their course , or any other more sure , and therein employ such diligence , that if the king would be wholly & euery where serued by vs , he might find himselfe to bee well serued , and not repent the leauing of straungers for vs . So it is , that by the ordaining of the legions , euery one thought that the custome to wage other then Frenchmen , would haue bin laid aside . But the king perceiuing that the leuie had many imperfections in it , and that it should not haue béen wisely done immediatly to reiect the seruice of others ; hath therefore kept them , and a great part of our legions , and also certaine bands of aduenturers , both to content the one and the other , and to assure himself on euery side . But if the kings meaning had béen well executed in that which they should haue done after these legions were ordayned , we might haue hoped that it would haue bin a very good time for vs . But whereas the Captaines and officers should haue taken paynes to trayne their souldiers well , they haue done nothing . It may be also that they had no expresse commaundement to do it : and those that haue no great good willes of themselues , do quickly finde an excuse . I doubt also that the legionaries being leuied in that order that they were leuied in , would not well haue agréed vnto it : so that the fault proceeded of more causes then of one , but principally hereof that euery one was a voluntarie , and that there was none inroulled but of their owne freewill . And the custome at this day is , that those that offer themselues , are commonly the worst of the countrie ; for very hardly will a good householder inroule himselfe , or a quiet man that feareth God , and iustice , and loueth his neighbour : for these conditions agree not with the voluntarie souldiers of the time present , who are so vicious , that it is to bée feared that their seruice may do vs more hurt then our own ill fortune ; forasmuch as God is offended by them in all manner of sorts . Besides , they are but too valiant ; but so euill conditioned , as it is not possible that they might bée more . I will not say that all the voluntaries are so ; because I should do wrong vnto many honest men : but I speake of the greatest parte , and not of all : and as I say that they are ill conditioned , so I dare say that there is no good order in them , and they are not so obedient , as it is requisite they should bée , to exercise the arte of the warres as it ought to bée . Wherefore it is impossible that a Captaine , how vertuous or diligent soeuer he bée , should make his Souldiers to imitate the manners of the souldiers of the old time , who were men of so great a valour . Nor likewise can one of our Lieutenants Generall for the king , bring into his hoast , the manner which the armies in time past obserued , aswell in ordring , and raunging their battailes , as in fight : without imitating of which manner , it will be impossible to do any thing ought worth . The reason is , for that the stuffe , whereof our hoasts are compounded and framed , is so euill of it selfe , that to think to applie it to any good vse would be in vaine , and to hope to bring the arte Militarie vnto her first state would be all one : for with lesse labour would newe souldiers be forged , then those which alreadie haue their shape , be reformed as they ought to be . But if it pleased the king to make a newe leuie according vnto a true election , which might afterward be instructed diligently in Martiall discipline ; I beléeue assuredly that those Souldiers would imitate the auncient Souldiers in all things , wherein they were thought to haue béen more excellent then those , that haue béen since the feates of armes are come to nothing . And furthermore , a Generall might easilie establish the ancient customes in his hoast , & by that meanes the king should find himself to be the best serued that euer was prince , and might bragge that he had the best souldiers , and the best ordred men that were vpon the earth : and for to haue them to bee such , it were necessarie for the first Item , that those which should bée chosen should bee the most honest men , and men of best life that were possible to bée founde in the king his countrie , and for the rest to leaue that vnto the Chiefs which should haue the charge to traine them : for they might make them afterwards such as they would haue them to be . And for to leuie these honest men of whome I speake , the king should at the first make a small force , and constraine them to inroule themselues , or the election would not bee perfect . And to the intent that this force should giue no man discontentment , they must be wonne vnto it , with the hope of some profite , and honor in time to come , and of some priuiledges , which must bee promised vnto those that shall do their indeuour : and that during the time that they shall serue , they shall haue wherewithall to maintaine themselues honestly . Through this meanes , it should not bee needfull to drawe any man by the eares : especially if they knewe that the king would be discontented with those that should looke to bee prayed . In this doing the arte Militarie would returne to her first force , and the king should bee the first that should finde ease in it , and consequently his people . The thefts which many Captaines do commit in their musters should haue no more place : & the yerely pensions which straungers haue , would make their end , neither would they runne as they are accustomed : because he should haue enowe of his owne : besides , the ordring of them would be such , as he should not neede to doubt any thing but the displeasure of God : as for men they could not hurt him . And to bee short , the people should bee no more driuen away , eaten , nor pillaged by our owne souldiers as they are : also we should bee so much the more assured against our enemies , and furthermore inriched , or at the least , the monie that the sayd straungers do carrie away , would tarrie with vs . All which things do make me to conclude , that the King should do well to employ his owne people , as often as it shall bee necessarie to make warre for the profite and preseruation of his realme : and should repose all his defence in the vertue of the French armies , seeing that he hath better meanes to do it then any prince liuing may haue , or any prince that hath béen euer had . And this my conclusion is so well prooued , that I need not to stay longer vpon this matter : but go forward to speake mine opinion of the course that must be taken to make a newe leuie in Fraunce , and to conduct it from degree to degree , vnto that poynt it must be brought vnto , to make the souldiers to be such as I haue promised , and the armie to be inuincible , and incomparable .