TWO very notable Commentaries THE ONE OF THE ORIGINALL OF THE TVRCks ks and Empire of the house of Ottomanno , written by Andrewe Cambine , and thother of the warres of the Turcke against George Scanderbeg , prince of Epiro , and of the great victories obteyned by the sayd George , aswell against the Emperour of Turkie , as other princes , and of his other rare force and vertues , worthye of memorye , translated oute of Italian into Englishe by Iohn Shute .

PRINTED AT LONDON by Rouland Hall for Humfrey Toye dwelling in paules Churche yearde at the signe of the Helmette . 1562

FOR AS MVCHE ( RIGHTE HONORAble ) as the office of man standethe chyefely in two poyntes , the one , to serue God as he him selfe hathe appointed , the other , truely to serue his countrey and to wishe wel to the same in al that he mai , I thought it good to turne into oure Englishe tonge : these two Bokes folowing , therby to proffyte suche , as are not of seruile spiryte , and when I had endyd the same , I beth oughte me of some worthye patrone : to whom I moughte dedicate the effecte of my smale trauayle in that behalfe , and discoursynge in my selfe of dyuerse men , I thoughte your honor a very meete man to accepte my symple present , not , for that I am your man , and you my very good lorde , and Maister but , in respecte of those rare vertues whyche in your honour I knowe to reste . Wherfore , my humble request is , that your lordshyppe wyll take this my poore trauaile in good parte , which beinge graunted maye be an occasyon to styrre me vp to take in hande here after , some greatter matter . The one of these Bokes is writen in the Italian by Maister Andre Cambine : a Citizen of Florence , which declareth from whence the Turckes came : when they fyrste came into the lesse Asia , of what condition they were , the warres that they made and vpon what nations they made them , the victories that they obtayned : and howe they vsed them , & the whole meanes wherby they attained to that mightie seate in the whiche they nowe sytte and commaunde , to the great dishonor of the Christian princes . The other is a Commentarie wryten also in the Italian , by whom , I knowe not , for that the name of the auctor is suppressed but whatsoeuer he be that dyd it , he hathe deserued to be well thoughte of for his trauayle , for it is well worthe the redding . It intreatethe of the warres betwene Amorathe the seconde , Mahomethe the second his sonne , Emperours of Turckye , and the moste worthye prince George Castrioth : otherwvse named Scanderbeg prince of Albania , in the which Boke is euidently seen , to howe great purpose and effecte it is to haue a Captaine of perfect iudgement , and a ●ouldiour of tryid disciplyne . And for so much as I haue here occasion to speke of such knowledge as makes a souldiour & I terme discipline I thincke it not encouuenient some thinge to saye therof , not at large ( for that it wyll sufficiently fyll a great volume ) but briefely as I maye of so weightie matter . Of discipline and wherin it concisteth This disciplyne conteyneth in it , the whole force of the warres , the roote therof is the perfecte iudgement of the Captaine the braunches are these , the good choise of the newe souldiours , obedience of the souldiour , the contynuall exercise of the souldiour , order , wherin the souldiour must be instructed , furniture wherwith the souldiour must both defend and offend , and then the seueritie of the Captaine in seinge this discipline truely obserued and kept A. worthye generall is of that perfection that he can vse any of these in his kinde , and I desyre of god that this disciplyne maye be better knowen in oure countre then it is , so shall we not haue so manye as we haue : that shall saye , giue me the vntrayned souldiour and take the trayned that lyste , The trained souldiour is to be prefarred to the vnskilful . of whose opinion I for my parte nether am ne wyl be , for so muche as I thincke I shal be able to proue both in these oure daies and also in the olde worldes , that the disciplined souldiour hath alwaye acheuid the great enterprise , the vntrained hath often ben ouerthrowen , but seldome or neuer hath gyuen ouerthrowe . And to proue this true : these men are redie whose names doe here folowe ( besyde the whole troupe of historiens els ) Liuie , Plutarcke Cesar Appian Alexandrine Valerius Maximus Vigetius , Blondus Herodian , Paulus Iouius , & the Commentarie of George Castrioth as here after more playnely shall appeare . I thincke these sufficient to perswade anye man that is of a modest spirite in that behalfe . And for so muche as this disciplyne is of so greate valewe I thincke it not vn●itting or vnfrutfull to touche euery braunche briefely in particular , and fyrst I wyl begynne with the election & choise of the newe souldiour , Sertorius a worthy Romane who being the chiefe gouernour in Spaine after the death or Silla , The choise of the souldiour and what is to be required therein and beinge a man of a noble corage and of great iudgment in Martiall affares ( as Appian Alexandrine witnesseth of hym in his fyrste Booke of the Ciuil warres of the Romanes ) was not more honored for anye of the rare vertues that were in hym t●en for his greate iudgement in the choyse of newe souldiours , his opinion was that the youthe which shoulde be chosen to defend theyr countre shoulde discend of honest parentes they shoulde be honestly broughte vp , they shoulde be modest they shoulde also feare shame as wytnessyth Vigetius in his fyrst Booke of the arte of the warres the , 7. Chapter , Plato that noble Philosopher is of opinion that the newe souldiour must be chosen of the age of xx . yeres , Seruius Tullius kynge of the Romanes wolde haue them chosen of the age of xvii . yeres , blando sayethe that others are of opinion to chose them at xvi . yeres of age , Vigetius in his fyrste Booke and iiii , Chapiter of the arte of the warres , is of opinion to chose them when their berde dothe fyrste showe , Saluste is of opinion to chose them yonge , for as muche as in their youthe they are apte to be taught anye kynde of exercyse , and beinge acustumed in their youthe to great trauayle , they shall the better when they comme to greater age , endure the trauaile and miserie of the warres , he saieth also that it is better that the souldiours wante yeres , then exercyse , moreouer , Vigetius saieth that whatsoeuer they lerne in theyr youth dothe contynue longe in theyr memorie perfectely . All these worthye men are of opinion , that yf he be vntrayned and passe the age of thirtie yeres , he is not to be accepted into a bande : for sondrie respects . This weighty charge to chose newe souldiours , was not committed to any Captaine but to those that were of greatest iudgement and best seen in the disciplyne of the warres , as witnesseth Vigetius in his first Boke and vii . chapter .

NOwe as touching the obedience of the souldiour , The obedience of the souldiour . the histories are full howe greate skyll is in it , for what was the cause of the deathe of Pompey and defeicte or ouerthrowe of his Populous armie in Thesaly , was it not onelye disobedience ? loke Cesare in his third Booke and Appian in his seconde Booke of the Gyuyll warres of the Romanes . Hathe not disobedience ben also the deathe of dyuerse Romane Emperours and almost the distruction of the whole Empire , loke Herodian and there you shall see the profe hereof This obedience is a bande that byndeth the rest of the braunches of disciplyne so firmely togyther , that it maketh them to worcke theyr effecte and gyueth vertue & power to euery of them . Wherfore Andre Cambine iustly doth saye , that a disobedient armie is lesse to be feared , them a worthy Captayne withoute an armie .

THe worthye men of the olde worlde and chiefely the Romanes : The exercyse of a souldiour . broughte vp their souldiours in sondrie exercyses , as to runne , lepe throwe the bare , swyme , to vse their weapons , to marche the march called Passo militare , which was to goe armed in the hotest of the sommer xx . myles in fyue houres , and vpon great occasion : xxiiii . myles in foure houres , they had a feelde which laye vpon the syde of the Ryuer Tibre which once was of the possession of Tarquinus surnamed the proud and when he was banished Rome , the Senate appointed that feelde for the exercyse of theyr souldiours , there were in that feelde a number of greate stakes depely set into the grounde , against whom the souldiours hauing their roundels made of wicker of the double weighte of those whiche they shoulde were in battayle and a staffe of the lengthe of a sworde and of the double weyghte of the sworde whiche commonly they dyd weare , and beinge thus furnished they shoulde dayly fyghte against those stakes as against their enemyes . In this feelde dyd they vse all theyr exercyses , wherof I spake before and when they were wery they went into the Riuer and washed them , and refreshed theyr weried bodies and lerned to swime , as wytnesseth Vigetius in his fyrst Boke and x. Chapter . To swymme wel is and exercise very commodiouse for a souldiour , as for example Liure in his fyrst Decade and seconde Boke declareth that Oratius Cocleus a worthy Romane , Suimming Necessarie defended the ende of the brydge that putteth ouer Tiber , against the whole power of the kinge Porsena whilest that they of the Citie brake the bridge behinde him , and then ( armed as he was ) he leapte into the Ryuer from the brydge and dyd swymme to the lande , and saued both him selfe & the Citie for that tyme . Also the noble Emperour Iulius Cesare beinge in Alexandrie and assayled vpon the sudden by the Alexandrines ( and hauing but fewe of his people with him ) was enforced to flee their furie whervpon he lepte into the Ryuer and dyd swyme ouer : to the other side , by the which meanes he saued his life at that present , as witnesseth Appian Alexandre in his seconde Booke of the cyuyll warres of the Romanes , and also Aulus Hirtius in his fourthe Booke of the Commentaries of Cesar intitled de Bello Alexandrino the lyke dothe the same Aulus Hirtius declare in the aforesayde Booke , of the Ph●ritanes , whiche dwelled in an Isle that standeth in the Ryuer Nilo eyghte hundred pases from Alexandrie , which beinge assailed by the souldiours of Cesare and put to flyghte , toke the Ryuer and did swyme to Alexandrie and saued a great number of theyr lyues . The exercise of the souldiour and chiefely of the vse of the weapon that he shall vse in the feelde is a thinge of great valewe , The vse of the weapon . whiche the Romanes dyd so muche esteme that they appointed a number of Maisters to instructe theyr souldiours in the vse therof , and euery Maister had double the entertaynement that a souldiour had , as witnesseth Vigetius in his firste Booke and xii . chapter , and in my iudgement not withoute great reason , for the felde is not the onlye place to traine souldiours in but they must also be made perfecte in the vse of theyr weapon in marching in theyr armour , acustumed to order and such lyke exercyses , before they comme to the felde , otherwyse they be but an encoraging to the enemy and a people led to the slaughter , wherfore the Romanes had their newe souldiours as perfecte in altheyr exercyses as were theyr olde souldiours ( before they wolde send them to the felde ) sauing in that that they had not seen the enemy nor felte of his force .

An other braunche therof is of importance , The necessitie of Armour . which is furniture with oute the which no army is perfecte , for yf a man be neuer so valiante & well trayned yf he wante furniture he wyll not put him selfe in that peryll that he wyll doe beinge well armed and furnished . As longe as the Romanes went wel armed and furnished to the felde their Empire dyd alwaye florishe as witnesseth Vigetius in his first Boke and xx . chapter , but when they became slouthfull and neglected discipline , they then obtayned of their Emperours within shorte space license to goe to the felde first withoute their body Armour , & then withoute their sheldes and hedpeces , and when they had obtained at theyr Emperours handes these noble demaundes , within shor●e space after they payd well for their case , the Gothes & Vandales , and also the Lombardes made warres vpon them & gaue them sondrie ouerthrowes . Then was the difference seen betwyne the armie broughte vp in disciplyne and that wherein disciplyne was not knowen , betwine the exercised souldiour and the vnexercised , betwine the instructed souldiour and the ignorant , betwine the armed souldiour & the vnarmed , & betwyne the Captaine of iudgment and the vnskylfull Captaine , for where as in tyme before the Romanes ( dwelling vnder discipline ) were not onely able to defend their owne most ample dominions : but also that of their fryndes which laie fardest from them : nowe , when they had reiected discipline ( hauinge warres with these nationes afore named ) they were not onely vnable to defend their owne dominions : but also to defend their Citie Rome which was twyse or thriese sacked by the aforesayd enemies , as wytnesseth Carian in his historie .

There is also order , Order , of great importance . which is of great value , and withoute it an armie is but a confused multitude , nether any battayle is worthily fought no towne perfectly besegyd , nor any thing well done . This the auncient Romanes had in suche estimation , that whosoeuer dyd violate it , was punnished withoute remission , as for example Valerius Maximus in his second Boke declareth : that Posthumius Tibutius being dictator , & hauing with him in the warres his onely sonne the only succession that he had , whom he had very tenderly & carefully brought vp , yet forasmuch as he being in the warres did ( of him selfe & not by his commaundement ) take those bands which the Romanes called aides , or helppes , & encountred the enemies & gaue them a great ouerthrowe , & then retorned to the campe with the victorie , as sone as he came to his father , he commaunded to strike of his hed , Examples of strange punnishements for breche of order . so carefull was he to se order obserued that he preferred it before the life of his sonne , the contynuance of his house and all that euer he possessyd in the worlde . The like did Posthumius Torquatus ( beinge Consul ) to his sonne in the warres of Italie , who gaue battayle to the enemies withoute commaundement from his father , defeicted them , and slewe a great number of them , and alson toke from them a maruelous riche spoile and retorned with the victorie , yet at his retorne his father commaunded the offycers to take him , and so was he executed . Also Papirus the dictator did marueloussy embrace order . And when he made warres against the Samnites , he had with him general of the horsemen Q. Fabius Rutilianus , who seing his enemy in battaile charged him , ouerthrewe the Samnites , and retorned with the victorie , yet notwithstandinge , Papirus respected not the victorie , his vertue , his force , nor yet his house , but commaunded him to be spoyled of his garmentes and to be beaten naked with roddes , a maruelouse straunge ●yghte , to se Q. Rutilianus , generall of the horsemen , a man of great worthynes victorious , to be beaten naked and to haue hys fleshe torne by the handes of the Iusticiers and also hys bloude shed , and althoughe the souldiours desyred Fabius to flee to Rome , where in vayne he made request to the Senate for pardon , Papirous perseuered in punnishinge hym and wolde in no wyse for gyue it , the father of Fabius ( who had been Dictaour , and thre tymes Consul ) was enforced to comme in humble sorte to declare the matter to the people , desyrynge them to craue the aide of the Tribunes in the behalfe of his sonne , yet notwithstanding Papirus perseuerid styll in his purpose , tyll at the last ( being desyred by the Citizens , the Tribunes & people ) he sware that he wolde forgiue it , not for the loue of Fabio , but for the loue that he bare to the office of the Tribunes , and to the people of Rome , this Ordre directe the euery braunche of this disciplyne & maketh them to worcke their effecte . What shoulde I saye anye more of order , the histories are full of the nedefulnes therof .

Besyde th●se there is also seueritie which causeth the souldiours to dwell in obedience , it chaseth all disorder from them , it hath ben executed in all ages , Seueritie in punishment very expedient . Cesar that worthy Emperour whose naturall inclination to pardone offences was suche , that I doe preferre his co●tezie before them al that I haue redde of , yet you shal see in his commentaries that he vpon occasyon hath taken the tenthe man of his legiones and put them to deathe , also Vallo a famous and worthye Captayne who hath wryten very substancially thre Bookes of the arte of the warres exhorteth all men of charge , to be seuere when occasion dothe require , for one or two sometime punished doe saue great numbers from distruction . Wherfore Vallo in his first Boke , and third chapter , willeth that he that disobeythe his Captaine , he that dothe mutine , he that beynge appointed to the stand watche or scoute doth leue his place with oute license of his Captaine , or he that departeth from his enseigne in the felde withoute leue of his Captayne shall not onely lose horse , armour , weapones and all that he possessyth in the warres , and so escape the punishment , but he shall be condempned to deathe and shall passe the pikes in maner as foloweth . There shal be a squadrone ordered and in the myddest of the same shal be a voyde space throughoute the squadrone almost as brode as the lengthe of two pykes , The order of passing the pikes then shall the offendour be broughte into the middest therof and before that they shal abase theyr pykes , he vpon hys kneese shall demaunde pardone at hys Captaynes hand thre tymes and at the thyrde tyme the Captayne shall take the enseigne from his enseigne berer vndisp●aide , taking the hed therof in his hand and with the but ende therof shall stryke hym on the hed in token that the ●nseigne throughe his euell behauiour hathe ben in peryll , and dishonored , and that he dothe condempne him there to die , that done , the Captaine withdraweth him selfe oute of the place then the souldiours abase theyr pykes and sley him .

Also Selim fa●her to Solyman Emperour of Turchie , beinge at Iconio ( after that he had broughte his armye oute of Persia ) determyning there to winter for that he wolde be at hand to vndertake the enterprise in the spring nexte folowing against the Sophie , wherevpon hys Gianizzaries being desirous to passe that winter in Grecia made request ( at the perswasion of some of their leaders ) to Selim that they mought goe into Gretia that wynter , and when they sawe that they coulde not obtayne , they rebelled against theyr lorde , wherevpon Selim disguysed sent into Spayne to make warres vpon the Numantianes and to daunt theyr prowde spirites which were puffed vp throughe the wante of vnderstanding of the Romane counsulles and legates whiche had made warres against them and receaued dyuerse ouerthrowes at their handes Scipio receaued the same armye which they had so often defeicted , and as sone as he had possessed this army , What kind of people are to be banished oute of an armie or campe . he forthewith purged it of all vnprofytable people : such as procured men to delicacie , as those that solde all kinde of Marchandize and delicate meates and drincks , such as were rather to satisfie appetite then to preserue helthe and maintaine force , also he banished from his campe two thousand wh●res when he had this done he restored to the armye perfite discipline and then beseged the Citie of Numantia , toke it and brought it into ashes .

The lyke may be sayd of Metellus , who being Consul made warres in Affricke against Iugurthe he receaued his armie of Spurius Albinuus throghe whose negligence and want of vnderstanding , discipline was clerely extincte and forgotten : and the armye vtterly corrupted through ease and delicatie , by meanes wherof the enemy obtained against them many victories . Other enormities r●dressed by Metellus . And the consul determyning to purge his armie and to restore it to perfecte disciplyne , remoued from his campe all Tauerners and cookes , he wolde not suffer that any priuate souldiour shulde haue any horse or seruante to carye his armour and victuall but that he hymselfe shoulde carrie it , then he marched with his campe and remoued in maner daily & fortified his campe & entrenched it as strongly , as yf Iuguith had ben present , also he sawe them daily exercised acording to the order of the Romane disciplyne , and in the ende brought them to that perfection , that to that same enemy ( of whom they had receaued many ouerthrowes in tyme before and neuer coulde giue any ) they gaue sondrie and great ouerthrowes and triumphed ouer him as witnesseth the aforesaid Valerius . Besyde these , Appian Alexandrine in his fourth Boke of the cyuyll warres of the Romanes : doth righte well declare the price and necessite of the Iudgement of the Captaines in the persones of B●●ius and Cassius , who fled oute of Rome after that they had slayne Cesar , and throughe theyr wysedome and policie gatherid togyther wythin the space of two yeres : an armie of xx . legions of foremen , and of xx M. horse men , a legion acording to the opinion of Liuie , What a legion i● . had in it the number of fyue thousand foure hundred souldiours and acording to the mynde of Vigetius it was of the number of syxe thousand and some tyme of greater number besyde this they had a Nauie of two hundred great shippes at the leaste , they were thorowly furnished with all kinde of Munition and well prouided of money , this had they brought to passe in the space of two yeres hauing Octauius surnamed Angustus , Marcus Antonius & Marcus Lepidus to enemyes , who then gouerned in the triumuirate at Rome , and dyd contynually persecute them with warres by all meanes possyble as the aforesaid auctor plainly doth declare . Also they brought vnder their gouernaunce all the countres euen from Macedonia to the floodde Euphrates , besyde these examples the histories are full of the praises of worthy generalles , but by the way I wolde not that any man shoulde thincke that I doe so greatly honor the iudgement of the generall : that I wolde therby condempne discipline in anye respecte in the which I wolde haue the souldiour broughte vp and trained , but I doe thincke it as requisite that the generall with his chiefe officers of the armie , be of iudgment sufficient to directe the vse of this disciplne , as it is for the souldiours to be brought vp and instructed therin , and the armie that wanteth eyther of them : to witt the disciplined souldiour and the generall of iudgment is not perfecte , nor sufficient to take any great enterprise in hand .

There is nothing more proffytable nor mete to bring a generall to this perfection then to adde to his experience the reding of histories in the which he shall se plainly set before his eyes in what order battailes haue ben foughte , ouerthrowes gyuen , victorie vsed , countres defended and conquestes made , wherfore if the generall with his chiefe officers wante this perfection they are not greatly to be feared althoughe their armi be of trained souldiours . Furthermore their is nothing more to be embraced by a worthy generall , then modesty , and there is nothinge more peryllous in a Generall then to be ambitious rashe and wilfull , as for example at the battayle of Canua , A generall must be void of ambition and rashenes . as plutarck declareth in the second part of his lyues : in the lyfe of Fabius Maximus and also of Aniball , howe that both the Romane consulles were there pesent the one was Paulus Emitius a man of great iudgment and worthynes in armes , the other was Caius Terentius Varro a vaine and wylfull man , full of ambition , glory , & boasting . This Terentius coulde not be contentid to gouerne iointly with his companion and to vse mutual councell , but wolde haue the gouernement deuided and wolde gouerne euery other daye absolutely to auoide contencion Paulus Emilius graunted thervnto Emilius sawe howe to chase Aniball oute of Italie withoute hazarding of any one battayle and therfore he determyned to prolong the warres , and seinge Anibal in a straunge countre , in great extremitie throughe want of victualles , his armie being of many nations he was assured by these meanes to enforce him to abandone Italie for that tyme , contraryly , Terentius ( being a man of smale iudgment in Martiall affares ) did taunte blame and openly spake euill , Terentius wilful and withoute skill . of that noble man Emilius , hauing no respecte at all to his worthynes and wisdome but sayde it was great shame to see the enemy daily in battayle and the Romanes to lye idle within theyr campe , not weing what it was that constrained the enemy so to doe wherfore when he had brought to passe that he mought gouerne euery other day , Anibal being newly comme with his army to Canua and there lodged and the Romanes beyng lodged vpon both sydes of the Ryuer A●sido , nowe called ●ofanto not farre from him as sone as hys daye came , in the morning by the rising of the sunne he caused to set vp on the heighte of his tente a token to signifie that he wolde gyue battayle which the Italianes call Veste militare , this did he directly against the wyll of his companion , when Aniball sawe this he was excedyng glade for it made well for his purpose : for he was in great extremetie throughe wante of victuall , Terentius had double the number of souldiours that Aniball had . His souldiours were well trayned and broughte vp in discipline whom he put in ordre and gaue battayle , the horse of Emitius was slayne vnder him and he foughte on fote lyke a noble man when Terentius sawe his people like to be ouerthrowen he fledde Emitius lyke a noble man foughte contynually , Emilius most valiante , and coragious . tyll at the laste , seing the Romanes all slayne and fled , he sate him downe vpon a stone , being full of woundes and embrued with bloude that no man dyd knowe him tyll at the laste Cornelius Lentulus a noble yonge man came by him & knew him , he lighted immediatly from his horse and desyred him to lepe on and to saue him selfe for the loue of his Citizens who had great nede of so worthy a Captaine as he was , His aunswere to Lentulus before his death . but he aunswered not so O Lentulus , but commaunded him to lepe to horse and said declare vnto Fabius Maximus and also be thou witnesse howe that Paulus Emilius hath obserued his councell euen to the laste of his lyfe and hath not broken one iote of the promes that he made vnto him , and that he was not ouercomme onely by Aniball , but also by Terentius , and with suche commendations he licensed Lentulus , and then he fell downe amonge the ded bodyes & gaue vp the spirit . Here was seen to the great hindrance of the Romane Citie the difference , betwyne the modestie of Emilius and the arogancie of Terenrius , Liuie saith that in this battayle there were slayne xl . M fote men and two thousand seuen hundred horsemen , pollibie declareth of a great number but trueth it is that the Romanes nether in the fyrst nor seconde warres of the Carthagvnenses receaued a greatter ouerthrowe then this , for so muche as Emilius the Cousul a man of great worthines and vertue redi in all doutes towarde his countre with Seruilius whiche was Consul the yere before , and a number of worthye Citizens eles , who had byn Consulles , pretors Tribunes , Ediles and inche lyke , were there slayne .

The lyke happened in Puglia and other tyme : Fabius Maximus being then dictator , Anibal determyned to winter with his army in a Citie named Glereon , a Citie of great welthe Fabius encamped as neare him as he mought conueniently , and being called to Rome ( for sondrie great affares of the common welthe ) lefte his armie vnder the conducte of Marcus Minutius with expresse commaundement nether to assayle the enemye ne yet to gyue battayle in anye wyse . It happened after the departure of the dictator a squadrone of the enemies to goe forthe into the countre for corne , Minutius hearing of it brake the commaundement of the dictator & marched forth with certaine bandes & encountred the enemy and chased them home to theyr very lodginges & flewe a great number of them , the bruite of this came fleeing to Rome , and forthewith it was holden for a great victorie , & immediatly the people wold● nedes that the gouernement shoulde be equally deuided betwene Fabius and Minurius : a thinge or that tyme neuer seen , Fabius endured al these thinges patiently and retorned to his campe , they were then two dictators , Minutius throughe this lytle sparke of good happe , dyd clene forget him selfe and toke vpon him withoute the aduise of Fabius to giue battaile which Anibal ( being often victorious ) durste scarcely doe Minutius being an arrogante , Note the arrogancie and wilfulnes of Minutius . ambitious and prowde man , and not of great iudgment in the discipline of the warres caused Fabius to stand in great doute , lest that he being thus excidingly puffed vp in pride shulde take in hand some matter that mought greatly hurte the common welth wherfore he came to Minutius and deuided with him the armye , thinc king it better for him to gouerne only some parte of the army then confusedly with his insolent companion to gouerne the whole . Whervpon he toke to him the first and fourth part of the Romane souldiours and gaue to Minutius the second and third part the lyke dyd he by the souldiours that they cal aydes , when Minutius sawe him self dictator equal with Fabius and that he had an armie at his commaundement , he was in great triumphe , Fabius badde him to take hede and to confider that nowe it was not with Fabius that he must haue to doe , but with Aniball , and vpon this Fabius caused his drommes and trompetts to sound and marched oute of the campe and went to a grounde that he lyked and there encamped with his people .

Anibal vnderstanding of this , approched neare to them both and encamped in a ground of strength and had betwene him and his enemies grounde very apte to ambushe his people in , and when he sawe Minutius deuided from Fabius he thought it good to present the battayle to Minutius and in the night ordained and placed his ambushes and appointed them a signe at the which they shoulde salie . When the daye came he sent certaine bands to take a hill not far from Minutius to prouoke him to battayle , Minutius forthwith : sent forthe his lighte armed men and attached the scaramoche and seing Anibal to supplie from tyme to tyme ( with freshe bandes ) those souldiours that he had sent to take the h●ll he put his whole armie in order , and marched forth and ioyned with the enemy in battaile , the fyght was cruel , the Carthaginenses retired and fought contynually vntyll such time as they had drawne him past their ambushes , then Aniball gaue his sygne , wher●pon the ambushes discouered them selues and assayled the Romanes behinde them with great rumor , noyse , and slaughter , when Minutius torned him and sawe the disorder that was amonge his people , and his Captaines fleing he soughte to saue hym selfe also by flyghte , whervpon the Numidan horsemen folowed the chase , and made great slaughter of the disorderid Romanes .

When Fabius sawe the Romanes in this extremitie , the which he suspected in the begynning of the battayle he went to a certayne place from whence he mought beholde the whole mattet and seing the Romanes gathered in the middest of their enemies strake his hand vpon his thyghe and with a great sighe sayd in the presence of al those that were with him , O Hercule , sooner then I wolde haue wished & not so sone as he him selfe wolde , Minutius hath vndone him selfe and his , whervpon he commaunded his armie to marche and said O souldiours whosoeuer doth nowe thincke vpon Minutius let him make hast and consider that he is a worthy man one that loueth his count●e , Fabius exortation to his souldiour . and although it hath not happned ( acording to his desyre ) that he moughte put the enemies to flyght we shall here after haue time to blame him for it . Then he encountred the Numidianes , charged them , and put them to flyght and marched on and encountred those that were laide in ambushe in the nyght and assayled the Romanes behynd them in the battayle , he slewe them that the reste of the Carthagtnenses seyng this , began to fle .

When Anibal sawe his people fle and Fabius a farre of very fiercely amonge the Carthagynenses , he left of any furder executing of the Romanes and commaunded to sound to the standard and then retorned to his lodginge and suffred the Romanes to passe to their campe withoute any further slaughter , & it is said that being at his lodging & talking of Fabius he said haue not I often times told you that yonder mist that laie alway vpon the hill wolde make vs one day very foule wether . I haue this day ouercome Minutius and Fabius hath ouercome me . When the battaile was ended Fabius commaunded his souldiours to take the spoyle of the ded enemyes , and then retorned to his campe , and notwithstanding this great victorye he neuer caste in the tetle of his companion his euill gouernement .

When Minutius came to his campe , he spake to his souldiours in this sorte . My companions in armes , there is nothing more peryllous to a man then to fayle in gerat matters : Minutius acknowledgethe his folly . and when he seith his owne default it is the part of a wise man to obey vnto him that hath giuen him good admonition & althoughe that I haue good occasion to be offended with fortune , yet I must confesse that I am much bounde to her , for that she hath gyuen me to vnderstand euen in an instante that I not beyng able to commaunde others , shoulde submitte my selfe to the rule of others . Wherfore let vs goe to the fyrst dictator and render hym thancks and I promyse you that I wyll be the fyrst , both to thancke him and to yelde him obedience , when he had thus spoken , he commaunded to take downe the Egles which were the banners of gouernement and marched with them to the lodgings of Fabius and being comme to the market place , he went streight to his tent and there dyd set vp the Egles with great noyses and when Fabius came forth of his tent he came & called him father , and his s●uldiours saluted the souldiours of Fabius by the name of patrones or Maisters . When silence was commaunded Minutius sayd to Fabius thou hast in one instante obtayned two victories thou hast ouercomme thyne enemye by force and thy companion by counsell and cortezie , wherfore I maye iustly call the most worthy father , who hath saued both me and my people & then serued vnder him as generall of the horsemen as before .

Hereby it appereth that where thinges shall take good effecte ▪ it must nedes be that the souldiours be broughte vp in discipline and that the generall be able to iudge of discipline , as for example liuie in hys thirde Boke of his fyrst decade dothe well declare that it was not onely an armie of trained souldiours : that dyd ouerthrowe the people called Volsci and Equi , but that also the consules & chiefe officers of the felde were of great iudgement , whose good order dyd not à litle preuaile in that behalfe . Besyde this it was not only an armie of trained souldiours that discomfyted the Samnites not farre from the Citie Suessola , where they slewe an exceding great number of them and toke . 40. thousande sheldes which were of the men that were slaine , and also . 170. standardz Cornetts , and Euseignes as wytnesseth Liuie in his vii . Booke of his first decade , but that also the Iudgement of the Consul dyd muche preuayle in that behalfe , who when he sawe the great number of his enemies , commaunded his souldiours to holde them within his campe , whervpon the Samnites presuming , contenned the enemie . , and neglicted order , and dispersed them selues all the countrey ouer to prouyde them of corne and other victualles , and lefte theyr campe vngarded in effecte , which when the consul vndestode he exhorted the souldiours to behaue them valiantly and immediatly went forth of his campe and assayled the campe of his enemyes , and in the first charge he slewe the greatest number of them as they were in their tentes and lodgings , and then commaunded to set all theyr Cornetts , Enseignes and standardz , vpon the trenches of theyr campe which he had taken from them , and then lefte for the gard of the campe two legions , with commaundement that on payne of death no man shoulde take any thing of the spoyle of the campe vntyll his retorne , whervpon he marched on with his armye in order towarde the enemy and sent his horsemen before him , who charged , the negligent and vnprouided enemyes being dispersed all ouer the felde and vtterly destitute of order so that they fled with great confusion and feare , not knowing whyther it were best to fle , when this was done the counsul retorned to the campe with great victorie , and then gaue the spoyle of the campe of the enemyes to his souldiours . In lyke sort was the perfecte order of L. Scipion counsul : no lesse helpfull to his armye when that he defeicted the mitghty army of Antioche kyng of Asia vp on the Ryuer Phrigio neare to the Citye Magnesia as wytnessyth Liui in his fourth decade and vii . Booke . And in lyke sorte dyd the indgement of Alexandre the great helpe his souldiours in the battayle that he fought with Darius in the which with a smale number of trained souldiours he defeicted 6. hundred thousand Persians as witnesseth Blondo in his x booke de La institution de La chose publique . In the lyke sorte was the iudgment of T. Quintius Flaminius helpful to his trained atmie when he dyd ouerthrowe Philippe the Macedone prince , besyde Scotusa in Gretia , slewe viii . thousands of his souldiours and toke fyue thousand of them prisoners as witnessyth Plutarck in his Boke called the seconde part of his lyues , in the lyfe of the same Flaminius .

Besyde this it was not onely the continuall exercise and disciplyne of the souldiours of Scanderbeg that gaue vnto the Turckes so manye ouerthrowes as are declared in his Commentaries , althoughe they were becomme throughe their continuall exercise as it were inuincible but his great iudgement in the arte of the warres was a greate parte of the cause therof , for he knewe when and howe to take the aduantage of his enemye

Also to comme to oure age in the battayle that Frauncys the fyrst of that name Frenshe king , fought at Marignian with the Suysses where great skyll and valiantize was showed on both partes , yet was not the victorie wonne alone throughe the discipline of the souldiours but also throughe the iudgement of the conductours . The lyke may be sayd of the battayle that the Countie de Augimen fought at Serizoles wyth the Marques of Guasto in the yere of oure Lord . 1544 The lyke of the battayle of Pauie betwyne the aforesayd Frenshe kinge and the Duke of Burbone lieutenante of the Imperiall armie . Also the lyke , of the battayle betwyne Charles the fyrst : and the Duke Iohn of Saxon , the Lansgraue of ●esse in Almaigne . What shulde I saye any more to proue this to be true , the histories doe all affyrme that the vnderstandinge of the generall doth greatly helpe to the obtayning of the victorie , and withoute it a trayned armie is but as a man maymed in comparison of a man that hath all his limmes sound and perfecte , and of all the victories that I haue here spoken of , and also of all those that I haue red of , besydes those that I haue seen , I haue not founde one gyuen by vntrayned souldiours . Wherfore no armie may be called perfecte that wanteth these two kindes of men in it which is the general of perfecte iudgement & the souldiour brought vp in discipline .

Vigetius sayeth in his .28 chapiter of his fyrste Booke of arte of the warres that the Epirotes and Macedonines people of great power , adorned with many victories and also the Thesalique nation who brought vnder theyr yoke the Persians euen to the confynes of India , besydes these Lacedemonies , Athenies Marsians and Samnites , The Datianes , Medes and Thratianes which were so warlike that it was sayd amonge them that Mars ( whom the hethen call the god of battayle ) was borne in theyr countre , all these nations dyd the Romanes ( throughe their perfecte discipline ) bring vnder theyr rule .

Also Vigetius saithe in his fyrst Boke and fyrst chapter of the arte of the warres , The benifite of discipline . that the great number of the Frenshe shoulde haue denoured the smale number of the Romanes , had not ben theyr discipline only , besydes that it had not ben possyble for the Romanes to haue resysted the populouse & mighty nations of the Germanes but only by theit disciplin , moreouer they shulde not haue ben able to encoūtte the lustie & puisante nations of Spaine had not ben their discipline , yea by what meanes preuailed they against the wise and welthy Affricanes , but only throughe discipline , by what meanes brought they vnder yoke the mighty and subtill nation of Grekes , but only by their discipline . The noble Emperour Frederick Barberouse being entred Italie with his armie to chastize the Millaneses for their rebellion , wolde in no wise offer warre to his enemies vntill his souldiours had fworne vnto him to obserue the discipline of the warres . Paulus Iouius saith that the Hungarians so longe as they dyd obserue discipline were well able to defende their owne & gaue the Turcks sondrie ouerthrowes , Val●ius Maximus in his second Boke calleth discipline not only , the foundation of the Romane Empire , but also the preseruation & maintenance of the same , for in dede it is a harde matter to ouerthrowe a worthy generall , hauinge an armie of well chosen souldiours , obedient , well exercised in the feates afore mencioned & doe knowe what the weapons are worthe that they beare being well furnished , and well instructed in order knowing the commoditie therof so longe as in battayle they doe obserue it , for it is an impossibilitie to gyue any great ouerthrowe we to men that obserue their order in the which they are plased & doe vse their weapons accordingly . Wherfore I wishe al men of honest spirites to seke to vnderstand the effecte of this discipline , for it doth as muche & more helpe to the obtaining of victorie , then doth the greatnesse of the number as Ceser , Appian , Vigetius & Plutarcke , chiefly doe declare . Peraduenture some man wil say , why sir we nede not this discipline wherof you speke : we can haue for oure money straungers which are good souldiours to serue vs when we nede . But such as are of that opinion I wishe to rede the histories & Chronicles of Fraunce , The incommoditie that commeth by the seruice of staungers . for Fraunce hath well felte the commoditie of the seruice of staungers , which nether serue for honor of their countre & prince , ne yet for their wiues , children , goodes & possessions , but they seke onely to leade the warres at length & to make their ptoffytt of it , beside this I thincke it not inconuenient to showe an example or two of the good seruice of straungers , Mounser de Lautrec , being in Italie generall of the Frenshe armie at the sege of Pauie , the Suissers came vnto him and required him eyther to gyue them license to repare home in to their countre , or els to goe & encountre the enemies , for they wolde no lengar tarrie in Italie , whervpon fearinge that the Suissers shoulde leaue him , he was enforced to goe & encountre the enemy , in the which ●ncountre he was ouerthrowen beside Mylan at a village called the Pico ●ue , & all his armie put to flight as witnesseth paradyne in his first Boke of his historie .