CCCCC. for a parte, and go into their place, betwene the

horse and the homes of tharmy : then in the voide place
that thei shal leave, the twoo Ansignes of the extraordinarie
Pikes muste entre, whiche I did set in the middest of the
quadrante of the armie. The thousande Veliti, whiche I
placed behinde, must departe from thesame place, and
devide them selves in the flanckes of the battailes, to the
fortificacion of those : and by the open place that thei shal
leave, all the carriages and unarmed menne must go out,
and place themselves on the backe of the battaile. Then
the rome in the middeste beyng voided, and every man gone
to his place : the five battailes, whiche I placed behinde on
the armie, must make forward in the voide place, that is
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NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
betwene the one and the other flanck, and marche towardes THE the battailes, that stand in the hedde, and three of theim, FIVETH muste stande within thirtie yardes of those, with equall dis- BOOKE tances, betwene the one and the other, and the other twoo shal remain behinde, distaunte other thirtie yardes : the whiche facion maie bee ordained in a sodaine, and conimeth almoste to bee like, unto the firste disposicion, whiche of tharmy afore we shewed. And though it come straighter in the fronte, it commeth grosser in the flanckes, whiche giveth it no lesse strength : but bicausc the five battailes, that be in the taile, have the Pikes on the hinder parte, for the occasion that before we have declared, it is necessarie to make theim to come on the parte afore, mindyng to have theim to make a backe to the front of tharmie : and therfore it behoveth either to make them to tourne battaile after battaile, as a whole body, or to make them quickly to enter bet wen thorders of targettes, and conduct them afore, the whiche waie is more spedy, and of lesse disorder, then to make them to turn al together : and so thou oughtest to doe of all those, whiche remain behind in every condicion of The orderyn^ assault, as I shal shewe you. If it appere that thenemie of tharmie come on the part behinde, the first thyng that ought to Vlj bee dooen, is to cause that every man tourne his face where cor,mies to his backe stode, and straight waie tharmie cometh to have assaulte it made of taile, hed, and of hed taile : then al those waies behinde. ought to be kept, in orderyng thesame fronte, as I tolde afore. If the enemie come to incounter the right flancke, How the the face of thy armie ought to bee made to tourne towardes ai ° '* thesame side: after, make all those thynges in fortificacion j^j/^aulted of thesame hedde, whiche above is sak-d, so that the horse- of any of the men, the Veliti, and the artillerie, maie be in places con- sides. formable to the hed thereof : onely you have this difference, that in variyng the hed of those, which are transposed, some have to go more, and some lesse. In deede makyng hedde of the right flancke, the Veliti ought to enter in the spaces, that bee betwene the home of the armie, and those horse, whiche were nerest to the lefte flancke, in whose place ought to enter, the twoo Ansignes of the
157
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE extraordinarie Pikes, placed in the middest : But firste the FIVETH carriages and the unarmed, shall goe out by the open BOOKE place, avoidyng the rome in the middest, and retiryng themselves behinde the lefte flancke, whiche shall come to bee then the taile of the armie : the other Veliti that were placed in the taile, accordyng to the principall orderyng of the armie, in this case, shall not move : Bicause the same place should not remaine open, whiche of taile shall come to be flancke : all other thyng ought to bee dooen, as in orderyng of the firste hedde is saied : this that is told about the rnakyng hed of the right flanck, must be under- stode to be told, havyng nede to make it of the left flanck : for that the very same order ought to bee observed. If What is to be the enemie should come grose, and in order to assaulte doen when t\\ee on twoo sides, those twoo sides, whiche he commeth to assaulted on assau^e tnee on' ougnt to bee made stronge with the other twoo sides. twoo sides, that are not assaulted, doublyng the orders in eche of theim, and devidyng for bothe partes the artillerie, the Veliti, and the horse. If he come on three or on fower sides, it is necessarie that either thou or he lacke prudence : for that if thou shalt bee wise, thou wilte never putte thy self in place, that the enemie on three or fower sides, with a greate nomber of men, and in order, maie assault thee : for that mindyng, safely to hurte thee, it is requisit, that he be so great, that on every side, he maie assault thee, with as many men, as thou haste almoste in al thy army : and if thou be so unwise, that thou put thy self in the daunger and force of an enemie, whom hath three tymes more menne ordained then thou, if thou catche hurte, thou canste blame no man but thy self: if it happen not through thy faulte, but throughe some mischaunce, the hurt shall be without the shame, and it shal chaunce unto thee, as unto the Scipions in Spaine, and to Asdruball in Italie : but if the enemie hav.e not many more men then thou, and intende for to disorder thee, to assaulte thee on divers sides, it shal be his foolishnesse, and thy good fortune : for as moche as to doe so, it is convenient, that he become so thinne in soche wise, that then easely thou maiste over- 158
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
throw one bande, and withstande an other, and in short THE
time ruinate him: this maner of ordering an armie against FIVETH
an enemie, wliiche is not seen, but whiche is feared, is a BOOKE
necessarie and a profitable thing, to accustome thy souldiours,
to put themselves together, and to march with sochc order,
and in marchyng, to order theimselves to faight, according
to the first hedde, and after to retourne in the forme, that
thei marched in, then to make hedde of the taile, after, of
the flanckes, from these, to retourne into the first facion :
the whiche exercises and uses bee necessarie, mindyng to
have an armie, throughly instructed and practised : in
whiche thyng the Princes and the capitaines, ought to
take paine. Nor the discipline of warre is no other, then
to knowe how to commaunde, and to execute these thynges.
Nor an instructed armie is no other, then an armie that is
wel practised in these orders : nor it cannot be possible,
that who so ever in this time, should use like disciplin shall
ever bee broken. And if this quadrante forme whiche I
have shewed you, is somewhat difficulte, soche difficultnesse
is necessarie, takyng it for an exercise: for as moche as
knowyng well, how to set theim selves in order, and to
maintaine theim selves in the same, thei shall knowe after
more easely, how to stand in those, whiche should not
have so moche difficultie.
ZANOBI. I beleve as you saie, that these orders bee verie necessarie, and I for my parte, knowe not what to adde or take from it : true it is, that I desire to know of you twoo thynges, the one, if when you will make of the taile, or of the Hancke hedde, and would make them to tourne, whether this be commaunded by the voice, or with the sounde: thother, whether those that you sende afore, to make plain the waie, for the armie to marche, ought to be of the verie same souldiours of your battailes, or other vile menne ap- men^of * C poincted, to like exercise. Capitaines
FABRITIO. Your firste question importeth moche: for that being- not wel many tymes the commaundemcntes of Capitaines, beyng not well understoode, or evill interpreted, have disordered their armie : therfore the voices, with the whiche thei commaunde Of an arme
159
THE FIVETH BOOKE
Respect that is to be had in commaunde- mentes made with the sounde of the Trompet.
In com- maundmentes made with the voice, what'' respect is to be had.
Of Pianars.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
in perilles, ought to bee cleare, and nete. And if thou com- maunde with the sounde, it is convenient to make, that betwene the one waie and the other, there be so moche difference, that the one cannot be chaunged for the other : and if thou commaundest with the voice, thou oughteste to take heede, that thou tiie the general voices, and to use the particulares, and of the particulars, to flie those, whiche maie be interpreted sinisterly. Many tymes the saiyng backe, backe, hath made to ruinate an armie; therfore this voice ought not to be used, but in steede therof to use, retire you. If you will make theim to tourne, for to chaunge the hedde, either to flanck, or to backe, use never to saie tourne you, but saie to the lefte, to the right, to the backe, to the front : thus all the other voices ought to be simple, and nete, as thrust on, march, stande stronge, forwarde, retourne you : and all those thynges, whiche maie bee dooen with the voice, thei doe, the other is dooen with the sounde. Concernyng those menne, that must make the waies plaine for the armie to marche, whiche is your seconde question, I would cause my owne souldiours to dooe this office, as well bicause in the aunciente warfare thei did so, as also for that there should be in the armie. lesser nomber of unarmed men, and lesse impedimentes : and I would choose out of every battaile, thesame nomber that should nede, and I would make theim to take the instrumentes, meete to plaine the grounde withall, and their weapons to leave with those rankes, that should bee nereste them, who should carrie them, and the enemie commyng, thei shall have no other to doe, then to take them again, and to retourne into their araie.
ZANOBI. Who shall carrie thinstrumentes to make the waie plaine withall ?
FABRICIO. The Cartes that are appoincted to carrie the like instrumentes.
ZANOBI. I doubte whether you should ever brynge these our souldiours, to labour with Shovell or Mattocke, after soche sorte.
FABRITIO. All these thynges shall bee reasoned in the
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NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
place thereof, but now I will let alone this parte, and reason THE of the maner of the victualing of the armie : for that me FIVETH thinketh, havyng so moche traivailed theim, it is tyme to BOOKE refreshe them, and to comfort them with meate. You have to understande, that a Frince ought to ordaine his armie, as expedite as is possible, and take from thesame all those thynges, whiche maie cause any trouble or burthen unto it, and make unto hym any enterprise dim'culte. Emongest those thynges that causeth moste difficultie, is to be con strained to keepe the armie provided of wine, and baked bread. The antiquitie cared not for Wine, for that lackyng it, thei dranke water, mingeled with a little vinegre, to give it a taste : For whiche cause, emong the municions of victualles for the hoste, vineger was one, and not wine. Thei baked not the breade in Ovens, as thei use for Citees, but thei provided the Meale, and of thesame, every Souldiour after his owne maner, satisfied hym self, havyng for con- dimente Larde and Baken, the whiche made the breade saverie, that thei made, and maintained theim strong, so The victualles that the provision of victualles for the armie, was Meale, that thanti- Vineger, Larde, and Bacon, and for the horses Barley, quitiemade Thei had ordinarely heardes of greate beastes and small, f^their" °f> whiche folowed the armie, the whiche havyng no nede to armies. bee carried, caused not moche impedimente. Of this order there grewe, that an armie in old time, marched somtymes many daies through solitarie places, and difficulte, without sufferyng disease of victualles : for that thei lived of thyngs, whiche easely thei might convey after them. To the con- trarie it happeneth in the armies, that are now a daies, whiche mindyng not to lacke wine, and to eate baked breade in thesame maner, as when thei are at home, whereof beyng not able to make provision long, thei remaine often tynies famished, or though thei be provided, it is dooen with disease, and with moste greate coste : therfore I would reduce my armie to this maner of living : and I would not that thei should eate other bread, then that, which by them selves thei should bake. Concernyng wine, I would not prohibite the drinkyng thereof, nor yet the commyng of it X 161
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE into the armie, but I would not use indevour, nor any FIVETH labour for to have it, and in the other provisions, I would BOOKE governe my self altogether, like unto the antiquitie : the whiche thing, if you consider well, you shall see how moche difficultie is taken awaie, and how moche trouble and disease, an armie and a capitaine is avoided of, and how moche commoditie shall bee given, to what so ever enter prise is to bee dooen.
ZANOBI. We have overcome thenemie in the field, marched
afterward upon his countrie, reason would, that spoiles be
made, tounes sacked, prisoners taken, therefore I would knowe,
how the antiquitie in these thynges, governed them selves.
FABRITIO. Beholde, I will satisfie you. I beleve you have
considered, for that once alredie with some of you I have
reasoned, howe these present warres, impoverishe as well
those lordes that overcome, as those that leese : for that if
the one leese his estate, the other leeseth his money, and his
movables : the whiche in olde time was not, for that the
The occasions conquerour of the warre, waxed ritche. This groweth of
why the keepyng no compte in these daies of the spoiles, as in olde
warres made j-yme thd did, but thei leave it to the discreacion of the
doeTmpole'r- souldiours. This manner maketh twoo moste great dis-
ishe the con- orders : the one, that whiche I have tolde : the other that
querors as the souldiour becometh more covetous to spoyle, and lesse
well as the observeth the orders : and manie times it hath been seen,
conquered. nowe the covetousnesse of the praye, hath made those to
Theorderthat leese, whome were victorious. Therefore the Romaines
the Romaines ^^che were princes of armies, provided to the one and to
in^t'heTo^e tne other of tliese inconvenienses> ordainyng that all the
andtheeSP & spoyle should apertaine to the publicke, and that the
booties that publicke after should bestowe it, as shoulde be thought
their soul- good : and therfore thei had in tharmie the questours,
diours gotte. whom were as we would say, the chamberlaines, to whose
charge all the spoyle and booties were committed : whereof
the consull was served to geve the ordinarie pay to the
souldiours, to succour the wounded, and the sicke, and for
the other businesse of the armie. The consull might well,
and he used it often, to graunte a spoyle to soldiours : but
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NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
this grauntyng, made no disorder : for that the armie beyng THE
broken, all the pray was put in the middest, and distributed FJVETH
by hedde, accordyng to the qualitee of everie man : the which HOOK E
maner thei constituted, to thintente, that the soldiours
should attend to overcome, and not to robbe : and the
Romaine Legions overcame the enemies, and folowed them
not, for that thei never departed from their orders : onely
there folowed them, the horsemenne with those that were
light armed, and if there were any other souldiours then
those of the legions, they likewyse pursued the chase.
Where if the spoyle shoulde have ben his that gotte it,
it had not ben possible nor reasonable, to have kepte the
legions steddie, and to withstonde manie perils; hereby
grewe therefore, that the common weale inritched, and
every Consull carried with his triumphe into the treasurie,
muche treasure, whiche all was of booties and spoiles. An
other thing the antiquetie did upon good consideration, An order that
that of the wages, whiche they gave to every souldiour, the tjie antiquitie
thirde parte they woulde shoulde be laied up nexte to him, tooke> con" .
whome carried the ansigne of their bande, whiche never
gave it them againe, before the warre was ended : this
thei did, beyng moved of twoo reasons, the first was to
thintente, that the souldiour should thrive by his wages,
because the greatest parte of them beyng ycmge men, and
carelesse. the more thei have, so muche the more without
neede thei spende, the other cause was, for that knowyng,
that their movabelles were nexte to the ansigne, thei should
be constrained to have more care thereof, and with more
obstinatenesse to defende it : and this made them stronge
and to holde together: all which thynges is necessarie to
observe, purposinge to reduce the exercise of armes unto
the intier perfection therof.
ZANORI. I beleeve that it is not possible, that to an armie that marcheth from place to place, there fal not perrilous accidentes, where the industerie of the capitaine is neede- full, and the worthinesse of the souldiours, mindvng to avoyde them. Therefore I woulde be glad, that you remem bring any, would shew them.
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FABRITIO. I shall contente you with a good will, beyng FIVETH inespetially necessarie, intendyng to make of this exercise BOOKE a perfecte science. The Capitaines ought above all other
Captaines thynges, whileste thei marche with an armie, to take heede
mai mcurre of ambusshes, wherein they incurre daunffer twoo waies,
thedaungerof • ,! , , • ,
ambusshes either marchynge thou entrest into them, or thoroughe
twoo maner crafte of the enemie thou arte trained in before thou arte of wayes. aware. In the first case, mindyng to avoide suche perill, Howtoavoide it is necessarie to sende afore double warde, whome may the perill of discover the countrey, and so muche the more dilligence
ambusshes. ' • • - -•
ceived.
apte for
ambusshes, as be the woddie or hilly countries, for that alwaies thei be layd either in a wodde, or behind a hille : and as the ambusshe not forseene, doeth ruin thee, so for- seyng the same, it cannot hurte thee. Manie tymes birdes Howe am- or muche duste have discovered the enemie: for that alwayes busshes have where the enemie cometh to finde thee, he shall make great duste, whiche shall signifie unto thee his comyng : so often tymes a Capitaine seyng in the places where he ought to passe, Doves to rise, or other of those birdes that flie in flockes, and to tourne aboute and not to light, hath knowen by the same the ambusshe of the enemies to be there, and sendynge before his men. and sertainely understandyng it, hath saved him selfe and hurte his enemie. Concernyng the seconde case, to be trained in, (which these our men cal to be drawen to the shot) thou ought to take heede, not straight way to beleve those thinges, which are nothyng reasonable, that thei be as they seeme : as shoulde be, if the enemie should set afore thee a praie, thou oughtest to beleeve that in the same is the hooke, and that therm is hid the deceipte. If many enemies be driven away by a fewe of thine, if a fewe enemies assaulte manie of thine, if the enemies make a sodeine flight, and not standynge with reason, alwaies thou oughtest in suche cases to feare Capitaine of ^eceipte, an(^ oughtest never to beleeve that the enemie the enemies knoweth not how to doe his businesse, but rather intendyng ought to be that he may begile thee the lesse, and mindyng to stand in lesse peril, the weaker that he is, and the lesse craftier that 164
Howe the
esteemed.
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
the enemie is, so muclie the more thou oughtest to esteenie THE him : and thou muste in this case use twoo sundrie poinctes, F1VETH for that thou oughtest to feare him in thy minde and with BOOKE the order, but with wordes, and with other outewarde de- monstracion, to seeme to dispyse him : because this laste way, maketh that thi souldiours hope the more to have the victorie : the other maketh thee more warie, and lesse apte to be begyled. And thou hast to understand, that Where men when men marche thoroughe the enemies countrey, they ar be in greatest in muche more, and greater perils, then in fayghtyng the l)Criil- fielde : and therefore the Capitaine in marchyng, ought to use double diligence : and the first thyng that he ought to The descrip- doo, is to get described, and payncted oute all the countrie, tion of the thorough the which he must marche, so that he maye know c«UIlt™y the places, the number, the distances, the waies, the hilles. "rmy muste the rivers, the fennes, and all the quallites of them : and marche, is to cause this to bee knowen, it is convenient to have with most re- him diversly, and in sundrie maners such men, as know the Jiulsot /°y " places, and to aske them with diligence, and to se whether ^^ al their talke agree, and according to the agreyng therof, to note : he oughte also to sende afore the horsemen, and with them prudente heddes, not so muche to discover the enemie, as to viewe the countrey, to se whether it agree with the description, and with the knowledge that they have of the same. Also the guydes that are sente, ought to be kepte with hope of rewarde, and feare of paine. And above all thynges it ought to be provided, that the armie knowe A most profit- not to what businesse he leadeth them: for that there is ahle thynp it nothyng in the warre more profitable, then to keepe secret {J/°* "^j^" the thynges that is to be dooen : and to thintente a suddeine ^.ret/ii/all assaulte dooe not trouble thy soldiours, thou oughteste to his affaires, see them to stande reddie with their weapons, because the thynges that ar provided for, offend lesse. Manie for to avoyde the confusion of marchyng, have placed under the standerde, the carriages, and the unarmed, and have com- maunded them to folow the same, to the intente that in marchyng needyng to stave, or to retire, they might dooe it more easel y, which thyng as profitable, I alowe very
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THE FIVETH BOOKE
An advertis- ment con- cernyng the marchyng of an armie.
The marching of an armie ought to be ruled by the stroke of the Drumme.
The condicion of the enemie ought to be considered.
Annone of Carthage.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
muche. Also in marchyng, advertismente ought to be had, that the one parte of the armie goe not a sunder from the other, or that thoroughe some goyng fast, and some softe, the armie become not slender : the whiche thynges, be occation of dissorder : therfore the heddes muste be placed in suche wise, that they may maintaine the pace even, causing to goe softe those that goe to fast, and to haste forward the other that goe to sloe, the whiche pace can not bee better ruled, then by the stroke of the drumme. The waies ought to be caused to be inlarged, so that alwaies at least a bande of iiii. hundred men may marche in order of battaile. The custome and the qualitie of the enemie ought to be considered, and whether that he wil assaulte thee either in the mornyng, or at none or in the evenynge, and whether he be more puisante with fotemen or horse men, and accordyng as thou understandest, to ordeine and to provide for thy self. But let us come to some particular accidente. It hapneth sometime, that thou gettyng from the enemie, because thou judgest thy selfe inferiour, and therfore mindynge not to faight with him, and he comyng at thy backe, thou arivest at the banke of a river, passyng over the which, asketh time, so that the enemie is redie to overtake thee and to fayght with thee. Some, which chaunsing to bee in suche perill, have inclosed their armie on the hinder parte with a diche, and fillyng the same full of towe, and firyng it, have then passed with the armie without beyng able to be letted of the enemie, he beyng by the same fire that was betwene them held backe.
ZANOBI. I am harde of beliefe, that this fyre coulde stay theim, in especially because I remember that I have harde, ho we Annone of Carthage, beyng besieged of enemies, in closed him selfe on the same parte, with wodde, which he did set on fire where he purposed to make eruption. Wher- fore the enemies beyng not intentive on the same parte to looke to him, he made his armie to passe over the same flame, causing every man to holde his Target before his face for to defend them from the fire, and smoke.
FABRICIO. You saye well : but consider you howe I have
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NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
saied, and howe Annone did : for as muche as I saied that THE
they made a diche, and filled it with towe, so that he, that F1VETH
woulde passe over the same, should be constrained to con- BOOKE
tende with the diche and with tire : Annone made the fire,
without the diche, and because he intended to passe over it,
he made it not great, for that otherwise without the diche, it
shoulde have letted him. Dooe you not knowe, that Nabide Nabide a
a Spartan beyng besieged in Sparta of the Romanies, set spartayne.
tire on parte of his towne to let the way to the Komaines,
who alredie wer entred in ? And by meane of the same
flame not onely hindered their way, but drave them
oute : but let us turne to our matter. Quintus Luttatius Quintus Lut-
a Komaine, havyng at his backe the Cimbri, and commyng tatius pollecie
to a river, to thentente the enemie should give him time to *0r{^f*e °ver
passe over, semed to geve time to them to faight with
him : and therfore he fained that he would lodge there,
and caused trenches to be made, and certaine pavilions to
be erected, and sent certayne horsemen into the countrie for
forredge : so that the Cimbrise beleevyng, that he incamped,
they also incamped, and devided them selves into sundrie
partes, to provide for victuals, wherof Luttatius being aware,
passed the river they beyng not able to let him. Some for How to passe
to passe a river havynge no bridge, have devided it, and one :i ryver
parte they have turned behynde their backes, and the other
then becomynge shalower, with ease they have passed it :
when the rivers be swift, purposyng to have their footemen
to passe safely, they place their strongest horses on the
higlier side, that thei may sustain the water, and an other
parte be lowe that may succour the men, if any of the river
in passyng should be overcome with the water : They passe
also rivers, that be verie deepe, with bridges, with botes,
and with barrelles : and therfore it is good to have in a redi- A polecie of
nesse in an armie wherewith to be able to make all these Cesar to pa*se
thynges. It fortuneth sometime that in passyng a river, the a river, where
enemie standyntje ajjaynst thee on the other banke, doeth let !11S cncnu®
mj fo fe J ' beyng on the
thee : to minde to overcome tins dlmcultle, I know not a other-side better insample to folow, then the same of Cesar, whome therof sought havynge his armie on the banke of a river in Fraunce, and to lette hym.
167
THE FIVETH BOOKE
How to know the Foordes of a river.
Howe to escape oute of a straight where the sameisbesette with enemies.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
his passage beynge letted of Vergintorige a Frenche man, the whiche on the other side of the river had his men, marched many daies a longe the river, and the like did the enemie : wherfore Cesar incamping in a woddie place, apte to hide men, he tooke out of every legion three cohortes, and made them to tarie in the same place, commaundynge theim that so soone as he was departed, they shoulde caste over a bridge, and should fortefie it, and he with his other menne folowed on the waye : wherfore Vergintorige seyng the number of the legions, thinkyng that there was not left anie parte of theim behinde, folowed also his way : but Cesar when he supposed that the bridge was made, tourned backewarde, and findynge all thinges in order, passed the river without difficultee.
ZANOBI. Have ye any rule to know the foordes ?
FABRITIO. Yea, we have : alwaies the river, in that parte, whiche is betwene the water, that is stilleste, and the water that runneth fastest, there is least depth and it is a place more meete to be looked on, then any other where. For that alwaies in thesame place, the river is moste shallowest. The whiche thyng, bicause it hath been proved many tymes, is moste true.
ZANOBI. If it chaunce that the River hath marde the Foorde, so that the horses sincke, what reamedy have you ?
FABRICIO. The remedie is to make hardels of roddes whiche must be placed in the bottome of the river, and so to passe upon those : but let us folowe our reasonyng. If it happen that a capitain be led with his armie, betwen two hilles, and that he have not but twoo waies to save hymself, either that before, or that behinde, and those beyng beset of thenemies, he hath for remidie to doe the same, which some have doen heretofore : that which have made on their hinder parte a greate trenche, difficult to passe over, and semed to the enemie, to mynde to kepe him of, for to be able with al his power, without neding to feare behinde, to make force that waie, whiche before remaineth open. The whiche the enemies belevyng, have made theim selves stronge, towardes the open parte, and have forsaken the
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inclosed, and he then castyng a bridge of woode over the THE Trent-he, for boche an effect prepared, bothe on thesame FIVETH parte, with out any impedimente hath passed, and also BOOKE delivered hymself out of the handes of the enemie. Lucius Howe Lutius Minutus a Consul of Rome, was in Liguria with an armie, Minutius and was of the enemies inclosed, betwene certaine hilles, e^af^ °"jt. whereby he could not go out : therefore he sente certaine wherinliefwaa souldiours of Numidia on horsebacke, whiche he had in his inclosed of armie (whom were evill armed, and upon little leane horses) Ins enemies, towardes the places that were kepte of the enemies, whom at the first sight made the enemies, to order theim selves to gether, to defende the passage : but after that thei sawe those men ill apoincted, and accordyng to their facion evill horsed, regardyng theim little, enlarged the orders of their warde, wherof so sone as the Numidians wer a ware, givyng the spurres to their horses, and runnyng violently upon theim, passed before thei could provide any remedy, whom beyng passed, destroied and spoiled the countrie after soche sorte, that thei constrained the enemies, to leave the passage free to the annie of Lucius. Some capitaine, whiche hath Howe some perceived hymself to be assaulted of a greate multitude of C'apitaynes enemies, hath drawen together his men, and hath given to |'^m ^^g6^ the enemie commoditie, to compasse hym all about, and be compassed then on thesame part, whiche he hath perceived to be moste aboute of weake, hath made force, and by thesame waie, hath caused their enemies, to make waie, and saved hymself.
Marcus Antonius retiryng before the armie of the A polecie of Parthians, perceived how the enemies every daie before Marcus Sunne risyng, when he removed, assaulted him, and all the Anto1 waie troubled hym : in so moch, that he determined not to departe the nexte daie, before None : so that the Parthians beleving, that he would not remove that daie, retourned to their tentes. Whereby Marcus Antonius might then all the reste of the daie, rnarche without any disquietnesse. This self same man for to avoide the arrowes of the A defenre for Parthians, commaunded his men, that when the Parthians tli1tte ° came towardes them, thei should knele, and that the second ranke of the battailes, should cover with their Targaettes,
Y 169
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THE the heddes of the firste, the thirde, the seconde, the fowerth, FIVETH the third, and so successively, that all the armie came, to be BOOKE as it were under a pentehouse, and defended from the shotte of the enemies. This is as moche as is come into my remembraunce, to tell you, which maie happen unto an armie marchyng : therefore, if you re member not any thyng els, I will passe to an other parte.
170
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
OF THE ARTE OF WARRE OF
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL, CITEZEINE
AND SECRETARIE OF FLORENCE,
UNTO
LAURENCE PHILIP STROZZE.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
ZANOBI.
BELEVE that it is good, seyng the reason- yng must be chaunged, that Baptiste take his office, and I to resigne myne, and wee shall come in this case, to imitate the good Capitaines (accordyng as I have nowe here understoode of the gentilman) who place the beste souldiours, before and be- ninde the armie, semyng unto theim neces- sarie to have before, soche as maie lustely heginne the faiglit, and soche as behinde maie lustely sustaine it. Now seyng Cosimus began this reasonyng prudently, Baptiste prudently shall ende it. As for Luigi and I, have in this middeste intertained it, and as every one of us hath taken his part willingly, so I beleve not, that Baptiste wil refuse it.
BAITISTE. I have let my self been governed hetherto, so I minde to doe still. Therfore be contente sir, to folowe your reasonyng, and if we interrupte you with this practise of ours, have us excused.
FABRITIO. You dooe me, as all readie I have saied, a inoste greate pleasure ; for this your interrupting me, taketh not awaie my fantasie, but rather refresheth me. But mindyng to foil owe our matter I saie, how that it is now tyme, that we lodge this our armie, for that you knowe every thyng desireth reste and saftie, bicause to reste, and not to reste safely, is no perfecte reste : I doubte moche, whether it hath not been desired of \fou, that I should firste
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How the
Grekes
incamped.
Howe the Romaines incamped.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
have lodged them, after made theim to marche, and laste of all to faight, and we have doen the contrary : whereunto necessitie hath brought us, for that intendyng to shewe, how an armie in going, is reduced from the forme of march ing, to thesame maner of faightyng, it was necessarie to have firste shewed, how thei ordered it to faight. But tournyng to our matter, I saie, that minding to have the Campe sure, it is requisite that it be strong, and in good order : the industrie of the Capitaine, maketh it in order, the situacion, or the arte, maketh it stronge. The Grekes sought strong situacions, nor thei would never place theim selves, where had not been either cave, or bancke of a river, or multitude of trees, or other naturall fortificacion, that might defende theim : but the Romaines not so moche in- camped safe through the situacion, as through arte, nor thei would never incampe in place, where thei should not have been able to have raunged all their bandes of menne, accordyng to their discipline. Hereby grewe, that the Romaines might kepe alwaies one forme of incamping, for that thei would, that the situacion should bee ruled by them, not thei by the situacion : the which the Grekes could not observe, for that beyng ruled by the situacion, and variyng the situacion and forme, it was conveniente, that also thei should varie the maner of incampyng, and the facion of their lodgynges. Therefore the Romaines, where the situacion lacked strength thei supplied thesame with arte, and with industrie. And for that I in this my declaracion, have willed to imitate the Romaines, I will not departe from the maner of their incamping, yet not observ- yng altogether their order, but takyng thesame parte, whiche semeth unto me, to be mete for this present tyme. I have told you many tymes, how the Romaines had in their con- sull armies, twoo Legions of Romaine men, whiche were aboute a leven thousande footemen, and sixe hundred horse men, and moreover thei had an other leven thousande foote men, sente from their frendes in their aide : nor in their armie thei had never more souldiers that were straungers, then Romaines, excepte horsemenne, whom thei cared not, 174
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
though thei were more in nomber then theirs : and in all THE their doynges, thei did place their Legions in the middeste, S1XTHE and the aiders, on the sides: the whiche maner, thei observed BOOKE also in incampyng, as by your self you maie rede, in those aucthoures, that write of their actes : and therefore I pur pose not to shewe you distinctly how thei incamped, but to tell you onely with what order, I at this presente would incampe my armie, whereby you shall then knowe, what parte I have taken out of the Komaine maners. You knowe, that in stede of twoo Romaine Legions, I have taken twoo maine battailes of footemen, of sixe thousande foote- men, and three hundred horsemen, profitable for a maine battaile, and into what battailes, into what weapons, into what names I have devided theim : you knowe howe in orcler- yng tharmie to marche, and to faight, I have not made mencion of other men, but onely have shewed, how that doublyng the men, thei neded not but to double the orders : but mindyng at this presente, to shew you the maner of incampyng, me thinketh good not to stande onely with twoo maine battailes, but to bryng together a juste armie, made like unto the Romaines, of twoo maine battailes, and of as many mo aidyng men : the whiche I make, to the intent that the forme of the incampyng, maie be the more perfect, by lodgyng a perfecte armie : whiche thyng in the other demonstracions, hath not seined unto me so necessarie. Purposing then, to The maner of incampe a juste armie, of xxiiii. thousande footemen, and of theincamping twoo thousande good horsemenne, beeyng devided into fower of an arnue- maine battailes, twoo of our owne menne, and twoo of straungers, I would take this waie. The situacion beyng founde, where I would incampe, I would erecte the hed standarde, and aboute it, I would markc out a quadrant, whiche should have every side distante from it xxxvii. yardes and a half, of whiche every one of them should lye, towardes one of the fower regions of heaven, as Easte, Weste, Southe, and Northe : betwene the whiche space, I would that the capitaines lodgyng should be appoincted. The lodging And bicause I beleve that it is wisedom, to devide the armed for the tf e»e- frorn the unarmed, seyng that so, for the nioste parte the ral1 CJlPltame-
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THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE Romaines did, I would therefore seperate the menne, that SIXTHE were cumbered with any thing, from the uncombered. I BOOKE would lodge all, or the greatest parte of the armed, on the side towardes the Easte, and the unarmed, and the cum- bred, on the Weste side, makyng Easte the hedde, and Weste the backe of the Campe, and Southe, and Northe, should be the flanckes : and for to distinguishe the lodgynges of the armed, I would take this waie. I would drawe a line from the hedde standarde, and lead it towardes the Easte, the space of CCCCC.x. yardes and a half : I would after, make two other lines, that should place in the mid- deste the same, and should bee as longe as that, but distante eche of theim from it a leven yardes and a quarter : in the ende whereof, I would have the Easte gate, and the space that is betwene the twoo uttermoste lines, should make a waie, that should go from the gate, to the capitaines lodging, whiche shall come to be xxii. yardes and a halfe broad, and CCCClxxii. yardes and a halfe longe, for the xxxvii. yardes and a halfe, the lodgyng of the Capitaine will take up : and this shall bee called the Capitaine waie. Then there shall be made an other waie, from the Southe gate, to the Northe gate, and shall passe by the hedde of the capitaine waie, and leave the Capitaines lodgyng towardes theaste, whiche waie shalbe ix.C.xxxvii. yardes and a halfe long (for the length therof wilbe as moche as the breadth of all the lodgynges) and shall likewise be xxii. yardes and a half broad, and shalbe called the crosse waie. Then so sone as the Capitaines lodgyng, were appoincted out, and these twoo waies, there shall bee begun to be appoincted out, the lodg- inges of our own two main battailes, one of the whiche, I would lodge on the right hand of the capitaines waie, and the other, on the lefte : and therefore passing over the space, that the breadth of the crosse waie taketh, I would place xxxii. lodgynges, on the lefte side of the capitain waie, and xxxii. on the right side, leavyng betwene the xvi. and the xvii. lodgyng, a space of xxii. yardes and a halfe, the whiche should serve for a waie overthwart, whiche should runne overthwarte, throughout all the lodgynges of the 176
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
maine battailes, as in the distributing of them shall bee THE seen. SIXTH E
Of these twoo orders of lodgynges in the beginning of BOOKE the head, whiche shall come to joygne to the crosse waye, I The lodgings would lodge the Capitaine of the men of armes, in the xv. f°r tlie me" lodgynges, which on everie side foloweth next, their men of ^ .,2™]*^ armes, where eche main battaile, havyng a Cl. men of armes, c'auitaine. it will come to ten men of armes for a lodgyng. The spaces of the Capitaines lodgynges, should be in bredth xxx. and in length vii. yardes and a halfe. And note that when so Note, which ever I sai bredeth, it signifieth the space of the middest is breadth and from Southe to Northe, and saiyng length, that whiche is ^ichelenffth f T, ', r-iu f ii] in the square
from weste to Laste. Ihose ot the men of armes, shoulde caltlpe.
be xi. yardes and a quarter in length, and xxii. yardes and a halfe in bredeth. In the other xv. lodgynges, that on everie syde should folowe, the whiche should have their beginnyng The lodgings on the other side of the overthwarte way, and whiche shall f°r tlu> l'Kllte have the very same space, that those of the men of armes IJy^thelr ' had, I woulde lodge the light horsemen: wherof beynge a 'capitjiin. hundred and fiftie, it will come to x. horsemen for a lodg yng, and in the xvi. that remaineth, I woulde lodge their Capitaine, gevynge him the verie same space, that is geven to the Capitain of the men of armes : and thus the lodginges of the horsemen of two maine battailes, will come to place in the middest the Capitaine way, and geve rule to the lodginges of the footemen, as I shall declare. You have noted how I have lodged the CCC. horsemen of everie main battaile with their Capitaines, in xxxii. lodgynges placed on the Captaine waie, havynge begun from the crosse waie, and how from the xvi. to the xvii. there remaineth a space of xxii. yardes and a halfe, to make awaie overthwarte. Mindvng therefore to lodge the xx. battailes, which the twoo ordinarie maine battailes have, I woulde place the The lodgings lodgyng of everie twoo battailes, behinde the lodgynges of for the foote-
the horsemen, everie one of whiche, should have in length nuV1 °* two°
, , i • i j .1 •• j i ordinary mam
xi. yardes and a quarter, and in bredeth xxii. yardes and a i,attailes
half, as those of the horsemens, and shoulde bee joigned on
the hinder parte, that thei shoulde touche the one the other.
Z 177
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
The lodgings for the cone-
The nomber of footemen
ever
THE ARTE OF WARRE
And in every first lodgyng on everie side which cometh to lie on the crosse waie, I woulde lodge the Counstable of a battaile, whiclie should come to stand even with the lodgyng of the Capitayne of the men of armes, and this lodgyng shall have onely of space for bredeth xv. yardes, and for length vii. yardes and a halfe. In the other xv. lodgynges, that on everie side followeth after these, even unto the over- thwarte way, I would lodge on everie part a battaile of foote men, whiche beyng iiii. hundred and fif'tie, there will come to a lodgyng xxx. the other xv. lodgynges, I woulde place continually on every side on those of the light horse men' w^ ^e verie same spaces, where I woulde lodge on everie part, an other battaile of fote men, and in the laste lodgyng, I would place on every parte the Conestable of the battaile, whiche will come to joigne with the same of the Capitaine of the lighte horsemen, with the space of vii. yardes and a halfe for length, and xv. for bredeth : and so these two firste orders of lodgynges, shal be halfe of horse men, and halfe of footemen. And for that I woulde (as in the place therof I have tolde you) these horse menne shoulde be all profitable, and for this havynge no servauntes whiche in kepyng the horses, or in other necessarie thynges might helpe them, I woulde that these footemen, who lodge behynde the horse, should bee bounde to helpe to provide, and to keepe theim for their maisters : and for this to bee exempted from the other doynges of the Campe. The whiche maner, was observed of the Romanies. Then leavyng after these lodgynges on everie parte, a space of xxii. yardes and a halfe, whiche shoulde make awaye, that shoulde* be called the one, the firste wave on the righte hande, and the other the firste waie on the lefte hand, I woulde pitche on everie side an other order of xxxii. double lodgynges, whiche should tourne their hinder partes the one againste the other with the verie same spaces, as those that I have tolde you of, and devided after the sixtenth in the verie same maner for to make the overthwarte waie, where I would lodge on every side iiii. battailes of footemen, with their constables in bothe endes. Then leavyng on every side an other space of xxii. yardes 178
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
and a halfe, that shoulde make a waie, whiche shoulde be called of the one side, the seconde waie on the right hande, and on the other syde, the seconde way on the lef'te hande, I would place an other order on everie side of xxxii. double lodgynges, with the verie same distance and devisions, where I would lodge on everie side, other iiii. battailes with their Constables : and thus the horesemenne and the bandes of the twoo ordinarie maine battailes, should come to be lodged in three orders of lodgynges, on the one side of the capitaine waie, and in three other orders of lodgynges on the other side of the Capitaine waie. The twoo aidyng maine battels (for that I cause them to be made of the verie same nation) I woulde lodge them on everie parte of these twoo ordinarie maine battailes, with the very same orders of double lodgynges, pitchyng first one order of lodgynges, where should lodge halfe the horsemen, and half the foote men, distance xxii. yardes and a halfe from the other, for to make a wav whiche should be called the one, the thirde waie on the right hande, and the other the thirde waie on the lefte hande. And after, I woulde make on everie side, twoo other orders of lodgynges, in the verie same maner destinguesshed and ordeined, as those were of the ordinarie maine battelles, which shall make twoo other wayes, and they all should be called of the nunibre, and of the hande, where thei should be placed : in suche wyse, that all this side of the armie, shoulde come to be lodged in xii. orders of double lodgynges, and in xiii. waies, reckenynge captaine waie, and crosse waie : I would there should remayne a space from the lodgynges to the Trent-lie of Ixxv. yaraes rounde aboute : and if you recken al these spaces, you shall see that from the middest of the Capitaines lodgyng to the caste gate, there is Dx. yardes. Now there remaineth twoo spaces, whereof one is from the Capitaines lodgyng to the Southe gate, the other is from thense to the Nortne gate : whiche come to be (either of them measurynge them from the poincte in the middest) CCCC.lxxvi. yardes. Then takyng out of everie one of these spaces xxxvii. yardes and a halfe, whiche the Capitayneslodgynge occupieth, and xxxiiii. yardes everie
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The lodg ynges for the chiefe Capi taines of the maine bat- tayles and for thetreasurers, marshals and straungers.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
waie for a market place, and xxii. yardes and a halfe for a way that devides everie one of the saied spaces in the mid- dest, and Ixxv. yardes, that is lefte on everie part betweene the lodgynges and the Trenche, there remaineth on every side a space for lodginges of CCC. yardes broade, and Ixxv. yardes longe, measurynge the length with the space that the Captaines lodgynge taketh up. Devidynge then in the mid- dest the saied lengthe, there woulde be made on every hande of the Capitaine xl. lodgynges xxxvii. yardes and a halfe longe, and xv. broade, whiche will come to be in all Ixxx. lodgynges, wherin shall be lodged the heddes of the maine battailes, the Treasurers, the Marshalles of the fielde, and all those that shoulde have office in the armie, leavyng some voide for straungers that shoulde happen to come, and for those that shall serve for good will of the Capitaine. On the parte behinde the Capitaines lodgynge, I would have a way from Southe to Northe xxiii. yardes large, and shoulde be called the hed way, whiche shall come to be placed a longe by the Ixxx. lodgynges aforesayd : for that this waie, and the crosseway, shall come to place in the middest be tweene them bothe the Capitaines lodgynge, and the Ixxx. lodgynges that be on the sides therof. From this hed waie, and from over agaynst the captaines lodgyng, I would make an other waie, which shoulde goe from tliens to the weste gate, lykewyse broade xxii. yardes and a halfe, and should aunswer in situation and in length to the Cap- taine way, and should be called the market waie. These twoo waies beynge made, I woulde ordeine the market place, where the market shall bee kepte, whiche I woulde place on the head of the market way over against the capitaines lodgynge, and joigned to the head way, and I woulde have it to be quadrante, and woulde assigne Ixxxx. yardes and three quarters to a square : and on the right hande and lefte hande, of the saied market place, I would make two orders of lodginges, where everie order shal have eight double lodginges, which shall take up in length, ix. yardes, and in bredeth xxii. yardes and a halfe, so that there shall come to be on every hande of the market place, xvi. lodg- 180
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
ynges that shall place the same in the middest which shall THE be in al xxxii. wherin I woulde lodge those horsemen, SIXTH E which shoulde remaine to the aidyng mayne battailes : and BOOKE when these should not suffise, I woulde assigne theim some Lodginpes for of those lodginges that })laceth between them the Capitaines the horsemen,
lodiryn^e, and in especially those, that lie towardes the °ftheextra-
oj o ' j ' ordinarie
Trenche. I here resteth now to lodge the Pikes, and extra- „
• IT i* • • • i • i i i • i nia\ ne oai-
ordinari Veliti, that everie main battaile hath, which you tailes.
know accordynge to our order, how everie one hath besides 'n,e J0dp- the x. battailes M. extraordinarie Pikes, and five hundreth ynges for Veliti : so that the twoo cheefe maine battailes, have two the cxtra- thousande extraordinarie Pikes, and a thousande extra- p*!j|"g ™nd ordinarie Veliti, and the ayders as many as those, so that Veliti. yet there remaineth to be lodged, vi. M. menne, whome I woulde lodge all on the weste side, and a longe the Trenche. Then from the ende of the hed waye, towardes Northe, leav- yng the space of Ixxv. yardes from them to the trenche, I woulde place an order of v. double lodgynges, whiche in all shoulde take up Ivi. yardes in lengthe, and xxx. in bredeth : so that the bredeth devided, there will come to everie lodgyng xi. yardes and a quarter for lengthe, and for bredeth twoo and twentie yardes and a half. And because there shall be x. lodgynges, I will lodge three hundred men, apoinctyng to every lodging xxx. men : leavyng then a space of three and twentie yardes and a quarter, I woulde place in like wise, and with like spaces an other order of five double lodgvnges, and againe an other, till there were five orders of five double lodgvnges : which wil come to be fiftie lodg ynges placed bv right line on the Northe side, every one of them distante from the Trenche Ixxv. yardes, which will lodge fifteene hundred men. Tournyng after on the lefte hande towardes the weste gate. I woulde pitche in all the same tracte, whiche were from them to the saied gate, five other orders of double lodgvnges, with the verie same spaces, and with the verie same nianer : true it is, that from the one order to the other, there shall not be more then a xi. yardes and a quarter of space : wherin shall be lodged also fifteene hundred men : and thus from the
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How the Artillerie mustbeplaced in the Campe.
Lodgynges for the un-
an™ thJplaces
that are apoincted for the im-
of
THE ARTE OF WARRE
Northe gate to the weste, as the Trenche turneth, in a hundred lodginges devided in x. rewes of five double lodg- ynges in a rowe, there will be lodged all the Pikes and ex- traordinarie Veliti of the cheefe maine battayles. And so from the west gate to the Southe, as the Trenche tourneth even in the verie same maner, in other ten rewes of ten lodgynges in a rewe, there shall be lodged the pikes, and extraordinarie Veliti of the aidyng mayne battailes. Their headdes or their counstables may take those lodgynges, that shal seeme unto them moste commodious, on the parte towardes the trenche. The Artillerie, I woulde dispose
throughoute all the Campe, a longe the banke of the
™ y j • n j.u Ti_ i 11
J-rencne : an(i m all the other space that shoulde remame
towardes weste, I woulde lodge all the unarmed, and place all the impedimentes of the Campe. And it is to be under- stoode, that under this name of impedimentes (as you know) the antiquitee mente all the same trayne, and all those thynges, which are necessarie for an armie, besides the souldiours : as are Carpenters, Smithes, Masons, Ingeners, Bombardiers, althoughe that those might be counted in the numbre of the armed, herdemen with their herdes of motons and beeves whiche for victuallyng of the armie, are requiset : and moreover maisters of all sciences, together with publicke carriages of the publicke munition, whiche pertaine as well to victuallyng, as to armynge. Nor I would not distin- guishe these lodginges perticularly, only I would marke out the waies which should not be occupied of them : then the other spaces, that betweene the waies shall remaine, whiche shall be fower, I woulde appoincte theim generally for all the saied impedimentes, that is one for the herdemen, the other for artificers and craftes men, the thirde for publicke car riages of victuals, the fowerth for the municion of armur and weapons. The waies whiche I woulde shoulde be lefte without ocupiyng them, shal be the market waie, the head waye, and more over a waie that shoulde be called the midde waye, whiche should goe from Northe to Southe, and should passe thoroughe the middest of the market waie, whiche from the weste parte, shoulde serve for the same purpose 182
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
that the overthwarte way doeth on the ast parte. And THE besides this, a waye whiche shall goe aboute on the hinder SIXTHE parte, alonge the lodgynges of the Pikes and extraordinarie BOOKE Veliti, and all these wayes shall be twoo and tweentie yardes and a halfe broad e. And the Artilerie, I woulde place a longe the Trenche of the Campe, rounde aboute the same.
BAITISTK. I confesse that I understand not, nor I beleeve that also to save so, is any shame unto me, this beyng not my exercise : notwithstandyng, this order pleaseth me muche : onely I woulde that you shoulde declare me these doubles : The one, whie you make the waie, and the spaces aboute so large. The other, that troubleth me more, is these spaces, whiche you apoincte oute for the lodgynges, howe they ought to be used.
FABRITIO. You must note, that I make all the waies, xxii. yardes and a halfe broade, to the intente that thorowe them, maie go a battaile of men in araie, where if you remember wel, I tolde you how every bande of menne, taketh in breadth betwene xviii. and xxii. yardes of space to mart-he or stande in. Nowe where the space that is be twene the trenche, and the lodgynges, is Ixxv. yardes broade, thesarne is moste necessarie, to the intent thei maie there order the battailes, and the artillerie, bothe to conducte by thesame the praies, and to have space to retire theim selves with newe trenches, and newe fortificacion if neede were : The lodginges also, stande better so farre from the diches, beyng the more out of daunger of h'res, and other thynges, whiche the enemie, might throwe to hurte them. Concern- yng the seconde demaunde, my intent is not that every space, of me marked out, bee covered with a pavilion onely, but to be used, as tourneth commodious to soch as lodge there, either with more or with lesse Tentes, so that thei go not out of the boundes of thesame. And for to marke out these lodginges, there ought to bee moste cunnyng menne, and moste excellente Architectours, whom, so sone as the Capitaine hath chosen the place, maie knowe how to give it the facion, and to distribute it, distinguishyng the waies,
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THE SIXTHE BOOKE
The Campe ought to be all waies of one facion.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
devidyng the lodgynges with Coardes and staves, in soche practised wise, that straight waie, thei maie bee ordained, and devided : and to minde that there growe no confusion, it is conveniente to tourne the Campe, alwaies one waie, to the intente that every manne maie knowe in what waie, in what space he hath to finde his lodgyng : and this ought to be observed in every tyme, in every place, and after soche maner, that it seme a movyng Citee, the whiche where so ever it goweth, carrieth with it the verie same waies, the verie same habitacions, and the verie same aspectes, that it had at the firste : The whiche thing thei cannot observe, whom sekyng strong situacions, must chaunge forme, accordyng to the variacion of the grounde : but the Romaines in the plaine, made stronge the place where thei incamped with trenches, and with Rampires, bicause thei made a space about the campe, and before thesame a ditche, ordinary broad fower yardes and a halfe, and depe aboute twoo yardes and a quarter, the which spaces, thei increased, according us thei intended to tarie in a place, and accordyng as thei feared the enemie. I for my parte at this presente, would not make the listes, if I intende not to Winter in a place : yet I would make the Trenche and the bancke no lesse, then the foresaied, but greater, accordyng to necessitie. Also, consideryng the artellerie, I would intrench upon every corner of the Campe, a halfe circle of ground, from whens the artillerie might flancke, whom so ever should seke to come over the Trenche. In this practise in knowyng how to ordain a campe, the souldiours ought also to be exercised, and to make with them the officers expert, that are ap- poincted to marke it out, and the Souldiours readie to knowe their places : nor nothyng therein is difficulte, as in the place thereof shall bee declared : wherefore, I will goe forewarde at this tyme to the warde of the campe, bicause without distribucion of the watche, all the other pain that hath been taken, should be vain.
BAPTISTE. Before you passe to the watche, I desire that you would declare unto me, when one would pitche his campe nere the enemie, what waie is used : for that I knowe
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NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
not, how a man male have tyme, to be able to ordaine it THE without perill. SIXTIIE
FABUICIO. You shall understande this, that no Capitaine BOOKE will lye nere the enemie, except he, that is desposed to faight the fielde, when so ever his adversarie will : and when a capitaine is so disposed, there is no perill, but ordinarie : for that the twoo partes of the annie, stande alwaies in a redinesse, to faight the battaile, and thother maketh the lodginges. The Romanies in this case, gave this order of fortiKyng the Campe, unto the Triarii : and the Prencipi, and the Astati, stoode in armes. This thei did, for as moche as the Triarii, beyng the last to faight, might have time inough, if the enemie came, to leave the woorke, and to take their weapons, and to get them into their places. Therfore, accordyng unto the Komaines maner, you ought to cause the Campe to be made of those battailes, whiche you will set in the hinder parte of the armie, in the place of the Triarii. But let us tourne to reason of the watche.
I thinke I have not founde, emongest the antiquitie, that Theantiquitie for to warde the campe in the night, thei have kepte watche ^sed no without the Trenche, distaunte as thei use now a daies, Scoutes- whom thei call Scoutes : the whiche I beleve thei did, thinkyng that the armie might easely bee deceived, through the diflicultie, that is in seevng them agnine, for that thei might bee either corrupted, or oppressed of the enemie : So that to truste either in parte, or altogether on them, thei judged it perillous. And therefore, all the strength of the watche, was with in the trenche, whiche thei did withall diligence kepe, and with moste greate order, punished with death, whom so ever observed not thesame order : the whiche how it was of them ordained, I will tell you no other wise, leaste I should bee tedious unto you, beyng able by your self to see it, if as yet you have not seen it : I shall onelv briefly tell that, whiche shall make for niv purpose, I Thr wntche wold cause to stand ordinarely every night, the thirde parte aml "ai'(1° of of the armie armed, and of thesame, the fowerth parte tjie ( alwaies on foote, whom I would make to bee destributed,
A A 185
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THE throughout all the banckes, and throughout all the places SIXTHE of the armie, with double warde, placed in every quadrante BOOKE of thesame : Of whiche, parte should stande still, parte con tinually should go from the one corner of the Campe, to the other: and this order, I would observe also in the daie, when I should have the enemie nere.
Concernyng the givyng of the watche worde, and renu-
yng thesame every evening, and to doe the other thynges,
whiche in like watches is used, bicause thei are thynges well
inough knowen, I will speake no further of them : onely I
shall remember one thyng, for that it is of greate impor-
taunce, and whiche causeth great saulfgarde observyng it,
Dilligence and not observyng it, moche harme : The whiche is, that
ought to be there be observed greate diligence, to knowe at night, who
used,toknowe i0(joreth not in the Campe, and who commeth a newe : and
who lieth oute . .» . ., . i i i -,i ,1
of the Campe, tnis ls an easle thing to see who lodgeth, with thesame
and who they order that wee have appoincted : for as moche as every
be that lodgyng havyng the determined nomber of menne, it is an
cometh of easie matter to see, if thei lacke, or if there be more menne :
and when thei come to be absente without lisence, to
punishe them as Fugetives, and if there bee more, to under-
stande what thei be, what they make there, and of their
other condicions. This diligence maketh that the enemie
cannot but with difficultie, practise with thy capitaines,
and have knowlege of thy counsailes : which thing if of
Claudius the Romaines, had not been diligently observed, Claudius
Nero. Nero could not, havyng Aniball nere hym, depart from his
Campe, whiche he had in Lucania, and to go and to retourne
from Marca, without Aniball should have firste heard thereof
some thyng. But it suffiseth not to make these orders
good, excepte thei bee caused to bee observed, with a greate
The justice severtie : for that there is nothyng that would have more
that ought to observacion, then is requisite in an armie : therefore the
be in a campe. }awes for ^ne maintenaunce of thesame, ought to be sharpe
Vat tl\UtS anc* ^ar^e' anc* the executour therof mostc harde. The
antiquitie Romaines punished with death him that lacked in the
punisshed watch, he that forsoke the place that was given hym to
with Death, faight in, he that caried any thynge, hidde out of the
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Campe, if any manne should sale, that he had docn some THE worthy thing in the faight, and had not doen it, if any had SIXTH E fought without the commaundemente of the Capitaine, if BOOKE any had for feare, caste awaie his weapons: and when it happened, that a Cohorte, or a whole Legion, had com mitted like fault, bicause thei would not put to death all, thei yet tooke al their names, and did put them in a bagge, and then by lotte, thei drue oute the tenthe parte, and so those were put to death : the whiche punishemente, was in soche wise made, that though every man did not feele it, every man notwithstandyng feared it : and bicause where be greate punishementes, there ought to be also rewardes, mindyng to have menne at one instant, to feare Where greate and to hope, thei had appoincted rewardes to every worth ie I1 acte: as he that flighting, saved the life of one of his JJere^ughte Citezeins, to hym that h'rste leapte upon the walle of the likewise to enemies Toune, to hym that entered h'rste into the Campe bee jrrc.-it of the enemies, to hym that had in faightyng hurte, or rewardes. slaine the enemie, he that had stroken him from his horse : and so every vertuous act, was of the Consulles knowen and rewarded, and openly of every manne praised : and soche as obtained giftes, for any of these thynges, besides the glorie and fame, whicho thei got emongest the souldiours, after when thei returned into their countrie, with solemne pompe, and with greate demonstracion emong their frendes and kinsfolkes, thei shewed them. Therefore it was no marveile, It was no though thesame people gotte so moche dominion, having n?arT®1 tliat so moche observacion in punishemente, and rewarde towardes |)(^ani0en theim, whom either for their well doyng, or for their ill mjghtie doyng, should deserve either praise or blame : Of whiche Princes, thynges it were convenient, to observe the greater parte. Nor I thinke not good to kepe secrete, one manerof punish- mente of theim observed, whiche was, that so sone as the offendour, was before the Tribune, or Consulle convicted, he was of the same lightely stroken with a rodde : after the whiche strikyng, it was lawful 1 for the offendour to flie, and to all the Souldiours to kill hym : so that straight waie, every man threwe at hym either stones, or dartes, or with
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A meane to punishe and execute Justice, without rais ing1 tumultes.
Manlius Capitolinus.
Souldiours sworentokepe the discipline of warre.
Women and idell games, were not suffered by the antiquitie, to bee in their
THE ARTE OF WARRE
other weapons, stroke hyni in soche wise, that he went but little waie a live, and moste fewe escaped, and to those that so escaped, it was not lawfull for them to retourne home, but with so many incornmodities, and soche greate shame and ignomie, that it should have ben moche better for him to have died. This maner is seen to be almoste observed of the Suizzers, who make the condempned to be put to death openly, of thother souldiours, the whiche is well considered, and excellently dooen : for that intendyng, that one be not a defendour of an evill doer, the greateste reamedie that is founde, is to make hym punisher of the- same : bicause otherwise, with other respecte he favoureth hym : where when he hymself is made execucioner, with other desire, he desireth his punishemente, then when the execucion commeth to an other. Therefore mindyng, not to have one favored in his faulte of the people, a greate remedie it is, to make that the people, maie have hym to judge. For the greater proofe of this, thinsample of Maulius Capitolinus might be brought, who being accused of the Scenate, was defended of the people, so longe as thei were not Judge, but becommyng arbitratours in his cause, thei condempned hym to death. This is then a waie to punishe, without raisyng tumultes, and to make justise to be kepte : and for as moche as to bridell armed menne, neither the feare of the Lawes, nor of menne suffise not, the antiquitie joined thereunto the aucthoritie of God : and therefore with moste greate Ceremonies, thei made their souldiours to sweare, to kepe the discipline of warre, so that doyng con- trariewise, thei should not onely have to feare the Lawes, and menne, but God : and thei used all diligence, to fill them with Religion.
BAPTISTE. Did the Romaines permitte, that women might bee in their armies, or that there might be used these idell plaies, whiche thei use now a daies.
FABRITIO. Thei prohibited the one and thother, and this prohibicion was not moche difficulte : For that there were so many exercises, in the whiche thei kept every daie the souldiours, some whiles particularly, somewhiles generally
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occupied, that thei had no time to thinke, either on Venus, THE or on plaies, nor on any other thyng, whiche sedicious and SIXTHE unprofitable souldiours doe. BOOKE
BAPTISTK. I am lierein satisfied, but tell me, when the armie had to remove, what order kepte thei ?
FABRICIO. The chief Trumpet sounded three tymes, at the Ordre iu the firste sound, thei toke up the Tentes, and made the packes, removing the at the seconde, thei laded the carriage, at the thirde, thei g^de^o^a removed in thesame maner aforsaied, with the impedi- Trumpet" inentes after every parte of armed men, placyng the Legions in the middeste : and therefore you ought to cause after thesame sorte, an extraordinarie maine battaile to remove : and after that, the particular impedimentes therof, and with those, the fowerth part of the publike impedimentes, which should bee all those, that were lodged in one of those partes, whiche a little afore we declared : and therfore it is conveniente, to have every one of them, appointed to a maine battaile, to the entente that the armie removyng, every one might knowe his place in marchyng : and thus every maine battaile ought to goe awaie, with their owne impedimentes, and with the fowerth parte of the publike impedimentes, followyng after in soche maner, as wee shewed that the Komaines marched.
BAFHSTE. In pitchyng the Campe, had thei other re- spectes, then those you have tolde ?
FABKICIO. I tell you again, that the Romanies when thei encamped, would be able to kepe the accustomed fashion of their maner, the whiche to observe, thei had no other respecte : but concernyng for other considcracions, thei had twoo principall, the one, to incampe theim selves in a whole- Kespectes to some place, the other, to place themselves, where thenemie he had for in- could not besiege theim, nor take from them the waie to the caniP>'nK- water, or victualles. Then for to avoide infirmitie, thei did Hie from places Fennie, or subjecte to hurtfull windes : whiche thei knewe not so well, by the qualitie of the situa- cion, as by the face of the inhabi tours : for when thei sawe How to choose theim evill coloured, or swollen, or full of other infeccion, » PI;ice to thei would not lodge there : concernyng thother respecte iucamPe-
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Howto avoide diseases from the armie.
The wonder- full com- moditie of exercise.
The provision of victualles that ought alwaies to bee inareadinesse in an armie.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
to provide not to be besieged, it is requisite to consider the nature of the place, where the friendes lye, and where thenemies, and of this to make a conjecture, if thou maiest be besieged or no : and therefore it is meete, that the Capitaine be moste experte, in the knowlege of situacions of countries, and have aboute him divers men, that have the verie same expertenes. Thei avoide also diseases, and famishment, with causyng the armie to kepe no misrule, for that to purpose to maintain it in health, it is nedefull to provide, that the souldiours maie slepe under tentes, that thei maie lodge where bee Trees, that make shadowe, where woodde is for to dresse their meate, that thei go not in the heate, and therefore thei muste bee drawen out of the campe, before daie in Summer, and in Winter, to take hede, that thei marche not in the Snowe, and in the Froste, without havyng comoditie to make fire, and not to lack necessarie aparel, nor to drink naughtie water : those that fall sicke by chaunce, make them to bee cured of Phisicions : bicause a capitain hath no reamedie, when he hath to faight with sicknesse, and with an enemie : but nothing is so profitable, to maintaine the armie in health, as is the exer cise : and therfore the antiquitie every daie, made them to exercise : wherby is seen how muche exercise availeth : for that in the Campe, it kepeth thee in health, and in the faight victorious. Concernyng famishemente, it is neces- sane to see, that the enemie hinder thee not of thy victualles, but to provide where thou maieste have it, and to see that thesame whiche thou haste, bee not loste: and therefore it is requisite, that thou have alwaiesin provision with the armie, sutficiente victuall for a monethe, and then removyng into some strong place, thou muste take order with thy nexte frendes, that daily thei maie provide for thee, and above al thinges bestowe the victual with diligence, givyng every daie to every manne, a reasonable measure, and observe after soche sorte this poincte, that it disorder thee not : bicause all other thyng in the warre, maie with tyme be overcome, this onely with tyme overcometh thee : nor there shall never any enemie of thyne, who maie overcome thee 190
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
with famishemente, that will seeke to overcome thee with THE
iron. For that though the victory be not so honourable, SIXTHE
yet it is more sure and more certaine : Then, thesame armie BOOKE
cannot avoide famishemente, that is not an observer of
justice, whiche licenciously consumeth what it liste : bicause
the one disorder, maketh that the victualls commeth not
unto you, the other, that soche victuall as commeth, is un-
profitably consumed : therefore thantiquitie ordained, that
thei should spende thesame, whiche thei gave, and in thesame
tyme when thei appoincted : for that no souldiour did eate,
but when the Capitaine did eate : The whiche how moche it
is observed of the armies nowe adaies, every manne knoweth,
and worthely thei can not bee called menne of good order
and sober, as the antiquitie, but lasivious and drunkardes.
BAPTISTE. You saied in the beginnyng of orderynge the Campe, that you woulde not stande onely uppon twoo maine battailes, but woulde take fower, for to shewe how a juste armie incamped : therfore I would you shoulde tell me twoo thynges, the one, when I shoulde have more or lesse men, howe I ought to incampe them, the other, what numbre of souldiours should suffice you to faight against whnt so ever enemie that were.
FABRITIO. To the first question I answer you, that if the Howetolod^e armie be more or lesse, then fower or sixe thousande soul- i» the Campe diours, the orders of lodgynges, may bee taken awaie or niore or lesse
™*
joined, so many as suffiseth : and with this wav a man mav :
i • i • /« »T * . * , * Liiu onii ii*i ntr
goe in more, and in lesse, into infinite : Notwithstandynge the Romaines, when thei joigncd together twoo consull armies, thei made twoo campes, and thei tourned the partes of the unarmed, thone against thother. Concernyng the second armie, was about xxiiii. M. souldiours: but when thei were driven to faight against the greatest power that might be, the moste that thei put together, WIT 1. M. With this number, thei did set against two hundred thousand Frenche- men, whome assaulted them after the first warre, that Ihei had with the Carthageners. With this verie same numbre, thei fought againste Anniball. And you muste note, that
191
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
The nombre of men that an army ought to be made of, to bee able to faighte with the puisantest enemiethatis.
Pirrus.
Howe to cause men to do soche a thing as shold bee profitable for thee, and hurtfull to them selves.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
the Romanies, and the Grekes, have made warre with fewe, fortefiyng themselves thorough order, and thorough arte : the west, and the easte, have made it with multitude : But the one of these nacions, doeth serve with natural! furie : as doe the men of the west partes, the other through the great obedience whiche those men have to their kyng. But in Grece, and in Italy, heyng no naturall furie, nor the naturall reverence towardes their king, it hath been necessary for them to learne the discipline of warre, the whiche is of so muche force, that it hath made that a fewe, hath been able to overcome the furie, and the naturall obstinatenesse of manie. Therefore I saie, that mindyng to imitate the Romaines, and the Grekes, the number of 1. M. souldiers, ought not to bee passed, but rather to take lesse : because manie make confucion, nor suffer not the discipline to be observed, and the orders learned, and Pirrus used to saie, that with xv. thousande men he woulde assaile the worlde : but let us pas to an other parte. We have made this our armie to winne a field and shewed the travailes, that in the same fight may happen : we have made it to marche, and declared of what impedimentes in marchyng it may be dis turbed : and finally we have lodged it : where not only it ought to take a littell reste of the labours passed, but also to thinke howe the warre ought to be ended : for that in the lodgynges, is handeled many thynges, inespecially thy enemies as yet remainyng in the fielde, and in suspected townes, of whome it is good to be assured, and those that be enemies to overcome them : therfore it is necessarie to come to this demonstracion, and to passe this difficultie with the same glorie, as hitherto we have warred. Therfore comynge to particular matters, I saie that if it shoulde happen, that thou wouldest have manie men, or many people to dooe a thyng, whiche were to thee profittable, and to theim greate hurte, as should be to breake downe the wall of their citie, or to sende into exile many of them, it is necessarie for thee, either to beguile them in such wise that everie one beleeve not that it toucheth him : so that succour- yng not the one the other, thei may finde them selves al to 192
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
be oppressed without remedie, or els unto all to commaunde THE the same, whiche they ought to dooe in one selfe daie, to the SIXTH E intente that every man belevyng to be alone, to wliome the BOOKE commaundement is made, maie thinke to obey and not to re medie it : and so withoute tumulte thy commaundement to be of everie man executed. If thou shouldest suspecte thefidelitie of anie people, and woulde assure thee, and overcome them at Howe toover- unawares, for to colour thy intente more easelie, thou canst rome menne not doe better, then to counsel with them of some purpose at Ullwares- of thine, desiryng their aide, and to seeme to intendc to make an other enterprise, and to have thy minde farre from thinkyng on them : the whiche will make, that thei shall not think on their owne defence, beleevyng not that thou purposes! to hurte them, and thei shal geve thee commoditie, to be able easely to satisHe thy desire. When thou shouldest How to perceive, that there were in thine armie some, that used to tournetocom- advertise thy euemie of thy devises, thou canst not doe J""^1^0 better, myndynge to take commoditie by their traiterous soche^use mindes, then to com men with them of those thynges, that to advertise thou wilte not doe, and those that thou wilt doe, to kepe thy enemie of secret, and to say to doubte of thynges, that thou doubtest thX Procead- not, and those of whiche thou doubtest, to hide: the which >'n^es- shall make thenemie to take some enterprise in hand, beleving to know thy devises, where by easly thou maiest beguile and opresse hym. If thou shouldest intende (as How to order Claudius Nero did) to deminishe thy armie, sendvnge helpe the campe. to some freende, and that the enemie shoulde not bee aware tliat l.lie therof, it is necessarie not to deminishe the lodgynges, but f/dt^crcVive to maintayne the signes, and the orders whole, makyng the whether the verie same fires, and the verye same wardes throughout all same bee the campe, as wer wont to be afore. Lykewise if with thy deminished, armie there should joigne new men, and wouldest that the ° enemie shoulde not know that thou werte ingrosed, it is necessarie not to increase the lodgvnges : Because keepyng secrete doynges and devises, hath alwaies been moste pro fitable. Wherfore Metellus beyng with an armie in Hispayne, to one, who asked him what he would doe the nexte daie, answered, that if his sherte knew therof, he BB
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE would bourne it. Marcus Craussus, unto one, whome asked
SIXTHE him, when the armie shoulde remove, saied beleevest thou
BOOKE to be alone not to bere the trumpet? If thou shouldest
A saiyng of desire to understande the secretes of thy enemie, and to
Metellus. know his orders, some have used to sende embassadours, and
Marcus with theim in servauntes aparel, moste expertest men in
warre : whom havynge taken occasion to se the enemies
How to under- armie, and to consider his strengthe and weakenesse, it hath
secretes of thy geven them oportunitie to overcome him. Some have sente
enemie. ' ^nto ex^e one °* tneir familiars, and by meanes of the same,
hath knowen the devises of his adversarie. Also like
secrettes are understoode of the enemies when for this effecte
A policie of there were taken any prisoners. Marius whiche in the warre
fndriUStat0d that he made Wlth t<>he CimbHe> for to know the faieth of
howeheinig-ht those Frencnmen? wno then inhabited Lombardie, and were
truste the " ^n leage with the Rornaine people, sent them letters open,
Frenchmen, and sealed : and in the open he wrote, that they shoulde
not open the sealed, but at a certaine time, and before the
same time demaundyng them againe, and finding them
opened, knew thereby that their faithe was not to be trusted.
What some Some Capitaines, being invaded, have not desired to goe to
Capitames meete the enemie, but have gone to assaulte his countrey,
when their and constrained nim to retorne to defende his owne home :
countrie have Tlie wniche manie times hath come wel to passe, for that
been invaded those soldiours beginnyng to fil them selves with booties,
of enemies. and confidence to overcome, shall sone make the enemies
souldiours to wexe afraide, when they supposynge theim
selves conquerours, shal understand to become losers : So that
to him that hath made this diversion, manie times it hath
proved well. But onely it may be doen by him, whiche
hath his countrey stronger then that of the enemies, because
To make the when it were otherwise, he should goe to leese. It hath
enemie necli- been often a profitable thyng to a capitaine, that hath been
gente in his besieged in his lodgynges by the enemie, to move an intreatie
of agreemente, and to make truse with him for certaine
daies : the which is wonte to make the enemies more necli-
gente in all doynges : so that avaylynge thee of their necli-
gence, thou maiest easely have occacion to get thee oute of
194
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
their handes. By this way Silla delivered him selfe twise THE
from the enemies: and with this verie same deceipte, SIXTHS
Asdruball in Hispayne got oute of the force of Claudious BOOKE
Nero, whome had besieged him. It helpeth also to deliver isilla.
a man out of the daunger of the enemie, to do some thyng Asdruball.
beside the forsaied, that may keepe him at a baye : this is
dooen in two maners, either to assaulte him with parte of
thy power, so that he beyng attentive to the same faight,
may geve commoditie to the reste of thy men to bee able to
save theim selves, or to cause to rise some newe accidente,
which for the stray ngenesse of the thynge, maie make him
to marvell, and for this occasion to stande doubtefull, and The polioie
still : as you knowe howe Anniball dyd, who beynge inclosed of Aniball,
of Fabius Maximus, tied in the nighte small Bavens kindeled "
• /~\ i l_ 1^1*
beetwecne the homes of manic (Jxen, so that raoius Of tjie ,ian^e astonied at the strangenesse of the same sight, thought not of Fabius to lette him at all the passage. A Capitayne oughte Maximus. amonge all other of his affaires, with al subtiltie to devise A Capitayne to devide the force of the enemie, either with makyng him jj11^^^ to suspecte his owne menne, in whome he trusteth, or to t^e force o\' give him occasion, that he maye seperate his menne, and j^ elieniie«. therby to be come more weake. The fyrste way is dooen with keepyng saulfe the thynges of some of those whiche he How to caus hath aboute him, as to save in the warre their menne and the enemie their possessions, renderynge theim their children, or other ^j^ [,"g their necessaries withoute raunsome. You know that Anni- most trusty ball havynge burned all the h'eldes aboute Home, he made men. onely to bee reserved saulfe those of Fabius Maximus. You Aniball. know how Coriolanus comyng with an armie to Rome, Coriolanus. preserved the possessions of the nobilitie, and those of the comminaltie he bourned, and sacked. Metellus havinge an Metellus armie againste Jugurte, all the oratours, whiche of Jugurte were sente him, were required of him, that they wouldegeve him Jugurte prisoner, and after to the verie same men writyng letters of the verie same matter, wrought in suche wise, that in shorte tyme Jugurte havyng in suspecte all his counsellours, in diverse maners put them to death. Anni ball bevnge fled to Antiochus, the Homaine oratours prac-
195
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
A practis of the llomayne oratours, to bryng Aniball out of Credit with Antio chus.
Howe to
cause the enemie to devide his power.
Howe Titus Uidius staied his enemies that wer going to incounter a legion of men that were commyng in his ayde.
Howe some have caused the enemie to devide his force.
A policie to winne the enemies countrie before he be aware.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
tised with him so familiarly, that Antiochus beyng in suspecte of him, trusted not anie more after to his counselles. Concernyng to devide the enemies men, there is no more certainer waie, then to cause their countrie to be assaulted, to the intente that being constrained to goe to defende the same, they maie forsake the warre. This way Fabius used havynge agaynst his armie the power of the Frenchemen, of the Tuscans, Umbries and Sannites. Titus Didius havyng a few men in respecte to those of the enemies, and lookynge for a legion from Rome, and the enemies purposinge to goe to incounter it, to the intente that they should not goe, caused to bee noised through all his armie, that he intended the nexte daie to faighte the field with the enemies : after he used means, that certaine of the prisoners, that he had taken afore, had occasion to runne awaie. Who declaryng the order that the Consull had taken to faighte the nexte daie, by reason wherof the enemies beyng afraide to demin- ishe their owne strength, went not to incounter the same legion, and by this way thei wer conducted safe. The which means serveth not to devide the force of the enemies, but to augmente a mans owne. Some have used to devide the enemies force, by lettyng him to enter into their countrie, and in profe have let him take manie townes, to the intente that puttynge in the same garrisons, he might thereby deminishe his power, and by this waie havynge made him weake, have assaulted and overcomen him. Some other mindyng to goe into one province, have made as though they woulde have invaded an other, and used so much diligence, that sodenly entryng into the same, where it was not doubted that they woulde enter, they have h'rst wonne it, before the ennemie coulde have time to succour it : for that thy enemie beynge not sure, whether thou pur- posest to tourne backe, to the place fyrsteof thee threatned, is constrained not to forsake the one place, to succour the other, and so many times he defendeth neither the one nor the other. It importeth besides the sayde thynges to a Capitaine, if there growe sedicion or discorde amonge the souldiours, to knowe with arte howe to extynguishe it : The 196
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
beste waie is to chastise the headdes of the faultes, but it THE muste be doen in such wise, that thou maiest first have SIXTHE oppressed them, before they be able to be aware: The way BOOKE is, if they be distante from thee, not onely to call the Howe to re- offenders, but together with theim all the other, to the tonne sedicion entente that not beleevynge, that it is for any cause to and discor(ie- punishe them, they become not contumelius, but geve com- moditie to the execution of the punishemente : when thei be present, thou oughtest to make thy selfe stronge with those that be not in faulte, and by meane of their helpe to punishe the other. When there hapneth discorde amonge them, the beste waye is, to bryng them to the perill, the feare whereof is wonte alwaies to make them agree. But The benefitte that, which above all other thynge kepeth the armie in that the repu- unitee, is the reputacion of the Capitaine, the whiche onely [aci)on oftlie groweth of his vertue : because neither bloud, nor authoritie caused* gave it ever without vertue. And the chiefe thyng, whiche which is only of a Capitain is looked for to be doen, is, to keepe his gotten by souldiours punisshed, and paied : for that when so ever the vertue- paie Jacket h, it is conveniente that the punisshement lacke : The chiefe because thou canst not correcte a souldiour, that robbeth, if thyn# that a thou doest not paie him, nor the same mindynge to live, ^ht^doe cannot abstaine from robbynge : but if thou paiest him and ° punisshest him not, he beecometh in everie condicion When paie insolente: For that thou becomest of small estimation, wanteth, where thou chaunsest not to bee able to maintaine the P
dignitie of thy degree, and not mainetainyng it, there executed * foloweth of necessitee tumulte, and discorde, whiche is the The incon ruine of an armie. Olde Capitaines had a troubell, of the veifience'o'f which the presente be almoste free, whiche was to interprete not puuissh- to their purpose the sinister auguries : because if there fell VI1£e- a thunderbolte in an armie, if the sunne were darkened or the Moone, if there came an erthequake, if the Capitaine either in gettyng up, or in lightynge of his horse fell, it was of the souldiours interpreted sinisterously : And it ingendn-d in them so moche feare, that comynge to faight the fielde, eascly they should have lost it : and therefore the aunciciite Cupitaines so sone as a lyke accidente grewe, either they
197
THE SIXTHE BOOKE
Cesar chauns- ynge to fall, made the same to be supposed to signifi good lucke.
Religion taketh away fantasticall opinions.
In what cases a Capitaine ought not to faight with his enemie if he may other- wyse choose.
A policie of Fulvius wherby he got and spoyled his enemies Campe. A policie to disorder the
A policie to overcome the enemie.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
shewed the cause of the same, and redused it to a naturall cause, or they interpreted it to their purpose. Cesar fallyng in Africa, in comyng of the sea saied, Africa I have taken thee. Moreover manie have declared the cause of the ob- scuryng of the Moone, and of earthquakes : which thing in our time cannot happen, as well because our men be not so supersticious, as also for that our religion taketh away altogether such opinions : al be it when they should chaunse, the orders of the antiquitie ought to be imitated. When either famishement, or other naturall necessities, or humaine passion, hath broughte thy enemie to an utter desperation, and he driven of the same, cometh to faight with thee, thou oughtest to stande within thy campe, and as muche as lieth in thy power, to flie the faight. So the Lacedemonians did against the Masonians, so Cesar did against Afranio, and Petreio. Fulvius beyng Consul, against the Cimbrians, made his horsemen manie daies continually to assaulte the enemies, and considered how thei issued out of their campe for to folow them : wherfore he sette an ambusshe behinde the Campe of the Cimbrians, and made them to be assaulted of his horsmen, and the Cimbrians issuyng oute of their campe for to follow them. Fulvio gotte it, and sacked it. It hath ben of great utilitie to a Capitaine, havyng his armie nere to the enemies armie, to sende his menne with the enemies ansignes to robbe,and to burne his owne countrey, whereby the enemies beleevynge those to bee menne, whiche are come in their aide, have also runne to helpe to make them the pray : and for this disorderyng them selves, hathe therby given oportunitie to the adversary to overcome them. This waie Alexander of Epirus used againste the Illirans and Leptenus of Siracusa against the Carthaginers and bothe to the one and to the other, the devise came to passe most happely. Manie have overcome the enemie, gevyng him occasion to eate and to drinke oute of measure, fayning to have feared, and leaving their Campes full of wyne and herdes of cattell, wherof the enemie beyng filled above all naturall use, have then assaulted him, and with his destruction overthrowen him. So Tamirus did against 198
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
Cirus, and Tiberius Graccus agaynst the Spaniardes. Some THE have povsoned the wine, and other thynges to feede on, for SIXTHE to be able more easely to overcome them. I saied a littel BOOKE afore how I founde not, that the antiquetie kepte in the A policie. night Scoutes abroade, and supposed that they did it for to avoide the hurte, whiche might growe therby : because it is founde, that through no other meane then throughe the watche man, whiche was set in the daie to watche the enemie, hath been cause of the ruin of him, that set him there : for that manie times it hath hapned, that he beyng taken, hath been made perforce to tell theim the token, whereby they might call his felowes, who commyng to the token, have been slaine or taken. It helpeth to beguile the How to enemie sometime to varie a custome of thine, whereupon he beguile tin- having grounded him self, remaineth ruinated : as a Capi- ( taine did once, whome usinge to cause to be made signes to his men for comynge of the enemies in the night with fire, and in the daie with smoke, commaunded that withoute anie intermission, they shoulde make smoke and fire, and after commynge upon them the enemie, they should reste, whome beleevyng to come without beynge seen, perceivyng no signe to be made of beyng discovered, caused (through goeyng disordered) more easie the victorie to his adversarie. HoweMenno- Mennonus a Rodian mindynge to drawc from stronge places I1US *rainj the enemies armie, sente one under colour of a fugitive, the J^^f™' whiche affirmed, howe his armie was in discorde, and that stron^e places the greater parte of them wente awaie : and for to make the to l»ee the thynge to be credited, he caused to make in sporte, certaine better aide tumultes amonge the lodgynges : whereby the enemie ^t")jen thynkyng thereby to be able to discomfaighte them, as- saultynge tlieim, were overthrowen.
Besides thesaied thynges, regarde ought to be had not The enemie to brynge the enemie into extreme desperacion : whereunto <>«irht not to Cesar had regarde, faightyng with the Duchemen, who ^Jj™"?^ opened them the waie, seyng, howe thei beyng not able to (iesj)eracjon. flic, necessitie made them strong, and would rather take paint* to followe theim, when thei fled, then the perill to overcome them, when thei defended them selves.
199
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE Lucullus seyng, how certaine Macedonian horsemenne,
SIXTHE whiche were with hym, went to the enemies parte, straight
BOOKE waie made to soumle to battaile, and commaunded, that the
How Lucullus other men should folowe hym : whereby the enemies beleving,
constrained that Lucullus would begin the faight, went to incounter the
certaine men same Macedonians, with soche violence, that thei were con-
from him to strained to defende themselves : and so thei became against
his enemies, their willes, of fugetives, faighters. It importeth also to
to fayght knowe, how to be assured of a toune, when thou doubteste
whether they of tne fjdelitie thereof, so sone as thou haste wonne the
fielde, or before, the whiche certain old insamples maie
teache thee.
A policie Pompei doubtyng of the Catinensians, praied them that
wher by thei would bee contente, to receive certaine sicke menne,
Pompey got that }ie ha,cl in his armie, and sendyng under the habite of a towue. Tj.ii T-» i v
sicke persones, most lustie menne, gotte the tonne, rublms
How Publius Valerius, fearyng the fidelitie of the Epidannians, caused to Valerius come, as who saieth, a Pardon to a churche without the
self ofdahim toune, and when al the people wer gone for Pardon, he towne. shutte the gates, receivyng after none in, but those whom
A policie that he trusted. Alexander Magnus, mindyng to goe into Asia, Alexander an(J to assure himself of Thracia, toke with him all the
Magnus used prjlicjpan of thesame Province, givynff theim provision, and
to be assured , fe £ ,£, . f \
ofallTracia ne se^ over the common people or Inracia, men ot lowe
which Philip' degree, and so he made the Princes contented with paiyng
kynge of theim, and the people quiete, havyng no heddes that should
Spaine did disquiete them : But emong all the thynges, with the whiche
asuredofEno-- tne Capitaines, winne the hartes of the people, be the
land when he insamples of chastitie and justice, as was thesame of Scipio
wentetosainct in Spaine, when he rendered that yong woman, moste faire of
Quintens. personage to her father, and to her housebande : the whiche
Examples for made him more, then with force of armes to winne Spain.
Capitaines to Cesar having caused that woodde to bee paied for, whiche
winne the ne na(j OCCUpie(] for to make the Listes, about his armie in
people ° Fraunce, got so moche a name of justice, that he made
easier the conquest of thesame province. I cannot tell
what remaineth me, to speake more upon these accidentes,
for that concerning this matter, there is not lefte anv parte,
200
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
that hath not been of us disputed. Onely there lacketh to THE tell, of the nianer of winnyng, and defendyng a toune : the SIXTH E whiche I am readie to doe willingly, if you be not now wearie. BOOKE
BAPTISTE. Your humanitie is so moche, that it niuketh us to followe our desires, without beyng afraied to be reputed presumptuous, seyng that you liberally ofi'er thesame, whiche we should have been ashamed, to have asked you : Therefore, we saie unto you onely this, that to us you can not dooe a greater, nor a more gratefuller benefitc, then to finishe this reasonyng. But before that you passe to that other matter, declare us a doubte, whether it bee better to continewe the warre, as well in the Winter, as thei use now adaies, or to make it onely in the Sommer, and to goe home in the Winter, as the antiquitie did.
FABRITIO. See, that if the prudence of the demaunder were not, there had remained behinde a speciall part, that deserveth consideracion. I answere you ngaine, that the antiquitie did all thynges better, and with more prudence then wee : and if wee in other things commit some erroure, in the affaires of warre, wee commit all errour. There is Warre ou^h nothing more undiscrete, or more pernllous to a Capitayne, not to be then to make warre in the Winter, and muche more perrill Jjjjj^n beareth he, that maketh it, then he that abideth it: the reason is this. All the industrie that is used in the disci pline of warre, is used for to bee prepared to fighte a fielde with thy enemie, because this is the ende, whereunto a Capitayne oughte to goo or endevour him selfe : For that the foughten field, geveth thee the warre \\onne or loste : then he that knoweth best how to order it, and he that hath his army beste instructed, hath moste advauntage in this, and maye beste hope to overcome. On the other side, Kmiph situa there is nothing more enemie to the orders, and then the cioiw, colde rough situacions, or the colde watery time : for that the J'J,',;," ^^ rough situacions, suffereth thee not to deffende thy bandes. enemies to according to thee discipline : the coulde and watery times, the order of suffereth thee not to keepe thy men together, nor thou canst wai r{>- not bring them in good order to the enemy : but it is con venient for thee to lodge them a sunder of necessitie, and
CC 201
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE without order, being constrayned to obeye to Castells, to
SIXTHE Boroughes, and to the Villages, that maye receyve thee, in
BOOKE maner that all thy laboure of thee, used to instructe the
army is vaine. Nor marvayle you not though now a daies,
they warre in the Winter, because the armies being without
discipline, know not the hurt that it dooth them, in lodging
not together, for that it is no griefe to them not to be able
to keepe those orders, and to observe that discipline, which
they have not : yet they oughte to see howe much harme,
the Camping in the Winter hath caused, and to remember,
An over- how the Frenchmen in the yeare of cure Lorde God, a
throwe caused thousande five hundred and three, were broken at Gariliano
by winter. o^ ^ ^Vinter, anc[ not of the Spaniardes : For as much as
I have saide, he that assaulteth, hath more disadvauntage
then he that defendeth : because the fowle weather hurteth
him not a littell, being in the dominion of others and
minding to make warre. For that he is constrayned, either
to stande together with his men, and to sustaine the in-
commoditie of water and colde, or to avoide it to devide his
power : But he that defendeth, may chuse the place as he
listeth, and tary him with his freshe men : and he in a
sodayne may set his men in araye, and goo to find a band
of the enemies men, who cannot resiste the violence of them.
So the Frenchemen were discomfited, and so they shall
alwayes be discomfited, which will assaulte in the Winter
an enemye, whoo hath in him prudence. Then he that will
that force, that orders, that discipline and vertue, in anye
condition availe him not, let him make warre in the fielde in
the winter : and because that the Romaines woulde that all
these thinges, in which they bestowed so much diligence,
should availe them, fleedde no otherwise the Winter, then
the highe Alpes, and difficulte places, and whatsoever other
thing shoulde let them, for being able to shewe their arte
and their vertue. So this suffiseth to your demaund,
wherefore we wil come to intreate of the defending
and besieging of tounes, and of their situa-
cions and edifications.
THE SEVENTH BOOKE
OF THE ARTE OF WARKE OF
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL, CITEZEINE
AND SECRETARIE OF FLORENCE,
UNTO
LAURENCE PHILIP STROZZE.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE SEVENTH BOOKE
OU oughte to knowe, how that tounes and fortresses, maie bee strong either by nature, or by Industrie; by nature, those bee strong, whiche bee compassed aboute with rivers, or with Fennes, as Mantua is and Ferrara, or whiche bee builded upon a Rocke, or upon a stepe hille, as Monaco, and Sanleo: For that those that stande upon hilles, that be not moche difh'culct to goe up, be now a daies, consideryng the artillerie and the Caves, moste weake. And therfore moste often times in building, thei scke now a daies a plain, for to make it stronge with industrie. The firste industrie is, to make the walles crooked, and full of tournynges, and of receiptes : the whiche thyng maketh, that thenemie cannot come nere to it, bicause he maie be hurte, not onelv on the front, but by flancke. If the walles be made high, thei bee to moche subjecte to the blowes of the artillerie : if thei be made lowe, thei bee moste easie to scale. If thou makeste the diches on the out side thereof, for to give difficultie to the Ladders, if it happen that the enemie rill them up (whiche a great armie maie easely dooe) the wall remaineth taken of thenemie. Therefore pur- posyng to provide to the one and thother foresaid incon veniences, I beleve (savyng alwaies better judgement) that the walle ought to be made highe, and the Diche within, and not without. This is the moste strongeste waie of
205
Tounes and Fortresses maie be strong
twoo waies.
The place that now a daies is moste sought to fortifie in.
How a Tonne walle ou to bee made.
The walle of a tonne oupht to bee hijfh, and the diche within, and not without.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE edificacion, that is made, for that it defendeth thee from SEVENTH the artillerie, and from Ladders, and it giveth not facilitie BOOKE to the enemie, to fill up the diche : Then the walle ought to Thethickenes be high, of that heighth as shall bee thought beste, and no that a Toune lesse thick, then two yardes and a quarter, for to make it beaeoef0aUrfdhthe more difficult to ruinate. Moreover it ought to have the distaunces be- toures placed, with distances of Cl. yardes betwen thone twene everie and thother : the diche within, ought to be at leaste twoo flaucker, and and twentie yardes and a halfe broad, and nine depe, and of what aj fae vearth that is digged out, for to make the diche,
breadth and 1,1 j j.i_ /••. j i *
deapth the muste be thro wen towardes the Citee, and kepte up ot a
dich ought walle, that muste be raised from the bottome of the diche, to bee. and goe so high over the toune, that a man maie bee covered
behinde thesame, the whiche thing shal make the depth of the diche the greater. In the bottome of the diche, within every hundred and 1. yardes, there would be a slaughter house, which with the ordinaunce, maie hurte whom so How the ever should goe doune into thesame : the greate artillerie
ordinaunce is that defende the citee, are planted behinde the walle, that planted, for snutteth the diche, bicause for to defende the utter walle, being high, there cannot bee occupied commodiously, other
then smalle or meane peeses. If the enemie come to scale, the heigth of the firste walle moste easely defendeth thee: if he come with ordinaunce, it is convenient for hym to batter the utter walle: but it beyng battered, for that the The nature of nature of the batterie is, to make the walle to fall, towardes the batterie. the parte battered, the ruine of the walle commeth, finding no diche that receiveth and hideth it, to redouble the pro- funditie of thesame diche : after soche sorte, that to passe any further, it is not possible, findyng a ruine that with holdeth thee, a diche that letteth thee, and the enemies ordinaunce, that from the walle of the diche, moste safely killeth thee. Onely there is this remedie, to fill the diche : the whiche is moste difficulte to dooe, as well bicause the capacitie thereof is greate, as also for the diflficultie, that is in com- myng nere it, the walle beeyng strong and concaved, betwene the whiche, by the reasons aforesaied, with difficultie maie be entered, havyng after to goe up a breache through a 206
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
ruin, whiche giveth thee moste Create difficultie, so that I THE suppose a citee thus builded, to be altogether invinsible. SEVENTH
BAPTISTK. When there should bee made besides the diche BOOKE within, a diche also without, should it not bee stronger ?
FABRICIO. It should be without doubt, but mindyng to make one diche onely, myne opinion is, that it standeth better within then without.
BAITISTE. Would you, that water should bee in the diches, or would you have them drie ?
FABKICIO. The opinion of men herein bee divers, bicause the diches full of water, saveth thee from mines under grounde, the Diches without water, maketh more difficulte the fillyng of them : but I havyng considered all, would A drie diche make them without water, for that thei bee more sure : For is moste diches with water, have been seen in the Winter to bee surestc- frosen, and to make easie the winnyng of a citee, as it hap pened to Mirandola, when Pope Julie besieged it : and for to save me from mines, I would make it so deepe, that he that would digge lower, should finde water.
The Fortresses also, I would builde concernyng the diches and the walles in like manor, to the intent thei should have the like difficultie to be wonne. One thyng I will An advertise- earnestly advise hvm, that defendeth a Citee: and that is, mente for the that he* make no Bulwarkes without distaunte from the huildyntfand walle of thesame: and an other to hym that buildeth the aTouneSr Fortresse, and this is, that he make not any refuge place in l-'ortresse. them, in whiche he that is within, the firste walle beyng loste, male retire : That whiche maketh me to give the firste counsaile is, that no manne ought to make any thyng, by meane wherof, he maie be driven without reined ie to lese his firste reputacion, the whiche losyng, causeth to be estemed lesse his other doinges, and maketh afraied them, whom have taken upon theim his defence, and alwaies it shall chaunce him this, whiche I saie, when there are made Bulwarkes out of the Tonne, that is to bee defended, Small for- bicause alwaies he shall leese theim, little thynges now a tresses cannot daies, beyng not able to bee defended, when thei be subject bee defended- to the furie of ordinance, in soche wise that lesyng them,
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A toune of war or For-
tresse, ought
tiring places,
Cesar Borgia,
The causes of the losse of
rr ofFurlie.tha
was thought invincible.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
thei be beginning and cause of his ruine. When Genua rebelled againste king Leus of Fraunce, it made certaine Bulwarkes alofte on those hilles, whiche bee about it, the whiche so sone as thei were loste. whiche was sodainly, made also the citee to be loste. Concernyng the second counsaile, I affirme nothyng to be to a Fortresse more perjiOUS) then to be in thesame refuge places, to be able to retire : Bicause the hope that menne have thereby, maketh
i i • • 111
that thei leese the utter warde, when it is assaulted : and that loste, maketh to bee loste after, all the Fortresse. For insample there is freshe in remembraunce, the losse of the Fortresse of Furly, when Catherin the Countesse defended it againste Cesar Borgia, sonne to Pope Alexander the vi. who had conducted thether the armie of the king of Fraunce : thesame Fortresse, was al full of places, to retire out of one into an other : for that there was firste the kepe, from the same to the Fortresse, was a diche after soche sorte, that thei passed over it by a draw bridge : the for- tresse was devided into three partes, and every parte was devided from the other with diches, and with water, and by Bridges, thei passed from the one place to the other : where fore the Duke battered with his artillerie, one of the partes of the fortresse, and opened part of the walle : For whiche cause Maister Jhon Casale, whiche was appoincted to that Warde, thought not good to defende that breache, but abandoned it for to retire hymself into the other places : so that the Dukes men having entered into that parte with out incounter, in a sodaine thei gotte it all : For that the Dukes menne became lordes of the bridges, whiche went from one place to an other. Thei loste then this Fortresse, whiche was thought invinsible, through two defaultes, the
one for havyng so many retiryng places, the other, bicause
.. J & , . T i r \ i_ -j \-i r
every retiryng place, was not Lorde of the bridge thereof.
Therefore, the naughtie builded Fortresse, and the little wisedome of them that defended it, caused shame to the noble enterprise of the countesse, whoe had thought to have abidden an armie, whiche neither the kyng of Naples, nor the Duke of Milaine would have abidden : and although
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
his inforcementes had no good ende, yet notwithstandyng ,,,
he gotte that honoure, whiche his valiauntnesse had de- SEVENTH
served : The whiche was testified of many Epigrammes, BOOKE
made in those daies in his praise. Therefore, if I should
have to builde a Fortres.se, I would make the walles strong,
and the diches in the maner as we have reasoned, nor I
would not make therein other, then houses to inhabite, and Howe the
those I would make weake and lowe, after soche sorte that houses that
thei should not let him that should standein the middest of JJV£a0*ul
the Market place, the sight of all the walle, to the intente Fortresse
that the Capitain might see with the iye, where he maie ou^ht to he
succour : and that every manne should understande, that builded.
the walle and the diche beyng lost, the fortresse were
lost. And yet when I should make any retiryng places, I
would make the bridges devided in soche wise, that every
parte should be Lorde of the bridges of his side, ordainyng,
that thei should fall upon postes, in the middest of the
diche.
BAFHSTE. You have saied that littel thynges now a daies can not bee defended, and it seemed unto me to have under- stoode the contrarie, that the lesser that a thyng wer, the better it might be defended.
FABIUTIO. You have not understoode well, because that place cannot be now a daies called stronge, wher he that defendeth it, hath not space to retire with new diches, and with new fortificacions, for that the force of the ordinance is so much, that he that trusteth uppon the warde of one wall and of one fortification only, is deceived : and because the Bulwarkes (mindyng that they passe not their ordinarie measure, for that then they shoulde be townes and Cast els) be not made, in suche wise that men maie have space within them to retire, thei are loste straight waie. Therefore it is wisdom to let alone those Bulwarkes without, and to Thefortifiyng fortifie thenterance of the toune, and to kever the gates of ^ancVof a the same with turnyngs after suche sort, that men cannot 'poune goe in nor oute of the gate by right line: and from the tournynges to the gate, to make a diche with a bridge. Also they fortifie the gate, with a Percullis, for to bee aboil
DD 209
THE
SEVENTH BOOKE
Battelments ought to be large and thicke and the flanckers large within.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
to put therin their menne, when they be issued out to faight, and hapnyng that the enemies pursue them, to avoide, that in the mingelynge together, they enter not in with them : and therfore these be used, the which the antiquitie called Cattarratte, the whiche beyng let fall, exclude thenemies, and save the freendes, for that in suche a case, men can do no good neither by bridges nor by a gate, the one and the other beynge ocupied with prease of menne.
BAPTISTE. I have seene these Perculleses that you speake of, made in Almayne of littell quarters of woodde after the facion of a grate of Iron, and these percullises of ouers, be made of plankes all massive : I woulde desire to understande whereof groweth this difference, and which be the strongest.
FABRTCIO. I tell you agayne, that the manners and orders of the warre, throughe oute all the worlde, in respecte to those of the antiquitie, be extinguesshed, and in Italye they bee altogether loste, for if there bee a thing somewhat stronger then the ordinarye, it groweth of the insample of other countries. You mighte have understoode and these other may remember, with howe muche debilitie before, that king Charles of Fraunce in the yere of our salvation a thousande CCCC. xciiii. had passed into Italic, they made the batelmentes not halfe a yarde thicke, the loopes, and the flanckers were made with a litle opening without, and muche within, and with manye other faultes whiche not to be tedious I will let passe : for that easely from thinne battelments the defence is taken awaye, the flanckers builded in the same maner, moste easylye are opened : Nowe of the Frenchemen is learned to make the battel- ment large and thicke, and the flanckers to bee large on the parte within, and to drawe together in the middeste of the wall, and then agayn to waxe wider unto the utter most parte without : this maketh that the ordinaunce hardlye can take away the defence. Therfore the Frenche men have, manye other devises like these, the whiche be cause they have not beene seene of our men, they have not beene considered. Among whiche, is this kinde of
210
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
pcrculles made like unto a grate, the which is a greate deale THE better then cures : for that if you have for defence of a SEVENTH gate a massive parculles as oures, letting it fall, you shutte BOOKE in your menne, and you can not though the same hurte the enemie, so that hee with axes, and with fire, maye breake it downe safely : but if it bee made like a grate, you maye, it being let downe, through those holes and through those open places, defende it with Pikes, with crosbowes, and with all other kinde of weapons.
BAITISTK. I have seene in Italye an other use after the outelandishe fashion, and this is, to make the carriage of the artillery with the spokes of the wheele crooked towardes the Axeltree. I woulde knowe why they make them so : seeming unto mee that they bee stronger when they are made straighte as those of oure wheeles.
FABRITIO. Never beleeve that the thinges that differ from the ordinarie wayes, be made by chaunce : and if you shoulde beleeve that they make them so, to shewe fayrer, you are deceaved : because where strength is necessarie, there is made no counte of fayrenesse : but all groweth, for that they be muche surer and muche stronger then ours. The reason is this : the carte when it is laden, either goeth even, or leaning upon the righte, or upon the lefte side : when it goeth even, the wheeles equally sustayne the wayght, the which being equallye devided betweene them, doth not burden much, but leaning, it commeth to have all the paise of the cariage on the backe of that wheele upon the which it leaneth. If the spokes of the same be straight they wil soone breake : for that the wheele leaning, the spokes come also to leane, and not to sustaine the paise by trie straightnesse of them, and so when the carte goeth even, and when they are least burdened, they come to bee strongest : when the Carte goeth awrye, and that they come to have moste paise, they bee weakest. Even the contrarie happeneth to the crooked spokes of the Frenche Cartes, for that when the carte leaning upon one side poincteth uppon them, because they bee ordinary crooked, they come then to bee straight, and to be able to sustayne
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THE
SEVENTH BOOKE
Neither the ditche, wall tillage, nor any kinde of edificacion, ou^ht to be within a mile of a toune of warre.
Noote.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
strongly al the payse, where when the carte goeth even, and that they bee crooked, they sustayne it halfe : but let us tourne to our citie and Fortresse. The Frenchemen use also for more safegarde of the gates of their townes, and for to bee able in sieges more easylye to convey and set oute men of them, besides the sayde thinges, an other devise, of which I have not scene yet in Italye anye insample : and this is, where they rayse on the oute side from the ende of the drawe bridge twoo postes, and upon either of them they joigne a beame, in suche wise that the one halfe of them comes over the bridge, the other halfe with oute : then all the same parte that commeth withoute, they joy gne together with small quarters of woodde, the whiche they set thicke from one beame to an other like unto a grate, and on the parte within, they fasten to the ende of either of the beames a chaine : then when they will shutte the bridge on the oute side, they slacke the chaines, and let downe all the same parte like unto a grate, the whiche comming downe, shuttethe the bridge, and when they will open it, they drawe the chaines, and the same commeth to rise up, and they maye raise it up so much that a man may passe under it, and not a horse, and so much that there maye passe horse and man, and shutte it againe at ones, for that it falleth and riseth as a window of a battelment. This devise is more sure than the Parculles, because hardely it maye be of the enemye lette in such wise, that it fall not downe, falling not by a righte line as the Parculles, which easely may be underpropped. Therfore they which will make a citie oughte to cause to be ordained all the saide things : and moreover aboute the walle, there woulde not bee suffered any grounde to be -tilled, within a myle thereof, nor any wall made, but shoulde be all champaine, where should be neither ditch nor banck, neither tree nor house, which might let the fighte, and make defence for the enemie that incampeth.
And noote, that a Towne, whiche hathe the ditches with oute, with the banckes higher then the grounde, is moste weake : for as muche as they make defence to the enemye,
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which assaulteth thee, and letteth him not hurte thee, THE because easely they may be opened, and geve place to his SEVENTH artillerye : but let us passe into the Towne. I will not BOOKE loose so muche time in shewing you howe that besides the foresayde thinges, it is requisite to have provision of victuallers, and wherewith to tight, for that they be thinges that everye man underdeth, and without them, all other provision is vaine : and generally twoo thinges oughte to be done, to provide and to take the commoditie from the The provision enemie that he availe not by the things of thy countrey : t}iat is meeto therfore the straw, the beastes, the graine, whiche thou to be made for ' .ij-i 11 the defence of
canste not receive into house, ought to be destroied. Also a t()une
he that defendeth a Towne, oughte to provide that nothing bee done tumultuouslye and disordinatelye, and to take suche order, that in all accidentes everye man maye knowe what he hath to doo.
The order that oughte to be taken is thus, that the women, the olde folkes, the children, and the impotent, be made to keepe within doores, that the Towne maye be left free, to yong and lustie men, whom being armed, must be destributed for the defence of the same, appointing part of them to the wall, parte to the gates, parte to the principal 1 places of the Citie, for to remedie those inconveniences, that might growe within : an other parte must not be bound to any place, but be ready to succour all, neede requiring: and the thing beeing ordained thus, with ditfi- cultie tumulte can growe, whiche maye disorder thee. Also I will that you note this, in the besieging and defending of a Citie, that nothing geveth so muche hoope to the adversarye to be able to winne a towne, as when he knoweth that the „,, . same is not accustomed to see the enemie : for that many coragethe the times for feare onely without other experience of force, enemy most cities have bene loste : Therefore a man oughte, when he thatbesiegeth assaulteth a like Citie, to make all his ostentacions terrible. a toune- On the other parte he that is assaulted, oughte to appoincte ^ lmt lie tlint to the same parte, whiche the enemie fighteth againste, R|Jdl!?e that strong men and suche as opinion makethe not afrnide, but defeudeth weapons onely: for that if the first proofe turne vaine, it oughte to doo.
21 3
THE
SEVENTH BOOKE
Advertise- mentes for a besieged towne.
Howe the Romaines vitaled Casa lino besieged of Aniball.
A policie for the besieged.
A policie of Fabius in besieging of a toune.
A policie of Dionisius in besiegynge of a toune.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
increaseth boldenesse to the besieged, and then the enemie is constrained to overcome them within, with vertue and repu- tacion. The instrumentes wherwith the antiquitie defended townes, where manie : as balistes, onagris, scorpions, Arcu- balistes, Fustibals, Slinges : and also those were manie with which thei gave assaultes. As Arrieti, Towers, Musculi, Plutei, Viney, Falci, testudeni, in steede of which thynges be now a daies the ordinance, the whiche serve him that bes- segeth, and him that defendeth : and therfore I will speake no forther of theim : But let us retourne to our reasonyng, and let us come to particular offences. They ought to have care not to be taken by famine, and not to be over come through assaultes : concernyng famin, it hath ben tolde, that it is requiset before the siege come, to be well provided of vitualles. But when a towne throughe longe sige, lacketh victuals, some times hath ben seen used cer- taine extraordinarie waies to be provided of their friendes, whome woulde save them : inespeciall if through the mid- dest of the besieged Citie there runne a river, as the Romaines vittelled their castell called Casalino besieged of Anibal, whom being not able by the river to sende them other victual then Nuttes, wherof castyng in the same great quantitie, the which carried of the river, without beyng abel to be letted, fedde longe time the Casalinians. Some besieged, for to shew unto the enemie, that they have graine more then inough and for to make him to dispaire, that he cannot, by famin overcome theim, have caste breade oute of the gates, or geven a Bullocke graine to eate, and after have suffered the same to be taken, to the intent that kilde and founde full of graine, might shewe that aboimdance, whiche they had not. On the other parte excellent Capitaines have used sundrie waies to werie the enemie.
Fabius suffered them whome he besieged, to sowe their fieldes, to the entente that thei should lacke the same corne, whiche they sowed.
Dionisius beynge in Campe at Regio, fained to minde to make an agreement with them, and duryng the practise
214
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
therof, he caused him selfe to be provided of their victuales, THE and then when he had by this mean got from them their SEVENTH graine, he kepte them straight and famished them. BOOKE
Alexander Magnus mindyng to winne Leucadia overcame Howe Alex- all the Castels aboute it, and by that means drivyng into a»der wanne the same citie a great multitude of their owne countrie men, Leucadia- famished them.
Concernynge the assaultes, there hath been tolde that The besieged chiefely thei ought to beware of the firste bronte, with ought to take whiche the Romaines gotte often times manic townes, J?eed of the assaultyng them sodainly, and on every side: and thei called it, Aggredi urbcm corona. As Scipio did, when lie wanne newe Carthage in Hispayne : the which brunte if of a towne it be withstoode, with difficultie after will bee overcome: and yet thoughe it should happen that the enemie were entred into the citie, by overcomynge the wall, yet the townes men have some remedie, so thei forsake it not : for as much as manie armies through entring into a toune, have ben repulccd or slaine : the remedie is, that the The remedie townes men doe keepe them selves in highe places, and that townes from the houses, and from the towers to faight with them : "V'" lir{ve> the whiche thynge, they that have entered into the citie, enemies ar have devised to overcome in twoo manners : the one with entrcd into openyng the gates of the citie, and to make the waie for the the towne. townes men, that thei might safely flic: the other with How to make sendvnge foorthc a proclamacion, that signifieth, tlmt none the townes shall be hurte but the armed, and to them that caste their meil yeelde weapons on the grounde, pardon shall be graunted : the whiche thynge hath made easie the victorie of manie cities.
Besides this, the Citees are easie to bee wonne, if thou How townes come upon them unawares : whiche is dooen beyng with or ('itit>s arfi thy armie farre of, after soche sort, that it be not beloved, ea8el'ewon»e- either that thou wilte assaulte theim, or that thou canst dooe it, without commyng openlv, bicause of the distance of the place : wherefore, if thou secrotely and spedely assaulte theim, almoste alwaies it shall follow?, that thou shalte gette the victorie. I reason unwillingly of the thynges succeded in our tyme, for that to me and to mine, it
215
THE ARTE OF WARRE
THE should be a burthen, and to reason of other, I cannot tel
SEVENTH what to saie : notwithstandyng, I cannot to this purpose
BOOKE but declare, the insample of Cesar Borgia, called duke
How duke Valentine, who beyng at Nocera with his menne, under
Valentine got colour of goyng to besiege Camerino, tourned towardes
'
the state of Urbin> and g°tte a state in a daie> and with' out any paine, the whiche an other with moche time and
The besieged cost, should scante have gotten. It is conveniente also to
ought to take those, that be besieged, to take heede of the deceiptes, and
heedeofthe Qf ^Q pOlicjes of the enemie, and therefore the besieged,
policie^crf the ougnt not to truste to any thyng, whiche thei see the
enemie. enemie dooe continually, but let theim beleve alwaies, that
it is under deceipte, and that he can to their hurte varie it.
How Domitio Domitio Calvino besiegyng a toune, used for a custome to
Calvino wan a compasse aboute every daie, with a good parte of his
menne, the wall of the same : whereby the Tounes menne,
belevyng that he did it for exercise, slacked the Ward :
whereof Domicius beyng aware, assaulted and overcame
them.
A policie to Certaine Capitaines understandyng, that there should get a towne. come aide to the besieged, have apareled their Souldiours, under the Ansigne of those, that should come, and beyng let in, have gotte the Toune.
How Simon of Simon of Athens set fire in a night on a Temple, whiche Athens wan a was out of the toune, wherefore, the tounes menne goyng towne. to succour it, lefte the toune in praie to the enemie. Some
A policie to have slaine those, whiche from the besieged Castle, have get a towne. gone a foragyng, and have appareled their souldiours, with the apparell of the forragers, whom after have gotte the toune. The aunciente Capitaines, have also used divers waies, to destroie the Garison of the Toune, whiche thei How Scipio have sought to take. Scipio beyng in Africa, and desiring gotte certaine to gette certaine Castles, in whiche were putte the Garrisons °^ Carthage, he made many tymes, as though he would assaulte theim, albeit, he fained after, not onely to abstaine, but to goe awaie from them for feare : the whiche Aniball belevyng to bee true, for to pursue hym with greater force, and for to bee able more easely to oppresse him, drewe out 216
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
all the garrisons of theim : The whiche Scipio knowing, THE sente Massinissa his Capitaine to overcome them. SEVENTH
Firms makyng warre in Sclavonic, to the chiefe citee of HOOKE the same countrie, where were brought many menne in Howe Pirrus Garrison, fained to dispaire to bee able to winne it, and ^anthechiefe tourning to other places, made that the same for to sue- J cour them, emptied it self of the warde, and became easie to bee wonne. Many have corrupted the water, and have A pnlicie to tourned the rivers an other waie to take Tounes. Also the £et atowm-. besieged, are easely made to yelde them selves, makyng How the be- theim afraied, with signifiyng unto them a victorie gotten, S1^f or with new aides, whiche come in their disfavour. The old n Capitaines have sought to gette Tounes by treason, corrupt- yng some within, but thei have used divers meanes. Sum have sente a manne of theirs, whiche under the name of Howe to pet a t'ugetive, might take aucthoritie and truste with the a towne by enemies, who after have used it to their profite. Some by treason- this meanes, have understode the nianer of the watche, and by meanes of thesame knowledge, have taken the Toune. Some with a Carte, or with Beames under some colour, have letted the gate, that it could not bee shutte, and with this waie, made the entrie easie to the enemie. Aniball per- A policie of swaded one, to give him a castle of the Romanies, and that Ani >all for
i i f • . i ii_ • i j. i the betraiyng
he should fain to go a huntyng in the night, makyng as 0faCa8tell.
though he could not goe by daie, for feare of the enemies,
and tournyng after with the Venison, should put in with
hym certaine of his menne, and so killyng the watchmen,
should give hvm the gate. Also the besieged are beguiled, How the
with drawyng them out of the Tonne, and goyng awaie besieged maie
from them, faining to flie when thei assault thee. And b
many (emong whom was Anibal) have for no other intente,
let their Campe to be taken, but to have occasion to get be-
twcne theim and home, and to take their Toune. Also, "°w Formion
. ., , . , „ . i /• ,i overcame the
thei are beguiled with fainyng to departe from them, us r.li(.jl|t.llsjaI18>
Formion of Athens did, who havyng spoiled the countrie of the Caleidensians, received after their ambassadours, fillyng their Citee with faire promises, and hope of safetie, under the which as simple menne, thei were a little after of For- EE 217
THE
SEVENTH BOOKE
What the be sieged muste take heede of.
Liberalitie maketh enemies frendes.
The diligence that the besieged ought to use in their watche and ward.
An order of Alcibiades for the dew keping of watch and warde.
THE AllTE OF WARRE
mione oppressed. The besieged ought to beware of the men, whiche thei have in suspecte emong them : but some times thei are wont, as well to assure them selves with deserte, as with punishemente. Marcellus knoweyng how Lucius Bancius a Nolane, was tourned to favour Aniball, so moche humanitie and liberalitie, he used towardes him, that of an enemie, he made him moste frendely. The besieged ought to use more diligence in the warde, when the enemie is gone from theim, then when he is at hande. And thei ought to warde those places, whiche thei thinke, that maie bee hurt least : for that many tounes have been loste, when thenemie assaulteth it on thesame part, where thei beleve not possible to be assaulted. And this deceipt groweth of twoo causes, either for the place being strong, and to beleve, that it is invinsible, or through craft beyng used of the enemie, in assaltyng theim on one side with fained laroms, and on the other without noise, and with verie assaltes in deede : and therefore the besieged, ought to have greate advertisment, and above all thynges at all times, and in especially in the night to make good watche to bee kepte on the walles, and not onely to appoincte menne, but Dogges, and soche fiearse Mastives, and lively, the whiche by their sente maie descrie the enemie, and with barkyng discover him : and not Dogges onely, but Geese have ben seen to have saved a citee, as it happened to Roome, when the Frenchemen besieged the Capitoll.
Alcibiades for to see, whether the warde watched, Athense beeyng besieged of the Spartaines, ordained that when in the night, he should lifte up a light, all the ward should lift up likewise, constitutyng punishmente to hym that observed it not.
Isicrates of Athens killed a watchman, which slept, saiyng, that he lefte him as he found him. Those that have been besieged, have used divers meanes, to sende advise to their frendes : and mindyng not to send their message by mouth, thei have written letters in Cifers, and hidden them in sundrie wise : the Cifers be according, as plcaseth him that ordaineth them, the maner of hidyng them is divers. Some
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have written within the scaberde of a sweard : Other have THE put the Letters in an unbaked lofe, and alter have baked SEVENTH the same, and given it for meate to hym that caried theini. BOOKE Certaine have hidden them, in the secreteste place of their The secrete bodies: other have hidden them in the collor of a Dogge, conveighyng that is familiare with hym, wliiche carrieth theini: Some ofLetters- have written in a letter ordinarie thinges. and after betwene thone line and thother, have also written with water, that wetyng it or warning it after, the letters should appere. This waie hath been moste politikely observed in our time : where some myndyng to signifie to their freendes inhabityng within a towne, thinges to be kept secret, and mindynge not to truste any person, have sente common matters written, accord vng to the common use and enterlined it, as I have saied above, and the same have made to be hanged on the gates of the Temples, the wliiche by countersignes beyng knowen of those, unto whome they have been sente, were taken of and redde : the whiche way is moste politique, bicause he that carrieth them maie bee beguiled, and there shall happen hym no perill. There be moste infinite other waies, whiche every manne maie by himself rede and h'nde : but with more facilitie, the besieged maie bee written unto, then the besieged to their frendes without, for that soche letters cannot be sent, but by one, under colour of a fuge- tive, that commeth out of a toune : the whiche is a daun- gerous and perilous thing, when thenemie is any whit craftie : But those that sende in, he that is sente, maie under many colours, goe into the Campe that besiegeth, and from thens takyng conveniente occasion, maie leape into the toune : but lette us come to speake of the present winnyng of tounes. I saie that if it happen, that thou bee besieged in thy citee, whiche is not ordained with diches within, as a little before we shewed, to my rule that thenemie shall not enter through the breach of the walle, whiche the artillerie maketh : bicause there is no remedie to lette thesame from makyng of a breache, it is therefore necessarie for thee, The defence whileste the ordinance battereth, to caste a diche within gainst a the wall which is battered, and that it be in bredth at It-astc l
219
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THE twoo and twcntie yardes and a halfe, and to throwe all the- SEVENTH same that is digged towardes the toun, whiche maie make a BOOKE banke, and the diche more deper : and it is convenient for thee, to sollicitate this worke in soche wise, that when the walle falleth, the Diche maie be digged at least, fower or five yardes in depth : the whiche diche is necessarie, while it is a digging, to shutte it on every side with a slaughter house : and when the wall is so strong, that it giveth thee time to make the diche, and the slaughter houses, that bat tered parte, commeth to be moche stronger, then the rest of the citee : for that soche fortificacion, cometh to have the forme, of the diches which we devised within : but when the walle is weake, and that it giveth thee not tyme, to make like fortificacions, then strengthe and valiauntnesse muste bee shewed, settyng againste the enemies armed menne, with all thy force. This maner of fortificacion was observed of the Pisans, when you besieged theim, and thei might doe it, bicause thei had strong walles, whiche gave them time, the yearth beyng softe and moste meete to raise up banckes, and to make fortificacions: where if thei had lacked this commoditie, thei should have loste the toune. Therefore it shall bee alwaies prudently doen, to provide afore hand, makyng diches within the citee, and through out all the circuite thereof, as a little before wee devised : for that in this case, the enemie maie safely be taried for at laisure, the fortificacions beyng redy made. The an- How the tiquitie many tymes gotte tounes, with muinyng under
antiquitie got ground in twoo maners, either thei made a waie under muirfing grounde secretely, whiche risse in the toune, and by thesame
under entered, in whiche maner the Romaines toke the citee of
grounde. Veienti, or with the muinyng, thei overthrewe a walle, and
made it ruinate : this laste waie is now a daies moste stronge, and maketh, that the citees placed high, be most weake, bicause thei maie better bee under muined : and puttyng after in a Cave of this Gunne pouder, whiche in a momente kindelyng, not onely ruinateth a wall, but it openeth the hilles, and utterly dissolveth the strength of them.
The remedie for this, is to builde in the plain, and to 220
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make the cliche that compasseth thy citee, so deepe, that THE the enemie maie not digge lower then thesame, where he SEVENTH shall not Hnde water, whiche onely is enemie to the caves: ROOKE for if thou be in a toune, which thou dcfendcst on a high The reamedic ground, thou canst not remedie it otherwise, then to make "gainst Caves within thy walles many deepe Welles, the whiche be as or umler- drouners to thesame Caves, that the enemie is able to "' ordain against thee. An other remedie there is, to make a cave againste it, when thou shouldeste bee aware where he muineth, the whiche waie easely hindereth hym, but diffi- cultly it is foreseen, beyng besieged of a craftie enemie. He that is besieged, ought above al thinges to have care, what rare not to bee oppressed in the tyme of reste : as is after a the besieged battaile fought, after the watche made, whiche is in the ought to have. Mornyng at breake of daie, and in the Evenyng betwen daie and night, and above al, at meale times : in whiche tyme many tounes have been wonne, and armies have been of them within ruinated : therefore it is requisite with diligence on all partes, to stande alwaies garded, and in a good part armed. I will not lacke to tell you, how that, What maketh whiche maketh a citee or a campe difficult to be defended, ;i (-itce or is to be driven to kepe sundred all the force, that thou haste cai"I)C (1jffi in theim, for that the enemie beyng able to assaulte thee at defended. his pleasure altogether, it is conveniente for thee on every side, to garde every place, and so he assaulteth thee with all his force, and thou with parte of thine defendest thee. Also, the besieged maie bee overcome altogether, he with out cannot bee, but repulced : wherefore many, whom have been besieged, either in a Campe, or in a Toune, although thei have been inferiour of power, have issued out with their men at a sodaine, and have overcome the enemie. This Marcellus of Nola did : this did Cesar in Fraunce, where his Campe beeyng assaulted of a mostc great nomber of Frenchmen, and seeyng hymself not able to defende it, beyng constrained to devide his force into many partes, and not to bee able standyng within the Listes, with violence to renulce thenemie : he opened the campe on thone side, and turning towardes thesame parte with all his
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THE power, made so moche violence against them, and with so
SEVENTH moche valiantnes, that he vanquisshed and overcame them.
BOOKE The constancie also of the besieged, causeth many tymes
By what displeasure, and maketh afraied them that doe besiege.
meanes thei Pompei beyng against Cesar, and Cesars armie beeyng in
that besiege fyreate distresse through famine, there was brought of his
ar made ° • ' • L i c
afraied bredde to Jrompei, whom seyng it made 01 grasse, com-
maunded, that it should not bee shewed unto his armie, least it shoulde make them afraide, seyng what enemies they had Honour got against theim. Nothyng caused so muche honour to the by constancie. Romaines in the warre of Aniball, as their constancie : for as muche as in what so ever envious, and adverse fortune thei were troubled, they never demaunded peace, thei never made anie signe of feare, but rather when Aniball was aboute Rome, thei solde those fieldes, where he had pitched his campe, dearer then ordinarie in other times shoulde have been solde : and they stoode in so much obstinacie in their enterprises, that for to defende Rome, thei would not raise their campe from Capua, the whiche in the verie same time that Roome was besieged, the Romaines did besiege.
I knowe that I have tolde you of manie thynges, the whiche by your selfe you might have understoode, and con sidered, notwithstanding I have doen it (as to daie also I have tolde you) for to be abell to shewe you better by meane therof, the qualitie of this armie, and also for to satisfie those, if there be anie, whome have not had the same commoditie to understand them as you. Nor me thinkes that there resteth other to tell you, then certaine generall rules, the whiche you shal have moste familiar, which be these.
Generall rules The same that helpeth the enemie, hurteth thee : and the of warre. same that helpeth thee, hurteth the enemie.
He that shall be in the warre moste vigilant to observe the devises of the enemie, and shall take moste payne to exercise his armie, shall incurre least perilles and maie hope moste of the victorie.
Never conducte thy men to faight the field, if first thou hast not confirmed their mindes and knowest them to be 222
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without feare, and to be in good order: for thou oughteste THE never to enterprise any dangerous tliyng with thy soul- SEVENTH diours, but when thou secst, that they hope to overcome. BOOKE
It is better to conquere the enemie with faminne, then with yron : in the victorie of which, fortune maie doe much more then valiantnesse.
No purpose is better then that, whiche is hidde from the enemie untill thou have executed it.
To know in the warre how to understande occasion, and to take it, helpeth more then anie other thynge.
Nature breedeth few stronge menne, the industrie and the exercise maketh manic.
Discipline maie doe more in warre, then furie.
When anie departe from the enemies side for to come to serve thee, when thei be faithfull, thei shalbe unto thee alwaies great gaines : for that the power of thadvcrsarics are more demmisshed with the losse of them, that runne awaie, then of those that be slaine, although that the name of a fugetive be to new frendes suspected, to olde odius.
Better it is in pitchyng the fielde, to reserve behynde the first front aide inoughe, then to make the fronte bigger to disperse the souldiours.
He is difficultely overcome, whiche can know his owne power and the same of the enemie.
The valiantenesse of the souldiours availeth more then the multitude.
Some times the situacion helpeth more then the valiante nesse.
New and sudden thynges, make armies afrayde.
Slowe and accustomed thinges, be littell regarded of them. Therfore make thy armie to practise and to know with small faightes a new enemie, before thou come to faight the fielde with him.
He that with disorder foloweth the enemie after that he is broken, will doe no other, then to become of a comjtierour a loser.
He that prepareth not necessarie victualles to live upon, is overcome without vron.
THE
SEVENTH BOOKE
How to
consults.
What thynges are the strength of the warre.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
He that trusteth more in horsemen then in footemen, or more in footemen then in horsemen, must accommodate him selfe with the situacion.
When thou wilte see if in the daie there be comen anie spie into the Campe, cause everie man to goe to his lodgynge.
Chaunge purpose, when thou perceivest that the enemie hath forseene it.
Consulte with many of those thinges, which thou oughtest to dooe : the same that thou wilt after dooe, conferre with fewe.
Souldiours when thei abide at home, are mainteined with feare and punishemente, after when thei ar led to the warre, with hope and with rewarde.
Good Capitaines come never to faight the fielde, excepte necessitie constraine theim, and occasion call them.
Cause that thenemies know not, how thou wilte order thy armie to faight, and in what so ever maner that thou ordainest it, make that the firste bande may be received of the seconde and of the thirde.
In the faight never occupie a battell to any other thyng, then to the same, for whiche thou haste apoincted it, if thou wilt make no disorder.
The sodene accidentes, with difficultie are reamedied : those that are thought upon, with facilitie.
Men, yron, money, and bread, be the strengthe of the warre, but of these fower, the first twoo be moste necessarie : because men and yron, finde money and breade : but breade and money fynde not men and yron.
The unarmed riche man, is a bootie to the poore souldiour.
Accustome thy souldiours to dispise delicate livyng and lacivius aparell.
This is as muche as hapneth me generally to remember you, and I know that there might have ben saied manie other thynges in all this my reasonynge : as should be, how and in howe manie kinde of waies the antiquitie ordered their bandes, how thei appareled them, and how in manie other thynges they exercised them, and to have joygned
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
hereunto manie other particulars, the whiche I have not THK
judged necessarie to shew, as wel for that you your self SEVENTH
may se them, as also for that my intente hath not been to BOOKE
shew juste how the olcle servis of warre was apoinctcd, but
ho we in these daies a servis of warre might be ordained,
whiche should have more vertue then the same that is
used. Wherfore I have not thought good of the auncient
thynges to reason other, then that, which I have judged to
suche introduction necessarie. I know also that I might
have delated more upon the service on horsebacke, and after
have reasoned of the warre on the Sea : for as muche as he
that destinguissheth the servis of warre, saieth, how there
is an armie on the sea, and of the lande, on foote, and on
horsebacke. Of that on the sea, I will not presume to speake,
for that I have no knowledge therof: but I will let the
Genoues, and the Venecians speake therof, whome with
like studies have heretofore doen great thinges.
Also of horses, I wil speake no other, then as afore I have saied, this parte beynge (as I have declared) least corrupted. Besides this, the footemen being wel ordained, which is the puissance of the armie, good horses of necessitie will come to be made.
Onely I counsel him that would ordayne the exercise of Provisions armes in his owne countrev, and desireth to fill the same that maie bee
.. , i , .1,11 • • it made to till ;»
with good horses, that he make two provisions: the one H^imef,,!! is, that he destribute Mares of a good race throughe his g00ti horse, dominion, and accustome his menne to make choise of coltes, as you in this countrie make of Calves and Mules : the other is, that to thentente the excepted might finde a byer, I woulde prohibet that no man should kepe a Mule excepte he woulde keepe a horse : so that he that woulde kepe but one beaste to ride on, shoulde be constrained to keepe a horse : and moreover that no man should weare fine cloathe except he which doeth kcepe a horse : this order I under stande hath beene devised of certaine princes in our time, whome in short space have therby, brought into their countrey an excellente numbre of good horses. Aboute the other thynges, as much as might be looked for con- FF 225
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The know ledge that a capitaine oughte to have.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
cernynge horse, I remit to as much as I have saied to dale, and to that whiche they use. Peradventure also you woulde desire to understand what condicions a Capitaine ought to have : wherof I shal satisfie you moste breeflie : for that I cannot tell how to chose anie other man then the same, who shoulde know howe to doe all those thynges whiche this daie hath ben reasoned of by us : the which also should not suffise, when he should not knowe howe to devise of him selfe : for that no man without invencion, was ever ex cellent in anie science : and if invencion causeth honour in other thynges, in this above all, it maketh a man honorable : for everie invention is seen, although it were but simple, to be of writers celebrated : as it is seen, where Alexander Magnus is praised, who for to remove his Campe moste secretely, gave not warnyng with the Trumpette, but with a hatte upon a Launce. And was praised also for havyng taken order that his souldiours in buckelynge with the enemies, shoulde kneele with the lefte legge, to bee able more strongly to withstande their violence : the whiche havyng geven him the victorie, it got him also so muche praise, that all the Images, whiche were erected in his honour, stoode after the same facion. But because it is tyme to finishe this reasonyng, I wil turne againe to my first purpose, and partly I shall avoide the same reproche, wherin they use to condempne in this towne, such as knoweth not when to make an ende.
Theauctorre- If you remembre Cosimus you tolde me, that I beyng of torneth to his one side an exalter of the antiquitie, and a dispraiser of first purpose those, which in waightie matters imitated them not, and of the other side, I havynge not in the affaires of war, wherin I have taken paine, imitated them, you coulde not perceive the occasion : wherunto I answered, how that men which wil doo any thing, muste firste prepare to knowe how to doe it, for to be able, after to use it, when occasion permitteth : whether I doe know how to bryng the servis of warre to the auncient manners or no, I will be judged by you, whiche have hearde me upon this matter longe dispute : wherby you may know, how much time I have consumed 226
and maketh a littel discorse to make an ende of his reasonyng.
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
in these studies: and also I beleeve that you male imagen, THE how much desire is in me to brynge it to etfecte : the whiche SEVENTH whether I have been able to have doen, or that ever occa- BOOKE sion hath been geven me, most easely you maie conjecture : yet for to make you more certaine and for my better justi- ticacion, I will also aledge the occasions : and as much as I have promised, I will partely performe, to shew you the difHeultie and the facelitie, whiche bee at this presente in suche imitacions.
Therfore I saie, how that no deede that is doen now a A prince may daies emong men, is more easie to be reduced unto the east>l'e l)r>'»tfe aunciente maners, then the service of Warre : but by them fectimf the*' onely that be Princes of so nioche state, who can at least servis of gather together of their owne subjectes, xv. or twentie warre. thousande yong menne: otherwise, no thyng is more diffi- culte, then this, to them whiche have not soche commoditie: and for that you maie the better understande this parte, you have to knowe, howe that there bee of twoo condicions, ('apitaines to bee praised : The one are those, that with an Two sortes of armie ordained through the naturalle discipline thereof, Capitaines have dooen greate thynges : as were the greater parte of w»>rthieto bee the llomaine Citezeins, and suche as have ledde armies, 1>ra the which have had no other paine, then to maintaine them good, and to se them guided safely : the other are they, whiche not onely have had to overcome the enemie, but before thev come to the same, have been constrained to make good and well ordered their armie : who without doubte deserve muche more praise, then those have de served, which with olde armies, and good, have valiantely wrought. Of these, such wer Pelopida, and Epaminonda, Tullua Hostillius. Phillip of Macedony father of Alexander, Cirus kvng of the Percians, Graccus a Romaine : they all were driven first to make their armies good, and after to fuightc with them : they all coulde doe it, as well through? their prudence, as also for havvnge subjectes whonie thei might in like exercises instruct : nor itshuld never have ben otherwise possible, that anie of theim, though thev had ben never so good and ful of al excellencie, should have
227
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THE been able in a straunge countrey, full of men corrupted, SEVENTH not used to anie honest obedience, to have brought to passe BOOKE anie laudable worke. It suffiseth not then in Italic, to know how to governe an army made, but first it is necessarie to know how to make it and after to know how to commaunde it : and to do these things it is requisit they bee those princes, whome havyng much dominion, and subjectes inoughe, maie have commoditie to doe it : of whiche I can not bee, who never commaunded, nor cannot commaunde, but to armies of straungers, and to men bounde to other, and not to me : in whiche if it be possible, or no, to introduce anie of those thynges that this daie of me hath ben reasoned, I will leave it to your judgement.
Albeit when coulde I make one of these souldiours which now a daies practise, to weare more armur then the ordi- narie, and besides the armur, to beare their owne meate for two or three daies, with a mattocke : When coulde I make theim to digge, or keepe theim every daie manie howers armed, in fained exercises, for to bee able after in the verie thyng in deede to prevaile? When woulde thei abstaine from plaie, from laciviousnesse, from swearynge, from the insolence, whiche everie daie they committe? when would they be reduced into so muche dissepline, into so much obedience and reverence, that a tree full of appels in the middest of their Campe, shoulde be founde there and lefte untouched ? As is redde, that in the auncient armies manie times hapned. What thynge maye I promis them, by meane wherof thei may have me in reverence to love, or to feare, when the warre beyng ended, they have not anie more to doe with me? wher of maie I make them ashamed, whiche be borne and brought up without shame ? whie shoulde thei be ruled by me who knowe me not ? By what God or by what sainctes may I make them to sweare ? By those that thei worship, or by those that they blaspheme ? Who they worship I knowe not anie : but I knowe well they blaspheme all. How shoulde I beleeve that thei will keepe their promise to them, whome everie hower they dispise ? How can they, that dispise God, reverence men? Then 228
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
what good fashion shoulde that be, whiche might be im- THE pressed in this matter? And if you should aledge unto SEVENTH me that Suyz/ers and Spaniardes bee good souldiours, I BOOKE woulde conlesse unto you, how they be farre better then the Italians : but if you note my reasonynge, and the maner of procedyng of bothe, you shall see, howe they lacke many thynges to joygne to the perfection of the antiquetie. And how the Suyzzers be made good of one of their naturall uses caused of that, whiche to daie I tolde you : those other are made good by mean of a necessitie : for that servyng in a straunge countrie, and secmyng unto them to be con strained either to die, or to overcome, thei perceivynge to have no place to Hie, doe become good: but it is a good - nesse in manie partes fawtie : for that in the same there is no other good, but that they bee accustomed to tarie the enemie at the Pike and sweardes poincte : nor that, which thei lacke, no man should be meete to teache them, and so much the lesse, he that coulde not speake their language.
Hut let us turne to the Italians, who for havynge not had wise Princes, have not taken anie good order : and for havvng not had the same necessitie, whiche the Spaniardes have hadde, they have not taken it of theim selves, so that they remaine the shame of the worlde : and the people be not to blame, but onely their princes, who have The Aurtnr ben chastised, and for their ignorance have ben justely "cuseth^the punisshed, leesinge moste shamefully their states, without j'^j'j'/t,, tin- shewing anie vertuous ensample. And if you will see jfreatrepror whether this that I say be trew : consider how manie of their warres have ben in Italic since the departure of kyng prynres for Charles to this day, where the war beyng wonte to make anceVrrthe men warlvke and of reputacion, these the greater and fierser ;iffajres of that they have been, so muche the more they have made warre. the reputacion of the members and of the headdes therof to bee loste. This proveth that it groweth, that the ac customed orders were not nor bee not good, and of the newe orders, there is not anie whiche have knowen how to bike them. Nor never beleeve that reputacion will be gotten, bv the Italians weapons, but bv the same waie that
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THE
SEVENTH BOOKE
A discription of the folishe- nesse of the Italian princes.
Cesar and Alexander, were the for moste in battell.
THE ARTE OF WARRE
I have shewed, and by means of theim, that have great states in Italic : for that this forme maie be impressed, in simple rude men, of their owne, and not in malicious, ill brought up, and straungers. Nor there shall never bee founde anie good mason, whiche will beleeve to be able to make a faire image of a peece of Marbell ill hewed, but verye well of a rude peece.
Our Italian Princes beleved, before thei tasted the blowes of the outlandishe warre, that it should suffice a Prince to knowe by writynges, how to make a subtell answere, to write a goodly letter, to shewe in saiynges, and in woordes, witte and promptenesse, to knowe how to canvas a fraude, to decke theim selves with precious stones and gold, to slepe and to eate with greater glorie then other : To keepe many lascivious persones aboute them, to governe theim selves with their subjectes, covetuously and proudely : To rotte in idlenesse, to give the degrees of the exercise of warre, for good will, to despise if any should have shewed them any laudable waie, minding that their wordes should bee aunswers of oracles : nor the sely wretches were not aware, that thei prepared theim selves to bee a praie, to whom so ever should assaulte theim. Hereby grewe then in the thousande fower hundred nintie and fower yere, the greate feares, the sodain flightes, and the marveilous losses : and so three most mightie states which were in Italic, have been divers times sacked and destroied. But that which is worse, is where those that remaine, continue in the verie same erroure, and live in the verie same disorder, and consider not, that those, who in old time would kepe their states, caused to be dooen these thynges, which of me hath been reasoned, and that their studies wer, to prepare the body to diseases, and the minde not to feare perilles. Whereby gre\ve that Cesar, Alexander, and all those menne and excellente Princes in old tyme, were the formoste emongest the faighters, goyng armed on foote : and if thei loste their state, thei would loose their life, so that thei lived and died vertuously. And if in theim, or in parte of theim, there might bee con- dernpned to muche ambicion to reason of: yet there shall
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NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
never bee founde, that in theim is condempned any tender- THE nesse, or any thynge that maketh menne delicate and feahle : SEVENTH the whit-he thyng, if of these Princes were redde and beleved, BOOKE it should be impossible, that thci should not change their forme of living, and their provinces not to chaunge fortune. And for that you in the beginnyiig of this our reasonyng, lamented your ordinaunces, I sale unto you, that if you had ordained it, as I afore have reasoned, and it had given of it self no good experience, you might with reason have been greved therewith: but it it bee not so ordained, and exercised, as I have saied, it male be greeved with you, who have made a counterfaite thereof, and no perfecte figure. The Venecians also, and the Duke of Ferare, beganne it, and The Vene- followed it not, the whiche hath been through their faulte, clans and the
not through their menne. And therfore I assure you, that an toh^ve who so ever of those, whiche at this daie have states in reduced the Italie, shall enter firste into this waie, shall be firste, before warfare to the any other, Lorde of this Province, and it shall happen to his Aunciente state, as to the kyngdome of the Macedonians, the which ™aners- comrnyng under Philip, who had learned the maner of settyng armies in order of Epaminondas a Thebane, became with this order, and with these exercises (whilcste the reste of Grece stoode in idlenesse, and attended to risite comedes) so puisant, that he was able in few yeres to possesse it all, and to leave soche foundacion to his sonne, that he was able to make hymself, prince of all the world. He then He that de- that despiseth these studies, if he be a Prince, despiseth his JjJ^f Princedome: if he bee a Citezein, his Citee. Wherefore, J>e™, de- I lamente me of nature, the whiche either ought not to s,,ist.th his have made me a knower of this, or it ought to have given own welthe. me power, to have been able to have executed it : For now beyng olde, I cannot hope to have any occasion, to bee able so to dooe : In consideracion whereof, I have been liberall with you, who beeyng grave yong menne, nuiie (when the thynges saied of me shall please you) at due tymes in favour of your Princes, helpe theim and counsaile them, wherein I would have you not to bee afraied, or mis- trustfull, bicause this Province seemes to bee altogether given,
'..!.' i 1
THE ARTE OF WARRE
to raise up againe the thynges dedde, as is seen by the per-
SEVENTH feccion that poesie, paintyng, and writing, is now brought
BOOKE Unt0 . Albeit, as moche as is looked for of me, beyng
strooken in yeres, I do mistruste. Where surely, if Fortune
had heretofore graunted me so moche state, as suffiseth for
a like enterprise, I would not have doubted, but in moste
shorte tyme, to have shewed to the worlde, how moche the
aunciente orders availe : and without peradventure,
either I would have increased it with glory, or
loste it without shame.
The ende of the seventh and laste booke of the arte of
warre, of Nicholas Machiavell, Citezein and Secretarie of
Florence, translated out of Italian into Englishe :
By Peter Whitehorne, felow of Graise Inne.
232
NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL,
CITEZEIN AND SECRETARIE
OF FLORENCE,
TO
THE READERS.
GG
THE ARTE OF WARRE
NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL,
CITEZEIN AND SECRETARIE OF FLORENCE, TO THE READERS
0 thentente that such as rede this booke male without ditficultie understande the order of the battailes, or bandes of men, and of the armies, and lodgynges in the Campe, accordynge as they in the dis- cription of theim are apoincted, I thinke it necessarie to shewe you the figure of everie one of them : wherefore it is
requiset firste, to declare unto you, by what poinctes and letters, the footemen, the horsemen, and everie other par- ticuler membre are set foorthe.
KNOW THERFORE THAT
* "1 [Target men.
| Pikemen.
J [a Capitaine of ten men.
V Veliti ordinarie. ) which ar those men
TC } ( Veliti extraordinari fth,at shoote with hai'-
C [ ja Centurion or cap- cabuses or bowes-
[ taine of a hundred men.
Constable or a captaine of a band of fower hundred and fiftie men. The hed captain of a maine battel.
e general Captaine of the whole armie. [The Trompet. The Drum. [The Ansigne.
The Standerde. [Men of Armes. •j Light horsemen.
1 Artillerie or ordinance.
Signifieth
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
In the first figure nexte folowyng, is discribed the forme of an ordinarie battaile or bande of fower hundred and fiftie men, and in what maner it is redoubled by Hankc. And also how with the verie same order of Ixxx. rankes, by chaungyng onely to the hinder parte the five rankes of Pikes which were the formost of everie Centurie, thei mayc likewise in bringyng them in battaile raie, come to bee placed behinde : whiche may be doen, when in marchyng, the enemies should come to assaulte them at their backes : accordynge as the orderyng therof is before declared. Fol. 87.
In the seconde figure, is shewed how a battaile or bande of men is ordered, whiche in marchyng should be driven to faight en the flanke : accordyng as in the booke is declared. Fol. 87.
In the thirde figure, is shewed how a battaile or bande of men, is ordered with two homes, fol. 88, and after is shewed how the same maie be made with a voide place in the middest : accordynge as the orderyng therof, in the booke moste plainely is declared, fol. 89.
In the fowerth figure, is shewed the forme or facion of an armie apoincted to faight the battaile with the enemies : and for the better understandynge thereof, the verie same is plainlier set foorthe in the figure next unto it, wherby the other two figures next folowyng maie the easier be under- stoode : accordynge as in the booke is expressed. Fol. 105.
In the fifte figure, is shewed the forme of a fower square armie: as in the booke is discribed. Fol. 15°..
In the sixte figure, is shewed howe an Armie is brought from a fower square facion, to the ordinarie forme, to faight a fielde: accordyng as afore is declared. Fol. 15(5.
In the seventh figure, is discribod the maner of in- camping : according as the same in the booke is declared. Fol. 174.
THE FIRSTE
This is the maner of ordering of