Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/230

 1 80 Copies of Two Mamifcripts' them before they can pafs. Becaufe alfo thofe few numbers will always annoy their victuals and munition, that daily and hourly muft have free and quiet paffage unto them. Now if they tarry the- winning or yielding of them up (though it be but a day or two to- keep, you get thereby time to yourfelves to grow ftronger, and your enemy loofeth opportunity, and Waxeth weaker ; for we fee and find by experience, that huge armies lying in the fields but fifteen or fixteen weeks, are brought to that weaknefs, and their firft courage fo abateth by ficknefs and peftilence, which are hand- maids to fuch great afTemblies, in camp efpeeially, where any want of thofe things are that belong to- the good fuftentation of man's body, that they may then with fmaller numbers and lefs danger be dealt withall than at firft landing. Moreover, your people mall in that time attain to fome knowledge by daily exercife and ufe of order with their weapons ; and the terror of Ihot will be more fa- miliar to them, for it is not numbers that doth prevail, but train- ed men, refolute minds, and good order ; for if a prince would only felecT:, and fet down, and choofe out fuch men to wear as much, and employ the reft (I mean the bafer fort) to ipade and Ihovel ; there is no doubt but he lhall far fooner attain unto victory by this means, than with rude multitudes, in whom there is nor thing but confufion and diforder. Again, the fpade and the fhovel are fo neceflary inftruments in the time of war-, both to the invader and defender, as nothing is. fo impoffible that thereby may not be atchieved and made eafy, and without the employment thereof we cannot prefume at any time of fafety. I could difcourfe at large hereof in fhewing the uie and bemefit of them ; but becaufe to every man, of judgment and experience it is fufficiently known, I fhall not need to fpeak much therein, but wim you to embrace them, being to a defender fo fpecial and fmgular a commodity, in that he may better be furnifhed with infinite numbers of them. And