Page:Sir Thomas Browne's works, volume 3 (1835).djvu/414

 of evulsion, compression, or incision; which consisting of two vectes, or arms, converted towards each other, the innitency and stress being made upon the hypomochlion, or fulciment in the decussation, the greater compression is made by the union of two impulsors.

The Roman batalia was ordered after this manner, whereof as sufficiently known, Virgil hath left but an hint, and obscure intimation. For thus were the maniples and cohorts of the hastati, principes, and triarii placed in their bodies, wherein consisted the strength of the Roman battle. By this ordination they readily fell into each other; the hastati being pressed, handsomely retired into the intervals of the principes, these into that of the triarii, which making as it were a new body, might jointly renew the battle, wherein consisted the secret of their successes. And therefore it was remarkably singular in the battle of Africa, that Scipio, fearing a rout from the elephants of the enemy, left not the principes in their alternate distances, whereby the elephants, passing the vacuities of the hastati, might have run upon them, but drew his battle into right order, and leaving the passages bare, defeated the mischief intended by the elephants. Out of this figure were made two remarkable forms of battle, the cuneus and forceps, or the shear and wedge battles, each made of half a rhombus, and but differenced by position. The wedge invented to break or work into a body, the forceps to environ and defeat the power thereof, composed out of the selectest soldiery, and disposed into the form of a V, wherein receiving the wedge, it inclosed it on both sides. After this form the famous Narses ordered his battle against the Franks, and by this figure the Almans were enclosed, and cut in pieces.

The rhombus or lozenge-figure so visible in this order, was also a remarkable form of battle in the Grecian cavalry, observed by the Thessalians, and Philip King of Macedon, and