rewarde, whereby thei maie bee more contented, and better bee
commaunded, whereof I would understande in this parte your opinion, and
whether you love better the greate nomber, than the little, and what
waie you would take to chuse theim in the one, and in the other nomber.

FABRICIO. Without doubte it is better, and more necessary, the great
nomber, then the little: but to speake more plainly, where there cannot
be ordeined a great nomber of men, there cannot be ordeined a perfect
ordinaunce: and I will easely confute all the reasons of them
propounded. I saie therefore firste, that the lesse nomber where is many
people, as is for ensample Tuscane, maketh not that you have better, nor
that the chosen be more excellent, for that myndyng in chosing the
menne, to judge them by experience, there shall be founde in thesame
countrie moste fewe, whom experience should make provable, bothe for
that fewe hath been in warre, as also for that of those, mooste fewe
have made triall, whereby thei might deserve to bee chosen before the
other: so that he whiche ought in like places to chuse, it is mete he
leave a parte the experience, and take them by conjecture. Then being
brought likewise into soche necessitie, I would understande, if there
come before me twentie young men of good stature, with what rule I ought
to take, or to leave any: where without doubte, I beleve that every man
will confesse, how it is lesse errour to take them al, to arme theim and
exercise theim, beyng not able to knowe, whiche of theim is beste, and
to reserve to make after more certaine chosen, when in practisyng theim
with exercise, there shall be knowen those of moste spirite, and of
moste life: which considered, the chusing in this case a fewe, to have
them better, is altogether naught.

Concernyng diseasing lesse the countrie, and men, I saie that the
ordinaunce, either evill or little that it bee, causeth not any disease,
for that this order doeth not take menne from any of their businesse, it
bindeth them not, that thei cannot go to doe any of their affaires: for
that it bindeth them onely in the idell daies, to assemble together, to
exercise them, the whiche thyng doeth not hurt, neither to the countrie,
nor to the men, but rather to yong men it shall bryng delite: For that
where vilie on the holy daies thei stande idell in tipplyng houses, thei
will go for pleasure to those exercises, for that the handlyng of
weapons, as it is a goodly spectacle, s