ir
vertue hath bene so mightie, grounded upon these weapons, and these
orders, that sence King Charles passed into Italie, everye nation hath
imitated them: so that the Spanish armies, are become into most great
reputation.

COSIMO. Which maner of arming, do you praise moste, either these
Dutchemens, or the auncient Romanes?

[Sidenote: Whether the Romanes maner in arming of men, be better then
the arming of men, that is used nowe a daies.]

FABRICIO. The Romane without doubte, and I will tell the commoditie, and
the discommoditie of the one, and the other. The Dutche footemen, are
able to withstande, and overcome the horses: they bee moste speedie to
marche, and to be set in araye, being not laden with armours: of the
other part, they be subjecte to all blowes, both farre of, and at hande:
because they be unarmed, they bee unprofitable unto the battaile on the
lande, and to everye fighte, where is strong resistaunce. But the
Romanes withstoode, and overcame the horses, as well as the Dutchemen,
they were safe from blowes at hande, and farre of, being covered with
armours: they were also better able to charge, and better able to
sustaine charges, having Targaettes: they might more aptly in the preace
fight with the swoorde, then these with the Pike, and though the
Dutchemen have likewise swoordes, yet being without Targaets, they
become in suche case unprofitable: The Romanes might safelye assault
townes, having their bodies cleane covered with armour, and being better
able to cover themselves with their Targaettes. So that they had no
other incommoditie, then the waightynesse of their armours, and the pain
to cary them: the whiche thinges thei overcame, with accustomyng the
body to diseases, and with hardenyng it, to bee able to indure labour.
And you knowe, how that in thinges accustomed, men suffer no grief. And
you have to understand this, that the footemen maie be constrained, to
faight with footemen, and with horse, and alwaies those be unprofitable,
whiche cannot either sustain the horses, or beyng able to sustain them,
have notwithstandyng neede to feare the footemen, whiche be better
armed, and better ordeined then thei. Now if you consider the Duchemen,
and the Romaines, you shall finde in the Duchemen activitie (as we have
said) to overcome the horses, but greate dissavauntage, when thei
faighte with menne, ordeined as thei them selves are, and armed as the
Romaines were: so that there shall be this advaun