tage more of the one,
then of thother, that the Romaines could overcome the men, and the
horses, the Duchemen onely the horses.

COSIMO. I would desire, that you would come to some more particulare
insample, whereby wee maie better understande.

[Sidenote: An ensample whiche proveth that horsemen with staves, cannot
prevaile against footemen with Pikes, and what great advauntage the
armed have, againste the unarmed. The victory of Carminvola against the
Duchemen.]

FABRICIO. I saie thus, that you shall finde in many places of our
histories, the Romain footemen to have overcome innumerable horses, and
you shall never finde, that thei have been overcome of men on foote, for
default that thei have had in their armour, or thorowe the vantage that
the enemie hath had in the armours: For that if the maner of their
armyng, should have had defaulte, it had been necessarie, that there
should folowe, the one of these twoo thynges, either that findyng soche,
as should arme theim better then thei, thei should not have gone still
forwardes, with their conquestes, or that thei should have taken the
straungers maners, and should have left their owne, and for that it
folowed not in the one thing, nor in the other, there groweth that ther
maie be easely conjectured, that the maner of their armyng, was better
then thesame of any other. It is not yet thus happened to the Duchemen,
for that naughtie profe, hath ben seen made them, when soever thei have
chaunsed to faight with men on foote prepared, and as obstinate as thei,
the whiche is growen of the vauntage, whiche thesame have incountred in
thenemies armours. Philip Vicecounte of Milaine, being assaulted of
xviii. thousande Suizzers, sent against theim the Counte Carminvola,
whiche then was his capitaine. He with sixe thousande horse, and a fewe
footemen, went to mete with them, and incounteryng theim, he was
repulsed with his moste greate losse: wherby Carminvola as a prudente
man, knewe straight waie the puisaunce of the enemies weapons, and how
moche against the horses thei prevailed, and the debilitie of the
horses, againste those on foote so appoincted: and gatheryng his men
together again, he went to finde the Suizzers, and so sone as he was
nere them, he made his men of armes, to a light from their horse, and in
thesame mane, faightyng with them he slue theim all, excepte three
thousande: the whiche seyng them selves to consume, without havyng
reamedy, castyng their weapons t