rmes and the legges armed, is moche more apt to defende
hymself from the Pike, and to enter emong them, then a man of armes on
foote. I wil give you a little of a late ensample. There wer come out of
Cicelie, into the kyngdome of Naples, a power of Spaniardes, for to go
to finde Consalvo, who was besieged in Barlet, of the Frenchemen: there
made against theim Mounsier de Vhigni, with his menne of armes, and with
aboute fower thousande Duchemen on foote: The Duchemen incountered with
their Pikes lowe, and thei opened the power of the Spaniardes: but those
beyng holp, by meane of their bucklers and of the agiletie of their
bodies, mingled togethers with the Duchemen, so that thei might reche
them with the swearde, whereby happened the death, almoste of all theim,
and the victorie to the Spaniardes. Every man knoweth, how many Duchemen
were slaine in the battaile of Ravenna, the whiche happened by the verie
same occasion: for that the Spanishe souldiours, got them within a
swerdes length of the Duche souldiours, and thei had destroied them all,
if of the Frenche horsemen, the Duchemen on foote, had not been
succored: notwithstandyng, the Spaniardes close together, brought
themselves into a safe place. I conclude therefore, that a good power
ought not onely to be able, to withstande the horses, but also not to
have fear of menne on foote, the which (as I have many tymes saied)
procedeth of the armours, and of the order.

[Sidenote: How to arme men, and what weapons to appoincte theim, after
the Romaine maner, and Duche facion.]

COSIMO. Tell therefore, how you would arme them?

FABRICIO. I would take of the Romaine armours, and of the Duchemennes
weapons, and I would that the one haulfe, should bee appoincted like the
Romaines, and the other haulfe like the Duchemen: for that if in sixe
thousande footemen (as I shall tell you a little hereafter) I should
have thre thousande men with Targaettes, after the Romain maner, and two
thousande Pikes, and a thousand Harkebutters, after the Duche facion,
thei should sufice me: for that I would place the Pikes, either in the
fronte of the battaile, or where I should feare moste the horses, and
those with the Targaetes and sweardes, shall serve me to make a backe to
the Pikes, and to winne the battaile, as I shall shewe you: so that I
beleeve, that a power thus ordayned, should overcome at this daye, any
other power.

COSIMO. This which hath beene saide, sufficeth concerning footeme