exercise, this advertisment, to make
theim apt to cover theim selves, and to hurte the enemie: and havyng the
counterfaight armours moste heavy, their ordinarie armours semed after
unto them more lighter. The Romanies, would that their souldiours should
hurte with the pricke, and not with the cutte, as well bicause the
pricke is more mortalle, and hath lesse defence, as also to thentent
that he that should hurt, might lye the lesse open, and be more apt to
redouble it, then with cuttes. Dooe not marvaile that these auncient
men, should thinke on these small thynges, for that where the
incounteryng of men is reasoned of, you shall perceive, that every
little vauntage, is of greate importaunce: and I remember you the same,
whiche the writers of this declare, rather then I to teache you. The
antiquitie estemed nothing move happie, in a common weale, then to be in
thesame, many men exercised in armes: bicause not the shining of
precious stones and of golde, maketh that the enemies submit themselves
unto thee, but onely the fear of the weapons: afterwarde the errours
whiche are made in other thynges, maie sometymes be corrected, but those
whiche are dooen in the warre, the paine straight waie commyng on,
cannot be amended. Besides that, the knowlege to faight, maketh men more
bold, bicause no man feareth to doe that thing, which he thinketh to
have learned to dooe. The antiquitie would therefore, that their
Citezeins should exercise themselves, in all marcial feates, and thei
made them to throwe against thesame poste, dartes moche hevier then the
ordinarie: the whiche exercise, besides the makyng men expert in
throwyng, maketh also the arme more nimble, and moche stronger. Thei
taught them also to shote in the long bowe, to whorle with the sling:
and to all these thynges, thei appoincted maisters, in soche maner, that
after when thei were chosen for to go to the warre, thei were now with
mynde and disposicion, souldiours. Nor there remained them to learn
other, then to go in the orders, and to maintain them selves in those,
either marchyng, or faightyng: The whiche moste easely thei learned,
mingeling themselves with those, whiche had long tyme served, whereby
thei knewe how to stande in the orders.

COSIMO. What exercises would you cause theim to make at this present?

[Sidenote: The exercises that souldiers ought to make in these daies;
The exercise of swimmyng; Tiber, is a river runnyng through Rome the
water wher of wi