be many bodies, and every bande of menne to have his Ansigne, and his
guide: wherfore havyng this, it is mete that thei have stomackes inough,
and by consequence life enough. Then the menne ought to marche,
accordyng to the Ansigne: and the Ansigne to move, accordyng to the
Drumme, the whiche Drumme well ordered, commaundeth to the armie, the
whiche goyng with paces, that answereth the tyme of thesame, will come
to kepe easilie thorders: for whiche cause the antiquitie had Shalmes,
Flutes, and soundes perfectly tymed: For as moche as like as he that
daunseth, proceadeth with the tyme of the Musick, and goyng with thesame
doeth not erre, even so an armie obeiyng, in movyng it self to thesame
sounde, doeth not disorder: and therefore, thei varied the sounde,
accordyng as thei would varie the mocion, and accordyng as thei would
inflame, or quiete, or staie the mindes of men: and like as the soundes
were divers, so diversly thei named them: the sounde Dorico, ingendered
constancie, the sounde Frigio, furie: whereby thei saie, that Alexander
beyng at the Table, and one soundyng the sounde Frigio, it kendled so
moche his minde, that he laied hande on his weapons. All these maners
should be necessarie to finde again: and when this should bee
difficulte, at least there would not be left behind those that teache
the Souldiour to obeie, the whiche every man maie varie, and ordeine
after his owne facion, so that with practise, he accustome the eares of
his souldiours to knowe it: But now adaies of this sounde, there is no
other fruicte taken for the moste part, then to make a rumour.

COSIMO. I would desire to understande of you, if ever with your self you
have discourced, whereof groweth so moche vilenesse, and so moche
disorder, and so moche necligence in these daies of this exercise?

[Sidenote: A notable discourse of the aucthour, declaryng whereof
groweth so moche vilenes disorder and necligence in these daies,
concernyng the exercises of warre.]

FABRICIO. With a good will I will tell you thesame, that I thinke. You
knowe how that of the excellente men of warre, there hath been named
many in Europe, fewe in Affric, and lesse in Asia: this grewe, for that
these twoo laste partes of the worlde, have had not paste one kyngdome,
or twoo, and fewe common weales, but Europe onely, hath had many
kyngdomes, and infinite common weales, where menne became excellent, and
did shewe their vertue, accordyng as thei were sette a woorke,