e menne, and for what occasion all other have
imitated theim, this order bearyng the verie same perill, concernyng the
artillerie, that those other should beare, whiche should imitate the
antiquitie. I beleve thei should not knowe what to answere: but if you
should aske soche Souldiours, as had some judgement, thei would aunswere
first, that thei go armed, for that though thesame armoure defende theim
not from the artillerie: it defendeth them from crossebowes, from Pikes,
from sweardes, from stones, and from all other hurt, that commeth from
the enemies, thei would answere also, that thei went close together,
like the Suizzers, to be able more easely to overthrow the footemen, to
be able to withstand better the horse and to give more difficultie to
the enemie to breake them: so that it is seen, that the souldiours have
to fear, many other thynges besides the ordinance: from which thynges,
with the armours, and with the orders, thei are defended: whereof
foloweth, that the better that an armie is armed, and the closer that it
hath the orders, and stronger, so moche the surer it is: so that he that
is of thesame opinion, that you saie, it behoveth either that he bee of
smalle wisedome, or that in this thyng, he hath studied verie little:
for as moche as if we see, that so little a parte of the aunciente maner
of armyng, whiche is used now a daies, that is the pike, and so little a
parte of those orders, as are the maine battailes of the Suizzers, dooe
us so moche good, and cause our armies to bee so strong, why ought not
we to beleve, that the other armours, and thother orders whiche are
lefte, be profitable? Seyng that if we have no regard to the artillerie,
in puttyng our selves close together, as the Suizzers, what other orders
maie make us more to feare thesame? For as moche as no order can cause
us so moche to feare thesame, as those, whiche bryng men together.
Besides this, if the artillerie of the enemies should not make me
afraied, in besiegyng a Toune, where it hurteth me with more safegarde,
beyng defended of a wall, I beyng not able to prevente it, but onely
with tyme, with my artillerie to lette it, after soche sorte that it
maie double the blowe as it liste, why should I feare thesame in the
field, where I maie quickly prevent it? So that I conclude thus, that
the artillerie, according to my opinion, doeth not let, that the
aunciente maners cannot be used, and to shewe the auncient vertue: and
if I had not tal