parte of Scipio, came to faight with
the weakest of Asdruball, and overcame hym. The whiche waie was then
profitable, but now havyng respect to the artillerie, it cannot be used:
bicause the same space, whiche should remain in the middest, betwene the
one armie and the other, should give tyme to thesame to shoote: The
whiche is moste pernicious, as above is saied: Therefore it is requisite
to laie this waie aside, and to use, as a little afore we saied, makyng
all the armie to incounter, and the weakest parte to give place. When a
capitaine perceiveth, that he hath a greater armie then his enemie,
mindyng to compasse hym aboute, before he be aware let hym ordaine his
fronte equall, to thesame of his adversaries, after, so sone as the
faight is begun, let hym make the fronte by a little and little to
retire, and the flanckes to deffende, and alwaies it shall happen, that
the enemie shal find hymself, before he be aware compassed about. When a
capitain will faight, as it wer sure not to be broken, let hym ordaine
his armie in place, where he hath refuge nere, and safe, either betwene
Fennes, or betwene hilles, or by some strong citee: for that in this
case, he cannot bee followed of the enemie, where the enemie maie be
pursued of him: this poincte was used of Aniball, when fortune began to
become his adversarie, and that he doubted of the valiauntnesse of
Marcus Marcello. Some to trouble the orders of the enemie, have
commaunded those that were light armed, to begin the faight, and that
beyng begunne, to retire betwene the orders: and when the armies were
after buckled together, and that the fronte of either of them were
occupied in faightyng, thei have made theim to issue out by the flanckes
of the battaile, and thesame have troubled and broken. If any perceive
hymself to bee inferiour of horse, he maie besides the waies that are
alredie shewed, place behinde his horsemen a battaile of Pikes, and in
faightyng take order, that thei give waie to the Pikes, and he shall
remain alwaies superiour. Many have accustomed to use certain fotemenne
lighte armed, to faighte emong horsemen, the whiche hath been to the
chivalrie moste greate helpe. Of all those, which have prepared armies
to the field, be moste praised Aniball and Scipio, when thei fought in
Africk: and for that Aniball had his armie made of Carthaginers, and of
straungers of divers nacions, he placed in the first fronte thereof
lxxx. Elephantes, after he placed the str