, nor let no man alledge Fabius, for that so moche in thesame
case, he did flie the daie of battaile, as Aniball. It happeneth many
tymes, that thy souldiours be willyng to faight, and thou knoweste by
the nomber, and by the situacion, or for some other occasion to have
disadvauntage, and desirest to make them chaunge from this desire: it
happeneth also, that necessitie, or occasion, constraineth thee to
faight, and that thy souldiours are evill to be trusted, and smally
disposed to faight: where it is necessarie in thone case, to make theim
afraied, and in the other to incourage theim: In the firste case, when
perswacions suffiseth not, there is no better waie, then to give in
praie, a part of them unto thenemie, to thintent those that have, and
those that have not fought, maie beleve thee: and it may very wel be
doen with art, thesame which to Fabius Maximus hapned by chaunce.
Tharmie of Fabius (as you knowe) desired to faight with Aniballs armie:
the very same desire had the master of his horses: to Fabius it semed
not good, to attempte the faight: so that through soche contrary
opinions, he was fain to devide the armie: Fabius kept his men in the
campe, the other fought, and commyng into great perill, had been
overthrowen, if Fabius had not rescued him: by the whiche insample the
maister of the horse, together with all the armie, knewe how it was a
wise waie to obeie Fabius. Concernyng to incourage theim to faight, it
should be well doen, to make them to disdain the enemies, shewyng how
thei speake slaunderous woordes of them, to declare to have intelligence
with them, and to have corrupted part of them, to incampe in place,
where thei maie see the enemies, and make some light skirmishe with
them, for that the thyng that is dailie seen, with more facilitie is
despised: to shewe theim to bee unworthie, and with an oracion for the
purpose, to reprehende them of their cowardnesse, and for to make them
ashamed, to tell theim that you will faight alone, when thei will not
beare you companie. And you ought above all thyng to have this
advertismente, mindyng to make the Souldiour obstinate to faight, not to
permitte, that thei maie send home any of their substaunce, or to leave
it in any place, till the warre bee ended, that thei maie understande,
that although fliyng save their life, yet it saveth not theim their
goodes, the love whereof, is wonte no lesse then thesame, to make men
obstinate in defence.

ZANOBI. YOU have