ompet; In commaundmentes
made with the voice, what respect is to be had; Of Pianars.]

FABRICIO. Your firste question importeth moche: for that many tymes the
commaundementes of Capitaines, beyng not well understoode, or evill
interpreted, have disordered their armie: therfore the voices, with the
whiche thei commaunde in perilles, ought to bee cleare, and nete. And if
thou commaunde with the sounde, it is convenient to make, that betwene
the one waie and the other, there be so moche difference, that the one
cannot be chaunged for the other: and if thou commaundest with the
voice, thou oughteste to take heede, that thou flie the general voices,
and to use the particulares, and of the particulars, to flie those,
whiche maie be interpreted sinisterly. Many tymes the saiyng backe,
backe, hath made to ruinate an armie; therfore this voice ought not to
be used, but in steede therof to use, retire you. If you will make theim
to tourne, for to chaunge the hedde, either to flanck, or to backe, use
never to saie tourne you, but saie to the lefte, to the right, to the
backe, to the front: thus all the other voices ought to be simple, and
nete, as thrust on, march, stande stronge, forwarde, retourne you: and
all those thynges, whiche maie bee dooen with the voice, thei doe, the
other is dooen with the sounde. Concernyng those menne, that must make
the waies plaine for the armie to marche, whiche is your seconde
question, I would cause my owne souldiours to dooe this office, as well
bicause in the aunciente warfare thei did so, as also for that there
should be in the armie, lesser nomber of unarmed men, and lesse
impedimentes: and I would choose out of every battaile, thesame nomber
that should nede, and I would make theim to take the instrumentes, meete
to plaine the grounde withall, and their weapons to leave with those
rankes, that should bee nereste them, who should carrie them, and the
enemie commyng, thei shall have no other to doe, then to take them
again, and to retourne into their araie.

ZANOBI. Who shall carrie thinstrumentes to make the waie plaine withall?

FABRICIO. The Cartes that are appoincted to carrie the like
instrumentes.

ZANOBI. I doubte whether you should ever brynge these our souldiours, to
labour with Shovell or Mattocke, after soche sorte.

[Sidenote: The victualles that thantiquitie made provision of, for their
armies.]

FABRICIO. All these thynges shall bee reasoned in the place thereof, but
now