necessarie, intendyng to make of this exercise a perfecte science. The
Capitaines ought above all other thynges, whileste thei marche with an
armie, to take heede of ambusshes, wherein they incurre daunger twoo
waies, either marchynge thou entrest into them, or thoroughe crafte of
the enemie thou arte trained in before thou arte aware. In the first
case, mindyng to avoide suche perill, it is necessarie to sende afore
double warde, whome may discover the countrey, and so muche the more
dilligence ought to be used, the more that the countrey is apte for
ambusshes, as be the woddie or hilly countries, for that alwaies thei be
layd either in a wodde, or behind a hille: and as the ambusshe not
forseene, doeth ruin thee, so forseyng the same, it cannot hurte thee.
Manie tymes birdes or muche duste have discovered the enemie: for that
alwayes where the enemie cometh to finde thee, he shall make great
duste, whiche shall signifie unto thee his comyng: so often tymes a
Capitaine seyng in the places where he ought to passe, Doves to rise, or
other of those birdes that flie in flockes, and to tourne aboute and not
to light, hath knowen by the same the ambusshe of the enemies to be
there, and sendynge before his men, and sertainely understandyng it,
hath saved him selfe and hurte his enemie. Concernyng the seconde case,
to be trained in, (which these our men cal to be drawen to the shot)
thou ought to take heede, not straight way to beleve those thinges,
which are nothyng reasonable, that thei be as they seeme: as shoulde be,
if the enemie should set afore thee a praie, thou oughtest to beleeve
that in the same is the hooke, and that therin is hid the deceipte. If
many enemies be driven away by a fewe of thine, if a fewe enemies
assaulte manie of thine, if the enemies make a sodeine flight, and not
standynge with reason, alwaies thou oughtest in suche cases to feare
deceipte, and oughtest never to beleeve that the enemie knoweth not how
to doe his businesse, but rather intendyng that he may begile thee the
lesse, and mindyng to stand in lesse peril, the weaker that he is, and
the lesse craftier that the enemie is, so muche the more thou oughtest
to esteeme him: and thou muste in this case use twoo sundrie poinctes,
for that thou oughtest to feare him in thy minde and with the order, but
with wordes, and with other outewarde demonstracion, to seeme to dispyse
him: because this laste way, maketh that the souldiours hope the more to
h