ble easely to satisfie thy desire. When
thou shouldest perceive, that there were in thine armie some, that used
to advertise thy enemie of thy devises, thou canst not doe better,
myndynge to take commoditie by their traiterous mindes, then to commen
with them of those thynges, that thou wilte not doe, and those that thou
wilt doe, to kepe secret, and to say to doubte of thynges, that thou
doubtest not, and those of whiche thou doubtest, to hide: the which
shall make thenemie to take some enterprise in hand, beleving to know
thy devises, where by easly thou maiest beguile and opresse hym. If thou
shouldest intende (as Claudius Nero did) to deminishe thy armie,
sendynge helpe to some freende, and that the enemie shoulde not bee
aware therof, it is necessarie not to deminishe the lodgynges, but to
maintayne the signes, and the orders whole, makyng the verie same fires,
and the verye same wardes throughout all the campe, as wer wont to be
afore. Lykewise if with thy armie there should joigne new men, and
wouldest that the enemie shoulde not know that thou werte ingrosed, it
is necessarie not to increase the lodgynges: Because keepyng secrete
doynges and devises, hath alwaies been moste profitable. Wherfore
Metellus beyng with an armie in Hispayne, to one, who asked him what he
would doe the nexte daie, answered, that if his sherte knew therof, he
would bourne it. Marcus Craussus, unto one, whome asked him, when the
armie shoulde remove, saied beleevest thou to be alone not to here the
trumpet? If thou shouldest desire to understande the secretes of thy
enemie, and to know his orders, some have used to sende embassadours,
and with theim in servauntes aparel, moste expertest men in warre: whom
havynge taken occasion to se the enemies armie, and to consider his
strengthe and weakenesse, it hath geven them oportunitie to overcome
him. Some have sente into exile one of their familiars, and by meanes of
the same, hath knowen the devises of his adversarie. Also like secrettes
are understoode of the enemies when for this effecte there were taken
any prisoners. Marius whiche in the warre that he made with the Cimbrie,
for to know the faieth of those Frenchmen, who then inhabited Lombardie,
and were in leage with the Romaine people, sent them letters open, and
sealed: and in the open he wrote, that they shoulde not open the sealed,
but at a certaine time, and before the same time demaundyng them againe,
and finding them opened, knew th