st to see in which of these two kinds
of warfare artillery gives the greater advantage or inflicts the greater
hurt. Now, though something might be said both ways, I nevertheless
believe that artillery is beyond comparison more hurtful to him who
stands on the defensive than to him who attacks. For he who defends
himself must either do so in a town or in a fortified camp. If within a
town, either the town will be a small one, as fortified towns commonly
are, or it will be a great one. In the former case, he who is on the
defensive is at once undone. For such is the shock of artillery that
there is no wall so strong that in a few days it will not batter down,
when, unless those within have ample room to withdraw behind covering
works and trenches, they must be beaten; it being impossible for them
to resist the assault of an enemy who forces an entrance through the
breaches in their walls. Nor will any artillery a defender may have be
of any service to him; since it is an established axiom that where men
are able to advance in numbers and rapidly, artillery is powerless to
check them.

For this reason, in storming towns the furious assaults of the northern
nations prove irresistible, whereas the attacks of our Italian troops,
who do not rush on in force, but advance to the assault in small knots
of skirmishers (_scaramouches_, as they are fitly named), may easily be
withstood. Those who advance in such loose order, and with so little
spirit, against a breach covered by artillery, advance to certain
destruction, and as against them artillery is useful. But when the
assailants swarm to the breach so massed together that one pushes on
another, unless they be brought to a stand by ditches and earthworks,
they penetrate everywhere, and no artillery has any effect to keep
them back; and though some must fall, yet not so many as to prevent a
victory.

The frequent success of the northern nations in storming towns, and more
particularly the recovery of Brescia by the French, is proof sufficient
of the truth of what I say. For the town of Brescia rising against the
French while the citadel still held out, the Venetians, to meet any
attack which might be made from the citadel upon the town, ranged guns
along the whole line of road which led from the one to the other,
planting them in front, and in flank, and wherever else they could be
brought to bear. Of all which M. de Foix making no account, dismounted
with his men-at-arms fro