Machiavelli, Volume I by Niccolò Machiavelli (best ereader for students .txt) 📕

like enterprise, I would not have doubted, but in moste shorte tyme, to have shewed to the worlde, how moche the aunciente orders availe: and without peradventure, either I would have increased it with glory, or loste it without shame.

* * * * *

The ende of the seventh and laste booke of the arte of warre, of Nicholas Machiavell, Citezein and Secretarie of Florence, translated out of Italian into Englishe: By Peter Whitehorne, felow of Graise Inne.


NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL,

CITEZEIN AND SECRETARIE OF FLORENCE,

TO THE READERS


To thentente that such as rede this booke maie without difficultie understande the order of the battailes, or bandes of men, and of the armies, and lodgynges in the Campe, accordynge as they in the discription of theim are apoincted, I thinke it necessarie to shewe you the figure of everie one of them: wherefore it is requiset firste, to declare unto you, by what poinctes and letters, the footemen, the horsemen, and everie other particuler membre are set foorthe.

KNOW THERFORE THAT

.} Signifieth {Targetmen.

'} {Pikemen.

c} {a Capitaine of ten men.

v} {Veliti ordinarie. (Those men that shoot with harcabuses or bowes)

r} {Veliti extraordinari.

C} {a Centurion or captaine of a hundred men.

k} {a Constable or a captaine of a band of fower hundred and fiftie men.

H} {The hed captain of a maine battel.

G} {The general Captaine of the whole armie.

t} {The Trompet.

d} {The Drum.

b} {The Ansigne.

s} {The Standerde.

m} {Men of Armes.

l} {Light horsemen.

A} {Artillerie or ordinance.

In the first figure nexte folowyng, is discribed the forme of an ordinarie battaile or bande of fower hundred and fiftie men, and in what maner it is redoubled by flanke. And also how with the verie same order of lxxx. rankes, by chaungyng onely to the hinder parte the five rankes of Pikes which were the formost of everie Centurie, thei maye likewise in bringyng them in battaile raie, come to bee placed behinde: whiche may be doen, when in marchyng, the enemies should come to assaulte them at their backes: accordynge as the orderyng therof is before declared. Fol. 87.

In the seconde figure, is shewed how a battaile or bande of men is ordered, whiche in marchyng should be driven to faight on the flanke: accordyng as in the booke is declared. Fol. 87.

In the thirde figure, is shewed how a battaile or bande of men, is ordered with two hornes, fol. 88, and after is shewed how the same maie be made with a voide place in the middest: accordynge as the orderyng therof, in the booke moste plainely is declared, fol. 89.

In the fowerth figure, is shewed the forme or facion of an armie apoincted to faight the battaile with the enemies: and for the better understandynge thereof, the verie same is plainlier set foorthe in the figure next unto it, wherby the other two figures next folowyng maie the easier be understoode: accordynge as in the booke is expressed. Fol. 105.

In the fifte figure, is shewed the forme of a fower square armie: as in the booke is discribed. Fol. 152.

In the sixte figure, is shewed howe an Armie is brought from a fower square facion, to the ordinarie forme, to faight a fielde: accordyng as afore is declared. Fol. 156.

In the seventh figure, is discribed the maner of incamping: according as the same in the booke is declared. Fol. 174.


THE FIRSTE FIGURE

This is the maner of ordering of CCCC. men, into lxxx. rankes, five to a ranke, to bring them into a iiii square battaile with the Pikes on the front, as after foloweth.

C c'''' c'''' c'''' c'''' c'''' c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c.... c....
C ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
C ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
C ''''c ''''c ''''c ''''c ''''c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c ....c


This is the foresaied lxxx. rankes of iiii. C. men brought into a fower square battaile with the Pikes on the fronte. And the fiftie Veliti on the sides and on the backe.


C C vc''''''''''''''''''cv vc''''''''''''''''''cv vc''''''''''''''''''cv vc''''''''''''''''''cv vc''''''''''''''''''cv vc........dkb.......cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv vc..................cv C v v v v v v v v v v C


THE SECONDE FIGURE

This is the maner of ordering of CCCC. men, into lxxx. rankes, five to a ranke, to bring them into a iiii square battaile with the Pikes on the side, as after foloweth.


C ccccc ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ''''' ccccc
C ccccc ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ccccc
C ccccc ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ccccc
C ccccc ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ccccc


This is the foresaied lxxx. rankes of iiii. C. men brought into a fower square battaile with the Pikes on the side.


CvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvC
cccccccccccccccccccc v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
...............''''' v...............'''''
cccccccccccccccccccc CvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvC


THE THYRDE FIGURE

These are the nombers of rankes appoincted to make the horned battaile of, and the square battaile with the voide space in the middest, as after foloweth.


''''''''''''''''''''''''' ............... ''''''''''''''''''''''''' ............... cccccccccccccccccccc.....C...............C ......................... ............... ......................... ...............


'''''''''''''''''''''''''
''''''''''''''''''''''''' Ccccccccccccccccccccc.....C
.........................
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...............
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...............d
...............k
...............b
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...............
...............
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......................... Ccccccccccccccccccccc.....C
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............... ......................... ............... ......................... ...............Ccccccccccccccccccccc.....C ............... ''''''''''''''''''''''''' ............... '''''''''''''''''''''''''


'''''''''''''''''''''''''
''''''''''''''''''''''''' Ccccccccccccccccccccc.....C
.........................
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....... d ........
....... k ........
....... b ........
....... ........
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......................... Ccccccccccccccccccccc.....C
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THE FOURTH FIGURE


A A A A A A llm mCrCCC Cu,,uCCu,,uCCu,,uCCu,,uCCu,,uCA llm mrrr,,, vu,,uvvu,,uvvu,,uvvu,,uvvu,,uvA llm mrrrdkb vdk bvvdk bvvdk bvvdk bvvdk bv lltksdkb,,, vc..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uv t G llm mrrr,,, vc..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uv lll ktm mrrr,,, vc..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uv .... lsm mCr(,,, Cu..uCCu..uCCu..uCCu..uCCu..uC llm m ,,, llm m ,,, ..... llm m ,,, dHb llm m ,,, ..... ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, Cu..uC Cu..uC Cu..uC ,,, vu,,uv vu,,uv vu,,uv ,,, vdk bv vdk bv vdk bv CdkbC vu..uv vu..uv vu..uv ,, vu..uv vu..uv vu..uv ,,, vu..uv vu..uv vu..uv ,,, Cu..uC Cu..uC Cu..uC ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, Cu,,uC Cu,,uC ,,, vu,,uv vu,,uv ,,, vdk bv vdk bv ,,, vu..uv vu..uv dkb vu..uv vu..uv ,,, vu..uv vu..uv C C Cu..uC Cu..uC

The cariages and the unarmed.


A A A A A A A Cu,,uCCu,,uCCu,,uCCu,,uCCu,,uC C CCrCm mll A vu,,uvvu,,uvvu,,uvvu,,uvvu,,uv ,,,rrrm mll m vdk bvvdk bvvdk bvvdk bvvdk bv dkbrrrm mll s vu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uv ,,,dkbm mll llvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uv ,,,rrrtksll ..vu.. vvu..uvvu..uvvu..uvvu..uv ,,,rrrm mtk Cu..uCCu..uC ..uCCu..uCCu..uC ,,,rrrm msl ,,, m mll ,,, m mll dHb ,,, m mll .... ,,, m mll ,,, ,,, ,,, Cu,,uC Cu,,uC Cu,,uC ,,, vu,,uv uv,,uv uv,,uv ,,, vdk bv vdk bv vdk bv ,,, vu..uv vu..uv vu..uv CdkbC vu..uv vu..uv vu..uv ,,, vu..uv vu..uv vu..uv ,,, Cu..uC Cu..uC Cu..uC ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, ,,, Cu,,uC