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1. Now here one cannot but admire at the precaution of the
Romans, in providing themselves of such household servants, as
might not only serve at other times for the common offices of
life, but might also be of advantage to them in their wars. And,
indeed, if any one does but attend to the other parts of their
military discipline, he will be forced to confess that their
obtaining so large a dominion hath been the acquisition of their
valor, and not the bare gift of fortune; for they do not begin to
use their weapons first in time of war, nor do they then put
their hands first into motion, while they avoided so to do in
times of peace; but, as if their weapons did always cling to
them, they have never any truce from warlike exercises; nor do
they stay till times of war admonish them to use them; for their
military exercises differ not at all from the real use of their
arms, but every soldier is every day exercised, and that with
great diligence, as if it were in time of war, which is the
reason why they bear the fatigue of battles so easily; for
neither can any disorder remove them from their usual regularity,
nor can fear affright them out of it, nor can labor tire them;
which firmness of conduct makes them always to overcome those
that have not the same firmness; nor would he be mistaken that
should call those their exercises unbloody battles, and their
battles bloody exercises. Nor can their enemies easily surprise
them with the suddenness of their incursions; for as soon as they
have marched into an enemy's land, they do not begin to fight
till they have walled their camp about; nor is the fence they
raise rashly made, or uneven; nor do they all abide ill it, nor
do those that are in it take their places at random; but if it
happens that the ground is uneven, it is first leveled: their
camp is also four-square by measure, and carpenters are ready, in
great numbers, with their tools, to erect their buildings for
them.
2. As for what is within the camp, it is set apart for tents, but
the outward circumference hath the resemblance to a wall, and is
adorned with towers at equal distances, where between the towers
stand the engines for throwing arrows and darts, and for slinging
stones, and where they lay all other engines that can annoy the
enemy, all ready for their several operations. They also erect
four gates, one at every side of the circumference, and those
large enough for the entrance of the beasts, and wide enough for
making excursions, if occasion should require. They divide the
camp within into streets, very conveniently, and place the tents
of the commanders in the middle; but in the very midst of all is
the general's own tent, in the nature of a temple, insomuch, that
it appears to be a city built on the sudden, with its
market-place, and place for handicraft trades, and with seats for
the officers superior and inferior, where, if any differences
arise, their causes are heard and determined. The camp, and all
that is in it, is encompassed with a wall round about, and that
sooner than one would imagine, and this by the multitude and the
skill of the laborers; and, if occasion require, a trench is
drawn round the whole, whose depth is four cubits, and its
breadth equal.
3. When they have thus secured themselves, they live together by
companies, with quietness and decency, as are all their other
affairs managed with good order and security. Each company hath
also their wood, and their corn, and their water brought them,
when they stand in need of them; for they neither sup nor dine as
they please themselves singly, but all together. Their times also
for sleeping, and watching, and rising are notified beforehand by
the sound of trumpets, nor is any thing done without such a
signal; and in the morning the soldiery go every one to their
centurions, and these centurions to their tribunes, to salute
them; with whom all the superior officers go to the general of
the whole army, who then gives them of course the watchword and
other orders, to be by them cared to all that are under their
command; which is also observed when they go to fight, and
thereby they turn themselves about on the sudden, when there is
occasion for making sallies, as they come back when they are
recalled in crowds also.
4. Now when they are to go out of their camp, the trumpet gives a
sound, at which time nobody lies still, but at the first
intimation they take down their tents, and all is made ready for
their going out; then do the trumpets sound again, to order them
to get ready for the march; then do they lay their baggage
suddenly upon their mules, and other beasts of burden, and stand,
as at the place of starting, ready to march; when also they set
fire to their camp, and this they do because it will be easy for
them to erect another camp, and that it may not ever be of use to
their enemies. Then do the trumpets give a sound the third time,
that they are to go out, in order to excite those that on any
account are a little tardy, that so no one may be out of his rank
when the army marches. Then does the crier stand at the general's
right hand, and asks them thrice, in their own tongue, whether
they be now ready to go out to war or not? To which they reply as
often, with a loud and cheerful voice, saying, "We are ready."
And this they do almost before the question is asked them: they
do this as filled with a kind of martial fury, and at the same
time that they so cry out, they lift up their right hands also.
5. When, after this, they are gone out of their camp, they all
march without noise, and in a decent manner, and every one keeps
his own rank, as if they were going to war. The footmen are armed
with breastplates and head-pieces, and have swords on each side;
but the sword which is upon their left side is much longer than
the other, for that on the right side is not longer than a span.
Those foot-men also that are chosen out from the rest to be about
the general himself have a lance and a buckler, but the rest of
the foot soldiers have a spear and a long buckler, besides a saw
and a basket, a pick-axe and an axe, a thong of leather and a
hook, with provisions for three days, so that a footman hath no
great need of a mule to carry his burdens. The horsemen have a
long sword on their right sides, axed a long pole in their hand;
a shield also lies by them obliquely on one side of their horses,
with three or more darts that are borne in their quiver, having
broad points, and not smaller than spears. They have also
head-pieces and breastplates, in like manner as have all the
footmen. And for those that are chosen to be about the general,
their armor no way differs from that of the horsemen belonging to
other troops; and he always leads the legions forth to whom the
lot assigns that employment.
6. This is the manner of the marching and resting of the Romans,
as also these are the several sorts of weapons they use. But when
they are to fight, they leave nothing without forecast, nor to be
done off-hand, but counsel is ever first taken before any work is
begun, and what hath been there resolved upon is put in execution
presently; for which reason they seldom commit any errors; and if
they have been mistaken at any time, they easily correct those
mistakes. They also esteem any errors they commit upon taking
counsel beforehand to be better than such rash success as is
owing to fortune only; because such a fortuitous advantage tempts
them to be inconsiderate, while consultation, though it may
sometimes fail of success, hath this good in it, that it makes
men more careful hereafter; but for the advantages that arise
from chance, they are not owing to him that gains them; and as to
what melancholy accidents happen unexpectedly, there is this
comfort in them, that they had however taken the best
consultations they could to prevent them.
7. Now they so manage their preparatory exercises of their
weapons, that not the bodies of the soldiers only, but their
souls may also become stronger: they are moreover hardened for
war by fear; for their laws inflict capital punishments, not only
for soldiers running away from the ranks, but for slothfulness
and inactivity, though it be but in a lesser degree; as are their
generals more severe than their laws, for they prevent any
imputation of cruelty toward those under condemnation, by the
great rewards they bestow on the valiant soldiers; and the
readiness of obeying their commanders is so great, that it is
very ornamental in peace; but when they come to a battle, the
whole army is but one body, so well coupled together are their
ranks, so sudden are their turnings about, so sharp their hearing
as to what orders are given them, so quick their sight of the
ensigns, and so nimble are their hands when they set to work;
whereby it comes to pass that what they do is done quickly, and
what they suffer they bear with the greatest patience. Nor can we
find any examples where they have been conquered in battle, when
they came to a close fight, either by the multitude of the
enemies, or by their stratagems, or by the difficulties in the
places they were in; no, nor by fortune neither, for their
victories have been surer to them than fortune could have granted
them. In a case, therefore, where counsel still goes before
action, and where, after taking the best advice, that advice is
followed by so active an army, what wonder is it that Euphrates
on the east, the ocean on the west, the most fertile regions of
Libya on the south, and the Danube and the Rhine on the north,
are the limits of this empire? One might well say that the Roman
possessions are not inferior to the Romans themselves.
8. This account I have given the reader, not so much with the
intention of commending the Romans, as of comforting those that
have been conquered by them, and for the deterring others from
attempting innovations under their government. This discourse of
the Roman military conduct may also perhaps be of use to such of
the curious as are ignorant of it, and yet have a mind to know
it. I return now from this digression.
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