ese armours as
well on foote, as on horsebacke, the Romanes conquered all the worlde,
and it is to be beleeved, by the fruiet thereof, whiche is seene, that
they were the beste appointed armies, that ever were: and Titus Livius
in his history, doeth testifie verye often, where comming to comparison
with the enemies armies, he saieth: But the Romanes, by vertue, by the
kinde of their armours, and piactise in the service of warre, were
superiours: and therfore I have more particularly reasoned of the
armours of conquerours, then of the conquered. But nowe mee thikes good,
to reason onelye of the manner of arming men at this presente. Footemen
have for their defence, a breast plate, and for to offende, a launce,
sixe yardes and three quarters long, which is called a pike, with a
swoorde on their side, rather rounde at the poinct, then sharpe. This is
the ordinarie arming of footemen nowe a dayes, for that fewe there be,
which have their legges armed, and their armes, the heade none, and
those fewe, beare insteede of a Pike, a Halberde, the staffe whereof as
you know, is twoo yardes and a quarter long, and it hath the Iron made
like an axe. Betweene them, they have Harkebutters, the which with the
violence of the fire, do the same office, which in olde time the
slingers did, and the Crosseboweshoters. This maner of arming, was found
out by the Dutchemen, inespeciallye of Suizzers, whom being poore, and
desirous to live free, they were, and be constrayned to fight, with the
ambition of the Princes of Almaine, who being riche, were able to keepe
horse, the which the same people could not do for povertye. Wherby it
grewe, that being on foote, minding to defende them selves from the
enemies, that were on horsebacke, it behooveth them to seeke of the
aunciente orders, and to finde weapons, whiche from the furie of horses,
should defende them: This necessitie hath made either to be maintayned,
or to bee founde of them the aunciente orders, without whiche, as everye
prudente man affirmeth, the footemen is altogether unprofitable.
Therefore, they tooke for their weapon the Pike, a moste profitable
weapon, not only to withstande horses, but to overcome them: and the
Dutchemen have by vertue of these weapons, and of these orders, taken
such boldnesse, that XV. or XX. thousande of them, will assault the
greatest nomber of horse that maye be: and of this, there hath beene
experience enough within this XXV. yeres. And the insamples of the