to be put in practise of
their yong men. As by experience is seen, in certaine citees of the
Weste countrie, where is kepte a live like maners with this order. Thei
devide all their inhabiters into divers partes: and every parte thei
name of the kinde of those weapons, that thei use in the warre. And for
that thei use Pikes, Halbardes, Bowes, and Harkebuses, thei call them
Pike menne, Halberders, Harkebutters, and Archars: Therefore, it is mete
for all the inhabiters to declare, in what orders thei will be
appoincted in. And for that all men, either for age, or for other
impedimentes, be not fitte for the warre, every order maketh a choise of
men, and thei call them the sworen, whom in idell daies, be bounde to
exercise themselves in those weapons, wherof thei be named: and every
manne hath his place appoincted hym of the cominaltie, where soche
exercise ought to be made: and those whiche be of thesame order, but not
of the sworen, are contributaries with their money, to thesame expenses,
whiche in soche exercises be necessarie: therfore thesame that thei doe,
we maie doe. But our smal prudence dooeth not suffre us, to take any
good waie. Of these exercises there grewe, that the antiquitie had good
souldiours, and that now those of the Weste, bee better men then ours:
for as moche as the antiquitie exercised them, either at home (as those
common weales doe) or in the armies, as those Emperours did, for
thoccasions aforesaied: but we, at home will not exercise theim, in
Campe we cannot, bicause thei are not our subjectes, and for that we are
not able to binde them to other exercises then thei them selves liste to
doe: the whiche occacion hath made, that firste the armies bee
neclected, and after, the orders, and that the kyngdomes, and the common
weales, in especially Italians, live in soche debilitie. But let us
tourne to our order, and folowyng this matter of exercises, I saie, how
it suffiseth not to make good armies, for havyng hardened the men, made
them strong, swift, and handsome, it is nedefull also, that thei learne
to stande in the orders, to obeie to signes, to soundes, and to the
voice of the capitain: to knowe, standyng, to retire them selves, goyng
forwardes, bothe faightyng, and marchyng to maintain those: bicause
without this knowlege, withal serious diligence observed, and practised,
there was never armie good: and without doubt, the fierce and disordered
menne, bee moche more weaker, then the fearfull tha