, so that being possessed of enemies, and of
frendes, it cannot shoote. I would beleve, that with out insamples these
reasons should suffice you, yet beyng able to shewe olde ensamples, to
prove my saiynges true, I will. Ventidio commyng to faight a field with
the Parthians, whose strength for the moste part, consisted in bowes and
arrowes, he suffered theim almoste to come harde to his campe, before he
drewe out his armie, the whiche onely he did, to be able quickly to
prevent them: and not to give them space to shoote. Cesar when he was in
Fraunce, maketh mencion, that in faighting a battaile with the enemies,
he was with so moche furie assaulted of them, that his menne had no time
to whorle their Dartes, accordyng to the custome of the Romaines:
wherfore it is seen, that to intende, that a thyng that shooteth farre
of, beyng in the field, doe not hurte thee, there is no other remedy,
then with as moche celeritie as maie bee, to prevente it. An other cause
moved me to procede, without shotyng the ordinaunce, whereat
peradventure you will laugh: yet I judge not that it is to be
dispraised. Ther is nothyng that causeth greater confusion in an armie,
then to hinder mennes fightes: whereby many moste puisaunte armies have
been broken, by meanes their fighte hath been letted, either with duste,
or with the Sunne: yet there is nothyng, that more letteth the sight
then the smoke that the artillerie maketh in shotyng: therfore, I would
thinke that it wer more wisedome, to suffer the enemie to blinde
hymself, then to purpose (thou being blind) to go to finde hym: for this
cause, either I would not shote, or (for that this should not be proved,
considering the reputacion that the artillerie hath) I would place it on
the corners of the armie, so that shootyng, it should not with the smoke
thereof, blinde the front of thesame, whiche is the importaunce of my
men. And to prove that it is a profitable thyng, to let the sight of the
enemie, there maie be brought for insample Epaminondas, whom to blind
the enemies armie, whiche came to faight with hym, he caused his light
horsemen, to run before the fronte of the enemies, to raise up the
duste, and to lette their sight, whereby he gotte the victorie. And
where it semeth unto you, that I have guided the shot of the artillerie,
after my owne devise, making it to passe over the heddes of my men, I
answer you, that most often tymes, and without comparison, the greate
ordinaunce misse the f