east with diligence, that the losse bee lesse hurtfull, to dooe this,
it is necessarie for thee to use meanes, that the enemie maie not easely
folowe thee, or to give him occasion to make delaie: in the first case,
some after thei have been sure to lese, have taken order with their
heddes, that in divers partes, and by divers waies thei should flie,
havyng appoincted wher thei should after assemble together: the which
made, that thenemie (fearing to devide the armie) was faine to let go
safe either all, or the greatest part of them. In the seconde case, many
have cast before the enemie, their dearest thinges, to the entent that
he tariyng about the spoile, might give them more laisure to flie. Titus
Dimius used no small policie to hide the losse, whiche he had received
in the faight, for asmoche as havyng fought untill night, with great
losse of his menne, he made in the night to be buried, the greatest part
of them, wherefore in the mornyng, the enemies seyng so many slaine of
theirs, and so fewe of the Romaines, belevyng that thei had the
disavauntage, ran awaie. I trust I have thus confusedly, as I saied,
satisfied in good part your demaunde: in dede about the facions of the
armies, there resteth me to tell you, how some tyme, by some Capitaines,
it hath been used to make theim with the fronte, like unto a wedge,
judgyng to bee able by soche meane, more easely to open the enemies
armie. Against this facion, thei have used to make a facion like unto a
paire of sheres, to be able betwene thesame voide place, to receive that
wedge, and to compasse it about, and to faight with it on every side:
whereupon I will that you take this generall rule, that the greatest
remedie that is used againste a devise of the enemie, is to dooe
willingly thesame, whiche he hath devised that thou shalt dooe perforce:
bicause that doyng it willingly, thou doest it with order, and with thy
advauntage, and his disadvauntage, if thou shouldest doe it beyng
inforced, it should be thy undoyng: For the provyng whereof, I care not
to reherse unto you, certain thynges alredy tolde. The adversary maketh
the wedge to open thy bandes: if thou gowest with them open, thou
disorderest hym, and he disordereth not thee. Aniball set the Elephantes
in the fronte of his armie, to open with theim the armie of Scipio.
Scipio went with it open, and it was the occasion of his victorie, and
of the ruine of hym. Asdruball placed his strongest men in the middest
of the