e in order
of battaile. The custome and the qualitie of the enemie ought to be
considered, and whether that he wil assaulte thee either in the mornyng,
or at none or in the evenynge, and whether he be more puisante with
fotemen or horsemen, and accordyng as thou understandest, to ordeine and
to provide for thy self. But let us come to some particular accidente.
It hapneth sometime, that thou gettyng from the enemie, because thou
judgest thy selfe inferiour, and therfore mindynge not to faight with
him, and he comyng at thy backe, thou arivest at the banke of a river,
passyng over the which, asketh time, so that the enemie is redie to
overtake thee and to fayght with thee. Some, which chaunsing to bee in
suche perill, have inclosed their armie on the hinder parte with a
diche, and fillyng the same full of towe, and firyng it, have then
passed with the armie without beyng able to be letted of the enemie, he
beyng by the same fire that was betwene them held backe.

[Sidenote: Annone of Carthage.]

ZANOBI. I am harde of beliefe, that this fyre coulde stay theim, in
especially because I remember that I have harde, howe Annone of
Carthage, beyng besieged of enemies, inclosed him selfe on the same
parte, with wodde, which he did set on fire where he purposed to make
eruption. Wherfore the enemies beyng not intentive on the same parte to
looke to him, he made his armie to passe over the same flame, causing
every man to holde his Target before his face for to defend them from
the fire, and smoke.

[Sidenote: Nabide a spartayne; Quintus Luttatius pollecie to passe over
a river; How to passe a ryver without a bridge; A polecie of Cesar to
passe a river, where his enemie beyng on the other side therof sought to
lette hym.]

FABRICIO. You saye well: but consider you howe I have saied, and howe
Annone did: for as muche as I saied that they made a diche, and filled
it with towe, so that he, that woulde passe over the same, should be
constrained to contende with the diche and with fire: Annone made the
fire, without the diche, and because he intended to passe over it, he
made it not great, for that otherwise without the diche, it shoulde have
letted him. Dooe you not knowe, that Nabide a Spartan beyng besieged in
Sparta of the Romaines, set fire on parte of his towne to let the way to
the Romaines, who alredie wer entred in? And by meane of the same flame
not onely hindered their way, but drave them oute: but let us turne to
our m