atter. Quintus Luttatius a Romaine, havyng at his backe the Cimbri,
and commyng to a river, to thentente the enemie should give him time to
passe over, semed to geve time to them to faight with him: and therfore
he fained that he would lodge there, and caused trenches to be made, and
certaine pavilions to be erected, and sent certayne horsemen into the
countrie for forredge: so that the Cimbrise beleevyng, that he incamped,
they also incamped, and devided them selves into sundrie partes, to
provide for victuals, wherof Luttatius being aware, passed the river
they beyng not able to let him. Some for to passe a river havynge no
bridge, have devided it, and one parte they have turned behynde their
backes, and the other then becomynge shalower, with ease they have
passed it: when the rivers be swift, purposyng to have their footemen to
passe safely, they place their strongest horses on the higher side, that
thei may sustain the water, and an other parte be lowe that may succour
the men, if any of the river in passyng should be overcome with the
water: They passe also rivers, that be verie deepe, with bridges, with
botes, and with barrelles: and therfore it is good to have in a
redinesse in an armie wherewith to be able to make all these thynges. It
fortuneth sometime that in passyng a river, the enemie standynge agaynst
thee on the other banke, doeth let thee: to minde to overcome this
difficultie, I know not a better insample to folow, then the same of
Cesar, whome havynge his armie on the banke of a river in Fraunce, and
his passage beynge letted of Vergintorige a Frenche man, the whiche on
the other side of the river had his men, marched many daies a longe the
river, and the like did the enemie: wherfore Cesar incamping in a woddie
place, apte to hide men, he tooke out of every legion three cohortes,
and made them to tarie in the same place, commaundynge theim that so
soone as he was departed, they shoulde caste over a bridge, and should
fortefie it, and he with his other menne folowed on the waye: wherfore
Vergintorige seyng the number of the legions, thinkyng that there was
not left anie parte of theim behinde, folowed also his way: but Cesar
when he supposed that the bridge was made, tourned backewarde, and
findynge all thinges in order, passed the river without difficultee.

ZANOBI. Have ye any rule to know the foordes?

[Sidenote: How to know the Foordes of a river.]

FABRICIO. Yea, we have: alwaies the river, in t