h thy capitaines, and have knowlege of thy
counsailes: which thing if of the Romaines, had not been diligently
observed, Claudius Nero could not, havyng Aniball nere hym, depart from
his Campe, whiche he had in Lucania, and to go and to retourne from
Marca, without Aniball should have firste heard thereof some thyng. But
it suffiseth not to make these orders good, excepte thei bee caused to
bee observed, with a greate severtie: for that there is nothyng that
would have more observacion, then is requisite in an armie: therefore
the lawes for the maintenaunce of thesame, ought to be sharpe and harde,
and the executour therof moste harde. The Romaines punished with death
him that lacked in the watch, he that forsoke the place that was given
hym to faight in, he that caried any thynge, hidde out of the Campe, if
any manne should saie, that he had doen some worthy thing in the faight,
and had not doen it, if any had fought without the commaundemente of the
Capitaine, if any had for feare, caste awaie his weapons: and when it
happened, that a Cohorte, or a whole Legion, had committed like fault,
bicause thei would not put to death all, thei yet tooke al their names,
and did put them in a bagge, and then by lotte, thei drue oute the
tenthe parte, and so those were put to death: the whiche punishemente,
was in soche wise made, that though every man did not feele it every man
notwithstandyng feared it: and bicause where be greate punishementes,
there ought to be also rewardes, mindyng to have menne at one instant,
to feare and to hope, thei had appoincted rewardes to every worthie
acte: as he that faighting, saved the life of one of his Citezeins, to
hym that firste leapte upon the walle of the enemies Toune, to hym that
entered firste into the Campe of the enemies, to hym that had in
faightyng hurte, or slaine the enemie, he that had stroken him from his
horse: and so every vertuous act, was of the Consulles knowen and
rewarded, and openly of every manne praised: and soche as obtained
giftes, for any of these thynges, besides the glorie and fame, whiche
thei got emongest the souldiours, after when thei returned into their
countrie, with solemne pompe, and with greate demonstracion emong their
frendes and kinsfolkes, thei shewed them. Therefore it was no marveile,
though thesame people gotte so moche dominion, having so moche
observacion in punishemente, and rewarde towardes theim, whom either for
their well doyng, or for their il