r possessions,
renderynge theim their children, or other their necessaries withoute
raunsome. You know that Anniball havynge burned all the fieldes aboute
Rome, he made onely to bee reserved saulfe those of Fabius Maximus. You
know how Coriolanus comyng with an armie to Rome, preserved the
possessions of the nobilitie, and those of the comminaltie he bourned,
and sacked. Metellus havinge an armie againste Jugurte, all the
oratours, whiche of Jugurte were sente him, were required of him, that
they woulde geve him Jugurte prisoner, and after to the verie same men
writyng letters of the verie same matter, wrought in suche wise, that in
shorte tyme Jugurte havyng in suspecte all his counsellours, in diverse
maners put them to death. Anniball beynge fled to Antiochus, the Romaine
oratours practised with him so familiarly, that Antiochus beyng in
suspecte of him, trusted not anie more after to his counselles.
Concernyng to devide the enemies men, there is no more certainer waie,
then to cause their countrie to be assaulted to the intente that being
constrained to goe to defende the same, they maie forsake the warre.
This way Fabius used havynge agaynst his armie the power of the
Frenchemen, of the Tuscans, Umbries and Sannites. Titus Didius havyng a
few men in respecte to those of the enemies, and lookynge for a legion
from Rome, and the enemies purposinge to goe to incounter it, to the
intente that they should not goe caused to bee noised through all his
armie, that he intended the nexte daie to faighte the field with the
enemies: after he used means, that certaine of the prisoners, that he
had taken afore, had occasion to runne awaie. Who declaryng the order
that the Consull had taken to faighte the nexte daie, by reason wherof
the enemies beyng afraide to deminishe their owne strength, went not to
incounter the same legion, and by this way thei wer conducted safe. The
which means serveth not to devide the force of the enemies, but to
augmente a mans owne. Some have used to devide the enemies force, by
lettyng him to enter into their countrie, and in profe have let him take
manie townes, to the intente that puttynge in the same garrisons, he
might thereby deminishe his power, and by this waie havynge made him
weake, have assaulted and overcomen him. Some other mindyng to goe into
one province, have made as though they woulde have invaded an other, and
used so much diligence, that sodenly entryng into the same, where it was
n