ot doubted that they woulde enter, they have first wonne it, before the
ennemie coulde have time to succour it: for that thy enemie beynge not
sure, whether thou purposest to tourne backe, to the place fyrste of
thee threatned, is constrained not to forsake the one place, to succour
the other, and so many times he defendeth neither the one nor the other.
It importeth besides the sayde thynges to a Capitaine, if there growe
sedicion or discorde amonge the souldiours, to knowe with arte howe to
extynguishe it: The beste waie is to chastise the headdes of the
faultes, but it muste be doen in such wise, that thou maiest first have
oppressed them, before they be able to be aware: The way is if they be
distante from thee, not onely to call the offenders, but together with
theim all the other, to the entente that not beleevynge, that it is for
any cause to punishe them, they become not contumelius, but geve
commoditie to the execution of the punishemente: when thei be present,
thou oughtest to make thy selfe stronge with those that be not in
faulte, and by meane of their helpe to punishe the other. When there
hapneth discorde amonge them, the beste waye is, to bryng them to the
perill, the feare whereof is wonte alwaies to make them agree. But that,
which above all other thynge kepeth the armie in unitee, is the
reputacion of the Capitaine, the whiche onely groweth of his vertue:
because neither bloud, nor authoritie gave it ever without vertue. And
the chiefe thyng, whiche of a Capitain is looked for to be doen, is, to
keepe his souldiours punisshed, and paied: for that when so ever the
paie lacketh, it is conveniente that the punisshement lacke: because
thou canst not correcte a souldiour, that robbeth, if thou doest not
paie him, nor the same mindynge to live, cannot abstaine from robbynge:
but if thou paiest him and punisshest him not, he beecometh in everie
condicion insolente: For that thou becomest of small estimacion, where
thou chaunsest not to bee able to maintaine the dignitie of thy degree,
and not mainetainyng it, there foloweth of necessitee tumulte, and
discorde, whiche is the ruine of an armie. Olde Capitaines had a
troubell, of the which the presente be almoste free, whiche was to
interprete to their purpose the sinister auguries: because if there fell
a thunderbolte in an armie, if the sunne were darkened or the Moone, if
there came an erthequake, if the Capitaine either in gettyng up, or in
lightynge of his ho