illingly,
if you be not now wearie.

BAPTISTE. Your humanitie is so moche, that it maketh us to followe our
desires, without beyng afraied to be reputed presumptuous, seyng that
you liberally offer thesame, whiche we should have been ashamed, to have
asked you: Therefore, we saie unto you onely this, that to us you cannot
dooe a greater, nor a more gratefuller benefite, then to finishe this
reasonyng. But before that you passe to that other matter, declare us a
doubte, whether it bee better to continewe the warre, as well in the
Winter, as thei use now adaies, or to make it onely in the Sommer, and
to goe home in the Winter, as the antiquitie did.

[Sidenote: Warre ought not to be made in winter; Rough situacions, colde
and watrie times, are enemies to the oder of warre; An overthrowe caused
by winter.]

FABRICIO. See, that if the prudence of the demaunder were not, there had
remained behinde a speciall part, that deserveth consideracion. I
answere you againe, that the antiquitie did all thynges better, and with
more prudence then wee: and if wee in other things commit some erroure,
in the affaires of warre, wee commit all errour. There is nothing more
undiscrete, or more perrillous to a Capitayne, then to make warre in the
Winter, and muche more perrill beareth he, that maketh it, then he that
abideth it: the reason is this. All the industrie that is used in the
discipline of warre, is used for to bee prepared to fighte a fielde with
thy enemie, because this is the ende, whereunto a Capitayne oughte to
goo or endevour him selfe: For that the foughten field, geveth thee the
warre wonne or loste: then he that knoweth best how to order it, and he
that hath his army beste instructed, hath moste advauntage in this, and
maye beste hope to overcome. On the other side, there is nothing more
enemie to the orders, and then the rough situacions, or the colde watery
time: for that the rough situacions, suffereth thee not to deffende thy
bandes, according to thee discipline: the coulde and watery times,
suffereth thee not to keepe thy men together, nor thou canst not bring
them in good order to the enemy: but it is convenient for thee to lodge
them a sunder of necessitie, and without order, being constrayned to
obeye to Castells, to Boroughes, and to the Villages, that maye receyve
thee, in maner that all thy laboure of thee, used to instructe the army
is vaine. Nor marvayle you not though now a daies, they warre in the
Winter,