easure, for that
then they shoulde be townes and Castels) be not made, in suche wise that
men maie have space within them to retire, thei are loste straight waie.
Therefore it is wisdom to let alone those Bulwarkes without, and to
fortifie thenterance of the toune, and to kever the gates of the same
with turnyngs after suche sort, that men cannot goe in nor oute of the
gate by right line: and from the tournynges to the gate, to make a diche
with a bridge. Also they fortifie the gate, with a Percullis, for to bee
abell to put therin their menne, when they be issued out to faight, and
hapnyng that the enemies pursue them, to avoide, that in the mingelynge
together, they enter not in with them: and therfore these be used, the
which the antiquitie called Cattarratte, the whiche beyng let fall,
exclude thenemies, and save the freendes, for that in suche a case, men
can do no good neither by bridges nor by a gate, the one and the other
beynge ocupied with prease of menne.

BAPTISTE. I have seene these Perculleses that you speake of, made in
Almayne of littell quarters of woodde after the facion of a grate of
Iron, and these percullises of ouers, be made of plankes all massive: I
woulde desire to understande whereof groweth this difference, and which
be the strongest.

[Sidenote: Battelments ought to be large and thicke and the flanckers
large within.]

FABRICIO. I tell you agayne, that the manners and orders of the warre,
throughe oute all the worlde, in respecte to those of the antiquitie, be
extinguesshed, and in Italye they bee altogether loste, for if there bee
a thing somewhat stronger then the ordinarye, it groweth of the insample
of other countries. You mighte have understoode and these other may
remember, with howe muche debilitie before, that king Charles of Fraunce
in the yere of our salvation a thousande CCCC. xciiii. had passed into
Italie, they made the batelmentes not halfe a yarde thicke, the loopes,
and the flanckers were made with a litle opening without, and muche
within, and with manye other faultes whiche not to be tedious I will let
passe: for that easely from thinne battelments the defence is taken
awaye, the flanckers builded in the same maner, moste easylye are
opened: Nowe of the Frenchemen is learned to make the battelment large
and thicke, and the flanckers to bee large on the parte within, and to
drawe together in the middeste of the wall, and then agayn to waxe wider
unto the uttermost parte wi