quadrante forme whiche I have shewed you, is somewhat difficulte, soche
difficultnesse is necessarie, takyng it for an exercise: for as moche as
knowyng well, how to set theim selves in order, and to maintaine theim
selves in the same, thei shall knowe after more easely, how to stand in
those, whiche should not have so moche difficultie.
ZANOBI. I beleve as you saie, that these orders bee verie necessarie,
and I for my parte, knowe not what to adde or take from it: true it is,
that I desire to know of you twoo thynges, the one, if when you will
make of the taile, or of the flancke hedde, and would make them to
tourne, whether this be commaunded by the voice, or with the sounde:
thother, whether those that you sende afore, to make plain the waie, for
the armie to marche, ought to be of the verie same souldiours of your
battailes, or other vile menne appoincted, to like exercise.
[Sidenote: Commaundementes of Capitaines being not wel understoode, maie
be the destruction of an armie; Respect that is to be had in
commaundementes made with the sounde of the Trompet; In commaundmentes
made with the voice, what respect is to be had; Of Pianars.]
FABRICIO. Your firste question importeth moche: for that many tymes the
commaundementes of Capitaines, beyng not well understoode, or evill
interpreted, have disordered their armie: therfore the voices, with the
whiche thei commaunde in perilles, ought to bee cleare, and nete. And if
thou commaunde with the sounde, it is convenient to make, that betwene
the one waie and the other, there be so moche difference, that the one
cannot be chaunged for the other: and if thou commaundest with the
voice, thou oughteste to take heede, that thou flie the general voices,
and to use the particulares, and of the particulars, to flie those,
whiche maie be interpreted sinisterly. Many tymes the saiyng backe,
backe, hath made to ruinate an armie; therfore this voice ought not to
be used, but in steede therof to use, retire you. If you will make theim
to tourne, for to chaunge the hedde, either to flanck, or to backe, use
never to saie tourne you, but saie to the lefte, to the right, to the
backe, to the front: thus all the other voices ought to be simple, and
nete, as thrust on, march, stande stronge, forwarde, retourne you: and
all those thynges, whiche maie bee dooen with the voice, thei doe, the
other is dooen with the sounde. Concernyng those menne, that must make
the waies plaine for the armie to marche, whiche is your seconde
question, I would cause my owne souldiours to dooe this office, as well
bicause in the aunciente warfare thei did so, as also for that there
should be in the armie, lesser nomber of unarmed men, and lesse
impedimentes: and I would choose out of every battaile, thesame nomber
that should nede, and I would make theim to take the instrumentes, meete
to plaine the grounde withall, and their weapons to leave with those
rankes, that should bee nereste them, who should carrie them, and the