FABRICIO. The remedie is to make hardels of roddes whiche must be placed
in the bottome of the river, and so to passe upon those: but let us
folowe our reasonyng. If it happen that a capitain be led with his
armie, betwen two hilles, and that he have not but twoo waies to save
hymself, either that before, or that behinde, and those beyng beset of
thenemies, he hath for remidie to doe the same, which some have doen
heretofore: that which have made on their hinder parte a greate trenche,
difficult to passe over, and semed to the enemie, to mynde to kepe him
of, for to be able with al his power, without neding to feare behinde,
to make force that waie, whiche before remaineth open. The whiche the
enemies belevyng, have made theim selves stronge, towardes the open
parte, and have forsaken the inclosed and he then castyng a bridge of
woode over the Trenche, for soche an effect prepared, bothe on thesame
parte, with out any impedimente hath passed, and also delivered hymself
out of the handes of the enemie. Lucius Minutus a Consul of Rome, was in
Liguria with an armie, and was of the enemies inclosed, betwene certaine
hilles, whereby he could not go out: therefore he sente certaine
souldiours of Numidia on horsebacke, whiche he had in his armie (whom
were evill armed, and upon little leane horses) towardes the places that
were kepte of the enemies, whom at the first sight made the enemies, to
order theim selves together, to defende the passage: but after that thei
sawe those men ill apoincted, and accordyng to their facion evill
horsed, regardyng theim little, enlarged the orders of their warde,
wherof so sone as the Numidians wer a ware, givyng the spurres to their
horses, and runnyng violently upon theim, passed before thei could
provide any remedy, whom beyng passed, destroied and spoiled the
countrie after soche sorte, that thei constrained the enemies, to leave
the passage free to the armie of Lucius. Some capitaine, whiche hath
perceived hymself to be assaulted of a greate multitude of enemies, hath
drawen together his men, and hath given to the enemie commoditie, to
compasse hym all about, and then on thesame part, whiche he hath
perceived to be moste weake, hath made force, and by thesame waie, hath
caused to make waie, and saved hymself.