saide things: and moreover aboute the walle, there woulde not bee
suffered any grounde to be tilled, within a myle thereof, nor any wall
made, but shoulde be all champaine, where should be neither ditch nor
banck, neither tree nor house, which might let the fighte, and make
defence for the enemie that incampeth.
[Sidenote: Noote; The provision that is meete to be made for the defence
of a toune.]
And noote, that a Towne, whiche hathe the ditches withoute, with the
banckes higher then the grounde, is moste weake: for as muche as they
make defence to the enemye which assaulteth thee, and letteth him not
hurte thee, because easely they may be opened, and geve place to his
artillerye: but let us passe into the Towne. I will not loose so muche
time in shewing you howe that besides the foresayde thinges, it is
requisite to have provision of victualles, and wherewith to fight, for
that they be thinges that everye man underdeth, and without them, all
other provision is vaine: and generally twoo thinges oughte to be done,
to provide and to take the commoditie from the enemie that he availe not
by the things of thy countrey: therfore the straw, the beastes, the
graine, whiche thou canste not receive into house, ought to be
destroied. Also he that defendeth a Towne, oughte to provide that
nothing bee done tumultuouslye and disordinatelye, and to take suche
order, that in all accidentes everye man maye knowe what he hath to doo.
[Sidenote: What incoragethe the enemy most that besiegeth a toune; What
he that besiegeth and he that defendeth oughte to doo; Advertisementes
for a besieged towne; Howe the Romaines vitaled Casalino besieged of
Aniball; A policie for the besieged.]