Machiavelli, Volume I — Niccolo Machiavelli — John Shaqi
Machiavelli, Volume I
Niccolo Machiavelli · en
violence, disordained, returne in their orders, but with difficultie,
although thesame violence cease, the whiche the footemen dooe moste
easely and quickly. Besides this, it happeneth many tymes, that a hardie
manne shall be upon a vile horse, and a coward upon a good, whereby it
foloweth, that this evill matchyng of stomackes, makes disorder. Nor no
man doeth marvell, that a bande of footemenne, susteineth all violence
of horse for that a horse is a beaste, that hath sence, and knoweth the
perilles, and with an ill will, will enter in them: and if you consider,
what force maketh theim go forwarde, and what holdeth them backwarde,
you shall se without doubt thesame to be greater, whiche kepeth them
backe, then that whiche maketh them go forwardes: For that the spurre
maketh theim go forwarde, and of the other side, either the swearde, or
the Pike, kepeth theim backe: so that it hath been seen by the olde, and
by the late experience, a bande of footemen to bee moste safe, ye,
invinsible for horses. And if you should argue to this, that the heate,
with whiche thei come, maketh theim more furious to incounter who that
would withstande them, and lesse to regard the Pike, then the spurre: I
saie, that if the horse so disposed, begin to see, that he must run upon
the poincte of the Pike, either of himself, he wil refrain the course so
that so sone as he shall feele himself pricked, he will stande still
atones, or beeyng come to theim, he will tourne on the right, or on the
lefte hande. Whereof if you wil make experience, prove to run a horse
against a walle: you shall finde fewe, with what so ever furie he come
withall, will strike against it. Cesar havyng in Fraunce, to faighte
with the Suizzers, a lighted, and made every manne a light on foote, and
to avoide from the araies, the horses, as a thyng more meete to flie,
then to faight. But notwithstandyng these naturall impedimentes, whiche
horses have, thesame Capitaine, whiche leadeth the footemen, ought to
chuse waies, whiche have for horse, the moste impedimentes that maie
bee, and seldome tymes it happeneth, but that a manne maie save hymself,
by the qualitie of the countrie: for that if thou marche on the hilles,
the situacion doeth save thee from thesame furie, whereof you doubt,
that thei go withail in the plain, fewe plaines be, whiche through the
tillage or by meanes of the woddes, doe not assure thee: for that every
hillocke, every bancke, although it be but small, taketh awaie thesame
heate, and every culture where bee Vines, and other trees, lettes the
horses: and if thou come to battaile, the very same lettes happeneth,
that chaunceth in marchyng: for as moche as every little impedemente,
that the horse hath, abateth his furie. One thyng notwithstandyng, I
will not forgette to tell you, how the Romaines estemed so moche their
orders, and trusted so moche to their weapons, that if thei shuld have
had, to chuse either so rough a place to save theim selves from horses,