The foure bookes of Flauius Vegetius Renatus briefelye contayninge a plaine forme, and perfect knowledge of martiall policye, feates of chiualrie, and vvhatsoeuer pertayneth to warre. Translated out af [sic] lattine, into Englishe, by Iohn Sadler. Anno. 1572. Seene and allovved, accordinge to the order appointed.

¶Wyth how great care and regarde, forage or grayne ought to be prouided and kepte. Chap. iij.

ORder doth requyre that we should now speake of the prouision of forage & grayne. For scarcitye doth more consume an armye, then fighting: and hūger is more cruell then y^e sword. Moreouer other casualtyes be helped in time, but the prouiding of forage & victuall hath no helpe or remedye, vnlesse they be layed vppe before hande. In any maner of enterpryse this is one and the chiefest counsayle y^• thine armye may haue sufficiēt to liue with: that lacke of ne∣cessarye thinges maye weaken the ennemyes. Therfore be∣fore warre be begonne there ought to be a wyse and prudēt deuyse, for money and other charges, that forage, grayne, & other victuals (whiche the olde custome did requyre of for∣rayners) might be gathered in time: and greater store ther∣of then is sufficient alwayes layed vp in suche places as are strongly fenced, and most conuenient to serue the turne. If so be that the tributes or paymentes do fayle, all thinges must be compassed & gotten with money payed before hand. For possession of riches is not without care, except it be kept with force of armes. But manye times there is twyse as

much neede, & a s••ege oftētimes is longer then they thin••ke it wilbe: when as the ennemyes themselues beinge almoste famished, do not geue ouer to besiege them whom they hope may be ouercome wyth famyne. Furthermore whatsoeuer cattell, grai••e, or wyne, the ennemye that causeth warre cā preuente and take to their owne prouision of victuall: (the owners thereof not onlye beinge warned by publicke com∣maundement, but also constrayned by chosen sear••hers) the fame must be brought to conuenient houldes, and streng the∣ned with garrisons of armed men: or to safe and surelye de∣fenced Cittyes: and the forraine people muste be called ear∣nestlye vppon, to keepe themselues and all that they ••••ue within theyr walles before the enemyes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 enter in. For the repayring of the walles and all maner of ordinance, muste be loked too before. For if the ennemyes do once pre∣uent them beinge otherwyse occupyed, euerye thinge is dis∣ordered through feare: aud such things as are to be demaū∣ded of other Cittyes, are alwayes denyed after that the pas∣sages be once stopped. But to keepe those thinges trustelye that may be saued, and to destribute them moderatlye, is as good as if there were plenty, namely if from the beginning they be well looked to. But it is to late to spare when no∣thinge is remayninge. In harde and daungerous voyages the auncient warriours did vse to bestowe the victuals, ra∣ther accordinge to the nomber of the souldiours, then to the worthynes of them. So that after the necessitye was past, then recompence was made to those that were worthye, of the common charge and coste. In the winter, the scarcenes of woode and forage, in Sommer the lacke of water is to be auoyded. But the wante of grayne, wyne and vyneger, and also of falte, at all times is to be shunned: so that such soul∣diours as can do least seruice in the fielde, should defend the Cittyes and houldes with armoure, arrowes, ••••ingstaues, slinges, and also stones, artillerye of all sortes. And chief••∣lye wee must take heede that the vncyrcumspecte simple for∣rayne people confederate with vs, be not deceyued by the craft and periurye of the ennemyes.

For oftentimes deceitful couenaunts and fayned peace, haue done more harme to suche as are lighte of credite, then the force of armes. By reason whereof, the ennemyes if they be altogether do suffer hūger, and if they be dispersed they are easelye onecome by such as euery foote will be skirmishing with them.