Here begynneth the table of the rubryshys of the boke of the fayt of armes and of chyualrye whiche sayd boke is departyd in to foure partyes ...

¶Of leyenge of a syege / and of sawtyngys of fortresses ¶Capytulo / xix^o· /

WHen the tyme is comme that an oste cometh to laye a syege byfore som cytee or fortres / whiche tyme ought

comonly to be yf the hed capytayne be wyse in the season of heruest or soone after / by cause that thenne it is to hym pro∣fytable for two reasons / One is / that he shal fynde more of vytaylles vpon the feldes / and that other by cause that he shall greue dobly hys enemyes / that is to wyte by syege & as¦saulte and by takynge awaye fro them theyre corne / and theyre wyne and theyre other vytaylles whan they sholde ga¦dre theym for to fournysshe theyre towne / And he shall see that hys ost be lodged the moost nere that he may / and shall wel aduyse afore the grounde and the sytuacyon of the place yf be he not by some other suffysauntly therof informed / to thende that the syege be layed best to his advauntage for to dresse hys engyns vpon a conuenyent grounde / and to ad∣vise what parte he shal best gyue assaulte / And yf it semeth hym best he shal doo make about the ooste good dyches and shall fortefye the grounde aboute wyth palys as it were a fortres / to thende they may wythstande to them that might comme for to reyse the syege / or namely to theym of the cas∣tel yf they yssued out ayenst theym / And yf it be soo that of all sydes the place may be beseged / the bettre it is / but yf there be eny hylle or som other thynge that letteth / Neuerthe∣les to al the partyes that be playn shal be made trenchez or pallys fro one syege to that other / so that they of wyth∣ynne may not yssue out wythout daunger / And from al sydes he shall ordeyne semblably sewre deffense and good watche atte euery owre / And so shal aduyse by what ma¦nyere the place is mooste prenable / And yf it be to be sca∣led he shal fyrst late make dowble ladders as many as shall nede / and shal make to be had awaye wyth the shot of en∣gyns al that that letteth of the walles / and thenne shall the ledders be sette vp that shal be armed at the vpper ende wyth

grete hokes of yron that shall a grype the batellementes or fensynge of the walle / and the neder ende shal be harness∣ed wyth sharp hedes of yron whiche shal be sette depe in to the erthe to thende they be not ouer thrawen doune by theym that deffende the towne / And forthwyth of all sydes shal begynne the assawte / ¶And yf vndremynyng semyth hym goode / goode wherkmen that can skylle shal be sette to werke for to delue vp the erthe / and they shal begynne so ferre that they of wythyn shal not by no waye see the men that bere out the erthe / ¶And so depe shal the my∣ne be made that hit shal passe vndre the dyches whyche shal be vndre shored wyth good tymbre tyl that they com∣me to the fondementes of the walles or lower / And by thys manyere of waye they shalt fynde the meane to entre ynne yf gaynsayde be not doon to hyt / ¶And wyle thys vndremynyng is a doynge the wyse Capytayne ought not to be styl lest they of wythynne fele or vndrestande by theyre scowtwatche the sayd vndremyners / But shall trouble and vexe them wyth dyuers and contynuall as∣sawtes / so that the noyse the doynge and the bruyt shal stop theyre heerynge / For strokes of crosbowes thykker than flyes / Bombardes / and gonnes wyth the horryble sowne of theyre stones caste ayenst the walle / the noyse of the assawters / the sownes of Trompettes and the feere that they haue of them that cleme vp the laders shal gyue hem ynouge to do / and so they shall not be lytyl occupyed / ¶Item and yf it hap that the said myners may perce the walles wythout they be perceyued / they shal soone set∣te on a fyre al the tymbre and shores that they haue sette vndre the walles whiche shal thenne breke and fall doune al attones / and thus shal entre the toune the men of

armes / And yf thys thynge can not help by cause of the grete strengthe of the place and of the grete garnyson / the wyse capytayne that desyred to haue hyt shal seke by ano∣ther manyere of waye for a remedye therunto /