Obseruations vpon the fiue first bookes of Cæsars commentaries setting fourth the practise of the art military in the time of the Roman Empire : wherein are handled all the chiefest point of their discipline, with the true reason of euery part, together with such instructions as may be drawn from their proceedings, for the better direction of our moderne warres / by Clement Edmunds.
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Title
Obseruations vpon the fiue first bookes of Cæsars commentaries setting fourth the practise of the art military in the time of the Roman Empire : wherein are handled all the chiefest point of their discipline, with the true reason of euery part, together with such instructions as may be drawn from their proceedings, for the better direction of our moderne warres / by Clement Edmunds.
Author
Edmondes, Clement, Sir, 1566 or 7-1622.
Publication
At London :: Printed by Peter Short, dwelling on Bredstreet hill at the signe of the Starre,
1600.
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Subject terms
Caesar, Julius. -- De bello Gallico. -- English. -- Abridgments.
Military art and science -- Early works to 1800.
Rome -- History -- Republic, 265-30 B.C. -- Early works to 1800.
Gaul -- History -- Gallic Wars, 58-51 B.C. -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"Obseruations vpon the fiue first bookes of Cæsars commentaries setting fourth the practise of the art military in the time of the Roman Empire : wherein are handled all the chiefest point of their discipline, with the true reason of euery part, together with such instructions as may be drawn from their proceedings, for the better direction of our moderne warres / by Clement Edmunds." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a21131.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 12, 2024.
Pages
THE THIRD OBSERVATION.
THe insufficiency of these Commanders, whereof Caesar now com∣plaineth
as the only want, which these Romans had to cleere them∣selues
of this daunger; bringeth to our consideration that which
former times haue made a question, which is, whether it were the
vertue of the Roman leaders, or the valor of their soldiers, that inlarged their
Empire to that greatnes, and made their people and senate Lords of the world?
Polybius waighing the causes of a victorie, which the Carthagineans gained
of the Romans, by the counsell and good direction of one Zantippus a Greci∣an,
hauing before that time receiued diuers ouerthrowes, during the time of
those warres in Africke; concluded, that it was more in the worthines of the
Commanders, then in any extraordinary vertue of the soldiours, that the Ro∣mans
atchieued so many conquests. And besides the present example of Zan∣tippus,
he confirmed his opinion with the proceedings of Hanniball; who from
the beginning of the second punicke warre, still gained of the Roman Empire,
enlarging the territories of Carthage, and streightening the iurisdiction of
mightie Rome, vntill it had got a leader matchable to that subtle Carthagine∣an,
and found a Scipio to confront their Hannibal. To this may be added that
descriptionPage [unnumbered]
[illustration]
SABINVS AND COTTA
descriptionPage [unnumbered]
descriptionPage 189
famous battell betweene the olde Romans, and the last Latines; wherein
both parties were equally ballaunced, both in number and quality of their soul∣diers,
hauing both the same Armes, the same vse of their weapons, and the same
discipline, as if it had beene in a Ciuill warre: neither could fortune tell by the
presence of their Armies, where to bestowe her fauour, or where to shewe her
disdaine; but that the worthinesse of the Roman leaders brought the oddes in
the triall, and made Rome great with the ruine of the Latines. Whereby it ap∣peareth,
how much it importeth the whole fortune of an Armie, to haue a lea∣der
worthie of the place which he holdeth: forasmuch as nothing doth make a
greater difference of inequalitie betweene two equall Armies, then the wise∣dome
and experience of a graue commander, or the disabilitie of an vnskil∣full
leader; which are so powerfull in their seuerall effectes, that there is grea∣ter
hope of a heard of Hartes led by a Lyon, then of so many Lyons conduc∣ted
by a Harte.
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