The commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar of his warres in Gallia, and the civil warres betwixt him and Pompey / translated into English with many excellent and judicious observations thereupon ; as also The art of our modern training, or, Tactick practise, by Clement Edmonds Esquire, ... ; where unto is adjoyned the eighth commentary of the warres in Gallia, with some short observations upon it ; together with the life of Cæsar, and an account of his medalls ; revised, corrected, and enlarged.

OBSERVATION.

THis practice of a counterfeit fear was often put in use by the Roman Leaders,* 1.1 as well to disap∣point the expectation of an Enemy, as to draw them into an inconvenience, and so to defeat them of their greatest helps in time of battel. Cae∣sar coming to succour the camp of Cicero,* 1.2 made such use of this Art, that he put to rout a great Army of the Galles with a handfull of men: which I will refer unto the place where it is particularly set down by Caesar.

The chiefest thing in this place which brought them to their overthrow was disappointment: for it is a thing hardly to be digested in businesses of small consequence, to be frustrated of a setled expectation, when the mind shall dispose her self to one only intent, and in the upshot meet with a counterbuffe to crosse her purposes, and so defeat her of that hope which the strength of her reason hath entertained: how much more then in things of such importance, when we shall proceed in a course of victory, and humour our conceits with that we wish and would have to happen, and in the end meet either with bondage or death, must our best wits be appalled, having neither respite nor means to think how the evil may be best prevented? Which the wise Romans wel understood, and counted it no dishonour to be reproched with shamefull cowardise, by such as knew not the secrets of wisdome; while they in the mean time foresaw their good fortunes, shrowded under the cloak of a pretended dis∣trust.

Let these examples instruct a Leader so to take the opportunity of any such fortune, that in the execution he omit not the chiefest points of order and discipline, as well for the better effecting of the design, as for his own safety, and the security of his Army. For order is as the sinews and strength of martiall discipline, uniting the particular mem∣bers into the firm composition of a wel-proporti∣oned body: and so it maketh it more powerfull then any number of disunited parts, how able or infinite soever.

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

I might here alledge infinite examples to con∣firm this truth: but let the battel of Dreux serve for all; wherein the Protestants, overcharging the Catholick Army, followed the retreat so hard, that they quickly became Masters of the field; and then neglecting martiall discipline, fell in confusedly with the broken multitude, to make the victory more glorious by slaughter and mor∣tality. The Duke of Guise all this while budged not a foot; but in unexampled patience kept his regiment close together, and would not suffer them to rescue their Generall that was taken, un∣till the regiment of the Prince of Condie was likewise dispersed and broken: and then per∣ceiving no difference of order between the victor Protestant and the vanquished Catholick, he dis∣solved that terrible cloud that had hung so long in suspence, and so changed the fortune of the day, that he took the chiefest of their Princes pri∣soners, with little or no losse of his own men: So powerfull is order in the deeds of Armes, and of such consequence in obtaining victory. And thus we have first seen the inconveniences which a counterfeit fear, well dissembled, may cast up∣on a credulous and unadvised enemy, when pre∣tence and appearance hath brought them into an errour, which their own credulity doth afterward avouch: and secondly, what strength and safety consisteth in order; and how powerfull it is to throw down, and to set up.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The use which the Romans made of a counterfeit fear.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 5.