war, was from seventeen to six and forty, for
so saith Tubero concerning the first limit of mi∣litary
ability, that Servius did inrole souldiers
from the age of seventeen years, adjudging such
to be sit for the service of the Common-weale.
And Censor••nus expresseth the second with an e∣tymology
of the name, where he saith, that men
were called Juvenes unto the age of forty six
years, Quod rempublicam in re militari pos∣sint
juvare, because till then they were able to
help and serve their country in war. In this abi∣lity
of years we are to understand that the law
required every man to perfect the compleat
number of twenty years stipend; if there were
occasion of so many wars in that space of nine
and twenty years, which is comprehended be∣tween
seventeen and forty six. The wealth,
which is the second circumstance that made
men capable of military dignity, was necessari∣ly
required to amount to the value of Drachmas
quadringentas, as Polybius saith, which by the
Latine phrase was termed quaterna millia aeris:
such as were not worth so much, were neglec∣ted
in this choise, and reserved for sea-service:
neither was it lawfull for any man to attain to
any office or magistracy within the city, untill
he had merited ten years stipend. Upon a re∣solution
to make an inrolement, which was al∣most
every year, the Consuls did proclaim a
day when all men of military age were to present
themselves. Upon which day the Roman youth
being assembled in the city, and then in the Ca∣pitol,
the fourteen Tribunes elected out of the
body of the Equites, divided themselves accor∣ding
as they were chosen by the people into four
parts; forasmuch as in former time the whole
forces of their Empire consisted of four legions or
regiments, whereof I have discoursed at large in
the former book. And the four Tribunes first
chosen were allotted to the first legion, the three
next to the second legion, the four other to the
third, and the three last to the fourth. In like
manner the ten Tribunes which were taken out
of the common body of the people, divided them∣selves
into four parts: and the two first chosen
were inrolled in the first legion, the three next
in the second legion, the two following in the
third legion, and the three last in the fourth. By
which ingenious and discreet allotment it came
to passe that the communalty were intermingled
in the government of their Armies with the
Gentlemen, in such an excellent mixture, that
the Equites were either superiour or equal to the
Plebeii; notwithstanding that every legion had
an equall number of Tribunes. The election be∣ing
thus far carried, the Tribunes of every legi∣on
sate them down by themselves: the people
being divided first into their Tribes, and then
into their classes and centuries, casting lots
which Tribe should be taken; and out of that
Tribe whereon the lot fell they drew fou•• men, as
equall as they could both in age and habitude,
who being brought forth, the Tribunes of the
first legion made the first choise of one of those
four; then the Tribunes of the second legion
had their choise, they of the third legion took
the next, and the fourth had the last man. And
again out of the same Tribe were other four cho∣sen;
and then the Tribunes of the second legi∣on
began first to make their choise, and so con∣sequently
the first legion had the last man. A∣gain
four other being chosen, the Tribunes of
the third legion had the first election, and in
that course the second legion had the last
man. And by this alternate and successive e∣lection
it came to passe, that every legion was
equally compounded both in quality and in
number. The inrolement proceeding in this
manner untill their numbers were full; the
Tribunes of every legion assembled their severall
troups together, and took one out of every re∣giment,
and gave an oath unto him that he
should execute and obey, according to his power,
whatsoever was commanded him by his Generall:
the rest being particularly called, were sworn
to keep the same oath which their fore-man had
taken. And thus we see both who were the e∣lectors,
who were eligible, and the manner of
their choise. Wherein we may observe what
means they used to ingage every particular man
with an interest in the generall cause: for they
thought it not sufficient to force men out by
publick authority, and to bind them si••mply to
that service by the mandates of their Empire,
considering the labours and difficulties of war,
which oftentimes are able to dull the edge of the
greatest spirit, and to cause omissions of duty in
the most honest and obedient minds; but they
tyed them likewise with such particular respects,
as did both concern the possessions of their for∣tune,
and the religion of their soul. For it is
observed concerning mans actions, that unlesse
the mind do faithfully affect the execution, it may
be carried with such a perfunctory service, as shal
betray the true intent to no effect, and deceive
the end of that which was promised by design∣ment.
And therefore they refused to inrole any
man that had not a convenient proportion of
wealth, to maintain a stedfast and well-resolved
courage, and to settle the motions of a stagge∣ring
mind, when they bethought themselves
that the publick duties wherein they were inga∣ged,
were the defensive powers of their Empire,
and the means whereby the publick weale con∣tinued
happy: and so by consequence their pri∣vate
fortunes were assured from violence, and
preserved onely by an effectuall observance of
their military discipline. I grant that it is not al∣together
wealth that doth grace & formalize the
actions of men; for in some cases penury and
want makes men more valorous, according to the
answer which a souldier once made to Lu∣cullus: