The commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar of his warres in Gallia, and the civil warres betwixt him and Pompey
Caesar, Julius., Edmondes, Clement, Sir, 1566 or 7-1622. Observations upon Caesars commentaries of the civil warres., Hirtius, Aulus. De bello Gallico. Liber 8. English., Edmondes, Clement, Sir, 1566 or 7-1622. Manner of our modern training or tactick practise., Caesar, Julius. De bello Gallico. English.

OBSERVATIONS.

REparation of honour is a chief point in the cariage of an army:* for he that leaveth an enemy upon a losse received, when his souldiers are either awed or well beaten, must look to find the same spirit and courage in them, when they shall come again to confront the ene∣mie, as they had when they last left him with a dis∣advantage; which is nothing else but an unskil∣full continuance of his own losse, and a prepara∣tion to a second overthrow. In the warre the Romans had with Annibal, in all the fights they made,* they continued their first losse unto the battell at Nola: at what time by Marcellus good directions, they gave him an overthrow; which was the first time that ever Annibals souldiers began to give place to the Romans, and repaired the Romans valour again, after so many battels as they lost. For then they were perswaded that they fought not with an enemy altogether invincible, but that he was subject to losse and overthrow. And in respect of this so happy a fortune, restoring the Roman souldiers to their ancient valour and good fortune, it is that Livi saith, Ingens eo die res, ac nescio an maxima ill bello gest a sit, A great piece of service was perfor∣med that day,* & I think I may say the greatest that was done in that warre. Caesar did well understand this Philosophie: and therefore he la∣boured to repair the breach which the enemy had made in the valour of his souldiers, by light and small skirmishes, before he would adventure to hazzard the main drife of the businesse in any set conflict. And the rather for that he had a purpose to leave the enemy for a time, whereby he seemed to end the former services; wherein he had a speciall care not to depart with the last blow, having alwayes before that time had the better: for the condition of the end doth chal∣lenge much of the former proceedings, and doth draw the opinion of men to deem of all as the conclusion importeth. According as Claudius Nero told his souldiers: Semper quod postremo adjectum sit, id rem totam videri traxisse: As the end of the service is, so the whole seems to have been.