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.

OBSERVATIONS.

CAesar upon his first entrance into Gallia,* 1.1 was perplexed how to get to his army: and the matter stood in such terms, as brought ei∣ther the legions or his own person into hazard. For (as he saith) if he should send for the le∣gions to come unto him, they should doubt∣lesse be fought withall by the way, which he was loath to adventure, unlesse himself had been present: or otherwise if he himself had gone unto them, he doubted of the entertain∣ment of the revolting Galles, and might have o∣verthrown his army, by the losse of his own per∣son. In this extremity of choice, he resolved upon his own passage to the army, as lesse dangerous and more honourable, rather then to call the legions out of their wintering camps, where they stood as a check to bridle the inso∣lency of the mutinous Galles, and so to bring them to the hazard of battel in fetching their Generall into the field: whereby he might have lost the victory before he had begun the wars. And for his better safety in this passage, he u∣sed this cunning. Having assured the Roman Province by strong and frequent garrisons on the frontiers, and removed Lucterius from those parts; gathering together such supplies as he had brought with him out of Italy, with other forces which he found in the Province, he went speedily into the territories of the* 1.2 Arverni, making a way over the hill* 1.3 Gebenna, at such a time of the year as made it unpassable for any forces, had they not been led by Caesar; only for this purpose, to have it noised abroad, that whereas Vercingetorix and the Arverni had principally undertook the quarrell against the Romans, and made the beginning of a new war, Caesar would first deal with them, and lay the weight thereof upon their shoulders, by calling their fortunes first in question, to the end he might possesse the world with an opinion of his presence in that country, and draw Vercinge∣torix back again to defend his state, whilst he in the mean time did slip to his army without suspition or fear of perill: for staying there no longer then might serve to give a sufficient co∣lour to that pretence, and leaving those forces to execute the rest, and to make good the secret of the project, he conveyed himself to his army with such speed and celerity,* 1.4 as doth verify the saying of Suetonius; quod persaepe nuncios de se praevenit, that he often outwent the ordinary messengers.

These blinds and false intendments are of speciall use in matter of war, and serve as well to get advantages upon an enemy, as to clear a difficulty by cleanly evasion: neither is a Com∣mander the lesse valued for fine conveyance in military projects, but deserveth rather greater

honour for adding art unto valour, and sup∣planting the strength of opposition with the sleight of wit.

—Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirit?

Who looks at fraud or valour in a foe? hath alwayes been held a principle amongst men of warre. And Lisander his counsell is the same in effect, that where the Lions skin will not serve the turn, there take the Foxes. Carbo spake it to the commendation of Sylla, that he had to do both with a Lion and a Fox, but he feared more his Foxes pate then his Lions skin. It is reported that Anniball excelled all other of his time for abusing the enemy in matter of stratageme, for he never made fight but with an addition of assistants, supporting force with art, and the fury of armes with the subtiltie of wit.

Of late time amongst other practises of this nature, the treaty at Ostend is most memorable, entertained onely to gain time: that while speech of parlee was continued, and pledges de∣livered to the Archduke Albertus, for the safety of such as were sent into the town to capitulate with the Generall, there might be time gained for the sending in of such supplies of men and munition as were wanting, to make good the defence thereof: which were no sooner taken in, but the Treaty proved a stratageme of warre.

In these foiles and tricks of wit, which at all times and in all ages have been highly esteemed in men of warre, as speciall vertues beseeming the condition of a great Commander, if it be demanded how far a Generall may proceed in abusing an enemy by deeds or words; I cannot speak distinctly to the question: but sure I am, that Surena, Lieutenant generall of the Parthi∣an army, did his master good service, in abusing Crassus the Roman Generall by fair promises; or as Plutarch saith,* 1.5 by foul perjury, till in the end he brought his head to be an actor in a Tra∣gedy: albeit Surena never deserved well of good report since that time. Howsoever, men of civill society ought not to draw this into use from the example of souldiers, forasmuch as it is a part of the profession of cutting of throats, and hath no prescription but in extremities of warre.

Notes

• * 1.1

  To abuse an enemy by way of stratageme commenda¦ble in a Comman∣der.
• * 1.2

  Ave••g••e.
• * 1.3

  La mon∣tagne de Geneve.
• * 1.4

  Vit•• Caesa∣ris.
• * 1.5

  Plut. Cras∣sus.