The works of the famous Nicholas Machiavel, citizen and secretary of Florence written originally in Italian, and from thence newly and faithfully translated into English.

CHAP. VI.

How the Souldiers were exercised.

THough they be never so well chosen, and never so well arm'd, Souldiers are carefully to be exercised, for without exercise they are good for nothing. And this exercise ought to be three-fold, one is to inure them to labour and hardship, and make them dex∣terous and nimble; another to teach them how to handle their arms; and the third to teach them to keep their ranks and orders in their marches, battels, and encampments: which are three great things in an Army. For if an Army marches, is drawn up well, and encamps regularly and skilfully, the General shall gain reputation, let the success be as it will. Wherefore all ancient Commonwealths provided particularly for these exercises by their Customs and Laws, so that nothing of that nature was omitted. They exercised their youth to learn them to be nimble in running, active to leap, strong to throw the bar, and to wrestle, which are all necessary qualities in a Souldier, for running and numbleness fits them for possessing a place before the enemy; to fall upon them on a sudden in their quarters, and pursue with more execution in a rout: activity makes them with more ease avoid their blows, leap a ditch, or climb a bank; and strength makes them carry their arms better, strike better, and endure the shock better: and above all to inure them to labour, they accustomed their Souldiers to carry great weights, which custom is very necessary; for in great expeditions it happens many times that the Souldiers are forced to carry (besides their arms) several days provisions, which without being accustomed to labour, would be more tedious to them, and by this, great dangers are many times avoided, and great victo∣ries many times obtained. As to their way of accustoming them to their arms, they did it in this manner. They made their young men wear head-pieces twice as heavy as those which they were to wear in the field, and instead of Swords, they gave Cudgels with lead run into them, much heavier than their Swords. They caused each of them to fix a pale into the ground three yards high, and fasten it so strong that no blows might be able to batter or shake it: against which pale or stake the youth were accustomed to exercise them∣selves with their cudgel or buckler, as it had been an Enemy; striking it sometimes as it were on the head, sometimes on the face, then on the sides, legs, before and behind; some∣times retreating, and then advancing again: and by this way of exercise they made them∣selves dexterous and skilful how to defend themselves, and offend an enemy. And for the heaviness of their counterfeit arms, they did it to make the true ones appear more light. The Romans taught their Souldiers rather to thrust than to cut with their swords, because thrusts are more mortal, more hard to be defended; and he that make•• it is not so easily discovered, and is readier to double his thrust than his blow. Do not admire that the ancients concerned themselves in such little things, for when people come to handy strokes, every small advantage is of great importance; and this is not my own opinion only, but is taught by many Authors. The ancients thought nothing more beneficial in a Commonwealth, than to have store of men well exercised in arms; for 'tis not the Splen∣dor of their gemms, not their gold, that makes the enemy run, but the fear of their arms.

The faults which one commits in other things may be repaired, but those which are committed in war are never to be redressed; besides, experience in this kind makes men more audacious and bold, for no man fears to do that which he thinks he understands: the ancients therefore would have their Citizens exercise themselves in all military actions, and made them cast darts (much heavier than the true ones) against their pales: which besides that it taught them dexterity, it was a great strengthener of their arm. They brought up their youth likewise to the bow and the sling, in all which exercises there were professed Masters; so that when afterwards they were drawn out to the wars, they were perfect Souldiers both in courage and discipline, nor were they defective in any thing but keeping their ranks in their marches, and receiving orders in their fights; which was quickly learn'd by mixing them with such as had serv'd a long time.

Cosimo.

What exercises would you recommend at present?

Fabritio.

Several of those which I have mentioned, as running, leaping, throwing the bar, accustoming them to heavy arms, teaching them to shoot in the cross, and long bow, and musket, which is a new engine, (as you know) but very good. And to these exercises I would accustom all the youth in my Country, but with more industry and solicitude those exercises which are useful in war, and all their musters should be in idle days. I would have them learn to swim likewise, which is a very useful thing, for they are not sure of bridges where-ever they come, and boats are not always to be had. So that your Army not knowing how to swim, is deprived of several conveniencies, and lose many fair op∣portunities of action. The reason why the Romans, exercised their youth in the Campus Martius, was, because of its nearness to the Tyber, where after they had tired themselves at land, they might refresh, and learn to swim in the water.

I would have also the Cavalry exercised as of old, which is most necessary, for besides teaching them to ride, it teaches them to sit fast when they come to a charge. To this end they had horses of wood upon which they exercised, vaulting upon them sometimes with their arms, and sometimes without, very neatly and exactly, without any assistance; so that upon a signal from their Captain they were immediately on horse-back, and upon another signal as soon upon the ground. And as those exercises both for horse and foot were easie in those times, they would be the same now to any Prince or Commonwealth that would employ their youth that way, as is to be seen in several Cities in the West, where they are continued. They divide their Inhabitants into several parties, and every party is denominated by the arms which they wear; and because they use pikes, halbards, bows, and harquebusses, they are called Pike-men, Halbardiers, Bow-men, and Harquebus∣siers; every inhabitant is to declare in what Company he will be listed; and because some for their age and other impediments are not apt for the wars, there is a choice made out of every order, of such persons as are called, the Giurati being sworn to see the rest exer∣cised in their several arms, according to their respective denominations, and every one of them has a certain place appointed where their exercises are to be made; and all that be∣long to that Order (besides the Giurati) repair thither with such monies as are necessary for their expence. What therefore is done actually by them, we may do as well, but our imprudence will not suffer us to imitate any thing that is good. By these exercises the an∣cients Infantry were very good, and at this day the western foot are better than ours, be∣cause the ancients exercised them at home, (as in the Commonwealths) or in the field (as by the Emperors) for the reasons aforesaid. But we will not exercise them at home, and in the field we cannot, they not being our subjects, are not to be compelled but to what exercises they please: and this want of authority to exercise them has caused our Armies to be first negligent and remiss, and afterwards our discipline; and has been the cause that so many Kingdoms and Commonwealths (especially in Italy) are so weak and inconsi∣derable.

But to return to our order, and the business of exercising, I say, that it is not sufficient to make an absolute Souldier, to in••ure a man to labour, to make him strong, swift, and dex∣terous, but he must learn likewise to keep his ranks well, to obey orders, and the directions of the trumpet and drum; to know how to do right, standing still, retiring, advancing, fighting, and marching; for without this discipline be observed with all accurate diligence, your Army will never be good. And without doubt men who are furious and disorderly, are much more unserviceable than cowards; for order drives away fear, and dissorder lessens a mans courage.