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CHAP. IV.
How the Author would make use of both Greek and Roman Arms for his Battalion, and what was the ordinary Army of the Romans.
BEing therefore according to these Models to range and marshal an Army, I think it best to retain something of the Arms, and Orders both of the Phalanx and Legion. For this reason I have said in a Battalion I would have 2000 Pikes (which were the Arms of the Macedonian Phalanx) and 3000 Scudi or Shields and Swords, which are the Arms of the Romans. I have divided a Battalion into ten Battalia's or Companies, as the Ro∣mans divided their Legions into ten Cohorts. I have ordered the Velites or light-arm'd to begin the fight, as they did formerly. And because as the Arms are mix'd, they partici∣pate of the one Nation and the other; that they may participate likewise in their orders, I have appointed that every Company may have five files of Pikes in the front, and the rest of Bucklers, that the front may be enabled to keep out the Horse, and break more easily into the Foot, having Pikes in the first charge as well as the Enemy, by which they may be fortified to sustain it bravely, till the Bucklers come up, and perfect the Victory. And if you consider the strength and vertue of this Order, you will find how all these Arms perform their office exactly. For Pikes are very useful against Horse, and against Foot too, before the Battels be joyned, but after they are joyned, they are utterly useless. For this reason, behind every third rank of Pikes, the Swissers put a rank of Halbards, which was to make room for their Pikes, though indeed it was not enough. Placing therefore our Pikes before, and our Bucklers behind them, they are enabled to sustain the Horse, and when they come to charge, they do open and press hard upon the Foot; but when the fight is begun, and the Battels are joyned, the Bucklers succeed with their Swords, as being manageable more easily in the crowd.
We desire now to understand, how with these Arms and Orders you would ma∣nage your Army to give the Enemy Battel.
I shall show you nothing at present but this: You must know that in an ordinary Army of the Romans (which they called a Consular Army) there were no more but two Legions of Citizens, consisting in all of 600 Horse, and about 11000 Foot. They had besides these as many more Horse and Foot sent them in by their Friends and Confe∣derates: These Auxiliaries were divided into two parts, the right wing, and the left; for they would never suffer them to exceed the number of the Foot of their Legions, though their Horse indeed they permitted to be more. With this Army consisting of 22000 Foot, and about 2000 Horse, a Roman Consul did all his business, and attempted any thing. Yet when they were to oppose a greater power, they joyned two Consuls together, and their two Armies. You must know likewise that in the three great Actions of an Army (their march, their encampment, and engagement) they placed the Legions in the middle, be∣cause the force in which they reposed their greatest confidence they thought fit should be more united and compact, as I shall show you more at large when I come to treat of those things.
These Auxiliary Foot by vertue of their conversation with the Legionary Foot, grew to be as Serviceable as they, because they were train'd and disciplin'd with them, and upon occasion of Battel, drawn up in the same figure and order. He therefore who knows how the Romans marshalled one single Legion in the day of Battel, knows how they disposed of them all: When I have told you therefore how they divided a Legion into three Squadrons, and how one Squadron received another; I shall have told you how a whole and entire Army is to be ordered, when it is to be drawn up for Battel.