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. II

How an Army is to be Marshalled to march in an Enemies Country.

Fabr.

TO march (therefore) securely in an Enemies Country, and to be able to make good every part when surprized, and assaulted by the Enemy, I am to reduce my Army into a square according to the model of the ancients; I would have a square whose area, or vacuity within, should consist of 212 yards, in this manner; I would first place my flanks distant one from the other 212 yards; I would have five Battalia's in each flank marching length ways in files, and at three yards distance the one Battalia from the other; so that each Company taking up forty yards, all of them together (with the spaces betwixt them) shall take up 212 yards. Between the front and the rear of these two flanks, I would dispose the other ten Companies, in each of them five; ordering them so, that four of them should be placed in the front of the right flank, and four in the rear of the left flank, leaving a space of four yards betwixt each Company, and of the two Companies that are left, I would have one placed at the head of the left flank, and the other in the rear of the right. And because the space betwixt one flank and the other consists of 212 yards, and these Battalia's drawn sideways in breadth rather than length, will take up (intervals and all) 134 yards, there will remain a space of 78 yards betwixt the four Companies in the front of the right flank, and the same space will be possessed by the four Companies in the rear; nor will there be any difference but that one space will be behind towards the right wing, and the other before towards the left. In the space of 78 yards before, I would put my ordinary Velites in the space behind, my Velites extraordinary, which would not amount to a thousand for each space. But to contrive it so, that the great space within should consist of 212 yards square, it would be convenient that the five Companies which are placed in the front, and the five Companies in the rear should take up none of that space which belongs to the flanks; wherefore it is necessary that the five Companies behind should with their front touch the rear of the flanks, and those five Companies in the Van, with their rear should touch the front of the flanks; so that there should remain on each side of the Army, a distance sufficient to receive another Company. And because there are four spaces, I would take four Ensigns of the Pikes extraordinary, and place one in each of them, and the two Ensigns which would remain, I would place in the midst of the space of my whole Army in a square Battalion; at the head of which, the General of the Army should stand with his Officers about him: But because these Battalia's thus ordered, do march all of them one way at once, but do not so when they fight; when they are drawn up, those sides are to be put into a fighting posture, which are not guarded by other Battalia's: And therefore it is to be considered that the five Battalions in the front are de∣fended on all sides, but just in the front; so that they are to be drawn up in great order with the Pikes before them. The five Companies behind are guarded on all sides but be∣hind, so as they are likewise to be ordered with Pikes in their rear, as we shall show in its place.

The five Companies in the right flank are guarded on every side but only on the right flank. The five in the left flank are the same, only on the left flank they are open; and therefore in the managing your Army, you must observe to place your Pikes so as they may turn about to that flank which is naked and exposed; and your Corporals are to be in the front, and in the rear, that (being to fight) the whole Army, and every Member of it may be in their proper places, and the manner of doing it, we have declared before, when we discoursed of putting the Companies in order; I would divide my Artillery, and place part of it without my right flank; and the other without my left. My light Horse I would send before to scour the Country; my men at Arms I would dispose part behind my right wing, and part behind my left, at about forty yards distance, from the Battalia's. And this general rule you are to observe by all means in the drawing up your Army, that your Horse are to be placed either in the rear, or upon the flanks, for to place them before, at the head of the Army, would occasion one of these two things, either they must be placed at such distance, that upon a repulse they may have space and time enough to wheel of without falling foul upon the foot; or else draw up the foot with such intervals, that the Horse may pass thorow without putting them into disorder: Certainly no body ought to look upon this as a thing of small importance; for many have been ruined and routed by their own men, for want of timely consideration.

But to return to our business, the Carriages, and the people unarmed are placed in the void place of the Army, and so disposed, that there is passage left for any to pass from one part of the Army to another. These Companies (without the Horse and Artillery) do take up a space of 282 yards: And because this square consists of two Battalions, it is conve∣nient to let you know what part of them makes one Battalion, and what the other. Now because Battalions are denominated from the number, and each of them (as you know) consists of ten Battalia's (or Companies) and a Colonel, I would have the first Battalion place five of first Companies in the front, the other five in the left flank, and the Colonel in the left angle of the front. The second Battalion should place its five first Battalia's up∣on the right flank, and the other five in the rear, with the Colonel in the right corner to secure the rear, and perform the office of him whom the Romans called by the name of Tergiductor.