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. XVII.

War is not to be continued in the Winter.

Fabr.

OBserve Gentlemen, had it not been for the prudence of Battista, a very consi∣derable part of our Discourse had been omitted: I tell you again that the An∣cients did every thing with more prudence and discretion than we, who if we be defective in any thing, are much more in matters of War.

Nothing is more imprudent and dangerous for a General than to begin a War in the Winter, and he who is the aggressor is more liable to miscarry, than he that is invaded. The reason is this, all the industry employed in Military Discipline, consists in preparing your men and putting them into order for a Battel. That is it, at which a General is prin∣cipally to aim, because a Battel does commonly decide the business, whether it be lost or won. He therefore who knows best how to put his Army in order, and he who knows best how to prepare and equip them, has doubtless the advantage, and is in most hopes to overcome. On the other side, nothing is more inconsistent with good order than steep places, or cold rainy weather; for steep places will not suffer you to open or extend your ranks according to discipline; cold and wet weather will not permit you to keep your men together, nor present them in close order before the Enemy, but constrains you of necessity to lodge them up and down, asunder without order, at the mercy of all the Castles, and Towns, and Villages that receive you; so that all the pains you have taken to discipline your Army, is (for that time) utterly useless.

Do not admire, If now adays we make War in the Winter, for our Armies being with∣out discipline, it is not to be imagined what inconveniences they suffer by not being quar∣tered

together; for it troubles them not, that they cannot keep those orders, and observe that discipline which they never had. Yet it ought seriously to be considered what preju∣dice has followed upon encampments in the Winter: and it ought likewise to be remembred that the French in the year 1503. were broken and ruined near Garigliano, rather by the extremity of the weather, than the magnanimity of the Spaniards. For as I told you before, the Invador is under greatest incommodity, as being more exposed to the weather in an Enemies Country, than at home: for to keep his men together he is necessitated to endure the cold and the rain; or to avoid it, to divide his men, which is mightily to ex∣pose them. But he who is upon the defensive part can choose his place and his way, attend him with fresh men, which he can joyn in a moment, and fall upon some party of the Enemies with such fury, as they will not be able to endure the shock. It was the weather therefore which disordered the French, and 'tis the weather that will always ruine any man that begins War in Winter, if his adversary have any share of discretion. He therefore who would have his force, his order, his discipline, and his courage of no use or advan∣tage to him, let him keep the Field, and carry on his War in the Winter: For the Romans (who desired all those things in which they employed their industry and diligence should be useful to them) avoided the incommodities of Winter, as much, as the asperities of the Alps, the difficulty of places, and whatever else might hinder them from showing their dexterity and courage. And thus much as to your demand, we will discourse now of ta∣king and defending of Towns, and of their Natural, and Artificial strength.