The compleat body of the art military ... divided into three books, the first containing the postures of the pike and musket ... the second comprehending twelve exercises ... the third setting forth the drawing up and exercising of regiments ... illustrated with varietie of figures of battail ... / by Richard Elton.

TO THE MIRROUR of CHIVALRY, And HONOUR of all MARTIALL DISCIPLINE, The most Victorious Thomas Lord Fairfax HIS EXCELLENCIE, CAPTAIN GENERALL of all MILITARY FORCES for the PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND. All Health and Happinesse, here and hereafter.

Most Eminent and Illustrious SIR. May it please Your Excellencie,

THe Glory of all Arts is Action, the Honour of all Action is Vertue; the Crown of all Vertues is Perfection: the Excellencie whereof, (accord∣ing to the perfection of Humanity) is so essenti∣all in your Excellencie, that you are become, at once, the Wonder, and the Honour of Europe: Neither can that immortall Fame of Yours be conceal'd from the rest of the habitable World, who shall from age to age record, and from An∣tiquity to Infantry relate those matchlesse Vi∣ctories and unimitable Atchievements which the Bounty and Blessing of Hea∣ven hath enrich'd your Hand, and beautifi'd your Name withall. In all whose Honourable and succesfull Undertakings, I had an aim at no greater happi∣ness,

then to have been the least Part in so Noble an Employment under your Excellencie, towards the perfecting of the Welfare and Happinesse of this Kingdom and Common-wealth, had not the Military affairs of this Honou∣rable Metropolis unavoydably engaged and obliged me to attend the service of their own Militia.

And therein My Lord, I have spared neither Diligence nor Study that might conduce to the great Work of Arms, then in Embrio, now in Perfection, excepting only Opposition and Envie, which the greatest Honours never yet were free from: A part of which Perfection hath always flowed from the industry of the Officers, and practice of the Students of that Warlike Academy, where∣in, although I have not (as a Member thereof) with such dexterity as Cad∣mus sent out well experienc'd Souldiers in a Day, yet have I not sitten so idle, as Lepidus, and wish'd to be warm'd more from the Sun than my own Labours; of which the effects are now upon the publike Test, but more formidably under your Excellencies censure: to whose Patronage and Protection I have presumed to devoted the Eldest Son and First-born of all my forepast Studies, Practise and employment in the gradation of Military affairs, for the space of a double Appren∣tiship in that noble Science. All the following sheets, which relate to that He∣roick Subject, such as they are, and in such a dress as now they have put on, sub∣missively and primarily, present themselves with all their worth and beauty, (if any be discernable within them) unto Your Excellencie, as to their tutelar Angel, and most Orthodox Warriour, that either Pole can boast of.

In confidence therefore, of your Excellencies native Candor towards all In∣genuity (and more especially That, wherein your Own transcendent, and un∣paralleld Honours are more perspicuously and really delineated, than all the vain and empty Glory of the Dull and Phlegmatick Pretenders to Chivalry can Map or Landskip by the effeminate hand of Flattery) this late abortive, in full shape, due proportion, and (if Truth deceive me not) in just Maturity, hath broken from the Wombe of my fourteen years endeavours to see the Light, both of the censorious and judicious World, and in that Light it cannot but live; if your Excellencies goodness shall vouch safe to foster it, and must not die, except your displeasure please to wound it. And whether this shall live or die: I shall not further aspire at any loftier pitch of Honour, than to have Commission, to subscribe my self

Your Excellencies most humbly devoted Servant, Richard Elton.