Politique Observation.
PHysitians tell us, that mans body could neither stand nor go without Nerves, Muscles, and the like, and it is no lesse certain, that the body of an Army can∣not march or long subsist, without a great masse of money to maintain them. That Prince who hath no Silver, will presently want meat for his Forces, be can neither provide them Arms or Cloaths, and necessity once pinching upon them, away they all flie, if any perchance stay behind they are weak as water, faint and unable to do any service; whereas Plenty of money maketh an Army flourish, and in heart one of the greatest means the Duke of Parma used, to uphold the Wars in Flanders and France, was to see a dayly distribution of the Ammunitions and bread delivered out unto the Souldiers, to see them once a year cloathed from head to foot, and monethly paid, without which he could never have had preserved his ar∣my so flourishing and victorious as he did. It is true indeed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was to blame, so highly to vaunt before Solon the Athenian, when he shewed him his 〈…〉〈…〉 ri∣ches; Solon told him he did not esteem him any whit the more potent, because war was made with Iron not with Gold: however it cannot be denied but that as Le∣vies cannot be made without money, so in some sort money is as necessary as Souldiers.
A small Prince if he have great treasures, may have the command of a great ar∣my though his Subjects are but few, others will willingly let him make Levies in their Countries; but he who wants money how great soever he be, can neither raise any or keep them long together whe•…•… they are raised. I have alwaies much esteemed the advice of Pericles, one of the ablest Captains of his time, who said that Victories were commonly obtained by these three means, Money, Souldiers, and Councel; and to speak the truth, who is defective in either of the three must not expect an happy successe in his enter prises Caesar was not ignorant how ne∣cessary a thing money was for the incouragement of Souldiers, as I have heretofore observed, and History reports of him, that he was liberal in distributing it among them, when by any exploit they had well deserved it; of which he hath left be∣hind him one notable example, when after that his forces had indured much hard∣ship before Berry, he made a Donative of 2000 Sesterces to every man. To con∣clude, it is no lesse requisite to settle an order in the Treasuries, then to have as good foundation of money; for the effecting of which, it were good to imploy under∣standing faithfull men, for the payment of Souldiers, and the punishing of those who commit offences, to make a weekly pay-day to all the Souldiers, it being more proper to pay them often and little, then seldome and by great sums, which they consume in a short time by a natural ill husbandry, without considering that that once gone they are liable to a thousand wants and inconveniences, which may happen by sicknesse to the very great decay of them Courages and Reso∣lutions.