The Scotch military discipline learned from the valiant Swede, and collected for the use of all worthy commanders favouring the laudable profession of armes: By Major Generall Monro, being novv generall of all the Scotch forces against the rebels in Ireland, communicates his abridgement of exercise, in divers practicall observations for the younger officers better instruction; ending with the souldiers meditations going on in service.

The tenth Observation.

HEre I did observe that wisdome and vertue were the best Guards of safety, [ M] the one securing the soule, the other the estate and body: for this magnanimous and wise king, by his fore-sight and wis∣dome, did prevent the evill (by a timely fore-sight) which his enemies might have brought upon this isle of lowland, being the richest part within the kingdome, for corne a magazin, and a garner for forraine countries: it abounds also in all sorts of fishes, the ponds belong to the gentry, making great commodity of their fish, being sold in the cities and country, that are not licentiat to have the like of their owne. the gentry of this land are much given to policy and oeconomy, following the example of their king, having great stalles and stables, containing above foure hundred oxen, and their stables some threescore horses, being well fed and made lusty, they are sold to the germaines, which yeerely brings unto the gentility great store of money: this iland abounds in deere and wilde foule.

this country is also plentifull of wood for building of ships, where his majesty every yeare hath some builded by his owne master builder, a worthy gentleman begotten of scots ancesters, called mr. sinclaire, who speakes the scottish tongue, and is very courteous to all his countrimen which come thither. the citizens also of this iland, being very rich, build ships for their owne use, and some they sell unto strangers.

my hoste the burgomaster of marbo, sometime furnish'd his majesty for building of his ships, to a reckoning of one hundred thousand rex dolors, so that in a word, in this little ile of lowland I did observe vertue to be habituall in it, and so was the peoples goodnesse distributive unto us and our soul∣diers, so that during our residence there, we were so welcome, that all things smil'd upon us, where it was my fortune one night to have gotten his majesty to be my ghuest, having then my quarter in the burgomasters house, and though he was a king, I perswade my selfe he was contented with his entertainment, being both good and rare, whereof truely I had a good deale, but my ghuest departed by three of the clocke in the mor∣ning without bidding me farewell; yet being his majesties will, I was well pleased, having sate up all night I was not for attendance in the morning, which his majesty at his departure gratiously did excuse.

to returne then to my observation, [ N] I did see and learne here the truth of that proverbe in his Majesties person, that the wise man only is the cun∣ningst sencer; no man can give a blow so soone, or ward and keepe himselfe so safely as the wise man, and nothing is to be placed above him, but God,

the King of Kings and giver of wisdome. To live is common, to be wise and good particular, and granted to a few: many I see wish for honour, for wealth, for friends, for fame, for pleasure; I desire but those two; ver∣tue, and wisdome, which both I saw in this Magnanimous King, and in his country people following his Majesties example. We finde not a man that the world ever had so plentifull in all things, as was Solomon: yet his re∣quest was but one of these two, though indeed it includeth the other; for without vertue, wisdome is not; or if it be, it undoes us at last: and to returne to my observation, in my judgement it may be said of this Magna∣nimous King, as was said of Cæsar, Semi-Deus est: for as he is valiant, [ O] so he is learned, Ex utroque Rex, being valiant and wise, a Prince of an excellent spirit, capable of all good things, as I have seene, and observed in him: he is learned in the liberall sciences, and understands well the Mathematicks and the practise of fortifications, as a souldier studied in the Lawes, joy∣ning Armes with Iustice, two great helpes for the government of a Prince∣ly dignity: he handles well his Armes, and is expert in riding of horses, a strong man for wrestling, as all Europe affords, able for to give strokes, and the levellest shooter with a peece, that ever I did see; for with a pistoll he never misses a dogge in the head he shoots at; for experience in warfare, nothing inferiour to the greatest Captaines we reade of, easie to come to, and very affable, patient to beare with heate, cold, hunger, and most dura∣ble in travell; and if I were to wish for the personage of a man, mine eyes did never see his like, for a stately majesticke person, whom ever I will great∣ly respect and love for the good received, and shall be ever ready to serve him against all his enemies, my Gracious Soveraigne onely excepted, and his deerest Sisters Royall Issue, to whom I have vowed my best ser∣vice.

Here also in this Kingdome I did observe, [ P] that there is nothing mooves subjects more to obedience, then the opinion they conceive of their Princes care and diligence, in the conservation of his Kingdome and subjects; and experience teacheth us, that the obedience due to Kings by their subjects is weake, if it be not grounded on feare and respective reverence. As authori∣ty is gotten by honourable and convenient carriage: so oftimes we see it is lost by evill carriage. So that all greatnesse destitute of vertue doth vanish in an instant; and therefore the Poets did say, that honour and reverence were the childrenbegotten of Majestie and authority: the example wher∣of, we have in the person of Charles called the wise, who having seene France ruin'd by the former warres, under his predecessors Philip and Iohn, Normandie and Piccardie possessed by the English, and having Edward the third to deale with, the best and happiest King ever England had, who defeated the French in two Battells. This Prince resolved to keepe the rest, finding it to be as good to governe by counsell as by force of Armes, he did nothing rashly nor unfore-seene, but his designs were all well prem editated and dige∣sted, making choice of men wise, valiant, and knowing how to command in warres. Edward seeing his sword thus blunted, and the course of his vi∣ctories by the wisdome of Charles interrupted, said, who did ever see one out of his chamber to give a man so much adoe without Armes? Thus Charles was so wise, that his enemies did make no difficulty to praise him, for he not onely freed his people from misery, but also gathered afterward a great treasure for his sonne, being called rich, as he was wise, and being

respected of his subjects, and of his enemies, as this Magnanimous King of Denmark is, for his prudence after his warres, is as much to be commen∣ded, as his valour was in preserving his subjects & Throne from his enemies, being redacted to a corner; and his counsell served also well, for the good of his subjects, the estate of his Throne, and for the recovery of his losses. And therefore Cicero said, that counsell availed for the good of the State as well as Captaines, for it is oft seene in effect, that by the good advice of the one, the others have happily drawne, and governed their swords; And in another place he saith that Agamemnon Generall of Greece, did never wish for ten such great Captaines as Ajax was, but rather ten wise counsellours, as Nester was, which made Cicero so often to proclaime the honour due to eloquence above valour, saying, Cedant arma togæ, concedat laurea linguæ: but joyned together, as in this Magnanimous King of Denmark, they worke one to anothers hands, for the establishment of his Throne, which I wish so long to continue as the world. Here also we may learne to eschevv vice by the punishment inflicted upon this souldier for his exorbitancy, in having ravish'd a virgin of her honour, he was bereft himselfe of life, by Gods justice, punishing man for sinne examplary to others.

Against this sinne of ravishing Emperours ordained punishment, [ Q] to wit, to lose their heads, and their goods also to be confiscate, but the law of the Canonists treates more meekely with ravishers, suffering them to marry those whom they ravished: But the Lord judgeing more severely, steeping his rods in viniger, ordaines stricter punishment for such malefactors. To eschew therefore the committing of such villanies, I will here set downe some remedies to hinder man from such vices, that we may eschew the like punishment. [ R] The first remedy then is to abstaine from the excesse of wine and meates, not to be drunke with wine, wherein there is dissolution. The second remedy is to eschew idlenesse and too much sleeping, which is ene∣my to travell and diligence. The third, to eschew the company of un∣cleane persons, whose delight is in filthy communications, for he that will touch pitch, must be defiled with it. Evill speeches corrupt good manners; and with Wolves we learne to howle and cry. Dina the daughter of Iacob desiring to see what was not convenient, neither for her shamefac'tnesse, nor for the respect she ought to have carried to her fathers house, was ravished, violated, and was the cause of greater evill. The fourth remedy is to keepe both women and maides in a convenient modesty of a chast behaviour, without which there is a doore opened to all villany and filthinesse, which is able of vertue to make vice. The other remedies are, to live soberly and vertuously in ourcallings, eschewing evill company and filthy communi∣tations, loving rather to take paines in our callings, remembring our duty we owe to God, in not delighting in any uncleannesse, that we may eschew the malediction hanging over the heads of those, which continue in their filthinesse without repentance, abusing the long suffering and patience of the Lord our God and Father.

To conclude this observation, there are lawes and justice observed as well among souldiers, [ S] as in other governments, and the strictest justice that is, with least partiality: our lawes are the Kings Articles, we are sworne to obey our President or Iudge, he amongst us present having the command, to whom his Majesty joynes, as assessor to the Iudge, an Auditor for doing of justice, our Assisers or Iury we have not to seeke (viz.) a competent

number of thirteene of our owne Regiment, Officers, Captaines, Lieve∣tenants, Antients, Sergeants and Corporalls, till our number be full: our Proforce or Gavilliger brings in the complaints, and desires justice, in his Majesties name, to the party offended, and to his Master the Kings Majesty or Generall, that fuers or leades the warre; and every Regiment is bound to have an executioner of their owne, which if the Regiment wants, the Colonell is obliged to hire another to doe the execution for paiment, and sometimes as the crime and the person is respected, that is to suffer, he is honoured to be shot by his camerades, or beheaded, not suffering an executioner to come neare him. Other slight punishments we enjoyne for slight faults, put in execution by their Camerades; as the Loupegarthe, when a Souldier is stripped naked above the waste, and is made to runne a furlong betwixt two hundred Souldiers, ranged alike opposite to others, leaving a space in the midst for the Souldier to runne through, where his Camerades whip him with small rods, ordained and cut for the purpose by the Gavilliger, and all to keepe good order and discipline; for other lesser faults, there is ordained slighter punishments, as Irons, standing at a poast, his hands bound up above his head; likewise sitting on a Treen or woodden Mare, in some publicke place, to make him ashamed of his fault: As also sometimes to stand fix or seaven houres longer than ordinary at the centrie posture; as I was once made to stand in my younger yeares at the Louver gate in Paris, being then in the Kings Regiment of the Guards, passing my prenti∣ship, for sleeping in the morning, when I ought to have beene at my excer∣cise, for punishment I was made stand from eleven before noone, to eight of the Clocke in the night Centry, Armed with Corslet, Head-piece, Brace∣lets, being Iron to the teeth, in a hot Summers day, till I was weary of my life, which ever after made me the more strict in punishing those under my Command.