if at unwares in the middest of the faight, the enemie
might bee assaulted behinde, or on the side:
the whiche hardely maie be doen, if the countrie helpe
thee not: for that when it is open, parte of
thy men cannot bee hid, as is mete to bee doen in
like enterprises: but in woddie or hille places,
and for this apt for ambusshes parte of thy men maie
be well hidden, to be able in a sodain, and contrary
to thenemies opinion to assaut him, whiche thyng alwaies
shall be occasion to give thee the victorie. It
hath been sometyme of greate importaunce, whilest
the faighte continueth, to sowe voices, whiche doe
pronounce the capitaine of thenemies to be dedde, or
to have overcome on the other side of the armie:
the whiche many times to them that have used it, hath
given the victorie. The chivalrie of the enemies
maie bee easely troubled, either with sightes, or with
rumours, not used: as Creso did, whom put Camelles
againste the horses of the adversaries, and Pirrus
sette againste the Romaine horsemen Eliphantes, the
sighte of whiche troubled and disordered them.
In our time, the Turke discomfited the Sophi in Persia,
and the Soldane in Surria with no other, then with
the noise of Harkabuses, the whiche in soche wise,
with their straunge rumours, disturbed the horses
of those, that the Turke mighte easely overcome them:
The Spaniardes to overcome the armie of Amilcare,
put in the firste fronte Cartes full of towe drawen
of oxen, and comming to handes, thei kindeled fire
to thesame, wherfore the oxen to flie from the fire,
thrust into the armie of Amilcar, and opened it.
Thei are wonte (as we have saied) to begile the enemie
in the faight, drawyng him into their ambusshes, where
the Countrie is commodious for the same purpose, but
where it were open and large, many have used to make
diches, and after have covered them lightly with bowes
and yearth, and lefte certain spaces whole, to be
able betnene those to retire: after, so sone
as the faight hath been begunne, retiryng by those,
and the enemie folowing them, hath fallen in the pittes.
If in the faight there happen thee, any accident that
maie feare thy souldiours, it is a moste prudente
thyng, to knowe how to desemble it, and to pervert
it to good, as Tullo Hostilio did, and Lucius Silla:
whom seyng while thei fought, how a parte of his men
wer gone to the enemies side, and how thesame thing
had verie moche made afraied his men, he made straighte
waie throughout all the armie to be understoode, how
all thing proceded, accordyng to his order: the
whiche not onely did not trouble the armie, but it
increased in them so moche stomack, that he remained
victorious. It happened also to Silla, that havyng
sente certaine souldiours to doe some businesse, and
thei beyng slain he saied, to the intent his armie
should not be made afraied thereby, that he had with
crafte sent theim into the handes of the enemies,
for that he had found them nothyng faithfull.
Sertorius faightyng a battaile in Spaine, slue one,