ZANOBI.  I beleve as you saie, that these orders bee verie necessarie, and I for my parte, knowe not what to adde or take from it:  true it is, that I desire to know of you twoo thynges, the one, if when you will make of the taile, or of the flancke hedde, and would make them to tourne, whether this be commaunded by the voice, or with the sounde:  thother, whether those that you sende afore, to make plain the waie, for the armie to marche, ought to be of the verie same souldiours of your battailes, or other vile menne appoincted, to like exercise.

[Sidenote:  Commaundementes of Capitaines being not wel understoode, maie be the destruction of an armie; Respect that is to be had in commaundementes made with the sounde of the Trompet; In commaundmentes made with the voice, what respect is to be had; Of Pianars.]

FABRICIO.  Your firste question importeth moche:  for that many tymes the commaundementes of Capitaines, beyng not well understoode, or evill interpreted, have disordered their armie:  therfore the voices, with the whiche thei commaunde in perilles, ought to bee cleare, and nete.  And if thou commaunde with the sounde, it is convenient to make, that betwene the one waie and the other, there be so moche difference, that the one cannot be chaunged for the other:  and if thou commaundest with the voice, thou oughteste to take heede, that thou flie the general voices, and to use the particulares, and of the particulars, to flie those, whiche maie be interpreted sinisterly.  Many tymes the saiyng backe, backe, hath made to ruinate an armie; therfore this voice ought not to be used, but in steede therof to use, retire you.  If you will make theim to tourne, for to chaunge the hedde, either to flanck, or to backe, use never to saie tourne you, but saie to the lefte, to the right, to the backe, to the front:  thus all the other voices ought to be simple, and nete, as thrust on, march, stande stronge, forwarde, retourne you:  and all those thynges, whiche maie bee dooen with the voice, thei doe, the other is dooen with the sounde.  Concernyng those menne, that must make the waies plaine for the armie to marche, whiche is your seconde question, I would cause my owne souldiours to dooe this office, as well bicause in the aunciente warfare thei did so, as also for that there should be in the armie, lesser nomber of unarmed men, and lesse impedimentes:  and I would choose out of every battaile, thesame nomber that should nede, and I would make theim to take the instrumentes, meete to plaine the grounde withall, and their weapons to leave with those rankes, that should bee nereste them, who should carrie them, and the enemie commyng, thei shall have no other to doe, then to take them again, and to retourne into their araie.

ZANOBI.  Who shall carrie thinstrumentes to make the waie plaine withall?

FABRICIO.  The Cartes that are appoincted to carrie the like instrumentes.

ZANOBI.  I doubte whether you should ever brynge these our souldiours, to labour with Shovell or Mattocke, after soche sorte.