one of the Tribunes of the third, and the same last fell to the fowerth Legion.  After these iiij, thei chose other fower, of which, first one was chosen of the Tribunes of the seconde Legion, the seconde of those of the thirde, the thirde of those of the fowerth, the fowerth remained to the first.  After, thei chose other fower, the first chose the thirde, the second the fowerth, the thirde the fiveth, the fowerth remained to the seconde:  and thus thei varied successively, this maner of chosyng, so that the election came to be equall, and the Legions wer gathered together:  and as afore we saied, this choise might bee made to use straighte waie, for that thei made them of men, of whom a good parte were experiensed in the verie warfare in deede, and all in the fained exercised, and thei might make this choise by conjecture, and by experience.  But where a power must be ordeined of newe, and for this to chuse them out of hande, this chosen cannot be made, saving by conjecture, whiche is taken by consideryng their ages and their likelinesse.

COSIMO.  I beleve all to be true, as moche as of you hath been spoken:  but before that you procede to other reasonyng, I woll aske of you one thing, which you have made me to remember:  saiyng that the chosen, that is to be made where men were not used to warre, ought to be made by conjecture:  for asmoche as I have heard some men, in many places dispraise our ordinaunce, and in especially concernyng the nomber, for that many saie, that there ought to bee taken lesse nomber, whereof is gotten this profite, that thei shall be better and better chosen, and men shal not be so moche diseased, so that there maie bee given them some rewarde, whereby thei maie bee more contented, and better bee commaunded, whereof I would understande in this parte your opinion, and whether you love better the greate nomber, than the little, and what waie you would take to chuse theim in the one, and in the other nomber.

FABRICIO.  Without doubte it is better, and more necessary, the great nomber, then the little:  but to speake more plainly, where there cannot be ordeined a great nomber of men, there cannot be ordeined a perfect ordinaunce:  and I will easely confute all the reasons of them propounded.  I saie therefore firste, that the lesse nomber where is many people, as is for ensample Tuscane, maketh not that you have better, nor that the chosen be more excellent, for that myndyng in chosing the menne, to judge them by experience, there shall be founde in thesame countrie moste fewe, whom experience should make provable, bothe for that fewe hath been in warre, as also for that of those, mooste fewe have made triall, whereby thei might deserve to bee chosen before the other:  so that he whiche ought in like places to chuse, it is mete he leave a parte the experience, and take them by conjecture.  Then being brought likewise into soche necessitie, I would understande, if there come before me twentie young men of good stature, with