maie kepe them constante, and disposed to faight,
and these thynges of me declared, bee necessarie in
an armie, as the Heddes, the Ansignes, and the Drummes,
is seen that wee have theim all in our armies, but
none doeth his office. First to mynde that the
Peticapitaines doe thesame, for whiche thei are ordeined,
it is necessarie (as I have said) that there bee a
difference, betwene every one of them and their men,
and that thei lodge together, doyng their duties,
standyng in thorder with them: for that thei placed
in their places, bee a rule and a temperaunce, to
maintaine the raies straight and steddie, and it is
impossible that thei disorder, or disorderyng, dooe
not reduce themselves quickly into their places.
But we now adaies, doe not use them to other purpose,
then to give theim more wages, then to other menne,
and to cause that thei dooe some particulare feate:
The very same happeneth of the Ansigne bearers, for
that thei are kept rather to make a faire muster,
then for any other warlike use: but the antiquitie
used theim for guides, and to bryng theim selves againe
into order: for that every man, so sone as the
Ansigne stoode still, knewe the place, that he kept
nere to his Ansigne, wherunto he retourned alwaies:
thei knewe also, how that the same movyng, or standyng,
thei should staie, or move: therfore it is necessarie
in an armie, that there be many bodies, and every
bande of menne to have his Ansigne, and his guide:
wherfore havyng this, it is mete that thei have stomackes
inough, and by consequence life enough. Then
the menne ought to marche, accordyng to the Ansigne:
and the Ansigne to move, accordyng to the Drumme,
the whiche Drumme well ordered, commaundeth to the
armie, the whiche goyng with paces, that answereth
the tyme of thesame, will come to kepe easilie thorders:
for whiche cause the antiquitie had Shalmes, Flutes,
and soundes perfectly tymed: For as moche as like
as he that daunseth, proceadeth with the tyme of the
Musick, and goyng with thesame doeth not erre, even
so an armie obeiyng, in movyng it self to thesame
sounde, doeth not disorder: and therefore, thei
varied the sounde, accordyng as thei would varie the
mocion, and accordyng as thei would inflame, or quiete,
or staie the mindes of men: and like as the soundes
were divers, so diversly thei named them: the
sounde Dorico, ingendered constancie, the sounde Frigio,
furie: whereby thei saie, that Alexander beyng
at the Table, and one soundyng the sounde Frigio, it
kendled so moche his minde, that he laied hande on
his weapons. All these maners should be necessarie
to finde again: and when this should bee difficulte,
at least there would not be left behind those that
teache the Souldiour to obeie, the whiche every man
maie varie, and ordeine after his owne facion, so
that with practise, he accustome the eares of his
souldiours to knowe it: But now adaies of this
sounde, there is no other fruicte taken for the moste
part, then to make a rumour.