The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 13 – Chapter 14
CHAP. XIII. War muſt be as well Offenſiue as Defenſiue.
FVrther when they hauehave thus fitted themſelues for defence, they muſt alwayes know, that the nature of war requireth, that it be as well offenſiue as defenſiue, and that diverſion of forces doth often helpe, where direct oppoſition prevayleth not. A war meerly defenſiue, where they may offend, is worſe then yeelding at the firſt; for it inureth the aſſailant to cunning and courage, and it driveth the defendant, from good opportunities, to deſperate conditions. Neyther doth it a whit abate the crueltie of the enemy, in whoſe heart is the roote of bitterneſſe, and in whoſe eare the trumpet of deſtruction is ever ſounding this: foreign. Revenge thy ſelfe upon thine enemies. Yea barely to defend, without laying hold on every opportunitie of offence, is againſt the rules of the Art militarie, the nature of war, and the practiſe of good ſouldiers. It is a main rule in warre, whatſoever doth advantage the enemy, it hurteth thee. Quod illū luvat, tibi ſemper officit. Veget. lib. 3. cap. 26Therefore thou ſhouldeſt doe all that may advantage thy ſelfe and hurt him. Againe, the body of vvar, requireth as much offence, to accompany defence; as the naturall body requireth for its actions, a right hand and a left; or, as the right hand and the left, require in ſight, a ſword and buckler: To the which Tully alludeth, ſpeaking of Marcus Coelius, Bonā dextram inquit. ſed malam ſiniſtram babet.who could accuſe well, but defend meanly. He hath a good right hand, (ſaith he) but a naughty left hand. So he that faileth in offending of his enemy, and cleaveth cloſe to his own defence, hath a good left hand, and a naughty right hand. Yea, the very words of Military Art, doth joyn theſe two inſeparably together; with them the word defend, Defendere pro arcere l…tiniſſime dicitur.doth not barely ſignifie to reſist, but alſo to abandon the enemy by all meanes they can from further aſſayling: So Vegetius, Caeſar, Tully, and others, uſeth the word. So from this ſignification, the armed horſe were called Cataphracti; equites defenſores; not onelyonly for defending of the reſt, but alſo for breaking of the enemies forces: Virgil uſeth the vvord in the ſame ſenſe, Solſticium pecori defē dite, id eſt depellite.though in another caſe; Yo driue away, or to put farre off. He that would defend well at home, muſt learn to offend abroad. A good Warriour in this kind muſt be like the Amphibena, having a head on each ſide; foreign.for deviſing as well how to offend, as defend; and with every part of his body, on the right hand, and on the left, he muſt lay about him to make good his deſignes.
Laſtly, that i… hath been the conſtant practiſe of the beſt and skilfull eſt ſouldiers, it is undenyable. Abraham did not onelyonly reskue his Nephew, and his neighbours, vvith their goods and children, but alſo purſued the Kings and ſmote them, and took the ſpoyl: vvhichwhich the Lord did vvell approue on; Gen. 14.1…as appeareth by the vvords of Melchizedeck in the bleſſing of him. I might cite the examples of Moſes, Ioſhua, and the reſt of the Iudges, and of the Iſraelites war againſt their enemies; but this vvere to light a candle at noon-day, to men of learning and experience: For it is more then manifeſt, that this hath been the deſign and practiſe of all the worlds great Generals.
As for the diverting of the enemies forces, obſerue that example of Scipio, vvhoſe counſell prevailed vvith the Romanes againſt Cato, to ſend forces into Aphrick: vvhichwhich proved exceedingly to the Romans good; for hereby the Carthaginians vvere forced to call back Hannibal out of Italy, and of an offenſiue vvar to make a defenſiue.
As this principle is vvell known; Applicatiō.ſo I vvould our vvorthy Warriours, in the beginning of theſe Chriſtian vvarres had anſwered their knowledge vvith their practiſe. For the Lord made the hearts of their enemies to melt, and their ſoules to faint at the hearing of them; but perceiving they kept their right hand in the boſom, and held onelyonly forth the left, they took them time for mature deliberation, in the vvhichwhich they got up forces and courage regether, knowing vvell, that the bucklars in their enemies left hands, might vvell receiue blowes for a time, but they could giuegive none. This vvas the very beginning of our evill, Hinc origo mali.our of vvhichwhich, much diſhonour to God, trouble to his Church, and perill to his Saints hath riſen. Of vvhom this left-handed-counſell came, I leaue to thoſe that know it; but this we all know, it proved a left-handed-counſell. God giuegive us grace hereby to proue Epimethei, if vve could not proue Promethei.
CHAP. XIIII. Of the ſafe leading of the Forces.
BVT to proceed vvith the reſt of the warlike proceedings. As Generals muſt leade on their forces, at their appointed times, for their ſervice; ſo they muſt look vvell to the ſafety of the vvaies by the vvhichwhich they leade them.
The learned, and experienced in Arms, doe vvell obſerue, Plura in itineribus quā in ipſa acie pericula.that there be more dangers in the vvaies, through vvhichwhich they March, then in the very front of the battle. The ſame Author quoted giues a reaſon: While they are in conflict they are fitly armed, prepared, and appointed to fight; they ſee their enemies before them: but in the way, they are ſubiect to the concontrary of all theſe. Therefore the Romans, beſides their Geographicall tables, Perlustratores.they had their Viewers and Tryers of the waies, which went before to cleare all the paſſages, that by the enemies they might not at unawares be ſurprized. Iulius Caeſar would never lead his forces, nor ſuffer them to be led through any dangerous waies, Sueton.without exact diſcovery of the danger. Livius Florus.The neglect of this gaue Sp. Posthumius the Conſul, with all his forces, an ignonimious foil by the Caudini.