The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. The manner of ſafe Incamping.
AS the waies for ſafe paſſage are to be ſecured, ſo a care muſt be had of incamping the forces. The Camp is the Citie of the ſouldier, be he never ſo great. The Iſraelits being numbred, had their charge to incamp about the Sanctuary; that is, to place themſelues in a warlike order and government. Numb. 2.2The ſonnes of Iſrael ſhall incamp every man by his ſtandard, &c.
The Iſraelites had indeed two ſorts of Camps, one for the managing of their warres, and another when they pitched about the Arke. The forme of the former was …ound, as appeareth by the phraſe of ſpeech, expreſſing Davids comming up to the Camp of the Iſraelites, ready to joyn battell with the Philiſtims. 1 Sam. 17.20. Mabagalah foreign.The word by divers, is diverſly taken; yet amongſt all, it doth properly ſignifie the round compaſſe or circuit invironed, with the carts and carriage. And ſo the Septuaginta, in another place doe well expreſſe it, by a word that ſignifieth rotunditie, called by ſome, pilata acies, Within the compaſſe wherof, the King, in the middle of his Hoſt did lie, for his better ſecurity. The form of the latter was foure ſquare, as you may ſee by the deſcription of it in the ſecond of Numbers; but in both they were placed in a military order. And it is likewiſe cleer, that both the Generall and the Souldiers kept the Camp. Saul was alwaies in the Camp, and ſo was Moſes and Ioſuah, and the reſt of Iſraels Generals. Epaminondas that great Captain is much magnified by Aemilius Probus, for that ſpeech to the Ephori, worthy of a noble Generall indeed: If you will be Princes of Greece indeed, Si principes Graecie eſſe vultis, caſtris eſt vobis utendū non palaeſtra.you muſt be in your Camps, and not ſeeing ſports and recreation. All ſhould be of this mind, that warre for the Lord of Hoſts. The Campe is the fitteſt place, the ſafeſt place, and the place of greateſt honour. Vriah rendreth this reaſon to David, of his not going home to his own houſe: That Ioab his Lord Generall was in the field with the Hoast of Iſrael, 2 Sam. 11.11.and the Ark of God, and ſhall I then goe to mine houſe, to eat, drink, &c. No: as thou livest, and as thy ſoule liveth, I will not doe this thing. All this he might hauehave done, but in regard of the common danger, it was more time to think on God, and his ſervice, then to take his eaſe and liberty in things otherwiſe lawfull. It had alſo been better for David himſelfe to hauehave been there, then upon the top of his houſe; for thereby hee might hauehave been preſerved from a multitude of ſinnes, ſaved a multitude of ſoules from death, and Gods name from a great deal of blaſphemy.
It followeth in incamping, what things are to be lookt into. And firſt, for the formes of the Campes, which with the Iſraelites, I hauehave ſhewed to be round, which of all is the moſt perfect, and therefore the moſt capacious forme. This is fitteſt for them that would obſcure their forces, and hauehave them ſeeme leſſer. But there be other formes or figures uſed, as quadrangular to make them ſeeme bigg; Prout loc… qualitas, aut neceſſitas poſtulaverit. Veget. lib. 1 cap. 23.triangular for a bigger ſhew; and halfe round for the biggeſt ſhew of all. But to a be brief; according to the nature of the place, the qualitie of the ſervice, the ſhew they would make, and the neceſſitie of occurrences, they may faſhion, or change the faſhion of their Campes to their beſt advantage.
It is likewiſe meete that a camp be fortified; witnes the practiſe of the Iſraelites with their Cartes and baggage. Amongſt the heathens Pirrhus is ſaid to be the firſt that deviſed the fortifying of a Campe, whom the Romanes overcomming, they poſſeſſed his Campe, Frontin. lib. 4. cap. 1.and ſeeing the order of it, they were content to imitate the ſame: As Frontine witneſſeth.
As for the place it ſelfe; the ſweetneſſe of the ayre, the fertilitie of the ſoyle, and the advantage of the ground, ſhould be ſought for as much as may be. At leaſt this muſt be looked to, that they leaue not a better place to the enemy, Primum auxilium ex loco, qui tanto utilior quanto ſuperior. Veget. lib. 3. cap. 13.then they hauehave choſen for themſelves. The advantage of the ground is holden a main helpe for commodions encamping; which, how much the higher, ſo much the better. As it is better for encamping, ſo likewiſe for ioyning battle; witneſſe the teſtimonie of Livi, Frontine, Caeſars victories, and others by this meanes. Praeter virtutem locus adjuvat. Plini. lib. 7Take for inſtance that remarkable victory againſt Pharnaces, Mithridates his ſonne; who notwithſtanding of inequalitie of place, put Caeſar and his forces ſo to their valour, that all was litle enough: with Caeſars owne experience and teſtimonie, wee hauehave his continuall care, to take and keepe this advantage; the great moment whereof doth manifeſt it ſelfe by this, that both the Armies contending for it, hauehave begun their fight for the poſſeſſing of it. Of the further ordering of thoſe things ſpoken of, or any other particular for the weal of encamping, Praefecti caſtrorum.I will ſay no more, but refer them to the carefull induſtry, and induſtrous ſkill of the Camp Maſters.