The Bible Battles, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. Of getting fully the victory, when the enemy is in part ſubdued.
AN Enemy may ſeeme to be overthrowne when he is not: therefore to get a full victory,
I. Beware that the Emies giving way and ſeeming to flye, be not a ſtratageme, as it was in the Iſraelites to the Beniamites; and Ioſua with his company to the men of Ai, and Bethel; by which ſubtlety he did vtterly overthrow them, when they were too confident of the victory. Scanderbeg that Prince of Epirus, thus overcame Amoſe his kinſman that had fled from him, and brought againſt him 60000 Turkes▪ from whom be ſeemed to flye, and for feare to leave his country; by which apparent flight ſo farre he made them ſecure; and ſo after certaine dayes returned backe vponupon them ſecredy, overthrew them, and tooke his trayterous kinſman priſoner.
II. If the enemy be routed, then to purſue the victory as Abraham did inGen: 14. Ioſ: 7. 25. & 8. 11, 12 1 Sam: 14. 22. 1 Mach. 10 49, 50. & 4 15. & 7. 45. chaſing his enemies, Gideon the many and mighty Kings with their hoſtes; Saul the Philiſtims, king Alexander ſonne to Antiochus Epiphanes king Demetri…s hoſt; and as Iudas did Gorgias; and Nicanors hoſt, Caeſar obtaining the victory over the Helvetians ſo purſued them, as hee left them not till all yeelded; ſo having foyled Vercingetorix he followed him till he got into Alexia▪ Scipio vanquiſhing Aſdrubal purſued him to theDe Bel. Gal: l. 1. 7. vtmoſt coaſt of Spaine, Hannibal in not purſuing his victory gotten at Cannas, loſt Rome; he had skill to overcome, but wanted wiſedome to vſe well the victory.
III. Yet in the purſuite, 1. Beware it be not too heady, diſorderly and ſcattered, leaſt purſuers fall into Ambuſhments, or come to neer ſome garriſon, or give ſo advantage to the flying Enemy to fall on againe, recover their loſſes, and become of Conquered ſuddenly Conquerours. Philopoemen charging the Enemy, thatLiv: 35 too eagerly did chaſe his men, overthrew him. Carus the Generall of Segadans having overcome. Quintus Fulvius; yet by diſorderly purſuing and too ſecurely, loſt his victory, was by the ſame Fulvius horſemen, charged ſuddenly, and ſo Carus himſelfe killed, and ſixe thouſand more put to the ſword; Gaſton de fois having foiled the Enemy at Ravenna by advancing himſelfe too farre, and ill followed, loſt his life. Moſes Scanderbegs Generall with other worthy Commanders by too forward purſuitHiſt of Scanderbeg of the Turkes were taken priſoners; And by Mahomet the mercileſſe Tyrant were fleyed alive, and that by little and little, for the ſpace of 15. dayes together.
Secondly, take heed of purſuing one part routed, that an other part of the enemy entire and ſtrong remaine not behind to follow the purſuers; This overſight coſt worthy Mach… beus 1 Mach: 8. 14. 18his life.
Thirdly, not to follow too late, Ioab followed Abner till night, and Alexander, 2 Sam: 10. 49, 50. 1 Mach: 10. 49, 50Demetri…s, but beware of darkneſſe, it hideth many miſchiefes, not to bee foreſeene, nor prevented.
IV. The Enemy once ſcattered is not to be ſuffered to recollect his forces: for thus Pyrrhus, that Noble Warriour, yet once herein ouerſeene; loſt his victory over Valerius Lavinus. The Carthaginians in Spaine, after the deaths of the two Scipioes; ſuffered the reliques of the Romans toLiv: 24. breath and gather head againe, where hereby at length they were vanquiſhed themſelves▪ Alexamen…s having ſlaine Na…, yet ſuffering the Euemy to gather head and to waxe ſtrong, was with all his company by them cut in pieces.
V. To abſtaine from ſpoyle till the enemy be vtterly vanquiſhed, driven away, and they ſecure from perill. Of this Iudas forewarned his followers in chaſing enemy: which charge they1 Mach: 17. 23. well obſerved. Hannibal loſt a more full victory of the Romanes at Trebia, becauſe the Numidian horſemen haſtened too ſoone to the ſpoyle. The Dutch at Gunigaſt extorted the victory out of the hands of the French; which almoſt they had gotten, while they too haſtily followed the ſpoyle. The Italians at Taro had foyled the French, but that at the beginningAnno 1596 they fell to ſpoyle the baggage. The Germanes at the battle of Erlam in Hungarie, having thrice defeated the Turkes, were yet at laſt by vntimely falling vponupon the ſpoile ouerthrowne.
Therefore Iehoram King of Iſrael in the ſtrait Siedge of Samaria by the Syrians, when hee heard that they were ſuddenly fled, and2 King. 7. left grea… ſtore of victuall and treaſure behinde them (though the Inhabitants were almoſt all famiſhed) yet did he withhold them from falling vponupon the ſpoyle, till he certainly vnderſtood that hee might with ſafety doe ſo.
VI. Having gotten a full victory, and none ſeene to make head againſt them: yet it is good not to be over ſecure; as were the Amalekites,… Sam: 30. when they had burned Ziglag, and carryed away all the Inhabitants captive. For they beeing careleſſe, eating, drinking, dauncing, and not ſuſpecting any purſuite after them ſo farre, were ſuddenly overcome by David. The Captives were reſcued, the prey recovered, and all the Enemies almoſt ſlaine, and ſo David returned with ioy. Neyther may they vnadviſedly, while they be in their Enemies Country, divide their armie one part from another. This was the deſtruction of the Cimbri, who being together three hundred thouſand, and having overthrowne Manlius and Cepi…, two Conſulls, Marius let them paſſe by his Camp quietly; but afterwards when for their eaſier march over the Alpes, (they fearing no Enemy) divided themſelves into three companies; he ſeverally ſet vponupon them, and put them to the ſword.