The Bible Battles, Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. Of the Generals carriage towards his owne Armie, State and Country.
HE that is of an honourable diſpoſition to others, he cannot but …e worthily diſpoſed towards his owne, and to the honour of his King and Country. A worthy Comman…er will take the ſumme of the hoſt, to ſee who are lacking and not lightly paſſe it by, but at the death of valiant and ſerviceable men to do… Num. 31, 10them honour being dead, as Dauid did Abner. And to cauſe that all the ſlaine be buried.
II. To hauehave a great care in a ſpeciall manner to the ſick, …aimed and wounded, that they periſh not, nor being brought home, to be neglected, ſo as they be forced to beg like Rogues, but that ſome convenient allowance be provided, till they can recover, and be able to liue by honeſt labour.
III. It was the manner of r… nowned Chriſtians to take diligent heed that all their whole army did behaue themſelues worthy th… victory; Charles the great after victory, in the long warres againſt the Lombards and Saxons, was pleaſed to call his Souldiers Nobles, and Kings fellowes, charging them to carry themſelues as Kings over their owne corruptions, which if they did a… g… n…ous ſpirits, he promiſed to maintaine them, and account the injuries done to them, as done vntounto himſelfe: but if they did let looſe their raines to diſorder, ſhame they ſhould hauehave for honour, and ſuffer puniſhment as a due reward. Frederick the Emperour after his victory over the Gunzians in Hungary, ſaid thus to his ſouldiers, you hauehave done a great worke, my ſouldiers, but yet there remaineth a greater, to overcome your ſelues, & not become through the victory, inſolent, cruell, and revengefull. They may not be given to drunkenneſſe, as Elah King of Iſrael was, as was Be…hadad with his 32 Kings, as was Alexander the great at length to his everlaſting diſhonour; nor to Luxury, as H…ibal was at Capua, by which he received more hurt, then all the Romanes could doe him; neither defile themſelues with women; nor abuſe captiue maids, no… matrons.
IV. The worthy valiant and ſuch as hauehave done good ſervice are to be incouraged. 1. In giving them due praiſes, as David his worthies had, every2 Sam: 23 one after his deſert; and as David cap. 26.himſelfe had after his deſert; and as David himſelfe had after his ſleying of Goliah. 2. In rewarding them; The Romanes did many wayes returne their worthy Valiants, as is before noted; Some had honour beſtowed vponupon them, ſome money and lands, ſome had places given them, ſome titles and names; great care was had by one meanes or other to reward the well deſerving.
V. As care is to be had to reward the worthy; ſo the ill deſerving, and ſuch as be worthy of puniſhment ſhould ſurely hauehave it; this the Romanes did not forget, when the wars were ended. The great Ones felt their diſpleaſure; Fulvius was baniſhed,Liv… becauſe through negligence his Army was diſcomfited by Hannibal, at Herdonea. M. Poſthumius had a mighty fine ſet vponupon his head, for that the Romanes at Ʋ …ii were overthrowne through his default; Rutili…s ſpared not his owne ſonne,Val. ma… who by his negligence loſt the Caſtle of Tarentum in Sicily.
VI. A worthy General, is to hauehave care of dividing the ſpoile, and vſing of it aright. 1. That in it iuſtice be obſerved, that what belongeth to one, may not be given to another. This care had Abraham, that wha… belonged to his Confederates they ſhould hauehave. Scipio reſtored diverſe things to the Sicilians; which he found in the ſacking▪ of Carthage, and had been taken from them. The Romanes tooke not that for ſpoile which did belong to their friends & Confederates. David had a care in1 Sam. 20. 20. 25. this to order the ſpoile in giving to thoſe that kept the ſtuffe, as well as to thoſe, that went forth to fight. 2. That charity be ſhewed firſt vntounto ſuch of their owne as be in miſery by reaſon of the warre, the wounded, and lame: Great reaſon is that theſe be pittied, and made partakers with the ſound and whole in the ſpoile. Then to manifeſt charity alſo2 Chro. 28 15. to ſuch of the Enemies, as ſtand in extreame need, whom the General is pleaſed to ſend away, as did worthily the Nobles of Iſrael, to the miſerable captiues; And after this to reſerue ſome portion among them for their poore at home, poore widdowes, Orphanes, and other impotent by age or ſickneſſe. As Iudas Machabeus and his Army did. 3. To2 Mac: 8 28 ſhew gratitude and thankefulneſſe vntounto friends, this is no… to be neglected; David forgot not this; as you may reade in 1 Sam. 30. 26. to the end of the chapter. Thus did Scanderbeg ſend of the ſpoiles of the Turkiſh army led by Iſaac Baſſa which came with Amaſe Scanderbegs Nephew with 50000 horſe to ſubdue Epyrus. 4 Pietie may not be omitted,Num: 31 but that ſome part be for Gods ſervice, as before hath beene noted, in the example of the Iſraelites: among the Romanes to vphold their warres it was a cuſtome for the GeneralsCap: 29 to bring into the publicke treaſurie of the ſpoiles, as did Furius, Liv: 30. 34, 35.Helvius, Minutius, Cato, Scipio, Aemilius Paulus, and others.
Laſtly, a General is to be wary and wiſe in diſmiſſing of his Army, leaſt he doe as King Demetrius did who procured hatred of his Fathers1 Mach. 38 39, 40. 55. forces. Of which one Tryphon tooke occaſion to lift vp young Antiochus againſt him, with who… againſt Demetrius the foreſaid diſmiſſed forces tooke part. A diſcontented Army ſet at liberty may doe very much miſchiefe, as thoſe of Iſrael did which2 Ch: 25. 10-13 were ſent home by Amaziah; they fell vponupon the Citties of Iudah, ſmote three thouſand and carryed away much ſpoile. Therefore muſt there be ſpeciall wiſedome in this point, eſpecially, if there be ſpied any ſuch Tryphon among them.