on Defence againft In-i'afion. 1 8 1 And moreover, if you mall appoint them to weapons who are apter to labour than to fight, you fhall find double inconveniency there- by in mifplacing them contrary to their natural difpofition and ufe. And touching mine own opinion and judgment, I mould more ftand in fear of a few pickt and choice foldiers, that were furnifhed with a fiifficient number of pioneers, than with the hugenefs of an, army of unfelected and disfurnilhed numbers. Now to fay fome- what by the way touching your armed pikers, the only body, ilrength, and bulwark in the field, it is not a little to be lamented to fee them fo generally decayed in this land, giving ourfelves fo much to that French order of mot, whereby we have fo wonder- fully weakened ourfelves, as it is high time to look to the restoring of them again. And yet touching the ufe of mot, as it is a fmgular weapon, being put into the hands of the fkilful and exercifed fol^- dier (being the pillars and upholders of the pikes, and without which there is no perfect body), fo no doubt, on the contrary part, committed to a coward, or an unfkilful man!s handling, it is the previeft thief in the field; for he robbeth pay, confumeth victuals, and flayeth his own fellows in difcharging behind their backs. And one thing even is as ill. as this, he continually wafteth powder, the moft precious jewel of a prince. Whereof I would w T ifh captains not only to rejecl: fuch as are altogether unapt, but alfo greatly to commend of them, that difcharge but few mot, and beftow them well, for it is more worthy of praife to difcharge fair and leifurely, than faft and unadvifedly, the one taking advantage, by warinels and forefight, whereas the other loofeth all with rafhnefs and haft. But to return to the pike again, myfelf being in the Low Coun- tries and in the camp, when thefe great armies were laft affem- bled, and perufmg in every feverall regiment the forting and dir vifion of weapons, as well as their order and difcipline, there were two nations (the French king's one) that had not between them both
