183 Copies of Two Manufcripts

both a hundred pikes ; whereof I much marvelling, and defiring greatly to know the caufe that had moved them to leave the pike, which in my conceit I always judged the ftrength of the field ; happening afterwards in the company of certain French captains, fome of them antient in years, and fuch as were of the religion, I demanded the reafon that had moved them to give over that de- fenfible weapon, the pike, and to betake them altogether to mot? Not to any diiliking, or other caufe, faid they, but for that we have not fuch perfonable bodies, as you Englifhmen have, to bear them ; neither have we them at that commandment as you have, but are forced to hire other nations to fupply our infufficiency, for of our- felves we cannot fay we can make a complete body. Moreover they affirmed, that in the time of Newhaven, if we had let them have but 6000 of our armed pikes, they would have marched through all France, fo highly efteemed they of the pike, who neverthelefs in our judgment feem to have given over the fame, or to make fmall account thereof. Moreover for the better and readier ordering and training of your men in every mire, thofe, that are appointed to be private captains, mould have under every of their feveral charges only one fort of weapon, viz. one captain to have the charge of pikes, ano- ther of mot, &c. And no man's band to be lefs than 200 men. By means whereof your ferjeant major, or fuch, to whom you lhall commit the order of your footmen, may from time to time readily know the numbers of every fort of weapons, whereby at one inftant a fkilfull man may range them into any order and form of battle you will have them. And every captain and his officers lhall ferve with their own men, which is a matter of great contentment both to captain and foldier. For otherwife he have charge of more forts of weapons, then muft he either disjoin himfelf from his officers in time of fervice, or elfe he muft commit his men under another man's