aunciente orders, and to finde weapons, whiche from the furie of horses,
should defende them: This necessitie hath made either to be maintayned,
or to bee founde of them the aunciente orders, without whiche, as everye
prudente man affirmeth, the footemen is altogether unprofitable.
Therefore, they tooke for their weapon the Pike, a moste profitable
weapon, not only to withstande horses, but to overcome them: and the
Dutchemen have by vertue of these weapons, and of these orders, taken
such boldnesse, that XV. or XX. thousande of them, will assault the
greatest nomber of horse that maye be: and of this, there hath beene
experience enough within this XXV. yeres. And the insamples of their
vertue hath bene so mightie, grounded upon these weapons, and these
orders, that sence King Charles passed into Italie, everye nation hath
imitated them: so that the Spanish armies, are become into most great
reputation.

COSIMO. Which maner of arming, do you praise moste, either these
Dutchemens, or the auncient Romanes?

[Sidenote: Whether the Romanes maner in arming of men, be better then
the arming of men, that is used nowe a daies.]

FABRICIO. The Romane without doubte, and I will tell the commoditie, and
the discommoditie of the one, and the other. The Dutche footemen, are
able to withstande, and overcome the horses: they bee moste speedie to
marche, and to be set in araye, being not laden with armours: of the
other part, they be subjecte to all blowes, both farre of, and at hande:
because they be unarmed, they bee unprofitable unto the battaile on the
lande, and to everye fighte, where is strong resistaunce. But the
Romanes withstoode, and overcame the horses, as well as the Dutchemen,
they were safe from blowes at hande, and farre of, being covered with