COSIMO. Whereof cometh so moche disavauntage?

[Sidenote: The battailes when thei are a faightyng, doe throng
together.]

FABRICIO. I have a little afore tolde you, but seyng that you have not
understoode it, I will rehearse it againe. The Duchemen (as a little
before I saied unto you) as it were unarmed, to defende themselves, have
to offende, the Pike and the swearde: thei come with these weapons, and
with their orders to finde the enemies, whom if thei bee well armed, to
defende theim selves, as were the menne of armes of Carminvola, whiche
made theim a lighte on foote, thei come with the sweard, and in their
orders to find them, and have no other difficultie, then to come nere to
the Suizzers, so that thei maie reche them with the sweard, for that so
sone as thei have gotten unto them, thei faight safely: for asmoche as
the Duch man cannot strike thenemie with the Pike, whom is upon him, for
the length of the staffe, wherefore it is conveniente for hym, to put
the hande to the sweard, the whiche to hym is unprofitable, he beyng
unarmed, and havyng against hym an enemie, that is all armed. Whereby he
that considereth the vantage, and the disavantage of the one, and of the
other, shall see, how the unarmed, shall have no maner of remeady, and
the overcommyng of the firste faight, and to passe the firste poinctes
of the Pikes, is not moche difficulte, he that faighteth beyng well
armed: for that the battailes go (as you shall better understande, when
I have shewed you, how thei are set together) and incounteryng the one
the other, of necessitie thei thrust together, after soche sorte, that
thei take the one thother by the bosome, and though by the Pikes some
bee slaine, or overthrowen, those that remain on their feete, be so
many, that thei suffice to obtaine the victorie. Hereof it grewe, that