(it maye be sayde) almoste al on foote, and thei fought close together
and sure, and thei overcame diversly, the one the other, according to
the largenesse, or straightnesse of the situation: for that in this the
Romaines were superiours, in thesame the Parthians, whom might make
greate proofe, with thesame maner of warryng, consideryng the region,
which thei had to defende, the which was moste large: for as moche as it
hath the sea coaste, distant a thousande miles, the rivers thone from
thother, twoo or three daies journey, the tounes in like maner and the
inhabitauntes few: so that a Romaine armie heavie and slowe, by meanes
of their armoures, and their orders, could not over run it, without
their grevous hurt (those that defended it, being on horsebacke mooste
expedite) so that thei were to daie in one place, and to morowe distaunt
fiftie miles. Hereof it grewe, that the Parthians might prevaile with
their chivalrie onely, bothe to the ruine of the armie of Crassus, and
to the perill of thesame, of Marcus Antonius: but I (as I have told you)
doe not intende in this my reasonyng, to speake of the warfare out of
Europe, therfore I will stand upon thesame, whiche in times past, the
Romaines ordained, and the Grekes, and as the Duchemen doe now adaies.
But let us se to the other question of yours, where you desire to
understande, what order, or what naturall vertue makes, that the
footemen overcome the horsmen. And I saie unto you first that the horses
cannot go, as the footmen in every place: Thei are slower then the
footemen to obeie, when it is requisite to alter the order: for as
moche, as if it be nedefull, either goyng forward, to turne backwarde,
or tournyng backwarde, to go forwarde, or to move themselves standing
stil, or goyng to stand still, without doubt, the horsemen cannot dooe
it so redilie as the footemen: the horsemen cannot, being of some
violence, disordained, returne in their orders, but with difficultie,
although thesame violence cease, the whiche the footemen dooe moste
easely and quickly. Besides this, it happeneth many tymes, that a hardie