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Author: Vegetius Renatus, Flavius.
Title: The foure bookes of Flauius Vegetius Renatus briefelye contayninge a plaine forme, and perfect knowledge of martiall policye, feates of chiualrie, and vvhatsoeuer pertayneth to warre. Translated out af [sic] lattine, into Englishe, by Iohn Sadler. Anno. 1572. Seene and allovved, accordinge to the order appointed.
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Print source: The foure bookes of Flauius Vegetius Renatus briefelye contayninge a plaine forme, and perfect knowledge of martiall policye, feates of chiualrie, and vvhatsoeuer pertayneth to warre. Translated out af [sic] lattine, into Englishe, by Iohn Sadler. Anno. 1572. Seene and allovved, accordinge to the order appointed.
Vegetius Renatus, Flavius., Sadler, John, d. ca. 1595.
Imprinted at London: In Fletestreate, neare to Saint Dunstones Churche by Thomas Marshe, [1572]
Alternate titles: De re militari. English
Subject terms:
Military art and science -- Early works to 1800.
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A14315.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

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title page
TO THE RIGHT HO∣nourable and his singuler good Lord, the Lorde Russell, Earle of Bedforde, one of the Queenes maiestyes most honourable priuye coun∣sell, and Knighte of the honourable order of the Garter. Iohn Sadler wysheth per∣fecte felicitye.
A Preface to the Reader.
Christopheri Carlili Saphphica.
Thomas Dranta
Thomas Drante
In I. Sadlerum eiusque versionem Gulielmus Iacobus.
In Vegetium quem I.S. An∣glicè loquentem fecit.
William Bulleyne
Iohn Higgins.
Sadleri carmen ad praecedentia.
The same.
A COMPENDIOVS treatise of the Institutiōs, of warre, writ∣tn by Flauius Vegetius, a famous Author, vnto Valentinianus Augustus, gathered oute of the Commentaryes of Cato, Celsus, Traianus, Hadrianus, and Frontinus.
The Prologue of the first Booke.
That the Romaines, through the onely exercise of armes haue ouercome all Nations. The firste Chapiter.
¶Out of what countreis a younge souldiour should be chosen. Chapiter .ij.
¶Whether out of the countrey, or out of the citie, yong souldiours may be taken moste conueniently. Chapiter .iij.
¶Of what age those young souldiours should be, whiche should be thought allowable. Chapiter .iiij.
¶Of what stature yonge souldiours should be chosen. Chapter .v.
¶To knowe by the countenaunce and making of the body whiche souldiours are like to proue good. Chapter .vj.
¶What sciences younge souldiours should be skilful in, whiche should be either chosen or refused. Chapiter .vij.
¶Wha tyme younge souldiours should be registred and bylled. Chapiter .viij.
¶That younge souldiours be exercised in mar∣ching, running, and leaping. Chapiter .ix.
¶What younge souldiours shoulde vse to swymme. Chapiter .x.
¶Howe warriers afore tyme caused their souldiours to vse for exercise wicker tergettes, and cudgels at a stake or poste. Chapter .xj.
¶That younge souldiours should be taught to foyne and thruste, not to cutte and stryke downe right. Chapiter .xij.
¶That younge souldiours be taught cunningly to handle weapons. Chapter .xiij.
¶That younge souldiours should vse to caste dartes and other shot. Chapiter .xiiij.
¶That younge souldious should be dili∣gently taught to shoote Chapter .xv.
¶The younge souldiours should be vsed to cast stones with a slinge, or with the hande. Chapiter .xvj.
¶Of the exercise of leaden plummettes. Chapiter .xvij.
¶Howe younge souldiours should be exercised to vaulte or mounte on horses. Chapiter .xviij.
¶That younge souldiours should vse to carie weyght and burdens. Chapiter .xix.
¶What kynde of armour souldiours of olde tyme were wont to vse. Chapiter .xx.
¶Of the fortifyinge of Campes. Chap. xxi.
¶In what places the Campe shoulde be pitched. Chap. xxij.
¶In what forme the Campe shoulde stande. Chapiter .xxiij.
¶Wyth what thinges a Campe shoulde be fortifyed. Cap .xxiiij.
¶Howe a campe shoulde be fenced when the ennemye is at hande. Chapter .xxv.
¶How the yonge souldiours maye be trayned, that in the battayle they keepe good order and theyr arraye, and space betweene one and an other. Chap. xxvi.
¶Howe much space the souldiours must go and come when they be brought forth to marche: And how often they must be exercised in a moneth. Chapiter. .xxvij.
¶Of the perswasion to warrefare, and of the man∣hoode of the Romaynes. Chap. .xxviii.
The seconde Booke of Flauius Vegetius Renatus of the institutions of vvarre.
The Prologue.
Into howe manye kindes the Arte of vvarre maye be deuided. The first Chapter.
¶How the legionarye souldiours and those that are sente for ayde do differ. Cap. ij.
¶The cause why Legions haue beene wasted and deminished. Chap. iij.
¶What nomber of Legions the auncient Ro∣maynes ledde wyth them to the warres. Chapter. .iiij.
¶How a Legion shoulde be ordered. Chapiter. .v.
¶Howe manye cohortes or bandes shoulde be in one Legion, and howe manye souldiours should be in one bande. Cap. vj.
¶Names and degrees, of the chiefe and prin∣cipall men of the Legion. Chap. vij.
¶The names of them which ledde the auncient orders of souldiours. Chap. viij.
¶Of the office of him that is called Praefectus legionis, the lieutenauntes deputie. Chapter .ix.
¶Of the office of the chiefe ouerseer of the campe. Chapiter .x.
¶Of the office of the maister of the artificers. Chapter .xj.
¶Of the office of the chiefe tribune or Colonel. Chapiter .xij.
¶Of the centuries, or hundredes of the footemen, and of their ensignes, or penoncels or banners. Chapter .xiij.
¶Of the trompes of the legionary horsemen, called Turmae. Chapiter .xiiij.
¶After what sorte the legions should be se in order. Chapiter .xv.
¶After what maner the Triarians, and also the Centuriens should be armed. Chapiter .xvi.
¶Nowe that the battayle being ioyned, the complet harnissed men stoode as a wall. Chapiter .xvij.
¶The names of souldiours, and the orders and de∣grees should be wrytten in the shieldes. Chapiter .xviij.
¶Besides the strengthe of the body, the cunning or knowledge of ciphers and countyng, must be regarded in younge souldiours. Chapter .xix.
¶Howe souldiours ought to put aside the halfe part of any gift in money, or other thinges geuen them, in the keeping of suche as are standerd bearers. Chapter .xx.
¶Promotions and dignities in the legion, are so disposed and ordered, that none is aduauced thereto before he haue passed through the .x. bandes or companies of the legion. Chapiter .xxj.
¶What difference is betwene trumpetters, blowrs of hornes, or shawmes and suche like. Chapiter .xxij.
¶Of the exercise of souldiours. Chapiter .xxiij.
¶Examples of exhortations, and the exercise in warlike affaires, taken of other artes and sciences. Chapiter .xxiiij.
¶A rehersall of Iron tooles and other engines of the legion. Chapiter .xxv.
The thirde booke of Flauius Vege∣tius Renatus of the feates of vvarre.
The Prologue.
What maner or of what nomber an Armye shoulde be of. The first Chapter.
¶After what maner the health of an army should be maintayned. Chapiter .ij.
¶Wyth how great care and regarde, forage or grayne ought to be prouided and kepte. Chap. iij.
¶After what maner they ought to foresee, leaste the souldiours do make any sturre or sedition. Chap. .iiij.
¶Howe manye kindes there be of ensignes of warre. Chapter .v.
¶Howe great subtiltye ought to be vsed when an armye is remoued the ennemyes beinge nighe. Chapter .vj.
¶After what maner greate ryuers maye be passed ouer. Chap. .vij.
¶After what maner a campe should be placed. Chapiter .viij.
¶What maner, and howe great thinges should be con∣sidered, to vnderstande whether we ought to fight with skirmishing, and lying in wayte, or with open battayle. Chap. ix.
¶What must be done if any captayne haue an army out of vse of fighting, or an armie of younge souldiours. Chapiter .x.
¶What thinges should be done the same daye, that the open or set battaile should be ioyned. Chapiter .xj.
¶We must diligently searche out▪ what myndes the souldiours be of, when they should fight. Chapiter .xij.
¶Howe a meete place should be chosen to fight in. Chapiter .xiij.
¶Howe an armie ought to be set in order, that in the battell it may be inuincible, or not easely ouercome. Chapiter .xiiij.
¶The maner of measuring by the foote, how much space in the battell should be betweene euery man in length, or in breadeth, and howe much be∣twixte euerye rancke. Chap. xv.
¶Of settinge the horsemen in order Chap. xvi.
¶Of aydes or rescues which are placed be∣hinde the battell. Chap. xvii.
¶In which place the first and chiefe Captaine ought to stande, in which the seconde, and in which the thirde, Chap. xviij.
¶Wyth what meanes the vallantnes and deceytes of the ennemyes in the battell, maye be with∣stande and preuented. Chap. xix.
¶How many kindes of wayes an open or set bat∣tell is ioyned, and howe also that armye which is lesse in nomber and strength, maye obtayne the victorye. Chap. xx.
¶That a waye should be geuen to the ennemyes to de∣part, that they may more easelye be destroyed in flyinge awaye. Chap. xxi.
¶After what maner ye may depart frō the ennemye, if you do not like of your purposed battel. Chap. xxii.
¶Of Camelles and men of armes vpon barded horses. Chap. xxiii.
¶After what maner we may withstande Chariot∣tes armed with hookes, and also Elephantes in the battell. Chap. xxiiii.
¶What ought to be done if eyther part, or the whole armye doth flye. Chap. xxv.
Generall rules of warres. Chap. xxvi.
The fourth booke of Flauius Vege∣tiu Renatus of the feates of vvarre.
The Prologue.
That cities ought to be fenced either vvith handvvorke, or na∣ture, or bothe. The first Chapter.
¶That wales should ot be made streight but with many coignes. Chapiter .ij.
¶After what sorte earth may be heaped vp and ioyned to a wall, so that it shall neuer be beaten downe. Cap. iij.
¶Of portcluses, and howe gates may be safe from burning. Chapter .iiij.
¶Of making ditches. Chapiter .v.
¶Howe to kepe them whiche stande on the wall harmeles from the arrowes of the enemies. Chapiter .vj.
¶By what meanes it ought to be forseene that they that are besieged be not famished. Chapiter .vij.
¶What kynde of thinges must be prepared for the defence of walles. Chapter .viij.
¶What ought to be done if store of stringes or cordes doe fayle. Chapter .ix.
¶What should be done that the besieged lacke not water. Chapiter .x.
¶If ault should fayle in the citie, what ought to be done. Chapiter .xj.
¶What should be done when the enemy doth first assaulte the walles. Chapiter .xij.
¶A rehearsall of engines with which the walles are assaulted. Chap. xiij.
¶Of the battering Ramme, the hooke and the snayle Chap. xiiii.
¶Of sheddes, deskes and countermur. Chap. xv.
¶Of engines called Musculi. Chapiter .xvj.
¶Of towers mouble. Chap. xvij.
¶Howe the mouable tower may be set on fyre. Chap. xviii.
¶Howe you maye make your walles higher. Chap. xix.
¶By what meane the earth maye be digged, that the engine can do no harme. Chap. xx.
¶Of ladders and the frame of tymber wyth ropes, of the bridge, and of the sweape. Chap. xxj.
¶Of the lesser kinde of Ordinaunce called Balista. Of the greater named Onager, of that which is called Scorpio, of Crossebowes called Arcubalistae, of slingstaues and slinges, by the which the wall is defended▪ Chap. xxij.
¶Against the engine named a Ramme, be flockebeddes or matresses very good, also roopes and great pillers. Chapiter .xxiij.
¶Of vndermining and throwing downe walles that waye. Chap. .xxiiij
¶What the townes men oughe to do, if the ennemyes brust into the Cittye. Chap. xxv.
¶What heede oughte to be taken, Ieast the ennemyes priuilye take the wall. Chap. xxvj.
¶How the towns men maye be deceyued. Chap. xxvii.
¶What the besiegers oughte to do that they be not entrapped of the townes men. Chap. xxviii.
¶Wyth what kinde of ordinance Cittyes maye be defended. Chap. xxix.
¶Howe ye maye knowe what heyght your lad∣ders and other enginnes ought to be of. Chap. .xxx.
Preceptes to be obserued in makinge warre vppon the Sea. Chapiter. xxxj.
¶The names of the Iudges which gouerned the Nauye. Chap. .xxxii.
¶Why the Lyburnian Gallyes were so called. Chap. xxxiii.
¶Wyth what dilligence the Gallyes or ship∣pes called Liburnae are made. Chap. xxxiiii.
¶What heede must be taken in cuttinge downe of Timber. Chap. xxxv.
¶In what monethes Timber should be cutte downe. Chap. xxxvi.
¶Of the bignes and fashion of Gallyes called Liburnae. Chap. xxxvij.
¶The names and nomber of the windes. Chap. xxxviij.
¶In what monethes men may sayle more safe∣lye then others. Chap. xxxix.
¶After what maner the signes and tokens of tempestes maye be obserued. Chap. xl.
¶Of sgnes and tokens whereby to know the clearenes and troublesomenes of the ayre. Chap. xlj.
¶Of ebbing and flowing of the Sea▪ Chap. xlii.
¶Of the knowledge of places, and of the rowers. Chapiter .xliij.
¶Of weapons and ordinaunce of shippes. Chap. xliiii
¶Howe wyles maye be wrought on the Sea. Chap. xlv.
¶What should be done when open battel is ioyned on the Sea. Chap. xlvj.
illustrations
A table declaringe what euerye Booke contayneth in euery Chapter.
Faultes escaped in the printinge, whereof the first nomber signifyeth the leafe, the letter a. the first syde, and b. the seconde syde.
colophon