that fouldyer which firfle ferueth god, and than obeyeth
hys captayne, may boldelie with all courage, hope to
ouerthrowe his enemy. Agayne, without obedience,
neither valiant man, flout horfe, nor goodly
harnes doth any good at al. which obedi- en' lppar'
ence of ye fouldier toward his captane, brought the
whole empyre of ye worlde, into the Roman eshandes.
and whan it was brought, kepte it lenger, than euer it
was kept in any common welth before or after.

And this to be true, Scipio Africanus, the mofte
noble captayne that euer was amonge the

•n Jo. j i i i ±j. Plutarchus.

Romaynes, mewed very playnly, what tyme
as he went into Afryke, to deftroye Cartage. For he
reilinge hys hoofte by the waye in Sicilie, a daye or twoo,
and at a tyme Handing with a great man of Sicilie, and
looking on his fouldiers how they exercifed themfelues
in kepyng of araye, and other feates, the gentleman
of Sicilie afked Scipio, wherin lay hys chyefe hope to
ouercome Cartage: He anfwered, in yonder feloes of
myne whom you fe play: And why fayth the other,
bycaufe fayeth Scipio, that if I commaunded them to
runne in to the toppe of this high caflel, and cafl
them felues doune backeward vpon thefe rockes, I am
fure they woulde do it.

Salluft alfo doth write, yat there were mo Romanes
put to death of theyr captaynes for
fetting on theyr enemyes before they had 'm'

licence, than were for running away out of the fyelde,
before they had foughten. Thefe two examples do
proue, that amonges the Romaynes, the obedience of
the fouldyer was wonderfull great, and the feueritie of
the Captaynes, to fe the fame kepte wonderfull flrayte.
For they wel perceyued that an hofte full of obe-
dyence, falleth as feldome into the handes of theyr
enemies as that bodye fawleth into Jeoperdye, the
whiche is ruled by reafon. Reafon and Rulers beynge
lyke in offyce, (for the one ruleth the body of man, the
other ruleth the bodye of the common wealthe) ought
to be lyke of condicions, and oughte to be obeyed in