[Proem: In Praise of the King]
fol. 12vElectrix ita milicie pars prima recedit,
Et pars partitrix ecce secunda subit.footnotetextual note 1
The firste parttextual note 2 of IIII is here at ende;of 4 parts
Now to the part secounde! Er we procedeBefore
To knowe this, His grace God us sende!
Myn auctour ofte adviseth us to redeMy author often advises read
line625And to the sense of it to taken hede;heed
To rede a thinge withoutetextual note 3 intelligence,understanding
As seith Cato the wise, is negligence.explanatory note 1
But this I leve unto the sapiencewisdom
Of chivalers, and to my werk retorne,knights
line630Theryn to do my feithful diligence
For their pleasaunce, out of this prosis stornestern prose [Vegetius’s treatise]
The resonaunce of metris wolde I borne.rhyme would I birth
As myghti herte in ryngynge herneysinge,
So gentil wittextual note 4 wil in good metris springe.footnoteexplanatory note 2
line635And for th’onour of th’everlastyng Kynge,
Our Saviour Jhesus, and His ierarkys,hierarchs
His angelys, and for that swete thinge,
His Modre, patronesse of al my warkys,Mother all my works
For His prophetys love and patriarkys,and [that of His] patriarchs
line640And for th’Apostolis that made our Crede,explanatory note 3Creed
As do me favour, ye that wil me rede.you who will read my words
[Divisions of Armed Forces (Veg. 2.1)]
fol. 13rVirgile seith (an high poete is he!) lofty
That werre in armys stonttextual note 5 and mannys myght:footnoteexplanatory note 4
The man on hors, o fote, or ontextual note 6 the see.horse, on foot sea
line645Riders be wyngis clept, for swift and light,are called wings
On either half of th’ege eketextual note 7 ar thei dight.either side of the [front] line found
But now that ege is called the banereline banner
Or banerye, havyngtextual note 8 his banereer.bannerie bannerer (i.e., standard-bearer)
Also ther are riders legyonaryis;legionary riders
line650Thei are annexed to the legioun.
In too maner of shippes men to cary is,two kinds of ships men are carried
Their namys ar couth in this regioun:known
Or-thwart go they the flood, and up and doun.explanatory note 5Crossing over waters
Riders in playn, footmen goth everywhere,[go] in plains, footmen go
line655By theyme the commyn wele is to conquere.common profit
Riders a fewe, and have o foote fele,
Thei spende smal, and horsmen spende fre.footnote
Footmen o tweyne is to dyvide and dele:are divided in two
Or legiaunt or aydaunt for to be.Either legionary or auxiliary
line660Confederat men aydaunt is to se,Allied men are to be seen as auxiliaries
That is to say, by trewce or toleraunce,truce
As Frensh ar suffred here, and we in Fraunce.explanatory note 6French are suffered [to be]
Aydaunt be they, but in the legiounAuxiliary
Lithtextual note 9 th’textual note 10ordinaunce in werre to prevaile.Lies the appointed duty war
line665A legioun out of electiounselection
Hath take his name, as elect to bataile:Takes its name selected to do battle
Her diligence and feith is not to faile.Their faith fail
Thi legyaunt forthi to multiplie
Is right, but aydauntys a fewe applie.footnotetextual note 11
[Comparing the Legion and the Auxiliary (Veg. 2.2)]
fol. 13vVIII thousant werreours was a phalange8,000 warriors were a phalanx
line671In dayis olde, and of VI M1 men6,000
Was a caterve, but this diagalangeexplanatory note 7caterva (i.e., horde) such detail
Is, as to this, not worth a pulled hen.explanatory note 8
Thetextual note 12 legioun, departed into X,divided into 10 parts
line675Is us to lerne, and legions how felelearn
It is to have, and how asondir dele.asunder
[Formation of the Legion (Veg. 2.4–5)]
The consules II legiounys ladden,consuls [each] led two legions
Altextual note 13 aldermeest; but thei hadde exercise,At most training
Wherof the felde victoriously thei hadden.battlefield
line680To chose a legioun, this was the gise,advice
In bookys as they seyn, these olde wise:authorities
Wyis,textual note 14 hardy, strong, doctryned, high statured,Wise obedient
In feet of werre ofte used and wel ured.feats of war (i.e., feats of arms) trained
That was the man, he was mad mylitaunt,
line685When al the world to the Romayn Empire
Was made obey, by knyghthod valiaunt.made [to] obey
A sacramental oth doth it requyre,oath
To write pleyn this matere I desire,
By God and Criste and Holy Goost swar he,he swore
line690And bytextual note 15 that emperourys majestee.emperor’s
Next God is hym to drede and hym to honoure is.textual note 16
Right as to God ther bodily, present
To th’emperour, when he mad emperour is,
Devotioun — uchtextual note 17 loyal ympendenttextual note 18
line695Is to be vigilaunt, his servyent.footnote
God serveth he, both knyght and comynere,commoner
That loveth hym,textual note 19 to God that regneth here.reigns
fol. 14rGod, Criste Jhesus,textual note 20 and Holy Goste was swornwere sworn [to]
By theim, and th’emperourys majestee,
line700That his commaundementys shuld be bornorders should be borne
And strenuously be doon, be what thei be.done
Fro mylitaunce that thei shal never flemilitary service desert
Ner voyde deth, but rather deth desireNor avoid death
For th’emperour, and wele of his Empire.well-being
[Cohorts and Soldiers (Veg. 2.6)]
line705Thus sworn, uch knyght is of the legioun.
The legioun stont in cohortys X;10 cohorts
Cohors thetextual note 21 Latyn is, this regioun
T’English it fore, help us, goodtextual note 22Lord! Amen.To [translate] it into English
The dignité and numbertextual note 23 of the men
line710Hath in the firste cohorstextual note 24 an excellencefirst cohort
Of noble blood, manhode, and sapience.wisdom
This feleshepe, most worshipful, most digne,
Bar th’egil and th’ymage of th’emperour;Carried the eagle
As God present was holden either signe,
line715Thei hadde both attendaunce and honour;
Of chivalers heryn was doon the flour,explanatory note 9flower (i.e., the best)
A M1 an C and V footmen,1,105
And VIIIXX and VI of wight horsmen.explanatory note 10166 strong
The military cohors, or the choors,military cohort
line720Thus named it thetextual note 25 wise. And the secounde
Cohors, like as the bonet to his coorsbonnet to the body
Is set, thei sette ittextual note 26 footmen stronge and sounde,
Vtextual note 27 C and an half, and V abounde555
In hit, with sixe and sixti hors, and it66
line725The quyngentary called men of wit.quingenary [cohort]
fol. 14vAs fele and myghty choys putte intextual note 28 the thridde is,strong selection [of men] is put
For in their honde espoyretextual note 29 is al to thryve:hands hope
Her place in ordynaunce is in the myddys.Their middle
And for the firth choors is to discrivetextual note 30fourth cohort assign
line730Footmen V C and an half and V,555
With sixe and sixti hors, and eve astextual note 31 fele,even as many
With better hors, unto the fifthe dele.horsemen part
For as the first cohors is the right horn,horn (i.e., wing)
So in the lift horn is the fifthe choors;left cohort
line735For V choors stonde in the frounte aforn,5 cohorts
Or the vawarde: of termys is noo foors,vanguard terms are of no concern
So the conceyt be had. The sixt cohorsIf the concept
Hath, as the fifthe, yettextual note 32 lusty men and yonge;
To th’egil next to stonde it is to fonge.the eagle to take up [position]
line740That is the right horn. In the myddil warde
The nexte choors hath eve as mony as she,cohort has as many as it [did]
The nexte as fele, and therto is tawardeas strong (i.e., as many)
The myghti men, amyddis forto be.
The IXth is of the same quantitie,ninth [cohort]
line745The Xth is eve as is the choors beforn,tenth [cohort]
But make it strong, for it is the lift horn.left wing
The legioun in X is thus cohorted,
VI Ml and an C men on foote,6,100
VII C hors and XXXexplanatory note 11 thertotextual note 33 soorted,730
line750Of fewer hors is not to speke or moote
In eny legioun; yet, crop and rootetextual note 34
To seyn, of hors ther may be take moo,more
Commaundement if ther be so to do.
[Officers in the Legion Still in Practice (Veg. 2.7)]
fol. 15rExployed heer th’usage and ordynaunceHaving explained here
line755Of legyoun, unto the principaloffice
Of chivalers retournetextual note 35 our remembraunce:knights
The dignitie and name in special
Of every prince enrolled, and who shalprince (i.e., officer)
Do what, and whenne, and where, it is to write.
line760Good angel, help ustextual note 36 al this werk t’endite!to compose
The grete trybune is mad by th’emperour,tribune made
Andtextual note 37 by patent, and sendtextual note 38 by jugement.[letter] patent decree
Th’undir-trybune is hent of his labour.subtribune identified by
An ordyner for fighters forth presentordinarius
line765Is forto sette. Eek th’emperour contentAlso
Is ofte to sende and make secoundaryis;secondarius
What name is heer for hem? Coordinaryis.Coordinarius
Antextual note 39 egiller bar th’egil, and th’ymageaquilifer carried the eagle image-standard
Of th’emperour bar an ymaginary,imaginarius
line770And moo then oon ther were of thosetextual note 40 in wage.more than one of those
A banereer, tho clept a draconary,footnote
A kyng heralde, tho clept a tesserary,king’s herald tesserarius
The baner he,textual note 41 he bar commaundement,footnote
Al th’oost t’obeye her princys hole entent.The whole army
line775Campigeners made exercisetextual note 42 in feeldys,Campigeni (i.e., drillmasters) training
Campymeters mesured out the grounde,Campimetes (i.e., surveyors)
To picche pavilons, tentys, and teeldys,pitch shelters
The forteresse triangeler or roundefortress triangular
Or square to be made or dymyrounde,
line780His part hit was. And he that was library,librarius (i.e., clerk)
Th’accomptys wrot, that rekenyng ne vary.Wrote the accounts
fol. 15vThe clarioner, trompet, and hornycler,bugler, trumpeter horn-blower
With horn, and trompe of bras, and clarioun,
In terribil batailis bloweth cleer,battles blow
line785That hors and man rejoyceth at the soun.sound
The firmament therto making resountextual note 43heavens echo
Or resonaunce; thus joyneth theitextual note 44 bataile —
God stonde with the right, that it prevaile!explanatory note 12
A mesurer, that is our herbagere,measurer quartermaster
line790For paviloun and tent assigneth he
The grounde, andtextual note 45 seith: “Be yetextual note 46 ther, be yetextual note 47 here!”
Uch hostel eek, in castel and citee,Each lodging also
Assigneth he, uch aftir his degré.in accordance with a man’s class
A wreth o golde is signe of grete estate;wreath of
line795That wered it, was called a ‘torquate’.whoever wore torquatus
Sengil ther were of these, and duplicateSingular
And triplicate, and so to IIII and V,4 and 5
That hadde wage, uche aftir his estate.explanatory note 13[multiplied] wages
Tho namys goon, such personys alyve,
line800It may be thought, therof wil I not scryve.footnote
Ther were eek worthymen clept candidate,called candidati
And last, the souldeours, uch othrys mate.explanatory note 14each other’s comrade
[Officers in the Legion Now Obsolete (Veg. 2.8)]
The principal prince of the legioun,explanatory note 15foremost princeps
Sumtyme it was, and yet is a like gise,
line805To maketextual note 48 a ‘primypile’, a centurioun — centurio primi pili
A lieutenaunt men calle him in our wise.manner
And him beforn is th’egil forto arise.textual note 49
IIII C knyghtis eek of valiaunce400 valiant knights (i.e., of the first line)
This prymypile hadde in his governaunce.
fol. 16rHe in the frounte of al the legioun
line811Was as a vi-captayn, a governour,vice-captain
And took availe at uch partitioun.advantage of each wage-giving
The first spere was next, a lusty flour:first spear (primus hastatus) flower
CC to governe is his honour,200 spears
line815Wherof thei named him a ducennary,ducenarius
The name fro the numbir not to vary.
The prince an C and an half governed,princeps 150 [men]
Eek he governed al the legiounAlso he administrated
In ordynaunce; overal he went unwerned.unhindered
line820The nexte spere, of name and of renoun,second spear (secundus hastatus)
As mony hadde in his directioun.
The first triari hadde an C men.triarius prior (i.e., third-ranked officer) 100 men
A chevetayn was eke of every X.chieftain (i.e., captain) [there] for every 10 men
Thus hath the first cohors V ordinayris,5 officers
line825And every X antextual note 50 hed, a cheveteyne,
To rewle theim; andtextual note 51 so ittextual note 52 necessayr is,
An C and V on this choors to reigne:105 men cohort to govern
IIII ordinayris and the cheef captayne,4 officers
That is their ordinary general,
line830And seyde is oftetextual note 53 of him: he rewleth al.rules everything
So high honour, so gret utiliteegreat privilege
Hath everych estate of this renoun
Provided hemtextual note 54 by sage antiquitee,[to] them
That every persone in the legioun
line835With al labour, with al devotioun
To that honour attended to ascende,
And thattextual note 55 avail to wynne, her bodyis bende.benefit to win, they labor
fol. 16vThe nexte choors, named the quyngentary,cohort quingenary
Hath centurions or centenerys V;centuries
line840Thridde choors as fele hath necessary;just as many has
The firthe V, and, fortotextual note 56 spede us blyve,to hasten us along
In every choors the centyners oo fyvethere are 5 centuries
In numbir make, and so the legioun
Of hem hath LV up and doun.55 [men] in total
line845Not LX,explanatory note 16 whi? Fortextual note 57 V th’ordinayrystextual note 58Why not 60 [men]? the 5 officers
In their estate and stede of V stonde.[have] 5 who can stand for them
To graunte this, me semeth, noo contrary is:it seems to me
Though in my book so wryton I ne fonde,I do not find it written
Of LV, wel I undirstondeFrom [the total of] 55 [men]
line850And fynde cleer, so that it most appere,
That undir-ordynayrys V were.[there] were 5 subordinarii
[Prefect of the Legion (Veg 2.9)]
The consulys,explanatory note 17textual note 59 for th’emperour, legatyslegates
Sende unto the oste; to thaim obtemperauntarmy obedient
Was al the legioun, and al th’estatys.textual note 60the ranks
line855They were of al the werres ordynaunt.wars the administrators
To theim obeyed everych aydaunt,auxiliary [force]
In stede of whom illustres lordes, poerys,textual note 61illustrious powers
Be substitute, maistrys of chivalerys;Are [now] substituted, masters
By whom not oonly legiounys twayn,not just two legions
line860But grete numbrys hadde governaunce.[even] greater
The propre juge is the provost, certayn,commanding officer prefect
With worthinesse of the first ordynaunce;
The vi-legate is he by mynystraunceadministration
Of his power, to hym the centenerscenturies
line865Obey, and the trybune andtextual note 62 chivalers.
fol. 17rOf him the rolle of wacch and of progressepassword for the nightwatch
Thei crave and have, and if a knyght offende,
At his precepte he was put to juessesent for judgment
By the trybune, in payne ortextual note 63 deth t’anende.explanatory note 18death to bring about
line870Hors, herneys, wage, and cloth, vitail to spende,harness clothes
His cure it was t’ordeyn, and disciplyneduty to arrange
Unto every man, severous or benygne.severe or benign
His justising, with sobre diligence,conducting of justice sober
And pité doon uppon his legioun,
line875Assured hem to longh obediencelong
And reverence, and high devotioun.
Good governaunce at his promotioun
Kept every man; and his honour, him thoughte
It was, when every man dede as him oughte.did
[Prefect of the Camp (Veg 2.10)]
line880The maister or provost of ordynaunce,ordinance
Although he were of lower dignitie,
His estimatioun and governaunce,
The bastilys, dich, and pale is to se,bastions, ditch, and wall
And wher thetextual note 64 tabernaculys shal beplaces of worship
line885And tent and teelde and case and pavilounshelter huts
And cariage of al the legioun.baggage
For seeke men the leche and medycynesick leech (i.e., healer)
Procureth he, for larderye and toolys.larder tools
Of every werk cartyng he most assigne,transportation
line890For bastile or engyne or myne. And fole is[siege] engine or mine fool
He noon, that is expert in these scolys:none schools [of study]
This was a wise, appreved chivalere,selected
That, as he dede himself, couth other lere.could teach others
[Prefect of Engineers (Veg 2.11)]
fol. 17vAnd over this, the ferrour and the smyth,ironworker blacksmith
line895The tymbre men, hewer, and carpenter,wood
The peyntour, and uch other craft goth with,painter every craft [that] goes with it
To make a frame or engyne everywhere,building or [siege] engine
Hem to defense and her foomen to fere,Them their foes to make afraid
Tormentys olde and carrys to repareWeapons carts to repair
line900And make newe, as they to broken are.
Forgystextual note 65 and artelryis, armeryis,Forges workshops, armories
To maketextual note 66 tole, horshoon, shot, and armurre,tools horseshoes armor
And every thing that nede myght aspie ismight be seen as needed
In th’ooste; and eek mynours that can go surethe army miners
line905Undir the dich, and al the wal demurewall undermine
Or brynge in th’oost; herof the maister smythmaster blacksmith
Had al the rule, and ever went he with.
[Tribune of the Soldiers (Veg. 2.12)]
The legioun is seide have choorsis X.10 cohorts
The military first, or miliary,milliary
line910The best and gentilest and wisest men
And myghtiest, therto be necessary;
Eek letterure is good and light to cary.Also learning
Her governour was a trybune of armys,Their tribune
Wise and honest, that body strong and arm is.armed
line915The choorsys aftir that, trybunys curedcohorts tribunes led
Or maysterys, as it the prince pleased.
Uch chivaleer in exercise assuredEach training
So was, that God and man therwith was pleased.
And first to se the prince do, mych easedTo see the leader do [things] first
line920The hertys alle. Fresh herneys, armur bright,hearts harness
Wit, hardinesse, and myght had every knyght.
[Lower Officers (Veg. 2.13)]
fol. 18rThe firste signe of al the legioun
An egil is, born by an egeler.eagle carried aquilifer (i.e., eagle-bearer)
And thenne in every choors is a dragoun,cohort
line925Born by a draconair or banereer.draconarius or bannerer
A baner eek had every centenercentury
Other a signe, inscribedtextual note 67 so by rowe,explanatory note 19Or ensign [a] row [of letters]
His chevetayn that every man may knowe.
The centeners had also werreourys,warriors (i.e., centurions)
line930Hardy, wel harneysed, in their saletsallet (i.e., light helmet)
That had a creste of fetherys or lik flourys,explanatory note 20flowers
That noon errour were in the batail set,no mistakes formation
To his cristate and to his baneretcrested officer
And to his decanair everych his sightdecanus (i.e., squad leader)
line935May caste, and in his place anoon be pight.position at once be fixed
[Mounted Officers (Veg. 2.14)]
Right as the footmen have a centurion,
That hath in rewle an C men and X,110 footmen
So have the riders a decurion,
That hath in rewle XXXII horsmen.32 horsemen
line940By his banere him knoweth alle his men,
And over that, right as it is to chese
A myghti man for thaym, so is for these.them (i.e., the footmen)
For theim a stronge and wel-feturedtextual note 68 man,strong and well-built
That can a spere, a dart, a sword wel caste,wield well
line945And also fight, and rounde a sheld wel can,manage a shield
And spende his wepon wel withoute waste,explanatory note 21use without wasting effort
Redier to fight then flite, and ner agaste,flee never scared
That can be sobre, sadde, and quyk and quyver,agile
And with his foo com off and him delyver;footnote
fol. 18vObeyssaunt his premynentys wille,Obedient [to] his commander’s
line951And rather do the feattextual note 69 then of it crake,the [requested] deed mouth off
Impatient that day or tyme spille,be wasted
In armys exercise and art to wake,For armed training
And of himself a sampeler to makean example
line955Among his men, wel shod, honestly dight,
And make hem fourbe her armure ever bright.polish their armor
Right so it is, for these men to chesethese [horsemen] choose
A decurioun, thorugh lik to him in fourme,thoroughly akin
Impatient that thei the tyme lese,lose
line960Wel herneysed, and everych of hys tourmetroop
In every poynt of armys wil enfourme,[he] will instruct
And armed wil his hors so sone ascende,soon
That mervaile is, and course hym stronge anende,ride strongly at last
And use wel a dart, a shaft, a spere,
line965And teche chivalers undir his cure,care
Right as himself to torne hem in her gere,travel in their gear
The brigandyn, helmet, and al procure,brigandine (light body armor)
It oftyn wipe clene, and knowe sure,wipe clean (i.e., polish)
With herneysing and myghti poort affrayedshow of strength afraid
line970Is ofte a foo, and forto fight dismayed.foe
Is it to sey, “He is a werrely knyght,”warlike
Whos herneys is horribil and beduste,dusty
Not onys used in a fourte nyght,once fortnight
And altextual note 70 that iron is or steel, beruste?rusted
line975Unkept his hors, how may he fight or juste?Ungroomed joust
The knyghtis and her horsys in his tourmetheir troop
This capitayn shal procure and refourme.explanatory note 22textual note 71textual note 72prepare