And If One Or Two, Or More Of Ten Proceed Manfully To The Battel, But The Residue Of Those Ten Draw Backe And Follow Not The Company, They Are In Like Manner Slaine.

Also, if one among ten or more bee taken, their fellowes, if they rescue them not, are punished with death.

[Sidenote: Their weapons.] Moreouer they are enioined to haue these weapons following. Two long bowes or one good one at the least, three quiuers full of arrowes, and one axe, and ropes to draw engines withal. But the richer sort haue single edged swords, with sharpe points, and somewhat crooked. They haue also armed horses with their shoulders and breasts defenced, they haue helmets and brigandines. Some of them haue iackes, and caparisons for their horses made of leather artificially doubled or trebled vpon their bodies. The vpper part of their helmet is of iron or steele, but that part which compasseth about the necke and the throate is of leather. Howbeit some of them haue of the foresaide furniture of iron trimed in maner following. They beate out many thinne plates a finger broad and a handful long, and making in euery one of them eight littel holes, they put thereunto three strong and straight leather thongs. So they bind the plates one to another, as it were, ascending by degrees. Then they tie the plates vnto the said thongs with other small and slender thongs drawen through the holes aforesaid, and in the vppper part, on each side therof, they fasten one small doubled thong vnto another, that the plates may firmely be knit together. These they make as well for their horses caparisons, as for the armour of their men: And they skowre them so bright that a man may behold his face in them. Some of them vpon the necke of their launce haue an hooke, wherewithall they attempt to pull men out of their saddles. The heads of their arrowes are exceedingly sharpe cutting both wayes like a two edged sworde, and they alwaies carie a file in their quiuers to whet their arrowheads. They haue targets made of wickers, or of small reddes. Howbeit they doe not (as we suppose) accustome to carrie them, but onely about the tents or in the Emperours or dukes guards, and that only in the night season. [Sidenote: Their experience and cunning in warres.] They are most politique in warres, hauing bene exercised therein with other nations for the of these 42. yeres. [Sidenote: Their maner of passing ouer riuers.] When they come at any riuers the chiefe men of the company haue a round and light piece of leather, about the borders whereof making many loopes, they put a rope into them to draw it together like a purse, and so bring it into the round forme of a ball, which leather they fill with their garments and other necessities trussing it vp most strongly. But vpon the midst of the vpper parte thereof, they lay their saddles and other hard things there, also doe the men themselues sit. This their boate they tye vnto an horse tayle, causing a man to swimme before, and to guide ouer the horse, or sometime they haue two oares to row themselues ouer. The first horse therefore being driuen into the water all the other horses of the company followe him, and so they passe through the riuer. But the poorer sorte of common souldiers haue euery man his leather bag or sachell well sown together, wherin he packs vp all his trinkets, and strongly trussing it vp hangs it at his horses tayle, and so passeth ouer in maner aforesaid.

Qualiter resistendum sit eis. Cap 18

Nullam astimo prouinciam esse qua per se possit eis resistere: quia de omni terra potestatis sua solent homines ad bellum congregare. Et siquidem vicina prouincia non vult eis opem ferre, quam impugnant, delentes illum cum hominibus, quos ex illa capiunt, contra aliam pugnant. [Sidenote: [Greek: Harainesis] de bello contra Tartaros gerendo.] Et illos quidem in acie primos ponunt et si male pugnant, ipsos occidunt. Itaque si Christiani eis resistere volunt oportet quod Principes ac rectores terrarum in vnum conueniant, ac de communi consilio eis resistant Habeantque pugnatores arcus fortes et balistais, quas multum timent sagittasque sufficientes dolabrum quoque de bono ferro, vel securim cum manubrio longo. [Sidenote: Ferri temperamentum.] Ferramenta vero sagittarum more Tartarorum, quando sunt calida, temperare debent in aqua, cum sale mixta, vt fortia sint ad penetrandum illorum arma. Gladios etiam et lanceas cum vncis habeant, qui volunt, ad detrahendum illos de sella, de qua facillime cadunt. Habeant et galeas et arma catera, ad protegendum corpus et equum ab armis et saggitis eorum, et si qui non ita sunt armati, debent more illorum post alios ire, et contra ipsos arcubus vel balistis traijcere. Et sicut dictum est supra de Tartaris, debent acies suas ordinare, ac legem pugnantibus imponere. Quicunque conuersus fuerit ad pradam ante victoriam maximam debet poenam subire: talis enim apud illos occiditur absque miseratione. Locus ad pralium, si fieri potest, eligendus est planus, vt vndique possint videre, nec omnes debent in vnum conuenire, sed acies multas et diuisas, nec tamen nimis distantes ab inuicem facere. Contra illos qui primo veniunt, debent vnam aciem mittere, et alia parata sit ad iuuandum illam opportuno tempore. Habeant et speculatores ex omni parte, qui videant, quando veniunt acies catere. Nam ideo semper debent aciem contra aciem, vt ei occurrant, mittere, quoniam illi semper nituntur aduersarios in medio concludere. Hoc autem acies caueant, ne si etiam illi fugere videantur, diu post illos currant, ne forte, sicut facere solent, ipsos ad paratas insidias trahent: quia plus fraudulentia quam fortitudine pugnant. Et iterum ne fatigentur equi eorum: quia nostri multitudinem non habent equorum. Tartari vero quos equitant die vna, non ascendunt tribus diebus, vel quatuor postea. Pratera si cedunt Tartari, non ideo debent nostri recedere, vel ab inuicem separari: quoniam hoc simulando faciunt, vt exercitus diuidatur, et sic ad terra destructionem libere ingrediantur.

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