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THE SECOND BOOKE 545
man of extreme insufficiencies they used this common
proverbe, that he could neither reade nor swimme:
and himselfe was of this opinion, that the arte of
swimming was most necessary and beneficiall in war:
and a souldier might reape diverse commodities by it,
if he were in haste, and to make speed, he would
ordinarily swimme over al the rivers he met withal;
and loved greatly to travell on foote, as Alexander the
great was wont. In Mgyipt, being on a time forced (to
save himselfe) to leap into a little wherry or bote, and
so many of his people following him that he was in
danger to sink, he rather chose to fling himself into
the sea, which he did ; and swimming came into his
fleete, that was more than two hundred paces from him,
holding his writing tables in his left hand out of the
water, and with his teeth drawing his coate of armes
after him, that his enemies might not enjoy it: and
this did he being well stricken in yeares. No generall
of warre had ever so much credit with his souldiers.
In the beginning of his civill warres, his centeniers
offered him every one at their owne charges to pay and
find him a man at armes, and his foote-men to serve
him for nothing, and those that were best able, to
defray the poore and needy.
Our late admirall of France, Lord Chastillon, in our
late civill warres shewed such an example: for the
Frenchmen of his army, at their proper cost and
charges, helped to pay such strangers as followed him.
Few examples of so loving and earnest affection may
bee found amongst those that follow the old manner of
warre, and strictly hold themselves under the ancient
pollicie of their lawes. Passion hath more sway over
us then reason : yet hath it chanced in the war against
Hannibal, that, imitating the example of the Romane
peoples liberalise in the citie, the souldiers and captaines
refused their pay, and in Marcellus his campe,
those were called mercenary that tooke any pay.
Having had some defeate neere unto Dyrrachium, his
souldiers came voluntarily before him, and offered
themselves to be punished; so that he was more
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