1and making a brave Defence. The whole Pur
poſe of an Aſſault is to break in either upon a
Town or a Fortification. I ſhall not ſpeak here
either of Scaling-ladders, by Means whereof
you mount the Wall in ſpite of the Enemy;
nor of Mines, moveable Towers, Engines for
Battery, nor of any other Methods of Offence
either by Fire, Water, or any other Force: In
aſmuch as we intend to treat of theſe military
Engines more clearly in another Place. Thus
much it may be proper here to mention, that
againſt the Violence of Battery we ſhould op
poſe Beams, Planks, Parapets of ſtrong Tim
ber, Hurdles, Ropes, Faſcines, Sacks ſtuffed
with Wool, Ruſhes, or Earth; and they ſhould
be ſo contrived as to hang looſe and pliable.
Againſt Fire theſe Things ought to be wetted,
and eſpecially with Vinegar, or Mud, and co
vered with Brick unbaked; againſt Water, to
prevent the Bricks from being waſhed away,
they ſhould be covered over with the Hides of
Beaſts; and laſtly, againſt Battery, that the
Hides may not be broken through or torn
away, add any coarſe Cloths or Tarpawlins
thoroughly wetted and ſoaked. Circumvalla
tions or Trenches round the Place beſieged,
ought for ſeveral Reaſons to be drawn pretty
near it; for by that Means their Circuit will
be leſs, they will require fewer Hands, Ex
pence and Materials, to finiſh them, and when
finiſhed, the fewer Men will be neceſſary to
defend them: But they muſt not run ſo cloſe
under the Wall, that the Beſieged may an
noy your Men within their Trenches by En
gines upon the Wall. If the Circumvallation
be only intended to cut off from the Beſieged
all Manner of Supplies, either of Men or Pro
viſions from without; you may do this by
ſtopping up all the Ways and Paſſages, either
by barracading the Bridges, and Fords, and
blocking up the Roads with ſtrong Fences of
Wood or Stones; or by running up a continu
ed Rampart to joyn together the Lakes, Bogs,
Marſhes, Rivers and Hills; or if you can any
Ways lay the Country under Water. To theſe
Precautions we ſhould add thoſe which relate
to the Defence of our own Camp: For the
Trenches, Ramparts, Towers and the like
ought to be ſo well fortified both towards the
Place beſieged, and on the Side of any Coun
try that might throw in Succours, that the
former may not be able to annoy you by Sallies,
nor the Latter by Incurſions. Moreover, in
convenient Places erect Watch-towers and
Forts, that your Men may go out to forage for
Wood, Water and Proviſions with Safety and
Freedom. But do not let your Troops be diſ
perſed up and down in Places ſo remote from
one another, that they cannot obey the Orders
of a ſingle General, nor fight with united
Forces, nor be ready at Hand to aſſiſt one an
other upon any ſudden Emergency. It will
not be foreign to our Purpoſe to ſet down here
an Account of a Fortification out of Appian,
well worthy to be remembered. He tells us,
that when Octavianus Auguſtus beſieged Lu
cius Antonius in Peruſia, he made a Trench
quite to the Tyber, ſeven Miles long, thirty
Foot broad, and as many deep: Which he for
tified with a high Wall, and with a thouſand
and fifty wooden Towers ſtanding up, each
threeſcore Foot above the Wall, and made the
Whole ſo ſtrong, that the Beſieged were not
more ſtraitened in by it, than they were ex
cluded from annoying the Enemy in any Part.
And thus much may ſuffice for Incampments
or Stations by Land, unleſs it may be thought
neceſſary to add, that we ought to chuſe out a
Place of the greateſt Dignity and Honour,
wherein to plant the Standard of the Com
monwealth with befitting Majeſty, where the
Rites of Religion may be performed with all
due Reverence, and where the Generals and
other chief Officers may meet either in Coun
cil or for the Adminiſtration of Juſtice.
poſe of an Aſſault is to break in either upon a
Town or a Fortification. I ſhall not ſpeak here
either of Scaling-ladders, by Means whereof
you mount the Wall in ſpite of the Enemy;
nor of Mines, moveable Towers, Engines for
Battery, nor of any other Methods of Offence
either by Fire, Water, or any other Force: In
aſmuch as we intend to treat of theſe military
Engines more clearly in another Place. Thus
much it may be proper here to mention, that
againſt the Violence of Battery we ſhould op
poſe Beams, Planks, Parapets of ſtrong Tim
ber, Hurdles, Ropes, Faſcines, Sacks ſtuffed
with Wool, Ruſhes, or Earth; and they ſhould
be ſo contrived as to hang looſe and pliable.
Againſt Fire theſe Things ought to be wetted,
and eſpecially with Vinegar, or Mud, and co
vered with Brick unbaked; againſt Water, to
prevent the Bricks from being waſhed away,
they ſhould be covered over with the Hides of
Beaſts; and laſtly, againſt Battery, that the
Hides may not be broken through or torn
away, add any coarſe Cloths or Tarpawlins
thoroughly wetted and ſoaked. Circumvalla
tions or Trenches round the Place beſieged,
ought for ſeveral Reaſons to be drawn pretty
near it; for by that Means their Circuit will
be leſs, they will require fewer Hands, Ex
pence and Materials, to finiſh them, and when
finiſhed, the fewer Men will be neceſſary to
defend them: But they muſt not run ſo cloſe
under the Wall, that the Beſieged may an
noy your Men within their Trenches by En
gines upon the Wall. If the Circumvallation
be only intended to cut off from the Beſieged
all Manner of Supplies, either of Men or Pro
viſions from without; you may do this by
ſtopping up all the Ways and Paſſages, either
by barracading the Bridges, and Fords, and
blocking up the Roads with ſtrong Fences of
Wood or Stones; or by running up a continu
ed Rampart to joyn together the Lakes, Bogs,
Marſhes, Rivers and Hills; or if you can any
Ways lay the Country under Water. To theſe
Precautions we ſhould add thoſe which relate
to the Defence of our own Camp: For the
Trenches, Ramparts, Towers and the like
ought to be ſo well fortified both towards the
Place beſieged, and on the Side of any Coun
try that might throw in Succours, that the
former may not be able to annoy you by Sallies,
nor the Latter by Incurſions. Moreover, in
convenient Places erect Watch-towers and
Forts, that your Men may go out to forage for
Wood, Water and Proviſions with Safety and
Freedom. But do not let your Troops be diſ
perſed up and down in Places ſo remote from
one another, that they cannot obey the Orders
of a ſingle General, nor fight with united
Forces, nor be ready at Hand to aſſiſt one an
other upon any ſudden Emergency. It will
not be foreign to our Purpoſe to ſet down here
an Account of a Fortification out of Appian,
well worthy to be remembered. He tells us,
that when Octavianus Auguſtus beſieged Lu
cius Antonius in Peruſia, he made a Trench
quite to the Tyber, ſeven Miles long, thirty
Foot broad, and as many deep: Which he for
tified with a high Wall, and with a thouſand
and fifty wooden Towers ſtanding up, each
threeſcore Foot above the Wall, and made the
Whole ſo ſtrong, that the Beſieged were not
more ſtraitened in by it, than they were ex
cluded from annoying the Enemy in any Part.
And thus much may ſuffice for Incampments
or Stations by Land, unleſs it may be thought
neceſſary to add, that we ought to chuſe out a
Place of the greateſt Dignity and Honour,
wherein to plant the Standard of the Com
monwealth with befitting Majeſty, where the
Rites of Religion may be performed with all
due Reverence, and where the Generals and
other chief Officers may meet either in Coun
cil or for the Adminiſtration of Juſtice.
CHAP. XII.
Of Incampments or Stations at Sea, which are Fleets; of Ships and their
Parts; as alſo of Havens and their proper Fortification.
Parts; as alſo of Havens and their proper Fortification.
Some perhaps will not allow that Fleets
are Sea Incampments; but will be rather
for ſaying, that we uſe Ships like a Kind of
Water Elephant, which we direct as we pleaſe
by its Bridle; and that the Haven is much
more like a Sea Incampment, than the Fleet.
Others on the Contrary, will ſay, that a Ship
is no other than a travelling Fortreſs. We ſhall
are Sea Incampments; but will be rather
for ſaying, that we uſe Ships like a Kind of
Water Elephant, which we direct as we pleaſe
by its Bridle; and that the Haven is much
more like a Sea Incampment, than the Fleet.
Others on the Contrary, will ſay, that a Ship
is no other than a travelling Fortreſs. We ſhall
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