LA vaillance a ses limites, comme les autres vertus: lesquels franchis, on se trouue dans le train du vice: en maniere que par chez elle on se peut rendre à la temerité, obstination et folie, qui n’en sçait bien les bornes, malaisez en verité à choisir sur leurs confins. De cette consideration est nee la coustume que nous auons aux guerres, de punir, voire de mort, ceux qui s’opiniastrent à defendre vne place, qui par les regles militaires ne peut estre soustenue. Autrement soubs l’esperance de l’impunité il n’y auroit poullier qui n’arrestast vne armee.
Valor has its limits, like the other virtues; and once these are crossed, we find ourselves on the road of vice. So that through her territory one can end up in rashness, obstinacy and folly, if one does not know her boundaries well—and they are truly hard to make out where they meet. From this consideration was born the custom we have in war of punishing, even with death, those who obstinately defend a place that by the rules of war cannot be held. Otherwise, in the hope of impunity, there would be no henhouse that would not hold up an army.
Monsieur le Connestable de Mommorency au siege de Pauie, ayant esté commis pour passer le Tesin, et se loger aux fauxbourgs S. Antoine, estant empesché d’vne tour au bout du pont, qui s’opiniastra iusques à se faire batre, feit pendre tout ce qui estoit dedans: et encore depuis accompagnant Monsieur le Dauphin au voyage delà les monts, ayant prins par force le Chasteau de Villane, et tout ce qui estoit dedans ayant esté mis en pieces par la furie des soldats, horsmis le Capitaine et l’enseigne, il les fit pendre et estrangler pour cette mesme raison: comme fit aussi le Capitaine Martin du Bellay lors Gouuerneur de Turin, en cette mesme contree, le Capitaine de S.
The Constable de Montmorency, at the siege of Pavia, had been ordered to cross the Ticino and take up quarters in the suburb of Saint-Antoine. Being held up by a tower at the end of the bridge, which held out obstinately until it had to be battered, he had everyone inside hanged. And again later, accompanying the Dauphin on the expedition beyond the mountains, having taken the castle of Villane by storm, and everyone inside having been cut to pieces by the fury of the soldiers except the captain and the ensign, he had those two hanged and strangled for this same reason. So too did Captain Martin du Bellay, then governor of Turin, in that same region, with the captain of Saint-
Bony: le reste de ses gens ayant esté massacré à la prinse de la place.
Bony, the rest of whose men had been massacred when the place was taken.
Mais d’autant que le iugement de la valeur et foiblesse du lieu, se prend par l’estimation et contrepois des forces qui l’assaillent (car tel s’opiniastreroit iustement contre deux couleurines, qui feroit l’enragé d’attendre trente canons) ou se met encore en conte la grandeur du Prince conquerant, sa reputation, le respect qu’on luy doit: il y a danger qu’on presse vn peu la balance de ce costé là.
But since the judgment of a place’s strength or weakness is made by estimating and weighing the forces attacking it (for a man may rightly hold out against two culverins who would be raving mad to wait for thirty cannon), and since the greatness of the conquering prince, his reputation and the respect owed him are also taken into account, there is a danger that the scales may be pressed down a little on that side.
Et en aduient par ces mesmes termes, que tels ont si grande opinion d’eux et de leurs moyens, que ne leur semblant raisonnable qu’il y ait rien digne de leur faire teste, ilz passent le cousteau par tout où ils trouuent resistance, autant que fortune leur dure: comme il se voit par les formes de sommation et deffi, que les Princes d’Orient et leurs successeurs, qui sont encores, ont en vsage, fiere, hautaine et pleine d’vn commandement barbaresque. Et au quartier par où les Portugaiz escornerent les Indes, ils trouuerent des estats auec cette loy vniuerselle et inuiolable, que tout ennemy vaincu par le Roy en presence, ou par son Lieutenant est hors de composition de rançon et de mercy.
And by these same terms it comes about that some have so high an opinion of themselves and their means that, since it seems unreasonable to them that anything should be worthy of standing up to them, they put to the knife everyone wherever they meet resistance, for as long as their fortune lasts. This can be seen in the forms of summons and challenge used by the princes of the East and their successors who still reign—proud, haughty and full of barbarous imperiousness. And in the region where the Portuguese broke into the Indies, they found states with this universal and inviolable law: that any enemy defeated by the King in person, or by his lieutenant, is beyond the reach of ransom or mercy.
Ainsi sur tout il se faut garder qui peut, de tomber entre les mains d’vn Iuge ennemy, victorieux et armé.
So above all, one must beware, if one can, of falling into the hands of a judge who is an enemy, victorious and armed.