TOVTES-FOIS ie vis dernierement en mon voysinage de Mussidan, que ceux qui en furent délogez à force par nostre armee, et autres de leur party, crioyent comme de trahison, de ce que pendant les entremises d’accord, et le traicté se continuant encores, on les auoit surpris et mis en pieces. Chose qui eust eu à l’auanture apparence en autre siecle; mais, comme ie viens de dire, nos façons sont entierement esloignées de ces regles: et ne se doit attendre fiance des vns aux autres, que le dernier seau d’obligation n’y soit passé: encores y a il lors assés affaire.
Nevertheless, I saw recently in my neighborhood, at Mussidan, that those who were driven out by force by our army, and others of their party, cried treachery: during the negotiations for a settlement, and while the treaty was still under way, they had been taken by surprise and cut to pieces. Such a complaint might perhaps have seemed reasonable in another age. But, as I have just said, our ways are entirely removed from these rules. No one should expect trust of another until the last seal of obligation has been set on the agreement; and even then there is plenty to worry about.
Et a tousiours esté conseil hazardeux, de fier à la licence d’vne armee victorieuse l’obseruation de la foy, qu’on a donnee à vne ville, qui vient de se rendre par douce et fauorable composition, et d’en laisser sur la chaude, l’entree libre aux soldats. L. Æmylius Regillus Preteur Romain, ayant perdu son temps à essayer de prendre la ville de Phocees à force, pour la singuliere proüesse des habitants à se bien defendre, feit pache auec eux, de les receuoir pour amis du peuple Romain, et d’y entrer comme en ville confederee: leur ostant toute crainte d’action hostile.
And it has always been a risky course to trust the license of a victorious army with keeping the faith one has given to a town that has just surrendered on mild and favorable terms, and to let the soldiers in freely while their blood is still hot. Lucius Aemilius Regillus, a Roman praetor, had wasted his time trying to take the city of Phocaea by force, because its inhabitants were remarkably skilled at defending themselves. So he made a pact with them: he would receive them as friends of the Roman people and enter the city as an allied town, and he relieved them of all fear of hostile action.
Mais y ayant quand et luy introduict son armee, pour s’y faire voir en plus de pompe, il ne fut en sa puissance, quelque effort qu’il y employast, de tenir la bride à ses gents: et veit deuant ses yeux fourrager bonne partie de la ville: les droicts de l’auarice et de la vengeance suppeditant ceux de son autorité et de la discipline militaire.
But he brought his army in with him to make a grander show, and then, whatever effort he made, it was not in his power to keep his men in check. He saw a good part of the city plundered before his eyes, the claims of greed and vengeance overriding those of his authority and of military discipline.
Cleomenes disoit, Que quelque mal qu’on peust faire aux ennemis en guerre, cela estoit par-dessus la Iustice, et non subiect à icelle, tant enuers les Dieux, qu’enuers les hommes: et ayant faict treue auec les Argiens pour sept iours, la troisiesme nuict apres il les alla charger tous endormis, et les défict, alleguant qu’en sa treue il n’auoit pas esté parlé des nuicts: mais les Dieux vengerent ceste perfide subtilité.
Cleomenes used to say that whatever harm one might do to the enemy in war was above justice and not subject to it, in the eyes of the gods as well as of men. Having made a seven-day truce with the Argives, on the third night he went and fell on them while they were all asleep and defeated them, claiming that nothing had been said about nights in his truce. But the gods avenged this treacherous subtlety.
Pendant le parlement, et qu’ils musoient sur leurs seurtez, la ville de Casilinum fust saisie par surprinse. Et cela pourtant au siecle et des plus iustes Capitaines et de la plus parfaicte milice Romaine: car il n’est pas dict, qu’en temps et lieu il ne soit permis de nous preualoir de la sottise de noz ennemis, comme nous faisons de leur lascheté. Et certes la guerre a naturellement beaucoup de priuileges raisonnables au preiudice de la raison. Et icy faut la regle, neminem id agere, vt ex alterius prædetur inscitia.
During a parley, while the townspeople were dawdling over their guarantees, the city of Casilinum was seized by surprise. And this, mind you, in the age of the most just captains and of the most perfect Roman military discipline. For it is not laid down that, at the right time and place, we may not take advantage of our enemies’ stupidity, as we do of their cowardice. And certainly war naturally has many reasonable privileges to the prejudice of reason. Here the rule fails: that no one should seek to profit from another’s ignorance.
Mais ie m’estonne de l’estendue que Xenophon leur donne, et par les propos, et par diuers exploicts de son parfaict Empereur: autheur de merueilleux poids en telles choses, comme grand Capitaine et Philosophe des premiers disciples de Socrates; et ne consens pas à la mesure de sa dispense en tout et par tout.
But I am astonished at how far Xenophon extends these privileges, both in the speeches and in the various exploits of his perfect commander. He is an author of marvelous weight in such matters, being both a great captain and a philosopher among the first disciples of Socrates; and yet I do not agree with the full extent of his dispensation in every respect.
Monsieur d’Aubigny assiegeant Cappoüe, et apres y auoir fait vne furieuse baterie, le Seigneur Fabrice Colonne, Capitaine de la ville, ayant commencé à parlementer de dessus vn bastion, et ses gens faisants plus molle garde, les nostres s’en emparerent, et mirent tout en pieces. Et de plus fresche memoire à Yuoy, le Seigneur Iulian Rommero, ayant fait ce pas de clerc de sortir pour parlementer auec Monsieur le Connestable, trouua au retour sa place saisie.
Monsieur d’Aubigny was besieging Capua and had subjected it to a furious bombardment. Signor Fabrizio Colonna, captain of the town, began to parley from a bastion, and as his men kept a slacker guard, ours seized the place and put everything to the sword. And in more recent memory, at Ivoy, Signor Julian Romero made the novice’s blunder of going out to parley with the Constable, and on his return found his position taken.
Mais afin que nous ne nous en allions pas sans reuanche, le Marquis de Pesquaire assiegeant Genes, où le Duc Octauian Fregose commandoit soubs nostre protection, et l’accord entre eux ayant esté poussé si auant, qu’on le tenoit pour fait, sur le point de la conclusion, les Espagnols s’estans coullés dedans, en vserent comme en vne victoire planiere: et depuis à Ligny en Barrois, où le Comte de Brienne commandoit, l’Empereur l’ayant assiegé en personne, et Bertheuille Lieutenant dudict Comte estant sorty pour parlementer, pendant le parlement la ville se trouue saisie. Fù il vincer sempre mai laudabil cosa, / Vinca si ò per fortuna ò per ingegno, disent-ils: mais le Philosophe Chrysippus n’eust pas esté de cet aduis: et moy aussi peu.
But so that we do not get off without being paid back: the Marquis of Pescara was besieging Genoa, where Duke Ottaviano Fregoso held command under our protection. The agreement between them had been pushed so far that it was considered done, but just as it was about to be concluded, the Spaniards slipped inside and treated it as an outright victory. And later, at Ligny-en-Barrois, where the Count of Brienne was in command, the Emperor besieged the town in person; Bertheville, the Count’s lieutenant, went out to parley, and during the parley the town was seized. Victory was ever a thing to praise, / whether won by fortune or by wit, they say. But the philosopher Chrysippus would not have been of that opinion; and neither am I.
Car il disoit que ceux qui courent à l’enuy, doiuent bien employer toutes leurs forces à la vistesse, mais il ne leur est pourtant aucunement loisible de mettre la main sur leur aduersaire pour l’arrester: ny de luy tendre la iambe, pour le faire cheoir. Et plus genereusement encore ce grand Alexandre, à Polypercon, qui luy suadoit de se seruir de l’auantage que l’obscurité de la nuict luy donnoit pour assaillir Darius: Point, dit-il, ce n’est pas à moy de chercher des victoires desrobees: malo me fortunæ pœniteat, quàm victoriæ pudeat. Atque idem fugientem haud est dignatus Orodem / Sternere, nec iacta cæcum dare cuspide vulnus: / Obuius, aduersóque occurrit, séque viro vir / Contulit, haud furto melior, sed fortibus armis.
For he said that those who run a race must indeed use all their strength for speed, but that they are by no means allowed to lay hands on their opponent to stop him, or to stick out a leg to trip him. And more nobly still, the great Alexander answered Polyperchon, who was urging him to use the advantage the darkness of night gave him to attack Darius: “No,” he said, “it is not for me to seek stolen victories. I would rather regret my fortune than be ashamed of my victory.” And he did not deign to strike down Orodes as he fled, / nor deal him a blind wound with a thrown spear; / he ran to meet him face to face, and man against man / he closed with him, the better not by stealth but by valiant arms.