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Fragment G. 1623?
JULIUS CAESAR'S REMEDY
for "Panique Feares"
[Source: Sloane MS 750, fol. 175, British Library.]
From the outset it must be stated that there is no firm evidence of any sort to
connect this fragment with John Smith. The British Library manuscript in
which it was found is composed of a lengthy and anonymous "Historye of
the Bermudaes or Summer Islands" that was extensively used by Smith in
his Generall Historie, Book V, along with a few leaves containing bits that have
no connection with Bermuda. The main body of the text was edited by Sir
J. Henry Lefroy (Hakluyt Society, 1st Ser., LXV [London, 1882]), who
attributed it to John Smith. More recent investigation, however, has shown
that the author was Nathaniel Butler, onetime governor of Bermuda (see the
Generall Historie, 169n). It has also been established that this fragment is in
Butler's hand and perhaps for that reason was bound in with the "Historye
of the Bermudaes."
While Lefroy was mistaken in his identification of Smith as the author
of that work, his conclusion that the fragment was copied from some note of
Smith's may be to the point. Certainly the style and subject matter seem
more appropriate to Smith than Butler, and the number of deletions and
corrections scrawled between the lines indicate Butler's uncertainty about
his text. In any case, the fragment, apparently never before printed, is here
offered for whatever interest it may have.
the Generall practise of all able Generalls in thes panique feares
w[hi]ch have often befalne armies never to hazarde a Battell before
they hadd re-covered and assured the speritts of their men: and this
they commonly practised by one of thees two waies or by bothe: By
makeinge of speeches [interlineation indistinct] to them: or by a
strounge entrenchinge the terrified Army in some place of Advantage
not far fro[m] their enemies: and fro[m] thence by smale
skirmiges of some selected men of theirs to lett the rest find by litle
and litle that neither their enemies wer[e] invicteable nor more
valient [than] themselves: But that by the conduction of their cheifes
and their obedience to their Discipline they might be broken.
Thus did Caesar in his warre w[i]th Ariovistus who being
lodged betwixt him and his victualles, w[hi]ch incited the feare[,]
Caesar hereupon marched w[i]th his whole Army and fortified in an
advantagious place, about two miles distant from the enemies camp,
the w[hi]ch withall favoured the accesse of his provisions of victualls
unto him, employeinge one thirde of his Army in the worcke whilst
the other two stoode in Battell [array], to repulse Ariovistus if he
should attempt to hinder his Fortificationes: This being done, he
left two Legions lodged w[i]thin thes entrenchments, and brought
back all the rest of his Army into his old Camp: And the morrow
after presented himselfe in Battell betweene bothe the Campes: but
so as that Ariovistus issueinge out upon him was by Caesars best men
who wer ordered purposely to receive him, soe entertained, as he
was gladd to retire with the worst: wherupo[n] Caesar finding the
Courage of his soldiers hereby recovered, brought out all his Army,
and marchinge to the very retrenchments of the enemies Camp, provoked
him to the Combatt; fought w[i]th him and defeated him[.]
For mine owne part, I find no cause to doubt, but that if our
first discoverers upon the severall portes in the West-Indies hadd bin
but as heedfull and wise to maintaine those Indians in theis kindes
of Panique such conceated feares w[hi]ch they hadd of our men and
Armes at the sight, as Caesar was to disengage his soldiers from
them; wee might to this daye, have wrought more amongst them
by the Beating of a Drumme, that [than?] now wee can by the
fieringe of a Canon.
There is a tantalizingly similar passage in John Cruso's translation of
the duc de Rohan's Le Parfait capitaine (1631), entitled The Complete Captain,
or An Abbridgement of Cesars warres, with observations upon them (Cambridge,
1640), 6, but the chronology makes this source for the fragment impossible.
At the same time, although John Smith barely mentioned Caesar in his own
writings, his friends did refer to him in various commendatory verses, and
there can be no doubt that Smith was familiar with Caesar's classic works.
But such tiny details as the spelling of battaglia after the Italian fashion
(Butler crossed the word out and substituted "Battell") point to someone
like Smith, who knew some Italian, as the author. One unique word,
"invicteable" (not in the OED); unusual spellings, such as "fortificationes";
and frequent deletions and changes, all at least point away from Butler, if
not directly toward Smith. In any case, pending further analysis, Smith's
name may be tentatively suggested, thus justifying the inclusion of this
fragment.
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