coates are couered with veluet or cloth of gold: their desire is to be
sumptuous in the field, and especially the nobles and gentlemen: as I haue
heard their trimming is very costly, and partly I haue seene it, or else I
would scarcely haue beleeued it: but the Duke himselfe is richly attired
aboue all measure: his pauilion is couered either with cloth of gold or
siluer, and so set with stones that it is wonderfull to see it. I haue
seene the Kings Maiesties of England and the French Kings pauilions, which
are fayre, yet not like vnto his. And when they bee sent into farre or
strange countreys, or that strangers come to them, they be very gorgious.
Els the Duke himselfe goeth but meanly in apparell: and when he goeth
betwixt one place and another hee is but reasonably apparelled ouer other
times. In the while that I was in Mosco the Duke sent two Ambassadours to
the King of Poleland, which had at the lest fiue hundred horses; their
sumptuousnes was aboue measure, not onely in them selues, but also in their
horses, as veluet, cloth of golde, and cloth of siluer set with pearles and
not scant. What shall I farther say? I neuer heard of nor saw men so
sumptuous: but it is no dayly guise, for when they haue not occasion, as I
sayd before, all their doing is but meane. And now to the effect of their
warres: They are men without al order in the field. For they runne hurling
on heapes, and for the most part they neuer giue battell to their enemies:
but that which they doe, they doe it all by stelth. But I beleeue they be
such men for hard liuing as are not vnder the sun: for no cold wil hurt
them. Yea and though they lie in the field two moneths, at such time as it
shall freese more then a yard thicke, the common souldier hath neither tent
nor any thing else ouer his head: the most defence they haue against the
wether is a felte, which is set against the winde and weather, and when
Snowe commeth hee doth cast it off, and maketh him a fire, and laieth him
down thereby. Thus doe the most of all his men, except they bee gentlemen
which haue other prouision of their owne. Their lying in the fielde is not
so strange as is their hardnes: for euery man must carie and make prouision