The Cambridge History of Warfare

In Robert Barret's military treatise of 1598, The Theory and Practice of Modern Wars, ‘a gentleman’ pointed out to ‘a captain’ that Englishmen in the past had performed wonders with longbows rather than firearms; to which the captain witheringly replied, ‘Sir, then was then, and now is now. The wars are much altered since the fiery weapons first came up.’ Most professional soldiers of the day agreed. According to Sir Roger Williams, another English veteran writing in 1590: ‘We must confess Alexander, Caesar, Scipio and Hannibal, to be the worthiest and most famous warriors that ever were; notwithstanding, assure yourself … they would never have … conquered countries so easily, had they been fortified as Germany, France, and the Low Countries, with others, have been since their days.’