The Art of War - Khamkoo

ZANOBI
You have told how soldiers can be made to turn and fight, by talking
to them. Do you mean by this that he has to talk to the entire Army, or to
its Heads?
FABRIZIO
To persuade or dissuade a few from something, is very easy; for if
words are not enough, you can use authority and force: but the difficulty
is to take away a sinister idea from a multitude, whether it may be in
agreement or contrary to your own opinion, where only words can be
used, which, if you want to persuade everyone, must be heard by everyone.
Captains, therefore, must be excellent Orators, for without knowing
how to talk to the entire Army, good things can only be done with difficulty.
Which, in these times of ours, is completely done away with. Read
the life (biography) of Alexander the Great, and see how many times it
was necessary to harangue and speak publicly to the Army; otherwise he
could never have them led them ((having become rich and full of plunder))
through the deserts of Arabia and into India with so much hardship
and trouble; for infinite numbers of things arose by which an Army
is ruined if a Captain does not know how or is not accustomed to talking
to it; for this speaking takes away fear, incites courage, increases obstinacy,
and sweeps away deceptions, promises rewards, points out dangers
and the ways to avoid them, reprimands, begs, threatens, fills with hope,
praises, slanders, and does all those things by which human passion are
extinguished or enkindled. Whence that Prince or Republic planning to
raise a new army, and to give this army reputation, ought to accustom
the soldiers to listen to the talk of the Captain, and the Captain to know
how to talk to them. Religion was (also) of much value in keeping the ancient
soldiers well disposed and an oath was given to (taken by) them
when they came into the army; for whenever they made a mistake, they
were threatened not only by those evils that can be feared by men, but
also by those that can be expected from the Deity. This practice, mixed
with other religious means, often made an entire enterprise easy for the
ancient Captains, and would always be so whenever religion was feared
and observed. Sertorius availed himself of this when he told of talking
with a Hind (female stag), which promised him victory on the part of the
Deity. Sulla was said to talk with a Statue which he had taken from the
Temple of Apollo. Many have told of God appearing to them in their
sleep, and admonishing them to fight. In the times of our fathers, Charles
the seventh, King of France, in the war he waged against the English,
was said to counsel with a young girl sent by God, who is called the
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