CHAP. I. Of the generall definition and distinguishing of Ordnance and Artillerie.

ARtillery generally taken, comprehendeth all manner of artificiall Engines for the Wars, diuised or vsed at any time, eyther to hurle Stones or Darts, or to shoote Arrowes or Bullets, or such like things, to, or at any remote Obiect; and that with greater violence and more certain direction, then by the naturall strength of any one mans hand can possibly bee otherwise perfor­med: Whereby it appeareth also, that Artillerie dif­fereth from all other Engins. First, for that all other Engins exercise their violence eyther vpon Obiects at hand, or such as are eyther neere ioyned vnto themselues, without whose presence or contingencie they effect no­thing at all: whereas Artillerie exerciseth her force and violence vpon things farre off, euen when the Obiect is not present or neere it. Secondly, in the exercise of other engins, the speciall thing required is strength and la­bour, rather then any great Art or Skill. Whereas in the vse and exercise of Artillerie, the principall thing required is Art and Skill how to direct and bend the same vnto the assigned seruice: without which they doe altoge­ther worke in vaine. Thirdly, the proper vse of other engins, is either to draw some thing vnto them as, Capstaynes doe; to thrust or to re­mooue some thing from them, as Skrewes; to heaue vp, as Pumps and Pul­leyes; or to presse downe, as Presses, &c. which most commonly serue at home for priuate vses, whereas Artillerie serueth to shoote and cast foorth Bullets, Balles, Arrowes, Darts, Stones, and diuers sorts of Shot, ser­uing for the publike warres both at home and abroad, aswell desensiuely to repulse and destroy the assaulting Enemy, as offensiuely to spoyle, kill, an­noy, beat and weaken the Common Aduersary in his Towns, Forts, Armies, [Page 36]Fleetes, Shippes, Ports, Subiects and designes. Artillerie therefore accor­ding to the times may be diuided into two sorts: namely, Ancient and Mo­derne. Each of which according to Magnitude may bee againe subdiuided into two sorts also; namely, Great and Small. The Antient Great Artillerie were the Catapult, Balista, Scorpion and Ram, The Antient small Artillerie, the Long-bow, Crosse-bow, Sling, & Slurre-bow. The Moderne great Ar­tillerie are the great Ordnance, being the principall Subiect both of this and the former Treatise, which in their places are at large particularly de­scribed, & distinguished; herein the small moderne Artillery are, the Long-bow and the Hand-gunnes. As the Harquebuse, Musket, Caliuer, Carbyne, Petronell and Pistoll, the particular vses of them as they appertaine, not ne­cessiuely to the Gunners Office to mannage or practize, being no way exa­cted fro any accounted within the compasse of the Traine of Artillerie: So I therefore forbeare to say much of them referring their Practises and Po­stures to the iuditious instructions of Valiant and Worthy Gentlemen, who haue delighted in the profession, vse, and practise of those Armes. For the Long-bow, although it be now growne some what out of warlike vse, since the inuention of small gunnes, yet bowes and arrowes being both ancient and generall warlike instruments, and were of two sorts, viz. the Long-bow and the Crosse-bow. The Long-bow is so wel known that it needeth no de­scription: which doubtlesse of the two it was first inuented and practised in the Warres, as being the more simple Engine of the twaine, whose antiqui­ty is surely very great, and seemeth to haue beene before Noahs Flood: For Almighty God promising to Noah and his sonnes, that hee would no more destroy all flesh with the waters of a flood, he giueth the Rainebow for a sure token thereof, which hee there called his Bowe, distinguishing the same from mens bowes, as things then familiarly knowne to Noah and his sonnes. And as it is ancient, so it is also of great force, by reason that all things therein almost doe worke secundum naturam. For first the Naturall and proper worke of the Chords, sinewes and ligaments of Mans arme are to draw and pull vnto it selfe, rather then to relate themselues to thrust off. Secondly, the matter whereof the Bow is made, be it of wood or steele, by nature stiffe and starke, being bent with the string and drawne compasse with the arme, whilst it flyeth out to the straightnes which it naturally hath, and so fulfilleth his naturall worke, Thirdly, the Arrow artificially made, and proportioned to the strength of the Bow easily hangeth in the ayre, and swiftly and gently slideth through the same. The generall vse of it in all war­like nations may appeare, That the bow was in speciall vse among the He­brewes. Mach. 9.11. Tit. Liu. lib. 7. Many places of Scripture verifie, and the place of their seruice was in the Front of the battle; and amongst the Philistims, for Saul was sore wounded with the shooters of the Philistims.Chron 25.23.24. Esay 21.27. And amongst the Egyptiās, king Iosias was hurt with the shooters of Phare Necho king of Aegypt: & amongst the Assyrians, Achas was slain with one of their arrowes: amōgst the Citizens of Rabbah the Amonites their shooters shot from their walls against the ar­my of Ioab: amongst the men of Cedar, Arabians and Ismaelites, Ierem. 46.9. whose strong archers God threatneth should be fewer. Amongst the Lidians whom God calleth forthwith their Bowes against the disobedient children of Iuda: a­mongst the Assyrians; Iudeth 2.15. Holophernes hauing in his army 12000 archers on [Page 39]horsebacke. And to bee short, if wee shall reade the ancient Histories of the Greekes and Romanes we shall finde the bow and arrowes euery where so vsuall a weapon, that most nations haue continually vsed them: amongst whom our English Nation hath beene equall to the best, as all Christen­dome can beare vs witnesse in many battles; especially that which our Na­tion did for Ferdinand king of Castille vnder the leading of the Earle of Bedford, who with 10000 English bow-men, armed besides their bowes and arrowes, with battell-axes that hang at their backes, whereby he obtained so great a victory, that he & his successors haue euer since carried the sheafes of arrowes, and the long-bow in their shield, and also on their coyned halfe Royalls.

The second sort of Bowes is the Crosse-bow, which Titus Liuius calleth Scorpionius modicum, partly by reason it hath the likenesse of that beast when the arrow is placed therein, and partly by reason of the like manner of hurting, watching all occasions when and where to strike surest.

CHAP. II. Wherein is discoursed who were the Inuentors of Gunnes and Gunne-powder.

HAuing vndertaken in the former booke, called the Art of Great Artillerie, to shew by Definitions, Theoremes, and certaine Questions, the Speculatiue part of the Art of a Canonier, I haue now also thought fit in the second part by the rule of reason to demonstrate the Practicke part thereof, and to describe all sorts of Ordnance, aswell such as are, and haue beene vsed in forreigne Nations, as those that are founded in England, and both the ancient and the moderne of both: wherefore I hold it needfull for compiling of the whole worke as compleate as I can, to declare by whom, and how this so di­uellish an inuention was first brought to light. Vffano reporteth, that the inuention and vse aswell of Ordnance as of Gunne-powder, was in the 85 yeere of our Lord, made knowne and practized in the great and ingenious Kingdome of China, and that in the Maratyne Prouinces thereof, there yet remaine certaine Pceces of Ordnance, both of Iron and Brasse, with the memory of their yeares of Foundings ingraued vpon them, and the Armes of King Vitey who he saith was their inuentour. And it well appeareth also in ancient and credible Historyes, that the sayd King Vitey was a great En­chanter and Nigromancer, who one time (beeing vexed with cruell warres by the Tartarians.) coniured an euill spirit that shewed him the vse and making of Gunnes and Powder. the which hee put in Warlike practise in the Realme of Pegn, and in the conquest of the East-Indies, and thereby qui­eted the Tartars. The same being confirmed by certaine Portingales that haue trauelled and Nauigated those quarters, and also affirmed by a letter sent from Captaine Artred written to the King of Spaine: wherein recoun­ting very diligently all the particulars of Chyna, sayd, that they long since vsed there both Ordnance and Powder: and affirming forther, [Page 38]that there hee found ancient ill-shapen Peeces, and that those of later Foundings are of farre better fashion and mettall then their ancient were. Some also imagine that Powder and Ordnance were inuented by the fa­mous Mathematitian Archimedes, who made vse of them at the siege of Syra­cusa in Cicillia, and they ground that supposition vpon Vitrunius, who reporteth that one of his engins with a terrible noyse did shoote foorth great Bullets of stone: which by reason of that report could neither bee sup­posed the Catapulta, Balista, Scorpion, nor any other of his knowne engins. O­thers say that Ordnance and Powder were vsed in the time of Alexander the Great, who hauing a purpose to besiege a City neere the riuer Ganges, was diswaded from it by some of his good friends that told him, the Ci­tizens thereof were so much fauoured of Inpiter, that he vsually sent Light­ning and Thunder from their walles, that destroyed whosoeuer offered to as­sault that City. And indeede if we shall well consider the nature and effect of Powder and Ordnance, we shall finde them to come so neere vnto natu­tall thunder and lightning, that I thinke we may well say, that as Nature hath long time had her Thunder and Lightning, so Art hath now hers. Di­onisius Halic in his first booke of Antiquities reporteth, that Alladius the 12. King of the Latins after Aeneas, had inuented a meanes by art to counterfeit Thunder and Lightning, of purpose to make his Subiects beleeue him to be a God, yet in the practising thereof he burned his house and himselfe toge­ther, each of which may be probably coniectured to be done with the ma­terialls of Powder and Ordnance. Others affirme that a Monke of Germany, named Barthold Sheuuart, otherwise called the Blacke. Vpon a cettatne time (not thinking vpon Powder or Ordnance) in the yeere of our Lord 1300, hauing in his Morter a mixture of Sulpher and Niter for another vse; by chance a cole of fire falling into the same, caused it so to rarifie and blow it selfe away: that hee beeing therewith astonished, searched into the cause therof, & vpon further tryalls, he found that the hot and dry qualities of the Sulpher being with coale and moysture combined and wrought together, with the cold and moyst qualities of the Nyter, was apt by force to be so­dainly vnlosed with great rarefaction, wherby by little and little he brought that vnhappy inuention of Gun-powder and Gunnes to perfection, to make vse thereof in Warres: which he reuealing in short space made it common. Beraldus saith, that at the first inuention of Ordnance they were all called by the name of Bombards (a word compounded of the verbes Bombe, which sig­nifieth to Sound, and of Ardco to burne) and they that vsed them, they cal­led Bombardiers, which name is yet partly retained. After which, as Berthol­dus saith, they were called Turacio and Turrafragi of the breaking downe of Towers and Wals: and by Iohn de monte Regio, they were called Tormenti: their Shot Sphara tormentaria, and the Gunners Magistri tormentorum, But now Ordnance are eyther named at the will of the inuentors, either accor­ding to his own name (as the Canon was) or by the names of birds and beasts of prey, for their swiftnes, or their cruelty: as the Faulconet Faulcon, Saker and Culuering, &c. for swiftnesse of flying, as the Basiliske, Serpentine, Aspike Dragon, Syrene, &c. for cruelty, whoseswiftnes, report, and terrible­nes is properly and wittily expressed by the Latin Poet Forcastorius, as followeth.

Imitated by the Author, in English thus:

CHAP. III. Where Ordnance were first vsed in these parts.

PAulus Interianus the Ligurian Historiographer, a graue and authentick Author writeth, that in the yeare of our Lord 1366. when the Warres were hot betweene the Venetians and the Genoweses, certaine Germaines presen­ted two Peeces of Iron Ordnance (wrought by hand) vnto the Seignory of Venice, with some prouision of Pow­der and Leaden Shot; who receiued them very thankful­ly; especially seeing how that diabollicall vnknowne furie had not onely exceedingly feared, but also slaine so many of their Ene­mies, that thereby they preuailed and obtained a wished victory against their aduersaries, and accordingly got their owne deseignes. And Paulus Iouius in his third booke reporteth, that the first Field Ordnance that were vsed in Italy, were in the Warres betweene the Bannitoes of Florence, and the house of Medices brought by Bartholmeo Coglioni, and that the Prince of Fer­rara hauing receiued a hurt in his foote by a Shott, from one of those small Peeces (mounted vpon wheeles as hee noteth.) The Prince earnestly com­plained, that Coglioni had behaued himselfe that day very maliciously against him, by vsing supernaturall Barbarisme, in making such horrible and vnac­customed Tempests, to beat and spoyle his Men with, who had none other Weapons to defend themselues, but onely Swords and Speares. Laonicus Chalon in his fifth booke, reporteth that Mahomet the great Turke at the Siege of Constantinople, in the yeare of our Lord 1419, planted against it one peece of Ordnance, that he discharged seuen times in one day, which con­ueyed a bullet of 300 pound waight, and made the ground tremble a furlong round about it (at the discharge) with the report thereof. And he further af­firmeth that the Grecians answered him againe with Peeces that shot bullets of 150 pound waight. Pollider Virgill in his fifth booke of the English Histo­ry writeth, that in the yeere of our Lord 1425, in the beginning of the reigne of the French King, Charles the seauenth; the English hauing besiedged the Towne of Mantz so battered the walles thereof, that they soone fell to the ground. And Munster in his second Volume writeth, that the Duke de Barre 1431, was defeated by the Count de Vademont, by meanes of the Ordnance that he vsed (both Canon and Culuering) which was a matter then so new and rare, that the Count himselfe at the shooting them off, fell alwayes on his face to the ground for feare. Ordnance were also vsed by the Almaines about the Coast of Denmarke in the yeare 1434. Paulus Iouius and Guichardine re­late that Charles the eighth of France hauing vndertaken the Conquest of Na­ples, vsed Ordnance both in the Planes, and vpon the tops of high moun­taines. And the Italians that descrbed his returne, said, that with his souldiers, he drew them vp ouer the tops of the Appenyne Mountaines, and so from place to place with admirable courage, where by reason of the steepnesse and roughnesse of the place, horses and cattell could not bee imployed to draw them, but his horsemen did then carry the Shot & other Munitions to them [Page]

[Page 41]belonging, each of them alittle. Camello Vitelli is said to haue inuented the Pistols and small Hand-gunues for horsemen, whereby Ferdinand of Aragon discomfited the French and Almaines. Muskets were inuented for foote­men, and first vsed at the Siege of Rhege in 1521: since which time their in­uentions haue been so infinitely varied as no man can fully expresse: which now shall suffice me, and I hope will giue satisfaction to other men also.

CHAP. IIII. Of what formes and fashions Ordnance were first made.

CAptaine Vffano saith, that at the first inuention of Ord­nance they made them of yron bars by hand, with yron hoopes, and of seuerall fashions, as may appeare in the precedent figure at α and β.

The first was like to the common drinking Cannes (vsed in England) tapring lesse & lesse towards one end. hauing also a tapering skrew at the breech to fasten it into a peece of timber: but the same growing wider and wider from the breech to the mouth-wards, made the Shot thereof to scatter and to be of little force and of lesse (and most vncertaine) direction: these long since are quite out of vse, and for their fashions they were called Screwed Tapers.

The second sort were called A batte murs, or Beate walles, and is represen­ted therein at 2, they were not much vnlike Bombards, but were laide in Troughes or Trunke carriages with 4 truckes and two tymbers that rise vp at the breech to stay it in the carriage, and to performe the office of the Trun­nions therein.

The third was called an Elbow peece, and is represented at 3 like a mans arme bended at the Elbow orthe gonally, or at right Angles, whereupon it tooke that name, but it being also of little force, is likewise left and of no vse.

The fourth was a Bombard chambred which shot round stone shot, and is seldome (without alteration) vsed.

The fifth was called Scala mur, or the Scale wall, not much vnnlike our Stocke fowlers, these two last are represented at a in the saide first figure β, differing onely in that our carriages which are made to mount, and imbase them by a sliding Standerd with holes and a trucke at the foot thereof.

And the sixt is like a Chambred Canon Perior, but that the Chamber is made of a Peece by it selfe skrewed into the Chase, and hath Truunions as is represented at V 1 in the first figure, but by reason of the great trouble to skrew it, the same is also out of commen vse.

The seuenth Peece is nothing vnlike our Portingale-base, which with her Chamber, Tayle, and Hand stearne, to guide and direct it vnto the assigned marke, as is in the same figure represented at 2, being yet with vs of vse, e­specially in small vessells at Sea.

The three last they sometime did worke by Forge and Anuill, yet sometime they did cast the two first of these 3 both of Iron and brasse. [Page 42]And thus much may serue to haue spoken of the Ordnance first formed of Antiquity.

CHAP. V. Of former forreigne Foundings of Ordnance.

GVnne-Founders about a hundred, or a hundred and fifty yeares past did vse to cast Ordnance more poore, weake, and much slenderer fortified then now, both here and in forreigne parts: also the rather because Saltpeter eyther being ill or not refyned, their sulphur vnclarified, their coales not of good wood, or else ill burnt; making therewith also their powder cuilly receipted, slenderly wrought, and altogether vncor­ned, made it prooue to be but weake (in respect of the corned powder made now a dayes) wherefore they also made their Ordnance then accordingly, (that is much weaker then now:) for the powder now being double or tre­ble more then it was in force of rarifaction and quicknes; requireth like­wise to encrease the Mettall twice or thrice more then before for each Peece. For whereas then they allowed for the Canon 80 pound of Mettall for each pound that the Shot wayed, now they allow 200 pound & more for each pound of the Shot: and for Culuerings then they allowed but 100, and for Saker, Falcon, and lesser Peeces they were wont onely to allow 150 for one. But now for the Culuerings they allow 300, and for the small Ordnance 400 pounds, for each pound their seuerall shots of cast yron is to weigh. And as for forreigne Foundings that it may appeare how they dif­fer from our English Ordnance, For I say that in Spaine, in Germany, and in Italy, they reckoning their Canons and Culuerings by the weight of their yron cast shot, they make at the least tenne sorts of eyther. For they haue Canons of 16, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, and 120, and Culuerings of 14, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, and 120, calling them Canons or Culuerings of so much as their Shot weigheth, hauing seuerall heights of their Diame­tres, wherein although the Canon of 20 or of 30, &c. shoote yron shots of equall weight, with the Culuering of 20 or of 30 being of like numeration, and also of like height of Bore, for the Cannon of 30, shooteth a Shot of 30 pound waight, and so likewise doth the Culuering of 30, & the like is to be vnderstood of the Canon and Culuering of 50, 60, 80, or of 100 pounds, and so of the rest: yet doe they differ in the length of their Chases and fortification of their Mettalls, for the Canons are but about 18 Dyametres of their Bores in length, whereas their Culuerings are about 32 Dyametres of their Bore long. And besides they likewise differ in fortifica­tion of Mettall,: the ordinary Canon being in her Chamber but ⅞ of her bore; and at her Trunnion but 5/ [...], and at her Mouth but 3/ [...] of her bore in thicknesse of Mettal, whereas their ordinary Culuerings are fortified with the whole height of their Bores in their Chamber and with 14/16 at the Trunnions, and with 7/16 of the height of their bores, at their Mouthes in [Page 43]thicknesse of mettall. Now because the Measures and Weights in those a­forenamed Dominions doe not agree at all with ours their pound Troy being about one ounce and a halfe lighter then our pound Haberdepoyz, and their feete and inches Brases, and Palmes likewise differing among them­selues, and much more from our measure of foote and inch of Assize in England, as may appeare by the Scale here annexed, with the seuerall Ta­bles; both theirs and our Ordnance are better to be distinguished & vnder­stood

¼ Of a foote in

• Viena 6 a Pace
• Venice & Verona 8 a Pace
• Grecia 10 a Pace
• Bauaria 6 a Pace
• Antwerp 10 a Pace
• Ferrara 8 a Pace
• Loraine 10 a Pace
• Fraunce du Roy 8 a Pace
• England 20 a Geo: Pace

in their Weights, Bores, and Measures, then many words can explaine, I haue first therefore wished, that my Brethren and louing countrimen (English Canoniers) should be also acquainted with those forreigne Ordnance; lest per­chance being commanded to serue with some of them, they vnhappily should at first be dangerously mistaken therein: wherefore I haue likewise here annexed a Table, which will neerely reduce the Spanish heights vnto our measures of inches, and for the rest in regard their weights are so nigh one & the same among themselues in the pounds, & differing from our pounds Haberdepoyze, &c. it may also tolerably serue for them all in like fort, as the two examples following will I hope satissie.

CHAP. VI. Of later Founding for legitimate Ordnauce.

THe Emperour Charles the fifth, finding the great incon­uenience in those confused varieties, consulted there­of with his Councell of Warre, and thereupon com­manded. That all his Gunne-founders should thence­forth cast all Cannons of 18 Dyamerres of their Bores in length, and to carry an iron Caste shot of 45 pound and allowed about 7000 waight of Mettall for euery of those common Cannons for Battery: but for re-in­forced Cannons (that is as we tearme them double fortified Cannons) to giue them one height of their Bore in thicknes of Mettall at the Touch-hole, and 11/16 at the Trunnions, and [...]/16 at the Mouth and to be also in length 18 Dya­metres of their Bore, waying in Mettall about 8000 pound. But for lesse­ned Cannons being of like length he allowed but 6000 pound of Mettall, be­ing ¾ thick at the Touch-hole, [...]/16 at the Trunnions, and [...]/16 at the Mouth.

Whereupon these obseruations may well arise, That each sort of Ord­nance

[Page 45]that are re-inforced or double fortified, being thicker or richer in Mettall both in their Chambers and Chases then the ordinary or lessened are, therefore able to beare and resist the force of more Powder to be fired in them then the others can, without danger, and so consequently doe greater execution against any strong resisting Obiect. And likewise wee may con­ceiue that the ordinary fortified Pieces may endure more, and do more ser­uice then the Lessened can doe.

Monsieur de Mot, Don Louis de Valasco, and Cond de Bucquoy, late Gene­ralls, or Masters of the Ordnance to the King of Spayne, considering the vti­lity and benefit of these Imperiall Orders, euery of them in their seuerall times gaue command to the Founders, that they should thenceforth cast all their Ordnance according to the proportions and Rules following.

Namely, that euery Ordinary Canon of battery should be made to shoote an yron round cast shot of 48 pound waight, with 24 pound of fine powder, or 27 of common powder, and to be in length 18 Dyametres of her bore, and fortified in thicknes of Mettall with 7/ [...] in her Chamber, and with ⅜ at the Trunnions, and with 7/ [...] at the Mouth, waighing about 6500 pound.

The reinforced or double fortified Cannons to be fortified the thicknes of one Dyametre in Mettall at the Chamber or Piller of fire, at the Trunni­ons with ⅜ of a Dyametre, and at the Mouth with [...]/ [...] of her bore, which were to bee charged with 48 pound shot, and 28 pound of fine powder, or 32 pound of common powder, and waighing about 7000 pound, being 18 Dyametres in length.

The Lessened Canon to bee [...]/4 of a Dyametre of her bore in thicknesse of Mettall at the Chamber, and [...] at the Trunnions, and [...]/16 at the Mouth, shoo­ting 48 pound shot with 20 pound of fine powder, the Chase being also 18 Dyametres of her bore in length, and to waigh about 5700 pound.

And to make their Demy-cannons as the re-inforced to carry yron shot of 24 pound waight, to be 20 Dyametres of the bore in length of their Chases, and weighing about 4500 pound.

The Quarter Canons (re-inforced also) 25 times the Dyametre of their Bores in length, and the shot of 12 pound, and the peece to waigh 2700 pounds.

Likewise they gaue Order to cast their ordinary Culuerings 28 Dyame­tres of their Bores in length to shoote a shot of 16 pound, with 16 pound of ordinary powder, or 12 pound of fine powder: but for the Lessened with 14 pound of common, or 10 pound ½ of fine powder; and the double for­tified or re-inforced, with 18 pound of common, or 13 pound of fine pow­der. And their common demy Culuerings to be 30 Dyametres of their Bores in length, and more rich in mettall then the whole Culuerings, and their shot to weigh 10 pound, with 10 lb. of common powder, or [...]/ [...] of fine powder namely: 8 pound. And for the Lessened 9 pound of common, or 7 pound ½ of fine powder: But for the re-inforced, 11 pound of common, or 8 pound [...]/ [...] of fine powder.

And their Sakers or quarter Culuerings to bee 32 Dyametres of their Bore for length of their Chases, and to shoote 6 pound of iron shot with as much fine powder as the shot waigheth: and the like for the Faulcons, Faulconets, Rabinets and Bases which may be from 36 to 50 Diametres of their Bores in [Page 46]length, and the more fortified. And thus much for Moderne Legitimate Ordnance: as for Bastard Canons, Bastard Culuerings, &c. they shoote high­er shot, but are in Chase fewer of their proper Dyametres in length. And for extraordinary Peeces they are of lower height in their Bores, and in Chase more their proper Dyametres in length, then the Legitimate are. And of both the Bastard Peeces, and of the extraordinary Peeces there are Common fortified, re-inforced or double fortified, or lesse, or lessened fortified Peeces, aswell as of the Legitimate: each of such thicknes of met­tall in euery member in proportion being compared with their proper Dy­ametres, as the ordinary, re-inforced, or Lessened legitimate Peeces are of [...] as the particulars with their names, waights, and proportions here vnder men­tioned, with the Tables following will make manifest.

CHAP. VIII. Of Foundings of Bastard Peeces, with their Names, Waights, and Measures.

BAstard Peeces are as I haue said, Ordinary, Re-infor­med and Lessened, namely the Ordinary of one Dia­metre of her Bore in thicknes of Mettall at the Touch­hole; Re-inforced of more then one Dyametre, and the Lessened of lesse then one Dyametre thick there: each of which haue the name, the waight, proportion of powder, and of the shot allowed as followeth.

The ordinary Basiliske or Bastard double Culuering is about 26 Dyametres in length, and shooteth an iron cast shot of 48 pound, with 39 pound of Common, or 30 pound of fine powder, and weigheth 12200 pounds.

The Serpentine or Bastard Culuering is in length 27 Dyametres of her Bore, and shooteth 24 pound shot with as much common, or 19 pound [...] of fine powder.

The Aspike or Bastard demy Culuering, shooteth 12 pound shot, with 12 pound of fine powder, and is 28 Dyametres long, waighing 4050 pound.

The Pellican or Basterd quarter Culuering is 29 Dyametres of her Bore in length shooting fixe pound, with as much fine powder, weighing 2400 pound.

The Bastard Faulcon shooteth 3 pound shot, with 3 pound of fine powder, and is 30 Dyametres long, and waigheth 1350 pound.

The Bastard Rabinet shooteth an iron shot of 1 pound ½ with so much fine powder, and is 31 Dyametres of her Bore in length, weighing 750 pound. These aforesaid are Ordinary Bastard Peeces for the Reinforced and Les­sened: the Table following will describe.

Thus much for the Common fortified Peeces, and these Tables for Les­sened & re-inforced, as well for Basterd as for extraordinary Peeces which will further satisfie the Reader in particulars then many words: which be­cause they are plaine enough, I think they shall need no further explanation.

CHAP. IX. Of Foundings of Extraordinary Peeces with their Names, Waights and Measures.

EXtraordinary Peeces hauing as I said, longer Chases, and lower heights of Bore then eyther the Legitimate or Bastard Peeces are neuerthelesse of 3 sorts also; as the Ordinary fortified with one Dyameter thicke of Met­tall at the Touch-hole, and the re-inforced with more then one Dyametre, and the Lessened with lesse then one Dyametre of their proper Bore in thicknes there at the Touch-hole, euen as we haue already said both of the Legitimate and Bastard Peeces also. And first the Ordinary haue the measures and weight following.

The Flying Dragons, ordinary or extraordinary Double Culuerings are of 29 Dyametres of their Bore in length of their Chases, and shoote 32 pound of iron cast shot, with 27 pound of Common, or 22 pound ⅘ of fine powder, and waigh about 12200 pound, shooting by mettle, or Mira Com. 638, leuel­leth 319 paces, best 3790 paces.

The Syrene or extraordinary whole Culuerings are 40 times length, the height of their Bores, weigh 6900 pound, and shoote 16 pound iron shot, with 16 pound of Common, or 12 pound ⅘ of fine powder, shooting by met­tle 560 paces, leuell 250 paces, best 3332 paces.

The Flying Sparrowes, or extraordinary Demy Culuerings are in length 41 times the height of their Bores, shooting 8 pound iron shot, with 9 pound of Common powder, or 7 pound ¼ of fine powder, and waigh 4100 pound, shooting by Mettall 420 paces, leuell 220 paces, at the best Randon 2499 paces.

The extraordinary Sakers, or Quarter Culuerings extraordinary, are 42 times in length, the height of their Bores: and shoot, a shot of 4 pound of cast iron, with 6 pound of Common, or 4 pound ½ of fine powder, and weigh 2350 pound, shooting by Mettall 316 paces, leuell 158 paces, Best, 1941 paces.

The Extraordinary Faulcons haue 43 times the height of their Bores in length of their Chases, shooting 2 pound of iron shot with 2 pound of fine powder, and weigh 1350 pound, shoot by mettal 249 paces, Leuel 124 pac. Best 1481 paces.

The extraordinary Rabinets, or Passengers, are 44 times their Bore in length, and weigh 775 pound, shooting 1 pound of iron shot, or 1 pound ½ lead, with 1 pound ½ of Common, or 1 pound ¼ of fine powder, shooting by mettle 192 paces, Leuell 96 paces, Best 1142 paces.

The extraordinary Bases weigh 450 pound, and are 45 Dyametres, their shot are ½ pound of iron, or ¼ of Lead, with as much fine powder, shooting by the Mettall 147 paces, Leuell 74 paces, and at their best Randon 876 paces.

The Re-inforced and Lessened extraordinary Peeces are made apparant by these Table following.

There rests yet another kind of moderne Forreigne Peeces inuented by Iuan Mauriga Lara that shoote onely Stone or Murthering Shot, which are onely Taper bored in their Chambers, not much vnlike our Drakes, where­of there were 3 sorts.

The first of them were 15 times the Dyametre of their Bore in length, and called Rebuffes.

The second sort were 16 times their Bores in length called a Cracker.

And the third were 17 Bores in length, and called Ferrates, all which are represented in the third figure at [...].

These last mentioned (as also our Drakes) may eyther be reckoned among the sorts of Canon Periors, (being they are neerer the length of Dyametres) but shooting iron shot, are neerer vnto the sorts of Cannons of Battery: wherefore I conceiue they may properly bee estimated as Bastards to the one, or els as extraordinary to the other of these sorts, for the reasons be­fore alleadged. And thus much may suffice to speake of Forreigne Foun­ding.

CHAP. X. Of our English Ordnance distinguished into 4 kindes, and those generally diuided into seuer all sorts as followeth.

THe Ordnance that are vsually founded in England, may very fitly be diuided into foure seuerall kindes in re­spect of the height of their Bores, length of their Chases, Fortification of their Mettall, and the vses for which they are to serue, whose differen­ces each from other I here intend to shew in generall, beginning with the Greatest; namely, the Canons of Battery, which we reckon to be the first kind, They dif­fer very much from the other three kinds, as will appeare by comparing the height of their Bores, with the length of their Chases, The height of their Bores being all between 8 inches ½, and 6 inches Dyametre; and the length of their Chases being betweene 15 and 22 Dyametres of their proper Bores; in fortification of mettall they differ also, for that they neuer exceede one Dyametre of their Bores in thicknesse of Mettall at the Touch-hole. They differ in vses, as being onely vsed in Batteries, which the rest are not ex­cept the Culuerings (which are sometimes also vsed to pierce and cut out those ruines that the Canons haue loosened and shaken) Cannon shot being heauiest, because greatest, therefore onely and most fitly vsed to bat­ter the Enemies Walls, Curtins, Bulwarks, and Defences: of the Cannons of Battery there are three sorts: Namely, the double Canon, or Canon Roy­all, or Canon of 8, whose Bore is 8 inches and vpwards, in the height of her Dyametre, and being 15 or 16 Dyametres long in her Chase; the second sort is called the Whole Canon, or Canon of seuen, being 7 inches in height, and about 18 Dyametres long. The third sort of this first kind are the Demy Canons, of about 6 inches in height of the shot, and 20 or 22 Dya­metres in length, Of this kind may also the Minions and Drakes be recko­ned. Of the second kind wee reckon the Culuerings and their Consorts [Page 52]which are in height of Bore between 5 inches and ½, and 1 inch ½ Dyametre, and in length of their Chases they may be betweene 28 and 60 times the Dyametre of their owne Bores, and in fortification being neuer lesse then one whole Dyametre of Mettall in thicknes at their Chābers: Of this kind are many seuer all sorts; namely, all such lesser Ordnance as shoote iron shot? As the double Culuering, the whole Culuering, Demy Culuering, Saker, Faulcon, Faulconet, Rabinet, and Base, &c. whereof I shall hereafter speake more in particular. The smaller of this kind are of the more Dyametres of their Bores in length, and better fortified in thicknes of Mettall, each hauing also respect to their owne proper Bore. Of the third kinde are the Periors, or such Peeces as onely shoote Stone, or els Murthering Shot, both which, and Fireballs may be likewise shot out of any of the aforementio­ned Ordnance. And there are also seuer all sorts of Peeces of this third kind, all which are distinguished from the Ordnance of the fourth kinde, for diuers respects, especially for length, being 8 or more Dyametres of the Bore at the Mouth in length of their Chases. The sorts of this kind are the Canon Perior, the Periera, the Port Peece, the Stocke Fowler, the Sling, Bombard, &c. of each of which more shall be saide in their proper places hereafter. Of the fourth kind are all sort of Peeces that either shoote stone shot, Fireballes, Murthering shot, or els no shot at all. The sorts of this kind are the Morter Peeces, Murtherers, Pettards, &c. being in length vnder 6 times the height of the Bore of their Mouthes, of each sort of this kind some are bigger, and some lesser according as the assigned seruice requireth.

This Table seemeth to bee Calculated after the Comon Pace, which is but ½ if the Geometricall Pace, and must out of doubt be so vnderstood, as he himselfe in some part of his Booke acknowledgeth, which I thought fit to giue notice of to auoid misprisions, and for making the matter more plaine. Which the Reader may reduce by taking ½ of euery number.

I haue here also added another vsuall Table for English Ordnance, [Page 53]wherein I acknowledge some errors are, because exactnes in Tables of this Nature is not to be expected, by reason of the infinite diuersities of Materi­alls and Accidents: But it may so become vsefull neuerthelesse, because it resonably pointeth at what should be in this matter expressed precisely, if it were possible, which the curteous Reader I hope will accept of vntill bet­ter come.

For the Culuerings whose shot weigheth 18 pound, you must abate 3/6 which is 3 pound, for then the powder must weigh 15 pound.

For the Canon abate 1/ [...].

For a generall obseruation take that a Ladle 9 bals in length, and 2 bals in breadth, will very neere containe the iust waight in powder, that the iron cast shot for any Peece waigheth.

And also that the powder here mentioned is for Serpentine powder, which being now out of vse, the Corne powder being 1/ [...] stronger, therefore [...] of these weights is to be abated, as in the last Colume appeareth.

CHAP. XI. Of the Canons of Batterie in particular, or of the first kinde, and their sorts.

IT would be too tedious and long, yea and almost im­possible to shew all the differences and inequalities in the Weights and Measures of seuerall Peeces of one same kind and sort of Ordnance that haue been cast, or yet are at this time remaining in seuerall Fortresses of England and other countries, besides such as are here & there yet daily Founded or vsually made either accor­ding to the Princes and the Officers of the Ordnance inuention and wills, or some Founders opinions and selfe conceipts. But forasmuch as it is a matter of greatest importance for euery Gunner that ta­keth charge of Ordnance, to know perfectly of what kind and sort euery Pecce that is committed vnto him to manage and serue with, is; and whether they be sufficiently fortified or not, and to discerne and examine whether any defect be amongst them, and so to be able thereby to iudge what pow­der each Peece in loading is able to endure, with safety to performe her vt­termost seruices, considering then withall that Powder is now reduced into a greater perfection for force then formerly it was, wherefore former pro­portions are to be altered now: otherwise by ignorance or ouersight they may more endammage their owne side then their Enemies. Some Peeces being but poorely fortified, are too long to beare a sufficient loading, others are too too short to burne their full charge of powder requisite to carry their shot home to the assigned seruices; some are too light and, and some too heauy in their breeches, by misplacing their Trunnions in making the mold for their foundings, being too light they danger the vawmures, and by being too heauy in their Mettall towards their Breech, they become vn­weldie and troublesome to Manage.

There are three sorts of Canons of Batterie, namely, the Canon Royall, or double Canon, they are vsually 15 times in length, the Dyametre of their Bores, which is about 8 inches in height.

The next is the Whole Canon, or (as it is called) the Canon of 7, being about 7 inches in Dyametre of Bore, and in length of their Chases about 18 such Dyametres.

The third sort is the Demy Canon, which is about 6 inches, and [...] in Dya­metre of Bore, and their ordinary fortifications for each of these are 7/ [...] of dyametre thicke in Mettall at the Chamber, and [...] at the Trunnions, and [...] at the Coronish, and ⅛ at the Mouth. But of late some Founders haue giuen vnto the Demy Canons the full thicknes of one whole dyametre in Mettall at their Chambers; allowing for euery one pound weight of their shot some 220 or 143 pound of Mettall (for the biggest of this kinde) and more, others in proportion for the least.

These three are onely vsed in Batteries against strong Walles and defen­ces of the Enemies, because their greater weight of shot doth shake more thē the lighter can, namely more then the demy Culuering, (although the same shooteth and pierceth further) as by experience is daily seene. But forreigne Canons were formerly, and are in some places, as we haue already said, na­med according to the weight of their shot, being of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 90, 100 and 120 pound, and most of them 18 times the dyametre of their Bores in length of their Chases.

CHAP. XII. Of Culuerings, or the second Kinde of Ordnance, with their seuerall sorts.

THe second kind of Ordnance are the Culuerings, of which are fiue sorts, the Saker, Faulcon, Falconet, Ra­binet and Base, wherein the Moderne founded Culue­rings, Sakers, &c. doe much differ also from the Anci­ent, and our moderne English also from the former forreigne Ordnance, especially in Length, Bore, and Fortification, for that in former forreigne Foundings, they did as we said before cast the Culuerings to shoote iron shot of 14, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, and 120 lb. waight, and called them Culuerings of so much as their iron shot was in waight, and they then allowed them not aboue 150 pound weight of Mettall for each pound weight of their shot, and allowed them also to be but between 24 & 32 dy­ametres of their shot in the length of their Chases, with one dyametre of thicknes of Mettall (at the most) in their Chambers or Columes of fire, each Culuering being now 30 or 32 dyametres of their Bore in the length of their Chases.

But of late (as I before said) they allow Falcons and Falconets to bee 36 or 40 dyametres of their bores in length, & 1 ¼ or 1 ⅓ of mettal at their Cham­bers, with 250 pound, 300 pound, and sometimes more of mettall for each pound their proper shot doth weigh. The sorts of this kind by reason of their greater lengths of more dyametres shoot further & pierce deeper then those of the first kind, being loaded with as much powder as can be burnt in them whilst the shot remaineth within the Cillinder of the Peece, but being loa­ded with lesse, it abateth her vtmost execution, if with mbre it increaseth their danger of breaking the Peece, and some of the powder will goe then out vnfired, or it being fired out of her Chases, &c. little or nothing doth further the course or way of the shot. Wherefore the proportionall length fitted to their calibres, and the conuenient charge of powder in respect thereof, and of the weight of the shot mentioned in the Theoremes of my first part of the Art of Artillery will most aduance the shot with all aduantage possible. And for their vses they differ much, notwithstanding that they be reckoned as of one same Kinde, for the Greater sorts: namely, [Page 56] Culnerings and Demy Culnerings serue to pierce & cut out in batteries what the Cannons haue shaken and loosed: the Sakers and Falcons serne for Flan­kers, the other smaller sorts of this kind, for Field Peeces for the assaults, and to shoote at Troopes or Companies of men that are neere together. Al these shoote iron shot, but may shoote stone shot where the marks are but ten­der, and so they will saue much in Amonition, and yet performe as good seruice as with the iron shot they can doe.

Alexander Biance in his Booke intituled Corona e palma mil­litare de Artiglieria sayth, That their Founders in Italy as I conceiue, because their Culuerings shoete shot of equall dyametre with their greatest Ca­nons, & therefore would, if those great Culuerings were not vnweldie, shoote further, pierce deeper, and shake and vnloose more then their Cannon: for the reasons aforesaid they haue of late yeeres cast fewer Canons (and more Culuerings) then heretofore, commending their force and seruice farre be­yond the Canons.

But Diege Vffano Captaine of the Artillerie in the Castle of Antwerpe, for reasons in his Traicte de Artillerie shewed, denyeth the Culuerings to be of equall worthinesse with the Cannons: which difference groweth by reason that now Batteryes are made at shorter distances then heretofore: namely, within the Canons right Range, as at 80, 90, or 100 paces, so their opinions (both being iudicious Gunners) I conceiue to grow from the alterations also of Foundings, according to the Imperiall orders before mentioned, which in these parts of Italy were not knowne as it seemeth by Bianco Chiefe Gunner of Cremes, in the yeare 1603, nor altered from the aforenamed forreigne Foundings; whereby wee may conceiue that their seeming differences may be easily moderated by theiudicious Reader. Now for the Harquebuse a Crocke, being in these dayes seldome vsed but at Sea, where especially, with an Arrow, it is a very galling and seruiceable Peece, and may safely bee discharged 300 times in oneday, or 25 times in an houre: his leaden shot weigheth but three ounces, and it is char­ged with two ounces of Powder, and by reason of the length thereof, might be also accompted of this kind, but that it is a Hand-gunne, and so ap­pertaineth not properly to this discourse.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Cannon Periors and Perieraes, the third kind and their sorts.

OF this 3 kind are those Ordnance that shoote no Iron or Leaden shot, but only lighter, as Stone, Murthering, or Fire shot: of them there are foure especiall seuerall sorts. The Canon Perior being the principall, and ther­fore as the Canon of Batterie and Culuering bring the rest to be of their kinds, so for the same reason also may the Canon Perior doe the like for hers. The Canon Peri­or then, for the outside is not much vnlike vnto the Ca­non of Batterie, but that they are more vncertaine in the heights of their Calibers or Bores, some being higher and some lower in dyametre, It is a comely and a seruiceable Peece) and for those vses, namely to shoote Stone shot, they are well & sufficiently fortified; so that being duly loaden, the Gun­ner may therwith safely serue to defend a Breach, keep a passage, murther, and spoyle the Enemy being approached neere hand. Most foreigne Canon Peri­ors are Chambred, being eyther taper or belbored in their Chambers, the Mouth of which Chamber being but eyther ⅔ or 3/2 in Calibre of the height or Calibre of the Mouth of the Chase, of the Peece; the difference of which at the Mouth of the Chamber is called the Orloe or Rellish, their Chambers are to be in length 4 Dyametres of the Mouth of the said Cham­ber. But the most of our English Cannon Periors are equall bored through the length of their whole Chases (which I conceiue were better to be one­ly taper bored in their Chamber) so as that the Mouth of their Chambers be equall in height with all the rest of her Calibre or Bore forward, towards her Mouth, because it will be thereby the better fortified in the Chamber, and so the more able to resist the force of her due loading in powder: these Peeces are to shoote the ⅔ of the waight of their Stone shot in corne pow­der, onely abating proportionally 5 pound of powder for euery 100 pound waight of shot. The Chambred Canon Periors with Relishes (as aforesard) are troublesome to load, for that they are therefore to vse a Scafetta, and a Rowling Rammerhead, with a shiuer in the Staffe.

The length of these Canon Periors are about 8 Calibres of their Bore at the Mouth of the Chase: they are to be in their Chambers 2/7 in thicknes of Mettall at their Touch-holes.

The Terieraes are the next sort of this third kind, which are in all things like vnto the Canon Perior (already mentioned) but that they are much poo­rer and weaker fortified with Mettall, being allowed for the Canon Perior, 80 pound of Mettall for euery pound waight of their Stone shot, and but 60 pound for the Petrieraes, whose Chamber being but ½ in Bore of the Ca­libre at the Mouth, must be loaded with but ¼ of Corne powder, but if it bee 2/7 then with 1/7 of the Stone shot waight.

The third sort of Ordnance of this third kind being the Port Peeces, and [Page 58] Stocke Fowlers which are Brasse cast Peeces open at both ends, inuented to be loaded with Chambers at the Breech end, fitted close thereinto with a shouldring, euen as the wooden Trees for water pypes haue tapred ends to let them close one into another; The shot and wadde being first put into the Chase, then is the Chamber to bee firmely wedged into the Tayle of the Chase and Carriage. Now in stead of round Trunnions, there are 4 square tennants cast ioyning with the side of the Chase of the Peece, on eyther side two, which being let into the Block or Carriage, holdeth the whole Chase fast therein; leauing the Cornish lying vpon the ledge of the Ships Port, or vpon the Vawmure in a Fort, and tryced vp with a rope fastned about the muzzle; The Tayle of the Carriage is to rest, and to be shored vp with an vp­right post or foote, full of holes to slide vp and downe in a square Mortice fitted thereunto, hauing a shiuer at the lower end thereof, with two Tressle legges morteized before vnder the blocke of the Carriage, the foote with holes hath a pinne to stay the Peece vpon any Mounture assigned. The fourth sort of this 3 kind are the Slings and Portingale Bases which haue Cham­bers fitted into their Breeches as the Stocke-Fowlers haue, but that the Tayles that stayes their Chambers to wedge them fast (as in one continu­ed Peece of yron whereof they are vsually welded and wrought) vnto the Tayle whereof there is a long sterne handle of iron to direct them to respect the assigned marke: They stand vpon a forked Prop or Pintle vpon the ends of which the Trunnions resteth, they are loaded with their Chambers as the Stocke-Fowlers are: these shoote eyther Base and Burre, Musker or any other kind of Murthering Shot, being put vp in bagges or Lanthornes fitted to their Calibres. And being discharged, their Chambers are to bee taken out and fil'd againe, and others to be put in ready charged in the place thereof. These Peeces are vsually loaded with ¼ or ⅓ of the weight of their shot in corne powder. Port Peeces and Fowlers are vsually made of Cast Brasse, but Portingall Bases, Slyngs, and Murtherers, are commonly of wrought iron; the lengths of the Portingale Base is about 30 times her Ca­libre; the Sling about 12 times, the Murtherers, Port Peeces, and Fowlers 8 at the most besides their Chambers, their Chambers about 3 times their Ca­libre in length, and weigh the 6 or 8 part of the whole Chase.

CHAP. XIIII. Of the fourth Kind of Ordnance, Short Gunnes, Mortars, and Square Murtherers, Pettards and Tortles, and the sorts thereof.

MOrter Peeces, Square Murtherers, Tortles, and Pettards are the sorts of the fourth kind of Ordnance, and doe much differ from the former 3 kinds, and in many things also one of them from the other, as may appcare by the seuerall discourses vpon their descriptions and vses. The Morter Peeces are of seuerall grandures and fashions, for some of them are made to shoote a Stone shot of 350 pound waight, and some again are so small that their shot waigheth not aboue 4, 5, or 6 pound, and may be of any quantity betweene. And some are of one Cillinder without syde, others are of two, one of them lessened without as farre as their Chamber reacheth bat all of them are Chambred, or as some Gunne-Founders tearme it Cambred taperingly, being at the Mouth of the Chamber about the Calibre of ½ the Dyametre of the Mouth of the Peece, and in length ½ thereof or more as the Chase is longer.

These Morter Peeces are of great efficacy, aswell for the Assaylants as the Besiedged or Defendants: for being duely vsed, they much terrifie & trou­ble the Enemy besieged in a Towne, City or Fort; especially by sending vpon them Granadoes either single or double, or great iron stone or lea­den shot, and from within when the Enemy should worke, or would rest in their Tents and Lodgings, whereunto by reason of some Hill, building, or Wall, they are so hidden that none other Ordnance can bee bended against them; for that all other Gunnes relye principally to conuey their shot in a right line, to doe effectuall seruice, whereas this fort worketh altogether in oblique or crooked lines vnlesse the Peece be mounted to 90 degrees, moun­ting them commonly aboue 45 degrees: namely to 60, 70, 80, and some­times more or lesse, accordingly as the nature of the seruice requireth. But for the Defendants, these are ordinarily vsed to shoote forth Fire Bals into the Champion in the night, that they within may see what the Enemy wor­keth abroad; or els when the Enemy is approached vnto the foote of the Wall, to vndermine or pierce it, or to enter a Breach already made, & cannot be well repulsed by other meanes or cannot be offended from aloft, shooting out of a Morter or other Perior, Bals of stone, old irō, or any other murthring shot or granadoes and Fire-workes. Some of them haue their Trunnions in the midst, other moreaft, and some euen with their Breeches being fortifi­ed with mettall about ½ of the height of the Mouth of the Chamber at the Touch-hole, and ⅓ of that Calibre at the Mouth of the Peece; They are of seuerall lengths in Chase, for some are two, and others are three Dyametres of their Mouthes Bore in length. They may bee loaded either with Car­touches [Page 60]or with loose powder, allowing ¼. part of the weight of the Shot, shooting vpon any mountare aboue 40 degrees, but with ½ shooting leuell or downewards, alwayes putting home a good wadde betweene the Pow­der and Shot vnlesse it be a Fire-ball, which the Powder in the Peece is to fire in her discharge; for then the Fire-worke must lye in the loose powder, and haue a wadd before it, and some vse for euery hundred the Shot weigh­eth proportionally to abate 5, which Alexander Bianco liketh not: The pro­portion for loading them must be ordered according to the strength of the Peece and Powder, and waight of the Shot, and is also accordingly as the Mounture and distance is more or lesse, if the Shot bee a Granado made of Potters earth baked, or of Glasse, the 1/20 part of their weight will be sufficient powder to blow them out with little or no danger of breaking: for if they should haue so much powder as that the ball is forced to breake within the Peece; or if any pinne-hole or vent should chance to be in a mettailine Gra­nado, so as that the powder within it be fired; the Peece would not onely breake and teare the carriage, but also endanger him that giueth fire, and frustrate the seruice: As was prooued by M. Kenuins indiscreete practise in his late Maiesties Morter Peece, breaking it, and also thereby indangering the spectators; wherfore if the Granado be of cast mettall, it were best to be coue­red ouer with the ordinary coating, to stop such vents as is hereafter mentio­ned: Then will 1/10 part of the weight of the Shot in corne powder be suffici­ent. But if it bee loaded with a solide Stone shot, then ⅙ or ½ rather of the weight thereof in corne powder may be allowed, the more powder, the lesse mounted, as we haue already said.

Now hauing shewed the proportion of powder, fitting each sort of Shot and Mounture, it will not be amisse to shew how to order and mannage the same Morter-peece, Gunner-like.

First then the Chamber is to bee well sponged and cleansed before the putting in of the powder, whether you loade it with loose powder or Car­touch turning the Mouth neere vpright; the powder being so put into the Chāber, ther must be a wad put in either of hay or Okam, & after a Tampkin of Willow or other soft Wood; such as may, together with the powder that was first put in, fully fill vp the whole Chamber thereof, that there may bee no vacuity betweene the powder and wadd, or wadd and shot; after which the shot shall be also put in at the Mouth with a wadd after it; especially if the Peece be not much mounted, least the shot goe out too soone, and the wadd between the Tampkin and the Shot, is not onely to saue the shot from the Tampkins breaking of it, but also to auoide vacuities, which are very dangerous for the Peece by second expansions.

Hauing then resolued vpon the premisses concerning the Peece, Shot, & Powder, as before is shewed, and vpon the distance and Mounture for the Marke, as hereafter the Rules and Tables following shall direct; then for the bending and disposing it to the assigned seruice: Obserue first to lay a straight Ruler vpon the mouth of the Peece, and vpon it place a Quadrant or other Instrument crosse-wise to set the Peece vpright to auoide wide shooting, and then placing them fore-right to eleuate it into the resolued degree of Monuture to auoyde short or ouetshooting accordingly, as the Tables and examples following will leade you: for hauing made one shot, you may [Page 61]thereby proportion the rest, considering whether you are to shoote with or against the wind, or whether it blowe towards the right or left hand, and whether weakely or strongly; and so accordingly to giue or abate the ad­uantage or disaduantage: which iudgement, not Rule must induce, and yet by helpe of the Notes following, of mine owne experience late made in one of his Maiesties Morter Peeces, and by these Tables, any iudicious Gunner may with a Shot or two first made out of the Peece hee with practise may very much helpe himselfe.

Mine owne Notes of practise in a Morter peece that shot a stone shot of 5 inches in Dyametre high. The Morter Peeces Chamberbe­ing 2 ½ inches at the Mouth therof, and three inches deep, and the rest of her Chase being 10 inches deepe, which I discharged with three ounces of powder there being little wind.

The vse of the former Table. The vse of the Table may bee thus explained. Hauing once made knowne the distance the Peece did shoote at any Monuture giuen. As for example: suppose at 53 degrees which conueyed the shot 700. paces, and you desire to know how far she would shoote at 60 degrees. Now because 700 degrees is not at all in this Table, but against 60 degrees there standeth 529 paces. Therefore say by the Rule of 3, if 562 the number against 53 de­grees giueth 700 paces, what shall 529 the number against 60 degrees giue, multiplying 700 by 529, and diuide the product by 562, and the Quoti­ent will be 649 ¼ fere, the number of paces which the said Morter Peece will shoote at 60 degrees Monuture being alike loaded, and hauing such like accidents as it had when it was shot off at 52 degrees, and so for any other number of paces or degrees, or distances assigned.

The second sort of this fourth and last kind of Ordnance, are the Pettards, which are short Peeces of late yeares deuised and practised to make ouer­tures into Townes, Cities and Forts by breaking open their Ports & Gates, and blowing vp of Bridges and Walls by meanes of the force of powder fi­red. Of these there are of seuerall formes and magnitudes, euen as they are of seuerall vses and for different seruices; especially in grcatnes when great force is requisite. Some of them are cast in shape not much vnlike the fa­shion of a Grocers or Apothecaryes spice Morter, and some are tapered much like a Coopers water pay le, little deeper then the Dyametre of their mouthes, but being not aboue ¼ in Dyametre at their bottome or breech of their mouthes Calibre, and in thicknes of mettall ½ of the Dyametre at their breech, and lessening in thicknes towards their mouths. Their magnitudes are some to hold but one pound of powder or lesse; and others to hold 50 lb. or more, and they vsually allow 4 lb. of Brasse, or 5 lb. of iron to cast a Pet. for one pound of powder, and 250 pound of Brasse, or 300 pound for a Pet­tard that shall hold 50 pound of powder, vsing those proportions diminished for lesser, and augmented for greater. The Pettard is sometimes to be vsed in places accessible and inaccessible, Suppose then we are to Pettard a Port or Gate vnto which we may approach, in that case a skrewed hooke is to bee let into the Port, vpon which the pettard with her Planchier or Matria is to be hanged, as in the 13 figure at [...] is representd.

The Plāshier is at least to be 3 inches thick, arm'd with irō plates to defend it from splitting, it is also to be vnder propped with the forked Rest, & stayed in the ground at the hinder end to hinder the reuerse thereof. Pettards are to be loaded with fine corne powder, the finer corned the better being very hard beaten in, by little and little at once with iron drifts or such like, of the iust height of the Dyametre of each places concaue of the Pettard, vntill it be full within one finger breadth of the top, and then some vse to make a hole through the powder vnto the bottome with apyke head or such like, in­to which hollownes they put in certaine quils filled with raw quicke-siluer. Lastly, they couer the mouth thereof with a waxed cloath, being cut of the iust breadth of the inside of the mouth of it, & fill vp also the rest that is yet empty with molten waxe, mingled with hempe cut, or with [...]oe rather. They

[Page 63]are to haue a socket and backstay for the vnder roppe, and a pype ouer the Touch-hole which must be filled with slow and sure receipt of Fireworke, to the end that the Pettardier hauing by a pryming of quicke powder giuen fire the reunto, and retired for his safety, wherin he must be carefull to auoid retyring in the right line of her reuerse, for feare of danger.

But if we be to Pettard a Port vnto which wee cannot approach to hang the Pettard thereon, then make a little woodden horse with 4 wheeles or Trucks lyned with Cloath or Wooll to auoide making noyse, the Handle whereof is to carry the said Pettard, being at the least 40 foote long, with a Counterpoyze at the other end, hauing the Planchier fastned close before the mouth of the Pettard, with the crochet or vnderprop to place the same as close and flat against the Port as is possible, and the aftmost end of the staffe or prop made firme against some stake in the ground (to stay the re­uerse) so alwaies that it belong enough to reach ouer the dike or drawbridge to be driuen close, that the Pettard may be firmed against the Gate. Then so loded and firegiuen to the slow vent or pype with the slow receipt, the re­trait may haue time to be oblikely made, least her reuerse supprize the Pet­tardier before he canget out of the danger therof. The figures and discourse following as well for the accessible as for the inaccessible Ports here an­nexed, will make that which we haue said the better vnderstood.

CHAP. XV. Of seuerall wayes to preuent the effectuall working of Petards.

DIuers and seuerall meanes there are also to preuent the placing and effectuall working of the said Pettards: whereof a word or two in briefe. The first is by a kind of strong iron Gridiron or Grate so placed before the Port, somewhat distant, as 3 or 4 feete off, that the Planchier of the Pettard cannot come close enough to the Gate: for that the Ayre betweene it and the Pet­tard will doubtlesse make the action therof to be of lit­tle or no effect: otherwise to spoyle the Pettardier and Assistants neere, a fall­trap being let go with a buckle tricker when the Pettardier shall either tread vpon a draw-bridge or bord couered with earth, which will pull out the buckle, and so it will let a great circle with iron works by a spring fall vio­lently vpon his head; likewise they impeach the hanging and propping Pet­tards by certaine points of iron about 3 feete long placed vnder the Draw-bridge, which when it is drawne vp, stands out and impeacheth, the placing of them against it. In like sort by a trap-draw-bridge which will fall downe as soone as the Pettardier shall tread thereon, and slide him and his Pettard into the dyke; so also if a paire of compasses of iron with teeth on the legges haue their head with a ioynt fastened aboue to the stone worke of the Port, so that as soone as the bridge or bord which holds the compas­ses and teeth open, is vnloosed by treading thereon, they are forced to­gether by strong springs most violently, which terribly will claspe and teare him in most miserable manner. Another is by two semicircles with sawteeth to claspe together as soone as the Pettardier sets foote on the false bord or bridge to vnhitch the springholds. Also a cord being fastned to the outpost end of the loose bridge, which by the Pettardiers stepping theron, vnlooseth the hold, so a number of stones will thereby all fall on his head and beate out his braines. So also a false Port with 3 or 4 feet or more of vacuitie be­tweene it and the true Port, rising higher then the true Port in greues hoisted vp as a Percullis, and shall fall when the Pettardier steppeth on the false bridge; likewise by a false or loose bridge which shall pull a tricker that shall let downe a snaphance, and giue fire vnto 20 or 30 loaded muskets, whose mouthes shall be seene through the Port, and discharge themselues vpon the Pettardier and his assistants, As the figures in the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 Chapters of the second book intituled Recuil de plusieurs Machi­nes millitaires will more manifest vnto the eye.

CHAP. XVI. How and with what instruments you may breake the Pyles Palesadoes, Grates, Percallises, and Chaunes, or such like iron or wood-worke to lay them open for entry.

TO breake Palisadees, Grates, Barres, and such like enclo­sures of any Towne, Cassle, Fo [...]or strong house. The instrument that is noted with A, which is a wrench that being aplyed and fastned as the figure sheweth, wil teare open strong Bars, Or the Saw B, in sawing asunder the ioynts, Or the Crow C, whose Clouen soot being gotten betweene the [...], will forcibly disioynt them, Or els Axlike wedge D. But if the enterprize bee to be secretly executed without noyse of strokes of tooles, then a fire wheele in such manner fastned, prymed and fired, and fixed as the figure sheweth, wil sone make way, if it be wel ordered, for the purpose, as hereafter in this Chap­ter shall be directed. The same instruments are to be applyed vnto Barres of Gates, of Townes and Castles, if they may be approached secretly. For else there can bee no better way to make ouerture then by battery with great Ordnance, which from far will soone make a breach aswell in Ports which are vsually fortified with barracadoes and other defences, but may be therby soon battered to make sufficient breach to enter by, yea were it in bulwarks or Curtins as hereafter shall bee shewed, more at large. If you would force a great Port of a Towne secretly, there is another meanes besides the Pettard already spoken of, namely the Skrew Nut marked E, and his skrew­barre A, with, which in turning the winlase X, it will soone breake open the Port so that the backestay be fast and strong enough. Now if it be strength­ned with chaines of iron within, although they were great and strong, yet by the skrew spindles 4 and 5, turning the Nut B, by the winlase & spykesthere­of, and so in like manner the iron Burs and Grates may be broken asunder or pulled out with the Pinchers C, and the drawing hammer D, and the mallet of hard-wood I, and the short Axe-wedge 2, Next to those instruments the drift bridge betweene them represented was inuented to reach ouer a dyke and to put any Towne or Fort to the Scalado, it is not much vnlike the Cart­bridge vsed for the Pettard, as before may be seene in his Chapter, but that it is not so great and heauy as it.

CHAP. XVII. How to Dispart any Peece of Ordnance that is truely and equall bored in the middest of the Met­tall thereof.

OF all things belonging vnto a Gunner, the chiefest is to bring the Mettal of his Peece euen; which the Gunners call disparting: wherefore the dispart for any Peece of Ordnance, whose concaue Cillinder or Bore lyeth equall and truely in the midst of her Mettal, is nothing els but to equall the difference betweene the thicknes of the mettal that the Base Ring hath in Semidiamette more then the femidyametre at the Muzzle Ring, without which equall difference applyed vpon the vpmost of the mettalls on the Muxzle Ringeyther had (or guessed at with discretion,) it is impossi­ble to direct a Peece to any marke, to make a shot to an assured good effect: The dispart is many wayes to bee found. First in such Peeces as are not Chambred by a priming iron, put downe to the lower part of the Bore in at the Touch-hole, and making a marke vpon it euen in height with the highest of the mettall vpon the Base Ring, then carrying the same measure vnto the Mouth, and placing it vpright with the lower end of the priming iron iust on the lower part of the Bore there; Then looke how much the mark, so made on the pryming iron, reacheth higher then the vpper part of the mettall of the Muzzle Ring, so much is the length of the dispart to bee placed vpon the highest of the mettall there: Or els taking the Dyametres of the Base Ring, and also of the Muzzle Ring with a paire of Caliber com­passes, or by guyrding or otherwise, and the halfe of their Dyametres is the true length of the dispart to be placed vpon the highest of the mettall on the Muzzle Ring as is aforesaid.

As for example, suppose the Dyametre of the Base Ring to be 24 inches, and the Dyametre of the Muzzle Ring to be 18 inches, the difference is 6 inches, the halfe whereof 3 inches, is the length of the dispart sought. Or take the compasse in inches & parts at the Basering, and diuide it into 3 equal parts, and doe the like at the Muzzle-ring. And the halfe of their difference will be the dispart for any Peece that is truely bored. Or rather hauing guirded the Peece at the Base and Muzzle ring, looke how many times 22 quarter of inches are therein contained, so many times 7 quarters of inches doth the Dyametres containe. And the halfe of the difference of those two Dyametres is the due dispart sought. Or els take a Rule or staffe, and lay it crosse vpon the Basering of the Peece, and then take a lyne and plummet, and hold it that it may hang close: first to the one side of the Peece, and then to the other side thereof, marking also vpon the Rule or staffe, where the lyne toucheth at both times, that the string onely touch the sydes of the Peece without any bending, Then lay that Rule and Measure to the mouth: likewise looke what the ouer measure commeth vnto, take the halfe of that [Page 67]measure for the due dispart. Now for Chamber Peeces, there can bee no certaine generall Rule giuen for their disparts: for they must be ordered ac­cording to the forme of the Chamber and orelowe or Hall of the Peece; whether it be Sling, Base, Fowler, or Port Peece. But euery discreet and vnder standing Gunner, when he seeth the Peece, may by what hath beene sayde, know what to doe therein: for Port Peeces, and Fowlers they onely shoote stone, and not iron shot.

CHAP. XVIII. Of certaine faults committed in Forreigne Foundings of Ordnance.

THe industrious Gunner may by that which hath beene said, take true knowledge of all sorts of Ordnance, as well Antient as Moderne, and also vnderstand the rea­sons, grounds, and vses of them, and of any others which shall hereafter be seruiceably inuented, and so be able to iudge of the goodnesse and defects of any Peece whatsoeuer, to make choyce of the best; and in time of neede to make vse of the worst; yet it is not imposed vpon the Gunners Office to practize Foundings of Ordnance, although it bee one of the most necessary Sciences of these times in vse, which was neuer bred among the common sort of men, as other handy­crafts were, for that they must not onely be conuersant and expert in the Mathematickes, but also trayned vp thereto from their childhood if they will be excellent for ready handines therein, which makes mee and others wonderously maruell, that so necessarie a science should bee no better re­spected amongst vs, and that that there is no more care taken to bring vp ex­pert Founders of Ordnance for times to come, in this war-like age. But if we shall well examine the most vsed Foundings in Europe: namely, those of Lisbon, Malaga, Barcelona, Naples, Cicillia, Cremes, Millan, Genoa, Venice, Mellines and Vtrecht: in which by reason of their continuall practise they might easily haue become excellēt & expert, yet whether it be by negligēce ignorance, or els by the too much haste made by those that haue the charge and command of those Foundings, it is apparant that they commit great and absurd faults therein. Some of their Peeces (and not a few) are bored a­wry, their Soule not lying in toe widst of the body of Mettall; some are crooked in their Chase, other of vnequall bores, some too light towards the Breech turne their mouthes downewards in their discharge, and so en­danger their owne Vawmures and Defences: insomuch that my selfe and other good Gunners in time of seruice could hardly finde means to remedy that fault, eyther by hanging waight vpon the Pommell or Cascabell, or by wedging it vnder at the fore Transom of her Carriage: others are too heauy also in their Breech, by placing the Trunnions too much aftwards, that Coynes can hardly be drawne, but by the extraordinary strength to manage and weigh them vp behind, or lay her vnder mettall without putting a long [Page 68]leauer in her mouth. Some and a great many Peeces are come forth of the Furnace spoongy, or full of hony-combes and flawes, by reason that the mettall runneth not fine, or that the moulds are not throughly dryed, or well nealed: whereby eyther the Gunner that serueth with them is much endan. gered, they being as bad or worse to serue with, as those that are too weake and poore in mettall: for if they be loaded with so much powder as is ordi­nary for those sorts of Peeces (as may often happen when such Gunners load them, as are either ignorant or negligent in examining their defects) they will either breake, split, or blowingly spring their mettalls, and (besides that mischiefe they doe) they will be made vtterly vnseruiceable euer after. Wherefore to auoyd those dangers & faults, Gun-Founders may do well to conferre one with another, and also with vnderstanding and experienced Gunners thereupon, who with the hazard of their liues haue often seene in­to those inconueniences: yet thus much I dare say to the due commendati­ons of our English Gunnefeunders, that the Ordnance which they of late yeares haue cast, as well for neatnes, as also for reasonable bestowing and disposing of the mettall, they haue far excelled all the former or forreigne a­forementioned foūders. But it is to be feared that there being so few of that profession here imployed for Founding of Brasse Ordnance; (only Mr. Pitts and his Brother, and Mr. Philips, and as yet so few or none brought vp to learne it vnder them,) as that it is like that hereafter there may bee a great want of honest and skilfull Gunnefounders in England, the inconuenience that els may hereafter so befall, I hope will bee foreseene and preuented in good time.

Le Sieur du Praisac in his 13 Chapter of his Military Discourses, aduiseth Founders to haue a speciall care for the temper and Allayes of the mettalls, the inward cleannes of the moulds and nealing of them well, and to their Caps and Cauities to anoint them with cleane grease, and to guard and binde them well with iron, to dry them and settle them firmely, and for the due placing of the Trunnions, as is shewed in the 22 Chapter hereof, that they may so neerely equiballance one end with the other, that one Gunner with a Leuer or Handspyke may rayse or imbase it vpon her Cariage, eyther for the draining or putting in Coynes to direct them, or lay them vnder met­talls, The running of the mettall not fine or too cold, and the mould not well nealed, or the mettalls not well incorporated; either of these causeth flawes, crackes, spungynes, or hony-combs in the mettall of the Peece, whereby great danger often ensueth.

CHAP. XIX. Concerning the League and Alligation or mixture of Mettals to Found great Ordnance.

FOr the Natural viscuosity, softnes, & dulnes of the co­lour of Copper, there hath for the Foundings of Ord­nance beene many Alloyes, Leagues, or Alligations of other mettalls by seuerall Founders vsed as their diuers colours and tempers doe manifest. True it is, that the proper Alloy for Copper, is fine Cornish Tinne, when as you would haue your worke subiect to the Hammer, or els it will not be reduced to such subtilty; as to endure the fire, or to make vessells off. But when as it shall be accompanyed as shall herein bee hereafter mentioned, it doth not onely change the name, also the aspect and Nature thereof, as to bee called Or­dinary Brasse, Bell-mettall, or els Brasse for Ordnance, Brasse ordinarily is made onely by Tinne, Copper, and Lapis Caliminaris. Bell mettall with more Tiune and some Latton, for Bells, Mortars, and for Ordnance, As Biringuccio sayth, 12 pound of Tinne for 100 pound of Copper, for Bels 23 or 20 pound of Tinne for 100 pound of Copper to cause the better sound, and accor­dingly as they are to be greater or lesse, wherein I intend not here to giue a­ny other Rule; but to mixe them by waight, and measure, as discretion and iudgement shall induce. But more particularly for Ordnance, I haue thought fitting to relate the opinions of such worke-masters and Authors as I haue receiued instructions from. Ierome Rosselli, saith, that for 16 lb. of Copper, 10 lb. of Tinne, and 8 lb. of Latton, and that the Tinne giueth hardnes, and sothereth the Copper and Latton, and that the Latton giueth them colour together, adding the more force to resist the vehemency of the powder sired in them, so that they make the Peeces that are cast of that mixture to be faire and strong. Alexander Bianco in his Millitarie saith, that the best Allegations of those Mettals for Ordnance, is for 100 lb. of Copper, 20 lb. of Tinne, and 5 lb. of Brasse or Latton is to be mixed. Diego Vffano in his Instru­ction de Artillerie sayth, that the best Legature for Ordnance is 100 lb. of Copper, 8 lb. of Tinne, and 5 lb. of Latton, and 10 lb. of Sow-lead, affirming that Lead being tough and cold, maketh it also become hard.

And Sicur du Prissac in his Military discourses saith, that the French Foun­ders vnto euery 100 lb. of Copper doe either adde 20 lb. of Bell mettall, (which is 25 lb. of Tinne and Lead, for 100 lb. of Copper or Brasse) or else 10 lb. of soft Tinne to each 100 pound of Copper.

CHAP. XX. Of the Powders or Earths to make the Moulds to cast in Brasse Ordnance.

FOr the Foundings of Great Ordnance, there are speci­all sorts of Earthes, whereof the Moulds and Modells are compounded either to cast in Brasse or iron, wher­of it behooueth to seeke the best, namely that are able to resist the fire and receine the melted mettalls, so that they may render them to bee cast and Founded neatly without being subiect eyther to be diminished, crackt or peeled when they shall be nealed, which is such a matter as without experience cannot be done well. The rather be cause that Earth in it selfe generally taken cannot safely be chosen, the co­lours thereof is no sufficient signe: for we see some earth to be white, some blacke, some yellow, and others red; and of each some are good, some bad. But none of them can by their colours be assuredly said or chosen for good in effect: for there may bee some of each of those colours good; yet all earths being eyther fat or leane, or soft, or grosse, or viscuous, whereof the leane soone turneth vnto dust, without holding together, which also are a long time drying, and are but of little continuance for strength. The Fat and viscous Earths shrinke and chappe, and doe soone breake by their natu­rall brittinesse, and doe often grow crooked by the vneuennesse of their mix­ture or temper, whereby they become crooked in the Mould, and so warpe the patterne it selfe: so that it is rare that such a Peece should come neatly or well out of the mould: Where upon we may conclude that good Earths are neyther Fat nor Leane, but betweene both, and of a fine and subtill graine or mould, which soone dryeth and remaineth firme, without brea­king, being able to resist the vehemency of the fire; and such Earthes are most commonly of a yellow or red colour: but relying not vpon the colour, prooue the quality of your Earths with iudgement, and so will experience the Mistrisse of Art be your best Tutour to direct you to the best powders, which must be the first foundation of your worke.

But to finde such as are fit for your worke, it behooueth you to sinke di­ners pits or caues vnder ground, which haue not beene much stirred. And after you haue begun your worke, and compounded your Earthes in a banke or heape, and wet and moystened them like a paste, begin then to beat them with a rod of Iron, as the Potters vse to doe their Claye. Then take two third parts of the whole quantity, and mixe it with lynt of Linnen cloth and then beate the same againe together vntill they bee well incorporated, that they may appeare all one substance, and if any small stones should chance to fall amongst it to picke them out or bruise them as small as may be thereby, and so the powders being well tempered may serue for your moulds and formes.

Some if they cannot haue such Earths as they would, content themselues, [Page 71]with such as they can get, which when they haue tempered into paste, they dry, and then beate and remoysten; others mixe it with burnt sand and a­shes; others hauing but weake Earths, temper them with water wherein burnt salt is dissolued, mixing therwith Scales or Lymmel of iron finely bea­ten and searced.

And lastly, some mixe therewith Horse or Oxe dung, and some vsed sedge and straw finely chopt and mealed, each to his best liking, endea­uouring to preuent the ill accedents that may hinder the good successes of their workes.

CHAP. XX. Of making of Moulds for the Founding of Ordnance.

EAch Workemaster in any Art whatsoeuer, hold­eth alwayes eyther the way wherein hee hath beene taught, or els that which in his iudgement and vn­derstanding hee thinketh to be the best: Euen so is it with Gunne-Founders, who notwithstanding the meanes that they vse in Foundings are diuers and ma­ny, according as they are either great or small, yet al­most all tend to same end.

And hauing so prepared and resolued of what kind, and what sort of that kind the Ordnance is, you intend to Cast you are then first to make a Mod­dell or perfect patterne thereof, eyther of Timber, or of Earth (or both) with all the Mouldures, Ornaments, and Compartiments, euen as you would haue the Peece to be, which you must thinnely anoynt with soft hogs grease, and then couer it ouer with a Colume of the aforesaid tempered earth, made and dryed by little and little, augmenting it vntill it bee of a competent strength & thicknes; This Colume must be to betaken into two or more parts, to the end to take the said Modell or patterne out of it, and it is to be fortified on the out side with Plates of iron as long as the Chase of the Peece, and with iron wyres an inch each from other, and lastly with iron hoopes a foote or two asunder, to knocke off and on as occasion shall require. There must also bee a smooth and equall Cillinder, whose Dya­metre must be iust the height of the Bore, and made of the same earth moul­ded vpon a strong Iron square Barre, and vpon a cord woulded about the same, therewith to make the soule or concaue hollow Cillinder of the Peece, by placing it (by helpe of the Base and Muzzle-ring) exact­ly in the midst of the vacuity of the outermost Colume, which when the Patterne or Modell shall bee taken out, will remaine hollow to receiue the mettall that must make the body of the Peece. All these must be well ioyned ted together, polished smooth, and dryed and nealed, that the mettall be­rune fine, may come off, smooth and neate.

Lastly, the patterne of the Breech, with all the Mouldures, and Casca­bell is in like manner to bee couered ouer by little and little with the same tempered earth, which must afterwards be luted neatly and strongly to the Breech end of the outter Colume: All which Mouldures, Rings, Armes, Deuices, Flowers, Trunnions, Dolphins and Circles may be at pleasure ad­ded therevnto, vpon the patterne eyther in waxe, earth, or playster, and so the perfect impression thereof be receiued by the concauity of the outward Colume, keeping still the due prescribed proportion of the Peeces, accor­ding to the kind and sort thereof.

CHAP. XXII. Of the place, measure, and vse of the Trunnions.

THe Trunnions in peeces not Camber bored ought to be thus placed, diuide the whole lēgth of the Chase of the peece into 7 equall parts, and at 3 of those parts from the Basering forwards, in the imaginary right line that procéedeth from the lower part of the Mettall at the Breech, to the vpper part of the Mettall at her Mouth, must the place of the Centre of the Trunni­ons be, and so shall there be 4/7 of the length of her Chase from the Centre of her Trunnions forwards to her Muzle, & 3/7 backwards to her Breech, except it be for a Taper bored or Cambred peece, for which the [Page 73]Trunnions must be placed more backwards, because the thicknes of mettall to the breechwards is greater in compared proportion then it is in equall bored Peeces, which would otherwise become breech heauy, & so be trou­blesome to manage, and it must be so ordered for these sequent reasons. First for her better fortitude, Namely to take hold the more firmely in the Met­tall of her body, and not lye directly against the concauo Cillinder of the Bore. Secondly, that being somewhat vnder it, they will the better support the great: waight of the mettall: and lastly, that therby they may be onely so much heauier towards their Breech as may be sufficient to keepe her steady in her discharge, and not be too vnweldy, but conueniently approaching neere equiballancing for the mounting and mannaging thereof, which the Germane and Spanish Founders doe somewhat seeme to helpe, by placing Dolphins somewhat more towards their breeches: and some others haue thought to remedy it by placing of strong Rings in Staples of cast mettal in stead and liew of these Dolphins. But for such Peeces as haue neither Dol­phins nor Rings to mount or dismount by them, a Leauer being put into their Mouthes and a rope fastned at the mouth vnto theoutward end therof, and vnto the Pomell or Cascabell at the breech, thoy are to be thereby e­quibalancingly slinged tomount or dismount them conueniently. The Trun­nions ought next the body to be in Dyametre one Calibre of her proper bore in thicknes, and also one in length, onely lessening 1/30 of a Calibre, tapering by little and little towards their outward end of them. There are fiue things e­specially to be regarded in casting of mettall. The first is to make the formes and moulds duely. The second that they be well nealed with Charcoales or dry wood. The third to place them well in the Pit. The fourth is to melt the mettall to runne well and fine. The fift to be sure to put asmuch mettall into the furnace as may be sufficient to fill the moulds; and euery mould (that is to be filled with Brasse or any other Mettall) must haue spyralls or vents: for there is no place (although called empty) so voyd, but it is filled with Ayre, by meanes whereof if the hot meltes, substance come to meete with the Ayre there inclosed, not finding breathing vent, it will breake the the mould: wherefore it will be fit that as vpon the one side of the mould, the mettall is to come into it, vpon the other side the moysture and ayre may breath out without impeachment, that all the emptines of the mould may be filled with mettall. And to that end there must bee a vent made that may breath out the ayre from the top to the bottome of the mould, concluding that by giuing the more and the larger enteries vnto the moulds and vents, the better and more faire will your matter bee cast off. And so much for Foundings of Brasse Ordnance.

CHAP. XXII. How to examine, search, and to finde whether any peece of Ordnance be well and duly made, and of what Kinde, and Sort it is.

THe principall thing that a Gunner ought to looke vnto, when hee is to take many Peeces of Ordnance into his charge, is first to search and examine how they are Fortified, and whe­ther they be sound and safely seruiceable, and whether they be of the kinde of Cannons of Battery, Culuerings, or Periors, and then to know of which sort each Peece is of that Kinde, and then whether they be ordinary, re-inforced, or lessened in their Forti­fication of Mettall, and whether they be Cambred, either equall or Taper­bored, and with, or without an Orlow or Rellish, be they of cast yron or of Brasse mettall: and of what heights their Bores are, and how much Powder they are each of them to shoote, with any Shot, be it of Lead, Iron, Stone, Granado, or other Fire-workes or Bales.

Secondly, that he looke how the Spunges, Ladles, Rammers, and Wadd­hookes, are fitted and conditioned, so that there may be no defect or default in them: And finding all those things well, hee is to place them all on the right side of the Cariages of the Peeces they belong vnto, so that the Ladles and Spunges be turned towards the mouthes, and the Rammers and Wadd­bookes towards the Breech of their proper Peeces.

Then by putting a Rammer with his staffe into the Peeces Concaue Cil­linder as farre as it will goe, to know whether that Peece be cleare, loaded, or Cambered, and equall or taper-boared, with Relish, or not, or haue any foulenesse got into her Concaue Cillinder, which hee shall perceiue if hee make a marke vpon the staffe, at the mouth of the Peece, and pulling it out when it will goe no further in, and by laying it vpon the out-side of the Mettall, if it reach to the Touch-hole or not, for if it doe not reach thither, it is either loaded or cambred, or else some foulenesse is gotten into her. And if he finde or perceiue nothing to be within, yet he shall take her Ladle, and put it into her as far as hee can, and mouing it lightly about the lower part and bottome of her concaue, giuing two or three ietts, to receiue into the same, the dust or small stones or foulenes if any be in her, which he shall continue, drawing out the Ladle and emptying it, vntill hee perceiue there remaineth no more within her to be drawne out: Then placing the Ladle in his place, let him also take her Spunge, and spunge her well; to draw out all the moysture, rust. Verdegreace, or foulenesse, vntill she be cleane: then search also her Touch-hole, with a Pryming-iron, whether shee be therein cleane, cloyed. or haue any foulenesse gotten into it.

That done, then may he with a common search vpon a staffe, hauing two or three round Pease, poynted springs that beare out, vnlesse they be forced close put into the concaue Cillinder vnto the bottome, all along to examine her within whether there be any flawes, crackes, hony-combes, pynne­holes, sinders, or other faults: and the Sunne shining cleare, if the mouth [Page 75]be turned against the Sunne beames, they may by a Looking-glasse well pol­lished, or with a bright sword, be reuerberated into her concaue Cillinder: so that those faults may bee therein most easily discerned; or else in close weather or roomes, a Wax or other Candle lighted, being fastned vpon the end of a Cane, staffe, or halfe Pyke, her faults may bee spyed, if the same bee put into her hollow Cillinder, and carefully looked for all along, the Gunners eye being therefore imployed diligently at the mouth of the Peece.

Wherein if he espye any creuises, flawes, cracks, or Hony-combes, hee may assure himselfe that Peece is dangerous both for breaking by re­charging of her too speedily after her discharge, as well for her debillity by meanes of those defects or faults, disabling her to endure or resist her ordi­narie loading, or allowance of Powder to be fired in her, as also least in such Cauernes, flawes, or Hony-combes, some of the Wad, Carthouch, foulenes, furre, or Powder, lye smothering therein, and so vpon recharging, Fire, the Powder that should loade her, vnlesse shee be well spunged with wet spun­ges, with a great deale of handinesse, care, and diligence, to bee assured to haue fully extinguished the fire that shall so smother, before you recharge her. Besides, much discretion and iudgement is to be vsed in the allowance of Powder, as in the manner of loading such Peeces, notwithstanding they be otherwise double fortified or re-inforced Peeces, yet to allow them (ac­cording as they are thereby more or lesse weakened) so much more or lesse Powder, as if they were of the lessened poore, or slender, fortified Peeces of the same kinde and sort.

It may many times happen that he may meete with Peeces that are wider at the mouth, then in the rest of her bore within, which is often found in Peeces that haue beene long, and many times vsed to shoote Shott of Iron or stone, whereby the mouthes become enlarged, worne, and wider, by reason of the frequencie and vehemencie of their discharges, whereby the Gunner may be deceiued, if he take his measure for his Shot by the Callibre of her mouthes, for by that meanes the Callibre of their bores within being lower or lesser, it may cause the Shott to sticke by the way, and then a va­cuity being in her betweene the Powder and the Shott, they will endanger the Peece to breake, which may soone bee examined with the Crossett, de­scribed in the 19 Figure α, whereby Shott for such Peeces may be safely chosen seruiceable, according to the Callibres of their narrowest places, giuing abatement of 1/20 of that height (though the Shott be round, and not ouall) for a conuenient vent, whereof more hereafter shall be spoken.

If he chance to meete with a Peece that is crooked in her Chase, which is a hard matter to be otherwise remedred, then by sending her to the Furnace to be new Founded: But if by necessity a Gunner must needes serue with such a Peece, then must he take a Shott for her so lowe, that it be sure not to be hindred in the going out thereof, in her discharge. And besides, he must accordingly (as the crookednesse lyeth) lay the Peece so much the contra­rie way awry, ouer, or vnder the direction of the vpper part of the Mettall more or lesse, as her bending and crookednesse is more or lesse; the which after two or three Shotts made in her, the Gunner shall bee better directed then by many words.

Lastly, he may many times meete with Peeces whose concaue Cillinder [Page 76]notwithstanding it proceedeth from the breech to the mouth directly straight, yet it lyeth awry in the body of the Mettall thicker or more to­wards one side then the other, which commeth eyther by the ignorance or negligence of the Gunne-founder. The Mould not being so iustly fitted, that the solide Cillinder thereof, filling vp part of the vacuity of the outmost Colume of the Mould, thereby to make the Concaue Cillinder of the Bore, as to be scituated iustly in the midst or right line of the Axis; The which is so great a fault, that if it be not well and artificially handled and ordered, it will be impossible to make a good shot therewith, besides the dangers that depend vpon such Peeces: for being thinne of one side, although it be thick on the other, yet must it be allowed no greater charge of powder then if the same were as thin on the thickest side as it is on the thinnest, for if she haue a charge of powder vsually allowed to good Peeces of that kind and sort, she will bee in great danger to split or breake: wherefore very great care and iudgement must bee to fit her Charge according to her ability, and also to frame and place her dispart duely, wherof also in his proper place hereafter, in the 26, 27, & 28 Chapters, shall be more particularly declared.

CHAP. XXIIII. How to measure or Tertiate any Peece of Ordnance, to know how much Powder she is able to beare for her due Charge.

THe best vnderstanding experienced Forreigne Gunners, doc call the measuring and examining of the fortifica­tion of Mettall in a Peece, Tertiating, because it is chief­ly to be measured and examined in the three principall parts of each Peece: namely, at the breech, at their Trunnīons, and at the mouth.

Now that euery industrious Gunner may be assured of the fortitude of any Peece of Ordnance, and so the more safely and boldly allow vnto her a due loading, and proportion of powder, for proofe and seruice, that she may without danger performe her vtmost execution, I haue in the 18 figure α described three Cannons, and three Culuerings, with the measures of their mettalls (their proper Bores being their proper Scale) at their Breeches or Chambers, & at their Trunni­ons, and at their Mouthes. The vppermost of both which, is the figure of a Re-inforced or double fortified, the two middlemost of an Ordinary, and the two vndermost of a Lessened Peece, both Cannons, and Culuerings, with all their measures. By which also their sorts, and all other Ordnance in their due measures, will be the better conceiued and manifested.

As for example there is a Culuering that shooteth an iron shot of 17 lb. waight with 13 lb. of corne powder, which is ⅘ of the waight of her shot; and the question is whether she may be able to beare so much powder, or if neede were more, which cannot be well answered without the examining or tertiaring her mettall.

But hauing already searched her, as in the precedent Chapter is shewed, and found her sound and free, except the defects therein mentioned, you may measure and tertiate her to answer the question as followeth.

First, with a Ruler, draw a right line vpon a paper slate or flat smooth Previous error not modified boord, as in the said 18 figure is described from A to B, Then with a paire of Compasses with strait or reuersed poynts, take the Dyametre or widenes of the Bore of the peece, and place that measure from A towards B at C, which space betweene A and C, you must diuide into two equall parts, and then with the compasses opened to one of those parts, set the same vpon a­nother right line, as at the poynt D, and with the other foote draw a circle, which will be truely equall in Dyametre vnto the height of the Bore, as may appeare by the Circle AFCQ, and equall to the right line AC.

Then with a paire of Caliber Compasses take the thicknes or Dyametre of the mettall of the Breech at the Touch-hole: which distance betweene the poynts, you must diuide into two equall parts, and then the Compasses bee­ing [Page 78]opened to one of them (and one foote set in D with the other) describe the other Circle GH, which shall be equall to the circumference of the met­tall at the Touch-hole, and so the thicknes of the mettall or distance between the said 2 circles will shew the quantity betweene F and H, and E and G.

And seeing that the distance from F to H is equall to the distance from E to F, which is the Dyametre of the height of the Bore, he may be therefore sure that it is an Ordinary or Common fortified Culuering. But whether it bee either a Bastard or an extraordinary Culuering, it cannot bee knowne by the fortification, but by the length therof; being longer then the ordinary, it is called, therefore an extraordinary Culuering, &c. and being shorter then the Ordinary, it is therefore called a Bastard Culuering.

Now then this being found to be an ordinary Culuering, shee will beare [...] of the weight of her shot in Canon powder, which amounteth vnto 13 lb. 9 oz. But to bee more assured of her fortitude, the measure of her mettall may be likewise taken at her Trunnions, and Necke as followeth.

At the Cornish or Ring before her Trunnions with a paire of Calibre Compasses, you may take the Dyametre of the body of mettall there, as you did before at the Touch-hole, and also diuide the distance betweene the points or ends of the compasses into two equall parts: with the compasses opened to one of those parts, setting one foote in D, make with the other the circle IL, and if you finde 7/1 of the bore, it is the proportionall fortification for an ordinary Culuering; and the like may bee done for the Necke, which the circle MN will equalize and represent, and the distance from F to N being ½ of the height of her bore, and the due thicknes of the mettall for an ordinary Culuering at the Necke, confirmeth the former measures and proofes.

But if in taking the Measures aforesaid, there had bin found in her Cham­ber at the Touch-hole from F to H the thicknes of one Dyametre of the bore, and [...] more, it had beene a signe the Peece to be double fortified or re-infor­ced, hauing also at the Trunnions FL 1/16, & at the Necke FN 9/16 of the height or Calibre of her Bore, Then she shooting an Iron shot of 17 lb. would haue endured also 17 lb. of Cannon corne powder to be loaded with, and be fi­red within her without danger. And this would so haue conueyed the shot further then the ordinary could haue done, vpon like degrees of Mounture.

Contrariwise, if the circles there had beene found, that from F to H, but ⅞ of her Calibre of the bore at the Touch-hole, and at the Touch-hole but ¾ for FL, and at the necke from F to N but 7/16 of the height of her bore. Then she appeareth to be one of the lessened or slender fortified Culuerings, and must be allowed but 12 lb. 9 oz. of Cannon corne to conuey her Iron shot of 17 lb. which vpon like eleuation will not cary a shot so far as the Ordinary, much lesse as the extraordinary Culuerings could haue done.

In this selfe same manner all sorts of Peeces of the second kind are to bee measured and Tertiated with this consideration and allowance withall, That the Demy Culuering hath 1/16, and the Saker 1/ [...], and the Faulcon ⅙ more mettall comparatiuely then the whole Culuering hath. And so much for the sorts of the second kind of Ordnance.

Likewise vpon the other side of the same figure, the Measures of the Ord­nance are thus described.

The double fortified or re-inforced Canons of Batterie, haue one whole Dyametre of their bore in thicknes of mettall at her Touch-hole, and 11/16 at her Trunnions, and 7/16 at her necke.

The ordinary Canons of Batterie is ⅞ in their Chambers, [...] at their Trunni­ons, and ⅛ at their Neckes of the Dyametre of the Bores in thicknesse of mettall.

The Lessened Canons of Batterie is ¾ at the Chamber, at the Trunnions 9/16 and at the necke 5/16 of the Dyametre of their Bores in thicknesse of mettall, whose poorenes and debility of mettall, although they be to shoote an Iron shot of about 60 lb. yet they cannot endure aboue 25 lb. ½ of fine powder, or 31 lb. of common powder.

Whereas the Re-inforced Canon of Battery can endure to burne 34 lb ½ of fine powder or 43 ½ of common powder.

And so the Ordinary Canon of Batterie will endure 30 lb. of fine, or 39 lb. of common powder.

But if the Gunner when he should measure or tertiate any Peece, hath not Calibre compasses, he may doe it sufficiently with a cord or string, by guir­ding the Peece at the Touch-hole, at the Trunnions and at the Necke, ta­king ½ part thereof for the Dyametre of the body of her mettall in each pla­ces, Thus:

The Canon or ordinary Culuerings haue about 11 Dyametres of their bore about at the Touch-hole, and at the Trunnions 8 Dyametres, and at the necke 6 Dyametres in their circumferences.

But the Common or Ordinary Canons of batterie haue but 9 Dyametres at the Touchhole, and at their Trunnions 7 ½, and at their necks 5 2/5 in the cir­cumference of their mettalls there.

Lastly, the Demy Canons are but ⅞ of their bores in thicknes of mettall at the Touch-hole: I need not to insist vpon the rest of the measures, nor of the Re-inforced Ordinary or Lessened, onely I may say that as they all tend to none other end, but to make knowne the force and feeblenes of any Peece, to allow her a conuenient charge of Powder, that they may performe their best and vtmost force most safely: for if you giue any Peece more then her due charge in powder, you indanger the Peece your selfe, and the seruice expected, but if you giue lesse she cannot doe sufficient execution.

The force and richnes, and the defects and poorenesse of the Powder, is likewise to bee well knowne for 10 lb. of one powder may doe more execu­tion then 12 lb. of another, wherefore encrease or abatement must bee ac­cordingly made to or from the quantity, that is ordinarily allowed, ac­cording to the strength thereof, more or lesse, whereof I intend to speake more particularly in the chapter of the making and proouing of Pow­der.

But yet I will conclude with a briefe and industrious way to measure a Peece as is by the 19 figure α represented: First draw a right line, as the line CD, then take the widenesse of the bore of the Peece with a paire of straight poynted compasses, and set both the poynts in the said right line from C towards D, as CF which will be the height or widenesse of the bore of the Peece. Then with a paire of Calibre compasses take the Dyametre of the mettall at the breech, which being also set in the same right line from C to­wards [Page 80]D as CE. Lastly, diuide EE into two equall parts at A, so will FA or EA be the thicknes of the mettall at the breech. The like may be done at the Trunnions or Mouth.

CHAP. XXV. To finde whether the Concaue Cillinder of any Peece of Ordnance bee in the midst of her mettall, if not where the thickest or thinnest of the Mettall is, and the difference thereof, and of the longest and shortest distances from the Axis of the mettall to the Axis of the bore, with their Lar­ges and Disparts.

BEfore I proceede any further, it will not be amisse here to shew the vse of Paralell Squire described in the 19 fi­gure α, which is an instrument requisite to finde & ex­amine whether that any Peece hath more mettal vpon one side of her then on the other. The same is of two perches or peeces made square of good seasoned wood planed straight and smooth, ioyned at the end with two trauers peeces truely let in and well closed in their ioynts, so that as one of the pearches may come neerer or goe further off from the other as the Peece to be measured shall require alwayes, keeping the two pearches exactly paralell one to the other, and so locked with shrew pinnes and nuts, as that they may not boudge without his will that vseth them.

These pearches haue in each of them 5 or 6 skrewes with pins of brusse or Iron, that the one pearch being put into the Cillinder of the bore of a Peece of Ordnance, the pins and skrewes with their halfe round heads may so beare vpon the lower side of the bore, that it may hold vp the pearch close to the vpper side therof, all along euen to the Touch-hole. Then by the Tra­uerses, locking the Perch that is without, that the further end may touch & rest vpon the Basering, and the vpper pinnes also touch the Cornish frieze, and other eminent rings of the outside. Then turning the said instru­ment round about, all the concaue or soule within and about the mettall or body without side of the Peece, if you finde it to touch all parts equally in such reuolution, you may be assured the Peece is truely bored in the midst of the mettall; but if it touch not equally but bee stayde or stiffe vpon one side, and loose, that the pinnes beare or tooch not one the other, it is certaine that the side where it is loose, is thinner in mettall, then the other where it goeth stiffe or stayeth.

The places which is thin̄nest & thickest, being knowne by the stiffenesse or loosenesse of the pinnes in the turning, and the lengthning or shortning of those pinnes more or lesse, will also make knowne the quantity how much one side and place is thicker or thinner then another, and that throughout [Page]

[Page] [Page 81]euery part of the Peece noting the thickest side with the Algebraicall fi­gure of more thus › and the thinner with the character of lesse thus ‹, marking and noting very diligently how much the excesse is, and in either of those places with a cord, or rather a parchment that will not stretch guird the Peece round about, Then halfe-ing that guirting, by doubling it, lay one end of it vpon the character — that is where the mettall is thickest, and where that halfe endeth there is the thinnest by the 15 definition of the first of Euclid: which being done both at the breech and mouth also, and how much the thickest or thinnest place is distant from the vppermost of the surface of the mettall in those places seuerally noted; so much is particularly prepared for the same Peece onely, yet how it may be applyed in like sort for any other wrybored Peece, may by like practise be conceiued.

The same being done aswell for the Brech as for the Mouth, and transfer­red accordingly vpon a boord with Plumets in the centres of each circle, & one in the perpendicular Dynametre of the middle line of the boord, whose lower end must be somewhat hollowed, that it may bee the better applyed vpon the roundnesse of the mettall of the breech and muzzle of the Peece, as the figure thereof may sufficiently explaine, it would bee too tedi­ous, and not opera pretium further to describe the perpendicill, or to de­monstrate the same, although I haue prepared for any friends that de­fire it.

Note for as much as it is very difficil to reclaimc such Peeces from shoo­ting awry, or ouer or vnder, without these curious preparations: And be­cause they are not safely to be shot in, without very good and mature consi­deration of their weakenes and danger, for if an ordinary charge of pow­der be fyred in such a Peece, the weaker fortified part would not be able to resist the force thereof, but be in great danger to breake and split: therefore I would aduise euery Gunner that shall be appoynted to serue with such a Peece, aswell for his safety as for his credite, eyther with or without reclai­ming those Errors, not to load her with more powder then if shee were no better fortified in any place then she is in the weakest part, her surplussage at the thickest, being no better helpe to strengthen the thinnest of her met­tall; then if she were in all places weake alike. Yet to examine the mettall of any Peece doe thus also, Mount the mouth of the Peece vpon a skidde or peece of Timber, and hauing from the vpper part of the mettall, made foure markes, or diuided the circumference of the Base and Muzzle Riggalls or Rings into 4 quadrants from the mouth to the Breech, hauing stretched a chalke line layd vpon two of those marks each with his match, striking with that line, 4 lines alongst vpon the outside of the body of the peece, and ha­uing a great care that they betruely lined; Then take a strait rod and put it into the mouth of the Peece, holding it close to the side of the concaue di­rectly within it as the lines directeth, the one line whereof lying directly, his opposite will lye directly vnderneath it, and the other two lines will bee stretched on both the sides of the Peece.

Then take your Quadrant, and place one side thereof euen with the rod, and looke what degree the perpendicular plumlyne cutteth thereon, and so turning the peece, that one of the syde lines may then lye vpright, if the plumblyne then fall vpon the same degree at each line of such application [Page 82]vpon them all, the Peece is then truely bored. Lastly, there may also for that purpose be an Iron or Brasse Instrument with a ioynt in the midst cal­led Double Calibres with foure legges like the figure here described, which by putting them into the concaue of the Peece, and turning it round within the bore, clasping the other legge without to the mettall of the Peece, the distance betweene the other two legges without will shew the thicknesse of the Peece in each part, and shew, with applying all the ope­nings vnto an inch Rule or scale of equall parts, whether the Peece bee thicker vpon one side then on another, being alike distant from the mouth of the Peece, and how much and where.

Which differences of thicknesse and thinnesse of her mettall, wry boring or vneuen lying, of the concaue Cillinder or Soule in her body or Mettall being so made knowne. The Large lyne and Large it selfe, together with her due dispart, and lying of the Axis, for such a Peece may be found as fol­loweth.

CHAP. XXII. To Dispart a Peece of Ordnance, whose Bore lyeth horizon­tally awry, and the Axis thereof being parallell to the Axis of the Mettall.

SVppose that the Bore of the Peece lyeth awry so much of the Horizontall Dyametre square, as w v, or of the circumferences of the mettall at the mouth, as m n, or at the Breech as t r, here represented by the two para­lell right lines, one v b m t, being the verticall semidi­ametre of the middle of the mettall at the Breech, and v b m at the mouth. And w h o u t the other parallell, whereof w h is the verticall semidiametre of the mid­dle of the bore both at Breech and Mouth, and h n the verticall thickenesse therein of the mettall of the mouth, and h t the verticall thicknes of the met­tall at the greatest ring at the breech.

The difference of b m for h n being added vnto the difference of m r from t r, augmented by the lyne of the vsuall dispart r m (the difference at the vp­per part of the mettall at the Breech and Mouth) will compound and make the due dispart little or nothing differing from the vsuall dispart, but must be [Page 83]placed vpon n perpendicularly paralell to m r, which shall direct the sayde Peece to make an assured good shot, the visuall line passing from the Gun­ners eye by t and n vnto the marke to be shot at, by the 10 definition, and the 65 Theoreme.

But if the Bore or Soule of the Peece lye awrye, the Axis thereof not be­ing paralell with the Axis of the Mettall.

As if the Bore at the Touch-hole were as the circle x byd. and the Bore at the mouth, as e g h f, and the Axis of the Bore passeth from v at the breech vnto w at the mouth horizontally leuell with the Axis of the mettall; Then shall the Dispart be of such length, as in the former ordinary manner, but the dispart lyne vpon the mettall at the breech will passe directly from poynt z, vnto the poynt n at the mouth of the peece, to make a perfect shot with such a peece at any marke assigned.

CHAP. XXVII. To Dispart a Peece of Ordnance, whose Centre of the Bore lyeth perpendicularly awry, eyther aboue or vnder the Centre of the midst of the mettall, and yet the Bores Axis being paralell with the Axis of the Mettall.

SVppose that the bore of the peece assigned lyeth awry so much of the perpendicular Dyametre, as a b aboue the Axis of the mettall, yet being paralell thereunto, or as much as the circumference m o or b n. Herein the two verticalls being in one same line, both of the middle of the bore, and also of the middle of the met­tall; therefore the visuall dispart must be placed vpon the vppermost part of the mettall of the mouth, and the visuall line must passe from the Gunners eye by the vpper part of the met­tall at the Breech, and by d the vpper part of the mettall at the mouth, and will there serue to make a good shot as if the Axis of the Bore had lyen in the Axis of the mettall; and so the like may be said if it were in the perpen­dicular Dyametre, vnder the Centre of the mettall at the breech and mouth, as a c, which may suffice.

But if the Concaue of the Bore lye awry, and not paralell to the Axis of the mettall; as if the circle r i s t represent the bottome of the bore at the Touch-hole, and the circle r k s w represent the bore at the mouth, and the Axis thereof passing from b at the breech to c at the mouth, crossing the Axis of the mettall at a and lying vertically in one same plane therewith.

Then shall the difference of mettall Xd. at the mouth differ from the thick­nes of mettall i e, at the breech, onely the quantity of g e, which is the true height or length of the dispart, and must bee set vpon the verticall point d at the mouth to make a good shot with the said peece at any marke assigned [Page]

[Page 85]to be shot at within the distance. For take k d out of the mettalls at the mouth of i e, the mettalls are at the breech, and will rest g e the Dispart sought.

But if the Circle r k s w be the Bore at the breech, and r i s v the bore at the mouth.

Then shall the thicknes of the mettall at the Mouth i d differ the thicknes of the mettall at the breech k e the full quantity of d f the true dispart for the same Peece to bee set vpon the verticall point d. As d f, to make a good shot at a marke assigned. For take i d, the mettall at the mouth out of k e the thicknes of mettall at the breech, and there will rest i e equall to d f, for the dispart sought, by the 10 Definition, and the 8 Demand.

CHAP. XXVIII. To Dispart any Peece of Ordnance, whose Axis of the Bore lyeth awry not leuelly nor vertically, the Axis of the Mettall not being paralell thereunto.

AS suppose first that the bore at the breech bee represen­ted by the excentricke circle d g e f, and at the mouth by the excentricke circle o f p g, and the Axis of the bore the right line a d. The outmost circle of the met­tall at the breech by the concentricke Circle q r y w x, and the outmost circle of the mettall at the mouth by the concentricke circle s t z: So shall the thicknesse of the mettall at the breech be 3 q, and the thicknes of the mettall at the mouth bee 2 t, which space or quantity 2 t being taken out of 3 q leaueth 4 q the dispart required, to be set vertically vpon the mouth at the poynt t, because the same is the point in the outmost mettal of the mouth that is vertically ouer d, the Centre of the bore at the mouth, and the large line shall be q t: for that q is right and vertically ouer the Centre of the bore vpon the outmost mettall at the breech, and q s will be the dispart line and part of the sight line that must passe from the Gunners eye by the poynt q on the Mettall at the breech, and by the point 5 the top of the dispart, set vpon the point: at the mouth, and so extending it selfe vnto the Centre of the marke assigned to be shot at; The like may bee said if b were the Centre of the bore at the Touch-hole, and c the Centre of the bore at the mouth: For then would r s be the large line, and r 4 the dispart line, and 4 s the dis­part, each reciprocally answering the forenamed measures, being only placed alike on the contrary side which may suffice.

But if d were the Centre of the bore at the Touch-hole, and a were the Centre of the bore at the mouth.

Then would 3 s be the thicknes of the mettall at the mouth, which being taken out of 2 r the thicknes of the mettall at the breech, there will rest 6 r [Page 86]to be set vertically vpon the vpmost mettall of the mouth at s, because s is the verticall point there ouer d the Centre of the bore at the mouth of the Peece, so shall 6 r or 8, 7 equall thereunto be the length or heigh of the dis­part, and r s shall be the large line, vpon the mettall passing from the breech to the mouth; and r 7 shall bee the dispart line, part of the sight-line that passeth from the Gunners eye by the points r and 7, and extendeth vnto the Centre of the marke assigned, by the 10 definition and the said 8 Demand.

CHAP. XXIX. Of the Larges, and the Large Line in wry bored Peeces.

HAuing already shewed how to finde whether the Peece assigned were equally bored in the midst of the met­tall, if not where the thickest and thinnest of the met­tall lyeth, it resteth now to shew also how to find her middle line, or highest of her mettall at the breech and muzzle, as also her large and large line in a peece that is bored or cast awry.

The Middle line is none other thing, but an imagi­nary Right line supposed to passe vpon the highest of the mettall of a Peece of Ordnance from her Base ring to her Muzzle ring, directly and ver­tically ouer the Axis of the body of mettall of that Peece, which by the perpendicill aforesaid is easily found by placing the two corners K and L seuerly vpon the Base and Muzzle rings in such sort as that the plummet be­longing to the line n, o, may hang directly ouer the same line, and being let downe, vntill the poynt thereof doe touch vpon the surface of the met­tall there, make poynts or pricks at each place, I say then that those points will be directly ouer the Axis of the Mettall of that Peece, betweene which points if a Chalke line be stretched and striken, or a right line imagined to passe, the same shall be the middle line of that Peece.

Now to finde the Large lyne, and the Large it selfe, in such Peeces as are bored, or cast a wry: Hauing found the midle Line, and the Plummet hang­ing so directly ouer n. o. vpon the said markes; and hauing found the Ex­centricke circles of the thickest, and thinnest of the Mettall, at the Breech, and Mouth, and described them vpon the Perpendicill, as is afore shewed, with their Perpendicular lines paralell to n. o. letting downe their Plu­mets, each in his proper place seuerally, so that it hang directly ouer his owne Perpendicular line, and that the point of the Plumet also touch the Superficies of the Mettall, and there at each touch, make a marke and stretch a chalke-line betweene them, from the Base to the Muzzle rings, and strike a line vpon the Mettall therewith, or else imagine a right line to passe be­tweene them; I say, that line will bee Vertically ouer the Axis of the Bore, of that Peece; and is the Large line sought, and the distance betweene the extremes of the midle line formely found, and this Large line vpon the Base [Page 87]and muzzle rings noted, are the Large it selfe: and so is that Peece reclai­med and prepared to auoid wide shooting.

Now it resteth also to reforme her ouer, or vnder shooting, whose cause may by the former sections bee conceined, and by the perpendicill easily, and readily found and performed thus: First, vpon the marke vnder o, where the plumet touched, place a due Dispart for her, as if she were truely bored; then if the Centre of her Bore, at her breech bee found by the instrument, to be vnder the Centre of the Bore, at her Muzzle; the difference thereof, is then to bee substracted, from the leuell height of the Dispart. But if the Centre of the Bore at the breech, bee higher then the same at the mouth, then that difference must be added, and placed vpon the marke of the Large, at the muzzle, with that addition, or abatement; and so the visuall line, must passe from the Large, at the breech, by the top of that Dispart there placed, which will auoyd all ouer, or vnder shooting in that Peece.

CHAP. XXX. To finde the waight of any Shot by the Diametre thereof, as well Arithmetically, and Geometrically, as Tabularly, and by Scale, and Compas.

THe weight of the Shot, being a fit Index for the Gunner, to allow any Peece of Ordnance her due charge of powder; is therefore most necessary to bee made knowne, or first sought; and because a Gunner, cannot at all times when the weight of a Shot is required, haue Ballance and weights about him, to waigh the same; therefore, it shall not bee a misse, here to set downe, how hee may know the same, to a sufficient neerenesse, by the height of the Dimetre, or circuit of the circomference thereof; And that also for varietie sake, as well Arithmetically, and Geome­trically, as Tabularly, and by Scale, and Compas.

The first thing to be done in Arithmeticall working, is to finde the solide square inches, contained in the Ball, or Shot assigned; which may bee thus found, multiply the measure of the knowne inches of the height, or Dya­metre thereof Cubickly, and then againe multiply that Cube by 11, and diuide the last product by 21, and the number in the Quotient, will expresse how many solid square inches of Mettall, or Stone is contained in the Glo­ball body of that Shot: If then you know, how much one square inch of the Mettall, or Stone assigned weigheth, you may then soone know the whole Shots weight sought, (for cast Iron 4 ownces allowed for each inch square, commeth neere the matter) and the proportion of Iron to Lead may be as 30 to 56: And ordinary Stone to Lead, as 18 to 72, and Stone to Iron, as 18 to 48, tollerable accepted.

But to come more precisely neere the trueth (although spunginesse) and the [Page 88]difference of each Mine from other, and infinite accidents, vary the propor­tions betweene their capacities, and weights, and doe hinder it. The table following will sufficiently helpe, in the meane space, I will giue one example to illustrate the precedent rule. As for example, it is required to finde thereby the solid square inches, in a Shot of 4 inches and ½ in height; the neere Cube of 4 ½ being neere 91, which I multiply by 11, & the product I finde to be 1001, which I diuiding by 21, finde in the Quotient 47 inches, and ⅔ of an inch more, for the solid content of that Shot, which if it were of Iron, by such allowance as aforesaid, it would weigh 11 lb, & about 15 oun­ces, but by the first Table following, it would be 12 lb. and 12 ounces, and by the sequent treble Table for Lead, Iron, and Stone Shots; it is found to bee but 12 lb. and 10 ounces, wherein appeareth also that a Leaden Shot, would bee 17 lb. and 15 ounces, which by the first Table, would bee found 19 lb. and 12 ounces. But for easinesse, some (and because it may for any Iron Shot be wrought by memory, by a man of any small practise) doe vse onely to diuide the Cube of the Shot by 8, and take the Quotient for poundes, and each vnitie of the remainder for 2 ounces, and so the Cube of 4 ½ being 91, as aforesaid, and diuided by 8, the Quotient will bee 11 lb. and the 3 remaining will bee 6 ounces: The like in all kindes may bee done for Stone Shot, by the rule of 3 onely, saying, if 48 the proportion of Iron, giue 202 ounces, what shall 18 the proportion for stone giue? 76 ounces, which will bee 4 lb. and 12 ounces for the weight of the Stone Shot, that is 4 inches and ½ in height.

But the most artificiall, and exact Arithmeticall working of all such que­stions, for all vsuall Mettalls and Stones, is according to the next Table, wherein, I haue imitated the Lord Marchistones Table, in his Rabdolagia, applying this vnto ounces, and inches, which are our vsuall knowne weights and measures: Whereas his was for Cochleas, or Spoonefulls, and Drames, more vsed by Physitians, then knowne in Gunners practises; yet, for his two first Theoremes, and Problemes, I haue followed them, because their workes are easie, and excellent.

CHAP. XXXI. The Geometricall finding the Dyametre, for the weight of any Shot assigned.

HAuing a Shot of one pound, 2 lb. or 3 lb. weight of the Mettall, or stone assigned; if it bee of one pound, di­uide the Dyametre thereof into 4 equall parts, and 5 such parts, will make a Dyametre for a Shot of the said Mettall, or Stone, that shall weigh iust two pound.

And diuide the Dyametre of a Shot, that weigheth iust 2 lb. into 7 equall parts, and 8 such parts, will make a Dyametre for a shot of 3 lb. weight.

And diuiding the Dyametre of a shot of 3 lb. weight, into 10 equall parts, and 11 such parts, will make shot of 4 lb. weight.

And diuide the Dyametre of a shot of 4 lb. into 13 parts, 14 such parts, will make a Dyametre for a shot of 5 lb. weight.

And diuiding the Dyametre of a shot of 5 lb. weight, into 16 equall parts, 17 such parts, will make a Dyametre of a shot, that will weigh 6 lb: And [Page 91]so diuiding each next Dyametre into 3 parts equall more then the next lesser was diuided into, and it will with one part added frame a Dyametre of a shot, that will weigh iust one pound more; and so you may proceed infi­nitely, increasing, or decreasing, by taking one part lesse, then it is appointed to be diuided into, for 1 lb. lesse, and the next into 3 lb. lesse, to abate one from the remainder, infinitely decreasing it.

CHAP. XXXII. Of the rule of Callibres, and of the difference betweene the heights of the Bore and Shot for any Peece, which is called the vent or due abatement to shoote with safety, and most aduantage therewith.

FOrasmuch as it is an excellent quality in a Gunner to be expert and ready in the Heights and Calibres of Bore and Shot for Ordnance, and to retaine them in memory, ra­ther by reason then by roate, they being the ground and Scale from which all the Measures and Proportions for all parts, as well of the Peece and her Cariage, as of the Pow­der, Shott, and distance, or the way of the Shot are deri­ued and vnderstood, as by the precedent & sequent dis­courses may appeare: But because most English Gunners haue hitherto ge­nerally as well for the greatest as the smallest, or meane sorts of Ordnance chosen the Shot for them all, one quarter of an inch lower then the height of their Bores; which the best experienced Gunners of late yeares disliking, haue for a generall proportion chosen rather one twentieth part of the height of the Bore to be abated for a due height of the Shot vent, affirming that in the Faulcon and small peeces the abatement of ¼ of an inch is too much, and for the Canon ¼ of an inch is too little, and that 1/20 of the Diame­tre of the Bore will be a reasonable abatement for all Peeces, be they higher, or lower, which being by Arithmatick so easily found, will not require any example.

CHAP. XXXIII. Of the Gunners, Quadrant, and Triangle, with their Degrees and Poynts, whereby either to Leuell, or else to Mount, or Imbase any Peece of Ordnance, to any degree or poynt assigned.

THe Gunners Quadrant is a Geometricall Instrument, made of brasse or fine grained wood, containing in the cir­cumference one quarter of a circle, diuided into 90 equall parts or degrees in the outmost limbe, and in the second limbe within into the 12 poynts of the Gun­ners quadrant, hauing within the same also a Geometri­call Quadrate, with each side diuided into 12 equall parts, and those each of them subdiuided by meanes of [Page 96]paralels and Dyagenalls into 10 equall parts, so that each side will be thereby found distinctly deuided into 120 equall parts, fitly seruing to take all Geo­metricall Mensurations, of distances, heights, breadthes, and depthes, ac­cessible and inaccessible, by the directions hereafter mentioned. The de­grees and also the poynts being principall helpes for the Gunners practise, to shoote at the most certainty both by the right line, and also vpon the ad­uantage of any Randon to and at any Marke assigned, to a probable or assu­red good effect; as by the Tables, Scale, and directions following, will more plainly appeare, and by the 21 Figure hereof marked [...] wherein each Quadrant, (but that which is marked with 4) hath a strait Ruler about 2 foot long, ioyned either firmely, or by a Groue doue-tayled vnto one of the sides of Semidiametres thereof. Now to plant any Peece leuell, hauing put the said Ruler in close vnto the lower side of the Mettall, within the Cou­caue Cillinder of the Bore thereof, then mount or imbase the Peece in her Cariage, vntill the plummet fall directly vpon the other side of the Qua­drants fiduciall edge, by meanes of drawing out, or putting in the Quoyns as reason will direct you: so will the Axis of the Bore or Concaue Cillin­der thereof, bee found to lye directly leuell, or paralell to the Horizontall plane: you may also without a Quadrant leuell any Peece duly founded by holding a plumb line vpright afore the mouth of the Peece, and mounting or imbasing her by meanes of her Quoynes, vntill the line shall appeare on­ly to touch the Flat of the Mettall at the mouth aboue, and below alike: So will the Axis of the Soule that is to cut the flat of her mouth at right Angles, the plumb line being paralell or equi-touching, the same flat be found to bee paralell to the plane of the Horizon, or truly leuell as was required: But if by the said Quadrant you would mount the peece to any degree or poynt of the Quadrant, then you are to mount or imbase her in her Cariage, by draw­ing or putting in of her Quoynes more then before so much, vntill the plumb line of the Quadrant appeareth freely (the Ruler being put into her mouth as before) to hang directly ouer the degree or point assigned. And the like may be said concerning the imbasing of any peece; as in the 21 Figure α at 2 for the 12 poynts and at 3 for the 90 degrees A B C and E M N, And also concerning the leuell at 4, to leuell peeces, and to finde the vpper part of the mettall: And lastly, to mount and imbase the peece by the helpe of the plumb line; And by the whole circle at 5, deuided into 48 equall parts, ma­king in each Quadrant thereof the 12 poynts of the Gunners quadrant. The like may be done with the sight Rule, by the Table hereof.

CHAP. XXXIIII. Of a new deuise by any Staffe, to leuell, mount, and imbase any Peece.

ALso any Peece may with a field Linstock, Rammer, or Spunge, or o­ther Staffe be mounted to any degree of the Quadrant, being thus prepared. First, marke from one end of that Staffe a distance, equall vnto the height of the Pomell or Caskabell of the Peece [Page]

[Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 97]placed leuell vpon her Platforme, and then take the distance betweene the Centre of the Trunions and the Pomell or Caskabell, which make or ima­gine a semidiametre of a Circle, and diuide it by Dyagonalls and Paralels, or otherwise into 1000 equall parts. Lastly, out of the Table of Sines, take the number answering vnto euery degree out of the said 1000 parts, and set that distance from the said marke downwards. And if the totall Syne of the Table be 100000, omit the two last figures of each number thereof towards the right hand, and if it be 10000000, then omit foure figures of each num­ber you finde in that Table, and the remaining number will shew how many of those 1000 equall parts are to be set downwards from the marke beneath the said leuell for each seuerall degree: Then drawing also 10 Paralels and Dyagonalls from the first degree to the second, and from the second to the third, &c. successiuely continued from each to his next, noting euery degree with Arithmeticall characters; so may you from 6 minutes to 6 minutes by those right synes mount the Peece, so set forth for any Peece which it shall be prepared for. This may also be described vpon such a staffe without the Table of synes in a mechanicall maner thus: If you describe a Quadrant or Quarter of a circle with a semidiametre, equall to the distance from the centre of the Trunions, to the centre of the Pomell or Caskabell, and deuide the Arch of that quadrant into 90 equall parts or degrees, and then from each degree, letting a right line fall perpendicularly vpon the base side of the said quadrant. And lastly, each of those right lines being thence transferred from the said first marke downwards vpon the said staffe, and marking them with Arithmeticall figures for each degree, thereupon making also Paralels and Diagonalls, as aforesaid you may thereby Geometrically and mechani­cally marke the same from 6 to 6 minutes as before. The vse of them are plaine and easie, for if you bring downe the centre of the Caskabell or Po­mell of the Peece to any number of degrees thereon, so marked, for that peece, you setting the lower end of the staffe to the Platforme being euen, although it be rising or descending backwards: I say then the Axis of the bore of that Peece will be found to be eleuated vnto the degree assigned: If you bee to imbase the Peece, those lynes and number also set aboue the first named marke, will performe the like office there in the thing required.

CHAP. XXXV. How to finde the right line or right range of any Shot discharged out of any Peece, for euery eleuation, by any one Right or dead Range giuen for the Peece assigned.

IF the Range giuen be the right Range, say by the Rule of three if the Tabular number found in the Table of dead Ranges for the degree of the Range giuen, giue the number of knowne measures in that Range: what shall the Tabular number of the Table of [Page 98]right Ranges, proper to the degree assigned giue. And hauing multiplied and deuided them duly, the fourth number will be the right Range, or right line for the Peecesought.

CHAP. XXXVI. To finde how much of the Horizontall line is contained directly vnder the right line, or right Range of any Shot, made out of any Peece at euery eleuation assigned.

HAuing by the last Chapter found the number of paces, the Peece will carie her Shot in a right line being duly discharged, at any Eleuation assigned, multiply the same by the right Sine of the complement of the de­gree of Mounture, and deuide the product by the whole Sine, and the Quotient will bee the number of paces (or such like measures) contayned in the leuell, directly vnder the right Range sought.

CHAP. XXXVII. To finde how much of the Horizontall line lyeth vnder the crooked Range of a Shot, made out of any Peece at any Eleuation assigned.

THe crooked range is so much as the course or way of the Shot, as it goeth helically betweene the right Range, and the na­turall or perpendicular motion, or before it make the first graze; And may bee thus found either by deducting of the leuell distance contained directly vnder the right line or right Range of any Shot made, (found by the last Chapter) out of the dead Range thereof found by the Chapter before-going: For the remainder will be the paces or other measures, lying directly vnder the crooked range.

CHAP. XXXVIII. Of the violent, crooked, and naturall motion, or course of a Shot discharged out of any Peece of Ordnance assigned.

BY the third and fourth suppositions of the second book of Tartaglia his Nouascientia, euery body equally hea­uie (as a Globall Shot) in the end of the violent moti­on thereof, being discharged out of a Peece of Ord­nance (so it be not in the perpendicular line right vp or downe) the crooked Range shall ioyne to the right Range, and to the naturall course or Motions, and bee betweene them both: So for example, the right Range being all the line a b of the Figure following, and c d the naturall motion. [Page 100]He saith B C will being the mixt or crooked Range ioyne, and bee contin­gent to them both in the poynts b and c, wherein c will be the furthest part of the crooked course or range from the Peece so directed, and d the end of the naturall motion thereof.

And in his seauenth proposition of the same booke hee prooueth, That euery Shot equally heauy great or little, equally eleuated aboue Horizon, or equally oblique or leuelly directed, are among themselues like and pro­portionall in their distances, as the Figure following sheweth: as A E F is like and proportionall in the right and crooked Ranges, vnto A H I, and in their distances or dead Ranges A F vnto A I.

And in his fourth, fifth, and sixth propositions of the same booke, he pro­ueth that euery Shot made vpon the leuell, hath the crooked range thereof equall to the Arch of a Quadrant, or quarter of a Circle; and if it bee made vpon any eleuation aboue the leuell, that then it will make the crooked Range to be more then a Quadrant, and that if it be made imbased vnder the leuell, that then the crooked Range thereof will be an Arch lesse then a Qua­drant, as the three last figures following doe represent.

And lastly in his ninth Proposition of the same booke, he vndertaketh to proue, if one Peece be shot off twice, the one leuell and the other at the best of the Randon, that the right Range of the leuell, is but one quarter of the right Range of the best: And that the dead Range of the leuell is but 1/10 of the dead Range of the best Randon, whereto he that desireth further demon­stration, may haue recourse, and examine his demonstrations of those pro­positions in his said second booke of his Noua Scientia. A Diagram for the Randons of a Saker vpon each of the first six Points, according to Alessandro Bianco.

Now to finde at what distance from the platforme whereon the Peece is to be discharged, the course of the Bullet will cut the aspect of euery Moun­ture (which will helpe when a marke shall bee without the right Range of the Peece in the aspect of its eleuation, aboue the Horizon) to make a faire Shot at first by taking a greater aduantage of mounture: as suppose a Marke eleuated 15 degrees, to be distant 700 paces.

By the last Diagram open the Compasses, vntill the aspect cut the poynt of Mounture, then applying the same vnto the scale vnder it, you shall there­by finde at what distance it cutteth the Randon required.

CHAP. XXXVIII. How to loade a Peece of Ordnance Gunner-like.

THe Peece being mounted, and duly planted on his Plat­forme, and well prouided with all things in readinesse for seruice, as of powder, Shot, Ladle, Spunge, Ramer, Wad­hooke, Wadds, and Tampions. The Gunner must place his Linstock to Lee-wards, or vnder the winde, and hauing cleared the peece and Touch-hole; he must spunge his peece very well standing on the right side of the peece, and drawing out his Spunge, let him giue it two or three blowes vpon the Month on the out-side of the peece, to beate off the foulenesse and dust it hath gathered within: then his assistant declining the powder or boudge barrell aside, he shal thrust in his Ladle to fill it, striking off the heaped powder, giuing a shogge to shake downe the surplusse: and it being so filled and striked, put in the Ladle downe to the bottome of her Concaue Cillinder vnto the Touch-hole, but at the first putting of the Ladle (so filled) into the Mouth of the peece, slide in the Ladle staffe, so that the vpper side may keepe vppermost all the way, and when it is ariued to the bottome of the Bore, then hee laying his right thumb vpon the said vpper side of Ladle staffe, neere the Mouth of the peece, and turning the said staffe so much, vntill the said thumb vnremoued vpon the staffe be found directly vnder the same; then giuing two or three shakes, and bearing vp the Ladle, that the powder may bee turned out, or goe out cleane, and that the Ladle bring no powder back therewith, for that were a foule fault for a professed Gunner to commit. Then shall he put the powder home softly, with the Rammer that is at the end of the Ladle staffe; putting in a good Wadd, and thrust it home to the powder, giuing three or foure hard strokes, which wil gather the scattered pouder together, and driue close the same, and the rest to the bottome of the Chamber the Assistant, hauing a finger vpon the Touch-hole all the whilst: And then put in the Shot which with a Rammer he must put softly home, and after­wards another Wadd of Hay, Grasse, Weedes, Okham, or such like: And againe, giue two or three good strokes with the Spunges Rammer head: But if the Peece doe require two or three Ladles of powder, it must bee all put in before any Wad, in that maner as the first was mentioned, and so in all other things. And then place the Boudge or powder barrell to wind-wards, and couer it safe with some Hide, garment, or cloath: alwayes auoyding to stand before the mouth of the Peece, but on the right side thereof in loading her for feare offurther danger. And lastly, the Peece is to bee layd to the marke and prymed and fired, and so will his Peece said to be loaded Gunner-like.

CHAP. XXXIX. Whether the longer Peeces out-shoote the shorter, and why the Culuerings shoote farther then the Cannon and the Demy-Culuering then the whole Culuerings, &c.

NEuerthelesse, that the eighth Theorem of this booke affirmeth, that The longer the Peece the stronger the stroke, which is most true, yet must it require this moderation, that all proportions be agreeable in the longer Peeces, namely that the proportion of the height of bore, and fortitude of mettall, and charge of powder, be corre­spondent one to the other, as in my Exposition vpon one of Mr. Digges his Questions is related: For if the Fortitude of mettall be wanting, and so vnable to resist the force of powder due to load your Peece withall, in respect of her length & height, so that the Shot may be come iust to her Mouth in that instant, that all the Powder shall be perfectly fired, or that by reason of her shortnesse (she hauing fortitude) the Shot be gone out before the powder in her be all perfectly fired, there is neither of them both can performe so much as they otherwise would doe, if their proportions of height, length, and fortitude had beene correspondent one to another. And there must also bee a respect had vnto the force of the powder vsed, that there may bee a conuenient correspondencie betweene the proportion of it to the rest: For otherwise, a Peece being loaded with a proportionall Charge of worser powder, may shoote further, then if shee were loaded with as much in waight of better powder, by reason of the dis­proportionalities afore said. It was experienced, as Luigo Coluado in his 21 Chapter mentioneth, that an extraordinary Culuering of 48 Dyametres of her bore in length, being loaded with a Charge of powder vsually allowed to Culuerings (proportioned to the waight of her Shott) did shoote fewer paces, then afterwards when 8 dyametres of her length was cut off from her Mouth to her Breech wards. And then also 6 dyametres more being like­wise cut off, and in like sort, shee being loaded and discharged at the third time, conuayed her Shot farther then either at the first or second, whereby and by the 14 Theorem hereof, with the said exposition, all will most plainly appeare both Theorically and Practically: But the olde errour of the Rule of Flat, as some Gunners haue called it, and taught it to others: I thought fit to warne you of being a sight Rule, deuided into inches, to set on the breech of any Peece, to mount her to any angle vnder 30 degrees, by a like certaine number of inches, and parts, for Peeces of all lengthes, which is not onely impossible, but also absurd: As I haue shewed before in the 76 Page, where I shall speake of the good vse that may be made of the inch Rule for that purpose, with my Table for the same in the 93 Page.

CHAP. XL. Of shooting Mira Comune, or by the Mettalls of the Peece, and the difference betweene shooting so, and by the due dispart.

ALthough the difference of making a Shot to a Marke, by the highest of the Mettall at her breech and muz­zell, and by the continued aspect of the Axis of her bore, is so vncertaine, according to the length of the Peece, and the differences betweene the Dyameter of the Base and Muzzell Rings, that no certaine propor­tion can be generally assigned: yet for most Peeces it hath beene well obserued, that the Peece directed by her Mettall, will shoote about twice as farre, when the Marke is leuell, or the sight line being paralell to the Horizon, as it will doe vpon the laying it leuell by the dispart Quadrant or Axis of her Bore, the incertainty thereof depending vpon the Angle, it maketh more or lesse aboue the Horizon, which for each Peece may best be found, by the differences of the disparts of seuerall Peeces that are of equall lengthes, but is accepted or guessed to be generally to shoote twice the distance Mira Comune, as it will doe vpon the true leuell Axis: But that Rule is seldome exact, for the difference is som­times fiue gr. and other sometimes seauen degrees, and sometimes neither, euen as the Mounture vpon the Mettall, & the leuell of the Axis will (being precisely examined) make manifest. And therfore to shoote with any Peece Mira Comune, or by the Mettalls, the difference or Mount about the leuell, which the mettall causeth being considered, and exactly examined, will shew the Angle of the Peeces Mounture, with which you must repayre to the following Tables of proportionall Mountures, for the seuerall Randons vp­on each poynt or degree of the Gunners Quadrant, which is thus easily to to be appropriated vnto any Peece, hauing made one Shotte with her at a Mounture certaine, and finding her proper dead Range for the same, which reuerted to the giuen Eleuation, will soone yeeld the Range required. As for example, suppose that by examination it be found out, that by reason of the rancknes or eminencie of the Muzzle ring, and length of the Chase of the Peece, the direction by the Mettalls at the Breech and Muzzle ring, to mount the Peece higher then it would, if the Azis of her Bore were duly di­rected by a true dispart, vnto any Marke assigned by sixe degrees, and let it be imagined that the Marke is eleuated sixe gr. aboue the Horizon, so found by the Quadrant: And lastly, let it bee giuen at that mounture, the Peece did shoote 850 paces for her dead Range: the question is, how farre the same Peece would conuay the like Shott with like loading and accidents, if she were by the highest of her Mettalls at Breech and Muzzle, directed to the same Marke. Say then if 722, the number in the Table of dead Ranges against sixe gr. giue 850 paces, the measure of the Shott made in her at fixe [Page 104]degrees mounture, what shall 1394 the number against 12 degrees moun­ture giue, multiplying the third of these three numbers by the second, deui­ding the Product by the first, the Quotient 1534 paces, will so much better answere to the question then Mr. Smithes rule can doe.

CHAP. XLI. Of shooting by the Despart or Axis of the Bore (in right hored Peeces, called by some Gunners erroniously the poynt Blanke) as farre as it curreth a Shot in a right line.

THis kinde of shooting called (poynt blanke) is so farre as a marke is within the strait line of the Peece, which for some Eleuations or Mountures, is much more then for others, for that the more a Peece is mounted, the farther she conuayeth her Shot in the right range, except it could bee shot perpendicularly downwards, which (as I haue already in my first booke called, The Art of great Artillerie shewed) may therefore in Peece giuen, yeeld infinite poynt blankes. But bee the Mounture giuen, and the mark within the right line, or right Range of the Bullets course (that is with­in that space of the Shots right course) as it may be said to goe straite (or in­sencibly crooked) or so farre as it accompanieth the continued Axis of the Mettal, in right bored Peeces, or of the Soule in the wry bored (which is the cause that in such a Shots there is more seldomer failing, then in any other manner of shooting whatsoeuer) this kinde of shooting being made by the Dispart, so maketh the errour to be no more then the distance betweene, the visuall line directed from the middle poynt of the said Axis, and the visuall line that passeth from the Gunners eye, except accidents cause the contrary, it being directed by the highest of the Mettall of the Base ring, and by the top of the dispart vnto the assigned Marke. Now forasmuch as the length of the Peece and the variety of the Powder by the eighth Theorem, breedeth the difference of force, swiftnesse, and vehemencie of the Shott and stroke of the Bullet: it is therefore impossible to giue generall certaine Rules for the right Ranges, without some experience in that Peece bee first made, found thus.

If many Papers or Cloathes be set in the right line or way of the Shotte, betweene the Mouth of the Peece and the Marke, then making an or­derly shott with a full Bullet directed to some Marke, setting a sticke in each place, with the top thereof right in the Centre of the hole which the shott went through at euery paper: You shall thereby perceiue where the shott did first begin to decline, and how much at each distance, which being mea­sured, will very much informe the Gunner both for leuell Batteries, and [Page 105]shooting at randon, and vpon aduantage, in the meane space the Table fol­lowing will for right ranges helpe.

The vse of the Table, with example. Hauing foundby experience that at 6 degrees of Moun­ture the Peece assigned Shot 200 paces in a right, or in­sencible crooked line, and would know how farre the same Peece will shoote in a straite line, being mounted to 10 degrees, say by the Table, if 278 the number, against 6 gr. giueth 200 pa­ces, what will 354 the num­ber therein against 10 de­grees giue, 278 paces.

CHAP. XLII. Of shooting vpon the Aduantage or Randome at a Marke, beyond the right line of the Peeces reach, or right Range of the Shot: and of the dead Range for any Peece at euery degree.

AS in the last Chapter wee haue saide for the right Range, so must we also say for the dead Range, which consisteth of the addition of the right and crooked Ranges together into one, and then called the dead Range, which is the whole distance from the Plat­forme, vpon which the Peece assigned is discharged, vnto the first fall or graze of the Bullet, vpon the le­uell line, or Horizontall Plane, by reason the diffe­rent lengthes of the Peeces, and strength of the powder encreaseth or de­uinceth the course or fury of the Shot, and therefore more difficult to bee found, but only by experience, or by Diagrams, Tables, or Scales made from [Page 106]experiments. Now although it bee very difficult, and a thing vncertaine also, to ariue herein to exactnesse, without some experiments made with the assigned Peece and Powder: Yet to come to a necessary neerenesse at first (farre surer then by vncertaine guessing) either by the Table here annexed by my Scale or Rule, grounded vpon often obseruations and tryall, I hauing made 200 shott for it, you hauing the right range, for the Mounture assigned by the former dead Range, of the Shott for the Mounture required. Note where the Shots course cutteth the Angle of euery Mounture, for that Peece and powder giuen in this manner: First, take the right Range of the Peece experimented from the right Range for the Mounture assigned, and diuide the remainder in such reason, as the said Angle of Mounture is to the Angle of the complement thereof, and to the Quotient adde the said right Range found, and the off come there of, will bee the dead Range for that Peece, Powder, and Mounture assigned. As for example, let it be supposed, that a Peece mounted at 30 degrees, shot 300 paces in the right Range, and 3000 at the dead Range, I desire to know the dead Range at 40 degrees.

To doe this the plainest mechanicall way, is to diuide that dead Range into any num­ber of parts at pleasure, which set out in a line, at one end of that right line, make an angle by the 23 propositiō of the 1 of Euclide demonstrated herein, and from the other end thereof erect a perpendicular line by the 11 proposition also there mentioned, vntil it intersect the line that framed the An­gle giuen, and note well how many such parts it containeth, and multiply the parts of the dead Range by the parts, that the line that framed the Angle containeth, and then diuide the product by the number of parts you diuided the line of the dead Range in­to, and the Quotient will bee the Secant Range, which knowne, (as imagine, for the secant Range was found 1555 paces, and for the dead range 2000 paces giuen) Say if 1555 giue 1000 the whole sine, what shall 1000 the dead range giue, 643 ⅕, the right signe of the Angle, the Peece must be mounted vnto, vpon the aduantage, to shoote 1000 paces for her dead range.

CHAP. XLIII. How to order and direct a Peece, and amend an ill Shott that was made either by the Mettall, leuell, right line, or aduantage, or Mount.

IF leasure will not permit to vse the Ruler and Beuill, then the Gunner may by his iudgement, according to the Charge and proportion of the Peece, take such a marke as he guesseth neerest, and likest to be best for the purpose; if it prooue to strike on't iust, then hee hath his desire: for vsing like Powder, Shott, and hauing like temper and accidents, he shall alwayes make there­by the like Shot. But if the Shott went too high, hee shall then direct the peece in like sort againe, and lay some small thing, as dis­cretion will guide him vpon the highest of the muzzle ring, and bring it and the highest of the Base ring in one, with the first point or marke, doing so, or more or lesse vntill he hit the marke desired, and the same may be tryed by bringing the peece vpon the first marke, which without doubt hee shall attaine vnto with reasons Rule as afore. And if the first Shott be vnder or short, he must doe as before ordering and directing his peece in like manner, sauing that before the peece be remoued, hee must lay some little thing on the highest part of the mettall at the breech, and then by helpe of the Quoynes, shee being imbased or mounted more or lesse, as occasion requi­reth, vntill the highest of the mettall at the Mouth and Breech with that helpe, and the first marke become together into one right line. And so is the peece ordered for the shooting by Mira Commune, vnlesse fault bee by loading of the powder too much or too little, &c. And although other ac­cidents may misleade him therein, yet either of those faylings are also to bee reformed by the Beuell Quadrant represented in the 25 figure. As if the Gunner by the mettall take his marke so, that the Shot fall short: To cor­rect the same, after the peece at the next Shott, is placed as before, hee may then by the said Beuell quadrant eleuate her one degree or poynt higher. As if shee were formerly at sixe poynts or degrees, shee may now be set at 7, and then giuing fire, if it strike the marke, hee may alwayes order it in the same manner afterwards. But if it were too high, little, or much, hee must accordingly diuide that difference betweene the sixth and seauenth poynt or degrees by discretion (by the lighting of the last Shot.) And if it were too low, then proceeding in the same manner, to adde to the sixth poynt, with iudgement: and so may assure himselfe hee may be like to get reputation thereby. But if he be to order a peece to shoote by the leuell of the Soule, or Axis of the Bore horizontally, then place a peece of boord, within or vpon the bottome of the bore at the muzzle, as in the precedent Chapter betweene the said long Ruler and Beuell Quadrant, raising or im­basing her with Handspeeks and Quoynes, vntill the plumb line of the said [Page 108]Beuill, hang directly in the midst thereof: So will the Soule or Axis of the Bore lye directly leuell or paralell with the Horizon. Then taking away the Ruler and Beuill, and taking by the highest of the mettall at the breech and muzzle, direction to lay her right, and to what marke they respect for height; note that for after vses, and giuing then fire, he may attaine therein his desire.

Forasmuch as opportunity will not alwayes permit to place the same on the Mouth as aforesaid. The Gunner may keepe that thicknesse or dispart in his hands, and take his leuell by the mettall as the fashion is, vntill thereby he discerne the marke, and them both to bee in one right visuall line. And then setting on the dispart vpon the muzzle ring duly, and bringing downe the mouth of the peece vntill the said marke, and the top of the dispart, and the highest of the mettall at the Breech become all three in one right visuall line: then take off the said dispart, and note what marke will then bee in one right line, with the midst or highest of the mettall at the breech & muzzle, which will be much vnder the first marke, and it will so serue euer after to make a shott, to an assured good effect at the same marke, and with the same peece, from the same plat-forme.

The like is to be done in shooting at a marke, eleuated to any degree about the leuell: As also for such marks as are beyond the distance of the right line or right range, by allowing an addition of a Minute, Degree, or Poynt of eleuation, for aduantage more or lesse, as need shall be, vntill the Shot hit right, and as reason will direct. As for example, a Saker is to shoote at a marke eleuated vnto 15 degrees, it being distant from the plat-forme 1325 Geometricall paces 5 feete to the pace. But being mounted to the se­cond poynt, or 15 degrees, she will shoote but 1062 paces in her dead range, and in her best Randon she will conuay a shott but 600 paces, in a right line, wherefore it being almost 300 paces short of the dead range for 15 degrees, and aboue 700 paces short of her right range vpon her best Randon, I must by my Gunners Scale, or by the Diagram of Randons in the 27 precedent Chapter, by the perpendicular raised from the Base at 1325 paces, finde what randon crosseth the aspect of the second point, which will be thereby found to be the fifth points Randon. If then I shall mount the said Saker vn­to the fifth poynt: so then I may expect her said Randon, to strike or come neere to that marke, that shall be eleuated to the aspect of the second poynt, or 15 degrees, at the distance of 1325 paces, and so after 2 or 3 shotts at that aduantage attaine my desire.

This is the ordinary manner of shooting vpon aduantage of any Moun­ture whatsoeuer, alwayes obseruing the meanes how to draw as neere the Enemie as can be. In generall, you may obserue, that in taking ayme by the highest of the mettall, without consideration of the disparture, if the visuall line thereof aspect the marke, the shott will bee alwayes too high within the right range, contrary to the Gunners diseigne, which should be to rui­nate the Foote of the defence in Batteries the sooner to ouerthrow the wall, also to facillate the entery of the Breach, but singly to shoote at a Troope of Horse or Squadron of Foote, and especially in grauelly or stony places it were not amisse purposely to shoote short to light vpon the stones, to beate them so vp, as that the raysing of the grauel and stones may do the more exe­cution, [Page 109]entering trauerse-wise amongst the Enemie. But in a plaine or le­uell Champion, and amongst Battalions of men the Peece should be so ben­ded and directed, as that her shot may passe by the midst or thickest of them, guirdle height: and so it may cut off a hundred, or whole Ranke or File of Men at once, and breake their Orders and Rankes, whereby those that fall on their Faces will hardly elcape, but shooting ouer, profiteth nothing at all, but is meerely lost.

To amend a wide shot, if it went too much towards the right hand, then remoue the dispart, or take the large of your sight line somewhat more to­wards the left hand at the muzzle ring, keeping the former height, or letting the Dispart stand as before, and take your marke as before, onely remooue your eye a little more towards the right hand vpon the Base ring: And so likewise doe contrariwise, if the fault of the short aforesaid went too much towards the left hand: and so you shall assuredly amend the former shoot­ing, vnlesse some of these ouer-ruling causes or accidents cause the contrary, namely her Soule or Concaue bore, not being strairt and right, or lying a wry in the body of the mettall, for then the fault is not in the Gunner, but in the Gunne, which hee must with iudgement and good discretion rectifie, as hath bene already shewed in the 44. Chapter hereof. She will shoot wide also if the Trunions lye not directly the one against the other: as also if the plat­forme lye awry one side higher then the other: or if the Gunner take not his ayme, so that the visuall line that passeth from his eye to the marke: or if one wheele be higher then the other, or if one wheele be stiffe and the other iocond, or be squatted with any rub in the reuerse of the Peece, or run vpon soft, and the other vpon hard ground; or if the Cariage-maker haue made the Cariage leane, or hang more vpon one, then the other side: If the Naue be too wide, that the Peece shake therby in her discharge, and reuerse: or if the tayle of the Cariage rest harder on the plat-forme vpon one side more then on the other, when the shott is too lowe for the Peece, and at the deliuery toucheth vpō one side. And lastly the vehemency of the wind being sidewise, ouer-rules it to the contrary-side-ward, &c. But if the Shot fall to short or too farre, that happeneth by the force or feeblenesse of the Pow­der, or vnskilfulnesse of the Gunner, not directing his peece as he ought, or in ignorance, or by mistaking the distance to the marke he would shoote at.

CHAP. XLIIII. How the Gunner may be assured to make a good Shott.

SOmetimes the occasions offer to require, that the Peece be curiously directed, and precisely bended to dismount a Peece of the Enemies that galleth shrewdly, or at a single mark, or at the Loope, Tronier, Cassamat, Horseman, Boat, or other secret place assigned, that else would impeach the appointed seruice and deseigne: For which the Gunner [Page 110]ought to haue an entire and perfect knowledge of the condition and quality of his Peece, by experience made by former practises in her; otherwise it wil be vncertaine and vnlikely, that he at the first shot, out of a Peece, where­in they neuer practized, to make an assured good shott: and then in loading her, to haue great care so to put home the Powder, Shott, and Wadd as that the powder may fire at once, that the Peece reuerse not vnrulily, it being a certaine thing, that the more slowe the powder is in firing within the Peece, the greater will her reuerse be, and the shott also of the lesse force in execu­tion. And likewise the reasonable putting home of the Shott and Wadds, neither too hard nor too easie, but that the Ball may gently with a conueni­ent vent, onely enter in close vnto the Powder-wadd. And lastly, hee may direct his Peece by the Quadrant Beuill inch rule, or other former directi­ons, taking his ayme directly by the highest of the Mettall vnto the assigned mark, or with a due dispart placed vpon the poynt of the muzzle ring, which highest parts may there and at the Base ring also, with a small line be noted for the visuall line to passe vertically ouer them: And then giuing fire, let him not doubt of an assured good effect, hauing a diligent hand in preuent­ing the accidents that are to be prouided for, as in the 43 Chapter hereof are mentioned, to auoyd side, ouer, or vnder shooting, and considering well that such a good shott made, gaineth the Gunner much loue and honour. The fittest Peeces for that purpose, are either the Culuering, Demy Culuering, and Saker, or the Cannon, Demi-Cannon, and Minion.

Such a Shott ought to be made knowne to the Generall of the Army, who should therefore liberally reward the Gunner that made the same, not onely to encourage him, but others also, afterwards to doe the like, or better if it were possible. Louis Collado in his Manuall Practise of Artillery, writeth, that at the Siege of Siena there was a Peece lodged vpon the great Church, from which the besieging Army receiued much domage: but in the end a Germaine Gunner made a shott thereat, who at the first did not onely dis­mount the same Peece, but also made the Gunner thereof, and those that were about him, flye together in the ayre to their destruction: the which Mar­quis de Martinian, the Generall of the Army seeing, it pleased him to take a Chayne of gold from his owne necke, and to giue it vnto the Gunner that made the shot, for his reward, which did not only reioyce him, but encoura­ged all the rest of the Gunners to endeuour diligently, so to purchase the like honour and reward, when like occasions were presented.

CHAP. XLV. How to make Ladles and Spunges for euery sort of Ordnance.

IT were very requisite that the Gunner himselfe should know how to trace, and cut out, and also make vp, and finish, all man­ner of Ladles, to loade Ordnance with, either when neede shall require, to prepare them himselfe, or at the least to di­rect others how they should bee proportioned and wrought, [Page] [Page]

[Page 111]as also, that he may be the better able out of the Magazin or store, to make choyse of filch as shall duly fit those Peeces that are vnder his Charge and Command: For as it is a dangerous thing, or a great shew of ignorance to mistake one sort of Shott for another, which may soone happen, if he know not how to examine or Calibre them: so it is not onely shamefull, but dan­gerous also for a Gunner, to implby an improper Ladle, vnlesse vpon neces­sity, and then also with great care and iudgement, being either too long, too short, too lowe, or too nigh for the Peece, for being too high, it will not en­ter, too low, it will not fill, but spill, and too long ouer, and too short vnder­charge, each of which should bee a counted for an absurd fault. Where­fore Laduise euery Gunner to be very vigilant and carefull, that hee commit not that errour, out rather to be industrious, not only to learne how to make his Ladles and Spunges himselfe, but also to bee able to direct and shew others, how they ought to be seuerally proportioned, made & distinguished: as followeth.

For double fortified Cannons, to charge them with two Ladle-fulls, they are to be two dyametres and a halfe of their Shott in length from the head of the Ladle staffe, which shall be one dyamere more of plate, which must goe about the said head: The Brasse plate must be in breadth two dyametres vnto the said head where each side must haue halfe a dyametre more, to en­close the head of the Ladle staffe within the plate.

The Button or head of the Ladle-staffe must be one dyametre, and of such height or thicknesse, that it together with Brasse plate may bee equall to the height of the Shott (due vent being abated) for Spunges, their buttons or heads are to be made of soft fast wood, as Aspe, Birch, Willow, or such like, and to be one dyametre, and ⅔ in length, & not aboue ⅔ of a dyametre of the shots height: The rest being couered with rough Sheepes skinne wooll, and all, be nayled thereon with Copper nayles, so that together they may fill the Soule or Cauity of the Peece.

The Button or head of the Rammer, must be turned of hard wood in length 1 dyametre, and ⅓ of such height or thicknesse, that it may fitly enter into the Peece the shots vent allowed: it were the better for fashion & strength: if the ⅓ next the staffe were handsomly turned with abatement, and a Ferrill, or Circle of Brasse fitted thereupon, to saue the Head from cleauing, when as with force we shall ramme the Shott home. All these Heads or Buttons must be pierced ⅔, with a hole for the staffe an inch or more dyametre, wher-into the staffe must be fastned: and the staffe must euer be so long, that it must be at the least one foote longer then the Cauity or Soule is deepe.

For the ordinary Canon, the Ladle must be of the same bredth, but must not surpasse 2¼ dyametres of the shott in length: and for the lessened Cannons two dyametre onely to loade at twice, all according to the fashion, length, and breadth, as is shewed in the 20 figure α, with the manner of fastning them vpon the staues; wherein also the fashions as well of the Heads or But­tons, as of the Ladles and Rammers, are so represented to the eye, that the discreete Gunner shall neede no other instruction therein: Where the descrip­tion for the Demy-Cannons, which are of the same measures and proportion as afore-said are these, hauing respect to their owne proper Bores.

The Ladle for Culuerings and Demy-Culuerings, haue foure dyametres of [Page 112]their proper Shots in length, and two in breadth.

The Sakers, Faulcons, & Falconers, which may with one Ladle fulbe load at once, may haue their Ladles of 7 dyametres, & ½ dyametre of their Shots in length, besides that Couerture of the Head of the staffe: and of breadth 2, as all the rest haue.

For Periors, which vsually haue Chambers, with ore loes ½ or ¼ lesse in bore, then their Chase contayneth, to them 3 times the dyametre of their Chamber may be allowed for length of their Ladles.

Now if it should chance you were (hauing no Ladles not Ballance ready) commanded to loade a Cannon, or any other Peece in haste: First, put the rammer into the Peece vp to the Touch hole, and marke, the staffe, euen with the mettle at the mouth of the Peece, and then pull it out 3 dya­metres, for the Cannon, and 3 ½ for the Culuering, and 4 for the Saker Fal­con, &c. and marke there another marke, which is the place that the Powder must supply in the Chamber: And then take Paper, Parchment, or Cloath, as long as the distance betweene the two markes wrapped round, being of height equall to the bore of the Peece, 1/20 lesse, fasten the same with mouth glew, or sow the sides and bottom, and fill the same with powder, and powre it into the Peece, putting it gently home, doe so vntill you see the last made marke, to be equall to the flat of the mouth, the Rammer head being home vnto the Powder, then put in your Wadd and Shott, as else-where is taught.

CHAP. XLVI. How to make Bridges ouer great or small Riuers, to passe an Armie with the Ordnance, and other Cariages ouer the same.

OFten times it so happeneth, that passages are stopped, and not to be recouered, especially about Riuers for want of Bridges, or else some Marrish or Moorish place interposeth: Wherefore to bee prepared in all Acci­dents, especially to passe the Ordnance ouer a Riuer, that one Bridge or Moore may be speedily made, either with Boats placed 12 or 14 foote asunder, and moored by Ankors fast a head and a sterne, especially where the Riuer ebbeth and floweth, else if they be but fast a head, it may serue they must at such distance be layd in a right line, to ride crosse the whole breadth of the Riuer, at the place appointed. And then betweene each two next Boats, place 3 beames of Timber, being 18 foote in length, whereof 14 foot must be to reare betweene the 2 next Boats at each end, two foot must be to beare vpon the Boate, which Boats must be of euen height or nigh, and the Beames are to be layd 6 or 7 foote wide, each from other, that the bridge may be 10 or 12 foote broade, as well to conuay ouer the Horse and Foote [Page 113]as the Ordnance, Cariages, and all other necessaries belonging to the Ar­mie, for the surety and strength of which, there must vpon euery Boate be also three other peeces of Timber of such length, that it may at each end reach 3 foote ouer the Boates side, vnto which the three Beames aforesaid, must be fast pinned with Tree-nayles and yron bolts, with forelockes and keyes, to make them fast one to another. These Beames and Timbers are to be conered ouer with Planks two inches thick, or one inch and a halfe at least, and 17 or 18 foote in length, the description of which may be seene in the 17 figure at α.

But if any boggy or muddy space be betweene the Riuer and the fixed ground, so that the Ordnance cannot be brought nor drawne neere enough vnto the Bridge, then that part must be filled vp with such things as are fit­test to make it firme, whether it be with Faggots and Earth, or Chalke or stones, pyling the sides with Timber driuen in, vntill they reach into firme ground at the bottome for foundation, and to reuest it then with boords or walls, according to the time intended, it shall last and continue, that thereby the way may be firme land and euen. But if any doubt be that the Enemie will supprise this Bridge, to make himselfe Master of the Riuer then at each end thereof, a halfe Moone, or Reddout, or Fort, with Ordinance to doe murther, and fire-works must be prepared to preuent him, and therein be­sides the side of the Bridge, may bee palissadoed with long strong sharpe poynted sparrs fastned, thereto to secure it that way. Also a continuall and a carefull eye must be cast vpon euery part of the Bridge, that if any acci­dent of defect be in any place, it may be speedily repayred and amended: and a Rayle on ech side would be needfull for a stay. A Bridge also may in like manner be made with Truncks, as is represented in the said Figure at β And also to be linkt vpon one great vessell, with a falling defensiue poynted pallisado, as therein likewise at 4, is represented, and vpon Cask, Cables, &c. which I omit, being rather proper vnderstandings for the Enginier.

CHAP. XLVII. How to defend a Fortresse besieged, and the order, and what prouisions of Amunition will be necessary for the defence thereof.

AFortresse besieged being well defended, may returne to enioy her former liberties, which the better to doe, it will be necessary to make plaine, cut downe, and ruine whatsoeuer shall be hiding and hurtfull, within halfe a mile or more round about the Fort, be they Bankes, hollow wayes, Hedges and Dykes, of Lanes, Bushes, Trees, Houses, Mills, Gardens, Conduits, and such like obstacles, as not onely hide them, but hurt you also. Next looke that the Place bee well victualed, according to the number, for man and beast, fitting for defence, and necessary vse thereof fixe moneths, [Page 114]which is the longest time a Fort can be like to hold out, without succour or supply from abroad. Also Amunition must not be wanting, at least so much as may furnish the Flankers and Artillery, which must be as safe and couert­ly placed as may be, and not to be easily choaked or dismounted. For Amu­nitions, precise proportions cannot be prescribed, because each day mini­streth new necessities, and as the Enemy abroad raiseth or maketh new workes. Within Men and Munition may be reasonably paralelled with 1/10 of the besiegers. Then to looke that the Counterscarp (which is the shield of the Fortresse) be duly flanked, couert, and capable, that the false Ports and wayes for Sallyes, be safe, close, lowe, and commodious for issue. That the the Parrapets be of Turffe, or vnburned Bricke, that the platformes for the Ordnance be euen, and the Planks close ioyned, that their Reuerses cause not errours, and be also capable for the Gunners and Labourers to trauerse their Ordnance euery needfull way vpon them. The number of your Garison may also be estimated by the quantities of the places, to be defended by the out-workes you would hold, by the intrenchments imagined requisite, and Sallyes you purpose to make. Now after the proportion of a Place where­as 60 Peeces will be requisite, 12 of them may be Cannon, to beate downe, and batter the Defences and Trenches of the Enemies, and to make there­with Counter-Batteries, to dismount the Enemies Ordnance; And 8 of them may be Demy Culuerings, & 10 Demy Cannons, they being lighter, are more easie to mannage, and 10 Sakers, to keepe the Enemie continually play to hinder their works, offend their Centinells, beat the entrances of the Trenches, impeach their Approaches, and for that they are light, they may be remoued easily and quickly from one place to another, yea out of the Ports with some Drakes, to rake the Enemies trenches, from some part of the Falsebray. And lastly, 20 Falcons and Falconets for Field Peeces, are ne­cessary, and may be able to serue, not onely vpon the Ramparts and Walls, but also at the entries of a Breach, and at single Marks, Horse, man, or Boat.

CHAP. XLVIII. To make a Counter-battery vpon a Bulwarke, from whence without danger of discouering or dismounting the Enemies Ordnance, abroad may be dismounted.

SVch Counter-batteries are not to bee made without great labour and charges, neither can euery Bulwarke yeeld a sufficient roome for that purpose, without de­molishment of some buildings and houses about the same (which in a time of neede, must not be stood vp­on) as in the 10 Figure at β the whole structure thereof is represented. All the place must then be of that capa­city, that from the Parrapet to the foote of the sholde [...] [Page]

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[Page 115]there may 40 foote of ground, and for the thicknesse thereof it must [...]e 21 or 22 foote, with 27 or 30 foote for reuerse, for each Peece making almost 100 foote in all, and leauing yet thirty foote more at least from the said re­uerse to the other Parrapet of the same Bulwarke, to the end there may he no impeachment, but that the Troopes may march and passe to the defences required freely. And hauing also roome to plant three Peeces of Ordnance vpon each of the Shoulders of the same, which will also require 65 some of ground at the least: The Trouniers or Loopes are to be 3 foote broad with­in, and distant 20 foote one from another: Hauing within the Platformes 3 foote of Barb, and without 9 foote of breadth, and euery where 8 foote of height. These three loopes must haue a counter loope at the Parapet of the Bulwarke, hauing in the midst 4 within 6, and without 8 foote in breadth and deepe, that it be euen with the Terraplene. Now from these Loopes there must be, as we haue said so much roome, that within the Shouldrings there may be 3 Peeces distant 20 foote asunder. Now two or three of these Shouldrings discharge their three Peeces, trauersing croswise to the Ene­mies Batteries, beating so vpon them, that they must be forced to quit the place: And although the Euemie abroad may beate the Couertures of the outmost Loopes, yet can they neither for the inner Loopes, not the Peeces within, come to touch any of them: But you may note that such Batteries cannot be made in a narrow or straight place, as I haue said without demo­lishing structures, and raising the ground so, that it be leuell with the Terra­plene of the Bulwarke, which would otherwise be too small for that pur­pose. And hauing finished them, they are not to serue for one place onely, but they may turne those Shouldrings and defences, and make the Peeces thunder about on all sides where the Enemie would settle himselfe.

CHAP. XLIX. Of certaine reasons that causeth a Shott, though well directed to erre in her discharge, and be faulty at the Mark wide, short, or ouer.

THere are very many causes and accidents that may make a Shott well directed, to deuiate from the expec­ted course. The first is, when as the Soule or bore of the Peece lyeth awry in the Body or Mettall thereof, or that the Chase or vacant Cillinder (the director of the Shott) is not straite; wherefore the Gunner may receiue disgrace, but hauing examined and found the fault, hee is to supply the defect by discretion and skill. And if the Trunions also be not duly placed directly in a dyagonall lyne with the Axis of the Peece, it will be wide: likewise if the Platforme bee vnequall, as higher vpon one side then the other. Also if the Gunner lay the highest of the mettall at mouth and Breech, it will shoot ouer if it be within [Page 116]distance: if one wheele be higher then another, also if one wheele goe stiffer then the other; or if one wheele meete with a squat by a stone, or otherwise when the Naues be one longer & wyder then the other, when one wheele re­uersing goeth on soft ground, the other on harder, when the Cariage or Tru­nion eares are higher & lower one then another: if the Cariage be too wyde, so that the Peece lyeth not fast the rein, but starteth in her discharge: if the Shot be not equally round, or the bore of the Peece not lying strait, but more on the one side of the mettall then the other. The vehemencie of the winde, with, against, or aside, may driue the Shot forward, backe it, or deuie-at it, aside, the thicknesse and thinnesse of the ayre, the heating and cooling, the sleight or hard ramming of the Powder, putting home or short the shott. And lastly, the want of skill and experience: All these, and many more, may be causes of the fayling of a Shott at an assigned Marke, which I thought fit here to note at last, not to minister matter of excuse to ignorant, negligent, carelesse Gunners, but to aduise the discreete Gunner to haue a vigilant eye, and consideration of all, or as many of those accidents with reason, & of the former directions, to auoyd or amend them as wel as he can at first. To faile at the first shott, if he be not acquainted with the Peece and Marke is passa­ble; and at the second to fayle is pardonable, but to faile of a faire shott at the third time, is too much, and argues but little iudgement and discretion in such a Gunner.

CHAP. L. How to conduct a Mine vnder ground, to blow vp a place, and to prepare a Gallerie, to passe the Dyke to the foote of the Breach.

THe vse of Mining is ancient, and was commonly vsed by the Persian, Greeke, Parthian, Romanes, and other Nations, that haue mannaged great warres, and no meruaile, for that the same is the easiest, and most proper meanes to force a place: But Pietre Nauarro a Spaniard, was the first that inuented the Fowrne and the vse of Powder therein, for which and some other seruices the Emperour Charles the fifth, gaue him the name of a Conde, and great rewards besides. Yet ne­uerthelesse, there is nothing more dangerous for such as worke in these Mines, by reason the Counter-mines of the Enemie: so that if there be any suspition of countermining, it will not be amisse to diuert the course with all dexterity, either toward the right or left hand, as the occasion of the Place will permit. And forasmuch as according to the naturall effects of feare, it behoueth the besieged to seeke out the shortest and neerest way pos­sible, to offend the Enemie abroad by Countermine or otherwise. The Mine-Master then may sinke his Mine, and conduct the same either as in the 16 Figure at α, is described by the letters from A by B to C, or as the other 4 square angular course, and there to prepare the Fourne, which may be ar­med with powder in Barrels, so that giuing Fire thereunto by a Trayne, he [Page 117]blow vp the Place and the Enemies aboue it: And to the end the same hurt not the Pyoners or Worke-men that digge and trauell therein? it will bee needfull to lyne the same with sparres and bords framed accordingly, seauen foote in height, and 5 foote in breadth, but it must be couered with 2 inch planke, to keepe vp the earth: But if the ground be moyst or full of Springs, a gutter with 2 descent must bee made, that the water may runne to some lower euacuation; if that cannot be, a Well at the mouth of the Mine must be made for a receptackle for all the Springs to runne into by their gunters, and Pumpsor Forcers, are to be set sufficient to mount the water, that it may after finde a current to runne away. But if there be any suspition of Counter­mining; then alwayes forwards in your intended course, you may bore long holes in the earth with your long ground Awgars vsed for such pur­poses, and pierce holes on all sides, also to know vpon what part from you the Enemie worketh, which cannot be done so priuate, but so the noyse of their Mattocks and Shouels will soone be hard by those pierced holes, when you come neere their workes: if by those meanes you heare nothing by reason that the besieged had ended their Countermines before you began, and he watching them heareth you worke, those piercers being but 12 or 15 foote long, will discouer the danger by boring thorough the solid earth, to the hollownesse of their Countermine; and so you shall haue Counter­aduantage of the Enemies counter-minings. My Cosmodelite before re­presented, is an excellent instrument, and for that purpose I thinke the best extant.

Now being come right vnder the place to bee blowne vp, and made the Fourne arched vpwards higher then the Mine place, therein sufficient pow­der, either in Barrellor Troughes, you must also stop closely and strongly the mouth of the Fourne, very diligently, looking it be so close that no ayre breath out, but at one small hole wherein the Trayne runneth in to giue fire thereunto; vnto which he that giueth fire, must looke that the Match of the Trayne, bee not too long before the powder take, as also to see it bee not too short, and so to giue fire too soone, that is, before he be gotten into some place of safety out of the blast and ruines, least hee pay the wages of impro­uidence. The meanes then to set the matter a worke, needes no long dis­course, being very commonly knowne, onely to aduise that the enterance into the Mine for height and breadth as aforesaid, may be as close and secret from the Enemie as may be, and that in his proceeding on, he must deminish those measures in such manner, that in the midst it be but 5 foote high, and 4 foote broad: And the neeret you come to the end, so much the lesse giue in breadth, so that euen to the comming in to the Furne it must be close and narrow, that you may onely get the powder thereinto.

Aboue all things, the Mine-Master before he begin, must be sure to know the true measure and distance, with the height or depth of the place intended to bee Mined, bee it aboue or vnder the leuell of the place hee beginneth, most precisely taking exact notice of all his windings, turning, and angles, which he maketh from the beginning to the end, as well aboue and vnder the leuell of the right line, passing thence right vnder the Place, as towards the right and left side thereof: Otherwise his labour will not onely be de­ficill, but also vncertaine and most dangerous: there being foure principall [Page 118]causes to impeach the effectuall working thereof. First, the ill stopping of the Fourne: Secondly, the weakenesse of the sides by countermines or Ca­uernes. Thirdly, by failing of the Trayne by moysture or ill contriuing. And fourthly, the most important, is, that the Frame whereupon the Bar­rels stand, be not placed too low, as vnder the leuell of the enterance, which it must euer exceede, because the quality of fire is alwayes to ascend. And so obserning euery 15 or 20 paces, how high, or lowe, or wide on any side you are gone, aboue or vnder the leuel strait line. Two of the greatest shames to Souldiers, being either to lose any peece of Ordnance, by negligence or ill guarding them: Or the fayling of a Mines due effect.

And for making great or small Galleryes to passe a dyke vnto a Breach couertly, be the dyke watered or dry, the maner is described in the precedent Figure with the Myne▪ and may be made ready in seuerall parts, to be set to­gether speedily by ioynts, fitted for that purpose, for the easier cariage also: And they must be couered ouer with Faggots, earth, & greene Hides to pre­uent fiting them.

CHAP. LI. Of the Guindall, Windlas, and Ginne; or Martinet, Krow, and Handspyke, and Leuer, and the endlesse Screw.

THe Guindall or Windlas, is a conuenient ingenious inu [...]tion, to mount a peece of Ordnance, or heaue aloft waighty mat­ters, and is represented in the 24 Figure, with the Crow of Iron, or Goates-footed Handspyke, and Leauers, accompa­nied with the Ginne or Martinet, which will lift vp the Ax­trees, when the Peece is vpon her Cariage mounted, to take off, or put on the Wheeles, to grease, or ease, or mend what is amisse about them. The Guindall is thus made of a peece of Tymber, sixe inches square in the feete, or with three young dry Oken Sparres, about 12 or 15 foote long, ioyned together at the top with an yron bolt, passing through Iron Ferrills, vpon which bolt a double pulley is hanged, and at the lower end of each Sparre another yron Ferrill, and a Pyke of yron is placed to keepe the feete from all slipping, almost at the lower end of two of those legges or Sparres, a peece of a Sparre about 4 or 5 foote long, is fastned betweene them, and also 3 foote from the end, a Rowle and Windlas, with halfe round yrons, are clasped to those 2 legges or spartes, and aboue that 2 or 3 other peeces of sparres: In that Rowle, are 4 mortis holes, for Handspykes, pierced thorough, whereby they with 2 or 4 Handspykes turne that Rowle which hath an end of a rope 4 or 5 times, or more about it, and the other end reeued in the said Pulley, so continued vnto another double pul­ley, with a hole or hooke to take hold, or seize a Rope that hath slung the Peece, appointed to be mounted into her Cariage: Or else the Frame may [Page]

[Page] [Page 119]be of 3 square Tymbers, the head of two of them ioyning at the top toge­ther, and the rest for the other legge and parts, may by the sight of the said 24 Figure, be framed and vnderstood sufficiently.

The Ginne or Martinet is another instrument, seruing to lift vp the Peece with her Cariage, and all her furniture from the ground with one mans strength, when the Gunner would change a bad wheele, or the like, or put a wheeleon vpon the Axiltree, or take it off for any purpose, the pro­portion of this Engin for the vse of Ordnance, is that it ought to be about 2 foote long, and 8 inches square, or there-abouts: the Viceron is of yron forked, to take hold, and with his teeth is wound vp by a handle, with a spurre of fewe teeth, it will lift a great waight, multiplying the force propor­tionally, according to the height of the secret wheele, and of the said spurre (contained in the distance of the handle, from the centre of the spurre) or to semidiametre of the handles circular reuolution, dyametrally multiplied by the reasons betweene the spurre and wheele. That Viceron commeth out of the midst of the said square case of wood, at the top thereof, and by his Fork or Esse, taketh hold of whatsoeuer is fitted to bee lifted vp. The Scaletta with the rest may be easily made, vnderstoode, and vsed, as in the said 24 Figure is described. And for the same or any the like purpose, the endlesse Scrue of Archimedes here aboue represented, is of infinite effect being duly applyed.

CHAP. LII. How to draw a Peece of Ordnance vp to the top of a steepe and rough hill or mountaine.

HOw to get a Peece of Ordnance vp to the top of a steepe Mountaine the best manner is, that which may bee seene re­presented in the 23 Figure, by meanes of the Capstane: As suppose D to be the top of a Mountaine, the Peece being at the foote thereof, ABC to be the crabbed and rough croo­ked way, by which the Peece must bee gotten vp, drawne with a long Cable or strong Hawser, by Pullyes or Blocks, with sheeuers to make a Battery against the Tower F, betweene D and C: For the better ef­fecting of which, the Gunner and Enginer after they haue taken good notice of the Place, and made the passage smooth and euen, they may place the Cap­stane behind D, fastning it surely that the same may not ouer-master the great poyze of the Peece: And then in conuenient places of the crooked way (if there be no Trees there to serue the turne, which would be great helpes if there were) there must great Pyles by force bee driuen into the ground, to fasten the Hawser in good and strong Pullyes, by or in which the said Cable or Hawser, must passe the vpper part thereof, being fastned to the spindle of the Capstane, and the lower end thereof vnto the tayle transom of the Cari­age or Rings neere the same, at each side one. Lastly, foure or more men turning the Capstane about, with the Barres thereof, shall first make the Peece to mount vp vnto the first Pulley or Block at A, where it must be first scot­ched, vntill the Blocke be taken away, by taking out the Pinne or Axis of the she euer, and then the Peece is to be tauersed towards the second Block or Pully B, and so to the third C, and then to the desired place neere D. It were also needfull to haue a small Truck, as well to beare the Tayle vp from staying against rough stubs or stones in the way, as also to helpe the motion, Labourers also must be readily attending neere vnto the Peece, as well to ad­uance and helpe the Motion, by heauing and shouing the same, as to trauerse the Peece the rightest and best way, as occasion shal require, as in the said 23 Figure may bee seene. And after each Pully, hath performed his office, let a man be ready there with greace, vineger or Lye, to annoyot the end of the Axtree, that it may soke into the Naue, least the waight of the Peece in that Motion fire, and also to haue an eye to each of the Pullyes, that the Cable breake not. And if any danger of its breaking be perceiued, then to giue warning to them aboue to stay, and to them alow to scotch, vntill the Cable be changed or amended. But if the hill be so rough and steepe, that the meanes aforesaid will not doe it. Then take the Peece out of her Cariage, and either lay it vpon a blocke Cariage, or on a Sled with Trucks, and lay plankes along in her way where it is rough, and vse then the Capstane and Pullyes as aforesaid. You may also vse for the same purpose Archimedes endlesse Scrue, represented in the 51 Chapter.

CHAP. LIII. How the Traine of Artillery and Ordnance should be ordered with their Cariages in a iourney, or vpon a March.

THe whole Trayne of Artillery, one body deuided into two parts Van and Rier, is wholy vnder the command of the Master, or Ge­nerall of the Ordnance, or in his absence vnder his Lieutenant or Braue, imagine then that the Army be with suspition according to aduise, to be set vpon by the way, both in the Van and the Reire. Then were it fit 500 Horse deuided into two Troopes, should aduance, to discouer all the Coast of the Champion, with the dangerous wayes, Woods, Thickets, and such like, by which the Army must passe, after these 2000 Foote, should march as well for Couerture as guard of the Ordnance. And they also to be deuided into two squadrons, furnished with all necessaries of defence. After them the Trayne of Artillery, with the Ordnance, marching with their Conducters, Waggons, and Cariages of Powder, Shot, and Tanpions, or Wadding, Coynes, and Beds, together with a reasonable number of Pyo­ners, and some Marriners, and such like spare people, to bee ready to make Couerts and defences for the Ordnance and Gunners, or to cut wood, to plaine the wayes for the Van to passe with foure field Peeces, ready mounted in their Cariages, with all their necessaris, as Ladles, Spunges, Rammers, Crowes, Leauers, Ropes, Tables, and breechings, with experi­enced Gunners, Gentlemen of the Ordnance, Mattrosses, and Conductors. After follow the Munition and Engins, seruing for the vse and defence of the Rier of Artillery, with the Boats and Bridges, and then againe follow 8000 Foote, and after them the great Ordnance, either in the Cariages with fore-Cariages, or else vpon block Cariages, whose wheeles being higher, makes the draught the easier. And lastly, follow 3 or 4 Field Peeces ready moun­ted, accompanied with all their necessaries and apurtenances of Powder, Shott, Instruments, and Attendants. After which there march 2000 foote more, that are for Couerture and defence of the Ordnance and Riere of the Trayne: these are followed with 500 Horse to close vp the Army, whose Charge, is, to see that the Rier of the Trayne bee not set vpon at vnawares, suddainly, or vnprouided. The Army then Marching in this Order, The Enemie shall finde the Van and Riere, and also the Body furnished with force in all places. And being alwayes so prouided with the Trayne of Artillery diuided into 2 parts, yet remaining one Body: so furnished, as that no doubt but a good and a happy issue wil succeede such good equipage, well guarded with Horse and Foote, prouided for defence of the Artillery, to march with­out danger, but in large capable Champions. This Trayne may bee short­ned, the Van taking the right hand, and the Rier the left, and the Trayne be­tweene both, equall in Front with Van and Rier, and so Marching more compact, it will be the stronger: as in the 6 Figure at α, by the letters ABC is represented to the eye.

CHAP. LIIII. How to draw Ordnance if Cattell be wanting, by the strength of Pyoners or Labourers.

ARtillery or Ordnance, being the principall instrument of the Warres, requireth a great strength of Cattell, ei­ther of Horse or Oxen, to transport them from place to place, which being wanting, must in a iourney bee sup­pled by Pyoners and Labourers: as imagine that 16 Peeces were to bee imployed against a Place to bee for­ced, consideration must be had (Cattell being wanting) how those Peeces, whereof 6 are Demy-Canons, 4 are Demy-Culuerings, and 6 are Field Peeces, that shoote 6 l. ball, and how all the prouision that belongeth vnto them, as Powder, Shott, Waddings, and Cordage, &c. may be transported thither, the Place to be forced being sci­tuate in a rough, stonie, and hilly ground, by Pyoners and Labourers onely, sparing the Souldiers for other seruices. The Amunition and Persons that must carie them readily, are first to bee confidered of: As 600 Shott for the Demy-Cannon at 30 l. each Shott, will be 18000 l. loaded in Wheele-barrowes 2 Shot, in a Barrowe which will be 60 l. for a Man, and will re­quire 300 Men to driue them. Also 600 Demy-Culuering Shot of 10 l. loa­ding 8 Shott in a Barrow, will require 75 Men, each man carrying 80 l. And 900 Shot for the 6 Field Peeces of 6 l. each Shot, putting 13 Shot in a Bar­row, will bee caried by 69 Men, each man carying 78 l. except 3 of those men, which shall carie 14 Shot a peece, that is, 84 l. each of them: So all the Shot will be caried by 444 Men. The strongest men which carie most, are loaded with the waight of lesse then a bushell and a halfe of Wheat for each man in a Wheelebarrow, which hee may easily driue. Then for the Demy-Cannon, loading them with 18 l. of powder for each Shot, will for the 600 Shott amount to 10800 l. euery man carying 80 l. in a bagge, will require 135 men.

And for the 600 Demy-Culuering, allowing each Shott 8 l. of powder, will come to 4800 l. each man carying 80 l. 60 men will transport the same.

And for the 900 Shot, for the 6 Field Peeces, allowing 5 l. for each Shott in powder, that will amount vnto 4500 l. which at 60 l. for each man to carie, will requite 56 men, & a Boy to carie the odde 20 l. of powder ouer­plus, which will amount almost vnto 180 barrells of powder, each barrell contayning 112 l. nete.

And for the Furniture of the Peeces, the Figure 5 α, sheweth the man­ner of drawing them by 3 lines or traces equally deuided, according to the number of men that are to draw them, so that the Demy-Cannon with her Cariage, waighing 6000 l. reckoning 60 l. for euery man to draw, it will then require 100 men, and so the sixe, sixe hundred men.

The 4 Demy-Culuering Cariage, and all waighing about 2400 l. will re­quire 40 men, to draw each of them, so 160 men will at 60 l. for each man serue to draw them.

The 6 Field Peeces with their Cariages, waighing about 2400 l. a Peece, will each of them require 30 men, so the 6 will be drawne by 180 men, each man drawing 60 l.

Now forasmuch as there may be cause often to dismount and remount a Peece by the way in the iourney, it will therefore bee fit to haue ready the Gyndall or Winlas, and the Martinet or Gynne, & when they are to be drawn vp any steepe hill, then also the Capstone Cable & Pullyes in the 2 last Chap. described, must also be caried, all which may be caried by 40 men with ease: so that for the Cariage and transportation of all these Amunitions in any iourney (where Cattell are not to bee had) may bee caried and drawne by 1675 men and a Boy without any difficulty.

It may also be demanded, because in such an expedition, that many other things will be needfull to bee transported for the Ordnances vse: As Iron­workes, Nayles, Crowes, Hooes, Fore-Cariages, Grease, and such like: But seeing they may more easily bee deuided amongst the Labourers, there resteth for them no difficulty of transportation. And for the better draw­ing of the Ordnance for each Fore-cariage, a long Transome or Whiping-tree must be fastned afore it, as betweene A and B is described, that the 3 Ropes or Traces may bee placed equidistantly, farre enough asunder to a­uoyde trouble, and because the Traces will be some of them too long, an other Trauers or Whiping-tree, or two may in the midst, or in conueni­ent places be fastned to those, or else other Traces rather may goe betweene Whiping-tree and Whiping-tree, to keepe the so long Traces from swaying, with too much trouble to stagger the men in drawing, and so hinder their draughts. And three men behinde would be needfull to guide the Cariage in the bendings and turnings of the way. Vpon the Traces also each man must haue a double Cord fastned to the Traces, which hee must put ouer his shoulder Scarff-wise, and laying his next hand on the Tract, hee may so draw with all aduantage.

And for Horse or Oxen, allowing each Horse to draw 500 l. and each draught Oxe 600 l. The same may easily be thereby found how many Cat­tell will be requisite to transport the aforesaid, or any other assigned quanti­ty of Munition for any iourney. The manner of the Mannaging, whereof is represented in the said 5 Figure at β. And the carying of the Shott and powder in Wheelebarrowes and Bagges, is deciphered in the said 5 Figure at V. And lastly, the description of a Peece ready furnished for a iourney, with Cariage and Fore-cariage, Ladles, Spunge, Ramers. &c. is in the same Figure represented at δ.

CHAP. LV. How many Priuiledges the Trayne of Artillerie haue more then ordinary in Marching and Lodging.

IF it happen that in Marching, any other Cariage offer to ad­uance before any of those of the Traynes Cariages (except the Treasurers Cariage) then the Master of the Ordnance hath power to command & compell the contrary by Pri­uiledge, whereof they enioy more then others, because of the extraordinary waight of the Ordnance and Shott, and for that they haue charge of the principall instrument of the Warres, and therefore hath the first Ranke, without contradiction, and ought to haue the best Quarter and Lodging, and to be first setled therein. And in March in a Champion they of the Trayne of Artillery, are to match more close and short, then doth the Vant or Reire betweene which two and the Batallion, they are alwayes ranged or placed, as may appeare in the 6 Figure at α. And the Generall or Master of the Ordnance, is to haue care that his Trayne bee timely lodged, to haue time to prouide all commodities needfull. And if it were possible that they may be so lodged, as to discouer the whole Cham­pion about them, whereof these aduantages would arise: First, that they may discouer all approaches: secondly, that the Campe may bee the better defended thereby. And thirdly, the Enemie aduancing to giue an as­sault to the Campe, they may by them the better be repulsed. But for their Lodging, the order represented in the said 6 figure at β, it must be obserued. First, that betweene the Retrenchments made with certaine Chaines of the Munition, and with the empty Cariages and Fore-cariages, they may bee enclosed, so that there may be roome and space, that the Footemen appoin­ted for their guard and defence, may if neede be skirmish, which for that purpose, hold the places therein marked ABCD, hauing 25 paces breadth at the least. And secondly, that the Peeces of Aduice, whereof there are al­wayes 3 or 4, regarding all the wayes of the Enemies Auenewes which are euer ready charged and fitted in all things. And lastly, that the Cariages of powder be lodged in the middle, as about the centre or midst of the other Cariages, as you may see by the letters FGHI.

CHAP. LVI. Shewing how to waigh a Peece of Ordnance, or a Ship sunke vnder water, and the proportions of all Mettalls and Ordinary stone, what, or how much they will waigh in the Ayre, and how much in the water.

IT being a certaine thing, that whatsoeuer is heauier then so much water, as the body of the matter thrusteth out of the place will sinke, and being lighter then so much water will swim, as Nicholas Tartaglia hath not only well collected frō the learned Archimedes, but also calculated not onely the proportions of all the ordina­rie sorts of Stones and Mettalls, whether in Ayre or Water, according as they poyze in both; And also no­tably expressed their surrounded accidents, in his Treatise intituled by him Nouo Scientia, wherein he deliuereth as followeth. Namely, that ordinary Free stone, waighing 93 l. in the Ayre, will waigh but 48 l. in the water, which is neere as 2 is to 1 betweene the Free stone and water.

And that Marble stone that waigheth 7 l. in the Ayre, will waigh but 5 l. in the water, which is neere 7 to two, betweene the Marble and the water.

And Iron and Tinne that in the Ayre waigheth 19 l, will waigh 16 l. in the Water: so Iron or Tinne is to water, as 19 is to 3.

And Brasse waighing in the Ayre 65 l, will in Water waigh but 55 l, and so Brasse is to water, as 65 to 10.

And Lead and Siluer waighing in Ayre 30 l, will waigh in Water but 27 l, so Lead and Siluer are to water, as 10 to 1.

And lastly, Gold in Ayre being 17 l. waight, will in the Water waigh 16 l. so Gold is to Water as 17 to 1.

And in the first declaration of his said Booke, he sheweth how by a Con­caue Globe of Glasse, hauing a hole to put in a mans head vnder it, being set in a Frame of Tymber in the forme of the Frame of an Houreglasse, with a Winlas, Rope, and waight thereat to sink. A man entered into that Frame, to the bottome of the Sea, or other deepe water, his head being within the said Concaue, Glasse, Globe (wherein he may both see and breath, being no water can enter into the same.) And when he will againe rise to the top or surface of the water, vnwinding the Rope (being long enough) the frame and his body in it, will in like manner mount vp as hee pleaseth: and the waight remaining at the bottome of the water, and the Rope going through the bottome of the Frame, it will guide it to goe vp vpright.

And in his second declaration thereof, he setteth downe the principall im­pediments, that vsually hinder in the waighing of a Shippe, or other heauie thing sunke vnder water.

First, if it be docked, or haue made his bed, or impression at the bottome.

Secondly, if it be filled or couered with Sand or Oaze, so that sufficient Ropes cannot be fastned thereunto to sling the same.

Thirdly, how to get the thing sunke, to seperate it selfe from the bottome of the water, where Ayre cannot come betweene, which will be harder to cause such seperation, in muddy, oazy, or sandy ground, then in grauelly or stony rocky bottomes; yea, and with more difficulty to, in very deepe then in shallower waters.

And lastly, that it is harder to waigh things that haue beene long, then such as are but newly sunke, because it and the bottome will bee so ioyned and closed together, that to seperate them, Nature refusing to let vacuity to come betweene them, they at the first will bee found loath to depart. But hauing fastned Ropes to sling the sunken thing, either by his helpe sunke in the said Frame, or else by the meanes here in this 14 figure at β represented, which may be conceiued, a man entered into a case of leather made so thight, that no water can soake in, and with a payre of glasse Spectacles fast set, and cemented close, with a pype of leather boyed by bladders blowne, at the brim or top of the water, whilst he fastens the Ropes below. Then 2, 3, or 4 vessells being ankered ouer the place, and firmely fastned together with Timber beames, the slinging Ropes also fastned to a mayne Tymber be­tweene the vessels, being deepe loaded at the first, fastned of the said slinging Ropes, and after the vessells being vnloaded and lightned, will bee more boyant, and waigh to their power: Or else if the slinging Ropes bee fast­ned to their stems (they being loaded forward) and afterwards the loading remoued aft, towards the sterne of the vessels, they will then waigh all their Force: And where the water heightens much, if Ropes be fastned at low-water, at high water, they will haue boyed the sunke thing, or done their most force and helpe they could.

Lastly, also if 4 Vessells bee fastned, so that a square space be betweene, and one or two of Archimedes endlesse Scrues called Tripastons, here in a liuely figure, represented with which, hee said hee would moue the world out of his place, if he had a firme foundation to plant his Engin vpon Datum pondus datis viribus mouere: There will be therefore no doubt, but industry and diligence ioyned, will produce the wished effect: and so knowing the lading or waight of the Ordnance in the Ayre, as each thing would waigh in a payre of Ballance, the matter being Mettaline, then Tartag his true pro­portions will helpe, or if other goods, then industry will soone finde how much all will waigh in water, which let suffice at this time.

CHAP. LVII. How Moulds, and Formars, and Cartredges are to be made vpon them, to Load and Charge any Peece of Ordnance, without any Ladle.

HAuing already shewed how to loade any Peece with, and without a Ladle: Now I will shew how to make Cartredges ready for all Peeces, wherewith in time of seruice any Peece will bee more speedily and certainly loaded. Cartredges are either to bee made with Canuas Fustian, or other linnen cloath, or with thicke strong Paper, especially of Paper Roy­all: which prepared, take the height of the bore of the Peece, without the vent of the Shott, and cut the cloath or paper of the breadth of three such heights; and in length, for the Cannon 3, for the Culuering 4, and for the Saker Falcon, &c. 4 ½ of the heights of their proper Bores, and leauing in the midst at the top and bottome one other such height, at each place to make a couer and bottome for the Cartredge, cutting each side and end, somewhat larger, then the strict measures appointed for the sowing or glewing of the seames thereof, so much as will counteruaile the same, hauing also a respect for aug­menting and deminishing those measures, as the powder shall bee better or worse then ordinary, and also abating with discretion, when as your Peeces shall be already heated in fight, least else you endanger the breaking or split­ting of your Peece. Hauing resolued then for what sort of Ordnance your Cartredges are to serue, you are accordingly to haue a Modell or Former of wood turned of the height of the Shot, and of a conuenient length, longer then the Cartredge is to be. Then if you make them of Canuas, halfe a dya­metre is to be allowed more in breadth for the seames: but if they be made of Royall paper, then hauing lapped it once about the Former, leaue about ½ inch surplussage more then will compasse it, which with Starch, Paste, or mouth Glew, close about the said Former, hauing some part of the same substance, fitted vpon the end of the Former; first for a bottome, which must also be pasted or glewed close, and fast to the side of the Cartredge, so that being dry, it may hold the Powder fast, and sure from spilling. And you [Page 128]must remember first to tallow the said Former, so that the Cartredge being so moulded thereon, it may be easily and without tearing, slipped off againe. A patterne for these Cartredges is here in this 20 figure represented. Now hauing shewed how the Cartredges are to be proportioned and made, it rest­eth also to shew how a peece of Ordnance is to be loaded with them, where­in we are onely to consider, that if the Peece be Chamber-bored, it must be layde in a Scaffeta, or Semicircle, or Cillinder of wood, of the thicknesse of the Orlow, or different thicknesse, or height of the Mettall betweene the Chamber. Also if the Peece were Taper-bored as the Drakes, and some an­cient Cannons are, then the Mould, must accordingly be made to taper for the making of Cartredges for her, and her Ladle must also be cut tapering-like, the figure represented at T in the last figure but one; but if the Peece be equall bored, and the Cartredge made of Paper, then there is no more to doe, but to put the Cartredge into the mouth of the Peece, and with the Rammer-head, to put it home, to the bottome of the bore of the Peece, with two or three easie stroakes: and then with a sharpe three squared Pry­ming Iron, to cut and pryme the Cartredge, that the Powder prymed at the touch-hole, may giue fire to the quick powder thereby. In all other things for wadding before and after the Shot, and ramming home the Shot, you are to performe the vsuall manner taught in his proper place.

CHAP. LVIII. The names of the principall members, and parts of a peece of Ordnance, as they are to be called and knowne by.

THe names, kindes, and sorts of each Peece of Ordnance, with their differences, waight, measures, and in their fortificati­ons, being already handled in the precedent Chapters hereof, needes not here be repeated. But in regard the most of them haue speciall parts common, and of like names, I will speake a word or two thereof, and so proceede to the manner of ma­king and proportions, belonging to the Cariage of each particular Peece, as in the next Chapter will appeare. The whole peece together, or as much thereof as is matter of Mettall, may by the 2 definition of my Booke of the Art of Artillery, be called the body of the Peece. The hollow Concaue, Cillinder, or Bore of the Peece, may be called the Soule, by the first of the same. The whole length of her shaft or Colume, is the Chase. So much of her bore as containeth the Powder and Shott, is the Chamber, or Charged Cillinder, and the rest of the same is called her Guide or vacant Cillinder. The two spindles or eminencies that come out about the midst of her chase, whereupon she (in her Cariage) is mounted or imbased, are called her Tru­nions. The most afterward pummell at her breech, is called the Casacabell. [Page]

[Page] [Page 129]The little hole neere the breech, whereby she is prymed and fired, before her discharge, is her Touch-hole. All the Mettall behinde the Touch-hole is the Breech. The greatest and most eminent Ring or Circle of Mettall at the Breech, is the Base ring. The next Circle or Ring before betweene the Tru­nions and the Touch-hole, is the Reinforc'd ring: the Circle or Ring next be­fore the Trunions, is the Trunion ring. And the Circle which is formost, and most ranke and eminent at her Mouth, is her Muzzle ring. Lastly, the Ring betweene the Trunion Ring and the Muzzle, is called the Cornish ring, and the part of the Chase of her shaft contayned betweene the Cornish and Muzzle, is called her Neck. And all the Rings, Circles, and eminencies at her Mouth, are called the Freize, taking these names frō Pillers or Columes, which somewhat represent the Chase of Ordnance: being in forme of the Scapus, of a Piller or Colume so neerely, that they take the names of some such part of Pillers, as they neerely represent.

CHAP. LIX. Of the making Proportions and Measures of euery part of a Field Cariage for any vsuall Peece of Ordnance assigned.

IT being most certainly a matter of great importance for ser­uice, to haue the Cariages of all the Ordnance, with their Wheeles, Axtrees, and their Furnitures to be strong, well pro­portioned, and neat, and gracefully wrought, so as the Peece mounted therein be euery way so duly fitted, as that in the dis­charge of her Shot, nor in her Reuerse she may not remoue from the Angle wherein shee was directed. Wee haue thought good here to shew the due measures and proportions for all Field Cariages, both by figures represen­ted in the 19 figure at β, and also by rules and discourse as followeth. But first, a word or two of the reasons and different opinions of some of the best moderne Authors, that haue written of this subiect. Louis Collado affirmeth, that long Cariages are better then short: first for their more agillity in re­uersing: secondly, for the much lesse shaking of the Cariage, Axtrees, Wheeles and Plat-forme, saying, that Ordnance mounted vpon short Cariages in a few times discharging them, make them vtterly ruinous and vnseruiceable by their passions in reuerse. But Alexander Bianco commendeth the short ra­ther then the long Cariages: first, because they then require lesse roome to reuerse in, and that being loaded, they are sooner brought againe to their place of seruice: And lastly, that a Peece shooteth further, being mounted vpon a short, then it would doe vpon a long Cariage. Both being moderated speake reason, as Peeces are yet accommodated: but because I know that any Peece of Ordnance may without any inconuenience be so fitted, that it with a short Cariage, it shall lesse shake the Cariage and Plat-forme, shoote further, and reuerse lesse by farre then in these as now they are fitted will do. [Page 130]Therefore although I with Bianco approue of short Cariages, were they fit­ted for them, and with Collado as they are yet fitted: yet I will here shew the measures and proportions of late vsed, of the best Cariage-makers, and are made according to the directions of the most experienced Gunners, which although it be most particularly appropriated to the Cannon, yet with the destinctions following it may well leade to the proportionall, making and measure of a good Cariage, for any vsuall peece of Artillary whatsoeuer as followeth. The sides and Cheekes called Limbers, ought to be of Elme or other Planke that is not apt to split and cleaue, which for the Cannon must be once and ¼, and for the Culuering and smaller Peeces once and ½ the the length of the Peece, and for each of them, they must be one dyametre of the proper bore of the Peece in thicknesse and in breadth, at the head of the Cariage, it must be 4 dyametres, at the first bending 3, and at the tayle, 2 dyametres of the bore or height of the Peece.

The Transomes are to be in breadth 1 Calibre, and ½ of the bore, and in thicknes one Calibre, except the tayle transomes, & coyne, which must be 2 Calibres broad, and 5 long, where of ½ Calibre may be let with a mortis into the cheeks at each end, and it must haue a bar of iron passe through the midst thereof from side to side, with a hole for the Pintle of the Fore cariage to enter into; on either side of this transome there must passe an yron bolt from one side to the other, with an yron or rose on each out side, to hold them firme together.

The next Transom forwards is the Coyne Transom, which must be 4 Cali­bres in length, that is 3 Calibres betweene the Cheekes, and ½ of a Calibre, let in at each end into the cheeke, vpon this the breech of the Peece is to rest his bed and coynes.

The next forwards is called the bed Transom, because the fore-part of the bed resteth thereupon, and the backer part of it resteth vpon the coyne transom This is also 4 Calibres in length, but ½ Calibre at each end is like­wise let into the cheeke neere to the Axtree, so 3 whole Calibres thereof will be left discouered betweene the cheekes.

The formost is called the head Transom or fore-Transom, which is 3 Cali­bres, and ⅓ in length, with ½ at each end also let into the cheeke, and so lea­ueth 2 Calibres, and ½ discouered betweene the sides.

Through each of these Transoms there must passe an yron bolt (at the least, for the greater sort of Peeces) from side to side: By meanes of these 4 Tran­somes all the Cariage is locked fast, as into one entire body, and is plated and bound strongly with yron, that the ioynts open not with the vehemencie of the reuerse. And thus is the Cariage in his perfection, so that if it were armed with his Axtree and Wheeles, the Peece might be thereon mounted, and ready to doe seruice.

CHAP. LX. Of the Wheeles and Axtree for Cariages for Ordnance.

THe Wheeles should bee in height about ½ the length of the Peece, but in that consideration must be had of the height of the Parapet where they are to serue. And for the Saker, Falcon, and smaller Gunnes, the height of their Wheeles must needes exceede that proportion, namely by 1/12 for the Saker and Minion and by 1/6 for the Falcon and Falconet, and by 1 quarter for the base. The Fellowes or Circles of Timber-worke, must bee in length 4 dyametres 11/16 of the bore, whereof there must bee 6 to make the whole circumference, and each of them one dyametre in breadth, and one in thicknesse: For the greater Peeces, they are to be shod with yron strakes, grasped and nayled with 2 or 3 Rankes of great head Nayles, as in the figure 19 at β is represented.

The Naue or head is to be in thicknesse 3 dyametres, and in length 3 and one halfe, armed with Circles or Hoopes of Iron, and fastned with stayes of Iron, that they stirre not from their places, nor goe round vpon the Timber of the Naue. The spoakes or Rayes are to be in length 3 dyametres, namely so that being let into the Naue one halfe, and into the Fellowes one halfe, there may bee 2 dyametres discouered betweene the Naue and the Fel­lowes. There must be 12 of these Spoakes in each wheele, each one quarter of a dyametre square. The Axtree must be 1 dyametres 2/ [...] in thicknes. The Armes thereof shall be in the thickest place one dyametre, and at the ends thereof 2/3 of a dyametre in thicknesse. And at the place where it pierceth the Lymbers or sides of the Cariage, it must be 1 and a quarter in breadth, and 1 2/3 in height. As by the figure 19 β may appeare, wherein also the places where the Mortis for the Transomes, Axis, and Trunions, are marked with A B C D E F.

And for further explanation of that which hath beene already said, I will here set downe the particular proportions vsed therein for the whole Culue­ring, wherein the measures for the rest may the better be vnderstood: First, for the Culuering, the Cariage shall be once and a halfe of the length of the Peece, so that if the Peece be 32 dyametres, the Cariage shal be 48 in length, and the Wheeles 11 dyametres high. The Naue 4 high and 5 in length, the Spoakes 4 besides the one halfe let in at each end. The Fellowes two, and the Arming one. The Axis shall be in length 13 dyametres ⅓, and at the cut­ting of the Cariage therewith to bee 2 in breadth, and 2 in thicknesse. The Limber Planks or sides of the Cariage must be 4 and a halfe, or 5 dyametres broad, one thicke, at the Trunions 4, and at the Tayle 2 and a halfe; the rest may be conceiued in the former figure 19, made for the Cannon.

Now to make the Cariage for the Demi-Cannon or Demy-Culuering, you may add to their former proportions 1/24, so that in stead of one dyametre [Page 132]let 25/24 be placed, which proportion should be constantly held in all the mea­sures propounded.

The like may be said for the Saker and Minion, in stead of one take 23/22, and for the Falcon for one take 7/6, and for the Base, &c. in stead of 1 take 10/ [...]. And so these measures being necessarily added, may suffice, as well for gracefull [...] shew, as vsefull seruice.

CHAP. LXI. Of the making of Candlesticks and Blinds, and of great Saussons and little Saussons, and little Saucigdes, and of the in­uentor and seruice of them first vsed at Ostend. For biding of Ordnance and men behind them, and to fill watered Dykes to ap­proach a Breach.

THe Candlesticks are made in the forme described in the next figure 15 at y, and are of such height, as being cloathed with Blinds, of Canuas, Sedge, or such like light things, they may behind them couer and hide those that worke in the Trenches, o [...] labour in Batteries, hauing the one Poynt or Piramis distant fr [...] the other in such sort, that 2023 Saucidges, or more, or Bauins, or bundles o [...] Sedge, may be placed betweene them one by another, but of what wood i [...] shall be best, is not fit to appoint, seeing that if it be good, and sound, and light with all, to transport with them, ready cloathed from place to place.

These Candlesticks are very necessary to make Blinds of proofe, as were seene at the Siege of Ostend in Buckuoy his Ramparts, where his double and great Saucedges were not alone able to couer the Fabrick.

They may also serue in ouertures of Trenches, or in passing ouer Dykes, a [...] was practised at Rhinberg in the Spanish quarter. They being by experience found to be singular good, especially in myrie places, in which reuesting them with Faggots, and setting them accordingly, men may passe by with­out any danger.

As for the Blinds, although their inuentor be not knowne, it being an old [...] deuice, yet are they of singular vse, to couer for a while, and to hide ou [...] workes from the Enemies sights. They are represented in the next 15 figure also at β: For them certaine Stakes are pitched in the ground mans heigh [...] as bigge as a mans legge, in number, according to the distance, as the cou [...] ture that is to be made requireth. being placed 4 or 5 foote one distant fro [...] another, enterlacing them with the longest bowes can be gotten, bindi [...] them close together. By meanes whereof, in one halfe day haife a Cham [...] on may as it were be so couered, and all the Labourers therein hidden: was experienced at Ostend, and in the Isle of Bommell: besides, that they so serue very commodiously for couertures of Batteries, and very commo­diously [Page]

[Page] [...] [Page]

[Page 133](for water-works) Saucedges were first made small, inuented by one Adrian Heranson, one wel experienced in making of Dikes and Walls, and such defences against Water, who both made also Field Sausedges, which are singular to breake the violence of streames of Water, to strengthen Dykes, make Walls, and other such like businesses. After which, one Christopher Propergenius perceiuing, that many Sausedges ioyned fast together, would make a great Sausedgion, but to little profit, because the excessiue bignesse thereof would not yeeld them meanes to moue it, vntill the Count de Buqnoy diuided it, and thereof made 2 Sasedgeons better to be mannaged, whereupon they were afterwards vsed to reuest Candlesticks as wee said before. They were first made 46 foote long, and 15 foot dyametre, but were after brought to 23 foote long, and 12 foote euer-filled within with earth, and if to sinke with stones, and in diuers places, as 3 at least bound firmely together with yron Hoopes, and rowled to the places of vse and seruice, or else with two Pyles or Anchors, Hawsers, and Blocks or Pullyes drawne thither by men behinde them, as in the said 15 figure at α is represented to the eye: where­by an approach may be much the more safely expedited.

CHAP. LXII. How to plant Peeces of Ordnance in secret Batteries, and in double Batteries, so that they may not easily be dismounted by Counter Batterings.

IF the Peeces appointed to make a Batterie, be planted vpon a plat-forme that descendeth behind, that in their reuerses they may goe vnder the vawmure of the Tro­nier, the Troniers being vaulted, as in the Cassamattes at the 157, and 158 figures of Marlois is represented, they must by strength and by Tackles bee brought vp againe aboue the vawmure of the Tronier, and the ayme to bee readily taken before the Tronier be opened, and fire giuen immediatly after the instant of opening it: So will they in their Reuerses be againe got vnder the vawmute, and bee free from dismounting, so long as the Furne mouth & Vawmure is able to keepe from the ruine of Counter-batteris.

There is also a meanes to saue Peeces from being dismounted, namely by such double defences as are represented in the 22 figure β, with such Battle­ments or Loopes as are there vnderneath represented, then onely obseruing that they be of equall widenesse, both before and next the Peece, and to make them equally deepe enough, so as the right line that may discouer the Enemies Peeces, lye right through each Loope one, then 10 foote more backward or forward, make such another Batterie: As the said figure will sufficiently demonstrate, so by those two seuerall Loopes the Peeces will be [Page 134]so surely defended and hidden, that the Enemie shall very hardly discouer them, much lesse shoote so precisely, as to dismount them through both.

CHAP. LXIII. How to plant Ordnance, whereas the Rampart is too shallow for their Reuerse, and where earth is wanting.

FOrasmuch as such necessities may often happen, it will not bee amisse to shew how to supply the same when neede shall be: First, for each Peece take 6 Trees, high enough, strong, and straight; if 6 be not sufficient, take 9 or more for each Peece, which driuen deepe enough into the ground to hold them firme, and making each of them strong to carrie their burthens with Braces, Ioyces and Plankes, making thereon a Plat-forme 20 foote long, and of sufficient breadth, that the Peeces may both be manna­ged thereon, and also play and reuerse freely, remembring that thereon a Peece will more reuerse vpon this being leuell, then vpon a Plat-forme that riseth behinde, and will therefore without sufficient roome and care, endan­ger the Peece by her falling from aloft to the ground.

CHAP. LXIIII. How to make a Battery with Peeces enterred.

THis manner of Batterie hath long beene vsed both in Italy and Hungaria, whereof the delineation following is a sufficient illu­stration, yet a word or two thereof: First, you may marke out as much place vpon the side of some Hill or Mount neere, and raised of sufficient height, as will suffice to receiue your Ordnance, so that they may each stand 20 foote distant from one another. And then by the ayde of Pyoners & other Workmen, make a Dyke deepe 11 foot, defensible suf­ficiently, be it forwards, artificially, or naturally, by thicknes from the bank or out-side of the hill, to the inside thereof, and so broad, as that people may passe behind the Ordnance, when they haue reuersed. And when you haue made Plat-formes, open Troniers or Loopes through the earth of the side of the hill, so high, broad, and deepe, as you would haue them, which is a way so sure, that the Towne walls cannot any way hinder you therein, espe­cially if it be in a naturall firme mould of Earth, if the blowing of the Pee­ces cause any of the earth within the Trunier to fall, a long Colerake will soone draw out the same, and you may also line it with Watlings.

CHAP. LXV. How wanting all other meanes, to make a Batterie by Woolsackes.

WHere none other but grauelly earth is to be had, thereto auoyde the shottering, that the Enemies Ordnance may make by the stones, to endanger the Camp, Woolsacks, may make the Sholders and Troniers in such manner, as this figure 11 is represented. This is no new inuention, for it hath long beene vsed by diuers Nations: now it were necessary that these Sacks were 17 foote long, and 7 foote thick: And to resist the Cannon, there should be three in breadth to make the Shoulders or Parapets of the Troniers, and for the Demy-Cannon 2 and a halfe: And it is to bee vnderstood, that the two outmost of the three Sacks, must be somewhat shorter then that within, to giue sufficient ouerture for the Troniers without, that the blowing of the Peeces endamage them not, vpon the said ouerture 1 or 2 Woolsacks should also be layde to serue in place of Blinds, for the trauersing and mannaging them the more safely: if by chance the Sacks doe any where take fire, there must be water and earth ready to quench the same; and to fasten these Wool­sacks, they must be Pyled with Pyles driuen into ground, all firmely bound together. Also if other Ordnance then the Cannon or Demie, there must be as many more Sackes of Wooll for shoulder defences, as that all the Pee­ces may bee well couered: as the vndermost of the 11 figure next mani­festeth.

CHAP. LXVI. How to place great Ordnance, both to dismount the Enemies Artillerie, as also how to make a Batterie on the Curtin of the Place, and when.

ALthough it hath beene a receiued opinion, that such Peeces as doe lye high on the walls, are in lesse danger, and haue more aduantage then such as are alowe in the Champion plane, because those aloft may more easily discouer those alowe then the contrary. Yet it is found otherwise by experience, as in the 9 figure is seen, wher the Peeces alowe, playing alwayes vnder the Peeces, aloft, doe and may well embouch them, or else not faile to cloy their Plat-formes, or beate their Cariages Wheeles and Axeltrees, and so consequently make them vnseruiceable, besides that if they take them [Page] [Page 135] [...] [Page 136]vnderneath, they often dismount those aloft, whereas those aloft cannot dismount those alow, for if a Shott should light vpon the vpper part of the Mettall of a Peece lying vnder it, it will but glance away with little danger of dismounting, whereas if a Shott light vnder a Peece from alow, it either dangereth the dismounting thereof, or else the tearing of some part of her Cariage or Wheeles.

Now for that the charge of making Batteries is great, it requireth good husbandry should be therein vsed, and the cost not vainely spent, for there­by will acrew encouragement to the Enemie, and discouragement to the party. Besides, therein the Scyte and position of the place besieged, is to be well considered before it can be resolued, which is the best way, either to beleaguer or place the Battery thereunto: For a Place may be assaulted in one place, and yet battered in another, and sometimes the Batteries are to be made vpon the poynt of the Bulwarkes, and sometimes vpon the Cur­tins, euer ayming at victory, the end of the enterprize vndertaken. To bat­ter a place well manned, as Forts and Castles, at the Bulwarks and Cauale­riaes is best, being places of defence: But in a Towne hauing cloyed their Cassamats and defences, the Curtin is fittest to be battered, because it re­quireth more entrenchment, and is of lesse force in the Terraplenes thereof. Graue and Tramont were battered vpon the Bulwarkes, and Cort and Cam­bray were battered vpon the Curtins, and so each gotten, wherein the best oportunity, and way is to be taken, to obtaine the deseigne. And for battering a place vpon the Curtin, 18 Peeces will be necessary, namely 8 Cannon, 6 Culuerings, and 4 Demy-Culuerings, placed as in the figure 9 at α is shewed, wherein the 8 Cannon playing at right angles, they are to shake and batter, by reason of the waight of their Shot, the Culuering play trauersly, and to cut out that which the Cannons haue battered, and the Demy-Culuerings to play vpon the Flankers and defences, as also to hinder the Sallyes of the besieged, and discouer and dismount their Ordnance. The distance that a Battery for either should be made, ought not to be aboue 120 paces, or 150 at the most, or at 80 or 90 paces if possible, the lesse the bet­ter, yea though it were at the edge of the Dyke, for the neerer they are, the greater are their forces: so as the Ordnance may be couert, that the Gun­ners and Matrosses may be without danger of Musket shott, which is best at 80 or 100 paces if you may conueniently approach so neere.

Take this by the way into remembrance for a note: That a Cannon at 120 paces, will pierce a wall or Rampart meanely setled 15 or 16 foote, and being well setled onely 10 or 12 foote, but in close sandy ground 20 or 24 foote deepe. And that a Cannon may being well fortified, and duly and dis­creetly mannaged, be discharged 100 times in one day.

Note also that a Cannon with one shot made well and orderly, will ruine more then 100 Hods of earth can repaire: For one man can carie but 100 Hods of earth in an houre, the distance of 130 steps, or not much more.

Further, you may note that 1000 Shott succiactly made out of 10 Can­nons, will ruine more then 1500 Shot can doe, being made out of 5 Can­non. And lesse can the Enemie repaire the first, then the last: For a Cannon Shot made euery eight part of an houre at 100 paces distance, will make as much ruine as 12 men, can keepe in repaire.

[Page 136] [...] [Page] [...]

But if 12 Cannons be well imployed in a Battery together the 96 Shott, that they may make in one houre, will ruine farre more then 144 men can keepe in repaire.

For 14 Cannons will ruine more then 12 and 16 more, then 14 spend­ing, but the like quantity of Powder and Shot. Therefore Ramparts ought to be augmented in thicknesse, according to the Batteries made, but not in proportion, because the inner part of a Rampart suffereth not so much, nor is it so easily ruined, as the fore-part thereof may be.

CHAP. LXVII. How and when to make a Battery vpon the poynt of a Bulwarke, and of the defences to be made therein.

WHen and where the Curtins are short and close, the Battery is to bee made vpon the point of the Bulwarke and Cauale­riaes: But then it requireth as many or rather more Ord­nance then before for the Battery of the Curtin was ap­pointed. The 8 Cannon to beat about the point of the Bul­warke, the sixe Culuering trauersing more at right angles with the Front thereof, and the foure or sixe Demy-culuerings to play vpon the Cassamats, on each side 2 or 3, and they are also to attend other occasi­ons that shall happen, as hath already beene said, and as the figure 12 at α re­presenteth together, with such retrenchments and defences, as the besieged may or should make, being forced, of which there is no danger when the Battery is made in the Curtin, wherein the Breach being once made, it may bee more easily forced without any other dangers then those of the Bulwarkes and Cassamats, which are not onely farre off, but also to bee cloyed or dismounted afore-hand, or else they are opposed and encountred with the Demy-culuerings, and other Peeces placed on the brinke of the Dyke, especially where necessity will vrge, or occasion require, whereas in the Curtins there can hardly any such retrenchments bee made, as in the Necks of Bulwarks, where with halfe Moones, in the neck thereof, they may make new resistances with a few men, the Bulwarke being Myned, and the Towne imagined to be gained, yea when fire shall bee giuen to the Trayne, which may be perchance preuented also by countermynes, which cannot be so directly directed on the breach of a Curtin, as on the Bulwarke whose necke is narrow, and may soone be defended, and retrenched with lesse la­bour, time, and force, and cause the assay lants to present more men in dan­ger of blowing them vp by the Enemies Mynes.

CHAP. LXVIII. How the Ordnance are to be placed at the houre of ioyning of two Armies, to offend the Enemie most.

THis is a poynt hard to be handled by me that haue not seene many Armies meete; but finding seuerall opinions deliuered by others, I haue thought fit to recite them, & deliuer what to me seemes most reasonable, leauing each to chuse either of them, or any other way as to him shall seeme most fitting. Some say that the Field Peeces should be placed in the Front of the Bands, and some that they should be placed trauersly two and two, or three and three together, on the sides or flankes in the forme of the Muska­tiers, couered with the wings of the Horsemen. But it seemes to mee most expedient, that certaine Peeces should be placed in the Front, which may endomage the Enemie on all sides, seeking alwayes the places of most aduan­tage, without danger of loosing any of their Ordnance, and certaine Peeces also to be placed in the Flanke, some to shoote forth-right, and some a Tra­uers, each 3, from other distance 50 or 100 paces. And then there is no more danger but in the ioyning to withdraw the Ordnance, that our Ordnance hurt not our owne bands. And that they be alwayes ready to be Trauersed, and retreated, as neede shall require, which may much conduce to victory: But it will seldome happen, that in a Battaile there be such places so commo­dious to be found as were to be wished, for that most commonly we shall be constrayned to conforme our selues, according to the present occasions, as woods, hills, and other vneuen places, for which no other rule can begiuen, but with great iudgement to seeke how to get the aduantage of the Enemie, without being offended by Sunne, winde, or dust, and such like, which though they may be thought to be small things, yet they will bee therein found to be of great importance. But I cannot be of their opinion to haue all the Peeces on the sides to be best, for so the Squadrons meeting, ours shall be more offended thereby then the Enemies, besides, that thereby this great danger will arise, that when the wings of our Horsemen would be wil­ling to aduance speedily, they will be greatly troubled with those Peeces so shot out of the sides: wherefore the Generall, or Master of the Ordnance, or his Lieutenant, considering these things, must giue directions how the Ordnance shall be lodged, either all in Front, all in Flanke, or some in both.

CHAP. LXIX. How to fill vp a wet Dyke, whereby to approach the Breach made.

HAuing already shewed how a Battery may in diuers sorts bee made, and also how to make the Breaches sufficient for entery, we will now shew likewise, if the Dyke should be deepe, and full of water or mud (that the Souldiers are thereby hindered) how the same may best be filled vp. Wherefore, although there be many wayes to performe the same, yet this in my iudgement is the best; namely, that when a sufficient Breach is once made, that then the Approaches be also im­mediatly made vnder the couertures of the Trenches, euen vnto the edge of the Dyke, and then with Faggots, and earth, or Sausedges, (whereof we haue sufficiently spoken already) to fill it vp, hauing the benefit of the ruines that the Cannons haue made of the Wall, and Faggots, and Sausedges which can­not be wanting, whereas either Gardens, Trees, or Woods are neere hand. Or else if great Trees be throwne into the Dyke, if they swimme, being of Firre or dry light wood they will, then Plankes layd vpon them (the Dyke being excessiue deepe) and on each side of such Floats, blinds being raised to hide the Passengers from sight of the Flanker, they may thereby passe to the foote of the Breach, euen as by a Bridge: But ouer a small Riuer or narrow Dyke a Bridge may be made ouer vpon a Boates, as in the 17 figure at β is re­presented. But being first well informed of the quality of the Dyke, whether it be of standing or running water: If it be standing water, then a dozen of light Float Bridges will helpe well; if there be any scarpe on the other side, or else they are worth nothing: But in sted of them Floats being made with two Fir poles or light wood strait about 15 or 20 foot long, about the thick­nes of a mans legge or thigh, vpō which two sides may be nailed crosse-wise ledges or boords of wood, about 3 foote long all along vpon them. And so these may each of them be caried by 6 men; namely 4 at the two ends, and 2 at the mid sides, as a corpse is vsually borne to be buried. And at both the ends of those two sides, there must ropes be fastned, by which hese floating bridges shall be lanched, and drawne from one side of the Dyke to the other, foure or sixe Souldiers being gotten vpon it, resting them vpon their Pykes, which being landed and passed ouer: the Souldiers on the other side may draw, bake the Float by the ropes at the end next them, and then 4 or sixe more may get vpon the same, and the Souldiers already landed, may draw them ouer by the ropes at their end, and so helping one another from side to side, many men in a little space of time will be transported ouer. And when as there are a competent number gotten, or the Floats drawne vp, may serue for scaling Ladders, or to mount the Breach the better by. But if for the walls these Ladders or Floats be too short, there may at one end of each side be two loopes of Iron fastned, and so firmely fitted, that the two other ends of another Float or Ladder may fitly enter thereinto, and so two or [Page 140]moe shall make one Ladder, vntill they be found of sufficient length. And lastly, we will remember you of Ladders, of Cords, or Ropes, with wooden steps like entering Poope Ladders in Shippes, hauing an yron Grapnell to throw ouer the wall, to hold fast on the Vawnure or Paraper.

CHAP. LXX. Of the Gunners seruice in generall.

NOw forasmuch as Ordnance are Engins of force, reason, waight, and measure: and the Gunners men exerci­sed and experienced in them, and their apurtenances in making plat formes, with defences, Troniers, Gabbions, Loopes, Parapets of earth, and Faggots about 23 or 24 foote high of Faggots 2 foote high of earth, bed vpon bed vnto eleauen foote high, and after 3 foote of Ter­raplene, to raise the Troniers and Loopes, so that for the Cannon it be 3 foote wide in the Barb within, and 12 foote wide with­out, the lower part thereof to descend scarpwise, the better to discouer the Enemies auenewes, and offend them the more freely, for auoyding the blast, and smoake, and ruine, it would else make: For the Culuerings 2 foote and a halfe within, and 9 foote without will suffice; and for lesse Peeces, lesse measures. If the Battery be to be made with Gabbions, they being filled with earth without stones, moystened and rammed 7 foote a peece in dya­metre, 3 rankes betweene each 2 peeces, if the place will permit, or 2 at the least, and 3 rowes also one before another, setting one betweene two; so if the first ranke haue 3, the second will haue 2, and the third one: But it will be hard to make a safe Battery with Gabbions, Cannon, or Culuering proofe: And each plat-forme is to haue 30 foote for the reuerse of the Cannon, and 27 foote for the Demy-Cannon, he ought to see that it bee leuelled, or rising 1 foote for 20 backwards, the better to stay the reuerse & facillite, the bring­ing the Peece being loaded to the Loope: He ought to search and examine the goodnes of the Peeces, their Ladles, Rammers, Spunges, and Tampions, fitnesse, and roundnesse of the Shot, force and goodnesse of the Powder and Match: And to see all fitted accordingly, and to place the Powder couertly, hid safe from the fire of his owne, as also of the Enemies Ordnance. To see the Gunners take their marks towards the vnder part, giuing each vnder Gunner his charge.