CHAPTER I. How to make all sorts of moulds, in a true proportion, with the Rowlers and Drifts.

THat I may set downe the true procee­ding in Fireworkes, it is requisite in the first place to lay downe the true order and forme of making all sorts of moulds, aswell greater as lesse: and to proceed, you must get of the best drie Box you can finde; if not, of some other tough wood, as Crabbe­tree, Holly, or such like wood, which when you have provided according to your size you meane to use, it behoveth in the next place to be known, of what diameter you will have the heighth of your bore, and from thence all the rest is derived: For example, I desire to have one bored of an inch high, which I get bored by some Turner; and to know of what length it must be, I take for the sayd length six diameters of the bore, which maketh six inches, and for the thicknesse it ought to be halfe a diameter on each side, so that being turned true round, it contaynes two inches in diame­ter. Then have you to provide a bottome, which is to be fitted in such sort as you see described in this figure: the proportions heerafter follow.

• A is the foot of the mould, and is in heighth two diameters, which must bee two inches; and one diameter and ¼ in breadth, whether it bee square or round.
• B serveth only for a stay, and must arise one inch into the mould, which is one diameter, and so proportionall in all other sorts.
• C is for the mouth of the rocket, and is in diameter ⅔ of the bore; so setting one foot of the compasses in the center, describe the arch, which is the full heighth required.
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• [Page 3]E E serveth for the paper being rowled, and is ⅙ part of the diameter on each side:
• F F is the thicknesse of the mould, which is halfe the diameter of the bore, that is in this place halfe an inch.
• F G the length of the mould, which is six diameters.
• D the length and bignesse of the needle, which is ⅔ the length of the mould, and bignesse to be ⅙ of the diameter of the bore at the bottom, and sow taper to the top.

When you have provided your mould according to your desire, then you are to fit your rowler, which must be two third parts of the diame­ter of the bore of the sayd mould, and the length thereof to bee six inches longer than your mould, which is for the roling of your paper, and is described by the letter A in this second figure, with a hole to be bored in the bottom to receive a wyer, which must bee fastned in another peece of wood somewhat shorter, which is to take out at pleasure, as you may see described by the letter D: there is required no proportion of length for this short peece; only it sufficeth if it be but so long as a man may well hold it in his hand; the use hereafter shall be more plainly described when I come to speake of the order of making the coffins; which shall be in the next Chapter. When you have fitted your rocket according to this direction, proceed to the making of your rammers, (or more pro­perly called drifts) which must bee alwayes two at the least to, each mould, and as your mould increases in largenesse, so must you have more rammers, by reason of the largenesse of the taper needle: the manner and form you may see described by the letters B C.

• B is the hollow rammer, and hath a hole in it answerable to the length and bignesse of the taper needle, as appeareth in that figure. It must be a small mat­ter lesse than the rowler, because that otherwise in putting it in, you will put down the paper, which is very prejudiciall to your rocket.
• The other rammer is not halfe so long, and is sad, that when you have beaten to the top of the needle, you make use of it: it is described by the letter C.

When you have fitted your rammers, you must provide a peece of Box made after the form as you see described; which must serve to make your large coffins to put the work which you intend, on the head of your rockets. It is described by the letter F, as in the figure is manifest.

• The letters E E shew the diameter, which is the just bignesse of your roc­ket, and must be so in all sizes.
• G G shewes the largensse of the coffin, and must bee two diameters, which in this figure is two inches.
• H H H H shewes the length of the coffin, which ought to bee two diameters of your rocket, which in this place is two inches; but we are not tied to that so precisely; for we are to alter that according to the works which we put therein.

CHAP. II. How to make your coffins of paper.

NOW having explained the manner and forme of the moulds, with the rest of the dependants, I come now to shew the use of them in their seve­rall orders: and first for the use of the rowler, which is described by the letter A.

You must provide some good strong paper, as old Law books, which are both strong and large; and cut out your sizes of paper for your work: now to know what length your paper must bee, let it bee alwayes the length of your mould: so shall you have one diameter left above the mould, the use whereof shall be shewn in his proper place. Now having provided your paper in length ready, take your rowler, and one length of paper, and begin to rowle; when you have rowled one sheet, you must have a board to rowle it with (the board is marked in the second figure;Figure 2. G.) which must be done in this manner: you must hold the rowler in your left hand, and with your right hold the board; then lay down your rowler upon some smooth chest, or table, or such like; which when you have done, lay on your board, and rowle it very hard, only one way; which having done, rowle another length, and so proceed in row­ling between every sheet, till you have rowled on so much as will fill the mould very straight; when you have so done, draw forth your rowler one diameter, which in this place is one inch; and then take the other part of the rowler, which is short, and marked with D, and put it in as you see described; and there have you a place left for the choaking of your rocket, of which we come now to speak:

CHAP. III. How you shall choak a rocket.

WHen you come to choak your rocket, you must have a ring to screw into some post, at which you must tie your cord, which must be bigger or lesser, accor­ding to the bignesse of your rocket, by reason that a small cord will not choak a great rocket for want of strength; and again, a great cord will not serve for a small, in regard that it will make too great a choak­ing; so that you must have a bigger and lesse; which when you have so provided, tying one end to the ring, you must about a yard off tie a stick, in fashion of a handle for a swing, which must bee strong, by rea­son that it must beare the whole weight of the body, (the letter G in the second figure expresseth the same;Figure 2. K.) which when you have provided, [Page]

[Page 6] put the sticke betweene your legges, and winde the cord about the roc­ket case in the place appointed, which is betweene the long rowler and the short, when you have so done, girt it by degrees, ever turning your rouler, to the end it may come together more close and neat (the man­ner is expressed in the third figure, by the letter K) so when you have choaked it sufficiently, draw forth your short rowler, and where your choaking is,Figure 3. K. tye it about with strong packthred; and so drawing forth your rowler, you have a coffin ready to be filled when occasion serveth, the forme whereof followeth. And because the choaking of a rocket is very laborious and dangerous, in regard of the breaking of the cord, which often hapneth; I haue therefore invented a certaine Engine, wher­by a childe may choake the strongest rocket. The parts of it are a screw moving a wheele, on the axeltree of which is fastened your cord for choaking, with the other end of the cord fastened to a staple on the same boord:Figure 3. B. C. the forme whereof you shall finde described in the third figure, by the letter B. C.

• Figure 3.
  A Js the coffin of a Rocket wholly finished, with his choaking.
• B The forme of an Engine for choaking a Rocket.
• C The mannner of using the Engine.
• F Is a measure made of horne or latten.
• G Is a funnell with a handle to fill small Rockets, and other small works.
• H Is a fine searce, with a receiver to searce your ingredients.
• I Is a morter to meale your powder, and your other ingredients, which must be of wood, with a pestle.

Having described the order and formes of all things necessary to the making of a rocket, it resteth now that we know the manner of driving it, as also what ingredients are most proper for every size.

CHAP. IV. The manner of driving a Rocket, with the instruments belonging to the same.

WHen you have finished your coffin of paper, take it, and with your hollow rammer force it downe close into your mould, which when you have done, strike two or three smart blowes to settle the paper into his right forme: which being done, you must begin to fill your coffin, in doing whereof, you must have a great care, alwaies providing a measure, which may containe 1/20, part of your whole Rocket; so by that meanes you shall not faile, but every Rocket shall have a true proportion alike; as for Example, I have a coffin, which being filled, will hold an ounce of mixture or ther­abouts. I take the twentieth part, and when I finde what quantity it is, I make a measure of horne, which shall containe so much, and then I beginne to fill my coffin with one measure at a time, and putting in my [Page 7] rammer, strike foure or five smart blowes with a good strong mallet,Figure 3. M. and then I fill another measure, and strike againe, so I continue till I come to the top of the needle, then I take the sad rammer, and so continue with it, till I come to the top of the mould: now the paper which is above the top of the mould, must be turned downe, and beaten hard down, which being done, the Rocket is finished from the mould; which force out, with as much ease as you can, for the lesse you force it (being filled, and the needle taken out) the better it is, for knocking loosens the powder, and so causes the Rocket to faile: now it rests to know the receits proper for every sort of Rockets.

Now when you have provided your powder, you must first meale it, and then scarce it, so that it may be free from any corne though never so small. Likewise take good dry coale, well burnt, and beat it to dust, searcing it very fine, which when you have done, mixe them according as your occasion serveth, and as your directions are.

CHAP. V. The manner of heading a Rocket, with the order of capping it.

NOw we come to shew the manner of heading a Roc­ket, in which we are to use our thicke Roler, specifi­ed in the second figure, and marked with F. Vpon which you must role some paper or fine past-board, and past it so that it may bee very close, and then choake it at the length of the thicker part, so that it may come close to your sticke in the lesser part, which will fit to be tyed to the top of your Rocket, so shall you have a coffine to put in your workes, which must bee of di­vers sorts. That being done, you must provide Taper caps, which must be adjoyned to the top of the large coffin. The use of them is to keepe in your workes, and to cause them to pierce the ayre more swiftly. The manner of making these caps, is, to take a paire of Compasses, and describe a circle in pastboard, then cut it forth with a paire of sheeres, and that shall make two cappes, being cut in the middle, and turned one corner under the other, and so pasted; and let them so pasted, be put in a napkin [Page 8] presse till they be dry, and when they be dry, cut out a semicircle in pa­per, which shall fit round about the said cap, and shall serve to paste on the cap to the coffin: the forme whereof is expressed in the fourth figure, by the figure 14. and 15. so have you all things ready to the finishing of your Rocket, which must be done as followeth.

CHAP. 6. The manner of finishing a Rocket.

WHen your Rocket is driuen, as I have shewed you, with the paper turned downe, you shall first prime it, which must be with cotton wicke made for the said purpose, which you shall put up into the vent, leaving a peece to hang lower than the mouth of your Rocket, by three or foure inches, which being done, tye a piece of paper over the mouth, to the end it fall not out: now having primed your Rocket, you may proceede to the heading of it, and that is done after this man­ner. Take your Rocket, and on the head (where I told you, you should turne downe the paper, you must with a bodkin, pierce two or three holes, to the intent that the Rocket having spent himselfe, your workes which are on his head, may take fire; which holes, prime with a little powder dust, and then put on his head, with the choaking fitted to your Rocket, which must come over the Rocket, in such manner, that the bottome of the greater part must come even with the top of the Rocket; which tye fast to your rocket with threed, and then put in your workes: but before you put in your workes, whether they be starres, or any other workes, you must put in a little cotton wooll, being rowled in powder dust, to the end your stars may fire, and likewise may blow out: which having done, put in your starres, or other workes, and if you make more than one tire (as you may doe of your starres) then must you put more cotton rowled in powder dust amongst them, or betweene every tire, to the end they may all take fire; then take your cap so provided as I have formerly shewed, and fill the hollow place with cotton, because it is light, and likewise will fire quickly: which being fitted, paste it close to the top of the coffin, in such manner, that it may stand very upright; then must you fit on your sticke, for the peasing of your Rocket, which ought to be about eight lengths of your Rocket without the head. You must get the smoothest and lightest you can, such as basket makers use; which when you have got, you must make very strait, and then cutting one side of it, flat at the great end, make two notches on the round side, pro­vided that the one be differing from the other, so much as is betweene the choaking of your Rocket, and the end of the vent; because if you should tye it upon the vent, it would loosen the powder, and so cause it to breake in the firing. Now that you tye not the wrong end of your [Page]

[Page 10] Rocket uppermost, as some foolishly have done, for want of better in­structions, you must alwayes tye the end downewards, which is choaked, and with a piece of strong thred tye it fast to the lower notch, just about the choaking, so shall you be sure your stickes shall not fall off, neither will it indanger the hurting of your rocket. When yo [...] have tyed that, then proceed to the tying of it higher, which as I say, must be somewhat high [...]r than the top of the vent, and let your sticke come even with the top of your rocket; which having done, pease your rocket, which must be after this manner. Lay it on your finger two or three inches or more from the mouth, and if you finde the stick be too heavy, cut it shorter, till you finde your Rocket to ballance your sticke, for the sticke being too heavy, causes your rocket to slugge, and being too light, it makes a rocket fall before he is halfe up: these things being provided, you have your rocket ready to be fired, which must be after this manner.

CHAP. VII. The manner of firing Rockets, with the description of a staffe for the firing of them.

PRovide a long staffe with a pike at one end, which must be thrust hard into the ground, and a three legged staffe with a hollow hoope at the top, to let this long staffe slide up and downe, to the end that having rockets, whose stickes are longer than your said staffe, yet by raising it through the said iron hoope, you may make it foure or five foot longer than it would be standing on the ground. Now this long staffe must have a sliding peece cut with severall points, which must be neere the top; and at the bottome there must be a ring of wyer, to let the sticke goe through, which must be made likewise to slide up and downe; so thrusting the small end through the said ring, your rocket will rest upon that part a­bove, which must be just opposite in a straight line, so open the mouth of your rocket, and pull out the end of your cotton wicke, and with a peece of match, fastened in a Linstocke, give fire to the said wicke, and by degreees, you shall see it fire your rocket; which being well ordered, will mount very straight and high: now having shewed the whole order of composing a rocket, with the firing of the same, I will shew you an order for making of your starres, and other workes which are necessary for the heads of your rockets; and first of all I will shew you the making of divers sorts of starres, with their compositions; and since wee cannot make them without the compositions, I will first set downe the compo­sitions, and then proceed to the manner of making them.

CHAP. VIII. Divers Compositions for starres.

A Composition for starres of a blew colour, with red.

• TAke of powder mealed, 8 ℥
• Salt peter, 4 ℥
• Sulphur vive, 12 ℥

Meale these very fine, and mixe them together with 2 ℥. of aqua vite, and [...]/2 ℥ of oyle of spicke, which let be very dry before you use it.

Another Composition which maketh a white fire and beautifull.

• Take powder, 4 ℥
• Salt peter, 12 ℥
• Sulphur vive, 6 ℥
• Camphire, ⅓ ℥

Meale your ingredients, and mixe them; now to powder your Cam­phire, you must dip your pestle in oyle of Almonds, or such like oyle: you must not use your wooded pestle for this, because that oyle will soake into it, which is an enemy to some workes; therefore take a brasse pestle and morter, and dipping the pestle in oyle of Almonds, put it to your Camphire, and so stirring it by degrees, it will powder; which when you have done, keepe it very close from ayre, till such time as you use it, otherwise the Camphire will lose his spirit, and become of no use.

Another white fire which lasteth long.

• Take powder, 4 ℥
• Salt peter, 1 l
• Sulphur vive, 8 ℥
• Camphur, 1 ℥
• Oyle of peeter, 2 ℥

Meale those which are to be mealed, very fine, and mixe them accor­ding to the former directions.

CHAP. IX. The manner of making the best sort of starres.

NOw having set downe the compositions for starres, it re­steth to know how these starres are made, which is di­vers waies, but I will set you downe onely two waies both which are very good, so that you may take your choyce. The first is this, you must make little square pie­ces of browne paper, which fill with your composition you intend,Figure 4. N. G. and so double it downe, rolling it till you make it somewhat round, about the bignesse of a nut or bigger, according to the size of your rocket; you may put in a dozen on the head of a small rocket; when you have made them up in this forme, you must binde them round with small thred, which done, draw through a cotton wicke prepared for priming, as hereafter shall be shewne.

The second sort are made after another manner, which is thus; you must have a rowler, as big as an ordinary arrow, which shall be to rowle a length of paper about it, and with a little mouth glue, or paste, paste it round; so have you a hollow trunke of paper, which you shall order af­ter this manner. Fill it by little and little with your small funnell, still thrusting it very hard, till you have filled it to the top; which done, cut it into short pieces, about halfe an inch in length; then having in readi­nesse either hot glue, or size mingled with red lead, dip one end of your short pieces, to the end, that both ends of your starre fire not, and also that it may not blow out; which being so finished, set to dry till you use them, and then putting the other end into powder dust, you may put them on your rocket, in one or two tier; alwaies provided, as I said be­fore, that you put in powder dust betweene every tier, to the end they may all fire; thus have you the manner of making your starres, the formes whereof you shall have described hereafter.

Priming for Rockets.The priming before spoken of, is made after this manner; take oyle of Camphire, and soake some cotton wicke in it, then take it out being moyst, and rowle it in fine powder dust, which having done, you shall hang it up till it be thorow dry, so have you prepared a very good pri­ming, which must be kept close from ayre, till such time you have occa­sion, otherwise the spirit of the Camphir will decay.

The description of the staffe for firing of Rockets.

• A The long staffe to rise through the ring.
• B B B The three legd staffe.
• C The ring or hoope of iron for the long staffe to slide thorow.
• D A screw to screw fast the long staffe being raised.
• E A piece of iron filed with notches to hang the Rockets on.
• F The ring of wyer to put thorow the sticke, which may be raised higher, or put lower, as occasion proffers.
• G G The description of two starres, with the priming, K, and the binding L.
• H The description of the trunke, or case, which is to be f [...]lled with your star mixture, and so cut into short pieces, as you see represented by the figures 1.1.

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  [Page 14] where the uper part represents the open end, and is marked with M, and the un­der part which is glued, is represented by the letter N, so have you the starres wholly described.

CHAP. X. The manner of making silver and gold raine.

NOw I will shew you the order for making of golden raine, which is after this manner; you must prouide store of Goose quils, which hauing, you must cut off the quill as long as you can leaue it, and cut not off the other end, but leaue it close as you see presented by the letters O P. Figure 4. where O represents one filled, and P one empty. The receit which you make your golden raine, must be the same which you make your rockets of one ounce, which is to 1 l. of powder, 2 ℥. of coale dust: now hauing filled many of these quils, as I haue shewed you, they must be put on the head of your rocket, with the open ends down­ward, to the end they may take fire so soone as your rocket is spent, and so shall you see appeare a shower of gold, which by some is called golden raine: the like way may you make siluer raine, filling your quils with the mixture prescribed for your white starres, and using them in the same manner, you shall see them fall downe like a shower of siluer, which is called siluer raine; and thus much shall suffice to be knowne for this sort of worke.

CHAP. XI. How to make Fisgigs, which some call Serpents.

NOw I will shew you to make another sort of work, which we call Fisgigs, or as the French name them, Serpents, which are made as followeth. You must provide a small mould, of ¼ of an inch diameter, which must bee made without a needle, which when you have, you must make your cases, as you make for your rockets, choaking them ½ an inch from the end, which shall serue for occasion as it shall bee prof­fered; when you haue made your cases, fill them three inches with pow­der dust, and then choake him, and after put in a little corne powder, to the end that your Fisgig hauing plaied a while to and fro, hee may breake and giue a report; the use of the making so deepe a mouth at your first choaking is, that you may fill it with your starre mixture; so that put­ting diuers of them on the head of a large rocket, they will first appeare like so many starres, and when the starres are spent, taking hold of the powder dust, they will run wrigling to and fro like Serpents, and after a while they will giue so many reports, which will giue great content. [Page 15] There are many works which are made of these fisgigs, which wee will speak of in their places.

CHAP. XII. How to make the reports or breakers.

NOW I will proceed to shew the manner of making re­ports to place on the head of a rocket; you must make a coffin of the size of your rocket of one inch, but you must rowle your paper a great deale thicker, to the in­tent your report may be the greater; also in choaking, the mouth must bee left very large, to the end that on oc­casion you may fill it with starre mixture; now when you have made divers coffins about three inches and better in length, you must leave a small vent at the choaking, the bignesse of an ordinary wyer, which you must stop with a little paper, while you fill the coffin almost full, or with­in halfe an inch of the top, with good corn powder, turning down foure or five folds of paper, choak it close at the top, and binde it round with thred, so you have your reports ready, against such time you come to use them; which must be done in this manner: first bee carefull to pull out your stopple, which having done, fill the mouth with your starre mixture, and so fasten him on the top of your rocket, alwayes putting a little paper about the top of your rocket, and in it put a little powder dust, and so set on your report, and tie it fast on, with the mouth to­wards the head of the rocket, so that the rocket having spent himselfe, you shall see a large star appeare, and when it is neere the ground, you shal heare the report; the order thereof you shall finde described in the fourth figure.

• 1 Is the report ready finished.
• 2 The rocket with the report on the head.
• 3 The report fastned on the head of the rocket.
• 4 The paper to fasten the report to the rocket, which must first bee tied to the rocket, and likewise to the report.
• 8 Representeth a fisgig finished.
• 9 The choaking, as I have shewed, which must bee silled upward with corn powder.
• 10 The mouth of your fisgig, which upon occasion you may fill with your starre mixture, to put on the head of your rockets.
• 11 Representeth a fisgig, with a bladder, which must be tyed on to the head of them, in such manner, that the neck of the bladder may go into the fisgig, and so be fast tyed, that they stirre not; the use of them is, only to fire in your hand, (for being fired with a little powder dust in the mouth of it) and so cast away from you, it will fly to and fro without ceasing, till it hath spent it selfe; and by reason of the bladder which is tied to it, it will not stick fast to the ground, as others do which have no bladders.
• 12 Representeth a cracker fastned to the top of a rocket, so that the rocket having spent himselfe, it taketh fire, and maketh many reports; the manner [Page 16] of fastning him is thus; you must first tie on your rocket, leaving the stick so much higher than the top, as will suffice to tie on your cracker, which must be tied about the said stick, in such manner, that the nose of it may come into the head of your rocket, which being primed with some powder dust, will take fire.
• 5 Representeth a rocketh with severall works, whether starres, or serpents, and must be with a large coffin on the top, with his cap.
• 6 Is the coffin, which as J have shewed you, must bee somewhat bigger than your rocket.
• 7 Is the cap, which must be taper.
• 13 Sheweth the fastning of the stick, which must not bee higher than your rocket, beside the large coffin.

All which I have formerly described, with the form and manner of making them, and their severall uses; so that I have fully layd down the whole order of finishing a rocket for the ayre. Now it resteth to shew what other works may bee done by the sayd rockets, which are many; for all sorts of Fire works for pleasure, do wholly depend upon them, ex­cept the water bals: and to proceed, I will first describe unto you the order of making the runners on the line, which must bee done in manner following.

CHAP. XIII. How to make a runner on the line.

YOV must provide a small rocket mould, which must be halfe an inch or more, with rowlers, and rammers, according as I have described, save only that your mould must have no needle, nor your rammers hollow; when you have provided them, make up your cases, after the form which I have shewed you, some longer, and some shorter, which must be used as followeth; your short ones must be beaten up to the top, which must not bee above foure inches; your longer, which must bee 5 ½ inches, must bee likewise filled foure inches high, and the rest to be filled with corn powder within halfe an inch of the top,Receipt for runners. which must be choaked close, and tied up; the receipt for these sorts must be only fine powder dust.

Now when you have driven them as is shewed, you may proceed to the finishing of them, which must be in this manner; you must rowle a peece of paper about the head of your shorter rocket, (which must be left open to give fire to the next) which paper must be five inches broad, and being rowled on, you must first try if the mouth of your other roc­ket will easily go in, which when you have done, draw forth your other rocket which you tried, and binde your paper fast to the top of your short one, in such manner, that foure inches may remaine hollow above the top of your rocket, which is to be filled with powder dust, about two [Page 17] inches high; then put in your longer rocket, (with the mouth inward) so farre as it may touch your powder dust; and tie the paper fast about the choaking, as you shall finde described in the fift figure; after you have done this, proceed to the putting on of your cane, which must bee after this manner; you must first provide canes of such bignesse as will fit your line, and cut them three inches, long, or somewhat better, and then notch them with three notches, which when you have so provided, first tie it to your longer rocket which is to fire last, and then doubling them together, (in such sort that the nose of the first come farther out than the tayle of the second) tie it to them both; the reason of this is, because otherwise, if it were tied to them both together, and not to one severally, so soon as the first were fired, the cane will grow slack, and often fall off, and never make his return; and againe, if you should not put the mouth of the one farther out than the tayle of other, it would fire your other rocket, and so make a confusion: therefore that you may the better un­derstand what I have shewed you, I have set down in this fift figure, the whole order of finishing a runner for the line.

• A Is the short rocket.
• B Is the longer, which must be beaten foure inches with powder dust, and one inch with corn powder.
• C C Your two rockets joyned, the mouth of one to the tayle of the other, in such sort, that there may be two inches between them.
• D The coffin of paper which joynes those two together, and must bee filled with powder dust, lightly put in.
• E E The rockets doubled, with the cane tied on.
• F The cane, which must be three inches long, or more.
• G The cord that passeth thorow the cane.
• H A peece of cork on the end of the line.

CHAP. XIV. The manner of firing your runner.

NOW having thus finished your runners, you must pro­vide a line, which may bee a hundred yards, or more, as your ground will permit, so fastning your cord at the farthest of your distance, provide a peece of board or cork, with a hole of the bignesse of your line, which must bee put on the end of your line, to the end that your rocket may not rest against any thing that may hinder it in the re­trogade motion; alwayes provided, you sope your line very well, for feare of firing: then put on your runner at the other end (with the mouth of the rocket towards you, which must bee primed with powder dust) and pull your line very straight, which is a great help to the running of a rocket, so fastning your cord, you may fire your runner, which being well ordered, will run to the farthest of your line, making his return, with a report at last; so have you finished the runner. [Page]

CHAP. XV. How to compose a wheele.

NOW I will shew you the order of composing a wheele, which is a prime work, being well ordered; of which some are movable, and some immovable: of the mo­vable, some move horizontall, and some verticall, which is toward the zenith: and first of the movable wheele. You must provide a wheele of such diameter as you please, which must be made into squares, according to the circumference of your wheele, and to proportion your wheele into a just number, you may allow five inches or better for every side, so that your wheele being 14 inches diameter, the circumference will be as 7 to 22, which is 44 inches circumference; so being divided by 5, there will bee 8 squares,Figure 5. N 1. or more properly, 8 sides, which will every one containe 5 inches and 3/10, which is the cord of 45 degrees; these sides must bee hollowed with a groofe fitting your rockets, and at the ends of every side it must bee filed with notches, to fasten your binding that it slide not, when you binde fast your rockets; the form whereof you shall finde in the fift figure N 1.

• A Sheweth the 8 sides.
• B The places of fastning.
• C The screw which fastneth the wheele to some post.

Note alwayes, that as your wheele doth increase in diameter, so you must increase in the proportion, for that rocket which forces about a wheele of 14 inches, will not force a wheele of 18 inches; nor that roc­ket which forceth one of 18 inches, will not force one of 24 inches; but that you may come to a neere proportion, I will satisfie you so neere as I can; first seek the diameter of your wheele, which imagine to bee 18 inches, I take the third thereof, which is 6, so that your rocket for 18 inches diameter, must be 6 inches long, and your wheele of 24 inches diameter, will require rockets of 8 inches; yet as your wheele encreaseth, you may alter this proportion by dividing it into more sides.

Now having provided your wheele, with your rockets of a just size, you shall proceed to the finishing of it, which must bee after this man­ner; you must joine your rockets one to another, in such sort as I shew­ed you for your runners, that is, with the mouth of the one to the top of the other, and so proceed till you have fastned so many as will serve your wheele, alwayes leaving so much space between each rocket, as may suf­fer them to come round about your wheele, without breaking any; which when you have done, proceed to the tying of them on to your wheele, which must be so ordered, that you tie them where the notches are, to the end they faile not in firing, by sliding off. In tying the [...] on you must provide that you leave a little distance between the first and the last, which must be parted with a bolster of paper well soaped, to th [...] [Page 20] end that the first fire not the last, and so cause a great confusion. Now for the manner of placing them, it is according to the workmans plea­sure, which must be either horizontall, or verticall; for the horizontall wheele you must provide a post fastned in the ground, and screw your wheele to the top of it; for the verticall, you must screw it on the side of the post, so having fired them, you shall see one run parallell to the ho­rizon, and the other to the zenith, as you shall see described in the fift figure.

• N 2 Representeth the horizontall wheele.
• N 3 Representeth the verticall wheele.

There are many other works which do wholly depend upon the wheele, of which I will set down some few.

CHAP. XVI. How to make a ground wheele.

HEre I will declare unto you the manner of making a paire of wheels to run upon a plain horizon; pro­vide two wheels, (such as are spinning wheels) of one bignesse, which must bee fastned to a small axeltree, in such manner, that they may not move about the axeltree, and on the middle of the ax­eltree fasten a fire wheele, which let bee so much lesse than the other, that it touch not the ground, so that being fast upon the same axeltree, it cannot run unlesse it carry the other with it, which being set on a plain horizon, will run a great way without ceasing: now that you may make it return, you may pro­vide your wheele in such manner, that it may have rockets on both sides, so that one side being spent, it may give fire to the other, which being fastned with their mouthes the contrary way, will make a return with a swift motion.

The form of these ground wheeles you may see represented in the fift figure, N 4.

• A A the two wheeles fastned to the axeltree.
• C C the axeltree on which the three wheeles are all fastned.
• B the fire wheele, which is represented of a lesser diameter than the other two.

CHAP. XVII. Another manner of ground wheeles.

THere is another kinde of ground wheeles, and that is made so, that the wheeles may move about the axeltree; but this sort is not moved about by a wheele, in regard the axeltree must stand still, but it is made after this manner; you must make your axeltree somewhat broad about the midst of it, and in that place you shall boare two holes, into which you shall put two rockets, which must bee so close one to the other, that they may almost touch, and must bee so joined together, that one having spent himselfe, the other may take fire, after the manner of your line work, to the end that being fired, it may run first one way, and then the other taking fire, may make his return by a second motion: now the rockets which you put into this place, must alwayes bee proportioned according to the bignesse of your wheele, which if you perform according to the direction, you shall have your desire.

The form of this wheele is expressed in the fift figure N 4.

• A A the two wheeles being loose upon their axeltree.
• B B the axeltree in which the rockets are put.
• C the place for the two rockets to be fastned, which must be so ordered, that the mouth of one may joyne to the tayle of the other.

It is especially to be noted, that these wheeles must run upon a very plain horizon, such as the place for the game of Pall Maile at St. Iameses, or some other very smooth place; by reason that after the first firing of a rocket, his violence is over, and so a small thing will stay him.

There are also sundry sorts of wheeles, which do perform divers offices; some for displaying of a Coat of Armes, and others for setting of divers circular works, some of them I will speak of; and first I will shew the manner of making a horizontall wheele, which with one firing shall give divers reports, and shall stand fixed.

CHAP. XVIII. The manner of making a fixed wheele, which shall give divers reports.

YOV must first get a wheele turned by some work­man, which must be two foot in diameter, (or as you please to augment or diminish your work) which must have a groofe turned out of the upper side, of halfe an inch wide, and likewise as deep; to which groofe you must have a peece of wood so fitted, that it may just slide in, which peece of wood must have so many small holes bored in it as you will have reports about it, alwayes provided, you set them not too neere together, because the firing of one may not beat down the other; when you have thus provided your wheele, make a conveyance or hollow trunck of paper which will iust fill it, which must bee filled with some of your slow mixtures for starres, and then putting on the cap of wood so fitted with holes, and made very fast with glew, pierce every hole into your hollow conveyance, so that putting a quill into eve­ry one, they may take fire, and to the said quill fasten a report, so shall you have a peale of Chambers placed in a small roome, which being once fired,Figure 6. A. will follow in order till the whole train be spent. The form you shall see expressed in the sixt figure marked A.

CHAP. XIX. How to make a fixed wheele which shall cast forth many rockets into the ayre.

THere is likewise another sort of wheele not much unlike to the former, which shall give fire to divers rockets standing circular, the order differs nothing from the former, only you must make a hole for every stick to passe thorow, and therefore it must be made somewhat broader, which will effect the same as the other doth, by conveying fire from one rocket to another, till they bee all spent; the mix­ture for this conveyance ought to bee very slow, wherefore I advise you to take this ensuing, which is both slow and sure.

• Take Roch peter, 8 ℥
• Sulphur vive, 4 ℥
• Camphire, ½ ℥
• Fine powder dust, 2 ℥

Meale these ingredients very fine, and incorporate them, adding ⅛ ℥ of Linseed oyle, and ⅛ ℥ of oyle of peter; these oyles must be dropped in by degrees, and so wrought up, till you finde your mixture bound like dough, which if you performe well, will bee both slow and sure.Figure 6. B. The forme of this wheele is expressed in the sixth Figure, by the letter B.

CHAP. XX. How to make a fixed wheele, which shall cast forth divers Fisgigs, and likewise as many reports or breakers.

CAuse a wheele to bee turned, with a groofe on the top to put in your conveiance of paper; then fit on a peece of wood, as I have formerly shewed you, with small holes to put in quils, which are for the firing of your reports, and must bee placed round about the uper part of your wheele; and on the side thereof, shall be made diuers holes of the bignesse of your Fisgigs, (which shall be so pierced thorow to the paper convei­ance) those fisgigs that are placed round on the side, & the reports on the top, one traine shall fire them all, and in firing, you shall see all the Fis­gigs flying round about, one after another, as the fire passeth to them; and for every Fisgig which passeth out, shall bee fired a report, so that there shall be a continuall motion untill the whole traine bee consumed: the forme of this wheele is represented in the sixth Figure, by the let­ter G.

• G Represents the wheele finished, with Reports and Fisgigs.
• R R Represents the reports, placed on the uper part of the wheele.
• F F Represents the Fisgigs placed round on the side of the wheele.

CHAP. XXI. The manner of making a wheele which shall runne two waies, which is, forward and backward.

CAuse a wheele to be made, so that the rockets may be placed on each side, with a hole thorow one side, which shall serve for a vent, passing from one side to the other, then place your rockets first up­on one side, provided that the last rocket be placed over the said hole, and boring a small hole in one side of that rocket, put in a cotton wicke for pri­ming, and let it come through your wheele, to the mouth of another rocket, which shall bee turned the contrary way; so that the wheele having finished his revolution one way, may take fire [Page]

[Page 25] on the other side, and so make a retrograde motion: and as you doe this, so may you after the same manner, make a wheele which shall runne di­rect, and continue twise so long as another of the same bignesse, which is by placing the rockets the same way on both sides. The forme of this is expressed the 6 Figure, by the letters D and E.

• D Represents the wheele with Rockets placed on the one side, the last roc­kets having a vent, to passe through to the other side.
• E Represents the said wheele finished with Rockets on both sides.

CHAP. XXII. The manner of composing a wheele, which having finished his revolution, shall represent a Coat of Armes.

MAke a wheele of some light board, so that it may be without any spoakes, and upon one side of it, let be drawne, that Coat of Armes you intend to re­present, then boare so many holes in the wood, as may conveniently stand on the traced lines, then on the other side, neere the top, shall a place bee made, which may containe your rockets, with a hole pierced thorow where the last rocket must rest. This being done, place your rockets round about, so that the last rocket may be placed on the vent which must bee primed carefully, to passe thorow to the other side; having placed on the rockets, fill those holes on the other side with some slow mixture, such as is for your stars, or the like, then cover it over with paper, and put in some powder dust to fire it, and to break the paper, which being done, sope it well over for feare of some sparkes lighting on the paper before the appointed time of firing, so have you a wheele ready which you must put on an axeltree, so that it may stand verticall, and then firing it, you shall have your de­sire, for so soone as the wheele hath spent his moving worke, it will giue fire to the other side; and then standing still, you shall see a perfect Coat of Armes in fire. Figure 7. A. B.

• A Represents that side of the wheele which hath the Rockets placed on it.
• B Represents the Coat of Armes, in which the round spots signifie the places to be filled with a slow mixture, which must bee moist, to the end it keepe close in.

CHAP. XXIII. How to represent a Coat of Armes in fire, which having burnt a small while, the said Coat shall appeare in his perfect colours, and shall continue so a long while.

FIrst cause a board to be made foure square, of what dimension you please, which let be ½ an inch thicke, and cause a Painter or some drafts man to trase out what Armes or other figure you please, upon the said board; also let there be another which shall bee an inch and ½ thicke, and of the same breadth, which fasten to the other with some small tackes, till you have boared so many holes as you have occasion for, which shall behalfe an inch asunder, and likewise halfe an inch boare; then boare your holes thorow your inch board, and let them enter an inch into the thicker planke, then make foure square holes (one at each corner) in the thicker planke, to receive foure square pieces of wood, which must be an inch square, which glue fast into foure holes opposite to the other in the thinner planke, to the end it may slide to and fro; then fasten an iron rod in the midst of the thinner, so that it may come thorow the thicker planke, and be fastened to a piece of wood, which may turne upon a joynt; to the end you may draw the thinner square neerer as your fire consumes, and must draw it too foot at least; then provide a small ar­row of two foot long, and upon it rowle so much paper, till it fill your small holes exactly, then fill so many as you have holes already provided in your square, and put them thorow the thinner piece, and the ends thereof into the thicker, which let be glued fast into the bottome of that, so that they may stand very fast, and likewise let them passe so easily tho­row the other holes, that the board may slide nearer or further, to or from the fire, at pleasure; then fit a piece of past-board, so that it may come close about these rouled lances, and may fit as exactly as the board doth at the other end; and let this come within halfe an inch of the firing end, then prime them all with quicke powder dust, and cover it over with paper, which having performed, you are ready against such time as you have occasion to fire it, which must be after this manner, observing which side the winde is; stand on that side, and fire it at the lower corner, so that by the helpe of the winde, you shall have it all fire at once; which ha­ving burnt a while, will come to the past-board and fire it, so that falling away, there will be represented a Coat of Armes in colours, close to your fire, which may be drawne in by one standing behinde, so that it shall seeme alwaies to be standing in one place, and the light not to grow shorter till the last. The forme of this frame is presented in the seventh figure C D.

• A The frame without the scutcheon or letters.
• B The backe side of the frame, with an iron rod passing thorow it, and fastened [Page 28] to the other part, and the moving part which slideth to and fro as occasion proffers.
• D The frame finished ready to put in your lances.
• F Represents the face of the frame, or thinner board.
• G The inner part of the fixed piece, with holes boared in each alike, to put in your lances of rowled paper, filled with slow composition.

CHAP. XXIV. How to represent an antike dance, by the helpe of fire, which shall move in a circular forme.

CAuse a board to bee made of two foot square, so that one side of it may bee hollowed, (or grooved) to lay your rockets in; then cause another board to bee made of the same largenesse, so that it may sit close on the other, the rockets lying betweene, and in the center of the same board, place a brasse socket, which must passe thorow the other for the center pinne to enter into it; then place your antike figures on the top of the said board, with wiers passing thorow both; to the end they may be turned about in their motion, by certaine pinnes placed in another board, which must stand fixed; so that moving about the said board, the pinnes take hold of the wiers which come thorow, and turne them backward and forward; but in regard of the extraordinary vio­lence of this motion, it will teare all in pieces, unlesse you have a great care in making all things to runne very exactly, which must bee tried be­fore you come to use it. The order of this is represented in the seventh Figure by the letter E.

• A B C D The bottome board, which stands fixed with a socket to put on a long pole, and hath a small pinne standing at each corner.
• E E E The under board which moveth, in which is placed the rockets.
• F F The uper board which is fastened to the other, wherein the rockets are placed.
• G G The wiers passing thorow both boards which are fastened to the foot of each anticke.
• H H The other wiers which stand fast in the fixed board, and are to turne a­bout the antickes passing by them.

CHAP. XXV. Another way for making an anticke dance, which is not so violent as the former.

TAke one of your large sort of wheeles, and fasten it on an iron axeltree, so that the wheele move the axeltree with his motion; then let there bee a screw filed on the said axeltree, which may bee fitted to a small wheele of tenne teeth or thereabouts as you please, for the more teeth there is in the wheele, the slower it goeth, and easier, et contra: which wheele let it be so fastened to an axeltree, (on which the board bearing the antickes must stand) that the fire wheele turning about verticall, may move your worke hirozontall, which will move so slow, that the fire wheele will be tenne times about, before your Motion will move once about, which being done neatly, will prove a worke of great contentment. The forme whereof is expressed in the seventh Figure by the letter F.

• A The fire wheele placed on an iron axelrree, and made fast to it.
• B The screw made on the said axeltree, or filed out of the same stuffe.
• C The wheele which the aforesaid screw must be fitted to runne with, which must have so meny teeth, as you intend the fire wheele shall move about for once of your motion.
• D The square board on which the antickes stand, and is fastened to the axel­tree which hath the wheele.
• E A place for a light to burne so long as the worke indureth.
• F F F The detentes or pieces which come thorow the board from the foot of each anticke.
• G G G Certaine pinnes standing upright in the fixed board, to the end that the others passing by may be turned about.

CHAP. XXVI. How to compose a Castle of fire worke with the manner of placing the workes in a true order.

PRepare a Castle of wood, or plate, of what large­nesse you please, the which shall bee made foure square, with round towers and battlements, and on the top or inner part of that worke, let there bee a lesser tower of the same fashion, with a Vane on the top, or such a like Figure, which having pro­vided, let there be a place made close to the battle­ments, or within one inch of them, to lay your con­veiances, (which let be of brasse) which is for your reports, which must be placed betweene each battlement, and shall have little pipes of brasse to give fire to each report, which must be screwed into the great convei­ance; [Page 30] which conveiance let be filled with your composition for rockets of 1 l. which is one pound of powder to 3⅓℥ of coale dust; and by this meanes you shall have them all fire in order, without any confusion; which having spent it selfe, shall give fire to another conveiance, which shall be placed further in, with a strong wall betweene, so that the fire of one doe not offend the other: the use of this conveiance is to place divers rockets on, so that they may fire one after another, and shall take fire as soone as the reports are ended. Now for the foure large towers, you shal provide foure pieces of wood, turned and fitted to slide in exactly, and shall have divers smooth holes boared round thorow the out side of your tower, and the wood, till they meet with the hollow which passeth from the top to the bottome, or within an inch, which hollow shall bee one inch and a halfe diameter, and must be filled with a very slow mix­ture, (to the end it may continue as long as the worke is a burning) then place some Fisgigs round in those little holes, so that the mouths may be inward and primed, which will take fire one after another, and flye out on every side of your Castle, which will give great content: for the manner of firing this, I could wish, that it were first fired at the foure uper towers, and that through one of the corners, may bee a hole, which may goe to the uper conveyance, that so those reports may fire next, and at the end of that conveyance shall be another to passe downe to the lower tier of reports, and at each corner of that conveyance shall be a hole to passe in­to those lower towers, so that by that time all the reports are fired, the towers shall be all on fire; then at the end of that conveyance, (as I said before) let your conveyance for your rockets bee placed, which taking fire orderly, will conclude the worke. These and the like are for the plea­sure of princes and great personages, rather then for the vulgar. The forme of this Castle is laid downe in the eight Figure by the letter A.

• B B B Expresseth the angles of the lower tower.
• C C C The angles of the higher tower.
• D D The conveiance that fires the reports.
• E The conveyance passing to the rockets.
• F F F The Fisgigs placed round each angle.
• G G Reports placed on the battlements.
• H H Rockets placed farther in with a wall betweene.

CHAP: XXVII. How to represent divers motions in a Castle of fire-worke.

CAuse a frame to be made, placing thereon two Ca­stles, that they may stand about twelve foot distant one from another; this frame must bee so ordered, that it may bee hollow underneath, which being done, let the dores of those Castles bee placed the one opposite to the other, at each end of the said frame, and just within each doore, let there bee a [Page]

[Page 32] rowler of wood, foure inches diameter, which shall have iron pevikts or points to runne upon, that they may runne the more easie; and let those roulers be put full of small pinnes, and a girt put round about them, to the end that the rowlers moving circular, may draw the girt in a straight line, then placing some antike Figures on the girt (so that they may move about with it) place your fire wheeles upon the axeltree of each rowler, providing another rowler at each end to make it slide more easily; so firing the said wheeles, you shall see the antikes come one out of one doore, and the other at the other doore, meeting in the midst; and when they come at the contrary end, they make a returne with their heads downeward, and come up againe at the same doores they went first out of, which will continue running, so long as the fire wheeles continue. And when the wheeles stand still, the reports shall goe off on each tower one against another, which shall be done after this manner: let one of the spoakes of both your wheeles be hollow, and also part of the axeltree, which let be filled with powder dust, and the rocket which fires last, shall be placed over that spoake which hath the vent, with a piece of cotton wicke to fire it, so will it runne downe thorow the axeltree, which (as I said) must be hollow, and must have paper pasted over it, so that as soone as the fire comes there, it breakes thorow the paper, and fires a traine which is laid round about it, which traine passeth to a standing convey­ance, which goeth up to the battlements, and so giveth fire to those re­ports; which having past each corner, the lower tower shall fire as it pas­seth, and from thence passe to an inner conueiance, which shall fire so many rockets, as may be well placed about it; this being well and order­ly performed, will give great content. The forme whereof is expressed in the eight Figure, N B B.

• B B Represents the two Castles ready fitted with the frame.
• A A The two doores opposite.
• B The two figures moving forward.
• C C The two fire wheeles which causeth this motion.
• C Represents the frame for this motion.
• D D The two fire wheeles fixed on their axeltree.
• E E The Roler each wheele is fixed to.
• F F The other Rolers which guide the girts.
• G G The girts passing from one roller to the other.
• H H The figures placed on the girts.

CHAP. XXVIII. Another way to performe the same motions, and will not be so violent as the former.

PRepare your Castle with the frame fitted as the former, onely upon the axeltree of each rowler, let there bee a small wheele with teeth, and likewise must there bee a screw upon the axeltree of each fire wheele; which must be so fitted, that they may draw these wheeles about, which if they be well fitted, will move them with great facilitie; and whereas the other fire wheeles were placed on each side, these must be placed behinde, or underneath, which you please, or finde most commodious. Now you must note that your fire wheele moving once about, moveth but one tooth of your other wheele by reason of the screw which drawes him, so that if you make tenne teeth in the said wheele, your fire wheele shall make tenne revolutions for one of your rowler: by this meanes it will move after a farre more easie manner then the former. The manner of this is represented in the ninth Figure, A A R.

• A A Represents the two Castles ready placed.
• R The frame for the motion.
• B B Two fire wheeles which forceth the rest of the worke.
• C C The screws fastened on the axeltree of each wheele, which forceth the rowlers.
• D D The two wheeles which are placed on the rowlers, and fitted to the screw which force them.
• P P The two girts on which the figures are placed.

CHAP. XXIX. How to represent the forme of an army of an hundred men mar­ching, which shall present and fire at one certaine place appointed.

THe ground of all these motions, are wheele workes; wherefore to proceed, you must provide a rowler of two foot long or more, which must be made and placed as the forementioned, to be drawne by two screwes fastened to the fire wheeles, in regard of the great weight they are to draw; also they must be somewhat large wheeles, with rockets of the se­cond size, which is five ounces in each rocket, pla­cing about each wheele, 20. or more, which having provided, you must [Page 35] likewise get you so many figures of souldiers, which must bee cut by a Carver, and ought to have the joynts loose of the right arm of each, with a wyer or detent, to come down from the arm to the thigh of each, and likewise another, which may move that, and come to the foot; then place these on severall girts, so that they may stand ten in ranck and file, and may be an inch between each, to the end they touch not at the feet, but every file may run in a severall groofe; then placing small peeces in their hands, which must bee ready loaded and primed, set them going, and within two foot of the end of their march, let there bee a crooked peece of iron stuck up, between each file, so that they may stand iust in a straight line, to the end that when the souldiers move to that place, the detents or wyers are forced against those pins which draw back the arm, and so puls the trickers of each Peece in that ranck, so that the whole ranck will fire altogether, if they bee well ordered; and as these have fired and past, another ranck moveth forward to the same place, per­forming the same; thus continuing till they have all performed the like, which being finished, and all past, they shall make a second march, orderly without firing. This being well and carefully ordered, shall not faile, and will be a very rare work to behold, but will prove extraordina­ry costly to the owner thereof.

The form of this you shall finde in the ninth figure, by the letter R?

• E represents the whole frame, with all the parts thereof.
• F F are the two fire wheeles, being placed one at each end of the rowler.
• G G the screwes, being fastned to each fire wheele, which move the two wheeles placed on the rowler.
• H H the two wheeles being placed at each end of the rowler.
• I I two rowlers, about which the girts do passe, which carry the whole body of men.
• K K the girts on which the figures are placed, each girt having upon it ten, so that in the whole there will be an hundred.
• L represents the figure of a man standing in that posture as hee ought to bee made.
• M Is the detent which is fastened to the right arme, and is to slide on a joynt, being fastened to the thigh; so that it may move the arme.
• N another detent which moveth the former, as it passeth by the pin.
• O the pin which putteth by the said detent as it commeth to it.
• q q the said pins in their right places.

CHAP. XXX. How to present musick playing, (by the help of fire) with anticks dancing.

CAuse an instrument to bee made, representing the Virgi­nals, and to it fit a Barrell set with severall tunes, (as I shall shew you in another Treatise hereafter) then let there be a wheele with teeth fastned on this barrell, and a fire wheele, with a screw on the axeltree, as I have shewed before, which screw may be so fitted, that as it moves round the barrell one way, so it may move another wheele, being placed on the side, which wheele shall move certain anticks, as the mu­sick playeth. This and many more may bee performed by the motion of wheele work.

The form of this is expressed in the tenth figure, by the letter A:

• B the fire wheele, fixed on the axletree, which moveth a screw.
• C the screw, moving a wheele placed on the top of it, and another on the side.
• D the wheele fastned to a barrell set with tunes.
• E the wheele placed on the side, which hath a pinion at the end of the axel­tree, marked F; which carrieth about the wheele G; on which there are pla­ced foure anticks: this wheele moveth foure pinions marked H, on which is placed foure other anticks.
• I is the barrell set with tunes.
• K the pallats which causeth the jacks to move.
• L the jacks which passe up to the strings.
• M a board or frame covering the strings, on which is placed the anticks.

Having spoken sufficiently of the order of motions performed by wheele work, I come now to shew some things that may bee done on the Line.

CHAP. XXXI. How to make a Dragon, or any other creature to run on the Line, by the help of fire:

LET your Dragon be made either of pasteboard, or else of fine rods, such as your Basketmakers use; which must bee made hollow, with a place in the belly to put in two rockets, and shall bee so or­dered, that there may come a small pipe from the tayle of one, to the head of the other; then make a place in the eyes, and mouth, to put into each hole fire, which shall be made up in rowled paper, and thrust in; then on the top of the back let there bee fastned two small pul­leys for the line to run in, which being done, your Dragon is finished, to [Page 37] firing, which must be thus; first fire it at the eyes, and mouth, (alwayes noting, that this receipt must be some slow mixture, such as your starres) then fire that rocket which is placed with his mouth toward the tayle of the Dragon, which will make it seem to cast fire from thence, till hee come to the end of his motion; and then on a sudden, as a creature wounded with some accident, shall return with fire coming forth of his belly, which being well ordered, will give great content.

The form of this you shall finde in the tenth figure, by the letter B.

• B represents a dragon to bee forced with rockets, which are placed in the belly.
• C a place made to put in a rocket, which must be put in at the tayle, with the mouth of the rocket outward.
• D is a conveyance from the tayle of that rocket, to the mouth of the next, which commeth out at the belly.
• E E two small brasse pullees, fastned in a frame on the back, for the line to run in.

CHAP. XXXII. Another way for making a fiery Dragon to passe on the line with­out the help of fire.

IN the former Chapter, I spake of a Dragon of a small size, of a foot in length, or thereabout; now I come to speak of those of a greater magnitude, which cannot so easily bee forced with fire, in a straight line, without some artificiall help; for Art must bee alwayes as a handmaid attending on Nature, to help her in her work; therefore having prepared a large dragon, you must make divers hollow truncks of wood, within the body, which shall bee to cast out fire, and on a sudden divers small bals of fire, other times a great number of small fisgigs. Now to make this run on the line, you must have a hollow trunck fastned on the back, between the wings of your dragon, which must bee somewhat bigger than your cord, with a small hole thorow each end; the use of those small holes is, to fasten a small cord, which must be so fastned, that one end thereof must bee fastned at the head of the Dragon, and so passe over a pulley; (which pulley shall bee fastned at the end of the line) and returning thorow that hollow trunck in the back, it shall be put over another pulley at the other end of the line, and so making a return, shall be fastned to the hole in the hinder part of the trunck. Now one of these pulleys shall have a handle or winch to turn it about, which shall cause the dragon to move, and shall be a help to the drawing of it backward and forward at your pleasure; after this manner you may form many works on the line, which other­wise cannot be done. The form of this is set down in the eleventh figure, by the letter A.

• [Page 37]A representeth the dragon ready finished, with all his works.
• B C the manner of the hollow trunck which the cord must passe thorow.
• B the place for fastning of a small cord, which must passe over the pulley, marked D.
• D the manner of fastning that pulley which must bee at the further end of the line.
• o o o o the manner of the passing of the sayd line which is thorow the hollow trunck, and so over the pulley marked E, and then fastned to the other end of the trunck marked G.
• F a handle or winch belonging to one of the pulleys which maketh the dra­gon move forward and backward, as occasion profereth.
• H H the great line on which the dragon passeth, and is only for keeping it steaddy in the motion.

CHAP. XXXIII. How to represent S. George fighting with a Dragon in fire on [...].

HAving prepared your figures artificially made, you must make a h [...]llow t [...]nck thorow the body of each fi [...]e, fo [...] a [...] to passe thorow [...] likew [...]se for a smaller lin [...] to draw them [...] from each other; which m [...]st bee fastned in [...]is manner: at the breast [...] [...]he dragon let one end of one cord be [...] which shall passe thorow the body of the George, and returning it about [...] pul­ley at the oth [...]r end, fasten it to the back of the George, and a [...] the breast of the Georg [...] let [...]n [...]her cord be tied, which shall passe thorow the bo­dy of th [...] d [...]gon o [...] a trunck on the back, and so returning about a pul­ley at that [...] sha [...] be pulled straight, and fastned to the tayle of the dra­gon, [...] that [...] you turn that wheele, the George and dragon will runne furiously at each other; and when you please you may cau [...] the [...] to make a ret [...]eat and come on againe divers times; but in all th [...] forget not to [...] your line extraordinary well, and likewise have [...] that yo [...] not too heavy above the line, but that they may hang equ [...]r [...] [...]the [...]wise they will turn their heeles upward, which [...] be [...] a great disgrace to the work and workman: there might bee [...] w [...]tten upon this same subiect, but to the ingenious, I think it i [...] [...]uffici­ent, th [...]y may order their work [...] according to their own fa [...]e is the ground of the matter. The manner of this is repr [...] eleventh figure, by the letter B.

• C represening the George.
• D the dragon.
• E the small line fastned to the head of the dragon, and passeth thorow the bo­dy of the George.
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• [Page 41]F the pulley which guideth the said line.
• G the place of fastning the other end of that line.
• H another line fastned to the breast of the horse, which passeth thorow the hollow trunck of the dragon.
• I the pulley about which it passeth, and is fastned to the tayle of the dragon.
• K the place of fastning the said line to the dragon.
• L L the great line which guideth these two figures.
• M the winch or handle fastned to one of the pulleys, and is for the moving them forward or backward.

CHAP. XXXIV. How to make a trunck of fire, which shall cast forth divers fire bals.

PRovide a trunck of foure inch boare, and two foot long, with a hollow place in the bottom, of two inch boare, & as much deep, to the end it may be put on a strong post; let there be a bottom left be­tween the two boares, which shall be two inches thick, so that there will be twenty inches left for your work, which shall bee filled as followeth; first fill it with corne powder one inch, then put in your ball, which shall be five inches and a halfe, and round about it put powder dust, till you come to the top, then fill it two inches and a halfe with slow mixture, and on that two inches of corn powder: then put in another ball, and after it slow mixture, which shall be filled to the top, and so reserve it for your use; note that you must turn three places for arming of it, which must be done either with iron hoops or else with cords, to the end the violence of your corn powder burst it not; your upper ball shall be made after this manner: Having made ready a case of canvas, fill it with this mixture following.

Take

• 1 l. of salt peter.
• ½ l. of powder dust.
• ¼ l. of sulphur vive.
• 2 ℥ of camphire.
• 1 ℥ of oyle of peter.

Mix these very well, till it become somewhat tough, and then fill your ball, and arm it, leaving foure vents, into which you shall put foure small sticks, till such time you have coated; the manner of coating is, to dip the ball in a mixture of pich, rosin, tallow, and sulphur, but this is for bals of longer continuance; the coating for [...]his ball shall be as followeth;

The receipt for coating,

• ½ l. of pitch.
• ¼ l. of vernish.
• 1 ℥ of sulphur vive.
• 2 ℥ of powder dust.

Melt your pitch and sulphur, and then poure in your vernish and pow­der dust, and while it is hot dip in your ball, and then cast a little fine powder dust over it, and so let it coole a little, and then dip it lightly a­gaine, and so you have it ready; when you use it, pull out your foure sticks out of the vents, and fill them with powder dust, and so put them in. The lower ball which is last fired, shall be full of starres, with pow­der dust intermixed, to break the ball, these shall be primed with cotton wick made of purpose, to the end it may not fire the bal til it be up a good heighth, and then to break into a showre of starres.

The receipt of the composition for the trunck.

• 1 l. of roch peter.
• ¼ l. of fine powder dust.
• ½ of sulphur vive.
• 2 ℥ of camphir.
• 1 ℥ of linseed oyle.

The forme of this trunck is represented in the twelfth figure by the letter A:

• A represents a trunck ready finished, with two bals.
• B the ball which lieth uppermost, and is filled with slow composition.
• C the lower ball, which is filled with starres,
• D the slow mixture at the top of the trunck.
• E the corn powder to send forth the upper ball.
• F the second lay of composition.
• G the powder for sending forth the lower ball.
• o o o three places left for arming the said trunck.
• H the bottom of the trunck, which must be two inches thick.
• I a place left to put in a post of wood for it to stand on.

CHAP. XXXV. The manner of making a Club, which being fired, shall cast forth divers small works, or fisgigs.

CAuse a peece of wood to be turned of foure inches diame­ter, boare it one inch and a halfe from the top toward the bottom, only leaving a bottom of an inch thick, and likewise a place underneath to put in your club staffe, the length of this trunck may be eighteen inches; then draw a circular or spiral line, from the top to the bot­tom, which let bee in the manner of a screw, every thred being an inch and a halfe asunder, and in that line boare small holes, (of the bignesse of one of your fisgigs) till you come within a quarter of an inch of the bot­tom [Page 43] of each hole; and then pierce it with a small piercer, till you come to the soule of the trunck. Having done this, make small wyers fit to each hole, which let be fastned, so that they may stand opposite to the said holes, within two inches off from each hole; the use of them is, to keep your fisgigs more upright and steaddy, which otherwise would bee apt to fall out, by reason they must bee put in very slack, or else they would not so easily come forth, when they should, then load your trunck with the slow mixture appointed in the former chapter (for a trunck) and put in your fisgigs, priming each, and likewise each hole, and so fi­ring it at the top, you shall finde them come forth one after another, as your trunck burneth downwards, which shall scatter abroad after a con­fused manner. The form of this you shall see in the twelfth figure, by the letters E I.

• E represents the form of the club without the wyers on, or any other work.
• I is the said club ready finished with all his work.
• K the wyers placed for to stay each fisgig in his place.
• L the fisgigs placed.
• M the place of firing.
• N the club fast put into the bottom.

CHAP. XXXVI. Another sort of club, which being fired, shall give many reports.

PRovide a club like unto the former, but let not the holes be boated so big, but only that a small quill or pipe may go in for a vent to every breaker, then having boared your holes at proportionable distance, cut so many hollow groofes with a googe or halfe round chisell, and fit them to your breakers of paper, and place so many reports round about it; your reports or breakers for this work shall bee made as followeth; upon a rowler of halfe an inch, rowle so much paper till you make it an inch thick, and better, choaking it close at one end, then fill it an inch and a halfe with good pistoll powder, choaking it at the other end, so that it be very close at each end; then pierce a small hole in the middle for a pipe to enter in, which must bee filled with powder dust, and put into the small holes of your trunck, very close, then pitch them well round about, and poure pitch all over, that the work may not be seen; and likewise that it may hold your reports close toge­ther; this pitch likewise when the fire commeth to it, will easily fire, and make a very furious light, which will give great content. The form of this is represented in the twelfth figure by the letters O and V.

• O representing the club without the reports placed.
• A the groofes to put in the reports, with a hole in the middle of each groofe to put in the quill.
• R a report with a quill ready to be placed in the club.
• [Page]

• [Page 45]q the manner of the quill which must bee put into those small holes to fire the reports.
• V the club finished, with the reports placed in it.
• B B the manner of the reports as they are placed in the said club.

CHAP. XXXVII. Another, which I call Iack in a box.

THE order of making this is after this manner; provide a box of plate, of what largenesse you please, which let be six inches deep, with a socket at the bottom to put in your staffe, then putting in a quantity of corn powder or powder dust, (in the bottom of the box) you shall fill it with fis­gigs, or serpents, leaving a place in the middle for a cane to go thorow to the bottom, which cane must be filled with slow receipt, in which you shall put a quantity of camphir, but no oyles, in regard of the narrow passage it hath to burn, without any other vent; then put your cane down, leaving it an inch above the box, and take a peece of thick pastebord, cutting a hole for the cane to passe thorow, and glew it close to the cane, to the end the fire passe not thorow before the appointed time; this pastebord must bee of sufficient breadth to cover your box quite over, then put it on a staffe, and light your cane, which will appeare only like a candle, and after a pretty distance of time you shall heare a sudden noyse, and see all those fisgigs flying some one way, some another. This toy hath given great content to the spectators. The form of this is set down in the twelfth figure by the letters B C D.

• B the box without any thing in it.
• C the fisgigs placed in the box.
• D the box finished, with a cane passing thorow to the bottom.

CHAP. XXXVIII. How to represent the Sphere, moving in the ayre, without any other supportation.

CAuse a Sphere to bee made somewhat light, and on the horizon place your rockets, and in the zenith or upper part, let there bee a pinne passe thorow the meridian, with a ring fastned to it, to hang it by; this must bee fastned to a large Kite, so as the Sphere may hang six foot under it, then fasten a match of cotton to the nose of the first rocket, and light it, which having done, raise your Kite, and [Page 46] by such time as it is at the highest, the rockets shall take fire, and shall cause it to make divers revolutions in the ayre; you may place the midst of this sphere full of lights, which will seeme very strange. The manner of this is represented in the twelfth Figure, by the letters K and S.

• K Represents the Kite which is supported by the ayre, and to which the sphere is fastened.
• S The sphere with all his circles, the rockets being placed about the horizon.
• H H The horizontall circle about which the rockets are placed!

CHAP. XXXIX. How to represent the sphere, with divers circles, some moveable, others fixed.

CAuse a spheare to be made, either of wood or mettall, the outward circles representing the meridian circle with the horizon, the next within shall represent the Collurs with the equinoctiall, likewise the tropicks and zodiacke, whose poles shall be 23 degrees ½ from the poles of the world; by which meanes the eclip­ticke shall bee excentricke to the equinoctiall, (which shall be expressed) so that fastening rockets about the equinocti­als, and placing two small lights in the zodiacke, the one representing the Sunne, the other the Moone: you shall see them move about the earth, (which is placed in the midst of the spheres) according to the rules of Ticho Brahe, and shall be according to their naturall manner of motion, which is continually rising and setling in an oblique motion to the hori­zon and meridian, which alwaies stand fixed, and the rest moving on the poles of the equinoctiall, although the eclipticke bee framed from its owne poales. The forme of this is represented in the twelfth Figure, by the letter T.

• M The fixed Meridian.
• A A The Horizon.
• E E The Equinoctiall.
• E E The Eclipticke with the Sunne and Moone placed round.
• P P The poles or axeltree about which all the inner circles move.

CHAP. XL. How to make a halfe moone of Rockets to appeare in the ayre.

PRovide a piece of planke of two inch thicke, and turne it to a halfe round, then cut so many groves (from the center to the circumference) as you in­tend to place rockets about it, and on the other side, let there be rings for every rod to passe thorow, of which let one of each bee close to the top, and another neere the end of each rod; and note that the planke must be so large, that the ends of all the rods must meet in the center; then prime each rocket with a quill filled with powder dust, and put on the top of each groofe, till you have placed your semicircle full; then having primed these groofes, (which comes from one center to the circumference) paste paper over them, and so let it stand till you fire it, which is done after this manner: set this same at the top of a poast, about foure or five foot from the ground, and prime it (at the center) with a little cotton wicke prepared for that purpose, and fi­ring it, you shall see them take fire all at one instant, and so will flye cir­cular, in the forme of a halfe Moone. The forme whereof is represented in the thirteenth Figure, by the letters A B.

• A Represents the forepart of the frame, in which one presents the groofes which passe to each rocket.
• D D The quils filled with powder dust, entring into the groofes with one end, and into the rocket with the other.
• B Represents the backe part of the frame.
• E E The rings below.
• F F The rings above.
• G G The rockets placed on the frame.

CHAP. XLI. How to make a case of Rockets to rise at once.

CAuse a frame to bee made about two foot square, with small groofes, two inches asunder, and betweene each groofe, boare holes for your rocket rods to passe thorow; you may make tenne groofes, and in each groofe you may place ten rockets, so you shall haue a hundred rockets in one of these cases, which shall fire all at once; there must bee a crosse groofe made in the middest, and in the center of that groofe, shall you fire it, which shall suddenly fire all over, being primed with a quicke traine of powder: the charge is great, and quickly spent, but it makes a very glorious shew.

The forme of this is represented in the 13 Figure, by the letters G D.

• [Page 49]A A A A Represents the square of your case which is grooved.
• The white stroakes signifie the groofes which are to be filled with powder dust, whereon the mouth of your rockets must be placed.
• The other spaces expresse the holes where your rods passe thorow with a hole in the midst to fire it at.
• B Represents the case filled with rockets, their rods passing thorow, and is made long, to the end there may be another board at the bottome for each rod to passe thorow, that they may be kept more steady.

CHAP. XLII. How to make letters, or any other figure appeare in the ayre, after the spending of a Rocket.

HAving considered of what largenesse you will have your letters or figures, make them of pastboard, leaving a hollow to put in small quils, (which shall bee filled with a cleare and strong mixture) then put in your quils, and glue them fast in; and and so have you finished it, till you come to use it. There is another manner, which is thus; provide a mould of plate, and cut out what letter you please in waxe, which having done, sticke it full of quils in an orderly forme, and put this on the head of your rocket: note this, that these are onely to be used on very large rockets. The forme of these are represented in the thirteenth Figure E F.

• The forme of the letters, the white spots signifying the place for so many quils filled full of slow mixture, to be placed in.

CHAP. XLIII. How to represent a figure of the Sunne casting forth his beames, in fire.

CAuse a boxe to be made of plate, too inches long, and one inch diameter, which must be filled with your slow composition, and let the head be made with small groofes, crossing the center, to the end you may lay in certaine springs of steele, such as they use to small Watches. These springs shall bee a­bout sixe inches in length, and must be foure, so that both ends of each appearing, will make eight, which will make a circular forme, the boxe being the center; now to the end of every one of these springs, must be fastened one of your small Fis­gigs, & then bent up close to the boxe, and so put into your coffine at the [Page 50] top of your rocket, with powder dust and cotton to fire and breake the coffine, which as soone as it breakes, the springs will cast forth your Fis­gigs, and make them seeme like the sparkling beames of the sunne, and the mixture in the center will seeme as the body of the same; this will continue a while, and then you shall see it breake with divers reports. This I had from a noble Captaine of this City, namely Captaine Fore­star, who invented the same, the forme whereof is represented in the thirteenth Figure, by the letters L M.

• L Being the boxe with the springs fastened to the top, with a Fisgig at the end of each.
• M The said boxe finished with the springs bent ready to put on the head of a Rocket; the mouth of each Fisgig must come downe to the mouth of the boxe, and so be put with their mouthes all downewards.

Having spoken sufficiently of workes operating in the ayre, I will shew you something which shall serve for ground workes.

CHAP. XLIV. How to make a Rocket which firing it out of your hand, shall con­tinually be in agitation on the ground sometimes, and other whiles about in the ayre.

HAving prepared a Rocket, with a report in the head, tye it to a bladder, so that the end of the Rocket may come to the mouth of the bladder, and binde it over very strong­ly, then firing it out of your hand, cast it away from you, it matters not which way, for it will come to the ground, and by reason of the bladder, it cannot stay, but presently rebounds upward, moving to and fro, till it be all spent. There is another sort, and that is a small Rocket put into a bladder, and so blowne up round about it, and tyed about the necke of the Rocket. The forme of these are represented in the 13 Figure, by the letters G H.

• G The Rocket with the bladder at the taile of it.
• H The Rocket in the bladder.

CHAP. XLV. How to make a ball which shall be in continuall agitation on the ground, till the fire is consumed.

CAuse a ball to be made of some light wood, which must be made so, as you may take it asunder just in the midst, then make on each side a hollow groofe to lay in two rockets (joyned together af­ter the manner of your runners) so close up your ball fast with glue; onely in the place where the two Rockets joyne, shall be a groofe, which shall be pasted over with paper, that the second rocket firing, may have a vent, otherwise your ball will serve but once. Then fire it, and you shall have your desire. This is represented in the 13 Fi­gure by the letters I K.

• I Represents a part of the ball, as it is ready to place in the Rockets.
• K Represents the ball, with the Rockets placed in, so that the other side be­ing joyned, makes a perfect round.
• C C C The vents to each Rocket, which being closed, must have paper glued over them, that they be not seene.

CHAP. XLVI. How to make another sort of Balles for the ground, which will be a long time in their motion.

CAuse a ball to be made of some light wood, and let it bee hollowed, to make it the lighter; then fit in two pieces of wood, so that you may make both sides equall, which pieces of wood shall be so groofed, that you may lay in so many Rockets as may well be contained about it, pro­viding that at the end of each groofe or rocket, you may have a vent thorow your ball, then place in your rockets as I have shew­ed you for the wheele: which having done, glue them fast in, to the end, that by the motion of the ball, they may not be disordered, then ioyne your ball together, and glue it fast with paper round about it, to the end the vents may be covered, onely leaving one open to fire it, so have you this ball finished, which firing, will continue a long while in motion, Figure 36.

• A The ball turned hollow with groofes to lay in your rockets.
• B The other part of the ball, with the rockets fastened in.
• C C C C The vents at the end of each rocket.

CHAP. XLVII. How to make a Dragon issuing forth of a Cave, which shall cast out much fire.

PRovide a Dragon of some light matter, as wicker rods or the like, which let bee made so, that you may put into the midst of the body, one of your greatest rockets, and close under the belly let there be a couple of wheeles, which shall bee so placed in the belly of the Dragon, that no part may bee seene, but onely the bottome which comes to the ground; and let the rocket bee so placed, that it may with traines fire all parts of the body, as the eyes, mouth, and all o­ther parts; in which you shall place divers small workes, which firing, shall flye out, and make a very great shew, which shall burne till all bee consumed: this Dragon must be so placed, that he may come forth of a seeming cave; which firing on a sudden, will make a great noyse, by rea­son of the largenesse of the rocket, and the hollownesse of the cave hee comes forth of. The forme whereof is represented in the fourteenth Fi­gure by the letter G.

• G The Dragon ready finished.
• A The wheeles on which it must runne, which must bee hid within the body.
• B The rocket placed in the body of the Dragon, which causeth the motion.
• G The vent which passeth to this rocket for the firing.

CHAP. XLVIII. How to make two Dragons to meete each other, from severall Caves, which shall send forth their fire to each other with great violence.

HAving prepared two Dragons (both of one size and weight) after the manner as I have shewed you in the for­mer Chapter; it is requisite that you know how farre they will runne, then place the Caves at such a distance one from the other, that they may meete each other in the mid way, and that you may doe this the more neater, you shall have your ground laid with smooth boards that they may runne more free, and from the midst of the walke, to the end of each Dragon; let there be a groofe made in one of the boards, which shall serve to con­vey a traine to each, for the firing of them; then you shall be sure, that if you fire it in the midst, they will both take fire together; alwaies provi­ded you make a conveyance of paper from the board to the taile of each Dragon, or to the mouth of each rocket, which being fired once, they [Page 53] shall meete, and cast forth their fire at each other with great violence. The forme of this is represented in the fourteenth Figure, by the letters A A.

• A A The two Dragons ready to runne.
• B B The two great rockets which forceth them.
• C C The wheeles which each Dragon runneth on.
• D The midst of their walke, with the groofe to each rocket.

There are divers other workes which may bee performed after this manner, which for brevity sake I will omit.

Likewise there are divers motions to bee performed by the action of man, as single duels, to which appertaine the Buckler of fire, and likewise the Curtlax or Fauchion, the manner of which hath beene formerly de­scribed by divers Authors, almost in all languages, and therefore will seeme more then requisite to relate those things so large as they might be; for what action cannot man performe by his industry? and therefore I leave every man to his owne order, onely I will shew you the making of one sort of Bucklar, which as yet hath not beene performed, and likewise the Fauchion or Curtlax, and first for the Bucklar.

CHAP. XLIX. How to make a Bucklar which shall cast forth a hundred Fisgigs, every one making his report.

CAuse a Bucklar to bee made of some light wood, which let be about two foot in diameter or more, as you please, then cause a groofe to bee cut in it, from the center to the circumference in a spirall or serpentine forme, then fill that groofe with one of your slow compositions, such as hath neither oyle nor gummes, by reason the sume thereof may not offend the Bearers; when you have filled it, fit in pieces of wood, which may have holes to receive a quantity of Fisgigs, let every one bee two inches asunder, and let there be wyer rings to every one of your Fisgigs to hold them steady, that they fall not out, till such time they fire, then put in your Fisgigs, into every hole one, till you come to the center, and then shall you have a very great breaker, so that firing it at the circumference, every Fisgig will flye out as the fire comes to it, and will flye against his adversary combatant, till they come both to the cen­ter, and then will they give a great report, and so end. The forme of this is represented in the 14 Figure by the letters F G.

• F Represents the Buckler as it must be grooved.
• G Represents the same finished, with the Fisgigs placed about it.
• H H Represents the manner of using the said Buckler, with the Fauchion.

CHAP. L. How to make the Curtlax, Cimiter, or Fauchion.

PRepare a Curtlax either of wood, or plate, which let bee hol­lowed from back to edge, three inches, and let it bee so thick, as it may serve for your smallest fisgigs, then you shall have a peece of pastebord so fitted on the back, that your work may be close covered, only holes left for the ends of your fisgigs to come forth; then you shall lay in your lances of fire (which is nothing else but your slow composition for starres put into hollow truncks of paper made on an arrow) and between every lance you shall put two or three fisgigs, which shall fly out so soon as the fire commeth to them; having done this, you have finished your Fauchion, which must bee fired at the point, and so burn downward towards the hilt. This hath been former­ly set forth by Monsieur Thybaviel a French Author, and since by divers others. The forme whereof is represented in the fourteenth figure, by the letters I K L.

• I represents the Fauchion prepared, with a groofe in the back.
• K represents the Fauchion, with holes to put in the works.
• L represents a Fauchion wholly finished, with the fisgigs placed as they ought to stand.

Having spoken sufficiently of land works, I will come in the next place to shew the making of some works to bee acted on the water; and first of all I will shew you the making of the water bals.

CHAP. LI. How to make a water ball, which shall burn on the water, with great violence.

FIrst, having considered of what bignesse you will have your ball, take the circumference and halfe it, and of that halfe make a circle, which cutting out in strong canvas, shall bee halfe a case, so that sewing two of them together, they shall make a case according to your desire; For Example; I have a ball to make whose di­ameter is six inches, then the circumference (being as seven to twenty two) must be 18 6/ [...], so the halfe will bee 9 3/7, which must bee the diameter of your cloth, and must bee made true round, so that sewing two together, and making a case thereof, it shall bee almost six inches, which the arming will make good; having made your case, you shall proceed to the filling of it, which shall be done after this manner; you shall first put in three or foure good [Page 56] spoonfuls of your mixture, and then with a stick (made round at one end) force it close together, and so continue filling it, and between every filling put in your stick, and force it together, rounding it continually in your hand, till such time you have finished it; which having done, sew it up close, and then arm it with small cord, which is called marling; af­ter you have done that, you shall coat it with a quantity of rosin, pitch, and tallow dissolved, and so your ball dipped over in the same, providing alwayes that you leave two vents to fire it, which shall be pierced a third part into your ball, and must bee stopped with small sticks, till such time you come to use them, then pulling forth the sticks, fill the two vents with fine powder dust, and firing it, cast it into the water, and you shall have your desire; you must alwayes let your ball be thorow fired before you cast it from you.

A receipt for this ball.

• Take 1 l. of powder.
• 8 ℥ of rochpeter.
• 4 ℥ of sulphur.
• 2 ℥ of camphir.
• 1 ℥ of oyle of peter.
• 1 ℥ of oyl of linne.
• ½ ℥ of oyle of spike.
• 2 ℥ of colophonia.

The forme of this ball is represented in the fifteenth figure by the let­ters A B.

• A A the canvas ready cut, to be sewed together.
• B the ball finished.
• C C the two vents.
• D a peece of cord left to hold it by whilst you coat it, and likewise to hang it up being finished.

CHAP. LII. A water ball which shall shoot forth many reports.

CAuse a ball to be made of wood, which shall bee in two peeces, so that you may joyne it close together at pleasure; this ball must have small holes boared round about it, to put in your quils, which must fire your reports; the reports or breakers shall bee made of paper choaked at both ends, and primed thorow the midst; they shall bee fastned round with pitch, and so covered round about, that no water may passe in; you shal fil this bal in two halfes, to the end you may force it very close together, and when it is filled, glew it fast, and arm it well with nealed wyer, then put in your breakers, with a quill [Page 57] which shal enter into the bal, and likewise into the breaker; the forme whereof you shall see in the fifteenth figure, by the letter C. The receipt for this bal must be somewhat slower than the last, by reason of the ma­ny vents it wil have, as the reports passe away.

The receipt for this ball.

• Take 1 l. of rochpeter.
• 4 ℥ of powder dust.
• 3 ℥ of sulphur vive.
• 2 ℥ of camphir.
• 1 ℥ of linseed oyle.
• 2 ℥ of rosen.
• 1 ℥ of oyle benedick.

Powder that which is to bee powdered, and incorporate them well together, and by little and little sprinckle your oyles, til you have wrought it like a paste, and then make use of it; your quils which you prime with shal be filled only with powder dust, to the end it fire suddenly before the quil come to shrink up, which wil be with a slow mixture.

• A the mouth of the ball where it is to be fired.
• B B B the reports or breakers, being made of paper, and filled with corne powder.
• C C C the quils, which are primed with powder dust, and serve for firing the reports.
• D the hollow of the ball, being filled with the slow composition.

CHAP. LIII. How to make a Water ball, which, after a certaine time of firing, shall cast forth divers rockets into the ayre.

PRepare a ball of wood, of eight inches diameter, and boare a hole in the midst (of an inch and a halfe) and let it come within one inch of the bottom, and round about that great hole you shall boare eight smaller holes of an inch, so that they may bee fit for eight rockets; these holes shall be an inch from the greater, and shall all meet in one at the bottom; wherefore you shall cut off the bottom of the ball, and fit another to it, which may be so hollowed, that your mixture may be conveyed to all the rockets, then fasten on the bottom (having filled it with your mixture) and put in your rockets, with the mouth of each rocket downward, pasting paper round about it, which shall bee coated with rosin and tallow, and over each hole where the rockets are placed, let it be soaped over the tallow, to the end that being fired, the sparks may not easily take fire of the paper, which otherwise would make some confusion; having done this, fit in a peece of wood to the greater boare of your ball, leaving only a smaller vent, of halfe an inch, and by this [Page 58] meanes the fire will come out with more violence, and having spent it selfe, within one inch of the bottom, it shall fire the eight rockets placed about, which by their force shall break the paper of each, and ascend in­to the ayre, a small heighth, and after lie tumbling on the water. This ball is represented in the twelfth figure by the letter D.

• A the place of firing the ball.
• B B the peece of wood put in to lessen the vent.
• C the greater hollow to be filled with the slow composition as the former.
• D D the bottom, which is loose, and to bee hollowed to receive part of the slow mixture.
• E E the holes boared to put in the rockets, which must bee covered with paper.
• F F the rockets placed in, with their mouthes downward.
• G G the place of fitting the rockets.

CHAP. LIV. Another sort of water ball, which shall cast forth rockets at two sundry times, and after it is finished, shall give a great report.

THis ball shall be made after the manner of the other, but shall bee a foot in diameter, and shall have two circles of rockets placed round about, so that the lower circle shall be one inch from the higher, and likewise shall go down into the ball an inch lower, and under that row of rockets there shall be placed a breaker of iron, which shall bee one inch from the lower tyer, so that the ball being fired, shall after a certain time, cast forth a dozen of small rockets, and then continue a while longer, and then in regard of the larger circum­ference of that circle, it shall cast forth twenty, and after that is ended, their fire comming to the chamber of iron, shall cause a very great re­port, and so conclude. The form of this is layd down in the fifteenth fi­gure by the letter H.

• H the vent for firing the ball.
• I I the peece of wood fitted to the greater boare.
• K the hollow of the greater boare filled with a slow composition.
• L L the upper tyer of rockets.
• M M the lower tyer of rockets.
• N the breaker of iron.
• o o o o the places to put in the rockets, which must bee covered with paper well soaped, upon tallow.

CHAP. LV. Another sort of ball, with iron chambers, every one casting forth a small ball.

CAuse a ball to be made, of twelve inches diameter, and in the midst boare a large hole of two inches high, hollow­ing it within, and let it come within an inch of the bot­tom; then boare small holes of an inch from the top to the bottom, in a spiral line, to put in your smal cham­bers, which shall be made of iron, each chamber having a broad plate at the mouth to fasten it to the ball; those chambers shal be loaden with a quantity of corn powder, and after that a smal ball made up in canvas, and primed, as I have shewed you for starres, then having filled the large concave with slow composition, place in your chambers, whose touch holes or vents must bee just at the breech, and shal come al in toward the center of the ball, then coat it round with rosin and tallow, and so have you this bal finished; the form whereof is represented in the fifteenth figure, by the letter A.

The first figure marked F, represents the inside of the bal.

• F the mouth of it.
• B B the iron chambers, as they lie with the touch hole or vent of each cham­ber, at the breech of the same.
• C the concave filled with slow composition.
• D a large chamber placed at the bottom: note, that this ball must bee made in two peeces, to place in this chamber, and after glewed well, and bound about with wyer.

The second figure marked G, is the bal finished, except the coating.

• G the vent at the mouth.
• B B the reports, with a plate of iron round the mouth of each, to nayle it fast.

This bal being thus provided, must be after covered with canvas, and then dipped in a mixture of three parts rosin, two parts pitch, and one part tallow, which must bee first incorporated on the fire, and so used: this bal may serve as wel for service in warre, as for pleasure or triumph, by putting into each chamber a bullet of lead, and so shot out of a Mor­ter peece.

CHAP. LVI. There are divers other sorts of bals, as well for water as for land, and are to be shot out of the Morter peece.

AND because the Morter peece is often used in Fire­works, I will describe the manner of it, with the use thereof, as much as is requisite to this place: and first for the manner; the manner of the Mor­ter peece consisteth only in his proportions, which are divers, according to the pleasure of the work­man; but those of most use for fire bals, are one and a halfe, and two diameters, in the length of the chase, and one diameter in the length of the chamber, with halfe a diameter at the mouth of the chamber; the reason of this shortnesse is, that one may come the more commodiously to the firing of the ball; the proportion of this peece followeth in the sixteenth Figure.

• B is the form of a Morter peece lying on his carriage, the quoyn being made to draw with a screw, as I have made use of.
• A A the diameter or heighth of the boare, which is 4¼ inches, or 100 parts of this scale.
• A B the length of the chase, and is two diameters, or 8½ inches.
• B B the heighth of the chamber, which is halfe a diameter of the shot, which is here two inches.
• B C the length of the chamber, which is one diameter of the shot, that is foure inches.
• C C the bottom of the chamber, which is one inch, or ¼ diameter.
• D D the diameter of the trunions, which is halfe the diameter of the shot, and is two inches.
• D E the length of the trunions, and is two inches.

The proportion of powder for this peece is 2 ℥ for a stone shot, and 1 ℥ for a Fire ball.

CHAP. LVII. How to make a ball for the Morter peece, which shall cast forth a great showre of stars at the breaking.

THis ball must bee made of canvas, and must bee so propor­tioned, that being armed (as I have formerly shewed) it may iust fit the chase of your peece, which being rea­dy, you shall proceed to the filling of it, which must be after this manner; at the bottom of this ball put in an ounce of fine corn powder, and then put in some of your round starres well primed, and so fill them up close about with powder dust, still putting in more of those starres, and in the midst put

[Page 63] one starre which may be somewhat great, so filling it till you come within one inch of the top, then fill it up with a slow receipt, as I have formerly prescribed for bals; and sew it close up, arming it with fine cord, or mar­line, and pierce a vent in that place where your slow mixture lyeth, al­waies provided you pierce it not too deepe, that your ball breake not be­fore his appointed time: then when you would use it, loade your morter piece with one ounce of corne powder, putting after a wadd and tampi­on, and put on your ball with the vent towards the mouth of your piece: so elevating your piece toward the Zenith, you may proceed to the fi­ring of it, which must be after this manner: provide two matches ready lighted, having one in each hand, and first fire your ball with one hand, and presently give fire to your Piece with the other, alwaies holding your head under the horizontall line of your Piece, for feare the blast annoy you: this having done, you shall see your ball mount very high, with a faire taile of fire, and when it is at highest, shall breake forth into a goodly showre of starres: one of these bals will containe almost one hundred small starres. The forme of it is represented in the 16 Fiigure, by the letter G.

• C Representing the ball cut in sunder, that you may see the order of the stars lying.
• E The great starre in the midst, with all the rest placed about it. Note every one of these stars must be primed thorow with cotton wicke, as I have formerly shewed.
• D The slow mixture, which commeth within one inch of the top.

CHAP. LVIII. Another sort of ball for the morter piece, which shall cast forth divers Rockets in the ayre.

THis ball must be made of wood, according as I have formerly shewed you, onely it must be made pro­portionable to the piece, and moreover the vent which in the other is required to be a slow mix­ture, in this must bee more swift, in regard it would otherwise continue till it came to the ground, wherefore the mixtute that this ball shall be filled with, shall be the same that your rockets of one pound are, which is 4 ℥ of coledust to a pound of powder, and one ounce of saltpeter. These must be well mealed, and likewise must be close driven, otherwise it will consume too fast. This ball may bee made somewhat cillindricall, in regard of the length of the rockets to be pla­ced in it, as you have made this for to cast forth once, so you may make another to cast forth twise, as I have formerly shewed you for the wa­ter ball. The forme is represented in the 16 Figure, by the letter D.

CHAP. LIX. How to compose a ship of fire workes, which being once fired, di­vers motions shall present themselves.

CAuse a mould to be made so, as you may take off the upper decke, to place some worke; underneath, where you shall have a fire wheele placed with a screw on the axeltree; this wheele shall bee pla [...]ed in the sterne, and shall turne a rowler, on which shall be two girts placed, which shall passe on each side of the maine mast, and runne on to the fore­ship; in this wheele there shall be a hollow spoake and axeltree, as I have formerly shewed, which shall be so ordered, that the wheele being spent, it may convey fire to a tier of gunnes lying round about, which shall be fired with a close conveyance, and having passed that, it shall take hold of another conveyance, which shall give fire to cer­taine rockets, being placed in the bodies of some figures representing Mariners, and shall be so fitted, that they may have a cane joyned to the body to guide them, so that they may runne up from the top of the deck, to the top of each mast: this and many the like may bee performed with great facility. The forme of this is represented in the 16 figure A.

• A Represents the ship ready finished, with all things in motion.
• B The fire wheele which moveth the rowler, and carryeth the girt whereon the figures are placed.
• C The figures placed on the girt being in motion.
• D D D D The tier of guns which fire as the wheele beginneth to stand still.
• E E The figures which stand ready to runne up the cords; also you may see some in their motion halfe way, and others being got up to the top of the masts.

CHAP. LX. How to make the Siren or Mermaid, playing on the water.

THis is to be formed divers waies, according to the magnitude of the figure; if you will make one of an ordinary length, which is five or sixe foot, pro­ceed as followeth: Let the body bee made of light rods, such as basket-makers use, and in the center of the body, let there be placed an axeltree, having too wheeles comming into the water; yet so as they may not be seene; these wheeles must be made hol­low, to containe a quantity of sand or water; the use of it is to keepe the Sirene upright, and also to sinke it so farre into the water as is needfull, and likewise to make it goe more steady; note that these wheeles must bee loose, and the axeltree fast; in the midst of this axeltree, place three or [Page 66] foure great rockets, one by another with their mouthes all one way, yet so provide, that there may be such a distance betweene each rocket, that there may come a vent from the taile of the first, to the mouth of the se­cond, and from the second to the third, and to the end that it may con­tinue the longer in motion, you may place divers lights about the body, to make it more beautifull; every of each light extinguishing, shall give a report, and so conclude. The forme of this is represented in the 17. Fi­gure by the letter B.

• B Represents a Siren on the water.
• C The wheeles which are loose on the axeltree, being hollow, and filled halfe with sand or water.
• D D The rockets placed in the axeltree which is fast.

There are many other workes to be performed on the water, by ma­nuall art, or the helpe of the hand: some of which I will shew, the rest I shall leave to the iudgement of judicious workemen in that art; in regard there are sea fights, which are performed by gallies placed on the water, with the helpe of Mariners acted; and likewise Castles placed both on the water, and on the shoare; all which doe represent some former sto­ry of the like: yet know this, there are many motions, to be wrought by hand, after a more secret manner, which will cause more admiration, and is done by certaine lines placed under the superficies of the water, the ground of which I will shew you.

CHAP. LXI. How to represent a Dragon issuing out of a Castle, which shall swimme thorow the water, and be incountred by a horseman from the shoare.

CAuse a Castle to be made on certaine timber, so as it may flote, if it be in a flowing and ebbing water, and let the bottome of the doore of this Castle, with the ground plat, be two foot under the horizon of the water (the reasons follow) and at a foot high within the Castle, let there bee a certaine line tyed, which may passe thorow the body of the Dragon, and may bee fastened neere the shoare, where you shall have a floate likewise sunke so farre under water, that the line may not be perceived, then fasten on your Dragon, as I have formerly shewed you for the line, but so that the head of this may alwaies be above the line, where that was under: then when the time appointed comes, there shall be one ready within the Castle to fire those parts of the Dragon which is requisite, which being done by the helpe of those pullies, shall passe it thorow the water, which so soone as it presents it selfe, Neptune (as being displeased to see so monstrous a creature within his bounds) shall come and encounter the said Dragon, [Page] [Page]

[Page] [Page 67] and at last shall overthrow him: you may order your work so, that which you please shall have the victory, for that which keepeth fire longest, is supposed to have the best, and that which is soonest spent, to have the worst. Many rare things may be done in this for the pleasure of Princes, which are to be acted on the water, which for brevity sake I omit: onely I shall shew you the order of composing two sorts of workes, the one to be acted on the land, the other on the water. The forme of this worke is represented in the 17 Figure, by the letters C D.

• G Representing the Castle floating on the water, out of which the Dragon issueth.
• E The Dragon comming forth of the Castle.
• D Neptune comming towards the said Dragon to encounter him.
• F The pully which causeth these motions by meanes of drawing them to and from each other: the manner of fastening the line for drawing them, I have shewed you before in the 33 Chapter.

CHAP. LXII. An order for a generall piece of fire-worke for land, and is for the pleasure of a Prince or some great person.

CAuse a frame to be made of wood, which let be eight square, or more properly eight sided (which is the best figure for this purpose) and let it bee forty yards from one side to the other, there place two Castles the one opposite to the other, which Ca­stles shall be eight foot square, these Castles shall be fitted with motions, as I have formerly shewed you, some comming out against others, some mo­ving on the walles; all which may bee performed by the helpe of large fire wheeles, which must be at the least sixe foot diameter, with large Rockets for the same purpose, as I have formerly shewed you: then on the foure adjacent sides, you shall place foure other wheeles, two run­ning horizontall, and two verticall; and on the other two sides you shall place rockets, some flying upright, and others circular; at each angle or corner, there shall be placed a torch of a beautifull fire and slow; so much for the sides: now you shall come to fill up the vacuum betweene the sides, alwaies noting that from one Castle to the other, passeth a frame of wood, the use whereof I have formerly shewed, then before the midst of this frame, there is placed on the one side, two square cases of rockets, and betweene these cases toward the bottome, and somewhat before, there is placed anticke motions, and to the angles of each Castle are pla­ced two lines, with runners which take fire, and passe to and fro; note the end of those lines must be perfect wyer, or else the fire would burne them, then on the same side behinde the motions, shall stand aloft a frame with the Kings name or the like; then on the other side of the frame, [Page 68] within the vacuum, shall be placed three standing wheeles, whereof the one shall cast forth rockets into the ayre, the other two are for reports and fisgigs; these three wheeles shall stand in a triangular forme, and shall have a frame passe from the one to the other; and betweene the an­gles of these wheeles, shall be placed two mortar pieces, which shall bee to cast fire bats, with divers workes in them. The manner of this is repre­sented in the 18 Figure.

CHAP. LXIII. Another order for a generall worke, and is to be acted on the water.

HAving a place appointed for your worke, (which must be in some spacious River) you shall seeke the most convenient place on the shoare for pla­cing a Castle, which shall bee made to represent some City or Fort lying on the water; this Castle shall be furnished with all manner of workes, as well fire bals, as rockets, with divers small Ord­nance to give a more grace to the worke; this be­ing provided, you shall also make another Castle on the water, on certain boats chained and lying at anchor, these shall bee set at a reasonable di­stance from the other, about twenty score, or as your place will permit: in this Castle likewise you shall provide workes, as in the other, onely this Castle may not be so big as that on shoare, then you shall provide divers small ships, which shall be ready to make a sea fight: these shall be so divided, that the greater part may belong to the smaller Castle on the water, and likewise for surprising that on the land; likewise you may have motions passing from one Castle to another, as I have formerly shewed you for the water; amongst the rest you shall have some small fire ship, such as I have shewed you, which shall have divers motions: now there are many actions to be performed by these workes, as casting bals from one Castle to the other, with the morter pieces, likewise sen­ding backe rockets to each other, with divers onsets on each side for sur­prisals, all which I leave to the discretion and appointment of the iudi­cious workeman; and because I will not trouble you with prolixity, I will conclude this my Pyrotechnia; onely I will at last impart that which is not the least, which is the making of certaine Engines for trying of powder, of which I shall shew you foure, with the use of them in the en­suing Chapters, and so conclude.

CHAP. LXIV. Of the use of certain Engins for the trying of the goodnesse or strength of powder.

BEfore I come to explaine the manner of making those Engins, I will shew you the commodiousnesse of them, especially in these works; for hee that will make a good rocket, must be certain of the strength of his powder, which if it bee too strong, will break; if too weak, it will not rise to that heighth it should; which, I must confesse, hath been a great losse of labour to me, as well as to other men, yet if men will be so carefull and take that paines for the trying their pow­der, they may make rockets infallible; therefore I advise every man that will work sure, first to take his powder, be it what it will, and allay it ac­cording to the rules prescribed, then take a quantity of that mixture, and put it into your Engin being exactly weighed to a graine, then drive your rocket, and be sure to follow the former rules prescribed in driving your rockets, which being finished, with his works upon his head, you may fire it, which if you shall finde to bee too violent, you may allay by put­ting thereto a proportion of coale, and so try it again, till such time you finde it to be the best, then note that proportion for all rockets of that size, and so do for all others; and if you finde your mixture yet too weak, adde thereto a small quantity of roch peter till you make it of sufficient strength; and thus doing, you shall have a certain and infallible rule for your proportions: I could set down the proportions according to my Engins, but that would prove an absurdity, in regard every Engin may have a greater or lesser strength added to his springs, or the like, as you shall perceive in the next Chapter.

CHAP. LXV. The manner of making the aforesaid Engines for trying the strength of powder.

THE first is made in a circular form, with a neck comming from the circumference, which serves for a lid to the powder box, which box shall bee made to hold the quantity of a dram of powder, or there about, so that being covered with the lid, and fired, will blow, according to the strength of the powder, and moving, will turn about a circle of brasse, which is divided into certain equall parts, and so will shew the strength accor­ding to the part it cutteth; for the greater the degree is that it is blown [Page]

[Page 71] up to, the stronger is the powder, and contrary. The form of this is re­presented in the twentieth Figure, by the letter A.

• A representing the form of the whole Engin.
• B the powder box, which must be filled to the top.
• C the lid, which must be put on the sayd box, it being filled.
• D the circle of brasse to which the lid is fastned, which is divided into de­grees, and runneth upon the pin E, passing thorow the center, with a screw to set it harder or easier.

CHAP. LXVI. Another Engin for trying of powder.

THE lid of this second sort is made to rise in a straight line, and hath for his guide two square pillars of brasse, divided into degrees, with springs to keep it steaddy in this motion; this must be made on a square peece of brasse, with the small box in the midst, and two square pillars on each side, with a peece of brasse to slide up and down by those pillars, and must serve for a cover for your powder box; this peece of brasse must have small springs, which must go to each side of the square to guide it steaddy in the moti­on. The form whereof you shall finde in the twentieth Figure, by the letter B.

• B the whole frame, with his parts adjoyned.
• C the square plate of brasse, on which all is fastned.
• D the powder box, standing in the midst of that plate.
• E E the two square pillars of brasse, standing on this foot, and may bee made to screw off and on at pleasure.
• F the lid to the fire box, which is made to slide up the two square pillars.
• G G the springs, which are fastned to the lid, to make it move more steaddy.
• The divisions 10, 20, &c. shew of what strength the powder is, for the higher that the lid riseth, the stronger is the powder.

CHAP. LXVII. A third Engin for trying the strength of powder.

THE third sort are made somewhat after the manner of the former, which is to rise up straight, only it hath a cover hollow as big as the box, and on each side of the cover is a small hole for a wyer to passe thorow, and on one of the sides are little peeces of steele or brasse, so fitted, that they will rise with a touch, and give way to the rising of the lid, and so soon as it is past, will hold it there, and will not suffer [Page 72] it to passe down any further; this I hold to bee the best of the three, in regard that the springs in the former are subiect to grow foule with use, and so will be very stiffe, every time more and more; but this will not. The forme of this is represented in the twentieth Figure, by the let­ter C.

• A the foot whereon the Engin standeth.
• B the powder box, which hath two small wyers passing from each side to the top, to guide the lid.
• D the lid, which hath also two holes on each side for the wyers to passe tho­row.
• E the side which is divided, on which is placed at every degree, one of those peeces to slide up and catch the lid.
• F F the forme of those catches, being either of steele or brasse.
• G G the two wyers which guide the lid of the box, and must bee put into a little peece of brasse at the top, which may bee screwed higher or lower at plea­sure, for the straightning of the same.
• H the screw which straightneth those wyers.

CHAP. LXVIII. Another Engin for trying the strength of powder by water.

THE fourth, and most certainest way of all, is by water, and is thus; cause a small vessell to be made of brasse, and very tight, so as it may containe a pinte of water; let this vessell bee made in a cillin­dricall form, and from the top of this vessell let there bee made a pipe of brasse, which shall turne like the siphon, and shall have a screw at the lower end, to screw into a box of brasse; all which shall stand on a woodden frame: now when you wil use this, you shal fil this great vessel halfe ful of water, at a pipe which shal come from the bot­tom, and come up to the top winding, then shal there be likewise another vessel underneath for a receiver, so that putting a quantity of powder in­to the smal box, and screwing it on, it is ready; then fire the powder, and you shal see it send forth a quantity of water, which you shall weigh, and so keep the weight of it, by this you shal know what quantity of pow­der of such a goodnesse wil send forth such a quantity of water; this I hold to be the certainest way, although the most troublesome. The form of it is represented in the twentieth Figure, by the letter D.

• A representing the vessell of water, which shall be alwayes filled one halfe.
• B the pipe of brasse which passeth from the powder box to the vessell of water.
• C the powder box, being screwed to one end of the said pipe.
• E the receiver, to receive such water as is forced out.
• G the pipe which conveyeth that water into the receiver.
• F the bottom being of wood, with a plate of brasse let into it.