The first Chapter. The properties, office, and duetie of a Gunner.

A Gunner ought to be a sober, wakefull, lustie, hardie, patient, prudent, and quick sprited man, he ought also to haue a good eysight, a good iudge­ment, and perfect knowledge to select a conuenient place in the day of ser­uice, to plant his Ordinance where he may doe most hurt vnto the ene­mies, and be least anoyed by them, and where his Ordinance may not be surprised by the enemie.

A Gunner ought to be skilfull in Arithmeticke, and Geometrie, to the ende he may be able by his knowledge in those artes to measure heights, depthes, breadthes, and lengthes, and to drawe the plat of any peece of ground, and to make mines, countermines, artificiall firewoorkes, rampiars, gabbions or baskets of earth, and such like things which are vsed in time of warre to be made for offensiue and defensiue seruice.

A Gunner ought also to procure with all his power the frendship and loue of euery per­son, and to be carefull for his owne safetie, and for the preseruation of all those that shal be about him.

Also he ought to be no surfeter nor a great or sluggish sleeper, but he must gouerne him selfe in al times as a wise, modest, sober, honest, and skilfull man ought to doe, that through want of vnderstanding he may neuer leese his credite, nor an vniuersall victorie which of­tentimes by the meanes of good Gunners well managing their peeces is gotten.

Also a Gunner ought at the receite of his charge to make an Inuitorie of al such things as shall be committed to his charge as well to render an account, as to consider the want of such necessaries as to the Artillerie apperteineth.

And when a Gunner shall be appoynted to doe an exployte, he ought to want neither a fire stone, nor a tyndar box with a good steele, nor flintstones, nor tindar, nor gunmatches, nor a flaske full of good touchpowder to kindle his gunmatch and fire, when neede shall require.

Also when a Gunner shall be appoynted to doe an exployte, he must lay his powder twenty paces from his Peeces in such a place where no fire, water, or hurt may come vnto it through any person, or by reason of any winde, weather, or otherwise, and keeping his powder alwayes couered, he must not be vnmindfull of this, that it is a very dangerous thing for a Gunner to trust many, because a generall hurt and death may thereuppon followe.

Also a Gunner that hath a charge ought to haue alwayes in a readinesse all necessarie things for his artillerie: that is to say, wheeles, axeltrees, ladles, rammers, spunges, gun­powder, pellettes, tampions, chaineshot, crossebarres, sustian, canuas, or paper for car­tredges and firewoorkes, fourmes for ladles and cartredges, needles, threed to sowe and binde the cartredges and firewoorkes, artificiall torches, candles, lantornes, mattockes, shouels, crowes of yron, handaxes, leuers, enguines for the mounting and imbasing of or­dinance, ropes, little handbaskets, glwe or payst, horsecollers, horses or oxen to drawe his peeces, all manner of cartware, carters to guyde and keepe his horses and oxen, and a sufficient number of Gunners and assistants to charge, discharge, mount, imbase, wadde ramme, make cleane, scoure, and coole his peeces when they are ouer heated, and to haue for this purpose vineger and faire colde water.

Also a Gunner ought alwayes to haue a gunners staffe, or a partisant, or a halbert stic­king by him for a part of his defence, and he ought to put into the cocke of his Gunners staffe a gunmatch, or wrappe about the lower end of his staffe, partisant and halbert a good gunmatch, which may geue fire vnto his peeces of artillerie when neede shall require.

Also a Gunner ought not to sleepe much at any time of the day, or night, when he is ap­poynted to serue in the fielde, or in any other place, nor to eate or drinke in any other roome than where his peeces of artillerie are planted, because in his absence the same pee­ces may be choked, poysoned, and harmed by diuers wayes; and that he may many times vppon a sudden haue good occasion to discharge all his peeces,

[Page 2]And it is requisite for a Gunner to fixe vppon the tayle of the carriage of his peece a chest to holde his necessary things, and to defende him from small shot when he shal serue in a place where no baskets of earth are set to defend him.

Also a Gunner ought to haue a ruler and a payre of compasses to measure the heigth & length of euery peece his concauitie, and the length, depth, and widenesse of euery ladle, whereby he may know whether his peece is laden with too much powder, or is charged with a lesse quantitie of powder than it ought to haue.

A Gunner ought to knowe the names, length, and waight of all manner of peeces, and be able to tell readilie how much gunpowder is a due charge for euery peece, how manie times in one day euery peece may without harme be shot of, how many Gunners and as­sistants or labourers ought to attend vppon euery peece, how many horses, or oxen will drawe euery peece, what sorte of peeces doe commonly carry pellettes of lead, what sorte of peeces doe shoote Pellettes of yron, what sorte of peeces are vsually laden with pel­lettes of stone, and what sorte of peeces haue chambers, and how euery kinde of peece should be charged with his powder, tampion, pellet, and wadde.

Also a Gunner must be skilfull to make Saltpeeter, to refine and sublime Saltpeeter, to make diuers sortes of gunpowder, to make coles for gunpowder, to purifie brimstone for Saltpeeter, to make cartredges, to amend and make good agayne euery sorte of gunpow­der which by any manner of meanes hath lost his vertue and force, and tell how much Saltpeter ought to be put into the sayd vnforceable gunpowder to make it so strōg as it was before, and how many times the saltpeeter which shall be put into the sayde gunpowder ought to be refined.

Also a Gunner in time of seruice ought to forbyd with meeke and courteous speeches all manner of persons other than his appoynted assistantes, to come neere his peeces, to the ende that none of his peeces may be choked, poysoned, or hurt, and he ought not for a­ny prayers or rewarde to lende any peece of his gunmatch to another person, because it may be very hurtfull to him in time of seruice to lacke the same.

Also a Gunner before he goeth to doe any exployte ought to consider of all thinges which shal be needeful for him to haue, & how farre the place is to which he must goe, & by what wayes he shall passe with his artillerie, that he may carry with him all thinges needefull for his artillerie and for him selfe.

Also a Gunner ought not at any time to beate open the heads of his gunpowder bar­rels with any yron, or stone, but with a woodden mallet which will neuer fire the gun­powder as a peece of yron and a stone may doe.

Also if a Gunner will charge his peece with Cartredges, he ought to set them vpright in a tubbe or some other woodden vessel, which (though it shall seeme to stande in a place out of danger for fire) should neuer be vncouered for any longer time than while the same cartredges are taken out one by one to charge the peece.

Also a Gunner ought to wash his peece within before he doth first charge it, and (after he hath dryed it well againe by the helpe of 2 or 3 cleane and dry spunges, & made it very clean within) he ought to looke by such meanes as are declared in the 43. Chapter of this Appendix whether or no any hony combes, flawes, or crackes are in the sayd peece.

Also a Gunner before he doth shoote ought to consider and try whether the trunnions in his peece are set in their due places, and finding them by the doctrine taught in the 41. Chapter of this Appendix to be wrong set, preuent the harme which may come thereby.

Also a Gunner before he doth shoote ought to consider whether his peece is charged with strong and dry gunpowder, or with weake and moyst gunpowder, to the end he may alwayes lade his peece according to the qualitie of the gunpowder: For as strong and drie gunpowder may driue the shot farther than the marke, so weake and moyst gunpowder may cause the peece to shoote short of the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he doth shoote must consider that his peece ought to haue a due charge in gunpowder: For as when a gunner doth geue vnto a peece more than his duety, he ouershootes the marke, and puts the peece after it is made hot in danger of breaking, so when he geues vnto a peece lesse than his duetie he shootes shorte of the marke.

[Page 3]Also euery Gunner must charge his peece with a fit pellet: For as the pellet which is more bigger or more higher than it should be putteth the peece in danger of breaking, so the pellet which is loar or smauler than it should be, wil fall short of the marke, and neuer working his expected effect, swarue sometimes in the deliuerance out of the peece and strike wide of the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes ought to remember that a long wadde of haye, strawe, toe, or of vntwisted ropes lying behinde a pellet within any peece will cause the pellet to strike wide of the marke.

Also euery Gunner ought to know that a peece of artillery which doth not lye fast vp­pon his carriage wil shoote awry from the marke.

Also euery Gunner ought to know that if the carriage of his peece doth not lie right, the peece will shoote awry from the marke.

Also euery Gunner ought to know that if one wheele in the carriage of a peece be more greased than the other wheele in the same carriage, the wheele which is more greased will turne faster about than the other wheele, and cause the Peece lying vppon the sayd carry­age to shoote awry from the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes ought to remember that if one wheele shall re­coyle faster than the other wheele, or if anie thing shall let one wheele more than the o­ther, the Peece will shoote awrie from the marke.

Also euerie Gūner before he shootes must aduisedly looke whether or no both wheeles of euerie carriage are of equall heigth: For when one wheele of a carriage is higher than the other wheele of the same carriage, the higher wheele turneth more faster than the o­ther wheele which is more lower, & causeth the Peece laid vpon such a carriage to shoote awrie from the marke.

Also euerie Gunner before he shootes must aduisedly looke whether or no both endes of the axeltree in euerie carriage are of equall bignesse: For when one end of the axeltree in a carriage is greater than the other ende, the Peece that lyeth vpon such a carriage will shoote awry by reason the wheele which turneth vppon the lesser end of the axeltree run­neth about more easilie than the other wheele which turneth vppon the greater ende of the axeltree.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes must aduisedly looke whether or no the rounde holes which are made in the wheeles of euery carriage for the endes of an axeltree to lie in, are of equall bignesse: For if the hole in the naue of one wheele of a carriage shall be greater or wider than the hole in the naue of the other wheele of the same carriage, the peece that lyeth vppon a carriage with such wheeles will shoote awry, because the wheele which hath in his naue the greater hole, runneth about vppon the end of his axeltree more easilie than the other wheele which hath in his naue the lesser hole.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes must aduisedlie looke whether or no the holes which are made in euery carriage for the trunnions of his peece to lie in, are fit for the same trunnions, and of equall bignesse: For when one trunnion hole vppon a carriage is wide, and the other trunnion hole vppon the same carriage is narrowe, then the peece that hath his trunnions layde in two such vnfit and vnequall holes will shoote awry from the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes must take away all the stones which shall lie vnder the tayle of any carriage: For when a stone shall happen to lie vnder the tayle of a carri­age, then the peece that lyeth vppon the same carriage will in the deliuerance of his shot turne aside, and shoote awry from the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes must take away all the stones which shall lie vnder the wheeles of a carriage: For when a stone lyeth vnder any one wheele of a carriage, then the peece which lyeth vppon the same carriage wil shoote awry from the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he doth first charge his peece ought to trie whether or no his peece is rightly bored in the middest of the mettall: For a peece which is not rightly bo­red wil shoote alwayes wide from the marke, except the Gunner to remedie that fault doe vse such skill as is taught in the 10. Colloquie of Nich. Tartaglia, his first booke of Colloquies.

Also euery Gunner ought to remember before he shootes that if both or one of the le­uel [Page 4]sights vppon the peece shall not be precisely set in the midst of the outside of the peece, the sayd peece will driue his pellet wide from the marke.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes must cōsider of the marke at which he wil shoote, I meane euery Gunner must looke aduisedly whether the marke at which he will shoote be vppon a playne ground, or vppon the toppe of a hill, or downe in a valley, or farther than his peece will shoote, that he may plant, mount, and imbase his peece to strike the marke lying within the reach of his peece.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes ought to consider whether the ayre be thinne and cleere, or close and thick, because a pellet wil passe more easilie thorow a thinne and cleere ayre, than thorow a close and thicke ayre.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes ought to trie whether or no the ground vppon which the peece doth lie in his carriage be playne and leuell: For as when the grounde is lower at the tayle of the peece than it is in the place where the wheeles stand, the peece re­coyling vnto the lower ground will ouershoote the marke, because in the deliuerance of the shot the breech goeth downewards, and the mouth vpwards, so when the grounde is higher at the tayle of the peece than it is before in the place where the wheeles stand, the peece may shoote short of the marke, although it is not so apt to recoyle agaynst a hill as it wil doe downe a hill.

Also euery Gunner ought to weather the marke according to the hardnes of the winde, and the distance vnto the marke: For as the winde being with him will cause a pellet to flie beyonde the marke according to the hardnesse thereof, and the winde being against him will cause a pellet to fal short of the marke according to the hardnesse thereof, so a side winde driueth a pellet wide from the marke.

Also euerie Gunner before he shootes ought to driue the wadde and shot home vnto the gunpowder, for when the wadde and shot do lie short from the gunpowder, the Peece breaketh manie times in the vacant or emptie place betweene the powder and the shot.

Also euery Gunner before he shootes must trulie disparte his Peece, or giue allowance for the disparte, and when he dispartes a Peece he ought to set the said dispart in the midst and vppermost part of mettall ouer the mouth of the Peece.

Also euery Gunner ought to know that as it is a wholesome thing for him to drinke and eate a little meate before hee doth discharge anie Peece of artillerie, because the fume of saltpeter and brimstone will otherwise bee hurtfull to his braines, so it is verie vnwhole­some for him to shoote in anie Peece of ordinance while his stomake is full.

Also a Gunner which shall serue vppon the sea in any Galleon, or other Ship, or in a­ny great or small Galley, ought before his going to sea to consider well of the num­ber of trunkes, pykes, dartes, earthen pottes halfe baked, copper cauldrons, mor­ters, pestels, and searces that will be needefull for him in his sea seruice, and also of the measure of seuerall oyles, and quantitie of gummes, camphire, and all other mate­riall and needefull things for firewoorkes.

Also a Gunner which shall serue vppon the sea in any Shippe, ought before his going to sea to wryte with good aduisement in a paper booke for the owner or Captayne of the vessell in which he shall serue, the number and price of trunkes, pykes, dartes, ar­rowes, and earthen pottes halfe baked, that will be needefull vppon the sea for of­fensiue and defensiue seruice, and also the number and price of yron hoopes, and the length and price of yron wiers or strong cordes that wil be sufficient to binde fast all the sayd trunkes, pykes, dartes, arrowes, and pottes of fire.

Also euery Gunner which shall serue vppon the sea in any shippe ought before his go­ing to sea to write in his memoriall or paper booke for the owner or Captayne of the vessell in which he shall serue, the waight and price of euery simple and materiall thing that is requisite to make firewoorkes, and rokettes for many seuerall fightes, and diuers triumphes vppon the Sea, & also the number and price of the cartredges which he meaneth to make for his ordinance, and the quantitie and price of fustian, canuas, or paper that will iustly serue without waste to make the same cartredges,

[Page 5]Also euery Gunner which shal serue vppon the sea &c. ought to write in his memorial &c. the number, sortes, and prises of great and small needles, the quantitie and price of packthreede, and other smaller threede that wil be needeful to sowe the bagges of his car­tredges, and to binde fast his fireworkes and rochets in their cotes or couers.

Also euery Gunner which shall serue vppon the sea &c. ought to write in his sayd me­moriall &c. the waight and price of so much gunpowder, and of so many fit pellettes as wil be enough for to charge all the peeces in his vessel fourty times ouer, and also the price of ten barrels of more gunpowder, which he ought to haue for the onely making of fire­workes.

Also euery Gunner which shall serue vppon the sea &c. ought to write in his sayde me­moriall &c. the quantitie and price of saltpeeter, brimstone, and cole, which will be requi­site for him to haue in store to amend, and also to nwe make vppon the sea gunpowder, if his prouision thereof should happen by any meanes to decay or consume. For the wante of any one of these things cannot without a marueylous chaūce be supplied vppon the sea.

Also euery Gunner which shal serue vpon the sea &c. must with discreation write in his memoriall &c. the number and sortes of faultlesse peeces that will be needefull for his vessell and the places of the shippe or vessel where they ought to lie, and appoynt in his sayd memoriall three chambers for euery chamber peece.

Also a Gunner seruing vppon the sea ought alwayes when he shall be forced by neede to nwe make or amend his gunpowder, or to make any kinde of firewoorke, to roe in a shipboate to lande, or otherwise into the sea farre from his shippe, and to woorke for the safetie of his shippe vnder a couer or tent in his boate, or vppon the land in an old desolate house standing alone from other houses.

The 2. Chapter. How artificiall Saltpeeter which is a mixture of many substances hath (as some suppose) greater ver­tue, and more strength than mynerall saltpeeter: how artificiall saltpeeter is made of fine and small earth by two sundry wayes: how the earth which maketh artificiall saltpeeter is digged out of sellers, vaultes, stables, oxstalles, gote or sheepecotes, pigen houses, or out of the loermost roomes in other houses: how blacke earth which will sparkle in a fire, or yeelde a sharpe, byting, and meane salt taste doth make good saltpeeter: how for the making of artificiall saltpeeter you must prouide a sufficient number of cauldrons, furnaces, barrelles, halfe tubbes, and a conuenient quantitie of wood, white­lime, ashes of oke, earth, and water, and how the sayd cauldrons, furnaces, barrels, and halfe tubbes must be placed.

ARtificiall saltpeeter is a mixture of many substances gotten with fire and water out of drie and durtie grounde, or of the flower that groweth out of walles in sellers, or out of that ground which is found loose within vaultes, tombes, or desolate caues, where rayne cannot come in. And (as some thinke) artificiall saltpeeter hath greater vertue and more strength than mynerall saltpeeter. But the best artificiall saltpeeter is made of beastes dung conuerted into earth in stables, or in dunghilles of a long time not vsed, & aboue all other of the same dung which comes of gotes and hogges: And it is requisite what dung so euer it be, that by continuance of time it be well resolued into earth, and all the humiditie thereof being dryed, that the same earth should be as it were a subtile and fine powder. When you shall haue occasion to make of this dung or earth a great quantitie of artificiall saltpeeter, The first way to make artifi­ciall Saltpeter of earth. it will be necessarie for you to prouide many cauldrons, furnaces, barrelles or tubbes, and likewise wood, white lime, ashes of olde oke, and a sufficient quantitie of the sayde earth, and a great barne or other walled house neere to the water, that you may haue enough thereof, and of euery other material thing. But first the furnaces must be made for the cauldrons, & they must be placed thereō as they are which Diers vse: Then there must be prepared ioystes so long as the house, [Page 6]and so broade that vppon them commodiously aboue ground may stand buttes with their heads knocked out, square chestes, barrels or tubbes to the number of 50. 60. or 100. ac­cording to the cauldrons, and the capacitie of the place, and betweene euery two of those vessels, there must be set a halfe tubbe to receaue the water that shall runne out: Or there would be placed a gutter or canel of wood along vnder the holes of the vessels which are set aboue the ground, so that it may conuey all the water which commeth from them in­to one or two great tubbes sufficient to holde all the water that shall be full of the substāce of Saltpeeter. And in the buttes which haue their heads knocked out, barrels or tubbes: I say in the bottome of euery of them, a hole must be made on the one side with an Augar, or els three or foure little holes may be made with a good big perser, and vppon them you may lay a little thinne linnen cloath, or els the sweeping ende of a broome, or some strawe for to keepe the yerth vp, and to strayne the water that shall be put amongst the same yerth which is to be wrought when it is tasted with the mouth, so that it be certaine that it contayneth Saltpeeter. Then there must be made in the middest of the house where the sayd Saltpeeter is to be wrought a great hil, next vnto which must be made another hil halfe so big which must be made with two partes of vnslaked lime, and three partes of oke ashes, or other ashes which in taste are very strong and sharpe, and then the one hill must be wel mingled with the other, and with the same composition the tubbes must be filled which are set aloft vppon the ioystes within a span of the mouth, or els (minding not to mingle with the yerth the ashes and the lime together) you may put first a span thicknesse of yerth in the bottome of the tubbe, and then three fingers thicknesse of the aforesayde lime, and ashes, and afterwardes vppon the same another span in thicknesse of yerth, and on that likewise another three or foure fingers thicknesse of lime and ashes: and so putting into the sayd tubbes one rew of one thing, and another rew of another thing, you ought to fill all the buttes, and tubbes, or other vessels that you haue placed (euen as aboue I haue sayd) within a span of the mouthes of them, and the rest which is then left empty, you must fill with water, the which running through all the yerth by a little and a little, must drop into the tubbes that stande vnder to receaue it, or into a gutter, or canel, or where you list, so that it be conueyed into one, two, or three sundry tubbes, or where you thinke good: and so you must wel and diligently gather all the water which was powred vppon the yerth after it hath passed through the holes in the bottome of the tubbes in such wise that it may bring with it all the substance and vertue of the saltpeeter which was in the sayd earth, whereof by putting some of it on your tongue you may taste, and finding it biting and very salte, To know good Saltpeter wa­ter. it is a token that it is good, and that you haue done wel: if not, powre it a­gaine vppon the very same earth, or vppon some other nwe earth. But finding the first earth full of substance so much as sufficeth, you may againe powre vppon it more water to wash better the remnant of the earth: albeit this second water would be saued in another ves­sel, and after this the earth may likewise be washed the thirde time, to the intent that all the substance thereof may be perfectly gotten. But this seconde, nor the thirde, ought not to be mingled with the first, if it happen not to come of the very same taste, the which I be­leeue that it wil not: but it must be put by it selfe in other vessels for that it is good to powre vppon the change of the next earth, and so you may proceede gathering a good quantitie of such water, taking heede neuerthelesse that it be full of the substance of salt­peeter: the which if it seeme vnto you not of the same perfection as you would haue it, you may powre it againe vppon the very same earth, or vppon other nwe, til such time as it shal satisfie you, and that you shal knowe it to be ful of the substāce of saltpeeter. Besides this there must be made a furnace with one or two cauldrons of brasse wauled thereon, which must be so great as those which the Dyers vse, & these cauldrōs must then be filled with the sayd saltpeter water: the which (as alredy I haue tolde) ought to be so ful of substāce as may be, so that it haue about the two third partes, and make it faire and softly to boyle so much till it come to one thirde part or there aboutes, and after take it of, and put it to settle in a great vessel couered, which must be wel bound about with hoopes of yron, and sure, and close in the ioyning thereof, to the intent it spill not: And thus when the same water is setled, cleere, and from the earth and grosse matter which in it remayned diligently pur­ged, it must be taken out, and boyled againe of nwe in the same cauldron, or in some o­ther. [Page 7]And forasmuch as at euery time that it boyleth if it be not taken heed of, it turneth into skumme, and sometimes swelleth so much that by running ouer, it spilleth and car­rieth away therwith much of the good, the which minding to remedy, you must take three partes of Oke ashes, and one of Lime, and moreouer in euery hundred pounde waight of water, there must be dissolued foure poundes of Roch Alume, and when the Cauldron boy­leth take of the said water with a pot, and power into it once or twise, specially when you see the Saltpeter water rise in skumme, and so doing within a little while you shall see it alay, and be both cleere, faire, an of an azure colour: and it must be boiled so long till all the thinne watrinesse be vapoured away, and the substance of the Saltpeter thickened, so that it being taken out, and put in chestes, or tubbes, and cooled, may congeale: the which is best done when the water is brought to a small quantitie, taking it out and putting it into a lesse Cauldron wherein it will sooner congeale, the which water being tasted, and seen to be readie to congeale, you may take it out, and put it into vessels of wood, or of earth that are rough within, with certaine stickes of wood to congeale, and so you shal let it coole, and rest three or foure dayes so as it may droppe, and be strained through some little hole in the bottome of the vessell: and all the water which is not then congealed, you must take out, and saue for to seeth againe: and the Saltpeter which is in any quantitie congealed, you shall finde to be according to the vertue that was in the water, or in the earth: but the cleerenesse and fairenesse thereof will come of the master vertue of the water which is put into it in the boyling, which hath strength to purge it, and to make it come as it were refi­ned in the first seething. Now this being taken from the sides of the vessel where it congea­led, and in the water thereof washed, you must lay it vpon a Table to drie throughly, and the same seeming vnto you to haue neede, or neuerthelesse minding to haue it aboue the common vse for some purpose more refined, and purified from all maner of earthie grosse­nesse, fatnesse, and saltnesse, (which for to make exceeding fine powder or aquam fortem, is most requisite so to be) I counsell you to refine and purifie after one of the wayes taught in this Appendix.

Saltpeter may also be made of earth in this sort folowing, The second way to make artificiall Saltpeter of earth. digge such earth out of floores in sellers, vaultes, stables, oxestaules, gote or sheepe coates, pigen houses, or out of the lo­ermost roomes in other houses as is blacke, or that throwne into a fire will sparkle, or that is of a sharpe, biting, and meane salt taste. But digge not for any such earth more deeper than the length of 3 ynches vnder the face and vppermost part of the floore or ground out of which it shalbe taken, except you shall see in the earth vnder that depth such white things or veines as the Italian mameth Fiocchi. To know whether or no any Saltpeter is in earth do this, make a woodden pin of a foote in length, and with a mallet driue it vp to the head into the ground where you meane to seeke for Saltpeter: Then taking the pinne out of his hole, thrust an yron naile made redde hot with fire, and equal in length and bignesse to the saide pin, into the said hole. After this couer the same hole quickly & suffer the naile to stād in it til it shalbe thorow cold: This done, pull the naile out of the saide hole, and note well the culler of the naile. For as when the naile so taken out of the hole shall haue a pale yelloe culler you ought to thinke that the earth in that place wil yeeld plentie of Saltpeter, so when the naile taken out of the hole shal haue the naturall culler of yron, you must knowe that no Saltpeter will bee made of the earth in that place. Hauing gotten a suf­ficient quantitie of Saltpeter earth made fine and small, and a competent number of halfe buttes, hogsheaddes, or barrels that haue one hole made with an Augar in the bottome of euery of them you must first couer euery of the said holes on the inside, with an earthen porenger, and stoppe the saide holes on the outside of the vessels with tappes and spiggets. This done, fill vp the said halfe buttes, hogsheads, or barrels with the said earth within a spanne of their brimmes, and re­member that although the earth about the sides of euery vessell must be rammed downe, yet that part of earth which lyeth in the midst of the vessell must lie loose, and vnpressed. After this powre a bucket or pale of cleane water by little & litte vppon the saide earth: When the earth hath drunke vp this water, powre one other bucket or pale of cleane water in the same sort vpon that earth, and continue in so doing till all the earth in the said vessels is well moistened with water, which ought to lie in the saide vessels for the space of a day and a night one handbreadth in heigth aboue the earth: Then pull the said tappes or spig­gets out of the holes in the vessels, and suffer all the saide water to droppe out into other tubbes placed directly vnder the said holes: when you shall see that no more water will come or droppe into the vndermost tubbes, emptie the dropped water into the vessels out of which it did droppe before, and out of the same let it drop againe so long, and so much [Page 8]as it will into the said vndermost tubbes. This water which hath so soked thorow the earth in the said vessells, & hath twise dropped out of the higher vessels into the tubbes that are placed vnder them, is called among the Italians water of the foote, & also the washe of earth, which ought to be saued by it selfe, After you haue done all this, powre some other cleane water (as you did before) vppon the earth in the vessels, and when the same wa­ter hath dropped out of the higher vessels into the tubbes standing vnder them, take all the said earth out of the vessels, and fill them againe as you did before with other like earth and then powre vppon this earth in the vessels the first water called water of the foote, and wash of earth, suffering it to droppe thorow the same into the vndermost tubbes so often till the same water tasted in your mouth will byte your tongue, Note. and that an egge put into this water will swim vppon the toppe of the same. The first water being brought by this meanes to this perfection, and strength, powre the second water vppon the same earth (or on other such like earth if neede bee) that it may by often dropping thorow the same bee made also of a biting taste like vnto the first water, and able to beare vppe an egge put into the same like as the first water called water of the foote, and wash of earth did before. Now this second water being a very strong water must be boyled in a Cauldron and after it hath wel boiled abate the fire vnder the Cauldron, till you haue taken of from it all the scumme which must be saued in a pot or other vessell. When you haue so done, make a good fire vnder the Cauldron to cause the water that is in the same to seeth or boyle quickly againe, and as the water shall diminish, or seethe away, put more of the said first water vnto the same, and (as you were before willed to do) scumme the said water and keepe the scumme. when the scumme shall be thicke, To know whē the maister water of Salt­peter is e­nough boyled. and hard, and of a French russet colour, take some water with the scummer out of the Cauldron, & let it drop vppon a peece of yron, for if the wa­ter be well and enough boyled, the droppes of water will congeale vppon the same yron, and if the said droppes doe not congeale, it is a signe that the water in the Cauldron is not boiled enough. When you shall perceiue by this signe that the water is well and enough boiled, take it of from the fire and preserue it, because it is the master water. So soone as you haue made an end of boyling the second water, you ought to boile and scumme the first wa­ter called water of the foote, To know whē the first water of Saltpeter called water of the foote, and wash of earth is e­nough boyled. How water of the foote and wash of earth when it is bur­ned, may be made good a­gaine. Salt peter wa­ter must be suffered to cō ­geale in a dan­kish, close, and darke place. and wash of earth, as you did the second water till it shall cast vp a scumme of a French russet colour, vnto which (if it shal happen to cleaue vnto the sides of the Cauldron) you must put of the other French russet scumme that was made, and saued by you before, to boyle with it, vntill the droppes of this water falling vppon yron wil con­geale. If this congealed water shall be very soft, it is a signe that the water in the Cauldron is not boyled enough, but if this congealed water shall be very hard, it is a signe that it is burned. To amend this fault which the very hard congealed water hath, and to make the same water good againe, put some freshe and cleare water thereunto, and then hauing ex­tinguished all the fire vnder the Cauldron, and made the same Cauldron to stand a slope, so that the lies and dregges (which being congealed are the very salt whereof Saltpeter is made) may not with any water runne ouer the brimmes of the vessell, you must (if you will make good Saltpeter) suffer the water to settle in the same vessell, and to congeale in a dan­kish, close, and darke place, and after the water which will not congeale hath for the space of two or three dayes dropped out of the vessell into some other tubbe, take the Saltpeter out of the saist vessell, and preserue the same water because it being the master water may af­terwardes be vsed when you shall haue neede of the master water.

The 3 Chapter. How you may make an excellent kind of artificiall Saltpeter of the flowre which groeth on walles: how Saltpeter water must bee boyled: howe you may knowe when Saltpeter water hath boyled enough: how Saltpeter water which is burned may bee made good againe: and how Saltpeter in his refining doth waste.

TAke of flowre which groeth on walles foure partes, of vnslaked Lime one parte: This one part of lime must bee well boyled in water ouer a fire, and after it hath boyled [Page 9]enough, it must be taken from the fire, and suffered to settle, and then it must be strained into another vessell. This done, put the same foure parts of the said flowre into such a halfe but, tubbe, hogshead, or other barrell as before you haue been willed to prepare for earth whereof Saltpeter shalbe made, & powre vppon the same flowre so much of the said strai­ned water which is named Lie, or Lime water, as will dissolue the same flowre. When the flower is dissolued, let the Lie or Lime water which hath dissolued the flower, droppe out at the bottome of the sayd vessell into another tubbe set vnder the same vessell, and boyle those droppes of Lie or Lime water ouer a fire, till they being put vppon yron wil congeale, and be of a temperate hardnesse, that is to say, neither too soft, nor too hard. It is a signe (as before I haue told you) that the water hath not boyled enough, when the congealed droppes are too soft, and it is a token that the water is burned when the congealed drops are too hard. But (as you haue learned) the water which is burned may be made good againe with a little fresh and cleare water put vnto it. After this Lie or Lime water is well and enough boyled, take it of from the fire, scumme it with a scummer, and doe vnto it all that you haue been taught in the precedent Chapter to doe vnto the Saltpeter water that first droppeth out of vessels filled with earth: So this Saltpeter will bee good with the first boyling, and serue for some vses without any other refining: But for to make gun­powder it ought to be refined againe though thereby it will waste a little.

The 4 Chapter. How good Saltpeter may be knowne.

PVT a handful of Saltpeter vppon an oken boord, or vppon a drie Walnut tree boord, lay vppon the Saltpeter a quicke cole of fire, and when the Saltpeter is well kindeled, take the cole away from it, for now if the Saltpeter be good, it will burne of it selfe, and ray much the table. But if the Saltpeter shall as it doth burne giue any crackes, it is a token that the same Saltpeter hath in it Salt, and that it was refined, for vnrefined Saltpeter will neuer cracke, and when many dregges do remaine vppon the table after the Saltpeter is so bur­ned, they shew that the same Saltpeter had much grease in it and that it was naught.

The 5 Chapter. How Saltpeter may be made to groe where none did groe before: and how earth which hath made Salt­peter may be made after the end of fiue or sixe yeeres to yeelde more Saltpeter than it did yeelde at the first time.

DIssolue Saltpeter in water, and wet well therewith a couered peece of ground where you will haue Saltpeter to groe, then suffer that peece of ground to lie still for a cer­taine space of time, and by so doing you shall see that the Saltpeter will groe and multiplie wonderfully in that place. Also it is truth if the earth which hath made Saltpeter be heaped vp in a couered place where no raine may fall vppon the same, that after the end of fiue or sixe yeres, you may labour the same earth againe, and finde in it more Saltpeter than it did yeeld at the first time.

The 6 Chapter. How Saltpeter meale is made: and how Saltpeter meale without any beating will serue among other materiall things to make gunpowder.

HAng a kettle with a wide bottome ouer a good fire and put into that kettle a conueni­ent quantitie of Saltpeter: when the Saltpeter shall begin to bloe, frie, and smoke, stirre it about the kettle with a woodden ladle, pulling backe the Saltpeter which shal shew white, and putting forward the other Saltpeter which hath not had so much fire as the said white Saltpeter, and cease not to stirre and mingle all the Saltpeter well together, so as it may not melt, vntill it shall waxe drie, and be like a comfette, for by so doing you shall take away out of the Saltpeter all the grease and Salt that was in it. Then powring so much water [Page 10]into the kettle as will couer all the Saltpeter that is in it, you must melt the same Saltpeter ouer a good fire, and sturre it well about the kettle with a bigge and rounde staffe, vntill it shall waxe drie againe, & be like meale, which without any beating will serue among other materiall things to make gunpowder.

The 7 Chapter. How Saltpeter may be refined with water by two sundrie wayes: and how Saltpeter refined with water ought to be dried.

The first waie to refine Salt­peter with wa­ter.TAke of the mixture made of Lime, Ashes, and Allum dissolued, whereof mention hath been made in the second Chapter of this booke and in the first way to make artificiall Saltpeter of earth, and into euery barrell of water that you haue put into the Cauldron for to dissolue the Saltpeter, powre sixe pots full of the strong water that is also mentioned in the said first way to make artificiall Saltpeter, and in the same quantitie of water so prepa­red, put so much Saltpeter as you thinke may well be dissolued: and with boyling make it to dissolue very well. Then seeing it in boyling to haue cast vp scumme, you shall take it out of the Cauldron, and put it into a tubbe, in the bottome whereof you must first put fine sand foure fingers thicknesse cleane washed, couered with a linnen cloth: and by a lit­tle hole made into the bottome of the tubbe, you shall suffer it to droppe by little and little in some other vessell set vnder to receiue it: and so this water thus strained, you must afterwards put into the very same, or into another Cauldron to boyle againe, and to make the greater part of the same water seethe away. Finally make it boyle so much vntill you shall see it readie to thicken, powring now and then into the same water a little of the aforesaid strong water, especially when it swelleth, & casteth vp scumme. This done, powre the said water out of the Cauldron into chestes, or other vessels of wood to congeale, which (though it shall be a great quantitie) within three or foure dayes will congeale. But if any part of that water doe not within that time congeale, then taking it out of the vessel boile it againe, & do it vnto all that you did before to the other water that is congealed. And so you must doe from time to time as it gathereth together, and congealeth: and by this meanes you shall make the Saltpeter most white, and faire, and much better than at the first seething.

The second way to refine Saltpeter with water.Saltpeter may also be refined with water in this manner: put Saltpeter with Lime well slaked into a cleane Cauldron, and powre vppon the Saltpeter and slaked Lime so much faire water or rather so much of the aforesaide Lie or Lime water, as will couer and lie foure ynches in heigth aboue the same Saltpeter, and slaked Lime. Moreouer make a good fire vnder the Cauldron, that the things in the same may quickly boile, and bee readie as scumme shal rise to take it away with a scummer. When you shal see that no more scumme will rise, then take the Cauldron from the fire, and setting it somewhat aslope, let the boi­led water coole, settle, and cleare in the same: if the boiled water will not waxe cleare by this meanes, put ashes into it, aad boyle the same water againe for a while. This done, take the Cauldron from the fire, & setting it aslope, sprinkle faire water vpon the boyled water, for by so doing you shall make the same water cleare. This water being cleare, must by lit­tle and little be powred into some other vessell so as the lies, dregges, or grounds may not goe out with the same: Saltpeter refi­ned with wa­ter ought to be dried a­gainst the Sun or with heate of fire. For of the water which lyeth aboue in the vessell, Saltpeter is made, and in the water at the bottome of the vessell, are the lies or dregges of Saltpeter. After you haue in this sort powred out the saide water into other vessels, and haue suffered the same for two dayes space (and more if need be) to congeale in the same vessels, you must take the same congealed water (which is Saltpeter) out of the vessels, and drie the same against the Sunne, or with heate of fire.

To know whē the water in which Saltpe­ter is refined hath boyled enough.After you haue taken the said Saltpeter out of the vessels in which it did congeale, boyle again ouer a good fire the vncongealed water which remaineth in the said vessels, & so long as this water doth boile, scumme it if it shall cast vp any scumme, & let this water boile vn­till the same water dropping vppon yron, stone, or such like things from a peece of wood put into the water will congeale: for then is that time to take it from the fire. Nowe this [Page 11]being done if you shall see a thinne skin to lie vppon the water, scumme the same away, and more doo vnto the same water all that you haue bin willed to doo vnto the other water which did before congeale into saltpeter.

Although this saltpeter made of the water which did lie in the bottome of the vessels is not so good as the Saltpeter which came of that part of water which did lie vppermost in the vessels, yet may it be made as good as the other with so much labour as you are willed to bestowe vppon the other, and by putting so much water vnto it as you did vnto the other, for through lacke of water it will be burned.

Saltpeter being thus refined with water will make good gunpowder: How Saltpeter refined with water ought to be dried in a Cauldron ouer a fire if it shall after­wards passe thorow a boul­ter or searse. But to drie this Saltpeter so as it may passe thorow a fine boulter or searse, put it into a Cauldron ouer a fire of Coles whereby the Saltpeter will yeeld a water, fall into the flowre, and melt, and being well stirred in a Cauldron that all the Saltpeter may feele the heate of fire, it will be a lumpe like a comfet. When you shall see that this Saltpeter is drie, take it from the fire, for through too long standing ouer the fire, it will yeeld moysture, loose his strength and bee a gumme when it is burned.

The 8 Chapter. How Saltpeter may be refined with fire: and how Saltpeter may be better refined with water than with fire.

SAltpeter in a little quantitie is refined with fire after this maner which although it be a readie way yet seldome times it is vsed, and albeit it serueth to get out the fatnesse of Saltpeter, yet for that it sendeth into the bottome very much earthie drosse, I like better the other wayes which teach you to purge it with water, than this with fire. But to refine Salt­peter with fire doe thus: Take an yron sallet, or some other yron, or brasen vessell, and fill it with Saltpeter, and couer it with a couer of yron, brasse, or earth, so that it be made bigge enough, meete to be taken of, and put on when you list, and so as the vessell being well co­uered, the heate within may not breath out. This vessell must be set in the midst of a good fire of coles, and so the Saltpeter will melt, which is soone perceiued of the expert artificer and workman. When you thinke that it is melted looke vppon it, and if it be not well mel­ted, couer it againe, and let it melt well: Then the Saltpeter being well melted, take Brim­stone most finely beaten in powder, and cast some thereon: and if of it selfe it take not fire, doe you kindle it, and being kindeled, let it burne till such time as the Brimstone bee all consumed, so that nothing els be burnt but the vpper part and certaine grosse vnctious­nesse of the Saltpeter, the which when it is burned, will leaue the rest faire and cleare: and then it must be taken from the fire letting it coole in the vessell where you shall finde it (af­ter the same is colde) all in one peece like a white peece of marble. All the earthy drosse thereof remaining in the bottome will be good Saltpeter to make gunpowder, but not ve­rie commendable to any other vse.

Some in steede of Brimstone doe burne the grosse vnctiousnesse of Saltpeter with quicke vnflaming coles of fire, but insomuch as the refined Saltpeter being so burned, looseth part of his force, as Girolamo Cataneo in his fift booke Dell'arte militare writeth) I will not coun­sell you to burne the grosse vnctiousnesse of Saltpeter with any Brimstone, or quicke vnfla­ming coles of fire.

The 9 Chapter. How you may sublime and purifie Saltpeter by two sundry waies.

TAke of Saltpeter refined drie one part, and of the scumme or off all of yron one part, sublime both these materiall things as you shall hereafter in the tenth chapter of this booke be taught to sublime Brimstone, and when you mill make gunpowder, or fireworks of sublimed Saltpeter and Brimstone, moisten them well with aqua vita. Also you may pu­rifie Saltpeter in this maner: Take for euery pound of Saltpeter a quart of good white wine, and putting them together in a pot ouer a fire, let them seeth till one fourth part thereof is sod away: then taking the pot from the fire, suffer the mixture which is nowe Saltpeter well purified to remaine in it till it be drie.

The 10 Chapter. How you may sublime Brimstone, Arsenike and salt Armoniake.

MElt your Brimstone ouer a sloe fire in a copper or cleane earthen vessell, and with a cleane ladle take away all the scumme or thinne skinne which will lie vppon the toppe of the same melted Brimstone. That done, straine the Brimstone remaining in the vessell into an other cleane pot thorow a thicke peece of canuasse, or thorow a thicke strainer, and keepe this strained Brimstone which hath been thus sublimed and purified for to serue in fine gunpowder, and fireworkes.

The thinne skinne or scumme which shall bee so taken away from melted Brimstone with a ladle, is the grease that Was in the melted Brimstone, and that which remaineth in the canuasse after the Brimstone is strained, is the refuse and earth of the Brimstone. Arse­nike and salt Armoniake are sublimed and purified in the same maner as Brimstone is sub­limed.

The 11 Chapter. How you may make Coles for gunpowder by foure sundrie wayes.

TO make Coles for gunpowder, fixe vppon the grounde fiue or sixe woodden staues of foure or fiue feete in heigth in the fourme of a round pyramis or taper circle which at the great and loest end must be one foote and a half or there about in widenesse. Binde round about the outsides of these staues in three or foure seuerall places bondes of toe, and then hauing in a readinesse a conuenient number of small, shorte, clouen, and drie stickes of young willoe bowes without any barke or rines, pyle within the said staues vp to their toppes the said stickes, which must be set vpright vppon their endes, and then couer the said pyle of stickes and the staues on the outside all ouer with wette strawe, and lay moist earth, durt, or clay three or foure ynches thicke hard pressed downe all ouer the straw: This done, winde round about in 4 or 5 places vppon the couer of clay good bigge bonds of toe, & make a small hole in the verie top & midle part of the said pyle of stickes, & thorow that hole put fire to the said pyle. After you shall vppon good aduisement thinke that the fire is kindeled in the pyle, & that it hath burnt well downwards halfe the way into the pyle, stoppe vp the said hole in the toppe, and with a round sticke so bigge as a mans finger, make diuers other holes as the fire shall burne downewards thorow the said couers of moyst clay, Note. and wette strawe, round about the aforesaide pyle for smoke to passe out at. When you shal see that no smoke doth come out at any of the holes, then the coles are bur­ned enough, and now to the end that they may not consume to ashes, you must close, and stoppe vp all the said holes, and beware to meddle any more with the saide pyle till all the Coles in the same are colde, which will be within one day or two after the Coles haue been burned enough.

The second way to make Coles for gun­powder.Also you may make Coles for gunpowder in this maner. Builde with Stone and Lime a round furnace like a round well, and in the bottome of this furnace leaue an open place or hole thorowe the wall two ynches square, and set fiue or six staues of wood in the midst of the furnace vpright vpon their endes in the fourme of a rounde pyramis or taper circle, and within those staues, pyle vp to their toppes small, short, clouen, & drie stickes of wood without any barke or rines, and hauing set the said stickes in that pyle vpright vpon their endes, couer the toppe of the sayd furnace all ouer with clay, or durt, leauing in the vpper­most part thereof a hole so bigge as a mans great finger for smoke to passe out at: and thorowe the saide hole in the bottome of the furnace put fire to the said stickes. When the fire hath well burned vpwardes to the middest of the pyle within the furnace, stoppe vp the said hole in the bottome of the furnace with a fitte stone well luted so as no smoke may come out at that lo [...]rmost hole. Note. This done, the said vppermost hole must also be stop­ped vp when you shall see that no smoke commeth out of the same hole, for the Coles in the [Page 13]said pyle being then burned enough, if any one of the saide holes should afterwards be left open, all the Coles in the said pyle would burne to ashes. Finallie, after the said holes haue been closed vp in this maner for the space of two dayes and two nights, you may vncouer the toppe of the sayde Furnace, and (the heate of the fire that was in the Coles being gone) pull away the stone below, and at your pleasure take all the Coles out of the Fur­nace.

To make a small quantitie of Coles for fine gunpowder, The third way to make coles for gunpow­der. take young Hasell wood of a yeere olde without any barke or rines, and hauing cut them in short peeces, put the same peeces into a great earthen pot, or into a vessell of yron, or brasse: and that pot or vessell being close shut and couered, lay lute or clay very well about the pot or vessell, so that it may not breath: then make fire rounde about the pot or vessell, and also vppon it, til such time as you shall vppon good aduisement thinke that the heate is well entred in through all partes of the vessell, and that the stickes within are well kindeled, and only through such heate without firebrandes or flame burned. After this the Coles within the pot or vessell being burned enough, take the fire from the pot or vessell, & suffer the Coles within the said pot or vessell to coole before you take them out.

Also you may make in hast a small quantitie of Coles for gunpowder in this maner; The 4 way to make coles for gunpowder. Take so many drie Hasell stickes cut in short peeces without any barke, or rynes, as will be sufficient to serue your purpose, and laying them close togeather on a heape set them a fire, and after you haue well burned them, sprinkle water vppon them with a broome till you haue quenched their fire, and in so doing scatter the Coles heere and there, that they being so with water throughly quenched may drie well againe.

The 12 Chapter. How you may make a mixture of Brimstone and quickesiluer for gunpowder: and how Brimstone which shall serue for gunpowder ought alwaies to be very drie, and without any fat.

MElt, scumme, and straine your Brimstone as before in the tenth Chapter of this booke you haue been taught: After this melt againe the same Brimstone, and then taking it from the fire put thereunto so much quicksiluer as you will, stirring them together with a sticke vntill they are incorporated. When you doe put quicke siluer into the melted Brimstone, hold your face so farre as you may from it, An admoni­tion. because if any quick­siluer, or Brimstone should leape vp out of the pot, & hit your face, it would doe you much hurt. Also you must vnderstand that the Brimstone which shal serue for gunpowder ought alwayes to be very drie, for that the fatte of Brimstone doth make dregges in gunpowder, and is offensiue to the Saltpeeter that is in any sort of gunpowder.

The 13 Chapter. How the makers of gunpowder doe mingle togeather the simples and materiall thinges of which they doe make gunpowder: and how gunpowder must be kept in drie vessels of wood, and laide in high roomes of houses: and how an emptie caske of wood ought to waie 12 poundes: and euery caske fil­led full of gunpowder ought to waie one hundred waight of Auer de poize waight: and how euery last of gunpowder ought to waye 24 hundred waight of the said Auer de poize waight.

SOme vse to waie euery of the simples and materiall things whereof gunpowder is made by it selfe, and afterwardes they do mingle, & beate all the same things togeather. Others hauing beaten and searsed euery simple wherof gunpowder is made by it selfe, doe mingle the same togeather. But the best & most readiest way is to put all the Saltpeeter which you will occupie into a Cauldron that must haue so much water in it as will (when the same is made hot with fire) suffice to dissolue the said saltpeter, which being so dissolued ought to be [Page 14]washed, and laid when it is washt vppon a cleane and firme place or peece of grounde. This done, beate the quantitie of Cole (which is to bee added vnto the mixture) into very fine powder, and putting the same powder vnto the dissolued Saltpeeter, stirre and incorporate them well togeather, and as you doe stirre and turne togeather with a staffe the Saltpeeter and Cole, you must cast vppon them a due quantitie of Brimstone finely beaten, and well searsed and continue in stirring of them togeather till the sayd Saltpeeter, Coles, and Brim­stone shall be well mingled. After this lay foorth that mixture to drie a little, and when the same mixture somewhat dried by beating the Cole till it bee subtile and inpalpable is made a very fine incorporate substance, sift it well thorow a S [...]eue, or rather a searse: then casting water and vineger vppon it, corne the gunpowder, and when you haue so done, drie it well againe, or after it is drie, put all the same gunpowder into cleane and drie vessels of wood, which ought to be laid in high roomes of houses where little comming is for other reasons than that it may lie there drie. And forsomuch as in England we do vse to put our gunpowder into woodden vesselles called Caskes, 16 ounces doe make 1 pound of Auer de poize waight and 112 poūds doe make one hūdred waight of the same Auer de poize waight. note well that an emptie Caske of wood ought to waie twelue poundes, and that euery such Caske filled full of gun­powder ought to waie one hundred waight of auer de poize waight. Also note that 24 such Caskes of gunpowder are named a Last of gunpowder, and that euery Last of gunpouder ought to waie 24 hundred waight of the said auer de poize waight.

The 14 Chapter. How you may grinde or beate gunpowder by sixe sundrie waies: how gunpowder ought not to be bea­ten drie: and how you may know whether or no gunpowder is well beaten, or enough grounde.

MAny men doe grinde gunpowder in such milles as doe serue to grinde crabbes to make vergys, & appels to make sider. And some stamp the powder in a stone morter large in the mouth with a woodden pestell like vnto a hammer or maule. And some cause the powder to be stamped in morters with a water mill or a horse mill, which way is the best of all other and most surest: for the powder is thereby more finely beaten, and with lesse labour. Some which haue not the commoditie of water make a great wheele after such sort that the cogges thereof shall raise vppe many heauie pestels, which in falling downe doe beate the powder lying within diuers morters of wood made in a beame of Oke: Among which there bee some that haue their bottomes of brasse. Some stampe gunpowder with pestels which they holde in their handes, and tie to the ende of a poole with a corde right ouer a morter of wood, or brasse, and so they beate with lesse paine. And some grinde gunpowder with handmilles as they vse to grinde corne, which is a painefull and dangerous way, You shall kin­dle fire by rub­bing two Bay stickes togea­ther with vio­lence. An admoniti­on. because such a composition ground togeather with stones will soone catch heate, and bee a fiar, euen as by rubbing together with violence a couple of Bay stickes, you shall straight way kindle fire. Wherefore in grinding and beating gun­powder after this last way, or any other way, it behooueth all men to take heede that they doe not grinde or beate the same drie, but wet with water to a certaine degree of moist­nesse, so that taking it vp in one hand it may cling togeather. Some for this purpose doe moysten it with vineger, and some with Camphored aqua vitae, and they say that the pow­der will therewith be made more stronger. But neither vineger, nor aqua vitae, will be bet­ter than water to make gunpowder forceable and strong, because they vaporing away, little of their substance can remaine.

Note.By drawing gunpowder with your finger, and in like maner by breaking or cutting with a knife a part thereof you may know whether or no it is well and enough grounde or beaten. For if in the said broken part you shall see all blacke within, and no Saltpeeter, or Brimstone in the same, then vndoubtedly that sort of gunpowder is well and enough bea­ten. And contrariwise, if you shal perceiue any Saltpeeter or Brimstone within that broken or cut part, then it is certaine that the same sort of gunpowder is not beaten enough.

The 15 Chapter. How you may corne gunpowder.

FIrst prepare a Seeue with a bottome of thicke parchment made full of round holes, and then moystening the Gunpowder which shall be corned with water, put the same, and also a little bowle, into that Seeue, and when you haue so done, sift the powder so as the said bowle rolling vp and downe in the Seeue, may breake the cloddes of powder, and make the same powder by running through the holes of the Seeue to corne.

The 16 Chapter. How you may make diuers sorts of gunpowder: and how you may make gunpowder of diuers colours: and how you may abate the force of gunpowder: and how for want of aqua vitae and vineger to moi­sten gunpowder, you may vse the water of Saltpeeter, or if you will the vrine of a man: & how Mute gunpowder is of little force.

The 17 Chapter. To renue and make good againe any sort of gunpowder that hath lost his strength or vertue by moisture long lying, or by any other meanes.

WHen you haue dried all the gunpowder which shall be renued, put so much there­of as you will into a canuasse sachell or linnen bagge, and then tying a corde very hard about the mouth of the bagge, thrust the same into a cleane Cauldron, and powre so much water into the Cauldron as will couer the bagge: this done, make the water to boile in the Cauldron till a droppe of it laid vppon yron or stone will congeale, and while the water boyleth, remember to scumme it as neede shall require. After this remoue the Caul­dron from the fire, and setting it a slope let that bagge drop into the Cauldron, and when you shall see that the water in the Cauldron is cleare, poure it out by little and litle into an other vessell, so as no lies, or dregges may runne out with the water into the same vessell, because the water must there congeale. After the water is congealed take the Saltpeeter out of the vessell, and as you did before boyle and scumme the water which shall then re­maine in the said vessell till a droppe of it laid vpon yron or stone will congeale. Also doe vnto it all that you did before vnto the congealed water, and let it not greeue you to worke thus so long as any saltpeter may by this meanes bee founde in the vncongealed water.

The saltpeeter and Brimston which were within the said bagge did dissolue and soke in­to the boyling water, yea the dissolued saltpeter turned into water, & the dissolued brim­stone sunke downe to the bottome of the water where you may finde it: But the coles which were mingled with the said dissolued saltpeter and brimstone remaine still within the bagge among the lies and dregges of the decayed gunpowder: therefore when you haue gathered together by the meanes aboue rehearsed all the saltpeter that was in the sayd boyling water, and haue well dried the said saltpeter, brimstone, and coles, poise euery of them by it selfe, and then seeing how much the part of saltpeeter so gathered doth want of the quantitie which it should haue for the sayd parts of cole, and brimstone, adde there­unto the portion of saltpeeter which wanteth: That done, beate, mingle, and incorporate them together as you haue bene taught to beat, mingle, and make nwe gunpowder.

The 18 Chapter. How you may by taste, feeling, colour, and burning, know good and il gunpowder: and how among many sortes of gunpowder, you may know the best sorte of gunpowder.

GVnpowder that hath so mylde a taste as that you shall scant feele it on your tongue, is of good receite and well wrought.

By how much gunpowder is in feeling more harder, by so much it is more better.

Gunpowder of a fayre azure or french russet colour is very good, and it may be iudged to haue all his receites well wrought, and sufficient of the master well refined.

Lay 3. or 4. cornes of gunpowder vppon a white peece of paper, the one three fingers distant from the other, and put fire to one of them: Now if the gunpowder be good and strong you shall see them all at one time a fire, and that there will remayne no refuse or grosenesse of brimston, or of saltpeeter, nor any other thing except a white smokie colour in the place where they were burned, neither will the paper be burnt or defiled therewith.

If good gunpowder be layde vppon the palme of your hande, and set on a fire, it will not burne your hande.

Gunpowder that hath a very sharpe taste, hath abundance of the master not wel refined, and will geue againe.

If white knottes, or knottes of a french russet colour, shall remayne after gunpowder is set on a fire, it is a signe that the saltpeeter in that sorte of gunpowder was not wel refined, but lefte full of salte, and grease, especially when the same knottes shall hisse in burning, be dankish, and leaue moysture in the place where the gunpowder was burned.

If harde, dry, and white knottes, or pearles, shall remayne after gunpowder is set on a fire, it is a signe that this sorte of gunpowder was not well wrought: An admoni­tion. And it behooueth e­uery Gunner to beware of such gunpowder, because if it doe lie long dry in a peece, it will waxe so fine with long and dry lying, that if you take it not out of the peece, it will in his discharge with fire put the same peece in danger of breaking.

If small black knottes (which will burne downwards in the place where proofe is made) shall remayne after gunpowder is set on a fire, they doe shewe that the same sorte of gun­powder hath not enough of the maister, and that it is of little force or strength and slowe in fiering.

If a little heape of gunpowder set in a fire doth make a noyse, rise vp with great speede, and yeelde little smoke, it is a signe that the saltpeeter in that heape of gunpowder was well refined, and well wrought, and that the materials in the sayde heape were well incor­porated.

If the flame of fiered gunpowder shall rise vp slowly, continue long, make little noyse, & yeelde much smoke, it is a signe that the same gunpowder had in it much cole & brimston, and a little quantitie of saltpeeter.

If gunpowder burned vppon a boorde shall black the same boorde, it is a signe that too much cole was in the same gunpowder.

When gunpowder is moyste, or full of the earth of saltpeeter, it is naught for to be shot out of great ordinance, because it putteth him in perill which shooteth with the same, & in time of neede, shaming the Gunner which doth occupie it, serueth to no effect.

If gunpowder be very black, it is a signe that it was made with very much cole, or that it is moyste, and when you rubbe it vppon a peece of white paper, it will black the same pa­per more than it should doe.

Among many sortes of gunpowder to know which sorte is best, make a little heape of e­uery sorte of gunpowder, and then setting those heapes one from another, marke well when you put fire vnto them which of the heapes did soonest take fire: For that sorte of gunpowder which will soonest be a fire, make least smoke, & leaue least refuse, is the best gunpowder.

The 19 Chapter. To make diuers sortes of gunmatches, and other matches, which will serue to discharge great & small peeces of artillerie, and geue fire to trunkes, pykes, mines, dartes, arrowes, & all other firewoorkes.

The 20. Chapter. To make touchwood and tinder for a Gunners Tinder boxe.

TAke those great things which are called olde Todestooles growing at the bottomes of nuttrees, beechtrees, okes, and such other like trees, drye them with the smoke of fire, & then cut them into so many peeces as you will, and hauing well beaten them, boyle thē in stronglie with waule floure, or saltpeeter, till all the lie shal be consumed. After this lay­ing them in a heape vppon a boorde, drie them in an ouen which must not be made verie hotte, and after you haue so done, beate them well with a woodden mallet, and when you shall haue cause to vse any parte of those To destooles (now by the meanes aboue declared made touchwood) rubbe well that parte betweene your handes for to make it softe, and apte to take fire. But when you will make tinder for a Gunners tinder boxe, take peeces of fustian, or of olde and fine linnen clothe, make them to burne and flame in a fire, [Page 21]& suddenly before the flame which is in thē doth die, choke their fire, & keepe their tinder so made in a boxe lined within with clothe, to the ende it may not be moyste at any time.

The 21 Chapter. To make a stone which being wette with water, or spittle, will flame and be a fire, and serue to light can­dles, and gunmatches, in such places where by reason of rayne, or other moysture, you can not light candles, or matches by any other meanes.

The 22 Chapter. How you may make a stone which being wette with aqua vitae, wil kindle and flame: and how you may make an other stone, which being rubbed well with a woollen clothe, will suddenly burne.

TAke of drie gumme of a pyne tree, of quick brimstone, camphere, and calaminte stone, of each one dramme, beate all these things into powder, & adde vnto that powder of Tutia Alexandrina whole, and vnprepared, two drammes. That done, thrust all these things mingled together into a canuas bagge, which must be well and harde bound round about, then fill a potte halfe full with powder of vnslaked lyme, and lay the bagge and the con­fection that is in it vppon the sayde lyme. After you haue so done, powre vppon the sayde bagge vp to the brimmes of the potte more powder of vnquenched lyme, and then stop­ping the mouth of the potte with Lutum sapientiae, so as no ayre may breathe out of it, put the sayde potte (after the Lutum sapientiae is thorow drie) into a glasse furnace, and suffer it to lie there close couered by the space of two dayes and two nights. In fine take the sayde potte out of the furnace, and breaking it in peeces, keepe the congealed stone which you shall finde in the potte, to light your gunmatch and candles when neede shall require: For this stone being wette with a droppe of aqua vitae, will flame and be a fire. But to make a stone which being rubbed well with a woollen clothe shall suddenly burne, take of the Ca­laminte stone, brimstone, vnslaked lyme, pytch, ceruse, of each of these three drammes, of camphere one dramme, of asphaltum three drammes, beate all these thinges into pow­der, and put the same powder into a strong potte well stopped with lute, and after make a [Page 23]fire vnder the potte, encreasing the same by little and little vntill the powder in the potte shall be so harde as a stone, then if you will haue it burne to light your gunmatch or to kin­dle a fire, rubbe it well with a clothe, and by so doing you shall make this stone to burne suddenly. But when you will put out the fire that is in the stone, spitte vppon it and after­wardes set it in a moyste place, for by such meanes this burning stone may be quenched.

The 23. Chapter. How you may know the diameter or heigth of a pellet by the circumference of the same pellet: And how by the diameter and waight of one pellet you may finde the diameter of any other pellet that is of a knowen waight and of like substance: and how a hundred waight of pellettes doth containe 112. poundes: and how a tunne of pellettes doth contayne twenty hundred waight of pellettes.

MVltiplie the circumference of any pellet by 7, deuide the product by 22, and note the quotient for the diameter of the same pellet. As for example, In the 9. Colloquie of the second booke of Nich. Tar­taglia you may learn by knowing the diame­ter & waight of one pellet, to know the waight of any other pellet whose diame­ter is knowen. multiplie 44. the cir­cumference of a pellet by 7, and thereof commeth 308, which deuided by 22 will yeelde in the quotient 14 for the diameter of the same pellet. But when you will know by the dia­meter and waight of one pellet, the diameter of an other pellet that is of a knowen waight and of like substance, waye any one pellet, and measure the heigth or diameter of the same, then note in some booke for your better remembrance the sayd diame­ter and waight, for by knowing the diameter & waight of that one onely pellet, you may finde at all times the diameter of any other pellet that is of a knowē waight and of like substance. And to the ende you may learne to doe the same, let it be supposed that to answere this questiō, what is the diameter of that yron pellet which wayeth 125. poundes in auer de poize waight? I doe peruse my memoriall, & finding there that a pellet of yron of fiue ynches & 299/413 of an ynche in diameter doth waye 27 pounds in auer de poyze waight, The quātities compared to­gether are called the termes of the proportion, & in some writers the first terme namely, that which is com­pared is called the antece­dent whether it be equall, greater, or lesse than the other: and the second terme namely that whereunto the compari­son is made, is called the con­sequent. But in Arithmetike Boetius & o­ther writers call the terme compared dux & the terme to whome the comparison is made they call Comet. I say that as the cubes are in triple proportion to the sides: so are the proportions of the sides to be founde by seeking the cubike rootes of the two termes of the proportion. Wherefore I doe first set downe the termes of the proportion of the pellettes thus, 125/27, and I doe set the cubike roote of 125 which is 5, and the cubike roote of 27 which is 3 in the roome of the two others thus 5/3. These two numbers doe declare the proportion betweene the diameters of the two pellettes, of which one that is the lesser is knowen to be fiue ynches and 299/4 [...]3 making by reduction 2364/413 therefore I multiplie that fraction 2364/413 by 5, the cubike roote of 125, whereof commeth 11820/413 and this number of 11820/413 I doe deuide by 3 the cubike roote of 27 which geueth 11820/1239 making by reduction 9 ynches and 223/413 of an ynche: Whereuppon I conclude that if 5 ynches & 299/413 of an ynche be the diameter to a pellet of 27 poundes in waight, then 9 ynches and 223/413 of an ynche shal be the diameter to the pellet of 125 poundes in waight, and that after this sorte by the diameter and waight of one pellet, you may finde out the diameter of any other pellette that is of a knowen waight, and of like substance. But fearing that the vnlearned Gun­ners (who commonly esteeme all that for naught woorth which they can not vnderstand) will iudge it a combrous, paynefull, and needelesse labor to seeke for the diameters of pel­lettes by any of the sayde two wayes, I doe here presente vnto them two tables, of which one (made by a currant pellet of yron in diameter 4 ynches, and 9 poundes 3 ounces in waight) sheweth the diameters and waightes of 40 sundrie yron pellettes, and the other (made by a currant kentish stone pellet of 3 ynches and 12/13 of an ynche in diameter, and of 2 poundes 15 ounces, and ½ ounce in waight) expresseth the diameters and waights of fourty sundry kentish stone pellettes, and haue set downe for those which are yet vn­taught this rule, that a hundred waight of pelletes doth containe 112 poundes in auer de poize waight, and that a tunne of pellettes wayeth 20 hundred waight, I meane auer de poize waight.

[Page] [Page]

[Page]

[Page]

The 24 Chapter. How you may measure the circumference of any rounde pellet, or sphericall bodye, by three sundry wayes.

method 1 MVltiplie the diameter of any pellet or sphericall body by 22, deuide the product by 7, and note the quotient number for the measure of the circumference of the same pellet or sphericall body: as for example, if you will know the circumference of a pellet of 14 ynches in diameter, multiplie 14 in 22 and thereof commeth 308, deuide this number of 308 by 7, and the quotient number will geue you 44 ynches for the measure of the circumference of that pellet. method 2 Likewise by tripling the diameter of any rounde pellet or sphericall body, and adding thereunto 1/7 parte of the sayde diameter, you shal knowe the measure of the circumference of the same pellet: as for example, triple 14 the diameter of a supposed pellet, and so the product thereof will be 42, adde 2 for 1/7 of 14 vnto 42 the triple of 14, and so you shall finde in the totall summe 44 for the measure of the circum­ference of that pellet. method 3 Also looke how many times 7 is in the diameter of a round pel­let or spherical body, so many times 22 is in the circumference of the same pellet or sphe­ricall body: as for example, the supposed pellet is in diameter 14 ynches, and forsomuch as in 14 there is twise 7, therefore I conclude that twise 22 which maketh 44 is in the measure of the circumference of the sayde pellet.

The 25 Chapter. How you may measure the superficies of any rounde pellet or sphericall body by three sundrie wayes.

method 1 MVltiplie the circumference of any pellet or sphericall body by the diameter of the same pellet, and note the producte for the superficiall measure of that pellet or sphericall body: as for example, the supposed pellet being 14 ynches in diameter, and 44 ynches in circumference, multiplie 44 by 14, and note the product, which is 616 ynches for the superficiall measure of the same supposed pellet. method 2 Likewise if you multiplie the square of the diameter of any pellet or sphericall body, by 22/7 you may note the product for the superficiall measure of the same pellet or sphericall body: as for example, the sup­posed pellet being in diameter 14 ynches, multiplie 196 the square of 14 by 22/7 and the product thereof will be 4312/7 making by reduction 616 ynches, which doe expresse the superficiall measure of the same supposed pellet. method 3 Also by deuiding the square of the cir­cumference of any pellet or sphericall body by 22/7 you shall finde in the quotient number the superficiall measure of the same pellet or sphericall body: as for example, 1936 being the square of 44 which is the circumference of the supposed pellet, must be deuided by 22/7 and so the quotient number will be 13552/22 making by reduction 616, which sheweth the superficiall measure of the same supposed pellet.

The 26 Chapter. How you may measure the solide content or crassitude of any rounde pellet or sphericall body by three sundry wayes.

method 1 MVltiplie the cube of the diameter of any pellet or sphericall body by 11, deuide the product thereof by 21, and note the quotient number for the solide content or cras­situde of that pellet or sphericall body: as for example, multiplie 2744 the cube number of 14 (which is the diameter of the supposed pellet) by 11, & so thereof will come 30184, de­uide the sayde number 30184 by 21, and the quotient number shal be 1437 and ⅓ which sheweth the solide content of the supposed pellet. method 2 Likewise if you wil multiplie the square [Page 24]of the circumference of any pellet by 49, and diuide the product thereof by 66, you shal haue in the quotient number the solide content or crassitude of that pellet: as for exam­ple, multiplie 1936 the square of 44 (which is the circumference of the supposed pellet) by 49, and the product thereof will be 94864, which diuided by 66 yeeldeth in the quo­tient 1437 and ⅓ for the solide content of the same supposed pellet. Also if you will mul­tiplie the cube of the semicircumference of any rounde pellet or sphericall body by 49, and diuide the product by 363, you shall haue in the quotient number the solide content or crassitude of that pellet: as for example, the semicircumference of the supposed pellet is 22, and the cube of 22 is 10648, which multiplied by 49 produceth 521752, and this number 521752 being diuided by 363 will yeelde in the quotient number 1437 and ⅓ for the solide content of the supposed pellet.

The 27 Chapter. How a pellet which sticketh so fast within the concauitie of a peece of Artillerie as that it can not be driuen home vnto the powder may be shotte out of the peece without danger to the Gunner, or hurte to the peece: and how any rusty pellet which for a long time hath stuck fast within a peece may be shotte, or taken out of the peece without danger to the Gunner or hurte to the peece.

WHen a peece of Artillerie is charged with a pellet that will not be driuen home vnto the powder, then the Gunner to saue this peece from breaking, must so much imbase the mouth of the peece as that fayre and cleere water being at diuers and many times put into the touchhole, may for two or three dayes togeather soke through the powder which is within the peece, and droppe out at the mouth of the peece into a tubbe set vnder the same for to receaue and saue all the saltpeeter that was in the sayde powder. And after all the Saltpeeter is by this meanes soked out of that powder, the Gunner pryming the touchhole with so much fresh powder as will suffice to driue out that pellet, may geue fire to the peece, and without any danger to him selfe, or hurte to the peece shoote out of it the sayde pellet. But when a rusty pellet hath for a long time stuck fast within a peece, put strong vineger into the concauitie of the peece, & with a woodden r [...]mmer strike harde vppon the pellet till it doth moue: then powre the vineger out of the peece, and hauing powred thorow the touchhole into the peece somuch powder as will suffice to dryue out that pellet, fill vp the touchhole with good gunpowder, and geue fire to the peece, so as the sayde rusty pellet may thereby be expelled out of the conca­uitie in which it did sticke. But if the sayde pellet after all this hath beene done shall still remayne within the peece, then powre hotte scalding oyle thorowe the touchhole into the peece, and with a long yron rodde made at that ende which shall goe into the Peece like vnto a hogges nayle, rubbe away the ruste lying betweene the pellet & the peece, and afterwardes imbasing much the mouth of that peece, strike harde thereon, I meane vp­pon the mouth of the peece with a great beetle, or yron hammer, and by so doing, you shall force the sayde rusty pellet to role out of the peece.

The 28 Chapter. To make rounde pellettes of vnrounde yron pellettes by two diuers wayes.

IN winter when it doth snowe and freeze, couer yron pellettes which are not rounde all ouer with frozen snowe, and so let them lie in frozen snowe for the space of one night: This done, vncouer the pellettes, and with a steele hammer which must be well tempered, somewhat heauie, and like vnto a Playsterers or Tylers hammer, beate, or cut away the superfluous yron from the vnround yron pellettes, & while you doe so woorke vpon the vnrounde pellettes, powre often times colde water vppon them. By this meanes you shal (as Luigi Collado wryteth) take away the superfluous yron from the vnrounde pellettes, [Page 26]and perceaue that it will be no more harder to doe, Yron is more brickle in win­ter than in summer. The lathe of a crossebowe is apte to breake in winter, ex­cept it be first well rubbed with a clothe. than to cut a softe stone: For yron is more brickle in colde weather than in a warme season, and by that reason yron pellettes shotte in the winter against an harde stone wall, doe sometimes breake in peeces, and the steele lathe of a Crossebowe which is not made somewhat warme with the rubbing of a cloath, doth oftentimes in winter breake at his first shoote.

Also you may make rounde pellettes of vnrounde yron pellettes by this way following: Take an yron pellet which is not rounde, if it be a pellet for a Minion put the same pellet into the rounde moulde of a pellet for a Saker, and when you haue so done, fil vp the emp­tie places in the sayde moulde with melted lead, and so you shall make thereof a rounde pellet for a Saker. Likewise if a pellet for a Saker be not rounde, you may put the same vn­rounde pellet into the round moulde of a pellet for a Culueringe, and by filling the emp­ty places in the moulde full of melted lead, make thereof a rounde pellet for a Culueringe. And after this manner you may make a rounde pellet of any vnrounde yron pellet whatso­euer.

The 29 Chapter. How you may make a modell or forme for any Gunladle that shall appertayne vnto any Fanconet, for­reine peece that is not so high as a Faucon, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Basiliske, Cannon, or to any other like made peece: And how vppon such modelles, or formes, gunladles for the sayde peeces are fashioned: and how a Ladle for any Cannon periero may be made: and how euery can­non periero ought to haue a Ladle.

TO the ende you may the better vnderstande by this Chapter how a modell or forme may be made for any Ladle that shall appertaine vnto any Fauconet, forreine peece that is not so high as a Faucon, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Basiliske, or Cannon, or to any other like made peece: and how the same Ladles are fashioned, beholde here in a figure the patterne of a Copper plate for any such Ladle, The Copper plates of la­ [...]les for peeces of the smaller sorte must be in thicknes at the least so much as the back of a com­mon meate knife, and for peeces of a bigger sorte of a greater thicknesse. & note this in it, that A B C doth represent that parte of the plate which shall holde the charge in Gunpowder for great Ordinance, and that D A C E F G doe demonstrate that other parte of the same plate which must lie round about vppon the staffe of such a Ladle. This done, make a modell or forme of a long and rounde peece of wood for euery sorte of such Ladle plates like vnto the picture H I, and let the model be in his rounde compasse so much more lesse than the circumference of a pellet that will fitte the peece for which you doe intende to make a Ladle, as the plate of the Ladle is thick: then bende rounde that parte of the plate which shall holde the charge of gunpowder vppon the sayde modell, so as the two sides of the plate may stande wide open and asunder in a reasonable space one from an other. Moreouer, hauing in a readinesse a strong staffe, which must be rounde and bigge at one ende like the sayde modell, and two foote or thereabout longer than the length of the concauitie in the sayde peece: winde DACEFG the other parte of the sayde plate rounde about vppon the bigge ende of the same staffe, and nayle the sayde parte D A C E F G fast vppon the same ende: When you haue done all this, the Ladle so made and nayled vppon his staffe, will be like vnto the picture K L.

[Page 27]

There is an other sorte of ladles which doe belong vnto such peeces as are called in I­talian Cannoni Perieri, the name of such a Ladle in Italian is Scaffetta, and the Gunners in Venice hauing alwayes in a readinesse at the least one such Ladle for euery Cannone Perie­ro, doe vse with the sayde Ladles to put cartredges into their Cannoni Perieri. To make a Scaffetta for any Cannon periero, take a peece of softe wood which ought to be iustlie so long as the Cartredge of the peece for which it shall serue: make this long peece of wood rounde, and in his rounde circumference, equall to the concauitie of the sayde peece. Also cleaue the sayde rounde peece of wood from one ende to the other right in the middest, and make one peece thereof hollowe like a ruffe tyle for a house, and let the thick­nesse of the same hollowe peece of wood be neither more nor lesse than the thicknesse of the gumme at the mouth of the Chāber which belongeth to the peece for which the Scaf­fetta shall be made. This done, tie at one ende of it a strong corde, and when you haue put a cartredge with this Scaffetta into a Cannon periero, you may by the help of the sayd corde drawe the Scaffetta out of the same peece.

Also you may make a Ladle for any Cannon periero of a copper plate after this manner Prepare a Copper plate, and fashion it as before you haue beene taught to fashion Copper plates for Ladles which shall serue to charge Fauconettes, Faucons, and other such pee­ces, and make the breadth of euery Ladle for a Cannon periero by the circumference in his Chamber, as the generall rule in the thirtie Chapter of this Appendix doth instruct you to make the breadth of Ladles for other peeces by the circumference of a pellet: But in geuing length to the Ladle of a Cannon periero, you must remember that the ladle of a Cannon periero which requireth for his due charge in gunpowder [...]/ [...] of the waight in his pellet, ought to be in length twise so much as the diameter in the mouth of the Chamber of that cannon periero, and that the ladle for a cannon periero which requireth for his due charge in gunpowder ½ of the waight in his pellet, ought to be in length so much as two of those diameters and ⅔ of one such diameter.

The 30 Chapter. Rules by which you may know the true breadth and length of any Ladle that will holde at twise an ordinarie charge in Serpentine powder for any great peece of Artillery except Cannoni Pe­rieri, Chamber, and morter peeces.

[Page 28]1 A Ladle which shal holde at twise an ordinary charge in serpentine powder for any peece of artillery (except Chamber and Morter peeces) that hath his due length, & wayeth in mettall more than one hundred waight, and lesse than one hundred waight and a halfe for euery pounde waight in his yron pellet ought to containe in breadth 3/5 parts of the compasse of one fitte pellet for his peece, and in length the heigth of 3 such pellettes, or as the Gunners terme is) 3 baules.

2 A ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge in serpentine powder for any peece of artillery (except Chamber and Morter peeces) that hath his due length, and wayeth in mettall one hundred waight and a halfe or thereabout for euery pound waight in his yron pellet, ought to contayne in breadth 3/5 partes of the compasse of one fitte pellette for his Peece, and in length the heigth of three such pellettes, and of ½ of one pellet.

3 A ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge in serpentine powder for any peece of artillery (except Chamber & Morter peeces) that hath his due length, and way­eth in mettall more than 100 waight and a halfe, and lesse than two hundred waight for euery pound waight in his yron pellet, ought to contayne in breadth 3/5 partes of the compasse of one fitte pellet for his peece, and in length the heigth of foure such pel­lettes.

4 A ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge in serpentine powder for any peece of artillerie (except Chamber and Morter peeces) that hath his due length, and wayeth in mettall two hundred waight or vpwardes vnto three hundred waight for euery pounde waight in his yron pellet, ought to contayne in breadth 3/5 partes of the compasse of one fitte pellet for his peece, and in length the heigth of foure such pellettes and of ½ of one pellet.

5 A ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge in serpentine powder for any peece of artillery (except Chamber and Morter peeces) that hath his due length, and way­eth in mettall three hundred waight for euery pounde waight in his yron pellet, ought to contayne in breadth 3/9 partes of the compasse of one fitte pellet for his peece, & in length the heigth of fiue such pellettes.

The 31 Chapter. Rules by which you may knowe the true breadth and length of any Ladle that will holde at twise an ordinary charge of that sorte of corne gunpowder which I haue marked in the sixteene Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of [...], for any Fauconet, forreyne peece that is not so high as a Fau­con, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Basiliske, Cannon, or any other like made peece.

TO knowe the true breadth of any Ladle that shall holde at twise an ordinary charge of that sorte of corne gunpowder which I haue marked in the 16 Chapter of this Ap­pendix with the figure of 1, for any Fauconet forreine peece that is not so high as a Fau­con, Faucon, A generall rule for the bredth of gun­ladles. Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Basiliske, Cannon, or any other like made peece, measure with your compasse the iust length of the semidiameter of a pellet that is fitte for the same peece for which you doe intende to make a ladle, and keeping your compasse at that widenesse drawe therewith a circle vppon a boorde or peece of paper, which circle wil be equal to the circumference of the sayd fitte pellet: This done, your compasse remayning still at the sayd widenesse, set one foote thereof in the very edge of the circle as for exāple in the circle descrybed in the margent at A, and with the other foote drawe an arke within the circle from one side of the sayde circle vnto the other, and then taking with your compasse the iust length of B C the corde of that arke, measure out thrise the length of that corde B C vppon your plate, as I haue done for your better vnderstanding vppon the line D A C E in the figure nexte followinge,

which representeth the true breadth, length, and fashion of a Copper plate for a Ladle which shall holde at [Page 29]twise an ordinary charge of the sayde corne gunpowder for any fauconet, forreine peece that is not so high as a faucon faucon minion saker, or demy culuering lower than ordi­nary: After all this is done, take the same three like lengthes for the breadth of that parte of the plate which must lie close vppon and about the ende of his staffe, and be nayled thereunto, and then your compasse still opened vnto the iust length of the sayde corde B C, set one foote thereof in H the iust middle parte of the sayde line D A C E, and with the other foote make in the line H D a pricke at A, and one other pricke in the line H E at C, and when you haue so done take the length of that line A H C for the exact breadth of the other parte of the plate which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge of the sayde corne gunpow­der for his peece, if the same peece shall not be a Cannon: For the breadth of a Cannon ladle ought to be a litle lesse than the breadth of ladles for other peeces, and that little parte of his breadth which shall be so taken away must be added to his length, to this ende, that the Cannon ladle may thereby be more easilie turned, and roled within his peece. After you haue founde by this generall rule the true breadth of a ladle for any peece which before in this Chapter hath beene named: You may also (if you will) with great facilitie see the iust lengthe of the same Ladle in one of the three rules fol­lowing.

1 A Ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge of the sayde corne gun­powder for any Fauconet, forreine peece that is not so high as the Faucon, Faucon, Mi­nion, Saker, or Culuering which hath his proportioned length, and is fortefied with his due waight & thicknesse in mettal, must be in length 5 times the heigth of a pellet that is fitte for the peece which shall be charged with the same Ladle, and more the breadth of one finger, that is to say, The breadth of a finger is here & in the 2 other rules next following added to the length of eue­ry Ladle for to supply the wante of that parte of the plate which is cut away at the toppe of euery Ladle to make it their round like a halfe cir­cle whereby as it is thought euery Ladle will doe his of­fice the better. that parte of this Ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge of the sayde corne gunpow­der, ought to be in length foure times the heigth of such a pellet, and the breadth of one finger: and the other parte of this Ladle which must lie very close vppon and about the great ende of a staffe, and be nayled thereunto, must be in length once the heigth of such a pellet: But if any peece named in this rule shall be charged with such fine gunpowder as is mar­ked in the sixteene Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 2 then that part of his Ladle which shal holde the same charge in fine powder, must be no more in length than thrise the heigth of one of his pellettes and the breadth of one fin­ger.

2 A Ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge of the sayde corne gunpowder for any ordinary demy Culue­ringe, demy Culuering of the elder sorte, whole Culueringe not so high as ordinary, whole ordinary Culueringe, or whole Culueringe of the elder sorte, which lacketh his proportioned length, waight or due thicknesse in mettall, must be in length foure times the heigth of a pellet that is fitte for the peece which shall be charged with the same Ladle, ⅔ partes of the heigth of one such pellet, and the breadth of one finger: that is to say, that parte of this Ladle which shall holde at twise an ordina­ry charge of the sayde corne gunpowder, ought to be in length three times the heigth of such a pellet, ⅔ partes of the heigth of one such pellet, and the breadth of one finger, and the other parte of this Ladle which must lie very close vppon and about the greate ende of a staffe, and be nayled thereunto must be in length once the heigth of such a pellet.

3 A Ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinary charge of the sayde corne gun­powder [Page 30]powder for any demy Cānon, double Cānon, or any other like made peece that shooteth an yron pellet waying not aboue ½ hundred waight and twenty foure poundes of auer de poize waight, must be in length foure times the heigth of a pellet that is fitte for the peece which shall be charged with the same Ladle: And the breadth of one finger: that is to say, that parte of the Ladle which shall holde at twise an ordinarie charge of the sayde corne gunpowder ought to be in length three times the heigth of such a pellet and the breadth of one finger: And the other parte of this Ladle which must lie very close vppon & about the great ende of a staffe and be nayled thereunto, must be in length once the heigth of such a pellet: But if you will charge any of these peeces with such gunpowder as is marked in the 16 Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 2, then that parte of the Ladle which shall holde at twise a due charge in such fine gunpowder for the same peece, must bee in length no more than twise the heigth of a pellet that is fitte for the same peece, and ⅔ of the heigth of such a pellet.

The 32. Chapter. How you may knowe the diameter of any Chamber bored Cannon: and make a Ladle for any Chamber bored Cannon.

TO make a Ladle for a Chamber bored Cannon, measure the heigth of his Chamber in this sort following: Thrust downe a small rounde yron pyn with a little hooke at his lower ende thorowe the touchhole vnto the lowest parte of the peece his concauitie, and then marke with a red stone or otherwise that parte of the sayde yron pyn which is tou­ched with the mettall in the vpper ende of the touchhole. After this pull vp the sayd yron pyn, and suffering his hooke to stay in the mettall of the peece at the lower ende of the touchhole, marke againe with a red stone or otherwise that part of the sayde yron which is touched with the mettall in the sayde vpper ende of the touchhole: And when you haue so done, drawe all the yron pyn out of the touchhole, and noting well the space betweene the sayde two markes, adde thereunto the height of the sayde hooke, and take the whole measure thereof for the heigth of the Chamber in that Cannon: The length of a Chamber in a chamber bo­red peece is commonly 4. times the dia­meter at the mouth of his peece: that is to say, 3 times the sayde dia­meter for his charge in gun­powder, and once the sayde diameter for his wadde. This done, open your compasse within ⅛ of an ynche to the widenesse of ½ of that heigth, and setting one foote of your compasse faste vppon a peece of paper, or vppon a smoothe boorde, drawe there­on with the other foote a circle which will be ¼ of an ynche shorter in his diameter than the heigth of the sayde Chamber, and by that circle search out the breadth of a Ladle for the sayde Chamber bored Cannon, as you haue beene taught in the 31 Chapter of this Appendix, to seeke for the breadthes of other Ladles by the circumference of a pellet: And when you haue so done, note that a Ladle of that breadth for a Chamber bo­red Cannon which shall be charged with such fine gunpowder as is marked in the sixteene Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 2, must be in length twise so much as the diameter of the sayde circle, and ⅔ partes of the same diameter: and that a Ladle of that breadth for a Chamber bored Cannon which shall be charged with such grosse gunpow­der as is marked in the sayde sixteene Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 1, must be in length thrise so much as the diameter of the sayde circle,

The 33 Chapter. How you may make a Ladle for any Bell bored Cannon.

TAke a staffe somewhat longer than the Bell bored Cannon, and neare vnto one of his ends pearse a hole thorow the sides of the staffe, & thrust a bygwier into the same hole, & make it to stand fast there like a crosse. This wyer in his length ought to be equall to the heigth or (which is all one) to the widenesse of the mouth in the Bell bored Cannon. After you haue set the same wyer crossewise in the staffe, thrust it into the bore of the peece so far as it wil goe, that is to say, downe to the mouth of the bel bore: which done, drawe the wyer [Page 31]out of the bore, & measure the Diameter of the bel bore vnder the touchhole, as you haue been taught in the 31 Chapter of this Appendix to measure the heigth of the chamber in the chamberbored Cannon, and adde the Diameter of the said bel bore vnto the length of the said wyer. Then opening your compasse to ¼ of the same length, set one foot therof fast vpon a smoothe boord, or vppon paper, and with the other foote draw a circle, and make the bredth of a ladle, and the circumference of a spunge for a bell bored Cannon, Note. equall to the said circle: and make this ladle in length if his peece shall be charged with such fine gun­powder as is marked in the sixteene Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 2, thrise the heigth or (which is all one) thrise the Diameter of that circle: But if this ladle shall serue for a bell bored Cannon that shall be charged with such grosse gunpowder as is marked in the sayde 16 chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 1, then the said ladle ought to bee in length thrise the heigth of that circle and ⅓ of that heigth: and now remember that euery of these two ladles doth at twise duely charge his bell bored Cannon: and that the length of the chamber in a bell bored peece is commonly foure times and a halfe the Diameter at the mouth of his Peece.

The 34 Chapter. How you may make Rammers for Faulconets, forreine ordinance that are not so high as the Faucon, Faucons, minions, Sakers, Culuerings, Basiliscoes, demie Cannons, and double Cannons: and how a Rammer and ladle which doe belong to some sort of peeces may be set vppon one staffe: and how a Rammer and ladle which doe belong to some other sort of peeces must be set vppon sundrie staues: and how a Rammer serueth to thrust home powder that shall lie loose and dispearsed within a peece, to driue a Tampion close vnto powder within a peece, and to put a pellet close vnto the Tampion: and how you may make rammers for those peeces which in Italian are called Cannoni perieri.

TO frame a Rammer for any Fauconet, forrein peece that is not so high as the Faucon, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culuering, Basilisco or Cannon, doe thus. A Rammer for a Cannon and for a whole Culuering is in some coun­tries made no longer than the Diameter of one of their pellets, and in some places a rammer is in length once & a halfe the Di­ameter of a pellet. The substance and fourme of a Tampion. Make at the ende of a strong staffe (which ought alwayes to be two foote or thereabout longer than the peece for which the rammer shall be made) a round bobbe of wood, and let that bobbe be equal in thicknesse to the heigth of a fit pellet for that peece, and in length so much as once and a halfe the heigth of the same pellet. This bobbe of wood among Gunners is named a ram­mer because it serueth to thrust home the powder which shal lie loose and dispearsed with­in a peece, to driue a Tampion close vnto a Cartredge, or to a charge of loose gunpowder within a peece, & to put a pellet close vnto the Tampion, which Tampion ought alwaies to be made of soft wood, as of willoe, popler, or such like wood, and at his foremost ende to be somewhat lesse than at his other ende. And heere by the way I must tell you that a Rammer and ladle which shall belong to any Fauconet, forrein peece that is not so high as the Faucon, Faucon, Minion, Saker, or demie Culuering lower than ordinarie may be set vppon one staffe: that is to say, the ladle may be nailed vppon one end of the staffe and the rammer may bee made at the other ende of the same staffe as this figure following doth shewe, and that a rammer and ladle which shall appertaine vnto an ordinarie demie Cul­uering, demie Culuering of the eldest sort, Culuering not so high as ordinarie, ordinarie Culuering, Culuering of the eldest fort, Basilisco or any sort of Cannon must be set vppon seuerall and sundrie staues.

There is an other kind of rammer which serueth to beat downe a Tampion of wood, close vnto a cartredge lying within the chāber of a cānō periero, & the said rāmer may be made after this maner: make (as before you haue bin taught) a bobbe of wood at the end of a [Page 32]strong staffe, let this bobbe be somwhat lesse in thicknesse than the heigth of the mouth in the chamber of his Cannon periero, & within one foote & a half of the bobbe end, place a turning wheele in the said staffe, and make the Diameter of that wheele equall to the heigth of the concauitie in the said Cannon periero. Moreouer towardes the lesser end of the said staffe put two strong sticks thorow & ouerthwart, and so you shall finish the Ram­mer which then will be like to this figure.

If two men after the Rammer is so made wil take the said two ouerthwart sticks in their hands, and putting the bobbe end of this Rammer into his Cannon periero charged with a cartredge and a tampion, will at one instant time thrust the saide Rammer with a good strength downe vppon the tampion, they may through the help of the said turning wheele (which guideth the Rammer iust vppon the tampion) beate the same tampion close vnto the said Cartredge.

The 35 Chapter. How you may make spunges or scourers for any sort of great peeces: and how spunges doe serue to make cleane soule peeces, and to coole hot peeces.

AS euery great peece ought to haue his ladle and rammer, so euery great peece ought to haue a fit spunge or (which is all one,) a fit scowrer seruing to make a peece cleane so often as neede shall require, and being well wet with cleane water, or vineger, or rather with one part of vineger, and two partes of water mingled togeather, to coole a peece whensoeuer it shall happen through many shootes to be very hotte: therefore to make a spunge or scowrer, prouide a staffe (as you haue been willed to doe for a Rammer) more longer by two foote or thereabout than the concauitie of the Peece for which the spunge shall be made, & frame at one end of this staffe a bobbe like a rammer, and let this bobbe be somewhat lesse in compasse than the circumference of the concauitie in the said peece. This done, couer the saide bobbe all ouer with a peece of sheepes skinne that hath long wooll vppon it, put the wooll side outwardes, and naile fast the same peece of sheepes skin vppon the said bobbe, and in so doing remember that euery spunge ought when it is thrust into his peece to stoppe vp very closely all the concauitie where it lyeth.

Note.If in time of neede such a spunge can not bee prouided, you may binde your cappe or some other peece of cloth full and hard stuffed with straw or hay vppon one end of a long staffe, and vse the same staffe so dressed for a spunge. Also in time of neede for want of a ram­mer, you may with a staffe so dressed thrust home gunpowder within a peece.

The 36 Chapter. How you may make Cartredges vppon a round moulde or forme of wood.

MAke vppon a long and rounde mould or fourme of wood like vnto the picture in the margent, a long and round bagge of paper, fustian, or canuasse: Let the rounde wide­nesse of this bagge bee a little lesse than the circumference of the concauitie in the peece [Page 33]that shall shoote this Cartredge, and make the length of this bagge equal to the iust length of the ladle which be­longeth to the peece that shall shoote the Cartredge. Moreouer fashion this bagge with a round flat bottome, and then putting into the same bagge so much gunpowder, as the peece which shal shoote this bagge requi­reth for his due charge, shut vp the vpper end or mouth of the bagge, & when you wil after­wards put this bagge of gunpowder (which among Gunners is called a Cartredge) into the bore or concauity of any gunne, remember to cut cleane away (before you do put it into a gunne) that peece of the bagge which shall lie directly vnder and next to the touchhole of the gunne, to this end, that only by putting fire vnto the gunpowder in the touchhole, you may without any faile giue fire to all the gunpowder in the said bagge or Cartredge.

Also you may make Cartredges for any great peece of artillery by these rules folowing.

A Cartredge for a Fauconet, Faucon, Miniō, Saker, & Culuering which hath his propor­tioned length, iust waight, & due thicknes in mettall, ought to bee foure baules in length, that is to say foure times the diameter of one of their fit pellets, & in breadth [...] baules lac­king [...] part of a baule, I meane such baules as are in the length of the same Cartredges.

A Cartredge for euery Cannon & Basiliske ought to be in length 2 baules & [...] of a baule: that is to say, 2 times the Diameter of one of their fit pellets, & [...] of the Diameter of one such pellet, & euery such cartredge ought to be in bredth 3 baules lacking [...] part of a baule I meane such baules as are in the length of the said Cartrege.

A Cartredge for a Cannon periero, & for euery other peece which shooteth a pellet of stone ought to be in length twise the diameter of the mouth in the chāber of his peece, & in bredth 3 baules lacking [...] part of a baule, I meane such baules as are in the length of the said Cartredge.

When you will make a bag for a Cartredge vppon a mould or fourme, & paste or glue together the sides of the same bagge, annoint well with tallow that part of the said fourme which shall lie vnder the paste or glue, & suffer the bagge to remaine vppon his fourme till the paste or glue shalbe thorow drie, for in drawing the said fourme out of the bagge, you shall see that the bagge will then cleaue to no part of the annointed fourme.

The 37 Chapter. How great peeces of artillery are named & how through the intollerable fault of carelesse or vnskil­full Gunfounders all our great Peeces of one name are not of one length, nor of one waight, nor of one heigth in their mouthes.

OVr great peeces of artillery are knowne by these names: double Cannō of the biggest sort, double Cānon of the ordinarie sort, French double Cānon, demie Cannon of the biggest sort, demie Cānon of the ordinary sort, demie Cānon of an extraordinary sort, frēch demie Cānon, Cannō with a bel bore, Cannō with a chāber bore, Basilisk, Culuering of the biggest sort, Culuering of the ordinary sort, Culuering of an extraordinary sort, demie Cul­uering of the biggest sort, demie Culuering of the ordinary sort, demie Culuering of an ex­traordinary sort, Saker of the biggest sort, Saker of the ordinary sort, Saker of an extraordi­narie sort, Miniō of the biggest sort, Miniō of the ordinary sort, Moiane, Passauolante or Ze­bratana, Faucon of the ordinary sort, Faucon of an extraordinary sort, Fauconet, Cannon periero of the old making, Cannon periero of the nwe making, Morter peece, Base, Rabi­net, Fowler, Sling, Portpeece, Rebadochino, Aspidi, Smeriglio, Harchibusacrock & musket. But through the intollerable fault of carelesse or vnskilfull gunfounders all our great pee­ces of one name are not of one lēgth, nor of one waight nor of one heigth in their mouthes & therfore the gūners bookes & tables which do shew that al our great peeces of one name are of an equal length, & of an equal waight, & of an equall heigth in their mouthes are er­ronious.

The 38. Chapter. The mixture of mettals whereof great peeces of artillery ought to be made.

THe mixture of mettals which is vsed for the making of good & seruiceable peeces of ar­tillery, doth consist of copper, tyn, & latten: & we in Englād do cal the said mixture in our [Page 34]mother tongue brasse, and in Italian Bronzo. The gunfounders doe vse to put into the said mixture for euery fiuescore poundes in waight of pure copper, tenne poundes in waight of good latten, and eight poundes in waight of cleane tynne. The tynne (as the Gunfoun­ders doe say) causeth the said mixture to be hard, the latten helpeth much to incorporate the mettals togeather and maketh the mixture to bee of a good colour, and the copper doth much strengthen the same mixture, although among Gunners this is an approued veritie, that the peeces of artillerie which are cast of the same mixture are apte to breake after they are made hot with many shootes.

The 39 Chapter. Rules by which you may know the proportioned length, iust waight, and due thicknesse of mettall which ought to be in great peeces of artillerie.

Length.1 EVery Fauconet, and forrein peece, which shooteth not a bullet bigger than the bul­let of a Fauconet, ought to be in length 34 times the Diameter of his mouth.

2 Waight.2 Euery Fauconet and forrein Peece which shooteth not a bullet bigger than the bul­let of a Fauconet ought to waye in mettall 242 poundes and ⅔ of a pounde of auer de poize waight for euery like pound waight of mettall in his pellet: Thicknesse. Or the thicknesse of mettal at the bottome of the bore in euery Fauconet & forreine Peece which shooteth not a bullet bigger than the bullet of a Fauconet ought to be so much as the Diameter in the mouth of the same bore, and the thicknesse of mettall at the touchhole in euery of the said Peeces ought to be [...]/ [...] of the said Diameter, and the thicknesse of mettall at the trunnions in euery of the said Peeces ought to be 63/ [...] of the said Diameter, and the thicknesse of met­tall at the necke of euery such Peece ought to be ⅜ of the said Diameter.

Length.3 Euery Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane and Culuering, ought to be in length 32 times the Diameter of his mouth.

Waight.4 Euery Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane and Culuering, ought to waie in mettall 242 pounds and ⅔ of a pound of auer de poize waight for euery like pound waight of mettall in his pellet: Thicknesse. Or the thicknesse of mettall at the bottome of the bore in eue­rie Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culuering, ought to be so much as the Diameter in the mouth of the same bore: and the thicknesse of mettall at the touchhole in euery of the said Peeces ought to be 9/8 of the said Diameter, and the thicknesse of mettal at the trunnions in euery of the same Peeces ought to be 63/64 of the said Diameter, and the thicknesse of mettall at the necke of euery such Peece ought to bee 3/8 of the saide Dia­meter.

Length. The Cannons which haue a longer length than this pro­portioned length are cal­led Basterd Cannons. Waight Thicknesse.5 The proportioned length of euery quarter Cannon is 28 times the Diameter of his mouth: the proportioned length of euery demie Cannon is betweene 21 and 25 times the Diameter of his mouth: the proportioned length of euery double Cannon is 18 times the Diameter of his mouth: and the proportioned length of euerie Basiliske is bitweene 24 and 31 times the Diameter of his mouth.

6 Euery Cannon and Basiliske ought to waie 161 poundes, twelue ounces, three drammes, one scruple, thirteene graines and 1/ [...] of a graine in mettall of auer de poize waight for euery pound of like waight in his pellet: Or the thicknesse of mettal at the bottome of the bore in euery Cannon ought to be so much as the Diameter in the mouth of the same bore, A cannon thus fortified with mettall (as Luigui Colla­do writeth) may be char­ged with ⅔ in fine gūpowder of his pellet waight. I mean such gunpow­der as is mar­ked in the six­teenth chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 2. and the thicknesse of mettall at the touchhole in euery Cannon ought to bee 9/8 or at the least so much as the said Diameter: and the thicknesse of mettall at the trunnions in euery Cannon ought to be so much as the said Diameter, or at the least ⅝ partes of the same Diameter: and the thicknesse of mettall at the necke in euery Cannon ought to bee 5/ [...] partes of the said Diameter: and the thicknesse of mettall at the bottome of the bore in euery Basilisk ought to be a little more than the Diameter in the mouth of the same bore: and the thicknesse of mettall at the touchhole in euery Basiliske ought to be [...]1/22 of the said Diameter: and the thicknesse of mettall at the trunnions in euery Basiliske ought to be 41/44 of the said Diameter: and the thicknesse of mettall at the necke in euery Basiliske ought to be 5/ [...] of the said Diameter.

[Page]

[Page]

[Page 35]7 There are two sortes of such peeces as are named Cannoni perieri: that is to say, there are Cannoni perieri of the old making, and there are Cannoni perieri of a nwe making, and the Cannoni perieri of both these two sorts are alwaies chamber bored.

Length.8 The proportioned length of euery Cannon periero is betweene sixe and eight times the Diameter of his mouth.

Chamber.9 The length of the chamber in euery Cannon periero of the olde making ought to be foure times and ½ the Diameter at the mouth of the chamber.

Chamber.10 The diameter at the mouth of the chamber in euery Cannon periero of the old ma­king, ought to be ⅔ parts of the Diameter in the mouth of the Cannon periero.

Waight.11 Euery Cannon periero ought to waie in mettall 80 poundes, fourteene ounces, one dramme, two scruples, sixe graines, and ⅔ of a graine of auer de poize waight for euery like pound waight of stone in his pellet: Thicknesse.Or the thicknesse of mettall at the bottome of the bore in euery Cannon periero ought to bee so much as the Diameter at the mouth of his chamber, or (which is all one) ⅔ of the Diameter at the mouth of the Cannon periero: and the thicknesse of mettall at the touchhole in euery Cannon periero of the old making ought to be ½ of the Diameter at [...]e mouth of the said Cannon periero, and the thicke­nesse of mettall at the mouth of t [...] chamber in euery Cannon periero of the olde making ought to be ⅙ part of the Diameter at the mouth of the cannon periero: and the thicke­nesse of mettall at the trunnions in euery cannon periero of the olde making ought to be ¼ part of the Diameter at the mouth of the cannon periero: and the thicknesse of mettall at the necke of euery cannon periero of the old making ought to be ⅙ part of the Diame­ter at the mouth of the cannon periero: and the thicknesse of mettall at the touchhole in euery cannon periero of the nwe making ought to be so much as the Diameter at the mouth of the chamber in the cannon periero: and the thicknesse of mettall in the gumme of the mouth of euery cannon periero of the nwe making, ought to be ½ of the Diameter at the mouth of the chamber in the cannon periero: and the thicknesse of mettall at the trunnions in euery cannon periero of the nwe making ought to be ½ of the diameter at the mouth of the chamber in the cannon periero, and the thicknesse of mettall at the necke of euery cannon periero of the nwe making ought to bee ⅓ part of the Diameter at the mouth of the chamber in the cannon periero:

12 The length of the chamber in euery cānon periero of the nwe making, ought to be shorter than the length of a chamber in a cannon periero of the old making, because the gunpowder which in this our age doth commōly charge euery cannon periero, is more stronger than the gunpowder which did charge in time past the Cannoni perieri of the old making.

Morter p [...]13 The thicknesse of mettall at the breech of euery motter peece ought to be so much as the Diameter in the mouth of his chamber: the thicknesse of mettall at the trunnions in euery morter peece, ought to be so much as the semidiameter of the mouth in the cham­ber: and the thicknesse of mettall at the necke of euery morter peece ought to be [...] part of the Diameter in the mouth of the chamber.

14 The Diameter at the mouth of the chamber in euery morter peece, ought to bee equall to the semidiameter in the mouth of the morter peece: & the length of euery cham­ber in a morter peece ought to be so much as once and a halfe the Diameter of the cham­ber.

The vse [...] morter p [...] Note.15 Morter peeces are commonly vsed in the night time to shoot pellets of stone, baules of wildefire, cases filled full of stones, pellets of lead, or square peeces of yron: Note. And when an expert gunner will shoote in a morter peece he putteth no wadde vppon the powder in the peece, nor giueth fire to the same peece in any other place than at his mouth with a gunmatch.

The 40 Chapter. To measure the thicknesse of mettall in any part of a peece of artillerie.

MEasure first with a paire of calleper cōpasses, or with an ynch rule the whole thicknes of the peece. Likewise measure with a paire of other cōpasses, I mean straight cōpasses, or with [Page 36]an ynch rule the Diameter or (which is all one) the heigth of the concauitie in the Peece: then subtracting the heigth of the said concauitie frō the whole thicknesse of the Peece in that part which was so measured, take half of the remainder for the thicknes of the mettal in that measured part of the peece: Or for lacke of a payre of calleper compasses put a gir­dle or string that will not stretch round about the outside of the Peece in that part which is to be measured, & measure exactly so much of that girdle or string as went about the peece: this done, multiplie that measure by seuen, and deuide the product by 22, and so the quo­tient wil giue you the true measure of the whole thicknesse of the Peece in that part which was measured: the rest of this worke you must doe as you did when you measured the whole thicknesse of the Peece with a paire of Calleper compasses.

The 41 Chapter. How euery great peece of Artillerie hath trunnions for three causes: and how Gunfounders may learne to set the trunnions of euery great peece in their due places.

EVery great Peece of artillerie hath trunnions for thre causes, of which the first is to hold vp the Peece vppon his carriage, the second is to make a Peece when it resteth vppon them in his carriage to moue easilie vp and downe, and at the will of the Gunner to lie sometimes leuell, and sometimes mounted: And the thirde cause is, that they set in their due places, and well laid vppon a fit carriage, wil make their Peece in his discharge to lie fast and steadie without any mouing forwardes, or backwards, downeward, or towardes any side, wherein the whole inportance of the shoote doth rest. When the trunnions of a Peece are set to high, that is to say, more nearer to the mouth of their Peece thā they should be, then the Peece in which the trunnions are so set will be so heauie at his taile, as that the Gunner shall not without great paine and strength lift it vp. And when the trunnions of a peece shall be set too loe, that is to say more nearer to the touchhole than they should be, then the mouth of their Peece (by meanes of the vnequall and great waight which is be­tween the said mouth and the said trunnions) will in his discharge fall downe towards the ground, wherefore I will not wrap vp here in silence the rules by which gunfounders may alwaies set the trunnions of euery great Peece in their due places.

Diuide the length of the Peece into seuen equall partes, and in the third part measured from the touchhole towards the mouth of the Peece set the trunnions so as ⅔ partes of the circumference of the Peece in that place where the trunnions shall be set, may bee seene aboue vppon, the Peece betweene the two trunnions. Also a Gunfounder skilfull in the arte of numbring, may by the helpe of the golden rule set the trunnions of euery great Peece in their due places after this maner: hee may multiplie the length of the Peece in which the trunnions shall be set by three, and hauing diuided the product thereof by seuen note the quotient number for the measure of the space between the loest end of the peece his concauitie and the place where the trunnions must be set: As for example if a Gun­founder would know in what part of a peece which is 144 ynches in length the trunnions of the same Peece should be set, he must multiplie 144 the length of the Peece by three, whereof will come 432 which diuided by seuen yeeldeth in the quotient 61 ynches and 5/7 of an ynch for the space betweene the loest end of that peece his concauitie and the place where the trunnions of the same Peece ought to stand.

The 42 Chapter. How great peeces of artillerie may be cast of lead? how the thicknesse of a leaden peece round about the concauitie so farre as the due charge of gunpowder for the same peece will reach ought to be once & a halfe, so much as the height of a pellet that is fit for the same peece: how the thicknesse of a leaden peece at his necke round about the concauitie, ought to be ⅔ partes of the heigth of the said pellet: how any one peece of what weight soeuer it is, may be drawne by the strength of many men from one place to another. And how olde rustie yron serueth to make gunne pellets better than nwe yron.

[Page 37]VVHen a citie or towne shall be besieged that hath in it no yron, or brasse pee­ces of artillerie for offensiue and defensiue seruice, then the inhabitants of that Cittie or Towne may in time of need cause great peeces of artillery to be cast of lead, whereof there is no lacke within any Cittie or Towne of England, for such peeces of lead wil beare well the ordinary charge of powder and pellet, if from the touchhole so farre as the due charge of gunpowder for the same peece will reach, the thicknesse of the mettall round about the concauitie of the peece bee once and a halfe the heigth of his pellet, and that the thicknesse of the mettall round about the concauitie at the necke of the peece bee ⅔ partes of the heigth of the said pellet. An Admoni­tion. But these peeces be­ing made very hot with much shooting will quickly breake, therefore the Gunners must not shoote in them when they are very hot.

Although a peece of artillery so cast of lead will be of a great waight, yet this is to be be­leeued that a peece so cast of lead will be easily drawne by the strength of many men from one place to an other within a Towne. For Luigui Collado in the 71 chapter of his Pratica manuale di arteglieria saith, that in Barcellona a chamber belonging to a peece was of such waight as twentie men might not lift it, and that poore people did vse in Sommer to sleepe within the saide peece which had a bedde or carriage more than three fa­dome about. And we may also reade in the second booke and sixteenth chapter of Eng­lands description in Hollēsheads Cronicles, that the great Turke had a gunne (cast by one Orbane a Dane) which was drawne to the siege of Constantinople by two thousand men and seuenty yokes of Oxen. This Orbane did also cast for the Turke one other great Peece which did shoote a pellet of more waight than two talents. Here I might take occasion by reason of that which hath byn written in this Chapter to shew how great peeces of artillery and pellets of yron are cast, but I will passe ouer the same with silence, and referre those which are desirous to learne how peeces of artillerie & yron pellets are cast, to the Pirotechnie of Ʋannuccio Biringuccio where they may read enough thereof, and see that old rustie yron is better to make gunne pellets than nwe yron.

The 43 Chapter. How you may see, & also otherwise know whether or no honie combes, crackes, or flawes are within the concauitie of any great peece of artillerie.

SO soone as you haue charged and discharged a peece, couer very close the mouth of the same peece all ouer with leather, and at the same instant cause an other person to stoppe vp sodainely the touchhole of the same peece: and so if any vnknowne flawes or crackes do goe thorow the mettal in any part of the peece, a visible smoke wil come out of the peece thorow the same hidden flawes & cracks. Also you may when the Sunne shineth take a steele glasse, and with the same cast the beames or shadow of the Sunne into the mouth or concauitie of the peece: for by this meanes a very great and cleere light will be within the concauitie of the peece, and by that cleare light you shall plainly see euery honie combe, cracke, and flaw within the same concauitie. But forasmuch as the Sunne doth not alwaies shine and that at some time in a bright Sunne shining day a steele glasse may bee wanting, you may at such times take a sticke somewhat longer than the concauitie of the peece, and hauing clouen one end of the said sticke for to hold an ende of a candle, light an end of a candle, and put the same into the said clift, and thrust that lighted end of a candle sticking fast in the said clift or slit downe to the loest end of the concauitie in the gunne, and looke circumspectly by the light of the same candle whether or no any honie combes, flawes or crackes are in the concauitie of that gunne. Also if you striking a peece of artillery vppon the out side of the mettal in diuers places with an yrō hammer shal at euery stroke heare a cleare sound, it is a signe that the same peece is without any hony cōbes, flawes, or cracks: But if you so striking the peece of artillery with an yron hammer shall heare a hoarse sound, then without doubt there are honie combes, flawes, or crackes in the same peece.

The 44 Chapter. How any great peece of artillery may be drawne ouer a soft marrish ground, bog, or owes.

[Page 38]WHen you shall haue occasion to drawe any great peece of artillerie ouer a soft mar­rish ground, bogge, or owes, make for the same peece a strong carriage like vnto a flat bottomed bote that is brode at one end and sharpe at the other ende as this figure heare drawne doth shew.

Let the said carriage be tight, so as no water or durt may come into it, and when you haue so done, lay the peece of artillery vppon the saide carriage that it may not by any meanes role or fal of from it, and vppon one or (if you may) vppon both sides of the soft grounde cause oxen, or horses, or men (where no oxen or horses may goe) to drawe all to­geather the peece so lying in his carriage ouer the same soft grounde, which will not bee a hard worke to doe, for (as I haue read) a double Cannon will swimme vppon such a car­riage in a water of one foote in depth, and lying vppon such a carriage can not sinke the same carriage in any marrish, bogge or owes aboue halfe a foote.

The 45 Chapter. How by knowing the certaine number of men, horses, or oxen which will draw any one peece of artille­rie, you may tell what number of men, horses, or oxen will be able to drawe any other peece of ar­tillerie: how you may know what number of men will in drawing counteruaile any number of hor­ses, or oxen: how you may know what number of horses will in drawing counteruaile any number of Oxen: & how this is to bee noted that a fraction in a quotient number of men, horses, or oxen is not to bee reckoned.

VVRite first in your memoriall that 80 men may drawe a Peece of artillerie waying eight thousand poundes in waight, and that sixe horses may drawe a peece of 860 poundes in waight, and that sixe oxen may drawe a peece of Artillerie waying 1058 poundes in waight, and afterwardes if you shall be asked what number of men will suf­fice to drawe any Peece of Artillerie, multiplie the waight of the Peece by which the que­stion is asked in 80 the number of men that will suffice (as you haue noted in your me­moriall) to drawe a peece of eight thousand poundes in waight, and deuide the product thereof by eight thousand the waight of the Peece which 80 men may drawe, and so the quotient will shew the number of men that will suffice to drawe the peece of which the question was asked. As for example it shall be supposed that this question is asked, what number of men will suffice to drawe a peece waying 860 poundes in waight? To aunswere the same question, I multiplie 860 the waight of the Peece by which the que­stion was asked in 80 the number of men which (as I haue noted in my memoriall) will suffice to drawe a peece of eight thousande poundes in waight, and thereof commeth 68800 which I deuide by the said number of eight thousand the waight of the Peece which (as my memorial doth record) may bee drawne with fourescore men, and so the quotient yeeldeth eight (leauing out the fraction which remaineth) for the number of men that wil [Page 39]suffice to drawe the same peece of 860 poundes in waight, which by reduction maketh seuen hundred waight, ½ hundred waight, and twentie poundes of Auer de poize waight of England. Also let it be supposed that I am required to to tell what number of oxen will suffice to drawe the saide peece waying 860 poundes in waight? For to aunswere this question I peruse my memoriall and finding there that sixe Oxen will suffice to drawe a peece of 1058 poundes in waight, I multiplie 860 the waight of the peece by which the question was asked, in sixe the number of oxen which will suffice to draw the said peece of 1058 poundes in waight, and so the product thereof is 5160, and then diuiding the said produced number videlicet 5160 by 1058 the waight of the peece which sixe oxen will draw I finde in the quotient foure (leauing out the fraction which remaineth) for the number of oxen which will suffice to drawe a peece of 860 poundes in waight. Like­wise if I should be required to tell what number of horses will suffice to draw a peece of 1800 poundes in waight, I would multiplie 1800 the waight of the peece by which the question is asked in sixe the number of horses (which as I am instructed by my said memo­riall will suffice to draw a peece of 860 poundes in waight) and diuide the product ther­of by the said number of 860, and take the quotient thereof which is twelue (leauing out the remaining fraction) for the number of horses which will suffice to draw the said peece of 1800 poundes in waight.

After this maner (leauing out alwaies the fraction which shall remaine, because it is not to be reckoned in an answere to a question concerning the number of men, horses, or ox­en which will suffice to drawe a peece of artillerie) you may tell what number of men, hor­ses, or oxen will suffice to drawe any peece of artillerie whatsoeuer, what number of men will in drawing counteruaile any number of horses, or oxen, and what number of horses will in drawing counteruaile any number of oxen.

The 46 Chapter. How all platfourmes for great Ordinance ought to be couered with woodden planks: and how it is better to plant great Ordinance vppon plaine and leuell platfourmes, than vppon slope platfourmes.

COuer all platformes for great Ordinance with thicke, & smooth, woodden planks ioi­ned close together: for if great peeces of artillerie be in time of seruice planted vppon a floore of earth, the wheeles of their cariages may with recoiles so sinke into the ground, that the gunners shall not be able to manage well the same peeces. And though some plat­fourmes for great Ordinance are high behind the carriages of peeces, and loe where the wheeles of the same carriages shal ordinarily stand, to this end that the peeces lying in their carriages vppon the same slope platfourmes may after they haue recoyled bee speedily brought againe into their ordinary places, yet (as many expert men in the gunners art do thinke) it is better to plant great Ordinance vppon plaine and leuell platfourmes, than vppon slope platfourmes, because the great peeces of artillery which shall bee discharged from such slope platfourmes will oftentimes shoote short of their markes.

The 47 Chapter. How you may know by a gunners Quadrant, and also by a gunners Semicircle whether or no a plat­fourme for great Ordinance, or any other peece of grounde, lyeth in a perfect leuell.

[Page 40]TO perceiue whether or no a platfourme for great Ordinance, or any other peece of grounde lyeth in a perfect leuell, let vs suppose that L M is the platfoume or peece of grounde vppon which great Ordinance shall be planted, & that I am required to tell whe­ther or no the said platfourme is plaine and leuell. For this purpose I place my Quadrant or Semicircle vppon a staffe, or some other vnmooueable thing, and doe mooue it vp or downe vntill the line and plummet vpon the same doth hang precisely vppon the line of le­uell, that is to say in the Quadrant vppon the line H L, and in the Semicircle vppon the line R S: and then looking through the sightes or channell of the same Quadrant or Se­micircle, I doe see N a marke which is leuell with mine eie, and fixed in a staffe or such a like thing perpendicularlie erected. After this I measure exactly the heigth of mine eye from the grounde, that is to say the length of the line O L, and likewise I measure the heigth of the said marke N, that is to say the length of the line N M, and because I finde by so doing that the said line N M is equall to the line O L, and that the said platforme or peece of grounde doth lie vppon the right side, and vppon the left side according as the line L M doth lie, I conclude that the sayd grounde L M lyeth in a perfect leuel. For the line L M which lyeth along vppon that peece of ground (by the 33 proposition of the first booke of Euclide) is equidistant to the line O N which goeth by the plane of the Horizon, and consequently the said peece of ground or platfourme vppon which the said line L M goeth is equidistant (by the foureteenth proposition of the eleuenth booke of Euclide) to the plane of the Horizon. But if the line N M had been longer than the line O L, I woulde haue concluded that the same peece of ground is more lower at M than it is at L. And contrariwise if the line M N had been shorter than the line O L, I would haue concluded that the same ground is more higher at M than it is at L. And after this sort I will proceede to the right side, and to the left side, and prooue whether or no the said platfourme or peece of ground doth lie rounde about according as the said line L M doth lie. And so by this supposed worke you may learne to trie whether or no a platforme, or any other peece of ground lieth in a perfect leuell.

The 48 Chapter. How Gabbions or Baskets of earth may be made vppon platfourmes in time of militarie seruice for the defence of Gunners: and how men vppon a platfourme or vppon the walles of a Cittie, Towne, or Fort, where no Gabbions or Baskets of earth are to shadow them in time of militarie seruice, may be shadowed with canuas, cables, ropes, wet straw or hay, mattresses or ship sailes.

[Page 41]PRepare a conuenient number of osiar twigges or pliant roddes, and for euery gabbion or basket which shall be made 16 long stakes: set the stakes of euery basket vpright in the fourme of a circle and fast in the ground neere vnto the sides of such great peeces as shall be vsed for defensiue and offensiue seruice. And let each peece of grounde which shall be so circularwise enclosed with 16 stakes for a gabbion or basket, bee foure foote wide within the stakes. This done, wreath about the stakes of each gabbion or basket so many of the said Osiar twigges or pliant roddes as will suffice to make euery basket extende one foote in heigth aboue the head of the taulest gunner. After you haue so done, fill vp the said baskets with earth which must be throwne into each basket by a little and little at a time, and cause a man standing within euery basket to treade well and ramme downe all the same earth as it shall be so cast in. But when gunners shall serue vppon a platfourme where no baskets of earth are set to defende them, they may shadow themselues with ca­bles, or bigge ropes, with wet strawe or wet hay, with dead bodies of enemies, with mattres­ses, shippe sailes or canuas hanged stiffe vp so as the enemie shall not see any marke or man vppon the platfourme to shoote at, and with a line drawe vp the nearer or loost end of the same mattresses, ship sailes or canuas, so often as they shall haue cause to shoote at their enemies. This deuise as some men doe thinke will be also profitable for those that shall in time of warre stand vppon the walles of a cittie, towne, or forte, because they may put vp at their pleasure the canuas, & looke vnder the same with more safety than through the loope or looke holes in the wall at which the enemis are alwayes readie to shoote.

If for defence in seruice you will make a double Gabbion which at the least ought to be eight foote in widenesse and 25 feete and 1/7 of a foote in compasse, digge at the ende of euery foote in measure vppon that compasse, a whole foote & ½ foote or somwhat more in deepenesse and set vpright in euery of the said holes a staffe often foote in length and in compasse so bigge as a mans arme. This done, wreath pliant twigges of Osiar, or of nut trees, or of oke, or of willoe about all the same erected staues vp to their tops, & while you are so occupied, cause an other man with a woodden beetle to beate downe your worke close togeather, whereby it will be more able to resist the violent bloe of a pellet: Also in the very middest of the Gabbion driue a strong peece of oke into the ground, & lay other peeces of tymber ioyned fast togeather ouerthwarte the gabbion from one of his sides to the other. After all this, fill vp the said gabbion with good clay, or with blacke, small, and wet earth well rammed downe, or with greene turfes digged out of meddowes, or with bagges full of earth or fine sande, or with bagges of wooll which is the best thing of al for this purpose and take heed that you do put no stone into any gabbion among those things which do fill it vp.

The 49 Chapter. Rules by which Rabinets, Bases, Fauconets, forreine ordinance that are not so high as the Faucon, Faucons, Minions, Sakers, Culuerings, Basiliskes, Cannons, and all peeces which do shoote stone pel­lets may for proofe and also for seruice be duely charged with that sort of corne gunpowder which is marked in the 16 Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 1, and by which you may tell what roome a due charge of such corne gunpowder will fill vp in the concauitie of any great peece that shooteth pellets of lead, or pellets of yron.

1 YOu may prooue all sorts of great peeces with three shoots in this maner following. Charge euery Rabinet, Base, Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Moiane, Saker, & Culuering which is fortified with mettal as it ought to be, for the first shoote of proofe with the whole waight in gunpowder of his pellet, for the se­cond shoote of proofe with 5/4 in gunpowder of the waight in his pellet, & for the third and last shoote of proofe with 3/2 in gunpowder of the waight in his pellet. As for example, if a peece which shalbe prooued doth shoote a pellet of 12 pounds in waight, you must charge the said peece for the first shoote of proof, with 12 poundes in gunpowder, for the second shoote of proofe, with 15 poundes in gunpowder, and for the third shoote of proofe with eighteene poundes in gunpowder.

2 Charge euery Cānon & Basilisk for the first shoot of proof with ⅔ in gūpowder of the waight in his pellet, for the second shoot of proof with ⅚ partes in gūpowder of the waight [Page 42]in his pellet, and for the third and last shoote of proofe with the whole waight of his pellet in gūpowder. As for example if any Peece named in this second rule shall be prooued with a fit pellet of 45 poundes in waight, you must charge the said peece for the first shoote of proofe with thirtie poundes in gunpowder, and for the second shoote of proofe with 37. poundes and ½ pound in gunpowder, and for the third and last shoote of proofe with 45 pounds in gunpowder.

3 Charge euery cannon periero of the olde making for the first shoote of proofe with ⅓ in gunpowder of the waight in his stone pellet, for the second shoote of proofe with 7/18 partes in gunpowder of the waight in his stone pellet, and for the third and last shoote of proofe with 4/9 partes in gunpowder of the waight in his stone pellet. As for example, if a cannon periero of the old making shall be prooued with a fit stone pellet of 36 poundes in waight, you must charge the said cannon periero for the first shoote of proofe with 12 poundes in gunpowder, for the second shoote of proofe with 14 poundes in gunpowder, and for the third shoote of proofe with 16 poundes in gunpowder.

4 Charge euery cannon periero of the nwe making for the first shoote of proofe with ½ in gunpowder of the waight in his stone pellet, for the second shoote of proofe with 5/ [...] parts in gunpowder of the waight in his stone pellet, & for the third and last shoote with ¾ parts in gunpowder of the waight in his stone pellet. As for example, if a cannon periero of the nwe making shall be prooued with a fit stone pellet of 36 poundes in waight, you must charge the said cannon periero for the first shoote of proofe with 18 poundes in gunpow­der, for the second shoote of proofe with 22 poundes and ½ pounde in gunpowder, and for the third and last shoote of proofe with 27 poundes in gunpowder.

5 Also you may prooue any great peece of artillerie by these rules following: charge and discharge thrise togeather, for proofe euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Base, Rabinet, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Passauolante, and demie Culuering loer than ordinarie with the whole waight in corne gunpowder of his leaden pellet.

6 Charge & discharge thrise togeather for proofe, euery ordinary demie Culuering, demie Culuering of the biggest sort, whole Culuering not so high as ordinary, whole ordi­narie demie Culuering, and whole Culuering of the biggest sort which is not so well for­tified with mettall as it should be, with the whole waight in corne gunpowder of his yron pellet.

7 For proofe charge & discharge thrise togeather euery Cannon, & Basiliske, which shooteth an yron pellet of lesse waight than ½ hundred waight, and 24 poundes of auer de poize waight in Englande, with the whole poise in corne gunpowder of the waight in his pellet.

8 For proofe charge and discharge thrise togeather euery cannon periero and euery other peece which shooteth a stone pellet of lesse waight than ½ hundred waight, tenne pounds and three ounces of auer de poize waight in England, with ⅓ part in corne gunpow­der of the poyse in his stone pellet.

9 For seruice charge euery Rabinet, Base, Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culuering which is duely fortified with mettall, with the whole waight in corne gunpowder of his yron pellet: And note that such a charge in gunpowder filleth vp within the concauitie of euery Peece named in this rule, so much roome as will containe foure fit pellets and the breadth of one finger ioyned to them.

10 For seruice charge euery ordinary demie Culuering, demie Culuering of the biggest sort, whole Culuering not so high as ordinarie, whole ordinary Culuering and whole Cul­uering of the biggest sort which is not duely fortified with mettall, with ⅘ partes in corne gunpowder of the waight in his yron pellet: and note that such a charge in gunpowder filleth vp within the concauitie of euery peece named in this tenth rule, so much roome as will containe three fit pellets, ⅔ partes of one fit pellet, and the bredth of one finger ioined to them.

11 For seruice charge euery Cannon and Basiliske which shooteth an yron pellet of lesse waight than ½ hundred waight and 24 pounds of auer de poize waight in England with [...]/ [...] partes in corne gunpowder of the poise in his yron pellet: And note that such a charge in gunpowder filleth vppe within the concauitie of euerie peece named in this 11 rule [Page 43]so much roome as will containe three fitte pellettes, and the breadth of one finger ioyned to them.

12 When you shalbe forced in time of seruice to shoote out of a Cannon or Basiliske a stone Pellet for want of yron pellettes, you shall then duely charge the sayde peece with ½ in such fine gunpowder as is marked in the 16 Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 2, or with [...]/3 in such gunpowder as is marked in the sayde 16 Chapter with the figure of 1, of the waight in the sayde stone pellet.

13 When any great peece of artillery shall be charged with such fine gunpowder as is marked in the sayde 16 Chapter of this Appendix with the figure of 3, you must abate 1/ [...] out of his ordinary charge.

14 For seruice charge euery Cannon Periero of the olde making with ⅓ in corne gun­powder of the waight in his stone pellet.

15 For seruice charge euery Cannon Periero of the nwe making with ½ in corne gun­powder of the waight in his stone pellet.

16 Euery peece which shalbe prooued, ought to lie mounted in the times of his dis­charge for proofe, at 30 degrees or thereabouts.

17 The gunpowder which hath beene named in this Chapter without this addition fine, is of that sorte of gunpowder which is marked in the sixteene Chapter of this Appen­dix with the figure of 1.

The 50 Chapter. Rules by which carriages for great peeces of artillery ought to be made.

1 THe plankes in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culueringe, Length. ought to be in length once and a halfe so much as the Canon of their peece. As for example, if the Canon of a peece be in length thirty two times the diameter at his mouth, then the plankes in the car­riage (I meane euery planke in the carriage) ought to be in length fourty eyght times that diameter.

2 The plankes in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culueringe, Breadth. ought to be in breadth at their fore­endes foure times and ½ the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

3 The plankes in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culueringe, Breadth. ought to be in breadth about their middest, I meane in those places which are touched with the two endes of the flat trāsome in the carriage, 4 times the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

4 The plankes in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culueringe, Breadth. ought to be in breadth in their endes which shall lie vppon the grounde, twise and a halfe the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

5 The plankes in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, and such o­ther small peeces, Thicknesse. ought to be in thicknesse once and a halfe the diameter in the mouth of their peece, to the ende they may beare a proportion to their wheeles.

6 The plankes in the carriage of euery Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, and Culueringe, Thicknesse. ought to be in thicknesse once so much as the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

7 If a Gunner shall desire to haue light carriages for his peeces, he may cause a Carpen­ter to cut away from the thicknesse of the plankes in euery carriage, that is to say, Thicknesse. from their insides betweene the flat transome and the tayle transome so much as ⅛ parte of the diameter in the mouth of the peece which shall lie vppon the carriage.

8 Foure transomes, that is to say, the fore transome, the flat transome, the vpright tran­some, and the tayle transome, are put into the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Transome. Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Saker, Moiane, Culueringe, Cannon, & Basiliske, to holde faste togeather the plankes or sides of their carriage. Also the fore transome, [Page 44]the flatte transome, and the vpright transome doe serue in their carriage for other vses de­clared in the 3 rules next following.

[...]re Tran­ [...]e.9 The fore transome of a carriage ought to be strengthened with two yron boltes put thorowe it, to holde vp the mouth of his peece that it may not in his discharge fall downe towardes the ground.

10 The flatte transome of a carriage ought to be strengthened (especially if it shall lye vnder a Cannon or Basiliske) with two boltes of yron put thorow it, [...]t Tran­ [...]e. that it may be able to beare the waight in the tayle of his peece when it is charged: And this flat transome must lie in the sides of his carriage so loe as may bee, because the loer that this flatte transome doth lie in his carriage, the more higher will his peece be mounted.

[...]right Tran­ [...]e.11 The vpright transome (which more properly may be called the slope transome, con­sidering it doth lie aslope in his carriage) ought to be strengthened with two yron boltes put thorow it, or very neere vnto it, frō one side of the carriage vnto the other, that it may holde vp the tayle of his peece when it shalbe mounted or imbased with wedges.

12 Betweene the vpright transome and the tayle transome, that is to say, a little aboue the tayle transome, a strong bolte of yron must lie fast from one side of euery carriage to the other, [...]mbers. and from one limber in euery carriage to the other: which limbers ought to be set vppon the endes of that bolte in the outsides of their carriages, and stayed from moo­uing vp or downe when a horse shall drawe betweene them, with two moueable shuttles of yron thrust into them thorow their sides, [...]uttles. and thorow the sides of the carriage a litle aboue the tayle transome.

[...]e centers of [...]les for trun­ [...]ons.13 The centers of the holes in the sides of a carriage where the trunnions of a Smeri­glio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Moiane, Saker, Culueringe, Cannon, or Basiliske shall lie, ought to be distant from the fore endes in the sides of their carriage, 3 times & a halfe the diameter in the mouth of their peece. And the sayd holes ought to be in depth ⅔ partes of the thicknesse in their trunnions, for ⅓ parte of the thick­nesse in the trunnions must alwayes lie aboue the vppermost parte of the sayd holes.

[...]heeles for [...]rriages [...]hich shall [...]ue in the [...]elde.14 The wheeles in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Moiane, Saker, and Culueringe, when they shalbe vsed in the fielde, ought to be in heigth 14 times the diameter in the mouth of their peece besides the thick­nesse of the yron which lyeth about their ringes to saue them from wearing: that is to say the yron about the ringes of the wheeles may be in thicknesse 1/12 or if you will 1/10 parte of the sayde diameter. The heigth of the ringe in euery of the sayd wheeles ought to be equal to the sayd diameter. The spokes betweene the naue and the ringe of euery such wheele ought to be in length 4 times so much as the sayd diameter. The naue of euery such wheele ought to be in thicknesse 4 times so much as the sayd diameter, and the naue of euery such wheele ought to be in length 4 times and a halfe the sayde diameter.

Wheeles for [...]arriages [...]hich shall [...]rue vppon [...]alles of [...]ownes, sortes, [...]nd castles. [...] Palme is in [...]easure ¼ [...]art of a foote.15 The wheeles in the carriage of euery Smeriglio, Rebadochino, Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Passauolante, Moiane, Saker, and Culueringe, when they shalbe vsed vppon the wall of a forte, castle, or towne, ought to be in heigth double to the heigth of the parapet of that wall, which parapet (as Carlo Tetti wryteth in the 1 Chapter of his second booke delle for­tificationi) is alwayes in his due height 10 palmes.

[...]ength.16 The plankes in the carriage of euery Cānon and Basiliske ought to be in length once and ⅓ parte of the length of the canon of their peece, except the places where they shall lie be so narrow as that they cannot lie there.

[...]readth.17 The plankes in the carriage of euery Cannon and Basiliske ought to be in breadth at their fore endes 3 times the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

Breadth.18 The plankes in the carriage of euery Cannon and Basiliske, ought to be in breadth about their middest twise and a halfe the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

Breadth.19 The plankes in the carriage of euery Cannon and Basiliske, ought to be in breadth at their lower endes twise so much as the diameter in the mouth of their peece.

Thicknesse.20 The plankes in the carriage of euery Cannon and Basiliske ought to be in thicknesse once so much as the diameter in the mouth of their peece. But if a Gunner will desire to haue the same planks more thinner to the end they may be more lighter, then he may cause a Carpenter to cut away in the inside of euery of these planks ¼ part of their sayd thicknes.

[Page 45]21 The wheeles in the carriage of euery Cannon and Basiliske when they shalbe vsed in the fielde ought to be in heigth nine times the diameter in the mouth of their Peece, Wheeles besides the thicknesse of yron which lyeth about their ringes to saue them from wearing: that is to say, the yron about the ringes of the wheeles may be in thicknesse 1/12 or if you will 1/10 parte of the sayde diameter. The heigth of the ringe in euery of these wheles ought to be equall to the sayde diameter. The spokes betweene the naue and ringe of euery such wheele ought to be in length two times so much as the sayde diameter. The naue of eue­ry such wheele ought to be in thicknesse three times the heigth of the sayd diameter. Fashion. And the naue of euery such wheele ought to be in length 3 times and a halfe the said diameter.

22 Also note that the carriages for all peeces named in this Chapter are made like in fashion: and that the transomes in all the saide carriages are set after one like māner.

The 51 Chapter. How with a Ladle you may geue vnto any Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Basiliske, Cannon, or any other like made Peece his due charge in gunpowder: how you may in time of ser­uice charge any of the sayde peeces with cartredges: and how you may safely discharge any of the sayd peeces.

VVHen you will charge any Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Basiliske, When you will fill a gunladle with gunpow­der that is somewhat moyste, you must fil it heape full, and not strike a­way the pow­der that shall lie aboue the sides of the ladle, & be­ware to charge any peece with very wet gun­powder. After you haue charged a Cannon, you ought to rāme downe his charge in gun­powder with foure thrustes. Cannon, or any other like made peece, put first your hande into the gunpowder which you haue prepared to charge the sayde peece, and perceauing thereby that the same gunpowder is drie, fill the Ladle belonging to the peece that shalbe charged, full of the same gunpowder so many times as is requisite, and euermore with your hand or some other thinge strike away all the drie gunpowder that shall lie aboue the brimme or sides of the same ladle. Then mounting the peece to sixe or seuen degrees, and standing vppon one side of the peece (because it is a perillous thing to place your whole bodie right a­gainst the mouth of a peece which charged with gunpowder may through many occasi­ons goe of suddenly) put the sayd ladle so filled with drie gunpowder into the lowest end of the sayde concauitie, and when you haue so done, turne within the peece the vpside of the ladle downe, so as the gunpowder may fall into the peece, and after the ladle is pulled out, remayne in the lowest ende of the same peece. After you haue in this sorte laded the peece with his due charge in gunpowder, thruste harde with a rammer twise togeather & no more (except you doe charge a Cannon) all the sayd gunpowder home vnto the lowest ende of the peece, that it may not lie dispersed or loose, nor be too harde rammed downe in that place. Also thruste a bigge wad of toe, hay, strawe, or of vntwisted ropes into the peece home vnto the charge in gunpowder for to sweepe and keepe togeather all the sayd charge in gunpowder, and to cause the pellet that shalbe shotte out of the same peece to range farre. Then putting a fitte pellet into the concauitie of the peece (which fitte pellet as our English Gunners doe say ought alwayes for diuers reasons to be ¼ of an ynch lesse or shorter in his diameter than the heigth of the sayde concauitie) driue with a rammer the pellet home vnto that wadde, and if the peece shall shoote downewardes at a marke, A fitte pellet (as our english Gunners doe say) is ¼ of an ynche lesse or shorter in his diameter than the heigth of the concauitie in his peece: But among the Gunners in high Germany this is a general rule that the diameter of a fitte pellet ought to be neither more nor lesse than 20/21 of the diameter in the mouth of his peece. As for example, a fitte pellet for a peece of seuen ynches in diameter, must be 6 ynches & ⅔ of an ynche in diameter. thruste an other bigge wadde of toe, hay, strawe, or of vntwisted ropes into the peece home vnto the said pellet, for to keep the pellet within the peece, & to stay the pellet there, that it may not role out before the peece shalbe discharged: moreouer, put good & dry gunpowder into the touchhole, and about the touchhole of the peece like a trayne, and be not ignorant that after all this is done the peece is charged, and that you standing vppon one side of a peece so charged, and touching the trayne of gunpowder by the touchhole of the peece with a lintstocke or with a fiered Gun-match (which some Gunners doe tie to the ende of a sticke of three or foure foote in length, and some Gunners doe set fast in the cockes of their staues, and some Gun­ners doe winde about the staffe ende of an halbert or partisant) may safely discharge the same peece.

[Page 46]Also if you will in time of seruice charge any of the sayd peeces of Artillerie with car­tredges doe thus: Put first a cartredge into the mouth of the Peece, and then with a ram­mer thruste it into the lowest end of the Peece his concauitie, and next driue a woodden tampion with a rammer into the same concauitie home to the cartredge, then ioyne a good bigge wadde of hay, strawe, toe, or of vntwisted ropes vnto the sayd tampion, and put a fitte pellet into the Peece close vnto the sayd wadde: and when a Peece so charged shall shoote downewardes at a marke, thruste an other like bigge wadde into his concaui­tie harde vppon the pellet: This done, put a long pricker into the touchhole of the Peece so charged, and with the same pricker pearce diuers holes thorow the cartredge lying within the Peece, or (which in mine opinion is a better deuise) cut cleane away before you doe put the cartredge into the hollow Cylinder a peece of the outside of the cartredge, in that parte which shall lie directly vnder and next vnto the touchhole. Finally, fill the touchhole of this Peece with good and dry corne gunpowder, and make about the touch­hole a little trayne of powder, and considering that the tampion within the sayd Peece (if the powder lying behinde the same tampion should happen to be moyste) must be drawen out with a long yron worme, An admoni­tion. or cutte in peeces with a long yron cheesell which will be a perillous worke to doe, I counsel you to discharge the sayd Peece within a con­uenient time after it shalbe so charged with a tampion.

The 52 Chapter. How without a Ladle you may lade any Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Cannon, or other like made Peece with his due charge in loose gunpowder.

PVt a long, straight, and smoothe staffe into the bottome of euery Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Cannon, and euery other like made Peece that shall be charged, and hauing thruste the staffe downe close by the mettall into the concauitie of his Peece so farre as it may goe, marke with a knife or with some other conuenient thing that parte of the staffe which is touched with the lippe or outmost edge of the Peece his mouth. Then drawing the sayd staffe out of his Peece, measure along vppon the same staffe with a compasse (beginning at the sayd marke, and proceeding downewardes in a straight line towardes that end of the staffe which was at the bottome of the sayd conca­uitie) the iust length of the roome which a due charge in gunpowder will fill vp in the sayd concauitie, You may see in the 49 Chapter of this Appendix what roome a due charge in gunpowder will fill vp in any Fauconet, Faucon, Mini­on, Saker, Cul­uering, Cānon or any other like made Peece. and make an other visible marke vppon the staffe at the end of the same length, and for a distinction call it the lowermost marke. After this throe Gunpowder into the Peece with your handes, vntill by estimation the Peece hath receaued thereof a due charge, and with a rammer (as you haue beene taught in the precedent Chapter) thruste the same gunpowder downe into the bottome of the Peece, and to the ende you may be guyded by the sayd staffe to throwe no more gunpowder into the Peece than is requisite, and to take out the excesse when you haue throne too much gunpowder into the Peece, put the sayd staffe agayne into the Peece home vnto the gunpowder, and looke where the lowermost marke vppon the same staffe is: For as the Peece lacketh a parte of his due charge in gunpowder if the sayd lowermost marke shall now be within his mouth, and hath more than his due charge in nwe gunpowder, if the sayde lowermost marke shall be without his mouth, So if you haue throwen into the Peece his due charge in gunpow­der, the sayd lowermost marke will now neither be within the mouth of the Peece, nor without the mouth of the Peece, but touch exactly the outmost edge or lippe of the Peece his mouth.

The 53 Chapter. How you may duely charge any Chamber peece of Artillery, and how you may charge any Cannon Periero.

PVt into euery chamber so much powder as his peece requireth for a due charge, and with a rammer beate a tampion of softe wood downe vppon the gunpowder. Moreo­uer, put a bigge wadde into the peece at that ende where the mouth of the chamber must goe in, and after the wadde thruste into the peece at the sayde ende a fitte pellet, & when you haue done all this, put the chamber into the lowest ende of the peece, lock them fast togeather, and cause the sayde tampion to lie harde vppon the powder in the sayde chamber, and the pellet to touch the tampion, and the wadde to lie close by the pellet.

Euery chamber peece ought to haue three chambers, and when a Gunner will geue fire to a chamber peece, he ought not to stande vppō that side of the peece where a wedge of yron is put to locke the chamber in the peece, because the sayde wedge may through the discharge of that peece flie out, and kill the Gunner. But you shall charge euery Can­non Periero with all these things following in such order as I doe here set them downe.

First with a cartredge which must be put into the peece with a Ladle called in Italian Scaffetta, or with an other fitte Ladle whereof I haue made mention in the 29 Chapter of this Appendix.

Secondly with a tampion of softe wood which must be rammed downe vppon the cartredge.

Thirdly with a wadde which must be thruste into the peece home vnto the sayd tam­pion.

Fourthly with a fitte pellet of stone which must be thruste into the peece home vnto the sayde wadde.

Fiftly with an other wadde of vntwisted ropes, toe, haye, or strawe, which must be thruste into the peece home vnto the sayde pellet. And you may also (if you wil) put into the peece after all these thinges in the place of a stone pellet, a case of wood or of white plate made like vnto the figure in the margent,

and filled full of rounde stones, or rounde pellettes of lead, or square pee­ces of yron like vnto dice of an ynch square: But therewith note that a case so filled with stones, pellettes of lead, or square peeces of yron must be equall in waight to a stone pellet which is fitte for the peece that shall shoote the same case.

If a peece of Artillerie which wanteth a couer of mettall for his touchhole shall lie a long time charged, couer the touchhole of the same peece with toe imbrued in tallow, and the powder of cole mingled togeather, and lay vppon the same couer a shel, or a parte of a ruffe tyle, that no rayne may enter into the same touch­hole while his peece is so charged.

The 54 Chapter. How you may cause any great peece of Artillerie to make in his discharge an exceeding great noyse, and a marueylous rore.

WHen you will haue a great peece of Artillerie to make in his discharge an exceeding great noyse, charge the peece with great and harde cornes of gunpowder. For as Felix Platerus wryteth, by how much the cornes of gunpowder are more greater, and more harder, by so much a peece charged with them will in his discharge make a more greater noyse. Also you may by laying a peece of thinne lead, or a peece of shooe leather [Page 48]betweene the gunpowder and the wadde within the hollowe Cylinder, and by putting a little quicksiluer thorow the touchhole into the sayde gunpowder, cause the same hollowe Cylinder or gunne in his discharge to make a marueylous rore.

The 55 Chapter. This Chapter following sheweth that some great peeces of Artillerie doe serue to batter, and that some great peeces of Artillery doe serue to lie vppon walles of Cities, Townes, Castles and Fortes, and that some great peeces of Artillerie doe serue for the fielde. Also this Chapter following sheweth how many times in one day certayne great peeces of Artillerie may be safely charged and discharged, and how many Gunners and Assistantes or Labourers certayne great peeces of Artillerie ought to haue.

AN ordinarie double Cannon duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to batter, & may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be thirtie times charged and discharged in one day.

A french double Cannon duely fortefied with mettall, wil serue to batter & may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be thirtie three times charged and discharged in one day.

A demy Cannon of the eldest and biggest sorte duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to batter, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 80 times charged and dis­charged in one day.

An ordinarie demy Cannon duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to batter, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 108 times charged and discharged within the space of 5 houres in one day, and it ought to haue three Gunners and fifteene Assistantes or Labourers.

A french demy Cannon duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to batter, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be sixty times charged and discharged in one day.

A quarter Cannon duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to lie vppon the wall of a City, Towne, Castle, or Forte, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 110 times charged and discharged in one day.

A whole Culueringe of the eldest and biggest sorte duely fortefied with mettall, wil serue to lie vppon the wall of a Citie, Towne, Castle, or Forte, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 60 times charged and discharged in one day.

A whole ordinary Culueringe duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to lie vppon the wall of a Citie, Towne, Castle, or Forte, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 60 times charged and discharged in one day.

A demy Culuering of the eldest sorte duely fortefied with mettall, will serue to lie vppon the wall of a Citie, Towne, Castle, or Forte, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue ser­uice be 70 times charged and discharged in one day, and it ought to haue two Gunners and tenne assistants or labourers.

A demy Culueringe lower than ordinarie, duely fortefied with mettall, will serue for a fielde peece, and may safelie for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 75 times charged and discharged in one day, and it ought to haue two Gunners and tenne Assistantes or La­bourers.

A Saker of the eldest and biggest sorte duely fortefied with mettall, wil serue for a fielde peece, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be 80 times charged & dischar­ged in one day, and it ought to haue one Gunner and 5 assistants or labourers.

A Faucon duely fortefied with mettall, will serue for a fielde peece, and may safely for of­fensiue and defensiue seruice be an hundred and twenty times charged and discharged in one day.

A Fauconet duely fortefied with mettall, will serue for a fielde peece, and may safely for offensiue and defensiue seruice be a hundred and fourty times charged and discharged in one day.

The 56 Chapter. How a peece of Artillery ought not to be prooued vppon his carriage: how a peece of Artillery that shalbe prooued ought to be made cleane: how a peece of Artillery that shalbe prooued ought to be without hony combes, flawes, & crackes: and how he which hath charged a peece for proofe, ought when he doth discharge the same peece to stande behinde a banke of earth, or wall, vntill by a trayne of gunpowder he hath discharged the sayde peece.

WHen a great peece of Artillery shalbe prooued whether or no it is duely fortefied with mettall, and may in time of seruice be vsed without feare of breaking, take the same peece from his bed or carriage and mount it at 30 degrees, because a great peece which lieth vppon his carriage when it is prooued, cannot be enough eleuated to suffer in time of his proofe a sufficient violence, nor without harme to his carriage be dischar­ged. Also put the staffe of a spunge or the staffe of a gunladle downe [...]to the concauitie of the same peece so farre as it will goe, and thruste downe thorow the touchhole of the peece a round sharpe poynted pricker of yron or steele that may touch and pricke the end of the sayde staffe, which (if no stone, scale, or other lette be within the sayde concauitie) will lie vnder the touchhole. Then taking out all the stones, scales, and filthe, which are within the sayd hollow Cylinder, make cleane the same with a scourer, or (which is all one) with a spunge, for such thinges lying within a hollow Cylinder charged with gunpowder, may cause the same hollow Cylinder in his discharge to breake, or cause a moysture in the same hollow Cylinder which will weaken the gunpowder that is there, and make it vnable to expell a pellet with so great force as it should doe. After this lay the tayle of the peece vppon the grounde against a woodden planke backed with a wall or banke of earth, and perceauing (by such meanes as before in the 43 Chapter of this Appendix haue beene de­clared) that no hony combes, flawes, or crackes are in the sayd hollow Cylinder, put blocks vnder the mouth of the sayde hollow Cylinder or gunne, to mount and eleuate the same mouth as before I haue tolde you vnto 30 degrees. This done, charge and discharge the sayde peece thrise togeather for his proofe with a fitte pellet and a due charge in gunpow­der, according as you haue beene taught in the 40 Chapter of this Appendix. I say thrise to­geather, because a faultie gunne that taketh no hurte by the first shoote, may receaue a little harme by the seconde shoote, and breake in peeces at the thirde shoote. Last of all, make a trayne of gunpowder from a place behinde an high banke of earth or wall, vnto the touchhole of the peece, and standing alwayes when you doe prooue any great peece at the ende of the sayde trayne behinde the banke or wall, geue fire vnto the sayde trayne, An admoni­tion. and beware that you doe not remooue from the sayde standing place till by putting fire to the trayne you haue discharged the peece.

The 57 Chapter. How you may by fiue sundry wayes disparte any Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culuering, Cannon, or any other like made peece: how you may finde out the middle and vppermost parte of mettal ouer the tayle of any peece: how you may finde out the middle and vppermost parte of mettall ouer the mouth of any peece: and how you ought to set the disparte of euery peece vppon the middle and vp­permost parte of mettall ouer the mouth of the peece.

1 MEasure with a calaper cōpasse the greatest heigth of mettall in the taile of the peece, & also the greatest heigth of mettall at the mouth of the peece, subtract the lesser heigth out of the greater heigth, and take halfe of the remaynder for the disparte of the peece.

2 Adde the diameter of the greatest circūference of mettall at the mouth of the peece, to the diameter of the greatest circumference of mettall at the tayle of the peece, and di­uide the whole length of both those diameters into two equall partes. This done, ope­ning [Page 50]your compasse to the measure of one of those equall partes, set one foote of your compasse fast in the vndermost parte of the concauitie at the mouth of the Peece, and extende the other foote of your compasse right ouer the vppermost parte of mettall in the greatest circumference about the mouth of the peece, and take that heigth which is betweene the sayd vppermost parte of mettall, and the sayd vppermost ende or poynt of your compasse for the true length of the disparte of the sayde peece.

3 Measure with a girdle or stringe that will not stretch, the greatest circumference of mettall in the tayle of the peece, multiplie the measure of the sayde circumference by 7, diuide the product thereof by 22, and note in your memoriall the quotient number for the diameter of that circumference. Likewise measure with a girdle or stringe that will not stretch, the greatest circumference of mettall about the mouth of the peece, multi­plie the measure of the circumference last named by 7, diuide the product thereof by 22, and note in your memoriall the quotient number for the diameter of the circumfe­rence last named. This done, subtract the shortest diameter out of the longest diameter, and take ½ parte [...] the remaynder for the disparte of the sayde peece.

4 Prepare a long ruler marked with ynches, halfe ynches, quarters of ynches, and with other lesse equall partes: Lay that ruler ouerthwarte and equidistant to the Horizon vppon the greatest circumference of mettall in the tayle of the peece, let a line and plummet hang right downe from the sayde ruler first close without any bending by one side of the same circumference, and after close without any bending by the other side of the same circumference, note exactly the partes of the ruler which were at both times touched with the line, and in like manner note exactly the poynte of mettall in the sayd circumference which lyeth directly in the middest betweene the sayde two noted parts. This done, take the space betweene the sayde two noted partes for the diameter of the sayde circumference, and marke with a file or some other thing the sayde poynte of met­tall for the middle and vppermost parte of mettall in the sayde circumference. Likewise laye your ruler close to the mouth of the sayde Peece, and let a line and plummet hang right downe from the sayde ruler first close without any bending by one side of the grea­test circumference in the mettall at the mouth of the peece, and after close without any bending by the other side of the circumference last named: then noting well (as you did before) the partes of the ruler touched at both times with the sayde line, and also the poynte of mettall lying in the circumference last named directly ouer the middle parte of the space which is betweene those noted partes, take the same space for the diameter of the sayde circumference at the mouth of the peece, and marke the same poynte with a file or some other thing for the middle and vppermost parte of the last named circumfe­rence. After all this, subtract the shorter diameter from the longer diameter, and taking ⅓ parte of the remaynder for the disparte of the Peece, set a strawe or a peece of a small waxe Candle of equall length to the sayde disparte vpright vppon the sayde marke in the middle and vppermost parte of the circumference last named, and call that strawe or peece of a waxe Candle, the dispart of the peece.

5 Thruste a pryming yron thorowe the touchhole of the Peece downe to the bottom of his concauitie, and then marke with a redde stone that parte of the yron which is e­quall in heigth with the vppermost parte of mettall in the greatest circumference at the tayle of the peece. This done, pull vp the sayde yron out of the touchhole, set that ende of the yron which went thorowe the touchhole, vppon the vndermost parte of the concauitie in the mouth of the peece, and holding the marked parte of the sayd yron right ouer the middle parte of mettall in the greatest circumference aboue the mouth of the peece, take the space betweene the sayde marke vppon the yron, and the sayde middle parte of mettall ouer the mouth of the peece, for the desired dis­parte which (if it be set in his due place) will alwayes direct you to lay the concauity of his peece leuell, and right against any appoynted marke.

The 58 Chapter. How with a Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, or Cannon, you may alwayes strike any appoynted marke within poynt blanke.

AFter you haue charged a Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culueringe, Cannon, or any other like made peece with his duetie in powder, waddes, and pellet, according to the precepts expressed in the 49 Chapter of this Appendix, disparte the peece, and set his disparte vpright with a little waxe vppon the middle and vppermost parte of mettall in the greatest circumference ouer the mouth of the peece, and lifte your peece vp or downe vntill by laying your eye vnto the middle and vppermost parte of mettall in the greatest circumference at the tayle of the peece, you may perceaue that the marke at which you will shoote, the toppe of the disparte, and the vppermost parte of mettall at the tayle of the peece doe lie in a perfect right line and in an equall heigth. Then doing your duety as you haue beene taught in the first Chapter of this Appendix, discharge your peece and you shall see that the pellet shotte out of the same peece will strike the appoynted marke which lyeth within poynte blanke.

When you shall haue occasion to shoote at a light seene in the night time, disparte your peece with a lighted & vnflaming waxe candle, or with a lighted gunmatch, or set a lighted gūmatch vpright by the disparte, that you may see by the light of the fire in the same gun­match, to lay the middle and vppermost parte of mettall at the tayle of the peece, and the toppe of the disparte in a straight line with the marke, and to place the concauity of the peece right against the marke, as before in this Chapter I haue taught you to doe.

The 59 Chapter. How you may know what number of feete, yardes, pases, or scores, any peece of Artillerie will shoote in an vnsensible crooked line, or (as the Gunners terme is) at poynt blanke.

CHarge the peece for whose poynte blanke you seeke with his duetie in good corne gunpowder, and with a fitte pellet, turne the mouth of that peece towardes a wall, butte, or banke of earth scituated in a conuenient distance from the peece: and lay the peece leuell by the helpe of a Gunners semicircle, or quadrante, as you haue beene taught in the first Colloquie of the first booke of Nicholas Tartaglia his Colloquies: Then setting the true disparte of the peece vppon his mouth according to the doctrine written in the tenth Colloquie of the sayde first booke of Colloquies, and in the 57 and 58 Chapters of this Appendix, discharge the peece at a small visible marke fixed in a poynte of the sayde wall, butte, or banke of earth that is leuell with the toppe of the sayde disparte, and with the highest parte of the mettall at the tayle of the peece. This done, note diligently where the pellet doth hit, and euermore when the pellet so shotte doth strike aboue the marke, When the pellet shotte in this maner striketh aboue the marke, then the ex­treame & far­thest ende of the poynte blanke which you seeke, is beyonde the sayde marke. When the pellet shotte in this maner striketh vnder the marke, then the extreame and farthest end of the poynt blanke which you seeke, lyeth betweene your peece & the said mark. remooue the peece backwardes to an other place more farther from the sayde marke, and out of the more remote place shoote at the marke agayne as you did before with one sorte of gunpowder and with a like pellet, till the pellet so shotte shal strike in the middest of the marke. For when the pellet so shotte doth strike precisely in the middest of the marke, then by the reasons alleaged in the nynth Colloquie of the saide first booke of Col­loquies, the number of scores, pases, yardes, and feete, betweene your sayde peece, and the sayde marke, is so much grounde as your sayde peece can shoote in an vnsensible crooked line, or (as the Gunners terme is) at poynte blanke. But if the pellet so shotte shall strike vnder the marke, drawe the peece forwardes towardes the marke, and from a more nearer place shoote againe as you did before with one sorte of powder, and with a like pellet, till the pellet so shotte striking in the middest of the marke shall shewe vnto you by the reasons alleaged in the sayde 9 Colloquie, that the distance betweene your peece [Page 52]and the marke is so much ground as your sayd Peece can shoote in an vnsensible crooked line, or (as the Gunners terme is) at poynt blanke.

The 60 Chapter. How the poynt blanke and vtmost ranges are proportionall in all peeces of Artillerie: How by the rule of proportion you may knowe what number of yardes any peece will reach at his vtmost randon: And how by the sayd rule you may know what number of yardes any peece will reach at his poynte blanke.

THe poynt blanke and vtmost ranges (as some authors haue written) are proportionall in all peeces of Artillerie, wherefore knowing the poynt blanke and vtmost range of any one peece, and the poynt blanke of an other peece, you may tell the vtmost range of any that other peece. In like manner knowing the poynt blanke and vtmost range of any one peece, and the vtmost range of an other peece, you may tell the poynt blanke of that o­ther peece: As for example let vs suppose that this question is asked: If a Faucon carrying poynt blanke 320 yardes will at his vtmost randon range 1280 yardes: how farre will a Saker reach at his vtmost randon that at poynt blanke or leuel rangeth 360 yardes? I say, that the rule of proportion serueth precisely to answere the same and all such like questi­ons, And that multiplying 360 in 1280, and diuiding 460800 the product thereof by 320, the quotient will yeelde 1440 for the number of yardes which the sayd Saker shall reach at his vtmost randon. Againe, let vs suppose that I am required to answere this demaunde. If a Faucon which rangeth at his vtmost randon 1280 yardes will carrie poynt blanke 320 yardes, how farre will a Saker reach at poynte blanke that at his vtmost randon rangeth 1440 yardes? To doe that which is required I multiplie 320 in 1440, and hauing diuided 460800 the product by 1280. I finde in the quotient 360 to be the number of yards which the Saker will shoote leuel: or (as the Gunners terme is) poynt blanke. And thereuppon I conclude that after this manner by obseruations vsed in any one peece of artillery, and by the arte of proportion I may discouer vnto you the force of all other peeces of artillerie.

The 61 Chapter. How you must mount your peece when you will shoote vnto the farthest end of the vtmost randone.

NIcholas Tartaglia in his Epistle set at the beginning of his booke named La noua scientia declareth that euery great Peece of Artillery ought to be mounted at 45 degrees when it shall shoote vnto the farthest ende of his vtmost randon. But William Bourne in his Treatise of shooting in great Ordinance wryteth that it is needefull for vs to consider well of the winde before we doe mount any peece to shoote vnto the farthest ende of his vtmost randon, because (as he sayth) when we will shoote with the winde vnto the farthest ende of the vtmost randon, we must mount our peece at 45 degrees, and in a windie day against the winde sometimes at 36 degrees, sometimes at 37 degrees, sometimes at 38 degrees, sometimes at 39 degrees, sometimes at 40 degrees, according as the winde is in bignesse, and in a fayre calme day at 42 degrees.

The 62 Chapter. How you may mounte any great peece of Artillerie with a ruler, as well as with a quadrant or se­micircle vnto the number of tenne degrees, and how such a ruler ought to be made: and how such a ruler ought to be vsed when a peece of Artillerie is by it mounted, or imbased.

THe measure of the length of the peece that shal be mounted by a ruler being doub­led, reduce into ynches: after this, multiplie the sayd number of ynches by 22, [Page 53]and diuide the product by 7, and diuide againe the quotient number of that diuision by 360, then take the last quotient for the number of ynches and partes of an ynch, that wil make a degree vppon a ruler for that peece which was so measured. As for example, I wil mounte a peece of 6 foote long at one degree with my ruler, therefore 6 foote the length of that peece being doubled maketh 12 foote, which reduced into ynches make 144 yn­ches. This number of 144 multiplied by 22 produceth 3168, which diuided by 7 yeeldeth in the quotient 452 and 4/7: then doe I diuide that quotient of 452 and 4/7 by 360, and so the quotient of this last diuision which is 1 and [...]/3 [...]/5 sheweth that this peece of 6 foote in length, being mounted by my ruler 1 ynche and [...]/3 9/5 of an ynche, lyeth iustly of the same heigth that it would doe if it should be mounted at one degree of a quadrant or semicir­cle. Now to know how much the sayde peece must be mounted for 2 degrees of a qua­drant or semicircle, I multiplie 1 and [...]/3 9/5 by 2, and thereof commeth 2 and ⅓ [...]/5, wherefore I say, if the sayde peece be eleuated by the ruler 2 ynches and ⅓ [...]/5 of an ynche that it lieth mounted at two degrees. Likewise by multiplying the sayd number of 1 and [...]/3 9/5 by 3, the product therof (which is 3 and ⅔ 7/5 ex­presseth that the sayd peece must be mounted 3 ynches and ⅔ 7/5 of an ynch for 3 degrees. And after this order I may knowe how to mount the sayde peece with a ruler vnto any other de­gree to which the peece wil be moun­ted with a ruler, for you ought not to be ignorāt of this, that a peece of ar­tillerie cannot be mounted with a ru­ler aboue 10 degrees, because the de­grees are taken out of a circumferēce and not out of a straight line.

The ruler with which peeces of ar­tillerie may be mounted is made in fashion like vnto the picture drawē in the margent, & marked as common rulers are, with ynches, halfe ynches, quarters of ynches, halfe quarters of ynches, and with more lesser partes of an ynch. Also in the middest of this ruler (almost from one end to the o­ther) there is a slitte or open place, within which a plate of brasse or lat­tin hauing in it a little hole pearced thorow is so placed, that the said hole may as need shall require be mooued vp and downe in that slitte, and be set right against any ynch, or parte of an ynche marked vppon the same ru­ler. And although (as it seemeth to me) a peece may be more easilie, and more iustly mounted vnto any de­gree by a quadrant, and also by a se­micircle, than by a ruler, yet wil I not let passe to shewe in this place how you must vse the ruler to mounte a peece by it. Wherefore when you wil mount a peece by a ruler to shoote at any marke, put first the true disparte of the peece to be mounted, vppon [Page 54]the peece his mouth, as you haue beene taught in the 57 Chapter of this Appendix, then knowing at what degree the peece must be mounted to reach the marke, set the hole which is in the mouable plate of the ruler right against the number of ynches, and partes of an ynche that will make iustly the same degree: and hauing so done, set the ende of the ruler vppon the tayle of the peece, so as the ruler may stande vppon the peece squirewise, vntill you haue done your woorke. After this (the mouth of the sayde peece being layde right vppon the marke) koyne the breeche of the peece vp and downe vntil you may see thorow the sayd hole in the plate the top of the disparte, and the marke, and when you haue so done, geue fire to the peece that you may strike the sayde marke.

The 63 Chapter. How you may by the helpe of wedges lay the concauitie of any great peece of Artillerie right against a marke: how by the helpe of wedges you may make a perfect shoote at a marke lying vnder the mouth of your Peece: and how by the helpe of wedges you may cause your Peece to strike in the marke, after it hath at one shoote shotte vnder the marke, and at an other shoote shotte aboue the marke.

PRepare of yron or of strong and harde wood two sortes of wedges for euery great peece of Artillery, that is to say, three wedges of one sorte, and three wedges of an other sorte: Make euery wedge of the one sort iust so thicke as ⅓ parte of the heigth in the disparte of his peece: and let euery wedge of the other sorte be no thicker than ⅙ parte of the sayde heigth. This done, lay the vppermost parte of mettall at the tayle of the peece, and the vppermost parte of mettall ouer the mouth of the peece, in an equall heigth and in a right line with the marke: and then put vnder the tayle of the peece one of his sayde wedges of the thicker sorte, which (as Luigi Collado affirmeth) will cause the concauitie of that Peece without any more woork, to lie right against the sayd marke. But when you pur­posing to shoote at a marke lying vnder the mouth of your Peece within poynte blanke, doe looke vppon that marke by the sayde two vppermost partes of mettall, put vnder the tayle of your peece two of the sayde wedges of the thicker sorte, and by so dooing you shall make a perfect shoote at the sayde marke. Also (as the sayde Luigi Collado writeth) if your peece lying leuell dooth shoote vnder the marke, and afterwardes (the vpper­most parte of mettall ouer his mouth being layde in an equall heigth with the vppermost parte of mettall at his tayle) doth shoote somuch aboue the marke as before it did shoote vnder, you may at the thirde and next shoote cause your sayde peece to strike in the sayd marke, if you will for this thirde shoote lay againe the vppermost parte of mettall ouer his mouth in an equall heigth with the vppermost parte of mettall at his tayle, and put afterwardes one of his sayde wedges of the thinner sorte vnder his tayle.

The 64 Chapter. How to make a perfect shoote at any companie of horsemen, or footemen passing by the place where Or­dinance doth lie vppon a leuell grounde: and also how to make a perfect shoote at any shippe sayling in a riuer by the place where Ordinaunce doth lie vppon a leuell grounde: and also how to make a per­fect shoote at any moouing thing passing by a place where Ordinance doth lie vppon an vneuen ground.

WHen any horsemen or footemen shall passe by a place where a great peece of Artil­lerie doth lie, the Gunner must charge that peece duely with good gunpowder, and with a fit pellet, to this ende that the same peece may goe off so soone as fire is put vn­to it.

[Page 55]Also the Gunner in this case must lay his peece truely disparted vppon a leuell grounde right against some marke in their way: as for example against some tree, bushe, hillocke, cloude, or if it may bee vppon some turning way, because in such a place they can not de­part verie quicklie from the marke, and in fine when the said horsemen or footemen shall come neare vnto that marke, or be in that turning way, the Gunner must discharge his saide peece at them. Likewise when a Gunner will shoote at a ship sayling in a Riuer, hee ought to plant his peece against some cloude or other marke lying from him on the far­ther side of the water, and giue fire vnto his peece when the forepart of the shippe shall be­ginne to be betweene the mouth of the peece and the marke. But when the peece which shall be discharged at a mouing thing doth lie in his carriage vppon an vneuen ground, the Gunner must measure by the helpe of a Quadrant, or Semicircle, how many ynches the ground vnder one wheele of the peece his carriage is more higher, than the ground vnder the other wheele of the same carriage, or for want of a Quadrant and Semicircle, he must goe to that wheele of the Peece his carriage which standeth vppon the loer grounde, and hanging a line and plummet downe to the grounde from the middle and highest parte of that wheele, measure exactly the space betweene the said plummet, and the middest of the loermost part of the same wheele: for this measure sheweth in like maner how much the ground is more higher vnder one wheele, than vnder the other wheele. And when hee hath so done he must lay his said peece according to that measure wide from the marke towardes the more higher side of ground: I meane if it bee found by the first or second way to measure the said difference of heigthes, that the grounde vnder the wheele on the North side of the peece his carriage doth lie sixteene ynches aboue the ground that is vn­der the wheele vppon the Southside of the same carriage, the Gunner to make a perfect shoote at the moouing thing ought to lay the mouth of his saide peece sixeteene ynches wide towardes the North from the vnmooueable marke that must guide him to shoote at the moouing thing.

The 65 Chapter. How much a peece must bee eleuated for to shoote vpwardes at a marke vppon a hill without point blanke: and by what meanes the mouth of a peece may be laid right vppon any marke.

VVHen you will shoote vpwards at a marke which is scituated vppon a hill with­out poynt blanke you must first measure with your Quadrant or Semicircle the space which is betweene your peece and the marke, & afterwardes mount that peece at so many degrees as will cause it to shoote so much ground as is in the saide space: then place your Quadrant or Semicircle close by the mouth of your peece, and mooue it vp or downe till you shall espie through the sightes or channell of the Quadrant or Semicircle the said marke. That done, note the degree which was tou­ched in this last action with the line and plummet of the Quadrant or Semicircle, and mount the peece againe more higher by so many degrees than it was before, I meane if you did mount the peece at foure degrees to shoote so much grounde as is betweene the peece and the marke, and did note three degrees for the degrees which were touched with the line and plummet of the Quadrant or Semicircle, then must you mount the peece againe at three degrees more, and so the said peece will lie mounted in the whole summe at seuen degrees for to shoote vpwardes to the marke vppon the hill. And by so doing if the peece be layd right vppon the marke, you shall vndoubtedly strike the same. But if your peece doe not lie right vppon the marke when it is discharged, it will strike wide of the marke so many times the measure of the widenesse that it lyeth at when it is discharged, as the length of the peece is contained in the distance betweene the peece and the marke. As for example, if a peece of eight foote long be planted one ynch wide from the marke lying eight hundred foote distant from the peece, I conclude that the said peece planted one ynch wyde from the marke, will strike at the end of that distance one hundred ynches wide from the said marke.

[Page 56]To lay your peece right vppon the marke doe thus: hang a line and plummet right ouer the taile of the peece in the middle part thereof, and winde the peece vntill you stan­ding behinde the same peece shall see that the middle part of the mouth of the peece doth lie directly betweene the marke and the line hanging at the taile of the peece: For when the middle part of the mouth of the peece doth lie directlie betweene the marke and the said line, then doth the peece lie right vppon the marke.

The 66 Chapter. How much a peece ought to bee imbased for to shoote at a marke lying in a valley without point blanke.

TO shoote downewardes at a marke lying in a valley without point blanke, measure first with your Quadrant or Semicirle the space which is betweene your peece and the marke, and afterwardes mount that peece at so many degrees as will cause it to shoote so much ground as is in the said space. Then hauing placed your Quadrant or Semicircle by the mouth of your peece, mooue it vp or downe till you shall espie through the sights or channell of the Quadrant or Semicircle the said marke, and note what degree is touched with the line and plummet of the Quadrant or Semicircle: that done, put downe the mouth of the peece more loer by so many degrees than it was before, I meane if you did mounte the peece foure degrees to shoote so much grounde as is betweene the peece and the marke, and did note three degrees for the degrees touched with the said line & plum­met of the Quadrant or Semicircle, then the mouth of the peece must be put downe or (as some terme it) imbased three degrees, and so will the peece being laid right vppon the marke and mounted but at one degree, strike the marke in the valley although in the pre­cedent chapter the said peece was mounted at seuen degrees to shoote a like distance at a marke vppon a hill, and at foure degrees to shoote a like distance vppon a plaine ground.

Heere this is to be noted that a pellet shot from an heigth into a loe place can doe no more harme than kill one person, or make one hole in the place where it falles, because (as Luigui Collado hath written) the pellet so shot doth more offend through his owne naturall waight, than by the expulsiue power of the gunpowder which did expell it out of his peece.

The 67 Chapter. How you may certainely know by the Gunners Semicircle whether a ship vppon the Sea, or an Armie vppon the land, or any other thing seene a farre of, doth come towardes you, stande still, or goe from you: and how you ought to discharge your great ordinance of diuers sortes against a ship, or an Armie comming towardes you.

A Long distance being betweene you and a ship vpon the Sea, or an armie of men moo­uing a farre of, may oftentimes through the weaknesse of your sight deceiue you, and make you not to discerne well whether that ship, or armie doth stand still, goe frō you, or come towardes you: therefore it will be very profitable (as I thinke) for you to learne how you may be alwaies certaine thereof, for to follow your enemies when they shall flie from you, and make preparation of defence when you shall see them come to assault you. For this purpose you shall ascende into some high place from whence you may behold the ship or armie a farre of: and hauing put a Semicircle to your eye, mooue it vp or downe till you shall see through the sights, or through a channell made in the said Semicircle, that part of the ship or armie which is nearest vnto you. Then your Semicircle remaining vnmooue­able, note diligently the part of the Semicircle touched with the hanging line and plummet of that Semicircle, and after a while making the said line to hang againe directlie vppon the saide part which was touched with it when you did espie thorow the saide sightes or channell the ship or armie, looke againe whether you can espie thorow the same sights or channell the part of the ship or armie which was first espied: for if at your second looking you shall behold againe through the said sights or channell the very same part of the ship [Page 57]or armie which you did first espie you may boldly affirme that the said ship or armie moo­ued not betweene the time of the first and second looking. And if your visuall line passing through the said sights or channell shall not at your second looking extend to the said part, then it is certaine that the said ship or armie doth goe from you. But if your saide visuall line passing through the said sights or channell shall at your seconde looking extende ouer the said part of that ship or armie, then you may boldly say that the said ship or armie commeth towards you.

After all this you must measure by the helpe of your Semicircle how farre the said ship or armie is from you, and finding by your measure that the said ship or armie is within the reach of your peeces, you ought to shoote out of Culuerings, Sakers, Minions, Faucons, and Fauconets, whole yron shot at the same ship or armie, and when the armie shall come very neere vnto you chaine shot, cliue shot, dice shot, baules of wild fire and such other like spoiling shot.

The 65 Chapter. How you may make a perfect shoote in a darke night at any marke that may be seene in the day time: and how a lighted candle may be carried in the night time so as no light shall be seene but at your will and pleasure.

[Page 58]IN the day time mount your peece to reach the appointed marke, and at that very time place the mouth or concauitie of the peece right vppon the saide marke, and then ha­uing put the longest legge of your Semicircle into the mouth of the saide peece, note exact­lie what degree vppon the Semicircle is touched with the line & plummet hanging vppon the said Semicircle, for that degree being written in your memoriall will shew you alwaies how much the said peece lying in that place must be mounted to reach the said marke. Af­ter this, let fall a line and plummet downe vnto the grounde from the middle part of the mouth of the peece, and thrust a pin of wood or yron into that point of ground which was touched with the plummet last mentioned. Likewise from the middle part of the breeche or taile of the peece, let that line and plummet hang downe againe vnto the grounde, and thrust an other pyn of wood or yron into the same very point of grounde which was last touched with the said plummet. Finally, draw a straight line vppon the ground right ouer both those pinnes, and make each end of this line to reach two yardes at the least beyonde the pyn next vnto it. This line lyeth directly vnder the middle parte of the mouth of the peece, and also vnder the middle part of the taile of the peece, and right vppon the marke, and is named therefore the line of direction. Now when you will shoote in a darke night with that peece at the saide marke, charge the peece with his duetie in powder, and with a fit pellet, and plumme the middle of the mouth of the said peece, and the middle of the taile of the said peece, right vppon the said pynnes set in the said line of direction, that you may by so doing lay the mouth of the peece right vppon the appointed marke. Then the longest legge of your saide Semicircle being put into the mouth of the peece koyne the peece vp and downe till the line and plummet hanging vppon the Semicircle shall fall ex­actlie vppon the same degree that it touched before when it was mounted in the day time to strike the said marke. Al this being done, you ought to consider of other things that are expressed in the first chapter of this Appendix, and obserue the same before you do shoote, for by so doing there is no doubt but that the pellet shot out of the saide peece will strike the appointed marke in any night how darke so euer it is. Also if this doctrine be obser­ued at euery time when you will shoote at a marke, you may without faile strike the saide marke so often as you will with diuers peeces from sundrie places in any darke night. But to the end you may see at all times before you shoote whether or no the line and plummet hanging vppon the Semicircle falleth vppon the degree noted in your memoriall, & whea­ther or no the middle part of the mouth of the peece doth lie right ouer the line of directi­on, I counsell you to prepare a close boxe of boordes like a lantorne to carrie a lighted candle, and to haue a dore in the side of the boxe to open when you will see with your can­dle, and to shut when you will haue no light seene.

[Page 59]Example.

A peece of artillery beeing planted in the day time at B and mounted by a Semicircle 3 degrees, did strike D a marke in the wall of a forte, and when the said peece was dischar­ged at the same marke, the middle part of the mouth of the peece, and the middle part of the taile of the peece did lie directly ouer B C the woodden or yron pinnes which stande in the line of direction, therefore when you will shoote in the night time from B to D, you must mount this peece three degrees, and plumme the middle part of the mouth of the peece, and the middle part of the taile of the peece right ouer B C the wodden or yron pinnes in the line of direction, and so doing you can not faile in your purpose.

The 69 Chapter. How you may carrie in the night time a lighted Gunmatch so as it shall not bee seene nor bee wet with raine.

HAng at your girdle as you doe the sheath of your knife a hollow cane of eight or tenne ynches in length, and let the Cane be open at both endes, then put the lighted ende of the gunmatch into the Cane, and as the gunmatch within the Cane shall burne and con­sume, so put the lighted end of the same gunmatch more farther or loer into the Cane, and by this meanes the lighted end of the gunmatch being within the Cane can not bee seene in the night, nor be wet with raine.

The 70 Chapter. In what distance peeces of Artillerie ought to be planted for batterie: In what order peeces of artil­lery ought to be mounted for batterie: In what sort peeces of artillery ought to bee discharged for batterie: and in what measure a breach with battery ought to be: and in what maner a peece made hot with many shootes ought to be cooled.

TO batter a wall of a Towne or fort, lay your Cannons if you can at the distance of 80 paces from the wall which shall be beaten downe, and in no wise (without constraint) more farther from that wal than 150 paces: for when Cannons doe lie 300 or 200 paces of from the wall which shal be battred, they are planted (as Luigui Collado writeth) in an in­conuenient distance & vnmeete place to batter. Also lay the mouthes of your Cannons so as they may strike a foot one aboue an other in the wal vnto ¼ of the heigth in the said wal, & discharging them altogether at one instant, continue the batterie, till you haue made a breach so bigge as at the least nine men in a rancke may enter into it.

After a peece with manie shootes is made very hot, it changeth his colour, & shooteth weaklie, and then to saue it from breaking, you ought to coole it within with a spunge wet in cold water, or in two parts of cold water, & one part of vineger, or in lie mingled with a little water: and lay all ouer the peece, or at the least from the touchhole to the mouth, sheepes skinnes with long wooll on thē dipped in the said cold water, or in 2 parts of cold water, & 1 part of vineger, or in lie and a little water, which lie stoppeth the powres of the mettall in the peece, and causeth it to resist heate.

The 71 Chapter. How a Gunner may outshoote other Gunners in one and the same peece at one and the same eleuation with pellets of one waight, & of one kinde, & with an equall waight of one & the same kind of gun­powder.

WRappe the pellet in linnen or woollen cloth, so as it may goe very stiffe and close vnto the gunpowder in the peece, and by so doing you shall make the sayde pellets to randge more grounde than a like pellet which is not so wrapped in cloth will doe. Likewise when a Gunner shall shoote with an other Gunner in one and the same peece, at one and the same eleuation with pellettes of one waight and of one kinde, with an equall waight of one and the same kind of gunpowder, and in all pointes with like aduantage, hee that shooteth last shall out shoote him which did first shoote in [Page 60]the saide peece by the reasons alleaged in the 4 Colloquie of the first booke of N: Tarta­glia his Colloquies, and in the seuenth Colloquie of the second booke of N: Tartaglia his Colloquies. Also if a gunner after he hath laded a peece with his due charge in gunpow­der will make a hole with a staffe of a conuenient length and bignesse thorow the very mid­dest of the same gunpowder, and likewise after he hath duely charged his saide peece with 2 waddes of hay, strawe, toe, or of vntwisted ropes, and a fit pellet, wil fill the touchhole of the same peece with good gunpowder, and make an other hole with his proyning yron thorow the same touch gunpowder downe vnto the hole which was first made in the saide due charge of gunpowder within the peece, doubtlesse he shall by so doing shoote more ground than an other Gunner ignorant of this skil can doe in the same peece at one and the same eleuation with a like pellet, and an equall charge of one and the same sort of gun­powder.

The staffe which shall make a hole in the middest of the peece his charge in gunpow­der ought for euery Fauconet, Faucon, Minion, Saker, Culuering, French demie Cannon, demie Cannon lower than ordinarie, and demie Cannon, to bee in compasse three or foure ynches or there aboutes, and the staffe which shall make a hole in the middest of the peece his charge in gunpowder for euery ordinarie demie Cannon demie Cannon of the eldest sort, French double Cannon, ordinarie double Cannon, and double Cannon of the eldest and biggest sort ought to be in compasse fiue ynches or thereabout.

The 72 Chapter. How you may amend high, loe, and wide shootes.

To amend an high shoote.VVHen a pellet shot at a marke within point blanke hath strooke somwhat aboue that marke, lay your peece for the second shoote against the said marke in euery respect as it did lie at the first shoote, and afterwards raise vp the dispart vppon the mouth of your peece, till you shall see by the vppermost part of mettall in the taile of the peece, and the toppe of that dispart, the place where the pellet strooke at the first shoote. This done, im­base the mouth of that peece, till the said vppermost part of mettall, and the toppe of the same dispart, doe lie in a right line with the marke, and then giuing fire to the peece, you shall see that by this meanes the peece will shoote into the marke.

To amend a loe shoote.Also when a pellet shot at a marke within point blanke doth strike somewhat vnder his marke, you may amend the said loe shoote in this maner. Recharge your peece, and after you haue for the second shoote laid it against the marke in euery respect as you did lay it for the first shoote, set vpright vppon the vppermost part of mettall in the taile of the peece a waxe candle of such a length as that you may see by the toppe of the saide candle, and the toppe of the dispart vppon the mouth of the peece, the loe place where the pellet before did hit. Then hauing mounted the mouth of your peece till the toppe of the saide waxe candle, and the toppe of the dispart vppon the mouth of your peece, doe lie in a right line with the saide marke, giue fire to the peece, and so you shall shoote into the marke.

To amende a shoote wide vppon your right hand.But when a pellet shot at a marke within point blanke shall strike wide vppon your right hand, then to amend that wide shoote, recharge the peece which shot that pellet, and lay­ing it for the second shoote against the marke as it did lie at the first shoote, remoue the le­uell sight vppon the taile of your peece somewhat towards your left hand, so as the top of your nwe leuell sight, and the toppe of your peece his dispart, may be perceaued to lie in a right line with the place where the pellet before did strike. This done, mooue your peece to and fro till you shall see that the top of your nwe leuell sight, and the toppe of your peece his dispart do lie in a right line with the marke, & for an end of this worke giue fire to your peece which now without faile will shoote his pellet into the marke.

To amende a shoote wide vppon your left hand.You may amend a shoote wide vppon your left hand as you haue been taught to amend a shoote wide vppon your right hand, sauing for the amendment of a shoote wide vpon your left hand, you must alwaies remoue the leuel sight vppon the taile of your peece som­what towards your right hand.

The 73 Chapter. To make an engine which will make a great spoile and a merueilous slaughter.

PLace a great peece of Artillerie within a brode yron hoope, and lay a great number of Caliuers or Muskets in the said hoope rounde about the said peece according to the fi­gure next folowing, and when need shall require charge and discharge all the same peeces togeather. This engine discharged out of a ship at men in a Gallie, Foyst, or any other like vessell (as Girolamo Ruscelli writeth) will make a great spoile and a merueilous slaughter.

The 74 Chapter. Instructions for all those that are vnskilfull to handle and vse an Harchibuse, Caliuer, or Musket.

1 EVery person vnskilfull to handle and vse an Harchibuse, Caliuer, or Musket ought first to learne to handle and carry soldier like the saide peece, and the Flaske, and touch boxe belonging to it.

2 Also hee ought to know that his Caliuer which shall be allowed for militarie seruice must be in length at the least three foote and two ynches, and that the bore of his Caliuer must bee in Diameter ⅔ of an ynch, and in circumference two ynches and [...] of an ynche,

and that a due charge in gunpowder for his Caliuer is ¾ of that waight which a fit pellet of lead for the same Caliuer doth waie, and that such a due charge in gunpowder waieth one ounce & nine graines of auer de poyze waight, and that one pound of gunpowder will make for his Caliuer 15 shootes and 115/163 of one shoote, and that the diameter & circumference of a fitte pellet for his Caliuer must alwaies be some­what lesse than the Diamete round Circumference in the bore of his Caliuer, and that a fitte pellet of lead for his Caliuer wayeth one ounce ¾ of an ounce two scruples, and 12 graines of auer de poize waight, And that 11 fit pellets of lead & 127/163 of one fit pellet of lead for his Caliuer doe waie iust one pounde of auer de poize waight.

3 In like maner he ought to know that his Mus­ket which shall be allowed for militarie seruice must bee in length at the least foure foote, and that the bore of his Musket must bee in Diameter 23/ [...]0 of an ynch and in circumference two ynches and 43/10 [...] of an ynch,

and that a due charge in gunpowder for his Musket is ¾ of that waight which a fit pellet of lead for the same Musket doth waye, and that such a due charge in gunpowder wayeth one ounce ¾ of an ounce, 19 graines and ½ of a graine of auer de poize waight, And that one pound of gunpowder will make for his Musket 8 shootes and 536/573 of one shoote, and that the diameter and circumference of a fit pellet for his Mus­ket [Page 62]must alwayes bee somewhat lesse than the diameter and circumference in the bore of his Musket, & that a fit pellet of lead for his Musket wayeth two ounces ¼ of an ounce, one dramme & six graines of auer de poize waight, and that six fit pellets & ½ 3/9 4/ [...] of one fit pellet of lead for his Musket doe waie iust one pound of auer de poize waight.

4 Also he ought to learne how he shall in a commendable maner charge his peece, and how he shall afterwardes (when need shall require) lay it to his cheeke.

5 Hauing learned to charge, he ought also to know how hee should shoote in the saide peece at randon, and likewise how he should shoote in that peece at a marke within the le­uell of the same peece, and how vppon a small stay in march or skirmish hee should charge and discharge speedily his peece.

6 Also he ought to prooue before hee hath vrgent cause to vse his peece, whether it bee good and meete for his purpose or like to breake.

7 And in a skirmish made only for practise or sport, let him take heed that hee doe not charge his peece with any bullet whereby any person may be maymed or put in hazard of his life or limmes.

8 Also for diuers reasons which are not meete to be expressed in this booke, let no per­son at any time vse to shoote out of his peece any pellet of lead after hee hath chawed it in his mouth and bitten it with his teeth.

The 75 Chapter. How to mount a morter peece for to shoote out of the same fireworks or great stones ouer walles or other high places into cities, townes, or camps, to burne and beate downe houses, tents, and lodgings within the same places.

IT behooueth him which will shoote out of a morter peece any fireworke or great stone for to haue it fall right downe vppon the appointed place to know these 3 things. The waight of the shot, how much ground his peece wil shoote at the best of the randon, & how far the place which he would burne or beate downe is from him. The said three things being knowne, he may easily by this example following learne to doe as he intended.

Example.

The peece will shoote the fireworke, or the great stone at the best of the randon 800 paces, and the place to be burned or beaten downe is distant from that peece 600 paces, therefore that peece must be mounted for to doe this exploit at 48 degrees and ½ degree. But if the fireworke or the great stone will flie at the best of the randon 900 paces, and the place to bee burned or beaten downe bee distant from the peece sixe hundred paces, then the saide peece must bee mounted at fortie one degrees and almost ½ of a degree. [Page 63]And when the fireworke or stone will flie at the best of the raudon 1000 paces, and the space betweene the peece and the said place doth containe 600 paces, the said peece must be mounted at sixe & thirtie degrees and ½ part of a degree, but for the better vnderstan­ding hereof marke well this figure following.

In the said figure there is a Quadrant, and vppon the same with a moueable Hipothenuasa or Index a right angled triangle is fashioned. The base of that triangle representing the space betweene the peece & the marke ought to bee diuided into so many equal partes as the said distance betweene the peece and the marke doth containe paces. Likewise the said Hipothenusa or Index representing the way of the shot would be marked with so many of such like equall partes as may shew the number of paces which the peece wil shoote at the best of the randon to be numbred from the center downewardes. Now when a fireworke or a great stone is to be shot out of a morter peece vnto an appointed place, the gunner hauing in a readinesse such a Quadrant, and knowing how much ground his said peece wil shoote at the best of the randon, & also what distance is betweene the peece & the place to be Burned or beaten downe, must mooue vpwardes or downewardes the said Hipothe­nusa or Index vntill that part of the Hipothenusa which is equall to the number of paces which the peece will shoote at the best randon doth touch the Cathetus or perpendiculer line of the said triangle: And thē he must note the degree vpon the Quadrāt which is tou­ched with the fiduciall line of the sayde Hipothenusa or Index, and mount the sayd mor­ter peece to that degree for to shoote the fireworke or the great stone to the appoyn­ted place.

The 76 Chapter. How you may make an yron dart which being shot out of any great peece of artillerie, or out of the in­guine called Balista, or throne out of your handes against any woodden obiect, will burne and con­sume the same obiect if it shall strike and sticke in the same obiect.

MAke an yron dart of two foote in length (more or lesse at your pleasure) with yron winges placed a little below the vpper end like the feathers of an arrow or Butshaft, and aboue or vnder the said winges pearce a hole thorow the stem of the dart.

Also make a round pype of yron plate about foure ynches in length, and in compasse a little lesse than the compasse of the concauitie in the peece which shall shoote the same dart, and hauing pearced a little hole thorow both sides of this pype put the pype filled full of the mixture following vppon the dart aboue the said winges, or if you wil below the said wings, so as his hole may lie directly vppon the other hole which was first made in the stemme of the dart, because you must driue a naile thorow both these holes from one side of the saide pype vnto the other side of the same pype to fasten it and the dart togeather, that when the dart shalbe shot out of a peece of artillerie, the saide yron pype may not flie from it. Likewise I would haue you to pearce one hole at the vpper end [...]f this pype, and diuers other holes thorow the sides of this pype, and to put into the side holes short yron pypes like vnto the Canons of pocket dagges, and to set fast these short pypes within the said great pype so as their mouthes may lie a little without the said holes according to the picture next following, and that their other endes may rest vppon a part of the dart. For these short pypes charged with powder and pellet (as dagges ought to be) will shoote out their pellets when the mixture in the said great pype shall burne about them, and astonish all those that shall then be neare vnto them, especially if the dart bee shotte from an high place downewardes. Moreouer, put vppon the dart neare vnto his point a bagge wide in the middest and narrow towards both his endes according to the picture next following, & with a mixture made of 12 parts of Saltpeeter, eight partes of Brimstone brused grosse­lie like pepper cornes, and foure partes of grosse gunpowder mingled togeather, fill that bagge, and also the said great pype of yron as full as you can, binding well togeather both the endes of the said bagge so filled, and nailing the full bagge vnto the dart with a naile driuen thorow a hole which for that purpose ought to be in the dart according to the pic­ture next following, to the ende that the said bagge may not mooue from his place when the dart shall be shot out of a peece of great Ordinance, or throne with your hande. Also you shall dippe hempe in the mixture which you learned to make in the nineteenth Chap­ter of this Appendix for gunmatches, and binde the same with pack threede when it is drie rounde about the dart from the said yron wings vnto the said bagge, laying the loose ends of the hempe towardes the great pype of yron, or in steede of hempe binde a gunmatche rounde about the dart betweene the said yron wings and the said bagge, that the mixture in the said great pype of yron being a fire may giue fire to the saide hempe or gunmatche which will carrie fire vnto the mixture in the bagge.

And forasmuch as these dartes touched with mens handes or wet with raine will waxe worse and marre, therefore cote them with canuas and winde packthreede very hard vp­pon the same canuas, and then couer the said canuas all ouer with paste made of meale sod in water: and when the said couer of paste is thorow drie, make a close and hard binding net of wiar round about vppon the saide couer of paste according to picture next folloing

[Page 65]

When you will shoote this dart put into the said hole at the vpper end of the saide great pype a peece of a gunmatch, and charge not the peece out of which this dart shall be shot with so much gunpowder as is his ordinarie charge nor with any tampion or wadde.

The 77 Chapter. To make balles or pellets of fire which being shot out of great ordinance, or throne out of mens hands will sticke fast and burne the obiect in which they shall strike.

PRepare three sharpe pointed barres of yron a little lesse in their lengths than the heigth of the peece his concauitie in which they shal lie. This done, lay 2 of those barres crosse­wise in their middle parts one vppon an other, binding the contingent partes of the same crosse fast about with an yron wier. Also lay the middle part of the 3 barre ouerthwart and crossewise vpon the middle and contingent parts of the other 2 crosse barres, tying them in like maner fast togeather with an yron wier, so as one point at the least of the same dou­ble and ouertwart crosse may sticke fast in euery obiect that shalbe strooken with the same. Moreouer winde a gunmatch round about the contingent partes of the the said crosse till you haue made vppon the same a round bottome as bigge as an Orrange, & then weauing the rest of the gunmatch in and out vppon the said crosse barres, you shall make certaine void and emptie roomes like vnto birdes neastes, which must be filled with a mixture that ought to be made after this maner. Take of Saltpeeter 12 parts, of Brimstone grosly brui­sed like pepper cornes 8 partes, of grosse gunpowder 4 parts, & with all these things min­gled togeather fill the said emptie roomes so as your worke may bee a rounde body like a pellet. Furthermore winde round about ouer the said mixture more of the gunmatch, & vppon this gunmatch winde very hard a handfull of packthreed in such sort as some men vse to winde threed vppon a bottome, and when you haue so done, make an other mixture after this maner. Take of Brimstone one part, of Orpiment, one part, of Colophonia pitch or Colophonia gum 2 parts, of Ship pitch one part, of Turpentine one part, of the wood of a yew tree one part, of Frankensence ½ of a part, of Oyle of lynseed ½ of a part, of Oyle of stone ⅓ of a part, of vitriall grosly beaten one part: and in these things mingled togeather, and boiled a little while in a copper vessel, dip toe or bumbase much or scarsely according as you will haue this pellet to burne furiously or slowly, which toe or bumbase must after­wardes be wrapped round about the pellet, & well couered ouer with pitch, remembring that the sharpe points of the said yron barres must stand two ynces at the least without the said couer of pytch, and that a hole must be made thorow the midst of the pellet from one side to the other to containe a gunmatch, which lying along in the saide hole shall when neede requireth make the saide ball or pellet to burne.

The 78 Chapter. How you may make holloe baules of mettall which being shot out of great Ordinance or morter pee­ces, or throne with slings out of mens hands among soldiers standing or marching in battaile ray, will sodainely breake in many peeces and doe great hurt.

EVery holloe ball of mettall that shal be shot out of any great peece of Artillerie or mor­ter peece, or that shal be throne with mens handes among soldiers in battaile ray, ought to be made of brickle mettall, as of Copper, Lattin, Tynne, or cast yron and haue a lit­tle hole in it, through which the concauitie of that baule may bee filled with fine corne gunpowder, and in which after the said concauitie is filled with gunpowder, a short end of a gunmatch may be put that shall fire the sayd gunpowder incontinently after the baule commes among them at whom it was shot, to the ende that the sayd baule being vnable to abide the violent blast of the gunpowder that is within his concauitie, may thereby breake in many peeces, and kill or greeuously hurt more men than one whole pellet will doe.

You may also fill holloe baules of mettall with that kinde of gunpowder which I haue taught you to make in the thirteenth way and sixteenth chapter of this Appendix, for the said gunpowder is of so great force, as that vndoubtedly it wil breake any holloe baule of brickle mettall filled with the same.

Some make these holloe baules with three partes of brasse, and one of tynne, in thicke­nesse ¼ of an ynche, and they doe melt the brasse before they put the Tynne vnto it, and when such baules shall be vsed they fill them halfe full of good corne gunpowder, and to fill vp the rest of the hollonesse in this baule, they put in three partes of serpentine powder mingled with one part of rosen beaten into powder, & then hauing put into the mouthes of the holes that are in the baules a little fine corne gunpowder for to make the residue of the stuffe to fire the sooner, they shoote them out of great Ordinance, or throe them with slings out of their hands among men in battaile ray, or ouer walles into townes, fortresses, and camps, to terrifie, hurt, and kill all those that at the time of their breaking shall bee neare vnto them.

Moreouer you may for that purpose make a holloe pellet of one pounde of tynne, and three poundes of copper: and this pellet being made halfe a finger thicke, you must pearce two holes so bigge as a man may thrust into them his little finger in both sides of the pellet, one directly against the other. This done, fill the holloe pellet full of fine gun­powder pressed downe very hard and put into this pellet thoroe the saide holes a holloe pype of yron which must reach from one of those holes vnto the other, and be fast riueted in the pellet. But before you doe put the pype so into the pellet, remember to pearce about the middle part of the pype two or three holes thoroe the sides of it, and after the pype is riueted fast in the pellet to make this next mixture folloing.

Take of grosse gunpowder sixtie partes, of Saltpeeter stamped twelue partes, of vernish in graines sixe partes of Spanish pitch sixe partes, incorporate all these thinges togeather, and after both the endes of that yron pype are fast riueted in the pellet, fill the saide pype almost full of that mixture, I say almostful because you must put fine gunpowder into both endes of the said yron pype. Moreouer, after you haue so done you shall first annoint the outside of this pellet all ouer with Turpentine, and then hauing roled the pellet in fine gunpowder to make it apte to take fire quickly, you shall shoote the same out of a great peece of Artillerie with a traine of gunpowder, which lying along in the peece from the mouth of it vnto the gunpowder behinde the said pellet, must first bee set on a fire at the mouth of the peece. Also you may if you will put into the saide holloe baule or pellet cer­taine square or rounde peeces of lead, or diuers shorte pypes of yron like vnto pocket dagges full charged with gunpowder and pellettes, and fill vp the rest of the concauitie in that baule or pellet with fine gunpowder, and hauing annointed it with Turpentine, and [Page 67]roled it in fine gunpowder, shoote it out of a peece of Artillery with a trayne as aboue you haue beene taught to doe.

The 79 Chapter. How you may make diuers sortes of baules of wildefire which may be shotte out of Morter peeces, and also out of other great peeces of Ordinance: And how you may make diuers sortes of baules of wildefire and other firewoorkes which may be throen out of mens hands with slinges, cordes, or o­ther such like thinges, into a Towne, Forte, Trenche, or Campe, or among men set in battelray.

The 80 Chapter. How you may make diuers sortes of Firewoorkes, which being shotte in a darke night out of a Mor­terpeece, or out of any other peece of Artillerie, or throne out of mens hands into an appointed place, will geue so great a light as that you may discerne by the same light whether or no [Page 72]any enemies are in or neare vnto that place.

The 81 Chapter. To make and vse halfe baked pottes, and fiue sundrie sortes of firewoorkes which may be put into the same pottes, and be throne out of mens hands for offensiue and defensiue seruice.

MAke great and small earthen pottes which must be but halfe baked, and like vnto the picture in the margent.

The great pottes ought to holde 6 or 8 pottels, but the lit­tle pottes ought not to exceede the measure of one pottle. Fill euery of those pottes halfe full with grosse gunpowder pressed downe harde, and with one of the fiue seuerall mix­tures next following in this Chapter, fill vp the other halfes of those pottes: This done, couer the mouth of euery pot with a peece of canuasse bound hard about the mouth of the pot, and well imbrued in melted brimstone. Also tie round about the middle of euery pot a packthreed, and then hang vppon the same packthreede round about the potte so many Gun­matches of a finger in length as you wil, & when you wil throe any of these pottes among your enemies, light the same gun­matches that they may so soone as the potte is broken with his fall vppon the ground, fire the mixture in the potte. Or rather put fire to the mixture at the mouth of the potte, & by so doing make the same to burne before you doe throe the potte from you, because it is a better and more surer way than the other: I meane than to fire the said mixture after the pot is broken with burning gunmatches. Note. Moreouer this is to be noted, that the small pots doe serue for to be throne out of one shippe into an other in fight vppon the sea, and that the great pottes are to be vsed in seruice vppon the lande for the defence of townes, fortes, walles, and gates, and to burne such things as the enemies shall throe into ditches for to fill vp the same ditches, and also to destroy enemies in their trenches and campes.

1 The first mixture with which the said pottes may be charged. Take of

• Grosse gunpowder sifted thorow a sercer 24 partes.
• Saltpeeter sifted thorow a sercer 2 partes.
• Brimstone sifted thorow a sercer 2 partes.
• Vernish in graine 2 partes.
• Cole made of a willoe tree sifted 1 parte.

Moysten all these things with Aqua vitae, and incorporate them togeather.

[Page 75]2 The second mixture which is an excellent mixture to be throne in those halfe baked pottes vppon enemies which will offer to scale any Forte, or wall, & is very good to burne such stuffe as shalbe by enemies throne into ditches for to fill them vp. Take of

• Grosse gunpowder 96 partes.
• Saltpeeter 18 partes.
• Brimstone 4 partes.
• Liquide vernish 2 partes.
• Stone oyle 2 partes.
• Greene coperesse 2 partes.
• Arsenick 2 partes.
• Assa fetida 2 partes.
• Shippe pitch 2 partes.

Mingle all these things very well togeather, for the more better that they are mingled to­geather, the more better will the same mixture doe his effect.

3 The 3 mixture with which the said pottes may be charged. Take of

• Grosse gunpowder 4 pounds.
• Greeke pitch 1 pound.
• Vernish in graines 1 pound.
• Brimstone 1 pound.
• Saltpeeter 1 pound.
• Oyle of stone 1 pound.

Stampe wel all these things together, and make a mixture of the same as you haue learned to make the other two mixtures.

4 The 4 mixture with which the said pottes may be charged. Take of

• Grosse gunpowder 48 partes.
• Greeke pitch 12 partes.
• Drie or leane gumme 6 partes.
• Brimstone 6 partes.
• Saltpeeter 12 partes.

Stampe wel all these things togeather, and make a mixture of the same things.

5 The 5 mixture with which the said pottes may be charged. Take of

• Grosse gunpowder 10 pounds.
• Saltpeeter 2 pounds.
• Vernish in graines 1 pound.
• Spanish pitch 1 pound.

Stampe all these things moystned with Aqua vitae in a morter, & incorporate thē together.

You may also if you will charge the said pottes with square or rounde peeces of yron and lead after this manner: Note. Melte in a ladle or in some other thing a conuenient quantity of redde or yellowe waxe, and with the same liquide waxe line and couer the inside of eue­ry potte: this done, sticke in the waxe round about the inside of euery potte so many smal, square, or round peeces of yron and lead as you shall thinke needefull. Then hauing in a readines for euery potte a holloe trunke or pipe which in compasse must be equal with the widenesse of the pottes mouth, and in length agree with the heigth of the potte within, you shall pearce 3 or 4 holes in the sides of euery of the said pipes, and fill the saide pipes full of a mixture thus made. Take of

• Grosse gunpowder 10 pounds.
• Brimstone sifted thorow a sercer 2 pounds.
• Vernish in graines 1 pound.
• Saltpeeter beaten to powder 1 pound.
• and sifted thorow a sercer

Moysten all these things with common water, and mingle them togeather, and after you haue put into euery potte so much fine gunpowder as will lie (the said pipes being within the pottes) betweene the outsides of the said pipes, and the insides of the pottes, you shall thruste into euery potte one of those pipes filled full of the saide mixture, and couer euery potte all ouer with canuasse well bounde about and imbrued in pitch. Also when you will [Page 76]thro any such potte among enemies, geue fire to the mixture in the pipe of that potte, and suffer it for a little while to burne before you doe cast the same potte from you, which any man may doe without harme to himselfe.

The 82 Chapter. To make 5 diuers kindes of firewoorkes which may be put into pottes, holloe staues, canes, or other ves­sels, and throne out of mens handes in defensiue and offensiue seruice.

The 83 Chapter. To make 5 sundrie sortes of firewoorkes which will kindle with water or rayne.

The 84 Chapter. To make 2 sundry sorts of firewoorkes which will kindle with the heate of the sunne, & burne in water.

The 85 Chapter. To make balles of fire which will burne in water.

The 86 Chapter. To make a fireworke which will burne stones and yron.

TAke of Camphire three partes, of salt Armoniacke twelue partes, of oyle of Bayes 24 partes, of vernish 24 partes, of Gumme 36 partes, of liquide vernish twelue partes. of Turpentine 24 partes, of Spanish pitch 60 partes, of Brimstone 60 partes, of liquide pitch twelue partes, of nwe waxe twelue partes, of Coles made of willoe 144 parts of fine gunpowder for handgunnes twelue partes, and of oyle of Lynseede 36 partes: incorpo­rate all these things togeather and keepe this confection to burne stones and yron.

The 87 Chapter. To make a fireworke which was first inuented by the sonnes of Amram.

TAke of liquide picth, of the gumme of Iuniper, of the oyle and gumme of Turpentine, of the oyle of that lime or clay which is called Bitumen, of the oyle of Brimstone, of the oyle of Niter, of the oyle of the yolkes of egges, of the oyle of Bayes, of euery of these thinges sixe partes, of the powder of a drie Bay tree, of Camphire, of euery of them well so­ked in aqua vitae fourteene partes, put all these things togeather into a glasse narrowe to­wardes the mouth, and well stopped about the mouth with waxe: This done, bury the same glasse in horse dung for the space of sixe monethes, and at euery foure dayes ende within that time, take the glasse out of the said dung, and when you haue well shaken those thinges togeather in the glasse, burie the glasse againe in other horse dung, and after the ende of the said sixe monethes distill all those things in that kinde of vessell which of some Alcumistes is named a Seraphine.

The 88 Chapter. To make an vnquenchable fireworke which will burne without any flame.

TAke of Saltpeeter refined two partes, of Coles made of a firre tree ¼ of one part, and with the whites of egges incorporate them together. This done, role or drawe a cord made of fine wooll or bombase thoroe the saide mixture, and then putting fire vnto the same cord you shall see that it will burne without any flame and be vnquenchable.

The 89 Chapter. To make a fireworke which shall burne and doe his desired effect at any appointed time.

TAke of Orpiment twelue parts, of pitch one part, of waxe one part, of Saltpeeter one part, of Cole made of soft wood foure partes: melt or dissolue all these things togea­ther in water, and after they are so dissolued thrust a gunmatch of a knowne length into the said mixture, and wet it well in the same. When you haue so done, and haue also dried this gunmatch wel againe, kindle one end of that gunmatch with fire, and noting diligent­lie by a true watch or houre glasse, how long time it continueth, let it burne for a proofe till all of it shall with the fire be consumed. And let it be here supposed that the gunmatch which was so wet in the said mixture was three yardes in length, and that it did continue in burning one iust quarter of an houre, and that I am appointed to burne a thing with a like gunmatch at the end of one iust houre after the gunmatch shall bee kindeled, nowe therefore I take a like gunmatch of twelue yardes in length which is foure times so long as was the gunmatch by which I made the saide proofe, because it must burne one houre, which is 4 times so long as the other gunmatch did burne, & I wreath this gunmatch about a staffe, placing one wreath somewhat farre from the other, to the end that the sayd gun­match may burne in no more places than in one onely place at one time. For if the sayde wreathes should be set neare togeather, it might be that one wreath woulde set an other wreathe in a fire, and thereby making the gunmatch to doe his effect before the appointed time, discredite the workman, and frustrate his intent. Likewise if I should bee appointed to fire a thing with a like gunmatch at the iust end of two houres after the match shall bee kindeled, I must take a like gunmatch of 24 yardes in length which is eight times so long as was the gunmatch by which I made the said proofe, because it must burne two houres, which is eight times so long as the other gunmatch did burne, and wreathing as I did be­fore this gunmatch about a staffe, I doe put that ende of the gunmatch which shall bee last touched at the end of two houres with fire, in a vessell of gunpowder, or in a ball of wilde fire, that it may without faile doe thereby his effect at the appointed time. Thus noting well what I haue here written, you may fire any ship, myne, forte, or any other thing at an appointed time.

The 90 Chapter. To make a fireworke which may be vsed in militarie seruice, and also in triumphes.

TAke of grosse gunpowder three partes, of Saltpeeter two parts, of Brimstone one part, of vernish in graines foure partes, of Romane vitriol sixe partes, of Spanish pitch sixe partes, of Amber foure partes, of Orpiment foure partes, of Arsenike foure partes, of greene Coperesse two partes, and of Salt Armoniake two parts: beate well all these things (except the Saltpeeter and Brimstone which must not bee much beaten) and incorporate them togeather. Also take of liquide vernish sixe parts, of Petriol oyle foure partes, of oile of Lynseede foure partes, and of aqua vitae sixe partes. First put the aqua vitae alone into the said mixture, and incorporate them well togeather: then put the liquide vernish into the said composition, and incorporate them togeather, and last of all put the saide oyles into the said composition, and in like manner incorporate them well togeather. This done, [Page 83]you may vse the said composition for militarie seruice, and also for triumphes, and if you will put it into a nealed pot well and close stopped, you may preserue it so long as you will for such purposes,

The 91 Chapter. To make a fireworke which may be cast vp into the ayre, and may be shot out of a trunke or trombe.

TAke of Greeke pytch twelue parts, of quicke Brimstone two partes, of Saltpeeter refi­ned drie three partes, beate all these things, and make a paiste of them with aqua vitae, and oyle of Lynseede, and then of that composition make certaine pellets, and when you will charge a trombe or trunke with any of these pellets, role them in fine gunpowder, and hauing made holes crossewise thoro the sides of the same pellets, to the ende that the fire may enter into them, fill vp the said holes with fine gunpowder.

The 92 Chapter. To make a fireworke which at a triumph may be cast vp into the ayre.

TAke of Saltpeeter refined drie two partes, of Brimstone one part and ½ of a part, of li­quide Camphire one part, of Coles one part and ½ part: beate all these thinges into fine powder, and after you haue so done take of petriol oyle and of aqua vitae of eache an equall quantitie, and incorporate them with the Camphire, and with the saide powder, and then make of that mixture pellets which must be dryed in the Sunne: and when you will thro any of these pellets vp into the ayre, you must first make a hole into the pellet, and hauing filled vp the said hole with good gunpowder giue fire vnto the same gunpowder.

The 93 Chapter. To make Rockettes or Squibbes which being throne vp into the ayre wil cast foorth flames of fire, and in comming downe towards the ground will shew like starres falling from heauen.

TO make these Rockets you must prepare a fourme or model of wood of a conueni­ent length, and role paper vppon the same foure or fiue folde, and tie a packthreede very harde about one end of this holloe trunke of paper, leauing all this notwithstanding a small hole in that ende. This holloe trunke of paper ought to be of such length that it may conueniently hold all the things which must be put into it, and you ought to put no more waight vppon a Rocket than the iust poyse of the same Rocket.

When this trunke of paper shall be filled with such things as will flame and giue crackes or bloes, put fine gunpowder into the said trunke for to kindle the gunmatch, which must lie along in the stuffe that will flame and cracke. The stuffe which is to be put into the Roc­ket for to flame and giue crackes is made of twelue partes of Saltpeeter refined, of Citrine Brimstone nine partes, of grosse gunpowder fiue partes and ¼ of a part mingled togeather with your hand. The Brimstone and Saltpeeter must be grosly poūded like vnto the cornes of grosse gunpowder. This done, make of som hemp or toe a thing like vnto a taile ¾ of a foote or more in length, and tie a packthreed about the said taile neare vnto the biggest end of it: Also at that greatest end of the taile, a holloe place must be made like vnto a birds nest, & after you haue put into that nest one part and ⅓ of a part of the said mixture, winde the rest of that taile rounde about vppon the nest and all ouer the saide mixture, make a rounde ball thereof, and crossewise binde packthreed very hard vppon it to the ende that the said ball may therewith be made very harde. And finally thrust a gunmatch well roled in good gunpowder cleane thorow the said ball and mixture to kindle the saide mixture, and to make this Rocket for to flame.

The 94 Chapter. To make Torches and candles which after they are lighted cannot be ex­tinguished with any winde or water.

TAke foure cordes so bigge as a mans finger of fine wooll or bumbase, seethe them in Saltpeeter water, and when they are drie againe, role them well in fine gunpowder and Brimstone tempered with a sufficient quantitie of aqua vitae: then take of waxe three partes, of gumme of a pine tree two partes, of Camphire ½ of a parte, of Turpentine ½ of a part, and of Greeke pytch or Spanish pytch one part: melt all these things ouer a soft fire, and make a paiste of the same mixture, and couer the saide cordes all ouer with the saide mixture as chaundelers doe their waxe candles. This done, sticke and lay the same foure cordes so couered vppon a drie firre tree staffe, as waxe candles are stucke and laide vppon like staues commonly called staffe torches, and fill vppe the emptie places vppon the staffe which will be betweene the said cordes, with a mixture made of three partes of quicke or vnslaked lime, and of one part of quicke Brimstone beaten into fine powder, and moyste­ned with a little of Linseed oyle: a torch thus made after it is lighted can not be extingui­shed with any winde or water. But to make a candle for the like purpose, take the weeke of a candle, and the powder of quicke Brimstone, wrappe them vp togeather in a fine peece of lynnen cloth, and with waxe make thereof a candle, for (as Nostradamus and Weckerus haue written) a lighted candle so made can not bee extinguished with any winde so long as any peece of his substance doth endure.

Also you may make any nextinguishable torche in this maner: Take a long gunmatch, and after you haue boyled it in lie made of Saltpeeter, drie it well: then take of Brimstone finely beaten 1 part, of gunpowder for great ordinance one part, & of waxe one part: Min­gle al these things togeather, and when you haue melted this mixture in a pan, put so much of the said gunmatch into it as will drinke or soke vp the greatest part thereof: then taking the gunmatch out of the pan, cut it into peeces so long as the torch shall be, and vnto the quantity of mixture remaining in the pan, put a like quantity of the gumme of a pine tree, a like quantitie of Brimstone, and a like quantitie of Turpentine. Which done, melt in that pan all the same things, and after you haue there well mingled them togeather, couer the said peeces of a gunmatch all ouer with the same mixture, as waxe chaundelers doe vse to couer their torch candles: and by so doing you shall make excellent torches, which bur­ning in a flame can not be extinguished with winde, raine, or snoe.

The 95 Chapter. To make a fireworke which will burne and giue a great light in a Crosset.

THrust lynnen ragges into oyle of hempsede, and after dippe them in melte [...] allowe, then putting them into Cressets giue fire to them, & you shall see that they [...]ll burne and giue a great light.

The 96 Chapter. To kindle fire with the heate of the Sunne.

IF you will lay a Christall stone vnder the circle of the Sunne, that is to say against the Sunne, and place a thing that may be burned neare vnto it, you shall see that the heate of the Sunne will set that thing in a fire.

The 97 Chapter. How you may make a Trunke or Trombe which will shoote fireworkes, and may bee vsed in fight vp­pon the Sea, and in fight vppon the lande: how you may make a furious and quicke burning fire­worke for the said Trunke: how you may make a sloe and soft burning fireworke for the said trunke: and how you may make diuers fortes of fireworkes for the said trunke: and how you ought to charge the said trunke with the said furious and quicke burning fireworke: and also with the saide sloe and soft burning fireworke.

The 98 Chapter. How you may make foure sundrie sortes of Trunkes or Trombes: how you may make foure sundry sortes of mixtures for the said Trunkes: how you may make balles or pellets for the said trunks: and how you ought to charge the said Trunkes with the said mixtures and pellets.

The 99 Chapter. To tie a fireworke at the vpper end of a scaling ladder.

COuer the vpper part of the scaling ladder with plates of yron & in the very top let the ladder haue one or two great and strong hookes of yron to catch and holde fast what­soeuer thing you shall lay it on. Also set in the foote of the ladder long yron pykes which may be thrust into the ground to keepe the ladder from slyding. All this being done, tie vppon the the said yron plates a canuas bagge filled with some one kinde of burning mix­ture, binde the said bagge all ouer with yron wiers, and couer it all ouer with such paste as doth serue to couer pellets and balles of wildefire. Then making holes thorow the bag in­to the said mixture, fil vp the saide holes againe with fine and good gunpowder, or with gunmatches roled in fine and drie gunpowder, and when you shall haue cause to vse any such ladder, giue fire to the said gunpowder or gunmatches which will cause the said mix­ture to burne in such maner, as no enemie will offer to come neere vnto the ladder.

The 100 Chapter.

The 101 Chapter. How Frauncesse George of Sena was the first inuentor of Mynes: how caues or mynes for the subuersion of Fortes, Castles, and walles of Cities ought to be made: and how gunpowder ought to be placed in the ouens of such Mynes, that the same gunpowder may ouerthroe and bloe the Forts, Castles, and Walles of Cities which shall stande directly ouer the sayde ouens.

IOan: Iacobus Weckerus, and Vannuccio Biringuccio, doe reporte in their bookes that Fraun­cesse George of Sena was the first inuentor of Mynes for the subuersion of Fortes, Castles, Sena is a citie in that part of Italie which is called Tulcane distant from Roome an hū ­dred miles. and walles of Cities: And the said Weckerus, Biringuccio, and other authors haue written, that such mynes ought to be made in this sorte following.

The mouth and beginning of the myne ought not to be neare vnto the place that is ap­pointed to be blone vp with gunpowder, to this ende that the men of the saide place may not perceaue the myne, nor issue out to molest the Pioners, nor know where to make countermines to let the fire breathe out, or to cause the myne by any manner of meanes to be of no effect. And to the intent that the saide myne may not ende before it comes to the very pointe of ground which l [...]eth directly vnder the saide place that shalbe ouerthrone, nor extende beyonde the same, you must measure exactly with your Quadrant or Semi­circle the distance betweene the beginning of the myne and the place where it shall ende, and note circumspectly by the helpe of a Geographicall plaine Sphere, how the end of the myne lieth from the place of his beginning. This done, drawe a platte of a myne that may vppon paper expresse the true proportion and symetrie of the same myne which you doe now goe about to make, and instruct the Pyoners to vndermyne according to the same platte.

If the Pioners shall happen to finde water in the way of the myne, you must teach them to sinke welles, and to digge gutturs which may carry the water out of the way into the same welles, and after they haue laide plankes ouer the saide welles, to proceede in their woorke according to your platte. But when the Pioners shal not be able by reason of other lettes within the ground (which in many places will happen) to vndermine according to your platte, then your platte must be altered in such sorte as the way of the myne vnder ground may in breadth, length, and fourme, agree with the said platte.

While the Pioners doe worke in the way of the myne, cause them to bore diuers deepe holes in each side of the myne with a long augar, and when they haue so done, if you will lay your eare to the saide holes, I meane first to one hole and after to an other, you shall heare whether the enemies doe dig any countermyne.

Some men doe thinke that a myne, and also a countermyne may with little or no noise at all be thus made. Prepare strong and bigge augars of 8 or 9 feete in length, bore with them diuers holes vnder the ground thorow the earth, and also thorow the stones which shall lie in the way of the myne or countermyne: This done, breake downe the earth and stones about the saide holes with croes of yron, and then boring other holes, and breaking downe againe the earth and stones about the same holes as you did before, woorke for­wardes, and keepe this order in your woorke till you haue finished the myne.

[Page 94]A myne may be made in fashion like vnto TV or XY in the pictures next following.

Also the Pyoners (if the grounde will permitte them so to worke) may digge foorth­right from the beginning of the myne towardes the thing that is appoynted to be ouer­throne, vntill they shall come neare vnto the ground which lyeth directly vnder the saide thing, and of some is named the Ouen, and place of greatest effect: But of necessitie the way of the myne from the saide neare place vnto the saide Ouen and place of greatest effect, must be crooked & oblique according to BDEC in the two Figures following.

After you haue made a myne platte according to this doctrine or in any other manner, you must instruct the Pyoners to vndermine deepe within harde grounde, and to make the way of the myne three foote in breadth, and sixe foote in heigth, and to digge the sayd Ouen and place of greatest effect sixe or seuen foote in breadth, and nine or tenne foot in heigth, to this ende that the gunpowder laide in that place may make his vent vpwardes, and that the ayre which is within the saide holloe place may ayde the gunpowder to open and ouerturne the ground which is right ouer it.

When the saide Ouen and place of greatest effect shall happen to be made in a stonie grounde where the stones are like to fall, then you must vnderproppe them with holloe pypes of timber filled ful of good gunpowder: and remember alwaies to obserue a meane in making the Ouen and place of greatest effect, because it ought in no manner of grounde to be too bigge or too little.

The myne being finished according to your saide platte, couer the ground or floore in the saide Ouen and place of greatest effect with boordes, and hauing stroed vppon those boordes a sufficient quantitie of good gunpowder, put so many barrelles without any heads or couers, full of good and strong gunpowder vppon the same boordes, as will execute the thing appointed to be done, and in so doing perswade your selfe that the bet­ter and greater the quantitie of gunpowder which shalbe laide in the saide Ouen & place of greatest effect is, the more greater will be the effect of the same. Moreouer, for to fire the said gunpowder when time shall require, lay a gunmatch made of fine bumbase cotten that hath beene well sodde in vineger, brimstone, and saltpeeter, well roled in gunpowder, and well dried in the Sunne, within a Trunke, Pype, or case of boordes: which gunmatch and trunke must extende and reache in length from the gunpowder stroed vppon the boordes in the saide Ouen and place of greatest effect, vnto the mouth and beginning of the myne, and also somewhat without the same, and hauing couered the saide gunmatch all ouer with a traine of dry gunpowder, close vp the said trunke with a couer of boordes, [Page 95]so as no soile or moysture may come vnto the gunpowder within the same Trunke. Or if you will, you may tie a peece of a gunmatch vnto the ende of a small line, and when the saide ende of a gunmatch shalbe a fire, drawe the same by that line running on a pulley thorow a traine of gunpowder made within a Trunke vnto the barrels of gunpowder in the saide ouen and place of greatest effect. But before you doe fire the gunpowder in the myne with a gunmatch after the doctrine last taught, or in any other manner, you must with earth, rootes of trees, blockes of timber, stones, and such like things, walle, fortefie, and ramme vp the mouth of the saide Ouen, or rather all that parte of the myne which C D and E in the figure next following doth represent, so as no fire, or aire may breath out of the said ouen and place of greatest effect by any other way than by the saide holloe Trunke. For in so much as that parte of the myne which is noted in this figure next fol­lowing with E, lieth not right against the saide ouen and place of greatest effect, and like­wise for that the place of the myne which D in this figure following doth represent, lieth not right against C, and also for that the mouth of the myne which B representeth in the figure next following, is not right against E and D, it is certaine, when the gunpowder in the saide ouen and place of greatest effect shall be set in a fire (after the way of the myne from C to D is so stopped vp with earth, rootes of trees, blockes of timber, stones, and such like thinges) that the saide gunpowder will with a great and horrible violence bloe and o­uerturne all the ground and buildings ouer the same.

The 102 Chapter. How a caue ought to be made rounde about a Castle or Forte that is besieged, to the intent that they which are in the saide caue may heare and perceaue at all times whether or no the enemie doth woorke to vndermyne the same Castle or Forte.

WHen a Castle or Forte is besieged, and the Captaine of that Castle or Forte doth feare that the enemie will vndermine the same place, then the Captaine (to auoid the hurte which may come by the saide myne) ought to commaunde his Souldiers to make a deepe pitte within their Castle or Forte, and from the bottome of the same to dyg a caue vnder the foundation of the walles of their saide Castle or Forte, and also vnder the ditch which enuironeth the saide place vntill they shall come vnto the outside of the saide ditch, and from thence to vndermine on the outside of the saide ditch (as the ground will suffer them to woorke) rounde about the saide Castle or Forte.

When the Souldiers haue brought out of the saide caue all the earth which was in the same, they may fortefie the walles of their Castle or Forte with the same earth, and laying [Page 96]sackes of wooll straightly bounde about with cordes in diuers places of the saide caue, they ought to put vppon euery of the saide sackes a latten bason, and cast into euery of the saide basons sixe or eight harde peason, to this ende that they which are in the saide caue may heare and perceaue at all times by those peason, whether or no the enemie doth worke to vndermine the same Castle or Forte, for at euery stroke that the Pioners shall strike, the peason in the saide basons will vndoubtedly make an audible iarre, whereof the Captaine ought presently to haue warning, that he may in conuenient time with counter­mines, or by some other pollicie, make the myne of his enemies to be of no effect.

Moreouer, to knowe whether or no the enemies doe make any myne against you this may be done: Sinke diuers deepe welles in diuers places towardes the suspected myne, and hauing made diuers holes with a long auger in the sides of those welles, cause vigilant and skilfull men to watch and harken continually at the saide holes, or in the bottome of the saide welles, whether or no the enemies doe vndermine towards you. But if this way shall not like you, take a drumme and set one ende of it flatte vppon a very plaine peece of ground, neare vnto the head of one of the saide welles, and then vppon the vpper ende or head of the drumme lay fiue or sixe haukes belles, or such belles as are commonly set in collars for little dogges, or for wante of such belles a conuenient number of drie beanes which will make a sounde at euery stroke geuen in the myne with any mattocke or pickaxe, if the enemies doe vndermine within fourty or fifty paces of the saide drumme, and that sound will be by so much more audible by how much more nearer to the drūme the enemies Pioners doe come. Also you may knowe whether the enemies doe vnder­mine towardes you, if you will place a conuenient number of copper or latten basons fil­led full of cleane water in the bottome of euery of the aforesaide welles, and set the sides of the same basons in the grounde, for when the enemies doe vndermine, the water in the basons will tremble at euery bloe which shalbe geuen in the myne of the enemies with a­ny pickaxe or mattocke, and therein this is to be noted, that the more lighter the saide ba­sons are, the better will they moue and bewray the strokes of pickaxes and mattocks.

The 103 Chapter. To make a burning oyle of Saltpeeter and Brimstone mingled togeather for Firewoorkes.

TAke of Saltpeeter well refined one parte, of Brimstone one parte, beate the Saltpee­ter by it selfe, and also the Brimstone by it selfe into very fine powder: After this in­corporate them in a potte of nwe earth, putting so much strong white vineger into the potte as will couer the mixture. This done, couer the potte so as no ayre may breathe out of it: and when the vineger in the potte shalbe consumed, and the saide mixture dry, you must distill the saide mixture in a Limbecke, and reserue the burning oyle that will come from it for Firewoorkes.

The 104 Chapter. To make oyle of Brimstone for Firewoorkes.

MElte Brimstone in a potte ouer a fire, and taking a sufficient quantitie of the eldest redde brickes that may be gotten, beate them into peeces so bigge as beanes: This done, put into the melted Brimstone so many of those small peeces as will drinke vp all the same melted Brimstone: And after you haue so done, distill them in a Limbecke, for that which shall come out of the saide peeces of brickes thoroe the Limbecke, is oyle of Brimstone which will serue for Firewoorkes.

The 105 Chapter. To make two sortes of burning waters for Firewoorkes.

The 106 Chapter. How the clay which some men name Lutum sapientiae, and some men doe call Lute of wisdome, is made: And how the said clay will serue to stoppe vessels of glasse and Fornaces, and to make thicke mouldes, and many other thinges.

THe clay which some men name Lutum sapientiae, and some men doe call Lute of wis­dome, (of which in diuers places of this booke I haue spoken) may bee made in this maner. Take of good white or ashie cullor chalk which wil make white pipkins, white pots, white dishes, & other white vessels, 4 partes, of cōmon ashes which haue serued in a buck of clothes ½ part, of drie horsedung or assedung one part, & a little quantitie of the powder of a brick stone, or a small portion of the filings of yron, beate all these things into a very fine powder, then sifte them thoroe a fine seeue or searcer, and that being done, mingle them togeather. After this, lay the saide mixture vppon a faire floore, and cast or strowe one parte of floxe vppon the saide mixture by little and little in as equall portions as you can. Also sprinkle so much water as shalbe needefull vppon the saide mixture. Further­more, sturre the said moyste mixture well togeather, first with a staffe, afterwardes with a spade or shouel, and make a heape thereof. When the saide mixture hath in that sort byn well wrought, lay it vppon a boorde and moysten it againe, and beate it with a spade or shouell till you haue beaten it enough, for the longer that you shall beate and moysten it, the better it will be.

This kinde of clay is very good to lute or stoppe vessels of glasse, and Fornaces, and to make thicke mouldes, and many other things.

If you will not bestow all this labor to make Lutum sapientiae, or lute of wisdome, then take onely of the saide white chaulke, floxe, horsedung or assedung, and a few ashes. Some make this lute of wisdome without floxe, others make the saide lute of wisdome without horsedung or assedung, and euery of them doth therein follow his owne will: For in ve­ry deede you may by diuers wayes make lute of wisdome, as you may reade in the firste booke and sixe and twenty Chapter of the nwe Iewell of health treating of distillations. But to lute and stoppe the mouthes of glasses that no ayre may breathe out of them, such lute of wisdome as is made after the first order is best, especially if two partes of vnslaked lime, and so many whites of egges as shall seeme to bee enough, be added thereunto, for vnslaked Lime and the whites of egges wil make it more sure, and as harde as glasse, and by such meanes the vente of ayre will bee the lesse. Moreouer, this Lute of wis­dome must alwayes be kept in a moyste place, but so as the said Lute bee not kept too moyste nor too drie, for the same being drie will waxe harde, and then it serues to no vse, [Page 98]and if you shall goe about to make it softe by casting water vppon it, the outside thereof will be moyste and mollified therewith, but the inside of the same will continue harde, wherefore when the lute of wisdome is very harde, it is best for you to let it drie well, and afterwardes to beate it into fine powder, and then to make thereof againe lute of wisdome in such sorte as before you were taught to doe.

The 107 Chapter. How you may way with feure seuerall waightes any quantitie from one pounde waight vnto fourtie poundes in waight: how you may way with fiue seuerall waightes any quantitie from one pounde waight vnto an hundred twenty & one poundes in waight: how you may way with 6 seuerall waights any quantitie from one pound waight vnto three hundred sixty & foure pounds in waight: and how vppon a Beame called a Stater, you may with a small waight way thinges of very great waight.

HOw needefull a thing it is for those that doe deliuer or receaue Gunpowder & pellets by waights, and also for those that doe make Gunpowder, Cartredges, and Firewoorks by proportion and waights, to know how they may onely with 4 waights way any quan­titie from one pound waight to 40 poundes in waight, and with 5 waights any quantitie from 1 pound waight to 121 poundes in waight, and with 6 waights any quantitie from one pound waight vnto 364 poundes in waight, and how they may way vppon a Beame called a Stater, with a small and light waight, great things of a very heauie waight, I neede not rehearse because euery man will confesse that it is a pointe of vanity to vse many things when a fewe things wil serue our turne, as this Latin sentence doth declare: Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora. Therefore I aduise those that ought to haue vnder­standing in the science of waights to note well this which followeth.

Foure seuerall waights wil way any quantitie from one pound waight vnto 40 pounds in waight, if the first of those foure waightes be of one pounde, the seconde of 3 poundes, the thirde of 9 poundes, and the fourth of twenty seuen poundes in waight. As for ex­ample, a quantitie of 6 pounds in waight will be iustly wayed if you put the saide quantitie and the waight of 3 pounds in one scale, and the waight of 9 pounds in the other Scale. Also you may way a quantitie of 21 pounds in waight, if you will put the saide quantitie and the waight of 9 poundes in one Scale, and the waight of three pounds, and the waight of 27 pounds in the other Scale. In like manner with fiue waights, that is to say with the said waight of 1 pound, with the said waight of 3 pounds, with the said waight of 9 pounds, with the said waight of 27 pounds, and with a waight of eighty one pounds, you may way any quantitie from one pound waight vnto 121 poundes in waight. Also with 6 waights I meane with the waight of one pound, with the waight of three poundes, with the waight of nine poundes, with the waight of twenty seuen poundes, with the waight of eightie one poundes, & with a waight of two hundred fourty and three poundes, you may way any quantitie from one pounde vnto 364 poundes in waight.

[Page 99]When you doe way any quantitie in an vnknowne paire of ballance, An admoni­tion. I counsell you to way the quantitie first in one scale of the same ballance, and after in the other scale of the same ballance: For as a quantitie wayed in a true payre of Ballances will be of one and the same waight in both the scales of that ballance, so a quantitie wayed in a false payre of Ballances will be of more waight in one scale than in the other scale of false Ballances. And besides all this, it is needefull for you to know that some false Ballances are so sub­tillye made, that their beames will lie in an equall heigth, and beare the tunges of the same false Ballances vpright betweene their cheekes, when their scales doe hang emptie.

But if you will way your thinges with a Stater, To make and vse a long Stater. make first a playne and smoothe beame of yron in fashion like a Pyramis or foure square Taper, in length one yarde, and in thicknesse about ⅓ parte of an ynche, and then vppon a strong pinne of yron called the first Axeltree set ouertwharte and very fast in the great ende of the Beame, hang a pen­dant hooke of yron, that winding and moouing to all sides may claspe and holde faste all the ropes of the scale in which the thinges that shall be wayed must lie. Moreouer, fixe an other strong Axeltree of yron in the sayde Beame as a parallel to the first, and distant from the same about [...]/21 parte of the Beames length. Also you must set the tung of the Stater Squirewise vppon the beame right ouer this seconde Axeltree, and put the cheekes of the tung vppon the endes of the seconde Axeltree, so as they may easilie mooue vp and downe vppon the same. And it is expedient that these cheekes shoulde haue in their vppermost ende a ringe or hooke by which the Stater may bee alwayes hanged vp when neede shall require. Next after this, you must lay in the scale of the Stater depending by ropes from the first Axeltree, so much of knowne waight as be­ing reckoned with the waight of the scale and the waight of the ropes belonging to the Scale, will make both endes of the Beame to lie without any declyning in an equall heigth: Which is perceaued by the tung of the Stater when it doth stande right vp betweene his cheekes. Furthermore, to this waight which hath made both endes of the Beame to stande precisely equidistant to the Horizon, and is supposed by me to contayne fiftie poundes, you shall adde tenne poundes of more wayght, and that being done, you shall hang a ringed poyze of tenne poundes in waight vppon that parte of the Beame which is marked in the Figure following with B F. Now the sayde poyze hanged vppon B F the longer parte of the beame, must bee mooued to and fro vntill the tung of the Stater shall bee perceaued to stande very vpright beetweene his cheekes, to this ende that the parte of the Beame which is then tou­ched with the ring of the poyze may bee exactly marked with a small notch or with a fine line. When you haue made there such a notch or such a lyne, lay tenne poundes of more wayght in the scale, and because the tung of the Stater will now enclyne towardes A the greater ende of the beame, remooue the sayde poyze to­wardes F, vntill the tung of the Stater standing vpright betweene his cheekes, shall shewe agayne equalitie of wayght, and then as before you haue beene taught to doe, make an other notch, or drawe an other lyne vppon that part of the beame which is touched with the ringe of the poyze. For the space betweene these two notches or lynes will exactly shewe a distinction and separation of tenne poundes in wayght. Vnto which if you adde the first wayght which is supposed to bee fiftye, and the seconde wayght which was tenne, the totall summe of the whole wayght which the ringed poyze doeth counterpeyse in the notch or lyne last made, amounteth to seuenty poundes.

Finally you must marke vppon the beame the space that is betweene the two notches or lynes so manye tymes as the beame will receaue the same. For the notch or lyne in each of those spaces is a distinction of tenne poundes in wayght, so that if you will diuide euery of those equall spaces into tenne equall partes, and euery of these tenne equall partes, into sixteene equall partes, the beame will not onely shewe the places of poundes in wayght, but also the place of euery ounce that is in each of the sayde poundes. [Page 100]For euery of those equall spaces doe geue equall increase, and looke what proportion the supposed waight of 50 pounds (which made both endes of the beame to lie in an equall heigth) beareth to the ringed poyze, the same proportion doth B F the longer parte of the beame beare to A B the shorter parte of the beame: And because B F the longer parte of the beame is twenty times so much in length as A B the shorter parte of the beame, and that the ringed poyze wayeth tenne poundes, multiplie 10 in 20, and thereof riseth 200, vnto which adde the supposed waight of 50 poundes, which did make the beame to lie as a parallell with the Horizon before the ringed poyze was put on vppon the same, and so the product thereof will be 250, wherefore I conclude that this Stater with his said ringed poyze of 10 poundes will shewe the true waight of any quantitie that doth not way aboue 250 poundes.

To make and vse a long Stater.You may also way with a longer Stater great Ordinance, lastes of gunpowder, Tunnes of pellettes, Ankers, Belles, Pillers, and such like heauie quantities if you will frame this longer Stater according to these preceptes following, which differ little from the former rules that doe teach you to make the lesser Stater. For hauing prepared a strong beame of wood like vnto a shippe maste twelue yardes in length, fixe the first Axeltree of yr [...] ouerthwarte, and very fast in the greater ende of the Beame, and place the seconde Axe [...] tree of yron very fast in the Beame as a parallel to the first Axeltree, and distant one yarde from the same. Likewise driue a strong pinne of yron ouerthwarte in the smaller ende of the Beame, and after you haue set the tung of the Stater squirewise vppon this beame, right ouer the seconde Axeltree, hange vp the Beame in a reasonable heigth by both endes of the seconde Axeltree vppon two strong peeces of timber standing vpright and fast in the grounde, according to the Picture following, so as the Beame hanging in that sorte may easilie mooue vp and downe betweene them. Moreouer, hang the scale of this Stater vppon the first Axeltree at the greater ende of this Beame, putting [Page]

[Page] [Page 101]into the same so much of knowen waight as being reconed with the waight of the scale and ropes belonging to the scale, will make both endes of the beame to lie without any declining in an equall heigth. All which waight shall here be supposed to be 460 poundes, and for a distinction shalbe named the first waight. Now a long Stater being thus made, take away the scale from the first axeltree, and hang it vppon the saide pinne of yron at the smaller ende of this beame, and then the quantitie which shall be wayed being fast ty­ed with ropes and hanged vppon the same first axeltree where the saide scale did hang be­fore, you shall put into the same scale hanging now at the smaller ende of this beame, so many knowne waights as will lifte the quantitie which is to be wayed from the grounde, and make the tung of the Stater to stande very vpright betweene his cheekes. For as B C the longer parte of the beame being eleuen yardes in length, is eleuen times longer than A B the shorter parte of the beame, so the quantitie that hanges vppon A to be wayed, is eleuen times more in waight than are the knowne waights in the scale, and so much more as is the saide supposed waight of 460 pounds, which was hanged vppon the first axeltree to make this beame lie parallell with the horizon. Wherefore supposing that the waight which hath beene laide in the scale hanging at C ouer and aboue the saide waight of 460 poundes is 1030 pounds, I multiplie 1030 by 11 and thereof commeth 11330, then I adde thereunto the saide supposed waight of 460, which made both endes of this beame to lie in the place of equall height, so the totall summe being 11790 sheweth the true waight of the quantitie that hanged at A.

The 108 Chapter. To make three sundrie oyntments which will heale any person scalded with hotte Saltpeeter water, or with any other hotte licour, and cure all those which shalbe burned with hotte yron, or gunpowder.

The 109 Chapter. To make a Plaister which will heale without payne any wrenched or broken arme, hande, legge, foote, or ioynte, and all manner of bruses.

[Page 102]TAke of mirte named in Italian Mortella, shippe pitch, gumme of a Pine tree, tallowe of a Gote, frankencense, masticke, and garden woormes, wash well the said wormes in water, and then drie them in an hote Ouen to powder. Also beate the saide franken­sence, masticke, and mirte to powder, and after you haue so done, mingle togeather one parte of the powder of mirte, one parte of the powder of frankensence, one parte of the powder of masticke, and one parte of the powder of garden woormes. Moreouer, after you haue melted in a potte ouer a sloe fire the saide gumme and shippe pitch, put Gotes tallowe into the potte among the said melted gumme and pitch, and when the sayde tallowe is there also melted, put all the saide partes of powders into the same potte, and mingling them well with the other thinges which are melted in the same potte, seethe all those thinges togeather for a while ouer a fire till they shall beginne to waxe somewhat harde. When you haue so done, take the potte from the fire, and spread some of that mix­ture in the potte thicke vppon a white and softe peece of leather, and then while it is warme lay the plaister vppon the greeued place, and suffer it to lie there till it doe fall a­way of it selfe.

This plaister (as Girolamo Ruscelli writeth) is of such vertue that it will drawe the bone out of ioynte into his place, and take away all the payne. Also it is a soueraigne plaister to be laide vppon a broken bone or ribbe, or vppon any bruise within a mans bodie, or within any parte thereof, and it taketh away all the paine thereof without any danger, & when it hath done his cure, it will of it selfe fall away from the place that was greeued. When you cannot get of the saide woormes, you may make the plaister without them, although the plaister which hath such woormes in it is of more vertue than the other plai­ster made without those woormes.

The 110 Chapter. How a Gunner cannot mount any peece of Artillerie to make a perfect shoote at a marke without point blanke, except he doe knowe the distance betweene his peece and the marke, and how for the same reason, and also for other causes, the Authour of this Appendix doth shewe in the Chapters following diuers rules concerning the mensuration of Altitudes, Longitudes, Latitudes, and Pro­fundities, and the platting of fieldes, mynes, and other places.

COnsidering that (as Nicholas Tartaglia in his epistle at the beginning of his Booke intituled La noua Scientia writeth) a Gunner cannot mount well any peece of Artille­rie to make a perfect shoote at a marke without pointe blanke, except he doe knowe the distance betweene his Peece and the marke: Also considering that a Gunner may haue occasion to measure Altitudes, Latitudes, and Profundities, and to drawe vppon paper the platte of fieldes, mynes, and other places, I will now before the ende of my Booke shewe in certaine Chapters, some playne, infallible and necessarie rules for mensuration of Altitudes, Longitudes, Latitudes, and Profundities, & for the drawing of plattes which shall containe the true proportion and symetrie of any fielde, myne, or other place, so as euery Gunner shalbe able thereby to tell how farre any place in his platte is distant from other.

The 111 Chapter. The bignesse fashion, and vse of an Instrument named a Gunners Semicircle: and of an Instrument named a Geometricall Square.

TO perfourme my promise made in the last Chapter, I must first shewe you the fashion, bignesse, and vse of an Instrument named a Gunners Semicircle, which ought to be made of harde, smoothe, and well seasoned wood, as of Oke, Wallnut tree, Peare tree, or rather of Cipresse wood, because the Cipresse wood will not warpe with the heate of the Sunne, nor with any moysture. Also the saide Semicircle fashioned and diuided like [Page 103]vnto his type heere drawne, ought to be at the least so bigge as the saide type, and from his center a plumbe line ought to hang downe, but in place of the two sight holes which may bee sette vppon the saide instrument, you shall (if you wyll followe my counsell) make a straight narrow and shalloe channel along in the Ruler A B from the point D to the point E, and likewise an other straight, shallowe, and narroe channell in the Ruler B C, from the point F to the point G. This done, couer those channels with a thinne peece of wood in such maner as you may (notwithstanding the said couers) looke thorow those channels at any marke whatsoeuer. A Semicircle thus framed will serue to lay any great peece of Artillerie leuell, to mount all manner of great peeces vnto any ele­uation, to imbase the mouth of any peece for to shoote at markes in vallies, The vse of a gunners Se­micircle. to measure heigthes, depths, and distances, to leuell all maner of groundes, and to doe all such things as may be done by a Gunners Quadrant. Moreouer for mensuration of Altitudes, Lati­tudes, & profundities according to the Rules following, The vse of a Geometricall square. I doe exhort you to prepare a Geometricall square of a conuenient biggenesse, and to make it of mettall, or of Cypresse, like in euery respect vnto his Type heere placed, Sauing that I woulde haue you to diuide the Quadrant in your Geometricall square into ninetie equall partes called degrees, and euery side of your said square into 1200 equall partes, and the Index of your Square into 1697 and 191/ [...]394 of like equall parts which in this side of Paper for want of roome I could not doe.

The 112 Chapter. To take the heigth of the Sunne with a Quadrant drawne within your Geometricall square.

SET your Geometricall square plumbe vpright vppon his side or ende V X, and sette his side Y X right against or towardes the Sunne. This do [...]e, rayse vppe and downe the Index of the square vntill the Sunne shall shine duely through his two sight holes, and then looke what degree in the edge of the Quadrant is touched with the fiduciall line of the sayde Index, for the degree to touched doth shew exactly the degrees of the Sunnes heigth at that present time.

[Page 104]

The 113 Chapter. How you may measure at one station in a Sunne shining day with your Geometricall square, and also with an Haulbert or any other staffe perpendiculerly erected, the altitude of any Tower, or other thing whose shadow length is knowne.

The 114 Chapter. How you may measure with your Geometricall square at one station any approchable altitutde: also how you may with Arithmeticall skill measure the Hipothenusall distance betweene your said sta­tion and the top of the said altitude.

SET your Geometricall square plumbe vpright vppon his side or ende V Z. This done, mooue the Index of the square vp and downe, till you may see through his two sightes, the top of the altitude to be measured: then noting well what equall part in the side of the square is touched with the fiduciall line of the said Index, looke whether the saide part is in the side of right shadow, or in the side of contrary shadowe. For if the said equall part be in the side of right shadowe (which happeneth when the space betweene the base of the altitude to be measured and your standing is shorter than the said altitude) you must mul­tiplie the measure of the space betweene your standing, and the base of the said altitude, in all the partes that are in one side of the square, and diuide the product by the equal part touched with the fiduciall line of the Index in the side of right shadowe, and then adding the heigth of the center of your square aboue the base of the thing to be measured, vn­to the quotient thereof, take the totall summe of that addition for the measure of the said approchable altitude.

Example.

S T is a Tower whose altitude I will measure, R T is the space betweene the approchable base of the said tower & my standing, which space is 40 feete. Q or V the heigth of the center of my square a­boue the said base is 5 feet. V Z X Y is the square set plumbe vpright vpō his side V Z, and V P is the fiduciall line of the Index which pointing directlie from mine eie at the center of the square, to the top of the saide Tower, toucheth the 800 parte in the right shadow, therefore I multiple 40 feete the space betweene R and T, in 1200 the whole number of partes in the whole side of the square and thereof commeth 48000 which diuided by 800 the part touched with the fidu­ciall line of the Index in the right sha­dow, yeeldeth sixtie feeete: then ad­ding fiue feete for the heigth of the center of my square aboue the saide base vnto the said number of sixtie, I take the totall summe thereof which is 65 feet for the altitude of the saide Tower.

[Page 107]If in this worke the fiduciall line of the Index shall touche a part of contrary shadowe (which happeneth when the space betweene the base of the altitude to be measured and your standing, is longer than the said altitude) then multiplie that parte of contrary sha­dow in the measure of the space betweene the saide base and your standing, and after you haue diuided the product thereof by all the partes in one side of the square, adde to the quotient the heigth of the center of your square aboue the saide base, and take the totall summe thereof for the altitude of the said Tower.

But if in this worke the fiduciall line of the Index shall fall betweene the right and contrarie shadowes vppon the line V Y, then adding the heigth of the center of your square aboue the said base, to the measure of the space betweene your standing and the said base, take the totall summe or length thereof for the altitude of the said Tower.

Now by knowing the heigth of the saide Tower, and the measure of the distance be­tweene your standing and the base of the said Tower, you may by the art of numbring tell the true measure of the Hipothenusall distance betweene your station and the toppe of the said Tower: a thing needfull to bee knowne, and of great account in making sealing lad­ders for militarie seruice. Therefore to doe this thing, square the distance betweene your standing and the base of the Tower. Likewise square the heigth of the said Tower, and ioy­ning their squares togeather, take the square roote of the totall summe for the Hipothenu­sall distance betweene your standing and the top of the said Tower.

Example.

Square foure pearches the measure of the distance betweene R your station and T the base of the Tower, and the square number therof will be sixteene. Also square three pear­ches the heigth of the Tower T S, and the square number thereof will be nine. Now adde both those squares togeather and thereof will come twentie fiue, whose square roote being fiue is the measure of pearches in the Hipothenusall distance betweene R your standing, and S the toppe of the said Tower.

The 115 Chapter. How you may measure with your Geometricall square an Hipothenusall distance, and an altitude of a Tower or any other thing perpendicularlie erected.

IF the distance from your station vnto the altitude of the Tower which shall be measured be lesse than the same altitude, as for example if your station bee at A, and M N bee the altitude of a Tower which shall bee measured, set your square vpright so as his angle X may stand vppon A, and his angle Y, may lie directly betweene the saide angle A, and N the toppe of the saide Tower. This done, lift vp the Index of your square till you may see through his sights N the toppe of the said Tower, and then noting what parte in Y Z (the side of your square) is touched with the fiduciall edge of the saide Index, which here for example I will suppose to be twelue, multiplie 1200 the whole number of partes in one side of your square by one foote the distance betweene the center of your square and the [Page 108]peece of grounde at the said A and so the quotient thereof will be 1200 which being di­uided by twelue the number of partes touched with the fiduciall edge of the saide Index will yeeld in the quotient 100 feete for the measure of the Hipothenusall distance between A your station, and N the toppe of the Tower.

After you haue in this maner founde out the said hipothenusall distance set your square vpright at A vppon his side V X, and moouing the Index of your square vp or downe till you shall see through his sightes N the top of the said Tower, note what part of the Index is touched with Z Y the side of your square, which here for example I will admitte to bee 1360: then working by the rule of proportion multiplie 1200 the whole number of partes in one side of your square by 100 the measure of the saide hipothenusall distance, and thereof will come 120000, which diuided by 1360 the part of the Index touched with Z Y the side of the square, yeeldeth in the quotient 88 feete and 4/17 of a foote for the altitude of the said Tower N M.

The 116 Chapter. How you may artificially measure with a Gunners quadrant, and also with a gunners Semicircle, the altitude of any thing perpendicularly erected, although you may not goe to it, nor see the base there­of: and how you may measure with the same instruments the Hipothenusall distance, and Hori­zontall distance of that altitude.

PVt your gunners quadrant to your eye or hang your said quadrant vppon a staffe fast fixed in the ground, so that you may at your pleasure without stirring of the said staffe, lift vp or put downe the quadrant till you haue espied through his two sights A the toppe of that altitude. In the scale of the quadrant the 72 partes which shall be next vnto your sights are cal­led the partes of right sha­dow and the 72 parts which shall be on the other side of that scale are called the partes of con­trary shadowe. Then note vppon what side of the scale, the line and plummet of the qua­drant doth fall. If the said line shall happen to fall vppon the partes of contrary shadow (as most commonly it doth in such kinde of mensurations) note the partes of that shadowe touched with the said line, and by the number of those partes diuide 72 (the whole num­ber of partes of one side of the scale) and reserue the quotient thereof. As for example, if the line shall fall vppon twelue partes, diuide 72 by twelue, and the quotient to bee reser­ued will be sixe. Afterwards remoouing your quadrant, marke the place of your standing, and goe so farre as you list directly forwardes towardes the desired altitude, or directlie backwardes from the same. Then putting your instrument to your eie or hanging your in­strument again vpon a staffe as you did before, lift vp, or put downe your quadrant til you may espie againe through his said sights A the top of the said altitud, & note aduisedly vpon how many partes of contrary shadowe the said line fell: by which number of partes diuide againe 72, and subtract the quotient thereof from the first reserued quotient, and keepe the remainder thereof. As for an example, if at the second standing the saide line shall fall vppon 36 partes of contrary shadowe, diuide 72 (the whole number of partes of one side of the scale) by the said number of 36, and the quotient thereof will bee two. This [Page 109]number of two you must subtract from the other reserued quotient which was sixe, and the remainder therof will be foure: this remainder of foure must also be reserued. Then measure the space betweene the first and seconde standing with what kinde of measure you wil, and the number of that measure diuide by foure the remainder which you did last reserue, and to the quotient thereof, adde the heigth of your eie from the grounde, and so you may conclude that the totall summe thereof is the altitude of the thing seene: as for example suppose the space betweene your two standings to be 156 paces, then diuide 156 by foure, and thereof commeth thirtie nine, to this thirtie nine adde the heigth of your eie from the grounde (which you shall also suppose to be two paces) and so the total summe being fortie one sheweth the heigth of A B. But to the end this kinde of mensuration may be the better vnderstood, I will giue you an other example thereof which shall differ from the aforesayde example, and in this example following I will suppose the side of the square to be diuided only into twelue partes.

Suppose againe that your first standing is in the place marked with C, and that at the same standing the said line doth fall vppon the tenth parte of contrarie shadowe (as it doth in the figure following) and that at your second standing in the place marked with V, the said line falleth vppon the eight part of contrary shadowe (as likewise it appeareth to doe in the said figure) and that the space betweene C and V containes 285 feete, and that from your eye to the grounde, that is to say from E to C or from X to V there are foure feete. Now diuide twelue (the whole number of partes of one side of the scale) by 10 the part of contrarie shadowe touched with the said line at the first station and the quo­tient will be one and ⅕ the which you must reserue. Then diuide againe the saide number of twelue by eight the part of contrary shadowe touched with the said line at the seconde station, and the quotient will be one and ½. Out of this one and ½ subtract that one and ⅕ which was reserued, and so there will remaine 3/20. By this 3/20 diuide 285 which is the num­ber of feete in the distance betweene C and V, and the quotient thereof will bee 950. To this 950 adde foure feete for the heigth of your eie from the ground, or for the heigth of E aboue C, or for the heigth of X aboue V, and so the totall summe thereof being 954 feete is the true measure of the altitude A: that is to say of the line betweene A and B which B is an inuisible point by imagination conceiued directly vnder the said A within the ground T.

To make a demonstration hereof, from your eye at the second station, that is to say from X to your eye at the first station, that is to say to E, drawe the line X E, and produce the same line in your imagination till it meete with the said line A B within the grounde T, in the point F, which is also an inuisible point conceiued by imagination to bee within [Page 110]the said ground, and leuell with your eie, I meane with X and E, And because the triangle A E F, is like vnto the triangle L P Q of the first station, such proportion as the line or side A F hath vnto the line or side E F, the same proportion hath the side P Q to the side Q L. Wherefor (by the 13 and 21 definition of the seuenth booke of Euclide) so many times as the said P Q is contained in the side Q L, so many times the side A F is contained in the side E F. And because the side P Q containes ten partes of the one side of the scale, and the side L Q containes twelue of those partes, therefore the side L Q containes the side P Q once and ⅕ part thereof, and so it followeth that the side E F containes the side A F once and ⅕ part thereof. And now although you be ignorant of the altitude of A F, & of the di­stance betweene E and F, yet you know that the said distance E F containes the heigth A F once and ⅕ part thereof. Then reseruing this 1 and ⅕, go to your second standing where you shall finde the triangle X F A, to be like vnto the triangle L P Q of the seconde stan­ding, and that so many times as the side P Q (which is eight partes of the scale of contra­rie shadowe) is in the side L Q (which is 12, the whole number of partes of one side of the scale) so many times the heigth A F is contained in the distance X F, and because the side P Q (that is to say 8 parts) is contained once and ½ in the side L Q (that is to say in 12 partes) therefore the heigth A F is likewise contained once and ½ in the distance X F. Ther­fore subtracting the distance E F from the distance X F (that is to say 1 and ⅕ from 1 and ½) there will remaine 3/10 for the difference E X, so as the said difference E X wil be 3/10 of the said heigth A F. And because the said difference E X is such as is the line V C (by the 34 proposition of the first booke of Euclide) and that the said line V C is supposed to containe 285 feete, therefore it followeth that there are 285 feete in 3/10 of the heigth A F. By reason whereof the whole heigth of A F should be 950 feete, as before hath been sayd. Then ioyn 4 feete which is supposed to be the heigth of E C and of X V vnto the said number of 950 feete, and so the totall summe thereof will be 954 feete which is the whole heigth of A B, because the heigth of F B doth likewise containe 4 feete. And therefore as the side P Q of the first standing is in proportion to the side or Hipothenusal line L P, so is the heigth A F to the Hipothenusall distance A E. And because the side P Q is in proportion to the side or Hipothenusall line L P (by the 47 proposition of the first booke of Euclide) as 10 is to the nighest square roote of 244 (which number of 244 is the summe that came by ad­ding the square of 10 to the square of 12) therefore multiplie 950 feete by 15 and 19/30 which is the nighest square roote of 244 and diuide the product thereof by 10, and the quotient wil yeeld 1485 feete & two ynches for the Hipothenusall distance A E. And forsomuch as the distance betweene E and F is so much as the heigth of A F and ⅕ parte more (as be­fore hath been prooued) therefore take ⅕ of the heigth A F that is to say ⅕ parte of 950 feete which is 190 and adde the same summe of 190 to the summe of 950 feete the heigth of A F and thereof will come 1140 feet which sheweth what number of feete are in the Horizontall distance that is to say betweene E and F and betweene C and B.

And in like sort you must proceede to finde out at the second standing the Hipothenu­sall distance betweene X and A, An admoni­tion. and the Horizontall distance betweene X F, but it behoo­ueth you to note in this kinde of mensurations by two standinges, that sometimes your eye in one standing will not be so high from the grounde as it will be in the other standing, especially when your Instrument hangs vpon a thing that standes fast in the ground. And although that difference is but little, yet many times the same will breede great errors, and therefore to auoyd the occasion of such errors, I exhort you to prouide a line and plummet which may reache from the center of the quadrant to the grounde, and direct you at your first standing and also at your second standing. Moreouer to auoyde errors, I counsell you to hang your Quadrant so as it may turne vppon no other part thereof then vppon his center, but nowe to returne vnto our purpose, if by chaunce you shall stande so neare vnto the altitude as that the line and plummet of the quadrant falleth vppon the right shadow, you must work otherwise than you did before, I meane you must diuide those parts cut with the said line by 12, & in this case the quotient must alwaies bee set downe like a fraction, the which fraction you must reserue, and after you haue marked the place [Page 106]where you stoode, goe from thence so farre as you list in a right line forwardes or backe­wardes, and then placing your saide Instrument againe as you did at your first standing, lift the said Instrument vppe or put it down, till you may through his sights see A the top of the altitude. This done, note aduisedly vppon what part of right shadowe the saide line and plummet falleth, and that part diuide by twelue (the whole number of partes of one side of the scale) and the quotient thereof must of necessitie bee set downe like a fraction: This fraction subtract from the other fraction first reserued, or in plainer words, subtract the lesser of those two fractions from the greater, and reserue the remainder thereof. Then measure the space between your first and second standing by feete, paces, or any other kind of measure that you will, and diuide the number of that measure by the remainder which was before reserued, and adde vnto the quotient of the saide diuision the heigth betweene the center of the said Instrument and the ground, and by so doing you may conclude that the totall summe thereof is the altitude of the thing seene.

For an example hereof, if at the first standing the sayd line and plummet shall fall vppon the thirde parte of right shadowe, diuide that number of three by twelue (the whole number of partes in one side of the scale) and the quotient thereof will bee in a fraction ¼. Reserue this fraction of ¼, and then marke your first standing with a staffe set vpright vn­der the center of your Instrument and then goe from thence backwardes in a right line so farre as you list, and placing there your Instrument as you did at your first standing, mooue it vp or down till you shall againe espie through the said sightes A the toppe of the said al­titude. Then looke vppon what part of right shadowe the said line and plummet falleth, as if by chaunce it fell vppon the fourth part, diuide that fourth by twelue, and the quoti­ent wil be in a fraction ⅓. Nowe out of ¼ the fraction which was before reserued, subtract the last quotient which was ⅓ and so [...]/12 will remaine: then hauing likewise marked your seconde standing with a staffe set vpright vnder the center of your Instrument, measure the space betweene the staffe at your first standing, and the staffe at your second standing: which space in this example I suppose to be eight paces. Now diuide this eight by 1/1 [...] the remainder last mentioned, and the quotient thereof will be ninetie sixe, and adde vnto the saide number of ninetie sixe the heigth betweene the center of the Instrument and the grounde (which in this example I will suppose to bee one pase) and so the totall summe amounting to ninetie seuen paces sheweth the heigth of A B. The demonstration of this worke is to be made by the similitude of triangles and their proportionall sides as before the other demonstration hath been made.

In this kinde of mensurations by two standings, you must be very circumspect that the staffe vppon which your quadrant shall hang doe stande plumbe vpright both at your first standing, and also at your seconde standing. For otherwise it will make you not a little to erre: which thing may be easily done by the helpe of your said quadrant, or by letting fall a line and plummet close by the side of that staffe.

The 117 Chapter. To know by the helpe of a Gunners Semicircle how many miles, paces, yardes, or feete, any shippe lying at Rode in the Sea, or Tower, or any other marke vppon the land in sight, is from you.

To measure lengthes some say we should auoid hilles and desire plaines, for that otherwise great errors will insue. But in this kinde of mensuration no such matter is required, for here it shall bee onely needefull at the time of your measuring to haue ground enough to go directly backwardes & sidewise from your first standing. This commodititie of ground enough had, whether that grounde be leuell or otherwise, worke thus. Lay your Semicir­cle flat and leuell vppon a stoole, or some other such thing, and mooue the same about till you shal espie through D E the channell in the ruler A B the ship or other thing to which you will me [...]sure, & (your Semicircle so remaining vnmooueable) looke through the saide channel E D at some other thing lying directly in a right line 200 yardes or feete more or lesse at your pleasure, behinde your standing, which thing so espied shall here for an ex­ample [Page 112]be marked with the figure of 3. Then (the Semicircle remaining still vnmooueable) look through the channel F G in the ruler B C, at some other thing lying sidewise in a right angle 100 yards or feete more or lesse frō your first standing noted for an exāple with the figure of 1, & that thing so espied shall in this place be noted with the figure of 2. After this cōuey your selfe and your Semicircle from your first standing vnto the said thing which hath here been marked with the figure of 3, and lay your Semicircle there flat and leuell as you did before, but so as the end of that channell which is marked with E do lie right ouer the point here marked as afore­said with the figure of 3, and that by moouing the Semicircle a­bout, you may at the last perceiue through the said channell D E, that 1 the mark at your first stan­ding doth lie right between you and the thing to which you mea­sure. Now without moouing of your Semicircle looke agayne through the said channel F G at some other thing lying sidewise in a right angle from 3 the mark of your 2 standing, and goe in a right line towards the same thing last espied, till the saide marke which hath here bin noted with the figure of 2 shall stand right betweene you and the thing to which you measure, and there make a marke which in this ex­ample shalbe the figure of 4. This done, measure exactly the distāce betweene the marke 1, and the mark 2, & cal it the first distance: also measure exactly the distance betweene the marke 1 and the marke 3, & call it the 2 distance. Finally, measure the distance be­tween the mark 3 & the mark 4 & call it the 3 distance. Now sub­tract the first distance from the third, and reserue the remainder for your diuisor, then multiplie the 3 distance by the second di­stance, & diuide the product by your reserued diuisor, and so the quotient wil shew the true lēgth from the marke 3 vnto the ship, tower, or other thing to which you did measure.

[Page 113]At the figure of fiue there is a shippe lying at Rode in the Sea, and from 6, 7, 8, and 9, a platfourme with ordinance vppon the lande, I am required to measure vnto the said ship, wherefore making my first standing at the place 1, I measure from thence vnto the place 2 which lyeth sidewise 200 yardes in a right angle from 1. Againe I measure from the saide place 1, vnto 3 the place of my seconde standing which lyeth 300 yardes in aright line with the said shippe behind my first standing. Also I measure from the saide place marked with the figure of 3 vnto the place 4 lying 240 yardes sidewise in a right angle from 3, and scituated so as the said place 2 doth lie in a right line betweene it and the said ship: then subducing 200 from 240 I keepe the remainder which is 40 for my di­uisor, and after this I multiplie 300 by 240 whereof commeth 72000 which diuided by 40 my said reserued diuisor yeeldeth in the quotient 1800 yardes for the longitude be­tweene 3 the place of my second standing and the said shippe.

The 118 Chapter. How you may measure a short distance as the breadth of a towne ditch, or narrow riuer, without any Geometricall Instrument, or arithmeticall knowledge.

STanding right vp with your bodie and necke vppon the side of a towne ditch, or nar­row riuer, put your feete close together, and behold with one eie a grasse leafe, stone, or other marke in the opposite side of the same ditch or riuer, and in so doing pull down your hat or cap ouer your eie till you may see no other thing beyond the marke so espied. After this keeping still your body and necke vpright, your feete ioyned together, and your one eie fast shut, turne your selfe towards the plainest peece of ground that is about you, and marke well that part of ground which you shall espie vnder your hat or cap most farthest from your station, for the distance betweene the middest of your feete and the said farthest part of ground, is equall to the breadth of the said riuer.

The 119 Chapter. How you may at one station measure vppon an heigth with a Geometricall square a longitude vppon plaine.

SEt your Geometricall square very vpright vppon his side or ende X Y ouer the plaine where you will measure an vnknowne longitude. This done, mooue the Index of your said square vp or downe till you may espie through his sights the farthest ende of the desired longitude. Then note diligently the partes of the square cut with the fiduciall line of the Index. And if the partes so cut be in the contrary shadow, multiplie the whole number of partes in one side of the square, by the number of feet or yards which are in the heigth be­tweene the center of your Instrument and that part of the plaine which lieth directly vn­der the same center, and diuide the product thereof by the partes cut in the side of your square, and note the quotient for the true measure of the desired longitude. When the partes so cut shall be in the right shadow, multiplie the partes so cut in the heigth between the center of your Instrument & that part of the plaine which lieth directly vnder the same center and hauing diuided the product thereof by the whole number of partes in one side of the square, note the quotient for the true measure of the desired longitude. But if the fiducial line of the said Index shall lie directly betweene the right shadow and the contrary shadowe when you espie through the said sights the farthest end of the desired longltude, then the heigth betweene the center of your Instrument and the part of the plaine which lyeth vnder the same center, is equall to the desired longitude.

Example.

Admit that B C is an vnkowne longitude between a ship & a gallie tying at Rode in the Sea, & that to measure the same longitude I haue set my Geometricall square plumbe vp­right vppon his side or end X Y in A the maine top of the ship directlie ouer B one ende of the said longitude, and that when I saw through the sights vppon the Index the gallie at C the farthest end of the desired longitude, the fiduciall line of the saide Index did cut fortie partes of contrary shadowe, and that the center of my square is tenne yardes aboue the [Page 114]said B, therefore I multiplie 1200 the whole number of partes in one side of the square by tenne the measure of the heigth betweene the center of my square and B, and the pro­duct thereof being 12000 I diuide by fortie the partes cut in contrary shadowe, and so the quotient yeeldeth three hundred for the number of yardes in the measure of the saide longitude.

This one example geueth light to the ingenious Reader to worke in mensurations of longitudes when the fiduciall line of the index shall cut partes in the right shadowe of the square, and also when the same fiduciall line shall lie vppon the square directly betweene the right shadowe and the contrary shadowe, wherefore I doe omit to set downe here more examples in so plaine a matter.

The 120 Chapter. How you may measure with a Geometricall square at two stations any longitude in sight.

TO measure at two stations an vnknowne longitude which here shal be supposed to be A B, lay your Geometricall square flat and leuell vppon a stoole, or vppon a foote made of purpose to holde it vp. Then setting the fiduciall edge of his Index vppon the line H I which passeth directly from H to the beginning of the equal parts marked vpon X Y a side of the square turne the square vpō the stoole or foote (his Index remaining stedfast vpō the said line H I) till you may espie through the sights vppon the saide Index, B the far­thest ende of the said vnknowne longitude. This done, the square remaining vnmooueable turne the fiduciall edge of his Index to the line V Z which passeth directly from V to the beginning of the equall partes marked vppon Y Z an other side of the said square, & then looking againe through the said sights, note some mark a good space from you: the farther this mark is frō you, the better it is for your purpose: then pitchinge vp a staffe right vnder the center of your square in A, conueye your square vnto the saide marke which heere I [Page 115]will call C, and recon to be 40 yardes from A, now the square being layde againe flat and leuell vppon a stoole, or vppon a foote, right ouer C as it was before at A, put the fiduciall edge of the Index vppon the saide line H I, and turne the square vppon the stoole (the Index remayning vnmouable vppon the saide line H I) till you may see through the sights vppon the same Index the staffe in A. After this the square remayning vnmouable, turne the saide Index to and fro till you may see through his sights B the extreame parte of the desired longitude, and note diligently what parte of contrary shadowe is then touched with the fiduciall edge of the Index, for if you will multiplie the whole number of partes in one side of the square by the number of yards betweene A and C your two stations, and diuide the product thereof by the parte of contrarie shadowe touched with the fiduciall edge of the saide Index, the quotient will shewe you the true measure of the saide lon­gitude.

Example.

Admitte that at C your seconde station the fiduciall edge of the Index did touche the 100 parte of contrary shadowe, and that you did then see through the sightes vppon the same Index B the extreame parte of the desired longitude. Then multiplie 1200 the whole number of partes in one side of the square by 40 the number of yardes betweene A and C your two stations, and diuide the product thereof which is 48000 by 100 the parte of con­trary shadowe touched with the fiduciall edge of the Index at C your seconde station, and so the quotient will yeelde 480 yardes for the desired measure of the sayde longitude A B.

The 121 Chapter. How you may measure with a Geometricall Square, any distance or breadth lying in a plaine & leuel grounde, with your eye or station how so euer the same breadth or distance is scituated.

BEing required to tell the distance or breadth betweene two Towers which for exam­ple may here be named Q and R, measure first how farre either Tower is from you, which you may doe by sundrie wayes before taught, and then laying your Geometricall Square flatte and leuell vppon a stoole, or vppon a foote made of purpose to beare it vp, turne the Square about till you haue set H I a line vppon one side of the saide Square right against Q the Tower next vnto you. For if R the other Tower were nearer to you than the Tower Q, you shoulde first lay the line H K right against the same Tower R. This done (the Square not being remooued) turne the Index to and fro till you may see through his sightes the saide Tower R, which in this example (as before I haue tolde you) is the fardest Tower from you. Then opening your compasse to so many equall partes in the side of the Square as there are yards betweene the center of the Square & the tower Q. [Page 116]which I will here suppose to be an hundred yardes, set one foote of your compasse in the center of your Square, and with the other foote of your compasse make a fine visible mark at M vppon the line H I, and when you haue so done, open your compasse againe to so many partes in the side of the Square as there are yardes betweene the center of your In­strument and the saide Tower R, which I will likewise suppose to be an hundred and fiftie yardes, and putting one foote of your compasse in the saide center, make an other fine visible marke vppon the face of the Square with the other foote of your compasse at N, close by the fiduciall edge of the saide Index, which ought now to lie in that place where it stoode when you did last see through his sightes the sayde Tower R. Moreouer, open your compasse to the space betweene those two markes M and N, and lay your compasse so opened vppon the partes in the side of your Square, and so you shall perceaue how many yardes are betweene the Tower Q and the Tower R. For looke how many e­quall partes are beetweene the two feete of your compasse, so many yardes are bee­tweene the Tower Q and the Tower R, and therefore if sixty one partes shall bee be­tweene the two feete of your compasse, you may boldly affyrme that the distance or breadth betweene the Tower Q and the Towre R doth containe sixty and one yardes.

[...]derstande [...]teous rea­ [...], that M [...]ght to stand [...] this picture [...] the ende of [...] line which [...]tendeth [...] the side [...] the square [...] the fiducial [...]ge of the [...]ex, and N [...]ght to stand [...] that end of [...] sayde line [...]ch adioy­ [...]th to the fiduciall edge of the index, H ought to stand at the center of the square, and I ought to stand at the lowest [...]de of the square where the equall partes begin, and that betweene H M are 100 equall partes, betweene M N 61 [...]uall partes, and betweene H N 150 equall partes.

The 122 Chapter. How you standing vppon the toppe of a hill or drie ditch may measure with a Geome­tricall Square the deepenesse of the same hill or ditch, and the breadth of any drie ditch or valley.

TO measure the deepenesse and breadth of M N O a ditch or valley, measure first his breadth MN as you may doe by sundrie wayes before taught, which breadth shall here be supposed to be eighteene yardes. Likewise measure by the precepts before geuen, the length or depth of M O, which here shall be supposed to be fifteene yardes, this done, square 15 the measure of the depth M O, and the product thereof will bee 225. Likewise square 9 which is ½ of the measure of the breadth M N, and the pro­duct thereof will be 81. Then subduce the square 81 from the saide square 225, and out of the remainder which is 144 extract the Square root, which being 12 sheweth the num­ber of yardes that are in P O the depth of the ditch or valley. Also in this manner if you stande vppon the toppe of a hill, you may measure the heigth of the same hill.

[Page 117]

The 123 Chapter. How you may drawe a platte of any peece of grounde which shall containe the true proportion and Sy­metrie thereof, in such sorte that you may tel how farre any place in the platte is distante from other.

TO drawe a platte of any peece of ground, prepare an Instrument made of mettall, or of Cypresse wood like vnto the Figure following. And after you haue set it flatte and leuel vppon a foote, or vpon a stoole in an high place from whence you may see round about many other notable places, Note that the variation of e­uery compasse in England is 11 degrees & ¼ of a degree, and that for the same cause in euery com­passe within England, the North poynte lyeth directly against the North pole, & the South poynt lieth di­rectly against the South pole, when the needle of the compasse doth stande directly ouer the north and by East, & South and by West points in the compasse. turne this Instrument named a Geographicall playne Sphere to and fro vppon his foote, or for lacke of a foote, vppon a stoole, till by the ayde of his needle you haue made all his Semidiameters to pointe vnto their proper quarters. This done, the Instrument remayning stedfast, direct the Index with his two sights to eue­ry place that shall be set foorth in your platte, taking your markes through the said sights in the middest of euery of them, and note in a Table by it selfe the degrees cutte with the said Index in the Circle, which may be called the Angles of position, or Angles of sight, and so make a table of your first station. Then remoouing your Instrument to one of the highest places noted in your saide Table, pitch your Instrument in the high place which you haue chosen for your seconde station in all respects as you did at your first station, and turning the saide Index so as you may see through his sightes all the places which you did see before at your first station, Note againe in an other Table the Angles of position, or Angles of sightes, writing the name of euery place and his Angle of sight by it. After this, at your comming home lay a protractor (which is a circle made of wood or mettalle, di­uided into 360 equall partes like vnto C D the Figure following) vppon a sheete of pa­per, and making a prick thoroe the center of the saide protractor in the saide paper, which prick shall represent the place of your first station, write with a cole at the edge of the pro­tractor by euery degree or Angle of sight his place, and then laying your protractor aside, drawe with a cole straight lines from the saide prick which representeth your first station vnto the places so noted. Againe putting the center of your protractor right ouer the line which pointeth from your first station vnto your second station, and hauing regard to place the prick of your second station from the prick of the first station, so as the crossing of like lines may be within the compasse of your said paper, turne the protractor to and fro kee­ping his center vppon the said line, till it doe lie in euery respect as it did vppon the pricke of your first station, and when you haue so done, make thoroe the center of the protractor in the said line a prick, which must represent the place of your second station, & write with a cole as you did before at the edge of the protractor by euery degree or Angle of sight his place. After this taking vp the protractor from the paper, draw with a cole straight lines from the pricke of your seconde station vnto the noted places, and looking diligently [Page 118]vppon the crossing of euery two like lines, write thereon a figure, starre, or other signe, and the name of his place. Now to know how farre euery place is distant from other, mea­sure by your Instrument, or by a wier line the distance betweene your two stations, and di­uide the right line in your paper betweene the pricke of your first station and the prick of your second station, into so many equall partes as there are feete, yardes, pases, or perches betweene your two stations, and then opening your compasse to one of those partes, you may measure from place to place, and say that there are so many feete, yardes, pases, or perches (according to the denomination of that one parte whereunto you open your Compasse) as you finde partes.

Example.

Purposing to drawe the platte of a peece of ground which hath vppon it a Beacon, a Tower, a house, a church, a windmill, a hill and a mount, I doe first set my Geographicall plaine Sphere in all respectes according to the precepts before declared vpon the hill from whence I may see al the aforesaide places, and then by turning the Index of my Instrument to euery of those places, I finde that it cutteh at the middell parte of the Beacon, 80 de­grees, at the middle parte of the Tower 95 degrees, at the middle parte of the house 110 degrees, at the middle parte of the church 130 degrees and ⅔ of a degree, at the middle parte of the windemill 155 degrees and ½ of a degree, and at that parte of the mount where I will make my second station 180 degrees, whereuppon I make a table of my first station after this manner.

This done, I transporte my saide Instrument vnto that parte of the mount which I haue noted for my second station, and placing it there in euery respecte according to the pre­cepts before declared, I turne againe the saide Index vnto euery of the saide noted places, and by so doing see that it cutteth at the middle parte of the said beacon 40 degrees, at the middle parte of the tower 65 degrees, at the middle parte of the house 80 degrees, at the middle parte of the church 100 degrees, at the middle parte of the windemill 120 degrees and ¼, wherefore after I haue measured the space betweene my two stations, I make an o­ther table of my second station thus.

The space betweene my two stations is in measure 200 yardes.

[Page 119]

Moreouer, I doe lay my portractor vppon a sheete of paper, and hauing made a pricke in the same paper with the poynt of a needle thrust thorow a little hole in the cen­ter of the same protractor, I make a poynte with a cole in the edge of the protractor at eue­ry degree and parte of a degree noted in the table of my first station, and then taking my protractor vp from the paper, doe drawe straight lines vnto euery of those points, & write with a cole their names. After all this I doe put the center of my protractor right vppon the line which pointeth from my first station vnto my second station, in a reasonable di­stance from the prick that representeth in the paper my first station, and making an other pricke in the saide line with the pointe of a needle thrust thorow the hole in the center of the protractor, I doe turne the protractor to and fro keeping his center ouer the prick last made, till I haue set it in euery respect as it did lie before vpon the prick of my first station, and hauing made a pointe with a cole in the edge of the protractor at euery degree and parte of a degree noted in the table of my second station, I put the protractor aside, and drawe straight lines from the prick made for the place of my second station vnto euery of those pointes, noting well the crossing of like lines. That is to say, where the line of the Beacon drawne from the pricke of my first station meeteth with the line of the Beacon drawne from the prick of my second station, and where the line of the Tower drawen from the prick of my first station meeteth with the line of the Tower drawen from the prick of my second station, and so of the rest: for other intersections or crossinges in this woorke are not to be regarded.

Also to know how farre euery place in this plat is from other, I diuide the space before the prick of my first station, and the prick of my seconde station into so many equall parts as there are yardes, which for example I here suppose to be 200, & then drawing straight [Page 120]lines from euery one of these noted places vnto other, and opening my compasse to one of the said equall partes, I measure how many times it is contayned in euery of the sayde lines, and say that the number of yardes in the length of them is as this Table following doth shewe.

• FRom 1 to 2, 200 yardes.
• From 1 to 3, 193 yardes and ¼ of a yarde.
• From 1 to 4, 350 yardes.
• From 1 to 5, 375 yardes.
• From 1 to 6, 425 yardes.
• From 1 to 7, 395 yardes and [...] of a yarde:
• From 2 to 3, 300 yardes.
• From 2 to 4, 391 yardes and ⅔ of a yarde.
• From 2 to 5, 362 yardes and ½ of a yarde.
• From 2 to 6, 358 yardes and ⅓ of a yarde.
• From 2 to 7, 283 yardes and [...] of a yarde.
• From 3 to 4, 166 yardes and ⅔ of a yarde,
• From 3 to 5, 218 yardes and 2/11 of a yarde.
• From 3 to 6, 316 yardes and [...] of a yarde.
• From 3 to 7, 340 yardes.
• From 4 to 5, 88 yardes and [...] of a yarde.
• From 4 to 6, 208 yardes and [...] of a yarde.
• From 4 to 7, 275 yardes.
• From 5 to 6, 120 yardes.
• From 5 to 7, 195 yardes and ⅚ of a yarde.
• From 6 to 7, 107 yardes and ¾ of a yarde.

In this manner by changing my stations I may make diuers plattes expressing the true proportion and distances of Cities, Townes, Hauens, Castles, Fortes, Campes, Mynes, Hilles, and all other notable places within a whole Region.