A discourse of military discipline devided into three boockes, declaringe the partes and sufficiencie ordained in a private souldier, and in each officer; servinge in the infantery, till the election and office of the captaine generall; and the laste booke treatinge of fire-wourckes of rare executiones by sea and lande, as alsoe of firtifasions [sic]. Composed by Captaine Gerat Barry Irish.

THE SECONDE CHAP. The election of the Captaine generall of the Artillerie.

THe office of the generall of the Artillerie, troughe greate con∣siderationes of his aprooved goode partes and suficiencie, is chosen and apointed by the Prince, consideringe his longe and tried experience in warr, his gravitie, prudente and brave condu∣ction, and valerouse actes.

This honorable office of so highe dingnitie and truste, in choysin∣ge of his Officeres and Gentlemen of the Artillerie, it importeth that he by well informed that they by men of many goode partes, skillfull and curiouse in many ingines, and to by verie carefull, and vigilante; For this office of manadginge of pouder in sundry maner of wayes is of wounderfull danger, excepte it by prudently carefullie, and with greate vigilance handled, as well simple as artificiall; which be seve∣rall triales i caused to be tried by severall persones, (and often times) and hardlie coulde i finde any of suche care and vigilance for the ma∣nadginge, and keepinge of the same as required, for beinge the mo∣ste dangerouse thinge that is, or can by handled in warr. An enemy who giveth no time nor respecte, his treasones are most terrible, spee∣dy, and of unmercifull executiones, and moste comonlie do fall on such as doe moste truste in it, in his exeeutiones there is no appella∣tion, nor grace to by expected.

This Office requireth many Officeres; Firste his Leutenante, Ma∣yor Domo, Contador, Pagador, his ministeres for the examinatio∣nes and executiones of justice, Amunitioneres, Gentelmen of the Artillerie, his Ingineres, Masteres of severall sortes of ingines of fire∣wourkes▪ Canonieres, Masteres of the mine, or Minadores, Gastado∣res, or Wourkmen, with theyre Captaines, a Furiell, Smittes, Tem∣bermen. A greate store of tentes is required for the saftie of thies va∣riable sortes of amunitiones and pertrechos, as pouder of all sortes, led, match, and all sortes of bulletes, and in quantitie for greate and smale ordenance, it is alsoe necessarie he be a compained with a cu∣riouse Inginer curiouse in all sortes of fire-wourkes, necessarie for ve∣rie

many exeeutiones, if one of such aprooved partes can by hit up∣pon, he is also to have Masteres who hase goode skill in makinge and refininge of pouder: When ocasion shall offer to plante his greate or∣denance to beleager or batter a towne, cittie or Castell, his Leutenan∣te, Ingineres, Mine-masteres, and Pouder keeperes, and Gentelmen of the Artillerie, are all to by in a readines to dispose of the Artillerie and amunitiones, when occasion shall offer, that it muste by planted, or sente from one place to a nother, and his Leutenante is to gett a relatiō, who many cannones shall by apointed in each place; and con∣sider suche as are fit for one execution, and for a nother, but thies re∣solutiones muste com from the Captaine generall, or Master de cam∣pe generall, which of them doth comaunde in the fielde, but the exe∣cution belongeth to the Generall of the Artillerie, and to such under him to whose chardge they are recomended, the Leutenante of the Generall of the Artillerie is to see that theyre by horses and wagones inoughe, and to be verie, vigilante, and carefull to visite often times the store houses, where the pouder led or math doe lye; Of which do∣ble cinteries oughte allwayes to be putt uppon, for many goode re∣spectes, and specially for feare of spies to use industrie to give the sa∣me fire, wherfore prudente Generalles of the Artillery are wonte to divide thies munitiones, in sundrie and secure places, (fearinge of a sodaine disgrace.) Alsoe he is to see that his Canonieres or gunneres doe lye every nighte by theyre canonnes, that they may in a readines uppon the firste advice, and it were necessary that each Canonnier shoulde have a boy to assiste him.

The Leutenante is to by verie curiouse and vigilante to see that the greate ordenance by still well provided with all necessarie instru∣mentes, and rather more then less, fearinge of urgente necessitie, and that theyre wante no kinde of munition, nor instrument fitt for theyr sundrie executiones. It is necessarie that theire be a certaine quantitie of goode refined saltpiter three times refined, camphora, vinager, sal armoniak, sal gema, rosen, colofonia, stronge brandevin, a store of o kom, linsat-oyle, gineper-oyle, all which are required for severall executiones of fire-wourkes, when occasion shall offer, but for the curiouse orderinge of thies compositiones, for there severall and rare executiones, wee finde but verie feowe:) It is necessarie that he be a companied with good carpinteres.

He oughte to by curiouse and carefull in seinge that all sorte of mu∣nitiones be boughte before he shall have neede, for offten times we

see that in times of moste neede. Verie litle can be had, and someti∣mes all moste none at all, and specially pouder and matche, for often times oure enemy secretlie under hande buyes all that can be had; soe the Generall knowinge this matter to be of suche importance to his Majesties service, is to see it prevented before hande; Greate conside∣ration oughte to by taken in knowinge where beste to plante the or∣denance, and to fortifie and intrinche with speede, as time and oca∣sion shall require, and to keepe good watch, and to by a companied with good Controulers, for to provide all sortes of provisiones.

He is to knowe who to a proach, and who with prudence and good watch and vigilance to secure him selfe and Artillerie, and in many o∣casiones not to truste to many, butt rather in person, and with spee∣de to see thies thinges putt in execution as the importance of the oc∣casion shall require, (and to be well garded on every side,) He is to see that his Artillerie doe orderly marche, and such as do not obey the orderes by him given, to see them severelie punished; he is to kno∣we at nighte who his ordenance shall by planted for the execution he shall exspecte, and by day see the same ordered, in takinge the heighte and line for his purpose, eyther a farr of or neere, if it by into a cittie towne, or forte, or in the fronte of the enemy, or if by chance they shoulde come to defeate him to by prevented.

When occasion shall offer to pass an army over deepe riveres, it is necessarie to by well provided of boathes of two yardes and haulfe deepe, wheruppon bridges are to by framed, which are to be made of stronge tember, and plankes to pass the Artillery, and the whole ar∣my, as did that famouse and prudente Conductor Marques SPINOLA in takinge of Reinbarke, and the scounse over the Rhine, and in ta∣kinge Vesell, and in the honorable regaininge of Breda.

They are wonte to carie for thies bridges sometimes 30. boathes sometimes more: Firste consideringe the greatnes of the river, where they meane to pass over. To which purpose is required a Captaine for every fiftine boathes, and to each boath foure Marineres, some, times more, and sometimes less, acordinge as the Generall shal thinc∣ke fitt and as many Carpinteres as shall by toughte necessarie, also-Smittes to sheowe horses, and for many other purposes, a store of anc¦cores, cables, graplinges, while wrightt with such necessaries; Befit∣tinge his purpose, and allwayes muste not faile whiles to spare, for the cannon, and greate ordenance, fearinge least any while shoulde breake, that presently prevension may by had.