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.

Num. I.

THe places bienge viewed and found apte to receive offence by the enemy, and also to offende him, it is necessary to fortifie the same as well vpon the sea coastes as the inlande with strōge for∣tificationes, takinge goode advicement and carefull consideration in choisinge the situation therof, whether it by on plaines or hilles or marittim, or consistinge of al the thre, understandinge that the circui∣de of the place or fortification is to have aconveniente space rounde aboute (neyther to much nor to litle for many respectes.) The si∣tuasiones in plaines, are stronge whiche are invioroned with deepe lakes greate moores greate riveres, and suche as may by sonke vnder water in time of necessity, as in Holande and Zelande, and suche as have acampaina raza or plaine, sufficient distante from all thinges that mighte over comaunde the same. The situation that is uppon a hill, that is stronge that standeth on the moste higheste parte ther∣of, and all vnderlaied with naturall rockes rounde aboute, not havin∣ge neere it any superior nor equall moante, as is the castell of lisbur∣ne. For all situationes which have a dificulte access are stronge when they can not be offended from other adioyninge moantes and the muche more stronger when it is not minable. All stronge places mo∣ste comonlie are won eyther be force of armes, battery, treason, sur∣price, or by longe beseedginge, or by assaulte, scalinge, or undermi∣nige: The maritime situationes are stronge when they are compased by the sea, or parte therof, and the reste divided from the maine by greate and deepe ditches as is the castell of san Jean in Portugall, who hath on the shore side a deepe ditch digged uppon a rocke, and the maine sea on the other side, or buitlte uppon the topp of some rocke with the saied comodities, as is the penon of veles or the castell of cas∣cales in Portugall. Citties and townes are made stronge by nature

and industrie of those by nature we have all ready spoken in the strenght of situationes: Citties by industrie are stronge by the forme and by the matter, stronge by the matter when they haue thicke walles, greate terraplenos, broade and deepe ditches. By the forme they are stronge when it is framed in suche sorte that the moste far∣deste and all quarteres may haue corespondance to offende the enemy with the cannon and fyry shott. Of this sorte are those which do moste neere a proach, vnto the sircular figure but with goo∣de regarde of the due lardgnes and proportion of the curtines, and equall distance from bulwarke to bulwarke.

Theire intereth amongste thies all townes and stronge fortes con∣sistinge of five, six seaven, eighte, nine, or ten ravelinges, and curtines, by directe line, and who many more angeles, so muche the better the foure anguled of all is the weakeste. It is to be vnderstoode that smale places of them selves are weake because they can not so sufuciently resiste any excessive battery, and other offences as greate places may which haue roome capable inough to raise defences and necessary rampares and horne wourkes, a gainste any greate force, neyther oughte they to be so lardge that the circuide therof woulde require awhole army to defende itt.