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. III.

THe gates or portes of a towne cittie or forte, are to by placed in partes, moste comodiouse for the service of the same, both in peace and war, conveniente to receive in, or to put oute peo∣ple moste safe and sure from all offences (in as much as can by) the gate muste have his drawen bridge made of stronge timber and yro∣nes necessary for the same, it is to be reasonable broade for the como∣ditie of the wagones and artillery, and very stronge, if theyre by no more then one drawen bridge or gate let them not be directe. Ne∣cessary it where that no high wales nor hedges of gardines, nor ochar∣des nor such like by permited on the outewarde partes of the gates or walles of any cittie or place of importance; and a distance of 600. pa∣ses, but all razed and made plaine on all the circuide rounde aboute, which do offten times serve for ashelter to the enemy to aproache of asuddaine neere the walles, that they can not by discerned, till they com into the ditch, by reason that trees and hedges do shelter them, by which meanes many places of importance are soone loste.

The terra plena is the onely remedy againste the furie and execu∣tion of the artillery, and is to by made with in, and behinde the wall close to the same; and the cavallers and bulwarkes oughte to by made in suche forte, that the wall bienge fallen, the same mighte remaine and stande like amightie mounte againste the enemy, and shoulde by made of suche faste and massie earthe (that it cromble slipp nor roule not, and so fall downe) as do many fortificationes made of runinge sande; the heighte and bread therof oughte to by suche as the co∣moditie and seate will require: All thies thinges are the memberes of a fortification, the which how muche more fitt and proporsionally they by placed aboute the boddy of acitti or place of importance, so much doeth it make the same more stronge and beautifull.

It is alsoe to by noted, that if a ny of thies situationes theire by nee∣re adioyninge any woodes, vine yardes, orchardes, tries, houses, churches, monesteries or other edificies, consideringe if they be su∣che as mighte annoy the enemy or render him any comoditie, wher∣by he may easilie hinder the citti castell or forte, prevension oughte to by taken in due time; If the ceate of the citti forthe or fortress by marittime or sea coaste, there muste by considered the qualitie of that sea, and of the haven, and of whate depthe it is, whether if it

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hathe any litle Isle arrocke neere vnto itt the which; the enemy in∣ioyenge may offende and anoye youe, and whether it hath any shore bay receptable, or place of refuge, or any river mouthe where the enemy fleete reedinge easilie at an ancor, mighte hinder and emplea∣che theire socoure by sea, and continually moleste them, and whether it be suche that the enemy mighte advantadge him selfe therewith. And all the aforesaide conciderationes touchinge the situation of sea or lande, to forecaste the same in due time with greate care and pru∣dence, in as muche as may posible. The same regarde is to be had wi∣thin the place, and to recnoledge every parte therof, bigininge with the forme, and then the heighte and thicknes of the wall, and the qua∣litie therof Moreover it is to by viewed in whate parte or partes it is moste weake and feoble, whate flankes it hath, whate terraplena, how high and howe thike, whate space betwexte the same and the inhabitantes, whate gates, how framed and seated, whate ditch, ho∣we broade, and howe deepe, whether it be drie or with water, whate intries or sallies without the place cittie or towne, and whether the ha∣bitasiones of the place be on high aboue the alture of the walles or equall with them, or whether the walles do surmonte them, and fi∣nally all other considerationes wourthie to be noted.