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 FIRSTE CHAP. Treatinge of Patarres.

TO chardge a pattar to breake a bridge is requi∣red six pounde of pouder, or six and haulfe, and to breake stronge portes or gates, foure poun∣de, or foure and haulfe, and for palisados two pounde, or two and haulfe.

This pattares are to be chardged of the fine∣ste and beste pouder that can by had, whiche to do well for the perfecte execution of the same. Pouder shoulde be made for itt of refined mixtures of saltpeeter and solpher, and at the chardginge of the same it muste be well bea∣ten, but not so much that the graine of the pouder by brocken, and when it is chardged, the mouth of the pattar muste be very well stopped with apeece of tember (and wax) oboute the which on the outwarde parte, or abouth the mouth of the pattar muste be wrap∣ped and tied apeece of canuas dobbed in wax, fearinge that water mighte come to touche the pouder to hinder the execution of the same, if in case it shoulde chance faule into the water. (Advertisinge that the pattar is not to be wholie filled, rather to leave three or foure fingeres voyde, and to fill the moste parte therof with okum, and the touch hole is to be coated with apeece of waxte canuas, and well tied to the same for feare of water and fire.

The touche hole muste be filled with mixtures ready and quick to kindel fire, but sloely to effecte that the patardier may have tyme to retire after giving fire.

The compositiones required to charge a pattar.

FOr this purpose take three partes of fine and strong pouder, five of solpher, eighte of refined saltpeter, or eight and haulfe, after∣wardes mingell all thies mixtures well togither til yove corpora∣te them, and put to them alitle petrol oyle, so muche that they cor∣porate togither, and let them drie well in the sun, and beinge well dried, fill the pattar with the saied mixtures, for the tienge of thies pat∣tares

aforck with two teethes is estimed the beste, and in tyme of exe∣cution to putt the same trough the eares of the pattar to fasten the same both with a chaine and corde.

When yove woulde surprise a ny place of emportance by scalinge pattar, or by meanes of any faulte in the walles of the same, wherby yove may easilie come in, or by inteligence or treatment of treason. Ifby pattar yove determin to win the same, yove muste firste by well informed of skilfull and trustie spies, or of persones of truste, of the strenght and entrie of the gates, batteries bridges, palisados, bucke∣tes, and chaines of the bridges, the height and distance to come to the place of execution, and if the ditch by drie or with water, and who deepe and lardge, and if there be any forlorne centeries, or cor∣pes de garde that may hinder yove, and in whate place they lay, and if theyr by any greate ordenance that may play on yove, and on whate side it layeth and in whate distance·

The place beinge well discovered, to effect youre entention, yove are to vse stratagemes to divert and ocupie the enemy another way. Juste aboute the tyme that yove are ready to execute youre de∣sire.

The tyme beeingh well hit uppon, with oportunitie, and being well informed by trustie spies of no deceite nor fraude, fasilitateth much the interprice, which is moste comonlie alitle before day; at which tyme the centeries are moste laesie and have more desire to sleepe, beesides that the obscuritie helpeth much the interpricce and aprochinges.

When the pattares are to be planted to their execution betwexte the mouth of the same and the gate or bridge yove are to put aplanc∣ke of stronge woode, of two foote broade and two foote and haulfe longe and three foote distance from the place of execution, and if yove finde that the plancke be not stronge inough, you are to take two barres of yron and put them cros wise for the better perfor∣mance of youre execution, and that betwexte the saide planckes and the place of execution, and to order all thies thinges in areadines with every thinge apertaining, before yove com to the place of execution. Greate consideration and curiositie is to be used be the engenious and skilfull person that taketh in hande this busines, in givinge fire to the same, whiche is easie and enfalible for suche as are of perfecte skill in fire wourckes but to otheres verie dangerouse.