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 SIXTE CHAP.

TO arme a haulfe pike with fire-wourcke to inter or bourde shippes per force or to inter into a trence or baterie or breake any order or array where the balles fastned to them shall fall, thies balles are to be made of lighte woode of the bignes or somwhate greater then abuter box, and of the very selfe same makinge, but that it muste be bored with foure holes crosswise, and of the greatnes that youre thom might inter into them, whiche shall by filled in this maner fo∣lowinge.

Take of the same mixtures and compositiones that was ordained for the artificiall canes to whiche youe are to ad two partes of rosen and one parte of brimstone of the beste, and melt thies togither putin∣ge alitle Aqua vitae to them of the strongeste yove can finde, and bien∣ge well corporated and molten, put the other mixtures over the fire and when they are hote put the molted rosen and brimstone to them, and corporate all togither, and beinge almoste coulde fill you∣re artificiall balles therewith as full as they can houlde, putinge a litle of the drieste mixtures and pouder in the mouthe of each hole of the foure, and alitel cotten boyled in gun pouder, brandevin and gineper-oyle, and afterwardes dried verie well, that therby they may pre∣sently kindel fire. That don take as much ocam or towe as will cover or coate them, makinge aplaster of the same of ahaulfe ence thik or litle lesh, this coate or plaster cause to by sod over asofte fire in fine beaten pouder to the quantitie of foure partes, of saltepiter two par∣tes, rosin two partes, armoniacke haulfe a parte, brimstone one parte and all thies beinge firste beatē into pouder let them be wet in bran∣devin and giniper-oyle and well corporated togither, then take as muche ocam as will cover them as before declared, and when all thies mixtures are well corporated and dried over asofte fire, then spread them uppon the ocam with whiche yove entende to coate youre ball and put on the same to the thicknes of haulfe anence or litle lesh of the saied mixtures and wrapp the same rounde aboute the ball and let it be tied verie well with marlin corde, and when all this is don ta∣ke a peece of gunpoder matche beinge well handled and dried, and binde it in severall partes of the ball that in touchinge the same with

youre ordinarie matche it will presentlie kindell fire, and withoute delay and it will bigin to burne with amoste wonderfull flame and terrible noyce that it will put the behoulderes in greate terror; and if it fall uppon abourd or any other thinge apte to kindle fire it will burne it into aeishes, and alsoe the cover that goes aboute the same: the terror wherunto thies balles do put the behoulderes of rhem when they burne is vncredible but to suche as do see the same, wher∣of jmade severall proofes and founde it soe that no boddy durste stay neere, thies haulfe pikes somtimes are armed with skubbes made of fire wourcke which alsoe are goode to offende or defende, thies bal∣les and haulfe pikes are of rare executiones which draughte yove see hire vnder marked with the letter D.

[illustration]

D.

A prudente and brave conductor of aforecaste considerasion, bien∣ge determined with military prudence, and resolusion of his and of his souldiores valoure to fall on any execusion moste comonly they are wonte to have goode sucesses, to which effecte many stratagemes and military prudence is required. And bienge in the fielde and re∣solved to give battell or at leaste to dommadge or put the enemy in greate terror; Verie necessary it were to by provided withe bulletes cross barres and yron chaines armed with wilde fire to by shutt oute of greate ordenance, the which in suche ocasiones, as also in sea servi∣cees are of rare execusiones bienge prudently armed and manad∣ged, by one of perfecte judgemente and longe practice in this arte. Thies bulletes or cross barres bienge shoote oute of greate ordenan∣ce in the fronte of abattell or of an army in areasonable neere distan∣ce are of wonderfull executiones, and specially yron chaines and cross barres They are alsoe goode to cut the tackle of shippes shrou∣des mastes yardes top mastes sailes, &c. The draugh of which bulletes yove see hire folowinge where the draughte with the letter A. sheoweth. And howe to chaine them togither when yove put them into a peece of ordenance.

And the draughte with the letter B. sheoweth howe the same flieth trough the ayre when it is dischardged oute of a peece of ordenance, and who it spreadeth a sonder, in some execusiones they are armed with artificiall fire-wourckes to burne townes, shippes, the quarteres of the enemy as also theire store houses or magasenes whiche cross barres are envented for that purpose and bienge prudently handled and armed by one of perfection in fire wourckes i am asured that if they fall into any thinge apte to kindle fire withoute delay they shall burne and kindell fire, for often times i made triall of theire operasion and vncredible force and terror and often times to trie theire nature and course of theire execution i caused to caste water uppon them, notwithstandinge they burne with the more vehemence and terror, and when the water is caste uppon them they give suche aterrible noyce wourdie the admiringe and burne with suche force.

Thies haulfe pikes are armed another maner of way with fire-wourcke, that is to say take apece of the strongeste canuas yove can finde as big, or of the greatenes yove thincke fitt for youre purpose, and fashionige the same as yove shall see here folowinge be the figu∣re marked with the letter E. This peece of canvas yoveshall cause to be dobbed in molten colofonia and when it sukes i noghe of the licor take it up and put aforme into the same or fill itt with drie sande, and when it is drie caste the sande oute and fill it of the receite made for the artificiall canes. But that they muste be mingled with two partes more of rosen, and ahaulfe parte of brimstone, whiche muste by smelted over asofte fire, and corporate the same and the other com∣posiciones togither, and fill the saide canuas with them, beinge well fastened with marlin coarde and the half pike trouge the midel of the same as the draughte followinge sheoweth, and in the mouth of this scuibb yove are to putt a quantitie of verie drie mixtures, and some pouder, that withoute delay it may kindell fire, the execution of this instrumente is execellent to bourde shippes, to burne sailes, to inter atrince or anay narrowe place, or to break any order or array, if yove please yove may fasten or sticken into the saied scuibb in de∣grees lighte pipes or canes of yron or brace of five enches longe, bein∣ge of apistol or caliver boare, placinge the touche hole therof to∣wardes the oute warde side of the mixtures, beinge well bounde to the pike so that it doth not fall, at leaste till the execution be finished, and let the touche holes be primed with goode pouder; also yove may put abullet into each one of thies pipes, beinge chardged

with goode pouder, and well handled they will doe greate execu∣tion.

[illustration]

E.

To arme haulfe pikes with fire-wourcke, which is rare to burne sayles of shippes or to bourde or inter per force into shippes or assaul∣tes, trinches or any narowe place, they are both goode in many de∣fensive and offensive occasiones be sea and lande, they are to be filled with the selfe same receite before taughte, and alsoe coated in the self same maner. For executiones at nighte to inter into a trince or forte, per force they are of moste rare executiones, and douptless they shall put the enemy into greate terror by reason of the furie, terrible noy∣ce, and force of theire flame, in the executiones of patarres and ca∣misadas they are wonderfull goode, beinge recomended to the chard∣ge of brave Souldieres of aproved valeor and resolute determinatio∣nes, for douptless they will put the enemy into greate terron, for so∣daine ex ecutiones in trinches or breaches at nighte they are won∣derfull goode. The figure of theire draughte youe may see hire under set downe, as marked with the letter F.

[illustration]

F.

For to offende or defende in diverses occasiones of importance youe may arme a halbarde with a device of fire-wourcke in the selfe same maner as before taughte to arme pikes. And with the selfe sa∣me mixtures and coated, with the like coatinge as before taughte for the arminge of pikes, to whiche youe may binde with copper wire thre or foure shorte pipes like caliver barreles, of six or seaven enches longe made of brace, and loaden with pouder and bullett, as the draughte by the letter G. sheoweth; which alsoe beinge plased be∣twexte pikes is goode for severall ocasiones of service; youe may alsoe arme targetes in the selfe same manner which for verie many execu∣tiones in warr are goode, and let none be ingnorante that thies engi∣nes

of fire-wourcke, beinge well and curiously handled doe put the enemy in wonderfull terror, and specially in sodaine occasiones, and stratagemes used often times at nighte.

[illustration]

G.