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 NINTHE CHAP. To arme artificiall instrumentes ordained in potes made of met∣tall filled with composisiones and mixtures of fire-wourcke, to burne of asodaine shippes gates bridges palisados or any other combustable thinge apte to kindel fire.

TAke foure partes of rosen, one parte of armoniak fou∣re partes of salpiter thre times refined, a haulfe parte of bay saulte, all whiche cause to by beaten into pou∣der, then take one parte of linsatt-oyle, of the fatt of a hoge one parte, then cause all thies composisiones to be mingled togither and putt them in apott made for that purpuse over asofte fire, and let them boyle till they corporate well, and then take them up, and put into them one parte of camfire, and thre par∣tes of musket pouder and mingell them well togither, and put them over asofte fire till they corporate well, then take them up and put to them smale pices of gun-pounder match made of fine cotten and boy∣led in fine beaten pouder, stronge brandevin and giniper oyle or pe∣troll-oyle, then take foure partes of colofonia and cause it to be bea∣ten into pouder, and let it be mingled with the reste mixtures. Then cause the instrumente or pott made for this purpose to be filled till youe come to the thirde parte of the pott or instrumente, that don take of the other mixtures withoute colofonia, and fill the reste of the instrumente with them, and on the upermoste parte of all putt of the drieste mixtures, and let them be so drie that they by apte to kin∣dell fire, and in the verie mouth of the instrumente cause to be putt a quarter of an ence of pouder and of the beste, and sticken to the sa∣me apeece of gunpouder matche some foure inches deepe into the instrumente and cause itt to be well covered with apeece of canuas till time of execution, soe that water nor fire can touche the mixtures

nor the pouder. And when occasion shall ofrer to give it fire, do but touche the gunpouder match with youre ordinary matche, and it will presently kindell fire, yea and muche sooner then pouder, to which effecte this gunpouder matche is made of purpose.

Thies instrumentes in times of execution they have theyre stron∣ge chaines of yron that they may by bounde and fastned, to the pla∣ce of theyre execution, soe that they do not fall, nor that the enemy may use any endustrie to cut or put them of; so that the executiō may take effecte. It were verie goode, for the securitie of theyr execution to arme two or three artificiall canes on both sides of them, whiche are ro be rocomended to persones of brave spirites, and of aproved valeor and determination.

Thies compositiones when they bigin with theyre execution they∣re operation and execution is moste rare; Advertisinge that they mu∣ste be putt in to yron or brasse pottes made for that purpose, as the figure folowinge sheoweth, and also withe theyre stronge yron chai∣nes, for in putinge thies compositiones into veseles of woode questi∣onles the force of this fire will burne them at an instante, which for curiositie, and alsoe to knowe the operation of this fire, y caused tria∣les to by made, and founde that thies instrumentes made of woode did presentlie burne, and consume into aieshes, and was sooner con∣sumed then the matter that was putt into the same, be reason of the wonderfull force of the fire of the saied compositiones, which rare and wonderfull breef execution is wourthie the admiringe, the orde∣ringe and figure of the saiede instrumentes youe see hire under where the letteres K. L. M. sheoweth.

[illustration]

K.

L.

M.

The receites wherwith fire-wourck instrumentes are armed in fin∣dinge theyre operation sloe, youe are to augmente them with drie mi∣xtures apte to kindel fire, as pouder, saltpeeter, brimstone, armonia∣ke, and migell thē well togither, and let them be corporated with the sloe mixtures in theire due proportion, Also the mixtures youe finde quicke and apte to burne, and do not indure, acordinge as theyre exe∣cution requireth youe are to augmente thē with a litel sloe mixtures, as linsat-oyle, turpintine, colofonia, rosen, and wax, but greate con∣sideration, and curiositie is required in put them in theire due pro∣portion.

An artificiall baule of fire wourcke beinge dischardged oute of a peece of ordenance in a cleere day can not by discerned nor seene till it declines to the earthe, But beinge shot oute of a peece of ordenan∣ce at any marcke in a darcke nighte, may by perceived, and specially when it begines to decline oute of his righte course or line, and the more darcke the nighte is, when it is dischardged oute of a peece of ordenance the better youe may discerne it; but in the begininge of the range or line youe can not see it so perfecte as when it begines to decline to the earthe, which i have tried at the leager of Breda, the nighte a pointed for the triumphe don for the regaininge of that place.

If for curiositie youe woulde have a ball made with wilde fire to burne within the water, let the coate therof firste burne a litle before youe caste it into the water, soe that it gives fire to the compositiones there in ordained for his execution, whiche beinge fired, (to wit) that parte or partes where in the vente is, beinge filled with ayre doth cau∣se the other partes of the same to shume and burne a bove the water, with a wonderfull noyce admirable to the behoulderes.

The balles made for this purpose are lighte, and if youe put them into a peece of ordenance, beinge loaden with the ordenary pouder required for the executiō of the same, in their roaring and wrastlin∣ge of this ball it will burste unto peeces; Soe that for to shoute bulle∣tes or balles oute of greate ordenance armed with fire wourcke the cross barres nowe of late invented is the beste, the maner of arminge and coatinge thies bulletes and cross barres, i have set downe before, who and with whate compositiones, whiche are of rare executiones by sea and lande, beinge well ordered by one of perfecte judgemente in this arte.

I have alsoe put downe neowe invented cross barres to be shot ou∣te

of greate ordenance, whiche beinge armed as before taughte, are excelente to burne townes, and the enemyes quarteres, and iam well asured that no comprabell device, for that purpose was as yet inven∣ted, neyther to by shoot in the fronte of a battell, i meane those cross barres invented with chaines for beinge dischardged oute of a peece of ordenance in a reasonable neere distance in the fronte of a bat∣tell, or any order or array, y doupte not that it is the beste invention, that hase beene divised as yet for that purpose, the enemy beinge a reasonable distance of; But the enemy beinge very neere at hande the cartadges and bagges filled withe musket bulletes, nayles peeces of brocken yron, peeces of chaines, which beinge shoote oute of greate ordenance are of wonderfull executiones, beinge handeled by pru∣dente and curiouse gunneres of perfecte judgemente, and longe pra∣ctice in this arte.

The draught marked with the letter N. sheoweth howe the saied cross barr shall be put into the peece; and the letter O. sheoweth ho∣we the same flieth violently trough the ayre, and howe it spreadeth a sonder when it is shott oute of the peece, givinge a terrible noyce in his motion and range.

[illustration]

N.

O.

The draught marcked with the letter P. sheoweth howe this other cross barr is to be put into the peece, and when it is dischardged the letter Q. sheoweth howe it spreadeth a sonder, and flieth withe grea∣te violence in his line and range.

[illustration]

P.

Q.