then the 2/3 of the flanck, and is of litle resistance, and on the other side giues but litle
advantage, being soone stopt, as we haue seene in time past: I was minded not to
haue spoken of them at all, though I esteeme them good, if they were made in such
a sort, that there mouths might not be stopped vp, and the peeces within them
dismounted: which hath not bene done hitherto to my remembrance. For••f••hese
Casemates be made of brick batts, when the Besiegers shall play vpon them with
there ordinance, the bricks flying into the port-holes will doe more hurt to the Ca∣noniers,
and other men, then the Ennemies bullets themselues, and by this meanes
the portholes wilbe easely filled, and stopped vp, as wee haue seene in diverse
places. If your Casemate be made of Earth, ye must giue it a great Talude (that is
much slooping) which maketh the gorge so narrow, namely in those Fortresses,
which are vnder an Hexagone, that oftentimes there wilbe hardly any entrance into
the bulwark, which we call the gullet, the Orillon, and the flanke very litle, and
consequently wilbe of litle resistance, wherein they finde so many difficulties, that
many great Captaines haue resolued wholly, to leaue them vnmade. If one could
not preserue them otherwise then they haue done to this present: I should ap∣proue
of them: But seing I cannot resolue of a thing, which I dare not wholly ap∣proue
off, because experience, and many men slaine in the warres haue not found
it good, this is my opinion also. In the Figures 157, & 158, of the Plate 37, a, b, is
the vtmost end of the shoulder, the double of p, a, Figure 157, the mouth, or port∣hole
of the Casemate, and as b, p, maketh 150, foote, so p, a, will make 50 foote, p, t,
equall to p, a, wilbe likewise 50 foote, t, v, is 36 foote, from a ye shall draw a line to u,
that ye maye the better discouver the exteriour brinke of the moate, and the said
t, u, shall containe three portholes for three peeces of Canon, which shalbe vauted
ouer from d, e, to, t, u, with steps as the Figure 158 demonstrats, marked betweene
t, v, and e, d, in such sort that the first Vault on the side of e, d, is closse by the super∣ficies
of the water enlarging or raising the said Vaults more and more, vntill that
the last vault towards t, v, be raised aboue the superficies l, f, g, k, which is the plate∣forme
of the Casemate, some 3 foote, or thereabouts, and seing that t, e, & d, v, are
about 20 foote, ye shall advance as farre as possibly ye can the parapet t, f, and g, v,
as much as the canon, and the place will permit you, to giue the better soliditie &
firmenesse to the parapet of the Casemates. Then vpon the topp of the basis f,
g, e, d, the said parapet shalbe so raised that the inside f, g, shalbe lined with a wall,
that it maye prevent the falling downe of such a heigth, & so that the ennemie
maye not discover the vpper part of your vault, h, i, k, l, and firmely joyned asvvel
to the wall, as to the Orillon and on the outside with hard Earth, as strong as possi∣bly
maye, going downe sloopingly, that it maye not be subject to tumble downe
into the moate, and this will hinder the Ennemie greatly from entring into the
moate and putting his gallerie ouer. For by this meanes they must be driuen first
to beate downe the shoulder, and make it to fall into the moate at the space p, a, e, d,
which for this reason must be made as deepe, as possibly ye can, to the end, that
the portholes 3, 4, & 5, be not easely stopt, the place l, k, f, g, is about 20 foote vnco∣vered,
and the vault i, h, l, k, also 20 foote broade. The line h, i, is about some 54,
foote: the Colomne is made in the midst of l, k, to make the vaults crosswise: be∣cause
the distance betweene l, k, is too great, to make there a single vault, which
maye serue to make vpon it the parapet of the superiour place, to gayne more
place for the gorge, and to lodge the Canoniers, and there amunition dry.
The entrance into the Casemate must be in that place, where m, n, is, vnder the
rampart, and must be vaulted from m, to i, & from n, to o, being some 10 or 12 foote
broad, or thereabouts, that ye maye the better draw in your ordinance & all what