The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

The Preface.

I Have thought good here to premise my opinion of the ori∣ginall, encrease, and hurt of fiery Engines, for that, I hope it will be an ornament and grace to this my whole treatise: as also to intice my Reader, as it were with these junckets, to our following Banquet so much savouring of Gunpouder. For thus it shall bee knowne to all whence Guns had their originall, and how many habits and shapes they have acqui∣red from poore and obscure beginnings; and lastly how hurt∣full to mankind the use of them is.

Polydore Virgill writes that a Germane of obscure birth and condition was the in∣ventor * 1.1 of this new engine which we terme a Gun, being induced thereto by this oc∣casion. He kept in a mortar covered with a tyle, or slate, for some other certaine uses a pouder (which since that time for its chiefe and new knowne faculty, is named Gunpouder.) Now it chanced as hee strucke fire with a steele and flint, a sparke thereof by accident fell into the mortar, where upon the pouder suddainly catching fire, casts the stone or tyle which covered the mortar, up on high; he stood amazed at the novelty and strange effect of the thing, and withall observed the formerly un∣knowne faculty of the pouder; so that he thought good to make experiment there∣of in a small Iron trunke framed for that purpose according to the intention of his minde. When all things were correspondent to his expectation, he first shewed the use of his engine to the Venetians, when they warred with the Genoveses about Fossa Clodia, in the yeare of our Lord 1380. Yet in the opinion of Peter Messias, their in∣vention must have beene of greater antiquity; for it is read in the Chronicles of * 1.2 Alphónsus the eleaventh King of Castile, who subdued the Isles Argezires, that when he beseiged the cheefe Towne in the yeare of our Lord 1343. the beseiged Moores shot as it were thunder against the assailants, out of Iron mortars. But we have read in the Chronicles written by Peter Bishop of Leons, of that Alphonsus who conquered Toledo, that in a certaine sea fight fought by the King of Tunis, against the Moorish King of Sivill, whose part King Alphonsus favoured, the Tunetans cast lightning out of certaine hollow Engines or Trunkes with much noise. Which could be no other, than our Guns, though not attained to that perfection of art and execution which they now have.

I thinke the deviser of this deadly Engine hath this for his recompence, that his name should be hidden by the darkenesse of perpetuall ignorance, as not meriting for this his most pernicious invention, any mention from posterity. Yet Andrew Thevet in his Cosmography published some few yeares agone, when hee comes to treate of the Suevi, the inhabitants of Germany, brings upon the authority & credite of a certaine old Manuscript, that the Germane the inventer of this warlike Engine was by profession a monke and Philosopher or Alchymist, borne at Friburge, * 1.3 and named Constantine Anclzen. Howsoever it was, this kind of Engine was called Bombarda (i) a Gun, from that noise it makes, which the Greekes and Latines accor∣ding to the sound call Bombus: then in the following ages, time, art and mans malici∣ousnesse * 1.4 added much to this rude and unpolisht invention. For first for the matter, Brasse and Copper, mettalls farre more tractable, fusible and lesse subject to rust, came as supplies to Iron. Then for the forme, that rude and undigested barrell, or mortar-like masse, hath undergone many formes and fashions, even so farre as it is gotten upon wheeles, that so it might run not onely from the higher ground, but also with more rapide violence to the ruine of mankinde; when as the first and rude mortars seemed not to bee so nimbly traversed, nor sufficiently cruell for our de∣struction by the onely casting forth of Iron & fire. Hence sprung these horrible mon∣sters of Canons, double Canons, Bastards, Musquits, feild peices; hence these cruell and furious beasts, Culverines, Serpentines, Basilisques, Sackers, Falcons, Falconets, and divers other names not onely drawne from their figure and making, but also from the effects of their cruelty. Wherefore certainly I cannot sufficiently admire the wisedome of our Ancestors, who have so rightly accommodated them with names agreeable to their natures; as those who have not onely taken them from the swiftest birds of prey, as Falcons; but also from things most harmefull and hatefull to mankinde, such as Serpents, Snakes, and Basilisks. That so wee might clearely di∣scerne, that these engines were made for no other purpose, nor with other intent, but onely to be imployed for the speedy and cruell slaughter of men; and that by onely hearing them named we might detest and abhorre them, as pernicious enemies of our lives. I let passe other engines of this ofspring, being for their quantitie small, but so much the more pernicious and harmefull, for that they nearer assaile our lives, and may trayterously and forthwith seaze upon us not thinking nor fearing any such thing; so that we can scarse have any meanes of escape; such are Pistolls and other small hand-guns, which for shortnesse you may carry in your pocket, and so privily * 1.5 and suddainly taking them forth oppresse the carelesse and secure. Fowling peices which men usually carry upon their shoulders, are of the middle ranke of these en∣gines, as also Muskets and Caleevers, which you cannot well discharge unlesse lying upon a Rest, which therefore may be called Breast-guns for that they are not laid to the cheeke, but against the Breast by reason of their weight and shortnesse; All which have beene invented for the commodity of footemen, and light horsemen. This middle sort of engine we call in Latine by a generall name Sclopus, in imitation of the sound, and the Italians who terme it Sclopetere; the French call it Harquebuse, a word likewise borrowed from the Italians, by reason of the touch-hole by which you give fire to the peice, for the Italians call a hole Buzio. It is tearmed, Arcus (i) a Bow, for that at this present it holds the same place in martiall affaires, as the Bow did of old; and as the Archers formerly, so at this day the Musquetiers are placed in front. From the same wretched shoppe and magazine of cruelty, are all sorts of Mines, Countermines, pots of fire, traines, fiery Arrowes, Lances, Crossebowes, bar∣rells, balls of fire, burning faggots, Granats, and all such fiery engines and Inventions, which closely stuffed with fewell and matter for fire, and cast by the defendants upon the bodies and Tents of the assailants, easily take fire by the violence of their motion. Certainely a most miserable and pernicious kinde of invention, whereby we often see a thousand of heedelesse men blowne up with a mine by the force of gunpouder; otherwhiles in the very heate of the conflict you may see the stoutest souldiers sea∣zed upon with some of these fiery Engines, to burne in their harnesse, no waters being sufficiently powerfull to restraine and quench the raging and wasting violence of such fire cruelly spreading over the body and bowells. So it was not sufficient to have

armes, Iron and fire to mans destruction, unlesse also that the stroake might be more speedy, we had furnished them, as it were with wings, so to fly more hastily to our owne perdition, furnishing sithe-bearing death with wings so more speedily to op∣presse man, for whose preservation, all things conteined in the world were created by God. Verily when I consider with my selfe all the sorts of warlike Engines, which the ancients used, whether in the field in set battells, as Bowes, Darts, Crosse-bowes, * 1.6 Slings; or in the assault of Citties, and shaking or overturning their walls, as Rammes, Horses, woodden towres, slings and such like; they seeme to me certaine childish sports and games made onely in imitation of the former. For these mo∣derne inventions are such as easily exceede all the best appointed and cruell Engines which can bee mentioned or thought upon, in the shape, cruelty and appearance of their operations. For what in the world is thought more horrid or fearefull than thunder and lightning? and yet the hurtfulnesse of thunder is almost nothing to the cruelty of these infernall Engines; which may easily appeare by comparing together both their effects. Man alone of all creatures is not alwayes killed by being touched * 1.7 with thunder; but it immediatly killeth all other things which are subject to bee toucht therewith.

Nature bestowing this honour upon him, seeing so many creatures exceede him in strength: For all things ly contrary to man; and man, unlesse hee bee overthrowne with it, doth not dye thereof. But these fire-spitting Engines doe no more spare man, than they doe other creatures, and kill without difference from whence soever they come, whither soever they are carried, and howsoever they touch. There are many, but more are said to be the remedies against thunder; for beside the charmes where∣by * 1.8 the ancient Romans did suppose they might be driven away, they never pene∣trate deeper into ground than five foote, therefore such as were fearefull thought the deeper Caves most safe. Of those things which grow out of the earth they doe not touch the Bay tree, and that was the cause that it was counted a signe of victo∣ry both in ancient and moderne times. Wherefore Tiberius Caesar otherwise a con∣temner * 1.9 of God and religion, as hee who indued with the Mathematicall sciences thought all things governed by fate, yet because hee exceedingly feared thunder, hee alwayes carried a Lawrell wreath about his necke when the aire was troubled, for that this kind of leafe is reported not to be touched by thunder. Some report that he made him tents or Seales skinnes, because it toucheth not this kinde of creature of all these things that live in the Sea, as neither the Eagle amongst birds, which for that is fained to be Ioves squire. But on the contrary, charmes, the victorious Bay, the Seale or Sea-calfe, the Eagle or any such thing profits nothing against the vio∣lence * 1.10 of these fiery Engines: no not a wall of tenne foote thicke will advantage. Lastly, this argues the immense violence of brasen Cannons above thunder, for that thunder may be dispersed and driven away with the noyse and ringing of Bells, the sounding of Trumpets, the tinkling of brasen kettles, yea also by the shooting of such great Ordinance; to wit, the clouds, by whose collision and fight the Thunder is caused, being dispersed by this violent agitation of the ayre, or else driven further to more remote parts of the skies. But their fury once provoked, is stayed by no opposition, appeased by no remedy. As there are certaine seasons of the yeare, so also there are certaine Regions of the earth, wherein Thunder is seldome or never heard. Thunders are rare in Winter and Summer, and that for contrary causes; for that in Winter the dense aire is thickned with a thicker coate of clouds, and the fro∣sty and cold exhalation of the earth extinguisheth what fiery vapours soever it re∣ceives; which thing keepes Scythia and the cold countries about it free from Thun∣der. And on the contrary, too much heate preserves Egypt. For hot and dry ex∣halations * 1.11 of the earth are condensed into very thinne, subtile and weake clouds. But as the invention, so also the harme and tempest of great Ordinance, like a contagious pestilence is spread and rages over all the earth, and the skies at all times sound againe with their reports. The Thunder and Lightning commonly gives but one blow, or stroke, and that commonly strikes but one man of a multitude; But one great Can∣non at one shot may spoyle and kill an hundred men. Thunder, as a thing naturall falls by chance, one while upon an high oake, another while upon the top of a moun∣taine,

and some whiles on some lofty towre, but seldome upon man. But this hellish Engine tempered by the malice and guidance of man, assailes man onely, and takes him for his onely marke, and directs his bullets against him. The Thunder by its noyse as a messenger sent before, foretells the storme at hand; but, which is the chiefe mischiefe, this infernall Engine roares as it strikes, and strikes as it roares, sending at one and the same time the deadly bullet into the breast, and the horrible noyse into the eare. Wherefore we all of us rightfully curse the author of so pernicious an En∣gine; on the contrary praise those to the skies, who endeavour by words and pi∣ous exhortations to dehort Kings from their use, or else labour by writing and ope∣ration to apply fit medicines to wounds made by these Engines. Which hath mo∣ved me, that I have written hereof almost with the first of the French. But before I shall doe this, it seemeth not amisse, so to facilitate the way to the treatise I intend to write of wounds made by Gunshot, to premise two Discourses, by which I may confute and take away certaine erronious opinions which have possessed the mindes of divers; for that unlesse these be taken away, the essence and nature of the whole disease cannot be understood, nor a fitting remedy applyed by him which is igno∣rant of the disease.

The first Discourse which is dedicated to the Reader, refells and condemnes by * 1.12 reasons and examples the method of curing prescribed by Iohn de Vigo, whereby he cauterizes the wounds made by Gunshot, supposing them venenate; and on the con∣trary proves that order of curing with is performed by suppuratives, to be so salutary and gentle, as that prescribed by Vigo is full of errour and cruelty.

The second dedicated to the King, teaches that the same wounds, are of themselves voyd of all poison, and therefore that all their malignity depends upon the fault of the aire, and ill humours predominant in the bodies of the patients.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 2. in∣ventor 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.2

  Cap. 8. prim. par. ••ar. lect.
• * 1.3

  Who the in∣ventor of Guns.
• * 1.4

  The reason of the name.
• * 1.5

  The danger of Pistolls.
• * 1.6

  A comparison of the ancient weapons with the moderne.
• * 1.7

  Plin. Lib. 2. Cap. 54.
• * 1.8

  Plin. Lib. 2. Cap. 55.
• * 1.9

  S••••ton, in Tiberio.
• * 1.10

  The won∣drous force of great Ordi∣nance.
• * 1.11

  Plin. Lib. 21 Cap. 50.
• * 1.12

  The argu∣ments of the following discourses.