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ANd it is to be knowen that for to sawte all stronge places there ben fyue pryncypall engyns as vegece sayth by the whiche men may take hem / that one is that sa∣me of whiche by force of a pouldre made of charcolys Salt petre / brymstone and suche mix••ions that behouen therto are caste by grete strengthe so grete stones that they bruse and
shouen a doune all walles / houses / toures / and all that they recontre and of them be some of merueyllouse force that one more than that other / Item men maken another engyne whiche after is called as vegece saith mosselle or motelle / & is made as a flatte hons and large / and couered wyth hors∣donge bicause that noo stones nor noo fyre may hurt nor gryeue hit / and it is made vpon wheles and may be caryed where men wil / within this engyn are folke hidde that dra∣we after them braunches of trees and all thynges that be good to fylle dyches with all / & by the same waye men may vse therof in suche a cas that wil wherby awaye shal be gy∣uen to other engyns to be broughte vnto the walles / Item the thirde engyne is called Mowton / and is made of tymbre in manere of a house couered aboue / vpon whiche couerynge and all rounde aboute are nayled rowhe hydes and all wete and fresshe by cause fyre shal not mowe take therto / In the forefronte of thys house is a grete maste that hath the en∣de couered with yron grete and massy Men drawe this ma¦ste with chaynes / and it is made by suche manere that men may shoue it forthe and wythdrawe hyt ayen so that they / that be within the engyns may smyte grete strokes with this maste ayenst the walles and so shaken that they be all astonyed wyth all / whiche engyne gyueth hys strokes euen soo as a rāme doeth whan he reculeth a bak for to hur∣te whith hys hornes / and therfore is thys engyne called a Mouton / ¶ Item the fourthe is called vygne of whyche men vse but selden but yf it be to a grete effort / It is made of grete tymber / and it hath / viij / fote of brede and / xvj / of lengthe / and is couerd wyth hyrdell is & horsdonge / to thende that stones may not hurte hym / and enuyromed al aboute wyth hydes rowh̄ for the fyre / Vndre the same engyne ben
the men of armes that percen the walle and vpon pow••t le∣veiz that be made faste therto whiche are called flyghyng brygges and may reche vnto the walles / they sette and dres¦se vp theyre ladders to dyuers stallages / ¶ Item the / v / engyn is yet of more grete strengthe and lasse in vsage by cause that it byhoueth not but to the sawtes of grete and notables cytees or fortres and stronge places sore desyred where as a syege be kepte by longe leyser / Thys engyn is called Towre It is an edyfyce made of grete tymber and of tablementes with many loftes and stallages / And ther∣fore saithe vegece that so grete an edyfyce ought to be wel kepte / It behoueth hym to be couered that may wyth lamy¦nes of yron lest fyre sholde be caste or sette therin / or at the leste wyth hydes rowh̄ all fressle / To the whiche engynes men gyuen lyght after as they be hyghe or lowe For som be of / xxx / fote / som of / L / And namely som̄ there ben so highe that not onely they surmonten the walles / but also the high¦est towres / Thys engyn is sette vpon moeuable wheles that by force of men and of horses are ledde as nyghe the walles as men can / And flighynge brygges there be that as they be let doune men may therupon reche ouere the wal¦les / And yf it hap that thys Towre may be approched 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the walles / ouere harde a thynge it were / but that the towne shal be taken soone at an owre / For therynne ben grete foyson of men of armes in al the loftes and stalla∣ges / of whiche they of aboue with gode shode and hande to hande fyghten wyth them that ben vpon the walles and of lyght may ouercome hem / They of the lowe loftes or stal¦lages percen the walle / And thus is the cytee or fortres∣se enuaysshed of suche effort that they of withynne wote not what parte to resyste nor deffende / so ben they abasshed and
lightly taken / And it is that whiche vegece mente whan he saith / the more partes and by more engyns and more stren¦gthe that thou shall assaylle the fortres all atones / the mo¦re are abasshed they that make deffence and the sooner they shall yelde hem vp / And by cause that for to doo thys / ser∣ven the ladders and muche proffyten herto / and in lyke wise all engyns that can be made for to clyme highe / It is nede for to make bettre thys manere of clymers / that men know fyrst the heyght of the walles / And therfore for to knowe thys vegece techeth it by two wayes / and sayth that an a∣rowe shal be thrawen vnto the height of the walle / to the whiche arowe shall a long threde be made faste that shal be holde vndrenethe / and by this shal mowe be knowen the heyght of the walles / ¶Item that other waye is whan the sonne is so tourned that he casted the shadowe of the walles and of the towres to the grounde / thenne men may mesure the space of the walles wyth two staues y pyght atte eyther ende of the shadowe / And by thaduyse of a gode & wyse consyderer may be estemed what heyght the ladders and other engyns moste haue