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CHAP. IX. Improvements in the Military Art.
THAT we may not leave any considerable Art untouch'd, we shall say a little of the Advance∣ment made in the Art of destroying Peoples Lives; not by secret Plots or Villainous Poysons, or Devillish Witchcraft, the Sciences of Hell, and the Phylosophy of Devils; but in a Milita∣ry, Open and Hostile manner; by the Art of a Public and Lawful War: And this likewise seems to have received much Addition and Improvement by the Ingenioso's of the last Ages: Tho' perhaps in Fire-darts the Ancients were as ingenious as we, as I shall take notice after∣wards.
1. Frier Bacon is supposed to be the first Inventer of Gunpowder, as is gather'd out of his Epistle ad Parisiensen; where speaking of the secret Works of Nature and Art, he hath these Words, In omnem distantiam quam volumus Possumus artificialiter, componere Ignem, combruentem ex sale Petrae, & aliis; which alia, as Dr. Wallis saw it in a Manu∣script Copy of the said Roger Bacon, in the Hands of Dr. Langbain, late Provost of Queen's College, were Sulphur and Carbonum Pulvis; concerning which, after a while, he further adds, Praeter hac sunt alia stupendia Nature, &c. that is of Salt-Petre, and other Matters, viz. Sulphur, and the Dust of Coal; he could make Fire that should burn at what distance he pleased; and further, that with the same Matter he could make Sounds like Thunder, and Corruscations in the Air, more dreadful than those made by Nature: For (says he) a little of this Matter rightly fitted, tho not bigger than ones Thumb, makes a horrible Noise, and shews a violent Corruscation, which may be ordered many ways, whereby a City or Army may be destroyed—the Fire breaking forth with an unspeakable Noise,—which are wonderful things, if a Man knew exactly how to use it in due Quantity and Matter. Whence 'tis plain he either invented or knew Gunpowder, and in all Probability it was invented here at Oxford, where he made the rest of his affrighting Experiments: And that out of his Works, Constantine Ancklitzen of Friburg, or Bertholdus Swartz, and the rest of the Im∣provers, in all likelihood might have their pretended Inventions. Dr. Plot's Nat. Hist. of Oxfordshire, c. 9. Par. 40. &c.
2. Thucidides saith, that those that besieged the Platenensis, when Engines would do no good, they fell to Fireworks; for casting about the Wall Bundles of Stuff, and throwing in Fire, Brimstone and Pitch, they burnt the Wall; whence arose such a Flame, that until that time no Man ever saw the like. Heron teacheth, that in burning of the Walls, after you have made a hole thorow, you must put Wood of the Pinetree under, and anoint them with dry Pitch, and powdered Brimstone together, with Tar or Oyl, and set this on Fire. And elsewhere he teacheth to burn with a Pot; take an earthen Pitcher, and bind it a∣bout with Plates of Iron on the outside, and let it be full of Small-coal; let there be a hole about the bottom to put in the Bellows; for when the coals take Fire, by sprinkling on ov Vinegar, Piss, or any other sharp Matter, the Walls are broken. Vegetius teacheth what combustible Matter must be used; and he useth burning Oyl, Hards, Brimstone, Bi∣tumen. Burnign Arrows are shot in Cross-bows into the Enemies Ships; and these being smear'd over with Wax, Pitch and Resin, they quickly fire the Decks, with so ma∣ny things that afford Fuel to the Fire.
3. Ammianus Marcellinus described Fire-Darts, a king of Weapon made after such a fa∣shion: It is an Arrow of Cane, joyn'd with many Irons between the Shaft and the Head, and they are made hollow after the fashion of a Woman's Distaff, in the midst of it, it hath many small holes, and in the very hollow of it, is put Fire with some combustible Matter, and so it is easily shot forth of a weak Bow; for a Bow that is strong, puts out the Fire; and there is no means to put it out, but by casting on Dust or Lees of Oyl. Livy, Some came with burning Torches, others carrying Tow, Pitch, and Fire Darts; and the whole Army shined as if it were all in Flames; but in the concave part of this Dart there was Glue and Fuel, for Fire not to be extinguish'd, of Colophonia, Brimstone, Salt-Petre, all mingled with Oyl of Bays. Others say, with Oyl of Petre, Ducks-grease, the pith of the Reed of Ferula, Brimstone; and, as others think, with Oyl, Tallow, Colophonia, Camphire, Rosin, Tow. The old Warriors called this an Incendiary Composition: But in Compositions for Arrows and Darts, that they might burn the more vehemently, they put melted Varnish, Printer's-Oyl, Retreoleum, Turpentine, made up with the sharpest Vinegar, pressed close, and dried at the Sun, and wrapped over with Tow, and with sharp Irons to defend it, wrought together, like to a bottom of Yarn: All which, at last, only passing over one hole, and smeer'd with ••olophon and Brimstone.
4. There are certain Aeolij Sclopi, or VVind-Muskets, which some have devised to shoot bullets without Powder, or any thing else but Wind or Air, compressed in the bore of it, or injected by a Spring, and these, they say, discharge with as much Force, as others with Pow∣der. Hist Man. Arts. c. 3. p. 34.