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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47731	The new method of fortification, as practised by Monsieur de Vauban, Engineer General of France with an explication of all terms appertaining to that art / made English.	Vauban, Sébastien Le Prestre de, 1633-1707.; Swall, Abel.	1691 (1691)	Wing L1116; ESTC R15758	87,678	223

but little expos'd so neither do they not survey very far and it is impossible to make good Embrasures upon a Parapet ordered after that manner For to play the Cannon above the Parapet is to make it impossible to preserve it in a good condition besides that a Flank disposed after that manner can never defend the Passage of the Moat nor flank the Breach nor in the last place uncover the covert Ways As for Monsieur le Chevalier de Ville who makes the Flank perpendicula● to ●he Curtain he has more Reason for what he does than Erbard though his Fla●ks are less than those which Monsieur Vauban makes use of and that they do not batter the Moat sufficiently nor the Counterscarps which is the most essential part of the Defence Besides it is but too well found by Experience that when the Counterscarp is gained the rest holds out but a short time the Reason of which if it be demanded is because the disposing of the Places is so disadvantageous that one Day sees them reduced to D●st and the Embrasure● made upon these Parapets perpendicular to the Curtain are too acute especially if it be required that they should clear the covert Ways I know it may be said that it is easie to m●ke an Orillon or Ear and a retired Flank in a circular fashion But the Orillon will be too feeble unless you allow it the half of the Flank and the remainder will not suffice for its Defence not having room enough for several Pieces to be placed upon it besides that there must be a mixture of great and small Shot which will cause an inevitable Trouble Monsieur Pagan a Person experienced to perfection in the Art of War and one who has jus●ly acquired the Reputation of being one of the most skilful Engineers of our Time was the first that alter'd the disposing of Flanks perpendicular to the Curtain by allowing them much more overture for he makes them perpendicularly upon the Line of Defence and he gives very good Reasons for it in his Book of Fortifications where he says That his being present at above twenty Sieges convinc'd him that Flanks perpendicular to the Curtains were of little dura●ce And he wonders that the Reputation given to the Holl●nders for their Perfection in the Art of Fortification should be so great ●ince the Places fortified according to their Method make so little Resistance and for that there is not one which is well defended from the Canon Nevertheless● we may presume to say that Monsieur Pagan'● 〈…〉 altogether without defects for the Enemy 〈…〉 nk so dispos'd before he comes upon the covert 〈…〉 ●efore to make the best of all the Advantages wh 〈…〉 one and the other produces in his defence Monsieur Vauban allows an Overture to this Angle from 98 deg to 106 as may be seen Book IV. C. ● Sect. 3. For by this means the Embrasures made in the Pa●rapet in this Flank perfectly uncover the Moat and the covert Way And though Monsieur Vauban should not have made this Flank in a crooked Line by means of the Orillon and the retired Flank however it ought to be preferr'd before others because the Ravelin covers the Overture which is allowed it above the Perpendiculars to the Curtain and consequently it is not too much exposed b●●ides that it considerably enlarges and diminishes the Faces which are the weakest Parts of a Fortification CHAP. II. Of the Flank HERE we must repeat what we have already said That though the largest Flanks are the best nevertheless it is a Thing disputed among the Engineers Morsheuser made th● Flank to a Square of 16 Fathoms to a V of 18 to a VI of 20 to a VII of 22 to an VII as far as a Dodecagon of 24. Freittag made it to a Square of 12 to a V of 14 to a VI of 16 to a VII of 18 to an VIII of 20 to IX of 22 to X of 24 which Length he retains also in Polygons of 11 and 12 Bastions Goldman made it a Square of 12 to V of 16 to VI of 1● to a VII of 20 to an VIII of 22 to a IX ●ll he came to Polygons of 12 Bastions of 24 Fathoms In general the H●llande●s make their Flanks to a Square of 16 Fathoms 2 Feet to a V of 18 Fathom 2 Feet to a VI of 19 Fathom 2 Feet to VII 19 Fathoms 5 Feet to an VIII 2● Fathoms 1 Feet● to a IX of 22 Fathoms 1 Foot and a half to a X 23 Fathoms 2 Foot to XI of 24 Fathoms 2 Feet Monsieur the Count of Pagan allows the Flank in a Square 19 Fathoms 1 Foot● to a V 24 c. as you may see L. 3. C. 16 17. CHAP. III. Of the Faces AS the Face is the most dangerous Part of a Fortress and for that it is ex●reamly expos'd to the view of the Enemy 't is requisite that it should be as short as may be for that by how much it is the more advanced towards the Field by so much it is the more liable to be at●ack'd Whence it c●mes to pass tha● the Enemy of ●●●e generally makes choice of that Part to begin his Breaches As to the length of the Faces the Engineers differ as much one among another as they do about the Flanks Adrian M●tins would have the Face to carry two third parts of the Curtain Monsieur the Count of Pagan allows it in a Square 55 Fathoms and permits the same Length for the Polygons Freittag would have the Face to be always 48 fathoms according to the practice of all the Hollanders As for the Length of the Faces after Vauban's Method● see Chap. 16. of the Third Book CHAP. IV. Of the Orillon and Flank retir'd together with the Brisure or Place where the Great Guns are to be planted AS for what concerns the erecting of the Orillon and Flank retir'd according to Monsieur de Vauban's Method there needs no more than to read what he has written thereupon in the Second Chapter of his Third Book But here is a new Method which though it be not better however it is as good 1. After the Out-Lines of the Fortress are drawn divide the Flank of one of the Bastions into three equal parts and the Face of the opposite Bastion into two as A ● B C. 2. Draw from the Point B which makes the middle of the Face a Line through the third part of the Flank which is the nearest to the Angle of the Shoulder D prolonged in the Body of the Bastion of 5 fathoms as DE. 3. Divide this same Third part of the Flank into two equal parts as FG and GD● from which Point G erect a Perpendicular of about two fathoms as GH Lastly Set the Compass upon the Point H and so draw the Rounding of the Orillon joyning FD together 4 Draw from the re-entring Angle of the Moat P a streight Line through the Angle of the Curtain L prolonged in the Body of

Angle with the Circuit of a Place which is to be fortified since it is impossible to repair this defect because you are obliged to make use of the old Ramparts you are only to put upon this Angle a Tenaille-B●●tion which is thus erected 1. Having made the Flanks draw the Faces as the Line of Defence requires but in regard they would be excessive long and would form too acute a Point that is corrected by putting 40 fathoms from the top of the F●ank above the Face as AB CD 2. Join BD together by a right Line and then divide that Line into two equal Parts BE ED and from the middle of the same Line let fall a Perpendicular which has for its Length the third part of the same Line as EF. 3. Draw the Points BD in the Point F by right Lines and your Bastion is made Oft times they erect little Ravelins before th●se sorts of Bastions But to say the Truth this Work is not worth any thing nor is it ever to be made use of but upon necessity But you shall meet with it in some Places as at Geneva and Charlemont This small Ravelin must not be separated from the B●stion but by a small Moat of five or six fathoms Moreover there is no necessity for its having Ramparts but only a good Parapet Cannon proof There are several other Ways of fortifying an acute Angle but which are of no more value than this Therefore we must endeavour to avoid them for no●withstanding all the care a Man can take to fortifie this Angle it will be very defective See the Plate W. Fig. 42. CHAP. XVIII How to fortifie a Re-entring Angle THere are few irregular Places of which the old Enclosure does not form a re-entring Angle which is almost always secure as being seen from several parts But usually it is accompanied with one defect that it almost always forms the two ●aliant Angles which are next it too acute 'T is true that if these saliant Angles were not too acute your Firing-place would be very great from ● Work made upon the Re-entring Angle to defend the Bastions that are in sight of it nor is it always a Fault to have these re-entring Angles which are thus fortified If the Angle be not very far sunk in and very obtuse as A it is thus to be fortified 1. Place on each Side the Angle great Demi-Gorges in case the Sides will permit it and raise perpendicular Flanks as large as you can 2. Join their Extremities together by a right Line which you shall divide into two equal parts and from the middle raise a Perpendicular containing the Moiety of the said Line 3. Draw the Extremities of the Flanks toward the Capital Line of that Perpendicular and your re-entring Angle will be fortified See Plate X. Fig. 43. If the re-entri●g A●gle be somewhat obtuse or streight in this Case having taken good Demi-Gorges from every side of the Angle the Flanks are there to be rais'd the meeting of which forms the Salian● Angle B which is capable to defend the neighbouring B●stions Se● Plate ●o Fig. 44. CHAP. XIX Of the Artillery HAving given some account of Irregular Fortificaion reserving to our selves another Time to speak more of it we shall only observe what sort of Artillery they have in France There is 1. The Cannon which is call'd the Battering Piece 2. The Colverin 3. The Falcon 4. The Sak●r 5. The Petard 6. The Small Petard The Battering Piece is 10 Feet long The Bullet about six Inches Diameter and weighs 33 pounds requiring two pounds of Powder at least to charge it and it carries directly forward 360 Fathoms At the distance of 100 Fathoms it pierces two Fathoms of clos'd Earth If it be not well setled it pierces two fathoms and a half and if the Earth be poor and hungry it pierces four fathoms You may discharge it eighty times in a day The Dutch Cannon slings a Bullet of 48 pounds 400 feet distance and pierces a Rampart of good and well clos'd Earth 20 feet deep A half Piece of Battery carries a Bullet of 24 pounds at 300 feet distance and enters twelve feet of good Earth The Falcon carries a twelve pounder 200 feet off and enters 7 feet into a good Parapet A Small Petard cannot break a double Gate well barr'd A Great Petard fix'd to a weak Gate usually makes no more than a Hole and the greatest Execution it can produce is to break the fore part of it There is nothing can stop the Execution of Mines as they make them at present nevertheless there must be a Proportion between the Petards the Mines c. and the Powder Lastly A Musquet carries 120 Fathoms and if double charged 150 though it will kill a Man above 300 Paces Discharg'd very near it will pierce two Planks two Fingers thick but discharg'd at 50 Paces it enters according to the substance of the Body it meets with We shall insist no longer on these things at this time intending to speak more amply of them in another Treatise where we shall shew the manner how to attack a Place THE END A Scale for the 〈◊〉 of a Pentagon according to Vauban's method and of it's exteriour Works The Pentagon Fig XIX The Hexagon Fig XX These four Draughts or Plains of Courtines belong to CHAP. V Book IV. Fig 27. Chap XIV Liv IV Fig 28 Chap I BookV CHAP. II Book V. CHAP. III Book V. CHAP. X Book V. CHAP. V Book V. CHAP. VI Book V. CHAP. VII Book III. CHAP. VIII Book IV. CHAP. IX Book V. CHAP. X. Book V. The Scale for these Triangles is in the preceeding page The figure of the Triangles of the irregular Pentagon in the preceeding Chap XIII XIV XV. Book V. CHAP. XVI § 2 Book V CHAP. XVI § 4 Book V. Chap XVIII Book v. Chap XVIII Book v. A figure shewing all the angles in a Square