for these times Your L. her Maiesties liefetenant in the loe countries hath endured great trauailes in the cause of God and your Prince and can any thing be more acceptable to your Honor than that which may be both for chiefe defence of the friends and greatest anoyance of the enemies of God and your Prince Againe when can such a present be more seasonable than now that so many Princes of the earth haue conspired against the Lord our Prince the Lords anointed and what can more astonish the eies and eares of the profane hearted and earthly minded enemies of Gods religion and our Princes peace than the lightening gunpowder and the thundering CaÌ„non what can more encourage strengthen souldiers who shal fight the battailes of God our Prince then skilfull shooting in great and small peeces of artillerie than artificiall making of saltpeeter gunpowder mynes and many sorts of fire-workes than right vse and practise of al those and many other seruiceable deuises Then to whom rather than to your Honor when rather than now What rather than this martiall booke may I offer for a present in these martiall times seeing it is not onely a rich storehouse gathered by the forenamed Master Cyprian Lucar out of the famous Nicholas Tartâ—glia and diuers other Authors in diuers languages but also by diuers of Master Lucar his deuises greatly furnished and enriched Most humbly therefore I beseech your Honor according to the wonted nobilitie of your wel affected mind to accept of this my present as a sure pledge both of my zeale to your L. and loyall care to further whatsoeuer may benefite my Queene and countrie The Lord of his mercie still protect our Prince defend our countrie and preserue your Honor that long you may aduaunce your wealth fame honor and friends your person and power your temperance wisedome fortitude affabilitie and liberalitie to the maintenance of our happie peace propagation of true religion defence of the holy Church the Gospel and the glorie of God Your Honors most humble and duetifull Orator Iohn Harrison Stationer TO THE MOST PVISANT AND MERCIFVLL Prince Henrie the eight by the grace of God King of England Fraunce and Ireland c. MOST RENOWMED AND EXCELlent King I haue been allured by questions which graue and wise men at sundry tymes did aske of me to consider of many matters and to knowe many thinges which I should not haue knowne nor thought if the same questions had neuer beene demaunded For it was neuer my profession nor at any time haue I delighted to shoote in an Harchibuse handegunne or in any other small or great peece of Artillerie nor doe intende to shoote heereafter in any of them but one onely question which a skilfull Gunner in Anno Domini 1531. did aske of me in Verona prouoked mee at that tyme to thinke therevpon and by that occasion to finde out the order and proportion of shootes at markes neare hand and also at markes far of according to the variable eleuation of the peece which doth shoote whereof I should neuer haue had any care if that Gunner had not with his saide question stirred mee vp to deale in the same Moreouer in Anno Domini 1537. It was reported that Soliman the Turkish Emperor made great preparation to war vppon the Christians wherefore I did write and publishe in haste a short Treatise of shooting in Gunnes to the ende that my deuises in the same might bee considered of seene and prooued whether or no they would be profitable for the defence of the Christians And although my saide booke did no good and that I also made little account thereof because as it happened the report of that war did afterwardes vade away like smeke yet my saide booke made many wise men of great estimation and also some of the common people to trouble mee with other questions of Artillery Pellets Saltepeeter and Powder and to cause mee to enter againe into a deepe consideration of their saide particular questions whereby I founde out and knowe as I haue saide before many thinges of which except the same questions had bin asked of me I should neuer haue had any Consideration or knowledge After this thinking with my selfe that hee who hath by knowledge labour or chaunce inuented any notable thing doth merite great blame if hee will not impart his deuise vnto others for if all our forefathers had kept their knowledge secrete from vs wee should at this time haue little differed from bruite beastes I determined to be herein blamelesse and to publish the same questions or inuentions and for that purpose haue now collected them out of one parte of my memoriall in which I vse for my better remembraunce to write euery notable thing that I know This collection is diuided into nine seuerall bookes according to the qualitie of the matter expressed in the same And because I do remember that my Woorshipfull Gossippe M. Richad Ventuorth who is one of your sacred Maiesties Gentlemen hath tolde me of the noble courage liberalitie roialty humanity and clemencie which are in your Highnesse and that your Excellencie delighteth much in all manner of warlike deuises I am emboldened although I lacke the pithie eloquence and fine phraze of speech which is meete for you to heare to offer and dedicate vnto your Maiestie the saide questions and my resolute Answeres vnto them not as a conuenient thing for your Maiestie for insomuch as the thinges of the most profoundest doctrine being expressed with eloquence and in a pure stile cannot come neere vnto the lowest steppe of your Highnesse these our inuentions which are mecanicall and common things tolde and declared in a blunt and barbarous stile may much lesse approch vnto the same but I doe offer and dedicate my saide inuentions vnto you as nwe thinges according to a custome by which some vse at the beginning of the yeare to present vnto noble and honorable persons vnripe and sower fruites not for that any goodnesse is in them but for daintie and newe thinges which doe naturallie please mens mindes whereby I am perswaded to thinke that though all my Inuentions shall not like you yet some of them will delight you which comming to passe as I desire will embolden mee to attempt hereafter more greater matters At your Maiesties feete lying prostrate vppon the grounde with my head vncouered and my handes ioyned togeather I doe humblie recommend my selfe vnto your Highnesse Nicholas Tartaglia AD LECTOREM ARdua damnosae praeponas praelia paci Pax mala saepe nocet bellaque iusta iuuant Sunt longae pacis comites luxusque dolusque Corpora dura ducum mollit amica venus Plus gula quam galea plus lanx quam lancea vini Pocula quam ferri spicula cuique placent Sed cum bella fremunt sonat taratantara praeco Cum simul armato milite castra scatent Mutantur mores hominum mutantur amores Magnus est subito qui modo
THREE BOOKES OF COLLOQVIES COâ—CERNING THE ARTE OF SHOOTING 〈◊〉 GREAT AND SMALL PEECES OF ARTILLERIE VARIABLE randges measure and waight of leaden yron and marble stone pellets minerall saltepeeter gunpowder of diuers sortes and the cause why some sortes of gunpowder are corned and some sortes of gunpowder are not corned Written in Italian and dedicated by Nicholas Tartaglia vnto the Royall Prince of most famous memorie HENRIE the eight late King of England Fraunce and Ireland defender of the faith c. And now translated into English by CYPRIAN LVCAR Gent. who hath also augmented the volume of the saide Colloquies with the contents of euery Colloquie and with all the Corollaries and Tables that are in the same volume Also the saide CYPRIAN LVCAR hath annexed vnto the same three bookes of Colloquies a Treatise named LVCAR APPENDIX collected by him out of diuers Authors in diuers languages to shew vnto the Reader the properties office and dutie of a Gunner and to teach him to make and refine artificial saltpeeter to sublime brimstone for gunpowder to make coles for gunpowder to make gunpowder of diuers sortes and of diuers colours to make gunmatches touchwood and fire stones to know the waight and measure of any pellet to make carriages ladles rammers scourers and cartredges for any great peece of artillerie to know the proportioned length due thicknesse and waight of euery great peece of artillerie to know what number of men horses or Oxen wil drawe any great peece of artillerie to make platformes for great ordinance to make gabbions of earth for the defence of gunners in time of seruice to charge euery great peece of artillerie with his due charge in serpentine gunpowder and also in corne gunpowder to shoote well at any marke within point blanke to shoote well at any marke vpon a hill or in a valley without poynt blanke to shoote well at a marke in any darke night to mount morter peeces to strike any appointed marke to tell whether a thing seene farre of doth stand still come towards him or goe from him to make and vse diuers Trunkes and many sortes of fire workes to make mynes to measure altitudes longitudes latitudes and profundities to draw the true plat of any place and to do other commendable things which not onelie in time of warre but also in time of peace may to a good end be practised La possessione delle ricchezze non è sicura se la non si salua con la difensione della 〈◊〉 â—…NTED AT LONDON FOR â—ohn Harrison 1588. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DROIT ET LOYAL TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT EARLE OF LEICESTER BARON OF DENBIGH LORD STEWARD OF HER MAIESTIES HOVSHOLD CHIEFE IVSTICE in Oyer of all her Maiesties Forrests Parkes Chases and Warrens by South Trent and Knight of the most honorable orders of the Garter and Saint Michael in Fraunce and one of the Lords of her Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Counsell DIuers men Right noble most renowmed Earle according to the diuersitie of their natures doe diuersly seeke to excel others as in the auncient Romane state Crassus the rich by wealth Pompei the great by honor Caesar the meeke by friendes Cicero the eloquent by learning Cato the wise by counsell Fabritius the temperate by integritie Brutus the stoute by fortitude and Scipio Affricanus by bountie and liberalitie In all common weales are like dispositions And verily riches wel vsed are ornaments of peace and sinewes of war honors wel gotten true nobilitie are of peerelesse price especially in a comely personage and manly couÌ„tenance friends vnfained a treasure thaÌ„ the which nothing more trustie what is more sweete than learning highlier to be prised than wisedom rather to be vsed than temperance more valued than magnanimitie neerlier resembling the bouÌ„ties of God than true liberalitie As eche of these though desired for priuate praise and singled from others is a singuler ornament so being ioyned with more of the rest and imployed to the publike good cannot but make a man to be admired But if al these together were inspired into one as though all the planets had agreed by their gratious aspects and sweete influences to furnish a man at all assaies would not the eyes of all mens minds be as it were dazeled at the bright beames of the right peerelesse nobilitie of such a man especially if they shall see it wholly dedicated to the glory of God the good of the Church and common wealth I dare not apply this directly to your Honor least it may seeme to sauour of flattery But if it may please your wisedome to suruay the excellent giftes wherwith God hath singularly graced your honorable estate if it appeare that you haue imployed your wealth to the good of Gods Church in this are you like the wise rulers of Israel who freely offered precious stones and costly perfumes to the worke of the tabernacle so farre as you haue vsed your honorable estate to countenance the Gospel and the professors thereof therein haue you resembled the prouident Ioseph whom God exalted aboue all Pharaohs house that so he might relieue his olde father Israel and the families of all his brethren wherein your Lordship hath vsed her Maiesties fauour to the building vp of the walles of Gods Church therein haue you liuely represented the right noble Courtier Nehemiah whose countenance was sad be-before Darius his king vntill he had obtained letters leaue furniture to repaire the walles of the holy Citie So oft as your godly policies graue couÌ„sels wise speeches haue directed for the peace of England haue confounded the counsels of our Romish Achitophels haue disapointed the treasons of our Absoloms so often hath your Honor bin found faithfull to your Prince to your Counrie to the Church as Hushai the Archite Dauids friend If by prayer and fasting you haue called for the helpe of God as Ezra if your hand haue bin as the hand of Ioab against the enemies of your Prince and for the people of God in the loe countries if you haue enlarged your heart and hand in gifts to many who haue trauailed to benefite their countrie and profit the Church as SalomoÌ„ rewarded Hiram those who wrought al skilful workes for the Temple If in all these things God haue inhabled your Lordship in some measure or in most of them in great measure to his glorie the peace of the Church the wealth of the land and honor of the Prince then both haue you wherein to reioyce and the eies of all men whom to behold as a common Patrone of all those who in any zealous desire imploy their paynes to profite their countrey and the Church of God Wherfore licensed to dispose as I will of this English worke made by Master Cyprian Lucar with a dutifull zeale to benefite his natiue soyle I thought it my duetie to offer it to your noble patronage as a present most fit for your Honor most profitable
paruus erat Excubiae somnum superant labor otia vincit Tunc Dea vana venus vinaque spreta iacent Hic ducis assumit partes hic militis arma Iste mucrone potens hic eques ille pedes Alter bombardis inimicas dissipat aedes Eminus hic hastis cominus hic gladijs Si cupis a longé globulis terrere superbos Hic discas hostes perterebrare tuos Tartaglia arte sua multos ad tartara mittit Transtulit hunc nuper Lucar arte sua Non lucrum quaerit Lucar non munera magna Laudem non fraudem doctus habere studet Sed pro regina pro relligione fideque Pro Christo Angligenas instruit arte sua G. B. Cantabrigiensis IN DEI NOMINE AMEN The first booke of Nicholas Tartaglia his Colloquies concerning the Arte of shooting in great and small Peeces of Artillerie translated out of Italian into English by Cyprian Lucar Gentleman who hath also augmented the volume of the said Colloquies for the benefite of his Readers with the Contents of euery Colloquie and with the Corollaries and Table that are in the same volume The first Colloquie How a Gunners Quadrant should be made and vsed and how a Peece of Artillerie doth shoote more ground when it is eleuated at the mouth than it will do when it lieth leuel and how Pellets doe make long and short Ranges according as the Peeces which shoote them are eleuated and howe a Table of Randons maye bee made for any Peece and how he which hath a true Table of Randons for a Peece shal be thereby able to make with that Peece a perfect shoote at any marke within the reach of his said Peece and teach any vnskilfull Gunner to do the same and how hee that wanteth such a Table shall neuer learne to shoote well at any marke without point blanke and how the outer sense telleth truth in particuler things but not in vniuersall things Interlocutors Francesse Maria Duke of Vrbine Nicholas Tartaglia DVKE What reasons are they which as you say in your booke dedicated vnto me you haue found out concerning the knowledge of shooting in Gunnes Nicholas The proportion order of shootes not only at marks far of but also at marks hard by with what Peece you will and with what sort of pellet you will Duke Speake more plainely and giue me an example thereof for I doe not vnderstand what you say Nicholas I am content to shewe vnto your Excellencie an example of my said inuention but first I must speake of that materiall instrument which I haue deuised set foorth in a picture at the beginning of my said booke dedicated vnto you the which instrument is made of a square peece of wood or of mettall like vnto this figure B A C and containeth a quadrant that is to say How a Gunners quadrant may be made one fourth part of a circle like vnto the figure H I G K which is to be described with a paire of compasses vpon the center H I meane one foote of the compasse ought to bee fixed in the point H the inward angle of the said square and the other moueable foote of the compas must describe I G K the crooked side or arke of that quadrant also another croked line equidistant from the first as is the line E F ought to be drawne with the said compasses but for this purpose the compasses may not bee opened so wide as they were before and all the space which is betweene the two croked lines that is to say betweene the arke I G K and the arke E F must be deuided into 12. equal parts drawn by the edge of a ruler from the point H the center of that Quadrant so as euery of the same diuisions which I call points may be perceiued to looke or lie right vpon that center H as they doe in this figure IN the same maner euery of the aforesaid partes or points should bee diuided into 12. A Type of the Gunners quadrant other equal parts Although I haue not diuided this figure into so many parts because they would heere marre the same but a Square of an ordinarie bignesse as before I haue said may be so diuided as that al the whol Square shall containe 144. equall parts which I call minutes These minutes are to be marked with more shorter lines than are the lines of the points to this end that they may be more easily nūbred by the halfe or midst of the points depicted with the greater lines that we may also know how that euery point containeth twelue minutes This done a pinne of yron or of lattin is to bee fixed precisely in the pointe H the center of the quadrant and vpon that pinne a moueable threede of silke or of some other thing with a plummet at the end of the same must hang downe like vnto the perpendicular H M D. The vse of the Gunnets quadrant This Instrument will help vs to iudge of all the variable positions or eleuations that may happen in any Peece of artillerie whatsoeuer And nowe concerning the same positions or eleuations this is to bee noted that the first position of euery Peece is to bee vnderstoode when it is laid leuell for then the longest legge of the said instrument being put into the mouth of the said Peece and rightly extended towards the bottome of his concauitie the threede and plummet which is fixed in the center of that instrument will fall precisely vpon the line H F K as it doth in the figure next following A peece lying leuell And a Peece shall bee said to bee mounted one point when the longest legge of our said instrument beeing in the mouth of the said Peece the saide threede and plummet doth fall precisely vpon the diuision of the first point as it doth in the figure nex following A Peece mounted at one point or 12. mintes Also a Peece shall be said to be eleuated two points when the said threede and plummet doth fall precisely vpon the diuision of the second point and when the said threede plummet doth fall precisely vpon the third point then the Peece is eleuated at three points and so we must say of the fourth fift and sixt points But when a Peece is mounted at the sixt point then the said Peece is mounted to the greatest eleuation that it may be at I speake this of a Peece of Artillerie because the morter peeces may be eleuated vnto all the other points following I meane euen vnto the 12. point This which wee haue spoken of points ought also to bee vnderstood of minutes that is to say when a Peece is so mounted that the said threed and plummet falleth Precisely vpon the diuision of the first minute that Peece shal be said to bee mounted one minute And when the said threed and plummet shall fall vpon the diuision of two minutes it shall bee said to bee mounted at two minutes In like sort it shall
peece called in Italian Schioppo doth shoote more straighter and more farther at a leuell marke than an Harchibuse can do and how an harchibuse will be to more effect and pearce farther into an obiect placed within a common distance than the said Schioppo can do And also how there is a kind of Schioppo which will at an equall distance pearce farther into an obiest than an Harchibuse can doe Interlocutors L. Gabriel Tadino Prior of Barletta Nicholas Tartaglia PRior What is the cause that a peece which is called in Italian Schioppo doth shoote more straighter and more farther at a leuell marke or in a right line than an harchibuse can doe seeing the Harchibuse will be to more effect and pearce farther into an obiect placed within a common distance than that Shioppo can doe Nicho. The cause hereof is for that peraduenture the pellet of the Harchibuse is more greater than the pellet of that Schioppo and that the waight of the Harchibuse pellet doth hinder the swift flying of the same pellet As for example Example suppose that such a Schioppo will shoote a pellet of ½ ounce in waight at length in a right line 400 paces and that an Harchibuse will shoote a pellet of an ounce in waight in a right line but onely 300 paces You must vnderstanst and that in this Colloquie N. Tartaglia doth meane by these words right line an insensible crooked line now I say that in a distance of an hundred or of 150 paces the Harchibuse will pearce farther than the saide Schioppo will doe although at that place the pellet of that Schioppo flyeth more swiftly by the reasons alleaged in the 4. proposition of the first booke of our nwe science than the pellet of the Harchibuse And therefore if it bee so as your Lordship sayeth the pellet of the Harchibuse should by reason be more greater than the pellet of the Schioppo Prior. It is true that an Harchibuse doth generally cary a greater pellet then doth the Schioppo and yet there is a kind of Schioppo which shootes pellets as bigge as any Harchibuse doth Nicolas When a Schioppo doth carye so greate a pellet as an Harchibuse and shootes more straighter or more farther in a leuel line then an Harchibuse doth then without doubt at an equall distance such a Schioppo will pearce farther into an obiect than the Harchibuse will doe Prior. by reason it should be so as you say and you haue spoken enough for this euening The 16. Colloquie How a peece of Artillerie will doe a greater effect against a wall or any other thing standing firme and fast vpon the ground than it will doe against a shippe or Gallie moouing on the Sea And how a peece of Artillerie will doe a greater effect against a shippe or Gallie which doth come towardes it than it will doe against a shippe or Gallie which doth saile from it and how the thing which doth more let a mouing bodie is more thrust stroken and hurt with the said mouing bodie than that thing is which doth lesse let the said mouing bodie Interlocutors L. Gabriel Tadino Prior of Barletta Nicholas Tartaglia PRior What is the cause that when a pellet being shot out of a great peece of Artillerie and hitting a shippe or a Gallye on the Sea doth pearce into the ship or Gallie but a little way in respect of that it vseth to doe when it is shot against a wall for euery shippe or gallie as it is well knowne is made of plancks of wood and therfore when 2 or 3 ships lye neare together it is to be thought that a great peece of Artillery being discharged at thē in respect of that it will doe against a thicke wall should by reason shoot thorow all their sides yet seldom times it happeneth that the pellet doth penetrate thorow both the sides of one ship for oftentimes the pellet resteth within the ship or gallie Nicho. Note It is manifest by naturall reason that the thing which doth more let a moouing body is more thrust strooken and hurt with the saide moouing bodie the walles then standing firme and fast on the ground doe let more the waye or range of the pellet than a shippe or gallie doth when it moueth on the Sea and through that mouing the shippe or gallie yeeldeth somewhat to the stroke of the pellet wherby the pellet worketh not that great effect nor pearceth into it so far as it would haue done if the shippe or gallie had bin well fixed and set fast in the ground as the walles are so that by this reason a peece of Artillery is to more effect against a wall or any other thing standing firme and fast on the ground than against a shippe or gallie moouing on the Sea Note And a peece of Artillerie will be to more effect against a shippe or gallie which doth come towardes it than against a shippe or Gallie that doth saile from it for the shippe which comes towardes the peece comes against the range of the pellet and therfore the pellet doth a more effect against it than it would haue done if the shippe had stoode firme on the Sea And the shippe or gallie which goeth or faileth from the peece yeeldeth more to the stroke of the pellet than that shippe or Gallie doth which standes firme and quiet on the Sea Prior. I do vnderstand you well The 17. Colloquie How you may get out quickely the nayles or any other thing which shall happen by any maner of meanes to be put into the touchholes of great peeces of Artillerie Interlocutors L. Gabriel Tadino Prier of Barletta Nicholas Tartaglia PRior Tell me brieflye if by chaunce in the tyme of any suddaine assault the Artillery should be choked with nayles or otherwise whether it be possible to deuise a waie to vnchoke quickly and vppon the sudden the same Artillery I say vpon the sudden because many know how to do it and doe the same with a certaine water or oyle which being put vppon the touchhole that is choked eates the same choking and so vnchoketh the peece There are other as I vnderstand which do the same with a borer that is to say with such a thing as doth make the touchhole But euery of these waies require some time for to do the same but when a great many peeces are to be vnchoked I would know a waie how if it be possible they might be quickly vnchoked Nicho. Such a thing may be done except I be deceaued by charging all the same Artillerie with such pellets as shal go downe hardlie into their peeces Then after the peeces are so charged lay them against the same place at which you should haue had occasion to shoote if they had beene vnchoked and hauing made a trayne of powder within the concauitie from the mouth of the pece vnto the pellet in euery peece watch for an occasion that you may not shoote in vaine and vpon occasion offered to shoote
place which is more nearer to the Peece because the pellet in dooing of his effect hath no such great let nor strife with the aire L. Iames. I like your reasons well and perceaue by them that it commes of no other cause The 19. Colloquie In what place and at what distance a Peece of Artillerie will worke most forceably and most effectuallie Interlocutors L. Iames of Achaia Nicholas Tartaglia L. Iames. There is an other doubt in which I would bee resolued and it is this If you plant a Peece of Artillerie too neare vnto the thing at which you shoote by the reasons which you haue alleaged and by the experience which I haue had therein the effects of that Peece will not bee so forceable as they would in a meane distance Likewise if you plant a Peece too far of from the place at which you shoote by the opinion of all men the same will happen I meane if you plant a Peece too farre of from the marke it doth not worke so effectually in the thing where it hits as it woulde doe in a meane distance Now I aske of you whether by reason a place may bee appointed where the pellet shot out of such a Peece of Artillerie finding no let or resistance in any part of his way or range shall worke most effectually Note Nicho. If the pellet at that very instant when it commeth to ioyne with the furthermost part of the said airie figure whereof I haue spoken in the precedent Colloquie shall finde there an obiect then in the same place it will worke more effectually than in any other place For if the obiect be more towardes the mouth of the Peece the said ayrie figure will strike that obiect before the pellet will hit the same as it hath been saide in the precedent Colloquie and immediately after the bloe it reboundes backwardes against the residue of the same ayrie figure and pellet and hinders somwhat the range of the pellet as hath been said in the precedent Colloquie And if the obiect should be farther from that place then so soone as the pellet is wholy gone from that airy figure that is to say hath left that ayrie figure behinde it immediately it findes the ayre as it were quiet whereby the pellet doth with more difficultie penetrate that quiet ayre than the aire of the said airie figure which goeth likewise towards the same place to which the pellet doth goe and therefore the pellet being gone from that airy figure doth by so much decrease in force as it doth goe more farther from it and for that cause it foloweth that his effectes will be the more weaker So that for these two reasons the pellet shoulde worke more effectually on that obiect which is founde to be precisely in the pellets going out from the end of the sayde ayrie figure than in any other place more farther or more nearer to the same L. Iames. I beleeue that it is so as you say for in effect I perceiue that the pellet will strike in that place without any let of the reflection of the ayre and that betweene the Peece and the same place it hath not been let by the quiet ayre as it will be let when it commeth vnto it if it goe more farther The 20 Colloquie The cause why two waddes of hay or of toe are put into a Peece at euery time when it is charged And how Arte should imitate nature which doth nothing but to some ende and purpose and how vse hath alwayes been obserued in many Artes as well Mechanicall as Liberall And how the Artificer is praise worthie that searcheth the cause of thinges vsed to bee done in his Arte And how knowledge is no other thing than to knowe the thing by his cause Interlocutors Bombardiero This worde Bombardiero â—oth here in â—… other places of this boke signifie him that doth shoot in a great peece of artillery and is of some called a Canoncere Nicholas Tartaglia BOmbardiero for what cause as you thinke are two waddes of hay or of toe put into a Peece at euery time when it is charged I meane one wadde after the powder is put in betweene the powder and the pellet and an other wadde after that the pellet is put in Nicho. Vntill now I knewe not of this thing which you haue tolde me I meane that a wadde of haie or of tow is put into the peece betweene the powder and the pellet and likewise that an other such wadde of haie or tow is put into the peece after the pellet But it seemeth to me at this present that if it be so as you say it were more conuenient that I should aske of you the cause of that cautell then that you should aske the same of me for if you vse to doe so at euery time when you charge a peece Art should immitate nature which doth nothing but to some end and purpose you should know to what purpose it is done because Art should immitate nature in this thing which doth nothing but to some end and purpose Bombardiero I will confesse vnto you that I am vnlearned and that I haue vsed to do so because I haue seene all other Gunners vse to doe the same Nich. Vse hath alwaies bin obserued in very many arts aswell mechanicall as liberall and therefore I do not maruell at you nor blame you but commend you for searching the cause of that thing which is vsed to bee done in your Arte and so ought euery man to doe Vse hath alwaies bin obserued in many arts aswell mechanicall as liberall and the artificer is praise worthie that searcheth the cause of things vsed to be done in his art because knowledge is no other thing than to know the thing by his cause for knowledge is no other thing than to know the thing by his cause but now to returne to our purpose the first wadde which is put betweene the powder and the pellet is for no other cause as I thinke but to sweepe bring and keepe togeather in his due place all the powder which in charging of the peece was put into the concauity of the same And concerning the other wadde which is put into the peece after the pellet I thinke it was first deuised vppon necessitie which doth neuer happen but when a peece is discharged from a high place downewardes at a more loer place For in that action the mouth of the peece lying downewardes towardes the marke it may bee except a wadde be put in after the pellet that the same pellet will fall out at the mouth of the peece and therefore to the end that the pellet may not fall out a wadde is put into the peece after the pellet Bombardiero You alleadge good reasons and yet I see that a wadde is also vsually put into the peece after the pellet when wee shoote vpwardes at a marke standing on high where no such perrell is that the pellet will
making diuers proues after this sort you shal know how much the Peece in euery place of his concauitie is taper bored Such a Peece as is so taper bored that his concauitie is wyder at the mouth than at the touchhole is to be misliked because the Gunner may put into it a pellet which though it shall seeme to be a fit pellet will sticke fast in the Peece and by reason it will not go downe vnto the powder breake the Peece if it be not shot out in such or like sort as in the 27 chapter of mine Appendix you are taught to doe the same Also such a Peece is to be misliked because the pellet that shall goe downe to the powder is so small that it will swarue in the deliuerance randge a lesse ground than it would haue done if it had bin fit for the mouth of the Peece But such Peeces as are not taper bored from their mouthes downewards towards their touchholes till within a foote or a foote and a halfe of their touchholes are not as some say to bee misliked because such Peeces are thereby more stronger and by that meanes their pellets will goe more closer vnto the powder yet this can not be denied that the ladles for such peeces must bee rounder bent and that as the spunge which is fit for the mouth of one such Peece will not goe within his concauitie downe to the touchhole or bottome so the spunge which is fit for one such Peece at the bottome will be too loe for the rest of his concauitie The 24 Colloquie The cause and reason why the mouth of a hot Peece of Artillerie falling into a sandie grounde did drawe a great quantitie of the said sand into the concauitie of that Peece Interlocutors Gunfounder Nicholas Tartaglia GVnfounder I will aske an other question of you which is this one time as I prooued certaine Peeces at Lio At Lio which is a place with in a mile of Venice there is a Hauen vnto which yeerely on the Ascention day as William Thomas in his booke intituled The History of Italy saith the Duke of Venice with the Senate in their best aray vse to goe for to throw a ring into the water thereby to take the Sea as their Espowse it chaunced after I had charged and discharged one Peece manie times together that the mouth of the same Peece fell into a very sandie grounde and that so soone as the mouth of the sayde Peece was within the said ground a great quantitie of the same sand was drawne into the concauitie of that Peece nowe I aske of you the cause of that effect Nicho. A Gunner did once aske me the like question as it wil appeare in the 21 Colloquie of this booke for as your Peece drew into the concauitie thereof a great deale of sande so his Peece drew into the concauitie of the same a little dogge Therefore I will answere your question as I did answer his that is to say a Peece which is discharged oftentimes together must needes waxe hot and so soone as it waxeth warme it is made thereby somwhat attractiue euen as a cupping or boxing glasse and by so much it is made more attractiue as it is made more hot Therefore it is no maruaile that your said Peece drew sande into his concauitie Gunfounder I doe like well of this your answere The 25 Colloquie How that leuell sight which is well placed vpon a handgunne to shoote at a marke lying leuell with the mouth of the same Gunne and in a conuenient distance from the said Gunne will not serue well to shoote at a marke set on a height in a like conuenient distance from the said Gun And how he which will shoote in such a Gunne that hath such a leuell sight at a marke lying leuell with his Gunne and in a conuenient distance from his standing ought to take his leuell at the middle of that marke And also how hee which will shoote in such a Gunne that hath such a leuell sight at a marke set on a height in a like conuenient distance from his standing ought to take his leuell at the loest part of that marke Interlocutors Schioppetiero This worde Schioppetiero doth here and in all other places of this booke signify him that doth vse to shoote in an Harchibuse Caliuer or any other Handgunne Nicholas Tartaglia SChioppetiero I haue a Handgunne with a leuell sight so well placed that if I doe shoote in the said Peece at a marke lying leuell with the mouth of the same and in a conuenient distance from my Peece most commonly the pellet will strike in the middle of that marke although the said marke be a very small thing Now I aske of you whether or no that leuel sight being so well placed will serue mee to shoote at a marke or some other little thing espied on a height in a like conuenient distance Nich. It is a manifest thing that the said leuell sight will not serue you so well to shoote at a marke espied on a height in a like conuenient distance Schioppetiero Wherefore Nicho. Because if you shoote at a marke lying leuell in a conuenient distance most cōmonly your pellet strikes in the middle of the marke and of necessitie at the end of that distance and in that place your visuall line doth touch or cut the line or way in which the pellet must goe And because in shooting at markes espied on a height the pellet doth goe much more by a right line or by a lesse croked line than the pellet which is shot at a marke lying leuell with the Peece as hath bin sayd before in the second Colloquie therefore by how much the pellet shot at a marke on a height doth go more righter than the pellet which is shot at a mark lying leuel by so much doth that way of the pellet come more nearer or sooner to meete and cut your said visuall line than the way of the pellet which is shot at a marke lying leuell Then making that intersection more nearer by shooting at a marke on a height the thing at which you shoote will be beyond that intersection and so the said thing or marke being at the sayde first distance beyond that intersection it is impossible by reason of your said leuel sight that the pellet shall in that case strike in the middest of the marke Schioppetiero I do not well vnderstand your reasons neither will I trouble you to make me vnderstand them for I thinke you should haue much a doe with me to make me perceiue them But do you conclude that if I shoote at a marke espied on a height at the same first distance that the pellet will strike aboue that marke or vnder that marke Nicho. I conclude that there the pellet will strike aboue the marke for alwayes when the visual line doth cut the way of the pellet and that the marke or thing at which you shoote is
great winde which the Saltpeter causeth The office of Saltpeter mixed with Cole and Brimstone But the office of the Saltpeter is onely for to cause that so great exhalation of winde For in that winde consistes all the vertue propertie of the powder and that only is the same thing which driueth so forceably each pellet All the vertue and power of gunpowder depends onely vpon Saltpeter and the Brimstone Cole are mixed with Salt-peter for no other cause than to resolue the Saltpeter into fire and winde And therefore I conclude that all the vertue and power of the powder depends only vpon the Saltpeter and that the two other simples or materials that is to say the Brimstone the Cole are put in for no other cause than to resolue the said Saltpeter into fyre and winde For whosoeuer maketh gunpowder only of Brimstone and Cole and with a great quantitie of the same will charge a Peece of Artillerie and then put fyre into the said powder I say that thereby the force of such powder will not be able to expell out of the said Peece any little splint of wood or strawe This cōmes so to passe because all that vertue expulsiue depends only vpon pure Saltpeter and not of any other thing Wherefore it is more possible to make powder for Artillerie without Cole and Brimstone than without Saltpeter For we may beleeue that it is more possible to deuise other materials which shall doe the office of Brimstone in taking a flaming fyre likewise which shall doe the office of Cole in maintaining the said vnflaming fyre than to finde an other materiall which is apt to cause so great violent winde as that is which the Saltpeter doth cause Prior. It is to be beleeued that it is more possible to make good gunpowder without Cole and Brimstone than without Saltpeter for all the vertue and force of gunpowder as before you haue said dependes vpon pure Saltpeter and not vpon any other thing But forasmuch as it is now late we will make here and end The 5. Colloquie By whome gunpowder gunnes were first deuised how the inuention of a thing which at the first is homely and rude will with time be made better how the proportion of things in making gunpowder hath many times without reason been chaunged how gunpowder may be made by diuers wayes and how gunpowder ought to be laid and kept in drie places Interlocutors L. Gabriel Tadino Prior of Barletta Nicholas Tartaglia PRior Yesterday in the euening you declared the cause why gunpowder is made of the aforesaid three materials and the office which euery of the said materials hath in that mixture Nowe I aske of you what hee was which did first inuent gunpowder and by what reason he hath appointed that propottiō quantitie of euery of the said materials which is needfull for the same mixture Nicho. The common people report by the authoritie of Cornazano that gunnes and gunpowder were deuised by chaunce by a Duchman who was an Alchimist But I thinke that Archimedes the Siracusan and most skilful Philosopher and Mathematician was the first inuentor thereof and he that wrote the Commentary vppon the first booke of Vitruuius in the eight leafe is of mine opinion therein for as Vallurus declareth in the tenth booke of warfare it is written in diuers bookes that Archimedes deuised a certaine kinde of enguine made of yron out of which he shot against an armie vppon the land with an incredible sounde or noyse stones of great waight and bignesse the which thing giueth vs to vnderstand that it was an enguine like vnto a great gunne for that it shot very great pellets of stones as not long agoe but within this our age hath byn vsually done and especially with such an incredible sounde as in shooting of gunnes doth happen the which sound as I thinke cannot be made in any other sort of enguine The first inuention of a thing which is homely and rustike will with time waxe better because it is an easie thing to adde vnto the thing deuised except in one like vnto a gunne yet I beleeue in that time gunnes were made of a more deformed fashion than now they be for alwayes the first inuention is homely and rusticke and with time it waxeth better because it is an easie thing to adde vnto the thing deuised And this may be applied to gunpowder that is to say when it was deuised by Archimedes or by any other whom you will it is to bee thought that it was not made at that time in such order and proportion as it is now at this present For I iudge that from the same time hitherto the order to make gunpowder hath been very many times altered and for prooffe thereof I haue read in some Authours which are not very auncient certaine wayes and orders to make gunpowder which differ much from the orders and wayes that haue since that time been vsed Prior. Tell me briefly what proportion hath been obserued and is nowe obserued Nicho. I haue read in some of the most auncientest bookes that for to make gunpowder a like quantitie of euery of the sayd three materials must bee taken that is to say so much of the one as of the other And some other bookes written since that time willeth them which will make gunpowder to take three parts of Saltpeter two parts of Brimstone and two parts of Cole Other bookes teacheth vs to take for the making of gunpowder ten poundes of Saltpeter three poundes of Brimstone and three poundes of Cole And in some other books we are willed to take for the making of gunpowder twelue poundes of Saltpeter three poundes of Brimstone and two poundes of Cole In other bookes we are willed to take nine partes of Saltpeter two partes of Brimstone and three partes of Cole And in other bookes written since that time we are willed for the making of gunpowder for Handgunnes to take foure partes of Saltpeter one part of Brimstone and one part of Cole Some other bookes teacheth vs for the making of grosse or course gunpowder to take twentie partes of Saltpeter three partes of Brimstone and tenne partes of Cole But for to make somewhat more finer powder for the Handgunne wee are taught to take an hundred partes of Saltpeter tenne partes of Brimstone and thirtie sixe partes of Cole Some say that for to make grosse gunpowder wee must take an hundred partes of Saltpeter twentie partes of Brimstone and thirtie seuen partes of Cole And for to make fine gunpowder wee must take nine partes of Saltpeter three partes of Brimstone and sixe partes of the flower of Mirochea when wee will prooue to make gunpowder without Cole But I knowe not this hearbe called Mirochea for I did neuer reade of any hearbe so called in the Pandecte or in Auicenna or in any other Herball Some other of a later time haue sayde that for to make grosse gunpowder wee must
Prior. What would you haue to be done Nich. At this present I will not giue an absolute determinate answere to this matter but I wil consider a little better therof and I hope to make you perceiue an error in this thing which bringeth with it other things of more discommoditie losse and cost than the Culuering doth in respect of the Cannons whereof I gaue you to vnderstand in the said 11 Colloquie of the first booke Prior. Consider well thereof for these things being a long time vsed will importe much and sometimes more than a man will thinke The 2 Corollarie VAnnuccio Biringuccio in the 10 booke and 2 chapter of his Pyrotechnye declareth that grosse gunpowder occupied in handgunnes or harchibuses will not expel their pellets a quaites cast from their mouthes that fine gunpowder being shot out of great ordinance will breake or marre them but I suppose as Taertaglia in the precedent Colloquie doth think that we may put with good aduisement so much of grosse gunpowder into our handgunnes and harchibuses as will cause their pellets to randge a long distance and also that we may charge great Peeces of Artillerie with so small a quantitie of fine gunpowder as wil be a iust charge in powder for them and in their discharges neither breake or hurt them For a Peece which doth require for his due and ordinarie charge 8 ounces of that sort of grosse gunpowder which is marked in the 16 chapter of mine Appendix with the number of 1 may be iustly charged without any harme to the Peece discharged with 7 ounces and a halfe of that sort of fine Gunpowder which is in the sayde 16 Chapter of mine Appendix marked with the number of 2 or if you will with 7 ounces and 1 9 of an ounce of that sort of more finer Gunpowder which is in the said 16 Chapter of mine Appendix marked with the number 3 as you may more at large reade in Girolamo Cataneo his 5 booke Dell'arte militare The 9. Colloquie How they are deceiued which doe thinke that gunpowder is corned for to be thereby more forceable and more stronger And how Arte ought to follow nature who maketh all things that are made to some ende Interlocutors Ierome Gunner Nicholas Tartaglia IErome What is the cause as you thinke why the makers of gunpowder do corne fine powder for handguns and harchibuses and that they doe not corne the grosse powder which serueth for great ordinance Nicho. I know well that you are not ignorant of the cause thereof and that you do aske this question of me to trie what I can say thereunto Ierome I aske this question of you to know the cause thereof and not to trie what you can say thereunto for I confesse that I know not the cause thereof and I sweare vnto you as I am a true Christian man I haue asked this question of many which make gunpowder I say of such as haue ordinarie pencions of the seignorie to make all sortes of gunpowder â—he Arsenal 〈◊〉 Venice is a â—…ore house for â—…unition and â—rtillerie and â—…s William â—…homas affirâ—eth in the â—…istorie of Itaâ—… 600. workeâ—en are daily â—…aged for â—…erme of their â—…ues to worke 〈◊〉 the same â—…orehouse and none of them could tell me any reason for the same except one which workes in the Arsenal of Venice who answered me that they corned the powder for to make it to bee more forceable and more stronger which reason did somewhat content mee and yet not fully satisfied therewith I come now vnto you to pray you for to shew me the reason therof and to heare whether or no you be of his opinion Nicho. I can not beleeue this to bee as you say for I thinke it to be a thing impossible that a worke man should do any thing and not know to what end he doth it and especially such a thing which hee doth continually For Arte ought to follow Nature herein who makes all things which are made to some ende and therefore I can not beleeue that he of the Arsenal who as you haue said hath a pension of the seignorie for to make both fine and grosse powder knoweth not to what end gunpowder is corned for Handgunnes not for great ordinance seeing hee doth make such gunpower euery day Ierome I know it to be true that hee could not giue mee any better reason for that thing than that which I haue told you Nich. Before I wil tell you my opinion herein you shall goe againe vnto him pray him of curtesie to tell you truely why he doth corne such gunpowder Ierome It is no neede that I should goe againe vnto him for I am sure he will answere me as he did before that he doth corne gunpowder for to make it more forceable and more stronger Nicho. When he hath so answered say vnto him if you corne gunpowder to make it haue more force and strength you shall do well to corne also the grosse gunpowder which serues for great ordinance for to make the same also to be of more force and strength Ierome I will doe so and returne againe vnto you to day or to morrow with his answere The 10 Colloquie Why gunpowder which doth serue for Handgunnes Harchibuses and other small peeces of Artillery is corned And why gunpowder which doth serue for great ordinance is not corned And how many of them which doe corne gunpowder doe therein as they haue seene others doe and as they haue been taught and care not to know vnto what end they doe so Interlocutors Ierome Gunner Nicholas Tartaglia IErome After I parted from you yesterday I went directly to the Arsenal and finding my friende there I prayed him againe if he knew any other reason than the same which he had tolde mee that he would not hide it from mee and I promised that for the same I would alwayes account my selfe much bound vnto him he swore vnto me that he knewe no other reason than that which he had before tolde mee that is to say they did corne gunpowder to augment the vertue force and power of the same gunpowder I answered him why should it not be good to corne also the grosse gunpowder which serues for great ordinance that the same might likewise be made more forceable and stronger than it is He replyed for feare that the great ordinance would breake therewith and so I was resolued Nicholas You should haue answered him that vppon such occasioÌ„ they might charge such Peeces with a lesse quantitie of gunpowder than is their ordinarie charge and thereby saue much gunpowder or that they might put into the powder a lesse quantitie of Saltpeeter than they vse to doe Ierome I was not so wel aduised as to make that aunswere but it is to be thought that all they which make gunpowder doe according as they haue seene others doe or as they haue beene taught care not to search or to know the cause of
the thing which they doe that is to say to what ende they doe it And I will now speake of my selfe how I haue made both grosse and fine gunpowder and that I did corne the fine powder which I made and knew not to what ende I did corne it but I did so because I had seen other Gunpowdermakers to do the same Nicholas I beleeue that it is so as you say Ierome Tell me of courtesie your opinion herein Nicholas Hauing promised to tell you mine opinion therin it is reason that I should perfourme my promise therefore you shall vnderstand that after you went from me yesterday I considered of this matter in effect haue found Why gunâ—…der for haâ—…gunnes is â—…ned and gunpoâ—… 〈◊〉 great Orâ—…nance is corned that onely necessitie or commoditie hath caused men to learne the meanes to corne gunpowder for handgunnes and harchibuses not for great ordinance because the same corne powder will role or runne much better than powder which is not corned as it may be perceaued by a handfull of corne and a handfull of meale that is to say a handfull of corne and a handfull of meale being laide a parte or a sunder vppon a plaine table declining somewhat on the one side the handfull of corne will role downe more easilie vppon the saide table than the handfull of meale will doe For the meale will lie flat and more vnmooueable but if it doe role or runne by reason of the slope lying of the table it wil runne altogether on a heape and the corne will role there in seueral parts Ierome I doe well vnderstand you but what profite comes by that kind of roling or running Nicholas You know when you carrie a handgunne or a harchibuse to serue you in your businesse that it is necessarie also to carrie with you powder for to charge your peece therewith so often as you will and that such powder is caried in a flaske and for to charge with measure that there is made vppon the flaske as you know a little pipe able to receiue so much powder as is conuenient for the charge of that handgunne or harchibuse and how there is an enguine or spring in that little pipe to be shut within it when the said pipe is full of powder to keepe the powder within the same little pipe that it shall not fall out of the same into the flaske Ierome I knew all this before you tolde me of the same Nicholas Although you know all the same better than I doe yet I will tell you thereof that you may the better vnderstande the matter folowing And therefore I conclude that if the gunpowder which is put into the said flaske be not corned it wil be a harde thing to fil the saide little pipe with the same For by turning vp the flaske to fill the saide pipe with such gunpowder as was in the same flask the said gunpowder wil fall al together in a lump vppon the first entring place of that pipe and choke or locke within the same all the ayre which was in that emptie pipe and thereby that ayre will not suffer the powder to enter therein so as oftentimes the saide pipe will be found to be emptie or not full of powder But this thing wil not so happeÌ„ if the powder be corned for such corned powder wil role more a parte or seperately as it hath beene saide of corne and meale the which seperation will make a way for the ayre in the saide pipe to goe out of the same into the flaske and to fill the place which conteyned the powder that is gone into the saide pipe and by this meanes most commonly the same pipe will be so full of powder as is conuenient for it to be And for this cause men haue beene compelled to deuise a meanes to corne gunpowder for handgunnes and harchibuses and not for great ordinance For as you know the powder is put into great ordinance and into the lowest end of the concauitie thereof with a ladle and therefore it is no matter whether the powder will role or not role and it will be superfluous to corne powder for great ordinance for as you know you vse to carry a little flaske full of the finest powder to put into the touchholes of handgunnes and harchibuses Touchpowder ought to be corâ—… for handgunnes harchibuses â—… small peeces but not for great â—…dinance which powder if it be not made with very small cornes it neither will nor can goe into so little a hole by the reasons aforesaide And therefore in this case it is necessarie to make the powder with very small cornes But it is otherwise in great ordinance for as I haue beene informed you put powder into their touch holes with your hand Ierome It is euen so as you say and your reasons herein are very true But I neuer thought that gunpowder had beene corned for such a cause and for that I doe esteeme of this which you haue tolde me more than of 10 crownes I doe hartely thanke you for the same The ende of the thirde Booke of Colloquies IN SPE A TREATISE NAMED LVCAR APPENDIX COLLECTED BY CYPRIAN LVCAR GENTLEMAN OVT OF DIVERS GOOD AVTHORS IN DIVERS LANGVAGES To shewe vnto the Reader the properties office and dutie of a Gunner and to teach him to make and refine artificiall Saltpeter to sublime brimstone for gunpowder to make coles for gunpowder to make gunpowder of diuers sorts of diuers colours to make gunmatches touchwood and fire stones to know the waight and measure of any pellet to make carriages ladles rammers scourers and cartredges for any great peece of artillerie to know the proportioned length due thicknesse and waight of euery great peece of artillerie to know what number of men horses or Oxen wil drawe any great peece of artillerie to make platformes for great ordinance to make gabbions of earth for the defence of gunners in time of seruice to charge euery great peece of artillerie with his due charge in serpentine gunpowder and also in corne gunpowder to shoote well at any marke within point blanke to shoote well at any marke vpon a hill or in a valley without poynt blanke to shoote well at a marke in any darke night to mount morter peeces to strike any appointed marke to tell whether a thing seene farre of doth stand still come towards him or goe from him to make and vse diuers Trunkes and many sortes of fire workes to make mynes to measure altitudes longitudes latitudes and profundities to draw the true plat of any place and to do other commendable things which not onelie in time of warre but also in time of peace may to a good end be practised Scientia non habet inimicum prater Ignorantem Anno domini 1588 HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DROIT ET LOYAL The names of Authors out of whose Bookes the greatest parte of this Treatise named LVCAR APPENDIX hath been collected
with one part of vineger and two partes of water mingled togeather to coole a peece whensoeuer it shall happen through many shootes to be very hotte therefore to make a spunge or scowrer prouide a staffe as you haue been willed to doe for a Rammer more longer by two foote or thereabout than the concauitie of the Peece for which the spunge shall be made frame at one end of this staffe a bobbe like a rammer and let this bobbe be somewhat lesse in compasse than the circumference of the concauitie in the said peece This done couer the saide bobbe all ouer with a peece of sheepes skinne that hath long wooll vppon it put the wooll side outwardes and naile fast the same peece of sheepes skin vppon the said bobbe and in so doing remember that euery spunge ought when it is thrust into his peece to stoppe vp very closely all the concauitie where it lyeth The Type of a spunge or scowrer for a great peece of artillery Note If in time of neede such a spunge can not bee prouided you may binde your cappe or some other peece of cloth full and hard stuffed with straw or hay vppon one end of a long staffe and vse the same staffe so dressed for a spunge Also in time of neede for want of a rammer you may with a staffe so dressed thrust home gunpowder within a peece The 36 Chapter How you may make Cartredges vppon a round moulde or forme of wood MAke vppon a long and rounde mould or fourme of wood like vnto the picture in the margent a long and round bagge of paper fustian or canuasse Let the rounde widenesse of this bagge bee a little lesse than the circumference of the concauitie in the peece that shall shoote this Cartredge and make the length of this bagge equal to the iust length of the ladle which belongeth to the peece that shall shoote the Cartredge Moreouer fashion this bagge with a round flat bottome and then putting into the same bagge so much gunpowder as the peece which shal shoote this bagge requireth for his due charge shut vp the vpper end or mouth of the bagge when you wil afterwards put this bagge of gunpowder which among Gunners is called a Cartredge into the bore or concauity of any gunne remember to cut cleane away before you do put it into a gunne that peece of the bagge which shall lie directly vnder and next to the touchhole of the gunne to this end that only by putting fire vnto the gunpowder in the touchhole you may without any faile giue fire to all the gunpowder in the said bagge or Cartredge A fourme for a Cartredge Also you may make Cartredges for any great peece of artillery by these rules folowing A Cartredge for a Fauconet Faucon Miniō Saker Culuering which hath his proportioned length iust waight due thicknes in mettall ought to bee foure baules in length that is to say foure times the diameter of one of their fit pellets in breadth ◠baules lacking ◅ part of a baule I meane such baules as are in the length of the same Cartredges A Cartredge for euery Cannon Basiliske ought to be in length 2 baules ◠of a baule that is to say 2 times the Diameter of one of their fit pellets ◠of the Diameter of one such pellet euery such cartredge ought to be in bredth 3 baules lacking ◠part of a baule I meane such baules as are in the length of the said Cartrege A Cartredge for a Cannon periero for euery other peece which shooteth a pellet of stone ought to be in length twise the diameter of the mouth in the chāber of his peece in bredth 3 baules lacking ◠part of a baule I meane such baules as are in the length of the said Cartredge When you will make a bag for a Cartredge vppon a mould or fourme paste or glue together the sides of the same bagge annoint well with tallow that part of the said fourme which shall lie vnder the paste or glue suffer the bagge to remaine vppon his fourme till the paste or glue shal be thorow drie for in drawing the said fourme out of the bagge you shall see that the bagge will then cleaue to no part of the annointed fourme The 37 Chapter How great peeces of artillery are named how through the intollerable fault of carelesse or vnskilfull Gunfounders all our great Peeces of one name are not of one length nor of one waight nor of one heigth in their mouthes OVr great peeces of artillery are knowne by these names double Cannō of the biggest sort double Cānon of the ordinarie sort French double Cānon demie Cannon of the biggest sort demie Cānon of the ordinary sort demie Cānon of an extraordinary sort frēch demie Cānon Cannō with a bel bore Cannō with a chāber bore Basilisk Culuering of the biggest sort Culuering of the ordinary sort Culuering of an extraordinary sort demie Culuering of the biggest sort demie Culuering of the ordinary sort demie Culuering of an extraordinary sort Saker of the biggest sort Saker of the ordinary sort Saker of an extraordinarie sort Miniō of the biggest sort Miniō of the ordinary sort Moiane Passauolante or Zebratana Faucon of the ordinary sort Faucon of an extraordinary sort Fauconet Cannon periero of the old making Cannon periero of the nwe making Morter peece Base Rabinet Fowler Sling Portpeece Rebadochino Aspidi Smeriglio Harchibusacrock musket But through the intollerable fault of carelesse or vnskilfull gunfounders all our great peeces of one name are not of one lēgth nor of one waight nor of one heigth in their mouthes therfore the gūners bookes tables which do shew that al our great peeces of one name are of an equal length of an equal waight of an equall heigth in their mouthes are erronious The 38. Chapter The mixture of mettals whereof great peeces of artillery ought to be made THe mixture of mettals which is vsed for the making of good seruiceable peeces of artillery doth consist of copper tyn latten we in Englād do cal the said mixture in our mother tongue brasse and in Italian Bronzo The gunfounders doe vse to put into the said mixture for euery fiuescore poundes in waight of pure copper tenne poundes in waight of good latten and eight poundes in waight of cleane tynne The tynne as the Gunfounders doe say causeth the said mixture to be hard the latten helpeth much to incorporate the mettals togeather and maketh the mixture to bee of a good colour and the copper doth much strengthen the same mixture although among Gunners this is an approued veritie that the peeces of artillerie which are cast of the same mixture are apte to breake after they are made hot with many shootes The 39 Chapter Rules by which you may know the proportioned length iust waight and due thicknesse of mettall which ought to be in great
much shooting will quickly breake therefore the Gunners must not shoote in them when they are very hot Although a peece of artillery so cast of lead will be of a great waight yet this is to be beleeued that a peece so cast of lead will be easily drawne by the strength of many men from one place to an other within a Towne For Luigui Collado in the 71 chapter of his Pratica manuale di arteglieria saith that in Barcellona a chamber belonging to a peece was of such waight as twentie men might not lift it and that poore people did vse in Sommer to sleepe within the saide peece which had a bedde or carriage more than three fadome about And we may also reade in the second booke and sixteenth chapter of Englands description in Hollēsheads Cronicles that the great Turke had a gunne cast by one Orbane a Dane which was drawne to the siege of Constantinople by two thousand men and seuenty yokes of Oxen. This Orbane did also cast for the Turke one other great Peece which did shoote a pellet of more waight than two talents Here I might take occasion by reason of that which hath byn written in this Chapter to shew how great peeces of artillery and pellets of yron are cast but I will passe ouer the same with silence and referre those which are desirous to learne how peeces of artillerie yron pellets are cast to the Pirotechnie of Vannuccio Biringuccio where they may read enough thereof and see that old rustie yron is better to make gunne pellets than nwe yron The 43 Chapter How you may see also otherwise know whether or no honie combes crackes or flawes are within the concauitie of any great peece of artillerie SO soone as you haue charged and discharged a peece couer very close the mouth of the same peece all ouer with leather and at the same instant cause an other person to stoppe vp sodainely the touchhole of the same peece and so if any vnknowne flawes or crackes do goe thorow the mettal in any part of the peece a visible smoke wil come out of the peece thorow the same hidden flawes cracks Also you may when the Sunne shineth take a steele glasse and with the same cast the beames or shadow of the Sunne into the mouth or concauitie of the peece for by this meanes a very great and cleere light will be within the concauitie of the peece and by that cleare light you shall plainly see euery honie combe cracke and flaw within the same concauitie But forasmuch as the Sunne doth not alwaies shine and that at some time in a bright Sunne shining day a steele glasse may bee wanting you may at such times take a sticke somewhat longer than the concauitie of the peece and hauing clouen one end of the said sticke for to hold an ende of a candle light an end of a candle and put the same into the said clift and thrust that lighted end of a candle sticking fast in the said clift or slit downe to the loest end of the concauitie in the gunne and looke circumspectly by the light of the same candle whether or no any honie combes flawes or crackes are in the concauitie of that gunne Also if you striking a peece of artillery vppon the out side of the mettal in diuers places with an yrō hammer shal at euery stroke heare a cleare sound it is a signe that the same peece is without any hony cōbes flawes or cracks But if you so striking the peece of artillery with an yron hammer shall heare a hoarse sound then without doubt there are honie combes flawes or crackes in the same peece The 44 Chapter How any great peece of artillery may be drawne ouer a soft marrish ground bog or owes WHen you shall haue occasion to drawe any great peece of artillerie ouer a soft marrish ground bogge or owes make for the same peece a strong carriage like vnto a flat bottomed bote that is brode at one end and sharpe at the other ende as this figure heare drawne doth shew Let the said carriage be tight so as no water or durt may come into it and when you haue so done lay the peece of artillery vppon the saide carriage that it may not by any meanes role or fal of from it and vppon one or if you may vppon both sides of the soft grounde cause oxen or horses or men where no oxen or horses may goe to drawe all togeather the peece so lying in his carriage ouer the same soft grounde which will not bee a hard worke to doe for as I haue read a double Cannon will swimme vppon such a carriage in a water of one foote in depth and lying vppon such a carriage can not sinke the same carriage in any marrish bogge or owes aboue halfe a foote The 45 Chapter How by knowing the certaine number of men horses or oxen which will draw any one peece of artillerie you may tell what number of men horses or oxen will be able to drawe any other peece of artillerie how you may know what number of men will in drawing counteruaile any number of horses or oxen how you may know what number of horses will in drawing counteruaile any number of Oxen how this is to bee noted that a fraction in a quotient number of men horses or oxen is not to bee reckoned VVRite first in your memoriall that 80 men may drawe a Peece of artillerie waying eight thousand poundes in waight and that sixe horses may drawe a peece of 860 poundes in waight and that sixe oxen may drawe a peece of Artillerie waying 1058 poundes in waight and afterwardes if you shall be asked what number of men will suffice to drawe any Peece of Artillerie multiplie the waight of the Peece by which the question is asked in 80 the number of men that will suffice as you haue noted in your memoriall to drawe a peece of eight thousand poundes in waight and deuide the product thereof by eight thousand the waight of the Peece which 80 men may drawe and so the quotient will shew the number of men that will suffice to drawe the peece of which the question was asked As for example it shall be supposed that this question is asked what number of men will suffice to drawe a peece waying 860 poundes in waight To aunswere the same question I multiplie 860 the waight of the Peece by which the question was asked in 80 the number of men which as I haue noted in my memoriall will suffice to drawe a peece of eight thousande poundes in waight and thereof commeth 68800 which I deuide by the said number of eight thousand the waight of the Peece which as my memorial doth record may bee drawne with fourescore men and so the quotient yeeldeth eight leauing out the fraction which remaineth for the number of men that wil suffice to drawe the same peece of 860 poundes in waight which by
I may discouer vnto you the force of all other peeces of artillerie  Poynt blanke Vtmost randon  Vtmost randon Poynt blanke Faucon 320 Yards 1280 Yards Faucon 1280 Yards 320 Yards Saker 360 Yards 1440 Yards Saker 1440 Yards 360 Yards The 61 Chapter How you must mount your peece when you will shoote vnto the farthest end of the vtmost randone NIcholas Tartaglia in his Epistle set at the beginning of his booke named La noua scientia declareth that euery great Peece of Artillery ought to be mounted at 45 degrees when it shall shoote vnto the farthest ende of his vtmost randon But William Bourne in his Treatise of shooting in great Ordinance wryteth that it is needefull for vs to consider well of the winde before we doe mount any peece to shoote vnto the farthest ende of his vtmost randon because as he sayth when we will shoote with the winde vnto the farthest ende of the vtmost randon we must mount our peece at 45 degrees and in a windie day against the winde sometimes at 36 degrees sometimes at 37 degrees sometimes at 38 degrees sometimes at 39 degrees sometimes at 40 degrees according as the winde is in bignesse and in a fayre calme day at 42 degrees The 62 Chapter How you may mounte any great peece of Artillerie with a ruler as well as with a quadrant or semicircle vnto the number of tenne degrees and how such a ruler ought to be made and how such a ruler ought to be vsed when a peece of Artillerie is by it mounted or imbased THe measure of the length of the peece that shal be mounted by a ruler being doubled reduce into ynches after this multiplie the sayd number of ynches by 22 and diuide the product by 7 and diuide againe the quotient number of that diuision by 360 then take the last quotient for the number of ynches and partes of an ynch that wil make a degree vppon a ruler for that peece which was so measured As for example I wil mounte a peece of 6 foote long at one degree with my ruler therefore 6 foote the length of that peece being doubled maketh 12 foote which reduced into ynches make 144 ynches This number of 144 multiplied by 22 produceth 3168 which diuided by 7 yeeldeth in the quotient 452 and 4 7 then doe I diuide that quotient of 452 and 4 7 by 360 and so the quotient of this last diuision which is 1 and ◠3 ◠5 sheweth that this peece of 6 foote in length being mounted by my ruler 1 ynche and ◠3 9 5 of an ynche lyeth iustly of the same heigth that it would doe if it should be mounted at one degree of a quadrant or semicircle Now to know how much the sayde peece must be mounted for 2 degrees of a quadrant or semicircle I multiplie 1 and ◠3 9 5 by 2 and thereof commeth 2 and ⅓ ◠5 wherefore I say if the sayde peece be eleuated by the ruler 2 ynches and ⅓ ◠5 of an ynche that it lieth mounted at two degrees Likewise by multiplying the sayd number of 1 and ◠3 9 5 by 3 the product therof which is 3 and ⅔ 7 5 expresseth that the sayd peece must be mounted 3 ynches and ⅔ 7 5 of an ynch for 3 degrees And after this order I may knowe how to mount the sayde peece with a ruler vnto any other degree to which the peece wil be mounted with a ruler for you ought not to be ignorāt of this that a peece of artillerie cannot be mounted with a ruler aboue 10 degrees because the degrees are taken out of a circumferēce and not out of a straight line The ruler with which peeces of artillerie may be mounted is made in fashion like vnto the picture drawē in the margent marked as common rulers are with ynches halfe ynches quarters of ynches halfe quarters of ynches and with more lesser partes of an ynch Also in the middest of this ruler almost from one end to the other there is a slitte or open place within which a plate of brasse or lattin hauing in it a little hole pearced thorow is so placed that the said hole may as need shall require be mooued vp and downe in that slitte and be set right against any ynch or parte of an ynche marked vppon the same ruler And although as it seemeth to me a peece may be more easilie and more iustly mounted vnto any degree by a quadrant and also by a semicircle than by a ruler yet wil I not let passe to shewe in this place how you must vse the ruler to mounte a peece by it Wherefore when you wil mount a peece by a ruler to shoote at any marke put first the true disparte of the peece to be mounted vppon the peece his mouth as you haue beene taught in the 57 Chapter of this Appendix then knowing at what degree the peece must be mounted to reach the marke set the hole which is in the mouable plate of the ruler right against the number of ynches and partes of an ynche that will make iustly the same degree and hauing so done set the ende of the ruler vppon the tayle of the peece so as the ruler may stande vppon the peece squirewise vntill you haue done your woorke After this the mouth of the sayde peece being layde right vppon the marke koyne the breeche of the peece vp and downe vntil you may see thorow the sayd hole in the plate the top of the disparte and the marke and when you haue so done geue fire to the peece that you may strike the sayde marke The 63 Chapter How you may by the helpe of wedges lay the concauitie of any great peece of Artillerie right against a marke how by the helpe of wedges you may make a perfect shoote at a marke lying vnder the mouth of your Peece and how by the helpe of wedges you may cause your Peece to strike in the marke after it hath at one shoote shotte vnder the marke and at an other shoote shotte aboue the marke PRepare of yron or of strong and harde wood two sortes of wedges for euery great peece of Artillery that is to say three wedges of one sorte and three wedges of an other sorte Make euery wedge of the one sort iust so thicke as ⅓ parte of the heigth in the disparte of his peece and let euery wedge of the other sorte be no thicker than ⅙ parte of the sayde heigth This done lay the vppermost parte of mettall at the tayle of the peece and the vppermost parte of mettall ouer the mouth of the peece in an equall heigth and in a right line with the marke and then put vnder the tayle of the peece one of his sayde wedges of the thicker sorte which as Luigi Collado affirmeth will cause the concauitie of that Peece without any more woork to lie right against the sayd marke But when you purposing to shoote at a marke lying vnder the mouth
second shoote against the said marke in euery respect as it did lie at the first shoote and afterwards raise vp the dispart vppon the mouth of your peece till you shall see by the vppermost part of mettall in the taile of the peece and the toppe of that dispart the place where the pellet strooke at the first shoote This done imbase the mouth of that peece till the said vppermost part of mettall and the toppe of the same dispart doe lie in a right line with the marke and then giuing fire to the peece you shall see that by this meanes the peece will shoote into the marke To amend a loe shoote Also when a pellet shot at a marke within point blanke doth strike somewhat vnder his marke you may amend the said loe shoote in this maner Recharge your peece and after you haue for the second shoote laid it against the marke in euery respect as you did lay it for the first shoote set vpright vppon the vppermost part of mettall in the taile of the peece a waxe candle of such a length as that you may see by the toppe of the saide candle and the toppe of the dispart vppon the mouth of the peece the loe place where the pellet before did hit Then hauing mounted the mouth of your peece till the toppe of the saide waxe candle and the toppe of the dispart vppon the mouth of your peece doe lie in a right line with the saide marke giue fire to the peece and so you shall shoote into the marke To amende a shoote wide vppon your right hand But when a pellet shot at a marke within point blanke shall strike wide vppon your right hand then to amend that wide shoote recharge the peece which shot that pellet and laying it for the second shoote against the marke as it did lie at the first shoote remoue the leuell sight vppon the taile of your peece somewhat towards your left hand so as the top of your nwe leuell sight and the toppe of your peece his dispart may be perceaued to lie in a right line with the place where the pellet before did strike This done mooue your peece to and fro till you shall see that the top of your nwe leuell sight and the toppe of your peece his dispart do lie in a right line with the marke for an end of this worke giue fire to your peece which now without faile will shoote his pellet into the marke To amende a shoote wide vppon your left hand You may amend a shoote wide vppon your left hand as you haue been taught to amend a shoote wide vppon your right hand sauing for the amendment of a shoote wide vpon your left hand you must alwaies remoue the leuel sight vppon the taile of your peece somwhat towards your right hand The 73 Chapter To make an engine which will make a great spoile and a merueilous slaughter PLace a great peece of Artillerie within a brode yron hoope and lay a great number of Caliuers or Muskets in the said hoope rounde about the said peece according to the figure next folowing and when need shall require charge and discharge all the same peeces togeather This engine discharged out of a ship at men in a Gallie Foyst or any other like vessell as Girolamo Ruscelli writeth will make a great spoile and a merueilous slaughter The 74 Chapter Instructions for all those that are vnskilfull to handle and vse an Harchibuse Caliuer or Musket 1 EVery person vnskilfull to handle and vse an Harchibuse Caliuer or Musket ought first to learne to handle and carry soldier like the saide peece and the Flaske and touch boxe belonging to it the alowed bore of a caliuer in Ao. DniÌ„ 1588 the alowed bore of a musket in Aº DniÌ„ 1588. 4 Also he ought to learne how he shall in a commendable maner charge his peece and how he shall afterwardes when need shall require lay it to his cheeke 5 Hauing learned to charge he ought also to know how hee should shoote in the saide peece at randon and likewise how he should shoote in that peece at a marke within the leuell of the same peece and how vppon a small stay in march or skirmish hee should charge and discharge speedily his peece 6 Also he ought to prooue before hee hath vrgent cause to vse his peece whether it bee good and meete for his purpose or like to breake 7 And in a skirmish made only for practise or sport let him take heed that hee doe not charge his peece with any bullet whereby any person may be maymed or put in hazard of his life or limmes 8 Also for diuers reasons which are not meete to be expressed in this booke let no person at any time vse to shoote out of his peece any pellet of lead after hee hath chawed it in his mouth and bitten it with his teeth The 75 Chapter How to mount a morter peece for to shoote out of the same fireworks or great stones ouer walles or other high places into cities townes or camps to burne and beate downe houses tents and lodgings within the same places IT behooueth him which will shoote out of a morter peece any fireworke or great stone for to haue it fall right downe vppon the appointed place to know these 3 things The waight of the shot how much ground his peece wil shoote at the best of the randon how far the place which he would burne or beate downe is from him The said three things being knowne he may easily by this example following learne to doe as he intended Example The peece will shoote the fireworke or the great stone at the best of the randon 800 paces and the place to be burned or beaten downe is distant from that peece 600 paces therefore that peece must be mounted for to doe this exploit at 48 degrees and ½ degree But if the fireworke or the great stone will flie at the best of the randon 900 paces and the place to bee burned or beaten downe bee distant from the peece sixe hundred paces then the saide peece must bee mounted at fortie one degrees and almost ½ of a degree And when the fireworke or stone will flie at the best of the raudon 1000 paces and the space betweene the peece and the said place doth containe 600 paces the said peece must be mounted at sixe thirtie degrees and ½ part of a degree but for the better vnderstanding hereof marke well this figure following â— for t to be burned or beaten downe The â—…etus or perpendiculer line A morter peece set vpright In the said figure there is a Quadrant and vppon the same with a moueable Hipothenuasa or Index a right angled triangle is fashioned The base of that triangle representing the space betweene the peece the marke ought to bee diuided into so many equal partes as the said distance betweene the peece and the marke doth containe paces Likewise the