whereby they should atteine it for all the proofes that haue beene made as yet by Englishmen are no proofe but altogether to cause them that did see the proofe to committe further errour as touching the distance vnto the marke or hitting the length of the marke CHAPTER 6. What a degree is c. FUrthermore wheras this book is nam◠The Arte of shooting in great Ordnaunce so in like manner I thinke it conuenient to shew you what the word Arte meaneth or signifieth which is the describing of a way or methode how to atteyne to the certayntie of any matter Which as hitherunto I haue not seen any such book althogh it hath been very neer two hundred yeeres since the first inuentiō of Ordnaunce and excepte there bee any better booke in some mens hands such as I haue not seene as it is like ynough that there may be there is no Arte in any of them yet I haue seene a number of bookes that haue beene written concerning Ordnance but surely they that wrote thē were not seene in any part of y e Mathematical science neither good Machanisians but in respect vtterly voyd of any science in comparison no good order described in the shooting of Ordnaunce to knowe what distance the shotte is deliuered from the peece neyther haue they knowen what instruments haue meaned And although they haue named degrees in their bookes yet it appeareth vnto me that they haue not knowledge what a degree signifieth for that they haue named a Quadrant a Triangle and other food and foolish by names Wherefore they that haue written those bookes that the Gūners haue amongst them were vtterly vnlearned in any manner of science which were in the beginning in the time of King Henry y e eight made by Flemmings for in the wars in those daies the King sent ouer into Flaunders and those parts thereabout to haue Gunners to serue him in the warres the Gunners haue no other bookes but such as were written by them wherefore I do thinke it good to shew vnto you what a degree is A degree is a parte or deuision of a whole circle into 360. equall parts as the the auncient fathers aforetime haue taught and especially in Astronomy And it is very profitable for Gunners to knowe the vse of them The Quadrant that they doe occupie is the fourth part of a circle deuided into 90. equall parts according vnto y e fourth part of the Heauens for the zeneth or pricke in the Heauens ouer the Crowne of your head downe to the Horizon is deuided into 90. equall partes according vnto the Quadrant As for example If there were a perpendicular line let downe out of the Heauens vnto the earth then should the earth be a right line and make a square angle vnto the furthest parte of the Horizon that you can see and so passe vnto the Heauens as doth the Quadrant and then the best of the Rander is 45. of these deuisions called degrees as some mens opinion hath been and that is half 90. and the said 45. degrees be the best of the Rander in some cases and that is with the winde but otherwise it is not as it is further declared in the 5. Chapter And for better example I haue placed this figure CHAPTER 7. Howe to make a shotte vpon the right line and also to know how much ground any peece of Ordnaunce doth driue or conuey the shot at the mount of euery degree of the Rander FUrthermore any peece of Ordnaunce being truly disparted as is declared in the fourth Chapter they may know at al times how for to shoote iust vnto the mark especially within point blank point blanke is the direct fleeing of the shot without any descending from the mouth of the peece vnto the mark y e mouth of the peece to stand directly with the Horizon so that it be vpon a plaine and leuell ground as far as y e peece may cast hytting any thing that standeth directly as hygh as the mouth of the peece laying the hollowe or concauitie of the peece against the thing that you doe shoote at c. And to shoote at anye marke vppon the right line you shall doe it by this meanes your peece being truely disparted and the dispart sette vppon the mouth of the peece bringe the middle of the tayle of the peece to the toppe of your disparte vppon the mouth of the peece and the marke that you doe shoote at all three vppon one right line by the sight of one of your eyes and then foreseeing that the peece standeth vppon a leuell grounde and the one wheele to bee as nimble as the other this doone there is no doubte but you may shoote as neere the marke with a Cannon as with a Hargabus or Caliuer This is most certaine Therefore it is very necessary to know how far any peece wil conuey the shot vpon the right line that is somewhat hard to do for there is seldome any grounde but is higher in one place than in another and then if the peece should bee layd close vnto the ground it woulde graze before that it were at the end of the right line and then if the peece be in her carriage the shotte will not graze before that it were descended as much as the height of the carriage And for to set vp any thing certaine at the end of the right line it were too tedious therefore in my opinion this is one of the best wayes in the finding what distance any peece conuayeth or driueth the shotte vppon the right line or any degree of the Rander as thus Repaire vnto a very leuell ground as a plaine marrish that is iust water leuell and then to finde the right line or point blanke rayse a butte or banke in that plaine grounde and then sette vppe a marke the iust height of the peece that lyeth in the carriage and take a quadrant with a rule fast thereunto and put the rule into the mouth of the peece and coyne the breech of the peece vp and downe vntill the plummet hang at the corner of the Quadrant and then shall the Concauitie of the peece lye right with the Horyzon neyther higher nor lower then shoote off the peece against the butte if the shotte bee vnder the marke it is more then the right line then you must bringe the peece neerer vnto the butte banke or marke but if it be the iust height of the marke then remooue the peece farther off from the marke and so remoouing the peece for wardes and backwardes you shal finde the true right line of the peece By this order you may trye the true right line of all manner of peeces of Ordnaunce And whereas the opinion of diuers Gunners is the one contrarie vnto the other some holding an opinion that the longer peece doth ouershoote the shorter and some that the shorte doth ouershoote the longer the troth is that the longer peece doth shoote further than the
The Arte of shooting in great Ordnaunce Contayning very necessary matters for all sortes of Seruitoures eyther by Sea or by Lande Written by William Bourne CANTABO IEHOVAE QVIA BENEFECIT MIHI Imprinted at London for Thomas Woodcocke 1587. ⧠TO THE RIGHT honorable Lord Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwick Baron of Lisle of the most noble order of the Garter Knight Generall of the Queenes Maiesties Ordnaunce within her highnesse Realme and Dominions and one of her Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsell William Bourne wisheth long life increase of Honor with al happy successe RIght woorthie and Noble Earle whereas I before this time haue writtē sundry simple Treatises whereof two of thē are extant in print thone called the Regiment of the Sea and the other the Treasure for Trauellers and now also this barbarous and rude thing called the Art of shooting in great Ordnaunce and as it is most cōmonly seen that euery person doth most cōmonly cōmend that thing wherein he is most expert and therefore some there are that doe most extoll Diuinitie and great reason it is that it should be so for that it teacheth vs both to know God and to instruct others also othersome doe most preferre Philosophie othersome the Lawe with such like as they are most delighted in Also other there are that doe not onely extoll them but wil make arguments and dispute whether of them are most commendable and most worthie to be preferred aboue the other There are also that after long disputation doe not onely assigne euery Science his seuerall laude and praise but also discourse whether of them are most necessarie for a common wealth And I am of that opinion and that no man can denie but that the Arte of shooting in great Ordnaunce is necessarie to be aduaunced for the defence and mainteynance of a Kingdome and countrey and the common wealth thereof Wherefore Right honorable being as one extraordinarily bolde I present the same vnto you for that I knowe your Lordshippe can truely descerne and iudge in these causes as one whose wisedome is not vnknowne hoping that your Honour will take this simple worke as my good will rather than the valour of the thing or the finenesse of the penning of the matter And thus I cease to trouble your Honorable Lordship any longer at this time desiring you to accepte this simple Booke at the handes of a poore Gunner as a true token of my good will towardes your Honour desiring God to prosper your Honor in all your doings in perfect health By your Honours humbly at commaundement William Bourne The Preface to the Reader GEntle Reader it is possible that you would maruel that I should write this booke called the Art of shooting in great Ordnance for two great causes the one is this first for that I haue not seene to most peoples iudgement so great experience in these affayres whereby you may thinke that I haue not knowledge sufficient to be a teacher in these matters And the second cause is this for that my order of teaching is contrary vnto all that haue taken vpon them to be teachers or instructers in these matters or affaires before time Therefore for to shew vnto you the cause that hath moued me to write this rude volūe is this for that we English men haue not beene counted but of late daies to become good Gunners and the principall point that hath caused English men to be counted good Gunners hath been for that they are hardie or without fear about their ordnance but for the knowledg in it other nations and countries haue tasted better therof as the Italians French and Spaniardes for that English men haue had but little instructions but that they haue learned of the Doutchmen or Flemings in the time of King Henry the eight And the chiefest cause that English men are thought to be good Gunners is this for that they are handsome about their Ordnance in ships on the Sea c. And furthermore I doe thinke it good to shewe vnto you three great causes besides diuers other small causes that the thing that hath letted or hindred English men to become cunning in the shooting of great Ordinance although diuers prooues haue beene made at sundrie times and Ordnance hath beene had into the fielde both in maister Bromefields time whē that he was Liefetenāt of the Ordnance at diuers times since and yet those prooues that haue beene made then were no proofes but to cause those Gunners that did see the experience of those profes to committe a further errour as touching the shooting in great Ordnance and the reason therof is this the first principal cause is that they did make their proofe with a Quadrant and so it ought to be that is to say the fourth parte of a Circle deuided into 90. equall partes which some simple Gunners will call a Triangle but there is no instrument so called but onely a Quadrant and the original of the making thereof is the fourth part of a Circle deuided into 90. equall partes what forme so euer that it hath And now the principal vse of the quadrant is to know what any peece will cast at the mount of euerie Degree and so from degree vnto degree vnto the best of the Rander And the cause that hath made the Gunners to commit error by the mounting of the peeces by the degree of the Quadrant hath beene this although that it be true that such a peece will cast the shot so many scores at the mount of so many degrees and yet whē that they haue made proofe therof they haue foūd it meere false yet the thing most true although somtime the shot hath flien a great deale further and sometime much shorter which causes were no other thing but the highnes or the lownes of the ground for that there is seldome any ground that you shall find leuell but it will be higher or lower then the ground that the peece standeth vpon as I doe more at large declare in the thirtenth chapter of the booke and yet in the time of seruice there is no vsing of the Quadrant but in some cases and then take a great large one for in a small you may soone commit errour And furthermore I doe know diuers that will haue instruments and yet be vtterlie voide of the vses of them for it is the reason of the person in the doing of any thing and not the instrumentes for in the doing of any thing if the person doth not consider of all thinges with him and against him he or they be apt to commit errour c. The second great cause is this in the vsing to giue leuell with a rule set out in inche partes but vnto this they cannot order it nor giue it no Method to know what any peece wil doe at any number of inches aduantage for the peeces doe differ in casting according vnto their lengths as I doe further shew in the booke Wherefore the
vse of the inche rule according as they doe vse it is to no other purpose but onely to seeke out what numbers of inches will reach the marke and that being knowne then to keepe the length of the marke with that peece And the necessariest thing that this kind of giuing of leuell in the time of seruice as being in a Castell Forte or Towne or such like the Gunner hauing charge of any peece is to beate al those markes that be apte to doe any seruice at and to know how manie inches will reach any marke c. but to become a cunning Gunner he shall neuer be although he should shoote 100. shottes euerie day through a yeere for that he neuer doth know by that meanes the distance of any marke but in euerie peece he must make a new proofe if that the peece be remoued or chaunged from that place Wherefore I haue made a table shewing how many inches and what part of an inch will make a degree and so vnto ten degrees whereby you may make a Methode to hit the length of the marke in anie peece at the first shot as it doth appeare in the eight chapter of the booke if so be that there were a true and exact table of proportion of the casting of the peece at the mount of euerie degree but I haue not had so greate proofe but that I may bee deceiued for I haue no other proofe but at my owne charges and my abilitie is able to doe nothing to make any proofe in those causes The third great cause is this I do know few Gunners yea none at all in respect that hath anie capacitie to know the distance vnto anie marke assigned if that the marke be such that they can not come vnto it directly by land and yet there be verie true and exact wayes to know the distance vnto anie marke assigned howsoeuer the thing is if that it may be seene by Geometrie perspectiue and the lacke therof amongst Gunners is the principallest point that doth deceiue thē so that these three things doe vtterly deceiue most men the first is this the height or lownes of the ground the second the length of the peece and the third not knowing the distance vnto the marke for their reason in these causes that they doe suppose can doe nothing that is to say to finde the distance vnto anie marke assigned by looking vpon the ground and that neuer can shew vnto them the distance vnto the marke but yet must be knowen either by the Scale or crosse staffe or else it must be knowen by the lines of Position which is shewed in a booke of mine that is extant in Print called the Treasure for Trauelers and also in a booke set forth by master Thomas Digges called Pantometria wher in those two bookes you shall finde meanes and waies both how to finde the true distance vnto the marke and also how much that the marke is hier ground or lower ground then the place that you are vpon and also the length of the line Hipothenusall whether it bee vppe the hill or downe the hill which is verie necessarie and profitable for all them that will vse to shoote in great Ordnance for to know as all Gunners Captaines and Leaders of men c. And now friendly Reader it is possible that some people will dislike of me for that I haue written this booke some of them for that they doe thinke that they haue better knowledge in those matters then I and other some perhaps may be offended for that they would not haue the thing knowen but amongst thēselues and othersome possible will be offended with me that are Gunners that are altogether without any knowledg in those causes that wold not haue their ignorāce knowen So by these meanes I am assured that I shal purchase a great number of enemies as I do know that I haue alreadie caused sundry people to enuie me as some Sea men do mislike of me for writing of my booke called the Regiment for the Sea and othersome of late are offended with me for the writing and setting forth of my booke called the Treasure for Trauelers but notwithstanding I doe see that it is needfull to be knowen vnto a number of them that be Gunners waying and considering with my selfe what a number there bee that will take vpon them to be Gunners yea and that maister Gunners that are not sufficient nor capable in those causes but are in respect altogether ignorant standing vpon no other thing but their antiquitie that they haue serued as Gunners so long time Wherefore I doe thinke it very necessarie for them to haue some good instructions but as farre as I can see euerie man maketh curtesie to doe the common wealth of our Realme of Englande any good therein and as far as I can perceiue that no people may better pleasure the common wealth in the time of seruice either by Sea or Land then may good Gunners against the face of our enimies for the Realme of England hath a great number of enimies for as we haue seene by daily experience that the Queenes progenitours aforetime were neuer long without warres yet we haue a most gratious and louing Prince raigning ouer vs which doth alw aies studie for peace and tranquillitie God graunt of his mercie that she may liue long and raigne ouer vs. Amen Yet nothwithstanding it is good for vs to studie in the time of peace how to defend our selues in the time of warres troubles as generally we prouide in haruest for to liue in the winter And for that cause haue I written this little treatise not to the intent to teach thē that be cūning but to giue instructiōs vnto thē that be of the simplest sorte c. Wherfore Gentle Reader beare with my rudenes for that I am so bold to be the first English man that put foorth any booke as touching these causes and it is possible that there be a number would looke that I shoulde haue giuen them place for that they are more worthy and skilfuller in these causes thinking that I am to simple for they doe not consider how that God doth giue his giftes as we see daily he giueth vnto one man riches and another man pouertie and one man to be a ruler and an other to be inferior one man wise prudent and an other ignorant one man beautifull and an other deformed one mā of a tall stature an other of a low stature one man strong and lustie and an other weake lame although that they be of one consanguinitie linitie or kindred such is the maruelous workes of God Wherefore men are not to be measured by elles but vy vertue for God is not partiall in his giftes for hee hath shed his most precious blood for the redemption of all mankind so that afore him all are one for we are all his creatures and the sheepe of his pasture and the workes of his handes
is thirtie skore more then the peece can reach vppon the right line therefore you must mount the peece till it be able to reach the marke and that is at the mount of foure degrees as it doth appeare by the examining of the seauenth Chapter and there you shall finde it to appeare to be at the mounte of foure degrees nowe that being knowen take your Quadrant and take the number of degrees that the hill is in height higher then the ground that you stand vpon and that is done as before is declared and then you finde that the marke is fiue degrees higher than the grounde that your peece lyeth vpon then adde that number vnto the other and that maketh in all nine degrees iust for that the peece is moūted foure degrees for to reach the marke and fiue degrees for the height of the marke whiche is higher grounde than that the peece doth lye vpon then laying the peece right vppon the marke there is no doubt but that you must needes make a perfite shotte and to lay the peece right vpon the mark the peece being mouuted as before is said then take a plummet of leade vpon a small line or string and lette that be holden vp at the breech at the very end of the peece euen at the very middle of the tayle of the peece then stand directly behind the peece and wind the peece till you doe see the midle of the mouth of the peece and the marke all three vpon one right line by the sight of your eye winking with one of your eyes and there is no doubt but your peece doth lye right vpon your marke and so forth And nowe in like manner if you doe mak a shotte towards a valley and the marke more then the peece will reach vppon the righte line then knowing the distance vnto the marke mounte the peece till it be able to reach the marke then turne your Quadrant that the sight go downewards the plummet hanging at libertie then you may see how many degrees the ground is lower then the ground that the peece doth lye vpon and rebate so many degrees as that number commeth vnto and laying the peece right vpon the marke there is no doubt but you shall make a perfite shotte as by an example with that peece and at that distance before rehearsed to a marke in a valley the ground being lower at the marke you shoote at by three degrees then that ground that the peece doth lye vpon now you must mount the peece foure degrees to reach the marke and then you must rebate three of those degrees for the lownesse of the marke and then you may conclude that the peece being mounted but one degree it doth shoote that distance that it did at nine degrees And the reason thereof is most manifest for that the one is vp the hill and the other downe the hill And furthermore with that peece and at that distance before spoken of and also at that number of degrees downe the hill that the other was vp the hil that was at fiue degrees now foure degrees will reach the marke vpon a plaine leuell ground but for that it is downe the hill you must rebate fiue degrees Wherefore you may conclude that the peece must bee leuelled with the Quadrant one degree vnder the poynt blaucke that is to saye lower then the Horizon by one degree for that the deepenesse of the valley is the cause thereof Wherefore in mine opinion it is better for Gunners to vse to giue leuell with an ynch rule as I do afore declare in the eight Chapter for I doe know that this is the cause that hath deceiued a greate number that are meanly seene in those matters and for lacke of considering of those causes that may happen or chaunce hath discouraged many that would haue been wel seene in those matters CHAPTER 14. Howe to make a perfite shotte vpon the lande at the brode side of a Shippe that is vnder sayle and going FUrthermore for the making of a perfite shotte vpon the lande at a shippe that is vnder sayle in a Riuer the chiefest matter is to haue good Pouder that the peece may goe off so soone as shee hath fire giuen vnto her and to shoote at her brode side doe this First before she commeth to you view at what proportion she commeth that is to say whether that she commeth in the middle or vnto any of the sides or vnto any other proportion then your peeces beeing truely disparted lay your peece against some marke vpon the further side of the Riuer that being done then koyne vp the tayle of the peece till the top of the dispart standeth with that proportion which the ship commeth vpon that being done then it is good for you to haue another imagined marke somewhat neerer the Shippe besides that marke which the peece lyeth vpon like a twentie foote according vnto the way of the Shippe for if that the Shippe haue fresh way then giue fire vnto the peece or peeres twentie or thirtie foote before that the Shippe commeth vnto your thwart marke that the peece lyeth right against and this being discretely done there is no doubt but you shall make a perfect shot And furthermore if it be vppon the Sea coast where there is no land seene vpon the further side then take a thwart marke by some Cloude that is alow neere the Horizon And furthermore if that any shippe doe go directly from you wards or else come directly to youwards then it is a small matter to make a perfect shatte that is to say if that her head or sterne be towards your Ordnaunce c. CHAPTER 15. Howe to make a shotte out of one Ship vnto another that although the Sea be wrought or out of a Galley to a Shippe AS for Gunners that do serue by the Sea must obserue this order following First that they doe foresee that all their great Ordnaunce be fast breeched and foresee that all ther geare be handsome and in a readinesse And furthermore that they bee very circumspect about their Pouder in the time of seruice and especially beware of their limstockes candels for feare of their Pouder their fireworks their Ourum which is very daungerous and much to bee feared Then furthermore that you do keepe your peeces as neer as you can dry within and also that you keep their tutchholes cleane without any kinde of drosse falling into thē And furthermore it is good for the Gūners to view their peeces and for to know their perfect dispart and marke it vpon the peece or else in some Booke or Table and name euery peece what it is and where she doth lye in the ship and name how many ynches and half ynches and quarters of ynches the dispart commeth vnto and then in time of seruice although that you haue no time to set vppe your disparte you may consider of it and doe it well ynough And furthermore if