THE SECOND PART OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ART MILITARY Practised In the Warres of the United Provinces CONSISTING OF THE SEVERALL FORMES OF BATTELS REPRESENTED BY THE Illustrious MAVRICE PRINCE of ORANGE of famous memorie AND HIS HIGHNESSE FREDERICK HENRY PRINCE OF ORANGE that is Captaine Generall of the Army of the high and mighty Lords the STALES GENERALL of the Vnited Provinces Together with The order and forme of Quartering Encamping and Approching in a Warre offensive and defensive The second Edition newly corrected and amended by Captaine HENRY HEXHAM Quartermaster to the Regiment of the Honourable Colonell GORINO Printed at DELF in HOLLAND By Antony of Heusden ANNO 1642. Cum Privilegio TO THE TRVELY HONORABLE AND HIS NOBLE LORD GEORGE GORING BARON OF HOSPERPOINT VICE-CHAMBERLAINE TO HIS SACRED Maiestie and one of his Majsties most honorable privie Councill MY LORD ACcording to my promisse and weake ability I had composed and finished this second part of the Principles of the Art Militarie for so much as consernes the duties of the Officers of Feild belonging to an Armie and the diverse orders and formes of embattailling of Horse and Foote represented in the feild at severall times and in sundry places by the two famous Generals of our age Maurice Prince of Orang of happie memorie and Frederick Henry his highnesse the Prince of Orang that now is our victorious Generall together with the order of Quartering Encamping and Approching in a Warre Offensiue and Defensive This I vndertook with a great deale of labour and charge and gathered it out of diverse good Authours for the instruction and informing the Iudgments of such as are lovers of this noble Art Militarie having heretofore bin dedicated to my honorable Colonell your Sonne having tasted of your Lo bountie both for my Atlas Majours and some other of my Militarie bookes more then of any noblemans in England to shew acknowledg a gratefull minde therefore this second Edition comes in most humble wise to craue your Lo gratious Patronage as one to whome I acknowledg my self much bound vnto and so praying to the Almighty for your health encrease of honor I rest Your Lo servant ever to Commaund HENRY HEXHAM An Index Of the contents of this second part how the Boockbinder is to place the Cards OF the Provost Marshall of an Armie pag. 1. Of the Marshall of a Regiment a Quartermaster Generall a Quartermaster of a particular Regiment pag. 2. Of a Trench-Master an Inginier a Clark of the Victuals pag. 3. Of a Carriage-Master and a Muster-Master pag. 4. Of the Sarjant Maiour to a Regiment pag. 5. Of a Lieutenant Colonell and a Colonel pag. 6. Of the Sariant Maiour Generall of an Army pag. 7. Of a Sariant Maiour of a Brigade or a great Corporall of the feild pag. 8. Of the Generall or Master of the Ordnance of the Clark of the Munition and Matterialls pag. 9. Of the Lord Marshall of the Feild pag. 10. Of the office and charge of the Lord Generall of an Army pag. 11.12.13 In what order an Army ought to march over a Campagny narrow passages woods and Rivers pag. 14.15.16 Of the Quartermaster Generall of a Commissary Generall of a Lieutenant Generall of the Horse pag. 17. Of the charge and Office of the Generall of the Horse pag. 18 Of the ordering and forming of a Devision or a Battaillon of Foote or Horse pag. 19 Of the Forme of an Armie of 24. thousand foote six thousand Horse ranged in Battell ray as the figure demonstrates pag. 20. Next followes the seuerall formes of Battels of Horse and foote which have bin showne in the low Countries since Anno 1600. till this last yeare 1642. and are all to be placed Alphabettically from A. to X. one after another betweene pages 20. 21. Of the order and forme of encamping of an Army pag. 21.22.23.24 Of the quartering of a Devision or Regiment of foote according to the order of his Highnesse the Prince of Orange pag. 25. Note that betweene the pages 26. 27. the figure of a Regiment of foote is to be bound pag. 26.27 Betweene pages 28. 29. is to be bound in the figure of a Regiment of Horse 28.29 Betweene pag. 32. 43. which is false figured the figure forme of a Campe quartered that is betweene letter H. I. pag. 32.33 Of all manner of Approches and their profiles pages 33.34.35.36.37.38 Note that this sheete i. should have bin figured 33.34.35 36. Note that betweene pages 38. 39. the figure of Approches is to be bound Of Counter-Approches pag. 40. Of all sorts of Bridges pag. 41.42 Of Galleries and their Appurtenances pag 43. Note that betweene pages 44. 45. is to be bound the figure of a Gallerie 44.45 Of Mines and Counter-Mines pag. 46.47.48.49 50. Of all sorts of Palisadoes Barrocadoes quadrant Footnailes Beares pag. 51. Of turne Pikes pag. 52.53 Of Retrenchings of Inward cuttings of pag. 54.55 56. Hoe de Boeck-binder sal de Caerten van dit tweede deel binden 1. Tusschen fol 20 en̄ 21 alle de Caerten van Slachorders van letter A. to X. Anno 1642. 2. Tusschen fol 26. ende 27. de quartier van een Regiment te voet 3. Tusschen fol 28. en 29. de quartier van een Regiment te Paert 4. Tusschen fol 32. en 33. de quartier van een heel Legher 5. Tusschen fol 38. en 39. de Caert van Approches 6. Tusschen fol 44. en 45. de Caert van een Gallerye ende Mynen 7. Tusschen fol 54. en 55. de Caert van Retrenchementen ende af-snijdinge THE SEVERALL DVTIES OF THE OFFICERS OF the feild belonging to an Armie And first of the Provost Marshall of an Army BEcause in the nature of his Office he is to execute all directions and commandements that he shall receive from the Lord Generall or Marshall he shall be injoyned to give his attendance upon the Lord Marshall Jt is then his office to publish all Proclamations Orders and Decrees of the Generals and all things else that are to be notifyed to the Troupes as the Lord Marshall shall command him He shall see them published in the Generals Quarter and before the Head of every Regiment being attended upon by the Provosts of every Regiment He shall have the keeping of the Prisoners in the Army that is to say by himself and his men he shall keep the chiefe Prisoners which are to be brought to Justice and shall direct the Provosts of everie Regiment how the Prisoners in their charge shall be kept He shall have thus far forth command over all particular Provosts of the Armie and they shall give an account to him of all their Prisonners of the quality of their offences and of the informations against them yea as often as he shall direct and give up a note aswell of his owne prisoners as of the rest once every weeke to the Lord Marshall He shall attend every Court
in it or other intrieate vvaies as through vvoods hils and vallies vvhere an Enemy may best lay his Ambuscadoes therefore vpon every such turning or crosse vvay a troupe of horse some foote ought to be placed vpon it to guard there till the Ordinance Carriages Baggage be past out of daunger How one is to march through a wood But in passing through a Forrest a great vvood or a Grove there ought to be placed good store of Horse vpon the vvaies that goes into it vvhere the Armie is to passe to round guard it vvel a svvel on the one side as on the other And if there be any plaine or open places in it the Horse are to overspread it and to dravv there vp in Battell for the seeuring of the passage till the Ordinance Baggage be al past and that the foote and Horse follovv vvhich are appointed as a Reserve to bring vp the Reere The Armie then having passed through a vvood come againe into a plaine Campagnie or Feild some Horse are to guard the vvay that comes out of the vvood till the Horse troupes are dravvn vp in those Fields and are possessed of the heigths thereof How and in what manner an Armie is to passe over a River When an Armie is to march through a Countrie vvherein there are Rivers Brookes the States Armie carries continually along vvith theÌ„ some ten or twelue boates having plancks Sparrs Beames anckors Cables laden in them and vpon those Block-Waggons that are dravvne with some teÌ„ or twelve couple of horse vvhich comming to a river they presently take them dovvne casts out their anckors laies them over the river as broad as it is as many as they have vse of ioyning them together laying the beames plancks sparrs boards vpon them so in an instant claps over a bridge over vvhich the Armie Ordinance Carriages may passe vvithout daunger Sometimes also for expedition sake they lay over bundles of floate or slag bridges bound vp in Canvass as also they make a bridge with Barrels Hogsheads in laying sparrs planckes vpon them being clasped fastned hard together so that foote horse and some small Feild peeces may march over them A Bridge then having good Inginiers Carpenters and vvorkemen is presently made over a River or a brook for the securing vvhereof there are certaine peeces of Ordnance dravvne vp and planted by the river side to play vpon an Ennemie if they should force the passage over it and likevvise dravve vp some Harquebussiers lighthorsemen firelocks and muskettiers to give fire vpon an Enemie vvhile the bridg is a making As soone as the bridg is layd over some firelocks halfepikes horse marches first over it to maintaine and make good the other side of the river till all the Armie carriages be come over takes also along vvith them foure or fiue small peeces of Ordnance to scoure the passage a vvaggon laden vvith povvder and amunition and some Pionniers to make the vvaies hedges ditches plaines expecting an Enemie at hand commonly cast vp a trench or a vvorke on both sides of the bridge having some 500 Souldiers to guard it till the Armie al the Carriages and Baggage be passed ouer it Novv if an Enemie should seeke to oppose 〈◊〉 your passage over it the Ordinance horse and firelookes above mentioned are 〈◊〉 â—â—rposely vpon the Riversside to free the passage and to cleare the Coast HAVING SHOWNE THE DUTIES OF THE Officers of the Feild touching the Infanterie or foote before J shew the severall forming makeing of Battels It is necessary that I briefly speak some thing of the Officers of the Feild which commaunds the Cavallrie or Horse troupes which are these namely Of the Quartermaster Generall THe Quartermaster Generall of the horse hath the particular Quartermasters of every troupe as his assistants to ease him and to helpe him to discharge his place either when the troupes are lodged in howses or formally quartered in the feild from him they receiue their orders and billets for their troupes chaulking the name of their Captaines vpon the doores of every howse where the troupe is to lodge The further duties required in a Quartermaster Generall are described in this second part in speaking of the Quartermaster Generall of the foote Of the Commissarie Generall The Commissarie Generalls place ought to be given to a souldier of great experience who hath bin bred vp in the warres being a man of valour wisedome discretion in a CoÌ„missarie Generall is required also vigelencie dexterity and an ability to compose Quarrels and punish disorders which maye arise betweene officer officer souldier and souldier what he cannot doe by faire meanes he hath power authority sufficent to punish them Jt is also his dutie to give out orders to appoint guards vpon avenues and passages to keepe a list of all guards Convoyes other actions to receiue orders from the Generall or the Lord Marshall of the feild to give it first to the Generall of the horse and afterward to the Quartermasters of the troupes that they maye giue them to their Captaines and superiour officers also to range embattaille the horse in that forme and order which his Generall or Lieutenant Generall shall finde good in whose absence he commaundeth the Horse Of the Lieutenant Generall The charge of a Lieutenant Generall of the horse is of great authority reputation and therefore he ought to be a man of great experience valour and wisedome carefull diligent for the well ordering of the troupes because he commonly marches with them lodged among them He must haue knowledge of the waies passages through Countries and choose the best waye least meeting with an Ennemie lying in Ambuscado vpon a march he maye giue him a blowe Therefore he must alwaies haue his minde buyssied vpon the motions of his Ennemie discovering from what part they maye annoye him be it either foote or horse in how many howers they can march vnto him by what passages they maye assault him to send out Scouts Spies to giue him true intelligence that he maye be provided for them against some suddaine attempt To giue encouragement to officers and souldiers in the day of battell to carrye themselves brauely to charge home and to finde out all advantages to breake and route their Ennemie He ought not onely to carry himselfe lovingly to the souldiers in hearing them willingly and assisting them in their necessities but also to punish offenders seuerely which will make him to be both feared loved and respected Of the Generall The Generall of the horse is one of the principall chiefs of an Armie who ought to be a Souldier of great experience and valour for the most part a personage discended of a noble familly Yea a man of a high spirit commaund for vnder his charge are the sinewes of the principall forces
with the Generall especially when any peece of service is to be done or in the day of Battell which concernes his charge where he may freely speake his opinion and give his advice touching matters of weight and importance and though his opinion may be good yet if the most voices be of the contrary opinion and that things in the execution thereof fall out ill and contrary to his owne opinion he ought neverthelesse to give way and yeeld to the plurality of voices and wholy obeying his Generall be readye to execute all his commands giving thereby to understand that the contrary opinion held by him in the Councell of Warre was neither for want of courage nor affection A Colonell also ought to give all respect love and obedience to the Generall of the Army the Lord Marshall and the Sariant Maiour generall of the Field as having charge from the Generall to give out orders as also to quarter and appoint alarme places the place of Battle for marching choosing of Guards and sending out of convoies Moreover the Colonell once every weeke may call together all his Captaines to enquire of all offences hapned in his Regiment and examine duely the nature and quality of such offences and to prepare the cause for a more short and easie heareing in a Marshall Court for all Colonels are to repair to a court of Warre as often as they shall be warned as an assistant to the Lord Marshall and the president of the Councill of warre for all causes that shall be questioned there belonging to the Iustice of the Army Finally in quartering or lodging if his Regiment consists of two devisions his quarter is in the devision that is betweene his two battaillons assigned for his Regiment because he may give best and speedy directions to the whole this shall be showne more particularly when we come to draw out the quarter for a Colonell and his Regiment Of the Sarjant Majour Generall of an Armie THe Office of a Sariant Maiour Generall of an Army is a place and charge of a high degree whose command is full of action and therefore he ought to be an able a wise a grave and able person experienced in the way of his profession He is to come to the Lord Generall or Lord Marshall for his orders and directions for all watches and Guards that are to be placed and upon the charge of a quarter or a remove he is to march with the Lord Generall or Marshall in the Avantguard after he hath seen the Troupes setled in the order of their march and to view well the places appointed him by the Generall or marshall for the placing of the Guards upon the very first Arrivall of the Troupes Having received the word and his orders from the Generall or the Marshall he gives them to the three Sariant Maiours of the Tercias called also the three Corporals of the Feild and they give both the word and orders to the Sariant Maiours of every particular Regiment He himselfe in the beginning of the night after the warning peece is gone off and that all guards are setled he is to visit them and gives order to the three sariant maiours or grand Corporals of the field which attend upon the Avantguard the Battell and the Reere at what time they or some chiefe Officer of the feild shall go the grand round and if he or they finde any thing amisse or any thing extraordinary discovered either when he goeth himselfe or one of the three Sariant Maiours of the Brigades or any other chiefe Office they are to give him an account of what they find amisse and he is to advertize the Lord Generall or marshall therewith In a day of Battell or any kind of skirmish or fight he is to receive his directions from the Lord Generall or Marshall and to see them duely executed Also in a day of Battell he hath the ordering and disposing of the devisions and battaillons according to that forme which the Generall shall command him and upon all occasions must be active and stirring up and downe to spye out all advantages which might offend an Enemy and wisely to foresee all disadvantages which might bring the Troupes into any disorder or confusion Moreover he is to be the chiefe Officer with the Quartermaster Generall which is to be at the Randevous for the disposing of the Troupes of Horse and foote as also by giving out orders for the providing them with ammunition and victuals And being arrived first at the Randevous he is to give the Lord Generall and the marshall of the feild to understand the state of the army that the Lord Generall thereupon may give him command and direction how in what manner the army is to be ordered and afterward gives order to the sarjant maiours of the Tercias and they to the Sarjant maiours of every regiment for the providing of ammunition victuals and all things necessary for the ordering of the mareh Hee ought to be well acquainted with those passages and wayes throw which the Army is to march and doth commonly march himselfe in the head of the avantgard having some light horse and fire-locks to attend him and to send out some troupes to discover the wayes and passages for the discovery and preventing of Ambushments having the Captaine of the pyoniers and his men to waite upon him and the quartermaster Generall for the making and explaining of wayes for the Army that they may not be surprized on a sudden and drawing neere unto the place of quartering or encamping he and the quartermaster Generall riding afore do view and choose out such ground and villages as may bee most commodious for the lodging and quartering of the Army To conclude he is to have absolute command over the three Sariant Maiours of the Brigades otherwise called the three grand Corporalls of the field who are to be his assistants and his mouth as he is the mouth of the Lord Generall or the Marshall and therefore hath a vigelant eye over all things and sees that the Generalls commands delivered to him be strictly kept and observed The office of the three Sarjant Majours of the Tercias otherwise called the three Corporals of the field THe States Army by order from his highnesse the Prince of Orange is commonly devided vpon a march into three Brigades or Tercias In French he is called Le Mareschal or Le Sarjant Majour de battaille and in English one of the great Corporalls of the field A Sariant Maiour then of a Tercia doth receive his order immediately from the Lord Generall himselfe or the Lord Marshall but most commonly from the Sarjant Majour Generall aboue mentioned To wit in what forme the Brigade or Tercia is to be ordered and how many regiments of foot and horse are to march under it and with what ordnance and baggage He assignes and shewes them the place where they are to draw out in battallie and receives order from the Sarjant Majour
of an Armie from whose magnanimity valour wiâ—edome procedes many times good successe when occasions are offred which are for the most part executed by the horse especially in the day of battell who charging in good order vpon an advantage maye happely rout an Ennemie and get the victorie wheras contrarie wise by the disorders of the horse it maye breed great confusion and losse of men The Generall of the horse ought to take perticular notice not onely of the Captaines and officers but also of every gentleman and souldier that carries themselves bravely in the face of their Ennemie and to honour and respect them in publick which will encourage others to do the like when occasion presente itselfe to advance them to military charges Contrariewise to punish Delinquents and such as doe not their endeavour in doing whereof he shall be honored loued feared and respected of all men last of all by his high commaund he giues commaund for the due exercising of his troupes and helps in them their necessities To conclude the proportion or grosse of the States horse answerable to their foote consists in eighty troupes of horse namely Curassiers Carrabins and Harquebusiers two Companies of Curassiers and two Companies of Harquebusiers being ioyned together according to his highnesse order make a battaillon or a Devision These also being formed ordered into ten Regiments maye be drawne as the foote are into three Brigades or Tercias making the Avantgard the Battle and the Reere as yow see them ranged in the first figure by observing their true distances What a goodly show it is to see these 80 troupes of Horse drawne into three brigades the Generall commanding in the head of the Avantgard the Commissarie Generall in the battell the Lieutenant Generall in the Reere being brauely mounted well armed with their skarfes and 160. Trumpetters sounding Tantara in honour of their prince and Countrie I leaue it to the report of those which have seene it Also of what excellent use service horse maye be off in the day of battell for the breaking of foote as also vpon execution for the cutting off of Convoyes gayning of passages and the beating in of an Ennemie salying out of a Towne beseiged I will leaue to the testimonie of historie and here wil I shutt vp this second part FINIS FIRST OF THE ORDERING AND FORMING of a Devision or a Battalion and then the forme of an Army of thirty thousand Horse and Foote raunged in Battell THe ordering of a Regiment according to his highnesse the Prince of Orange his coÌ„maÌ„d hath bin showne already in the first part of this book namely that CoÌ„panies being made into even files ten deepe foure or fiue Comapnies ioyned together make a division to wit the Pikes are drawne first into one bodie and then the Muskettiers into an other standing in their true distance of three foote in file Ranke and 18 foote distance betweene the Pikes the Muskettiers this is the first order The second is wheÌ„ the Muskettiers are equally devided as neere as may be and drawne vp on the right and left flankes of the Pikes there to giue fire by Rankes or to march away as these two first figures marked with number 1 and 2 doe shew Now the fittest number of men to make a devision of is accounted to be 500. Pikes Musketteires that is 25 files of Pikes and 25 files of Musketteires or more or lesse of the one or of the other as they fall out This number being so embattailed makes an Agile bodie the best to be brought to fight and two of them being ioyned neere one an other can best second and releiue each other better theÌ„ your great Phalanges which are unweeldy bodies the experience whereof was seene in the Battell of Nieuport for being once broken routed they can hardly be reallyed againe and cannot bring so many men to Fight as the Lesser Bodies doe Many of these Devisions being drawne together make a Tercia or one of the third parts of an Armie and three of them the whole For all the Officers and Souldiers of an Army are devided into three parts called Brigadoes or Tercias each of them having a severall name to witt the Vantguard the Battell the Reereguard Now that Tercia which is to march first is called the Vantguard that which marches in the midst the Battaille and that which comes vp last the Reere Everie one of them vpon a march every day takeing their turnes interchangeably for the second day of the march the Battaile becomes the Vantguard and the Reere the second day hath the Battaile and the third day the Tercia which had the Reere the first day is the Vantguard Moreover each Tercia may likewise be subdivided into a Vantguard a Battaille a Reere to the end each of them with the more convenience may be orderly brought to fight and by that Cheife which commaunds them Therefore the Battaill one of the Tercias of the Army being placed in the midst that of the Vantguard may be drawne on the right and the Reere on the left flanke of the Battaille Now the number of the devisions which each of these Tercias haue are ordered and devided after this manner two devisions before two in the midst and two behind standing aboue as you may see in some of the figures of the Battells following having six or 7 devisions placed in everie Tercia The seventh being vneven is placed as a Reserve behind the Reere to second the others in time of neede The first devisions of the Tercias standing in a right line are to give the first charge according to the order of their March The second devisions standing likewise in a right line makes likewise the second troupes and the third part of the Battaile Now these devisions are also ordered and ioyned that if the first should be overcharged and come to give ground then the second are to come vp and to releiue the first yet in such a distance as they may not hinder one an other in marching by them but finde place to come vp betwixt the first The third devisions are to be placed directly behind the second in a distance twise as as the second is from the first that if it should happen that the first division should stand behind the second that then the third might have roome enough to put it self into good order The Horse Troupes are commonly ordered the one halfe on the right the other halfe on the left flanke of the divisions and Battaillons of foote as the first figure of an Armie demonstrates And sometimes there may be Battaillions of Horse interlaced and placed betwixt the intervals and distances of the Foote as the ground and necessity may require For if an Enemies Horse should be ranged betweene his Battaillions of foote it is needefull then that the other side should observe the fame forme likewise and have horse to encounter horse least they
you consider well many new invented Bridges made with great skill and industry yet neverthelesse they serve for little or no use But your bridges made with flaggs or bulrushes are nothing so chargeable and yet neverthelesse of great use we will shew here in few words how they are and in what manner to be made The matter whereof they are made are called in Dutch Biesen in French a Ionc in Latine Iuncus and in English a Bulrush This rush groweth in Rivers waters Brookes some foure five or six foot high and is commonly found in brook pits Marras and wet places especially by Rivers sides whereof also many times houses are tharcht The nature of this bulrush is to float above the water and are used being bound up in a bundle when boyes learnes first to swimme putting them under their arme-pits This Bridge above mentioned is made with this rush after this manner following when they are ripe and growne to their length then they must be plucked up and well dried and when you would make such a Bridge you must bind up these Bullrushes in round bundles or foure square whereof the sides must be some ten inches broad and about foure or five foot long Now having got good store of them one makes a hurdle of them enterlaced with small wit hs 5 foot broad and 7. or 8. foot long Vpon this hurdle one layes and binds in order the bundles one after an other and afterward one takes two long stakes a little greater then a pike which is fastened to the hurdle drawing and binding these bundles fast one to another which are likewise bound with canvas at the end of the hurdles one fastens at both ends two or three rings made with wit hs , to joyne and fasten the joynctures of this bridge together These kind of Bridges are of excellent use in Seiges chiefely in places where one is resolved to take in a worke upon a suddain enterprise and would not be at the charge of making a Gallery When one is resolved to take in such a work those which are appointed to force it being well armed as is requisite being come to the brink of the moate by the meanes of the Approches which are brought thether they send out before some venterous Souldiers which carrying this bridge launces it into the water and joynes the peeces together withall expedition and while the musketteirs gives fire as fast as ever they can till they have laid it over the bredth of the moat and fastened it on the other side which being done the Souldiers goes over it and strives to enter by all meanes to take in the work as they are commanded But if there be any mine made ready they stay the putting over of the Bridge and the falling on till the mine be sprung for feare of breaking the Bridge and that it might spring backward When the beseiged are resolved to make a sally they may likewise make use of these kind of Bridges all other commodities and utilities necessity the mother of such like inventions will shew you Now for the better understanding of all things touching these bridges above described we have represented them in the figure 159. where you shall see how they are made fast on that side which is to come into the water But they are to weak where you are to put over a broad moat such as are before Townes and Royall Forts over which one must passe before they can come to the Wall for these serve onely for some suddaine peece of service and therefore it is needfull to make use of some other invention called a Gallery which is of excellent use though chargeable and which we will handle in the next chapter following OF GALLERIES THE SEVENTH CHAPTER VEgecius in the 16. chapter of his fourth book describeth a certain kind of work which the Ancients called Vinea and saith it was a work made of plancks ioyned together some eight foot high seven foot broad and sixteen foot long the roofe or toppe whereof was covered with boards and hurdles interlaced together and the sides with Boughes in such wise that it could not be spoyled with stones over which also was laid thick Oxen hydes newly killed or coverlids of hair cloth to keepe them from firing whence it hapneth that we make use of such coverings in our moderne warres for to hinder the force and violence of Gun-powder because they are not so easily spoyled by fire as hath bin said above and these workes being in a readinesse one makes use of them to their advantage When they have made good store of them then they joyne and fasten them together and the Beseigers being blinded and covered under them begin their approches to the walâ— and sapp under the foundation of them to make them fall There is no work which resembles more rightly this invention of the Ancients then our moderne Galleries The preparation the use the height the breadth are almost all alike and do agree so together in all things that we must needs confesse our Gallery is no new invention but was in use among the Ancients and which of late yeares hath bin renewed again For if one considers neerly their structure the Vinea of the Ancients was made with timber and plancks and our Galleries for the most part are made with postes and plancks joyned together That had also posts to rest upon for its foundation and this hath also great posts to beare up the weight of the whole work The sides of the Ancients Vinea was fortified against the force of the Balists because they were laid with hurdles and boughs wreathed together but our Galleries are covered with plancks and earth cast upon them so that they cannot be spoyled by Canon The Vineas were kept from firing by the helpe of Oxehides wherewith they were covered and the sides of our Galleries have earth cast about them that fire-works may do them no harme These Vineas served to come to the wall to sapp it but our Galleries are brought to the Basis and Barme of a Rampart to make a mine in a Bulwarke and so to blow it up The hight and breadth of the one and the other do not differ much but it seemes the length is differing though in effect it differs not much For the Vinea the joynts of them being fastned one to another were reasonable long but our Galleries are set up with plancks and posts and as it were makes but one peece joyned together Whence it appeareth that our Gallery is not wholy a new invention but hath been in use of old though in some things it is altered and changed We will now take it in hand and shew after what manner it must be made with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging When an aproach then is brought so far where a Sap is to begin not far from the Town or Fortresse beseiged and that one is sapped to the Counterscharfe then one sees how a Gallery may be put over
purpose Now you must pierce and pull out these loggs by such wayes and meanes as is known unto Miners for the makeing of a way and a chamber to lay your Gunpowder in When you are assured that you cannot digge no deeper but that shall come to water then you must raise your Mine a little higher to the end the powder may lie drie in it The Miners then beginning to break into the wall do carry their Mine so close and secret as possible may be that the Besieged may not heare any noise or gather any notise where the mine is made and how it runs for if they doe without all question they will make a Counter-mine to discover and spoile your Mine begun so that you shall be driven to begin a new one in another place as hath happened many times The heighth and the bredth of the Mine must be made in such a manner as you may onely lay in the Barrels of powder for it ought to be no higher nor no broader because your intentiō is but onely to chamber your powder in it and therefore it must needs be so high as a man and no higher but that a man may onely work in that upon his kneés and that he stoops lower when he goes to lay the Powder into its chamber The heighth then must be but 4 or 4 foot and a half high at the most and the bredth but 3 and a half or foure foot according to vvhich measures the props and the planks are framed vvherevvith you are to underprop the Mine When you begin to mine into a Rampard or Bulwark you take out the earth and carry it away in a vessell or a pall of leather which is light in handing it one to another till it be brought out of the hole or entrance out of the Mine and laid in the Gallerie to the end the Enemy may not see it and gesse where abouts your Mine is The Master-miner which hath the conducting of the Mine ought to be a man of great experience how he ought to carry it lest he be mistaken and so make it in a place where he ought not to make it Therefore he must have knowledge of a Compasse and how the needle stands that he may carry his Mine aright He ought also to have skill in Geometry to the end he may know of what heighth he must carry his Mine according to the proportion of the Rampart The nearer he comes unto the place where he is to make his Chamber the narrower ought the way of the mine to be in such sort that it must be no broader or higher at the entrance into the Chamber but that a Barrell of powder may scarcely passe through the way for the straighter and the narrower the passage is into the Chamber the easier the Mine is stopt The place where the Chamber is ought to be so made that the powder doth not break neither the one nor the other side but that it may blow the earth upward Neverthelesse sometimes the Miners are commanded to make their Mine so as it may blow the earth into the Fortresse or else without which may be done if they make that side which is to be blown up not so thick as the other for the nature of powder is such that it maketh the greatest operation alwaies towards the weakest place and though it blows it up ordinarily yet commonly it searcheth most often the place where it may break out soonest in to the ayre which appeareth both in your Canon and Muskets The bignesse of the Chamber is divers for it must be made according to the greatnesse and proportion of the wall or Rampard neverthelesse one must observe that it be made as narrow as possible may be and yet must have room enough to lay the Barrels of powder into it the ordinary heighth is some six or seven foot and the bredth foure or five foot When the Chamber is ready then you lay in your Barrels the number whereof cannot be so precisely discribed For one Rampard is greater then an other in so much that a greater quantity of powder is requisite more for one place then an other The common opinion is that a Barrel of powder will blow up a rod or twelue foot of Earth The Barrels are laid in such order that in the twinckling of an Eye they take fire all at one time which causeth a greater operation then if one Barrell should be blowne up one after another After that your powder is chambred the with all expedition you must stop the entrance into the chamber with thick and strong planckes and stopp it hard and ramme it in with good Earth and leaue a little hole or traine to lay some powder in it which traine is carried to the very end of the mine and stops up the passage of it with firkins of Earth that the aire may neither come in or out For the stronger the Mine is stopt it will take the greater effect All things then being in a readinesse it is left so till one is commaunded to give fire to it In the 163 figure is represented unto you a myne marked A B C D E is the way upon the Bulwark E is the entrance into the chamber F G H and I is the chamber it self wherein the powder is laid Here a question might be moued whether mines ought to be carried with right lines or crooked The answer is that mines which are carried in a right line are sooner made but because they take not so good effect the other are to be preferred before them which are made with oblique lines For the windings and the turnings of them adds strength unto them that the powder hath not so much force to break the stopping Now suppose that it should break the stopping D E the rest therefore is not broken because the force of the powder is kept in by the Earth marked D and driven back to blow upwards or finding no vent to turne back againe where it vvas laid But in a right line vvhen the povvder breakes the stopping the effect thereof is hindred and deminished for it is certaine that the stopping which is made nevvly is not so firme as the old setled Earth vvhich hath lain a long time in it OF COVNTER-MINES THE NINTH CHAPTER WHere there is an Offensiue Warre there is also a Defensiue as appeareth by mines for the Beseiged having discouvered them vvhich one hath prepared for them and that there is no hope left but vvaiting for the Springing of an Enemies myne in their Rampard and to giue them an assault then they are to stand upon their defence and beginn to make mines also vvhich they eyther doe to offend an Enemy or to defend themselues by them Therefore vvee must understand here three kinds of mines to vvit the vvorkes vvhich are made to finde out an Enemies mine 2 The Countermines vvhich are made to spoyle an Enemies mine 3 the cutting off of a Bulvvarke or a Rampard