Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
order_n file_n rank_n rear_n 3,614 5 12.9097 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A04069 A new inuention of shooting fire-shafts in long-bowes VVherein, besides the maner of making them, there is contained a briefe discourse of the vsefulnesse of them in our moderne warres, by sea and land. Published by a true patriot for the common good of his native countrey of England. 1628 (1628) STC 14127; ESTC S119306 7,308 18

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

too hazzardous where the liues of men and honor of the field are layed at stake if the fire-shafts I speak of flee but tweluescore yards and I know by some good proofe that they will flee more than fourteen from any practis'd arme of common strength the Archiers may be placed behind foure ranks of Corslets as many as at once can charge their Pikes to purpose and from thence without impediment to any of their own either Pikes or Musquettiers performe as much as hath been said before And if the store an Archier beares about him will not suffice to maintaine the fight throughout one horse for euery hundred bowmen will beare munition as much as will serue the turne and when all failes they haue their Pike Head-piece to defend themselues for these a man may march withall besides his bowe and arrowes very easily Now because I am fallen into discourse of arranging men in squadron I may without detracting from any authorised discipline or from the more approued customes of our graduated martialists for I will propound it but in case that long bowes be receiued in stead of Corslets shew how in my opinion the Musquettiers may most commodiously shift station in a skirmish and open place for ranks that follow consequently for the whole body Bows aswell as Musquettiers to giue or gaine ground on an enemy insensibly And that I may be the better vnderstood I will expresse my selfe by a supposed mannuple of thirty Musquettiers fiue in file and fixe in front the formost ranke whereof hauing discharged shall seuer it selfe by three in file on either flanque so leauing space voide for the next succeeding ranke to aduance in euen front with the former of those files where they likewise hauing discharged their musquets shall file themselues on either flanque as did the first leauing like open way for them that follow to draw forward By which order of succession the first ranke will haue leasure to charge again resume his former place without retiring to the reare of all as usually they do and as indeed is requisite when they will giue ground for then the first ranke hauing discharged may turne away three on each flanque vnto the reare there rally themselues the rest each after other doing the like and taking place behind till the whole ground wheron they first began to skirmish be left voide and the way left free againe for the formost ranke without aduancing to discharge anew This I think sufficient to explaine my meaning I will therefore now proceed to shew the benefit of fire-shafts for a fortresse where they seem to mee incomparably vsefull as well within as without for they may be shot from behind a brest of defence without discouering any part of our body to the enemy No enemy can so shelter himselfe in his approches but that these fire-shafts may fall vpon him They will put to great trouble and hazzard the Cannoniers that plye the Artillery on batteries where bullets cannot hit them They will serue to set on fire the enemies tents and cabening And the blaze of them in the night will in all likelihood make such discouery that Musquettiers standing ready to leuell where they fall may aime at the enemy as by day keep perdues engeniers workmen and those that watch by night in such continuall awe as will greatly hinder if not wholly driue them from their watch and labour Yea with reason it may be thought they will facilitate all attempts by night for the eie of enemie will be so dazelled and his body so clearely discerned by the multitudes of them that men may boldly assaile an enemy by night and safely make retrait in all occasions Manie other and indeed indeterminable are the vses that by coniecture may be drawne from such like arrowes shot out of the long-bowe both by sea and land in particular to depriue an enemy of the vse of his sailes at a great distance for the canuas will take fire like tinder and vanish by enforcement of the winde in sudden flame if any arrow fasten in it as among many some assuredly will do I may therefore say that as other parts of that munition which hath been patternd out from heauen in former times haue in this latter age beene neerly resembled by ordinarie meanes on earth with great effect as thundring hailestones by shooting bullets and making whole townes brimstone salt and burning like the ouerthrow of the foure cities by mynes of powder consisting of brimstone salt-peeter and burnt coale so this newer imitation of sharpe arrowes with coales of Iuniper and of mingling hailestones with coales of fire both which wee reade of may be found in the practice for ease and variety of vse to be of great importance and in that opinion I recommend it to the welfare of my Country whose peculiar weapon of aduantage it will be at least for to supply our want of Horse which we neither can transport to forraine employment in conuenient numbers nor are by nature so enclin'd to tend with art and industry as other of our neighbours doe Sapienter idem How to make and shoote Fire-shafts out of the Long-bowe LEt the Fire-shafts haue one end feathered and shaped after the manner of an ordinary arrow and the other end fitted with a pipe of latten ten inched long or more at discretion a bearded head of iron fast glued into it with a socket of wood a touch-hole made close by it with some little reuerse to stop the arrow from piercing so deepe into a mans cloaths the flanques of a horse or other marke of easie passage as to choake the fire The shaft may be made fast within the pipe if men so please with hard waxe which melting as the pipe groweth hote will make it very difficult to draw the arrow from where it lights Arrowes to make a blaze by night as also those that are to shoote into the sailes of a ship or an enemies tent must haue the touch-hole within an inch of the shaft and the reuerse a little aboue the touch-hole to stay the arrow while the marke takes fire The pipe must be filled with this mixture bruised very smal hard ram'd in Gunpowder salt-peeter a like proportion brimstone halfe so much with some small quantity of camphir if men please to make it operate more strongly where the mark is wet If the mixture burne too quicke adde brimstone if too slowe adde powder To stop the touch-hole that the mixture runne not forth to take fire when you meane to shoote seeth cotten-candlewicke in vineger and gunpowder bruised very small and when it is throughly soaked and well dryed take a small quantity rolled a little in the former mixture and stop the touch-hole therewith The Fire-shaft being made and filled in this manner take the Bowe with a match well lighted into your left hand after the manner of Musquettiers then hold the Arrow ready nocked in the Bowe after the manner of Archers Lastly give fire returne your match and deliuer the Arrow