Section 68

The fame*,
Take Maftick one part 5 Frankincenfe t wo ,G rains of Vernifli,Brimflone,Camphire, Gun-powder , of each three pares ; of Colophonia fix , Salt-Peter refined nine : pown them all together , and fift them ; onely pown the Catnphire mingled with the Salt ; for that onely will not be powdered : ftrew them all about upon an ear- then dull with a large mouth, and fprinkle them with Naphtha , or Vemifh, or Lin- feed Oyl, and mingle them with your hands. Take out part of the Powder, and put it inco a hollow Cane, and try it, whether it will burn to your minde ; and if it burn too weak, put in more Gun-powder • if too vehemently, more Colophonia : always trying if it be as it fhould be. For to thefc Competitions, we add the fame things to blunt the vehement burning of the Salt-Peter and the Gun-powder. Thee make Coffins of Canvas , like Balls , and fill them with your Compofition , and Huff it in well, and binde them well with cords round about. Then melt Brimrtone , and let there be bit one fourth part of Gun-powder: ftir them together with a wooden Akk, and lute the Ball over with that liquor, that it may be well fenced and crafted. Then with a wooden prick make a hole in it in the middle to the Centre , and fill that with powder $ and fo put in fire , and it will burn underwater : it may alio be (hot forth of brafs Engines. I will fhew you how to make
Balls and Pots to be cafi forth of Ships*
The Ancients write, That Alexander the Great found out this Competition of Fire?, to burn Bridges, Gates, Ships, and the like a but it will work new more vehement- ly, by reaton of the Gun-powder added. Take Gun-powder, Salt-Peter, Brimftone, Pitch, Pine-Tree- Gum, Vernifh in Grains, Frankincenfe, of each alike ; Camphire one half: beat all the(e,and mingle them. Then take Oyl of Peter, liquid Vernifh, Rofioous Turpentine, equal parts ; and with thefc, being liquid, mingle all together, and fill Pots with them, to be cart among Ships and enemies : or, if yon make a Bali of thefe, binde it hard about the head of a hammer, whole (hat p-tooth'd end maft be a foot long, and the handle three foot. If at a Sea-fight, any one with a light Boat ftrike this into a Ship of the enemies with one blow, he (hall raife a mighty fire, that neither water nor any other thing will put out.
Chap. VII*
How Balls are made of Met sis that wiU cafi forth fire and Iron wedges*
I Shall fhew you how to make brittle Balls of Metal , that being filled with Gun- powder, and all the places of vent ftopt, with the violence of the flame will flie into many pieces, and ttrike through thofe they meet with , and on all fides they will pierce through thofe who are not onely unarmed but armed men ; and thefe are to be ufed in befieging of Cities : for cart amongft multitudes, they will wound abun- dance. The danger is feen among Herds of Cattle. Make then
B Jills that will cafi pieces of Iron 4 great way off. Let a Ball of Metal be made a hand-breadth diameter, half a finger thick : the Metal is made of Brafs three parts, Tin one part, to make it fo brittle,that by force of fire it may flie in (mail pieces. To make the Ball more eafily, make it of two half circles , for the charge is the lefs , and let them joy n together like a box , or let them fcrew one within another : let it be equally thick , that it may break in all parts alike. Then with a Nail drove through the middle , let it be fattened the better together, a finger thick , that it may break in all parts before it do in the joynt*. Then make a little Pipe as big as a finger , and as long as ones hand , that it may come to the Centre of the Ball , and fo (lick forth beyond the Superficies , like s fyrarais , the Bafis outward , the Point inward t fodder it fart to the Ba.lL
Of Artificial Fires. i$y
The nail , as 1 faid , muftccmeforth on both fides; and to thisfaften wires, that runs through iron piles , that have a large hole through them , thac every wire may have thirty of them } that when the ball is broken by force of the fire, the wires of iron may break alfo, and the piles of iron may be thrown about, a great way, with fuch force, that they may feem to be fhot forth of Guns and Ordnance. Laftly, let the Ball be filled with the beft Gunpowder onely , but the pipe with that mixture that burns more gently , that when fire is put to it , you may hold it fo long in your, hand , until that flow compofition may come to the centre } and then throw ir a- mongtt the enemies , for it will break in a thoufand pieces ; and the iron wires and pieces of iron, and pares of the Ball will fly far, and ftrikc fo violently, that they will go into planks or a wall a hand depth: Thefe arc caft in by Souldiers, when Cities arc befiged , for one may wound two hundred men : and then it is worfe to wound then to kill them, as experience in wars fhews. But when you wiil fill the pipes , hold one in your hand without a Ball , full of the compofition, and try it how long it will burn , that you may learn to know the time to cart them , left you kill your felf and your friends. I (hall teach you how with the lame Balls
Troops of Horsemen may be put into confn^on- There are made fome of thefe forts of Balls, that are greater, about a foot in bignefss bound with the fame wire, but fuller of iron piles, namely with a thoufand of them* Thefe are caft amongft Troops of Horfetnen, or into Cities befieged , orintofhips with flings , or iron guns, which they call Petrels ; and divers ways : for if they be armed with iron pieces, when they break they are caft forth fo with the violence of the fire, that they will ftrike through armed men andhorfes, and fo fright the hor- ies with a huge noife , that they cannot be ruled by bridle nor fpurs , but will break their ranks. They have four holes made through them , and they are filled with this faid mixture , that being fired they may be caft amongft Troops of Horfemen j and they will caft their flames fo fir with a noife and cracking , chat the flames will fcemjikc to thunder and lightning.
Chap. VIII.
How in plain greund^nd under waters, mines maj be frefeutly digged.
TO dig Mines to overthrow Cities and Forts , there is required great colt, time, and pains, and they can hardly be made but the enemy will difcover it : I fhall (hew how to make them in that champion ground, where both armies are to meet, with little labour, and in rbort time.
To make Mines in plain grounds where the tArmies are to meet. If you would do this in fight of the enemy (for they know not what you do) I (hall firft teach how. A little before night , or in the twilight , where the meeting fhall be, or paflage, or ftanding, there may pits be made of three foot depth, and the one pit may be diftant from the other about ten foot: There fit your Balls about a foot in bignefs , that you may fill the whole plain with them ; then dig trenches from one to the other , that through them cotton matches may pafs well through earthen pipes, or hollow cases ; but fire the Balls at three or four places : then bu- ry them , and make the ground even , leaving a fpace to give fire to them all at once^ Then at the time of war , when the enemy ftands upon the ground , then remove at your pleafure , or counterfeit that you fly from them ; and caft in fire at the open place, and the whole ground will prefently burn with fire, and make a cruel and terrible ilaughtcr amongft them ; for you (hall fee their limbs fly into the air, and others fall dead pierced through, burnt with the horrible flames thereof , that fcarce one man (hall fcape. Ycu fhall make ycur Match thus : In a new Tcft let the beft jlquaviu boyl with gunpowder, till it grow thick, and be like pap • put your mat- ches into ir, and role them in the mixture: take the Tcft from the fire, and ftxew ob as much gunpowder as they will receive, and fettbem to dry in the Sun: puc
§ f this
298 Natural Magic k. cBoof^ u.
this into a hollow cane, and fill it full of gunpowder : or take one part refined falt- pctcr, brimftone half as much, and let ic boy I in a Dew earchenpot, withoylof linleed : put in your Match, and wet them well all over with that liquor , take them away and dry them in the Sun. But if ycu will make
tjfrlines under the Water y
ofe this rare invention: Yon (hall make your Mines where the enemies Galleys or Ships come to ride ; ycu ftviil upon a plain place fit many beams, or pieces of tim- ber, faftned crofs-wiO, and thruftthrough, or like nets ; according to the quantity in the divifions,youfhall niake ftp circles of wood, and fatten them, and fill them with gunpowder ;the beams mutt be made hollow, and be filled with match and powder, that you may fet fire to the round circles : with great diligence and cunning, fmeer over the circles and the beams with pitch , and cover them well with it , that the water may not enter , and the powder take wet ( for fo your labour will be loft) and you tnuft leave a place to pur fire in ; then fink yonr engine with weights to the bot- tom of the wtrer , and cover it with ftones , mud and weeds , a little before the enemy come. Let a Scout keep watch , that when their Ships or Galleys ride over the place , that the fnare is laid ; for fire being put to it , the fea will part, and be caft up into the air, and drown'd the Ships, or will tear them in a thoufand pieces, that there is nothing more wonderful to be feed or done. I have tried this in wa- ters and ponds, and it performed more then I imagined it would.
Chap. IX. What things Are good to extinguish the fire,
I Have fpoken of kindling fires, but now I fhall (hew how to quench them « and by the way, what things obnoxious to the fire , will endure it and remain. But firlt I will relate what our Anceftours have left concerning this bufinefs. VmuvUu faith, That the Larch-rree-wood will not burn, or kindle by it felf , but like a Hone in the furnace , will make no coles , but bum very flow ly. He faith thcreafonis, That there is in it very little air or fire , but much-water and earth, and that it is very folid , and hath no pores that the fire can enter at. He relates how this is known. When C&fetr commanded the Citizens about the Alps , to bring him in provifion, thofe that were fecure in a Caftie of wood , refufed to obey his commands : Cafar bade make bundles of wood, and to light torches, and laythefe to the Cattle : when the matter tockfire, the flame flew exceeding high, and he fuppofed the Caftie would h*ve fallen down ; but when all was burnt , the Caftie was not touched. Whence /V/jy writes, The Larch-tree will neither burn to coles,nor is otherwife con- fumed by fire, tbentfones are. But ibis ismoft falfe: For feeing it is rofiny and oyly, it prefendy takes fire and burns;and being one fired,is hard to put cut. Where- fore I admire , that this error fhould Ipread fo far, and that the Town Larignum, fo called from the abundance of Larch-wood , compaffed about with fire, fhould mffet no hurt. Moreover. I read that liquid Alom, as the Ancients report , will ftand out againft fire : For wood fmecred with Alom, and Verdigrcafe, whether they be pofis or beam*, fo they have a cruft made about them , will not bunvwith fire. Archt- lau* the General , for Mithridates made trial of it in a wooden Tower againft Syll*) which he attempted in vain to fet on fire : which I find oblerved by Quadrtg*rimr in his Annals. But this liquid Alom is yet unknown to many learned men : cor Alum wants this property. But many fay, that vinegar prevails againft fire. Plu- tarch fakh,T hat nothing will feoner quench fire then vineganfor of all things, it moft puts our the flame, by its extreamity of cold. TolUnu* reports, AtkenaUs, when he wa^befieged by his enemies , poured our of bra7 en veffels, melted lead upon the tngincs, that were fet tofcale the place >and by this were the engines diffoived ;but the enemies poured vinegar upon it, and by that they quenched tbe lead, and all things elfethat fell from the walls: and fo they found vinegar to be the fitteft. to qtlench fire, and an excellent experiment, if things be wet with it. T/ro/pray-
Of Artificial Fires. ipp
feth the white of an eggeto quench it, faying, that the white of an e»°e is fo flrong, that if wood be wet with ic, kwill not burn, nor yet any garment. Hieron, to cover fcaling engines, ufed the raw hides of bealls new killed , as having force to re- fill fire j and thejoyntsof wood they fenced whh chalk, or with allies tempered with blood , or clay molded with hair or firaw, and (vith fea-weeds wet in vinegar j for fo they were (afe from fire. Carchedonim was the firtt that taught men to cover engins and rams, with green hides. I have heard by men of credit, that when houles were on fire, by a peculiar property, the menftruous clothes of a woman that had her courfes the firft time, caft over the planks, would prefemly put out the fire. Thick and mufcilaginous juyces are good againft fire, as of Marftv mallows. Therefore Al- bert™ writ not very abfurdly, that if a man anoint his hands with juyce of Marfh-mal- lows, the white of anegge and vinegar, withalom,
He may handle fire without hurt.
And it is a thing that hath much truth in it. But I think that quick-filver killed in vinegar, and the white of an cgge,and fmeercd oD,can prefcrve any thing from fire.
Chap. X. Of divers compofitions for fire.
T Shall fpeak of divers compofitions for fire to be nfed for divers ufcy. Bat men fay * lM. Grtcchm was Author of this invention.
7* mAke a fiery eompofition, that the Sun m*y kindle.
Itconfiftsof thefe things: Oyl of Rcfineus Turpentine, of Quick-filver (other wife then I (hewed in drilling) of Juniper, of Naphtha, Linfeed,Colophonia, Camphire ; let there be Pitch, Salt-peter, and Dncks-greafe, double to them all ; Aqn ned from all flegtn. Found them all, and mingle them ; put them up in a glazed vef- fel, and let them ferment two moneths in horfe-dung , always renewing the dung, and mingling them together. After the fet time , put it into a retort, and diftil it : thicken the liquor either with Pigeons-dung, finely lifted, or with gunpowder, that It may be like pap: Wood that is fmeercd over with this mixture, and fet in the fummerSun, will fire of itfelf. Pigeons-dung eafily takes fire by the Sunbeams, Galen reports, That in My (la, a part of Afia,a houfe was fo fet on fire. Pigeons-dung was caft forth , and touched a window that was neer ; as it came to touch the wood that was newly fmeered with rofin, when it was corrupted, and grew hot, and va- poured at Midfummer, by heat of the Sun, it fired the rofin , and the window ; theft other places fmeered with Rofin , took fire, and by degrees part of the houfe began to take hold j and when once the covering of the houfe began to flame, it foon laid hold of the whole houfe , becaufe it hath a mighty force to inflame all. Ducks- greafe is very prevalent in fire-works, and Phyfitians praife it extremely , that it is molt fubtile, penetrating and hot , k makes other things penetrate; and as it h moftfubtile and hot, foit takes fire vehemently, and burns. 1 fhallfhew how to difiil
A moft fc aiding Oyl.
When I would prepare the moft excellent compofitions of burning oyl, I diftilled common oyl in a retort , but with great labour ; yet what was diftilled was thin, combuftible, and ready to fire ; that once kindled , it was not to be put out ; and ic would draw the flame at a great diftance, and hardly let it go. But oyl of Linfeed is flronger than it . for if you diftil it often, it will have fuch a wonderful force to take fire, that it can hardly be fhut up in a veflel , but it will draw the fire to it: and the glafs being opened , it is fo thin, that it will fly into the Air ; and if the light of a candle, or of fire touch it, the Air takes fire, and the oyl fired by it, will caft the flame afar off, fo vehemently, that it is almoftimpoffibleto quench ir« It muftbe diftilled with great cunning, left the vcflcl over-heat , it fliould take fire within. Moreover,