The 33 Plate & 144. 145. Figures. BEfore wee come to speake of Approches, it is very necessarie, that one should gett an exact draught, as well of the interiour, as of the exteriour part of that towne, of fortresse, which one resolues to approach vnto, with all the markes, and observations, as namely, of hedges, wayes, hills, valleys, and the like, that ye maye know the better how to order and runne your approches. Ye ought not to break ground noe neerer at the first thē within a muskett shott, or at the furthest as farre as a harquebusse a Crock can reach, and (as I say) ye ought to beginne your tren¬ches, somewhat further off from the towne; if there be a commodious accesse from the quarter to the trenches, that when neede requires ye maye the sooner relieue, and second your men in the approches, if the Ennemie shall sallie, or fall out vpon them. For, when the place where you first breake ground is a great vvay from the quarter, it vvilbe disadvantagious vnto you, because ye must allwaies keepe in them a stronge gard, to repulse an Ennemy, and to beate them back when they shall fa [...]lout, and while your men are a makeing ready, and coming from the quarter, many good occasions maye be lost, before they cann be at hand. There¬fore you must haue a great care, and circumspection, where your trenches are to beginn, and where your quarter must be made, as neere to and as covertly from the towne as possibly maye bee, considering well, whither it were not better to quarter [Page 34]sometimes the more incommodiously, that ye maye beginn your approches in a place of most advantage, neere vnto the towne, or place, which ye are resolved to take in: then to choose a place more commodious for your quarter, that would be a hindrance to your dessigne, by reason of the great distance betweene that and the approches, or which maye lie too open to Canon shott, all which in my judge¬ment ought to be maturely considered, that your dessigne maye not be hindred or fore-slowed. The next thing is for you, to knowe the weakest part, and side of the towne, or place, vvhere you maye beginn your approches, and which place you intend to gaine. For, it is a great helpe, especially in places regular, to choose out the most advantagious place. If you should make a breach in a curtaine, betvveene tvvo bulwarks, ye shall finde it to be the retyredst place, the best to be defended, soonest cutt off, and the hardest for you to approch vnto, therefore would advise you, not to beginn there. And if it hath a tenaille, then ye haue lesse reason to make any attempt vpon that place, having a retyred angle, and so consequently the cutting of wilbe according to their vvish. But to approch to the angles of a Bulvvarke, vvhich are angles shooting out, being the exteriour parts of a tovvne, or fortresse wilbe the easiest for you to come vnto, and the hardest for them within to cutt off: seing the place is litle, and that the ramparts themselues maye giue some hin¬drance there vnto. The place thē being resolued on, a certaine nūber of souldiers (or Commaunded men) are choosen out of euery Regiment, and Companie to the number of 4, or 500 men, more or lesse, to goe downe in the night to breake ground, and to be¬ginn the approches. Also there must be placed a competent number of horse, and foote, to helpe to guard and defend these workemen, if an ennemy should sallie out vpon them. These commaunded men haue each of them ten stivers a night, or more as the danger of the worke shall require: they having men (as is said) in armes lying round about them, to defend them as appeareth by the numbers 20. 20: in the 145 figure. Then the Ingenier, who hath the ordering of the approches, setts these men out in a right (or a crooked) line placing three or foure men vpon every rod, and all in a file, in as right a line as possibly maye bee, takeing special care, that his men maye stand as much out of daunger of shott as is possible, vvhich is done also by the helpe of these gates, which lies about them in keeping their marches closse, that they maye not be discouvered by those of the towne. More ouer, they must laye out Sentinell perdues, before and round about them, which if they heare, or see any thing, maye giue the alarme silently before an Ennemie can fall vpon the workemen: For the alarme being once giuen, these gards are to draw vp, and helpe to defend the Workemen. But if they see that the Ennemie sallies out to stronge for them, these gards then maye drawe into these Corps de garde made pur¬posely for them, and withall the commaunded men must quitt their worke for that time, and bringe off their armes, spades, showells, and mattocks; but is hast and necessity constraines them, to defend themselues; then they must betake them¬selues to their armes, and cast away their materials, retyring softly (with the gards abouesaid) if they cannot make the place good, to the Corps de garde made first for their retreate. These workes ought to be stronge, and able to repulse and keepe out an ennemie, yea it often hapneth, that they vpon a disorderly retreate, into the towne maye be followed, and beaten back with the losse of many men, even to their very moate side, and that the Besiegers maye discouver the strength, or weaknesse of their vvorks, and spie out some advantages for them. The Ennemie being bea¬ten back, the commaunded men maye fall instantly to their vvorke againe, and [Page 35]being gott some 3 foote deepe, and casting vp the Earth towards the tovvne, they maye worke with the more safetie, and out of daunger. And for this reason euery souldier will make as much hast as possibly he can to gett into the ground for his owne preservation, and the Earth being cast vp thus out of holes, they maye after¬wards repaire it, and make thereof a large trench, and ditch, namely, (as is said) 3 foote broade, and 3 foote high, casting the Earth vpon the edg of the trench, and the next day maye make it 6 foote broad, and six foote high: for the larger the trench is, the higher ought the parapet to be; because othervvise, they might be discouvered by those of the towne, and so your men maye be the better vnder covert, and lie safer in the said approches. And because this cannot be done so exactly by night, fresh commaunded men are sent downe in the morning from the quarter to repaire, and enlarge the trenches, and if the trenches be so large, and so high, that one cannot well discover the fields round about them, then ye must make a foot-banke or two, for the muskettiers to come to the topp of the trench to giue fire over thē through muskett baskets, which is done mosttimes when a sapp is begunn: At the first entrance into the trenches, or approches, ye make a square worke, or two, called Redoubts, or a Corps de garde being distant one from an other some 40, or 50, rod, that in them ye maye keepe a stronge gard the daye following, and the Ingenier, who hath the mannaging of the approaches; maye so order & encourage his men, that the said Corps de garde maye be in defense before daye, to the end, that if the Ennemie should sallie out vpō the trenches, that from the same Corps de garde they maye be beaten back: the bredth of euerie side ought to be some 4, or 5, or at the most 6 rod, and the ditch broad & deepe as necessitie shall require. They ought to be made in my opinion in such a manner, that the two opposite an¬gles doe enfile the said thrench as appeareth by the Figure 117, Plate 29, and by the Corps de garde D E F, Figure 145. For then the said trenches will not onely lie open vnto it, but also one maye discouver the fields round about it. But if it be not found good to make them so, then the best way in my judgment vvere to make them out of the Trenches a rod and a halfe, or at most two rods distant from them: so that the said trenches ought to be betweene the towne, and the said Corps de garde: one of the sides must be paralell to the said trench that ye maye march by it in the night, both with men and waggons, and to draw vp the ordinance betvveene the said Corps de garde, and the Trench, and so the said Corps de garde will flanke the said trenches on that side where they lie most open as ye maye note by the Corps de garde in the 4, Figure, 145 & 33 Plate. After your commaunded men haue vvrought almost to the breake of the day, then they must be drawne off (without beating of a drumme) by a Sergant or the Quartermaster of a Regiment, and being returned to their quarter the Sergant shall deliver the note of the number of his men to the Quartermaster of his regiment, and the Quartermaster to the controuler of the works, vvho to that end comes to v [...]site the said worke and to see if there were as many men as was appointed, least there should be any fraude committed therein. Then the Controuler is to giue the Quartermaster his attestation for the worke men, or in his absence the Ingenier giues the said Certificate, and the Quartermaster brings it to the States, who giues an ordinance vpon it to the Treasurer, and so the Quartermaster receiues money for the workemen of euery companie, to wit, ten stivers, giues it to the Sergants & the Sergants to the souldiers of every company. The reparing of the trenches are made by the vndertakers (as wee haue said) for so much, or so much the rod, according as one desires to haue them large and spa¬tious, as some times 6, 8, foote, or more, as necessity requires. For oftentimes they [Page 36]must be so broad, that a waggon loaden vvith fagotts, Brush, or Gabions maye goe in them. The wages of euery souldier is then augmented some times to 15, 20, or 30. stivers a day, when there is evident daunger, as there is commonly, at last before one beginns to sapp: for the muskettiers playing continually vpō the points of the Trenches, where they imagine that the approches will run, kils many men: yea so that sometimes they are forced to giue ouer the worke, because many men are not able to worke in it, and being too hott, they putt in a resolute man or two, into the vvorke, promising to giue them more then ordinarie if they vvill hasten the worke, and this is considerable, whither this extraordinary expence be not profi¬table for the advancing of the approches, and gayning of time, then to spare a litle money and foreslow them: For experience hath many times taught vs: that expe¬dition in such cases hath wrought many great effects. When you are approched so neere your Ennemie, that by reason of their con¬tinuall shooting vpon your points ye cannot advance your trenches any further; then you must beginn your sapp, which ye shall runne, if it be possible, directly vpō the point or side of the Bulwarke, which ye intend to take in, as the point, I, & K, Figure 145, demonstrate. And because tvvo men at the most can but vvorke in them, these sapps are ordinarily taken on by some resolute souldiers for some 7, 8, yea or 12, gilders a rod, as the danger requireth: they first make the sap some 3 foote broad, and about 3. 4. 5. or 6 foote deepe according as the ground is, either high or lovve, then these vndertakers or others are to repaire the Sapps, and receiue for their paines 6. 7. or 8, gilders a rod, and so make it 6 foote broad, or thereabouts casting vp the Earth on both sides, that they maye be the better vnder covert, and the safer from the Ennemies shott. According to which we haue made the Figure 144, whereof P, Q, are two Bul¬warks. A is the beginning of the Approches, A, B, the first trench or line vvhere the workemen breake ground, carryed in such a manner towards the angle R. (in case the same line be lengthned and comes out of the Corps of the Fortresse) in the angle B is made a Corps de garde for the assurance of those, vvhich garde the trenches, as appeareth by the Figure 145 to the letter B. At C is made a line towards the angle S, which must be drawne in such a sorte, that if it be lengthned, it vvill fall on the outside of the Corps of the fortresse Q. vvhich is continued (as the said Figure demonstrated) to I, the parapet of the covert vvay, vvhere one beginns a mine to blowe vp the counterscharfe, that ye maye come to the brinke of the moate. From D, is drawne the line E, K, to assure one the better of the enclossure K, E, I, betweene K, E, & I, E (before ye come to peerce through with your sapp) ye ought to make the lines L, O, & F, M: that from these lines you maye giue fire vpon the Ennemies Muskettiers, setting along vpon these lines muskett basketts that ye maye play continually vpon the besieged, that vnder the favour thereof, you maye advance your sapps towards the faces R, T, & V, S, as the said Figures 144, & 145. shewes. If the Corps de garde be in some eminent places as they ought to be (if it be possibly) after ye are advanced to them, ye make a batterie vpon them, but if there be one peece of ground higher then another, that is more com¬modious, which ye may choose for your batteries, as wee haue done here in the Figures G, H, P, O, X, Z, Y, Figure 145. Figure 142. 143. WHen ye beginn your trenches of Approche, ye commonly make some batterie, that vnder the favour thereof your men maye worke forward with [Page 37]the more safety, and hinder the Ennemies from falling out, vvhich vvould much foreslow your works. Your Batteries then are made first in such a manner that they maye beate vpon the Parapet of the ramparts & Bulwarks of the towne, to dismount the ennemies ordinance, and for this reason you must raise your Batteries high according to the height of the ramparts, so that your Canon maye play freely about two foote lower, then the topp of the parapet, according to which, and in consideration of the distance, ye must raise your said batteries, takeing heed that your Canon be planted vpon a plaine superficies, and elevated some 13, degrees, when the distance is farre off: ye must not raise them so high as when the batteries are neere vnto the place: so that ye must either raise, or sinke them, as neede shall require. Ye make your batteries, and platformes according to the greatnesse, and number of your peeces: for a Demy-Canon, being shorter then a whole, of necessity the platforme of the one, must be longer, and deeper then the other, and seing a Canon being mounted vpon its Carriage, is some 16 or 18 foote longe; it is evident, that the batteries ought to be made for recoyling at the least 10, or 12 foote longer makeing together 28, or 30 foote: 12, or 15 of the first foote tovvards the parapet, must be vnderlayd with thick & stronge oken plancks and the other with hurdles, when ye haue not plancks enough: vpon the said batteries ye make a parapet 12, 16, or 20 foote thick or thereabouts, with port-holes for your canon as the Figure 143 demontrateth. Sometimes ye sett vp Gabions 6 foote high and 3 foote broad filled with Earth, for your ordinance to play out of, leaving a little space betvveene them, to putt out the mouth of your Canon, which space so soone as the Canon is discharged is presently stopped and blinded vvith a bundle of brush full of leaues, that the ennemie maye not discouver the port-holes, but when you make your batteries vpon the Counterscharfe, or vpon the brinke of the moate, then the port-holes assoone as your Cannon is sho [...] off, are shutt with doores of thick oken planks musket proofe, that the said port-holes maye not be seene. Sometimes ye sett onely Gabions vpon the parapets of Batteries which containe 7 foote in Dia¬meter, and 10 in heigth, yea oftentimes sett 3 rovves of them vpon he said parapet, which make in all 21 foote thick as appeareth by the Figure 149, & the 34, Plate, There are vsually made three sorts of Gabions, to wit, the ordinary of 6 foote high & 3 foote wide: the middle sized 7 foote high, and 5 wide, and the double Gabions 10 foote high, and seuen foote wide in the mouths, as appeareth by the Figures 146. 147. & 148. the platforme or bed, is a foote higher behinde then before, or by the parapet to the end the peeces maye not recoyle too farre, as also that with the more ease they maye be drawne vp towards their port-holes, and seing euery peece is broad at the Axeltree some 7 foote, ye must allow 5, or 6 foote for a space be¬tweene the Axeltrees of each peece one both sides & so haueing 4, 5, or 7. foote distance betweene them one maye the better come to the mouths of the peeces to lade them, for it is necessary to haue roome enough vnto both sides to come to them readily, that being discharged ye may draw them vp againe into their places. If the sides lye open, they must be blinded vvith a parapet of Earth or vvith Gabions; at the furthest ende of the batterie, ye must make a cellar or a place for your powder bullets & match and other necessaries, for the Conductour, which shall giue out the pouder, the bullets, with a gentleman of the ordinance, who shall giue order to the Canoniers, when and how often they shall shoote, and without whose knowledge, and Commaund they shall doe nothing: the amunition which is there must be covered, with horse skinns and haire cloth to prevent the danger of fyring, and to that end this hole is made in the Earth. The circuit of the batterie is oftentimes trenched about as the others in the approches are, but [Page 38]otherwise, vvhen an ennemie is not to be feared, onely is compassed about with match bound vp with stakes, that noe man vnwares or without leaue maye come within the compasse thereof. The entrance into the said batterie is made slooping, that one maye the better come vp, and goe downe, and chiefly that ye maye with the more ease draw vp the Canon into them. The Batteries must not be farre from the trenches, but that vpon all occasions they maye be seconded. According to which directions ye shall easely make all sorts of batteries, as for exemple: The Generall would haue you to make a batterie for foure peeces of Canon, ye must take for euerie peece at least 12 foote, in length: so that for the foure peeces ye must haue 48 foote, and then for the two vtmost peeces each 5 foote makes 10 foote, which with the 48 make in all 58 foote, vvhich shalbe the bredth of the said batterie for 4 peeces, excepting the Parapets & Taluds, vvhich oftentimes haue as much Talud, as heith, and sometimes the halfe, and for the depth, ye must take 28, or 30 foote, or thereabouts besides the Parapets and Ta¬luds, the first 12, or 15 foote are layd with Oaken plancks, and the other vvith hurdles, for whole Canon, (as we haue said) vvhich carrye a bullet of 48 pound weight, but some two foote lesse for the halfe Canon, and for other peeces accor¬dingly; The said plancks must be layd both at length and sidelings, and the hur¬dles along the peeces, as appeareth by the Figure 143, in which H is the ditch, G the edge, F the Talud, E the parapet, B the bedding of the plancks, C the Talud. The Figure 142 is the profile of the said batterie 8. 12 is the cellar, where the powder stands, which ought to be somewhat neerer the batterie then is marked here, and was made in the same time as the battery was, and the Earth which is cast vp out of it, is vsed to raize the said batterie: when ye haue not earth enough to make vp the batterie with all, then ye must digg round about it, as we haue said in this ex¬emple 143. But for a batterie, which is made vpon the brinke of a moate, it is not commonly so high, nor taketh vp such a great space, as this present batterie doth; because the ground will not afford it, and that they cannot soo well cover such places: so that one is constrained to entrench them more narrowly, vvithin the place to be the more secure vnder convert from the short of the besieged, which for¬beares not to offend, yee aswell by hand granadoes as otherwise. How to pierce through a Counterscharfe, and to make a Gallerie over a moate. The 34 Plate, and 150. 151. 152. & 153, Figures. WHen you are come with your sapp to the parapet of the covert way, then you must make batteries to beate dovvne the flancks, and the other places of defense of the Fortresse or towne, and vvithall ye beginn then to pierce into their counterscharfe: and for the better effectuating thereof, if it be high ye must make an entrance into it through a mine, so that your discent into the moate maye be made leuell with the Superficies of the water of the moate, which discent must goe downe slanting as F, L, & the Figure 150, G, H, I, K, is the furthest end of the mine, or the discent into the moate F, G, the height of the mine, being 6 foote or aboue, and some 5 foote broade, or some what more, that the Earth vvhich is taken out of it maye the more commodiously be carryed away, and that the more men maye march in front in it. Before ye gett in the ground at the entrance ye must vnder¬prop it with posts as the former F, G, H, shewes, vntill such time as ye are gott so deepe, that ye are vnder the Earth, and then for keeping the earth from falling [Page 39]downe, ye must driue in posts on both sides, and laye oaken plancks (which are not very broade crosse vpon them, continuing so as you advance your mine in keeping the Earth from tumbling downe: these posts and plancks must stand and joyne closse one to another as ye see represented by the Figures 150, & 153, Plate 34. In which F, G, H, is the entrance into the mine to descend into the moate. The 3 first posts (because ye are not yet entred much into the ground) are made in that manner as the Figure 152 demonstrates, the rest are sett in that forme, as the Figure 150 showes, in such sort that I, K, is the entrance into the Counterscharfe. If the ground lye lowe, and that ye cannot gett into the counterscharfe after the manner abouesaid, then ye must continue your sapp, to the brinke of the moate, and that ye maye keepe it from fyring, ye must cover it ouer with fyrre plancks and cast earth vpon it, that your men maye worke with the more safety and that ye maye hinder the besieged from casting in of granadoes, and other fire works, ye must place mus¬kettiers round about the approches, which if they perceiue the ennemie cast any fire workes from the rampart vpon it, they maye giue fire presently vpon them. Being gotten through the Counterscharfe and come to the edge of the moate: ye presently cast abundance of fagots, brush & earth into it, to fill it vp, and one or two of your resolutest men leaps into the moate to lay them right vpon the face of the Bulwarke, that as you fill vp the moate to come to the skirt of the Bulwarke so ye maye advance your gallery till you are over in setting your posts forward, and laying plancks over it and casting Earth vpon the gallerie, which must be 7 or 8 foote high, and 6, 7, or 8 foote broade for the larger it is so much the better and the more men maye march in Front in it: the posts, or supporters maye be sett some 5, or 6 foote distance one from an other, vvhich maye be plancked on the in side, and on the outside with oakē planks, and the posts being some 6 ynches thick, the gapps, or spaces betweene then, are filled with Earth, to resist the force or vio¬lence of canon, and aboue the gall [...]rie, as is said, ye cast vpon it a foote or halfe a foote of earth thick, and then spread it abroad with a fire-rake to keepe it from fy¬ring, which fire-rake is described in the 31 Plate, by the Figure A. The 151 Figure. WHen you haue putt over your gallerie (as we haue said) then you must be¬ginn to mine, as the place, and as the Assaillants shall finde it best, either vpon your right, or left hand, high or low, if the water hinder you not mining & wor¬keing in this manner following: The Earth which you digg out of the mine, must be carryed away in wheelebarrows through the gallerie whither you will. If you please you maye cast it into the water towards the angle of the Bulwarke, and so fill vp the moate with it, if it be not incommodious for you to carry it through the gallerie: But on the other side, ye must marke well the turnings of your mine, which maye occasion the Besieged to counter-mine, and so to hinder the dessigne of the Besiegers. For if they haue once discouvered, or mett with the mine of the Assailants, they must be forced to stopp it vp & to abandon it, and so beginn an¬other. The Countermines which are made in ramparts, or Bulvvarks vvhen a fortresse is new made, being some 5, or 6 foote high, and 3, or 4 foote broad, are of singular vse, which doe encircle the place, and from them ye maye heare the least noise that is made on the outside, and which way one workes, and by that meanes maye hinder them the better from myning. These mines are commonly made in the forme of a paralellograme or a long square, to wit, the chamber in which the pouder is layd, must be 4 or 5 foote high, [Page 40]and 3 or 4 foote broad, and in length answerable to the ponderosity or weight of the rampart, and according to the breach, which ye intend to make. If ye vvould blowe vp the rampart on the inside, you must peerce into it some 6, or 8 foote, and then ye must make your chamber, but onely 4 foote high, some 3 or 4 foote broad, and some 6 foote longe, according to the number of the barrells of pouder, which you meane to laye in it, and the greatnesse of the wall, vvhich you intend to blovv vp. The reason why the chamber is made here but onely 4 foote high, is to the end that the exhalation finding the least resistance towards the inside, forces it with the more violence and makes therein a greater shaking and breach to the ter¬rour, and hurt of the besieged: when ye would blow vp the vpper part of the ram¬part, thē you make your mine some what ascending vpwards: if the moate be very deepe, that your dessigne be not frustrate by reason of the water, for your better assurance, ye must make your chamber some 5, 6, or 7 foote high, to the intent that the exhalation maye breake vpwards according to the intention of the Master¬miner. But the entrance into the said chamber, as we haue said aboue, must be onely 4 foote high and 3 broad, to the end one maye the better stopp it, and hinder the exhalatiō from breaking out backward, towards the gallerie, which one ought deligently to prevent, in shunning those inconveniences and mischiefs, which of¬tentimes by such casualities haue hapned heretofore. Then having chambred your pouder, and noted well, that those within haue not discouvered it: you must stopp, and shutt vp your mine exceeding firme that it maye take the better effect. To doe this, the best way wilbe to stopp it at E, with two hughe plancks, just at the said entrance at E with great sparts of timber, and driving them into the Earth, as firmely as possibly may be. The chamber F G H I is 4 foote broad, and F G, & F, I, is sixe foote in length: Oftentimes the bredth is but 3 foote, that one maye be the better assured of the resistance of the posts and plancks. In one of the plancks, which stoppeth vp the entrance E into the mine, ye make a hole in it, to putt your traine through which runns from E, to B, that through it ye maye giue fire to the pouder in the said chamber: After these plancks ye damme vp your mine with good Earth, from E, to B: the turnings C D E, are made to delude the besieged, that they maye not finde out your mine by coun¬ter myning; but most often it runns right forward, or somewhat winding. The length of the chamber F, I, (which is here but sixe foote) is made as longe as neces¬sity requireth, but the bredth F G, is ordinarily noe more then 3, or 4, foote at the most: and to weaken the more the place which you intend to blow vp; me thinkes it would be good before ye spring your mine to digg some Holes in some corners that the exhalation may haue the better vent, and easie bursting out. Some are of the opinion that a barrell of pouder will blowe vp 12 foote of Earth, according to which ye may make the said chamber, and lay in as many barrils of pouder as you please, to the end you maye make your breach the larger & more spatious. But seing this is yet vnresolved, I will leaue the judgment thereof to those which haue more experience therein then my selfe. How one must be prepared against a Siege. The 35 Plate and 154 & 155. Figures. HAving succinctly spoken of Approches, Sapps, the descent into a moate, gal¬leries and mines: me thinks it will not be amisse now to treate of the prepara¬tions which must be made against a seige. [Page 41]If then one should be suddenly surprized: so that there is noe time to make any outworks, halfe moones, Horne works or other peeces of fortifications as well loose, as joyning to the wall, or place: one ought in my opinion (besides the care that ought to be takē for materials, amunition, and victualls (whereof I doe not in¬tend here to speake) one is to take speciall heede vpon what side of the towne or Fortresse the Ennemie will beginn and runne his approches, towards what Bulwark he makes them, on which side I would make some works to hinder an ennemie, as we shall declare in the 38 Plate & Figure 159. But if one be advertized of the Siege some time before, or that ye imagine, it wilbe good to provide such necessaries and to fortifie those places with a more capable defēse, which we intēd to speake of here¬after (according as ye shall finde the weaknesse of the place to require, & as time will permit you to doe it before ye be besieged) as well without the towne as within, to make good entrenchments & to provide munition, victualls, and men sufficient to defend that place, without the Towne, you must make Horneworks invented of late yeares, Halfmoones, traverses, and other works, all tending to hinder the Be¬siegers from getting into your moate, and to prolonge the siege with hopes of re¬liefe, seing experience hath taught vs, that when an Ennemy comes once to enter your moate, and to putt over his gallerie, that towne or place cannot long hould out: if you haue not made stronge workes, entrenchments, and cuttings off without (to giue an Ennemie his handfull, and to make them gaine your work [...] ynch by ynch) which notwithstanding are not of so good a resistance, as is your settled, firme, and solid rampart. These workes ought to be drawne out according to the greatnesse of the place, and the men which ye haue to man them. For, if ye haue many of those works, they will require a great many men to defend them so that if ye haue not men enough to keepe them, that labour and expence will be in vaine, and so an Ennemie maye soone become master of them. And seing in all obser¬vations, exemples are of great efficacie I haue thought good, and profitable to make you vnderstand my intention by representing vnto you the Plate of Gulich prepared against that siege, whereof the Bulwarks of the towne are marked by the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, the Castle, which is quadrangular by the Ciphers 6, 7, 8, 9. And seing the towne stands vpon a low ground, and the Castle vpon the side 6, 9, 8, vpon a higher ground: in all likelyhood the approches was to be begun on this side, as the Besiegers did in the yeare 1611, for which reason, and to hinder the Approches on that side, they made the angles 9. 8. and betweene them the Horneworks c, d, f, the Ravelins c, g, h, b, being not further assunder one from an other, but that from the curtaine one might defend the vtmost hornes c, d, f. But seing c, and f, are very narrow, to wit, onely some 24 rod, and shoote out farre from the bodie of the Fortresse: in my opinion they ought rather and it had beene much better to haue made the angles in the forme of the Raveline c, & f, and so haue quitted the said horne-works, because (as we haue said) they were too straight, and narrow, and to haue made them at g, or vpon the curtaine 6, 9, the Horneworks 1, and (also whither the Raveline b, could not haue defended the Raveline c, in the place of the angle of the Bulwark 8) and to haue made the hornworke q. vpon the cur¬taine [...], 8, and so might haue saved the Raveline a. And betweene the two Bulwarks of the towne 4, & 5, the Raveline r, & o, betweene 3, & 4, and so haue saved the en¬trenchment n, which runs out farre frō the angle 3, and is of noe great defense. The Raveline k, is made betweene the Bulwarks 2, & 3, to take away the entrenchment m, made in a Tenaille, but the sides being of a very small distance, & for this consi¬deratiō of litle vse, yea many times hurtfull as experience hath showne oftentimes. The reason why I make of the angles 8, and 9, the Ravelins, c, and f, in stead of the [Page 42]Horneworks, is, that the Horneworkes d, & i, might be the better defended, which wilbe reciprocaly defended from the said Horneworks, and will not be so farre distant from the body of the said fortresse. Those which are of an other opinion, maye follow their owne intention and experience, against whome I will not con¬tend acknowledging that experience strikes a great stroake in all occurrence, saving that I am onely permitted to giue advise therevpon. The said Horne works are made in bredth, and height as necessity requires and as they maye resist the forces of an Ennemie, and according to the time they haue to make them. For the first one makes a Rampart, or a parapet, some 12, 16, or 20, foote broade, 6 foote high, and a ditch of the same bredth of 12, 16, or 20 foote, and some 6 foote deepe. If one cares not for the expence and hath time, ye maye add to the former bredth 6, 8, 10, or 12 foote more, in enlarging also to so much the bredth of the ditch, and then the Rampart is made some 3. 4. 5. or 6 foote high, and vpon it also ye shall make a parapett of 6 foote high, with a foot-banck some 3 foote broad, and a foote high, the ditch is enlarged and deepned, according to the great¬nesse of the Rampart, and as wee haue taught in the Plates of our regular fortifi¬cation before: and the higher the Ramparts be, the entrenchments are the better covered: one maye make them the further from the place, to wit within a musket shott, so that there wilbe a better meanes for entrenching, and cuttings off, and to fors [...]ow and hinder an Ennemy from advancing his approches. The 38 Plate & 159 Figure. IF one hath not time to make these workes abouesaid, as when an Ennemy is neerer at hand, then one did expect: After ye haue observed well the place towards which the Assaillant makes his account to beginn his approches, as to¬wards these two Bulwarks, one might make litle ditches without them as A B C D, which are in the extention of the Capitals beginning in the Angles A, C, of the length of 600 foote, or thereabouts (to wit, that the vtmost end B, D, be not out of muskett shott) of the bredth of some 6 foote at the most, and 5 foote deepe without the parapet, the Earth being playned from the one part to the other, to the end that you maye not hinder the sight of the muskettiers, which you shall lodg in them, and in stead thereof vpon the edg of these shalbe sett small mus¬kett basketts filled with Earth, easie to be removed from one place to an other: It wilbe good for ones better security to hold there a Corps de garde, that if the enne¬mie seeke to beate them from thence, they maye be the more able to discharge their duties, whereby (in my opinion) the approches of the Besiegers maye be much hindred, & being so puzled they wilbe constrayned euery time to alter thier des-signes and so to beginn their approches againe a good way further off, and more crookedly, as towards B, D, to which being come they can gett noe advantage, seing they are enfiled with the angles of the Bulwarks: If they had time to make chests in them, or to make them in such a sort, that the Besiegers could not driue them out of them, it would be much better. Of Cuttings off, aswell generall, as particular. The 36 Plate & 156 Figure. IF an Ennemie be gott into the skirt of the Bulwarke g, h, and that one hath not time to cutt it off royally, & yet you are resolued to make him gayne the place [Page 43]foote by foote, you must make the cuttings off f, l, m, whereof n, o, p, is the ditch, makeing the angle of the Tenaille l, as much pointed as possible maye be, that the lines f, l, and l, m, maye be the better seene from one an other, carrying the outward edg of the ditch n, o, & p, as neere the skirt g, h as possibly maye be, that ye maye haue the ditch as large as maye be, to hinder the takeing away of the tenaille l. If the whole face be not ruined, but onely the angle of the Bulwarke r, one shall make the angle t, from the Tenaille s, t, u, (which in regard of the smallnesse of it wilbe better then the former) so that on the inside of the cutting off x, y, z, one maye haue space there to make the ditch as great and as deepe as maye bee: the entrance ought to be in the angle of the tenaille t. But seing that fortification is better, which hath two flancked, and flanking angles, ye must make the entrances in and out also double, to haue the same the more easie, and if time & occasion would permit, they may make in the angle t, two issues, which in my opinion might be made vpon the two sides s, t, and t, u, as neere the angle t, as one can: and ye must note by the waye, that the Bulwarke against our intention is made massie, and not hollow. The 38 Plate & 159 Figure. IF the two faces be wholly spoyld, as the Figure 159. demonstrateth, then I should thinke it good, to make the angles a, b, c, contayning the angle of the tenaille b, as litle as maye bee to gaine the better place of defense in makeing the ditch, as large and as deepe as is possible, as it is here marked out by the lines d, g, & e. When the Bulwark hath a Catt noted B, and that its angle h, is ruined, then one might so order the cuttings off l, m, n, o, & the ditch p. q. r. s▪ t, that the besiegers should be compelled to vndermine the Catt, and to passe the ditch, which the lines p, q, r, s, t, represents vpon the edge exteriour. But if the whole Bulwarke be ruined, you shall drawe from the midst of the curtaine of the Bulwarke ruined a privie line marked by the letters h, I, vpon the inside whereof, ye shall make the two skirts of the bulwarks, according to our ge¬nerall method giuen in our regular fortifications, and the other cuttings off h, k, l, m, n, i, shall haue: the other Bulwark B, being also ruined, one maye draw the privie line s, h, & make within it two other skirts, as h, o, p, q, r, s, and so o, h, k, p, l, wilbe a perfect bulwark, having flancks, gorges, faces and curtaines of the same propor¬tion, as the two Bulwarks had which were ruined, and by this meanes euerie place aswell regular as irregular maye be cutt off. Many other sorts of cuttings off might be described, according to the situation of the place, and the manner of attemp¬ting, by the industrie of the lngenier, which hath the ordering of such cuttings off: But seing the like inventions were abundantly practized in the Towne of Ostend, the Lovers thereof maye peruse the 25 Plate of this bocke, and see what cuttings off was vsed there, the ennemy having possessed halfe the towne, before he gayned the whole. How one ought to carrie him selfe vpon an Assault. The 36, & 38 Plates, & 156, & 159, Figures. IF the ennemie prepares to giue you an assault, and that his breach be great enough, those within must labour by all meanes and seeke to stopp it & to defend [Page 44]them selues in the best manner they are able, and aboue all if it be possible to driue in some strong piles vpon the top of the breach, which we before haue called pali¬sadoes, for an assault, described in the 33 Plate and Figure 140, each palissadoe having 2 yron pinnes some 10 ynches longe, driven through them, as we haue said that by this meanes one may keepe them from comming vp and entring the rampart or breach. Now seing the breach ought to be defended by able men, furnished with armes fitting to such an end, ye must make choise of your best ablest, and most cou¬ragious men, which must stand vnder the breach to second those which helps to defend it, and shall fall on, when they see their fellow-souldiers repulsed back. On the inside of the cutting off you shall place some other troupes of a stronger body then the former, to the end, that if those men, which defends the breach, should be forced to retreate into the ditch, that the others at that very instant maye show themselues vpon the top of the rampart of the new cutting off, and if there be any meanes to plant a peece of ordinance or two vpon it (which maye be blinded till the Besiegers falls on) it will greatly offend them. The entrances, and sallies to the said breach, ought in my opinion (if the cutting off be in the tenaille of the angles t. l. Figure 156, & b, 159) of an easie accesse, being raised as litle as possibly may be, whereof the one maye serue for an entrance, & the other for a comming out, choo¬sing the one or the other for the most commodious, according to the situation of the place. And seing the cuttings off (as we haue said before) are esteemed the best, which haue two angles flanking, ye must at the first make the cutting off, h, k, l, m, n, i: Figure 159, to be raised euen with the height of the rampart, or according to the height of the Bulwarks, if they be a litle lower, then the curtaine, if that the batteries doe not commaund them. For in such a case, you must raise it much higher, that from thence (with the more vivacity, and courage) ye maye repulse the Assaillants. But seing this cutting off is of a better defense, and is much more labour, then the cutting off, a, b, c, ye must consider well, it time will giue you leaue to doe it, if not ye maye make vse of the cutting off a, b, c, for oftentimes necessity hath noe lawe. And seing experience hath taught vs too much what difficulties, one shall meete with all in such cutting off: the onely way is in my minde to hinder (as much as possibly maye be) the Ennemies descent into the moate: which besides other in¬ventions that are in vse, maye be done by the meanes of the cuttings off, at the lines a, b, & c, d, Figure 159, which are made here right opposite to the angles of the Bul¬warkes from one part to an other, besett with small muskett baskets & filled with Earth as we haue said before. Of Casemates. The 37 Plate & 157, & 158, Figures. FOr asmuch as we haue seene the difficulties, which Casemates haue caused to the besieged, and the small benefit they haue receiued by them, which not withstanding haue bene made with all the industrie that possibly might be, there¬by to hinder an Ennemie from putting ouer a moate and makeing his batteries vpon the brinke of the moate, to beate downe the flanks, and to dismount the peeces of ordinance, planted in the said Casemates, to wit, that besides the expence, the gorges are made by this meanes lesser, the Orillon or pillow being noe more [Page 45]then the 2/3 of the flanck, and is of litle resistance, and on the other side giues but litle advantage, being soone stopt, as we haue seene in time past: I was minded not to haue spoken of them at all, though I esteeme them good, if they were made in such a sort, that there mouths might not be stopped vp, and the peeces within them dismounted: which hath not bene done hitherto to my remembrance. For [...]f [...]hese Casemates be made of brick batts, when the Besiegers shall play vpon them with there ordinance, the bricks flying into the port-holes will doe more hurt to the Ca¬noniers, and other men, then the Ennemies bullets themselues, and by this meanes the portholes wilbe easely filled, and stopped vp, as wee haue seene in diverse places. If your Casemate be made of Earth, ye must giue it a great Talude (that is much slooping) which maketh the gorge so narrow, namely in those Fortresses, which are vnder an Hexagone, that oftentimes there wilbe hardly any entrance into the bulwark, which we call the gullet, the Orillon, and the flanke very litle, and consequently wilbe of litle resistance, wherein they finde so many difficulties, that many great Captaines haue resolued wholly, to leaue them vnmade. If one could not preserue them otherwise then they haue done to this present: I should ap¬proue of them: But seing I cannot resolue of a thing, which I dare not wholly ap¬proue off, because experience, and many men slaine in the warres haue not found it good, this is my opinion also. In the Figures 157, & 158, of the Plate 37, a, b, is the vtmost end of the shoulder, the double of p, a, Figure 157, the mouth, or port¬hole of the Casemate, and as b, p, maketh 150, foote, so p, a, will make 50 foote, p, t, equall to p, a, wilbe likewise 50 foote, t, v, is 36 foote, from a ye shall draw a line to u, that ye maye the better discouver the exteriour brinke of the moate, and the said t, u, shall containe three portholes for three peeces of Canon, which shalbe vauted ouer from d, e, to, t, u, with steps as the Figure 158 demonstrats, marked betweene t, v, and e, d, in such sort that the first Vault on the side of e, d, is closse by the super¬ficies of the water enlarging or raising the said Vaults more and more, vntill that the last vault towards t, v, be raised aboue the superficies l, f, g, k, which is the plate¬forme of the Casemate, some 3 foote, or thereabouts, and seing that t, e, & d, v, are about 20 foote, ye shall advance as farre as possibly ye can the parapet t, f, and g, v, as much as the canon, and the place will permit you, to giue the better soliditie & firmenesse to the parapet of the Casemates. Then vpon the topp of the basis f, g, e, d, the said parapet shalbe so raised that the inside f, g, shalbe lined with a wall, that it maye prevent the falling downe of such a heigth, & so that the ennemie maye not discover the vpper part of your vault, h, i, k, l, and firmely joyned asvvel to the wall, as to the Orillon and on the outside with hard Earth, as strong as possi¬bly maye, going downe sloopingly, that it maye not be subject to tumble downe into the moate, and this will hinder the Ennemie greatly from entring into the moate and putting his gallerie ouer. For by this meanes they must be driuen first to beate downe the shoulder, and make it to fall into the moate at the space p, a, e, d, which for this reason must be made as deepe, as possibly ye can, to the end, that the portholes 3, 4, & 5, be not easely stopt, the place l, k, f, g, is about 20 foote vnco¬vered, and the vault i, h, l, k, also 20 foote broade. The line h, i, is about some 54, foote: the Colomne is made in the midst of l, k, to make the vaults crosswise: be¬cause the distance betweene l, k, is too great, to make there a single vault, which maye serue to make vpon it the parapet of the superiour place, to gayne more place for the gorge, and to lodge the Canoniers, and there amunition dry. The entrance into the Casemate must be in that place, where m, n, is, vnder the rampart, and must be vaulted from m, to i, & from n, to o, being some 10 or 12 foote broad, or thereabouts, that ye maye the better draw in your ordinance & all what [Page 46]ye haue neede of into the Casemate, and make it as high as necessity requires: The orillon a, v, y, b, is al together massie, that it maye giue the greater resistance. And because ye maye the better vnderstand our intention, we haue added herevnto the Figure 158, which raised worke is represented in perspectiue: in which ye may see the parapet of the false bray, the port-holes of the Casemate, and other things, which we haue thought necessarie to make knowne. The 38, Plate & 160, Figure. A Fortresse being thus provided with good false-brayes, aswell vnder the Bul¬warkes, as along the curtaines, broad according to our former plots: I could wish that a Casemate weere made in that forme which wee shall now describe, and that the curtaines, were drawne in as the farre as the bredth of the falsebray with the parapet containes, to wit, that the false brayes vnder the Bulwarks might end on the outside of the foundamentall lines a, b, and the like: and contrariewise, that in the curtaines the said falsebrayes maye end within the said fundamentall line c, d, so that the space i, f, g, maye be accommodated, as the Figure 160, representeth, to plant therein two peeces of ordinance, which will worke noe small effect: & by this meanes the Casemates, wilbe better preserued then otherwise, because ye neede not feare the flying of brick-batts about your eares, seing that the flanck e, will serue as a stay and a covert therevnto: so that in stead of one shoulder ye shall haue two, to wit, b, p, and c, e. The descent into the false-bray, which goes round about the Bulwarke ought to be made at m, and to come out at y, and seing one makes sometimes some privie sallies, betweene A and p, one might also make the entrance into the Casemate in this place, makeing a vault from m, to y, to wit, in the vnderpart of the Case¬mate: The entrance into the false bray from the curtaine ought to be made at w, from one & the other part. The letters q, r, s, t, v, represents the place where I would maks Catts, if one resolues to make them: but seing I am not resolved about this point, I will rather speake nothing thereof at this present. Figure 2. 160. & 38. Plate. IF the Bulwarke be not massie, but hollow, ye maye make your entrance into the Casemate, as here towards o. r. p. l. z. and the entrance into it should be at the point, l. all the space l. z. p. r. o. being open. Of Brasse ordinance. The 39. & 40. Plates and 161. 162. 163. 164. Figures. WE were minded to haue treated of diverse other dependances belonging to fortificatiō, as of bridges, gates, ports, foundations &c. how townes & publick places ought to be fortified; but the Printer not willing to stay any longer for the finishing of this booke, it is not possible for me to effect my intention, so that my project also touching the casting of brasse ordināce is for this reasō also frustrated, having bene minded to haue described the proportion, aswell of their carriages as of their charges, and other dependances about them. To which end I had orday¬ned these 4 brasse peeces which are vsually cast in the vnited provinces, according to the scale herevnto annexed: whereof the least carries a bullett of 6 pound weight with the Figure noted 161: the second is the Figure 162 & carries a bullet of 12 pound [Page 47]weight, the third 163 carries a bullett of 24 pound, and the fourth marked with the Figure 164. carries a bullet of 48 pound, of the two last, the first is a halfe Canon, and the last a vvhole canon, or peeces for batterie: the two others are field-peeces, bearing a bullet of 6, and 12 pound. In the meane while, he that desires to know the proportions of them maye make vse of this scale, till we vvrite more at large thereof.