Of Artificial Fires. 2pi

stiion: It is an Arrow of C ave, joyned with many Irons between ihe Shaft and theHead,and they are made hollow after the fashion of a womans Distaff,wherewith Li-ncn-threed is lpun ; in the midst of it, it bath many small holes,and in the very hollowof it, is put fire with some combustible matter, and lo is it easily shot forth of a weakBow: tor a stow that is strong , puts out the Fire • and there is no means to put icout , but by casting on Dust or Lees of Oyl. Livy. Some came with burning Tor-ches, others carrying Tow,Pitch,and Firc-Darts; and the whole Army shined as if itwere all in flames: but in the concave part of this Dart there was Glue and Fuel, forFire not to be extinguished,of Colopbonia, Brimstone, Salt-Peter, all mingled withOyl of Bays. Others fay, with Oyl of Peter,Ducks-greafe, the Pith of the Reed ofFerula, Brimstone ; and,as others think, with Oyl, Tallow,Colophonia,Campbire,Rosin,Tow. The old Warriors called this an incendiary composition. Lucan speaks ofburning of Ships:

77 is plague to water is not consonant ,

For burning Torches , Ojl and Brimstone joynd,

Art cast abroad , and sue I was not J cant:

The Ships do burn with Pitch or Wax comb in di

And elsewhere,

He bids them (hoot their Shafts into the Sails tBefmeer’d with Pitchy and so he seon prevails:

The Firistraight doth burn what’s made tfFlaxyAnd so their Decks were fir'd by melting Wax",

And tops of Masts were burnt , and Sea-mens packs.

But in compositions for Arrows and Darts , that they might burn the mote vehe-mently, they put melted Vernifh, Printers Oyl, Petroleum, Turpentine, made upwith the sharpest Vinegar,pressed close , and dried at the Sub, and wrap’d over withTow, and with sharp Irons to defend it, wrought together like to a bottom of yarn:all which at last, only pasting over one hole, are smeered over with Colophonia andBrimstone, after the manner that follows. But by the subtilty of the Greeks, therewas invented

A Fire , called the GreekJFire.

To overcome the Ship presently, they boyl’d WilloW-coals, Salt, Spirit of Wine,Brimstone, Pitch, with the yarn of the soft Wooll of Ethiopia, andCamphire;which, it is wonderful to speak, will burn albne in the water, consuming all matter.(fullimachm the Architect, flying from Heliopolis, taught the Romans that thing first,and many of their Emperors did use that agair st their Enemies afterwards Leo theEmperor, burnt with this kinde of Fire those of the East, that sail’d against Constan-tinople with i Boo Carvels. The fame Emperor, shortly after, burnt with the sameFire 40C0 Ships of the Enemy,and 3 5 o in like manner. Prometheus found out, thatFire would keep a yeer in the Cane Ferula : wherefore Martial speaks of them thus;

Canes that the Masters love^ but Boys do hate ,

Are by Pre metheus^/t held at great rates

Chap. III.

Of the divers Compost ions of Gun-powder.

should be ill spoken of, if, that treating of fiery Compositions, we should notfirst say something of that wonderful Gun powder , that is the Author of soMany wonderful things - for it is an ingredient in all mixtures, and all depend* uponit i not that I have any minde to speak of it, because it is so common ; hut of suchthings that have some new or hidden secret in them. It is made of four parts of Salt-

Rr 2 Peter,.