LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS.
11
A rare invention.
A muskett or calyver, with dyvers strange and forcible shotte, which no armor will holde out, at three quarters of a mile or more; and will also become a most forcible weapon in the hande, as good as a pollox, and, with a teice, become a perfitt shotte agayne.
An armed pike moste forcible.
An arme pike which a weake man maye use or handle very reddily with such force as a man will not thincke, and the same pike will also become a very good shotte at all tymes. But when they come to the very pushe they be most terrible, bothe the shotte and the weapon.
An engyne of notable defence for the safegard of mens lyves.
A cariage in manner of a walle or curteyne to defende men from shotte in approchinge any sconse or other force, and wil be transformed into as many severall shapes of fortification as men will; and also be as tentes or lodginges drye above heade, and from the grounde, and also very offensyve, and of greate fury; whereof I wishe your excellente Majestie were furnished, but as secrette as I could keepe them in myne owne harte for some greate daye of service.
A speciall peece of service.
A meanes whereby our plowe-horses, carte jades, and hackneys, maye be made to doe greater service in our owne countrey, then the launces, or argulaters, or any horsemen of other nations, can possibly be able to doe in their ordinary services.
The rarest engyne that ever was invented for sea service[1].
A vessell in manner of a galley or galliotte to passe upon the seas and ryvers without oars or sayle, against wynde and tyde, swifter then any that ever hath bynne seene, of wonderfull effect bothe for intelligence, and many other admirable exploytes, almoste beyonde the expectation of man.
- ↑ See Rara Mathematica, p. 87. William Bourne mentions a similar invention of his in the Inventions or Devises (Lond. 1578, 4to). How well does this meagre description suit the modern steam-boat! I may mention here that the invention of paddle-wheels is ascribed to him by some writers, and he appears to consider them as a new invention; but there is a drawing of a boat with paddle-wheels, precisely similar to our modern steam-vessels, in MS. Harl. 3281, fol. 43, v°, written in Italy in the fifteenth century. See also the ff. 43, r°, 51, v°, and 57, r°, of the same MS.