there bee made two pipes, the one whereof must reach out of the upper
cestern, and descend almost to the bottom of the lowest cestern, as I,
K; the other must be a short one, and haue a very small hole, that the
water may thereby issue out of the upper cestern but by drops; also at
the side nigh the bottom of the upper cestern, let a small pipe enter.
To the upper cestern fit a board, (with a peece of lead nayled upon it
to make it somewhat heavy) so that it may easily slip up and downe in
it; this board must haue a loop to fasten a rope unto, and you must so
poyse the said board, that it being hung up by a line, may hang even,
and levell. Then prepare a box to put ouer the cestern, which ought to
stand about six inches aboue the cestern. In the top of this box let
there be fastned a long pulley with a creuice to put a small rope ouer,
in this creuice it were fitting to fasten small pins, to the end that
the rope might turn the sayd wheele as the water faleth from under the
board: let the spindle of this pulley come out at one side of the box
whereon there is a Dyall drawn, contayning so many houres as you would
haue it go for; unto this end of the spindle let there bee fitted a
needle, or director, to shew the houre, then put a small cord ouer the
pulley in the box, fasten one end thereof to the loop of the board, and
at the other end let there bee tied a waight not quite so heauy as the
board, then fill the upper cestern with water, and the board will
presse it out into the lower vessell, at the pipe O, drop by drop, and
as the board sinketh lower, it will by meanes of the rope upon the
pulley, turne the index fastned unto the spindle of the pulley about
the dyall; you may set it by an houre-glasse or Watch: when it is quite
downe, if you doe with your mouth blow into the pipe at the side of the
cestern, the water will all mount up againe into the upper cestern.
[Illustration]
_A wheele which being turned about, it casteth
water out at the spindle._
Let A, B, be a tub hauing in the bottom a brasse barrell, with a hole
open quite through one side of it: let D, E, F, be a wheele, whose
spindle must bee also hollow, and haue a hole through one side of it,
so that being put into the hollow barrell, both the holes may be equall
together. Note then, that so long as these holes are equall together,
the water will run out at the spindle of the tub, but if you turne the
wheele to another side, it will not run.
[Illustration]
_A water-presser, or the mounting of water
by compression._
Let there bee prouided a barrell of brasse, of what length and
widenesse you please, let it bee exactly smooth within, and very tight
at bottom; unto this barrell fit a plug of wood leathered about, and
let there bee made diuers small holes quite through it, wherein fasten
diuers formes and shapes of birds, beasts, or fishes, hauing very small
pin-holes through them, for the water to spin out at: you shall do well
to make this plug very heavy, either by pouring molten lead into
certaine holes made for the purpose, or else by fastning some waight
unto the top: fill the barrell with water, and put the plug into it,
which lying so heavy upon the water, it will make it spin out at the
pin-holes of the images placed thereupon.
[Illustration]
_How to compose a great or little peece of
Water-worke._
First prepare a table, whereupon erect a strong frame, and round about
the frame make a moat with a leaden cestern to be filled with water;
let the leaden moat somewhat undermine as it were the frame, which
ought to be built in three stories, one aboue another, and euery one
lesser than another. Within the middle story fasten a very strong Iack
that goeth with a waight, or a strong spring, the ending of whose
spindles ought to be crooked, thus Z, whereby diuers sweeps for pumps
may bee moued to and againe, whose pumps must go down into the moat,
and haue small succurs unto them, and convayances towards their tops,
whereat the water may be mounted into diuers cesterns, out of some
wherof there may be made convayances in their bottoms, by small pipes
running down into the riuer or moat again, and there breaking out in
the fashions and formes of Dragons, Swans, Whales, Flowers, and such
like pretty conceits: out of others the water may fall upon wheeles,
out of whose spindles, the water turning round, may bee made to run. In
the uppermost story of all, let there bee made the forcer by ayre, as I
taught before, or else a presser, hauing at the top, Neptune riding on
a Whale, out of whose nostrils, as also out of Neptunes Trident, the
water may be made to spin through small pin-holes; you may also make
diuers motions about this work, but for that the multitude of figures
would rather confound than instruct the Reader, I haue of purpose
omitted them.
[Illustration]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SECOND BOOKE,
Teaching most plainly, and withall
most exactly, the composing of all
manner of Fire-works for Triumph
and Recreation.
By _I.B._
[Illustration]
_LONDON_,
Printed by _Thomas Harper_ for _Ralph Mab_. 1634.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
To the Reader.
_Courteous Reader, there hath a desistance been occasioned since the
inception of this work, by reason of the occurrence of certaine
Authours, that contrary unto my knowledge had laboured so fully herein;
but after consideration had (that for the most part they were but
translations) I thought it might bee no lesse lawfull and commendable
for mee than for others, to communicate unto such as are yet desirous
of further information, that wherein I haue bestowed both cost and
paines. Notwithstanding, I haue so used the matter, as that I might not
derogate from the estimation had of others to increase mine owne. Read
it throughly, iudge indifferently, and if thou likest it, practise
considerately. If thou art ignorant herein, I am sure it will instruct
thee, and though well experienced (which perhaps thou art) I make no
question, but that thou mayst finde somewhat which thou hast not heard
of before; So farewell._
Your Welwiller
_I.B._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
Of Fire-workes.
I haue euer found (in conference with diuers desirous of instruction in
any Art or Science whatsoeuer) that the summe and chiefest end of all
hath been, to know the reasons and causes of those things they were
desirous to be informed in. Wherefore I thought good, before I came to
the matter it selfe, to set down some few Præcognita or Principles (as
I may so call them) whereby such as are ingenious, upon occasion, may
informe themselues, if they stand in doubt of the cause of any thing
that is heereafter taught.
_Certayne Præcognita or Principles wherein are contayned
the causes and reasons of that which is
taught in this Booke._
1 The foure Elements, Fire, Ayre, Earth, and Water, are the _prima
principia_ (I meane the materialls) whereof euery sublunary body is
composed, and into the which it is at last dissolued.
2 Euery thing finding a dissolution of those _naturæ catenæ_, that is,
meanes whereby their _principia_ are connected, and ioyned together,
their lighter parts ascend upward, and these that are more grosse and
heauy, doe the contrary.
3 It is impossible for one and the selfe same body to possesse at one
time two places; It followeth therefore, that a dense body rarified,
and made thin, eyther by actuall or potentiall fire, requireth a
greater quantity of room to be conteyned in, then it did before. Hence
it is, that if you lay your hand upon a glasse, hauing a straight mouth
reuerst into a dish of water, it rarifieth the ayre contayned therein,
and makes it breake out thorough the water in bubbles. Also, that
gunpowder inclosed in the barrell of a gun, being rarified by fire,
applied unto the touch-hole, it seeketh a greater quantity of roome,
and therefore forceth the bullet out of the barrell. This is called
violent motion.
4 According unto the strength and quantity of a dense body rarified,
and according unto the forme and length of its inclosure, it forceth
its compresser further or neerer at hand.
Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken concerning the _Præcognita_: Now
I will passe _ad majora, & ad magis necessaria_: to wit, those
necessary Instruments, and seuerall sorts of Ingredients, that ought to
be had in readines.
As for the instruments they are these; Morters and Pestles, Serces,
also seuerall sorts of Formers, Paper, Parchment, Canuas, Whipcord,
strong binding thread, Glew, Rosin, Pitch, with diuers vessells meet to
contayne and mingle your compositions in. The ingredients likewise are
chiefly these, Saltpeter, Rochpeter, Sulpher, Charcoale, good
Gunpowder, Filings of steele, oyle of Peter, and Spirit of wine.
_Instructions for chusing your ingredients._
Saltpeter is very good, if that being layd upon a board, and fire put
to, it rise with a flamed ventosous exhalation, raysing no scum, nor
leauing no pearle, but onely a blacke specke burnt into the boord.
The best brimstone, is quick brimstone, or liue sulphur, and that sort
is best that breaketh whitest; if this cannot be gotten, take of the
whitest yellow brimstone.
The best Coales for use are the sallow, willow, hazel and beech; onely
see they be well burnt. Euery of these ingredients must be powdred
finely and searsed.
All kindes of gunpowder are made of these ingredients imposed, or
incorporated with vineger, or aquauitæ, and afterward grayned by art.
The Saltpeter is the Soul, the Sulphur the Life, and the Coales the
Body of it. The best sort of powder may be distinguished from others,
by these signes:
1 If it be bright and incline to a blewish colour.
2 If in the handling it proue not moyst but auoydeth quickely.
3 If being fired, it flash quickly, and leaue no dregs nor setlings
behinde it.
_A device to try the strength of divers sorts
of Gunpowder._
[Illustration]
If so be you haue at any time diuers sorts of Gunpowder, and it is your
desire to know which of them is the strongest, then you must prepare a
box, as A, B, being foure inches high, and about two inches wide,
hauing a lid ioynted unto it. The box ought to be made of iron, brasse,
or copper, and to bee fastned unto a good thick plank, and to haue a
touch-hole at the bottom, as O, and that end of the box where the hinge
of the lid is, there must stand up from the box a peece of iron or
brasse, in length answerable unto the lid of the box: this peece of
iron must haue a hole quite through it, towards the top, and a spring,
as, A, G, must bee screwed or riueted, so that the one end may couer
the sayd hole. On the top of all this iron, or brasse that standeth up
from the box, there must bee ioynted a peece of iron (made as you see
in the figure) the hinder part of which is bent downward, and entreth
the hole that the spring couereth; the other part resteth upon the lid
of the box. Open this box lid, and put in a quantity of powder, and
then shut the lid down, and put fire to the touch hole at the bottom,
and the powder in the box being fired, will blow the box lid up the
notches more or lesse, according as the strength of the powder is: so
by firing the same quantity of diuers kindes of powders at seuerall
times, you may know which is the strongest. Now perhaps it will bee
expected that I should speak of the making of Saltpeter, Gunpowder,
Coales, with the refining of Sulphur: but because they are so commonly
to bee had, and to bee bought at better rates than I know they can bee
made by any that intend it for their priuate use, I haue forborne it:
There are diuers I am sure that would willingly bee in action: I haue
thought fitting therefore to set downe the collection of naturall
Saltpeter, which is a kinde of white excrescence growing upon
stone-wals, and (as I haue seene great store) in the arches of
stone-bridges. First therefore gather this white excrescence, and adde
unto it Quick-lyme, and Ashes, mingle them, and put them into a
halfe-tub that hath a hole to draw the liquor out at; then put into
this halfe-tub warm water, and let it stand untill all the peter be
dissolued; let it then drain out at the hole by little and little, and
if the liquor be not cleere, double a brown paper, and put it within a
tunnell, and straine the liquor through it. Then boyle it and scum it
untill it bee ready to congeale, neither too hard, nor yet too tender:
then take it from the fire, and put it into shallow vessels, either of
earth or brasse; set them in a cold place two or three dayes, and it
will shoot into isicles, and this is called Rochpeter. Thus much for
the ingredients. Now I am come unto the Formers, the number whereof I
cannot certainly determine, because it dependeth upon the variety of
each particular persons inuention. Now that I may formally proceed, I
will first make some distinction of each kinde in generall; and then I
will speak of euery particular contained in each generall. Fire-works
are of 3 sorts.
1 Such as operate in the ayre, as Rockets, Serpents, Raining fire,
Stars, Petards, Dragons, Fire-drakes, Feinds, Gyronels, or
Fire-wheeles, Balloons.
2 Such as operate upon the earth, as Crackers, Trunks, Lanterns,
Lights, Tumbling bals, Saucissons, Towers, Castles, Pyramids, Clubs,
Lances, Targets.
3 Such as burn in or on the water, as Rockets, Dolphins, Ships,
Tumbling bals.
Part of either of the three kindes are simple, and part are compounded;
part also are fixed, and part moueable. First I will treat of the
diuers compositions, and then of the Formers, Coffins, and manner of
composing euery of them.
_Of the divers compositions of fire workes._
First of the compositions of fire workes, for the ayre; and therein
first I will speake of the compositions for rockets, because that all
moueable fireworkes haue their motion from the force of them
accordingly applied.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Compositions for Rockets of all sizes according unto
the prescription of the noted Professors,
Mr _Malthus_, Mr _Norton_, and the
French Authour, _Des recreationes
Mathematiques_._
_A Composition for Rockets of one ounce._
Take of gunpowder, saltpeter and charcoale, of each one ounce and a
halfe, mingle them together, and it is done. Note heere, as I told you
before, that all your ingredients ought to be first powdred by
themselues, and afterwards mixed very well together.
_A Composition for Rockets of two and three
ounces._
Take of gunpowder fowre ounces and a halfe, saltpeter one ounce, mixe
them together.
_A Composition for Rockets of foure ounces._
Take of gunpowder fowre pounds, saltpeter one pound, charcoale fowre
ounces, mingle them together.
_A Composition for Rockets of fowre ounces._
Take of gunpowder fowre poundes, saltpeter one pound, charcoale fowre
ounces, brimstone halfe an ounce, mingle them together.
_A Composition for all middle sized Rockets._
Take of gunpowder one pound, two ounces of charcoales; mingle them.
_A Composition for Rockets of five or six ounces._
Take of gunpowder two pound fiue ounces, of saltpeter halfe a pound, of
charcoale six ounces, of brimstone and yron scales, of each two ounces,
mingle them.
_A Composition for Rockets of ten or twelve ounces._
Take of gunpowder one pound and one ounce, saltpeter fowre ounces,
brimstone three ounces and a halfe, charcoale one ounce, mingle them.
_A Composition for Rockets of one pound,
or two._
Take of saltpeter twelue ounces, gunpowder twenty ounces, and charcoale
three ounces, quicke brimstone and scales of yron, of each one ounce,
mingle them.
_A Composition for Rockets of eight, nine and
tenne pounds._
Take saltpeter eight pounds, charcoale two pounds twelue ounces,
brimstone one pound fowre ounces. Note that no practitioner (how exact
soeuer) ought to relie upon a receipt, but first to trie one rocket,
and if that be too weake adde more gunpowder, if it be too strong let
him adde more charcoale untill hee finde them flie according unto his
desire. Note that the charcoale is only to mitigate the violence of the
powder, and to make the tayle of the rocket appeare more beautifull.
Note also that the smaller the rockets be, they need the quicker
receipts, and that in great rockets, there needeth not any gunpowder at
all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_The Composition for middle sized Rockets may serve
for Serpents, and for rayning fire, or else the receipt
for Rockets on the ground, which
followeth heereafter._
_Compositions for Starres._
Take saltpeter one pound, brimstone halfe a pound, gunpowder fowre
ounces, this must be bound up in paper or little ragges, and afterwards
primed.
_Another receipt for Starres._
Take of saltpeter one pound, gunpowder and brimston of each halfe a
pound; these must be mixed together, and of them make a paste, with a
sufficient quantity of oile of peter, or else of fayre water; of this
paste you shall make little balles, and roll them in drie gunpowder
dust; then drie them, and keepe them for your occasions.
_Another._
Take a quarter of a pinte of _aqua vitæ_, and dissolue therein one
ounce, and a halfe of camphire, and dip therin cotten bumbast, and
afterwards roule it up into little balles; afterwards rowle them in
powder of quick brimstone, and reserue them for use.
_Another receipt for Starres, whereof you may make
fiends and divers apparitions according unto
your fancie._
Take gum dragant, put it into an yron pan, and rost it in the embers;
then powder it, and dissolve it afterwards in _aqua vitæ_, and it will
become a jellie, then straine it; dissolve also camphire in other _aqua
vitæ_. Mixe both these dissolutions together, and sprinkle therein this
following powder.
Take saltpeter one pound, brimstone halfe a pound, gunpowder three
pound, charcoale halfe a pound; when you have mingled and stirred them
well together, mixe them well with the aforesayd jelly, and then make
it into little balles, or into what fashion else you please, then cool
them in gunpowder dust, and keepe them for use.
_Compositions for receipts of fireworkes, that
operate upon the earth._
For Rockets there needeth onely gunpowder finely beaten and searced.
Likewise for all the other sorts, searced gunpowder will serue, which
may be abated, or alayed with charcoal dust at your pleasure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compositions for fireworkes that burne upon,
or in the water.
_A Receipt for Rockets that burne upon the water._
Take of saltpeter one pound, brimstone halfe a pound, gunpowder halfe a
pound, charcoales two ounces. This composition will make the Rockets
appeare with a great fiery tayle. If you desire to have it burne
cleare, then take of saltpeter one pound, three ounces of gunnepowder,
brimstone halfe a pound.
_A Receipt of a composition that will burne, and feed
upon the water._
Take masticke halfe a pound, white Frankincense, gum sandrake,
quickelime, brimstone, bitumen, camphire, and gunpowder, of each one
pound and a halfe, rosin one pound, saltpeter fowre pounds and a halfe,
mixe them all together.
_A Receipt of a composition that will burne
under water._
Take brimstone one pound, gunpowder nine ounces, refined saltpeter one
pound and a halfe, camphire beaten with Sulphur, and Quicksilver; mixe
them well together with oyle of peter, or linseed oyle boyled, untill
it will scald a feather. Fill a canvas ball with this composition, arme
it, and ballast it with lead at the bottome, make the vent at the top,
fire it well and cast it into the water, and it will fume and boyle up
slowly.
_A Receipt of a Composition that will kindle with
the water._
Take of oyle of Tile one pound, Linseed oyle three pounds, oyle of the
yelks of egges one pound, new quick lime eight pounds, brimstone two
pounds, camphire fowr ounces, bitumen two ounces; mingle all together.
_Another._
Take of Roch peter one pound, flowre of brimstone nine ounces, coales
of rotten wood six ounces, camphire one ounce and a halfe, oyle of
egges, and oyle of Tile enough to make the mixture into a paste.
Or take callamita one pound, sal niter and asphaltum, of each fowre
ounces, quicke brimstone three ounces, liquid varnish sixe ounces; make
them all into a paste. Put eyther of these compositions into a pot
wherein is quick lime, so that the lime come round about the past; then
lute it fast, binde it close with wires, and set it in a limekiln a
whole baking time, and it will become a stone that any moysture will
kindle.
[Illustration]
_Another._
If you make a little hole in the top of an egge, and let out all the
meat, and fill the shell with the following powder, and stop the hole
with wax, and cast it into a running water, it will break out into a
fire.
Take of salt-niter, brimstone, and quick-lyme, of each a like quantity,
mix them.
[Illustration]
_How to make stouple, or prepare cotten-week to
prime your fire-works with._
Take cotten-week, such as the Chandlers use for candles, double it six
or seuen times double, and wet it throughly in saltpeter water, or aqua
vitæ, wherein some camphire hath been dissolued, or, for want of
either, in faire water; cut it into diuers peeces, rowle it in mealed
gunpowder, or powder and sulphur; then dry them in the Sun, and reserue
them in a box where they may lie straight, to prime Starres, Rockets,
or any other fire-works.
_How to know the true time, that any quantity of fired
Gun-match that shall doe an exployt at
a time desired._
Take common gun-match, rub, or beat the same a little against a post to
soften it; then either dip the same in salt peter water, and drie it
againe in the Sunne, or else rub it in a little powder and brimstone
beaten very small, and made liquid with a little _aqua vitæ_, and dried
afterwards; trie first how long one yard of match thus prepared will
burne, which suppose to be a quarter of an howr, then fowre yards will
be a iust howre. Take therefore as much of this match as will burne so
long as you will haue it to be ere your worke should fire, binde the
one end unto your worke, lay loose powder under, and about it lay the
rest of the match in hollow, or turning so that one part of it touch
not another, and then fire it.
_A Water called_ Aqua Ardens.
Take old red wine, put it into a glased vessell, and put into it of
orpment one pound, quicke sulphur halfe a pound, quicke lime a quarter
of a pound; mingle them very well, and afterwards distill them in a
rosewater still: a cloth being wet in this water will burne like a
candle, and will not be quenched with water.
The Formers are instruments wherewith the coffins for the fireworkes
are made and formed, whereof in order; and first for Rockets that
operate in the ayre. The Formers for Rockets consist of two parts,
represented by the two next figures following, the uppermost whereof
representeth the body of the Former, which must bee made of Maple,
Walnut tree, or of other close & well seasoned wood, seven inches,
wanting halfe a quarter in length, turned equally, and exactly hollow
quite through, the diameter of whose hollownesse, represented by the
line at the top marked at each end with a, e, must bee one inch and a
quarter; the breech of the former is represented by the lowest figure,
the upper part wherof, must be made to enter the body of the Former;
the height of the whole breech, beside the broach is 3 inches and a
halfe; it entreth the body of the Former, one inch and three quarters;
the top of it must be made like a halfe nutmeg, in the midst whereof
(as Mr. _Malthus_ and _des recreationes Mathematiques_) there must bee
fastned an yron broach two inches and a halfe long: then put the breech
into the body, and pierce them both quite through as the figures doe
represent at G and H; then make a pin as K, L, to pinne them both
together, which must bee made to take out at pleasure: then marke both
the body and breech neere the said hole with this ★ or any other marke,
that you may thereby know how to fit them afterwards.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]