A bibliography of English military books up to 1642 and of ...
A bibliography of English military books up to 1642 and of ...
A bibliography of English military books up to 1642 and of ...
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Collation. Tp., A2, without illustration <strong>of</strong> encampment.—Ded,, A3.<br />
Arms <strong>of</strong> Digges, A4.—Col., A42, " Imprinted at London by Richard Field<br />
dwelling in the Blaclce-Friers neere Ludgate. 1590.", with printer's device<br />
above.—Sigs. in 4% A-Z, Aa-Pp. — 35 11. <strong>to</strong> p.<br />
Copies. B.M. i<br />
Trin. Coll. Camb. ; R.A.I. ; Lambeth.<br />
Contents. One <strong>of</strong> the best <strong>of</strong> the <strong>military</strong> works <strong>of</strong> the time. De Morgan<br />
("Arithmetical Books") says <strong>of</strong> the first part, "There is a brief <strong>and</strong> good<br />
treatise on Arithmetic, <strong>and</strong> some Algebra <strong>of</strong> the school <strong>of</strong> Recorde <strong>and</strong><br />
Scheubel." Book II., chaps. 10-13, contains calculations for the use <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers.<br />
Digges describes in full the duties <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> all ranks, <strong>and</strong> also the precautions<br />
<strong>to</strong> be taken prepara<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>to</strong> forming a camp, giving the method <strong>of</strong><br />
encamping as pradlised by the Ruyters. On p. 376, ed. 1590, he recommends<br />
that the horses <strong>of</strong> Argolotiers should be strong enough <strong>to</strong> carry in<br />
addition a " footshot," or musketeer, a suggestion which may be taken as<br />
fore-shadowing the employment <strong>of</strong> Mounted Infantry. A list is given <strong>of</strong><br />
35 <strong>of</strong>fences punishable with death " in everie armie "<br />
; also the Laws <strong>and</strong><br />
Ordinances issued by the Prince <strong>of</strong> Cond^ during the Civil Wars in France<br />
<strong>and</strong>, in the 2nd ed., a reprint <strong>of</strong> those issued by Leicester in 1586 (v. No. 33).<br />
In chap. 7 <strong>of</strong> Bk. III. are propounded ** Certain Questions in the Art <strong>of</strong><br />
Artillery, by Mathematical Science, joined with experience, <strong>to</strong> be debated<br />
<strong>and</strong> discussed," for answers <strong>to</strong> which see the " Pan<strong>to</strong>metria " (2nd ed.,<br />
p. 181), <strong>and</strong> Nor<strong>to</strong>n's "Art <strong>of</strong> Great Artillery" (London, 1624).<br />
The impression <strong>of</strong> 1 594 has two s<strong>up</strong>plements : (I.) " An Addition <strong>to</strong><br />
Stratioticos concerning great ordnance," a fragment <strong>of</strong> a larger<br />
work never<br />
printed, in which five errors in the science as propounded by certain gunners<br />
are pointed out ; <strong>and</strong> (II.) " Another addition concerning Invasion. ... A<br />
briefe Discourse what orders were best for repulsing <strong>of</strong> forraine force, if at<br />
any time they should invade us by sea in Kent, or elsewhere," reprinted<br />
in a pamphlet compiled by Thomas Adamson in 1680, fol. The second<br />
" addition " is said <strong>to</strong> have been written in opposition <strong>to</strong> two communications<br />
on the same subjedl presented in MS. <strong>to</strong> the Privy Council by Sir Walter<br />
Raleigh,^ <strong>and</strong> was answered by Sir John Smythe. Just before <strong>and</strong> immediately<br />
after the Armada, appeared a considerable number <strong>of</strong> these pamphlets<br />
on the best means <strong>of</strong> repelling invasion. The majority were never printed,<br />
but the MSS., or transcriptions, <strong>of</strong> many are <strong>to</strong> be found in the B.M.<br />
Digges criticises Santbech, Ruscelli <strong>and</strong> others, who, he says, attempted <strong>to</strong><br />
write on the science <strong>of</strong> gunnery, without having a knowledge <strong>of</strong> mathematics.<br />
On the other h<strong>and</strong>, Tartaglia, although an excellent geometer, failed even<br />
in the first principles, <strong>and</strong> so in his whole discourse, from want <strong>of</strong> practical<br />
experience ; as, for example, in his statement that the greatest range was <strong>to</strong><br />
be obtained with an angle <strong>of</strong> 45°, which is true only if the projedlile were<br />
fired " in vacuo ; " <strong>and</strong>, also, in his theory that the final arc described by a<br />
Bibliog. <strong>of</strong> Sir W. Raleigh, by J.<br />
N. Brushfield. Plymouth <strong>and</strong> Exeter, 1886.