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Spears, bows and arrows Book III, Chapter 17, Section 1d Chapter 17, Item 55a Pike parts Parts of a Pike. The shaft, for military service, is reputed 16 or 18 foot long or there about, which is sufficient for defence, and as much as a foote man can well manage. The head of the speare for quantity and weight is answerable to the length and thicknesse of the shaft or staffe of the spear, as some terme it. The hinder end of the speare, is that part where the head is fixed which some call the top of the speare. The foot, the bottome of the speare which souldiers rest on the ground. The sockett, an Iron or brass hoop set on the foot of the pike to secure it from bruising. Back to Text & Pictures Chapter 17, Item 55b Tilt lance parts The Parts of a Tilt Launce. A. The Cronell, or cronett, or coronett of the launce, is the head of the tilt speare or staffe, which is made of Iron, and usually hath six or eight Mournes (for soe are those little spiked things called, which are on the top or head of the cronell) three of which appeare, the other cannot be seene or deomonstrated by the art of drawing. B. The shaft of the tilt Launce, or Justing speare, or staffe. C. The vamplet of the tilt speare, or tilt stafe, is of steele and is used for the safegard of the Tilters hand; and is taken off and put on the staffe or speare at pleasure. D. The handle of the Launce, or place made for the hand, to hold and support it by, when he chargeth his speare, or staffe, against his adversary or opponent. E. The Burre, it is a broad ring of Iron behind the handle which burre is brought into the sufflue, or rest, when the tilter is ready to run against his enimy, or prepareth himselfe to combate or encounter his adverse party. F. The But end of the Launce or Tilt staffe. [ This description corresponds to the original drawing for illustration 55b, although that is lettered differently.] Back to Text & Pictures Chapter 17, Item 60a Sufflue or conveyancer Mr Boswell will have the sufflue to be the conveyancer of the wind from the Bellowes to all the parts of the Organ, which is properly and of antiquity called a sufflue, though none of our Organists, or Organ makers, now understand that terme: they calling it the conveyance altogather. Howeuer though then the conveyancer was soe termed, yet questionlesse, the horsmans rest was of like forme, and hath such a terme, as the sufflue; for there may be seuerall things of contrary natures, that may haue one and the same name. Some vnderstand the same to be a Gubernacle, or Rudder of a Ship the sterne by which it is ruled, and governed; and terme it a Gubernacle or Rudder reuersed; or turned vp side downe, and soe I haue seene them, so very like drawne, that it was hard to Judge, which was which, saue for the reuerseing: and so the figures made of old (which I haue set in numb.64 and in chap.19. num.28) if they be compared to the auncient forme of the sterne (set forth in Mr Logan's treatise of Honor, Military and Civill; fol.177) whose shape I haue also set downe in the sinister side of the foresaid number 28. Will easily demonstrate the truth hereof. Mr Morgan calleth this a clarion, or Organ rest, that is (as I suppose) the place where the pipes stand vpright in holes to which the conveyancer brings them wind, so that in a maner they are the same things, but of different names. Otheres are induced to beleeue them to be Instruments vsed in Battell and Turnaments, as we doe Trumpetts: for in many old descriptions of Tilting, we find the knights to come into the List, or place appointed for combateing with clarions sounding before them. Back to Text & Pictures Chapter 17, Item 68a Use of Indian bow [From description of figure 68a] Although this warlike weapon be now out of use, through the divilish inuention of fire-fighting, yet it was in former tymes uery serviceable, as well in townes, as field fight; and to this day if used good service may be performed by it: as first against horsemen, though it be shot at the highest randome, which in the fall will gall both horse and man, and though the wound be not mortall, yet both horse and man are made vnserviceable then and long after if they escape death. Secondly in Rainy weather when men come neere togather it is a good weapon. Thirdly in the night it is a ready and a secrett shott, and the use of it may be good in the forceing of the enimyes Trenches in sallying out of townes. Fourthly, at an assault when all the defences are taken away in any towne, yet then you may deliuer your arrowes ouer the wall and shroudly gall your enimy with the fall of them. Fiftly they are usefull to shott arrowes with wild fire, to burne gates, drawbridges, to fire thatched and shingled houses. For our histories made mention of this neglect of our English Army when before Paris in France, where our commanders wished they had brought Bowmen over with them: And I see noe reason it should not in warre be wholly layd aside, seing the worst Bow-man that can but draw his bow, is better than a bad fire-man. Back to Text & Pictures
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