THE FIRST Publiqve lecture, READ AT Sr. Balthazar Gerbier His academy, Concerning Military Architecture, or Fortifications,  
To the Lovers of Virtue, come hither to that purpose.  
LONDON, Printed by Gartrude Dawson, and are to be sold by Hanna Allen at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley. 1469.   

The first public Lecture read at Sir. Balthazar Gerbier his accademy, concerning Military Architecture or Fortification.  
I Shall by way of Preface, say somewhat in general concerning this Art of Military Architecture, properly termed Architecture, by reason that it serves for a rule to the building of Forts, Castles, and Towns; though their besiegers batter, and ruin them, faster than they were first erected by the same Art. It's true, war is to have scripture for it in divers places, wherewith they maintain their proceedings, against the opinion of some scrupulous men, who will rather be taken (and even loose all) then learn how best to defend themselves; when they cannot deny, but that even the Apostles were commanded by the Prince of Peace to provide arms for defence.  
The Scriptures do in effect in sundry places warrant so much the proceedings of warriors; that therefore this art of Military Architecture is the more laudable, and to be made use of as well in the defence, as for the besieging of places; so the prescriptions be duly observed, and that the destruction of Towns and persons have those grounds prescribed by holy writ.  
Deuteronomy 20. cap. 11. and 12. vers. When thou comest nigh a city to fight against it, then proclaim a Peace unto it; and it shall be, if it make thee answer of Peace and open unto thee; than it shall be that all the People that is found therein shall be tributary unto thee, and they shall serve thee; but if they will make war against thee, than thou shalt besiege it.  
Other Texts prescribe the besiegers to make havoc of all; yet in some things with a certain restriction, of sparing even the Trees of the field; as we read in the 19 v. of the said Chapter of Deutron. viz. When thou shalt besiege a city a long time in making war against it, to take it; thou shalt not destroy the Trees thereof, by forcing an axe, against them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the Tree of the field is man's Life) to employ them in the siege; only the Trees which thou knowest that they be no Trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down.  
This holy writ saith, but few men observe it in any age, nor among the most regular, for that those of Machl●n (in Brabant) cut down above forty thousand Cherry-Trees when the late deceased Prince of Orange approached them with his Army; their pretence was a necessity, as far seeing governors of besieged towns are often moved to set their own suburbs on fire, at the example of a careful chirurgeon that cuts off a Leg to save the body of a mortal Gangreen, however, as a true soldier ought in his proceedings and vocation to shun all depraved baseness, also to seek his glory in the overcoming of an enemy, by a generous fair course; sparing those things which contribute not to his fame, nor to his good: ill customs make good things evil, and good customs make them good, and honourable.  
It hath been therefore noted at all times, that the Swissers in the times of the Romans, made their wars detestable for laying the land waste▪ by firing it; and so the proceedings of the Campaniens were abhorred, when Agathocles (fighting in Sicily being entered into Messina under colour of friendship) put to death the greatest number of the Citizens, to get their means: And  
And it was no less odious in Hannibal, when after he had given his Parole to Geryon a Town near Nicerie, to put all the Inhabitants to death.  
But that this Preface may not weary you, I shall proceed to particulars.  
We shall begin by the divisions of the places which are strong either by nature, or by art, or both. By nature when their seat proves so advantageous that it is very hard, nay almost impossible to force them, such as are the places that are on hills and inaccessible Rocks, either in the Seas, on the Land, or in the Marches, or such other like places.  
Those are strong by art, wihch wanting an advantageous seat, are fortified by art and labour.  
Such Places are strong by nature and by art, when the one part of them is strong by nature, and the other is fortified by art.  
To fortify is to build, or to enclose the places in such a manner that all the places of their circumference are seen from each other flank, and that they can resist the arms and engines whereof the Enemy makes use:  
And therefore it shall be said a place to be well fortified whensoever all the parts of its circumference are flanked.  
A place that hath but a single straight wall about it cannot be said to be a fortified place, but only enclosed, and whatsoever doth flank as what is flanked, aught to be strong enough to resist the engines of an Enemy.  
Flancking is to see by its sides; To be flanked, it's to be seen either by the side or flank.  
There are two sorts of Fortifications in general, one the ancient, and the other modern:  
The Places that are fortified according unto the ancient manner, are those that have single walls only, and with Towers at certain distances, made of Materials that are not capable to resist the Canon▪ and their Towers being too small as that they cannot bear any Canon; Those kind of places deserve not to be said fortified ones:  
The moderns are those which are flanked on all sides, and that the flancking and flanked bodies are so solid and of such matter as that they may resist the Canon.  
Every Country hath its own way of Fortification, as the Hollanders, the Spaniards, the Italians, and the French, etc they differ in certain circumstances, or accidents, but agree in the essential parts:  
There are two kinds of modern Fortfication, to wit; Regular and Irregular;  
The Regular places are those, that have the sides and the angles equal; and such Bastions as are on them, and its strength everywhere equal:  
The Irregular places are those that have not the aforesaid equality, either of the sides or the Bastions or of strength,  
Of that kind are the most part of places.  
Object. It might be said against this definition, that a place which hath all its faces, and all its Bastions equal, being commanded from any side; its strength could nor be equally strong everywhere: therefore according to the definition it could not be regular, which is absurd.  
Answ. I do answer, that a place, though commanded from some side, would nevertheless be equally strong everywhere in itself: but from this side that strength would be overtopped by that of the commanding which notwithstanding would remain the same, though the said greater strength stood not in opposition of it, as a man that shall resist another ordinary man, and cannot resist a giant; he shall notwithstanding have no less strength against this, then against the other, but his strength shall be overcome by a greater: Bastions likewise wi●l be in themselves of an equal strength, but some overmastered by an outward strength.  
Of the Regular Fortifications, the parts are the figure, which is the space propounded to be fortified, comp●ehended of divers straight lines, equal in themselves, which in their meetings make their angles equal.  
The figure takes its denomination either from the number of angles, or sides; if it be from the angles, it's expressed by two Greek words; whereof the first signifieth the Number, and the other Angle, as Trigone, of Tris, which saith three, and Gonia Angle; Terragone, of Tessares, which saith four, and Gonia Angle, and so of the others; Pentagone is to say, at five Angles, Exagone at six, Eptagone at seven, Octagone at eight, Enneagone at nine, Decagone at ten, Endecagone at eleven, Dodecagone at twelve, Decatrigone at thirteen, Decatetragone at fourteen, Decapentagone at fiftteen, Decaexagone at sixteen, Decaeptagone at seventeen, Decaoctogone, at eighteen, Deca●nneagone at nineteen, Icosigone at twenty, &c. If it be from the sides, that it takes its name, it shall be expressed by two Latin words, Trialatera, Quadrilatera, and others likewise.  

The Explica●ion of terms and words, whereof use is made in Fort●fications, are viz.  THe Curtain, 
is all the space of the Wall or bulwark, which is between two Bastions, as H. L.  Flack, 
is the line which joins the Curtain to the face of the Bastion, as H. G.  The Gorge, 
is the entrance of a Bastion, whereof the one half is called half Gorge as C. H. is a half Gorge, and H. C. V. is all the Gorge.  The Bastion 
is that great body advancing on the Angles of the Figure, which is marked in the Figure by the Letters H. G F. H. V.  The face 
is the Line most advanced of the Bastion towards the fields, as F. G.  capital Line, 
is that which is drawn from the Angle of the Figure to the Angle of the B●stion, as C. F.  Second flank, 
is part of the Curtain which is between the point of the face and the flank as H. I. lengthened Flanck, is the Line drawn from the flank to the outward Poligone, as G. Y.  Inward flank 
is the Line drawn from the flank to the next Diameter, as L. 2.  Inward Poligone, 
is the Line of a fortress of one Angle to the other, as C. D.  Outward Poligone, 
is the Line drawn from the point of one Bastion to the other, as F. E.  The fixed Line of Defence, 
is the Line drawn from the flank, defending the flanckqued Angle, as L. F.  The rasing Line of Defence, 
is the Line drawn from the Curtain, which raiseth the face of the Bastion, as K. F.  The centre Angle, 
is that which is made▪ by the meeting of the two next Lines drawn from the Angles of the Figure, as C B. D.  The Poligone Angle, 
is the Angle which is made by the side of the two Poligones, as V. C. H.  flanked Angle, 
is the Angle, comprehended between the two faces, as X. F. G.  The inward flanked Angle, 
is the Angle which is made of the Curtain, and of the rasing Line, as H. K. G.  The outward flanked Angle, 
is the Angle which is made of the two rasing Lines▪ which c●t one another, as F. Z. E.  The Shoulder Angle, 
is the Angle comprehended between the flank and the Face, as F. G. H.  An Angle 
is marked with three letters, that of the middle doth show the Angle.   

The maxims or general Rules for Fortifications are,  
THat there ought not to be any place unflanckt about the Town.  
That the flanked parties ought not to be further from those which do flank, than the reach of Arms, whereby the place is defended, the principal whereof are muske●s.  
That both that which flancketh, and what is flanked, be of proof, and capable to resist the arms and engines of the party that doth a take, the strongest whereof are Canons.  
That the pieces of Fort●fication nearest to the Centre, be always higher, and command those that are further off.  
That the flanked Angle be never less than 60 degrees, nor bigger than 90 degrees.  
That the Poligone Angle ought not to be lesser than of 90 Degrees.  
That the Angle of the flank and of the Curtain be always straight,  
That a regular place is better than an irregular.  
That the more Bastions a regular place hath, the better it is.  
That all the places about a fortress be commanded by it. That the Bastions which have much defence, or that are much flanked, are the best.   

That which we are to consider before we begin to Fortifi● is,  
THat the end of Fortification, is to defend with the most advantage, and that a small number may resist a great one.  
That Fortification is the work of a State, because of the great expenses thereunto belonging; and the charges of the garrisons which are to be kept in such fortified places.  
That Fortifications must be in the most necessary and important places, on the Frontiers to hinder the inroads of Neighbours: the Ports which are Frontier Sea-towns, and those of traffic, where Rivers are; where there is a good air, for the preservation of men, both in time of war and peace.  
That the places that are seated high command far.  
That they hinder the works of an Enemy.  
That they have great advantage to make sallies on the Enemy.  
That they need but a small quantity of men and victuals, and do enjoy a good air.   
They ought also to consider,  

THat there wants Water and Earth.  
That they cannot defend their slope, especially when the Parapets have their just and necessary thickness.  
That they are seldom succoured, and are unfit for the civil conversation of man's Life.  
That the places that are in the plain Fields are very good, because of the use of carriage, the extent of the campagne, and earth at will▪ whereof art and wit can make any thing, the defect of it is that those who do besiege such places have the same advantages, as the besieged have.  
That those which are near the Seas, without being commanded, and the which the Seas surround by Ebbing and Flowing, cannot be taken but by surprisal.  
That the Marish places are very hard to take, and the Sieges thereof of great expense, as for Example, the B●sh in Brabant.  
The raising of such places proves of great charge, they are ordinarily extreme unwholesome and prove a spoil to munitions, They must be wrought upon in Summer.  
That the Sandy is somewhat better, but the Clay is to be preferred to all other, because it is maniable, groweth hard, and needs no great slope; and if walled about, the brick needs not to be thick. That the Earth may be beaten, mixed with Bavins, and pieces of wood laid overthwart, for that it binds very much▪ and the Canon cannot do any great effect thereon, nor pierce above ten foot deep, making but a hole without shaking any thing, and therefore it proves to be a grave to Canon balls.  
That the Parapets that are made of this Earth, need not to be so thick, as those that are made of Earth.  
That the rampire's cavaliers and other works of this earth need not any more slope than the half, or the two thirds of their height, for that the earth holds of itself with a small slope.   
NOW to attain unto the designed purpose, in the fortifying of a place, it is necessary well to flanked and cover himself.  
To flank himself well according unto the Principles and maxims of this art, there must not be one point in all the circuit of the figure of a Regular, or Irregular place, which ought not to be seen within, and that the Line whereby self defence is intended, be not above 200. paces, a measure which is prescribed by divers that have fully obtained the practical Part, for that it would import very little to see an Enemy from within a place if he wereso fair distant that you could not offend him, and by the mouths of your Muskets to make him retire.  
In this matter four things are necessary; the defence of a place to consist of the Musket and not of the Canon, for that a Canon requires too many attenders, consumes a great deal of munition, is easily dismounted, uneasy to raise again, and will not endure a continual fire. And although a common Musket ca●ireth but point blank 200 Geometrical paces, yet with that force as to serve the killing of a man; nor is there but few that have frequented the Armies, but that know men to have been killed at a further distance, then of two hundred geometrical paces: Likewise well know that divers of the best places of Europe, as well those in Germany as in Italy, France and in the low Countries, that in divers Bastions of them the great Line of defence is of a far greater extent▪ and yet notwithstanding those towns have withstood the most famous Sieges of our days.  
FINIS.   

 fortification diagram