A DESCRIPTION OF THE ROYAL FIREWORKS,  
Prepared for Celebrating the Universal Joy, for the Inestimable Blessing afforded by God to the King, Queen, and People of these Realms, in the happy Birth of the most Illustrious PRINCE of WALES, presented on the Thames over-against White-Hall, on Tuesday Night the 17th of July, 1688, before both Their Majesties, the Queen Dowager, the Prince and Princess of Denmark, and the whole Court.  
THE first Scene of this Pyrotechnic Opera represented the Joyful Acclamations of the People, expressed in these Words, written in Letters of Flame, Vivat Rex, suspending between two Stately Columns, with a Girandola, containing 100 Rockets, all fired at once: And at the same Time, several Water-machines' discharged divers Quantities of Water-Baloons and Water-Rockets playing in the Thames, and thence rising up into the Air, and again falling into the Water, with great Diversion and Variety; in the mean Time, the Baloons, out of the Mortarpieces from the right and left Wings, with the Triumph-Guns, and a Mortar-Piece of Nine Cylinders, threw up Baloons into the Air, to a very great Height, where they broke into several Sorts of Fire-Works, as Stars, Reports, Fire-drops, and small Rockets.  
The second Representation was the Figure of Bacchus, mounted upon a Tun placed on a large Pedestal, holding in his right hand a Golden Cup, and in his left, the Arms of the Prince of Wales: Over his Head were charactered in Letters of Flame, Laetitia Populi; while out of the Figure, Tun, and Pedestal, were cast forth all Sorts of Fire-Works, playing both in the Water and in the Air; and at the same Time, on the right and left Side of Bacchus, were placed, on two Platforms, Frames of 150 great Rockets, from six to twelve pounds' weight each, which played continually.  
The third Scene exhibited the firing the Ciphers of Their Majesty's Names, encompassed with two Laurel Branches of Fire, having above them an Imperial Crown, and above that a Sun in his full Lustre, between the two forementioned Pyramids of forty-five Foot high, supported at each Corner with a Lion Couchant, and raised upon two large Pedestals, the said Pyramids having each, on either of the Tops, a large Flower-de-luce burning, environed with burning Laurels, and casting out divers Sorts of Fire-Works, the Pedestals likewise throwing out several Thousands of Rockets, both up into the Air, and down into the Water; and on the four Corners of the Platform, were placed as many large Girandola's, each consisting of a Hundred large Rockets; and behind these Pyramids, another large Platform, furnished with five Hundred great Rockets, which played all the while the Royal Ciphers were burning, besides a Hundred great Rockets which were fired round about the Platform, on which the Pyramids were placed.  
And now the whole Front of the Fire-Works appeared clearly enlightened which was disposed after this Manner: On the right Hand of the Pyramids was placed, at a 100 Foot distance, a Figure of twelve Foot high, on a largesse Pedestal, the Figure resembling A Beautiful Woman, in her right Hand holding a Laurel Wreath, and with her left embracing a Pyramid; on her Head, a Crown, and clothed in a Scarlet Robe embroidered with Gold, representing the Emblem of Royal Glory, which was signified by a Motto, raised three Foot above her Head, made out in flaming Letters of twentytwo Foot long, and two Foot and a half high, in these Words, Gloria Principis, sending forth a continual Fire of all Sorts; and behind the Figure, at 100 Foot Distance, was a Platform, upon which all this while played three Hundred great Rockets.  
The next Figure, somewhat advanced before the rest of the Front, was that of Bacchus, before described, representing the Emblem of the People's Gladness, expressing in like large Letters of Flame this Motto, Laetitia Populi.  
On the left Hand of the Pyramids, was another Figure of twelve Foot high, at the former Distance; this Figure resembling A Beautiful Woman, was vested in an Azure Robe, richly adorned, on her Head a Crown, with her right Hand grasping the British Oak; twined about with Ivy Branches and Berries, standing upon a Pedestal; at her Feet, on one Side a Hare, on the other Side a Hen and Chickens, each on a little Pedestal, being all Emblems of Foecundity, and alluding to her Majesty's happy Fruitfulness, expressed by the Figure of Foecundity; over whose Head, at three Foot Distance, burned a Motto in fiery Letters, of twenty-seven Foot and a half long, and two Foot and a half high, expressing these Words, Fausra Foecunditas; which Figure in her left Arm held a Child, representing the PRINCE of WALES, over whose Head burned a Motto, shaped like a half Circle, eight Foot the whole, and four Foot the Semidiameter, in these Words, Propago Imperii, casting forth a continual and different Fire of all Sorts, both in the Air and Water, there being also three Hundred great Rockets which played up into the Air one after another, during the Time the Figure was burning.  
By this last Description of the Front of the Fire-Works, and the several Mottoes, will be clearly understood the Design and Intent of the Whole, which imports this Sense or Meaning, viz. That the Glory of the King, and Gladness of the People, had been happily augmented By the blessed Fruitfulness of Her Majesty, having brought forth (in the most Auspicious Birth of His Royal Highness) A Prince, to propagate the Honour and Greatness of the British Empixe.  
The last Firing afforded not an unpleasing Spectacle, by the playing off of three Thousand Rockets out of six Girandola's, which were played upon two Platforms, upon the right and left of the abovementioned Figures, each at two Hundred Foot Distance, in a straight Line with the said Pyramids, concluding with the Discharge of forty-five Baloons out of the aforesaid Mortarpieces and Triumph Guns from their Platforms, upon the right and left Wings. The end of this splendid Diversion was made known by the Noise of His Majesty's Trumpets and Kettle Drums, seconded by the People's repeated Huzza's, expressing the Satisfaction they had received in the happy and successful Performance of what had been undertaken, which was closed by the Discharge of the Great Ordnance from the Tower.  
This Description of the Royal Fireworks, now made public, in Memory of the great Occasion for which they were first designed, is, in all humility, Dedicated to the Growing Glory of His Royal Highness the PRINCE of WALES, by  
His Royal Highness' most humble, and most obedient Servant, M. BECKMAN, Principal Engineer to His Majesty of Great Britain.