36 Dr. Mae Culloch on the 
Ido not see that any further light can be thrown on these 
varieties of the Greek fire. ‘The accounts seem to be confused, 
and unintelligible, as faras they are so, partly by the ignorance, 
and partly by the exaggeration, of the reporters. Abstracting 
these, it is probable that they were truly enough, as has been 
said, resinous inflammable compounds, solid, tenacious, or 
liquid, without nitre, and exactly similar to the fires of our . 
own ancient fire-ships, before chemistry had taught us to pro- 
ceed on better principles. Fire arrows have been used by 
nations who never heard of Saracens or Greek fires. If there is 
any thing further to be explained, it appears to have arisen from 
applying generally to all these military fire-works the effects 
of some of them, an error easily produced by the use of a ge- 
neral term. Joinville’s fire will probably help to explain the 
mystery, such as it is. 
His description will be found much more intelligible, and 
will, I think, fully prove the supposition that there were dif- 
ferent things known by one name, and that the Greek fire used 
against Louis at Acre was neither the Chinese oil, nor any oil, 
nor any viscid substance, nor even the composition described 
by our celebrated female historian. As this writer was an eye- 
witness, having been himself present at this famous siege, his 
account is as worthy of credit as it is clear and descriptive. 
We shall also have reason to see that it implies a knowledge 
of gunpowder, and possibly even of ordnance, and that the 
former invention is thus carried back to a period which supports 
the account of the Arabian author of 1249, who has been quoted 
from Casiri. 
According to Joinville, the Greek fire was thrown from the 
walls of Acre by a machine called a petrary, occasioning such 
terrors among the commanders of St. Louis’s army, that Gaultier 
de Cariel, an experienced and valiant knight, advised his men, 
as often as it was thrown, to fall prostrate on their elbows and 
knees, and pray to God, as he alone could deliver them from 
the danger. And as the king lay in bed, whenever he was 
informed that this fire was thrown, he used to raise himself, 
and, lifting his hands, exclaimed, “ Good Lord, preserve my 
