ANTIQUITIES. 



375 



By the pagans 'tis arm'd by most foul in- 

 cantation, 



Oh save us, kind Saviour, from such con- 

 flagration ! 



I. P. A. 



The idea which the French 

 knights formed of this destructive 

 fire seems to have been almost un- 

 utterable. " Each man," said Gau- 

 thier de Cariel, an old and expe- 

 rienced warrior, " should throw 

 himself on his elbows and knees 

 vhen that fire is thrown, and be- 

 seech the Lord (who alone can help 

 him) to avert the-dreadful danger." 

 This counsel was practised, and 

 Philip himself, as often as he heard 

 the Greek fire discharged in the 

 night, raised his body from his bed 

 and with uplifted hands prayed, 

 " Lord, preserve uiy people !" Beau 

 sire, &c. 



Joinville (a gallant officer who 

 was present) thus describes the 

 Greek {ire. " It was thrown from 

 a • Petrarie.' It was as large as a 

 barrel of verjuice, had a flaming tail 

 like a broad sword, made a report 

 like thunder, and appeared like a 

 4ragon flying through the air : giving 

 such a light that, in the camp at 

 midnight, one miglit see as well as 

 at noon-day." 



G. de Vinesauf (a braveand learn- 

 ed French baron) thus expresses his 

 horror at this destructive pest. 

 " This fire has a most foetid *m,ell 

 with livid flames, and consumes 

 even flints and iron. Waterquench- 

 e-i'it not ; sand checks its force 3 but 

 vinegar alone can extinguish it." 



Vo complete the story of the 

 Greek fire we will forestall the or- 

 der of time, Philip «f France, 

 finding a quantity of this odiou.s 

 ammunition ready prepared at Acre, 

 took it with him to Europe and 

 meanly madt u-.c of it ( so says Fere 



Daniel) against the fleet of England 

 at Dieppe. It was nsed afterwards 

 in France ; and one Gaubert, of 

 Mant, gained the secret of making 

 it ; but with him it expired. In 

 1380, the warlike bishop of Nor- 

 wich and his army in Flanders suf- 

 fered ereat annoyance from a com- 

 position of this inflaiiimatory kind. 

 And it is asserted by the most dili- 

 gent of antiquaries, Grose, that a 

 chymlst still enjoys an annuity from 

 government, on condition of keep- 

 ing secret a composition of the same 

 destructive cast. 



This species of fire Is perhaps 

 very ancient. In his history of the 

 Goths, Procopius speaks of an in- 

 fernal mixture, called " Medea's 

 oil," which had much the same pro- 

 perties. And the Kilan Tartars are 

 said to have introduced it to China 

 in 917, under the name of " The 

 oil of the cruel fire. " 



Account nfthe^^rst newspapers esta- 

 blished ill England, From lord 

 Mountmorres's History of the 

 Ir'ish Parliament. 



JULY 9, I662, a very extraordi- 

 nary question arose, about pre- 

 venting die publication of the de- 

 bates of the Irish parliament in aa 

 English newspaper called ♦' The 

 Intelligencer^" and a letter- was 

 written from the speaker to sir Ed- 

 ward Nicholas, the English secre- 

 tary of state, to prevent these pub- 

 lic itions in those diurnals, as they 

 call them. The " London Gazette" 

 commenced Nov. J, 1G65. It was 

 at first called the '-'Oxford Gazette," 

 from its being printed there during 

 a session of pariiameut held there ori 

 account of the last plague. Ante- 

 cedent to this period, sir R. I'Es- 

 li b 4 trange 



