oy “485 
os PORTIFICATION, 
‘Fortifica- Davtecarcn is the science that teaches the best me- 
tion, thod of 
—— 
putting a town, citadel, or othermilitary position, 
in such a state of defence, asmay enable a small number 
within to hold out against the attack of a great num- 
besieged the best 
‘orce, or 
idity, it would have re- 
warfare, taking 
ed. In this way, a very superior invading might 
q be defeated, or at least. ept in check a sufficient length 
of time, to allow the i state! either to march its 
- own armies'to the point of attack, or to the as- 
pa nasa be ar ames e ow ar — 
support a weak neighbour i attacks of a 
Were the political divisions of the earth so 
that the weaker states should always have 
prog tal ivonetior deere tong ai &c. on 
rom teres thee RE ONE Ap COTO A 
bein some measure compensated by natural forti 
But as considerations aattes difesent kind 
regulated the ition of terri 
ions 
of defence ; and that the construction of these 
pmeor been considered as an object of the highest 
means of placing a weak 
i , whether its 
Thornant obdtons! codtherl ae protecting -an open 
most obvious m of ing an 
ountry from sudden invasion, would be to carry a 
_ wall round the whole frontier. Of this species of forti- 
fication, is the great wall that China from Tar- 
tary, and likewise the Roman wall in the north of Eng- 
land, built for the purpose of defending the southern 
Seat the island from the sudden incursions of th 
. But the: insuperab jection, in 
y ible to command the 
: 
means of raising such , it was soon found that the 
prmnce Fr ing such an extensive line rendered 
them little use. Such methods of de- 
infinitely greater 
venture to leave these places of in their rear, 
without the greatest danger of having their retreat cut 
off; and uently a country, possessing such for- 
tifications, could se be subject to sudden attacks. 
Nor is this the only adyantage that is found to result 
from such fortified places. By making them ts for 
arms, ammunition, and other military stores, they be- 
come the surest protection of established governments 
inst rebellion or any internal commotion. To the 
art of fortification, then, may perhaps be justly ascribed 
not a little of that peace and good order among man- 
kind, which would otherwise be sacrificed to the law- 
less ambition of despots, or the madness of factious de- 
m 
Fortifica- 
tion. 
It is impossible to say at what time, or in what coun- Ancient sys- 
try, men first began to construct fortifications. Ina rude tem of for- 
state of society, when weapons of attack were few and tification. 
‘simple, and when the success of war depended more on 
‘the physical powers, than ‘the skill of the combatants, 
little ingenuity would be necessary to render a place 
impregnable, whatever might be the force of the assail- 
ants, An earthen mound, a deep ditch, or a single 
stone wall, would probably be sufficient not only for 
eae a garrison against sudden attacks, but even 
for enabling it to hold out against a regular siege. How 
long the art of fortification continued in this simple 
state, we have no means of ascertaining ; but it is evi- 
dent, from various of sacred history, that it 
had made considerable progress in Eastern countries in 
the days of Moses, upwards of 1500 years before Christ. 
From these countries, it probably travelled to the 
West, where it received great improvements from the 
Greeks and Romans. By inventing new methods of 
attack, these warlike states obliged the besieged to adopt 
new methods of defence ; and thus while they exerci- 
sed their own ingenuity in the art of war, they called 
forth that of the nations with whom they contended. 
A single mound, or stone wall, was soon found to be 
her inadequate to resist the force of the engines 
with which they were assailed. The wall or rampart 
was accordingly strengthened by towers erected upon 
it at convenient distances, and from these the besieged 
were enabled to defend the intermediate parts of the 
wall, which they could not otherwise have done with- 
out exposing themselves to the missile weapons of the 
enemy. Besides these towers, the rampart itself some- 
times consisted of a double or even a triple wall. Of 
this kind were the walls of Jerusalem and Babylon. 
The most obvious method of assaulting a fortified 
place in rude ages, would be ‘to’ construct an earthen 
Ancient sys- 
tem of at- 
mound or counter fortification, from which ‘the assail- tack. 
ants could en with the besi on equal terms. 
This method of attack was probably coeval with the 
art of fortification itself, as from the passages of sacred 
\ history to which we have already alluded, it appears to 
have been common in Eastern countries at the time of 
the Israelites taking possession of the land of Canaan. 
The same method of besieging towns was adopted by 
the Gréeks and Romans. hey constructed their 
circumvallation of turf, and, in some cases, they were 
made double at an interval of fifteen or sixteen feet. 
The interior wall was intended to preserve them from 
the sallies of the besieged, the exterior to guard them 
against the attacks of those who might come to the as- 
sistance of the town, The space between the walls 
- or mounds was fer ay with tents.and lodges for the 
soldiers. These walls were surmounted with turrets; 
