LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 11 



A rare invention. 



A muskett or calyver, with dyvers strange and forcible 

 shotte, which no armor will holde out, at three quarters of a 

 mile or more ; and will also become a most forcible weapon 

 in the hande, as good as a pollox, and, with a teice, become 

 a perfitt shotte agayne. 



An armed pike most e forcible. 



An arme pike which a weake man maye use or handle 

 very reddily with such force as a man will not thincke, and 

 the same pike will also become a very good shotte at all 

 tymes. But when they come to the very pushe they be 

 most terrible, bothe the shotte and the weapon. 



An engyne of notable defence for the safegard of mens lyves. 



A cariage in manner of a walle or curteyne to defende men 

 from shotte in approchinge any sconse or other force, and wil 

 be transformed into as many severall shapes of fortification as 

 men will ; and also be as tentes or lodginges drye above heade, 

 and from the grounde, and also very offensyve, and of greate 

 fury ; whereof I wishe your excellente Majestic were furnished, 

 but as secrette as I could keepe them in myne owne harte 

 for some greate daye of service. 



A speciall peece of service. 



A meanes whereby our plowe-horses, carte jades, and 

 hackneys, maye be made to doe greater service in our owne 

 countrey, then the launces, or argulaters, or any horsemen of 

 other nations, can possibly be able to doe in their ordinary 

 services. 



The rarest engyne that ever was invented for sea service*. 



A vessell in manner of a galley or galliotte to passe upon 

 the seas and ryvers without oars or sayle, against wynde and 

 tyde, swifter then any that ever hath bynne seene, of won- 

 derfull effect bothe for intelligence, and many other admi- 

 rable exploytes, almoste beyonde the expectation of man. 



* See Rara Mathematica, p. 87. William Bourne mentions a similar invention 

 of his in the Inventions or Devises (Lond. 1578, 4to). How well does this meagre 

 description suit the modern steam-boat ! I may mention here that the invention of 

 paddle-wheels is ascribed to him by some writers, and he appears to consider them 

 as a new invention ; but there is a drawing of a boat with paddle-wheels, precisely 

 similar to our modern steam-vessels, in MS. Harl. 3281, fol. 43, v, written in Italy 

 in the fifteenth century. See also the ff. 43, r, 51, v, and 57, r, of the same MS. 



