16 Dr. Mac Culloch on the 



I do 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 far as 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 v 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 



