Greek Fire of the Middle Ages. 19 



Whatever this formidable fire was, it seems to have caused 

 more alarm than injury, as we cannot discover in the narration, 

 that any mischief of moment was produced by it. This is pretty 

 much the case with rockets at the present day. 



I may yet remark on Joinville's history of this siege, that, 

 while it confirms the opinion before held out of the differences 

 in kind among the Greek fires, and of the real nature of this 

 particular one, it also corroborates that which has already 

 considered the Arabians as acquainted, even at that distant 

 time, with the explosive compounds that derive their properties 

 from nitre. 



If it was a rocket or a squib, that admits of no doubt ; if it 

 was any kind of carcass, or fire-ball, the same is true; as no 

 resinous compound, without nitre, could have burnt enclosed in 

 a case, as this appears most evidently to have been ; and as 

 indeed no such compound at liberty could have resisted water. 

 Nitre is absolutely necessary for every kind of carcass, and 

 that in considerable proportion : and it is only indeed by com- 

 pounding the charge of carcasses on the same general principles 

 as gunpowder, that they can be made effectual. 



As no further light can be thrown on this subject from the 

 ancient authors, it is unnecessary to prolong this inquiry. The 

 subject seems to be cleared, at least, of much of its mystery ; 

 and that this mystery has in a great measure arisen from mis- 

 takes and exaggeraiions, must be very apparent. We may 

 remain at our ease on this head, and be satisfied that we have 

 lost nothing by our imaginary loss of the Greek fire. We may 

 still safely boast, that in whatever arts either the Greeks or 

 Arabs may have excelled us, in that of destroying each other 

 we could have taught them much, and could have learnt nothing 

 from them. Divested of the mist which wonder and ignorance 

 have drawn round it, the boasted Greek fire seems to have been 

 a contemptible weapon enough. Had the rhyming monk or 

 St. Louis been at the sieges of Copenhagen or Algiers, it would 

 be difficult to conjecture where they would have found words to 

 express what must have been, to their fires, like the thunders 

 and lightnings of heaven to those of the theatre. 



