Economics -- Early works to 1800; Finance -- Great Britain; Great Britain -- Economic conditions -- 18th century
The public exercises likewise military, and all the schools be
disciplined under proper officers, who are so in turn or by order of the
general, and continue but for the day.
The several classes to perform several studies, and but one study to a
distinct class, and the persons, as they remove from one study to
another, to change their classes, but so as that in the general exercises
all the scholars may be qualified to act all the several parts as they
may be ordered.
The proper studies of this college should be the following:
Geometry. Bombarding.
Astronomy. Gunnery.
History. Fortification.
Navigation. Encamping.
Decimal arithmetic. Intrenching.
Trigonometry. Approaching.
Dialing. Attacking.
Gauging. Delineation.
Mining. Architecture.
Fireworking. Surveying.
And all arts or sciences appendices to such as these, with exercises for
the body, to which all should be obliged, as their genius and capacities
led them, as:
1. Swimming; which no soldier, and, indeed, no man whatever, ought to be
without.
2. Handling all sorts of firearms.
3. Marching and counter-marching in form.
4. Fencing and the long-staff.
5. Riding and managing, or horsemanship.
6. Running, leaping, and wrestling.
And herewith should also be preserved and carefully taught all the
customs, usages, terms of war, and terms of art used in sieges, marches
of armies and encampments, that so a gentleman taught in this college
should be no novice when he comes into the king’s armies, though he has
seen no service abroad. I remember the story of an English gentleman, an
officer at the siege of Limerick, in Ireland, who, though he was brave
enough upon action, yet for the only matter of being ignorant in the
terms of art, and knowing not how to talk camp language, was exposed to
be laughed at by the whole army for mistaking the opening of the
trenches, which he thought had been a mine against the town.
The experiments of these colleges would be as well worth publishing as
the acts of the Royal Society. To which purpose the house must be built
where they may have ground to cast bombs, to raise regular works, as
batteries, bastions, half-moons, redoubts, horn-works, forts, and the
like; with the convenience of water to draw round such works, to exercise
the engineers in all the necessary experiments of draining and mining
under ditches. There must be room to fire great shot at a distance, to
cannonade a camp, to throw all sorts of fireworks and machines that are,
or shall be, invented; to open trenches, form camps, &c.
Their public exercises will be also very diverting, and more worth while
for any gentleman to see than the sights or shows which our people in
England are so fond of.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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