An ornate rectangular headpiece featuring symmetrical scrollwork, foliage, and floral patterns in a woodcut style.

PREFACE

APOLOGETIC. In this context, "Apologetic" does not mean an apology in the modern sense of being sorry; rather, it is a formal defense or justification of the authors' decision to publish a book on the destructive arts of war.

An ornate square drop cap 'C' decorated with intricate floral patterns and scrollwork.

IT was not without having diligently considered the objections that might be made against us for having sent this work out into the world, seeing as our military machines, our pyrotechnics The original French is "feux d'artifices." In the 17th century, this referred not just to celebratory displays, but to "artificial fires" used as weapons, such as incendiary bombs and grenades., and all the inventions contained in this little book seem at first glance to be directly contrary to charity The term "charity" (French: charité) refers to the Christian theological virtue of selfless love and benevolence toward one’s neighbor., since the entire work has no other goal than to ruin, demolish, tear down, and reduce to ash the cities, castles, villages, fortresses, and other buildings, finally leading to the slaughtering, killing, massacring, burning, dismembering, and cruel stealing of life from the bodies of men, women, and children; and from there, leading to looting and unjustly making the goods of others our own: Or, being unable to possess them, burning and consuming them in flames, smoke, and ash, depriving by this means our fellow man of his goods, his homeland, his parents, wives, children, and (what is worse) leading him to the mercy of blows, fires, and dangers,