Various Questions and Inventions

at the eleventh, it will shoot much less than at the tenth, and similarly at the twelfth, that is, at the last point, it will shoot much, much less than at the eleventh. Indeed, at such an ultimate elevation, by natural reason, the ball should return to land precisely in the mouth of such a piece, but due to many accidents that can occur during the discharge, such a ball will not return there so precisely, though it certainly will not go very far from the said piece. D. It is a thing consistent with almost everything you have said, but what do you wish to infer from this? N. I wish to infer secondly this: that we have discovered in what kind of proportion, or order, the said shots go on increasing at every elevation, and not only point by point of our said square, but also minute by minute up to the elevation of the sixth point, or of 72 minutes, and in every type of ball, that is, of lead, iron, or stone. And similarly, whoever could elevate pieces beyond the said sixth point (as is done with mortars), we have also discovered in what proportion their shots will go on decreasing, and not only point by point, but also (as said) minute by minute until the end of the entire square, that is, until the end of all the 12 points, or 144 minutes. D. What construction can be drawn from such an invention of yours? N. The construction of such an invention is this: that by the knowledge of a single shot of any piece whatsoever, I can form a table of all the shots that such a piece will fire at every elevation, that is, point by point and minute by minute of our square. This table will be of such substance, or property, that whoever has it with them will not only know how to fire, but will know how to make any master gunner fire such heavy pieces from as far away as he deems appropriate (provided it is not further than the maximum shot of such a piece). And he who does not have our said table will not be able to learn any particular detail of such an invention, but such a secret will remain only with him who has such a table, and not with others. D. But he who has such a table of yours will not want to fire it himself, but will want to make another, a second person, fire it; will it not be necessary for such a second person to learn such a secret? N. No, most Excellent Lord, rather such a second person will remain as the apprentices of apothecaries remain, who continuously compound medicines as they are ordered by the doctors, and yet never learn to know how to heal. D. This seems to me a thing very hard to believe, and all the more so because in your booklet (dedicated to me) you say that you never fired artillery, nor a musket; and he who makes a judgment of a thing of which he has not seen the effect, or experience, is deceived for the most part, because only the eye is that which renders true testimony of things imagined. N. It is indeed true that the exterior sense tells us the truth in particular things, but not in universal ones, because universal things are subject only to the intellect, and not to any sense. D. It is enough; if you make me see this (a thing I do not believe), it will seem a miracle to me. N. All things that happen by nature, or by art, appear of great admiration when one does not know the cause of them, but soon your Excellency will be able to clear this up by having the experience done with a piece. D. I want to go to Pesaro; as soon as I have returned, I certainly want to see it.