Practical Manual of Artillery

in Medicine, and in all other faculties where they have had the opportunity to apply themselves. But among those who have devoted themselves to the Military Art—as that nation is ordinarily seen to be most inclined—and have also possessed the spirit for particular science, one has been in our days LUIGI COLLIADO, who, as a tree transplanted into our Italy and perfected therein, added to the soldierly profession so much other good discipline pertinent to it that he deserved to be held among the first Engineers who lived in his time. And applying his thought to the management, among other things, of the most important machine used in war, he knew how to describe a good PRACTICE MANUAL OF ARTILLERY that surpassed as many as had written on such material before him. While living, he had his most useful book printed in his natural Spanish tongue; then, seeing that the greater part of those who handle artillery are Italian—as everyone desiring this knows—he also had the wish that a translation of it be made. And we, persuading ourselves to do a beneficial thing for all experts of the trade, wanted to take the trouble to have in our hands both what was found printed in Spanish and other parts that he had added, not yet seen in print in that language, to have the whole reduced into our idiom, and to bring the whole completed book to light. As by the grace of the Lord we have succeeded, not having shirked any sort of expense in this, to accompany it also with as many outstanding figures as we have placed there, according to the mind of the Author. Thus, having now printed the whole work in Italian, nothing else is appropriate for us to do but to support it with an Italian Prince; to Your Excellency we come to make a dedication of it, so that it may be protected in Italy by your favor, where you hold such a worthy and ancient Lordship. Ancient, indeed, in that it had its beginning from GUGLIELMO, as its new Adam in 1216, in which year his son ALBERICO was Lord of Bardi, and shortly thereafter the other GUGLIELMO of Compiano; and UBERTINO in 1297 added to these Dominions