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of guns and the spirrit of sulpher as the powder; where although they are charged,
yet untill they bee discharged, gives no report or sound; the discharging of these
glasses is by the breakeinge of a piece or part or end of the tailes, where the
discharging of guns are by much firelockes, scrues or the like, which setts fire or
gives vent to the powder, but these sulpherousse spirrits, having as it seemes a
more forceable nature, it doth viollently thrust itselfe out, where itt findes vent, like
as wind, but rather like fire, being of a firy nature, and may have the effects of bright
shineing fire, which, when it has noe vent, lyes as dead, but as soone as it can ease
out a passage, or findes a vent, it breakes forth in a violent crack or thundering
noisse. I doe not saye, the effects of these spirritts are to flame or to burne after
your way, but only it hath the like effects as to break, dispersse and spread abroad
as bright shineing fire doth, for oylye sulphur, vittral 1) spirritts and the like firy natures
are those which are called a cold dead fire, that is the exterior part is colde and dull,
although the interior is hott and active. As for the wounder, how this liquid matter
should be putt into this glasse, for it is vissible, a liquid matter is therein, which to
my senses itt must be first putt into the matter or substance that makes the glasses,
and when the glasse is blowne, the liquer runs or crouds to the most hollowest and
largest place it can get into, like as wind will blow the watter into a crowd or heape
togeither and fill all hollow places it can gett into, as ditches, pitts or the like; soe
doth the breath of the glassemaker blow that oyly essences or spirritts into the belly
of the glasse, where, before it can have soe much tyme to retire back, the end of
the little porus taile is soathred 2) up, where affterwards, when the soadred 2) part is
broke of, the spirritts findeing vent strugles and strives to gett forth, wherin the strife
it breakes the glasse to pieces, wherwith itt makes a noise or report like a gun, or
rather as a fired house or the like; I meane not for the loudenesse of the sound, for
the report is small to such loud reports, though it be great for so smale a bodye, but
I compare these spirritts like to fire, and the glasse as the house wherin the firy
spirritts are in as much as when they breake forth, they rend and disperse the
materialls of theire transparant house severall wayes, as alsoe the firy oyly spirritts
spreads ittselfe into vapor and dyes, for dilation is the way to desolation, and as this
glasses breakes when discharged, soe I believe guns at there discharging would
breake, if the barrills were of glasse, as they are of iron, and I know nothing to the
contrary, but this liquid substance in these glasses may be the oyle of saltpietter,
which is flatious, brimstone and charcole, which is hot mixt togeither, and soe may
be a liquid gunpowder, or rather gunpowder made liquid, put into the glasses; as
for the sound or report it gives, when discharged by giving the glasse vent, may be
the same cause, which makes ayre give a report, for ayre, although it be equall
tempred or cold, yet when it have ben pent up and afterwards have vent, will make
a loud report; soe will watter or any liquer, for ayre and winde have vocall noisses;
but to draw you towards an end, itt appeares thus to my senses, that the strife and
the spirritts or gunpowder liquer and the bricklynesse of the glasse is the cause of
the breakinge and powdering of the same, and the spirrits being airy, and the liquer
windy,
1) Lees: vital
2) = soared?
2) = soared?
Constantijn Huygens, Briefwisseling. Deel 5: 1649-1663