A discourse on the theory of gunnery. : Delivered at the anniversary meeting of the Royal society, November 30, 1778. / By Sir John Pringle, baronet. Published by their order.

  • Pringle, John, Sir, 1707-1782.
Date:
1778
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse on the theory of gunnery. : Delivered at the anniversary meeting of the Royal society, November 30, 1778. / By Sir John Pringle, baronet. Published by their order. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    they not fox' themfelves ? The fciences of motion and pneumatics are promoted by them; and of what avail their perfection would be for the farther interpretation of nature, you need not be informed. In fine, we have here before us, in thefe experiments, the fureft teft of our advancement in true knowledge, which is, the im¬ provement of a liberal art, and the enlargement of the powers of man over the works of creation. •» 4 0 Some however may think, that the objeCts of this Society are the arts of peace alone, not thofe of wrar, and that confidering how numerous and how keen the in- ftruments of death already are, it would better become us to difcourage than to countenance their farther im- 0 provement. Thefe naturally will be the firft thoughts- of the belt difpofed minds. But when upon a clofer examination we find, that fince the invention of arms of the quickeft execution, neither battles nor fieges have been more frequent nor more deftruCtive, indeed appa-- rently otherwife; may we not thence infer, that fuch means as have been employed to fharpen the fword,. have tended more to diminifh than to increafe the num¬ ber of its victims, by fhortening contefts and making them more decifive. I fliall not however in lift on< t maintaining?: