ON THE ORIGIN OF THE MODERN ART OF FORTIFICATION. It is generally agreed, among military writers, that the method of fortifying places with bastions was introduced into Italy, about the beginning of the sixteenth century. But the author of this great change in the art of war has never been accurately traced. I have been induced, by Folard's reflections on this subject, to make some enquiry into it, the result of which will perhaps surprize the reader. * The first bastions which were seen in Europe, were constructed by the Turks, for the defence of Otranto, in Apulia, * Hist. de Polybe, tom. iii. p. 2. & Seq. which they occupied, from the time of their invasion, in 1480, to a late period in the succeeding year. They de * fended this place against the whole power of Italy, and only capitulated in consequence of the death of Mahomet II. After their departure, the Italians were surprized to find works of a new appearance; and Guillet + says, that their general, Trivulzio, recommended an imitation of them to the. Christian engineers. I have unfortunately mislaid a reference to an Italian writer, who corroborates the fact. To the Turks, then, we owe this improvement; and it becomes a matter of curiosity, to enquire by what means they were led to its adoption. It had occurred to me, many years ago, that Tacitus had described the walls of Jerusalem, as constructed in some degree, on the modern principle of a * Folard, Murator, Annal. tom. xxiii. p. 1688. + Vie de Mahomet 11. Liv. ii. p. 371. flanking defence; but finding that Folard ridiculed the idea, I had given it up, till some observations in the Memoirs of Prince Eugene, lately published, and an examination of a passage, mis-quoted by Folard, renewed my first opinion. Qui croirait', says the prince, 'que 'j'ai appris quelque chose des Turcs, et que les Turcs aient appris quelque chose 'des Romains? Cela leur est resté, je crois, des colonies, comme les formes, etrusques des Vases, des cruches qúon 'trouve chez chaque paysan.' This is said, on the subject of field-intrenchments, which he had learned from the Turks to raise to the height of twenty feet. The passage in Tacitus, to which, I have alluded, runs as follows. "Duos colles. in immensum editos "claudebant muri per artem obliqui, "aut introrsus sinuati, ut latera oppug"nantium ad ictus patescerent. Extrema rupis abrupta, et turres, ubi mons ju"visset, in sexaginta pedes, inter devexa 66 |