The School of Recreation by Robert Howlett (e book reader online .TXT) 📕

quick Motion with your Left-leg, and then as many as exercise must stoop together, and extend their Right-hands as far as they can reach, and then grasp the Pike.

32. Order you Pikes.

With your Right-hand raise the Pike, and step back with your Left Leg, with a swift Motion, clapping the Butt-end of the Pike to facilitate the raising of it on the Inside of your Right-foot about the middle.

33. Pikes to your outside Order.

In this Exercise place the Butt-end of your Pike on the out-side of your foot, not moving your Foot, but the Pike.

34. Advance your Pike.

This must be done, as the fore-going; and thus much for the Exercise of the Pike in particular by it self, till I come to speak of its Exercise conjunctly with the Musquet, in the general Exercising a Company or Battalion.

The words of Command in the Exercise of the Musquet, and how they are to be Observed and Performed.

When you enter on this Exercise, be sure to keep your Footing firm, your Feet at a moderate distance; that at all Times, and on all Occasions, you may retain your full Strength. Observe moreover to keep the Right heel firm, and set the Right foot steady, and then attend to the Words of Command, which you are summoned to do by this Expression of the Commander, viz. Musketiers, have a Care of the Exercise, and carry your Arms well. After which, the proper Words of Command follow in their Order.

1. Lay your Right-hand on your Musket.

Here the Lock being uppermost, turn the Barrel towards you, and extending your Fingers, lay your Right-hand directly behind the Lock; so close the Butt end to your Shoulder, suffering the Musket to be in all parts of an equal height.

2. Poise your Musket.

In doing this, you must hold it with a hard Grasp, facing to the Right, and turning with a quick Motion on your Left-heel, your Musket kept directly before you the height of it, between your Shoulders; your Right elbow on your Side, keeping your feet at a moderate distance, that when you turn about, your Left-toe may stand to the Front, and your Right-toe as you Face to the Left; let your Left-heel be against the middle of your Right-foot; and by such means you will be in a resting posture.

3. Rest your Musket.

Here slide your Musket down to your Left-hand bearing your Arm as low as possible without stooping, and so receive your Musket where the Scowrer enters into the Stock, touching with your hand no part of the Barrel, keeping it about half a Foot from your side sloping, your Right-hand, with your Fingers, extended being behind the Lock.

4. Cock your Musket.

Place the Right-Thumb and your Finger behind the Trigger, so clap your Musket against your Thigh, and Cock; keeping it that it slip not your Thumb, now removed steady on the Head of the Cock.

5. Guard your Musket.

Bring it with a very swift Motion strait before you, to recover your Left-hand even with your mouth, about half a foot distance from it, not suffering your Musket to sink, nor stooping your Body, observing in bringing up the Musket before, which is a recovering, that the Right-heel be brought to the Left-Instep, your Musket being perpendicular.

6. Present.

Here fall back with your Right-leg, that the middle of the Right foot may be against the Left-heel; cause the Butt-end to rise to your Shoulder, fixing it firm, and keep your Right elbow even with the height of the Piece, being in a readiness with the fourth Finger of your Right-hand to pull the Trigger, bowing the Left-knee keeping the Right firm and steady, and so level your Musket Breast high.

7. Fire.

Keep here an exact Motion in drawing the Trigger, every one drawing at once, so that the whole Fire of a Company or Battalion may be as of one report: Keep your Body steady, and your Musket hard against your Shoulder after you have fired, till the next Word of Command is given, viz.

8. Recover your Arms.

Here let the Butt-end sink in both your Hands, and bringing it strait before you, keep your right Hand under the Cock and the Left even with your Mouth.

9. Half bend your Musket.

Fall back with your Right-leg, and let the Musket at once rest, placing the Right-thumb upon the Cock, and the Fingers of that hand behind the Trigger; then closing it to your Thigh, half bend the Cock, and keep it rested with your Fingers extended.

10. Clean the Pan.

Do this with the ball of your Thumb, pressed into the Pan, keeping your Fingers of the Right-hand behind the Lock.

11. Handle your Primer.

Take the little end between your Finger and Thumb, turning the other end to the back of your Hand, your Arm bearing backwards.

12. Prime.

Level your Piece, and strike your bruised Powder into the Pan half full, or some what more, keeping your Left-toe to the Front.

13. Shut your Pan.

This do by using your two first Fingers, casting back your Primer and bringing up your Right-heel to your Left-instep, your Musket strait up before you, as in the recovery, with the Barrel towards you; do it with a quick Motion with the Thumb of your Right-hand on the top of the Steel, Levelling your Left with your Mouth.

14. Blow off the loose Corns.

Bring your Mouth within four Inches of the Pan, give a strong Blast without declining your Head, casting out your Arm, and suffering the Musket to sink from its former Posture.

15. Cast about and Charge.

Advance your right Leg, turn the Barrel of your Musket downwards, bring it to your Left-side a little backward, with your Left-hand, not touching the Barrel with your Fingers; place the Toes of your Right foot to the Front and the Right-heel against the middle of the Left-foot, ballancing your Musket in the Left hand, the Muzzle to the proper Front, in an equal height, half a Foot from you, joining your Right-hand to the Muzzle, your Thumb extended to the side of the Barrel.

16. Handle your Charger.

Gripe fast your Bandilier or Charger, hold it even with the Muzzle of the Musket underneath, about an Inch distant.

17. Open your Charger with your Teeth.

In this Case, bring it up to your Mouth without declining your Head, then bring your Charger within an Inch of your Muzzle, about an Inch from it, covering your Chargers Mouth with the ball of your Thumb.

18. Charge with Powder.

Pat the Powder into the Barrel with a quick Motion, and put the Charger underneath as before.

19. Draw forth your Scowrer.

In this let fall your Charger, and upon turning your Hand, draw forth your Scowrer at three Motions, holding it Level the height of your Forehead, with an extended Arm, as if you designed to dart it.

20. Shorten it to an Inch.

Turn the great end of your Scowrer towards you, sinking it till within an Inch of your Hand, rest it some what below your Right-breast, bearing forward a little.

21. Charge with Bullet.

Take the Bullet out of your Mouth with your Right-hand, put it into the Barrel with a swift Motion, holding the big end of your Scowrer near the Muzzle of your Musket.

22. Ram down Powder and Ball.

Grasp full with your Thumb and Fore-finger from the Muzzle, your Thumb on the Top of the Scowrer reserving a handful in your Hand.

23. Withdraw your Scowrer.

Your Hand, Thumb and Fore-finger turned towards the Muzzle, clear your Scowrer at three Motions, and hold it up even with your Forehead, extending your Arm as if you were about to dart it.

24. Shorten it to an Handful.

Turn the Butt-end of your Scowrer towards you; sink it till within an Inch of the End, letting it rest against your Body a little below your Right-breast, the Scowrer sloping.

25. Return your Scowrer.

Put it up in its proper place; grasp the Muzzle of your Musket with your Right-hand, extending your Thumb upon the Scowrer, keep it half a foot distant from your Side.

26. Poise your Musket.

Here before you bring up your Musket with your Left-hand, Grasp it under the Cock with your Right, falling with your Right-leg to your Left: Keep it Poised against your Nose, and when faced to the Front, let your Right-elbow rest upon your Body.

27. Shoulder your Musket.

In this do as has been taught in the like case before.

28. Order your Musket.

Sink a little your Right-hand, and take hold on the Stock on the top of the Scowrer with your Left-hand, then suffer that Hand to sink, and take hold on the Muzzle with the Right-hand, letting the Butt-end easily sink near the Ground; then let it after a little Pause come down: As many as Exercise grounding them together, then close to the Right-foot, and place the Butt-end about the middle of it, your Right-hand an Inch below the Muzzle, the Lock being outward.

29. Lay down your Musket.

Turning it with the Back upwards, step forwards with your Left-leg, so with your Right-hand place it on the Ground, that it may lye with the rest in a strait Line; This some call grounding a Musket.

30. Quit your Musket.

Here stand upright with a quick Motion, rising with a falling back of your Left-leg to your Right.

31. Handle your Musket.

With your Left-leg step forward, and lay your Right hand on the Muzzle.

32. Order your Musket.

Raise the Muzzle, and fall back with your Left-leg to your Right, turning the Lock outwards by the middle of your Foot.

And thus much for the Exercise of the Musket by it self, which may be much advantageous to young Trainers, who have occasion to be called or sent out upon Duty in the City or Country and Country Militia of the Trained Bands, or for any other who is desirous to be knowing in, and entering upon Military Affairs, from whence I shall proceed to the brief Exercise of the Pike and Musket, jointly, as they are Exercised in Companies, Battalions, &c.

The Exercise of Pike and Musket jointly.

We now supposing the Muskets shouldered, and the Pikes advanced; the Word next is,

1. Musketiers, make ready.

Hereupon you must perform all the Postures and Motions together, till you stand Cock'd and guarded with your Musket before you; and for the better Security your Thumb on the Cock; whereupon the Pikes are to be recovered before the Pike-men: The Butt-ends in the Palms of their Hands, and the Spear upright on their Left hands to the height of their Mouths, when the Commander gives the Word

Charge.

Then the Muskets and Pikes must be brought at once, by turning the Left-toe that way the Charge is made, and the Left-heel against the middle of the Right-foot in every Charge, charging directly forward; not at the first Charging, closing the Pikes to your Breasts; but in bringing down the Pike, charge a little way distant, and when they are brought down, then close them.

The Charge is, To the Right four times; then to the Right about, and so, As you were.

Then to the Left Charge four times; then to the Left about, and so, As you were.

Furthermore the Pike-men must turn as the Musketiers, bearing up their Right-heels to their Left-insteps, their Arms being extended as they turn; so that they bring their Muskets straight before them, carrying their Left-hands as high as their Mouths, bearing back their Arms; and when they Face, fall back with their Right-legs, not bringing down their Arms till the word Charge is given; and then it must be done with a decent quick Motion, not suffering the Pikes to clatter.

After this, the Words of Command are, viz.

Recover your Arms.
Half bend your Muskets.
Poise your Muskets.
Shoulder your Muskets.

This Exercise is to be observ'd, as is