The Master Gunner Question Two

[robinghewitt]

Another question is: is it the saltpetre or the sulphur which imparts the impetus to drive the stone ball?

I say: it is both of them together. When the powder is ignitedin the gun the sulphur represents the hot principle, whereas the saltpetre represents the cold.. Now hot and cold are two principles opposed to one another. Neither can abide the other, nor could either alone produce this effect in the powder.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Bafoons! Saltpetre and Sulphur contain all four elements, as does every non-elemental item! The saltpetre contains the impetus, but the sulphur holds a portion of the reaction, as does the charcoal. The flowers of sulphur, as we know from the burning of same to chase away the corruptive maisma from around a sick-bed, are already a heavy combination of the elemental fire and air (as it and charcoal are the only two of the three ingredients which will support flame, they lend of their fire to the saltpetre). But we can prove that burining either of these produces no explosion - therefore proving it is the saltpetre.

I can see a bloodletting is in order as this group is entirely befot with fevre and ague.

 

[Zonie]

Ah'm a thin'en that this har thin are riged.

First off, ole Squire is a standin up thar an askin ah question an a givin only two answers ta choos from.
Than he says "I say: it is both of them together."

That warn't a choice.

Ah also notes that thes here questions ar asked in New English words.
Ah says iffen the book war ritten in tha late 1300s, it would have been in Middle English like ole Chaucer wrot in an neither tha Squire or none of us would know what the H the book war even talkin about!

Speakin of ole Jeff, did ye know he used words like PI$$ and farte (his spellin, not mine) rite thar in his poems?
But back ta class Ah guess.

 

[robinghewitt]

The English is good because this is translated from a German text.

I had to learn the Pardoner's Tale at school, but like all schoolboys I couldn't resist the ers singeing scene in the Miller's ::

This Nicholas was risen for to pisse,
And thoughte he wolde amenden al the jape;
He sholde kisse his ers er that he scape.
And up the wyndowe dide he hastily,
And out his ers he putteth pryvely
Over the buttok, to the haunche-bon;
And therwith spak this clerk, this Absolon,
"Spek, sweete bryd, I noot nat where thou art."
This Nicholas anon leet fle a fart,
As greet as it had been a thonder-dent,
That with the strook he was almoost yblent;
And he was redy with his iren hoot,
And Nicholas amydde the ers he smoot,
Of gooth the skyn an hande brede aboute,
The hoote kultour brende so his toute,
And for the smert he wende for to dye.
As he were wood, for wo he gan to crye,
"Help! Water! Water! Help for Goddes herte!"

 

[Zonie]

"Help! Water! Water! Help for Goddes herte!"
(modern continuation)
Now the Carpenter, out of his sleep did start
Hearing Water cried as a madman would
Thought ahh alase comes Noahs flood...

Ah, thay don't writ them like that anymore.

For those who have nothing better to do, read just two of Chaucers Canterbury Tales; The Carpenters Tale and The Millers Tale.
Many libraries have books which contain both the original Middle English and translations of it to modern english for your ribald enjoyment.

OK.........Back to em tests.