Page:Pyrotechnics the history and art of firework making (1922).djvu/193

 on a staff, and known collectively as "fire lances" or "clubs" (the former name is not to be confused with the lances used in set-piece work).

The particular one under consideration, although it is very large, being four inches bore, and only emits two balls or stars, is undoubtedly the prototype of the "Roman."

Bate describes a somewhat similar lance with the difference that "petards" or single crackers are substituted for stars.

This was in 1635. Over one hundred years later, Frézier describes an almost exactly similar firework under the heading "Artifices Portatifs," which name he adopts instead of the old name "Lance à feu," in order to avoid confusion with the lance as known to-day, which was then coming into use.

This is the only mention he makes of anything that can be considered to even remotely resemble a Roman candle, and as he refers to several other writers, a justifiable inference seems to be that neither he or they had any knowledge of such a firework. Had he known of it, such is its popularity he would certainly have mentioned it.

Eighteen years later Jones describes exactly the Roman candle as made to-day, to which he gives the name "Fire Pump."

"Pumps" and "Pumps with Starrs" occur in the description subjoined to engravings depicting English peace displays in 1697 and 1713; there can be no doubt that the reference is to Roman candles or the earlier development of them.

When, however, the elder Ruggieri came over to this country in 1749 to conduct the Aix-la-Chapelle peace display in Green Park, in conjunction with Sarti, no firework of this nature appears in the programme of the display.

Here we have two pyrotechnists who can be considered to represent the best skill of France and Italy; in fact, it