ain the narrated effects of the Greek fire. But there was also
another reason--viz. that all results, not of continual occurrence, and
within the range of ordinary experience, were attributed to magic, and
consequently spread a terror far disproportioned to the real effects;
for this reason, the means of producing then were prohibited by the
hierarchy, and, as they gradually acquired a more extensive use, were
then only permitted against the enemies of the religion of the people
who used them; hence the expression so frequent in the Arabian receipts,
"You shall burn your adversary for the service of God;" and similar
language is used by the Christian writers, when similar compositions
became used by Christian warriors.

A narration, taken from the Sieur Joinville's History of St Louis, will
place before our readers the contemporaneous description of the effects
of the pyrotechny of the Arabs.

The following is the account of Joinville of one of the skirmishes of St
Louis on the borders of the Nile. We should premise that Turk is the
term generally applied by Joinville to all Mussulman soldiers; and
though the army was generally recruited from Turkish slaves, yet the
country was possessed by Arabs, and the language and arts were theirs.

"One evening it happened that the Turks brought an engine called '_la
perriere_,' a terrible engine for doing mischief, and placed it opposite
the '_chaz chateils_,' (wooden towers to shelter the advanced guard,)
which Messire Gaultier de Carel and I were watching at night, by which
engine they cast at us Greek fire, which was the most horrible thing
that ever I saw. When the good Chevalier Messire Gualtier, my companion,
saw this fire, he exclaimed and said to us, Sirs, we are lost for ever
without any remedy; for if they burn our '_chaz chateils_' we are
broiled and burned, and if we leave our watch we are disgraced. From
which I conclude that there is no one can defend us from this peril,
except God our blessed Creator. So I counsel you all, that whenever they
cast at us the '_feu Gregeois_,' that each of us throw himself upon his
elbows and knees, and cry mercy to our Lord, in whom is all power; and
as soon as the Turcs threw the first charge of fire, we threw ourselves
upon elbows and knees, as we had been instructed. And the fire of this
first discharge fell between our two '_chaz chateils_,' in a space in
front which our people had made for damming the river; and immediately
the