Capell, whose being a Parliament-man, and hearing my discourse in
the Parliament-house, hath, as May tells me, given him a long
desire to know and discourse with me. In the afternoon we walked
to the Old Artillery-ground near the Spitalfields, where I never
was before, but now by Captain Deane's invitation did go to see
his new gun tryed, this being the place where the officers of the
Ordnance do try all their great guns: and when we came, did find
that the trial had been made, and they going away, with
extraordinary report of the proof of his gun, which, from the
shortness and bigness, they do call Punchinello. But I desired
Colonell Legg to stay and give us a sight of her performance;
which he did, and there, in short, against a gun more than as
long and as heavy again, and charged with as much powder again,
she carried the same bullet as strong to the mark, and nearer and
above the mark at a point blank than theirs, and is more easily
managed, and recoyles no more than that; which is a thing so
extraordinary as to be admired for the happiness of his
invention, and to the great regret of the old gunners and
officers of the Ordnance that were there, only Colonell Legg did
do her much right in his report of her, and so having seen this
great and first experiment we all parted, I seeing my guests into
a hackney-coach, and myself, with Captain Deane, taking a
hackney-coach, did go out towards Bow, and went as far as
Stratford, and all the way talking of this invention, and he
offering me a third of the profit of it; which, for aught I know,
or do at present think, may prove matter considerable to us; for
either the King will give him a reward for it if he keeps it to
himself, or he will give us a patent to make our profit of it;
and no doubt but it will be of profit to merchantmen and others
to have guns of the same force at half the charge.
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