THE LOSS OF RHODES ad. 



1522. 

 often brake them. And the more to grieve the towne 

 and to feare us, they set up many other mantellets in 

 divers places, almost round about the towne, and they 

 were reckoned foure score : the which number was well 

 lessened by the great quantitie of strokes of artillerie 

 shot out of the towne from many places. 



The artillerie of the Turkes was such as 

 followeth. 



First there were sixe great gunnes, cannons perriers of 

 brasse, that shot a stone of three foote and a halfe : 

 also there were 15. pieces of iron that shot stones of five 

 or sixe spannes about. Also there were 14. great bom- 

 bards that shot stones of eleven spans about. Also there 

 were twelve basiliskes, whereof they shot but with 8. that 

 is to weet, foure shot agaynst the posterns of England 

 and Spaine, and two against the gate of Italy : the other 

 two shot sometime against Saint Nicholas tower. Also 

 there were 15. double gunnes casting bullets as basiliskes. 

 The meane shot, as sacres and pasvolans, were in great 

 number. The handgunshot was innumerable and in- 

 credible. Also there were twelve potgunnes of brasse 

 that shot upward, whereof eight were set behind the 

 church of S. Cosme and Damian, and two at saint John 

 de la Fontaine toward the port of Italy, and the other 

 two afore the gate of Auvergne, the which were shot 

 night and day : and there were three sorts of them, 

 whereof the greatest were of sixe or seven spannes about. 

 And the sayd stones were cast into the towne to make 

 murder of people, which is a thing very inhumane and 

 fearefull, which maner of shooting is little used amongst 

 christian men. Howbeit by evident myracle, thanked 

 be God, the sayd pieces did no great harme, and slew not 

 past 24. or 25. persons, and the most part women and 

 children, and they began to shoot with the said pieces 

 from the 19. day of the same moneth, unto the end of 

 August, & it was accounted that they shot 2000. times, 

 more or lesse. 



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