Introduction. 



contained in a contemporary record, is found in the inden- 

 ture of John Starlyng and Helmyng Leget, dated 1338, and 

 referring to the equipment of the King's ships Bernard de la 

 Tour and Christqfre de la Tour; but there are several who 

 wrote of their use in the past tense ; as John Barbour, who 

 in 1375 stated of the Scotch that in 1327- 



" Twa noweltys that dai thai saw 

 That forouth in Scotland had bene nane 

 Tymmris for helmys war the tane, 

 That thaim thoucht than off grete bewte 

 And alstia wondre for to se. 

 The tothyr crakys war off wer 

 That thai befor herd nevir er." 



The use of firearms seems to have been so widely known 

 in Chaucer's time as to warrant that writer in drawing a 

 simile for great velocity from the flight of a shot, thus : 



" Swift as a pillet out of a gonne 

 When fire is in the pouder ronne." 



At least a score separate and distinct treatises on firearms, 

 gunpowder or matters incidental to their employment, had 

 been written and published on the Continent before an 

 English work on the subject was produced. To William 

 Bourne, who in 1587 published the " Arte of Shootinge in 

 Great Ordnance" belongs the honour of first place; his 

 little book of 94 pages contained much that was original, 

 and served as a basis for several better known and more 

 pretentious works. 



On the Continent the literature of the art of war has 

 always been more extensive than in England ; and military 

 science was one of the few subjects which could be treated 

 liberally. True, the works were dedicated to, and that is 

 to say, were not only under the patronage of, but were 

 practically supported by, some strong ruler ; and the 



