GUNPOWDER. 



covery of gunpowder to some very ignoble German, whose name 

 he wishes might never be handed down to postf rity. He further 

 informs us, that this German invented also an iron tube, and taught 

 the Venetians the use of guns, in the year 1380*. 



This is the common account of the discovery of gunpowder ; its 

 truth however is rendered doubtful by what follows. 



The battle of Cressy was fought in the year 1346 ; and an his. 

 torian who lived at that time is quoted by Spondanus as affirming, 

 that the English greatly increased the confusion the French had 

 been thrown into, by discharging upon them from their cannon hot 

 iron bullets t. Three years before the battle of Cressy, the Moors 

 were besieged by the Spaniards in the city of Algeziras ; and we 

 learn from Mariana, the Spanish h'storian, " that the besieged did 

 great harm among the Christia.is with iron bullets they shot :" the 

 same author adds, " this is the first time we fi:H any mention of 

 gunpowder and ball in our histories |." The Eirls of Derby and 

 Salisbury are mentioned by Mariana as having assisted at the siege 

 of Algeziras ; and as they returned to England in the latter end of 

 the year 1343, it is not an improbable conjee tur p , t': at- having been 

 witnesses of the havock occasioned by the Moorish Ui>--arms, they 

 brought the secret from Spain to England, and introduced the use 

 of artillery into the English army at the battle of Cressy. Tlie use 

 of guns in Spain in the year 1343, is proof sufficient ei'her that 

 Schwartz was not the inventor of gunpowder, or that Kircher and 

 others are mistaken in fixing his discovery so late as the year 1354. 



There is reason, however, to believe, that both gunpowder and 

 guns were known in Germany at least forty years before the period 

 assigned by the Spanish historian for their first introduction into 

 Spain. In the armory at Amberg, in the Palatinate of bavaria, 

 there is a piece of ordnance, on which is inscribed the year 1303 . 

 This is the earliest account I have yet met w i.h of the certain use 

 of gunpowder in war ; and it seems probable en .ugh, as the Pope 



* Polyd. Virg. de Inven. Rcrum, Lib. II. C. XI. 



f Spond. Ann. Eccl. ann. 1346. 



J Mariana'-. FIM. of Spain, l.n;. Trans. 



^ Quarn opinionrm (of Schwartz being the inventor of gunpowder) generalis- 

 simos Stettrnius refutat, cum ex eo quod Ambergtr Pnlatinalus Suprrioris in 

 officina armorum roprriatur tormcutum militarc, cui sit aunus 1303 inoritu>. 

 Acta Li ud. 1769, p. 19. 



