Frazer—On an Ancient Cross-bow or “Latch.” 299 
verage arrangement of which sufficient remains are leit to explain its 
action. We cannot be far astray in attributing its age to about the 
time of Elizabeth ; or possibly somewhat later—say early in the reign 
of JamesI. The appellation ‘‘ Latch” applied to cross-bows of lighter 
and more portable construction, worked by a form of lever instead of 
the old-fashioned hand windlass, dates back at least to the year 1547, 
Edward VI.’s reign, and was possibly applied, owing to the manner in 
which the string was caught, and again discharged, in propelling the 
bolt or arrow. 
There are a few matters of historic interest connected with the 
use of the cross-bow worth bearing in recollection. At one period it 
was considered to be a weapon of such malignant and formidable cha- 
racter that it deserved to occupy a position altogether outside the pale 
of civilized legitimate warfare; in fact, it ranked much in the same 
way as explosive bullets or the employment of dynamite would be 
viewed in modern battle-fields. Thus the arbalast was altogether 
prohibited from being made use of by the 29th Canon of the Second 
Council of Lateran, 4.p. 1189; this was during the reign of our King 
Stephen of England, and of Louis le Jeune of France. The words of 
the Canon are, ‘‘ Artem illam mortiferam et Deo odibilem Ballastari- 
orum et sagittariorum adversus Christianos et Catholicos exerceri di 
cetero sub anathemate prohibemus.”’ 
It was too useful a weapon, however, to be given up until replaced 
by more formidable and dangerous means of destruction ; and Richard 
of England, who was in some degree instrumental in its employment, 
having lost his life from a cross-bow bolt, when warring in France, 
was considered to afford a good moral lesson of the danger of trifling 
with such prohibitions, and of the vengeance that must follow similar 
offenders against such important laws. 
Some centuries later, Henry VII. tried the effects of statute law in 
prohibiting the use of the cross-bow, at least by the commonalty. It 
was ordained by Parliament that ‘‘ No man shall shoot with the cross- 
bow without the King’s license, except he be a lord, or have two hun- 
dred marks in land.” 
It would be rather difficult to say at what time cross-bows ceased 
to be employed. Planché, in his valuable Cyclopedia of Costume, 
figures a ‘‘ Prodd,”’ or hunting cross-bow, which he refers to so late a 
period as that of William III. This instrument was made with a 
stock similar to that of an ordinary gun or carbine, for steadying 
against the owner’s shoulder in taking aim at game; but there is no 
question that in a modified form cross-bows were in use until a very 
recent date; in fact, as a boy, I made and owned a rather efficient 
cross-bow, capable of killing small birds and breaking windows. 
- These bows were usually fashioned like the ‘‘ Prodd”’ of the time of 
William III., with a stock like that of a gun, and had a trigger for 
discharging the bolt or arrow: the bow itself was made from a strong 
piece of lancewood, and the string most preferred was catgut. Of late 
years such weapons appear to have vanished altogether, even from the 
recollection of school-boys. 
