THE CALIVER. 
241 
“ ‘ Put me a caliver in Wart’s hands,’ says Falstaff, 
reviewing his recruits, meaning thereby that Wart, who 
was a weak, undersized fellow, was not capable of manag¬ 
ing a heavier weapon. It was sometimes called arquebuse 
de calibre , and was in fact an arquebus of specified bore, 
having derived its name from the corruption of calibre 
into caliver. * I remember,’ writes Edmund York, an 
officer who had served in the Netherlands, and was ap¬ 
pointed by the Privy Council to report on the best mode 
of organizing the militia of London, in expectation of the 
Spanish invasion, ‘ when I was first brought up in Pie- 
mount, in the Countie of Brisack’s Regiment of the old 
Bandes, we had our particular calibre of Harquebuze to 
our Regiment, both that for one bullett should serve all the 
harquebuses of our Regiment, as for that our Collonell 
would not be deceaved of his armes ; of which worde 
Calibre, came first that unapt term we used to call a har¬ 
quebuze a calliver, which is the height of the bullett, and 
not of the piece. Before the battell of Mountgunter 
(.Moncontour , A.D. 1569) the Prynces of the Religion 
caused seven thousand harquebuzes to be made, all of one 
calibre, which were called Harquebuze du calibre de Mon¬ 
sieur le Prince. So as, I think, some man not understand¬ 
ing French brought hither the name of the height of the 
bullet of the piece ; which worde calibre is yet contynued 
with our good cannoniers.’ ” * 
* See the Report in Maitland's “ Hist, of London,” p. 594. 
