10 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
an expensive material, 2(M per lb. being paid for it, and 12^. per lb. to the 
founder for casting and finishing the cannon. 
At the same time there were purchased ready forged five small iron 
cannon at a price of less than 2 1. each. 
The three large cannon were encased ( encasses ) in large pieces of elm 
when it was required to fire them ; and there are also items for helving or 
handling (pour emmancher) the 24 copper, and 5 small iron cannon, with 
wood. The small cannon appear to have been bound to their stocks before 
removal to the siege; but the bands, bolts, pins, wedges, gudgeons, &c. 
(Hans, chevilles, hroches, tappons , gougons , &c.), for the three large cannon 
were taken separately in baskets, as we have seen was the case with the 
large cannon made some weeks before. 
Three round stones costing Is. 4<d. each, were provided for each of the 
three large cannon, and 100 lb. of lead to make bullets for all the small 
cannon. 
Thirty-one pounds of powder at 10s. per lb. was the quantity supplied for 
the whole number of pieces,— 
“ xxxi livres de poudres de canons, pour charger tous les diz canons: c’est 
assavoir, in grans getans pierres, xxim de cuivre getans plommees et v de fer 
semblablement gettans plommees, lesquieux furent tout prest de geter, pour chascune 
livre x. s. valent.pour ce, xvfr. et demi.” 
The stores for their service included iron hammers, 1 shovels for holding 
the charcoal, bellows for blowing the fire, &c.; the same articles, in fact, 
which occur in every account at this time. 
We have only to compare the prices of the materials here enumerated to 
see how the very great cost of gunpowder must have retarded the advance 
of the art of gunnery: 
Iron cost from 5 d. to 6 d. per lb. 
Gun metal „ - 20d. „ 
Steel „ 10^. „ 
Lead „ lOd. „ 
Gunpowder,, 120^. 2 „ 
1 A curious error occurs here in the Etudes. The words “ marteaux de fer,” which clearly express 
iron hammers, used with cannon at every gate at Arras, and indeed found wherever cannon and 
their stores are enumerated, are read “ morceaux de fer,” and the author of the Etudes argues, 
Vol. III. p. 99, that they were elongated projectiles. There can be no grounds for such a suggestion. 
Indeed the following words express clearly that the marteaux were employed to drive the shot 
home: “ pour porter a la place avec les diz canons, pour yceulx charger se mestier estoit.” 
2 Considered in relation to the ordinary commodities of life, money had then more than ten times 
its present value. It is interesting to compare, on this basis, the prices of these materials in 1375, 
with their present prices four hundred and ninety years later. 
Price per lb. in 1375 Price per lb. in 
multiplied by 10. 1865. 
Iron. 4s. 2<?. to 6a . lc?. to 1 \d. (bar iron, average quality). 
Steel.. 8s. 4c?.. 4Jc?. to 9c?. 
Gun metal . 16s. 8c?. 12 d. 
Lead.. 8s. 4c?. 2c?. 
Gunpowder. £5. . 7 d. (Waltham Abbey). 
