12 
MINUTES OE PKOCEEDINGS OF 
indication of the breaching powers of cannon* destined ere long to bring 
about a great change in the existing systems of fortification. Projectiles of 
equal size and even of equal weight had probably been thrown from many of 
the large trebuchets; but not horizontally* nor indeed with such velocity as 
could be obtained from gunpowder* ill made though it was at this time. 
But these large and heavy projectiles of 200 lb. weight were not by any 
means the greatest employed at this period; nor are we dependent on the 
statement of the chroniclers alone; for in the same year 1377* we read in a 
contemporary account of a cannon to throw a projectile of 4501b. weight* 
made for the Duke of Burgundy* the construction of which occupied 
three months* or twice as long a time as that employed in the manufacture 
of the largest cannon at Caen. This account is to be found in a work 1 2 
professing to be entirely compiled from contemporary MSS.* and from the 
second part we give the following extract:— 
“ Les Dues de Bourgogne avoient de rArtillerie, et plusieurs officiers qui en 
avoient soin. En un compte rendu par Simon Lambert en 1377, il est dit qu’il fut 
fait un canon a Chalons pour Mqnseigneur le Due jettant le pesant de soixante 
livres, que ledit canon fut enchasse en un plot de bois. Autres canons faits audit 
Chalons, dont l’un pesoit 130 livres, P autre cent livres, un autre 90. livres, & 
deux autres, l’un de 30. & l’autre de 20. livres. Pour autres deniers payez pour 
monseigneur, par lui dus pour la forge et faqon d’un gros canon jettant le pesant 
de quatre cent cinquante livres, fait a Chalons du commandement de mon dit 
seigneur par Jacquet de Paris, et par huit ouvriers de forge avec luy, par 1’ordon™ 
nance de Jacquet et Bolant de Maillorques, Maitres des canoniers d’iceluy Seigneur, 
lequel canon fut commence a faire le lundi apres la Pete S. Denys, 12 e jour 
d’oetobre 1377, et fut parfait et assis le samedi apres la fete de l’apparition de 
Notre Seigneur, 9 e jour de Janvier l’an que dessus.” 
There is no reason for doubting the accuracy or good faith with which 
this account is rendered; and indeed there is nothing improbable in 
the fact itself. We have an existing cannon of only a few years later* the 
projectiles of which must have been of even greater weight than this. A 
stone round shot of 450 lb. weight would probably exceed 21 inches in 
diameter* and the well known bombard of Ghent has a bore of 26 
inches. 
Thus there seem to have been* in France at least* no slow intermediate 
steps between the small breech-loading and muzzle-loading cannon projecting 
arrows and leaden bullets of less than 2 lb. weight* and the gigantic cannon* 
hurling its massive stone* which must have broken and shivered any obstacle 
except strong masonry. Gunpowder was still* however* pounded by hand in 
a mortar* as we learn from accounts in the archives of Lille* dated 1381* 
where we read amongst other items* 
‘‘Pour 1’accat d’un mortier et le pestiel de fer a faire pourre de canons.” 3 
In the same accounts for the following year (1382) mention is made of 
leaden bullets weighing together 486 lb.* and immediately afterwards of 
cannon which by their price were evidently but small: then of great cannon 
1 Memoires pour servir a Fhistoire de France et de Bourgogne, contenant un journal de Paris 
&c., &c. 2 me partie. Memoires pour Fhistoire de Bourgogne.. Etat des officiers et domestiques de 
Philippe, dit le Hardy, Due de Bourgogne. Paris 1729, p. 64. 
2 Etudes, Yol. Ill, p. 103. 
