THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
17 
et gros, qui en blesserent et occirent grand’ foison, et tellement les ensonierent que 
ils ne savoient au quel entendre. Le feu, qui etoit gregeois, se prit au toit de ce 
beffroy, et convint ceux qui dedans etoi&nt issir de force, autrement ils eussent ete 
tout ars et perdus.” 
Later in the same year, the Black Prince was besieging the castle of 
Romorentin, when he gave orders, 
“ a apporter canons avant et a traire carreaux et feu gregeois dedans la basse 
cour: si cil feu s’y vouloit prendre, il pouroit bien taut monteplier qu’il se bouteroit 
au toit des couvertures des tours du chatel, qui pour le temps etoient convertes 
d’estrain:.. Adonc fut le feu apporte avant, et trait par bombardes et par 
canons en la basse cour, et si prit et multiplia tellement que toutes ardirent.” 1 2 
If the first of these cases leaves any doubt as to whether the Greek fire 
was cast by the cannon or by other means, the last quotation must remove 
it. But we must rest satisfied with the fact that fire was so thrown, as we 
have no information as to the manner in which the cannon were made to 
serve this purpose. 3 
The fact that the English artillery was not required for home service, but 
for foreign invasion, and that, as far as w r e can judge, the English did not 
make their own cannon, will account for our finding so few documents 
relating to guns, and none relating to their manufacture, among the English 
records. Mr Hunter, in a paper on the early use of gunpowder in England, 3 
informs us that in the 34th Edward III. (1360), there were only four guns of 
copper and 16J lb. of gunpowder in the privy wardrobe, which was, as shewn in 
a former communication, the repository of the king's weapons of war; and 
one of these guns, with many arrows and bows, was taken by Lionel Earl of 
Ulster, when he went to Ireland. This scarcity of guns in England at that 
time was, however, probably caused by the demand for foreign service, 
which continued to drain the kingdom of military stores; for again, in an 
account of John de Sleford, clerk of the wardrobe, arms, &c., 38-43, Edw. 
III. 1364-1369 : 4 there occurs, 
“Item, found in the said private wardrobe of the king two great guns of 
copper,” 
and no other mention of cannon. 
Calais, as Mr Hunter informs us, was in those times scarcely less than 
the Tower a depot of military stores. William de Redeness was keeper of 
the king's stores there in 1369, and the two following years; at which time 
there were in his charge 15 guns, 9951b. of saltpetre, 12981b. of sulphur, 
three great guns of brass, and one of iron, 224 balls of lead, 84 lb. of gun¬ 
powder, &c. 5 Calais was indeed the English base of operations throughout 
the Erench campaigns of this period, and we find that the English troops 
1 Froissart, Yol. I. Part 2, cli. 26, p. 337. 
2 A short description of the Greek fire and its introduction into Western Europe, may be found 
in Major Owen’s Lectures on Artillery, 4th Edition, pp. 4-6. 
3 Areheeologia. Vol. XXXII. p. 384. 
4 Roll marked F.L. H, 532, published by Sir Harris Nicolas, History of the Royal Nary, Yol, II, 
App. p. 477. 
5 Archaeologia. Yol. XXXII. p. 384. 
[VOL. V.] 
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