f 
THE EOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 27 
This word “ sclopus ” appears to designate a smaller description of gnn; 
and as such will be further noticed in another place. 1 
While in Trance we find no trace of any but very small cannon until the 
year 1375, and in England not until 1378, the chronicles of Pisa inform us 
of a bombard employed in 1362 which weighed more than 2000 lb. The 
Pisans were besieging the castle of Pietra Buona, within which “ v'era uno, 
die gettava la bombarda molto a fila, et era la bombarda piu di due mills 
libbre, e fece molto danno, che uccise piu uomini.” 2 
Prom this date onwards we meet with constant mention of the employment 
of, and effects produced by bombards. A few instances only will be given, 
selected from those contemporary chroniclers who are considered by 
Muratori as veracious, and also as having written from personal acquaintance 
with, or careful enquiry into the facts which they relate. 
Eilippo Yillani says that he was present in 1363, when the Council of 
Elorence were advised by some who distrusted their captain, Pandulph 
Malatesta, to put the palace into a state of defence, and “ di mettere le 
balestre grosse, e le bombarde in punto.” 8 
The chronicles of Pisa relate that in 1364, the Pisan army went to the 
gates of Pistoja, and there “ gittonvi le bombarde e molte quadrella.” 4 
This is confirmed by Neri Donato, who also tells us that in the same year the 
men of Pisa came to the gates of Pescia, and those within cast from bom¬ 
bards “ molte joietre, e quadrella, e lance. - ” 5 We have here the first positive 
mention of stone shot in Italy. 
The chronicles above named state that there were in 1370 on the walls of 
Pisa “di buoni balestrieri, e di molte bombarde,” and the besiegers, when they 
perceived these bombards, ran away, and dispersed over the country in their 
fear. 6 
Galeazzo and Andrea Gataro assert that in October, 1372, Taddeo Giusti- 
niano, the purveyor of stores-to the Venetians in their camp, “si messe in 
ordine con edificii e bombarde,” and that in November of the same year, the 
podesth and captain of Chioggia and others used bombards against a fort 
belonging to Padua, 7 Galeazzo Gataro goes on to relate that the captain 
of the Paduan army sent to Padua for 
“bombarde infinite, le quali vennero di presente, e tutte quelle, dove erano di 
necessita, furono discaricate, et ora nel campo de* Yeneziani gittate: per la qual 
cosa con gravi lor danni, e con moltitudine di morti e feriti in quantita, convenne 
loro ritirarsi in disparte; e fu li 5 ferito Messer Eederico Todesco lor Marescalo di 
una bombarda, per modo che poco passato gli convenne morire.” 8 
1 For farther information on the subject of this word the reader may consult Omodei. Hell’ 
origine della polvera da Guerra, cap. 5, pp. 38-40. 
2 Cronica di Pisa, Muratori, Tom. 15, col. 1037. These chronicles, though anonymous, were 
evidently written about the end of the 14th century. 
, 3 Muratori, Rer. Ital. Script. Tom. 14, col. 740. 
4 Ibid. Tom. 15, col. 1042. 
5 Ibid. Tom. 15, col. 182. 
6 Ibid. Tom. 15, col. 1058. 
^ Ibid. Tom. 17, col. 104 and 107. Galeazzo died ip 1405, and bis son Andrea continued apd 
completed his chronicle. 
8 Ibid. Tom. 17, col. 111. 
