MINUTES OE PROCEEDINGS Of 
in 
dis canons, chinq de fer et cliinq de metal, liquel sont tout fait dou commandement 
doudit maistre des arbalestriers, par nostre main et par nos gens, et qui sout en la 
garde et en la deffense de la ville de Cambray, vingt et cbinq livres deus sous et 
sept deniers tournois, liquel sont delivres audit maistre et a la ville. Donne souz 
nostre saiel, a Cambray, le vm e jour d’octobre mil cccxxx et noef.” 
Here again we come upon the iron cannon (canon de fer), and the brass 
cannon (canon de metal); and we find that the ten cannon cost only 25 
livres. 
The other document enables us to conjecture the size of these cannon by 
the charge of powder which was apportioned to them. It is a receipt for 
eleven livres for saltpetre and sulphur for the above-named cannon. The 
original is as follows 1 :—• 
c< Sachent touz que je Estienne Marel, escuiers, ay eu et receu de Eranqois de 
Lespitaul, clerc des arbalestriers du roy, nostre sire, par la main de Raoulet 
Haymon, lieutenant dudit Erangois, pour salpetre et suffre vif et sec achetez pour 
les canons qui sont a Cambray, onze livres quatre soulz in deniers tournois. 
Desquelles xi livres mi soulz m deniers, je me tiens a bien paiez. 
“Donne a Cambray, souz mon seel le vi e jour de decembre, Tan mil 
eccxxxix, laquelle poudre a este delivree a monsieur le maistre des 
aubalestriers.” 
Comparing these two documents with others which give authentic in¬ 
formation of the cost of the materials for gunpowder in 1342, and of the 
cost of wrought-iron and brass guns in 1375, we may arrive approximately 
at the weight of these pieces. From these authorities we will quote more 
fully further on; it is sufficient for our present purpose to say, that this 
sum of 25 livres, in 1375, (that is 37 years later, when the cost of 
manufacture would have probably been less than in 1338,) would have 
sufficed to purchase five cannon of wrought-iron weighing about 25 lb. 
each, and five of brass weighing about 22 lb. each; and secondly, that the 
11 livres, given for saltpetre and sulphur, would in 1342 have produced 
enough to make from 25 to 30 lb. of powder, or from 2£ to 3 lb. for each 
of these cannon; about the same amount as we estimated to have been 
the allowance for the “ pot de fer a traire garros 33 already mentioned. 2 
Eroissart, whose chronicle, although not written till some years later, is so 
faithful as to be looked upon as almost equal to that of an eye-witness, 
makes no mention of the use of cannon until the attack upon Quesnoy by 
the Erench in 1340. He says, “Mais on les fit retraire, car ceux du 
Quesnoy desclignerent canons et bombardes qui jetoient grands carreaux.” 3 
The word bombard is here used in relation to 1340, but it is not found 
till a later date in any contemporary account. It here doubtless signifies 
the small cannon throwing arrows. 
We find again in this same year 1340, in the accounts of the town of 
Lille, where the document is still preserved, that there was paid to “ Jehan 
1 B. R. &c., vol. 78, fol. 6119. 
2 Etudes sur le passe &c. tom iii., p. 76. Lacabane estimates that the 26 livres would have 
purchased 10 iron guns of about 46 lbs. weight each. 
3 liv. I. part 1, ch. cxi. ed. Buchon, 
