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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
comparatively long must have been the time between the discharges, could 
have exercised any overpowering influence on the fortunes of the battle. 
Three or four or even more arrows or bullets from these pieces resembling 
blunderbusses of the present day in size would have scarcely been noticed 
among the hail of shafts from the bows of the archers. 
Those, who uphold the opinion that cannon were used in this action, 
originally based their belief on the statement of Giovanni Villani, a 
Florentine chronicler, who details the events which took place in this 
century until the year 1348, when he died of a pestilence which ravaged the 
city of Florence. He, speaking of the battle of Creyy, says :— 
“ E ordino il re dTnghilterra i suoi arcieri, che n’harea gran quantita su per le 
carsa, e tali di sotto, e con bombarde, che saeltavano pollottole di ferro con fuoco 
per impaurire e disertare i Cavalli de’Francesci..sanza i colpi delle bombarde 
che facieno si grande tremuoto e romore che parea che iddio tonasse, con grande 
uccisione di gente e sfondamento di Cavalli.” 1 
Secondly, they based their belief on a passage in the “ Grandes Chroniques 
de Saint Denis 33 which runs thus :— 
“ Lisquieulx Anglois getterent trois canons dont il advint que les Genevois 
arbalestriers, qui estoient ou premier front, tournerent le dos et laissierent le traire, 
si ne scet on si ce fut traison, ou non.” 2 
Thirdly, they based their belief on the fact that Froissart, in speaking of 
the attack by the English on the castle of la Roche-sur-yon in 1369, 
says they were accustomed to carry cannon with their armies, in these 
words:— 
“ Et encore plusieurs canons et espringalles, qu’ils avoient de pourveance en leur 
ost, et pourvus de longtemps et usages de mener.” 3 
Taking these three statements together, it is argued by the one party 
that the use of cannon at Cre^y by the English is fairly proved. 
There is another statement on the subject, which appears of some value, 
but which has been overlooked by all writers on the subject except Colonel 
Omodej. A history or chronicle is published by Muratori, under the name 
of the “Historie Pistolesi DalF anno m.ccc. al. m.ccc.xlviii.” In the 
preface Muratori speaks to this effect. “The author of this writing is un¬ 
known to us. He relates what occurred, especially in Tuscany, from 1300 
to 1348. There is no room for doubt that he lived at this time, and 
probably the same pestilence, which carried off Villani in 1348, and to 
wdiich 80,000 people fell victims, destroyed the author of this chronicle. 
His history is even more minute than that of Villani.” 
If Muratori is right, the statement wdiicli we find in this chronicle of the 
employment of cannon at Cregy, is contemporary with, and strongly corrobo¬ 
rates that of Villani. The original text runs thus :— 
“ Quando li Cavalieri dTnghilterra vidono feriti grande quantita de’ Erancesclii, 
montarono a cavallo, e menarono con seco lo figliulo del Re d’ Inghilterra ,; e molti 
Gallesi, li quale sono come liuomini salva ichi, & altri assai con molte bombarde. 
1 Hist, di Giov. Villani, Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores, tom. xiii., col. 947, 948. 
2 British. Museum MS. Cotton, Nero E ii. part 2, fol. 397. 
3 Liv. I. eh. 585. 
