22 ANCIENT BRITISH ORDNANCE. 
The gun is of bronze, ig 14™ (54") calibre, and 342° (11’ 24”) 
length of bore. It has no dolphins. It is not known how this piece 
came into the possession of Spain. 
Major H. C. L. Holden, R.A., has kindly supplied me with both a 
literal and a rhythmical translation of the inscription on this gun, as 
follows :— 
“One who had forfeited life and all his fortune by legal verdict, and 
was on the point of being put to death, is now, by the boon of Hdward 
the Sixth, alive, and to him, after the Great God, is bound to owe 
thanks.” 
or, 
“ A luckless wight his fortune lost, 
Condemned by law to die ; 
Now lives to thank his king on earth, 
Next to his God on high.” 
The latin inscription on the gun which, in the original, is somewhat 
apbreviated after the fashion of the day is, as will be seen, in 
hexameters and pentameters. 
Iwas much struck with the beautiful workmanship and excellent 
state of preservation of this gun which, like many of our own old and 
interesting pieces of ordnance, is at present, lying outin the open air.! 
2. No. 3799 in the Spanish catalogue, isa Falconet, the breech slot 
of which is closed by an iron wedge (or vent-piece containing the 
chamber). On the upper side, between the trunnions, it bears the 
monogram . Inthe chamber there are two similar stamps Sez 
XR R 
and vay On the chase is engraved the weight, 107 lbs., and on 
the breech, the weight of the breech closing wedge (or vent-piece), 
viz.: 22 lbs. 8 ozs. 
This piece is of bronze, its calibre is 88"" (2°67), and its length 
97™ (38:18"). It was captured from the Cochin Chinese, in the time 
of Isabel II. of Spain. I presume that this piece dates from the reign 
of William and Mary, 1688.’ 
1 The gunfounders, Robert and John Owen (see ‘‘ Proceedings,” R.A.I., Vol. II, p. 156), lived in 
A.D. 1538, and are thus mentioned by Stowe :—‘ About the latter part of the reign of Henry 
VILI., three brethren that were gunfounders, surnamed Owens, got ground there (in Houndsditch) 
to build upon, and to inclose for casting of brass ordnance. These occupied a good part of the 
street on the field side.”’ ine ‘ j 
In the above quoted number of the “‘ Proceedings,” Lieut. Edgar, R.A., describes the old guns 
in the R.M. Repository, Woolwich, and amongst them there are several pieces made in the 
reign of Henry VIII. and in that of Edward V1., but none of them exactly correspond with the 
gun we are describing. ‘‘ Tomas Owen” (the third of the Owen brethren) is mentioned as maker 
of a fawcon of Edward VI., in 1560, and Robert and John Owen, a brass facone in 1549, but 
a much smaller piece than that now at Madrid, which was made two years later. The inscrip- 
tions on the two pieces are very much alike. 
In Cleveland’s notes (‘‘ Proceedings,” Vol. II, p. 850) we find, ‘‘ John Owen, gunfounder,” 
mentioned in the list of Edward VI. Artillery, as receiving 12d. per diem, in A.D. 1548. 
21 saw a similar piece to this in each of the Artillery Museums at Stockholm and Christiania 
this year. That at the latter place is a particularly good specimen. The breech-piece (or vent- 
piece) is hollowed out to take the charge, it is lifted into and out of the slot in the breech by a 
handle. 
