21 
ANCIENT BRITISH ORDNANCE 
NOW IN THE \ 
ARTILLERY MUSEUM, MADRID. 
BY 
LIEUT.-COLONEL J. C. DALTON (a.p.), R.A. 
Durine a recent visit to Spain, I was once again enabled to pay a visit 
to the Artillery Museum in Madrid, which, as I have before remarked 
in these pages, contains a splendid collection of ordnance from the 
earliest times, in addition to a rare assemblage of military models and 
curiosities of all kinds, both ancient and modern. ‘The collection is 
contained in one handsome and spacious building, and is under the 
charge of a director, with a sub-director and staff, who are officers on 
full-pay of the Spanish Artillery. The Spanish nation is justly proud 
of their National Military Museum, and no expense and pains are spared 
to keep it up to date, and worthy of the distinguished corps which is 
entrusted with its management. On the occasion of this visit, I had 
the advantage of being personally conducted over the Museum by my 
old friend Colonel D. Ricardo Vidal, now employed in the Spanish War 
Office, but who, until recently, was himself in charge of the Museum. 
I therefore saw the collection under exceptional advantages. Colonel 
Vidal pointed out to me, amongst other objects, a very handsome bronze 
gun, made in England in the reign of Hdward VI., and on my evincing 
great interest in this and in other ancient pieces of British ordnance, he 
most kindly offered to let me have a descriptive list of the English 
ordnance in the Museum. I have since received from him the promised 
list, a translation and brief explanation of which, I venture to think, 
cannot fail to be of considerable historical interest to the British 
Artillerist. 
1. The oldest Hnglish piece appears to be that to which I have 
already alluded, and which figures in the Madrid catalogue under the 
number 3937, and is thus described :— 
18-pr. demi-cannon, made in the form of a culverin. The exterior is 
partly twisted and bears in relief on the first reinforce a scorpion, below 
which is the following inscription :— 
“QVI VITAM, QVI FORTVNAS AMISERAT OMNES LEGVM 
HT JVDICIO JAM PERITVRVS HRAT EDVARDI SEXTI 
NVNC MVNERE VIVIT ET ILLI POST SVMMVM GRATES 
DEBET HABERE DEVM.” 
Below this, and in larger letters one reads :— 
“ Robert and John Owin, bretherin, made this pece, anno 1551,’ 
1, vou. xxII, 
