. Social England; a record of the progress of the people in religion, laws, learning, arts, industry, commerce, science, literature and manners, from the earliest times to the present day . rter of the ceuturv tliat gunpowder first began to bo used inEurope; first in Italy, slunrly aflcrwards in Fiance, and then in 244 THE HEATH. AyiJ AVTERWARDX. 11348 Cannon, Eni;laii(l. Tlir liist cauiiiius—stuallLT tircaniis eaiue in iiiiirlilater—were rude iron ov brass engines, .sometimes nidltrn in apieee, but often made of bars welded together round a eore,afterwards removed, and hooped about with
. Social England; a record of the progress of the people in religion, laws, learning, arts, industry, commerce, science, literature and manners, from the earliest times to the present day . rter of the ceuturv tliat gunpowder first began to bo used inEurope; first in Italy, slunrly aflcrwards in Fiance, and then in 244 THE HEATH. AyiJ AVTERWARDX. 11348 Cannon, Eni;laii(l. Tlir liist cauiiiius—stuallLT tircaniis eaiue in iiiiirlilater—were rude iron ov brass engines, .sometimes nidltrn in apieee, but often made of bars welded together round a eore,afterwards removed, and hooped about with rings to keep themtogether They were small, slow in tire, and very liable toaccidents. The cast guns often burst from a flaw in the metal;the Imoped guns still more frequently Hew to pieces and scattereddestruetii)n aroinid. The Knglish reader will remember a ty])ii;aldisaster of the kind in the explosion of the houped gun whichburst into its component and slew James II. of Scotlandat the siege of Roxburgh. Another cause of the eonii)arativefeebleness of artillery in its first days was the badness of itspowder; the right projiortions for mixing the saltpetre, suli>hur,. Tin: OLII : k TREBUCHKT. (MS. 2iiJ). U:,«lh„iu Ilrfnnl.) and charcoal had not \(t been (piite settled, and the imjiurity ofthe saltpetre which the i riemists of the day produced was aperpetual hindrance. Still, when once cannon had licen introduced into warfarethe offensive found itsdf in possession of a weapon wliidi |ilaccdit on (piite a nc\\- f loting as regards the defensive, and as yearswent <iu the advantage grew more marki^d, for eamiou and])ow(ler gradualK improved. Slow as was their fire—three shotsan hour was lair prailice for a big bondiard—and comparativelyweak as was the impai-t of their stone balls, they were yetalile tobeat down a castle wall, if llie\ .nuld be bi-ought near enough,and enabled to p]a\- long enough upon ii. Ilie mangonels andperrieres
Size: 2498px × 1000px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidsocialenglan, bookyear1902
