Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

130 Arts and Сгаfts ш tl1e l\fiddle Ages

Colossal cannon ,vеге шасlе: tvvo celebrated gнпs may Ье seen, tl1e шonste1· at Ghent, called :\Iad �Ieg. and the huge canпon at Eclinbuгgh Castle, l\Ioпs Mcg, dating from 1476. These guns are composed of steel coils or spirals, after"'·ards ,vcldecl into а solid шass instead of being cast. Tl1ey are mamшoth exaшples of the art of tl1e Ыacksmith and tl1e forge. Iп Germaвy canпon ,vere made of bronze, and these were siшply cast. Cross bowt11 oЬtained gгeat favoш iп Spain, even afteг thc aгquebuse had соте iпto use. It ,vas conside1·ed а safer weapon to the ове ,vho used it. An old wгiter in 1644 1·ешагks, "It l1as неvсг been kno,vn that а man's life has been lost Ьу bгeaking the string or согсl, t,vo tl1ings ,vblch are dangeгoнs, but not to а coпsiderable exteпt," . . . and l1e goes оп " oncc set, its shot is вecure, wblch is not the case ,YitЬ tЬе aгquebus, ,vhich often шisses fire." Tl1crc is а letteг from AшbassaJoг Saliшas to the Кing of Hнngary, in which he says: "I ,vent to BalЬastгo апd there occupied myself in making а pair of cross bo,vs fог уош Majesty. I Ьe­ lieve they will satisfy the desiгes vvhich ,vere reqнiгccl . . . as your Majesty is aпnoyed ,vhen tl1ey do воt go off as you ,vish." It would scem as thoнgh his Majesty's " annoyance " ,vas justifiaЫe; imagine any one dc­ pendeпt upon the shot of а cгoss bo,v, and then haviвg thc wcapon fail to " go off ! " Nothiпg could Ье шоrе discouraging. There is а conteшporary treatise ,vhich is full of iп-