The trebuchets were sometimes distinguished by particular names, a fancy already begun in the "Mate-Griffon" of Cœur-de-Lion's war-tower, and afterwards largely indulged in the great bombards of the fifteenth and succeeding centuries. In 1303, when the Bernese besieged Wimmis, they had two trebuchets, one of which was named La fille de bois, the other L'Âne[411].
In 1850, under the direction of the present Emperor of the French, a trebuchet of large dimensions was constructed after the ancient monuments, and set up at the École d'Artillerie at Vincennes. A minute account of its formation and the experiments made with it, has been given in the Report to the Minister of War by Capt. Favé: this report is printed in the Études sur l'Artillerie, vol. ii. page 38.
The projectiles thrown from the ancient trebuchets were rounded stones, barrels of Greek fire or other incendiary compositions, and occasionally the putrid bodies of animals, when the siege was obstinately prolonged, or the combatants were greatly exasperated. The rounded stones are particularly mentioned by Guiart:—
"Giétent mangonniaus et perrières:
La grosse pierre areondie
Demainne a l'aler grant bondie."
Chron. Métr., Par. i. vers 3,296.
The English seem to have been somewhat behindhand in the construction of their perriers, for Matthew Paris tells us that in 1253 the Gascons hurled stones and darts of such wonderful size on the army of the king, that many of them were carried into England, to be exhibited as curiosities[412].
The mangonel was used also in sea-fights. In the Additamenta to the Historia Major of Matthew Paris, we have an account of the taking of Damietta, in which occurs this passage: "Et lapides de mangonellis navalibus, qui sic parabantur ut quinque vel sex lapides simul longo jacerent[413]." It does not seem, however, (as it has been suggested,) that we have here the description of an engine which threw five or six stones at once: we must rather understand that five or six mangonels were so managed as to shoot in volleys.
Another variety of the trebuchet was the Biblia or Bible; but its distinctive character has not been ascertained. It is mentioned in 1238: "adducens secum Bibliam, Petrariam et caetera bellica instrumenta[414]." And in the Roman de Claris:
"Li rois fait ses engins drecier
Et vers les haus murs charroier;
Bibles et Mangoniaux geter,
Et les Chats aux fossez mener,
Les Berfrois traire vers les mur:
Cil dedens ne sont pas à sur."
And again, in the same romance:—
"Et pierres grans et les Pierriers,
Et les Bibles qui sont trop fiers,
Getent," &c.