"The Castell of Douer (sayth Lidgate and Rosse) was firste builded by Julius Cæsar the Romane emperour, in memorie of whome, they of the castell kept, till this day, certeine vessels of olde wine and salte, whiche they affirme to be the remayne of suche prouision as he brought into it, as touching the whiche (if they be natural and not sophisticate), I suppose them more likely to have beene of that store whiche Hubert de Burghe layde in there."—Lambard.
"In this castle likewise antiently was to be seen a tower (called Cæsar's Tower), afterwards the king's lodgings (excellent for workmanship and very high),—a spacious hall (called King Arthur's Hall) with a faire gallery, or entry,—great pipes and cashes (bound with iron hoopes), wherein was liquor (supposed to be wine) which by long lying became as thick as treackle, and would cleave like bird-lime;—salt congealed together as hard as stone, cross bowes, long bowes, and arrowes to the same (to which was fastened brass instead of feathers); and the same were of such bigness as not fit to be used by any men of this or late ages."—Kilburne.
"Camden relates that he was shown these arrows, which he thinks were such as the Romans used to shoot out of their engines, which were like to large crossbows. These last might, though not Cæsar's, belong to the Romans of a later time; and the former might, perhaps, be part of the provisions and stores which King Henry VIII. laid in here, at a time when he passed from hence over sea to France; but for many years past it has not been known what is become of any of these things."—Hasted.
The following extract from an inventory furnished by William de Clynton, Earl of Huntyngdon, Lord Warden, on handing over the castle to Bartholomew de Burghersh, his successor, dated "die Sabati in vigilia sancti Thome Apostoli, anno regni regis Edwardi tercei a conquestu Anglie decimo septimo" (i. e. September 20, 1343), will supply a satisfactory elucidation of what these stores were:
"Item in magna Turri; quinque dolea et j pipam mellis; unde de j doleo deficiunt viij pollices; et de alio deficiunt iij pollices; et de alio deficiunt xvj pollices; et de alio xv pollices; et de quinto xj pollices; et de pipa deficiunt xx pollices. Item, j molendinum manuale et ij molas pro eodem.
"Item, in domo armorum iij springaldas magnas cum toto atilo[[1]] præter cordas. Item, quinque minores springaldas sine cordis; et iij parvas springaldas[[2]] modici valoris; L arcus de tempore Regis avi; clvj arcus de tempore Regis nunc; cxxvj arbalistas, de quibus xxxiij arbaliste de cornu ad duos pedes, et ix de cornu ad unum pedem, et iij magne arbaliste ad turnum.[[3]] Item, xliij baudrys; vijxx et ix garbas sagittarum; lviij sagittas large barbatas; xxv haubergons debiles et putrefactos; xxij basenettos debiles de veteri tour; xj galeas de ferro, de quibus vj cum visers; xx capellas de ferro; xxij basenettos coopertos de coreo, de veteri factura, debiles et putrefactos; xxv paria cirotecarum de platis nullius valoris; xij capellas de nervis de Pampilon depictas; xxx haketons[[4]] et gambesons[[5]] nullius valoris; ix picos; ij trubulos; j cenovectorium[[6]] cum j rota ferro ligata; j cuva; iij instrumenta pro arbalistis tendendis; cxviij lanceas, quarum xviij sine capitibus; j cas cum sagittis saracenorum; ciij targettos, quorum xxiiij nullius valoris; j veterem cistam cum capitibus quarellorum et sagittarum debilem; ij barellos; vj bukettos cum quarellis debilibus non pennatis; j cistam cum quantitate capitum quarellorum et quadam quantitate de cawetrappis in j doleo. Item ml vjc et xxviij garroks[[7]] de majori forma. Item, iiijxx garroks de eadem forma, sine capitibus. Item, ml vjc & xxiij garroks, de minori forma."
Query, What were the "capellæ de nervis de Pampilon depictæ?" Ducange cites the word, but does not explain it.
L. B. L.
Footnote 1:[(return)]
Toto atilo; quasi "attelage."
Springaldus; "veterum profecto fuit balistæ genus, et, recentis militiæ, tormentum est pulverarium, non ita ponderosum ut majoribus bombardis æquari possit, nec ea levitate ut gestari manibus valeat."—Ducange.