1469.—A letter of permission of this year, from the Duke of Norfolk, has been published, authorizing John Paston and the persons who had held the manor of Caistor, in Norfolk, against the duke (Caistor Castle had been besieged by him), to depart, with goods, horses, and harness, “except gonnes, crosse-bows, and quarrels, and alle other hostlements [warlike implements], to the said maneur annexed and belonginge.”—Fenn’s _Collection of Original Letters_, vol. ii. p. 27. Same year.—At the battle fought near Hornfield, Lincolnshire, often called Lose Coat Field, the forces of Edward IV. “set on the Lincolnshir men, and sparkelid [scattered] them with his ordinaunce,” &c.—2 Lel. _Coll._ fo. 502, p. 719. “And losyde his gonnys of his ordynaunce uppone them and faught with them, and anone the comons fledde away.”—_MS. Chronicle_, by J. Warkworth, p. 8, _printed for the Camden Society_. 1470.—Vaucler and his forces, on the Earl of Warwick’s attempting to enter Calais, “luy tirerent de grans coups de canon.”—_Philippe de Commines_, c. iv. fo. 65. Same year.—On the Earl of Warwick preparing to return to England, the Duke of Burgundy equipped a fleet of vessels of war, “tous fort avaitaillez et garniz d’artillerie et gens de guerre, d’Anglois, Bourgonguons, Picards, et autres.”—_Autres nouvelles Chroniques added to Monstrelet_, fo. 164. Same year.—The Earl of Warwick, on his arrival in England, went to Bristol, “et illec avoit laissé son artillerie, et de ses bagues, quand il s’en alla en Normandie.”—Same, fo. 165. 1471, 5th March.—Warrant after the restoration of Henry VI. to Thomas Mainwaring, Thomas Corwen, Thomas Aghton, &c., to provide for conveying a cannon from Bristol to Hornby Castle, and to deliver it to Sir Thomas Stanley of Stanley, for the purposes of the siege of that castle, “cum nos appunctuaverimus quendam canonem nostrum vocatum Mile End, una cum toto apparatu, et aliis necessariis eidem pertinentibus,” &c. &c.—11 _Fædera_, 699. 1471.—Edward IV. landed at Ravenspur, with Lord Hastings, Lord Say, “and IXC Englisch men and IIIC Fleminges, with hange gunnes.”—2 Lel. _Coll._ fo. 503, p. 721. It can scarcely admit of any doubt that hand-guns must have been the weapons there meant, and that they were so called from being sufficiently light to be portable by the hand. The word “hange” seems to be merely a corruption of the word “hand,” {238} which is confirmed by the following authority:— “And had with him IXC of Englismenne and three hundred of Flemmynges with hande-gonnes.”—_MS. Chronicle_, by Warkworth, p. 18, _printed for the Camden Society_. 1471.—On the occasion of Edward IV.th’s public entry into London, before the battle of Barnet, “the eleventh of Aprill, King Edward quietlie made his entrie into the citie with his power, having five hundred smokie gunners marching foremost, being strangers, of such as he had brought over with him.”—1 _Holinshed_, fo. 683.