in the military art, a fire arm, or weapon of offence, which forcibly discharges a ball or other hard and solid matter through a cylindrical tube, by means of inflamed gun-powder. See Gun-Powder.

The word gun now includes most of the species of fire-arms; pistols and mortars being almost the only ones excepted from this denomination. They are divided into great and small guns: the former including all that we also call cannon, ordnance or artillery; the latter includes musquets, carbines, musquetoons, blunderbusses, fowling-pieces, &c.

It is not known at what time these weapons were first invented. Though, comparatively speaking, the introduction of guns into the western part of the world is but of a modern date; yet it is certain that in some parts of Asia they have been used, though in a very rude and imperfect manner for many ages.—Philitatus speaks of a city near the river Hyphasis in the Indies, which was said to be impregnable, and that its inhabitants were relations of the gods, because they threw thunder and lightning upon their enemies. Hence some imagine that guns were used by the eastern nations even in the time of Alexander the Great: but however this may be, many of our modern travellers assert that they were used in China as far back as the year of Christ 85, and have continued in use ever since.

The first hint of the invention of guns in Europe is in the works of Roger Bacon, who flourished in the 13th century. In a treatise written by him about the year 1280, he proposes to apply the violent explosive force of gun-powder for the destruction of armies. In 1320, Bartholomew Schwartz, a German monk, is commonly said to have invented gun-powder, though it is certainly known that this composition is described by Bacon in some of his treatises long before the time of Schwartz. The following is said to have been the manner in which Schwartz invented gun-powder. Having pounded the materials for it in a mortar, which he afterwards covered with a stone, a spark of fire accidentally fell into the mortar and set the mixture on fire; upon which the explosion blew the stone to a considerable distance. Hence it is probable that Schwartz might be taught the simplest method of applying it in war; for Bacon seems rather to have conceived the manner of using it to be by the violent effort of the flame unconfined, and which is indeed capable of producing astonishing effects*. The figure and name of * See mortars given to a species of old artillery, and their powder employment (which was throwing great stone bullets at an elevation), very much corroborates this conjecture.

Soon after the time of Schwartz, we find guns commonly made use of as instruments of war. Great guns were first used. They were originally made of iron bars soldered together, and fortified with strong iron hoops; some of which are still to be seen, viz. one in the Tower of London, two at Woolwich, and one in the royal arsenal at Lisbon. Others were made of thin sheets of iron rolled up together and hooped; and on emergencies they were made of leather, with plates of iron or copper. These pieces were made in a rude and imperfect manner, like the first essays of many new inventions. inventions. Stone balls were thrown out of them, and a small quantity of powder used on account of their weakness. These pieces had no ornaments, were placed on their carriages by rings, and were of a cylindrical form. When or by whom they were made is uncertain: the Venetians, however, used cannon at the siege of Claudia Jeffa, now called Chioggia, in 1366, which were brought thither by two Germans, with some powder and leaden balls; as likewise in their wars with the Genoese in 1379. King Edward III. made use of cannon at the battle of Crecy in 1346, and at the siege of Calais in 1347. Cannon were made use of by the Turks at the siege of Constantinople, then in possession of the Christians, in 1394, and in that of 1452, that threw a weight of 100lb. but they generally burst either the first, second, or third shot. Louis XII. had one cast at Tours, of the same size, which threw a ball from the Battile to Charenton. One of those famous cannon was taken at the siege of Dieu in 1546, by Don John de Castro ; and is in the castle of St Jullian da Barra, 10 miles from Lisbon : its length is 20 feet 7 inches, diameter at the centre 6 feet 3 inches, and it discharges a ball of 100lb. It has neither dolphins, rings, nor button ; is of a curious kind of metal ; and has a large Indostan inscription upon it, which says it was cast in 1400.

Formerly the cannon were dignified with uncommon names ; for in 1503, Louis XII. had 12 brafs cannon cast, of an extraordinary size, called after the names of the 12 peers of France. The Spanish and Portuguese called them after their saints. The emperor Charles V., when he marched before Tunis, founded the 12 apotles. At Milan there is a 72 pounder, called the Piemontelle ; and one at Bois-le-duc, called the Devil. A 62 pounder at Dover-castle, called Queen Elizabeth's pocket-pistol. An 82 pounder in the Tower of London (formerly in Edinburgh-castle), called Mounts-meg. An 82 pounder in the royal arsenal at Berlin, called the Thunderer. An 80 pounder at Malaga, called the Terrible. Two curious 60 pounders in the arsenal at Bremen, called the Messengers of bad news. And, lastly, an uncommon 70 pounder in the castle of St Angelo at Rome, made of the nails that fastened the copper plates which covered the ancient Pantheon, with this inscription upon it : Ex clavis trabalibus porticus Agrippae.

In the beginning of the 15th century these uncommon names were generally abolished, and the following more universal ones took place, viz.

<table> <tr> <th></th> <th>Pounders.</th> <th>Cwt.</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Cannon royal, or carthoui</td> <td>= 48</td> <td>about 90</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Bastard cannon, or ⅔ carthoui</td> <td>= 36</td> <td>79</td> </tr> <tr> <td>⅔ Carthoui</td> <td>= 24</td> <td>60</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Whole culverins</td> <td>= 18</td> <td>50</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Demi culverins</td> <td>= 9</td> <td>30</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Falcon</td> <td>= 6</td> <td>25</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sacker { lowest fort</td> <td>= 5</td> <td>13</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sacker { ordinary</td> <td>= 6</td> <td>15</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sacker { largest size</td> <td>= 8</td> <td>18</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Basilisk</td> <td>= 48</td> <td>85</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Serpentine</td> <td>= 4</td> <td>8</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Alspic</td> <td>= 2</td> <td>7</td> </tr> </table>

Pounders. Cwt. Guns. Dragon = 6 12 Syren = 60 81 Falcons = 3, 2, & 1 15, 10, 5 Moyens, which carried a ball of 10 or 12 ounces. Rabinet, which carried a ball of 16 ounces.

These curious names of beasts and birds of prey were adopted on account of their swiftness in motion or of their cruelty; as the falconet, falcon, sacker, and culverin, &c. for their swiftness in flying; the basilisk, serpentine, alspic, dragon, syren, &c. for their cruelty.

At present cannon take their names from the weight of the ball they discharge. Thus a piece that discharges a ball of 24 pounds is called a 24 pounder; one that carries a ball of 12 pounds is called a 12 pounder; and so of the rest, divided into the following forts, viz.

Ship guns, consisting in 42, 36, 32, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6, and 3 pounders. Garrison guns, in 42, 32, 24, 18, 12, 9, and 6 pounders. Battering guns, in 24, 18, and 12 pounders. Field-pieces, in 12, 9, 6, 3, 2, 1½, 1, and ¾ pounders.

Mortars are thought to have been fully as ancient as cannon. They were employed in the wars of Italy, to throw balls of red-hot iron, stones, &c. long before the invention of shells. These last are thought to be of German invention, and the use of them in war to have been taught by the following accident. A citizen of Venlo, at a certain festival celebrated in honour of the duke of Cleves, threw a number of shells, one of which fell on a house and set fire to it, by which misfortune the greatest part of the town was reduced to ashes. The first account of shells used for military purposes is in 1435, when Naples was besieged by Charles VIII. History informs us with more certainty, that shells were thrown out of mortars at the siege of Wachtendonk in Guelderland, in 1588, by the earl of Mansfeld. Mr Malter, an English engineer, first taught the French the art of throwing shells, which they practised at the siege of Motte in 1634. The method of throwing red-hot balls out of mortars was first certainly put in practice at the siege of Stralund in 1675 by the elector of Brandenburg; though some say in 1653 at the siege of Bremen. For the proper dimensions of guns, their weight, the metal of which they are formed, &c. see the article GUNNERY.

Muskets were first used at the siege of Rhege in the year 1221. The Spaniards were the first who armed part of their foot with these weapons. At first they were very heavy, and could not be used without a rest. They had match-locks, and did execution at a great distance. On their march the soldiers carried only the rests and ammunition, and had boys to bear their muskets after them. They were very slow in loading; not only by reason of the unwieldiness of their pieces, and because they carried the powder and ball separate, but from the time it took to prepare and adjust the match; so that their fire was not near so brisk as ours is now. Afterwards a lighter matchlock-musket came in use; and they carried their ammunition in bandeliers, to which were hung several little cases of wood Gun wood covered with leather, each containing a charge of powder. The balls were carried loose in a pouch, and a priming-horn hanging by their side. The muskets with rests were used as late as the beginning of the civil wars in the time of Charles I. The lighter kind succeeded them, and continued till the beginning of the present century, when they also were disfused, and the troops throughout Europe armed with firelocks.