The English used artillery at the battle of Crecy in 1346.

Both cannon and the ancient projectile machines were employed at the siege of Aiguillon in 1339, at Zara in 1345, at Rennes in 1357, and at Naples in 1380.

At this last siege the ancient balista was employed to throw into the castle of Naples barrels of infectious matter and mutilated limbs of prisoners of war.

We read of the same thing being done in Spain at a later period.
Cannon in France were at first called _bombards_ and _couleuverines_, but were afterwards named from certain figures marked on them, such as _serpentines, basilisks, scorpions,_&c.

In the infancy of the art they were made small, weighing only from twenty to fifty pounds, and were mounted on small moveable carriages.