Lambard, Camden, and Kilburne all speak of an accumulation of stores in
Dover Castle, on the origin of which various traditions and opinions
existed in their days.
"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; vij^{xx} 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 {255} quarellorum et
quadam quantitate de cawetrappis in j doleo. Item _m^l vj^c et xxviij
garroks_[7] de majori forma. Item, iiij^{xx} garroks de eadem forma,
sine capitibus. Item, m^l vj^c & xxiij garroks, de minori forma."
Query, What were the "capellæ de nervis de Pampilon depictæ?" Ducange cites
the word, but does not explain it.