Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 3).djvu/173

 *ing castles in Tyrol, both occupying rocky elevations of the ground, the distance from tower to tower being between 450 to 500 yards. One day, as the result of a fraternal feud, brother Ulrich took a shot with his crossbow from Schloss Lichtwehr at brother Hans, who was standing at the window of Schloss Matzen, his aim being so good, and his crossbow so strong, that notwithstanding the great distance, a fatal bull's-eye was scored.

National Bavarian Museum, Munich

Great engines of war, arbalestes ribaudequins, were made on the principle of the crossbow, and in the XVth century often formed part of the armament of the fortified castle. They were huge machines with occasionally eight feet span of bow, shooting missiles five or six feet long. There is in the National Bavarian Museum of Munich a great crossbow fitted with the so-called hornbow of the XVth century (Fig. 933), the dimensions of which