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Rh officers in the English army almost coeval with its introduction. In a small MS. volume in my possession, written in the latter half of the seventeenth century, the exercise of the dragoons (for, as has been already shown, it was not confined to the foot soldier, ) is thus described. It is stated to be the "Exercize of Dragoons, composed for his Mats Royl Regiment by ye Rht Honble Louis, Earle of Feversham, Colonell." Among other instructions, I find

They are further instructed to "march through a towne with musketts advanced and through a quarter wth baggonetts in ye mussells of ye musketts."

A review of the evidence here cited gives us the following results:—

1st. That "bayonette" was the name of a knife, which may probably have been so designated, either from its having been the peculiar weapon of a crossbow-man, or from the individual who first adopted it.

2nd. That its first recorded use as a weapon of war occurs in the Memoirs of Puysegur, and may be referred to the year 1647.

3rd. That it is first mentioned in England by Sir J. Turner, 1670-71.

4th. That it was introduced into the English army in the first half of the year 1672.

5th. That before the Peace of Nimeguen, Puysegur had seen troops on the continent armed with bayonets furnished with rings which would go over the muzzles of muskets.

6th. That in 1686 the device of the socket bayonet was tested before the French King and failed.

7th. That in 1689 Mackay, by the adoption of the ringed bayonet, successfully opposed the Highlanders at the battle of Killiecrankie.