xts and incident reports. For example, in 1163 the Abbot of Lagny was shot in the eye. In 1209 a woman was wounded by stray fire at a practice range. Jordan Fantosme makes reference to both bowmen (archiers) and crossbowmen (arbelastiers) in the invasion of Ireland; archers were active in Henry III`s Baron's Wars in the Weald of Sussex; the Melrose Chronicle mentions crossbows (balistarii) at the Battle of Lewes outside of London in 1264; and stipended specialist arbalesters participated in Poitou in 1242. Even literature starts paying more attention to the crossbow in later years. In a chronicle on the death of Richard Caerliant (Lionheart) at Chaluz, William Breton wrote of a visit by one of the Fates to the crossbowman responsible for the king`s demise. She hands the bolt to the crossbowman and says "This is how I want Richard to die, for it was he who first introduced the crossbow into France." This claim is certainly at least part fiction, but it does serve to show the close association of the crossbow with Richard. And the disdain in which France held both. But at least as important is the mention so specifically of crossbow in Literature. One would think that the crossbow suddenly found favor in the later 12th century, but that is not entirely true. The relative explosion of information is in part due to the development of specific words relating to the crossbow, where little was done to develop vocabulary to differentiate between handbow types. Thus suddenly the crossbow became a more specific device, more easily recognizable and written about. Though the English were loath to use the crossbow as a military weapon themselves, English kings often hired and used trained companies of crossbowmen. Not only did Richard I use crossbows in his landing at Cypress and in his battles and sieges in the Third Crusade, but their use was so successful that the chronicle of the Englishman Bury St Edmunds credits the failure of the unsuccessful...
