Note 44 — Chapter II · THE SMOOTH-BORE GUN
Reading edition
The secrecy of the early writers of Italy on gunnery and kindred subjects has been remarked on by Maurice Cockle in his Bibliography of Military Books. He attributes it to two motives: fear that the Infidel (the Turk) might profit by the knowledge otherwise gained, and a desire to keep the secrets of the craft in the hands of their countrymen, whose knowledge and assistance the foreigner would then be forced to purchase.