CHAPTER XIII

Fig.320.—Right and left coudière, Sir John Verney, Albury,c.1452.Fig.321.—Genouillière, &c., Sir John Verney, Albury Church,c.1452.Fig.322.—Coudière, &c., Henry Parice, 1464. Hildersham, Cambs.In the brass at Grene’s Norton, mentioned above, however, a curious modification occurs; the misericorde, which is of huge dimensions and like an anelace in some respects, is slung perpendicularly in front, and the sword suspended on the left side. The brass of Sir John Say, 1473, at Broxbourne, Herts, is habited in a tabard blazoned with his armorial bearings, and exhibits the hausse-col or standard of mail then commonly worn round the throat when the tilting helm alone was used as a protection for head and neck. The memorial brass to Sir Anthony de Grey, 1480, in St. Albans Abbey Church, Herts, exemplifies the armour known as the Richard III. style in every particular (Fig. 326). Round the neck is a hausse-col or standard; the head rests upon a tilting helm, the occularium and projection beneath it being visible over the right shoulder, while the staple for affixing it to the breastplate appears with the mantling over the left. The pauldrons are large, and apparently reinforced by a secondary plate beneath; they are symmetrical in shape and have no pike-guards. The coudières are large and of peculiar shape while long cuffs are appended to the shell-gauntlets. This form of pauldronwas fairly prevalent at the time, and also during the early part of the next century. Two demi-placcates appear upon the breastplate: the taces are only three in number, and short tuilles appear in front with tuillettes covering the hips: the genouillières appear with reinforcements extending well up the thigh and a guard-plate passes behind the goussets. The sword is slung in the prevailing mode, but the misericorde is in an almost horizontal position at the back. Similar armour in its broad outlines is used upon the figures in the Warwick Roll of John Rouse, written and illustrated in the reign of Richard III., of which we give examples. Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, is represented in a salade with an unusual knob upon the summit (Fig. 327); the short taces and dependent tuilles are here exemplified, as are also the shell gauntlets. The shield with its bouche at the corner is concave to the front, and the sword is shown with a disproportionately short grip and much swollen, similar to that in the De Grey brass. The figure of King Richard III. (Fig. 328) habited in a tabard also occurs in the Roll; the coudières are peculiarly spiked, but otherwise the armour has the usual Yorkist characteristics.Fig.323.—Sir Robert Staunton, 1458. Castle Donington Church, Leicestershire.Fig.324.—Sir Robert del Bothe, 1460. Wilmslow Church, Cheshire.Fig.325.—Sir Thomas Grene, 1462. Grene’s Norton Church, Northants.Fig.326.—The brass of Sir Anthony de Grey, 1480, in St. Albans Abbey Church, Herts.Fig.327.—Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, from Warwick Roll.Fig.328.—Richard III., from Warwick Roll.Among the most interesting pieces of armour in the British Isles we must include the Rhodes armour preserved in the Rotunda at Woolwich. The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes after their expulsion from the Holy Land, and subsequently migrated to Malta. In the early part of Queen Victoria’s reign General Sir J. H. Lefroy was sent by the British Government to Turkey, and while there secured the Dardanelles cannon described elsewhere, and also the Rhodes armour, left behind by the Knights. This is one of the most valuable of late “finds,” and the whole of it is in the Rotunda. Much is in bad condition and would not bear cleaning, but one suit has been made up and is illustrated inPlate IX., p.72. The salade is of a very deep form with a large visor; there is a lobster-tail neck-guard of two lames. The mentonnière is more of the nature of a gorget, and is not affixed to the breastplate. The pauldrons are laminated and continuous with the brassarts, which have turners, while the coudières are of the sixteenth century. The vambraces are late fifteenth century, as are also the gauntlets. The breastplate isglobose and furnished with a placcate, while the backplate has been provided with a garde-de-rein from the Tower. The cuissarts and genouillières are late fifteenth century, but the jambarts are of a still later date. In order to complete the figure a chain-mail hauberk has been lent from the Tower, and the tuilles and sollerets have been made. The two-handed sword is a fine example, dating fromc.1510. The whole suit may be looked upon as an example of the style prevailingc.1490.Fig.329.—Bowman, 1473.Fig.330.—Arbalestier,temp.Edward IV. (Harl. MS., 4379.)Fig.331.—Arbalestier, early fifteenth century.Fig.332.—Chapelle-de-fer,c.1490. (Tower of London.)Fig.333.—Chapelle-de-fer,temp.Edward IV. (Roy. MS. 14, E. IV.)The period under discussion, from 1430 to 1500, saw the common foot soldier, whether bowman, arbalestier, billman, petardier, or cannonier, much better equipped, and in every way more carefully provided for, than in any preceding age. It had early been perceived in England that the native infantry was as effective in battle as the flower of foreign chivalry, and instead of being jealous of this fact, as were the foreign nobles as a rule of their own foot soldiers, the knights of our own country sought by every possible means to add to the deadly prowess of the soldier, and to defend him by every artifice that wit could devise. It came to be recognised as an article of military knowledge that a charge of cavalry against English archers armed with the long-bow resulted, under ordinary conditions, in disaster, and that no good result was to be obtained by it, but on the contrary it was simply to court destruction. The lessons of Creçy and of Poictiers had been well learnt, and it was remembered that the French chivalry, although encased in steel and the horses defended by bardings, simply melted away before the deadly sleet of arrows emanating from the English position, and in spite of their most strenuous efforts only managed toreach the archers in such a disorganised form that an effective charge was out of the question. So long as the bowmen stood firmly in their position and preserved order and discipline they had nothing to fear from the most determined charge of cavalry. The secret of this undoubtedly was that although the knight himself was impervious to the arrow so long as it did not strike a gousset or the junction or joint between two plates, his horse was by no means equally well protected, and it is well known that the arrow was in most cases directed towards the unfortunate steed in preference to the invulnerable rider. It thus became a custom for the knights and heavily-accoutred men-at-arms to dismount and advance on foot to the charge, in imitation doubtless of the example set by the Black Prince at Poictiers. But the slow progress of such a mass of heavily-armed men against a body of archers gave the latter plenty of time to select their opponents, and with unerring aim to challenge the weak points of their adversaries’ defences with the deadly cloth-yard shaft. The invariable result was that the archer came off victorious, and the discomfited mail-clad knight thus found himself unable to reach the enemy with whom he desired to close either on horseback or on foot. In this dilemma the invention of the pavise came to his help, and for atime the archer was to a certain extent nonplussed. This was at first an upright wicker-work defence, square in form and plane of surface, sufficiently large to cover the knight and also the page or squire who bore it. The knight also carried his own shield as an additional defence, and thus effectually protected from arrows could advance to close quarters, or if necessary, take post behind his own archers in order to repel a charge of cavalry. The pavise, once introduced, was quickly improved upon, and soon developed into a convex shield of wood faced with leather or other protective material, and resting upon the ground. Some of these were elaborately decorated, being painted with designs of more or less merit, some of which have been preserved to the present age and form remarkable instances of mediæval art. In the Wallace Collection is a pavise of parchment upon a foundation of wood, with a semi-circular ridge down the centre, upon which occurs a representation of a castle and background. It is of German origin, and dates from about 1490; another in the same museum of about the year 1500 has a similar ridge down the centre, is of the same materials, and is painted black. The arms of Nuremberg in colours are upon the left-hand top corner. The examples are only sufficiently large to cover one man, and might therefore have been used by archers, arbalestiers, cannoniers, &c., for these were alert to seize upon the new defence, and quickly adopted it. During the siege of a town or fortress the pavise was in constant use, and in MSS. of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries it is common to note in the illuminations how they are employed to cover every type of combatant. In Cotton MS., Julius, E. IV., many examples are delineated, bodies of pavisiers being shown in combat with each other.Fig. 329is a representation of a mediæval long bowman of the year 1473, in which he is shown with a hat and gorget of banded mail and a hauberk of overlapping scales of leather covered by a brigandine of leather. The only plate defence is a corselet. The quiver is slung at the back and a sword in front. The arbalestier shown inPlate XL., p.366, is habited in a very graceful salade, a brigandine of the fifteenth century partly covered by demi-breast and backplates, or placcates, and wears a knee-piece upon the left leg. The arbalestier of the time of Edward IV. is represented in the HarleianMS. No. 4379 (Fig. 330) as possessing a complete defensive equipment, consisting of bascinet, camail, brigandine of jazeraint work, tuilles of leather plates, and complete plate for the legs. In addition he has a corselet of plate. The peculiarly-shaped quiver for the bolts is characteristic of the period. That arbalestiers were as an established rule better provided with defences we have already seen: a further confirmation is afforded by the accompanyingFig. 331of an arbalestier of the earlier part of the fifteenth century, before the dagged houppelande of Richard II. and Henry IV.’s reign had gone out of fashion: he is represented as being clothed in it, whereby the defences of the body and arms are hidden, but the legs are in plate, with sollerets for the feet, and a chapelle-de-fer, or plain skull-cap, covers the head. It is taken from Sloane MS. 2433.Fig.334.—Archers’ salades,temp.Edward IV. (Roy. MS. 14, E. IV.)Fig.335.—Salades,temp.Henry VI.The chapelle-de-fer was a common headpiece for the soldier of the fifteenth century; an example dating fromc.1490 is preserved in the Tower(Fig. 332) which shows a point in front, and numerous holes round the brim for a padded lining. Another representation is from Roy. MS. 14, E. IV. (Fig. 333), which is simply a pot-de-fer with the addition of a turned-down brim. The soldier also wears a coif-de-mailles. It must not be supposed that salades were entirely confined to the knightly orders; they are seen upon horse and foot soldiers of all grades; three are delineated here which are very common, and are represented freely in MSS. (Fig. 334), while others of different forms appear in this chapter (Fig. 335). In MS. No. 6984 of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, a work of the late fifteenth century, a reputed knight is shown opening a door. He is copied inFig. 336, and is undoubtedly a leader of arquebusiers, pikemen, or arbalestiers, and not of the knightly order. The extra protection of a roundel at the side of the salade was very common upon the Continent, while leather is used for taces as inFig. 330. The limbs are in plate, and a corselet is shown. The tabs at the neck, shoulders, and knees are of frequent occurrence in illuminations.Fig.336.—(No. 6984 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.) Late fifteenth century leather and plate defences.Fig.337.—Petardier and swordsman, fifteenth century. (Roy. MS. 18, E. V.)Fig.338.—Hand-gun man,c.1473. (Roy. MS. 18, E. 5.)The petardier of the fifteenth century, who hurled small bombs, or else pots filled with Greek fire, into the ranks of the enemy, was also clothed in plate, sometimes from head to heel. He was considered of great importance, and consequently rendered as impervious as possible to the weapons with which he might be assailed. The thrower of the fire-pot represented inFig. 337(from Roy. MS. 18, E. V.) is protected thus, even to roundels covering the goussets, unless these are mammelières, which are of very frequent appearance. Opposing him is a foot soldier wielding a bastard sword and protecting himself with a small buckler; he wears a visored salade with camail and a gorget, a close-fitting brigandine over a hauberk of mail, and his arms are protected by plate. As is the case in the majority of representations of soldiers of this period, the legs are entirely undefended. From the same MS., which dates from 1473, we reproduce an interesting figure (No. 338) of a hand-gun man discharging one of the crude pieces of that period, whose picturesque appearance it would be difficult to excel. The salade is especially enriched with an enlargement of the customary roundels, while two demi-placcates reinforce his breastplate, which is probably of leather. Only genouillièresappear upon his legs, a system of defence which was much in vogue at that time. A hand-gun man of 1470 is depicted inFig. 339. Among the mercenaries introduced into England during the Wars of the Roses were “Burgundenses” or Burgundian hand-gun men. Warwick had a body of these at the second battle of St. Albans in 1461, and inFig. 340we have in all probability a representation of their accoutrement. Upon the body the defences are a padded jacque, similar in nature of material to the gambeson, combined with chain mail and pourpointerie. The visor upon the salade is apparently fixed, while the legs are encased in mail chausses covered with demi-cuissarts and jambarts. The cannonier of the period was usually without any defensive equipment whatever. A small illustration is appended from the Sloane MS. No. 2433 of the fifteenth century, from which it will be perceived that he is dressed in ordinary civilian garments (Fig. 341). It was probably deemed unnecessary to clothe him in armour by reason of the distance which separated him from the contest.Fig.339.-Hand-gun man, 1470.Fig.340.—Hand-gun man,c.1470.Javelin men are represented in many MSS. of this period, but invariably in those of a foreign origin. The soldier delineated inFig. 342is taken from Harl. MS. 4374, and is remarkable for the cap-à-pie defences he wears. The size and shape of the shield is also worthy of notice.Fig.341.—Cannonier, fifteenth century. (Sloane MS. 2433.)Fig.342.—Javelin man, 1480. (Harl. MS. 4374.)Two brigandines as used in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries are preserved in the Tower of London; details of their structure are given in Figs.343and344, both being drawn the exact size of the originals. InFig. 343, A is a square sheet of thin iron, rounded at the corners and with a hole in the centre. In B it is placed between two coverings of canvas and fastened by strings, three of which pass through the centre; the loose ends are continued to pass over and through four more plates which surround B and practically touch it on all sides. This is a common and inexpensive form of jazeraint.Fig.343.—Details of brigandines, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Tower of London.)Fig.344.—Details of studded Brigandine, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Tower of London.)Fig. 344is more complicated. A represents a small plate of iron, thinner than that used in the preceding example. The heads of six studs, which are screwed or otherwise fastened into the plate, are shown side by side. In B the plate is shown edgewise and one of the studs also. C represents this plate and four others placed between two layers of canvas, cloth, or other material with the stud heads perforating one of the layers and the plates overlapping like slates upon a roof. D represents the appearance of the face of the brigandine when finished. It will readily be perceived that such a garment would be very pliable, and yet offer considerable resistance to an arrow, or bolt, or a sword-cut.CHAPTER XIIITHE TRANSITION PERIOD, 1500-1552The salient features of the Transition Period are:—1. The adoption of sabbatons in the place of sollerets.2. The chain mail skirt.3. The general use of a closed helmet.Figs.345 and 346.—Helmets. (Tower of London.)The Helmet.—This defence was invariably of the “closed” pattern, and consisted of a crown with a ridge, generally roped, down the centre; two cheek-pieces meeting together at the chin and fastening there; the visor and bavière formed of one piece, pierced with oblong apertures for the occularium, and having small holes for ventilation and breathing purposes. The bavière was a relict of the mentonnière of a previous period, and the close helmet may be regarded as a direct evolution from the armet; indeed it is at times difficult to differentiate between the two. The roundel at the back of the neck in the armet gave way to a plate-guard. The neck portion of the close helmet was furnished with a hollow rim, generally decorated with roping, which fitted over a corresponding solid rim upon the upper portion of the gorget and permitted the head to be rotated from side to side. The visor and bavière in the early helmets were in one piece, and very often of the bellows pattern, but later examples show them in two distinct pieces, the upper portion, or visor proper, falling down inside the bavière.The helmet shown inFig. 347, dating from 1500, opens down the sides instead of down the chin and back like the armet, and the same pivot which secures the visor also serves as a hinge for the crown and chin-piece. InFig. 347Awe have illustrated a German fluted helmet, partly engraved and gilded and of good form and workmanship. It opens down the chin. The skill shown in the forging of the crown and the fluting of the twisted comb is remarkable, and each rivet of the lining strap of the cheek-pieces forms the centre of an engraved rose. It is provided with a roped rim to fit over a solid rim on the gorget.Fig. 348is the front view of a helmet datingfrom 1520 which differs chiefly from the last helmet in the form of the visor, while the example shown inFig. 348Ais of Italian origin and of the same period. It is small and of an extremely graceful form. Figs.345,346, are contemporary helmets from the Tower of London.Fig.347.Fig.347A.Fig.348.Fig.348A.Fig.349.—Standard of mail, William Bardwell, 1508. West Herling Church, Norfolk.The Gorgetof the period consisted of laminated plates riveted at the sides of the neck and working freely upon each other, but covering from below upwards. These gorgets were an essential feature of the following, or Maximilian, period. It often spread over the chest and extended down the back as well; it was furnished with sliding rivets to allow of the maximum of freedom. At times this gorget was fixed to and formed part of the close helmet. Towards the latter part of the period the standard or collar of mail appears to have been worn very frequently to protect the neck; in these cases one or more lames forming a gorget were added to the lower part of the helmet to fit over and reinforce the standard. An example is shown inFig. 349.Fig.350.—Globose breastplate, 1510. (Tower of London.)The Breastplatewas globose, and as a rule furnished with one or more articulated lames (or taces) at the lower part, which permitted freedom of motion for the body at the waist.Fig. 350represents a breastplate in the Tower which has one lame. Goussets of plate are invariably found at the junction of the arms with the body; these were also made to slide freely upon their rivets. At the top a projecting collar protected the part where the gorget was covered by the breastplate, and this feature is exemplified in Figs.350and351, the latter also being an example from the Tower of London though a little later in date. The apertures pierced in it were made for the attachment of various tilting pieces. The ornamentation shown inFig. 350consists of mere sunken indentations, and suggests flutings.Fig.351.—Breastplate. (Tower of London.)The Pauldrons.—These became much modified from the huge examples characteristic of the latter part of the Tabard Period, losing their angular appearance and becoming more rounded and at the same time mobile. This was effected by making the whole pauldron of lames of steel, generally overlapping upwards; the upper lame was as a rule moulded into a strong pike-guard, sometimes upon the left shoulder only, but generally upon both. The lames were carried well round to the back and front over the goussets, and were attached to the back- and breast-plates. If the right gousset is exposed a roundel is generally affixed to the pauldron. That the plate pauldrons of an earlier date were not, however, entirely superseded isshown by the monumental brass of W. Bardwell, 1508, in West Herling Church, Norfolk, where a massive pauldron furnished with two pike-guards is shown upon the left shoulder, and a dissimilar one of still larger proportions, and provided with one guard, upon the other (Fig. 349).PLATE XXIII*Flemish Armour, 1624A. F. CalvertThe Brassarts, Vambraces, Coudières, and Gauntlets all partake more or less of the laminated character, but the coudières are remarkably small when compared with those of the later Tabard Period, and furnished with large expanding guards for the inside bend of the arm.The Cuissarts, Genouillières, and Grevières are of plate, with rounded caps for the genouillières and a few lames for reinforcements.The Sabbatons.—These broad-toed sollerets were introduced during the later part of the previous period, those of Piers Gerard (date 1492) being illustrated on p.232. They present many varieties of form, but are not distinguished for extraordinary size, as they were during the Maximilian period.The Skirt of Mailwas a marked feature of the period, and one by which it may generally be recognised. At times it almost reached to the knees, but as a general rule it terminated a short distance below the middle of the thigh. It was of fine mail, and in all probability only a skirt fastening round or below the waist. Occasionally it is slit up a short distance back and front, in order to give facilities for riding. The mail skirt had been growing in favour for some time: Lord Audley, 1491, upon his brass in Sheen Church, Surrey, exhibits it, and Edward Stafford, Earl of Wiltshire, 1499, in Luffwick Church, Northants,has a similar skirt, namely to mid-thigh. Perhaps the earliest example is that of John, Lord L’Estrange, 1478, at Hillingdon, Middlesex, who has a mail skirt to the knees, one tuille in front and one on either side; sabbatons; a pike-guard upon the pauldron, and guards round the back of the knees: but all are very plain, similar to the Stanley brass.The tuilles lying upon this skirt were generally of large proportions and suspended from the bottom tace; they did not reach, however, so low as the hem of the skirt. Wm. Bardwell’s brass exhibits no tuilles whatever over the skirt of mail, and Richard Gyll, 1511, sergeant of the bakehouse under Henry VII., shows upon his brass in Shottisbrooke Church, Hants, two almost ludicrously small tuilles, affixed to the lowest of four narrow taces. John Colt, 1521, of Roy don Church, Essex, has extremely small tuilles over his deep skirt of mail similar to the Gyll brass; he is habited in a tabard.From the foregoing it will readily be gleaned that very important alterations occurred in armour of this period, differentiating it from that of the preceding. The great pauldrons, exaggerated coudières, and general angularity, and, one might almost say prickliness, of the later Tabard Period was modified to a smoother and rounder style, while it lost entirely that remarkable beauty of form which, however much distorted by fanciful additions, characterised the Gothic armour as a whole. The beautiful flutings and ornamental curves disappeared to make way for a heavy, cumbersome style indicative of German stolidity, and in direct antagonism to the mobile quickness and agility suggested by the majority of suits dating from the latter half of the previous century. These characteristics may be readily seen in the brass to Sir Humphrey Stanley in Westminster Abbey,Fig. 352; and also that to a knight,c.1510, shown inFig. 353.Fig.352.—Sir Humphrey Stanley, 1505. Westminster Abbey.Fig.353.—Knight,c.1510.That this excessive plainness was not always carried out, however, may be gleaned from a few effigies which display an almost lavish ornamentation. The genouillière of Sir Roger le Strange, 1506, Hunstanton, is given here(Fig. 354) as an example, where the spike and fluted reinforcements are a special feature, and also the right genouillière of Sir John Cheney, 1509, in Salisbury Cathedral, where the cusped reinforcements are noteworthy (Fig. 355).Fig.354.—Genouillière and reinforcements, Sir Roger le Strange, 1506, Hunstanton.Fig.355.—Genouillière, Sir John Cheney,c.1509. Salisbury Cathedral.Towards the end of the period, however, we find that although the salient points of this Transition Period in armour were retained, the taste for ornamentation led many knights to discard the extreme plainness of the mode, and to adapt a style of decoration which in many cases approached the graceful. Effigies of the years 1515 to 1520 show flutings upon the breastplate, taces, and tuilles; rosettes or other ornaments upon the splays of the genouillières and coudières, with fluted pauldrons of artistic shape spreading over the backplate and breastplate.A suit of armour is preserved in the Rotunda Museum at Woolwich which is of unique interest, inasmuch as it is attributed to, and certainly is of the date of the redoubtable Chevalier Bayard. It was brought from the Château of St Germain, and is an object of profound regard to Gallic visitors. The armour is engraved, russeted, and partly gilt (Plate VIII., p.64), and dates fromc.1520 or earlier. In places it is fluted, but a marked peculiarity of the suit is the polygonal section of the cuissarts and jambarts, which may be discerned by a close inspection of the figure. The breastplate is globose and the left epaulière is furnished with a pike-guard, while the sabbatons are of the bear’s-paw pattern.Fig.356.—The Wallace heaume,c.1515.Fig.357.—Globular tilting heaume. (Tower of London.)For tilting purposes the great heaume was still in use, and several examples preserved in our museums date from this period. Not the least interesting is the well-known Wallace heaume, of English construction, and dating fromc.1515 (Fig. 356). This rare example is formed of two plates only, the top and back part being one piece, and the front part or bavière being the other. The two plates are securely riveted together at the sides and a piece is flanged over upon the crown, where four rivets hold it in place. The height of the heaume is 14 inches. It is much pitted, and in places broken. Of the heaumes preserved in the Tower a great probability exists that they were made for pageant purposes or simply for funeral achievements. One of early fifteenth century date weighs 15 lbs.; another of the usual shape, but furnished with a comb, is said to have belonged to John of Gaunt. Probably the most interesting in that collection is a globular tilting heaume fitted with a bavière which is affixed by screws, and also gripped by the visor pivots; it extends downwards to the breastplate, to which it was fixed by an almayne screw (Fig. 357). In it a square opening occurs opposite the right cheek, protected by a small door, opening and closing upon a spring. The visor is strongly reinforced, and works upon acentral comb on the crown: the occularium is formed by the lower part of the visor and the upper edge of the bavière, and is remarkably narrow. It weighs 13 lbs. In the Rotunda at Woolwich is preserved the well-known Brocas heaume (Plate XXXIX., p.364), dating from the time of Henry VII. and formerly in the Brocas Collection. It weighs 22½ lbs. In Haseley Church, Oxon; Petworth Church, Sussex; Ashford Church, Kent; and in Westminster Abbey, are other heaumes of considerable interest, and a few are in private collections. A heaume which dated fromc.1510 was at one time in Rayne Church, Essex, and belonged to Sir Giles Capel, the head portion of which was almost globose, while a second example, in which, however, the visor is slightly ridged, or of the bellows variety, is in Wimborne Minster. These heaumes invariably weigh more than 20 lbs.; but the Westminster example is an exception, as it only scales 17 lbs.CHAPTER XIVMAXIMILIAN ARMOUR, 1525-1600This style of armour, which prevailed for so long a period, and of which examples in some form or other exist in almost every museum of importance, saw its origin in the reign of the Emperor Maximilian, from whom it is named. It is essentially the late Gothic style of armour richly decorated with fluting, and reinforced by numerous extra pieces designed to afford additional security to the wearer in the tilt-yard. For the battle-field the plain, unornamental armour of the Transition Period was invariably used; the Maximilian was for tilting and pageant purposes chiefly, and for display. Its introduction, and subsequent development upon the lines followed by the civil dress, was a sign of the decadence of armour for use in the battle-field—the turning-point which eventually led to its abolition.The invention and use of gunpowder was the death-knell of chivalry in the full sense of its meaning. The mail-clad knight and the heavily armed man-at-arms had played their part through many centuries, and were now to disappear; steel-clad squadrons in all the majestic might of the pomp and circumstance of glorious war, with levelled lance and mantling streaming in the wind, had lived their day and were now to be no more, Armour had served its purpose so long as sword and lance, javelin and bolt, were the usual weapons of war; but when it was discovered that against the deadly lead of the arquebus it was of no avail, it was gradually discarded as obsolete and cumbersome.Fig.358.—The Emperor Maximilian I.Fig.359.—Maximilian armour, 1535. (Wallace Collection.)All the examples of Maximilian armour present the same broad features, and can be easily recognised. As an effective defence against lance and sword and mace they were extremely efficacious, and the armourers of the period attained a high degree of excellence in producing suits which were, for tourney purposes, invulnerable. The general features of the armour followed the lines shown inFig. 358, which is taken from a drawing by Hans Burgkmairin 1508, and represents the Emperor Maximilian I.

Fig.320.—Right and left coudière, Sir John Verney, Albury,c.1452.Fig.321.—Genouillière, &c., Sir John Verney, Albury Church,c.1452.

Fig.320.—Right and left coudière, Sir John Verney, Albury,c.1452.

Fig.321.—Genouillière, &c., Sir John Verney, Albury Church,c.1452.

Fig.322.—Coudière, &c., Henry Parice, 1464. Hildersham, Cambs.

In the brass at Grene’s Norton, mentioned above, however, a curious modification occurs; the misericorde, which is of huge dimensions and like an anelace in some respects, is slung perpendicularly in front, and the sword suspended on the left side. The brass of Sir John Say, 1473, at Broxbourne, Herts, is habited in a tabard blazoned with his armorial bearings, and exhibits the hausse-col or standard of mail then commonly worn round the throat when the tilting helm alone was used as a protection for head and neck. The memorial brass to Sir Anthony de Grey, 1480, in St. Albans Abbey Church, Herts, exemplifies the armour known as the Richard III. style in every particular (Fig. 326). Round the neck is a hausse-col or standard; the head rests upon a tilting helm, the occularium and projection beneath it being visible over the right shoulder, while the staple for affixing it to the breastplate appears with the mantling over the left. The pauldrons are large, and apparently reinforced by a secondary plate beneath; they are symmetrical in shape and have no pike-guards. The coudières are large and of peculiar shape while long cuffs are appended to the shell-gauntlets. This form of pauldronwas fairly prevalent at the time, and also during the early part of the next century. Two demi-placcates appear upon the breastplate: the taces are only three in number, and short tuilles appear in front with tuillettes covering the hips: the genouillières appear with reinforcements extending well up the thigh and a guard-plate passes behind the goussets. The sword is slung in the prevailing mode, but the misericorde is in an almost horizontal position at the back. Similar armour in its broad outlines is used upon the figures in the Warwick Roll of John Rouse, written and illustrated in the reign of Richard III., of which we give examples. Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, is represented in a salade with an unusual knob upon the summit (Fig. 327); the short taces and dependent tuilles are here exemplified, as are also the shell gauntlets. The shield with its bouche at the corner is concave to the front, and the sword is shown with a disproportionately short grip and much swollen, similar to that in the De Grey brass. The figure of King Richard III. (Fig. 328) habited in a tabard also occurs in the Roll; the coudières are peculiarly spiked, but otherwise the armour has the usual Yorkist characteristics.

Fig.323.—Sir Robert Staunton, 1458. Castle Donington Church, Leicestershire.Fig.324.—Sir Robert del Bothe, 1460. Wilmslow Church, Cheshire.Fig.325.—Sir Thomas Grene, 1462. Grene’s Norton Church, Northants.

Fig.323.—Sir Robert Staunton, 1458. Castle Donington Church, Leicestershire.

Fig.324.—Sir Robert del Bothe, 1460. Wilmslow Church, Cheshire.

Fig.325.—Sir Thomas Grene, 1462. Grene’s Norton Church, Northants.

Fig.326.—The brass of Sir Anthony de Grey, 1480, in St. Albans Abbey Church, Herts.Fig.327.—Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, from Warwick Roll.Fig.328.—Richard III., from Warwick Roll.

Fig.326.—The brass of Sir Anthony de Grey, 1480, in St. Albans Abbey Church, Herts.

Fig.327.—Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, from Warwick Roll.

Fig.328.—Richard III., from Warwick Roll.

Among the most interesting pieces of armour in the British Isles we must include the Rhodes armour preserved in the Rotunda at Woolwich. The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes after their expulsion from the Holy Land, and subsequently migrated to Malta. In the early part of Queen Victoria’s reign General Sir J. H. Lefroy was sent by the British Government to Turkey, and while there secured the Dardanelles cannon described elsewhere, and also the Rhodes armour, left behind by the Knights. This is one of the most valuable of late “finds,” and the whole of it is in the Rotunda. Much is in bad condition and would not bear cleaning, but one suit has been made up and is illustrated inPlate IX., p.72. The salade is of a very deep form with a large visor; there is a lobster-tail neck-guard of two lames. The mentonnière is more of the nature of a gorget, and is not affixed to the breastplate. The pauldrons are laminated and continuous with the brassarts, which have turners, while the coudières are of the sixteenth century. The vambraces are late fifteenth century, as are also the gauntlets. The breastplate isglobose and furnished with a placcate, while the backplate has been provided with a garde-de-rein from the Tower. The cuissarts and genouillières are late fifteenth century, but the jambarts are of a still later date. In order to complete the figure a chain-mail hauberk has been lent from the Tower, and the tuilles and sollerets have been made. The two-handed sword is a fine example, dating fromc.1510. The whole suit may be looked upon as an example of the style prevailingc.1490.

Fig.329.—Bowman, 1473.Fig.330.—Arbalestier,temp.Edward IV. (Harl. MS., 4379.)Fig.331.—Arbalestier, early fifteenth century.

Fig.329.—Bowman, 1473.

Fig.330.—Arbalestier,temp.Edward IV. (Harl. MS., 4379.)

Fig.331.—Arbalestier, early fifteenth century.

Fig.332.—Chapelle-de-fer,c.1490. (Tower of London.)

Fig.333.—Chapelle-de-fer,temp.Edward IV. (Roy. MS. 14, E. IV.)

The period under discussion, from 1430 to 1500, saw the common foot soldier, whether bowman, arbalestier, billman, petardier, or cannonier, much better equipped, and in every way more carefully provided for, than in any preceding age. It had early been perceived in England that the native infantry was as effective in battle as the flower of foreign chivalry, and instead of being jealous of this fact, as were the foreign nobles as a rule of their own foot soldiers, the knights of our own country sought by every possible means to add to the deadly prowess of the soldier, and to defend him by every artifice that wit could devise. It came to be recognised as an article of military knowledge that a charge of cavalry against English archers armed with the long-bow resulted, under ordinary conditions, in disaster, and that no good result was to be obtained by it, but on the contrary it was simply to court destruction. The lessons of Creçy and of Poictiers had been well learnt, and it was remembered that the French chivalry, although encased in steel and the horses defended by bardings, simply melted away before the deadly sleet of arrows emanating from the English position, and in spite of their most strenuous efforts only managed toreach the archers in such a disorganised form that an effective charge was out of the question. So long as the bowmen stood firmly in their position and preserved order and discipline they had nothing to fear from the most determined charge of cavalry. The secret of this undoubtedly was that although the knight himself was impervious to the arrow so long as it did not strike a gousset or the junction or joint between two plates, his horse was by no means equally well protected, and it is well known that the arrow was in most cases directed towards the unfortunate steed in preference to the invulnerable rider. It thus became a custom for the knights and heavily-accoutred men-at-arms to dismount and advance on foot to the charge, in imitation doubtless of the example set by the Black Prince at Poictiers. But the slow progress of such a mass of heavily-armed men against a body of archers gave the latter plenty of time to select their opponents, and with unerring aim to challenge the weak points of their adversaries’ defences with the deadly cloth-yard shaft. The invariable result was that the archer came off victorious, and the discomfited mail-clad knight thus found himself unable to reach the enemy with whom he desired to close either on horseback or on foot. In this dilemma the invention of the pavise came to his help, and for atime the archer was to a certain extent nonplussed. This was at first an upright wicker-work defence, square in form and plane of surface, sufficiently large to cover the knight and also the page or squire who bore it. The knight also carried his own shield as an additional defence, and thus effectually protected from arrows could advance to close quarters, or if necessary, take post behind his own archers in order to repel a charge of cavalry. The pavise, once introduced, was quickly improved upon, and soon developed into a convex shield of wood faced with leather or other protective material, and resting upon the ground. Some of these were elaborately decorated, being painted with designs of more or less merit, some of which have been preserved to the present age and form remarkable instances of mediæval art. In the Wallace Collection is a pavise of parchment upon a foundation of wood, with a semi-circular ridge down the centre, upon which occurs a representation of a castle and background. It is of German origin, and dates from about 1490; another in the same museum of about the year 1500 has a similar ridge down the centre, is of the same materials, and is painted black. The arms of Nuremberg in colours are upon the left-hand top corner. The examples are only sufficiently large to cover one man, and might therefore have been used by archers, arbalestiers, cannoniers, &c., for these were alert to seize upon the new defence, and quickly adopted it. During the siege of a town or fortress the pavise was in constant use, and in MSS. of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries it is common to note in the illuminations how they are employed to cover every type of combatant. In Cotton MS., Julius, E. IV., many examples are delineated, bodies of pavisiers being shown in combat with each other.Fig. 329is a representation of a mediæval long bowman of the year 1473, in which he is shown with a hat and gorget of banded mail and a hauberk of overlapping scales of leather covered by a brigandine of leather. The only plate defence is a corselet. The quiver is slung at the back and a sword in front. The arbalestier shown inPlate XL., p.366, is habited in a very graceful salade, a brigandine of the fifteenth century partly covered by demi-breast and backplates, or placcates, and wears a knee-piece upon the left leg. The arbalestier of the time of Edward IV. is represented in the HarleianMS. No. 4379 (Fig. 330) as possessing a complete defensive equipment, consisting of bascinet, camail, brigandine of jazeraint work, tuilles of leather plates, and complete plate for the legs. In addition he has a corselet of plate. The peculiarly-shaped quiver for the bolts is characteristic of the period. That arbalestiers were as an established rule better provided with defences we have already seen: a further confirmation is afforded by the accompanyingFig. 331of an arbalestier of the earlier part of the fifteenth century, before the dagged houppelande of Richard II. and Henry IV.’s reign had gone out of fashion: he is represented as being clothed in it, whereby the defences of the body and arms are hidden, but the legs are in plate, with sollerets for the feet, and a chapelle-de-fer, or plain skull-cap, covers the head. It is taken from Sloane MS. 2433.

Fig.334.—Archers’ salades,temp.Edward IV. (Roy. MS. 14, E. IV.)Fig.335.—Salades,temp.Henry VI.

Fig.334.—Archers’ salades,temp.Edward IV. (Roy. MS. 14, E. IV.)

Fig.335.—Salades,temp.Henry VI.

The chapelle-de-fer was a common headpiece for the soldier of the fifteenth century; an example dating fromc.1490 is preserved in the Tower(Fig. 332) which shows a point in front, and numerous holes round the brim for a padded lining. Another representation is from Roy. MS. 14, E. IV. (Fig. 333), which is simply a pot-de-fer with the addition of a turned-down brim. The soldier also wears a coif-de-mailles. It must not be supposed that salades were entirely confined to the knightly orders; they are seen upon horse and foot soldiers of all grades; three are delineated here which are very common, and are represented freely in MSS. (Fig. 334), while others of different forms appear in this chapter (Fig. 335). In MS. No. 6984 of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, a work of the late fifteenth century, a reputed knight is shown opening a door. He is copied inFig. 336, and is undoubtedly a leader of arquebusiers, pikemen, or arbalestiers, and not of the knightly order. The extra protection of a roundel at the side of the salade was very common upon the Continent, while leather is used for taces as inFig. 330. The limbs are in plate, and a corselet is shown. The tabs at the neck, shoulders, and knees are of frequent occurrence in illuminations.

Fig.336.—(No. 6984 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.) Late fifteenth century leather and plate defences.Fig.337.—Petardier and swordsman, fifteenth century. (Roy. MS. 18, E. V.)

Fig.336.—(No. 6984 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.) Late fifteenth century leather and plate defences.

Fig.337.—Petardier and swordsman, fifteenth century. (Roy. MS. 18, E. V.)

Fig.338.—Hand-gun man,c.1473. (Roy. MS. 18, E. 5.)

The petardier of the fifteenth century, who hurled small bombs, or else pots filled with Greek fire, into the ranks of the enemy, was also clothed in plate, sometimes from head to heel. He was considered of great importance, and consequently rendered as impervious as possible to the weapons with which he might be assailed. The thrower of the fire-pot represented inFig. 337(from Roy. MS. 18, E. V.) is protected thus, even to roundels covering the goussets, unless these are mammelières, which are of very frequent appearance. Opposing him is a foot soldier wielding a bastard sword and protecting himself with a small buckler; he wears a visored salade with camail and a gorget, a close-fitting brigandine over a hauberk of mail, and his arms are protected by plate. As is the case in the majority of representations of soldiers of this period, the legs are entirely undefended. From the same MS., which dates from 1473, we reproduce an interesting figure (No. 338) of a hand-gun man discharging one of the crude pieces of that period, whose picturesque appearance it would be difficult to excel. The salade is especially enriched with an enlargement of the customary roundels, while two demi-placcates reinforce his breastplate, which is probably of leather. Only genouillièresappear upon his legs, a system of defence which was much in vogue at that time. A hand-gun man of 1470 is depicted inFig. 339. Among the mercenaries introduced into England during the Wars of the Roses were “Burgundenses” or Burgundian hand-gun men. Warwick had a body of these at the second battle of St. Albans in 1461, and inFig. 340we have in all probability a representation of their accoutrement. Upon the body the defences are a padded jacque, similar in nature of material to the gambeson, combined with chain mail and pourpointerie. The visor upon the salade is apparently fixed, while the legs are encased in mail chausses covered with demi-cuissarts and jambarts. The cannonier of the period was usually without any defensive equipment whatever. A small illustration is appended from the Sloane MS. No. 2433 of the fifteenth century, from which it will be perceived that he is dressed in ordinary civilian garments (Fig. 341). It was probably deemed unnecessary to clothe him in armour by reason of the distance which separated him from the contest.

Fig.339.-Hand-gun man, 1470.Fig.340.—Hand-gun man,c.1470.

Fig.339.-Hand-gun man, 1470.

Fig.340.—Hand-gun man,c.1470.

Javelin men are represented in many MSS. of this period, but invariably in those of a foreign origin. The soldier delineated inFig. 342is taken from Harl. MS. 4374, and is remarkable for the cap-à-pie defences he wears. The size and shape of the shield is also worthy of notice.

Fig.341.—Cannonier, fifteenth century. (Sloane MS. 2433.)Fig.342.—Javelin man, 1480. (Harl. MS. 4374.)

Fig.341.—Cannonier, fifteenth century. (Sloane MS. 2433.)

Fig.342.—Javelin man, 1480. (Harl. MS. 4374.)

Two brigandines as used in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries are preserved in the Tower of London; details of their structure are given in Figs.343and344, both being drawn the exact size of the originals. InFig. 343, A is a square sheet of thin iron, rounded at the corners and with a hole in the centre. In B it is placed between two coverings of canvas and fastened by strings, three of which pass through the centre; the loose ends are continued to pass over and through four more plates which surround B and practically touch it on all sides. This is a common and inexpensive form of jazeraint.

Fig.343.—Details of brigandines, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Tower of London.)Fig.344.—Details of studded Brigandine, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Tower of London.)

Fig.343.—Details of brigandines, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Tower of London.)

Fig.344.—Details of studded Brigandine, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Tower of London.)

Fig. 344is more complicated. A represents a small plate of iron, thinner than that used in the preceding example. The heads of six studs, which are screwed or otherwise fastened into the plate, are shown side by side. In B the plate is shown edgewise and one of the studs also. C represents this plate and four others placed between two layers of canvas, cloth, or other material with the stud heads perforating one of the layers and the plates overlapping like slates upon a roof. D represents the appearance of the face of the brigandine when finished. It will readily be perceived that such a garment would be very pliable, and yet offer considerable resistance to an arrow, or bolt, or a sword-cut.

The salient features of the Transition Period are:—

1. The adoption of sabbatons in the place of sollerets.

2. The chain mail skirt.

3. The general use of a closed helmet.

Figs.345 and 346.—Helmets. (Tower of London.)

The Helmet.—This defence was invariably of the “closed” pattern, and consisted of a crown with a ridge, generally roped, down the centre; two cheek-pieces meeting together at the chin and fastening there; the visor and bavière formed of one piece, pierced with oblong apertures for the occularium, and having small holes for ventilation and breathing purposes. The bavière was a relict of the mentonnière of a previous period, and the close helmet may be regarded as a direct evolution from the armet; indeed it is at times difficult to differentiate between the two. The roundel at the back of the neck in the armet gave way to a plate-guard. The neck portion of the close helmet was furnished with a hollow rim, generally decorated with roping, which fitted over a corresponding solid rim upon the upper portion of the gorget and permitted the head to be rotated from side to side. The visor and bavière in the early helmets were in one piece, and very often of the bellows pattern, but later examples show them in two distinct pieces, the upper portion, or visor proper, falling down inside the bavière.

The helmet shown inFig. 347, dating from 1500, opens down the sides instead of down the chin and back like the armet, and the same pivot which secures the visor also serves as a hinge for the crown and chin-piece. InFig. 347Awe have illustrated a German fluted helmet, partly engraved and gilded and of good form and workmanship. It opens down the chin. The skill shown in the forging of the crown and the fluting of the twisted comb is remarkable, and each rivet of the lining strap of the cheek-pieces forms the centre of an engraved rose. It is provided with a roped rim to fit over a solid rim on the gorget.Fig. 348is the front view of a helmet datingfrom 1520 which differs chiefly from the last helmet in the form of the visor, while the example shown inFig. 348Ais of Italian origin and of the same period. It is small and of an extremely graceful form. Figs.345,346, are contemporary helmets from the Tower of London.

Fig.347.Fig.347A.Fig.348.Fig.348A.

Fig.347.

Fig.347A.

Fig.348.

Fig.348A.

Fig.349.—Standard of mail, William Bardwell, 1508. West Herling Church, Norfolk.

The Gorgetof the period consisted of laminated plates riveted at the sides of the neck and working freely upon each other, but covering from below upwards. These gorgets were an essential feature of the following, or Maximilian, period. It often spread over the chest and extended down the back as well; it was furnished with sliding rivets to allow of the maximum of freedom. At times this gorget was fixed to and formed part of the close helmet. Towards the latter part of the period the standard or collar of mail appears to have been worn very frequently to protect the neck; in these cases one or more lames forming a gorget were added to the lower part of the helmet to fit over and reinforce the standard. An example is shown inFig. 349.

Fig.350.—Globose breastplate, 1510. (Tower of London.)

The Breastplatewas globose, and as a rule furnished with one or more articulated lames (or taces) at the lower part, which permitted freedom of motion for the body at the waist.Fig. 350represents a breastplate in the Tower which has one lame. Goussets of plate are invariably found at the junction of the arms with the body; these were also made to slide freely upon their rivets. At the top a projecting collar protected the part where the gorget was covered by the breastplate, and this feature is exemplified in Figs.350and351, the latter also being an example from the Tower of London though a little later in date. The apertures pierced in it were made for the attachment of various tilting pieces. The ornamentation shown inFig. 350consists of mere sunken indentations, and suggests flutings.

Fig.351.—Breastplate. (Tower of London.)

The Pauldrons.—These became much modified from the huge examples characteristic of the latter part of the Tabard Period, losing their angular appearance and becoming more rounded and at the same time mobile. This was effected by making the whole pauldron of lames of steel, generally overlapping upwards; the upper lame was as a rule moulded into a strong pike-guard, sometimes upon the left shoulder only, but generally upon both. The lames were carried well round to the back and front over the goussets, and were attached to the back- and breast-plates. If the right gousset is exposed a roundel is generally affixed to the pauldron. That the plate pauldrons of an earlier date were not, however, entirely superseded isshown by the monumental brass of W. Bardwell, 1508, in West Herling Church, Norfolk, where a massive pauldron furnished with two pike-guards is shown upon the left shoulder, and a dissimilar one of still larger proportions, and provided with one guard, upon the other (Fig. 349).

PLATE XXIII*Flemish Armour, 1624A. F. Calvert

PLATE XXIII*

Flemish Armour, 1624

A. F. Calvert

The Brassarts, Vambraces, Coudières, and Gauntlets all partake more or less of the laminated character, but the coudières are remarkably small when compared with those of the later Tabard Period, and furnished with large expanding guards for the inside bend of the arm.

The Cuissarts, Genouillières, and Grevières are of plate, with rounded caps for the genouillières and a few lames for reinforcements.

The Sabbatons.—These broad-toed sollerets were introduced during the later part of the previous period, those of Piers Gerard (date 1492) being illustrated on p.232. They present many varieties of form, but are not distinguished for extraordinary size, as they were during the Maximilian period.

The Skirt of Mailwas a marked feature of the period, and one by which it may generally be recognised. At times it almost reached to the knees, but as a general rule it terminated a short distance below the middle of the thigh. It was of fine mail, and in all probability only a skirt fastening round or below the waist. Occasionally it is slit up a short distance back and front, in order to give facilities for riding. The mail skirt had been growing in favour for some time: Lord Audley, 1491, upon his brass in Sheen Church, Surrey, exhibits it, and Edward Stafford, Earl of Wiltshire, 1499, in Luffwick Church, Northants,has a similar skirt, namely to mid-thigh. Perhaps the earliest example is that of John, Lord L’Estrange, 1478, at Hillingdon, Middlesex, who has a mail skirt to the knees, one tuille in front and one on either side; sabbatons; a pike-guard upon the pauldron, and guards round the back of the knees: but all are very plain, similar to the Stanley brass.

The tuilles lying upon this skirt were generally of large proportions and suspended from the bottom tace; they did not reach, however, so low as the hem of the skirt. Wm. Bardwell’s brass exhibits no tuilles whatever over the skirt of mail, and Richard Gyll, 1511, sergeant of the bakehouse under Henry VII., shows upon his brass in Shottisbrooke Church, Hants, two almost ludicrously small tuilles, affixed to the lowest of four narrow taces. John Colt, 1521, of Roy don Church, Essex, has extremely small tuilles over his deep skirt of mail similar to the Gyll brass; he is habited in a tabard.

From the foregoing it will readily be gleaned that very important alterations occurred in armour of this period, differentiating it from that of the preceding. The great pauldrons, exaggerated coudières, and general angularity, and, one might almost say prickliness, of the later Tabard Period was modified to a smoother and rounder style, while it lost entirely that remarkable beauty of form which, however much distorted by fanciful additions, characterised the Gothic armour as a whole. The beautiful flutings and ornamental curves disappeared to make way for a heavy, cumbersome style indicative of German stolidity, and in direct antagonism to the mobile quickness and agility suggested by the majority of suits dating from the latter half of the previous century. These characteristics may be readily seen in the brass to Sir Humphrey Stanley in Westminster Abbey,Fig. 352; and also that to a knight,c.1510, shown inFig. 353.

Fig.352.—Sir Humphrey Stanley, 1505. Westminster Abbey.Fig.353.—Knight,c.1510.

Fig.352.—Sir Humphrey Stanley, 1505. Westminster Abbey.

Fig.353.—Knight,c.1510.

That this excessive plainness was not always carried out, however, may be gleaned from a few effigies which display an almost lavish ornamentation. The genouillière of Sir Roger le Strange, 1506, Hunstanton, is given here(Fig. 354) as an example, where the spike and fluted reinforcements are a special feature, and also the right genouillière of Sir John Cheney, 1509, in Salisbury Cathedral, where the cusped reinforcements are noteworthy (Fig. 355).

Fig.354.—Genouillière and reinforcements, Sir Roger le Strange, 1506, Hunstanton.Fig.355.—Genouillière, Sir John Cheney,c.1509. Salisbury Cathedral.

Fig.354.—Genouillière and reinforcements, Sir Roger le Strange, 1506, Hunstanton.

Fig.355.—Genouillière, Sir John Cheney,c.1509. Salisbury Cathedral.

Towards the end of the period, however, we find that although the salient points of this Transition Period in armour were retained, the taste for ornamentation led many knights to discard the extreme plainness of the mode, and to adapt a style of decoration which in many cases approached the graceful. Effigies of the years 1515 to 1520 show flutings upon the breastplate, taces, and tuilles; rosettes or other ornaments upon the splays of the genouillières and coudières, with fluted pauldrons of artistic shape spreading over the backplate and breastplate.

A suit of armour is preserved in the Rotunda Museum at Woolwich which is of unique interest, inasmuch as it is attributed to, and certainly is of the date of the redoubtable Chevalier Bayard. It was brought from the Château of St Germain, and is an object of profound regard to Gallic visitors. The armour is engraved, russeted, and partly gilt (Plate VIII., p.64), and dates fromc.1520 or earlier. In places it is fluted, but a marked peculiarity of the suit is the polygonal section of the cuissarts and jambarts, which may be discerned by a close inspection of the figure. The breastplate is globose and the left epaulière is furnished with a pike-guard, while the sabbatons are of the bear’s-paw pattern.

Fig.356.—The Wallace heaume,c.1515.

Fig.357.—Globular tilting heaume. (Tower of London.)

For tilting purposes the great heaume was still in use, and several examples preserved in our museums date from this period. Not the least interesting is the well-known Wallace heaume, of English construction, and dating fromc.1515 (Fig. 356). This rare example is formed of two plates only, the top and back part being one piece, and the front part or bavière being the other. The two plates are securely riveted together at the sides and a piece is flanged over upon the crown, where four rivets hold it in place. The height of the heaume is 14 inches. It is much pitted, and in places broken. Of the heaumes preserved in the Tower a great probability exists that they were made for pageant purposes or simply for funeral achievements. One of early fifteenth century date weighs 15 lbs.; another of the usual shape, but furnished with a comb, is said to have belonged to John of Gaunt. Probably the most interesting in that collection is a globular tilting heaume fitted with a bavière which is affixed by screws, and also gripped by the visor pivots; it extends downwards to the breastplate, to which it was fixed by an almayne screw (Fig. 357). In it a square opening occurs opposite the right cheek, protected by a small door, opening and closing upon a spring. The visor is strongly reinforced, and works upon acentral comb on the crown: the occularium is formed by the lower part of the visor and the upper edge of the bavière, and is remarkably narrow. It weighs 13 lbs. In the Rotunda at Woolwich is preserved the well-known Brocas heaume (Plate XXXIX., p.364), dating from the time of Henry VII. and formerly in the Brocas Collection. It weighs 22½ lbs. In Haseley Church, Oxon; Petworth Church, Sussex; Ashford Church, Kent; and in Westminster Abbey, are other heaumes of considerable interest, and a few are in private collections. A heaume which dated fromc.1510 was at one time in Rayne Church, Essex, and belonged to Sir Giles Capel, the head portion of which was almost globose, while a second example, in which, however, the visor is slightly ridged, or of the bellows variety, is in Wimborne Minster. These heaumes invariably weigh more than 20 lbs.; but the Westminster example is an exception, as it only scales 17 lbs.

This style of armour, which prevailed for so long a period, and of which examples in some form or other exist in almost every museum of importance, saw its origin in the reign of the Emperor Maximilian, from whom it is named. It is essentially the late Gothic style of armour richly decorated with fluting, and reinforced by numerous extra pieces designed to afford additional security to the wearer in the tilt-yard. For the battle-field the plain, unornamental armour of the Transition Period was invariably used; the Maximilian was for tilting and pageant purposes chiefly, and for display. Its introduction, and subsequent development upon the lines followed by the civil dress, was a sign of the decadence of armour for use in the battle-field—the turning-point which eventually led to its abolition.

The invention and use of gunpowder was the death-knell of chivalry in the full sense of its meaning. The mail-clad knight and the heavily armed man-at-arms had played their part through many centuries, and were now to disappear; steel-clad squadrons in all the majestic might of the pomp and circumstance of glorious war, with levelled lance and mantling streaming in the wind, had lived their day and were now to be no more, Armour had served its purpose so long as sword and lance, javelin and bolt, were the usual weapons of war; but when it was discovered that against the deadly lead of the arquebus it was of no avail, it was gradually discarded as obsolete and cumbersome.

Fig.358.—The Emperor Maximilian I.Fig.359.—Maximilian armour, 1535. (Wallace Collection.)

Fig.358.—The Emperor Maximilian I.

Fig.359.—Maximilian armour, 1535. (Wallace Collection.)

All the examples of Maximilian armour present the same broad features, and can be easily recognised. As an effective defence against lance and sword and mace they were extremely efficacious, and the armourers of the period attained a high degree of excellence in producing suits which were, for tourney purposes, invulnerable. The general features of the armour followed the lines shown inFig. 358, which is taken from a drawing by Hans Burgkmairin 1508, and represents the Emperor Maximilian I.

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