Fig. 27.-GROUP OF TWO ARBLASTS OR CROSS-BOWS, THREE ARBLAST-BOLTS, A MACE, A PIKE, AND AN EARLY MUSKET.

1. Early Musket. 2. Lever Cross-bow. 3. Mace. 4. Decorated Cross-bow of 5. Decorated Pike. 6, 7, 8. Cross-bow Bolts.

Catherine de Medicis.

the other side. (See Fig. 53, Nos. 12 and 13.) This weapon, after having been suffered to fall into disuse in the 14th century, again became popular in the 16th under various appellations. The terms partizan, halberde, and guisarme, denote the same class of weapon, which admitted various modifications. (See Fig. 53, Nos. 10, 11, 12, and 13.) It will be observed that in all these examples a lance-head and an axe are present. In the 16th century both the lance-head and the axe are made to cut in various ways, and they present to the eye strange and often fantastic modifications of form. At this time, also, the guisarme often gives place to the fauchard, a weapon of a truly formidable character in close fight, and rightly considered almost too cruel to be used in Christian warfare; it resembles a very large razor-l r-blade fixed to the end of a staff, and it is represented in Fig. 53, No. 4.

We may now direct our attention to the defensive equipment of the foot soldier. The common soldier, as has already been stated, who would be a serf, or peasant escaped from serfdom, figures but little, if at all, in the military imagery of the middle ages previous to the 14th century. If by any chance we meet with him at an earlier period, we find that his costume in war externally differs scarcely at all from what it had been when he was at work in the fields; still, imbued as he naturally would be with that sentiment of his age, which would suggest to him to regard armour as the only true military uniform, he appears always to have worn beneath his customary clothing whatever pieces, or fragments of pieces, of armour he might have obtained, either from the wreck of a field of battle, or from any other source; he also gladly assumed any quilted garment that he might be able to add to his scanty armoury. In the 14th century, on the contrary, the foot soldier may almost be said to have a definite and characteristic military costume of his own. On his person at this time he wears a jaque, or jack, which is a pourpoint, or

quilted tunic, made of leather, and well padded; or a brigandine, also a pourpoint, but which is covered over with small iron plates of various forms, and may be called a studded tunic. For the legs and arms he has half-armour; that is, instead of having his limbs encased in armour, he has defences for the more exposed parts of them, which, accordingly, may be distinguished as demi-gardes-bras, demi-grevières, &c. On his head he wears a chapel-de-fer, or iron cap, furnished with a broad and slightly curved rim; or the salade, a head-piece having large projecting defences for the back of the neck, and square plates to cover and protect the ears.

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The armour of the knight we left when in a condition of semi-transformation; now we proceed to trace out the completion of the change from the defensive equipment of mail to the suit of plate armour, the full panoply of chivalry. It is the civil costume which, undergoing a fresh change in fashion, furnishes as usual the motive for a corresponding change in armour. Under Charles VI. of France (A.D. 1380 to 1422), contemporary with Richard II., Henry IV., and Henry V. of England, instead of the true pourpoint or surcoat, a short vest was worn, slightly padded, fitting tight to the figure, and having long narrow sleeves; and the chausses (breeches), which covered the rest of the body, being also tight (or elastic so as to cling to the figure), the men at a little distance appeared to be altogether destitute of all clothing, so that it was said of them that they resembled skinned rabbits a pleasantry that was by no means inconsistent.

However this may be, the new substitutes for the quilted surcoat were found to leave the lower part of the body and thighs much less protected than was satisfactory. The new covering for the armour might be the fashion, but certainly it was not safe. It would be necessary to discover a remedy for this; nor would such a discovery be attended with any difficulty. A corslet of iron, formed of two pieces, was soon

introduced, which enclosed and protected the body, front and back, above the waist, and as low down as the hips; this may be called a demi-cuirass. It was worn over the haubergeon, and formed a very efficient defence as far as it went. In order to complete the defence, to the lower part of this demi-cuirass there was attached

a system of articulated lames, or narrow plates, in their contour adapted to cover the figure, and so arranged that each one would slightly overlap the one below it; thus was formed a species of kilt of armour, or iron petticoat, called faudes (and in England known as taces). Over the flanks, on each side of the figure, to the faudes or taces was appended a plate, or small shield, or garde-faude (in England called a tuille), which would cover the front of the thigh, and, being secured by only straps and buckles, would allow free movement to the limb. These plates (tuilles) appear in almost every variety of form— square, hexagonal, lozenge-shaped, serrated, &c. In front, and also behind, the haubergeon was shown uncovered.

Such was the armour worn by the brothers of Charles VI., the "Sires des fleurs de lis," when they went to war. Such also was the armour of the famous Duke of Burgundy, John the Fearless, who caused the Duke of Orleans to be assassinated; and the same armour was worn by the nobles of Armagnac and of Burgundy, who, in the 15th century, de-olated France with such ferocious rapacity.