THE FREITURNIER, OR FREE COURSE.
This course received its name in contradistinction to the “Welsches Gestech,” because it was run in the free field or lists, without any barrier between the combatants. In this respect it resembled the old German “Stechen,” and to a certain extent grew out of it. This form however does not occur, under the name, before the second half of the sixteenth century. The armour for the Freiturnier differs from that of the “Welsches Gestech” (Italian Course) in the particulars that a grand-guard was screwed on to the left shoulder and chest, instead of the tournament shield used in the Italian course. To the left elbow was screwed a garde-de-bras of larger dimensions than that used for the Welsches Gestech. Armour for the tournament was now usually so arranged that by the interchange of reinforcing plates the same suit could be made available for both these forms of tournament. The lance and horse furniture were exactly the same in both cases, and the body armour of the rider very similar, subject to the interchange of the reinforcing pieces already alluded to. The suit selected for illustrating the armour used for this course ([Fig. 9]) forms part of the remarkable collection at Dresden. It is a fine example in plain armour of about 1580. The breastplate, it will be observed, is the “peascod.”