SHIELD OF THE BLACK PRINCE—SWORD OF CHARLES I.
In Bolton's Elements of Armories, 1610, p. 67., is an engraving of a very interesting shield, of the kind called "Pavoise," which at that period hung over the tomb of Edward the Black Prince, at Canterbury, in addition to the shield still remaining there. Bolton says, "The sayd victorious Princes tombe is in the goodly Cathedral Church erected to the honour of Christ, in Canterburie; there (beside his quilted coat-armour, with half-sleeves, Taberd fashion, and his triangular shield, both of them painted with the royall armories of our kings, and differenced with silver labels) hangs this kind of Pavis or Target, curiously (for those times) embost and painted, and the Scutcheon in the bosse being worne out, and the Armes (which, it seemes, were the same with his coate armour, and not any particular devise) defaced, and is altogether of the same kinde with that upon which (Froissard reports) the dead body of the Lord Robert of Dvras, and nephew to the Cardinall of Pierregoort, was laid, and sent unto that Cardinale, from the Battell of Poictiers, where the Blacke Prince obtained a Victorie, the renowne whereof is immortale."
Can any of your correspondents inform me when this most interesting relic disappeared? Sandford, whose Genealogical History was published some sixty or seventy years later, says, "On an iron barr over the Tombe are placed the Healme and Crest, Coat of Maile, and Gantlets, and, on a pillar near thereunto, his shield of Armes, richly diapred with gold, all which he is said to have used in Battel;" but he neither mentions the missing "Pavoise," engraved in Bolton, or the scabbard of the sword which yet remains, the sword itself having been taken away, according to report, by Oliver Cromwell. Did that unscrupulous Protector(?) take away the "Pavoise" at the same time, or order his Ironsides to "remove that bauble?"—and how came he to spare the helmet, jupon, gauntlets, shield, and scabbard? I have strong doubts of his being the purloiner of the sword. The late Mr. Stothard, who mentions the report, does not quote his authority. I will add another query, on a similar subject:—When did the real sword of Charles the First's time, which, but a few years back, hung at the side of that monarch's equestrian figure at Charing Cross, disappear?—and what has become of it? The question was put, at my suggestion, to the official authorities, by the secretary of the British Archæological Association; but no information could be obtained on the subject. That the sword was a real one of that period, I state upon the authority of my lamented friend, the late Sir Samuel Meyrick, who had ascertained the fact, and pointed out to me its loss.
J.R. PLANCHÉ.