G2 is the sheath of the preceding sword. It is of wood, covered with crimson silk, minus the rim and the ferrule; it bears the Spanish shield of arms as charged after the taking of Granada, and the devices of the two Sovereigns.
“This Royal sword is extremely interesting in every way, as it was the same that Ferdinand and Isabella and their grandson the Emperor, used in the ceremony of conferring knighthood. This statement is in the Relacion notarial de Valladolid, thus: ‘a wide sword, old, for making knights, with flat pommel with holes and gilded cross’—a description which agrees with the illustration of the same sword in the Illuminated Inventory of Charles V.
“In our opinion, it is the Royal sword which, during the rule of the House of Austria, and in accordance with the etiquette of the Houses of Castile and Burgundy, in the solemn entries into cities and on Princes taking the oath, was carried bare by the Chief Equerry of the King, in the absence of the Count of Oropesa, ‘whose privilege it was in Castile, and the Count de Sástago’s in Aragon.’ In support of this opinion we may instance picture 787 in the Museum of Paintings in Madrid, called the Pacification of Flanders, where Philip IV. is represented crowned by the goddess Pallas, assisted by the Count-Duke de Olivares, who has the sword referred to in his left hand.”
(G31—plate 13). The battle sword of Ferdinand the Catholic is thus described: “The blade is hexagonal, fluted ricasso with scallop for the index finger, and narrow groove down to the middle, in the centre of which are the words—ANTONIVS ME FECIT. (This must have been the famous swordmaker mentioned by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza in the Vida del Lazarillo del Tormes.) Length, 0.900; breadth, 0.040.
“The whole of the hilt is of gilded iron, delicately chiselled; the arms of the cross, which broaden at the ends, are flat and curve towards the blade; it has branches curving to the ricasso; the grip is also gilded and chiselled; pommel disc-like, with four crescent-shaped indentations equidistant from each other; around both faces, in monachal letters, are these octosyllabic verses:
“ ‘PAZ COMIGO NVNCA VEO
Y SIEMPRE GVERA (sic) DESEO.’
(There is never peace with me, and my desire is always for war.)
“Both the author of the 1849 Catalogue and Jubinal attribute this sword to Queen Isabel the Catholic, but without giving their reasons for so doing. We find that the great Queen in the year 1500 owned several cuirasses of Milan plates, covered with gold, which she doubtless wore to defend herself from attacks like that at Velez-Malaga. She also had a small dagger, the gold and enamelled handle of which was formed like a sheaf of arrows (which was her badge); a sword with hilt of silver and enamel, with strapwork of gold; and another with ‘iron hilt,’ possibly the one we are now describing. As these words are not sufficient of themselves to dismiss all doubt, we may refer to the document which proves that the arm in question belonged to Ferdinand the Catholic. This does not prevent its having belonged to his illustrious wife previously.”
The Hispano-Moresque sword (G27) was long cherished as the sword of Boabdil. The Conde de Valencia and other antiquaries have rudely dispelled this tradition—like that which ascribed the blades numbered G21 and G22 to the Cid and to Roland respectively. The blade comes from the Berber district, and the hilt is certainly modern.
At this point the remarks of Don Juan Riaño (Industrial Arts in Spain) on the manufacture of the Toledo blade cannot fail to be of interest. “The celebrity of Toledo blades has excited the curiosity of many who wished to ascertain the cause of their great excellence and renown. Some supposed the sword manufacturers of Toledo possessed a secret for tempering their arms. It was not so, however, their only secret being the waters of the Tagus, and the fine white sand on its banks. This sand was used for cooling the steel: when the steel was red-hot and began to give forth sparks, it was uncovered a little, sprinkled with sand, and sent on to the forgers. As soon as the blade was ready, it was tempered in the following manner: a line of fire was made, and the blade placed in it for four-fifths of its length. As soon as it was red-hot, it was dropped perpendicularly into a bucket of Tagus water. When cold, if it was found to be bent, a small portion of sand was poured on the yoke, the blade placed upon it, and beaten until properly straightened. After this, the remaining fifth part of the blade was fired; and when red-hot, was seized with tongs and rubbed with suet. After this, the blade was sent to the grinding stones, and finished by being polished on wooden wheels with emery-powder.”