Fig. 229 and 230.—The Pembridge heaume, Hereford Cathedral.
Fig. 231.—Panache of Wm. de Latimer, 1372.
Fig. 232.—Panache, Edward Courtenay, 1400.
The Heaume.—During the period under consideration the great heaume was in use for tilting purposes, the visored bascinet being reserved for warfare. The heaume retained its conical crown in order to fit over the bascinet, but the lower rim was still too high above the shoulders for the latter to afford any support to it, and the curve as shown is not adapted ([Fig. 228]); we must therefore infer that the whole weight was borne by the bascinet, and that the inside of the heaume was padded in order to make it fit securely. In the lower part of the front a hole or staple is generally found, by which it could be fixed securely by a thong or chain to the cuirass. It is doubtful whether any great heaumes are in existence which date back to the thirteenth century, and there are only a few authentic examples of the fourteenth. One of them is the heaume of the Black Prince in Canterbury Cathedral ([Plate XVII.]), the upper part of which is covered by the chapeau or cap of dignity bearing the heraldic lion. No breathing-holes are shown, and the occularium is extremely narrow. As weight was apparently of no object at this period, a secondary defence was often introduced in the form of a large plate of iron covering the whole of the left part of the face, hinged at the termination of the occularium upon that side, and falling lower than the rim of the heaume, to which it was further affixed by bolts and nuts. This pièce de renfort may be viewed as the prototype of the “grande garde” of the succeeding century: an excellent example is preserved in the collection of Lord Zouche at Parham. It will be observed that the lower or cylindrical portion of the Black Prince heaume consists of two pieces riveted together, and this was the usual method at the time. In the heaume of Sir Richard Pembridge, Hereford Cathedral (Figs. [229], [230]), however, the three pieces (cylinder, truncated cone, and crown) are welded together, and the rivets are more for ornament than for increased strength; the metal is thickened round the occularium, and the lower edge is roped so as not to present a cutting edge. There are a number of holes in the upper portions to permit the aglets of the laces to be passed through, by which the crest and lambrequins could be attached to the heaume. In the lower front portion are the two holes in cruciform shape to allow passage for a T-bolt appended to the chain for securing to the breastplate.
