Fig. 250.—Sir John Lysle, 1407. Thruxton Church, Hants.
Fig. 251.—Sir John de Leventhorpe. 1433. Sawbridgeworth Church, Herts.
Fig. 252.—Shields. (Harl. MS., 4379.)
The shields used in the Surcoatless Period were similar to those in the preceding, but manifest infinitely greater varieties. They were invariably small in size and notched for the lance, but as every knight apparently designed his own, it is obviously impossible to enumerate or illustrate them. They all, however, agreed in presenting a concave surface to the opponents lance, whereby it was prevented from glancing upwards or downwards and thus inflicting injury, while the general tendency was to deflect the lance-point to the left, whereby it touched neither horse nor rider. The examples here given are from one of the Harleian MSS., No. 4379 ([Fig. 252]), and may be taken as a general type of the knightly shield in this and also in the preceding period.