Among the most interesting pieces of armour in the British Isles we must include the Rhodes armour preserved in the Rotunda at Woolwich. The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes after their expulsion from the Holy Land, and subsequently migrated to Malta. In the early part of Queen Victoria’s reign General Sir J. H. Lefroy was sent by the British Government to Turkey, and while there secured the Dardanelles cannon described elsewhere, and also the Rhodes armour, left behind by the Knights. This is one of the most valuable of late “finds,” and the whole of it is in the Rotunda. Much is in bad condition and would not bear cleaning, but one suit has been made up and is illustrated in [Plate IX.], p. [72]. The salade is of a very deep form with a large visor; there is a lobster-tail neck-guard of two lames. The mentonnière is more of the nature of a gorget, and is not affixed to the breastplate. The pauldrons are laminated and continuous with the brassarts, which have turners, while the coudières are of the sixteenth century. The vambraces are late fifteenth century, as are also the gauntlets. The breastplate is globose and furnished with a placcate, while the backplate has been provided with a garde-de-rein from the Tower. The cuissarts and genouillières are late fifteenth century, but the jambarts are of a still later date. In order to complete the figure a chain-mail hauberk has been lent from the Tower, and the tuilles and sollerets have been made. The two-handed sword is a fine example, dating from c. 1510. The whole suit may be looked upon as an example of the style prevailing c. 1490.
Fig. 329.—Bowman, 1473.
Fig. 330.—Arbalestier, temp. Edward IV. (Harl. MS., 4379.)
Fig. 331.—Arbalestier, early fifteenth century.