Fig. 338.—Hand-gun man, c. 1473. (Roy. MS. 18, E. 5.)
The petardier of the fifteenth century, who hurled small bombs, or else pots filled with Greek fire, into the ranks of the enemy, was also clothed in plate, sometimes from head to heel. He was considered of great importance, and consequently rendered as impervious as possible to the weapons with which he might be assailed. The thrower of the fire-pot represented in [Fig. 337] (from Roy. MS. 18, E. V.) is protected thus, even to roundels covering the goussets, unless these are mammelières, which are of very frequent appearance. Opposing him is a foot soldier wielding a bastard sword and protecting himself with a small buckler; he wears a visored salade with camail and a gorget, a close-fitting brigandine over a hauberk of mail, and his arms are protected by plate. As is the case in the majority of representations of soldiers of this period, the legs are entirely undefended. From the same MS., which dates from 1473, we reproduce an interesting figure (No. 338) of a hand-gun man discharging one of the crude pieces of that period, whose picturesque appearance it would be difficult to excel. The salade is especially enriched with an enlargement of the customary roundels, while two demi-placcates reinforce his breastplate, which is probably of leather. Only genouillières appear upon his legs, a system of defence which was much in vogue at that time. A hand-gun man of 1470 is depicted in [Fig. 339]. Among the mercenaries introduced into England during the Wars of the Roses were “Burgundenses” or Burgundian hand-gun men. Warwick had a body of these at the second battle of St. Albans in 1461, and in [Fig. 340] we have in all probability a representation of their accoutrement. Upon the body the defences are a padded jacque, similar in nature of material to the gambeson, combined with chain mail and pourpointerie. The visor upon the salade is apparently fixed, while the legs are encased in mail chausses covered with demi-cuissarts and jambarts. The cannonier of the period was usually without any defensive equipment whatever. A small illustration is appended from the Sloane MS. No. 2433 of the fifteenth century, from which it will be perceived that he is dressed in ordinary civilian garments ([Fig. 341]). It was probably deemed unnecessary to clothe him in armour by reason of the distance which separated him from the contest.
Fig. 339.-Hand-gun man, 1470.
