At the risk of the general subject occasionally overlapping, and of some repetition in matters of historical retrospection, I have concluded to divide these pages into two main sections, viz., “Defensive Armour” and “Weapons of War” over the period set forth in the title-page. This has been done in the interests of conciseness and perspicuity, and more especially with a view to an easy reference to any branch of the subject under discussion.

ROBERT COLTMAN CLEPHAN.

Southdene Tower, Gateshead,
March, 1900.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Preface [v]
[SECTION I.—DEFENSIVE ARMOUR.]
PART
I.Introductory and General[15]
II.Chain-mail and Mixed Armour[20]
III.The Transition Period[37]
IV.Helms up to the End of the Transition Period[44]
V.Plate Armour[48]
VI.A Slight Sketch of some of the more important Collections Abroad[71]
VII.The Tournament[76]
VIII.Details of Defensive Plate Armour[96]
IX.“Gothic” Armour, 1440–1500; and some Armour-smiths of the Period[114]
X.“Maximilian” Armour, 1500–1540[125]
XI.Armour with Lamboys or Bases[130]
XII.Some Armour-smiths of the first half of the Sixteenth Century[132]
XIII.Defensive Armour, 1540–1620, and to the End[134]
XIV.Enriched Armour[139]
[SECTION II.—THE WEAPONS AND ENGINES OF WAR.]
XV.Introductory and General[151]
XVI.The Sword[158]
XVII.The Dagger[175]
XVIII.The Longbow[178]
XIX.The Crossbow[183]
XX.Machines for hurling or shooting Missiles, and the Warwolf[187]
XXI.Machines for attacking Beleaguered Places[190]
XXII.The Sling and Fustibal[192]
XXIII.Staff and Club Weapons[193]
XXIV.Early Artillery[204]
XXV.Early Hand-guns[216]
Index[229]

ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE
1.TRANSITIONAL GOTHIC SUIT AT MUNICH[Frontispiece]
Face
2.GREAT HELMS AT BERLIN[48]
3.MOUNTED SUIT WITH BARDS, IN THE KUNGL. LIFRUSTKAMMAR COLLECTION, STOCKHOLM[67]
4.SHARFRENNEN AT MINDEN IN 1545[88]
5.SUIT AT DRESDEN FOR SHARFRENNEN, DATE 1554[88]
6.TILTING SUIT AT NUREMBERG, FOR THE GERMAN GESTECH[90]
7.TILTING SUIT FOR THE ITALIAN COURSE (WELSCHES GESTECH)[91]
8.AN ITALIAN COURSE AT AUGSBURG IN 1510 (WELSCHES GESTECH)[91]
9.ARMOUR FOR THE FREITURNIER AT DRESDEN[92]
10.REINFORCING PIECES FOR THE TOURNAMENT[95]
11.DO.DO.DO.[95]
12.TILTING HELM AT HAUGHTON CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND[96]
13.SALLADS, ETC.[98]
14.BRAYETTE IN CHAIN-MAIL, AT BERLIN[109]
15.PAGEANT SHIELD, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF PRINCE CARL OF PRUSSIA[113]
16.EFFIGY OF RICHARD BEAUCHAMP, EARL OF WARWICK, IN ST. MARY’S CHURCH, WARWICK[119]
17.GOTHIC SUIT AT SIGMARINGEN[120]
18.GOTHIC SUIT AT BERLIN[122]
19.GOTHIC SUIT, IN THE AUTHOR’S COLLECTION[124]
20.FLUTED MAXIMILIAN SUIT AT BERLIN[127]
21.FLUTED MAXIMILIAN SUIT AT MUNICH[128]
22.FLUTED MAXIMILIAN SUIT, WITH GROTESQUE HELMET[128]
23.PLAIN MAXIMILIAN SUIT, IN THE AUTHOR’S COLLECTION[128]
24.MOUNTED MAXIMILIAN SUIT, WITH BARDS[130]
25.SUIT WITH LAMBOYS, IN THE AUTHOR’S COLLECTION[130]
26.SUIT BY PETER VON SPEYER OF ANNABERG, DATED 1560[135]
27.PLAIN DEMI-SUIT, IN THE AUTHOR’S COLLECTION[136]
28.BLACK AND WHITE DEMI-SUIT, IN THE AUTHOR’S COLLECTION[137]
29.LATE SUIT AT MUNICH, 1590–1620[137]
30.LATE SUIT AT BRANCEPETH CASTLE, DURHAM[138]
ENRICHED ARMOUR.
31.SUITS BY JÖRG SEUSENHOFER, OF INNSBRUCK[141]
32.CUIRASS AND TASSETS AT DRESDEN[141]
33.SUIT AT ALNWICK CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND[142]
34.SOME DETAILS OF THE SUIT AT ALNWICK CASTLE[144]
35.SUIT BY LUCIO PICCININO, OF MILAN[144]
36.REPOUSSÉ ARMOUR AT BERLIN[145]
37.SUIT OF THE DUC D’OSUNA[146]
38.SOME DETAILS OF THE OSUNA SUIT[147]
39.SUIT BY ANTON PEFFENHAUSER, AT MADRID[148]
WEAPONS.
40.ENRICHED SWORD, SECOND HALF SIXTEENTH CENTURY[156]
41.HAND-GUNS, RENAISSANCE WORK[157]
42.TWO-HANDED SWORDS, FLAMBERGES, AND DAGGERS[166]
43.ANELACE AT BERLIN[176]
44.SWORD OF CHARLES V., ABOUT 1530[168]
45.RAPIERS—GERMAN, SPANISH, AND ITALIAN[169]
46.SCHIAVONA, IN THE AUTHOR’S COLLECTION[173]
47.CROSSBOWS AND QUARRELS[185]
48.PRINCIPLE OF THE BALLISTA[204]
49.STAFF AND CLUB WEAPONS, ETC.[204]
50.EARLY ARTILLERY[210]
51.EARLY HAND-GUNS[228]