The poniard, with its numerous family, is shorter than the ordinary dagger.
The misericorde, an example of which is recorded as early as 1221, and which appears on the De Bohun effigy, was worn on the right side, and hooked to one of the taces. Like the stiletto, it is a short, narrow poniard; the former was used, as its name implies, by men-at-arms to give the coup de grace to fallen adversaries; and it was always present in jousts à outrance. The guard of the fifteenth century was usually two round knobs, but the weapon is often without any guard, and the narrow triangular blade was most effective in piercing through interstices in armour. The thumb-ring, which is above the quillons, is often met with in the fifteenth century.
The cultellus, or coutelas, as its name implies, served the purpose of both a knife and a dagger. It was the progenitor of the cutlass—coutel-hache, coutel-axe, curtle-axe, coutelace, and cutlass.
The baselard, or baudelaire, is an ornamental dagger of the fifteenth century, worn by civilians in front of their persons. An example occurs on the brass of a civilian at King’s Sombourne, in Hampshire (died 1380). Priests were expressly forbidden to wear the weapon.
The main gauche is an early sixteenth century weapon, and was used in conjunction with the rapier. This is the dagger that was supplied to the “schoppen” or “scabini” for the execution of the decrees of the Holy Vehme, or Vehmegericht, the secret tribunal of the middle ages prevailing in Swabia, Franconia, etc. The blade of this dagger was sometimes perforated with indentations for catching opponents’ swords. Another variety was provided with a spring, which when pressed set free two extra blades, one on each side of the main blade.
The Highland dirk is in great variety of form, and usually without any guard.
It was not uncommon for dagger and sheaths to be fitted with a small knife like some of the Indian swords. During Elizabeth’s reign it was common for a combatant to parry with a dagger in the left hand, when fencing with the rapier. Some representations of daggers are given in [Fig. 42].
PART XVIII.
THE LONGBOW.
The longbow is a weapon of great antiquity; an example may be seen on a bas-relief in the Louvre, dated about 700 B.C. It was used by the Egyptians, Chaldæans, and Greeks; and was probably introduced into Britain by the Romans. The bow of Pandarus is related to have been made of ibex-horn, and strung with sinews. The following lines from the Iliad are very graphic, and descriptive of this bow and its manipulation:—