century we find their counterpart in the upright guards which are occasionally fastened to the upper plate of the pauldrons, and which in the past were erroneously termed passe-gardes. We find evidence of the ailette being subjected to the richest decoration; for in the inventory of the effects of Piers Gavaston taken in 1313 among "Autre divers garnementz des armes le dit pieres avesc les alettes garniz et freitez de perles."
Another excellent example of that puffed-out overdressed appearance lent to the military costume of the first half of the XIVth century by the multiplicity of garments worn one above the other is well defined on that brass of an unknown knight in Minster Church, Isle of Sheppey (Fig. 182).
We would here draw attention to another brass, that of Sir John d'Aubernoun the younger, about 1325, in Stoke d'Abernon Church, Surrey, which illustrates well the under defensive garments (Fig. 183) that we have mentioned as being worn one above the other. The head-piece is a bascinet, a helmet that we shall presently deal with in a separate chapter; in this case it is fluted, and has an ornamental attachment at the apex. Taking the place of the coif is the camail or mail tippet, fastened round the edge of the helmet, and hanging all round to form a protection for the neck. Although it is not clearly shown on this brass, the same method of securing the camail to the helmet was almost invariably used. Attached to the upper edge of the camail were plates, or a leather binding, pierced with holes through which passed the staples found round the edge of the helmet; a cord or leather thong was then threaded through the staples so holding the camail securely in position. The arm defences on the d'Aubernoun brass are very similar to those depicted on the Gorleston example; except that here we notice a complete vambrace, worn under the hauberk sleeve which terminates short of the wrist, and is not prolonged into a mitten gauntlet. The leg defences consist in knee-cops, which, being decorated, were probably of cuir bouilli, in greaves or bambergs and in sollerets, the latter formed of five laminated plates over the mail. The outer garment is the cyclas, which made its appearance at this time, and was a variation of the earlier surcoat, being tighter fitting in the body, cut short in front and made to lace up at the side. From the shortness of the cyclas in front we are able to trace the three protective garments beneath. Immediately under the cyclas we see the gambeson, beneath that the hauberk, and again beneath that the gamboised hacketon. The knight is wearing prick spurs, although rowels had by this time come into use.
When we come to the middle years of the first half of the XIVth
