Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/256

236 ILLUSTRATIONS OF being armed for the single combat on foot. His attendant kneels on one side, and is engaged apparently in tying an arming point, serving to fasten the "breche of mail" to his fustian doublet. The precise fashion of the "gussetis of mayle" is shewn ; they are sewn on to the doublet in the bend, or " bought of the arme, and undir the arme," for the protec- tion of the elbow joints and the arm-pits. The sabatons of steel are upon his feet, and his legs are already protected by "griffus," and " quisses," greaves, cuisses, and genouillieres. At his side is the " borde and a peyre trestelis," the convenient moveable table, which, even in the convivial halls of om* fore- fathers in the fifteenth century, was more commonly found than the fixed table on a frame, or " table dormant," such as we now use. Upon this board are displayed the visored basinet, and the " brest," formed with a demi-placcate, to give additional strength, and possibly, pliability to the lower part. To the breast-plate is attached a skirt of five narrow plates, termed taces, to which most frequently, but not invariably at this period, were appended small overlapping plates, termed tuilles, or tuillettes, (" touletis,") from their resemblance to tiles^. With these principal parts of the suit are seen the pauldrons, formed of nmnerous narrow overlapping plates, the rerebraces, vambraces, and coutes, or coudieres, with large wings, as they were termed, (the complete armour for each arm being fastened together, forming one piece,) and the gauntlets, which are not divided into fingers. To the left pauldron is attached a large hexagonal plate, of elegant fashion, (? the moton) with incurved edges and a central knob ; this was de- vised as an additional protection to the arm-pit. Some defence of this kind, varying much in form, had been in use from the earliest introduction of plate armour : in the form of a roundel it appears frequently during the fom'teenth century, and it was even worn dth the singular ailettes of the times of Edward II. Subsequently, it assumed the form of an escutcheon, or that of an oblong shell. The late Mr. Kerrich adopted the desig- nation of emerase, or gonfanon?, as applicable to this piece of armour, but I am inclined to think that, if not the moton; they may be the objects termed brasers, bracheres, or bratheris, thus described in the directions, "How a knyth sulde be armyt and f Compare the representation of the brigg, Geffrey Fransham, (Cotman,) and single combat between Earl Richard and other memorials. Sir Pandolf, Strutt's Ilorda, vol.ii. pl.xx. ; s Addit. MS. in Brit. Mus. 6732, f. 97. the sepulchral brasses of Sir Simon Fel-