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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2012
My attention was drawn towards the present subject by an old manuscript book which I saw, some years ago, in the Royal Library at Munich. It was dated A.D. 1400, and contained a collection of Drawings on vellum, executed by or under the direction of one Paulus Kail, who filled the post of Master of Defence to the then existing Duke of Bavaria. These appeared to have been designed for the use of the Duke, and purported to display the parades and stratagems employed in combats with the different weapons which were in use at the beginning of the 15th century. It seemed, however, to have been more than a mere fencing master's instruction book; for the drawings were accompanied by written remarks, which gave it rather the air of a book of directions as to the conduct of Judicial Combats, showing any one likely to be engaged therein, how he might bring matters to a prosperous issue.
page 349 note a I have translated Leb, pard, in deference to the opinion of a very distinguished German antiquary, who considered it an abbreviation of leopard; but I cannot forbear a suspicion that it may be a corruption of the word lowe, i. e. lion; for amongst the upper Germans, b and w were used convertably.
page 351 note b This explains why the woman was obliged to have her chemise united between the knees. See fig. 2.
page 352 note c The appointed place of combat was surrounded by palisades and a bar to keep off the crowd. It was called in the old German language Kreyt—Kryt—Krais—Grais, and from being in an oval or circular form was sometimes called der Ring (circulum). See Mayer's, FrederickGeschichte der Ordalien, (Jena, 1795,) p. 256.Google Scholar
page 352 note d By the manner in which the Grieswart is clad, he seems to have been a gentleman, for his coat is trimmed with fur, and furs were prohibited to those under the rank of lesser nobility. Observe his purse and dagger. The former worn out of ostentation, and the latter to protect it. Had the purse appeared alone in his girdle, a stranger's hand might have approached it too nearly; for the owner could not have repelled a suspicious movement towards it, without imputing dishonourable intentions to a man who might possibly be innocent of them: even catching hold of the purse to prevent its being snatched might expose him to some degree of ridicule. But when the dagger kept company with it the case was otherwise; then if a strange hand had wandered into their neighbourhood, the grieswart's own hand might have been on his dagger, prepared to guard both purse and person, and this without making himself either offensive or ridiculous. To have suspected another of an intent to disarm him would have been no insult, for there would have been no dishonour in the imputation; but to have hinted that his purse was in danger would have led to a quarrel. Such was the state of society, A.D. 1400.
page 353 note e In all the drawings which I have seen the cross was either red or yellow; that is to say, if one party had it red, the other had it yellow.
page 354 note f Schwabisches Landrecht, c. 386, s. 15, 16, 17.
page 354 note g In the Schwabische Landrecht the oath appears to be particularly directed against charmed herbs, “Zauber krauter.”
page 354 note h I state this on the authority of a book before quoted, bearing date 1522, which I saw in the library at Munich, in which are a number of drawings of different combats, and amongst them one with this superscription, “Wie der MEISTER den Spies und Schwert seinem HERRN bringen soll,” (i.e. How the fencing master shall bring the spear and sword to his lord.) See Plate XXXIII. fig. 2. This of course is not at a shield fight, and the word Herrn seems to imply that the fencing master in this case was an officer attached to the household of some person of consequence who was about to fight. I am inclined to think, however, that, whenever he appeared in the lists, he performed towards his pupil similar offices to those which the esquire of the body performed towards his master at our tournaments.
page 356 note i It was in a room over the Royal Riding School, forming part of a suite of chambers where the King's saddles are deposited, and where were also a great number of interesting family relics in the way of arms and implements of hunting.
page 357 note k I cannot quit this topic without mentioning incidentally a sort of shield, used in Germany, and of which I never remember to have seen any specimen in England. Its form will be learnt from the drawing underneath (Plate XXXV.fig.4.) which, in the year 1830, took from the original, which I found in the castle of Eltz, near Moselkern, in the ancient Electorate of Treves. It was made of hard wood (beech, as it seemed to me) and covered on both sides with a sort of strong parchment. The colour was dark brown, variegated with yellow spots and dashes, rudely done, as represented in the drawing. Its height was about an English yard, and at the broadest part it was nearly two feet across. The escutcheon in the centre did not contain the arms of the Eltz family; and I doubt, indeed, whether the arms of any particular family were intended to be displayed by it. The inside of this shield was a simple reverse of the outside. But the handle was gone. In the year 1832, I saw, at Augsburg, in the arsenal there, another specimen of this sort of shield. It was perfect, but worse made, and somewhat smaller than that at the castle of Elfz. On the inside was an iron handle or means of fixing it, as is seen in the same figure. They called it in the arsenal a “Hunnenshield,” i. e. a shield used by the Huns. I doubt it; because the Hungarians always fought light-armed on horseback, and this shield, from its weight (for it was very heavy) would have been an incumbrance to a light horseman; besides the proper Hungarian shield was quite of a different form (Plate XXXV. fig. 5). Let me add, that there is, cut in bas-relief, on a monument in St. Sebald's church at Niirnberg, a representation of one of these shields. There is also in the plates to Froissart, a representation of a soldier at the siege of Aubenton, carrying a shield, somewhat similar in form, over his back (Plate XXXV. fig. 4). It may have been used on the back in scaling walls; for, from the shape of the iron in the inside, it seems unlikely to have been used on the arm; but that iron would answer very well in slinging it on the back. Perhaps it may have been a cross-bowman's shield; for they used large targets at their backs. These they turned to the enemy while they were employed in winding up their bows, which was usually performed in a kneeling posture (excepting where the double winch was used) and thus their persons were, during that operation sufficiently protected; and it was only at the moment when they shot that they were much exposed to danger.