champ, Earl of Warwick, in the Beauchamp Chapel, St. Mary's Church, Warwick. His will is dated 1435; and the Chapel of our Lady, or Beauchamp Chapel, was commenced 1442, and finished 1465. The late Charles Stothard found that the figure was movable, and engraved in his 66 1 Fig. 177. Effigies," four views of the figure; and they are the most valuable example of an armed warrior of the period we possess. The back in particular is unique; and Mr. Kempe justly remarks that "the view of the figure about the shoulders is remarkably fine, and must be of the highest value to the historical painter for its boldness and truth." In the margin of the splendid MS. already quoted, 1 A facsimile of this effigy is in the Crystal Palace. Royal 15 E 4, is the figure of a knight, engraved in fig. 178, fully armed in all points, but wanting the helmet. The pauldrons, which give protection to the shoulders, are large; the elbow-pieces project with hooked points, like a lion's claw. The gauntlets have overlapping plates, instead of fingers. To the tassets which cover the hips, tuilles (so termed from their resemblance to the tiles of a house) are hung, which cover the upper part of the cuisses, and which Fig. 178. was a novelty introduced during the reign of Henry V. This figure in the original MS. holds a very high standard, a portion of the staff (which is like a spear) only being here given; it is embroidered with the figure of St. George and the Dragon, and the motto, "Honi soit," etc. The word ANIME is painted on the shield, which is of uncommon shape; to it is appended the guige or strap by which it was secured round the wearer's shoulders. The fashion has been already noticed which at this time prevailed, of wearing a tabard over the armour, richly emblazoned with the armorial bearings of the knight. The figure of Richard III., engraved on p. 195, affords a specimen; and many others may be found in the plates of Cotman, Stothard, Gough, Hollis, and Waller. Another example is added, fig. 179, from a painted window in East Herling church, Norfolk, executed between 1461 and 1480, and which represents Sir Robert Wingfield, in complete armour, kneeling at his devotions. It is unnecessary here to enter into a detailed description of his suit, which will be suffi The figure of St. George in the National Gallery pioture of that saint with S. Anthony, by Pisano, circa 1438, shows the large size to which the pauldron had then attained on the continent. ciently visible to the eye; the collar of suns and roses he wears was the favourite badge of Edward IV., and was given by him as a mark of honour to his adherents. The entire body of the tabard, it will be noticed, is filled with the arms of the knight, uninterrupted by the juncture of the waist; the sort of wing which covers the arm was also devoted to the same display of heraldry on a smaller scale. Figs. 180 and 181 are further illustrations of the military costume of this period. Fig. 180, Reg. MS., 14 E 2, shows the visored salade and the large pauldrons which came into vogue about this time. The long Fig. 179. sleeves of the civilian have already been noticed. Fig. 180. Fig. 181. Fig. 181, from Rous's "Life of the Earl of Warwick," the contrary. Thus, in the romance of "Richard Coeur de Lion," we are told "And the Englishmen defended them well With good swordes of brown steel." And in Davie's "Geste of Alexander,” written in 1312, the hero wishes That I were yarmed wel And hed my sweord of browne stel, "An ax he hente of metall broun." Octavian Emperor. Weber's Romances. No. 4 is a horseman's hammer of the time of Edward IV., the handle of steel, and perforated to receive a cord, usually wound around the wrist, to prevent its being beaten out of the hand; it has a pick on one side for penetrating armour. No. 5 is a mace of iron, of the time of Edward IV., with a pike at its end for thrusting. No. 6 is a ranseur of the time of Edward IV., distinguished from the partisan, No. 7, by having a sharper point and side-projecting blades. No. 8 is a spetum of the time of Richard III., distinguished from the ranseur by having its lateral blades bow-like, and sharp in the concave curve. THE TUDORS. INTENT on the acquisition of wealth and power, and naturally of a reserved and crafty disposition, Henry VII.'s court was at no period either a gay or a brilliant one; nor do we find this monarch displaying anything gorgeous in personal decoration in the portraits still remaining of him. The effigy on his tomb at Westminster is habited in a simple furred gown and cap; very similar, and in no degree more kingly, than that rendered familiar to the eye in portraits of the great Erasmus. A sobriety of costume was almost consequent to these regal tastes; and we find, accordingly, little to note in the way of absurd extravagances, which, at this period, do not appear to have been indulged in by the great majority: exquisites there were, and will be, in all ages and times, and so we find some in those days expensive enough in their costume to excite the ire of the sober-minded; though the general complaint was, that a feminine taste reigned among the lords of the creation; and certainly, when we find them putting on "stomachers" and "petticottes," we may indeed begin to doubt the sex of the wearers. 1 The beplumed youth engraved in fig. 184 is an excellent sample of a dandy of this period, and occurs among the illuminations in the copy of the “ Romance of the Rose," among the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, forming No. 4425 of that collection, of which this volume is a distinguished gem. His short doublet, with its preposterously long sleeves; his close-fitting vest, low in the neck and displaying the shirt above; the tight hose and broadtoed toes, are all characteristic of a gay youth of Henry the Seventh's 1 The "stomachers" were coverings for the breast, of cloth, velvet, or silk over which the doublet was laced. The "petticottes," according to the genuine signification of the word, were short or little coats distinguished as such from the longer outward garments. |