Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/45

 as a cloak, and was carried by the esquire at the back of his saddle.

Gradually, however, the improvement of offensive weapons led to the adoption of still further measures for protection. Plates of solid steel were attached to the breast and other parts of the body, where experience had taught the insufficiency of the metal rings. New plates were continually added for the protection of fresh weak points, until eventually an entire double covering of plate and mail had to be borne. The weight of this was soon found so burdensome that the inner coat of mail had to be abandoned, and the steel plates only retained, each of which received its name from the part of the body it was intended to protect. Thus, the pectoral covered the breast, the gorget the throat, the ailettes the shoulders, the brassets the arms, the cuisses the thighs, and the gauntlets the hands.

Over this armour was worn a dress called a surcoat or tabard: its form varied with the caprice of the wearer; it had, however, one constant peculiarity, it was sleeveless. As this surcoat was worn over the armour upon grand occasions, it was here that the taste for ornamentation principally developed itself. Cloths of gold or silver, ermine, miniver, sables, or other rich furs, were adopted as materials. The arms of the wearer were borne upon this garment, whence the derivation of the term coat of arms. The knights of St. John were restricted to a plain surcoat, their whole harness being covered with a black mantle, both surcoat and mantle bearing the white cross, borne in the latter case on the left shoulder.

Whilst the body covering was thus being developed, the head gear was undergoing similar changes. The mail hood being found an insufficient protection, an iron helmet was added, its shape varying from a conical to a cylindrical form. This helmet was not intended to supplant the use of the hood, but was worn over it. To protect the face a broad piece of iron was introduced, which connected the frontlet of the helmet with the mail over the mouth. This not being found sufficient, cheek pieces were substituted, consisting of bars either horizontal or perpendicular. The next improvement was the avantaile, or mask, which was attached to the helmet, and had apertures for the eyes and