Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/166

 *istically long in proportion to the length of the grip, and each shaped to the elongated body of a winged monster. Beneath the quillons, in small capital letters of XIIIth century date, the weight of the gold of the hilt, Deux marcs et demi et dix esterlins, is punched on, no doubt at the time the hilt was made, in order to record once and for all the value of the gold originally used. We may assert the grip to be practically new, for it was re-made for the coronation of Napoleon I when the sword was borne by the Marshal Lefévre. When we consider the age of the scabbard we hesitate to pass an opinion, as its blue velvet covering with fleur-de-lis was added in 1824 for the coronation of Charles X. There is, however, always the chance that the reset gems may have belonged to the original. It is, therefore, our opinion that, though the ornamentation of the two parts of its hilt may be founded upon a VIIth or VIIIth century model, such ornamentation was adapted to a hilt in the proportions of the fashion of when it was made, namely, early in the XIIIth century, the explanation being that it replaced the original "Joyeuse" of Charlemagne, which may have become much perished through its service in many ceremonials, or even destroyed, with the result that the recollections of the original decorations were applied to the then newly made hilt. Where it was made is another matter for speculation, but like many arms of this early date, agreeing with Sir Martin Conway and M. Dieulafoy, we note a strong suggestion of the Orient in its method of enrichment, though, according to that eminent antiquary, M. Courajod, a Scandinavian influence might possibly be discerned in its applied ornamentation. There exists in the Gagnière Collection a drawing of the whole sword in what is claimed to be its original condition, but taking that for what it is worth, it certainly shows the sword and scabbard prior to its drastic early XIXth century restoration. In the earliest existing inventory of the treasury of St. Denis, a manuscript preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, dated 22 janvier 1504 (1505 N.S.), the Louvre sword is noted under No. III, the "Joyeuse" of Charlemagne. In this same inventory, three other swords are mentioned, none of which exist at the present day, under Nos. 112, 113, and 114: (i) The sword carried by St. Louis on his first crusade (Louis IX, 1226-1270); (ii) a sword which belonged to Charles VII; and (iii) a sword to which the name of Archbishop Turpin was attached. Jacques Doublet's ''Histoire de. . . S. Denys, Paris, 1625, alludes to the sword under discussion on pages 347 and 371; also S. G. Millet in Le Tresor Sacré de Saint-*''