Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 2).djvu/369

 century processional swords that are to be found in the provincial towns of England. The King's Lynn sword is called the "King John" sword; for a tradition, as can be seen recorded on the quillons, states that the King took this sword from his own side and presented it to the town of Lynn. But, even if the inscription which it bears was not obviously fallacious, the most casual glance at the weapon settles the question of its date—the early years of the XVIth century. This sword, the hilt of which is overlaid with gilded silver, has a pear-shaped pommel wrought in panels chased with foliage. The quillons are straight throughout and are rectangular in section. On one side is inscribed: . The grip is bound with silver wire. The blade, which is probably of Solingen manufacture, has for armourer's marks a crosier and the imperial orb.
 * and on the other:

Second half of the XIVth century

Called that of King Edward III

Abbey Church of Westminster

In the Abbey Church of Westminster "the sword of Edward III" is shown; it is a monstrous construction of the crudest workmanship (Fig. 707). As he gazes at it, the visitor wonders what sort of men his ancestors could have been to have wielded such a weapon. But this great sword is, after all, nothing more than a sword of state. When it was first made it was possibly imposing enough in its gold paint, velvet, and other decorations; but now it is a poor rusty thing, the make of which is very indifferent. This sword rests in the Confessor's Chapel, together with the interesting shield mentioned (Fig. 586, a, b). The proportions of this weapon are as follows. The blade is 5 feet 4 inches long, 3-1/4 inches wide at the hilt. The wooden grip is 1 foot 11 inches long, the quillons are 2 feet and 1/2 an inch long. The hilt is of the simplest cruciform kind, with long straight quillons of square-shaped section and a large pommel of the faceted wheel form; the blade is grooved, and without a mark or inscription of any kind. The original wooden foundation