Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 2).djvu/88



"The course of the ingenious breast-plate" Showing jousters with tilting salades

the later and more elaborated bevors there was an aperture in the lower part of the gorget plate, which fitted over a staple in the top of the breastplate, through which a pin was passed holding the bevor rigidly in position, so that the face which it protected could move with ease within it. In other cases it was merely attached by a strap around the neck. In some instances the neck straps were made of mail. The height of the plates varied according to the depth of the rim of the salade. We illustrate a simple bevor of the small or ordinary type from a German example in Mr. S. J. Whawell's collection (Fig. 398). In the gorget plate are double holes for attaching it to the breastplate; while at the back are the remains of the strap by which it was fastened round the neck. This specimen dates from the last quarter of the XVth century. The high bevor which covered the face up to the eyes must also have done duty with a chapel-de-fer type of helmet; for again quoting Chastelain we note " avoit un harnas de tête qui n'étoit ni bassinet ni salade, mais etoit fait à la semblance et manière d'un capel de fer et avoit une haute bavière, tellement que de son visière il n'apparôit que les yeux." The Baron de Cosson's collection used to contain a tall bevor of this kind (Fig. 398). The more usual courte bavière spoken of by Olivier de la Marche when he says "salade à visière, et courte bavière," is like those