Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 3).djvu/182

 this reason a less powerful crossbow was in use among foot crossbow men, the bow of which was bent by a much simpler contrivance. This tackle consisted in a plain bifurcated hook, known as the "graffle," which was carried firmly fastened to the centre of the archer's belt. To bend his bow he slipped the string of the bow over this hook, and raising one foot placed it in the stirrup, which was attached immediately below the bow as seen on those crossbows which were bent by means of the winder à tour. The archer then forced the crossbow downwards by straightening the leg, accentuating the movement by raising himself upright, until the graffle holding the string brought it into the notch on the barrel of the stock. A very excellent example of this method of bending the bow is shown in one of the illustrations made by a French XVth century miniaturist for the MS. of Gaston Phoebus in the National Library of France. In it we see an archer holding the bolt between his teeth, while he bends the bow in the manner we have indicated (Fig. 942).

French, about 1570. Tower of London, Class XI, No. 21

Various names were given to the actual crossbow, more particularly in the XVIth century, the most common being the "arbalest": in England the popular term for it was "the latch." In an inventory taken in 1547 of the