Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 3).djvu/206

 extreme luxury lavished upon horse furniture in certain times (Fig. 967). Many fine bits of the XVth century are to be seen in the Tower and in other public and private collections; some might be reckoned quite cruelly powerful if no account were taken of the massive war horses which they were employed to curb. The single snaffle bit was made use of, but more especially for the chase.

Early XIIIth century

Showing the mail chausse and the spur with rowel Wallace Collection (Laking Catalogue, Nos. 12 and 13)

To the spur—that emblem of knighthood—we have but briefly alluded in vol. i, pp. 29, 106, Figs. 37 and 128. Throughout the XIIIth century spurs appear in three forms, the simple goad, the ball and spike, and occasionally the rowel. Of the XIIIth century prick (pryke) or goad spur we furnish four illustrations showing the varying types. All of the specimens were found in London, and are now to be seen in the London Museum (Fig. 968). We mention the rowel spur of this century because, though it was certainly used, it is but rarely represented. The present writer can indeed supply no illustration of an existing specimen of this early date, but must content himself with giving a representation from a brass of the legs clad entirely in chausses of chain mail, which show the rowel spurs strapped to the heels. These portions of a brass, which are in the Wallace Collection, Nos. 12 and 13 (Fig. 969), date within the first half of the XIIIth century. Unfortunately there is no record of whence they came; even their nationality is unknown. There is, however, early evidence of the use of the rowel spur on the first great seal of Henry III (1216-1272), where, in order to bring up the rowel to the middle of the heel, the seal engraver has resorted to the singular expedient of raising the field into a sort of hillock, upon which he has represented the star-like rowel.

Rowel spurs of the XIVth century we can illustrate from examples in the London Museum, two of which are richly plated with gold (Fig. 970). As regards spurs of fine quality there are probably none superior to that late XIVth century pair which is now unfortunately divided, one being in the collection of the author, its fellow, which still retains the buckle of its instep straps, being preserved in the Riggs Collection, now in the Metropolitan Museum of New York. They are very robustly but finely formed of gilded