Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 3).djvu/240



Known as the hourt or Stechkissen. Late XVth century Imperial Armoury, Vienna

a few illustrations of horse armour, the sole office of which was for use in these martial pastimes. Those who feel any curiosity about the question of tournament armour should consult the famous ''Traicté de la Forme et Devis d'un Tournoy'' of René d'Anjou, a MS. remarkable for its exhaustive series of illustrations. His minute details of the weapons, defences, and etiquette of the tournament are quite astonishing, and should certainly be consulted by those who wish to increase their knowledge of the subject. The edition recommended is that of M. Champollion. It has also been reprinted in Mr. Cripps-Day's The Tournament. In the René miniatures we see certain of the horse defences strengthened with paddings of straw in the form of stuffed, crescent-shaped bags hung round the chest, over which were drawn the trappings, "Ce hourt est fait de paille longue entre toilles fort porpoinetées de cordes de fouet, et dedans ledit hort y a ung sac plain de paille, en façon d'ung croissant. . . . On couvre le dit hourt d'une couverture armoyée "
 * ordinarily complicated a character. We shall content ourselves with giving