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 CHAPTER XXXV

Much as the author would have liked to have treated the subject as a whole, he is again compelled to deal separately with one of its branches, this time with the rapid evolution of the rapier or town sword. Up to this period the mailed gauntlet and the thoroughly protective body armour formed so effective an additional line of defence behind the parries and guards of the sword that any elaboration of the hand-guard attached to the hilt which might have restricted the free use of the weapon was probably very little studied. But when, in the second quarter of the XVIth century, it was recognized that freedom of action in a fight was a greater asset than the wearing of heavy and cumbersome armour as a set-off against the improvement in firearms, it became absolutely necessary to strengthen the first line of defence against the thrusting and cutting weapon. That this point was quickly and thoroughly appreciated is evident from the rapid improvement that was made in the science of swordsmanship and in the defensive qualities of the sword hilt. Instead of dealing immediately with the sword and rapier of the XVIth century we will go back a few years, picking up the thread of our story where we left it, and mention once more the hilt of that particular formation which, constructed with pommel, straight quillons, large pas-d'âne and ring-guard, marks the transition of the sword with simple quillons to the fully developed rapier form. The Musée d'Artillerie of Paris shows us two admirable weapons of this class, J 70 and 71, one a little more advanced in form than the other (Figs. 1325 and 1326). Both hilts appear to be of North Italian or possibly Spanish origin; but the method of their decoration—an Oriental arabesque design executed in gold and silver azzimina—has led to the belief, a belief strengthened by the appearance of Arabic characters on the knuckle-guard of one of them, that though the actual foundation of these hilts is of European workmanship, their decoration was entrusted to a craftsman from the East.