Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/292

 the rapier, alterations were for the purpose of increasing the efficacy of the thrust, without impeding the use of the cut. With this object in view, the blade gradually assumed slenderer proportions and at the same time increased in length, with the result that towards the close of the XVIth century it was seldom less than four feet in length from hilt to point, and sometimes even exceeded five feet. This observation induces the quotation here, though perhaps a little early in the chapter, of a passage from Strype, B. iii, page 284: "Smithfield Bars, so called from the Bars there set up for the severing of the City Liberty from that of the County. June 23, 1580.—The French Imbasidore, Mounswer Mouiser (Malvoisier) ridinge to take the ayer, in his returne cam thowrowe Smithfild; and ther, at the Bars, was steayed by those offisers that sitteth to cut sourds, by reason his raper was longer than the statute. He was in a great feaurie, and dreawe his raper; in the meane season my Lord Henry Seamore cam, and so steayed the matt^r. Hir Ma^{tie} is greatlie ofended w^{th} the offisers, in that they wanted jugement." The rigidity and lightness necessary in such long blades were obtained by a system of grooving and channelling in a slender but highly tempered piece of steel. The bladesmiths had to put forward their best powers in this work; they often inscribed their names either in the grooving or on the flat surface of the blade. The channelling seldom extended more than a third of the way down the blade; since, for the purpose of retaining its power, it had to be preserved flat towards the point. But whatever means were taken to lighten this weapon, its length rendered attack somewhat slow. The strokes of a rapier when used without the auxiliary dagger or cloak were evaded as much by movement of the feet and turns of the body as by direct parries with the weapon itself.

Fashioned on the principle of the foining swords of the period of 1480 to 1530 is a large group of decorated swords dating from the middle of the XVIth century, known by the name of "tucks," which must have been employed for the same purpose—that of thrusting alone—and which have a length of grip that enabled them to be used by both hands to gain more power, a characteristic of the bastard, or hand-and-a-half, sword. Of these there is no finer example than that knightly weapon preserved in the Musée d'Artillerie of Paris, J 377 (Fig. 1329). Of the past history of this notable estoc there is no record; though there is every reason to suppose that its attribution to Henri II is well founded. The pommel itself, the ends of the quillons, and the centre of the ring-guard introduce on the largest possible scale the initial letter "H" of the King's name, the surface of the letters being minutely damascened with gold; while the remainder of the hilt is