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 quarter of the XVIth century. The blade now in the hilt is dated 1634. The mounting is of brightened steel; the pommel, which is flat and of inverted shield-shaped form, is pierced with various ornaments; the quillons, which are broad and flat, are also pierced at the ends; there is a single bar-guard covering the knuckles, and a bar projecting at right angles from the base of the left pas-d'âne; all are decorated with piercing to match the pommel. The grip, made of wood and covered with embossed silver, has been added more recently. The blade has a deep ricasso and a single groove, stamped with a name now illegible, and etched with the following Latin inscriptions:—

It should read:. Translated: "Whatever thou doest, do with foresight."

Translated: "A man strongly armed keepeth his palace" (St. Luke, xi, 21). It is impossible to reconstruct the correct text, as is no Latin word. No doubt it ought to read:—.

It should read: . Translated: "And the Lord arose and helped my soul in the darkness."

It ought to read:. Translated: "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians, xv, 56).

(i.e., 1634.)

It ought to read: OPVS LAVDAT ARTIFICEM. Translated: "The work praises the artist."

It ought to read:. Translated: "I have hoped in Thee, O Lord. Let me not be eternally confounded: in Thy justice make me free" (Psalm xxxi, 1).

To this sword a scabbard, that appears to be of Scottish origin, was fitted early in the XVIIIth century, at which time some four inches must have been cut from the original length of the blade, no doubt to make it conform to the length of the basket-hilted swords worn with the Scottish Highland costume.

We can mention other swords of Spanish origin which have hilts similar to this. Such are to be found in the Royal Armoury of Madrid (Fig. 1368),