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 in the armoury of Lord Hastings, in the armoury of the Lady Zouche, and in that of Baron de Cosson (Fig. 1369).

Spanish, third quarter of the XVIth century. The blade is by Sebastian Fernandez of Toledo G 55, Royal Armoury, Madrid

Spanish, third quarter of the XVIth century Collection: Baron de Cosson

As a good example of exuberant decoration applied to a sword hilt in somewhat decadent French taste of the close of the XVIth century, a decoration beautiful in its individual parts, but in this case confusing from its very elaboration, we illustrate that sword (Fig. 1370) in the Musée d'Artillerie of Paris (J 97) which forms part of the panoply to which belong the helmet and the shield described ante, page 189 (Fig. 1266). Before it found its present resting-place the set of these three pieces were to be seen in the Bibliothèque Nationale. The sword hilt, which was at one time attributed to Henri II, is a very triumph of the chiseller's art; but the traces of the decadent influence of the third quarter of the XVIth century are very apparent. Figures of amorini bestride the pommel, the knuckle-*guard quillon finishes in a trophy of classical armour, and the other down-*curved quillon terminates in a Fontainebleauesque head. Snakes, terminal figures, and monsters constitute the rest of the guard. The blade now in the hilt is inscribed Tomas Aiala; the grip is modern. So poorly balanced in