Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/58



No. 13 in the Jacobe MS.

extract from the sale catalogue. "The cap à pie suit of armour of an officer of the Guard of Queen Elizabeth, engraved and gilt with the double E interlaced and the Royal crown, a figure of Mercury, trophies of arms, etc., date 1585, consisting of helmet, with visor and bevor, pauldrons, rerebraces, vambraces, elbow pieces, and gauntlets, breastplate and placket, backplate, tassets, cuisses, knee-pieces, jambs, sollerets, and spurs. The gorget of later date. Used by the Champion at the Coronation of King George I., when it was selected from the Royal Armoury for that purpose and retained by him as customary fee." At the sale the reserve price of £2,000 placed upon it was not reached, and the suit was afterwards disposed of privately to the late Mr. James Gurney, who, after keeping it for some little time, sold it with other portions of his collection of armour and arms to the late M. Spitzer of Paris. On the death of M. Spitzer, at the sale of his collection in 1894, it was again offered for auction, but again bought in, not realizing the sum M. Mannheim, the Paris expert, considered it to be worth. For nearly six years it remained in the possession of Madame Spitzer, until the late Sir Charles Robinson, realizing the historical value it possessed for the