Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 5).djvu/103



Early XVIIth century. Collection: Mr. Felix Joubert

"court" or "small" sword was resisted in that country as well as in Italy. The pommel is diminutive, globular in form, and hollow. There are the customary straight quillons, and a cup somewhat deeper than is usual for one of Spanish make. The latter is elaborately chiselled with two oval panels containing deities in a chariot, the whole of the groundwork being marked by a lace-like design of scrolls. Upon the guardapolso of the cup are chiselled the emblems of the Passion. This rapier still retains its original tooled leathern scabbard which, after the fashion of those of all the latest Spanish swords and rapiers, widens out to its juncture with the cup when the rapier is sheathed. Although the whole weapon is in a very fine state of preservation, and is most interesting, the art displayed in the decoration of its hilt is poor. The preservation of the original scabbard on the last cup-hilted rapier illustrated prompts us to describe the usual manner in which such rapiers, with their sheaths, were attached to the belt of the wearer. It can well be imagined that when the rapier was once drawn, the slender leathern scabbard would hinder the movement of the fencer, and it was therefore necessary to discard it with all haste. The result was that although the early XVIIth century frog, through which the rapier and sheath easily slipped (Fig. 1497), was still occasionally retained, a more ingenious attachment was resorted to. The frog or carriage was a good way of slinging the rapier; but the rapier hung loosely at right angles to the body, and could not, despite guiding straps, be easily adjusted to the exact angle required. But this was not so in the newly invented device to which we are about to allude. Our illustration (Fig. 1498) shows four pieces of this spring tackle of Italian workmanship, all from the collection of Mr. Felix Joubert. Their working is extremely simple. The upper portion of the tackle was firmly attached, either by rivets or by the strap passing to the belt of the