Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/452

 388 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. capellas de nervis de pampilon' depictas." These may possibly be the same which in a later inventory, in French, are described as " capels de nerfd febles." It is difficult to understand the construction of these head- pieces. It seems certain that from the close of the thirteenth century means were devised to product defences of less cumbrous nature tliau armour of iron, and amonjijst theso was the use of balayn, ba/ena, or •whalebone, giving to padded or quilted garments a certain degree of solidity. Fur such a purpose the tough and elastic properties of animal sinew may likewise have been rendered available, but it must be left to future investigation to determine how the nervi were compacted so as to form any protection for the head, whether for instance they were placed in ribs, as was probably the case in regard to the brassarts and gloves armed with whalebone, vianica' and ciroteccv de balaipi. In the present instance the capclhr appear to have been painted, and in default of any certain information it may be conjectured that the phrase de j>oi)iptloH' implies tliat either in construction or the painted ornament of the surface, they bore some resemblance to the scaly bearing in heraldry '' termed by the French papclonne, and representations of such scaled defences are suj)plied both by M.SS. and monumental effigies, as shown by Mr. Hewitt in one of his valuable memoirs in this Journal. (Vol. viii. p. 299.) In docu- ments cited amongst the additions to Ducange, mention is made, in 1273, of a capellus Pampilonia?, and, in 1319, of a capellits de Pampalona, but the term is left without any explanation.' The supposition that it may have been derived from Pamplona or Pampeluna, the capital of Navarre, appears well deserving of consideration, It is singular to find amongst the munitions of a fortress, which from its position was not exposed to assaults in which horsemen could engage, a large quantity of caltraps, usually emphiyed against cavalry. In an indenture of IG Edw. 111. the item is found — "j. barelle cum MM. Dcccc. calketrapp', M. quarell', iiij. springald', cc. parve olle terree et iij. dolei pro eisdcm imponendis, cum se.v seruris." Large stores, both of caltraps and small earthen puts, are comprised amongst the muni- tions in other indentures which 1 have examined. The occurrence of the latter with caltraps, and carefully stowed away in barrels with double locks, seems to imply that they could not have been destined for any homely or culinary j)urposes. It has been suggested that these earthen olkn may have been used like the caltraps, and that when thrown under horses' feet, the sharp sherds freshly broken would jirovo equally injurious. It seems, however, more probable that these earthen jars were intended to be filled in time of siege with Greek fire or some inflammatory com|)Ound, and to be thrown amidst the assailants like the liaiid-grenadcs of modern times. The use of such missiles has bci-ii shown by llcinaud and Fave, in their learned Treatise "du Feu Gregeois." ALllF.RT WAV. ■ Sec various illuKtratioiiH of tills boar- colourB for Horvauntcs, slit^litc ni;,'f;o or inp; in I'alliot, ji. ."i'-M, tunler tliu word ]iain|>ilioii ;" iiml iiiiiongHt t'X|>cii.s4'H for I'n|Kli>iiii«''. (Jn-HH of Kicliiiril I'( rnmi-, in lA.'IO, isthc ' Ilollyljaiiil, ill IiIm " TrcftHiirin (tf iU'iii, " l'"<>r |iiiiii|iiliiii|iarr " l';miiii'c, ('tofff h iiiciit dt! Jhircnu u coatc of cluiuiigwililc (li uis." i{nc|ii( Im t.