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 MEDIEVAL MANNERS AND COSTUME. 229 And iiaylys, with a byckorne^ ^ A Goode Cowrscer, and row schodeP^, with a softe bytte. And a gret halter for the rayne of the brydylle. A Sadylle welle stuffud. And a peyre of Jambus. And iij dowbylle Gyrthis, with dowbille bokollus. And a dowbille sengulle, with dowbille bokullus. And a rayne of ledir hungre*^ teyyd from the horse hede un-to the gyrthys, be-twen the forther bowse of the horsce, for renassyng. A Rennyng' paytrelle. A Cropere of leder hongre. A Trappar for the Courser. And ij servantis on horsebake, welle be-sayne. And vj servantis on fote, alle in a sute. It is not my intention to offer here any remarks upon the curious subject of justs, tlieir introduction, probably from France, or other details in connection with these chivalrous exhibitions, which have been ably illustrated by the late Mr. Douce, Sir Samuel Meyrick, and other writers. At the period when these instructions w^re compiled, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century, armom* of mail had become almost entirely superseded by plate, a change which had commenced as early as the reign of Edward III. At that period the legs and arms were first protected by rerebraces and vambraces, cuisses and greaves ; to w^hicli the globular breast-plate, or plcoiiron, was soon added, and this, with the "rere-doss," or back-plate, formed the "pair of plates large," as designated by Chaucer. The pair of plates, by which the use of an habergeon w^as rendered unnecessary, is mentioned as early as 1330, amongst the armour of Roger, earl of March, taken in Nottingham castle''. It is very doubt- f Biscornuta or iwcorwe, was a weapon obscure: Mr. Douce supposed "bouse" having a head formed with a beak, or horn, to be a boss on the horse's gear, and Sir in eitiier direction, as shewn in the figure S. Meyrick explains " renasshyng " as of Bishop Wivill's champion, on the sepul- " curbing or acting as a martingale." The chral brass of that prelate at Salisbury. word may possibly be read " revassyng." (Carter's Sculpture and Painting, pi. 97.) ' Here a second hand has interpolated Byckorne here denotes an armourer's tool the word "for." for riveting, a beak-iron. " A hamer; j. ^ " Un peire de plates couvertz d'lui bequerne, j. payr of pynsons." — Inventory drap d'or; une peire des plates covertz de of goods delivered from the Tower, 33 rouge samyt ; vj. corsetz de feer," &c. — Hen. VI. Archaeol., vol. xvi. p. 126. Invent, of Exch., vol. iii. p. 15. The "Small bickernes" are named amongst petition also of James Douglas to be armourers' tools in the Survey of the allow-ed to procure armour from Loudon Tower of London, 1660. for a wagur of battle, A.D. 1367, mentions K Rough shod: "new shodd," Lansd. " unum par de platis, j. haubergeonem," MS. &c.— Rymer, t. vi. 41 Edw. III. •> Leather of Hungary. This passage is VOL. IV. H h