Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/251

 MEDIEVAL MANNERS AND COSTUME. 231 the foregoing eniinieratioii, slioiild be considered as armour for the upper joint of the left arm, in this instance provided with a leathern pad or torse, possibly, for the more convenient snpport of the shield, a cpiestion may occiu- in regard to the nature of the object, designated in the ensuing item, as " a Maynfere withe a ring." Mr. Douce gives the following interpretation, adopted likewise by Sir Samuel, — " armour for the horse's neck." I have sought in vain for any mention of the word in the old dictionaries : it occurs in the curious recital by the chronicler. Hall, of the array for a tournament at Oxford, 1 Henry IV. " Some," he says, " had the main- ferres, the close gantlettes, the guissettes, the flancardes, droped and gutted with red, and other had them spekcled with grene." The terms used by Hall, are, for the most part, those used in his own times, and with which he was most familiar. May not the " maynfere" provided for the juster have been a fingered gauntlet, or mai/i dc fer, for the bridle arm, furnished with a ring, through which, possibly, the " gret halter for the rayne of the brydylle" might be passed^ ? To this item thus explained naturally succeed defences for the right arm, which was more exposed, and required the pro- tection of a rerebrace, with the singular kind of small shoulder shield, termed, according to Sir Samuel, the moton, serving to protect the arm-pit, and a vambrace. In this cm-ious enumeration of requisites for the complete equipment of the jouster several other obscure and curious terms occur, for a more full explanation of which I must refer those who are interested in the details of military costume to the learned authorities already cited. The ordinances for the proclamation of a joust, and the eti- quette and customs to be observed, then follow. ^ To crie a Justus of Pees. ^ Wp herrowdys of Arniis, beryng scheldis of dcvijs, here we yeve in the great seal of Edward IV. and frequently and Decorations. to be noticed in designs of the times of p " ^1/(/mo (///erro, an iron gauntlet." Flo- Ilenry VII. and Henry VIII., such as tlie rio, Ital. Diet. In Latin, nianica ferrea. tournament roll of 2 Ilen. VIIL, may be " Mainefaires, rusoct, white," are enume- the rerebrake, destined to assist the kniglit rated with pass-guards, vamplates, white in recovering his seat. It often has the short gauntlets, and body armour, in the form of a large globular bell, or grelot, Survey of the Tower, 16(j0. The term does api)arently ill suited for such a purpose. not occur in the descriptions of /(o/-A-e armour See the representation of a liencliman in the same document. — Grit. Enqu., vol. leading a horse, from the roll above-men- iii. p. 107. tioned, in Mr. Shaw's beautiful Dresses