Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/391

 CHART OF ANCIENT ARMOUR, &C. 3G7 visitor of those collections, or the ibreigner, of whose gratification the author has not been mnnindful, but as containing, under the unpretending title of an " Essay on English Armour," much interesting and valuable information. Besides notices of every object of more striking importance, including the recent additions judiciously made by the Board of Ordnance, towards the completion of the series. An useful sketch has also been given of the progressive improvements in fire-arms, from the earliest invention in the fifteenth century^, and of the history of ancient artillery, commencing with the rude bombard, the chambered pierrier, and massive gun-stones, whence that name was derived, used in early times as projectiles. A detailed and critical examination of the entire contents of our national armories, including the collections at Windsor and Woolwich, is still much to be desired. An illustrated synopsis, accessible to all who take an inter- est in costume and military antiquities, treated as Yon Leber has described the imperial arsenal at Vienna, but giving representations of every princi- pal type or characteristic example, would form a most valuable accession to an archaeological library of reference. The magnificent publications exhi- biting the Imperial Collection in Russia, and the Armeria Eeal at Madrid, and perhaps even the Illustrations of the Goodrich Court Armory, by Skelton, the most useful work on the subject hitherto produced, are of too costly a character for general use. May we not hope that Mr. Hewitt will carry out his researches in a more extended form, and give such a manual of the armories of England as would be most acceptable, not only in our own country, but to continental antiquaries. In closing this brief notice of Mr. Hewitt's publications we must for a moment advert, in no captious spirit or unfriendly criticism, to the prac- tice which appears to become increasingly prevalent amongst antiquarian writers, of neglecting to cite the authorities whence their materials are derived. In researches which render the most minute details of value, every facility of comparison and careful examination should be given to the student, who is mostly unable to gain access to originals, and thankfully Miliject, illustrated by a conipkte siries of logia by Mr. Ponelt, vol. .xxi, p. 49. specimens shewing the construction of
 * An excellent communication on tliis gun-locks, has been given in the Archaco-