H

e shall have no shirt upon him except for a doublet of fustian lined with satin,

cut full of holes. The doublet must be strongly built; the points must be set at
the break in the arm in the front and back. To lace the gussets of mail must be
sewn onto the doublet also at the break in the arm and at the underarm.

T

he arming points must be made of fine twine like that with which men make

strings for crossbows. These points must have tips for lacing. And they must be
waxed with leather-workers's [cood?], such that they will neither stretch nor
break. And he should wear a pair of hose made of worsted cloth. Around the
knees should be wrapped ' bulwarks' of thin blankets to reduce the chafing by
the leg harness. He should wear a pair of thick shoes, provided with points
sewn on the heel and in the middle of the sole to a space of three fingers.

To Arm a Man

F

irst you must set the sabatons and tie them to the shoe with small points that

will not break. And then the greaves and cuisses over the breeches of mail.
Then place the taces upon his hips. And then the breast and backplates, the

vambraces and rerebraces {the arm defenses}. And then the gauntlets. Hang the
dagger on his right side, his short sword upon his left side in a round ring that it
may be lightly drawn. And then put his cote upon his back. The bascinet
follows, laced to the cuirass in front and back that it sits just so. And then his
long sword in his hand, a small pennant bearing the figure of Saint George or
Our Lady in his left hand. Now he is ready to take to the field.

What an Appellant shall bring to the field

A

tent must be put in the field

Also a chair
Also a basin
Also five loaves of bread
Also a gallon of wine
Also a "messe" of meat or fish
Also a board and a pair of trestles to sit his meat and drink on
Also a broad cloth
Also a knife to cut the meat
Also a cup to drink from
Also a glass with drink made
Also a dozen tresses of arming points
Also a hammer and pincers and a bichorn
Also a dozen arming nails (rivets)
Also a spear, long sword, short sword and dagger
Also a kerchief to [hele] the visor of his bascinet
Also a pennant to bear in his hand during his avowing

How a man schall be armyd at his ese when he schal

fighte on foote

Hastings MS. [f.122b]

Middle English Version

H

e schal have noo schirte up on him but a dowbelet of ffustean lynyd with

satene cutte full of hoolis. The dowblet muste be strongeli boude there the
poyntis muste be sette aboute the greet of the arme. And the b ste before and
beyhnde and the gussetis of mayle muste be sowid un to the dowbelet in the
bought of the arme. And undir the arme the armynge poyntis muste be made of

fyne twyne suche as men make stryngis for crossbowes and they muste be
trussid small and poyntid as poyntis. Also they muste be wexid with
cordeweneris coode. And than they woll neythirrecche nor breke. Also a payre
hosyn of stamyn sengill and a peyre of shorte bulwerkis of thynne blanket to
put aboute his kneys for chawfygeof his ligherness. Also a payre of shone of
thikke cordwene and they muste be frette with smal whipcorde thre knottis up
on a corde and thre coordis muste be faste sowid un to the hele of the shoo and
fyne cordis in the mydill of the soole of the same shoo and that there be
between the frettis of the heele and the frettis of the myddill of the shoo the
space of thre fyngris.

To arme a man

f

firste ye muste sette on Sabatones and tye hem up on the shoo with smale

poyntis that wol breke. And then griffus and then quisses and the breche of
mayle. And the tonletis. And the brest. And the vambras. And then glovys. And
then hange his daggere upon his right side. And then his shorte swerde upon the
lyfte side in a rounde rynge all nakid and pylle it oute lightli. And then putte his
cote upon hos bak. And then his bascincet pynid up on two greet staplis before
the breste with a dowbill behynde up on the bak for the make the bascinet sitte
juste. And then his long swerde in his hande. And then his pensill in his hande
peyntid of seynt George or oure lady to blesse him with as he gooth towarde
the felde and in the felde.

The day that the Pelaunt and defaundaunt shal fighte

what they shal have with hem in the felde

A

tente muste be pight in the felde

Also a cheyre
Also a basyn
Also vj loves of breed
Also ij galones of wyne
Also a messe of mete flesshe or fisshe
Also a borde and a peyre of trestelis to sette his mete and drynke
on
Also a borde clothe
Also a knyf for to cutte his mete
Also a cuppe to drynke of
Also a glas with a drynke made
Also a dosen tresses of armynge poyntis

Also an hamyr and pynsones and a bicorne
Also a smale nayles a dosen
Also a spere a longe swerde shorte swerde and dagger
Also a kerchif to hele the viser of his bascinet
Also a pensell to bere in his hande of his avowyre