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The earliest surviving complete horse armour, by Pier Innocenzo da Faerno of Milan, 0.1450. Horse armour had by this time become quite efiective, due to an ever-pressing need to protect one’s mount from archery and pikę ibrmations. Much horse armour was of mail; and in 1445 Duke Philip the Good ordered a ‘steel bard madę in the manner of a brigandine’. (Kunsthistorischen Museum, Yienna)

100 francs 24 francs

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15 francs 5 francs 4 francs 4 francs 2 patars

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v__y 100 Jances were dividcd into tens, each group of ten commanded by a disenier. This group of ten lances was itsclf dividcd into two uneąual chambres, six lances commanded by the disenier and four commanded by a chefde chambre. The chain ofcommand stipulated that the chef de chambre was subordinate to the disenier, who must obey the conducteur. The conducteur was under the orders of the commander-in-chief.

Each company also enjoyed the services of a clerk and a trumpeter, and possibly a surgeon and a billeting olficer. Salaries were as follows:

Conducteur

Disenier

Chef de chambre

Man-at-arms

Mounted archer

Handgunner

Crossbowman

Pikeman

Wages were distributed at inspections, which took place every ąuarter. However, occasions are found where salaries were paid three or even four months in arrears: this does not reflect the State of Charles’s treasury, but was common practice in order to encourage potential deserters to remain with the army until the next pay-day.

(2)    The ordinance of Bohain en Vermandois: 13 November 1472

Besides elaborating the previous ordinance, that of 1472 called for a slight reduction in the number of troops. There were to be 1,200 men-at-arms each accompanied by a mounted page and swordsman, 3,000 mounted archers, 600 mounted crossbow-men, 2,000 pikemen, 1,000 archers on foot, and 600 handgunners on foot. It may be seen that the composition of the lance was not always the same: however, the organisation of the company and hierarchy remaincd unchanged, as did the salaries, apart from the pikeman, who now received four francs like the handgunner and crossbowman.

In this ordinance we are informed of the costume and eąuipment of the three infantrymen:

The handgunner should be eąuipped with a sleeved mail shirt, a gorgerin (mail or piąte armour protec-ting the throat and neck), a sallct and a breastplate. Apart from his gun, he should carry a dagger and a one-handed sword.

The archer should wear a brigandine over a padded jacket, some armoured reinforcement on his forearms, a gorgerin, a sallet, and must carry a long sharp dagger, a lead hammer (presumably for planting stakes) and a bow and quiver hanging behind.

The pikeman must wear a sleeved jacket reinforced with plates, and a breastplate. His right arm should be protected by morę piąte armour, and his lcft arm by a targe (a smali round shield). Since he would need both hands free to wield his weapon, the targe may have been fastened to his arm.

(3)    The ordinance of St. Maximin de Treves: October 1473

This remarkable ordinance is by far the most complete, and involves a total re-organisation of the company in the Italian style. Instead of being divided into groups of ten lances, commanded by a disenier, the company is to consist of four squadrons of 25 lances, each squadron led by a chef d’escadre. The squadron is subdivided into four chambres, each of which is composed of six lances under a chef de chambre. The composition of the lance (which is not

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