72975 m1441

A superb armour, c.1450 60, madę by the Missaglia workshop of Milan, the most important family of armourers in Italy at this time.

(A) Barbute. (B) Pauldron. (C) Brea-stplate. (D) Upper vambrace. (E) Mitten gauntlet. (F) Tassets (missing) moun-tcd on thcsc straps. (G) Cuissc. (H) Poleyn. (I) Greaye. (J) Sabaton. (K) Plackart. (L) Upper backplatc. (M) Lower backplate. (N) Fauld. (O) Coutcr. (Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries)

i5th-century Genoese Steel crossbow, and at the beginning of this century amazed his friends by shooting a bdlt acro^s the Menai Straits, a distance ofsome 450 yards; he calculated the puli at i ,20olbs.

Crossbow strings were usually madę of sinew. The use of this materiał, which stretches enor-mously when wet, explains both the common use of crossbow covers when transporting these weap-ons on horseback or on foot, and the practice of keeping a spare string under the helmet or hat, where it would be safe from rain. The composite bow continued in favour, however, particularly among the poorer nations, until the end of the 15th century, doubtless due to its reliabily.y and re-latively Iow cost.    / •

Bolts used in warfare werc usualljf of the bodkin type, with a tapered squarc or diamond section. These heads would open up the links of mail armour with ease; but when piąte armour was introduced, with its cleverly placed angles and lance-stops, the improved protection gave rise to a new bolt, the ąuarrel. This was scjuare and blunt, with four sharp corners which, if one caught,-a hołd on armour, could easily knock down or unhorse a man. Unlike the feather flights used on longbow arrows, bolts had flights madę of thin wood, parchment, or even leather.

There are some interesting records of the num-bers of arrows shot at various Burgundian engage-ments. At the battle of Montlhery in 1465 the ducal ledgers account for 38,400 arrows in one day. At the siege of Villy, which lasted less łhan a month, 10,200 arrows and 1,500 bolts were expended; while at the siege of Dinant, which continued for only a week, the army used 27,840 arrows and 1,780 bolts.

3¹