The use of iron armour declined into buff coats, or jerkins, somewhat similar to those we have mentioned, which were often originally worn under those pieces covering the body, and now became substitutes for the cuirass. Being made of leather, they were found of sufficient strength to resist the stroke of a sword : and they were used by the trained bands of London late in the last century. To protect the left arm, there was a covering of three skins in thickness, and also pasteboard, to which was fixed a buff sleeve.
Such have been the different kinds of armour known among the civilized nations of antiquity, and the more modern inhabitants of Europe. They guarded their bodies either under partial or complete coverings of the hardest metals, first in separate pieces, and afterwards ingeniously united together. But war dresses, of rude construction, arc used by the uncultivated savages of the present day. The New Zealanders have one cover ing the body, which consists merely of a matting, thick and closely woven, and strong enough to withstand the weapons of their enemies. The natives of the north west coast of America, in Nootka Sound, contrive a thick leather frock, or doublet, reaching from the neck to the heels, made of the skin of the elk tanned, and sometimes threefold. It is cut into a fringe at the sides and neck, and is adorned on the other parts with tassels of leather, and painted with various devices. We arc assured, that this war dress may be considered com plete defensive armour ; for it will resist arrows, and even spears ; because, from hanging loose, it yields to the force, and checks the progress of both. This war dress is accompanied with a wooden mask, representing the head of some animal. It may certainly be the subject of astonishment, that there are savage nations which arc often exposed to sanguinary conflicts, and yet go to war in a state of absolute nakedness. They have neither clothes, skins of beasts, mattings, nor shields to protect them, while both they and their enemies fight with dan gerous pointed weapons.
Recurring to the civilized nations of Europe, between which and savages there is always a necessary distinc tion to be considered in the progress of the arts, we find, that their horses, as well as the men, were protected by armour. This consisted partly of metal, and partly of leather ; and when completely equipped, the cavalry were denominated barded horses. The armour was com posed of the chanfron, or chamfrein, for the head ; the criniere for the neck ; the poitrinal, or breast-plate ; and • croupiere, or buttock-piece. The first of leather, brass,
or iron, inclosed the head like a helmet, having projec tions to contain the ears, and sometimes appeared with a spike on the forehead. Among the higher ranks, we are told, chanfrons have been known to consist of gold, and were ornamented with precious stones. At the bat tle of Harfleur, in 1449, the count de St Pol's horse had one worth thirty thousand crowns : and when Bayonne was taken by Charles VII. of France, not far from the same period, the count de Foiz entered the city riding on a horse with a chanfron, ornamented with gold and jewels, valued at fifteen thousand crowns. The criniere was composed of a number of small plates united toge ther, and fixed to the chanfron. The poitrinal covered the horse's breast and shoulders ; and the croupiere, which was generally of leather, though the rest consist ed of metal, was fashioned so as to come far down the thigh behind. The croupiere was frequently decorated with heraldic coats armorial, or along with them were worn rich housings bearing similar insignia of the own er. Horse armour is said to have been made of chain work as well as plates, though the latter was in general use. Indeed the former seems rather an exception from the common rule. Those whose horses had armour, ap pear to have had larger pay during the time of war than those whose horses were unprotected.
It cannot but excite admiration, how our predecessors could not only move, when cased in such enormous masses of iron, but even be active and dexterous under the load ; and that, in addition to it, they were able to early weapons of no inconsiderable weight. They are said, indeed, to have been more athletic, and their mode of life less enervating, than that of their descendants : Certainly these causes might operate, for we are satis fied that their stature and dimensions were no greater than our own. But We must add our opinion, that the ef fect of early habits had probably a greater effect in inur ing them to labour than ordinary apprehension will admit. So long as a horseman could keep his seat, he was in little danger ; but when lie was overthrown, the weight of his armour nearly precluded him from rising. Never theless, its strength and temper were still his safety. We read of a battle in the sixteenth century, where, to destroy their enemies when overthrown, the followers of the French army armed with hatchets, after giving them heavy blows on the head, tried in vain to break up their armour; but this was so strong, that although the visors were broke, very few could be killed.