The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-06
In later centuries the shane OF she shieldsd did not

In later centuries the shape OF she shieldsdid no
decide to what nation they beon. yed as every indv
duai got them made according to L 's own taste. Ii
the earliest ages the shields were pal ued with vare
gated and fantastical colors but with the introduc
ton OF metal shields, embossed work wa employed
on them The oldest account we have of such an ont
is that which Achilles used in the Trojan war, and
which Vulcan himself had made, also clasicauy de-
scribed by Homer in bis Iliad, above alluded to. The
Roman hgiona,es generally had their shields, EN-
bossed Jupiters thunderbolts their chiefs the sc
OF the lcors, &c. During the middle ages the knights
had their coats of arns either painted or embossed
After the fifteenth century shields were very little
used in general warfare only the Scotch retaining
them till the termination of the last century.
AS 1t Is generally the case, when new inventions
are made, ,tbatsome ridiculous combinations are used
SO it happened that to shield large pistols were at
tached In the collection of the arms from the Tower
OF London, such shield is exhibited little above
the centre Of the shield long barrel is attached
which is breach-loasng piece, and fired by match
lock. This iIearm is called o gonne.
| Helmets and plates were likewise made first of the
hides OF animals added dresses and then of plates
OF metal, esther solid plates or scales sewed to
leather. Goats OF mail were introduced in later pc
riods They consisted Of small rings linked in each
| other like the links Of chain.
The aDcients had already complete cuirasses, that
is plates for breast AUD back both fitting closely to
| the body and around the neck, arms and waist
They were connected over the shoulders either by
leather or metal bands, and in the same manner un.
der the arms and around the waist
@he Greeks used plates for protecting their shins
these plates ran up from the ankle little above the
knee, like the high top boots of our generals, but
they were opened behind and fastened by straps
1t is said that the Amazons of the Black Sea were
entirely clad in armor, made of scales, fastened to
leather dress.
The helmets had different shapes, but the princi-
pal one was that of tight fitting skullcap, with q
peak running down the back to protect the neck we
find these peaks at the back through all ages, and
even at the present time. After short time crests
were added, from which horsehair plumes and other
ornaments were made to flow down. The northern
people Of Europe, such the Gaus Teutones, ALE
mans, Goths and Huns used to put the entire skins
of wild animals over their armor, which gave them O
very wild appearance for instance, the skin of the
ureox buffalo. with their horns adorning the front
Of the helmet, and WOLF lynx. etc. The he'll
NETS generally had not even peak in front; but
the Greeks introduced already kind Of visor; this
was an eongation Of the peak, protecting the nose
but leaving the eyes entirely unprotected. Plates
over the ears, too, employed, and served like
wise to fasten the helmet being connected under the
chin. But the Romans considered it o disgrace to
any part of their face. In the battle of Phar
salia Caesar gained the victory over Pompey, chiefly
this account. Caesar had given orders to his troops
to cut the faces Of the enemy as much as possible
Pompey had in his army the flower of the Roman
nobility, and these did not appear to like the idea Of
having their faces spoiled and after the first attack
Of the Alleman cohorts, gave way, which made the
rest of the army waver, and ended in the loss of the
ba tile.
The samnites appear to have had visors attached
to their helmets, which might have servedas o
pattern to the knights in the middle ages. But the
vsors were unmoveabe, like the first of those which
the knights used in the tenth and eleventh centuries
These consisted only Of iron bars ryeted to the sides
and top Of the helmet. During the Crusades, the
movable visors were introduced, made of two plates
of iron, moving around the same hinges, but that
one plate could be moved without interfering with
the other. The plates had small openings for the
eyes, and others for air. but they SO small that
o lance could not enter. The ornaments Of the
knighty helmets were of great variety; king had
generally crown, count, coronet, and soon. Du
ring the Crusades, find the full armor generally
TO be coat of mall but in the middle OF the twelfth
century the aImors made entirely Of plates in
roduced-they consisted of full curass, protecting
by plates the thighs shn calf, and feet; the arms
were likewise well protected by plates or what
might be better called tubes. At the different joints,
the shoulder, elbow, knee, and ancle movable
plates were placed SO as protect them The gaunt.
let, for the protection of the hand, was introduced
during the eleventh century, it made of leather,
with iron ring around the wrist, plate for cover.
ing the hand and smaller onesover the fingers, all al
lowing full motion to the entire hand. The coat of
arms, which was worn over the armor, was in
the beginning used blythe Knights Templars, knights
Of ST. John, and the Knights of the German Order;
they were white robes, with either red or black
cross on the breast according to the order to which
they belonged. The coats Of arms with embroidery
were not introduced before the end Of the thirteenth
century.
The armor was joined together by hooks, buckles,
or buttons and it is curious to see the ingenuity the
ancient displayed in covering the different
joints and hiding as much possible the different
fastenipgs and connections. Great luxury was dis
! played in the manufacture Of armors We find them
of ron STEEL silver and gilt some beautifully chased,
| others inaid with gold and silver. The German and
English armors were celebrated for their strength;
the French and the Italian particularly, were praised
for their excellent finish and beautiful design. The
Italians very vain in showing their buckles and
| other ornaments.
The armors were heavy and close, and it is as
tonshing how the crusaders could have withstood
the heat of the sun with their visor down. In the
battles Of Morgarten in 1915, and Sempach, in 1885,
where the noble Arnold Winkelried sacrificed him
self for the liberty Of his country the heavily clad
knights were vanqushed by the peasants Of Switzer
land unprotected and only armed with morning stars
and battle axes Most Of the knights were found to
have suffocated The horses were also well pro-
| tected by armor. We find amongst the Gaus horses
protected by scale armor, with plate OF iron pro
teetipg the front Of the horses head. The plate
for horses was not introduced before the twelfth
century. II protected the neck, breast shoulders,