Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 2).djvu/189

apparently for the purpose of securing the helm to the tomb. It proved, however, to be of little use; for the helm was stolen some seventy years ago, but taken no farther than the town of Washington, at the foot of the Chanctonbury ring, Sussex, to be subsequently recovered much in the same manner as the two helms now in St. George's Chapel, Windsor (see page 110 and Figs. 455, 481). It is surmised, and probably correctly, that this helm belonged to the De la Warr family.

Fig. 488. Helm

Said to be that of Sir John Gostwick, with the funeral crest in position. Willington Church, Bedfordshire

Next in order of evolution, is the helm from the tomb of Sir John Gostwick in Willington Church, Bedfordshire (Fig. 488): The large bevor and visor are in one piece with the ocularia slits in it. It will be noticed that the profile view of the visor shows it almost in its final form; and from this time onwards no further alteration can be observed, except in certain head-pieces which were for some special use. On the dexter side of the visor is a large square opening with a protective flange. The frontal reinforcing piece is continued down the back of the helm, and has three apertures into which fitted the staples that must have been attached to the backplate. The front of the helm descends into a deep gorget plate, a separate plate permanently fixed by eight large rivets. Its upper edge is escalloped, much in the manner adopted by the armourer of the series of helms shown on pages 110-113 (Figs. 454, 455, and 456, a, b). On the sinister lower edge is riveted a strong hinge, which must have fitted a corresponding hinge on the same side of the breastplate over which it was worn. Tradition affirms that this helm was worn at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. On the helm is now a wooden funeral crest of later date. This head-piece