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Fig. 508. Tippet of chain mail

Probably added late in the XVth or early in the XVIth century to the "Saint Wenceslaus" hauberk. Treasury of the Cathedral of Prague

to associate the form of ring employed in the manufacture of this hauberk with the very early date to which it is ascribed; more especially as hauberks somewhat shorter in length but with similar sleeves and a similar mesh of ring are constantly found among the XVth century armament of the warriors of the near East. We give an illustration of the hauberk as it now appears (Fig. 506), and a portion of the mesh of the mail taken actual size (Fig. 507). As we have often said, we are always unwilling to throw doubt upon traditions that have been cherished for many centuries; but we feel bound to assert that any ascription of this present shirt of mail to the first half of the Xth century appears to us to be absolutely indefensible. There is the possibility, that as was often the case, this Saint Wenceslaus shirt may be a substitute hauberk of later date, put in place of the original which was once known to have been preserved in the treasury; a substitution made probably as early as the reign of Ottokar or that of his son Wenceslaus I, King of Bohemia, in the first half of the XIIIth century, a period in which the fashion of hauberk which this particular specimen follows was popular, and in which the belief in the survival of relics of past heroes was devoutly cherished. Whatever may be the history of this interesting mail shirt, it certainly claims the right from the mention in the 1354 inventory to