weapon which, according to tradition, William the Conqueror presented to the favoured Abbey. In the chronicles of the Monastery of Battle Abbey which record, under the date 1087-1095, the presentation to the Monastery by William II after his coronation (in accordance with the wish of his father) of his Royal Pall and Feretory or Feretrum, no mention is made of his sword. It is, however, more than probable that with the pallium regale a sword was included. If such a sword once existed, its later history is unknown. It is said to have been taken in the middle of the XVIIIth century, along with the pallium and the original document known as the Roll of Battle Abbey, to Cowdray House, Midhurst, by Lord Montagu, a descendant of Sir Anthony Browne, into whose hands these precious relics fell at the dissolution of the monasteries. In the year 1793 a disastrous fire occurred which destroyed Cowdray House, and presumably the Roll, the pallium, and the sword.
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Fig. 641. Sword
Middle of XVth century. Royal Armoury, Madrid
This then may be the history of the original sword presented to Battle Abbey; but it now becomes necessary to account for the sword which is shown in the Scottish collection, and which may be supposed to be the second sword possessed by the Abbey. The truth as to its origin can only be surmised. Possibly the precious sword of William I was considered almost in the light of a "Tenure Sword." The abbots, whose sole use for it in that capacity was on ceremonial occasions, may have considered the original weapon from hard wear and the passage of many centuries to have become a mere relic, hardly in keeping with the pomp and circumstance of the early years of the XVth century, and may have had a new sword made to take its place. There is no reason why they should have considered it necessary to copy the original weapon in their possession. Battle Abbey was luckily not afflicted with an archaeologist who could commit such a blunder. Doubtless, therefore, an order for a fine new sword for pageant purposes was dispatched to some renowned swordsmith of the time, which he executed by sending an enriched fighting sword such as he
