CHAPTER XXXV
THE SWORD AND RAPIER OF THE XVIth CENTURY
The development of the sword and rapier during the XVIth century—The simple character of the hilt of the sword in the early years of the XVIth century—The developments in the science of sword-play necessitated a more complicated form of hand defence—The rapier in its earliest form and suggestions as to the derivation of its name—The "case of rapiers"—The first Italian swept-hilted rapiers; some notable examples—The foining sword of contemporary times—The two-handed sword of the XVIth century; some notable examples—The curved sword of the XVIth century, frequently mounted with beautiful decoration—The true "town" sword—Its finest type; some notable examples—The "swept" hilted sword-rapier of the third quarter of the XVIth century, often made with a companion left-hand dagger—Some superb examples—Other types of rapier and sword hilt of the second half of the XVIth century—The Italian type—The Spanish type—The French type—The German type—The English type—The "Spinola" sword—Sword presented to Henri IV—Clemens Horn—The "Heralds' College sword"—The XVIth century basket-hilted swords—The Schiavona—The Flemish type of late XVIth century—The early XVIIth century sword-rapier. 260
CHAPTER XXXVI
HAFTED WEAPONS OF THE XVIth AND XVIIth CENTURIES
Hafted weapons in general use from the middle of the XVIth century and onwards—The warlike lance—Lance-heads of the XVIth century reminiscent of knightly days—The highly decorated pole-axes, hammers, and maces—Certain XVIth century maces of historical interest—Derived from oriental forms—The mace becomes the military bâton—A XVIIth century form of the pole-axe—The combination hafted weapon—Pistol, combined with mace, axe, or hammer—Doubtless individual whims—The hafted weapons of the infantry, including the glaive, the voulge, the partisan, the ranseur, the spetum, the bill, and the guisarme, now parade arms—The processional glaive and partisan—The highly decorated partisan of the personal guards of sovereigns—The superb partisans of individuals—The boar-headed spear—The linstock—A newly invented weapon of the XVIth century—The pike—Carried at Waterloo—The javelin, now a ceremonial and a sporting weapon. 330
