A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE vertical position and vibrated inconveniently. This was found to be an evil both on foot and on horseback. The new system of fastening the entire end of the buckle- strap to the scabbard, and the other or long strap a few inches down the scabbard had many advantages. It brought the grip of the sword more within the compass of the right hand, and the weight of the weapon, by leverage, tended to tighten and steady the belt, while on horseback the hilt was pitched outwards and the flat of the sword thrown more into a line parallel with the side of the body of the horse and its rider. But there was yet a difficulty, the tendency of the sword, thus hung from two points not opposite each other, was to take a diagonal bearing, and throw its front edge out of plane. This was at once obviated by slitting the upper portion of the buckle end of the belt into thongs of varying widths, lacing and tying these into the mouth of the scabbard, and carrying the remaining part of the belt in a slanting direction, and free, across the scabbard, until it met on the scabbard the loop of the long portion of the belt. Arrived at this point, the slanting strap was split into two narrowing thongs ; these were laced altern- ately into the sinister or back edge, never into the dexter, of the loop of the long portion of the belt ; the ends were run out behind, brought forward to the front of the scabbard, and tied in a ' sennit ' knot. Thus the sword was steadied and righted, and this connection of the belt-ends on the scabbard had the further advantage of hinder- ing it from flying wildly about, and entangling in the belt when the sword was drawn from it and the wearer on horseback and in action. That the system answered its purpose there can be no doubt for it remained in constant use, of course with diflTerent or modified details, until the middle of the first quarter of the fourteenth century, and it probably had special qualities connected with service in the field, which to us at the present day are not so apparent. No doubt also an advantage of this picturesque and complicated belt was that the loop of the long strap was thus prevented from slipping down the narrowing scabbard by its attachment to the end of the buckle- strap. The pommel of Sir John Lyons' sword is cut into facets in a very unusual way, and the bare hands are posed in prayer after the fashion that was now almost universally established. The mail mufflers and the fingered mail gloves — the ancient prolonga- tions of the sleeves of the hauberk — are now almost clean gone. The freestone effigy of Margaret de Lyons lies on the left side of her husband, and re- presents her in a gown and mantle with its usual fastening cord, a coverchief, and a wimple pinned up under it over pads on each side of the face. The hands are in prayer and the head rests upon two pillows supported by mutilated angels. The straight under line of the eyes in both figures is a marked con- ventionality of sculptors of the time. Neither effigy is a portrait. Sir Philip LE Lou. Living 131 5. Ashton. The wooden effigy lies upon a modern tomb in the north-east corner of the south aisle, and represents a man in the usual hood, hauberk and chausses of mail, and surcote ; the head rests upon two cushions and the hands are in prayer. The vanished shield has been suspended by a broad gigue and was doubtless originally charged with the arms. The sword and right foot have disappeared, and the whole figure is in a melancholy state of decay.' ' From the same art centres which produced the stone effigies came the oaken or wooden figures, of which there are so many in the county. These memorials — with the exception of the odd elon- gated figure at Braybrooke, probably a production of the local carpenter — have high interest and value, not only from their artistic quality, but from their comparative rarity in the country generally. Their manufacture was as follows : — The sculptor of a full-sized wooden effigy, say in the early years of the fourteenth century, had many difficulties to contend with. In the first place, he must find a block of well-seasoned oak, sound at the heart, and at least two feet across. This width would be essential whether he repre- sented a knight 'in the posture of prayer,' drawing or sheathing his sword, or a lady 'fair and gent,' holding the mantle-strings, gathering up the long skirts of the gown, or with ' hands in resignation pressed.' It was necessary that the wood be care- fully chosen, because the tabic of the monument and important parts of the figure had to be fashioned out of the block, and also because — in order to prevent splitting — the body, as far as it was absorbed into the table or bed upon which it would lie, must be hollowed out from the back. There must be no decay or failure breaking through to the front. The sculptor having done his work, and fastened with wooden pins such parts as lay outside the compass of his block, the decorator took the effigy in hand. Having sized the figure as far as was necessary, he glued pieces of linen across the open cracks and knots to bridge over the inequalities. He then gave the statue a thin coat of gesso — that is to say, a mixture of parchment size and whitening — with a view to subsequent painting. He applied a thicker coat- ing of gesso to those portions of the effigy which he intended to decorate in relief, such as mall, or large surfaces which were to be afterwards gilded 400
