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Fig. 1529. Helms

(a) Helm of the early XIIIth century, an English forgery of the middle of the XIXth century. In the Armoury of the Tower of London.

(b) Helm of the middle of the XIIth century, said to have been found near Faversham, an English forgery of the middle of the XIXth century. In the Musée d'Artillerie, Paris.

then being formed. All this mass of so-called early armament was, of course, spurious, and can, in our opinion, be ascribed without exception to the fertile brain of one man—we may say artist—a certain Mr. Grimshaw. The producer in question was a veritable Cagliostro in his capacity for distorting historical facts and in his power of compelling belief in his forgeries; but since he has long been dead this disclosure of his name is not likely to be resented by his descendants. Like the Italian forgers of decorated armour of half a generation earlier he was engaged in producing a new species of archaeological specimens, and so he was not afraid of the competition of any rival. Nor had he any reason for apprehending the appearance in the market of a genuine example; since the ambitions which he cherished for his clients were so very lofty. The result was that he made armour of all kinds of imaginary shapes—helmets of the Xth, XIth, XIIth, XIIIth, and XIVth centuries, and complete suits of armour of those remote centuries of even more astounding designs. Needless to say the stories with which these forgeries were associated were in many cases as impudent as the forgeries themselves; they were wonderfully varied and occasionally admirably circumstantial. In the case, however, of almost every individual piece belonging to this particular school of forgeries, whether designed for head or for body wear, the