Genre:

Serial, Essay, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct. [3]

Subjects:

Military Technology, War

    Describes the 'fanciful' armour worn by knights during the period of King Henry VI, drawing attention to the defensive iron breast-plates and back-plates, aprons of chain-mail, the helmet with a newly-added 'bascinet or scull-cap', and 'a steel cap called a casquetel' on top of which is fixed a spike called a 'crenel'. Goes on to describe the use of spurs with extraordinarily long shanks, and of 'the hand-cannon or "gonne"', a weapon regarded as a distant ancestor of 'our exploded Brown Bess'. Attributes the merits of the 'gonne' to the Italians and goes on to explain its advantageous firing mechanism. Concludes by noting that the weapon was useful for 'human slaughter' and 'sportsmen'. The illustrations depict a suit of armour from the time of Henry VI, 'Military Shoes' with extraordinarily long spurs, and a figure struggling with the portable 'gonne' cannon.