Page 217 - Canadian Dominion Directory 1871 - Partie 1-fusionné
P. 217

ARMOUR  AND  ARMS
                             A  study  of  armour  and  arms  is  one  of  the  subjects  closely  related  to
                             Heraldry. It is not long after comrnencing to  learn about Heraldry that one
                             begins to be fascinated  by the different shapes of  shield. by the introduction
                             of  the  surcoat  and  the  reasons  for jt  and  the  various  ways  in which  the
                             Knights  of  the  Middle  Ages  displayed  their  armorial  bearings  for  al1  to
                             see.
                               Immediately there is an interest  aroused in the mind  of  the student with
                             regard  to  the peculiar  shaped  pieces of  metal  with which  the earIy  fighters
                             clad  themselves  to  go  into  battle.  How  they  could  move  at all, let  alone
                             fight  their  enemies, with  so much  iromongery around  them.
                               This Dictionary  of  Armour  and  Arms  has  been  allied  to a  similar work
                             on  Heraldry  to  provide  a  natural  outlct  for  this  interest  and  to  give  the
                             student of  Heraldry an easy means of  egress to  the meaning of  many of  the
                             terms which he may find jn books on Heraldry.
                               1 have  included  a short  reference  with  regard  to  al1  the  various  pieces
                             of  amour and the arms of  tbe period  which  the student  nlay find referred
                             to. In fact 1 have gone further, as 1 have made the work as comprehensive
                             as possible though I have only given in  general terms the descriptions of  the
                             various  items and  their  uses  together  with  the approximate dates when the
                             various items were used.
                               Much of  my information has been  obtained  frorn  or verifed in ' Armour
                             and Blade ' by Ellacott, ' Arms and Weapons ' by Martin and the ' Diction-
                             ary  of  Chivalry ' by  Uden  al1  three  of  which  are  most  interesting  and
                             valuable  references  and  to which 1 give grateful  acknowledgement.
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