Staunton, Notts., 1312. On the top is seen the staple for affixing the crest to the heaume. (Fig. 7): The heaume of Richard I., taken from his Great Seal, showing a fan-shaped ornament at the top, with a lion painted upon the crown. (Fig. 8): Soldiers in a boat, engaged in siege operations. One has a staff sling, which is apparently charged with some combustibles. The archer is also discharging either a bag of quick-lime or some combustible. The slingers were generally bare-headed, and wore no body armour. The archer wears a coif of mail or leather on his head, and a sleeveless hauberk on his body. The third soldier carries a pole-axe, a sword, and a spear. (Fig. 9): Head from the brass of Sir John D’Abernoun, in Stoke D’Abernoun Church, Surrey, 1277. This is the earliest known example of brass. The chain mail is represented in great detail, every link being shown. Fig. A is a portion of the mail enlarged. (Fig. 10): A spear with pennon, from the same brass. (Fig. 11): A martel-de-fer, which was used for breaking or dragging off the rings of the hauberk, and opening a passage for other deadly weapons. (Fig. 12): A guisarme, a powerful, scythe-shaped, shafted weapon, used by foot soldiers. (Fig. 13): A banner, such as was carried by Knights Bannerets, who must have a following of at least fifty men-at-arms before they were qualified to carry this.] EARLY ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE. _The Transition._--At the close of the Norman period, the quality of the masonry was very good, and the workmen had learnt how to economise their materials. The improvement continued until the work reached a high degree of perfection. The mouldings, the ornament, the sculpture, and all other details are of a lighter style, and more highly finished. The architecture that remains of this period is aptly termed “Transitional.” The transition, from the round-arched Norman style, with its heavy and massive appearance, and its strongly-marked horizontal lines, to the graceful Early English style, with its prominent vertical lines, is very gradual, and the first step in this direction was the introduction to general use of the pointed arch. This is considered the most characteristic element of Gothic architecture--its ever-increasing use permitting the slenderness of proportion, lightness, and loftiness of effect to be carried out to a marvellous extent. Professor Freeman has traced the adoption of the pointed arch in Western Europe to influence of Saracenic architecture, which was extended in the West through the Crusades. In the early examples, the features and general characteristics of the buildings are, in the main, the same as in the Norman style, but with the pointed arch employed in place of the round-headed one.