The specimen in the Wallace Collection weighs twenty pounds. The
breastplate is globular in form, and flattened upon the right side to
allow of the queue (Fig. 311) being affixed; this singular addition
consists of a bar of steel rectangular in section and screwed firmly
into the breastplate, bearing at the rear extremity a turned down hook
which resisted the upward pressure of the butt of the lance. The
front portion of the queue has another hook turned upwards, in which
the lance rested, and behind which it was gripped by the hand. This
hook was omitted when the lance-rest was separate and affixed to the
right side of the breastplate, as seen in the figure, where it appears
to be forged in one piece and secured by two screws. An excellent
example demonstrating in a practical manner the use of the queue is
exhibited in the Tower Collection, where the lance is seen in position,
and a large vamplate of curious design is affixed for the protection
of the hand and arm (see Fig. 312). In order to admit of the free
passage of the lance the large palette protecting the right armpit is
slightly hollowed at its lowest part; the Wallace suit has a companion
palette protecting the left arm. Upon the shoulders are pauldrons of
two plates, decorated with radiating fluting, and upon these in the
Wallace suit are two upright iron pins or projections to which were
attached the flowing ends of the lambrequin, contoise, or mantling,
depending from the crest. In the example from Vienna eyelets occur upon
the pauldrons for the same purpose. The brassarts are laminated and
overlap each other downwards. Upon the right arm appears the Polder
mitten (a corruption of _épaule de mouton_, so named from its shape),
an additional reinforcing piece which is screwed to the vambrace and
protects a large portion of the arm. It has fine flutings radiating
from the bend. No gauntlet is seen, the vamplate generally affording
a sufficient protection for the hand. A similar reinforcement for
the right arm is upon the Wallace suit, which differs only in a few
details, whilst a very fine example of this reinforcement, but dating
from a later period, is preserved in the Tower (No. 371, Case 25) (Fig.
313), which exhibits excellent workmanship. The elbow-joint of the left
arm is protected by a _garde-de-bras_ similar in form to that upon the
right arm; this is riveted to a manifere (or _main-de-fer_) of one
plate protecting the bridle hand, and decorated with flutings radiating
from the wrist. The protection for the left arm in the Wallace suit
is represented in Fig. 314; it is a large and finely fluted piece
secured to the vamplate by three screws. A small oak shield covered
with leather and painted is secured by a guige passing through two
holes in the left upper part of the breastplate; it is not connected
in any way with the arm, but simply hangs in position. This is the
Stechtarsche. In Fig. 310, no armour is shown below the waist, but the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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