With the advent of this period we find the knightly defence consisting essentially, for the first time in English history, of a complete suit of plate with no textile covering whatever worn over it. Hence the term “Surcoatless Period,” which distinguishes it from any preceding or succeeding era. The camail was now finally abolished after being in vogue in one fashion or another for over one hundred years. Its great recommendation was mobility, as it enabled the wearer to move his head easily in almost any direction, but the great detraction was undoubtedly the weight. The bascinet itself was heavy, but when the thick curtain of chain mail was added it must have been almost insupportable, as practically the whole weight was borne by the head. Now, however, a gorget of plate was substituted for the camail (Fig. 243), and in order to relieve the pressure upon the head still further, the bascinet was so formed as to rest upon the gorget, to the upper part of which it was affixed in such a manner that it allowed the head to be turned right and left. Thus the defences for the head and neck, instead of being supported by those parts, were transferred to the shoulders. The bascinet, as it gradually developed into the barbute type, became more globular in form, although still retaining the pointed apex (Fig. 242); the lower portion which protected the chin, and known as the _bavière_, was riveted to the upper, generally near the temples. The breastplate, now visible for the first time, is of globular form and provided with a backplate; from it one can easily perceive how the knights of the Camail and Jupon Period obtained the peculiar globose formation of the upper portion of the body. From the waist, and connected with the breastplate, depended a row of plates or lames of steel overlapping each other and made in various designs; these were denominated the _taces_. To support them a lining of leather or other strong material was used underneath, to which they were firmly affixed. At first the skirt of the hauberk is generally shown, similar to its former appearance under the jupon, but after a time, probably about 1420, the hauberk was discarded, and the knight relied for protection upon his plate armour and padded gambeson alone. Round the taces the hip-belt was worn horizontally during the earlier part of this period, with the sword and misericorde depending as in the time of the camail and jupon; but subsequently the style was modified, and innovations crept in which will be dealt with later. Laminated epaulières were still in use to protect the shoulders, but instead of the lames being prolonged in front to protect the goussets (as shown in the Braunstone and d’Eresby brasses), a plate of varying form, called a _palette_, was affixed to the cuirass by a strap, which admitted of greater freedom for the arms. The brassarts were often formed of lames of plate riveted together, though the older form of front and back plates was in use.