This piece of dress appears to have been the same as the tabard. It is thus taken notice of by Thomas Hearne: “_Tabard_, a jacket, jerkin, mandilion, or sleeveless coat, worne in times past by noblemen in the warrs; but now only by heralds, and is called their coat-of-arms in service.” Verstegan tells us, in his _Restitution of Decayed Intelligence_, “That _tabert_ was anciently a short gown, that reached no further than the mid-leg, that it remaineth for the name of a gown in Germanie and in the Netherlands, and that in England, it is now the name only of _a herald’s coat_.” But what Stowe tells us, in his _Survey of London_, is more remarkable, where, talking of several fair inns in Southwark, he takes occasion to speak of the Tabard Inn as the most ancient of them, and thereupon writes thus: “Amongst the which innes, the most ancient is the Tabard, so called of the signe, which, as wee now term it, is of a jacket, or sleevelesse coate, whole before, open on both sides, with a square collar, winged at the shoulders: a stately garment, of old time commonly worne of noblemen and others, both at home and abroad in the wars; but then (to-wit, in the warres) their armes embroidered, or otherwise depict upon them, that every man by his coate of armes might bee knowne from others: But now these tabards are onely worne by the heralds, and bee called their coates-of-armes in service.” Allusion is also made, by Wyntown, to the tabard of John Baliol, who, on being stript of the ensigns of royalty by his _magnanimous_ conqueror, the “_pelure_” or fur, was also torn from his tabard. The passage is curious:-- “This Jhon the Balliol on purpos He tuk, and browcht hym til Mwnros; And in the castell of that Town, That than wes famows in renown, This Jhon the Ballyol dyspoylyd he Of all hys Robys of Ryaltè. The Pelure thai tuk off hys Tabart, (Twme Tabart he wes callyt eftyrwart.)” _Wyntown_, vol. ii. p. 88. The “_steylle capleyne_,” it is very likely, may have been taken from the “_chapelle de fer_,” or “iron hat,” which, the same writer says, had a rim and convex crown, and was worn over the capuchon or hood. “After being placed on the head, it was kept from turning round, when struck, by cords, with which it was fastened to the shoulders. The effigy of Sir Roger de Trompington not only gives its form, but shows that it was sometimes held to the body by means of a chain. It was ornamented in front with a cross fleury, the transverse bar of which was pierced with occularia, or openings for the sight.” That worn by Wallace, however, does not appear to have had this advantage, for “_His face he kepit, for it was euir bar, With his twa handis._”