The “poitrail” in this extract is the breastplate of the knight and not of the horse. 1278. _Roll of Purchases for the Tournament at Windsor Park._ De Milon le Cuireur xxxviij quiret: p’c pec iij s. Itm. ij Crest & j Blazon & una galea cor & j ensis de Balon de Rob’o Brunnler xxxviij galee de cor p’c galee xiv. This tournament seems to have been more of a pageant than a serious contest like those of the fifteenth century. No armour of metal is mentioned among the purchases and the weapons are of whalebone, a material which was used also for gauntlets, as we know from Froissart’s[117] description of the equipment of the troops of Philip von Artevelde at the battle of Rosebecque in 1382. Whalebone was also employed for “privy coats” or brigandines, in which it was inserted between the lining and the cover. Buckram is also mentioned as being used for body-armour, which material will be found alluded to in the section devoted to the Linen Armourers. 1345. _Les Livres de Comptes des Freres Bonis_, I. 174, Forestie. Item deu per un brasalot ... de cuer negre. 1351. _Ordonnances du roi Jean IV_, 69. Ordenons que l’arbalestrier ... sera arme de plates ... et de harnois de bras de fer et de cuir. These brassards of cuir-bouilli seem to have been common in the fourteenth century; their popularity being doubtless due to their lightness and cheapness as compared with metal. M. Buttin in his interesting pamphlet _Le Guet de Genève_[118] gives several extracts from inventories and other documents which bear out this statement. 1350. _Rime of Sir Thopas_, Chaucer. His jambeux were of curebully. [Illustration: _PLATE XXV_ DRAWING BY JACOB TOPF, 1530-1597 FROM THE “ARMOURER’S ALBUM,” VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM] [Illustration: _PLATE XXVI_ ARMOUR OF SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON, BY JACOB TOPF] The skilfully modelled jambs and poleynes which appear on many brasses and effigies of the fourteenth century rather suggest that leather was used and not metal, as the rest of the armour does not show such skill of forging. These leg-pieces are nearly always shown as richly engraved, which also points to the suggestion that they were of cuir-bouilli, which would be an easier material to decorate with painting or modelling than metal. 1411. _Inventorie de l’ecurie du roi, f. 108 vo._ Une armure de cuir de Surie pour armer l’homme et le cheval. 1450. _Traité d’un Tournoi_, Roi René. En Brebant, Flandres et Haynault at en ces pays la vers Almaignes ... mettant unes bracieres grosses de 4 dois d’espez et remplies de cotton sur quoys ils arment les avant bras et les garde-bras de cuir bouilly.