Though perhaps the wearing and putting on of armour was not directly part of the craft of the armourer, it was certainly a part of his duties to be present during the process and be ready to carry out any small alterations which might be needed on the spot. As has been noticed in a preceding chapter, as late as 1625 we find this insisted upon by de Pluvinel (see page 115). Shakespeare describes the armourers as busy “accomplishing the knights” before Agincourt (page 33), and the fact that the travelling knight took his armourer with him shows that he was indispensable during the operation of dressing for war or joust. Armour of the best kind was made to measure, and for ordinary purposes a mould or “dobble” was kept on which to make the ordinary harness for the man-at-arms (page 28). The following extracts show the methods employed for sending measurements, which were often obtained by submitting the clothes of the patron to the armourer:-- 1406. In the will of Sir Ralph Bulmer, “armatura mea corpori talliata.”[120] 1470. _Archives de Bruxelles._[121] Baltazar du Cornet, armourer at Bruges, delivers for the Duke of Burgundy “2 cuiraches complettes faites a la mesure de Monseigneur.” Lazarus de St. Augustin delivers “un harnais complet fait naguere a la mesure de Monseigneur et pour son corps.” 1512. A jacket and hose of Prince Charles (afterwards Charles V) are sent to Conrad Seusenhofer.[122] 1520. _Brit. Mus., Calig. D, VIII_, 181. 16 March. Francis I asks for an “arming doublet” of Henry VIII that he may have made a new kind of cuirass which he will send him as a present. [Illustration: _PLATE XXVII_ DRAWING BY JACOB TOPF, 1530-1597 FROM THE “ARMOURER’S ALBUM,” VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM] [Illustration: _PLATE XXVIII_ ARMOUR OF SIR JOHN SMITH, BY JACOB TOPF] 1564. _S.P.D. Elizabeth, Jan. 30._ Warrant to the Master of the Armoury. To cause to be made one armour complete fit for the body of our well beloved servant Christopher Hatton, one of our Gentlemen Pensioners, he paying according to the just value thereof. 1667. _Verney Memoirs, IV_, 301. Rich. Hals to Edmond Verney. The armour fits well enough only the man did cut away to much just under the arme pit both of back and breast, but for the head piece it is something heavy, yet I think it well enough if it did not come downe so low upon my forhead as to cover all my eyes and offend my nose when I put my head backwards to look upwards. [Illustration: FIG. 51. Stripping the dead (Bayeux Tapestry).]