The schiavona is a Venetian sword of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a flattened elliptical form of basket-hilt forming a complete protection to the hand, which can still move freely. In this hilt the first finger was always passed over the quillon, and the superadded guard to protect it gives the hilt an elongated form. It derives its name from the “Schiavoni,” the Doge’s guards. The illustration of this weapon here given (Fig. 46) is of a sword in the author’s collection. Scottish broadswords with practically this hilt, although there are intermediate stages, are often erroneously called “claymores,” while, as a matter of fact, the Scottish weapon so called was a long two-handed sword, with quillons usually tending diagonally upwards, that is towards the blade; and, indeed, it is considered questionable by some authorities whether any basket-hilted sword whatever was in general use in Scotland long before the eighteenth century began. Mr. Parker Brewis, in an able paper[40] on “Four Basket-hilted Swords in the collection at the Castle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,” writes as follows, viz.:--“This type of sword is commonly known as ‘Claymore,’ which is the English phonetic of two Celtic words, meaning ‘Great Sword.’ It was originally applied to the great two-handed swords of Scotland, but when the true claymore was gradually superseded by the basket-hilted weapon, the old name, as conveying the idea of a Highland sword, was retained, owing to long habit, notwithstanding that it was inappropriate.” The “mortuary” hilt, so named from a number of swords with this basket-hilt having been made in memory of King Charles I., was the broadsword of the Commonwealth, and the Scottish form is obviously an amalgamation of the schiavona with the mortuary. The basket-hilted sword was certainly common in England in the second quarter of the seventeenth century, and there is no reason why it should not have crossed the border long before the eighteenth century, and that it had done so is certain from the fact that mortuary hilts were largely made in the island of Islay. The ordinary Scottish basket-hilted broadsword blades bearing the name Andrea Ferara, with numerous variations, were certainly not made by the great master of Belluno, but most of these were forged in the seventeenth century. Of course, it is often the case that blade and hilt are not contemporaneous, and old Ferara and even claymore blades were frequently adapted to the newer fashion, and these cases give rise to some difficulty. The colichemarde is a late seventeenth century fencing sword, with a blade very broad at the “fort,” and exceedingly narrow at the “foible”--the change from one to the other is very sudden. This sword was only in use for a brief period. Some of the swords of the seventeenth century were very long. The cutlass or hanger of this period is usually without quillons, but has a counter-guard.