This course first appeared in Germany about 1510, but it doubtless originated in Italy, as its name implies, and the Italian name for barrier is “pallia.” It was fought with lances tipped with a coronal, the same as in “the German Gestech,” but the main difference between that course and the others under discussion is the presence of a wooden barrier about five feet high, along which the two riders charge, with it between them. In this course the legs and feet were generally armoured, though there were exceptions to the rule. There are very full particulars in _Freydal_, the book in which the tournaments of the reign of the Emperor Maximilian I. are drawn and described; and this form of tournament is figured in the tournament roll of King Henry VIII. preserved in the Heralds’ College. The knights in their career had to hold their lances on the left side of the horse’s head. Originally the main intention was to unhorse: still the splintering of lances was of more frequent occurrence than in the before-named courses, as the saddle here was furnished with high front and rear supports, rendering it in fact “well” shaped, so that the riders sat much more firmly in their seats than on the “renn” saddles, especially those which were without supports. Soon after the middle of the sixteenth century a change took place in the armour for tournaments; and with this came a modification in the lances also, which became lighter, so that they mostly splintered on impact, and in such cases the riders were but rarely hurled from their saddles. For the later Italian course harnesses were worn, as in Fig. 7. [Illustration: Fig. 6.--Tilting Suit at Nuremberg, for the German Gestech.] [Illustration: Fig. 7.--Tournament Suit for the Italian Course (Welsches Gestech).] [Illustration: Fig. 8.--An Italian Course at Augsburg in 1510 (Welsches Gestech).] The helm for this course differs somewhat from that worn in the others in being provided with a little opening or window on the right side for fresh air. The cuirass is not flattened on that side, as in Fig. 6. There are other differences, all of which may be seen on a suit in the Armeria Real de Madrid. In the old form of “Welsche Gestech” the rider wore sometimes the armour used for the ordinary “Stechen” course. In Leitner’s _Freydal_ an example is figured; and there is an actual harness, by Wolf von Speyer of Annaberg, in the Turnierwaffen-Saal at Dresden. The illustration (Fig. 8) gives an excellent rendering of this course as it was run between Duke Wilhelm IV. of Bavaria and the Pfalzgraf Friedrich bei Rhein, at Augsburg, in 1510. It has been taken from Duke Wilhelm’s tournament book. THE FREITURNIER, OR FREE COURSE.