o serve the King in foreign wars, Henry II obtained the means
to hire soldiers. By a law reviving the national militia, composed of
freemen below the rank of knights, the King made himself in a
considerable measure independent of the barons with respect to raising
troops.

268. Armor; Heraldry.

The linked or mail armor now began to be superseded by that made of
pieces of steel joined together so as to fit the body. This, when it
was finally perfected, was called plate armor, and was both heavier
and stronger than mail.

With the introduction of plate armor and the closed helmet it became
the custom for each knight to wear a device, called a crest, on his
helmet, and also to have one called a coat of arms (because originally
worn on a loose coat over the armor).

The coat of arms served to distinguish the wearer from the others, and
was of practical use not only to the followers of a great lord, who
thus knew him at a glance, but it served in time of battle to prevent
the confusion of friend and foe. Eventually, coats of arms became
hereditary, and the descent, and to some extent the history, of a
family can be traced by them. In this way heraldry may often prove
helpful in gaining knowledge of men and events.

269. Chivalry; Tournaments.

The profession of arms was regulated by certain rules, by which each
knight solemnly bound himself to serve the cause of religion and the
King, and to be true, brace, and courteous to those of his own rank,
to protect ladies (women of gentle birth), and succor all persons in
distress. Under Edward III the system of knighthood and chivalry
reached its culmination and began to decline.

One of the grotesque features of the attack of France was an
expedition of English knights with one eye bandaged; this half-bling
company having vowed to partially renounce their sight until they did
some glorious deed. The chief amusement of the nobles and knights was
the tournament, a mock combat fought on horseback, in full armor,
which sometimes ended in a real battle. At these entertainments a
lady was chosen queen, who gave prizes to the victors.

270. The Use of the Long Bow; Introduction of Cannon; Wars.

The common weapon of the yeomen, or foot soldiers, was the long bow.
It was made of yew-tree wood, and was the height of the user. Armed
with this weapon, the English soldiers proved themselves irresistable
in the French wars, the French having no native archers of any
accoun