e art of the blacksmith
and the forge. In Germany cannon were made of bronze, and these
were simply cast.

Cross bows obtained great favour in Spain, even after the arquebuse
had come into use. It was considered a safer weapon to the one
who used it. An old writer in 1644 remarks, "It has never been
known that a man's life has been lost by breaking the string or
cord, two things which are dangerous, but not to a considerable
extent,"... and he goes on "once set, its shot is secure, which
is not the case with the arquebus, which often misses fire." There
is a letter from Ambassador Salimas to the King of Hungary, in
which he says: "I went to Balbastro and there occupied myself in
making a pair of cross bows for your Majesty. I believe they will
satisfy the desires which were required... as your Majesty is annoyed
when they do not go off as you wish." It would seem as though his
Majesty's "annoyance" was justifiable; imagine any one dependent
upon the shot of a cross bow, and then having the weapon fail to
"go off!" Nothing could be more discouraging.

[Illustration: ENAMELLED SUIT OF ARMOUR]

There is a contemporary treatise which is full of interest,
entitled, "How a Man shall be Armed at his ease when he shall Fight
on Foot." It certainly was a good deal of a contract to render
a knight comfortable in spite of the fact that he could see or
breathe only imperfectly, and was weighted down by iron at every
point. This complete covering with metal added much to the actual
noise of battle. Froissart alludes to the fact that in the battle of
Rosebeque, in 1382, the hammering on the helmets made a noise which
was equal to that of all the armourers of Paris and Brussels working
together. And yet the strength needed to sport such accoutrements
seems to have been supplied. Leon Alberti of Florence, when clad
in a full suit of armour, could spring with ease upon a galloping
horse, and it is related that Aldobrandini, even with his right
arm disabled, could cleave straight through his opponent's helmet
and head, down to the collar bone, with a single stroke!

One of the richest suits of armour in the world is to be seen at
Windsor; it is of Italian workmanship, and is made of steel, blued
and gilded, with wonderfully minute decorations of damascene and
applique work. This most ornate armour was made chiefly for show,
and not for the field: for knights to appear in their official
capacity, and for jousting at tournaments, whi