Bows and arrows (continued); firehooks  Book III, Chapter 17, Section 1e
 



Long bow or hand bow
 69. He beareth a Long bow, or a Hand Bow bent. When Archery was used in warfare, the Bow was the onely Instrument, and engine to kill at a distance, and to keep the enimy aloofe not permitting him to approach neere vs.
In the bent of this Bow (in number 69) is based an arrow slaven.
[Omitted from proof plate]


Long bows
 70. He beareth two long Bowes bent, the strings counterposed.


Long bows
 71. He beareth two long Bowes bent in salter enterlaced.


Long bows
 72. He beareth two long bowes bent in salter, and one in pale fretted, or interlaced.

Related text(s)   Bow parts

Indian bow
 73. He beareth an Indian Bow, fringed.
In the dexter side is a warlike Instrument called a Mace, or warre Mace, or combateing Mace with a square head, and I so terme it because there is other kind of fighting Maces, as in Num. 83. haueing round heads, and forcked heads, which in our late warr Anno 1644. We called Round heads and were used for the defence of our walls in tyme of scaleing.
[Omitted from proof plate]


Broad arrow
 74. He beareth in this quarter, foure sorts of Instruments for slaughter. I shall give examples of each of them in particular, as First, is the Broad Arrow, which in Blazon is often termed an arrow, a shaft, or Cupids shaft, a feathered dart: also from the Latine, sagitta. It is an Instrument reconned to be one of the number of weapons destinated to avengement.


Bird bolt
 The second is termed a Bolt, it is an arrow with a round or halfe round bobb at the head end of it, with a sharp pointed arrow head proceeding therefrom.


Dart with pheon head
 The Third Instrument in this quarter (numb.74) is a dart with a pheon head.
The fourth is an arrow with an hooke at the end of it, but for what use the invention of it was, I am yet to learne.
[Omitted from the proof plate, but see the next drawing]


Arrowheads
 Drawing captioned: Arrow heads of several forms
[Not included on proof plate]

Related text(s)   Arrow parts

Sheaf of arrows
 75. He beareth a sheave of Arrowes.
Some beare the Arrowes thus, six and fiue in a sheaue, and bound about with a garter Buckled.
The Bow and Arrowes signifie a man resolued to abide the utmost hazard of Battle, and not to shrink his aduersary, as long as his Missils faile him not (that is) those darts, arrowes, stones, or what euer else he hath to throw or shoot at them.


Turkish quiver of arrows
 76. He beareth a Turkish Quiver with Arrowes, with a Belt or Girdle to tye about the midle, or hang it ouer the shoulders.


Quiver of arrows
 77. He beareth a Quiver, Banded, and replenished with Arrowes.


Arrows
 78. He beareth two Arrowes, Banded or tyed, the ends of the strings extended.


Arrow with serpent
 79. He beareth fiue Arrowes enwrapped with a serpent.


Knotted club
 80. He beareth a Knotted club, or a Giants club.


Forked club
 81. He beareth a Forked club. This is termed also a Giants forked or Nayed club.
[Several images]


Kible
 82. He beareth a Kible or club, and a black bill.


Black bill
 The Black bill, or Hedging bill, is an Instrument used both in warre, and also in domestick affaires, by Labourers and husbandmen, and by reason thereof, is generally knowne by the name of an hedging bill: It hath a cutter and a putter from her as the countrey man termes it and to such the staffe or handle is a yard and halfe long or thereaboutes, because it is used with both hands, and in warre is termed, a black bill.


Hedging bill
 83. He beareth an Hedging bill Iron, or the head and Iron part of an Hedging bill: after this forme the Germane Heraulds draw it without any streight point as the last, an is called an hand bill or working bill, haveing an handle at it about three quarters of a yard long when rightly furnished.


War mace
On the dexter side of this quarter is the figure of a round headed, warre Mace, or a warre mace set with forkes. In the late civill warre in England 1645 in the seige of Chester the cittizens thereof for the defence of the walls in their severall tymes of assaulting the walls used such kind of weapons as this, being an ash staffe with a round head set full of spikes or Iron nayles, which they called round heads, in derision of them that beseiged the citty, who were called Round-heads.
[Omitted from proof plate]


Bill
 84. He beareth a yarthing hooke, (or yarthing forke) in bend sinister, and a Bill in salter. The bill is a warre Instrument, and is of some termed a Danish bill; because such weapons the Danes brought with them when they first invaded this land.
This was of old called a Gisarmes, Gysarmes or Guisarmes. As appeareth by the statute made 13 Edw. 1. Wherein it was ordered that euery man that had 40 shillings of his own land was to haue a Gysames, &c. Which Mr. Spelman in his Glossary takes to be a Kind of Armes with a long handle and a stretched out point, with two edges wherewith an enimy may be both kept of and Wounded; which if I be not deceived is noe other then an old British Bill or Twibill. Of some termed Sisarms.


Yarthing hook or fork
 The yarthing Hooke, or forke is an Instrument of Husbandry as well as warre.


Halberd
 85. He beareth an Halbert: the handle or staffe issuant in base. This is according to its largnesse, and use either with two hands or single hand, termed an Halbert, a Polax or a Battle Axe.


Roman halberd
 86. He beareth a Roman Halbert, Polax, or Hatchett and a fire hook. I haue cause them to be set togathere to shew their forme and fashion.
First the Roman Halbert, or Hatchett; is an Instrument used by the old Romans in their warrs, and is answerable to our Halbert, with a long handle, but hath a parcell of rods or staves bound about the higher end to make it more weighty (as I suppose).


Fire hook
 Secondly the Fire hooke with a ring, is a Large hooke fixed on the end of a long strong pole: and is for pulling downe of houses that are on fire, therby to prevent its further progresse: the ring in the midle, is to fixe a rope thereat, that by the help of more hands, and strength may be used to it, for the speedy execution of the worke it is about.


Fire hooks
 87. Here in this quarter, is the forme and fashion of two other kind of fire hookes, one with a pike or sharp point, and the other with a speare head, or broad head end, both which Iron hookes (without their poles) are frequently borne in Armes amongst the Dutch and Germane gentry.


Previous section  

 

 
icon  Back to Main Text and Picture index  

[Table of Contents] [Picture Index] [Image List]
[Table of Subjects] [Text Index]   [Ms Pages]
[Introduction: Randle Holme and The Academy of Armory] [Introduction: Editing the CD-ROM]
[Copyright details] [Site map] [Guided Tour]



icon  © 2000 The British Library Board