32 The History of the Spur 



perforated with two small circular apertures, to which the 

 upper and lower straps were attached by means of hooks. This 

 is about the first time we have seen this method of attachment 

 by means of hooks. It became universal later on. There is 

 a short, straight neck, round in section, and about an inch 

 long ; from this springs a four-sided point, also about an inch 

 in length. The total length of this spur is five and three-quarter 

 inches, with a spread of the sides of little more than three 

 inches, just about enough to embrace a heel covered with chain- 

 mail. Both this spur and the preceding one I imagine, from 

 their straight sides, to belong to the early part of the twelfth 

 century. 



On Plate 12 are figured three spurs taken from the effigies 

 of the Knights Templar in the Temple Church, London. They 

 are interesting as showing how little the fashion of spurs 

 altered, at all events among the Templars, in a hundred years. 

 The earliest is on the effigy of the Earl of Essex, a.d, 1144. 

 It has depressed sides, curving under the ankle-bone, and 

 prolonged forwards so as to bring the ends well to the front 

 of the foot. The sides end in a loop, through which one strap 

 passes over the instep and under the sole. There is a very 

 short neck connecting the heel-plate with a four-sided pyramidal 

 point. The total length is about seven inches. The second one 

 is from the effigy of the Earl of Pembroke, a.d. 1219, and is 

 very similar to the first in size and in other respects. There 

 appears here to be no neck at all, and the six-sided point is 

 attached directly to the heel-plate. The third illustration is 

 taken from the effigy of Baron de Ros, a.d. 1241, and is also 



