RETERSING SHOES. 401 



one of these hobbies. The artist has exerted himself to 

 show not only the shoes and nails, but in some of 

 his illustrations he has even made manifest the latter in 

 their passage through the hoof. The calkins and nail- 

 heads are certainly very massive and clumsy-looking, 

 though there can be no doubt they would afford a power- 

 ful hold of the ground. The presence of calkins had, 

 besides, another advantage for those who were inclined to 

 resort to a stratagem like that already described when 

 speaking of Spain. When Robert Bruce returned to 

 London with King Edward in 1302 (some accounts say 

 1305), his associate, Cumyn, treacherously betrayed him; 

 but a secret friend gave him due notice of his danger by 

 a present of a purse and a pair of spurs. This hint the 

 Scottish champion was shrewd enough to understand, 

 and made his escape, as Hollingshed ' tells us, by ' causing 

 a smith to shoo three horses for him, contrarilie with the 

 calking^ forward, that it should not be perceived which 

 waie he had taken by the track of the horsses, for that 

 the ground at that time was covered with snowe, he 

 (Robert Bruce) departed out of London about midnight.' 

 Lest we forget to remember at the proper moment, it 

 may be here stated, that a similar ruse was adopted by 

 Duke Christopher of Wiirtemburg in 1530. When that 

 nobleman fortunately freed himself by flight from the 

 power of the Emperor Charles V., he reversed the position 

 of his horse's shoes, and thus made his pursuers believe 

 he was going in a contrary direction. 



' Historic of Scotland. Year 1302. 



" The word calkin or calking would appear to be derived from the 

 Latin calyx, the heel, or calcare, to tread. 



26 



