428 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



Black Prince, was the most glorious, perhaps, in the 

 annals of chivalry. Then, gentlemen scorned the idea of 

 fighting otherwise than on horseback, and the universal 

 motto of the knighthood of Europe was ' Tout Famor, 

 tout a I'honor ; ' then the squire, during his final period 

 of probation, groomed, trained, and shod his own horses ; 

 practised leaping, running, and mounting on horseback, 

 clad in all his armour, and resolutely attacked the 

 quintain ; and the most menial offices were raised to an 

 honourable degree by the dignity of the person who per- 

 formed them. But of all the services rendered by the 

 squire to the knight, the most important were naturally 

 those which were connected directly or indirectly with the 

 grand object of the lives of both, war. ' When the 

 knight mounted his horse, the squires of his body held 

 his stirrup ; and other squires carried the various pieces 

 of his armour, such as the brassards, the gauntlets, the 

 helmet, and the buckler, on the road behind him. With 

 regard to the cuirass, or hauberk, the knight was no less 

 careful of its preservation than the Greek and Roman 

 soldiers were of their bucklers. Other squires bore the 

 pennon, the lance, and the sword. When only on a 

 journey, the knight rode a short-tailed, ambling-paced 

 horse— a palfrey or a courser ; and the war-horses were 

 led by the squires, who by always leading them in their 

 right hand, obtained for them the name of " dextriers." 

 The war-horse was delivered to the knight on the appear- 

 ance of an enemy, or when he was about entering the 

 field of battle : this was what they called " mounting the 

 great horse." ' 



When travelling, the squire carried his master's hel- 



