THAI'. VI,] 



THE CRUSADES. 



183 



The heavy cavalry in particular constituted the main 

 strength of the army. Tt was divided into cuirassiers 

 and hussars, and they were all included under the term 

 " Towarzirz," ^ or " companions," as they were all of equal 

 rank to each other, and to the king, who was only 

 primus inter pares and accustomed to address them 

 by the term companions.^ The cuirassiers were clad in 

 cuirasses and helmets of steel, and carried the lance, the 

 sabre, and the bow. The horses were also provided with 

 defensive armour. The hussars wore a hauberk, and 

 depended mainly upon the sabre.^ At a later period these 

 horsemen carried two sabres, one slung on the side of the 

 rider, the other under his left thigh fastened to the 

 saddle. Both were distinguished by the splendour of 

 their equipment, and the number and quality of the 

 mounted servants who followed them into action. Furs 

 and the skins of beasts were much used in their dress.* 



They seem to have fought in action in the middle ages 

 somewhat in the same way as the knights of chivalry, 

 the nobles or Towarzirz fighting in the front rank, and 

 their servants or attendants forming in rear to aid and 

 assist them.^ Afterwards the Polish hussars were formed 

 up in squadrons, of 100 hussars in the front rank, with 

 four ranks in rear composed of the four servants of each 

 hussar. These servants were lightly armed horsemen. 

 The hussars according to Zeddler carried lances nineteen 

 feet long with a coloured pennon.^ 



At a very early period we read in Eussian history of 

 bands of soldiers called Drujina or Droojins. They seem 

 to have been a sort of guard or retinue, formed of the 

 ruling class, which was always maintained by the Russian 

 princes. They occupied a very honourable position, being 

 a nobility or sort of council in time of peace, and a coiys 

 d' elite in time of war. The Drujina at first were com- 

 posed exclusively of the Varegues, but after a time they 

 were increased by the introduction into their ranks of 

 those of the natives who were most distmguished for 



' Salvandy, ii. 128. 

 i. 62. 8 Ibid. 64. 



« Zeddler, ii. 285. 



2 Ibid. ii. 129 ; Coyer's Hist de Sobieski, 

 * Alison, i. 353, ^ Bardin, 3538. 



