CHAP. 



VII,] 



DECLINE OF FEUDALISM. 



223 



and 



the 



and 



The companies of gendarmerie were heavily armed. 

 The man-at-arms was armed from head to foot in plate 

 armour like the knight, and for weapons carried the 

 short lance, a two-handed, sword, and a battle-axe or 

 mace.^ The archers and esquires, less heavily armed, had 

 the cross-bow, the lance, sword and poignard, and the 

 mace which hung at the saddle-bow. They wore an 

 iron breastplate over the coat of mail. Some wore the 

 hauberk or brigandine, a light cuirass made of scales of 

 iron sewn on leather. 



About the same time Charles VII. organised the free 

 archers, which were established on the principle of each 

 parish furnishing one archer chosen by kings' officers 

 called ''elu." The most skilful bowman v/as to be selected 

 and equipped with helmet, sword, dagger and brigandine, 

 and he was obliged every Sunday and feast-day to 

 practise archery fully equipped in his arms, for a certain 

 length of time in order to become dexterous in their 



2 



use 



The archer was exempt from all charges and taxes of 

 every kind, and while under pay received four francs 

 a month from the parish. This was not, properly 

 speaking, a permanent force, but a species of militia. 

 Louis XI. increased the effective force of archers to 

 1G,000 men. They were divided into four corps of 4,000 

 each, and each corps was subdivided into eight com- 

 panies of 500 each.' The force, however, being composed 

 of men drilled singly to the use of the bow, but having 

 no opportunity of acquiring that mutual confidence and 

 regularity of movement which constant exercising in 

 bodies in time of peace always produces, proved when 

 brought together for a campaign to be of little use, and 

 to have lowered the character of the French infantry to 

 a great extent, so much so, that the kings endeavoured 

 to supply themselves with foot-soldiers by mercenaries 

 hired from abroad. Louis XL commenced the practice 

 of employing Swiss, a custom that was in use in France 

 till the Revolution.* He had at one time as many as 



Gay de Vernon, 8. " Duparcq. ii. U. ^ Ibid. 15. ♦ Ibid. 16. 



