SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS— H. 481 



The Eastern Counties may be considered as a non-fairy district, and 

 stories of the human midwife called in to attend a fairy birth are rare, but 

 they do exist. This also applies to changeling lore and fairy interference 

 with birth and babies. 



The use of the caul as a protection against dangers and to confer desirable 

 talents on the owner is essentially English. With disposal of the placenta 

 and inferences to be drawn from it, the caul and membranes provide a 

 considerable part of the birth customs and folk-lore in the Eastern Counties. 



Beliefs that midwives have special powers to enable them to be in attend- 

 ance at the birth is widely spread. Christening customs and observances 

 during lying-in and for the first months of the child's life are interesting and 

 are practised all over the Eastern Counties. 



Rt. Hon. Lord Raglan. — Survivals in dress (11.50). 



European society has always contained groups which wore garments that 

 had gone out of fashion ; examples are judges' wigs, military and ecclesias- 

 tical uniforms, and peasant costumes. 



All these survivals were once the fashionable court costumes of the day, 

 and the reasons for their survival are unknown. It is clear, however, that 

 the widespread belief that peasants invent costumes is quite unfounded, as is 

 the belief that garments were invented to fulfil the functions which they now 

 serve. Wigs, now associated with the majesty of the law, were invented for 

 court dandies, and this and analogous facts show the absurdity of trying to' 

 put speculation in the place which can only be occupied by history. 



Mr. Charles ffoulkes, C.B., O.B.E. — The equipment of the soldier 

 throughout the ages : its merits and disadvantages (12.20). 



The Greeks and Romans were armed in a more or less practical manner, 

 and what weapons they had were well suited for their purpose. 



With the decline of the Roman Empire Europe relapsed into semi- 

 barbarism, and the art of metal working was almost lost. The fighting man 

 was equipped mostly in leather or quilted fabrics, fairly adequate protection 

 against primitive weapons. 



With the improvement in metal working, small plates were added to 

 leather and linen, but none of these were great hindrances to a convenient 

 and rapid movement. 



The Norman troops were equipped with a pointed helmet, the first 

 attempt at a ' glancing ' surface, but were considerably hampered by the 

 skirts of the hauberk and long, unwieldy shields. 



With the thirteenth century we find the soldier hopelessly encumbered 

 by his panoply, the useful pointed helmet gives place to the cumbrous flat 

 topped helm and the whole body is covered with chain armour under which 

 is a thick quilted gambeson. Swords are badly constructed, useless for the 

 point and badly balanced for the cut. 



By degrees the skill of the metal worker progressed, and plate was added 

 to mail till in 1400 a full suit of plate appears. During the foregoing period 

 the horse was encased in long housings, very protective but entirely prevent- 

 ing any rapid movement. 



The long-bow and the lance had become the decisive weapons in battle, 

 and as the shield could only be used for defence in close quarter fighting, 

 the mounted man had to be completely protected with plate which would 

 oppose glancing surfaces to all weapons. Many of these pieces were 

 fastened with straps, the cutting of which rendered the wearer hors-de- 

 combat, and the weight of the armour was so great that, when unhorsed, the 



