cavalier's sword found at egginton. 77 



finding his capture inevitable, thrust it securely into the 

 thatch; or, deeming an unimpeded retreat the wisest course, 

 thus hid awhile his weapon, hoping to regain it, and to " live 

 to fight another day." 



But whoever was the owner, and under whatever circum- 

 stances he parted with his sword, he was clearly a Cavalier 

 of no small repute, for the weapon is of exceptional quality, 

 and was, in its day, far too expensive an adjunct to be 

 possessed by any ordinary soldier. This statement is borne 

 out by the fact that with the exception of some details in 

 the chasing, it is identical with the sword of the Earl of 

 Lindsey, who was killed at Edgehill in 1642, and which bears 

 his arms. 



The blades of Andrea Ferara attained a world-wide reputa- 

 tion, and have always been exceptionally popular in Britain. 

 In consequence, they have been re-hilted with every change 

 of fashion, from his time down to our own, for it may safely 

 be stated that during the last three hundred years they have 

 been present in every great British battle, and our officers, 

 especially of the Highland Brigade, cling to them to-day with 

 the faith of tradition. 



James Ray, in his History of the Rebellion of 1745, p. 160, 

 recounts a personal incident at the Angel Inn, Macclesfield, 

 where, to escape arrest as a spy by the Highlanders, he hid 

 his arms in the tester of his bed, namely: — 



My Highland pistols which were a piece of curious workmanship, the 

 stock as well as the lock and barrel being of polished steel ingraved and 

 inlaid with silver, and ... my sword which was of the Highland 

 make by that curious workman Andrew Ferrara. 



The blade of the sword of Rob Roy, preserved at Abbots- 

 ford, also is the work of Andrea Ferara, and Sir Walter Scott, 

 in a note to Waverley, says that all the Scottish broadswords 

 inscribed with his name were accounted of peculiar excellence. 



Of Andrea himself we know little. Mr. J. B. Caldecott, 

 however, calls attention to the fact that he is mentioned in 

 Giovan Matthio Cigogna's Tratato Militare, Venice, 1583, 

 p. 62 : — 



