42 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



which yet remain erect, and as the host of knights, squires, and men-at-arms 

 defile before him, kindles them by glowing words to deeds of valor in the 

 coming combat. 



In the last decade of the fifteenth century arose that tedious strife 

 between France and Hapsburg. In France the ban and arriere-ban were 

 no more, the German vassals disowned their homage to the Emperor ; 

 but France had formed its " compagnies d'ordonnance," the " hommes 

 d'armes," a paid standing army, from which came forth her Bayard, 

 La Tremouille, La Police ; and Maximilian I., the young hero full 

 of "precious thoughts," deserted by the nobility of his hereditary states, 

 must, if he would maintain the dignity of World-ruler, be the founder of a 

 new war system. He created the " good Landsknechts," by assembling 

 the rude burghers and peasants of his Austrian patrimony under his banners, 

 arming them after the Swiss fashion with long spears, halberts, and swords, 

 having them taught to keep rank and file, to wield the lance, and form the 

 " porcupine." Remarkable is it, that in the very year which saw the 

 defence of the German empire pass from the hands of the nobles into those 

 of the peasants, the year 1487, the last tournament of four nations should 

 have been held at Worms. Ludwig von Rheinach, Christoph von Kammer, 

 Otto von Lichtenstein, and Friedrich Kammerer von Dalberg were the last 

 tourney kings ; and after the Countess Palatine had bestowed upon Conrad, 

 knight of Ahelfingen, the prize of victorf (pL 17, fig. 11), the four tourney 

 kings, with the chief victor and one of the nobles of each of the four nations, 

 had their escutcheons set up for show. Thus ended the German knight- 

 hood. 



The constitution of the German soldiery was at this time very free. No 

 conscription or canton service carried the sons of the German boor or 

 burgher to the standard ; they went of their own accord, but they demanded 

 even in the imperial camp, securities for their burgher privileges, and these 

 were promised them by the Emperor. So often, therefore, as a ruler needed 

 an army, he gave to some distinguished warrior a commission as general-in- 

 chief, with the license to raise a regiment of Landsknechts, but at the same 

 time the "statute brief" also, that is, the constitution and the usage by 

 which the prince would hold his soldiery. To the term regiment, however, 

 we must not attach the quantitative idea of our own times, but to "raise a 

 regiment" meant then to call an army together under the written constitu- 

 tion, founding as it were a military empire. As soon as the war chief had 

 his brief, and the place of meeting and muster was appointed, he chose his 

 lieutenant and deputy, and as many officers as he had companies to raise. 

 These were then to " beat about," all over the country, for recruits, and 

 persuade creditable and eflfective fellows to the war game. Admission into 

 the ranks of the " good Landsknechts" stood not open indeed to every land- 

 louper, but the candidate must appear well armed and well clad, and thus 

 only people of some means could follow the recruiting drum. When 

 assembled, an imperial or royal muster-chief made his appearance, with 

 war-counsellors and muster-clerks, and every single man was carefully 

 examined in respect to his person, arms, &c. All the best armed, being 

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