FORTIFICATION. 145 



nects the towers is likewise devoted to defence. The round building; 

 (fig- 3), which represents the gate at Brussels (towards Namur), has also 

 an inner court for defence. In most cases there will be found, besides 

 the main gate, a small gate for foot passengers {pi. 44, figs. 12 and 13). 

 Between the two main gates there was yet another means of defence, 

 namely, a grating of strong iron bars or oak beams (portcullis, jo/. 46, fig. 4, 

 view ; fig. 5, plan), which was usually kept hoisted (by means of a wind- 

 lass), and dropped only at the moment of need. This grate, B, lay between 

 the two gateways, A and B, in a groove in the wall of the two gate towers, 

 DD. Then double portcullises were found, as the groove in the section 

 fig. 7 shows. Fig. 6 shows the inner view of this gate, with the wicket 

 which led upon the tower and to the machinery of the portcullis. 



e. Towers. The long lines of fortification were flanked by towers, and 

 important points of the works were also strengthened by such towers ; they 

 were of various forms, sometimes rectangular and vertical, as the towers 

 of Narbonne, with small watch-towers at the corners (pi. 45, fig. 3), round, 

 oval, conical, pyramidal, triangular, with the corners cut off, and battle- 

 ments like the tower of Beaucaire {fig. 2) ; this last when they were at 

 very salient angles. Frequently they were strengthened by buttresses 

 running from bottom to top, as in the tower of Vez {fig. 4). 



/. Battlements, Turrets. The crest of the wall was set with a kind 

 of stone shield, the battlements, behind which the defenders found shelter 

 from the hostile missiles, and which were in use as early as the time of 

 Homer. The battlements received the greatest variety of forms, and were 

 always wider than the intervals between them. They were either square 

 above {fig. 6), or pointed, or round {fig. 7), or crenellated {fig. 9), or pyra- 

 midical {fig. 8), or furnished with a little sloping roof, as in the Palace of 

 Justice at Paris {fig. 10). 



g. Machicoulis. Windows and turrets were furnished also with certain 

 defences to gall the foe at the foot of the wall. For this purpose there lay 

 above the windows and gates small projections (machicoulis), with openings 

 in their floors {pi. 44, fig. 10, of the Hotel de Sens at Paris), through which 

 stones, melted lead, hot pitch, or the like, could be dropped upon the 

 assailants. The advantage of such contrivances was very soon perceived, 

 and the whole wall was provided with similar openings. The crest of the 

 wall in the old Bastile displays this arrangement ; pi. 45, fig. 12, B, are the 

 battlements : A, is one of those openings, which, as is seen, went from the 

 crest of the wall through the cornice ; in time of peace they were closed 

 with grates. Fig. 13 shows the whole arrangement more clearly in section: 

 A is the wall ; C, the battlement ; and B, the moucharaby or machicoulis, 

 which goes through the cornice, D. The walls of Avignon {fig. 14) and 

 :)f the castle of Mehun {fig. 11), &c., had similar arrangements. 



h. Platforms. The towers had, above the battlements, either conical 

 or pyramidal roofs, or they were covered at top with a flat platform. For 

 the protection of the watchmen stationed upon them, there were little 

 turrets at the corners {pL 44, fig. 4) ; and to shelter the steps from the rain 

 a tower was erected over the stairway, the lantern {fig. 7). 



62] 



