THE KING'S MIRROR 



carefully braced so that it cannot be shaken though 

 one leaps violently upon it. Wide shields and chain mail 

 of every sort are good defensive weapons on shipboard; 

 the chief protection, however, is the gambison made of 

 soft linen thoroughly blackened, good helmets, and low 

 caps of steel. There are many other weapons that can 

 be used in naval fights, but it seems needless to discuss 

 more than those which I have now enumerated. 



XXXVIII 



WEAPONS FOR OFFENSE AND DEFENSE 



Son. Since we now have before us a discussion which 

 teaches chiefly how a man must prepare himself to meet 

 his enemies in attack and defense, it seems to me that 

 it would be well to say something about how one has 

 to fight on land, on horse or on foot, and in attacking 

 and defending castles. Therefore, if you feel disposed 

 to say anything about such matters, I shall be glad to 

 listen. 



Father. The man who is to fight on horseback needs 

 to make sure, as we have already stated, that he is 

 thoroughly trained in all the arts of mounted warfare. 

 For his horse he will need to provide this equipment: * 

 he must keep him carefully and firmly shod; he must 

 also make sure that the saddle is strong, made with high 

 bows, and provided with strong girths and other saddle- 

 it seems to have been placed along the entire length of the ship, but often, 

 perhaps, only where the ship was lowest. Inside it was braced with strong 

 beams. The plank walk on the outside projected over the edge of the ship and 

 was no doubt in part intended to make it difficult for the enemy to board it. 

 * On the equipment of the horse in medieval warfare, see Aarbogerfor nordisk 

 Oldkyndighed, 1867, 90-97. 



