we mu(V carry on our Inquiry , and examin whether 
they agree with any of the Jrmt of fome other an- 
tient Nation that made Figure in Britain. 
§. 4. Our Ancefiors the Saxons will have no Qiare 
in this Inquiry, For tis plain from the Hijiory of 
them given by Verflegan^ and the publifh’d alfo 
by him, that Spears, Halberds^ Shields^ Crofs^borrsy 
Swordfy f which were broad and borving^ fbmewhat in 
fafhion of a Sythel) and Hatchetts, which they call’d 
Bills, were the Arms made ufe of by them 5 nor did 
the Weapons of the Danes that fucceeded them much 
vary if at all. Coming from the fame Parts they usM 
the fame Cufioms in their Military Undertakings, For 
tho’ the Normans endeavour’d to make an iniire Alterati- 
on, yet they found the Attempt impradicable, and they 
were forc’d to acquiefee, and lay afide their Propofals, 
which thwarted fo very much thofe antient Cufioms that 
were here generally entertain’d, and receiv’d. But how- 
ever notwithftanding thefe Injiruments do not refemble 
either the Saxon or Danifj Military Arms, yet I find 
in iVormiusS Mufeum (p) two Cimbric Injiruments wirh 
which they have fome Ukenefs, Thefe he tells us were 
of Erafs, and he calls them Wedges, The larger of 
them was five Inches in length, and three in Breadth. 
He is of opinion that they were us’d in the Wars, ef- 
pccially when the Armies were verp near each other. If 
they had Holes by which they might have been fix’d to 
Helves he would have believ’d them to he Battle-Axes^ 
but being neither hollow (as ours arej) nor having no 
other way of being faften’d to other Injiruments, hecon- 
cluded that the Name of Wedges might be mold proper, 
A very ingenious Gentleman fome time fihee inform’d me 
(r) P^g. 354. 
O 0 o 2 that 
