fastening over the beavor. The evolution of leg-armour is well shown by
the tassets extending, in several plates, below the knee where they
overlap the demi-jambs. There are no genouillères. The lower plates of
the tassets were detachable, those pieces being thus convertible into
tassets of ordinary length.
The shield (A109), embossed with the devices of Burgundy and the Golden
Fleece, was found in the province of Burgos, where it was bought for
seven pesetas. It was purchased for the nation by Alfonso XII. at a cost
of 1,250 pesetas.
The suit A112, plate 28, though of the same pattern as those just
described, is the work of the Italian artificer, Caremolo Mondrone, of
Milan. It is one of two suits presented to the Emperor by the Duke of
Mantua, in gratitude for favours received and anticipated. The gift
elicited the following letter of thanks from Charles (Bertolotti, Arti
minori):
“_Carolus Augustus D. F. C. Romanorum Imperator. III. Princeps consange.
Carissima:_
“_Las armas q. nos truxo Caremolo nos ha parescido muy bien y estamos
muy contento dellas porque son muy bien acabadas ya nostra voluntad, y
lo quedamos del animo con que se embiaro porque lo tenemos bien
conoscido y habemos lo que en el hay para nostras cosas. El nostro para
las vestrases de la misma manera como es razon. Caremolo dira
particularmente lo demas q. toca a las armas. Dat. ex Palencia a quatro
de Septembre an. de MDXXXIIIJ.--Carolus._”
The harness was made in 1534 specially for the African expedition which
the Emperor was planning at that time, and was worn by him on his
triumphal entry into Tunis. The decoration has disappeared, all but a
band of embossed leaves round the border of the tassets. The closeness
of the fit and the flowing lines recall the best days of the armourer’s
art.
The helmet has a pointed visor and beavor in one piece, with
perforations on each side. The breastplate is moderately globose, the
espaliers composed of narrow laminæ bolted on to the breast and
backplates. Rondels defend the armpits. The coudes are large. The
genouillères are composed of narrow articulated plates.
In gratitude for his investiture with the principality of Monteferrato,
the Duke of Mantua, in 1536, sent the Emperor a second suit of armour
(A114--plate 29) by the same artificer, and of the same design:
On receipt of these gifts the Emperor replied in the following terms:
“_Carolus Divina favente Clemencia. Roman. Imp. August. Illustria
Princeps consanguine carissime._
“_Las armas son muy buenas, y nos han parescido en extremo bien y
contentado mucho, y assy nos ha satisfecho el armero al qual havremos
plazer que por nuestro respecto tengais por encomendado. De Alba á 23 de
Julio de 1536.--Carolus._”
The suit appears to have been originally blued and richly damascened in
gold. Most of the decoration and the bluish hue have now disappeared.
Gold palms in relief still remain on certain of the pieces. The extreme
delicacy of the azziminia, imitating cufic inscriptions, testifies to
the extraordinary skill of Caremolo Mondrone. It will be noted that many
of the most important pieces are missing from the suit.
The harness A115-A127 is known as the Cornucopia Suit, from the emblem
which predominates in the scheme of decoration. The Conde de Valencia is
of opinion that it is the work of Desiderius Colman, and was made about
1534. The steel was originally blackened, and the ridges, which
correspond to the bands in the other suits, were engraved and gilded.
Excessive cleaning has greatly marred the beauty of this armour.
The first and fourth figures display the blazoned surcoat, similar to
those shown on the seals of Charles V. as Count of Flanders. Attached to
the fourth figure is a curious burgonet or helmet. The visor is embossed
and gilded in the likeness of a grotesque face, according to the debased
taste of the age. The beavor does not belong to the headpiece. The
helmet A120, which bears Colman’s mark, is similarly embossed with a
gargoyle-like design (plates 30, 103A).
The fifth suit, with vertical bands, made at Augsburg (A128-138), is
known as the Harness of Close Bands to distinguish it from the four
others. It is probably the work of Desiderius Colman. The second figure
(A129--plate 31) is a graceful suit, composed of: armet, with visor and
beavor in one piece (eight reinforcing pieces); gorget; breastplate and
backplate, the former engraved with the image of the Blessed Virgin, the
latter with that of St. Barbara, the two plates united by straps over
the shoulders; espaliers of eight plates; rondel over left armpit;
rere-braces, vambraces, coudes, and gauntlets; close-fitting tassets of
many plates; cuisses, jambs, and chaussettes of mail for the ankles. The
whole suit, everywhere striped or banded, is singularly beautiful and
dignified.
We come now to the work of the great rivals of the Colmans--the Negrolis
of Milan. The suit A139 (plate 31) was made for the Emperor in 1539,
and is at once distinguished from the German suits by the bands crossing
the body horizontally instead of vertically. It was originally
blackened, so as to show up the gold and silver of the decoration.
The morion is beautifully decorated. Over the skull-piece, and parallel
with a beautiful laurelled comb, run two wide bands of gold damascening
that meet over the brow in a fantastic face in relief, surrounded by
acanthus leaves and volutes; the visor is also damascened. The borders
of the helmet are similarly enriched. In gold relief are the letters,
PHILIPPVS IACOBI ET FRATR NEGROLI FACIEBANT MDXXXIX. The cheek-pieces
are decorated with small lions’ heads.
The breast and backplates were adorned with images of the Virgin and St.
Barbara--the latter now missing. The pauldrons, coudes, and genouillères
are very tastefully embossed, and inlaid with lions’ heads, scrolls, and
beautiful foliations, the decoration showing up well on the plain
ground.
The helmet has a reinforcing piece or coif (A140) shaped like a serpent
with scales of gold, and with damascened rosettes--a fine piece of work.
Another fine specimen of Italian make, the artificer of which is
unknown, is the Foot Armour, A147. This was erroneously attributed at
one time to the Marques de Villafranca. It exhibits exquisite designs in
gold azziminia. “Its original style,” remarks the Conde de Valencia,
“partakes at once of the classic Pompeian and the Oriental, and does not
follow the _plateresco_, prevalent at that time; and the whole suit is
distinguished from the makes of Milan and Augsburg by uniting the
richness of parade armour with the smoothness and toughness required for
war.” Note the elegant plume-holder in the shape of an Imperial Eagle,
with the arms of Castile inlaid; and the light backplate, in the form of
a St. Andrew’s Cross, to be worn over a coat of mail.
The armour worn by Charles V. in the unfortunate expedition to Algiers
is shown under the numbers A149-A156. Many pieces are missing. The
pieces composing the first suit do not call for special description.
Jambs, with coverings of mail for the feet, are worn according to the
fashion common in Spain. As in the preceding suits of the same epoch,
the genouillères can hardly be considered as separate pieces, the
laminated cuisses being continued down to the jambs (plate 33).
The barding of the horse (which does not belong to the suit) is
magnificent. It was made (according to Herr Leitner) after the designs
of the famous engraver, Hans Burgmair, and came into the possession of
Charles on the death of his grandfather, Maximilian. It is of steel,
lined with silk, and beautifully scalloped at the edges. The poitrel and
croupière are adorned by allegorical groups, illustrating notable feats
of strength; the figures are in low relief and partly gilded. On the
right side, we see Hercules strangling the serpents, wrestling with
Antæus, slaying the Hydra, and subduing the Minotaur; on the left,
Samson carrying off the gates of Gaza, breaking the lion’s jaws, being
shorn of his locks by Delilah, and pulling down the Temple of Dagon.
Hercules as a child again appears amid embossed foliations on the
chanfron. The croupière is completed above the tail by a dolphin’s head.
The saddle is even richer than the bard, and is adorned with fantastic
figures engraved on steel.
Attached to the second figure of the harness (A151), is a notable helmet
in the form of an eagle. The head and beak form the visor, the legs in
low relief cross the cheek-pieces, and the talons appear to grasp the
beavor, upholding between them the Imperial shield, finely engraved.
This beavor was the subject of keen competition between King Alfonso
XII. and the late Sir Richard Wallace, who, at last, gave it up to His
Catholic Majesty (plate 106).
The figure also shows a fine coat of steel mail, traditionally ascribed
to Charles V. Over this was worn a corselet, protecting the back and
breast, and descending from the shoulders to the waist, diminishing in
breadth till it ends in a point. Attached to it are shoulder-guards of
three plates. This is the only piece of the kind in the Armoury--perhaps
in the world. It was no doubt worn, like the peculiar arm-piece
described on p. 81, over a stout leather jerkin (plate 105).
The light helmet, A154, has a cleverly designed and beautifully executed
crest and visor, which, looked at in front, resembles an eagle’s head;
behind, some monstrous animal’s mask; and sideways, a dolphin.
The light war harness, A157 is incomplete, many of the pieces being in
the Imperial Armoury at Vienna. It was made for the Emperor in 1543, by
Desiderius Colman, at the time of the campaign against the Duke of
Cleves and Francis I. of France. The suit is decorated with the vertical
bands of which Charles was fond, probably because they made him look
taller.
The maker of the suit A159-163 (plate 34) is unknown, but he was
certainly an Italian, and not improbably the illustrious Negroli. The
decoration consists, as usual, of broad vertical bands, inlaid,
alternately of gold and silver; these are cut diagonally by sections of
gold leaves, which festoon all the pieces.
The suit A164 (plate 35) has been immortalised by Titian, in whose
picture (No. 457) in the Prado Gallery, Charles is shown wearing it. The
armourer’s mark proves that it was made in 1544--three years before the
Battle of Mühlberg, where it was worn by the Emperor. This, thinks the
Conde de Valencia, must have been the last suit worn by him in the
field. “The four complete cuirasses, and the extra backplates comprised
in it ... show that the Emperor was then a victim of frequent attacks of
gout, and replaced uncomfortable cuirasses by such as were easier.”
The first figure (A164) has been armed in accordance with Titian’s
portrait. It is composed of breast and backplates, with taces; tassets;
laminated gorget; espaliers reaching to elbows over sleeves of steel
mail; and strong gauntlets with fingers united two and two.
“These pieces, combined with the triple-crest morion, the javelin, and
pistolet K51, fastened to the front bow of the saddle, form the armour
called _herreruelos_, which appeared for the first time in that war, as
related by Nuñez de Alba in his _Dialogos del soldado_, who, being a
soldier himself, was in the 1547 campaign against the Schmalkalden
Protestant League.”
The figure A165 (plate 40) is fitted with pieces of the same suit, after
the portrait attributed to Pantoja de la Cruz in the Escorial Library.
It consists of: armet with visor in two pieces, and a grating over the
beavor; laminated gorget; cuirass with taces; lance-rest; the usual arm
armour; tassets; cuisses, and demi-jambs.
The decoration of the whole Mühlberg harness is simple and tasteful. It
is composed of broad lengths of the metal in its native colour, inlaid
with gold, scalloped or festooned on each side in low relief, and
beautifully etched with figures, foliations, &c., down the middle. This
ornamentation appears on all the pieces, the armet included.
The princes and commanders of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
had a fondness for appearing in Roman garb, which, they fancied, lent
dignity to their carriage. Charles V. was the possessor of a suit of
Roman armour (A188), the work of Bartolommeo Campi, of Pesaro, and, in
the opinion of the Conde de Valencia, the offering of Guidobaldo II.,
Duke of Urbino. That prince’s monogram, the Conde points out, is to be
seen on the backplate gilded in relief. The date of the armour is 1546.
We extract the following notes from the Catalogue:
“A. Angelucci, in his work _Documenti inediti per la storia delle armi
da fuoco italiane_, Turin, 1869, p. 330, publishes a brief extract from
the biography of Campi, written by Promis, which we can amplify, thanks
to the documents which, by the kindness of the Dukes of Alba, we have
been able to consult in their important historical Archives.
“Bartholomew Campi was born at Pesaro in the beginning of the sixteenth
century, being in his youth a goldsmith and engraver of metals, and
making arms and armour of great value, which merited the eulogies of the
celebrated writer Pedro Aretino, in letters addressed from Venice to
Bartholomew Egnazio (1545). At that time he made the armour of Charles
V. In 1547 he directed the fêtes in Pesaro in honour of the wedding of
Guidobaldo II. and Vittoria Farnese; and two years after, he finished
the admirable work of art in gold and silver, which the Municipality of
Pesaro presented to the new-born son of that Prince.
“From 1554 to 1560 probably, he was military engineer in the service of
the Republic of Siena, Venice, and the French Monarch. He assisted at
the siege of Calais. In the latter year, he solicited, unsuccessfully,
in spite of the support of Cardinal Granvela, admittance to the Spanish
Army, and then he returned to France, taking the side of the Catholics
against the Huguenots.
“At last, in 1568, Campi served in Flanders, under the orders of the
Duke of Alba. This illustrious leader gave him a commission, which is in
the Archives of his house, as chief engineer of the fortification and
investment of fortresses, at the monthly salary of 500 escudos
(ordinary) and 50 (extraordinary), and to his son Escipion, besides his
salary, 25 escudos a month as an allowance.
“The Duke of Alba had Campi in such esteem, that in a letter to the
King, dated June 3rd, 1569, he says: ‘I tell Your Majesty that you have
a good man in Captain B. Campi, because he is in truth a soldier and has
art, although not so well-founded as Pachote ... and he is the best man
I have met with since I have known men--I do not say only engineers, but
men of any sort--very steady and happy in his work.’
“The death of Campi occurred, says Bernardino de Mendoza in his
_Commentaries_, as the result of an arquebus-shot through the head, at
the siege of Haarlem, on March 7th, 1573, the grief of the Duke and all
his army being very great.”
This superb panoply (plates 40, 125A) is composed of seven pieces of
blackened steel, decorated with gold and silver damascening, and with
ornaments of gilt bronze. The burgonet is of elegant outline, and bears
a close enough resemblance to a Bœotian casque. It has cheek-pieces in
the Roman style. The comb, visor, and nape are adorned by a wide
damascened band, showing up well on the blackened steel. The helmet is
also girdled by a graceful wreath of oak-leaves in gilt, which
terminates at the nape in two volutes, from which springs the
plume-holder.
The cuirass is a triumph of art, and is moulded in the resemblance of
the human torso, the outlining of the muscles proving that the artificer
was well acquainted with anatomy. At the neck is a square piece,
composed of bands of gold inlaid work. Beneath this is the Medusa’s
head, from which spring two volutes, ending in small silver flowers.
This constitutes the only decoration of the breastplate. Campi’s pride
in his work, and the celerity with which he executed it, are testified
by the inscription, BARTHOLOMEVS CAMPI AVRIFEX TOTIVS OPERIS ARTIFEX
QVOD ANNO INTEGRO INDIGEBAT PRINCIPIS SUI NVTVI OBTEMPERANS GEMINATO
MENSE PERFECIT.
The tace is composed of a series of gilded bronze medallions, showing
classic heads, masks, unicorns, and similar devices. From beneath these
fall the tassets--long strap-like pieces of several laminæ each. Beneath
these again is a brayette of steel mail.
“But nothing so enriches this graceful armour as the espaliers, composed
of two large black masks in high relief, whose eyeballs, owing to the
gold circle in which they are enclosed, have a singular expression. On
the shoulders are beautiful damascened festoons fan-shaped, and
underneath, springing from the mouths of each of the masks, another
series of hanging laminas, smaller than those of the skirt or tassets,
and also over fine mail.”
Lastly, the artist held to the compulsory classic nudeness, and limited
the protection of the legs to short steel buskins, openworked, similar
to the cothurnus which, according to Virgil, came up over the leg and
was fastened with cords in front: these buskins have beautiful masks of
satyrs in gilded bronze, and end in mail shoes with the toes outlined.
The figure has in its hand a small mutilated partisan of the Emperor’s
time, with the emblems of Burgundy and the Pillars of Hercules engraved
on the blade.
With the suit A114, above described, the work of Giacopo Filippo
Negroli, the Duke of Mantua presented Charles with a casque and target
by the same artificers. This was between the years 1533 and 1536. The
casque, or helmet-morion (D1--plate 148A), is moulded in the likeness of
a head covered with golden curls, and encircled over the brow with a
laurel wreath. The large side-pieces, shaped to the oval of the face,
are perforated for hearing. The beavor is in the form of a curly beard,
the lips showing above it. The production reflects credit on the skill
of the artificer, but is in bad taste. The target (D2--plate 148A), made
to match the above, has a lion’s head and mane for boss, in high relief;
the border is wide and very beautiful, and composed of medallions
supported by griffins, and linked by scrolls and foliations.
The magnificent burgonet and target (D3 and 4), also believed to have
been the property of the Emperor, are said to have been moulded from the
designs of Giulio Romano. They bear no mark; and “Considering,” says
Conde de Valencia, “the depth and clearness with which each figure and
object is relieved; the masterly chiselling, so fine that it puts
expression into the combatants’ faces; and the exquisite taste of the
damascening, we are compelled to admit that the executor of the work
must have been more a master of his own art than the designer, Giulio
Romano, was of his” (plate 148B).
The helmet is forged in one piece, and follows the lines of the Bœotian
casque. The design on the comb represents combats between Centaurs and
Tritons for the possession of nymphs; on the sides, a combat between
Romans and Carthaginians. A similar subject is shown on the shield, in
the background being seen the city of Carthage as described by Livy.
Allusion, of course, is intended to the expedition to Tunis. The border
is admirably designed with wreaths, figures, scrolls, &c., and the busts
of Roman worthies.
The helmet D5 and shield D6 are of unknown origin. They were probably
the work of an Italian artificer of the sixteenth century. On one side
of the casque Bacchus and Ariadne are represented in a car drawn by
centaurs; on the other, Silenus on his ass, supported by Bacchus, and
preceded by Maenads. The shield D6 is in seventeen pieces screwed
together, and is beautifully chiselled and decorated. The boss is formed
by a mask with draperies, gracefully gathered up and crowned by an
elegant volute, the rich damascening of which contrasts well with the
blackened face. The ground is divided into four ovals, on which are
displayed scenes representing the Rapes of the Sabines, of Deianiera,
and of Helen, and the Contest between the Centaurs and Lapithae. The
border, among other decorations, has the busts of Cæsar, Aeolus,
Hercules, and Theseus (plate 149).
Another Burgonet (D30), made for Charles by the Negrolis, forged in one
piece and exquisitely damascened, has the comb moulded in the form of a
recumbent warrior wearing a turban, his head pointing backwards towards
the visor. The female figures, Fame and Victory, reclining on the brim
of the helmet, grasp the warrior by the moustache. He seems to represent
the Turkish Empire. On a shield above the visor is the inscription, SIC
TVA INVICTE CÆSAR (plate 129).
The magnificent shield (plate 150A), designed by Giulio Romano, and
presented to the Emperor by the Duke of Mantua (D63), is thus described
in the Catalogue:
“Within a wide border, with decorations of fruits and genii, finished
with the Golden Fleece, is the figure of the Spanish Cæsar in the centre
of the composition, armed in the heroic style, standing in a two-oared
boat, maintaining in vigorous attitude the banner of the Double Eagle,
preceded by Fame, at the prow, carrying the shield with the motto _Plus
ultra_, and followed by Victory, in the air, ready to put a crown of
laurel on the Emperor’s head, while indicating the course of the little
boat, always onwards (_Plus ultra_), across unknown seas.
“Hercules obeys the wishes and seconds the impulses of the Emperor,
uprooting, in order to advance them to new limits, the columns which he
once planted on the mountains Calpe and Abyla; while Neptune, leaning on
his trident, beholds with astonishment the expansion of his dominions.
“The woman fastened by her hair to the trunk of a palm, on which is a
turban, seemingly represents Africa subjugated by the then recent
conquest of Tunis; and that of the man lying at the feet of Neptune, is
possibly only an allegory of the Betis, called to be the intermediary
river between Spain and her new possessions.
“The skill of the composition and the richness of the whole contrast
singularly with the simplicity of the work. Forged in one piece of
steel, somewhat convex, the gilded figures stand out more because of the
deep impressions so splendidly engraved by the chisel than on account of
their dimensions and difference of colour.”
Though less elaborate in design than the preceding, the next shield
(D64) is considered the gem of the whole collection (plate 150A). It was
probably made for Charles by the Negrolis about the time of his entry
into Milan (1541). On a separate plate in the centre is daringly and
vigorously embossed the head of Medusa, serpents coiling above and
below. The head and serpents are confined within a broad laurel wreath.
Outside this again are three concentric bands, the first narrow and
richly inlaid with silver and gold; the second, broad and hammered
roughly, and divided into sections by shields bearing the inscription,
IS TERROR QVOD VIRTVS ANIMA E FOR--TVNA PARET; the third, damascened
like the first, showing sirens supporting four circular medallions with
the Double Eagle, Pillars of Hercules, and Golden Fleece. Round the
circumference of the shield runs a second laurel wreath.
Space does not permit us to describe in detail the many beautiful
shields attributed to the Emperor. That numbered D66 (plate 151) is an
example of the Moorish style of decoration so successfully imitated by
the Italian artificers; D68 (plate 153) is of Augsburg make, and
represents Strength as a nude woman steering the ship of Humanity across
the sea of life, her shield being Faith and her haven of refuge Divine
Grace.