(Vol. viii., p. 538.)
The following observations upon the helmet, by Stephen Martin Leake, Esq.,
Garter, may be acceptable to your querist S. N.
"The helmet, called _galea_ by the Greeks, _cassis_ by the Romans, is
called _helm_ (which signifies the head) by the Germans; whence the
French _heaume_, and our _helmet_. It is of great account with the
Germans: the helm and crest deriving their use from tournaments, whence
arms took their origin; and this being with them the most essential
mark of noblesse, neither the Germans nor French allow a new made
gentleman to bear a helmet, but only a wreath of his colours; and when
he is a gentleman of three descents, to bear a helmet with three barrs
for his three descents (Menestrier, _Abrege methodique des Armoiries_,
1672, p. 28.; _Origine des Ornemens des Armoiries_, p. 2.). _Tymbre_ is
the general word used for the casque or helm by the French. Menestrier,
in his _Origine des Ornemens des Armoiries_, p. 13., says the modern
heralds observe three things with regard to the _tymbre_: the matter,
the form, and the situation. That kings should have their helmets of
gold open, and in full front; princes and lords of silver, and somewhat
turned with a certain number of barrs, according to their degree;
gentlemen to have their helmets of steel, and in profile. Colombiere
assigns a knight a helmet bordered with silver, barons with gold,
counts and viscounts the like, and the barrs gold; marquisses the helm
same, and damasked with gold; dukes and princes the gold helmet,
damasked. And as to the barrs, new gentlemen without any; gentlemen of
three descents, three barrs; knights and ancient gentlemen, five;
barons seven; counts and viscounts nine; marquisses eleven. But Moreau,
who first propagated these inventions (_Origine des Ornemens des
Armoiries_, p. 17.), assigns to an emperor or king eleven, a prince or
duke nine, a marquis and count seven, a baron five: whence it seems
there is no {646} certain rule or uniform practice observed herein,
unless in the situation of the helmet, wherein both the Germans and
French account it more noble to bear an open helmet than a close one;
but these are novel distinctions. Anciently, the helmets were all
turned to the right, and close; and it is but some years since, says
Menestrier (_Abrege Methodique_, 1672, p. 28.), that they began to
observe the number of grilles or barrs, to distinguish the different
degrees. But however ingenious these inventions are, it is certain that
they are useless (as gold and silver helmets would be) because every
rank of nobility is distinguished by the coronet proper to his degree.
Whatever honour may be attributed to the helmet, the use of it with the
arms is but modern; and upon the coins of kings and sovereign princes,
where they are chiefly to be met with, the helmets are barred, and
either full or in profile, as best suited the occasion; and upon the
Garter plates of Christian Duke of Brunswick (1625), Gustavus Adolphus
King of Sweden (1628), and Charles Count Palatine of the Rhine (1633
and 1680), they are full fronted with seven barrs.
"In Great Britain we have but four kinds of helmets, according to the
four different degrees in the state--the king, the nobility, knights,
and gentry. The sovereign helmet full fronted, having seven barrs or
guards, visure without any bever; the nobilities the same, but half
turned to the right, and usually showing four barrs; the knight's
helmet full fronted, with the bever turned up; and the gentleman's in
profile, the bever or visor close; using steel helmets for all as the
only proper metal for a helmet common to all. Foreigners condemn us for
attributing that helmet to a knight, which they give to a king; and
more proper, says Mackensie, for a king without guard-visure than for a
knight (_Science of Heraldry_, p. 87.), because knights are in danger,
and have less need to command. But it must be observed, the knight's
helmet has a visor, and no barrs; the sovereign's barrs, because no
visor. And this kind of helmet, with barrs instead of a visor, seems to
have been contrived for princes and great commanders, who would have
been incommoded by the visor, and too much exposed without anything,
therefore had barrs: whereas knights being, according to Mackensie, in
more danger and having less need to command, had their helmet for
action; and are represented with the bever up, ready to receive the
king or general's command. As to the resemblance of the one to the
other, both being in full front, the connexion was not anciently so
remote as seems at this day. Knighthood is the first and most ancient
military honour, and therefore at this day sovereign princes and
knights are the only two honours universally acknowledged. Knighthood
is the source of all honours, and of all military glory, and an honour
esteemed by and conferred upon kings; without which they were
heretofore thought incomplete, and could not confer that honour on
others, no more than ordination could be conferred by one unordained:
so that there was a very near connexion between sovereignty and
knighthood. And besides, the propriety of the open helmet with a visor
for a knight, and the helmet guard-visure for a king, the latter is
more ornamental, especially if, according to the modern practice, the
barrs are gold. As the king's helmet is without a visor, and barred, so
is that of the nobility in imitation of it, but turned to the right as
a proper distinction as, in like manner, that of the gentry differs
from the knights. As there are in fact but two orders of men, nobility
of which the king is the first degree, and gentry of which knights are
the first, so they are by this means sufficiently distinguished
according to their respective orders and degrees: the first order
distinguished by the barred helmet, the gentry by the visored helmet
with proper differences of the second degrees of each class from the
first; and all other distinctions more than this are unnecessary and
useless.
"The helmet does not seem to have been formerly used but in a military
way, and affairs of chivalry. I do not find any helmets upon the
monuments of our Kings of England, nor upon other ancient monuments,
nor upon any of the Great Seals, coins, or medals. Upon the plates of
the Knights of the Garter at Windsor, all degrees used the old profile
close helmet till about 1588, some few excepted; and soon after, the
helmet with barrs came into fashion, and was used for all degrees of
nobility, and it has continued ever since; and the same has been used
for all degrees of nobility upon the plates of the Knights of the Bath,
those that are knights only using a knight's helmet. And the same may
be observed in Sir Edward Walker's _Books of the Nobility from the
Restoration to the Revolution_, wherein all degrees have the helmet
turned towards the right, showing four barrs; the sovereign's being
full with seven barrs."