self at all in these habiliments
of iron and steel, there was required not only native strength of
constitution, but long and careful training, and it was a very
important part of the education of young men of rank in Richard's days
to familiarize them with the use of this armor, and inure them to the
weight of it. Suits of it were made for boys, the size and weight of
each suit being fitted to the form and strength of the wearer. Many of
these suits of boys' armor are still preserved in England. There are
several specimens to be seen in the Tower of London. They are in the
apartment called the Horse Armory, which is a vast hall with effigies
of horses, and of men mounted upon them, all completely armed with
the veritable suits of steel which the men and the horses that they
represent actually wore when they were alive. The horses are arranged
along the sides of the room in regular order from the earliest ages
down to the time when steel armor of this kind ceased to be worn.

[Illustration: THE OLD QUINTAINE]

These suits of armor were very costly, and the boys for whom they were
made were, of course, filled with feelings of exultation and pride
when they put them on; and, heavy and uncomfortable as such clothing
must have been, they were willing to wear it, and to practice the
required exercises in it. When actually made of steel, the armor was
very expensive, and such could only be afforded for young princes and
nobles of very high rank; for other young men, various substitutes
were provided; but all were trained, either in the use of actual
armor, or of substitutes, to perform a great number and variety of
exercises. They were taught, when they were old enough, to spring upon
a horse with as much armor upon them and in their hands as possible;
to run races; to see how long they could continue to strike heavy
blows in quick succession with a battle-axe or club, as if they were
beating an enemy lying upon the ground, and trying to break his armor
to pieces; to dance and throw summersets; to mount upon a horse
behind another person by leaping from the ground, and assisting
themselves only by one hand, and other similar things. One feat which
they practiced was to climb up between two partition walls built
pretty near together, by bracing their back against one wall, and
working with their knees and hands against the other. Another feat was
to climb up a ladder on the under side by means of the hands alone.

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