speculations on Digby's streetfight....

[GeorgeHill]

I was reading the streetfight of Sir Digby, and reflecting on what it much have been like to be suddenly attacked by fifteen armed men....

Now, the story opens "Leodivius...fifteen men all armed...rushed out upon him...and with their drawn swords made so many furious blows and thrusts at him, that if his better genius had not defended him it had been impossible that he could have outlived that minute; but he, nothing at all dismayed, drew his sword, and struck the foremost of them such a blow upon the head, that if it had not been armed with a good cap of steel, certainly he should have received no more cumber [trouble] from that man; yet the weight of it was such that it made the Egyptian run reeling backwards two or three steps, and the blade, not able to sustain such a force, broke in many pieces, so that nothing but the hilts remained in Leodivius’s hand;"

now, Obviously digby is leaving many details out, such as what Leodivius’s "better genius' consisted of. IT seems to me it refers to the skill of using the sword, so he likely pulled it at the first site of 15 guys chargeing him and swinging.

Now, if he's half as scared as I would have been, he might have screwed up and parried with the edge. This would have damaged his sword a great deal with a full force blow hitting it, and when he hits the man in the helmet, it would have been more likely to break then it would have if not so weakened.

Or maybe he just had a crappy sword. What do you guys think? IT's all speculation, but I think I might have something here.





ALSO: "his enemies having at the top of their bucklers artificial lanterns whose light was cast only forwards by their being made with an iron plate on that side"

I can easy see a lantern such as this hung under a buckler, but at it's top? I mean, you can hold an lantern like a bucket, with a handle like a bucket. IT would not be hard to hold a bucket/lantern handle with the buckler hand, but he specifically saws 'at the tops of their bucklers.' Rather then speculate on how this might be acomplished, has anyone actually seen anything like this in an old drawing or antique?

[John_Clements]

George, it was dark, so the opponents probbaly could not see to fight their enemy easily. Whereas Digby, being with fewer people, knew everyone else was a target an dwas much more free to strike out.

By having a lantern at the top where the buckler is held for protection it is in your line of vision and helps you see where you're looking while blinding the opponent. If it was lower, it would not shine where you want it.

JC

[GeorgeHill]

Hmm... I haven't really considered Digby's advantage in having everything a target. That's an interisting point.

As to the lanterns.... It's true having it at the top of the buckler would be preferable, but it would be a much more complex device to construct, especially on short notice.

Now, we have all heard of dark lanterns. A typical lantern can be made in many ways, one of which is a square glass box. If you cover all sides but the front, you have a primitive headlight. Simple, easy, and reasonably effective, but if you use a normal dark lantern, like the ones used on ships at night it will still hang below the buckler. Mounting it at the top would place it in the way of incoming blows... (Not something I would want to do if it's an oil lantern...)

So how were these made?



"Richard Strey" PMed me this link. (He says he has having issues with posting.) http://www.gladiatores.de/waffen.html

The image on the very bottom of the page is of a very complex device, which appears to be a combonation of a sword, a gauntlet, and a lantern.

The lantern is small, and shines through a hole in the front of the shield.... Facinating.

IF anyone has any other devices of this kind, please post.

[John_Clements]

The lantern just hangs from a hook at the top of the buckler. There are samples of these veiwable at the Wallace Collection Museum in London.