|
The Crossbow
In illustrations of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, mounted men
are shown with these crossbows, fig. 16, p. 36, and fig. 18, p. 47. As
the cranequin
Fig. 85. - Crossbowmen.
Reduced from an oil painting representing the martyrdom
of St. Sebastian, its date 1514 - The original is in the Church of St.
Elizabeth at Marburg in Prussia.
The figure on the left is winding up his crossbow with
a cranequin, the manner of doing this being very accurately shown. The
right-hand figure has his cranequin crossbow bent, and is placing a bolt
in position.
was the only crossbow winder which could be used on horseback
to bend a strong steel bow, it is quite possible that mounted troops of
superior rank |
