Letter 3838

[fol. 137] Excester in Devonsh: Nov. 25. 1730 Hon’d S’r I hope ye communicative Genius will excuse the freedom of beging ye Opinion ab’t a shield; Whether they are all more or less Curv’d towards the person that bears it as I have often observed in Coins & other figures, or Whether some may have the concave hold towards ye Enemy; as this Clypous or Parma (w’ch I met with at Smith’s shop in a sea-port-town near this place) seems to indicate as much (perhaps it may be Spanish, but cannot guess at it’s Age) it is ab’t 12 Inch: diam: whose convex is cover’d with Leather, & where is the remains of a Manubrium for the Sctuifer to take hold of the concave is 2 Inches, and ye Unbo wch is 4 Inch: diam: & hollow, on it’s top is a piece of solid Brass 1/2 Inch thick, wch exceeds ye Cavity by 2 Inches more, & probably a point or Dart on ye top of it, wch seems broken off that may be some Inches longer; there are 60 plates of Iron from the Umbo to ye Circumference, & 9 Circular ones, wch are fastned together by 60 Nails in each Circle where the plates intersect, whose heads are all as round as Pease, of the smaller size, but in ye other Circle ye Nails touch each other, & are in Number 150 from whence I conclude that from ye Nails, Umbo, &c. that ye concave part was held outward, wch makes this Armour Offensive as well as Defensive, however shall be determined by ye greater Judgem’t if you please to fav’r me with a Line, shall take it as an hon’r done to ye very humble ser’t Caleb Lowdham