Under feudal systems of government maintenance was the money payment to soldiers who fought in the interest and at the command of their lord. Such soldiers comprised private armies, each with uniquely identifiable livery

Livery

A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...

. The system of feudal government under which maintenance was paid was most notably present in the late 15th century.