Chapter XXII tells how _le bon Chevalier_ fought at barriers at Andre

with Don Alonce de Soto-Majori. Bayard had wished the combat to be on horseback, owing to some trouble in his legs which hindered locomotion; but the Spaniard insisted all the more on fighting on foot, and this was finally arranged to take place. The weapons selected were estocs and daggers, and the fight commenced with an exchange of thrusts with the former, in which Soto-Majori was slightly wounded in the face; then Bayard, making a feint, thrust his sword right through the neck of his adversary, inflicting a fatal wound. The Spaniard, in his death agony, clutched the body of the Frenchman with his arms and both combatants fell to the ground. Bayard then drew his dagger, crying, “_Rendez vous, Seigneur Alonce, ou vous estes mort_”; but he had hardly uttered the words when the Spaniard expired. The Chevalier then knelt down and thanked God for his victory.

The Chevalier’s next combat was at Monervyne, in the Kingdom of Naples, thirteen Spaniards against the same number of Frenchmen, which took place during a truce between the two armies, the leaders of this encounter being the Seigneur d’Oroze and _le bon Chevalier_ respectively. A condition of the articles of combat was that any cavalier on being unhorsed should render himself a prisoner to the side opposing him. The fight began, and the Spaniards unchivalrously aimed their lances at the horses of their adversaries instead of at their riders; but, in spite of this dishonourable ruse, the honours of the battle are stated to have lain with the Frenchmen.

Other examples of Bayard’s prowess and chivalry in the tournament are given in the chronicle. The dates given by chroniclers of jousts and _pas d’armes_ are apt to vary somewhat, partly owing to the different methods of computing the regnant years of a king.

A manuscript in the College of Arms, London, gives an account of the _pas d’armes_ held at Westminster in honour of the marriage of Katharine of Arragon with Prince Arthur, the heir to the throne, in the seventeenth year of King Henry VII (1501). This narration is apparently the work of an official present at the meeting, and an abridged account of it follows here. Besides jousts and _mêlées_, there were fights at barriers, pageants, and mummeries most splendid, costly, fanciful and elaborate. A tilt was erected in the open space before Westminster Hall, and adjoining the lists were gaily decorated stands and galleries for the king, court and other spectators. For the knights, nobles and esquires taking part there were within the lists pavilions, which were removed before the jousting began. The first jousting is thus described:—

“And at furst curse ran the Duke of Bokyngham and the Lord Marquyes; and the duke brake his staff right well, and wt great sleight and stringht, upon the Lord Marquyes; and at the secunde curse the Lord Marquyes brake his staff oppon the Duke in like wise; and then the residue of the Lords and Knights ranne orderly togiders, and, for the most parte at every curse, other the on staf, other the other, or moost comonly bothe, were goodly and wt great art and strength, brokyn of meny pecys; that such a feld, and justs ryall, so noble and valiantly doon, have not been sene ne hard; the which goodly feats, and those of the descripcion apperyth weil pleynn, and more opyn, in the bokys of the Harolds of Armys.”

There is nothing said of the lances employed in the first day’s jousting, as to whether they were rebated or not, but the courses which follow on the succeeding days are expressly stated to have been run with pointed lances “at the large.”[193] We may thus assume that the running of the first day was at the tilt (else why its erection at all?), and that lances with coronals were employed. Afterwards there was a _mêlée_, the weapons being “armyng swords” (i.e. _estocs_). On the fourth day jousting was again followed by a tourney (_mêlée_).[194] The lances were tipped with coronals, and the weapons in the tourney were estocs, as before. Many of the cavaliers were unhorsed in the jousting and in the _mêlée_: “Sume of their swords were brokyn in two peces, and sume other their harneis was heuen off from their body, and felle into the feld.” Then the prizes, consisting of diamonds, rubies and rings of gold, were awarded.

In 1502 a “Solemne Triumphe” was held in the Tower of London.

Plate 118 in _Das Turnierbuch Johan des Beständigen, Kurfürst_ of Saxony, depicts a course with sharp lances, run at Naumburg in 1505, between Duke Hans of Saxony and Georg von Brandestein. The duke keeps his seat, but his opponent is unhorsed. The armour is of the kind usually employed in this course (_Scharfrennen_).

In the _Turnierhuch_ of Duke William of Bavaria is a picture of an _Anzogenrennen_, held in the year 1512. The body-armour employed is that used in all the varieties of _Rennen_, though the shield in this course is much larger than in the others, extending up to the _ocularium_ of the jousting-salade, thus covering the face. This shield has been described under the heading _Anzogenrennen_. The armour with the shield is illustrated by Boeheim.[195]

There was jousting at Paris in 1513, at which the Duc de Valois was the chief tenant, and many courses were run.[196]

Jousts were held at Lille, in the same year, in a large hall paved with black marble, and the horses were shod with felt to prevent their slipping.[197]

In 1515, in honour of the marriage of the king, jousts took place at Paris, which had been proclaimed by the Dauphin, as follows:—

“Nemelie, that he with nine aides should answer all commers, being gentlemen of name and armes. First, to run fiue courses at the tilt with péeces of advantage[198]; after fiue courses at random[199] with sharpe speares, and twelue strokes with sharpe swords; and that doone, he and his aids to fight at the barriers with all gentlemen of name and armes. First, six foins with hand speares, and after that eight strokes to the most aduantage if the speares so long held, and after that twelue strokes with the sword; and if any man be vnhorsed or felled with fighting on foot, then his horse and armour to be rendered to the officer of armes; and eueri man of this challenge must set vp his armes and name vpon an arch triumphant, which shalbe made at the place where the iusts shalbe, and further shall write to what point he will answer, to one or all.”

When this _fête d’armes_ was proclaimed in England, “the duke of Suffolke, the marquis of Dorset and his four brethrern, the lord Clinton, sir Edward Neuille, sir Giles Capell, Thomas Cheneie and others sued the king to be at the chalenge, which request he gratiouslie granted.” “The Dolphin desired the duke of Suffolke and the marquess Dorset to be two of his immediate aids, which they thereto assented.” Four shields were set up—viz. silver, gold, black and tawny—under which the venans were to write their names, electing, in their order, whether to run at the tilt, in the open with sharp lances, to fight on foot with one-handed swords, or lastly, with two-handers. This _pas d’armes_ continued over three days, during which 305 cavaliers each ran five courses, some with sharp lances, and several were killed. In the joust in the open the Duke of Suffolk wounded an antagonist almost to the death. The Dauphin was wounded in the hand, so that he was unable to take further part. Many other particulars and details of this passage of arms are given by Holinshed.[200]

Among the Ashmolean MSS. is one relating to the proclamation of jousts to be held at a later date and to letters of safeguard issued to intending venans. The document is of the year 1520, and runs as follows:—

“The lettres of savegarde given by the said King of England [Henry VIII] unto Thomas Walle al’s Norrey King of Armes, for the proclamacōn of the same Ioustes in the parties of Almayn and the contrye of Germania, wch Norrey proclaimed thē welle in French for the lowe contreys, as in High Dutch as hereafter followeth ＆c.”[201]

In foot contests there was a rule that no one who had seen a challenger fight on foot on any previous occasion was allowed to engage him. It is difficult to understand the reason for this condition, and it was often waived on permission being given by an intended opponent.

Charles V, in January, 1518, two years before he became emperor, took part in a tournament at which twelve horses were killed; and in another in the March following, when seven cavaliers lost their lives.[202]

Henry VIII, like his friend Maximilian of Austria, took great delight in the tourney and in the pageantry so frequently combined with it, and much money and labour was expended in staging the many functions of the kind held during his reign. Henry greatly encouraged these martial games and frequently took part in them; indeed, Hall remarks “that the king was not minded to see young gentlemen inexpert in martial feats.” This chronicler positively revels in picturing these brilliant scenes, devoting himself more especially to their spectacular aspect, and giving full details of the dresses and equipment of those taking part, together with particulars of the general surroundings, though little is said of the martial games themselves. The pageantry and mummeries associated with the tournament were often of almost incredible puerility, and they detracted greatly from the dignity of these warlike sports. There were many childish conceits at these gatherings, all showing that the tourney had reached an advanced stage of its decline. Such costly shows went greatly out of fashion after the death of Henry VIII.

Jousts, combined with pageants, were held in honour of the coronation of the king, and Holinshed thus describes them:—“For the more honour and innobling of the triumphant coronation, there were prepared both iusts and turneis to be doone in the palace of Westminster, where, for the king’s grace and the queen’s, was framed a faire house, couered with tapestrie, and hanged with rich clothe of Arras, and in the said palace was made a curious founteine and ouer it a castell, on the top thereof a great crowne imperiall, all the imbatelling with roses and pomgranats gilded,” and many other conceits.

The tenans in the jousting on this occasion were Thomas, Lord Howard; his brother, Sir Edward Howard; Lord Richard, the Admiral; Lord Richard, brother to the Marquis of Dorset; Sir Edmund Howard; Sir Thomas Knevit and Charles Brandon, Esquire. Their bases and trappers were of green velvet, charged with roses and pomegranates of gold fringed with damask gilded.

The venans were Sir John Pechie, Sir Edward Neville, Sir Edward Guildford, Sir John Carr, Sir William Parr, Sir Giles Capell, Sir Griffith Dun and Sir Roulande. Their bases and trappers were of tissue, cloth of gold, silver and velvet.

The second day was devoted to the _mêlée_. No details of the jousting itself or of the tourney are given. Both Hall and Holinshed describe this meeting.

On the twelfth of January following jousts were held in the park at Richmond “vnknown to the kynges grace, whereof, he beyng secretly informed, caused hymself and one of his priue chambre, called Willyā Compton to be secretly armed, and so came into the Iustes vnknowen to all persones and vnloked for. The kyng ranne neuer openly before, and there were broken many staues, and greate praise geuen to the two straungers, but specially to one, whiche was the kyng.” “Master Compton was sore hurte and likely to dye.”[203]

Holinshed tells us that in May, 1510, the king with his aides challenged all comers to fight at barriers at Greenwich, viz. casting the spear and twelve strokes with two-handed swords. Henry much distinguished himself by his great strength and judgment.

On the 13th November in the same year Henry, with Charles Brandon and “Mayster” Compton, answered all comers for two days, the first at the tilt, the second at the tourney. “At these iusts the king brake more staves than any other, and therefore had the pryse: at the Turney in likewyse the honor was his.”[204]

The original Roll of the “Iusts” held at Westminster on the 13th February, 1511, in honour of Queen “Katherin” on the birth of Prince Henry, is now in the College of Arms, London. It is of parchment, 14½ inches broad, the figures of the combatants and others being from seven to eight inches in height; and the whole is in an excellent state of preservation. The roll is headed with the words “Viue le noble Roy H. VIII,” followed by a large device of a rose and pomegranates surmounted by a crown, impaled with the letters H and K. Some of the figures are armed at all points, while others are in civil dress, thus constituting an invaluable record of the costumes of the day.

The picture of the procession to the lists is headed by “Le Maistre de Armurerye du Roy,” in civil dress, with his guard, and immediately after him follow the sergeant-at-arms, holding his crowned bâton of office; then five trumpeters, one of them a negro. In their order march after them a band of courtiers, and “Les Officiers d’Armes,” being heralds and pursuivants, in tabard-shaped surcoats. Then come the four tenans, each riding under a “Pauilion,” with their varlets. Two led horses immediately follow the king, and they afford a good opportunity for observing the saddles employed in jousting at the tilt. After them ride “Les pages du Roy,” the marshal of the lists, “Le grant Escuyer,” and “Le maistre des Pages.” The tenans are seen approaching the gaily-decorated stand, in which the queen and her court are seated, and the venans are reaching it on the other side. The picture closes with the king on horseback in civil dress—“Le Roy desarmey”—holding a broken lance in his hand. He is preceded by his helm-bearer, on horseback, carrying the head-piece of his majesty on a truncheon. The helm is surmounted by a royal crown, enriched with gold, pearls, diamonds and rubies.

The roll concludes with a poem, in which the name of the king figures among a band of heroes, the others being Hector, Cæsar, Judas Maccabæus, Joshua, Charlemagne, King Arthur, Alexander, David and Codefroi de Bouillon.

The “tenantz” were—

His Grace the King (Cœur Loyal), Lord William of Devon (Bon Vouloir), Sir Thomas Knevit (Valliant Desyr), Sir Edward Nevyle (Joyeulx Penser).

They all subscribed to the articles of combat, which follow here—

“And for as moche as after the order ＆ Honnor of Arms hyt is not lefull for any man to enterpryse Arms in so high a presens without hys Stocke and name be of Nobles dyscended. In consyderation theis four Knights be of so fer ＆ straunge partes. they shall present themselff wt their names and Arms portend [pictured] in their shylde.

Item these four Knights shall present themselves in the feyld at the paleys of Rychmond or elles where hyt shall please the Kynges Grace. at the tyme of Candelmas next or nigh theirupon in harneys for the tylt wt out tache or breket, _wolant pece on the hedde_[205] Rondell on the garde rest. aduntag (sic). fraude. deceyt or any malengyne.

Item to every comer shall be Runne six courses pvyed [provided] allway yf the comers be of sush greate number that they cannot reasonably be for on [one] day Hyt shallbe lefull for the four challengers to enter the felde the Second day and so to answere all the comers to the full nomber be served of soche as be noble of name or of Armes and wt out report.

Item all speres to be garnished and brought to the ffeyld at the pvision and chardge of the Chalengers, of the wch speres the answerers to have the Choice.

Item yf yt happe any Man as God defend to kyll his fellows Horse by way of fowle Runnyng. He shallbe bound yf so doth to give the horse yt he rydeth on to his felow or the pryse of the Horse so kyld at the dyscresion of the Iudges.

Item who stryketh his felow beneth the wast or in the sadell with full course be [by] way of fowle Runnynge he shallbe dysalowed for two speres before broken.

Item who stryketh his felow uncharged ＆ disgarnyshed of his speare he shallbe disalowed at the descression of the Iudges.

Item who breaketh his spere above the Charnell [coronal] to be allowed[206] two speres well broken after the old custom of Arms.

Item who breaketh his spere morme to morme [coronal to coronal] to be allow’d three Speres after the Custome of Arms.

Item who breaketh most speres ys [is] bette worthey the pryse.

Item who stryketh Down Horse and Man is better worthe the pryse.

Item who stryketh his felow clene out of the Sadell is best worthe the pryse. Item if any Gentleman chalenger or defender breake a staff on the Tylt to be disalowed a staff.

Item yf yt is the pleasurs of the Kynge our most Dred Souaigne Lorde, the Queens Grace and the Ladies with the advice of the Noble and dyscret Iuges to give pryses after their deservings unto both the Parties.

Item that every Gentleman answerer do Subscrybe his name to the Artycalles.”

Hall’s florid account of this meeting, in a much abridged form, is as follows:—The jousting was combined with a pageant picturing a forest in which stood a castle of gold, and before it sat a gentleman weaving a garland of roses for the prize. Jousting began on the twelfth, and on the morrow there was a grand procession to the lists. The king was on horseback, armed at all points, riding under a “Pauilion” of cloth of gold and purple velvet, embroidered and powdered over with the letters “H” and “K” of fine gold, surmounted by an imperial golden crown and valanced with hanging wire of the same precious metal. The king’s bases and the trapper of his charger were of cloth of gold, fretted with damask gold; his crinet and chamfron were of steel, and on the latter was a plume garnished with golden spangles. Then followed his three aides, each riding under a “Pauilion” of crimson damask and purple, powdered over with the letters “H” and “K” in fine gold, valanced and fringed with damask gold, and on the top of each canopy a great “K” of goldsmith’s work. After them marched a number of gentlemen and yeomen on foot, clad in russet and yellow cloth; then twelve children of honour, mounted on great coursers richly caparisoned. Then in the counterpart rode the “venantz,” headed by Sir Charles Brandon,[207] who appears first on horseback in a long robe of russet satin, like a recluse, and he petitions the queen for permission to joust in her presence. His request having been granted, he doffed his cloak and appeared in full armour, with rich bases, and his horse nobly trapped for running at the tilt. In attendance on him were divers men clad in russet satin. Next came young Henry Guilford, Esquire, himself and horse in russet cloth of gold and cloth of silver, embroidered with a device like a castle or turret, and all his men in russet satin and white, with hose of the same and bonnets of a like colour; and he also petitioned the queen for permission to run. After him rode the Marquis of Dorset and Sir Thomas Bulleyn,[208] dressed as pilgrims in tabards of black velvet, with palmer’s hats over their helmets and long Jacob’s staffs in their hands. Their horses were trapped in black velvet, which, like their hats and tabards, was garnished with scallop shells of fine gold; their servants were in black satin, with the same kind of shells pinned to their breasts. Then came Lord Henry of Buckingham, Earl of Wiltshire, himself and his horse draped in cloth of silver, embroidered with a “posye” of golden arrows and roses, and above the flowers the figure of a greyhound in silver holding a tree of pomegranates in gold. Then entered Sir Giles Capell, Sir Roulande and many other knights, richly armed and apparelled.

The jousting began and was gallantly achieved, the prize being awarded to the king. The proceedings were followed by music and the dance, closing with a pageant.[209] What a contrast between this passage of arms and the tournament held in 1278, _temp._ Edward I, as described in