L ’Histoire Du Bon Chevalier, Sans Paour et Sans Reproche, Gentil Seigneur De Bayart, gives some account of Bayard’s combats in the lists. The Chevalier was born in 1476 and died in 1524, and his first fights on foot and on horseback took place when he was a raw, growing stripling of eighteen. This was on the occasion when the Burgundian Chevalier, Claude de Vauldray, came to Lyons in 1494 to accomplish a deed of arms—“à course de lance et coups de hache”; and the young Bayard, though without possessing an equipment for the joust or means of procuring one, conceived the idea of engaging this redoubted champion in combat. The difficulty as to horse and armour was solved by the coming forward of a kinsman, L’Abbe d’Esnay, with the necessary cash. After several chevaliers of the French court had encountered De Vauldray, Bayard entered the lists to do battle. No particulars of the combat itself are given by the chronicler, but the account states that the youngster bore himself right gallantly; and the verdict of the ladies on the stand erected for their accommodation, expressed in the Lyonese dialect, “Vey-vo cestou malotru, il a mieulx fay que tous los autres.”

Soon the young Bayard, advancing towards fame and fortune, caused a proclamation to be made for a pas d’armes to be held at the town of Ayre, in Picardy, on the 20th July, 1494, Pour l’amour des dames. The articles of combat provided that “hoasting” armour be worn, and on the first day three courses be run with rebated lances and afterwards twelve strokes exchanged with the sword, all on horseback; on the morrow the combats to be on foot at barriers, high as the nombril, with lances and later with axes. Prizes were offered to the successful competitors as follows:—For the first day a bracelet of gold, enamelled with Bayard’s device, of the value of thirty ecus; and for the second day a diamond worth forty ecus. The proclamation runs:—

On the first day, on the trumpet sounding, le bon Chevalier presented himself for the first course, his adversary being a neighbour from Dauphiny named Tartarin, in which the latter broke his lance within six inches of the head, thus forfeiting a point; and jousting between other cavaliers lasted until evening. On the second day Bayard fought at barriers against a Messire Honotin de Sucre, first with lances and afterwards with axes. Bayard struck his adversary two heavy blows over the region of the ear, the second of which bore him to the ground. Other foot encounters followed, after which the prizes for the two days were awarded by the judges to le bon Chevalier, as having done the best on both days, but he refused to accept them, and they were adjudged to other champions who came next in order of merit.[191] The Chevalier’s next tourney was at Carignan, in Italy, at which he gained the prize.[192]

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—

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

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 Chapter II.

Ashmole, No. 1116, fol. 109-10b, runs as follows:—“Iustes holden at Westminster the XIIth daie of February by the Kinges grace called Cueur Loyal, the Lord William of Devon Bon Voloir, Sir Thomas Knevit Valiant Desire, and Edward Nevell Joyous Penser, with the articles and courses of the said Iustes,” etc. The articles begin thus—“The noble lady Renowne considering the good and gracious fortune....” The “courses” (checques) were tilting tablets for recording the scores for two days (Wednesday and Thursday, February 12th, 13th, 1511), marked with strokes, and accounts of the “best Ioustres.”

In the tournament illustrated on the Herald’s College Roll it is stated that 264 courses were run at the tilt and but 129 attaints made. The tenans scored seventy-seven of these, the king himself making thirty-eight hits out of fifty-two courses. Of the venans, one made no hits at all and six only struck once in six courses.[210]

Another meeting took place on the 1st May following, at which the tenans were the king, Sir Edward Howard, Charles Brandon and Sir Edward Nevil; the venans being the Earl of Essex, the Earl of Devon, the Marquis of Dorset and Lord Howard.[211]

In the fourth year of King Henry’s reign—

“the King had a solempne iust at Grenewiche in Iune: first came in ladies all in White and Red silke, set vpon Coursers trapped in the same suite, freated ouer with gold, after which folowed a Fountain curiously made of Russet sattin, with eight Gargilles spoutyng water, within the fountain sat a knight armed at all peces. After the Fountain folowed a lady all in black silke dropped with fine siluer, on a courser trapped in the same. After folowed a knight in a horse litter, the Coursers and litter apparareled in blacke velvet with siluer droppes. When the Fountain came to the tilt, the Ladies rode rounde aboute, and so did the Fountain and the knight within the litter. And after them wer brought twoo goodly Coursers appareled for the iusts: and when they came to the tiltes ende, the twoo knightes mounted on the two Coursers, abidyng all commers. The king was in the fountain and Sir Charles Brandon was in the litter. Then suddenly with great noyse of the Trompets, entered Sir Thomas Kneuit in a castle of cole blacke, and ouer the castell was written, ‘The dolorous Castle,’ and so he and the erle of Essex, the lorde Haward and other ran their courses, with the King and Sir Charles Brandon and euer the king brake moste speres.”[212]

There were royal jousts held in October, 1513, the king and Lord Lisle answering all comers. His Majesty was attended by twenty-four knights clad in robes of purple velvet and cloth of gold, and many lances were broken.[213]

In 1515 Henry, with the Marquis of Dorset, challenged all comers to a joust, and the king “brake three and twentie speres beside attaints and bare downe to ground a man of armes and his horse.”[214]

In the same year on twelfth-night the king held a Scharmützel, being the attack and defence of a mock fortress, at Eltham.[215]

Royal jousts were held again in June, 1519, at which 506 lances were splintered.[216]

Royal jousts in March, 1520.[217]

In the eighth year of his reign the king proclaimed solemn jousts in honour of his sister, the Queen of Scotland,[218] to extend over two days. The tenans on the first day were the king himself, the Duke of Suffolk, the Earl of Essex and Nicholas Carew, Esquire. The venans numbered twelve. On the second day the king ran against Sir William Kingston, a tall and strong knight, and unhorsed him. The apparel of the tenans and their horses “was blacke velvet, covered all over with braunches of honey suckels of fine flat gold of damaske, of lose worke, every lefe of the braunch moving, the embroudery was very conning and sumptuous.”[219] [220]

There was another passage of arms in the year following, at which 506 lances were splintered.[221]

The following documents occur among the Harleian MSS.:—“Justs at Greenwich, the 20th daie of Maye, the 8th yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Ld. K. Henry VIII.” The score of each jouster is given.

“Coppye de Chapitres (ou Articles) des certaine Faits d’Armes, tant a Pied, comme a Cheval, qui par deux Gentilmomes d’Almaigne touchant une certaine Emprise.”[222]

The jousts and tourneys of the Field of the Cloth of Gold were held on a truly magnificent scale, and, indeed, everything was done to make them a triumphant spectacular success. The cavaliers of the two nations, like the ladies present, vied with each other in the richness of their dresses and appointments, and the two monarchs greatly distinguished themselves in the tiltyard. The lists themselves are stated to have been 150 paces long, and were placed in a plain surrounded by a ditch. Stands were erected for the officials and spectators, and pavilions were pitched for the use of the cavaliers taking part. The jousting was with blunted lances, each challenger to run eight courses. The two kings entered the enclosure on June 11th, 1520, armed at all points, at the time appointed. The horse of his Majesty of France was trapped with purple satin broached with gold and embroidered with raven’s plumes hatched with gold, and on his helm he wore a lady’s sleeve. The trapper of the King of England was of cloth of gold tissue, fringed with damask and knitted together with golden points. In attendance on King Henry were Sir Henry Guilford, Master of the Horse; Sir John Pechie, Governor of Calais; Sir Edmund Guilford, General of the Forces; and Monsieur Morel, attached to his suite by King Francis. They all wore the royal livery.

The jousting began, the onset was sounded, and King Henry ran against Monsieur Grandevile, and the helm of the Frenchman was fractured. The Duc de Vendôme ran five courses against the Duke of Suffolk, each breaking his lance on the other’s body. After many more jousts had been accomplished the signal to cease for the day was given, the heralds crying “Desarmée” and the trumpets sounded à l’hostel (to lodgings).

On Tuesday, the 12th, ten gentlemen of the French king’s Swiss Guard tilted against eleven of the band of Monsieur de Tremouille.

On Wednesday, the 13th, the King of France, with his aides, and King Henry, with his following, rode at the tilt, after which there was much jousting between the knights of France and England; and towards evening King Francis left for Ard and the English monarch departed for his castle of Guisnes.

On the Thursday the French king tilted with the Earl of Devonshire and others, and King Henry ran against Monsieur Montmorencie and Rafe Brooke. On the Friday there was fighting at barriers, and on the Saturday a banquet was given by the French king and his suite at the Castle of Guisnes. A Frenchman was killed when fighting on foot.

On the Monday the fêtes were in abeyance, owing to a great storm, but on the Tuesday the two kings came to the lists, armed at all points, and jousting was resumed. Wednesday and Thursday were devoted to the mêlée, and on Friday, June 22nd, “the two kings with their retinues did battle on foot at barriers.”[223] The French cavaliers wore doublets of cloth of silver and purple velvet, while those of the English were of cloth of gold and russet velvet. The weapons were spears and swords.

On Saturday, after a banquet, there was again fighting at barriers, first with spears and afterwards with two-handed swords.

The pas d’armes was followed by masks, more banqueting and the dance. Both Hall and Holinshed describe this historic meeting.

Among the Ashmolean MSS. are the following concerning the Field of the Cloth of Gold:—“Ce sont les noms des princes, prellatz, et grans seigneurs de France, qui estoient en la compaignie de Roy de France quant le Roy [Henry VIII] Dengleterre et led’ sr le Roy [François] sentrevyrent et ordonnerent les Iousts et Tournoys qui sensuyvent.” Prefixed to the title is a stanza of five lines inviting to the jousts.

“The proclamacōn in Frenche of the Articles of the Iustes and other feates of armes at the meeting of the aforesaid Kinges [Henry and François] at Guisnes, proclaimed throughout the realme of France by Thomas Benolt al’s Clarencieux King of Armes. Comme ainsi soit louange.”[224]

Imperial royal jousts were run in the month of March of the thirteenth year of the reign, of which Hall gives an account; and there were others in the year following.

On March 10th, 1524, King Henry ran a great risk of losing his life in the tiltyard, for when jousting with Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, he forgot to shut and clasp down the visor of his helmet. Brandon, who was short-sighted, did not perceive this, and in his career aimed his lance at that part of the king’s head-piece, striking it at the side of the face, unhelming his Majesty, though without causing him any injury. As already mentioned, in a joust held on Shrove Tuesday in the year 1525 Sir Charles Bryan nearly lost an eye from a somewhat similar cause.

King Henry, like his friend Maximilian of Austria, is always represented as the successful jouster, and, although his strength, skill and good fortune are generally admitted, some explanation is required to account for his invariable success. It has been suggested that it may have been due in some measure to the prerogative of the queen, by which a joust could be stopped if there should be any probability of the king’s defeat.[225]

Royal jousts were run on the thirty-first year of the reign, in celebration of the king’s marriage with Anne of Clѐves.

Lacroix, in Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages, pictures the degradation of a knight convicted of dishonourable conduct, copied from a wood-cut bearing the initials “J. A.” (Jost Amman). The culprit is exposed on a scaffold, clad only in his shirt, his armour is broken in pieces before him and thrown at his feet, and his spurs are cast upon a dunghill. His shield is dragged by a cart-horse through the mire, and the tail of his destrier cut off. A herald-at-arms cries three times, “Who is there?” and each time the name of the knight is given. The herald then cries, “No, it is not so; I see no knight, but only a false coward.” The culprit is borne on a litter into a church, where the burial service is read over him, and the world of chivalry knows him no more.

There is no record of any royal jousts on the accession of Edward VI to the throne, and such pastimes would seem to have been greatly in abeyance during that short reign.

The same would seem to have been the case during the reign of Queen Mary; but there were fights at barriers in 1554, when Philip II arrived in England. The challengers, against all comers, were Don Fredericke de Toledo, the Lord Strange, Don Ferdinando de Toledo, Don Francisco de Mendoça, and Garsulace de la Vega.

The prizes were as follows, viz.:—

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth vigorous efforts were made to revive the ancient glories of the tournament, which were for a time not without a certain measure of success, under the auspices of the maiden queen. Sir Henry Lee rode as the queen’s champion until advancing years caused him to relinquish the self-imposed office in favour of the Earl of Cumberland, who wore a glove of her Majesty’s on his helmet.

A drawing, from a MS., of tilting, tourney and barriers is reproduced in Lord Dillon’s paper in the Archæological Journal, Vol. LV, which affords a good deal of information regarding the detail of such combats during the reign.

There were jousts and barriers on the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the throne in 1558, in which the Duke of Norfolk and the earls of Surrey, Warwick and Leicester took part.[230]

The fête d’armes at which Henri II of France was fatally injured was held at Paris in 1559. The tenans on the occasion were the king, the Prince of Ferrera, the Duke of Guise and others. The course in which the accident befel was an extra one, run in the face of remonstrances on the part of the other challengers. The cause of the injury would seem to have been that the Comte de Montgomeri, Captain of the Scottish Guard, failed to drop his shivered lance immediately after impact, as he ought to have done, and the jagged end striking the king’s visor, a splinter passed through the slit for vision and pierced his brain. The king’s case was hopeless from the first, though he lingered in agony for nearly a week. The king’s accidental death was not avenged on Montgomeri at the time, but Catherine de Medici had him executed fifteen years later. Lacroix, in Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages, gives a picture of this fatal encounter, copied from an engraving of the sixteenth century.

Viscount Dillon, in his paper “Barriers and Foot Combats,” reproduces a picture of Spanish officers “At Barriers” in Brussels, 1569 (after Hogenberg). The details are interesting as showing the manner of fighting on foot at the time.

As stated in the Ashmolean MS., No. 837, fol. 245, a tournament was proclaimed at Hampton Court by Clarencieulx, King of Arms, on Twelfth-night, anno 1570, to take place in the month of May following. The MS. begins with a preamble, being a general exhortation to revive the tournament, which “had of late fallen a sleepe.” Next come the chapitres d’armes (the articles) for the tilt, tourney and barriers. A copy of the document follows here:—