Volume I Part 16 (1/2)
Then the king sent for the three knights into his chamber, and said to them, ”Sirs, in all your doing regard wisely the honor of us and of our realm; and to maintain your estate, spare nothing, for we will not fail you for the expence of ten thousand franks.”
The three knights knelt before the king, and thanked his grace. So important to the national honor was this joust considered, that the challenge was not published till it had been revised by Charles and his council.
This was its form:--”For the great desire that we have to come to the knowledge of n.o.ble gentlemen, knights, esquires, strangers, as well of the nation of France, as elsewhere of far countries, we shall be at St.
Ingelbertes, in the marshes of Calais, the 20th day of the month of May next coming, and there continue thirty days complete, the Fridays only excepted, and to deliver all manner of knights and squires, gentlemen, strangers of any nation, whosoever they be, that will come thither for the breaking of five spears, either sharp or rockets, at their pleasure; and without our lodgings shall be the s.h.i.+elds of our arms, both s.h.i.+elds of peace and of war, and whosoever will joust, let him come or send the day before, and with a rod touch which s.h.i.+eld he pleases. If he touch the s.h.i.+eld of war, the next day he shall joust with which of the three he will; and if he touch the s.h.i.+eld of peace, he shall have the jousts of peace and of war; so that whosoever shall touch any of the s.h.i.+elds shall shew their names to such as shall be then limited by us to receive them.
And all such stranger-knights as will joust shall bring each some n.o.bleman on his part who shall be instructed by us what ought to be done in this case. And we require all knights and squires, strangers that will come and joust, that they think not we do this for any pride, hatred, or evil will, but that we only do it to have their honorable company and acquaintance, which with our entire hearts we desire. None of our s.h.i.+elds shall be covered with iron or steel, nor any of theirs that will come to joust with us, without any manner of fraud or unfair advantage, but every thing shall be ordered by them to whom shall be committed the charge of governing the jousts. And because that all gentlemen, n.o.ble knights, and squires, to whom this shall come to knowledge, should be a.s.sured of its being firm and stable, we have sealed the present writing with the seals of our arms.
Written at Montpellier the twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord G.o.d one thousand, three hundred, four-score and nine, and signed thus. Raynolde du Roy--Boucicaut--St. Pye.”
When this challenge was published, the knights and squires of England entertained great imaginations to know what to do; and most of them thought it would be deeply to their blame and reproach that such an enterprise should take place near Calais, without their pa.s.sing the sea.
They therefore thanked the French chivalry for deporting themselves so courteously, and holding the joust so near the English marshes.
Accordingly, in the fresh and jolly month of May, when the spring was at its finest point, the three young knights of France mounted their gay steeds, and sportively held their course from Paris to Boulogne. They then progressed to the abbey of St. Ingilbertes, and were right joyful to learn that a number of knights and squires of merry England had, like good companions, crossed the sea, and were arraying themselves for the joust.
The Frenchmen raised three green pavilions, in a fair and champaign spot, between St. Ingilbertes and Calais. To the entrance of each pavilion they affixed two s.h.i.+elds, with the arms of the knights, one s.h.i.+eld of peace, and the other of war; and again proclaimed that such knights as would do deeds of arms should touch one of the s.h.i.+elds, or cause it to be touched, whichever mode pleased him, and he should be delivered according to his desire.
On the day appointed for the jousts, all the respective chivalries of France and England poured from the gates of St. Ingilberte and Calais, eager for the gallant fray. Such as proposed to be mere spectators met in friendly union, without regard to national differences. The King of France was present in a disguise.[334] The three French knights retired within their pavilions, and squires donned their harness. The English jousters apparelled themselves, and took their station at the end of the plain, opposite the pavilions. A flourish of clarions proclaimed the commencement of the joust, and the herald's trumpet sounded to horse.
When all was hushed in breathless expectation, Sir John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, p.r.i.c.ked forth with the slow and stately pace of high-born chivalry, from the end of the lists which had been a.s.signed to the English strangers. He was a right gallant cavalier, and he commanded his squire to touch the war-s.h.i.+eld of Sir Boucicaut. Incontinently, that n.o.ble son of chivalry, ready mounted, left his pavilion with s.h.i.+eld and spear. The knights marked each other well, and then spurred their horses to the encounter. The spear of Sir Boucicaut pierced through the s.h.i.+eld of the English knight; but it pa.s.sed hurtless over his arm, and their good steeds bounded to either end of the plain. This course was greatly commended. The second course was altogether harmless; and in the third course the horses started aside, and would not cope. The Earl of Huntingdon, who was somewhat chafed, came to his place, waiting for Sir Boucicaut taking his spear; but he did not, for he showed that he would run no more that day against the Earl, who then sent his squire to touch the war-s.h.i.+eld of the Lord of St. Pye. He issued out of his pavilion, and took his horse, s.h.i.+eld, and spear. When the Earl saw that he was ready, he spurred his horse, and St. Pye did not with less force urge his own good steed. They couched their spears: at the meeting their horses crossed, but with the crossing of their spears the Earl was unhelmed. He returned to his squires, and incontinently was rehelmed. He took his spear, and St. Pye his, and they ran again, and met each other with their spears in the middle of their s.h.i.+elds. The shock nearly hurled both to the ground, but they saved themselves by griping their horses with their legs, and returned to their places, and took breath. Sir John Holland, who had great desire to do honourably, took again his spear, and urged his horse to speed. When the Lord of St. Pye saw him coming, he dashed forth his horse to encounter him. Each of them struck the other on the helms with such force that the fire flew out. With that attaint the Lord of St. Pye was unhelmed; and so they pa.s.sed forth, and came again to their own places.
This course was greatly praised, and both French and English said that those three knights, the Earl of Huntingdon, Sir Boucicaut, and the Lord St. Pye, had right well done their devoirs. Again the earl desired, for love of his lady, to have another course; but he was refused, and he then mixed with the knights, and spectators, and gave place to others, for he had ran all his six courses well and valiantly, so that he had laud and honour of all parties.
These n.o.ble jousts continued for four days.[335] The gallant champions a.s.sembled after matins, and did not quit the course till the vesper-bell of the abbey summoned them to prayer. Of the n.o.ble company of knights and squires there were few who did not add something to their fame; for if a knight happened to be unhelmed, yet perhaps he did not lose his stirrups, and he was admired for sustaining a severe shock.
Such was the n.o.ble chevisance of the jousters that no mortal wound was inflicted.[336] The lance was the only weapon used. To unhelm the adverse knight by striking his frontlet was the chiefest feat of arms, and in the fierce career of opposing steeds, the firmest strength and the nicest skill could alone achieve it. Helms struck fire, lances were splintered, and the lance-head was lodged in the s.h.i.+eld: but sometimes the s.h.i.+eld resisted the lance, and men and steeds reeled back to their several pavilions.
Each gallant knight, however,
”grew unto his seat, And to such wond'rous doing brought his horse As he had been incorps'd and demi-natur'd With the brave beast.”
The knighthood and squirery of England sent forth nearly forty of their host to vindicate their chivalry, and right n.o.bly did they deport themselves against the doughtiest lances of France. There was only one knight who disgraced the order of chivalry. By birth he was a Bohemian, in station an attendant of the King of England. It was demanded of him with whom he would joust. He answered, with Boucicaut. They then prepared themselves and ran together, but the Bohemian struck a prohibited part of the armour, and he was greatly blamed that he demeaned his course so badly. By the laws of the joust he should have forfeited his arms and horse, but the Frenchman, out of courtesy to the Englishmen, forgave him.
The Bohemian to redeem his shame required again to joust one course. He was demanded against whom he would run; and he sent to touch the s.h.i.+eld of Sir Raynolde du Roy. That gallant knight was not long before he answered him. They met in the middle of their s.h.i.+elds, and the French cavalier struck his antagonist from his horse; and the Englishmen were not displeased that he was overthrown, because he had ran the first course so ungoodly.
This Sir Raynolde du Roy was one of the best jousters in all the realm of France, and no wonder; for our faithful and gallant chronicler reports that he lived in love with a young maiden, which availed him much in all his affairs.[337] One of his most valiant antagonists was a gentle knight of England, young and fresh, a jolly dancer and singer, called Sir John Arundell. At the first course they met rudely, and struck each other on the s.h.i.+elds, but they held themselves without falling, and pa.s.sed forth their course. The second course they struck each other on the helms; the third course they crossed and lost their staves; the fourth course resembled the second; the fifth course they splintered their spears against their s.h.i.+elds, and then Sir John Arundell ran no more that day.
At the conclusion of the jousts the Earl of Huntingdon, and the Earl Marshal, and the Lord Clifford, the Lord Beaumont, Sir John Clinton, Sir John Dambreticourt, Sir Peter Sherborne, and all other knights that had jousted those four days with the French knights, thanked them greatly for their pastime, and said, ”Sirs, all such as would joust of our party have accomplished their desires; therefore now we will take leave of you: we will return to Calais, and so cross to England; and we know that whoever will joust with you will find you here these thirty days, according to the tenor of your challenge.”
The French knights were grateful for this courtesy, saying, that all new comers should be right heartily welcome; ”and we will deliver them according to the rights of arms, as we have done you; and, moreover, we thank you for the grace and gallantry that you have shewn to us.”
Thus in knightly manner the Englishmen departed from Saint Ingilbertes, and rode to Calais, where they tarried not long, for the Sat.u.r.day afterwards they took s.h.i.+pping and sailed to Dover, and reached that place by noon. On the Sunday they progressed to Rochester, and the next day to London, whence every man returned to his home.
The three French knights remained the thirty days at Saint Ingilbertes, but no more Englishmen crossed the sea to do any deed of arms with them.[338]
[Sidenote: Joust between Lord Scales and the b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Burgundy.]
Perhaps the most interesting joust in the middle ages was that which was held between Lord Scales, brother of the Queen of Edward the Fourth, and the b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Burgundy. Many of the circ.u.mstances which attended it are truly chivalric.[339]
On the 17th of April, 1465, the Queen and some ladies of her court, in a mood of harmless merriment, attached a collar of gold, enamelled with the rich floure of souvenance[340], to the thigh of that right wors.h.i.+pful and amorous knight, Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales, for an emprise of arms on horseback and on foot.[341] The most renowned cavalier at that time was the b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Burgundy, and accordingly Lord Scales addressed him in courteous wise, praising his prowess, and vowing before G.o.d and the ladies that his own great desire was to rival his fame. In order, then, that there might exist that love and fraternity between them which became knights of wors.h.i.+p, he related the goodly adventure at the court of England, and requiring the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, in all affection for the honour of chivalry, to do him so much favour as to discharge him of his bond. The Earl of Worcester, Lord High Constable of England, certified the fact of the delivery of the floure of souvenance to the Lord Scales, and the King's permission for his herald to cross the seas to Burgundy.