ORDINANCES RESPECTING TOURNAMENTS
(MS. I, 26, College of Arms. Antiquarian Repertory, Vol. I, p. 144.)
First: whoso breaketh most spears, as they ought to be broken, shall have the prize.
Item: whoso hitteth three times in the helm, shall have the prize.
Item: whoso meeteth three times coronell to coronell shall have the prize.
How the prize should be lost.
First: whoso striketh a horse shall have no prize.
Item: whoso striketh a man, his back turned, or disarmed of his spear, shall have no prize.
Item: whoso hitteth the toyle or tilte thrice, shall have no prize.
Item: whoso unhelms himself twice, shall have no prize, without his horse fail him.
How spears broken shall be allowed.
First: whoso breaketh a spear between the saddle and the charnell of the helm, shall be allowed for one.
Item: whoso breaketh a spear from the charnell upward, shall be allowed for two.
Item: whoso breaketh a spear so as he strike him down or put him out of his saddle or disarm him in such wise as he may not run the next course after, shall be allowed for three spears broken.
Whereas your most noble grace hast most abundantly given unto four maidens of your most honourable court, the castle called Loyal, to dispose according to their pleasure; they have most liberally given the guard and custody of the same unto a captain and with him fifteen gentlemen ... they have undertaken the defence of the same ... to defend and keep the same against all comers....
Item, in any days that this enterprize shall be done, to begin at one of the clock at afternoon, and to continue until seven of the clock at afternoon....
... The VI comers shall take a spear and a sword every of them in like wise, the VI gentlemen putting themselves in range directly against their fellows, every man his spear on his thigh and his sword where it shall please him; and then at the sound of the trumpet to charge and run together all at once everyman to his fellow that shall stand against him, and so pass through.
Item, the course with the spears passed, everyman to take his sword and do his best, only the foyne except, choosing his fellow by fortune as it shall happen, and so to continue until the time that the king shall command to rest.
Item, if any man of arms break his sword or lose it by any fortune he may return to the scaffold where the heralds be and there receive another and so enter into the tourney again. Also it shall not need that every man confine to still in fighting with him whom he shall first encounter, but if he will may also search to and fro taking his advantage, and helping his fellow if need be, always defended that no man lay hand on other but only with his sword to do his best nor twain to set upon one alone unless it be in aiding of his fellow as above....
Item, if any man be disarmed, he may withdraw himself if he will; but once past the bars he may not come again into the tourney, for that day. Also there shall no man have his servant within the bars with any piece of harness, for no man shall be within the said bars but such as shall be assigned by the king’s grace.
Item, who shall best demean himself at the same art of arms shall have a sword garnished to the value of three hundred crowns or under....
Item, if any man strike a horse with his spear, he shall be put out of the tourney without any favour incontinent: and if any slay an horse, he shall pay to the owner of the said horse an hundred crowns in recompense; also it is not to be thought that any man will strike an horse willingly: for if it do, it shall be to his great dishonour.
ORDER OF THE TOURNAMENT
First, the quarrels and bills of the challenger and defendant shall be pleaded in the court before the constable and marshall ... the battle being appointed the constable shall assign them the day and place, in sort that it be not within forty days after the battle appointed ... awarding them how many weapons they shall have, i.e., glaive, long sword, short sword and dagger....
The king shall find the field to fight in ... the lists must be 60 pace long and 40 pace broad, in good order, so that the ground be hard, stable and firm, and equally made, without great stones, the ground flat; and that the lists be strongly barred about, with one door in the east, another in the west, with good and strong bars 7 foot high or more, that a horse cannot leap over them.
The day of the battle, the king shall be in a state upon a high scaffold, and a place shall be made for the constable and marshall at the foot of the stairs of the said scaffold, where they shall sit....
When the Challenger cometh ... to the east gate of the lists in such manner as he will fight with his armour and weapons as is appointed by the court ... the constable and marshall shall go thither, and the constable shall ask him what man he is that is come, armed to the door of the lists? What is his name? And wherefore he is come? And the challenger shall answer.... Then the constable opening the umbrel of his helmet, and perceiving him to be the same man which is the challenger, shall cause the door of the lists to be opened, and suffer him to enter with his said armour, weapons, victuals, and other lowable necessaries about him and also his council with him; and then he shall bring him before the king and to his estate [station] where he shall attend until the defendant be come. In the like sort shall be done to the defendant; but that he shall enter in at the west door of the lists ... the which thing being done, the constable and marshall shall view the spears of the said challenger and defendant and shall cause them to be cut and sharpened of equal measure.... [Both parties being made to swear to their truth and honesty] ... the constable shall cause them to clasp their hands together and to lay their left hands upon the Book.... The oaths being ended and every of them led to his place, their counsellers and friends being taken away from them ... the constable shall command the marshall to make proclamation at the four corners of the lists in manner and form following:
“Oies, oies, oies, we charge and command you in the behalf of the King, the Constable and Marshall, that no man whether of great or small estate ... be so hardie from henceforth to approach the lists by four feet nor to speak one word, to make any countenance, sign, likelihood or noise whereby any of the parties ... may take advantage of each other, upon peril to lose their life and goods at the king’s pleasure. That done the constable and marshall shall cause the lists to be voided of all manner of persons except their lieutenants and two knights one for the constable and one for the marshall ... but the two lieutenants ... ought to have in their hands either of them, a spear without iron, for to part them if the king would cause them to stay in their fighting, whether it be to rest, or otherwise howsoer it be ... and the parties being ready to fight as is said, the constable shall by commandment of the King say with a loud voice: Let them go and rest awhile; Let them go again and rest awhile; Let them go and do their indevoir in God’s name.”