THE TOURNAMENT AT BRUSSELS IN 1905
In marked contrast to the Eglingtoun Tournament, in the way of accuracy of detail and historic truth, was the pas d’armes in the Rathausplatz, at Brussels, in 1905, held nearly three-quarters of a century later. This revival in what was once Burgundian territory was most appropriate, the more so as it took place in Brussels itself. It was in the Rathausplatz there, one of the most striking sites in Europe, that the Comte de Charolais, afterwards Charles the Bold, ran in his first tournament in 1452. The Comte was then but eighteen years of age, and tilted in as many courses on that occasion, breaking sixteen lances “as they ought to be broken”—a very good performance, viz. sixteen attaints out of eighteen runs. It was this tournament, held in the city of Brussels some four and a half centuries before, in the reign of Philippe le Bon, that was selected for reconstruction in the months of July and August, 1905.[242] Charles was born in November, 1433, and the tournament in question was held in commemoration of the anniversary of his birthday. He was killed in battle on the fatal field of Nancy in 1477. In the month of August of the same year his daughter and heiress, the Princess Maria, was wedded to Maximilian of Austria, and the brilliant traditions of the tournament passed over to his court.
The collection of illuminated MSS. in the Burgundian Library, now transferred to the National Library at Brussels, with the Armorial de la Toison d’Or and other Burgundian records, now in the National Library at Paris,[243] furnish reliable and inexhaustible material for the correct staging of a modern revival of a tournament on the lines of one of the fifteenth century. It is thus no wonder that the reconstruction, in the summer of 1905, of the pas d’armes of 1452 was attended by such success as to prove of great educational value. The middle of the fifteenth century was, perhaps, the most picturesque period of the tourney: its rich weapons and armour, the caparisons of the horses, the arms of the champions and others, the lists, the music, and even the very musical instruments of the period, together with the sumptuous accessories of the brilliant Burgundian Court, were reproduced in 1905 to a marvel.
The reconstruction, as presented at Brussels, began with the entry of Duke Philip of Burgundy into the lists in the Rathausplatz, with a splendid train of the ladies of his court, the Marshal of the Lists, the King of Arms (Jean Lefébre de Saint-Remy, the reputed writer of the Armorial de la Toison d’Or), the Comte de Charolais, with his five jousting associates and many historic figures of the camp and tourney throughout Christendom, the four judges of the tournament, heralds, pursuivants, etc. The Duke having taken his seat as supreme umpire on the gaily decked tribune prepared for him, the trumpets sounded and the jousting began. Many courses were run in character. This was followed by the quintain, and afterwards by combats on foot and a mêlée; then the prizes were presented. Figures of the knights of 1452, such as those of the Comte de Charolais, Jacques de Lalain and Fredrich de Renesse, were faithfully reproduced in all their details. Some excellent post-cards were published in Belgium, picturing some of the principal scenes of the tournament. [Plate XII (1)] depicts the Comte de Charolais armed at all points for the mêlée, and [Plate XII (2)] Jean de Clèves. The fêtes d’armes and its rehearsals extended over several weeks.