Four Pages, richly apparelled, attendants on the Champion.
At the entrance into the Hall, the Trumpets sounded thrice, and the passage to the King’s table being cleared by the Knight Marshal, the Herald with a loud voice proclaimed the Champion’s Challenge, in the words following:
“If any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our sovereign lord King George the fourth, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, defender of the faith, son and next heir to our sovereign lord King George the third, the last king, deceased, to be right heir to the imperial crown of this United Kingdom, or that he ought not to enjoy the same, here is his Champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him, and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him on what day soever he shall be appointed.”
Whereupon the Champion threw down his gauntlet; which, having lain a short time upon the ground, the Herald took it up, and delivered it again to the Champion.
They then advanced to the middle of the Hall, where the ceremony was again performed in the same manner.
Lastly, they advanced to the steps of the throne, where the Herald (and those who preceded him) ascending to the middle of the steps, proclaimed the challenge in the like manner; when the Champion having thrown down his gauntlet and received it again from the Herald, made a low obeisance to the King: whereupon the Cupbearer, having received from the Officer of the Jewel-House, a Gold Cup and Cover filled with Wine, presented the same to the King, and his Majesty drank to the Champion, and sent to him by the Cupbearer the said Cup, which the Champion (having put on his gauntlet) received, and having made a low obeisance to the King, and drank the Wine; after which, making another low obeisance to his Majesty, and being accompanied as before, he departed out of the Hall, taking with him the said cup and cover as his fee.
[63] In this inscription Sir Robert Dymoke is, by mistake of the sculptor, styled knight and baronet instead of knight banneret.
[68] “Vir illustris in consilio, strenuus in prælio, princeps militæ in Angliæ, et in omni regno ornatissimus.” Wever’s Fun. Mem. p. 366.
[70] The MS. vol. of Church notes, so often before quoted, contains the following description of this castle:—
“The castle of Bullingbrooke was built by William de Romara, Earle of Lincolne, and ennobled by the birth of King Henry the 4th, who from thence took his sirname. Heretofore it was a famous structure, but now gone much to ruine and decay.
“The towne standes in a bottome, and the castell in the lowest part of it, compassed about with a large moat fed by springs. It is most accessible on the south-west part, the rest being encompassed by the hills.
“As for the frame of the building, it lieth in a square, the area within the walls conteyning about an acre and a half, the building is very uniforme.
“It hath 4 stronge forts or ramparts, wherein are many roomes, and lodgings: the passage from one to another lying upon the walles, which are embattled about. There be likewise 2 watch-towers all covered with lead. If all the roomes in it were repayred, and furnished [as it seemes in former tymes they have bin] it were capable to receyve a very great prince with all his trayne.
“The entrance into it is very stately over a faire draw-bridge. The gatehouse a very uniforme, and strong building. Next within the porter’s lodge is a payre of low stayres, which goe downe into a dungeon, in which some reliques are yet to be seene of a prison-house. Other 2 prisons more are on either side.
“The building itselfe is of a sandy stone hewen of a great square out of the rockes thereby, which though it abide the weather longe, yet [in processe of tyme] it will moulder, especially if wett gett within it, which hath bin the decay of many places of the wall where the roofe is uncovered.
“There be certaine roomes within the castle, [built by Queen Elizabeth of freestone] amongst which is a fayre great chamber with other lodgings.
“In a roome in one of the towers of the castle they usually kept their auditt once by the yeare for the whole Dutchy of Lancaster, having ever bin the prime seate thereof, where all the recordes for the whole countrey are kept.
“The constable of the castle is Sir William Mounson Lord Castlemayne, who receaveth a revenue out of the Dutchy lands of £500. per annum, in part of payment of £1000. yearely given by the king to the Countesse of Nottingham his lady.
“One thinge is not to be passed by affirmed as a certaine trueth by many of the inhabitants of the towne upon their owne knowledge, which is, that the castle is haunted by a certain spirit in the likenesse of a hare: which att the meeting of the auditors doeth usually runne betweene their legs, and sometymes overthrows them, and soe passes away. They have pursued it downe into the castleyard, and seene it take in att a grate into a low cellar, and have followed it thither with a light, where notwithstanding that they did most narrowly observe it [and that there was noe other passage out, but by the doore, or windowe, the roome being all close framed of stones within, not having the least chinke or crevice] yet they could never finde it. And att other tymes it hath been seene run in at iron-grates below into other of the grotto’s [as their be many of them] and they have watched the place, and sent for houndes, and put in after it; but after a while they have come crying out.”
Harleian MS. No. 6829, p. 162.
[71] The following arms and inscriptions were in the windows of this church when it was visited by Mr. Holles.
In FenestraOrientali Cancelli. | ||
G. 3 lyons passants gardants d’or alabell of 3 each charged with 3 floures de lize of the second | Comes | |
Empaled. Castile and Leon quarterly | A label of 3 arg. each charged with 2 de lizes sa. | |
Or a lyon rampant purpure | Lacy. | |
B. 3 garbes d’or | Meschines. | |
Quarterly. Sa. a crosse engrayled d’or | Ufford | Willughby. |
Argent a fesse G between 3 bugles trippantsa. | ||
In FenestraOrientali ad dextram Navis. | ||
B. 6. lyoncels rampant d’or. 3. 2. 1. | Longspeee. | |
England, and France quarterly. | ||
In 1maFenestra australi. | ||
B. 3 garbes d’or | Meschines. | |
Chequy d’or & B a bend G. | Clifford. | |
Quarterly arg. & G. the 2d & 3dcharg’d with a frette d’or over all a bend sa. | Spenser. | |
Femina gestans in veste sex leones aureoserectos una cum leone purpure conjunctos | Longespee. | |
In 2daFenestra Australi. | ||
G. a fesse verry betw. 3 leopards heads jesantfloures de lize d’or | Cantilupe. | |
G. a crosse molyn arg. | Beke. | |
B. a fesse daunce betw: 10 billetsd’or | Deyncourt. | |
InCampanili. | ||
Quarterly France, and England | ||
Quarterly or and G. a border sa. bezanty | Rochford. | |
Or, a chevron betw: 10 crosses botony sa. | Slight. | |
Orate pro bono statu . . . DucisAurelie. Ad hoc Campanile . . . Ao. r. r. Hen. | ||
Quarterly. Arg. a chevron betw: 3martlets sa. | ||
Harleian MS. No. 6829. p. 163.
[72] Domesday, folio 351.