The same lavish hospitality was extended here as at Kenilworth in 1279, Windsor in 1344.
It is clear from various records that the tenans at a round table of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries sometimes fought under the names of King Arthur’s knights, indeed, “Sir Galehos” appears among the names of the knights inscribed on the actual round table at Winchester; and they also sometimes adopted the names of other legendary heroes, for at a round table held at Valenciennes in 1344, at which the prize was a peacock, victory was achieved by a band of cavaliers which fought under the names of King Alexander’s knights.[19] The accounts given of King Edward’s tournament at Windsor, and that of the later Boucicaut’s pas d’armes, both of which are called round tables, may be said to define sufficiently what a “Round Table” of the fourteenth century really was; and we fail to find any material difference from other meetings of the kind and period.
Favine in Theatre of Honour and Knighthood[20] refers to “Hastiludia Rotunda” as being practice for cavaliers “to sit well their horses, to keepe themselues fast in their saddles and stirups. For, if any man fell, and his Horse upon him, at these encounterings with their lances, lightly worse did befall him before he could any way get forth of the Preasse. But others came to heauior fortune, their liues expyring in the place, being trod and trampled on by others”—but all this would apply to the ordinary mêlée. This form of tourney was much in favour during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, but we hear no more of round tables after that.
The Quintain (quintana) and Running at the Ring (Ringelrennen, Corso all’ Annello) were closely allied with the joust, and were practised in preparation for it; the chief objects for attainment in the former being a correct aim, to remain steady in the saddle after impact with the figure, and deftly to get rid of the stump of the broken lance. The quintain was a more ancient game than the joust, and indeed, not improbably, it gave rise to it; and being free from the risk of personal danger, was a sport and pastime of the people. The game assumed many forms, though it was chiefly a means of practice with the lance, sword, baston and battle-axe, indulged in by the young aspirants for knighthood as well as by the citizens and yeomanry. The original quintain was merely a post set up, against which the strokes were directed or against a shield hanging from it, with the same object in view. Later, the post developed into a human figure, usually fashioned as a Turk or Saracen, who held a wooden sword in his hand. The objective of the lance was the space between the eyes; and the figure was placed on a pivot, and so constructed that a misdirected stroke, that is a hit too much on one side or the other, would cause it to spin round with great velocity, dealing the tyro a smart blow with the sword. Another form was a bag of sand, from which the clumsy operator was apt to receive a buffet as it swung round or to have the contents expended over his horse and person; and there were other similar varieties of the game. The water quintain was practised from a boat, rapidly propelled by rowers; while the player stood at the bow, his lance couched and directed towards a shield, hung from a post standing in the water. The quintain continued to be a popular game right through the seventeenth century, and could be played on foot as well as on horseback. A picture of a quintain is given on a miniature in the Chroniques de Charlemagne, in the Burgundian Library at Brussels, and is reproduced by Lacroix in Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Running or Tilting at the Ring was merely a later form of the quintain. An upright shaft or post was holed at intervals for the reception of a rounded bar, socketed into it at right-angles, from which hung the ring placed on a level with the player’s eye; and the horseman, couching his lance, rode towards it at full gallop with the object of transfixing it. When fairly hit the ring became detached by the action of side springs and remained on the head of the lance. Pluvinal gives particulars of the game as practised at the beginning of the seventeenth century; it was much in vogue at the court of Louis XIV. For running at the ring the lance was much shorter than that employed in jousting, its length was 10 ft. 7 in. and weight 7 lbs. There is a specimen at Dresden, tipped with a cone to hold the ring when hit, and there is naturally no vamplate. It will be realised what excellent practice these sports afforded for the joust and tourney. Both games are described in Strutt’s Sports and Pastimes. MS., Ashmole 837, fol. 185, furnishes an instance of the game:—
“These persons here vnderwrytten / beinge one the kinges parte the playntyff / And the other wt therle of Rutland defendant / dyd Run at ye Rynge iiij course every man / at wch tyme none toke the Ryng but only Mr hayward / and Mr Constable beinge wt the defendant / whome are apoynted when yt shall please his grace / for them to Rune agayne / he wch shall take the Ring furst shall have the prysse /
| wt the kynges matie | wt therle of Rutland |
| the lord marques of Northampton | the lord Fyzewater |
| therle of Worcester | the lord hastynges |
| therle of wormewood | the lord chevers (?Chandos) |
| the lord admyrall | Sr Ambrows Dudley |
| the lord lyle | Sr jorge hayward |
| the lord Strange | Mr norrys |
| Sr thomas Wroughton | Sr William Stafford |
| Mr Barnaby | Sr Anthony Sturley |
| Mr throughmorton | Mr Pownynge |
| harry nevell | Mr Clement paston |
| Sr harry gates | Sr William Cobham |
| Sr harry Sydney | Mr Constable |
| Mr Chetewood | Mr payne (?prynne) |
| Mr phylpott | Mr. warcope |
This beinge done came VI one ether partye to the tourney whose names are hereafter named
| The Kynges syd | Therle of Rutland |
| therle of Worcester | lord Fyzewater |
| the lord lysseley | Sr Ambrows Dudley |
| Mr harry nevell | Sr George hayward |
| Mr Sydney | Mr pownynges |
| Sr thomas wroughton | Mr paston |
| Sr harry gates | Mr payne (?prynne).” |