A combat on horseback and on foot took place at Arras in 1425,[132] between the Sires de Sainte-Treille and Lionel de Vendôme, the Duke of Burgundy acting as umpire. On the first day the chevaliers ran six courses with the lance, and de Vendôme was slightly wounded in the head. The day following they fought on foot with axes of the bec de faucon type, and de Vendôme attacked his adversary with great impetuosity, but all his strokes were parried. Sainte-Treille then delivered several blows on the visor of his opponent, forcing it open, leaving the face exposed; then hooking his axe in the opening wounded de Vendôme slightly in the face with his gauntlet, perceiving which the duke cast his bâton. A joust followed between the Sire de Champremi and the Bastard of Rosbeque, the latter piercing the armour of his adversary with his lance, on which the duke’s bâton fell.[133]
The bec de faucon or bec de corbin was a weapon with a curved beak-like spike or pick, as its name implies, sometimes with a blade at the opposite side, at others with a narrow mail or mallet, with four short points, somewhat like those on the coronal to a lance, though sharper: in both varieties there is usually a long spike at the head and a point at the foot; strictly speaking, however, a weapon with a blade can hardly be termed a bec de faucon. An illustration is given in “Barriers and Foot Combats,” a paper by Viscount Dillon,[134] of a weapon of this kind belonging to Captain Hutton, which has a beak or pick on one side, and opposite to it a mail or mallet of four points and a spike at the head. There is another example at the Musée d’Artillerie, Paris, with a very pronounced beak, but neither mail nor spear. It is stated in Lord Dillon’s paper that in the duel between Merlo and de Charny, at Arras in 1435, before the fighting began, an objection was lodged by Charny’s friends against the Spaniard using a bec de faucon, axes being stipulated for in the Chapitres d’Armes. It was contended that the weapon was not an axe at all; but after some discussion the objection was not pressed. The weapon, which is a terrible one, does not seem to have been much used in Germany.
In 1428 a grand tournament was held at Brussels. The Duke of Burgundy attended and was magnificently entertained and feasted by his cousin, Duke Philip of Brabant, and the City of Brussels. The Lady of Gezebêque awarded the prizes. The dukes announced their intention of jousting together, but were dissuaded from doing so by the kings-of-arms, for fear of accidents. Many cavaliers took part, before a great concourse of nobles, ladies, and the general public. The prize for the most successful combatant in the first day’s fighting was awarded to a gentleman of Brabant named Linquart. On the morrow and following days there was great jousting, and the Duke of Brabant and the Seigneur de Mamines were adjudged to be the best lances, and the prizes were awarded to them. This fête d’armes was distinguished by great splendour, and banquets, dances, masquerades and other mummeries continued for several days.[135]
In 1430 a combat took place in the great market-place at Arras, between five French and a like number of Burgundian cavaliers, under the umpireship of the Duke of Burgundy, for the breaking of a certain number of lances. The French contingent consisted of the Seigneurs Théode de Valeperghe, Pothon de Sainte-Treille, Philibert d’Abrecy, Guillaume de Bes and L’Estendard de Nully; that of the Burgundians of Simon de Lalain, the Seigneurs de Charny, Jean de Vaulde, Nicolle and Philibert de Menton. The combat was to continue over five days. Lists were prepared, “garnie d’aisselles, afin que les chevaux ne ce puissent recontrer l’un l’autre,” and here we have an example of a joust at the tilt.
On the first day de Lalain jousted with de Valeperghe, when the latter, with his horse, was thrown violently to the ground. Jousts followed over the second, third, fourth and fifth days, in which many lances were broken. In the third course run between de Charny and d’Abrecy, the visor of the latter’s “armet” was pierced by his opponent’s lance, causing a very serious wound in the face; and on the last day the same thing happened to de Nully, in jousting with Philibert de Menton. The injured knights were removed to their lodgings, and left behind in charge of the surgeons; both subsequently recovered from their wounds. On the conclusion of the fête d’armes, the honours lay with the Burgundians, and the duke loaded the Frenchmen with handsome presents.[136]
In 1435 there was a passage at arms at Arras, held under the umpireship of Duke Philip of Burgundy; and seated on the bench near him were the dukes of Bourbon and Cueldres, with other noblemen of distinction. The parties to the duel were Messire Juan de Merlo, a chevalier banneret of Spain, and Pierre de Beauffrement, Sire de Charny, a banneret of Burgundy, knight of the Toison d’Or, and one of the most noted jousters of his day. The articles of combat provided for a joust of three courses, and then a combat on foot, with axes, swords and daggers, to be continued until one of the twain was placed hors de combat, though, as always, subject to the fiat of the judge. The Spaniard first entered the lists attended by four noble cavaliers, who had been specially attached to his person by the orders of the duke. De Charny followed, attended by the Comtes d’Étampes, de Saint Pol and de Ligny; and with them was the Earl of Suffolk, who carried the lances to be used on the occasion. The champions ran the three courses with the lance, without mishap to either beyond a slight fracture to the armet of the Spaniard. This ended the contest for the first day; and on the morrow the combat on foot took place. It began with the knights hurling lances at each other, the weapon of the Spaniard striking the Burgundian on the arm, causing a slight wound, notwithstanding which the fight continued with axes. The combatants displayed much skill and gallantry with their weapons, without much advantage to either knight, when quite unexpectedly the duke cast his bâton, putting an end to the fight. The Spaniard protested most energetically to the duke at the combat being brought to so premature an end, urging that he had travelled a long way in order to achieve this feat of arms, and had been put to a vast expense. The duke appeased him, however, by praising his gallantry, and ordered a handsome present in money to be paid to him to cover his outlay. This duel is remarkable as furnishing an early instance of fighting with the visor up. To set against the danger of having part of the face exposed, it gave great advantage in the way of vision, in clearness as well as in radius. The visor was a mark so often aimed at, and was in its nature very vulnerable.[137]
In the twentieth year of King Henry VI a French Chevalier named Louis de Bueille challenged Rafe Chalons, an esquire of England, to a feat of arms; and the King of France was present at the meeting. The Englishman ran the Frenchman through the body and killed him.[138]
Sir John Astley fought on foot with the Chevalier Philip Boyle of Arragon at Smithfield in the year 1442, King Henry VI acting as umpire. An illustration in the MS. in the possession of Lord Hastings pictures quadrangular lists of open railings showing the openings and the bars for closing them. They are of a kind usually erected for combats of this nature. King Henry sits in the tribune; and within the lists, besides the principals, is a herald-at-arms and a guard of four, armed with battle-axes, for keeping the ring. The combatants wear bascinets; bases; solerets, à la Poulaine; and tabard-shaped surcoats, on which the respective arms of the parties are embroidered. Boyle’s axe has a flook or bec de faucon and an axe-blade; that of Astley’s a blade and a three-pronged mail or mell. The MS. does not state the issue of the fight.