Another illumination depicts a man in the course of being armed for a combat on foot, his “hanscement” is on his body; the sabatons, greaves and cuisses, adjusted over his lower limbs; the attendant is fitting on the breech of mail; and all the remaining pieces of his equipment are lying on a table ready to be put on in their turn. These consist of the huge, globose bascinet, the cuirass of breast and back pieces, the tonletis, vambrace and rerebrace, a moton for the armpit, and a gauntlet. The “griffus” mentioned are the greaves; the “tonletis,” the skirt of bases; and the “pensill” is a small banner.
The accompanying text is as follows:—
“How a man schall be armyd at his ese when he schal fighte on foote.”
He schal have noo schirte up on him but a dowbelet of ffustean lynyd with satene cutte full of hoolis.the dowbelet muste be strongeli boūdē there the poyntis muste be sette aboute the greet of the arme.and the b ste (sic) before and behynde and the gussetis of mayle muste be sowid un to the dowbelet in the bought of the arme.and undir the arme the armynge poyntis muste be made of fyne twyne suche as men make stryngis for crossebowes and they muste be trussid small and poyntid as poyntis. Also they muste be wexid with cordeweneris coode.and than they woll neythir recche nor breke Also a payre hosyñ of stamyn sengill and a peyre of shorte bulwerkis of thynne blanket to put aboute his kneys for chawfynge of his lighernes Also a payre of shone of thikke cordewene and they muste be frette with smal whipcorde thre knottis up on a corde and thre coordis muste be faste sowid un to the hele of the shoo and fyne cordis in the mydill of the soole of the same shoo and that ther be betwene the frettis of the heele and the frettis of the myddill of the shoo the space of thre fyngris.
To arme a man.
ffirst ye muste sette on Sabatones and tye hem up on to the shoo with smale poyntis that wol breke And then griffus ＆ then quisses ＆ thē the breche of mayle And thē tonletis. And thē brest And the vambras And the rerebras And then glovys And then hange his daggere upon his right side And then his shorte swerde upon the lyfte side in a round rynge all nakid to pulle it oute lightli And then putte his cote upon his bak And then his basinet pỹnid up on two greet staplis before the breste with a dowbill bokill behynde up on the bak for to make the basinet sitte juste. And then his long swerde in his hande. And then his pensill in his hande peyntid of seynt George or of oure lady to blesse him with as he gooth towarde the felde and in the felde.
A list of various accessaries and necessaries for a fight on foot is given; such as a tent, the refreshments, “Also a longe swerde shorte swerde and dagger Also a pensell to here in his hande of his avowrye,” also the tools for repairing damaged armour.
The Pas de la Pélerine, held by the Seigneur de Haubourdin Bastard de St. Pol, and the feat of arms performed between Jacques de Lalain and an Englishman named Thomas, both took place near St. Omer, before the Duke of Burgundy and the Comte de Charolais, in the year 1446. Jehan, Seigneur de Haubourdin, and six others, calling themselves pélerins (pilgrims), were to hold the pas for six weeks against all comers. The meeting had been proclaimed in the neighbouring countries; but, owing to national animosities and other causes prevailing at the time, only a single cavalier, and he a German fifty years old, attended from abroad to contest the pas. Great preparations had been made: lists prepared and a tribune, built of stone, erected for the judge. Two shields were hung in the lists, one representing Sir Lancelot of the Lake, the other Tristan de Leonnois. The German cavalier touched the shield of Sir Lancelot, and was given leave to do his devoir in accordance with the chapitres d’armes drawn up for the occasion. The duke took his seat on the tribune on the day of combat at 9 a.m., and soon afterwards the fight with axes began between the German and the Sire de Haubourdin, who appeared as Sir Lancelot. The German, a tall man-at-arms, though well up in years, was still vigorous, but not very expert at the use of the axe. The number of strokes stipulated in the articles having been exchanged, without injury to either party, the duke cast his bâton. No other foreign venant presented himself, to the great disappointment of all concerned. A knight, Bernard de Bearne, Bastard de Foix, had been on his way to contest the pas, but had been struck down with fever and could not be present in time.
In the combat on foot between Jacques de Lalain and the Englishman named Thomas, Lalain fought in light armour, wearing a salade (sallade de guerre toute ronde), leaving his face exposed; while the Englishman wore heavy armour, his helmet being a visored bascinet. Lalain was armed with a long-shafted axe, with spikes at the top and bottom, having on one side a bec de faucon, or flook, and on the other a mallet (mail rond) with three prongs. The Englishman’s weapon had an axe-blade on one side, a hammer-head (long mail) on the other, and spikes top and bottom; it had also a roundel guard. After several strokes had been exchanged Lalain was wounded on the wrist, in spite of which the fight continued unabated. Thomas then struck some heavy blows at his adversary, who stepped suddenly back, so that the Englishman lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground. This ended the fight.
Bernard de Bearne, Bastard de Foix, on recovering from his attack of fever, presented himself at Bruges, ready to fulfil his engagement at the Pas de la Pélerine; but as the time arranged for the course of that meeting had expired, the chapitres d’armes prepared for it had ceased to operate. Nevertheless, a combat took place at Bruges with de Haubourdin, and new articles provided that lances were to be cast, and then a fight with axes, until one or the other had lost his weapon. On the day appointed for the duel the Bastard de Foix entered the lists, in full armour, the back of his jupon embroidered with the family arms, with the addition of the bâton of illegitimacy. Having paid his respects to the duke, who acted as umpire, he retired to his pavilion. De Haubourdin came and went in like manner, his jupon bearing the cognizance of Sir Lancelot. The champions then re-entered the lists for battle, both armed with becs de faucon, when it was observed that the weapon of de Bearne was garnished with a long, slender spike, calculated for easy penetration between the bars of the visor. De Haubourdin on seeing this had his visor removed, saying that he would save his adversary the trouble of piercing it. The combatants each carried a lance in the right hand, an axe and shield in the left. The fight commenced by the parties hurling their lances at each other; that of de Haubourdin missed his opponent, but de Bearne’s weapon struck the shield of his adversary, and glancing off wounded him in the arm. Hurling their shields at each other, the champions then closed, and after some heavy strokes had been delivered the duke’s bâton fell.[154]