De La Marche thus describes a feat of arms which took place on foot and on horseback between the Seigneur Philippe de Ternant, a Chevalier de la Toison d’Or, against Galiot de Baltasin, an esquire and chamberlain to the Duke of Milan, in April, 1446.
Lists of strong planks, with a double enceinte, had been erected in a large square in the town of Arras, near the Hostelerie de la Clef. They were spacious in extent, and within them handsome pavilions had been pitched for the use of the combatants, and there were gaily decorated stands for the use of the officials and spectators. On the day appointed Duke Philip of Burgundy took his seat on the tribune on the stand overlooking the lists, and with him were his son, the Comte de Charolais, and his nephew, Adolph de Cléves. On the first day of the fighting the Seigneur de Ternant entered the lists on horseback, armed at all points, accompanied by the Seigneur de Beaujeu and the Comte de Sainct Pol, who acted as his esquires. Dismounting, he paid his respects to his master the duke, after which he retired to his pavilion. His adversary entered the lists soon after in like manner, supported by the Comte d’Étampes, who presented him to the duke. Eight men-at-arms, holding bâtons in their hands, were posted in the lists in order to be ready to separate the combatants when necessary and to carry out the orders of the duke.
The usual preliminaries having been gone through, each knight made the sign of the cross and the first encounter commenced, which was a combat on foot with lances. Baltasin attacked his adversary with such force as to break the point of his lance; while de Ternant holed the bascinet of his opponent. The rule as to following up would seem to have been infringed by Baltasin, for the king of arms now measured the ground with cords and marked the limits of advance and retirement, seven paces each way. New lances were issued, and in the next round both weapons were broken; after which the seven thrusts provided for in the articles were duly and gallantly accomplished. The next fight was with estocs and, after some heavy thrusting, the limits of advance and retreat were again marked, this time five paces each way. On the resumption of the fight, which is described as terrible, Baltasin’s helmet was again holed, pieces of armour was shed on both sides and gauntlets broken. Baltasin then struck de Ternant on the lower end of the right pauldron, forcing off the coude, and the combatants assailed each other with such violence that the points of their estocs were broken off and others had to be supplied. At length the eleven thrusts were duly and gallantly performed and the combatants retired to their pavilions.
Then came the fight with hammer-headed axes, the heads having three prongs, la mail à maniére de trois coings à fendre bois, point de poincte de dessous; and the fifteen strokes provided for were duly accomplished. The champions were then led before the duke, who complimented them on their prowess.
After an interval of a few days the combat on horseback took place. On the chamfron of the Italian’s horse was a long spike, which was disallowed by the umpire, and the piece was replaced by another. De Ternant laid his lance in rest, and his sword was at his belt; while the Italian held his lance with the right hand, his sword and the bridle with his left. In the first course De Baltasin evaded impact with the lance, but spurred his charger at de Ternant’s horse, apparently with the object of unseating its rider. The Burgundian, however, kept the saddle, and after some further fighting the combat ended without hurt to either party. The action by the Italian was a contravention of one of the laws of the tourney, but it was passed over by the umpire without remark.[155]
The first joust of the Comte de Charolais, afterwards Charles the Bold, then in his eighteenth year, was run in the park at Brussels in 1452. His father, Duke Philip, selected the redoubted champion Jacques de Lalain as the first adversary; and a grand tournament was proclaimed to take place in Brussels soon after. In the trial course the Comte and Lalain charged each other, the former breaking his lance on the shield of his opponent, but Lalain passed without touching him with his lance. The duke was much displeased at this, and ordered that in the course next following there should be absolute equality between the parties; and on the signal being given they charged, each knight breaking his lance fairly and well on the other’s body. This time it was the duchess who was angry with Lalain, for his dangerous assault on her son. On the day of the tournament at Brussels in the same year the Comte de Charolais played his part manfully and well, and in the evening he was awarded the first prize by the ladies. In the conte des finances of 1452 there is an item for 360 livres for his outfit.[156] The tournament had been proclaimed throughout the countries of chivalry, and was held in honour of the eighteenth birthday of the Comte de Charolais, in the Rathhausplatz of the city. Five challengers held the field against all comers. Charles ran in eighteen courses, his adversaries being, Adolph de Cléves, Seigneur de Ravastain; Wolfart de Borssele; the Earl of Buchan; Messire de Vere; Jean de la Tremoille; Charles de Ternant; Jacques de Lalain; and the Seigneur de Bugnicourt.
The jousting was followed by the quintain, and by a combat on foot. The meeting concluded with the mêlée, after which the prizes were presented. It was this pas d’armes that was selected for reproduction at Brussels in 1905.
Jousting was now frequently combined with masques, mummeries and pageants. The Duke of Cléves was on a visit to his uncle Philip, Duke of Burgundy, in 1453; and a series of fêtes was held at Lille in his honour. During the inaugural banquet a beautiful girl entered the hall bearing a chaplet of flowers, with which she gracefully crowned the duke; and it seems that this was the sign that the entertainment immediately following would be given by him. This duly began on the morrow, an hour after noon, when a knight of the distinguished order of the swan issued from the palace, fully armed. It was the Duke of Cléves who was to hold a joust in the market-place at Lille that day; he, the tenant, against all comers, being ready to break a lance with all venans who presented themselves for combat. He was preceded by the figure of a gigantic swan, of the size of a horse; the bird, on each side of which marched a savage in his war-paint, led the knight along by a chain of gold. The knight was encircled by little angels, and was followed by the duke, who was magnificently dressed. The procession thus formed marched to the lists, where the knight of the swan tilted with the Comte de Charolais, the Comte de St. Pol, Sir Anthony, Bastard of Burgundy, and many others. After the jousting was done the duke escorted the ladies to the palace, where a banquet was served. The hall was gorgeously decorated. Facing the upper table a fountain played, and there was a live lion in the hall. After the company had taken their seats a holy friar advanced and addressed the duke, urging him to lead his armies against the infidel; and his grace swore that if the King of France would engage to leave his dominions in peace he was ready to march with his entire forces in defence of Christendom.[157]
A tournament was held on the coronation of King Edward IV, at which the ring and ruby were won by Lord Stanley.
The following account is given in Mémoires de la Marche[158] of the pas d’armes held by King Edward IV of England in the year 1467, at West Smithfield, in which the Bastard of Burgundy took a leading part. The narration is here much condensed. King Edward had caused lists of unusual magnificence to be prepared for the occasion, and costly galleries were erected at the sides. The stand for the accommodation of the king and his court, his knights and others, was in three stories, a flight of steps leading up to the umpire’s tribune. The knights occupied the first story; the esquires, the second; and in the third were posted the royal archers of the guard. The second erection, lower than the other, was occupied by the mayor and aldermen of London, the judges, and other persons in authority: and pavilions, richly decorated, were pitched for the use of the combatants. In due time the king ascended the steps of the tribune, preceded by his sword-bearer, an earl; his majesty was clad in a purple robe and wore the insignia of the order of the garter; and in attendance was a score or more of his counsellors. Chairs were provided for the constable and marshal, and the king took his seat on the tribune as judge. The constable’s guard of eight men-at-arms then entered the lists and took up their positions, when a knocking was heard at the gate. It was a knight who knocked, and the constable asked to know his purpose. “My name,” said the knight, “is Escallis,[159] and I am come to accomplish a deed of arms with the Bastard of Burgundy, and demand entrance into the lists to do my devoir.” Permission having been accorded, the knight entered the lists in full armour, and was followed by ten or a dozen horses, richly caparisoned, led by pages; and after making his obeisance to the sovereign he retired to his pavilion. The Bastard of Burgundy then entered the lists in a like manner, accompanied by the Duke of Suffolk, who had been deputed by the king to attend him; and in his train were twelve horses, trapped in cloth of gold and velvet, with the arms of Burgundy and the bâton of illegitimacy embroidered upon them. After paying his compliments to the king he also retired to his pavilion. Both knights re-entered the lists for battle, their lances were handed to them, and they took up positions for their careers. The onset being sounded they placed their lances in rest and charged towards each other, meeting in the centre of the lists, without injury to either party; then drawing their swords they attacked each other with great fury. Lord Scales, spurring up his horse, dashed violently against that of his adversary, the shock of the collision bearing the Burgundian and his charger to the ground, where the Bastard lay with his horse upon him. The officials of the lists raised up the fallen champion, when it was found that he had not sustained any serious injury. The king was annoyed at this incident; Lord Scales, however, pleaded that it was the freshness of his horse which had caused the accident. This put an end to the fighting for the day, and the Bastard retired to his lodgings, where he was afterwards visited by the constable with a message of sympathy and enquiry from the king, and an expression of regret at the accident. “Thank the king,” replied the bastard, “and tell him that to-day I have fought with a beast, but to-morrow I will engage a man.”