On the Monday the fêtes were in abeyance, owing to a great storm, but on the Tuesday the two kings came to the lists, armed at all points, and jousting was resumed. Wednesday and Thursday were devoted to the mêlée, and on Friday, June 22nd, “the two kings with their retinues did battle on foot at barriers.”[223] The French cavaliers wore doublets of cloth of silver and purple velvet, while those of the English were of cloth of gold and russet velvet. The weapons were spears and swords.
On Saturday, after a banquet, there was again fighting at barriers, first with spears and afterwards with two-handed swords.
The pas d’armes was followed by masks, more banqueting and the dance. Both Hall and Holinshed describe this historic meeting.
Among the Ashmolean MSS. are the following concerning the Field of the Cloth of Gold:—“Ce sont les noms des princes, prellatz, et grans seigneurs de France, qui estoient en la compaignie de Roy de France quant le Roy [Henry VIII] Dengleterre et led’ sr le Roy [François] sentrevyrent et ordonnerent les Iousts et Tournoys qui sensuyvent.” Prefixed to the title is a stanza of five lines inviting to the jousts.
“The proclamacōn in Frenche of the Articles of the Iustes and other feates of armes at the meeting of the aforesaid Kinges [Henry and François] at Guisnes, proclaimed throughout the realme of France by Thomas Benolt al’s Clarencieux King of Armes. Comme ainsi soit louange.”[224]
Imperial royal jousts were run in the month of March of the thirteenth year of the reign, of which Hall gives an account; and there were others in the year following.
On March 10th, 1524, King Henry ran a great risk of losing his life in the tiltyard, for when jousting with Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, he forgot to shut and clasp down the visor of his helmet. Brandon, who was short-sighted, did not perceive this, and in his career aimed his lance at that part of the king’s head-piece, striking it at the side of the face, unhelming his Majesty, though without causing him any injury. As already mentioned, in a joust held on Shrove Tuesday in the year 1525 Sir Charles Bryan nearly lost an eye from a somewhat similar cause.
King Henry, like his friend Maximilian of Austria, is always represented as the successful jouster, and, although his strength, skill and good fortune are generally admitted, some explanation is required to account for his invariable success. It has been suggested that it may have been due in some measure to the prerogative of the queen, by which a joust could be stopped if there should be any probability of the king’s defeat.[225]
“On May-day anno 1536 was a great jousting held at Greenwich, at which the chief challenger was the Lord Rochford, the queen’s brother; and the defendant was one Henry Norris, of the king’s bed-chamber, with others. They managed their arms with great dexterity, and every course which they ran came off with the loud applause of the people.”[226]
“Another solemne Challenge was proclaimed and perfourmed by certaine English Knights, viz. Sir John Dudley,[227] Sir Thomas Seimer, Sir Francis Poynings, Sir George Carew, Anthony Kingston and Richard Cromwel. Anno 1540.”