The fête d’armes at which Henri II of France was fatally injured was held at Paris in 1559. The tenans on the occasion were the king, the Prince of Ferrera, the Duke of Guise and others. The course in which the accident befel was an extra one, run in the face of remonstrances on the part of the other challengers. The cause of the injury would seem to have been that the Comte de Montgomeri, Captain of the Scottish Guard, failed to drop his shivered lance immediately after impact, as he ought to have done, and the jagged end striking the king’s visor, a splinter passed through the slit for vision and pierced his brain. The king’s case was hopeless from the first, though he lingered in agony for nearly a week. The king’s accidental death was not avenged on Montgomeri at the time, but Catherine de Medici had him executed fifteen years later. Lacroix, in Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages, gives a picture of this fatal encounter, copied from an engraving of the sixteenth century.
Viscount Dillon, in his paper “Barriers and Foot Combats,” reproduces a picture of Spanish officers “At Barriers” in Brussels, 1569 (after Hogenberg). The details are interesting as showing the manner of fighting on foot at the time.
As stated in the Ashmolean MS., No. 837, fol. 245, a tournament was proclaimed at Hampton Court by Clarencieulx, King of Arms, on Twelfth-night, anno 1570, to take place in the month of May following. The MS. begins with a preamble, being a general exhortation to revive the tournament, which “had of late fallen a sleepe.” Next come the chapitres d’armes (the articles) for the tilt, tourney and barriers. A copy of the document follows here:—
“For as much most noble Queene, as ther ar within this yoʳ maᵗⁱᵉˢ Courte a greate nombre of noble menne and gentlemenne excellent men of Armes, and yet (as it wer) of late fallen a sleepe from eny kinde of such exercyse: Therfore by your maᵗⁱᵉˢ lycense, to revyve theim withall, ther ar fower Knightes Errant which haue thought goode to challenge all commers at Shrovetyde next as followeth. Videlicet.
Tilt
Vpon Shrouesonday at the Tylt, six courses a pece. And who so doth best of the Defendanntes in those six courses, shall have for his prize a cheyne of gold.
Tourney
Vpon Shrovemonday at the Tourney, two blowes at the passage, and tenne at the ioyninge. All grypes, shockes, and fowle playes forbidden. And who so doth best of the Defendantes at that feate, shall haue a Diamonde.
Barriours
Vpon Shrouetuesday at the Barriours, three pusshes with the short pyke, and tenne blowes with the sworde with open gauntlet: no Barriours to be layde hande vpon, nor eny weopen to be taken holde of. And he of the Defendantes that doth best ther at, shall haue a Rubie.