[fol. 199]
At Length the Prince enter’d the lists as Challenger as being of the most active address ＆ most skillfull of his weapon of all the rest, ＆ the Combatants were these following knights.
p. 95
[fol. 199b]
Mounsieur de St Reran, under the name of Almidour the Constant, the Count de Montué, Sirnamed Fulginart without fear, Mounsieur de Cavorrett stlled the Fierce Dragon, Mounsieur de Maserez call’d Palmiades the faithfull, Mounsieur de Roussillon tearmed Learques the Couragious, Don Astanio Bobba named Primislas the Strong, Mounsieur de Druent entitled Cloridant the brave, Fulvio Delle Lanze, stiled Altomar the bloody, the Knight d’Aglie with the title of Prodicles the warriour, the Count de Ferrusasque titled Termodont the angry, the Marquese Formo call’d Erolind the Cruell, this noble troop made their Entry three ＆ three in a rank, their livery consisting of all yᵉ fowr colours, but the Prince made choice cheifly of the Amaranthus, ＆ therefore his plume of that colour shew’d it self eminently above the rest, his mantle was of cloth of silver, ＆ under it he had a rich suit of armour made after the manner of the ancients with breeches of silk made after yᵉ same fashion, sprinkled all about with pearles ＆ Jewells, he was mounted upon a stout prancing horse, cover’d with stately capparisons of the same livrie, with / the laces fringes ＆ tassells of silver, ＆ all inrich’t with floures ＆ roses of the same mettall he enter’d in between two knights whereof the one was clad in blew, the other in Incarnate.
After the severall Combats were ended the prise was adjudg’d to the Knight of the royall Amaranthus, which donne the trompettes sounded a retreat, ＆ then the Knights each of them retir’d in their Order to the new palace.
p. 85
This Ceremony was celebrated by the Prince of Savoy, upon occasion of the marriage between him ＆ Christina the sister of Lewis the just King of France at his return to Turin from Rivolles where Inviting the Lady’s to a Ball he Instituted a Turneament under the title of the Knight of the Royall Amaranthus fighting under the Colours of Madame, the Princess.”
The tournament lingered long in Germany.
The decline of armour had become acute by the close of the sixteenth century, and to this there were many contributory causes. Far too much stress has been laid on the extended use of firearms as being the main reason for this, though the ever-increasing penetrative force of the musket-ball had tended greatly to diminish the value of steel harness as a sure means of defence. As a matter of fact, full armour could not be constantly worn during a long campaign without injury to health, besides being a great clog to mobility on the march and in the field. Another potent factor towards the disuse of armour lay in the fact that harness for the soldiery was made in certain standard or arbitrary sizes, each piece being numbered, so that the suits rarely fitted individual cases. They were thus apt to chafe the bodies of the wearers and to cause sores beyond endurance, so that pieces of armour were frequently cast away on the march, all penalties notwithstanding. The man-at-arms of an earlier age became the pistolier, Landsknecht and cuirassier of later times.