Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe: From the Iron Period of the Northern Nations to the End of the Thirteenth CenturyHewitt, John
History
Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe: From the Iron Period of the Northern Nations to the End of the Thirteenth Century
Hewitt, John
Armor; Weapons
"These are the rights which Robert Fitz Wauter, Castellan of London,
Lord of Wodeham, has in the city of London: That is to say, the said
Robert and his heirs ought to be, and are, Chief Bannerers of London,
by fee, for the said Castlery, that _his ancestors_ and he have of
Castle Baynard in the said City. In time of War the said Robert
and his heirs are to serve the city in manner following. The said
Robert is to come on his barded horse (_sus son Destrier covert_),
he the twentieth man-at-arms, all with horses housed with cloth or
iron (_coverts de teyle ou de fer_), as far as the great gate of the
minster of St. Paul, with the Banner _of his arms_ displayed before
him. And when he is come to the great gate of the aforesaid minster,
mounted and equipped as aforesaid, then ought the Mayor of London,
with his Sheriffs and Aldermen (_ove touz ses Viscountz et ses
Audermans_), armed in their arms, to come out of the minster of St.
Paul as far as the said gate, with his Banner in his hand; all being
on foot. And the Banner shall be red, having an image of St. Paul in
gold, the feet, hands and head of silver, with a silver Sword in the
hand of the said image. And as soon as the said Robert shall see the
Mayor and his Sheriffs and his Aldermen come on foot out of the said
minster, bearing this Banner, then the said Robert, or his Heirs, who
owe this service to the said City, shall dismount from his horse,
and shall salute the Mayor as his companion and peer, and shall say
to him: 'Sir Mayor, I am come hither to fulfil the service which I
owe to the city.' Then the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen shall say:
'We deliver to you, as the Bannerer by fee of this City, this Banner,
to bear and govern to the honour and profit of our City, to the best
of your power.' Then the said Robert or his Heirs shall receive the
Banner. Then the Mayor of the said City and his Sheriffs shall follow
him to the gate, and shall deliver to the said Robert a horse of the
value of twenty pounds[396]. And the horse shall have a saddle of
the arms of the said Robert[397], and shall have a housing of Cendal
silk of the same arms; and they shall take twenty pounds sterling,
and shall deliver them to the Chamberlain of the said Robert, for his
expenses this day. And the said Robert shall mount the horse which
the said Mayor has given to him, holding the Banner in his hand.
And as soon as he is mounted, he shall require the Mayor to cause
to be elected a Marshal out of the troops of the City. And as soon
as the Marshal is elected, the said Robert shall direct the Mayor
and Citizens to have the Tocsin of the said city rung (_que facent
soner le Sein communal de la dicte Citee_); and all the commonalty
shall go with the Banner of St. Paul, which the said Robert shall
carry, as far as Aldgate. Beyond that, the Banner shall be borne by
one approved of the said Robert and the Mayor. If so be (_si issint
soit_) they have to go forth out of the city, then ought the said
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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