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
troops opposed to them, rushed upon the knights, slew their steeds or
cut their saddle-girths, so as to bring to the ground many a sturdy
baron and rich prisoner[426].
Of the mandates issued for the suppression of tournaments, many
examples have come down to us. The Fœdera contains a considerable
number. Some were sent forth by the temporal prince, others were
launched by the spiritual arm; for it was no difficult matter in
these days to obtain the pope's aid in any scheme of this nature,
where a benevolent intention could be assigned, and a liberal
douceur had been supplied. In 1220, Pandulf the legate forbids a
tournament in England, under pain of the forfeiture of goods and
of excommunication[427]. In 1234, the king of England charges his
subjects that they offend not by tourneying or behourding (_buhurdare
vel torneare_[428]). In 1255 the royal inhibition is again sent
forth, and the reason given for its publication is the peril of
Prince Edward in Gascony: "eo quod Edwardus, filius Regis in gravi
periculo existit in Wasconia[429]." 1265 is the date of another[430].
In 1299, the king again issues his mandate: this time with penalties
of peculiar severity. The knight is forbidden "sub forisfacturâ vite
et membrorum, et omnium que tenet in dicto regno, torneare, bordeare,
seu justas facere, aventuras querere, aut aliàs ad arma ire, quoquo
modo, sine nostrâ licenciâ speciali." Should any dare to disobey,
then they are forthwith to be arrested and placed in safe custody,
"corpora ipsorum, unà cum equis et hernesio suis[431]."
Whilst, however, the monarch of timid character and jealous of
his baronage, looked with disrelish on the Tournament, the prince
of an enterprising disposition and skilled in military exercises,
naturally regarded with more complacency a pastime in which his
own achievements were placed in the most brilliant light, and the
respect and attachment of his nobles secured, by the exhibition of
those qualities on which they themselves founded their chief claim
to power and distinction. Thus, in the thirteenth century, when the
king (Henry III.) had created eighty new knights, the gallant Prince
Edward accompanied them to a tournament which had been proclaimed on
the continent, "that each might try his strength, as was the custom
with newly-made knights[432]." In 1253, the Earl of Gloucester with
a companion also went abroad, to take part in a marriage festivity
and in a tournament which followed it: an adventure in which they
were so roughly handled by the antagonist knights as to require daily
fomentations and bathing to restore them to health[433].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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