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
Regarding the equipment of the knights and their assistants at the
Tournament, there are two documents of this century which are of the
highest interest and afford the most curious information. These are
the "Statutum Armorum ad Torniamenta," compiled previous to 1295;
and the roll detailing the "Empciones facte contra Torniamentum de
Parco de Windsore," in the 6th year of Edward I.; from the latter of
which we have already extracted some passages illustrative of various
portions of the knightly armament.
By the tournament statute we learn that there existed at this time
a sort of Court of Honour, to judge all disputes and delinquencies
that might arise during the celebration of the games; and the members
of it were the king's eldest son, Prince Edward; Edmund, earl of
Lancaster; William de Valence, earl of Pembroke; Gilbert de Clare,
earl of Gloucester; and the earl of Lincoln. As De Valence, the last
of his name, died in 1296, and the earl of Gloucester in 1295, the
date of this document cannot of course be later than the year last
quoted[434]. It is not unworthy of note that the effigies of two of
these Judges of the Tournament, fully equipped in the trappings of
armed knighthood, have been preserved to our days: the monuments of
Edmund Crouchback and of William de Valence in Westminster Abbey are
among the most curious memorials that can be consulted by the student
of ancient military costume. There are several copies of the statute
extant. The following, from a manuscript in the Bodleian Library, has
been selected by the Record Commission as the most trustworthy[435]:--
"A la requeste de Contes e de Barons e de la Chivalrie de
Englet're, ordine est e p̴ nostro Seign^r le Rey comaunde: qe nul
ne seit si hardi desoremes, Conte ne Baron ne autre Chivaler, qe al
Torney voysent de aver plus qe treys Esquiers armez, pur li servir
al Turney: e qe chescun Esquier porte chapel des armes son Seignur
qe il servira a la jornee pur enseygne.
"E qe nul C͂hr ne Esquier qe sert al Turney ne porte espeie a
point, ne cotel a point, ne bastoun, ne mace, fors espee large pur
turneer. E qe tuz les baneors, qe baners portent, seent armez de
mustilers[436], e de quisers[437], e de espaulers, e de bacyn[438]
sanz plus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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