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
"E sil avent qe nul Conte ou Baron ou autre Chivaler voyse encontre
le estatut p̴ le assent e le comaundēmt nostre Seign^r Sire
Edward, fiz le Rey, e Sire Eumond frere le Rey, e Sire Willeme de
Valence, e Sire Gil͂bt de Clare, e le Cunte de Nichole[439], qe
celi Chivaler, qe issint s'ra trove en forfetaunt en nul poynt
encontre le estatut, seyt encurru cele peyne: qe il perde chival e
armes, e demeorge en prison a la volunte de avaūtdiz Sire Edward,
Sire Eumond, e le autres. E qe le Esquier qe serra trove fesaunt
encontre le estatut, qe issi est devise, en acun poynt, perde
chival e herneys[440] e seyt iij. aunz en la prison. E qe nul
sake[441] Chivaler a terre, fors ceus qe serrunt armez pur lur
Seign^r servir, qe le Chivaler pusse recovrir son chival, e cely
seit en la forfeture des Esquiers avaunt diz.
"E qe nul fiz de graunt Seignur, ceo est asaver, de Conte ou
de Baron, ne seit arme fors de mustilers, e de quisers, e de
espaulers, e de bacynet, saunz plus, e qe nul aporte cutel a
poynte, ne espeye, ne mace, fors espee large. E si nul seit trove
qe, en ascun de ceos poynz, alast encontre le estatut, qe il perde
son chival le quel il serra munte a la jornee, e seit en la prison
un an.
"E qe ceus qe vendrunt pur veer le turnēmt ne seent armez de
nule manere de armure, ne qe il ne portent ne espee, ne cutel, ne
bastun, ne mace, ne perre, sur la forfeture des Esquiers avauntdiz.
E qe nul garson, ne hōme a pee ne porte espee, ne cutel, ne
baston, ne perrer: e si il seent trovez enforfetaunt, qe il seyent
emprisonez vij. aunz.
"E si acun graunt Seign^r ou autre teygne mangerie, qe nul esquier
ne ameyne eynz fors ceus qe trencherunt devaunt lur Seignurs.
"E qe nul Roy de Haraunz ne Menestrals[442] portent privez armez,
ne autres forz lur espees saunz poynte. E qe le Reys des Harraunz
eyent lur huces des armes saunz plus." &c.
This document affords us some curious glimpses at the customs of the
time; not less by what it forbids than by what it ordains. A tournament
in which the combatants are liable to be pelted by the stones and
slings of the varlets and other lookers-on, does not give us a very
exalted idea of these festivals; and, for a holiday game, the rules
seem oddly severe which decree that the poor squire who infringes them
shall lose horse and armour, and "demeorge iij. aunz en la prison."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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