Katherine of Arragon appeared on this occasion, borne on a litter by two
white palfreys, "apparelled in white satyn embroudered, her heeire
hanging doune to her back of a very great length, bewtefull and goodly
to behold, and on her head a coronate set with many rich orient stones."
The entrance of the champion, and his challenge, are in the highest
style of feudal pomp, and in strict accordance with the old mode of
trial by combat. "The seconde course beyng served, in at the haule doore
entered a knight, armed at al poyntes, his bases rich tissue
embroudered, a great plume and a sumpteous of ostriche fethers on his
helmet, sittyng on a great courser trapped in tissue, and embroudered
with tharmes of England, and of Fraunce, and an herauld of armes before
him. And passyng through the halle, presented hymself with humble
reverence before the kynges majestie, to whom garter kyng of herauldes
cried and said, with a loude voyce, Sir knight, from whence come you,
and what is your pretence? This knight's name was Sir Robert Dimmocke,
champion to the kyng by tenure of his enheritaunce, who answered the
saied kyng of armes in effecte after this manner:--Sir, the place that I
come from is not materiall, nor the cause of my repaire hether is not
concernyng any matter of any place or countrey, but only this; and
therewithall commanded his heraulde to make an O yes: then saied the
knyght to the kyng of armes, Now shal ye here the cause of my commyng
and pretence. Then he commaunded his owne herauld by proclamacion to
saye: If there be any persone, of what estate or degree soever he be,
that wil saie or prove that King Henry the Eight is not the rightfull
enheritor and kyng of this realme, I, Sir Robert Dimmocke, here his
champion, offre my glove, to fight in his querrell with any persone to
the utteraunce."
The coronation of Anne Boleyn was distinguished by the appearance of
"marvailous connyng pageauntes" in the city: all the Graces were seen on
Cornhill; the Muses hailed her approach "in Cheap;" and the Cardinal
Virtues (how are times changed!) paraded Fleet Street. At the banquet
the king took his station, incog. in a little closet made out of the
cloyster of St. Stephen's, on the right side of the hall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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