_The Turnament of Totenham_ was first printed in the _History of Totenham_, (1631,) by the Rev. Wilhelm Bedwell, rector of the parish, who, says Percy, "so little entered into the spirit of the poem he was publishing, that he contends for its being a serious narrative of a real event, and thinks it must have been written before the time of Edward III., because turnaments were prohibited in that reign." The simple parson derived his copy from a manuscript lent him by George Withers. In the first edition of the _Reliques_, Percy reprinted Bedwell's text, with some conjectural emendations, but for the revised edition he employed a manuscript in the Harleian collection (No. 5396), pointed out to him by Tyrwhitt. This manuscript is thought to have been written in the reign of Henry VI. Since the publication of the Harleian text, the manuscript used by Bedwell has been found in the Public Library of the University of Cambridge, (Ff. 5, 48,) and a correct copy published by Mr. Wright in a miniature volume. We have given this last text, as on the whole the best, though in places it requires emendation from the Harleian copy. The Cambridge manuscript (the same as that which contains the ballad of _Robin Hood and the Monk_,) Mr. Wright believes to have been written as early as the reign of Edward II. In this MS. there is subjoined to the _Turnament_ an extravagantly burlesque account of the feast mentioned in the last stanzas. Percy's copy will be found in the _Reliques_, ii. 13. Ritson's (_Ancient English Songs_, i. 85,) is nearly identical. This ballad, it has been observed, appears to be "a burlesque upon the old feudal custom of marrying an heiress to the knight who should vanquish all his opponents, at a solemn assembly holden for that purpose." See the remarks in the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for July, 1794, p. 613. Of alle these kene conqueroures to carpe is oure kynde; Off fel feghtyng folke ferly we fynde; The turnament of Totenham have I in mynde; Hit were harme sich hardynesse were holdyn behynde, In story as we rede 5 Off Hawkyn, of Harry, Off Tymkyn, of Tyrry, Off thaym that were duzty And hardy in dede. Hit befel in Totenham on a dere day, 10 Ther was made a shurtyng be the hye way; Thider come alle the men of that contray, Off Hisselton, of Hygate, and of Hakenay, And alle the swete swynkers: Ther hoppyd Hawkyn, 15 Ther dawnsid Dawkyn, Ther trumpyd Tymkyn, And [all] were true drynkers.[L18]