St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and PoitiersHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377 -- Fiction
When the day arrived there was a general flocking out of the citizens to
the lists. The scene was a picturesque one; the weather was bright and
warm; the fields were green; and Westminster, as well as London, sent
out large numbers to the scene. The citizens were all in their best;
their garments were for the most part of sober colors--russet, murrey,
brown, and gray. Some, indeed, of the younger and wealthier merchants
adopted somewhat of the fashion of the court, wearing their shoes long
and pointed and their garments parti-colored. The line of division was
down the center of the body one leg, arm, and half the body would be
blue, the other half russet or brown. The ladies' dresses were similarly
divided. Mingling with the citizens, as they strolled to and fro upon
the sward, were the courtiers. These wore the brightest colors, and
their shoes were so long that the points were looped up to the knees
with little gold chains to enable them to walk. The ladies wore
head-dresses of prodigious height, culminating in two points; and from
these fell, sweeping to the ground, streamers of silk or lighter
material. Cloths of gold and silver, rich furs, silks, and velvets were
worn both by men and women.
None who saw the nobles of the court walking in garments so tight that
they could scarce move, with their long parti-colored hose, their silk
hoods buttoned under the chin, their hair braided down their back, would
have thought that these were the most warlike and courageous of knights,
men whose personal prowess and gallantry were the admiration of Europe.
Their hair was generally cut close upon the forehead, and the beard was
suffered to grow, but was kept trimmed a moderate length. Many of the
ladies had the coat of arms of their family embroidered upon their
dresses, giving them the appearance of heralds' tabards. Almost all wore
gold or silver girdles, with embroidered pouches, and small daggers.
Thus the appearance of the crowd who moved about among the fields near
the lists was varied and brilliant indeed. Their demeanor was quiet,
for the London merchants deemed a grave demeanor to belong to their
calling and the younger men and apprentices restrained their spirits in
the presence of their superiors. For their special amusement, and in
order, perhaps, to keep them from jostling too freely against the court
gallants and ladies, the city authorities had appointed popular sports
such as pleased the rougher classes; and bull-baiting, cock-fighting,
wrestling for a ram, pitching the bar, and hand-ball, were held in a
field some distance away. Here a large portion of the artisans and
apprentices amused themselves until the hour when the king and queen
were to arrive at their pavilion and the contests were to commence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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