The Customs of Old EnglandSnell, F. J. (Frederick John)
History
The Customs of Old England
Snell, F. J. (Frederick John)
England -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485
"The king shall find the field for to fight in. And the lists shall be
lx paces of length and xl paces of breadth in good manner; and the earth
be firm, stable, and hard, and even, made without great stones, and the
earth be plat; and the lists strongly barred round about and a gate in
the east and another in the west with good and strong barriers of vij
foot of height or more.... The day of battle the King shall be in a sege
or scaffold there where they shall be.... When the appellant cometh to
his journey, he shall come to the gate of the lists in the east in such
manner as he will fight with his arms and weapons assigned to him by the
court, and there he shall abide till he be led in by the Constable, so
that when he is comen to the said gate, the Constable and Marshal shall
go thither. And the Constable shall ask him what man he is which is
comen armed to the gate of the lists, and what name he hath, and for
what cause he is comen. And the appellant shall answer, 'I am such a
man, A. de K., the appellant, the which is comen to this journey, &c,
for to do, &c.' And then the Constable shall open the visor of his
bassinet, so that he may plainly see his visage, and if it be the same
man that is the appellant, then shall he make open the gates of the
lists, and shall make him enter with the same arms, points, victuals and
other lawful necessaries upon him, and also his counsel with him, and
then he shall lead him afore the King, and then to his tent, where he
shall abide till the defendant be comen. In the same manner it shall be
done of the defendant save that he shall enter in at the west gate of
the lists.
"The Constable's clerk shall write and set in the register the coming
and the hour of entering of the appellant, and how he entered the lists
on foot; and also the harness of the appellant, and how he is armed, and
with how many weapons he entered the lists, and what victuals and other
lawful necessaries he bringeth with him. In the same manner shall be
done to the defendant.... And the appellant and defendant shall be
searched by the Constable and Marshal of their points of arms, otherwise
called weapons, that they be vowable without any manner of deceit; and
if they be other than reason asketh they shall be taken away, for
reason, good faith, and law of arms will suffer no guile nor deceit in
so great a deed. And it is to wit that the appellant and defendant may
be armed upon their bodies as surely as they will."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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