_P._ 561. The king about this season was much given to play at tennis and at the dice, which appetite certain crafty persons about him perceiving, brought in Frenchmen and Lombards to make wagers with him and so lost much money, but when he perceived their craft, he eschewed their company and let them go. _P._ 562. ... Then began the trumpets to sound, and the horses to run, that many a spear was burst, and many a great stripe given, and for a truth the king exceedeth in number of staves all other every day of the three days. Edward Hall, _H. VIII_. The x day of March the king having a new harness made of his own device and fashion, such as no armour before that time had seen, thought to essay the same at the tilt, and appointed a Justes to serve him. On foot were appointed the Lord Marquis Dorset and the Earl of Surrey, the king came to the one end of the tilt, and the Duke of Suffolk to the other: then a gentleman said to the Duke, "Sir, the king is come to the tilt's end." "I see him not," said the Duke, "on my faith, for my head piece taketh away from me my sight": with these words God knoweth by what chance, the king had his spear delivered him by the Lord Marquis, the visor of his head piece being up and not down or fastened, so that his head was clean naked. Then the gentleman said to the duke, "Sir, the king cometh," then the duke set forward and charged his spear, and the king likewise unadvisedly set toward the duke: the people perceiving the king's face bare, cried, "Hold, hold," the duke neither saw nor heard, and whether the king remembered that his visor was up or no, few can tell. Alas what sorrow was it to the people when they saw the splinters of the duke's spear strike on the king's head piece. For of a surety the duke struck the king on the brow right under the defence of the head-piece on the very coif scull or bassenet-piece[58] where unto the barbet[59] for power and defence is charneld, to which coif or bassenet never armourer taketh heed, for it is evermore covered with the visor, barbet and volant piece,[60] and so that piece is so defended that it forceth of no charge: But when the spear on that place lighted, it was great jeopardy of death, insomuch that the face was bare, for the duke's spear broke all to shivers, and bare the king's visor or barbet so far back by the counter buff that all the king's head-piece was full of splinters. The Armourers for this matter were much blamed, and so was the lord Marquis for the delivering of the spear when his face was open, but the king said that none was to blame but himself, for he intended to have saved himself and his sight. The duke incontinently unarmed him, and came to the king, shewing him the closeness of his sight, and swore that he would never run against the king more: But if the king had been a little hurt, the king's servants would have put the Duke in jeopardy. Then the king called his Armourers and put all his pieces