textfiles/rpg/anjou.txt

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The following  text is from a  book found at the  42nd St. Library, on
Rene' d'Anjou, or  good King Rene' as he was  called, and it gives his
advice  on the  running of  Tournaments. This  was translated from the
French by  Lady Kate the Highly  Tolerant who is the  Lady of Viscount
Sir  Edward Zifran  of Gendy.  It is  too bad  the brilliantly colored
pictures  could not  be included  herein as  well. But  then again you
probably saw them in other works. This is an incomplete project, but I
hope to get  the rest of the document  and the translation photocopied
soon.
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    To Very High and Powerful Prince,  my very dear and well-loved and
only brother Charles d'Anjou, your  brother, am informing you, that in
pursuit of pleasure, and knowing for  some time that you take pleasure
in seeing new  pictures and writings, would make  a proposal, the most
expansive  I know  of in  form and  manner, which  is a  tourney to be
contracted for at court elsewhere on some procession from France, when
any prince wishing to  do so, does. The form I took  is nearest to one
kept in Germany near the Rhine when a tourney is held and according to
the manner which they hold in Flanders and in Brabant: and the same in
the old fashion  as is the custom in France,  which I've found through
writings. Of these  three fashion, I took what seemed  best to me, and
compiled a fourth fashion as you will  see, if it pleases you, by what
follows hereafter.

    He who  wants to hold a  tourney, it is necessary  that it be some
prince, or at least a high  baron or banneret, which will be explained
hereafter.

    But to  better understand the manner,  I will use here  as example
the  Duke of  Brittany, Appelant,  on the  one hand,  and the  Duke of
Bourbon, Defendant, on the other.  And for all the emblasons necessary
for this  present tourney. I please  myself to be concerned  only with
imagined ones.

    Therefore  so follows  the words   of the  Lord Duke  of Brittany,
Appelant, to the opposing King at Arms opening and presenting to him a
tourney sword:

    "King at Arms,  hold this sword and go towards  my cousin the duke
of bourbon and  say to him on my behalf  that for his valiance, wisdom
and great chivalry, which is a part of him, I send to him this sword -
signaling  that I  wish to  strike  a  tourney and  gathering of  arms
against him, in the presence of ladies and maidens, and all others, on
a named day and set time, and  at a place both fitting and convenient.
For  which tourney  I offer  to him  for judgement-sayers  [marshals?]
eight knights  and squires from which  the will choose four,  and said
judges will assign the time and place and will make ready the area.

    When  the said  King at  Arms  will  go towards  the said  Duke of
Bourbon,  Defendant,  and  ,  in  the  greatest company and honourable
place, outside of a holy place, that  he is able to find, will present
to him the sword, which he will hold by the point, thus saying to him:

    "Very High and Very Powerful Prince and Formidable Lord, Very High
and  Very Powerful  Prince and  My Very  Formidable Lord  the Duke  of
Brittany, your cousin, sends me  before you, for the greatest chivalry
and reknown of prowess that he  knows to be your very noble character,
and, with all  love and benevolence, and without  any malice, requests
of  you and  proposes to  you a  tourney and  gathering of arms before
ladies and maidens.  For which event and a sign  of this, he sends you
this ready sword to do this".

    And if the said Duke of  Bourbon accepts the tourney, he takes the
sword from the hand of the King  at Arms saying: "I do not accept this
for any  malice, but believing to  please my said cousin,  and for the
ladies pleasure".

    And after he has taken the sword,  the King at Arms will say these
words:

    "Very High and Very Powerful Prince and Very Formidable Lord, Very
High and Very Powerful Prince and  My Very formidable Lord the Duke of
Brittany, your  cousin, there send you  the arms of eight  knights and
squires in a scroll of parchment, to which end, of the eight you shall
list four of those who will be most agreeable to you for said judges".

    That said, he will show him the said scroll of parchment; the Duke
will take it and review the  arms at his pleasure;he then will respond
to the said King at Arms:

    "As for  the said judges  of whom you  here show me  the arms, the
lords  of such  place please  me very  well as  knights, if it pleases
them; and the lord of such place please me as well as squires. And for
that you  will carry to them  letters of credential on  my behalf; and
will also beseech my cousin the duke of Brittany, if he would write to
them  that  he  is  happy  to  accept,  and  at  the earliest possible
opportunity  for  them,  if  they  will  let  me  know the day of said
tourney, and also the place".

    That said,  the Duke of bourbon  will present to the  King at Arms
two measures  of gold cloth,  or of velvet,  or at least  of patterned
crimson satin,  with which he will  draw the two lords  leaders of the
tourney, done in  paint on a large skin of  parchment, on horseback as
they will  be at said tourney,  armed and crested, and  he will attach
the  said parchment  to the  said piece  of gold  cloth, or  velvet or
satin. And in this state the King  at Arms will take it, putting it in
a cloak fastened on the right shoulder, and with the good leave of the
Duke will  go towards the  said judges to  know if they  would like to
accept the office to be said judges.

    And  when he  will be  before them,  having letters  from the  two
Dukes, Appelant  and Defendant, with the  said piece of clothe  on his
shoulder,  as  well  as  having  spoken  of  it,  and on this attached
parchment will be painted the said lords on horseback, will present to
them his letters, as seen by one,  the Appelant, and by the other, the
Defendant,  which will  be narratives  of that  stated above, and will
also contain  credentials, informing that  they wish those  to be said
judges of said tourney undertaken by them.

    And if  the said judges  accept the offer,  the King at  Arms must
thank them,  as judges; if it  pleases them, to order  the day of said
tourney, and  the place also,  so that he  is able to  announce to the
places that  it is agreed,  it is seen:  firstly, at the  court of the
Lord  appelant; secondly,  at the   court of  the Lord  Defendant; and
thirdly,  at the  court of  the King  and especially  where it will be
decided by the said judges.

    And as soon as the said  judges have accepted the charge, the King
at Arms will  paint the four shields of those  said judges at the four
corners of the said parchment: it will  be those of the two knights at
the top and those of the two squires at the bottom.

    When the King  at Arms will announce the  festival of the tourney,
he must be accompanied by three  or four heralds and poursuivants; and
the poursuivant with the highest  voice must announce with three great
reposes:  "OR OYEZ,  OR OYEZ,  OR OYEZ".  One must  make known  to all
princes, lords,  barons, knights and  squires of the  company from the
Ile-de-France,  of the  company from  Champagne, of  the company  from
Flanders,  and  of  the  company  from  Ponthieu,  of the company from
Vermandois  and from  Artois, of   the company  from Normandy,  of the
company from  Aquitaine and from  Anjou, of the  company from Brittany
and Berry, and also from Corbie, and all other of whatever company who
are of this  kingdom and of all other Christian  kingdoms, if they are
not banished or enemies of our sire King, to whom God gives good life,
that such a day of such a month, in such place of such area, will be a
great gathering of arms and very  noble tourney held of measured clubs
and cutting  swords, in proper  armour, in crests,  coats of arms  and
coverings of armed horses of the arms of the noble fighters as well as
every ancient  tradition as is the  custom. Of which tourney  are very
high leaders  and very powerful  princes and My  Very Formidable Lords
the duke of Brittany as Appelant and the Duke of bourbon as Defendant.
And for  this fact, one  informs anew to  all princes, lords,  barons,
knights and squires  who have the wish and desire  to fight to acquire
honour,  that they  bring some  small shields  that I  will give  here
presently, so that one knows that they are the fighters. And for that,
in  request of  those who  would wish  to have  it, these  shields are
quartered with  the arms of  the four knights  and squires, those  who
intend to fight, are held to be in the inns the fourthe day before the
day  of said  tourney, in  order to  place their  arms in the windows,
under pain of no longer being received at said tourney. And I, begging
pardon, make known to you this on behalf of my lords the said judges".

    Hereafter  follows the  fashion and  manner for  which must be the
armour  for the  head, body  and arms,  crests and  mantling, coats of
arms, saddles,  armour and coverings  of the horses,  clubs and swords
for fighting.

    The helm-padding must be a piece  of boiled leather, which must be
well padded of one finger's thickness  or more on the inside, and will
be covered with mantling of the arms of the one who will carry it. And
on the said helm, at the highest  point, will be placed the said crest
and around this  will be a twist of colours  of said fighter, as large
as the arms or more or less to his pleasure.

    Also, the  helm is in the  fashion of a bassinet  or of a capeline
(iron with neck-piece),  except that the visor is  otherwise, as it is
drawn below.

    Likewise, the  body armour is  as a leather  breast-plate that one
calls a tonnelet (keg). And especially necessary is that the said body
armour be so wide and so ample  that one can wear beneath a doublet or
padded corset of  three fingers thickness on the  shoulders, and along
the arms to the neck, and also on the back, for the blows of the clubs
and swords fall more voluntarily in these places than in others.

    Of the forearm  and guard arm there are two  ways, of which one is
of bleached armour and the other of boiled leather.

    The form  and fashion of  the guantlets is  such that one  can see
below in the drawing.

    Also, the cutting  sword must be in the  form and manner hereafter
drawn, and similarly the club.

    The coat of  arms must be made neither more  nor less than that of
the herald,  reserving that it  must be without  folds by the  body so
that one knows better whose are the arms.

    Moreover, a fashion of harness is very necessary that one attaches
in  front of  the saddle-bow  and  which  descends the  length of  the
measure of the  saddle embracing the breast of  the horse, such armour
is good to protect the horse, and also the leg of the fighter from all
strains.  This armour  is made   of long  straw between  strong canvas
whip-corded doublets, and inside there is  a bog full of straw, in the
manner of a crecent, which rests on the breast of the horse, and lifts
up the  said armour, so  that it doesn't  rub against the  legs of the
horse.

    Also, one  covers the said armour  with a covering of  the arms of
the lord who carries it.

    The lists must be a quarter longer than wide, and of the height of
a man, or  of an arm's length  and a half, of  strong squared wood, to
two across, the one high and the  other low just to the knee. And must
be doubled,  that is to have  other lists outside a  quarter step from
the  main  lists,  to  protect  the  servants  and  those non-armoured
sppointed by the judges to keep the fighters from the crowd of people.
And as ffro the  size, it is necessary to make them  as large or small
according to the number of fighters, and by the advice of the judges.

    And for what  seems to me that hereafter the  armour and dress for
fighting are sufficiently declared, by right I return to apportion out
and  declare the  manners, statutes  and ceremonies  that are  left to
keep,  in order  to do  well  and  honourably to  accomplish the  said
tourney. And to begin, it is necessary to know the order and manner of
how the  fighters must enter  the city where  they must hold  the said
tourney.

    First, the princes, lords or barons  who wish to fly their banners
at the  tourney must take care  to be accompanied, principally  at the
entrance  that they  make into  the city,  by the  greatest number  of
fighting knights and squires that they are able to assemble.

    The war-horse of  the prince, lord or head  baron of other knights
or  squires who  accompany him  must be  the first  to enter the city,
covered with  the colours of  the lord, and  four shields of  the arms
with four members  of the company, and his  head enplumed with ostrich
feathers, and at the neck, the collor  of crests, a good small page on
his back, with  or without saddle, as is pleasing.  And after the said
war-horses  must come  the  trumpeters  and minstrels,  trumpeting and
sounding, or playing other instruments such that will please then; and
then after, their heralds or poursuivants, having revested their coats
of arms;  and after them, the  said fighting knights and  squires with
their following of all other people.

    Also, as soon as  a lord or baron has arrived at  his inn, he must
place his arms  in the window in the manner  which follows: that is to
have, to be put by the  heralds and poursuivants before his lodging, a
long plank attached  against the will, on which  are painted his arms,
it is to  have crest and shield, and  those of all in his  company who
wish to fight, knights and squires as  well. And at the high window of
his said  lodging, he will put  his banner unfurled, hanging  over the
street.

    And the said judges must make their entrance into the city the day
that  the lords  and other  fighters make  it, and  must take pains to
enter first, if they can, in the form and manner which follows:

    And the siad judges must have before them, four sounding trumpets,
carrying each of them the banner of  one of the said judges; and after
the four said  trumpeters, four poursuivants each one  carrying a coat
of  arms of  one of  the said  judges, similarly  as the trumpets. And
after the  said four poursuivants, must  come alone the King  at Arms,
having on his  coat of arms the piece of  gold cloth, velvet or satin.
And after the said King at Arms  must come side by side the two knight
judges on beautiful palfrey, each covered to the ground with his arms;
and must be  vested in long robes, the richest  they are able to find;
and the two squires equally after them.

    And each  of the judges must  have a footman, holding  in his hand
the bridle of the war-horse. And they  must also have each one a white
rod in hand, as tall as they, that they will carry upright in the air,
on foot, on horseback, everywhere they will be during the festival, so
that one  knows better that they  are the judges. And  after them must
come all of the others who are able.

    The  judges  must  hold  their  state  together  during  the  said
festival, and,  if it is  possible for them,  to lodge in  a religious
place  where there  is a  cloister,  for  there is  no other  place so
convenient to display the crests of the fighters.

    And the  said judges must  put before their  lodgings a canvas  of
three  arms in  height, and  twice the  width, where  are painted  the
banners of  those four held  together by the  King at Arms;  and above
will  be put  in writing  the two   names of  the two  leaders of  the
tourney, and below  the name, family names, lords,  titles and offices
of the said four judges.

    In the  evening of the  day of the  coming of the  lords, fighting
knights  and squires,  and of  the said  judges also,  all ladies  and
maidens who will be coming to  see the festival will gather themselves
in a  great hall after,  supper; and will  come there the  said judges
having  their  white  rods,  with  their  trumpets  sounding,  and the
poursuivants before  themand the King at  Arms. In the hall  they will
find  their  place  prepared  and  will  begin.  All other knights and
squires will arrive in the same manner  at this time in the said hall.
And then,  by order of the  said judges, dances will  begin, and after
having  danced some  half hour,   the said  judges will  present their
poursuivants and the  King at Arms on the  balcony where the minstrels
play in order to announce the display  of the crested helms and of the
banners which  will fly the next  day, which will be  better explained
below. And after, the dances will begin  again, for as long as it will
please the judges; then they will ask that wine and spices be brought,
and thus will end the festival for the first day.

    The next day, one will bring  the banners, pennants and mantles of
the two leaders to the aforementioned cloister, to present them to the
judges;  and following  all other  banners and  crested helms,  in the
order and manner which follows:

    And first,  the banners of all  princes must be brought  by one of
their knight  chamberlains and the  pennants of said  leaders by their
first  valets  or  prominent  squires.  And  the  banners of the other
bannerets by their gentlemen , so  that it will please them. The helms
of  these must  be carried  by their  stablemen. And  the helms of the
other bannerets, knights and squires, by gentlemen or noble valets.

    Also, when all the helms will be thus placed and arranged in order
to  display them,  will come  all ladies  and maidens,  and all lords,
knights and squires,  visiting them from one end to  the other, in the
presence  of the  four judges  who will  lead three  or four  turns of
ladies, to best see and inspect the crests: and there will be a herald
or poursuivant who will announce to the ladies, according to the place
where  they are,  the names  of  those  to who  belong the  crests, so
that.....