the title of, 23, 32;
revenues of 68
{91}
Manly man, distinguished from the (fool-)hardy man, 65
Mansel, an esquire, iii, 5
March, earl of, 15, 28, 45
Marcus Actilius, 65
Marcus Marcellus, 67
Margaret of Austria, her matrimonial alliances, xlviii
Maude, the empress, 23, 52
Montgomery, sir N., 19
Morhier, sir Simon, iii, 5
Morton, doctor, xxv, xxxi, xxxii
Montreuil (Motreaw), 8
Mountgomery, sir Thomas, xxiii, xxv, xxxii, xxxiii, xlvi
Narbonne, the vicomte de, xlvi
Nazar, battle of, 14
Nestor, 63, 64
Neuss, the siege of, xxv
Neville, lord, 15
Noblesse, identical with Chivalry, xv;
and with Honour, liv.;
_See_ BOKE OF NOBLESSE
Normandy, the title of, 22;
arms of, 23;
the wretched state of, 72;
the clergy oppressed, 74;
its re-conquest by the French, ii, iii, viii
Oldhall, sir William, 19
Orleans; bastard of, 28
---- duke of, 7, 8
---- siege of, 28
Paris, 7, 8, 19;
siege of, 47;
rebellion in, 68;
bastille of St. Anthony, xi, lx, 68;
in the hands of the English, xi
Parliament, the English, as described by Commines, xvii
Passy, dame Christine of, iv;
biographical note upon, 54
Paston, sir John, his library, lix
Peace, the treaty of, in 1475, xxxviii
Philip, king of France, 8
Philip Dieu-donne, 10, 33, 34, 40
Philip of Valois, 12
Picquigny, the royal interview at, xxxvi
de Pisan, Christine, vi
Plantagenet, 2, 23, 52
Poitiers, battle of, 13, 75
Pompeus, 75
Pont l'Arche, the capture of iii, 5
Popham, sir John, 19
Poynings, lord, 28
Prophecies, the English always provided with, xxxix, 50
Publius Decius, 64
Pyrrhus, 55, 60
Radcliff, sir John, 48
Rais, lord, 15
Rempston, sir Thomas, 28
Respublica, 68
Richard emperor of Almaine, 11
Richard the First, 10
Riviers, Anthony earl of, his embassies to the duke of Burgundy, xxv;
his connections with royalty, xxvi. _See_ Scales
Robert, king of Jerusalem, 10
Rochedaryon, 13
Rollo, duke of Normandy, 39
Romans, their wars with Carthage, 26;
the largess of, to make an army to Africa, 83
Rome, 52
Rotherham, archbishop, xxxiii, xxxviii, xxxix
Rouen, 5
Roveraye, battle of, 28, 44
Runcyvale, 15
St. Cloud, battle of, 8
St. Leger, sir Thomas, xxxi, xxxiii, xxxvi
St. Pol, Louis de Luxembourg comte de, brother-in-law to king Louis, and
uncle to queen Elizabeth Wydville, xxviii;
his temporising and treacherous conduct, xxix;
circumstances of his ruin, xxxiv, xl, xliv
Salisbury, Thomas earl of, 17, 19, 28
{92}
Scales, lord, 19;
_see_ Riviers
Sciences, the, vii, 45
Scipio, 61, 62
Scipio Africanus and Scipio Asianus, 66
Scluse, battle of, 12, 36
Senlys, 47
Sensuality, evils of, 22, 33, 52
Sessions, 77, 78
Shire-days, holding of, xv, 77, 78
Shrewsbury, 18
Shrewsbury, earl of, 28 _bis_
Sicily, 83
Smert, John, Garter king of arms, xxvii
Soldiers, on the just payment of, 71
Somerset, Edmond duke of, 28
---- John duke of, 28
Stanley, lord, xxiii, xxviii, xxx, xxxi
Suffolk, William earl of, 17, 28, 45
Surie (Syria), 10, 11
Tancarville, earl of, 12
Thames, the flood of, 82
Tours, 5, 25;
truce of, ii
"Tree of Batailes," a popular work, iii;
its author, editions, and manuscripts, iv;
quoted, vii
Troy, 2, 20, 43, 64
Truces with France, the history of, 34;
truce of Tours, ii
Tryvet, sir John, 15
Tunis, 11
Tunstall, sir Richard, xx, xxiii, xxxii
Ulixes, 21
d'Urfe, seigneur, xxxiii
Valerius Corvinus, 70
Vernelle, battle of, 18, 19, 28, 32 _bis_, 44
Virtues, the iiij principalle cardinall, 7
Wales, language of, 2
Warwick, Thomas earl of, 37
William the Conqueror, 2, 10, 22
Willoughby, Robert lord, 17, 28
Winchester, bailiffs of, their letter (to sir John
Fastolfe), lvii
Worcestre, William of, the secretary of sir John Fastolfe, l;
his supposed _Acta d'ni Joh. Fastolff_, lii
Wyer, Robert, liv
York, Richard duke of, 41.
* * * * *
{93}
GLOSSARIAL INDEX.
* * * * *
admonestementis 79
afferaunt 43
aiel 35
amercie 78
approwementis 65
assailours 9
astonyed 2
atwix (betwixt) 48
avaunt 75
aventure 33
aveyn 69
baleese 54
barnage (baronage) 55
batellous 63
be (by) 9
beforce (by force) 31
beforne 70
benecute 70
benevolence xvii, xxi, xxii
bestialle 77, 78
bethout (without) 7 _et passim_
bethyn (within) 3 _et passim_
bobauncees 80
bonchief 21
chevalrie 66, 76, 83
clepid 27, 31, 40, 55
congie 30
convenable 74, 75
costius, costues (costly) 80
cote-armer 18
cotes of armes 20
countour xv
covyn 54
croiserie 10, 11
custrell xx
defalke 31, 72
defend (drive away) 9
deliver (agile) 76
deliver (to fulfil a challenge in arms) 77
depart (part with) 81, 83 side note
detrussed 65, _detrousse_, unbound
devoire 9, 56
dissimiled (dissembled) 30,
dissimuled 41
dissimulacion 40
dulled 2
egallie (equally) 21
embrace (to take part, or patronise) xv, 77
empeshement 35
enfamyned 13
entendement 20
entreprennour 64
entreprinses _and_ entreprises, 6, 21, 29
ering 70
at erst 6
escarmisshes 13
esy (little _or_ scarcely) 72,
esilie (scarcely), 73
ewred 43
fauten 60
feernesse (_for_ feersnesse?) 4, 20
fellir (more fell) 64
fille (fell) 21, 23, 27, 73, 83
finaunce 9, 14, 19, 29, 33, 65
fole-hardiesse 63, _see_ hardy
fraunchise 81
{94}
fructufulle 56
grene age 76
hardiesse 29
hardy (or fool-hardy) man, 65
haunting arms 3, 6, 22, 77
havyour 84
herbers (of soote smyllis of flowris and herbis of divers colours) 70
hethynesse 46
historier 25, 43
hostied 13
hubes 68
infortune 42, 50
inure 62
joieuest (most joyful) 70
jorney (military expedition) 47
jupardie 65, 70, 77
labourage 65, 69, 70
lifelode 32, 49, 32, 73, 80
lust (_verb_) 82
lyes (leash) 16
manassed 73
manly man 65
mantelle 20
masty hound 16
meintenaunce 78
menage 69
messangiers 45
moien 85
mondeyn 70
mow (shall mow endure) 69
muys 50
namelie (especially) 82, 83
noblesse xv. liv
nompower 30
nouches 84
noy 82
obeisaunce _and_ obediaunce 17, 30, 59
obeissauntes 30, 47
onure, 85
oost (host) 27, 28, 31, 32, 64, 71
osteyng 11
ovyr hand 65
paast, 6
paissauntes (peasants) 72, 73
patised 73
payneymys 10
paynym 75
peine hem (take pains) 31
perveaunce 40
piller (thief) 31, 72
plenerlie 37
practik (singler) 77, 78
practique of law 77
print money, 84
puissaunt 20, 23, 26, 41, 43, 46, 61
purveonds 68
puttithe away (_plur._) 79
quaiers (of books) lix, 79
raise 40. Chaucer says of his Knight, In Lettowe had he _reysed_ and in
Russe.
ravyne 72, 73
recordacion 3
renomme 32
revaled 3, 9, 11, 74
rightwisnesse 56
rothir or sterne 58
servage 71
sille (sell) 84
sleuth (sloth) 6
soude 33, 72;
soulde 29, 40
soudeours 16, 68, 71;
sowdieris 30
soudeyng 29;
souding, 83
souneth (threaten) 48
synguler (personal) 7, 29, 55
{95}
tailis 73, 83, 84
take in gree 79
tasques 73, 83, 84
terrein 69
tilieng (tilling) 70
tofore (before) 60
to morne (tomorrow) 84
trespasseinte 11
trespassement 41, 43
umbre 3, 4, 25, 33, 41
viellars 64
vileyned 74
voulente 84
vyfnes 4
wanhope 74
well (easy), "it is well to undrestonde" 82
werreied (made war) 10
wited (considered) 55
yen (eyen _or_ eyes) 66
yoven (given) 81
* * * * *
NOTES
[1] Giles brother to Francis I. duke of Bretagne. Having differences with
his brother respecting his apanage, he was with the duke's consent arrested
by king Charles VII.; and, perhaps in consequence of the English taking his
part, he was put to death in the year 1450. His fate was commemorated in
the "Histoire lamentable de Gilles seigneur de Chateaubriand et de
Chantoce, prince du sang de France et de Bretagne, estrangle en prison par
les ministres d'un favory." See Daru's Histoire de Bretagne, 1826, vol. ii.
pp. 287 et seq.
[2] Sir Simon Morhier is one of the commissioners named for concluding a
treaty with "our adversary of France," dated 28 July 1438. (Rymer, x. 709.)
Monstrelet relates that at the battle of Rouvray, commonly called the
battle of the Herrings, which took place during the siege of Orleans in
1428, the only man of note slain on the English side was one named
Bresanteau, nephew to Simon Morhier provost of Paris.
[3] I do not find the name of this esquire in the memoirs of the Mansel
family, privately printed in 1850, by William W. Mansell, esq. There were
Mansels in Bretagne as well as in England.
[4] A description of the taking of Pont de l'Arche will be found in the
_Histoire du roy Charles VII._, by Alain Chartier. He states that from a
hundred to six score Englishmen were there either killed or taken
prisoners: "Entre les autres y fut prins le sire de Faucquembergue, qui
d'aventure y estoit venu la nuict." This was William Neville, lord
Fauconberg, a younger son of the first earl of Westmerland, and uncle to
the King-making earl of Warwick. Dugdale describes his imprisonment on the
authority of letters patent (30 Hen. VI. p. 1, m. 24) whereby he was
granted some compensation: "Being sent ambassador into Normandy, to treat
of peace and truce betwixt both realms, he was most perfidiously seized
upon by the French, and kept prisoner: in respect of which sufferings he
had in 30 Hen. VI. an assignation of 4108l. 18s. 101/4d. then in arrears to
him for his pay whilst he was governor of Roxburgh, to be received out of
the customs of wool, cloths, skins, lead, and other commodities, arising in
the ports of Boston, Kingston upon Hull, and Ipswich." In 32 Hen. VI.
(1453-4) he was still prisoner in France. (Baronage of England, i. 308,
309.)
[5] Fougeres was a strongly fortified town, and was considered one of the
keys of Bretagne. It was taken by surprise, in the night of the 23-24 of
March 1448, by Francois de Surienne, on the part of the English: an event
which was followed by very important results, for Charles VII. made it an
excuse for resuming hostilities in order to protect the duke of Bretagne as
his vassal and ally: the Constable of France Artur de Richemont, who was
the duke's uncle, (but who had been opposed to the arrest of his nephew
Giles,) recovered the captured town; the duke invaded Lower Normandy,
whilst the king of France entered the upper province, and by a rapid series
of successes they within fifteen months drove the English out of the
country.
[6] Honore Bonnet was prior of Salon in Provence, as is shown by his own
dedication of the book to Charles VI. written during the sovereignty of
Louis II. of Anjou in Provence, that is, from 1384 to 1390. In some of the
early editions of the book the author's name was altered to Bonnor: its
title is "Larbre des batailles. Sensuyt larbre des batailles qui traicte de
plusieurs choses comme de leglise. Et aussi des faictz de la guerre. Et
aussi c[=o]ment on se doyt gouuerner. Paris, 1493." folio. Also Paris,
1505, 4to. Among the Royal collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum
(20 C. VIII.) is a magnificent copy in large folio, and another, in quarto,
has been recently purchased (Addit. MS. 22,768.) Respecting others at Paris
see the work of M. Paulin Paris on "Les Manuscrits Francais de la
Bibliotheque du Roi," vol. v. pp. 101, 307.
On the fly-leaf of the Royal MS. is the following inscription in an old
hand, the writer of which avowedly followed the note at p. 54 of the
present volume:
_L'Arbre des Battailles compose par Honore Bonet Prieur de Sallon en
Prouuence._
Note y^t in some Authors this Booke is termed Dame Christine of y^e tree of
Battayles, not that she made yt; But bicause she was a notable Benefactour
to Learned men and perchaunce to y^e autor of this Booke. And therefore
diuers of them sette furthe their Bookes under her name. See y^e Booke of
Noblesse in englishe and Chrystines Life amongste y^e autors de claris
mulieribus as I rem[=e]ber.
On the title-page are the autograph inscriptions of two of the former
owners of the volume, _Sum Humfridi LLoyd_ and _Lumley_: and at the end is
inscribed _Iste liber constat Joh'i Gamston' Generoso_. It seems not
improbable that the entry above extracted was written by Lord Lumley.
[7] At the end of the life of Saint Louis by Geoffroi de Beaulieu, in the
_Historiens de la_ _France_, tome xx. p. 26, (1840, folio,) will be found
the Instructions of king Louis to his Son, in their vernacular language. A
copy of them, headed "Ce sont les enseignemens que mons^r sainct Loys fist
a son filz Charles roy de France," occurs in the MS. at the College of Arms
which contains many things about sir John Fastolfe. (MS. Arundel XXVI. fol.
ii v.)
[8] Vegetius was a great authority with the writers of the middle ages.
Monstrelet commences the prologue to the second volume of his chronicles by
citing the book of "un tresrenomme philosophe nomme Vegece, qu'il feist de
la vaillance et prudence de chevalerie." The treatise of Vegetius de Re
Militari had been translated into French about the year 1284, by Jean de
Meun, one of the authors of the Roman de la Rose. In the fifteenth century
it was one of the principal sources of a book entitled "Lart de cheualerie
selon Vegece; lequel trait de la maniere que les princes doiuent tenir au
fait de leurs guerres et batailles." This was printed at Paris by Anthoine
Verard in 1488; and it was, at the command of king Henry VII. translated by
Caxton, and printed by him at Westminster in the following year, as "The
Fayttes of Armes and of Chyvallrye," which (he states in his colophon,)
"Christian of Pise made and drew out of the book named Vegecius de Re
Militari, and out of the Arbre of Battles." Now, Christina de Pisan was a
poetess: and it is not likely that she had more to do with this treatise on
the art of war than the "dame Christine" of our present author had with the
Arbre des Batailles. Indeed it is probable that the two misappropriations
are connected in their origin. On the actual productions of Christine de
Pisan, which furnished other works to our first English printer, see the
description by M. Paulin Paris of "Les Manuscrits Francais de la
Bibliotheque du Roi," vol. iv. 184, vol. v. 148-185, vi. 359, 399: and an
"Essai sur les Ecrits Politiques de Christine de Pisan, suivi d'une Notice
Litteraire et de Pieces Inedites. Par Raimond Thomassy, 1838." 8vo. pp.
200.
[9] Alain Chartier was a writer both in prose and poetry. There are
separate editions of several of his works: and a collected volume of them
was edited by Andrew du Chesne in 1617. An English translation of his
"Curial" was printed by Caxton without date. See an account of various
manuscripts of the works of Chartier given by M. Paulin Paris in his vol.
vi. pp. 385-387, vol. vii. pp. 251-254.
[10] The personages speaking in the Quadrilogue are France, Le Peuple, Le
Chevalier, and Le Clergie, to whose conversation l'Acteur, or the Author,
occasionally interposes some remarks. Le Chevalier is also the Gendarmerie,
and described as being identical with the Estat de Noblesse--an identity
which is thus maintained at the beginning of the reign of Henry the
Eighth:--"in all the Chevalrie of this realme, wherein be intended all
Dukes, Erles, Barons, Knightes, Esquires, and other Gentlemen by office or
aucthoritie." I quote this from The Tree of Common Wealth, by Edmonde
Dudley, (written in 1509 or 1510,) printed for the Brotherhood of the Rosy
Cross, at Manchester, 1859, p. 18.
[11] "Magister Alanus de Auriga. Id est compilam de libro suo." Sidenote in
p. 27.
[12] This battle, from which the final loss of Normandy ensued, was fought
at Formigny, between Charenton and Bayeux, on the 15th of April 1450. Sir
Thomas Kyriell, who was there taken prisoner, was a veteran warrior of
Agincourt, and had for some years been lieutenant of Calais. By a writ of
privy seal dated the 12th August 1451, Henry VI. granted the sum of 5000
crowns and lent another 5000, out of the bonds due from the duke of
Orleans, in order to provide for the ransom of sir Thomas Kyriell. (Rymer,
xi. 287.) Sir Thomas was elected a Knight of the Garter at the close of the
reign of Henry the Sixth, Feb. 8, 1460-1, and beheaded by the victorious
Yorkists on the 18th of the same month.
[13] This passage was an abridgment from one in _Le Quadrilogue Invectif_
of Alain Chartier: which is as follows: "Toutes anciennes escriptures sont
plaines de mutations, subversions, et changemens de Royaulmes et des
Principaultez. Car comme les enfans naissent et croissent en hommes
parfaitz, et puis declinent a vieillesse et a mort; ainsi ont les
Seigneuries leur commencement, et leur accroissement, et leur declin. Ou
est Ninive la grant cite, qui duroit trois journees de chemin? Qu'est
devenue Babiloine, qui fut edifiee de matiere artificieuse pour plus durer
aux hommes, et maintenant est habitee de serpens? Que dira l'en de Troye la
riche et tres renommee? Et de Ylion le chastel sans per, dont les portes
furent d'ivoire, et les colonnes d'argent; et maintenant a peine en reste
le pie des fondemens, que les haulx buissons forcloent de la veue des
hommes? Thebes qui fut fondee de Cadmus le fils de Agenor, et la plus
peuplee de dessus la terre pour son temps: en laquelle part pourroit en
trouver tant de reliques de son nom, que gens se puissent monstrer nez de
sa semence? Lacedemoine, dont les loix vindrent a diverse nations,
desquelles encores nous usons, ne peut oncques tant estroictement garder
les loix de Licurgus le doicturier, qui furent faictes pour sa
perpetuation, que sa vertu ne soit extaincte et aneantie. Athenes fontaine
de sapience, et source des haultes doctrines de philosophie, n'est elle pas
en subversion, et les ruisseaulx de son escole taris et asseichez? Carthage
la batailleresse, qui domptait les elephans a batailler, et qui jadis fut
tant redoubtee aux Romains, ou a elle tourne sa grant glorie, sinon en la
cendre du feu ou elle fut arse et embrasee? Mais parlons de Romme, qui fut
derreniere en souveraine majeste, et excellente en vertu. Et notons bien la
parolle de Lucan, qui dit que de elle mesme par sa pesanteur elle decheut.
Car les trops pesans faiz font les plus griefues cheoistes. Par ceste
maniere chascune a sa tour et en son ordre se changent, rebaissent, ou
soubvertissent les eureuses fortunes, et le bruit des Royaulmes. Ainsi
comme la Monarchie du monde et la dignite du Souverain Empire fut jadis
translatee des Assiriens aux Persans, des Persans aux Grecz, des Grecz aux
Rommains, et des Rommains es mains des Francois et des Germains."
[14] It was in this sense that the duke of Burgundy was called Charles le
Hardi, which was equivalent to the modern _le Temeraire_, that is, not only
Bold, but Rash. We find that the author of _L'Arbre des Batailles_
discusses in his third book, chapter viii., the various causes from which
"est ung chevalier bien hardy:" and he asserts them to be many: "Car
premierement ung chevalier sera hardy pour avoir et conquerir vaine gloire
et l'honneur de ce monde: pour ce seulement quil voit les hardis honnourez
et le couhars dishonnourez. Ung autre chevalier sera hardy pour avoir peur
de perdre honneur et proffit de son seigneur, et pour peur destre prins sil
estoit couhart. La tierce par usaige; car se ung chevalier a grant temps
porte le harnois il seulement qui scaurra bien l'usaige prandra ardement in
ce quon ne parle contre lun sil faisoit le contraire. Aultre chevalier y a
qui est hardy pour ce quil sent son harnois et armeures estre bons et de
bonne espreuve. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy pour son cappitaine quil
scet estre bien sage et bien fortune. Aultre chevalier y a qui est hardy
par droicte fureur, et par droicte coulere hayreuse. Aultre chevalier y a
qui est hardy par ignorance: car il est si simple quil ne scet que est
vertu de force: mais faite ainsi comme il voit faire au plus avance. Aultre
chevalier y a qui est hardy par couvoitise de gaigner richesses et non pour
aultre chose. Or saiches maintenant comme en toutes ces hardiesses na vertu
si non en cellui qui est hardy de droicte congnoissance et de droit
scavoir, et ayt la voulente entendue a vertu et a justice et ferme voulente
d'attendre et de soustenir toute chose deue et possible par la vertu de
force. Et te souffise de ceste vertu quant a present."
[15] Jean de Villiers, seigneur de l'Isle Adam et de Villiers le Bel,
having joined the party of the duke of Burgundy, was by his influence made
Marechal of France in 1418. He was arrested by the duke of Exeter at Paris
in 1420, and released by the duke of Bedford in 1422, at the request of
Philip duke of Burgundy. By duke Charles he was highly favoured, made one
of the first knights of the order of the Golden Fleece, and captain of
Paris when the duke of Bedford left that city in 1430. He was killed during
a popular commotion at Bruges in 1437. See his life in Anselme's Histoire
Genealogique, 1723, vii. 10.
[16] The account which Monstrelet gives of this insurrection entirely
corresponds with that of our author. It is as follows:
"En apres le duc d'Excestre, qui estoit capitaine de Paris, pour
certaines causes qui a ce le meurent, feit prendre en icelle ville le
seigneur de l'Isle Adam par aucuns de ses Anglois: pour laquelle prinse
s'assemblerent jusques a mille hommes ou plus du commun de Paris, pour
le rescourre a ceux qui le menoient en la bastille S. Anthoine. Mais
tantost ledit duc d'Excestre a tout six vingts combattans, dont il y
avoit la plus grand partie archiers, alla frapper en eux et faire tirer
les dessusdits archiers au travers desdites communes: pourquoy tant par
la cremeur dudict traict, comme par le commandement qu'il leur feit de
par le Roy, se retrahirent assez brief en leurs maisons: et ledit
seigneur de l'Isle Adam fut (comme dit est) mis prisonnier, et y
demoura durant la vie du roy Henry d'Angleterre, lequel l'eust faict
mourir, ce n'eust este la requeste du duc de Bourgongne." (Chroniques
de Monstrelet, vol. i. chap. ccxxxviii.)
[17] It is very remarkable how entirely these statements correspond with
some passages of Commines, (book iv. chap. xviii.) in which he describes
the conduct of tyrannical princes, and the way in which France especially
suffered from quartering soldiers. "To the common people they leave little
or nothing, though their taxes be greater than they ought to be; nor do
they take any care to restrain the licentiousness of their soldiers, who
are constantly quartered throughout the country without paying anything,
and commit all manner of excesses and insolencies, as everybody knows; for,
not contented with the ordinary provisions with which they are supplied,
they beat and abuse the poor country people, and force them to bring bread,
wine, and other dainties, on purpose for their eating; and if the goodman's
wife or daughter happens to be good-looking, his wisest course is to keep
her out of their sight. And yet, where money is abundant, it would be no
difficult matter to prevent this disorder and confusion, by paying them
every two months at furthest, which would obviate the pretence of want of
pay, and leave them without excuse, and cause no inconvenience to the
prince, because his money is raised punctually every year. I say this in
compassion to this kingdom, which certainly is more oppressed and harassed
in quartering soldiers than any in all Europe."
[18] This word, or "obeissauntis," which was used in the same sense, may be
taken as the original reading of the erasure in p. 73, in the place of
"predecessours," which is an alteration for the worse.
[19] Chaucer says of his Franklin--
At sessions there was he lord and sire,
Full often time he was Knight of the shire,
A Sheriff had he been, and a Countour.
The countour--a term which has been involved in some doubt, was probably a
commissioner of taxes, who had to return his accompt to the royal
exchequer.
[20] _i.e._ take a factious or unjust part.
[21] Sir Harris Nicolas, in his memoir on the Scrope and Grosvenor Roll
(ii. 347), has remarked "the slighting manner in which the profession of
the law is mentioned, in comparison with that of arms," in the deposition
of sir William Aton. Speaking of sir Henry Scrope, that witness stated that
he was come of noble and gentle ancestry, and yet by the consent of his
parents was put to the law, and became the king's justice, but nevertheless
used in his halls, on his beds, in windows, and on plate the arms of
_Azure, a bend or_. At a much later date (1542) sir Edmund Knightley,
though a younger brother and a serjeant at law, is represented in a full
suit of armour at Fawsley, co. Northampton. His epitaph commemorates both
his gentilitial and his professional merits:
Natus erat claro de stemmate et ordine equestri,
Qui fuit et gentis gloria magna suae;
Legis erat patriae gnarus, compescere lites
Assuetus vulgi et jurgia seva lenis.