The king and the queene, with manie other great states were readie
placed in chambers richlie adorned to see the iusts: and when the
ladies that led the knights, were come to the place, they were taken
downe from their palfries, and went vp into chambers readie prepared
for them. Then alighted the esquires of honor from their coursers, &
the knights in good order mounted vpon them. And so when their helmets
were set on their heads, and that they were redie in all points,
after proclamations made by the heraults, the iusts began, and manie
commendable courses were run, to the great pleasure, comfort, and
recreation of the king, the quéene, and all other the beholders. The
prise that daie on the answerers part was giuen to the earle of saint
Paule; and on the chalengers side, to the earle of Huntington. On the
mondaie, the king himselfe, with dukes, earls, lords, and knights,
came to the iusts, he being cheefe of the inner part. That daie the
prise was giuen to the erle of Osteruant, for the best dooer of the
vtter part: and of the inner part, to a knight of England called sir
Hugh Spenser. On the tuesdaie, all manner of esquiers iusted, and
likewise on the wednesday all maner of knights and esquires that would,
on which daie was a sore and rude iusts, enduring till night. And so
manie a noble course and other martiall feats were atchiued in those
foure daies, to the great contentation and pleasure of manie a yoong
batcheler desirous to win fame, & also highlie to the kings honour,
who by all that season held his court in the bishops palace by Paules
church, kéeping open houshold for all honest persons that thither
resorted, especiallie euerie night after the iusts were ended, a right
sumptuous and princelie supper was prepared for the strangers and
other, and after supper, the time was spent in dansing and reuelling
after the most courtlike maner. On the thursdaie, the king made a
supper to all the lords, knights, and gentlemen strangers, and the
quéene to all the ladies and gentlewomen. On the fridaie the duke of
Lancaster feasted at dinner all the said lords, knights, and gentlemen
strangers, in most sumptuous and plentifull maner. On the saturdaie,
the king and all the whole companie departed from London vnto Windsore,
where new feasting began, and speciallie the king did all the honour
that might be deuised vnto the earls of saint Paule and Osteruant.
The earle of Osteruant, at the earnest request of the king, receiued
of him the order of the Garter, for the which he was euill thought
of afterwards by his freends, namelie the French king and others.
Finallie, after the king had thus feasted the strangers and others at
Windsore, each man tooke leaue of the king, the queene, and the kings
vncles, and other lords and ladies, and so departed, the strangers into
their owne countries, and other home to their houses, or whither they
thought best.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _Angl. præl. sub. Rich._2.]
¶ This solemne iusts or tornement being touched, or rather in ample
maner described by Ch. Okland, is reported of him to haue béene kept
for actiuitie sake, and to set the youth & lustie blouds of the court
on worke, who otherwise (bicause the king was yong and loued to liue
in peace and ease, feats of armes and warlike prowesse both abroad
and |812| at home languished and laie as it were a fainting) through
idlenesse and want of exercise, degenerating and growing out of kind
from their woonted warlike valiantnesse, should giue themselues to
filthie lecherie, riot, sléepe, loitering pastimes, and slouthfulnesse,
all which doo greatlie impaire prowesse. Wherevpon (saith he)
[Sidenote: * Smithfield. *]
Rege priùs de re consulto, ludicra diri
Martis opus simulatum inter se bella mouebant,
Atq; dies totos viginti quattuor hastis
Assumptis, studio statuunt decurrere fixo.
Deinde idem numerus procerum pars prima lacessens
Mittit ad externas gentes qui talia pandant.
Ludus ab Angligenis mense exercebitur vno
Hasticus. Vrbi hærens * fabrorum dictus * agellus
Extra Londini muros, spatiosus & amplus
Est locus: hîc stadium cursuris, certáq; meta
Ponitur, huc veniant quacúnq; ex gente creati
Sanguine magnorum heroum. Certamine victor
Qui fuerit, terris prosternens corpora plura,
Aut plures hastas frangens, donabitur auri
Multa vi, capiet quàm plurima ditia dona
Præmia virtutis, Richardo hæc dante brabæa, &c.
Hauing thus described the place where the iusts should be kept, with
the rewards, and other circumstances; he toucheth the countries from
whence the forren nobilitie came, that should vndertake triall of
chiualrie with these foure and twentie challengers: who at the daie
appointed (saith he) came pransing out of the Towre vpon their great
barded horsses through the broad streets, and their ladies of honor
with them gorgiouslie decked with bracelets, owches, cheines, iewels,
spangles, and verie sumptuous attire: a goodlie sight for the people
to behold. At last, when they were come to Smithfield, and althings
readie, the trumpets sounded to the exercise; and both parties, as well
the English as the outlandish cheualiers ran togither, and tried their
strengths till they did sweat and were tired, their horsses panting
and braieng with the violence of their bodilie motion; their staues
being crasht in sunder, flue vp into the aire, and the broken stocke
or stumpe hitting the aduersarie ouerthrew him to the ground: the
beholders with ioy of heart gaue a shout thereat, as greatlie delighted
with the sight. Then came the night and brake off the first daies
tornement. On the next daie when they should renew and fall afresh vnto
it againe, they shewed themselues in courage equall to their ancestors,
and handled their matters so well that they got them great renowme. The
third daie came, and the multitude of people still gathered togither
woondered at the right valiant deeds of the valorous horssemen, how
they did tosse, hoisse vp, and wind their speares, and with what force
they vsed their armes, what courage appeared in their statelie horsses,
and how the verie heauens rang with the ratling of their armor, and the
strokes giuen to and fro. Euerie daie brought with it his portion of
pleasure, both to the contenders, and to the beholders. When the time
was expired of this tried chiualrie, necessarie occasion mooued the
king of England to set his mind on other matters, so that commending
the prowesse of the outlandish lords, he bestowed vpon them massie
cheines of gold, & loding them with other gifts of great valure,
dismissed them into their countries. But the English challengers
required nothing but renowme for their reward, being allured onelie
with the loue of praise; and thus when these pastimes of chiualrie
were quite ended, euerie man got him home to his owne house. Thus
farre Christopher Okland, touching the description of this Hippomachia
ludicra inter concertatores Anglos & externos.
[Sidenote: 1391.
_Thom. Wals._
Ambassadors from the French king for a perpetual peace. _Froissard_.
A proclamatiō that all English beneficed men in Rome should returne
into England.]
Ambassadors were sent from the French king, vnto the king of England,
to make an ouerture of peace to be had, and to indure for euer betwixt
the two realmes of England and France, sith that by warre it was
apparant inough, that neither realme, could greatlie |813| benefit it
selfe, but rather sore indamage either other, as afore time it had come
apparantlie to passe. Therefore the matter being well considered, both
parts séemed well affected towards some good conclusion by treatie to
be had of a full and perfect peace. About the same time, by the king
with the aduise of his councell, proclamation was made and published
at London, that all beneficed men abiding in the court of Rome, being
Englishmen borne, should returne home into England before the feast
of S. Nicholas, vnder paine to forfeit all their benefices; and such
as were not beneficed, vnder a paine likewise limited. The Englishmen
hearing such a thunder clap a farre off, fearing the blow, left the
popes court, and returned into their natiue soile.
[Sidenote: The pope sendeth his nuncio to king Richard.]
The pope troubled with such a rumbling noise, sent in all hast an abbat
as his nuncio vnto the king of England, as well to vnderstand the
causes of this proclamation, as of statutes deuised and made latelie
in parlement against those that prouided themselues of benefices
in the court of Rome by the popes buls, which séemed not a little
preiudiciall to the church of Rome: in consideration whereof the said
nuncio required that the same statutes might be repealed and abolished,
so farre as they tended to the derogation of the church liberties: but
if the same statutes were not abolished, the pope might not (said his
nuncio) with a safe conscience otherwise doo than procéed against them
that made those statutes, in such order as the canons did appoint.
Moreouer the said nuncio declared to the king certeine dangerous
practises betwixt the antipape and the French king; as to make the duke
of Touraine the French kings brother king of Tuscane and Lombardie, and
to establish the duke of Aniou in the kingdome of Sicile.
[Sidenote: The popes nuncio openeth to the king the Frēch kings priuie
practises.