oak sih8

110

"He cansed three shields to be madę, onc for a Green Knight, one for a Cbevalier Vert_y and one for a knight be called the Cheralier Attendant; all tbree must run a course witb sharp spears."

Each madę out a challenge, which was sent to the King of France. Three French knights took up the challenges and agreed to meet at a day and place assigned, which was a land called the Park-Hedge of Guines. The first, Sir Gerard Herbaumes, called hirnself the Chevalier Rouge; the second was Sir Hugh Launey, who called hirnself the Chevalier Blanc; and third was Sir Collard Fines.

"On the appointed day, tbe Earl, impersonatmg the Green Knight, came into the field with his face covered_y a plunie of ostrich feathers in his helm_y and his horse trapped with the Lord Toney's arms (one ofhis ancestors) vis. Argent a Manch Gules. Whenfirst encountering with the Chevalier Rouge, at the third course, he unhorsed him and so returned with closed risor, unknown, to his pavilion whence he sent to the Red Knight a good courser

The next day he came into the field as tbe Cheralier Vert with his visor closed, a chaplet on his hełm and a plunie of ostrich feathers aloft, his horse trapped with the arms of Hanslap, pis. Argent, two bars Gules, where he met with the Cheralier Blanc, with whom he encountered, smote off his visor thrice and broke his besagews and other har-ness and returned rictoriously to his partii on with all his own habiliments safe, and as yet not known to any; from which he sent this Cheralier Blanc (Sr. Hugh Launey) a good courser.

But the morrow aftcr, the last day of the joust, he came with his face open and his helmet as the day before, sare that the chaplet was rich with pearls and precious Stones and his coat of arms ofGuy and Beaucbamp tjuarterly, haring the arms ofToney and Hanslap on his trappers and said that as he had performed the ser pice the two days before, so with God'sgrace he would the third. Whereupon, encountering with Sir Collard Fines, at erery stroke he

.    - X • V

Figurę 94. A surviving example of the great padded cap worn inside the "Gestech" hełm.

(Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.) borę him backward on his horse, insomuch that the Frenchman said that he seemed bound to his saddle; the Earl, to disprooe this, jumped off his horse and on agam. But all being ended he returned to his parilion, sent to Sir Collard Fines a fair courser, feasted all the people, gave to those three knights great rewards and so rode back to Calais with great honour."

The Earl served with distinction in Henry V's campaigns in France, though in the Pajjeant nothing is said about his being at Agincourt. In 1420, he went again into France to arrange a marriage between the King and the Princess Katherine, but this time he went with 1,000 men-at-arms at his back, and, as we know, the marriage took place that same year.

During this century, the tournament came morę and morę to be just a gamę. For the settlement of serious points of honour or judicial processes, other forms were devised. The "Combat of Chivalry" was a duel fought mounted or on foot, with the weapons of war, and carried on till one of the combatants could fight no longer. It was the forerunner of the duels of the lóth and 17th centuries, and the successor of similar forms of single combat from remotest antiquity. It was used for the settlement of affairs of honour, quite distinct