The Tournament
An Interlude
Enter an Herawde
The Tournament begynnes; the hammerrs sounde;
The courserrs lysse[1] about the mensuredd[2] fielde;
The shemrynge armoure throws the sheene arounde;
Quayntyssed[3] fons[4] depictedd[5] onn eche sheelde.
The feerie[6] heaulmets, wythe the wreathes amielde[7],
Supportes the rampynge lyoncell[8] orr beare,
Wythe straunge depyctures[9], Nature maie nott yeelde,
Unseemelie to all orderr doe appere,
Yett yatte[10] to menne, who thyncke and have a spryte[11],
Makes knowen thatt the phantasies unryghte.
I, Sonne of Honnoure, spencer[11] of her joies,
Muste swythen[12] goe to yeve[13] the speeres arounde,
Wythe advantayle[14] & borne[15] I meynte[16] emploie,
Who withoute mee woulde fall untoe the grounde.
Soe the tall oake the ivie twysteth rounde;
Soe the neshe[17] flowerr grees[18] ynne the woodeland shade.
The worlde bie diffraunce ys ynne orderr founde;
Wydhoute unlikenesse nothynge could bee made.
As ynn the bowke[19] nete[20] alleyn[21] cann bee donne,
Syke[22] ynn the weal of kynde all thynges are partes of onne.
Enterr SYRR SYMONNE DE BOURTONNE.
Herawde[23], bie heavenne these tylterrs staie too long.
Mie phantasie ys dyinge forr the fyghte.
The mynstrelles have begonne the thyrde warr songe,
Yett notte a speere of hemm[24] hath grete mie syghte.
I feere there be ne manne wordhie mie myghte.
I lacke a Guid[25], a Wyllyamm[26] to entylte.
To reine[27] anente[28] a fele[29] embodiedd knyghte,
Ytt gettes ne rennome[30] gyff hys blodde bee spylte.
Bie heavenne & Marie ytt ys tyme they’re here;
I lyche nott unthylle[31] thus to wielde the speare.
Herawde
Methynckes I heare yer slugghornes[32] dynn[33] fromm farre.
Bourtonne
Ah! swythenn[34] mie shielde & tyltynge launce bee bounde [35].
Eftsoones[36] beheste[37] mie Squyerr to the warre.
I flie before to clayme a challenge grownde.
[Goeth oute.
Herawde
Thie valourous actes woulde meinte[38] of menne astounde;
Harde bee yer shappe[39] encontrynge thee ynn fyghte;
Anenst[40] all menne thou bereft to the grounde,
Lyche the hard hayle dothe the tall roshes pyghte[41].
As whanne the mornynge sonne ydronks the dew,
Syche dothe thie valourous actes drocke[42] eche knyghte’s hue.
THE LYSTES. THE KYNGE. SYRR SYMONNE DE BOURTONNE, SYRR HUGO FERRARIS, SYRR RANULPH NEVILLE, SYRR LODOVICK DE CLYNTON, SYRR JOHAN DE BERGHAMME, AND ODHERR KNYGHTES, HERAWDES, MYNSTRELLES. AND SERVYTOURS[43].
Kynge
The barganette[44]; yee mynstrelles tune the strynge,
Somme actyonn dyre of auntyante kynges now synge.
Mynstrelles
Wyllyamm, the Normannes floure botte Englondes thorne,
The manne whose myghte delievretie[45] hadd knite[46],
Snett[46] oppe hys long strunge bowe and sheelde aborne[47],
Behesteynge[48] all hys hommageres[49] to fyghte.
Goe, rouze the lyonn fromm hys hylted[50] denne,
Lett thie floes[51] drenche the blodde of anie thynge bott menne.
Ynn the treed forreste doe the knyghtes appere;
Wyllyamm wythe myghte hys bowe enyronn’d[52] plies[53];
Loude dynns[54] the arrowe ynn the wolfynn’s eare;
Hee ryseth battent[55] roares, he panctes, hee dyes.
Forslagenn att thie feete lett wolvynns bee,
Lett thie floes drenche theyre blodde, bott do ne bredrenn flea.
Throwe the merke[56] shade of twistynde trees hee rydes;
The flemed[57] owlett[58] flapps herr eve-speckte[59] wynge;
The lordynge[60] toade ynn all hys passes bides;
The berten[61] neders[62] att hymm darte the stynge;
Styll, stylle, hee passes onn, hys stede astrodde,
Nee hedes the daungerous waie gyff leadynge untoe bloodde.
The lyoncel, fromme sweltrie[63] countries braughte,
Coucheynge binethe the sheltre of the brierr,
Att commyng dynn[64] doth rayse hymselfe distraughte[65],
He loketh wythe an eie of flames of fyre.
Goe, sticke the lyonn to hys hyltren denne.
Lette thie floes[66] drenche the blood of anie thynge botte menn.
Wythe passent[67] steppe the lyonn mov’th alonge;
Wyllyamm hys ironne-woven bowe hee bendes,
Wythe myghte alyche the roghlynge[68] thonderr stronge;
The lyonn ynn a roare hys spryte foorthe sendes.
Goe, slea the lyonn ynn hys blodde-steyn’d denne,
Botte bee thie takelle[69] drie fromm blodde of odherr menne.
Swefte fromm the thyckett starks the stagge awaie;
The couraciers[70] as swefte doe afterr flie.
Hee lepethe hie, hee stondes, hee kepes att baie,
Botte metes the arrowe, and eftsoones[71] doth die.
Forslagenn atte thie fote lette wylde beastes bee,
Lett thie floes drenche yer blodde, yett do ne bredrenn slee.
Wythe murtherr tyredd, hee sleynges hys bowe alyne[72].
The stagge ys ouch’d[73] wythe crownes of lillie flowerrs.
Arounde theire heaulmes theie greene verte doe entwyne;
Joying and rev’lous ynn the grene wode bowerrs.
Forslagenn wyth thie floe lette wylde beastes bee,
Feeste thee upponne theire fleshe, doe ne thie bredrenn flee.
Kynge
Nowe to the Tourneie[74]; who wylle fyrste affraie[75]?
Heraulde
Nevylle, a baronne, bee yatte[76] honnoure thyne.
Bourtonne
I clayme the passage.
Nevylle
I contake[77] thie waie.
Bourtonne
Thenn there’s mie gauntlette[78] onn mie gaberdyne[79].
Herehaulde
A leegefull[80] challenge, knyghtes & champyonns dygne[81],
A leegefull challenge, lette the flugghorne sounde.
[Syrr Symonne and Nevylle tylte.
Nevylle ys goeynge, manne and horse, toe grounde.
[Nevylle falls.
Loverdes, how doughtilie[82] the tylterrs joyne!
Yee champyonnes, heere Symonne de Bourtonne fyghtes,
Onne hee hathe quacedd[83], assayle[84] hymm, yee knyghtes.
Ferraris
I wylle anente[85] hymm goe; mie squierr, mie shielde;
Orr onne orr odherr wyll doe myckle[86] scethe[87]
Before I doe departe the lissedd[88] fielde,
Mieselfe orr Bourtonne hereupponn wyll blethe[89].
Mie shielde.
Bourtonne
Comme onne, & fitte thie tylte-launce ethe[90].
Whanne Bourtonn fyghtes, hee metes a doughtie foe.
[Theie tylte. Ferraris falleth.
Hee falleth; nowe bie heavenne thie woundes doe smethe[91];
I feere mee, I have wroughte thee myckle woe[92].
Herawde
Bourtonne hys seconde beereth to the feelde.
Comme onn, yee knyghtes, and wynn the honnour’d sheeld.
Berghamme
I take the challenge; squyre, mie launce and stede.
I, Bourtonne, take the gauntlette; forr mee staie.
Botte, gyff thou fyghteste mee, thou shalt have mede[93];
Somme odherr I wylle champyonn toe affraie[94];
Perchaunce fromme hemm I maie possess the daie,
Thenn I schalle bee a foemanne forr thie spere.
Herehawde, toe the bankes of Knyghtys saie,
De Berghamme wayteth forr a foemann heere.
Clinton
Botte longe thou schalte ne tend[95]; I doe thee fie[96].
Lyche forreying[97] levynn[98], schalle mie tylte-launce flie.
[Berghamme & Clinton tylte. Clinton fallethe.
BERGHAMME.
Nowe, nowe, Syrr Knyghte, attoure[99] thie beeveredd[100] eyne.
I have borne downe, and este[101] doe gauntlette thee.
Swythenne[102] begynne, and wrynn[103] thie shappe[104] orr myne;
Gyff thou dyscomfytte, ytt wylle dobblie bee.
[Bourtonne & Burghamm tylteth. Berghamme falls.
Herawde
Symonne de Bourtonne haveth borne downe three,
And bie the thyrd hathe honnoure of a fourthe.
Lett hymm bee sett asyde, tylle hee doth see
A tyltynge forr a knyghte of gentle wourthe.
Heere commethe straunge knyghtes; gyff corteous[105] heie[106],
Ytt welle beseies[107] to yeve[108] hemm ryghte of fraie[109].
First Knyghte
Straungerrs wee bee, and homblie doe wee clayme
The rennome[110] ynn thys Tourneie[111] forr to tylte;
Dherbie to proove fromm cravents[112] owre goode name,
Bewrynnynge[113] thatt wee gentile blodde have spylte.
Herehawde
Yee knyghtes of cortesie, these straungerrs, saie,
Bee you fulle wyllynge forr to yeve hemm fraie?
[Fyve Knyghtes tylteth wythe the straunge Knyghte, and bee
everichone[114] overthrowne.
Bourtonne
Nowe bie Seyncte Marie, gyff onn all the fielde
Ycrasedd[115] speres and helmetts bee besprente[116],
Gyff everyche knyghte dydd houlde a piercedd[117] sheeld,
Gyff all the feelde wythe champyonne blodde bee stente[118],
Yett toe encounterr hymm I bee contente.
Annodherr launce, Marshalle, anodherr launce.
Albeytte hee wythe lowes[119] of fyre ybrente[120],
Yett Bourtonne woulde agenste hys val[121] advance.
Fyve haveth fallenn downe anethe[122] hys speere,
Botte hee schalle bee the next thatt falleth heere.
Bie thee, Seyncte Marie, and thy Sonne I sweare,
Thatt ynn whatte place yonn doughtie knyghte shall fall
Anethe[123] the stronge push of mie straught[124] out speere,
There schalle aryse a hallie[125] chyrches walle,
The whyche, ynn honnoure, I wylle Marye calle,
Wythe pillars large, and spyre full hyghe and rounde.
And thys I faifullie[126] wylle stonde to all,
Gyff yonderr straungerr falleth to the grounde.
Straungerr, bee boune[127]; I champyonn[128] you to warre.
Sounde, sounde the flughornes, to bee hearde fromm farre.
[Bourtonne & the Straungerr tylt. Straunger falleth.
Kynge
The Mornynge Tyltes now cease.
Herawde
Bourtonne ys kynge.
Dysplaie the Englyshe bannorre onn the tente;
Rounde hymm, yee mynstrelles, songs of achments[129] synge;
Yee Herawdes, getherr upp the speeres besprente[130];
To Kynge of Tourney-tylte bee all knees bente.
Dames faire and gentle, forr youre loves hee foughte;
Forr you the longe tylte-launce, the swerde hee shente[131];
Hee joustedd, alleine[132] havynge you ynn thoughte.
Comme, mynstrelles, sound the strynge, goe onn eche syde,
Whylest hee untoe the Kynge ynn state doe ryde.
Mynstrelles
Whann Battayle, smethynge[133] wythe new quickenn’d gore,
Bendynge wythe spoiles, and bloddie droppynge hedde,
Dydd the merke[134] woode of ethe[135] and rest explore,
Seekeynge to lie onn Pleasures downie bedde,
Pleasure, dauncyng fromm her wode,
Wreathedd wythe floures of aiglintine,
Fromm hys vysage washedd the bloude,
Hylte[136] hys swerde and gaberdyne.
Wythe syke an eyne shee swotelie[137] hymm dydd view,
Dydd foe ycorvenn[138] everrie shape to joie,
Hys spryte dydd chaunge untoe anodherr hue,
Hys armes, ne spoyles, mote anie thoughts emploie.
All delyghtsomme and contente,
Fyre enshotynge[139] fromm hys eyne,
Ynn hys arms hee dydd herr hente[140],
Lyche the merk[141]-plante doe entwyne.
Soe, gyff thou lovest Pleasure and herr trayne,
Onknowlachynge[142] ynn whatt place herr to fynde,
Thys rule yspende[143], and ynn thie mynde retayne;
Seeke Honnoure fyrste, and Pleasaunce lies behynde.
[Footnote 57 & 58: frighted owl.]
[Footnote 97 & 98: destroying lightening.]
Notes
25 Guie de Sancto Egidio, the most famous tilter of his age.
46 joined (1842; left blank in 1777 and 1778)
60 standing on their hind legs.
73 garlands of flowers being put round the neck of the game, it was said to be ouch’d, from ouch, a chain, worn by earls round their necks.
117 broken, or pierced through with darts.