The Jousts of May [and] The Jousts of June

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¶Here begynneth the Iustes of the moneth of Maye parfurnysshed and done by Charles_brandon. Thomas_knyuet. Gyles_Capell / and wyllyam_Huffy. The .xxii. yere of the reygne of our souerayne lorde kynge Henry the seuenth.

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THe moneth of May with amerous beloued

Plasauntly past wherin there hath ben proued

Feates of armes and no persones reproued

That had courage

¶In armoure bryght to shewe theyr personage

On stedes stronge sturdy and corsage Line would make better sense as: On stedes stronge (and) sturdy of corsage

But rather praysed for theyr vassellage

As reason was

¶In which season thus fortuned the cace

A lady fayre moost beautyuous of face

With seruauntes foure brought was in-to a place

Staged about

¶Wheron stode lordes and ladyes a grete route

And many a knyght and squyer also stoute

That the place was as full as it be mought mought =might; see OED s.v. may v.1

On euery syde

¶That to beholde the Iustes dyde abyde

Tyll that the pryse by the Iudges was tryed

And by the herodes that trouthe well espyed herodes =heralds

Therfore puruayde

¶Thus these foure seruauntes of this lady foresayd

Entred the felde / there for to be assayde

Gorgyously apparayled and arayde

And for pleasaunce

¶And in a maner for a cognysaunce

Of Mayes month they bare a souenaunce

Of a verte cocle was the resemblaunce

Tatched ryght fast

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¶About theyr neckes as longe as May dyde laste

But about theyr neckes it was not caste

For chalenge / but they weere it tyll May was past

Redy to Iust

¶Theyr armure clere relucent without ruste

Theyr horses barded trottynge on the duste barded: see OED s.v. bard n2, v1, barded ppl. a.

Procured gentyll hertes vnto luste

And to solace

¶Specyally suche as Uenus dyde enbrace

Or as of Cupyde folowed the trace

Or suche as of Mars desyred the grace

For to attayne

¶And as touchynge this lady souerayne

Had suche beaute / it wolde an herte constrayne

To serue her / though he knewe to lese his payne

She was so shene

¶She and her seruauntes clad were all in grene

Her fetures fresshe none can dyscryue I wene

For beaute she myght well haue ben a quene

She yonge of aege

¶Was set moste goodly hye vpon a stage

Under a hauthorne made by the ourage ourage: 'work'; see OED s.v. overage n.1

Of flora that is of heuenly parage

In her hande was

¶Of halfe an houre with sande rennynge a glas

So contryued it kepte truely the space

Of the halfe houre and dyde it neuer passe

But for to tell

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¶How this lady that so ferre dyde excell

Was named yf I aduyse me well

Lady of May she hyght / after Aprell

Began her reygne.

¶Whose tyme durynge her seruauntes toke grete payne.

Before her to shewe pleasure souerayne.

So that in felde who that came them agayne

In armoure bryght.

¶On horsbacke mounted for to proue theyr myght

Two seruauntes of this lady of delyte

Sholde be mounted / armed / and redy dyght

At a tyltes ende

¶That to parfurnysshe theyr chalenge dyde entende parfurnysshe: =perfurnish 'perform, finish'

Fyrst one of them halfe houre sholde dyspende

With hym that came fyrste in felde to defende

With coronall.

¶With grete speres that were not shapen small

And whan a spere was broken forthewithall

The trompettes blewe with sounes musycall

Halfe houre done

¶Another chalenger was redy sone

With another defendaunt to rone

And so the defendauntes one after one

Eche day by twayne

¶Chalengers answered were to theyr grete payne

And artycled it was in wordes playne

That yf a chalenger ony hurte dyde sustayne

Another myght

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¶Of his felowes came to felde redy dyght

To maynteyne his felowes chalenge and ryght

Theyr artycles also dyde it recyte

Thus who came there

¶Horsed and in armoure burnysshed clere

As a defendaunt he sholde chose his spere

And rynne halfe houre with a chalengere

Whiche season doone

¶A trumpet blewe to gyue warnynge ryght soone

Thus the Iustes helde frome twayne after none

Tyll syxe was strycke of clockes mo than one

Whiche houres past

¶The defendauntes the tylte a_bout compast

And with trumpettes out of the felde they past

The chalengers in the felde abode laste

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Euery eche day

¶And one of them the lady dyde conuaye

That named was the yonge lady of May

Frome her hye stage with floures made so gaye

And there redy

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¶Was his felawe hym to accompany

Thus the chalengers melodyously

About the tylte rode also ryght warrelywarrely: 'in war-like manner'. See OED s.v. warly adj, adv.

In theyr armure

¶Complete saue of theyr heed-peces pure

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And in this wyse they made departure

Accompanyed with many a creature

Yonge and lusty

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¶On horses gambawdynge wonderously

That it semed as to a mannes eye

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That they wolde haue hanged styll in the skye

Other there were.

¶That were Ioly and gorgyas in theyr gere

And whan they lyst coude well handle a spere

That came eche day to serue other men there

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On eche party.

¶And dyde in eche thynge indeferently

It came be ye sure of ryght grete curtesy

Of the chalengers I shall you certefy

How they were prest.

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¶Twyse in the weke in the felde redy drest

Durynge the May and chosen for dayes best

Were sondaye and thursday and merelyest

To shewe pleasure

¶With speres grete them to auenture

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And who in presence of this lady pure

Brake moost speres a golde rynge sholde recure

Of this lady.

¶And agayne on the party contrary

Yf the defendaunt on his party

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Of speres alowed breke not so many

As chalengere.

¶Or he went thens humbly he sholde apere

Before this lady moost comly of chere

And to present vnto her a rynge there

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This ordre set.

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¶Was with artycles moo wherof to treate

Sholde be to longe but who best had the feate

Was gladdest man / but he the pryce dyde gete

That speres brake

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¶Most in the felde yet other had no lake

Of speres brekynge for to here the crake

Wolde cause ony lusty herte pleasure to take

What with the brute

¶Of trumpettes and many an-other flute

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Of taboryns and of many a douce lute

The mynstrelles were proprely clade in sute

All this deuyse

¶Was worthy prayse after my poore aduyse

Syth it was to no mannes preiudyse

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To passe the tyme this merciall excercyse

Was commendable.

¶Specyally for folkes honourable

And for other gentylmen therto able.

And for defence of realmes profytable

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Is the vsage.

¶Therfore good is to haue parfyght knowlage

For all men that haue youth or metely age

How with the spere theyr enemyes to outrage

At euery nede.

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¶And how he sholde also gouerne his stede

And for to vse in-stede of other wede

To were armure complete from fote to hede

Is ryght metely.

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¶It encourageth also a body

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Enforcynge hym to be the more hardy

And syth it is so necessary

¶I them commende

That to defende

Them-selfe pretende

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Ualyauntly

¶And dyscommende

Them that dyspende

Theyr lyfe to ende

In vayne foly

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¶Some reprehende

Suche as entende

To condescende

To chyualry

¶ God them amende

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And grace them sende

Not to offende

More tyll they deye

Th'ende of the Iustes of Maye.

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¶Here begynneth the Iustes and tourney of the moneth of Iune parfurnysshed and done by Richarde_Graye erle of Kent / by Charles_brandon with theyr two aydes agaynst all comers. The .xxii. yere of the reygne of our souerayne lorde kynge Henry the seuenth.

FOr-as-moche as yonge folke can not deuyse.

To passe tyme in more noble excersyse

Than in the auncyent knyghtes practyse

Of dayes olde.

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¶That were in tyme of Arthur kynge mooste bolde

That this realme than named Brytayne dyde holde

Of whose rounde table and noble housholde

Were knyghtes good

¶And dyuers of them borne of ryall blode

And other that were of ryght manly mode

That auentred bothe through forest and flode

To gete honoure

¶Remembraunce wherof sholde in euery houre

Be vnto vs dayly a parfyte myrroure

So that we sholde enforce vs to our powre

To wynne suche lose

¶As these knyghtes that were vyctoryose

And though that it be now more sumptuose

Than / than syth Mayes seruauntes gracyose

Hath put in vre

¶Of aunterose the olde auenture

Called somtyme cheualrous pleasure

Wherby they haue wonne of eche creature

Laude in this Maye

¶Durynge the moneth of Iune euery sonday

Two chalengers in blewe dyde them assaye

Of horse and man fyrst day was theyr araye

Sarcenet blue

¶And theyr armoure paynted of the same hue

At the felde ende was pyght for to say true

A pauyllyon on the grasse fresshe and nue

Wherin these twayne

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¶Chalengers for to arme them dyde remayne

Whan they were armed at ease without payne

They yssued to begyn with all theyr mayne

Theyr chalenge there

¶Ageynst all defendauntes that wolde appere

After the entre as is the manere

About the felde they were brought euery-where

That was all playne

¶Without a tylte abydynge tyme certayne

By the kynge assygned our prynce souerayne

With sporres sharpe two courses to sustayne

In blanke armure

¶Ageynst eche comer that lyst to aduenture

The courses done with swerdes sharpe and sure

Saue onely of theyr poyntes rebature

They dyde tourney

¶Full strokes syx eche other to assaye

And eche man dyde his best I dare well say

Eueryche of theym thought to bere the pryce away

Theyr strokes done

¶The defendaunt presented hym-selfe soone

Before a pryncesse that of this regyon

Hath to fader kynge and Emperoure alone

Whose vyctory

¶Hye magesty with tryumphaunt regally

And noble fame of prudent polycy

Knowen is in euery realme vulgarely

To his honoure

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¶And to oures of whome he is gouernoure

Frome this royall reed rose and stately floure

And frome the whyte of all vertue myrroure

This yonge lady

¶This confortable blossome named Mary

Spronge is to all Englondes glory

With bothe roses ennued moost swetely

By dame nature

¶That euery-thynge lyuynge hath in her cure

But whan she made this propre portrayture

She dyde that myght be done to creature.

And not onely

¶For excellent byrthe but surmountynge beauty

In the worlde of her aege moost womanly

Lyke to be to pryncesses exemplary

For her vertue

¶Unto whiche pryncesse the defendauntes dyde sewe.

Besechynge her grace to haue syx strokes newe

To whose request this pryncesse fresshe of hewe

Ryght soone dyde graunte

¶Whiche had / they retourned on horses puyssaunt

And gaue syx strokes the chalengers to daunt

But who dyde best I make none auaunt

But thus it was

¶Pyeces of harneys flewe in-to the place

Theyr swerdes brake they smote thycke and a_pace

They spared not cors / armyt / nor yet vambrace

They lyst not sporte

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¶For there were none of all the lusty sorte

That scaped fre and he the trouthe reporte

To all beholders it dyde grete conforte

And fyrst of all

¶To se the speres fle in tronchons small

And to here the trompettes so musycall

It was an armony moost specyall

The tournay done

¶Dyuers defendauntes touched theyr chalenge sone

In the kynges presence thoughe I name none

That for the same had made prouysyon

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Thus this day paste

THe nexte sonday the chalengers in hast

Entre the felde and by the kynge they past

And obeysauntly doune theyr heedes they cast

And theyr araye

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¶Was blue bawdekyn of horse and man that daye

The trompettes and other dyde them conuey

About the felde and frome them went away

In for to brynge

¶The defendauntes that made shorte taryenge

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On horses barded ryght ryche to my semynge

Whiche made after theyr in-comynge

Theyr obeyssaunce

¶Unto the kynge bothe of Englonde and of Fraunce

And tweyne to them with speres dyde auaunce

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And who that fyrst sholde proue his valyaunce

He chose his spere

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¶The other to a chalenger one dyde bere

Shortly with them togyder they ranne there

As though neyther of them other dyde fere

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And so they ran.

¶Tyll they had had two courses euery man.

And than the tornay sharpely they began

And as they dyde the fyrste day they dyde than

Ualyauntly.

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¶The artycles dyde also specyfy

The chalengers sholde haue in company

Aydes twayne that sholde be there redy

And so they had.

¶That to armes were desyrous and glad

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And it appered by theyr strokes sad

Theyr armes ought not to be called bad

Who toke good hede.

¶This day a chalenger was hurte in-dede

For whiche an ayde came that daye in his stede

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To byd hym hast hym doubte not it was no nede

To the turnay.

¶It were to longe to tell all done that day

Therfore I wyll it for this tyme delay

And parte I wyll shewe of the last sonday

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That Iustes were.

¶The chalengers and theyr aydes in fere

Were all present and gorgyas in theyr gere

Blewe clothe of golde that were costly and dere

Bothe horse and man.

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¶And to be shorte yf they the fyrst day wan

Eche man honour in lyke wyse they dyd than

They were commended of suche as tell can

Therof the guyse.

¶Though foles vnconnynge lyst some despyse

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And one of them sholde suche a thynge enterpryse

I deme he wolde be a symple prentyse

To chyualry.

¶Yet suche that lewde be / be moost besy

To reporte of gentylmen vylany

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And yet wyse men there beynge seeth not why

Lay that aparte.

¶And of theyr chalenge I wyll you aduerte

In asure beynge a whyte ennamelde herte

Bytwene .R. and .H. playn and ouerte

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Whiche were applyed.

¶To Roy Henry, and eke is sygnefyed

In stedfast asure a colour constant tryed

That the whyte herte without spot sholde abyde

Euer in one

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¶This was therof the hole entencyon

Though ony after his opynyon

To the chalengers reprehensyon

Lyst other say.

¶Thus in blewe clad they wente the fyrst sonday

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In sygne as the colour of theyr aray

Betokened so wolde they be alway

Stedfast and true.

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¶And thoughe eche sonday they were chaunged newe

In theyr apparayle yet the coloure blewe

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Of theyr chalenge was the lyurey and hue

In whiche coloure

¶Theyr hertes whyte and pure in euery houre

Shall truely reste for ony storme or shoure

And to serue euer truely to theyr powre

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Our kynge royall

¶That is our souerayne and prynce naturall

Whose noble actes and faytes mercyall

Shall be had in remembraunce immortall

The worlde through-out

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¶And for to speke now of this lusty route

With spere and swerde they were sturdy and stoute

As I am enfourmed without doute

Further also

¶Artycles made there were many one mo

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But as it lyked the kynge / all was do

And reason was also it sholde be so

For his sake For] For for 1507

¶This thynge of pleasure was there vndertake

For in his presence this pastyme to make

195

Was to cause solace in hym to awake

This theyr entente

¶Was verely after my Iugement

And fyrst of all of Rycharde erle of Kent

And in lyke wyse of all the remanent

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And in party

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¶For to say true I exsteme verely

Euery man of them was the more redy

Perceyuynge that our yonge prynce Henry

Sholde it beholde

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¶Which was to them more conforte manyfolde

Than of the worlde all the treasure and golde

His presence gaue theym courage to be bolde

And to endure

¶Syth our prynce moost comly of stature

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Is desyrous to the moost knyghtly vre

Of armes to whiche marcyall auenture

Is his courage

¶Notwithstondynge his yonge and tender aege

He is moost comly of his parsonage

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And as desyrous to this ourage

As prynce may be

¶And thoughe a prynce / and kynges so[n]e be he

It pleaseth hym of his benygnyte

To suffre gentylmen of lowe degre

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In his presence

¶To speke of armes and of other defence

Without doynge vnto his grace offence

But and I sholde do all my delygence

Yet in no wyse

225

¶Can I determyne who that wanne the pryce

For eche man dyde the best he coude deuyse

And therfore I can none of them dyspyse

They dyde so well

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¶The Iuges that marked it best can tell

230

And the herodes that wrote euerydell

Who wan the gree to me it is councell

But in this wyse

¶This weerly vsage and martes entrepryse weerly: =warly

These monthes twayne yonge folke dyde excercyse

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Not onely therof to haue the practyse

But the chyef thynge

¶Was to shewe pleasure to our souerayne the kynge

Henry of that name the seuenth in rekenynge

After the conquest / for whose preseruynge

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Lete vs styll pray

¶That he may lyue prosperously alway

And after this lyfe that he also may

Ioye amonge aungelles for euer and ay

And his yssue

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¶After hym longe to reygne and contynue

And that theyr subgectes to them may be true

And that they may perceuer in vertue

And come to blysse

Perpetuall

250

Where-euer is

Hath be and shall

Ioye eternall

Amen say we

For charyte

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255

¶Some are so accustomed euyll to reporte

That with grete payne / skantly they can say well

For and one were stronge / as Sampson le forte

As manly as Hector / that dyde excell

As wyse as sage Salamon in councell

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Or had wonne conquestes as dyde Alexandre

Yet false tonges wolde be redy to sklaundre

¶Lyke-wyse yf they / that dyde Iust and tourney

Had done as well / as Launcelot_du_lake

Some of enuy dysdeynously wolde say

265

The entrepryse was fondly vndertake

But it was done but onely for the sake

Of kynge Henry our naturall souerayne lorde

And of the prynce / who lyste it to remorde