sig: [A1] | |
¶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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sig: [A1v] | |
THe moneth of May with amerous beloued | |
Plasauntly past wherin there hath ben proued | |
Feates of armes and no persones reproued | |
That had courage | |
5 | ¶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 | |
10 | 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 | |
15 | 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 | |
20 | 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 | |
25 | ¶And in a maner for a cognysaunce |
Of Mayes month they bare a souenaunce | |
Of a verte cocle was the resemblaunce | |
Tatched ryght fast | |
sig: [A2] | |
¶About theyr neckes as longe as May dyde laste | |
30 | 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. | |
35 | 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 | |
40 | 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 | |
45 | ¶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 | |
50 | 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 | |
55 | Of the halfe houre and dyde it neuer passe |
But for to tell | |
sig: [A2v] | |
¶How this lady that so ferre dyde excell | |
Was named yf I aduyse me well | |
Lady of May she hyght / after Aprell | |
60 | 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. | |
65 | ¶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' | |
70 | 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 | |
75 | 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 | |
80 | 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 | |
sig: [A3] | |
85 | ¶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 | |
90 | 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 | |
95 | 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 | |
100 | 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 | |
105 | ¶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 | |
110 | And in this wyse they made departure |
Accompanyed with many a creature | |
Yonge and lusty | |
sig: [A3v] | |
¶On horses gambawdynge wonderously | |
That it semed as to a mannes eye | |
115 | 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 | |
120 | 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. | |
125 | ¶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 | |
130 | 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 | |
135 | 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 | |
140 | This ordre set. |
sig: [A4] | |
¶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 | |
145 | ¶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 | |
150 | 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 | |
155 | 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 | |
160 | 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. | |
165 | ¶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. | |
sig: [A4v] | |
¶It encourageth also a body | |
170 | Enforcynge hym to be the more hardy |
And syth it is so necessary | |
¶I them commende | |
That to defende | |
Them-selfe pretende | |
175 | Ualyauntly |
¶And dyscommende | |
Them that dyspende | |
Theyr lyfe to ende | |
In vayne foly | |
180 | ¶Some reprehende |
Suche as entende | |
To condescende | |
To chyualry | |
¶ God them amende | |
185 | And grace them sende |
Not to offende | |
More tyll they deye | |
Th'ende of the Iustes of Maye. |
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sig: [A5] | |
¶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. |
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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. | |
sig: [A5v] | |
5 | ¶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 | |
10 | 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 | |
15 | 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 | |
20 | Hath put in vre |
¶Of aunterose the olde auenture | |
Called somtyme cheualrous pleasure | |
Wherby they haue wonne of eche creature | |
Laude in this Maye | |
25 | ¶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 | |
30 | At the felde ende was pyght for to say true |
A pauyllyon on the grasse fresshe and nue | |
Wherin these twayne | |
sig: [A6] | |
¶Chalengers for to arme them dyde remayne | |
Whan they were armed at ease without payne | |
35 | 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 | |
40 | 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 | |
45 | ¶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 | |
50 | 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 | |
55 | 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 | |
60 | To his honoure |
sig: [A6v] | |
¶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 | |
65 | ¶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 | |
70 | 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 | |
75 | 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 | |
80 | 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 | |
85 | ¶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 | |
sig: B1 | |
¶For there were none of all the lusty sorte | |
90 | 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 | |
95 | 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 | |
100 | 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 | |
105 | ¶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 | |
110 | 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 | |
115 | And who that fyrst sholde proue his valyaunce |
He chose his spere | |
sig: [B1v] | |
¶The other to a chalenger one dyde bere | |
Shortly with them togyder they ranne there | |
As though neyther of them other dyde fere | |
120 | 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. | |
125 | ¶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 | |
130 | 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 | |
135 | 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 | |
140 | 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. | |
sig: [B2] | |
145 | ¶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 | |
150 | 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 | |
155 | 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 | |
160 | 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 | |
165 | ¶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 | |
170 | In sygne as the colour of theyr aray |
Betokened so wolde they be alway | |
Stedfast and true. | |
sig: [B2v] | |
¶And thoughe eche sonday they were chaunged newe | |
In theyr apparayle yet the coloure blewe | |
175 | 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 | |
180 | 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 | |
185 | ¶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 | |
190 | 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 | |
200 | And in party |
sig: [B3] | |
¶For to say true I exsteme verely | |
Euery man of them was the more redy | |
Perceyuynge that our yonge prynce Henry | |
Sholde it beholde | |
205 | ¶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 | |
210 | 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 | |
215 | 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 | |
220 | 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 | |
sig: [B3v] | |
¶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 | |
235 | 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 | |
240 | 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 | |
245 | ¶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 | |
sig: [B4] | |
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 | |
260 | 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 |