ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

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the wretched lodging of the lower classes, swept off many whose fate the
survivors were tempted to envy, as exempting them from the evils which
were to come.

Yet amid these accumulated distresses, the poor as well as the rich, the
vulgar as well as the noble, in the event of a tournament, which was the
grand spectacle of that age, felt as much interested as the half-starved
citizen of Madrid, who has not a real left to buy provisions for his
family, feels in the issue of a bull-feast. Neither duty nor infirmity
could keep youth or age from such exhibitions. The Passage of Arms,
as it was called, which was to take place at Ashby, in the county of
Leicester, as champions of the first renown were to take the field
in the presence of Prince John himself, who was expected to grace the
lists, had attracted universal attention, and an immense confluence of
persons of all ranks hastened upon the appointed morning to the place of
combat.

The scene was singularly romantic. On the verge of a wood, which
approached to within a mile of the town of Ashby, was an extensive
meadow, of the finest and most beautiful green turf, surrounded on one
side by the forest, and fringed on the other by straggling oak-trees,
some of which had grown to an immense size. The ground, as if fashioned
on purpose for the martial display which was intended, sloped gradually
down on all sides to a level bottom, which was enclosed for the lists
with strong palisades, forming a space of a quarter of a mile in length,
and about half as broad. The form of the enclosure was an oblong square,
save that the corners were considerably rounded off, in order to afford
more convenience for the spectators. The openings for the entry of the
combatants were at the northern and southern extremities of the lists,
accessible by strong wooden gates, each wide enough to admit two
horsemen riding abreast. At each of these portals were stationed two
heralds, attended by six trumpets, as many pursuivants, and a strong
body of men-at-arms for maintaining order, and ascertaining the quality
of the knights who proposed to engage in this martial game.

On a platform beyond the southern entrance, formed by a natural
elevation of the ground, were pitched five magnificent pavilions,
adorned with pennons of russet and black, the chosen colours of the five
knights challengers. The cords of the tents were of the same colour.
Before each pavilion was suspended the shield of the knight by whom it
was occupied, and beside it stood his squire, quaintly disguised as a
salvage or silvan man, or in some other fantastic dress, according to
the taste of his master, and the character he was pleased to assume
during the game. [16]

The central pavilion, as the place of honour, had been assigned to Brian
be Bois-Guilbert, whose renown in all games of chivalry, no less than
his connexions with the knights who had undertaken this Passage of
Arms, had occasioned him to be eagerly received into the company of the
challengers, and even adopted as their chief and leader, though he had
so recently joined them. On one side of his tent were pitched those of
Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and Richard de Malvoisin, and on the other was
the pavilion of Hugh de Grantmesnil, a noble baron in the vicinity,
whose ancestor had been Lord High Steward of England in the time of the
Conqueror, and his son William Rufus. Ralph de Vipont, a knight of St
John of Jerusalem, who had some ancient possessions at a place called
Heather, near Ashby-de-la-Zouche, occupied the fifth pavilion. From the
entrance into the lists, a gently sloping passage, ten yards in breadth,
led up to the platform on which the tents were pitched. It was strongly
secured by a palisade on each side, as was the esplanade in front of the
pavilions, and the whole was guarded by men-at-arms.

The northern access to the lists terminated in a similar entrance of
thirty feet in breadth, at the extremity of which was a large enclosed
space for such knights as might be disposed to enter the lists with the
challengers, behind which were placed tents containing refreshments of
every kind for their accommodation, with armourers, tarriers, and other
attendants, in readiness to give their services wherever they might be
necessary.

The exterior of the lists was in part occupied by temporary galleries,
spread with tapestry and carpets, and accommodated with cushions for the
convenience of those ladies and nobles who were expected to attend the
tournament. A narrow space, betwixt these galleries and the lists, gave
accommodation for yeomanry and spectators of a better degree than
the mere vulgar, and might be compared to the pit of a theatre. The
promiscuous multitude arranged themselves upon large banks of turf
prepared for the purpose, which, aided by the natural elevation of the
ground, enabled them to overlook the galleries, and obtain a fair view
into the lists. Besides the accommodation which these stations afforded,
many hundreds had perched themselves on the branches of the trees which
surrounded the meadow; and even the steeple of a country church, at some
distance, was crowded with spectators.

It only remains to notice respecting the general arrangement, that
one gallery in the very centre of the eastern side of the lists, and
consequently exactly opposite to the spot where the shock of the combat
was to take place, was raised higher than the others, more richly
decorated, and graced by a sort of throne and canopy, on which the
royal arms were emblazoned. Squires, pages, and yeomen in rich liveries,
waited around this place of honour, which was designed for Prince John
and his attendants. Opposite to this royal gallery was another, elevated
to the same height, on the western side of the lists; and more gaily, if
less sumptuously decorated, than that destined for the Prince himself.
A train of pages and of young maidens, the most beautiful who could be
selected, gaily dressed in fancy habits of green and pink, surrounded
a throne decorated in the same colours. Among pennons and flags bearing
wounded hearts, burning hearts, bleeding hearts, bows and quivers,
and all the commonplace emblems of the triumphs of Cupid, a blazoned
inscription informed the spectators, that this seat of honour was

the wretched lodging of the lower classes, swept off many whose fate the

survivors were tempted to envy, as exempting them from the evils which

were to come.

Yet amid these accumulated distresses, the poor as well as the rich, the

vulgar as well as the noble, in the event of a tournament, which was the

grand spectacle of that age, felt as much interested as the half-starved

citizen of Madrid, who has not a real left to buy provisions for his

family, feels in the issue of a bull-feast. Neither duty nor infirmity

could keep youth or age from such exhibitions. The Passage of Arms,

as it was called, which was to take place at Ashby, in the county of

Leicester, as champions of the first renown were to take the field

in the presence of Prince John himself, who was expected to grace the

lists, had attracted universal attention, and an immense confluence of

persons of all ranks hastened upon the appointed morning to the place of

combat.

The scene was singularly romantic. On the verge of a wood, which

approached to within a mile of the town of Ashby, was an extensive

meadow, of the finest and most beautiful green turf, surrounded on one

side by the forest, and fringed on the other by straggling oak-trees,

some of which had grown to an immense size. The ground, as if fashioned

on purpose for the martial display which was intended, sloped gradually

down on all sides to a level bottom, which was enclosed for the lists

with strong palisades, forming a space of a quarter of a mile in length,

and about half as broad. The form of the enclosure was an oblong square,

save that the corners were considerably rounded off, in order to afford

more convenience for the spectators. The openings for the entry of the

combatants were at the northern and southern extremities of the lists,

accessible by strong wooden gates, each wide enough to admit two

horsemen riding abreast. At each of these portals were stationed two

heralds, attended by six trumpets, as many pursuivants, and a strong

body of men-at-arms for maintaining order, and ascertaining the quality

of the knights who proposed to engage in this martial game.

On a platform beyond the southern entrance, formed by a natural

elevation of the ground, were pitched five magnificent pavilions,

adorned with pennons of russet and black, the chosen colours of the five

knights challengers. The cords of the tents were of the same colour.

Before each pavilion was suspended the shield of the knight by whom it

was occupied, and beside it stood his squire, quaintly disguised as a

salvage or silvan man, or in some other fantastic dress, according to

the taste of his master, and the character he was pleased to assume

during the game. [16]

The central pavilion, as the place of honour, had been assigned to Brian

be Bois-Guilbert, whose renown in all games of chivalry, no less than

his connexions with the knights who had undertaken this Passage of

Arms, had occasioned him to be eagerly received into the company of the

challengers, and even adopted as their chief and leader, though he had

so recently joined them. On one side of his tent were pitched those of

Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and Richard de Malvoisin, and on the other was

the pavilion of Hugh de Grantmesnil, a noble baron in the vicinity,

whose ancestor had been Lord High Steward of England in the time of the

Conqueror, and his son William Rufus. Ralph de Vipont, a knight of St

John of Jerusalem, who had some ancient possessions at a place called

Heather, near Ashby-de-la-Zouche, occupied the fifth pavilion. From the

entrance into the lists, a gently sloping passage, ten yards in breadth,

led up to the platform on which the tents were pitched. It was strongly

secured by a palisade on each side, as was the esplanade in front of the

pavilions, and the whole was guarded by men-at-arms.

The northern access to the lists terminated in a similar entrance of

thirty feet in breadth, at the extremity of which was a large enclosed

space for such knights as might be disposed to enter the lists with the

challengers, behind which were placed tents containing refreshments of

every kind for their accommodation, with armourers, tarriers, and other

attendants, in readiness to give their services wherever they might be

necessary.

The exterior of the lists was in part occupied by temporary galleries,

spread with tapestry and carpets, and accommodated with cushions for the

convenience of those ladies and nobles who were expected to attend the

tournament. A narrow space, betwixt these galleries and the lists, gave

accommodation for yeomanry and spectators of a better degree than

the mere vulgar, and might be compared to the pit of a theatre. The

promiscuous multitude arranged themselves upon large banks of turf

prepared for the purpose, which, aided by the natural elevation of the

ground, enabled them to overlook the galleries, and obtain a fair view

into the lists. Besides the accommodation which these stations afforded,

many hundreds had perched themselves on the branches of the trees which

surrounded the meadow; and even the steeple of a country church, at some

distance, was crowded with spectators.

It only remains to notice respecting the general arrangement, that

one gallery in the very centre of the eastern side of the lists, and

consequently exactly opposite to the spot where the shock of the combat

was to take place, was raised higher than the others, more richly

decorated, and graced by a sort of throne and canopy, on which the

royal arms were emblazoned. Squires, pages, and yeomen in rich liveries,

waited around this place of honour, which was designed for Prince John

and his attendants. Opposite to this royal gallery was another, elevated

to the same height, on the western side of the lists; and more gaily, if

less sumptuously decorated, than that destined for the Prince himself.

A train of pages and of young maidens, the most beautiful who could be

selected, gaily dressed in fancy habits of green and pink, surrounded

a throne decorated in the same colours. Among pennons and flags bearing

wounded hearts, burning hearts, bleeding hearts, bows and quivers,

and all the commonplace emblems of the triumphs of Cupid, a blazoned

inscription informed the spectators, that this seat of honour was