The Brut, or The chronicles of England. Edited from Ms. Raw. B171, Bodleian Library, &c., by Friedrich W. D. Brie, with introduction, notes, and glossary ...

[Jousts in Smithfield, A. D. 1388.]

¶ In þis forsaide parlement, and in þe xij ȝere of King Richardeȝ regne, he let crye and ordeyne generalle Iustiȝe, þat is called a turnement, of lordeȝ, knyȝtis and skquiers. ¶ And þese Iustes & turnement were holden at London in Smithfelde, for alle maner of strayngers, of what londe & cunctre þei were, and þidir þei were riȝt welcome; and to hem and to alle oþer was holden opon housholde and grete ffestis; and also grete yftis were yeue to alle maner of straungers. And þay of the kinges syde were alle of on sute: her cotis, her armyour, scheldeȝ, & her hors & trapure, alle was white hertis, with crowneȝ about her nekkis, and cheyneȝ of golde hangyng þere vp-on, and þe croune hangyng lowe before þe hertis body; þe which hert was þe kingeȝ lyveray þat he yaf to lordeȝ & ladieȝ, knyȝtis and skquiers, for to know his housholde from oþer peple. ¶ And at þis first comyng to her Iustes, xxiiij ladieȝ ladde ȝese xxiiij lordeȝ of þe Garther with cheynys of goolde, and alle yn ȝe same sute of hertis as is afore sayde, from þe Tour on hors bak þrouȝ the cite of London yn-to Smythfelde, þere þe Iustes schulde be do. And þis fest and Iustes was holde general, and to alle þo þat wolde come, of what land or nacion þat euyr he were; and þis was holde duryng xxiiij dayeȝ, of þe kingeȝ owne cost; and þese xxiiij lordeȝ to answere to alle maner of pepil þat wolde come þidir. And þedir come þe Erle of seint Poule of Fraunce, and mony oþer worthi knyȝtes with hym of diuers parteys, fful welle arayed. And out of Holand & Henaude come þe Lorde Ostrenaunde, þat was þe was Dukeȝ sone of Holande, & mony oþer worthi knyȝtes with hym, bothe of Holand & Henaude fulle welle arayede. And whenne þese feste and Iustes was do and endid, þe King þanked þese st[r]ayngers and yaf ham mony grete yeftis; and þanne þei token hir leue of þe King & of oþer lordeȝ and ladeȝ, and went hom ayen yn-to her owne cuntre, with grete loue & moche þanke.

¶ And yn þe xiij yere [Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. Kk. 1. 12 113b] of King Richardeȝ regne, þer was a

batayle y do yn the Kingis palis at Westmynstre, betwene a skquyer of Nauerne þat was with þe king, and anoþer skquier þat me callid John Walsch, of poyntis of treson þat þis Nauerner put vp-on þis Walsch; but þis Nauerner was ouercome, and yelde hym craunt to his aduersarye, and anon he was dispoyled of his armyour, and draw out of þe palis vnto Tyburne, and þere he was hangyd for his ffalsnesse.

¶ And þe xxiiij yere of þe regne of King Richard, Ser John of Gaunt, Duk of Lancastre, went ouyr se yn-to Spayne,—for to chalenge his ryȝt, þat he hadde be his wifeȝ tytill, vnto þe croune of Spayngne,—with a gret ost of pepil, of men of armeȝ and archers. And he had with hym þe Duchesse, his wyff, and his iij douȝtreȝ, yn-to Sp[a]yne, and ȝere þay weryn a grete while. ¶ And at þe last, þe King of Spayne began to trete with þe Duke of Lancastre, and þay were accorded to-gadir þrouȝ hir boþe counsel, yn þis maner: þat þe King of Spayne schulde wedde þe Dukeȝ douȝter of Lancastre, þat was þe ryȝt heire to Spayne, and schulde yeue to þe Duk of Lancastre golde and seluyr, þat was cast yn-to grete weggeȝ, and mony oþir iewellis, as mony as viij Charietis myȝt carye. ¶ And euery yere aftir, duryng þe lyff of þe Duke of Lancastre and of the Duchesse his wyff, .x. M^l Marke of golde, þe which golde auenture and chargeȝ, þay of Spayne schulde auenture and bryng yerly to Baione to þe Dukes assygneȝ, be surete made. ¶ Also þe Duk of Lancastre maried anoþer of his douȝtres vnto þe King of Portingale þe same tyme. And whanne he hadde do þis, he come hom ayen yn-to Engelond, and þe gode lady his wyff also; but mony a worthi man yn þat viage deid vpon þe Flix.

¶ And yn þe xv yere of King Richardeȝ regne, he hilde his Cristismasse yn ȝe Maner of Wodestoke; and there þe Erle of Penbroke, a yong lorde, & tendir of age, wolde lerne to Iuste with a kniȝt me callid Ser Iohn Saint-Iohn, & redyn to gadir yn þe park of Wodestoke; and þere þis worthi Erle of Pembroke was slayn with þat oþer knightes spere, as he cast hit fro hym whanne

he had cowped; and þus þis gode Erle made þere his ende; for whose dethe þe King and the Quene made moche sorow.

¶ And yn þe xvj yere of Kyng Richard his regne, Iohn Hende beyng þat tyme Maire of London, and Iohn Walworth & Henry Vannere beyng scherreffes of London, þat tyme a bakers man bare a basket of horsbred yn to Flet-strete, toward an ostrye hous; and þere come a yemon of þe Bischoppis of Salysbury, þat was callyd Romayn, and he tok an horsloff out of þe basket of þe baker; and he askyd hym 'whi he dede so.' And þis Romayn turned ayen, and brak þe bakers hedde; and neyboureȝ come out, and wolde haue restid þis Romayne; and he brak from ham and fledde yn-to þe lordeȝ place. and þe counstablis wolde haue hadde hym out; but þe Bischoppeȝ men schitte þe ȝatis fast, and kept þe place þat no man myȝte entre. And þanne moch more pepil gadryd þedir, & saide þat 'þai wolde haue hym out, or ellis þei wolde brenne vp þe place, and alle [Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. Kk. 1. 12 114a] that were with-ynne.' ¶ And þanne come þe Maire and Schereffeȝ, with oþir myche pepill, and cecid þe malice of þe comyneȝ, and made euery man go hom to his hous, and kepe þe peeȝ. ¶ Thanne þeȝ Romaynes lorde, þe Bischop of Salusbery, Ser Iohn Waltam (þat was þat tyme treserer of Engelond) went to Ser Thomas Arundel, Archebischop of York, and also Chaun[ce]ler of Engelonde, and to hym made his complaynt vpon þe peple of þe cite of London. ¶ And þanne þeȝe ij Bischopeȝ, of grete malice and vengeaunce, comyn vnto the King to Wyndesore, and made a grete complaynte vpon the Maire and the Schereffes; and anon aftirward alle þe cite was before þe King and his consel, and þai cast vn-to ham a greuous herte, and wondir grete malice. ¶ And anon sodenly þe King sent for þe Maire of London & for þe ij scherreffeȝ; and þai cam to hym to þe Castell of Wyndesore. And þe King rebukyd þe Maire and þe scherreves fulle foule, for þe offens þat þai hadde do ayens hym & his officers, yn his chaumbir of London. ¶ Wherfore he deposid & put out the Mayre of

London and þe ij Scherreveȝ; and þis was don xiiij dayeȝ afore þe Fest of saint Iohn the Baptist. ¶ And þanne þe King callyd to hym a kniȝt þat me called Ser Edward Valyngrigge, and made hym warden and gouernoure of þe cite, & Chaumbyr of London, and ouyr alle his pepil þereynne; and so he kept þat office but iiij wokis, because he was so tendir and gentill vn-to þe ceteȝens of London; wherfore þe King deposyd hym, and made Ser Bawdewyn Radyngton, knyȝt, þat was Countroller of þe Kingis Housholde, wardeyne and gouernoure of his chaumbyr, and of his peple þerynne;; and chese vnto hym to worthi men of þe cite to be Schereviȝ with hym, for to gouerne & kepe þe kingeȝ laweȝ yn the cite; & on me called Gylbert Maghfelde, and þat oþer, Thomas Newenton, And þeȝe iij gode men hadde þe gouernaunce of þe cite vn-to þe tyme of þe Maires eleccion þanne next, þat was called William Stawnden; And þis Gilbert Maghfelde & Thomas Newneton, schereff. ¶ And þanne þe Mayre & þe ij schirreveȝ, and alle þe aldermen, with alle þe worthi craftis of London, went on fote vn to þe Tour; and þere came out þe Counstable of þe Tour, and yaff þe Maire and þe Schereveȝ her othe, and charge, as þay scholde haue take yn the Chequer at Westmynstre yn þe Kingeȝ Court of his Iustiȝes & Barons of the sayde Cheker; and þanne went thay whom ayenne.

¶ And þanne þe King and his Counsel, for grete malice of þe Cite of London, and despite, remevid alle his Courteȝ fro Westmynstre vn-to þe cete of Yorke, þat is to say, þe Chauncerie, þe Cheker, þe Kingeȝ Bench, and also þe Comyn Place, and þere þay hilde alle her Courtis of Law fro mydsomer vn-to þe fest of Cristismesse next comyng. ¶ And þanne þe King & his counsel sawe it not so profitable þere, as it was at London; þanne anon he [Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. Kk. 1. 12 114b] removid hit ayen to London, and so to Westmynstre, for gret ese of his officers and avauntage of þe King and of alle þe comyns of þe Reme.

¶ And whenne þe peple of London sawe & knew þat þese

courtis were come ayen, and þe King and his peple also, þanne þe Maire and þe Aldermen, with þe Cheff comyns, let gadir a grete summe of goolde of alle þe comyns of the cite, & ordeyned & made grete rialte ayens his comyng to London, for to haue his grace and gode lordeschip, and also her liberteis and Frauncheȝes graunted vnto ham ayen as þai afore tyme hadde. And þann, by grete instaunce and praier of Quene Anne, and of oþer lordeȝ and ladeȝ, þe King graunted hem grace: and þis was do at Schene yn Sothereye. ¶ And þan þe King with-ynne ij dayeȝ aftir, com to London; and þe Maire of London, schereueȝ, aldremen, and alle þe worthi cite aftirward, redyn ayens þe King yn gode araye vnto þe heth on þis syde þe maner of Schene, submittyng humyly hem self, and mekely, with almaner of obeysaunceȝ vn-to hym, as þay owed to do. And þus þai brouȝt þe King and þe Quene to London. ¶ And whanne þe King come to þe gate of &;te Brygge of London, þere þay presentid hym with a mylke-white stede, sadelled and brydilled, & trapped with white cloth of golde and red parted togadir, and þe Quene a palfraye alle white, trappid yn þe same aray with white and rede, and þe conditeȝ of London Ronnen white wyne and rede, for al maner pepill to drynke of. ¶ And betuene Seint Pouleȝ and the Cros yn Chepe, þere was made a stage, a ryalle, stondyng vpon hygh; a[n]d þerynne were mony angelis, with dyuers melodieȝ and songe; and an aungell come doun fro þe stage on high, by a vice, and sette a croune of golde & precious stoneȝ & perles apon þe Kingeȝ hed, and anoþer on the Queneȝ hed; and so the citezenys brought þe King and þe Quene vnto Westmynstre, yn-to his palice at Westmynstre, & presentyd hym with ij basyns of syluyr, & ovirgilte, fulle of coyned golde, the summa of xx m^l li, prayng hym, of his mercy and lordschip and specialle grace, þat þay myȝt haue his gode loue, and liberteeȝ & Frauncheȝes like as þay hadde before tymeȝ, and by his lettreȝ

patenteȝ confermed. ¶ And þe Quene, and oþer worthi lordeȝ & ladieȝ, ffillyn on hir kneys, and besouȝt þe King of grace to conferme þis. Thanne þe King toke vp þe Quene, and grauntyd hir alle hir askyng, and þanne þei þanked þe King and þe Quene and went home ayene.

¶ And yn þe xvij yere of his regne, certeyne lordeȝ of Scotlande com yn-to Englonde to gete worschip, as by feet of armeȝ: þese were þe persons: þe Erle of Marre, and chalanged the Erle Marchall of Engelonde to Iuste with hym certeyn poynteȝ on horsbak with scharpe speris. And so þai redyn togadir, as ij worthi knyȝtis & lordes, certayne cours, but not þe fulle chalange þat þe Scottysche Erle made; for he was cast both hors and man, and ij of his rybbis brokyn with þe ffalle; and so he was born out of Smythfelde, hom yn-to his Inne; and with-ynne a litil while aftirward he was caried homwarde yn a liter; & atte York he deied. ¶ And Ser William Darell, knyȝt, and banerrer of Scotland, made anoþer chalange with Sire [Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. Kk. 1. 12 115a] Piers Courteneye, knyȝt; and þe Kinges banerrer of Engelonde, of certeyne courseȝ hit on horsbak yn þe same ffelde. ¶ And whanne he hed y rede certeyne cours hit, and saw he myȝt not haue þe bettyr, yaf it ouyr, and wolde no more of his chalang, and turned his hors and rode hom vnto his owne in. And one Kocborne, squier, of Scotland, chalanged Sir Nicholl Hawberke, knyȝt, of certeyne cours, hit with scharp speris on horsbak; and redyn .v. cours hit togadir; and att euery cours þe Scotte was cast doun, both hors and man; and þus our Englisch lordeȝ—þankyd be God!—had þe felde.

¶ And yn þe xviij yere of King Richardeȝ regne, deied þe gode gracious Quene Anne, þat was wiff to King Richarde, yn þe maner of Schene, yn þe schire of Surreie, vp-on Whitsonday. þanne was sche broȝt to London, and so to Westmynstre; and þere was sche y beryed and worthily entered, besyde saint Edwardeȝ schryne; on whose soule Almyȝti God haue mercy and pite! amen!