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.

¶ Here begynneth the Iustes and tourney of y^e moneth of Iune parfurnysshed and done by Rycharde Graye erle of Kent / by Charles brandon w^t theyr two aydes agaynst all comers. The .xxii. yere of the reygne of out souerayne lorde kynge Henry y^e 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.

¶ 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

¶ 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

¶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

¶Vnto whiche pryncesse the defendauntes dyde sewe. Besechynge her grace to haue syx strokes newe To whose request this pryncesse tresshe 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

¶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 intronchons 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 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

¶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 On horses barded ryght ryche to my semynge Whiche made after theyr in comynge Theyr obeyssaunce

¶Vnto the kynge bothe of Englonde and of Fraunce And tweyne to them with speres dyde auaunce And who that fyrst sholde proue his valyaunce He chose his spere

¶The other to a chalenger one dyde bere Shortly with them togyder they ranne there As though neyther of them other dyde fere 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 Valyauntly.

¶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 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 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 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.

¶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 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 And yet wyse men there beynge seeth not why Lay that aparte.

¶And of theyr chalenge I wyll you aduerte In asure beynge a whyre ennamelde herte Bytwene. R. and. H. playn and ouerte Whiche were applyed.

¶To Roy Henry, and eke it sygnefyed In stedfast asure a colour constant tryed That the whyte herte wout spot sholde abyde Euer in one

¶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 In sygne as the colour of theyr aray Betokened so wolde they be alway Stedfast and true.

¶ And thoughe eche sonday they were chaunged newe In theyr apparayle yet the coloure blewe 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 Our kynge royall

¶ That is our souerayne and prynce naturall Whose noble actes and faytes mercyall Shall he had in remembraunce immortall The worlde through out

¶ 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 But as it lyked the kynge / all was do And reason was also it sholde be so For for his sake

¶ This thynge of pleasure was there vndertake For in his presence this pastyme to make 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 And in party

¶ For to say true I exsteme verely Euery man of them was the more redy Perceyuynge that our yonge prynce Henry Sholde it beholde

¶ Whiche 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 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 And as desyrous to this ourage As prynce may be

¶ And thoughe a prynce / and kynges soue be he It pleaseth hym of his benygnyte To suffre gentylmen of lowe degre 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

¶ 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

¶ The Iuges that marked it best can tell 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 These monthes twayne yonge folke dyde excercyse 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 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

¶ After hym longe to reygne and contynue And that theyr subgecies to them may be true And that they may perceuer in vertue And come to blysse

Perpetuall Where euer is Hath be and shall Ioye eternall Amen say we For charyte

¶ 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 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 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