A Collection of Accounts
of Formal Deeds of Arms of the Fourteenth Century
edited by Steven Muhlberger
stevem@nipissingu.ca
Excerpts from the Chronicle of Henry Knighton. Text from Henry Knighton, Chronicon, in Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores (Rolls Series), v. 92.
Translation by Steven Muhlberger. Translation copyright
2001.
Deeds of Arms Index -- Historical Materials on Knighthood and Chivalry -- KCT Library
Eodem tempore viginti milites de Francia obtulerunt hastiludiare contra xx. de Vasconia, et assignaverunt locum in marchia inter Vasconiam et Franciam, et fecerunt securitatem altera pars ad alteram locum non dimittere dummodo esset unus qui vellet adversarium hastiludiando occupare; et tam fortiter et diu officium suum exsecuti sunt quod de parte Francorum non remanserunt vivi nisi tantum tres: et altera parte multi vulnerati sunt, et nobilis miles dominus de Pomers etiam mortuus est.
At that time twenty French knights offered to fight a hastilude against twenty knights of Gascony, and chose a place in the marches between Gascony and France, and made a solemn agreement between the two parties not to leave the place as long as there was one man who wished an opponent to fight with; and so vigorously and so long did they do their duty that on the French side only three remained alive. And on the other side many were wounded, and that noble knight the Lord of Pomers was killed.
In praesenti parliamento quatuor milites Franciae miserunt et clamaverunt quatuor milites Angliae ad hastiludium apud Calesium in forma guerrae. Inter quos dominus le Bewmont primo hastiludiavit cum camerario regis Franciae et strenue et nobiliter se habuit, Dominica sequente, dominus Petrus de Courteneye, cum suo clamatore, et sic singuli cum suis clamatoribus, nomine grandi inde reportando.
Four French knights sent messages to this parliament ["the
Merciless Parliament"] to challenge four English knights to fight a hastilude
at Calais in the form of war. Among them the Lord of Beaumont
fought first with a chamberlain of the king of France, and he performed
vigorously and nobly; and on the Sunday following, Lord Peter Courtenay
fought with his challenger, and thus each one fought with his challenger,
and brought back from there great renown.