Excerpts from Androw of Wyntoun, The Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, ed. David Laing, 3 vols. (Edinburgh, 1872).

• Lancaster Joust, 1338
• Combat of the Thirty, 1351
• London Joust, 1390

v. 2, pp. 440-446

Book VIII, c. 35

1338

Off Lancastyr Schyr Henry,
That callyd than wes Erle off Derby,
Than wyth the Kyng wes rycht prewe.
On Scotlandis marchis trawelyd he,
And had gret yharnyng to wyn prys:
He wys ay worthy, wycht, and wys,
And mast renownyd off bownté,
Off gentrys, and off honesté, /441
That in till Ingland lywand was.
He has herd speke, how the Dowglas
Throw wyt and wyrschipe apertly
Dyd mony dowchty jwperty:
He send and askyd thre cours off were
At hym, and he grawntyt it [richt] there.
Thai come samyn at a certane plas:
Alysawndyre the Ramsay thare was
Serwand Dowglas at that justyng,
For he expart wes in tyll swilk thyng.
The nobill Erle of Derby
Come wyth a joy cumpany.
    Sone fra thai hade thair Salus made,
Thai tuke thare rynkis, and samyn rade.
And at the tothir course of were
The Dowglas hit and brak his spere;
And a sclys off the schafft, that brak,
In till his hand a wound can mak:
Tharefore the gud Erle off Derby,
That saw hym hurt sa fellownly,
Wald thole hym than to just no mare.
Bot, or he tuk his leve to fare,
He spake till Alysawndyr Ramsay,
And specyally kan him pray
For to purchas a cumpany,
That at the lest thai war twenty
Off gentill-men wyth scheld and spere,
To just ilk man thre cowrs off were;
And gyve he na had all gentillmen,
He bad tak knawyn yhwmen then,
To coum to Berwyk a set day.
Thare till grawntyd the Ramsay,
And sayd, that he suld welle purchas /442
Cumpany, and cum to that plas,
Wytht thi [that] thai all assuryd ware,
Qwhat evyr than fell at that justyng thare:

The Erle thame assuryd willfully.
Ande the Ramsay in well gret hy
Gat hym falowys, and at the day
To Berwyk come bathe he and thai.
The Erle ressaywyd thame curtasly,
And gert delywere thame herbry.
    Apon the morne, qwhen that thai ware
Makand thame bowne, hym-selff come thare,
And fand all oppyn the entré;
And noucht for-thi thare knokide he
Wyth-owte the dure all prewaly,
Qwhill Ramsay til hym [coym] in hy,
[And] gert hym entre sone. Than he
Sayd, "God mot at yhoure laykyng be."
Syne sayd he, "Lordis, on qwhat manere
Will yhe ryn at this justyng here?"
"Wyth plate scheldis," sayd Ramsay,
As it afferis to this play."
"A! syrrys, be oure Lord," sayd he,
"So suld no man here prysyt be,
For none till othir mycht do iwill:
Bot and it likand ware yhow till,
As men hostayis for to ryn,
So mycht men prys off wyrschype wyne."
Quod Alysawndyre the Ramsay,
"It sall lik til ws all perfay.
That ilk man ryn his falow till
In kyrtill allane, gyve that yhe will." / 443
The Erle sayd than debonarly,
"Nay, that is all to hard trewly."
Quod Willame off the Towris than,
"Schye, guve yhe na will lat ile man
Ryn all bare wysage, and ye
Qwha [eschewis] fyrst, rycht swne sall se."
The Erle sayde mekilly, "Schyris, nay,
Yhit that is all to hard perfay;
Bot as I sayd yhowe, will yhe do?
Tahn suld sum prys folow ws to."
Tahire to thai gave all thare consent;
And he furth till his falowys went.

The justyng lestyd dayis thre,
Qwhare men apert cowrsis mycht se.
Twa Inglis knychtis thare ware slayne:
Off Scottis men there deyde nayne.
Bot turnant hamwart be the way
Off ane hurt endyt Jhone the Hay:
And Willame the Ramsay wes there
Borne throw the hewyd wyth a spere,
And throw the helme wyth strynth off hand
Qwhill the trwnsowne [bad] theare stekand.
Thai browcht a preste till hym belywe.
And in his helme he can hym schrywe.
Than sayd the gud Erle of Derby,
"Lo, heyre a fayre sycht sykkyrly.
A fayrere sycht how ma man se,
Than knycht, or sqwyere, quhethir evyr he be,
In till his helme hym thus gat schrwye?
Qwhen I sall pas owt off this lyve,
I wald, God off his grace wald send / 444
To me on swylk manere till end."
Qwhen he had schrywyn hum, as I say,
Alysanwndyr than the Ramsay
Gert lay hym down forowtyn lete;
And on his helm his fute he sete,
And wyt gret strynth owt can aras
The trownsown, that thare stekand was.
He rase allane, fra it wes owte,
And wyth a gud will and a stowte
He sayd, that he wald [ayl] na-thyng.
Tharoff the Erle had wonderyng,
And gretly hym commendit then,
And sayd, "Lw! stowt hartis off men!"

Thus hapnyd till hym off this lame.
And a gud knycht, Patrik the Grame,
That had trawellyd beyhond the se
Till eyk his prys throw gret bownté,
He herd spek off this justyng gretly,
And sped him thiddyr in all hy.
He come thidyr on the tothir day:
Than Rychard Talbot can hym pray
To serwe hym off thre cors off were,
And he thaime grawntyt but dawngere.
Sone efftyr samyn can thai ryne;
The Talbot on had platis twyne,
and throw thame bath his spere he bare,
and in the brest ane inch or mare.
Had he jwstyd, a conand was,
He had bene dede in to that plas.
Thare coursis haly can thai ma;
Bot nane had mare harme off thai twa. / 445
    The Talbot syne can hym requere
To be wyth hym at the supere.
He assentyt, and qwhen thai were
Syttand best at the supere,
Thare salute thaime a cumly knycht,
That semyt stowt, bath bald and wycht:
And amang thare gud wordis there
At Schyr Patryk three courss off were
He askyd in to gud cumpany;
And he, as burdand, sayd smethely,
"Man, will thow have off me justyng?
Rys wp to-morn i the mornyng,
And here thi Mes welle, and scrhywe thé;
And thow sall sone delyveryt be."
He made tharoff na gabbynge;
For on the moren at the justyng
He bare hym throw the body qwhit,
And he deyt off the dynt welle tyte.
This was wpon the thryde day.
    And qwhen justyt ilkane had thai,
The haraldis sayd than on this wys,
That gud ware to gyff the prys
On athyre halff to make thaim mede,
That bare thame best for thare gude dede.
The lordis gawe assent thare till,
And ordanyt wuth thaire allaris will,
That Inglis suld the Scottis prys,
And thay thaim on the samyn wys.
    The Inglis men the prys gaffet than
Till ane, that three halle courssis ran,
And forowtyn hyt.  Bot Scottis men
Awysit tham alsamyn then,
And till the knycht the prys gawe thai, / 446
That smate Wilyame the Ramsay
Throw owte the hede, and a skyll
Thai schawyt till enfors thare till,
And sayd, it wes justying of were,
And [he], that mast engrewyt there,
Suld have the grettyst prys, wyth thi
That he engewyt honestly.
The haraldis thean can say haly,
The dome wes suthfst and worthy;
Tharfor sayd ane, "Me-thynk perfay,
That he, that a knycht yhistyrday
Slwe, and ane otheri to-day, the prys
Suld have, Patryk the Grame that is:
For had the Talbot, as taylyd was,
Justyd, he had swelt i to that plas.
As to this prys gywyng, for-thi
I hald hym dede all wtraly."
On this wys spak the haraldis thare;
Bot for the prys wes gywyn are,
Thai wald repelleit be na way.
    And than the gud Erle can say,
"I trow it has bene selden sene,
That off were justyng thus has bene
Contenyt thre dayis, and the prys
Gywyn, s at this jwstyng is."
He festaid the jwstarys that day,
That on the morne syne held thaire way.
 

v.2, pp. 488-494

Book VIII, c. 43

1351

Off a feichting that was tane then
Betuix the Frenche and Englissmen.

In to this tym that I off tell
Ane awenture in Franse befell,
That for the douchtynes of deid
Is worthé baithe to wryte and reid;
All twichit it nocht to this matere, / 489
Me-think it speidfull to wryte heire,
That men of armys may rejoysyng
Haif, quhen it cumis to thare heryng.
    In Less-Bertane beyond the Se
Thaire fell a weire of faire poylye
Betuix Franse and Ingliss men,
At set that Ingliss ma ware then
Than ware Franche, yet all thare rowte
Ware discomfyt in feicht all owt.
The lord of Bewmanare in feicht
Throw manheid tuk a Ingliss knycht
That leit of Franche men rycht lychtly,
And oft wald say dyspituisly,
"Quhat are noucht Ingliss dowchtyast men,
Thocht God wald sleip in tyll hys den,
Yit think me and I ware to ta
Ane Ingliss man worthe Franche twa."
This spak he oft, quhil on a day
This lord of Bewmanare can till him say,
"Thow spekis, schir, all too largely,
Men may perchance fynd neirehand by
Men of als mekyll bownté
As thow may fynd in your cuntré."
The knychte saide, "Schir, be my fay
That walde I fayne ware at assay
Quhare we mycht fecht wyth ewen menyé,
And ane of thame thare wald I be."
Bewmanare than amowit was,
And said him, "Thow may find percase
Thi fyll of feichting gyf thow dare."
"Ya, wald God," said he, "thare I ware."
"Gude schir," says Bewmanere, "perfay
Sen thow wald fayne be at assay / 490
Yit sall I mak thé cunnand.
Thow sall pas haym in Ingland
and of the best men in thi cuntré
Cheys thé ay tyll thé xxx^ti be,
And I sall cheys me als mony
Off kyn and freyndis heire me by;
And set we heire a certane place
To meit, and, gyff God giffis me grace
To haiff wictory wyth my menyé;
Gyf thow slayne in the bargane be,
Thi ransone sall I gif thé quhyte,
I sall noucht ask thareof a myte;
And gif thow be tayne to presone
Than sall thow dowbyll me thi ransone,
Sa salle men se gyf als fele
Off Franche wyth Ingliss men may dele
A, mychty God of Hewyn!" quoth he,
"How youre worschip and youre bownté
Suld be encressit mony fauld
Gyff ye wil of your cunnand hauld."
"This," saide he, "I sall sykkyrly."
Thaire cunnandys band thai than in hy,
And thareto set a certane place;
By Kayne in Normondy it was.
    Quhen thai devisit had the day,
This knycht tyll Inglande went his way
And taulde en opynne this tithande,
And fra the worde sped throw the land
That, but weire tayn, was sic a thing,
Young men that yarnyt to wyn lowyng,
Walde proffere thare serwyce for to gyff
Tyll thaire lordis tyll thai mycht leiff
For to purchas thaime, that thai mycht / 491
In nowmyre of thai xxx feicht.
    Than in tyll Ingland sea did he
That he chesyt in get daynté
Xxx, all thir wichtast men
That he couthe wail in Ingland then;
And Bewmanare in tyll his lande,
Off his freyndys that ware neire hande,
And of hys kyn chesyt xxx^ti
Wicht and apert, stark and douchty,
And prewaly he gert inqueyre
Off all tha men that wyth him were
Quhilk luffit peramourys, and quhare,
And quhare he so hard thare luffarys ware,
He purches sa sutelly,
That gif scho madyn ware his lady
That he sa luffit, than purchest he
That scho sulde at the feichting be;
And gyf scho bunding ware in wedding,
Hyr lorde sulde thiddire hyre with him bring;
For quhare syc thingys ware a-do
Him thoucht it feryt weil thare-to,
That throw the sycht of fayre ladyis
Sulde reif men thoucht off cowardys.
Thus broucht he all thare ladyis thaire
In thaire sycht that sulde feicht, but mare,
For he supposit at thare sycht
Sulde gif thaim hardyment and mycht.
    The day come sone, and in the place
A stalwart barres maide thaire was
Off mekyll bastyn rapis thringin
Throw stowpis that rycht deipe ware dungin
Wythin the erd rycht stalwartly,
And thiddire come of atheyre party / 492
Xxx^ti one ilk syde for to fecht;
The Franche men ware gayly dicht
Wyth cowerit hors in irn and steile,
Bot the Inglismen had na deile
Cowerit hors, as I hard say,
For-thi alssone as cummyn ware thai
To thaire renk end, thati lychtyt doune,
And to feicht on fute maide thaime bowne
The Franche men rycht sa has done
That saw thaim lycht thai lychtit sone,
And samyn went wyth speris straucht,
And a lang quhyle foynyeid and faucht.
Ane Inglis man had apon a staff
Ane hammyre heid, and thare-wyth gaif
Syc pay, that at thare assembling
He slew ane wythout recowering.
Sa fast thare fors can thai faynd
That bathe the partyis failyeid aynd;
A lytill thai withdrew thaim then,
And on thare suerdis can thaim leyn,
Bot than ane of the Franche sqwyeris
Saw be the feycht, and thare efferis,
That hard was wictoure for to wyn
Forowtyn sutellité or gyn;
He left his feris quhare thai stude,
And ewyn towart his hors he yude.
The lorde of Bewmanare that saw
Him as he thought sa withdraw,
Saide, "Cowsyng, I wend noucht in thé
That thow the fyrst suld failyeand be."
He said, "The ram oft gais a-bak
That he the maire debaite may mak."
This ansuere made he him schortly, / 493
And held on tyll his hors in hy,
Lape on, and agane wallopande
He come, and fande thame fast feichtand.
At the syde of the Inglismen
Sa stoutly in he bruschit then,
That sturdely thaim scalyt he.
And quhare he saw the maist semblé
Off Inglis men, in thare he raide
And rudly rowme amang thaim maide;
For his hors rycht weil armyt was,
That he thare stabbing dreid the les.
The Franche men that thaim scalyt saw
Ruschit on thaim, but dreid or aw,
And discomfit thaim uttraly.
Nyne ware slayne of thare company,
And the ramanand all ware tane.
Off Franche men thare deit nayne,
Out tak he, that wyth the mell
Was slayne, as ye herd forouthe tell.
The Franche men ware prysit gretly
Off that at quhen thai in syc hy
Saw thare fallow sa him wyth-draw,
As it hade beyn for dreid or aw,
And maide na takyn of abaysing
For his suddand wyth-drawing,
Bot faucht furthe fersly as before
And sonyeit noucht for-thi the more;
Thai ware to prys, and sa was he,
That in sa fell a chaidmellé,
As man for man and noucht sa feile,
As thai ware, and wyth wit couthe deile,
And wysnes throw quhame thai wan
This batell that was takin than / 494
And endyt quhare ladyis joly
Mycht se rycht weill how manfully
Thair luffaris baire thaim in that fycht,
And I trow thai walde quhen thai mycht
Rewarde thame in to prewaté,
Solace and eys for thare bownté.
    Now be taking of this fecht
Men may se ogart pryde and hycht
Gart this fycht be undyrtane
For-thi men may sé wit is nane
To dyspys utheris natione,
For men may weil sé, be ressone,
That thai are men als weil as thai,
And quhile perchance pruf als weile may
As thai, for-thi sulde nayne dyspyse
Thaire fays, for the wictouré lyis
In his wirschipe als weil as hys;
For-thi me-think that he wenys mys
That uthire men litill or noucht is worthe
That beris him bettyre quhen he cummys furthe.
 

v. 3, pp. 47-50

Book IX, c. 11

1390

Qwhen Schyr David the Lyndyssay rade
Till Lundyn, and thare Journay made.

A thowsand thre hundyr and nynty yhere
Fra the byrth off our Lord dere,
The gud Lyndyssay Schyr Dawy,
Off Glenesk the lord mychty,
Honest, abill, and avenand,
Past on cwndyt in Ingland
Wyth knychtis, sqwyeris, and othir men
Off his awyne retenw then;
Qwhare he and all his cumpany
Wes welle arayid, and dayntely,
And all purwayd at devys.
Thare wes his purpos to wyne pryse.
[Wyth] the Lord of the Wellis he
Thoucht till have dwne thare a jowrné
For bayth thai ware be certane taylyhé
Oblyst to do thare that deide, sawff faylyhé.  / 48
Swa ewyn apon the sext day
Off that moneth that we call May,
Thai ilk forsayd Lordis tway,
The Lyndyssay and the Wellis thai,
On hors ane agane othir ran,
As thare taylyhé had ordanyd than.
The Lyndyssay thare wyth manffull fors
Strak qwyte the Wellis fra his hors
Flatlyngis down apon the grene;
Thare all his saddille twme wes sene.
All the pepill standand by
Off this deid had gret farly,
For in all Ingland befor than
This Wellis wes a commendit man,
Manfull, stoute, and off gud pyth,
And hey off harte he wes tharewyth.
And tharat than mony Inglis men
Had bathe dispyte and inwy then;
Swa, for dispyte and gret inwy,
Thai to the Kyng tauld prewaly,
That than the Lyndyssay fast was teyd.
That welle wes prowyd, the tellare leid;
For fra the Lyndyssay gat wyttyng,
That it was tauld swa to the Kyng,
Syttand on [his]horse, but bade,
Ewyn on furth to the Kyng he rade,
And off his hors delyverly
He lap downe, that the Kyng clerly
Kend welle, that thai falsly leid
That say, the Lyndyssay before wes teyd.
Than sayd the Lyndyssay reverently
To the Kyng kneland curtasly,
"Excellent Prynce, now may yhe, / 49
Gyve I wes teyd, clerly se."
And qwhen he had sayd that, than
Wythowten help off any man,
Bot be his awyne agill fors,
Agayne he lap apon his hors,
All the lave for to fullfill,
That langyd be the taylyhé thartill.
    Qwhen all thare cursis on hors wes dwne,
Togyddyr thai mellayid on fute swne,
Wyt all thare wapnys, as be the taylyhé
Oblyst thai ware, for till assaylyhé.
Swa wyth thare knywys at the last
Ilkane at othir strake rycht fast.
Swa, off this to tell  yhow mare,
The Lyndyssay festnyd his dagare
In till Wellis armowris fyne
Welle lauche, and hym lyftyd syne
Sum thyng fra the erde wyth pyth;
And als [rycht] manfull wertu wyth
Oppynly before thame all
He gave the Wellis a gret fall,
And had hym haly at his will,
Qwhatevyr he wald hawe dwne hym till.
    The Kyng, in his swmyr castelle
Taht all this jowrné sene had welle,
Sayd, "Lyndyssay, cusyne, gud Lyndissay,
Do furth that thow suld do this day."
As to be sayd, "Do furth thi dte,
Thare sall na man here mak thé lete."
Bot the Lyndissay nevyrtheles,
That in his deide all curtays wes,
Sayd to thaim, that stud hym by,
"Help, help now, for curtasy." / 50
The Wellis he tuk than be the hand,
That on the grene wes thare lyand,
"Rys, rys, Schyr Knycht, and stand on fete,"
He sayd, "thare suld be dwne mare yhete:
Yhit, it is na tyme to leve."
Swa held he Wellis be the neve,
That wp he helpyd hym to rys.
    Schyr Dawy the Lyndissay on this wys
Fullfillyd in Lwndyne he jowrné
Wyth honowre and wyth honesté.
And to the Qwene than off Ingland
He gave this Wellis than in presand
Thus qwyte wonnyn all frely:
And scho than off that curtasy
Thankyd him.  And swa he
Wyth honowre and wyth honesté
Retowryd syne in his land hame,
Gret wyrschype ekyd till his fame.
This dede was dwne in till Ingland
Befor Rychard the Kyng ryngnand
The Secownd, qwhen that state held he
Wyth honowre gret and honesté.