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Debasement of Knights. - Tournaments: Bayardos

Amongst those present was one whose name is more closely associated with the glories of the tournament, as well as with brilliant exploits upon the battle-field, than is that of any other - the renowned Bayard. Not only was he one of the most prominent knights at the Field of the Cloth-of-Gold, but he seems to have shone conspicuously at almost all the noted European jousts. Quite a pretty tale is told of him when stationed at Carignon, a little town in Northern Italy. While quite young, he met, in a house of one of his knightly patrons, a young girl to whom he became deeply attached, and would probably have married. Circumstances, however, in that ill bred way in which they often behave, interfered, and the young knight was sent, under the leadership of another noble, to carry on DEBASEMENT OF KNIGHTS. - TOURNAMENTS. war in distant countries. As for the young damsel, she had to content herself with marrying a certain Lord de Frusasco. A happy enough arrangement this seems to have been for her, for, like most young girls, she had a capacious heart, and proved herself a loving, faithful wife. Some years later, when the name of the good Chevalier was so well known that even in Spain, hostile as that country was to France, there had grown up this proverb, "Muchos grisones, pocos Bayardos," - in literal English, "Many grays, but few bays," or "Many mules, but few horses," - he chanced to be in Carignon, and was entertained at the castle of his former patron, Duke Charles of Savoy. This noble was now married, and the Lady de Frusasco, with her husband, formed a part of his household. Greatly delighted was this fair dame to meet again her former sweetheart, and loudly did she sing the praises of his marvellous knightly skill, displayed by him even when he was but a stripling. One day, finding herself alone with Bayard, he expressed to her his earnest wish to repay in some degree the courtesy of his host. To this she replied, "To my thinking, Monsieur de Bayard, if it be not distasteful to thee, it would give great pleasure wert thou to hold a tournament in this town in honor of Madame, who has shown thee so much favor. Thou wilt have many competitors among the French garrisons and the nobles of this place, who would all hear of it with pleasure." "Truly," said the Chevalier, "as thou so thinkest it shall be done. Thou art the first woman who ever enslaved my heart by means of thy many graces, and I entreat the favor of thee, to give me one of thy sleeves, the which I covet much for certain reasons." This the lady immediately gave, little dreaming what he wished to do with it. He took it, and "silently drew it up over the sleeve of his doublet." And, children, as you may be wondering by what sort of a hocuspocus trick it was that the obliging lady was able so quickly and deftly to rip out her natty little sleeve, and surmise that she must have felt remarkably queer, goose-flesh creeping all over her denuded arm, I will tell you that this sleeve of hers was no sleeve at all, only a fingerless sort of a gauntlet that extended to her elbow. That night the good Chevalier slept but little - as, however, all accounts agree in declaring this to be his ordinary habit, we need not attribute the fault of it to his possession of the innocent little sleeve. In the morning, trumpeters were sent to all the neighboring towns where there were garrisons, to invite all gentlemen to the tournament that the Chevalier Bayard would hold, four days from that time, at Carignon; the prize would be his lady's sleeve, from which should be suspended a ruby worth a hundred ducats. This reward was to be gained by the winner of three courses with the lance without a barrier, and twelve sweeps of the sword. The heralds returned with fifteen written promises from knights, and immediately the Lady Blanche, wife of the noble Duke of Savoy, had the tribune put up and covered with elegant decorations in the tilt-yard. On the day appointed, soon after mid-day, the tournament began, and then we learn from that old story-teller, the Loyal Serviteur, that "firstly came forward the good Chevalier, and against him strode the Lord de Rouastre, a valiant gentleman, who bore the ensign of Duke Philip of Savoy, - a brave and expert knight, who gave a mighty thrust, shivering his lance in divers pieces. But the good Chevalier dealt in return so great a blow upon his helm that he disarmed him, making him see the day while his lance flew in shiv- The said Lord de Rouastre, straightening his helm, prepared ers.

DEBASEMENT OF KNIGHTS. - TOURNAMENTS.

Succeshim for his second lance course, at which he did disport himself with even more skill than at first; but the good Chevalier with such violence assailed the visor of this lord, that crest and plumage were carried away upon his lance-point, causing him to reel in the saddle, without unseating him. At the third lance the Lord de Rouastre raised his adroitly, while that of Bayard was broken into many pieces, the which was greeted with much applause. After him, there came Montdragon and the Lord de Chevron, who right well ran their course and were admired of all. Two others followed, and so on, each in turn, and all doing so well as greatly to please all present. The encounters with the lances over, those with the swords began. But the good Chevalier Bayard at the second sent that of his adversary flying, breaking at the same time his own. sively the others took their turns. All were declared to have done nobly, and the tournament closed with the day. At the entertainment that followed in the evening it was declared, with much clamor of trumpets and hautboys, that the prize belonged to the good Chevalier. Blushingly, however, he refused it, saying that it was through an error that they attributed this honor unto him, it being due alone to the Lady de Frusasco, who had condescended to lend to him her sleeve, and it was for her now to present it to whomsoever she thought fit. The lady accepted this gallantry with her accustomed grace, and thanked the good Chevalier for all the honor he had done her. "Since you tell me my Lord of Bayard says it is through my poor sleeve that he has won, I will, for his sake, and for a testimony of the love I bear him, treasure it unto my dying day. But as to the ruby, seeing he will not accept of it, I think it should be given to the Lord Montdragon, who after him numbered most votes." The ruby was then thus given, and the decision generally approved, and Lady Blanche felt pleasure in having helped in the nurture of one so generally esteemed as was the good Chevalier. The prizes given, dancing commenced, which lasted till after midnight, when the festivities were brought to a close." So common were tournaments as one of the celebrations following a royal wedding, that when Henry the Fifth of England was asked on his wedding day at what time the jousts in honor of this event were to take place, great were the surprise and disappointment of his court when he answered very quietly, "To-morrow morning I am going to the Siege of Sens, and any one who likes jousting in earnest may come with me and he shall be satisfied." But gunpowder was invented, and armor necessarily was abandoned; interest in letters began to increase, and, the expense attending the preparation for these tournaments also becoming greater, the interest in this pastime gradually diminished. Another deathblow given to these pageants occurred when in two or three instances the royal blood itself was shed, and the throne of the monarch was made vacant. King Henry the Second, who bore the crescent badge of Diana of Poitiers, fell by the unlucky thrust of the lance of Montgomery, and later on, at a tournament at Orléans, in 1561, one of the great House of Montpensier, Prince de Beaupreau, of the blood royal, was also killed. From this time tournaments ceased to be an expected event of the year. An effort was made not long ago, however, to revive it as a means of entertainment in England. Invitations were sent out, accordingly, throughout all Great Britain; and though considerable unwillingness was expressed by many of the nobles to attempt a display of military skill, which they were conscious of wholly lacking, still quite DEBASEMENT OF KNIGHTS. - TOURNAMENTS. a number finally consented to attend. The requisite costumes, at great expense, were purchased, the knights practised as best they could with their fencing masters, the Queen of Beauty was selected, the site was chosen, the lists put up, and the day was set. In olden days the weather seems always to have been propitious, at all events nothing is said about its ever raining at such a time, though a tent was occasionally blown down; but upon this occasion, when the time appointed arrived, England's climate favored the knightly adventurers with a drizzling rain. The spectators, nothing daunted, began to assemble, and finally the lists were crowded with lookerson, weather-proof in galoches and umbrellas. But such an ungainly appearance did they present, so inharmonious with the olden spirit of the chivalrous pastime, that an order was given to "Rest arms"in other words, umbrellas were not to be tolerated. It was now the time for the Queen of Beauty to take her proper place, but the rain, which had been drizzling, had become a steady pour. Her gilded coach, drawn by four white steeds, went empty along the street, whilst its intended occupant, in a hired hack, made her way, as best she could, to the protected dais erected for her. The knights began to assemble, the herald gave the call for entrance, and at this auspicious moment the slight awning that protected the stand where sat the peers with their ladies, elegant in rainbow-tinted finery, was blown by the violence of the storm, no one could tell whither. Still the knights pressed on; but the arena was found to be a foot deep with sticky mud; the dancing pavilion was reported as being under water; and altogether, with feathers draggled, the costly court-robes ruined, tempers ruffled, and doubtless big bills for the doctor, not to say dress-maker's and tailor's still unsettled, the ghost of the tournament vanished forever.