The rest of his progress was spent in hunting, hawk→ ing, and shooting. The said progress finished, his grace, the queen, with all their whole train, in the month of October following, removed to Greenwich. The king not minded to see young gentlemen unexpert in martial feats, caused a place to be prepared, within the park of Greenwich, for the queen and the ladies to stand and see the fight with battle axes, that should be done there; where the king himself, armed, fought with one Gyot, a gentleman of Almayne, a tall man, and a good man of arms. And then after they had done, they marched always two and two together, and so did their feats and enterprises every man very well. Albeit, it happened the Gyot to fight with sir Edward Howard, which Gyot was by him stricken to the ground. The morrow after this enterprise done, the king, with the queen, came to the Tower of London. And to the entent that there should be no displeasure nor malice be borne by any of those gentlemen which fought with the axe against other, the king gave unto them a certain sum in gold, valued at 200 mark, to make a banquet among themselves withal. The which banquet was made at the Fishmongers-hall, in Thames-street, where they all met to the number of twenty-four, all apparelled in one suit or livery, after Almayne fashion, that is to say, their utter gar ments all of yellow satin, yellow hosen, yellow shoes, girdles, scabbards, and bonnets, with yellow feathers; their garments and hosen all cut and lined with white satin, and their scabbards wound about with satin. After their banquet ended, they went by torch-light to the Tower, presenting themselves before the king, who took pleasure to behold them. From thence, the 8th day of November, his grace removed to Richmond, and willed to be declared to all noblemen and gentlemen, that his grace, with two aids, that is to wit, master Charles Brandon, and master Compton, during two days, would answer all comers with spear at the tilt one day, and at tourney with swords, the other. And to accomplish this enterprise, the 13th day of November, his grace, armed at all pieces, with his two aids, entered the field; their bases and trappers were of cloth of gold, set with red roses, ingreyled with gold of brawdery. The counterpart came in freshly, apparelled every man after his devise. At these justs, the king brake more staves than any other, and therefore had the price. At the tourney in likewise, the honour was his. The second night were divers strangers of Maximilian, the emperor's court, and ambassadors of Spain, with the king at supper. When they had supped, the king willed them to go into the queen's chamber, who so did. And in the mean season, the king, with fifteen other, apparelled in Almayne jackets of Ermosyne, and purple satin, with long quartered sleeves, with hosen of the same suit; their bonnets of white velvet, wrapped in flat gold of damask, with visors and white plumes, came in with a mummery; and after a certain time that they had played with the queen and the strangers, they departed. Then suddenly entered six minstrels, richly apparelled, playing on their instruments; and then followed fourteen persons, gentlemen, all apparelled in yellow satin, cut like Almaynes, bearing torches. After them came six disguised in white satin and green, enbroudered and set with letters and castles of fine gold, in bullion. The garments were of strange fashion, with also strange cuts, every cut knit with points of fine gold, and tassels of the same; their hosen cut and tied in likewise; their bonnets of cloth of silver, wound with gold, First of these six was the king, the earl of Essex, Charles Brandon, sir Edward Howard, sir Thomas Knevet, and sir Henry Guilford. Then part of the gentlemen bearing torches departed, and shortly returned; after whom came in six ladies, apparelled in garments of Ermosyne, satin, enbroudered, and traversed with cloth of gold, cut in pomegranets and yokes, stringed after the fashion of Spain. Then the said six men danced with these six ladies; and after that they had danced a season, the ladies took off the men's visors, whereby they were knowen: whereof the queen and the strangers much praised the king, and ended the pastime. This will suffice for a specimen of the sort of matter frequently to be found in this author. Hall's Chronicle is one of the principal authorities for that dark period of our history, comprehending the wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster, But his narrative, (like those of his predecessor Fabian, and of his successors, Grafton and Holinshed,) is dull and tedious, often puerile. Nicholson says of him" If the reader desires to know what sort of clothes were worn in each king's reign, and how the fashions altered, this is an historian to his purpose." It may be remarked, however, that all the ancient chroniclers derive no small portion of their value to a modern reader, from this minuteness of description relative to objects which would be disregarded by modern historians, as degrading the dignity of history for it is by means of such descriptions chiefly, that we are enabled to trace the : |