A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF ARMORIES. 7
Segar, Norry King of Arms, in his treatise of Honour Military and Civil, Lib.
111. tells us also, That Henry the Birder was the first who >
introduced tournament
in Germany, which other nations did imitate, and had their own law-> relative to
them. Our author mentions several laws, one of which was, " That it should be
"
lawful for all gentlemen, well born, to enter and light in these exercises of arms,
"
ever excepting such as had, in word or deed, blasphemed, or done or said any
" thing contrary to our Christian faith, of whom, if any presume to enter the list,
" we will and command, that the arms of his ancestors, with all his furniture, shall
" be cast out, and his horse confiscated."
As for the frequency of tournaments solemnized in Germany, England, and Scotland,
I shall name but some, though there \vere many. Henry the Birder solemnized
one in the city of Magdeburg, upon the first Sunday after the feast of the
Three Kings, in the year 938, and in anno 943. There was another held at Rottenburgh,
by Conrad Duke of Franconia. The Duke of Saxony solemnized another
in the city of Constance, the first Sunday after the feast of All Saints, in anti'j
948. Favin gives us an account of thirty-seven tournaments, from that time till
the year 1194. John Stow, in his Large Survey of London, tells us, several were
anciently solemnized there every Friday in Lent, " by which, (says he), the gen-
" try gave good proof how serviceable they would be in war." Upon which ac-
count, Richard I. of England appointed several tournaments, " that his subjects,
" (says our author), by these means, might be accustomed to horsemanship and
" feats of arms ; and, consequently, better enabled to oppose their enemies the
" Scots." Segar tells us of a tournament, held by King Edward the III. where
David the II. King of Scotland, jousted and: carried the prize. He likewise tells
us, that Richard the II. of England made solemn proclamation of a tournament,
to be held at London, through Scotland, France, and Flanders, to which several
stranger knights resorted.. And John Stow, in his forementioned book, says, many
lords came from Scotland to that tournament, to get worship (as he calls it) by
force of arms. Amongst them was the Earl of Mar, who challenged the Earl of
Nottingham to joust with him ; they rode together certain courses, but not the full
challenge, for the Earl of Mar was cast down, and had two of his ribs broken.
The next Scotsman was Sir William Daxel, (whom I take to be Dalziel), the King
of Scotland's banner-bearer he ; challenged Sir Piercy Courtney, the King of
England's banner-bearer, and, when they had ridden many courses, they gave over
without a seen victory. Then Cockburn, Esquire of Scotland, jousted with Sir
Nicholas Howberk but Cockburn ; wras borne over, horse and man, anno 1395. On
St George's clay, there was a great jousting on London bridge, (says our author),
between David Earl of Crawiurd of Scotland, and the Lord Wells of England, in
which the Lord Wells was, at the third course, borne out of his saddle.
In Scotland I have met with several tournaments solemnized ; but our authors
are so brief that they only name them. There were three held in the reign of
King William at Roxburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling : Another in the reign of
Alexander
"
II. at Haddington ; where," says Hector Boetius, " our nobility and
'
foreign knights showed great prowess." King Alexander the III. held another
at Roxburgh, upon the festivals of his son's marriage. There was another in the
reign of King Robert III. ; to which came one John Morlo, an Englishman, (says
our author), who gave challenge to the Scots knights ; he was taken up first by
Archibald Edmonston, and, after him, by Hugh Wallace, and defeated both of
them ; but at last was taken up by Hugh Traill, who overcame him. King James
IV. caused proclaim a tournament through Germany, France, and England, under
this title. " In defence of the Savage Knight," (being so called by a foreign
princess), to be holden at Edinburgh, upon the festivals of his marriage with Margaret,
eldest daughter to King Henry VII. of England ; the fame of which tournament,
(says Hawthornden in his History), brought many foreign lords and
knights to Scotland. Challenges were given and received in defence of the Savage
Knight ; and, several days before the joustings, the shields of the nobility and
gentry of Scotland, with their helmets, wreaths, crest, and devices, were hung
upon the barriers, or other places near by, which were guarded with strong and
robust highlandmen, in savage dresses, which gave occasion to many families with
us, whose progenitors were actors in that tournament, to have savages for their