Monday, April 09, 2012

Astley vs. Boyle, 1442

Be hit so that I philyp boyle knyth of the rem de aragon was enchargid for to fyght wt a knyth or wt a squyer & for a special to serve my sovereyn lorde le tresexcelent et trespuissant prince le roye de aragon et de cisule scelon et more for the whiche I might not be delyverid of my seide enpris for de faughte de acumis of them in the rem of Fraunce wherfore I am come in to the rem of yngelande & into the corte & p'cens of the hei maseste de treshauyte treslustre victorious prince le roye angleter et de Fraunce le cheef de onour vayleour et prouues & be a supplicacion & be aspecial grace I have grete leve to bere a devise in his nobill corte be the moian of the which I mai be delivered of my seide charge the wheche I declare these artiklis here suinge.

The firste artikle is that we schal fighte an horsbak eithir of us armid as hit plese hym wt wepenis acustomid to bere in batayle that is to wete sperys swerdis daggeris such and wt suche a vauntage as eithir of us like wtouyte ony fals engyne.

The secunde artikle is that he that god gevis the victori schal have of the tothir his swerde or his helme or othir armer that whech he beris apon his hede.

The thridde artickle is that yif so be the seide bataile in that same day come not to the ende as hit is above seide for that wheche we apon the morne schal a complie a fote wt the harneis et wepenys yt is lefte un to us wtoughte pittynge of ony othir to.

The fourthe artickle is that iche of us may helpe othir wt wrastelynge wt leggis & feet wt armys & handis.

The fifth artickle is for by cause my hors & my harneis is in flaundris apon the tothir side of that see for the wiche the dai that be me schal be asignyd & wt this point I have my hors & my harneys viiij dayis aftir that we holde the seide batayle & yif so be my seide hors & harneis that I may not recover hit wt ynne tyme resonable than we schal have a doe the seide batayle a fote eithir of us armyd at oure volunte et a faculte for to have axe spere swerde & daggere as hit is a bove seide.

These seide armys weryn compleide be john asteley squier the xxx day of ianiver wt in smithfelde for the kinge herri the vi of his regne xx and whanne the seide iohn hadde done his armys thanne hit likyd that kynge of his hines for to make him knyth the same day an yaf him. C marc for terme of his lyfe in the yere of grace a mccccxlij.


Pierpont Morgan Library. Manuscript. M.775., formerly called "The Hastings Manuscript" f. 278 r&v. Transcribed in Society of Antiquaries of London. 1900 Archaeologia, or, Miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity. Volume 57, Part 1 London: The Society of Antiquaries of London.

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