TOURNAMENTS, in chivalry, were honourable exercises formerly used by all persons of note that desired to signalize themselves by their dexterity, &c. They were first instituted in Germany, according to historians, towards the beginning of the 10th century, and became afterwards a general practice: they derived their name from the French word tourner, i. e. "to turn round," because to be expert in these exercises, much agility both of horse and man was requisite, they riding round a ring in imitation of the ancient Circus. They were the principal diversion of the 13th and 14th century.
The following account of English tournaments, extracted from Maitland's History of London, will not, it is hoped, be disagreeable to the reader.—In the reign of Edward IV. Roch, who was better known by the appellation of the Bastard of Burgundy, being
greatly celebrated for his acts of chivalry, came over and challenged the Lord Scales, brother to the queen, to fight with him; which Scales readily accepting, the king commanded lists to be prepared in Smithfield (wherein to perform combat), of the length of 370 feet, and breadth of 260, with magnificent galleries for the reception of the illustrious spectators; where assembled the king, the nobility, and the principal gentry of both sexes. The first day they fought with spears, without a visible advantage on either side. The second they tournayed on horseback, when the Lord Scales having a long pike fixed on his chaffron (pomel of his saddle), which as they closed, ran into the nostrils of the Bastard's horse, by the anguish whereof he reared himself with that violence, that he flung backwards, whereby his rider was unfortunately unhorsed: which occasioned him to cry out, "That he could not hold by the clouds;" and that though his horse had failed him, he would not fail to meet his adversary the next day. This being accordingly performed, they fought on foot with pole-axes; when Scales soon penetrating the Bastard's helmet, the king threw down his warden, whereupon they were immediately parted by the marshal. But the Bastard insisting upon fighting out that weapon, a council was held to deliberate thereon. The result was, that if he persisted in renewing the combat, he must, according to the law of arms, be delivered to his adversary in the same condition he was in at his horse's misfortune: but rather than submit to those terms, he waved his pretension.
King Richard II. desiring to hold a tournament at London on the Sunday after Michaelmas, sent divers heralds to make proclamations of it in all the principal courts of Europe; and accordingly not a few princes, and great numbers of the prime nobility, resorted hither from France, Germany, the Netherlands, &c. This solemnity began on Sunday afternoon, from the Tower of London, with a pompous cavalcade of 60 ladies, each leading an armed knight by a silver chain, being attended by their squires of honour, and, passing through Cheapside, rode to Smithfield, where the jousts and tournaments continued several days with magnificent variety of entertainments; on which occasion the king kept open house at the bishop of London's palace for all persons of distinction, and every night concluded with a ball.
Not long after this, three Scotch champions challenged three English to fight, which was performed in Smithfield with the greatest solemnity; the earl of Mar against the Lord Nottingham; Sir William Dorel the king of Scotland's banner-bearer, against Sir Pierce Courtney the king of England's standard-bearer; Cockburne, Esq; against Sir Nicholas Hawkirke. Mar and Cockburne were unhorsed; but the two standard-bearers were so well matched, that betwixt them it was a drawn battle. Voltaire, in his Essay upon the Civil Wars of France, p. 4, observes, that this romantic and dangerous sport was put an end to by the death of Henry II. king of France, who was killed at Paris in a tournament, which was the last in Europe.