Challenge of the Earl of Warwick 1412-1413

In as much as he was captain of Calais he hied him thither hastily, and was there worthily received. And when he heard that the gathering in France was not appointed to come to Calais, he cast in his mind to do some new point of chivalry. Whereupon he let paint three pavises, and in every pavise a lady: the first harping at end of a bedstead with a grater of gold on her left sleeve, and her knight called the Green Knight with a Black Quarter. And he should be ready to joust with any knight of France twelve courses and two shields should be of purveyance. And that knight's letter was sealed with the shield of his arms, the field silver, a maunch gules.

The second pavise had a lady sitting at a covered board working pearls, and on her sleeve was attached a glove of plate. And her knight was called Chevalier Vert. And his letter was sealed with the arms: the field silver and two bars of gules. And he must joust fifteen courses and that should be two saddles of choice.

The third pavise a lady sitting in a garden making a chaplet, and on her sleeve a poleyn with a rivet: her knight was called Chevalier Attendant. And he and his fellow must run ten courses with sharp spears and without shields. His letter was sealed with gold and gules quarterly a bordure of vair.

These letters were sent to the kings court of France. And a noon other three French knights received them and granted their fellows to meet at day and place assigned.

Here shows how as it is said before these letters were received. To the first applied himself a noble knight called Sir Gerard Herbawines, that called himself Sir Chevalier Rouge, to the second answered a famous knight, Sir Hugh Launey calling himself le Chevalier Blanc, and the third agreed, an excellent knight called Sir Colard Fynes, at a certain day and place assigned, that is to say the twelfth day of Christmas in a lawn called the park hedge of Guines.

Pageant of the Birth Life and Death of Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick K. G. 1389-1439, Dillon, Viscount, Ed. London 1914



First the said lord departed out of Calais to Guines by water the Tuesday after Christmas day for to take the air and disport of the country as he said. And all his armor and his harness for his arms was privily carried thither. And nearhand a fortnight before Christmas my lord let set up a pavilion within the park close of Guines and let hang there three tables of the devices depainted.

The first a lady standing and harping at a bed's feet with a grater of gold for a spear attached on her sleeve, and sent a herald into France, that what knight that was born a gentleman of name and arms without reproach within the realm of France that would touch that device, there should be a knight that clepith him le chevalier vert oue le quarter noire, that was born in England gentleman of name and arms without reproach, should deliver that French knight of twelve courses hit on horseback with spears of one length and shields of one making, of which shields the French knight should chose the better, and hereupon my lord sent letters ensealed with his arms that he beareth of silver with the maunchet of gules as they be embroidered in the said lord's white bed of bears.

Secondly, he let hang up in the same pavilion another table of his device portrayed, with a lady working pearls with a glove of plate of gold attached on her sleeve, and sent by the same herald into the realm of France, that what knight that was born gentleman of name and arms without reproach of the realm of France that would touch that device, he should find a knight of England born gentleman of name of arms without reproach, the which clepith him le Chevalier Gris, that should deliver the French knight of fifteen strokes with a sword hit, for which arms the English knight should ordain two saddles, and send the French knight the choice of both. And hereupon sent my lord his letters sealed with his arms of silver with two bars of gules as they had been well embroidered in the same white bed of bears.

The third my said lord let hang up in the same pavilion another table of his device with a lady depainted in a garden making a chaplet of roses, with a poleyne of gold in the same pavilion attached on the said ladys sleeve, and sent by the same herald that what knight of the realm of France that was born gentleman of name and arms without reproach that would touch the third device, he should find a knight of England gentleman born of name and arms without reproach that clepith him le Chevalier Attendant, that should deliver that French knight of ten courses hit with spears of one length in hosting harness without shields. And hereupon my lord sent his letters sealed with his arms quarterly gold and gules bordered red with silver and azure vaired as they been well embroidered in the same bed of bears. So when this herald was thus delivered these three letters of my lord's ensealed with diverse seals of his arms, and written of diverse hands, he rode into France and declared his messages among all the lords, knights and squires of honor that were that time come down into the marches of Picardy for the war, and upon showing of these letters wrote three knights again by letters ensealed with seals of their arms for to touch the three devices for the fulfilling of the points comprehended in the letters which the herald brought, weening the Frenchmen that it were three knights of England that had hung up the three devices.

Landsdowne MS. No. 285 in Cripps-Day, F.H. The Tournament in France and England. London, 1918, Reprinted AMS Press, NY, 1982.

While the Beauchamp Pageant was written decades after the deed of arms, the text in the Landsdowne MS seems to have been based on account written not long after the event. It refers to a recent challenge by Sir Gerard Herbaumes as though he were still alive, and Sir Gerard died at Agincourt.