The arms with lance accomplished, the champions returned to their pavilions to prepare and refresh themselves, and the marshal had presented to Galiot de Baltasin two estocs, which they call swords of arms, and certainly I've never seen two more beautiful or powerful weapons. Galiot chose one and the other was carried back to the lord de Ternant, who fairly soon afterwards came outside his pavilion, armed as before; but instead of his coat of arms, he was dressed in array with sleeves of white satin, all cut in the manner of scales, embroidered and covered with sparkling goldsmith's work in a most noble fashion. And I remember that he looked like one of the nine worthies, as they are depicted. He held his sword, the left hand forward and reversed and protected by its rondel. And on the other side Galiot de Baltasin came out of his pavilion, gripping his sword like it belonged to him, and they marched to encounter each other, and met each other with a very hard impact; quickly the guards came between them to prevent following up, and the officers at arms carried the measures which contained the length of five paces and had them measured out on each side, and quickly they recommenced their arms. At their meeting the lord de Ternant gave such a great stroke to his companion that he pierced a hole in his bassinet, and that hit was made very close to that made by the stroke of the lance. On the third coming together, Galiot hit the lord de Ternant on the bottom of the right shoulder, and with that blow he pierced the gardebras, and carried it away on the end of his sword. Very quickly they had the lord de Ternant rearmed and they returned for the fourth time; and they met so hard that they both damaged the points of their swords and they agreed to bring them two more. At the fifth coming together the lord de Ternant advanced and made a watchful stroke, surprising Galiot, and giving him so great a hit on the top of his head that he stepped back. And the sixth coming together, Galiot hit on the rondel of the lord de Ternant and broke it and they agreed to change swords. The seventh coming together they met each other very hard. On the eighth Galiot hit the gauntlet of the lord de Ternant and pierced quite through it, and many thought that he had wounded his hand, but by great good fortune, he was not wounded at all. And they gave them other gauntlets; and they performed the eleven pushes of the sword, well and hardily done and accomplished, and so they returned to their pavilions.
Oliver de la Marche, Memories Paris 1884 II. 72.
Copyright Will McLean, 2002
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