Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Asteley vs. Boyle, 1442: Materials Issued to Asteley by Heny VI

Henrie, by the grace of God, Kinge of England and of France, and lorde of Ireland, To our Trustie and welbeloved clarke, Roberte Rolleston, kepere of oure Greate Wardrobe, gretinge. Forasmoche as oure wel beloved Esquire and Seruaunte famylier, John Asteley, shall now hostilie,(1) by oure licence, do armes with a knighte straunger in oure presence, Wee woll therfore, and chardge you, that ye delyver unto oure saide Esquire suche habillementes, weapons and harness as wee sende you the parcells of them here inclosed. And wee woll that thies oure letter shalbe unto you herin sufficient warrant, and that by the same ye shall haue dewe allowaunce in your accompt. Yeeven under oure pryvie seall at Westminster, the xxvth daie of June, the yeare of оwr Reigne xxti [1442].

Firste xij yardes white damaske & iiij yardes of redde The parcells damaske for the Trappowr of Saincte George. Also. xij yardes blewe tarterin for the trappour of his deuice.
Also xij yardes of redde Tarterin for the trappours of devise.
Also xij yardes blewe damaske for gownes for iij children.
Item iiij yardes of blewe clothe to Jagge the saide gownes.
Item iiij yardes of crimsson(2) for iiij litle hoodes for the same pages. Also iij doblettes, iij paire of hose, iij paire of Bootes, and iij paire of spurres for the saide pages.
Also xij gowne clothes of Blewe clothe for xij men that shall waite uppon the saide Asteley. Also iiij yardes of Blewe Tarterin & red for ij coates of Arms.

The Paynter.
Also one Trappour of his armes,
Also one Trappoure of his device,
Also iij coates of Armes,
Also vj scochens of his Armes,
Also one phane of his armes for his coate,
Also one pencell beten, to bere in his hande,
Also one pencell beaten of his devise,
Also one castinge speare paynted.
The Sadleyre.
Also one Saddle to do armes in, & all the harness therto,
Also iij Saddles and iij harness therunto;
Also girthes, singulers, pertrelles, & bridells for iiij horse.
Weapons for horsbacke and foote.
Also iij speares for hym self,
Also xij speres to assaie theire horses,
Also iiij speres hedes for horsbacke and for foote,
Also j longe sworde & a longe dagger for horsbacke,
Also one Axe for foote,
Also one shorte sworde & one shorte dagger for foote,
Also one castinge speare & one paveis.

Harnes for Horseback.
Also one Rackebrace & one gauntelett,
Also one pece of Legge harness,
Also one paire of Sturoppes, with the sabotanes of stele in the sturoppe,
Also one Testoure of Stele.

Yitt harness for horseback.
Also one gorgett of male.
male for to arme bridell pectrell and single for his horse that he shall haue.
Also a Breche of male gussettes and woyders.

Harnesse for foote.
Also a hole harnes for foote.
Also one Basenett.

1 or hastilie.
2 Sic in MS. Qy. crimson—[or 'crameysse,' i.e. velvet, misread by copyist].

Note that the arms and devices on his coats of arms, trappers and pennoncels are the work of a painter, and that his pennoncels are "beaten", that is, the design is gilded with gold leaf. Also, he is issued three coats of arms so he can start each fight on fresh and undamaged coat armor.

Furnivall, Frederick James, and R. E. G. Kirk. 1903. Analogues of Chaucer's Canterbury pilgrimage (April 1386) and his putting-up joust scaffolds, etc., in West-Smithfield (May 1390) being the expenses of the Aragonese ambassadors for 58 days in England, 21 July to 16 Sept. 1415, including their 4-days' journey from London to Canterbury and back, 31 July-3 Aug. 1415, and the cost of erecting scaffolds, etc., in West-Smithfield for the joust between Don Philip Boyl, knight, of Aragon, and John Asteley, esq., on Jan. 30, 1442, with Henry VI's allowances of materials for the said joust. London: Published for the Chaucer Society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.

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