Beaumont Lord of the Forrest and of Plessis Mace Iohn of Tutuille Lord of Castiglione Lewis Bastard of Burbon Conte of Rossiglione Admirall of France Anthony of Chiabanes Conte of Dammartin Grand master of the Kings house Iohn Bastard of Armignac Conte of Cominges Marshall of France and Gouernour of the Delfinato George of Trimouille Lord of Craon Gilbert of Gabanes Lord of Croton Seneschall of Vienna Lewis Lord of Cursol Seneschall of Poilou Tanequi of Castello Gouernour of the Prouince of Rossiglion and of Sardena The rest of Knights to be chosen into this Order was deferred vntill the next meeting The place of assemblie of these Knights where their Armes and other Ensignes of Knighthood should be preserued was appointed to be the Church on Mount S. Michael Vnto this Order were appoynted a Threasurer a Chauncellor a Register and one Herehault named Monsanmichaele The Feast ordeined for these Knights was on Michaelmas day yearely to be kept The Statutes apperteining vnto this honorable Order are to be seene in the booke intituled The Ordinances of France Of the Order called the Nuntiata CAP. 11. THis Order was also about the same time begun by Amedeo Conte of Sauoy sirnamed il Verde in memorie of Amedeo the first Earle who hauing valerouslie defended the Iland of Rhody against the Turkes wanne those Armes which deseruinglie is now borne by the Dukes of Sauoya which is a white Crosse in a red field The Coller apperteining to this Order is made of gold and on it these foure letters ingraued in this wise F.E.R.T. which signifieth Fortitudo eius Rhodum tenuit At the said Coller hangeth a Brooch wherein is the figure of our Ladie and the Angell sent vnto her The Church appoynted for Ceremonies apperteining vnto this Order is called Pietra a Castell within the Diocesse of Belleis whereunto was giuen at the foundation of this Order certeine lands for the sustentation of fifteene Chaplins For continuance of this Order at the time of the constitution were made many honorable ordinances to be kept by the Knights presentlie elected and after to be elected which are to bee found written in the works of Francisco Sansouino These foure Orders aforesaid bee reputed most honorable and are adorned with great Collers in token that for state and dignitie they excell the rest Knights of the Band. CAP. 12. THis Order was first erected by Alfonso King of Spaine sonne to Ferdinando and Queene Constanza in the yeare 1268. And to giue the sayd Knighthood reputation honor the King himselfe with his sonnes and brethren vouchsafed to enter thereinto with them were also admitted diuers other Gentlemen of best qualitie and greatest estimation The cause that mooued the King to name them Knights of the Band was for that he commanded euerie man elected into the Order should weare a certeine red scarffe or lace of silke the breadth of three inches which hung on their left shoulder and was tyed vnder the right arme No man might enter into this Knighthood but such as the King did speciallie admit neither was anie person capable of that dignitie vnlesse he were the sonne of a Knight or some Gentleman of great accompt or at the least such a one as had serued the King by the space of tenne yeares in his Court or in the warre against the Moores Into this Order no Gentleman could bee receiued being an elder brother or an heire in possession or apparance but onelie such as were yonger without land and liueload because the Kings intention was to aduance the Gentlemen of his Court that had not of their owne At such time as any Gentleman was admitted a Knight he promised to obserue these Articles following which I haue thought good particularlie to expresse the rather because they tend onlie to enterteine the minds of men in the offices of Courage and Courtesie without any mixture of superstition whereof almost al other Orders in those daies tasted First that he should speake vnto the King for the commoditie of the Common wealth the defence thereof so often as he were thereunto required And refusing so to doo shall forfeit all his patrimonie and be banished his Countrie That he should aboue all things speake the truth vnto the King and at euerie occasion bee faithfull to his Maiestie That he should not be silent when so euer any person should speake against the Kings honor vppon paine of being banished the Court and depriued of his Band for euer That he should bee no great speaker and in speaking to vtter the truth But if he should affirme or say any vntruth then for a punishment to walke in the streetes without his sword for one whole moneth That he should endeuour himselfe to keepe companie with wise men and persons experienced in the warre For being found to conuerse with Marchants Artificers or base people he should bee therefore greatlie reprooued by the Great Master and for one moneth be commanded to keepe his house That he should mainteine his owne word and faithfullie keepe promise with his friends And being found to doo otherwise to be enioyned to walke and goe alone vnaccompanied of any other of the Kings Court and should not presume to speake or come neere vnto any other Knight That he should alwaies haue good Armour in his Chamber good horses in his stable good Launces in his Hall and a good Sword by his side or otherwise to be called Page and no Knight for one whole moneth That he should not bee seen mounted vppon any Mule or other vnseemelie Hackney neither walke abroad without his Band nor enter into the Kings Pallace without his Sword nor eate alone at home vppon paine to forfeit for euerie such offence one marke towards the mainteining of the Tilt. That he should bee no flatterer of the King or any other person neither take delight in scoffing vpon paine to walke on foote for one moneth and be confined to his house another moneth That he should not complaine of any hurt nor boast of his owne acts nor in curing his wounds crie oh for if in vaunting wise he vttered any ostentacious speach he should bee reprooued by the great Master and let alone vnuisited of all his companions That he should bee no common gamester chieflie at the Dice nor consent that others should play in his house vpon paine to forfeit for euerie such offence one moneths pay and for one moneth and halfe not to be seene in the Court. That he should not in any sort lay to pawne his Armour or weapons nor play away his garments vppon paine to bee imprisoned in his owne house a whole moneth and for two moneths following to go without the Band. That he should be daylie apparelled in fine cloath and on holie daies in silke and on high Feasts weare gold in his garments if he pleased without being compelled so to doo But if he did weare Buskins vpon netherstocks of cloath the great Master should take them from him and
of the weapon cap. 7. How manie waies victorie is gained cap. 8. What was ancientlie due vnto such as were victorious in publique Combat cap. 9. The third Booke WHat sortes of men ought not bee admitted in triall of Armes cap. 1. Whether a Bastard may challenge a Gentleman to Combat cap. 2. Of restitution of Honor. cap. 3. Of the disequalitie of Gentlemen cap. 4. Of Iniurie done with aduantage cap. 5. Of Iniuries euill offered cap. 6. Of Satisfaction cap. 7. What satisfaction is to bee giuen vppon an Iniurie by deedes cap. 8. Other meanes of Pacification and composition cap. 9. Of satisfaction to be giuen vpon words cap. 10. How the giuing of satisfaction is a thing not reproachfull cap. 11. The fourth Booke OF Nobilitie accompanied with great dignitie cap. 1. Whether a King may challenge an Emperour to Combat cap. 2. Whether a quarrell betweene two Emperours may be decided by particular Combat cap. 3. Of the equalitie and disequalitie of great Nobilitie and of the priuiledges due vnto all men professing Armes cap. 4. Certeine Questions Opinions and Iudgements vpon accidents happening in trialls and exercises of Armes cap. 5. Of the honor gained or lost by being disarmed in sundrie places and of sundrie peeces cap. 6. Of honor gained or lost by the hurts giuen or taken in Combat for life or in Triumph cap. 7. Of Iusts and Turniamens and how the accidents in such exercises are to be iudged cap. 8. The manner of Combats as they were auncientlie tried in England cap. 9. Certeine Combats for life graunted by the Kings of England cap. 10. Certaine Combats for Triumph and Honor performed before the Kings of England cap. 11. The ceremonie appertaining to deliuerie of Prizes at Iusts Turniaments before the King cap. 12. The fifth Booke OF what qualitie a Gentleman professing Armes ought to be cap. 1. Of Knighthood cap. 2. Of the originall of Knighthood giuen as dignitie and what Princes haue authoritie to make Knights cap. 3. The Ceremonie at the making Knights about the yere of our Lord 1020. cap. 4. The Ceremonies at the disgrading Knights in those dayes cap. 5. How manie degrees of Knighthood haue been of them how manie are yet extant cap. 6. Of the Order of the Garter cap. 7. Other degrees of Knighthood in England cap. 8. The order of the Toson and originall thereof cap. 9. The order of S. Michael cap. 10. The Order of the Anunciata cap. 11. Knights of the Band. cap. 12. Knights of S. Iago cap. 13. Knights of Calatraua cap. 14. Knights of Alcantara cap. 15. Knights of Montesio cap. 16. Knights of Redemption cap. 17. Knights of S. Iohn in Ierusalem of some called Knights of the Rhodes and now Knights of Malta cap. 18. Knights Teutonici cap. 19. Knights of the Sepulcher cap. 20. Knights of S. Marie cap. 21. Knights of S. Lazaro cap. 22. Knights of S. Steuen cap. 23. Ceremonies in degradation of Knights cap. 24. The Authors Intention cap. 25. The Authors Conclusion cap. 26. FINIS THE BOOKE OF Honor and Armes VVhat a Combat is and the originall thereof CAP. 1. A COMBAT is a single fight of one man against another for trial of truth either els of diuers men as two foure sixe tenne or more equallie and indifferentlie agreed vppon to fight on horsbacke or foot without aduantage in number of persons or disequalitie of weapons These kind of fights seeme to be first vsed of great Princes who desiring to end publique Contention and warre did mutuallie consent to determine the same by their owne priuate vertue and aduenture of life as did Golias and Dauid the Horatij and Curiatij with diuers other who fighting onlie in person for the publique cause therby saued the effusion of much bloud and the liues of many most worthie Captaines and valiant Soldiers And albeit the cause and occasion of these Combats was publique respect yet each particular Gentleman or other person professing Honor and Armes ought sufficientlie bee moued therevnto for defence of his owne particular reputation which respect and haplie also some publique occasion mooued the Combat of Aeneas with Turnus of Menelaus with Alexander of Pulfius with Varenus of Robert Mountfort with Henrie Earle of Essex in England yea Kings and Princes haue of late time done the like as Charles the third King of France with the King of Hungarie Alfonso King of Spaine with Richard Earle of of Cornwall and King Alfonso with King Ranier These particular fights were first vsed among the people called Lombardes as appeareth by the lawes written by Aliprandus one of the Kings that gouerned that Nation yet true it is that the Combats of those People and in that Age were tried with no other weapons but onelie certeine shields and staues of wood vnlesse it were for cause of infidelitie Neither seemeth it that the chiefe occasion of their fight was respect of Honor nor that the vanquished should become dishonored or Prisoner vnto the vanquisher as since hath been vsed Of the order of challenging and defending CAP. 2. FIrst is to bee considered that all Iniuries are either by words or by deeds and that in euerie Iniurie by words the Iniurer ought bee the Challenger but in an Iniurie by deedes the Iniured ought to challenge as for example Simon saith to Austen thou art a Traitor Austen answereth Thou liest then doth it behooue Simon to mainteine his words and consequentlie to challenge Austen to the Combat An Iniurie by deedes is thus Simon giueth a hurt a cut or other violence vnto Austen whereat offended he saith Thou hast done me offence violence iniurie or such like speach Simon answereth Thou liest Then behoueth it that Austen do challenge Simon and force him by fight to mainteine the hurt he offred Wherfore as a rule or maxime in matter of Honor it is speciallie to be noted that whosoeuer is truelie and lawfullie belied must of force become Challenger to mainteine that he spake or did and wherevppon the Lie is giuen him And although some men rather to shewe the dexteritie of their wits than the valour of their mindes will at such occasion vse many superfluous words whereby further speach of offence doth followe and so take opportunitie to giue the Lie vnto whom the hurt by hand was giuen yet the true and precise reason of Honor is that he who gaue the blowe hurt should without further dispute be challenged vnlesse he denie the doing thereof with offer of satisfaction Thus appeareth brieflie that whosoeuer is lawfullie belied ought by Armes to challenge mainteine and proue that which he affirmed or did in preiudice of the honor or person of the Iniured For what cause the partie belied ought to challenge and of the nature of the Lie CAP. 3. FOr so much as in ordinarie triall by lawe and ciuill Iudgements whosoeuer standeth accused by deniall of such accusation is free from condemning vntill further proofe be made euen so in euerie imposition by speach contrarie to
them the great Antiochia before which they begun the siege the 20. of October and tooke it the last of May following where they found Corbona King of Persia and Cassiano Lord of Antiochia Neere vnto that place in one other conflict were slaine more then an hundred thousand Turkes with the losse of foure thousand of ours The cause of this victorie was in that time of Superstition imputed to the vertue of a bloudie Launce found in Antiochia which they supposed to bee a Speare wherewith Christ was wounded on the Crosse. It was also said that the Turks did see or imagine to see as they reported another great Armie comming against them from the Mounteines conducted by three Capteines mounted vppon three white horses the beholding whereof occasioned their flight This victorie being had a Nauie ariued frō Genoa and from Venice Also with them came certeine ships conducted by one Vymer of Bullein in Picardie a notable Pirate who repenting his former life determined to followe that honorable action The Christian forces thus increased they marched towards Ierusalem and besieged it And notwithstanding the Citie was of great force yet by Gods helpe and the valorous aduenture of the Christians it was assaulted and in the end yeelded Anno 1099. This Citie thus conquered the said Peter as the chiefe procurer of the enterprise was highlie honored and Godfrey Duke of Lorayn elected King of the Holy land But to returne vnto the originall of these Knights I say that somewhat before the Christians conquered the Citie of Ierusalem they had obteined of the Saracens leaue to dwell neere vnto the Sepulcher of Christ and there builded an house calling it the Hospitall of Christians whether all other Christians dailie resorted After that the number of Christians increasing they builded another house for women calling it S. Mary Magdalens And at length they made a third house and called it S. Iohn Baptists where for the keeping of good order they appoynted an Officer whom they called Rector Sometime after was elected vnto that Rectorship a Gentleman called Gherardus who commaunded that he with all others of that house should weare a white Crosse vpon a blacke garment which was the originall of the Order and euer since hath been vsed Afterwards one other Rector or great Master was elected whose name was Raimondus to whom authoritie was giuen that he should gouerne and commaund all the Knights of this Order wheresoeuer they were dispersed Many yeares after these Knights conquered the I le of Rhodi holden by the Turkes Anno 1308. which was the cause they were called Knights of Rhodi And diuers Princes seeing them Martiallie enclined gaue vnto them great lands and possessions they became greatlie esteemed for their seruice chieflie against the said Turkes and the Soldan King of Egipt and Ierusalem The said I le of Rhodi during those Knights inhabited there was foure times assaulted yet by Gods helpe with the valiancie of the Knights it was defended Then Mahomet Ottoman Emperour of Turkie Anno 1480. with an excessiue force of men and an hundred sailes of Gallies conducted by a Bassa borne in Greece discended of the rase of Paleologhi sometime Emperours of Constantinople did besiege it but after 89. daies of continuall batterie they were forced to abandon the enterprise and for their farewell in the last assault the Knights slewe more then fortie thousand Turkes But in the yeare 1523. in the moneth of Ianuarie the Turkes againe inuaded that Iland and after three moneths siege preuailed for the rest of Christendom neuer vouchsafed them either aide or reliefe Since the losse of Rhodi these Knights haue remained in the Iland of Malta and often defended it against the enemies of Christendome but chieflie in the yeare 1565. The first erector of Statutes and rules for the gouernment of these Knights was the said Raimondus calling himselfe Raimondo di Poggio seruo di poueri di Christo è custode dello spidale de San Giouanni Battista di Hierusalemme No man might be receiued into this Knighthood vntill he had prooued his gentilitie in presence of the great Master and other Knights Nor no man discended of a Moore a Iew or Mahometan might bee admitted although he were the sonne of a Prince And euerie Knight of this Order was sworne to fight for the Christian faith doo iustice defend the oppressed relieue the poore persecute the Mahometans vse vertue and protect widdowes and orphants Diuers other Articles there bee but for that they are full of Superstition I omit them The originall of the Knights Teutonici CAP. 19. THese Knights do not much varie from the former for their custome is to intertein Pilgrimes and at occasions to serue in warre The beginning of this Knighthood was a certeine Almaine who after the taking of Ierusalem by the Christians together with diuers others of that Nation remained there This Almaine being exceeding rich and married kept a franke and liberall house relieuing all passengers and Pilgrimes that trauailed to Ierusalem in so much as his house became as an Hospitall or place of ordinarie accesse At length he builded neere vnto it a faire Church which according to the vse of that time he did dedicate to our Ladie Not long after many Christians resorting thether as well for loue of the Christian religion as to visite the sicke they resolued to erect a fraternitie and hauing chosen a great Master to bee Gouernour ordeined that euerie man of that assotiation should bee apparelled in white and vpon their vppermost garment weare a blacke Crosse. It was also agreed that no man should bee admitted into that Order saue onelie Gentlemen of the Dutch Nation and they to protest at all occasions to aduenture their liues in defence of Christes Gospell About 88. yeares after Ierusalem had remained in the Christians hands it was taken againe from them by the Saracens in the yeare 1184. since which time it neuer was recouered For which cause these Knights retired to Tolemaida where they remained At length Tolemaida being also taken by the Saracens they returned into Germanie their naturall countrie Where after some short abode as loathing rest and idlenes they went vnto Frederigo the second then Emperour in the yeare 1220. to let his Maiestie vnderstand that the people of Prussia vsed incursions vpon the confines of Saxonie adding that those people were barbarous Idolaters without the knowledge of God and therefore besought his Maiestie to grant them leaue to make warre vpon them at their owne charges yet with condition that whatsoeuer they gained his Maiestie would giue the same to the maintenance of that Order and they the Knights to be the Lords thereof for euer The Emperour allowing of that suite presentlie granted them the Countrie and vnder his seale confirmed the gift These Knights by this donation much incouraged forthwith tooke Armes and within short space subdued al that Prouince and then passed the riuer of Vistola and conquered other people who became their subiects