Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/248

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF


part of the seventeenth century, appears the motto, ich dien, with a circle of rays surroiuiding a central compartment, now vacant, in which was displayed, probably, the triple plume of the Prince of Wales. This device would give rise to a conjecture that this precious volume had passed into the possession of the gallant Prince Henry, son of James I.[1] At some future occasion we hope to offer to our readers a more detailed description of this curious MS., and of the interesting limnings which illustrate its contents.

The volume commences with instructions regarding equipment for the jousts of peace, illustrated by a large and very curious illumination, representing two knights in the presence of a princess of Prance, running at the barriers, and in the act of shivering their strong lances, tipped with three pointed coronals. One of them bears the cross of St. George upon his shield, and his crest is very singular, three damsels en- closed in a basket. The other knight bears a plain blue shield, and his crest is a harpy, ducally crowned and gorged. The following document was given by the late Mr. Douce, in the Archa^ologia, from a volume which once belonged to Sir John Paston, in the reign of EdAvard IV., now preserved amongst the Lansdowne MSS. in the British Museum[2].

Abilment for the Justus of the pees.
A helme welle stuffyd, with a Crest of hys de-vijs.
A peyre of platus, and xxx Gyders.
A hauscement[3] for the Bode, with slevis.
A botton, with a tresse in the platis.
A schelde coverid, with his devijs.
A Rerebrace[4], with a rolle of ledyr well stuffid.
A Maynfere, withe a ring.
A rerebrasce, a moton.
A vambrase, and a gaynpayne and ij brickettus.
And ij dosyn tressis, and vj vamplatus.
And xij Grapers[5], and xij Cornallis, and xl Speris.
And a Armerer with a liamor and pynsons.

  1. ↑ Upon the fly-leaf are scribbled the following memorials, possibly of ancient possessors of the book. Thomas fytz-hugh port azur, a fesse inter 3 bucketes sable, hooped or.— Bryan Tunstalle—Thomas Tunstalle—Dieu Garde page. And the distich,
    Qui a aultrui fait cc quil ne doit
    Ce lui aduieiit quil no vouldroit. R. P.
  2. ↑ Lansd. MS. No. 285. f. 10. Arclueol. vol. xvii. p. 291. It is also copied by Sir Samuel Meyrick, in his Critical Enquiry, vol. ii. p. 188. (p. 154. edit. 1834.)
  3. ↑ Haustement, Lansd. MS. Compare Haulse, the underlaying of a shooe." Cotgrave.
  4. ↑ Rerebrake, Lansd. MS.
  5. ↑ xii. Grapers, explained by Sir Samuel Meyrick as denoting holders for the gripe. See note q infra.
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