Now, however, no whit anticipating the oblivion which awaited their

names and feats, the champions advanced through the lists, restraining

their fiery steeds, and compelling them to move slowly, while, at the

same time, they exhibited their paces, together with the grace and

dexterity of the riders. As the procession entered the lists, the

sound of a wild Barbaric music was heard from behind the tents of the

challengers, where the performers were concealed. It was of Eastern

origin, having been brought from the Holy Land; and the mixture of the

cymbals and bells seemed to bid welcome at once, and defiance, to the

knights as they advanced. With the eyes of an immense concourse of

spectators fixed upon them, the five knights advanced up the platform

upon which the tents of the challengers stood, and there separating

themselves, each touched slightly, and with the reverse of his lance,

the shield of the antagonist to whom he wished to oppose himself. The

lower orders of spectators in general--nay, many of the higher class,

and it is even said several of the ladies, were rather disappointed

at the champions choosing the arms of courtesy. For the same sort

of persons, who, in the present day, applaud most highly the deepest

tragedies, were then interested in a tournament exactly in proportion to

the danger incurred by the champions engaged.

Having intimated their more pacific purpose, the champions retreated

to the extremity of the lists, where they remained drawn up in a line;

while the challengers, sallying each from his pavilion, mounted their

horses, and, headed by Brian de Bois-Guilbert, descended from the

platform, and opposed themselves individually to the knights who had

touched their respective shields.

At the flourish of clarions and trumpets, they started out against

each other at full gallop; and such was the superior dexterity or

good fortune of the challengers, that those opposed to Bois-Guilbert,

Malvoisin, and Front-de-Boeuf, rolled on the ground. The antagonist of

Grantmesnil, instead of bearing his lance-point fair against the crest

or the shield of his enemy, swerved so much from the direct line as

to break the weapon athwart the person of his opponent--a circumstance

which was accounted more disgraceful than that of being actually

unhorsed; because the latter might happen from accident, whereas the

former evinced awkwardness and want of management of the weapon and of

the horse. The fifth knight alone maintained the honour of his party,

and parted fairly with the Knight of St John, both splintering their

lances without advantage on either side.

The shouts of the multitude, together with the acclamations of the

heralds, and the clangour of the trumpets, announced the triumph of the

victors and the defeat of the vanquished. The former retreated to

their pavilions, and the latter, gathering themselves up as they could,

withdrew from the lists in disgrace and dejection, to agree with their

victors concerning the redemption of their arms and their horses, which,

according to the laws of the tournament, they had forfeited. The fifth

of their number alone tarried in the lists long enough to be greeted

by the applauses of the spectators, amongst whom he retreated, to the

aggravation, doubtless, of his companions' mortification.




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