The streets of London through the centuries / Thomas Burke.

  • Thomas Burke
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The streets of London through the centuries / Thomas Burke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lockd in a chain, and pulld up and down with a gibbet, at dyvers tymes, til he was dede. The x day of March was a maid boyld in Smythfield for poysoning of dyvers persons. Other spectacles were afforded by the hue-and-cry after thieves and murderers; the penances of culprits in public places; and the spontaneous rejoicings in honour of victories, accessions, or anything else. Jousts and tournaments were held not only at Smithfield, but in the streets and on London Bridge. In 1331 a great tournament was held in Cheapside in the presence of Edward III, his Queen, the French ambassador, and the Mayor and sheriffs. On that occasion the scaffold¬ ing on which the ladies were standing collapsed, and flung them to the ground among the knights. It is an indication of the dyspeptic temper common to those times that the life of the carpenter who built the scaffold was in grave danger until the . queen went on her knees to her lord and begged his clemency. London Bridge saw many a tourney of single combat. One of these was between the Scotch Earl of Crawford, and Lord Wells, the English ambassador to Scotland, to settle the question whether the English or the Scotch were the more valiant. The two men were escorted to the bridge by their followers and on a flourish of trumpets they charged with square-ground spears. The framing and crossing of the later boxing- ring were apparently not unknown on the field of chivalry. The Scotch earl took so many blows from the Englishman on his helmet and visor, and broke so many of his lances, without being unseated, that the English supporters cried that he was fastened to his saddle. Whereupon he dismounted, and showed his saddle, and remounted, and charged the Lord Wells to such effect as to send him full length to the ground unconscious. Then, like a modern boxer, he ran to his defeated opponent, embraced him tenderly, and visited him every day until he was recovered from his injuries. The tourneys held at Smithfield were affairs of more ceremony, and lasted many days, with much feasting. Froissart gives a picture of one of these which may be taken as typical: At the day appointed there issued forth of the Tower, about the third hour of the day, sixty coursers apparelled for the jousts, and upon every one a squire of honour, riding a soft pace; then came forth sixty ladies of honour, mounted upon palfreys, riding on the one side, richly apparelled, and every lady led a knight with a chain of gold; those knights being on the king’s party had their harness and apparel garnished with white harts and crowns of gold about the harts’ necks, and so they came riding through the streets of London to Smithfield, with a great number of trumpets and other instruments of music before them. The king and queen, who were lodged in the bishop’s palace of London, were come from thence, with many great estates, and placed in chambers to see the jousts; the ladies that led the knights were taken down
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