The celebration of a tournament was preceded and accbmpjbfied by many
acts and ceremonies, which were exactly defined.and determined,by a régulai
code of laws. It-was announced long before ^ e^ ^m e appointed for ifgfJtle-
bration, in a'ceremonious manner, in all the civilized states in the-wést of
Europe, in order" that all knights who'stood high in- chivalric fam eS ^ h t
have the opportunity of attending. In King René’s -book these forms- l id
ceremonies are not only declared in writing, but” they-are represented lio} ||he
eye by a series ^of spirited' illustrations of a tournament between the duke of
Bourbon and the duke of „Brittany. Our plate, represents the fifth in;ordèr of
this "series of drawings. The person standing on a. block between t|ll§TO
poursuivants, is the King of Arms of the duke of Brittany.' On the- present
has_added to his ordinary costume two yards, of gold-, cloth, or
velvet, in the manner of a small mantle, with a parchment àttaèfied^pn^Kcli
are figured the two combatants ready for the fight. His two- poursuivants,
covered with the ermine of Bretany,are employed in proclaiming tl^fcourna-
ment, and in distributing to those-knights and esquires who intended f e e 'a
part in the tournament-fee shields of. arms ofithe four jugesrdiseurs, orf upÉKires
of the field.
The, cut below, representing a Royal Marriage, is taken from a splendidly
illuminated manuscript life of St^Catherinep executed' m^he fifteenth century,
which formerly belonged to-the library of tfie^diikes of Burgundy, and is ifew
in the Royal Library at Paris.