58 TILT A I/OUT RANCE. 



careful admonitions to his household, he mounted the party-coloured 

 coat, and set out for the place of combat, accompanied by Sebastian 

 Quimbel, still lost in astonishment at the abrupt departure of the 

 stranger. They ascended the Rue Si. Antoine, which at that time 

 was neither town or country, and leaving the Rue des Nonnains 

 d'Hieres on the right hand, they soon arrived at the Culture St. Ca- 

 therine.* In this field was a quantity of grain not yet reaped, 

 several vineyards not yet culled, and vegetables ungathered, and it 

 was with much difficulty the guards stationed there could prevent 

 the people from trampling on and destroying every thing, so great 

 was the press of citizens and strangers, not only from all parts of the 

 Isle of France, but also from Normandy and other quarters. It 

 was, therefore, with great difficulty, and not without the liberal ap- 

 plication of many a hearty cuff, that Marcoquet and Sebastian 

 contrived to approach the field of combat. Here, according to the 

 ancient regulation of Philippe le Bel, the said field was so disposed 

 as to admit of each champion having his share of the sun : it was 

 formed by a double enclosure of oaken stakes, interwoven with 

 osiers, sufficiently secure to prevent their being forced by animals 

 above or below, and strong enough to sustain the shock of an armed 

 knight on horseback. The field was forty paces wide, by eighty in 

 length, and the ground was rolled and levelled like the floor of a 

 barn ; to increase the smoothness of the surface a number of children 

 had been admitted the night before to play at croq-madame, and 

 cheval-mallet. 



In the outer enclosure were stationed the archers of the Provost, 

 and the guard of the Marshal of the Field, and at the closed barriers 

 on either side the kings-at-arms, heralds, and poursuivants, dressed 

 in their tunics, badges, and coats of arms. Above were erected 

 galleries, hung with cloth of arras, and that which was intended for 

 the King was conspicuous from its tapestry, whereon were repre- 

 sented the history of " Madame Judith," carrying the head of " Le 

 Baron Holof ernes," and the emblems of the seven deadly sins. The 

 other galleries were decked in fresh array, and occupied by numbers 

 of knights, and ladies of high degree, of whom the latter could, on 

 occasion of ajouste a I'outrance, withdraw at their pleasure from the 

 lists, by means of a private stair, as soon as they had witnessed the 

 arrival of the King and the combatants. It was a noble sight to see 

 these fair ladies, with their party-coloured robes yellow and blue 

 red and white green and black according to their design of repre- 

 senting the colours of their husbands' blazon, as or and azure gules 

 and argent sable and sinople. Their hair, divided in front, was 

 braided across the forehead, and fastened behind the head; the 

 greater part wore the hanin, a species of pyramidal cap covered with 

 lace, embroidered in silver, from whence hung a long veil, floating 



* The Culture of St. Catherine was a large open space, situated between the 

 Rues St. Antoine, Jean Beau-Sire, Pavee, des Trois Pavilions, and des Francs- 

 Bourgeois. It consisted of fields, gardens, and vineyards, and the lists for the 

 tournaments were selected there. 



