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HASTILUDE CHAMBER, GOODRICH COURT. 



To the Editor of the Analyst, 



Sir, — Perceiving in your account of Mr. Planch e's admirable 

 work on costume, allusion to the armour at Goodrich Court, in 

 the county of Hereford, I trouble you with some account of the 

 Hastilude chamber in that edifice, from a few notes I made in a 

 tour on the justly-celebrated river Wye. It is probably known 

 to several of your readers, that the collection is the finest any 

 where to be found possessed by an individual, and, chronologically 

 speaking, perhaps the most comprehensive in the world. It is 

 disposed in several apartments of a building, the architecture of 

 which dates from the close of the reign of Edward I. to the 

 commencement of that of Edward III., and is so arranged as to 

 produce both effect and instruction. 



The hastilude chamber, as the name imports, is appropriated 

 to the tournament, and never did I see so perfect a representation 

 of that most fascinating delight of our ancestors. Opposite the 

 entrance appears the heraldic tree, from the branches of which 

 are suspended the seven shields of the combatants, of various 

 shapes, according to the dates of their armour. At the foot of 

 this is a plain pedestal, against which is the placard setting 

 forth the conditions of the tournament; upon it a tilting helmet 

 of the time of Henry VII., with its crest surrounded by the 

 wreath, which is thus demonstrated to be formed of two scarfs 

 intertwined and tied behind ; and in front of it another of the 

 period of Henry VI., such as it appears on seals in that age. 

 The figures are separated from the company by a railing, which 

 was called the lists from the French lices, a corruption of the 

 Italian lizza. Against the wall is the royal box, in an elevated 

 position, with a herald on each side. It has a handsome canopy 

 of ancient gothic carving in oak, under which is a piece of 

 tapestry of the time of Henry VI., and in front a crimson velvet 

 cloth, with the initials H. R., and the portcullis, besides the 

 fringe, of a golden hue. These heralds are dressed in their 

 tabards, wear on their heads black velvet caps, and on their legs 

 red stockings. One holds a casque as a reward for the defendants 

 of the lists, if successful ; the other a sword for the attacking 

 party, who accept the challenge in case of their conquest. In 

 front are two knights in full tournament armour of the reigns of 

 Heniy VIII. and Elizabeth, on galloping horses, and just about 

 to strike each other. The former in the coursing hat and men- 

 toniere, his thighs protected by sockets on the saddle, and with 

 an enormous lance, with a beautiful vamplate. His horse is 

 richly caparisoned in crimson and amber silk damask, with the 

 word l^urnj^egm occurring four times on a black velvet border. 

 On the chanfron are the arms of Frederick Von Hurnheym, of 



