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560 Ancient Games and Pastimes. 
The principal features of chivalry were devotion to the pro- 
tection of religion, and an exaggerated gallantry towards the 
fair sex which almost amounted to worship. The knights 
sought to win the smiles and the admiration of their ladies 
by their exploits in war and in warlike pastimes. Even 
in those martial ages real battles were not frequent 
enough to satisfy the spirit of emulation thus aroused— 
hence the love of jousts and tournaments, which were in 
fact very lively representations of actual warfare. 
Tournaments took their rise about the middle of the 
eleventh century, but they do not appear to have been held 
in England before the reign of Stephen. Henry II. did 
not allow them during his reign, on account of the danger 
and frequent loss of life with which they were attended. 
Richard Cceur-de-Lion revived them, since he observed 
that the French knights, by practising in tournaments, 
acquired more dexterity in the use of their weapons than 
the English. 
Tournaments were combats between two parties of 
knights, who engaged and fought promiscuously. The 
weapons used were swords without points, and clubs. By 
the laws of the tournament the combatants were bound to 
strike each other only on those parts of the body which 
were thoroughly defended by the armour, yet accidents 
frequently happened: the knights were often thrown from 
-their horses, and as the weight of their armour rendered it 
difficult for them to rise, they were liable to be trodden to 
death or very seriously injured. ‘Tournaments were gene- 
rally held by two barons, one of whom challenged the 
other; the knights who fought ranged themselves on the 
side of one or other of the nobles. The heralds and 
kings-at-arms gave notice in the following terms: “ Be it 
known, lords, knights, and esquires, ladies and gentle- 
men, you are hereby acquainted that a superb achieve- 
ment at arms and a most grand and noble tournament 
will be held,” and the date, place, and names of the 
nobles were proclaimed. The two barons on whose 
part the tournament was undertaken were required to 
be at their lodges or pavilions two days before the com- 
mencement of the sports, and to set up their banners in 
front of the ground or parade assigned to them. Those 
who wished to be admitted as combatants had also to set 
up their arms and banners in front of the parade allotted 
to the baron with whom they intended to side; they were 
also obliged, two days before the tournament, to show 
