#  The Tournament of Tottenham (15th Cent.) 

 



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##### The text has been modernized, though many old forms have been allowed to stand; they are glossed. The text is in the Northen Middle English dialect; occasional Northernisms have been retained

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**Of all these keen conquerours to carpe it were kind;**  
**Of fele fighting folk ferly we find:**  
**The Tournament of Tottenham have we in mind.**   
**It were harm such hardiness were holden behind,**   
**In story as we read,**   
**Of Hawkyn, of Herry,**   
**Of Tomkyn, of Terry,**   
**Of them that were doughty**   
**And stalwart in deed.**   
  
**It befell in Totenham on a dear day**   
**There was made a shurting by the highway.**  
**Thither came all the men of the country**   
**Of Hyssyltoun, of Hygate, and of Hakenay**   
**And all the sweet swinkers:**  
**There hopped Hawkyn,**   
**There danced Dawkyn,**   
**There trumped Tomkyn;**   
**And all were true drinkers**   
  
**Till the day was gone and Even-song past,**   
**That they should reckon their scot and their contes cast.**  
**Perkyn the potter into the press past,**  
**And said, "Randolf the reeve, a daughter thou hast --**   
**Tyb, the dear;**   
**Therefor wit would I**  
**Which of all this bachelery**  
**Were best worthy**   
**To wed her to his fere."**  
  
**Up start these gadelinges with their long staves,**  
**And said, "Randolf the reeve, lo! this lad raves!**   
**Boldly among us thy daughter he craves,**   
**And we are richer men than he, and more good haves**  
**Of cattle and corn."**   
**Then said Perkyn, "To Tybbe I have hight**  
**That I shall be always ready in my right,**   
**If that it should be this day seven-night**  
**Or else yet tomorn."**  
  
**Then said Randolf the reeve, "Ever be he waryed**  
**That about this carping longer would be tarried!**   
**I would not that my daughter that she were miscarried,**   
**But at her most worship I would she were married.**   
**Therefor a tournament shall begin**   
**This day seven-night,**   
**With a flail forto fight;**   
**And he that is of most might**   
**Shall brook her with winne.**  
  
**"Whoso bears him best in the tournament,**   
**Him shall be granted the gre, be the common assent,**  
**Forto winne my daughter with doughtiness of dent,**  
**And Coppeld, my brood-hen, was brought out of Kent,**   
**And my donned cow. For no spens will I spare,**  
**For no cattle will I care;**   
**He shall have my gray mare,**   
**And my spotted sow!"**   
  
**There was many bold lad there bodies to bede.**  
**Than they took their leave and homeward they yede.**  
**And all the week afterward they graithed their weed,**  
**Till it come to the day that they should do their deed.**   
**They armed them in mats;**   
**They set on there nolles,**  
**Forto keep there polles,**  
**Good black bowls,**   
**For battering of bats.**   
  
**They sowed them in sheep skins for they should not brest;**  
**Ilkon took a black hat instead of a crest,**  
**A harrow broad as a fan above on their breast,**   
**And a flail in their hand for to fight prest.**  
**Forth gon they fare.**  
**There was kid mekil force**  
**Who should best fend his corse;**  
**He that had no good horse,**   
**He got him a mare.**   
  
**Such another gathering have I not seen oft!**   
**When all the great company come riding to the croft,**   
**Tyb on a gray mare was set upon loft**   
**On a sack full of seeds, for she should sit soft,**   
**And led her to the gap;**   
**For crying of all the men,**   
**Further would not Tyb then**   
**Till she had her good brood-hen**   
**Set in her lap.**   
  
**A gay girdle Tyb had on, borrowed for the nones,**  
**And a garland on her head full of round bones,**   
**And a brooch on her brest full of safer stones,**  
**With the holy rode tokening was written for the nones --**   
**No cattle was there spared!**   
**When jolly Gyb saw her there,**   
**He gird so his gray mare**   
**That she let a faucon-fare**  
**At the rearward.**   
  
**"I vow to God," quod Herry, "I shall not leave behind!**   
**May I meet with Bernard on Bayard the blind!**   
**Each man keep him out of my wind,**   
**For whatsoever that he be before me I find,**   
**I wot I shall him grieve!**  
**"Well said!" quod Hawkyn.**   
**"And I avow," quod Dawkyn,**   
**"May I meet with Tomkyn,**   
**His flail him reeve!**  
  
**"I vow to God," quod Hud, "Tyb, soon shall thou see**   
**Which of all this bachelery grant is the gre!**  
**I shall scomfet them all, for the love of thee.**  
**In what place so I come, they shall have dout of me,**  
**Mine armes are so clear:**   
**I here a reddil and a rake**  
**Powdered with a burning drake,**  
**And three cantell of a cake**  
**In each a corner."**   
  
**"I vow to God," quod Hawkyn, "if I have the gout,**   
**All that I find in the field pressing here about,**   
**Have I twice or thrice ridden through the route,**   
**In each a stead there they me see, of me they shall have doute**  
**When I begin to play!**   
**I make a vow that I ne shall -**   
**But if Tybbe will me call,**   
**Ere I be thrice down fall -**   
**Right once come away!"**   
  
**Then said Terry, and swore by his Creed:**   
**"Saw thou never young boy further his body bede;**  
**For when they fight fastest and most are in dread,**   
**I shall take Tyb by the hand and her away lead.**   
**I am armed at the full:**   
**In mine armes I bear well**   
**A dough trough and a pele,**  
**A saddle without a panel,**   
**With a fleece of wool."**   
  
**"I vow to God," quod Dudman, and swore by the straw,**   
**"Whiles me is left my mare, thou getes her not so!**   
**For she is well shapen and light as the roe;**   
**There is no capul in this mile before her shall go.**  
**She will me not beguile;**   
**She will me bear, I dare well say,**   
**On a long summer's day**   
**From Hyssultoun to Hakenay,**   
**Not another half mile."**   
  
**"I vow to God," quod Perkyn, "thou spekes of cold roast!**   
**I shall work wiselier, without any host:**   
**Five of the best capuls that are in this host,**   
**I wot I shall them winne and bring them to my cost,**   
**And here I grant them Tybbe.**   
**Well, boys, here is he**   
**That will fight and not flee,**   
**For I am in my jollity,**   
**With go forth, Gybbe!"'**   
  
**When they had their vows made, forth con they tee**  
**With flails and horns and trumps mad of tree --**   
**There were all the bachelors of that country.**   
**They were dight in array as themself would be:**  
**Their banners were full bright,**   
**Of an old raton fell;**  
**The chevron of a plow-mell,**  
**And the shadow of a bell**  
**Powdered with moonlight.**  
  
**I wot it is no children's game when they together met!**   
**When each a freke in the field on his fellow beat.**  
**And laid on stiffly; for nothing would they let --**   
**And fought ferly fast till their horses sweat,**  
**And few words spoken.**   
**There were flails all to-slattered,**  
**There were shields all to-clattered,**   
**Bowls and dishes all to-battered,**   
**And many heads broken.**   
  
**There was clinking of cart saddles and clattering of cans;**   
**Of fele frekes in the field, broken were their fans;**  
**Of some were the heads broken, of some the brain-pans,**   
**And ill were they beseen ere they went thence.**  
**With sweeping of swepilles,**  
**The boys were so weary forfought**  
**That they might not fight more aloft,**  
**But creeped then about in the croft**   
**As they were crooked cripples.**   
  
**Perkyn was so weary that he began to lout:**  
**"Help! Hud. I am dead in this ilk route!**  
**A horse for forty pence, a good and a stout,**   
**That I may lightly come of my noye out!**  
**For no cost will I spare!"**   
**He start up as a snail**   
**And hent a capul by the tail,**   
**And raught Dawkyn his flail,**  
**And won there a mare.**   
  
**Perkyn won five and Hud won two --**   
**Glad and blithe they were that they had don so.**   
**They would have them to Tyb and present her with those;**   
**The capuls were so weary that they might not go,**   
**But still gon they stand.**  
**"Allas!" quod Hudde, "my joy I lese!**  
**Me had lever then a stone of cheese**   
**That dear Tyb had all these**   
**And wist it were my sand."**  
  
**Perkyn turned him about in that each throng;**  
**Among these weary boys he wrest and he wrung -**   
**He threw them down to the earth and thrust them among,**   
**When he saw Terry away with Tyb fang,**  
**And after him ran.**   
**Off his hors he him drogh**  
**And gave him of his flail enough.**   
**"Whee! tee-hee," quod Tyb and laugh,**   
**"Ye are a doughty man!"**   
  
**Thus they tugged and rugged till it was near night.**  
**All the wives of Totenham come to see that sight,**   
**With wisps and kexes and rushes their light**  
**To fetch home there husbands, that were them troth plight.**   
**And some brought great harwes**  
**Their husbands home for to fetch --**   
**Some on doors and some on hech,**  
**Some on hurdles and some on crech,**  
**And some on wheelbarrows.**   
  
**They gathered Perkyn about, everich side,**  
**And grant him there the gre; the more was his pride.**  
**Tyb and he with great mirth homeward gon they ride,**   
**And were all night together, till the morn tide.**   
**And they in fere assent,**  
**So well his needs he has sped,**   
**That dear Tyb he shall wed --**   
**The prize folk that her led**  
**Were of the tournament.**   
  
**To that ilk feast come many, for the nones:**  
**Some come hip-halt, and some tripping on the stones;**   
**Some a staff in his hand, and some two at once;**   
**Of some were the heads to-broken, and some the shoulder-bones**   
**With sorrow come they thider!**   
**Woe was Hawkyn, woe was Herry,**   
**Woe was Tomkyn, woe was Terry,**   
**And so was all the bachelary**   
**When they met together.**   
  
**At that feast they were served with a riche array --**   
**Every five and five had a cokenay --**  
**And so they sat in jollity all the long day,**   
**And at the last they went to bed with full great deray.**  
**Mekil mirth was them among:**  
**In every corner of the house**   
**Was melody delicious,**   
**For to hear, precious,**   
**Of six men's song.**   
  
 

**carp = tell**   
**many; wonders**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**shurting = feast**   
  
  
**laborers**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
**accounts**   
**crowd passed**   
  
  
**wit = know**   
**group of bachelors**   
  
**as his companion**   
  
**fellows**   
  
  
**have more wealth**   
  
**promised**   
  
**week from today**   
**tomorrow**   
  
**cursed**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**enjoy; pleasure**   
  
  
**prize**   
**blows**   
  
**expense**   
  
  
  
  
**offer**   
**went**   
**prepared; equipment**   
  
  
**heads**   
**protect; crowns**   
  
  
  
**burst**   
**each one**   
  
**ready**   
**did**   
**made known; great**   
**defend; body**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**nonce**   
  
**saphire**   
  
  
  
  
**fart**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
**know**   
  
  
  
**I'll take away**   
  
  
**prize**   
**discomfit**   
**fear**   
  
**reddil = a farm implement**   
**decorated; dragon**   
**sections**   
  
  
  
  
  
**fear**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**offer**   
  
  
  
  
**pele = baker's peal**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
**capul = horse**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**did they go**   
  
  
**drawn up**   
  
**rat skin**   
**plow hammer**   
**outline of a bell**   
**decorated**   
  
  
**warrior**   
  
**wondrously**   
  
**smashed**   
  
  
  
  
  
**many warriors**   
  
**ill treated**   
**ends of flails**   
**fought out**   
**on horses**   
  
  
  
**bow**   
**ilk = very, same**   
  
**trouble**   
  
  
  
**reached, hit with**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
**gon = did**   
**lose**   
  
  
**knew; sending**   
  
**each = very, same**   
  
  
**take (his way)**   
  
**drew**   
  
  
  
  
**scuffled**   
  
**straw; flax**   
  
**sledges**   
  
**gratings**   
**sleds; lattices**   
  
  
**on every side**   
**prize**   
  
  
**together**   
  
  
**excellent**   
  
  
**nonce**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**cock's egg**   
  
**confusion**   
**much**   
  
  
  
  
  






#####   


Modernized from the text of W.C. Hazlitt,

*Remains of Early Popular Poetry in England*

, London, 1864-66.