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196 • 198 HISTORIOAL TOURHAMBNTS., with a thick leather attached so the lance could rest and avoid hurting themselves when rushing into anoth- er man on horseback coming in the opposite direction. Some acquired the knack of having their rest when at the saddle, and a jolt from this having the momen- tum of the horse as well as its superior weight come against a man in the saddle would invariably push him from his steed. In 1066 when William, Duke of Normandy, con- quered England, he is said to have been one of the first to inaugurate the passage or arms or tourna- ments. 7 However, it was unknown in England up to that time, but during the Crusade period, and up to • 1559, or eighteen years after the time of this narra- tive, it was a regular pastime for the elite of military circles; but in 1559, Henry II. of France got injured by a lance breaking and piercing his eye, which caus- ed his death, put a damper on the sport; but history states about the time of our story tournaments were frequently held in the Tilt yard at Smithfield, Lon- don, and as late as 1839 the Earl of Bglinton gave a magnificent entertainment of the old tournament at his castle, wherein many of the nobles encased them- selves in the armor of their ancestors and took part, including Prince Bonaparte, who was afterwards Na- poleon III. of Prance. It further says that Lady Seymour was the queen of beauty. One commenda- ble thing about the old tournament was the rule that none tainted with crime could take part; also no man who had insulted or wronged a woman; in fact none but those supposed to have the knightly honor of a nobl§ci?m were permitted to enter the lists. The re-
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