This sounds more like real war than courtly pastime, and we see how terribly in earnest this young soldier was.  The allusion to “those who keep the camp” is to the marshals of the tournament and the heralds-at-arms who kept a very close watch on the combatants.  They also maintained on this miniature battlefield the laws of chivalry and courtesy, giving help to those who needed it.

When a young squire first entered the lists he was warned by the cry:  “Remember of what race you come and do nothing contrary to your honour.”  There were many strict rules to be observed; for instance, it was forbidden to strike your adversary with the point, although it was usually blunted (but not in this tournament of Bayard’s).  It was forbidden to attack the horse of your opponent, and this we can quite understand, for in those days, when a knight wore complete and heavy armour, if his horse were killed he was absolutely at the mercy of his enemy.  It was always made a ground of complaint against the Spaniards that they attacked the horses of the foe.  In a tournament it was the rule only to strike at the face or the chest, both well protected by the visor and the breastplate, and to cease at once if the adversary raised the visor of his helmet.  Also no knight was to fight out of his rank when making a rush together.  This was very important when the champions were divided into two companies under the order of two chiefs, and were placed exactly opposite each other, at the two ends of the arena.  On a signal made by the marshals of the tournament, they charged impetuously upon each other, with their horses at full gallop.  They held the lances straight out until the signal came, then lowering the lances, they rushed forward amid a cloud of dust with loud war-cries and the fight became a furious scuffle.  The knights who had stood the first shock without being unhorsed or wounded, pressed forward and fought with the sword, until one of the marshals threw his wand of office into the arena to show that the contest was over.

In these tournaments the horses were frequently armed as well as their riders, and they were often gaily caparisoned with emblazoned housings, sometimes of very costly material, such as satin embroidered with gold or silver.

At the time when young Bayard joined his company at Aire, there were stationed in Picardy at no great distance about seven or eight hundred men-at-arms in these regulation companies (compagnies d’ordonnance) as they were called.  When they were not actually employed on duty, they were very glad to take their pleasure in all sorts of warlike games.  As we may suppose, they were delighted to take part in the proposed tournament.  Amongst these companies there were some of the famous Scotch Guards, who had first been taken into the service of France by Charles VII.