The Travels of Leo of Rozmital Through Germany, Flanders, England, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy 1465-1467 by Letts Malcolm;

Author:Letts, Malcolm;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hakluyt Society

SCHASECK, (p. 70ff.)

In the town of Olmedo we met with the King of Spain.3 There lord John Zehrowsky wrestled with a Spaniard, and three bishops and many other men looked on; but the King was not present at the contest. When it was time for the wrestling to begin lord John was told of the conditions or rules of the contest: they observed the custom there that neither should take the other by any parts or limbs below the belt, but only above the belt. When the contest began lord John took his opponent’s shoulders and forced him against a stone bench (for the Spaniard was a man of small stature while lord John was a tall man). Then, when he staggered a little, lord John forced him to fall and sit upon the stone. Lord John won this victory by a happy chance, for his throwing of his opponent was a great marvel to the bishops and the other men who watched, for he had never before gone beaten from the wrestling. The King, being informed of these happenings, sent the same bishops and some of the knights to my lord to ask him in the King’s name to command lord John to repeat the match with a second adversary. Lord John refused, but my lord, not wishing the bishops’ requests to be in vain, asked him to wrestle again with the same opponent. Whereupon the wrestler with the greatest ease threw lord John to the ground. At this display the King himself and the bishops were present with others, whose joyful and exultant cries of congratulation at the victory greatly offended the King, the bishops, and other nobles.

Afterwards the wrestler came to my lord in his lodging and touching him said that he must be endowed with great strength of body. Then he took my lord by the hand and led him a little from the place, so that my lord wondered greatly what was toward. Whereupon the Spaniard went up to lord John Zehrowsky, put his hand on lord John’s shoulder and sprang with his feet together over his head and shoulder. Then lord John said to my lord: ‘Never, by Hercules, have I seen the like of this, that so small a manikin should have so much strength in him. If I had not experienced it, I would not have believed it myself.’ It was said of him, though we did not see it ourselves, that he could run in armour six or seven miles so fast that no one dressed only in a linen undergarment could keep up with him, let alone overtake him. The King resided very often in Olmedo. My lord and his attendants looked for a badge or symbol of the King’s fellowship, which he gave them.1

I have little to write about this town [Olmedo] except that the inhabitants are worse than the heathen. At the sacrament, when the body of our Lord is elevated, no one falls on his knees, but all stand upright like brute beasts.

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