THE KNIGHTES TALE, 147
The statue of Venus, glorious for to see,
Was naked fletyng in the large see,
And fro the navele doun al covered was
With wawes grene, and brighte as eny glas.
A^itole in hire right hond hadde sche,
And on hire heed, ful semely for to see,
A rose garland fresch and wel smellyng,
Above hire heed hire dowves flikeryng.
Biforn hire stood hire sone -Cupido,
Upon his schuldres wynges hadde he two \
And blynd he was, as it is ofte seene ;
A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene.
Why schulde I nought as wel eek telle j/ou al
The portreiture, that was upon the wal
Withinne the temple of mighty Mars the reede ?
Al peynted was the wal in lengthe and breede
Lik to the estres of the grisly place,
That highte the g;rete temple of Mars in Trace,.
In thilke colde frosty regioun,
Ther as Mars hath his sovereyn mancioun.
First on the wal was peynted a forest,
In which ther dwelleth neyther man ne best,
With knotty narry bareyne trees olde
Of stubbes scharpe and hidous to byholde;
In which ther ran a swymbel in a swough,
As though a storm schulde bersten every bough :
And downward on an hil under a bente,
Ther stood the temple of Marz armypotente,
Wrought al of burned steel, of which thentre
Was long and streyt, and gastly for to see.
And therout cam a rage and such a vese,
That it made al the gates for to rese.
The northen light in at the dores schon,
For wyndowe on the wal ne was ther noon,
Thurgh which men mighten any light discerne.
The dores were alle of ademauntz eterne,
I-clenched overthwart and endelong