THE KX1GHTES TALE. I 61
Though Mars schal helpe his knight, yet natheles
Bitwixe jou ther moot som tyme be pees,
Al bej'e nought of oo complexioun,
That causeth al day such divisioun.
I am thin ayel, redy at thy wille;
Wep thou nomore, I wol thi lust fulfilled
Now wol I stynten of the goddes above,
Of Mars, and of Venus goddesse of love,
And telle jyou, as pleinly as I can,
The grete effect for which that I bigan.
Crete was the feste in Athenes that day, And eek the lusty sesoun of that May Made every wight to ben'in such plesaunce, That al that Monday jousten they and daunce, And spenden hit in Venus heigh servise. But by the cause that they schulde arise Erly for to seen the grete fight, Unto their reste wente they at nyght. • And on the morwe when that day ga-n sprynge, Of hors and herneys noyse and claterynge Ther was in the hostelryes al aboute; And to the paleys rood ther many a route Of lordes, upon steedes and palfreys. Ther mayst thou seen devysyng qf henaeys So uncowth and so riche, and wrought so wel Of goldsmithrye, of browdyng, and of steel; The scheldes brighte, testers, and trappuresj Gold-beten helmes, hauberkes, cote-armures; Lordes in paramentz on here courseres, Knightes of retenue, and eek squyeres Naylyng the speres, and helmes bokelynge, Giggyng of scheeldes, with layners lasynge; Ther as need is, they were nothing ydel; The fomy steedes on the golden bridel Gnawyng, and faste the armurers also With fyle and hamer prikyng to and fro ; Yemen on foote, and communes many oon VOL. iv.(9 L