From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Knight's Tale, lines 1259-1296

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Knight's Tale
lines 1259-1296: Palamon's company

	And right so ferden they with Palamon,
1260	With hym ther wenten knyghtes many on.
	Som wol ben armed in an haubergeoun,
	In a bristplate, and in a light gypoun,
	And som wol have a paire plates large,
	And som wol have a Pruce sheeld, or a targe,
1265	Som wol ben armed on hir legges weel,
	And have an ax, and somme a mace of steel.
	Ther is no newe gyse, that it nas old;
	Armed were they, as I have yow told,
	Everych after his opinioun.

	And so it was with those with Palamon.
1260	With him there rode of good knights many one;
	Some would be armoured in a habergeon
	And in a breastplate, under light jupon;
	And some wore breast-and back-plates thick and large;
	And some would have a Prussian shield, or targe;
1265	Some on their very legs were armoured well,
	And carried axe, and some a mace of steel.
	There is no new thing, now, that is not old.
	And so they all were armed, as I have told,
	To his own liking and design, each one.

1270	Ther maistow seen comyng with Palamoun,
	Lygurge hym-self, the grete kyng of Trace.
	Blak was his berd, and manly was his face,
	The cercles of hise eyen in his heed,
	They gloweden bitwyxen yelow and reed,
1275	And lik a grifphon looked he aboute,
	With kempe heeris on hise browes stoute,
	Hise lymes grete, hise brawnes harde and stronge,
	Hise shuldres brode, hise armes rounde and longe;
	And as the gyse was in his contree,
1280	Ful hye upon a chaar of gold stood he,
	With foure white boles in the trays.
	In stede of cote-armure, over his harnays
	With nayles yelewe and brighte as any gold
	He hadde a beres skyn, col-blak, for old;
1285	His longe heer was kembd bihynde his bak,
	As any ravenes fethere it shoon for-blak.
	A wrethe of gold arm-greet, of huge wighte,
	Upon his heed, set ful of stones brighte,
	Of fyne rubyes and of dyamauntz.
1290	Aboute his chaar ther wenten white alauntz,
	Twenty and mo, as grete as any steer,
	To hunten at the leoun or the deer,
	And folwed hym, with mosel faste ybounde,
	Colored of gold, and tourettes fyled rounde.
1295	An hundred lordes hadde he in his route,
	Armed ful wel, with hertes stierne and stoute.

1270	There might you see, riding with Palamon,
	Lycurgus' self, the mighty king of Thrace;
	Black was his beard and manly was his face.
	The eyeballs in the sockets of his head,
	They glowed between a yellow and a red.
1275	And like a griffon glared he round about
	From under bushy eyebrows thick and stout.
	His limbs were large, his muscles hard and strong.
	His shoulders broad, his arms both big and long,
	And, as the fashion was in his country,
1280	High in a chariot of gold stood he,
	With four white bulls in traces, to progress.
	Instead of coat-of-arms above harness,
	With yellow claws preserved and bright as gold,
	He wore a bear-skin, black and very old.
1285	His long combed hair was hanging down his back,
	As any raven's feather it was black:
	A wreath of gold, arm-thick, of heavy weight,
	Was on his head, and set with jewels great,
	Of rubies fine and perfect diamonds.
1290	About his car there circled huge white hounds,
	Twenty or more, as large as any steer,
	To hunt the lion or the antlered deer;
	And so they followed him, with muzzles bound,
	Wearing gold collars with smooth rings and round.
1295	A hundred lords came riding in his rout,
	All armed at point, with hearts both stern and stout.