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With Arcita, in stories as men fynde, |
| The grete Emetreus, the kyng of Inde, |
| Upon a steede bay, trapped in steel, |
| 1300 | Covered in clooth of gold dyapred weel, |
| Cam ridynge lyk the god of armes, Mars. |
| His cote-armure was of clooth of Tars, |
| Couched with perles white and rounde and grete. |
| His sadel was of brend gold newe ybete; |
| 1305 | A mantelet upon his shuldre hangynge |
| Bret-ful of rubyes rede, as fyr sparklynge. |
| His crispe heer lyk rynges was yronne, |
| And that was yelow, and glytered as the sonne. |
| His nose was heigh, hise eyen bright citryn, |
| 1310 | Hise lippes rounde, his colour was sangwyn; |
| A fewe frakenes in his face yspreynd, |
| Bitwixen yelow and somdel blak ymeynd, |
| And as a leoun he his looking caste. |
| Of fyve and twenty yeer his age I caste; |
| 1315 | His berd was wel bigonne for to sprynge, |
| His voys was as a trompe thonderynge. |
| Upon his heed he wered of laurer grene |
| A gerland, fressh and lusty for to sene. |
| Upon his hand he bar for his deduyt |
| 1320 | An egle tame, as any lilye whyt. |
| An hundred lordes hadde he with hym there, |
| Al armed, save hir heddes, in al hir gere, |
| Ful richely in alle maner thynges. |
| For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kynges, |
| 1325 | Were gadered in this noble compaignye, |
| For love, and for encrees of chivalrye. |
| Aboute this kyng ther ran on every part |
| Ful many a tame leoun and leopard, |
| And in this wise thise lordes, alle and some |
| 1330 | Been on the sonday to the citee come, |
| Aboute pryme, and in the toun alight. |
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| With Arcita, in tales men call to mind, |
| The great Emetreus, a king of Ind, |
| Upon a bay steed harnessed all in steel, |
| 1300 | Covered with cloth of gold, all diapered well, |
| Came riding like the god of arms, great Mars. |
| His coat-of-arms was cloth of the Tartars, |
| Begemmed with pearls, all white and round and great. |
| Of beaten gold his saddle, burnished late; |
| 1305 | A mantle from his shoulders hung, the thing |
| Close-set with rubies red, like fire blazing. |
| His crisp hair all in bright ringlets was run, |
| Yellow as gold and gleaming as the sun. |
| His nose was high, his eyes a bright citrine, |
| 1310 | His lips were full, his colouring sanguine. |
| And a few freckles on his face were seen, |
| None either black or yellow, but the mean; |
| And like a lion he his glances cast. |
| Not more than five-and-twenty years he'd past. |
| 1315 | His beard was well beginning, now, to spring; |
| His voice was as a trumpet thundering. |
| Upon his brows he wore, of laurel green, |
| A garland, fresh and pleasing to be seen. |
| Upon his wrist he bore, for his delight, |
| 1320 | An eagle tame, as any lily white. |
| A hundred lords came riding with him there, |
| All armed, except their heads, in all their gear, |
| And wealthily appointed in all things. |
| For, trust me well, that dukes and earls and kings |
| 1325 | Were gathered in this noble company |
| For love and for increase of chivalry. |
| About this king there ran, on every side, |
| Many tame lions and leopards in their pride. |
| And in such wise these mighty lords, in sum, |
| 1330 | Were, of a Sunday, to the city come |
| About the prime, and in the town did light. |
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