And drew a precious trail: a crown divine
Of laurel did about their temples twine.

Three henchmen were for every knight affign'd,
All in rich livery clad, and of a kind :

White velvet, but unfhorn, for cloaks they wore,
And each within his hand a truncheon bore:
The foremoft held a helm of rare device;
A prince's ranfom would not pay the price.
The fecond bore the buckler of his knight,
The third of cornel-wood a fpear upright,
Headed with piercing fteel, and polish'd bright.
Like to their lords their equipage was feen,
And all their foreheads crown'd with garlands green.
And after thefe came, arm'd with fpear and fhield,
An hoft so great, as cover'd all the field,

And all their foreheads, like the knights before,
With laurels ever-green were fhaded o'er,
Or oak, or other leaves of lafting kind,

Tenacious of the ftem, and firm against the wind.
Some in their hands, befide the lance and fhield,
The boughs of woodbine or of hawthorn held,
Or branches for their myftic emblems took,
Of palm, of laurel, or of cerrial oak.
Thus marching to the trumpet's lofty found,
Drawn in two lines adverse they wheel'd around,
And in the middle meadow took their ground.
Among themfelves the turney they divide,
In equal fquadrons rang'd on either fide.
Then turn'd their horfes heads, and man to man,
And steed to feed oppos'd, the justs began.

They

They lightly fet their lances in the rest,
And, at the fign, against each other prefs'd:
I fitting at my ease beheld

They met.

The mix'd events, and fortunes of the field.

Some broke their fpears, fome tumbled horfe and man,
And round the field the lighten'd courfers ran.
An hour and more, like tides, in equal fway
They rufh'd, and won by turns, and loft the day :
At length the nine (who ftill together held)
Their fainting foes to fhameful fight compel'd,
And with refiftlefs force o'er-ran the field.
Thus, to their fame, when finish'd was the fight,
The victors from their lofty steeds alight:
Like them difmounted all the warlike train,
And two by two proceeded o'er the plain :
Till to the fair affembly they advanc'd,
Who near the fecret arbour fung and danc'd.
The ladies left their measures at the fight,
To meet the chiefs returning from the fight,
And each with open arms embrac'd her chosen knight.
Amid the plain a spreading laurel stood,

The grace and ornament of all the wood:

That pleasing fhade they sought, a soft retreat

From fudden April showers, a shelter from the heat :
Her leafy arms with fuch extent were spread,
So near the clouds was her aspiring head,
That hofts of birds, that wing the liquid air,
Perch'd in the boughs, had nightly lodging there :
And flocks of sheep beneath the fhade from far
Might hear the rattling hail, and wintery war;

VOL. III.

N

From

From Heaven's inclemency here found retreat,
Enjoy'd the cool, and fhunn'd the scorching heat :
A hundred knights might there at ease abide;
And every knight a lady by his fide :

The trunk itself such odours did bequeath,

That a Moluccan breeze to thefe was common breath.
The lords and ladies here, approaching, paid
Their homage, with a low obeisance made;
And feem'd to venerate the facred fhade.

Thefe rites perform'd, their pleafures they pursue,
With fong of love, and mix with pleasures new;
Around the holy tree their dance they frame,
And every champion leads his chosen dame.
I caft my fight upon the farther field,
And a fresh object of delight beheld :
For from the region of the West I heard
New mufic found, and a new troop appear'd;
Of knights, and ladies mix'd, a jolly band,
But all on foot they march'd, and hand in hand.
The ladies drefs'd in rich fymars were seen
Of Florence fattin, flower'd with white and green,
And for a fhade betwixt the bloomy gridelin.
The borders of their petticoats below
Were guarded thick with rubies on a row;
And every damfel wore upon her head
Of flowers a garland blended white and red.
Attir'd in mantles all the knights were seen,
That gratify'd the view with chearful green :
Their chaplets of their ladies colours were,
Compos'd of white and red, to fhade their fhining hair.

}

Before

Before the merry troop the minstrels play'd;
All in their master's liveries were array'd,
And clad in green, and on their temples wore
The chaplets white and red their ladies bore.
Their inftruments were various in their kind,
Some for the bow, and fome for breathing wind:
The fawtry, pipe, and hautboy's noisy band,
And the soft lute trembling beneath the touching hand.
A tuft of daifies on a flowery lay

They faw, and thitherward they bent their way;
To this both knights and dames their homage made,
And due obeifance to the daify paid.

And then the band of flutes began to play,

To which a lady fung a virelay

And still at every clofe fhe would repeat

The burden of the fong, "The daify is so sweet."
The daify is fo fweet, when the begun,

The troop of knights and dames continued on.
The concert and the voice fo charm'd my ear,
And footh'd my foul, that it was heaven to hear.
But foon their pleasure pafs'd: at noon of day,
The fun with sultry beams began to play :
Not Sirius fhoots a fiercer flame from high,
When with his poisonous breath he blasts the sky:
Then droop'd the fading flowers (their beauty fled)
And clos'd their fickly eyes, and hung the head;
And, rivel'd up with heat, lay dying in their bed.
The ladies gafp'd, and scarcely could refpire;
The breath they drew, no longer air, but fire;

The fainty knights were fcorch'd; and knew not where
To run for fhelter, for no fhade was near;

And after this the gathering clouds amain
Pour'd down a ftorm of rattling hail and rain:
And lightning flash'd betwixt the field, and flowers,
Burnt up before, were buried in the showers.
The ladies and the knights, no fhelter nigh,
Bare to the weather and the wintery sky,
Were dropping wet, difconfolate, and wan,
And through their thin array receiv'd the rain;
While thofe in white protected by the tree

Saw pafs in vain th' affault, and stood from danger free.
But as compaffion mov'd their gentle minds,
When ceas'd the ftorm, and filent were the winds,
Difpleas'd at what, not fuffering, they had seen,
They went to cheer the faction of the green :
The queen in white array, before her band,
Saluting, took her rival by the hand;

So did the knights and dames, with courtly grace,
And with behaviour fweet their foes embrace,
Then thus the queen with laurel on her brow,
Fair fifter, I have fuffer'd in your woe;
Nor fhall be wanting aught within my power
For your relief in my refreshing bower.
That other anfwer'd with a lowly look,
And foon the gracious invitation took :
For ill at cafe both the and all her train-

The fcerching fun had borne, and beating rain.
Like courtesy was us'd by all in white,

Each dame a dame receiv'd, and every kinght a knight.

The