Palamon and Arcite came to Athens as they had promised, each bringing with him a hundred knights, well armed; and never before, since the world began, was seen a sight so magnificent. Everybody who could bear arms was only too anxious to be among the two hundred knights--and proud indeed were those who were chosen! for you know, that if to-morrow there should be a like famous occasion, every man in England or anywhere else, who had a fair lady-love, would try to be there. All the knights that flocked to the tournament wore shining armour according to their fancy. Some wore a coat of mail, which is chain-armour, and a breast-plate, and a gipon: others wore plate-armour, made of broad sheets of steel; some carried shields, some round targets. Again, some took most care of their legs, and carried an axe; others bore maces of steel. [Illustration] [Illustration] It was on a Sunday, about nine o’clock in the morning, when all the lords and knights came into Athens. With Palamon came the great Licurgus, King of Thrace; with Arcite came the mighty King of India, Emetrius: and I must give you the exact account of how these two kings looked, which is most minute. I should not wonder if these were the likenesses of Palamon and Arcite themselves.[99] First, then, comes-- Ligurge himself, the grete kyng of Trace; Blak was his berd, and manly was his face. The cercles of his eyen in his heed eyes They gloweden bytwixe yolw and reed, between And lik a griffoun loked he aboute, With kempe heres[100] on his browes stowte; stout His lymes grete, his brawnes hard and stronge, limbs, muscles His schuldres brood, his armes rounde and longe. shoulders And as the gyse was in his contre, guise Ful heye upon a chare of gold stood he, high, car With foure white boles in a trays. bulls, the traces In stede of cote armour on his harnays,[101] With nales yolwe, and bright as eny gold, He had a bere skyn, cole-blak for-old. very old His lange heer y-kempt byhynd his bak, long hair combed As eny raven fether it schon for blak. shone A wrethe of gold arm-gret, and huge of wighte, Upon his heed, set ful of stoones brighte, Of fyne rubies and of fyn dyamauntz. diamonds Aboute his chare ther wenten white alauntz,[102] Twenty and mo, as grete as eny stere, steer (bullock) To hunt at the lyoun or at the bere, And folwed him, with mosel fast i-bounde, muzzle Colerd with golde, and torettz[103] fyled rounde. spikes, filled