All Monday was spent in jousting and dancing, and early on Tuesday began the great tourney. Such a stamping of horses and chinking of harness![108] Such lines and crowds of horsemen! There you might see armour so rare and so rich, wrought with goldsmith’s work, and embroidery, and steel! Helmets and hauberks and trappings--squires nailing on the spearheads, and buckling helmets--rubbing up the shields, and lacing the plates with thongs of leather. Nobody was idle. The fomy stedes 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 commons many a one With schorte staves, thikke as they may goon. go The foamy steeds upon the golden bridle Gnawing, and fast the armourers also With file and hammer pricking to and fro; Yeomen on foot, and flocking thro’ the land Commons with short staves, thick as they can stand. Pipes, trumpets, drums, and clarions were heard, that serve to drown the noise of battle with music--little groups of people gathered about the palace, here three--there ten--arguing the merits of the two Theban knights. Some said one thing, some another. Some backed the knight with the black beard, others the bald one, others the knight with close hair. Some said, “_He_ looks grim, and will fight!” and “_He_ hath an axe that weighs twenty pound!” Duke Theseus sits at a window, like a god on his throne. The masses of people are pressing towards him to see him, and to salute him humbly, and to hear his commands, and his decree! A herald on a tall scaffold shouts out “_Ho!_” till all the noise of the people is hushed, and when all is quiet, he tells them the duke’s will:-- “My lord hath of his wisdom considered that it were destruction to gentle blood to fight in this tourney, as in mortal battle. Therefore, to save life, he now changes his first purpose. “No arrows, pole-axe, or short knife shall be brought into the lists, no short sword, either in the hand or worn at the side. No man shall ride more than one course with a sharp spear. Whoso comes to harm shall be taken, and not slain, but brought to the stake, there to abide according to order. And should a chieftain on either side be taken, or slay his fellow, no longer shall the tourney last. God speed you, go forth, and lay on fast! Fight your fill with mace and longsword!”[109] The shouts of all the people rang right up to the sky, “God save such a good lord, who will have no bloodshed!” Up go the trumpets and the music, and through the broad city, all hung with cloth of gold, the crowds ride to the lists. The noble duke rode first, and the Theban knights on either side, afterwards came the queen and fair Emelye, and then all the company followed according to their rank.