"The statue of Venus glorious for to see Was naked fleting in the large see, And fro the navel doun all covered was With wawes grene, and bright as any glas. A citole in hire right hand hadde she, And on hire hed, ful semely for to see, A rose gerlond fressh, and wel smelling, Above hire hed hire doves fleckering."[196] Further on, the temple of Mars: "First on the wall was peinted a forest, In which ther wonneth neyther man ne best, With knotty knarry barrein trees old Of stubbes sharpe and hidous to behold; In which ther ran a romble and a swough As though a storme shuld bresten every bough: And dounward from an hill under a bent. Ther stood the temple of Mars armipotent, Wrought all of burned stele, of which th' entree Was longe and streite, and gastly for to see. Aud therout came a rage and swiche a vise, That it made all the gates for to rise. The northern light in at the dore shone, For window on the wall ne was ther none, Thurgh which men mighten any light discerne. The dore was all of athamant eterne, Yclenched overthwart and endelong With yren tough, and for to make it strong, Every piler the temple to sustene Was tonne-gret, of yren bright and shene."[197] Everywhere on the wall were representations of slaughter; and in the sanctuary "The statue of Mars upon a carte stood Armed, and loked grim as he were wood,... A wolf ther stood beforne him at his fete With eyen red, and of a man he ete."[198] Are not these contrasts well designed to rouse the imagination? You will meet in Chaucer a succession of similar pictures. Observe the train of combatants who come to joust in the tilting field for Arcite and Palamon: