"Noe and his shyppe was made there curyously Sendynge forthe a raven, whiche never came again; And how the dove returned, with a braunche hastely, A token of comforte and peace, to man certayne: Abraham there was, standing upon the mount playne To offer in sacrifice Isaac his dere sone, And how the shepe for hym was offered in oblacyon. "The twelve sones of Jacob there were in purtrayture, And how into Egypt yonge Josephe was solde, There was imprisoned, by a false conjectour, After in all Egypte, was ruler (as is tolde). There was in pycture Moyses wyse and bolde, Our Lorde apperynge in bushe flammynge as fyre, And nothing thereof brent, lefe, tree, nor spyre.[87] "The ten plages of Egypt were well embost, The chyldren of Israel passyng the reed see, Kynge Pharoo drowned, with all his proude hoost, And how the two table, at the Mounte Synaye Were gyven to Moyses, and how soon to idolatry The people were prone, and punysshed were therefore, How Datan and Abyron, for pryde were full youre."[88] Then _Duke_ Joshua leading the Israelites: the division of the promised land; Kyng Saull and David, and "prudent Solomon;" Roboas succeeding; "The good Kynge Esechyas and his generacyon, And so to the Machabus, and dyvers other nacyon." All these "Theyr noble actes, and tryumphes marcyall, Freshly were browdred in these clothes royall." * * * * * "But over the hye desse, in the pryncypall place, Where the sayd thre kynges sate crowned all, The best hallynge[89] hanged, as reason was, Whereon were wrought the nine orders angelicall Dyvyded in thre ierarchyses, not cessynge to call _Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus_, blessed be the Trynite, Dominius Deus Sabaoth, three persons in one deyte." Then followed in order our Blessed Lady, the twelve Apostles, "eche one in his figure," the four Evangelists "wrought most curyously," all the disciples "Prechynge and techynge, unto every nacyon, The faythtes[90] of holy chyrche, for their salvacyon." "Martyrs then followed, right manifolde;" Confessors "fressely embrodred in ryche tyshewe and fyne." Saintly virgins "were brothered[91] the clothes of gold within," and the long array was closed on the other side of the hall by "Noble auncyent storyes, and how the stronge Sampson Subdued his enemyes by his myghty power; Of Hector of Troye, slayne by fals treason; Of noble Arthur, kynge of this regyon; With many other mo, which it is to longe Playnly to expresse this tyme you amonge." But the powers of the chief proportion of needlewomen, and of many of the subsequent tapestry looms were devoted to giving permanence to those fables which, as exhibited in the Romances of Chivalry, formed the very life and delight of our ancestors in