But seized, and, pinioned, brought to court the knight. Then courts of kings were held in high renown, Ere made the common brothels of the town; There virgins honourable vows received, But chaste as maids in monasteries lived; The king himself, to nuptial ties a slave, No bad example to his poets gave. And they, not bad but in a vicious age, Had not, to please the prince, debauched the stage.[206] Now, what should Arthur do? He loved the knight, But sovereign monarchs are the source of right: Moved by the damsel's tears and common cry, He doomed the brutal ravisher to die. But fair Geneura[207] rose in his defence, And prayed so hard for mercy from the prince, That to his queen the king the offender gave, And left it in her power to kill or save. This gracious act the ladies all approve, Who thought it much a man should die for love; And, with their mistress, joined in close debate, } (Covering their kindness with dissembled hate,) } If not to free him, to prolong his fate. } At last agreed, they called him by consent Before the queen and female parliament. And the fair speaker, rising from her chair, Did thus the judgment of the house declare:-- Sir knight, though I have asked thy life, yet still Thy destiny depends upon my will: Nor hast thou other surety, than the grace, Not due to thee, from our offended race. But as our kind is of a softer mold, And cannot blood, without a sigh, behold, I grant thee life; reserving still the power To take the forfeit when I see my hour; Unless thy answer to my next demand Shall set thee free from our avenging hand. The question, whose solution I require, Is, what the sex of women most desire? In this dispute thy judges are at strife; Beware, for on thy wit depends thy life. Yet (lest surprised, unknowing what to say, Thou damn thyself) we give thee farther day; A year is thine to wander at thy will, And learn from others, if thou want'st the skill; But, not to hold our proffer'd turn in scorn, Good sureties will we have for thy return, That at the time prefixed thou shalt obey, And at thy pledge's peril keep thy day.-- Woe was the knight at this severe command, But well he knew 'twas bootless to withstand. The terms accepted, as the fair ordain, He put in bail for his return again; And promised answer at the day assigned, The best, with heaven's assistance, he could find. His leave thus taken, on his way he went } With heavy heart, and full of discontent, } Misdoubting much, and fearful of the event. } 'Twas hard the truth of such a point to find, As was not yet agreed among the kind. Thus on he went; still anxious more and more, Asked all he met, and knocked at every door; Enquired of men; but made his chief request To learn from women what they loved the best. They answered each, according to her mind,