"The lady's heart was on him cast, And she beheld him wonder fast; Ever on him she cast her eye, Ipomydon full well it seye[F]; Anon it gave him in his thought, To loke again let would be not. Nor no more coward thought he to be Of his looking than was she. The lady perceived it full well, Of all his looking every dell, And therewith began to shame, For she might lightly fall in blame, If men perceived it any thing, Betwixt them two such looking, Then would they say all bydene[G], That some love were them between; Then should she fall in slander, And lose much of her honour. She thought to warn him privily, By her cousin that set him by. 'Jason,' she said, 'thou art to blame, And therewith the ought to shame, To behold my maid in vain; Every man to other will sayne, That betwixt you is some sin, Of thy looking, I rede[H], thou blynne[I].' Ipomydon him bethought anon, Then that she blamed Jason, Without deserving every dell: But the encheson[J] he perceived well. Down he looked and thought great shame, That Jason bore for him the blame. Still he sat, and said no more, He thought to dwell no longer there." Romance of Sir Ipomydon. [F] Saw. [G] Together. [H] Council. [I] Cease. [J] Occasion. [276] Full of frowardness, each mis-saying or reviling, as Ellis renders the passage. [277] Lai le Fraine. [278] Du Cange gravely quotes Saint Isidore for this truth; and it is credible even upon less solemn authority. [279] Thus Holingshed, speaking of a royal joust and martial tournament, held at Smithfield in 1389, says, "And so many a noble course and other martial feats were achieved in those four days, to the great contentation and pleasure of many a young bachelor desirous to win fame." P. 474. edit. 1587. [280] The objects and tendencies of tournaments are extremely well expressed by Jeffry of Monmouth:--"Many knights famous for feats of chivalry were present, with apparel and arms of the same colour and fashion. They formed a species of diversion, in imitation of a fight on horseback; and the ladies being placed on the walls of the castles, darted amorous glances on the combatants. None of these ladies esteemed any knight worthy of her love but such as had given proof of his gallantry in three several encounters. Thus the valour of the men encouraged chastity in the women, and the attention of the women proved an incentive to the soldier's bravery." Lib. ix. c. 12. [281] Holingshed, vol. ii. p. 252. reprint. [282] Froissart, vol. ii. c. 175. [283] Ritterzeit und Ritterwesen, vol. i. p. 311. 323.