University of Virginia Library

Having passit the sea and cum to land,
I meane the foure heralds out of Ingland;
First two of them arryvit into France,
And to the King with humbill reverence
Thay schew thair credence and commissioun.
He them delyverit with bening sermoune;
And syne anone sent for the Constabill,
Saying to him thir wordis honorabill,
We have gude tydings of Sir Clariodus,
Of two realmes now is he King famous;
And heir anone he hes ane message send,
Beseikand me to gif ȝow leave to wende
In Ingland cuntrie agains his wadding day,
The quhilke I grant ȝow, schortlie for to say.
Hade he my selfe desyrit for to be,
I wald not have denyit it perdie.
Ȝe sall take threttie knightis of renoune,
Whilke nobillest beine of all my regioun,
To go with ȝow to doe to him honoure,
Quhilk is of knightheid verie well and floure.

The Constabill thankit him humbillie,
And to the heralds did promit trewly
Againe the day unto the tryst to wend.
The nobill King bade oft him recommend
To him, and to his Queine Meliades.
And quhen thay war delyverit on this wayse,
He gart gif them ane thowsand pound of gold,
And two riche garmonds gudlie to behold.
Thay thankit have this Prince of [hie] renoune,
Inclyning low upon thair kneis doune;
Syne tuike thair leave, and tuike them to the way.
Into few dayis in Ingland landit thay;
Whair thay aryvit, and schew unto the King
As ȝe have harde me say in everie thing,
And how thay ware rewairdit of this wayes;
The same they schew to Queine Meliades,
And how the King and the Lord Constabill,
Did them commend in wayis honorabill
Unto the King and unto hir bewtie.
And scho was glaide of thair prosperitie.
Within awcht dayis efter thair cuming,
The uther heraldis both come to the King,
Whilk war delyverit on the same maneire.
Then was the King richt glaidsume of his cheire.

King Philipone aucht barrouns hade ordande,
The most active that was into Ingland,
To helpe the maisters of houshald to devyse
And rewle his Palice on most gudlie wayis,
And to resave with gudlie countinance,
All Lordis, Knights and Ladies of pleasance,
And eik all strangeris [baith] most and least,
That with thair presence honour wald the feast.
The Lordis awcht with all [thair] diligence,
With grite triumph, laude and magnificence,
Apperrellit hes the Palice royallie,
And all the wallis coverit lustillie,
With cloathes of gold, and stainis pretious,
And riche arras with workis curious,
With auld stories depaint and figurate;
How Troy be slaughter was depopulate,
And how the toune was taine be false ingyne,
And how the wallis ware broght unto ruine:
Thair was the seige of Thebis toun also,
How oder slew the Trojan brether two,
King Polinices, and King Ethiocles:
Thair was the deidis of strong Hercules,
And all his strength and courage leonyne:
And thair was Jason with his cheire vulpeine:
Thair was the Conqueise of nobill Alexander:
Thair was of Cresseid the saikles slander:
The schort persewing of Diomedes:
The fervent love of sorrowful Achilles:
The craftie winning of the Goldin fleice:
The revisching of Heline out of Greice:
The dreame of Paris of the Goddis superne,
The bewtie of thame how he did decerne,
And how he gave the apill to Venus:
Thair was the weiping of Sir Troylus,
When Cresseid did depairt frome Troy toun:
Thair wes the forcie Trojane campioun,
Most worthie Hector in armes invincibill,
Chaiceing the Greikis with feir right teribill,
With naikit sword in hand of bluid all reid:
Thair was of Sampson the murthere, and the feid
Betwix him and the false Philistiane:
And thair wes Lucreis of hir awin hand slaine:
And diverse Knights full trew and nothing faint,
Bot monie ane fals woman thair wes paint:
Thair wes the plaint full pitious and mone
Of Arsyte and his brother Palamon:
The treuth of Dido and Penelope:
Of Clytemnestra the great crweltie,
Wha slew hir husband with ane knyfe in bed:
Thair wes Piramus and Thisbe both forbled,
For sorow of other lay slaine be the well:
Thair wes King Orphius, that out of hell
His wife did bring with harping [wondrous] sweit:
Thair wes Saturnus baneist out of Creit,
In sik desert by Jupiter his sone,
For he him drink gave of the bittir cone:
Thair wes the storeis of all the Nobillis nyne:
The half I can not wryte, nor ȝit defyne,
Of Campiounis the craftie depicturis,
Seiming full quick, and livelie of figouris.
All paithit wes the hall of marbill whyte.
And cloth of gold furmonting of delyte
Above the deice wes royallie upstent
Of curious champis of rosis redolent;
The buird cloth of the samin was but dreid,
The silver seimit birning as ane gleid,
Of stiff depurit gold [all] birning bright,
Of stone and perle the bordour caist ane light.
For the four Kings thair of estait withall
In four places wer ordanit seidgis royall,
With stone and perle [all] richelie resplendent,
Lyk to the radious starrie firmament.
The cuschingis of deaureat splendure schone,
Ane fairer sight into the world wes none;
And all the wallis wer full royallie
Vestit with clothis of gold full richelie;
And all the chalmeris on the samine wayes
Arrayit wer full gudlie to devyse.
The galleireis about the fresch gardingis
Wer stentit all with rich apperrellingis.
The Palice close wes fairlie paythit new
With marbill stonis reid, [and] whyte and blew.
It wer prolikis, and long of circumstancis
To tell all haill the royall ordinancis,
The fair apperrell and lustie fresch array
That thair wes maid for the triumphand day.

The gret Constabill of France full mightie
Ordanit his Knights all, and maid readie
To passe in Ingland to the mariage.
And quhen the tyme was cumit of his passage,
He tuike his leave full lowlie at the King,
Whilk to him said, Sir Constabill, fair Cousing,
Commend us to the King Clariodus,
And bid him keipe the height he maid to us;
Quhilk was to be [richt] glaid and have curage
On the day of Meliades mariage,
And we sall keipe all the avowis perdie
Maid at the supper as weill knowis he;
And bid him spair ws not, bot charge us ay,
For we ar his in all that we do may.
The Constabill said all sould be donne anone;
He tuik his leave, and to the Queine is gone,
Quhilk bad hir recommend in humbill wayis
Both to the King and to Meliades.
He tuike his leave, and to his horse ascendit,
With all his Knightis that on him dependit;
Lordis in France ane grite pairt of the way
Convoyit him, and syne thair leave tuike thay.

The Lord Constabill, and all his lustie sorte,
Ar cumit to Calice and lichtit at the porte.
And thair thay went to schippis all belyve,
And into Dovar soune thay did aryve;
And thair on horse thay mountit but abaid,
And to the toune of Londoune furth thay raid,
Whaire diverse Lords and marchands of renoune
With grite triumph him met without the toune.
And thair thay feastit him full royallie,
And him convoyit syne full honorabillie
Two myllis on gaitward, syne thair leave hes tone.
To Bellvilladoun come this Lord anone.

When King Clariodus hard of his cuming,
He lape on horse but ony tarying
Him for to meit, and bad his two Cousings,
Of Garnat and of Castalȝe the Kings,
Remaine in Palice with King Philippon;
And he to meit the Constabill anone
Furth passit with ane nobill companie;
And swa without the portis royallie
This Lord he met, and syne did him imbrace,
And him resavit with richt merie face;
He helsit all his companie also;
And syne blythlie unto the toun they go.
He bad the Constabill ryd richt by his syd,
Bot he refuisit equall with him to ryde;
Ȝit nevertheles he streinȝit him thairto,
And his command behuifit him to doe.
Syne speirit he richt heartillie of the King,
And of his Princes lustie and beninge.
He said, they heartilie greating to him send,
And bad that he sould oft them recommend
To him and to the Queen Meliades;
And eik he said to him upon this wayis,
The King prayit to keip weill ȝour promit,
And on no ways ȝe to forȝettine it.
And what he meint weill understude the King,
And said he sould fulfill it in all thing;
Thairwith he lewch, so did [the] Lord Constabill.
And so thay raid with heartis amiabill,
Whill thay to Palice come, and thair they licht,
And up the gries passit they on height;
Syne enterit in the hall, and that anone,
Whair that the wallis [all] full brightlie schone;
Whilk the Lord Constabill commendit grittumlie,
And so did all the nobill companie.
Syne thay have past to Philippon the King,
To quhome the Constabill maid fair halsing;
Then he him thair in armis did resave,
And fairlie syne did welcum all the leave.
Syne this Lord helsit hes the Kingis two,
Palexis and King Amandour also;
And thay resavit him on faire maneir,
And all his folkis, both knight and bachileir;
And then they spake of thingis to and fro.
And to the Queinis chalmer syne they go,
And thair thay halsit both the Queinis fair;
And thay him quyte with wordis debonare,
And kissit him with countinance demure,
Syne speirit for the King, and how he fure;
And also of his lustie Princes eike,
And how scho fure, and all hir Ladies meike.
He said thay both war in prosperitie,
And did commend him unto thair bewtie.

Meliades then said unto the Queine,
Madam, if ȝe of rememberance beine,
Full oft or now I have [unto] ȝow told
Both unto King and Queine how I was hold,
And to the Constabill heire, my faire Cousing,
To quhom I am addettit in grite thing.
The Lord Constabill then said in this wayis,
Madame, ȝe say that bot of ȝour gentrice,
And of ȝour sweit assurit womanheid,
And nether for my service nor gude deid;
Bot traist, Madame, efter my pure power,
I sall be to ȝow ane servant singuler.
When this said was, the Lord [then] went anone,
And kissit all the Ladies on be one.

As they abaid amongs the Ladies bright,
Out of the hall alsweith thair come ane knight,
And to the King Clariodus he said,
The nobill King from tabill him abaid;
Thair Kingis, Queinis, Lordis, fair Ladies,
Com to the hall, all went on lustie wayis.
Full reverentlie the King Clariodus
Unto King Philipon [then] speikis thus,
Sir, gif it pleasis ȝow, my Brother heire,
The Lord Constabill and I will go in feire,
And dyne into my chalmer quyetlie.
Thairof, said he, full weill content am I.
And then anone the King Clariodus
The Constabill hes led furth joyous,
With diverse Knightis of his companie.
King Philipon to tabill royallie
Was set betwix the [gude] King Palexis
And King Amandur that [richt] worthie was;
And at the end eike of this royall tabill
Was set the Earle Estur honorabill
Before ane famous Duike of that cuntrie;
Syne everilk Lord and Duike in their degrie
Was set, and servit wonder nobillie
With pleasand meits and wyne aboundantlie.
The King Clariodus greate feisting maid
To the French Lord that he in chalmer hade,
And to his Knightis fresche and weil beseine.
Great mirth and feisting maid baith King and Queine.
The menstrells plays with ane melodious soune
Before thir Princes of so great renowne.

When thay had sittine long on this maneire,
Kingis, Princis, Lordis, and Ladies cleire,
From burdes thay did up ryse, and said the grace.
Clariodus the King, with great solace,
And the Lord Constabill ar cumit to hall
With ane cumpanie of Knights full royall.
King Amandur and King Palexis
Unto the Queinis chalmer can them dresse,
Thir [said] Princes to bring unto the hall,
Quhair thay in chalmer, and thair Ladies all,
Dynis, as then of Ingland was the gyse.
Thay war arayit on ane gudlie wayis.
Meliades, this lustie [fair] young Queine,
As ony Goddes fresch was for to seine,
Into ane corsit of claith of gold all quhyte,
Whilk was of fassioun wonderlie perfyte;
Rich talbart sleves, [that war] long, large and wyde,
Upon the eard behind hir trailling syde,
As it was the gyse of Ingland tho;
For in thaise tymis ladyis cled war so.
Upon hir heade ane rosie chapilet
Within ane roseire all in bright gold set,
The roseis reid war all of cullour bricht,
And carbunkle stonis casting plesant licht.
Upon the roseire lustie to be seine,
Insteid of leives hang emeroldis greine,
Full freschlie pouderit all with leavis quhyt,
Whilk to behald ane hevin was of delyte.
About hir snow quhyte throte, as blossome cleire,
Of curious warkis hang ane fair colleire.
King Amandur to hall did hir convoy,
As scho hade beine this worldis gem and joy;
And King Palexis led hir mother the Queine;
Thair followed hir monie Ladie scheine.
And at the entrie of Queine Meliades,
They hir beheld upon ane gudlie wayes;
For certainlie it seamit to thair eye,
That day by day incressit hir bewtie.
The King said to the Constabill of France,
Go ȝe, fair Cousing, and begine the dance,
And take into ȝour hand Meliades.
And his command he did on humbill wayis.
He gart the King Clariodus also
With the fair Duches of Yorke in danse to go.
Full lustie Knights of Ingland and of France
Anone enterit freschlie in the danse.
Both King and Queine are in thair seiges set,
With stone and pearle mightilie owerfret.
Of Instruments up raise the mightie soune.
Thair dansit monie Ladie of renoune;
And uther Ladies, that list not for to danse,
Sate with bening and gudlie countinance
About the Queine, beholding on the feist.
Thus war thay all in joy, both most and leist.
In midis of thair mirthful melodie,
Doune at the Palice ȝet all royallie,
Thair lichtit Kings and Lordis of honour,
And lustie Ladies alse fresche as Mayis floure;
With plesant Court [all] fresche and weill beseine,
The mightie King of Spainȝe and the Queine:
And alse thair enterit in the Palice tho,
The King of Galice and his Queine also,
With fair Cadar, that lustie Ladie ȝeing,
With Donas sister to the Spanisch King,
With Duikis, Earlis, Lordis and [eik] Knights,
And monie uther fresch and lustie wights:
And suddanlie thay ar all cumin thus,
In witting of the King Clariodus.
And when he wist, he [did] discend anone
Unto the close with Lordis monie one,
And them resavit [thair] full reverentlie;
Syne led them to the hall honorablie.
King Philipon, and eike the nobill Queine,
And fair Meliades of bewtie scheine,
Thir Princes met in middis of the hall,
And them resavit with triumph royall.
Bot thair men micht [have] learnit courtisie,
To sie thir mightie Princes nobillie
Reflect to uther, and reverentlie inclyne;
And eike Ladies with havings femenine
To utheris kneillit with sweit debonar cheir,
With leuke bening and womanlie effeire.
Fresch Mandonat, [that was] of Spainȝie Queine,
Hir Father of Estur had grite pleasoure to seine;
Eik of hir Mother schoe was thair joyous,
And of hir Brother King Clariodus;
Thay war so glaid of uther everie one,
That long thay could not out of armis gone.
The Princes all war led to hall and set on deice,
And Lordis to the dance newlie did preise,
And minstrellis to play againe begane;
Amongis them was joy and mirthis thane.
And quhen thus persavit hes Clariodus
Sik number of folkis worthie and famous,
The wyse Lord Constabill prayit he to take
On him sike office for his Ladies saike,
To have the rewle as [the] most principall,
Abone the Lordis awcht in speciall
The maisters of houshold, to command and correct
[That thay provision make with due respect]
Belonging to the feist in everie thing.
And glaidlie he hes grantit to the King,
As he that was of sik doings expert,
For him suirlie thay micht no tyme escart,
Bot he [ay] redie was in all maneir
To make the companie merrie feist and cheire,
Of Garnat, Galice, France and Spainȝie,
Ingland, Irland, Esture and Castelȝie;
For he thir Lordis hade all on his toung,
All knowis he quhatever be said or soung
Amongs them all; and eike he knowis perfyte,
What may them greive, or quhat may them delyte:
The Constabill of France all this he can,
At sike ane tyme he was ane neidfull man.

When thay had long disportit on this wayis,
Whilk for to seine it was ane parradice,
Then Kingis, Queinis, Princis and monie Lordis,
Earlis, Knightis, Ladies and all accordis,
To chalmeris went, at ease them to acray,
And put on them ane lustie new aray;
And thay at leasour changit thair cleathing,
The quhyte lillie and tender flouris greine.
Meliades the ding and lustie Queine,
The fresch and new spred rose of bewtie scheine,
Abuilȝeit hir full fair and lustillie
Into ane goune of satine cramosie,
With orient pearles pouderat and owerfret,
Whilk war full thike and grit thairupon set,
Schyning upon the cramosie so bright,
Of quhyte and reid full lustie was the sight,
Whairof full weill might likinit beine the hew
Unto the hevinlie rose with liquor new,
Pouderit in morrow with cristall dropis lyke,
The reid in equal junxit with the quhyte;
And as the blossum honours the blossum in May,
So did hir bewtie in hir [fresch] aray.
Hir cleire cullour of angel lyke clemence
Full far surmuntit into excellence
All hir attyre and riche abuilȝement:
And most of all hir vertew redolent
Full cleire I wis abone hir bewtie schone;
For in this warld ȝit creatoure was none
That ever persavit in hir crueltie,
For scho fulfillit was of womanlie pitie,
Whilk full was of assurit patience,
Approvit be right grit experience;
Ay humbill, symple, and schamfull under dreid
Was this illustar floure of womanheid.

Be this the maisteris of houshold in cum wer,
And wairnit them to cum to the supper.
Kingis and Princes then went to the hall,
Queinis and Ladies [fair] went with them all.
Betwix twa Duikis, fresch at all devyse,
Unto the hall led was Meliades;
God wit if scho was lustie for to sie,
So entering them among in that degrie,
Hir following in weidis freschlie dicht,
Duchesses, Countesses, and plesant Ladies bright.
Fyve mightie Kingis was set at the tabill,
With them thair Queinis fresch and honorabill;
Bot King Clariodus wald sit no way
From the Lord Constabill, for togidder thay
Held companie without dissaverance.
This Constabill, full wyse of governance,
Ordanit the hall so weill in everie thing,
Alse weill in cheire as in thair marchelling,
That he commendit was of everie wight.
Fair was the hall and the supper that nicht.
The King Palexis, and King Amandur,
Oft sent to Donas and to faire Cadar
Them praying to be glaid and make gude cheire.
When they hade feistit long on this maneire,
Foure maisters of houshald, that war honorabill,
At the command of the Lord Constabill
Servit them with the latter courses thair,
With towell and water that was cleir and faire.
When thay had waschin and [the] grace all said,
From tabill then thay raise but more abaid.

This being donne, the minstrells playit on height;
Syne to the hall come monie ane Ladie bright,
That soupit had in chalmer royallie:
Thus pair and pair thay present pleasantlie.
The King Clariodus commandit thair
The Lord Constabill to take his Sister faire,
The Queine of Spainȝe, and leid hir in the danse;
The quhilke he did anone without neance:
And he himself the Queine led of Galice:
The King of Spainȝe led Meliades:
The King Palexis led Donas maist bening,
Whilk Sister was of Spainȝe to the King:
King Amandur led Cadar that was cleire,
Whilk was the King of Galice dochter deire:
Sir Gilȝeam de la Forrest led the Duches,
The quhilke ane Ladie fair and lustie was:
Ane Countes led Sir Richard de Mayance:
And utheris Lordis and Ladies of pleasance
Ȝeid in the danse, with countinance demure.
The King of Galice and the Count Esture
Not dansit, bot abaid in companie
With Philipon that was King [maist] worthie.
The uther Ladies, that list not for to dance,
Sat with the Queine, to pryse and to advanse
Them that best dansit of that lustie sorte.
And on this wayis glaidlie can them disport
Ane weill long space. And quhen the dance was ceisit,
Princes and Ladies to thair chalmers preisit.
King Clariodus the Constabill hes taine,
And to the King of Spainis chalmer is gane,
And unto him he said, My Brother deire,
I will my Sister borrow at ȝow heire,
The Ladie Donas; thairto I ȝow exhorte,
That we ane quhyle may commoun and disporte
Into the chalmer with Meliades.
The King him answeirit into humbill wayis,
Fair Brother, all beine ȝouris that beine myne.
With this to uther ather can inclyne.
He tuike fair Donas, that lustie was to seine,
And garte the Constabill of France leid the Queine.
And then thay went upon the samine wayis,
Unto the Kingis chalmer of Galice,
And tuike with him ȝoung Cadder that was faire.
Syne to the chalmer glaidlie can repaire
Of Queine Meliades; and in the way
To Donas King Clariodus can say,
Madame, I have to your Brother the King,
Anent ȝour mariage sent my wryting,
Thairwith to be advysit of that cace;
And I him thanke that in that mater hes
Done all according unto my intent;
And veralie, if that ȝe wald consent,
I wald ȝe waddit Amandur the King;
And suithlie if I trowit that this thing
Sould ȝow displeise, I wald it schow no way;
Now quhat ȝe thinke of this to me ȝe say.
Scho said, My fair Brother, [full] weill I knaw
That ȝe no thing into this world me schaw
Bot it according war to my honour;
My Brotheris will and ȝouris at all houre
I will obey. And this full soberlie
Scho said, and smyllit sum deall quyetlie;
Quhilk he persavit, and the caus [he] speirit
Why that scho lewch. And quhen scho was requyrit
The cause to tell; then said scho womanlie,
Why that I lewch, if ȝe rememberit be
When with my Brother ȝe war into Spaine,
The trewth heirof I sall tell ȝow [all] plaine,
When with ȝour Sister weddit was the King,
Betwix us two was quyet commoning,
I spake to ȝow belonging ȝour mariage,
I lewgh quhen [that] I thoght on that language;
For then certes thair was no man on lyfe
Whom to that I desyrit to be wyfe
Bot unto ȝow, quhairof none sould me blame
To have desyret the Knight of nobilest fame
In all the world, thoght I so symple was;
For it perteinit to ȝour nobilnes
To have ane ladie of mair lustiheid,
As ȝe have now withoutin ony dreid.
My faire Sister, said [King] Clariodus,
I thanke ȝow of ȝour [love,] that gratious
Stude towards me into sike [ane] degrie;
For suith it beine ane fair debait, said he,
Of two fair Ladies upon sike ane wayes,
Of ȝow Sister and of Meliades.
With gudlie wordis and plesant commoning
Thir lustie Knightis and thir Ladies ȝing
Enterit in the chalmer of this ȝoung Queine,
Meliades the rose of bewtie scheine.
Scho raise upon hir feit full courteslie,
With all the Ladies of hir companie;
And doun scho set the Queine, hir Sister faire,
Upon ane couschen of claith of gold preclaire
Abone hir self, quhilk alwayis scho refuisit;
Bot at that tyme scho micht not be excuisit.
With fair treatie scho gart hir take that place,
And scho sate doune betwix hir and Donas.
The ȝoung Cadar scho gart them set before,
That thay might at thair ease speike all the more.
The King Clariodus and the Lord Constabill
Commoned with uther Lordis amiabill,
And them disportit with full grite solace.
And monie ane lustie ladie fair of face
Was in that blythfull chalmer of plesance,
Ane with ane uther maid [thair] aquantance,
Ladeis of France, Spainȝe, and Inglande,
As thay had all beine nureist in ane lande.
Ilke King disportit theme full plesandlie
Amongs thaise ladies that war womanlie.
The tyme thay schorte with heartis glaid and licht,
Whill neir the houre was cumit of midnicht;
And thay war loath ȝit than for to dissever,
Thir ladies tyre of uther could thay never.
Bot quhen the gudlie fresch Meliades
Saw that thay wald depairt upon this wayis,
Scho callit Romaryn, and gart hir gone
Unto ane calfer, and gart hir fetch anone
Ane croun of gold that massie was and wight,
All set with stonis radious and licht,
And two riche hearts of gold all birning new,
Circulate with roobies and sapheiris blew.
Into hir hand scho tuike the crounall scheine,
And said richt thus unto the Spainȝe Queine,
My Sister fair, in France was maid this croun,
And for that it is maid of new faschoun
Ȝe sall it have with ȝow in ȝour cuntrie;
The quhilk for to resave full laith was sche:
Bot scho hes hir besoght in sik maneire,
That scho hes taine the croun of gemis cleir,
Reverencing hir Sister grittumlie.
The two heartis of gold that war lustie
Scho gave to Donas and to Cadar faire;
And unto everie ladie that was thair
Scho gave rewaird and that full largelie.
Quhilke the Lord Constabill persavit tentivelie,
And ever ilk wight of hé and law degrie
Grittumlie praisit hir liberalitie.
Thir Princessis hes thane thair leavis taine,
Them to convoy this Ladie wald have gaine:
Bot thay wald not hir suffer in no way;
For it the use of Ingland was perfay,
Ladies the nicht before their mariage
Sould dwell in chalmeris, of auld usage,
Whill thay went to the kirke to spousit be;
So stude that Ladie in that ilk degrie.
Efter the leave the King Clariodus
Baid with the Queine, for he was amorous.
They spake ane quhyle wordis plesand and faire;
And syne he tuike ane diamond full cleire
And gave to hir, and kissit hir also;
And syne him grathit efter the leave to go.
The Queine of Spainȝe schew unto the King
The gift that was so honorabill and ding,
Unto hir gevin be Meliades.
The King forsuith it [weill] can ruse and praise.
Bot moir abaid ilk ane to beddis gois,
Them with the nightis rest for to repose,
Except worke men that war laborius,
And bissie makand workis curious;
Sum for the cleithing into fresch aray
Of Lords and Knights; and sum for the turnay;
Sum [for] to build the listis tuike grite cure;
Sum bissie was for to forge new armour;
And sum to make the barras great and wyde.
Thus everie man was bissie to provide
For thingis longing to this nobill feist,
Whill that the day up sprang into the eist;
And when that Phebus did all the world ouerschyne,
Craftismen thair worke bissielie did fyne.

When that the Duike of Miland hes hard taulde
Of this wading, and quhan that it sould hauld,
He sent thrie sommeris chargit richlie
To King Clariodus that was worthie,
Ane chargit was with cloth of gold full deir,
Ane uther with silver chargit was most cleire,
The third with silk the best in that cuntrie,
For he was full of liberalitie;
And to ane nobill man he hes them taught,
The Knight Lumbarde, that in the listis faught
With King Clariodus but variance,
He callit is Sir Amé de Plasance.
Sex fresch varlots he did delyver thaire,
And four stout squyeris with him for to fair.
The Duike of Miland bad that he sould wend
Into Ingland, and thair him recommend
To King Clariodus in forme reverent,
And thaise thrie sommeris unto him present.
This Knight he maid no longer residence,
Bot hes him sped with so grite diligence
That he hade all compleitit his voyage
Againe the day of the ilk mariage.
And as the King addressit him to ryse,
The Knight Lumbard upon ane gudlie wayis
Is enterit in at the port of the toun,
And at the Palice ȝet is lichtit doune;
Into the Court weill knowin was the Knight.
And then alsweith as [that] thay hade ane sight,
Of him thay told to King Clariodus,
Of his cuming whilk was full joyous,
And said that he wald presence have anone.
Then soune ane [fair] message is for him gone.
Thay chargit him to cum unto the King,
And said, that he was glaid of his cuming.
His four squyeris this Knight hes with him taine,
And bad the varlots with the horse remaine,
And to the Kingis chalmer passit he,
[And kneillit doun, quhen he the King did sie,]
Upon his knie richt fair and reverentlie.
The King Clariodus full tenderlie
Resavit him with full glaid countinance,
And said, Welcum, Sir Amé de Plisance,
What tidings have ȝe broght in this cuntrie?
All guide unto your Hienes, Sir, said he,
The Duke of Myland dois him recommend
Unto ȝour Hienes, quhilk with me hes send
To ȝow thrie sommeris chargit richlie
With cloath of gold and silver richt mightie.
How dois my Brother the Duike, sayis the King,
I thoght full long to heir of him tyding.
At my depairting, Sir, richt weill fuire he,
I left him into gude prosperitie.
The squyeris went againe to horse glaidlie,
And lousit hes the summeris bissilie,
And broght the clothis thair unto the King,
The quhilk them praisit into mikill thing.
Thay oppinit them on breade upon ane tabill,
The quhilk to sie was fair and amiabill.
The King gart deale them all but more proces,
And distribute them glaidlie more and les.
The Kingis, Princes, and Queinis of honoure,
And uther Lordis and Knightis of valoure,
Thus distribute thir cloathis in this wayis,
All bot two peices to Meliades.

Then enterit in the chalmer the Constabill,
Thanking the King on wayis honorabill
Of the fair cloath of gold that he him send;
And eike he said, that tyme it was to wend
Unto the kirk. The King Clariodus
Him vestit hes in cloathis full pretious,
And put on him anone ane rob royall.
Be this the houshold was arrayit all,
To go to kirke into thair best aray,
Thay war ane lustie companie perfay.
Meliades, this ȝoung and lustie Queine,
Was in ane kirtill of cloath of gold beseine
Of quhyte culloure, with curious champe of floure
Pouderit with pearlis, as the bright dew pure;
With mantill of the samyne, rich and deire,
With taill full long, quhilk buire ane Ladie cleire;
Ane broach of gold, with stonis casting licht,
Togidder held hir glorious mantill bright.
Ane royall croun was set upon her heid,
Owerfret with stonis mightie blew and reid;
And lustillie scho sat in seige royall,
Of all bewtie as floure imperiall.

The King Clariodus of grite renoune,
With thrie Kingis triumphand under croune,
Convoyit was to kirke full royallie.
Thair was with him King Philipon worthie,
The King Palexis and King Amandur,
With monie ane Duke and Lord of [grit] honoure.
Two mightie Kings of Spainȝie and Galeice
To kirke leidis the fresch Meliades.
Thair followit hir thrie Ladies weil beseine,
In fresch aray and full of bewtie scheine.
Full monie ane Ladie [bricht] did hir convoy;
Thair was the Duches fair of Bellavoy;
Of Beline countrie thair was the Duches fair;
Of Glocester the Duches eik was thair;
With monie ane uther Duches and Countes,
And seimlie Ladies of grite nobilnes;
The Ladie Cadder, and fair Donas also,
Whilk honorabillie the Queinis nixt did go.
And efter all thir Ladies fresch and scheine,
Thair followit threttie Ladies weil beseine,
All cled in cloath of silver of delyte,
With perlit hatis schyning of cullour quhyte.
Full monie silver trumpit and clarioun
Befor them past with noyse throw the toun,
With everie maner of uther minstrallie.
The rewis all war stintit right richlie
With cloathes of gold, and arras wounder faire.
The royaltie I cannot half declaire
Was them among on this triumphall day,
Thair jolitie, thair festing, and thair play.
To kirke thay come. What is thair more to tell,
For he onlie, that is of Knightheid well,
Beine spousit to the floure of womanheid,
Before monie ane Prince of nobilheid,
And monie lustie Ladie honorabill,
[That marchallit war by the Lord Constabill
Efter the order of thair nobilnes.]
Ane Archbischope anone them maryit hes;
Ane mese was singin ryght solemnitlie,
With sound of organs, and with melodie.

And quhen the service all [thair] endit wes,
First can the King Clariodus him dres
On gudlie wayis furth of the kirke to go.
The King of Spainȝe, and of Galice also,
Convoyit him with monie Duike and Lord.
And trewlie, as myne Authore can recorde,
The King Palexis, and King Amandur,
Alsweith convoyit this Princes of honoure
Unto the Palice ȝetis of renoune,
The minstrellis [playing] with ane myrrie sound.
Thay enterit in the close that was right faire,
Abone arrayit, as ȝe harde of aire.
The gait and gries, arrayit to the hall,
Was all of marbill quhyte, and coverit all
With costlie arras and curious workis seire;
Whilk thay ascendit have in fair maneire.

This royall sort unto the hall is gone,
Quhair the hie tabill was raisit anone;
And on the deice on [the] most gudlie wayis
Was set this lustie Queine Meliades;
Hir Mother the Queine sate on hir right hande,
And nixt her sate the King of Spainȝe land,
And syne the Queine of Galice fair to se,
With Donas and Caddar baith full lustie,
And syne of Belum cuntrie the Duches;
And on hir uther hand [eik] set thair was
The King of Spainȝe, the Count of Estur,
The King of Galice gudlie of stature,
Of Brataleme the Duches of bewtie,
The Duches of Bellavoy of Spainȝie cuntrie.

When royallie the deice [all] set was thus,
Anone the nobill King Clariodus,
King Philippon and [eik] King Amandure,
The King Palexis and [the] Earle Estur,
The Lord Constabill and uther Lordis seire,
Unto the grite chalmer went all in feire,
The Maisters of houshold and Constabill before;
They war all set, but ony proces more.
The King Clariodus forȝet hes nocht
The Lumbard [Knicht;] bot garrit him be broght,
And set him in ane honorabill place.
The threttie Virginis, that war fair of face,
Into the hall war marchellit them allone.
All uther Lordis and Ladies everilk one
Discreitlie set war efter thair degrie.
The trumpits blawis with ane noyse fullie,
Whill all the Palice wallis did redound.
Ower all the hall the coursis did abound;
Grite was the feist, and royall was the cheire,
And pleasand was the menstrellis for to heire
In hall amongs this royall companie;
With intermeisis playit mirrilie,
And small padȝeounis that war delectabill,
Amongs the plesand coursis inestimabill:
Whairfor the maner passis manis ingyne,
To tell the meits also of syndrie kynd,
Or ȝit the wynis nobill and mightie,
Quhairof the buirde was servit by and by.

The Constabill said to Clariodus,
Now sall it weill be knowin unto us,
Be ȝour having and be ȝour countinance,
If that ȝe keipe unto the King of France
That ȝe promitit at ȝour depairting,
For now it is the day of hir spousing;
Weill aught ȝe glaid and joyous for to be
For saike of hir the floure of all bewtie.
Thus answeirit hes the King Clariodus;
How sould ane man be glaider of his spous
Nor he sould of his soverane Ladie be?
Then lewch they both and maid ane mirrie glie.
Then said anone to him King Philipon,
Ha, [my] fair Sone, will ȝe be of them one
Unto thair wyfis that becumis thrall?
Thairto no thing I counsall ȝow at all.
Thus war thay all in joyous commoning.
The Constabill, but longer tarying,
Up raise and went to feist them in the hall.
King Clariodus him callit thair withall,
And privallie he roundit in his eare,
And said, My Brother, ȝe beire this rubie cleire,
And at my only instance and requeist,
It present to the Ladie of the feist;
And say, The Knight fulfillit of all joy,
Devoyde of everilk sorrow and of noy,
In ane rememberance hes it to hir send,
Unto hir bewtie doing him recommend.
The Constabill the rubie tuike anone,
And said, Glaidlie ȝour message I sall gone;
Syne throw the Palice he passit joyouslie,
Convoyit with Knights wounder royallie.
To the hie deice [anone] but more abaid
He past with countinance right blyth and glaid,
And all the Ladies [thair] of fresch bewtie,
He feistit hes, that joy was for to sie,
With mirrie wordis and [richt] pleasante cheir;
For he ane maister was and no scolleir
Into sike thing, as then it was weill seine;
For he ane Lord of full grit nurture beine.
When he had cheirit them ane weill long space,
About the tabill he passit hes apaice,
Whill he come to the Queine Meliades,
And hir the rubie gave in secreit wayis,
Saying, The Knight fulfillit of plesance,
This ring ȝow sent in [ane] rememberance.
Scho tuike the ring but ony persaving;
For scho so steidfast was in hir having,
That naine persave might be hir countinance
When that scho felt of paine or of plisance.

So happinit or the dinner was endit,
That Sir Porrus of Portugall assendit
Into the Palice, for oppine was everie porte,
Full wyde upset, the trewth for to report;
With him was knightis ten right honorabill,
And twentie squyeris fresch and amiabill.
This Knight be fortoune and be thrawart fate
Into ane lyoun long was deformat,
Quhill King Clariodus, be his chevalrie,
Redeimit him be batell mightillie.
Soune to the Constabill this was tauld anone,
The quhilk foure squyers hes gart for him gone.
And he anone hes cum to his presence,
And helsit him with all dew reverence.
The Constabill said, Welcum, Sir Porrus,
For he him knew both worthie and chevelrus.
He hes him reverencit, and said anone,
My [gude] Lord, with ȝour leave now I wald gone
To Queine Meliades with fresch effeire,
I have ane present [unto] hir to beire.
The Constabill said, So mote I have joy,
I sall unto my Ladie ȝow convoy.
He hes him led to Queine Meliades,
Whom the Knight helsit hes upon this wayis,
Saying, The Lord, that power hes of all,
Conserve ȝour Hienes and estait royall,
Togidder with ȝour [most] great excellence.
I comin am to thank ȝour hie clemence
Of the most blissull and happie delyverance
Of my proterve missortune and mischance
Be King Clariodus; for none bot he
Nixt God micht of my fate delyver me;
Whom to was no remeid, bot if the best
Knight of this world, and eik the gentilest,
Redemit me out of my paine and wo:
Whairfor in [his] rememberance ever mo,
That in this warld is of knightheid [the] floure,
His airis sall be nureist with honoure
Into this creddell of gold all forgit bright,
Discending ay to his successioun right;
Thus, sall his regall stok and his ofspring
Have of thair nobill progenitours loving.
With that he gart his armigers ostend
The creddill of gold gudlie to commend,
Of sik ane curious worke and quantitie
Two men togidder might laide into it be.
Then everie Prince and Princes at tabill
Said that it was ane gift most honorabill,
And said, thay had not seine so rich ane gift,
Both of so grite ane quantitie and might.
The Queine him thankit hes on fair maneir.
The grite Lord Constabill sent for Bonvaleir,
And him delyverit this jewell pretious,
And bad him have it to hir thesaur hous.
The Maisteris of houshold syne he did command
This nobill Knight to feist with cheir pleisand.
Thay him obeyit with countinance joyous;
Bot first unto the King Clariodus
Thay him convoyit have full gentillie.
He him resavit and thankit full tenderlie
Of his present. And syne unto the hall
Thay go with him, and maid him feist royall.

Thairefter at the portis can doune licht
Sir Brounar de la Haunt, that gentill Knight,
Of quhois schoulder the King Clariodus
Drew furth the arrow that was venomus.
He broght with him sex coursouris in gud plicht,
And sex fair haiknayis as the snow [all] quhyte,
And them presentit to Meliades.
And he anone, upon the samine wayis,
Declairit hes right [loud] before the tabill,
How he of ane hurt [that was] uncurabill
Lay in the tent remeidles day and night,
Whill King Clariodus the gentill Knight
[Had] him releivit furth of his distres;
And so furth schew the maner mair and les,
How in this world [thair] was no mediceine
That na uther wight might worke be ingyne.
Thay feistit him with glaid and mirrie cheire.
The Count of Estur and his Ladie cleire
Grite joy [than] hade in heart of the honour
That to thair sone was donne in that [ilk] houre.

Efter all uther intermeisis seire,
As of the latter course thay servit wer,
Twentie ȝoung children of fourtine ȝeiris age
On tame lyounis quhalpis, I ingage,
Full gudlie into purpur silk arrayit,
Come in before them ryding unafrayit,
Sadillit and brydillit and put to poynt at right;
And twentie virginis that war blyth and bright,
Of the samyne age, on unicornis fair,
With harnischingis pleasant and preclaire,
Abuilȝeit freschlie in the samine hew,
And all in hatis greine, and fair and new;
And everie madine that was into that place
Ane lustie varlot led in goldin lace,
With speiris in thair handis everie one.
And quhen thay war all enterit in, anone
The madinis lichtit gudlie to behald;
The varlots tuike thair unicorns to hald;
And thay begouth to gang in carralling,
And so with that so mirrillie thay sing,
That everie wight thair beine had joy to heir,
Thair voices was so angell lyke and cleire.
And as the madinis song upon this wayes,
The varlots justit and maid interpryse;
And he, that from his horse was strikine doune,
Gave to his fellow ane ring for his ransoun;
And he that ring gave to ane Ladie scheine,
And scho againe gave him hir hat of greine,
And did full womanlie to him inclyne.
[This done] betwix hir and hir fellow, syne
Scho tuike him in the ring with grit plesance;
Syne lustillie begouth thay all to dance.
And this was donne, that everie wight might sie;
For all the close of [full] large quantitie
That day was ordanit to the triumphall hall,
With cloathes of gold it was coverit all;
And Lordis in the chalmeris round about
At fenisteris and windowis luikit out.
All saw playit this royall intermeis,
The quhilke surmuntit into lustines
So far, that thay hade wonder it to se,
Saying, forsuith that thay in no cuntrie
Hade seine siklyke into no tyme before.

And quhen those madinis of bewtie so decore
Had lang disportit [thus] and playit glaide,
The varlots hes the unicornis to them hade,
And set them on thair sadillis lustillie,
Syne on thair lyounis lape delyverlie,
And of the hall thay past without tarie,
And Queine Proserpina with hir Court of Fari.

The aucht Maisteris of houshald ordanit hes
To draw the buirdis and to say the grace.
At the hie deice upraisit was the tabill.
Kingis and Princessis that war honorabill
Dispoilȝeit them of thair robis fair,
And them delyverit unto heralds thair
Of monie diverse realmis of grit honouris
Into thair mightie Princes coat armouris,
Quhilk gyftis gat to make them rich for ever.
Ane fairer sight sensyne [thair] seine was never,
Of Kingis, Queinis, Princes honorabill,
Duikis, Lordis, and Ladies amiabill
Within ane Palice nor was it in, I wise,
Whair thair was nothing wanting of warlds blise.

All minstrellis then with instruments are gone,
Both lute, harp, viole, clarcheo, and guthrone,
To play into the grite triumphall hall,
Whair monie ane Prince in thair estait royall
Abaid, with monie ane [lustie] Princes faire,
And monie ane Ladie blyth and debonare.
Then said Clariodus the nobill King
To the Constabill his Brother, I desyre the thing,
That ȝe first go to leid into the dance
My Lady my spous, for that war my pleasance;
Quhilk for to do he did refuise at all,
Considering thair was Princes in the hall
Hir for to leid quhom [it] did more perteine:
Bot ȝit this Prince he will that so sould beine,
For unto him he will doe that honoure,
For he in France was Lord of grite valoure;
Whairfor the King, of grite considerance,
Both for the saike of the nobill King of France,
And for his awin great wit and nobilnes,
He did grit honour unto him dreidles.
Then the Lord Constabill into gudlie wayis
The dance begane with Queine Meliades;
The mightie King of Spain led Cadder scheine,
And the Duike of Bellavoy led the Queine
Of Spainȝie cuntrie; ane uther Duike also
With the Duches of Bellavoy in the dance can go;
Ane Duches [eik] led Amandur the King,
And King Palexis led Donas the ȝeing;
Ane lustie Earle of Ingland regioun
Of Yorke did leid the Duchess of renoune;
And eik the King Clariodus worthie
Of Spainȝe cuntrie led ane fair Ladie.
Thair dancit monie ane uther lord and knight
With monie ane ladie and fresch virgine bright.
Forȝet was not Sir Amé de Valeir,
Nor ȝit the nobill Sir Charles de le Scareir.
Sir Gilliam de la Forrest thair did go,
Sir Richard de Maianis dansit thair also.
For to be mirrie thay neidit no requeist,
For none war glaider nor thay war of the feist.
Full long it war thair namis to declair,
Or ȝit to specifie thair dansing thair.
The Queine of Ingland sat at the hie dice,
With diverse ladies, both Duches and Countes,
Beholding on the dansing with fixit eie.
Grite was the joy, triumphe, and royaltie;
Grite was the mirth, the pleasance, and the sporte,
That was, God wote, among that lustie sorte.
Full monie ane Knight with Cupidis awfull deart
Amongs thame thair was woundit to the heart,
Whilk efterwart of langour did complaine,
Excellent bewtie so did them constraine
Thair for to love all magrie thair intent.
Full monie ane secreite luike among them went.
With full desyre thair hearts war set on fyre,
Throw lovis thrist, heatest of desyre.
Thair the Lord Constabill hurt was with ane sight,
Sum thing that day he wist of lovis might
Onlie throw bewtie of ane ladie scheine,
And at ane sight his heart all holdin beine
To ane anone, as can my Authore tell;
Upon sik thing as now I may not dwell.

I will ȝow tell of ane [grit] aventoure
By Ladie Fortunis purvenance and cure,
Into the Court the quhilk betyde anone,
Quhilk ȝe sall heir, or that I farther gone;
And efter that returne againe I will,
And of the feist the leave will tell ȝow till.

So happinit in the meane quhyle to be,
Ane Herald come [thair] from Polyne cuntrie,
Whilk callit was to name Bonadventur,
Whom King Clariodus with bissie cure
Had sent with credence to Polyne to the King,
Him heighting in his weiris sum supporting
Againis the Duike of Gravan, quhom betweine
Full grit debait [thair] had [ane] long tyme beine:
Bot thay agriet war or his cuming;
Thus he returnit hame unto the King.

When it was told to King Clariodus
Of his Herald, that [he] was cumit thus,
Unto his chalmer he went the neirest way,
And for the Herald sent without delay.
The Herald salust him upon his knie,
Saying to him, the eternall God ȝow sie;
The King of Polyne him to ȝow commendis,
And to ȝour Hienes heartlie greating sendis,
Ȝow thanking ofter nor I can heir reporte,
Of ȝour promit him to at neid suporte.
He and the Duik of Gravan ar at ane,
Betwix them two the weiris ar all gaine:
Bot as I come out throw the realme of France,
I saw the King make royall ordinance
For tornament, for joy, for feist, for play
At Pareis toun againe ȝour mariage day;
To quhilk was dressit monie ane Lord and Knight,
And monie ane lustie Ladie blyth and bright,
In companies thik ryding throw the fieldis,
With bairdit steidis, harneis, speir and scheildis;
And in the honour of ȝour grit renoune,
He makis all that great provisioun.
And eik the Queine with all hir Ladies bright
Ȝour wadding schupe to worschip at thair might
With royall feisting, dansing and disport.
And scho avowit befor that lustie sorte
Unto the Powne that set was on the tabill,
This King is suithfast and undouttabill.
And ane thing, Sir, I sall ȝow tell for treuth,
I saw ane sight quhairof I hade grite rewth,
Bot heir without the toun ane litill way.
Fyftine Knightis enarmit war perfay,
Quhilk reveist fyvetine Virginis had unright,
Thinking with thame to ly [on] this ilk night,
And of thair virginities them to deflore.
Full fast the Madinis mercie did implore;
Bot thay with cruell heartis but pitie
Demanis thame, that pitie is to sie.
Then askit King Clariodus, if thay
War passit far. He answeirit and said, Nay,
I ges them ȝit bot at the Woll, said he,
Without the toune that standis by the trie,
Whair Ladies usis in thair disport to go,
It callit is the Ladies Woll also.

On Bonvaleir than callit he anone,
And bad him swiftlie for his harnes gone,
And sadell him ane coursour that was wight,
And bad the Herald go at all his might,
Unto the postrum suddanlie him bring,
And thair for to abyde on his cuming.
With speir in hand [that was] both long and wight,
Bonvaleir soune enarmit him [at] right,
And he anone unto the postrum went,
And on his horse ascendit or he stint.
Upon his heid he did his helme on lace,
And them commandit both into that place
That they discover him in no maneir:
Syne chargit he his varlot Bonvaleir,
Alleane into his chalmer to sojorne
All quyetlie againe quhill he returne;
And if his brother the Constabill speire
Whair he was gaine, to tell on this maneir,
That he was in ane secreit erant went,
And wald againe him speid incontinent.
And than he tuike his mightie speir in hand,
And swiftlie he did gallope ouer the land.
Thir Squyeris both thay sat on kneis doun,
Prayand to him that wore the bludie croun
Him to conserve from all misaventure,
Thay him betaught in Godis blissit houre,
And to the chalmer soune returnit thay.

Clariodus, in all the haist he may,
Upon the Knightis followit hes so fast,
Whill that he hes ouertaine them at the last,
Saying, O Knightis, ȝe abyde for shame!
Doe not so grit dishonour to ȝour name,
As for to leid the Madinis on that wayis;
The Ordour of Knightheid ye [do] dispyse,
On sike ane wayis fair Ladies to offend;
For ȝe thair quarrell rather sould defend,
Nor them to trubill so on sik maneir.
Sir Knight, thay said, grit folie to ȝow it wer,
As now to schaipe our deidis to correct,
For at this tyme ȝe may ws not object.
I sall resist, quod he, if that I may.
Thairwith the formest schupe him to assay.
Thay set thair speiris sadlie in the reist,
And awfullie towart uther thay preist;
And certanlie the King Clariodus
He hit him sik ane strake dispiteous,
That horse and man went both unto the ground,
Whill that his helme did from the eard redound.
The second and the third doun run hes he
So fellounlie, that naine was of thaise thrie
Bot ather his leg or arme he brist in two.
And quhen the Madinis saw he provit so,
Right heartfullie to God they for him prayit.
The twelf Knightis with heartis unaffrayit,
Then set on him with swordis all at onis,
Traisting to brist him, fell, blood and bonis.
Quhen this persavit King Clariodus,
With sword in hand as lyoun furious,
Full earnestlie he enterit them amang;
With mortall straikis he among them dang,
That it was wounder him to behald and sie,
For he begouth into his wraith to be;
Was none so stalwart that his straik gainestuide,
For as ane tyger that beine fearse and wode,
He on them ruschit than with awfull faire,
With bloudie sword thame chasing heir and thair,
Bristing thair steill helmis in his ire and teine,
Straiking thair steidis from them on the greine,
Carving thair lymbis and armis ay in sunder,
So monie of them thair steidis lay in under.
The Knightis war abaisit grittumlie,
Of him that them tormentit so fellounlie;
Ane feind thay thocht him lyker nor ane man,
For of his fighting ever mair he can.
Thay straik at him so thik and fast withall
As dois the hammeris on the studie sall;
Thay woundit him upon the arme full sore,
Whairthrow his courage incressit ay the more;
For quhen he saw his blood rin doune so reid
He grew in anger and in mortall feid,
And on them ruschit with sik violence,
With so grit furie and grit vehemence,
He huntit them with [sik] ane feirfull cheire,
Right as the awfull hundis dois the deire,
And skaillit them full wyde before his face,
As the fearse lyoun dois small beistis chase;
Upon the greine he gave them tant for tant,
Whill that thay grew so weirie and so faint,
And put them so far to confusioun,
That thay could not bot ly in thair ransoune,
As ȝoldin men his dintis to resave,
And could not take the straikis that he gave.
And quhen thay saw [that] thair was no remeid,
Bot them to ȝeild, or ellis for to be deid,
Thay said to him at onis pitiouslie,
Ha! Flour of Knightheid, grant to ws mercie,
And save our lyfis, for thy mikill might,
As thow that beine in earth the gentillest Knight.
Then said the King, Gif ȝe will have mercie,
Go to the toun ȝe sall standing us by;
Unto the Kingis Palice ȝe sall speir,
And thair ȝe sall enter but ony feir,
Whair ȝe sall entrie have for small requeist,
And ȝeild ȝow to the Ladie of the feist;
Your prissoun sall be soft, I tak on me,
If that ȝe be all taine with hir bewtie;
And eike ȝe sall promit, or that ȝe wende,
In tyme cuming ȝe sall ȝour lyfes amend,
And never againe doe Ladies sik unright,
Bot ay defend thair quarrell with ȝour might;
And eik the Madinis ȝe sall restore
Unto thair freindis quhair thay war before.
Thay said anone, We sall do ȝour bidding
Into all poynts, save onlie this ane thing,
That is to say, to have thir Madins againe,
Quhilk if we doe doubtles we salbe slaine.
This weill considerit King Clariodus.
The damosellis that glaid war and joyous,
On kneis fell to him full humbillie,
And wald his feit have kissit tenderlie;
Bot he wald not them suffer to do so.

So twentie Knightis fearslie come but ho,
Upon thair steidis swiftlie at the spuris,
To seik the Knights that donne them sik injuris,
And wald with swordis have upon them beine;
Bot King Clariodus lape them betweine,
And said, My friendis, no worschip war ȝow to,
Unto thir Knights more hermis [for] to doe;
Then thankit be God of his eternall grace,
Thir Madinis beine recoursit upon cace.
And quhen they have [weill] understud that he
Was onlie victour of so grit meinȝe,
Thay war sore wonderit into mikill thing,
And come to him [full] lowlie inclyning;
And him thay thankit thair with all thair might,
As of the world the most nobillest Knight,
And prayit him his name to them to kyth.
And he anone hes answeirit them belyve,
My name I never denyit, nor ȝit sall,
Clariodus of Estur thay me call.
And quhen thay wist it was Clariodus,
Thay fell upon thair kneis, saying thus,
O nobillest Knight of most excellent fame,
Out throw the world springin is ȝour name;
Ȝour knightlie deidis and heigh chevalrie,
In laude and honour rings unto the skie;
We ar not grit amervellit of this deid,
Sen that ȝe ar the flour of all knightheid,
Whom God haith sent our chyldren to persew;
We salbe faithfull servitours and trew
To ȝow for all the dayis of our lyfe.
The nobill King ane freindschip maid belyve
Among the Knights; and syne did thame requyre
That thay wald go with him to the suppeir.
Thay have him reverencit full grittumlie,
Syne to the Palice thay [all] raid glaidlie.
The other Knightis maid varlots for to gone
Unto the wode and litteris maid anone,
Whairin thay have four woundit Knightis laid,
And send them hame withoutin mair abaid
With four varlotis in thair companie,
Quhilk ludging tuik in the nixt toun thairby;
Syne at the King thay tuike thair leave and went,
Thair promise to fulfill incontinent.
And he hes ridin againe the privie way
Unto the postrom, as ȝe hard me say.
I leive now of Clariodus ane quhyle,
And sumthing now my pen I will exyle,
Schortlie to speik of thir elevin Knights,
Quhilk to the Palice for to go them dichts.

Thir Knightis at the Palice ȝet lichtit doun,
And enterit at the portis of renoune,
Ascendit syne up the gries of the hall;
Thay that them saw did wounder ane and all.
As diamonds in armour bright thay schone,
And thay all woundit war and bluid begone.
To hall thay went and passit throw the preis,
And or thay stint thay come to the hie deice.
Anon the menstrells ceissit for to play,
And Lordis left the dance for the afray;
For as them thoght it was ane uncouth thing,
In bluidie harneis to sie thair incuming.
In sylence was the hall of most and leist.
Thay speirit quha was Ladie of the feist,
And thay tham kennit to Meliades.
Then all on knies thay sat on humbill wayis,
And said, Madame, unto ȝour blyth bewtie
We ȝeild us heir all presoners to be,
To do with ws ryght as ȝourselfin list;
For of this world the nobillest Knight and best
Ws all hes conqueist with his [awin] hand,
And uther foure in poynt of death lyand.
Syne quhen he had ws wone with grit mellie,
From twentie Knightis of grit crueltie
He ws recoursit againe richt nobillie,
And ws conserved from thair fellonie.
They callit him the Knight of joy compleit,
Whois heart of everie plesour beine repleit.
Then worde by worde they [all] the maner told
Of thair meiting, and of the bargane bold,
And of his knightlie strenth and his vigoure,
And how he maid the [haill] discomfiture.
When they had long his honour done proclame,
Thay said, Madame, if ȝe wald wit his name,
Clariodus of Estur thay him call.
Then full of blise and glaidnes was the hall,
And thay all cryit with ane cheir joyous,
Vive, vive, le Roy Clariodus!
And that with sik ane [michtie] noyse and sound,
That to the rufe the chalmer did redound.
Meliades that blyth was this to heire,
Ȝit changit nather countinance nor cheir;
Bot with ane stedfast leuke debonarlie
Scho all beheld the mirrie companie,
And thankit God devotlie in hir mynde,
That her rewairdit hade on sike ane kynd;
And [that it] pleasit had his gratious will,
The flour of knightheid to geive hir untill:
And ȝit albeit scho hade in mariage
This nobill Knight of so hie vassalage,
And understuid and right perfytlie knew
That unto hir he steidfast was and trew;
Ȝit Cupid hes hir strikin with his dairte,
And newlie woundit hir unto the heart
Throw new reporte maid of him be thir Knights
In presence of so monie gudlie wights.
What is thair mair to say of this mater;
Both Kingis, Queinis, Lordis and Ladies cleire
Full joyous war thir things for to heir tell
Of him that beine of knightheid flour and well,
And most of all Earle Estur honorabill,
And fair Countes that was demure and stabill.
King Philipone them treitit nobillie,
And gart the Constabill treit them royallie;
And syne the gudlie Queine Meliades
Releivit them on fair and gudlie wayis
Of hir prisoune, and sweitlie did them treite,
And gave them gyftis honorabill and great.
Thay tuike thair leave anone full courteslie,
Reverencing thir Princis humbillie,
And most of all Meliades the Queine,
Dressing hir bewtie and hir vertew scheine.
Syne soune upon thair horse ascendit thay,
And to thair fellows tuike the neirest way,
Quhilk thame abaid thair, bot [ȝit neir] at hand
In ane village that callit was Garrand;
To quhom they shew the grit nobillitie
Was to them donne, and the grit royaltie
Of all this feast; and of rewairdis grite
Whilk was thame gevin thair they did repeit;
And how Clariodus, of knightheid floure,
Of twa realmis was famous conquerour;
And thair thay did remaine whill haill and sound
War thair fellows of everie grevous wound;
Syne hame thay went unto thair awin cuntrie,
And leivit ay in trewth and chevalrie.

King Amandur and [alse] King Palexis,
And the Lord Constabill that worthie was,
Ascendit on thair horse and that anone,
And with all bissines can them dispone
To meit the King Clariodus in hy.
The King of Spaine eik in thair company
Wold have ridin; bot Philipon the King
Did him requyer with wordis right bening,
Whill thair returning to make residence,
The feist to honour with his digne presence.
And as thay went to horse on this maneir,
Thay met the Kingis varlot Bonvaleir,
Whom to the Constabill said, My frind, perdie
Ȝe have this thing conseillit weill fra me,
To schaw to me quhair that ȝour Maister went.
My Lord, said he, it war not pertinent
To me to schaw, bot quhat he chargis me,
Quhilk to consider discreit anewch ar ȝe.
Thairwith he lewch, and maid [full] grit gaming.
Thir Lords to meit the King ar gone in samming;
And soune thay saw him ryde a quyet way
Unto the postrum ȝet without delay.
Then the Lord Constabill unto him raid,
And on this maner lawghand to him said,
I am of ȝow dissavit out of dreid,
For I belevit ȝe, sa God me speid,
Had beine devysing sum strange abuilȝement
Into ȝour chalmer for the tornament,
And ȝe in uther materis bissie wer,
As be the Knightis weill it did apeire,
Whom into Court amongs we ȝe [did] send;
Thay maid ȝour occupation to us kend.
The Kingis two, quhilk war his cousings neir,
Thay maid him mirrie companie and cheire.
The Lord Constabill persavit weill that he
Upon the arme was hurt at the mellie,
And speirit at him if he was hurt ought saire;
And he said, Nay. With that thay enterit thair
In at the gardine ȝet of the postrum.
To the chalmer of Clariodus thay come.
Thay passit soune and him unarmit then;
And syne ane furrit mantill have thay taine,
And laid it him about right softlie,
And on his bed syne maid him [for] to ly,
And to refresch him efter his weirines.
King Amandur and [alse] King Palexis
Commandit he to pase unto the hall,
And glaid the feisters at thair power all,
And gar them play and make withall disport,
The quhilk to doe mirrillie thay them exhort.
To hall ar went thir Princes honorabill,
And with him left no wight bot the Constabill,
And chalmerlandis with him two or thrie.

And quhen King Philipon can behold and sie
Thir Princes two againe returnit thus,
He wist that cum was King Clariodus;
At them he speirit the maner and the gyse
Of all the mellie and the interpryse,
And gif that he was hurt he did require:
And thay to him declairit the maneire;
That he was hurt thay wold not plainlie tell,
For saik of hir that was of bewtie well,
In cace thairof scho sould take displisance,
Quhairfor thay maid ane mirrie countinance.
Unto the King thay told all privilie,
That he was hurt, bot ȝit not hevilie;
Of quhilk Meliades tuik persaving,
And was affrayit into mikill thing;
Scho swounit neir for inwart paine and wo.
Dame Romaryn, that hir persavit so,
Unto hir come, and sate doune on hir knie,
And quhat hir aillit softlie speirit sche.
Scho said, I dreid my Lord Clariodus
Be hurt, quhairof my heart is dolorus;
Ȝe sall unto him go but tarrying,
And in ane taikine beir to him this ring,
And cum againe and me the maner tell.
Romaryn then no longer scho did dwell,
Scho went to the chalmer of Clariodus,
And on hir kneis softlie said scho thus,
My Ladie, Sir, hes me unto ȝow send,
And unto ȝow dois heartlie hir commend,
For sair scho dreidis that ȝe hurt [may] be;
Quhairfor so full of hevines is sche,
That scho uneis may keipe hir countinance,
So woundit is hir heart with disperance;
And this scho hes ȝow sent in tokening,
Thairwith anone presenting him the ring.
Romaryn in armis he did imbrace,
And to hir said with glaidsum cheir and face,
Ȝe sall my Ladie thanke richt heartfullie,
And say unto hir verallie that I
Do aill nothing bot that scho may amend,
The quhilk alsweith sall unto hir be kend.
On this ilk night scho salbe medicyne
Unto my wounde, for scho is leich full fyne;
And in ane tokine gif hir this roobie bright,
And say, scho weill confortit hes hir Knight.
Romaryn lewch quhen scho hard him say so,
And undertuike for to remeid the wo
Of hir Ladie, Meliades the Queine,
That did of painis the hevines susteine.
Scho tuike hir leave, and to hir Ladie went,
And unto hir the tokin hes present,
And said as he hir bad, but variance,
In mikill thing quhilk lowsit hir pennance;
And hir rewairdit with the roobie cleire,
That hir sik tydings broght in this maneir.

The Constabill, [richt] wyse and componabill,
Raillit with mirrie wordis amiabill,
And said unto the King Clariodus;
This day I saw ane Ladie dolorous,
Quhois cullour changit sumthing for ȝour saike,
Get up, and be alse strong as onie aike;
Be all in joy, and thinke not of no paine;
Ane sight of ȝow might make ane Ladie faine.
Then lewgh the King, and said, My brother faire,
Ladies in heart beine pitious ever maire.
With that King Philipon, that was worthie,
And eike the King of Spaine, com to visie
Him in his chalmer with ane freindlie cheire.
The King of Galice on the same maneir
Com him to visie, and Earl Estur eike,
Him to comfort with thair wordis [so] meike.
Ane chirurgiane, that ware was and expert,
Him tuike in hand to heill of everie sinart
In syvetine dayis, that he might ryde and gang.
He was ane grit maister chirurgiane.
Thus raillit he with King Clariodus,
Sir, unto ȝow it salbe nothing noyous,
Gif on the night ȝe just alse weill as day.
He smyllit then, and said, Maister, perfay
The trewth ȝe tell; bot I have esperance
Of my pairtie, to have ane soverance
Mair in the night nor in the day had I:
For I am ȝoldin ellis right verallie
Alreadie to my nichts pairtie traist perdie;
Whairfor I think scho will more gratious be.
The cumpanie then lewgh, and maid gud sport,
And to the hall they went agane at schort,
All bot the Constabill and two chalmerlanis,
Quhilk still abaid with the chirurgianis,
Whill visit all and tentit was his wound,
And bundit up with sawis that war sound.
Of purpur velvote he put on ane goune,
With mertrix furrit curious of fassioun.
He gave ane uther of the samyn sorte
To the Lord Constabill, doing him exhorte
Thairin him for to cleith; and thay anone
Both in ane suit into the hall is gone.
He put the goun on him at his requeist;
Syne hand in hand thir two went to the feist,
Quhilk lovit uther ay full tenderlie.
Of Knightis followit them grit companie.
Unto the hall thay went without delay,
Whair all devysit was this mirrie play.
Thay halsit have the mightie Princes hie,
And thay resavit war full joyouslie.
Meliades raise off hir mightie seate,
Upliftit freschlie with two Earlis great.
And this [fair] Prince full humbillie did inclyne,
And hir he did imbrace in armis syne,
And kissit hir and set hir in hir chyre;
Then minstrells playit with ane mirrie fayre,
And thair the dance thay have begune againe.
Clariodus his Sister tuik in hande,
The Constabill the Queine of Galeice toke;
The ȝoung Knightis for joy thair heartis quoke,
And cheisit Ladies to go into the dance.
Thus thay disportit with mirth and grit plisance;
Full royallie the feast of joy began;
Meliades scho dansit not as than.
What sould I tell ȝow of thair grit delyte,
Quhilk to rehearse almaist war insinit.
When redie was the supper, then anone
This lustie sorte ar to thair chalmeris gone,
And changit thair arayis pleasantlie,
And them abuilȝeit new and lustillie
In licht clethings, all ordanit for the dance,
That for to sie it was ane grit pleasance.
Of thair robis royall dispuilȝet them the Kings,
And on them put hes uther licht clethings.
Then Ladies war arrayit full richlie.
They enterit all togidder right seamelie
Into the chalmer of Meliades;
And scho, the flour of bewtie most to prais,
Was cled in kirtill of claith of gold most deire,
And of the samyn hir mantill schynit cleir.
The croun of gold scho changit on hir heid,
Whilk cast ane light of stonis blew and reid.
Hir madinis all war in the samyn gyse,
In glorious mantillis gudlie to pryse,
Save that thay wore of claith of silver scheine.

When Lordis and Ladies thus arayit beine,
And everie wight, that pleasour was to se,
The Maisteris of houshald, grite of dignitie,
Unto King Philipon thay com and said,
The supper readie was and on him baid.
Than he commandit the Frensche Constabill,
And the wyse Count of Estur honorabill,
Unto the hall to fech the gudlie spous.
Then followit Knightis gudlie and famous.
To hall thay broght this ȝoung and lustie Queine,
As the hie deice anone up raisit beine;
And scho was set with honour triumphand,
With mightie Kingis upon ather hand,
And lustie Queinis fresch and amiabill.
And scho of bewtie flour incomparabill
Surmuntit all the Ladies in the hall,
As rubie hes renoun imperiall
Of everie stone; as right as Phebus bricht
Beine Lord and Prince of all etheriall light,
Blinding the starrie hevine with his bewtie,
Richt so hir bewtie, angel lyke to se,
And blyth aspectis glaidis all the tabill,
As parradyce of joy inestimabill.
The King Clariodus and his companie
Unto thair chalmer passit joyouslie,
And sowpit thair with royall feist and cheir.
The sound of trumpits mirrie was to heir,
The coursis come of number inestimabill,
With instrumentis glaid and delectabill;
The wynis ran, that wight war of measouris,
From horribill monsturis and fearfull of figouris;
And other liquoris mightie and pretious
Of dyverse wynis mightie and mervellous
Ran out of virginis papis quhyte as snow:
All kynd of fleuris in the hall thay flow:
By incantatioun of grit practitioneris,
By astrologis and art magicianis,
Grite sortolegis with thair enchantments
Of thair artis gave sik experiments,
That thay appeirit lyvelie and visibill:
Strong furious lyonis and dragonis horribill,
Gaiping as thay the peipill wald devoure:
Thair was hunting of all gritest plesoure,
The hardie hundis of full grit quantitie
Chasing the heartis with thair heidis hie:
Richt pleasant war the coursis of birds above,
Etheriall foullis in air might mak na rove
For lustie falkonis that was gentill of kynd:
All joy was, that man might have in mynd
Everilk plesour that might revert in spreit:
Fresch nightingells thair song with notis sweit,
With blythfull birdis in the blomit spray,
Befor dame Natur in hir fresch array.
I can not tell ȝow in ane houris space
The grite excelling pleasoure in that place,
Nor of the joyous feisting infinit,
Nor of the instruments of grit delyte,
With dulce musicianis of princis chappellis seir,
Quhilk song with curious craft and [wondir] cleire.
It war ouer long heir for to declaire
The intermeisis that war playit thair
Amongs the coursis most delitious,
Quhilk war of proces superstitious.
The heralds and minstrellis that thair wes,
Thay all full loudlie did thair cry Lairges
Of the most royall Prince Clariodus,
That gave them gyfts mightie and pretious.
The supper long induirit on this wayis;
[Clariodus then joyouslie upraise,]
And Maisters of houshold gart raise the tabill hie.
The grace was said with grit solemnitie,
About and ouer the Palice circuleir.
The noyse of ministrells mirrie was to heir,
And everie wight [grit] joy and mirthis hade.
Anon began the dance but more abaid,
Incressis ay of mirthis more and more,
With gritter preis of peiple nor before.
Long war the proces [all] now for to tell
Of thair disporte and joy that did excell,
Quhilk till midnight [I wote] induirit still.
The Maisteris of houshold then schew them till,
That it was lait and tyme to go to rest;
Then everie wight thair unto bedis drest.
The Kingis of Ingland and [eik] of Spaine
Hes tane this rose of bewtie soverane,
Meliades, and to hir chalmer gois.
Clariodus, of knightheid flour and rose,
Unto his chalmer convoyit beine with Kings;
Syne tuike thair leave with humbill inclynings.
In chalmer thair with him abaid no mo,
Bot the Lord Constabill that he lovit so,
That he could not be but his companie.
Four Knightis beine his chalmerleins worthie,
Ane was Sir Broun de Lamour [full] wight,
Ane uther Gilȝeam de la Forrest height,
Sir Richard de la Forrest was in feir,
The ferd was Sir Penant de la Careire,
Quhilk four to him so tender was trewlie,
That he to them gave trest of his bodie.
And quhen anon with them he was uncled,
In furrit mantill he set hes on his bed,
And him besyd he set the Constabill,
And with him fell in speiking delectabill,
Whill that Meliades in bed was gone,
Whair Ladeis as than was with hir none
Save hir awin Mother, and the Queinis two
Of Spaine and Galice; thir wald not fra hir go,
Whill scho in bed was brocht, and then anone
Thay tuike thair leave, and to thair bedis gone.
Then Romaryn, bening and gratious,
To chalmer went to King Clariodus,
And schew to him that the Queine was in bed,
And he anone to [hir] chalmer him sped,
And the Constabill into his companie,
Quhilk then at his bed [side] richt privalie
Tuik leave and bad guid nicht on humbill wayis.
Clariodus to fair Meliades
Enterit in bed quhom Venus did convoy,
Not in his bed bot in his hevin of joy.
What is thair mair, bot that the floure of armis
Ane rose of bewtie lapit in his armis;
And so thir two thay enterit in thair blise,
Whilk with thair meritis weill deservit is;
And thay, that lovit uther above all things,
Passit that night with joy and thair lykings,
Quhilk joy doubtles full deir was coft befor,
Whairfor thair joy ay multipliet the more.

I will not tak in hand for to indyte
Thair joyis all, for them I can not wryte;
For in sik thing I am not prakticate,
Quhilk never my Ladie had in sik ane state.
Termis I want sik materis to prefer,
Quhairfor ȝe loveris to ȝow I it refer,
That taistit hes of the ilk samyne tune,
And on sik wayis ȝour Ladies now hes wone;
For to consider thair joy is ouer measoure,
Of love they have now fund the theasoure,
Whilk long thay have with pane and pennance soght.
I know the paine, the pleasoure know I nocht;
The wo I felt, thought I the blis not bruike.
O ȝe my Ladies that luikis on this Buike,
To ȝow I me compleine on humbill wayis,
That she nocht bot disdaine for my service.
Wald God gif [that] sum pairt of ȝour pitie
War mixit with my Ladies [rare] bewtie;
For war scho mercifull as scho is faire,
In all this world scho had non [to] compaire;
In everie vertew naine micht hir amend.

My mater now no longer to transcend,
Thir loveris two full litill felt of sorrow,
Whill bright Phebus them helsit on the morrow,
In at the windo and on the courtines schone,
And everilk wight adressit up to gone,
With Kingis, Princes, and Ladies of honoure,
And everie Ladie hir dressit in hir boure,
And did thair bodies lustillie array,
Lyk to the Mayis blossome on the spray.
Clariodus, as on the day before,
In clothing that was pretious and decore,
Is vestit, and quhen tyme was opportune,
For the Lord Constabill he sent full soune;
Syne to King Philipon [anone] he went,
Whair all the Kingis togidder war present.
The Queine Meliades did freschile hir attyre
In cloath of gold bright twinkling as [the] fyre,
In kirtill quhilk was glorious to sie,
Of purpure velvot ane goun on had sche.
Ane lustie huid scho had upon hir heid,
With pearlis quhyte and rubies lustie reid
Sternit ouer all, quhilk Earle Estur hir send
Into the morrow with ane recommend.
Scho thus arrayit I let in chalmer dwell,
And quhat betyde in Court now I will tell.

The King Clariodus, on fair maneir,
With the Lord Constabill, his companioun deire,
Is to the King of Spainȝes chalmer gone,
And unto him thir wordis said anone,
My fair Brother, [now] harkin unto me,
Ȝe have ane Sister mariet for to be,
Whilk is right fair, benigne, and gratious;
And I ane Cousing have and Prince famous,
Whilk is ane valiant Knight, as weill ȝe know;
War it ȝour will, I wald that it war so,
That our alyance might togider go
[By mariage of thir richt nobill two.]
The King answeirit and said, My Brother faire,
I will as ȝe will, schortlie to declaire,
We think that alway it war convenient.
He thankit him with wordis reverent;
And syne he past unto King Philipon,
And schew to him all haill how it was gone;
And he was glaid. Thair is no more to tell.
Arayit beine this lustie damosell
On gudlie wayis, alse fresch as sould a bryde.
King Amandur, upon the uther syde,
Abuilȝeit him in fresch and regall weid,
As he that was ane Prince of nobilheid;
And King Palexis on the same maneire,
Whilk handfast was with Ladie Cader cleir;
All for the mariagis dressit them anone,
And thay all four ar to the chappell gone.
Within the mightie Palice of renoune
Up gois the trumpit and the clarioun.
Convoyit thay war with nobill companie
Of Kingis, Princes, and Lordis royallie,
And mightie Queinis upon ather syde.
I bid not on the proces to abyde;
Thay mariet war with full grit dignitie,
And halie consecrat efter thair degrie.
The mes was song with not full curious,
With organ sound and thimphand melodious.
Efter the mes was donne upon this wayis,
And finallie compleitit the service,
The ȝoung Quenis war led from [the] chappell
With Kingis that in honour did excell;
Then to thair chalmeris thay went them to recray,
And alse to cleith them in ane new aray;
And syne discendit into the triumph hall
In the grite close that stuide imperiall,
On lenth and breid, [on] height and [on] lairgnes,
Of riche apparralling and lustines.
The tabill up raisit richlie was anone.
The two ȝoung Queines to the hie deice ar gone
With grite estait and regall dignitie;
On ather syde sat Kingis fresch to sie,
And Quenis alse [full] lustie to behold,
In rich apparrall and regale cloath of gold,
Whois radious rich apparrall brightlie schone
With emerand and pearle but comparison
In corronalds, bright jespe, and diademes.
Bot if ane wight of death war in extreames,
It sould him comfort and rejose to sie
Thair excellent and imperiall blyth bewtie.

When everie King and Prince of nobilnes,
And everie Princes, Ladie, and Duches
Beine set at tabill efter thair degrie,
The trumpits soundit with ane noyse full hie,
Whill that the royall Palice did resoun.
Anon the coursis come with sik fusioun,
That I wald irk for to report them heire,
And ȝe sould think it tedious for to heire;
Or if I told ȝow all the circumstance
Of them in Ingland, Ireland, and of France,
Galice, Garnat, and [eik] of Castalȝie,
Of Spainȝe land, and of Estur cuntrie,
How thay war marchellit, or quha maid them cheir,
Or of the diverse intermisis seire,
Or of the dulce and hevinlie minstrallie,
Or of thair musike and diverse melodie,
Or of thair diverse playing instruments,
Or of thair plisant and trim abuilȝements,
Or of thair mirrie cheir maid at the tabill,
To tell or to report it war inestimabill;
The sweit luikis and amorus beholding
Betwix the Knightis and the Ladies ȝing,
Or of the heralds in thair coat armouris
Of syndrie Princes of grite honouris;
Upon sik thing war long for to abyde,
Whairfor as now I will let it ower slyde.
King Amandur and King Palexis
Rewairdit heralds with gold and grit riches;
They cryit Larges all the hall about.

And quhan all dynit had this nobill rout,
Buirdis on loft beine raisit by and by,
And graces said be Bischopis devotlie;
And all the Lordis that in chalmeris dynit,
Whois grite estait can not be [heir] defynit,
Unto the court of nobilnes discendit,
Quhilk unto nothing bot to honour tendit,
Larges, jentrice, and [eik] nobilitie,
Trewth, manheid, justice, and liberalitie;
Away was falsit, away was wretchitnes,
Away was nigardie and all skarschnes.
None covitice let them of thair disport,
Thair heartis gevin to all glaidnes at schort;
Nor naine invy at utheris dignitie
Might them depairt from thair cheritie;
More grace amongs them wald aboundand be.
[Full oft has beine sik royall companie;]
Bot not alway exampillis, for to wryte,
For so insatiabill beine thair apetite,
That all the world micht slokin not thair thrist,
Whill daith of clay ingrafe them in ane kist.

Into this hall triumph and palestriall,
Up gois the joyous sound instrumentall;
With dulce, melodious hermonie and sweit,
Raising the breist with curage, and the spreit
Of them that lustie beine and amorus.
Two Earlis, that beine worthie and famous,
Thir two ȝoung Queinis leidis to the dance,
Whom matrimonie hes donne so advance.
The Constabill leidis Meliades.
Thir Kingis two full fresch at all devyse,
King Amandur and King Palexis,
Hes taine two Queinis of grit lustines,
And dansit on [maist] fair and gudlie wayis
Dansis that all men [ever] could devyse;
Knightis and Ladies full gudlie for to seine,
And virginis in thair dressit hairis scheine,
The dance continuing with bening countinance.
Thus they disportit them with all plesance,
Whill that the supper was redie at all;
Then unto chalmer went this court royall,
And freschlie thair thay changit thair rayments,
And pat on them for playis abuilȝements.
And Ladies hes thair gounis laid asyde,
And taine on mantillis that war large and wyde
Of cloath of gold, purpure, and cramosie.
The fair Meliades debonarlie
Hes hir dispuilȝeit of hir goune velvate,
And put on hir ane rosey of dew bewate,
Ane goune of gudlie hewit cramosie;
Upon hir heid ane croune of gold mightie,
Whairin was stonis pretious and decore,
That worth ane Kingis ransoune war and more,
With goldin chainȝe about hir halse so quhyte,
Whom to behold ane hevine was of delyte:
Her proper persoun glorious was and gay.

When everie Ladie hade changit hir array,
To the triumph hall ascendit thay anone.
Kingis, Princes, and Ladies everie one,
War set at supper efter thair degrie.
The silver trumpits maid a noyse full hie,
The pleasant coursis come abundantly;
And buirdis beine [all] servit by and by,
The minstrellis sang with curiositie,
Sweit as the marmaid in the orient sea.
Full long thay sat and maid right mirrie cheir,
And soune anone thay raise from the suppeir,
And newlie gois to thair abaitments
With joyous sound of pleasant instruments.
Then all the nobillest King Clariodus
For Emayne sent ane Ladie gratious,
Of the chalmer of the Duches Bellavoy,
Quhilk was of Spaine ane verie flour of joy,
And hir delyverit to the Lord Constabill,
To go in dance; and he right honorabill
Thankit him lowlie and tuik her be the hand.
Thir two ȝoung Queinis, lustie and pleasand,
Led with two Kingis dansit thair ane bease.
Meliades be worthie Palexis
Was led in dance as goddes Apolleine,
Quhilk to behold was lyke ane thing devine.
Thus thay disportit quhill it was neir midnight,
Syne unto beddes thay passit everie wight.
King Philipone and King Clariodus,
With countinance mirrie and joyous,
Convoyit unto chalmer lustillie
Thir young spousis; and syne on wayis gudlie
Thair leavis tuike and syne to chalmeris went.
Thir two fresch Kingis, fresch in thair intent
War of thir Ladies fair and weil beseine.
Syne everie King taine hes his awin Queine,
And gone to bed with thame with all pleasance:
Bot now it war ower long ane circumstance,
To tell thair grite pleasance and all thair joy;
Glaider war never Sir Troylus of Troy,
When he had Cressed in his arms windin,
Nor war thir Kingis quhen thay to beds cumin,
[To] thair lustie Queinis quhom thay loved long.
Bot now the tyme me list not to prolong,
For to declair ȝow all thair mirrines,
Or into lovis the nights bissines.
In joy and blise in armis still thay lay
With glaidsum night, quhilk cumin was the day.

Apollo restles and unfatigabill,
Cleir in the eist devoid of habite sabill,
Upon his course was cumin in the hevin,
Twentie degries large and thairto sevin,
Quhen everie King and Prince of nobilnes,
And everilk Queine, Ladie, and Duches,
Adressit them full gudlie in thair weid.
Meliades the flour of womanheid
Was cled in goune of velvote lustillie,
Furrit with greice right fair and [full] seamlie;
And of the samyne suite scho gave also
Unto the new maid Quenis gounis two,
And to the Queinis of Galice and Spainȝe
Two gounis of the samyne sort gave sche;
And scho that wes of bewtie crope and rute,
Did them beseik to go into ane suite
With hir that day; and thay with cheire bening
Hir thankit, and did grant to hir this thing.
To mes thay went, and syne disjunit all;
Syne to the skaffalds in lustie apparrall
Went everie Prince and Princes amiabill,
And everie Lord and Ladie delectabill.
King Philipone with monie ane auncient Knight
War set on skaffold to consave at right
What Lord or Knight did best in the assay.
The Knightis com all lustie in array
In cloathes of gold full fair [and] schyning bright.
Unto the rinke com monie seamlie Knight
So weill at poynt that wounder was to sie.
Of trumpits sound full noyis rais on hie.
The French Constabill com first in the assay,
On gudlie wayis in right knightlie aray,
Servit be the nobill King Clariodus,
Whois wound to him was ȝit sumthing noyous,
And for that cause he justit not as than.
Thair might be seine monie ane seamlie man.
The Constabill was in the range with him,
Whilk than was [the] maist liklie for to wine.
Of Bellavoy the Duike was [then] without,
[And] servit be King Amandur full stoute,
Weill accompanied with knightlie companie,
For he all tyme was nobill and worthie.
The Duike of Brisland enterit in the feild,
In knightlie fassoun both with speire and scheild,
In his inarming cleire as ony sonne,
Quhilk as I traist sall not be lightlie wonne;
And he was servit be King Palexis,
Becaus he of [the] Galice natioun was.
The fresch Knightis com far to the justing,
Sir Charles de la Careir as ane lamp schyning,
The nobill and duchtie Sir Ame de Valeir,
Ane gratious Knight Sir Gorius de Grampeir,
With monie uther lustie pleasand Knight.
Knightis of Ingland schone as angellis bright,
Sir Broun de Amouris cristalleine of hew,
And nobill Sir Hewmon de la Mantigue,
Sir Richard de Maianis of grite renoune;
Sir Gilȝeam de la Forrest of Scottis regioun,
Ane Knight he was of fair conditioun;
Thair was Sir Hew de la Bas of that natioune.
The Knight Lumbard, Sir Ame de la Pleasance,
Com to the preise with manlie countinance.
Of Portingall Sir Porus of renoune
Was thair, the Knight quhilk was the [weird] lyoun.
It war forsuith ane grit prolixitie
To tell thair namis all in thair degrie;
For thair was both within and eik without
Aucht hundreth Knightis that war [stark and] stout,
Ȝoung, strong, [and] fresch, and also amorus,
Antrus, ardent, and [alse] richt desyrus
To do thair deidis valiant at thair might,
In presens of thair Ladies and thair sight.
Or onie Knight encounterit with ane lance,
Thir Lordis heralds heighlie did advance
In thair coat armuris of gold, stiffe and cleire;
And with hie voice that all the feild might heire
Cryit the heralds of the Lord Constabill,
Poure lamour dele; [and] with grite joy thairtill
The Duike of Brislandis heralds cryit hie,
Sans poynt faltre; and so with royaltie
Thair maisteris wordis thay pronuncit loud.
Syne to the scharpe assay of knightlie schroud
Addressit Lordis with thair speiris joynit;
The cleirlyke trumpits and clariounis tunit.
Thus Mars his sonnis chevalrus and bauld,
In bright arming and triumph to behauld,
Leiming of jespis wounder glorious,
And provit in armis so victorious,
That it war mervell for to be rehearsit;
Thair hie valour with pen can not be versit.
Thay brayit on utheris lyke lyounis and bairis,
The air all rumblit with the crake of speiris,
The earth about all dynnit and it schoke,
The reike up raise [like] as ane smodie smoke;
The trenscheons of thair speiris up gois on loft,
Doune gois the Knightis with ane fall unsoft;
With speiris strong so upon breist thay beit,
The steidis wox all quhyte with fame and sweit;
Cheildis lay scatterit in the feild full wyde,
The bright helmis did from thair heidis glyde,
The cleir scheildis beine all in sunder brist,
Knightis beine out of thair sadillis thrist;
The grit steidis togidder gois with gronis,
Whill giltin ruifis rattillit all at onis,
And bukillis brekis and birneis gois to ground,
Whill with the reard thair breistis did redound.
The grite Constabill of France regioun
That day wan mikill honour and renoune;
He did grit worschip to the realme of France,
For monie ane Knight he drave doun with [his] lance;
He fairis alse wode as lyoun in ane rage,
Whois ardant heart desyrus might not asswage
The thrist of knightheid, governance, and name;
For scho was thair that maid him to eschame
Of cowardyce and of slewthfull curage;
He did suithlie full nobill vassallage,
His knightheid scho enforcit with hir luike.
Full weill then provit of Bellavoy the Duike;
For he that was right famous of thir deidis
Stronglie buire doune both Knightis and thair steidis,
And did full valiantlie and lyke ane Knight.
Sir Charles de la Carere, bold and wicht,
Full weill he provit, as myne Author tellis,
In fame of knightheid and chevalrie excellis.
Rycht weill him held Sir Richard de Mayanis.
The Knight Lumbard, Sir Amé de Plisance,
Sik wounderis wroght, that wounder was to sie,
Throw his grite force and magnanimitie.
And eik Sir Porrus de la Portingall
On him that day did take so grite travell,
And weill atchevit to the letter end.
The Knights of Ingland wan full grite commend.
And right swa thay of Spainȝie and [of] France,
Thay rewlit [thair] with knightlie governance.
For to behold it was ane nobill sight
So monie ane valiant and so lustie Knight
Into ane feild, [and] dought so long contine.
The pepill had grit pleasance them to seine.
To ryn at other did thay never fine,
Whill bright Appollo wastward did declyne,
And him ischerowdit in his mantill reid,
And quhill the goldin traces of his heid
Men might behold straught and lyneall
Abone the earth, with beames colaterall,
With ane deaureat supperiall light
Leiming the grund; and whill he out of sight
Bening descendit from his hemispheire,
And Lucine of the hevine had the impyre,
And lustie Venus schew hir lustie face,
And let hir goldin traces out of leace,
Glaiding the hevinlie ringe imperiall,
And everie blythfull starne celestiall
As roobie twinklit in the firmament.
And quhan that nature maid impediment,
And them denyit had the light of day,
Thay most neids twine. Thair is no more to say,
The King hes gevin command out of his seit,
In trumpit sound to blow up the retreit;
The quhilk command thay let no tyme ouerpas,
The sound gois furth of silver and of brase,
With sik ane noyse, whill all the listis rang;
Men night of mettall heir ane hevinlie sang,
When all the trumpits tonit up at onis;
Then fra the preis the Knightis them disponis.
Bot or the King wold off the skaffald discend,
He askit quha the honour and commend
Deservit for to have of the justing.
The antient Lordis long war advysing,
Full grit commend gave to the Knightis all,
And them right hie did praise universall,
Saying, in thair tyme thay never had seine
More valiant Knightis under scheildis scheine,
Nor better provit at justing nor tornay;
Bot most the laud and the triumph they lay
Upon this Lord the mightie Frenche Constabill,
And on the Duike of Bellavoy honorabill.
The King discendit from his scaffald doune;
Kingis, Princes, and Ladies of renoune,
Unto the Palice went full royallie,
With the victorious sound of minstrallie;
And everie Knight unto his ludging went.
Clariodus, the Knight armipotent
The Constabill led to chalmer royallie,
Quhair he alsweith unarmit was hastillie,
And put on him ane goun of velvote thair,
Furrit with mertrix pretious and fair.
King Amandur led the Duike of Bellavoy
To chalmer with all melodie and joy.

Be this the supper was alreadie dicht,
The sex fresch Queinis, in attyre [full] bricht,
Com to the hall arrayit nobillie,
And at the tabill set with royaltie,
With monie ane Ladie, Countes, and Duches,
And monie grit Maistres and Barrounes.
The Kingis in ane chalmer soupit all.
And all the Knightis went unto the hall,
That war all day with travell fatigat;
The Lord Constabill grittest of estait,
And Duike of Bellavoy ane buird begane;
Syne efter thair degrie right everie man
Was set at tabill, and servit honorabillie.
Anone the trumpits blew up mirrillie,
They maid grit feist with joy and melodie.
Then buirdis beine [all] servit by and by,
As thay in midis of the supper wer,
Aucht Heraldis come in coat armour cleir,
And aught Knightis [full] valiant and worthie,
And askit at the nobill companie,
Quhilk of the Knightis sould the honour have
Of the justing and praise ouer [all] the leave.
In hall they had diverse opinioun
Amongs the Kingis and Princes of renoune
What Knight sould have the lawd and the honoure,
Them all thay praisit to be of grite valour;
Bot to the Constabill thay gave grit loving,
And to the Duike of Bellavoy conding.

When this was said, Clariodus the King
Sent to Meliades the Queine bening,
And bade hir send unto thir Lordis two
Rewairdis fair. The message furth can go,
And schaw right as [that] ȝe have hard devyse.
And then the lustie Queine Meliades
Baid Romaryne feche unto hir of gold
Ane firmaleit and chaine fair to behold;
And with fair Emayn of Bellavoy them send,
And gart ane uther Ladie with hir wend
Unto thir Lordis two. And quhen that thay
Unto thair presence com, thus can thay say
To the Constabill that worthie was and wyse,
Our Soverane Ladie Queine Meliades
Requyeris ȝow this chaine for to resave,
As ȝe that at the justing ouer the leave
That war within hes won renoune and praise:
Bot he alway that courtes was and wyse,
Laith was the chaine for sik caus to resave;
Bot nevertheles he most neidis it have,
At the requeist of Princes him about.
He thankit them and courteslie did lout,
And gave [to] them two diamantis faire.
The Ladies kneillit with cheiris debonair,
And to the Duike of Bellavoy the firmaleit cleir
Thay have presentit syne on this maneir,
Saying, The lustie Queine ȝow sent this gift.
He it resavit withouttin ony schift;
The Queine he thankit, and gave the Ladies gent
Two royall rubies bright and redolent.
Thir Lordis two hes taine thir Ladies bricht,
And to the hall them led, whair everie wight
Had soupit and up rysin from the tabill,
And enterit in ane dance full amiabill.
Thair thankit they the Queine Meliades,
And syne begouth the dance in humbill wayis
With thir ilk forsaid Ladies in thair hand.
Full glorious wox the feist and triumphand
Of glaid disport: bot it did not long lest,
The mirrie Knightis mister had of rest,
And went to bed anone and sleipit still,
Whill bright Phebus schynit ouer holt and hill.
And be [that] it was fullie houris nyne,
Full gudlie Knightis cleir and cristallyne
Enterit againe into the lustie meid
With scheild and lance enarmit upon steid,
And justit all the day continuallie;
Whairof the hie renoun and victorie,
As [that] myne Authore tellis for certaine,
Wes gevin to the mightie Duike of Brisland,
And to the Duike of Bellavoy thir two.
The feist triumphall glaidlie induirit so
The tyme compleit of monethes two all out;
Grit was the joy amongis that blisfull rout.

Clariodus, the best and nobillest [King]
That levit then efter Mars his ring,
Gart make ane generall Proclamatioun
In everie province of his regioun,
That every vailȝeand Knight [thair] under scheild
Compeir sould on sik ane day and feild,
And for his Ladies love to rin ane lance,
And for the luif, and uther circumstance.
The day is cumit, and eik the Knights also.
Grit was the preis that in the field can go;
Thair might be seine monie ane lustie Knight
Of countries strange, inarmit schyning bright
Againe the face of Titan, leiming cleire
Of redolent stonis pretious and deire.
All Kingis, Queinis, and the Ladies fair,
War set on scaffalds plesand and preclaire,
Beholding all the maner and the gyse
Of everilk Knight and of his interpryse.
Thair namis dar I not discryve at all;
For of this haill world universall
Thair beine the chose of all [of] hie renoun
Of Knightis of all syndrie natioun.
The justing was begun with triumph sound,
Whill it redoundit from the cludis doun.
Knightis of Ingland, Galice, and of Spaine,
That day did not all thair deidis in vaine,
For monie ane Knight and horse doun thay buire,
Nobillie thay provit, and did long endure;
So did the strong Knightis, the suith to say,
For monie ane fair course was run that day:
Bot he that beine the patron of all Knights,
The sone of Mars of bodie and of mights,
I meine Clariodus enarmit bright,
This potent Prince, as planeit casting licht,
Schynit all of stonis and of carbunkellis deire.
As Jupiter surmounting in his spheir,
Or Lucifer in pairting of the night,
So all in gleime and glorious as angell bright,
He enterit in the field and that anone;
For then all noy of his wound was gone.
His mightie speir he faikit in his hand,
And on his steid he glydit ouer the land,
And buire the Knightis from thair horse alloft,
And on the grund maid them to fall unsoft;
Might none resist his straikis of sik force,
Befor his face to grund went man and horse.
Him to behold it was ane ferlie sight,
For he was of sik strenth and of [sik] might;
Right as the agill in the air at will
Devoris the terrestriall volateill,
And dantis the etheriall birdis small;
So the terrestriall fame victoriall
Ringit in him of knightlie governance.
Nocht can my pen discryve, nor ȝit advance
His valiant deidis nor his chevalrie,
So far as might be reasoun satisfie
Him that in French hes red this historie;
To sik ane rethorik nather be laud and glorie,
As unto him that did this buik compyle
In French, illumining with his goldin style;
And he, that did it out of French translait,
Hes it depaint of langwage full ornate,
And lustie termis richt poeticall:
Bot I, the third and secundest of all,
Can not so meitter as thay put in prose;
Full oft I put the nettill for the rose,
And oft the bindweid for the lillie quhyte.
The god armipotent might have delyte
To sie his knightlie fair and governance,
His hie regall victorious importance.
His mightie corpis stark and unfatigat
Maid monie ane Knight to ly on face prostrat.
From sum he straike the helme, and sum the scheild,
And sum he laid on groufe upon the feild,
And sum he ran doun fearslie and eik his horse,
To leive the place behuifit them on forse.
The Constabill, that on him followit ay,
Sik wounder had to sie the grit deray
Amongs the Knightis hurling on the feild,
He did huife still long tyme, and him beheld,
And mervellit on his strenth and hie curagis,
That as ane furious lyon on them ragis.
King Amandur and King Palexis,
Wha fillit war of manheid and nobilnes,
So weill them held, that wounder was to tell,
Full monie ane Knight befor thair lansis fell.
The royall houshold of King Philipon
So nobillie thair lansis did dispone,
That monie ane Knight befor them ȝeid to grund.
Was never hard in all this eard so round
Of fairer justing and nobiller tornament;
For then under the starrie firmament
Of knightlie fame and lawd was Britan bauld,
As ȝit us tellis the Chronicles auld.

So hapinit then ane Knight in feild to be
Of grite vigoure and [eik] strenuitie,
That he in diverse landis was victoure,
Feill Knightis war conqueist be his valoure.
Of jyant corpis was this grit campioun,
Out throw the feild he playit the lyoun,
With mightie speir as Mars he did furth ryd,
Defoylȝeand Knightis foullie in his pryde.
To sie his bright enarming was delyte,
Correspondent to his corpis perfyte,
That fair it was to leuike on sike ane Knight,
Fulfillit of sik vertew and sik might,
Quhilk radious was, and redolent of hew,
Of Leslay he height Sir Leonard Perdew.
Melancholike he brunt of pure invy,
That Sir Clariodus the King worthy
So far in valiant deidis did excell;
Quhairfor alse wod as ony tiger fell
He set on him with mightie lance in hand.
The nobill King him mightillie gainstand.
Thay fruschit thair speiris freschlie in sunder
So fellounlie, to sie that it was wounder.
And quhen he saw he could him not vincus,
Then he requierit King Clariodus
Him for to draw apairt, and to assay,
Quhilk of them two vinqueis [the] other may.
Clariodus him grantit hes this thing.
And then withoutin ony tarying
They drew them to ane syd, and hes anone
From thair squyeris two mightie speiris tone,
And raid at uther, schortlie to conclude,
Right as two dragonis that war fearce and wod;
Thair seiris brake and sprang into the air,
The royall Palice reardit with the rair.
And syne with all thair courage and [thair] might
Thay strake at other with thair swordis bright.
As two wyld boaris irouslie thay faught,
From both thair helmes the low ȝeid as fyrflaught
Throw dintis fers on [the] hard forgit steill,
Thay did assay if it was temperit weill,
Quhilk rang full loud and gave an awfull sound,
Thair brandis cleir wantoun up and doun
Againes the sonis fervent beamis bright;
Unto the pepill terribill was the sight.
Thir cruell Knightis with thair feirfull cheir
Ruschit on uther ay in sik maneir,
Whill helmis [and] habrigis all to brist;
Out throw the steill full fast thay [ay did] thrist.
So sad straikis thay [did] on other set,
Whill both thair brandis bloodie was and wate.
Sir Leonard for ire almost grew wode,
That he so long in feight againis him stude,
And him micht not vinqueis in no maneir.
In scheith he put his sword of mikill cleir,
And trowit with his vigour and his force
To draw the nobill Knight from [off] his horse.
Clariodus persavit him anone,
His steid he spurrit and toward him is gone,
And in his forcie armis wight and strang,
He did the Knight out of his sadill swang,
And laid him on his hors nek him before,
And to the barras magrie him full sore
Him buire, and set him doun curagious.
They cryit on height, Vive Clariodus!
The stalwart Knight full soune on fute he wan,
He said, Thou art ane quike devill and no man;
For I have beine in Spainȝie and Itallie,
In Denmark, Duchland, and throw all Germanie,
Ȝit fand I never thy peir into no land.

To blow the retreit the King gave command;
For than Phebus had put his course to end,
And bright Venus did in the eist ascend.
I may not tarry all the proces on;
Kingis, Lordis, Knightis war warnit anon,
And schortlie cled into [full] rich array,
Syne to the hall they went the neirest way;
For thair the tabillis war richlie bespred.
Then Kingis, Quenis, Ducheses them sped
Unto the deice to thair seats honorabill,
Whair thay war servit with coursis inestimabill;
For to discus thair is no man on lyve,
That can the twentie pairt thairof discryve
The grite triumph and feisting beine and cheir,
Whair that sa monie Knightis beine in feir.
Right as the latter course come in the hall,
Then Heraldis in cote armours royall,
And twelf Knightis that aigit war and wyse,
Quhilk in thair tyme [richt] mikill was to pryse,
Unto the hall they ar all went in feir,
And cleirlie the opiniouns did speir
Of everie Prince and Lord of grit renoun
Whois was the laude for [the] conclusioun
Of all the Knights that in the justing wer,
And who most valiantlie did perseveir,
And who the helme [had] conqueist and renoune;
For it the maner was in that regioun,
That who at justing or at tornament
The honour wan, thair was to him present
Ane mightie helme circulat with gold cleir,
And circumferat with stonis that war deir.
They spake of monie [grit] and diverse Knight,
Of worthie King Palexis that was wight,
And of his brother Amandur the King,
And the Lord Constabill nobill and conding,
Sir Charles, Sir Porrus, Sir Amé de Plisance;
Thay said they beine all worthie to advance.
Grite worschip spake they of the Duikis twane
Of the cuntries of Bellavoy and Brisland,
And of Sir Leonard de la Pardew,
Whom King Clariodus out of his sadill drew.
Bot King Clariodus they most commend,
And finallie they all did condiscend
To give him all the lawd and honour hie,
To quhom no uther wight was so worthie;
For thair might Knightis be of [full] grit fame,
Bot nothing all to his imperiall name;
For he in grie stude [ay] superlative
Abone all uther Knightis [fair] in lyve,
In fame of Knightheid and of fortitude:
Whairfor the companie did all conclude
The helme of honour to give him onlie,
That prysit beine the flour of chevalrie.

Be this was said, aucht Virginis fair to sie,
In tracit hairis of ferlifull bewtie,
Four of Spainȝie, and four of Galice land,
Com in the hall with countinance pleisand,
And broght with them the helme deaureat bright,
Owerfret with mightie stonis casting light,
And set it doun before him on the tabill,
Saying to him with wordis amiabill,
Sir, be advyse and counsall generall,
Of Kingis, Princes, Lordis, ane and all,
This aureat helme is maid for to be ȝouris,
For the grite worschipe and the hie honouris
That ȝe have won with mightie speir and scheild
This day at tornay, be justing in the feild.
Clariodus thankit the Virginis ȝing,
And also he remersit everie King,
Saying, thairto he was not dingne nor abill,
And offerit it unto the Lord Constabill,
Quhilk it refuisit, and so did all the leave;
For he himselfe most neidis it resave,
Constrainit be the nobill Princes all.
Then he upon ane Armiger did call,
And gart ane Maister of houshold come him till,
Quhilk callit was Sir Henrie Gordonill,
To quhom he rounit and ordanit secreitlie,
To have the Heraldis with him quyetlie
To his wairdrope, and thair rewaird them all,
And give them gouns of cloath of gold royall;
And bad him give of silver and of gold
To everie ane ane thousand merks doun told;
And to the Knights he gave twelf coursers fair,
[Into this world none might with thame compair.]
Richt as he bad this Lord hes donne anone.
Syne he commandit two squyeris for to gone
To chalmer with his helme; and ordanit eik,
That thay sould take with them thir Virginis meik,
And tak aught goldin chainȝeis avenant,
And put to everie chaine ane diamant,
And [syne] put [thame] about thair throttis quhyte;
The quhilk was donne, schortlie [for] to indyte.
Thir Knightis and the Heralds all in feir
Enterit againe unto thair suppeir,
[All] remersing the King Clariodus,
In presence of the companie famous.
The Heralds cryit Larges upon hie
Of the grit gentrice and liberalitie
Of the most hie, excellent [and] mightie
Clariodus, the flour of chevalrie.
Thus soupit thay with joy and mirrines;
And syne [thay] from the tabill can them dres,
And enterit in the dance full lustillie
With hevinlie sound of hevinlie minstrallie.
Clariodus hes causit the strange Knights
With Ladies dance; and so the lustie wichts
Weill long disportit them on this maneir;
Syne spyce and wyne was broght with mirrie cheir,
Depairting syne the companie with joy.
Clariodus full glaidlie did convoy
The strange Knightis unto the Palice ȝet,
And gart be given to them giftis grit,
Robis of silk gudlie [and fair] to sie,
With gold and silver in grit quantitie.
Thay tuike thair leave and to thair lugings went.
At morrow as bright Phebus did up blent,
Thay raid into thair cuntries everie one,
And schew unto thair Princes thair anone
Of all the feist the fassioun and the cheire,
Of all the justing, also the maneir,
And of the fredome of King Clariodus,
And of his knightlie deidis [and] famous.

The nobill Kings of Spainȝie and Galice
Bad ordane thair estaits in gudlie wayis,
To pas at morrow hamwart but delay.
The night ower went, and cuming was the day,
The Kings did them addres in thair array,
And maid them redie with all hest thay may,
And thair two Queinis; and syne went in feir
And tuike thair leive on gudlie fair maneir
At Philipon [the King] and at his Queine,
And syne [anon] at his Court all bedeine.
In the meine quhyll Sir Amé de Plesance,
The Knight Lumbard but longer tariance,
Sir Fortun de Amouris, and nobill Sir Porrus,
They schoupe to ryd; to quhom Clariodus
Gave grite thesawre [of] riches and monie,
And cloathes of gold most pleasant for to sie,
And gart convoy them with fair companie
Of Knights that beine [richt] nobill and worthie.
Thairestir soune thir Kingis excellent,
And eike thair Queinis, in maner reverent
Thair leave hes taine at all the Court royall,
At everie Lord, Ladie and damosell,
Bot at Clariodus and the Lord Constabill,
Whilk them convoyit with Court most honorabill
Unto thair schipis quhilk did on them abyde,
Whair mony royall gyfts on everie syde
Was gevin and taine with monie rich jewell,
With cloathes of gold, that was [ane grit] mervell
To be rehearsit to ȝow in this place.
Then to the sand discendit thay in peace,
Reddie to enter all into thair schipis,
Lordis in armis each other thair beclipis.
The King Clariodus, that was worthie,
Imbracit thir two Kingis tenderlie,
And eik the Queinis two he kissit ifeire,
And thay in barges enterit afe the peir.
And last of all his leave tuik pitiouslie
At his Father the Earle full tenderlie,
He him imbracit and eik his Mother syne,
And reverentlie to them he did inclyne.
God waite thair was ane sorrowfull depairting,
They weipit all with teiris distelling.
And Mandonat with sorrowfull effeir
Hir bright visage bedewit all with teir,
Thus with hir onlie Brother to depairt.
The sword of dollour did glyd throw hir heart.
For to behold the sight was dollorus,
And the depairting sore and pitious,
Betwix the onlie Sister and the Brother,
And more betwix the one Sone and the Mother.
I will not longer tell ȝow of thair sorrow,
Anone they twynit with Saint John to borrow.
And be the sameine houre the nobill King
His leave hes taine with heartlie imbracing
At the two Kings, and right so at Palexis,
Syne at the Earle Estur of worthines,
And at the Queinis, and at the fair Countes,
On ather syde kneilling with humbillnes.
The guid Lord Constabill tuike leave also
At Kingis, Queinis, Ladies; and syne did go
To schipis sweith quhair saillis went on heicht.
They go to seawart as [ane] foule on flicht.
Sa weill of winde servit them Eolus,
And so the flude temperit Neptunus,
That to the land approachit thay belyve,
And into helthsum portis did arryve;
And everilk Prince and Lord in thair degrie
Ar passit hame in gud prosperitie,
Whair thay resavit war with [all] blythnes,
And leiveit in joy and in mirrines;
And ofttymes heartlie greating sent betwine
To King Clariodus and to his Queine.

The King Clariodus that nobill was,
King Amandour and [eik] King Palexis,
The Constabill, and all thair companie,
Returnit hamewart ar full mirrillie,
Whair that thay fand the King with his Court all
Disporting them with triumph royall;
With joy and pleasance pat thay afe the night.
And on the morn as Phebus gave the light,
The Constabill anone did him addrese
Unto his schipis with all bissines,
And tuike his leave at Philipon the King,
And at the Queine and at hir Ladies ȝing,
And at the [lustie] fresch Meliades;
And this he did upon most humbill wayis,
Whair monie [ane] rich gift and jewell great
Was gevin and taine, quhilk I will not repeit:
Bot trest ȝe weill that wo was everie wicht
For the depairting of the gentill Knight.
On horse he hes ascendit suddanlie,
And surth he raid with all his companie.
Clariodus he fand without the port
Abyding him with ane [richt] lustie sorte
Of Kingis, Lordis, and Knights of honour;
Both King Palexis and King Amandur
War in the Court with all thair companie;
And furth anone thay raid full mirrallie,
Whill [that] thay com to the sea strandis cleir,
Whair that the schipis all [full] redie wer.
The King Clariodus and the Lord Constabill
With friendlie cheir and wordis amiabill
Imbracit uther they have tenderlie,
And thay that lovit uther heartfullie
Uneis might hold them from weiping then for wo
When that thay wist they wald fra uther go,
Promitting other with humanitie
For evermore treuth and fidelitie;
Syne tuik thair leave at uther pitiouslie.
The nobill King, that could weill courtesie,
Tuike leave [then] at Sir Charles de la Careir,
And at the worthie Sir Amé de Valeir,
And [syne] at the French Knightis everie one.
Full monie ane jewell of gold and pretious stone
Amongs them gevin hes the nobill King.
And syne his Cousings two, thir Princes ȝeing,
Thair leave has taine at the Lord Constabill,
Imbracing uther with wordis confortabill;
And efter that he went into his barge,
Quhilk pullit up anone hir saillis large,
And ower the fluid [then] freschlie did he fair,
Alse swift as dois the Eagill in the air;
At Calice thay arryvit esilie,
And thair alsweith [thay] tuike thair harborie.
And on the morne as cleirit up the day,
They all prepairit and put them on the way,
And bissellie they sped them day and night,
Whill [that] of Parice walls thay gat ane sight;
And so withoutin rest this Court furth raid
Straight to the Palice quhair the King abaid,
And syne discendit from thair horse anone;
And the Lord Constabill to the King is gone,
And helsit him on knies full reverentlie,
And he resavit him full joyouslie.
This Lord apairt [syne] went with him but mo,
And schew at lenth or he wald farther go
The pleasant cheir of the triumphall feist,
And all the intermeisis most and leist,
With all the grite disport and abaitments,
And of the royall justing and turnaments,
And of the commendatiouns ane and all
Whilke war unto him send in speciall.
Glaid was the King his wordis for to heir,
And bad that he sould on the same maneir
Go schaw the Queine the tydings delectabill.
At his command [soun] went the Lord Constabill,
And helsit hes the Queine and hir Ladies.
Scho him resavit in ane joyfull wayis.
He told hir all the maner mair and les,
How treitit him Clariodus of nobilnes,
With all the heartlie commendatiouns
Of Kings and Princes of full great renouns;
Of quhilk scho was [richt] joyous for to heir,
And so was all hir lustie Ladies cleir.
The King for joy gart cry ane grit justing
Into the honour of his hame cuming.
In mirrines and joy I leave them thus,
And speik I will of King Clariodus.

Returnit is the King Clariodus,
And his two Cousings nobill and famous,
Unto the Kingis Palice of renoune;
And he, that was imperiall under croun,
Obeyit was with sik estait royall,
That in this warld King was none mortall
Whome to was donne more worschip and honour
Nor to this Prince, of chevalrie the flour;
And this was donne ower all Britane so braid.

When he aught days thair sojornay had maid,
He for his four Maisters of houshold send,
And them he hes commandit then to wend,
And ordain richlie for his hie estate,
Arraying all thing that beine pertinat
For him and for his Queine Meliades,
That all sould redie be on gudlie wayis
Within aught dayis for to take the sea;
For he his Cousings with all royaltie
Wald put in thair realmes, and them convoy
And leave them thair to ring as Prince and Roy.
Thir four Lordis past [furth] without demand,
And in all heast fulfillit his command.

When all was readie as him list devyse,
He tuike his leave, and eik Meliades,
At Philipon the King, and eik the Queine,
And prayit God thair keiper for to beine
Into the realme whill thair againe cuming.
And he anone hes taine in hand this thing.
King Amandur and eik King Palexis
Thair leave hes taine with all grit humbilnes
At King and Queine, and all thair companie,
And on thair horsis ascendit royallie,
With more triumph nor I can ȝow defyne;
And thay anone raid to the port marine,
And thair anone went to thair schips ifeir;
Bright was the hevin and Phebus schyning cleir.
Thay raisit saillis bent unto the height,
And fuire ower fluide as falcon fair on flicht;
And in fyve dayis, as Dame Fortoun wald,
Toward the land [full] lustilie thay hald,
And saiffe arryvit into Garnet land,
And into ane toun callit Varrogand.
The Thrie Estaitis of that regioun
Full gloriouslie them met with trumpit sound,
And with ane nobill and lustie companie
Them all [out] throw the cuntries fair thay gy,
Whill thay com into the toun of Durant.
The tounschip thair with maner richt plisant,
Met them with sound of diverse instruments,
With intermeisis and blyth abaitments.
In Palice regall, with feist and grit honour,
Anon resavit was King Amandur,
And thair as Lord thay maid to him homage:
Thus Fortoune hes him set in full hie stage.
The King, quhilk had resignit him the croun,
Was then profest into religioun.
Ane moneth out thay sojornit in that land
In feistuall joy and pleasance triumphand,
And syne Clariodus his leave hes taine,
And eike Meliades his soverane,
At Amandur and Donas eik his Queine,
So did Palexis and lustie Cadar scheine:
Bot nevertheles they haive done thame convoy
Unto the sea; bot thair was litill joy;
At thair depairting pitie was to tell.
Whan thay had done full long in armis duell,
King Amandur and eik his lustie Queine
Hame to thair Palice againe returnit beine,
Whair thay full long did leive in joy and blis,
Joysing the realme in peace as thay wald wis.

The King Clariodus and his companie
In schippis enterit hes, and suddanlie
They drew up saillis and ouer the wavis schare.
They glyde anone alse swift as onie fyre,
And day and night thay sojorne not nor rest;
Bot furth thay held ower fluid with saillis prest,
Whill towards Castalȝie Eolus them draveit,
Whair thay struik saill and suddenlie aryvit;
And syne on horse full royallie ascendit.
The Lordis of the land on them dependit,
And throw the cuntrie them convoyit with honour.
And he that was the realmes governour,
He met them in the toun of Gandaleyis,
And feistit them on [the] most gudlie wayis.
On morrow furth thay raid with royaltie
Unto the principall toun of Castalȝie,
Quhilk callit was the toun of fair Vallance.
They enterit in the Palice of plisance,
Whair that the antient King did them resave,
Both Lord and Barroun, Knight, and all the leave,
Them welcoming and seisting with great cheir,
And to them gart be maid ane grit denneir.
Thair coursis all to tell ȝow it wald cumer,
Thair intermeisis so war out of number.
When thay had dynit, the King of grit renoun
In both his handis he tuike his royall croun,
And put it on Palexis heid richt thair
Befor the companie condigne and fair,
In his rob royall alse he did him vest;
Syne King of all his realme [he] him possest;
And he him self of heigh devotioun
Anone did enter into religioun.
Thay sojornit still with pleasant abaitments,
With feisting, justing, and with tornaments,
Whill [that] sex oulkis war out worne ilk day;
Syne tuik thair leave withoutin more delay.
Palexis them convoyit to the sea,
Bot the depairting pitiouse was trewlie
Betwix him and his Eame Clariodus.
To twin with other thay war dolorus,
The quhilk never twinit for weill nor wo,
Uneis thay might depairt utheris fro.
On everie syd they tuik Saint Johne to borrow
Agane to meit, quhilk levit hes thair sorrow.
Ather did uther imbrace and said Adew.
This King Palexis hameward did persew,
Unto his Palice into fair Vallance,
And with his Queine thair levit in plisance.
The land he rewlit as ony wald devyse,
And keipit it in peace and in justice.

When that the nobill King Clariodus
Now schipit beine and all [his] Court famous,
In Irland thay did suddanlie arryve,
And thair on horse ascendit they belyve,
And throw the toune of Gargaly [thay] raid,
Ane fair village, with wallis heigh and braid,
Whair two mightie Duikis of that regioun,
With diverse utheris Lordis of renoune,
Him met, and to the toun him did convoy
Full plisantlie, with honour and with joy,
And him resavit in ane Palice fair,
And royallie that night him feistit thair;
And as thair King thay made to him fewtie,
And swore to him the aith of fidelitie.
Alse sone as he the morrow did espy
To horse he went, and all his company,
And raid out throw the cuntrie at his will,
Whill he com to the toun of Marmavill,
Surmunting all the tounis of Irland,
Whair that the auld King was [as ȝit] livand.
He enterit at the ports of the toun,
Quhilk was arrayit of ane rich fassoun.
The streitis stintit war full royallie
With arras and with silkis most mightie,
The minstrells playit on diverse instruments;
Full monie sports and monie abaitments
Devysit war before him on the streit,
And full of joy was all the toun repleit;
The mirrie sound of trumpits did out thring,
And all at onis did the bellis ring;
The tounschip met him in thair best array,
Him doing all the honour that thay may.
He enterit in the kirk full royallie,
And thair he lightit and his fair Ladie;
And quhen [that] they had maid ane orisoun,
[And mess was singin with an hevinlie sound,]
Unto the kirk he liverit grit thesawre;
Syne to the Palice raid with grit honour,
And thair anone from horse they did discend,
And up the gries unto the hall they wend,
Whair that the antient King into ane chyre
Was borne with Knightis them abyding thair,
Whilk grevit was with age, and febillit so
That he might not into thair meiting go;
To quhome the King Clariodus is gone,
And heartillie in armis hes him tone.
Thir Kingis two imbraicit uther thair
With plesant wordis that war sweit and fair.
Now am I glaid, this aigit King can say,
My deirrest Nevoy that sie now I may
Within my realme in sik prosperitie,
I cair not now quhidder I leive or die.
Then off his heid he tuike his croun pretious,
And with it crounit King Clariodus,
And to him did resign his regioun.

When of this thing was maid conclusioun,
His chyre to chalmer was borne royallie;
The syd of it buire two Duiks honorabillie,
The uther syde Clariodus the King
Up buire, and so to chalmer did him bring,
And on his bed him set [then] full softlie.
Then King Clariodus full courteslie
Tuike leave as then, and to the hall is gone,
[Whair that the dinner readie was anone.]
Grite was the feist, and pleasant was the cheir
Within that hall of diverse coursis seir.

When thay had dynit and rysin from [the] tabill,
Lordis begouth and Ladies delectabill
To dance anone, and minstrells gane to play.
The portis oppinit war, the suith to say,
And thairin enterit everie lustie wight,
That list to dance, to sing, or to have sight
Of that glaid feist, surmunting in plesance,
And everie wight maid plesant countinance
At the cuming of thair new Prince and King;
For song and play the long hall [all] did ring.
The feist was great and lestit inteirlie
Ane monethes space, it lestit larglie
With glaid disport, justing and tornament.

Clariodus the King most excellent
Of Lordis he had diverse mariagis,
For to inforce with Irland his linagis.
He maryit thair the sex Virginis cleir,
That winit with the Ladie de la Careir,
With potent Lordis of Irland cuntrie,
That nobillest war and gritest of degrie;
And Romaryn he wadit honorabillie
Upon ane Count of Irland right mightie;
Sir Gilȝeam de la Forrest he mariet also,
And Sir Richard de Mayanis they two
With two grit Countesses of that cuntrie,
With all the feistis and grit royaltie;
And fynit war the mariagis all
With justing and with tornament royall.
When he sex monthis had maid sojorning,
And was obeyit both with auld and ȝing,
And conqueist all the heartis of that land,
Then under him he maid ane Livetenand;
Syne he his leave hes taine at the [auld] King,
Wha was sorrowfull at his depairting.
Diverse Lordis and Ladies of renoun,
He tuike with him to Inglands regioun.
When he his leave had taine at everie wight,
Then to the sea he schortlie hes him dight;
Heralds greatlie of gold and of money
He left behind him into that cuntrie;
Syne with his Court he raid out throw the toun
With sound of trumpit and of clarioun.
Convoyit him to sea his Luiftenand.
And quhen thay war discendit to the strand,
First at the King he tuike his regiment,
And syne he tuike his leave and hamewart went
Unto the King with commendatioune
From King Clariodus of grit renoune,
Saying, that soune againe he sould returne,
And longer then into the land sojorne.
Blyth was the King to heir of his rehearse.
Up gois the saillis preisit in the mase
Of all the schipis of King Clariodus,
Whilk be support of the god Eolus,
And be the help of him and lord Neptune,
Thay war aryvit in the cuntrie soune.

Thus quhen Clariodus arryvit beine,
Both he and eik Meliades his Queine,
Went to the land with all thair companie,
And on thair horse ascendit royallie,
And throw the cuntrie raid with Court royall
The tyding ran out throw the cuntrie haill
Of thair hame cuming, both to more and les;
And unto Belvell first thay can them dres,
And thair they hard how that the King anone,
And eik his Queine, war in religioun gone,
Nocht fra the toun two mylls in ane Abay,
To quhilk they did returne but more delay;
And thair this nobill Prince [hes] lichtit doun,
And eik his Queine Meliades of renoune,
And enterit in the Abay in feir.
This auntient King and Queine advertist war
Of thair cuming, and com in thair meiting.
They helsit uther with tender imbracing,
And kissit uther on ane freindlie wayis.
And quhen the King and Queine Meliades
Had commoned long with them on this maneir,
He tuike his leave, so did this Ladie cleir,
And said thay wold againe right oft returne.
When thay had long tyme maid with them sojorne,
On horse thay have ascendit, and furth raid
Unto Bellvilladoun but [mair] abaid,
Whair all the piple him met with trumpit sound,
Crying, Welcum our Prince of most renoune,
Uneis for throng he might thring in the streit,
All circumstance I omit to repeit.
Then at the Palice portis of renoune,
He and his royall Court all lightit doun,
And unto hall ascendit, and that anone,
Whair he resavit Lordis monie one,
That wounder glaid was of his hame cuming,
For thay him lovit ouer all uther thing.
The Lordis of Irland, that war with the King,
Seing the joy maid at his hame cuming,
And how he was lovit in his cuntrie,
Thay thoght in happie tyme chosen was he
To be thair King and alse thair governour,
Whilk of this world was Prince of most honour.
The King gart mak ane Proclamatioun,
And send Heralds in everie regioun,
That thay, that wold renoun in armis win,
Sould schaw, and thair ane tornament begine
In the realme of Ingland on sik ane day;
And quha desyrit knightlie to assay
His nobill deidis, thair sould he servit be.
And soune the tyding sprang in ilk cuntrie,
Of quhilk the King of France was blyth to heir,
And all his Court both Lord and Bacheleir.

So happinit quhen the Heralds com to France,
The Lord Constabill with royall ordinance
Was makand war furth into far cuntrie;
Whairfor the King, full valiand of buntie,
Send threttie Knightis to the tornament
In right knightlie and fair abuilȝement,
Led be the Knightis thrie of nobill fame,
The first Sir Charles de la Careir to name,
The secund was Sir Charles de la Valeir,
The third Sir John was de la Barneir.

Thir threttie Knightis war so diligent,
That two dayis befor the tornament
They com to presence of King Clariodus,
That glaid was of thair cuming and joyous.
Then speirit he of the King, and how he fuire,
Thair speirit he of the Queine of lustie figure,
Then how the Constabill did eik askit he.
They said all war in gud prosperitie,
And that both King and Queine did them commend,
And heartlie greating to his Hienes send;
And said the Constabill in Bethingham is went,
With men of weir at the commandiment
Of the nobill King, quhilk chargit him so.
Then was the King Clariodus full wo
That he not cumin was with them, for he
Him lovit for his wit and his buntie.
Quhen thay had spokin long upon this wayis,
He bad them pas to Queine Meliades,
And schew to hir the novelties of France.
Two Knightis them convoyit with plesance
Unto the Queine, quhom thay full courteslie
Helsit, and everie thing did specifie
To hir as thay did to the King before.
And scho, that was of bewtie so decore,
Glaid was to heir of the prosperitie
Of the gude King of France and his meinȝie,
And of the Queine that was so honorabill,
And of hir Ladies fair and amiabill.
In chalmer war thay put for to recray,
Syne efter war in joyis all the day.

Upon the morne, from monie far cuntrie
Com monie ane Lord and Knight of grit buntie.
King Amandur, and eik King Palexis,
Hes Knightis sent of full grit nobilnes.
The King of Spainȝe and [the] Earle Estur
Send lustie Knightis of [full] grit valoure.
The Count of Glocester, with fair meinȝie,
Cumin is from the cuntrie of Spainȝie,
Not with Clariodus ȝit seine is he;
For quhan he was into Spainȝe cuntrie,
This nobil Count of manlie effeiris
Upon the Saraseinis lay at the weiris.
So monie Lords and Knights is gatherit thair,
That fillit was the royall Palice fair.
What is thair more to tellin of this thing,
When cumin was the day of thair justing,
The Knightis com all armit in the feild,
Whair thair devoir they did with speir and scheild,
That grit plisance it was them for to sie.
The Ladies sat upon skaffaldis hie.
Anone the trumpits blew ane mirrie tune,
And so with lancis did the Knightis june;
Both heir and thair to grund gois horse and man,
The earth dinnit as thay togidder ran:
Bot all the nobillest King Clariodus,
The floure of knightheid, fearce and chevalrus,
Inarmit schyning as ane angell cleir,
Sik wounderis wroght that ferlie was to heir;
From sum he straike the helme and sum the scheild,
Sum men and hors he dryves doun in feild
Throw his grit vigour and strenuitie,
Quhilk was in deids of arms ane A per se,
Might none him ather gainstand nor abid;
Whairfor in feild thay maid him roum to ryd.
Full long the justing induirit on this wayis,
The Knightis all war nobill for to pryse,
In all the feild was naine of them that feinȝes;
Full loud the heralds cryit thair ancheinȝeis
Of all thir Lordis worthie and famous.
Heraldis eik of King Clariodus,
With voices cryit, Elu count a la bell!
And he, that so in knightheid did excell,
In feild that day hes conqueist sik renoune,
That it was hard in everie regioun
Of his victorious deidis triumphall,
Whairthrow his honour did so far excell;
Ower all the world quhile that he was on lyve
His knightheid ran in grie superlative.
This tornay duirit quhile the blisfull sun
His course diurnall had compleitlie run,
And did his purpur visage all scheroud
In the occident under the noxiall clude,
And quhill that Venus schew hir cristall light;
Then from the feild they go for falt of sight.

Ane moneth out did lest this [grit] tornay,
That the Knights did him counter day be day;
Bot King[OMITTED]