Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/450

438 In illustration of the mode of conducting tournaments, a short quotation from Froissart may be adduced.

"They ordayned in a fayre playne betwene Calays and Saynt Ingilbertes thre fressh grene pauilyons to be pyght up; and at the entre of every pauilion there hanged two sheldes, with the armes of the knightes; one shelde of peace, another of warre; and it was ordayned that suche as shoulde ryn and do dedes of armes shoulde touch one of the sheldes, or cause to be touched whiche as pleaseth them, and he should be delyuered according to his desire."—, Vol. II. cap. clxviii.

"In this wild tale, there are circumstances enough of general analogy, if not of peculiar parallelism, to recall to my memory the following beautiful description, in the MS. romance of Syr Launfal, of two damsels, whom the knight unexpectedly meets in a desolate forest.

As he sat in sorrow sore He saw come out of holt-es hoar,