Page:The venture; an annual of art and literature.djvu/118

 dalmatic of white damask powdered with gold, and with spurs richly gilded and exquisitely wrought. Entering the square accompanied by his companions and the pages whom he had brought the day before, he rode below the balcony, and made his accustomed obeisance to the King and Princess, and took up his place until all were assembled and it was time to begin, and to relate all he did would be to make a large volume. To conclude, the youth performed such feats on that and the following day that all affirmed with one voice that there was no better cavalier in the world, and even they who strove with him, pretending to the hand of the Princess, could not deny it, but laid it to his charge that he was a foreigner, and peradventure not of blood to deserve such greatness.

The three days' joustings being now over, the King commanded that all grandees, nobles, and knights should come to the great hall, for he would that judgment should be made as to who had deserved the prize. Many came not, for knowing that their desert was small, they would not be present at the award, and so departed. Yet notwithstanding there were so many that it seemed the hall could hold no more, to whom a king at arms made a discourse in the King's name, saying: "Sirs, the King our lord has well marked the great deeds which all of you have done for the honour of this court, and the great valour and vigour of you all, and certes this is so much that he will remember it for all the length of life which it shall please God to give him; and he would be glad to have so many kingdoms and daughters that he could give one to