court as still as any stone. The knight is to his chamber led anon, And is unarmed, and to meat y-set. These presents be full richëly y-fet— This is to say, the sword and the mirroúr— And borne anon into the highë tow’r, With certain officers ordain’d therefor; And unto Canacé the ring is bore Solemnëly, where she sat at the table; But sickerly, withouten any fable, The horse of brass, that may not be remued. It stood as it were to the ground y-glued; There may no man out of the place it drive For no engíne of windlass or polive; And causë why, for they can not the craft; And therefore in the place they have it laft, Till that the knight hath taught them the mannére To voidë him, as ye shall after hear.
Great was the press, that swarmed to and fro To gauren on this horse that stoodë so: For it so high was, and so broad and long, So well proportioned for to be strong, Right as it were a steed of Lombardy; Therewith so horsely, and so quick of eye, As it a gentle Poileis courser were: For certes, from his tail unto his ear Nature nor art ne could him not amend In no degree, as all the people wend. But evermore their mostë wonder was How that it couldë go, and was of brass; It was of Faerie, as the people seem’d. Diverse folk diversëly they deem’d; As many heads, as many wittës been. They murmured, as doth a swarm of been, And madë skills after their fantasies, Rehearsing of the oldë poetries, And said that it was like the Pegasé, The horse that haddë wingës for to flee; Or else it was the Greekë’s horse Sinon, That broughtë Troyë to destructión, As men may in the oldë gestës read. “Mine heart,” quoth one, “is evermore in dread; I trow some men of armës be therein, That shapë them this city for to win: It were right good that all such thing were know.” Another rowned to his fellow low, And said, “He lies; for it is rather like An ápparéncë made by some magíc, As jugglers playen at these feastës great.” Of sundry doubts they jangle thus and treat. As lewëd people deemë commonly Of thingës that be made more subtilly Than they can in their lew’dness comprehend; They deemë gladly to the badder end.