There may’st thou see coming with Palamon Licurgus himself, the great king of Thrace: Black was his beard, and manly was his face. The circles of his eyen in his head They glowed betwixtë yellow and red, And like a griffin looked he about, With kemped hairës on his browës stout; His limbs were great, his brawns were hard and strong, His shoulders broad, his armës round and long. And as the guisë was in his country, Full high upon a car of gold stood he, With fourë whitë bullës in the trace. Instead of coat-armour on his harness, With yellow nails, and bright as any gold, He had a bearë’s skin, coal-black for old. His long hair was y-kempt behind his back, As any raven’s feather it shone for black. A wreath of gold arm-great, of hugë weight, Upon his head sate, full of stonës bright, Of finë rubies and clear diamánts. About his car there wentë white alauns, Twenty and more, as great as any steer, To hunt the lion or the wildë bear, And follow’d him, with muzzle fast y-bound, Collars of gold, and torettes filed round. An hundred lordës had he in his rout, Armed full well, with heartës stern and stout.
With Arcita, in stories as men find, The great Emetrius the king of Ind, Upon a steedë bay, trapped in steel, Cover’d with cloth of gold diápred well, Came