The red statúe of Mars with spear and targe So shineth in his whitë banner large, That all the fieldës glitter up and down: And by his banner borne is his pennon Of gold full rich, in which there was y-beat 309 The Minotaur 310 which that he slew in Crete. Thus rit this Duke, thus rit this conquerour, And in his host of chivalry the flower, Till that he came to Thebes, and alight Fair in a field, there as he thought to fight. But shortly for to speaken of this thing, With Creon, which that was of Thebes king, He fought, and slew him manly as a knight In plain batáille, and put his folk to flight: And by assault he won the city after, And rent adown both wall, and spar, and rafter; And to the ladies he restored again The bodies of their husbands that were slain, To do obséquies, as was then the guise. 311