And When The Philosophers Have Done And Performed Their
Commandments, Then The Minstrels Begin To Do Their Minstrelsy,
Everych In Their Instruments, Each After Other, With All The Melody
That They Can Devise.
And when they have done a good while, one of
the officers of the emperor goeth up on a high stage wrought full
curiously, and crieth and saith with loud voice; Make Peace!
And
then every man is still.
And then, anon after, all the lords that be of the emperor's
lineage, nobly arrayed in rich cloths of gold and royally
apparelled on white steeds, as many as may well sue him at that
time, be ready to make their presents to the emperor. And then
saith the steward of the court to the lords, by name; N. of N.! and
nameth first the most noble and the worthiest by name, and saith;
Be ye ready with such a number of white horses, for to serve the
emperor, your sovereign lord! And to another lord he saith; N. of
N., be ye ready with such a number, to serve your sovereign lord!
And to another, right so, and to all the lords of the emperor's
lineage, each after other, as they be of estate. And when they be
all cleped, they enter each after other, and present the white
horses to the emperor, and then go their way. And then after, all
the other barons every of them, give him presents or jewels or some
other thing, after that they be of estate. And then after them,
all the prelates of their law, and religious men and others; and
every man giveth him something. And when that all men have thus
presented the emperor, the greatest of dignity of the prelates
giveth him a blessing, saying an orison of their law.
And then begin the minstrels to make their minstrelsy in divers
instruments with all the melody that they can devise. And when
they have done their craft, then they bring before the emperor,
lions, leopards and other diverse beasts, and eagles and vultures
and other divers fowls, and fishes and serpents, for to do him
reverence. And then come jugglers and enchanters, that do many
marvels; for they make to come in the air, by seeming, the sun and
the moon to every man's sight. And after they make the night so
dark that no man may see nothing. And after they make the day to
come again, fair and pleasant with bright sun, to every man's
sight. And then they bring in dances of the fairest damsels of the
world, and richest arrayed. And after they make to come in other
damsels bringing cups of gold full of milk of diverse beasts, and
give drink to lords and to ladies. And then they make knights to
joust in arms full lustily; and they run together a great random,
and they frussch together full fiercely, and they break their
spears so rudely that the truncheons fly in sprouts and pieces all
about the hall.
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