Note 61 — Chapter IV

The custom of riding into a hall while the lord and his guests sat at meat might be illustrated by numerous passages of ancient romance and history. But a quotation from Chaucer’s beautiful and half-told tale of “Cambuscan” is sufficient:

“And so befell that after the thridde cours,

While that this king sat thus in his nobley,

Herking his minstralles thir thinges play,

Beforne him at his bord deliciously,

In at the halle door all sodenly

Ther came a knight upon a stede of bras,

And in his hond a brod mirrour of glas;

Upon his thombe he had of gold a ring,

And by his side a naked sword hanging;

And up he rideth to the highe bord.

In all the halle ne was ther spoke a word,

For mervaille of this knight; him to behold

Full besily they waiten, young and old.”