were embroidered. The coverlid was often very

rich:

"The ladi lay in hire bed,
With riche clothes bespred,

Of gold and purpre palle."*

"Here beds are seen adorned with silk and gold." +

With gay magnificence the fair reclin'd;

High o'er her head, on silver columns rais'd,
With broidering gems her proud pavilion blaz'd."

"Thence pass'd into a bow'r, where stood a bed,
With milkwhite furs of Alexandria spread :
Beneath, a richly broider'd vallance hung;
The pillows were of silk; o'er all was flung

A rare wrought coverlet of phoenix plumes,

Which breathed, as warm with life, its rich perfumes."‡

The array of the knights of these days was gorgeous and beautiful; and though the materials might be in themselves, and frequently were costly, still were they entirely indebted to the female hand for the rich elegance of the tout ensemble. And the custom of disarming and robing knights anew after the conflict, whether of real or mimic war, to which we have alluded as a practice of classical antiquity, was as much or even more practised now, and afforded to the ladies an admirable opportunity of exhibiting alike their preference, their taste, and their liberality.

"Amadis and Agrayes proceeded till they came to the castle of Torin, the dwelling of that fair young damsel, where they were disarmed. and

*The Kyng of Tars.

Partenopex of Blois.

† Orl. Fur.

mantles given them, and they were conducted into the hall." *

"Thus they arrived at the palace, and there was he (the Green Sword Knight) lodged in a rich chamber, and was disarmed, and his hands and face washed from the dust, and they gave him a rosecoloured mantle."t

The romance of " Ywaine and Gawin" abounds in instances:

On the widely acknowledged principle of "Love me, love my dog," the steed of a favoured knight was often adorned by the willing fingers of the fair.

"Each damsel and each dame who her obeyed,
She task'd, together with herself, to sew,

With subtle toil; and with fine gold o'erlaid
A piece of silk of white and sable hue:
With this she trapt the horse." *

The tabards or surcoats which knights wore over their armour was the article of dress in which they most delighted to display their magnificence. They varied in form, but were mostly made of rich silk, or of cloth of gold or silver, lined or trimmed with choice and expensive furs, and usually, also, having the armorial bearings of the family richly embroidered. Thus were women even the heralds of those times. Besides the acknowledged armorial bearings, devices were often wrought symbolical of some circumstance in the life of the wearer. we are told in Amadis that the Emperor of Rome, on his black surcoat, had a golden chain-work woven, which device he swore never to lay aside till he had Amadis in chains. The same romance gives the following incident regarding a surcoat.

Thus

"Then Amadis cried to Florestan and Agrayes, weeping as he spake, good kinsman, I fear we have lost Don Galaor, let us seek for him. They went to the spot where Amadis had smitten down King Cildadan, and seen his brother last on foot; but so many were the dead who lay there that they saw him not, till as they moved away the bodies, Flores

*Orl. Fur., canto 23.

tan knew him by the sleeve of his surcoat, which was of azure, worked with silver flowers, and then they made great moan over him."

The shape of them, as we have remarked, varied considerably; besides minor alterations they were at one time worn very short, at another so long as to trail on the ground. But this luxurious style was occasionally attended with direful effects. Froissart names a surcoat in which Sir John Chandos was attired, which was embroidered with his arms in white sarsnet, argent a field gules, one on his back and another on his breast. It was a long robe which swept the ground, and this circumstance, most probably, caused the untimely death of one of the most esteemed knights of chivalry.

Sir John Chandos was one of the brightest of that chivalrous circle which sparkled in the reign of Edward the Third. He was gentle as well as valiant; he was in the van with the Black Prince at the battle of Cressy; and at the battle of Poictiers he never left his side. His death was unlooked for and sudden. Some disappointments had depressed his spirits, and his attendants in vain endeavoured to cheer them.

“And so he stode in a kechyn, warmyng him by the fyre, and his servantes jangled with hym, to the tent to bring him out of his melancholy; his servantes had prepared for hym a place to rest hym : than he demanded if it were nere day, and therewt. there cãe a man into the house, and came before hym, and sayd,

'Sir, I have brought you tidynges.' 'What be they, tell me?'

'Sir, surely the frechmen be rydinge abrode.' How knowest thou that?'

Sir,' sayd he, I departed fro saynt Saluyn with them ?"

What way be they ryden?'

'Sir, I can nat tell you the certentie, but surely they take the highway to Poiters.'

What Frechmen be they canst thou tell me?' Sir, it is Sir Loys of Saynt Julyan, and Carlovet the Breton.'

'Well, quoth Sir Johan Chandos, I care nat, I have no lyst this night to ryde forthe: they may happe to be encoutred though I be nat ther.'

"And so he taryed there styll a certayne space in a gret study, and at last, when he had well aduysed hymselfe, he sayde, Whatsoever I have sayd here before, I trowe it be good that I ryde forthe; I must retourne to Poictiers, and anone it will be day.'

That is true sir,' quoth the knightes about hym.

'Then,' he sayd, make redy, for I wyll ryde forthe.'

The skirmish commenced; there had fallen a great dew in the morning, in consequence of which the ground was very slippery; the knight's foot slipped, and in trying to recover himself, it became entangled in the folds of his magnificent surcoat; thus the fall was rendered irretrievable, and whilst he was down he received his death blow.

The barons and knights were sorely grieved. They "lamentably complayned, and sayd, A, Sir