They were desirous beyond measure to joust with their adversaries, and to show forth their prowess.

" So therewith they parted and Lady Belle Isoult went to her father and besought him to proclaim a great day of jousting in honor of Sir Palamydes, and the King said that he would do so.

But were this kept, Stored in some treasure-house of mighty kings, Some one might show it at a joust of arms, Saying, 'King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, Wrought by the lonely maiden of the Lake.

In every tent was welcome warm; And when their challenge they display, The master granted their request To join the joust on Easter day.

255 Joust between Henri II. and Count de Montgomery 268 Archers of the Body-guard 268 Francis II.

" Archbishop Turpin did as Orlando said, giving the whole band his benediction at once, and absolving them from their sins, so that every body took comfort in the thought of dying for Christ, and thus they embraced one another, weeping; and then lance was put to thigh, and the banner was raised that was won in the jousting at Aspramont.

So they joined the rest at the other castle and took their seats to watch the jousting in the lists.

" Fragment on the Jousting of Giuliano de' Medici. Such is the noise, when through his cloudy floor The bolt of Jove falls on the pale world under; So shakes the land, where Nile with deafening roar Plunges his clattering cataracts in thunder; Horribly so, through Latium's realm of yore, The trump of Tartarus blew ghastly wonder.

He had charged the sergeants not to issue forth from the gates, and for the rest there was none so bold as to seek to storm the keep, or even to joust about the barriers.

When he arrived at the little town of Aire, his destination, all the young officers of the garrison came out to meet him, for the fame of his jousting with Messire Claude de Vauldray had already reached them.

The King of France made up his mind to go back, notwithstanding that the King of England would have kept him to dinner; but, inasmuch as there was to be jousting after dinner, he mounted his horse and went back to Ardres.

And at last, late in the afternoon, there was the captain comingcoming at a swift gallopand Bill steeled himself for the onslaught like a knight in a joust against a charging antagonist.

If they desired some passage of arms, doubtless they would joust as gentlemen, and each for himself alone.