“Alors le duc Naymes, & tres tous les Barons, s’en retournèrent au palais avec le Roy, lequel s’assist sur un banc doré de fin or, & les Barons tous autour de luy. Si commanda qu’on luy amenast Huon, lequel il vint, et se mist à genoux devant le roy, ou luy priant moult humblement que pitié & mercy voulsist avoir de luy. Alors le roy le voyant en sa presence luy dist: Huon puisque vers moy veux estre accordé, si convient que faciez ce que je vous or donneray. Sire, ce dist Huon, pour obeir à vous, il n’est aujourd’huy chose en ce monde mortel, que corps humain puisse porter, que hardiment n’osasse entreprendre, ne ia pour peur de mort ne le laisseray à faire, & fust à aller jusques à l’arbre sec, voire jusques aux portaux d’enfer combattre aux infernaux, comme fist le fort Hercule: avant qu’à vous ne fusse accordé. Huon, ce dist Charles, je cuide qu’en pire lieu vous envoyeray, car, de quinze messages qui de par moy y ont este envoyez, n’en est par revenu un seul homme. Si te diray ou tu iras, puis que tu veux qui de toy aye mercy, m’a volonté est, qu’il te convient aller en la cité de Babylonne, par devers diray, & gardes que sur ta vie ne face faute, quand là seras venu tu monteras en son palais, là ou tu attendras l’heure de son disner & que tu le verras assis à table. Si convient que tu sois armé de toutes armes, l’espee nuë au poing, par tel si que le premier & le plus grand baron que tu verras manger à sa table tu luy trencheras le chef quel qu’il soit, soit Roy, ou Admiral. Et apres ce te convient tant faire que la belle Esclarmonde fille à l’Amiral Gaudisse tu fiances, & la baises trois fois en la presence de son pere, & de tous sous qui la seront presens, car je veux que tu sçaches que c’est la plus belle pucelle qu’aujourd’huy soit en vie, puis apres diras de par moy à l’Admiral qu’il m’envoye mille espreuiers, mille ours, mille viautres, tous enchainez, & mille jeune valets, & mille des plus belles pucelles de son royaume, & avecques ce, convient que tu me rapportes une poignee de sa barbe, et quatre de ses dents machoires. Ha! Sire, dirent les Barons, bien desirez sa mort, quant de tel message faire luy enchargez, vous dites la verité ce dit le Roy, car si tant ne fait que j’aye la barbe & les dents machoires sans aucune tromperie ne mensonge, jamais ne retourne en France, ne devant moi ne se monstre. Car je le ferois pendre & trainer. Sire, ce dit Huon, m’avez vous dit & racompté tout ce que voulez que je face. Oui dist le Roy Charles ma volonté est telle, si vers moy veux avoir paix. Sire ce dit Huon, au plaisir de nostre Seigneur, je feray & fourniray vostre message.”
In what precise way the beards were sewed on the mantles we are not exactly informed. Whether this royal exuberance was left to shine in its own unborrowed lustre, its own naked magnificence, as too valuable to be intermixed with the grosser things of earth: whether it was thinly scattered over the surface of the “rich scarlet;” or whether it was gathered into locks, perhaps gemmed round with orient pearl, or clustered together with brilliant emeralds, sparkling diamonds, or rich rubies—“Sweets to the sweet:” whether it was exposed to the vulgar gaze on the mantle, or whether it was so arranged that only at the pleasure of the mighty wearer its radiant beauties were visible:—on all these deeply interesting particulars we should rejoice in having any information; but, alas! excepting what we have recorded, not one circumstance respecting them has “floated down the tide of years.” But we may perhaps form a correct idea of them from viewing a shield of human hair in the museum of the United Service Club, which may be supposed to have been compiled (so to speak) with the same benevolent feelings as that of the heroes to whom we have been alluding. It is from Borneo Island, and is formed of locks of hair placed at regular intervals on a ground of thin tough wood: a refined and elegant mode of displaying the scalps of slaughtered foes. These coincidences are curious, and may serve at any rate to show that King Ryence’s mantle was not the invention of the penman; but, in all probability, actually existed.
The ladies of these days did not confine their handiwork merely to the adornment of the person. We have seen that among the Egyptians the couches that at night were beds were in the daytime adorned with richly wrought coverlets. So amongst the classical nations
“———the menial fair that round her wait,
At Helen’s beck prepare the room of state;
Beneath an ample portico they spread
The downy fleece to form the slumberous bed;
And o’er soft palls of purple grain, unfold
Rich tapestry, stiff with inwoven gold.”
And during the middle ages the beds, not excluded from the day apartments, often gave gorgeous testimony of the skill of the needlewoman, and were among the richest ornaments of the sitting room, so much fancy and expense were lavished on them. The curtains were often made of very rich material, and usually adorned with embroidery. They were often also trimmed with expensive furs: Philippa of Hainault had a bed on which sea-syrens were embroidered. The coverlid was often very rich:
“The ladi lay in hire bed,
With riche clothes bespred,
Of gold and purpre palle.”[62]
“Here beds are seen adorned with silk and gold.”[63]
“———on a bed design’d
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 phœnix plumes,
Which breathed, as warm with life, its rich perfumes.”[64]
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.