And many a ladye there was sette,
In purple and in palle;
But faire Christabelle, soe woe-begone,
Was the fayrest of them all.60
Then manye a knighte was mickle of might,
Before his ladye gaye;
But a stranger wight, whom no man knewe,
He wan the prize eche daye.
His acton it was all of blacke,65
His hewberke and his sheelde;
Ne noe man wist whence he did come,
Ne noe man knewe where he did gone,
[When they came out the feelde].
And now three days were prestlye past70
In feates of chivalrye,
When lo, upon the fourth morninge,
A sorrowfulle sight they see:
A hugye giaunt stiffe and starke,
All foule of limbe and lere,75
Two goggling eyen like fire farden,
A mouthe from eare to eare.
Before him came a dwarffe full lowe,
That waited on his knee;
And at his backe five heads he bare,80
All wan and pale of blee.
"Sir," quoth the dwarffe, and louted lowe,
"Behold that hend Soldain!
Behold these heads I beare with me!
They are kings which he hath slain.85
"The Eldridge knight is his own cousine,
Whom a knight of thine hath shent;
And hee is come to avenge his wrong:
And to thee, all thy knightes among,
Defiance here hath sent.90