Tho kynges mette them, with their company,
Egbryct kynge of Kent, brother to the quene;
The second was Aldulphe kynge of the east party,
Brother to saynt Audry, wyfe and mayde serene;
With divers of theyr progeny, and nobles as I wene,
Dukes, erles, barons, and lordes ferre and nere,
In theyr best array, were present all in fere.

It were full tedyous, to make descrypcyon
Of the great tryumphes, and solempne royalte,
Belongynge to the feest, the honour and provysyon,
By playne declaracyon, upon every partye;
But the sothe to say, withouten ambyguyte,
All herbes and flowres, fragraunt, fayre and swete,
Were strawed in halles, and layd under theyr fete.

Clothes of golde and arras, were hanged in the hall
Depaynted with pyctures, and hystoryes manyfolde,
Well wroughte and craftely, with precious stones all
Glyterynge as Phebus, and the beten golde,
Lyke an erthly paradyse, pleasaunt to beholde:
As for the sayd moynes, was not them amonge,
But prayenge in her cell, as done all novice yonge.

The story of Adam, there was goodly wrought
And of his wyfe Eve, bytwene them the serpent,
How they were deceyved, and to theyr peynes brought;
There was Cayn and Abell, offerynge theyr present,
The sacryfyce of Abell, accepte full evydent:
Tuball and Tubalcain, were purtrayed in that place
The inventours of musyke, and crafte by great grace.

Noe and his shyppe, was made there curyously
Sendynge forthe a raven, whiche never came again;
And how the dove returned, with a braunche hastely,

i

together.

nun, i. e. The Lady Werburg

A token of comforte and peace, to man certayne:
Abraham there was, standing upon the mount playnė
To offer in sacrifice, Isaac his dere sone,

And how the shepe for hym was offered in oblacyon,

The twelve sones of Jacob, there were in purtrayture
And how into Egypt, yonge Joseph was solde,
There was imprisoned, by a false conjectour,
After in all Egypte, was ruler (as is tolde).
There was in pycture, Moyses wyse and bolde,
Our Lorde apperynge, in bushe flammynge as fyre
And nothing thereof brent, lefe, tree, nor spyre'.
The ten plages of Egypt, were well embost
The chyldren of Israel, passyng the reed see,
Kynge Pharoo drowned, with all his proude hoost,
And how the two table, at the mounte Synaye
Were gyven to Moyses, and how soon to idolatry
The people were prone, and punyshed were therefore,
How Datan and Abyron, for pryde were full youreTM.
Duke Josue was joyned, after them in pycture,
Ledynge the Isrehelytes to the land of promyssyon,
And how the said land was divided by mesure
To the people of God, by equall sundrý porcyon :
The judges and bysshops were there everychone,
Theyr noble actes, and tryumphes marcyall,
Fresshly were browdred in these clothes royall.
Nexte to the greate lorde, appered fayre and bryght
Kynge Saull and David, and prudent Solomon,
Roboas succedynge, whiche soone lost his myght,
The good kynge Esechyas, and his genéracyon,
And so to the Machabees, and dyvers other nacyon,
All these sayd storyes, so rychely done and wrought,
Belongyng to kyng Wulfer, agayn that tyme were brought".

1 twig, branch,

m burnt.

Wulfer, was brought to Ely monastery *All this tapestry, belonging to king on this occasion.

But over the hye desse°, in the pryncypall place
Where the sayd thre kynges sate crowned all,
The best hallynge hanged, as reason was,
Whereon were wrought the ix. orders angelicall
Dyvyded in thre ierarchyses, not cessynge to call
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, blessed be the Trynite,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth, thre persons in one deyte.

Next in order suynge, sette in goodly purtrayture
Was our blessed lady, flowre of femynyte,
With the twelve Apostles, echeone in his figure,
And the foure Evangelystes, wrought most curyously:
Also the Dyscyples of Christ in theyr degre
Prechynge and techynge, unto every nacyon,
The faythtes of holy chyrche, for their salvacyon.

Martyrs than folowed, right manifolde:

The holy Innocentes, whom Herode had slayne,
Blessed Saynt Stephen, the prothomartyr truly,

Saynt Laurence, Saynt Vyncent, sufferynge great payne;
With many other mo, than here ben now certayne,
Of which sayd martyrs exsample we may take,
Pacyence to observe, in herte, for Chrystes sake.

Confessours approched, right convenient,
Fressely embrodred in ryche tysshewe and fyne;
Saynt Nycholas, Saynt Benedycte, and his covent,
Saynt Jerom, Basylyus, and Saynt Augustine,

Gregory the great doctour, Ambrose and Saynt Martyne:
All these were sette in goodly purtrayture,
Them to beholde was a heavenly pleasure.

Vyrgyns them folowed, crowned with the lyly,
Among whome our lady chefe president was;
Some crowned with rooses for their great vyctory:
Saynt Katheryne, Saynt Margerette, Saynt Agathas,
Saynt Cycyly, Saynt Agnes, and Saynt Charytas,

Saynt Lucye, Saynt Wenefryde, and Saynt Apolyn;
All these were brothered, the clothes of golde within.

Upon the other syde of the hall sette were
Noble auncyent storyes, and how the stronge Sampson
Subdued his enemyes by his myghty power;
Of Hector of Troye, slayne by fals treason;
Of noble Arthur, kynge of this regyon:
With many other mo, which it is to longe
Playnly to expresse this tyme yoù amonge.
The tables were covered with clothes of dyaper,
Rychely enlarged with silver and with golde,
The cupborde with plate shynyng fayre and clere,
Marshalles theyr offyces fulfylled manyfolde:
Of myghty wyne plenty, both newe and olde,
All maner kynde of meetes delycate
(Whan grace was sayd) to them was preparate.
To this noble feest there was suche ordinaunce,
That nothynge wanted that goten myght be
On see and on lande, but there was habundance
Of all maner pleasures to be had for monye;
The bordes all charged full of meet plente,
And dyvers subtyltes prepared sothly were,
With cordyall and spyces, theyr guestes for to chere.

The joyfull wordes and sweet communycacyon
Spoken at the table, it were harde to tell;
Eche man at lyberte, without interrupcyon,
Bothe sadnes and myrthes, also pryve counsell,
Some adulacyon, some the truth dyd tell,
But the great astates" spake of theyr regyons,
Knyghtes of theyr chyvalry, of craftes the comons.
Certayne at eche cours of service in the hall,
Trumpettes blewe up, shalmes and claryons,
Shewynge theyr melody, with toynes" musycall,

Dyvers other mynstrelles, in crafty proporcyons,
Mad swete concordaunce and lusty dyvysyons
An hevenly pleasure, suche armony to here,
Rejoysynge the hertes of the audyence full clere.
A singuler Mynstrell, all other ferre passynge,
Toyned his instrument in pleasaunte armony,
And sang moost swetely, the company gladynge,
Of myghty conquerours, the famous vyctory;
Wherwith was ravysshed theyr sprytes and memory:
Specyally he sange of the great Alexandere,

Of his tryumphes and honours endurynge xii yere.

Solemply he songe the scate of the Romans,
Ruled under kynges by policy and wysedome,
Of theyr hye justice and ryghtful ordinauns
Dayly encreasynge in worshyp and renowne,

Tyll Tarquyne the proude kynge, with that great confusion,
Oppressed dame Lucrece, the wyfe of Colatyne,
Kynges never réyned in Rome syth that tyme.

Also how the Romayns, under thre dyctatours,
Governed all regyons of the worlde ryght wysely,
Tyll Julyus Cesar, excellynge all conquerours,
Subdued Pompeius, and toke the hole monarchy
And the rule of Rome to hym selfe manfully;
But Cassius Brutus, the fals conspyratour,
Caused to be slayne the sayd noble emperour.
After the sayd Julius, succeded his syster sone,
Called Octavianus, in the imperyall see,
And by his precepte was made descrypcyon
To every regyon, lande, shyre', and cytee,
A tribute to pay unto his dignyte:

That tyme was universal peas and honour,

In whiche tyme was borne our blessed Savyoure.

1 tuned.

Y This puts one in mind of the Sheriffs, in our Translation of the Bible, among

the officers of the kingdom of Babylon, Dan. iii. 2.