to prefer, and therefore crowded from the one to the
other by turns, and were far from being tired with
the solemnity, though the whole day had been spent
in it. At last, when divine service was over
at both churches, the king and queen put off their
crowns, and putting on their lighter ornaments, went
to the banquet, he to one palace with the men, she
to another with the women. For the Britons still
observed the ancient custom of Troy, by which the
men and women used to celebrate their festivals apart.
When they had all taken their seats according to precedence,
Caius, the sewer, in rich robes of ermine, with a
thousand young noblemen, all in like manner clothed
with ermine, served up the dishes. From another
part, Bedoer, the butler, was followed with the same
number of attendants, in various habits, who waited
with all kinds of cups and drinking vessels. In
the queen’s palace were innumerable waiters,
dressed with variety of ornaments, all performing
their respective offices; which, if I should describe
particularly, I should draw out the history to a tedious
length. For at that time Britain had arrived at
such a pitch of grandeur, that in abundance of riches,
luxury of ornaments, and politeness of inhabitants,
it far surpassed all other kingdoms. The knights
in it that were famous for feats of chivalry wore their
clothes and arms all of the same color and fashion:
and the women also, no less celebrated for their wit,
wore all the same kind of apparel; and esteemed none
worthy of their love but such as had given a proof
of their valor in three several battles. Thus
was the valor of the men an encouragement for the
women’s chastity, and the love of the women a
spur to the soldiers’ bravery.
As soon as the banquets were over they went into the
fields without the city to divert themselves with
various sports. The military men composed a kind
of diversion in imitation of a fight on horseback;
and the ladies, placed on the top of the walls as
spectators, in a sportive manner darted their amorous
glances at the courtiers, the more to encourage them.
Others spent the remainder of the day in other diversions,
such as shooting with bows and arrows, tossing the
pike, casting of heavy stones and rocks, playing at
dice and the like, and all these inoffensively and
without quarreling. Whoever gained the victory
in any of these sports was awarded with a rich prize
by Arthur. In this manner were the first three
days spent; and on the fourth, all who, upon account
of their titles, bore any kind of office at this solemnity,
were called together to receive honors and preferments
in reward of their services, and to fill up the vacancies
in the governments of cities and castles, archbishoprics,
bishoprics, abbeys, and other hosts of honor.
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