“When the twelve months had nearly passed away, there was in Athens a great noise of workmen and hammers.  The duke was busy with preparations.  He built a large amphitheatre, seated, round and round, to hold thousands of people.  He erected also three temples,—­one for Diana, one for Mars, one for Venus; how rich these were, how full of paintings and images, the tongue cannot tell!  Never was such preparation made in the world.  At last the day arrived in which the knights were to make their entrance into the city.  A noise of trumpets was heard, and through the city rode Palamon and his train.  With him came Lycurgus, the king of Thrace.  He stood in a great car of gold, drawn by four white bulls, and his face was like a griffin when he looked about.  Twenty or more hounds used for hunting the lion and the bear ran about the wheels of his car; at his back rode a hundred lords, stern and stout.  Another burst of trumpets, and Arcite entered with his troop.  By his side rode Emetrius, the king of India, on a bay steed covered with cloth of gold.  His hair was yellow, and glittered like the sun; when he looked upon the people, they thought his face was like the face of a lion; his voice was like the thunder of a trumpet.  He bore a white eagle on his wrist, and tame lions and leopards ran among the horses of his train.  They came to the city on a Sunday morning, and the jousts were to begin on Monday.  What pricking of squires backwards and forwards, what clanking of hammers, what baying of hounds, that day!  At last it was noon of Monday.  Theseus declared from his throne that no blood was to be shed, that they should take prisoners only, and that he who was once taken prisoner should on no account again mingle in the fray.  Then the duke, the queen, Emily, and the rest, rode to the lists with trumpets and melody.  They had no sooner taken their places than through the gate of Mars rode Arcite and his hundred, displaying a red banner.  At the self-same moment Palamon and his company entered by the gate of Venus, with a banner white as milk.  They were then arranged in two ranks, their names were called over, the gates were shut, the herald gave his cry, loud and clear rang the trumpet, and crash went the spears, as if made of glass, when the knights met in battle shock.  There might you see a knight unhorsed, a second crushing his way through the press, armed with a mighty mace, a third hurt and taken prisoner.  Many a time that day in the swaying battle did the two Thebans meet, and thrice were they unhorsed.  At last, near the setting of the sun, when Palamon was fighting with Arcite, he was wounded by Emetrius, and the battle thickened at the place.  Emetrius, is thrown out of his saddle a spear’s length.  Lycurgus is overthrown, and rolls on the ground, horse and man; and Palamon is dragged by main force to the stake.  Then Theseus rose up where he sat, and cried, ’Ho! no more; Arcite of Thebes hath won Emily!’ at which the