>3  Explained  by  Ck>tgrave  to  mean  "the  little  ring,**  by  which  a
hawk's  lure  or  leash  is  fastened  to  the  jesses.  They  were  also  used  to
liold-in  dogs.
62  TIIE  CAirrERBURY  TALIS.  2159-2198.
Upon  a  stede  bay,  trapped  in  stele,

Covered  with  cloth  of  gold  diapred  wele,

Came  riding  like  the  god  of  armes  Mars.
His  cote-armure  was  of  a  cloth  of  Tars,

Couched*  with  perles,  white,  and  round  and  grate.
His  sadel  was  of  brent*  gold  new  ybete;

A  mantelet  upon  his  shouldres  hanging

Bret-ful  of  rubies  red,  as  fire  sparkling.
His  crispe  here  like  ringes  was  yronne,'

And  that  was  yeJ^e,  and  glitered  as  the  sonne.
His  nose  was  high,  his  even  bright  citrin,

His  lippes  round,  his  colour  was  sanguin,

A  fewe  firaknes''  in  his  face  yspreint,*

Betwixen  yelwe  and  blake  somdel  ymeint,*

And  as  a  leon  he  his  loking  caste.
Of  five  and  twenty  yere  his  age  I  caste.
His  herd  was  wel  begonnen  for  to  spring ;

His  vois  was  as  a  trompe  thondering.
Upon  his  hed  he  wered  of  laurer  grene

A  gerlond  fresshe  and  lusty  for  to  sene.
Upon  his  bond  he  bare  for  his  deduit^

An  egle  tame,  as  any  lily  whit.
An  hundred  lordes  had  he  with  him  there,

All  armed  save  hir  hedes  in  all  hir  gere,

Ful  richely  in  alle  manere  thinges.
For  trusteth^  wel,  that  erles,  diuces,  kinges

Were  gathered  in  this  noble  compagnie,

For  love,  and  for  encrese  of  chevalrie.
About  this  king  ther  ran  on  every  part

Ful  many  a  tame  leon  and  leopart.
And  in  this  wise,  these  lordes  all  and  some
Ben  on  the  Sonday^  to  the  citee  come
Abouten  prime,*^  and  in  the  toun  alight.
