Now when the morning had come, the folk who came to witness that tournament
began to assemble from all directions--lords and ladies of high degree,
esquires and damsels of lesser rank, burghers and craftsmen with their
wives, townspeople from the town, yeomen from the woodlands, and
freeholders from the farm crofts. With these came many knights of the two
parties in contest, and with the knights came their esquires in attendance.
Now these knights were all in full armor, shining very bright, and the
esquires were clad in raiment of many textures and various colors, so that
they were very gay and debonair. So, with all this throng moving along the
highway toward the meadow of battle, it seemed as though the entire world
was alive with gay and moving figures.
[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot and his companions lie near the place of
tournament] Now the place where Sir Launcelot and those three knights who
were with him lay hidden was not far from the highway, so, whence they lay,
they could see all that goodly procession of folk taking their way toward
the lists, and they could look down upon the meadow of battle, which, as
hath been said, was not more than three furlongs distant, and they could
see the crowds of people of high and low degree taking their places upon
those seats according to their rank and station.
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