THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
the most joyous dancing eyes,—blue, brown, grey, and black,—the sweetest little lips, soft sanguine cushions whereon the bare Lord of Love held Assize sempiternal, ever issuing blithe decrees, enunciating arrests, forging endless golden chains with sharp hooks to fasten hearts together, and engaging in his daintiest workmanship of kisses, to the which wares he imparts a perpetual variety, an unfailing sweetness, joys continual and ecstasies that are never wearisome. Shall we not therefore honour and reverence the place which gives us all these nice things; and is it right to talk of "bad company" in connection with such delicious dainties? But Loyse, Isobelle, and Erminie and Rosamonde served up all this fare in perfection, and pleased the gentlemen exceedingly, for they were not like some ignorant awkward girls that we have nowadays to whom a man is obliged to teach everything, owing to the horrible deficiencies in their education. But these damsels kept the knights amused, roused them up, and prevented them from being dull, if it rained; contrived all manner of jokes, sang love-ballads, played on the lute, and were all over the house, and putting their lovers through their paces. All this was fine sport for Sir Roger and his guests; but it must be confessed that it came rather expensive, since Penhow got such a name, that as soon as one knight had gone out at the gatehouse with his suite of steel-clad, bottle-nosed, and ever-droughty followers, two more came in, very hot and thirsty and ready for anything that was to be had. The ladies too could not live on air
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