Sim. ^note
Are the knights ready to begin the triumph?

First Lord.
They are, my liege,
And stay your coming to present themselves. ^note

Sim. ^note
Return them, we are ready; and our daughter ^note,
In honour of whose birth these triumphs are,
Sits here, like beauty's child, whom nature gat
For men to see and seeing wonder at. [Exit a Lord. ^note

Thai.
It pleaseth you, my royal ^note father, to express
My commendations great, whose merit's less.

Sim. ^note
It's ^note fit it should be so; for princes are
A model which heaven makes like to ^note itself:
As jewels lose their glory if neglected,
So princes their renowns ^note if not respected.
'Tis now your honour, daughter, to entertain ^note
The labour ^note of each knight in his device.

Thai.
Which, to preserve ^note mine honour ^note, I'll perform.

Enter a Knight; he passes over ^note, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess.

Sim.
Who is the first that doth prefer himself?

Thai.
A knight of Sparta, my renowned father;
And the device he bears upon his shield
Is a black Ethiope reaching at the sun;
The word, ‘Lux tua vita mihi.’

Sim.
He loves you well that holds his life of you. [The Second ^note Knight passes.
Who is the second that presents himself?

Thai.
A prince of Macedon, my royal father;
And the device he bears upon his shield
Is an arm'd ^note knight that's conquer'd ^note by a lady;
The motto thus, in Spanish, ‘Piu por dulzura que por fuerza.’ ^note [The Third ^note Knight passes.

Sim.
And what's ^note the third?

Thai.
The third of Antioch;
And his device, a wreath of chivalry ^note;
The word, ‘Me pompæ ^note provexit apex.’ ^note [The Fourth ^note Knight passes.

Sim.
What is the fourth? ^note

Thai.
A burning torch that's turned ^note upside down;
The word, ‘Quod ^note me alit, me extinguit.’

Sim.
Which shows that beauty hath his ^note power and will,
Which can as well inflame as it can kill. [The Fifth ^note Knight passes.

Thai.
The fifth ^note, an ^note hand environed with clouds,
Holding out gold that's by the touchstone tried;
The motto thus, ‘Sic spectanda fides.’ [The Sixth ^note Knight, Pericles, passes.

Sim.
And what's
The sixth and last, the which ^note the knight himself
With ^note such a graceful courtesy deliver'd ^note? ^note

Thai.
He seems to be ^note a stranger; but his present ^note is
A wither'd ^note branch, that's only green at top;
The motto, ‘In hac spe vivo.’

Sim.
A pretty moral;
From the dejected state wherein he is,
He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish ^note. ^note

First Lord.
He had need mean better than his outward show
Can any way speak in his just commend;
For by his rusty outside he appears
To have practised more the whipstock than the lance. ^note

Sec. Lord.
He well may be a stranger, for he comes
To an honour'd triumph strangely ^note furnished ^note. ^note

Third Lord.
And on set purpose let his armour rust
Until this day, to scour it in the dust.

Sim.
Opinion's but a fool, that makes ^note us scan
The outward habit by the ^note inward ^note man.
But stay, the knights are coming: we will ^note withdraw
Into the gallery. ^note [Exeunt. ^note [Great shouts within, ^note and all cry ‘The mean knight!’ ^note

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