There is, in this charming scene, an evident resemblance to the
early part of Chaucer's Knight's Tale; where Palamon and Arcite fall
in love with Emilia, whom they see walking in the garden of their
prison. Perhaps the similarity of the actual fact to the incident
which he had read in Chaucer may have induced James to dwell on it
in his poem. His description of the Lady Jane is given in the
picturesque and minute manner of his master; and being doubtless taken
from the life, is a perfect portrait of a beauty of that day. He
dwells, with the fondness of a lover, on every article of her apparel,
from the net of pearl, splendent with emeralds and sapphires, that
confined her golden hair, even to the "goodly chaine of small
orfeverye"* about her neck, whereby there hung a ruby in shape of a
heart, that seemed, he says, like a spark of fire burning upon her
white bosom. Her dress of white tissue was looped up to enable her
to walk with more freedom. She was accompanied by two female
attendants, and about her sported a little hound decorated with bells;
probably the small Italian hound of exquisite symmetry, which was a
parlor favorite and pet among the fashionable dames of ancient
times.
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