THE COURTSHIP OF FERB
HERE we show how the third troop was equipped—even the troop wherein Mani was. Fifty chestnut horses were in it—they were big of body and of wondrous size—also fifty white horses with chestnut ears—their tails were long, and the manes and the tails were dyed to the colour of purple. On each horse was a bridle of two reins, shells of gold ornamented one of the reins and shells of silver were on the other. The bits of them all were of gold and of silver. At the neck of each horse hung a round plate of gold, to which little bells had been fastened, and the bells, as they swung to the horses' tread, chimed together in music as sweetly as lute strings struck by a master's hand. Each pair of horses was yoked to a chariot of white bronze, whose rim was made of silver and gold; fifty caparisons of purple, with threads of silver run through them, were bound to the bodies of the chariots: they had golden buckles to fasten them, and hung over the rims, marvellous figures were embroidered
5
