noon
It was not unlike that which had been erected at Devlen Castle when Myles had first jousted as belted knight -- here were the same raised seat for the King , the tapestries , the hangings , the fluttering pennons , and the royal standard floating above ; only here were no fair-faced ladies looking down upon him , but instead , stern-browed Lords and knights in armor and squires , and here were no merry laughing and buzz of talk and flutter of fans and kerchiefs , but all was very quiet and serious . Myles riding upon his horse , with Gascoyne holding the bridle-rein , and his attorney walking beside him with his hand upon the stirrups , followed the Constable across the lists to an open space in front of the seat where the King sat . Then , having reached his appointed station , he stopped , and the Constable , advancing to the foot of the stair-way that led to the dais above , announced in a loud voice that the challenger had entered the lists . `` Then called the defendant straightway , '' said the King , `` for noon draweth nigh . '' The day was very warm , and the sun , bright and unclouded , shone fiercely down upon the open lists . Perhaps few men nowadays could bear the scorching heat of iron plates such as Myles wore , from which the body was only protected by a leathern jacket and hose . But men 's bodies in those days were tougher and more seasoned to hardships of weather than they are in these our times .