And arme them all in gode langage,
As they had done of old usage,
And of fayre wordis make ther fhot;
This was ther counfaile and the knot,
And othir purpose toke they none,
But armid thus forth they all gone
Toward the wallis of the yle;

But or they comin there long while
They mettin the grete lord of bove
That callid is the god of Love,
That them avifid with such chere,
Right as he with them angry were:
Avayled them not ther wals of glaffe ;
This mighty lord let not to paffe
The fhuttyng of ther yatis fast;
All they had ordained was but waft;
For when his fhips had foundin land
This lord anon, with bow in hand,
Into this yle with huge prese
Yhyid fast, and would not cefe

740

745

750

753

Till he came there the knight ylay:

Of quene ne lady by the way

760

Toke he no hede, but forth he past,

And to them said, Is not this routh,
To fe my fervaunt for his trouth

Thus lene, thus ficke, and in this payne,
And wot not unto whom to playne,

770

Save onely one withoutin mo,

Which might him hele, and is his fo?

And with that word his hevy brow
He fhewed the quene, and lokid row.

This mighty lord forth tho anone
With o loke her faultis echone

He can her fhew in litil fpech,
Commaunding her to be his lech.
Withoutin more, fhortly to fay,

775

He thought the quene fone fhould obay,

780

And in his hond he fhoke his bow,"

And faid right fone he would be know;
And for the had fo long refused
His fervice, and his lawes not used,
He let her wit that he was wroth,

785

And bent his bow, and forth he goth

A pace or two, and evin there

A large draught up to his ere

He drew, and with an arrow ground
Bothe fharpe and new the quene a wound
He gave that perfed unto the hert,
Which aftirward full fore gan fmert,
And was not whole of many yere;'
And even with that Be of gode chere,

790

My knight, quod he; I will the hele,
And the restore to parfite wele,
And for ech payne thou haft endured
To have two joies thou art enured:
And forth he paffid by the rout,
With fobir chere walking about,

795

8c0

And what he said I thought to here;

Well wift he which his fervaunts were:

And as he passed anon he fond

My lady', and her toke by the hond,

And made her chere as a goddes,

805

And of Beaute called her Princes,

Of Bounty eke gave her the name,

And sayd there was nothyng to blame
In her, but she was vertuous,

Saving she would no pity use,

810

Which was the cause that he her fought

Το

put that far out of her thought;

And fithin she had whole richesse
Of womanhed and frendlinesse,
He said it was nothing fitting

To void Pity his owne leggyng;

And gan her prech and with her play,
And of her beauty told her aie,
And faid fhe was a creäture
Of whom the namè fhould endure,
And in bokis full of plefaunce
Be put for er in remembraunce;

815

820

And as me thoughtin more frendly,

Unto my lady and godelily

He spake than any that was there;
And for the' applis I trow it were
That she had in poffeffion,
Wherefore long in proceffion
Many a pace arme undir other

825

He welke, and fo did with none other:

830

But what he would commaund or fay
Forthwith nedis all muft obay,

And what he defired at the left

Of my lady was by request:

And when they long together had bene
He brought my lady to the quene,

835

And to her faid, So God you fpede

Shew grace, and confent, that is nede.

And faid, You have a fer vaunt, one

That truir living is there none,

850

Wherefore gode were, feing his trouth,

That on his painis ye had routh,
And purpose you to here his spech,.
Fully avifid him to lech,

For of one thyng ye may be fure,

He will be yours while he may dure.

And with that word right on his

game

Me thought he lough, and told my name,
Which was to me marvaile and fere,

That what to do I ne wift there,

Ne whethir was me bet or none

855

860

And told my trouth and mine unefe
Bct than I couth have for mine efe,
Though I had ftudied all a weke:
Well wift that lord that I was feke,
And would be lechid wondir faine;

870

No man me blame, mine was the paine.

And when this lord had all yfaid,

875

And long while with my lady plaid,
She gan to fmile with spirit glade;
This was the anfwere that he made,