Which shewed soone such vertue, That preved was the medicine true, For with a smiling countenaunce The queene uprose, and of usaunce, As she was wont, to every wight

She made good cheere, for which sight
The people kneeling on the stones,

Thought they in Heaven were soule and bones:
And to the prince where he lay,
They went to make the same assay;
And whan the queene it understood,
And how the medicine was good,

She prayed she might have the graines
To releve him from the paines
Which she and he had both endured,
And to him went, and so him cured,
That within a little space,
Lusty and fresh on live he was
And in good hele, and hole of speech,
And lough, and said, "Gramercy leech,"
For which the joy throughout the toun,
So great was that the bels sown
Afraied the people, a journay
About the city every way,

And come and asked cause and why,
They rongen were so stately?
And after that the queene, th'abbesse
Made diligence, or they would cesse,
Such, that of ladies soone a rout
Shewing the queene was all about,
And called by name echone and told,
Was none forgotten young ne old;
There might men see joyes new,
Whan the medicine fine and trew,
Thus restored had every wight,
So well the queene as the knight,
Unto perfit joy and hele,

That fleting they were in such wele
As folke that would in no wise,
Desire more perfit paradise.

And thus, whan passed was the sorrow,
With mikel joy soone on the morrow,
The king, the queene, and every lord,
With all the ladies by one accord,
A generall assembly

Great cry through the country,
The which after as their intent
Was turned to a parliament,
Where was ordained and avised
Every thing and devised,

That please might to most and least,
And there concluded was the feast,
Within the yle to be hold

With full consent of young and old,
In the same wise as before,

As thing should be withouten more ;
And shipped and thither went,
And into straunge realmes sent
To kings, queenes, and duchesses,
To divers princes and princesses,
Of their linage, and can pray
That it might like them at that day
Of mariage, for their sport,
Come see the yle and them disport,
Where should be jousts and turnaies,
And armes done in other waies,
Signifying over all the day,
After Aprill within May;

And was avised that ladies tweine,
Of good estate and well beseine,

With certaine knights and squiers,
And of the queenes officers,

In manner of an embassade,

With certain letters closed and made,
Should take the barge and depart,
And seeke my lady every part,
Till they her found for any thing,
Both charged have queene and king,
And as their lady and maistres,
Her to beseke of gentilnes,
At the day there for to been,
And oft her recommaund the queen,
And prayes for all loves to hast,
For, but she come, all woll be wast,
And the feast a businesse
Without joy or lustinesse :

And tooke them tokens and good speed
Praid God send, after their need.
Forth went the ladies and the knights,
And were out fourteene daies and nights,
And brought my lady in their barge,
And had well sped and done their charge;
Whereof the queene so hartily glad
Was, that, in soth, such joy she had
Whan the ship approched lond,
That she my lady on the sond
Met, and in armes so constraine,
That wonder was behold them twaine,
Which to my dome during twelve houres,
Neither for heat ne watry shoures,
Departed not no company,
Saving themselfe but none them by,
But gave them leisour at their ease,
To rehearse joy and disease,
After the pleasure and courages
Of their young and tender ages:
And after with many a knight
Brought were, where, as for that night,
They parted not, for to pleasaunce,
Content was herte and countenance
Both of the queene and my maistresse,
This was that night their businesse :
And on the morrow with huge rout,
This prince of lords him about,
Come and to my lady said

That of her comming glad and well apaid
He was, and full conningly

Her thanked and full heartily,

And lough and smiled, and said, "ywis,
That was in doubt in safety is :"

And commaunded do diligence,

And spare for neither gold ne spence,
But make ready, for on the morow
Wedded, with saint John to borrow,
He would be, withouten more,
And let them wite this lesse and more.
The morow come, and the service
Of mariage, in such a wise
Said was, that with more honour
Was never prince ne conquerour
Wedde, ne with such company
Of gentilnesse in chivalry,
Ne of ladies so great routs,
Ne so beseen, as all abouts
They were there, I certifie
You on my life withouten lie.

And the feast hold was in tentis,
As to tell you mine entent is,
In a rome, a large plaine
Under a wood in a champaine,

Betwixt a river and a welle,
Where never had abbay, ne selle
Ben, ne kirke, house, ne village,
In time of any mans age:
And dured three months the feast,
In one estate and never ceast,
From early the rising of the Sonne,
Till the day spent was and yronne,
In justing, dauncing, and lustinesse,
And all that sowned to gentilnesse.

And, as me thought, the second morrew,
Whan ended was all old sorrow,
And in surety every wight
Had with his lady slept a night,

The prince, the queene, and all the rest,
Unto my lady made request,
And her besought oft and praied
To mewards to be well apaied,
And consider mine old trouth,
And on my paines have routh,
And me accept to her servise,
In such forme and in such wise,
That we both might be as one,

Thus prayed the queene, and everichone:
And, for there should be no nay,
They stint justing all a day,

To pray my lady and requere
Be content and out of fere,

And with good herte make friendly cheare,
And said it was a happy yeare:
At which she smiled and said, ywis,
"I trow well he my servaunt is,
And would my welfare, as I trist,
So would I his, and would he wist
How, and I knew that his trouth
Continue would without slouth,
And be such as ye here report,
Restraining both courage and sport,
I couth consent at your request,
To be named of your fest,
And do after your usaunce,
In obeying your pleasaunce;
At your request this I consent,
To please you in your entent,
And eke the soveraine above
Commanded hath me for to love,
And before other him prefer,
Against which prince may be no wer,
For his power over all raigneth,

That other would for nought him paineth,
And sith his will and yours is one,
Contrary in me shall be none."
Tho (as me thought) the promise
Of marriage before the mese
Desired was of every wight
To be made the same night,
To put away all maner douts
Of every wight thereabouts,

And so was do; and on the morrow,
Whan every thought and every sorrow
Dislodged was out of mine herte,
With every wo and every smert,
Unto a tent prince and princes,

Me thought, brought me and my maistres,
And said we were at full age
There to conclude our marriage,
With ladies, knights, and squiers,
And a great host of ministers,

With instruments and sounes diverse,
That long were here to rehearse,

Which tent was church perochiall,
Ordaint was in especiall,

For the feast and for the sacre,
Where archbishop, and archdiacre

Song full out the servise,
After the custome and the guise,
And the churches ordinaunce;
And after that to dine and daunce
Brought were we, and to divers playes,
And for our speed ech with prayes,
And merry was most and least,
And said amended was the feast,
And were right glad lady and lord,
Of the marriage and th'accord,
And wished us hertes pleasaunce,
Joy, hele, and continuance,
And to the ministrils made request,
That in encreasing of the fest,
They would touch their cords,

And with some new joyeux accords,
Moove the people to gladnesse,
And praiden of all gentilnesse,
Ech to paine them for the day,
To shew his cunning and his play.
Tho began sownes mervelous
Entuned with accords joyous,
Round about all the tents,
With thousands of instruments,

That every wight to daunce them pained,
To be merry was none that fained,
Which sowne me troubled in my sleepe,
That fro my bed forth I lepe,
Wening to be at the feast,
But whan I woke all was ceast,
For there n'as lady ne creature,
Save on the wals old portraiture
Of horsmen, haukes, and hounds,
And hurt deere full of wounds,
Some like bitten, some hurt with shot,
And, as my dreame, seemed that was not;
And whan I wake, and knew the trouth,

And ye had seen, of very routh,

I trow ye would have wept a weke,
For never man yet halfe so seke;
I went escaped with the life,
And was for fault that sword ne knife
I find ne might my life t'abridge,
Ne thing that kerved, ne had edge,
Wherewith I might my woful pains
Have voided with bleeding of my vains.
Lo, here my blisse, lo, here my paine,
Which to my lady I do complaine,
And grace and mercy her requere,
To end my wo and busie fere,
And me accept to her servise,
After her service in such avise,
That of my dreame the substaunce
Might turne once to cognisaunce,
And cognisaunce to very preve
By full consent and good leve,
Or els without more I pray,
That this night, or it be day,
I mote unto my dreame returne,
And sleeping so, forth aie sojourne
About the yle of pleasaunce,
Under my ladies obeisaunce,
In her servise, and in such wise,
As it please her may to devise,
And grace ones to be accept,
Like as I dreamed whan I slept,

Wrethen in fere so well and cunningly,
That every branch and leafe grew by mesure,
Plaine as a bord, of an height by and by,
I sie never thing I you ensure,

So well done; for he that tooke the cure
It to make ytrow, did all his peine

To make it passe all tho that men have seine.

And shapen was this herber roofe and all
As a prety parlour; and also
The hegge as thicke as a castle wall,
That who that list without to stond or go,
Though he would all day prien to and fro,
He should not see if there were any wight
Within or no; but one within well might

Perceive all tho that yeden there without
In the field, that was on every side
Covered with corn and grasse, that out of doubt,
Though one would seeke all the world wide,

So rich a fielde coud not be espide

On no coast, as of the quantity,
For of all good thing there was plenty.

And I that all this pleasaunt sight sie,
Thought sodainly I felt so sweet an aire
Of the eglentere, that certainely
There is no hert, I deme, in such dispaire,
Ne with thoughts froward and contraire,
So overlaid, but it should soone have bote,
If it had ones felt this savour sote.

And as I stood and cast aside mine eie,
I was ware of the fairest medler tree,
That ever yet in all my life I sie,
As full of blossomes as it might be,
Therein a goldfinch leaping pretile

Fro bough to bough; and, as him list, he eet
Here and there of buds and floures sweet.

And to the herber side was joyning
This faire tree, of which I have you told,
And at the last the brid began to sing,
Whan he had eaten what he cat wold;
So passing sweetly, that by manifold
It was more pleasaunt than i coud devise,
And whan his song was ended in this wise,

The nightingale with so merry a note
Answered him, that all the wood rong
So sodainiy, that as it were a sote,

I stood astonied, so was I with the song
Thorow ravished, that till late and long,
I ne wist in what place I was, ne where ;
And ayen, me thought, she song ever by mine ere.

Wherefore I waited about busily
On every side, if I her might see;
And, at the last, I gan full well aspy
Where she sat in a fresh grene laurer tree,
On the further side even right by me,
That gave so passing a delicious smell,
According to the eglentere full well.

Whereof I had so inly great pleasure,
That, as me thought, I surely ravished was
Into Paradise, where my desire
Was for to be, and no ferther passe
As for that day, and on the sote grasse
I sat me downe, for as for mine entent,
The birdes song was more convenient,

And more pleasaunt to me by many fold,
Than meat or drinke, or any other thing,
Thereto the herber was so fresh and cold,
The wholesome savours eke so comforting,
That, as I demed, sith the beginning
Of the world was never seene er than
So pleasaunt a ground of none earthly man.

And as I sat the birds harkening thus,
Me thought that I heard voices sodainly,
The most sweetest and most delicious
That ever any wight I trow truly
Heard in their life, for the armony
And sweet accord was in so good musike,
That the voice to angels most was like.

At the last, out of a grove even by,

That was right goodly and pleasaunt to siglt,
I sie where there came singing lustily
A world of ladies; but, to tell aright
Their great beauty, it lieth not in my might,
Ne their array; neverthelesse I shall
Tell you a part, though I speake not of all.

The surcotes white of velvet wele sitting,
They were in cladde; and the semes echone,
As it were a manere garnishing,
Was set with emerauds one and one,
By and by; but many a riche stone
Was set on the purfiles, out of dout,
Of colors, sleves, and traines round about.

As great pearles round and orient,
Diamonds fine, and rubies red,
And many another stone of which I went
The names now; and everich on her head
A rich fret of gold, which without dread
Was full of stately riche stones set,
And every lady had a chapelet

On her head of [branches] fresh and grene,
So wele wrought and so mervelously,
That it was a noble sight to sene,
Some of laurer, and some full pleasauntly
Had chapelets of woodbind, and sadly
Some of agnus castus were also
Chapelets fresh; but there were many of tho

That daunced, and eke song full soberly,
But all they yede in manner of compace,
But one there yede in mid the company,
Sole by her selfe, but all followed the pace
That she kepte, whose heavenly figured face
So pleasaunt was, and her wele shape person,
That of beauty she past hem everichon.

And more richly beseene, by many fold
She was also in every maner thing,
On her head ful! pleasaunt to behold,
A crowne of golde rich for any king,
A braunch of agnus castus eke bearing
In her hand; and to my sight truly,
She lady was of the company.

And she began a roundell lustely,
That "Suse le foyle, devers moy," men call,
"Siene et mon joly couer est endormy,"
And than the company answered all,
With voices sweet entuned, and so small,
That me thought it the sweetest melody
That ever I heard in my life soothly.

And thus they came, dauncing and singing
Into the middes of the mede echone,
Before the herber where I was sitting,
And, God wot, me thought I was wel bigone,
For than I might avise hem one by one,
Who fairest was, who coud best dance or sing,
Or who most womanly was in all thing.

They had not daunced but a little throw,
Whan that I hearde ferre off sodainly,
So great a noise of thundering trumpes blow,
As though it should have departed the skie;
And after that within a while I sie,

From the same grove where the ladies come out,
Of men of armes comming such a rout,

As all the men on earth had been assembled
In that place, wele horsed for the nones,
Stering so fast, that all the earth trembled:
But for to speake of riches and [of] stones,
And men and horse, I trow the large wones,
Of Pretir John, ne all his tresory,

Might not unneth have boght the tenth party

Of their array: who so list heare more,
I shall rehearse, so as I can, a lite.
Out of the grove, that I spake of before,
I sie come first all in their clokes white,
A company, that ware for their delite,
Chapelets fresh of okes seriall,
Newly sprong, and trumpets they were all.

On every trumpe hanging a broad banere
Of fine tartarium were full richely bete,
Every trumpet his lords armes bere,
About their neckes with great pearles sete
Collers brode, for cost they would not lete,
As it would seem, for their schochones echone,
Were set about with many a precious stone.

Their horse harneis was all white also,
And after them next in one company,
Came kings of armes, and no mo,
In clokes of white cloth of gold richly;
Chapelets of greene on their heads on hie,
The crowns that they on their scochones bere,
Were set with pearle, ruby, and saphere,

And eke great diamondes many one;
But all their horse harneis and other geare
Was in a sute according everichone,

As ye have heard the foresaid trumpets were;
And by seeming they were nothing to lere,
And their guiding they did so manerly,
And after hem came a great company

Of heraudes and pursevauntes eke,
Arraied in clothes of white velvet,
And hardily they were no thing to sekc,
How they on them should the harneis set;
And every man had on a chapelet ;
Scochones and eke horse harneis indede,
They had in sute of hem that 'fore hem yede.
Next after hem came in armour bright
All save their heades, seemely knightes nine,
And every claspe and naile, as to my sight,
Of their harneis were of red golde fine,
With cloth of gold, and furred with ermine
Were the trappoures of their stedes strong,
Wide and large, that to the ground did hong,

And every bosse of bridle and paitrell
That they had, was worth, as I would wene,
A thousand pound; and on their heades well
Dressed were crownes of laurer grene,
The best made that ever I had sene,
And every knight had after him riding
Three henchemen on him awaiting.

Of which every [first] on a short tronchoun
His lordes helme bare, so richly dight,
That the worst was worthe the ransoun
Of [any] king; the second a shield bright
Bare at his backe; the thred bare upright
A mighty spere, full sharpe ground and kene,
And every childe ware of leaves grene

A fresh chapelet upon his haires bright;
And clokes white of fine velvet they ware,
Their steeds trapped and raied right
Without difference as their lordes were,
And after hem on many a fresh corsere,
There came of armed knights such a rout,
That they bespread the large field about.

And all they ware after their degrees
Chapelets newe made of laurer grene,
Some of [the] oke, and some of other trees,
Some in their honds bare boughes shene,
Some of laurer, and some of okes kene,
Some of hauthorne, and some of [the] woodbind,
And many mo which I had not in mind.

And so they came, their horses freshly stering,
With bloody sownes of hir trompes loud;
There sie I many an uncouth disguising
In the array of these knightes proud,
And at the last as evenly as they coud,
They took their places in middes of the mede,
And every knight turned his horses hede

To his fellow, and lightly laid a spere

In the rest; and so justes began
On every part about here and there;

Some brake his spere, some drew down hors and
About the field astray the steedes ran ;
And to behold their rule and governance,

I you ensure it was a great pleasaunce.

[man,

And so the justes last an houre and more;
But tho, that crowned were in laurer grene,
Wan the prise; their dints were so sore,
That there was none ayenst hem might sustene,
And the justing all was left off clene,

And fro their horse the ninth alight anone,
And so did all the remnant everichone.

And forth they yede togider, twain and twain,
That to behold it was a worthy sight,
Toward the ladies on the greene plain,
That song and daunced as I said now right:
The ladies as soone as they goodly might,
They brake of both the song and dance,
And yede to meet hem with ful glad semblaunce.

And every lady tooke full womanly
By the hond a knight, and forth they yede
Unto a faire laurer that stood fast by,
With leves lade the boughes of great brede ;
And to my dome there never was indede
Man, that had seene halfe so faire a tre;
For underneath there might it well have be