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Bot deide only for drede of schame

In keping of hire goode name,

As sche which was on of the beste.

The thridde wif was hote Alceste, 2640

Which whanne Ametus scholde dye

Upon his grete maladye,

Sche preide unto the goddes so,

That sche receyveth al the wo

And deide hirself to yive him lif:

Lo, if this were a noble wif.

The ferthe wif which I ther sih,

I herde of hem that were nyh

Hou sche was cleped Alcione,

Which to Seyix hir lord al one 2650

And to nomo hire body kepte;

And whan sche sih him dreynt, sche lepte

Into the wawes where he swam,

And there a Sefoul sche becam,

And with hire wenges him bespradde

For love which to him sche hadde.

Lo, these foure were tho

Whiche I sih, as me thoghte tho,

Among the grete compaignie

Which Love hadde forto guye: 2660

Bot Youthe, which in special

Of Loves Court was Mareschal,

So besy was upon his lay,

That he non hiede where I lay

Hath take. And thanne, as I behield,

Me thoghte I sih upon the field,

Where Elde cam a softe pas

Toward Venus, ther as sche was.

With him gret compaignie he ladde,

Bot noght so manye as Youthe hadde: 2670

The moste part were of gret Age,

And that was sene in the visage,

And noght forthi, so as thei myhte,

Thei made hem yongly to the sihte:

Bot yit herde I no pipe there

To make noise in mannes Ere,

Bot the Musette I myhte knowe,

For olde men which souneth lowe,

With Harpe and Lute and with Citole.

The hovedance and the Carole, 2680

In such a wise as love hath bede,

A softe pas thei dance and trede;

And with the wommen otherwhile

With sobre chier among thei smyle,

For laghtre was ther non on hyh.

And natheles full wel I syh

That thei the more queinte it made

For love, in whom thei weren glade.

And there me thoghte I myhte se

The king David with Bersabee, 2690

And Salomon was noght withoute;

Passende an hundred on a route

Of wyves and of Concubines,

Juesses bothe and Sarazines,

To him I sih alle entendant:

I not if he was sufficant,

Bot natheles for al his wit

He was attached with that writ

Which love with his hond enseleth,

Fro whom non erthly man appeleth. 2700

And overthis, as for a wonder,

With his leon which he put under,

With Dalida Sampson I knew,

Whos love his strengthe al overthrew.

I syh there Aristotle also,

Whom that the queene of Grece so

Hath bridled, that in thilke time

Sche made him such a Silogime,

That he foryat al his logique;

Ther was non art of his Practique, 2710

Thurgh which it mihte ben excluded

That he ne was fully concluded

To love, and dede his obeissance.

And ek Virgile of aqueintance

I sih, wher he the Maiden preide,

Which was the doghter, as men seide,

Of themperour whilom of Rome;

Sortes and Plato with him come,

So dede Ovide the Poete.

I thoghte thanne how love is swete, 2720

Which hath so wise men reclamed,

And was miself the lasse aschamed,

Or forto lese or forto winne

In the meschief that I was inne:

And thus I lay in hope of grace.

And whan thei comen to the place

Wher Venus stod and I was falle,

These olde men with o vois alle

To Venus preiden for my sake.

And sche, that myhte noght forsake 2730

So gret a clamour as was there,

Let Pite come into hire Ere;

And forth withal unto Cupide

Sche preith that he upon his side

Me wolde thurgh his grace sende

Som confort, that I myhte amende,

Upon the cas which is befalle.

And thus for me thei preiden alle

Of hem that weren olde aboute,

And ek some of the yonge route, 2740

Of gentilesse and pure trouthe

I herde hem telle it was gret routhe,

That I withouten help so ferde.

And thus me thoghte I lay and herde.

Cupido, which may hurte and hele

In loves cause, as for myn hele

Upon the point which him was preid

Cam with Venus, wher I was leid

Swounende upon the grene gras.

And, as me thoghte , anon ther was 2750

On every side so gret presse,

That every lif began to presse,

I wot noght wel hou many score,

Suche as I spak of now tofore,

Lovers, that comen to beholde,

Bot most of hem that weren olde:

Thei stoden there at thilke tyde,

To se what ende schal betyde