How hit was writen ful of names
Of folk that hadden grete fames

Of olde tyme, and yit they were

1155

As fresshe as men had writen hem there

The selve day right, or that houre

That I upon hem gan to poure.

But wel I wiste what hit made;
Hit was conserved with the shade-
Al this wrytinge that I sy-
Of a castel, that stood on hy,
And stood eek on so cold a place,
That hete mighte hit not deface.

Tho gan I up the hille to goon,
And fond upon the coppe a woon,
That alle the men that ben on lyve
Ne han the cunning to descryve
The beautee of that ilke place,
Ne coude casten no compace
Swich another for to make,
That mighte of beautee be his make,
Ne [be] so wonderliche y-wrought;
That hit astonieth yit my thought,

And maketh al my wit to swinke
On this castel to bethinke.

So that the grete craft, beautee,

The cast, the curiositee

Ne can I not to yow devyse,

My wit ne may me not suffyse.

But natheles al the substance

I have yit in my remembrance;

For-why me thoughte, by Seynt Gyle!
Al was of stone of beryle,

(70) 1160

1165

(80) 1170

1175

(90) 1180

Bothe castel and the tour,

1185

And eek the halle, and every bour,

1154. F. B. folkes; rest folk. rest they.

1173. I supply be.

cast, in Cx. Th. P. (Willert). Th. P. ins. the before castel.

1156. Cx. Th. P. there; F. B. here.

1155. F. tymes; rest tyme. F. there; 1162. F. om. that. 1177. Supply craft from l. 1178, where it occurs, after 1178. F. To; the rest The. 1185. Cx.

1189. F. Rabewyures or Rabewynres; B. Rabewynnes; Cx. As babeuwryes;

Th. As babeuries; P. Babeweuries.

F. om. of. sowned.

1197. 1202. F. B. sowneth; rest

1195. F. B. om. stoden.

1201. F. B. vpon; rest on.
1204. P. Cx. his; Th. B. this; F. the.

P. Eaycides; Cx. Th. Gacides.

P. Bretur; F. gret.
Seten.

1206. F. Eaycidis ; 1208. B. bret; Th. Briton; Cx. Bryton;

1210. F. Saten; B. Sate; Cx. Th. Sat; P. Sett; read 1210, 1, 2, 4. F. hym (for hem); P. hym (in 1210 only); B. him 1211. Cx. Th. P. gape; F. iape; B. yape.

(in 1211, 2, 4).

Ther saugh I famous, olde and yonge,
Pypers of the Duche tonge,

To lerne love-daunces, springes,

Reyes, and these straunge thinges.

Tho saugh I in another place
Stonden in a large space,
Of hem that maken blody soun
In trumpe, beme, and clarioun ;
For in fight and blood-shedinge
Is used gladly clarioninge.

Ther herde I trumpen Messenus,
Of whom that speketh Virgilius.
Ther herde I Ioab trumpe also,
Theodomas, and other mo;
And alle that used clarion
In Cataloigne and Aragon,
That in hir tyme famous were
To lerne, saugh I trumpe there.

(130) 1220

1225

(140) 1230

1235

(150) 1240

1245

(160) 1250

1221. F. B. riede; rest rede. 1227. F. Atiteris; B.

1220. F. Cx. Th. B. to pipe; P. om. to. 1222. Cx. Th. P. brede; B. Bryede; F. bride. Atyterys; Cx. Th. dan Cytherus; P. an Citherus. F. B. transpose lines 1227 and 1228. 1228. F. Pseustis; B. Pseustys; Cx. Th. proserus; P. presentus. 1233. F. B. fames; rest famous. 1234. F. B. of alle; Th. of al; P. Cx. of. F. om. the. 1236. Cx. Th. Reyes; P. Reyps; F. B. Reus.

1241. F.

And clerkes eek, which conne wel
Al this magyke naturel,

That craftely don hir ententes,
To make, in certeyn ascendentes,
Images, lo, through which magyk
To make a man ben hool or syk.
Ther saugh I thee, queen Medea,
And Circes eke, and Calipsa ;
Ther saugh I Hermes Ballenus,
Lymote, and eek Simon Magus.
Ther saugh I, and knew hem by name,
That by such art don men han fame.
Ther saugh I Colle tregetour

Upon a table of sicamour

Pleye an uncouthe thing to telle;

I saugh him carien a wind-melle

Under a walsh-note shale.

What shuld I make lenger tale

1265

(180) 1270

1275

(190) 1280

1255. Cx. Th. P. as now not; F. B. not now.

1259. Th. pleyeng; rest 1269. 1271. All the. 1274.

1275, 6. From 1278. Th. Syca

1273. So in all.

pley; read pleyen. 1262. F. wrecches (wrongly); for wicches.
P. magyk; rest magyke. 1270. F. B. syke; rest seke.
1272. Cx. Th. P. Circes; F. Artes; B. Artys.
Cx. Th. Lymote; F. Limete; B. Lumete; P. Llymote.
B.; F. om. both lines. P. hem; Cx. hym; B. Th. om.
mour; F. B. Sygamour; Cx. Sycomour; P. Cicomour.

Of this yates florisshinges,

Ne of compasses, ne of kervinges,
Ne how they hatte in masoneries,
As, corbets fulle of imageries.

But, lord! so fair hit was to shewe,
For hit was al with gold behewe.
But in I wente, and that anoon;
Ther mette I crying many oon,→
'A larges, larges, hold up wel!
God save the lady of this pel, t
Our owne gentil lady Fame,
And hem that wilnen to have name
Of us!' Thus herde I cryen alle,
And faste comen out of halle,

1295

(210) 1300

1305

(220) 1310

P. for; rest more.

1287. Cx. P. eft; 1293. F. B. to; rest forth.

F. oft; B. all;

1299. Cx.

1301. B. this; rest these; see 1294. 1303. F. how

they hat; B. how they hate; Cx. how the hackyng; P. Th. how the hackynge. 1304. Cx. Th. P. As corbettis(-es) and ymageries; B. As corbettz, full of ymageryes; F. As corbetz, followed by a blank space. hold (holde).

1309. F. hald; rest