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

pley; read pleyen. 1262. F. wrecches (wrongly); for

P. magyk; rest magyke. 1272. Cx. Th. P. Circes; F. Cx. Th. Lymote; F. Limete B.; F. om. both lines. P. h mour; F. B. Sygamour; C

1315. Cx. Th. P. shoke; F. shoon; B. shone.

1317. P. Cx. lesynges; rest losynges; read losenges. 1318. F. frenges; B.

Th. frynges.

1316. F. B. As (for And).

1326. F. crepen (!).

1321. F. B. herauldes.

P. wonderliche; the rest wonderly.

As though.

1332. Cx. Th. P. cotes; F. B. cote.

1327.

1328. Cx. P. Alle though; F. Th. B. 1335. F. B. om. as.

Of whiche to lyte al in my pouche is?
And they wer set as thikke of nouchis
Fulle of the fynest stones faire,
That men rede in the Lapidaire,
As greses growen in a mede;
But hit were al to longe to rede
The names; and therfore I pace.
But in this riche lusty place,
That Fames halle called was,
Ful moche prees of folk ther nas,
Ne crouding, for to mochil prees.
But al on hye, above a dees,
Sitte in a see imperial,

That maad was of a rubee al,
Which that a carbuncle is y-called,

I saugh, perpetually y-stalled,
A feminyne creature ;

That never formed by nature
Nas swich another thing y-seye.
For altherfirst, soth for to seye,

Me thoughte that she was so lyte,
That the lengthe of a cubyte

(260) 1350

1355

(270) 1360

1365

(280) 1370

1351. 1356.

P. Cx. Full; rest Fyne. 1353. P. As; Cx. Th. Or as; F. B. Of.
P. Cx. riche lusty; rest lusty and riche.

1361. F. Sit; B. Syt; Cx. P. Sat;

Th. Satte; read Sitte. 1369. F. B. om. that.

1371. F. B. omit semed be.

1372. So Cx. Th. P.; F. B. read-This was gret marvaylle to me. All wonderly; cf. 1. 1327.

1374. F. B. erthe.

1373. 1377. F. B. om. to.

And evermo, eternally,

They songe of Fame, as tho herde I:

'Heried be thou and thy name,

Goddesse of renoun and of fame!'

Tho was I war, lo, atte laste,
As I myn eyen gan up caste,
That this ilke noble quene
On hir shuldres gan sustene
Bothe tharmes and the name
Of tho that hadde large fame;
Alexander, and Hercules
That with a sherte his lyf lees!
Thus fond I sitting this goddesse,
In nobley, honour, and richesse;
Of which I stinte a whyle now,
Other thing to tellen yow.

1405

(320) 1410

1415

1404. F. synge; rest songe.

1406. F. B. or; rest and. 1411. Th. 1415. All And thus.

the armes; rest armes; read tharmes (i. e. th' armes).

1416. Cx. P. nobley; F. Th. B. noble (=noblee).