NOT A DRY THREAD.

545

Waxe hote, that the pretie tendre floures
Hadde lost the beautie of her freshe colours,
Forshronke with heat; the ladies eke to-
brent,

That they ne wiste where hem to bestowe;
The knightes swelte, for lack of shade nie '

shent ;

360

And after that, within a little throwe,
The wind began so sturdily to blowe,
That down goeth alle the floures everichone,
So that in all the mede there laft not one;
Save such as succoured were among the leves
Fro every storme that mighte hem assaile,
Growing under hedges and thicke greves;2
And after that there came a storme of haile
And raine in fere, so that, withouten faile,
The ladies ne the knightes nade o threed 370
Drie upon them, so dropping was her weed.*

8

And whan the storm was cleane passed away, Tho clad in white that stoode under the tree, They felte nothing of the great affray, That they in greene without had in ybe; To them they gede for routhe and pite, Them to comfort after their greate disease, So faine they were the helplesse for to ease.

Than was I ware how one of hem in grene Had on a crowne, ful rich and wel sitting; 380 Wherefore I demed wel she was a quene, And tho in greene on her were awaiting;

1 Nigh. 2 Groves.

VOL. III.

Had not. + Their dress.

35

The ladies then in white that were comming Towardes them, and the knightes in fere, Beganne hem to comfort, and make hem chere,

The queen in white, that was of great beauty, Tooke by the hond the queen that was in grenė, And said, "Suster, I have right great pitie Of your annoy, and of the troublous tene,1 Wherein ye and your company have bene 390 So long, alas! and if that it you please To go with me, I shall do you the ease,

"In all the pleasure that I can or may ; Whereof the tother, humbly as she mighte, Thanked her; for in right ill array

She was with storm and heat, I you behighte; And every lady, then anone right,

That were in white, one of them took in grene By the hond; which when the knightes hadde

sene,

399

In like wise ech of them tooke hir a knight I-clad in greene, and forth with hem they fare, Un-to an hegge, where they anon gan right To make their justes, woulde they not spare Boughes to hewe down, and eke trees square, Wherwith they made hem stately fires greate, To dry their clothes that were wringing weate.

And after that, of hearbes that there grewe, They made, for blisters of the sunne brenning Very good and wholesome ointmentes newe, Where that they gede3 the sicke fast anointing

1 Sorrow. • Promise. 8 Went.

THE KNIGHTS AND LADIES AT ONE. 547 And after that they gede aboute gadering 411 Pleasaunt salades, which they made hem eate, For to refresh their greate unkindly heate.

The Lady of the Leafe then gan to praye
Her of the Floure (for so to my seeming
They shoulde be, as by their arraye)

To soupe with her, and eek, for any thing,
That she shoulde with her all her people bringe;
And she agen, in right goodly manere,
Thanketh her of her most friendly cheare, 420
Saying plainely, that she would obaye
With all her hart all her commaundement ;
And then anon, withoute lenger delaye,
The Lady of the Leafe hath one ysent
For a palfray, as after her intent,
Arrayed well and faire in harneis of golde,
For nothing lacked, that to him long sholde.

And after that, to all her company
She made to purvey horse and every thing
That they needed ; and then ful lustily,
Even by the herber where I was sitting,
They passed alle, so pleasantly singing,
That it would have comforted any wight.
But then I sie a passing wonder sight;

For then the nightingale, that all the day
Had in the laurer sete, and did her might
The whole service to singe longing to May,
All sodainly began to take her flight;
And to the Lady of the Leafe, forthright,
The flew, and set her on her hond softly,
Which was a thing I marveled of greatly.

430

440

The goldfinch eke, that fro the medler tree Was fled for heat into the bushes colde, Unto the Lady of the Flower gan flee, And on her hond he set him as he wolde, And pleasauntly his winges gan to folde; And for to singe they pained hem both, as sore As they hadde do of all the day before.

450

And so these ladies rode forth a great pace, And all the rout of knightes eke in fere; And I, that hadde seene all this wonder case, Thought I would assay in some manere, To knowe fully the trouth of this matere, And what they were that rode so pleasantly. And when they were the herber passed by,

I dreste me forth, and happede to mete

anone

Right a faire lady, I you ensure ;

460

And she come riding by herselfe alone,
All in white; with semblance ful demure
I salued her, and bad good aventure
Might her befall, as I coude most humbly;
And she answerede, "My doughter,1 gra-
mercy!"

"Madame," quod I, "if that I durst enquere Of you, I woulde faine, of that company, Wite what they be that paste by this arbere." And she agen answerede right friendly. "My faire doughter, all tho that passed here by

1 From this address it is supposed that the poem is the production f a woman.

Unto the Leafe, and I myselfe am one.

549

469

"See ye not her that crowned is," quod she, "All in white?" "Madame," quod I, "yis." "That is Diane, goddesse of chastite;

And for because that she a maiden is,

In her own hond the braunch she beareth iwis, That agnus castus men calle properly;

And alle the ladies in her company,

"Which as ye se of that hearb chapelets

weare,

Be such as han kept alway hir maidenheed:
And alle they that of laurer chaplets beare
Be such as hardy were, and manly indeed, -
Victorious name which never may be dede! 481
And alle they were so worthy of their honde,
That in her time none might hem withstonde.
"And tho that weare chaplets on their hede
Of fresh woodbind be such as never were
To love untrue in word, in thought, ne dede,
But aye stedfast; ne for pleasaunce, ne fere,
Thogh that they shuld their hertes al to-tere,
Woulde ne flitte, but ever were stedfaste,
Til that their lives there asunder braste."

49€

“Now, faire madame,” quod I, “yet would I

pray

Your ladiship, if that it mighte be,

That I mighte knowe, by some maner way, -
Sith that it hath liked your beaute

The trouth of these ladies for to telle me,