HKB
waxe sick nor old: Yet* was there more joy a thousand fold *moreover Than I can tell, or ever could or might; There ever is clear day, and never night.
Under a tree, beside a well, I sey* saw Cupid our lord his arrows forge and file; polish And at his feet his bow all ready lay; And well his daughter temper’d, all the while, The heades in the well; and with her wile cleverness She couch’d them after, as they shoulde serve arranged in order Some for to slay, and some to wound and kerve. *carve, cut
Then was I ware of Pleasance anon right, And of Array, and Lust, and Courtesy, And of the Craft, that can and hath the might To do* by force a wight to do folly; make Disfigured was she, I will not lie; *disguised And by himself, under an oak, I guess, Saw I Delight, that stood with Gentleness.
Then saw I Beauty, with a nice attire, And Youthe, full of game and jollity, Foolhardiness, Flattery, and Desire, Messagerie, and Meed, and other three; <12> Their names shall not here be told for me: And upon pillars great of jasper long I saw a temple of brass y-founded strong.
And [all] about the temple danc’d alway Women enough, of whiche some there were Fair of themselves, and some of them were gay In kirtles* all dishevell’d went they there; tunics That was their office ever, from year to year; *duty, occupation And on the temple saw I, white and fair, Of doves sitting many a thousand pair. <13>
Before the temple door, full soberly, Dame Peace sat, a curtain in her hand; And her beside, wonder discreetely, Dame Patience sitting there I fand,* found With face pale, upon a hill of sand; And althernext, within and eke without, Behest, and Art, and of their folk a rout.** *Promise **crowd
Within the temple, of sighes hot as fire I heard a swough,* that gan aboute ren,** *murmur *run Which sighes were engender’d with desire, That made every hearte for to bren burn Of newe flame; and well espied I then, That all the cause of sorrows that they dree *endure Came of the bitter goddess Jealousy.
The God Priapus <14> saw I, as I went Within the temple, in sov’reign place stand, In such array, as when the ass him shent* <15> ruined With cry by night, and with sceptre in hand: Full busily men gan assay and fand *endeavour Upon his head to set, of sundry hue, Garlandes full of freshe flowers new.
And in a privy corner, in disport, Found I Venus and her porter Richess, That was full noble and hautain* of her port; haughty <16> Dark was that place, but afterward lightness I saw a little, unneth it might be less; scarcely And on a bed of gold she lay to rest, Till that the hote sun began to west. *decline towards the wesr
Her gilded haires with a golden thread Y-bounden were, untressed,* as she lay; loose And naked from the breast unto the head Men might her see; and, soothly for to say, The remnant cover’d, welle to my pay, *satisfaction <17> Right with a little kerchief of Valence;<18> There was no thicker clothe of defence.
The place gave a thousand savours swoot;* sweet And Bacchus, god of wine, sat her beside; And Ceres next, that doth of hunger boot;<19> relieves hunger And, as I said, amiddes lay Cypride, <20> *in the midst To whom on knees the younge folke cried To be their help: but thus I let her lie, And farther in the temple gan espy,
<See note 21 for the stories of the lovers in the next two stanzas>