ll!
Our owne gentill Lady Fame
And hem that willen to have a name."
For in this lustie and rich place
All on hie above a deis
Satte in a see imperiall
That made was of rubie royall
A feminine creature
That never formed by nature
Was soche another one I saie:
For alderfirst, soth to saie,
Me thought that she was so lite
That the length of a cubite
Was lenger than she seemed to be;
* * * * * *
Tho was I ware at the last
As mine eyen gan up cast
That this ilke noble queene
On her shoulders gan sustene
Both the armes and the name
Of tho that had large fame.
And thus found I sitting this goddesse
In noble honour and richesse
Of which I stinte a while now
Other thing to tellen you.
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But Lord the perrie and the richesse,
I saw sitting on the goddesse,
And the heavenly melodie
Of songes full of armonie
I heard about her trone ysong
That all the palais wall rong.
Tho saw I standen hem behind
A farre from hem, all by hemselve
Many a thousand times twelve,
That made loud minstralcies,
In conemuse and shalmies,
And many another pipe,
That craftely began to pipe.
And Pursevauntes and Heraudes
That crien riche folkes laudes,
It weren, all and every man
Of hem, as I you tellen can,
Had on him throwe a vesture
Which men clepe a coate armure.
Then saw I in anothir place,
Standing in a large space,
Of hem that maken bloudy soun,
In trumpet, beme, and clarioun.
Then saw I stande on thother side
Streight downe to the doores wide,
From the deis many a pillere
Of metall, that shone not full clere,
But though ther were of no richesse
Yet were they made for great noblesse.
There saw I, and knew by name
That by such art done, men have fame.
There saw I Coll Tragetour
Upon a table of sicamour
Play an uncouth thing to tell,
I saw him carry a wind-mell
Under a walnote shale.
Then saw I sitting in other sees,
Playing upon sundrie other glees,
Of which I n' ill as now not rime,
For ease of you and losse of time,
For time ylost, this know ye,
By no way may recovered be.
What should I make longer tale?
Of all the people that I sey
I could not tell till domisdey.
Then gan I loke about and see
That there came entring into the hall
A right great company withall,
And that of sondry regions
Of all kind of condicions
That dwelle