DINT OF DILIGENCE ACQUIRED SOME MUCH DESIRED THING OR
RECOVERED SOME LOST GOOD

The dawn from vermeil began to grow orange-tawny, at the approach of
the sun, when on the Sunday the queen arose and caused all her company
rise also. The seneschal had a great while before despatched to the
place whither they were to go store of things needful and folk who
should there make ready that which behoved, and seeing the queen now
on the way, straightway let load everything else, as if the camp were
raised thence, and with the household stuff and such of the servants
as remained set out in rear of the ladies and gentlemen. The queen,
then, with slow step, accompanied and followed by her ladies and the
three young men and guided by the song of some score nightingales and
other birds, took her way westward, by a little-used footpath, full of
green herbs and flowers, which latter now all began to open for the
coming sun, and chatting, jesting and laughing with her company,
brought them a while before half tierce,[149] without having gone over
two thousand paces, to a very fair and rich palace, somewhat upraised
above the plain upon a little knoll. Here they entered and having gone
all about and viewed the great saloons and the quaint and elegant
chambers all throughly furnished with that which pertaineth thereunto,
they mightily commended the place and accounted its lord magnificent.
Then, going below and seeing the very spacious and cheerful court
thereof, the cellars full of choicest wines and the very cool water
that welled there in great abundance, they praised it yet more.
Thence, as if desirous of repose, they betook themselves to sit in a
gallery which commanded all the courtyard and was all full of flowers,
such as the season afforded, and leafage, whereupon there came the
careful seneschal and entertained and refreshed them with costliest
confections and wines of choice. Thereafter, letting open to them a
garden, all walled about, which coasted the palace, they entered
therein and it seeming to them, at their entering, altogether[150]
wonder-goodly, they addressed themselves more intently to view the
particulars thereof. It had about it and athwart the middle very
spacious alleys, all straight as arrows and embowered with trellises
of vines, which made great show of bearing abundance of grapes that
year and being then all in blossom, yielded so rare a savour about the
garden, that, as it blent with the fragranc