painting is introduced, and which contains little more than an account of his own adventures.

X.

The longe dayes and the nightis eke

I would bewail my fortune in this wise;
For which again distress comfort to seek,
My custom was on mornis for to rise
Early as day: O happy exercise!
By thee come I to joy out of torment :-
But now to purpose
of my first intent.

XI.

Bewailing in my chamber thus alone,
Despaired of all joy and remedy,
For-tired of my thought, and woe-begone,
And to the window gan I walk in hye,
To see the world and folk that went forby;
As, for the time (though I of mirthis food
Might have no more), to look it did me good.

XII.

Now was there made, fast by the Touris wall,

The gardens of this period seem to have been very small. In Chaucer's Troilus and Cresseide we find the same place indifferently called a garden and a yard; and this

I

An herbere green; with wandis long and small

Railed about, and so with treeis set

Was all the place, and hawthorn hedges knet,

2

That life was none [a] walking there forby,

That might within scarce any wight espy.

XIV.

And on the smalle grene twistis sat

The little sweete nightingale, and sung So loud and clear the hymnis consecrate Of lovis use, now soft, now loud among, That all the gardens and the wallis rung Right of their song; and on the couple next Of their sweet harmony: and lo 'the text!

3

at Windsor, fast by the Touris wall, was probably either in the yard or on the terrace.

"Adown the stair anon right tho she went

"Into her garden," &c.—

"This yard was large, and railed all the aleyes,

"And shadowed well with blossomy boughs green;
"And benched new, and sanded all the ways,

"In which she walketh," &c.

[Troil. and Cr. B. II. st. 110. fol. 152, ed. 1652.] 1 Probably an arbour, though the word is also very frequently used for an herbary, or garden of simples.

9 Mr. Tytler imagines that this relates to the pairing of the birds; but the word couple seems here to be used as a musical term.

XV.

"Worshippe ye that lovers bene this May,
"For of your bliss the calends are begun ;
"And sing with us, Away! winter away!

"Come summer, come! the sweet season and sun! "Awake, for shame! that have your heavens won!' "And amorously lift up your headis all;

"Thank Love, that list you to his mercy call!'"

When they this song

3

XVI.

had sung a little throw

They stent awhile, and, therewith unafraid

As I beheld and cast mine

eyen a-lowe,

From bough to bough they hipped+and they play'd,
And freshly, in their birdis kind, array'd

Their feathers new, and fret 5 them in the sun,
And thanked Love that had their makis won.

These and a few more stanzas are preparatory to the appearance of his mistress, his first sight of whom is thus described:

XXI.

And therewith cast I down mine eye again,
Whereas I saw, walking under the Tower

Mr. Tytler explains this as follows: "Ye that have "attained your highest bliss, by winning your mates.-See * A little time.

"the last line of the next stanza,"

Full secretly, new comyn her to pleyne,"
The fairest or the freshest younge flower

That ever I saw, methought, before that hour; For which sudden abate anon astert 2

The blood of all my body to my heart.

XXII.

And though I stood abased tho a lyte,3
No wonder was; for why? my wittis all
Were so o'ercome with pleasance and delight,
Only through letting of mine eyen fall,
That suddenly my heart become her thrall
For ever; of free will; for of menàce

There was no token in her sweete face.

XXIII.

And in my head I drew right hastily;
And eft-soones I lent it forth again:
And saw her walk that very womanly,
With no wight mo but only women twain.
Then gan I study in myself, and sayn,
"Ah sweet, are ye a worldly créature,
"Or heavenly thing in likeness of nature?

This seems to mean complain, but should it not rather

be playen, to play or sport?

* Started back.

⚫ Then a little.

XXIV.

"Or are ye god Cupidis own princess,
"And comen are to loose me out of band?
"Or are ye very Nature the goddèss,

"That have depainted with your heavenly hand "This garden full of flouris as they stand ? "What shall I think, alas! what reverence “Shall I mestèr1 [un]to your excellence?

XXV.

"Giff ye a goddess be, and that ye like

"To do me pain, I may it not astert :

"Giff ye be worldly wight, that doth me sike,* "Why lest God make you so, my dearest heart, "To do a silly prisoner thus smart,

"That loves you all, and wote of nought but wo? "And, therefore, mercy sweet! sen it is so."

The dress and figure of his mistress are minutely painted as follows:

XXVII.

Of her array the form gif I shall write,

Toward her golden hair and rich attire,

Administer? (Tytler).

Mr. Tytler supposes this word to stand for site or syte, signifying sorrow, altered for the sake of the metre:—but qu. ? 9"If thou art a goddess, I cannot resist thy power; but "if only a mortal creature, God surely cannot lest or in"cline you to grieve, or give pain to a poor creature that "loves you." (Tytler).