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"Spotless maid, so mild and meek," Then said I to that flower bright, "Me to thy palace bring, and eke Of thy blissful bower give me sight." Sweetly God shield her! — did she speak: "That tower may enter no earthly wight; But of the Lamb did I favour seek That thou from afar shouldst see its light; From without that cloister see aright Thou mayest indeed; but within, step not;

To walk in the street thou hast no might,

Unless thou wert clean, without a spot."

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Among her ferez 3 that wacz so quyt !
That syght me gart 33 to think to wade,
For luf-longyng in gret delyt.

1 amend 2 said she chose mate 5
ness sweetheart 8 gave 9 also 10 garment

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good

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16 beautiful

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27 26 beautiful company looks appearance plied and laden 28 thought 29 valley 30 she companions white caused

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XCVII

Delyt me drof in yghe1 and ere;

4

My manez 2 mynde to maddyng malte.3
Quen I segh my frely, I wolde be there,
By-yonde the water thagh ho were walte.7
I thoght that no-thyng myght me dere,8
To fech me bur and take me halte;

And to start in the strem schulde non me stere,10

To swymme the remnaunt, thagh I ther swalte; 11

Bot of that munt 12 I wacz bi-talt; 13 1161
When I schulde start in the strem
astraye,

Out of that caste 14 I wacz by-calt ; 15
Hit wacz not at my pryncez paye.16

Sche seide, "Helpeth at this nede, And as ye maden me to spede,16 Whan Jason cam the Flees 17 to seche, So help me nou, I you beseche."

18

With that sche loketh and was war,
Doun fro the sky ther cam a char,19
The which dragouns aboute drowe.
And tho 13 sche gan hir hed doun bowe,
And up sche styh,20 and faire and wel
Sche drof forth bothe char and whel
Above in thair 21 among the skyes.22
The lond of Crete and tho parties 23
Sche soughte, and faste gan hire hye,24
And there upon the hulles 25 hyhe
Of Othrin and Olimpe also,
And ek of othre hulles mo,
Sche fond and gadreth herbes suote.20
Sche pulleth up som be the rote,
And manye with a knyf sche scherth,27
And alle into hir char sche berth.28
Thus whan sche hath the hulles sought,
The flodes 29 ther forgat 30 sche nought,
Eridian and Amphrisos,

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Thus it befell upon a night,
When there was nought but starry light,
She stole away right as she list,
So that none but herself it wist,
And that was at the midnight tide,
The world was still on every side.
With head uncovered, feet all bare,
Her hair unbound, she gan to fare;
High up her clothes she girded has;
And, speechless, forth upon the grass
She glided as an adder does
And in no other wise she goes
Till she came to the flowing flood,
And there a while full still she stood.
Three times about she turned her now,
And thrice also she low did bow,
And in the flood she wet her hair,
And thrice upon the water there
She with a troubling breath blew fast,
And then unto her speech she passed.
First she began to cry and call

Unto the stars of heaven all;
To Wind, to Air, to Sea, to Land

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She prayed there, holding up her hand, 3980 And unto Hecate did she cry,

Who goddess is of sorcery.

She said: "Oh, help me in this need,

And as ye once made me to speed,

When Jason came, the Fleece to seek,

So now your aid I do bespeak."

With that she looked and saw on high
A chariot gliding from the sky,
Which, dragons drawing, downward sped,
And then she bowed adown her head,
And up she rose, drove well and fair
Both car and wheel on through the air,
Above and through the clouds of sky.
The land of Crete and parts near by
She sought, and fast began her hie;
And there upon the mountains high
Of Othrim and Olympus too,
And other mountains eke thereto,

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sweet cuts bears, carries 29 rivers 30

Sche soughte sondri sedes oute
In feldes and in many greves,*
And ek a part sche tok of leves;
Bot thing which mihte hire most availe
Sche fond in Crete and in Thessaile.
In daies and in nyhtes nyne,
With gret travaile and with gret pyne,
Sche was pourveid of every piece,
And torneth homward into Grece.
Before the gates of Eson

Hir char sche let awai to gon,

And tok out ferst that was therinne;
For tho sche thoghte to beginne
Suche thing as semeth impossible,
And made hirselven invisible,
As sche that was with air enclosed
And mihte of noman be desclosed.
Sche tok up turves of the lond
Withoute helpe of mannes hond,
Al heled 5 with the grene gras,
Of which an alter mad ther was
Unto Echates, the goddesse

Of art magique and the maistresse,
And eft an other to Juvente,

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Nine days and nights had passed before,
With labour great and pain full sore,
She was purveyed with every piece,
And turneth homeward unto Greece.
At Eson's gates then did she stay,
And let her chariot go away;

But took out first what was therein,
For then her plan was to begin
Such things as seemed impossible,
And made herself invisible,

As she that was with air enclosed
And might to no man be disclosed.
She took up turfs from off the land,
Without the help of human hand,
All covered with the growing grass,
Of which an altar made she has
To Hecate, who was the goddess
Of magic art and the mistress,

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Of herbs there be no better twain;

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Then took she wormwood and vervain

With which anon, without delay,
She set these altars in array.
Two sundry pits quite near thereby
She made, and with that hastily,
A wether which was black she slew,
And out thereof the blood she drew,
And cast in the pits without ado;
And warm milk added she thereto
With honey mixed; and in such wise
Began to make her sacrifice.
And cried and prayed aloud also
To Pluto, god of all below,
And to the queen's self, Proserpine.
And so she sought out all the line
Of those that to that craft belong
Forgot she none of all the throng

4 groves 5 cov

10 slew 11 drew 12 put 13 mixed 14 left

ered again entire purpose twain, two 9pits

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AE