PEARL

LXIV

XCVI

23

The Lombe delyt non lyste to wene;
Thagh he were hurt and wounde hade,
In his sembelaunt 24 wacz never sene;
So wern his glentez 25 gloryous glade.
I loked among his meyny schene,26
How thay wyth lyf wern laste and lade,27
Then sagh I ther my lyttel quene,
That I wende 28 had standen by me in sclade.29
Lorde! much of mirthe wacz that ho 30
made,

Among her ferez 31 that wacz so quyt !32
That syght me gart 33 to think to wade,
For luf-longyng in gret delyt.

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1 amend 2 said she chose mate 5 wet 6 goodsweetheart 8 gave 9also 10 spotless 13 flower garment 11 dais great building 15 bower whom 18 tower 19 for thee 20 ob

ness

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16 beautiful one

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Thus it befell upon a nyht Whan ther was noght bot sterreliht,1 Sche was vanyssht riht as hir liste,2 That no wyht bot hirself it wiste, And that was ate 3 mydnyht tyde. The world was stille on every side; With openhed and fot al bare, Hir her tosprad,5 sche gan to fare; Upon hir clothes gert sche was; Al specheles and 7 on the gras Sche glod forth as an addre doth Non otherwise sche ne goth Til sche cam to the freisshe flod, And there a while sche withstod.9 Thries sche torned hire aboute, And thries ek sche gan doun loute 10 And in the flod sche wette hir her, And thries on the water ther Sche gaspeth with a drecchinge 11 onde,12 And tho 13 sche tok hir speche on honde. Ferst sche began to clepe 14 and calle Upward unto the sterres alle, To Wynd, to Air, to See, to Lond Sche preide, and ek hield up hir hond To Echates 15 and gan to crie, Which is godesse of sorcerie. 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." 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,

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Sche fond and gadreth herbes suote.20 Sche pulleth up som be the rote, And manye with a knyf sche scherth,2 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,
She found and gathers herbs of boot.
She pulleth some up by the root,
And many with a knife she shears,
And all unto her car she bears.

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Thus when she hath the mountains sought,
The rivers there forgot she not;
Eridian and Amphrisos,

1 starlight as it pleased her 3 at the 4 covered 5 her hair unbound girded often gives and a strange position in the sentence; Gower we should place it before al. glided stood still

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bow 11 troubling 12 breath 13 then 14 ate 16 succeed 17 fleece 18 21 the air 22 clouds 23 those parts 24 hasten 25 hills 26 sweet 27 cuts 25 bears, carries 29 rivers 30 forgot