The queen, who is none other than Alcestis, intercedes for him, reminding the irate god that the poet is also the author of the _Book of the Duchesse_, the _Parlement of Foules_, the story of _Palamon and Arcite_, to say nothing of "... many an ympne for your haly-dayes."[49] and the _Lyf of St. Cecyle_. She therefore begs that he may be forgiven, and in token of true contrition he shall spend the most part of his time In making of a glorious Legende Of Gode Women, maidenes and wyves, That weren trewe in lovinge al hir lyves. The legends which follow are the result of this command, and the definition of virtue given above accounts for the inclusion of such "good women" as Cleopatra and Medea. The plan of the poem necessarily involved sameness of treatment. Chaucer grew tired of his heroines, and of the twenty legends which he seems to have planned, only nine were written. The stories of Cleopatra, Thisbe, Dido, Hypsipyle and Medea, Lucretia, Ariadne, Philomela, Phyllis, and Hypermnestra, are strung together somewhat perfunctorily. As the names show, they are all drawn from Latin authors, but with the usual freedom of a medieval translator Chaucer does not hesitate to alter the originals to suit his purpose. He wishes to show the torments and constancy of love's martyrs, and without scruple he blackens the characters of Jason and Æneas and Theseus, in order to bring out the virtues of Medea, Dido, and Ariadne. The legends show little of the humour and freshness of Chaucer's other poems. Occasionally a description of the lover's passion recalls some similar passage in _Troilus and Criseyde_, and the mere fact that the interest centres in emotion rather than action is in itself of importance, but Hercules, in the legend of Hypsipyle, is a poor substitute for Pandarus, and the perpetual recurrence of the love _motif_ tends to weaken its effect. The two versions of the Prologue show many interesting points of difference. Mention has already been made of the supposed intervention of the Queen, through which Chaucer obtained permission to appoint a deputy to assist him in his office work. It is supposed that this incident must have occurred after the writing of the first prologue and before the writing of the second, for while the whole poem is written in Queen Anne's honour, the second prologue contains numerous passages expressing the poet's gratitude and affection, which are not found in the first. She is ... of alle floures flour, Fulfilled of al vertu and honour. * * * * * She is the clernesse and the verray light That in this derke worlde me wynt and ledeth, * * * * * For as the sonne wol the fyr disteyne[50] So passeth al my lady sovereyne, That is so good, so fair, so debonaire; I prey to god that ever falle hir faire!