¶ Allas allas wiþ how deef an eere deeþ cruel to{ur}neþ awey fro wrecches {and} naieþ to closen wepyng eyen. ¶ While fortune vnfeiþful fauored[e] me wiþ lyȝte goodes (.s. temp{or}els.) þe sorouful houre þat is to seyne þe deeþ had[de] almost dreynt myne heued. ¶ But now for fortune clowdy haþ chaunged hir disceyuable chere to me warde. myn vnpitouse lijf draweþ a long vnagreable dwellynges in me. ¶ O ȝe my frendes what or wherto auaunted[e] ȝe me to be weleful: for he þat haþ fallen stood not i{n} stedfast degree. HIC DUM MECUM TACITUS. [Sidenote: [The firste p{ro}se.]] ++IN þe mene while þat I stille recorded[e] þise þinges wiþ my self. {and} markede my wepli compleynte wiþ office of poyntel. I saw stondyng aboue þe heyȝt of my heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt hir eyen brennyng {and} clere seing ouer þe comune myȝt of men. wiþ a lijfly colo{ur} {and} wiþ swiche vigoure {and} strenkeþ þat it ne myȝt[e] not be emptid. ¶ Al were it so þat sche was ful of so greet age. þat men ne wolde not trowe i{n} no manere þat sche were of oure elde. þe stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for su{m}tyme sche constreyned[e] {and} schronk hir selue{n} lyche to þe comune mesure of men. {and} su{m}tyme it semed[e] þat sche touched[e] þe heuene wiþ þe heyȝte of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche p{er}ced[e] þe selue heuene. so þat þe syȝt of men lokyng was i{n} ydel. ¶ Hir cloþes weren maked of ryȝt delye þredes {and} subtil crafte of p{er}durable matere. þe wyche cloþes sche hadde wouen wiþ hir owen hondes: as I knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng {and} schewyng to me þe beaute. þe wiche cloþes a derkenes of a forleten and dispised elde had[de] duskid {and} dirkid as it is wo{n}t to dirken by-smoked ymages. ¶ In þe neþerest[e] hem or bordure of þese cloþes me{n} redden ywouen in swiche a gregkysche .P. þat signifieþ þe lijf actif. And abouen þ{a}t l{ett}re in þe heyȝest[e] bordure a grekysche T. þat signifieþ þe lijf contemplatif. ¶ And by-twene þese two l{ett}res þere weren seien degrees nobly wrouȝt in manere of laddres. By wyche degrees men myȝt[en] clymbe fro þe neþemast[e] l{ett}re to þe ouermast[e]. ¶ Naþeles hondes of su{m} men hadde korue þ{a}t cloþe by vyolence {and} by strenkeþ. ¶ And eueryche man of hem hadde born away syche peces as he myȝte geet[e]. ¶ And forsoþe þis forsaide woman ber bookes in hir ryȝt honde. {and} in hir lefte honde sche ber a ceptre. ¶ And when sche sauȝ þese poetical muses ap{ro}chen aboute my bedde. {and} endytyng wordes to my wepynges. sche was a lytel ameued and glowed[e] wiþ cruel eyen. ¶ Who q{uo}d sche haþ suffred ap{ro}chen to þis seek[e] man þise comune strumpetis of siche a place þat men clepen þe theatr{e}. ¶ Þe wyche only ne asswagen not his sorowes. wiþ no remedies. but þei wolde fede {and} norysche hem wiþ swete venym. ¶ Forsoþe þise ben þo þat wiþ þornes {and} prykkynges of talentȝ or affecciou{n}s wiche þat ben no þing frutefiyng nor