<< The folk right to the bare boon, Bihinde her bak whan they ben goon, 1060 And foule abate the folkes prys. Ful many a worthy man and wys, An hundred, have [they] don to dye, These losengeres, through flaterye; And maketh folk ful straunge be, 1065 Ther-as hem oughte be prive. Wel yvel mote they thryve and thee, And yvel aryved mote they be, These losengeres, ful of envye! No good man loveth hir companye. 1070 Richesse a robe of purpre on hadde, Ne trowe not that I lye or madde; For in this world is noon it liche, Ne by a thousand deel so riche, Ne noon so fair; for it ful wel 1075 With orfrays leyd was everydel, And portrayed in the ribaninges Of dukes stories, and of kinges. And with a bend of gold tasseled, And knoppes fyne of gold ameled. 1080 Aboute hir nekke of gentil entaile Was shet the riche chevesaile, >> Par derriere dusques as os, Qu'il abaissent des bons les los, Et desloent les aloés, Et si loent les desloés. 1050 Maint prodommes ont encusés, Et de lor honnor reculés Li losengier par lor losenges; Car il font ceus des cors estranges Qui déussent estre privés: Mal puissent-il estre arivés Icil losengier plain d'envie! Car nus prodons n'aime lor vie. Richece ot une porpre robe, Ice ne tenés mie à lobe, 1060 Que je vous di bien et afiche Qu'il n'ot si bele, ne si riche Où monde, ne si envoisie. La porpre fu toute orfroisie; Si ot portraites à orfrois Estoires de dus et de rois. Si estoit au col bien orlée D'une bende d'or néélée Moult richement, sachiés sans faille. Si i avoit tretout à taille 1070 << In which ther was ful gret plentee Of stones clere and bright to see. Rychesse a girdel hadde upon, 1085 The bokel of it was of a stoon Of vertu greet, and mochel of might; For who-so bar the stoon so bright, Of venim [thurte] him no-thing doute, While he the stoon hadde him aboute. 1090 That stoon was greetly for to love, And til a riche mannes bihove Worth al the gold in Rome and Fryse. The mourdaunt, wrought in noble wyse, Was of a stoon ful precious, 1095 That was so fyn and vertuous, That hool a man it coude make Of palasye, and of tooth-ake. And yit the stoon hadde suche a grace, That he was siker in every place, 1100 Al thilke day, not blind to been, That fasting mighte that stoon seen. The barres were of gold ful fyne, Upon a tissu of satyne, Ful hevy, greet, and no-thing light, 1105 In everich was a besaunt-wight. Upon the tresses of Richesse Was set a cercle, for noblesse,