+Than love I most these floures whyte and rede, +Swiche as men callen daysies in our toun. +To hem have I so greet affeccioun, +As I seyde erst, whan comen is the May, 45 +That in my bed ther daweth me no day +That I nam up, and walking in the mede To seen these floures agein the sonne sprede, Whan hit up-riseth by the morwe shene, *The longe day, thus walking in the grene. 50 _From_ A. 55-58. This dayesye, of alle floures flour, (B. 53) Fulfild of vertu and of alle honour, +And ever y-lyke fair and fresh of hewe, As wel in winter as in somer newe-- And whan the sonne ginneth for to weste, (B. 61) Than closeth hit, and draweth hit to reste. So sore hit is afered of the night, *Til on the morwe, that hit is dayes light. This dayesye, of alle floures flour, 55 Fulfild of vertu and of alle honour, +And ever y-lyke fair and fresh of hewe, As wel in winter as in somer newe, Fain wolde I preisen, if I coude aright; (B. 67) *But wo is me, hit lyth nat in my might! 60 For wel I wot, that folk han her-beforn (B. 73) +Of making ropen, and lad a-wey the corn; +And I come after, glening here and there, +And am ful glad if I may finde an ere Of any goodly word that they han left. 65 And, if hit happe me rehersen eft That they han in her fresshe songes sayd, I hope that they wil nat ben evel apayd, Sith hit is seid in forthering and honour Of hem that either serven leef or flour. 70 For trusteth wel, I ne have nat undertake As of the leef, ageyn the flour, to make; Ne of the flour to make, ageyn the leef, +No more than of the corn ageyn the sheef. For, as to me, is leefer noon ne lother; 75 I am with-holde yit with never nother. I not who serveth leef, ne who the flour; That nis nothing the entent of my labour. For this werk is al of another tunne, Of olde story, er swich stryf was begunne. 80 +But wherfor that I spak, to yeve credence (B. 97) To bokes olde and doon hem reverence, Is for men shulde autoritees beleve, Ther as ther lyth non other assay by preve. *For myn entent is, or I fro yow fare, 85 *The naked text in English to declare *Of many a story, or elles of many a geste, *As autours seyn; leveth hem if yow leste!