*Whom that I serve as I have wit or might. *She is the clernesse and the verray light, *That in this derke worlde me wynt and ledeth, 85 *The herte in-with my sorowful brest yow dredeth, *And loveth so sore, that ye ben verrayly *The maistresse of my wit, and nothing I. *My word, my werk, is knit so in your bonde, *That, as an harpe obeyeth to the honde 90 *And maketh hit soune after his fingeringe, *Right so mowe ye out of myn herte bringe *Swich vois, right as yow list, to laughe or pleyne. *Be ye my gyde and lady sovereyne; *As to myn erthly god, to yow I calle, 95 *Bothe in this werke and in my sorwes alle. +But wherfor that I spak, to give credence To olde stories, and doon hem reverence, And that men mosten more thing beleve Then men may seen at eye or elles preve? 100 *That shal I seyn, whan that I see my tyme; *I may not al at ones speke in ryme. *My besy gost, that thrusteth alwey newe *To seen this flour so yong, so fresh of hewe, *Constreyned me with so gledy desyr, 105 *That in my herte I fele yit the fyr, *That made me to ryse er hit wer day-- And this was now the firste morwe of May-- *With dredful herte and glad devocioun, *For to ben at the resureccioun 110 *Of this flour, whan that it shuld unclose *Agayn the sonne, that roos as rede as rose, *That in the brest was of the beste that day, *That Agenores doghter ladde away. *And doun on knees anon-right I me sette, 115 *And, as I coude, this fresshe flour I grette; *Kneling alwey, til hit unclosed was, *Upon the smale softe swote gras, _From_ B. 180, 182. The longe day I shoop me for to abyde ... But for to loke upon the dayesye. _From_ B. 197-200. Whan that the sonne out of the south gan weste, And that this flour gan close and goon to reste For derknesse of the night, the which she dredde, +Hoom to myn hous ful swiftly I me spedde; _From_ B. 203-211. +And, in a litel herber that I have, That benched was on turves fresshe y-grave, +I bad men sholde me my couche make; +For deyntee of the newe someres sake, +I bad hem strawen floures on my bed. +Whan I was leyd, and had my eyen hed, I fel on slepe in-with an houre or two; Me mette how I lay in the medew tho, To seen this flour, that I so love and drede,