+Abood, to knowen what this peple mente, +As stille as any stoon; til at the laste, 310 This god of love on me his eyen caste, And seyde, 'who kneleth ther'? and I answerde Unto his asking, whan that I hit herde, +And seyde, 'sir, hit am I'; and com him neer, +And salued him. Quod he, 'what dostow heer 315 So nigh myn owne flour, so boldely? +For it were better worthy, trewely, A worm to neghen neer my flour than thou.' +'And why, sir,' quod I, 'and hit lyke yow?' +'For thou,' quod he, 'art ther-to nothing able. 320 *Hit is my relik, digne and delytable, And thou my fo, and al my folk werreyest, +And of myn olde servaunts thou misseyest, +And hindrest hem, with thy translacioun, And lettest folk from hir devocioun 325 +To serve me, and holdest hit folye To serve Love. Thou mayst hit nat denye; For in pleyn text, with-outen nede of glose, +Thou hast translated the Romaunce of the Rose, +That is an heresye ageyns my lawe, 330 +And makest wyse folk fro me withdrawe. And of Criseyde thou hast seyd as thee liste, That maketh men to wommen lasse triste, That ben as trewe as ever was any steel. *Of thyn answere avyse thee right weel; 335 For, thogh that thou reneyed hast my lay, As other wrecches han doon many a day, By seynt Venus, that my moder is, If that thou live, thou shalt repenten this So cruelly, that hit shal wel be sene!' 340 Tho spak this lady, clothed al in grene, +And seyde, 'god, right of your curtesye, +Ye moten herknen if he can replye Agayns al this that ye han to him meved; +A god ne sholde nat be thus agreved, 345 +But of his deitee he shal be stable, And therto gracious and merciable. *And if ye nere a god, that knowen al, *Than mighte hit be, as I yow tellen shal; This man to you may falsly been accused, 350 +Ther as by right him oghte been excused. +For in your court is many a losengeour, +And many a queynte totelere accusour, That tabouren in your eres many a soun, Right after hir imaginacioun, 355 To have your daliance, and for envye; *These been the causes, and I shall nat lye. Envye is lavender of the court alway; +For she ne parteth, neither night ne day, +Out of the hous of Cesar; thus seith Dante; 360 Who-so that goth, algate she wol nat wante. _From_ B. 350, 351. This man to yow may falsly been accused, +Ther as by right him oghte been excused. And eek, paraunter, for this man is nyce, He mighte doon hit, gessing no malyce, But for he useth thinges for to make; Him rekketh noght of what matere he take; 365