A whyl, and than he gan to crye, That never herde I thing so hye, 1020 'Now up the heed; for al is wel; Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel! See here the House of Fame, lo! Maistow not heren that I do?' 'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,' 1025 Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun In Fames Hous, ful of tydinges, Bothe of fair speche and chydinges, (520) And of fals and soth compouned. Herkne wel; hit is not rouned. 1030 Herestow not the grete swogh?' 'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.' 'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he. 'Peter! lyk beting of the see,' Quod I, 'again the roches holowe, 1035 Whan tempest doth the shippes swalowe; And lat a man stonde, out of doute, A myle thens, and here hit route; (530) Or elles lyk the last humblinge After the clappe of a thundringe, 1040 When Ioves hath the air y-bete; But hit doth me for fere swete.' 'Nay, dred thee not therof,' quod he, 'Hit is nothing wil byten thee; Thou shalt non harm have, trewely.' 1045 And with this word bothe he and I As nigh the place arryved were As men may casten with a spere. (540) I nistë how, but in a strete He sette me faire on my fete, 1050 And seyde, 'Walke forth a pas, And tak thyn aventure or cas, That thou shalt finde in Fames place.' 'Now,' quod I, 'whyl we han space To speke, or that I go fro thee, 1055 For the love of god, tel me, In sooth, that wil I of thee lere, If this noise that I here (550) Be, as I have herd thee tellen, Of folk that doun in erthe dwellen, 1060 And comth here in the same wyse As I thee herde or this devyse; And that ther lyves body nis In al that hous that yonder is, That maketh al this loude fare?' 1065 'No,' quod he, 'by Seynte Clare, And also wis god rede me! But o thinge I wil warne thee (560) Of the which thou wolt have wonder. Lo, to the House of Fame yonder 1070 Thou wost how cometh every speche, Hit nedeth noght thee eft to teche. But understond now right wel this; Whan any speche y-comen is Up to the paleys, anon-right 1075 Hit wexeth lyk the same wight, Which that the word in erthe spak, Be hit clothed reed or blak; (570) And hath so verray his lyknesse That spak the word, that thou wilt gesse 1080 That hit the same body be, Man or woman, he or she.