'That shal I shew thee,' quod she, 'and thou woldest it lerne.' 80 'Lerne?' quod I, 'what nedeth suche wordes? Wete ye nat wel, lady, your-selfe, that al my cure, al my diligence, and al my might, have turned by your counsayle, in plesaunce of that perle? Al my thought and al my studye, with your helpe, desyreth, in worshippe [of] thilke jewel, to encrese al my travayle and al my 85 besinesse in your service, this Margaryte to gladde in some halve. Me were lever her honour, her plesaunce, and her good chere thorow me for to be mayntayned and kept, and I of suche thinge in her lykinge to be cause, than al the welthe of bodily goodes ye coude recken. And wolde never god but I putte my-selfe in 90 greet jeopardy of al that I +welde, (that is now no more but my lyf alone), rather than I shulde suffre thilke jewel in any pointe ben blemisshed; as ferre as I may suffre, and with my mightes strecche.' 'Suche thing,' quod she, 'may mokel further thy grace, and 95 thee in my service avaunce. But now (quod Love) wilt thou graunte me thilke Margaryte to ben good?' 'O! good +god,' quod I, 'why tempte ye me and tene with suche maner speche? I wolde graunt that, though I shulde anon dye; and, by my trouthe, fighte in the quarel, if any wight wolde 100 countreplede.' 'It is so moche the lighter,' quod Love, 'to prove our entent.' 'Ye,' quod I; 'but yet wolde I here how ye wolde prove that she were good by resonable skil, that it mowe not ben denyed. For although I knowe, and so doth many other, manifold goodnesse 105 and vertue in this Margaryte ben printed, yet some men there ben that no goodnesse speken; and, wher-ever your wordes ben herd and your resons ben shewed, suche yvel spekers, lady, by auctoritè of your excellence, shullen be stopped and ashamed! And more, they that han non aquayntaunce in her persone, yet 110 mowe they knowe her vertues, and ben the more enfourmed in what wyse they mowe sette their hertes, whan hem liste in-to your service any entree make. For trewly al this to beginne, I wot wel my-selfe that thilke jewel is so precious perle, as a womanly woman in her kynde; in whom of goodnesse, of vertue, and also 115 of answeringe shappe of limmes, and fetures so wel in al pointes acording, nothing fayleth. I leve that kynde her made with greet studye; for kynde in her person nothing hath foryet[en], and that is wel sene. In every good wightes herte she hath grace of commending and of vertuous praysing. Alas! that ever kynde 120 made her deedly! Save only in that, I wot wel, that Nature, in fourminge of her, in no-thinge hath erred.' CH. XII. 1. threwe. 2. se. 5. Reason. 7. ycleaped. 8. fyre. thynge. hete; _read_ heted. 9. sette. one. 12. outforthe. 13. sey. fyre. 14. neighed; _read_ neigheth. hete; _read_ heted.