Rehersinge these thinges and many other, without tyme or moment of rest, me semed, for anguisshe of disese, that al-togider I was ravisshed, I can not telle how; but hoolly all my passions and felinges weren lost, as it semed, for the tyme; and sodainly a maner of drede lighte in me al at ones; nought suche 5 fere as folk have of an enemy, that were mighty and wolde hem greve or don hem disese. For, I trowe, this is wel knowe to many persones, that otherwhyle, if a man be in his soveraignes presence, a maner of ferdnesse crepeth in his herte, not for harme, but of goodly subjeccion; namely, as men reden that aungels ben aferde 10 of our saviour in heven. And pardè, there ne is, ne may no passion of disese be; but it is to mene, that angels ben adradde, not by +ferdnes of drede, sithen they ben perfitly blissed, [but] as [by] affeccion of wonderfulnesse and by service of obedience. Suche ferde also han these lovers in presence of their loves, and 15 subjectes aforn their soveraynes. Right so with ferdnesse myn herte was caught. And I sodainly astonied, there entred in-to the place there I was logged a lady, the semeliest and most goodly to my sight that ever to-forn apered to any creature; and trewly, in the blustringe of her looke, she yave gladnesse and 20 comfort sodaynly to al my wittes; and right so she doth to every wight that cometh in her presence. And for she was so goodly, as me thought, myn herte began somdele to be enbolded, and wexte a litel hardy to speke; but yet, with a quakinge voyce, as I durste, I salued her, and enquired what she was; 25 and why she, so worthy to sight, dayned to entre in-to so foule a dongeon, and namely a prison, without leve of my kepers. For certes, al-though the vertue of dedes of mercy strecchen to visiten the poore prisoners, and hem, after that facultees ben had, to comforte, me semed that I was so fer fallen in-to miserye and 30 wrecched hid caytifnesse, that me shulde no precious thing neighe; and also, that for my sorowe every wight shulde ben hevy, and wisshe my recovery. But whan this lady had somdele apperceyved, as wel by my wordes as by my chere, what thought besied me within, with a good womanly countenance she sayde 35 these wordes:-- 'O my nory, wenest thou that my maner be, to foryete my frendes or my servauntes? Nay,' quod she, 'it is my ful entente to visyte and comforte al my frendshippes and allyes, as wel in tyme of perturbacion as of moost propertee of blisse; in me shal 40 unkyndnesse never be founden: and also, sithen I have so fewe especial trewe now in these dayes. Wherefore I may wel at more leysar come to hem that me deserven; and if my cominge may in any thinge avayle, wete wel, I wol come often.'