Nou schalt thou hiere a wonder wyle: 2980 This queene, which the moder was Of Achilles, upon this cas Hire Sone, as he a Maiden were, Let clothen in the same gere Which longeth unto wommanhiede: And he was yong and tok non hiede, Bot soffreth al that sche him dede. Wherof sche hath hire wommen bede And charged be here othes alle, Hou so it afterward befalle, 2990 That thei discovere noght this thing, Bot feigne and make a knowleching, Upon the conseil which was nome, In every place wher thei come To telle and to witnesse this, Hou he here ladi dowhter is. And riht in such a maner wise Sche bad thei scholde hire don servise, So that Achilles underfongeth As to a yong ladi belongeth 3000 Honour, servise and reverence. For Thetis with gret diligence Him hath so tawht and so afaited, That, hou so that it were awaited, With sobre and goodli contenance He scholde his wommanhiede avance, That non the sothe knowe myhte, Bot that in every mannes syhte He scholde seme a pure Maide. And in such wise as sche him saide, 3010 Achilles, which that ilke while Was yong, upon himself to smyle Began, whan he was so besein. And thus, after the bokes sein, With frette of Perle upon his hed, Al freissh betwen the whyt and red, As he which tho was tendre of Age, Stod the colour in his visage, That forto loke upon his cheke And sen his childly manere eke, 3020 He was a womman to beholde. And thanne his moder to him tolde, That sche him hadde so begon Be cause that sche thoghte gon To Lichomede at thilke tyde, Wher that sche seide he scholde abyde Among hise dowhtres forto duelle. Achilles herde his moder telle, And wiste noght the cause why; And natheles ful buxomly 3030 He was redy to that sche bad, Wherof his moder was riht glad, To Lichomede and forth thei wente. And whan the king knew hire entente, And sih this yonge dowhter there, And that it cam unto his Ere Of such record, of such witnesse, He hadde riht a gret gladnesse Of that he bothe syh and herde, As he that wot noght hou it ferde 3040 Upon the conseil of the nede. Bot for al that king Lichomede Hath toward him this dowhter take, And for Thetis his moder sake He put hire into compainie To duelle with Deïdamie, His oghne dowhter, the eldeste, The faireste and the comelieste Of alle hise doghtres whiche he hadde. Lo, thus Thetis the cause ladde, 3050 And lefte there Achilles feigned, As he which hath himself restreigned In al that evere he mai and can Out of the manere of a man, And tok his wommannysshe chiere, Wherof unto his beddefere Deïdamie he hath be nyhte. Wher kinde wole himselve rihte, After the Philosophres sein, Ther mai no wiht be therayein: 3060 And that was thilke time seene. The longe nyhtes hem betuene Nature, which mai noght forbere, Hath mad hem bothe forto stere: Thei kessen ferst, and overmore The hihe weie of loves lore Thei gon, and al was don in dede, Wherof lost is the maydenhede; And that was afterward wel knowe.