[Sidenote: [Fol. 42a.]] [Sidenote: She wore a crown of pearls. Her hair hung down about her. Her colour was whiter than whalebone. Her hair shone as gold.] A pyȝt coroune ȝet wer þat gyrle, Of mariorys & non oþ{er} ston, Hiȝe pynakled of cler quyt perle, Wyth flurted flowreȝ perfet vpon; 208 To hed hade ho non oþ{er} werle, Her here heke[8] al hyr vmbe-gon; Her semblau{n}t sade, for doc oþ{er} erle, Her ble more blaȝt þen whalleȝ bon; 212 As schorne golde schyr her fax þe{n}ne schon, On schyldereȝ þat legh{e} vnlapped lyȝte; Her depe colo{ur} ȝet wonted non, Of p{re}cios perle i{n} porfyl pyȝte, 216 [Sidenote 8: In the MS. it is _lere leke_.] [Sidenote: The trimming of her robe consisted of precious pearls. A wonderful pearl was set in her breast.] Pyȝt watȝ poyned & vche a he{m}me, At honde, at sydeȝ, at ouerture, Wyth whyte perle & non oþ{er} ge{m}me, & bornyste quyte watȝ hyr uesture. 220 Bot a wonder perle w{i}t{h}-outen we{m}me, In myddeȝ hyr breste watȝ sette so sure; A ma{n}neȝ dom moȝt dryȝly de{m}me, Er mynde moȝt malte i{n} hit mesure; 224 I hope no tong moȝt endure No sau{er}ly saghe say of þ{a}t syȝt, So watȝ hit clene & cler & pure, Þat p{re}cios perle þ{er} hit watȝ pyȝt, 228 [Sidenote: No man from here to Greece, was so glad as the father, when he saw his pearl on the bank of the stream. The maiden salutes him.] Pyȝt in perle þat p{re}cios p[r]yse. On wyþ{er} half wat{er} com dou{n} þe schore, No gladder gome heþen i{n} to grece, Þe{n} I, quen ho on bry{m}me wore; 232 Ho watȝ me nerre þen au{n}te or nece, My Ioy for-þy watȝ much þe more. Ho p{ro}fered me speche þ{a}t special spyce, Enclynande lowe i{n} wo{m}mon lore, 236 Caȝte of her corou{n} of grete tresore, & haylsed me wyth a lote lyȝte. Wel watȝ me þ{a}t eu{er} I watȝ bore, To sware þat swete i{n} perleȝ pyȝte! 240 [Headnote: THE MAIDEN ADDRESSES HER FATHER.] V. [Sidenote: The father enquires of the maiden whether she is his long-lost pearl, and longs to know who has deprived him of his treasure.] “O perle,” q{uod} I, “in perleȝ pyȝt, Art þ{o}u my perle þat I haf playned, Regretted by my{n} one, on nyȝte? Much longey{n}g haf I for þe layned, 244 Syþen into gresse þ{o}u me aglyȝte; Pensyf, payred, I am for-payned, & þ{o}u i{n} a lyf of lyky{n}g lyȝte In paradys erde, of stryf vnstrayned. 248 What wyrde hatȝ hyder my iuel vayned, & don me in þys del & gret dau{n}ger? Fro we i{n} twy{n}ne wern towen & twayned, I haf ben a Ioyleȝ Iuelere.” 252