Thus passeth yere by yere, and day by day, Till it felle ones in a morwe[40] of May That Emelie, that fayrer was to sene[41] Than is the lilie upon his stalke grene, And fresher than the May with floures newe, (For with the rose colour strof hire hewe; I n'ot[42] which was the finer of hem two) Er it was day, as she was wont to do, She was arisen and all redy dight,[43] For May wol have no slogardie a-night. The seson priketh every gentil herte, And maketh him out of his slepe to sterte, And sayth, "Arise, and do thin observance." This maketh Emelie han remembrance To dou honour to May, and for to rise. Yclothed was she fresh for to devise.[44] Hire yelwe here was broided in a tresse Behind hire back, a yerde long I gesse. And in the gardin at the sonne uprist[45] She walketh up and doun wher as hire list.[46] She gathereth floures, partie white and red, To make a sotel[47] gerlond for hire bed, And as an angel hevenlich she song. [Footnote 40: Morning.] [Footnote 41: See.] [Footnote 42: Know not.] [Footnote 43: Dressed.] [Footnote 44: Describe.] [Footnote 45: Sunrise.] [Footnote 46: Wherever it pleases her.] [Footnote 47: Subtle, cunningly enwoven.] ALISON. [From the Millere's Tale.] Fayre was this yonge wif, and therwithal As any wesel hire body gent and smal[48] A seint[49] she wered, barred al of silk, A barm-cloth[50] eke as white as morne milk[51] Upon hire lendes[52] ful of many a gore, White was hire smok, and brouded[53] al before And eke behind on hire colere[54] aboute Of cole-black silk within and eke withoute. The tapes of hire white volupere[55] Were of the same suit of hire colere; Hire fillet brode of silk and set ful hye; And sikerly[56] she had a likerous[57] eye, Ful smal ypulled[58] were hire browes two, And they were bent and black as any slo, She was wel more blisful on to see Than is the newe perjenete[59] tree, And softer than the wolle is of a wether. And by hire girdle heng a purse of lether, Tasseled with silk and perled with latoun,[60] In all this world to seken up and doun Ther n'is no man so wise that coude thenche[61] So gay a popelot[62] or swiche[63] a wenche. Ful brighter was the shining of hire hewe Than in the tour, the noble yforged newe. But of hire song, it was as loud and yerne[64] As any swalow sitting on a berne. Thereto she coude skip and make a game As any kid or calf folowing his dame. Hire mouth was swete as braket[65] or the meth,[66] Or horde of apples laid in hay or heth. Winsing[67] she was, as is a jolly colt, Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt. A broche she bare upon hire low colere. As brode as is the bosse of a bokelere.[68] Hire shoon were laced on hire legges hie; She was a primerole,[69] a piggesnie,[70] For any lord, to liggen[71] in his bedde, Or yet for any good yeman[72] to wedde.