And maked hir oway to ride, Sche most with him no lenger abide. Allas! quath he, now me is wo! Whi nil deth now me slo, Allas! wroche, that Y no might Dye now, after this sight! Allas! to long last mi liif When Y no dar nought with mi wiif, No hye to me, o word speke, Allas! whi nil min hert breke! Parfay, quath he, tide what bitide, Whider so this levedis ride, The selve way Ichil streche, Of liif, no deth, me no reche. His sclavin he dede on, all so spac,[122] And henge his harp upon his bac, And had wel gode will to gon; He no spard noither stub no ston. In at a roche the levedis rideth, And he after, and nought abideth; When he was in the roche y go, Wele thre mile, other mo, He com in to a fair cuntray, As bright so sonne on somers day, Smothe, and plain, and al grene; Hille, no dale nas ther non y sene; Amidde the lond a castel he sighe, Riche, and real,[123] and wonder heighe; Al the ut mast wal, Was cler and schine as cristal; And hundred tours ther were about, Degiselich[124] and bataild stout; The butras com out of the diche, Of rede gold y arched riche, The bonsour[125] was avowed[126] al, Of ich maner divers animal; With in ther wer wide wones,[127] Al of precious stones, The werst piler on to biholde, Was al of burnist gold; Al that lond was ever light, For when it schuld be therk[128] and night, The riche stones[129] light gonne, As bright as doth at none the sonne, No man may telle, no thenche in thought, The riche werk that ther was wrought, Bi al thing, him think that it is The proude court of paradis. In this castel the levedis alight, He wold in after, yif he might. Orfeo knokketh atte gate, The porter was redi ther ate, And asked, what he wold have y do. Parfay, quath he, Icham a minstrel lo, To solas thi lord with my gle, Yif his swete wille be. The porter undede the gate anon, And lete him in to the castel gon. Than he gan bihold about al, And seighe full liggeand[130] with in the wal, Of folk that were thider y brought, And thought dede and nare nought: Sum stode with outen hade[131]; And sum on armes nade;[132] And sum thurch the bodi hadde wounde; And sum lay wode[133] y bounde; And sum armed on hors sete; And sum astrangled as thai ete; And sum were in water adreynt[134]; And sum with fire al for schreynt[135]; Wives ther lay on child bedde; Sum ded, and sum awedde[136]; And wonder fele ther lay bisides, Right as thai slepe her under tides; Eche was thus in this warld y nome, With fairi thider y come. Ther he seighe his owhen wiif, Dame Heurodis his liif liif Slepe under an ympe tre; Bi her clothes he knewe that it was he. And when he hadde bihold this mervails alle,