"He turns, fight past, and foes inchased, And lookes on me with helme unlaced, Lifts his strong lyms, and brest strait graced, And saies, kyss-blesse me, O hart-placed." Flora her wrath in pants did spye, And many a dart at hir lets flye: "Thou canst not make with heaven-reacht crye A camel pierce a needels eye. "False goes for true, for honny, gall, To make a clerke a souldiers thrall; Doth love to souldiers coradge call? No, but the neede they toyle withall. "Fayre Phillis, would thy love were wise, No more the trueth to contrarise! Hunger and thirst bow souldiers thies, In which Deaths path and Plutos lies. "Sharpe is the wasting bane of warre The lot is hard, and strayneth farre: The lyfe is stooping, doubts doth jarre, To get such things as needefull are. "Knewst thou the case, thou wouldst not say, Shaven haire sham'd clerks, or black aray: Worne higher honors to display, And that all states they oversway. "All things should to my clerke encline, Whose crowne sustains th' impereal signe; He rules and payes such friendes as thine, And lay must stoope to men divine. "Thou sayst that sloth a clerke disguiseth, Who I confesse base workes despiseth: But when from cares his free minde riseth, Heavens course and Naturs he compriseth. "Mine purple decks, thine maile bedighteth, Thine lives in war, mine peace delighteth, Olde acts of princes he resighteth, All of his friend thinks, seeks, and wrighteth. "What Venus can, or Loves wingd lord, First knowes my clerke, and brings me word: Musicke in cares doth mine afford, Thine joyes in rapine and the sword." Here speech and strife had both their ending, Phillis askt judgment, all suspending: Much stir they made, yet ceast contending; And sought a judge in homewards wending. With countnances that egale[11] beene, With egale majestie beseene: With egale voyce, and egale spleene, These virgins ward uppon the greene. Phillis a white robe bewtifide, Flora wore one of two hews dide: Phillis upon a mule did ride, Flora did back a horse of pride. The mule was that which being create, Neptune did feede, and subjugate: Which after fayre Adonis fate, He Venus sent to cheere hir state. This, she the queene of Iberine, Phillis fayre mother did resigne, Since she was given to workes divine, Whence Phillis had the mule in fine. Who of the trappings asks, and bit, The mule (though silver) champing it: Know all things were so richly fit, As Neptunes honor might admit. Then Phillis no decorid wanted, But rich and bewtious, all eyes daunted: Nor Floras vertue lesse enchaunted, Who on a welthy palfrey vaunted.