For alderfirst, soth to saie, Me thought that she was so lite That the length of a cubite Was lenger than she seemed to be; * * * * * * Tho was I ware at the last As mine eyen gan up cast That this ilke noble queene On her shoulders gan sustene Both the armes and the name Of tho that had large fame. And thus found I sitting this goddesse In noble honour and richesse Of which I stinte a while now Other thing to tellen you. {363} But Lord the perrie and the richesse, I saw sitting on the goddesse, And the heavenly melodie Of songes full of armonie I heard about her trone ysong That all the palais wall rong. Tho saw I standen hem behind A farre from hem, all by hemselve Many a thousand times twelve, That made loud minstralcies, In conemuse and shalmies, And many another pipe, That craftely began to pipe. And Pursevauntes and Heraudes That crien riche folkes laudes, It weren, all and every man Of hem, as I you tellen can, Had on him throwe a vesture Which men clepe a coate armure. Then saw I in anothir place, Standing in a large space, Of hem that maken bloudy soun, In trumpet, beme, and clarioun. Then saw I stande on thother side Streight downe to the doores wide, From the deis many a pillere Of metall, that shone not full clere, But though ther were of no richesse Yet were they made for great noblesse. There saw I, and knew by name That by such art done, men have fame. There saw I Coll Tragetour Upon a table of sicamour Play an uncouth thing to tell, I saw him carry a wind-mell Under a walnote shale. Then saw I sitting in other sees, Playing upon sundrie other glees, Of which I n' ill as now not rime, For ease of you and losse of time, For time ylost, this know ye, By no way may recovered be. What should I make longer tale? Of all the people that I sey I could not tell till domisdey. Then gan I loke about and see That there came entring into the hall A right great company withall, And that of sondry regions Of all kind of condicions That dwelle in yearth under the Moone, Poore and riche; and all so soone As they were come into the hall They gan on knees doune to fall Before this ilke noble queene. "_Madame,_" sayd they, "_we bee_ _Folke that here besechen thee_ _That thou graunt us now good fame,_ _And let our workes have good name;_ _In full recompensacioun_ _Of good worke, give us good renoun._" And some of hem she graunted sone, And some she warned well and faire, And some she graunted the _contraire_. Now certainly I ne wist how, Ne where that Fame dwelled or now, Ne eke of her descripcion, Ne also her condicion, Ne the order of her _dome_ Knew I not till I hider come. * * * * * * At the last I saw a man, Which that I nought ne can, But he semed for to bee, A man of great auctoritie