Ll. 539.-- Her hair was as yellow of hew As any basin scoured new, Her flesh tender as is a chick, With bent brow(e)s, smooth and sleek; And by measure large were, The opening of her eyen [1]clere, Her nose of good proportion, Her eyen [1] gray as is a falcon, With sweet(e) breath and well savored, Her face white and well colored, With little mouth and round to see; A clove[2] chin eek had(de) she. Her neek(e) was of good fashion[3] In length and greatness by reason,[4] Without(e) blain(e),[5] scab or roigne.[6] From Jerusalem unto Burgoyne, There nys [7] a fairer neck, iwis,[8] To feel how smooth and soft it is. Her throat also white of hew As snow on branch(e) snowed new. Of body full well wrought was she; Men needed not in no country A fairer body for to seek, And of fine orphreys [9] had she eek A chap(e)let; so seemly one, Ne[10] I werede never maid upon, And fair above that chap(e)let A rose garland had she set. She had a gay mirror, And with a rich(e) gold treasure Her head was tressed [11] quaint(e)ly; Her sleeves sewed fetisely,[12] And for to keep her hand(e)s fair Of gloves white she had a pair. And she had on a coat of green, Of cloth of Gaunt; without(e) ween[13] Well seemed by her apparel She was not wont to great travail, For when she kempto was fetisely[14] And well arrayed and rich(e)ly Then had she done all her journey; For merry and well begun was she. She had a lusty[15] life in May, She had no thought by night nor day, Of no thing but if it were only To graith[16] her well and uncouthly.[17] When that this door had opened me This May, seemly for to see, I thanked her as I best might, And asked her how that she hight[18] And what she was' I asked eek. And she to me was nought unmeek [19] Ne of her answer dangerous [20] But fair answered and said(e) thus: "Lo, sir, my name is Idleness; So clepe[21] men me, more and less." Full mighty and full rich am I, And that of one thing, namely," For I entend(e)[28] to no thing But to my joy, and my playing, And for to kemb[29] and tress(e)[30] me. Acquainted am I and privy With Mirth(e), lord of this garden, That from the land of Alexander Made the trees hither be fet[31] That in this garden be i-set. And when the trees were waxen on height[32] This wall, that stands here in thy sight, Did Mirth enclose(n) all about; And these images[33] all without He did 'em both entail[43] and paint. That neither be joly,[35] nor quaint,[36] But they be full of sorrow and woe As thou hast seen a while ago. "And oft(e) time him to solace, Sir Mirth(e) cometh into this place And eek with him cometh his meiny[37] That live in lust[38] and jollity, And now is Mirth therein to hear The bird(e)s, how they sing(en) clear The mavis and the nightingale, And other jolly bird(e)s small, And thus he walketh to solace Him and his folk; for sweeter place To play(en) in he may not find, Although he sought one in till[39] Inde.[40] The alther fairest[41] folk to see That in this world may found(e) be