Wher that sche hoved and abod To se diverse game pleie, The lusti folk jouste and tourneie; 1850 And so forth every other man, Which pleie couthe, his pley began, To plese with this noble queene. Nectanabus cam to the grene Amonges othre and drouh him nyh. Bot whan that he this ladi sih And of hir beaute hiede tok, He couthe noght withdrawe his lok To se noght elles in the field, Bot stod and only hire behield. 1860 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 64=] Of his clothinge and of his gere He was unlich alle othre there, So that it hapneth ate laste, The queene on him hire yhe caste, And knew that he was strange anon: Bot he behield hire evere in on Withoute blenchinge of his chere. Sche tok good hiede of his manere, And wondreth why he dede so, And bad men scholde for him go. 1870 He cam and dede hire reverence, And sche him axeth in cilence Fro whenne he cam and what he wolde. And he with sobre wordes tolde, And seith, ‘Ma dame, a clerk I am,[880] To you and in message I cam, The which I mai noght tellen hiere; Bot if it liketh you to hiere, It mot be seid al prively,[881] Wher non schal be bot ye and I.’ 1880 Thus for the time he tok his leve. The dai goth forth til it was eve, That every man mot lete his werk;[882] And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk, What thing it is he wolde mene: And in this wise abod the queene, And passeth over thilke nyht, Til it was on the morwe liht. Sche sende for him, and he com, With him his Astellabre he nom, 1890 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 65=] Which was of fin gold precious With pointz and cercles merveilous; And ek the hevenely figures Wroght in a bok ful of peintures He tok this ladi forto schewe, And tolde of ech of hem be rewe The cours and the condicion. And sche with gret affeccion Sat stille and herde what he wolde: And thus whan he sih time, he tolde, 1900 And feigneth with hise wordes wise A tale, and seith in such a wise: ‘Ma dame, bot a while ago, Wher I was in Egipte tho, And radde in scole of this science, It fell into mi conscience That I unto the temple wente, And ther with al myn hole entente As I mi sacrifice dede, On of the goddes hath me bede 1910 That I you warne prively, So that ye make you redy, And that ye be nothing agast; For he such love hath to you cast, That ye schul ben his oghne diere, And he schal be your beddefiere, Til ye conceive and be with childe.’ And with that word sche wax al mylde, And somdel red becam for schame, And axeth him that goddes name, 1920 [Sidenote: =P.