Was trapped in his oghne net; The gold hath mad hise wittes lame, So that sechende his oghne schame 2710 He rouneth in the kinges Ere, And seide him that he wiste where A gentile and a lusti on Tho was, and thider wolde he gon:[73] Bot he mot yive yiftes grete; For bot it be thurgh gret beyete Of gold, he seith, he schal noght spede. The king him bad upon the nede That take an hundred pound he scholde, And yive it where that he wolde, 2720 Be so it were in worthi place: And thus to stonde in loves grace This king his gold hath abandouned. And whan this tale was full rouned, The Steward tok the gold and wente, Withinne his herte and many a wente Of coveitise thanne he caste, Wherof a pourpos ate laste Ayein love and ayein his riht He tok, and seide hou thilke nyht 2730 His wif schal ligge be the king; And goth thenkende upon this thing Toward his In, til he cam hom Into the chambre, and thanne he nom His wif, and tolde hire al the cas.[74] And sche, which red for schame was, [Sidenote: =P. ii. 219=] With bothe hire handes hath him preid[75] Knelende and in this wise seid,[76] That sche to reson and to skile In what thing that he bidde wile[77] 2740 Is redy forto don his heste, Bot this thing were noght honeste, That he for gold hire scholde selle. And he tho with hise wordes felle Forth with his gastly contienance Seith that sche schal don obeissance And folwe his will in every place; And thus thurgh strengthe of his manace Hir innocence is overlad, Wherof sche was so sore adrad 2750 That sche his will mot nede obeie. And therupon was schape a weie,[78] That he his oghne wif be nyhte Hath out of alle mennes sihte So prively that non it wiste Broght to the king, which as him liste Mai do with hire what he wolde. For whan sche was ther as sche scholde, With him abedde under the cloth, The Steward tok his leve and goth 2760 Into a chambre faste by;[79] Bot hou he slep, that wot noght I, For he sih cause of jelousie. Bot he, which hath the compainie Of such a lusti on as sche, Him thoghte that of his degre [Sidenote: =P. ii. 220=] Ther was noman so wel at ese: Sche doth al that sche mai to plese, So that his herte al hol sche hadde; And thus this king his joie ladde, 2770 Til it was nyh upon the day.[80] The Steward thanne wher sche lay Cam to the bedd, and in his wise[81] Hath bede that sche scholde arise. The king seith, ‘Nay, sche schal noght go.’ His Steward seide ayein, ‘Noght so;[82] For sche mot gon er it be knowe, And so I swor at thilke throwe, Whan I hire fette to you hiere.’[83]