Whan he cam to his chambre alone, Unto the queene he made his mone[905] And of foryivenesse hir preide; For thanne he knew wel, as he seide, Sche was with childe with a godd. Thus was the king withoute rodd Chastised, and the queene excused Of that sche hadde ben accused. And for the gretere evidence, Yit after that in the presence 2220 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 76=] Of king Philipp and othre mo, Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho, A Phesant cam before here yhe, The which anon as thei hire syhe, Fleende let an ey doun falle, And it tobrak tofore hem alle:[906] And as thei token therof kepe, Thei syhe out of the schelle crepe A litel Serpent on the ground, Which rampeth al aboute round, 2230 And in ayein it wolde have wonne,[907] Bot for the brennynge of the Sonne It mihte noght, and so it deide. And therupon the clerkes seide, ‘As the Serpent, whan it was oute, Went enviroun the schelle aboute And mihte noght torne in ayein, So schal it fallen in certein: This child the world schal environe, And above alle the corone 2240 Him schal befalle, and in yong Age He schal desire in his corage, Whan al the world is in his hond, To torn ayein into the lond[908] Wher he was bore, and in his weie Homward he schal with puison deie.’ The king, which al this sih and herde,[909] Fro that dai forth, hou so it ferde, His jalousie hath al foryete. Bot he which hath the child begete, 2250 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 77=] Nectanabus, in privete The time of his nativite Upon the constellacioun Awaiteth, and relacion Makth to the queene hou sche schal do,[910] And every houre apointeth so, That no mynut therof was lore.[911] So that in due time is bore This child, and forth with therupon Ther felle wondres many on 2260 Of terremote universiel: The Sonne tok colour of stiel And loste his lyht, the wyndes blewe, And manye strengthes overthrewe; The See his propre kinde changeth, And al the world his forme strangeth; The thonder with his fyri levene So cruel was upon the hevene, That every erthli creature Tho thoghte his lif in aventure. 2270 The tempeste ate laste cesseth, The child is kept, his age encresseth, And Alisandre his name is hote, To whom Calistre and Aristote To techen him Philosophie Entenden, and Astronomie, With othre thinges whiche he couthe Also, to teche him in his youthe Nectanabus tok upon honde. Bot every man mai understonde, 2280 [Sidenote: =P. iii. 78=] Of Sorcerie hou that it wende, It wole himselve prove at ende, And namely forto beguile