This water eclyped was vayneglory Euer with yeopardy and tempestyous And the shyp called was ryght truly The vessell of the passage daungerous The wawys were hyghe and gretly troublous The captayn called was good comfort And the sterysman fayre pasport ¶ Capitulum .ii. Longe were we dryuen with wynde & weder Tyll we arryued in a fayre Ilonde Wher was a boote tyed with a teeder Of merueylous wood as I vnderstonde Precyous stones ley vpon the sond And poynted dyamondes grewe on the rockes And corall also by ryght hyghe stockes [<<] Amased I was for to beholde The precyous stones vnder my fete And the erth glysterynge of golde With floures fayre of odour swete Dame dyscrecyon I dyd than grete Praynge her to me to make relacyon Who of this Ilonde hath domynacyon She sayd foure ladyes in vertue excellent Of whiche the eldest is dame nature That dayly fourmeth after her entent Euery beest and lyuynge creature Both foule and fayre and also pure All that dependynge in her ordynaunce Where that she fauoureth there is grete pleasaunce The seconde is called dame fortune Ayenst whome can be no resystence For she doth sette the strynges in tune Of euery persone by her magnyfycence Whan they sound best by good experyence She wyll theym loose and let theym slyp Causynge theym fall by her turnynge tryp The thyrde called is dame hardynes That often rulyth by her cheualry She is ryght stowt and of grete prowes And the captayn of a lusty company And ruleth theym euer full hardely And to gete honour and worldely tresure She putteth her oft in auenture ¶ The fourth is wysedome a lady bryght Whiche is my syster as ye shall se Whom I do loue with all my myght For she enclyneth euer to benygnyte And medeleth not with fraude nor subtylyte But maketh many noble clerkes And ruleth theym in all theyr werkes ¶ They dwell all in a fayre castell Besyde a ryuer moche depe and clere And be expert in feytys manuell That vnto theym can be no peere Of erthely persone that lyueth here For they be so fayre and wounderous That theym to se it is solacyous. ¶ Longe haue they trauerst gretly in the lawe Whiche of theym sholde haue the preemynence And none of them theyr case wyll withdrawe Tyll of dame Iustyce they knowe the sentence They argue often and make defence Eche vnto other withouten remedy I wyll no lenger of them specefy Capitulum tercium. [Illustration] Come on fayre youth and go with me Vnto that place that is delectable Bylded with towres of curyosyte And yet though that ye be lamentable Whan thou art there you wylt be confortable To se the merueyles that there be wrought No man can prynt it in his thought A path we founde ryght gretely vsed Where in we went tyll at the last A castell I sawe wherof I mused Not fully from me a stones cast To se the towres I was agast Set in a valey so strongely fortefyed So gentyll compassed and well edefyed