Me thought she was of merueylous beaute Tyll that Dyscrecyon lede me behynde Where that I sawe all the pryuyte Of her werke and humayne kynde And at her backe I dyd than fynde Of cruell deth a dolfull ymage That all her beaute dyd perswage Full wonderous was her operacyon In euery kynde eke and ryght degre Withouten rest or recreacyon I wyll not medle with her secrete For it no thynge longeth to my faculte But somwhat after I wyll expres Of her grete power and worthynes But in my boke well for to procede Dame dyscrecyon ferther me brought Into a fayre chambre as ye may rede Of fyne gemetry ryght well wrought To comfort man there lacked nought But that me thought there was no company Saue onely dame dyscrecyon and I We had ben but a lytell whyle there But that we sawe a lady clere Ryght well appareled in sad gere Mylde in her hauour dyscrete of chere That came vs by and very nere Ascendynge vp in to her hyghe sete Garnysshed with perle and with gold bete Than sayd dyscrecyon this is dame Iustyce Clene of conscyence without corrupcyon And neuer be spotted with the synne of couetyse But true as stele in the entencyon Of ryght euermore without destruccyon Geuynge alway a ryghtfull iugement Obey thou youth this lady reuerent A iuge fulfylled with the synne of auaryce Or with fauour of kynne made blynd Must nedys do wronge by grete [pre]iudyce For fauour shold not conscyence bynd Ryght to dyssymyll as I now fynd In problemys wryten of antiquyte Made by phylosophers of auctoryte As we stode talkynge thus to gydere Vp came dame fortune so gayly gloryfyed Impossyble it is for me to dyscouere How gorges she was & gretly magnyfyed Full lyke a goddes that had ben deyfyd Clothed with gold sette full of rubyes And tynst [with] emeraudys & many a turkes And next to her there dyd ensue Dame Hardynes that noble lady After whome anone dyd pursue Dame Sapyence whiche dyd not tary Than came dame nature appareled royally And all the other cladde in gold Set with dyamondes many a fold They lowted all vnto the ground Afore dame Iustyce for obeysaunce That sate there both hole and sound Withouten ony dyscontynuaunce Gyuynge god ere vnto the vteraunce Of these foure ladyes pledynge at barre With all theyr cases dyd well avarre Capitulum .vii. [Illustration] Fyrst dame hardynes began to plede Saynge she was to man moost profytable For she the hertes hath often fede Of conquerous as it was couenable And by my corage haue made theym able Regyons to wynne theyr ennemyes to subdue And yf I were not they had it rue And yf a man be neuer so wyse Withouten me he getyth none vteraunce Wherfore his wysedome may not suffyse All onely without myn allegeaunce For I by ryght must nedys enhaunce A lowe born man to an hyghe degre Yf that he wyll be ruled by me