Dame Pallas commaundid that they shold me conuay Into the ryche palace of the Quene of Fame; 450 There shal he here what she wyl to hym[1597] say When he is callid to answere to his name: A cry anone forthwith she made proclame, All orators and poetis shulde thider go before, With all the prese that there was lesse and more. Forthwith, I say, thus wandrynge[1598] in my thought, How it was, or elles within what howris, I can not[1599] tell you, but that I was brought Into a palace with turrettis and towris, Engolerid[1600] goodly with hallis and bowris, 460 So curiously, so craftely, so connyngly wrowght, That all the worlde,[1601] I trowe, and it were sought, Suche an other there coude no man fynde; Wherof partely I purpose to expounde, Whyles it remanyth fresshe in my mynde. With turkis and grossolitis enpauyd was the grounde; Of birrall enbosid wer the pyllers rownde; Of elephantis tethe were the palace gatis, Enlosenged with many goodly platis Of golde, entachid with many a precyous stone; 470 An hundred steppis mountyng to the halle, One of iasper, another of whalis bone; Of dyamauntis pointed was the rokky[1602] wall; The carpettis within and tappettis of pall; The chambres hangid with clothes of arace; Enuawtyd with rubies the vawte was of this place. Thus passid we forth walkynge vnto the pretory Where the postis wer enbulyoned with saphiris indy blew, Englasid glittering with many a clere story; Iacinctis and smaragdis out of the florthe they grew: 480 Vnto this place all poetis there did sue, Wherin was set of Fame the noble Quene, All other transcendynge, most rychely besene, Vnder a gloryous cloth of astate, Fret all with orient perlys of Garnate, Encrownyd as empresse of all this worldly[1603] fate, So ryally, so rychely, so passyngly ornate, It was excedyng byyonde the commowne rate: This hous enuyrowne was a myle about; If xii were let in, xii hundreth[1604] stode without. 490 Then to this lady and souerayne of this palace Of purseuantis ther presid in with many a[1605] dyuerse tale; Some were of Poyle, and sum were of Trace, Of Lymerik, of Loreine, of Spayne, of Portyngale,[1606] Frome Napuls, from Nauern, and from Rounceuall, Some from Flaunders, sum fro the se coste, Some from the mayne lande, some fro the Frensche hoste: With, How doth the north? what tydyngis in the sowth? The west is wyndy, the est is metely wele; It is harde to tell of euery mannes mouthe; 500 A slipper holde the taile is of an ele, And he haltith often that hath a kyby hele; Some shewid his salfecundight,[1607] some shewid his charter,[1608] Some lokyd full smothely, and had a fals quarter;[1609]