Allè in white? Madame, then quod I, Yes. That is Dian, goddess of Chastity, And for bicause that she a maidin is Into her hond the brance she berith this That agnus castus men call propirly; And all the ladies in her company Which ye se of that herbè chaplets were Be such as han alwey kept maidinhede, And all they that of laurir chaplets bere, Be such as hardy were in manly dede Victorious, name which nevir may be dede, And all they were so worthy of their honde In their time that no one might them withstonde; And tho that were chapèlets on ther hede Of fresh wodebind be such as nevir were To Love untrue in word, in thought, ne dede, But ay stedfast, ne for plesance ne fere, Tho that they shulde ther hertis all to tere, Woud never flit, but evir were stedfast Till that ther livis there assundir brast. Now, fair Madame! quod I, yet would I pray Your ladiship [if that it mightin be] That I might knowe by some manir of wey, Sithin that it hath likid your beaute The trouth of these ladies for to tell me, What that these knightis be in rich armour, And what tho be in grene and were the Flour, And why that some did rev'rence to the tre, And some unto the plot of flouris fair? With right gode wil, my doughtir fair! quod she, Sith your desire is gode and debonaire: Tho nine crounid be very exemplaire Of all honour longing to chivalry, And those certain be clept, The Nine Worthy, Which that ye may se riding all before, That in ther time did many a noble dede, And for ther worthiness full oft have bore The crown of laurir levis on ther hede, As ye may in your oldè bokis rede, And how that he that was a conqueror Had by laurir alwey his most honour: And tho that barin bowes in ther hond Of the precious laurir so notable, Be such as were [I woll ye undirstend] Most noble Knightis of The Round Table, And eke the Douseperis honourable, Which they bere in the sign of victory, As witness of ther dedis mightily: Eke ther be Knightis old of the Gartir, That in ther timis did right worthily, And the honour they did to the laurir Is for by it they have ther laud wholly, Ther triumph eke and martial glory, Which unto them is more perfite riches Than any wight imagin can or gesse; For one Lefe givin of that noble tre To any wight that hath done worthily [An it be done so as it ought to be] Is more honour than any thing erthly, Witness of Rome, that foundir was truly Of all knighthode and dedis marvelous, Record I take of Titus Livius. And as for her that crounid is in grene, It is Flora, of these flouris goddesse, And all that here on her awaiting bene It are such folk that lovid idlenesse, And not delite in no kind besinesse But for to hunt, and hawke, and pley in medes,