Of ladies foure and twenty, and yet mo. Toward this ilke dance he drow ful yerne, In hope that he som wisdom shulde lerne; But certainly er he came fully there Yvanished was this dance he n'iste not wher; No creature saw he that bare lif, Save on the grene he saw sitting a wif, A fouler wight ther may no man devise. Againe this knight this olde wif gan arise, And saide Sire Knight, here forth ne lith no way. Tell me what that ye seken by your fay, Paraventure it may the better be: Thise olde folk con mochel thing, quod she. My leve mother, quod this knight, certain I n'am but ded but if that I can fain What thing it is that women most desire: Coude ye me wisse I wold quite wel your hire. Plight me thy trothe here in myn hond, quod she, The nexte thing that I requere of thee Thou shalt it do, if it be in thy might, And I wol tell it you or it be night. Have here my trouthe, quod the knight, I graunte. Thanne, quod she, I dare me wel avaunte Thy lif is sauf, for I wol stond therby, Upon my lif the quene wol say as I. Let see which is the proudest of hem alle, That wereth on a kerchef or a calle, That dare sayn nay of that I shal you teche. Let us go forth withouten lenger speche. Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere, And bad him to be glad, and have no fere. Whan they ben comen to the court, this knight Said he had hold his day as he had hight, And redy was his answere, as he saide. Ful many a noble wif, and many a maide, And many a widewe, for that they ben wise, (The quene hireself sitting as a justice) Assembled ben his answer for to here, And afterward this knight was bode appere. To every wight commanded was silence, And that the knight shuld tell in audience What thing that worldly women loven best. This knight ne stood not still as doth a best, But to this question anon answerd With manly vois, that all the court it herd. My liege Lady, generally, quod he, Women desiren to han soverainetee, As well over hir husbond as hir love, And for to ben in maistrie him above. This is your most desire, though ye me kille; Doth as you list, I am here at your wille. In all the court ne was ther wif ne maide, Ne widewe, that contraried that he saide, But said he was worthy to han his lif. And with that word up stert this olde wif Which that the knight saw sitting on the grene. Mercy, quod she, my soveraine lady Quene, Er that your court depart, as doth me right. I taughte this answer unto this knight, For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wold of him requere, He wold it do, if it lay in his might. Before this court than pray I thee, Sire, Knight, Quod she, that thou me take unto thy wif, For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lif: