[Sidenote: [The firste p{ro}se.]]
++IN þe mene while þat I stille recorded[e] þise þinges wiþ my self.
{and} markede my wepli compleynte wiþ office of poyntel. I saw stondyng
aboue þe heyȝt of my heued a woman of ful greet reuerence by semblaunt
hir eyen brennyng {and} clere seing ouer þe comune myȝt of men. wiþ a
lijfly colo{ur} {and} wiþ swiche vigoure {and} strenkeþ þat it ne
myȝt[e] not be emptid. ¶ Al were it so þat sche was ful of so greet age.
þat men ne wolde not trowe i{n} no manere þat sche were of oure elde. þe
stature of hir was of a doutous iugement. for su{m}tyme sche
constreyned[e] {and} schronk hir selue{n} lyche to þe comune mesure of
men. {and} su{m}tyme it semed[e] þat sche touched[e] þe heuene wiþ þe
heyȝte of hir heued. and when sche hef hir heued heyer sche p{er}ced[e]
þe selue heuene. so þat þe syȝt of men lokyng was i{n} ydel. ¶ Hir
cloþes weren maked of ryȝt delye þredes {and} subtil crafte of
p{er}durable matere. þe wyche cloþes sche hadde wouen wiþ hir owen
hondes: as I knew wel aftir by hir selfe. declaryng {and} schewyng to me
þe beaute. þe wiche cloþes a derkenes of a forleten and dispised elde
had[de] duskid {and} dirkid as it is wo{n}t to dirken by-smoked ymages.
¶ In þe neþerest[e] hem or bordure of þese cloþes me{n} redden ywouen in
swiche a gregkysche .P. þat signifieþ þe lijf actif. And abouen þ{a}t
l{ett}re in þe heyȝest[e] bordure a grekysche T. þat signifieþ þe lijf
contemplatif. ¶ And by-twene þese two l{ett}res þere weren seien degrees
nobly wrouȝt in manere of laddres. By wyche degrees men myȝt[en] clymbe
fro þe neþemast[e] l{ett}re to þe ouermast[e]. ¶ Naþeles hondes of su{m}
men hadde korue þ{a}t cloþe by vyolence {and} by strenkeþ. ¶ And
eueryche man of hem hadde born away syche peces as he myȝte geet[e].
¶ And forsoþe þis forsaide woman ber bookes in hir ryȝt honde. {and} in
hir lefte honde sche ber a ceptre. ¶ And when sche sauȝ þese poetical
muses ap{ro}chen aboute my bedde. {and} endytyng wordes to my wepynges.
sche was a lytel ameued and glowed[e] wiþ cruel eyen. ¶ Who q{uo}d sche
haþ suffred ap{ro}chen to þis seek[e] man þise comune strumpetis of
siche a place þat men clepen þe theatr{e}. ¶ Þe wyche only ne asswagen
not his sorowes. wiþ no remedies. but þei wolde fede {and} norysche hem
wiþ swete venym. ¶ Forsoþe þise ben þo þat wiþ þornes {and} prykkynges
of talentȝ or affecciou{n}s wiche þat ben no þing frutefiyng nor
p{ro}fitable destroyen þe cornes plenteuouse of frutes of reson. ¶ For
þei holden þe hertes of men i{n} usage. but þei ne delyuere not folk fro
maladye. but if ȝe muses hadde wiþdrawen fro me wiþ ȝoure flateries. any
vnkonnyng {and} vnp{ro}fitable man as men ben wont to fynde comunely
amonges þe peple. I wolde wene suffre þe lasse greuously. ¶ For-why in
syche an vnp{ro}fitable man myne ententes weren no þing endamaged. ¶ But
ȝe wiþdrawen me þis man þat haþ ben norysched in studies or scoles of
Eleaticis {and} of achademicis in grece. ¶ But goþ now raþer awey ȝe
meremaydenes wyche ben swete til it be at þe laste. {and} suffreþ þis
man to be cured {and} heled by myne muses. þat is to say by notful
sciences. ¶ And þus þis compaygnie of muses I-blamed casten wroþely þe
chere adou{n}ward to þe erþe {and} schewyng by redenesse hir schame þei
passeden sorowfuly þe þreschefolde. ¶ And I of whom þe syȝt plonged i{n}
teres was derked so þat I ne myȝt[e] not knowe what þat woman was of so
i{m}perial auctorite. ¶ I wex al a-besid {and} astoned. {and} caste my
syȝt adoune in to þe erþe. {and} bygan stille forto abide what sche
wolde don afterwarde. ¶ Þo come sche nere {and} sette hir doun vpon þe
vterrest[e] corner of my bedde. {and} sche byholdyng my chere þat was
cast to þe erþe heuy {and} greuous of wepyng. co{m}pleinede wiþ þise
wordes þ{a}t I schal sey þe p{er}t{ur}bac{i}ou{n} of my þouȝt.