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Sche lefte alle other thing to done；
And for him sende； and al the cas
Sche tolde him pleinly as it was； 2020
And seide hou thanne wel sche wiste
That sche his wordes mihte triste；
For sche fond hire Avisioun
Riht after the condicion
Which he hire hadde told tofore；
And preide him hertely therfore
That he hire holde covenant
So forth of al the remenant；
That sche may thurgh his ordinance
Toward the god do such plesance； 2030
That sche wakende myhte him kepe
In such wise as sche mette aslepe。
And he； that couthe of guile ynouh；
Whan he this herde； of joie he louh；
And seith； 〃Ma dame； it schal be do。
Bot this I warne you therto：
This nyht； whan that he comth to pleie；
That ther be no lif in the weie
Bot I； that schal at his likinge
Ordeine so for his cominge； 2040
That ye ne schull noght of him faile。
For this； ma dame； I you consaile；
That ye it kepe so prive；
That no wiht elles bot we thre
Have knowlechinge hou that it is；
For elles mihte it fare amis；
If ye dede oght that scholde him grieve。〃
And thus he makth hire to believe；
And feigneth under guile feith：
Bot natheles al that he seith 2050
Sche troweth； and ayein the nyht
Sche hath withinne hire chambre dyht；
Wher as this guilour faste by
Upon this god schal prively
Awaite； as he makth hire to wene：
And thus this noble gentil queene；
Whan sche most trusteth； was deceived。
The nyht com； and the chambre is weyved；
Nectanabus hath take his place；
And whan he sih the time and space； 2060
Thurgh the deceipte of his magique
He putte him out of mannes like；
And of a dragoun tok the forme；
As he which wolde him al conforme
To that sche sih in swevene er this；
And thus to chambre come he is。
The queene lay abedde and sih；
And hopeth evere； as he com nyh；
That he god of Lubye were；
So hath sche wel the lasse fere。 2070
Bot for he wolde hire more assure；
Yit eft he changeth his figure；
And of a wether the liknesse
He tok； in signe of his noblesse
With large hornes for the nones：
Of fin gold and of riche stones
A corone on his hed he bar；
And soudeinly； er sche was war；
As he which alle guile can；
His forme he torneth into man； 2080
And cam to bedde； and sche lai stille；
Wher as sche soffreth al his wille；
As sche which wende noght misdo。
Bot natheles it hapneth so；
Althogh sche were in part deceived；
Yit for al that sche hath conceived
The worthieste of alle kiththe；
Which evere was tofore or siththe
Of conqueste and chivalerie；
So that thurgh guile and Sorcerie 2090
Ther was that noble knyht begunne；
Which al the world hath after wunne。
Thus fell the thing which falle scholde；
Nectanabus hath that he wolde；
With guile he hath his love sped；
With guile he cam into the bed；
With guile he goth him out ayein：
He was a schrewed chamberlein；
So to beguile a worthi queene；
And that on him was after seene。 2100
Bot natheles the thing is do；
This false god was sone go；
With his deceipte and hield him clos；
Til morwe cam； that he aros。
And tho； whan time and leisir was；
The queene tolde him al the cas；
As sche that guile non supposeth；
And of tuo pointz sche him opposeth。
On was； if that this god nomore
Wol come ayein； and overmore； 2110
Hou sche schal stonden in acord
With king Philippe hire oghne lord；
Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone。
〃Ma dame；〃 he seith； 〃let me alone：
As for the god I undertake
That whan it liketh you to take
His compaignie at eny throwe；
If I a day tofore it knowe；
He schal be with you on the nyht；
And he is wel of such a myht 2120
To kepe you from alle blame。
Forthi conforte you； ma dame；
Ther schal non other cause be。〃
Thus tok he leve and forth goth he；
And tho began he forto muse
Hou he the queene mihte excuse
Toward the king of that is falle；
And fond a craft amonges alle；
Thurgh which he hath a See foul daunted；
With his magique and so enchaunted； 2130
That he flyh forth； whan it was nyht；
Unto the kinges tente riht；
Wher that he lay amidde his host：
And whanne he was aslepe most；
With that the See foul to him broghte
And othre charmes； whiche he wroghte
At hom withinne his chambre stille；
The king he torneth at his wille；
And makth him forto dreme and se
The dragoun and the privete 2140
Which was betuen him and the queene。
And over that he made him wene
In swevene； hou that the god Amos；
Whan he up fro the queene aros；
Tok forth a ring； wherinne a ston
Was set； and grave therupon
A Sonne； in which； whan he cam nyh；
A leoun with a swerd he sih；
And with that priente； as he tho mette；
Upon the queenes wombe he sette 2150
A Seal； and goth him forth his weie。
With that the swevene wente aweie；
And tho began the king awake
And sigheth for his wyves sake；
Wher as he lay withinne his tente；
And hath gret wonder what it mente。
With that he hasteth him to ryse
Anon； and sende after the wise；
Among the whiche ther was on；
A clerc； his name is Amphion： 2160
Whan he the kinges swevene herde；
What it betokneth he ansuerde；
And seith； 〃So siker as the lif；
A god hath leie be thi wif；
And gete a Sone； which schal winne
The world and al that is withinne。
As leon is the king of bestes；
So schal the world obeie his hestes；
Which with his swerd schal al be wonne；
Als ferr as schyneth eny Sonne。〃 2170
The king was doubtif of this dom；
Bot natheles； whan that he com
Ayein into his oghne lond；
His wif with childe gret he fond。
He mihte noght himselve stiere；
That he ne made hire hevy chiere；
Bot he which couthe of alle sorwe；
Nectanabus； upon the morwe
Thurgh the deceipte and nigromance
Tok of a dragoun the semblance； 2180
And wher the king sat in his halle；
Com in rampende among hem alle
With such a noise and such a rore；
That thei agast were also sore
As thogh thei scholde deie anon。
And natheles he grieveth non；
Bot goth toward the deyss on hih；
And whan he cam the queene nyh；
He stinte his noise； and in his wise
To hire he profreth his servise； 2190
And leith his hed upon hire barm；
And sche with goodly chiere hire arm
Aboute his necke ayeinward leide；
And thus the queene with him pleide
In sihte of alle men aboute。
And ate laste he gan to loute
And obeissance unto hire make；
As he that wolde his leve take；
And sodeinly his lothly forme
Into an Egle he gan transforme； 2200
And flyh and sette him on a raile；
Wherof the king hath gret mervaile；
For there he pruneth him and piketh；
As doth an hauk whan him wel liketh；
And after that himself he schok；
Wherof that al the halle quok；
As it a terremote were；
Thei seiden alle； god was there：
In such a res and forth he flyh。
The king； which al this wonder syh； 2210
Whan he cam to his chambre alone；
Unto the queene he made his mone
And of foryivenesse hir preide；
For thanne he knew wel； as he seide；
Sche was with childe with a godd。
Thus was the king withoute rodd
Chastised； and the queene excused
Of that sche hadde ben accused。
And for the gretere evidence；
Yit after that in the presence 2220
Of king Philipp and othre mo；
Whan thei ride in the fieldes tho；
A Phesant cam before here yhe；
The which anon as thei hire syhe；
Fleende let an ey doun falle；
And it tobrak tofore hem alle：
And as thei token therof kepe；
Thei syhe out of the schelle crepe
A litel Serpent on the ground；
Which rampeth al aboute round； 2230
And in ayein it wolde have wonne；
Bot for the brennynge of the Sonne
It mihte noght； and so it deide。
And therupon the clerkes seide；
〃As the Serpent； whan it was oute；
Went enviroun the schelle aboute
And mihte noght torne in ayein；
So schal it fallen in certein：
This child the world schal environe；
And above alle the corone 2240
Him schal befalle； and in yong Age
He schal desire in his corage；
Whan al the world is in his hond；
To torn ayein into the lond
Wher he was bore； and in his weie
Homward he schal with puison deie。〃
The king； which al this sih and herde；
Fro that dai forth； hou so it ferde；
His jalousie hath al foryete。
Bot he which hath the child begete； 2250
Nectanabus； in privete
The time of his nativite
Upon the constellacioun
Awaiteth； and relacion
Makth to the queene hou sche schal do；
And every houre apointeth so；
That no mynut ther