The which dede al this felonie：
Thing which was ayein kynde wroght
Unkindeliche it was aboght；
The child his oghne fader slowh；
That was unkindeschipe ynowh。
Forthi tak hiede hou that it is；
So forto winne love amis； 1780
Which endeth al his joie in wo：
For of this Art I finde also；
That hath be do for loves sake；
Wherof thou miht ensample take；
A gret Cronique imperial；
Which evere into memorial
Among the men； hou so it wende；
Schal duelle to the worldes ende。
The hihe creatour of thinges；
Which is the king of alle kinges； 1790
Ful many a wonder worldes chance
Let slyden under his suffrance；
Ther wot noman the cause why；
Bot he the which is almyhty。
And that was proved whilom thus；
Whan that the king Nectanabus；
Which hadde Egipte forto lede；…
Bot for he sih tofor the dede
Thurgh magique of his Sorcerie；
Wherof he couthe a gret partie； 1800
Hise enemys to him comende；
Fro whom he mihte him noght defende；
Out of his oghne lond he fledde；
And in the wise as he him dredde
It fell； for al his wicchecraft；
So that Egipte him was beraft；
And he desguised fledde aweie
Be schipe； and hield the rihte weie
To Macedoine； wher that he
Aryveth ate chief Cite。 1810
Thre yomen of his chambre there
Al only forto serve him were；
The whiche he trusteth wonder wel；
For thei were trewe as eny stiel；
And hapneth that thei with him ladde
Part of the beste good he hadde。
Thei take logginge in the toun
After the disposicion
Wher as him thoghte best to duelle：
He axeth thanne and herde telle 1820
Hou that the king was oute go。
Upon a werre he hadde tho；
But in that Cite thanne was
The queene； which Olimpias
Was hote； and with sollempnete
The feste of hir nativite；
As it befell； was thanne holde；
And for hire list to be beholde
And preised of the poeple aboute；
Sche schop hir forto riden oute 1830
At after mete al openly。
Anon were alle men redy；
And that was in the monthe of Maii；
This lusti queene in good arrai
Was set upon a Mule whyt：
To sen it was a gret delit
The joie that the cite made；
With freisshe thinges and with glade
The noble toun was al behonged；
And every wiht was sore alonged 1840
To se this lusti ladi ryde。
Ther was gret merthe on alle syde；
Wher as sche passeth be the strete；
Ther was ful many a tymber bete
And many a maide carolende：
And thus thurghout the toun pleiende
This queene unto a pleine rod；
Wher that sche hoved and abod
To se diverse game pleie；
The lusti folk jouste and tourneie； 1850
And so forth every other man；
Which pleie couthe； his pley began；
To plese with this noble queene。
Nectanabus cam to the grene
Amonges othre and drouh him nyh。
Bot whan that he this ladi sih
And of hir beaute hiede tok；
He couthe noght withdrawe his lok
To se noght elles in the field；
Bot stod and only hire behield。 1860
Of his clothinge and of his gere
He was unlich alle othre there；
So that it hapneth ate laste；
The queene on him hire yhe caste；
And knew that he was strange anon：
Bot he behield hire evere in on
Withoute blenchinge of his chere。
Sche tok good hiede of his manere；
And wondreth why he dede so；
And bad men scholde for him go。 1870
He cam and dede hire reverence；
And sche him axeth in cilence
For whenne he cam and what he wolde。
And he with sobre wordes tolde；
And seith； 〃Ma dame； a clerk I am；
To you and in message I cam；
The which I mai noght tellen hiere；
Bot if it liketh you to hiere；
It mot be seid al prively；
Wher non schal be bot ye and I。〃 1880
Thus for the time he tok his leve。
The dai goth forth til it was eve；
That every man mot lete his werk；
And sche thoghte evere upon this clerk；
What thing it is he wolde mene：
And in this wise abod the queene；
And passeth over thilke nyht；
Til it was on the morwe liht。
Sche sende for him； and he com；
With him his Astellabre he nom； 1890
Which was of fin gold precious
With pointz and cercles merveilous；
And ek the hevenely figures
Wroght in a bok ful of peintures
He tok this ladi forto schewe；
And tolde of ech of hem be rewe
The cours and the condicion。
And sche with gret affeccion
Sat stille and herde what he wolde：
And thus whan he sih time； he tolde； 1900
And feigneth with hise wordes wise
A tale； and seith in such a wise：
〃Ma dame； bot a while ago；
Wher I was in Egipte tho；
And radde in scole of this science；
It fell into mi conscience
That I unto the temple wente；
And ther with al myn hole entente
As I mi sacrifice dede；
On of the goddes hath me bede 1910
That I you warne prively；
So that ye make you redy；
And that ye be nothing agast；
For he such love hath to you cast；
That ye schul ben his oghne diere；
And he schal be your beddefiere；
Til ye conceive and be with childe。〃
And with that word sche wax al mylde；
And somdel red becam for schame；
And axeth him that goddes name； 1920
Which so wol don hire compainie。
And he seide； 〃Amos of Lubie。〃
And sche seith； 〃That mai I noght lieve；
Bot if I sihe a betre prieve。〃
〃Ma dame；〃 quod Nectanabus；
〃In tokne that it schal be thus；
This nyht for enformacion
Ye schul have an avision：
That Amos schal to you appiere；
To schewe and teche in what manere 1930
The thing schal afterward befalle。
Ye oghten wel above alle
To make joie of such a lord；
For whan ye ben of on acord；
He schal a Sone of you begete；
Which with his swerd schal winne and gete
The wyde world in lengthe and brede；
Alle erthli kinges schull him drede；
And in such wise； I you behote；
The god of erthe he schal be hote。〃 1940
〃If this be soth；〃 tho quod the queene；
〃This nyht； thou seist； it schal be sene。
And if it falle into mi grace；
Of god Amos； that I pourchace
To take of him so gret worschipe；
I wol do thee such ladischipe；
Wherof thou schalt for everemo
Be riche。〃 And he hir thonketh tho；
And tok his leve and forth he wente。
Sche wiste litel what he mente； 1950
For it was guile and Sorcerie；
Al that sche tok for Prophecie。
Nectanabus thurghout the day；
Whan he cam hom wher as he lay；
His chambre be himselve tok；
And overtorneth many a bok；
And thurgh the craft of Artemage
Of wex he forgeth an ymage。
He loketh his equacions
And ek the constellacions； 1960
He loketh the conjunccions；
He loketh the recepcions；
His signe； his houre； his ascendent；
And drawth fortune of his assent：
The name of queene Olimpias
In thilke ymage write was
Amiddes in the front above。
And thus to winne his lust of love
Nectanabus this werk hath diht；
And whan it cam withinne nyht； 1970
That every wyht is falle aslepe；
He thoghte he wolde his time kepe；
As he which hath his houre apointed。
And thanne ferst he hath enoignted
With sondri herbes that figure；
And therupon he gan conjure；
So that thurgh his enchantement
This ladi； which was innocent
And wiste nothing of this guile；
Mette； as sche slepte thilke while； 1980
Hou fro the hevene cam a lyht；
Which al hir chambre made lyht；
And as sche loketh to and fro；
Sche sih； hir thoghte； a dragoun tho；
Whos scherdes schynen as the Sonne；
And hath his softe pas begonne
With al the chiere that he may
Toward the bedd ther as sche lay；
Til he cam to the beddes side。
And sche lai stille and nothing cride； 1990
For he dede alle his thinges faire
And was courteis and debonaire：
And as he stod hire fasteby；
His forme he changeth sodeinly；
And the figure of man he nom；
To hire and into bedde he com；
And such thing there of love he wroghte；
Wherof； so as hire thanne thoghte；
Thurgh likinge of this god Amos
With childe anon hire wombe aros； 2000
And sche was wonder glad withal。
Nectanabus； which causeth al
Of this metrede the substance；
Whan he sih time； his nigromance
He stinte and nothing more seide
Of his carecte； and sche abreide
Out of hir slep； and lieveth wel
That it is soth thanne everydel
Of that this clerk hire hadde told；
And was the gladdere manyfold 2010
In hope of such a glad metrede；
Which after schal befalle in dede。
Sche longeth sore after the dai；
That sche hir swevene telle mai
To this guilour in privete；
Which kneu it als so wel as sche：
And natheles on morwe sone
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