This fair lady, in this wise destitute
Of all comfort and consolation,
Right privily, but5 fellowship, on foot,

true?

A mile or two, unto ane mansion
Builded full gay, where her father Calchas
Whilk then among the Greeks dwelland

Whitelyand pale, and some deal ascendent; The third Peros, right hot and right fervent, The fourth was black, and called Phlegonie, Which rolleth Phoebus down into the sea.

XXXII.

Venus was there present, that goddess gay, Her sonnis quarrel to defend, and mak Her own complaint, clad in a nice array, The one half green, the other sable black, White hair as gold, kambèd and shed1 aback,

But in her face seemèd great variance, Whiles perfite truth, and whiles incon

stance.

XXXIII.

Under smiland she was dissumulate,
Provocative with blinkis amorous,
And suddenly changed and alterate,
Angry as any serpent venomous,
Right pungitive with wordis odious;
Thus variant she was; who list tak keep,3
With one eye laugh, and with the other
weep.

XXXIV.

In tokening that all fleshly paramour, Which Venus has in rule and governance, Is sometime sweet, sometime bitter and sour,

Right unstable, and full of variance,

Settand1 songis and singand merrily.
His hood was red heklit attour2 his crown,
Like till ane poet of the old fassown.3

XXXVI.

Boxes he bare with fine electuaries
And sugared syrupis for digestion,
Spices belongand to the pothecaries,
With many halesum sweet confection,
Doctor in physic, clad in scarlet gown,
And furrèd weel, as sic ane ought to be,
Honest and good, and not ane word
could lie.

XXXVII.

Neist after him came Lady Cynthia,
The last of all, and swiftest in her sphere,
Of colour black, buskèd 5 with hornis twa,
And in the night she listis best appear,
Haw as the lead, of colour nothing clear,
For all the light she borrows at her brother
Titan, for of herself she has none other.

XXXVIII.

Her gyse was gray and full of spottis black,

And on her breast a churl painted full even, Bearing a bunch of thornis on his back Which for his theft might climb no nearer heaven.

Thus when they gathered were thir goddis

seven,

ance,

Now hot, now cold, now blithe, now full

of woe,

To be fore-speaker in the parliament.

XXXIX.