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Por ce amoit-il moult l'acointance
De Richece et la bien-voillance,
Qu'il avoit tous jors en porpens
De demener les grans despens,
Et el les pooit bien soffrir,
Et tous ses despens maintenir; 1130
El li donnoit autant deniers
Cum s'el les puisast en greniers.
Apres refu Largece assise,
Qui fu bien duite et bien aprise
De faire honor, et de despendre:
El fu du linage Alexandre;
Si n'avoit-el joie de rien
Cum quant el pooit dire, 'tien. '
Neis Avarice la chetive
N'ert pas si a prendre ententive 1140

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As Largesse is to yeve and spende.
And god y-nough alwey hir sende,
So that the more she yaf awey,
The more, y-wis, she hadde alwey. 1160
Gret loos hath Largesse, and gret prys;
For bothe wys folk and unwys
Were hoolly to hir baundon brought,
So wel with yiftes hath she wrought.
And if she hadde an enemy, 1165
I trowe, that she coude craftily
Make him ful sone hir freend to be,
So large of yift and free was she;
Therfore she stood in love and grace
Of riche and povre in every place. 1170
A ful gret fool is he, y-wis,
That bothe riche and nigard is.
A lord may have no maner vice
That greveth more than avarice.
For nigard never with strengthe of hond 1175
May winne him greet lordship or lond.
For freendes al to fewe hath he
To doon his wil perfourmed be.
And who-so wol have freendes here,
He may not holde his tresour dere. 1180
For by ensample I telle this,
Right as an adamaunt, y-wis,

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Cum Largece ere de donner;
Et Diex li fesoit foisonner
Ses biens si qu'ele ne savoit
Tant donner, cum el plus avoit.
Moult a Largece pris et los;
Ele a les sages et les fos
Outreement a son bandon,
Car ele savoit fere biau don;
S'ainsinc fust qu'aucuns la haist,
Si cuit-ge que de ceus feist 1150
Ses amis par son biau servise;
Et por ce ot-ele a devise
L'amor des povres et des riches.
Moult est fos haus homs qui est chiches!
Haus homs ne puet avoir nul vice,
Qui tant li griet cum avarice:
Car hons avers ne puet conquerre
Ne seignorie ne grant terre;
Car il n'a pas d'amis plente,
Dont il face sa volente.
1160
Mes qui amis vodra avoir
Si n'ait mie chier son avoir,
Ains par biaus dons amis acquiere:
Car tout en autretel maniere

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Can drawen to him sotilly
The yren, that is leyd therby,
So draweth folkes hertes, y-wis, 1185
Silver and gold that yeven is.
Largesse hadde on a robe fresshe
Of riche purpur Sarsinesshe.
Wel fourmed was hir face and clere,
And opened had she hir colere; 1190
For she right there hadde in present
Unto a lady maad present
Of a gold broche, ful wel wrought.
And certes, it missat hir nought;
For through hir smokke, wrought with silk, 1195
The flesh was seen, as whyt as milk.
Largesse, that worthy was and wys,
Held by the honde a knight of prys,
Was sib to Arthour of Bretaigne.
And that was he that bar the enseigne 1200
Of worship, and the gonfanoun.
And yit he is of swich renoun,
That men of him seye faire thinges
Bifore barouns, erles, and kinges.
This knight was comen al newely 1205
Fro tourneyinge faste by;

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Cum la pierre de l'aiment
Trait a soi le fer soutilment,
Ainsinc atrait les cuers des gens
Li ors qu'en donne et li argens.
Largece ot robe toute fresche
D'une porpre Sarrazinesche; 1170
S'ot le vis bel et bien forme;
Mes el ot son col defferme,
Qu'el avoit iluec en present
A une dame fet present,
N'avoit gueres, de son fermal,
Et ce ne li seoit pas mal,
Que sa chevecaille iert overte,
Et sa gorge si descoverte,
Que parmi outre la chemise
Li blanchoioit sa char alise. 1180
Largece la vaillant, la sage,
Tint ung chevalier du linage
Au bon roy Artus de Bretaigne;
Ce fu cil qui porta l'enseigne
De Valor et le gonfanon.
Encor est-il de tel renom,
Que l'en conte de li les contes
Et devant rois et devant contes.
Cil chevalier novelement
Fu venus d'ung tornoiement, 1190

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Ther hadde he doon gret chivalrye
Through his vertu and his maistrye;
And for the love of his lemman
[Had] cast doun many a doughty man. 1210
And next him daunced dame FRAUNCHYSE,
Arrayed in ful noble gyse. FRAUNCHYSE.
She was not broun ne dun of hewe,
But whyt as snowe y-fallen newe.
Hir nose was wrought at poynt devys, 1215
For it was gentil and tretys;
With eyen gladde, and browes bente;
Hir heer doun to hir heles wente.