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Hir flesh was tendre as dewe of flour,
Hir chere was simple as byrde in bour;
As whyt as lilie or rose in rys, 1015
Hir face gentil and tretys.
Fetys she was, and smal to see;
No windred browes hadde she,
Ne popped hir, for it neded nought
To windre hir, or to peynte hir ought. 1020
Hir tresses yelowe, and longe straughten,
Unto hir heles doun they raughten:
Hir nose, hir mouth, and eye and cheke
Wel wrought, and al the remenaunt eke.
A ful gret savour and a swote 1025
Me thinketh in myn herte rote,
As helpe me god, whan I remembre
Of the fasoun of every membre!
In world is noon so fair a wight;
For yong she was, and hewed bright, 1030
[Wys], plesaunt, and fetys withalle,
Gente, and in hir middel smalle.
Bisyde Beaute yede RICHESSE, RICHESSE.
An high lady of greet noblesse,

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Envers qui les autres estoiles
Resemblent petites chandoiles.
Tendre ot la char comme rousee,
Simple fu cum une espousee,
Et blanche comme flor de lis;
Si ot le vis cler et alis,
Et fu greslete et alignie;
Ne fu fardee ne guignie:
Car el n'avoit mie mestier
De soi tifer ne d'afetier. 1010
Les cheveus ot blons et si lons
Qu'il li batoient as talons;
Nez ot bien fait, et yelx et bouche.
Moult grant doucor au cuer me touche,
Si m'aist Diex, quant il me membre
De la facon de chascun membre
Qu'il n'ot si bele fame ou monde.
Briement el fu jonete et blonde,
Sade, plaisant, aperte et cointe,
Grassete et grele, gente et jointe. 1020
Pres de Biaute se tint Richece,
Une dame de grant hautece,

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And greet of prys in every place. 1035
But who-so durste to hir trespace,
Or til hir folk, in worde or dede,
He were ful hardy, out of drede;
For bothe she helpe and hindre may:
And that is nought of yisterday 1040
That riche folk have ful gret might
To helpe, and eek to greve a wight.
The beste and grettest of valour
Diden Richesse ful gret honour,
And besy weren hir to serve; 1045
For that they wolde hir love deserve,
They cleped hir 'Lady,' grete and smalle;
This wyde world hir dredeth alle;
This world is al in hir daungere.
Hir court hath many a losengere, 1050
And many a traytour envious,
That been ful besy and curious
For to dispreisen, and to blame
That best deserven love and name.
Bifore the folk, hem to bigylen, 1055
These losengeres hem preyse, and smylen,
And thus the world with word anoynten;
But afterward they [prikke] and poynten

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De grant pris et de grant affaire.
Qui a li ne as siens meffaire
Osast riens par fais, ou par dis,
Il fust moult fiers et moult hardis;
Qu'ele puet moult nuire et aidier.
Ce n'est mie ne d'ui ne d'ier
Que riches gens out grant poissance
De faire ou aide, ou grevance. 1030
Tuit li greignor et li menor
Portoient a Richece honor:
Tuit baoient a li servir,
Por l'amor de li deservir;
Chascuns sa dame la clamoit,
Car tous li mondes la cremoit;
Tous li mons iert en son dangier.
En sa cort ot maint losengier,
Maint traitor, maint envieus:
Ce sunt cil qui sunt curieus 1040
De desprisier et de blasmer
Tous ceus qui font miex a amer.
Par devant, por eus losengier,
Loent les gens li losengier;
Tout le monde par parole oignent,
Mes lor losenges les gens poignent

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The folk right to the bare boon,
Bihinde her bak whan they ben goon, 1060
And foule abate the folkes prys.
Ful many a worthy man and wys,
An hundred, have [they] don to dye,
These losengeres, through flaterye;
And maketh folk ful straunge be, 1065
Ther-as hem oughte be prive.
Wel yvel mote they thryve and thee,
And yvel aryved mote they be,
These losengeres, ful of envye!
No good man loveth hir companye. 1070
Richesse a robe of purpre on hadde,
Ne trowe not that I lye or madde;
For in this world is noon it liche,
Ne by a thousand deel so riche,
Ne noon so fair; for it ful wel 1075
With orfrays leyd was everydel,
And portrayed in the ribaninges
Of dukes stories, and of kinges.
And with a bend of gold tasseled,
And knoppes fyne of gold ameled. 1080
Aboute hir nekke of gentil entaile
Was shet the riche chevesaile,

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Par derriere dusques as os,
Qu'il abaissent des bons les los,
Et desloent les aloes,
Et si loent les desloes. 1050
Maint prodommes ont encuses,
Et de lor honnor recules
Li losengier par lor losenges;
Car il font ceus des cors estranges
Qui deussent estre prives:
Mal puissent-il estre arives
Icil losengier plain d'envie!
Car nus prodons n'aime lor vie.
Richece ot une porpre robe,
Ice ne tenes mie a lobe, 1060
Que je vous di bien et afiche
Qu'il n'ot si bele, ne si riche
Ou monde, ne si envoisie.
La porpre fu toute orfroisie;
Si ot portraites a orfrois
Estoires de dus et de rois.