No More Learning

For were a man for hir bistad,
She wolde ben right sore adrad
That she dide over greet outrage,
But she him holpe his harm to aswage; 1230

>>
Ou il ot faite por s'amie
Mainte jouste et mainte envaie,
Et percie maint escu boucle,
Maint hiaume i avoit dessercle,
Et maint chevalier abatu,
Et pris par force et par vertu.
Apres tous ceus se tint Franchise,
Qui ne fu ne brune ne bise,
Ains ere blanche comme nois;
Et si n'ot pas nes d'Orlenois, 1200
Aincois l'avoit lonc et traitis,
Iex vairs rians, sorcis votis:
S'ot les chevous et blons, et lons,
Et fu simple comme uns coulons.
Le cuer ot dous et debonnaire:
Ele n'osast dire ne faire
A nuli riens qu'el ne deust;
Et s'ele ung homme cogneust
Qui fust destrois por s'amitie,
Tantost eust de li pitie, 1210
Qu'ele ot le cuer si piteable,
Et si dous et si amiable,
Que se nus por li mal traisist,
S'el ne li aidast, el crainsist
Qu'el feist trop grant vilonnie.
Vestue ot une sorquanie,

<<
Hir thoughte it elles a vilanye.
And she hadde on a sukkenye,
That not of hempen herdes was;
So fair was noon in alle Arras.
Lord, it was rideled fetysly! 1235
Ther nas nat oo poynt, trewely,
That it nas in his right assyse.
Ful wel y-clothed was Fraunchyse;
For ther is no cloth sitteth bet
On damiselle, than doth roket. 1240
A womman wel more fetys is
In roket than in cote, y-wis.
The whyte roket, rideled faire,
Bitokened, that ful debonaire
And swete was she that it bere. 1245
By hir daunced a bachelere;
I can not telle you what he highte,
But fair he was, and of good highte,
Al hadde he be, I sey no more,
The lordes sone of Windesore. 1250
And next that daunced CURTESYE, CURTESYE.
That preised was of lowe and hye,
For neither proud ne fool was she.
She for to daunce called me,

>>
Qui ne fu mie de borras:
N'ot si bele jusqu'a Arras;
Car el fu si coillie et jointe,
Qu'il n'i ot une seule pointe 1220
Qui a son droit ne fust assise.
Moult fu bien vestue Franchise;
Car nule robe n'est si bele
Que sorquanie a damoisele.
Fame est plus cointe et plus mignote
En sorquanie que en cote:
La sorquanie qui fu blanche,
Senefioit que douce et franche
Estoit cele qui la vestoit.
Uns bachelers jones s'estoit 1230
Pris a Franchise lez a lez,
Ne soi comment ert apele,
Mes biaus estoit, se il fust ores
Fiex au seignor de Gundesores.
Apres se tenoit Courtoisie,
Qui moult estoit de tous prisie,
Si n'ere orguilleuse ne fole.
C'est cele qui a la karole

<<
(I pray god yeve hir right good grace! ) 1255
Whan I com first into the place.
She was not nyce, ne outrageous,
But wys and war, and vertuous,
Of faire speche, and faire answere;
Was never wight misseid of here; 1260
She bar no rancour to no wight.
Cleer broun she was, and therto bright
Of face, of body avenaunt;
I wot no lady so plesaunt.
She were worthy for to bene 1265
An emperesse or crouned quene.
And by hir wente a knight dauncing
That worthy was and wel speking,
And ful wel coude he doon honour.
The knight was fair and stif in stour, 1270
And in armure a semely man,
And wel biloved of his lemman.
Fair YDELNESSE than saugh I, YDELNESSE.
That alwey was me faste by.
Of hir have I, withouten fayle, 1275
Told yow the shap and apparayle
For (as I seide) lo, that was she
That dide me so greet bountee,

>>
La soe merci m'apela
Ains que nule, quant je vins la. 1240
El ne fu ne nice, n'umbrage,
Mes sages auques sans outrage,
De biaus respons et de biaus dis,
Onc nus ne fu par li laidis,
Ne ne porta nului rancune.
El fu clere comme la lune
Est avers les autres estoiles
Qui ne resemblent que chandoiles.
Faitisse estoit et avenant,
Je ne sai fame plus plaisant.