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But at the laste than thoughte I,
That scatheles, ful sikerly, 1550
I mighte unto THE WELLE go. THE WELLE.
Wherof shulde I abasshen so?
Unto the welle than wente I me,
And doun I louted for to see
The clere water in the stoon, 1555
And eek the gravel, which that shoon
Down in the botme, as silver fyn;
For of the welle, this is the fyn,
In world is noon so cleer of hewe.
The water is ever fresh and newe 1560
That welmeth up with wawes brighte
The mountance of two finger highte.
Abouten it is gras springing,
For moiste so thikke and wel lyking,
That it ne may in winter dye, 1565
No more than may the see be drye.
Down at the botme set saw I
Two cristal stones craftely
In thilke fresshe and faire welle.
But o thing soothly dar I telle, 1570

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Que dedens n'osai regarder,
Ains commencai a coarder,
Quant de Narcisus me sovint,
Cui malement en mesavint;
Mes ge me pensai qu'asseur,
Sans paor de maves eur,
A la fontaine aler pooie,
Por folie m'en esmaioie. 1530
De la fontaine m'apressai,
Quant ge fui pres, si m'abessai
Por veoir l'iaue qui coroit,
Et la gravele qui paroit
Au fons plus clere qu'argens fins,
De la fontaine c'est la fins.
En tout le monde n'ot si bele,
L'iaue est tousdis fresche et novele,
Qui nuit et jor sourt a grans ondes
Par deux doiz creuses et parfondes. 1540
Tout entour point l'erbe menue,
Qui vient por l'iaue espesse et drue,
Et en iver ne puet morir
Ne que l'iaue ne puet tarir.
Ou fons de la fontaine aval
Avoit deux pierres de cristal
Qu'a grande entente remirai,
Et une chose vous dirai,

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That ye wol holde a greet mervayle
Whan it is told, withouten fayle.
For whan the sonne, cleer in sighte,
Cast in that welle his bemes brighte,
And that the heet descended is, 1575
Than taketh the cristal stoon, y-wis,
Agayn the sonne an hundred hewes,
Blewe, yelowe, and rede, that fresh and newe is.
Yit hath the merveilous cristal
Swich strengthe, that the place overal, 1580
Bothe fowl and tree, and leves grene,
And al the yerd in it is sene.
And for to doon you understonde,
To make ensample wol I fonde;
Right as a mirour openly 1585
Sheweth al thing that stant therby,
As wel the colour as the figure,
Withouten any coverture;
Right so the cristal stoon, shyning,
Withouten any disceyving, 1590
The estres of the yerde accuseth
To him that in the water museth;
For ever, in which half that he be,
He may wel half the gardin see;

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Qu'a merveilles, ce cuit, tenres
Tout maintenant que vous l'orres.
1550
Quant li solaus qui tout aguete,
Ses rais en la fontaine giete,
Et la clartes aval descent,
Lors perent colors plus de cent
Ou cristal, qui por le soleil
Devient ynde, jaune et vermeil:
Si ot le cristal merveilleus
Itel force que tous li leus,
Arbres et flors et quanqu'aorne
Li vergiers, i pert tout aorne; 1560
Et por faire la chose entendre,
Un essample vous veil aprendre.
Ainsinc cum li mireors montre
Les choses qui li sunt encontre,
Et y voit-l'en sans coverture
Et lor color, et lor figure;
Tretout ausinc vous dis por voir,
Que li cristal, sans decevoir,
Tout l'estre du vergier accusent
A ceus qui dedens l'iaue musent: 1570
Car tous jours quelque part qu'il soient,
L'une moitie du vergier voient;

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And if he turne, he may right wel 1595
Seen the remenaunt everydel.
For ther is noon so litel thing
So hid, ne closed with shitting,
That it ne is sene, as though it were
Peynted in the cristal there. 1600
This is the mirour perilous,
In which the proude Narcisus
Saw al his face fair and bright,
That made him sith to lye upright.
For who-so loke in that mirour, 1605
Ther may no-thing ben his socour
That he ne shal ther seen som thing
That shal him lede into [loving].
Ful many a worthy man hath it
Y-blent; for folk of grettest wit 1610
Ben sone caught here and awayted;
Withouten respyt been they bayted.
Heer comth to folk of-newe rage,
Heer chaungeth many wight corage;
Heer lyth no reed ne wit therto; 1615
For Venus sone, daun Cupido,
Hath sowen there of love the seed,
That help ne lyth ther noon, ne reed,

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Et s'il se tornent maintenant,
Pueent veoir le remenant.
Si n'i a si petite chose,
Tant reposte, ne tant enclose,
Dont demonstrance n'i soit faite,
Cum s'ele iert es cristaus portraite.
C'est li mireoirs perilleus,
Ou Narcisus li orguilleus 1580
Mira sa face et ses yex vers,
Dont il jut puis mors tout envers.
Qui en cel mireor se mire,
Ne puet avoir garant de mire,
Que tel chose a ses yex ne voie,
Qui d'amer l'a tost mis en voie.
Maint vaillant homme a mis a glaive
Cis mireors, car li plus saive,
Li plus preus, li miex afetie
I sunt tost pris et aguetie. 1590
Ci sourt as gens novele rage,
Ici se changent li corage;
Ci n'a mestier sens, ne mesure,
Ci est d'amer volente pure;
Ci ne se set conseiller nus;
Car Cupido, li fils Venus,

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So cercleth it the welle aboute.
His ginnes hath he set withoute 1620
Right for to cacche in his panteres
These damoysels and bacheleres.
Love wil noon other bridde cacche,
Though he sette either net or lacche.
And for the seed that heer was sowen, 1625
This welle is cleped, as wel is knowen,
The Welle of Love, of verray right,
Of which ther hath ful many a wight
Spoke in bokes dyversely.
But they shulle never so verily 1630
Descripcioun of the welle here,
Ne eek the sothe of this matere,
As ye shulle, whan I have undo
The craft that hir bilongeth to.