Informed when the king was of the knight, And had conceived in his wit aright The manner and the form of all this thing, Full glad and blithe, this noble doughty king Repaired to his revel as beforn. The bridle is into the tower borne, And kept among his jewels lefe and dear; The horse vanish’d, I n’ot in what mannére, Out of their sight; ye get no more of me: But thus I leave in lust and jollitý This Cambuscan his lordës feastying, Until well nigh the day began to spring.
Pars Secunda
The norice of digestión, the sleep, Gan on them wink, and bade them takë keep, That muchë mirth and labour will have rest: And with a gaping mouth he all them kest, And said, that it was timë to lie down, For blood was in his dominatioún: “Cherish the blood, natúrë’s friend,” quoth he. They thanked him gaping, by two and three; And every wight gan draw him to his rest; As sleep them bade, they took it for the best. Their dreamës shall not now be told for me; Full are their headës of fumosity, That caused dreams of which there is no charge. They sleptë till that, it was primë large, The mostë part, but it was Canacé; She was full measuráble, as women be. For of her father had she ta’en her leave, To go to rest, soon after it was eve; Her listë not appalled for to be, Nor on the morrow unfeastly for to see; And slept her firstë sleep, and then awoke. For such a joy she in her heartë took Both of her quaintë a ring and her mirroúr, That twenty times she changed her coloúr; And in her sleep, right for th’ impressión Of her mirrór, she had a visión. Wherefore, ere that the sunnë gan up glide, She call’d upon her mistress’ her beside, And saidë, that her listë for to rise.
These oldë women, that be gladly wise, As are her mistresses, answér’d anon, And said; “Madamë, whither will ye gon Thus early? for the folk be all in rest.” “I will,” quoth she, “arisë, for me lest No longer for to sleep, and walk about.” Her mistresses call’d women a great rout, And up they rosë, well a ten or twelve; Up rosë freshë Canacé herselve, As ruddy