But well I wiste what it made,
It was conserued with the shade,
All the writing that I sie,

Of a castell that so stoode on hie,
And stoode eke in so cold a place,
That heate might it not deface,

Tho gan I on this hill to gone,
And found on the coppe a wone,
That all the men that been on liue,
Ne han the conning to discriue
The beaute of that ilke place,
Ne coud caste no compace,
Soch another for to make,

That might of beauty be his make,
Ne so wonderly ywrought,
That it astonieth yet my thought,
And maketh all my witte to swinke
On this castell for to thinke,
So that the great beautie,
The caste, crafte, and curiositie,
Ne can I not to you deuise,

My witte ne may me not suffise,
But nathelesse all the substaunce
I haue yet in my remembraunce,
For why me thought by saint Gile,
All was of stone of berile,
Both the castell and the toure,
And eke the hall, and euery boure,
Without peeces or joynings,
But many subtell compassings,
As babeuries and pinnacles,
Imageries and tabernacles,
I saw, and full eke of windowes,
As flakes fallen in great snowes,
And eke in each of the pinnacles
Weren sundry habitacles,
In which stooden all withouten,
Full the castle all abouten,
Of all manner of minstrales,
And jestours, that tellen tales
Both of weeping and of game,
And of all that longeth vnto Fame,
There heard I play on an harpe,
That souned both well and sharpe,
Him Orpheus full craftely,

And on this side fast by

Sat the harper Orion,

And Gacides Chirion,

And other harpers many one,
And the Briton Glaskirion,

And smale harpers with hir glees,
Sate vnder hem in diuers sees,
And gone on hem upward to gape,
And counterfeited hem as an ape,
Or as craft counterfeit kind.

Tho saw I standen hem behind, A farre from hem, all by hemselue, Many a thousand times twelue, That made loud minstralcies In cornmuse and shalmies,

And many another pipe, That craftely began to pipe, Both in douced and in rede, That ben at feasts with the brode, And many a floite and litling horne, And pipes made of greene corne, As haue these little heard gromes, That keepen beasts in the bromes. There saw I than dan Citherus, And of Athenes dan Proserus,

And Mercia that lost her skinne,
Both in face, body, and chinne,
For that she would enuien lo,
To pipen bette than Apollo.

There saw I eke famous old and yong, Pipers of all the Dutch tong,

To learne loue daunces, springs,
Reyes, and the straunge things.

Tho saw I in another place,
Standing in a large space
Of hem that maken bloody soun,
In trumpe beme, and clarioun,
For in fight and bloodsheddings
Is used gladly clarionings.

There heard I trumpe, Messenus,
Of whom that speaketh Uergilius.
There heard I Joab trumpe also,
Theodomas, and other mo,
And all that vsed clarion,
In Casteloigne and Aragon,
That in hir times famous were,
To learnen saw I trumpen there.
There saw I sit in other sees,
Playing upon other sundry glees,
Which that I cannot neuen,
Mo than sterres ben in Heuen,
Of which I nill as now not rime,
For ease of you, and losse of time:
For time ylost, this know ye,
By no way may recouered be.

There saw I playing jogelours,
Magiciens, and tragetours,
And phetonisses, charmeresses,
Old witches, sorceresses,
That vsen exorsisations,

And eke subfumigations,

And clerkes eke, which conne well
All this magicke naturell,
That craftely doe hir entents,
To maken in certaine ascendents,
Images lo, through which magike,
To maken a man ben hole or sike.

There saw I the queene Medea,
And Circes eke, and Caliophia.

There saw I Hermes Ballenus, Limote, and eke Simon Magus.

There saw I, and knew by name,
That by such art done men haue fame.
There saw I Coll Tragetour
Upon a table of sicamour
Play an vncouth thing to tell,

I saw him earry a wind mell
Under a walnote shale.

What should I make lenger tale,
Of all the people that I sey,

I could not tell till domisdey.

Whan I had all this folke behold, And found me loose and not hold, And I amused a long while

Upon this wall of berile,

That shone lighter than a glas,

And made well more than it was,

As kind thing of fame is,

And than anone after this,
I gan forth romen till I fond

The castell yate on my right hond,
Which so well coruen was,
That neuer such another nas,
And yet it was by auenture

Ywrought by great and subtill cure;

It needeth not you more to tellen,
To make you too long dwellen,
Of these yates florishings,
Ne of compaces, ne of karuings,
Ne how the hacking in masonries,
As corbets, and imageries,

But Lord so faire it was to shewe,
For it was all with gold behewe,
But in I went, and that anone
There met I crying many one,
"A larges a larges, hold vp well
God saue the lady of this pell,
Our owne gentill lady Fame,

And hem that willen to haue a name
Of vs," thus heard I crien all,
And fast commen out of the hall,
And shoke nobles and starlings,
And crowned were as kings,

With crownes wrought full of losinges,
And many ribans, and many fringes
Were on hir clothes truely.

Tho at the last espied I
That purseuauntes and heraudes,
That crien riche folkes laudes,
It weren, all and euery man
Of hem, as I you tell can
Had on him throwe a vesture,
Which men clepe a coate armure,
Embroudred wonderly riche,
As though they were not yliche,
But nought will I, so mote I thriue,
Be about to discriue

All these armes that there weren,
That they thus on hir coates weren,
For to me were impossible,
Men might make of hem a bible,
Twenty foote thicke as I trowe,
For certain who so coud know,
Might there all the armes seen,
Of famous folke that had been
In Affrike, Europe, and Asie,
Sith first began cheualrie.

Lo, how should I now tell all this,
Ne of the hall eke what need is,
To tellen you that euery wall
Of it, and rofe and flore with all,
Was plated halfe a foote thicke
Of golde, and that nas not wicke,
But for to proue in all wise,
As fine as ducket in Uenise,

Of which to lite all in my pouche is,
And they were set as thicke of ouches
Fine, of the finest stones fayre,
That men reden in the lapidaire,
Or as grasses growen in a mede,
But it were all to long to rede
The names, and therefore I pace,
But in this lustie and riche place,
That Fames hall called was,
Full moch prees of folke there nas,
Ne crouding, for to moch prees,
But all on hie aboue a dees,
Satte in a see imperiall,

That made was of rubie royall,

Which that a carbuncle is ycalled,
I sawe perpetually ystalled,
A feminine creature,
That neuer formed by nature
Was soch another thing I saie:
For altherfirst, soth to saie,

Me thought that she was so lite,
That the length of a cubite,
Was lenger than she seemed be,
But thus soone in a while she,
Her self tho wonderly streight,

That with her feet she therthe reight,

And with her hedde she touched Heauen,
There as shineth the sterres seuen,
And thereto yet, as to my wit,

I saw a great wonder yet,
Upon her iyen to behold,
But certainly I hem neuer told,
For as fele iyen had she,
As fethers vpon foules be,
Or weren on the beasts foure,
That Goddes trone can honour,
As writeth John in the Apocalips,
Her heer that was owndie and crips,
As burned gold it shone to see.

And sothe to tellen also shee,
Had also fele vp standing eares,
And tonges, as on beast been heares,
And on her feete woxen saw I,
Partriche winges redily.

But Lord the perrie and the richesse,
I saw sitting on the goddesse,
And the heauenly melodie,
Of songes full of armonie,

I heard about her trone ysong,
That all the palais wall rong,
So song the mighty Muse she,
That cleped is Caliope,
And her seuen sisterne eke,
That in hir faces seemen meke,
And euermore eternally,
They song of Fame tho heard I,
"Heried be thou and thy name,
Goddes of renoun and of Fame."

Tho was I ware at the last,
As I mine iyen gan vp cast,
That this ilke noble queene,
On her shoulders gan sustene
Both the armes and the name
Of tho that had large fame,
Alisander, and Hercules,

That with a sherte his life did lese,
And thus found I sitting this goddesse,
In noble honour and richesse,
Of which I stinte a while now,
Other thing to tellen you.

Tho saw I stande on thother side,
Streight doune to the doores wide,
From the dees many a pillere

Of metall, that shone not full clere,
But though ther were of no richesse,
Yet were they made for great noblesse,
And in hem great sentence,

And folke of hie and digne reuerence,
Of which to tell will I fonde.

Upon a piller sawe I stonde,
Alderfirst there I sie,
Upon a piller stonde on hie,
That was of lede and of iron fine,

Him of the secte Saturnine,

The Ebraike Josephus the old,
That of Jewes gestes told,
And he bare on his shulders hie,
The fame vp of the Jurie,
And by him stoden other seuen,
Wise and worthy for to neuen,

To helpen him beare vp the charge,
It was so heauy and so large,
And for they written of battayles,
As well as of other maruayles,
Therefore was lo, this pillere,
Of which I you tell here,
Of leade and iron both iwis,
For iron Martes metall is,
Which that god is of battayle,
And the leade withouten fayle,
Is lo, the metall of Saturne,

That hath full large whele to turne,
To stand forth on either rowe
Of hem, which I could knowe,
Though I by order hem not tell,
To make you to long to dwell.

These, of which I gan rede,
There saw I stand out of drede,
Upon an iron piller strong,
That painted was all endlong,
With tigres blood in euery place,
The Tholason that height Stace,
That bare of Thebes vp the name,
Upon his shoulders, and the fame
Also of cruell Achilles,

And by him stode withouten lees,
Full wonder hie vpon a piller
Of iron, he the great Omer,
And with him Dares and Titus
Before, and eke he Lollius,
And Guido eke the Colempnis,
And English Galfride eke iwis,
And ech of these as I haue joy,
Was busie to beare vp Troy,
So heavy thereof was the fame,
That for to beare it was no game,
But yet I gan full well espie,
Betwene hem was a little enuie,
One said that Omer made lies,
Feyning in his poetries,

And was to the Greekes fauourable,
Therefore held he it but fable.

Tho saw I stand on a pillere,
That was of tinned iron clere,
The Latine poete Virgile,
That hath bore vp a long while
The fame of pius Eneas.

And next him on a piller was,
Of copper, Venus clerke, Ouide,
That hath sowen wondrous wide
The great god of loues fame,
And there he bare vp well his name,
Upon this piller also hie,

As I might see it with mine iye:
For why this hall whereof I rede,
Was woxe on height, length, and brede,
Well more by a thousand deale,
Than it was erst, that saw I weale.
Tho saw I on a piller by,
Of iron wrought full sternely,
The great poet dan Lucan,
That on his shoulders bare vp than,
As hie as that I might see,
The fame of Julius, and Pompee,
And by him stoden all these clerkes,
That write of Romes mighty werkes,
That if I would hir names tell,
All to long must I dwell.

And next him on a piller stood,
Of sulphure, liche as he were wood,

Dan Claudian, sothe for to tell,
That bare vp all the fame of Hell,
Of Pluto, and of Proserpine,
That queene is of the derke pine,
What should I more tell of this,
The ball was all full iwis,
Of hem that written old jestes,
As been on trees rokes nestes,
But it a full confuse mattere
Were all these jestes for to here,
That they of write, and how they hight.
But while that I beheld this sight,

I herde a noise approchen bliue,
That fareth as bees done in an hiue,
Ayenst her time of out flying,
Right soch a maner murmuring,
For all the world it seemed mee.

Tho gan I looke about and see,
That there come entring into the hall,
A right great company withall,
And that of sondry regions,

Of all kind of condicions,

That dwell in yearth vnder the Moone,
Poore and riche; and all so soone
As they were come into the hall,
They gan on knees doune to fall,
Before this ilke noble queene,
"And said, Graunt vs lady sheene,
Eche of vs of thy grace a bone,"
And some of hem she graunted sone,
And some she warned well and faire,
And some she graunted the contraire
Of hir asking vtterly:

But this I say you truely,
What her grace was, I nist,
For of these folke full well I wist,
They had good fame eche deserued,
Although they were diuersly serued,
Right as her sister dame Fortune
Is wont to serue in commune.

Now herken how she gan to pay
Hem that gan her of grace pray,
And yet lo, all this companie
Saiden soth, and not a lie.
"Madame," sayd they, "6
we bee
Folke that here besechen thee,
That thou graunt vs now good fame,
And let our workes haue good name,
In full recompensacioun

Of good worke, giue vs good renoun."
"I warne it you" (quod she) " anone,
Ye get of me good fame none,
By God, and therefore go your way."
"Alas" (quod they)" and welaway,
Tell vs what your cause may be."

"For me list it not" (quod she) "No wight shall speake of you iwis, Good ne harme, ne that ne this.

And with that worde she gan to call Her messenger that was in hall, And bad that he should faste gone, Upon paine to be blind anone, For Eolus the god of winde, In Trace there ye shall him finde, And bid him bring his clarioun, That is full diuers of his soun, And it is cleped cleare laude, With which he wont is to heraude Hem that me list ypraised bee: And also bid him how that hee

Bring eke his other clarioun,
That height sclaunder in euery toun,
With which he wont is to diffame

Hem that me list, and doe hem shame.

This messenger gan fast to gone,
And found where in a caue of stone,
In a countree that height Trace,
This Eolus with harde grace,
Helde the windes in distresse,
And gan hem vnder him to presse,
That they gone as the beres rore,
He bound and pressed hem so sore.

This messenger gan fast crie,
"Rise vp" (quod he) "and fast thee hie,
Till thou at my lady bee,

And take thy clarions eke with thee,
And speed thee fast:" and he anone,
Tooke to one that hight Tritone,
His clarions to bearen tho,
And let a certaine winde go,
That blewe so hidously and hie,
That it ne left not a skie

In all the welken long and brode.
This Eolus no where abode,
Till he was come to Fames feete,
And eke the man that Triton heete,
And there he stode as still as stone,
And herewithall there came anone
Another huge companie

Of good folke and gan to crie,
"Lady graunt vs now good fame
And let our workes haue that name,
Now in honour of gentilnesse,
And also God your soule blesse,
For we han well deserued it,
Therefore is right that we be quit."

"As thriue I" (quod she) "ye shall fayle,
Good workes shall you not auayle,
To haue of me good fame as now,
But wote ye what, I graunt you,
That ye shall haue a shrewd name,
And wicked loos and worse fame,
Though ye good loos haue well deserued,
Now goeth your way for you been serued :
And thou dan Eolus" (quod she)
"Take forth thy trumpe anone let see,
That is ycleped sclaunder light,
And blow hir loos, that euery wight
Speake of hem harme and shreudnesse,
In stede of good and worthinesse,
For thou shalt trumpe all the contrarie,
Of that they haue done well and faire."

Alas thought I, what auentures
Haue these sory creatures,
That they among all the pres,
Should thus be shamed giltles?
But what, it must needes be.
What did this Eolus, but he

Tooke out his blacke trumpe of bras,
That fouler than the Deuill was,
And gan this trompe for to blow,
As all the world should ouerthrow,
Throughout euery regioun,
Went this foule trumpes soun,
As swifte as a pillet out of a gonne,
When fire is in the pouder ronne,
And soch a smoke gan out wende,
Out of the foule trumpes ende,
Blacke, blue, grenishe, swartish, rede,
As doth where that men melte lede,

Lo, all on hie from the tewell,
And thereto one thing saw I well,
That the ferther that it ranne,
The greater wexen it beganne,
As doth the riuer from a well,
And it stanke as the pitte of Hell,
Alas, thus was hir shame yrong,
And giltlesse on euery tong.

Tho came the third companie,
And gone vp to the dees to hie,
And doune on knees they fell anone,

And saiden, "We been euerichone
Folke that han full truely
Deserued fame rightfully,

And prayed you it might be know,
Right as it is and forth blow."

"I graunt" (quod she)" for now me list
That your good workes shall be wist,
And yet ye shall haue better loos,
Right in dispite of all your foos,
Than worthy is, and that anone:
Let now" (quod she)" thy trumpe gone,
Thou Eolus that is so blacke,
And out thine other trumpe take
That bight laude, and blow it so
That through the world hir fame go,
All easely and not too fast,
That it be knowen at the last."

"Full gladly lady mine" he saied, And out his trumpe of gold he braied Anone, and set it to his mouth,

And blewe it east, west, and south,
And north, as loude as any thonder,
That euery wight hath of it wonder,
So brode it ran or that it stent,
And certes all the breath that went
Out of his trumpes mouth smelde,
As men a potte full of baume helde
Among a basket full of roses,
This fauour did he to hir loses.

And right with this I gan espie,
There came the fowerth companie,
But certaine they were wonder fewe,
And gonne to standen on a rewe,
And saiden," Certes lady bright,
We have done well with all our might,
But we ne keepe to haue fame,
Hide our workes and our name,
For Goddes loue, for certes wee
Haue surely done it for bountee,
And for no manner other thing."

"I graunt you all your asking,"
(Quod she)" let your workes be dedde."
With that about I tourned my hedde,
And sawe anone the fifth rout
That to this lady gan lout,

And doune on knees anone to fall,

And to her tho besoughten all,

To hiden hir good workes eke,
And said, they yeue not a leke,
For no fame, ne soch renoun,
For they for contemplacioun,
And Goddes loue had it wrought,
Ne of fame would they nought.

"What" (quod she)" and be ye wood,
And wene ye for to do good,
And for to haue of that no fame,
Haue ye dispite to haue my name,
Nay ye shall lien euerichone:
Blowe thy trumpe and that anone,"

(Quod she)" thou Eolus I hote,

And ring these folkes workes by note,
That all the world may of it heare:
And he gan blowe hir loos so cleare,
In his golden clarioun,

Through the worlde went the soun,
Also kindly and eke so soft,
That their fame was blowe aloft.

Tho came the sixt companie,
And gan fast to Fame crie,
Right verely in this manere,
They saiden, "Mercy lady dere,
To tell certain as it is,

We have done neither that ne this,
But idell all our life hath be,
But nathelesse yet pray we,
That we may haue as good a fame,
And great renome and knowen name,
As they that haue do noble jestes,
And acheued all hir questes,
As well of loue as other thing,
All was vs neuer broche ne ring,
Ne els what fro women sent,
Ne ones in hir herte yment,
To maken vs onely frendly chere,
But mought temen vs on bere,
Yet let us to the people seeme
Soch as the world may of vs deeme,
That women louen vs for wood,
It shall do us as moch good,
And to our herte as moch auaile,
The counterpeise, ease, and trauaile,
As we had won with labour,
For that is dere bought honour,
At regard of our great ease:
And yet ye must us more please,
Let us be hold eke therto,
Worthy, wise, and good also,
And rich, and happy vnto loue.
For Goddes loue that sitteth aboue,
Though we may not the body haue
Of women, yet so God me saue,
Let men glewe on vs the name,
Suffiseth that we have the fame."

"I graunt" (quod she)" by my trouth, Now Eolius withouten slouth,"

Take out thy trumpe of gold" (qnod she)
"And blowe as they haue asked me,
That euery man wene hem at ease,
Though they go in full badde lease,"
This Eolus gan it so blowe,

That through the world it was iknow.
Tho came the seuenth route anone,
And fill on knees euerichone,
And sayed," Lady graunt vs soone,
The same thing, the same boone,
That this nexte folke haue done."

"Fie on you" (quod she)" cuerichone,
Ye nastie swine, ye idle wretches,
Full of rotten slow tetches,
What false theeues where ye wold,
Been famed good, and nothing nold
Deserue why, ne neuer thought,
Men rather you to hangen ought,

For ye be like the slepie cat,

That would haue fish: but wost thou what?

He woll nothing weate his clawes,

Euil thrifte come to your iawes,

And on myne, if I it graunt,

Or do fauour you to auaunt.

"Than Eolus, thou kyng of Thrace,
Go blowe this folke a sorie grace,"
Quod she," anone, and wost thou how,
As I shall tell thee right now,

Say these ben they that would honour
Haue, and do no kins labour,

Ne do no good, and yet haue laude,
And that men wende that belle I saude,
Ne coude hem not of loue werne,
And yet she that grint at querne,
Is all too good to ease hir herte."
This Eolus anone vp sterte,
And with his blacke clarioun
He gan to blasen out a soun,
As loude as belleth winde in Hell,
And eke therewith sothe to tell,
This sowne was so full of iapes,
As euer mowes were in apes,
And that went all the world about,
That euery wight gan on hem shout,
And for to laugh as they were wood,
Soch game found they in hir hood.

Tho came another company,
That had ydone the trechery,
The harme and great wickednesse,
That any herte coulden gesse,
And prayed her to haue good fame,
And that she nolde do hem no shame,
But giue hem loos and good renoun,
And do it blowe in clarioun.

"Nay wis," quod she, "it were a vice,
Al be there in me no iustice,
Me list not to do it now,
Ne this I nill graunt it you."

Tho came there leaping in a rout,
And gan clappen all about,
Euery man vpon the crowne
That all the hall gan to sowne,

And said, "Lady lefe and dere,

We ben soch folkes as ye may here,
To tell all the tale aright,
We ben shrewes every wight,
And haue delite in wickednesse,
As good folke haue in goodnesse,
And ioy to been knowen shrewes,
And full vice and wicked thewes,
Wherefore we pray you on a rowe,
That our fame be soch yknow,
In all things right as it is.

"I graunt it you," quod she, "ywis,
But what art thou that saiest this tale,
That wearest on thy hose a pale,
And on thy tippet soch a bell ?"

"Madame," quod he, " sothe to tell,

I am that ilke shrewe iwis

That brent the temple of Isidis

In Athenes, lo that citee."

"And wherefore diddest thou so," quod she? "By my trouth," quod he, " madame,

I wolde faine haue had a name,

As other folke had in the towne,
Although they were of great renowne
For hir vertue and hir thewes,
Thought I, as great fame haue shrewes:
(Though it be nought) for shrewdnesse,
As good folke haue for goodnesse,
And sithen I may not haue that one,
That other nyll I not forgone,
As for to get a fame here,
The temple set I all on fire.