525

†Than seyde Love, 'a ful gret negligence

Was hit to thee, to write unstedfastnesse

*Of women, sith thou knowest hir goodnesse

*By preef, and eek by stories heer-biforn;

*Let be the chaf, and wryt wel of the corn.

530

*Why noldest thou han writen of Alceste,

*And leten Criseide been a-slepe and reste?

*[For of Alceste shulde thy wryting be],