alegest to be ayen thyne hertely desyre.'

5

'Ye, forsothe,' quod I; 'and that, so comenly, the people wol

lye, and bringe aboute suche enfame.'

'Now,' quod she, 'if men with lesinges putte on thee enfame,

wenest thy-selfe therby ben enpeyred? That wening is wrong;

see why; for as moche as they lyen, thy meryte encreseth, and

10

make[th] thee ben more worthy, to hem that knowen of the soth;

by what thing thou art apeyred, that in so mokil thou art encresed