IV.
Sluggard, she said, awake anon for shame,
And in mine honour something thou go write;
The lark has done, the merry day proclaim,
Lovers to raise with comfort and delight;
Will nought increase thy courage to indite,
Whose heart sometime has glad and blissful been,
Songs oft to make, under the branches green?
V.
Whereto, quoth I, shall I uprise at morrow,
For in thy month few birds have I heard sing,
They have mare cause to weep and plain their sorrow:
Thy air it is not wholsome nor benign,
Lord Eolus does in thy season ring,
So bousteous are the blasts of his shrill horn,
Among thy boughs to walk I have forborn.
VI.
With that the lady soberly did smile,
And said, uprise and do thy observance:
Thou did promise in May's lusty while,
Then to describe the ROSE of most pleasance
Go see the birdis how they sing and dance,
And how the skies illumined are bright,
Enamell'd richly with new azure light.
VII.
When this was said, away then went the Queen,
And enter'd in a lusty garden gent;
And then methought, full hastily beseen,
In sark and mantle after her I went
Into this garth most dulce and redolent,
Of herb and flower, and tender plants most sweet,
And the green leaves doing of dew down fleit.
VIII.
The purple sun, with tender rayis red,
In orient bright as angel did appear,
Through golden skies advancing up his head,
Whose gilded tresses shone so wondrous clear,
That all the world took comfort far and near,
To look upon his fresh and blissful face,
Doing all sable frae the Heavens chace.