Withdrawe your hande, the tyme passis[1750] fast; Set on your hede this laurell whiche is wrought; Here you[1751] not[1752] Eolus for you blowyth a blaste? I dare wele saye that ye and I be sought: Make no delay, for now ye must be brought 1090 Before my ladys grace, the Quene of Fame, Where ye must breuely answere to your name.
Castyng my syght the chambre aboute, To se how duly ich thyng in ordre was, Towarde the dore,[1753] as we were comyng oute, I sawe maister Newton sit with his compas, His plummet, his pensell, his spectacles of[1754] glas, Dyuysynge in pycture, by his industrious wit, Of my laurell the proces euery whitte.
Forthwith vpon this, as it were in a thought, 1100 Gower, Chawcer, Lydgate, theis thre Before remembred, me curteisly[1755] brought Into that place where as they left me, Where all the sayd poetis sat in there degre. But when they sawe my lawrell rychely wrought,[1756] All other besyde were counterfete[1757] they thought
In comparyson of that whiche I ware: Sume praysed the perle, some the stones bryght; Wele was hym that therevpon myght stare; Of this warke[1758] they had so great delyght, 1110 The silke, the golde, the flowris fresshe to syght, They seyd my lawrell was the goodlyest That euer they saw, and wrought it was the best.
In her astate there sat the noble Quene Of Fame: perceyuynge how that I was cum, She wonderyd me thought[1759] at my laurell grene; She loked hawtly, and gaue[1760] on me a glum: Thhere was amonge them no worde[1761] then but mum, For eche man herkynde what she wolde to me[1762] say; Wherof in substaunce I brought this away. 1120
My frende, sith ye ar before vs[1763] here present To answere vnto this noble audyence, Of that shalbe resonde you[1764] ye must be content; And for as moche as, by the hy[1765] pretence That ye haue now thorow[1766] preemynence Of laureat triumphe,[1767] your place is here reseruyd, We wyll vnderstande how ye haue it deseruyd.
Ryght high[1768] and myghty princes of astate, In famous glory all other transcendyng, Of your bounte the accustomable[1769] rate 1130 Hath bene full often and yet is entendyng[1770] To all that to[1771] reason is condiscendyng, But if hastyue[1772] credence by mayntenance of myght Fortune to stande betwene you and the lyght: