Vnder a gloryous cloth of astate, Fret all with orient perlys of Garnate, Encrownyd as empresse of all this worldly[1603] fate, So ryally, so rychely, so passyngly ornate, It was excedyng byyonde the commowne rate: This hous enuyrowne was a myle about; If xii were let in, xii hundreth[1604] stode without. 490
Then to this lady and souerayne of this palace Of purseuantis ther presid in with many a[1605] dyuerse tale; Some were of Poyle, and sum were of Trace, Of Lymerik, of Loreine, of Spayne, of Portyngale,[1606] Frome Napuls, from Nauern, and from Rounceuall, Some from Flaunders, sum fro the se coste, Some from the mayne lande, some fro the Frensche hoste:
With, How doth the north? what tydyngis in the sowth? The west is wyndy, the est is metely wele; It is harde to tell of euery mannes mouthe; 500 A slipper holde the taile is of an ele, And he haltith often that hath a kyby hele; Some shewid his salfecundight,[1607] some shewid his charter,[1608] Some lokyd full smothely, and had a fals quarter;[1609]
With, Sir, I pray you, a lytyll tyne stande backe, And lette me come in to delyuer my lettre; Another tolde how shyppes wente to wrak; There were many wordes smaller and gretter, With, I as good as thou, Ifayth and no better; Some came to tell treuth, some came to lye, 510 Some came[1610] to flater, some came to spye:
There were, I say, of all maner of sortis, Of Dertmouth, of Plummouth, of Portismouth also; The burgeis and the ballyuis of the v portis, With, Now let me come, and now let me go: And all tyme wandred I thus to and fro, Tyll at the last theis noble poetis thre Vnto me sayd, Lo, syr, now ye may se
Of this high courte the dayly besines; From you most we, but not[1611] longe to tary; 520 Lo, hither commyth a goodly maystres, Occupacyon, Famys regestary, Whiche shall be to you a sufferayne accessary, With syngular pleasurs to dryue away the tyme, And we shall se you ageyne or it be pryme.
When they were past and wente forth on there way, This gentilwoman, that callyd was by name Occupacyon, in ryght goodly aray, Came towarde me, and smylid halfe in game; I sawe hir smyle, and I then[1612] did the same; 530 With that on me she kest[1613] her goodly loke; Vnder her arme, me thought, she hade a boke.