[6-text p 264]
¶ Lordynges / ensample heer-by may ye take
How that in lordshipe / is no sikernesse
ffor whan ffortune / wol a man forsake
She bereth awey / his regne and his richesse
Line 3432
And eke hise freendes / bothe moore and lesse
ffor what man / þat hath freendes thurgh ffortune
Mishape / wol make hem enemys I gesse
This prouerbe / is ful sooth / and ful commune
Line 3436
[Zenobia.]
CEnobia / of Palymerie queene [folio 92b]
As writen Perciens / of hir noblesse
So worthy was in Armes / and so keene
That no wight passed hire in hardynesse
Line 3440
Ne in lynage / ne oother gentilesse
Of kynges blood of Perce / is she descended
I sey nat þat she hadde moost fairnesse
But of hir shape / she myghte nat been amended
Line 3444
¶ ffrom hire childhede / I fynde þat she fledde
Office of wommen / and to wode she wente
And many / a wilde hertes blood she shedde
With Arwes brode / that she to hem sente
Line 3448
She was so swift þat she anoon hem hente
And whan þat she was elder / she wolde kille
Leons / Leopardes / and Beres al torente
And in hir Armes / welde hem at hir wille
Line 3452
¶ Sche dorste / wilde beestes dennes seke
And rennen in the montaynes / al the nyght
And slepen vnder the bussh / and she koude eke
Wrastlen / by verray force / and verray myght
Line 3456
With any yong man / were he neuer so wight
Ther myghte no thyng in hir armes stonde
She kepte hir maydenhede / from euery wight.
To no man / deigned hire to be bonde
Line 3460
