[6-text p 264]
Lordynges / ensample / heer-by may ye take
How that in lordshipe / is no sikernesse
ffor whan ffortune wole a man forsake
She bereth awey / his regne and his richesse
Line 3432
And eek hise freendes / bothe moore and lesse
ffor what man / þat hath freendes / thurgh ffortune
Mishape / wol maken hem enemys as I gesse
This prouerbe / is ful sooth and ful commune
Line 3436
[Zenobia.]
CEnobia / of Palymerie Queene [¶ Cenobia]
As writen Persiens / of hir noblesse
So worthy was in Armes / and so keene
That no wight passed hire in hardynesse
Line 3440
Ne in lynage / nor in oother gentillesse
Of kynges blood of Perce / is she descended
I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse
But of hire shape / she myghte nat been amended
Line 3444
ffrom hire childhede / I fynde that she fledde
Office of wommen / and to wode she went
And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde
With arwes brode / that she to hem sente
Line 3448
She was so swift / þat she anon hem hente
And whan þat she was elder / she wolde kille
Leons / leopardes / and Beres al to-rente
And in hir Armes / weelde hem at hir wille
Line 3452
She dorste / wilde beestes dennes seke
And rennen in the montaignes 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 maydenhod / from euery wight
To no man / deigned hire for to be bonde
Line 3460
