nd bere a downe,
And hym to encresene as Cristes champione;
Alle myschevys from hym to abrigge,
With the grace of God, at the entryng of this[161] brigge."

[Footnote 161: the.]

Too antilopis stondyng on either syde,
With the armes of Ingelond and of Fraunce,
In token that God schall for hym provide,
As he hath title be juste eneritaunce,
To regne in pees, plente, and alle plesaunce;
Cesyng of werre, that men myghte ryden and[162] gone,
As trewe liegis, there hertys mad bothe oone.

[Footnote 162: or.]

Forthermore, so as the kyng gan ryde,
Middes of the brigge there was a toure on lofte;
The lord of lordes beynge ay his gyde,
As he hath be and yit wil be ful ofte.
The tour araied with velwetty softe,
Clothys of gold, silk, and tapicerie,
As apperteynyth to his regalye.

And at his comyng, of excellent beaute,
Benygne[163] of port, most womanly of chere,
There issued out, empresses thre;
There here displaied, as Phebus in his[164] spere,
With crownettys of gold and stones clere;
At whos out comyng thei gaf swyche a light,
That the beholders were stonyed in there sight.

[Footnote 163: beyng.]

[Footnote 164: her.]

[Sidenote: Nature.]

[Sidenote: Grace.]

The first of them was callyd[165] NATURE,
As sche that hath undyr here demayne,
Man, beest, and foul, and every creature,
Withinne the bondys of here goldyn cheyne;[166]
Eke hevene, and erthe, and every creature,[167]
This empresse of custum doth enbrace:
And next here com here suster callyd GRACE.

[Footnote 165: called was.]

[Footnote 166: _These lines are transposed._]

[Footnote 167: _These lines are transposed._]

Passyng famous, and of gret reverence,
Most desyryd in alle regions;
For where that evere shewith here presence,
She bryngeth gladnes to citees and to townys.
Of alle welle fare she halt[168] the possessionys,
For y dar sey, prosperite in no place,
No while abidith, but if there be grace.

[Footnote 168: holdeth.]

[Sidenote: Fortune.]

In tokene that Grace shal[169] longe continue,
Unto the kyng, she shewyd here ful benygne;
And next here com the empresse FORTUNE,
To hym aperyng with many a noble signe,
And riall tokenys, to shew that he was digne,
Of God disposyd as lust[170] ordeygne,
Upon his hed to were crownes tweyne.

[Footnote 169: shuld.]

[Footnote 170: lyst.]

[Sidenote: Natura Gracia et Fortuna.]

These thre ladies, al of on entent,
Thre goostly gyftes, hevynly, and devyne,
Unto the kyng anon th