u conjurest me by such a lady; tell me where thy
clothes are and I will go for them and help thee come down from up
yonder.' The lady, believing this, was somewhat comforted and showed
him where she had laid her clothes; whereupon he went forth of the
tower and bidding his servant not depart thence, but abide near at
hand and watch as most he might that none should enter there till such
time as he should return, went off to his friend's house, where he
dined at his ease and after, whenas himseemed time, betook himself to
sleep; whilst the lady, left upon the tower, albeit some little
heartened with fond hope, natheless beyond measure woebegone, sat up
and creeping close to that part of the wall where there was a little
shade, fell a-waiting, in company of very bitter thoughts. There she
abode, now hoping and now despairing of the scholar's return with her
clothes, and passing from one thought to another, she presently fell
asleep, as one who was overcome of dolour and who had slept no whit
the past night.

The sun, which was exceeding hot, being now risen to the meridian,
beat full and straight upon her tender and delicate body and upon her
head, which was all uncovered, with such force that not only did it
burn her flesh, wherever it touched it, but cracked and opened it all
over little by little, and such was the pain of the burning that it
constrained her to awake, albeit she slept fast. Feeling herself on
the roast and moving somewhat, it seemed as if all her scorched skin
cracked and clove asunder for the motion, as we see happen with a
scorched sheepskin, if any stretch it, and to boot her head irked her
so sore that it seemed it would burst, which was no wonder. And the
platform of the tower was so burning hot that she could find no
restingplace there either for her feet or for otherwhat; wherefore,
without standing fast, she still removed now hither and now thither,
weeping. Moreover, there being not a breath of wind, the flies and
gads flocked thither in swarms and settling upon her cracked flesh,
stung her so cruelly that each prick seemed to her a pike-stab;
wherefore she stinted not to fling her hands about, still cursing
herself, her life, her lover and the scholar.

Being thus by the inexpressible heat of the sun, by the flies and the
gads and likewise by hunger, but much more by thirst, and by a
thousand irksome thoughts, to boot, tortured and stung and pierced to
the quick, she started to her feet and