Page:The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer.djvu/118



HERE was once, as Titus Livius telleth, a knight called Virginius, full of honour and worthiness, strong in his friends and of great wealth. This knight had by his wife a daughter ; no children more had he in all his days. In excellent beauty, this maid was fair above every wight that men may see; for Nature with sovereign care hath formed her in so great excellence as though she would say: "Lo! I, Nature, thus can I form and paint a breathing being when I list ; who can imitate me? Not Pygmalion, though aye he forge and beat, or grave, or paint; for I dare well say that Apelles and Zeuxis should work in vain if they presumed to imitate me by graving or painting or forging or beating. For he that is the chief Creator hath made me his vicar-general to form and paint earthly creatures even as I list, and each thing under the moon that waxeth and waneth is in my care, and for my work I will ask nothing; my lord and I be fully of one accord. For the worship of my sovereign I made her; so do I all my other creatures, whatsoever colour or shape they have." Thus it seemeth me Nature would say.

This maid was two and twelve years of age, in whom Nature had such joy. For as she can paint a lily white and a rose red even with such art she hath painted this noble creature ere she was born, upon her noble limbs, where by right such colours