When I was within the house I found my dear and sweet love Fotis mincing of meat and making pottage for her master and mistress, the cupboard was all set with wines, and I thought I smelled the savor of some dainty meats: she had about her middle a white and clean apron, and she was girded about her body under the paps with a swathell of red silk, and she stirred the pot and turned the meat with her fair and white hands, in such sort that with stirring and turning the same, her loins and hips did likewise move and shake, which was in my mind a comely sight to see.

These things when I saw I was half amazed, and stood musing with myself, and my courage came then upon me, which before was scant. And I spake unto Fotis merrily and said, Oh Fotis how trimly you can stir the pot, and how finely, with shaking your buttocks, you can make pottage. Oh happy and twice happy is he to whom you give leave and licence but to touch you there. Then she being likewise merrily disposed, made answer, Depart I say, Miser from me, depart from my fire, for if the flame thereof do never so little blaze forth, it will burn thee extremely and none can extinguish the heat thereof but I alone, who in stirring the pot and making the bed can so finely shake myself. When she had said these words she cast her eyes upon me and laughed, but I did not depart from thence until such time as I had viewed her in every point. But what should I speak of others, when as I do accustom abroad to mark the face and hair of every dame, and afterwards delight myself therewith privately at home, and thereby judge the residue of their shape, because the face is the principal part of all the body, and is first open to our eyes. And whatsoever flourishing and gorgeous apparel doth work and set forth in the corporeal parts of a woman, the same doth the natural and comely beauty set out in the face. Moreover there be diverse, that to the intent to show their grace and feature, will cast off their partlets, collars, habiliments, fronts, cornets and krippins, and do more delight to show the fairness of their skin, than to deck themselves up in gold and precious stones. But because it is a crime unto me to say so, and to give no example thereof, know ye, that if you spoil and cut the hair of any woman or deprive her of the colour of her face, though she were never so excellent in beauty, though she were thrown down from heaven, sprung of the seas, nourished of the floods, though she were Venus herself, though she were waited upon by all the court of Cupid, though were girded with her beautiful scarf of love, and though she smelled of perfumes and musks, yet if she appeared bald, she could in nowise please, no not her own Vulcanus.

Oh how well doth a fair colour and a shining face agree with glittering hair! Behold, it encountereth with the beams of the sun, and pleaseth the eye marvelously. Sometimes the beauty of the hair resembleth the colour of gold and honey, sometimes the blue plumes and azured feathers about the necks of doves, especially when it is either anointed with the gum of Arabia, or trimly tuft out with the teeth of a fine comb, which if it be tied up in the pole of the neck, it seemeth to the lover that beholdeth the same, as a glass that yieldeth forth a more pleasant and gracious comeliness than if it should be sparsed abroad on the shoulders of the woman, or hang down scattering behind. Finally there is such a dignity in the hair, that whatsoever she be, though she be never to bravely attired with gold, silks, precious stones, and other rich and gorgeous ornaments, yet if her hair be not curiously set forth she cannot seem fair. But in my Fotis, her garments unbraced and unlaced increased her beauty, her hair hanged about her shoulders, and was dispersed abroad upon her partlet, and in every part of her neck, howbeit the greater part was trussed upon her pole with a lace. Then I unable to sustain the broiling heat that I was in, ran upon her and kissed the place where she had thus laid her hair. Whereat she turned her face, and cast her rolling eyes upon me, saying, Oh scholar, thou hast tasted now both honey and gall, take heed that thy pleasure do not turn unto repentance. Tush (quoth I) my sweetheart, I am contented for such another kiss to be broiled here upon this fire, wherewithal I embraced and kissed her more often, and she embraced and kissed me likewise, and moreover her breath smelled like cinnamon, and the liquor of her tongue was like unto sweet nectar, wherewith when my mind was greatly delighted I said, Behold Fotis I am yours, and shall presently die unless you take pity upon me. Which when I had said she eftsoons kissed me, and bid me be of good courage, and I will (quoth she) satisfy your whole desire, and it shall be no longer delayed than until night, when as assure yourself I will come and lie with you; wherefore go your ways and prepare yourself, for I intend valiantly and courageously to encounter with you this night. Thus when we had lovingly talked and reasoned together, we departed for that time.