Page 25 - Doralice
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and would deftly put the chamber in order,
and sweep it, and make the bed. Then she
would adjust the bed-curtains, and put on the
coverlet cunningly embroidered with fine
pearls, and two beautifully ornamented
pillows thereto. After this, the fair maiden
strewed the bed with roses, violets, and other
sweet-smelling flowers, mingled with Cyprian
spices which ex haled a subtle odour and
soothed the brain to slumber. Day after day
Dora- lice continued to compose the king's
chamber in this pleasant fashion, without
being seen of anyone, and thereby gave Genese
much gratification ; for every day when he
came back from the chase it seemed to him as
if he was greeted by all the perfumes of the
East. One day he questioned the queen his
mother, and the ladies who were about her, as
to which of them had so kindly and graciously
adorned his room, and decked the bed with
roses and violets and sweet scents. They
answered, one and all, that they had no part in
all this, for every morning, when they went to
put the chamber in order, they found the bed
strewn with flowers and perfumes.
Genese, when he heard this, deter mined to
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