president Though that Hector nay full oft praid And finally what wight that it withsaid It was for naught it must ben and should For substaunce of the Parliment it would Departed out of the parliment echone This Troilus without words mo Vnto his chamber spedde him fast alone But if it were a man of his or two The which he bad out faste for to go Because he would slepen as he said And hastely upon his bedde him laid And as in Winter leaves ben birast Ech after other till trees he hare So that there nis but barke branch ilast Lithe Troilus biraft of ech welfare Ibounden in the blacke barke of care Disposed wode out of his witte to breide So sore him sate the chaunging of Creseide He rist him up and every dore he shette And window eke tho this sorowfull man Vpon his beddes side doune him sette Full like a dead image pale and wan And in his breast the heaped wo began Out brust and he to worken in this wise In his woodnesse as I shall you devise Right as the wild Bull beginneth spring Now here now there idarted to the hert And of his death roreth in complaining Right so gan he about the chamber stert Smiring his breast aye with his fistes smert His head to the wall his body to yâ— ground Foll oft he swapt himselven to confound His eyen two for pity of his hert Out stremeden as swift as welles twey The high sobs of his sorrowes smert His speech him reft unnethes might he sey O death alas why nilt thou do me dey Accursed by that day which that nature Shope me to ben a lives creature But after when the fury and all the rage Which that his heart twist and fast threst By length of time somewhat gan assuage Vpon his bed he laid him doun to rest But tho begon his teares more out to brest That wonder is the body may suffise To halfe this wo which that I you devise Then said he thus Fortune alas yâ— while What have I done what have I thee agilt How mightest thou for routhe me begile Is there no grace and shall I thus be spilt Shall thus Creseide away for yâ— thou wilt Alas how mightest thou in thine hart find To ben to me thus cruell and unkind Have I thee nat honoured all my live As thou well wotest above the Gods all Why wilt thou me fro ioy thus deprive O Troilus what may men now thee call But wretch of wretches out of honour fall Into misery in which I woll bewaile Creseide alas till that the breath me faile Alas Fortune if that my life in joy Displeased had unto thy foule Envie Why ne haddest thou my father king of Troy Biraft the life or done my brethren die Or slaine my selfe yâ— thus complaine crie I combre world that may of nothing serve But ever dye and never fully sterve If that Creseide alone were me laft NaughtrauÈt I whider thou woldst me stere And her alas then hast thou me byraft But evermore lo this is thy manere To reve a wight that most is to him dere To preve in that thy gierfull violence Thus am I lost there helpeth no defence O very Lord O love O God alas That knowest best mine hert al my thought What shal my sorowfull life done in this caas If I to go that I so dere have bought Sens ye Creseide me have fully brought Into your grace and both our hearts sealed How may ye suffer alas it be repealed What I may done I shal while I may dure On live in turment and in cruell paine This infortune or this disaventure Alone as I was borne I woll complaine Ne never woll I seene it shine or raine But end I woll as Edippe in derkenesse My sorrowfull life and dien in distresse O wery ghost that errest to and fro Why 〈◊〉 thou flien out of the wofullest Body that ever might on ground go O soule lurking in this wofull neste Fly forthout mine hart and let it breste And follow alway Creseide thy lady dere Thy right place is now no lenger here O wofull eien two sens your disport Was all to seene Creseides eyen bright What shall ye done but for my discomfort Stoden for naught wepen out your sight Sens she is queint yâ— wont was you to light * In veine from this forth have I eyen twey I formed sens your vertue is awey O my Creseide O lady soveraine Of this wofull soule that thus crieth Who shall now yeven comfort to thy paine Alas no wight but when mine hert dieth My spirit which that so unto you hieth Receiâ—e in gree for that shall aye you serve For thy no force is though the body sterve O ye lovers that high upon the whele Ben sette of Fortune in good aventure God lene that ye finden aye love of stele And long more your life in joy endure But when ye comen by my sepulture Remembreth that your fellow resteth there For I loved eke though I unworthy were O old unholsome and mislived man Calcas I meane alas what eiled thee To 〈◊〉 a Greek sens thou art borne Trojan O Calcas which that wolt my bane be In cursed time was thou borne for me As would blisfull Iove for his joy That I thee had where I would in Troy A thousand sighes hotter than the glede Out of his breast each after other went Medled with plaint new his wo to fede For which his wofull teares never stent And shortly so his sorowes him to rent And wore so mate that joy or pennaunce He feeleth none but heth in a traunce Panoare which that in the parliment Had heatd with every Lord and burgeis seid And how full graunted was by one assent For Antenor to yelden oâ—t Creseid Gan well nigh wood out of his wit to breid So that for wo he niste what he ment But in a 〈…〉 went A certaine knight that for the 〈…〉 The chamber dore undid it him anone And Pandare that full tenderly wept Into the derke chamber as still as stone Toward the bedde gan softly to goue So confuse that he â—â—st what to say For very wo his wit was nigh away And with chere and leeking all to torne For sorow of this with his armes folden He stood this wofull Troilus beforne And on his pitous face he gan beholden But so oft gan his heart colden Seeing his friend in wo whose heavinesse His heart slough as thought him for distresse This wofull wight this Troilus yâ— felt His friend Pandare icomen him to see Gan as the snow ayenst the sunne melt For which this wofull Pandare of pite Gan for to weepe as tenderly as he And speechlesse thus ben these ilke twey That neither might for sorow o word sey But at the last this wofull Troilus Nigh dead for smert gan bresten out to rore And with a sorowfull noise he said thus Among his sobs and his sighes sore Lo
Tidings of sundry realmes for to lere The wonders that they might seen or here Emong other things specially These marchants haue him told of dame Custance So great noblesse in earnest seriously That this Soudan hath cauÈt so great plesance To han her figure in his remembrance And all his lust and all his busie cure Was for to loue her while his life may dure Parauenture in that like large booke Which cleaped is the heauen ywritten was With starres when that he his birth tooke That he for loue should han his death alas * For in the starres clearer then is the glas Is written God wot who so could it read The death of euery man withouten dread In starres many a Winter there before Was written the death of Hector Achilles Of Pompey and Iulius or they were bore The strife of Thebes and of Hercules Of Sampson Turnus and of Socrates The death but that mens wits been so dust That no wight can well read it at the full This Soudan for his priuie counsel sent And shortly of this matter for to pace He hath to hem declared all his intent said hem certain but if he might haue grace To haue Custance within a little space He nas but dead and charged hem to hie To shapen for his life some remedie Diuers men diuersly they saiden The argument they casten vp and doune Many a subtill reason forth they laiden They speaken of Magicke and abusioun But finally as in conclusioun They cannot seene in that none auauntage Ne in none other way saue in mariage Then saw they therein such difficulty By way of reason to speake all plain Because that there was such diuersity Between both her laws that they sain They trow that no christen prince would fain Wedden his child vnder our lawes swete That vs was tauÈt by Mahound our prophet And he answerd rather than I lese Custance I would be christen doubtles I mote been hers I may none other chese I pray you hold your arguments in pees Saueth my life and be ye not retcheles To getten her that hath my life in cure For in this woe I may not long endure What needeth greater delatation I say by treatie and embassadrie And by the Popes mediation And all the church and all the chiualrie That in destruction of Maumetrie And in encrease of Christs law deare They been accorded as ye shall heare How that the Soudan and his baronage And all his lieges should ychristened be And he shall han Custance in marriage And certaine gold I not what quantite And her to find sufficient surete The same accord was sworne on either side Now fair Custance almighty God thee gide Now woulden some men waiten as I gesse That I should tellen all the purueiance That the Emperour of his noblesse Hath shapen for his doughter dame Custance Well may men know that so great ordinance May no man tellen in a little clause As was araied for so high a cause Bishops been shapen with her for to wend Lords and ladies and knights of renoun And other folke yâ—â—ow this is the end And notified is throughout the toun That euery wight with great deuotioun Should pray Christ that he this mariage Receiue in gree and speed this voyage The day is come of her departing I say the wofull day naturall is come That there may be no longer tarrying But forward they hem dresse all and some Custance that with sorrow is all ouercome Full pale arist and dressed her to wend For well she sey there is none other end Alas what wonder is it though she wept That shall be sent to a straunge nation Fro friends that so tenderly her kept And be bounden vnder subjection Of one she knoweth not his condition * Husbands been all good han been yore That know ne wiues I dare say no more Father she said thy wretched child Custance Thy young daughter fostered vp so loft And ye my mother my soueraigne pleasaunce Ouer all thing out take Christ on loft Custance your child her commendeth oft Vnto your grace for I shall to Surrie Ne shall I neuer more see you with eie Alas vnto the Barberie nation I must anon sithen it is your will But Christ that starfe for our redemption So yeue me grace his hestes to fulfill I wretched woman no force though I spill * Women are born to thraldome penaunce And to been vnder mans gouernaunce I trow at Troy when Thurus brake the wall Of Ilion ne when brent was Thebes cite Ne Rome for the harme of Hanniball That Romans hath ivenqueshed times thre Nas heard such tender weeping for pite As was in the chamber for her parting But forth she mote wheder she weepe or sing O first mouing cruel firmament With thy diurnal swegh that croudest aye And hurriest all fro East to Occident That naturally would hold another way Thy crouding set the heauen in such array At the beginning of this fierce Voyage That cruell Mars hath slaine this mariage O infortunat assendent tortuous Of which the lord is helpelesse fall alas Out of his angle into his derkest house O Mars O occisier as in this caas O feeble Mone vnhappy been thy paas Thou knittest there thou nart not receiued Ther thou wer wel fro thence art thou waiued Imprudent Emperour of Rome alas Was there no philosopher in thy toun Is no time bette than other in such cas Of voiage is there none electioun Namely to folke of high conditioun Nat when a rote is of a birth yknow Alas we been too leaud or to slow To ship is brought this wofull faire maid Solemnely with euery circumstance Now Iesus Christ be with you all she said There nis no more but farwell fair Custance She paineth her to make good countenance And forth I let her saile in this mannere And turne I woll againe to my mattere Explicit prima pars sequitur pars secunda THe mother of the Soudan well of vices Espied hath her sonnes plaine intent How he woll lete his old sacrifices And right anon she for her counsaile sent And they ben comen to know what she ment And when assembled was this folke in feare She set her doune and said as ye shall heare Lords qd she ye knowne euery chone How that my sonne is in point to lete The holy lawes of our Alkaron Yeuen by Gods messenger Mahomete But one auow to great God I hete The life shall rather out of my body start Or Mahomets law goe out of my hart What should vs tiden of this new law But thraldome to our bodies and pennaunce And afterward in hell to been draw For we reneyed Mahound our creaunce But lords woll ye now make assuraunce As I shall say assenting to my lore And I shall make us fafe for euermore They sworen and assenten euery man To liue with her and die and by her stond And euerich in the best wise that he can To strengthen her shall all
his friends fond And she hath this emprise taken in hond Which ye shall heare that I shall deuise And to hem all she spake in this wise We shal vs first faine christendom to take Cold water shall not greeue us but alite And I shall such a reuell and a feast make That as I trow I shall the Soudan quite For tho his wife be christened neuer so white She shall haue need to wash away the rede Though she a font ful of water with her lede O Soudonnesse root of iniquite Virago thou Symyram the secound O serpent vnder fememnete Like to the serpent deepe in hell ibound O faigned woman all that may confound Vertue innocence through thy mallice Is bred in thee a neast of euery vice O Sathan enuious since thilke day That thou wert chased from our heritage Well knewest thou to women the old way Thou madest Eue to bring us in seruage Thou wolt fordoen this Christen mariage * This instrument so welaway the while Make thou of women when thou wolt begile This Soudonnesse whom I blame and werie Let priuily her counsaile gone her way What should I in this tale longer tarie She rideth to the Soudon on a day And saied him that she would reny her lay And christendome of priests hondes fong Repenting her she Heathen was so long Beseeching him to doen her that honour That she might haue the christen folke to fest To pleasen hem I woll doen my labour The Soudon saith I woll doen al your hest And kneeling thanked her of that request So glad he was he nist not what to say She kist her sonne home she goth her way Arriued been these christen folke to lond In Surrey with a great solemne rout And hastily this Soudon sent his sond First to his mother and all the reigne about And saied his wife was comen out of dout And praiden hem for to riden against the quene The honour of his reigne for to sustene Great was the presse rich was the ray Of Surreyans and Romanes ymet yfere The mother of the Soudon rich and gay Receiueth her with all manner glad chere As any mother might her doughter dere Vnto the next city there beside A soft paas solemnly they all ride Nought trow I the triumph of Iulius Of which that Lucan maketh such a bost Was roialler and more curious Than was thassembling of his blisfull host But this Scorpion this wicked ghost The Soudonnesse for all her flattering Cast vnder all this mortally to sting The Soudon cometh himself soon after this So rially that wonder is to tell He welcometh her with much ioy and blis And thus in mirth and ioie I let hem dwell The fruit of euery tale is for to tell Whan time come men thought it for the best That reuel stint and men gon to rest The time come this old Soudonnesse Ordained hath the feast of which I told And to the feast christen folke hem dresse And that in the general both yong and old There may men feast and rialte behold And dainties moe than I can deuise But all to dere they bought it or they rise O Soudon wo that euer thou art successour To worldly blisse springed with bitternesse * The end of ioy is worldly labour Wo occupieth the ende of our gladnesse Herken this counsaile for thy sikernesse * Vpon thy glad day haâ—â—â— thou in minde The vnware wo or harme that cometh behinde For shortly to tellen at a word The Soudon the Christen euerichone Been all to hewe and sticken at the boord But it were onely dame Custance alone This old Soudonnesse this cursed crone Hath with her friends doen this cursed deed For she her selfe would all the country lede There was Surreien non that was conuerted That of the counsaile of the Soudon wot That he nas all to heawe er he asterted And Custance han they taken anon fotehot And in a ship all sternelesse God wot They han her set and bidden her lerne to saile Out of Surrey ayenward to Itale A certain tresour that she thither ladde And sooth to sayne vitaile great plente They han her yeuen and clothes eke she had And forth she saileth in the salt se O my Custance full of benignite O Emperours yong doughter so dere He that is lorde of fortune be thy stere She blesseth her with full pitious voice Vnto the crosse of Christ tho said she O clere O welful auter holy croice Reed of the lambes blood full of pite That wesh the world fro the old iniquite Me fro the fende and fro his clawe kepe That day that I shall drenchen in the deepe Victorious tree protection of trewe That onely worthy were for to bere The king of heauen with his woundes new The white lambe that hurt was with a spere Flemere of feendes out of him and here On which thy limmes faithfully extenden Me kepe yeue me might my life to menden Yeres and daies fleeteth this creature Through the see of Grece vnto the straite Of Marocke as it was her auenture O many a sory meale may she baite After her death full oft may she waite Or that the wilde waves would her driue Vnto the place there she should ariue Men mighten asken why she was not slayn Eke at the feast who might her body saue I answer to that demaund agayn Who saued Daniel in that horrible caue That euery wight were he master or knaue Was with the Lion frette or he asterte No wight but God that he bare in his hert God list to shew his wonderfull miracle In her for she should seen his mighty werkes Christ that is to euery harme triacle * By certain means often as knowen clerkes Doth thing for certaine end that full derke is To mans wit that for our ignorance Ne can nat know his prudent purueyance Now that she was not at the feast yslawe Who kepeth her fro the drenching in the see Who kept Ionas in the fishes mawe Till he was spouted out at Niniuee Wel may men know it was no wight but he That kept the people Ebrak from drenching With dry feet through the see passing Who hath the foure spirits of the tempest That power had both to anoy lond and see Both north and south also west and east Anoyeth neither see ne londe ne tree Southly the commaunder thereof was he That fro the tempest aye this woman kept As well whan she woke as whan she slept Wher might this woman meat drink haue Thre yere and more how lasteth her vitaile Who fed the Egyptian Mary in the caue Or in desert none but Christ sans faile Fiue thousand folk it was as great maruaile With loaues fiue and fishes two to feed God sent his foyson at her great need She driueth forth into our Occian Throughout the wide see till at the last Vnder an holde that nempne I ne can Fer in Northumberlond the waue her cast And in the sand her
she that maked me For well I wote that it shall never betide Let such follie out of your heart glide * What deintie should a man haue in his life For to goe loue another mans wife That hath her body when so that him liketh Aurelius full often sore siketh Wo was Aurely when he this herd And with a sorowfull chere he thus answerd Madame qd he this were impossible Then mote I die on suddaine death horrible And with that word he turned him anone Tho come her other friends everichone And in the aleyes romeden up and doun And nothing wist of this conclusioun But suddainely began to revell new Till that the bright sonne had lost his hew For the orizont hath reft the sunne his light This is as much to say as it was night And home they gone in ioy and in solas Save onely wretched Aurelius alas He to his house is gone with sorrowfull hert He said he might not from his death astert Him seemed that he felt his heart all cold And up to heaven his honds gan he hold And on his knees bare he set him adoun And in his raving said this orisoun For very wo out of his wit he braied He ne wist what he spake but thus he said With pitous heart hath he his complaint begon Vnto the goddes and first unto the son He said God Apollo and governour Of every plant hearbe tree and flour That yeuest after thy declination To ilke of hem his time and season As thine herberow chaungeth low and hie Lord Phebus cast thy merciable eie On wretched Aurelius which am but lorne Lo Lord my Lady hath my death ysworne Without guilt but thy benignity Vpon my deadly heart haue some pity For well I wot lord Phebus if ye lest Ye may me helpe saue my lady best Now vouch ye saue that I you deuise How that I may be holpen in what wise Your blisfull suster Lucina the shene That of the sea is goddesse and queene Though Neptunus hath deitie in the see Yet empresse abouen him is she Ye knowen well lord right as her desire Is to be quickened and lighted of your sire For which she followeth you full besily Right to the sea desireth naturally To followen her as she that is goddesse Both of the sea and riuers more and lesse Wherefore lord Phebus this is my request Doe this miracle or doe mine heart brest That now next at this oppsition Which in signe shall be of the Lion As prayeth her so great a flood to bring That fiue fadome at the least it ouerspring The highiest rocke in Armorike Britaine And let this floud to duren yeares twaine Then certes to my lady may I say Holdeth your hest the rockes been away This thing may ye lightly done for me Pray her to gone no faster course than ye I say thus prayeth your suster that she go No faster course than ye in yeares two Then shall she be at the full alway And spring flood lasting both night day And but she vouchsafe in such manere To graunt me my soveraigne lady dere Pray her to sinken every rocke adoun Into her owne derke regioun Vnder the ground there Pluto dwelleth in Or nevermore shall I my lady win Thy Temple in Delphos wol I barefoot seek O lord Phebus see the teares on my cheek And on my paine haue some compassioun And with that word in swoune he fell adoun And for a long time he lay in a traunce His brother which that knew of his pennaunce Vp caught him and to bed him brought Dispaired in this turnment and this thought Let I this wofull creature lie Chese he whether he woll liue or die Aruiragus with heale and great honour As he that was of chiualrie the flour Is comen home and other worthy men O blisfull art thou now Dorigen That hast thy lusty husbond in thine armes That fresh knight that worthy man of arms That loueth thee as his own hearts life Nothing list him to be imaginatife If any wight had spoken while he was out To her of loue thereof had he no dout He entendeth not to such matere But danceth justeth and maketh her good chere And thus in joy and bliss I let hem dwell And of wofull Aurelius woll I tell In langour and in turment despitous Two yeare and more lay wretched Aurelius Ere any foot on earth he might gone Ne comfort in this time had he none Saue of his brother which was a clerke He knew of all this wo and all this werke For to none other creature certaine Of this mattere durst he no word saine Vnder his breast he bare it more secre Than euer did Pamphilus for Galathe His breast was whole without for to seene But in his heart aye was the arrow keene And well ye knowen that of a sursanure In surgerie is perâ—â—â—ous the cure But men might touch the arrow or come thereby His brother weepeth and waileth prively Till at the last him fell in remembraunce That while he was at Orleaunce in Fraunce As these clerkes yong that been likerous To readen arts that been curious Seeken in euery halke and in euery Herne Particular science for to lerne He him remembred that upon a deie At Orleaunce in studie a booke he seie Of Magicke naturall which his felaw That was in that time a batcheler of law All were he there to learne another craft Had prively upon his dexe ylaft Which booke spake of mochell operations Touching the eight and twentie Mansions That longen to the Moone and such follie As in our dayes is not worth a Flie For holy church saieth in our beleeue * Ne suffereth none illusion us to greeue And when this book was in his remembrance Anon for ioy his heart gan to dance And to himselfe he saied prively My Brother shall be warished sikerly For I am siker that there be sciences By which men maken diuers apparences Such as these subtill tregetores play For oft at â—easts haue I well heard say That tragetors within an hall large Haue made come in water and a barge And in the hall rowen up and doun Sometime hath seemed a grim Lioun And sometime floures spring as in a mede Sometime a vine grapes white and rede Sometime a Castle of lime and stone And when hem liked voiden hem anone Thus seemed it to every mans sight Now then conclude I thus if that I might At Orleaunce some old felaw find That had this Moones Mansions in mind Or other Magicke natural aboue He should wel make my brother haue his loue For with an apparaunce a clerke may make To a mans sight that all the rockes blake Of Britaine were yuoided euerichone And ships by the brinke to comen and gone And in such forme enduren a yeare or two Then were my brother warished of his wo Then must she needs holden her behest Or els he shall shame her at the lest What should I make a lenger tale of this Vnto
that lasteth aie This bargaine end may never take But if that she thy peace will make And when the night is commen anon A thousand angres shall come upon To bed as fast thou wolt thee dight There thou shalt have but small delight For when thou wenest for to sleepe So full of paine shalt thou creepe Stert in thy bed about full wide And turne full oft on everie side Now downeward groffe and now upright And wallow in woe the long night Thine armes shalt thou sprede a brede As man in warre were forwerede Then shall thee come a remembraunce Of her shape and her semblaunce Where to none other may be pere And wete thou well without were That thee shall see sometime that night That thou hast her that is so bright Naked betweene thine armes there All sooth fastnesse as though it were * Thou shalt make Castles then in Spaine And dreame of joy all but in vaine And thee delighten of right nought While thou so siumbrest in that thought That is so sweete and delitable The which in sooth nis but a fable For it ne shall no while last Then shalt thou sigh and weepe fast And say deere God what thing is this My dreame is turned all amis Which was full sweet and apparent But now I wake it is all shent Now yede this merry thought away Twentie times upon a day I would this thought would come againe For it alleggeth well my paine It maketh me full of joyfull thought It sleeth me that it lasteth nought Ah Lord why nill ye me succour The joy I trow that I langour The death I would me should sio While I lye in her armes two Mine harme is hard withouten wene My great unease full oft I mene BVt would Love do so I might Have fully joy of her so bright My paine were quit me richly Alas too great a thing aske I It is but folly and wrong wening To aske so outragious a thing * And who so asketh follily He mote be warned hastely And I ne wote what I may say I am so ferre out of the way For I would have full great liking And full great joy of lasse thing For would she of her gentlenesse Withouten more me ones kesse It were to me a great guerdon Release of all my passion But it is hard to come thereto All is but folly that I do So high I have mine heart set Where I may no comfort get I wote not where I say well or nought But this I wote well in my thought That it were bette of her alone For to slint my woe and mone A looke on her I cast goodly That for to have all utterly Of another all hole the play Ah Lord where I shall bide the day That ever she shall my Ladie be He is full cured that may her see A God when shall the dauning spring To leggen thus as an angrie thing I have no joy thus here to ly When that my love is not me by * I man to lyen hath great disease Which may not sleepe ne rest in ease I would it dawed and were now day And that the night were went away For were it day I would up rise Ah slow sunne shew thine enprise Speede thee to spread thy beames bright And chase the darknesse of the night To put away the stoundes strong Which in me lasten all too long The night shalt thou continue so Without rest in paine and wo If ever thou knew of love distresse Thou shalt mowe learne in that sicknesse And thus enduring shalt thou lye And rise on morow up earlye Out of thy bed and harneis thee Er ever dawning thou maiest see All privily then shalt thou gone What whider it be thy selfe alone For raine or haile for snow for slete Theder she dwelleth that is so swete The which may fall a sleepe bee And thinketh but little upon thee Then shalt thou goe full foule aferde Looke if the gate be unsperde And waite without in woe and paine Full evill a cold in wind and raine Then shalt thou goe the dore before If thou mayest finde any shore Or hole or reft what ever it were Then shalt thou stoupe and lay to eare If they within a sleepe be I meane all save thy Ladie free Whom waking if thou mayest aspie Goe put thy selfe in jeopardie To aske grace and thee bimene That she may wete without wene That thou night no rest hast had So sore for her thou were bestad * Women well ought pitie to take Of hem that sorrowen for her sake And looke for love of that relike That thou thinke none other like For when thou hast so great anney Shall kisse thee er thou goe awey And hold that in full great deinte And for that no man shall thee see Before the house ne in the way Looke thou be gon againe er day Such comming and such going Such heavinesse and such walking Maketh lovers withouten wene Vnder her clothes pale and lene * For Love leaveth colour ne clearnesse Who loveth trew hath no fatnesse Thou shalt well by thy selfe see That thou must needs assaied bee For men that shape hem other way Falsely her ladies for to betray It is no wonder though they be fatte With false othes her loves they gatte For oft I see such loengeours Fatter than Abbots or Priours Yet with o thing I thee charge That is to say that thou be large Vnto the maid that her doth serve So best her thanke thou shalt deserve Yeue her giftes and get her grace For so thou may thanke purchace That she thee worthy hold and free Thy Ladie and all that may thee see Also her servaunts worship aie And please as much as thou maie Great good through hem may come to thee Because with her they been prive They shall her tell how they thee fand Curteous and wise and well do and And she shall preise well thee more Looke out of lond thou be not fore And if such cause thou have that thee Behoveth to gone out of countree Leave hole thine heart in hostage Till thou againe make thy passage Thinke long to see the sweet thing That hath thine heart in her keeping Now have I told thee in what wise A Lover shall doe me servise Do it then if thou wolt haue The mede that thou after craue WHen Loue all this had boden me I said him sir how may it be That Louers may in such manere Endure the paine ye haue sayd here I maruaile me wonder fast How any man may liue or last In such paine and such brenning In sorrow and thought and such sighing Aie vnreleased woe to make Whether so it be they sleepe or wake In such annoy continually As helpe me God this maruaile I How man but he were made of steele Might liue a moneth such pains to feele THe God of Loue then sayd me Friend bye the faith I owe to thee * May no man haue good but he it buy A man
ye will Your wordes wast in idlenesse For utterly withouten gesse All that ye saine is but in vaine Me were lever die in the paine That love to me ward should arette Falshed or treason on me sette I woll me get pris or blame And Love true to save my name Who that me chastiseth I him hate With that word Reason went her gate When she saw for no sermoning She might me fro my folly bring Then dismayed I left all soole Forwearie forwandred as a foole For I ne knew ne cherisaunce Then fell into my remembraunce How love bad me to purvey A fellow to whome I might sey My counsaile and my privite For that should much auaile me With that bethought I me that I Had a fellow fast by True and siker courteous and hend And he called was by name a Frend A true fellow was no where none In hast to him I went anone And to him all my woe I told Fro him right nought I would withhold I told him all without were And made my complaint on Daungere How for to sey he was hidous And to me ward contrarious The which through his cruelte Was in point to have meimed me With Bialacoil when he me sey Within the gardin walke and pley Fro me he made him for to goe And I be left alone in woe I durst no longer with him speake For Daunger sayd he would be wreake When that he saw how I went The fresh bothum for to hent If I were hardie to come nere Betweene the haie and the Rosere This Friend when he wist of thought He discomforted me right nought But saied fellow be nat so madde Ne so abashed nor bestadde My selfe I know full well Daungere And how he is fierce of chere At prime temps Love to manace Full oft I have beene in his case A felon first though that he be After thou shalt him souple see Of long passed I knew him wele Vngodly first though men him fele He woll meeke after in his bearing Been for seruice and obeissing I shall thee tell what thou shalt do Meekely I rede thou go him to Of heart pray him specially Of thy trespace to haue mercy And hote him well here to please That thou shalt neuer more him displease * Who can best serue of flattery Shall please Daunger most vtterly My Friend hath saied to me so wele That he me easeli hath somedele And eke allegged of my tourment For through him had I hardement Againe to Daunger for to go To preue if I might meeke him so TO Daunger came I all ashamed The which aforne me had blamed Desiring for to pease my wo But ouer hedge durst I not go For he forbode me the passage I found him cruell in his rage And in his hond a great bourdoun To him I kneeled low adoun Full meeke of port and simple of chere And saied sir I am comen here Onely to aske of you mercy It greeueth me full greatly That euer my life I wrathed you But for to amend I am come now With all my might both loud and still To doen right at your owne will For Loue made me for to do That I haue trespassed hiderto Fro whom I ne may withdraw mine hart Yet shall I neuer for ioy ne smart What so befall good or ill Offend more againe your will Leuer I haue endure disease Than doe that should you displease IYou require and pray that ye Of me haue mercy and pite To stint your ire that greueth so That I woll sweare for euermo To be redressed at your liking If I trespace in any thing Saue that I pray thee graunt me A thing that may nat warned be That I may loue all onely None other thing of you aske I I shall doen all ywis If of your grace ye graunt me this And ye may not letten mee For well wote ye that loue is free And I shall louen such that I will Who euer like it well or ill And yet ne would I not for all Fraunce Doe thing to doe you displeasaunce Then Daunger fell in his entent For to foryeue his male talent But all his wrath yet at last He hath released I praide so fast Shortly he saied thy request Is not too mockell dishonest Ne I woll not werne it thee For yet nothing engreeueth mee For though thou loue thus euermore To me is neither soft ne sore Loue where that thee list what retcheth me So ferre fro my Roses be Trust not on me for none assaie In any time to passe the haie Thus hath he graunted my prayere Then went I forth withouten were Vnto my friend and told him all Which was right ioyfull of my tale He saied now goeth well thine affaire He shall to thee be debonaire Though he aforne was dispitous He shall hereafter be gracious If he were touched on some good veine He should yet rewen on thy peine Suffer I rede and no boast make Till thou at good mes maist him take * By suffraunce and by words soft A man may ouercome oft Him that aforne he had in drede In bookes soothly as I rede Thus hath my friend with great comfort Auaunced me with high disport Which would me good as much as I And then anon full sodainely I tooke my leave and streight I went Vnto the hay for great talent I had to seene the fresh bothom Wherein lay my saluation And Daunger tooke keepe if that I Keepe him couenaunt truely So sore I drede his manasing I durst not breake his bidding For least that I were of him shent I brake not his commaundement For to purchase his good will It was for to come there till His mercy was too ferre behind I kept for I ne might it find I complained and sighed sore And languished euermore For I durst nat ouergo Vnto the Rose I loued so Throughout my deming vtterly That he had knowledge certainly Then Loue me ladde in such wise That in me there was no feintise Falshood ne no trecherie And yet he full of villanie Of disdaine and crueltie On me ne would haue pitie His cruell will for to refraine Tho I wept alway and me complaine ANd while I was in this turment Were come of grace by God sent Fraunchise and with her Pity Fulfilde the bothum of bounty They go to Daunger anon right To ferther me with all her might And helpe in word and in deed For well they saw that it was need First of her grace dame Fraunchise Hath taken of this emprise She saied Daunger great wrong ye do To worche this man so much wo Or pinen him so angerly It is to you great villauy I cannot see why ne how That he hath trespassed againe you Saue that he loveth wherefore ye shold The more in charitie of him hold The force of love maketh him do this Who would him blame he did amis He leueth more than he may do His paine is hard ye may see lo And Love in no wise would
was so imped in my thought That her doctrine I set at nought And yet ne sayd she never a dele That I ne understood it wele Word by word the matter all But unto Love I was so thrall Which calleth over all his praie He chaseth so my thought aie And holdeth mine heart under his sele As trustie and true as any stele So that no devotion Ne had I in the Sermon Of dame Reason ne of her rede I tooke no soiour in mine hede For all yede out at one ere That in that other she did lere Fully on me she lost her lore Her speech me greeved wonder sore THat unto her for ire I said For anger as I did abraid Dame and is it your will algate That I not Love but that I hate All men as ye me teach For if I doe after your speach Sith that you seine Love is not good Then must I needs say with mood If I it leve in hatred aie Liven and void love awaie From me a sinfull wretch Hated of all that tetch I may not go none other gate For either must I love or hate And if I hate men of new More than Love it woll me rew As by your preching seemeth mee For Love nothing ne praiseth thee Ye yeve good counsaile sikerly That precheth me all day that I Should not loues lore alowe He were a foole woulde you not trowe In Speech also ye han me taught Another Love that knowne is naught Which I have heard you not repreve To love each other by your leve If ye would diffine it mee I would gladly here to see At the least if I may lere Of sundrie Love the manere ¶ Raison CErtes friend a foole art thou When that thou nothing wilt allow That I for thy profite say Yet woll I say thee more in fay For I am readie at the leest To accomplish thy request But I not where it woll auaile In vaine perauenture I shall trauaile Loue there is in sundrie wise As I shall thee here deuise For some Loue lefull is and good I meane not that which maketh thee wood And bringeth thee in many a fitte And rauisheth fro thee all thy witte It is so maruailous and queint With such loue be no more aquaint ¶ Comment Raison diffinist Aunsete LOue of frendship also there is Which maketh no man done amis Of will knitte betwixt two That woll not breake for we le ne wo Which long is likely to continue When will and goods been in commune Grounded by Gods ordinaunce Hoole without discordaunce With hem holding commaunce Of all her good in charite That there be none exceptioun Through chaunging of ententioun That each helpe other at her need And wisely hele both word and dede True of meaning deuoide of Slouth * For wit is nought without Trouth So that the tone dare all his thought Saine to his friend and spare nought As to himselfe without dreding To be discouered by wreiyng * For glad is that coniunction When there is none suspection Whom they would proue That true and perfite weren in Loue. * For no man may be amiable But if he be so firme and stable That fortune change him not ne blinde But that his friend alway him finde Both poore and rich in o state For if his friend through any gate Wâ—ll complaine of his pouerte He should not bide so long till he Of his helping him require * For good deed done through praiere Is sold and bought too deere iwis To heart that of great valour is * For heart fulfilled of gentlenesse Can euill demeane his distresse * And man that worthy is of name To asken often hath great shame * A good man brenneth in his thought For shame when he asketh ought He hath great thought and dredeth aie For his disease when he shall praie His friend least that he warned be Till that he preue his stabilitie But when that he hath founden one That trustie is and true and stone And assayed him at all And found him stedfast as a wall And of his frendship be certaine He shall him shew both ioy and paine And all that dare thinke or say Without shame as he may For how should he ashamed be Of such one as I told thee For when he wote his secret thought The third shall know thereof right nought * For twey in number is â—et than three In euerie counsaile and secree Repreue he dredeth neuer a dele Who that beset his wordes wele For euerie wise man out of drede Can keepe his tongue till he see nede * And fooles cannot hold her tongue A fooles bell is soone ronge Yet shall a true friend doe more To helpe his fellow of his sore And succour him when he hath need In all that he may done indeed And gladder that he him pleaseth Than his fellow that he easeth And if he doe not his request He shall as much him molest As his fellow for that he Maie no fulfill his volunte Fully as he hath required If both the hearts loue hath fired Ioy and woe they shall depart And take euenly each his part Halfe his annoy he shall haue aie And comfort what that he may And of this blisse part shall he If Loue woll departed be ANd whilom of this vnitie Spake Tullius in a ditie And should maken his request Vnto his friend that is honest And he goodly should it fulfill But it the more were out of skill And otherwise not graunt thereto Except onely in causes two * If men his friend to death would driue Let him be busie to saue his liue * Also if men wollen hem assaile Of his worship to make him faile And hindren him of his renoun Let him with full ententioun His deuer done in each degree That his friend ne shamed be In this two case with his might Taking no keepe to skill nor right As farre as Loue may him excuse This ought no man to refuse This Loue that I haue told to thee Is nothing contrarie to mee This woll I that thou follow wele And leaue the other euerie dele This Loue to vertue all attendeth The tother fooles blent and shendeth Another Love also there is That is contrarie vnto this Which desire is so constrained That is but will fained Away fro trouth it doth so varie That to good Love it is contrarie For it maymeth in any wise Sicke hearts with couetise All in winning and in profite Such love setteth his delite This love so hangeth in balaunce That if it lese his hope perchaunce Of lucre that he is set vpon It woll falle and quench anon * For no man may be amorous Ne in his liuing vertuous But he love more in mood Men for hem selfe than for her good For Loue that profite doth abide Is false and bideth not in no tide Love commeth of dame Fortune That little while woll contune For it shall chaungen wonders soone And take Eclips as the Moone When he is from vs
seemed it that she on him rought Or of his paine what so ever he thought But then felt this Troilus such wo That he was welnigh wood for aie his drede Was this that she some wight loved so That never of him she would han take heed For which him thought he felt his hart bleed Ne of his woe ne durst he nought begin To tellen her for all this world to win But when he had a space left from his care Thus to himselfe full oft he gan to plaine He sayd o foole now art thou in the snare That whilom yapedest at lovers pain * Now art thou hent now gnaw thine own chain Thou wert aie woned ech lover reprehend Of thing fro which thou canst not thee defend What woll now every lover saine of thee If this be wist But ever in thine absence Laughen in scorn and saine lo there goeth he That is the man of great sapience That held us lovers least in reverence * Now thanked be God he may gon on that daunce Of hem that love lift feebly avaunce But o thou wofull Troilus God would Sith thou must loven through thy destine That thou beset wer of soch one that should Know all thy wo all lacked her pitee But all too cold in love towards thee Thy ladie is as frost in Winter Moone And thou fordo as Snow in fire is soone God would I were arrived in the port Of death to which my sorow woll me lede Ah Lord to me it were a great comfort Then were I quite of languishing in drede For by my hidde sorow iblowe in brede I shall beiaped been a thousand time More than that foole of whose folly men rime But now help God ye my sweet for whom I plaine icought ye never wight so fast O mercie deare hart and helpe me from The death for I while that my life may last More than my selfe woll love you to my last And with some frendly look gladeth me swete Though nevermore thing ye to me behete These words and full many another mo He spake and called ever in his compleint Her name for to tellen her his wo Till nigh that he in salt teares was dreint All was for nought she heard nat his pleint And when that he bethought on that follie A thousand fold his woe gan multiplie Bewailing in his chamber thus alone A friend of his that called his Pandare Came ones in vnware and heard him grone And saw his friend in such distresse and care Alas qd he who causeth all this fare O mercy God what vnhappe may this mene Han now thus sone yâ— Greeks made you lene Or hast thou some remorse of conscience And art now fall in some devotion And wailest for thy sinne and thine offence And hast for ferde cought contrition God save hem that besieged han our toun That so can laie our iollitie on presse And bring our lustie folke to holynesse These words said he for yâ— nones all That with such thing he might him angry maken And with his anger done his sorrow fall As for a time and his courage awaken But well wist he as far as tongues speaken There nas a man of greater hardinesse Than he ne more desired worthinesse What cas qd Troilus or what aventure Hath guided thee to seen me languishing That am refuse of everie creature But for the love of God at me praying Goe hence away for certes my dying Woll thee disease and I mote needs deie Therefore goe way there nis no more to seie But if thou wene I be thus sick for drede It is not so and therefore scorne nought There is an other thing I take of hede Wel more than ought yâ— grekes han yet wrouÈt Which cause is of my deth for sorow thouÈt But though that I now tell it thee ne lest Be thou not wroth I hide it for the best This Pandare that nigh malt for wo routh Full often sayed alas what may this be Now friend qd he if ever love or trouth Hath been er this betwiren thee and me Ne doe thou never such a cruelte To hiden fro thy friend so great a care Wost thou not well that I am Pandare I woll parten with thee all thy paine If it so be I doe thee no comfort * As it is friends right sooth for to saine To enterparten woe as glad disport I have and shall for true or false report In wrong and right loved thee all my live Hide not thy woe fro me but tell it blive Then gan this sorrowfull Troilus to sike And layd him thus God leve it be my best To tellen thee for sith it may thee like Yet woll I tell it though my heart brest And well wote I thou maiest do me no rest But least thou deeme I trust not to thee Now heark friend for thus it stant with me Love ayenst the which who so defendeth Him selven most him alder lest availeth With dispaire so sorrowfully me offendeth That straight vnto that death my hart faileth Thereto desire so bâ—enningly me assaileth That to been slaine it were a greater ioy To me than King of Grece be and of Troy Suffiseth this my full friend Pandare That I have said for now wotest thou my wo And for the love of God my cold care So hide it well I told it never to mo For harmes mighten followen mo than two If it were wist but be thou in gladnesse And let me sterve unknowne of my distresse How hast thou thus vnkindly and long Hid this fro me thou fool qd Pandarus Peraventure thou maist after such one long That mine a vise anone may helpen vs This were a wonder thing qd Troilus Thou couldest never in love thy selfen wisse How divell maiest thou bringen me to blisse Ye Troilus now hearken qd Pandare Though I be nice it happeth often so That one that of ares doeth full evil fare By good counsail can keep his frend therfro I have my selfe seen a blinde man go There as he fell that could looken wide * A foole may eke a wise man oft guide * A whetstone is no carving instrument But yet it maketh sharpe kerving tolis And after thou wost that I have aught miswent Eschue thou that for such thing to schole is * Thus often wise men bewaren by foolis If thou so doe thy wit is well bewared * By his contrarie is everie thing declared For how might ever sweetnesse have be know To him that never tasted bitternesse No man wot what gladnesse is I trow That never was in sorrow or some distresse Eke white by blacke by shame eke worthines Each set by other more for other seemeth As men may seen so the wise it deemeth Sith thus of two contraries is o lore * I that have in Love so oft assayed Greuaunces ought connen well the more Counsailen thee of that thou art dismayed And eke the ne ought not been euill apaied Though I desire with thee for to beare
and lost that is vnsought What many a man hath love full dere ibouÈt Twentie winter that his Ladie ne wist That never yet his Ladies mouth he kist What should he therfore fallen in dispair Or he receaunt for his owne tene Or slaine himselfe all be his Ladie faire Nay nay but ever in one be fresh and green To serve and love his dere hearts queen And thinke it is a guerdone her to serve A thousand part more than he can deserve And of that word tooke heede Troilus And thought anon what folly he was in And how that sooth him sayd Pandarus That for to-slaien himselfe might he not win But both doen vnmanhood and a sinne And of his death his Ladie nought to wite For of his woe God wote she knew full lite And with that thought he gan full sore sike And sayd alas what is me best to doe To whome Pandare sayed if thee it like The best is that thou tell me thy woe And have my trouth but if thou finde it so I be thy boote or it been full long To peeces doe me drawe and sithen hong Yea so sayest thou qd Troilus alas But God wote it is nought the rather so Full hard it were to helpen in this caas For well finde I that fortune is my fo Ne all the men that ride con or go May of her cruell whele the harme withstond For as her list she playeth with free and bond Qd. Pandarus then blamest thou fortune For thou art wroth ye now at earst I see Wost thou not well yâ— Fortune is commune To everie manner wight in some degree And yet thou hast this comfort lo parde That as her ioyes moten overgone So mote her sorrowes passen everichone For if her whele stint any thing to tourne Then cesseth she fortune anone to be Now sith her whele by no way may soiourn What wost thou of her mutabilitie Whether as thy self lust she woll don by thee Or that she be nought ferre fro thine helping Peraventure thou hast cause for to sing And therfore wost thou what I thee beseech Let be thy woe and tourning to the ground * For who so list have healing of his leech To him behooveth first vnwrie his wound To Cerberus in hell aie be I bound Wer it for my suster all thy sorrow By my will she should be thine to morrow Looke vp I say and tell me what she is Anone that I may gone about thy need Know ich her aught for my love tell me this Then would I hope rather for to speed Tho gan the veine of Troilus to bleed For he was hit and woxe all redde for shame Aha qd Pandara here beginneth game And with that word he gan him for to shake And sayd him thus thou shalt her name tell But tho gan sely Troilus for to quake As though men should han had him into hell And sayed alas of all my woe the well Than is my sweet foe called Creseide And well nigh with yâ— word for feare he deide And when yâ— Pandare herd her name neven Lord he was glad and saied friend so deere Now fare a right for Ioves name in heaven Love hath beset thee well be of good cheere For of good name and wisdome and manere She hath inough and eke of gentlenesse If she be faire thou wost thy selfe I gesse Ne never seie I a more bounteous Of her estate ne a gladder ne of speech A friendlyer ne more gracious For to doe well ne lasse had ned to seech What for to doen and all this bet to ech In honour to as farre as she may stretch * A kinges heart seemeth by hers a wretch And for thy look of good comfort thou be For certainely the first point is this Of noble courage and well ordaine the A man to have peace within himselfe iwis So oughtest thou for nought but good it is * To loven well and in a worthy place Thee ought not clepe it happe but grace And also thinke and therewith glad thee That sith the Ladie vertuous is all So followeth it that there is some pitee Amonges all these other in generall And for they see that thou in speciall Require nought that is ayen her name * For vertue stretcheth not himself to shame But well is me that ever I was born That thou beset art in so good a place For by my trouth in love I durst have sworn Thee should never have tidde so fair a grace And wost thou why for thou were wont to chace At love in scorne for dispite him call * Saint Idiote lord of these fooles all How often hast thou made thy nice yapes And saied that loves servaunts overichone * Of nicete ben verie Goddes Apes And some would monche her meat all alone Ligging a bed and make hem for to grone And some thou saidest had a blaunch fevere And praidest God they should never kevere And some of hem took on hem for the cold More than inough so saydest thou full oft And some han fained oft time and told How that they waken when they sleepe soft And thus they would have set hem self a loft And nathelesse were vnder at the last Thus saydest thou and yapedest full fast Yet saydest thou that for the more part These Lovers would speake in generall And thoughten it was a siker art For sailing for to assayen over all Now may I yape of thee if that I shall But nathelesse though that I should deie Thou art none of tho I dare well seie Now bete thy brest say to God of love Thy grace Lord for now I me repent If I misspake for now my selfe I love Thus say with all thine heart in good entent Qd. Troilus ah Lord I me consent And pray to thee my yapes thou foryeve And I shall never more while I live Thou sayst wel qd Pandare now I hope That thou yâ— goddes wrath hast all appeased And sith thou hast wepten many a drop And said such thing wherwith thy God is plesed Now would never God but thou were eased * And think well she of whom rest all thy wo Here after may thy comfort been also * For thilk ground yâ— beareth yâ— wedes wick Beareth eke these holsome herbs as full oft Next the foule nettle rough and thick The Rose wexeth soote smooth and soft * And next the valey is the hill a loft And next the derke night the glad morowe And also ioy is next the fine of sorrow Now looke that attempre be thy bridell And for the best aie suffer to the tide Or else all our labour is on idell * He hasteth well that wisely can abide Be diligent and true and aie well hide Be lustie free persever in thy servise And all is well if thou worke in this wise * But he that departed is in everie place Is no where hole as writen Clerkes wise What wonder is if such one have no grace Eke wost thou how it fareth of some
service * As plant a tree or herbe in sondrie wise And on the morrow pull it vp as blive No wonder is though it may never thrive And sith yâ— God of love hath thee bestowed In place digne vnto thy worthinesse * Stond fast for to good port hast thou rowed And of thy selfe for any heavinesse Hope alwaie well for but if drerinesse Or over hast both our labour shend I hope of this to maken a good end And wost thou why I am the lasse afered Of this matter with my nece to trete For this have I heard say of wise lered Was never man or woman yet beyete That was vnapt to suffer loves hete Celestiall or els love of kind For thy some grace I hope in her to find And for to speake of her in speciall Her beautie to bethinken and her youth It sit her nought to been celestiall As yet though that her list both and kouth And truely it sit her well right nouth A worthy knight to loven and cherice And but she doe I hold it for a vice Wherefore I am and woll be aye ready To paine me to doe you this service For both you to please this hope I Here after for that ye been both wise And con counsaile keepe in such a wise That no man shall the wiser of it bee And so we may ben gladded all three And by my trouth I have right now of thee A good conceit in my wit as I gesse And what it is I woll now that thou see I thinke that sith Love of his goodnesse Hath thee conuerted out of wickednesse That thou shalt been the best post I leue Of all his lay and most his foes greue Ensample why see now these great clerkes That erren aldermost ayen a law And ben conuerted from her wicked werkes Throgh grace of god yâ— lest hem to withdraw They arne the folke yâ— han god most in aw And strengest faithed been I vnderstond And con an errour alder best withstond When Troilus had herd Pandare assented To ben his helpe in loving of Creseide He wext of his wo as who saith vnturmented But hotter wext his love and then he said With sober chere as though his hart plaid Now blisfull Venus helpe ere that I sterue Of thee Pandare I mow some thank deserue But dere friend how shall my wo be lesse Till this be done good eke tell me this How wilt thou saine of me and my distresse Least she be wroth this drede I most iwis Or woll not heren all how it is All this drede I and eke for the manere Of thee her Eme she nill no such thing here Qd. Pandarus thou hast a full great care * Lest the chorle may fall out of the moone Why lord I hate of thee the nice fare Why entremete of that thou hast to doone For Gods love I bid thee a boone So let me alone and it shall be thy best Why frend qd he then done right as thee lest But herke Pandare o word for I nolde That thou in me wendest so great follie That to my lady I desiren should That toucheth harme or any villanie For dredelesse me were leuer to die Than she of me ought els vnderstood But that that might sownen into good Tho lough this Pandarus anon answerd And I thy borow fie no wight doth but so I raught not though she stood and herd How that thou saiest but farwell I woll go Adieu be glad God speed vs both two Yeue me this labour and this businesse And of my speed be thine all the sweetnesse Tho Troilus gan doune on knees to fall And Pandare in his armes hent fast And said now fie on the Greekes all Yet parde God shall helpen at last And dredelesse if that my life may last And God toforne lo some of hem shall smerte And yet me a thinketh that this auaunt masterte And now Pandare I can no more say Thou wise thou wost thou maist thou art all My life my death hole in thine hond I say Help me now qd he Yes by my trouth I shal God yeeld thee friend and this in speciall Qd. Troilus that thou me recommaund To her that may me to yâ— death commaund This Pandarus tho desirous to serve His full friend he said in this manere Farwell think I wol thy thanke deserve Have here my trouth that thou shalt here And went his way thinking on this matere And how he best might beseechen her of grace And find a time thereto and a place * For every wight that hath a house to found He renneth nat the werke for to begin With rakel hond but he woll biden stound And send his hearts line out fro within Alder first his purpose for to win All thus Pandare in his heart thought And cast his werke full wisely ere he wrought But Troilus lay tho no lenger doun But anone gat vpon his stede baie And in the field he played the Lioun Wo was the Greek that with him met yâ— daye And in the toune his manner tho forth aye So goodly was and gat him so in grace That eche him loved that looked in his face For he became the friendliest wight The gentilest and eke the most free The thriftiest and one the best knight That in his time was or els might be Dead were his yapes and his cruelte His high port and his manner straunge And each of hem gan for a vertue chaunge Now let vs stint of Troilus a stound That fareth like a man that hurt is sore And is some dele of a king of his wound Ylessed well but healed no dele more And as an easie patient the lore Abite of him that goeth about his cure And thus he driueth forth his aventure Explicit liber primus OVt of these black wawes let vs for to sail O wind now the weather ginneth clere For in the sea the boate hath such trauaile Of my conning that vnneth I it stere This sea clepe I the tempestous matere Of deepe dispaire that Troilus was in But now of hope the kalends begin O lady mine that called art Cleo Thou be my spede fro this forth my muse To rime well this booke till I have do Me needeth here none other art to vse For why to every lover I me excuse That of no sentement I this endite But out of latine in my tongue it write Wherefore I nil have neither thank ne blame Of all this worke but pray you mekely Disblameth me if any word be lame For as mine authour said so say I Eke though I speake of love vnfeelingly No wonder is for it nothing of new is * A blind man cannot judgen well in hewis I know yâ— in forme of speech is change Within a thousand yere and words tho That hadden prise now wonder nice strange Thinketh hem and yet they spake hem so And spedde as well in love as men now do * Eke for to winnen love in sundry ages In
death you listeth nought to retch That is so trew and worthy as we see No more than of a yaper or a wretch If ye be such your beaute may nat stretch To make amends of so cruell a dede * Avisement is good before the nede * Wo worth the faire gemme vertulesse Wo worth that hearbe also that doth no bote Wo worth the beauty that is routhlesse Wo worth that wight yâ— trede ech under fote And ye that ben of beautie croppe and rote If therewithall in you ne be no routh Then is it harme ye liven by my trouth And also thinke well that this is no gaud For me were lever thou I and he Were honged than I should ben his baud As high as men might on us all isee I am thine Eme the shame were to mee As well as thee if that I should assent Through mine abet that he thine honour shent Now understond for I you nought requere To bind you to him through no behest Save onely that ye make him better chere Than ye han done ere this and more feast So that his life be saved at the least This is all and some and plainly our entent God help me so I never other ment Lo this request is nought but skill iwis Ne doubt of reason parde is there none I set the worst that ye dreden this Men would wonder to seen him come gone There ayenst answere I thus anone That every wight but he be foole of kind Woll deeme it love of frendship in his mind * What who woll demen tho he see a man To temple gone that he the images eateth Thinke eke how well and wisely that he can Govern himselfe that he nothing foryetteth That wher he cometh he pris thonk him geteth And eke thereto he shal come here so seld What force were it thogh all yâ— toun beheld Such love of frends reigneth thorow al this toun And wrie you in that mantle ever mo And God so wis be my salvatioun As I have sayd your best is to do so But good nece alway to stint his wo * So let your daunger sugred ben alite That of his death ye be not all to wite Creseide which that herd him in this wise Thought I shall felen with he meaneth iwis Now Eme qd she what would ye devise What is your rede I should done of this That is well said qd he certaine best is That ye him love ayen for his loving * As love for love is skilfull guerdoning Thinke eke how elde wasteth every hour In each of you a part of beaute And therefore ere that age thee devour Go love for old there woll no wight of thee Let this proverbe a lore unto you bee * Too late iware qd beaute when it past And elde daunteth daunger at the last The kings foole is wont to cry aloud When that he thinketh a woman bereth her hie * So long mote ye liven and all proud Till Crowes feet growen under your eie And send you then a mirrour in to prie In which that ye may see your face a morow Nece I bid him wish you no more sorow With this he stint and cast down yâ— head And she began to brest and wepe anone And said alas for wo why nere I dead For of this world the faith is all agone Alas what shoulden straunge unto me done When he that for my best friend I wend Rate me to love and should it me defend Alas I would have trusted doubtles That if that I through my disaventure Had loved either him or Achilles Hector or any other creature Ye nolde have had mercy ne measure On me but alway had me in repreve This false world alas who may it leve What is this all yâ— joy and all the feast Is this your rede is this my blisfull caas Is this the very mede of your behest Is all this painted processe said alas Right for this fine O lady mine Pallas Thou in this dredefull case for me purvey For so astonied am I that I dey With that she gan full sorrowfully to sike Ne may it be no bet qd Pandarus By God I shall no more come here this weke And God toforne that am mistrusted thus I see well now ye setten light of us Or of our death alas I wofull wretch Might he yet live of me were nought to retch O cruell God O dispitous Marte O furies three of Hell on you I crie So let me never out of this house depart If that I meant harme or villanie But sith I see my Lord mote needs die And I with him here I me shrive and sey That wickedly ye done us both dey But sith it liketh you that I be dead By Neptunus that God is of the see Fro this forth shall I never eaten bread Till that I mine owne heart blood may see For certaine I woll die as soone as hee And up he stert and on his way he raught Till she againe him by the lappe caught Creseide which yâ— well nigh starf for feare So as she was the fearfullest wight That might be and heard eke with her eare And saw the sorowfull earnest of the knight And in his praier saw eke none unright And for the harme eke that might fall more She gan to rew and dread her wonder sore And thought thus unhaps do fallen thicke Alday for Love and in such manner caas As men ben cruell in hemselfe and wicke And if this man slee here himselfe alas In my presence it nill be no sollas What men would of it deme I can nat say It needeth me full slighly for to play And with a sorowfull sigh she said thrie Ah lord what me is tidde a sorry chaunce For mine estate lieth in jeopardie And eke mine emes life lieth in ballaunce But nathelesse with Gods governaunce I shall so done mine honour shall I keepe And eke his life and stint for to weepe * Of harmes two the lesse is for to chese Yet had I lever maken him good chere In honour than my emes life to lese Ye saine ye nothing els me requere No wis qd he mine owne nece so dere Now well qd she and I woll done my paine I shall mine heart ayen my lust constraine But that I nill nat holden him in hond Ne love a man that can I naught ne may Ayenst my will but els woll I fonde Mine honour save plesen him fro day to day Thereto nolde I not ones have said nay But that I dredde as in my fantasie * But cesse cause aie cesseth maladie But here I make a protestacion That in this processe if ye deper go That certainly for no salvacion Of you though that ye sterven both two Though all the world on o day be my fo Ne shall I never on him have other routhe I graunt wel qd Pandare by my trouthe But may I trust well to you qd he That of this thing that ye han hight me here Ye woll it
who maie stoppen every wicked tong Or soune of belles while that they been rong And after that her thought gan for to clere And saied he which that nothing vndertaketh Nothing acheveth be him loth or dere And with an other thought her hart quaketh Then slepeth hope and after drede awaketh Now hote now cold but thus bitwixen twey She rist her vp and went her for to pley Adoune the staire anon right tho she went Into her gardine with her neces three And vp and doun they maden many a went Flexippe and she Tarbe and Antigone To plaien that it ioie was to see And other of her women a great rout Her folowed in the gardine all about This yerde was large railed al the alies And shadowed wel with blosomy bows grene And benched newe and sonded all the waies In which she walketh arme in arme betwene Till at the last Antigone the shene Gan on a Troian song to singen clere That it an heven was her voier to here She saied O love to whom I have shall Been humble subiect true in mine entent As I best can to you lorde yeve iche all For euermore mine hartes lust to rent For never yet thy grace to no wight sent So blisfull cause as me my life to lede In all ioie and suretie out of drede The blisfull God hath me so well beset In love iwis that all that beareth life Imaginen ne could how to be bet For Lorde withouten jelousie or strife I love one which that moste is ententife To serven well vnwerily or vnfained That ever was lest with harme distained As he that is the well of worthinesse Of trouth ground mirrour of goodlihedde Of wit Apollo stone of sikernesse Of vertue roote of lustie finder and hedde Through whiche is all sorrowe fro me dedde Iwis I love him best so doeth he me Now good thrift have he where so ever he be Whom should Ithanken but you God of love Of all this blisse in which to bath I ginne And thanked be ye Lorde for that I love This is the right life that I am inne To flemen all maner vice and sinne This doeth me so to vertue for to entende That daie by daie I in my will amende And who so that saieth that for to love is vice Or thraldome though he fele in it distresse He either is enuious or right nice Or is vnmightie for his shreudnesse To loven for soch maner folke I gesse Diffamen love as nothing of him know * They speaken but they bent never his bowe What is the Sunne worse of his kind right Though that a man for feblenesse of his iyen Maie not endure on it to se for bright Or love the worst that wretches on it crien * No wele is worth that may no sorowe drien And for thy who that hath an hedde of verre Fro cast of stones ware him in the werre But I with all mine harte all my might As I have saied woll love vnto my last My owne dere harte all mine owne knight In whiche mine harte growen is so fast And is in me that it shall ever last All dredde I first love him to begin Now wote I well there is no perill in And of her song right with yâ— word she stent And therewithall now nece qd Creseide Who made this song now with so good entent Antigone answerde anon and saide Madame iwis the goodliest maide Of great estate in all the toune of Troie And led her life in moste honour and ioie Forsothe so semeth it by her song Qd. tho Creseide gan therewith to sike And saied Lorde is there soche blisse emong These lovers as they can faire endite Ye wisse qd freshe Antigone the white * For all the folke that have or been on live Ne con well the blisse of love discrive But wene ye that every wretche wote The parfite blisse of love why naie iwis They wenen all be love if one be hote Do waie do waie they wote nothing of this * Men mote asken of sainctes if it is Ought faire in heven why for they can tell And aske fendes if it be foule in hell Creseide vnto yâ— purpose naught answerde But saied iwis it woll be night as fast But every worde which that she of her herde She gan to printen in her harte fast And aie gan love her lasse for to agast Than it did erst and sinken in her harte That she waxe somewhat able to conuarte The daies honour and the heavens iye The nights foe all this clepe I thee sonne Gan westren fast and dounward for to wrie As he that had his daies course ironne And white things woxen al dimme and donne For lacke of light and sterres for to apere That she and all her folke in went ifere So when it liked her to gon to rest And voided weren they that voiden ought She saied that to slepen well her leste Her women sone till her hedde her brought Whan al was hust then lay she still thought Of all this thing the maner and the wise Rehearce it needeth not for ye been wise A Nightingale vpon a Cedre grene Vnder the chamber wall there as she laie Full loude song ayen the Mone shene Paraventure in his birdes wise a laie Of love that made her harte freshe gaie That herkened she so long in good entent Till at the last the dedde sleepe her hent And as she slept anon right tho her met How that an Egle fethered white as bone Vnder her brest his long clawes iset And out her harte he rent and that anon And did his harte into her brest to gon Of which she nouÈt agrose ne nothing smart And forth he flieth with hart left for hart Now let her slepe and we our tales holde Of Troilus that is to Paleis ridden Fro the scarmishe of which I of tolde And in his chamber sate and hath abidden Till two or thre of his messengers yeden For Pandarus and soughten him full fast Til they him found brought him at the last This Pandarus came leaping in at ones And saied thus who hath been well ibete To day with swerdes and slong stones But Troilus that hath caught him an hete And gan to yape and saied Lord ye swete But rise and let vs soupe and go to reste And he answerde him do we as thee leste With all the hast goodly as they might They sped hem fro the souper and to bedde And every wight out at the doore him dight And whider him list vpon his waie him sped But Troilus thought that his harte bledde For wo till that he heard some tiding And saied frende shall I now wepe or sing Qd. Pandarus be still and let me slepe And doe on thy hoode thine nedes spedde be And chose if thou wolt sing daunce or lepe At short wordes thou shalt trowe all by me Sir my nece woll doen well by thee And love thee best by God and
And how so she hath hard ben here beforne * To God hope I she hath now caught a thorn She shall nat pull it out this next wike God send her mo such thornes on to pike Pandare which that stood her fast by * Felt iron hot and he began to smite And said nece I pray you heartely Tell me that I shall asken you alite A woman that were of his death to wite Withouten his gilt but for her lack of routh Were it well done qd she nay by my trouth God helpe me so qd he ye say me sooth Ye feelen well your selfe that I nought lie Lo yonde he rideth qd she ye so he dooth Well qd Pandare as I have told you thrie Let be your nice shame and your follie And speake with him in easing of his hert Let nicete nat do you both smert But theron was to heauen and to done Considering all thing it may nat be And why for shame it were eke too soone To graunten him so great a liberte For plainly her entent as said she Was for to love him vnwist if she might And guerdon himwith nothing but with sight But Pandare thought it shall nat be so If that I may this nice opinion Shall nat ben holden fully yeares two What should I make of this a long sermon He must assent on that conclusion As for the time and when that it was eve And all was well he rose and tooke his leve And on his way fast homeward he spedde And right for ioy he felt his heart daunce And Troilus he found alone abedde That lay as done these lovers in a traunce Betwixen hope and derke desperaunce But Pandare right at his in comming He song as who saith lo somewhat I bring And said who is in his bedde so soone Yburied thus it am I friend qd he Who Troilus nay help me so the moone Q. d. Pandarus thou shalt vp rise and see A charme that was sent right now to thee The which can healen thee of thine accesse If thou do forthwith all thy businesse Ye through the might of God qd Troilus And Pandarus gan him the letter take And said parde God hath holpen vs Have here a light and look on all these blake But often gan the heart glad and quake Of Troilus while he it gan to rede So as the words yave him hope or drede But finally he tooke all for the best That she him wrote for somewhat he beheld On which he thought he might his heart rest All covered she the words vnder sheld Thus to the more worthy part he held That what for hope and Pandarus behest His great wo foryede he at the lest But as we may all day our selven see * Through wood or cole kindleth the more fire Right so encrease of hope of what it be Therewith full oft encreaseth eke desire Or as an oke commeth of a little spire So through this letter which yâ— she him sent Encreasen gan desire of which he brent Wherfore I say alway that day and night This Troilus gan to desiren more Than he did erst through hope and did his might To presen on as by Pandarus lore And writen to her of his sorowes sore Fro day to day he let it nought refreide That by Pandare he somewhat wrot or seide And did also his other observaunces That till a lover longeth in this caas And after as his dice turned on chaunces So was he either glad or said alas And held after his gestes aye his paas And after such answers as he had So were his daies sorry either glad But to Pandare alway was his recours And pitously gan aye on him to plaine And him besought of rede and some socours And Pandarus that saw his wood paine Wext well nigh dead for routh sooth to saine And busily with all his heart cast Some of his wo to sleen and that as fast And said Lord and friend and brother dere God wot that thy disease doth me wo But wolt thou stinten all this wofull chere And by my trouth ere it be daies two And God toforne yet shall I shape it so That thou shalt come into a certaine place There as thou maist thy self praien her of grace And certainly I not if thou it wost But they that ben expert in love it say * It is one of these things forthereth most A man to have a leâ—ser for to pray And siker place his wo for to bewray * For in good heart it mote some routh impresse To heare and see the guiltlesse in distresse Peraventure thinkest thou though it be so That kind would her done for to begin To have a manner routh vpon my wo Saith daunger nay thou shalt me never win So ruleth her hearts ghost within * That though she bend yet she stont on rote What in effect is this vnto my hote * Think here ayen when that yâ— sturdy oke On which men hacketh oft for the nones Received hath the happy falling stroke The great sweight doth it come all at ones As done these great rocks or these miln stones * For swifter course cometh thing yâ— is of wight When it discendeth than done things light But rede that boweth doun for every blast Full lightly cesse wind it woll arise But so nill not an oke when it is cast It needeth me nought long thee forvise * Men shall reioysen of a great emprise Atchieved well and stant withouten dout All have men ben the lenger thereabout But Troilus now tell me if thee lest A thing which that I shall asken thee Which is thy brother that thou lovest best As in thy very hearts privite Iwis my brother Deiphebus tho qd he Now qd Pandare ere houres twise twelve He shall the ease vnwist of it himselve Now let me alone and worken as I may Qd. he and to Deiphebus went he tho Which had his lord and great friend ben aye Save Troilus no man he loved so To tell in sort withouten words mo Qd. Pandarus I pray you that ye be Friend to a cause which that toucheth me Yes parde qd Deiphebus welthou wotest All that ever I may and God tofore All nere it but for the man I love most My brother Troilus but say wherefore It is for sith the day that I was bore I nas ne never mo to ben I thinke Ayenst a thing that might thee forthinke Pandare gan him thank to him seide Lo sir I have a Lady in this toun That is my nece and called is Creseide Which some men would done oppressioun And wrongfully have her possessioun Wherefore I of your lordship you beseech To ben our friend withouten more speech Deiphebus him answerd O is nat this That thou speakest of to me thus straungly Creseide my friend He said him yes Then needeth qd Deiphebus hardely No more of this to speke for trusteth well yâ— I Woll be her Champion with spore and yerde I ne raught nat though all her foes it herde
Pandare I am dead withouten more Hast thou nat heard at parliment he seide For Antenor how lost is my Creseide This Pandare full dead and pale of hew Full pitously answerde and said yes As wisely were it false as it is trew That I have heard and wote all how it is O mercy God who would have trowed this Who would have wend yâ— in so little a throw Fortune our joy would overthrow For in this world there is no creature As to my dome that ever saw ruine Stranger than this through case or aventure But who may all eschue or all devine Such is this world for thy I thus define * Ne trust no wight to find in Fortune Aye property her yeftes ben commune But tell me this why thou art now so mad To sorrowen thus why list thou in this wise Sens thy desire all holly hast thou had So that by right it ought inough suffise But I that never felt in my servise A friendly chere or looking of an eie Let me thus wepe and wailen till I die And over al this as thou wel wost thy selve This toune is full of ladies all about And to my dome falcer than such twelve As ever she was shal I finden in some rout Ye one or twey withouten any dout For thy be glade mine owne dere brother If she be lost we shall recover another * What God forbid alway yâ— ech pleasaunce In a thing were and in none other wight If one can sing another can well daunce If this be goodly she is glad and light And this is faire and that can good aright Ech for his vertue holden is for dere Both herones and faucon for rivere And eke as writ Zansis that was full wise * The new love out chaseth oft the old And vpon new case lieth new avise Thinke eke thy selfe to saven art thou hold Such fire by processe shall of kind cold For sens it is but casuell pleasaunce Some case shall put it out of remembraunce * For also sure as day commeth after night The new love labour or other wo Or els selde seeing of a wight Done old affections all overgo And for thy part thou shalt haue one of tho To abredgs with thy bitter pains smart Absence of her shall driue her out of hart These words saied he for the nones all To helpe his friend least he for sorow deide For doubtlesse to doen his wo to fall He raught nat what vnthrift that he seide But Troilus that nigh for sorow deide Tooke little hede of all that ever he ment One eare it heard at the other out it went But at yâ— last he answerd and said friend This lechcraft or dealed thus to be Were well fitting if that I were a fiend To traien a wight that true is vnto me I pray God let this counsaile never ithee But doe me rather sterue anon right here Ere thus I doen as thou me wouldest lere She that I serue iwis what so thou sey To whom mine hart enhabite is by right Shall have me holly hers till that I dey For Pandarus sens I have trouth her hight I woll nat ben vntrue for no wight But as her man I woll aye live and sterve And never none other creature serve And there thou saiest thou shalt as fair find As she let be make no comparison To creature iformed here by kind O leve Pandare in conclusion I woll nat been of thine opinion Touching all this for which I thee beseech So hold thy peace thou slaest me with thy speech Thou biddest me I should love another All freshly new and let Creseide go It lithe nat in my power leve brother And though I might yet would I nat do so * But canst thou plaien raket to and fro * Nettle in dock out now this now yâ— Pandare Now foule fall her for thy wo yâ— care Thou farest eke by me Pandarus As he that when a wight is wo bigon He commeth to him apace saith right thus Thinke not on smart thou shalt feele none Thou maiest me first transmewen in a stone And reve me my passions all Or thou so lightly doe my wo to fall The death may well out of my brest depart The life so long may this sorow mine But fro my soule shall Creseides dart Out nevermore but doune with Proserpine When I am dead I woll won in pine And there I woll eternally complain My wo and how that twinned be we twain Thou hast here made an argument full fine How that it should lasse paine be Creseide to forgone for she was mine And lived in ease and in felicite Why gabbest thou that saidest vnto me * That him is wors that is fro we le ithrow Than he had erst none of that we le know But tel me now sen yâ— thee thinketh so light To chaungen so in love aye to and fro Why hast thou nat doen busily thy might To chaungen her yâ— doth thee all thy wo Why nilt thou let her fro thine heart go Why nilt thou love another lady swete That may thine heart setten in quiete If thou hast had in love aye yet mischance And canst it not out of thine hart drive I that lived in lust and in pleasance With her as much as creature on live How would I that foryet and that so blive O where hast thou ben hid so long in mew Thou canst so well and formeliche agrew Nay God wot naught worth is al thy rede For which for what that ever may befall Withouten words mo I woll ben dede O death that ender art of sorrowes all Come now sens I so oft after thee call * For sely is that death sooth sor to saine That oft icleped commeth endeth paine Well wote I while my life was in quiete Ere thou me slue I would have yeven hire But now thy comming is to me so swete That in this world I nothing so desire O death sens with this sorow I am a fire Thou either do me anon in teares drench Or with thy cold stroke mine heart quench Sens yâ— thou slaest so fele in sundry wise Ayenst her will vnpraied day and night Doe me at my request this servise Deliver now the world so doest thou right Of me that am the wofullest wight That ever was for time is that I sterve Sens in this world of right nauÈt do I serve This Troilus in teares gan distill As licour out of Allambike full fast And Pandarus gan hold his tongue still And to the ground his eyen downe he cast But nathelesse thus thought he at last What parde rather than my fellow dey Yet shall I somewhat more vnto him sey And said friend sens thou hast such distresse And sens thee list mine argumentes blame Why nilt thy selven helpe doen redresse And with thy manhood letten all this game To rauish her ne caust thou not for shame And either let her out of toune fare Or hold her still and leave thy nice
word she spake she hath no might therto What shall she saine her wit is all ago Right as when a wolfe findeth a lamb alone To whom shall she complaine or make mone What shall she fight with an hardy knight Well wote men a woman hath no might What shall she crie or how shall she astert That hath her by the throte with swerd at hert She asketh grace and said all that she can No wolt thou nat qd this cruell man As wisely Iupiter my soule save I shall in thy stable slea thy knave And lay him in thy bed and loud crie That I thee find in such avoutrie And thus thou shalt be dead and also lese Thy name for thou shalt nat chese This Romans wives loveden so her name At thilke time and dreden so the shame That with for fere of slander drede of death She lost both at ones wit and breath And in a swough she lay and woxe so dead Men mighten smite off her arme or head She feleth nothing neither foule ne faire Tarquinius that art a kings heire And shouldest as by linage and by right Done as a lord and a very knight Why hast thou done dispite to chivalrie Why hast thou done thy lady villanie Alas of thee this was a villanous dede But now to the purpose in the story I rede When he was gon this mischaunce is fall This lady sent after her friendes all Father mother and husbond all ifere And discheveled with her haire clere In habite such as women vsed tho Vnto the burying of her friends go She sate in hall with a sorowfull sight Her friends asken what her aylen might And who was dead and she sate aye weeping A word for shame ne may she forth out bring Ne vpon hem she durst nat behold But at the last of Tarquiny she hem told This rufull case and all this thing horrible The wo to tell were impossible That she and all her friends make at ones All had folkes herts ben of stones It might have maked hem vpon her rew Her hert was so wifely and so trew She said that for her gilt ne for her blame Her husbond should nat have the foule name That would she nat suffren by no way And they answerde all vnto her fay That they foryave it her for it was right It was no gilt it lay nat in her might And saiden her ensamples many one But all for naught for thus she said anone Be as be may qd she of forgiving I will nat have no forgift for nothing But prively she cought forth a knife And therwithall she raft her selfe her life And as she fell adowne she cast her looke And of her clothes yet heed she tooke For in her falling yet she had a care Least that her feet or such things lay bare So well she loved cleannesse and eke trouth Of her had all the towne of Rome routh And Brutus hath by her chast blood swore That Tarquin should ybanished be therfore And all his kinne and let the people call And openly the tale he told hem all And openly let carry her on a bere Through all y◠town that men may see here The horrible deed of her oppressioun Ne never was there king in Rome toun Sens thilke day and she was holden there A saint and ever her day yhallowed dere As in her law and thus endeth Lucresse The noble wife Titus beareth witnesse I tell it for she was of love so trew Ne in her will she chaunged for no new And in her stable hert sadde and kind That in these women men may all day find There as they cast her hert there it dwelleth For well I wote that Christ himselfe telleth That in Israel as wide as is the lond That so great faith in all the lond he ne fond As in a woman and this is no lie And as for men looke ye such tyrannie They doen all day assay hem who so list * The truest is full brothell for to trist ¶ The Legend of Ariadne of Athens JVdge infernall Minos of Crete king Now commeth thy lot thou commest on the ring Nat for thy sake only written is this storie But for to clepe ayen vnto memorie Of Theseus the great vntrouth of love For which the gods of heaven above Ben wroth wrath have take for thy sinne Be red for shame now I thy life beginne Minos that was y◠mighty king of Crete That had an hundred cities strong and grete To schoole hath sent his sonne Androgeus To Athens of the which it happed thus That he was slaine learning Phylosophie Right in that citie nat but for envie The great Minos of the which I speke His sonnes death is come for to wreke Alcathoe he besieged hard and long But nathelesse the walles be so strong And Nisus that was king of that cite So chivalrous that little dredeth he Of Minos or his hoast tooke he no cure Till on a day befell an aventure That Nisus doughter stood vpon the wall And of the siege saw the manner all So happed it that at scarmishing She cast her hert vpon Minos the king For his beautie and his chevalrie So sore that she wende for to die And shortly of this processe for to pace She made Minos winnen thilke place So that the citie was all at his will To saven whom him list or els spill But wickedly he quit her kindnesse And let her drench in sorrow and distresse Nere that the gods had of her pite But that tale were too long as now for me Athenes wan this king Minos also As Alcathoe and other townes mo And this the effect that Minos hath so driven Hem of Athenes that they mote him yeven Fro yere to yere her owne children dere For to be slaine as ye shall after here This Minos hath a monster a wicked best That was so cruell that without areest When y◠a man was brought into his presence He would him eat there helpeth no defence And every third yeare withouten dout They casten lotte as it came about On rich and poore he must his sonne take And of his childe he must present make To Minos to save him or to spill Or let his beast devour him at his will And this hath Minos done right in dispite To wreke his sonne was set all his delite And make hem of Athenes his thrall Fro yere to yere while he liven shall And home he saileth when this toun is won This wicked custome is so long yron Till of Athenes king Egeus Mote senden his owne sonne Theseus Sens that the lotte is fallen him vpon To ben devoured for grace is there non And forth is ladde this wofull yong knight Vnto the country of king Minos full of might And in a prison fettred fast is he Till the time he should yfreten be Well maist thou wepe O wofull Theseus That art a kings sonne and damned thus Me thinketh this that thou art depe yhold To whom
mokell werking vertues enpight as me seemeth in none other creature that euer saw I with mine eyen My disciple qd she me wondereth of thy words and on thee that for a little disease hast foryetten my name Wost thou not well that I am Loue that first thee brought to thy seruice O good Lady qd I is this worship to thee or to thyne excellence for to come into so foule a place Parde sometime tho I was in prosperitie and with forraine goods enuolued I had mokell to doen to drawe thee to mine hostell and yet many wernings thou madest ere thou lift fully to graunt thine home to make at my dwelling place and now thou commest goodly by thine owne vise to comfort me with wordes and so there through I ginne remember on passed gladnesse Truly lady I ne wote whether I shall say welcome or none sithen thy comming woll as much do mee tene and sorrow as gladnesse and mirth see why For that me comforteth to thinke on passed gladnesse that me anoyeth eft to be in doing thus thy comming both gladdeth and teneth and that is cause of much sorrow lo lady howe then I am comforted by your comming and with that I gan in tears is distill and tenderly weepe Now certes qd Loue I see well and that me overthinketh that wit in thee fayleth and art in point to dote Truly qd I that have ye maked and that ever will I rue Wotest thou not wel qd she that every sheepheard ought by reason to seeke his sperkeland sheepe that arne ron into wildernesse among bushes and perils and hem to their pasture ayen bryng and take of hem privie busie cure and keepping And tho the unconning Sheep scattered would been lost renning to wildernesse and to deserts draw or els woulden put himself to the swallowing Wolfe yet shall the shepheard by businesse and trauaile so put him forth that he shall not let him be lost by no way * A good sheepheard putteth rather his life to be lost for his sheepe But for thou shalt not wene me being of werse condicion truly for everiche of my folk and for all tho that to me ward be knit in any condicion I woll rather die than suffer hem through errour to been spilt For me list and it me liketh of all mine a Shepheardesse to be cleaped Wost thou not well I failed never wight but he me refused and would negligently go with unkindnesse And yet parde have I many such holpe and releved and they have oft me beguiled but ever at the end it discended in their own necks Hast thou not radde how kind I was to Paris Priamus son of Troy How Iason me falsed for all his fals behest How Sesars sonke I left it for no tene till he was troned in my blisse for his service What qd she most of all maked I not a love day betweene God and mankinde and chese a maid to be nompere to put the quarell at end Lo how I have travailed to haue thanke on all sides and yet list me not to rest and I might find on whom I should werche But truly mine own disciple because I have thee found at all assayes in thy will to be ready mine hestes to have followed and hast ben true to that Margarite Pearle that ones I thee shewed and she alway ayenward hath made but daungerous chear I am come in proper persone to put thee out of errours and make thee glad by wayes of reason so that sorrow ne disease shall no more hereafter thee amaistrie Wherethrough I hope thou shalt lightly come to the grace that thou long hast desired of thilke Iewel Hast thou not heard many ensamples how I have comforted and releeved the schollers of my lore Who hath worthied Kings in the field Who hath honoured Ladies in houre by a perpetuall mirror of their truth in my service Who hath caused worthy folke to void vice and shame Who hath hold cities and realms in prosperity If thee lift cleape ayen thine olde remembraunce thou coudest every poynt of this declare in especiall and say that I thy maistres have be cause causing these things and many mo other Now iwis madame qd I all these thyngs I know well my selfe and that thyne excellence passeth the understanding of us beasts and that no mannes wit yearthly may comprehend thy vertues Well then qd she for I see thee in disease and sorrow I wote well thou art one of mine nories I may not suffer thee so to make sorrow thine owne selfe to shend but I my self come to be thy fere thine heavy charge to make to seem the lesse for wo is him that is alone * And to the sorry to been moned by a sorrowful wight it is great gladnesse Right so with my sick friendes I am sick and with sorry I cannot els but sorrow make till when I have hem releeved in such wise that gladnesse in a maner of counterpaising shall restore as mokell in joy as the passed heavinesse beforn did in tene And also qd she when any of my servaunts been alone in solitary place I have yet ever busied me to be with hem in comfort of their hearts and taught hem to make songs of plaint and of blisse and to enditen letters of Rhethorike in queint understandings and to bethinke hem in what wise they might best their Ladies in good service please and also to learn maner in countenaunce in words and in bearing and to ben meek and lowly to every wight his name and fame to encrease and to yeue great yefts and large that his renome may springen but thee thereof have I excused for thy losse and great costages wherethrough thou art needy arne nothing to me unknowen but I hope to God somtime it shall been amended as thus as I saied In norture have I taught all mine and in courtesie made hem expert their Ladies hearts to winne and if any would endeynous or proud or be envious or of wretches acquaintaunce hasteliche have such voided out of my schoole for all vices truly I hate vertues and worthinesse in all my power I auaunce Ah worthy creature qd I and by juste cause the name of goddesse dignely ye mowe beat in thee lithe the grace through which any creature in this worlde hath any goodnesse truly all manner of blisse and preciousnesse in vertue out of thee springen and wellen as brookes and rivers procceden from their springs and like as all waters by kind drawen to the sea so all kindly thinges threstâ—â— by full appetite of desire to drawe after thy steppes and to thy presence approch as to their kindely perfection howe dare then beasts in this world aught forfete ayenst thy Divine purueighaunce Also lady ye knowen all the privy thoughtes in heartes no counsayle may been hidde from your knowynge Wherefore I wate well Lady that ye knowe your selfe that I in my conscience am and have been willyng to your service all coud I never doe as I
Her nose directed streight and euen as line With forme and shape thereto conuenient In which the goddes milk white path doth shine And eke her eyen ben bright orient As is the Smaragde vnto my judgement Or yet these sterres heauenly small bright Her visage is of louely rede and white Her mouth is short and shit in little space Flaming somedeale not ouer redde I mean With pregnant lips thick to kisse percace * For lippes thinne not fat but euer lene They serue of nauÈt they be not worth a bean For if the basse been full there is delite Maximian truly thus doth he write But to my purpose I say white as snow Been all her teeth and in order they stond Of one stature and eke her breath I trow Surmounteth all odours that euer I found In sweetnesse and her body face and hond Been sharpely slender so that from the head Vnto the foot all is but womanhead I hold my peace of other things hidde Here shall my soule and not my tong bewray But how she was arraied if ye me bidde That shall I well discouer you and say A bend of gold and silke full fresh and gay With her intresse broudered full wele Right smoothly kept and shining euerydele About her necke a flower of fresh deuise With Rubies set that lusty were to sene And she in goun was light and summer wise Shapen full wele the colour was of grene With aureat sent about her sides clene With diuers stones precious and rich Thus was she rayed yet saw I neuer her lich For if that Ioue had but this lady seine Tho Calixto ne yet Alemenia They neuer hadden in his armes leine Ne he had loued the faire Eurosa Ye ne yet Dane ne Antiopa For all their beauty stood in Rosiall She seemed lich a thing celestiall In bounty fauour port and seemelinesse Pleasaunt of figure mirrour of delite Gracious to seene and root of all gentilnesse With angell visage iusty redde and white There was not lack saufe daunger had alite This goodly fresh in rule and gouernaunce And somdele strange she was for her pleasaunce And truly sone I took my leaue and went When she had me enquired what I was For more and more impressen gan the dent Of loues dart while I beheld her face And eft againe I come to seeken grace And vp I put my bill with sentence clere That followeth after rede and ye shall here O ye fresh of beauty the root That nature hath formed so wele and made Princes and quene and ye that may do boot Of all my langour with your words glad Ye wounded me ye made me wo bestad Of grace redresse my mortall greefe as ye Of all my harme the very causer be Now am I caught and vnware suddainly With persaunt streames of your eye so clere Subject to been and seruen you mekely And all your man iwis my lady dere Abiding grace of which I you require That mercilesse ye cause me not to sterue But guerdon me liche as I may deserue For by my troth all the days of my breath I am and will be your in will and hert Patient and meeke for you to suffer death If it require now rue vpon my smart And this I swere I neuer shall out start From loues court for none aduersitie So ye would rue on my distresse and me My desteny my fate and houre I blisse That haue me set to been obedient Onely to you the floure of all iwis I trust to Venus neuer to repent For euer redy glad and diligent Ye shall me find in seruice to your grace Till death my life out of my body race Humble vnto your excellence so digne Enforcing aye my wits and delite To serue and please with glad hert and benigne And been as Troylus Troyes knight Or Antonie for Cleopatre bright And neuer you me thinkes to renay This shall I keepe vnto mine ending day Enprint my speech in your memoriall Sadly my princes salue of all my sore And think yâ— for I would becommen thrall And been your owne as I haue sayd before Ye must of pity cherish more and more Your man and tender after his desert And giue him courage for to been expert For where yâ— one hath set his hert on fire And findeth neither refute ne pleasaunce Ne word of comfort death will quite his hire Alas that there is none allegeaunce * Of all their wo alas the great greuaunce To loue vnloued but ye my lady dere In other wise may gouerne this matere Truly gramercy friend of your good will And of your profer in your humble wise But for your seruice take and keep it still And where ye say I ought you well to cherise And of your greefe the remedy deuise I know not why I nam acquainted well With you ne wot not sothly where ye dwell In art of loue I write and songs make That may be song in honour of the king And quene of Loue and then I vndertake He that is sadde shall then tull merry sing And daungerous not ben in euery thing Beseech I you but seene my will and rede And let your answere put me out of drede What is your name rehearse it here I pray Of whence and where of what condition That ye been of let see come off and say Faine would I know your disposition Ye haue put on your old entention But what ye meane to serue me I ne wote Saufe that ye say ye loue me wonder hote My name alas my hert why makes thou straunge Philogenet I calld am fer nere Of Cambrige clerk yâ— neuer think to chaunge Fro you yâ— with your heuenly stremes clere Rauish mine hert and ghost and all infere Since at the first I write my bill for grace Me thinke I see some mercy in your face And with I mene by gods yâ— al hath wrought My bill now maketh small mention That ye been lady in mine inward thought Of all mine hert withouten offencion That I best loue and sith I begon To draw to court lo then what might I say I yeeld me here vnto your nobley And if that I offend or wilfully By pompe of hert your precept disobay Or done againe your will unskilfully Or greuen you for earnest or for play Correct ye me right sharply then I pray As it is seene vnto your womanhede And rew on me or els I nam but dede Nay God forbede to fesse you so with grace And for a word of sugred eloquence To haue compassion in so little space Then were it time that some of vs were hens Ye shall not find in me such insolence * Eye what is this may ye not suffre sight How may ye looke vpon the candle light That clerer is and hotter than mine eie And yet ye sayd the beames perse and frete How shall ye then the candle light endrie For well wote ye that hath the sharper hete And there ye bid me you correct and bete
three VVhich three apples who may haue Been from all displeasaunce saue That in the seuen yeere may fall This wote you well one and all For the first apple and the bext Which growth vnto you next Hath three vertues notable And keepeth youth aie durable Beauty and looke euer in one And is the best in euerichone The second apple red and grene Onely with lookes of your yene You nourishes in pleasaunce Better than Partidge or Fesaunce And feeds euery liues wight Pleasantly with the sight The third apple of the three Which groweth lowest on the tree Who it beares may not faile That to his pleasaunce may auaile So your pleasure and beauty rich Your during youth euer liche Your truth your cunning and your weale Hath aye floured and your good heale Without sicknes or displeasaunce Or thing that to you was noysaunce So that you haue as goddesses Liued aboue all princesses Now is befall as ye may see To gather these said apples three I haue not failed againe the day Thitherward to take the way Wening to speed as I had oft But when I come I find aloft My sister which that here stands Hauing those apples in her hands Auising them and nothing said But looked as she were well paid And as I stood her to behold Thinking how my joyes were cold Sith I those apples haue ne might Euen with that so came this knight And in his armes of me aware Me tooke and to his ship me bare And said though him I neuer had seen Yet had I long his lady been VVherefore I should with him wend And he would to his liues end My seruant be and gan to sing As one that had wonne a rich thing Tho were my spirits fro me gone So sodainly euerichone That in me appeared but death For I felt neither life ne breath Ne good ne harme none I knew The sodaine paine me was so new That had not the hasty grace be Of this lady that fro the tree Of her gentilnesse so hied Me to comfort I had died And of her three apples one In mine hand there put anone VVhich brought againe mind and breath And me recouered from the death VVherefore to her so am I hold That for her all things do I wold For she was lech of all my smart And from great paine so quite mine hart And as God wote Right as ye heare Me to comfort with friendly cheare She did her prowesse and her might And truly eke so did this knight In that he couth and oft said That of my wo he was ill paid And cursed the ship that them there brought The mast the master that it wrought And as ech thing mote haue an end My sister here your brother frend Con with her words so womanly This knight entreat and conningly For mine honour and his also And said that with her we should go Both in her ship where she was brought VVhich was so wonderfully wrought So cleane so rich and so araid That we were both content and paid And me to comfort and to please And mine heart to put at ease She toke great paine in little while And thus hath brought vs to this yle As ye may see wherfore echone I pray you thanke her one and one As heartily as ye can deuise Or imagine in any wise At once there tho men might seen A world of Ladies fall on kneen Before my Lady that there about VVas left none standing in the rout But altogither they went at ones To kneele they spared not for the stones Ne for estate ne for their blood Well shewed there they couth much good For to my Lady they made such feast With such words that the least So friendly and so faithfully Said was and so cunningly That wonder was seing their youth To here the language they couth And wholly how they gouerned were In thanking of my Lady there And said by will and maundement They were at her commaundement Which was to me as great a joy As winning of the towne of Troy Was to the hardy Greekes strong When they it wan with slege long To see my Lady in such a place So receiued as she was And when they talked had a while Of this and that and of the yle My lady and the ladies there Altogither as they were The Queene her selfe began to play And to the aged lady say Now seemeth you not good it were Sith we be altogither here To ordaine and deuise the best To set this knight and me at rest For woman is a feble wight To rere a warre against a knight And sith he here is in this place At my lift danger or grace It were to me great viâ—â—any To dâ— him any tiranny But faine I would now will ye here In his owne country that he were And I in peace and he at ease This were a way vs both to please If it might be I you beseech With him hereof you fall in speech This lady tho began to smile Auising her a little while And with glad chere she said anone Madam I will vnto him gone And with him speake and of him fele What he desires euery dele And soberly this lady tho Her selfe and other ladies two She tooke with her and with sad chere Said to the knight on this manere Sir the princes of this yle Whom for your pleasance many mile Ye sought haue as I vnderstond Till at the last ye haue her fond Me sent hath here and ladies twaine To heare all thing that ye saine And for what cause ye haue her sought Faine would she wote whol your thouÈt And why you do her all this wo And for what cause you be her so And why of euery wight vnware By force ye to your ship her bare That she so nigh was agone That mind ne speech had she none But as a painfull creature Dying abode her aduenture That her to see indure that paine Here wee ll say vnto you plaine Right on your selfe ye did amisse Seing how she a princes is This knight the which cowth his good Right of his truth meued his blood That pale he woxe as any lead And lookt as he would be dead Blood was there none in nother cheke Worldlesse he was and semed sicke And so it proued well he was For without mouing any paas All sodainely as thing dying He fell at once downe sowning That for his wo this lady fraid Vnto the queene her hyed and said Cometh on anon as haue you blisse But ye be wise thing is amisse This knight is dead or will be soone Lo where he lyeth in a swoone Without word or answering To that I haue said any thing Wherefore I doubt that the blame Might be hindering to your name Which floured hath so many yere So long that for nothing here I would in no wise he dyed Wherefore good were that ye hyed His life to saue at the least And after that his wo be ceast Commaund him void or dwell