wo haue routh Ere false daunger slea hem and confound And specially let thy might be found For to so couer what so that thou may The true man that in the herber lay And all true forther for his sake O glad sterre O lady Venus mine And cause his lady him to grace take Her herte of stele to mercy so encline Ere that thy bemes go vp to decline And ere that thou now go fro us adoun For that loue thou haddest to Adoun And when she was gone to her rest I rose anone and home to bed went For weary me thought it for the best Praying thus in all my best entent That all trew that be with daunger shent With mercy may in release of her paine Recured be ere May come este againe And for that I ne may no lenger wake Farewell ye louers all that be trew Praying to God and thus my leue I take That ere the sunne to morrow be risen new And ere he haue ayen rosen hew That each of you may haue such a grace His owne lady in armes to embrace I meane thus in all honesty Without more ye may togider speake What so ye list at good liberty That each may to other her heart breke On Ielousies onely to be wreke That hath so long of his mallice and enuy Werred Trouth with his tiranny ¶ Lenuoye Princesse pleaseth it to your benignitie This little ditie to haue in mind Of womanhede also for to see Your man may your mercy find And pity eke that long hath be behind Let him againe be provoked to grace For by my trouth it is against kind False Daunger to occupy his place Go little quaire vnto my lives queene And my very hearts soueraine And be right glad for she shall thee seene Such is thy grace but I alas in paine Am left behind not to whom to plaine For mercy ruth grace and eke pite Exiled be that I may not attaine Recure to find of mine adversite Explicit A Praise of Women ALtho thee list of women evill to speak And sain of hem worse than they deserve I pray to God yâ— her neckes to break Or on som evil death mote tho janglers sterve For every man were holden hem to serve And do hem worship honour and servise In every manner that they best coud devise For we ought first to think on with manere They bring vs forth and with pain they endure First in our birth and sith fro yere to yere How busely they done their busie cure To keepe vs fro every misaventure In our youth when we have no might Our selfe to keepe neither by day nor night Alas how may we say on hem but wele Of whom we were fostred and ybore And ben all our succour ever true as stele And for our sake full oft they suffer sore * Without women were all our joy lore Wherfore we ought all women to obey In all goodnesse I can no more say This is wel knowne and hath ben or this That women ben cause of all lightnesse Of knighthood norture eschuing all mallis Encrease of worship and of all worthinesse Thereto curteis meke ground of all goodnesse Glad and merry true in every wise That any gentill hert can thinke or devise And though any would trust to your vntruth And to your faire words would aught assent In good faith me thinketh it wer great ruth That other women shuld for her gilt be shent That never knew ne wist nouÈt of her entent Ne list not to heare the faire words ye write Which ye you paine fro day to day tendite But who may beware of your tales vntrue That ye so busily paint and endite For ye will swere that ye never knew Ne saw the woman neither much ne lite Save only her to whom ye had delite As for to serve of all that ever ye sey And for her love must ye needs dey Then will ye swere yâ— ye knew never before What love was ne his dredfull observaunce But now ye feele that he can wound sore Wherfore ye put you into her governaunce Whom love hath ordeind you to serve do plesance W th al your miÈt your litle lives space Which endeth soone but if she do you grace And then to bed will he soone draw And soone sicke ye will you then faine And swere fast your Lady hath you slaw And brought you suddainly inso high a paine that fro your death may no man you restraine With a daungerous looke of her eyen two That to your death must ye needs go Thus will ye morne thus will ye sigh sore As though your hert anon in two wold brest And swere fast that ye may live no more Mine owne Lady that might if ye lest Bring mine hert somedele into rest As if you list mercy on me to have Thus your vntrouth will ever mercy crave Thus woll ye plain tho ye nothing smert These innocent creatures for to beguile And swere to hem so wounded is your hert For her love that ye may live no while Scarsly so long as one might go a mile So hieth death to bring you to an end But if your soverain Lady list you to amend And if for routh she comfort you in any wise For pity of your false othes sere So yâ— innocent weneth that it be as you devise And weneth your heart be as she may here Thus for to comfort somwhat do you chere Then woll these janglers deme of her full ill And saine that ye have her fully at your will Lo how ready her tonges been and prest To speake harme of women causelesse Alas why might ye not as well say the best As for to deme hem thus guiltlesse In your hert iwis there is no gentilnesse That of your own gilt list thus women fame Now by my trouth me think ye be too blame * For of women cometh this worldly wele Wherfore we ouÈt to worship hem evermore And though it mishap one we ought for to hele For it is all through our false lore That day and night we paine vs evermore With many an oth these women to beguile With false tales and many a wicked wile * And if falshede should be reckened told In women iwis full trouth were Not as in men by a thousand fold Fro all vices iwis they stand cleare In any thing that I could of heare But if enticing of these men it make That hem to flatteren connen never slake * I would fain wete where euer ye coud here Without mens tising with women did amis Forther ye may get hem ye lie fro yere to yere And many a gabbing ye make to hem iwis For I could neuer heare ne knowen ere this Where euer ye coud find-in any place That euer women besought you of grace There ye you pain with all your ful might With all your heart and all your businesse To pleasen hem both by day and night Praying hem of her grace and
greuaunce Hence fro me hence that me for to endite Halpe aye here afore O ye muses nine Whilom ye were wont to be mine aâ—d light My penne to direct my braine to illumine No lenger alas may I sewe your doctrine The fresh lustie metres that I wont to make Haue been here afore I vtterly forsake Come hither thou Hermes ye furies all Which fer ben vnder vs nigh yâ— nether pole Where Pluto reigneth O king infernall Send out thine arpies send anguish dole Miserie and wo leaue ye me not sole Of right be present must pain eke turment The pale death beseemeth not to be absent To me now I call all this lothsome sort My pains tencrease my sorows to augment For worthie I am to be bare of all comfort Thus sith I haue consumed and mispent Not only my days but my 5 fold talent That my lord committed me I can't recompence I may not too derely abie my negligence By the path of penaunce yet woll I reuert To the well of grace mercy there to fetch * Despisest not God the meeke contrite hert Of the cock crow alas yâ— I would not retch And yet it is not late in the second wetch Mercy shall I purchase by incessaunt crying The mercies of our lord euer shall I sing But well maist thou wail wicked woman That thou shuldest deceiue thus any innocent And in recompence of my sinne so as I can To al men wol I make leue this monument In shewing part of thy falshed is mine entent For all were too much I cannot well I wote The cause sheweth plainly he that thus wrote * If all the yearth were parchment scribable Speedie for the hand and all manner wood Were hewed and proportioned to pens able All water inke in damme or in flood Euery man being a parfit Scribe and good The cursednesse yet and deceit of women Coud not he shewed by the meane of pen. I flie all odious resemblaunces The deuils brond call women I might Whereby man is encensed to mischaunces Or a stinking rose that faire is in sight Or deadly empoyson like yâ— sugar white * Which by his sweetnesse causeth man to tast And sodainly sleeth bringeth him to his last It is not my manner to vse such language But this my doctrine as I may lawfully I woll holly ground with authoritie sage Willing both wisedome and vertue edifie * Wine and women into apostasie Cause wisemen to fall what is that to say Of wisedome cause them to forget the way Wherefore the wiseman doth thee aduise In whose words can be found no leasing With the straunger to sit in no wise Which is not thy wife fall not in clipping With her but beware eke of her kissing Keep with her in wine no altercation Least that thine hert fall by inclination May a man thinkest hide and safe lay Fire in his bosome without empairement And brenning of his clothes or whider he may Walke on hote coles his feet not brent As who saith nay and whereby is ment This foresaid prouerbe and similitude But that thou ridde thee plainly to denude From the flatterers forgetting her gide The gide of her youth I mean shamefastnes Which shuld cause her maidenhead to abide Her gods behest eke she full recheles Not retching committeth it to forgetfulnes * Neither God ne shame in her hauing place Needs must such a woman lacke grace And all that neigh her in way of sinne To tourne of grace shall lacke the influence The pathes of life no more to come in Wherefore first friend thee with Sapience Remembring God and after with Prudence To thine owne weale that they thee keepe Vnto thine hert least her words creepe In his book where I take my most ground And in his prouerbes sage Salomon Telleth a tale which is plainly found In the fifth chapiter whider in deed don Or meekely feined to our instruction Let clerkes determine but this am I sure Much like thing I haue had in vre At my window saith he I looked out Fair yong people where I saw many Among hem all as I looked about To a yong man fortuned I lent mine eye Estraunged from his mind it was likely By the street at a corner nigh his own hous He went about with eye right curious When that the day his light gan withdraw And the night approched in the twilight How a woman came and met him I saw Talking with him vnder shade of the night Now blessed be God qd she of his might Which hath fulfilled mine hearts desire Assaked my paines which were hote as fire And yet mine authour as it is skill To follow I must tell her arrayment She was full nice soules like to spill As nice in countenaunce yet as in garment For jangling she was of rest impatient Wandring still in no place she stode But restlesse now and now out she yode Now in the house now in the strete Now at a corner she standeth in await Incessauntly busie her pray for to gete To bring to the lure whom she doth lait Now where I left vnto my matter strait I woll tourne againe how she him mette Sweetly kissed and friendly hem grette With words of curtesie many and diuerse Right as in part I haue before told Now as I can I purpose to reherse How she flattering said with visage bold I haue made vowes and offerings manifold For thy sake O mine hert O my loue dere This day I thanke God all performed were Therefore I came out made thus astart Very desirous your welfare to see Now I haue seene you pleased is mine hert In faith shall none haue my loue but ye As true as I am to you be to me I pray you hertely dere hert come home No man should be to me so welcome And in good faith the sooth for to say Your comming to me ran in my thought Herke in your eare my bed fresh and gay I haue behanged with tapettes new bought From Egipt from far countries brought Steined with many a lustie fresh hue Exceeding gold or Iasper in value My chamber is strowed with mirre insence With sote sauoring aloes with sinamome Breathing an Aromatike redolence Surmounting Olibane in any mans dome Ye shall betweene my breasts rest if ye come Let vs haue our desired halsing For we may safe be till in the morning Mine husband is not at home he is went Forth in his journey a farre way hence A bagge with money he hath with him hent As him thought needfull for his expence Vnto my word giue faith and credence Now is the Moone yong and of light dull Ere he come home it woll be at the full Thus craftely hath she him besette With her lime roddes panter and snare The selie soule caught in her nette Of her sugred mouth alas nothing ware Thus is he left gracelesse and bare Of helpe comfort and ghostly succour And furthermore as saith mine authour As a beast led to
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
say we also of hem that delight hem in swearing and hold it a gentery or a manly deed to swear great othes And what of hem that of very usage ne cease not to swear great othes all be the cause not worth a straw Certes this is horrible sin Swearing suddainly is also a great sin But let us go now to that horrible sin swearing of adiuration and conjuration as done these false Enchauntours or Nigromanters in Basins full of water or in a bright swerd in a Circle in a fire or in the shoulder bone of a sheep I cannot say but that they doe cursedly and damnably ayenst Christ and all the faith of holy church What say we of hem that beleeue on Deuinales as by flight or by noise of birds or of beasts or by sorte by Geomancie by dreams by chirking of dores or cracking of houses by gnawing of rats such manner wretchednesse Certes all these things been defended by God and holy church for which they been accursed till they come to amendment that on such filth set her beleeue Charms for wounds or maladie of men or of beasts if they take any effect it may be peraduenture yâ— God suffereth it for folk should yeue the more faith reuerence to his name Now woll I speak of leasings which generally is false signifiaunce of word in entent to deceiue his euin Christien Some leasing is of which there commeth none aduantage to no wight and some leasing turneth to the profite and ease of a man and to the dammage of another man Another leasing is for to saue his life or his cattel which commeth of delight for to lie in which delight they woll forge a long tale and paint it with all circumstances where all the tale of the ground is false Some leasing commeth for he woll sustain his words Some leasing commeth of retchlesnesse without auisement and semblable things Let us now touch the vice of Flatterie which ne cometh not gladly but for dread or for couetise Flatterie is generally wrongful praising Flatterers been the deuils nourices that nourish his children with milk of losengerie forsooth Salomon sayth That Flatterie is worse than detraction for sometime detraction maketh an hautein man be the more humble for he dreadeth detraction but certes flattery maketh a man to enhaunce his heart and his countenaunce Flatterers be the Deuils enchauntours for they make a man to wene himself be like that he is not like Those be like to Iudas that betray a man to sell him to his Enemy Flatterers been the deuils Chapleins that ever sing Placebo I reckon flattery in the vices of ire for oft time if a man be wroth with another then woll he flatter some wight to sustain him in his quarrel Speak we now of such cursing as cometh of irous hart Malison generally may be said euery manner power of harm such cursing bereaueth man fro the reign of God as sayth S. Poule And oft time such cursing wrongfully returneth ayen to him that curseth as a bird that turneth again to his own neast * And ouer all thing men ought eschew to curse her children yeue to the deuil her engendrure as ferre forth as in hem is certes it is great peril great sin Let us then speak of Chiding Reproch which beene full great woundes in mannes heart for they unsow the seams of friendship in mans heart For certes Vnneth may a man plainly be accorded with him that him openly hath reuiled and repreued disclaundred This is a full ghostly sin as Christ sayth in the Gospel And take heed now that he that repreueth his neighbour either he repreueth him by some harm of pain that hee hath upon his bodie as Mesell crooked harlot or by some sin that he doth Now if yee repreue him by harm of pain then turneth the repreue to Iesu Christ for pain is send by the rightwise sond of God by his sufferaunce be it meselrie maim or maladie if he repreue him uncharitably of sinne as thou holour thou dronkelewe harlot so foorth then pertaineth that to the reioycing of the deuil which euer hath ioy that men doen sin And certes chiding may not come but of villanous heart for after the haboundance of the heart speaketh the mouth full oft And ye shall understond that look by any way when any man shall chastise or correct another that he beware from chiding or repreuing for truly but he beware he may ful lightly quicken the fire of anger of wrath which he should quench and peraduenture slaeth him which he might chastise with benignity For as saith Salomon * The amiable tong is the tree of life yâ— is to say of life spirituel And soothly a dissolute tong slaeth the spirits of him that repreueth and also of him which is repreued Lo what sayeth saint Augustine * There is nothing so like the deuiis child as he which oft chideth A seruant of God behoueth not to chide And though that chiding be a villanous thing betwixt all maner folk yet it is certes most uncouenable between a man and his wife for there is neuer rest And therefore saieth Salomon * An house that is uncouered drooping and a chiding wife ben alike A man which is in a dropping hous in many places though he eschew the dropping in o place it droppeth on him in another place So fareth it by a chiding wife if she chide him not in one place she wol chide him in another And therefore * Better greatly more pleasant is a morsel or little gobbet of bread with ioy than an house silled full of delices with chiding and gnerring sayeth Salomon Saint Poule sayth O ye women beth ye subiect to your husbands as you behoueth and ought in God And ye men loue your wiues Ad Colonicences iii. Afterward speak we of Scorning which is a wicked sin and namely when he scorneth a man for his good werks For certes such scorners fare like the foul tode that may not endure to smell the sweet sauour of the vine when it flourisheth These scorners been parting fellows with the deuil for they haue ioy when the deuil winneth and sorrow if he leseth They been aduersaries of Iesu Christ for they hate that he loueth that is to say saluation of soul Speak we now of wicked counsail the which is a Traitour for he deceiueth him that trusteth in him Vt Achitophel ad Salomonem But nathelesse yet is his wicked counsail first ayenst himself for as sayth the wise man * Euery false liuing hath this property in himselfe that he yâ— woll annoy another man he annoyeth first himself And men shall understond that man shall not take his counsail of false folk ne of angry folk or greuous folk ne of folk that loue specially too much worldly folk namely in counsailing of Souls Now commeth the sin of hem that sow and make discord among folk which is a sin that Christ hateth utterly no
drew for all my wo My thought was in none other thing For had it been in my keeping It would have brought my life againe For certes evenly I dare well same The sight only and the savour Alegged much of my langour Then gan I for to draw mee Toward the bothum faire to see And love had gette him in his throwe Another arrowe into his bowe And for to shoot gan him dresse The arrowes name was Simplesse And when that Love gan nigh me nere He drowe it up withouten were And shot at me with all his might So that this arrow anon right Throughout eigh as it was found Into mine heart hath made a wound Then I anon did all my craft For to drawen out the shaft And therewithall I sighed eft But in mine heart the head was left Which aye increased my desire Vnto the bothum drow I nere And evermo that me was wo The more desire had I to go Vnto the Roser where that grew The fresh bothum so bright of hew Better me were to have letten be But it behoved need me To doen right as mine heart bad * For ever the body must be lad After the heart in wele and wo Of force together they must go But never this archer would fine To shoot at me with all his pine And for to make me to him mete The third arrow he gan to shete When best his time he might espie The which was named Courtesie Into mine heart he did avale A swoune I fell both dead and pale Long time I lay and stirred nought Till I abraied out of my thought And fast then I avised mee To draw out the shaft of tree But ever the head was lest behind For ought I couth pull or wind So sore it sticked when I was hit That by no craft I might it flit But anguishous and full of thought I felt such wo my wound aye wrought That summoned me alway to go Toward the Rose that pleased me so But I ne durst in no manere Because the archer was so nere For evermore gladly as I rede * Brent child of fire hath much drede And certes yet for all my pein Though that I sigh yet arrowes rein And ground quarels sharpe of stele Ne for no paine that I might fele Yet might I not my selfe withhold The faire Roser to behold For Love me yave such hardement For to fulfill his commaundement Vpon my feet I rose up than Feeble as a forwounded man And forth to gone might I set And for the Archer nold I let Toward the Roser fast I drow But thornes sharpe mo than ynow There were and also thistles thicke And breres brimme for to pricke That I ne might get grace The rough thornes for to pace To seene the Roses fresh of hew I must abide though it me rew The hedge about so thicke was That closed the Roses in compas But o thing liked me right wele I was so nigh I might fele Of the bothum the swote odour And also see the fresh colour And that right greatly liked mee That I so nere might it see Such joy anon thereof had I That I forgat my malady To seene I had such delite Of sorrow and anger I was all quite And of my wounds that I had thore For nothing liken me might more Than dwellen by the Roser aye And thence never to passe awaye But when a while I had be thare The God of Love which all to share Mine heart with his arrowes kene Casteth him to yeve me wounds grene He shot at me full hastely An arrow named Company The which takell is full able To make these Ladies merciable Then I anone gan chaungen hew For greevaunce of my wound new That I againe fell in swouning And sighed sore in complaining Sore I complained that my sore On me gan greven more and more I had none hope of Allegiaunce So nigh I drow to disperaunce I rought of death ne of life Whether that love would me drife If me a martir would he make I might his power not forsake And while for anger thus I woke The God of Love an arrow toke Full sharpe it was and pugnaunt And it was called Faire semblaunt The which in no wise would consent That any lover him repent To serve his love with heart and all For any perill that may befall But thought his arrow was kene ground As any rasour that is found To cut and kerve at the point The God of Love it had annoint With a precious oyntment Somedele to yeve allegement Vpon the wounds that he hade Through the body in my heart made To helpe her sores and to cure And that they may the bette endure But yet this arrow without more Made in mine heart a large sore That in full greate paine I abode But aye the ointment went abrode Throughout my wounds large and wide It sprede about in every side Through whose vertue and whose might Mine heart joyfull was and light I had ben dead and all to shent But for the precious ointment The shaft I drow out of the arrow Looking for wo right wonder narrow But the head which made me smart Left behind in mine heart With other fower I dare well say That never woll be take away But the ointment halpe me wele And yet such sorrow did I fele That all day I chaunged hew Of my wounds fresh and new As men might see in my visage The arrowes were so full of rage So variaunt of diversitee That men in everiche might see Both great annoy and eke sweetnesse And joy meint with bitternesse Now were they easie now were they wood In hem I felt both harme and good Now sore without alleggement Now softing with ointment It softened here and pricked there Thus ease and anger together were THe God of Love deliverly Come lepande to me hastely And saied to me in great yape Yeeld thee for thou may not escape May no defence availe thee here Therefore I rede make no daungere If thou wolt yeeld thee hastely Thou shalt rather have mercy * He is a foole in sikernesse That with daunger or stoutnesse Rebelleth there that he should please In such folly is little ease Be meeke where thou must needs bowe To strive ayen is not thy prowe Come at ones and have ido For I woll that it be so Then yeeld thee here debonairly And I answered full humbly Gladly sit at your bidding I woll me yeeld in all thing To your service I woll me take For God defend that I should make Ayen your bidding resistence I woll not doen so great offence For if I did it were no skill Ye may doe with me what ye will Save or spill and also slo Fro you in no wise may I go My life my death is in your hond I may not last out of your bond Plaine at your list I yeeld me Hoping in heart that sometime ye Comfort and ease shull me send Or els shortly this is the
told him her entent And right as he that seeth his death ishapen And dien mote in aught that he may gesse And sodainly rescous doeth hem escapen And from his death is brought in sikernesse For all this world in soche present gladnesse Was Troilus and hath his lady swete With worse hap God let us never mete Her armes smal her streight backe soft Her sides long fleshy smooth and white He gan to stroke and good thrift bad full oft Her snowisse throte her brests round lite Thus in this heaven he gan him to delite And therwithall a thousand times her kist That what to doen for ioy unneth he wist Then saied he thus O Love O Charite Thy mother eke Citheria the swete That after thy selfe next heried be she Venus I meane the well willy planete And next that Imeneus I thee grete For never man was to you Goddes hold As I which ye have brought fro cares cold Benigne Love thou holy bond of thingen Who so woll grace and list thee honouren Lo his desire woll fly withouten wingen For noldest thou of bounte hem socouren That serven best and most alway labouren Yet were all lost yâ— dare I well sain certes But if thy grace passed our desertes And for thou me yâ— lest thonke coud deserve Of them that nombred been unto thy grace Hast holpen there I likely was to sterve And me bestowed in so high a place That thilke bounds may no blisse surpace I can no more but laâ—de and reverence Be to thy bounte and thine excellence And therwithall Creseide anon he kist Of which certain she felt no disease And thus saied he now would God I wist Mine hart swete how I you best might please What man qd he was ever thus at ease As I On which the fairest and the best That ever I sey deineth her to rest Here may men seen yâ— mercy passeth right The experience of that is felt in me That am unworthy to so swete a wight But harte mine of your benignite So thinke that though I unworthy be Yet mote I nede amenden in some wise Right through the vertue of your hie service And for the love of God my lady dere Sith he hath wrouÈt me for I shal you serve As thus I meane woll ye be my fere To doe me live if that you list or sterve So teacheth me how that I may deserve Your thonk so yâ— I through mine ignoraunce Ne doe nothing that you be displeasaunce For certes freshe and womanliche wife This dare I say that trouth and diligence That shall ye finden in me all my life Ne I woll not certain breaken your defence And if I doe present or in absence For love of God let slea me with the dede If that it like unto your womanhede Iwis qd she mine owne hartes lust My ground of ease and al mine harte dere Graunt mercy for on that is all my trust But let us fall away fro this matere For it suffiseth this that said is here And at o worde without repentaunce Welcome my kniÈt my peace my suffisaunce Of her delite or ioies one of the least Were impossible to my wit to say But judgeth ye that have been at the feast Of soche gladnesse if that him list play I can no more but thus these ilke tway That night betwixen drede and sikernesse Felten in love the great worthinesse O blisfull night of hem so long isought How blithe unto hem bothe two thou were Why ne had I soch feast with my soule ibouÈt Ye or but the least joy that was there Away thou foule daunger and thou fere And let him in this heaven blisse dwell That is so high that all ne can I tell But sothe is though I can not tellen all As can mine aucthour of his excellence Yet have I saied and God toforne shall In every thing all holly his sentence And if that I at loves reverence Have any worde in eched for the best Doeth therwithall right as your selven lest For my words here and every part I speake hem all under correction Of you that feling have in loves art And put it all in your discrecion To encrease or make diminicion Of my language and that I you beseech But now to purpose of my rather speech These ilke two that been in armes laft So lothe to hem a sonder gon it were That eche from other wenden been biraft Or els lo this was her most fere That all this thing but nice dreames were For which ful oft ech of hem said O swete Clippe I you thus or els doe I it mete And Lord so he gan goodly on her se That never his loke ne blent from her face And saied O my dere harte may it be That it be soth that ye beene in this place Ye harte mine God thanke I of his grace Qd. tho Creseide therwithall him kist That where her spirite was for joy she nist This Troilus full often her iyen two Gan for to kisse and saied O iyen clere It weren ye that wrought me soche wo Ye humble nettes of my lady dere * Tho there be mercy written in your chere God wote the text full harde is for to find How coud ye withouten bonde me bind Therwith he gan her fast in armes take And well an hundred times gan he sike Not such sorrowfull sighes as men make For wo or els when that folke be sike But easie sighes soche as been to like That shewed his affection within Of soche maner sighes could he not blin Sone after this they spake of sondry things As fill to purpose of this aventure And plaiyng enterchaungeden her rings Of which I can not tellen no scripture But well I wot a broche of gold and azure In which a Rubbie set was like an herte Creseide him yave stacke it on his sherte Lord trowe ye that a coveitous wretch That blameth love and halte of it dispite Of tho pens that he can muckre and ketch Ever yet yave to him soche delite As in love in o poinct in some plite Nay doubtelesse for al so God me save * So parfite joy may no nigard have They woll say yes but Lord so they lie Tho busie wretches full of wo and drede That callen love a woodnesse of follie But it shall fall hem as I shall you rede They shal forgon yâ— white and eke the rede And live in wo ther god yeve hem mischaunce And every lover in his trouth avaunce As would God tho wretches that dispise Service of love had eares also long As had Mida full of covetise And thereto dronken had as hotte and strong As Cresus did for his affectes wrong To teachen hem that they been in the vice And lovers not although they hold hem nice These ilke two of whom that I you say Whan that her hartes well assured were Tho gonnen they to speake and to play And eke rehearcen how when
and where They knew first and every wo or fere That passed was but all such heavinesse I thonke it God was tourned to gladnesse And evermore when that hem fell to speake Of any thing of soche a time agone With kissing all that tale should breake And fallen into a new ioy anone And didden all her might sens they were one For to recoveren blisse and been at ease And paised wo with ioyes counterpaise Reason woll not that I speake of slepe For it accordeth not to my mattere God wote they toke of it full little kepe But lest this night that was to hem so dere Ne should in vaine escape in no manere It was biset in ioy and businesse Of al that souneth vnto gentilnesse But when the cock commune Astrologer Gan on his brest to heate and after crowe And Lucifer the daies messanger Gan to rise and out her beames throwe And Estward rose to him that could it know Fortuna maior that anone Creseide With harte sore to Troilus thus seide Mine harts life my trust all my pleasaunce That I was borne alas that me is wo That day of vs mote make disceveraunce For time it is to rise and hence go Or els I am lost for ever mo O night alas why nilt thou over vs hove As long as when Alcmena lay by Iove O blacke night as folke in boke rede That shapen art by God this world to hide At certain times with thy derke wede That vnder that men might in rest abide Wel oughten beasts to plain folk to chide That there as day with labor would vs brest That thou thus fliest and deinest vs not rest Thou doest alas to shortly thine office Tho rakle night there God maker of kinde Thee for thine hast and thine vnkind vice So fast aâ—e to our hemisperie binde That nevermore vnder the ground thou wind For now for thou so highest out of Troie Have I forgone thus hastely my ioie This Troilus that with tho wordes felt As thought him tho for pitous distresse The bloodie teares from his harte melt As he that yet never soche hevinesse Assaied had out of so great gladnesse Gan therewithall Creseide his lady dere In armes strain and hold in lovely manere O cruell day accuser of the ioy That night and love have stole fast iwrien Accursed be thy comming into Troie For every bowre hath one of thy bright iyen Envious day what list thee so to spien What hast thou lost why seekest thou this place There God thy light so quench for his grace Alas what have these lovers thee agilt Dispitous day thine be the paine of hell For many a lover hast thou slain and wilt Thy poring in woll no where let hem dwell What profrest thou thy light here for to sell Go sell it hem that smale seales grave We woll thee not vs nedeth no day have And eke the sonne Titan gan he chide And said O foole well may men thee dispise That hast all night the dauning by thy side And suffrest her so sone vp fro thee rise For to disease vs lovers in this wise What hold your bed there thou thy morow I did God so yeve you both sorow Therwith ful sore he sighed thus he seide My lady right and of my weale or wo The well and roote O goodly mine Creseide And shall I rise alas and shall I so Now fele I that mine harte mote a two And how should I my life an houre save Sens that with you is all the life I have What shall I doen For certes I not how Ne when alas I shall the time see That in this plite I may been eft with you And of my life God wote how shall that be Sens that desire right now so biteth me That I am dedde anon but I retourne How should I long alas fro you soiourne But nathelesse mine owne lady bright Were it so that I wist vtterly That your humble servaunt your knight Were in your harte iset so fermely As ye in mine the which truely Me leaver were than these worlds twaine Yet should I bet enduren all my paine To that Creseide answerde right anon And with a sigh she saied O harte dere The game iwis so ferforth now is gon That first shall Phebus fallen from the sphere * And everiche Egle been the Douues fere And every rocke out of his place sterte Er Troilus go out of Creseides herte Ye been so depe within mine hart grave That tho I would it turn out of my thought As wisely very God my soule save To dien in the pain I could nought And for the love of God yâ— vs hath wrought Let in your brain none other fantasie So crepen that it cause me to die And that ye mewould have as fast in mind As I have you that would I you beseche And if I wist forhly that to find God nught not apoint my ioies to ech But harte mine withouten more spech Bethe to me true or els were it routh For I am thine by God and by my trouth Bethe glad for thy and live in sikernesse Thus saied I never er this ne shall to mo And if to you it were a great gladnesse To tourne ayen sone after that ye ga As faine would I as ye it were so As wisely God mine harte bring to reste And him in armes toke and oft keste Ayenst his will sithe it mote nedes bee This Troilus vp rose and fast him cled And in his armes toke his ladie free An hundred times and on his way him sped And with soche wordes as his harte bled He saied fare well my dere harte swece That God vs graunt sound and sone to mete To which no word for sorow she answerd So sore gan his parting her distrain And Troilus vnto his Paleis ferd As wo bigon as she was sothe to sain So hard him wrong of sharp desire the pain For to been efte there he was in pleasaunce That it may never out of his remembraunce Retourned to his roiall paleis sone He soft vnto his bedde gan for to sinke To slepe long as he was wont to doen But all for nauÈt he may well ligge winke But slepe may there none in his harte sinke Thinking how she for whom desire him brend A M. folde was worth more than he wend. And in his thought gan vp doun to wind Her wordes all and every countenaunce And fermely impressen in his mind The lest pointe that to him was pleasaunce And verely of thilke remembraunce Desire al newe him brende and lust to brede Gan more than erst and yet toke he non hede Creseide also right in the same wise Of Troilus gan in her harte shet His worthinesse his lust his dedes wise His gentilnesse and how she with him met Thonking love he so well her beset Desiring oft to have her harte dere In soche a place as she durst make him chere Pandare a morow which yâ— commen was Vnto
nathelesse as heaven gan tho turne Two bad aspectes hath she of Saturne That made her to die in prison And I shall after make mencion Of Danao and Cgistes also And though so be y◠they were brethren two For thilke tyme nas spared no linage It liked hem to maken mariage Betwixt Hypermestre and him Lino And casten soch a day it shall be so And full accorded was it vtterly The aray is wrought the tyme is fast by And thus Lino hath of his fathers brother The doughter wedded and ech of hem hath other The torches brennen the lamps bright The Sacrifice been full ready dight Thensence out of the fire reketh soote The floure the leefe is rent vp by the roote To maken garlandes and crounes hie Full is the place of sound of Minstralcie Of songes amourous of mariage As thilke tyme was the plain vsage And this was in the paleis of Egiste That in his hous was lord right as him liste And thus that day they driven to an end The frendes taken leve home they wend The night is come the bride shall go to bed Egiste to his chamber fast him sped And prively let his doughter call When that the house voided was of hem all He looketh on his doughter with glad chere And to her spake as ye shall after here My right doughter tresour of mine hert Sens first that day y◠shapen was my shert Or by the fatall suster had my dome So nie mine hert never thing ne come As thou Hypermestre doughter dere Take hede what thy father sayth thee here * And werke after thy wiser ever mo For alderfirst doughter I love thee so That all the world to me nis halfe so lefe Ne nolde rede thee to thy mischefe For all the good vnder the cold Mone And what I meane it shall be said right sone With protestacion as saine these wise That but thou doe as I shall thee devise Thou shalt be ded by him y◠al hath wrought At short wordes thou ne scapest nought Out of my paleis or that thou be deed But thou consent and werke after my reed Take this to the fearfull conclusioun This Hypermestre cast her iyen doun And quoke as doth the leefe of ashe grene Deed wext her hew and like ashen to sene And sayd Lord and father all your will After my might God wote I will fulfill So it be to me no confusion I nill qd he have none excepcion And out he caught a knife as rasour kene Hide this qd he that it be not isene And when thine housbond is to bed go While that he slepeth cut his throte atwo For in my dreme it is warned me How that my nevewe shall my bane be But which I not wherfore I woll be siker If thou say nay we two shall have a biker As I have sayd by him that I have sworn This Hipermestre hath nigh her wit forlorn And for to passen harmelesse out of that place She graunted him ther was none other grace And withall a costrell taketh he tho And sayd hereof a draught or two Yeve him drinke when he goeth to rest And he shal slepe as long as ever thee lest The narcotikes and apies been so strong And go thy way lest that him thinke to long Out cometh the bride with full sobre chere As is of maidens oft the manere To chamber brought with revel with song And shortly leste this tale be to long This Lino and she beth brought to bed And every wight out at the doore him sped The night is wasted and he fell aslepe Full tenderly beginneth she to weepe She rist her vp and dredfully she quaketh As doth the braunch that Zephirus shaketh And husht were all in Aragone that citee As colde as any Frost now wexeth shee For pite by the herte strained her so And drede of death doth her so moche wo That thrise doune she fill in soche a were She riste her vp stakereth here and there And on her hands fast looketh she Alas shall mine hands bloudie be I am maide and as by my nature And by my semblaunt and by my vesture Mine hands been not shapen for a knife As for to reve no man fro his life What Devill have I with the knife to do And shall I have my throte corve a two Then shall I blede alas and be shende And nedes this thing mote have an ende Or he or I mote nedes lese our life Now certes qd she sens I am his wife And hath my faith yet is it bette for me For to be dedde in wifely honeste Than be a traitour living in my shame Be as be may for earnest or for game He shall awake and rise and go his way Out at this gutter er that it be day And wept full tenderly vpon his face And in her armes gan him to embrace And him she joggeth and awaketh soft And at the window lepe he fro the loft When she hath warned him done him bote This Lino swift was and light of foote And from her ran a full good paas This selie woman is so weake alas And helplesse so that er she ferre went Her cruell father did her for to hent Alas Lino why art thou so vnkind Why ne hast thou remembred in thy mind And taken her and led her forth with thee For when she saw that gone away was hee And that she might not so fast go Ne folowen him she sate doune right tho Vntill she was caught and fettred in prison This tale is sayd for this conclusion ¶ Here endeth the Legende of good Women ¶ A goodly Ballade of Chaucer MOther of norture best beloved of all And freshe floure to whom good thrift God sende Your childe if it luste you me so to call All be I vnable my selfe so to pretende To your discrecion I recommende Mine herte and al with every circumstaunce All wholly to be vnder your governaunce Most desire I and have and ever shal Thing which might your herts ease amend Have me excused my power is but small Nathelesse of right ye ought to commend My good will which faine would entend To do you service for all my suffisaunce Is holly to be vnder your governaunce Meulx vn in hert which never shall apall Aie freshe and new and right glad to dispend My time in your service what so befall Beseching your excellence to defend My simplenesse if ignoraunce offend In any wise sith that mine affiaunce Is holly to been vnder your governaunce Daisie of light very ground of comfort The Sunnes doughter ye hight as I rede For when he Westreth farwell your disport By your nature anone right for pure drede Of the rude night that with his boistous wede Of darkenesse shadoweth our emispere Then closen ye my lives Ladie dere Dauning the day to his kind resort And Phebus your Father with his streames rede Adorneth the morrow consuming the sort Of mistie cloudes that woulden
herber greene That benched was with colours new clene This herber was full of floures gende Into the which as I beholde gan Betwixt an Hulfeere and a Woodbende As I was ware I saw where lay a man In blacke and white colour pale and wan And wonder deadly also of his hewe Of hurtes grene and fresh woundes new And overmore distrayned with sicknesse Beside all this he was full grevoussy For vpon him he had an hore accesse That day by day him shooke full pitously So that for constrayning of his malady And hertely wo thus lying all alone It was a death for to hear him grone Wherof astonied my fote I gan withdraw Greatly wondring what it might be That he so lay and had no felaw Ne that I coud no wight with him see Wherof I had routhe and eke pite And gan anone so softly as I coude Among the bushes prively me to shroude If that I might in any wise aspy What was the cause of his deedly wo Or why that he so pitously gan cry On his fortune and on vre also With all my might I layd an eare to Every word to marke what he said Out of his swough amonge as he abraid Bur first if I should make mencion Of his person and plainely him discrive He was in sothe without excepcion To speake of manhood one the best on llve There may no man ayen trouth strive For of his tyme and of his age also He proved was there men shuld have ado For one of the best therto of bread length So well ymade by good proporcion If he had be in his deliver strength But thought and sicknesse were occasion That he thus lay in lamentacion Gruffe on the ground in place desolate Sole by himselfe awhaped and amate And for me seemeth that it is fitting His wordes all to put in remembraunce To me that heard all his complayning And all the ground of his wofull chaunce If there withall I may you do pleasaunce I woll to you so as I can anone Lyke as he sayd rehearce everichone But who shall helpe me now to complain Or who shall now my stile gy or lede O Niobe let now thy teeres rain In to my penne and helpe eke in nede Thou wofull Myrre that felest my hert blede Of pitous wo and mine hand eke quake When that I write for this mannes sake * For vnto wo accordeth complayning And dolefull chere vnto heavinesse To sorow also sighing and weping And pitous mourning vnto drerinesse * And who that shall write of distresse In party needeth to know feelingly Cause and roote of all soch malady But I alas that am of witte but dull And have no knowing of soch matere For to discrive and write at the full The wofull complaint which that ye shall here But even like as doth a skriuenere That can no more what that he shall write But as his maister beside doth endite Right so fare I that of no sentement Say right naught in conclusion But as I herde when I was present This man complaine with a pitous soun For even like without addicioun Or disencrease eyther more or lesse For to reherse anone I woll me dresse And if that any now be in this place That fele in love brenning of fervence Or hindred were to his ladies grace With false tonges that with pestilence Slea trewe men that neuer did offence In worde nor deed ne in her entent If any soch be here now present Let him of routh lay to audience With doleful chere and sobre countenaunce To here this man by full hye sentence His mortall wo and his perturbaunce Complayning now lying in a traunce With lookes vpcast and rufull chere Theffect of which was as ye shall here The thought oppressed with inward sighs sore The painful life the body languishing The woful gost the hert rent and tore The pitous chere pale in complayning The deedly face like ashes in shining The salte teares that from mine eyen fall Percel declare ground of my paynes all Whose hert is ground to blede in heuinesse The thought receit of wo and of complaint The brest is chest of dole and drerinesse The body eke so feeble and so faint With hote and colde mine axes is so maint That now I chiuer for default of heat And hote as glede now sodainly I sweat Now hote as fire now colde as ashes deed Now hote for cold now cold for heat againe Now colde as yse now as coles reed For heate I brenne and thus betwixe twaine I possed am and all forecast in paine So that my heate plainly as I fele Of greeuous colde is cause euery dele This is the colde of inward hie disdayn Colde of dispite and colde of cruell hate This is the colde that euer doth his besie payn Ayenst trouth to fight and debate This is the colde that the fire abate Of trewe meaning alas the harde while This is the colde that woll me begile For euer the better that in trouth I ment With all my might faithfully to serue With herte and all to be diligent The lesse thanke alas I can deserue Thus for my trouth danger both me sterue For one that should my death of mercy let Hath made dispite new his swerde to whet Against me and his growes to file To take vengeaunce of wilfull cruelte And tonges false through her sleightly wile Han gon a werre that will not stinted be And false enuie wrath and enuite Haue conspired against all right and law Of her malice that trouth shall be slaw And male bouch gan first the tale tell To sclaunder trouth of indignacion And false reporte so loude range the bell That misbeleefe and false suspecion Haue trouth brought to his dampnacion So that alas wrong fully he dieth And falsenesse now his place occupieth And entred is in to trouthes londe And hath thereof the full possession O rightfull God that first the trouth fonde How may thou suffre soch oppression That falsheed should haue jurisdiction In trouthes right to slee him gyltles In his fraunchise he may not lyue in pees Falsly accused and of his fone forjudged Without answere while he was absent He damned was and may not be excused For cruelte sate in judgement Of hastinesse without aduisement And badde Disdaine do execute anone His judgement in presence of his fone Attourney may none admitted been To excuse trouth ne a worde to speke To faith or othe the judge list not seen There is no gaine but he will be wreke O Lord of trouth to thee I call and clepe How may thou see thus in thy presence Without mercy murdred innocence Now God that art of trouth soueraine And seest how I lie for trouth bound So sore knit in loues fyrie chaine Euen at yâ— death through gyrte with many a wound That likely are neuer for to sound And for my troutham dampned to the death And not abyde but draw along the breath Consider and see in thine eternal right How
of bodily goods ye could reeken And would neuer GOD but I put my self in great jeopardy of all that I would that is now no more but my life alone rather then I should suffer thilk jewell in any poinct been blemished as far as I may suffre and with my might stretch Soch thing qd she may mokell further thy grace and thee in my service auance But now qd Loue wilt thou graunt me thilke Margarite to been good O good good qd I why tempt ye me and tene with soch maner speach I would grant that though I should anon die and by my trouth fight in the quarel if any wight would counterplead It is so moch the lighter qd Loue to proue our entent Ye qd I but yet would I hear how ye would proue that she were good by reasonable skill that it mowe not been denied for although I know and so doth many other manifold goodnesse and vertue in this Margarite been Printed yet some men there been that no goodnesse speaken and where euer your words been heard and your reasons been shewed soch euil speakers Lady by aucthority of your excellence shullen been stopped and ashamed And more they that han none acquaintance in her person yet mowe they know her vertues and been the more enformed in what wise they mow set their herts when hem list into your seruice any entree make for truly all this to begin I wote well my self that thilk jewell is so precious a pearl as a womanly woman in her kind in whom of goodnesse of vertue and also of answering shape of limmes and fetures so well in all poincts according nothing faileth I leue that kinde her made with great study for kind in her person nothing hath foryet that is well seen In euery good wights herte she hath grace of commending and of vertuous praising Alas that euer kind made her deadly saue onely in that I wot well that Nature in forming of her in nothing hath erred CErtes qd Loue thou hast well begonne and I ask thee this question Is not in generall euery thing good I not qd I No qd she saue not GOD euery thing that he made and wern right good Then is wonder qd I how euill things commen a place sithen that all things weren right good Thus qd she I woll declare eueriche quality and euery accion and euery thing that hath any manner of being it is of GOD and GOD it made of whom is all goodnesse and all being of him is no badnesse * Badde to be is naught Good to be is somewhat and therefore good and being is one in vnderstanding How may this be qd I for often han shrews me assailed and mokell badnesse therein haue I founden and so me seemeth bad to be somewhat in kind Thou shalt qd she vnderstand that soch maner of badnesse which is vsed to purifie wrong doers is somewhat and GOD it made and being hath and that is good * Other badnesse no being hath vtterly it is in the negatiue of somewhat and that is naught and nothing being The parties essenciall of being arne said in double wise as that it is and these parties ben found in euery creature for all thing a this half the first being is being through participation taking party of being so that euery creature is difference between being and of him through whom it is and his own being right as euery good is a maner of being so is it good through being for it is naught other to be and euery thing though it be good it is not of himself good but it is good by that it is ordinable to the great goodnesse This duality after Clerks determission is founden in euery creature be it neuer so single of onhed Ye qd I but there as it is isaid that God saw euery thing of his making and were right good as your self said to me not long time sithen I ask whether euery creature is isaid good through goodnes vnformed either els formed and afterward if it be accept vtterly good I shall say thee qd she these great passed Clerks han deuided good into good being alone and that is nothing but good for nothing is good in that wise but God Also in good by participacion and that is icleaped good for farre fette and representatiue of goodly goodnesse * And after this manifold good is said that is to say good in kind and good in gendre and good of grace and good of joy Of good in kind Augustine saith all that been been good but peraunter thou wouldst wete whether of hemself it bee good or els of an others goodnesse for naturell goodnesse of euery substaunce is nothing els than his substaunciall being which is icleaped goodnes after comparison that he hath to his first goodnesse so as it is inductatife by meanes into the first goodnesse Boece sheweth this thing at the full that this name good is in generall name in kind as it is comparisoned generally to his principal end which is God knot of all goodnesse Euery creature crieth GOD vs made and so they han full appetite to thilk God by affection soch as to him belongeth and in this wise all things been good of the great God which is good alone This wonder thing qd I how ye haue by many reasons proued my first way to be error and misgoing cause of badnesse and feeble meaning in yâ— ground ye alledged to be rooted whence is it that soch badnesse hath springes sithen all things thus in generall been good and badnesse hath no being as ye haue declared I wene if all things been good I might then with the first way in that good haue ended and so by goodnesse haue commen to blisse in your seruice desired All thing qd she is good by being in participacion out of the first goodnesse which goodnesse is corrupt by badnesse and bad meaning maners GOD hath in good things that they been good by being not in euell for there is absence of rightful Loue for badnesse is nothing onely but euill will of the vser and through guilts of yâ— doer wherfore at the ginning of the world euery thing by himself was good in vniuersall they wern right good An iye or a hand is fairer better in a body sette in his kindly place than from yâ— body disceuered Euery thing in his kindly place being kindly good doth werch and out of yâ— place voided it dissolueth and is defouled him selue Our noble GOD in gliterand wise by armony this world ordeined as in purtreitures storied with colours medled in which blacke and other dark colours commenden the golden and the Assured painture euery put in kindly place one beside an other more for other glittereth right so little fair maketh right fair more glorious and right so of goodnesse and of other things in vertue Wherfore other bad and not so good pearls as this Margarite that we han of this matter yeuen by the air little
he nought missayeth or led into temptation when he not deliuereth wherfore it is none inconuenient if in that maner be said God toforn haue destenied both bad and her bad werks when hem ne their euil deeds neither amendeth ne thereto hem grace leveth But speciallich predestination of goodnesse alone is said by these great clerks for in him God doth that they been and that is goodnesse they werchen But the negatife hereof in badnesse is holden as yâ— lady of loue hath me learned who so aright in this book looketh And vtterly it is to weren that predestination properly in God may not been demed no more than befornweting For in the chapitre of Gods befornweting as loue me rehearsed all these matters apertly may been founden * All things to God ben now togither and in presence during Truly presence and predestination in nothing disaccorden wherefore as I was learned how Gods before weting and free choice of will mowe stonden together me thinketh the same reason me leadeth that destiny and free will accorden so that neither of hem both to other in nothing contrarieth And reasonablich may it not been deemed as often as any thing falleth free will werching as if a man another man wrongfully annoyeth wherefore he him sleeth that it be constrained to that end as mokel folk crieth and saith Lo as it was destenied of God toforn know so it is thorow necessity fall and otherwise might it not betide Truely neither he that the wrong wrought ne he that himself venged none of thilk things through necessity wrought for if that with free will there had it not willed neither had wrought that he perfourmed and so vtterly grace that free will in goodnes bringeth and keepetâ— and fro badnes it tourneth in all thinge most thanke deserueth This grace maketh sentence in vertue to abide wherfore in body and in soul of full plenty of conning after their good deseruing in the euerlasting joy after yâ— day of dome shull they endlesse dwell they shull ben learned that in kingdom with so mokell affect of loue and of grace yâ— the least joy shall of the greatest in glory rejoyce been gladded as if he the same joy had What wonder sith God is the greatest loue and thee ne ought to look things with reasoning to proue and so is instrument of will will and yet varieth he from effect and vsing both Affection of will also for will is cleaped but it varieth from instrument in this manner wise by that name lich when it commeth into mind anon right it is in willing desired the negatife thereof with willing may not accord this is closed in hert though vsage instrument slepe This sleepeth when instrument and vs waken and of such manner affection truly some man hath more and some man lesse Certes trew louers wenen euer thereof too little to haue False louers in little wenen haue right mokel Lo instrument of will in false true both euenlich is proportioned but affection is more in some place than in some because of goodnesse that followeth and that I think hereafter to declare Vse of this instrument is will but it taketh his name when wilned thing is in doing But vtterly grace to catch in thy blisse desired to been rewarded Thou must haue then affection of will at yâ— full and vse when his time asketh wisely to been governed Soothly my disciple without feruent affection of wil may no man been saued this affection of good seruice in good loue may not been grounded without feruent desire to the thing in will coueited But he that neuer retcheth to haue or not to haue affection of will in that hath no resting place Why for when thing cometh to mind and it be not taken in heed to commin or not come therfore in that place affection faileth for thilk affection is so little thorow which in goodnes he should come to his grace the littlenes wil it not suffer to aâ—ail by no way into his helps Certes grace reason thilk affection followeth This affection with reason knit dureth in euerich true heart and euermore is encreasing no feardnesse no strength may it remoue while truth in heart abideth Soothly when falshede ginneth entre truth draweth away grace and joy both but then thilk falshed that truth hath thus voided hath vnknit the bond of vnder standing reason between will the hert And who so that bond vndoth vnknitteth will to be in other purpose than to the first accord knitteth him with contrary of reason and that is vnreason Lo then will and vnreason bringeth a man from the blisse of grace which thing of pure kind euery man ought to shun and to eschew and to the knot of will and reason confirm Me thinketh qd she by thy studient looks thou wenest in these words me to contrarien from other sayings heretoforn in other place as when thou were sometime in affection of will to things that now han brought thee in disease which I haue thee counsailed to void thine hert discouer and there I made thy wil to ben changed which now thou wenest I argue to withhold to keepe Shortly I say that reuers in these words may not ben found for though dronkennes be forboden men shul not alway ben drinkelesse I trow right for thou thy will out of reason should not tourn thy will in one reason should not vnbind I say thy will in thy first purpose with unreason was closed Construe forth of the remnaunt what thee good liketh Truly that will and reason should bee knit together was free will of reason after time thine hearte is assentaunt to them both thou might not chaunge but if thou from rule of reason vary in whych variaunce to come to thilke blisse desired contrariously thou werchest and nothing may know will and reason but loue alone Then if thou void loue then weuest the bond that knitteth and so needs or els right lightly that other gonne a sondry wherefore thou seest apertly that loue holdeth this knot amaistreth hem to be bound These things as a ring in circuit of wreth ben knit in thy soule without departing Ah let be let be qd I it needeth not of this no rehersail to make my soul is yet in parfit blyss in thinking of that knot NOw truly lady I haue my ground well vnderstonde but what thing is thilke spire that into a tree shuld wexe Expoune me that thyng what ye thereof mean That shall I qd she blithly take good heed to the words I thee rede Continuaunce in thy good service by long processe of time in full hope abiding without any change to wilne in thine heart this is the spire whych if it be well kept and gouerned shal so hugely spring till the fruit of grace is plenteously out sprongen For although thy will be good yet may not therfore thilk blisse desired hastely on thee discenden it must abide his sesonable time And so by
world is not to account in respect of reason loue that with good wil and reason accordeth with none earthly riches may not ben amended This yeft hast thou yeuen I know it my self and thy Margarite thilke gift hath receiued in which thing to reward she hath her self bound But thy gift as I said by no maner riches may be amended wherefore with thing that may nat be amended thou shalt of thy Margarites rightwisenesse be rewarded Right suffred yet neuer but euery good deed sometime to be yold All would thy Margarite with no reward thee quite Right that neuer more dieth thy mede in merite woll puruey Certes such suddain blisse as thou first nempnest right will hem reward as the well is worthy and tho at thine eye it seemeth the reward the desert to passe right can after send such bitternesse euenly it to reward so the suddain blisse by always of reson in great goodnesse may not be accompted but blisse long both long it abideth and endlesse it woll last See why thy wil is endles for if thou lovedst euer thy will is euer there tabide and neuer more to change euen head of reward must ben done by right then must needs thy grace and this blisse endlesse in joy to vnbide Euenlich disease asketh euenlich joy which hastly thou shalt haue A qd I it sufficeth not then alone good will be it neuer so well with reason medled but if it be in good seruice long trauailed And so through seruice should men come to the joy and this me thinketh should be the wexing tree of which ye first meued VEry trouth qd she hast thou now conceiued of these things in thine heart hastely shalt thou bee able verye joye and parfite blisse to receiue And now I wote well thou desirest to knowe the manner of braunches that out of the tree should spring Thereof lady qd I heartely I you pray For then leue I woll that right soone after I shall ataste of the fruite that I so longe haue desired Thou haste hearde qd she in with wise this tree toforn this haue I declared as in ground in stock of wexing First the ground should be thy free will full in thine heart and the stock as I said should be continuance in good seruice by long time in trauail till it were in greatnesse right well woxen And when this tree such greatnesse hath caught as I haue rehersed yâ— branches then that the fruit should foorth bring speech must they be needs in voice of prayer in complaining wise vsed Out alas qd I tha he is sorrowfully wounded that hideth his speech and spareth his complaints to make what shall I speke that care but pain euen like to hell sore hath me assailed and so ferforth in pain me throng that I leue my tree is ser neuer shall it fruit forth bring * Certes he is greatly eased that dare his preuy mone discouer to a true fellow that conning hath and might wherethrough his pleint in any thing may be amended And mokel more is he joied yâ— with heart of hardines dare complain to his lady what cares that he suffreth by hope of mercy with grace to be auanced Truly I say for me sith I came this Margarite to serue durst I neuer me discouer of no manner disease well the later hath mine heart hardied such things to done for the great bounties worthy refreshments that she of her grace goodly without any desert on my halue oft hath me rekened and nere her goodnesse the more with grace and with mercy medled which passen all deserts trauels seruings that I in any degree might endite I would wene I should be without recouer in getting of this blisse for euer Thus haue I stilled my disease thus haue I couered my care yâ— I bren in sorrowfull annoy as gledes and coals wasten a fire vnder dead ashen Well the hoter is the fire that with ashen is ouerlein right long this wo haue I suffred Lo qd Loue how thou farest me thinketh the palsie euil hath acomered thy wits as fast as thou highest forward anon suddainly backward thou mouest Shal nat yet all thy leaudnesse out of thy brains Dull ben thy skilful vnderstandings thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred Wost thou not well qd she but euery tree in his seasonable time of bourioning shew his blomes fro within in sign of with fruit should out of him spring els the fruit for that year men halt deliuered be the ground neuer so good And tho the stock be mighty at the full the branches seer no burions shew Farewel the gardiner he may pipe with an yuy leaf his fruit is failed Wherfore thy branches must burionen in presence of thy lady if thou desire any fruit of thy ladies grace but beware of thy life that thou no wo delay vse as in asking of things yâ— stretchen into shame for then might thou not speed by no way yâ— I can espy * Vertue woll not suffer villanye out of himselfe to spring Thy words may not be queint ne of subtel manner vnderstanding Freel witted people supposen in such poesies to be beguiled in open vnderstanding must euery word be vsed * Voice wthout clere vnderstanding of sentence saith Aristotle right nought printeth in hert Thy words then to abide in hert cleane in full sentence of true mening platly must thou shew euer be obedient her hests her wils to perform be thou set in such a wit to wete by a look euermore with she meaneth And he yâ— list nat to speak but stilly his disease suffer with wonder is it tho he neuer come to his blisse * Who yâ— trauaileth vnwist and coueiteth thing vnknow vnweting he shall be quited and with vnknow thing rewarded Good lady qd I then it hath oft be seen that weathers and storms so hugely haue fall in burioning time by pert duresse han beaten off the springs so clean wherethrough yâ— fruit of thilk year hath failed It is a great grace when burions han good wethers their fruits foorth to bring Alas then after such storms how hard is it to auoid till eft wedring and years han maked her circuit cours all about ere any fruit be able to be tasted he is shent for shame yâ— foul is rebuked of his speech He that is in fire brenning sore smarteth for disease Him thinketh full long er yâ— water come yâ— should yâ— fire quench * While men gon after a leche the body is buried Lo how seemly this fruit wexeth me thinketh yâ— of tho fruits may no man atast for pure bitternesse in favor In this wise both fruit yâ— tree wasten away togider tho mokell busie occupation haue be spent to bring it so fer forth yâ— it was able to spring A litle speech hath maked that all this labour is in idle I not qd she wherof it serueth thy question to assoil me thinketh thee now duller in wits than when I with
thus shall I die I see right well my Lorde hath me forsake But in my conceipt cause know I none why Though he be farre hence and nothyng nye Yet my wofull hert after hym doth seeke And causeth teares to ren doun my cheeke Thinkyng alas I haue lost his presence Which in this world was all my sustenance I cry and call with herty diligence But there is no wight giueth attendance Me to certifie of myne enquirance Wherefore I will to all this world be wray How that my Lord is slaine and borne away Though I mourne it is no great wonder Sithe he is all my joy in speciall And now I thinke we be so farre asonder That him to see I feare neuer I shall It helpeth no more after him to call Ne after him to enquire in any coste Alas how is he thus gone and loste The Iewes I thinke full of misery Set in malice by their busie cure With force and might with gileful trechery Hath entermined my Lordes sepulture And borne away that precious figure Leauing of it nothing if they haue done so Marred I am alas what shall I do With their vengeaunce insaciable Now haue they him entreated so That to reporte it is to lamentable They beate his body from toppe to the toe Neuer man was borne that felt soch woe They wounded him alas with all greuance The blood doun reiled in most habundance The bloody rowes stremed doune ouer all They him assayled so maliciously With their scourges and strokes bestiall They spared not but smote incessantly To satisfie their malice they were full busie They spit in his face they smote here there He groned full sore and sweate many a tere They crouned him with thorns sharp kene The veines rent the blood ran doun apace With blood ouercome with both his iyen And bolne with strokes was his blessed face They him entreated as men without grace They kneeled to him made many a scorne Like hell-hounds they haue him all to torne Vpon a mighty crosse in length and brede These turmentors shewed their cursednesse They nailed him without pitie or drede His precious blood brast out in largenesse They strained him along as men mercilesse The very jointes all to mine apparence Riued asonder for their great violence All this I beholding with mine iyen twain Stode there beside with rufull attendaunce And euer me thought he being in that pain Loked on me with deadly countenaunce As he had said in his speciall remembraunce Farwel Magdalen depart must I needs hens My hert is Tanquam cera liquescens Which rufull sight when I gan behold Out of my witte I almost destraught Tare my heere my hands wrang and fold And of yâ— sight my hert drank soch a draught That many a fall swouning there I caught I brused my body falling on the ground Whereof I fele many a greuous wound Then these wretches ful of al frowardnesse Gaue him to drinke Eisel tempred with gall Alas that poison full of bitternesse My loues chere caused then to appall And yet thereof might he not drinke at all But spake these wordes as him thought best Father of heauen Consummatum est Then kneeled I doune in paines outrage Clipping yâ— crosse within mine armes twain His blood distilled doune on my visage My clothes eke the droppes did distain To haue died for him I would full fain But what should it auayle if I did so Sith he is Suspensus in patibulo Thus my Lord full dere was all disguised With blood pain and wounds many one His veines brast his joynts all to riued Partyng asonder the flesh fro the bone But I saw he hing not there alone For Cum inquis deputatus est Not like a man but like a leprous beest A blind knight men called Longias With a speare aproched vnto my souerain Launsing his side full pitously alas That his precious hert he claue in twain The purple blood eke fro the herts vain Doune railed right fast in most rufull wise With christal water brought out of Paradise When I beheld this wofull passion I wote not how by sodain auenture My hert was peersed with very compassion That in me remayned no life of nature Strokes of death I felt without measure My deaths wound I caught with wo opprest And brought to point as my hert shuld brest The wound hert and blood of my darling Shall neuer slide fro my memoriall The bitter paines also of tourmenting Within my soule be grauen principall The speare alas that was so sharpe withall So thrilled my hert as to my felyng That body and soule were at departyng As soone as I might I releued vp againe My breth I coude not very well restore Felyng my selfe drowned in so great paine Both body soul me thought were al to tore Violent falles greeued me right sore I wept I bledde and with my selfe I fared As one that for his life nothing had cared I lokyng vp to that rufull Roode Saw first the visage pale of that figure But so pitous a sight spotted with bloode Saw neuer yet no liuyng creature So it exceeded the bounds of measure That mans mind with all his wits fiue Is nothing able that paine for to discriue Then gan I there mine armes to vnbrace Vp liftyng my handes full mourningly I sighed and sore sobbed in that place Both heuen earth might haue herd me cry Weping and said alas incessauntly Ah my sweet hert my ghostly paramour Alas I may nat thy body socour O blessed lord how fierse and how cruell These cursed wights now hath thee slaine Keruing alas thy body eueridell Wound within wound full bitter is thy pain Now wold that I might to thee attaine To nayle my body fast vnto thy tree So that of this payne thou might go free I can not report ne make no rehersaile Of my demening with the circumstaunce But well I wote the speare with euery naile Thirled my soule by inward resemblaunce Which neuer shall out of my remembraunce During my lyfe it woll cause me to waile As oft as I remembre that bataile Ah ye Iewes worse than dogges rabiate What mâ—ued you thus cruelly him to aray He neuer displeased you nor caused debate Your loue and true herts he coueyted aye He preched he teched he shewed yâ— right way Wherefore ye like tyrants wood wayward Now haue him thus slaine for his reward Ye ought to haue remembred one thing special His fauour his grace and his magnificence He was your prince borne and Lord ouer all How be it ye toke him in small reuerence He was full meke in suffring your offence Neuertheles ye deuoured him with one assent As hungry wolfs doth yâ— lamb innocent Where was your pite o people mercilesse Arming your self with falsheed and treason On my lord ye haue shewed your woodnesse Like no men but beestes without reason Your malice he suffred all for the season Your payn woll come thinke it not to slack * Man
his death doth pant This yong man followeth her in that stound And as a wanton Lambe full ignorant How he is pulled and drawen to be bound Vnto the time he hath his deaths wound And like a bird that hasteth to the grin Not knowing the perill of his life therein Now gentle sonne saith Salomon take hede My words in thy breast keepe and make fast Let her not thy mind in her waies mislede Be not deceiued lese not thy tast Many hath she wounded many doune cast Many strong by her hath lost their breath Her waies waies of hell leading to death And in this little narration precedent The womans manifold gilt I attend The yong man alas how she hath shent Deceiued her husband her own next friend In these both her God she doth offend To break her spousail to her is of no weight Furdermore to shew womans craft sleight A woman at her dore sate on a stall To see folke passe by streets of the cite With eye and countenance eke she gan call If there be any prety one come nere to me Come hither ye piggesnye ye little babe At last she said to a yong man hartlesse Of her deceit vnware and defencelesse * Much sweeter she saith more acceptable Is drinke when it is stollen priuely Tha when it is taken in forme auowable Bread hid and gotten jeoperdously Must needs be sweet and semblably * Venison stolne is aye the sweeter The ferther the narrower fet the better And whom this woman saith Salom. festes The yong man woteth not whom she doth fede Of the dark deepnesse of hell ben her ghests Beware yong man therefore I thee rede And how be it cheefly for thy good spede This werk to compile I haue take in charge I must of pity my charity enlarge With the selie man which is thus begiled Her husband I mean I woll wepe and waile His painfull infortune whereby reuiled Causelesse he is neuer to conuaile Euery man yong and old woll him assaile With words of occasion with the loth name And alas good soule he nothing to blame But she that coud so ill do and wold Hers be the blame for her demerite And leaue that opprobrous name cokold To aproper to him as in dispite Ransake yet we would if we might Of this worde the true Ortographie The very discent and Ethimologie The well and ground of the first inuencion To know the ortographie we must deriue Which is coke and cold in composicion By reason as nigh as I can contriue Then how it is written we know beliue But yet lo by what reason and ground Was it of these two wordes compound As of one cause to giue very judgement Themilogie let vs first behold Eche letter an hole word doth represent As C put for colde and O for old K is for knaue thus diuers men hold The first parte of this name we haue found Let vs ethimologise the second As the first finder ment I am sure C for calot for of we haue O L for leude O for demeanure The craft of the enuentour ye may see lo How one name signifieth persones two A colde old knaue cokold himselfe wening And eke a calot of leude demeaning The second cause of thimposicion Of this foresaid name of jealousie To be jelouse is greatest occasion To be cokold that men can aspie And though the passion be very firie And of continuell feruence and heete The pacient aye suffreth cold on his feete And who that is jelous and aye in a drede Is full of Melancolie and gallie ire His wiues nose if she misse trede He woll cut off ye and conspire His death who that woll her desire Which she perceiuing brasteth his gall And anone his great woodnesse doth fall As soone as she hath knit him that knot Now is he tame that was so ramagious Mekely sitteth he doune and taketh his lot Layed been now his lookes so furious And he but late as a cocke bataylous Hote in his quarell to auenge him bold Now is he called both coke and cold This saying to all curtesie dissonant Which seemeth that it of malice grewe In this rude treatise I woll not plant As parcell thereof but onely to shewe The opinion of the talcatife shrewe * Which in ill saying is euer merie No man as I thereof so werie But I as parcell of this my booke Woll graffe in some sad counsaile whereby The wedded man if he daigne to looke In it the better shall mowe him gie And prouide for his said infortunie Which as I haue said with him complaine I woll as partener of his great paine As most expedient to his weale I would all jelousie were abject If he be jelous that he it conceale And in his labour be circumspect To know her wayes if they seeme suspect * And not for to breake for one word broken She woll not misse but she woll be wroken * Forbid her not that thou noldest haue don For looke what thing she is forbod To that of all things she is most prone Namely if it be ill and no good Till it be executed she is nigh wood Soch is a woman and soch is her feat * Her craft by craft labour to defeat If thou hereafter now a single man Shouldest be jelous if thou haddest a wife Wedde not but if thou can trust woman For els shouldest lede a carefull life That thou most lothest should be full rife Yet I nill gainesay Matrimonie * But Melius est nubere quam uri That is to say better is in Wedlocke A wife to take as the church doth kenne Than to been vnder the fleshes yoke In fleshly lust alway for to brenne But as I said for all jelous menne * So they liue chaste I hold it lasse ill That they wedde not than them self spill The single man which is yet to wedde And not the wedded man thus I rede To warne him now he is too farre spedde It is too late him to forbedde But let him take as for his owne need Soch counsaile as is him before told These words folowing eke to behold Thy water to keep the wiseman doth teach That thou in no wise let it haue issue At a narow rifte way it woll seach And semblably the woman vntrue To giue her free walke in al wise eschue * If she at large not at thine hand walke She woll thee shame thou shalt it not balke Wedded or single thus saith the wiseman * Her that both day and night euermore Lithe in thy bosome wife or yet lemman Loue not to hote least thou repent sore Least she thee bring into some ill lore Thy wife not to loue yet I nill support But that thou dote not thus I thee exhort Lo if thou loue her loue eke thine honestie Be she not idell for what woll betide * If she sit idell of very necessitie Her mind woll search ferre and eke wide Namely if she be not accompanide How accompanied not with yong
where ye be glad or wroth Thou and thy Brother shull repent both And many another that is here present Of your trespas that ben very innocent And many a thousand percas shall complein For the debate onely of you tweine And for your strife shall find full vnswote And for thou art ginner ground and rote Of this injury and this great vnright To the goddes that hereof han a sight Thou shall accompts and a rekning make For all tho that perishen for thy sake And now the cause driuen is so ferre Sodeinly pees either hasty werre Mot folow anon for the fatall chaunce Of life and death dependeth in balaunce And thou ne maist by no craft restreine That vpon one platly of you tweine The sort mote fall ilke as it doth tourn Who so euer thereat either laugh or mourn And thou art driuen so narow to the stake That thou maist not mo delaies make But fight or treat this is the vtter fine By none engin thou canst it not decline * An hasty caas as folke sain that ben wise Redresse requereth by full short auise For to trete long now auaileth nought For to the point sothly thou art brought Either to keepe thy possessioun Or in all hast deuoid out of this toun Wher thou therwith be wroth or wel appaid Now note well all that I haue said And by my counsell wisely condescend Wrong wrought of old newly to amend The time is come it may be none other Wherefore in hast treate with thy brother And again him make no resistence But to thy lordes fully yeue credence By whose Counseill â—ithe they be so sage Let Polimite enjoy his heritage And that shall tourne most to thine auaill Loo here is holle the fine of our Counsail The Treaty that Ethiocles sent unto his Brother And shortly tho for ire wroth Though he hereto froward was and loth According is hearing all the prees If he algate shall treate for a pees It must be by this condicion That he will haue the dominacion First in chiefe to himselfe reserued As him thought he had it well deserued And saue to him holle the souereintee And vnder him in Thebes the citee He to graunt with a right good chere Polimite the reigne for a yeere Then tauoide and not resort agein For more to claime was all but in vein This would he done onely for her sake And otherwise he will none end make With Greekes what fortune euer befall And finally emong his lords all There nas not one of high or low estate That would gone on this Ambassiat Out of the towne ne for bet ne wors Till Iocasta made sadle her hors And cast her self to gon on this treate To make an end if it would be And this was done the morow right by time Vpon the howre when it drew to prime And with her went here yonge doughters tweine Antigone and the faire Imeine Of her meine full many one about At gate she was conueied out And of purpose she made first her went On horsebacke to King Adrastus tent He and his lords being all in fere And they receiue her with a right glad chere Shewing her like to her degree On euery halfe full great humanite Polimitie rising from his place And humbly his moder gan embraee Kissed her and then Antigone And eke Imeine excellent of beaute And for that they passingly were faire Great was the pres concours and repaire Of the ladies for to haue a sight And Iocasta proceedeth anon right To Adrastus the matere to propose And gan to him openly to disclose The entent and will of Ethiocles And by what meane he desireth pees To him reserue as she gan specifie The honour whole and the regalie With sceptre crown from him not diuided But whole to him as he hath prouided And Polimite by this conditioun Vnder him to reigne in the toun As a soget by suffrance of his Brother But the Grekes thoughten all another The knightly Answer of worthy Tideus And specially worthy Tideus Pleiuly affirming it should nat be thus For he will haue no conditions But set aside all excepcions Nothing reserue as in speciall But hole the lordship regally and all Be Polimites it fully to possede In Thebes crouned verely in dede And rightfull king put in possession Like the couenaunts and convencion Ymade of old assured and ensealed That shall not now of new be repealed But stable and holle in his strength stond And let him platly so vnderstond And first that he deuoid him out of toune And deliuere the Sceptre and the croune To his Brother and make therof no more And shortly elles it shall be bought full sore Or this matere brought be to an end For Greekes be there none that shul hens wend Er that our right that is vs denied With life and death darreined be and tried We will not erst from this toun remewe And if him list all this thing eschue And all mischiefe stinten and appese To either part he may do great ese Thus I meane for his auauntage Deliuer vp hool the trew heritage To his brother for heire to endure And Greekes shall fully him assure By what bond that him list deuise The yere complete in our best wise To him deliuer ayen possession Without strife or contradicion And to this fine justly hold vs to And if it fall that he will not so Let him not wait but onely after werre The houre is come we will it not deferre Lo here is all and thus ye may report To him ayein when that ye resort From which appointment we cast vs nat to vary And yet to him Amphiorax yâ— contrary Full pleinly said in conclusion This fine shall cause a destruction Of hem echone if it forth procede To be performed and execute in dede But thilke time for all his eloquence He had in soth but litell audience For whether so he ment good or ill King Adrastus bad him to be still And tho Iocasta as wisedome did her tech Humble of her port with full soft spech Gan sech meanes in her fantasie If she might the ire modifie Of the Greekes to make hem to encline In any wise her rancour for to fine She did her deuour and her besie cure But then befell a wonder auenture Cause and ground of great confusioun Greekes perturbing and eke the toun And it to tell I may not assert For which a while my stile I mote aduert Of a tame Tygre dwelling in Thebes And shortly tell by descriptioun Of a Tygre dwelling in the toun Which from a kingdome besiden adjacent Out of Egipt was to Thebes sent Which beast by record of scripture Is most swift as of his nature And of kind also most sauage And most cruell when he is in his rage And as clerkes maken mention He of body resembleth the Lion And like a greyhound the mosell and the hed And of eyen as any fire red Eke of his skin written as I finde Like a
Arcite That elde which all can frete and bite And it hath freten many a noble story Hath nigh devoured out of our memory Be favourable eke thou Polimnia On Pernaso that hath thy sisters glade By Elicon not far from Cirsa Singest with voice memorial in the shade Vnder the Laurer which that may not fade And doe that I my ship to haven winne First follow I Stace and after him Corinne Jamque domos patrias Cithiae-post aspera gentis Praelia laurigeo subeuntem Thesea curru Laetifici plausus missusque ad sidera vulgi c. When Theseus with warres long great The aspre folke of Cithe had ouercome The Laurer crowned in his chaire gold beat Home to his country houses is ycome For which the people blisful all and some So criden that to the Sterres it went And him to honouren did all her entent Before this Duke in sign of victory The Trompes come and in his baner large The Image of Mars and in token of glory Men might see of treasure many a charge Many a bright helm many a spere targe Many a fresh knight many a blisful rout On horse and on foot in all the field about Ipolita his wife the hardy Queene Of Cithia that he conquered had With Emely her young suster shene Faire in a chaire of gold he with him lad That all the ground about her chair she sprad With brightness of beauty in her face Fulfilled of largesse and of grace With his triumph laurer crowned thus In all the floure of Fortunes yeuing Lete I this noble prince Theseus Toward Athenes in his way riding And fonde I woll in shortly to bring The slye way of that I gan to write Of Queene Annelida and false Arcite Mars that through his furious course of ire The old wrath of Iuno to fulfill Hath set the peoples hertes both on fire Of Thebes and Grece euerich other to kill With bloody speres rested neuer still But throng now here now there among hem both That euerich other slue so were they wroth For when Amphiorax and Tideus Ipomedon and Partinope also Were dedde and slain proud Campaneus And when the wretched Thebans brethren two Were slain King Adrastus home ago So desolate stood Thebes and so bare That no wight could remedy his care And when the old Creon gan espy How that the blood royal was brought adown He held the Citee by his tyranny And did the gentils of that regioun To been his friends and dwell in the toun So what for loue of him and what for awe The noble folke were to the towne ydrawe Among all these Annelida the queene Of Ermony was in that towne dwelling That fairer was than the Sonne sheene Throughout the world so gan her name spring That her to see had every wight liking For as of trouth is there none her liche Of all the women in this world riche Yong was this queene of twenty yere old Of middle stature and of soch fairnesse That nature had a ioy her to behold And for to speaken of her stedfastnesse She passed hath Penelope and Lucresse And shortly if she may ben comprehended In her might nothing been amended This Theban knight eke sothe to sain Was yong thereto withall a lusty knight But he was double in love nothing plain And subtill in that craft ouer any wight And with his conning wan this Lady bright For so ferforth he gan her trouth assure That she him trusteth ouer any creature What should I sain she loueth Arcite so That when that he was absent any throw Anone her thought her herte brast atwo For in her sight to her he bare him low So that she wende have all his hert yknow But he was false it nas but fayned chere As nedeth not soche crafte men to lere But neuerthelesse full mikell businesse Had he er that he might his Lady winne And swore he would dien for distresse Or from his witte he said he would twinne Alas the while for it was routh and sinne That she upon his sorrowes would rue * But nothing thinketh the false as doth the true Her fredome found Arcite in soch manere That all was his that she hath moch or lite Ne to no creature made she cheer Further than it liked to Arcite There was no lack with which he might her wite She was so ferforth yeuen him to please That all that liked him did her ease There nas to her no maner letter sent That touched loue from any maner wight That she ne shewed him or it was brent So plain she was and did her full might That she nyl hide nothing from her knight Lest he of any vntrouth her vpbreyde Without bode his herte she obeyd And eke he made him ialous ouer her That what that any man had to her sayd Anon he would praien her to swere What was yâ— word or make him yuell apaid Then wende she out of her witte have braid But all was but sleight and flatterie Without love he fained jelousie And all this tooke she so debonairly That al his will her thought it skilful thing And ever the lenger she loved him tenderly And did him honour as he were a king Her herte was to him wedded with a ring For so ferforth vpon trouth is her entent That where he goth her herte with him went When she shal eat on him is so her thought That well vnneth of meate toke she keepe And when she was to her rest brought On him she thought alway till that she slepe Whan he was absent priuely doth she wepe Thus liueth faire Annelida the queene For false Arcite that did her all this tene This false Arcite of his newfanglenesse For she to him so lowly was and trewe Tooke lesse deintee for her stedfastnesse And saw another Lady proude and newe And right anon he clad him in her hewe Wote I not whether in white reed or grene And falsed faire Annelida the queene But neverthelesse great wonder was it none Though he were false for it is yâ— kind of man Sith Lamech was that is so long agone To be in love as false as euer he can He was the first father that began To loven two and was in bigamye And he found tents first but if men lye This false Arcite somewhat must he faine Whan he was false to coueren his tratoury Right as an horse that can both bite plaine For he bare her in honde of treachery And swore he coude her doublenesse espye And all was falsenesse that she to him ment Thus swore this thefe and forth his way he went Alas what herte might endure it For routhe or wo her sorrow for to tell Or what man hath the conning or the wit Or with man might within the chambre dwell If I to him rehersen shall the hell That suffreth fayre Annelida the queene For false Arcite that did all this tene She wepeth waileth swouneth pitously To ground deed she falleth
as a stone Crampisheth her limmes crokedly She speketh as her witte were all agone Other colour than ashen hath she none Ne none other word speketh she moch or lite But mercy cruell herte mine Arcite And thus endureth til that she was so mate That she ne hath foot on which she may sustene But forth languishyng ever in this estate Of which Arcite hath neyther routh ne tene His hert was els where newe and grene That on her wo ne deineth him not to think Him recketh never whether she flete or sinke * This new Lady holdeth him so narowe Vp by the bridel at the staues end That every word he dred it as an arowe Her daunger made him bothe bowe bend And as her luste made him turne or wend For she ne graunted him in her liuing No grace why that he hath to sing But droue him forth vnneth list her know That he was seruaunt vnto her Ladyship But lest he were proude she helde him lowe Thus serueth he without meate or sip She sent him now to land and now to ship And for she yaue him daunger all his fill Therfore she had him at her owne will Ensample of this ye thrifty women all Take hede of Annelida and false Arcite That for her list him her dere herte call And was so meke therefore he loved her lite * The kinde of mans herte is to delite On thing that straunge is also God me save For what they may not get yâ— wold they have Now turne we to Annelida ayen That pyneth day by day in languishing But when she saw that her ne gate no geyn Vpon a day sorowfully wepyng She cast her for to make a complainyng And with her owne hand she gan it write And sent it to her Theban knight Arcite The complaint of Annelida to false Arcite So thir led with the point of remembraunce The swerde of sorowe whette with false pleasaunce Mine herte bare of blisse black of hew That turned is to quaking all my daunce My sewerty in a waped countenaunce Sens it avayleth nought to ben trew For who so trew is it shall her rew That serueth love and doth her observaunce Alway to one and chaungeth for no new I wote my selfe as well as any wight For I loved one with all mine hert might More than my self an hundred thousand sith And called him my hertes lyfe my knight And was all his as ferre as it was right And when yâ— he was glad than was I blithe And his disease was my death as swithe And he ayen his trouth hath me plight For evermore hys Lady me to kithe Now is he false alas and causeles And of my wo he is so routhles That with a worde him list not ones daine To bring ayen my sorowfull herte in pees For he is caught vp in another lees Right as him list he laugheth at my paine And I ne can mine hert not â—estraine For to loue him yet alway ueuertheles And of all this I not to whom to plaine And shuld I playne alas the hard stound Vnto my foe that yaue myne hert a wound And yet desireth that myne harme be more Now certes ferther woll I neuer found None other helpe my sores for to sound My desteny hath shaped so full yore I woll none other medecine ne lore I woll ben aye there I was ones bound That I haue said be said for euermore Alas where is become your gentilnesse Your words full of pleasance and humblesse Your obseruaunce in so lowe manere Your awayting and your besinesse On me that ye called your maistresse Your soueraine lady in this world here Alas is there neyther worde ne chere Ye vouchsafe vpon myne heuinesse Alas your loue I bye it all to dere Now certes swete though that ye Thus causelesse the cause be Of my deedly aduersite Your manly reason ought it to respite To slee your frende and namely me That neuer yet in no degre Offended you as wissy he That all wote of wo my soule quite But for I was so playne Arcite In all my workes moch and lite And was so besie you to delite Myne honour saue meke kinde and fre Therefore ye put in me this wite Alas ye retche not a mite Though that the swerde of sorow bite My wofull hert through your cruelty My sweet so why do ye so for shame And thinke ye that furthered be your name To loue a newe and ben vntrewaye And put you in slander now and blame And do to me aduersitie and grame That loue you most God thou wost alway Yet turne ayen and yet be playne some day And than shall this yâ— now is mis ben game And all foryeue while I lyue may Lo hert myne al this is for to saine As whether shall I pray or els playne Which is the way to done you to be trew For eyther mote I haue you in my chayne Or with the deth ye mote depart vs twayne There bethe none other meane wayes new For God so wisely on my soule rewe As verely ye slaine me with the payne That mowe ye see vnfained on mine hewe For thus ferforth haue I my deth sought My selfe I murder with my priuie thought For sorow and routh of your vnkindnesse I wepe I wayle I fast all helpeth naught I voide joy that is to speake of aught I voide company I flie gladnesse Who may auaunt her better of heuineffe Than I to this plite haue ye me brought Without gilte me needeth no witnesse And should I pray weiuen womanhede Nay rather death than do so foule a dede And aske mercy and giltlesse what nede And if I plaine what lyfe I lede You recketh not that know I out of drede And if I vnto you mine othes bede For mine excuse a scorne shall be my mede * Your chere floureth but it woll not sede Full long agon I might haue taken hede For though I had you to morow agayne * I might as well hold Aprill from rayne As holde you to maken stedfast Almighty God of trouth the souerayn Where is the trouth of man who hath it slayn * She that hem loueth shall hem find as fast As in a tempest is a rotten mast Is that a tame beest that is aye fayne To renne away when he is lest agast Now mercy sweete if I missay Haue I aught sayd out of the way I not my witte is all away I fare as doth the songe of chantepleure For now I plaine and now I pley I am so mased that I dey Arcite hath borne away the key Of all my world and my good auenture For in this world there is no creature Walking in more discomfiture Than I ne more sorowe endure For if I sleepe a furlonge way or twey Then thinketh me that your figure Before me stante clad in asure Efte to profre a newe assure For to ben trewe and mercy me to prey The long night this wonder sight ydrie That on the