folye he was in And howe that sothe hym sayde Pandarus That for to sleen him self might he nat wyn But bothe done vnmanhode and a syn And of hys dethe hys lady nought to wyte For of hys wo god wote she knewe full lyte And with y e thought he gan full sore syke And sayd Alas what is me best to do To whom Pandare sayd yf the lyke The best is that thou tell me thy wo And haue my trouth but yf thou fynde it so I be thy bote or it be full longe To peces do me drawe and sythen honge Ye so sayst thou ê™ Troylus alas But god wote it is naught the rather so Full harde it were to helpen in thys caas For well fynde I that fortune is my foe Ne all the men that ryde conne or go May of her cruell whele the harme withstoÌ„d For as her lyst she playeth wyth fre bonde ê™ Pandarus thaÌ„ blamest thou fortune For thou arte wroth ye nowe at erst I se wost thou nat well that fortune is coÌ„mune To euery maner wight in some degree And yet thou hast thys comforte lo parde That as her ioyes moten ouergone So mote her sorowes passen euerichone For yf her whele stynt any thyng to tourn Than cesseth she fortune anone to be Now sith her whele by no way may soiourn what woste thou yf her mutabylite Right as thy seluen lust woll don by the Or that she be nought ferre fro thyn helping Parauenture thou haste cause for to synge And therfore woste thou what I y u beseche Let be thy wo and turnyng to the grounde For who so lyst haue healyng of hys leche To hym byhoueth first vnwrie hys wounde To Cerberus in hell aye be I bounde were it for my suster all thy sorowe By my wyl she shulde be thyn to morowe Loke vp I say and tel me what she is Anon that I may gon aboute thy nede Know yâ—h her aught for my loue tel me this Than wolde I hope rather for to spede Tho gan the veyne of Troylus to blede For he was hyt and woxe all reed for shame A ha ê™ Pandare here begynneth game And with y t worde he gaÌ„ him for to shake And sayd these thou shalte her name tell But tho gan sely Troylus for to quake As though men shulde han had him in to hel And sayd alas of all my wo the well Than is my swete foe called Crescyde And wel nigh w t the word for feare he deyde And whaÌ„ y e PaÌ„dare herde her name neuen Lorde he was glad and sayd frende so dere Nowe fare a ryght for Iones name in heueÌ„ Loue hath beset the wel be of good chere For of good name wysedom and manere She hath ynough and eke of gentyllesse If she be fayre thou woste thy selfe I gesse Ne neuer sey a more bounteous Of her estate ne a gladder ne of speche A frendlyer ne more gracious For to do well ne lasse had nede to seche what for to done and all thys bet to eche In honour to as farre as she maye stretche A kynges herte semeth by hers a wretche And for thy loke of good comforte thou be For certaynly the fyrst poynt is thys Of noble corage and well ordayne the A man to haue peace wyth hym selfe ywys So oughtest thou for nought but good it is To louen well and in a worthy place The ought not clepe it happe but grace And also thynke and therwyth glad the That syth thy lady vertuous is all So foloweth it that there is some pyte Amonges all these other in generall And for they se that thou in speciall Requyre nought that is ayen her name For vertue stretcheth not hym selfe to shame But well is me that euer I was borne That thou beset arte in so good a place For by my troth iÌ„ loue I durst haue sworne Thou shuld neuer haue tyde so fayre a grace And wost y u why â–ª for y u were wont to chace At loue in scorne and for dyspyte hem call Saynt Idiote lorde of these foles all Now often hast thou made thy nyce iapes And sayd that loues seruauntes euerychone Of nycete ben very goddes apes And some wolde monch her meate alone Lyggynge a bedde make hem for to grone And some thou saydest had a blauÌ„che feuere And praydest god they shulde neuer keuere And some of hem toke on hem for y e colde More then ynough so saydest thou full ofte And some han fayned ofte tyme and tolde Howe that they waken when they slepe soft And thus they wold haue set hem selfe aloft And nathelesse were vnder at the last Thus saydest thou and â—apedest full fast Yet saydest thou that for the more parte These louers wolde speake in generall And thoughten it was a syker arte For faylynge for to assayen ouer al Nowe maye I iape of the yf that I shall But natheles though that I shulde dey Thou arte none of tho I dare well sey Nowe bete thy brest say to god of Loue Thy grace lorde for nowe I me repent Yf I myspake for nowe my selfe I loue Thus saye w t all thyne herte in good entent Quod Troylus ah lorde I me consent And pray to the my iapes thou foryeue And I shal neuer more whyle I lyue Thou sayst wel ê™ PaÌ„dare nowe I hope That thou the goddes wrath hast al apesed And syth thou haste wepten many a drope And said such thiÌ„g wherw t thy god is plesed Nowe wolde neuer god but y u were eased And thyncke wel she of whom ryst al thy wo Here after may thy comforte ben also For thylke grouÌ„de y t beareth y e wedes wycke Beareth eke these holsome herbes as ful ofte Next the foule nettle rough and thycke The rose wexeth soote smoth and softe And Next the valey ys the hyll a lofte And next the derke nyght the glad morowe And also ioye is next the fyne of sorowe Nowe loke that attempre be thy brydelle And for the best aye suffre to the tyde Or els all our labour is on ydell He hasteth well that wysely can abyde Be dyligent and trewe and aye well hyd Be lusty free perseuer in thy seruyse And all is well yf thou werke in thys wyse But he that departed is in euery place Is no where hole as writen clerkes wyse what wonder is if suche one haue no grace Eke wost thou how it fareth of some seruyse As plante a tre or herbe in sondrie wyse And on the morowe pull it vp as blyue No wonder is though it may neuer thriue And syth y e god of loue hath the bestowed In place digne vnto thy worthynesse Stonde fast for to good porte hast y u rowed And of thy selfe for any heuenesse Hope alwaye well for but yf drerynesse Or ouerhast our both labour shende I hope of thys to maken a good ende And wost y u why I am the lasse afered Of thys mater wyth my nece trete For
route Her folowed in the garden all about This yerd was large rayled all the aleyes shaddowed wel w t blosomy bowes grene And benched newe and soÌ„ded al the wayes In which she walketh arm in arme betwene Tyll at the last Antigone the shene Gan on a Troyan songe to syngen clere That it an heuen was her voyce to heare She said O loue to whom I haue shall Ben humble subiect trewe in myne entent As I best can to you lorde yeue yche all For euermore my hertes lust to rent For neuer yet thy grace no wyght sent So blysfull cause as me my lyfe to lede In al ioye and suretie out of drede The blysful god hath me so wel beset In loue iwys that all that bereth lyfe Ymagynen ne coulde how to be bet For lorde withouten ielousye or stryfe I loue one which that moost is ententyfe To seruen wel vntweryly or vnfayned That euer was lest with harme distayned As he that is the well of worthynesse Of trouth ground myrrour of godlyheed Of wyt Apollo stone of sykernesse Of vertue roote of lust fynder and heed Through which is all sorowe fro me deed Ywys I loue hym best so doth he me Now good thrift haue he whersoeuer he be whom shulde I thaÌ„ken but you god of loue Of all this blysse in which to bath I gynne And thanked be ye lorde for that I loue This is the ryght lyfe that I am in To flemen al maner vyce and synne This doth me so to vertue for to entende That daye by day I in my wyll amende And who that sayth y e for to loue is vyce Or thraldome though he felt in it distresse He eyther is enuyous or ryght nyce Or is vnmyghty for his shreudnesse To louen for suche maner folke I gesse Diffamen loue as nothyng of him knowe They speken but they bent neuer his bowe what is the sonne worse of kynde ryght Though y t a man for feblenesse of his eyen May nat endure on it to se for bryght Or loue the worse that wretches on it cryen No wele is worth y t may no sorowe dryen And for thy who that hath a heed of verre Fro cast of stones ware hym in the werre But with al myne hert and al my myght As I haue sayde wol loue vnto my last My dere hert and all myne owne knyght In which myne hert growen is so fast And his in me that it shall euer last All dredde I fyrst loue hym to begyn Now wot I well there is no peryll in And of her songe right w t the worde she stent And therwithal nowe nece ê™ Creseyde who made this song now w t so good entent Antygone answerde anone and sayde Madame ywys the goodlyest mayde Of great estate in al the towne of Troye And led her lyfe in moost honour and ioye For soth so semeth it by her songe Quod tho Creseyde gan therwtih to sike And said Lorde is there such blysse amonge These louers as they can fayre endite Yea wysse quod freshe Antygone the whyte For al the folke that haue or bene on lyue Ne conne wel the blysse of loue discryue But wene ye that euery wretche wote The parfyte blysse of loue why nay ywys They wenen al be loue yf one be hote Do way do way they wote nothing of this Menne mote asken of sayntes yf it is Ought faire in heueÌ„ why for they can tell And aske fendes yf it be foule in hell Creseide vnto the purpose naught answerde But sayd ywys it wol be nyght as faste But euery word which that she of her herde She gan to printen in her herte faste And aye gan loue her lasse for to agaste Than it dyd erst and synken in her herte That she waxe somwhat able to conuerte The dayes honour and the heuens eye The night foe al thys clepe I the sunne Gan westren fast downwarde for to wrie As he that had hys dayes course yrunne And whyte thinges woxen dymme donne For lacke of lyght and sterres for to apere That she and al her folke in went yfere So whan it lyked her to gone to reste And voyded weren they that voyden oughte She sayd that to slepen well her leste Her women sone tyl her bed her broughte whaÌ„ al was hust thaÌ„ lay she styl thoughte Of al thys thynge the maner and the wyse Reherce it nedeth nat for ye bene wyse A nyghtyngale vpon a Cedre grene Vnder the chamber wal there as she lay Ful loude songe ayen the mone shene Parauenture in hys byrdes wyse a lay Of loue that made her herte freshe and gaye That herkened she so longe in good entente Tyl at the last the deed slepe her hente And as she slept anon ryght tho her mette Howe that an Egle fethered white as bone Vnder her brest hys longe clawes sette And out her hert he rent and that anone And dyd his hert in to her brest to gone of which she nought agrose ne nothiÌ„g smert And forthe he flyeth with hert lefte for herte Nowe let her slepe we our tales holde Of troylus that is to paleys rydden Fro the scarmyshe of whych I tolde And in hys chambre sate and hath abydden Tyl two or thre of his messangers yeden For Pandarus and soughten him ful fast Tyl they him found brought him at y e last Thys Pandarus came leapyng in at ones And sayd thus who hath bene wel ybete To daye wyth swerdes and slonge stones But Troylus that hath caught him an hete And gan to iape sayd Lorde ye sweete But ryse and let vs soupe and go to reste And he answerde him do we as the leste wyth al the hast goodly as they myght They spedde hem fro the souper to bedde And euery wyght out of the dore him dyght And whyder him lyst vpoÌ„ his way him sped But Troylus thought that his herte bledde For wo tyl that he herde some tydynge And sayd frende shall I now wepe or synge Quod Pandarus be styll and let me slepe And do on thyne hoode thy nedes spedde be And chese yf thou wolt syng daunce or lepe At short wordes thou shalte trowe me Sir my nece wol done wel by the And loue the beste by god by my trouthe But lacke of pursute make it in thy slouthe For thus forforth I haue thy werke begon Fro day to daye tyl this day by the morowe Her loue of frendshyp haue I to the won and therfore hath she laid her faith to borow Algate a foote is hameled of thy sorowe what shulde I lenger sermon of it holde As ye haue herde before al he him tolde But right as floures through the colde of night I closed stoupen in her stalkes low Redressen hem ayen the sunne bryght And spreden in her kynde course by rowe Ryght so gan tho his eyen vp to throwe Thys Troylus and sayd O Venus dere Thy myght thy grace yheryed
hys herte had compassyon Of wymen for they wepen euery in one And in hys gentle heyte he thought anone And softe vnto hym selfe he sayd fy Vpon a lorde that woll haue no mercy But be a lyon bothe in worde and dede To hem that ben in repentaunce in drede As well as to a proude dispytous man That wyll mayntayne that he fyrst began That lorde hath lytell of discretyon That in suche case can no diffynition But wayeth pride and humblesse after one And shortly whan hys yre was thus agone He gan to loken vp with eyen lyght And spake these wordes al on hyght The god of loue ah benedicite Howe myghty howe great a lorde is he Agayn hys myght ther gayneth no obstacles He may be cleaped a god for hys miracles For he can maken at hys owne gyse Of euerych hert as hym lyst deuyse Lo here thys Arcyte and thys Palamon That quitely were out of my prison gon And myght haue lyued in Thebes ryally And knowen I am her mortall enemy And that her dethe is in my power also And yet hath loue maugre her eyen two Brought hem hyther bothe for to dye Nowe loketh is not this a great folye â–ª Who may be a fole but yf he loue â–ª Beholde for goddes sake that sytteth aboue Se howe they blede be they nat wel arayde Thus hath her lord y e god of loue hem payd Her wages and her fees for her seruyse And yet they wenen to be full wyse That serue loue for aught that may be fall But yet is this the best gâ—me of all That she for whom they haue thys iolyte Can hem therfore as moche thanke as me She wotte nomore of all this hote face By God than wotte a cokowe or an hare But all mote ben assayed hote and colde A man mote ben a foole other yong or olde I wote it by my selfe full yore agone For in my tyme a seruaunte was I one And therfore syth I knowe of loues payne I wote howe sore it can a man distrayne As he that ofte hath be caught in her laas â–ª I you foryeue all hooly this trespaas At the request of the quene y e kneleth here And eke of Emely my syster dere And ye shall bothe anon anto me swere That ye shal neuer more my countre dere Ne make warre vpon me nyght ne day But ben my frendes in all that ye may I you for yene thys trespas euery dele And they hym swace his asking fair wele And him of lordshyp and of mercy prayde And he hem graunted grace thus he sayde To speake of worthy lynage rychesse Though y e she were a quene or a princesse Ilke of you bothe is worthy doutles To wedde whan tyme is but netheles I speake as for my syster Emely For whom ye haue thys stryfe and ielowsy Ye wote your selfe she maye not wedde two At ones though ye fyghten euer mo But one of you all be hym loth or lefe He mote go pype in an yue lefe Thys is to saye she maye not haue both Ne ben ye neuer so ielous ne so wroth And therfore I you put in thys degre That eche of you shall haue hys destyne As hym is shape and herken in what wyse Lo here your ende of that I shall deuyse My wyll is thys for plat conclusion Wythout any replicacion Yf that you lyketh taketh it for the best That euerych of you shall go where him lyst Frely wythout raunsome or daungere And thys daye fyftye wekes ferre ne nere Euerych of you shall brynge an C. knyghtes Armed for the lystes vp all ryghtes Al redy to darreyne here by batayle And thys behote I you wythouten fayle Vpon my trouth as I am true knyght That whether of you both hath that myght That is to saye that whether he or thou May wyth his huÌ„dred as I spake of now Slee hys contrary or out of lystes dryue Hym shall I yene Emely to wyue To whom y t fortune yeueth so fayre a grace The lystes shall I maken in thys place And god so wysely on my soule rewe As I shal euyn iudge be and trewe Ye shall none other ende wyth me make That one of you shal be deed or take And yf ye thynken thys is wel ysayd Sayeth your aduyse holde you wel apayd Thys is your ende and your conclusion Who loketh lyghtly now but Palamon Who spryngeth vp for ioye but Arcite Who coude tel or who coude endyte The ioye that is made in thys place When Theseus had done so fayre a grace But doun on knees weÌ„t euery maner wight And thanked him wyth al her hert myght And namely these Thebans many sythe And thus wyth good hope herte blythe They takeÌ„ her leue hoÌ„ward gan they ryde To Thebes warde wyth olde walles wyde I trowe men wolde deme it negligence Yf I foryetten to tell the dyspence Of Theseus that goeth so busely To maken vp the lystes royally That suche a noble Theatre as it was I dare well saye in thys worlde ther nas The circute a myle was about Walled wyth stone and dyched al about RouÌ„de was the shape in maner of a compas Full of degrees the heygth of fyrty paas That when a man was set on one degre He letted not hys felowe for to sâ— Estward there stode a gate of marble whyte westward ryght suche another in thopposite And shortly to conclude suche a place was none in erth as in so lytle space For in the lande there nas no craftes man That gemetry or arsmetyke can Ne portriture ne caruer of ymages That Theseus ne gaue hym mete wages The theatre for to make and deuyse And for to do hys ryte and sacrifyce He estwarde hath vpon the yate aboue In worshyp of Venus goddes of loue Do make an auter and an oratory And on the westsyde in memory Of Mars he hath maked such another That cost of golde largely a fother And northwarde in a turret in the wal Of alabastre whyte and redde coral An oratorye ryche for to se In worshyp of Diane goddes of chastite Hath Theseus do wrought in noble wyse But yet had I foryetten to deuyse The noble caruynges and the portratures The shap the countenaunce the fygures That weren in the oratories thre Fyrst in the teÌ„ple of Venus thou mayst se wrought on the wal ful pytously to beholde The broken slepes and the syghes colde The sault teares and the waymentyng The fyre strokes and the desyryng That loues seruauntes in thys lyfe enduren The othes that her couenauntes assuren Plesaunce and hope desyre foole hardynesse Beauty and youth baudry and rychesse Charmes and sorcery leasynges and flatery Dyspence busynesse and ielousy That weared of yelowe goldes a garlande And a cokowe syttynge on her honde Feestes instrumentes carolles and daunces Iustes and araye and al the circumstaunces Of loue whych I reken and reken shal By ordre were paynted on the wal And mo then
u swym as mery I vndertake As doth y e whyt ducke after her drake Then wol I clepe howe Alyson how Iohn Be mery for the floode wol passe anon And thou wolt sayn hayle master Nicholay Good morowe for I se wel that it is day And then we shul be lordes al our lyfe Of al the worlde as was Noe and his wyfe But of one thynge I warne the ful ryght Be wel auysed on that ylke nyght That we be entred into the shyppes borde That none of vs ne speake not a worde Ne clepe ne crye but ben in hys prayer For it is goddes owne heste dere ¶ Thy wife thou mot haÌ„ge farre a twinne For that betwyxte you shal be no synne No more in lokynge then there shal in dede Thys ordinaunce is sayd go God the spede To morowe at nyght wheÌ„ men be al aslepe Into our knedynge tubbes wol we crepe And sytten there abydynge goddes grace Go now thy waye I haue no lenger space To make of thys no lenger sermonyng Men sayne thus send y e wyse say nothyng Thou art so wyse it nedeth the not to teche Go saue our lyues and that I the beseche ¶ Thys sely capenter goeth forth his waye Ful ofte he sayd alas and welawaye And to hys wyfe he tolde hys priuete And she was ware knewe it bet then he what al thys queynt cast was for to sey But natheles she ferde as she wolde dry And sayd alas go forth thy way anone Helpe vs to skape or we be deed echone I am thy trewe very wedded wyfe Go dere spouse and helpe to saue our lyfe Lo whych a great thynge is affection Men may dye of ymagynacion So depe may impression be take Thys sely carpenter begynneth to quake Hym thynketh verely that he may se Noes stoode come waltrynge as the see To drenchen Alyson hys hony dere He wepeth waileth and maketh sory cherâ— He syketh wyth many a sory thought He gothe getteth hym a knedyng trough And after a tubbe and a kemelyn And priuely he sent hem to hys in And hynge hem in the rofe ful priuely Hys owne honde he made hym ladders thre To clymben by the ronges by the stalkes Into the tubbes hongyng by the balkes And hem vitayled both trough and tubbe wyth breed and chese good ale in a tubbe Suffysyng ryght ynowe as for a daye But er that he had made al thys arraye He sent hys knaue and eke hys wenche also Vpon hys nede to London for to go And on y e monday when it drowe to nyght He shette his dore without candel lyght And dressed al thyng as it shulde be And shortly clomben vp al thre They sytten styl not fully a furlonge way Now pater noster clum sayd Nicolay And clum ê™ Iohan cluom sayd Alison Thys carpenter sayd hys deuocion And styl he syt and byddeth hys prayere Awaytynge on the rayne yf he it here ¶ The deed slepe for wery besynesse fel on thys carpenter ryght as I gesse Aboute curfewe tyme or lytel more For trauayle of hys gost he groneth sore And efte he routeth for hys heed myslay And down of y e ladder theÌ„ stalketh Nicolay And Alyson ful softe after she spedde wythout wordes mo they went to bedde There as the carpenter was woned to lye There was the reuel and the melodye And thus lyeth Alyson and Nycholas In busynesse of myrth and solas Tyl that the bel of laudes gan to rynge And freres in the chaunsel gon to synge ¶ Thys parysh clerke thys amerous AbsoloÌ„ That is for loue alway so wo bygon Vpon the monday was at Osenay wyth company hym to dysporte and play And asked vpon a case a cloysterere Ful priuely after Iohn the carpentere And he drewe him a parte out of the chyrche And said I not I saw him not here wyrche Syth saturday I trowe that he be went For tymbre there our Abbot hath hym sent For he is wont for tymbre for to go And dwellen at the grange a day or two Or els he is at hys house certayne where that he be I can not sothly sayne Thys Absolon ful ioly was and lyght And thouÈt now is my time to walk alnight For sekerly I sawe hym not sterynge About hys dore syth day began to sprynge So mote I thriue I shal at cockes crowe Ful priuely knocke at hys wyndowe That stant ful lowe vpon hys boures wal To Alyson wol I nowe tellen al My loue longynge for yet I shal not mysse That at the leest way I shal her kysse Some maner comforte shal I haue parfaye My mouth hath ytched al thys longe daye That is a sygne of kyssynge at the leest Alnyght me mette eke that I was at a feest Therfore I wol go slepe an houre or twey And al the nyght then wol I walke pley ¶ When y t the fyrst cocke hath crowe anon Vp ryst thys ioly louer Absolon And hym arayeth gay and in queynt deuyce But fyrst he cheweth greyns and lycoryce To smellen sote or he had kempt hys here Vnder hys tonge a trueloue he bere For therby he wende to ben graciouse He rometh to the carpenters house And styll he stante vnder the shotwyndowe Vnto hys brest it raught it was so lowe And softe he knocked wyth a semely soun what do ye honycombe swete Alysoun My fayre byrde my swete synamome Awaketh lemman myne and speaketh to me Ful lytel thynken ye vpon my wo That for your loue I swelt there as I go No wonder is though I swelte and swete I morne as dothe the lambe after the tete I wys lemman I haue suche loue longyng That lyke a turtle trewe is my mornyng I may not eaten no more then may a mayde Go fro the wyndowe Iacke foole she sayde As helpe me God and swete saynt Iame I loue another or els I were to blame wel bet then the by Iesu Absolon Go forth thy waye or I wol caste a ston And let me slepe a twenty dyuelway ¶ Alas quoth Absolon and welaway That trewe loue was euer so yuel bysette Then kysse me syn it may be no bette For Iesus loue and for the loue of me wylt y u then go thy waye therwith ê™ she ¶ Ye certes lemman quoth thys Absolon Then make the redy ê™ she I come anon And vnto Nycholas she sayd styl Nowe peace and thou shalt laugh thy fyl This Absolon down set him vpoÌ„ his knees And sayd I am a lorde at al degrees For after thys I hope there cometh more Lemman thy grace swete byrde thy nore The wyndowe she vndoth that in haste Haue do ê™ she and spede the faste Let not our neyghbours the aspye This AbsoloÌ„ gan wype his mouth ful drye Derke was the nyght as pytche or cole And at y e wyndow she put out her ers hole And Absolon him felte neyther bet ne wers But with his mouth he kyst her bare ers Ful sauerly
in hys herte to haue shryfte of mouth and to do satisfaccion and neuer to do thynge for whyche hym ought more bewayle or complayne and continue in good workes or els hys repentaunce maye not auayle For as saint Isoder sayeth He is a iaper and a lyer no very repentaunt that eftsone doth thinge for which hym ought repent Wepynge and not for to stynte to do synne may not auayle But natthelesse mē shal hope that at euery tyme that man falleth be it neuer so ofte that he maye aryse through penaūce yf he haue grace but certayne it is great doute for as sayeth saynt Gregorye Vnnethes aryseth he out of synne that is charged wyth y e charge of yuel vsage And therfore repentaunt folke that stynt for to synne and leue synne or synne leue them holy churche holdeth them syker of theyr saluacion And he that synneth and verely repēteth hym in hys laste ende holy churche yet hopeth hys saluacion by the great mercye of our Lorde Iesu Christ for hys repentaunce but take the syker waye ¶ And nowe syth I haue declared you what thynge is Penitence now ye shal vnderstād that there ben thre actions of penitence The fyrst is that a man be baptysed after that he hath synned Saynt Austyn sayeth but he be penitent for hys olde synfull lyfe he maye not begynne the newe clene lyfe For certes yf he be baptysed wythout penitence of hys olde gylte he retayneth y e marke of baptyme but not the grace ne the remissyon of hys synnes tyll he haue very repentaunce An other defaute is thys that men do deedly synne after that they haue receyued baptysme The thyrde defaute is thys that men fall in veniall synnes after her baptysme fro day to day Therof sayeth saynt Augustyne that penitence of good and humble folke is the penitence of euery daye The speces of penitence ben thre That one of hem is solempne an other is cōmune the thyrd is priuy That penaūce that is solempne is in two maners As to be put out of holy churche in lent for slaughter of chyldren and suche maner thynge An other is when a man hath synned openly of whyche synne the fame is openly spoken in the countrey and then holy church by iugement dystrayneth hym for to do open penaunce Cōmen penaunce is that preestes enioyne men in certayne case as for to go perauēture naked in pylgrymage or barefote Priuy penaunce is that that men do al daye for priuy synnes of whych we shryue vs priuely and receyue priuy penaunce ¶ Nowe shalt thou vnderstande what is behouefull and necessarye to very perfyte penytence and thys stonte on thre thynges Contricion of herte confession of mouthe and satisfaction For whych sayth saynt Iohn Chrisostome Penitence dystrayneth a man to accept benignely euery payne that hym is enioyned wyth contricion of herte and shryfte of mouthe wyth satisfaction and in werdynge of all maner humilite And thys is frutefull penitence ayenst thre thynges in whyche we wrath our Lorde Iesu Christe thys is to saye By delyte in thynkynge by retchlesnesse in speakinge and by wycked syn full werkynge And ayenst these wycked gyltes is penitence that maye be lykened vnto a tree The roote of thys tree is contricion that hydeth hym in the herte of hym that is verye repentaūt ryght as the roote of a tree hydeth hym in the earth Of thys roote of contricion spryngeth a stalke that beareth braunches leues of confessyon and frute of satisfaction For whych Christ sayth in hys gospel Doth digne fruyte of penitence for by thys fruyte men maye knowe the tre and not by the rote that is hyde in the herte of man ne by y e braūches ne the leues of confession And therfore our Lorde Iesu Christ sayeth thus By the fruyte of hem shall ye knowe hem Of thys roote also spryngeth a sede of grace y t whych sede is mother of all sykernesse and thys sede is egre hote The grace of thys sede spryngeth of God through remembraunce of the daye of dome and on the paynes of hell Of thys mater sayeth Salomon that in y e drede of God man forletteth hys synne The heate of thys sede is the loue of God and the desyrynge of the ioye perdurable Thys hete draweth the herte of man to God and doth him hate hys synne For sothly there is nothynge that sauoureth so well to a chyld as y e mylke of hys nouryce ne nothynge is to hym more abhominable then that malke whē it is medled wyth other meate Ryght so the synfull man that loueth hys synne hym semeth that it is to hym moost swete of any thynge but fro that tyme he loueth sadlye our Lorde Iesu Christe and desyreth the lyfe perdurable there is to hym nothinge more abhominable For sothly the lawe of god is the loue of god For whyche Dauid the prophete sayeth I haue loued thy lawe and hated wyckednesse He that loueth God kepeth hys lawe and hys worde ¶ Thys tree sawe the prophete Daniell in spirite on the visyon of Nabuchodonosor when he counsayled hym to do penitence Penaunce is the tree of lyfe to hem that it receyue and he that holdeth hym in very penitence is blessed after the sentence of Salomon In thys penitence or contricion man shal vnderstand foure thynges that is to say what is contrityon and whyche ben the causes that moue a man to contricion and howe he shulde be contryte and what contricion auayleth to the soule Then is it thus that contricion is the very sorowe that a mā receyueth in hys herte for hys synnes wyth sadde purpose to shryue hym and to do penaunce and neuer more to do synne And thys sorowe shal be in thys maner as sayeth saynt Bernarde It shal be heuye and greuous and full sharpe and poynaunt in herte ¶ Fyrste for a man hath agylted hys lorde and hys creatoure and more sharpe and poynaunt for he hath agylted hys father celestiall And yet more sharpe and poynaunt for he hath wrathed agylted him that bought hym that wyth hys preciouse bloude hath delyuered vs fro the bondes of synne and fro the cruelte of the dyuell and fro the paynes of hell The causes that ought moue a man to cōtricion bene syxe Fyrste a man shall remembre hym of hys synnes but loke that that remembraunce ne be to hym no delyte by no waye but great shame sorowe for hys synnes For Iob sayeth synfull men done workes worthy of confessyon And therfore sayeth Ezechiel I wol remembre me al the yeres of my lyfe in the bytternesse of my herte And God sayeth in the Apocalypse Remēbre ye from whence that ye be fall for before that tyme that ye synned ye were chyldren of God and lymmes of the raygne of God But for youre synne ye be waren thrall and foule and membres of the fende hate of aungels slaunder of holye churche and foode of the false serpent perpetual matere of the fyre of hel And yet
two speces y t is to say hardines of herte in wickednes or els the fleshe of a man is so blynde that he coÌ„sidreth nat that he is in syn or recketh nat y t he is in syn which is the hardines of y e deuyl That other spece of enuy is whan that a maÌ„ denyeth trouth whaÌ„ he knoweth that it is trouth also whaÌ„ he repenteth y e grace that God hath yeue to his neyghbour all this is by enuy Certes thaÌ„ is enuy y e worst sinne that is for sothly al other sinnes be soÌ„time onely ayenst o speciall vertue but certes enuy is against al vertues al goodnes For it is sory ayenst al bouÌ„ties of her neighbour in this maner it is diuers from al other synnes Alas for there ne is any synne that it ne hathe some delyte in it selefe saue only enuy that euer hath in it selfe anguishe sorow The speces of enuy ben these there is fyrste sorowe of other mennes goodnesse and of her prosperitie prosperite is kyndlye mater of ioye Than is enuye a synne ayenst kynde The seconde spece of enuye is ioy of other mennes harme and that is properly lyke to the deuyll that euer reioyseth hym of mannes harme Of these two speces cometh bacbytynge and thys synne of bacbytynge or detractynge hathe certayne speces as thus Some man prayseth hys neyghboure by a wycked entent for he maketh alwaye a wycked knot at the last ende alway he maketh a but at the last ende that is digne of more blame thaÌ„ is worth al the praysyng The seconde spece is that if a maÌ„ be good or doth or sayeth a thynge to good entente the backbyter woll turne al y t goodnesse vp so downe to hys shreude entente The thyrde is to amynishe the bountye of hys neyghbour The fourth spece of backbytyng is thys that yf men speke goodnesse of a man than woll the backbiter saye Perfay such a man is yet better than he in dispraysynge of hym y e men prayse The fyfth spece is thys for to coÌ„sent gladly and herkeÌ„ gladly to y e harme that men speke of other folke Thys synne is ful great and aye encreseth after the wycked entent of the backbiter After backbytynge cometh grutching or murmuration and somtyme it spryngeth of unpacience ayenst God and somtyme ayenst man Ayenst God it is whan a man grutcheth ayenst payne of hel or ayenst pouertie or losse of catel or ayenst rayne or tempeste or els grutcheth that shrewes haue prosperite or els for that good meÌ„ haue aduersite and all these thynges shulde men suffre paciently for they come by the ryghtfull iudgement and ordinaunce of God Somtime cometh grutching of auarice as Iudas grutched ayenst Maudelen whan she anoynted the heed of our lorde Iesu Christe with 〈◊〉 precious oyntment Thys maner murmuâ—rynge is suche as whan man grutcheth of goodnes that hym selfe doth or that other folke done of her owne catel Somtyme cometh murmure of pride as whan Symon the pharisee grutched ayenst Maudeleyn whan she aproched to Iesu Christ wepte at hys fete for her synnes And somtyme it sourdeth of enuy whaÌ„ meÌ„ discouer a mans harme y t was priuy or bereth him on hand a thing that is false Murmure also is ofte among seruauÌ„tes y e grutche whaÌ„ her soueraynes byd hem do lefull thynges for as much as they dare not opeÌ„ly wythsay y e coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of her soueraynes yet woll they say harme grutche murmure priuely for very dispite which wordes they cal the dyuels pater noster though so be that the dyuel had neuer pater noster but y t lende folke yeueth it such a name Somtyme it cometh of yre or pryuy hate y t nourysheth rancoure in the herte as afterwarde I shall declare Than cometh also bytternesse of herte thorowe whych bytternesse euery good dede of hys neyghboure semeth to hym bitter vnsauery Than cometh discorde that vnbyndeth al maner of frendshyp Than cometh scornyng of hys neyghbour all do he neuer so well Than cometh accusynge as whan man seketh occasion to anoy his neighbour whych is lyke the craft of the dyuel y t wayteth both daye and nyght to accuse vs all Than cometh malignitie through whyche a man anoyeth hys neyghbour priuely if he may and yf he may not algate hys wycked wyll shall not let as for to brenne his house priuely or enpoyson or sle hys beastes and semblable thynges Nowe woll I speke of the remedye ayenst thys foule synne of enuy First is the loue of God principally and louyng of hys neyghbour as hym selfe for sothly that one ne may not be wythout that other And truste well that in the name of thy neyghbour thou shalte vnderstande the name of thy brother for certes all we haue one father fleshly one mother y t is to saye Adam Eue also one father spirituell y t is God of heuen Thy neyghboure art thou bounde for to loue wyll him all goodnesse therfore sayth god loue thy neighbour as thy selfe y t is to saye to saluatioÌ„ both of lyfe soule And moreouer thou shalte loue hym or worde in benigne admonyshynge chastysyng comforte him in his noyaunces pray for him with al thy hert And in dede thou shalte loue him in such wyse that thou shalt do to him in charitie as thou woldest that it were done to thine owne person and therfore thou ne shalt do hym no damage in wicked worde ne harme in his bodye ne in his catel ne in hys soule by entysyng of wicked ensample Thou shalte not desyre hys wyfe ne none of hys thynges Vnderstande also that in the name of neyghbour is compreheÌ„ded hys enemy Certes man shal loue hys enemy by the commaundement of God and sothly thy frende thou shalt loue in god I saye thine enemy shalt thou loue for goddes sake â–ª by hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t for if it were reason that man shulde hate his enemy forsoth god wolde not receyue vs to hys loue y t ben hys enemies Ayenst thre maner of wroÌ„ges that his enemy doth to him he shall do thre thynges as thus ayenst hate raÌ„cour of hert he shal loue hym in hys hert Ayenst chiding wicked wordes he shall praye for his enemy Ayenst wicked dedes he shal do him bountie For Christe sayeth Loue your enemies pray for hem y t speke you harme for hem that chase and pursue you and do bounte to hem y t hate you Lo thus coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs our Lorde Iesu Christ to do to our enemies For soth nature driueth vs to loue our frendes and parfay our enemyes haue more nede of loue than our frendes they y t more nede haue certes to hem shall men do goodnesse And certes in that dede haue we remembraunce of the loue of Iesu Christ y t dyed for hys enemyes And in asmuche as that loue is more greuous to perfourme so much is the more gret the merite therfore
but God made woman of the rybbe of Adam for woman shulde be felowe vnto man Man shulde beare hym to hys wyfe in fayth ▪ in trouth and in loue as sayth saynt Paule that a man shulde loue hys wyfe as Christ loueth holye churche that loued it so well that he dyed for it so shulde a man for hys wyfe yf it were nede Nowe howe that a woman shulde be subiecte to her husbande that telleth saynte Peter fyrst in obedience And also as sayth the decree A womā that is a wyfe as long as she is a wyfe she hath none auctoritye to swere ne beare witnes without leaue of her husbande y t is her Lorde alwaye he shulde be so by reason She shulde also serue hym in al honestye be attēpperate of her array I woll well that they shulde set her entent to please her husbādes but not be queintise of her araye S. Ierom sayeth wiues y t be apparelled in sylke and precious purple ne mowe nat clothe hem in Iesu Christe Saynt Greg. sayeth also that no wyghte seketh precious aray but only for vaynglory to be honoured the more of the people It is great foly a woman to haue great araye outwarde and in her selfe be foule inwarde A wyfe shulde also be mesurable in lokynge in bearyng and in laughing and discrete in al her wordes and her dedes and aboue all worldelye thynges she shulde loue her husbande wyth al her herte and to hym be true of her bodye So shulde an husbande be to hys wyfe For sythe that all the body is the husbandes so shuld her hert be or els there is betwixte hem two as in that no perfyte mariage Than shall men vnderstande that for thre thynges a man and hys wyfe fleshly may assemble The first is for th entent of engendrure of chyldren to the seruice of god for certes that is the cause finall of matrimony Another cause is to yelde ech of hem to other y e dettes of her bodyes for neyther of hem hath power of ther owne bodyes The thyrde is to eschew lechery and vyllanye The fourthe is forsoth deedlye synne As to the fyrste is meritorye the seconde also for as sayeth the decre that she hath meryte of chastite that yeldeth to her husbande the dette of her body yee thought it be ayenst her lykynge and the luste of her herte The thyrde maner is venyall synne and truelye scarscely may anye of these be wythout venyal synne for the corruption and for the delyte The fourth maner is for to vnderstand if they assemble only for amorous loue and for none of the forsayde causes but for to accomplyshe the brennynge delyte they recke not howe ofte sothlye it is deedly sinne and y t wyth sorowe some folke woll payne hem more to do then to her appetyte suffiseth The seconde maner of chastitye is for to be a clene wydowe and eschew the enbrasynges of a man and desyre the enbrasynge of Iesu Christe These bene those that haue bene wyues and haue forgote her husbandes and also women that haue done lecherye and bene receyued by penitence And certes yf that a wyfe coulde kepe her all chaste by licence of her husbande so that she yeue neuer none occasion that he offende it were to her a greate meryte Thys maner of woman that obserueth chastitie in clothynge in countenaunce abstinent in eatinge drinkyng in spekyng and in dede she is the vessel or the boxe of the blessed Maudelayne y e fulfylleth holy church of good ordour The thyrde maner of chastitie is virginitie and it behoueth that she be holye in herte clene of body than is she spouse of Iesu Christe and she is the life of aungels she is the pray synge of thys worlde she is as these martyrs in regaly she hath in her y t tonge maye not tell ne herte thynke Virginitie bare our Lorde Iesu Christe and virgyn was hym selfe Another remedy ayenst lechery is speciallye to withdrawe suche thynges as yeue occasyon to that vylanye as ease eatynge and drinkyng For certes whan the potte boylleth stronglye the best remedy is to wyth draw the fyre Slepyng longe in great quiete is also a great nouryce to lecherye Another remedy ayenst lechery is that a man or a woman eschew the company of hem by whiche he douteth to be tēpted For all be it so that the dede is withstande yet is there great temptation Sothly a whyte walle all thoughe it ne brenne not fullye by stickyng of the candell yet is the wal blacke of the flame Ful oft tyme I rede that no mā trust in hys owne perfection but he be stronger than Sampson or holyer than Daniel or wyser than Salomon Nowe after that I haue declared you as I can the seuyn deedly sinnes and some of her braūches wyth her remedies Sothly yf I coulde I wolde tel you the ten commaundementes but so hye doctrine I put to diuines Nathlesse I hope to God they ben touched in this treatise eche of hem ¶ Sequitur secunda pars penitentie NOwe for asmuche as the seconde parte of penitence stont in confession of mouth as I be gan in the fyrste chap I saye saynte Austen sayeth Sinne is euery worde and euery dede and all that men coniecte agaynst the lawe of Iesu Christe and thys is for to synne in hert in mouth and in dede by the fyne wyttes which ben syght hearyng smellyng tastyng or sauour felynge Nowe it is good to vnderstande that that agredgeth muche euery sinne Thou shalt consider what thou art that doste the syn whether thou be male or female yonge or olde gentyll or thrall free or seruaunt hole or sicke wedded or single ordred or vnordred wyse or fole clerke or seculer yf she be of thy kynrede bodilye or gostly or no yf any of thy kynred haue synned wyth her or no many mo thynges Another circumstaunce is this whether it be done in fornicacion or in aduoutry or no in maner of homiced or no horrible great synnes or smal how long thou hast cōtinued in synne The thyrde circumstaunce is the place there thou hast done synne wheder in other mennes houses or in thyne owne in felde in church or in churchyarde in church dedecate or no. For yf the churche be halowed man or woman spyl his kinde within that place by way of sinne or wicked tēptation the churche is enterdited the preest that dyd such a villany the terme of all hys life he shulde no more synge masse and if he did he shulde do deedly synne at euery tyme y t he so songe masse The fourth circūstaūce is by which mediatours or by which messēgers or for enticement or for cōsentment to beare cōpany with felowshyp For manye a wretche for to beare cōpanye wol go to the dyuel of heel wherfore they that egge or cōsent to the sinne ben parteners of the sinne of the temptation of the synner The fyfth circumstaunce is howe many times that he hath
woman that he coude espye He wolde smyle and holde it a folye And saye hem thus O Lord she slepeth soft For loue of the whan thou turnest full ofte I haue herde tel pardieux of your lyuynge Ye louers and eke your leude obseruaunces And which a labour folke haue in winnyng Of loue and in kepynge suche doutaunces And whaÌ„ your pray is lost wo penauÌ„ces O very fooles blynde and nyce be ye There is not one can ware by another be And with y e worde he gan cast vp the browe Ascaunces lo is this not well yspoken At which the god of loue gan loken rowe Ryght for despyte and shope hym to be wroken He kyd anon his bowe was nat broken For sodaynly he hyt hym at the full And yet as proude a peckoke gan he pull O blynde worlde o blynde ententioun How often falleth all theffect contrayre Of surquedie and foule presumtioun For caught is proude caught is debonair This Troylus is clomben on the stayre And lytel weneth that he mote discenden But al day fayleth that fooles wenden As proude bayarde begynneth for to skyp Out of the waye so prycketh hym his corne Tyl he a lash haue of the longe whyppe ThaÌ„ thinketh he though I prauÌ„ce al beforn Fyrst in the tracie ful fat newe yshorne Yet am I but an horse and horses lawe I must endure and with my feeres drawe So fared it by this fiers and proud knight Though he a worthy kynges sonne were And wende nothynge had had suche myght Ayenst his wyl that shulde his hert stere Yet with a loke his hert woxe on fyre That he that now was most in pride aboue woxe sodaynly most subiect vnto loue For thy ensample taketh of this man Ye wyse proude and worthy folkes all To scornen loue which that so sone can The â—â—edom of your hertes to hym thrall For euer it was and euer it be shall That loue is he that all thyng may bynde For no man may fordo the lawe of kynde That this be soth hath preued doth yet For this â—â—owe I ye knowe all and some Men reden nat that folke han greater wyt ThaÌ„ they y t han ben most with loue ynome And strengest folke bâ—n therwith ouercome The worthyest and greatest of degre This was and is and yet men shall it se And trulych that sytte well to be so For alder wysest han therwith ben plesed And they that han ben aldermost in wo with loue han ben comforted most and esed And oft it hath the cruell hert apesed And worthy folke made worthyer of name And causeth mooste to dreaden vyce and shame Now syth it may not goodly be withstonde And is a thyng so vertuous in kynde Refuseth nought to loue for to ben bonde Syth as hym seluen lyst he may you bynde The yerde is bet that bowen woll wynde Than that y e brest and therfore I you reed Nowe foloweth hym that so well can you lede But for to tellen forth in specyall As of this kynges son of which I tolde And leuen other thyng collaterall Of hym thynke I my tale forth to holde Both of his ioye and of his cares colde And his werke as touchyng this matere For I it gan I wol therto refere within the teÌ„ple he went him forth playiÌ„g This Troylus of euery wyght about On this lady and now on that lokyng where so she were of towne or of without And vpon case befell that through a rout His eye perced and so depe it went Tyll on Creseyde it smote and there it stent And sodaynly for wonder wext astoned And gan her bet beholde in thryfty wyse o very god thouÈt he wher hast thou woÌ„ned That art so fayre and goodly to deuyse Therwith his hert gan to sprede and ryse And soft syghed lest men myght hym here And caught ayen his fyrst playing chere She nas nat with the most of her stature But all her lymmes so wel answering weren to womanhode that creature was neuer lasse mannysh in semyng And eke the pure wyse of her meanyng Shewed wel that men myght in her gesse Honour estate and womanly noblesse Tho Troylus ryght wonder wel withall Gan for to lyke her meanynge and her chere which somdele deignous was for she let fal Her loke alyte asyde in suche manere Ascaunces what maye I not stonden here And after that her lokyng gan she lyght That neuer thouÈt hym sene so good a sight And of her loke to him there gan to quyckeÌ„ So great desyre and suche affection That in his hertes botom gan to stycken Of her his fyxe and depe impressyon And though he erst had pored vp doune Than was he glad his hornes in to shrynke Vnethes wyst he how to loke or wynke Lo he that lete hym seluen so connyng And scorned hem that loues paynes dryen was full vnware y e loue had his dwellyng within the subtyll stremes of her eyen That sodaynly hyâ— thought he felt dyen Ryght with her loke the spyrite in his herte Blessed be loue that thus can folke conuerte She this in blacke lykyng to Troylus Ouer al thyng he stode for to beholde But his desyre ne whefore he stode thus He neyther chere made ne worde tolde But from a ferre his maner for to holde On other thyng somtyme his loke he cast And eftte on her whyle that the seruyce last And after this not fullyâ—h all a whaped Out of the temple all esâ—lyche he went Repentyng hym that he had euer iaped Of loues folke lest fully the discent Of scorne fyl on him selfe but what he ment Lest it were wyst on any maner syde His wo he gan dyssimulen and hyde whan he was fro this teÌ„ple thus departed He streyght anon vnto his pallayes turneth Right with her loke thrugh shotteÌ„ darted Al fayneth he in lust that he soiourneth And al his chere speche also he bourneth And aye of loues seruauntes euery whyle Hym selfe to wrie al hem he gan to smyle And sayd lorde so they lyue all in lust Ye louers for the conyngest of you That serueth moost ententiflyche and best Hym tyte as often harme therof as prowe Your hyre is quyte ayen yea god wot how not wele for wele but scorn for good seruice In fayth your ordre is ruled in good wyse In no certayne bene your obseruaunces But it a sely fewe poyntes be Ne nothyng a reth so great atendauÌ„ces As doth your laye and that knowe all ye But that is not the worst as mote I the But tolde I you the worst poynt I leue All sayde I soth ye wolden at me greue But take this that ye louers oft eshewe Or els done of good entention Full ofte thy lady wol it mysse constrewe And deme it harme in her opynion And yet yf she for other encheson Be wroth thaÌ„ shalt thou haue a groin anone Lorde wel is him that maye ben of you one But for al this whaÌ„ that he seeth his
thynges by the diuyne prescience than is there fredom of arbytrie that dwelleth hole and vnwemmed to mortal meÌ„ ne the lawes ne purposen not wycked medes and paynes to the wyllynges of men that ben vnboundeÌ„ and quyte of all necessyte And god beholder foreweter of al thinges dwelleth aboue and the presente eternyte of syght renneth alwaye wyth the dyuers qualyte of our dedes dispensynge or ordeynyng medes to good men and tourmentes to wycked meÌ„ Ne in ydell ne in vayne ne ben there not put in god hope and prayers that ne mowen not ben vnspedefull ne wythout effecte whan they ben ryghtfull Withstande than and eschew thou vices worshyppe and loue thou vertues areyse thy corage to rightful hopes yelde thou humble prayers and hyghe Great necessyte of prowesse and of vertue is encharged and commauÌ„ded to you yf ye nyll not dissimulen syth that ye worchen and doone that is to sayne your dedes and your werkes beforn the eyen of the iuge that seeth and also that demeth al thynges Deo gracias ¶ Thus endeth the boke of Boecius of the consolacion of philosophie and herafter foloweth the dreame of Chaucer ✚ The dreame of Chaucer I Haue gret woÌ„der by thys lyght Howe I lyue for daye ne nyght I maye not slepe welnye nought I haue so many an ydle thought Purely for defaute of slepe That by my trouthe I take no kepe Of nothyng howe it cometh or gothe Ne me nys nothyng lefe nor lothe All is ilyche good to me Ioye or sorowe where so it be For I haue felyng in no thyng But as it were a mased thyng Al day in poynte to fall adoun For sorowfull ymagynacyoun Is alway holy in my mynde And well ye wote agaynst kynde It were to lyuen in thys wyse For nature wolde not suffyse To none erthly creature Not longe tyme to endure Without slepe and be in sorowe And I ne maye ne nyght ne morowe Slepe and this melancolye And drede I haue for to dye Defaute of slepe and heuynesse Hath slayne my spyrite of quicknesse That I haue loste all lustyheed Suche fantasyes ben in myne heed So I not what is beste to do But men myght aske me why so I may not slepe and what me is But nathelesse who aske thys Leseth hys askyng trewly My seluen can not tell why The sothe but trewly as I gesse I holde it be a sycknesse That I haue suffred thys eyght yere And yet my boote is neuer the nere For there is phisycien but one That may me heale but that is done Passe we ouer vntyll efte That wyll not be mote nede be lefte Our fyrst mater is good to kepe So whan I sawe I myght not slepe Tyll nowe late thys other nyght Vpon my bedde I sate vpryght And bade one reche me a booke A romaunce and he it me toke To rede and dryue the nyght away For me thought it better play Than play eyther at Chesse or tables And in thys boke were written fables That clerkes had in olde tyme And other poetes put in ryme To rede and for to be in mynde whyle men loued the lawe of kynde Thys boke ne spake but of suche thynges Of quenes lyues and of kynges And many other thynges smale Amonge all thys I fonde a tale That me thought awonder thyng This was the tale There was a kyng That hyght Seys and had a wyfe The beste that myght beare lyfe And thys quene hyght Alcyone So it befyll therafter sone Thys kyng woll wenden ouer see To tellen shortly whan that he Was in the see thus in thys wyse Suche a tempest gan to ryse That brake her maste and made it fall And clefte her shyp and dreynt hem all That neuer was founde as it telles Borde ne man ne nothyng elles Right thus thys kyng Seys loste hys lyfe Nowe for to speke of Alcyone hys wyfe This lady that was lefte at home Hath wonder that the kyng ne come Home for it was a longe terme Anon her herte began to yerne And for that her thought euer mo It was not wele her thought so She longed so after the kyng That certes it were a pytous thyng To tell her hertely soroufull lyfe That she had thys noble wyfe For hym alas she loued alderbest Anone she sent bothe eest and west To seke hym but they founde nought Alas ê™ she that I was wrought And wher my lorde my loue be deed Certes I nyll neuer eate breed I make a vowe to my god here But I mowe of my lorde here Suche sorowe thys lady to her toke That trewly I that made thys boke Had suche pyte and suche routhe To rede her sorowe that by my trouthe I farde the worse all the morowe After to thynken on her sorowe So whan thys lady coude here no worde That no man myght fynde her lorde Full ofte she swowned and sayd alas For sorowe full nyghe woode she was Ne she coude no rede but one But downe on knees she sate anone And wepte that pyte was to here A mercy swete lady dere ê™ she to Iuno her goddesse Helpe me out of thys distresse And yeue me grace my lorde to se Soone or wete where so he be Or howe he fareth or in what whyse And I shall make you sacrifyse And holy yours become I shall Wyth good wyll body herte and all And but thou wolte this lady swete Sende me grace to slepe and mete In my slepe some certayne sweuen where through that I may knowe euen whether my lorde be quicke or deed With that word she hynge down the heed And fell in a swoune as colde as stone Her women caught her vp anone And brought her in bed all naked And she forweped and forwaked was wery and thus the deed slepe Fell on her or she toke kepe Through Iuno that had herde her boone That made her to slepe soone For as she prayde ryght so was done In dede for Iuno ryght anone Called thus her messangere To do her erande and he come nere whan he was come she bad hym thus Gobet ê™ Iuno to Morpheus Thou knowest hym well the god of slepe Nowe vnderstande well and take kepe Saye thus on my halfe that he Go fast in to the great see And byd hym that on all thynge He take vp Seys body the kynge That lyeth full pale and nothynge rody Byd hym crepe in to the body And do it gone to Alcyone The quene there she lyeth alone And shewe her shortly it is no nay Howe it was dreynt thys other day And do the body speke ryght so Right as it was wonned to do The whyles that it was alyue Go nowe fast and hye the blyue This messanger toke leue and wente Vpon hys way and neuer he stente Tyll he came to the darke valey That stante bytwene rockes twey There neuer yet grewe corne ne gras Ne tree ne naught that ought was Beest ne man ne nought elles Saue that there were a fewe welles
wisedome maÌ„hed Assemble al the folke of our kynred And make warre so sharpe in thys countre That by some auenture or by some treate Thou mayst haue her to lady and to wyfe For whom I must nedes lese my lyfe For as by waye of possibilite Syth thou arte at thy large of prison fre And arte a lorde great is thyne auauntage More then is myne that sterue here in a cage For I maye wepe and wayle whyles y t I lyue wyth all the wo that prison maye me yeue And eke wyth payne that loue yeueth me also That doubleth al my tourment and my wo Therwyth the fyre of ielousy vp stert wythin hys brest and hent hym by the hert So woodly that he lykely was to beholde The boxe tree or the ashen deed and colde Then sayd he O cruell goddes that gouerne Thys worlde wyth your worde eterne And wrytten in the table of Athamant Your parliament and eterne graunt what is mankynde more vnto you yholde Then is the shepe that rouketh in the folde For slayne is man ryght as another beest And dwelleth eke in prison and in arrest And hath sycknesse and great aduersite And ofte tyme gyltlesse parde What gouernaunce is in thys prescience That gyltlesse turmenteth innocence And encreaseth thus all my penaunce That man is bounden to hys obseruaunce For goddes sake to letten of hys wyll There as a beest maye all hys lustes fulfyll And when a beest is deed he hath no payne But after hys death maÌ„ mote wepe and playne Though in thys worlde he haue care and wo wythout doute it maye standen so The answere of thys lete I to diuines But well I wote in thys worlde great pyne is Alas I se a serpent or a thefe That many a true man hath do myschefe Gone at hys large where hym lyst may turne But I mote bene in prison through Saturne And eke through Iuno ielous and eke wood That hath stroyed well nye all the blood Of Thebes wyth hys wast walles wyde And Venus sleeth me on that other syde For ielousye and feare of hym Arcite Nowe wyll I slynte of Palamon a lyte And let hym in hys pryson styll dwell And of Arcite forth woll I you tell The sommer passeth and the nyghtes longe Encreaseth double wyse the paynes stronge Both of the louer and of the prisoner I not whych hath the wofuller myster For shortly to saye thys Palamon Perpetuall is dampned to prison In â—haynes and feters to the deed And Arcite is exiled on hys heed For euermore as out of that countre Or neuer more shall hys lady se You louers aske I now thys question Who hath the woâ—se Arcite or Palamon That one maye se hys lady daye by daye But in prison mote he dwell alwaye That other where hym lyst maye ryde or go But sene hys lady shall he neuer mo Nowe demeth as ye lyst ye that can For I woll tell forth my tale as I began ¶ When that Arcite to Thebes comen was Full ofte a daye he swelte and sayd alas For sene hys lady shall he neuer mo And shortly to conclude all hys wo So mykell sorowe made neuer creature That is or shal be whyle the worlde maye dure Hys slepe hys meate hys drynke is hym byraft That leane he wareth and drye as a shaft Hys eyen holowe and grysly to beholde Hys hewe pale and falowe as asshen colde And solitary he was and euer alone And waylynge all the nyght makynge mone And yf he herde songe or instrument Then wolde he wepe he myght not stent So feble were hys spirites and so lowe And chauÌ„ged so y t no man coude hym knowe Hys speche ne hys voyce though men it herde As in hys gyre for all the worlde it ferde Nought comly lyke to louers maladye Of Hereos but rather lyke manye Engendred of Humours melancolyke Beforne hys fell fantastyke And shortly was turned all vp so doun Both habyte and dysposicion Of hym thys wofull louer Arcyte what shulde I all daye of hys wo endyte When he endured had a yere or two Thys cruell torment and thys payne and wo At Thebes in hys countre as I sayd Vpon a nyght in slepe as he hym layde Hym thought howe that the wynged Mercury Beforne hym stode and bad hym to be mery Hys slepy yerde in hande he bare vpryght An harte he wered vpon hys heares bryght Arayed was thys god as he toke kepe As he was when Argus toke hys slepe And said him thus to Athenes shalt thou wend There is the shapen of thy wo an end And wyth that worde Arcite awoke and stert Nowe truly howe sore that me smert Quoth he to Athenes ryght nowe wyll I fare Ne for no drede of death shall I spare To se my lady that I loue and serue In her presence recke I not to sterue And with that word he caught a great myrrour And sawe that changed was al hys colour And sawe hys vysage all in another kynde And ryght anone it ran hym in hys mynde That syth hys face was so dysfygured Of maladye the whych he had endured He myght well yf that he bare hym lowe Lyue in Athenes euermore vnknowe And sene hys ladye well nyghe daye by daye And ryght anone he chaunged hys araye And clad hym as a poore labourer And all alone saue only a squyer That knewe hys priuitie and all hys caas whych was dysgysed poorely as he was To Athenes is he gone the nexte waye And to the courte he wente vpon a daye And at the gate he profered hys seruyce To druge and drawe what so men wold deuyse And shortely of thys mater for to sayne He fell in offyce with a chamberlayne The whiche was dwellyng with Emelye For he was wyse and sone couth espye Of euery seruaunt whiche that serued here Well couthe he hewen wodde water bere For he was yong and myghty for the nones And therto he was strong bygge of bones To done that any wyght can him deuyse A yere or two he was in thys seruyse Page of the chambre of Emely the bright And Phylostrate he sayd that he hyght But halfe so well beloued man as he Ne was there none in court of hys degre He was so gentyll of condicyon That through all the court was hys renoun They sayd that it were a charyte That Theseus wolde enhauncen hys degre And put hym in a worshyp full seruyse There as he myght hys vertue exercyse And thus wtin a whyle hys name is spronge Bothe of hys dedes and of hys good tonge That Theseus had taken hym so nere That of hys chambre he made hym squyere And yafe hym golde to maynteyn hys degre And eke men brought hym out of hys coutre Fro yere to yere full priuely hys rent But honestly and slyly he it spent That no man wondred howe he it had And thre yere in thys wyse hys lyfe he ladde And bare hym so in peace and eke in werre Ther was no man
sykerly there trowed many a man That neuer sythnes the worlde began As for to speake of knyghthode of her honde As farre as god hath made see or londe Nas of so fewe so noble a company For euery wyght that loued chyualry And wolde hys thaÌ„kes haue a passing name Hath prayed that he myght be of that game And wel was him that therto chosen was For yf there fel to morowe such a caas Ye knowe wel that euery lusty knyght That loueth paramours hath hys myght were it in Englande or els where They wolde fayne wyllen to be there To fyght for a lady ah benedicite It were a lusty syght for to se And ryght so fardeÌ„ they wyth Palamon wyth hym there went knyghtes many on Some wolde ben armed in an habergeon And in a brest plate wyth a lyght gyppion And some wold haue a payre of plates large And some wold haue a pruce sheld or a targe Some wolde be armed on hys legges wele And haue an axe some a mace of stele There nas none newe gyse that it nas olde Armed were they as I haue you tolde Euerych after hys opinion ¶ Ther mayst y u se comyng wyth Palamon Lygurge hym selfe the great kinge of Trace Blacke was his berde maÌ„ly was his face The sercles of hys eyen in hys heed They glouden betwyxte yelowe and reed And lyke a lyon loked he aboute wyth kemped heere 's on his browes stoute His lymmes great hys brawnes stronge His shoulders brode his armes rouÌ„de loÌ„ge And as the gyse was in hys countre Ful hye vpon a chare of golde stode he wyth foure whyte bulles in the trays In stede of a cote armure ouer hys harnays wyth nayles yelowe bryght as any golde He hath a beares skyn cole blacke for olde His loÌ„ge heare was kempt behynd his backe As any rauens fether it shone for blacke A wreth of gold arme great of huge weight Vpon his heed set ful of stones bryght Of fyne rubyes and of dyamandes About hys chare ther wente whyt allaundes Twenty and mo as great as any stere To hunten at the lyon or at the wilde bere And folowed hym wyth mosel fast ybounde Colers of golde and â—orrettes yfyled rounde An hundred lordes had he in hys route Armed ful wel with hertes sterne and stoute Wyth Arcite in storyes as men fynde The great Emetrius the kynge of Ynde Vpon a stede bay trapped in stele Couered wyth a cloth of golde diapred wele Came rydyng lyke the god of armes Marce Hys cote armure was of cloth of Trace Couched wyth perle whyte rounde gret His sadel was of brent golde newe ybet A mantel vpon hys shoulders hangyng Bret full of rubyes reed as fyre sparklyng Hys cryspe heere lyke rynges was yronne And y t was yelowe gletering as y e Sonne Hys nose was hye hys eyen bryght cytryn Hys lyppes ruddy hys colour was sanguyn A fewe frekles in hys face yspreynte Betwexte yelowe somdele blacke ymeynte And as a lyon he hys eyen ceste Of fyue and twenty yere hys age I geste Hys berde was wel begonne for to sprynge Hys voyce was as a trompet sownynge Vpon hys heed he weared of laurer grene A garlande freshe and lusty for to sene Vpon hys hande he bare for hys delyte And Egle tame as any lylly whyte An hundred lordes had he wyth hym there Al armed saue her heedes in her gere Ful rychely in al maner thynges For trusteth wel that erles dukes kynges were gathered in thys noble companye For loue and for encreace of chyualrye About this kinge there ran on euery parte Ful many a tame lyon and lyberte And in thys wyse these lordes al some Ben on the sonday to the cytie come About prime and in the towne alyght ¶ This Theseê° this duke this worthy kniÈt when he had brought hem into hys cyte And inned hem euerych after hys degre He feesteth hem and doth so great laboure To easen hem and done hem al honoure That yet men wenen that no mans wyt Of none estate coude amende it The mynstralcye the seruyce at the feest The great gyftes to the moste and leest The rich array throughout Theseus paleys Ne who sat fyrst ne last vpon the deys what ladyes fayrest ben or best dauÌ„cyng Or whych of hem can best daunce or syng Ne who moste felyngly speketh of loue Ne what haukes sytten or perchen aboue Ne what houndes lyggen on y e floure adoun Of al thys now make I no mencion But al the effecte that thynketh my the best Now cometh y e point herkeneth yf you lest The sonday at night or day begaÌ„ to spryng when Palamon the larke herde syng Although it were not day by houres two Yet songe the larke Palamon ryght tho with holy herte and with an hye corage He rose vp towenden on his pylgrimage Vnto the blysful Cytherea benygne I meane Venus honorable and dygne And in her hour he walketh forthe a paas Vnto the lystes there the temple was And downe he kneleth with humble chere And herte sore he sayd as ye shal here ¶ Fayrest of fayre O lady myne Venus Doughter of Ioue and spouse to Vulcanus Thou glader of the mount of Cytheron For thylke loue thou haddest to Adon Haue pyte of my bytter teares smerte And take my humble prayer at thyne herte Alas I ne haue no langage to tel The effecte ne the turment of myne hel Myne hert may not myne harmes bewraye I am so confused that I can not saye But mercy lady bryght that wost wele My thought seest what harmes y t I fele Consyder al thys and rue vpon my sore As wysly as I shal for euermore Emforth my myght thy true seruaunt be And holde warre alwaye wyth chastite That make I myne auowe so ye me helpe I kepe not of armes for to yelpe Ne I ne aske to morowe to haue victory Ne renome in thys case ne vayne glory Of pryse of armes to blowen vp doun But wolde haue fulle possessyoun Of Emely and dye in her seruyce Finde thou y t maner how in what wyse I retche not but it may better be To haue victory of hem or they of me So that I haue my lady in myn armes For though so be that Mars is god of armes Your vertue is so great in Heuen aboue That yf you lyst I shall wel haue my loue Thy temple shal I worshyp euer mo And on thyn auter where I ryde or go I wol don sacrifyce and fyres bete And yf ye wol not so my lady swete Than pray I you to morowe with a spere That Arcyte me through the herte bere Than recke I not whan I haue lost my lyfe Thoughe Arcyte wynne her to wyfe Thys is the effecte and ende of my prayere Yeue me my lady thou blysful lady dere whan the orison was done of Palamon His sacrifyce he dyd and that anon Ful pytously with al cyrcumstaunces
ful sothe in game and play ¶ Thou sayst ful sothe ê™ Roger by my say But soth play quade play as y e sleming saith And therfore Henry Baylly by thy fayth Be thou not wrothe or we departen here Though that my tale ben of an hostelere But nathelesse I wol not tellen it yet But er we parte ywys thou shalte be quyt And therwithal he lough and made chere And sayd his tale as ye shullen after here ¶ Here endeth the Cokes prologue and here foloweth hys tale APrentise whilom dwelte in our cyte And of the crafte of vitaylers was he Galiard he was as goldfynch in the shawe Browne as a bery a proper shorte felawe with lockes blake kempt ful fetously Daunce he couthe ful wel and ioltly He was called Perkyn Reuelour He was as ful of loue and paramout As is the hyue ful of hony swete wel was the wenche wyth hym might mete At euery bridal wolde he syng and hoppe He loued bette the tauernes than the shoppe For whan any ridyng was in chepe Out of the shoppe thider wolde he lepe Tyl that he had al the syght iseyn And daunced wel he wolde not come ageyn And gather hym a meyny of hys sorte To hop and syng and make suche disporte And there they setten steuyn for to mete To playen at the dise in suche a strete For in the cyte nas there no prentise That fayrer couthe casten a payre of dise Than Perken couthe and therto he was fre Of his dispence in place of priuyte That founde his maister wele in his chafare For oftymes he founde his bore ful bare For sikerly a prentise reuelour That haunteth dise riotte or paramour His maister shal it in hys shoppe abye Al haue he no parte of the mynstralcy For thefte and riotte they ben conuertible Al can he play on gettron or on ribible Reuel and trouthe as in lowe degre They ben ful wrothe al day as men may se This ioly prentise with his mayster abode Tyl he were nye out of his prentishode Al were he snybbed bothe early and late And somtyme ledde with reuel to Newgate But at the last his maister him be thought Vpon a day whan he hys paper sought Of a prouerbe that saith this same worde welbette is rotten apple out of horde Than that it rote al the remenaunt So fareth it by a riottous seruaunt It is moche lesse harme to let him passe Than he shende al the seruauÌ„tes in the place Therfore his maister gaue hym a quitaunce And badde him go w t sorowe myschaunce And thus this ioly prentise had his leue Nowe lette hym riot al the nyght or leue And for there is no thefe without a louke That helpeth hym to waste or to souke Of that he bribe can or borowe may Anon he sent hys bedde and hys array Vnto a compere of hys owne sorte That loued dice reuel and disporte And had a wyfe that helde for countenaunce A shoppe and swyued for her sustenaunce ¶ Here endeth the Cokes tale here foloweth the man of lawes prologue OVr hoste saw wel that the bright sonne The arke of hys artifyciall daye hath ronne The fourthe parte halfe an hour more And though he were not depe expert in lore He wyste it was the eyghtene day Of Apryl that is the messanger to May And sawe wel that the shadowe of euery tre Was as in lengthe the same quantyte As was the body erecte that caused it And therfore by the shadowe he roke his wit That Phebus whiche y t shone clere bright Degrees was fourty clomben of hyght And for that daye as in latitude It was ten of the clocke he gan conclude And sodaynly he plight hys horse aboute ¶ Lordynges ê™ he I warne you al y e route The fourthe parte of thys day is gon Now for the loue of God and of saynt Iohn Leseth no tyme as ferforth as ye may Lordinges the tyme wasteth both night and day And stealeth from vs what priuely slepyng And what through negligeÌ„ce in our wakyng As doth y e streme that turneth neuer agayn Discendynge fro the mouÌ„tayne in to y e playn Wel can Seneke and many a phylysofre By waylen tyme more than golde in cofre For losse of catel may recouered be But losse of tyme shendeth vs ê™ he It wol not come ayen withouten drede No more than wol Malkyns maydenhede Whan she hath loste it in her wantonnesse Let vs not mowlen thus in ydelnesse Syr man of lawe ê™ he so haue I blys Tel vs a tale anon as forwarde is Ye ben submytted through your fre assent To stonden in this case at my iugement Aquyteth you now of your beheste Than haue ye done your deuer at the leste ¶ Hoste ê™ he de pardeuxied assent To breke forwarde is not myn entent Byheste is dette and I wol holde fayne Al my behest I can no better sayne For such law as a maÌ„ yeueth an other wight He shulde hym selue vsen it by ryght Thus wol our text But natheles certayne I can right now no thrifty tale sayne That Chaucer though he can but leudly On metres and in rymyng craftely Hath sayd hem in suche Englysshe as he can Of olde tyme as knoweth many a man And yf he haue not sayd hem leue brother In one boke he hath sayd hem in another For he hath tolde of louers vp and doun Mo than Ouyde made of mencioun In his Epystels that ben ful olde what shuld I telleÌ„ hem sythen they ben tolde In youthe he made of syxe al a lone And sythen he hath spoken of euerychone These noble wyues and these louers eke who so that wol hys large volume seke Cleped the sayntes lyues of Cupyde There may he se the large woundes wyde Of Lucresse and of Babylon Thisbe The swerde of Dydo for the false Enee The tre of Phillis for her Demophoon The playnte of Deianire and of Hermyon Of Artadna and of Hysiphilee The baâ—ayne yle stondyng in the see That dreynte Lyandre for his Hero The teares of Heleyn and eke the wo Of Brisets and of Laodomia The crueltie of quene Media The lytel chyldren hongyng by the hals For the Iason that was of loue so fals Of Hypermistra Penelope and Alceste Your wyfehode he coÌ„mendeth with the beste But certaynly no worde ne writeth he Of thylke wycked ensample of Canace That loued her owne brother synfully Of suche cursed stories I say fy Or els of Tyro Appolloneus Howe that the cursed kyng Antyocus Byrafte his doughter of her maydenhede That is so horrible a tale for to rede whan he her drewe vpon the pament And therfore he of ful auisement Nolde neuer write in uon of hys sermons Of suche vnkynde abhominations Ne I ne wol non reherce yef that I may But of my tale howe shal I don thys day Me were lothe be lykened doutles To Muses that men clepeth Piryades Methamorphoseos wotte what I mene But natheles I
Come forth and lette vs taken our disport I chese the for my wyfe and my confort Suche olde leude wordes vsed he On Damyan a sygne made she That he shulde go before with hys clicket This Damyan hath opened this wicket And in he stert and that in suche manere That no wight might it se ne here And styl he sate vnder a busshe anon This Ianuary as blynde as is a ston with May in hys honde and no wight mo In to hys freshe garden is he go And clapte to the wicket sodainly Nowe wyfe ê™ he here nys but thou I That arte the creature that I best loue For by that lorde that sytte vs al aboue I had leuer dyen on a knyfe Than the offende dere trewe wyfe For goddes sake thynke howe I the chees Nat for couetise ne other good doutlees But onely for the loue I had to the And though that I be olde and may nat se Be to me trewe and I woll tel you why Certes thre thynges shal ye wyn therby First loue of Christ to your selfe honour And al myn heritage town and toure I gyue it you maketh charters as ye lyst Thys shal be don to morowe er sonne ryst So wisely god my soule bring to blysse I pray you on couenaunt that ye me kysse And though y t I be ielous wite me nought Ye ben so depe enprented in my thought That whan I consyder your beaute And therwithal the vnlikly elde of me I may nat certes though I shulde dye Forbere to ben out of your company For very loue this is withouten dout Now kysse me wife and lette vs rome about This fresh May whaÌ„ she these wordes herd Benygnely to Ianuary answerde But fyrst and forwarde she began to wepe I haue ê™ she a soule for to kepe As wel as ye and also myn honour And of wyfehode thilke tender flour whiche that I haue ensured in your honde whan that the preest to you my body bonde wherfore I wol answere in this manere By the leaue of you my lorde so dere I pray god that neuer dawe that day That I ne sterue as foule as woman may Yf euer I do to my kynne that shame Or els that I empayre so my name That I be false and yf I do that lacke Do stripe me and putte me in a sacke And in the next ryuer do me drenche I am a gentyl woman and no wenche why speke ye thus but men ben euer vntrew And women haue reprofe of you aye newe Ye can non other coÌ„munyng I leue But speke to vs of vntrust and repreue And with y e word she sawe where DamiaÌ„ Sate in the bushe and knele he began And with her fynger sygnes made she That Damyan shulde clymbe vp on a tre That charged was with frute vp he went For verily he knewe al her entent And euery sygne that she couth make welbet than Ianuary her owne make For in a letter she had tolde him al Of this mater howe that he worch shal And thus I lete hym sytte in the pery And Ianuary and May romyng ful mery ¶ Bright was the day blewe y e fyrmament Phebus of golde doun hath his stremes sent To gladen euery flour with hys warmnesse He was that tyme in Geminy as I gesse But lytel fro hys declynation The causer of Iouis exaltation And so byfel that bright morowe tyde That in the garden on the farther syde Pluto that is the kyng of Fayrye And many a lady in hys company Folowyng his wyfe the quene Proserpyne Eche after other ryght as a lyne whiles she gadred floures in a mede In Claudian ye may the story rede Howe in his grisely carte he her fette This kyng of Fayry doun hym sette Vpon a benche of turues freshe and grene And right anon thus sayd he to hys quene My wyfe ê™ he that may nat say nay The experience so proueth it euery day The treason which that women doth to maÌ„ Tenne hundred thousande tel I can Notable of your vntrouth and brotelnesse O Salomon richest of al richesse Fulfylde of sapience and of worldly glory Ful worthy ben thy wordes in memory To euery wight that witte and reason can Thus prayseth he the bounte of man Among a thousande men yet fonde I one But of al women fonde I neuer none Thus saith y e kyng y t knoweth your wickednesse And Iesus filius Sirach as I gesse Ne speketh of you but selde reuerence A wylde fyre a corrupte pestilence So fal vpon your bodies yet to nyght Ne se ye nat thys honorable knyght Bicause alas that he is blynde and olde His owne man shal maken him cokolde Lo where he sytte the lechour in the tre Nowe wol I graunt of my maieste Vnto this olde blynde worthy knyght That he shal haue agayn hys eye syght whan that hys wyfe wolde don him villany Than shal he knowe al her harlotry Bothe in represe of her and other mo Yea shal ê™ Proserpyne and wol ye so Nowe be my mothers soule syr I swere That I shal yeuen her sufficient answere And al women after her sake That though they ben in any gylte itake with face bolde they shullen hem selue excuse And bere hym doun that wolde hem accuse For lacke of answere non of hem shul dyen Al had he sey a thyng with bothe hys eyen Yet shulde we women so visage it hardely And wepe and swere and chide subtelly That ye shal ben as leude as gees What recketh me of your auctoritees I wotte wel this iewe this Salomon Founde of vs women foles many one But though he ne fonde no good woman Yet there hath ifonde many an other man women ful trewe ful good ful vertuous witnesse of hem that dwel in Christes hous with martyrdom they preued her constaunce The Romain iestes eke make remembrauÌ„ce Of many a very trewe wyfe also But syr be nat wrothe that it be so Though that he said he fond no good womaÌ„ I pray you take the sentence of the man He ment thus that in souerayn bounte Nys non but god that sytteth in trynyte Eye for very god that nys but one what make ye so moche of Salomon what though he made a temple goddes hous what though he were riche and glorious So made he a temple of false goddis How might he don a thing y e more forbode is Parde as faire as ye hys name enplaster He was a lechour and an idolaster And in his elde very god forsoke And yf that god nadde as saith the boke Yspared hym for hys fathers sake he shulde Haue lost his reygne soner than he wolde I sette nat of al the villany That ye of women write a butterflye I am a woman nedes moâ—e I speke Or els swel tyll myn hert breke For sythen he sayd that we ben iangleresses As euer more I hole broke my tresses I shal nat spare for no curtesy To speke hem harme that wold
goddes eeres two Thomas Thomas so mote I ryde or go And by that lorde that cleped is saynt Yue Ne y u our brother were y u shuldest not thryue For in our chapiter pray we daye and nyght To Christ that he the sende helth myght Thy body for to welden hastely ¶ God wore ê™ he nothynge therof fele I As helpe me Christ as in fewe yeres Haue I spended vpon dyuers maner freres wel many a pouÌ„de yet fare I neuer the bette Certayne my good haue I almost besette Fare wel my good for it is almoste ago The frere answered o Thomas dost y u so what nedeth the dyuers freres seche what nedeth him that hath a parfyte leche To sechen other leches in the toun Your inconstaunce is your confusioun Holde ye me then or els our couent To prayen for you insufficient Thomas that tape nys not worth a myte Your maladye is for we haue to lyte A yeue that couent halfe a quarter otes And yeue that couent foure twenty grotes And yeue that frere a penny and let hym go Nay nay Thomas it may nothynge be so what is a ferthyng worth parted in twelue Lo eche thynge that is oned in hym selue Is more stronge then when it is so scatered Thomas of me thou shalt not ben yflatered Thou wolst haue al our labour for nought The hye god y t al thys world hath wrought Sayeth y t the workman is worthy his hyre Thomas nought of your treasoure I desyre As for my selfe but that al our couent To praye for you is aye so dyligent And for to buylden Christes owne chyrche Thomas yf ye wol lerne for to wyrche Of buyldynge vp of chyrches may ye fynde Yf it be good in Thomas lyfe of Inde Ye lyggen here ful of anger and of yre with which y e deuel setteth your hert on fyre And chyden here thys holy innocent Your wyfe that is so meke and pacient And therfore trowe me Thomas if you leste Ne chyde not wyth thy wyfe as for the beste And beare thys worde awaye by thy fayth Touchinge such thing lo what y e wyse sayth wythin thy house be thou no lyon To thy subiectes do thou none oppression Ne make not thyne acquayntaunce to â—â—e And yet Thomas eftsones charge I the Beware of her that in thy bosome slepeth ware the of the serpent that so slyly crepeth Vnder the grasse and styngeth ful subtelly Beware my sonne and herken paciently That tweÌ„ty thousaÌ„de meÌ„ han lost her lyues For stryuinge with her leÌ„mans her wyues Nowe sens ye haue so holy and meke a wyfe what nebeth you Thomas to make stryfe There nys ywysse no serpent so cruel when meÌ„ treden on his tayle ne halfe so fell As a womaÌ„ is wheÌ„ she hath caught an yre Vengeaunce is then al her desyre ¶ Ire is a synne one of the greatest of seuen Abhominable vnto the hygh god of heuen And to hym selfe it is a dystruction Thys euery leude vycare and pâ—rson Can saye how yre engendreth homecyde Ire is in soth the executour of pryde I coulde of yre say so muche sorowe That my tale shulde last tyl to morowe And therfore I pray god both daye nyght That to an yrous man he sende lytell myght It is great harme and eke great pyte To set an yrous man in hye degre Whylom there was an yrous potestate As sayeth Seneke that durynge hys estate Vpon a daye out rydden knyghtes two And as fortune wolde it shulde be so That one of hem cam home y t other nought Anone the knyght before y e iudge is brought That said thus thou hast thy felowe slayne For whych I deme the to the death certayne And to another knyght coÌ„maunded he Go lede hym to the death I charge the And it hapned as they went by the wey Towarde the place where he shulde dey The kniÈt came which meÌ„ weÌ„de had be dede Then thought they it was the best rede To lede them both to the iudge agayne They saydeÌ„ lorde the knight hath not slayne Hys felowe here he stante hole alyue Ye shullen be deed ê™ he so mote I thryue That is to saye both one two and thre And to the fyrst knyght ryght thus spake he I dampned the thou must algate be deed And thou muste also lese nedes thyne heed For thou arte cause why thy felowe deyth And to y e thyrde knyght ryght thus he seyth Thou hast not done that I coÌ„maunded the And thus he dyd hem slayne al thre Irouse Câ—â—hyses was eke dronkelewe And aye delyâ— hym to ben a shrewe And so byfel a lorde of hys meyne That loued wel vertuous moralite Said on a day betwyxt hem two right thus A lorde is lost yf he be aught vicious And dronkennesse eke is a foule recorde Of any man and namely of a lorde There is many an eye and many an eere Awaytynge on a lorde he notte where For goddes loue drynketh more temporatly wyne maketh a man to lese wretchedly Hys mynde and hys lymmes euerychone ¶ The reuers shalte thou se ê™ he anone And preue it by thyne owne experience That wyne ne doth to folke no such offence There nys no wyne byreueth me my myght Of honde of foote ne of myne eye syght And for dispyte he dronke mochel more An hundred tymes then he dyd before And ryght anone thys cursed yrouse wretch Let thys knyghtes sonne byforne him fetch CoÌ„mauÌ„ding him he shulde byforne him stoÌ„de And sodaynly he toke hys bowe in honde And vp the strynge he pulled to hys eere And wyth an arowe he slough y e childe there Now whether haue I a seker hoÌ„de or none ê™ he is al my myght and mynde agone Hath wyne byreued me myne eyen syght ¶ what shulde I tel the answere of y e knyght Hys soÌ„ne was slayne there is no more to say Beware therfore wyth lordes howe ye play Synge Placebo and I shal yf I can But yf it be vnto a poore man To a poore man one shulde hys vyces tel But not to a lorde though he shuld go to hel Lo yrous Cirus thylke Perâ—ien Howe destroyed he the ryuer of Gysen For that an horse of hys was dreynt therin when he went Babylon to wynne He made that the ryuer was so smal That men myght ryde and waden ouer al. ¶ Lo what sayd he that so wel teche can Ne be no felowe to none yrous man Ne wyth no wode man walke by the way Leste thou repente I wol no farther say ¶ Now thomas leue brother leaue thyn yre Thou shalt me fynde as iuste as is a squyre Hold not the dyuels knyfe aye in thyne herte Thyne angre doth the al to sore smerte But shewe to me al thy confession ¶ Nay ê™ the sycke man by saynt Symon I haue be shryue thys day of my curate I haue tolde hym al myne estate It nedeth nomore to speke of it sayeth he But yf me lyst of myne humilite
her salte teeres She bathed both her vysage and her heere 's O whych a pytous thynge it was to se Her sownynge her pytous voyce to here GrauÌ„t mercy lorde god thanke it you ê™ she That ye haue sailed me my chyldren dere Nowe recke I neuer to be deed ryght here SytheÌ„ I staÌ„de in your loue in your grace No force of deth ne when my spirite pace O tendre O dere O yonge chyldreÌ„ myne Your woful mother wende stedfastly That cruel houÌ„des or some foule vermyne Had eaten you but god of hys mercy And your benigne father so tenderly Hath done you kepe in that same stounde Al sodainly she swapte downe to the grouÌ„de And in her swounyng so sadly holdeth she Her chyldreÌ„ two when she gan hem enbrace That wyth great sleyght and dyfficulte The chyldreÌ„ froÌ„ her armes they gan to race O many a tere on many a pytous face Downe ran of hem that stoden there besyde Vnneth aboute her myght no man abyde walter her gladdeth her sorowe slaketh She ryseth vp al abashed from her traunce And euery wyght her ioye and feest maketh Tyl she hath caught ayen her countinaunce walter her doth so faythfully plesaunce That it was deynty to sene the chere Betwyxt hem two wheÌ„ they were met yfere These ladyes when they her tyme sey Han taken her and into chambre gon And strypen her out of her rude arrey And in a cloth of golde that bryght shone wyth a crowne of many a ryche stone Vpon her heed they her into hal brought And there she was honoured as she ought Thus hath this pytous day a blysful ende For euery man woman doth hys myght Thys daye in myrth and reuel to dyspende Tyl on the welken shone the sterres bryght For more solempne in euery mannes syght Thys feest was and greater of costage Then was the reuel of her mariage wel many a yere in hye prosperite Lyuen these two in concorde and in rest And rychely hys doughter maried he Vnto a lorde one of the worthyest Of al Itayle and then in peace and rest Hys wyues father in hys courte he kepte Tyl that hys soule out of hys body crepte Hys sonne succedeth in hys heritage In reste and peace after hys fathers day And fortunate was eke in mariage Al put he not hys wyfe in great assaye Thys worlde is not so stronge it is no naye As it hath ben in olde tymes yore And herkneth what thautour sayth therfore THis story is said not for y e wiues sholde FeloweÌ„ Grisyld in al humilite For it were importable tho they wolde But that euery wyght in hys degre Sulde be constante in al aduersite As was Grisild wherfore Petrarke writeth This story whych w t hye style he endyteth For sythe a woman was so pacient Vnto a mortal man wel more we ought Receyue al in gree that God vs sent For great skyll he preueth that he wrought But he ne tempteth no man that he bought As sayeth saynt Iame yf ye hys pystel rede He preueth folke but a daye it is no drede And suffreth vs as for our exercyse wyth sharpe scourges of aduersyte wel ofte to be beaten in sondry wyse Not for to knowe our wyl for certes he Or we were borne knewe al our frelte And for our best is al hys gouernaunce Let vs lyue then in vertuous suffraunce â–ª But one word herkneth lordynges or ye go It were ful harde to fynde now a dayes In al a countre Grisyldes thre or two For yf they were put to suche assayes The golde of hem hath so bad a layes wyth brasse for though it be fayre at eye It wolde rather braste a two then plye For which here for y e wyues loue of Bathe whose lyfe and secte myghty god mayntene In hygh maystry or els were it skathe I wyl wyth lusty herte freshe and grene Saye you a songe to glade you I wene And let vs stynte of ernest matere Herkeneth my songe y t sayth in thys manere ¶ Lenuoye de Chaucer a les mariz de nostre temps GRisylde is deed eke her pacience And both at ones buryed in Itayle For which I crye in open audience No wedded man be so hardy to assayle Hys wyues pacience in truste to fynde Grisyldes for in certayne he shal fayle ¶ O noble wyues ful of hye prudence Let no humilite your tonge nayle Ne let no clerke haue cause ne deligence To wryte of you a storye of suche maruayle As of Grisylde pacient and kynde Lest Chechiface swalow you in her entraile ¶ Foloweth Ecco that holdeth no sylence But euer answereth at the countre tayle Beth not adaffed for your innocence But sharpely taketh on you the gouernayle Enprinteth wel thys lesson in your mynde For coÌ„men profyte sythnesse it maye auayle Ne dredeth hem not doth hem no reuereÌ„ce For though thyn husbaÌ„d armed be in mayle The arrowes of thy crabbed eloquence Shal perce hys brest eke hys aduentayle In ielousye eke loke thou hym bynde And y t shal make him couch as doth a quayle Yf y u be fayre there folke bene in presence Shewe thou thy vysage thyne apparayle Yf thou be foule be fre of thy dyspence To get the frendes aye do thy trauayle Be aye of chere as lyght as lefe on lynde And let hym care wepe wrynge and wayle Ye archwyues stoÌ„deth aye at your defence Syth ye be stronge as is a great camayle Ne suffreth not that men do you offence And ye sklendre wyues feble as in batayle Beth eygre as any tygre is in Inde Aye clappeth as a myl I you counsayle ¶ Here endech the clerkes tale of Oxforde and here foloweth the wordes of our hoost This worthy clerk wheÌ„ ended was his tale Our hoost sayd and swore by cockes bones Me were leuer then a barel of ale My wyfe at home had herd this legeÌ„de ones Thys is a gentle tale for the nones As to my purpose wyste ye my wyl But thynge that wol not be let it be styl ¶ Here ende the wordes of our hoste and here foloweth the Frankeleyns prologue THese old geÌ„tyll Britons in her dayes Of dyuers auentures maden layes Rymed fyrst in her mother tonge which layes w t her instrumentes they songe Or els reden hem for her pleasaunce And one of hem haue I in remembraunce whyche I shal saye as wyllinge as I can But syrs bycause I am a borel man At my begynnynge fyrst I you beseche Haue me excused of my rude speche I lerned neuer rethorike certayne Thynge that I speke mote be bare playne I slepte neuer on the mounte of Pernaso Ne lerned neuer Marcus Tullius Cicero Coloures ne knowe I none withouteÌ„ drede But suche coloures as growen in the mede Or els suche as men dyen or paynte Coloures of rhetoryke ben to me quaynte My spirite feleth not of suche matere Thys is my tale yf ye wol it here ¶ Here endeth the Frankeleyns prologue ¶ Here begynneth the
Frankeleyns tale IN Armorike y e called is britain There was a knyght that loued and dyd hys payne To serue ladyes in hys best wyse And many a labour many a great empryse He for hys lady wrought er she were wonne For she was one the fayrest vnder sonne And eke therto coÌ„men of hye kynrede That wel vnneth durst thys knyÈt for drede Tel her hys wo hys payne and his dystresse But at the laste she of her worthynesse And namely for hys meke obeysaunce Hath suche a pyte caught of hys penaunce That priuely she fyl of hys accorde To take hym for her husbonde her lorde Of such lordship as meÌ„ haue ouer her wiues And for to lede in the more blysse her lyues Of hys fre wyl he swore her as a knyght That neuer in al her lyfe daye ne nyght Ne shulde he take vpon hym no maystry Agayne her wyl ne kythe her ielousye But her obeye and folowe her wyl in al As any louer to hys lady shal Saue that the name of soueraynte That wolde he haue for shame of his degre She thaÌ„ked him with ful great humblesse She sayd syr syth of your gentylnesse Ye profred me to haue so large a rayne Ne wolde god neuer betwyxte vs twayne As in my gylt were it eyther warre or stryfe Syr I wol be your trewe humble wyfe Haue here my trouth tyl that my herte breste Thus ben they both in quiete and in reste For one thynge syrs safely dare I seyne That frendes eueryche other must obeyne Yf they wol longe holden companye Loue wol not be constrayned by maystry when maystry coÌ„meth the god of loue anone Beateth hys wynges farewel he is gone Loue is a thynge as any spirite free women of kynde desyren lyberte And not to be constrayned as a thral And so done men yf I sothe say shal Loke who that moste pacient is in loue He is at hys auauntage al aboue Pacience is an hye vertue certayne For it vaynquysheth as these clerkes sayne Thynges that rygour shal neuer attayne For euery word meÌ„ may not chyde or playne Lerneth to suffre or els so mote I gone Ye shal it lerne whether ye wol or none For in thys world certayn â—o wyght ther is That he ne doth or sayeth somtyme amys Ire sycknesse or constellacion wyne wo or chaungynge of complection Causeth ful often to done amysse or speken On euery wronge a maÌ„ may not be wreken After the tyme must be temperaunce To euery wight that can of gouernaunce And therfore hath this worthy wyse knight To lyue in ease suffraunce her hight And she to hym ful wysely gan swere That neuer shulde there be defaut in here Here may men se humble and wyse accorde Thus hath she take her seruant her lorde Seruaunt in loue and lorde in mariage Than was he bothe in lordship and seruage Seruage nay but in lordshyp aboue Sythen he hath both his lady and his loue His lady certes and his wyfe also The which that lawe of londe accordeth to And whan he was in this prosperite Home with his wife he goth in to his couÌ„tre Nat fer fro DeÌ„marke ther his dwelling was where as he lyueth in ioye and in solas who coude tel but he had wedded be The ioye the ease and the prosperite That is bitwixt an husbande his wyfe Euermore lasted this blysful lyfe Tyl that this knyght of which I speke thus That of Caere Iuda was cleped Arueragus Shope him to dwel a yere or twayne In Englande that cleped was Britayne To seken in armes worship and honour For al his lust he sette in suche labour And dwelt there two yere the boke saith thus ¶ Nowe wol I stynt of this Arueragus And speke I wol of Dorâ—gen his wyfe That loueth her husbonde as her hertes lyfe For his absence wepeth she and syketh As don these noble wyues whan hem lyketh She mourneth wayleth fasteth playneth Desyre of his presence her so constrayneth That al this wyde worlde set she at nought Her frendes whiche knewe her heuy thouÈt Conforten her in al that euer they may They prechen her and tellen her night day That causeles she slewe her selfe alas And euery comfort possyble in this caas They don to her with al her busynesse And al for to maken her leue her heuynesse ¶ By processe as ye knoweÌ„ euerychone Men mowen so longe grauen in a stone Tyl some fygure therin printed be So longe han they comforted her tyl she Receyued hath by hope and by reson The enprintyng of her constellacion Through which her great sorow gaÌ„ aswage She may not alway induren suche a rage And eke Aruyragus in al this care Hath sent his letters home of his welfare And that he wol come hastely agayne Or els had this sorowe her herte slayne Her frendes sawe her sorowe gan to slake And prayden her on knees for goddes sake To come and romen in her companye Away to driuen her derke fantasye And fynally she graunted that requeste For wel she sawe it was for the beste ¶ Nowe stode her castel faste by the see And ofte with her frendes walked she Her to disporte on the bankes hey where as she may shyppes and barges sey Salyng her course where hem lyst go But yet was that a parcel of her wo For to her selfe ful ofte alas sayd she Is there no shyppe of so many as I se wol bring home my lorde â–ª thaÌ„ were my herte warished of these bytter paynes smerte ¶ Another tyme wolde she sytte and thynke And caste her eyen downward fro the brinke But whan she sawe the grysly rockes blake For very feare so wolde her herte quake That on her fete she myght not her sustene Than wolde she sytte adown vpon the grene And pitously in to the see beholde And say right thus with sorouful sykes colde ¶ Eterne god that through thy purueyauÌ„ce Ledest this worlde by certayne gouernauÌ„ce In ydle as meÌ„ sayn doste thou nothing make But lorde these grisly fendely rockes blake That semen rather a foule confusyon Of werke than a fayre creacion Of suche a parfyte god wyse and ful stable why haue ye wrouÈt this werke vnresonable For by this werke northe south west ne este There nys fostred man byrde ne beste It dothe no good but anoyeth Se ye not lorde howe maÌ„kinde it distroyeth An hundred thousande bodyes of mankynde Haue rockes issayn al be they not in mynde Sin maÌ„kind is so fayre aparte of thy werke That thou it madest like thyn owne werke Than semed it ye had a great cherte Towarde maÌ„kynde but how thaÌ„ may it be That ye suche menes maken it to distroyen which menes don no good but euer anoyen ¶ I wote wel clerkes wol sayne as hem lest By argumentes that al is for the best Though I ne can not the causes wel knowe But thilke god y t made the wynde to blowe As kepe my lorde this is
my conclusyon To clerkes let I al thys dysputacion And wolde God that al these rockes blake were sonken in to hel for hys sake These rockes slee myne herte for feare Thus wolde she say w t many a pytous teare Her frendes sawe it was for her no dysport To romen by the see but dyscomfort And shapen hem to playen somwhere elles They leden her by ryuers and by welles And eke in other places delytables They dauncen and they playen at the tables So on a daye ryght in the morowe tyde Vnto a gardeyne that was there besyde In which that they had made her ordinauÌ„ce Of vytayles and other purueyaunce They gone and playen hem al the longe day And thys was in the syxte morowe of May which May hath paited w t his softe shoures Thys gardayne ful of leues and of floures And crafte of mannes hande so curiously Arayed had thys garden truely That neuer nas there garden of such pryse But yf it were the very paradyse The odour of floures and the freshe syght wolde haue made any herte lyght That euer was borne but yf to gret sicknesse Or to great sorowe helde it in dystresse So was it ful of beautye wyth pleasaunce And after dyner gone they daunce And synge also saue Dorigene alone That yet vnto her selfe made her mone For she ne sey hym on the daunce go That was her husbande and her loue also But nathelasse she muste her tyme abyde And wyth good hope let her sorowe slyde ¶ Vpon thys daunce amonge other men Daunced a squyer before Dorigen That fresher was and iolyer of aray As to my dome then is the moneth of May He syngeth daunseth passynge euery man That is or was sythen the worlde began And therwythal men shulde hym dyscriue One of the best farynge men on lyue Yonge stronge vertuouse ryche and wyse And welbeloued and holden of great pryse And shortly yf I the soth tel shal Vnwetynge of thys Dorigene at al Thys lusty squyer seruaunt to Venus whych yclypped was Aurelius Had loued her beste of any creature Two yere and more as was hys auenture But neuer durst he tel her hys greuaunce wythouten cuppe he dronke al hys penaunce He was dyspayred nothynge durst he say Saue in hys soÌ„ges somwhat wold he wray Hys wo as in general complayninge He said he loued and was beloued nothinge Of whych matter made he many layes Songes complayntes roundels verilayes Howe that he durste not hys sorowe tel But languyshe as doth a fury in hel And dye he muste he sayd as dyd Ecco For Narcissus that durst not tel hys wo ¶ In other maner then ye herde me say Ne durst not he to her hys wo bewray Saue perauenture somtyme at daunces There yonge folke kepen her obseruaunces It maye wel be he loked on her face In suche a wyse as men that asken grace But nothynge wyst she of hys entent Nathelesse it happed er they thence went Bycause that he was her neyghbour And was a man of worshyppe and honour And had knowen hym of tymes yore They fel in speche so forth more more Vnto hys purpose then drowe Aurelius And when he sawe hys tyme he sayd thus ¶ Madame ê™ he by god y t this world made So y t I wyste y t I myght your herte glade I wolde that day that your Aruyragus went ouer the see that I Aurelius Had went ther y t I shuld neuer come agayne For wel I wote my seruyce is in vayne My guerdon nys but bresting of myne herte Madame rueth vpon my paynes smerte For with one worde ye may me slee or saue Here at your foote god wold y t I were graue I ne haue as nowe no leyser more to sey Haue mercy swete or ye wol do me dey ¶ She gan to loke vpon Aurelius Is thys your wyl ê™ she and saye ye thus Neuer erste ê™ she ne wyst I what ye mente But nowe I knowe Aurelius your entente By thylke god that yaue me soule and lyfe Ne shal I neuer be vntrewe wyfe In word ne iÌ„ wâ—rke as ferre as I haue wyt I wol be hys to whom I am knyt Take thys for a fynal answere of me But after thys in play thus sayd she ¶ Aurelius ê™ she by god aboue Yet wol I graunt you to ben your loue Sythen I se you so pytously complayne Loke what daye that endelonge Britayne Ye remeue al the rockes stone by stone That they ne let shyppe ne bote to gone I say wheÌ„ ye haue made these costes so clene Of rockes that there nys no stone ysene Then wol I loue you best of any man Herâ— haue my trouth in al that euer I can Is there none other grace in you ê™ he ¶ No by that lorde ê™ she that maked me For wel I wote that it shal neuer betyde Let suche foly out of your herte glyde what deyntye shulde a man haue in hys lyfe For to go loue another mannes wyfe That hath her body wheÌ„ so that hym lyketh ¶ Aurelius ful ofte sore syketh Wo was Aurely when he thys herde And w t a sorowful chere he thus answerde ¶ Madame ê™ he thys were impossible Then mote I dye on sodayne death horrible And wyth that worde he turned hym anone ¶ Tho come her other frendes euerychone And in the aleyes romeden vp and doun And nothynge wyst of thys conclusioun But sodeynly began to reuel newe Tyl that the bryght sonne loste hys hewe For the orizont hath reâ—te the sonne his light Thys is as much to saye as it was nyght And home they gone in ioye and in solas Saue onely wretched Aurelius alas He to hys house is gone with sorowful harte He sayd he myght not from hys death astarte Hym semed that he felte hys herte colde Vp to heuen hys handes gan he holde And on hys knees bare he set hym adoun And in hys rauynge sayd thys orisoun For very wo out of hys wytte he brayde He ne wyst what he spake but thus he sayde with pitous hert hath his coÌ„playnt begonne Vnto the goddes and fyrst vnto the sonne He sayd God Appollo and gouernour Of euery plante herbe tre and flour That yeuest after thy declinacion To ylke of hem hys tyme and ceson As thyne herberowe chaungeth lowe hye Lorde Phebus caste thy merciable eye On wretched Aurelius whych am but lorne Lo lorde my lady hath my death ysworne wythout gylte but thy benignite Vpon my deadly herte haue some pyte For wel I wote lorde Phebus yf ye leste Ye maye me helpe saue my lady beste Nowe vouche ye saue that I you deuyse Howe that I may be holpen in what wyse ¶ Your blysful suster Lucina the shene That of the see is goddesse and quene Though Neptunus hath deite in the see Yet empresse abouen hym is she Ye knowen wel lorde ryght as her desyre Is to be quyckened and lyghted of your fyre For whych that she foloweth you
drenched hem selfe as bokes tell They of Messene let enquire and seke Of Lacidomony fyfty maydens eke On which they wolde haue don her lechery But there was none of al that company That she nas slayne and with a glad entenâ— Chese rather for to dyen than for to assent To ben oppressed of her maydenhede why shulde I than to dye ben in drede Lo eke the tyraunt Aristoclides That loued a mayde y t hight Symphalydes whan that her father slayne was on a nyght Vnto Dyanes temple gothe she anon ryght And hente the ymage with her armes two Fro whiche ymage wolde she neuer go No wight might fro it her hondes race Tyl she was slayne right in the selfe place Now sythnes y t maydens had such dispyte To ben defouled with mannes foule delyte wel ought a wyfe rather her selfe slee Than be defouled as thynketh me What shal I say of Hasdruballes wyfe That at Cartage byrafte her selfe her lyfe For whaÌ„ she sawe y e romanes wan the town She toke her chyldren al and lepte adown Into the fyre and chese rather to dye Than any roman dyd her villanye Hath not Lucrece islayne her selfe alas At Rome there she oppressed was Of Tarquyne for her thought it was shame To lyue whan that she had lost her name The eyght maydens of Melesye also Han slayn hem selue for very drede and wo Rather than folke of Gaule shuld heÌ„ oppresse Mo than a thousande stories as I gesse Couthe I nowe tel as touchyng this matere ¶ whan Abradas was slayn his wife so dere Her selfe slowe and let her bloode to glyde In Abradas woundes brode and wyde And sayd my body at the leste way There shal no wight defoule yf I may ¶ What shulde I mo ensamples herof sayn Sythens that so many han hem selfe slayn Wel rather than they wolde defouled be I wol conclude that it is best for me Wel rather slee my selfe in some manere As dyd demoâ—tious doughter dere Bycause that she nolde not defouled be ¶ O Sedasus it is ful great pyte To reden howe thy doughters dyden alas That slowen hem selfe for such a maner caas As great a pyte was it or wel more The Theban mayden that for Nychanore For one of Macedone had her oppressed with her dethe her maydenhede she redressed ¶ What shal I sayne of Nycerates wyfe That for suche case birafte her selfe her lyfe ¶ Howe trewe was eke to Alcibyades His loue that for to dyen rather thees Than for to suffren his body vnburyed be ¶ Lo whiche a wyfe was Alceste ê™ she what saythe Homere of good Penelope Al Grece knoweth of her chastyte ¶ Parde of Laodomia is written thus That whaÌ„ at Troy was slayn Protheselaus No lenger nolde she lyue after his day ¶ The same of noble Portia tel I may withouten Brutus couthe she not lyue To whom she had al her herte igyue ¶ The parfyte wyfehode of Artemisy Honoured is throughout al Barbary ¶ Oh Thenta quene thy wifely chastyte To al wyues may a myrrour be The same thyng I saye of Bilâ—a Of Rodogone and eke Valeria ¶ Thus playned Dorigene a day or twey Purposyng euer that she wolde dey But nathelesse vpon the thyrde nyght Home came Arueragus the worthy knight And asked her why she wepte so sore And she gan wepen euer lenger the more ¶ Alas ê™ she that euer was I borne Thus haue I said ê™ she thus haue I sworn And tolde him al as ye haue herde before It nedeth not to reherce it no more ¶ This husboÌ„de w t glad chere in soÌ„drie wyse Answerde and sayd as I shal you deuyse Is there aught els Dorigene but this ¶ Nay nay ê™ she god helpe me so as wys This is to moche and it were goddes wyl ¶ Ye wyfe ê™ he let slepe that is styl It may be wel yet parauenture to day Ye shal your trouthe holde by my fay For god so wysly haue mercy on me I had wel leuer stycked for to be For very loue whiche that I to you haue But yf ye shulde your trouthe saue Trouth is the hyest thyng that meÌ„ may kepe But with that worde he brast anon to wepe And said I you forbyd on payne of dethe That neuer whiles you lasteth lyfe or brethe To no wight tel of this misauenture As I may beste I wol my wo endure Ne make no countenaunce of heuynesse That folke of you may deme harme ne gesse And forthe he cleped a squier and a mayde Gothe forthe anon with Dorigene he sayde And bringeth her in suche a place anone They toke her leue on her way they gone But they ne wyste why she thyder went She nolde no wight tel her entent ¶ This squier whiche that hyght Aurelius On Dorigen whiche that was so amerous Of auenture happed her to mete Amydde the towne right in the hye strete As she wolde haue gon the way forthe right Towarde the garden there as she had hyght And he was to the garden warde also For wel he spyed whan she wolde go Out of her house to any maner place But thus they met of auenture or of grace And he salueth her with glad entent And asked of her whyther that she went ¶ And she answerde halfe as she were madde Vnto the garden as my husbonde badde My trouthe for to holde alas alas Aurelius gan wondren of this caas And in his hert had great compassyon Of her chere and of her lamentation And of Aruyragus the worthy knyght That bade her holde al that she had hyght So loth he was y t she shuld breke her trouth And in hys herte he caught of it great routh Consydryng the beste on euery syde That fro his luste were him better abyde Than do so hye a churlishe wretchydnesse Ayenst fraunchise ayenst al gentylnesse For whiche in fewe wordes said he thus Madame saythe to your lorde Aruiragus That sythen I se this great gentylnesse Of hym and eke I se wel your distresse That ye to me thus shuld holde your trouthe Certes me thynketh it were great routhe I haue wel leuer euer to suffre wo Than departe the loue bytwyxt you two I you relese madame into your honde Quyte euery surement and euery bonde That ye haue made to me as here byforne Sythens thylke tyme that ye were borne my trouth I plight I shal you neuer repreue Of no beheste and here I take my leue As of the trewest and the beste wyfe That euer yet I knewe in al my lyfe But euery wight beware of her byheste On Dorigene remembreth at the leste Thus can a squyer done a gently dede As wel as can a knyght withouten drede ¶ She thonked hym vpon her knees al bare And home vnto her husbonde is she fare And tolde him al as ye han herde me sayde And be ye syker he was so wel apayde That it were vnpossible me to write What shulde I lenger of this case endyte Arueragus and
Cecily Expowne as men may in her storie se It is to say in englishe heuens lylly For pure chastnesse of virgynite Or for she wytnesse had of honeste And grene of conscience and of good fame The sote sauoure lylye was her name Or Cecily is to say the way to blynde For she ensample was by good techyng Or els Cecily as I written fynde Is ioyned by a maner conioynyng Of heuen and Lya in her fyguring The heuen is set for thought of holynesse And lya for her lastyng besynesse Cecily may eke be sayd in this manere wantyng of blyndnesse for her great lyght Of sapience and for her thewes clere Or els Lo this maydens name bright Of heuen Leos cometh of whiche by ryght Men might the heuen of people her cal Ensample of good and wyse werkes al For Leos people in Englishe is to say And right as men may in the heuen se The sunne and moone sterres euery way Right so men gostly in this mayden fre Sawen of faythe the great magnanymite And eke the clerenesse hole of sapience And sondrie werkes bright of excellence And right so as these philosophers write That heuen is swyfte rounde eke breÌ„nyng Right so was fayre Cecily the whyte Ful swyfte and besy in euery good workynge And rounde and hole in good perseuerynge And brennyng euer in charyte ful bright Nowe haue I declared you what she hight ¶ Here endeth the seconde nonnes Prologue and begynneth her tale THis mayden bright Cecile as her lyfe sayth was comen of Romanes and of noble kynde And so forthe fostred vp in the fayth Of Christ bare his gospel in her mynde She neuer cessed as I written fynde Of her prayere and god to loue and drede Besechyng hym to kepe her maydenhede And whan this mayde shulde vnto a man I wedded be that ful yonge of age whiche that yeleped was Valeryan And daye was come of her maryage She ful deuoute and humble in her corage Vnder her robe of golde y e sate ful fayre Had next her fleshe yclad her in an heyre And whyles that the organs made melodye To god alone thus in herte songe she O lorde my soule and eke my body gye Vnwemmed leste I counfounded be And for hiâ— loue that dyed vpon a tre Euery seconde or thirde day she faste Aye byddyng in her orisons ful faste ¶ The night came to bedde must she gone with her husbonde as often is the manere And priuely she sayd vnto hym anon O swete and wel byloued spouse dere There is a counsayle and ye wol it here Which that right fayne I wold to you sayne So that ye me ensure it not to bewrayne ¶ Valeryan gan faste vnto her swere That for no case ne thyng that myght be He shulde neuer to none bewrayen here And than at erste thus to hym sayd she I haue an angel whiche that loueth me That w t gret loue where so I wake or slepe Is redy aye my body for to kepe And yf that he may felen out of drede That ye me touche or loue in vylonye He right anon wyl slee you with the dede And in your youthe thus shal ye dye And yf that ye in clene loue me gye He wol you loue as me for your clennesse And shewe you of hys ioye and brightnesse ¶ This Valeryan corrected as god wolde Answerde ayen yf I shal trust the Let me that aungel se and hym beholde And yf that it a very aungel be Than wol I done as thou haste prayde me And yf thou loue another man forsothe Right w t this sworde thaÌ„ wol I sle you both ¶ Cecyle answerde anon in this wyse If that ye luste that angel shul ye se So that ye trowe on Christ and you baptyse Gothe forthe to Vâ—a apia ê™ she That from this town ne staÌ„t but myles thre And to the poore folke that there dwel Say hem right thus as I shal you tel Tel hem that I Cecyle you to hem sende To shewen you the good Vrban the olde For secret nedes and for good entent And whan that ye saynt Vrban han beholde Tel hym the wordes that I to you tolde And whaÌ„ that he hath purged you fro synne Than shal ye se that aungel er ye twynne Valeryan is to that place ygon And right as him was taught by his lerning He founde this holy Vrban anon Amonge these sayntes buryals loutyng And he anon without taryeng Dyd his message and whan he had it tolde Vrban for ioy gan his hondes vp holde The teres from his eyen let he fall Almighty god O Iesu christ ê™ he Sower of chaste counsayle hierde of vs al The frute of thilke sede of chastyte That thou haste sowe in Cecyle take to the Lo lyke a besy bee withouten gyle The serueth aye thyne owne thral Cecyle For thylke spouse that she toke but newe Ful lyke a fierse lyon she sendeth here As meke as any lambe was to ewe And with that worde anon there gan apere An olde man cladde in whyte clothes clere That had a boke with letters of gold in hoÌ„de And gan byforne Valeryan for to stonde ¶ Valeryan as deed fel downe for drede whan he this olde man sawe standyng so whiche forwith anon he herde him rede O lorde O faythe O god withouten mo Of christendom and father of al also Abouen al and ouer al euery where These wordes al with golde written were whaÌ„ this was radde thaÌ„ sayd this olde maÌ„ Leuest thou this thyng or none say ye or nay I leue al this thyng ê™ Valeryan Vnder the heuen no wight ne thynke may Sother thyng than this I dare wel say Tho vanyshed the olde man he nyst where And pope Vrban hym christened right there ¶ Valeryan gothe home fyndeth Cecilye within his chambre with an aungel stonde This aungel had of rose and of lyllye Crownes two the whiche he bare in honde And fyrst to Cecyle as I vnderstonde He yaue that one and after gan he take That other to Valeryan her make with body clene w t vnwemmed thought Kepeth aye wel these crownes ê™ he From paradyse to you I haue hem brought Ne neuer more shullen rotten be Ne lese her swete sauour trusteth me Ne neuer wight shal sene hem with eye But he be chaste and hate vilonye And thou Valeryan for thou so sone Assenteddest to good counsayle also Say what y u lyst thou shalt haue thy bone I haue a brother ê™ Valeryan tho That in this world I loue no man so I pray you that my brother may haue grace To knowe the trouthe as I do in this place The angel answerd god lyketh your request And bothe with the palme of martyrdome Shal ye come vnto the blisful feest And with y e word Tyburce his brother come And whan that he the sauoure vndernome whiche that the roses and the lylyes caste within his herte he gan to wonder faste ¶ And sayd
open to be euerye mans goodes Afterwarde in gettynge of youre rychesses and in vsynge hem ye shall alwaye haue thre thynges in youre herte that is to say our Lorde God conscience and good name Fyrst ye shall haue god in your herte and for no ryches ye shuld do any thyng whych may in any maner dysplease god your creatour maker For after the worde of Salomon it is better to haue a lytell good with y e loue of god then to haue moche good and treasoure and lese the loue of his Lorde God And the prophete sayeth that better it is to be a good man and haue lytel good treasour then to be holden a shrewe and haue great rychesse And yet I say furthermore that ye shulde alwaye do your busynesse to get you rychesses so that ye get hem with good conscience And the Apostle sayeth that there nys thynge in thys worlde of whyche we shulde haue so great ioye as when oure conscience beareth vs good wytnesse And the wyse man sayeth that the substaunce of a man is full good when synne is not in mans conscience Afterwarde in gettyng of your rychesses and in vsynge of hem ye muste haue great besynesse and great diligence that your good name be alwaye kept and conserued For Salomon sayeth that better it is and more it auayleth a man to haue a good name then for to haue many rychesses And therfore he sayth in an other place Do great diligence sayeth Salomon in kepynge of thy frendes of thy good name for it shall lenger abyde wyth the thē any treasure be it neuer so precious And certes he shuld not be called a great gentylman that after God and good conscience all thynges lefte ne doth hys deligence besynesse to kepe hys good name And Cassyodor sayeth that it is a sygne of a gentyll herte when a mā loueth and desyreth to haue a good name And therfore sayeth saynte Augustyne that there ben two thynges that ben ryght necessarye and also nedefull and that is good conscience and good lose that is to saye good cōscience to thyne owne persone inwarde and good lose for thy neyghbour outwarde And he that trusteth hym so moch in hys good cōscience that he dyspyseth setteth at nought his good name or loose recketh not though he kepe not hys good name nys but a cruell churle Syr nowe haue I shewed you howe ye shulde do in gettynge rychesses and howe ye shulde vse hem and I se well for the trust that ye haue in your rychesses ye woll moue warre and batayle I counsayle you that ye begyn no warre in truste of youre rychesses for they ne suffyse not warres to maynteyne And therfore sayeth a philosopher That mā that desyreth and wolde algates haue warre shall neuer haue suffysaunce for the rycher that he is the greater dyspēces must he make yf he woll haue worshyppe and vyctorye And Salomon sayeth that the greater rychesses y t a man hath the more dyspendours he hath And therfore syr all be it so that for youre ryches ye maye haue moche folke yet behoueth it not ne it is not good to begynne warre where as ye maye in other maner haue peace vnto youre worshyppe and profyte For the vyctorye of batayls that bene in thys worlde lyeth not in great nombre or multytude of people ne in the vertue of mā but it lyeth in the wyll and in the hande of oure Lorde God almyghtye And therfore Iudas Machabeus whyche was goddes knyght when he shulde fyght ayenst hys aduersarye that hadde a greater nombre and a greater multytude of folke and strōger then was hys people of Machabee yet he recomforted hys lytell company and sayd ryght in thys wyse Also lyghtly sayd he maye our Lorde God yeue vyctorye to a fewe folke as to many folke for the vyctorye of a batayle cometh not by the greate nombre of people but it cōmeth from oure Lorde God of heauen And dere syr for as moche as there is no man certayne yf it be worthye that God yeue hym vyctorye or not after that Salomon sayeth therfore euery man shuld greatlye drede warres to begyn and bycause that in batayles fall many peryls and happeth other whyle that as sone is the greate man slayne as the lytel man And as it is wrytten in the seconde boke of kynges The dedes of batayles ben aduenturous and nothyng certayne for as lyghtlye is one hurte wyth a speere as an other And for ther is great peryll in warre therfore shulde a man slye and eschue warre in as moch as a man may goodly For Salomō sayeth he that loueth peryl shall fall in peryll After that dame Prudence had spoken in thys maner Melibe answered and sayd I se well dame Prudence that by your fayre wordes and your resons that ye haue shewed me that the warre lyketh you nothynge but I haue not yet herde youre counsayle howe I shall do in thys nede Certes said she I coūsayle you that ye accorde wyth your aduersaries that ye haue peace wyth hem For saynt Iames sayeth in hys Epystle that by concorde and peace small ryches waxe great and by debate and dyscorde ryches decaye And ye knowe well that one of the greatest and moste souerayne thyng that is in this worlde is vnite peace And therfore sayeth oure lorde Iesu Christe to hys apostles in thys wyse wel happy ben they that loue purchace peace for they be called the chyldren of god Ah sayd Melibee now se I wel that ye loue not myne honour ne my worshyp Ye knowe wel that myne aduersaryes haue begon this debate bryge by theyr outrage And ye se well that they ne requyre ne praye me of peace ne they aske not to be reconsiled Wol ye then that I go meke me and obey me to them crye hem mercye Forsoth y t were not my worshyp For ryghte as men saye ouer great humblenesse engendreth dyspraysynge so fareth it by to great◠humilite or mekenesse Then began dame Prudence to make semblant of wrath sayd Certes syr saue your grace I loue your honour and profyte as I do myne owne and euer haue do ye ne none other neuer se the cōtrary And yet yf I had said that ye shulde haue purchased peace and reconsiliation I ne had moche mystake me ne sayd amysse For the wyse man sayeth the dyscention begynneth by an other man and the reconsylynge begynneth by thy selfe And the prophete sayeth flye shreudnesse and do goodnesse seke peace folowe it in as moch as in the is Yet saye I not that ye shulde rather pursue to youre aduersaries for peace then they shulde to you For I knowe well that ye bene so harde herted that ye woll do nothynge for me And Salomon sayeth He that hath ouer harde an herte he at laste shal myshappe or mysbetyde When Melibee had herde dame Prudence make semblaunt of wrathe he sayde in thys wyse Dame I praye you that ye be not
that he somtyme discharge hym of hem by shryft They may ful lyghtly mynysh in hym al the loue that he hath to Iesu Christ and in this wyse skyppeth venyall synne into deedly sin For certes the more that a man chargeth his soule with venyall synnes the more he is enclyned to fall into deedlye synne And therfore lette vs not be neglygent to charge vs of venyal synnes For the prouerbe sayth that many small make a great Herken this ensample A greate vawe of the see commeth sometyme with so greate a vyolence that it drowneth the shyppe And the same harme do somtyme the smal droppes of water that entreth through a lytle creueys into the tymbre and to the botume of the shyp yf men be so geglygent that they dyscharge hem not bytymes And therfore althoughe there be a dyfference betwyxt these two causes of drownynge allgates the shyppe is drowned Ryghte so fareth it sometyme of deedlye synne and of anoyous venyall synnes whan they multyplye in man so greatlye that those worldlye thynges that he loueth through whyche he synneth venyally is as great in his herte as the loue of God or more and therfore the loue of euery thing that is not beset in God ne done pryncipallye for Goddes sake althoughe that a man loue it selfe then God yet is it venyal synne and deedly synne wheÌ„ the loue of any thing weyeth in the hert of man as moche as the loue of God or more Deedly synne as sayth saynct Austyn is when a man turneth hys hert fro God which that is very souerayne bounty that maye not chaunge and gyueth his hert to a thyng that may chaunge flit and certes that is euery thyng saue God of heauen For sothe is that if a manne gyue hys loue whyche that he oweth to God with all his hert vnto a creature certes as moche of loue as he yeueth to that same creature so moche he bereueth fro God therfore doth he synne For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth not to god al his det that is to saye al the loue of his hert Now sith maÌ„ vnderstandeth generally whiche is venyall syn then it is couenable to tell specyallye of synne which that many a maÌ„ peraduenture demeth hem no synnes shryueth hym not of the same thinges yet neuerthelesse they be synnes sothly as these clerkes write that is to saye At euery tyme that man eateth or drinketh more then suffiseth to y e sustenauÌ„ce of his body in certayne he doth synne also when he speaketh more then it nedeth it is sinne Also when he herkeneth not benignly the coÌ„playnt of the pore Also when he is in heale of body and wol not fast when other folkes faste withoute cause resonable also when he slepeth more then nedeth or when he cometh perchauÌ„ce to late to church or other werkes of charitie Also when he vseth his wyfe without souerayne desyre of engeÌ„drure to the honour of god or for the entent to yelde to his wyfe dette of his body Also when he wol not vysit the sycke or the prisoner yf he maye Also yf he loue wyfe or child or other wordly thyng more then reason requyreth Also yf he flatter or blandyse more then him ought for any necessitye Also yf he minish or withdrawe y e almesse of the pore Also if he apparel his meat more deliciously then nede is or eate to hastelye by lycorousnes Also yf he talke vanityes at churche or at gods seruise or that he be a talker of ydle wordes of foly or vylanye for he shal yelde accomptes of it at the daye of dome Also when he behyghteth or assureth to do thynges that he may not performe Also when y t he by lyghtnesse or folye myssayeth or scorneth his neighbour Also when he hath any wicked susspection of any thynge that he ne wot of sothfastnesse These thinges and mo without noÌ„bre be synnes as sayth s Austyn Now shal men vnderstande that albeit so y t none erthly man maye eschue al venyal synnes yet maye he refrayne hym by the brennyng loue y t he hath to our lord Iesu chryst and by prayers and confession other good werkes so that it shal be but lytle grefe For as saeth s Austin Yf a man loue god insuch maner that al that euer he doth is the loue of god or for y e loue of god verely for he breÌ„neth in the loue of god loke how moch that one droppe of water whiche doth fal into a great furneys ful of fyre anoyeth or greueth the brennyng of the fyre in lyke maner anoyeth or greueth a venyall syn vnto that maÌ„ which is stedfast and perfyte in the loue of our sauyour Iesu Chryst Ferthermore meÌ„ maye also refrayne and put awaye venyall syn by commenyng and receyuing worthely the body of our sauyour Iesu Chryst Also by takynge of holy water by almesdede by general confessyon of Confiâ—â—or at masse and at complyn by blessynges of byshops and prestes and other good werkes ¶ De septem peccatis mortalibus et de eorum dependentus circumstantis et speciebus HOw is it expedieÌ„t to tel which bene the seuen deedly synnes that is to saye the chefetayns of synnes All they renne in o lees but in dyuers maners Now bene they called seuen Cenes for as moch as they be chefe sprynge of al other synnes Of the roote of these seuen synnes then is pryde the general rote of al harmes For of this rote spryngeth certen brauÌ„ches as yre enuy accidie or slouth auarice or couetyse to coÌ„meÌ„ vnderstanding glotony and lechery And eche of these chefe synnes haue her braunches and twigges as it shal be declared in her chapiters folowynge And though so be y t noman can vtterly tel the noÌ„bre of twigges and of the harmes that com of pryde Yet wol I shew a parte of hem as ye shall vnderstonde There is Inobedience auauntyng ypocrisy dispite errogance impedence swellyng of hert insolence elation impacience strife contumacy presumption irreuerence pertinacy veyne glory and many other twygges that I can not declare Inobedience is he that disobeyeth for dispyte the commaundementes of God to his souerains and to his gostly father Auaunter is he that bosteth of the harme or of the bouÌ„te that he hath done Ipocrite is he that bedeth to shewe hym such as he is and sheweth hym to seme such as he is not Dispitous is he that hath disdayne of hys neighbour that is to saye of hys euyn christen or hath dispite to do that hym ought to do Errogance is he that thynketh y t he hath those bouâ—â—es in hym that he hath not or weneth that he shulde haue hem by hys desertes or els that he demeth he is that he is not Impedent is he y t for hys pride hath no shame of hys pride ne synne Swellyng of hert is whan man reioyseth hym of harme that he hath done Insolence is he that dispiceth in his iudgement all other folke as
vanities After this cometh the synne of iaperies that ben y e deuels apes for they make folke to laughe at her iaperye as folke do at the gaudes of an ape whych iapes defendeth saynt Paule Loke howe that vertuous wordes and holy comforte hem that trauayle in the seruyce of Christ Ryght so comforteth the villaynous wordes and knackes of iapers hem that trauayle in the seruyce of the deuell These bene the synnes of the tonge that come of yre and of other synnes The remedy ayenst Ire THe remedy ayenst Ire is a vertue that men cal Mansuetude that is Debonairie and also another vertue that men clepe Pacience or sufferaunce Debonayrte wythdraweth and refrayneth the stee rynges and mouynges of mannes corage in herte in suche maner that they ne skyppe not out by anger ne yre Sufferaunce suffereth swetely all the anoyaunces and wronges y e men done to man outwarde Saynt Ierome sayeth thys of debonairte y t it doth no harme to no wyght ne sayeth ne for no harme that men do ne saye he ne chafeth ayenst reason Thys vertue somtyme cometh of nature for as sayeth the philosopher A man is a quycke thynge by nature debonayre and tretable to goodnesse but when debonairte is enformed of grace then it is the more worth Pacience is another remedye ayenst ire is a vertue that suffreth swetely euery mannes goodnesse is not wroth for no harme that is done to hym The philosopher sayeth that pacience is the vertue that suffreth debonairly all the outrages of aduersite and euerye wycked worde Thys vertue maketh a man lyke to God and maketh hym goddes owne chylde as sayeth Christ Thys vertue dyscomfyteth thyne enemye And therfore sayeth the wyse man Yf thou wolde vanquyshe thyne enemye learne to suffre And thou shalte vnderstande that a man suffreth foure maner of greuaunces in outward thynges ayenst the whyche foure he muste haue foure maner of paciences The fyrst greuaunce is of wycked wordes whyche suffred Iesu Christe wythout grutchynge full paciently when the Iewes dyspysed hym full ofte Suffre thou therfore paciently for the wyse man sayeth Yf thou stryue with a foole though y e foole be wroth or though he laugh alwaye thou shalte haue no reste That other greuaunce outwarde is to haue domage of thy catell There ayenst suffred Christ full paciently wheÌ„ he was dâ—spoyled of al that he had in thys lyfe and that was but hys clothes The thyrde greuaunce is a man to haue harme in hys body That suffred Christ full paciently in al his passion The fourth greuaunce is in outragious laboure in werkes â–ª wherfore I saye that folke that make her seruauntes to trauayle to greuouslye or out of tyme as in holy dayes sothly they do great synne Here ayenst suffered Christ full paciently and taught vs pacience when he bare vpon hys blessed shoulders the crosse vpon which he shuld suffre dyspytous death Here maye men learne to be pacieÌ„t for certes not only Christen be paciente for loue of Iesu Christ and for reward of blessed lyfe that is perdurable but certes the olde paynems that neuer were christened coÌ„mended and vsed the vertue of pacieÌ„ce A philosopher vpon a tyme that wolde haue beate his dysciple for hys great trespace for whych he was moued brought a rodde to beate the chylde when this chyld sawe the rodde he sayd to hys mayster what thynke ye to do I woll beate the sayd the mayster for thy correction Forsoth sayd the childe ye ought fyrst correct your selfe that haue lost al your pacience for the offence of a chylde Forsoth sayd the mayster all wepynge thou sayest soth Haue thou the rodde my dere chylde and correcte me for myne impacience Of pacience cometh obedience throughe whyche a man is obediente to Christ to al hem to which he ought be obedieÌ„t in Christ And vnderstand wel that obedience is perfyte when that a man doth glad lye and hastely with good herte entierlye all that he shulde do Obedience generally is to perfourme the doctryne of God and of hys so ueraygnes to whych hym ought to be obeysaunt in all ryghteousnesse ¶ De Accidia AFter the synnes of Enuy and yre nowe woll I speke of the synne of Accidie for enuy blindeth the herte of a maÌ„ and yre troubleth a man accidie maketh hym heuy thoughtfull pensyfe Enuye and yre maken bytternesse in herte â–ª whych bytternesse is mother of accidie taketh fro hym the loue of al goodnesse theÌ„ is accidie the anguyshe of trouble of herte And saynt Augustyne sayeth It is anoye of goodnesse and anoye of harme Certes thys is a dampnable synne for it doth wronge to Iesu Christ in as moche as it benoÌ„meth the seruyce that men ought do to Christe as sayeth Salomon but accidie doth no suche diligence He doth all thynge wyth anoye with wrawnesse slacknesse and excusation wyth ydelnesse and vnlust For whych the boke sayeth Acursed be he that doth the seruice of god negligently TheÌ„ is accidie enemye to euery estate of man For certes the state of man is in thre maners Eyther it is in the estate of Innocency as was the estate of Adam before that he fyll in to synne in whych estate he was hold to worke as in praysynge and laudynge God And ther estate is y e estate of synfull meÌ„ in which estate men bene holden to laboure in prayenge to God for amendement of her synnes and that he woll graunte hem to ryse out of her synnes Another estate is the state of grace in whiche state he is holden to workes of penitence and certes to all these thynges is accidie contrary for he loueth no busynesse at all Nowe certes thys foule synne accidie is also a full great enemye to the lyfelode of the body for it ne hath no purueyaunce ayenst teÌ„porel necessite for it forswoleth forslogeth destroyeth al goodes temporel by rechelesnesse The iiij thynge is that accidie is lyke hem y e bene in the payne of hel bycause of her slouth and heuynesse for they that be dampned bene so bounde that they maye neyther well do ne thynke Of accidie cometh fyrst that a man is anoyed and encombred to do any goodnesse maketh y e God hath abhominacion of such accidie as sayeth saynt Iohn Nowe cometh slouth that wol nat suffre no hardnesse ne penaunce for sothly slouth is so teder and so delycate as sayeth Salomon that he woll suffre no hardnesse ne penaunce and therfore he marreth all that he doth Ayenst thys rotten synne of accidie slouth shulde men exercise hem selfe vse hem to do good workes and maÌ„ly and vertuously catch corage to do thyn kynge that our Lorde Iesu Christe quyteth euery good dede be it neuer so lyte Vsage of labour is a great thyng For it maketh as sayeth saynt Bernard y e labourer to haue stroÌ„ge armes and harde senewes slouth maketh heuye feble and tender Then cometh drede to begynne to worke any good workes For certes
of the good workes that he hathe begonne Than cometh Magnifycence that is to saye whan a man dothe and parformeth great workes of goodnesse that he hath begon and that is th ende why that men shuld do good workes For in the accomplishyng of good workes lyeth the great guerdon ThaÌ„ is there Constance that is stablenesse of corage and thys shulde be in hert by stedfast faythe and in mouthe in beâ—ynge in chere and in dede Also there ben mo specyall remedyes ayenst accidie in dyuers workes as in coÌ„syderatyoÌ„ of y e paynes of hell the ioyes of heuen and in truste of the grace of the holy ghoost that wyll yeue hym myght to performe his good entent ¶ De Auaricia AFter Accidie woll I speke of Auarice and of couetyse Of whych syn saynt Poule sayth the rote of al harmes is couetyse ad Timoth. vi For sothly whan the hert of man is coÌ„founded in it selfe and troubled and that the soule hath lost the confort of god than seketh he an ydell solace of worldlye thynges Auarice after the discryption of saynt Augustyn is a lycorousnesse in hert to haue erthly thynges Some other folke saye that auaryce is for to purchace many erthely thynges nothynge to yeue to hem that haue nede And vnderstonde that auarice stoÌ„deth nat onely in londe ne catel but somtyme in scieÌ„ce and glorye in euerye maner of outragious thynges is Auaryce And couetyse is thys Couetyse is for to coueit suche thynges that thou hast nat And auarice is to with holde kepe suche thynges as thou haste wythout right Sothly this auarice is a synne that is ful daÌ„pnable for al holy writ curseth it speketh ayenst y e vice for it doth wrong to Iesu christ for it taketh fro him the loue that men to hym owe tourneth it backeward ayenst al reason and maketh that the auarycious man hath more hoope in hys catell than in Iesu Christ and dothe more obseruaunce in kepyng of hys treasour than he dothe in the seruyce of Iesu Christ And therfore saythe saynt Poule ad Ephesios quinto That an auarycious man is the thraldome of idolatrye What dyfference is there betwyxt an ydolaster and an auaricyous man But that an ydolaster perauenture ne hathe nat but a mawmet or two the auaricious man hath many For certes euery floreyn in hys coâ—re is his maumet And certes the synne of maumetry is the fyrste that God defended as in the .x. commauÌ„dements it beareth wytnesse in Exodi Capitu. xx Thou shalte haue no false goddes before me ne thou shalte make to the no graue thynge Thus is an auaricious man that loueth hys treasour before God an idolaster And through this cursed synne of Auyryce and Couetyse cometh these harde lordeshyppes through whyche they ben streyned by tyllages customes and cariages more than her duetye or reason is or elles take they of her bondmen amercyamentes whyche myght more resonablye be called extortions than mercyamentes Of whiche amerciamentes or raunsomynge of bondmen some lordes stewardes say that it is rightful for as moche as a churle hath no temporel thynge that it ne is his lordes as they saye But certes these lordshyppes do wrong that bereue theyr bondmen thynges that they neuer yaue hem Augustinus de Ciuitate dei Libro ix Sothe is that the conditioÌ„ of thraldom and the fyrst cause of thraldome was for synne Thus may ye se that th offence deserued thraldome but nat nature Wherfore these lordes ne shulde not moche glorifye hem in her lordeshyps sythe that they by natural coÌ„dycion ben not lordes ouer thralles but for that thraldome came fyrste by the deserte of synne And more ouer there as the law sayth that temporel goodes of bonde folke ben the goodes of her lorde ye that is for to vnderstonde the goodes of the Emperour to defende hem in her ryght but not to robbe hem ne reue hem Therfore saythe Seneca thy prudence shulde lyue benygnly with y e thralles Those that thou callest thy thralles ben goddes people and for humble people ben Christes frendes they ben contubernyall w t the lordes Thynke also that of suche sede as chorles sprynge of suche sede spryng lordes as wel may the chorle be saued as the lorde The same dethe that taketh the chorle suche dethe taketh the lorde Wherfore I rede do right so with the chorle as thou woldest that thy lorde dyd wyth the yf thou were in hys plyght Euery synful man is a chorle to syn I rede the lorde certes that thou werke in suche wyse with thy chorles that they rather loue the thaÌ„ drede the. I wote wel that there is degree aboue degree as reson is and skyll is that men do her deuoyre there as it is due But certes extorcions and dispyte of your vnderlynges is dampnable And ferthermore vnderstonde wel that these conquerours or tyrauntes make ful ofte thralles of hem that ben borne of as royal bloode as ben they that hem conquere This name of thraldom was neuer erst knowe tyl that Noe sayd that his sonne Canam shulde be thral to his brethern for hys synne What saye we than of heÌ„ that pyl and do extorcions to holy church Certes the swerde that men yeue fyrste to a knyght whan he is newe dubbed sygnyfyeth that he shulde defende holy churche and not robbe and pyl it and who so doth he is traytour to Chryst And as saythe saynt Austyn they ben the dyuels woulues that strangle the shepe of Iesu christ and done worse than woulues for sothely whan the woulfe hathe full hys wombe he stynteth to strangle shepe But sothlye the pyllours and dystroyers of holy church goodes ne do not so for they ne stynte neuer to pyll Nowe as I haue sayde sythe so is that synne was fyrste cause of thraldom than is it thus that at the tyme that all thys world was in synne thaÌ„ was al this worlde in thraldom and in subiection but certes syth the tyme of grace came god ordayned y t some folke shulde be more hye in estate and in degre and some folke more lowe and that eche shulde be serued in hys astate And therfore in some couÌ„treys there they be thralles whaÌ„ they haue turned hem to y e faythe they make her thralles free out of thraldome and therfore certes the lorde oweth to hys man that the man oweth to the lorde The pope calleth hym selfe seruaunte of the seruauntes of God but for as the estate of holy churche ne might not haue ben ne the comen profyte myght not haue be kept ne peace ne reste in erthe but yf god had ordayned that some maÌ„ had hier degree and some men lower Therfore was soueraynte ordayned to kepe mayntayne and defende her vnderlynges and her subiectes in reason as ferforth as it lyeth in her power and not to distroye ne confounde hem Wherfore I say that those lordes that ben lyke wolues that deuour the possessyons or the catel of poore folkes wrongfully with out
them skere And wo is the soule that he syngeth fore ¶ The Gryffon began for to threte And sayd of monkes canst thou ought The Pellycan sayd they ben full grete And in thys world moch wo hath wrought Saynt benet that her order brought Ne made hem neuer on suche manere I trowe it came neuer in hys thought That they shulde vse so great power ¶ That a man shulde a monke lorde cal Ne serue on knees as a kynge He is as proude as prynce in pall In meate and drynke and all thynge Some wearen myter and rynge wyth double worsted well ydyght wyth royall meate and ryche drynke And rydeth on a courser as a knyght ¶ Wyth hauke and wyth houndes eke wyth broches or ouches on hys hode Some saye no masse in all a weke Of deynties is her moste foode wyth lordshyppes and wyth bondmen Thys is a royall religion Saynt Benet made neuer none of hem To haue lordshyppe of man ne towne ¶ Nowe they ben queynte and curious wyth fyne clothe cladde and serued clene Proude angry and enuyous Malyce is moche that they meane In catchynge crafty and couetous Lordly lyuen in great lykynge Thys lyuynge is not religious Accordynge to Benette in hys lyuynge ¶ They ben clerkes her courtes they ouer se Her poore tenaunce fully they slyte The hyre that a man amerced be The gladlyer they woll it wryte Thys is farre from Christes pouerte For all wyth couetyse they endyte On the poore they haue no pyte Ne neuer hem cheryshe but euer hem byte ¶ And coÌ„menly suche ben comen Of poore people and of hem begete That thys perfection han ynomen Her father 's ryden not but on her fete And trauaylen sore for that they ete In pouert lyueth yonge and olde Her fathers suffreth drought and wete Many hongry meles thurst and colde ¶ And all thys the monkes han forsake For Christes loue and saynt Benette To pryde and ease haue hem take Thys religion is yuell besette Had they ben out of religioun They must haue honged at the plowe Threshynge dykynge fro towne to towne wyth sory mete and not halfe ynowe ¶ Therfore they han thys all forsake And taken to ryches pryde and ease Full fewe for God woll monkes hem make Lytell is suche order for to prayse Saynt Benet ordayned it not so But badde hem be cherelyche In churlyche maner lyue and go Boystous in earth and not lorâ—lych ¶ They dysclaunder saynt Benette Therfore they haue hys holy curse Saynt Benet wyth hem neuer mette But yf they thought to robbe hys purse I can no more herof tell But they ben lyke tho before And clene serue the dyuell of hell And ben hys treasoure and hys store ¶ And all suche other counterfaytours Chanons Canons and suche dysgysed Ben goddes enemyes and traytours Hys true religion han foule dyspysed Of Freres I haue tolde before In a makynge of a Crede And yet I coulde tell worse and more But men wolde weryen it to rede ¶ As goddes goodnesse no man tell myght wryte ne speake ne thynke in thought So her falshed and her vnryght May no man tell that euer god wrought The Gryffon sayd thou canst no good Thou came neuer of no gentyll kynde Other I trowe thou waxest wood Or els thou hast loste thy mynde ¶ Shulde holy churche haue no heed who shulde be her gouernayle who shulde her rule who shulde her reed who shulde her forthren who shulde auayle Eche man shall lyue by hys trauayle who best doth shall haue moste mede wyth strength yf men the churche assayle wyth strength men must defende her nede ¶ And the pope were purely poore Nedy and nothynge ne hadde He shulde be dryuen from dore to dore The wycked of hym nolde not be dradde Of suche an heed men wolde be sadde And synfully lyuen as hem lust wyth strength amendes suche be made wyth wepen wolues from shepe be wust ¶ Yf the pope and prelates wolde So begge and bydde bowe and borowe Holy churche shulde stande full colde Her seruauntes sytte and soupe sorowe And they were noughty foule and horowe To worshyppe god men wolde wlate Bothe on euen and on morowe Suche harlotry men wolde hate ¶ Therfore men of holy churche Shulde ben honest in all thynge worshypfully goddes workes werche So semeth it to serue Christ her kynge In honest and in clene clothynge wyth vessels of golde and clothes ryche To God honestly to make offrynge To hys lordshypppe none is lyche ¶ The Pellican caste an houge crye And sayd alas why sayest thou so Christ is our heed that sytteth on hye Heddes ne ought we haue no mo we ben hys membres both also And father he taught vs to cal hym al 's Maysters to be called defended he tho All other maysters ben wycked and fals ¶ That taketh maystry in hys name Goostly and for earthly good Kynges and lordes shulde lordshyp hane And rule the people wyth mylde mode Christ for vs that shedde hys blode Badde hys preestes no maystershyp haue Ne carke nat for cloth ne fode From euery myschefe he wyll hem saue ¶ Her ryche clothynge shal be ryghtwysnesse Her treasoure trewe lyfe shal be Charite shal be her rychesse Her lordshyppe shal be vnite Hope in God her honeste Her vessell clene conscience Poore in spirite and humilite Shal be holy churches defence ¶ What sayd the Gryffon may the greue That other folkes faren we le what haste thou to done wyth her lyue Thy falsheed eche man may fele For thou canst no catell gete But lyuest in londe as a lorell wyth glosynge gettest thou thy mete So fareth the deuell that wonneth in hell ¶ He wolde that eche maÌ„ there shulde dwell For he lyueth in clene enuye So wyth the tales that thou doest tell Thou woldest other people dystry wyth your glose and your heresy For ye can lyue no better lyfe But clene in hypocrisy And bryngest the in wo and stryfe ¶ And therwyth haue not to done For ye ne haue here no cure Ye serue the dyuell neyther God ne man And he shall paye you your hyre For ye woll fare well at feestes And warme clothed for the colde Therfore ye glose goddes hestes And begyle the people yonge and olde ¶ And all the seuen sacramentes Ye speake ayenst as ye were slye Ayenst tythynges offringes w t your enteÌ„tes And on our lordes body falsly lye And all thys ye done to lyue in case As who sayeth there ben none suche And sayne the pope is not worth a pease To make the people ayen hym gruche ¶ And thys coÌ„meth in by fendes To brynge the christen in dystaunce For they wolde that no man were frendes Leaue thy chattrynge wyth myschaunce Yf thou lyue well what wylt thou more Let other men lyue as hem lyst Spende in good or kepe in store Other mennes conscience neuer thou nyst ¶ Ye han no cure to answere fore what meddell ye that han not to done Let men lyue as they
But neuer droppe returne maye There maye nothynge as tyme endure Metall nor erthly creature For all thyng it frette and shall The tyme eke that chaungeth all And all doth waxe and fostred be And all thynge destroyeth he The tyme that eldeth our auncestours And eldeth kynges and emperours And that vs all shall ouercōmen Er that deth vs shal haue nōmen The tyme that hath all in welde To elden folke had made her elde So inly that to my wetyng She myght helpe her selfe nothyng But turned ayen vnto chyldheed She had nothyng her selfe to lede Ne wytte ne pythe in her holde More than a chylde of two yere olde But nathelesse I trowe that she was fayre sometyme and fresh to se whan she was in her ryght full age But she was past all that passage And was a doted thyng becōmen A furred cappe on had she nummen well had she clad her selfe and warme For colde myght els done her harme These olde folke haue alwaye colde Her kynde is suche when they ben olde ¶ Another thynge was done there writ That semed lyke an Ipocryt And it was cleped Pope holy That ylke is she that priuely Ne spareth neuer a wycked dede whan men of her take none hede And maketh her outwarde precious wyth pale vysage and pytous And semeth a simple creature But there nys no misauenture That she ne thynketh in her corage Ful lyke to her was thylke ymage That maked was lyke her semblaunce She was ful symple of countenaunce And she was clothed and eke shod As she were for the loue of God Yolden to religion Such semed her deuocion A psauter helde she fast in honde And besyly she gan to fonde To make many a faynt prayere To god and to hys sayntes dere Ne she was gaye freshe ne iolyfe But semed to be ful ententyfe To good werkes and to fayre And therto she had on an hayre Ne certes she was fatte nothyng But semed wery for fastyng Of colour pale and deed was she From her the gates aye werned be Of paradyse that blysful place For such folke maken leane her grace As Christ sayeth in hys Euangyle To gette hem prise in towne a whyle And for a lytle glory veigne They lesen god and eke hys reigne ¶ And alderlaste of euerychone was paynted Pouert al alone That nat a peny had in holde Although she her clothes solde And though she shulde an honged be For naked as a worme was she And yf the wether stormy were For colde she myght haue dyed there She ne had on but a strayte olde sacke And many a cloute on it there stacke Thys was her cote and her mantele No more was there neuer adele To cloth her wyth I vndertake Great leyser had she to quake And she was put that I of talke Ferre fro these other vp in an halke There lurked and there coured she For poore thyng where so it be Is shamefaste and dispised aye Acursed may well be that daye That poore man conceyued is For god wot al to selde iwys Is any pore man well yfedde Or well arayed or ycledde Or well beloued in such wyse In honour that he maye aryse ¶ Al these thynges wel auysed As I haue you er thys deuysed wyth golde and assure ouer all Depaynted were on the wall Square was the wall and hygh somdele Enclosed and ybarred wele In stede of hegge was that gardyn Come neuer shepherde therin In to that gardyn wel wrought who so that me coulde haue brought By ladders or els by degre It wolde wel haue lyked me For such solace such ioy and pley I trowe that neuer man ne sey As was in that place delicious The gardyn was not daungerous To herberowe byrdes many one So ryche a yere was neuer none Of byrdes songe and braunches grene Therin were byrdes mo I wene Then bene in al the realme of Fraunce Ful blisful was the accordaunce Of swete pytous songe they made For al thys worlde it ought glade And I my selfe so mery ferde whan I her blysful songes herde That for an hundred pounde wolde I If that the passeage openly Had be vnto me free That I nolde entren for to se Thassemble god kepe it 〈◊〉 care Of byrdes whych therin ware That songen through her mery throtes Daunces of loue and mery notes whan I thus herde foules synge I fell fast in a waymentyng By whych arte or by what engyn I myght come in to that gardyn But way I couthe fynde none In to that gardayn for to gone Ne nought wyst I yf that there were Eyther hole or place where By whych I might haue entre Ne there was none to teache me For I was al a lone I wys For wo and anguyshe of thys Tyl at laste bethought I me That by no waye ne myght it be That there nas ladder ne way to pace Or hole in to so fayre a place Tho gan I go a ful great paas Enuyron euen in compas The closyng of the square wall Tyl that I founde a wicket small So shette that I ne might in gone And other entre was there none Vpon the dore I gan to smyte That was fetys and so lyte For other way coulde I not seke Ful longe I shofe and knocked eke And stode full longe al herkenynge If that I herde any wyght comynge Tyl that the dore of thylke entre A mayden curteys opened me Her heer was as yelowe of hewe As any basen scoured newe Her fleshe tender as is a chycke with bent browes smoth and slycke And by measure large were The openyng of her eyen clere Her nose of good proporcion Her eyen gray as is a faucon with swete breth and wel sauoured Her face white and wel coloured with lytle mouth and rounde to se A cloue chynne eke had she Her necke was of good fassyon In length and greatnesse by reason without bleyne scabbe or royne Fro Hierusalem vnto Burgoyne There nys a fayre necke ywys To fele howe smoth and softe it is Her throte also white of hewe As snowe on braunche snowed newe Of body ful wel wrought was she Men neden not in no countre A fayrer body for to seke And of fyne Orfrays had she eke A chapelet so semely on Ne wered neuer mayde vpon And fayre aboue that chapelet A rose garlande had she set She had a gay mirrour And wyth a rych golde tresour Her heed was tressed queyntly Her sleues sewed fetously And for to kepe her handes fayre Of gloues white she had a payre And she had on a cote of grene Of cloth of Gaunt withouten wene wel semed by her apparayle She was not wont to great trauayle For whan she kempt was fetouslye And wel arayed and rychly Than had she done al her iournee For mery and wel begone was she She ladde a lusty lyfe in Maye She had no thought by nyght ne daye Of nothyng but yf it were onely To grayth her well and vncouthly whan that thys dore had opened me
couthe they the gyse what shulde I more to you deuyse Ne bode I neuer thence go whyles that I sawe hem daunce so Vpon the karole wonder faste I gan beholde tyl at last A lady gan me for to espye And she was cleped curtesye The worshypfull the debonayre I praye to god euer fal her fayre Ful curteysly she called me what do ye there Beau sire ê™ she Come and yf it lyke you To dauncen daunceth wyth vs now And I wythout taryeng went in to the carollyng I was abashed neuer a dele But it to me lyked ryght wele That curtesye me cleped so And bade me on the daunce go For yf I had durst certayne I wolde haue karoled ryght fayne As man that was to daunce right blyth Than gan I loke ofte syth The shap the bodyes and the cheres The countenaunce and the maneres Of all the folke that daunced there And I shall tell what they were Ful fayre was myrth ful longe and high A fayrer man I neuer sigh As rounde as appel was his face Full roddy and whyte in euery place Fetys he was and well besey with metely mouthe and eyen grey Hys nose by mesure wrought full ryght Cryspe was his heere and eke full bryght His shulders of large brede And smallyshe in the gyrdelstede He semed lyke a purtreyture So noble he was of hys stature So fayre so ioly and so fetyse with lymmes wrought at poynt deuyse Delyuer smerte and of great myght Ne sawe thou neuer man so lyght Of herde vnneth had he nothyng For it was in the fyrst spryng Full yonge he was and mery of thought And in samette wyth byrdes wrought And wyth golde beten full fetously Hys bodye was clad full rychly wrought was hys robe in straunge gyse And all to slyttered for queyntyse In many a place lowe and hye And shode he was with great maystrye wyth shone decoped and wyth lace By drury and by solace Hys leefe a rosen chapelet Had made and on hys heed it set And were ye who was hys sefe Dame gladnesse there was hym so lefe That syngeth so well wyth glad corage That from she was twelue yere of age She of her loue graunt hym made Sir myrth her by the fynger hade Daunsynge and she hym also Greate loue was a twixt hem two Both were they fayre and bryght of hewe She semed lyke a rose newe Of colours and her fleshe so tendre That wyth a brere smalle and tendre Men myght it cleue I dare well seâ— Her forheed frouncels al pley Bent were her browes two Her eyen gray and glad also That laugheden aye in her semblaunt Fyrst or the mouthe by couenaunt I wot not what of her nose I shal discryue So fayre hath no woman a lyue Her heere was yelowe and clere shynyng I wot no lady so lykyng Or frayes freshe was her garlande I whiche haue sene a thousande Sawe neuer ywys no garlande yet So well wrought of sylke as it And in an ouergylte samyte Cladde she was by greate delyte Of whiche her leefe a robe werde The meryer she in her herte ferde And next her went on her other syde The god of loue that can deuyde Loue and as hym lyketh it be But he can cherles daunten he And maken folkes pride fallen And he can well these lordes thrallen And ladyes put at lowe degre whan he maye hem to proude se Thys god of loue of hys fassyoun was lyke no knaue ne quystroun Hys beautie greatly was to prise But of his robe to deuyse I drede encombred for to be For not ycladde in sylke was he But all in floures and stourettes I paynted all wyth amorettes And wyth losenges and scochons wyth byrdes lyberdes and lyons And other beastes wrought full wele Hys garment was euerydele Ypurtrayed and ywrought wyth flours By diuers medelynge of colours Floures there were of many gyse Yset by compace in a syse There lacked no floure to my dome Ne not so muche as floure of brome Ne vyolet ne eke peruynke Ne floure none that men can on thynke And many a rose lefe full longe was entermedled there amonge And also on hys heed was set Of roses reed a chapelet But nyghtyngales a full greate route That flyen ouer hys heede aboute The leaues felden as they flyen And he was al with byrdes wrien with popingay with nyghtyngale with chaulaundre and with wodewale wyth fynche with larke and with archaÌ„gel He semed as he were an angel That downe were comen fro heuen clere Loue had wyth hym a bachelere That he made alwayes wyth hym be Swete lokynge clepyng was he Thys bacheler stode beholdyng The daunce and in hys hande holdyng Turke bowes two full wel deuysed had he That one of hem was of a tree That beareth a fruite of sauoure wicke Ful croked was that foule stycke And knotty here and there also And blacke as bery or any slo That other vowe was of a plante without wemme I dare warrante Ful euen and by proporcion Trectes and longe of ful good fassyon And it was paynted well and twhitten And ouer al diapred and written wyth ladyes and with bacheleres Ful lyghtsome and glad of cheres These bowes two helde swete lokyng That semed lyke no gadlyng And ten brode arowes helde he there Of whych fyue in hys ryghthande were But they were shauen well and dyght Nocked and fethered aryght And al they were wyth golde begon And stronge poynted euerychon And sharpe for to keruen wele But yron was there none ne stele For al was golde men myght se Out take the fethers and the tree THe swyfteste of these arowes fyue Out of a bowe for to dryue And best fethered for to flye And fayrest eke was cleped beautie That other arowe that hurteth lesse was cleped as I trowe Symplesse the thyrde cleped was Fraunchyse That fethered was in noble wyse wyth valour and wyth curtesye The fourth was cleped companie That heuy for to shoten is But who so shoteth ryght ywys May therwith done great harme and wo The fyfth of these and last also Fayre Semblaunt men that arowe cal The leest greuous of hem al yet can it make a full greate wounde But he maye hope hys sores sounde That hurt is wyth that arowe ywys Hys wo the better bestowed is For he maye soner haue gladnesse His langour ought to be the lesse FIue arowes were of other gyse That bene full foule to deuyse For shaft end soth for to tel were also black as fend in hel The fyrst of hem is called pride That other arowe next hym besyde It was cleped vyllanye That arowe was as with felonye Enuenymed and wyth spitous blame The thyrde of hem was cleped shame The fourth wanhope cleped is The fyfth the newe thought ywys These arowes that I speke of here were all fyue on one manere And all were they resemblable To hem was wel syttyng and able The foule croked bowe hydous That knotty was and all roynous That bowe semed
subtelly The yron that is layde therby So draweth folkes hertes ywys Syluer and golde that yeuen is Largesse had on a robe freshe Of ryche purpure Sarlynyshe well fourmed was her face and clere And opened had she her colere For she ryght there had in present Vnto a lady made present Of a golde broche full well wrought And certes it myssate her nought For through her smocke wrought with sylke The fleshe was sene as whyte as mylke Largesse that worthy was and wyse Helde by the honde a knyght of pryse was sybbe to Arthour of Breteygne And that was he that bare the enseygne Of worshyp and the Gousfaucoun And yet he is of suche renoun That men of hym saye fayre thynges Before barons erles and kynges Thys knyght was comen all newly Fro tourneynge faste by There had he done great chyualrye Through hys vertue and hys maystrye And for the loue of hys lemman He caste downe many a doughty man And nexte hym daunced dame Fraūchyse Arayed in full noble gyse She nas not browne ne dunne of hewe But whyt as snowe yfallen newe Her nose was wrought at poynt deuyse For it was gentyll and tretyse wyth eyen glad and browes hent Her heer downe to her heles went And she was symple as downe on tree Full debonayre of herte was she She durst neyther saye ne do But that that hyr longeth to And yf a man were in dystresse And for her loue in heuynesse Her herte wolde haue full great pyte She was so amyable and free For were a man for her bestadde She wolde ben ryght sore adradde That she dyd ouer great outrage But she hym holpe hys harme taswage Her thought it all a vylanye And she had on a suckeny That not of hempe heerdes was So fayre was none in all Arras Lorde it was ryddeled fetylly There nas not a poynt truely That it nas in hys ryght assyse Full well yclothed was Fraunchyse For there nys no cloth sytteth bette On damosell then doth rokette A woman well more fetyse is In rokette then in cote ywys The whyte rokette ryddeled fayre Betokeneth that full debonayre And swete was she that it bere By her daunced a Bachelere I can not tellen you what he hyght But fayre he was and of good hyght All had he ben I saye no more The lordes sonne of wyndesore And next that daunced Curtesye That praysed was of lowe and hye For neyther proude ne fole was she She for to daunce called me I praye God gyue her good grace For when I come fyrst into the place She nas not nyce ne outrageous But wyse and ware and vertuous Of fayre speche and fayre answere was neuer wyght myssayde of here She bare no rauncour to no wyght Clere browne she was and therto bryght Of face and body auenaunt I wotte no lady so pleasaunt She were worthy for to bene An emperesse or crowned quene And by her went a knyght dauncynge That worthy was and well speakynge And full well coude he done honour The knyght was fayre and styffe in stour And in armure a semely man And welbeloued of hys lemman ¶ Fayre Idelnesse then saugh I That alwaye was me fast by Of her haue I wythout fayle Tolde you the shappe and appareyle For as I sayd Lo that was she That dyd to me so great bounte She the gate of that garden Vndyd and let me passen in And after daunced as I gesse And she fulfylled of lustynesse That nas not yet .xij. yere of age wyth herte wylde and thought volage Nyce she was but she ne mente None harme ne sleyght in her entente But onely lust and iolyte For yonge folke well weten ye Haue lytell thought but on her playe Her lemman was besyde alwaye In suche a gyse that he her kyste At all tymes that hym lyste That all the daunce myght it se They make no force of preuyte For who so spake of hem yuell or wele They were ashamed neuer a dele But men myght sene hem kysse there As it two yonge douues were For yonge was thylke bachelere Of beaute wote I none hys pere And he was ryght of suche an age As Youth hys lefe and suche corage The lusty folke that daunced there And also other that wyth hem were That weren all of her meyne Full hende folke wyse and free And folke of fayre porte truely There were all comenly when I had sene the countenaunces Of hem that ladden thus these daunces Then had I wyll to gone and se The garden that so lyked me And loken on these fayre Laurelles On Pyne trees Cedres and Olmeres The daunces then ended were For many of hem that daunced there where wyth her loues went away Vnder the trees to haue her playe A Lorde they lyued lustely A Great foole were he sekerly That nolde hys thākes such lyfe lede For thys dare I sayne out of drede That who so myght so well fare For better lyfe durst hym not care For there nys so good paradyse As to haue a loue at hys deuyse Out of that place went I tho And in that gardyn gan I go Playenge alonge full merely The god of Loue full hastely Vnto hym Swete lokynge clepte No lenger wolde he that she kepte Hys bowe of golde that shone so bryght He had hem bent anone ryght And he full sone sette an ende And at a brayde he gan it bende And toke hym of hys arowes fyue Full sharpe and ready for to dryue Nowe God that sytteth in maieste Fro deedly woundes he kepe me Yf so be that he had me shete For yf I wyth hys arowe mete It had me greued sore ywys But I that nothynge wyst of thys went vp and downe full many a waye And he me folowed fast alwaye But no where wolde I resle me Tyll I had in all the garden be THe garden was by measurynge Ryght euen and square in compasynge It as longe was as it was large Of fruyte had euery tre hys charge But it were any hydous tree Of whych there were two or thre There were and that wote I full we le Of Pome garnettes a full great dele That is a frute full well to lyke Namely to folke when they be syke And trees there were great foyson That baren nuttes in her season Suche as men nutmygges call That swote of sauour ben wythall And Almandres great plente Fygges and many a date tre There weren yf men had nede Through the gardyn in length and brede There was eke werynge many a spyce As clowe gylofre and lycorice Gyngere and greyne de Parys Canell and setewale of prys And many a spyce delytable To eaten when men ryse fro table And many homely trees ther were That peches coynes and apples bere Medlers plommes peeres chesteynis Cheryse of whych many one fayne is Notes aleys and bolas That for to sene it was solas wyth many hygh laurer and pyne was renged clene all that gardyne wyth Cypres and wyth Olyueris Of whych
wyll fully at gre Holy and playne I yelde me wythout feynyng or feyntyse To be gouerned by your empryse Of you I here so moche price I woll ben hole at your deuyce For to fulfyll your lykyng And repente for nothyng Hopyng to haue yet in some tyde Mercy of that I abyde And wyth that couenaunt yelde I me Anone downe knelyng vpon my kne Proferyng for to kysse hys fete But for nothyng he wolde me lete ANd said I loue the bothe and preise Sens that thyn answer doth me ese For thou answered so curtesly For now I wote wel vtterly That thou arte gentyll by thy speche For though a man ferre wolde seche He shulde not fynden in certayne No suche answere of no vilayne For suche a worde ne myght nought Isse out of a vilayns thought Thou shalt not lesen of thy speche For thy helpyng woll I eche And eke encresen that I maye But fyrst I woll that thou obaye Fully for thyne auauntage Anon to do me here homage And sythe kysse thou shalte my mouthe whiche to no vilayne was neuer couthe For to aproche it ne for to touche For saufe of cherles I ne vouche That they shall neuer neyght it nere For curteys and of fayre manere well taught and full of gentylnysse He muste ben that shall me kysse And also of full hygh fraunchyse That shall atteyne to that emprese And fyrst of o thyng warne I the That payne and great aduersyte He mote endure and eke trauayle That shall me serue without fayle But there agaynst the to comforte And wyth thy seruyce to disporte Thou mayst full glad and ioyfull be So good a mayster to haue as me And lorde of so hygh renoun I beare of loue the Gonfenoun Of Curtesy the banere For I am of the selfe manere Gentyll curteys meke and fre That who euer ententyfe be Me to honoure doute and serue And also that he hym obserue Fro trespace and fro vilanye And hym gouerne in curtesye wyth wyll and wyth entencion For whan he fyrst in my prison Is caught than muste he vtterly Fro thence forthe full besyly Caste hym gentyll for to be If he desyre helpe of me Anon without more delay withouten daunger or affray I become hys man anone And gaue hym thankes many a one And kneled downe wyth hondes ioynt And made it in my porte ful queynt The ioye went to my hert rote whan I had kyssed hys mouthe so swote I had suche myrthe and suche lykyng It cured me of languyshyng He asked of me than hostages I haâ—te he sayd taken fele homages Of one and other where I haue bene Disteyned ofte withouten wene These felons ful of falsyte Haue many sythes begyled me And through her falshede her luste acheued Wherof I repent and am agreued And I hem get in my daungere Her falshede shull they bye full dere But for I loue the I say the playne I woll of the be more certayne For the so sore I woll nowe bynde That thou away ne shalt not wynde For to denyen the couenaunt Or done that is not auenaunt That thou were false it were great ruthe Sythe thou semest so full of truthe Sir yf the lyst to vnderstande I meruayle the askyng thys demande For why or wherfore shulde ye Hostages or borowes aske of me Or any other sykernesse Sythe ye wot in sothfastnesse That ye me haue susprised so And hole myne herte taken me fro That it woll do for me nothyng But yf it be at your byddyng Myne herte is yours and myn right nought As it behoueth in dede and thought Redy in all to worche your wyll whether so turne to good or yll So sore it lusteth you to plese No man therof may you disese Ye haue theron sette suche iustyse That it is werreyed in many wyse And yf ye doute it nolde obey Ye may therof do make a key And holde it wyth you for hostage Nowe certes thys is none outrage Quod loue and fully I accorde For of the body he is full lorde That hath the herte in hys tresore Outrage it were to asken more THan of his aumener he drough A lytell key fetyse ynough which was of gold polished cler And said to me w t this key here Thyn hert to me nowe woll I shette For all my iowell loke and knette I bynde vnder this lytell key That no wight maye cary awey This key is full of great poste wyth whyche anon he touched me Vnder the syde full softely That he myne herte sodaynly wythout anoye hadde speered That yet right nought it hath me deered Whan he hadde done his wyll all out And I had putte hem out of doute Syr I sayd I haue right great wyll Your luste and pleasure to fulfyll Loke ye my seruyce take at gree By thylke faythe ye owe to me I saye nought for recreaundyse For I nought doute of your seruyce But the seruaunt traueyleth in vayne That for to seruen dothe hys payne Vnto that lorde whyche in no wyse Conne hym no thanke for hys seruyce LOue sayd dismay the nought Syth thou for socour haste me sought In thaÌ„ke thy seruice wol I take And high of degree I woll the make If wyckednesse ne hynder the But as I hoope it shall nought be To worshyppe no wyght by auenture Maye come but yf he payne endure Abyde and suffre thy distresse That hurteth nowe it shall be lesse I wotte my selfe what maye the saue What medicyne thou woldest haue And yf thy trouthe to me thou kepe I shall vnto thyne helpyng eke To cure thy woundes and make hem clene where so they be olde or grene Thou shalte be holpen at wordes fewe For certaynly thou shalte well shewe Where that thou seruest with good wyll For to accomplyshen and fulfyll My commaundementes daye and nyght whyche I to louers yeue of right AH syr for goddes loue sayd I Er ye passe hens ententyfely Your commaundemeÌ„tes to me ye say And I shall kepe hem yf I may For hem to kepen is all my thought And yf so be I wote hem nought Than maye I vnwyttingly Wherfore I praye you entierly wyth all myne herte me to lere That I trespace in no manere The god of Loue than charged me Anone as ye shall here and se worde by worde by right empryse So as the Romaunt shall deuyse The maister leseth hys tyme to lere whan the disciple woll nat here It is but vayne on hym to swynke That on hys lernynge woll nat thynke Who so luste loue lette hym entende For nowe the Romance begynneth to ameÌ„de Nowe is good to here in faye If any be that canne it saye And poynt it as the reason is Sette for other gate ywis It shall nat well in all thyng Be brought to good vnderstondyng For a reder that poynteth yll A good sentence maye ofte spyl The boke is good at the endyng Made of newe and lusty thyng For who so woll the endyng here The crafte of loue he
Nowe downwarde grosse nowe vpright And walowe in wo the longe nyght Thyn armes shalte thou sprede a brede As man in werre were forwerede Than shall the come a remembraunce Of her shappe and her semblaunce wherto none other maye be pere And wete thou well wythout were That the shall se somtyme that nyght That thou haste her that is so bryght Naked betwene thyne armes there All sothfastnesse as though it were Thou shalte than make castels in Spayne And dreme of ioye al but it vayne And the delyten of ryght nought whyle thou so slombrest in that thought That so swete and delytable The whyche in soth nys but a fable For it ne shall no whyle laste Than shalte thou syghe and wepe faste And saye dere god what thynge is this My dreme is turned all amys whyche was ful swete and apparent But nowe I wake it is all shent Nowe yede thys mery thought away Twenty tymes vpon a day I wolde thys thought wolde come agayne For it alegeth well my payne It maketh me full of ioyefull thought It sleeth me that it lasteth nought Ah lorde why nyll ye me socoure The ioye I trowe that I langoure The deth I wolde me shulde slo whyle I lye in her armes two Myne harme is harde wythouten wene My great vnease full ofte I mene BVt wolde loue do so I myght Haue fully ioye of her so bryght My payne were quitte me richly Alas to greate a thynge aske I It is but folye and wronge wenyng To aske so outragious a thyng And who so asketh folyly He mote be warned hastely And I ne wote what I maye say I am so ferre out of the way For I wolde haue full great lykyng And full greate ioye of lasse thyng For wolde she of her gentylnesse withouten more me ones kesse It were to me a greate guerdon Relece of al my passion But it is harde to come therto All is but foly that I do So hygh I haue myne herte sette where I maye no comforte gette I wote not where I saye wel or nought But thys I wote well in my thought Thet it were better of her alone For to stynte my wo and mone A loke on her I cast goodly That for to haue all vtterly Of an other all hole the play Ah lorde where I shal byde the day That euer she shal my lady be He is full cured that maye her se A god whan shall the dawnyng sprynge To lyggen thus is an angry thynge I haue no ioye thus here to lye whan that my loue is not me bye A man to lyen hath great disese whyche may not slepe ne rest in ese I wolde it dawed and were now day And that the nyght were went away For were it daye I wolde vp ryse Ah slowe sunne shewe thyne enprise Spede the to sprede thy beemes bryght And chace the derkenesse of the nyght To put away the stoundes stronge whych in me lasten al to longe The nyght shalte thou contynue so wythout rest in payne and wo yf euer thou knewe of loue distresse Thou shall mowe lerne in that sickenesse And thus endurynge shalte thou lye And ryse on morowe vp erly Out of thy bedde and harneys the Er euer dawnyng thou mayst se Al priuely than shalte thou gone what whyder it be thy selfe alone For reyne or hayle for snowe for slete Thyder she dwelleth that is so swete The whiche may fall a slepe be And thynketh but lytle vpon the Than shalte thou go ful foule aferde Loke yf the gate be vnsperde And wayte wythout in wo and payne Ful yuel a coulde in wynde and rayne Than shalt thou go the dore before If thou mayst fynde any shore Or hole or refte what euer it were Than shalte thou stoupe and laye to eerâ— If they wythin a slepe be I meane al saue thy lady free whom wakynge yf thou mayst aspye Go put thy selfe in inpardye To aske grace and the bymene That she may wete wythout wene That thou nyght no reste haste had So sore for her thou were bestad women well ought pytie to take Of hem that sorowen for her sake And loke for loue of that relyke That thou thynke none other lyke For whan thou hast so great annoy Shal kysse the er thou go awey And holde that in ful great deynte And for that no man shal the se Before the house ne in the way Loke thou begone agayne er day Such commyng and such goyng Such heuynesse and such walkyng Maketh louers wythouten any wene Vnder her clothes pale and lene For loue leaueth coloure ne cleernesse who loueth trewe hath no fatnesse Thou shalt well by thy selfe se That thou must nedes assayed be For men that shape hem other way Falsely her ladyes for to betray It is no wonder though they be fatte wyth false othes her loues they gatte For ofte I se suche losengeours Fatter than Abottes or priours Yet wyth o thynge I the charge That is to saye that thou be large Vnto the mayde that her doth serue So best her thanke thou shalt deserue yeue her gyftes and get her grace For so thou may thanke purchace That she the worthy holde and fre Thy lady and al that may the se Also her seruauntes worshyp aye And please as much as thou maye Great good through hem maye come to the Bycause wyth her they bene priue They shal her tell howe they the fande Curreys and wyse and wel doande And she shal preyse wel the more Loke out of lande thou be not fore And yf such cause thou haue that the Behoueth to gone out of countre Leaue hole thyne hert in hostage Tyl thou agayne make thy passage Thynke longe to se the swete thyng That hath thyne herte in her kepyng Nowe haue I tolde the in what wyse A louer shal do me seruice Do it than yf thou wolte haue The mede that thou after craue WHan loue al thys had boden me I sayd hym sir howe may it be That louers may in such manere Endure y e paine ye haue said here I meruayle me wonder faste Howe any man may lyue or laste In such payne and such brennyng In sorowe and thought and such syghyng Aye vnrelesed wo to make whether so it be they slepe or wake In such anoy continually As helpe me god this meruayle I Howe man but he were made of stele Myght lyue a month such paynes to fele THe God of loue than sayde me Frende by the fayth I owe to the May no man haue good but he it bye A man lyueth more tenderlye The thyng that he hath bought moste dere For wete thou well wythout were In thanke that thinge is taken more For whych a man hath suffred sore Certes no wo ne may attayne Vnto the sore of loues payne None yuell therto ne may amounte No more than a man counte The droppes that of the water be For drye as wel the greate see Thou myghtest as the harmes tell Of hem that wyth loue dwell In seruice
tyme He held his pees non other bote him gayned For loue began his fethers so to lyme That wel vnneth vnto his folke he fayned That other besy nedes hym distrayned So wo was hym that what to done he nyst But bad his folke to gon where as hem lyst And whan that he in chambre was alone He downe on his beddes fete hym sette And fyrst he gan to syke and efte to grone And thought aye on her so withouten lette That as he satte and woke his spyrite mette That he her saugh and temple all y e wyse Ryght of her loke and gan it newe auyse Thus gā he make a myrrour of hys mynde In whiche he saugh al holy her fygure And that he wel coude in hys herte fynde It was to him a right good auenture To loue suche one and yf he dyd hys cure To seruen her yet myght he fall in grace Or els for one of her seruauntes pace Imaginyng that traueyle nor grame Ne myght for so goodly one be lorne As she ne hym for hys desyre no shame Al were it wyft but in prise and vp borne Of al louers wel more than beforne This argumented he in hys gynnyng Full vnauysed of hys wo commyng Thus toke he purpose louers crafte to sewe And thought he wolde worken priuely Fyrst to hyde his desyre in mewe From euery wight yborne al ouerly But he myght aught recouered ben therby Remēbryng him that loue to wyde yblowe Yelte bytter fruit though swete sede be sowe And ouer al this ful mokel more he thought what for to speke and what to holden inne And what to arten her to loue he sought And on a songe anon right to begynne And gan loude on hys sorowe for to wynne For with good hope he gan fully assente Creseyde for to loue and nought repente And of his songe not onely his sentence As writte myne auctour called Lollius But playnly saue our tonges difference I dare wel say in all that Troylus Said in his song lo euery worde right thus As I shall sayne and who so lyste it here Lo next this verse he may it fynde here ¶ The songe of Troylus IF no loue is o god what fele I so And yf loue is what thīg and whiche is he If Loue be good frome whēce cometh my wo If it be wycke a wonder thynketh me Whan euery turment and aduersyte That cometh of him may to me sauory thīke For aye thurst I the more that yche it drinke And yf that at myne owne lust I brenne Frō whēce cometh my wayling my pleynte If harme agree me wherto playn I thenne I not ne why vnwery that I feynte O quicke dethe o swete harme so queynte Howe may of the in me be suche quantyte But yf that I consente that it so be And yf that I consente I wrongfully Complayne ywis thus possed to and fro Al sterelesse within a bote am I A mydde the see atwyxen wyndes two That in contrarie stonden euer mo Alas what is thys wonder maladye For heate of colde for colde of heate I dye And to the god of loue thus sayd he wyth pytous voyce O lorde nowe yours is My spyrite whiche that ought yours be You thanke I lorde y e hā me brought to this But whether goddesse or woman ywis She be I not whiche that ye do me serue But as her man I wol aye lyue and sterue Ye stonden in her eyen mightyly As in a place to your vertue digne wherfore lorde yf my seruyce or I May lyken you so beth to me benigne For myne estate royall here I resigne In to her honde and with full humble chere Become her man as to my lady dere In hym ne deigned sparen bloode royall The fyre of loue wherfro god me blesse Ne hym forbare in no degre for all Hys vertue or his excellent prowesse But helde hym as his thrall lowe in distresse And brende him so in sondrie wyse aye newe That sixty tymes a day he lost his hewe So mochel day fro day hys own thought For luste to her gan quicken and increase That eueryche other charge he set at nought For thy full ofte hys hotte fyre to cease To sene her goodly loke he gan to prease For therby to ben eased well he wende And aye the nere he was the more he brende For aye the nere the fyre the hotter is This trowe I knoweth all this companye But were he ferre or nere I dare say thys By nyght or day for wysedom or folye His herte whyche that is his brestes eye was aye on her that fayrer was to sene Than euer was Heleyne or Polixene Eke of the day there passed not an houre That to him selfe a thousande tyme he seyde God goodly to whom I serue and laboure As I best can nowe wolde god Creseyde Ye wolden on me rewe er that I deyde My dere herte alas myne heele and hewe And lyfe is loste but ye woll on me rewe Al other dredes weren from hym fledde Bothe of thassiege and hys sauacion Ne in desyre non other fownes bredde But argumentes to hys conclusyon That she on hym wolde han compassyon And he to ben her man whyle he may dure Lo here hys lyfe and from his dethe his cure The sharpe shoures fell of armes preue That Hector or hys other bretherne dydden Ne made hym only therfore ones meue And yet washe where so mē went or rydden Founde one y e beste and lengest tyme abyden There peryl was and dyd eke such trauayle In armes that to thynke it was meruayle But for none hate he to the grekes had Ne also for the rescous of the toun Ne made hym thus in armes for to mad But onely lo for thys conclusyoun To lyken her the bette for hys renoun Fro day to day in armes so he spedde That the Grekes as the dethe hym dredde And fro this forth to reste him loue his slepe And made his meate his foe eke his sorow Gan multiplye that who so toke kepe It shewed in his hewe both eue and morow Therfore a tytle he gan hym for to borowe Of other sicknesse leste men of hym wende That the hotte fyre of loue hym brende And sayd he had a feuer and fared amys But were it certayne I can nat say If that hys lady vnderstode nat thys Or fayned her she nyste one of the twey But well rede I that by no maner wey Ne semed it that she on hym rought Or of hys payne what so euer he thought But than felte this Troylus suche wo that he was wel nigh wode for aye his drede was this that she some wyght loued so That neuer of hym she wolde han takē hede For which him thought he felt his hert blede Ne of hys wo ne durst he nought begynne To tellen her for all thys worlde to wynne But whan he had a space from his care Thus to hym selfe full ofte he gan to playne He sayd o foole
hym so bounden in a snare Al for the doughter of the kyng Admete That all hys craft ne coude hys sorowe bete Right so fare I vnhappy for me I loue one best and that me smerteth sore And yet parauenture can I reden the And nat my selfe repreue me no more I haue no cause I wot well for to sore As dothe an hauke that lysteth for to play But to thyne helpe yet somwhat can I say And of o thyng right syker mayst thou be That certayne for to dyen in the payne That I shall neuer mo discouer the Ne by my trouhe I kepe not restreyne The fro thy loue all though it were Heleyne That is thy brothers wyfe yf yche it wyste Be what she be and loue her as the lyst Therfore as frendfullyche in me assure And tell me platte what is thyn encheson And fynall cause of wo that ye endure For douteth nothyng myne entencion Nas nat to you of reprehensyon To speke as nowe for no wight may byreue A man to loue tyll that hym lyst to leue And weteth wel that both two ben vycis Mystrusten all or elles all leue But well I wot the meane of it no vyce is As for to trusten some wight is a preue Of trouth and for thy wold I fayne remeue Thy wronge coÌ„ceyte do y t som wight trust Thy wo to tell and tell me yf the lust The wyse eke sayth wo hym that is alone For and he fall he hath none helpe to ryse And sythe thou haste a felowe tell thy mone For thys nys nought certayne the next wyse To wynnen loue as techen vs the wyse To walowe and wepe as Niobe the quene whose teeres yet in marble ben ysene Let be thy wepyng and thy drerynesse And let vs lyssen wo wyth other speche So may thy wofull tyme seme lesse Delyte naught in wo thy wo to seche As don these fooles that her sorowes eche wyth sorowe whan they han misauenture And lusten nought to sechen other cure Men sayne to wretche is consolacion To haue another felawe in his payne That ought well ben our opinyon For bothe thou and I of loue playne 〈◊〉 full of sorowe am I sothe to sayne That certainly no more harde grace May syt on me for why there is no space If god woll thou art nought agast of me Lâ—ste I wolde of thy lady the begyle Thou wost thy selfe whoÌ„ that I loue parde As I best can gon sythen longe whyle And sythen thou wost I do it for no wyle And sythe I am he that thou trustest moste Crime somwhat sens al my wo thou woste ¶ Yet Troylus for al thys no word sayde But longe he lay styll as he deed were And after thys wyth sykyng he abrayde And to Pandarus voyce he lente hys eere And vp his ayen caste he and than in seere was Pandarus leste that in frenseye He shulde fall or els sone deye And said a wake ful wonderlyche sharpe what slombrest thou as in a lytargye Or arte thou lyke an asse to the harpe That hereth soun whaÌ„ men y t stringes ply But in hys mynde of that no melodye Maye synke him to gladen for that he So dull is in hys bestyalite And with this PaÌ„dare of his wordes stent But Troylus to hym no thyng answerde For why to tel was nought hys entent Neuer to no man for whom that he so ferde For it is sayd men maken ofte a yerde wyth whiche the maker is hym selfe ybeten In sondrie maner as these wyse treten And namelyche in hys counsayle tellyng That toucheth loue that ought ben â—eâ—re For of hym selfe it woll ynough out spryng But yf that it the bet gouerned be Eke somtyme it is crafte to seme slee For thyng whiche in effecte men hunteÌ„ faste All this gan Troylus in hys herte caste But nathelesse whaÌ„ he had herde him cry â–ª A wake he gan and syke wonder sore And sayd frende though that I styll lye I nam nat deefe nowe peace crye no more For I haue herde thy wordes and thy lore But suffre me my fortune to bewaylen For thy prouerbes may nought me auaylen Nor other cure canst thou none for me Eke I nyl not ben cured I woll dey what knowe I of the quene Niobe Let be thyne olde ensamples I the prey No frende ê™ Pandarus therfore I sey Suche is delyte of fooles to bewepe Her wo but seken boote they ne kepe Nowe knowe I that reson in the fayleth But tell me yf I wyste what she were For whom that the all misauenture ayleth Durste thou that I tolde it in her eere Thy wo sith thou darst not thy self for feere And her besought on the to han some routhe why nay ê™ he by God and by my trouthe What not as besily ê™ Pandarus As though myne owne lyfe lay in this nede why no parde sir ê™ thys Troylus And why for that thou shuldest neuer spede woste thou that well ye that is out of drede ê™ Troylus for al that euer ye conne She wol to no such wretche as I be wonne ê™ Pandarus alas what may this be That thou dispayred arte thus causelesse what lyueth nat thy lady benedicite Howe wost thou so that thou arte gracelesse Suche yuel is not alwaye botelesse why put nat impossible thus thy cure Sythe thyng to come is ofte in auenture I graunt wel that thou endurest wo As sharpe as dothe he Tesiphus in hel whose stomake foules tyren euer mo That hyghten vultures as bokes tell But I may not endure that thou dwell In so vnskylfull an opinyon That of thy wo nys no curacion But ones nyll thou for thy cowarde herte And for thyne ire folyshe wylfulnesse For wantrust tellen of thy sorowes smerte Ne to thyne owne helpe do besynesse As moche as speke a worde ye more or lesse But lyest as he that of lyfe nothyng retche what woman coude loue suche a wretche what may she demen other of thy dethe If thou thus dye and she not why it is But that for feare is yolden vp thy brethe For grekes han besieged vs ywis Lorde which a thaÌ„ke shalt y u haue thaÌ„ of this Thus woll she sayne all the towne atones The wretche is deed y e diuel haue his bones Thou mayst alone here wepe crye knele But loue a woman that she wote it nought And she wol quite it that thou shalte nat fele Vnknowe vnkyst and lost that is vnsought what many a man hath loue full dere abouÈt Twenty wynter that hys lady ne wyste That neuer yet hys ladys mouth he kyste what shuld he therfore fallen in dispayre Or be recreaunt for hys owne tene Or slayne hym selfe all be hys lady fayre Nay nay but euer in one be fresh and grene To serue and loue hys dere hertes quene And thynke it is a guerdone her to serue A thousande parte more than he can deserue And of that worde toke hede Troylus And thought anone what
thys haue I herde saye of wyse lered was neuer man of woman yet beyete That was vnapte to suffre loues hete Celestiall or els loue of kynde For the some grace I hope in her to fynde And for to speake of her in speciall Her beauty to bethynken and her youth It syt her nought to ben celestiall As yet though that her lyst both and kouth And truely it syt her well ryght nouth A worthy knyght to louen and cheryce And but she do I holde it for a vyce wherfore I am and woll ben aye redy To payne me to do you thys seruyce For both you to please thys hope I Here after for ye ben both wyse And conne it counsayle kepe in suche a wyse That no man shall the wyser of it be And so we maye ben gladed all thre And by my trouth I haue ryght nowe of the A good conceyt in my wytte as I gesse And what it is I woll nowe that thou se I thynke that syth Loue of hys goodnesse Hath the conuerted out of wyckednesse That thou shalt ben the best post I leue Of all hys laye and moste hys foes greue Ensample why se now these great clerkes That erren aldermost ayen a lawe And ben conuerted from her wycked werkes Through grace of god y t lest hem to wtdraw Then arne they folke y t han most god in awe And strengest faythed ben I vnderstande And conne an errour alderbest wythstonde wheÌ„ Troylus had herde Pandare assented To ben hys helpe in louynge of Creseyde wext of hys wo as who sayeth vnturmeÌ„ted But hotter wext hys loue and then he sayd wyth sobre chere as though hys hert playde Nowe blysful Venus helpe er that I sterue Of y e Pandare I mowe some thaÌ„ke deserue But dere frende howe shal my wo be lesse Tyll thys be done and good eke tel me thys How wylt thou sayne of me of my dystrese Lest the be wrothe thys drede I most ywys Or woll not heren all howe it is All thys drede I and eke for the manere Of the her eme she nyll no suche thynge here Quod Pandarus y u hast a full great care Lest the chorle maye fall out of the moone why lorde I hate of the the nyce fare why entremete of that thou hast to doone For goddes loue I bydde the a boone So let me alone and it shal be thy beste why frende ê™ he then done ryght as y e leste But herke Pandare o worde for I nolde That thou in me wendest so great foly That to my lady I desyren shulde That toucheth harme or any vylany For dredlesse me were leuer dye Then she of me ought els vnderstood But that that myght sownen into good Tho lough this PaÌ„darus anon answerde And I thy borow fye no wyght doth but so I raught not though she stode and herde Howe y t thou sayest but fare well I woll go A dieu be glad god spede vs both two Yeue me thys labour and thys busynesse And of my spede be thyne all the swetnesse Tho Troylus gan downe on knees to fal And Pandare in hys armes hente faste And sayd nowe fye on the grekes all Yet parde god shall helpen at laste And dredlesse yf that my lyfe maye laste And god to forne lo some of hem shall smerte And yet me athinketh y t this auauÌ„t masterte Nowe Pandare I can no more say Thou wyse thou wost thou mayst y u art all My lyfe my death hole in thyne hoÌ„de I lay Help me now ê™ he yes by my trouth I shal God yelde the frende thys in specyall Quod Troylus that thou me recoÌ„maunde To her that maye me to the death coÌ„maunde ¶ Thys Pandarus tho desyrous to serue Hys full frende he sayd in thys manere Farewell thynke I wol y t thaÌ„ke deserue Haue here my trouth that thou shalt here And went his way thynking on this matere And how he best might besechen her of grace And fynde a tyme therto and a place For euery wight that hath a house to fouÌ„de He renneth not the worke for to begynne wyth rakel hande but he woll byde a stooÌ„de And sende hys hertes lyne out fro wythin Alderfyrst hys purpose for to wynne All thys Pandare in hys herte thought And cast his werke ful wisely er he wrought But Troylus lay tho no lenger downe But anone vpon hys stede baye And in the felde he played the lyoun wo was y e greke y t wyth hym met that daye And in the towne his maner tho forth aye So goodly was and gat hym so in grace That eche hym loued that loked in hys face For he bycame the frendlyest wyght The gentylest and eke the moste fre The thryftyest and one the best knyght That in hys tyme was or myght be Deed were hys iapes and hys cruelte Hys hygh porte and hys maner straunge And eche of hem gan for a vertue chaunge Nowe let vs stynte of Troylus a stounde That fareth lyke a man that hurte is sore And is somedele of akynge of hys wounde Ylessed well but healed no dele more And as an easy pacient the lore Abyte of hym that goeth aboute hys cure And thus he dryueth forth hys auenture ¶ Explicit liber primus OVt of these black wawes for to sayle O wynde the weder gynneth clere For in thys see the bote hath suche trauayle Of my connynge that vnneth I it stere Thys see clepe I the tempestous matere Of dyspayre that Troylus was in But nowe of hope the kalendes begyn O lady myne that called arte Cleo Thou be my spede fro thys forth my muse To ryme well thys boke tyll I haue do Me nedeth here none other arte to vse For why to euery louer I me excuse That of no sentement I thys endyte But out of latyn in my tonge it wryte wherfore I nyl haue neither thaÌ„ke ne blame Of all thys worke but pray you mekely Dysblameth me yf any worde be lame For as myne auctour sayd so say I Eke though I spake of loue vnfelyngly No wonder is for it no thynge of newe is A blynde man can not iugen well in hewis I knowe y t in forme of speche is chaunge wythin a thousande yere and wordes tho That haddeÌ„ pryse now woÌ„der nyce straÌ„ge Thynketh hem and yet they spake hem so And spedde as well in loue as men nowe do Eke for to wynnen loue in sondrye ages In sondrye londes sondrye ben vsages And for thy yf it happe in any wyse That here be any louer in thys place That herkeneth as the story woll deuyse Howe Troylus came to hys ladyes grace And thynketh so nolde I not loue purchace Or wondreth on hys speche or hys doynge I not but it is to me no wondrynge For euery wight which that to Rome went Halte not o path ne alwaye o manere Eke in some lande were all the gamen shent Yf that men farde in loue as men done here As thus
Deiphebus woll ye gone Yf your wyll be as I you prayde To speake of the nedes of Creseyde Heleyne whych that by y e honde her helde Toke fyrst the tale and sayd go we blyue And goodly on Creseyde she behelde And sayd Ioues let hym neuer thryue That doth you harme ryue hym sone of lyue And ye me sorowe but he shall it rue Yf that I maye and all folke be true Tel thou thy neces case quod Deiphebus To Pandarus for thou canst best it tell My lordes and my ladyes it stante thus what shulde I lenger ê™ he do you dwell He ronge hem out a proces lyke a bell Vpon her foe that hyght Poliphete So heynous that men myght on it spete Answerd of this eche worse of hem theÌ„ other And Poliphete they gonnen thus to waryen An honged be suche one were he my brother And so he shall for it ne maye nought varien what shulde I lenger in thys tale taryen Pâ—aynlyche all at ones they her hyghten To ben her freÌ„de in all y t euer they myghten Spake then Heleyne and sayd Pandarus wote aught my lord my brother of thys mater I meane Hector or wote it Troylus He sayd yea but woll ye me nowe here Me thinketh thus syth that Troilus is here It were good yf that ye wolde assent She tolde hym her selfe all thys er she went For he woll haue the more her grefe at herte Bycause lo that she a lady is And by your wyl I woll but in ryght sterte And do you wete and that anone ywys Yf that he slepe or woll ought here of thys And in he lepte and sayd hym in hys eere God haue thy soule brought haue I thy bere To smylen of thys gan tho Troylus And Pandarus wythouten rekenynge Out went anone to Heleyne Deiphebus And sayd hem so there be no taryenge Ne more prease he woll well that ye brynge Creseyde my lady that is here And as he maye enduren he wol her here But well ye wote the chambre is but lyte And fewe folke may lyghtly make it warme Nowe loketh ye for I woll haue no wyte To bryng in prease y t might don him harme Or hym dyseasen for my better arme Yet were it bet she bydde tyll eftsoonis Nowe loke ye that knowen what to done is I saye for me best is as I can knowe That no wyght in ne wende but ye twey But it were I for I can in a throwe Reherce her case vnlyke that she can sey And after thys she maye ones hym prey To ben good lorde in shorte take her leue Thys maye not mokell of hys ease hym reue And eke for she is strauÌ„ge he woll forbere Hys ease whych that hym dare not for you Eke other thynge that toucheth not to her He woll it tell I wote it well ryght nowe That secrete is and for the townes prowe And they that knewe nothyng of hys entent wythout more to Troylus in they went Heleyne in all her goodly softe wyse Gan hym salue and womanly to playe And sayd ywys ye mote algate aryse Nowe fayre brother be all hole I praye And gan her arme ryght ouer his sholder lay And hym wyth all her wyt to recomforte As she best coulde she gan hym to dysporte So after thys ê™ she we you beseke My dere brother Deiphebus and I For loue of God and so doth Pandare eke To ben good lorde and frende ryght hertely Vnto Creseyde whych that certaynly Receiueth wroÌ„ge as wote wel here PaÌ„dare That can her case well bet then I declare This PaÌ„darus gan new his tonge affyle And all her case reherce and that anone when it was sayd sone after a whyle Quod Troylus as sone as I may gone I wol ryght fayne with al my might beÌ„ one Haue god my trouth her cause to sustene Now good thryft haue ye ê™ Heleyne the quene Quod Pandarus and it your wyll be That she maye take her leaue er that she go O els god forbyd it tho ê™ he Yf that she vouchsafe for to do so And wyth that worde ê™ Troylus ye two Deiphebus and my syster lefe and dere To you haue I to speake of a matere To ben aduysed by your rede the better And founde as hap was at his beddes heed The copye of a treatyse and a lettre That Hector had hym sent to asken reed Yf suche a man was worthy to ben deed wote I nought who but in a grysly wyse He prayde hem anone on it auyse Deiphebus gan thys lettre for to vnfolde In ernest great so dyd Heleyne the quene And romynge outward fast it gone beholde Downewarde a steyre into an herber grene Thys ylke thynge redden hem bytwene And largely the mountenauÌ„ce of an houre They gonne on it to reden and to pore Nowe let hem rede and turne we anone To Pandarus that gan full softe prye That all was well and out he gan to gone Into the great chambre and that in hye And sayd god saue all thys companye Come nece myne my lady quene Heleyne Abydeth you and eke my lordes tweyne Ryse take wyth you your nece Anâ—igone Or whome you lyst or no force hardely The lasse prease y t bet come forth wyth me And loke that ye thanken humbly Hem all thre and when ye maye goodly Your tyme yse taketh of hem your leue Lest we to longe hys restes hym byreue All innocent of Pandarus entente Quod tho Creseyde go we vncle dere And arme in arme inwarde w t him she weÌ„te Auysynge well her wordes and her chere And Pandarus in ernestfull manere Sayd all folke for goddes loue I praye Stynteth ryght here and softely you playe Auyseth you what folke bene here wythin And in what plyte one is god hym amende And inwarde thus full softely begyn Nece I coniure and hyghly you defende On hys halfe whych that soule vs al sende And in the vertue of corownes twayne Slee not thys maÌ„ y t hath for you this payne Fye on the deuell thynke whych one he is And in what plyte he lyeth come of anone Thynke all suche taryed tyde but lost it nys That woll ye both sayne when ye ben one Secondly there yet deuyneth none Vpon you two come of nowe yf ye conne whyle folke is blent lo all the tyme is woÌ„ne In tyterynge and pursute and delayes The folke deuyne at waggynge of a tree And though ye wolde han after mery dayes Then dare ye not and why for she and she Spake suche a worde thus loked he and he Lest tyme be lost I dare not wyth you dele Come of therfore and bryngeth hym to hele But nowe to you ye louers that ben here was Troylus not in a cankedorte That lay might y e whyspryng of hem here And thought o lorde ryght now reÌ„neth my sorte Fully to dye or haue anone comforte And was the fyrst tyme he shulde her pray Of loue O myghty god what shall he saye ¶ Explicit
goddes holde As I which ye haue brought fro cares cold Benigne loue thou holy bonde of thynges who so wol grace lyste the nat honouren Lo thys desyre wol flye wythouten wyngeÌ„ For noldest thou of bountie hem socouren That seruen best and most alway labouren Yet were al loste y t dare I well sayne certes But yf thy grace passed our desertes And for thou me y e leste thoÌ„ke coulde deserue Of hem that nombred ben vnto thy grace Hast holpen ther I lykely was for to sterue And me bestowed in so hygh a place That thylke boundes may no blysse pace I can no more but laude and reuerence Be to thy bounte and thyne excellence And therwithal Creseyde anone he kyst Of which certayne she felte no disease And thus sayd he nowe wolde god I wyst Myne hert swete howe I you might please what man ê™ he was euer thus at ease As I on which the fayrest and the best That euer I sey deyneth her to rest Here may men sene that mercy passeth right The experience of that is felte in me That am vnworthy to so swete a wyght But herte myne of your benignite So thynke that though I vnworthy be Yet mote I nede amenden in some wyse Ryght through y e vertue of your hye seruice And for the loue of god my lady dere syth he hath wrouÈt me for I shall you serue As thus I meane woll ye be my seere To do me lyue yf that you lyst or sterue So teacheth me howe that I may deserue Your thoÌ„ke so y t I thrugh myne ignorauÌ„ce Ne do nothyng that you be displeasaunce For certes fresh womanlyche wyfe This dar I saye that trouth and diligence That shall ye fynden in me all my lyfe Ne I woll nat certayn breken your defence And yf I do present or in absence For loue of god let slee me with the dede Yf that it lyke vnto your womanhede I wys ê™ she myne owne hertes lust My grounde of ease all myne hert dere Graunt mercy for on that is all my trust But let vs fal awaye fro this matere For it suffyseth this that sayd is here And at o worde withouten repentaunce welcome my knyght my peace my suffysaunce Of her delyte or ioyes one of the leest were impossyble to my wyt to saye But iudgeth ye that haue ben at the feest Of such gladnesse yf that hem lyst playe I can nomore but thus these ylke tway That nigh betwixen drede and sykernesse Feâ—ten in loue the great worthynesse O blysful nyght of hem so longe ysought How blyth vnto hem both two thou wer why ne had I such feest w t my soul yboght Yea or the leest ioye that was there Away thou foule dauÌ„ger and thou feere And let hem in this heuen blysse dwell That is so hygh that all ne can I tell But soth is though I can not tellen all As can myne auctour of his excellence Yet haue I sayd and god to forne shall In euery thyng all holly his sentence And yf that I at loues reuerence Haue any worde in eched for the best Doth therwithal ryght as your seluen lest For my wordes here and euery parte I speke hem all vnder correction Of you that felyng haue in loues arte And put it all in your discrettion To entreate or make diminition Of my langage and that I you beseche But now to purpose of my rather speche These ylke two that beth in armes last So loth to hem a sonder gon to were That eche from other wenden ben byraft Or els lo this was her moost feere That all this thing but nyce dreames wer For which ful oft eche of hem sayd o swete Clyppe I you thus or els do I it mete And lorde so he gan goodly on her se That neuer his loke ne bleynt froÌ„ her face And sayde O dere hert maye it be That it be soth that ye ben in this place Yea hert myne god thanke I of his grace ê™ tho Creseyde therwithal hym kyst That where her spyrite was for ioye she nyst This Troylus full oft her eyen two Gan for to kysse and sayd O eyen clere It weren ye that wrought me suche wo Ye humble nettes of my lady dere Though ther be mercy writteÌ„ in your chere God wot the text full harde is for to fynde How coude ye withouten bonde me bynde Therwith he gan her fast in armes take And well an hundred tymes gan he syke Nat such sorowfull syghes as men make For wo or els whan that folke be syke But easy syghes suche as ben to lyke That shewed his affection within Of suche syghes coulde he nat blyu Sone after this they spake of sondry thinges As fyll to purpose of this auenture And playing enterchaungeden her rynges Of which I can not tellen no scripture But well I wot a broche of golde asure In which a ruby set was lyke an herte Creseyde him yaue stacke it on his sherte Lorde trowe ye that a couetous wretche That blamâ—th loue and halte of it despyte That of tho pens y t he can muckre ketche was euer yet yeue to him suche delyte As is in loue in o poynt in some plyte Nay doutlesse for also god me saue So parfyte ioye may no nygarde haue They woll say yes but lorde so they lye Tho busy wretches ful of wo and drede That callen loue a woodnesse of follye But it shall fall hem as I shall you rede They shall forgon the whyte eke the rede And lyue in wo ther god yeue hem myschauÌ„ce and euery louer this trouth auauÌ„ce As wolde god tho wretches that dispyse Seruyce of loue had eares also longe As had Mida full of couetyse And therto dronken had as hote stronge As Cresus dyd for his affectes wronge To teachen hem that they ben in the vyce And louers nat although they holde hem nyse These ylke two of whom y t I you say whan that her hertes wel assured were Tho gonnen they to speake and to playe And eke rehersen how whan and where They knewe fyrst euery wo or fere That passed was but all suche heuynesse I thonke it god was turned to gladnesse And euer more whan that hem fyll to speke Of any thyng of suche a tyme agon with kyssyng all that tale shulde breke And fallen into a newe ioye anon And dyddeÌ„ al her myght syns they wer one For to recoueren blysse and ben at ease And paysed wo with ioye countrepeyse Reason woll not that I speake of slepe For it accordeth not to my matere God wot they toke of it full lytle kepe But lest this night that was to hem so dere Ne shulde in vayne escape in no manere It was beset in ioye and besynesse Of all that sowneth into gentylnesse But whan the cocke coÌ„mune astrologer Gan on his breest to beate and after crowe And Lucifer the dayes messaunger Gan for to ryse and
was so narowe ymasked and yknette That is vndon on any maner syde That nyll nat ben for ought y t maye betyde And by the honde full oft he wolde take This Pandarus and into garden lede And suche a feaste and such a processe make Hym of Creseyde and of her womanheed And of her beautie that withouten drede It was an heuen his wordes for to here And than he wolde synge in this manere Loue that of erth see hath gouernauÌ„ce Loue that his heestes hath in heuen hye Loue that with an holesome alyaunce Halt people ioyned as hym lyst hem gye Loue that knytteth lawe and company And couples doth in vertue for to dwell Bynde this accorde y t I haue tolde tell That y t the world w t faith which y t is stable Dyuerseth so his stoundes accordyng That elementes that beth so discordable Holden abonde perpetually duryng That Phebus mote his rosy day forth briÌ„g And y t the mone hath lordship ouer y e niÈtes Al this doth loueaye heried be his mightes That y t the see that gredy is to flowen Constrayneth to a certayne ende so His floudes that so fersly they ne growen To drenchen erth and all for euermo And yf that loue ought let his brydle go All that now loueth asondre shulde lepe And lost wer al y t loue halt nowe to hepe So wolde to god that authour is of kynde That with his bonde loue of his vertu lyst To serchen hertes al and fast bynde That froÌ„ his boÌ„d no wight y e wey out wyst And hertes colde hem wold I y t hem twyst To make hem loue that hem lyst aye rew On hertes sore kepe hem that ben trewe In all nedes for the townes werre He was and aye the fyrst in armes dyght And certaynly but yf that bokes erre Haue Hector moost ydradde of any wyght And this encrease of hardynesse and myght Com hym of loue his ladyes thank to wyn That altered his spyrite so within In tyme of truce on hauking wolde he ryde Or els hunt bore beare or lyoun The small beestes let he gon besyde And whan y t he come rydyng into y e towne Full oft his lady from her window downe As fresh as faucon comen out of mue Full redy was hym goodly to salue And moost of loue vertue was his speche And in despyte had al wretchednesse And doutlesse no nede was hym beseche To honouren hem that had worthynesse And easen hem that weren in distresse And glad was he yf any wight wel ferde That louer was whan he it wyst or herde For soth to sayne he loste held euery wiÈt But yf he were in loues hygh seruyce I meane folke that ought it ben of ryght And ouer all this so wel coulde he deuyse Of sentement and in so vncouth wyse All his aray that euery louer thought That all was well what so he sayde or wrought And though that he be come of bloud royal Hym lyst of pryde at no wyght for to chace Benigne he was to eche in generall For which he gat him thaÌ„ke in euery place Thus wolde loue yhered be his grace That pryde and yre enuy and auaryce He gan to flye and euery other vyce Thou lady bright the doughter of Diane Thy blynde winged son eke Dan Cupide Ye sustren nyne eke that by Helicâ—ne In hyl Pernaso lysten fyr to abyde That ye thus ferre han deyned me to gyde I can nomore but syns that ye woll wende Ye heryed ben for aye withouten ende Through you haue I sayd fully in my soÌ„ge Theffect and ioye of Troylus seruyce All be it there was some disease amonge As myne auctour lysteth to deuyse My thyrde boke nowe ende I in this wyse And Troylus in lust and in quyete Is with Creseyde his owne hert swete ¶ Explicit liber tertius BVt all to lytle welaway the whyle Lasteth suche ioy ythonked be fortune That semeth trewest whan she woll begyle And can to fooles so her songe entune That she hem hent y e bleÌ„t traytour coÌ„mune And whaÌ„ a wight is froÌ„ her whele ythrow ThaÌ„ laugheth she maketh hym the mow From Troylus she gan her bryght face Away to wryth and toke of hym none hede And cast hym clene out of his ladyes grace And on her whele she set vp Diomede For which myn hert riÈt now gyueth blede And now my pen alas w t which I wryte Quaketh for drede of that I muste endyte For how Creseyde Troylus forsoke Or at the leste howe that she was vnkynde Mote hence forthe ben mater of my boke As writeÌ„ folke through which it is in mynde Alas that they shulde euer cause fynde To speke her harme yf they on her lye Iwys hem selfe shulde haue the vilanye O ye Herynes nyghtes doughters thre That endlesse complayne euer in payne Megera Alleâ—to and eke Tesiphonee Thou cruell Mars eke father of Quiryne This ylke Fourth boke helpe me to fyne So that the loos and loue and lyfe yfere Of Troylus be fully shewed here ¶ Incipit liber Quartus LIgging in host as I haue sayd er this The grekes stroÌ„g aboute Troy toun Byfell that whan that Phebus shynyng is Vpon the brest of Hercules Lyon That Hector with many a bolde baron Caste on a day with grekes for to fyght As he was wont to greue heÌ„ what he might Not I how longe or shorte it was bytwene This purpose that day they fyghteÌ„ mente But on a day wel armed bright and shene Hector and many a worthy knight out wente with speare in hond and bygge bowes bente And in the berde withouten lenger lette Her fomen in the felde anon hem mette The longe day w t speares sharpe ygrouÌ„de with arowes dartes swerdes maces fell They fight bringen horse man to grouÌ„de And with her axes out the braynes quell But in the laste shoure sothe to tell The folke of Troye hem seluen so misledden That with y e worse at night hom they fleddeÌ„ At wyche day was taken Anthenor Maugre Polymydas or Monesteo Xantyppe Sarpedon Palestynor Polyte or eke the Troyan dan Rupheo And other lasse folke as Phebuseo So that for harme y e day the folke of Troye Dredden to lese a great parte of her ioye Of Priamus was yeue at grekes requeste A tyme of truce and tho they gonnen trete Her Prisoners to chaungen moste and leste And for the surplus yeuen sommes grete This thyng anon was couthe in euery strete Both in thassege in towne and euery where And with the fyrst it came to Calkas eere whan Calkas knew this tretyse shulde hold In consystorie amonge the grekes sone He gan in thring forthe with lordes olde And set hym there as he was wonte to done And with a chaunged face hem bade aboue For loue of god to done that reuerence To stynten noyse yeue him audyence Than sayd he thus lo lordes myne I was Troyan as it is knowen out of
this soroufull man Vpon his beddes syde downe him sette Full lyke a deed ymage pale and wan And in his breste the heaped wo began Out bueste and he to worken in this wyse In his woodnesse as I shall you deuyse Right as y e wylde bulle begynneth spring Nowe here nowe there ydarted to the herte And of his dethe roreth in complaynyng Right so gan he aboute the chambre sterte Smyting his brest aye with his fystes smert His heed to the wal his body to the grounde Full ofte he swapte him seluen to confounde His eyen two for pyte of hys herte Out stremeden as swyfte as welles twey The highe sobbes of his sorowes smerte His speche him refte vnnethes myght he sey O dethe alas why nylte thou do me dey Acursed be that daye whiche that nature Shope me to ben a lyues creature But after whan the fury and all the rage whiche that his hert twysle and fast threst By length of tyme somwhat gan aswage Vpon his bedde he layde him downe to rest But tho begon his teares more out to brest That wonder is the body maye suffyse To halfe this wo which that I you deuyse Than sayd he thus Fortune alas y e whyle what haue I done what haue I the agylte Howe myghtest thou for routhe me begyle Is there no grace and shal I thus be spylt Shal thus Creseyde awaye for y t thou wylte Alas how mightest thou in thyn herte fynde To ben to me thus cruell and vnkynde Haue I the nat honoured all my lyue As thou wel worest aboue the goddes all why wylte thou me fro ioye thus depriue O Troylus what may men nowe the call But wretche of wretches out of honour fall In to mysery in which I wol bewayle Creseyde alas tyll that the brethe me fayle Alas Fortune yf that my lyfe in ioye Displeased had vnto thy foule enuye why ne haddest thou my father king of Troy Berafte the lyfe or done my brethern dye Or slayne my selfe y t thus complayne crye I combre worlde that may of nothyng serue But euer dye and neuer fully sterue If that Creseyde alone were me lafte Naught raught I whyder thou woldest me stere And her alas thaÌ„ hast thou me byraft But euermore lo this is thy manere To reue a wight that moste is to him dere To preue in that thy gierful vyolence Thus am I loste there helpeth no defence O very lorde O loue o god alas That knowest best myn hert al my thouÈt what shal my sorouful lyfe done in this caas If I forgo that I so dere haue bought Sens ye Creseyde me haue fully brought In to your grace and both our hertes sealed Howe may ye suffre alas it be repealed what I may done I shal whyle I may dure On lyue in turment and in cruel payne This infortune or this disauenture Alone as I was borne I woll complayne Ne neuer wol I sene it shyne or rayne But ende I wol as Edippe in derknesse My sorouful lyfe and dyen in distresse O wery goste that errest to and fro why nylt thou styen out of the wofullest Body that euer might on grounde go O soule lurkyng in thys woful neste Flye forthout myn herte and it breste And folowe alway Creseyde thy lady dere Thy right place is nowe no lenger here O wofull eyen two sens your disporte was al to sene Creseydes eyen bright what shal ye done but for my discomforte StondeÌ„ for naught wepen out your syght Sens she is queynt y t woÌ„t was you to light In veyne from this forth haue I eyen twey I formed sens your vertue is awey O my Creseyde O lady souerayne Of this wofull soule that thus cryeth who shal nowe yeuen comforte to thy payne Alas no wight but whan myne herte dyeth My spyrite whiche that so vnto you hyeth Receyue in gree for that shall aye you serue For thy no force is though the body sterue O ye louers that hygh vpon the whele Ben sette of Fortune in good auenture God lene that ye fynden aye loue of stele And longe mote your lyfe in ioye endure But whan ye comen by my sepulture Remembreth that your felowe resteth there For I loued eke though I vnworthy were O olde vnholsome and mislyued man Calkas I meane alas what eyled the To ben a greke sens thou art borne Troyan O Calcas whiche that wolte my bane be In cursed tyme waste thou borne for me As wolde blysful Ioue for his ioye That I the had where I wolde in Troye A thousande syghes hotter than the glede Out of his brest eche after other went Medled with playnte newe his wo to fede For whiche his woful teeres neuer slente And shortly so hys sorowes hym to rente And woxe so mate that ioye or penaunce He feleth none but lyeth in a traunce Pandare whiche that in the parlyment Had herde what euery lorde burgeys seyde And howe full graunted was by one assent For Antenor to yelden out Creyseyde Gan wel nigh wode out of his wyt to breyde So that for wo he nyste what he mente But in a race to Troylus he wente A certayne knight that for the tyme kepte The chambre doore vndyd it hym anon And Pandare that full tenderly wepte In to the derke chambre as styll as stone Towarde the bedde gan softely to gone So confuse that he nyste what to say For very wo his wytte was nyghe away And with chere and lokyng al to torne For sorowe of this with his armes folden He stode this woful Troylus beforne And on hys pytous face he gan beholden But so ofte gan hys herte colden Seyng his frende in wo whose heuynesse His herte slough as thought him for distresse This woful wight this Troylus that felte His frende Pandare ycomen him to se Gan as the snowe ayenst the sonne melte For whiche this woful Pandare of pyte Gan for to wepe as tenderly as he And spechelesse thus ben these ylke twey That neyther might for sorowe o worde sey But at the laste this wofull Troylus Nygh deed for smert gan bresten out to rore And with a forouful noyse he sayd thus Amonges his sobbes and his syghes sore Lo Pandare I am deed withouten more Haste thou nat herde at parlyment he seyde For Antenor howe loste is my Creseyde This Pandare ful deed and pale of hewe Ful pitously answerde and sayd yes As wysely were it false as it is trewe That I haue herde and wote al howe it is O mercy god who wolde haue trowed thys who wold haue weÌ„de y t in so lytell a throwe Fortune our ioye wolde haue ouerthrowe For in this worlde there is no creature As to my dome that euer sawe ruyne StrauÌ„ger thaÌ„ this through case or aueÌ„ture But who may al eschue or al deuyne Suche is this worlde for thy I thus defyne Ne trust no wight to fynde in Fortune Aye propretie her yeftes ben coÌ„mune But tel me this
shal not scapen one That Troyan is and for the great feere He durst not that ye dwelte lenger there what woll ye more o louesom lady dere Let Troye and troyans fro your herte pace Dryue out y t bytter hope make good chere And clepe ayen the beaute of your face That ye wyth salte teeres so deface For Troye is brought in suche a ieopardye That it to saue is nowe no remedye And thynketh wel ye shal in grekes fynde A more parfyte loue er it be nyght Then any troyan is and more kynde And bet to seruen you woll done hys myght And yf ye vouchsafe my lady bryght I woll ben he to seruen you my selue Yea leauer then be lorde of Greces twelue And wyth y t worde he gan to waxen reed And in hys speche a lytel whyle he quoke And cast asyde a lytell wyth hys heed And stynte a whyle afterwarde he woke And sobrely on her he threwe hys loke And sayd I am al be it to you no ioye As gentyll a man as any wyght in Troye For yf my father Tydeus he seyde Ilyued had I had ben er thys Of Calcidony and Arge a kynge Creseyde And so hope I that I shal be ywys But he was slayne alas the more harme is Vnhappely at Thebes all to rathe Polymyte and many a man to scathe But herte myne sythe that I am your mā And ben the fyrst of whome I seche grace To serue you as hertely as I can And euer shall whyle I to lyue haue space So that er I departe out of thys place Ye woll me graunt that I maye to morowe At better leyser tell you of my sorowe what shulde I tell hys wordes y t he seyd He spake ynough for o daye at the mest It preueth well he spake so that Creseyde Graunted on the morowe at hys request For to speake wyth hym at the leest So that he nolde speake of suche matere And thus she to hym sayd as ye mowe here As she that had her herte on Troylus So fast that there maye it none arace And straungely she spake and sayd thus O Diomede I loue that ylke place There I was borne Ioues for thy grace Delyuer it soone of all that doth it care God for thy myght so leue it well to fare That grekes wold her wrath on Troy wrek Yf that they myght I knowe it wel ywys But it shall naught befallen as ye speke And god to forne and farther ouer thys I wote my father wyse and redy is And that he me hath bought as ye me tolde So dere I am the more vnto hym holde That Grekes ben of hygh condition I wote eke wel but certayne men shal fynde As worthy folke wythin Troy toun As connyng as parfyte and as kynde As ben betwyxtr Orcades and Inde And that ye coude well your lady serue I trowe eke well her thanke for to deserue But as to speke of loue ywys she seyde I had a lorde to whome I wedded was The whose myne herte was all tyll he deyde And other loue as helpe me nowe Pallas There in myne herte nys ne neuer was And that ye ben of noble and hygh kynrede I haue well herde it tellen out of drede And that doth me to haue so great a wonder That ye woll scorne any woman so Eke god wote loue and I ben fer asonder I am dysposed bet so mote I go Vnto my death playne and make wo what I shall after done I can not say But trewly as yet me lyst not play Myne herte is nowe in tribulatioun And ye in armes besy daye by daye Herafter when ye wonnen haue the toun Perauenture then so it happen may That when I se that I neuer ere say Then woll I werke y t I neuer ere wrought Thys worde to you ynoughe suffysen ought To morow eke wol I spekē wyth you fayne So that ye touchen naught of thys matere And when you lyst ye may come here againe And er ye gone thus moche I saye you here As helpe me Pallas wyth her heere 's clere Yf that I shulde of any greke haue routhe It shulde be your seluen by my trouthe I saye not therfore that I wol you loue Ne say not nay but in conclusioun I meane well by god that syt aboue And therwythall she caste her eyen doun And gā to sigh said Troilus Troy toun Yet bydde I god in quyete and in reste I maye you sene or do myne herte breste But in effecte and shortly for to saye Thys Diomede all freshly newe agayne Gan preasen on and faste her mercy praye And after thys the soth for to sayne Her gloue he toke of which he was ful fayne And fynally when it was woxen eue And all was well he rose and toke hys leue The bryght Venus folowed aye taught The way there brode Phebus downe alight And Cythera her chare horse ouer raught To whyrle out of the lyon yf she myght And Signifer hys candels sheweth bryght when that Creseyde vnto her bedde wente wythin her fathers fayre bryght tente Retournyng in her soule aye vp downe The wordes of thys sodayne Diomede Hys great estate and peryl of the towne And that she was alone and had nede Of frendes helpe and thus be gan to brede The cause why the soth for to tell She toke fully purpose for to dwell The morow came and goostly for to speke This Diomede is come vnto Creseyde And shortly leste that ye my tale breke So wel he for hym selfe spake and seyde That all her syghes sore downe he leyde And fynally the sothe for to sayne He lefte her the great of all her payne And after this the storye telleth vs That she him yaue the fayre baye stede The whiche she ones wan of Troylus And eke a broche and that was lytel nede That Troylus was she yaue this Diomede And eke the bet from sorowe him to releue She made him weare a pencell of her sleue I fynde eke in stories els where whan through the body hurte was Diomede Of Troylus tho wepte she many a teere whā that she sawe his wyde woundes blede And that she toke to kepen him good hede And for to healen him of his smerte Men sayn I not that she yaue him her herte But trewly the storie telleth vs There made neuer woman more wo Than she whan that she falsed Troylus She sayd alas for nowe is clene ago My name in trouthe of loue for euermo For I haue falsed one the gentyllest That euer was and one the worthyest Alas of me vnto the worldes ende Shal neyther ben ywritten nor ysonge No good word for these bokes wol me shēde Irolled shall I ben on many a tonge Throughout y e worlde my bel shal be ronge And women moste woll hate me of all Alas that suche a caas me shulde fall They wol sayne in as moche as in me is I haue hem done dishonour welaway Albe I nat
holy on him ley And sens he best to loue is and moste meke what nedeth fayned loues for to seke Lo here of paynems cursed olde rytes Lo here what al her goddes may auayle Lo here thys wretched worldes appetytes Lo here the fyne and guerdon for trauayle Of Ioue Apollo of Mars such raskayle Lo here the forme of olde clerkes speche In poetrye yf ye her bokes seche O moral Gower thys boke I directe To the and to the Philosophical Strode To vouchsafe there nede is to correcte Of your benignityes and zeles goode and to that sothfast Christ y t starfe on roode wythal myne herte of mercy euer I pray And to the lorde aright thus I speake say Thou one two and thre eterne on lyue That raignest aye in thre two and one Vncircumscript all mayst circumscryue Vs from visible and inuisible fone Defende and to thy mercy euerychone So make vs Iesus to thy mercy digne For loue of mayde mother thyne benigne ¶ Thus endeth the fyfth boke and last of Troylus and here foloweth the pyteful and dolorous testament of fayre Creseyde The testament of Creseyde ADolye seasonne tyll a careful dyte Shulde coresponde and be equiuolent Right so it was whaÌ„ I began to write Thys tragedy y t weder ryght feruent whan Aries in myddes of the lent showres of hayle can fro the north descende that scantly fro the colde I miÈt me defende Yet neuertheles wythin myne orature I stode whaÌ„ Titan had his beames bright withdrawen downe and scyled vnder cure And fayre Venus the beautye of the nyght Vprayse and set vnto the west ful ryght Her golden face in oppositiowne Of god Phebus directe discendinge downe ThrouÈout y e glasse her bemes brast so fayre That I might se on euery syde me by The northern wynde had purifyed the ayre And shedde his mysty cloudes fro the skye The froste fresed the blastes bytterly Fro pole Artike come whisking loud shyll And caused me remoue ayenst my wyll For I trusted that Venus loues quene To whom somtyme I hyght obedience My saded hert of loue she wold make grene And therupon with humble reuerence I thought to pray her hye magnifycence But for great colde as than I letted was And in my chambre to the fyre can pas Though loue be hote yet in a man of age It kyndleth nat so soone as in youtheed Of whom the blode is flowyng in a rage And in the olde the corage dul and deed Of which the fyre outward is beest remeed To helpe by phisyke where y e nature fayled I am experte for both I haue assayed I made the fyre and beaked me about Than toke I drinke my spirites to conforte And armed me wel fro the colde therout To cut the wynter night and make it shorte I toke a queare and lefte al other sporte written by worthy Chaucer glorious Of fayre Creseyde and lusty Troylus And there I founde after that Diomede Receyued had that lady bryght of hewe How Troylus nere out of his wytte abrede And wepte sore wyth visage pale of hewe For which wanhope his teares gan renewe whyle esperous reioysed him agayne Thus while in ioy he liued while in paine Of her behest he had great comfortynge Trusting to Troy y t she wolde make retour which he desyred most of al erthly thynge For why she was his onely paramoure But whan he saw passed both day hour Of her gayncome in sorowe can oppresse His woful herte in care and heuynesse Of his distresse me nedeth not reherse For worthy Chaucer in that same boke In goodly termes and in ioly verse Compyled hath his cares who wyl loke To breake my slepe another queare I toke In whych I founde the fatal desteny Of fayre Creseyde which ended wretchedly who wote if al that Chaucer wrote be trew Nor I wotte not yf this narration Be authoryzed or forged of the newe Of some poete by hys inuention Made to reporte the lamentation And woful ende of thys lusty Creseyde And what distresse she was in or she deyde whan Diomede had al his appetyte And more fulfylled of thys fayre lady Vpon another sette was al his delyte And sende to her a lybel repudy And her excluded fro his company Than desolate she walked vp and downe As some men saine in the courte as comune O fayre Creseyde the floure and a per se Of Troy Grece how were thou fortunate To chaunge in fylth al thy femynite And be with fleshly luste so maculate And go among the grekes early and late So giglotlyke taking thy soule pleasaunce I haue pyte the shulde fal such mischaunce Yet neuerthelesse what euer meÌ„ deme or say In scornful langage of thy brutelnesse I shal excuse as ferforth as I may Thy womanheed thy wisedome fayrnesse The which fortune hath put to such distresse As her pleased nothing through the gylte Of the through wicked langage to be spilte Thys fayre lady on thys wise destitute Of al comforte and consolation Right priuely wythout felowshyp or refute Disheuelde passed out of the town A myle or two vnto a mansioun Bylded ful gay where her father Calcas which thaÌ„ amoÌ„ge the grekes dwelling was whan he her sawe the cause he can enquyre Of her coÌ„myng she sayd syghyng ful sore Fro Diomede had goten his desyre He wore wery and wolde of me no more ê™ Calcas doughter wepe thou not therfore Parauenture al cometh for the best welcome to me thou arte ful dere a gest Thys olde Calcas after the lawe was tho was keper of the temple as a preest In which Venus and her sonne Cupido were honoured and hys chambre was nest To which Creseyde w t bale enewed in brest Vsed to passe her prayers for to say whyle at the last vpon a solempne day As custome was the people ferre and nere Before the noone vnto the temple went with sacrifyce deuoute in theyr manere But styl Creseyde heuy in her entent In to the church wolde not her selfe present For gyuyng the people any demyng Of her expulse fro Diomede the kyng But passed in to asecrete oratore where she myght wepe her woful desteny Behynde her backe she closed fast the dore And on her knees bare fel downe in hye Vpon Venus and Cupide angerly She cryed out and sayd in thys wyse Alas that euer I made you sacrifyce Ye gaue me ones a diuyne responsayle That I shulde be the floure of loue in Troy Now am I made an vnworthy outwayle And al in care translated is my ioye who shal me gyde who shal me now coÌ„uoy Syth I fro Diomede and noble Troylus Am clene excluded as abiecte odious O false Cupyde none is to wyte but thou And thy mother of loue that blynd goddace Ye caused me vnderstande alway and trow The seede of loue was sowem on my face aye grewe grene throuÈ your souple grace But nowe alas y t seed wyth frost is slayne And I
wyght ne maye it nat yse Bernarde the monke ne saugh al parde Than mote we to bokes that we fynde Thrugh which y e old thinges ben in minde And to the doctryne of these olde wyse Yeue credence in euery skylfull wyse That tellen of these olde appreued stories Of holynesse of reygnes of victories Of loue of hate of other sondry thynges Of which I may nat make rehersynges And yf that olde bokes were awaye Ylorne were of remembraunce the kay wel ought vs than honouren and beleue These bokes there we han non other preue And as for me though y t I can but lyte On bokes for to rede I me delyte And to hem yeue I fayth and ful credence And in myne hert haue ben in reuerence So hertely that there is game none That fro my bokes maketh me to gone But it be seldom on the holy day Saue certaynly whā y t the moneth of May Is comen and y t I here the foules synge And that the floures gynnen for to sprynge Farewell my boke and my deuotioun Now haue I than eke this conditioun That of all the floures in the mede Than loue I most these floures white red Such y t men callen dayesies in our toune To hem haue I so great affectioun As I sayd erst whan comen is the May That in my bed there daweth me no day That I nam vp walkyng in the mede To seen this floure ayenst the sunne sprede whan it vp ryseth early by the morowe That blysful syght softneth al my sorowe So glad am I whan that I haue presence Of it to done it all reuerence As she that is of all floures floure Fulfylled of al vertue and honour And euer ylyke fayre and fresh of hewe And euer I loue it and euer ylke it newe And euer shal tyl that myne hert dye All swere I nat of this I wol nat lye There loued no wyght hoter in his lyue And whan that it is eue I renne blythe Assoone as euer the sunne gynneth west To sene this flour how it woll go to rest For feare of nyght so hateth she darknesse Her chere is plainly spred in the brightnesse Of the sunne for there it woll vnclose Alas that I ne had Englyshe ryme or prose Suffisaunt this floure to preyse aryght But helpeth ye that han connynge myght Ye louers that can make of sentement In this case ought ye be diligent To forthren me somwhat in my labour whether ye ben w t the lese or with the floure For wel I wot that ye han here beforne Of makyng ropen and lad away the corne And I come after glenyng here and there And am ful glad yf I may fynde an ere Of any goodly worde that ye han lefte And though it happen me to rehersen efte That ye han in your fresh songes sayde Forbereth me and beth nat euyll apayde Syth that ye se I do it in the honoure Of loue and eke in seruyce of the floure whom y t I serue as I haue wyt or myght She is the clerenesse and the very lyght That in this darke world me wint ledeth The hert within my sorowful brest you dredeth And loueth so sore y t ye ben verely The mastres of my wyt and nothyng I My word my workes is knytte so in your bond That as an harpe obeyeth to y e hond And make it sowne after his fyngerynge Ryght so mowe ye out of my hert brynge Such voyce ryght as you lyst to laugh or payn Be ye my guyde and lady souerayne As to myne erthly god to you I call Both in thys werke and my sorowes all But wherfore that I spake to yeue credence To olde storyes and done hem reuerence And that men musten more thynge beleue Then men may sene at eye or els preue That shall I seyne when that I se my tyme I maye not all at ones speake in ryme My besy goost that thursteth alway newe To sene hys floure so yōge so fresh of hewe Constrayned me wyth so gredy desyre That in myne herte I fele yet the fyre That made me to ryse er it were daye And thys was nowe y e fyrst morow of May wyth dredfull herte and glad deuocion For to ben at the resurrection Of this floure when that it shulde vnclose Agayne the sunne that rose as reed as rose That in the brest was of the beest that daye That Angenores doughter ladde away And downe on knees anone ryght I me set And as I coulde thys freshe floure I gret Knelynge alwaye tyll it vnclosed was Vpon the small softe swete gras That was w t floures swete embrouded all Of suche swetnesse suche adour ouer all That for to speke of gūme herbe or tre Comparyson may none ymaked be For it surmounteth playnly all odoures And of ryche beautye all floures Forgotten had the earth hys poore estate Of wynter that hym naked made mate And wyth hys sworde of cold so sore greued Nowe hath the atēpre sunne all that releued That naked was and clad it newe agayne The smale foules of the ceason fayne That of the panter and the nette ben seaped Vpon the fouler that hem made awhaped In wynter and destroyed had her brood In his dispite hem thought it dyd hem good To synge of hym and in her songe dyspyse The foule chorle that for hys couetyse Had hem betrayed wyth hys sophistrye Thys was her songe The fouler we defye And all hys crafte and some songen clere Layes of loue that ioye it was to here In worshyppyng praysynge of her make And for the newe blysfull somers sake Vpon the braunches full of blosmes softe In her delyte they turned hem full ofte And songen blessed be saynt Valentyne For on hys daye I chese you to be myne wythouten repentynge myne herte swete And therwythall her beckes gonnen mete yeldynge honoure and humble obeysaunce To loue and dydden her other obseruaunce That longeth vnto loue and to nature Constrewe that as you lyst I do no cure And tho that had done vnkyndnesse As doth the Tidyfe for newe fangelnesse Besought mercy of her trespasynge And humbly songe her repentynge And sworen on the blosomes to be trewe So that her makes wolde vpon hem rewe And at the last maden her accorde Al foūde they Daūger for the tyme a lorde Yet Pyte through hys strōge gentyl myght Forgaue and made mercy passen ryght Through innocence and ruled curtesye But I ne cleape it not innocence folye Ne false pyte for vertue is the meane As Etycke sayeth in suche maner I meane And thus these foules voyde of all malyce Acordeden to loue and laften vyce Of hate and songe all of one accorde welcome sommer our gouernour and lorde And zephirus and Flora gentelly Yaue to the floures softe and tenderly Her swote brethe made hem for to sprede As god and goddesse of the floury mede In whych me thought I myght day by day Dwellen alway the ioly
seynt Venus that my mother is If that thou lyue thou shalt repenten this So cruelly that it shall wel be sene Tho spake this lady clothed al in grene And sayd god ryght of your curtesye Ye mote herken yf he can replye Agaynst all thys that ye haue to him meued A god ne shulde nat be thus agreued But of hys deyte he shall be stable And therto gracious and merciable And yf ye nere a god that knowen all Than might it be as I you tellen shall Thys man to you may falsely ben accused That as by ryght hym ought ben excused For in your court is many a losengeour And many a queynt toteler accusour That Tabouren in your eares many a soun Ryght after her ymaginatioun To haue your daliaunce and for enuy These ben the causes and I shall not lye Enuy is lauender of the court alwaye For she ne parteth neyther nyght ne daye Out of the house of Cesar thus sayeth Dant who so that goeth algate she wol not want And eke perauenter for thys man is nyce He myght done it gessynge no malyce But for he vseth thynges for to make Him recketh nought of what mater he take Or hym was boden make thylke twey Of some persone and durst it not wythsey Or hym repenteth vtterly of thys He ne hath not done so greuously amys To translaten that olde clerkes wrytten As though that he of malyce wold endytten Dyspyte of loue had hym selfe it wrought This shuld a riÈtwise lord haue iÌ„ his thought And not be lyke tyrauntes of Lombardy That haue no rewarde but at tyranny For he that kynge or lorde is naturell Hym ought not be tyraunt ne cruell As is a fermour to done the harme he can He must thynke it is hys liege man And is hys treasour and hys golde in cofre Thys is the sentence of the philosophre A kynge to kepe hys lieges in iustyce wythouten doute that is hys offyce All wol he kepe hys lordes in her degre As it is ryght and skyll that they be Enhaunced and honoured and moste dere For they ben half goddes in this world here Yet mote he done both ryght to pore ryche All be that her estate be not both ylyche And haue of poore folke compassyon For lo the gentell kynde of the lyon For when a flye offendeth hym or byteth He wyth hys tayle awaye the flye smyteth All easely for of hys gentrye Hym deyneth not to wreke hym on a flye As doth a curre or els another beest In noble corage ought ben areest And wayen euery thynge by equite And euer haue regarde vnto his owne degre For syr it is no maystrye for a lorde To dampne a maÌ„ without answere of word And for a lorde that is full foule to vse And it so be he may him nat excuse But asketh mercy with a dredefull herte And profereth hym right in hys bare sherte To ben ryght at your owne iugement Than ought a god by shorte auysement Consydre his owne honour and his trespace For sythe no cause of dethe lyeth in thys cace You ought to ben the lightlyer mercyable Leteth your ire and bethe somwhat tretable The man hath serued you of hys connynges And forthred wel your law in his makinges All be it that he can nat well endyte Yet hath he made leude folke delyte To serue you in preysyng of you name He made the boke y t hight the house of Fame And eke the dethe of Blaunche the duchesse And the Parlyment of Foules as I gesse And all the loue of Palamon and Arcyte Of Thebes though the storie is knoweÌ„ lyte And many an hympne for your holydaies That hyghten balades roundels virelayes And for to speke of other holynesse He hath in prose translated Boece And made the lyfe also of saynt Cecyle He made also gone is a great whyle Origenes vpon the Maudelayne Hym ought nowe to haue the lesse payne He hath made many a ley and many a thyng Nowe as ye be a god and eke a kyng I your alceste whylom quene of Trace I aske you this man right of your grace That ye hym neuer hurte in all hys lyue And he shall swearen to you and that blyue He shall neuer more agylten in thys wyse But shall maken as ye woll deuyse Of women trewe in louyng all her lyfe where so ye woll of mayden or of wyfe And forthren you as moche as he misseyde Or in the Rose or els in Creseyde The god of Loue answerd her thus anon Madame ê™ he it is so longe agon That I you knewe so charitable and trew That neuer yet sens the worlde was new To me ne founde I better none than ye If that I woll saue my degree I may nor wol nat werne your request All lyth in you dothe wyth hym as you lest I all foryeue withouten lenger space For who so yeueth a yefte or dothe a grace Do it be tyme hys thanke shall be the more And demeth ye what he shall do therfore Go thanke nowe my lady here ê™ he I rose and down I sette me on my kne And sayd thus Madame the god aboue For yelde you that the god of Loue Haue maked me hys wrathe to foryeue And grace so longe for to lyue That I may knowe sothly what ye be That haue me holpen and put in this degre But trewly I wende as in this caas Nought haue agylte ne done to loue trespas For why a trewe man withouten drede Hath nat to parten wyth a theues dede Ne a trewe louer ought me nat to blame Though that I speke a false louer soÌ„e shame They ought rather with me for to holde For that I of Creseyde wrote or tolde Or of the Rose what so myne authour ment Al gate god wotte it was myne entent To forthren trouth in loue and it cheryce And to ben ware fro falsnesse and fro vyce By whiche ensample this was my menyng And she answerd let be thyne arguyng For loue ne woll nat countrepleted be In right ne wronge and lerne that of me Thou haste thy grace holde y e right therto Now wol I sayn what penaunce y u shalt do For thy trespace vnderstonde it here Thou shalt while y t thou lyuest yereby yere The moste partie of thy tyme spende In makyng of a gloriouse legende Of good women maydens and wyues That weren trewe in louyng all her lyues And tell of false men that hem betrayen That all her lyfe ne do nat but assayen Howe many women they may done a shame For in your worlde that is now hold a game And though the lyke nat a louer be Speke wel of loue this penaunce yeue I the And to the god of loue I shall so praye That he shal charge his seruaÌ„tes by any way To fortheren the and well thy labour quyte Go nowe thy way this penaunce is but lyte And whaÌ„ this boke is made yeue it y e quene On my behalfe at Eltham or
they gone lefte his shyppes ryde His feere and he wythouten any gyde So longe he walketh in this wyldernesse Tyll at the laste he mette an hunteresse A bowe in honde and arowes had she Her clothes cutted were vnto the knee But she was yet the fayrest creature That euer was yformed by nature And Eneas and Achates she grette And thus she to hem spake whaÌ„ she heÌ„ mette Sawe ye ê™ she as ye han walked wyde Any of my sustren walke you besyde Wyth any wylde bore or other beest That they haue hunted to in this forest I tucked vp wyth arowes in her caas Nay sothly lady ê™ this Eneas But by thy beautie as it thynketh me Thou myghtest neuer erthely woman be But Phebus suster art thou as I gesse And yf so be that thou be a goddesse Haue mercy on our labour and our wo I nam no goddesse sothly ê™ she tho For maydens walken in this countre here wyth arowes with bowe in this manere This is the realme of Libye there ye bene Of whiche that Dido lady is and quene And shortly tolde all the occasyon why Dido came in to that regyon Of whyche as nowe me lysteth nat to ryme It nedeth not it nere but losse of tyme For thys is all and some it was Venus Hys owne mother y t spake wyth hym thus And to Cartage she bad he shulde him dyght And vanyshed anone out of hys syght I coulde folowe worde for worde Vergyle But it wolde lasten all to longe whyle Thys noble quene that clypped was Dido That whylom was the wyfe of Sitheo That fayrer was then the bryght sonne This noble towne of Cartage hath begonne In whych she raygneth in so great honour That she was holde of all quenes flour Of gentyllesse of fredome and of beautee That well was hym that myght ones see Of kynges and lordes so desyred That all y e worlde her beauty had yfyred She stode so well in euery wyghtes grace when Eneas was come vnto the place Vnto the mayster temple of all the toun There Dido was in her deuocioun Full priuely hys waye then hath he nome when he was in the large temple come I can not sayne yf that it be possyble But Venus had hym maked inuisible Thus sayeth the boke wythouten any lees And when thys Eneas and Achates Hadden in thys temple ben ouer all Then founde they depaynted on a wall Howe Troye and al the laÌ„de dystroyed was Alas that I was borne quod Eneas Through y e world our shame is kyd so wyde Nowe it is paynted on euery syde we that weren in prosperite Ben nowe dysclaundred and in suche degre No lenger for to lyuen I ne kepe And wyth y t worde he brast out for to wepe So tenderly that routhe it was to sene Thys freshe lady of the cyte quene Stode in the temple in her estate royall So rychely and eke so fayre wyth all So yonge so lusty wyth her eyen glade That yf that god that heuen earth made wolde haue a loue for beauty and goodnesse And womanheed troth and semelynesse whom shulde he louen but thys lady swete There nys no woman to hym halfe so mete Fortune that hath the world in gouernauÌ„ce Hath sodaynly brought in so newe a chaunce That neuer was there yet so frened a caas For all the company of Eneas whych we wende haue lorne in the see Armed is nought ferre fro that cyte For whych the greatest of hys lordes some By auenture ben to the cyte come Vnto the same temple for to seke The quene and of her socour her beseke such renoÌ„e was ther sproÌ„ge of her goodnesse And when they had tolde all her dystresse And all her tempest and all her harde caas Vnto the quene appered Eneas And openly beknewe that it was he who had ioye then but thys meyne That haddeÌ„ fouÌ„de her lorde her gouernour The quene sawe they dyd him such honour And had herden ofte of Eneas er tho And in her herte had routh and wo That euer suche a noble man as he Shall ben dysherited in suche degre And sawe y e man y t he was lyke a knyght And suffysaunt of persone and of myght And lyke to ben a very gentylman And well hys wordes he besette can And had a noble vysage for the nones And formed well of brawne and of bones And after Venus had suche fayrnesse That no maÌ„ myght be halfe so fayre I gesse And well a lorde hym semed for to be And for he was a straunger somwhat she Lyked hym the bette as god do boote To some folke often newe thynge is swote Anone her herte hath pyte of hys wo And wyth pyte loue came also And thus for pyte and for gentylnesse Refreshed must he ben of hys dystresse She sayde certes that she sory was That he hath had such peryl and such caas And in her frendly speche in thys manere She to hym spake and sayd as ye may here Be ye not Venus sonne and Anchyses In good fayth all the worshyp and encrees That I maye goodly done you ye shall haue Your shyppes and your meyne shall I saue And many a gentyll worde she spake hym to And commaunded her messangers to go The same daye wythouten any fayle Hys shyppes for to seke and hem vytayle Full many a beest she to the shyppes sent And wyth the wyne she gan hem to present And to her royall paleys she her spedde And Eneas alwaye wyth her she ledde what nedeth you the feestes to dyscryue He neuer better at ease was in hys lyue Full was the feest of deynties and rychesse Of instrumentes of songe and of gladnesse And many an amorous lokynge and deuyse Thys Eneas is come to paradyse Out of the swolowe of hell and thus in ioye Remembreth hym of hys estate in Troye To dauncynge chaÌ„bres ful of paramentes Of ryche beddes and of pauementes Thys Eneas is ledde after the meete And wyth the quene when that he had seete And spyces parted and the wyne agone Vnto hys chambre was he ladde anone To take hys ease and for to haue hys reste wyth all hys folke to done what so hem leste There nas courser well ybrydled none Ne stede for the iustynge well to gone Ne large palfrey easy for the nones Ne iowell fret full of ryche stones Ne sackes full of golde of large wyght Ne ruby none that shyneth by nyght Ne gentyll hauten faukon heronere Ne hounde for herte wylde bore or deere Ne cuppe of golde wyth floreyns newe ybet That in the lande of Libye may ben gette That Dido ne hath it Eneas ysent And all is payed what that he hath spent Thus caÌ„ this honorable quene her gestes cal As she that can in fredome passen al Eneas sothely eke wythout lees Hath sent to hys shyppe by Achates After hys sonne and after ryche thynges Both sceptre clothes broches eke rynges Some for to weare and some to presente To her that al
Ful of folke of whych ful many one Is wounded sore and sicke and wo begone And they haue at the seige longe ylayne Behynde him came a wynd and eke a raine that shofe so sore hys sayle myght nat stoÌ„de Him were leuer than al the worlde alonde So hunteth hym the tempest to and fro So derke it was he coulde no where go And wyth a waue brusten was hys stere Hys ship was rente so lowe in such manere That carpenter coulde it not amende The see by nyght as any torche brende For woode and posseth hym vp and downe Tyl Neptune hath of him compassioun And Thetis Chorus Tryton and they al And maden hym vp on londe to fal wherof that Phillis lady was and quene Lycurgus doughter fayrer vnto sene Than is the floure agayne the bright sonne Vnneth is Demophon to londe ywonne weake eke wery and hys folke forpyned Of werynesse and also enfamyned And to the deth he was almost ydryuen His wyse folke counsayle haue him yeuen To seken helpe and socour of the quene And loken what hys grace myght bene And maken in that lande some cheuesaunce And kepen hym fro wo and fro mischaunce For sycke he was and almost at the dethe Vnneth myght he speke or drawe brethe And lythe in Rodopeya him for to rest whaÌ„ he may walke hym thouÈt it was best Vnto the countre to seken for socour Men knewe hym well and dyd him honour For at Athenes duke and lorde was he As Theseus hys father hath ybe That in hys tyme was great of renoun No man so great in al hys regioun And lyke hys father of face and of stature And false of loue it came hym of nature As doth the foxe Renarde the foxes sonne Of kynd he coulde his olde fathers wonne wythout lore as can a drake swymme whan it is caught caryed to the brymme this honorable quene phillis doth him chere Her lyketh wel hys sporte and hys manere But I am agroted here beforne To write of hem y t in loue bene forsworne And eke to hast me in my legende which to performe god me grace sende Therfore I passe shortly in thys wyse Ye haue wel herde of Theseus the gyse In the betrayeng of fayre Adriane That of her pyte kept hym fro hys bane At shorte wordes ryght so Demophon The same way the same pathe hath gone That dyd hys false father Theseus For vnto Phillis hath he sworne thus To wedden her and her hys trouth plyght And pyked of her al the good he myght whaÌ„ he was hole sounde and had his rest And doth wyth Phillis what so y t hym lest As wel I coulde yf that me lyst so Tellen al hys doyng to and fro He sayd to hys countrey mote he sayle For there he wolde her weddyng apparayle As fyl to her honoure and hys also And openly he toke hys leaue tho And to her swore he wolde not soiourne But in a moneth agayne he wolde retourne And in that lande let make hys ordynaunce As very lorde and toke the obeysaunce wel and humbly and hys shyppes dyght And home he goth the next way he myght For vnto Philles yet came he nought And that hath she so hard and sore ybought Alas as the storye doth vs recorde She was her owne deth wyth a corde whan she sawe that Demophon her trayed but fyrst wrote she to him fast him prayed He wolde come and delyuer her of payne As I reherce shal a worde or twayne Me lyst nat vouchsafe on hym to swynke Dispenden on hym a penne ful of ynke For false in loue was he ryght as his syre The dyuel sette her soules both on a fyre But of the letter of Phylles wol I write A word or twayne althouÈ it be but lyte Thyn hostesse ê™ she O Demophon Thy Phillis which that is so wo begon Of Rhodopeye vpon you mote complayne Ouer the terme sette betwyxt vs twayne That ye ne holden forwarde as ye sayde Your ancre whych ye in our hauen layde Hyght vs that ye wolde comen out of dout Or that the moone ones went about But tymes foure y e mone hath hyde her face Sens thylke daye ye wente fro thys place And foure tymes lyght the worlde agayne But for all that yet shall I sothly sayne Yet hath the streme of Scython not brought From Athenes the shyp yet came it nought And yf that ye the terme reken wolde As I or other trewe louers do sholde I playne not god wote beforne my day But all her letter wrytten I ne may By order for it were to me a charge Her letter was ryght longe and therto large But here and there in ryme I haue it layde There as me thought that she hath wel sayd She sayd the sayles cometh not agayne Ne to the worde there nys no fey certayne But I wote why ye come not quod she For I was of my loue to you so fre And of the goddes that ye haue swore That her vengeaunce fall on you therfore Ye be not suffysaunt to beare the payne To moche trusted I well may I sayne Vpon your lynage and your fayre tonge And on your teeres falsly out wronge Howe coude ye wepe so by crafte quod she Maye there suche teeres fayned be Nowe certes yf ye wold haue in memorie It ought be to you but lytell glorie Ta haue a sely mayde thus betrayde To god ê™ she pray I and ofte haue prayde That it be nowe the greatest pryce of all And moste honour that euer you shal befall And when thyne olde aunceters paynted be In whych men may her worthynesse se Then praye I god thou paynted be also That folke may reden forth by as they go Lo thys is he that wyth hys flatterye Betrayed hath and done her villanye That was hys trew loue in thought dede But sothly of o poynt yet maye they rede That ye ben lyke your father as in thys For he begyled Ariadne ywys wyth such an arte and suche subtelte As thou thy seluen haste begyled me As in that poynt all though it be not feyre Thou folowest certayne and arte his heyre But sens thus synfulfy ye me begyle My body mote ye sene wythin a whyle Ryght in the hauen of Athenes fletynge wythouten sepulture and buryenge Though ye ben harder then is any stone And wheÌ„ thys letter was forth sent anone And knewe how brotel how false he was She for dyspayre fordyd her selfe alas Such sorowe hath she for she beset her so Beware ye women of your subtyll foe Sens yet thys daye men maye ensample se And trusteth nowe in loue no man but me Here endeth the legende of Phillis and here foloweth the legende of Hipermester IN Grece whylom weren brethren two Of whych that one was called Danao That many a sonne hath of hys body wonne As such fals louers oft coÌ„ Amonge hys sonnes all there was one That aldermoste he loued of euerychone And wheÌ„ this chyld
founde as true as any bonde Or trouth of any mans honde Ne chyde she coulde neuer a dele That knoweth all the worlde ful wele But suche a fayrnesse of a necke Had that swete that bone nor brecke Nas ther none sene that myssat It was whyte smothe streyght pure flat without hole or canell bone And by semyng she had none Her throte as I haue now memoire Semed as a rounde tour of yuoire Of good greatnesse and not to grete And Fayre whyte she hete That was my ladyes name ryght She was therto fayre and bryght She had not her name wronge Ryght fayre shulders and body longe She had and armes euery lyth Fattysh flesshy not great ther with Ryght whyte handes and nayles red Rounde brestes and of good brede Her hyppes were a streyght flat backe I knewe on her none other lacke That all her lymmes nere pure sewyng In as ferre as I had knowyng Therto she coulde so wel playe what that her lyst that I dare saye That was lyke to torche bryght That euery man maye take of lyght Ynough and it hath neuer the lesse Of maner and of comlynesse Ryght so farde my lady dere For euery wyght of her manere Myght catche ynough yf that he wolde Yf he had eyen her to beholde For I dare sweare wel yf that she Had amonge ten thousande be She wolde haue be at the best A chefe myrrour of all the feest Though they had stonde in a rowe To mens eyen that coulde haue knowe For where so men had played or waked Me thought the felowshyp as naked without her that I sawe ones As a crowne without stones Truly she was to myne eye The soleyn Fenix of Arabye For there lyueth neuer but one Ne suche as she ne knowe I none To speke of goodnesse truly she Had as moche debonayrtie As euer had Hester in the Byble And more yf more were possyble And soth to sayne therwithall She had a wyt so generall So hole enclyned to all good That all her wyt was set by the roode without malyce vpon gladnesse And therto I sawe neuer yet a lesse Harmfull than she was in doing I say not that she ne had knowyng what harme was or els she Had coulde no good so thynketh me And truly for to speke of trouth But she had had it had be routh Therof she had so moche her dele And I dare sayne and swete it wele That trouth hym selfe ouer all and all Had chose his maner principall In her that was his restyng place Therto she had the moost grace To haue stedfast perseueraunce And easye attempre gouernaunce That euer I knewe or wyst yet So pure suffraunt was her wyt And reason gladly she vnderstode It folowed well she coulde good She vsed gladly to do wele These were her maners euery dele Therwith she loued so well ryght She wronge do wolde to no wyght No wyght myght do her no shame She loued so wel her owne name Her lust to holde no wyght in honde Ne be thou syker she wolde not fonde To holde no wyght in balaunce By halfe worde ne by countenaunce But yf men wolde vpon her lye Ne sende men into walakye To Pruyse and to Tartarie To Alisandrie ne into Turkye And byd hym fast anon that he Go hoodlesse into the drye see And come home by the Carrenare And syr be now ryght ware That I may of you here sayne worshyp or that ye come agayne She ne vsed no suche knackes smale But therfore that I tell my tale Ryght on this same I haue sayde was hooly all my loue layde For certes she was that swete wyfe My suffysaunce my lust my lyfe Myne hope myne heale and all blesse My worldes welfare and my goodesse And I holy hers and euerydale By our lorde ê™ I I trowe you wele Hardly your loue was wel beset I not how ye myght haue do bet Bet ne not so well quod he I trowe syr quod I parde Nay leue it wel Syr so do I I leue you well that truly You thought that she was the best And to beholde the alderfayrest whoso had loked her with your eyen with myne nay al that her seyen Sayde and swore it was so And though they ne had I wolde tho Haue loued best my lady fre Though I had had all the beautie That euer had Alcibyades And all the strength of Hercules And therto had the worthynesse Of Alisaundre and all the rychesse That euer was in Babiloyne In Cartage or in Macedoyne Or in Rome or in Niniue And therto also hardy be As was Hector so haue I ioye That Achiles slough at Troye And therfore was he slayne also In a temple for both two wer slayne he and Antigelius And so sayth Dares Frigius For loue of Polixena Or ben as wyse as Mynerua I wolde euer without drede Haue loued her for I must nede Nede â–ª nay truly I gabbe nowe Nought nede and I woll tellen howe For of good wyll myne hert it wolde And eke to loue her I was holde As for the fayrest and the best She was as good so haue I rest As euer was Penelope of Grece Or as the noble wyfe Lucrece That was the best he telleth thus The Romayne Titus Lyuius She was as good and nothyng lyke Though her stories be autentyke Algate she was as true as she But wherfore that I tell the whan I fyrst my ladye seye I was ryght yonge soth to say And ful great nede I had to lerne whan myne hert wolde yerne To loue it was a great emprise But as my wyt wolde best suffyse After my yonge chyldly wyt without drede I beset it To loue her in my best wyse To do her worshyp and the seruyse That I conde tho by my trouth without faynyng eyther slouth For wonder fayne I wolde her se So mokell it amended me That whan I sawe her a morowe I was waryshed of al my sorowe Of alday after tyl it were eue Me thought nothyng myght me greue were my sorowes neuer so smerte And yet she syt so in myne herte That by my trouth I nolde nought For al this worlde out of my thought Leaue my lady no truly Now by my trouth syr quod I Me thynketh ye haue suche a chaunce As shryft without repentaunce Repentaunce nay fye quod he Shulde I nowe repent me To loue nay certes than were I well werse than was Achitophel Or Antenor so haue I ioye The traytour that betrayed Troye Or the false Genellon He that purchased the trayson Of Roulande and of Olyuere Nay whyle I am alyue here I nyll foryet her neuer mo Now good syr quod I tho Ye haue well tolde me here before It is no nede to reherse it more Now ye sawe her fyrst and where But wolde ye tel me the manere To her which was your fyrst speche Therof I wolde you beseche And howe she knewe fyrst your thought whether ye loued her or nought And telleth me eke what ye haue
so fare I that of no sentement Saye ryght nought in conclusyon But as I herde when I was present Thys man complayne wyth a pytous soun For euen lyke wythout addicioun Or dysencrease eyther more or lesse For to reherce anone I woll me dresse And yf that any nowe be in thys place That fele in loue brennynge or feruence Or hyndred were to hys ladyes grace wyth false tonges that wyth pestilence Slee trewe men that neuer dyd offence In worde nor dede ne in her entent Yf any suche be here nowe present Let hym of routh laye to audience wyth dolefull chere and sobre countenaunce To here thys man by full hye sentence Hys mortall wo and hys perturbaunce Complaynynge nowe lyenge in a traunce wyth lokes vpcaste and rufull chere Theffecte of whych was as ye shall here The thouÈt oppressed w t inward syghes sore The paynful lyfe the body languyshynge The wofull goste the herte rent and tore The pytous chere pale in complaynynge The deedly face lyke ashes in shynynge The salte teares that from myne eyen fall Parcell declare grounde of my paynes all whose herte is grounde to blede in heuynesse The thought resceyte of wo of complaynt The brest is chest of dole and drerynesse The body eke so feble and so faynte wyth hote and colde myne axes is so maynte That nowe I chyuer for defaute of heate And hote as glede nowe sodaynly I sweate Now hote as fyre nowe colde as ashes deed Now hote for cold nowe colde for hete agayne Nowe colde as yse nowe as coles reed For hete I brenne thus betwyxe twayne I possed am and al forcast in payne So that my hete playnly as I fele Of greuous colde is cause euery dele Thys is the cold of inward hye dysdayne Colde of dyspyte and colde of cruell hate Thys is the cold y t euer doth hys besy payne Ayenst trouth to fyght and debate Thys is the colde that the fyre abate Of trewe meanynge alas the harde whyle Thys is the colde that woll me begyle For euer the better that in trouth I mente wyth all my myght faythfully to serue wyth herte and all to be diligente The lesse thanke alas I can deserue Thus for my trouth daunger doth me sterue For one that shulde my deth of mercy let Hath made despyte new hys swerde to whet Agaynst me and hys arowes to fyle To take vengeaunce of wylfull cruelte And tonges false through her sleightly wyle Han gonne awarre that wyll not stynted be And false enuy wrath and enuyte Haue conspyred agaynst all ryght and lawe Of her malyce that trouth shal be slawe And male bouche gan fyrst the tale tell To sclaundre trouth of indignacion And False reporte so loude range the bell That mysbyleue and false suspection Haue trouth brought to his dampnacion So that alas wrongfully he dyeth And falsnesse nowe hys place occupyeth And entred is in to trouthes londe And hath therof the full possessyon O ryghtful god that fyrst the trouth fonde Howe may thou suffre such oppressyon That falshode shulde haue iurisdiction In trouthes ryght to slee hym gyltlesse In hys fraunchyse he maye not lyue in pees Falsly accused and of hys fone foringed wythout answere whyle he was absent He dampned was and may not be excused For cruelte sate in iugement Of hastynesse wythout auysement And badde Dysdayne do execute anone Hys ingement in presence of hys fone Attourney maye none admytted bene To excuse trouth ne a worde to speke To fayth or othe the iuge lyst not sene There is no gayne but he wyll be wreke O lorde of trouth to the I call and clepe Howe may thou se thus in thy presence wythout mercy murdred innocence Nowe god that arte of trouth souerayne And seest howe I lye for trouth bounde So sore knytte in loues fyrye chayne EueÌ„ at y e deth thrugh gyrte w t many a wouÌ„d That lykely are neuer for to sounde And for my trouth am dampned to the dethe And not abyde but drawe alonge the brethe Consyder and se in thyne eternall ryght Howe y t myne herte professed whylom was For to be trewe wyth all my ful myght Onely to one the whych nowe alas Of volunte wythout any trespas Myne accusours hath taken vnto grace And cherysheth hem my deth for to purchace what meaneth thys what is this woÌ„der bre Of purueyaunce yf I shall it call Of god of loue that false hem so assure And trew alas downe of the whele ben fall And yet in soth thys is the worst of all that falshed wroÌ„gfully of troth hath y e name And troth aâ—eÌ„ward of falshed bereth y e blame Thys blynde chauÌ„ce thys stormy aueÌ„ture In loue hath moste hys experience For who y t doth wyth trouth moste his cure Shall for hys mede fynde moste offence That serueth loue wyth all hys diligence For who can fayne vnder lowlyhede Ne fayleth not to fynde grace and spede Fol I loued one full longe syth agone wyth all myne herte body and full myght And to be deed my herte can not gone From hys heste but holde that he hath hyght Though I be banyshed out of her syght And by her mouth dampned that I shal dey Vnto my behest yet I wyll euer obey For euer syth that the worlde began who so lyst loke and in story rede He shall aye fynde that the trewe man was put abacke where as the falshede Yfurthered was for loue taketh none hede To slee the trew and hath of hem no charge where as the false goeth frely at her large I take recorde of Palamydes The trewe man the noble worthy knyght That euer loued and of hys payne no relees NotwithstaÌ„dyng his maÌ„hode hys myght Loue vnto hym dyd full great vnryght For aye the bet he dyd in chylualrye The more he was hyndred by enuye And aye the better he dyd in euery place Through hys knyghthode and busy payne The ferther was he from hys ladyes grace For to her mercy myght he neuer attayne And to hys deth he coude it not refrayne For no daungere but aye obey and serue As he beste coude playnly tyll he sterue what was the fyne also of Hercules For all hys conquest and hys worthynesse That was of strength alone peerles For lyke as bokes of hym lyst expresse He sette pyllers through hys hye prowesse Awaye at Gaddes for to sygnifye That no maÌ„ myght hym passe in chyualrye The whych pyllers ferre beyonde Inde Be set of golde for a remembraunce And for all that was he set behynde wyth hem that loue lyst febly auaunce For hym set last vpon a daunce Agaynst whome helpe may no stryfe For all hys trouth he loste hys lyfe Phebus also for all hys persaunt lyght when that he wente here in erthe lowe Vnto the herte wyth Venus syght Ywounded was through Cupides bowe And yet hys lady lyst hym not to knowe Though for her loue hys herte dyd blede She let hym go and toke of hym no
graue was layde After hys great passion and deth cruell who hath hym thus agayne betrayde Or what man here about can me tell where he is become the prynce of Israell Iesus of Nazareth my gostly socour My parfyte loue and hope of all honour what creature hath hym hence caryed Or howe myght thys so sodeynly befall I wolde I had here wyth hym taryed And so shulde I haue had my purpose all I bought oyntmentes full precious royall wherwyth I hoped his corps to anoynted But he thus gone my mynde is dyspoynted whyle I therfore aduertyse and beholde This pytous chaunce here in my presence Ful lytel maruayle though my herte be colde Consydrynge lo my lordes absence Alas that I so full of negligence Shulde be founde bycause I come so late All men may faye I am infortunate Cause of my sorowe mē maye vnderstande Quia tulerunt dominum meum Another is that I ne maye fonde I wotnere Vbi posuerunt eum Thus I muste bewayle Dolorem meum wyth herty wepyng I can no better deserue Tyl deth approche my herte for to kerue My herte opprest wyth sodeyne auenture By feruent anguyshe is be wrapped so That longe thys lyfe I may not endure Such is my payne suche is my mortall wo Neuerthelesse to what partye shall I go In hope to fynde myne owne turtyll true My lyues ioye my souerayne Lorde Iesu Syth all my ioye that I call hys presence Is thus remoued nowe I am ful of mone Alas the whyle I made no prouidence For thys myshap wherfore I sygh grone Socour to find to what place might I gone Fayne I wolde to some man my herte breke I note to whom I may complayne or speke Alone here I stande ful sory and ful sadde which hoped to haue sene my lorde kynge Small cause haue I to be mery or gladde Remembrynge thys bytterfull departynge In thys worlde is no creature lyuynge That was to me so good and gracious Hys loue also then golde more precious Ful sore I sygh wythout comforte agayne There is no cure to my saluation Hys brēnyng loue my herte so doth cōstraine Alas here is a wofull permutacion wherof I fynde no ioye nor consolacion Therfore my payne all onely to confesse wyth dethe I feare woll ende my heuynesse Thys wo and anguyshe is intollerable Yf I byde here lyfe can I not sustayne Yf I go hence my paynes be vncurable wher hī to fynde I knowe no place certayne And thus I not of these thynges twayne whych I maye take whych I may refuse My hert is woūded heron to thynke or muse A whyle I shall stande in thys mournyng In hope yf any vysyon wol appere That of my loue might tel some good tiding whych into ioy myght chaūge my wepynge there I trust in his grace hys mercy dere But at the leest though I therwyth me kyll I shal not spare to wayle and wepe my fyll And yf that I dye in suche auenture I can nomore but welcome as my chaunce My bones shall rest here in thys sepulture My lyfe my dethe is at hys ordinaunce It shal be tolde in euerlastyng remembraūce Thus to departe is to me no shame And also therof I am nothynge to blame Hope agaynst me hath her course ytake There is nomore but thus shall I dye I se ryght wel my lorde hath me forsake But in my cōceyte cause knowe I none why Though he be farre hence and nothyng nye Yet my wofull herte after hym doth seke And causeth teeres to ren down by my cheke Thynkyng alas I haue lost hys presence whych in this worlde was al my sustenaūce I crye and cal wyth herty dyligence But there is no wyght gyueth attendaunce Me to certifye of myne enquyraunce wherfore I wyll to al thys worlde bewraye Howe that my lorde is slayne borne awaye Though I mourne it is no great wonder Syth he is al my ioye in speciall And nowe I thynke we be so farre a sonder That hym to se I feare neuer I shall It helpeth no more after hym to call Ne after hym to enquyre in any coste Alas howe is he thus gone and loste The iewes I thynke full of mysery Sette in malyce by theyr besy cure wyth force and myght of gylefull trechery Hath entermyned my lordes sepulture And borne awaye that precious fygure Leuynge of it nothynge yf they haue done so Marred I am alas what shall I do wyth theyr vengeaunce insaciable Nowe haue they hym entreated so That to reporte it is to lamentable They bete hys body from toppe to the too Neuer man was borne that felte suche wo They wounded hym alas wyth al greuaūce The blode downe reyled in most habūdaūce The blody rowes stremed downe ouer all They hym assayled so malycyously wyth theyr scourges and strokes beestyall They spared not but smote incessauntly To satisfye theyr malyce they were full besy They spit in his face they smote here there He groned ful sore and swette many a tere They crowned him w t thornes sharpe kene The vaynes rent the blode ran downe apace wyth bloode ouercome were both hys eyen And bolne with strokes was his blessed face They hym entreated as men without grace They kneled to hym made many a scorne Lyke helhoundes they haue hym al to corne Vpon a myghty crosse in length and brede These turmētours shewed theyr cursydnesse they nayled hym wythout pyte or brede Hys precious bloode brast out in largenesse They strayned him alonge as mē mercylesse The very ioyntes all to myne apparence Ryued asonder for theyr great vyolence All thys I beholdyng w t myne eyen twayne Stode there besyde wyth rufull attendaūce And euer me thought he beyng in that paine Loked on me wyth deedly councenaunce As he had sayd in hys speciall remembraūce Farewell Magdalen departe must I nedes hens My herte is Tāquā cera liquescens whych rufull syght when I gan beholde Out of my wytte I almost dystraught Tare my heere my handes wrange solde And of y e sight my herte drāke such a draught That many a fal swounyng there I caught I brused my body fallyng on the grounde wherof I fele many a greuous woūde Thē these wretches full of al frowardnesse Gaue him to drynke eysell tempred with gal Alas that poyson full of bytternesse My loues chere caused than to appall And yet therof might he nat drinke at all But spake these wordes as him thought best Father of heuen Consummatum est Than kneled I downe in paynes outrage Clipping y e crosse within myn armes twayn His bloode distylled downe on my vysage My clothes eke the droppes dyd distayne To haue dyed for him I wolde full fayne But what shulde it auayle yf I dyd so Sythe he is Suspensus in patibulo Thus my lorde full dere was all disgysed with bloode payne and woundes many one His veynes brast hys ioyntes all to ryued Partyng a sonder the fleshe fro the bone But I sawe
herte so free This poore token say to hym I sende Pleaseth his goodnesse to take it in gree It is hys owne of ryght it is hys see whyche he asked whan he sayd longe before Gyue me thy herte and I desyre no more A due my lorde my loue so fayre of face A due my turtel doue so freshe of hue A due my myrthe a due al my solace A due alas my sauyour lorde Iesu A due the gentyllest that euer I knewe A due my most excellent paramour Fayrer than rose sweter than Lylly flour A due my hope of all plesure eternall My lyfe my welth and my prosperite Myne herte of golde my peerle orientall Myne adamant of parfyte charite My chefe refuge and my felycite My comforte and all my recreatioun Farwell my perpetuall saluatioun Farewell myne Emperour celestyall Most beautyful prince of al mankynde A due my lorde of herte most lyberall Farwell my swetest bothe soule and mynde So louyng a spouse shall I neuer fynde A due my souerayne and very gentylman Farewell dere herte as hertely as I can Thy wordes eloquent flowing in swetnesse Shall no more alas my mynde reconforte wherfore my lyfe must ende in bytternesse For in this worlde shall I neuer resorte To the whiche was myne heuenly disporte I se alas it woll none other be Nowe farwell the grounde of all dignite A due the fayrest that euer was bore Alas I may not se your blessed face Nowe welaway that I shal se no more Thy blessed vysage so replete wyth grace wherin is printed my parfyte solace A due myne hertes roote and al for euer Nowe farewel I must from the disceuer My soule for anguysh is nowe full thursty I faynt ryght sore for heuynesse My lorde my spouse Cur me dereliquisti Syth I for the suffre al thys distresse what causeth the to seme thus mercylesse Sith it the pleaseth of me to make an ende In manus tuas my spirite I cōmende ¶ Finis The Remedy of Loue. SEyng the manyfolde inconuenience Fallynge by vnbridled prosperite which is not tempred with moral prudence Nothyng more welthy thā youthes frelte Moued I am both of ryght and equyte To youthes wele somwhat to write wherby he may hym selfe safecondyte Fyrst I note as thyng moost noyous Vnto youth a greuous malady Amonge vs called loue encombrous Veryng yonge people straungely Ofte by force causeth hem to dye Age is eke turmented by loue Byneth the gyrdle and not aboue wherfore thys werke which is ryght laborous For age me nede not in hande to take To youth me oweth to be obsequious Nowe I begyn thus to worke for hys sake whych may the feruence of loue a slake To the louer as a mitigatyue To hym that is none a preseruatyue That myghty lorde whych me gouerneth Youth I meane measure yf I pace In euery mater whiche hym concerneth Fyrst as is behoueful I woll aske grace And forth wythal in thys same place Er I begyn I wol knele and saye These fewe wordes and hym of helpe pray Flourynge youth whych hast auauntage In strength of body in lust and beaute Also a precellyng haste aboue age In many a singuler commodite Howe be it one thyng he hath beyonde the To thy moost profyte and greatest auayle which shlud y e cōduit I meane sad coūsayle And yet good lorde of a presumption I nyl depraue thy myght and deite I lyue but vnder thy protection I am thy subiecte I weare thy lyuerie For thou arte grounde of my prosperite And freshest floure of al my garlonde My singuler ayde as I wel vnderstonde But as he that oweth hys lorde beste seruice And entyre fayth his honour to supporte Ryght so I speke and in none other wyse I knowlege my selfe one of the leste sorte Of thy seruauntes to our elders comforte Drawe sadde counsayle to they yf thou lyst The and thy power who may than resyst Fye on age vnder wordes fewe And his erconyous opinyon what spekest of him whyche sayth most vntrew Al youth to be of yl disposition Dampneth vs al wythout exception And for a colerable auauntage He sayth in him resteth counsayle sage Wel may sadde counsayle in hym rest But yet hys dedes bene ferre therfro He may say wyth our paryshe preest Do as I say and not as I do For I my selfe knowe one or two wel stryken in age for neyghbourhedde wol to theyr neyghbours wyues bedde He wyl in presence of the yonge man Her clyppe and kysse yee and downe laye To bleare hys eye thus he sayth than O suffre yet olde Morel to playe Nowe haue I done that I can or may Thus he saeth her husbonde to queme That he nor no man shulde not misdeme In worde nor dede nedeth hym not be coye It is impossible that he do amysse If the yonge mā speke anone he sayeth boye To rebuke age besemeth the not ywys Thus hys olde face aye hys warant is Al is in hym sleyght and subtylte And ferre from reason I tel the And shortly age is not aboue me Age is impotent and of no resistence Age vnweldy may not fyght nor flye what were age wythout my defence Sad counsayle sayst gyueth hym assistence Reason is freshest where that I ame wherfore in thy sayeng thou art to blame Syth reason to me is rather acompanyed Than vnto age whyche is the opinyon Of euery wyse man not to be denyed And syth sad counsayle procedeth of reason Sad coūsaile in me hath his chefe mancion Thys is no naye but what is the ende Of thys thy suasion what doest entende Age to compare vnto thyne excellence I nyl presume hym so to dignifye Ye be not egal howe be it experience Him auauntageth for she most certaynly Him teacheth what thyng to him is cōtrary And oft to fore se it and warely eschewe which thou neuer assaydest yet nor knewe Experience maketh a man moost certayne Of any thyng erthly and of necessite Sad counsayle requyreth certaynte playne So ferre to moue thus wherto nede we But to my purpose as thou cōmaundest me Shortly myne entente is thus none other Vnder thy licence to counsayle my brother Howe shuldest gyue any counsayle so yonge Lacking experience vnto thyne owne speche I reporte me I wote wel as for thy tonge wyl serue the right wel but than for to teche I dout me lest that thy wytte wol not reche Youth experience thou sayest be not cōuert Howe shuldest than teach◠wel vnexpert Scripture wytnesseth that god wyl oft shyt Fro the hye witted man shew it to y e childe To hym I meane that of hys owne wyt Presumeth not but is debonayre mylde By counsayle I entende vertue for to bylde which of myne elders part haue I borowed part of experience which I haue sorowed wel than yf it be as thou lettest fare Shewe forth thy doctrine be not agast I wol the supporte loke thou not spare Maugre age though he frete or gnast To aske age counsayle herin were
ye and conspyre His death who that wol her desyre whych she perceyuyng brasteth hys gal And anone hys great wodenesse doth fal As sone as she hath knytte him that knot Nowe is he tame that was so ramagious Mekely sytteth he downe and taketh his lot Layd bene nowe hys lokes so furyous And he but late as a cocke bataylous Hote in hys quarel to auenge hym bolde Nowe is he called both coke and colde Thys sayeng to al curtesy dissonant whych semeth that it of malyce grewe In this rude treatyse I wol not plant As parcel therof but onely to shewe The opinion of the talcatyfe shrewe whych in yl sayeng is euer mery No man as I therof so wery But I as parcel of thys my boke woll graffe in some sadde counsayle wherby The wedded man yf he daigne to loke In it the better shal mowe him gye And proued for hys sayd infortunye whyche as I haue sayd with hym coÌ„playne I wol as partener of hys great payne As moost expedient to hys wele I wolde al ielousy were abiecte If he be ielous that he it concele And in his labour be circumspecte To knowe her wayes yf they seme suspecte And not for to breke for one worde broken She wol not mysse but she wol be wroken Forbyd her not that thou noldest haue done For loke what thinge she is forbood To that of al thynges she is moost prone Namely yf it be yl and no good Tyll it be executed she is nygh wood Such is woman and such is her feate Her crafte by crafte labour to defeate If thou herafter nowe a syngle man Shuldest be ielous yf thou haddest a wyfe wedde not but yf thou can trust woman For els shuldest lede a carefull lyfe That thou moost lothest shulde be full ryfe Yet I nyl gaynsay matrimony But Melius est nubert quam vri That is to saye better is in wedlocke A wyfe to take as the church doth kenne Than to be vnder the fleshes yoke In fleshly lust alwaye for to brenne But as I sayd for all ielous men So they lyue chaste I holde it lasse yll That they wedde not than them selfe spyll The syngle man whych is yet to wedde And not the wedded man thus I rede To warne him nowe he is to farre spedde It is to late him for to forbede But let him take as for his owne nede Such counsayle as is hym before tolde These wordes folowyng eke she beholde Thy water to kepe the wyse man doth teche That thou in no wyse let it haue issue At a narowe ryfte way it wol seche And semblably the woman vntrewe To gyue her frewalke in all wyse eschewe If she at large not at thyne hande walke she wol the shame thou shalt it not balke wedded or syngle thus sayth the wyse man Her that both day and nyght euermore Lyth in thy bosome wyfe or yet lemman Loue not to hote lest thou repent sore Lest she the bryng into some yll lore Thy wyfe not to loue yet I nyll supporte But that thou dote not thus I the exhort Lo if thou loue her loue eke thyne honestie Be she not ydle for what woll betyde Yf she syt ydle of very necessitie Her mynde woll serche ferre and eke wyde Namely yf she be not accompanyde How accoÌ„panyed not with yonge men But with maydens I meane or women Mayden seruauntes be ryght conuenient In house to helpe to do her seruyce In whom she maye vse her coÌ„maundement In the season at her owne deuyse To teache hem good yeue her thyne aduyce To make them huswyues thus besynesse May yet refrayne her from ydlenesse But byd her not that thou wolt haue do Of thyne entent that myght be lettyng But craftely encourage her therto By other meanes as by coÌ„mendyng And not to moche but duly mengyng Both prayse and blame and in thy reason Fyrst prayse wysely the place and season Of faythfull wyll and herte full tendre One thynge I call into remembraunce Agayne which though my wyt be slendre After my power and suffysaunce I purpose to make a purueyaunce Syth women of nature ben chaungeable Frayle not ware also disceyuable Be it that thy wyfe be excellently good That none be better of disposicion In proces of tyme she might turn her mode By some myslyuers instigation Dyuers men to thylke occupacion Applyen dayly mynde and eke herte From her goodnesse women to peruerte Yf thou espye any suspect person Drawe to thy wyfe beware in all wyse To hym nor her of thy suspection Breke not one word thouÈ thy herte agryse Kyndle no fyre no smoke woll aryse Though he be of a corrupt entent She paraduenture is not of assent ¶ Explicit The complaynt of Mars and Venus GLaddeth ye louers in the morowe graye Lo venus risseÌ„ amoÌ„g you rowes rede And floures fresh honour ye this daye For whan y e sunne vp rist thaÌ„ wil they spred But ye louers that ly in any drede Flyeth lest wycked tonges you espye Lo yonde the sunne the candle of ielousye with teres blewe and with a wouÌ„ded hert Taketh your leue w t saint Iohn toborow Apeseth somwhat of your sorowes smert Tyme coÌ„meth eft y t cessen shal your sorowe The glad nyght is worth an heuy morowe Saynt Valentyne a foule thus herd I sing Vpon thy day or sunne gan vp sprynge Yet sange this foule I rede you all awake And ye that haue not chosen in humble wise without repentyng cheseth your make Ye at the leest renoueleth your seruyce And ye that haue full chosen as I deuyse Confermeth it perpetually to dure And pacyently taketh your auenture And for the worshyp of this hye feest Yet wol I in my bryddes wyse synge The sentence of the complaynt at the leest That wofull Mars made at the departing Fro fresh Venus in a morownyng whan Phebus with his fyry torches rede Ransaked hath euery louer in his drede whylom the thre heuens lorde aboue As well by heuenlyche reuolution As by desert hath won Venus his loue And she hath take hym in subiection And as a maystresse taught hym his lesson CoÌ„maundynge hym neuer in her seruyce He were so bolde no louer to dispyse For she forbade hym ielousye at all And crueltie and boste and tyrannye She made hym at her lust so humble tall That whaÌ„ she dayned to cast on him her eye He toke in pacience to lyue or dye And thus she brydleth hym in her manere with nothing but w t scornyng of her chere who raygneth now in blysse but Venus y t hath this worthy knyght in gouernaunce who singeth now but Mars y t serueth thus The fayre Venus causer of pleasaunce He bynt hym to perpetual obeysaunce And she bynt her to loue hym for euer But so be that his trespasse it disceuer Thus be they knyt and reignen as in heuen By lokyng most as it fel on a tyde That by her both assent was set a steuen That Mars shall entre
Hath of indytyng al the subtiltie welnygh beraft out of my remēbraunce And eke to me it is a great penaunce Sith ryme in englysh hath suche scarcitie To folowe worde by worde the curiositie Of Gransonstoure of hem that make in Fraunce ¶ Explicit ¶ Hereafter foloweth the letter of Cupyde CUpyde vnto whose commaundement The gentyl kynred of goddes on hye And people infernall bene obeddyent And al mortall folke seruē busylye Of the goddesse sone Cythera onely To all tho that to our deitie Ben subiectes hertely gretyng sende we In generall we wolde that ye knowe That ladyes of honour and of reuerence And other gentylwomen hauen sowe Suche seed of cōplaynt in our audyence Of men that do hem outrage and offence That it our eares greueth for to here So pytous is theffect of this matere Passyng al londes on the lytle yle That cleped is Albyon they most cōplayne They say that there is crop and rote of gyle So con tho men dissymule and fayne with standyng dropes in her eyen twayne whan that her hertes feleth no distresse To blynden women with her doublenesse Her wordes spoken be so syghingly with so pytous chere and countenaunce That euery wyght that meneth truly Demeth they in hert haue suche greuaunce They say so importable is her penaunce That but her lady lust to shewe hem grace They ryght anon must steruen in the place Ah lady myne they saye I you ensure As doth me grace and I shall euer be whyle that my lyfe may last and endure To you as humble and lowe in eche degree As possyble is and kepe al thinges as secre Ryght as your selfe lyst that I do And els myne hert mote brast in two Ful harde it is to knowe a mans hert For outwarde may no mā the trouth deme whan worde out of mouth may none sterte But it by resō semed euery wyght to queme So it is sayde of hert as it wolde seme O faythful woman ful of innocence Thou art disceued by false apparence By proces moueth oft womans pytie wenyng all thyng were as these men say They graunt hem grace of her benignitie For that men shulde not for her sake dey And with good hert set hem in the wey Of blysful loue kepe it yf they con And thus otherwhyle women beth ywon And whan this man y e pan hath by the stele And fully is in his possessyoun with that woman kepeth he nomore to dele After yf he may fynde in the toun Any woman his blynde affectioun Vnto bestowe euyl mote he preue A man for al his othes is harde to beleue And for that euery falseman hath a make As vnto euery wight is lyght to knowe whā this traitour this womā hath forsake He faste spedeth him vnto his felowe Tyl he be there his herte is on a lowe His false deserte may him nat susfyse But of his trayson telleth al the wyse Is this afayre auaunt is this honour A man hym selfe accuse thus and diffame Is it good to confesse hym selfe a traytour And brynge a woman to sclaundros name And tell howe he her body hath do shame No worshyp may he thus to hym conquer But great disclaundre vnto hym and her To her nay yet was it no reprefe For al for vertue was that she wrought But he that brewed hath al this myschefe y t spake so fayre falsly inward thought His be the sclaundre as it by reason ought And vnto her thanke perpetuel That in suche a nede helpe can so well Although through mens fleyght subteltie I sely symple and innocent woman Betrayde is no wondre syth the cytie Of Troye as the story tell can Betrayde was through the disceyte of man And set on fyre and al downe ouerthrowe And finally destroyed as men knowe Betray nat men cytes great and kynges what wight is it that can shape remedy Ayenst these falsely purposed thynges who can the crafte suche craftes tespy But man whose wytte is euer redy taply To thyng that sownyng in to falsehede women bethe ware of false men I rede And furthermore haue these men in vsage That where they nat lykely ben to spede Suche as they ben with a double visage They procuren for to pursewe her nede He prayeth him in his cause to procede And largely guerdoneth he his trauayle Lytell wote women howe men hem assayle Another wretche vnto his felowe sayth Thou fysshest faire she that the hath fyred Is false inconstaunt and hath no fayth She for the rode of folke is so desyred And as an horse fro day to day she is hyred That whan thou twynnest fro her company Cometh another and blered is thyne eye Nowe pricke on fast and ryde thy iourney while thou art there for she behynd thy backe So lyberall is she woll nothyng withsey But smartly of another take a smacke Thus fare these women all the packe who so hem trusteth hanged mote he be Euer they desyre chaunge and nouelte Wherof procedeth this but of enuy For he hun selfe her ne wynne may He speketh her reprefe and vyllany As maunes blabbyng tong is wont alway Thus dyuers men full ofte make assay For to distourbe folke in sondrye wyse For they may nat eschewe her empryse Many one eke wolde for no good That hath in loue hys tyme spent and vsed Men wyst y t his lady hys askyng withstode Er that he were of her playnly refused Or waste and vayne all that he had mused wherfore he can none other remedy But on his lady shapeth hym to lye Euery woman he saythe is lyght to gete Can none say nay yf she be well ysought who so may leyser haue wyth her to trete Of hys purpose shall he fayle nought But he on madnesse be so depe brought That he shende all wyth open homlynesse That louen women they doten as I gesse To sclaūder women thus what may profyte To gentyllesse namely that hem arme shulde In defence of women and hem delyte As that the ordre of gentyllesse wolde If that a man lyst gentyll to be holde He muste all eschewe that therto is contrary A sclaundrous tonge is hys great aduersary A foule vyce is of tonge to be lyght For who so moche clappeth gabbeth ofte The tonge of man so swyfte is and so wight That whan it is reysed vp on lofte Reason is shewed so slowly and softe That it hym neuer ouertake may Lorde so these men ben trusty in assay All be it that men fynde one woman nyce Inconstaunt rechelesse and varyable Deignous proude fulfylled of malyce wythout faythe or loue and disceyuable Slye queynt false in all vntrust coulpable wycked feirse or full of cruelte Yet foloweth it not that suche all women be Whan the hyghe god aungels fourmed had Amonge hem all were there none That founden was malicious and bad Yes all men wote there were many one That for her pryde fyll fro heuen anone Shuld me for thy yeue al angels proude name Nay he that y e
nowe no domination Pite is exiled no man is merciable Through couetyse is blente discretion The worlde hath made a permutation Fro ryght to wrong fro trouth to fykelnesse That al is lost for lacke of stedastnesse ¶ Lenuoye Prince desyre to be honourable Cherysh thy folke and hate extorcion Suffre nothyng that may be reprouable To thyne estate done in thy region Shewe forth the yerde of castigation Drede god do law loue trouth worthines And wedde thy folke ayen to stedfastnesse ¶ Explicit ¶ Good counsayle of Chaucer FLye ye fro the prease dwell wyth sothfastnesse Suffice vnto thy good yf it be smal For horde hathe hate clymbynge tykelnesse Prease hath enuye and wele is blent ouer al Sauour no more than the behoue shall Rede wel thy selfe that other folke shal rede And trouth the shal delyuer it is no drede Payne the not eche croked to redresse In trust of her that turneth as a balle Great rest stondeth in lytle besynesse Beware also to spurne agayne a nalle Stryue not as doth a Crocke wyth a walle Deme thy selfe that demest others dede And trouth the shal delyuer it is no drede That the is sent receyue in buxomnesse The wrastlyng of this worlde asketh a fal Here is no home here is but wyldernesse Forth pylgrym forth beest out of thy stal Loke vpon heygh and thanke god of al weyue thy lust and let thy goost the lede And trouth the shal delyuer it is no drede ¶ Explicit ¶ Balade of the vyllage wythout payntynge ¶ Playntyfe to fortune THys wretched worldes transmutation As wele wo now pore and nowe honour Wythout order or dew discretion Gouerned is by fortunes errour But nathlesse the lacke of her fauour Ne may not do me singe though that I dye Iay tout pardu mon temps et labour For finally fortune I defye Yet is me lefte the syght of my reasoun To knowe frende fro foe in thy myrrour So much hath yet thy turnyng vp doun I taught me to knowen in an hour But trewly no force of thy reddour To hym that ouer hym selfe hath maystry My suffisaunce shal be my socour For finally fortune I defye O Socrates thou stedfast champion She myght neuer be thy turmentour Thou neuer dreddest her opression Ne in her chere founde thou no fauour Thou knewe the disceyte of her colour And that her moost worshyp is for to lye I knowe her eke a false dissimulour For finally fortune I defye ¶ The answere of fortune No man is wretched but hym selfe it wene He that hath hym selfe hath suffisaunce why sayst thou than I am so to the kene That hast thy selfe out of my gouernaunce say thus graūt mercy of thyne abundaunce That thou hast lent or this y u shalt not striue what wost y u yet howe I wyl the auaunce And eke thou hast thy best frende on lyue I haue the taught diuisyon betwene Frende of effecte and frende of coūtenaunce The nedeth nat the galle of an hyne That cureth eyen derke for her penaunce Nowe seest thou clere y t were in ignoraunce Yet holt thyne anker yet thou maist ariue there bounte bereth the key of my substaūce And eke thou hast thy best frende alyue Howe many haue I refused to sustene Syth I haue the fostred in thy pleasaunce wolt thou than make a statute on thy quene That I shal be aye at thyne ordynaunce Thou borne arte in my reigne of varyaunce Aboute y e whele with other must thou dryue My lore is bette thā which is thy greuaūce And eke thou hast thy best frende a lyue ¶ The answere to fortune Thy lore I dampne it is aduersite My frende mayst y u not reue blynd goddesse That I thy frendes knowe I thanke it the Take hem agayne let hem go lye a presse The nygardes in kepyng her rychesse Prouostyke is thou wolt her toure assayle wicke appetyte cometh aye before syckenesse In general thys rule may not fayle ¶ Fortune Thou pynchest at my mutabilyte For I the lent a droppe of my rychesse And nowe me lyketh to wythdrawe me why shuldest thou my royalte oppresse The see may ebbe and flowe more and lesse The welkē hath mixt to shyne rayne hayle Ryght so must I kyth my brotylnesse In general thys rule may not fayle ¶ The playntyfe Lo the execution of the maieste That al purueyeth of hys ryghtwysenesse That same thyng fortune clepen ye Ye blynde beestes ful of leudnesse The heuen hath properte of sykernesse Thys worlde hath euer restlesse trauayle The laste day is ende of myne entresse In general thys rule may not fayle ¶ Thenuoye of fortune Princes I pray you of your gentylnesse Let not thys man on me thus crye playne And I shal quyte you thys besynesse And yf ye lyst releue hym of hys payne Pray ye hys best frende of his noblesse That to some better estate he maye attayne ¶ Lenuoye TO broken ben the statutes hye in heuen That create were eternally tendure Syth y t I se the bryght goddes seuen Mowe wepe and waile and passion endure As maye in earth a mortal creature Alas fro whence may thys thynge procede Of which errour I dye almost for drede By worde eterne whilom was it shape That fro the fyfth cercle in no manere Ne myght of teares downe escape But nowe so wepeth Venus in her sphere that wyth her teares she wol drench vs here Alas Skogan thys is for thyne offence Thou causest thys deluge of pestilence Hast y u not sayd in blaspheme of the goddis through pride or through thy gret rekilnesse such thinges as in y e lawe of loue forbode is That for thy lady sawe not thy distresse Therfore thou yaue her vp at Myghelinesse Alas Skogon of olde folke ne yonge was neuer erst Skogā blamed for his tong Thou drewe in scorne Cupide eke to recorde Of thilke rebel worde that thou hast spoken For which he wol no lenger be thy lorde And Skogan though hys bow be not brokē He wol not wyth his arowes ben ywroken On the ne me ne none of our figure we shal of him haue neyther hurte ne cure Now certes frend I drede of thine vnhappe Lest for thy gylt the wretche of loue procede On al hem y t bene hore and rounde of shappe That bene so lykely folke to spede Than we shal for our labour haue our mede But wel I wotte thou wolte answere say Lo olde grysel lyst to renne and play Nay Skogan say not so for I me excuse God helpe me so in no ryme doutles Ne thynke I neuer of slepe wake my muse That rusteth in my sheth styl in pees whyle I was yong I put her forth in prees But al shal passe that men prose or ryme Take euery man his tourne as for his tyme Skogan thou knelest at the stremes heed Of grace of al honour and of worthynesse In th ende of whych I am dul as deed Forgoten in solatary
reason al y e soule but eueryche of hem is a thing by him self in y e soule And right as euerich hath thus singuler iÌ„strumeÌ„tes by heÌ„ selfe they han as well diuers aptes dyuers maner usynges thilke aptes moweÌ„ in wyll ben cleped affectioÌ„s AffectioÌ„ is an instrumeÌ„t of wyllyng in his apetites Wherfore mokel folke sayne if a resonable creatures soule any thing ferueÌ„tly wylneth affectuously he wylneth thus may wyl by terme of equiuocas in thre wayes be vnderstaÌ„d One is instrmeÌ„t of wyllyng another is affectioÌ„ of thys instrument the thyrd is vse y t setteth it a werke InstrumeÌ„t of willyng is thilke streÌ„gth of the soule which y e coÌ„straineth to wylne ryght as reson is instrumeÌ„t of reasons which ye vsen when ye loken Affection of thys instrument is a thyng by which ye be drawe desyrouslye any thyng to wylne in coueytous maner all be it for the tyme out of your mynde as yf it come in your thought thylke thyng to remeÌ„bre anone ye be wylling thilke to done or els to haue And thus is instrument wyl affection is wyl also to wylne thynge as I sayd as for to wylne helth wheÌ„ wyl nothing theron thiketh for anon as it cometh to memorie it is in wyl and so is affection to wylne slepe wheÌ„ it is out of mynde but anone as it is remembred wyl wylneth slepe when his tyme cometh of y t doynge For affection of wyll neuer accordeth to sycknesse ne alway to wake Right so in a true louers affectioÌ„ of willyng instrument is to wylne truth in hys seruyce this affection alway abydeth although he be sleping or thretâ—ed or els not theron thinkyng but anon as it cometh to minde anone he is stedfast in that wil to abyde Vse of this instrument forsoth is another thyng by hym selfe that haue ye not but wheÌ„ ye be doynge in wylled thyng by affect or instrumeÌ„t of wil purposed or desyred this maner of vsage in my seruice wisely nedeth to be ruled froÌ„ wayters w t enuy closed froÌ„ spekers ful of iaÌ„gelig wordes from proude folke hautayne that labes innocentes both scornen dyspysen Thus in doyng varieth the actes of willing euerich from other yet ben they cleped wil the name of wyl vtterly owen they to haue as instrument of wyll is wyl when ye turne into purpose of any thynge to don be it to syt or to stande or any suche thynge els This instrument maye ben had although affecte and vsage be lefte out of doynge right as ye haue syght and reason and yet alway vse ye greatest wysedome in hem shall he be and they in god Nowe then when all false folke be ashamed which wenen al bestialte erthly thing be swetter and better to the body then heueÌ„ly is to the soule thys is the grace the frute y t I longe haue desyred it doth me good the sauoure to smel Christ nowe to the I crye of mercy and of grace and graunt of thy goodnes to euery maner reder full vnderstaÌ„dynge in thys leude pamflet to haue and let no man wene other cause in thys werke then is verely the soth For enuy is euer redy all innoceÌ„tes to shende wherfore I wolde that good speche enuye euermore hynder But no man wene thys werke be sufficiently maked for goddes werke passeth mans no maÌ„s wyt to perfit werke may by no way puruay th ende How shuld I theÌ„ so leude ought wene of perfectioÌ„ any ende to get Neuer the later grace glorie laude I yeld put w t worshypful reuereÌ„ces to y t sothfast god iÌ„ thre with vnite closed which y t the heuy laÌ„gour of my sycknesse hath turned into mirth of helth forecouer for right as I was sorowed thorow the gloton cloude of manyfolde syckly sorowe so myrth ayen comyng helth hath me gladed greatly coÌ„forted I besech pray therfore I crye on goddes gret pyte on hys mokel mercy that thys present scorges of my fleshe mow make medecyn lech craft of my inner mans helth so y t my passed trespas tenes throughe wepyng of myne eyen ben wash I boyded froÌ„ al maner dysese nomore to wepe herafter I now be kept thorow goddes grace so thâ—â— goddes haÌ„de whych that mercyably me haâ—â— scorged herafter in good plyte froÌ„ thens mercyably me kepe defeÌ„de In thys boke be many preuy thynges wympled folde vnneth shul leude meÌ„ the plytes vnwynde wherfore I pray to the holy goost he lene of hys oynt meÌ„tes mens wyttes to clere and for goddes loue no man wonder why or howe thys question come to my mynde for my great lustye desyre was of thys lady to be enfourmed my leudnesse to amende Certes I knowe not other mennes wyttes what I shuld aske or in answere what I shulde saye I am so leude my selfe that mokel more lernynge yet me behoueth I haue made therfore as I coud but not sufficiently as I wolde as mater yaue me sentence for my dull wytte is hyndered by stepmother of foryetynge wyth cloud of vnconnynge that stoppeth the lyghte of my Margarite perle wherfore it may not shyne on me as it shulde I desyre not onely a good reder but also I coueyte praye a good boke amender in correction of wordes and of sentence and onely thys mede I coueyte for my trauayle that euery inseer and herer of thys leude fantasye deuoute orisons and prayers to god the great iudge yelden and prayen for me in that wyse that in hys dome my synnes mowe ben released foryeuen He that prayeth for other for him selfe trauayleth Also I pray that euery man parfytly mowe knowe thorowe what intencion of herte this tretyse haue I drawe How was it y t syghtfull MaÌ„na in deserte to chyldreÌ„ of Israel was spirituall meate bodely also it was for mennes bodies it norisheth And yet neuer y e later Christ it sygnifyed Ryght so a iewell betokeneth a gemme that is a stone vertuous or els a perle Margarite a womaÌ„ betokeneth grace lernyng or wysedoÌ„ of god or els holy church Yf breed thorow vertue is made holy fleshe what is that our god sayth It is the spirete that yeueth lyfe the fleshe of nothynge it profyteth Fleshe is fleshly vnderstandyng Flesh wythout grace and loue nought is worth The letter sleeth y e spirite yeueth lyfelich vnderstaÌ„dyng Charite is loue and loue is charyte god graunt vs all therin to be frended And thus the Testament of Loue is ended ¶ Thus endeth the Testament of Loue And here after foloweth The lamentatyon of Mary Magdaleyne PLonged in the wawe of mortall dystresse Alas for wo to whom shall I compleyne Or who shall deuoyde thys great heuynesse Fro me wofull Mary wofull Magdaleyne my lord is gon alas who wrouÈt this treine This sodeine chauÌ„ce perseth my hert so depe That nothing can I do but wayle and wepe My lorde is gone y t here in