and lost that is vnsought What many a man hath love full dere ibouÈt Twentie winter that his Ladie ne wist That never yet his Ladies mouth he kist What should he therfore fallen in dispair Or he receaunt for his owne tene Or slaine himselfe all be his Ladie faire Nay nay but ever in one be fresh and green To serve and love his dere hearts queen And thinke it is a guerdone her to serve A thousand part more than he can deserve And of that word tooke heede Troilus And thought anon what folly he was in And how that sooth him sayd Pandarus That for to-slaien himselfe might he not win But both doen vnmanhood and a sinne And of his death his Ladie nought to wite For of his woe God wote she knew full lite And with that thought he gan full sore sike And sayd alas what is me best to doe To whome Pandare sayed if thee it like The best is that thou tell me thy woe And have my trouth but if thou finde it so I be thy boote or it been full long To peeces doe me drawe and sithen hong Yea so sayest thou qd Troilus alas But God wote it is nought the rather so Full hard it were to helpen in this caas For well finde I that fortune is my fo Ne all the men that ride con or go May of her cruell whele the harme withstond For as her list she playeth with free and bond Qd. Pandarus then blamest thou fortune For thou art wroth ye now at earst I see Wost thou not well yâ— Fortune is commune To everie manner wight in some degree And yet thou hast this comfort lo parde That as her ioyes moten overgone So mote her sorrowes passen everichone For if her whele stint any thing to tourne Then cesseth she fortune anone to be Now sith her whele by no way may soiourn What wost thou of her mutabilitie Whether as thy self lust she woll don by thee Or that she be nought ferre fro thine helping Peraventure thou hast cause for to sing And therfore wost thou what I thee beseech Let be thy woe and tourning to the ground * For who so list have healing of his leech To him behooveth first vnwrie his wound To Cerberus in hell aie be I bound Wer it for my suster all thy sorrow By my will she should be thine to morrow Looke vp I say and tell me what she is Anone that I may gone about thy need Know ich her aught for my love tell me this Then would I hope rather for to speed Tho gan the veine of Troilus to bleed For he was hit and woxe all redde for shame Aha qd Pandara here beginneth game And with that word he gan him for to shake And sayd him thus thou shalt her name tell But tho gan sely Troilus for to quake As though men should han had him into hell And sayed alas of all my woe the well Than is my sweet foe called Creseide And well nigh with yâ— word for feare he deide And when yâ— Pandare herd her name neven Lord he was glad and saied friend so deere Now fare a right for Ioves name in heaven Love hath beset thee well be of good cheere For of good name and wisdome and manere She hath inough and eke of gentlenesse If she be faire thou wost thy selfe I gesse Ne never seie I a more bounteous Of her estate ne a gladder ne of speech A friendlyer ne more gracious For to doe well ne lasse had ned to seech What for to doen and all this bet to ech In honour to as farre as she may stretch * A kinges heart seemeth by hers a wretch And for thy look of good comfort thou be For certainely the first point is this Of noble courage and well ordaine the A man to have peace within himselfe iwis So oughtest thou for nought but good it is * To loven well and in a worthy place Thee ought not clepe it happe but grace And also thinke and therewith glad thee That sith the Ladie vertuous is all So followeth it that there is some pitee Amonges all these other in generall And for they see that thou in speciall Require nought that is ayen her name * For vertue stretcheth not himself to shame But well is me that ever I was born That thou beset art in so good a place For by my trouth in love I durst have sworn Thee should never have tidde so fair a grace And wost thou why for thou were wont to chace At love in scorne for dispite him call * Saint Idiote lord of these fooles all How often hast thou made thy nice yapes And saied that loves servaunts overichone * Of nicete ben verie Goddes Apes And some would monche her meat all alone Ligging a bed and make hem for to grone And some thou saidest had a blaunch fevere And praidest God they should never kevere And some of hem took on hem for the cold More than inough so saydest thou full oft And some han fained oft time and told How that they waken when they sleepe soft And thus they would have set hem self a loft And nathelesse were vnder at the last Thus saydest thou and yapedest full fast Yet saydest thou that for the more part These Lovers would speake in generall And thoughten it was a siker art For sailing for to assayen over all Now may I yape of thee if that I shall But nathelesse though that I should deie Thou art none of tho I dare well seie Now bete thy brest say to God of love Thy grace Lord for now I me repent If I misspake for now my selfe I love Thus say with all thine heart in good entent Qd. Troilus ah Lord I me consent And pray to thee my yapes thou foryeve And I shall never more while I live Thou sayst wel qd Pandare now I hope That thou yâ— goddes wrath hast all appeased And sith thou hast wepten many a drop And said such thing wherwith thy God is plesed Now would never God but thou were eased * And think well she of whom rest all thy wo Here after may thy comfort been also * For thilk ground yâ— beareth yâ— wedes wick Beareth eke these holsome herbs as full oft Next the foule nettle rough and thick The Rose wexeth soote smooth and soft * And next the valey is the hill a loft And next the derke night the glad morowe And also ioy is next the fine of sorrow Now looke that attempre be thy bridell And for the best aie suffer to the tide Or else all our labour is on idell * He hasteth well that wisely can abide Be diligent and true and aie well hide Be lustie free persever in thy servise And all is well if thou worke in this wise * But he that departed is in everie place Is no where hole as writen Clerkes wise What wonder is if such one have no grace Eke wost thou how it fareth of some
who maie stoppen every wicked tong Or soune of belles while that they been rong And after that her thought gan for to clere And saied he which that nothing vndertaketh Nothing acheveth be him loth or dere And with an other thought her hart quaketh Then slepeth hope and after drede awaketh Now hote now cold but thus bitwixen twey She rist her vp and went her for to pley Adoune the staire anon right tho she went Into her gardine with her neces three And vp and doun they maden many a went Flexippe and she Tarbe and Antigone To plaien that it ioie was to see And other of her women a great rout Her folowed in the gardine all about This yerde was large railed al the alies And shadowed wel with blosomy bows grene And benched newe and sonded all the waies In which she walketh arme in arme betwene Till at the last Antigone the shene Gan on a Troian song to singen clere That it an heven was her voier to here She saied O love to whom I have shall Been humble subiect true in mine entent As I best can to you lorde yeve iche all For euermore mine hartes lust to rent For never yet thy grace to no wight sent So blisfull cause as me my life to lede In all ioie and suretie out of drede The blisfull God hath me so well beset In love iwis that all that beareth life Imaginen ne could how to be bet For Lorde withouten jelousie or strife I love one which that moste is ententife To serven well vnwerily or vnfained That ever was lest with harme distained As he that is the well of worthinesse Of trouth ground mirrour of goodlihedde Of wit Apollo stone of sikernesse Of vertue roote of lustie finder and hedde Through whiche is all sorrowe fro me dedde Iwis I love him best so doeth he me Now good thrift have he where so ever he be Whom should Ithanken but you God of love Of all this blisse in which to bath I ginne And thanked be ye Lorde for that I love This is the right life that I am inne To flemen all maner vice and sinne This doeth me so to vertue for to entende That daie by daie I in my will amende And who so that saieth that for to love is vice Or thraldome though he fele in it distresse He either is enuious or right nice Or is vnmightie for his shreudnesse To loven for soch maner folke I gesse Diffamen love as nothing of him know * They speaken but they bent never his bowe What is the Sunne worse of his kind right Though that a man for feblenesse of his iyen Maie not endure on it to se for bright Or love the worst that wretches on it crien * No wele is worth that may no sorowe drien And for thy who that hath an hedde of verre Fro cast of stones ware him in the werre But I with all mine harte all my might As I have saied woll love vnto my last My owne dere harte all mine owne knight In whiche mine harte growen is so fast And is in me that it shall ever last All dredde I first love him to begin Now wote I well there is no perill in And of her song right with yâ— word she stent And therewithall now nece qd Creseide Who made this song now with so good entent Antigone answerde anon and saide Madame iwis the goodliest maide Of great estate in all the toune of Troie And led her life in moste honour and ioie Forsothe so semeth it by her song Qd. tho Creseide gan therewith to sike And saied Lorde is there soche blisse emong These lovers as they can faire endite Ye wisse qd freshe Antigone the white * For all the folke that have or been on live Ne con well the blisse of love discrive But wene ye that every wretche wote The parfite blisse of love why naie iwis They wenen all be love if one be hote Do waie do waie they wote nothing of this * Men mote asken of sainctes if it is Ought faire in heven why for they can tell And aske fendes if it be foule in hell Creseide vnto yâ— purpose naught answerde But saied iwis it woll be night as fast But every worde which that she of her herde She gan to printen in her harte fast And aie gan love her lasse for to agast Than it did erst and sinken in her harte That she waxe somewhat able to conuarte The daies honour and the heavens iye The nights foe all this clepe I thee sonne Gan westren fast and dounward for to wrie As he that had his daies course ironne And white things woxen al dimme and donne For lacke of light and sterres for to apere That she and all her folke in went ifere So when it liked her to gon to rest And voided weren they that voiden ought She saied that to slepen well her leste Her women sone till her hedde her brought Whan al was hust then lay she still thought Of all this thing the maner and the wise Rehearce it needeth not for ye been wise A Nightingale vpon a Cedre grene Vnder the chamber wall there as she laie Full loude song ayen the Mone shene Paraventure in his birdes wise a laie Of love that made her harte freshe gaie That herkened she so long in good entent Till at the last the dedde sleepe her hent And as she slept anon right tho her met How that an Egle fethered white as bone Vnder her brest his long clawes iset And out her harte he rent and that anon And did his harte into her brest to gon Of which she nouÈt agrose ne nothing smart And forth he flieth with hart left for hart Now let her slepe and we our tales holde Of Troilus that is to Paleis ridden Fro the scarmishe of which I of tolde And in his chamber sate and hath abidden Till two or thre of his messengers yeden For Pandarus and soughten him full fast Til they him found brought him at the last This Pandarus came leaping in at ones And saied thus who hath been well ibete To day with swerdes and slong stones But Troilus that hath caught him an hete And gan to yape and saied Lord ye swete But rise and let vs soupe and go to reste And he answerde him do we as thee leste With all the hast goodly as they might They sped hem fro the souper and to bedde And every wight out at the doore him dight And whider him list vpon his waie him sped But Troilus thought that his harte bledde For wo till that he heard some tiding And saied frende shall I now wepe or sing Qd. Pandarus be still and let me slepe And doe on thy hoode thine nedes spedde be And chose if thou wolt sing daunce or lepe At short wordes thou shalt trowe all by me Sir my nece woll doen well by thee And love thee best by God and
And at start he was betwixt hem two And pulled out his sword and cried ho No more on paine of lesing your head By mightie Mars he shall anone be dead That smiteth any stroke that I may seen But telleth me what mister men ye been That been so hardie for to fighten here Without iudge or other officere As though it were in listes rially This Palamon answered hastily And said sir what nedeth words mo We haue the death deserued both two Two wofull wretches been we and caitiues That been encombred of our own liues And as thou art a rightfull lord and iudge Ne yeue vs neither mercie ne refuge But slea me first for saint charite But slea my fellow as well as me Or slea him first for though thou know it lite This is thy mortal foe this is Arcite That fro thy sand is banished on his head For which he hath deserved to be dead For this is he that came unto thy yate And saied that he hight Philostrate Thus hath he iaped full many a yere And thou hast made him thy chief squiere And this is he that loveth Emelie For sith the day is come that I shall die I make plainly my confession That I am thilke wofull Palamon That hath thy prison broke wickedly I am thy mortall foe and he am I That loueth so hot Emelie the bright That I woll die here present in her sight Wherefore I aske death and my iewise But slea my fellow in the same wise For both we haue deserved to be slaine This worthy duke answered anon againe And saied this is a short conclusion Your owne mouth by your owne confession Hath damned you and I woll it record It needeth not to pine you with a cord Ye shall be dead by mighty Mars the redde The queene anon for very womanhedde Gan for to weepe and so did Emelie And all the ladies in the companie Great pitie was it as thought hem all That euer such a chaunce should befall For gentlemen they were of great estate And nothing but for loue was this debate And saw her bloudie wounds wide and sore And all criden at once both lesse and more Have mercie lord upon vs women all And on her bare knees adoune they fall And wold haue kist his feet there as he stood Till at the last assaked was his mood * For pitie renneth soone in gentle hert And though he at first for ire quoke and stert He hath considered shortly in a clause The trespasses of hem both and eke the cause And although his ire her gilt accused Yet in his reason he hem both excused * As thus he thought well that euery man Woll helpe himselfe in loue all that he can And eke deliue◠himselfe out of prison And eke his heart had compassion Of women for they weepen euer in one And in his gentle heart he thought anone And foft vnto himselfe he saied fie * Vpon a lord that woll haue no mercie But be a Lion both in word and deed To hem that been in repentaunce and dreed As well as to a proud dispitous man That will maintaine that he first began * That lord hath little of discretion That in such case can no diffinition But weigheth pride humblenesse after one And shortly when his ire was thus agone He gan to looken vp with eyen light And spake in place these words all on hight The God of loue ah benedicite How mightie and how great a lord is he Againe his might there gaineth no obstacles He may be cleaped a God for his miracles For he can maken at his owne gise Of everich hart as him list deuise Lo here this Arcite and this Palamon That quietly were out of my prison gon And might haue liued in Thebes riasly And knowne I am her mortall enemie And that her death is in my power also And yet hath loue maugre her eyen two I brought hem hither both for to die Now looketh is not this a great follie * Who may be a foole but if he loue Behold for Gods sake that sitteth aboue See how they bleed be they not well araied Thus hath her lord the god of loue hem paied Her wages and her fees for her seruice And yet they wenen to be full wise That serue loue for ought that may befall But yet is this the best game of all That she 〈◊〉 whom they haue this iollite Con hem therefore as much thanke as me She wot no more of all his hote fare By God than wot a Cuckow or an Hare But all mote been assaied hot and cold A man mote been a foole other yong or old I wot it by my selfe full yore agone For in my time a seruant was I one And therefore sith I know of loues paine I wot how sore it can a man distraine As he that oft hath be caught in her iaas I you foryeue all wholly this trespaas At the request of the queen that kneeleth here And eke of Emely my sister dere And ye shall both anon vnto me swere That ye shall neuer more my country dere Ne make warre vpon me night ne day But been my friends in all that ye may I you foryeue this trespass every dele And they him sware his asking fair and we le And him of lordship and of mercie praid And he hem graunted grace and thus he said To speake of worthie linage and richesse Though that she were a queen or a princesse Ilke of you both is worthie doubtlesse To wed when time is but nethelesse I speake as for my sister Emelie For whom ye haue this strife and ielousie Ye wot your selfe she may not wed two At ones though ye fighten euermo But one of you all be him loth or lefe He mot goe pipe in an Yuie leafe This is to say she may not haue both Been ye neuer so iealous ne so wroth And therefore I you put in this degre That each of you shall haue his destine As him is shape and hearken in what wise Lo here your end of that I shall deuise My will is this for plat conclusion Without any replication If that you liketh take it for the best That euerich of you shall goe where him lest Freely without ransome or daungere And this day fiftie weekes ferre ne nere Euerich of you shall bring an C. knights Armed for the lists upon all rights Alredy to darrein here by battaile And this behote I you withouten faile Vpon my truth as I am true knight That whether of you both hath that might That is to say that whether he or thou May with his hundred as I spake of now Slea his contrary or out of lists driue Him shall I yeue Emely to wiue To whom fortune yeueth so fair a grace The lists shall I do make in this place And God so wisely on my soule rew As I shall euen iudge be and trew Ye shall none other end with me make That one of you shall be dedde
sikerly I saw him nat stering About his dore sith day began to spring So mote I thriue I shall at cockes crow Full priuily knocke at his window That stant full low vpon his boures wall To Alison woll I now tellen all My loue longing for yet I shall not misse That at the least way I shall her kisse Some manner comfort shall I haue parfay My mouth hath itched all this long day That is a signe of kissing at the least All night me mette eke that I was at a feast Therefore I woll goe sleepe an houre or twey And all the night than woll I walke and pley When that the first cocke hath crow anon Vp rist this iolly louer Absolon And him arayeth gay and in queint deuice But first he cheweth greins and licorice To smellen sote or he had kempt his here Vnder his tongue a true loue he bere For thereby he wend to been graciouse He cometh to the carpenters house And still he stant under the shot window Vnto his breast it raught it was so low And soft he knocked with a semely soun What doe you honycombe sweet Alisoun My faire bird and my sweet sinnamon Awake lemman mine and speketh to Absolon Full little thinken ye upon my wo That for your loue I swelt there as I go No wonder is though I swelt and sweat I mourne as doth the lambe after the teat I wis lemman I haue such loue longing That like a Turtle true is my mourning I may not eaten no more than may a maid Go fro the window iacke fool she said As help me God and sweet saint Iame I loue another or els I were to blame Well bet than thee by Iesu Absolon Goe forth thy way or I woll cast a stone * And let me sleepe a twenty diuell way Alas qd Absolon and welaway That true loue was euer so yuell besette Then kisse me since it may be no bette For Iesus loue and for the loue of me Wilt thou then go thy way therewith qd she Ye tertes lemman qd this Absolon Then make thee ready qd she I come anon And vnto Nicholas she said be still Now peace and thou shalt laugh thy fill This Absolon doun set him on his knees And said I am a lord at all degrees For after this I hope there commeth more Lemman thy grace and sweet bird thy nore The window she vndoth and that in hast Haue do qd she come off and speed thee fast Least that our neighbours thee espie This Absolon gan wipe his mouth full drie Darke was the night as any pitch or cole And at the window she put out her ers hole And Absolon sped neither bet ne wers But with his mouth he kist her bare ers Full sauorly and as he was ware of this Abacke he stert and thought it was amis For well he wist a woman had no berde He felt a thing all rowe and long herde And said fie alas what haue I do Te he qd she and clapt the window to And Absolon goeth forth a sorrie paas A heard a beard said Hende Nicholas By gods corpus this goeth faire and we le This silly Absolon heard it every dele And on his lip he gan for anger bite And to himselue he said I shall thee quite Who rubbeth now who froteth now his lips With dust with sond with straw with chips But Absolon that saith full oft alas My soule be take I to Sathanas But me were lever than all this toun qd he Of this despight awreken for to be Alas qd he alas that I ne had bleint His hot loue is cold and all yqueint For fro the time that he had kist her ers Of paramours he set not a kers For he was healed of his maladie Full oft paramours he gan defie And weepe as doth a child that is ybete A soft pace he went ouer the strete Vnto a smith men callen dan Gerueys That in his forge smiteth plow harneis He sharpeth shares and culters busily This Absolon knocketh all easily And said vndo Gerueys and that anon What who art thou It am I Absolon What Absolon what for Christs sweet tre Why rise ye so rath eye benedicite What eileth you some gay girle God it wote Hath brought you thus on the merytote By saint Neotes ye wote wele what I mene This Absolon ne raught not a bene Of all his play no word againe he gaffe * He had more towe vpon his distaffe Than Garuays knew said friend so dere The hot culter in the chimney here As lene it me I haue therewith to done I woll bring it thee againe full sone Geruays answerd certes were it gold Or in a poke nobles all vntold Thou shouldest it haue as I am true smith Eye Christs foot what wol ye don therwith Thereof qd Absolon be as be may I shall well tellen thee by to morrow day And caught the culter by the cold stele Full soft out at the dore gan he stele And went vnto the carpenters wall He coughed first and knocked therewithall Vpon the window right as he did ere This Alison answerd who is there That knocketh so I warrant hee is a thefe Why nay qd he God wot my sweet lefe I am thine Absolon thine owne derling Of gold qd he I haue thee brought a ring My mother yaue it me so God me saue Full fine it is and thereto well ygraue This woll I yeue thee if thou me kisse This Nicholas was risen for to pisse And thought he would amenden all the iape He should kisse his ers ere that he scape And vp the window did he hastily And out his ers he put full priuily With all his buttocke to the haunch been And therwith spake this clerke this Absolon Speak sweet bird I not where thou art This Nicholas anon let fleen a fart As great as it had been a thunder dent That with the stroke he was well nie ybâ—ent And he was readie with his yron hote And Nicholas in the arse he smote Off goeth the skin a hondbrede about The hot cultor brend so his tout That for the smart he wend for to die As he were wood he gan for to crie Helpe water water for Gods hert This carpenter out of his slumber slert And heard one crie water as he were wood And thought alas how commeth Noes flood And set him vp withouten words mo And with an axe he smote the corde at wo And doun goeth all he found neither to sell Bread ne ale but doune shortly he fell Vpon the floore and there a swowne he lay Vp stert then Alison and Hende Nicholay And cried out and harrow in the street The neighbors about both small and great In ronne for to gauren on this man That in a swoune lay all palish and wan For with that fall brosten hath he his arme But stonden he must vnto his owne harme For when he spake he was yborne adoun With Hende Nicholas and Alisoun
invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris OVR sweet Lord God of Heaven that no man woll perish but woll that we turne all to the knoweledge of him and to the blisfull life that is perdurable admonisheth us by the Prophet Ieremie that sayeth in this wise * Stondeth upon the wayes and seeth and asketh of old pathes that is to saie of olde sentences which is the good way and walketh in that way and yee shall finde refreshing for your soules c. Many been the wayes espirituels that leade folke to our Lord Iesu Christ and to the reigne of glory Of which wayes there is a full noble way and full covenable which may not faile to man ne to woman that through sinne hath misgone fro the right way of Hierusalem celestiall and this way is called penitence of which manne should gladly hearken and enquire with all his hert to wete what is penitence and which is called penitence and how many manners been of actions or werkinges of penitence and how manie speces there been of penitence and which thinges appertain and behoove to penitence and which thinges distourbe penitence Saint Ambrose saith * That penitence is the plaining of man for the guilt that he hath done and no more to do any thing for which him ought to playne And some Doctours sayth Penitence is the waymenting of man that sorroweth for his sume and paineth him self for he hath misdone Penitence with certain circumstaunces is very repentance of a man that holt himself in sorrow other paine for his guiltes and for he shall be very penitent he shall first bewaile sinnes that hee hath done and stedfastly purpose in his heart to have shrift of mouth and to do satisfaction and never to doe thing for which him ought more bewayle or complaine and continue in good works or els his repentaunce may not availe For as Saint Isiodor saith * He is a yaper and a lyer and no very repentaunt that eâ—tsoone doth thing for which him ought repent Weeping and not for to stint to doe sinne may not auaile But nathelesse men shall hope that at euery time that man falleth bee it neuer so oft that hee may arise through pennaunce if he haue grace but certaine it is great doubt for as saith saint Gregorie * Vnnethes ariseth he out of sin that is charged with yâ— charge of euill vsage * And therefore repentaunt folke that stint for to sinne and leue sinne or sinne leaue them holy Church holdeth them siker of their saluation * And he that sinneth verely repenteth him in his last end holy Church yet hopeth his saluation by the great mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ for his repentaunce but take the siker way And now sith I haue declared you what thing is Penitence now ye shall vnderstond that there beene three actions of Penitence The first is that a manne be baptised after that he hath sinned Saint Augustine sayth * But he be penitent for his old sinnefull life hee may not biginne the new cleane life For certes if he be baptised without penitence of his old guilt he retaineth the marke of baptisme but not the grace ne the remission of his sins till hee haue very repentaunce Another default is this that men doe deadly sinne after that they haue receiued baptisme The third default is this that men fall in veniall sinnes after her baptisme fro day to day Thereof sayeth Saint Augustine * That penitence of good and humble folk is the penitence of euery day The speces of penitence ben three That one of hem is solemne another is commune and the third is priuie That pennaunce that is solemne is in two manners As to be put out of holy church in lent for slaughter of children such manner thing Another is when a man hath sinned openly of which sinne the fame is openly spoken in the country then holy church by judgement distrayneth him for to do open pennaunce Common pennaunce is that priests enioyn men in certaine case as for to go perauenture naked in pilgrimage or bare foot Priuie pennaunce is that that men doe all day for priuie sins of which we shriue vs priuily and receiue priuie pennaunce Now shalt thou vnderstond what is behoueful necessary to very perfit penitence this stont on three things * Contrition of hart confession of mouth satisfaction For which sayth saint Iohn Chrisostome * Penitence disstraineth a man to accept benignely every paine yâ— him is enioined with contrition of hert shrift of mouth with satisfaction in werking of all manner humility And this is fruitfull penitence ayenst three things in which wee wrath our Lord Iesus Christ this is to say By delite in thinking by retchlesse in speaking and by wicked sinfull werking And ayenst these wicked guilts is penitence that may be likened vnto a tree * The root of this tree is contrition yâ— hideth him in the heart of him that is very repentaunt right as the root of the tree hideth him in the earth Of this roote of contrition springeth a stalke that bereth braunches and leaues of confession and fruit of satisfaction For which Christ sayth in his gospell * Doth digne fruite of penitence for by this fruite men may knowe the tree and not by the root that is hid in the heart of manne ne by the braunches ne the leaues of confession And therefore our lord Iesu Christ saith thus By the fruit of hem shall ye knowe hem Of this root also springeth a seede of grace the which seed is mother of all sikernesse this seed is eager hote The grace of this seed springeth of God through remembraunce on yâ— day of doome and on the paines of hell Of this matter saith Salomon * That in the drede of God man forletteth his sinne The heat of this seed is the loue of God and the desiring of the joy perdurable This heat draweth the heart of man to God doth him hate his sinne For soothly there is nothing that sauoureth so wel to a child as the milke of his nurce ne nothing is to him more abhominable than that milke when it is meddled with other meate Right so the sinfull man yâ— loueth his sinne him seemeth that it is to him most sweete of any thing but fro that time hee loueth sadly our lord Iesu Christ and desireth the life perdurable there is to him nothing more abhominable for soothly The law of God is the loue of God For which Dauid the prophet sayth I haue loued thy law and hated wickednesse He that loueth God keepeth his lawe his word This tree saw the Prophet Daniel in spirit on the vision of Nabuchodonosor when he counsayled him to doe penitence Pennaunce is the tree of life to hem that it receyue he that holdeth him in very penitence is blessed after the sentence of Salomon In this penitence or contrition man shall vnderstond foure things that is to say What is contrition and which beene
whether hee woll doe or no that thing to which he is tempted And then if a man withstond and weive the first intising of his flesh and of the fiend then it is no sinne and if so be he doe not then feeleth he anon a flame of delight and then it is good to beware and keep him well or els he woll fall anone to consenting of sinne and then woll he do it if hee may have time and place And of this matter sayth Moyses by the Devill in this manner The fiend sayth I woll chace and pursue man by wicked suggestion and I woll take him by mooving and â—â—irring of sinne and I woll depart my prise of my preie by deliberation and my lust shall be accomplished in delight I woll draw my swerd in consenting For certes right as a swerde departeth a thing in two peeces right so consenting departeth God fro manne and then woll I slea him with my honde in deede of sinne thus sayth the fiend For certes then is a man all dead in soule and thus is sinne accomplished with temptation by delite and consenting and then is the sin actuall Forsooth sinne is in two maners either it is veniall or deadly sin * Sothly when man loveth any creature more than Iesu Christ our Creatour then it is deadly sin and veniall sin it is if a man love Iesu Christ lesse than him ought Forsooth the deed of this veniall sin is full perillous for it minisheth the love that man should have to God more more And therefore if a man charge himselfe with many such veniall sins certes but if so be that he sometime discharge him of hem by shrift they may full lightly minish in him all the love that he hath to Iesu Christ and in this wise skippeth veniall sinne into deadly sinne For certes the more that a man chargeth his soule with veniall sinnes the more hee is enclined to fall into deadly sin And therefore let us not be negligent to charge us of veniall sinnes For the Proverb saith * That many small make a great Hearken this ensample A great wave of the sea commeth sometime with so great a violence that it drouneth the shippe And the same harme dooth sometime the small drops of water that entereth through a little creveis into the timber and into the bottom of the ship if men be so negligent that they discharge hem not by times And therefore although there be a difference betwixt these two causes of drowning algates the ship is drouned Right so fareth it sometime of deadly sin and of annoious veniall sinnes when they multiplie in man so greatly that those worldly thinges that hee loueth through which hee sinneth venially is as great in his heart as the loue of God or more therefore the loue of euery thing that is not beset in God ne done principally for Gods sake although that a man loue it lesse than God yet is it veniall sinne and deadly sin when the loue of any thing weigheth in the heart of man as much as the loue of God or more Deadly sinne as saith saint Augustine is * When a man turneth his heart fro God whiche that is very soueraigne bounty that may not chaunge and yeueth his heart to thing that may chaunge and flit and certes that is euerie thing saue God of heauen For sooth is that if a man yeue his loue which that he oweth to God with all his heart vnto a creature certes as much of loue as he yeueth to the same creature so muche he bireaueth fro God and therefore doth he sinne for he that is debitour to God ne yeldeth not to God all his debt that is to say all the loue of his heart Nowe sith man vnderstondeth generallye which is veniall sinne then it is couenable to tell specially of sin which that many a man peraduenture deemeth hem no sinnes and shriueth him not of the same things and yet nathelesse they be sins soothly as these Clerkes write this is to say * At euery tyme that manne eateth or drinketh more than sufficeth to the sustenance of his body in certain he doth sinne and also when he speaketh more than it needeth it is sinne Also when he hearkeneth not benignely the complainte of the poore Also when hee is in heale of bodie and woll not fast when other folk fast without cause reasonable Also when he sleepeth more than needeth or when he cometh perchance to late to the Church or to other werkes of charitie Also when he vseth his wife without soueraigne desire of engendrure to the honour of God or for the entent to yeeld to his wife debte of his bodie Also when he woll not visite the sicke or the prisoner if he may Also if he loue wife or child or other worldly thing more than reason requireth Also if he flatter or blandise more than him ought for any necessitie Also if he minish or withdrawe the almose of the poore Also if he apparaile his meat more deliciously than need is or eat too hastily by lickorousnes Also if he talke vanities at Church or at Gods seruice or that he be a talker of idle words of folly or villanie for he shall yeeld accompts of it at the day of doome Also when hee behighteth or assureth to doe thinges that hee maie not perfourme Also when that hee by lightnesse or folly missayeth or scorneth his neighbour Also when he hath any wicked suspection of thing that hee ne wote of sothfastnesse These things and mo without number be sinnes as sayth S. Augustine Nowe shall men vnderstonde that all be it so that none earthly manne may eschewe all veniall sins yet may he refrain hem by the brenning loue that he hath to our Lord Iesu Christ and by prayers and confession and other good workes so that it shall be but little grief For as saith S. Augustine * If a man loue God in such manner that all that euer he doth is the loue of God or for the loue of God verily for he brenneth in the loue of God looke how much that one droppe of water which doth fall into a great furnace full of fire annoieth or greueth the brenning of the fire in like manner annoieth or greueth a venial sin vnto that man which is stedfast and perfite in the loue of our Sauiour Iesu Christ Ferthermore men may also refraine and put awaie veniall sinne by commening and receiuing worthely the body of our Sauiour Iesu Christ Also by taking of holy water by almosedeed by generall confession of Confite or at Masse and at Complin and by blessings of Bishops and Priests and by other good workes De septem peccatis mortalibus de eorum dependentiis circumstantiis speciebus NOw it is expedient to tell whiche been the seauen deadly sinnes that is to say chiefetaines of sinnes All they ren in o lees but in diuers manners Now been they called seauen sinnes for as much as they bee chiefe
own person and therefore thou ne shalt do him no damage in wicked worde ne harm in his body ne in his cattel ne in his soul by entising of wicked ensample Thou shalt not desire his wife ne none of his things Vnderstond also that in the name of neighbour is comprehended his enemy Certes man shal loue his enemy by the commandment of god and soothly thy friend thou shalt loue in God I say thine enemy shalt thou loue for Gods sake by his commandment for if it were reason that man should hate his enemy forsoth God nold not receiue vs to his loue that been his enemyes Ayenst three manner of wrongs that his enemy doth to him he shall do three things as thus ayenst hate and rancour of heart he shall loue him in heart Ayenst chiding wicked words he shall pray for his enemy Ayenst wicked deeds he shal do him bounty For Christ sayth Loue your enemies pray for hem that speke you harm and for hem that chase pursue you and do bounty to hem that hate you Lo thus commaundeth vs our Lord Iesu Christ to do to our enemies forsooth nature driueth vs to loue our freends perfay our enemies haue more need of loue than our freends they that more need haue certes to hem shall men do goodnesse And certes in that deed haue we remembraunce of the loue of Iesus Christe y◠died for his enemies And in as much as that loue is more greuous to perfourm so much is the more great the merit and therfore the louing of our enemy hath confounded the diuels venim * For right as the deuil is confounded by humilitie right so is he wounded to the death by the loue of our enemie certes then is loue the medicine that casteth out the venim of enuie fro mans heart The speces of this place shall be more largely declared in her chapters following ¶ De Ira. AFter Enuy woll I discriue the sinne of Ire for soothly who so hath Enuy upon his Neighbour anon he woll commonly find him a matter of wrath in word or in deed ayenst him to whom he hath Enuie And as well commeth Ire of Pride as of Enuie for soothly he that is proud or enuious is lightly wroth This sin of Ire after the disriuing of S. Austin is wicked will to be auenged by word or by deed * Ire after the Philosopher is the feruent blood of man iquicked in his heart through which he would harm to him that he hateth for certes the hart of man by eschausing and moouing of his blood waxeth so troubled that it is out of all manner iudgment of reason But ye shall vnderstond that * Ire is in two manners that one of hem is good that other is wicked The good ire is by jealousie of goodnes through which a man is wroth with wickednesse and ayenst wickednesse And therefore saith a wise man that yre is bet than play This ire is with debonairte and it is wrath without bitternesse not wroth ayenst the man but wroth with the misdeed of the manne As saith the Prophet Dauid Irascimini nolite peccare Now understond that wicked Ire is in two manners that is to say sodain yre or hasty yre without auisement consenting of reason The meaning and the sence of this is that the reason of a manne ne consent not to that sodain yre and then it is venial Another yre is ful wicked that cometh of felony of heart auised and cast before with wicked will to do vengeaunce thereto his reason consenteth and soothly this is deadly sinne This yre is so displeasant to God that it troubleth his house chaseth the holy ghost out of mans soul and wasteth and destroyeth that likenesse of God that is to say the vertue that is in mans soul and putteth in him the likenesse of the deuill and taketh the man fro God that is his rightful Lord. This is a ful great pleasaunce to the deuil for it is the deuils forance that is eschaused with y◠fire of hell For certes right so as fire is more mightie to destroy earthly things than any other Element right so ire is mightie to destroie all spiritual things Look how that fire of small coles that been almost dead under ashen wol reuiue or quick ayen when they ben touchen with brimstone right so yre woll euermore quick ayen when it is touched by the pride that is couered in mans heart For certes fire ne may not come out of nothing but if it were first in the same thing naturally as fire is drawn out of flints with steele And right so as pride is many times matter of yre right so is rancour norice and keeper of Ire There is a manner tree as sayth saint Isodore that when a man maketh a fire of the said tree and couer the coals of it with ashen soothly the fire of it will last a yeer or more And right so fareth it of rancour when it is ones conceiued in y◠hearts of some men certes it woll last peraduenture from one Easter day until another Easter day or more But certes the same man is full ferre from the mercie of God all that while In this foresaid deuils fournace there forge three shrewes Pride that aye bloweth and encreaseth the fire by chiding and wicked words Then stondeth Enuy holdeth hot yron in the fire vpon y◠heart of man with a payre of long tongs of long rancour And then stondeth the sin of Contumelie or strife and cheste and battereth and forgeth by vilainous repreuings Certes this cursed sin annoyeth both to the man himself and also his Neighbour For soothly almost all the harm or damage that any man doth to his Neighbor cometh of wrath for certes outragious wrathe doth all that euer the foule fend willeth or commandeth him for he ne spareth neither our Lord Iesu Christ neither his sweet mother And in his outragious anger and yre alas alas full many and diuers at that time feleth in his heart full wickedly both of Christ and also of all his hallowes Is not this a cursed vice Yes certes Alas it taketh fro man his wit his reason and all his debonaire life spirituel that should keep his soul Certes it withdraweth also Goddes due lordship that is mans soul and the loue of his Neighbors It striueth also all day ayenst trouth it reaueth him the quiet of his heart and subverteth his soul Of Ire cometh these stinking engendrures First Hate that is old wrath Discord thorow which a manne forsaketh his old friend that he hath loued full long and then commeth War euery manner of wrong that a man doth to his neighbour in body or in cattel Of this cursed sin of yre commeth also manslaughter And understond well that homicide that is manslaughter is in diuers wise Some manner of homicide is spirituell and some is bodily Spirituell manslaughter is in vi things First by hate as sayth
head of a woman alway by ordinaunce it should be so For if a woman had moe men than one then should she haue moe heads than one and that were a right horrible sinne before God and also a woman mighte not please so many folke at ones and also there should neuer be rest ne quiet among hem for each of hem would aske her owne right And furthermore no manne should know his own engendrure ne who should haue his heritage and the woman should be the lesse beloued Now cometh how that a man should bere him with his wife and namely in two things that is to say in sufferaunce and reuerence as shewed Christ when he first made woman For he ne made her of the head of Adam for she should not claim to great lordshippe * For there as the woman hath the maistry she maketh too much variaunce there need no mo ensamples of this the experience all day ought inough suffice Also certes God ne made not woman of the foot of Adam for she should not be hold too lowe for she cannot patiently suffer but God made woman of the rib of Adam for woman should be fellow unto man Man should bear him to his wife in faith in trouth and in loue as sayth saint Poul that a man shold loue his wife as Christ loveth holy Church that loued it so wel that he dyed for it so should a man for his wife if it were neede Now how that a woman should be subiect to her husband that telleth saint Peter first in obedience And also as sayth the Decree * A woman that is a wife as long as she is a wife she hath none authority to swear ne bear witnesse without leaue of her husband that is her Lord alway he should be so by reason She should also serue him in all honestie and be attemperate of her array I woll well that they should set her entent to please her husbonds but not by queintise of her array Saint Ierom sayth Wiues that be apparelled in like and precious purple ne mow not cloth hem in Iesu Christ S. Gregorie sayth also that no wight seeketh precious aray but only for vainglory to be honoured the more of the people It is a great folly a woman to haue great aray outward and in her self be foul inward A wife should also be measurable in looking in bearing and in laughing and discreet in all her wordes and her deeds and above all worldly things she should loue her husbonde with all her heart and to him be true of her body so should an husbond be to his wife For sith that all the body is the husbonds so should her heart be or els there is betwixt hem two as in that no perfit mariage Then shall men understond that for three things a man and his wife fleshly may assemble The first is for the entent of engendrure of children to the service of God for certes that is the cause final of matrimony Another cause is to yeeld each of hem to other the debts of her bodies for neither of hem hath power over her owne bodies The third is for to eschew lechery and villany The fourth is for sooth deadly sinne As to the first is meritorie the second also for as saith the Decree That she hath merit of chastitie that yeeldeth to her husbond the debt of her body yea though it be ayenst her liking the lust of her heart The third manner is venial sin truly scarcely may any of these be without venial sin for the corruption and for y◠delight The fourth maner is for to understond if they assemble onely for amorous love for none of the foresaid causes but for to accomplish their brenning delight they recke not how oft soothly it is deadly sin that with sorrow some folke woll paine hem more to do than to her appetite suffiseth The second manner of chastity is for to be a clean widow eschew the embracings of a man desire the embracing of Iesu Christ These ben those that have ben wives have forgot her husbonds also women that have done lechery been received by penitence And certes if that a wife could kepe her all chast by licence of her husband so y◠she yeve never none occasion that he offend it were to her a great merit This manner of women that observeth chastity in clothing in countenance abstinent in eating and drinking in speaking and in dead she is the vessel or the bore of the blessed Magdelain that fulfilleth holy Church of good odour The third maner of chastitie is virginity it behooveth that she be holy in heart clean of body then is she spouse of Iesu Christ she is the life of Angels she is the praising of this world and she is as these martyrs in egallity she hath in her that tongue may not tell ne heart think Virginity bare our Lord Iesu Christ and virgin was himselfe Another remedy against lechery is specially to withdraw such things as yeve occasion to that villany as ease eating and drinking for certes when the pot boyleth strongly the best remedy is to withdraw the fire Sleping long in great quiet is also a great nourice to Lechery Another remedy ayenst lechery is That a man or a woman eschew the company of hem by which he doubteth to be tempted For al be it so that the deed is withstond yet is there great temptation Soothly a white wall although it ne bren not fully by sticking of the candle yet is the wall black of the flame Full oft time I rede that no man trust in his own perfection but he be stronger than Sampson or holier than Daniel or wiser than Salomon Now after that I have declared you as I can the seven deadly sinnes and some of her braunches with her remedies Soothly if I could I would tell you the ten commaundements but so high doctrine I put to Divines Nathelesse I hope to God they ben touched in this treatise each of hem ¶ Sequitur secunda pars Poenitentiae NOw for as much as the second part of penitence stont in confession of mouth as I began in the first chap. I say S. Augustine saith Sin is every word and every deed and all that men conject against the law of Iesu Christ and this is for to sinne in heart in mouth and in deed by the fiue wits which ben sight hearing smelling tasting or savour and feeling Now is it good to vnderstand that that agregeth much every sinne Thou shalt consider what thou art that doest the sinne whether thou be male or female young or old gentle or thrall free or seruaunt whole or sick wedded or single ordred or vnordred wise or foole clerke or seculer if she be of thy kindred bodily or ghostly or no if any of thy kindred have sinned with her or no and many mo things Another circumstaunce is this Whether it be doen in fornication or in
With full assured looking and manere This Troilus as he was wont to guide His yong knights he lad hem up and doune In thilke large Temple on every side Beholding aie the Ladies of the toune Now here now there for no devotioune Had he to none to reven him his rest But gan to praise and lacke whome he lest And in his walk full fast he gan to waiten If knight or squier of his companie Gan for to sike or let his eyen baiten On any woman that he coud espie He would smile and hold it a follie * And say hem thus O Lord she sleepeth soft For love of thee when thou turnest full oft I have heard tell pardieux of your living Ye Lovers eke your lewd observaunces And which a labour folke have in winning Of love and in keeping such doutaunces And when your pray is lost wo penaunces O very fooles blinde and nice be ye There is not one can ware by another be And with yâ— word he gan cast up the brow Ascaunces lo is this not well ispoken At which the God of Love gan looken low Right for dispite shope him to be wroken He kidde anone his bow was not broken For sodainly he hitte him at the full * And yet as proude a peacocke gan he pull O blinde world o blind entention How often falleth all the effect contraire Of sequedrie and foule presumption * For caught is proud caught is debonaire This Troilus is clomben on the staire And little weneth that he mote descenden * But all day it faileth that fooles wenden * As proud bayard beginneth for to skippe Out of the way so pricketh him his corne Till he a lash have of the long whippe Then thinketh he tho I praunce all beforn First in the traise full fat and new ishorne Yet am I but an horse and horses law I must endure and with my feeres draw So fared it by this fiers and proud knight Though he a worthy kinges sonne were And wend nothing had had such might Ayenst his will that should his heart stere Yet with a looke his heart woxe on fire That he that now was most in pride above Woxe sodainly most subject unto Love For thy ensample taketh of this man Ye wise proud and worthy folkes all To scornen love which that so soone can The freedome of your hearts to him thrast For ever it was and ever it be shall * That love is he that all thing may bind For no man may fordo the law of kind That this be sooth hath preved doth yet For this I trow ye know all and some Men reden not that folke han greater wit Than they yâ— han ben most with love inome And strengest folk been therewith overcome The worthyest and greatest of degree This was and is and yet man shall it see And trueliche that sitte well to be so For alderwisest han therewith ben pleased And they that han ben aldermost in wo With love han ben comforted most eased And oft it hath the cruell heart appeased And worthy folke made worthier of name And causeth most to dreden vice and shame Now sith it may nat goodly be withstond And is a thing so vertuous and kind Refuseth nought to love ne to ben bond Sith as him selven list he may you bind * The yerde is bette that bowen woll wind Than that that brest therefore I you rede Now followeth him that so well can you lede But for to tellen forth in speciall As of this kings sonne of which I told And leven other thing collaterall Of him thinke I my tale forth to hold Both of his joy and of his cares cold And his werke as touching this matere For I it gan I woll thereto refere Within the temple he went him forth playing This Trouilus of every wight about Now on this Lady now on that looking Where so she were of toune or of without And upon case befell that through a rout His eye peirced and so deepe it went Till on Creseide it smote and there it stent And sodainly for wonder wext astoned And gan her bet behold in thrifty wise O very God thouÈt he wher hast thou woned That art so faire and goodly to devise Therewith his heart gan to spread and rise And soft sighed least men might him here And caught ayen his first playing chere She nas nat with the most of her stature But all her limmes so well answearing Weren to womanhood that creature Was never lasse mannish in seeming And eke the pure wise of her meaning Shewed well that men might in her gesse Honour estate and womanly noblesse Tho Troilus right wonder well withall Gan for to like her meaning and her chere Which somdele deignous was for she let fall Her looke a little aside in such manere Ascaunces what may I not stonden here And after that her looking gan she light That never thought him seen so good a sight And of her looke in him there gan to quicken So great desire and such affection That in his hearts bottome gan to sticken Of her sixe and deepe impression And though he earst had pored vp and doun * Then was he glad his hornes in to shrinke Vnnethes wist he how to looke or winke Lo he that lete him selven so cunning And scorned hem that loves paines drien Was full vnware that love had his dwelling Within the subtill streames of her eyen That sodainely him thought he felt dyen Right with her looke the spirite in his heart Blessed be love that thus can folke convert She thus in blacke liking to Troilus Over all thing he stood for to behold But his desire ne wherefore he stood thus He neither chere made ne word thereof told But from a ferre his manner for to hold On other thing sometime his looke he cast And eft on her while that the service last And after this nat fullish all awhaped Out of the Temple eselich he went Repenting him that ever he had iaped Of loves folke least fully the discent Of scorne fill on himselfe but what he ment Least it were wist on any manner side His woe he gan dissimulen and hide When he was fro that Temple thus departed He straight anone unto his Pallaice turneth Right with her loke through shotten darted All faineth he in lust that he soiourneth And all his chere and speech also he burneth And aie of Loves servaunts every while Him selfe to wrie at hem he gan to smile And sayd Lord so they live all in lust Ye Lovers for the cunningest of you That servest most ententifelich and best Him tite as often harme thereof as prow Your hire is quit ayen ye God wote how Not well for well but scorne for good servise In faith your order is ruled in good wise In no certaine been your observaunces But it onely a sely few points be Ne nothing asketh so great attendaunces As doth your
see To tellen shortly when that he Was in the see thus in this wise Such a tempest gan to rise That brake her mast and made it fall And cleft her ship and dreint hem all That neuer was found as it tels Bord ne man ne nothing els Right thus this king Seys lost his life Now for to speake of Alcione his wife This lady that was left at home Hath wonder that the king ne come Home for it was a long terme Anon her hart began to yerne And for that her thought euermo It was not wele her thought so She longed so after the king That certes it were a pitous thing To tell her heartely sorrowfull life That she had this noble wife For him alas she loued alderbest Anon she sent both east and west To seeke him but they found him nought Alas qd she that I was wrought Whether my lord my love be dead Certes I nill neuer eat bread I make a vow to my god here But I mowe of my lord here Such sorrow this lady to her tooke That truly I that made this booke Had such pitie and such routh To rede her sorrow that by my trouth I farde the worse all the morrow After to thinken on her sorrow So when this lady coud here no word That no man might find her lord Full oft she swowned and said alas For sorrow full nigh wood she was Ne she coud no rede but one But downe on knees she sate anone And wept that pitie were to here A mercy sweet lady dere Qd. she to Iuno her goddesse Helpe me out of this distresse And yeve me grace my lord to see Soone or wete where so he bee Or how he fareth or in what wise And I shall make you sacrifice And holly yours become I shall With good will body hart and all And but thou wolt this lady swete Send me grace to slepe and mete In my sleepe some certaine sweuen Where through that I may know euen Whether my lord be quicke or dead With that word she hing downe the head And fell in a swowne as cold as stone Her women caught her up anone And brought her in bed all naked And she forweped and forwaked Was weary and thus the dead sleepe Fell on her or she tooke keepe Through Iuno that had heard her boone That made her to sleepe soone For as she praide right so was done Indeed for Iuno right anone Called thus her messengere To do her erraund and he come nere When he was come she had him thus Go bet qd Iuno to Morpheus Thou knowest him well the God of sleepe Now vnderstand well and take keepe Say thus on my halfe that hee Go fast into the great see And bid him that on all thing He take up Seis body the king That lieth full pale and nothing rody Bid him creepe into the body And do it gone to Alcione The queene there she lieth alone And shew her shortly it is no nay How it was dreint this other day And do the body speake right so Right as it was wonted to do The whiles that it was aliue Go now fast and hye thee bliue This messenger tooke leue and went Vpon his way and neuer he stent Till he came to the darke valley That stant betweene rockes twey There neuer yet grew corne ne gras Ne tree ne naught that aught was Beast ne man ne naught els Saue that there were a few wels Came renning fro the cliffes adowne That made a deadly sleeping sowne And rennen downe right by a caue That was under a rocke ygraue Amid the valley wonder deepe There these goddes lay asleepe Morpheus aud Eclympasteire That was the god of sleepes heire That slept and did none other werke This caue was also as derke As hell pitte ouer all about They had good leyser for to rout To vye who might sleepe best Some hing her chin vpon her brest And slept vpright her head yhed And some lay naked in her bed And slept whiles their daies last This messenger come renning fast And cried ho ho awake anone It was for naught there heard him none Awake qd he who lieth there And blew his horne right in her ear And cried awaketh wonder hye This god of sleepe with his one eye Cast vp and asked who clepeth there It am I qd this messengere Iuno bade thou shouldest gone And told him what he should done As I have told you here before It is no need rehearse it more And went his way when he had saide Anone this god of slepe abraide Out of his sleepe and gan to go And did as he had bidde him do Tooke vp the dead body soone And bare it forth to Alcione His wife the queene there as she lay Right even a quarter before day And stood right at her beds fete And called her right as she hete By name and said My sweet wife Awake let be your sorrowfull life For in your sorrow there lyeth no rede For certes sweet love I am but dede Ye shall me never on live ysee But good sweet hart looke that yee Bury my body for such a tide Ye mowe it find the see beside And farewell sweet my worlds blisse I pray God your sorrow lisse Too little while our blisse lasteth With that her eyen vp she casteth And saw naught alas qd she for sorrow And vsed within the third morrow But what she said more in that swowe I may nat tell it you as now It were too long for to dwell My first matere I will you tell Wherefore I haue told this thing Of Alcione and Seis the king For thus much dare I say wele I had be bolden every dele And dead right through defaut of sleepe If I ne had red and take kepe Of this tale next before And I will tell you wherfore For I ne might for bote ne bale Sleepe or I had redde this tale Of this dreint Seis the king And of the gods of sleeping When I had red this tale wele And overlooked it everydele Me thought wonder if it were so For I had never heard speake or tho Of no gods that coud make Men to sleepe ne for to wake For I ne knew never God but one And in my game I said anone And yet me lift right euill to pley Rather than that I should dey Through defaut of sleeping thus I would giue thilke Morpheus Or that goddesse dame Iuno Or some wight els I ne rought who To make me slepe and haue some rest I will giue him the alther best Yest that ever he abode his liue And here onward right now as blive If he woll make me sleepe alite Of downe of pure Doues white I woll yeve him a featherbed Raied with gold and right well cled In fine blacke Sattin doutremere And many a pillow and euery bere Of cloth of raines to slepe on soft Him there not need to turne oft And I woll yeve him all that fals To his chamber and
the goddesse voiden my greuaunce For I loued eke saufe that I wist not where Yet downe I set and sayd as ye shall here Fairest of all that euer were or bee Licour and light to pensife creature Mine hole affiaunce and my lady free My goddesse bright my fortune and my vre I yeue and yeeld my hert to thee full sure Humbly beseeching lady of thy grace Me to bestow now in some blessed place And here I vow me faithful true and kind Without offence of mutabilitie Humbly to serue while I haue wit and mind Mine hole affiaunce and my lady free In thilke place there ye me signe to be And sith this thing of new is yeue me aye To loue and serue needly must I obey Be merciable with thy fire of grace And fix mine hert there beauty is and routh For hote I loue determine in no place Saufe onely this by God and by my trouth Troubled I was with slumber slepe slouth This other night and in a visioun I see a woman romen vp and doun Of meane stature and semely to behold Lustie and fresh demure of countenaunce Yong well shape with hair shone as gold With eyen as cristal ferced with pleasaunce And she gan stirre mine hert a lite to daunce But suddainly she vanish gan right there Thus I may say I loue and wote not where For what she is ne her dwelling I not And yet I fele that loue distreineth me Might iche her know her would I faine God wot Serue and obey with all benignitie And if that other be my destinie So that no wise I shall her neuer see Then graunt me her that best may liken me With glad rejoyce to liue in parfite hele Deuoid of wrath repent or variaunce And able me to doe that may be wele Vnto my lady with herts hie pleasaunce And mighty goddes through thy purueiaunce My wit my thoght my lust loue so guide That to thine honor I may me prouide To set mine hert in place there I may like And gladly serue with all affection Great is the paine which at mine heart doth sticke Till I be sped by thine election Helpe Lady goddesse that possession I might of her haue that in all my life I clepen shall my quene and hearts wife And in the court of Loue to dwell for aye My will it is and done thee Sacrifice Daily with Diane eke to fight and fraye And holden werre as might will me suffice That goddesse chast I keepen in no wise To serue a Figge for all her chastity Her law is for Religiousity And thus gan finish prayer laud preice Which that I youe to Venus on my knee And in mine hert to ponder and to peice I gan anone her Image fresh beautie Heile to that figure sweet and heile to thee Cupide qd I and rose and yede my wey And in the temple as I yede I sey A shrine surmounting all in stones rich Of which yâ— force was pleasaunce to mine ey With Diamond or Saphire neuer liche I haue none seene ne wrought so wonderly So when I met with Philobone in hie I gan demaund who is this sepulture Forsooth qd she a tender creature Is shrined there and Pity is her name She saw an Egle wreke him on a flie And pluck his wing eke him in his game And tender hert of that hath made her die Eke she would weep mourn right pitously To seene a louer siâ—ffer great distresse In all the court nas none as I do gesse That coud a louer halfe so well auaile Ne of his wo the torment or the rage Asken for he was sure withouten faile That of his greef she coud the heat assuage In steed of Pity speedeth hote courage The matters all of court now she is dead I me report in this to womanhead For weil and weep and cry speak pray Women would not haue pity on thy plaint Ne by that mean to ease thine hert conuay But thee receiuen for their owne talent And say that Pity causeth thee in consent Of reuth to take thy seruice and thy paine In that thou maist to please thy soueraine But this is counsaile keepe it secretly Qd. she I nolde for all the world about The queene of Loue it wist and wite ye why For if by me this matter springen out In court no lenger should I out of dout Dwellen but shame in all my life endry Now keepe it close qd she this hardely Well all is well now shall ye seen she said The fairest lady vnder Sunne that is Come on with me demean you lich a maid With shamefast drede for ye shall speak ywis With her that is the mirrour joy and blisse But somewhat strange sad of her demean She is beware your countenaunce be seen Nor ouer light ne rechelesse ne too bold Ne malapert ne renning with your tong For she will you obeisen and behold And you demand why ye were hence so long Out of this court without resort among And Rosiall her name is hote aright Whose heart as yet is yeuen to no wight And ye also been as I vnderstond With loue but light auanced by your word Might ye by hap your freedom maken bond And fall in grace with her and we le accord Well might ye thank the God of Loue lord For she that ye saw in your dreame appere To loue such one what are they then the nere Yet wote ye what as my remembraunce Me yeueth now ye faine where that ye say That ye with loue had neuer acquaintaunce Saue in your dream riÈt late this other day Why yes parde my life that durst I lay That ye were caught vpon an heath when I Saw you complain and sigh full pitously Within an herber and a gardein faire Where flowers grow and herbes vertuous Of which the sauour swete was and the aire There were your self full hote and amorous Iwis ye been too nice and daungerous I would ye now repent and loue some new Nay by my troth I said I neuer knew The goodly wight whose I shal be for aye Guide me the lord that loue hath made me But forth we went into a chamber gay There was Rosiall womanly to see Whose streames sotell piercing of her eye Mine hert gan thrill for beauty in the stound Alas qd I who hath me yeue this wound And then I drede to speake till at the last I grete the lady reuerently and we le When that my sigh was gone and ouerpast Then doun on keens ful humbly gan I knele Beseeching her my feruent wo to kele For there I tooke full purpose in my mind Vnto her grace my painfull hert to bind For if I shall all fully her discriue Her head was round by compasse of nature Her haire as gold she passed all on liue And Lilly forehed had this creature With liueliche browes flawe of colour pure Betwene the which was meane disceueraunce From euery brow to shew a due distaunce
Methamorphosose The louers fo he is I will not glose * For where a louer thinketh him promote Enuy will grutch repining at his wele It swelleth sore about his herts rote That in no wise he cannot liue in hele And if the faithful to his lady stele * Enuy will noise and ring it round about And sey much worse than done is out of dout And priuy thought rejoysing of himselfe Stood not ferre thence in abite maruellous Yon is thought I some spirit or some elfe His subtill Image is so curious How is qd I that he is shaded thus With yonder cloth I not of what colour And nere I went and gan to lere and pore And framed him a question full hard What is qd I the thing thou louest best Or what is bote vnto thy paines hard Me thinke thou liuest here in great vnrest Thou wandrest aye from south to east west And east to north as ferre as I can see There is no place in Court may holden thee Whom followest thou where is thy hertiset But my demaund asoile I thee require Me thought qd he no creature may let Me to ben here and where as I desire For where as absence hath done out yâ— fire My mery thought it kindeleth yet againe That bodely me thinke with my soueraine I stand speake laugh kisse and halse So that my thought comforteth me ful oft I think god wote though al yâ— world be false I will be true I thinke also how soft My lady is in speach and this on loft Bringeth min hert with joy great gladnes This priuy thought alayeth mine heauines And with I thinke or where to be no man In all this earth can tell Iwis but I And eke there nis no swalow swift ne swan So wight of wing ne half so yerne can flie For I can bene and that right sodenly In heuen in hell in Paradise and here And with my lady when I will desire I am of counsell ferre and wide I wote With lorde and lady and theyr preuitie I wotte it all and be it colde or hote They shall not speake without licence of me I mine in soch as seasonable be For first the thing is thought within that hart Er any word out from the mouth astart And with yâ— word Thought bad farewel and yede Eke forth went I to seene the courts guise And at the doore came in so God me spede Twenty courteours of age and of assise Liche high and brode and as I me aduise The golden loue and leden loue they hight The tone was sad the toder glad and light Yes draw your heart with all your force might To lustinesse and benas ye haue seid And thinke that I no drope of fauour hight Ne neuer had vnto your desire obeid Till sodenly me thought me was affraied To seene you ware so dede of countenaunce And pite bade me done you some pleasaunce Out of her shrine she rose from death to liue And in mine care full priuely she spake Doth not your seruaunt hens away to driue Rosial qd she and then mine hert it drake For tenderich where I found moch lacke In your person then I my selfe bethought And saide this is the man myne hearte hath sought Gramercy Pity might I but suffise To yeue due laude vnto thy shrine of gold God wotte I would for sith yâ— thou did rise From death to liue for me I am behold To thanken you a thousand times told And eke my lady Rosial the shene Which hath in comfort set mine hert iwene And here I make mine protestacion And depely swere as mine power to bene Faithful deuoide of variacion And her forbeare in anger or in tene And seruiceable to my worldes quene With al my reason and intelligence To done her honour high and reuerence I had not spoke so sone the worde but she My souerain did thanke me hertely And said abide ye shall dwell still with me Till season come of May for then truly The king of loue and all his company Shall hold his feste full rially and well And there I bode till that the season fell ON May day when yâ— larke began to rise To Matens went the lusty Nightingale Within a temple shapen Hauthorn wise He might not slepe in all the nightertale But Domine labia gan he cry and gale My lippes open lord of loue I cry And let my mouth thy preising now bewry The Egle sang Venite bodies all And let vs joy to loue that is our health And to the deske anon they gan to fall And who came late he preced in by stealth Then sayd the Faucon our own herts wealth Domine Dominus noster I wote Ye be the God yâ— done vs brenne thus hote Coeli enarrant said the Popingay Your might is told in heauen firmament And then came in yâ— gold finch freshe and gay And said this Psalme with hertily glad intent Domini est terra This laten intent The God of loue hath yerth in gouernaunce And then the Wren gan scippen to daunce Jube Domino O Lord of loue I pray Commaund me well this lesson for to rede This legende is of all that woulden dey Marters for loue God yet the souls spede And to thee Venus sing we out of drede By influence of all thy vertue great Besechyng thee to keepe vs in our heat The second lesson Robin Redebrest sang Haile to the god and goddes of our lay And to the lectorn amorously he sprong Haile now qd eke O fresh season of May Our moneth glad that singen on the spray Haile to the floures rede and white blewe Which by their vertue maketh our lust new The third lesson the Turtil doue toke up And thereat lough the Mauis in a scorne He said O God as mote I dine or suppe This folish Doue will giue us al an horne There ben right here a M. better borne To rede this lesson which as well as he And eke as hote can loue in all degree The Turtil doue said welcom welcom May Gladsom and light to louers that ben trew I thanke thee lord of loue that doth puruey For me to rede this lesson al of dewe For in good soth of corage I pursue To serue my make till death vs must depart And then Tu autem sang he all apart Te deum amoris sang the Thrustel cocke Tuball himselfe the first Musician With key of armony coude not on locke So swete tewne as that the Thrustel can The lorde of loue we praysen qd he than And so done al the foules great and lite Honour we May in fals louers dispite Dominus regnauit said the Pecocke there The lord of loue that mighty prince iwis He is receyued here and euery where Now Iubilate sing what meaneth this Said then the Linet welcome lord of blisse Out stert the Owle with Benedicite What meaneth all this mery fare qd he Laudate sang the Larke with voice ful shril
other remedy ne reed But taketh his leave homeward him sped Let him beware his neck lieth to wed How great sorw suffereth now Arcite The death he feeleth through his hert smite He weepeth waileth and crieth pitously To sleen himself he waiteth prively And said alas the day that I was borne Now is my prison worse than beforne Now is me shap eternally to dwell Nought in purgatorie but in Hell Alas that ever I knew Perithous For else had I dwelt with Theseus I fettered in his prison evermo Then had I be in bliss and not in wo. Only the sight of her whom that I set ve Though that I never her grace may deserve Would have sufficed right ynough for me O deare cousin Palamon quod he Thine is the victorie of this aventure Full blissul in prison maiest thou endure In prison nay certes but in paradice * Well hath fortune to thee turned the dice That hast the sight of her and I thabsence For possible is sithens thou hast her presence And art a knight a worthy man and able That by some case since fortune is changeable * Thou maiest sometime to thy desire attain But I that am exiled and barraine Of all grace and in so great despair That there nis water earth fire ne aire Ne creature that of hem maked is That may me heale or done comfort in this Well ought I sterve in wanhope and distresse Farewell my life my lust and my gladnesse Alas why playnen men so in commune Of purueyance of God or of fortune * That yeueth hem full oft in many a gise Well better than hemselfe can devise Some man desireth to haue richesse That cause is of her murdre or sicknesse And soure man wold out of his prison faine That in his house is of his meyne slaine Infinite harmes bene in this mattere We wote not what thing we prayen here We faren as he that dronke is as a mouse A dronken man wot well he hath an house But he wot not which the right way thider And to a dronken man the way is slider And certes in this world so faren we We seken fast after felicite But we go wrong full oft truly Thus we may say all and namely I That wenden and had a great opinion That if I might scape fro prison Then had I been in â—oy and perfite hele There now I am exiled fro my we le Sith that I may not seene you Emely I nam but dead there nys no remedy ¶ Vpon that other side Palamon Whan that he wist Arcite was gon Such sorrow he maketh that the great tour Resowned of his yelling and clamour The pure fetters on his shinnes grete Were of his bitter salt teares wete Alas quoth he Arcite cosyn mine Of all our strife God wot the frute is thine Thou walkest now in Thebes at large And of my wo thou yeuest little charge Thou maist sith thou hast wisdom manhed Assemble all the folke of our kindred And make warre so sharpe in this countre That by some auenture or by some treate Thou maiest haue her to lady and to wife For whom I must nedes lese my life For as by way of possibilite Sith thou art at thy large of prison fre And art a lord great is thine advantage More than is mine that sterve here in a cage For I may wepe wayle whiles that I liue With all the wo that prison may me yeue And eke with paine that loue yeueth me also That doubleth all my tourment and my wo. Therewith the fire of jelousie vp stert Within his brest and hent him by the hert So woodly that he likely was to behold The boxe tree or the ashen deed and cold Then said he O cruell goddes that governe This world with your word eterne And written in the table of Athamant Your parliament and eterne graunt What is mankind more unto you yhold Than is the shepe that rouketh in the fold For slain is man right as another beest And dwelleth eke in prison and in arrest And hath sicknesse and great adversite And oft time giltlesse parde What governance is in this prescience That giltlesse turmenteth innocence And encreaseth thus all my penance That man is bounden to his obseruaunce For Gods sake to leten of his will There as a beest may all his lusts fulfill And whan a beest is dead he hath no pain But after his death man mote wepe plain Though in this world he haue care and wo Without dout it may stonden so The answere of his lete I to diuines But well I wote in this world great pine is Alas I see a serpent or a thefe That many a true man hath do mischiefe Gon at his large where him list may turn But I mote ben in prison through Saturn And eke through Iuno jalous and eke wood That hath stroied well nye all the blood Of Thehes with his wast walles wide And Venus sleeth me on that other side For ielousie and feare of him Arcite Now will I stint of Palamon alite And let him in his prison still dwell And of Arcite forth woll I you tell The sommer passeth and the nights long Encreaseth double wise the paines strong Both of the lover and of the prisoner I not which hath the wofuller mister For shortly to say this Palamon Perpetuel is damned to prison In chaines and fetters to the deed And Arcite is exiled on his heed For euermore as out of that countre Ne neuermore shall his lady se You louers aske I now this question Who hath the worse Arcite or Palamon That one may se his lady day by day But in prison mote he dwell asway That other where him list may ride or go But sene his lady shall he neuer mo Now deemeth as ye list ye that can For I woll tell forth my tale as I began ¶ Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was Ful oft a day he swelt and said alas For sene his lady shall he neuer mo And shortly to conclude all his wo So mikell sorrow made neuer creature That is or shal be while the world may dure His slepe his meat his drinke is him byraft That leane he waxeth and drie as a shaft His eyen hollow and grisly to behold His hew pale and fallow as ashen cold And solitary he was and ever alone And wailing all the night making mone And if he heard song or instrument Then would he wepe he might not stent So feble were his spirits and so low And changed so that no man coud him know His speech ne his voice though men it herd As in his gyre for all the world it ferd Nought comly like to louers malady Of Eros but rather like manie Engendred of humours melancolike Beforne his fell fantastike And shortly was turned all vp so doun Both habit and disposicioun Of him this wofull louer Arcite What should I all day his wo endite Whan he endured had a yere or two This cruell
was it shewed on that portreiture As is depainted in the starres aboue Who shall be dead or els slaine for loue Sufficeth one ensample in stories old I may not reken them all though I would The statue of Mars vpon a cart stood Armed and looked grim as he were wood And ouer his head there shinen two figures Of starres that been cleaped in scriptures That one Puella hight that other Rubeus This god of armes was araied thus A wolfe there stood beforne him at his fete With eyen red and of a man he ete With subtill pensill was painted this storie In redouting of Mars and of his glorie Now to the temple of Diane the chast As shortly as I can I woll me hast To tell you all the discriptioun Depainted been the wals vp and doun Of hunting and of shamefast chastite There saw I how wofull Calistope When that Diane greeued was with her Was turned fro a woman to a bere And afterward was she made the loadsterre Thus was it painted I can say no ferre Her sonne is eke a starre as men may see There saw I Dane turned vnto a tree I meane not the goddesse Diane But Venus daughter which that hight Dane There saw I Acteon an Hert ymaked For vengeance that he saw Diane all naked I saw how that his hounds haue him cought And freten him for they knew him nought Yet painted was a little furthermore How Athalant hunted the wild Bore And Mellager and many other mo For which Diane wrought him care and wo. There saw I many another wonder storie Which me list not to draw in memorie This goddesse full well vpon an Hart sete With small hounds all abouten her fete And vnderneath her feet she had a Moone Wexing it was and yet should wane soone In gaudie greene her statue clothed was With bow in hand and arrowes in caas Her iyen aye she cast full low adoun There Pluto hath his darke regioun A woman trauelling was her before But for her child so long was vnbore Full pitously Lucina gan she call And said helpe for thou maiest best of all Well coud he paint liuely that it wrought With many a florein he the hewes bought Now been these lists made and Theseus That at his great cost hath arayed thus The temples and the theatre eueridele When it was done it him liked wonder wele But stint I woll of Theseus alite And speake of Palamon and of Arcite The day approcheth of her returning That euerich should an C. knights bring The battaile to darreine as I you told And to Athens her couenants to hold Hath euerich of hem brought an C. knights Well armed for the warre at all rights And sikerly there trowed many a man That never sithens the world began As for to speak of knighthood of her hond As farre as God hath made sea or lond Nas of so few so noble a company For every wight that loued chiualry And would his thankes haue a passing name Hath praied that he might be of that game And well was him that thereto chosen was For if there fell to morrow such a caas Ye know well that euery lusty knight That loueth paramours and hath his might Were it in England or were it elsewhere They would all full faine willen to be there * To fight for a lady ah benedicite It were a lustie sight for men to se And right so farden they with Palamon With him there went knights many on Some would been armed in an habergeon And in a brest plate with a light gippion And some would have a paire of plates large And some wold haue a pruce sheld som a â—arge Some would be armed on his legs wele And haue an axe and some a mace of stele There nas none new gise that it nas old Armed were they as I haue you told Euerich after his opinion ¶ Ther maist thou se comming with Palamon Ligurge himselfe the great king of Trace Blacke was his berd manly was his face The sercles of his iyen in his hed They glouden betwixt yellow and red And like a Lion looked he about With kemped haires on his browes stout His lims great his brawnes hard and strong His shoulders brode his armes round long And as the guise was in his countre Full high upon a chaire of gold stood he With foure great white buls in the trasys Instead of a coat armour ouer his harnays With nailes yellow and bright as any gold He hath a beares skin cole blacke for old His long haire was kempt behind his backe As any ravens feather it shone for blacke A wreath of gold arme great of huge weight Vpon his head set full of stones bright Of fine rubies and clere diamands About his chaire there went white allaunds Twenty and mo as grete as any stere To hunten at the lion or the wild bere And followed him with mosell fast ybound Collers of gold and torrettes filed round An hundred lordes had he in his rout Armed full well with hearts sterne and stout With Arcite in stories as men do find The great Emetrius the King of Inde Vpon a steed bay trapped in stele Covered with a cloth of gold diapred wele Came riding like the god of armes Marce His coat armure was of cloth of Trace Well couched with perle white round gret His saddle was of brent gold new ybet A mantle upon his shoulders hanging Brette full of rubies red as fire sparkling His crispe haire like rings was of yron And that was yellow and glittering as the son His nose was high his eyen bright cytryn His lips ruddie his colour was sanguyn A few freckles in his face yspreint Betwixt yellow and somdele blacke ymeint And as a Lion he his eyen kest Of fiue and twenty yere his age I gest His beard was well begun for to spring His voice was as a trumpet sowning Vpon his head he weared of laurer greene A garland fresh and lustie for to seene Vpon his hand he bare for his delite An Eagle tame as any lilly white An hundred lords had he with him there All armed saue her heads in her gere And that full richely in all manner things For trusteth well that earles dukes kings Were gathered in this noble company For loue and for encrease of chiualry About this king there ran on euery part Full many a rame Lion and Libart And in this wise these lords all and some Been on the sunday to the citie come About prime and in the toune a light This Theseê° this duke this worthy knight When he had brought hem into his citee And inned hem euerich after his degree He feasted hem and doth so great labour To easen hem and done hem all honour That yet men wenen that no mans wit Of none estate coud ne amend it The minstralcie the seruice at the feast The great yefts also to the most and least The rich array throughout Theseus paleis Ne who sat first
fast as euer he might And graspeth by the wals to and fro To find a staffe and she stert vp also And knew the eftres bet than did this Ihon And by the wall she found a staffe anon And saw a little shemering of a light For at an hole in shone the Moone bright And by that light she saw hem both two But sikerly she nist who was who But as she sey a white thing in her eie And when she gan this white thing espie She wend the clerke had weard a voluper And with the staffe she drow ner and ner And wend haue hit this Alein at full And smote the Miller on the pilled skull That doun he goth and cried harrow I die These clerkes beat him well and let him lie And raieth hem and tooke her horse anon And eke her meale and on her way they gon And at the Mill dore they tooke her cake Of halfe a bushell floure well ybake Thus is the proud Miller well ybete And hath ylost the grinding of the whete And paid for the supper euery dele Of Alein and of Ihon that beat him wele His wife is swiued and his doughter al 's Lo such it is a Miller to be fals And therefore this prouerbe is full sooth * Him dare not well weene that euill dooth A guilour shall himselfe beguiled be And God that sit in hie maieste Saue all this company great and smale Thus haue I quit the Miller in his tale ¶ The Cookes Prologue THe Cooke of London while the Reue spake For joy he thought he claude him on the backe A ha quoth hee for Christes passioun This Miller hath a sharpe conclusioun Vpon this argument of her bigage Well sayd Salamon in his language Ne bring not euery man into thine house For herbouring by night is perillous Well ought a man auised for to be Whome that he brought into his priuite I pray to God so yeue me sorrow and care If euer sithen I hight Hodge of Ware Heard I a Miller bette isett awerke He had a iape of malice in the derke But God forbid that we stinten here And therefore if ye vouchsafe to heare A tale of me that am a poore man I woll tell you as well as I can A little yape that fell in our citee Our host saied I graunt it thee Now tell on Rodger looke that it be good * For many a pastie hast thou letten blood And many a Iacke of Douet hast thou sold That hath been twise hot and twise cold Of many a pilgrime hast thou Christs curse * For of thy persse yet fare they the worse That they haue eaten with thy stoble Goos * For in thy shop is many a Flie loos Now tell on gentle Rodger by thy name But yet I pray thee be not wroth for game * A man may say full sooth in game play Thou saiest full sooth qd Roger by my fay * But soth play quade play as the Fleming Saith And therefore Henry Bailly by thy faith Be thou not wroth or we departen here Though that my tale been of an hostelere But nethelesse I woll not tellen it yet But ere we part ywis thou shalt be quit And therwithall he lough and made cheare And saied his tale as ye shullen after heare THE Description of an unthriftie Prentice given to Dice Women and Wine wasting thereby his Masters Goods and purchasing Newgate to himself The most of this Tale is lost or else never finished by the Author ¶ The Cookes Tale. A Prentise whylome dwelt in our cite And of the craft of Vitailers was he Galiard he was as Goldfinch in the shawe Broune as a berrie a proper short felawe With lockes blacke and kemt full fetously Daunce he couth full well and jollily He was called Perkin Reuelour He was as full of loue and paramour As is the hiue full of honey sweet Well was the wench with him that might meet At euery Bridal would he sing and hop He loued bette the tauernes than the shop For when any riding was in Cheape Out of the shoppe thither would he leape Till that he had of all the sight isein And soothly he would not come agein But gather him a meinie of his sort To hop and sing and make such disport And there they set Steuin for to meet To plaien at the dice in such a street For in the city nas there no Prentise That fairer couth casten a paire of dise Then Perkin couth and thereto he was fre Of his dispence in place of priuite That found his maister well in his chafare For oft times he found his boxe full bare * For sikerly a prentise reuelour That haunteth dise riot or paramour His maister shall it in his shop abie All haue he no part of the Ministralcie For theft and riot they been conuertible All can he play on Gettron or on Rebible * Revel and truth as in lowe degree They ben full wroth all day as men may see This iolly prentise with his maister abode Till he were nigh out of his prentishode All were he snibbed both earely and late and sometime led with reuel to Newgate But at the last his maister him bethought Vpon a day when he his paper sought Of a prouerbe that saith this same word * Well bette is rotten apple out of hord Than that it should rot all the remnaunt So fareth it by a roiotous seruaunt It is much lesse harme to let him passe Then he shend all the seruaunts in the place Therefore his master gaue him a quittaunce And bad him go with sorow mischaunce And thus this iolly prentise had his leue Now let him roiot all the night or leue And for there is no theefe without a louke That helpeth him to waste or to souke Of that he bribe can or borrow may Anon he sent his bed and his array Vnto a compere of his owne sort That loued dice reuel and disport And had a wife that held for countenance A shop and swiued for her sustenance ¶ The man of Lawes Prologue OUr host saw well how that the bright Sunne The arke of his artificial day had runne The fourth part and eke halfe an houre more And though he were not deepe expert in lore He wist well it was the eighteene day Of April that is the messenger to May And saw well that the shadow of euery tre Was in length of the same quantite As was the body erect that caused it And therefore by the shadow he tooke his wit That Phebus which that shone clear bright Degrees was fortie fiue clomben of hight And for that day as in latitude It was ten of the clocke he gan conclude And suddenly he plight his horse about Lordings qd he I warne you al the rout The fourth part of this day is now agon Now for the loue of God and of saint Iohn Leseth no time as ferfoorth as ye may Lordings the time wasteth both night day And stealeth
tooke his aduersite Saue out of doubt may he nat forgone That he nas ielous euer more in one Which jelousie it was so outragious That neither in hall ne in none other house Ne in none other place neuer mo He nolde suffer her neither ride ne go But if that he had honde on her alway For which full often wepeth fresh May That loued Damian so benignely That she mote either die sodainely Or she mote haue him all at her lest She waiteth whan her heart should to brest Vpon that other side Damian Become is the sorowfullest man That euer was for neither night ne day Ne might he speake a word to fresh May As to his purpose of no such matere But if that Ianuary must it here That had an hand vpon her euermo But natheles by writing to and fro And priuie signes wist he what she ment And she knew all the signes of his entent O Ianuary what might thee it auaile Tho thou mightest see as far as ships saile * For as good is a blind man disceived be As to be disceiued when that he may see Lo Argus which had an hundred eien For all that euer he couth pore and prien Yet was he blent and God wot so ben mo That wenen wisely that it is not so Passe ouer is an ease I say no more The fresh May of which I spake of yore In warme waxe hath printed this clicket That Ianuary bare of that small wicket By which vnto his garden oft he went And Damian that knew all her intent The clicket counterfeited priuily There nis no more to say but hastily Some wonder by this clicket shall betide Which ye shall heren if ye woll abide O noble Ouid sooth sayest thou God wote * What flight is it if loue be long and hote That he nill find it out in some manere By Pyramus and Thisbe may men lere Thogh they were kept ful long streit ouer all They ben accorded rowning through a wall There nis no wight couth find such a sleight But now to purpose ere the daies eight Were passed ere the month Iuly befill That Ianuary hath caught so great a will Through egging of his wife him for to play In his garden and no wight but they tway That in a morrow vnto this May said hee Rise vp my wife my loue my lady free The turtle voice is heard my lady swete The winter is gone with all his raines wete Come forth now with thine eyen columbine Now fairer been thy brests than is wine The garden is enclosed all about Come forth my white spouse out of all dout Thou hast me wounded in my hert O wife No spot in thee nas in all thy life Come forth and let vs taken our disport I chese thee for my wife and my comfort Such old leaud words then vsed he Vnto Damian a signe made she That he should go before with his clicket This Damian hath opened this wicket And in he stert and that in such manere That no wight might it see ne here And still he sat vnder a bush anone This Ianuary as blind as is a stone With May in his hand and no wight mo Into his fresh garden is he go And clapt to the wicket suddainly Now wife qd he here nis but thou and I That art the creature that I best loue For by that lord that sit vs all aboue I had leuer dien on a knife Than thee offend my dere true wife For Gods sake thinke how I thee chees Not for couetise ne other good doubtles But only for the loue I had to thee And though that I be old and may not see Be to me true and I woll tell you why Certes three things shall ye win thereby First loue of Christ to your selfe honour And all mine heritage toune and tour I giue it you maketh charters as ye list This shall be done to morrow ere sunne rist So wisely God my soule bring to blisse I pray you on couenaunt that ye me kisse And though that I be jelous wite me nought Ye been so deepe imprinted in my thought That when I consider your beaute And withall the vnlikely elde of me I may not certes though I should die Forbeare to ben out of your companie For very loue this is withouten dout Now kisse me wife and let vs rome about This fresh May when she these words herd Benignely to Ianuarie answerd But first and forward she began to weepe I haue qd she a soule for to keepe As well as ye and also mine honour And of wifehood ilke tender flour Which that I haue ensured in your hond When that the priest to you my body bond Wherefore I woll answere in this manere By the leaue of you my lord so dere I pray God that neuer daw that day That I ne sterue as foule as woman may If euer I do to my kin that shame Or els that I empaire so my name That I be false and if I do that lacke Do strip me and put me in a sacke And in the next riuer do me drench I am a gentlewoman and no wench Why speke ye thus but men ben euer vntrew And women haue reproofe of you aye new Ye can none other communing I leue But speak to vs of vntrust and repreue And with that word she saw where Damian Sat in the bush and kneele he began And with her finger signes made she That Damian should climbe vpon a tre That charged was with fruite vp he went For verily he knew all her intent And euery signe that she couth make Well bet than Ianuarie her owne make For in a letter she had told him all Of this matter how that he werch shall And thus I let him sit in the pery And Ianuarie and Maie roming full mery Bright was the day blew the firmament Phebus of gold doun hath his streames sent To gladen every flour with his warmenesse He was that time in Gemini as I gesse But little fro his declination The causer of Ioues exaltation And so befell that bright morow tide That in the garden on the further side Pluto that is the king of Fayrie And many a ladie in his companie Following his wife the queene Proserpine Ech after other right as a line Whiles she gadred floures in a mead In Claudian ye may the story read How in his grisely cart he her fet This king of Fayrie adoune him set Vpon a bench of turues fresh and greene And right anon thus said he to his queene My wife qd he that may nat say nay Experience so proveth euery day The treason which that women doth to man Ten hundred thousand stories tell I can Notable of your vntrouth and brotelnesse O Salomon richest of all richesse Fulfild of sapience and of worldly glory Full worthy ben thy words in memory To euery wight that wit and reason can Thus praiseth he the bounty of man * Among a thousand men yet found
all three Irous Cambises was eke drunkelew And aie delighted him to been a shrew And so befell a lord of his meine That loued well vertuous moralite Said on a day betwixt hem two right thus A lord is lost if he be aught vicious * And dronkennesse eke is a foule record Of any man and namely of a lord * There is many an ey and many an ear A waiting on a lord he not whear For Gods loue drinketh temperatly * Wine maketh a man to lese wretchedly His mind and his limbes euerichone The reuers shalt thou see qd he anon And preue it by thyn own experience That wine ne doth to folke no such offence There nis no wine bereaueth me my might Of hond of foote ne of mine eyesight And for despight he dronke mochell more An hundred times than he did before And right ay this cursed irous wretch Let this knights son beforne him fetch Commanding him he shuld beforn him stond And suddenly he took his how in hond And vp the string he plucked to his eare And with an arrow he slough the child thear Now wither haue I a siker hond or none Qd. he Is all my might and minde agon Hath wine bereuen me mine iyen sight What shuld I tel the answer of yâ— knight His sonne was slain ther is no more to say * Beware therefore with lords how ye play Sing Placebo and I shall if I can But if it be vnto a poore man To a poore man one should his vices tell But not to a lord though he should go to hell Lo irous Cirus thilke Percien How destroyed he the riuer of Gisen For that an horse of his was dreint therein When as he went Babilon to win He made that the riuer was so small That men might ride and waden ouer all Lo what said he that so well teach can * Ne be no fellow to none irous man Ne with no wood man walke by the way Lest thou repent I woll no further say Now Thomas leue brother leaue thyn ire Thou shalt me find as iust as is a squire Hold not the deuils knife aie in thine heart Thine anger doth thee all to sore smart But shew to me all thy confession Nay qd the sicke man by saint Simon I have be shriue this day of my Curate I have told him wholy mine estate It needeth no more to speake of it saieth he But if me list of mine humilite Yeue me then of thy gold tomake our cloister qd he for many a muskle many an Oister When other men haue been full well at ease Hath been our food our cloister for to rease And yet God wot vnneath the foundament Parformed is ne of our pauement Is not a tile yet within our wones By God we owen fourty pound for stones Now help Thomas for him that harrowed hell For els mote we needs al our books sell And if you lacke our predication Then goeth this world all to destruction For who so woll fro this world vs bereue So God me saue Thomas by your leue He would bereaue out of this world the son For who can techen worchen as we con And that is not of little time qd he But sith Helie was or Helise Han freres been that find I of record In charitie ithonked be our Lord Now Thomas help for saint Charitie And down anon he sitteth on his kne This sicke man waxeth nie wood for ire He would the frere had been on a fire With his false dissimulation Such things as been in my possession Qd. he that may I giue and none other Ye sain me thus how that I am your brother Ye certes qd this frere trusteth me wele I tooke our dame our letter and our sele Now qd he wel and somwhat shall I yeue Vnto your holy couent while I liue And in thine hond thou shalt it haue anone On this condition and other none That you depart it so my leue brother That euery frere haue as much as another This shalt thou sweare on thy profession Without fraud or cauilation I swere it qd she frere by my faith And therwithall his hond in his he layth Lo here my faith in me shall be no lacke Then put thine hond adowne by my backe Said this man and grope well behind Beneath my buttock there thou shalt find A thing that I haue hid in priuitie Ah thought the frere that shall goe with me Adown he shofth his hond to the clift In hope to find there some good gift And when this sicke man felt this frere About his tewell groping here and there Amid his hond he let the frere a fart There nis no capell drawing in a cart That might haue let a fart of such a soun The frere vp start as doth a wood Lioun A false churle qd the frere for Gods bones This hast thou in dispite doe for the nones Thou shalt abie this fart if I may His meinie that heard of this affray Came leaping in and chased out the frere And forth he goeth with a full angry chere And fet his fellow there as lay his store He looked as he were a wilde Bore He grinted his teeth so was he wroth A sturdie pace down to the court he goth Whereas wonned a man of great honour To whom that he was alway confessour This worthy man was lord of that village This freer came as he were in a rage Where as this lord sat eating at his bord Vnnethes might the frere to speake o word Till at the last he said God you see This lord gan looke and said Benedicite What frere Ihon what maner world is this I see well that something is amis * Ye look as though the wood wer full of theuis Sit downe and tell me what your griefe is And it shall be amended if that I may I haue qd he had a dispite to day God yeeld it you adown in your village That in this world is none so poore a page That he nolde haue abhominatioun Of that I haue receiued in your town And yet me grieueth nothing so sore As that the old churle with locks hore Blasphemed hath our holy couent eke Now maister qd this lord I you beseke No maister sir qd he but seruitour Though I haue had in schoole that honour God liketh not that men vs Rabie call Neither in market ne in your large hall No force qd he but tell me of your griefe Sir qd this Frere an odious mischiefe This day is betide to mine order and to me And so per consequens to each degree Of holy church God amend it sone Sir qd the lord ye wot what is to done Distemper you not you be my confessour Ye be the salt of the earth and the savour For Gods loue your pacience now hold Telleth me your griefe and he anon him told As ye han heard before ye wot well what The ladie of the house aie still sat Till she had heard fully
she I pray to God so yeue you prosperite And so hope I that he woll to you send Pleasaunce ynough vnto your liues end But one thing I beseech and warne also That ye pricke with no such turmenting This tender maiden as ye han do mo For she is fostered in her nourishing More tenderly in my supposing She could not aduersitie endure As could a poore fostred creature And when this Walter saw her patience Her glad cheare and no mallice at all And he so oft hath done her offence And she aye constant and stable as a wall Continuing euer her innocence ouer all This sturdie Marques gan his heart dresse To rue vpon her wifely stedfastnesse This is ynough Grisilde mine qd he Be no more gast ne euill apaid I haue thy faith and thy benignite As well as euer woman was assaid In great estate or poorely araid Now know I deare wife thy stedfastnesse And her in armes tooke and gan to kesse And she for wonder tooke thereof no keepe She heard not what thing he to her said She fared as she had stert out of her sleepe Till she out of her masednesse abraid Grisilde qd he by God that for vs deid Thou art my wife and none other I haue Ne neuer had as God my soule saue This is thy doughter which thou supposed To be my wife and none other faithfully And this shall be mine heir as I haue disposed Thou bare hem in thy body truly At Boloine haue I kept hem sikerly Take hem ayen for now maist thou not say That thou hast lorn any of thy children tway And folke that otherwise han said of me I warne hem wel that I haue done this dede For no malice ne for no cruelte But for to assay in thee thy womanhede And not to sley my children God forbede But for to keepen hem priuely and still Till I thy purpose knew and all thy will When she this herd a swoune doun she falleth For pitous joy and after her swouning She both her yong children to her calleth And in her armes pitously weeping Embraced hem both tenderly kissing Full like a mother with her salt teares She bathed both her visage and her haires O which a pitous thing it was to see Her swouning and her pitous voice to heare Graunt mercy lord God thonk it you qd she That ye haue saued me my children deare Now recke I neuer to be dead right here Sithen I stond in your loue in your grace No force of death ne when my spirit pace O tender O deare O yong children mine Your wofull mother wend stedfastly That cruell hounds or some foule vermine Had eaten you but God of his mercy And your benigne father so tenderly Hath done you keep and in that same stound All suddainly she swapt doune to the ground And in her swouning so sadly held she Her children two when she gan hem embrace That with great sleight and difficulte The children from hir arms they gan to race O many a teare on many a pitous face Doune ran of hem tht stooden there beside Vnneth about her might no man abide Walter her gladdeth and her sorow slaketh She riseth up all abashed from her traunce And every wight her ioy and feast maketh Till she hath caught ayen her countenance Walter her doth so faithfully pleasaunce That it was deintie to seene the chere Betwixt hem two when they were met ifere These ladies all when they her time sey Han taken her and into chamber gone And strippen her out of her rude arrey And in a cloth of gold that bright shone With a croune of many a rich stone Vpon her head they her into hall brought And there she was honoured as she ought Thus hath this pitous day a blisful end For every man and woman doth his might This day in mirth and revel to dispend Till on the welkin shone the sterres bright For more solemne in every mans sight This feast was and greater of coâ—â—age Than was the revell of her mariage Well many a year in high prosperite Liven these two in concord and in rest And richly his doughter maried he Vnto a lord one of the worthiest Of all Itaile and then in peace and rest His wiues father in his court he kept Till that his soule out of his body crept His sonne succeedeth in his heritage In rest and peace after his fathers day And fortunate was eke in mariage All put he not his wife in great assay This world is not so strong it is no nay As it hath been in old times yore And her kneth what the autour saith therfore THis story is said not for that wiues should Followen Grisild as in humilite For it were importable tho they would But that every wight in his degre Should he constant in all adversite As was Grisild wherefore Petrarke writeth This story which with high stile he enditeth * For sith a woman was so patient Vnto a mortal man well more we ought Receive all in gree that God us sent For great skill he preueth that he wrought * But he ne tempteth no man that he bought As saith saint Iame if ye his pistell read He preueth folke but assay it is no dread * And suffereth vs as for our exercise With sharpe scourges of adversite Well oft to be beaten in sondry wise Not for to know our will for certes he Or we were borne knew all our freelte And for our best is all his governaunce Let us live then in vertuous suffraunce But one word herkeneth lordings or ye go It were full hard to find now adayes In all a countrey Grisilds three or two For if they were put to such assays The gold of hem hath so bad alayes With brasse for though it be faire at eie It will rather brast a two than plie For which here for the wiues loue of Bath Whose life and sect mighty God maintene In high maistry or else were it skath I will with Iustie hert fresh and greene Say you a song to glad you I wene And let us stint of earnest mattere Herkneth my song that saith in this manere Lenuoye de Chaucer à les mariz de nostre temps GRisilde is dead and eke hir patience And both at once buried in Itaile For which I cry in open audience No wedded wan be so hardy to assaile His wiues patience in trust to find Grisildes for in certaine he shall faile O noble wiues full of high prudence Let no humility your tongue naile Ne let no clerke have cause ne diligence To write of you a storie of such maruaile As of Grisild patient and kinde Lest Chechiface swallow you in her entraile Followeth Ecco that holdeth no silence But euer answereth at the contretaile Beth no addassed for your innocence But sharpely taketh on you the gouernaile Enprinteth well this lesson in your minde For common profit sith it may auaile Ne dredeth hem not doth hem no reverence For though thine husbond armed
be in maile The arrows of thy crabbed eloquence Shal perce his brest eke his adventaile In iealousie eke looke thou him binde And that shall make him couch as doth a quaile If thou be faire there folke ben in presence Shew thou thy visage and thine apparaile If thou be foule be free of thy dispence To get thee friends aye do thy travaile Be aye of cheare as light as lefe on linde And let him care weepen wring and waile Ye arch wiues stondeth aye at your defence Sith ye be strong as is a great camaile Ne suffreth not that men do you offence And ye sclendre wives feeble as in battaile Beth eygre as any tygre is in Inde Aye clappeth as a mill I you counsail ¶ Here endeth the clerk of Oxenfords tale ¶ Here follow the words of our Host When this worthy clerke ended had his tale Our Host said and sworen by cockes bones Me were leuer than a barrel af ale My wife at home had heard this legend ones This is a gentle tale for the nones As to my purpose wist ye my will But thing that woll not be let it be still ¶ The Frankeleins Prologue THese old gentle Britons in her dayes Of divers auentures maden layes Rimed at first in her mother tong Which layes with her instruments they song Or else readen hem for her pleasaunce And one of hem have I in remembraunce Which I shall say as willing as I can But sirs because I am a borell man At my beginning first I you beseech Haue me excused of my rude speech I learned never Rhetoricke certaine Thing that I speke mote be bare and plaine I slept neuer on the mount of Pernaso Ne learned Marcus Tullius Cicero Colours ne know I none withouten dread But such colours as growen in the mead Or els such as men dien or paint Colours of Rhetoricke been to me quaint Ny spirit feeleth not of such mattere This is my tale if ye woll it here ¶ The Frankeleins Tale. AUrelius after much labour and cost bestowed to win the love of Dorigen another mans wife is content in the end through the good dealing of her and her husband to lose both labour and cost The scope of this Tale seemeth a contention in courtesie IN Armorike that called is Britaine There was a knight that loved and did his paine To serven Ladies in his best wise And many a labour many a great emprise He for his Lady wrought ere she were won For she was one the fairest vnder son And eke thereto commen of high kinrede That well vnneth durst this knight for drede Tell her his wo his pain and his distresse But at the last she of her worthinesse And namely for his meek obeysaunce Hath such a pity caught of his pennaunce That prively she fell of his accord To take him for her husbond and her lord Of such lordship as men have over her wives And for to lead in the more blisse her lives Of his free will he swore her as a knight That never in all his life day ne night Ne should he take upon him no maistry Again her will ne kithe her iealousie But her obey and follow her will in all As any louer to his lady shall Save that the name of soveraignete That would he have for shame of his degree She thonked him with full great humbless She said sir sith of your gentleness Ye profred me to have so large a raine Ne would god never betwixt vs twaine As in my gilt were either werre or strife Sir I woll be your true humble wife Haue here my trouth till that my hert brest Thus ben they both in quiet and in rest For one thing sirs safely dare I seine * That friends everich other must obeine If they woll long holden company * Love woll not be constrained by maistry When maistry comes the God of loue anone Beateth his wings farewell he is gone * Loue is a thing as any spirit free Women of kind desiren libertee And not to be constrained as a thrass And so done men if I sooth say shall Looke who that most pacient is in loue He is at his auantage all aboue * Patience is an high vertue certain For it venquisheth as these clerkes sain Things that rigour shall never attain For every word men may not chide or plain * Learneth to suffer or else so mote I gone Ye shall it learne whether ye woll or none * For in this world certain no wight there is That he ne doth or saieth sometime amis Ire sickness or constellation Wine wo or chaunging of complexion Causeth full oft to done amisse or speaken On every wrong a man may not be wreken * After the time must be temperaunce To every wight that can of governaunce And therefore hath this worthy wise knight To liven in ease suffraunce her hight And she to him full wisely gan swere That never should there be default in here Here may men see humble and wise accord Thus hath she take her servant and her lord Servaunt in loue and lord in marriage Then was he both in lordship and seruage Servage nay but in lordship aboue Sithen he hath both his lady and his loue His lady certes and his wife also The which that law of lond accordeth to And when he was in this prosperity Home with his wife he goth into his country Not fer fro Denmarke there his dwelling was Where as he liueth in ioy and solas * Who coud tell but he had wedded be The ioy the ease and the prosperity That is betwixt an husbond and his wife Evermore lasted this blisful life Till that this knight of which I speake thus That of Caere Iuda was cleped Aruiragus Shope him to dwellen a yeare or twaine In Englond that cleped was Britaine To seeken in armes worship and honour For all his lust he set in such labour And dwelt there two year the booke faith thus Now woll I stint of this Aruiragus And speake I woll of Dorigen his wife That loueth her husbond as her hearts life For his absence weepeth she and siketh As done these noble wiues when hem liketh She mourneth waileth fasteth plaineth Desire of his presence her so constraineth That all this wide world set she at nought Her friends which knew her heauy thought Comforten her in all that euer they may They preachen hir and tellen night day That causelesse she slew her selfe alas And euery comfort possible in this caas They done to her with all her businesse And all to maken her leaue her heauinesse * By processe as ye knowen euerychone Men mowen so long grauen in stone Till some figure therein printed be So long han they comforted her till she Receiued hath by hope and by reason The enprinting of her constellation Through which her gret sorrow gan assuage She may not alway enduren such a rage And eke Aruiragus in all this care Hath sent his letters
hight And he went to the gardenward also For well he spied when she would go Out of her house to any manner place But thus they met of auenture or of grace And he salueth her with glad intent And assked of her whiâ—er that she went And she answerd halfe as she were mad Vnto the garden as my husbond bad My trouth for to hold alas alas Aurelius gan wondren of this caas And in his heart had great compassion Of her chere and her lamentation And of Aruiragus the worthy knight That bad her hold all that she had hight So loth he was that she should breke her trouth And in his heart he caught of it great routh Considering the hest on euery side That fro his lust were him better abide Than doe so high a churlish wretchednesse Ayenst fraunchise and all gentlenesse For which in few words saied he thus Madame saieth to your lord Aruiragus That sithen I see this great gentlenesse Of him and eke I see well your distresse That ye to me shoulden hold your trouth Certes me thinketh it were great routh I haue well leuer euer to suffer wo Than depart the loue betwixt you two I you release madame into your hond Quite every surement and every bond That ye haue made to me as here beforne Sithens thilk time which that ye were born My trouth I plight I shall you neuer repreve Of no behest and here I take my leve As of the truest and the best wife That euer yet I knew in all my life But euery wight beware of her behest On Dorigene remembreth at the least * Thus can a squier doen a gentle dede As well as can a knight withouten drede She thonked him vpon her knees all bare And home vnto her husbond is she fare And told him all as ye han heard me saied And be ye siker he was so well apaied That it were vnpossible me to write What should I lenger of this case endite Aruiragus and Dorigene his wife In soueraigne blisse leaden forth her life Neuer after was there anger hem betweene He cherished hir as though she were a queene And she was to him true for euermore Of these two folkes ye get of me no more Aurelius that his cost hath all forlorne Cursed the time that euer he was borne Alas qd he alas that euer I beheight Of pured gold a thousand pound of weight Vnto this Philosopher how shall I doe I see no more but that I am fordoe Mine heritage mote I needs goe and sell And bin a begger here may I no lenger dwell And shame all my kinrede in this place But I of him may get better grace But nathelesse I woll of him assay At certaine daies yeare by yeare to pay And thonke him of his great courtesie My trouth woll I keepe I woll not lie With heart sore he goth vnto his cofer And brought gold vnto the Philosopher The value of fiue hundred pounds as I gesse And him beseecheth of his gentlenesse To graunt him daies of the remnaunt And said maister I dare mell make auaunt I failed never of my trouth as yet For sikerly my debt shall be quit Towards you how that ever I fare To gone a begging in my kirtle bare But would ye vouchsafe upon suerte Two yeare or three for to respite me Then were I well for els mote I sell Mine heritage there is no more to tell This Philosopher soberly answerd And saied thus when he this word herd Have I not hold covenaunt unto thee Yes certes well and truly qd he Hast thou not had thy lady as thee liketh No no qd he and sorily he siketh What was the cause tell me if that thou can Aurelius anon his tale began And told him all as ye han heard before It needeth not to rehearce it any more He saied Aruiragus of gentlenesse Had leuer die in sorow and in distresse Than his wife were of her trouth fals The sorrow of Dorigene he told him al 's How loth she was to been a wicked wife And that she had leuer have lost her life And that her trouth she swore through innocence She now erst heard speake of apparence That made me have of her so great pite And right as freely as he sent her to me As freely sent I her to him again This is all some there nis no more to sain The Philosopher answerd leue brother Everych of you did gently to other Thou art a squier and he is a knight But God forbid for his blisful might But if a clerke could doen a gentle deed As well as any of you it is no dreed Sir I release thee thy thousand pound As now thou were crope out of the ground Ne never ere now haddest thou knowen mee For sir I woll not taken a penny of thee For all my craft ne nought for my trauaile Thou hast ypaied right well for mâ— vitaile It is ynough farwell and haue good day And tooke his horse rode forth on his way Lordings this question would I aske now Which was the most free as thinketh you Now telleth me ere that I further wend I can no more my tale is at an end ¶ The Second Nonnes Prologue THe minister the norice vnto vices Which that men clepen in English idlenesse That is porter of the gate of delices To eschue and by her contrary her oppresse That is to saine by lefull businesse * Well ought we to doen our intent Least that the fiend through idlenesse vs hent For he that with his thousand cords slie Continually vs waiteth to be clap When he may man in idlenesse espie He can so lightly catch him in his trap Till that a man be hent right by the lap He nis not ware the fiend hath him in hond * Well ought vs werch idlenesse withstond And though men dreaden neuer for to die Yet see men well by reason doubtles * That idlenesse is root of sluggardie Of which there commeth neuer good encrees For soothly sloth holdeth hem in a lees Onely to sleepe and for to eat and drinke And to deuouren all that other swinke And for to put vs from such idlenesse That cause is of so great confusion I haue here doen my faithfull businesse After the Legend in translation Right of thy glorious life and passion Thou with thy garlond wrought with rose lilly Thee meane I maid martir saint Cecily And thou that art floure of virgins all Of whom that Bernard list so well to write To thee at my beginning first I call Thou comfort of vs wretches doe me endite Thy maidens death that wan through hir merite The eterne life and of the fiend victory As men may after read in her story Thou maiden mother doughter of thy son Thou Well of mercy sinfull soules cure In whom the God of bounty chese to won Thou humble and high ouer euery creature Thou noblest and so farre ouer nature That no disdaine the maker had of kind
His son in bloud and flesh to cloth and wind Within the cloyster of thy blisfull sidis Tooke mans shape the eterne loue and pees That of the true compas Lord and guide is Whom heauen earth and sea withouten les Aye herien and thou virgine wemles Bare of thy body and dwellest maiden pure The creator of euery creature Assembled is in the magnificence With mercy goodnesse and with such pitee That thou art the sonne of excellence Not onely that helpest them that praien thee But oftentime of thy benignitee Full freely or that men thine helpe beseech Thou goest beforne and art her liues leech Now helpe thou blisfull meekefaire maid Me flemed wretch in this desert of gall Thinke on the woman of Canane that said That whelpes eaten some of the crums small That from her Lords table been yfall And though that I vnworthy doughter of Eue Be sinfull yet accepteth my beleeue And for that faith is ded withouten werkis So for to werch yeue me witte and space That I be quit from the place that most derkis O thou that art so faire and full of grace Be mine aduocate in that hie place There as without ende is song Osanna Thou Christes mother doughter of Anna. And of thy light my soule in prison light That troubled is by the contagion Of my body and also by the wight Of earthly lust and false affection O heauen O refute O saluation Of hem that been in sorow and distresse Now help for to my werke I woll me dresse Yet I pray you that reden that I write Foryeueth me that I doe no diligence This ilke storie subtilly to endite For hoth haue I the words and the sentence Of him that at the saints reuerence The storie wrote and followen her legende And pray you that ye woll my werke amende First woll I you the name of saint Cecily Expoune as men may in her storie see It is to say in English Heauens lilly For pure chastnesse of virginitie Or for she witnes had of honestie And greene of conscience and of good same The sote sauoured Lilly was her name Or Cecily is to say the way to blinde For she ensample was by good teaching Or else Cecily as I written finde Is joyned by a manner conioining Of heauen and Lia in her figuring The heauen is set for thought of holinesse And Lia for her lasting besinesse Cecily may eke be saied in this manere Wanting of blindnesse for her great light For her sapience and for her thewes clere Or els Lo this maidens name so bright Of heuen Leos cometh of which by right Men might the heauen of people her call Ensample of good and wise werkes all For Leos people in English is to say And right as men may in the heauen see The sunne and moon and sterres euery way Right so men ghostly in this maiden free Sawen of faith the great magnanimitie And eke the clerenesse hole of sapience And sundrie werkes bright of excellence And right so as these Philosophers write That heauen is swift round eke brenning Right so was faire Cecily the white Full swift and busie in euery good working And round and whole in good perseuering And brenning euer in charitie full bright Now haue I declared you what she hight ¶ The second Nonnes Tale. The life and death of Saint Cecily THis maiden bright Cecile as her life saith Was comen of Romanes of noble kind And so foorth fostered vp in the faith Of Christ and bare his Gospell in her mind She neuer ceased as I written find Of her prayer and God to loue and dread Beseeching him to keepe her maidenhead And when this maid should vnto a man I wedded be that was full yong of age Which that ycleped was Valerian And day was come of her mariage She full deuout and humble in her corage Vnder her robe of gold that sat full faire Had next her flesh yclad her in an haire And whiles that the organs made melodie To God alone thus in hert song she O lord my soule and eke my bodie gie Vnwemmed lest I confounded be And for his loue that died vpon a tree Euery second or third day she fast Aye biding in her orison full fast The night came and to bed must she gone With her husbond as is the manere And priuily she said vnto him anone O sweet and well beloued spouse dere There is a counsaile and ye woll it here Which that right faine I would to you saine So that ye me ensure it not to bewraine Valerian gan fast vnto her swere That for no case ne thing that might be He should neuer to none bewraien here And then at erst thus to him said she I haue an Angell which that loueth me That with great loue where so I wake or sleepe Is ready aye my body for to keepe And if that he may felen out of drede That ye me touch or loue in vilonie He right anon will slee you with the dede And in your youth thus shall ye die And if that ye in clene loue me gie He woll you loue as me for your cleanesse And shew you of his joy and brightnesse This Valerian corrected as God wold Answerd ayen if I shall trust thee Let me that angell see and him behold And if that it a very angell be Then woll I done as thou hast prayed me And if thou loue another man forsoth Right with this sword then woll I slee you both Cecile answerd anon in this wise If that ye lust that angel shul you see So that ye trow on Christ and you baptise Goth forth to Via apia qd she That from this toun ne stant but miles three And to the poore folke that there doe dwell Say hem right thus as I shall you tell Tell hem that I Cecile you to hem sent To shewen you the good Vrban the old For secret needs and for good entent And when that ye saint Vrban han behold Tell him the words that I to you told And when that he hath purged you from sin Then shall ye see that angell ere ye twinne Valerian is to that place igon And right as him was taught by his lerning He found this holy Vrban anon Among these saints burials louting And he anon without tareing Did his message and when he had it tolde Vrban for joy gan his honds vp hold The teres from his eyen let he fall Almightie God O Iesu Christ qd he Sower of chaste counsell hierde of vs all The fruit of thilke seed of chastite That thou hast sow in Cecile take to thee Lo like a besy bee withouten gile Thee serueth aye thine owne thrall Cecile For thilke spouse that she tooke but newe Full like a fierce Lion she sendeth here As meeke as any lambe was to ewe And with that word anon ther gan apere An old man iclad in white clothes clere That had a book with letters of gold in hond And
great avarice and knoweth well that needs he must die for death is the end of every man as in this present life And for what cause or encheson joineth he him or knitteth he him so fast unto his goods that al his wits mow not discever him ne depart him fro his goods and knoweth well or ought to know that when he is dead he shall nothing bear with him out of this world And therefore saith saint Augustine * That the avaricious manne is likened unto hell that the more it swalloweth the more desire it hath to swallow and devour And as well as yee would eschew to be called an avaricious man or chinche as well should yee keepe and governe you in such a wise that menne call you not foole large Therefore saith Tullius * The goods of thine house ne should not be hid ne kept so close but that they might be opened by pity and debonairte that is to say to yeue hem part that have great need Ne thy goods should not be so open to be every mannes goods Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem ye shall alway have three things in your heart that is to say * Our Lord God conscience good name First ye shall have God in your heart and for no richesse yee should doe any thing which may in any manner displease GOD your creatour and maker For after the word of Salomon * It is better to have a little good with the love of GOD than to have much good and treasure and lese the love of his Lord GOD. And the Prophet saith * That better it is to be a good manne and have little good and treasure than to be holden a shrewe and have great richesse And yet I say furthermore that yee should alway doe your businesse to get you richesse so that yee get hem with good conscience And the Apostle sayeth * That there nis thing in this world of which wee should have so great joy as when our conscience beareth us good witnesse And the Wise man saith * That the substaunce of a man is full good when sinne is not in mannes conscience Afterward in getting of your richesses and in using hem yee must have great bnsinesse and great dilligence that your good name bee alway kept and conserved For Salomon saith * That better it is and more it availeth a man to have a good name than for to have many richesses And therefore he sayeth in another place * Do great diligence saith Salomon in keeping of thy friends of thy good name for it shall lenger abide with thee than any treasure be it never so precious And certes he should not be called a great Gentleman that after God good conscience all things left ne dooth his dilligence and businesse to keepe his good name And Cassiodor sayth * That it is a signe of a gentle heart when a manne loveth and desireth to have a good name And therefore sayeth saint Augustine * That there ben two things that been right necessarie and also needfull and that is good conscience and good lose that is to say good conscience to thine owne person inward and good lose for thy neighbour outward And hee that trusteth him so much in his good conscience that hee despiseth and setteth at nought his good name or lose recketh not though he keepe not his good name nis but a cruell churle Sir now haue I shewed you how ye shuld doe in getting richesses and how yee should vse hem and I see well that for the trust that ye haue in your richesses ye woll moue warre and battaile I counsaile you that ye begin no warre in trust of your richesses for they ne suffice not warres to maintaine And therefore sayeth a Philosopher * That a man that desireth and would algates haue warre shall neuer haue suffisaunce for the richer that he is the greater dispences must he make if he woll haue worship and victorie And Salomon saith * That the greater riches that a man hath the more dispendours he hath And therfore sir albeit so that for your richesses ye may haue much folke yet behooueth it not ne it is not good to begin warre whereas ye may in other manner haue peace vnto your worship and profit * For the victorie of battailes that been in this world lieth not in great number or multitude of people ne in the vertue of man but it lieth in the will and in the hond of our Lord God almightie And therfore Iudas Machabeus which was Gods knight when hee should fight against his aduersarie that had a greater number a greater multitude of folk and stronget than was his people of Machabe yet he recomforted his little companie and saied right in this wise Also lightly saied he may our Lord God Almightie yeue victorie to a fewe folke as to many folke For the victorie of a battaile commeth not by the great number of people but it commeth from our Lorde GOD of heeuen And deare sir for as much as there is no manne certaine if it be worthie that God yeue him victorie or not after that Salomon sayeth * Therefore euery man should greatly dreade warres to begin and because that in battels fall many perils and happeth other while that as soone is the great man slaine as the little man And as it is written in the second booke of Kings The deeds of battailes ben adventurous and nothing certaine for as lightly is one hurt with a speare as another and for there is great perill in warre therefore should a man flie and eschew warre in as much as a man may goodly For Salomon sayeth * Hee that loueth perill shall fall in perill After that dame Prudence had spoken in this manner Melibe answerd and said I see well dame Prudence that by your fair words and your reasons that ye haue shewed mee that the warre liketh you nothing but I haue not yet heard your counsaile how I shall doe in this need Certes said shee I counsaile you that ye accorde with your aduersaries and that yee haue peace with hem For saint Iames sayth in his Epistle * That by concorde peace small riches wexe great and by debate and discorde riches decay And yee know well that one of the greatest moste soueraigne thing that is in this world is vnity peace And therefore sayeth our Lord Iesu Christ to his Apostles in this wise * Well happy beene they that loue purchase peace for they be called the children of God Ah saied Melibe now see I well that ye loue not mine honour ne my worship ye know well that mine aduersaries haue begun this debate and brige by their outrage And yee see well that they ne require ne pray me of peace ne they aske not to be reconciled Woll ye then that I goe meeke me obey me to hem and crie hem mercie Forsoth that were not my worship * For right as men say
that it is full of might About such men set vp great light Other soche stockes shull stande thereby As darke as it were midnight For it maâ—e make no mastrie That it leud people see mow Thou Mary thou worchest wonder things About that that men offren to now Hongen broches ouches and rings The priest purchaseth the offerings But he nill offer to none Image Woe is the soule that he for sings That preacheth for soche a pilgrimage To men and women that been poore That been Christes owne likenesse Men shullen offer at her doore That suffer hunger and distresse And to soche Images offer lesse That mow not feele thurst ne cold The poore in spirite gan Christ blesse Therefore offreth to feble and old Bucklers brode and sweardes long Baudrike with baselardes kene Soche toles about her necke they hong With Antichrist soche priestes been Vpon her deedes it is well seen Whome they serven whom they honouren Antichristes they been clene And Goddes goodes falsely devouren Of scarlet and grene gaie gounes That mote be shape of the newe To clippen kissen they counten in tounes The damoseles that to the daunce sewe Cutted clothes to shewe her hewe With long pikes on her shone Our Goddes Gospell is not true Either they serven the devill or none Now been priestes pokes so wide That men must enlarge the vestiment The holy Gospell they doen hide For they contrarien in raiment Soche priestes of Lucifer been sent Like conquerours they been araied The proude pendaunts at her ars is ipent Falsely the truth they han betraied Shrift silver soche wollen aske And woll men crepe to the crouche None of the Sacraments save aske Without mede shall no man touch On her Bishop their warant vouch That is lawe of the decre With mede and money thus they mouch And this they sain is charite In the middes of her Masse They nill have no man but for hire And full shortly let forth passe Such shull men find in each shire That Personages for profite desire To live in liking and in lusts I dare not saine Sans ose ie dire That such been Antichrists priests For they yef the bishops why Or they mote been in his service And holden forth her harlottry Such prelates been of feeble emprise Of Gods graine such men agrise For such matters that taken mede How they excuse hem and in what wise Me thinketh they ought greatly drede They sâ—ine that it to no man longeth To reprove them though they erre But falsely Goddes goodes they fongeth And therewith meintein wo and warre Her deedes should be as bright as sterre Her living leud mannes â—ight They say the Pope may not erre Nede must that passe mannes might Though a priest lye with his lemman all night And tellen his felowe and he him He goth to Masse anon right And saieth he singeth out of sinne His birde abideth him at his Inne And dighteth his diner the meane while He singeth his Masse for he would winne And so he weneth God begile Hem thinketh long till they be met And that they usen forth all the yere Emong the folke whan he is set He holdeth no man halfe his pere Of the Bishop he hath powere To soile men or els they been lore His absolution may them skere And wo is the soule that he singeth for The Griffon began for to threte And saied of Monkes canst thou ought The Pellican said they been full grete And in this world much wo hath wrought Saint Benet that her order brought Ne made hem neuer on such mannere I trowe it came never in his thought That they should use so great powere That a man should a Monke lord call Ne serve on knees as a king He is as proud as prince in pall In meat and drinke and all thing Some wearen mitre and ring With double Worsted well ydight With royall meat and rich drinke And rideth on a courser as a knight With hauke and with hounds eke With brooches or ouches on his hood Some say no Masse in all a weeke Of deinties is her most food They have lordships and bondmen This is a royall religion Saint Benet made never none of hem To have lordship of man ne toun Now they ben queint and curious With fine cloth clad and served cleane Proud angrie and envious Mallice is much that they meane In catching craftie and covetous Lordly they liven in great liking This living is not religious According to Benet in his living They ben clerkes her courts they oversee Her poore tenaunce fully they slite The higher that a man amerced be The gladlier they woll it write This is farre from Christes poverty For all with covetise they endite On the poore they have no pity Ne never hem cherish but ever hem bite And commonly such been comen Of poore people and of hem begete That this perfection han inomen Her fathers riden not but on her fete And travailen sore for that they eate In povert liveth yong and old Her fathers suffreth drought and weate Many hungrie meales thurst and cold And all this these Monkes han forsake For Christes love and saint Benete To pride and ease have hem take This religion is evill beseate Had they been out of religion They must have hanged at the plowe Threshing and diking fro toune to toune With sorrie meat and not half ynowe Therefore they han this all forsake And taken to riches pride and ease Full few for God woll Monkes hem make Little is such order for to praise Saint Benet ordained it not so But bad hem be churchliche In churchliche manner live and go Boistous in earth and not lordliche They disclaunder saint Benet Therefore they have his holy curse Saint Benet with hem never met But if they thought to robbe his purse I can no more hereof tell But they ben like tho before And cleane serve the devill of hell And ben his treasure and his store And all such other counterfaitours Chanons Canons and such disguised Been Gods enemies and traitours His true religion han foule despised Of Freres I have told before In a making of a Crede And yet I could tell worse and more But men would werien it to rede As Gods goodnesse no man tell might Write ne speake ne thinke in thought So her falshed and her unright May no man tell that ever God wrought The Griffon saied thou canst no good Thou came never of no gentle kind Other I trowe thou waxest wood Or els thou hast lost thy mind Should holy church have no hedde Who should be her governaile Who should her rule who should her redde Who should her forthren who should availe * Ech man shall live by his travaile Who best doeth shall have most mede * With strength if men the church assaile With strength men must defend her nede And the Pope were purely poore Needie and nothing ne had He should be driven from doore to doore The wicked of him nolde not be drad
AYenst this horrible sinne of Accidie and the braunches of the same there is a vertue that is called Fortitudo or strength through which a man despiseth annoyous things this vertue is so mightie and so rigorous that it dare withstond mightily and wisely keep himselfe fro perils that been wicked and wrastle ayenst the assaults of the deuill for it enchaunceth and enforceth the soule right as Accidie abateth maketh it feeble for this fortitude may endure by long sufferaunce the trauails that ben couenable This vertue hath many speces the first is called Magnanimitie that is to say great courage For certes there behoueth great courage ayenst Accidie least that it ne swallow the soule by the sin of sorrow or destroy it by wanhope Certes this vertue maketh folke undertake hard and greeuous thinges by her own will wisely and reasonably And for as much as the deuill fighteth ayenst a manne more by subtilty and sleight than by strength therefore shall a man withstand him by wit reason and discretion Then are there the vertues of fayth and hope in God and in his saints to follow and accomplish the good workes in the which he purposeth fermely to continue Then commeth suretie or sikernesse and that is when a manne ne doubteth no trauail in time comming of the good workes that he hath begun Then commeth Magnificence that is to say when a man doeth and performeth great works of goodnesse that he hath begun and that is the end why that menne should doe good workes For in the accomplishing of good workes lyeth the great guerdon Then is there Constaunce that is stablenes of courage and this should be in heart by stedfast faith and in mouth in bearing in chere and in deed And there been mo speciall remedies ayenst Accidie in diuers works as in consideration of the paines of hell the ioyes of heauen and in trust of the grace of the holy ghost that will yeue him might to performe his good entent ¶ De Avaricia AFter Accidie woll I speak of Auarice and of Couetise Of which sin Saint Poule sayth * The root of all harmes is Couetise Ad Timoth .vi. For soothly when the heart of man is confounded in it self and troubled and that the soul hath lost the comfort of God then seketh he an sole sollace of worldly things Auarice after the description of S. Augustine is a licorousnesse in heart to haue earthly things Some other folke say that Auarice is for to purchase many yearthly things and nothing to yeue to hem that haue need And understand that auarice standeth not only in land ne cattel but sometime in science and glory and in euery manner of outragious things is Auarice And Couetise is this Couetise is for to couet such things that thou hast not And Auarice is to withhold and keep such things as thou hast without right Soothly this auarice is a sin that is full dampnable for all holy writ curseth it and speaketh ayenst that vice for it doth wrong to Iesu Christ for it taketh fro him the loue that men to him owe and tourneth it backward ayenst all reason maketh that the auaricious man hath more hope in his cattel than in Iesu Christ and doth more obseruaunce in keeping of his treasour than he doth in the seruice of Iesu Christ And therefore sayeth Saint Poule Ad Ephesios quinto * That an auaricious man is the thraldom of Idolatrie What difference is there betwixt an Idolater and an auaricious man But that an Idolaster peraduenture ne hath not but a Maumet or two and the auaricious man hath many For certes euery Florein in his cofer is his Maumet And certes the sin of Maumetrie is the first that God defended as in the x. commaundment it beareth witnesse in Exodi Capi. xx Thou shalt haue no false goddes before me ne thou shalt make to thee no grauen thing Thus is an auaricious man that loueth his treasure before God an Idolaster And through this cursed sin of auarice and couetise commeth these hard Lordships through which they ben strained by tallages customs and cariages more than her dutie or reason is or else take they of her bondmen amerciaments which might more reasonably be called extortions than merciamentes Of which amerciaments or raunsoming of bondmen some Lords stewards say that it is rightful for as much as a churl hath no temporel thing that it ne is his Lords as they say But certes these Lordships do wrong that bereaue their bondmen things that they neuer yaue hem Augustinus de Ciuitate dei Libro .ix. Sooth is * That the condition of thraldom and the first cause of thraldom was for sin Thus may ye see that the offence deserued thraldome but not nature Wherefore these Lords ne should not much glorifie hem in her Lordships sith that they by natural condition been not Lords ouer thrals but for that thraldome came first by the desert of sin And more ouer there as the Law sayth That temporal goods of bondfolk been the goods of her Lord yea that is for to understond the goods of the Emperour to defend hem in her right but not to rob hem ne reue hem Therefore sayeth Seneca * Thy prudence should liue benignely with the thrals Those that thou callest thy thrals been Gods people and for humble people been Christs friends they been contubernial with the Lords * Think also that of such seed as churls spring of such seed spring Lords As well may y◠churl be saued as the Lord. The same death that taketh the churl such death taketh the Lord. Wherefore I rede do right so with the churle as thou wouldst that thy Lord did with thee if thou were in his plight * Euery sinful man is a churl to sin I rede the Lord certes that thou werk in such wise with thy churls that they rather loue thee than dread thee I wote well that there is degree aboue degree as reason is and skill is that men do her deuoir there as it is due But certes extortions and despight of your underlings is damnable And furthermore understand well that these Conquerors or Tyrants make full oft thrals of hem that been born of as royal blood as been they that hem conquere This name of Thraldome was neuer erst know till that Noe saied that his son Cham should be thral to his brethren for his sin What say we then of hem that pill and doe extortions to holy Church Certes the swerd that men yeue first to a knight when he is new dubbed signifieth that he should defend holy Church and not robbe and pill it and who so doeth is traitour to Christ And as saith S. Augustine * They been the deuils Wolues that strangle the sheepe of Iesu Christ and done worse than Wolues for soothly when the Wolfe hath full his womb he stinteth to strangle sheep But soothly the pillours and destroyers of holy Church goods ne doe not so for they ne stint neuer to pill Now
that she ne went A foot but it were by potent The time that passed night and daye And restlesse trauayleth aye And stealeth from vs so priuyly That to vs seemeth sikerly That it in one point dwelleth euer And certes it ne resteth neuer But goeth so fast and passeth aye That there nis man that thinke maye What time that now present is Asketh at these Cleres this For men thinke it readily Three times been passed by The time that may not soiourne But goth and may neuer retourne As water that doun runneth aye But neuer droppe returne may There may nothing as time endure Metall nor yearthly creature For all thing is frette and shall The time eke that chaungeth all And all doth waxe and fostred be And all thing destroyeth he The time that eldeth our Auncestours And eldeth Kinges and Emperours And that vs all shall ouercommen Er that death vs shall haue nommen The time that hath all in welde To elden folke had made her elde So inly that to my weting She might helpe her selfe nothing But tourned ayen vnto childhede She had nothing her selfe to lede Ne wit ne pith in her hold More than a childe of two yere old But nathelesse I trow that she Was faire sometime and fresh to se When she was in her rightfull age But she was past all that passage And was a doted thing becommen A furred cappe on had she nommen Well had she clad her selfe and warme For cold might els doen her harme These old folke haue alway cold * Her kind is such when they been old Another thing was doen their write That seemed like an Ipocrite And it was cleped Pope Holy That ilke is she that priuily Ne spared never a wrâ—ked deed When men of her taken none heed And maketh her outward precious With pale visage and piteous And seemeth a simple creature But there nis no misaduenture That she ne thinketh in courage Full like to her was thilke Image That maked was like her semblaunce She was full simple of countenaunce And she was clothed and eke shod As she were of the loue of God Yolden to Religion Soch seemed her deuotion A Psalter held she fast in hond And busily she gan to fond To make many a faint prayere To God and to his Saints dere Ne she was gay fresh ne iolife But seemed to be full ententife To good works and to faire And thereto she had on an haire Ne certes she was fatte nothing But seemed wearie for fasting Of colour pale and dead was she From her the gates aie warned be Of Paradise that blisfull place For such folke maken leane her grace As Christ sayth in his Euangile To get hem prise in toune a while And for a little glorie vaine They lesen God and eke his raigne And alderlast of euerichone Was painted Pouert all alone That not a peny had in hold Although she her clothes sold And though she should an honged be For naked as a worme was she And if the weather stormie were For cold she should haue died there She ne had on but a straite old sacke And many a cloute on it there stacke This was her cote and her mantele No more was there neuer a dele To cloath her with I vndertake Great leaser 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 thing where so it be Is shamefast and dispised aie Accursed may well be that daie That poore man conceiued is For God wote all to seld iwis Is any poore man well ifed Or well arrayed or icled Or well beloued in such wise In honour that he may arise All these things well auised As I haue you er this deuised With gold and azure ouer all Depainted were vpon the wall Square was the wall and high somdeâ—e Enclosed and ibarred wele In stead of hedge was that gardin Come neuer shepheard therein Into that gardin well wrought Who so that me coud haue brought By ladders or else by degree It would well haue liked mee For such solace such joy and pleie I trow that neuer man ne seie As was in that place delicious The gardin was not daungerous To herborow birdes many one So rich a yere was neuer none Of birdes song and braunches grene Therein were birdes mo I wene Than been in all the Realme of Fraunce Full blisfull was the accordaunce Of sweet pitous song they made For all this world it ought glade And I my selfe so merry feard When I her blisfull songes heard That for an hundred pound would I If that the passage openly Had be vnto me free That I nolde entren for to see Thassemble God keepe it fro care Of birdes which therein ware That songen through her merry throtes Daunces of loue and merry notes When I thus heard foules sing I fell fast in a waymenting By which art or by what engin I might come into that gardin But way I couth finde none Into that gardin for to gone Ne nought wist I if that there were Either hole or place where By which I might haue entre Ne there was none to teach me For I was all alone iwis For woe and anguish of this Till at last bethought I mee That by no way ne might it bee That there nas ladder ne way to pace Or hole into so faire a place Tho gan I go a full great paas Enuiron euen in compas The closing of the square wall Till that I found a wicket small To shette that I ne might in gone And other entre was there none Vpon this doore I gan to smite That was fetis and so lite For other waye coud I not seke Full longe I shote and knocked eke And stode full long all herkening If that I heard any wight comming Till that the doore of thilke entre A maiden curteis opened me Her haire was as yellowe of hewe As any bason scoured newe Her flesh tender as is a chicke With bent browes smooth and slicke And by measure large were The opening of her eyen clere Her nose of good proportion Her eyen graie as is a faucon With sweete breath and well fauoured Her face white and well coloured With little mouth and round to see A cloue chinne eke had she Her necke was of good fashion In length and greatnesse by reason Without bleine scabbe or roine Fro Ierusalem vnto Burgoine There nis a fairer necke iwis To fele how smooth and soft it is Her throte also white of hewe As Snowe on braunce snowed newe Of bodie full well wrought was she Men neden not in no countre A fairer bodie for to seke And of fine Orfrais had she eke A chapelet so semely on Ne neuer wered maide vpon And faire aboue that chapelet A rose garlond had she set She had a gay mirrour And with a rich gold treasour Her head was tressed queintly Her sleeues sewed fetously And for to keepe her hondes
oft Vpon a finger faire and soft That they failed never mo Full fetis damosels two Right yong and full of semelyhede In kirtles and none other wede And faire tressed every tresse Had Mirth doen for his noblesse Amid the carole for to daunce But hereof lieth no remembraunce How that they daunced queintly That one would come all prively Ayen that other and when they were Togither almost they threw ifere Her mouthes so that through her play It seemed as they kist alway To dauncen well couth they the guise What should I more to you devise Ne bode I never thence go Whiles that I saw hem daunce so Vpon the caroll wonder fast I gan behold till at last A Ladie gan me for to espie And she was cleped Courtesie The worshipfull the debonaire I pray to God ever fall her faire Full courtessy she called me What doe ye there Beau sire qd she Come and if it like you To daunce daunceth with us now And I without tarrying Went into the carolling I was abashed never adele But it to me liked right wele That Courtesie me cleped so And bade me on the daunce go For if I had durst certaine I would have carolled right faine As man that was to daunce right blithe Then gan I looken oft sithe The shape the bodies and the cheres The countenaunce and the maneres Of all the folke that daunced there And I shall tell what they were Full faire was Mirth full long and high A fairer man I never sigh As round as apple was his face Full roddie and white in every place Fetis he was and well besey With meetly mouth and eyen gray His nose by measure wrought full right Crispe was his haire and eke full bright His shoulders of large brede And smallish in the girdle stede He seemed like a purtreiture So noble he was of his stature So faire so jolly and so fetise With lims wrought at point devise Deliver smert and of great might Ne saw thou never man so light Of berd unneth had he nothing For it was in the first spring Full yong he was and merry of thought And in samette with birds wrought And with gold beaten full fetousâ—y His bodie was clad full richely Wrought was his robe in straunge egise And all to slittered for queintise In many a place low and hie And shode he was with great maistrie With shoone decoped and with lace By drurie and by solace His leefe a rosen chapelet Had made and on his head it set And wete ye who was his lefe Dame Gladnesse there was him so lefe That singeth so well with glad courage That from she was twelve yeare of age She of her love graunt him made Sir Mirth her by the finger hade Dauncing and she him also Great love was atwixt hem two Both were they faire and bright of hew She seemed like a rose new Of colours and her flesh so tender That with a brere small and tender Men might it cleve I dare well say Her forhead frounceles all play Bent were her browes two Her eyen gray and glad also That laughden aye in her semblaunt First or the mouth by covenaunt I wot not what of her nose I shall discrive So faire hath no woman alive Her haire was yellow and clere shining I wote no lady so liking Of Orfraies fresh was her garland I which seene have a thousand Saw never ywis no garland yet So well wrought of silke as it And in an over gilt samite Clad she was by great delite Of which her leefe a robe werde The merrier she in her heart ferde And next her went on her other side The God of Love that can divide Love and as him liketh it be But he can cherles daunten he And many folkes pride fallen And he can well these Lords thrallen And Ladies put at low degree When he may hem too proud see This God of Love of his fashion Was like no knave ne quistron His beautie greatly was to prise But of his robe to devise I dreade encombred for to be For not yelad in silke was he But all in floures and flourettes I painted all with amorettes And with losenges and scochons With Birds Liberdes and Lions And other beasts wrought full wele His garment was every dele I purtraied and ywrought with flours By divers medling of colours Floures ther were of many gise Iset by compasse in a sise There lacked no floure to my dome Ne not so much as floure of Brome Ne violet ne eke peruinke Ne floure none that men can on thinke And many a rose lefe full long Was entermedled there emong And also on his head was set Of roses redde a chapelet But Nightingales a full great rout That flien over his head about The leaves felden as they flien And he was all with birds wrien With Popinjay with Nightingale With Chalaundre and with wodewale With finch with larke with archangell He seemed as he were an angell That down were comen fro heaven clere Love had with him a bachelere That he made alwayes with him be Sweet looking cleped was he This batcheler stood beholding The daunce and in his hond holding Turke bows two full well devised had hee That one of hem was of a tree That beareth a fruit of savour wicke Full crooked was that foule sticke And knottie here and there also And blacke as berrie or any slo That other bow was of a plant Without wemme I dare warrant Full even and by proportion Trectes and long of full good fashion And it was painted well and thwitten And over all diapred and written With ladies and with bacheleres Full lightsome and glad of cheres These bowes two held Sweet looking That seemed like no gadling And ten brode arrowes held he there Of which sive in his hond were But they were shaven well and dight Nocked and feathered aright And all they were with gold begon And strong pointed everichon And sharpe for to kerven wele But yron was there none ne stele For all was gold men might see Out take the feathers and the tree THe swiftest of these arrowes five Out of a bow for to drive And best feathered for to flie And fairest eke was cleped Beautie That other arrow that hurteth lesse Was cleped as I trow Simplesse The third cleped was Fraunchise That feathered was in noble wise With valour and with courtesie The fourth was cleped Companie That heavie for to shooten is But who so shooteth right ywis May therewith doen great harme and wo The fift of these and last also Faire Semblaunt men that arrow call The least greevous of hem all Yet can it make a full great wound But he may hope his sores sound That hurt is with that arrowe ywis His wo the bette bestowed is For he may sooner have gladnesse His langour ought be the lesse FIve arrowes were of other gise That been full foule to devise For shaft and end sooth for to tell Were also blacke as
in euery place * A full great foole he is ywis That both rich and poore and niggard is A Lord may haue no manner vice * That greeueth more than Auarice For niggard neuer with strength of hand May win him great lordship or land For friends all too few hath he To doen his will performed be * And who so woll have friends here He may not hold his treasure dere For by ensample tell I this Right as an Adamant ywis Can drawen to him subtelly The yron that is laied thereby So draweth folkes hearts ywis Siluer and gold that yeuen is Largesse had on a robe fresh Of rich purpure Sarlinish Well formed was her face and clere And opened had she her colere For she right there had in present Vnto a Lady made present Of a gold brooch full well wrought And certes it missate her nought For through her smocke wrought with silke The flesh was seene as white as milke Largesse that worthy was and wise Held by the hond a knight of prise Was sibbe to Arthour of Breteigne And that was he that bare the enseigne Of worship and the Gousfaucoun And yet he is of such renoun That men of him say faire things Before Barons Earles and Rings This knight was commen all newly Fro tourneying fast by There had he done great chiualrie Through his vertue and his maisirie And for the loue of his lemman He cast doune many a doughty man And next him daunced dame Fraunchise Arrayed in full noble gise She has not broune ne dunne of hew But white as snow ifallen new Her nose was wrought at point deuise For it was gentle and tretise With eyen glad and browes bent Her haire downe to her heels went And she was simple as doue on tree Full debonaire of hert was shee She durst neither say ne do But that that her longeth to And if a man were in distresse And for her loue in heauinesse Her heart would have full great pitee She was so amiable and free For were a man for her bestad She would ben right sore adrad That she did ouergreat outrage But she him holpe his harme taswage Her thought it all a villany And she had on a suckeny That not of hempe herdes was So faire was none in all Arras Lord it was riddled fetisly There nas not a point truly That it nas in his right assise Full well yclothed was Fraunchise For there nis no cloth sitteth bette On damosell than doth rokette A woman well more fetise is In rokette than in cote ywis The white rokette riddeled faire Betokeneth that full debonaire And sweet was she that it bere By her daunced a Bachelere I cannot tellen you what he hight But faire he was and of good height All had he ben I say no more The lords sonne of Windsore And next that daunced Courtesie That preised was of low and hie For neither proud ne foole was she She for to daunce called me I pray God giue her good grace For when I came first into the place She nas not nice ne outrageous But wise and ware and vertuous Of faire speech and faire answer Was neuer wight missaid of her She bare no rancour to no wight Clere broune she was and thereto bright Of face and body auenaunt I wote no lady so pleasaunt She were worthy for to bene An Empresse or crowned Quene And by her went a knight dauncing That worthy was and well speaking And full well coud he done honour The knight was faire and stiffe in stour And in armure a seemely man And well beloued of his lemman Faire Idlenesse then saw I That alway was me fast by Of her haue I without faile Cold you the shape and apparaile For as I said Lo that was she That did to me so great bounte She the gate of that gardin Vndid and let me passen in And after daunced as I gesse And she fulfilled of lustinesse That nas not yet xii yeare of age With heart wild and thought volage Nice she was but she ne ment None harme ne sleight in her entent But onely lust and iolite * For yong folke well weten ye Haue little thought but on her play Her lemman was beside alway In such a gise that he her kist At all times that him list That all the daunce might it see They make no force of priuetee For who so spake of hem euill or wele They were ashamed neuer adele But men might seene hem kisse there As it two yong doues were For yong was thilke Bachelere Of beauty wot I non his pere And he was right of such an age As Youth his lefe and such courage The lusty folke that daunced there And also other that with him were That weren all of her meinee Full hend folke wise and free And folke of faire port truly There were all comenly When I had seene the countenaunces Of hem that ladden thus these daunces Then had I will to goe and see The garden that so liked mee And looken on these faire Laureres On Pine trees Cedrres and Olmeres The daunces then ended were For many of hem that daunced there Were with her loues went away Vnder the trees to haue her play A Lord they liued lustely A great foole were he sikerly That nold his thankes such life lede For this dare I saine out of drede That who so might so well fare For better life durst him not care For there nis so good paradise As to haue a loue at his deuise Out of that place went I tho And in that garden gan I go Playing along full merely The God of Loue full hastely Vnto him Sweet Looking clept No lenger would he that she kept His how of gold that shone so bright He had him bent anon right And he full soone set an end And at a braide he gan it bend And tooke him of his arrowes fiue Full sharpe and ready for to driue Now God that sitteth in maieste Fro deadly wounds he keepe me If so be that he had me shete For if I with his arrow mete It had me greeued sore ywis But I that nothing wist of this Went vp and downe full many a way And he me followed fast alway But no where would I rest me Till I had in all the garden be THe Garden was by measuring Right euen and square in compassing It as long was as it was large Of fruit had euery tree his charge But it were any hidous tree Of which there were two or three There were and that wote I full wele Of Pomgranettes a full great dele That is a fruit full well to like Namely to folke when they ben sike And trees there were great foison That baren nuts in her season Such as men nutmegs call That swote of savour been withall And Almandres great plentee Figges and many a Date tree There weren if men had nede Through the Gardin in length and brede There was eke wexing many a spice As Clowe Gilofre and
end Withouten health I mote aye dure But if ye take me to your cure Comfort or health how should I have Sithe ye me hurt but ye me save The health of Love mote be found Whereas they tooken first her wound And if ye list of me to make Your prisoner I woll it take Of heart and will fully at gree Holy and plaine I yeeld mee Without feining or feintise To be governed by your emprise Of you I heare so much prise I woll been whole at your devise For to fulfill your liking And repent for nothing Hoping to have yet in some tide Mercy of that I abide And with that covenaunt yeeld I mee Anon downe kneeling upon my knee Profering for to kisse his fete But for nothing he would me lete And said I love thee both and preise Sens that thine answere doth me ese For thou answered so curtesly For now I wote well utterly That thou art gentle by thy speech For thou a man ferre would seech He should not finden in certaine No such answere of no villaine For such a word ne might nought Issue out of a villaines thought Thou shalt not lesen of thy speche For thy helping woll I eche And eke encreasen that I may But first I woll that thou obay Fully for thine avauntage Anone to doe me here homage And sithe kisse thou shalt my mouth Which to no villaine was never couth For to approch it ne for to touch For saufe of cherles I ne vouch That they shall never neigh it nere For curteis and of faire manere Well taught and full of gentlenesse He must be that shall me kisse And also of full high Fraunchise That shall attaine to that emprise And first of o thing warne I thee That paine and great adversitee He mote endure and eke travaile That shall me serve without faile But there against thee to comfort And with thy service to disport Thou maiest full glad and joyfull bee So good a maister to have as mee And Lord of so high renoune I beare of love the Gonfenoune Of Curtesie the banere For I am of the selfe manere Gentle courteous meeke and free That who ever ententive bee Me to honour dout and serve And also that he him observe Fro trespasse and fro villanie And him governe in courtesie With will and entention For when he first in my prison Is caught then must he utterly Fro thenceforth full busily Cast him gentle for to be If he desire helpe of me Anon without more delay Withouten daunger or affray I become his man anone And gave him thankes many a one And kneled doune with honds joint And made it in my port full queint The joy went to my heart rote When I had kissed his mouth so swote I had such mixth and such liking It cured me of languishing He asked of me then hostages I have he sayd taken fele homages Of one and other where I have bene Distreined oft withouten wene These felons full of falsite Have many sithes beguiled me And through her falshed her lust atchieved Whereof I repent and am agreeved And I hem get in my daungere Her falshed shall they bie full dere But for I love thee I say thee plaine I woll of thee be more certaine For thee sore I woll now binde That thou away ne shalt not winde For to denien thy covenaunt Or done that is not avenaunt That thou were false it were great ruth Sith thou seemest so full of truth Sir if thee list to understand I marvaile thee asking this demaund For why or wherefore should ye Hostages or borowes aske of me Or any other sikernesse Sith ye wote in sothfastnesse That ye me have surprised so And hole mine heart taken me fro That it woll doe for me nothing But if it be at your bidding Mine heart is yours mine right nought As it behoveth in deede and thought Ready in all to worke your will Whether so tourne to good or ill So sore it lusteth you to please No man thereof may you disease Ye have thereon set such justice That it is werried in many wise And if ye doubt it nolde obaie Ye may thereof doe make a kaie And hold it with you for hostage Now certes this is none outrage Quoth Love and fully accord For of the bodie he is full Lord That hath the heart in his treasore Outrage it were to asken more THen of his aumener he drough A little keie fetise inough Which was of gold polished clere And sayed to me with this keye here Thine heart to me now woll I shet For all my joyfull looke and knet I binde under this little kay That no wight may carie away This keye is full of great poste With which anone he touched me Vnder the side full softely That he mine heart sodainely Without any had speered That yet right nought it hath me deered When he had doen his will all out And I had put him out of doubt Sir I sayd I have right great will Your lust and pleasure to fulfill Looke ye my service take at gree By thilke fayth ye owe to me I say nought for recreaundise For I nought doubt of your service * But the servaunt travaileth in vaine That for to serven doeth his paine Vnto that Lord which in no wise Conne him no thanke for his service LOve sayd dismay thee nought Sith thou for succour hast me sought In thanke thy service woll I take And high of degree I woll thee make If wickednesse ne hinder thee But as I hope it shall nouht bee * To worship no wight by aventure May come but he paine endure Abide and suffer thy distresse That hurteth now it shall be lesse I wote my selfe what may thee save What medicine thou wouldest have And if thy truth to me thou keepe I shall unto thine helping eke To cure thy woundes and make hem clene Where so they be old or grene Thou shalt be holpen at wordes few For certainly thou shalt well shew Where that thou servest with good will For to accomplishen and fulfill My commaundements day and night Which I to lovers yeve of right AH sir for Gods love sayd I Er ye passe hence enterntifely Your commaundements to me ye say And I shall keepe hem if I may For hem to keepen is all my thought And if so be I wote hem nought Then may I unwittingly Wherefore I pray you entierly With all mine heart me to lere That I trespace in no manere The God of Love then charged me Anon as ye shall here and see Word by word by right emprise So as the Romaunt shall devise The maister leseth his time to lere When the Disciple woll not here * It is but vaine on him to swinke That on his learning woll not thinke Who so lust love let him entend For now the Romance beginneth to amend Now is good to heare in fay If any be that can it say And point it as the reason is
that lasteth aie This bargaine end may never take But if that she thy peace will make And when the night is commen anon A thousand angres shall come upon To bed as fast thou wolt thee dight There thou shalt have but small delight For when thou wenest for to sleepe So full of paine shalt thou creepe Stert in thy bed about full wide And turne full oft on everie side Now downeward groffe and now upright And wallow in woe the long night Thine armes shalt thou sprede a brede As man in warre were forwerede Then shall thee come a remembraunce Of her shape and her semblaunce Where to none other may be pere And wete thou well without were That thee shall see sometime that night That thou hast her that is so bright Naked betweene thine armes there All sooth fastnesse as though it were * Thou shalt make Castles then in Spaine And dreame of joy all but in vaine And thee delighten of right nought While thou so siumbrest in that thought That is so sweete and delitable The which in sooth nis but a fable For it ne shall no while last Then shalt thou sigh and weepe fast And say deere God what thing is this My dreame is turned all amis Which was full sweet and apparent But now I wake it is all shent Now yede this merry thought away Twentie times upon a day I would this thought would come againe For it alleggeth well my paine It maketh me full of joyfull thought It sleeth me that it lasteth nought Ah Lord why nill ye me succour The joy I trow that I langour The death I would me should sio While I lye in her armes two Mine harme is hard withouten wene My great unease full oft I mene BVt would Love do so I might Have fully joy of her so bright My paine were quit me richly Alas too great a thing aske I It is but folly and wrong wening To aske so outragious a thing * And who so asketh follily He mote be warned hastely And I ne wote what I may say I am so ferre out of the way For I would have full great liking And full great joy of lasse thing For would she of her gentlenesse Withouten more me ones kesse It were to me a great guerdon Release of all my passion But it is hard to come thereto All is but folly that I do So high I have mine heart set Where I may no comfort get I wote not where I say well or nought But this I wote well in my thought That it were bette of her alone For to slint my woe and mone A looke on her I cast goodly That for to have all utterly Of another all hole the play Ah Lord where I shall bide the day That ever she shall my Ladie be He is full cured that may her see A God when shall the dauning spring To leggen thus as an angrie thing I have no joy thus here to ly When that my love is not me by * I man to lyen hath great disease Which may not sleepe ne rest in ease I would it dawed and were now day And that the night were went away For were it day I would up rise Ah slow sunne shew thine enprise Speede thee to spread thy beames bright And chase the darknesse of the night To put away the stoundes strong Which in me lasten all too long The night shalt thou continue so Without rest in paine and wo If ever thou knew of love distresse Thou shalt mowe learne in that sicknesse And thus enduring shalt thou lye And rise on morow up earlye Out of thy bed and harneis thee Er ever dawning thou maiest see All privily then shalt thou gone What whider it be thy selfe alone For raine or haile for snow for slete Theder she dwelleth that is so swete The which may fall a sleepe bee And thinketh but little upon thee Then shalt thou goe full foule aferde Looke if the gate be unsperde And waite without in woe and paine Full evill a cold in wind and raine Then shalt thou goe the dore before If thou mayest finde any shore Or hole or reft what ever it were Then shalt thou stoupe and lay to eare If they within a sleepe be I meane all save thy Ladie free Whom waking if thou mayest aspie Goe put thy selfe in jeopardie To aske grace and thee bimene That she may wete without wene That thou night no rest hast had So sore for her thou were bestad * Women well ought pitie to take Of hem that sorrowen for her sake And looke for love of that relike That thou thinke none other like For when thou hast so great anney Shall kisse thee er thou goe awey And hold that in full great deinte And for that no man shall thee see Before the house ne in the way Looke thou be gon againe er day Such comming and such going Such heavinesse and such walking Maketh lovers withouten wene Vnder her clothes pale and lene * For Love leaveth colour ne clearnesse Who loveth trew hath no fatnesse Thou shalt well by thy selfe see That thou must needs assaied bee For men that shape hem other way Falsely her ladies for to betray It is no wonder though they be fatte With false othes her loves they gatte For oft I see such loengeours Fatter than Abbots or Priours Yet with o thing I thee charge That is to say that thou be large Vnto the maid that her doth serve So best her thanke thou shalt deserve Yeue her giftes and get her grace For so thou may thanke purchace That she thee worthy hold and free Thy Ladie and all that may thee see Also her servaunts worship aie And please as much as thou maie Great good through hem may come to thee Because with her they been prive They shall her tell how they thee fand Curteous and wise and well do and And she shall preise well thee more Looke out of lond thou be not fore And if such cause thou have that thee Behoveth to gone out of countree Leave hole thine heart in hostage Till thou againe make thy passage Thinke long to see the sweet thing That hath thine heart in her keeping Now have I told thee in what wise A Lover shall doe me servise Do it then if thou wolt haue The mede that thou after craue WHen Loue all this had boden me I said him sir how may it be That Louers may in such manere Endure the paine ye haue sayd here I maruaile me wonder fast How any man may liue or last In such paine and such brenning In sorrow and thought and such sighing Aie vnreleased woe to make Whether so it be they sleepe or wake In such annoy continually As helpe me God this maruaile I How man but he were made of steele Might liue a moneth such pains to feele THe God of Loue then sayd me Friend bye the faith I owe to thee * May no man haue good but he it buy A man
laie and that know all ye But that is not the worst as mote I thee But told I you the worst point I leve All sayd I sooth ye woulden at me greve But take this that ye Lovers oft eschew Or else done of good entention Full oft thy Ladie woll it misse constrew And deeme it harme in her opinion And yet if she for other encheson Be wroth then shalt thou have a groin anon Lord well is him that may been of you one But for all this when that he seeth his time He held his peace none other bote him gained For Love began his feathers so to lime That well vnneth vnto his folke he fained That other busie needs him distrained So woe was him that what to done he nist But had his folke to gon where as hem list And when that he in chamber was alone He doune vpon his beds feet him set And first he gan to sike and eft to grone And thought aie on her so withouten let That as he sate and woke his spirit met That he her saw and temple and all the wise Right of her looke and gan it new avise Thus gan he make a mirrour of his mind In which he saw all wholy her figure And that he well coud in his heart find It was to him a right good aventure To love such one and if he did his cure To serven her yet might he fall in grace Or else for one of her servants pace Imagining that travaile nor grame Ne might for so goodly one be lorne As she ne him for his desire no shame All were it wist but in prise and vp borne Of all Lovers well more than beforne Thus argumented he in his ginning Full vnavised of his wo comming Thus took he purpose loves craft to sewe And thought he would worken privily First for to hide his desire in mewe From everie wight iborne all overly But he might ought recovered been thereby * Remembring him y◠love too wide iblowe Yelt bitter fruite though sweet seed be sowe And over all this full mokell more he thought What for to speake and what to holden inne And what to arten er to love he sought And on a song anone right to beginne And gan loude on his sorrow for to winne For with good hope he gan fully assent Creseide for to love and nought repent And of his song not onely his sentence As write mine Authour called Lolius But plainely save our tongues difference I dare well say in all that Troilus Sayed in his song lo every word right thus As I shall saine and who so list it heare Lo this next verse he may it finde there ¶ The song of Troilus If no love is O God what feele I so And if Love is what thing and which is he If love be good from whence cometh my wo If it be wicke a wonder thinketh me When every torment and adversite That cometh of him may to me savery think * Foraie thurst I the more that iche it drinke And if that at mine owne lust I brenne From whence cometh my wailing my plaint If harme agree me whereto plaine I thenne I not ne why unwery that I feint O quicke death o sweet harme so queint How may of thee in me be such quantite But if that I consent that it so be And if that I consent I wrongfully Comylaine iwis thus possed to and fro All sterelesse within a bote am I Amidde the sea atwixen windes two That in contrary stonden ever mo Alas what is this wonder maladie * For heat of cold for cold of heat I die And to the God of love thus sayd he With pitous voice O Lord now yours is My spirite which that oughten yours to be You thank I Lord that han me brought to this But whether goddesse or woman iwis She be I not which that ye do me serve But as her man I woll aie live and sterve Ye stonden in her eyen mightily As in a place to your vertue digne Wherefore Lord if my servise or I May liken you so beth to me benigne For mine estate royall here I resigne Into her honde and with full humble chere Become her man as to my Lady dere In him ne deigned to sparen blood royall The fire of love wherefro God me blesse Ne him forbare in no degree for all His vertue or his excellent prowesse But held him as his thrall lowe in distresse And brend him so in sundry wise aie newe That sixty times a day he lost his hewe So muchell day fro day his own thought For lust to her gan quicken and encrease That everiche other charge he set at nought For thy full oft his hot fire to cease To seen her goodly looke he gan to prease For thereby to ben eased well he wend And aie the nere he was the more he brend * For aie the nere the fire the hotter is This trow I knoweth all this companie But were he ferre or nere I dare say this By night or day for wisedome or follie His heart which that is his brestes eie Was aie on her that fairer was to seene Than ever was Helein or Polixene Eke of the day there passed not an hour Than to himselfe a thousand times he sayd God goodly to whome I serve and labour As I best can now would to God Creseide Ye woulden on me rue er that I deide My dere heart alas mine hele and my hew And life is lost but ye woll on me rew All other dredes weren from him fled Both of thassiege and his salvation Ne in desire none other founes bred But arguments to his conclusion That she on him would have compassion And he to ben her man while he may dure Lo here his life and from his death his cure The sharpe showers fell of armes preve That Hector or his other brethren didden Ne made him onely therefore ones meve And yet was he where so men went or ridden Found one the best and lengest time abiden There perill was and eke did such travaile In armes that to thinke it was a marvaile But for none hate he to the Greekes had Ne also for the rescous of the toun Ne made him thus in armes for to mad But onely lo for this conclusioun To liken her the bet for his renoun Fro day to day in armes so he sped That all the Greekes as y◠death him dred And fro this forth tho rest him love his slepe And made his meate his foe eke his sorrow Gan multiply that who so tooke keepe It shewed in his hew both even and morow Therefore a title he gan him for to borow Of other sickenesse least men of him wend That the hot fire of love him brend And sayd he had a fever and fared amis But were it certaine I cannot sey If that his Lady understood not this Or fained her she nist one of the twey But well rede I that by no manner wey Ne
service * As plant a tree or herbe in sondrie wise And on the morrow pull it vp as blive No wonder is though it may never thrive And sith yâ— God of love hath thee bestowed In place digne vnto thy worthinesse * Stond fast for to good port hast thou rowed And of thy selfe for any heavinesse Hope alwaie well for but if drerinesse Or over hast both our labour shend I hope of this to maken a good end And wost thou why I am the lasse afered Of this matter with my nece to trete For this have I heard say of wise lered Was never man or woman yet beyete That was vnapt to suffer loves hete Celestiall or els love of kind For thy some grace I hope in her to find And for to speake of her in speciall Her beautie to bethinken and her youth It sit her nought to been celestiall As yet though that her list both and kouth And truely it sit her well right nouth A worthy knight to loven and cherice And but she doe I hold it for a vice Wherefore I am and woll be aye ready To paine me to doe you this service For both you to please this hope I Here after for that ye been both wise And con counsaile keepe in such a wise That no man shall the wiser of it bee And so we may ben gladded all three And by my trouth I have right now of thee A good conceit in my wit as I gesse And what it is I woll now that thou see I thinke that sith Love of his goodnesse Hath thee conuerted out of wickednesse That thou shalt been the best post I leue Of all his lay and most his foes greue Ensample why see now these great clerkes That erren aldermost ayen a law And ben conuerted from her wicked werkes Throgh grace of god yâ— lest hem to withdraw They arne the folke yâ— han god most in aw And strengest faithed been I vnderstond And con an errour alder best withstond When Troilus had herd Pandare assented To ben his helpe in loving of Creseide He wext of his wo as who saith vnturmented But hotter wext his love and then he said With sober chere as though his hart plaid Now blisfull Venus helpe ere that I sterue Of thee Pandare I mow some thank deserue But dere friend how shall my wo be lesse Till this be done good eke tell me this How wilt thou saine of me and my distresse Least she be wroth this drede I most iwis Or woll not heren all how it is All this drede I and eke for the manere Of thee her Eme she nill no such thing here Qd. Pandarus thou hast a full great care * Lest the chorle may fall out of the moone Why lord I hate of thee the nice fare Why entremete of that thou hast to doone For Gods love I bid thee a boone So let me alone and it shall be thy best Why frend qd he then done right as thee lest But herke Pandare o word for I nolde That thou in me wendest so great follie That to my lady I desiren should That toucheth harme or any villanie For dredelesse me were leuer to die Than she of me ought els vnderstood But that that might sownen into good Tho lough this Pandarus anon answerd And I thy borow fie no wight doth but so I raught not though she stood and herd How that thou saiest but farwell I woll go Adieu be glad God speed vs both two Yeue me this labour and this businesse And of my speed be thine all the sweetnesse Tho Troilus gan doune on knees to fall And Pandare in his armes hent fast And said now fie on the Greekes all Yet parde God shall helpen at last And dredelesse if that my life may last And God toforne lo some of hem shall smerte And yet me a thinketh that this auaunt masterte And now Pandare I can no more say Thou wise thou wost thou maist thou art all My life my death hole in thine hond I say Help me now qd he Yes by my trouth I shal God yeeld thee friend and this in speciall Qd. Troilus that thou me recommaund To her that may me to yâ— death commaund This Pandarus tho desirous to serve His full friend he said in this manere Farwell think I wol thy thanke deserve Have here my trouth that thou shalt here And went his way thinking on this matere And how he best might beseechen her of grace And find a time thereto and a place * For every wight that hath a house to found He renneth nat the werke for to begin With rakel hond but he woll biden stound And send his hearts line out fro within Alder first his purpose for to win All thus Pandare in his heart thought And cast his werke full wisely ere he wrought But Troilus lay tho no lenger doun But anone gat vpon his stede baie And in the field he played the Lioun Wo was the Greek that with him met yâ— daye And in the toune his manner tho forth aye So goodly was and gat him so in grace That eche him loved that looked in his face For he became the friendliest wight The gentilest and eke the most free The thriftiest and one the best knight That in his time was or els might be Dead were his yapes and his cruelte His high port and his manner straunge And each of hem gan for a vertue chaunge Now let vs stint of Troilus a stound That fareth like a man that hurt is sore And is some dele of a king of his wound Ylessed well but healed no dele more And as an easie patient the lore Abite of him that goeth about his cure And thus he driueth forth his aventure Explicit liber primus OVt of these black wawes let vs for to sail O wind now the weather ginneth clere For in the sea the boate hath such trauaile Of my conning that vnneth I it stere This sea clepe I the tempestous matere Of deepe dispaire that Troilus was in But now of hope the kalends begin O lady mine that called art Cleo Thou be my spede fro this forth my muse To rime well this booke till I have do Me needeth here none other art to vse For why to every lover I me excuse That of no sentement I this endite But out of latine in my tongue it write Wherefore I nil have neither thank ne blame Of all this worke but pray you mekely Disblameth me if any word be lame For as mine authour said so say I Eke though I speake of love vnfeelingly No wonder is for it nothing of new is * A blind man cannot judgen well in hewis I know yâ— in forme of speech is change Within a thousand yere and words tho That hadden prise now wonder nice strange Thinketh hem and yet they spake hem so And spedde as well in love as men now do * Eke for to winnen love in sundry ages In
folke is blent lo all yâ— time is wonne * In titering and pursute and delaies The folke devine at wegging of a stre And though ye would han after merry daies Then dare ye nat and why For she and she Spake such a word thus looked he and he Least time be lost I dare nat with you deale Come off therfore and bringeth him to heale But now to you ye lovers that ben here Was Troilus nat in a cankedort That lay and might the wispring of hem here And thoght O lord right now renneth my sort Fully to die or have anone comforte And was the first time he should her pray Of love O mightie God what shall he say Explicit Liber Secundus O Blisfull light of which the bemes clere Adorneth all the third heaven faire O sonnes lefe O Ioues doughter dere Pleasaunce of love O goodly debonaire In gentle hearts aye ready to repaire O very cause of heale and of gladnesse Iheried be thy might and thy goodnesse In heaven and hell in earth and salt see Is felt thy might if that I well discerne As man and beast fish herbe grene tree They fele in times with vapour eterne God loveth and to love woll naught werne * And in this world no lives creature Withouten love is worth or may endure Ye Ioues first to thilke affects glade Through which that things liven all be Commenden and amorous hem made On mortall thing and as you list aye ye Yeve hem in love ease or aduersite And in a thousand formes doune hem sent For love in yearth whom you list he hent Ye fiers Mars appeasen of his ire And as you list ye maken hearts digne Algates hem that ye woll set a fire They dreden shame and vices they resigne Ye doen him curteis be fresh and benigne And high or low after a wight entendeth The ioies that he hath your might it sendeth Ye holden reigne and house in vnitie Ye soothfast cause of friendship ben also Ye knowen all thilke couered qualitie Of things which that folke wondren at so When they can nat construe how it may go She loveth him or why he loveth here * As why this fish nat yâ— commeth to were Ye folke a law have set in vniuerse And this know I by hem that lovers be * That who so striveth with you hath yâ— werse Now Ladie bright for thy benignite At reuerence of hem that serven thee Whose clerke I am so teacheth me devise Some joy of that is felt in thy servise Yea in my naked heart sentement In hilde and do me shew of thy sweetnesse Caliope thy voice be now present For now is need seest thou nat my distresse How I mote tell anon right the gladnesse Of Troilus to Venus herying To the which who nede hath God him bring Incipit Liber Tertius LAy all this meane while this Troilus Recording his lesson in this manere Mafey thought he thus woll I say thus Thus woll I plaine vnto my Lady dere That word is good this shall be my chere This nill I nat foryetten in no wise God leve him werken as he can devise And Lord so that his hart gan to quappe Hearing her come and short for to sike And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe Came nere and gan in at the curtein pike And saied God doe bote on all that are sike See who is here you comen to visite Lo here is she that is your death to wite Therewith it seemed as he wept almost A a qd Troilus so routhfully Whether me be wo O mighty god thou wost Who is all there I see nat truely Sir qd Creseide it is Pandare and I Ye sweet hart alas I may nat rise To kneele and do you honour in some wise And dressed him vpward and she right tho Gan both her honds soft vpon him ley O for the love of God doe ye not so To me qd she eye what is this to sey Sir comen am I to you for causes twey First you to thonke and of your Lordship eke Continuaunce I would you beseke This Troilus that heard his Ladie pray Of Lordship him wox neither quick ne dedde Ne might o word for shame to it say Although men shoulden smiten off his hedde But Lord so he wox sodaineliche redde And sir his lesson that he wende conne To praien her is through his wit ironne Creseide all this aspied well ynough For she was wise loved him never the lasse * All nere he in all apert or made it tough Or was too bold to sing a foole a Masse But when his shame gan somwhat to passe His reasons as I may my rimes hold I woll you tell as teachen bookes old In chaunged voice right for his very drede Which voice eke quoke thereto his manere Goodly abasht and now his hewes rede Now pale vnto Creseide his ladie dere With looke doun cast humble iyolden chere Lo the alder first word that him astart Was twice mercy mercy O my sweet hart And stint a while when he might out bring The next word was God wote for I have As faithfully as I have had konning Ben yours all God so my soule do save And shall till that I wofull wight be grave And though I dare ne can vnto you plaine I wis I suffer not the lasse paine Thus much as now ah womanliche wife I may out bring and if this you displease That shall I wreke vpon mine owne life Right soone I trow and do your hart an ease If with my death your heart may appease But sens yâ— ye han heard me somewhat sey Now retch I never how soone that I dey Therewith his manly sorrow to behold It might have made an hart of stone to rew * And Pandare wept as he to water would And poked ever his nece new and new And saied wo begon been hearts true For love of God make of this thing an end Or slea us both at ones ere that ye wend. I what qd she by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wilne that I sey Eye what qd he that ye have on him routh For Gods love and doeth him nat to dey Now then thus qd she I woll him prey To tell me the fine of his entent Yet wist I never well what that he ment What that I mean O my sweet hart dere Qd. Troilus O goodly fresh and free That with the streames of your eyen so clere Ye shoulden sometime friendly on me see And then agreen that I may ben hee Withouten braunch of vice on any wise In trouth alway to do you my servise As to my lady right and cheefe resort With all my witte and all my diligence And to have right as you list comfort Vnder your yerde egall to mine offence As death if that I breake your defence And that ye digne me so much honour Me to commaunden aught in any hour And I to ben your
told him her entent And right as he that seeth his death ishapen And dien mote in aught that he may gesse And sodainly rescous doeth hem escapen And from his death is brought in sikernesse For all this world in soche present gladnesse Was Troilus and hath his lady swete With worse hap God let us never mete Her armes smal her streight backe soft Her sides long fleshy smooth and white He gan to stroke and good thrift bad full oft Her snowisse throte her brests round lite Thus in this heaven he gan him to delite And therwithall a thousand times her kist That what to doen for ioy unneth he wist Then saied he thus O Love O Charite Thy mother eke Citheria the swete That after thy selfe next heried be she Venus I meane the well willy planete And next that Imeneus I thee grete For never man was to you Goddes hold As I which ye have brought fro cares cold Benigne Love thou holy bond of thingen Who so woll grace and list thee honouren Lo his desire woll fly withouten wingen For noldest thou of bounte hem socouren That serven best and most alway labouren Yet were all lost yâ— dare I well sain certes But if thy grace passed our desertes And for thou me yâ— lest thonke coud deserve Of them that nombred been unto thy grace Hast holpen there I likely was to sterve And me bestowed in so high a place That thilke bounds may no blisse surpace I can no more but laâ—de and reverence Be to thy bounte and thine excellence And therwithall Creseide anon he kist Of which certain she felt no disease And thus saied he now would God I wist Mine hart swete how I you best might please What man qd he was ever thus at ease As I On which the fairest and the best That ever I sey deineth her to rest Here may men seen yâ— mercy passeth right The experience of that is felt in me That am unworthy to so swete a wight But harte mine of your benignite So thinke that though I unworthy be Yet mote I nede amenden in some wise Right through the vertue of your hie service And for the love of God my lady dere Sith he hath wrouÈt me for I shal you serve As thus I meane woll ye be my fere To doe me live if that you list or sterve So teacheth me how that I may deserve Your thonk so yâ— I through mine ignoraunce Ne doe nothing that you be displeasaunce For certes freshe and womanliche wife This dare I say that trouth and diligence That shall ye finden in me all my life Ne I woll not certain breaken your defence And if I doe present or in absence For love of God let slea me with the dede If that it like unto your womanhede Iwis qd she mine owne hartes lust My ground of ease and al mine harte dere Graunt mercy for on that is all my trust But let us fall away fro this matere For it suffiseth this that said is here And at o worde without repentaunce Welcome my kniÈt my peace my suffisaunce Of her delite or ioies one of the least Were impossible to my wit to say But judgeth ye that have been at the feast Of soche gladnesse if that him list play I can no more but thus these ilke tway That night betwixen drede and sikernesse Felten in love the great worthinesse O blisfull night of hem so long isought How blithe unto hem bothe two thou were Why ne had I soch feast with my soule ibouÈt Ye or but the least joy that was there Away thou foule daunger and thou fere And let him in this heaven blisse dwell That is so high that all ne can I tell But sothe is though I can not tellen all As can mine aucthour of his excellence Yet have I saied and God toforne shall In every thing all holly his sentence And if that I at loves reverence Have any worde in eched for the best Doeth therwithall right as your selven lest For my words here and every part I speake hem all under correction Of you that feling have in loves art And put it all in your discrecion To encrease or make diminicion Of my language and that I you beseech But now to purpose of my rather speech These ilke two that been in armes laft So lothe to hem a sonder gon it were That eche from other wenden been biraft Or els lo this was her most fere That all this thing but nice dreames were For which ful oft ech of hem said O swete Clippe I you thus or els doe I it mete And Lord so he gan goodly on her se That never his loke ne blent from her face And saied O my dere harte may it be That it be soth that ye beene in this place Ye harte mine God thanke I of his grace Qd. tho Creseide therwithall him kist That where her spirite was for joy she nist This Troilus full often her iyen two Gan for to kisse and saied O iyen clere It weren ye that wrought me soche wo Ye humble nettes of my lady dere * Tho there be mercy written in your chere God wote the text full harde is for to find How coud ye withouten bonde me bind Therwith he gan her fast in armes take And well an hundred times gan he sike Not such sorrowfull sighes as men make For wo or els when that folke be sike But easie sighes soche as been to like That shewed his affection within Of soche maner sighes could he not blin Sone after this they spake of sondry things As fill to purpose of this aventure And plaiyng enterchaungeden her rings Of which I can not tellen no scripture But well I wot a broche of gold and azure In which a Rubbie set was like an herte Creseide him yave stacke it on his sherte Lord trowe ye that a coveitous wretch That blameth love and halte of it dispite Of tho pens that he can muckre and ketch Ever yet yave to him soche delite As in love in o poinct in some plite Nay doubtelesse for al so God me save * So parfite joy may no nigard have They woll say yes but Lord so they lie Tho busie wretches full of wo and drede That callen love a woodnesse of follie But it shall fall hem as I shall you rede They shal forgon yâ— white and eke the rede And live in wo ther god yeve hem mischaunce And every lover in his trouth avaunce As would God tho wretches that dispise Service of love had eares also long As had Mida full of covetise And thereto dronken had as hotte and strong As Cresus did for his affectes wrong To teachen hem that they been in the vice And lovers not although they hold hem nice These ilke two of whom that I you say Whan that her hartes well assured were Tho gonnen they to speake and to play And eke rehearcen how when
president Though that Hector nay full oft praid And finally what wight that it withsaid It was for naught it must ben and should For substaunce of the Parliment it would Departed out of the parliment echone This Troilus without words mo Vnto his chamber spedde him fast alone But if it were a man of his or two The which he bad out faste for to go Because he would slepen as he said And hastely upon his bedde him laid And as in Winter leaves ben birast Ech after other till trees he hare So that there nis but barke branch ilast Lithe Troilus biraft of ech welfare Ibounden in the blacke barke of care Disposed wode out of his witte to breide So sore him sate the chaunging of Creseide He rist him up and every dore he shette And window eke tho this sorowfull man Vpon his beddes side doune him sette Full like a dead image pale and wan And in his breast the heaped wo began Out brust and he to worken in this wise In his woodnesse as I shall you devise Right as the wild Bull beginneth spring Now here now there idarted to the hert And of his death roreth in complaining Right so gan he about the chamber stert Smiring his breast aye with his fistes smert His head to the wall his body to yâ— ground Foll oft he swapt himselven to confound His eyen two for pity of his hert Out stremeden as swift as welles twey The high sobs of his sorrowes smert His speech him reft unnethes might he sey O death alas why nilt thou do me dey Accursed by that day which that nature Shope me to ben a lives creature But after when the fury and all the rage Which that his heart twist and fast threst By length of time somewhat gan assuage Vpon his bed he laid him doun to rest But tho begon his teares more out to brest That wonder is the body may suffise To halfe this wo which that I you devise Then said he thus Fortune alas yâ— while What have I done what have I thee agilt How mightest thou for routhe me begile Is there no grace and shall I thus be spilt Shall thus Creseide away for yâ— thou wilt Alas how mightest thou in thine hart find To ben to me thus cruell and unkind Have I thee nat honoured all my live As thou well wotest above the Gods all Why wilt thou me fro ioy thus deprive O Troilus what may men now thee call But wretch of wretches out of honour fall Into misery in which I woll bewaile Creseide alas till that the breath me faile Alas Fortune if that my life in joy Displeased had unto thy foule Envie Why ne haddest thou my father king of Troy Biraft the life or done my brethren die Or slaine my selfe yâ— thus complaine crie I combre world that may of nothing serve But ever dye and never fully sterve If that Creseide alone were me laft NaughtrauÈt I whider thou woldst me stere And her alas then hast thou me byraft But evermore lo this is thy manere To reve a wight that most is to him dere To preve in that thy gierfull violence Thus am I lost there helpeth no defence O very Lord O love O God alas That knowest best mine hert al my thought What shal my sorowfull life done in this caas If I to go that I so dere have bought Sens ye Creseide me have fully brought Into your grace and both our hearts sealed How may ye suffer alas it be repealed What I may done I shal while I may dure On live in turment and in cruell paine This infortune or this disaventure Alone as I was borne I woll complaine Ne never woll I seene it shine or raine But end I woll as Edippe in derkenesse My sorrowfull life and dien in distresse O wery ghost that errest to and fro Why 〈◊〉 thou flien out of the wofullest Body that ever might on ground go O soule lurking in this wofull neste Fly forthout mine hart and let it breste And follow alway Creseide thy lady dere Thy right place is now no lenger here O wofull eien two sens your disport Was all to seene Creseides eyen bright What shall ye done but for my discomfort Stoden for naught wepen out your sight Sens she is queint yâ— wont was you to light * In veine from this forth have I eyen twey I formed sens your vertue is awey O my Creseide O lady soveraine Of this wofull soule that thus crieth Who shall now yeven comfort to thy paine Alas no wight but when mine hert dieth My spirit which that so unto you hieth Receiâ—e in gree for that shall aye you serve For thy no force is though the body sterve O ye lovers that high upon the whele Ben sette of Fortune in good aventure God lene that ye finden aye love of stele And long more your life in joy endure But when ye comen by my sepulture Remembreth that your fellow resteth there For I loved eke though I unworthy were O old unholsome and mislived man Calcas I meane alas what eiled thee To 〈◊〉 a Greek sens thou art borne Trojan O Calcas which that wolt my bane be In cursed time was thou borne for me As would blisfull Iove for his joy That I thee had where I would in Troy A thousand sighes hotter than the glede Out of his breast each after other went Medled with plaint new his wo to fede For which his wofull teares never stent And shortly so his sorowes him to rent And wore so mate that joy or pennaunce He feeleth none but heth in a traunce Panoare which that in the parliment Had heatd with every Lord and burgeis seid And how full graunted was by one assent For Antenor to yelden oâ—t Creseid Gan well nigh wood out of his wit to breid So that for wo he niste what he ment But in a 〈…〉 went A certaine knight that for the 〈…〉 The chamber dore undid it him anone And Pandare that full tenderly wept Into the derke chamber as still as stone Toward the bedde gan softly to goue So confuse that he â—â—st what to say For very wo his wit was nigh away And with chere and leeking all to torne For sorow of this with his armes folden He stood this wofull Troilus beforne And on his pitous face he gan beholden But so oft gan his heart colden Seeing his friend in wo whose heavinesse His heart slough as thought him for distresse This wofull wight this Troilus yâ— felt His friend Pandare icomen him to see Gan as the snow ayenst the sunne melt For which this wofull Pandare of pite Gan for to weepe as tenderly as he And speechlesse thus ben these ilke twey That neither might for sorow o word sey But at the last this wofull Troilus Nigh dead for smert gan bresten out to rore And with a sorowfull noise he said thus Among his sobs and his sighes sore Lo
nat ne lie And all this thing right sene it with your eie And that anon ye nill nat trow how soone Now taketh hede for it is for to doone What wene ye your wise father would Have yeven Antenor for you anone If he ne wist that the city should Destroied ben why nay so mote I gone He knew full well there shall nat scapen one That Troian is and for the great fere He durst nat that ye dwelt lenger there What woll ye more O lovesome lady dere Let Troy and Troians fro your heart passe Drive out yâ— bitter hope make good chere And clepe ayen the beautie of your face That ye with salt teares so deface For Troy is brought in such a ieopardie That it to save is now no remedie And thinketh well ye shall in Grekes find A more perfite love ere it be night That any Troian is and more kind And bet to serven you woll done his might And if ye vouchsafe my lady bright I woll ben he to serven you my selve Ye lever than be lord of Greces twelve And with that word he gan to waxen reed And in his speech a little while he quoke And cast aside a little with his heed And stint a while and afterward he woke And soberly on her he threw his loke And said I am albeit to you my joy As gentill a man as any wight in Troy For if my father Tideus he seide I lived had I had been ere this Of Calcidonie and Arge a king Creseide And so hope I that I shall be iwis But he was slaine alas the more harme is Vnhappily at Thebes all to rathe Polimite and many a man to scathe But hart mine sithe that I am your man And ben the first of whom I feche grace To serve you as heartely as I can And ever shall while I to live have space So that ere I depart out of this place Ye woll me graunte that I may to morow At better laiser tell you of my sorow What shuld I tell his wordes that he seide He spake ynough for o day at the mest It preveth well he spake so that Creseide Graunted on the morrow at his request For to speake with him at the least So that he nolde speake of such matere And thus she to him said as ye mowe here As she that had her hart on Troilus So fast that there may it none arace And straungely she spake and saied thus O Diomede I love that ilke place There was I borne and Ioves of thy grace Deliver it soone of all that doth it care God for thy might so leve it well to fare That Grekes wold her wrath on Troy wreke If that they might I know it well iwis But it shall naught befallen as ye speke And God toforne and farther over this I wote my father wise and ready is And that he me hath bought as ye me told So dere am I the more vnto him hold That Grekes ben of high conditioun I wote eke well but certaine men shall find As worthie folke within Troy toun As conning as persite and as kinde As ben betwixte Orcades and Inde And that ye could well your lady serve I trow eke well her thonke for to deserve But as to speake of loue iwis she seide I had a lord to whom I wedded was His whole mine hart was all till he deide And other love as helpe me now Pallas There in mine hart nis ne never was And that ye ben of noble and high kinrede I have well herde it tellen out of drede And yâ— doth me to have so great a wonder That ye woll scornen any woman so Eke God wote love and I ben fer asonder I am disposed bet so mote I go Vnto my death plaine and make wo What I shall after done I can not say But truely as yet me list nat play Mine hart is now in tribulatioun And ye in armes busie day by day Hereafter when ye wonnen have the toun Paraventure then so it happen may That when I see that I never ere sey Then woll I werke that I never ere wrought This word to you ynough suffisen ought To morow eke wol I speken with you faine So that ye touchen naught of this matere And when you list ye may come here againe And ere ye gone thus much I say you here As helpe me Pallas with her haires clere If that I should of any Greeke have routh It shulde be your selven by my trouth I say nat therefore that I woll you love Ne say nat nay but in conclusioun I meane well by God that sit above And therewithall she cast her eien doun And gan to sigh said Troilus Troy toun Yet bidde I God in quiet and in rest I may you seene or do mine hart brest But in effect and shortly for to say This Diomede all freshly new againe Gan preasen on and fast her mercy pray And after this the soothe for to saine Her gloue he toke of which he was full faine And finally when it was woxen eve And all was well he rose and tooke his leve The bright Venus folowed and aie taught The way there brode Phebus doune alight And Cithera her chare horse over taught To whirle out of the Lion if she might And Signifer his candles sheweth bright When that Creseide vnto her bed went Within her fathers faire bright tent Retourning in her soule aye vp and doun The wordes of this suddaine Diomede His great estate and perill of the toun And that she was alone and had nede Of friendes help and thus began to brede The cause why the soothe for to tell She tooke fully purpose for to dwell The morow came and ghostly for to speke This Diomede is come vnto Creseide And shortly least that ye my tale breke So well he for himselfe spake and seide That all her sighes sore doune he leide And finally the soothe for to saine He rest her the great of all her paine And after this the story telleth vs That she him yave the faire bay stede The which she ones wan of Troilus And eke a brooch and that was little nede That Troilus was she yave this Diomede And eke the bet from sorow him to releve She made him weare a pencell of her sleve I find eke in stories elsewhere When through the body hurt was Diomede Of Troilus tho wept she many a tere When that she saw his wide wounds blede And that she tooke to kepen him good hede And for to healen him of his smart Men saine I not that she yave him her hart But truely the storie telleth vs There made never woman more wo Than she when that she falsed Troilus She said alas for now is clene ago My name in trouth of love for evermo For I have falsed one the gentillest That ever was and one the worthiest Alas of me vnto the worldes end Shall neither ben iwritten or isong No good word for
Sith yâ— thy weping but doubleth thy wo * I counsaile thee make vertue of a nede Go learne to clappe thy clapper to and fro And learne after the lawe of lepers lede There was no bote but forthwith then she yede Fro place to place while cold hunger sore Compelled her to be a ranke beggore That same time of Troy the garnisoun Which had the chieftain worthy Troilus ThrouÈ jeopardy of warre had striken doun Knights of Grece in nomber marveilous With great triumph and laude victorious Again to Troy right royally they rode The way where Creseide with yâ— leper stode Seing that company come al with o stevin They gave a cry shoke cupps good spede Worthy lordes for Goddes love of hevin To us seper part of your almose dede Then to her cry noble Troilus toke hede Having pite nere by the place gan pas Wher Creseide sat nat weting with she was Then vpon him she kest vp both her iyen And with a blinke it come in til his thought That he sometime her face before had sein But she was in soch plite he knew her nought Yet then her loke into his minde he brought The swete visage and amorous blenking Offaire Creseid sometime his owne derling No wonder was suppose in mind that he Toke her figure so sone and lo now why * The Idoll of a thing in case may be So depe enprinted in the fantasie That it deludeth the wittes outwardly And so apereth in forme and like estate Within the minde as it was figurate A sparke of love then til his hartcouth spring And kindeled his body in a fire With hote feuer in swette and trembling Him tooke while he was readie to exspire To heare his shield his brest began to tire Within a while he chaunged many a hewe And nevertheles nat one an other knew For knightly pite and memoriell Of faire Creseide a girdel gan he take A purse of gold and many a gaie iewell And in the skirt of Creseide doun gan shake Then rode away and nat a word he spake Pensife in hart while he came to the toune And for great care oft sith almost fell doune The lepre folke to Creseide then couth draw To see the equall distributioun Of the almose but when the gold they saw Ech one to other priuely can roun And saied yon lord hath more affectioun How ever it be vnto yon Lazarous Than to vs al we know by his almous What lord is yon qd she have ye no fele That doeth to vs so great humanite Yes qd a lepre man I know him wele Sir Troilus it is a knight gentle and free When Creseide vnderstood that it was hee Stiffer than stele there sterte a bitter stound Throughout her hert fill doun to yâ— ground When she over come with sighing sore sad With many a carefull crie and cold atone Now is my brest with stormy stoundes stad Wrapped in wo wretchfull will of one Then fell in swoun ful oft or she would fone And ever in her swouning cried she thus O false Creseide and true knight Troilus Thy love thy laude all thy gentlenesse I counted small in my prosperite So effated I was in wantonnesse And clambe vpon the fickell whele so hie All faith and love I promitted to thee Was in thy selfe fekell and furious O false Creseide and true knight Troilus For love of me thou kept countenaunce Honest and chast in conuersacion Of all women protectour and defence Thou were and helped their opinion My minde and fleshly foule affection Was enclined to lustes lecherous Fie false Creseide O true knight Troilus Lovers beware and take good hede about Whom that ye love for when ye suffre pain I let you wit there is right few throughout Whom ye may trust to have true love again Proue when ye woll your labour is in vain Therefore I rede ye take them as ye find For they are sad as Wedercocke in wind Bicause I know the great vnstablenesse Brittle as glasse vnto my self I say Trusting in other as great brutelnesse As inconstaunt and as vntrue of fay Though some be true I wot riÈt few ar they Who findeth truth let him his lady ruse None but my self as now I woll accuse When this was said with paper she sat doun And in this maner made her testament Here I bequethe my corse and carioun With wormes and with Toodes to be rent My cuppe my clapper and mine ornament And all my gold these lepre folke shall have When I am dedde to bury me in grave This roiall ring set with this Rubie redde Which Troilus in dowrie to me send To him again I leaue it when I am dedde To make my careful death vnto him kend Thus I conclude shortly and make an end My spirit I leave to Diane where she dwels To walke with her in wast wodes welles O Diomede thou hast both broche belt Which Troilus gaue me in tokening Of his true love with that worde she swelt And soone a leaper man toke off the ring Then buried her withouten tarying To Troilus forthwith the ring he bare And of Creseide the death he gan declare When he had heard her great infirmite Her legacie and lamentacioun And how she ended in such poverte He swelt for wo and fell doune in a swoun For sorow his hart to brast was boun Sighing full sadly sayd I can no more She was vntrue and wo is me therefore Some saith he made a tombe of marble gray And wrote her name superscripcioun And layd it on her graue whereas she lay In golden letters conteining this reasoun Lo faire Fadies Creseide of Troie toun Somtime counted the floure of womanhed Vnder this stone late leper lieth dedde Now worthy women in this balade short Made for your worship and instruction Of charite I monish and exhort Minge nat your love with false discepcion Beare in your mind this sore conclusion Of faire Creseide as I have sayd before Sith she is dedde I speake of her no more The Legend of good Women For that some Ladies in the Court took offence at Chaucers large speeches against the untruth of Women the Queen enjoyned him to compile this Book in the commendation of sundry Maidens and Wives who shewed themselves faithful to faithless men A Thousand times I have heard men tell That there is joy in heaven pain in hell And I accord it wele that it is so But nathelesse yet wote I wele also That there nis non dwelling in this countre That either hath in heaven or in hell ibe Ne may of it none other waies witten But as he heard sayd or found it written For by assay there may no man it preve But God forbede but men should leve Wel more thing than they have seen with iye Men shall nat weâ—en every thing a lie But if himself it seeth or els it dooth For God wote thing is never the lesse soth Though every wight ne may
it not isee Bernarde the Monke ne saugh all parde Then mote we to bookes that we find Through which yâ— old things ben in mind And to the doctrine of the old wise Yeve credence in every skilful wise That tellen of the old appreued stories Of holines of reignes of victories Of love of hate and other sundry things Of which I may not make rehearsings * And if that old bookes were away Ilorne were of all remembraunce the kay Well ought vs then honouren beleve These bookes there we han none other preve And as for me though that I can but lite On bookes for to rede I me delite And to hem yeve I faith and full credence And in mine herte have hem in reverence So hertely that there is game none That fro my bookes maketh me to gone But it be seldome on the holy daie Save certainly when that the month of May Is comen and that I heare the foules sing And that the floures ginnen for to spring Farwell my booke and my deuocion Now have I then eke this condicion That of all the floures in the Mede Then love I most these floures white rede Soch that men callen Daisies in our toun To hem I have so great affectioun As I sayd erst when comen is the Maie That in my bedde there daweth me no daie That I nam vp and walking in the Mede To seen this floure ayenst the Sunne sprede When it vp riseth early by the morrow That blisfull sight softeneth all my sorow So glad am I when that I have presence Of it to done it all reverence As she that is of all flours floure Fulfilled of all vertue and honoure And every ilike faire and fresh of hewe And ever I love it and ever ilike newe And ever shall till that mine harte die All sweare I not of this I woll not lie There loved no wight hotter in his life And when that it is eve I renne blithe As sone as ever the Sunne ginneth West To seen this floure how it woll go to rest For feare of night so hateth she derkenesse Her chere is plainly spred in the brightnesse Of the Sunne for there it woll vnclose Alas that I ne had English rime or prose Suffisaunt this floure to praise aright But helpeth ye yâ— han conning and might Ye lovers that can make of sentement In this case ought ye be diligent To forthren me somewhat in my labour Whether ye been with the lefe or with the flour For well I wote that ye han here beforne Of making ropen and had alway the corne And I come after glening here and there And am full glad if I may find an eare Of any goodly worde that ye han left And though it happen me to rehearsen eft That ye han in your freshe songes sayd Forbeareth me and beth not euill apayd Sith that ye se I doe it in the honour Of love and eke of service of the flour Whom that I serve as I have wit or might She is the clerenesse and the very light That in this derke world me wint and ledeth The hart within my sorowfull brest you dredeth And loveth so sore that ye ben verily The maistres of my wit and nothing I My word my workes is knit so in your bonde That as an harpe obeieth to the honde And make it soune after his fingering Right so mowe ye out of mine hart bring Soch voice right as you list to laugh or pain Be ye my guide and Lady souerain As to mine yearthly God to you I call Both in this werke and my sorowes all But wherefore that I spake to yeve credence To old stories and done hem reverence And that men musten more thing bileve That men may seen at iye or els preve That shall I sein when that I see my time I may nat all atones speake in rime My busie ghost that thursteth alway new To seen this flour so yong so fresh of hew Constrained me with so gredy desire That in my harte I fele yet the fire That made me rise ere it were day And this was now the first morow of Maie With dreadfull harte and glad deuocion For to been at the resurrection Of this floure when that it should vnclose Again the Sunne that rose as redde as rose That in the brest was of the beast that day That Angenores doughter ladde away And doune on knees anon right I me sette And as I could this fresh floure I grette Kneeling alway till it vnclosed was Vpon the small soft swete gras That was with floures swete embrouded all Of such swetenesse and soch odour over all That for to speake of gomme herbe or tree Comparison may not imaked be For it surmounteth plainly all odoures And of riche beaute of floures Forgotten had the yearth his poore estate Of Winter that him naked made mate And with his sword of cloud so sore greved Now hath the attempre sunne al that releved That naked was and clad it new again The small foules of the season fain That of the panter and the net been scaped Vpon the fouler that hem made awhaped In Winter and destroied had her brood In his dispite hem thought it did hem good To sing of him and in her song dispise The foule chorle that for his couetise Had him betraied with his Sophistrie This was her song The fouler we defie And all his craft and some songen clere Laies of Love that joy it was to here In worshipping and praysing of her make And for the new blisfull Somers sake Vpon the braunches full of blosmes soft In her dilite they tourned hem ful oft And songen blissed be sainct Valentine For on his day I chese you to be mine Withouten repenting mine harte swete And therewithall her bekes gonnen mete Yelding honour and humble obeisaunce To love and didden her other observaunce That longeth vnto love and vnto nature Constre we that as you list I do no cure And tho that had done vnkindnesse As doeth the Tidife for new fanglenesse Besought mercy of her trespasing And humbly song her repenting And sworen on the blosmes to be true So that her makes would vpon hem rue And at the last maden her acorde All found they Daunger for the time a lord Yet Pite through his strong gentill might Foryave and made Mercy passen right Through Innocence and ruled Curtesie But I ne cleape it nat Innocence folie Ne false pite for vertue is the meane As Eticke sayth in soch maner I meane And thus these foule voide of all malice Acordeden to Love and laften vice Of hate and song all of one acorde Welcome Sommer our governour lorde And Zephirus and Flora gentelly Yave to the floures soft and tenderly Her swote breth and made hem for to sprede As God and Goddesse of the flourie Mede In which me thoughte I might day by daie Dwellen alway the joly month of Maie Withouten slepe withouten meat or drinke Adowne
clothed all in greene And saied God right of your curtesie Ye mote herken if he can replie Ayenst all this that ye have to him meved A God ne shulde nat be thus agreved But of his deite he shal be stable And thereto gracious and merciable And if ye nere a God that knowen all Then might it be as I you tellen shall This man to you may falsely ben accused That as by right him ought ben excused For in your court is many a losengeour And many a queinte totoler accusour That tabouren in your eares many a soun Right after her imaginacioun To have your daliaunce and for envie These ben the causes and I shall nat lie Envie is lavender of the court alway For she ne parteth neither night ne day Out of the house of Cesar thus saith Dant Who so that goeth algate she wol nat want And eke peraunter for this man is nice He might done it gessing no malice But for he vseth thinges for to make Him recketh nought of what mater he take Or him was boden make thilke twey Of some persone and durst it nat withsey Or him repenteth vtterly of this He ne hath nat done so grevously amis To translaten that old clerkes writen As though that he of malice would enditen Dispite of love and had himselfe it wrought This shold a riÈtwise lord have in his thouÈt And nat be like tiraunts of Lombardie That han no reward but at tyrannie * For he that king or lorde is naturell Him ought nat be tiraunt ne cruell As is a fermour to done the harme he can He must thinke it is his liege man And is his tresour and his gold in cofer This is the sentence of the Philosopher A king to kepe his lieges in Iustice Withouten doute that is his office All woll he kepe his lordes in her degree As it is right and skil that they bee Enhaunsed and honoured and most dere For they ben halfe goddes in this world here Yet mote he done both right to poore riche All be that her estate be nat both iliche And have of poore folke compassion For lo the gentill kinde of the lion For when a flie offendeth him or biteth He with his taile away the flie smiteth Al easily for of his gentrie Him deineth nat to wreke him on a flie As doeth a curre or els another beest * In noble corage ought ben areest And waien every thing by equite And ever have regard vnto his owne degre For sir it is no maistrie for a lord To dampne a man 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 dreadfull hert And profereth him right in his bare sherte To ben right at your owne judgement Then ought a God by short avisement Consider his owne honour and his trespace For sith no cause of death lieth in this case You ought to ben the lightlier merciable Letteth your ire bethe somewhat tretable The man hath served you of his conninges And forthred well your law in his makinges All be it that he can nat well endite Yet hath he made leude folke delite To serve you in preising of your name He made the boke that hight The house of fame And eke the death of Blaunche the Duchesse And the Parliament of Foules as I gesse And al the love of Palamon and Arcite Of Thebes though the storie is knowen liâ—e And many an Himpne for your holy daies That highten balades rondels virelaies And for to speake of other holinesse He hath in prose translated Boece And made the life also of saint Cecile He made also gone is a great while Origenes vpon the Maudelaine Him ought now to have the lesse paine He hath made many a ley and many a thing Now as ye be a God and eke a king I your Alceste whilom quene of Trace I aske you this man right of your grace That ye him never hurt in al his live And he shal swearen to you and that blive He shal never more agilten in this wise But shal maken as ye woll devise Of women trewe in loving al her life Where so ye woll of maiden or of wife And forthren you as much as he misseide Or in the Rose or els in Creseide The God of Love answerde her thus anon Madame qd he it is so long agon That I you knew so charitable and trewe That never yet sens the world was newe To me ne found I better none than ye If that I woll save my degree I may nor woll nat werne your request Al lieth in you doth with him as you lest I al foryeve withouten lenger space * For who so yeveth a yefte or doth a grace Do it betime his thanke shall be the more And demeth ye what ye shal do therfore Go thanke now my lady here qd he I rose and doun I set me on my knee And said thus Madame the God above For yelde you that the God of Love Have maked me his wrath to foryeve And grace so long for to live That I may know sothely what ye be That have me holpen and put in this degre But trewly I wende as in this caas Nought have a gilte ne done to love trespas * For why a trewe man withouten drede Hath nat to parten with a theves dede Ne a trewe lover ought me nat to blame Though yâ— I speke a false lover some shame They ought rather with me for to hold For that I of Creseide wrote or told Or of the Rose what so mine author ment Algate God wotte it was mine entent To forthren trouth in love and it cherice And to ben ware fro falsenesse and fro vice By which ensample this was my mening And she answerde let be thine arguing For love ne wol not counterpleted be In right ne wrong and lerne that of me Thou hast thy grace hold the right thereto Now woll I saine with penance thou shalt do For thy trespace vnderstand it here Thou shalt while that thou livest yere by yere The most partie of thy time spende In making of a glorious legende Of good women maidens and wives That weren trewe in loving all her lives And tell of false men that hem betraien That al her life ne do nat but assaien How many women they may done a shame For in your world that is now hold a game And though thee like nat a lover be Speke wel of love this penance yeve I thee And to the God of love I shal so pray That he shal charge his servants by any way To forthren thee and wel thy labour quite Go now thy waie this penaunce is but lite And when this boke is made yeve it yâ— quene On my behalfe at Eltham or at Shene The God of love gan smile and then he said Wost thou qd he where this be wife or maid Or queene or countesse or of what
ye han walked wide Any of my sustren walke you beside With any wild Bore or other beast That they have hunted into this forrest I tucked vp with arrowes in her caas Nay sothly Lady qd this Eneas But by thy beautie as it thinketh me Thou mightest never yearthly woman be But Phebus suster art thou as I gesse And if so be that thou be a goddesse Have mercy on our labour and our wo. I nam no goddesse soothly qd she tho For maidens walken in this country here With arrows with bow in this manere This is the realme of Libie there ye been Sf which that Dido lady is and queen And shortly told all the occasion Why Dido came into that region Of which as now me lifteth nat to rime It nedeth nat it nere but losse of time For this is all and some it was Venus His owne mother that spake with him thus And to Cartage she bade he should him dight And vanished anon out of his sight I could follow word for word Vergile But it would lasten all to long while This noble queen that cleped was Dido That whylom was the wife of Sicheo That fairer was than the bright sunne This noble toun of Carthage hath begunne In which she reigneth in so great honour That she was hold of all Quenes flour Of gentillesse of freedome and of beaute That well was him that might her ones se Of Kings and Lordes so desired That all the world her beautie had ifired She stood so well in every wights grace When Eneas was come vnto the place Vnto the maister temple of all the toun There Dido was in her deuotioun Full priuely his way then hath he nome When he was in the large temple come I cannot saine if that it be possible But Venus had him maked invisible Thus sayth the booke withouten any lees And when this Eneas and Achates Hadden in this temple ben over all Then found they depainted on a wall How Troy and all the land destroyed was Alas that I was borne qd Eneas Through the world our shame is kid so wide Now it is painted vpon every side We that weren in prosperite Ben now disclaundred and in such degre No lenger for to liven I ne kepe And with that word he brast out for to wepe So tenderly that routh it was to seene This fresh Lady of the citie Queen Stood in the temple in her estate roiall So richely and eke so faire withall So yong so lustie with her eyen glade That if that God that heaven yearth made Would have a love for beauty goodnesse And womanhede trouth and semelinesse Whom should he loven but this lady swete There nis no woman to him halfe so mete Fortune that hath yâ— world in governaunce Hath sodainly brought in so new a chaunce That never was there yet so frened a caas For all the company of Eneas Which that we wend have lorne in the see Arrived is nought ferre fro that citee For which the greatest of his lords some By aventure ben to the citie come Vnto that same temple for to seke The Queene and of her socour her beseke Such renome was ther sprong of her goodnes And when they had tolde all her distresse And all her tempest and all her hard caas Vnto the Queene appeared Eneas And openly beknew that it was he Who had joy then but his meine That hadden found her lord her governour The Quene saw they did him such honour And had heard of Eneas ere tho And in her hart had routh and wo That ever such a noble man as he Shall ben disherited in such degre And saw the man that he was like a knight And suffisaunt of person and of might And like to ben a very gentilman And well his words he beset can And had a noble visage for the nones And formed well of brawne and of bones And after Venus had such fairenesse That no man might be halfe so faire I gesse And well a lord him semed for to be And for he was a straunger somewhat she Liked him the bet as God doe bote To some folke often new thing is sote Anon her hart hath pitee of his wo And with pitie Love came also And thus for pitie and for gentilnesse Refreshed must he ben of his distresse She said certes that she sorry was That he hath had such perill and such caas And in her friendly speech in this manere She to him spake and sayd as ye may here Be ye nat Venus sonne and Anchises In good faith all the worship and encrees That I may goodly done you ye shall have Your ships and your meine shall I save And many a gentle word she spake him to And commaunded her messengers to go The same day withouten any faile His ships for to seeke and hem vitaile Full many a beast she to the ships sent And with the wine she gan hem to present And to her roiall paleis she her sped And Eneas she alway with her led What nedeth you the feastes to discrive He never better at ease was in live Full was the feast of deinties and richesse Of instruments of song and of gladnesse And many an amorous looking and devise This Eneas is come to Paradise Out of the swolowe of hell and thus in joy Remembreth him of his estate in Troy To dauncing chambers full of paraments Of rich beds and of pavements This Eneas in ledde after the meat And with the queene when that he had seat And spices parted and the wine agon Vnto his chamber was he lad anon To take his ease and for to have his rest With all his folke to done what so him lest There nas courser well ibridled none Ne stede for the Iusting well to gone Ne large palfrey easie for the nones Ne iewell fret full of rich stones Ne sackes full of gold of large wight Ne Rubie none that shineth by night Ne gentill hauten faukon hereonere Ne hound for Hart wild Bore or Dere Ne cup of gold with floreins new ibette That in the lond of Libie may ben gette That Dido ne hath Eneas it isent And all is payed what that he hath spent Thus can this honorable quene her gests call As she that can in freedome passen all Eneas soothly eke without lees Hath sent to his shippe by Achates After his sonne and after rich things Both scepter clothes broches eke rings Some for to weare and some to present To her that all these noble things him sent And bad his sonne how that he should make The presenting and to the quene it take Repaired is this Achates againe And Eneas full blisfull is and faine To seene his yong sonne Ascanius For to him it was reported thus That Cupido that is the god of Love At prayer of his mother high above Had the likenesse of the child itake This noble queene enamoured for to make On Eneas but of that scripture Be as be may I make
grace might bene And maken in that lande some chevesaunce And kepen him fro wo and fro mischaunce For sicke he was and almost at the death Vnneth might he speake or draw breath And lieth in Rhodopeia him for to rest When he may walk him thought it was best Vnto the countrey to seeken for succour Men knew him wele and did him honour For at Athenes Duke and Lord was he As Theseus his father hath ibe That in his time was great of renoun No man so great in all his regioun And like his father of face and of stature And false of love it came him of nature As doth the Foxe Renarde the Foxes sonne Of kind he could his old father wonne Without lore as can a Drake swimme When it is caught and caried to the brimme This honorable queen Phillis doth him chere Her liketh well his sporte and his manere But I am agroted here beforne To write of hem that in love been forsworne And eke to haste me in my Legende Which to performe God me grace sende Therfore I passe shortly in this wise Ye have well heard of Theseus the gise In the betraiyng of faire Adriane That of her pite kept him fro his bane At short wordes right so Demophon The same way and the same pathe hath gon That did his false father Theseus For vnto Phillis hath he sworne thus To wedden her and her his trouth plight And piked of her all the good he might When he was hole sound and had his rest And doth with Phillis what so that him lest As well I could if that me list so Tellen all his doing to and fro He sayd to his countrey mote him saile For there he would her wedding apparaile As fill to her honour and his also And openly he tooke his leave tho And to her swore he would not sojourne But in a month again he would retourne And in that londe let make his ordinaunce As very Lorde and tooke the obeisaunce Well and humbly and his shippes dight And home he goeth the next way he might For vnto Phillis yet came he nought And that hath she so harde and sore ibought Alas as the storie doth vs record She was her owne death with a corde When that she saw yâ— Demophon her traied But first wrote she to him fast him praied He would come and deliver her of pain As I rehearse shall a worde or twain Me liste not vouchsafe on him to swinke Dispenden on him a penne full of ynke For false in love was he right as his sire The Devill set her soules both on a fire But of the letter of Phillis woll I write A worde or twain although it be but lite Thine hostesse qd she O Demophon Thy Phillis which that is so wo begon Of Rhodopeie vpon you mote complain Over the terme set betwixt vs twain That ye ne holden forward as ye sayd Your ancre which ye in our haven layd Hight vs that ye would comen out of doubt Or that the Moone ones went about But times fower yâ— Moone hath hid her face Sens thilke day ye went fro this place And fower times light the world again But for all that yet shall I sothly sain Yet hath the streme of Scython not brought From Athens the ship yet came it nought And if that ye the terme reken would As I or other true lovers doe should I plain not God wot before my day But al her letter writen I ne may By order for it were to me a charge Her letter was right long and therto large But here and there in rime I have it layd There as me thought that she hath wel sayd She sayd the sailes cometh not again Ne to the worde there nis no â—ey certain But I wot why ye come not qd she For I was of my love to you so fre And of the Goddes that ye have swore That her vengeaunce fall on you therfore Ye be not suffisaunt to beare the pain To moche trusted I well may I sain Vpon your linage and your faire tong And on your teares falsly out wrong How coud ye wepe so by craft qd she May there soche teares fained be Now certes if ye would have in memory It ought be to you but little glory To have a selie maide thus betrayed To God qd she pray I and oft have prayed That it be now the greatest price of all And most honour that ever you shall befall And when thine old aunceters painted bee In which men may her worthinesse see Then pray I God thou painted be also That folke may reden forth by as they go Lo this is he that with his flattery Betraied hath and done her villany That was his true love in thought dede But sothly of o point yet may they rede That ye been like your father as in this For he begiled Ariadne iwis With such an arte and such subtelte As thou thy selves hast begiled me As in that poinct although it be not feire Thou folowest certain and art his heire But sens thus sinfully ye me begile My body mote ye sene within a while Right in the haven of Athenes fleeting Withouten Sepulture and buriyng Though ye been harder then is any stone And when this letter was forth sent anone And knew how brotell and how fals he was She for dispaire fordid her selfe alas Such sorow hath she for she beset her so Beware ye women of your subtill fo Sens yet this day men may ensample se And trusteth now in love no man but me ¶ The Legende of Hypermestre IN Grecen whilom were brethren two Of which that one was called Danao That many a son hath of his body wonne As soch false lovers ofte conne Emong his sonnes all there was one That aldermost he loved of everychone And when this child was borne this Danao Shope him a name and called him Lino That other brother called was Egiste That was of love as false as ever him liste And many a daughter gate he in his life Of which he gate vpon his right wife A doughter dere and did her for to call Hypermestra yongest of hem all The which child of her nativite To all good thewes borne was she As liked to the Goddes or she was borne That of the shefe she should be the corne The werdes that we clepen destine Hath shapen her that she must needes be Pitous sad wise true as stele And to this woman it accordeth wele For though yâ— Venus yave her great beaute With Iupiter compowned so was she That conscience trouth and drede of shame And of her wifehode for to kepe her name This thought her was felicite as here And reed Mars was that time of the yere So feble that his malice is him raft Repressed hath Venus his cruell craft And what with Venus and other oppression Of houses Mars his venime is a don That Hypermestre dare not handle a knife In malice though she should lese her life But
all blesse My worlds welfare and my goddesse And I wholy hers and euery dele By our Lorde qd I I trowe you wele Hardly your loue was wel beset I not how it might haue do bet Bet ne not so wel qd he I trowe sir qd I parde Nay leue it wel Sir so do I I leue you wel that trewly You thought that she was the best And to behold the alderfairest Who so had loked her with your eyen With mine nay all that her seyen Said and swore it was so And though they ne had I would tho Haue loued best my lady free Though I had had al the beaute That euer had Alcibiades And al the strength of Hercules And thereto had the worthinesse Of Alisaunder and al the richesse That euer was in Babiloine In Cartage or in Macedoine Or in Rome or in Niniue And thereto also hardy be As was Hector so haue I joy That Achilles slough at Troy And therefore was he slayne also In a temple for both two Were slaine he and Antilegius And so saith Dares Fregius For loue of Polixena Or ben as wise as Minerua I would euer without drede Haue loued her for I must nede Nede Nay trewly I gabbe now Nought nede and I woll tellen how For of good will mine herte it wold And eke to loue her I was holde As for the fayrest and the hest She was as good so haue I rest As euer was Penelope of Grece Or as the noble wife Lucrece That was the best he telleth thus The Romane Titus Liuius She was as good and nothing like Though her stories be autentike Algate she was as trewe as she But wherefore that I tell thee When I first my lady sey I was right yong soth to sey And full great need I had to lerne When mine herte wolde yerne To loue it was a great emprise But as my wit wolde best suffise After my yong childely wit Without drede I beset it To loue her in my best wise To do her wurship and the seruise That I coude tho by my trouth Without faining eyther slouth For wonder faine I wolde her see So mokell it amended mee That when I sawe her amorowe I was warished of all my sorowe Of all day after till it were eue Me thought nothing might me greue Were my sorowes neuer so smert And yet she sit so in mine herte That by my trouth I nold nought For all this world out of my thought Leaue my Lady no trewly Now by my trouth sir qd I Me thinketh ye haue such a chaunce As shrift without repentaunce Repentaunce nay fie qd he Shuld I now repent me To loue nay certes then were I well Worse than was Achitofell Or Antenor so haue I joy The traitour that betrayed Troy Or the false Ganelion He that purchased the traison Of Rouland and of Oliuere Nay while I am a liue here I nil foryet her never mo Now good sir qd I tho Ye haue well told me here before It is no need to reherse it more How ye saw her first and where But would ye tell me the manere To her which was your first speche Thereof I would you beseche And how she knew first your thought Whether ye loved her or nought And telleth me eke what ye have lore I herde you tell here before Ye said thou notest what thou meanest I have lost more than thou weenest What losse is that qd I tho Nil she not love you is it so Or have ye ought done amis That she hath lefte you is it this For Goddes love tell me all Before God qd he and I shall I say right as I have said On her was all my love laid And yet she nist it not never a dele Not longe time leve it wele For by right siker I durst nought For all this world tell her my thought Ne I wolde have wrathed her trewly For wost thou why she was lady Of the body that had the herte And who so hath that may not asterte But for to keepe me fro ydlenesse Trewly I did my businesse To make songes as I best coude And oft time I song hem loude And made songes this a great dele Although I coude nat make so wele Songes ne knew the arte al As coude Lamekes son Tubal That found out first the arte of songe For as his brothers hamers ronge Vpon his anvelt vp and downe Thereof he toke the first sowne But Grekes saine of Pithagoras That he the first finder was Of the art Aurora telleth so But thereof no force of hem two Algates songes thus I made Of my feling mine herte to glade And lo this was alther first I not where it were the werst Lord it maketh mine herte light When I thinke on that swere wight That is so semely one to se And wish to God it might so be That she wold hold me for her knight My Lady that is so fayre and bright Now have I told thee soth to say My first song vpon a day I bethought me what wo And sorowe that I suffred tho For her and yet she wist it nought Ne tell her durst I not my thought Alas thought I I can no rede And but I tell her I am but dede And if I tel her to say right soth I am a dradde she woll be wroth Alas what shall I then do In this debate I was so wo Me thought mine hert brast a twain So at the last sothe for to saine I bethought me that Nature Ne formed never in creature So much beauty trewly And bounty without mercy In hope of that may tale I tolde With sorowe as that I never sholde For nedes and maugre mine heed I must have tolde her or be deed I not well how that I began Full yvell reherce it I can And eke as helpe me God withall I trow it was in the dismall That was the ten woundes of Egipt For many a word I overskipt In my tale for pure fere Lest my wordes misse set were With sorowfull hert and woundes dede Softe and quaking for pure drede And shame and stinting in my tale For ferde and mine hew al pale Full oft I wexte both pale and reed Bowing to her I hing the heed I durst not ones loke her on For wit manner and all was gone I said mercy and no more It nas no game it sate me sore So at the the last soth to saine Whan that mine heart was com againe To tell shortly all my speech With hole harte I gan her beseech That she wolde be my Lady swete And swore and hertely gan her hete Ever to be stedfast and trewe And love her alway freshly newe And never other Lady have And all her worship for to save As I best coude I sware her this For yours is all that ever there is For evermore mine hertswete And never to false you but I mete I nyl as wise God helpe me so And when I had my tale ydo God wote she
herber greene That benched was with colours new clene This herber was full of floures gende Into the which as I beholde gan Betwixt an Hulfeere and a Woodbende As I was ware I saw where lay a man In blacke and white colour pale and wan And wonder deadly also of his hewe Of hurtes grene and fresh woundes new And overmore distrayned with sicknesse Beside all this he was full grevoussy For vpon him he had an hore accesse That day by day him shooke full pitously So that for constrayning of his malady And hertely wo thus lying all alone It was a death for to hear him grone Wherof astonied my fote I gan withdraw Greatly wondring what it might be That he so lay and had no felaw Ne that I coud no wight with him see Wherof I had routhe and eke pite And gan anone so softly as I coude Among the bushes prively me to shroude If that I might in any wise aspy What was the cause of his deedly wo Or why that he so pitously gan cry On his fortune and on vre also With all my might I layd an eare to Every word to marke what he said Out of his swough amonge as he abraid Bur first if I should make mencion Of his person and plainely him discrive He was in sothe without excepcion To speake of manhood one the best on llve There may no man ayen trouth strive For of his tyme and of his age also He proved was there men shuld have ado For one of the best therto of bread length So well ymade by good proporcion If he had be in his deliver strength But thought and sicknesse were occasion That he thus lay in lamentacion Gruffe on the ground in place desolate Sole by himselfe awhaped and amate And for me seemeth that it is fitting His wordes all to put in remembraunce To me that heard all his complayning And all the ground of his wofull chaunce If there withall I may you do pleasaunce I woll to you so as I can anone Lyke as he sayd rehearce everichone But who shall helpe me now to complain Or who shall now my stile gy or lede O Niobe let now thy teeres rain In to my penne and helpe eke in nede Thou wofull Myrre that felest my hert blede Of pitous wo and mine hand eke quake When that I write for this mannes sake * For vnto wo accordeth complayning And dolefull chere vnto heavinesse To sorow also sighing and weping And pitous mourning vnto drerinesse * And who that shall write of distresse In party needeth to know feelingly Cause and roote of all soch malady But I alas that am of witte but dull And have no knowing of soch matere For to discrive and write at the full The wofull complaint which that ye shall here But even like as doth a skriuenere That can no more what that he shall write But as his maister beside doth endite Right so fare I that of no sentement Say right naught in conclusion But as I herde when I was present This man complaine with a pitous soun For even like without addicioun Or disencrease eyther more or lesse For to reherse anone I woll me dresse And if that any now be in this place That fele in love brenning of fervence Or hindred were to his ladies grace With false tonges that with pestilence Slea trewe men that neuer did offence In worde nor deed ne in her entent If any soch be here now present Let him of routh lay to audience With doleful chere and sobre countenaunce To here this man by full hye sentence His mortall wo and his perturbaunce Complayning now lying in a traunce With lookes vpcast and rufull chere Theffect of which was as ye shall here The thought oppressed with inward sighs sore The painful life the body languishing The woful gost the hert rent and tore The pitous chere pale in complayning The deedly face like ashes in shining The salte teares that from mine eyen fall Percel declare ground of my paynes all Whose hert is ground to blede in heuinesse The thought receit of wo and of complaint The brest is chest of dole and drerinesse The body eke so feeble and so faint With hote and colde mine axes is so maint That now I chiuer for default of heat And hote as glede now sodainly I sweat Now hote as fire now colde as ashes deed Now hote for cold now cold for heat againe Now colde as yse now as coles reed For heate I brenne and thus betwixe twaine I possed am and all forecast in paine So that my heate plainly as I fele Of greeuous colde is cause euery dele This is the colde of inward hie disdayn Colde of dispite and colde of cruell hate This is the colde that euer doth his besie payn Ayenst trouth to fight and debate This is the colde that the fire abate Of trewe meaning alas the harde while This is the colde that woll me begile For euer the better that in trouth I ment With all my might faithfully to serue With herte and all to be diligent The lesse thanke alas I can deserue Thus for my trouth danger both me sterue For one that should my death of mercy let Hath made dispite new his swerde to whet Against me and his growes to file To take vengeaunce of wilfull cruelte And tonges false through her sleightly wile Han gon a werre that will not stinted be And false enuie wrath and enuite Haue conspired against all right and law Of her malice that trouth shall be slaw And male bouch gan first the tale tell To sclaunder trouth of indignacion And false reporte so loude range the bell That misbeleefe and false suspecion Haue trouth brought to his dampnacion So that alas wrong fully he dieth And falsenesse now his place occupieth And entred is in to trouthes londe And hath thereof the full possession O rightfull God that first the trouth fonde How may thou suffre soch oppression That falsheed should haue jurisdiction In trouthes right to slee him gyltles In his fraunchise he may not lyue in pees Falsly accused and of his fone forjudged Without answere while he was absent He damned was and may not be excused For cruelte sate in judgement Of hastinesse without aduisement And badde Disdaine do execute anone His judgement in presence of his fone Attourney may none admitted been To excuse trouth ne a worde to speke To faith or othe the judge list not seen There is no gaine but he will be wreke O Lord of trouth to thee I call and clepe How may thou see thus in thy presence Without mercy murdred innocence Now God that art of trouth soueraine And seest how I lie for trouth bound So sore knit in loues fyrie chaine Euen at yâ— death through gyrte with many a wound That likely are neuer for to sound And for my troutham dampned to the death And not abyde but draw along the breath Consider and see in thine eternal right How
wit to parfite werke may by no way puruay the end how should I then so leaude aught wene of perfection any end to get Neuer the later grace glory and laude I yeelde and put with worshipfull reuerence to the soothfast God in three with vnitye closed which that the heauy langour of my sicknesse hath tourned into myrthe of health to recover for right as I was sorrowed through the glotton cloude of manyfolde sickly sorow so mirth ayen commyng health hath me gladded greatly comforted I beseech and pray therefore and I crie on Gods great pite and on his mokell mercye that this present scourges of my flesh mow make medicine and leech craft of my inner mans health so that my passed trespas and tenes through weepyng of myne eyes been washe and I voided from all manner disease no more to weep hereafter I now be kept thorow Gods grace so that Gods hand which merciablye mee hath scourged hereafter in good plite from thence merciably mee keepe and defend In this booke be many priuye things wimpled and fold vnneth shul leaud men the plites vnwinde wherefore I praye to the Holy ghoste he lene of his oyntmentes mens wittes to cleere and for Gods loue no man wonder why or how this question cum to my minde for my grate lustie desire was of this ladie to been enformed my lewdnesse to amende Certes I know not other mens wittes what I should aske or in aunswere what I shuld say I am so leude my self that mokell more learnyng yet mee behoueth I haue made therefore as I could but not sufficiently as I would as matter yaue me sentence for my dull witte is hindred by stepmother of foryetyng and with cloude of vnconnyng that stoppeth the light of my Margarite pearle wherefore it may not shine on me as it should I desire not only a good reader but also I coueite and pray a good booke amender in correction of words and of sentence and only this mede I coueit for my trauayle that euery inseer and hearer of this leud fautasie deuout horisons and prayers to God the dread iudge yelden and praien for me in that wise that in his dome my sins mow been released foryeuen he that praieth for other for himselfe trauayleth Also I pray that euery man parfitely mow knowe through what intencion of hert this treatise haue I draw How was it the sightful Manna in desert to children of Israel was spirituel meate bodily also it was for mens bodies it nourished And yet neuer the later Christ it signified Right so a iewell betokeneth a gemine and that is a stone vertuous or els a pearle Margarite a woman betokeneth grace learning or wisedome of God or els holy Church If bread through vertue is made holy flesh what is that our God saith * It is the spirite that yeueth life the flesh of nothyng it profiteth Flesh is fleshly vnderstanding Flesh without grace and loue naught is worth * The letter sleeth the spirite yeueth lifelich vnderstanding Charitie is loue and loue is charity God graunt vs all therein to be frended And thus the Testament of Loue is ended ¶ Here endeth the Testament of Loue. The Lamentation of Mary Magdalen This Treatise is taken out of S. Origen wherein Mary Magdalen lamenteth the Cruel Death of her Saviour Christ PLonged in the wawe of mortal distresse Alas for wo to whom shall I complain Or who shal deuoid this great heuinesse Fro me woful Mary woful Magdalen My lord is gon alas who wrought this tein This sodain chance perseth my hert so depe That nothing can I do but waile wepe My lord is gone y◠here in graue was laied After his great passion and death cruell Who hath him thus again betraied Or what man here about can me tell Where he is become the Prince of Israel Iesus of Nazareth my ghostly succour My parfite love and hope of all honour What creature hath him hence caried Or how might this so sodainly befall I would I had here with him taried And so should I haue had my purpose all I bought ointments full precious and royal Wherewith I hoped his corps to anointed But he thus gone my mind is dispointed While I therefore aduertise and behold This pitous chaunce here in my presence Full little maruaile though my hert be cold Considring lo my Lordes absence Alas that I so full of negligence Sould be found because I come so late All men may say I am infortunate Cause of my sorow you may vnderstand Quia tulerunt Dominum meum An other is that I ne may fonde I wote nere Ubi posuerunt eum Thus I must bewayle Dolorem meum With hartie weping I can no better deserue Till death approch my hert for to kerue My hert opprest with sodaine auenture By feruent anguish is be wrapped so That long this lyfe I may not endure Soch is my paine soch is my mortall wo Neuerthelesse to what party shall I go In hope to find myne owne Turtill true My liues ioy my souerain Lorde Iesu Sith all my ioy that I call his presence Is thus remoued now I am full of mone Alas the while I made no prouidence For this mishap wherefore I sigh and grone Succour to find to what place might I gon Fain I would to some man my hert breake I not to whom I may complaine or speake Alone here I stand full sory and full sad Which hoped to haue seen my lord and king Small cause haue I to be merie or glad Remembryng his bitterfull departing In this world is no creature liuing That was to me so good and gracious His loue also than gold more precious Full sore I sigh without comfort again There is no cure to my saluacion His brenning loue my hert so doth constrain Alas here is a wofull permutacion Whereof I find no joy nor consolacion Therefore my payne all onely to confesse With death I feare woll end my heauinesse This wo and anguish is intollerable If I bide here life can I not sustaine If I go hence my paines be vncurable Where him to find I know no place certain And thus I not of these things twaine Which I may take and which I may refuse My hert is wounded hereon to think or muse A while I shall stand in this mournyng In hope if any vision would appere That of my loue might tell some good tidyng Which into joy might chaunge my wepyng chere I trust in his grace his mercy dere But at the least though I therewith me kill I shall not spare to waile and wepe my fill And if that I die in soch auenture I can no more but welcome as my chaunce My bones shall rest here in this sepulture My lyfe my death is at his ordinaunce It shal be told in euerlastyng remembraunce Thus to departe is to me no shame And also thereof I am nothyng to blame Hope against me hath her course ytake There is no more but
may my greuance amend Now yet good Lord I thee beseech pray As thou raised my brother Lazarous From death to life the fourth day Came ayen in body and soule precious As great a thing maist thou shew vnto vs Of thy selfe by power of thy godhead As thou did of him lying in graue dead Mine hert is wounded with thy charite It brenneth it flameth incessauntly Come my dear Lord Ad adjuvandum me Now be not long my paine to multiplie Least in the mean time I depart and die In thy grace I put both hope confidence To do as it pleaseth thy high magnificence Floods of death and tribulatioun Into my soule I feele entred full deepe Alas that here is no consolatioun Euer I waile euer I mourne and weepe And sorowhath wounded mine hert ful deepe O deare loue no maruaile though I die Sagittae tuae infixae sunt mihi Wandring in this place as in wildernesse No comfort haue I ne yet assuraunce Desolate of ioy replete with faintnesse No answere receiuing of mine enquiraunce Mine herte also greued with displeasaunce Wherefore I may say O Deus Deus Non est dolor sicut dolor meus Mine herte expresseth Quod dilexi multum I may not endure though I would faine For now Solum superest Sepulchrum I know it right well by my huge paine Thus for loue I may not life sustaine But O God I muse what ayleth thee Quod sic repente praecipitas me Alas I see it wol none otherwise be Now must I take my leaue for euermore This bitter paine hath almost discomfite me My loues corse I can in no wise restore Alas to this wo that euer I was bore Here at this tombe now must I die starue Death is about my heart for to carue My testament I woll begin to make To God the father my soule I commend To Iesu my loue that died for my sake My heart and all both I giue and send In whose loue my life maketh end My body also to this monument I here bequeath both boxe and ointment Of all my wills lo now I make the last Right in this place within this sepulture I woll be buried when I am dead and past And vpon my graue I woll haue this scripture Here within resteth a ghostly creature Christs true louer Mary Magdalaine Whose hart for loue brake in peeces twaine Ye vertuous women tender of nature Full of pitie and of compassion Resort I pray you vnto my sepulture To sing my dirige with great deuotion Shew your charitie in this condition Sing with pitie and let your herts weepe Remembring I am dead and layd to sleepe Then when ye begin to part me fro And ended haue your mourning obseruance Remember wheresoeuer that ye go Alway to search make due enqueraunce After my loue mine herts sustenaunce In euery towne and in euery village If ye may here of this noble image And if it happe by any grace at last That ye my true loue find in any cost Say that his Magdaleine is dead and past For his pure loue hath yeelded vp the ghost Say that of all thing I loued him most And that I might not this death eschew May paines so sore did euer renew And in token of loue perpetual When I am buried in this place present Take out mine hert the very root and al And close it within this boxe of ointment To my deare loue make thereof a present Kneeling downe with words lamentable Do your message speake faire and tretable Say that to him my selfe I commend A thousand times with herte so free This poore token say to him I send Pleaseth his goodnesse to take it in gree It is his own of right it is his fee Which he asked when he said long before * Giue me thy heart and I desire no more Adue my Lord my loue so faire of face Adue my turtle doue so fresh of hew Adue my mirth adue all my sollace Adue alas my sauiour Lord Iesu Adue the gentillest that euer I knew Adue my most excellent paramour Fairer than rose sweeter than lilly flour Adue my hope of all pleasure eternall My life my wealth and my prosperitie Mine heart of gold my perle orientall Mine adamant of perfite charitie My cheefe refuge and my felicitie My comfort and all my recreatioun Farewell my perpetuall saluatioun Farewell mine Emperour Celestiall Most beautifull prince of all mankind Adue my lord of heart most liberall Farewell my sweetest both soule and mind So louing a spouse shall I neuer find Adue my soueraine and very gentilman Farewell dere heart as hertely as I can Thy words eloquent flowing in sweetnesse Shal no more alas my mind recomfort Wherfore my life must end in bitternesse For in this world shall I neuer resort To thee which was mine heauenly disport I see alas it woll none other be Now farewell the ground of all dignitie Adue the fairest that euer was bore Alas I may not see your blessed face Now welaway that I shall see no more Thy blessed visage so replete with grace Wherein is printed my perfite sollace Adue mine hertes root and all for euer Now farewell I must from thee disceuer My soule for anguish is now full thursty I faint right sore for heauinesse My lord my spouse Cur me dereliquisti Sith I for thee suffer all this distresse What causeth thee to seeme thus mercilesse Sith it thee pleaseth of me to make an end In Manus tuas my spirit I commend ¶ Finis The Prologue to the Remedy of LOVE SEeing the manifolde inconuenience Falling by vnbrideled prosperitie Which is not tempred with mortal prudence Nothing more wealthy than youths freeltie Moued I am both of right and equitie To youths we le somewhat to write Whereby he may himselfe safecondite First I note as thing most noyous Vnto youth a greeuous maladie Among us called loue encombrous Vexing yong people straungelie Oft by force causeth hem to die Age is eke turmented by loue Bineath the girdle and not aboue Wherfore this werk which is right laborous For age me need nat in hond to take To youth me oweth to be obsequious Now I begin thus to worke for his sake Which may the feruence of loue aslake To the louer as a mitigatiue To him that is none a preseruatiue That mighty lord which me gouerneth Youth I meane measure if I pace In euery matter which him concerneth First as is behouefull I woll aske grace And forthwithall in this same place Ere I begin I woll kneel and sa These few words and him of helpe pray Flouring youth which hast auauntage In strength of body in lust and beaute Also a precelling hast aboue age In many a singular commodite Howbeit one thing he hath beyond thee To thy most profite greatest auaile Which shuld the conduit I mean sad counsaile And yet good lord of a presumption I nill depraue thy might and deitie I liue but vnder thy protection I am thy subiect
men But with maidens I meane or women Maiden seruants be right conuenient In house to helpe to doe her seruice In whom she may vse her commaundement In the season at her owne deuice To teach hem good yeue her thine aduice To make them huswiues thus businesse May yet refraine her from idlenesse But bide not her that thou wolt haue do Of thine entent that might be letting But craftely encourage her thereto By other meanes as by commending And not too moch but duely menging Both praise and blame and in thy reason First praise wisely the place and season Of faithfull will and hert full tender One thing I call into remembraunce Again which though my wit be slender After my power and suffisaunce I purpose to make a purueyaunce Sith women of nature been vnchaungeable Freale not ware also disceiuable Be it that thy wife be excellently good That none be better of disposicion In processe of time she might turn her mood By some misse liuers instigacion * Diuers men to thilke occupacion Aplien daily minde and eke hert From her goodnesse women to peruert If thou aspie any suspect person Draw to thy wife beware in all wise To him nor her of thy suspeccion Breake not one worde though thine herte agrise * Kindle no fire no smoke woll arise Though he be of a corrupt entent She perauenture is not of assent Explicit The Complaint of Mars and Venus GLadeth ye louers in the morowe graie Lo Venus risen among you Rows rede And floures freshe honour ye this daie For when yâ— sun vprist then wold they sprede But ye louers that lie in any drede Flieth least wicked tongues you aspie Lo yonde the Sun the candell of jelousie With tears blew with a wounded hert Taketh your leue with saint Iohn to borow Apeseth somewhat of your paines smert Time cometh eft that cessen shall your sorow * The glad night is worth an heauy morow Saint Valentine a foule thus heard I sing Vpon thy day or Sun gan vp spring Yet sang this foule I rede you all awake And ye that haue not chosen in humble wise Without repenting cheseth your make Yet at the least renoueleth your seruice And ye that haue full chosen as I deuise Confermeth it perpetually to dure And paciently taketh your auenture And for the worship of this high feast Yet woll I my briddes wise sing The sentence of the complaint at the least That wofull Mars made at the departing Fro fresh Venus in a morowning When Phebus with his firie torches rede Ransaked hath euery louer in his drede Whilome the three heauens lorde aboue As well by heauenlich reuolucion As by desert hath wonne Venus his loue And she hath take him in subiection And as a maistresse taught him his lesson Commaunding him neuer in her seruice He were so bold no louer to dispise For she forbade him iealousie at all And cruelty and boste and tyranny She made him at her lust so humble tall That when she dained to cast on him her iye He tooke in patience to liue or die And thus she bridleth him in her maner With nothing but with scorning of her chere Who reigneth now in blisse but Venus That hath this worthy knight in gouernance Who singeth now but Mars yâ— serueth thus The faire Venus causer of pleasaunce He bint him to perpetuel obeysaunce And she binte her to loue him for euer But so be that his trespace it disceuer Thus be they kint reignen as in heuen By loking most as it fell on a tide That by her both assent was set a steuen That Mars shall entre as fast as he may glide In to her next palais to abide Walking his course till she had him ytake And he prayed her to hast her for his sake Then said he thus mine herts lady sweete Ye know well my mischief in that place For sikerly till that I with you meete My life stante there in auenture and grace But when I see the beaute of your face There is no drede of death may do me smert For all your lusts is ease to mine hert She hath so great compassion of her knight That dwelleth in solitude till she come For it stode so that ilke time no wight Counsailed him ne said to him welcome That nigh her wit for sorow was ouercome Wherfore she spedded as fast in her way Almost in one day as he did in tway The great ioy that was betwix hem two When they be mette there may no tong tel There is no more but unto bedde they go And thus in ioy and blisse I let hem dwell This worthy Mars that is of knighthood well The floure of fairnesse happeth in his arms And Venus kisseth Mars the God of arms Soiourned hath this Mars of which I rede In chambre amidde the palais priuely A certaine time till him fell a drede Through Phebus that was commen hastely Within the palais yates sturdely With torch in hond of which that stremes bright On Venus chambre knockeden ful light The chambre there as lay this fresh queene Depainted was with white boles grete And by the light she knew that shon so shene That Phebus cam to bren hem with his hete This silly Venus ny dreint in teares wete Enbraseth Mars and said alas I die The torch is come yâ— al this world wol wrie Vp sterte Mars him list not to sleepe When he his lady herde so complaine But for his nature was not for to weepe Instede of teares from his eyen twaine The firy sparcles sprongen out for paine And hente his hauberke that lay him beside Flie wold he nought ne might himself hide He throweth on his helme of huge weight And girt him with his swerde in his honde His mighty speare as he was wont to feight He shoketh so that it almost to wonde Full heuy was he to walken ouer londe He may not hold with Venus company But had her flie least Phebus her espy O woful Mars alas what maist thou sain That in the palais of thy disturbaunce Art left behind in peril to be slain And yet there to is double thy penaunce For she that hath thine hert in gouernance Is passed halfe the stremes of thine eyen That thou nere swift wel maist thou wepe and crien Now flieth Nenus in to Ciclinius tour With void corse for fear of Phebus light Alas and there hath she no socour For she ne found ne sey no maner wight And eke as there she had but littel might Wherefore her selven for to hide and saue Within the gate she fledde in to a caue Darke was this caue smoking as the hell Nat but two paas within the yate it stood A naturel day in darke I let her dwell Now wol I speake of Mars furious wood For sorow he wold haue seene his hert blood Sith that he might haue done her no company He ne rought not a mite for to die So feble
body hath do shame No worship may he thus to him conquer But great disclaunder vnto him and her To her nay yet was it no reprefe For all for vertue was that she wrought But he that brewed hath all this mischefe That spake so faire fasâ—y inward thought His be the sclaunder as it by reson ought And vnto her thanke perpetuell That in soch a need help can so well Although through mens sleight subtilty A sely simple and innocent woman Betraied is no wonder sith the city Of Troy as the sâ—orie tell can Betrayed was through the disceit of man And set on fyre all downe ouerthrowe And finally destroied as men knowe Betray nat men cities great and kings What wight is it that can shape remedy Ayenst these falsely purposed things Who can by crafte soch craftes espy But man whose witt is ever redy taply To thing that sowning is to falshede Women bethe ware of false men I rede And farthermore have these men in vsage That where they nat likely been to speed Soch as they ben with a double visage They procuren for to pursewe her need He prayeth him in his cause to proceed And largely guerdoneth he his travaile Litel wote women how men hem assaile Another wretch vnto his felow saith Thou fishest faire she that thee hath fired Is false inconstaunt and hath no faith She for the rode of folke is so desired And as an horse fro day to day she is hired That when thou twinnest fro her company Commeth another and blered is thine eye Now pricke on fast and ride thy journey While thou art there for she behind thy back So liberall is she woll nothing withsey But smattly of another take a smack Thus fare these women all the pack * Who so hem trusteth hanged mote he bee Ever they desire chaunge and nolveltee Whereof proceedeth this but of envy For he himselfe her ne winne may He speaketh her reprefe and villany As mans blabbing tonge is wont alway Thus divers men full oft make assay For to distourbe folke in sondry wise For they may not obtaine her emprise Many one eke would for no good That hath in love his time spent and vsed Men wish that his lady his asking withstood Ere that he were of her plainly refused Or waste and vaine all that he had mused Wherefore he can none other remedy But on his lady shaperh him to ly Cvery woman he saith is light to gete Can none say nay if she be well ysought Who so may leiser have with her to trete Of his purpose shall he fayle nought But he on madnesse be so depe brought That he shende all with open homelynesse That loven women they doten as I gesse To slaunder women thus what may profite To gentillesse namely that hem arme should In defence of women and hem delite As that the ordre of gentillesse wold If that a man list gentill to be hold * He must all eschewe yâ— thereto is contrary A sclaundrous tonge is his great adversary A foule vice is of tonge to be light For who so moch clappeth gabbeth oft The tonge of man so swift is and so wight That when it is reised vp on loft Reason is shewed so slowly and soft That it him never ouertake may Lord so these men been trusty in assay Albeit that men find one woman nice Inconstaunt rechlesse and variable Deignous proude fulfilled of mallice Without faith or love and disceivable Sly queint false in all vntrust coulpable Wicked feirse or full of cruelte Yet followeth it not that soch all women be When yâ— high God aungels fourmed had Among hem all were there none That founden was malicious and bad Yet all men wote there were many one That for her pride fill fro heven anone Shuld men for thy yeve al angels proud name Nay he that thee susteineth is to blame Of twelve Apostles one a traitour was The remnant yet good were and trew So if it hap men find percaas O woman false soch good is to eschew And deme not that they all therfore be vntrewe * I see well mens owne falsenesse Hem causeth women to trust the lesse O every man ought have an herte tendre Vnto a woman and deeme her honorable Where his shape be thicke or slendre Or he be good or badde it is no fable Every wight wote that wit hath resonable That of a woman he discended is Then is it shame of her to speake amisse A wicked tree good fruite may none forth bring For soch the fruite is as is the tree Take heed of whom thou toke thy beginning Let thy mother be mirrour vnto thee Honour her if thou wolte honoured bee Dispise her then not in no manere Lest that thereby thy wickednesse appere An old proverbe sayd is in English * That bird or foule is full dishonest What that he be and hold full churlish That vseth to defoule his owne nest Men to say well of women it is the best And naught to dispise hem ne depraue If they woll her honour keep or saue The ladies ever complain hem on clerks That they have made bookes of her diffame In which they dispise women her werks And speak of hem great reprofe and shame And causelesse yeve hem a wicked name Thus they dispised be on every side Disclaundred and blowen on full wide Tho sory bookes maken mencion How women betraide in especiall Adam David Sampson and Salomon And many one mo who may reherse hem all The treason that they have do and shall The world her malice may not comprehend As clerkes saine for it hath none end Ouide in his boke called Remedy Of loue great reprofe of women writeth Wherein I trowe he did great foly And euery wight that in soch case him deliteth A clerkes custome is when he enditeth Of women be it prose time or vers Say they be wicked all know he the reuers And yâ— boke scholers lerned in her childhede For they of women beware should in age And to loue hem euer be in drede Sith to disceiue is set all her corage They say of perel men should cast thauauntage Namely of soch as men haue in bewrapped For many a man by women hath mishapped No charge is what so these clerkes saine Of all her writing I doe no cure All her labour and trauayle is in vaine For betweene me and my lady nature Shall not be suffred while yâ— world may dure Thus these clerkes by her cruell tyranny On selie women kithen her maistry Whilom for many of hem were in my cheine Tied and now for vnwedly age And vnlust may not to loue atteine And saine now that loue is but very dotage Thus for they hemselfe lacken courage They folke excite by her wicked sawes For to rebell ayenst me and my lawes But mauger hem that blame women most Such is the force of mine impression That sodainly I can fell her boste And all her wrong imagination It shall not be in
no force of thy reddour To him that ouer himselfe hath maistre * My suffisaunce shall be my succour For finally fortune I defie O Socrates thou stedfast champion She might neuer be thy turmentour Thou neuer dredest her oppression Ne in her chere found thou no fauour Thou knew the deceit of her colour And that her most worship is for to lie I know her eke a false dissimulour For finally fortune I defie The answer of Fortune * No man is wretched but himselfe it wene Ne that hath in himselfe suffisaunce Why saist thou then I am to thee so kene That hast thy selfe out of my gouernance Say thus graunt mercy of thine habundance that thou hast lent or this thou shalt not striue What wost thou yet how I thee woll auance And eke thou hast thy best friend aliue I haue thee taught deuision betweene Friend of effect and friend of countenaunce Thee needeth not the gall of an Hine That cureth eyen darke for her pennaunce Now seest thou clere that were in ignoraunce * Yet holt thine anker yet thou maistarriue There bounty beareth yâ— key of my substance And eke thou hast thy best friend aliue How many haue I refused to sustene Sith I haue thee fostred in thy pleasaunce Wolt thou then make a statute on thy quene That I shall be aye at thine ordinaunce Thou born art in my reigne of variaunce About the whele with other must thou driue My lore is bet then wicke is thy greuaunce And eke thou hast thy best friend aliue The answer to Fortune Thy lore I dampne it is aduersity My frend maist thou not reue blind goddesse That I thy friends know I thanke it thee * Take hem againe let hem go lie a presse The niggardes in keeping her richesse Pronoslike is thou wolt her toure assaile * Wicke appetite commeth aye before sicknesse In general this rule may not faile Fortune Thou pinchest at my mutability For I thee lent a droppe of my richesse And now me liketh to withdraw me Why shouldest thou my royalty oppresse The sea may ebbe and flow more and lesse The welken hath might to shine rain hail Right so must I kithe my brotilnesse In generall this rule may not fail The Plaintife Lo the execution of the majesty That all purueigheth of his rightwisenesse That same thing fortune clepen ye Ye blind beasts full of leaudnesse * The heauen hath property of sikernesse This world hath euer restlesse trauaile The last day is end of mine entresse In generall this rule may not faile Thenuoye of Fortune Princes I pray you of your gentilnesse Let not this man and me thus cry and plain And I shall quite you this businesse And if ye liste releue him of his pain Pray ye his best frende of his noblesse That to some better state he may attain Lenuoy TO broken been the statutes hie in heauen That create were eternally tendure Sithe that I see the bright Goddes seuen Mowe wepe and waile and passion endure As may in yearth a mortall creature Alas fro whens may this thing procede Of which errour I die almost for drede By word eterne whilom was it shape That fro the fifth cercle in no manere Ne might of teares doune escape But now so weepeth Venus in her sphere That with her teares she wol drench vs here Alas Scogan this is for thine offence Thou causest this deluge of pestilence Hast thou not said in blaspheme of yâ— goddis Through pride or through thy gret rekelnes Such things as in the law of loue forbode is That for thy lady saw not thy distresse Therfore thou yaue her vp at Mighelmesse Alas Scogan of olde folke ne yong Was neuer erst Scogan blamed for his tong Thou drew in scorne Cupide eke to record Of thilke rebell word that thou hast spoken For which he woll no lenger be thy Lord And Scogan though his bow be not broken He woll not with his arowes be ywroken On thee ne me ne none of our figure We shall of him haue neither hurte ne cure Now certes frend I drede of thine vnhape Lest for thy gilte the wreche of loue procede On all hem that been hore round of shape That be so likely folke to spede Then we shall of our labour haue our mede But well I wot thou wolt answere and say * Lo old Grisell list to renne and play Nay Scogan say not so for I me excuse God helpe me so in no rime doubtles Ne thinke I neuer of sleepe wake my muse That rusteth in my sheath still in pees While I was yong I put her forth in prees But all shall passe that men prose or time Take euery man his tourne as for his time * Scogan thou knelest at the stremes hedde Of grace of all honour and of worthiness In th ende of which I am dull as dedde Forgotten in solitary wildernesse Yet Scogan thinke on Tullius kindness Mind thy frende there it may fructifie Farewel and looke thou neuer eft loue defie Explicit * GO forth King rule thee by Sapience Bishop be able to minister doctrine Lorde to true counsaile yeue audience Womanhode to chastity euer encline Knight let thy deedes worship determine Be righteous Iudge in sauing thy name Rich do almose lest thou lese bliss with shame * People obey your king and the law Age be ruled by good religion True seruant be dredful kepe thee vnder aw And thou poore fie on presumpcion Inobedience to youth is vtter destruction Remember you how God hath set you lo And doe your part as ye be ordeined to Th. Occleve to his empty Purse TO you my purse and to none other wight Complaine I for ye be my Lady dere I am sorry now that ye be light For certes ye now make me heauy chere Me were as lefe laid vpon a bere For which vnto your mercy thus I crie Be heauy againe or els mote I die Now vouchsafe this day or it be night That I of you the blissful sowne may here Or see your colour like the sunne bright That of yelowness had neuer pere Ye be my life ye be my hertes stere Queene of comfort and of good companie Be heauy againe or els mote I die Now purse that art to me my liues light And sauiour as downe in this world here Out of this towne helpe me by your might Sith that you woll not be my treasure * For I am shaue as nere as any frere But I pray vnto your curtesie Be heauy againe or els mote I die Explicit Occleve unto the King O Conquerour of Brutes Albion Which that by line and free election Been very king this to you I send And ye that may all harmes amend Haue minde vpon my supplicacion Explicit A Ballad of good counsail translated out of Latin verses into English by Dan John Lidgate cleped the Monk of Bury COnsider well every circumstaunce Of what estate ever thou bee Riche strong or mighty of puissance
perturbaunce So that ye woll have me in remembraunce What is your will plainly ye do expresse That maketh this curious supplicacion Say on sir on hertly tendernesse Beth well advised of vaine delectacion * At your beginning thinke on yâ— terminacion Pass not your boundes be not too negligent And ever beware for drede or ye be shent Your goodly behaving your beaute countenaunce Maketh me incline to do you reverence Your lovely loking your glorious governance Overcometh my spirits my wit my prudence Some drop of grace of your magnificence Vnto your servaunt ye shew attendaunce And regester my love in your remembraunce O comberous thought of mans fragility O fervent will of lustes furious O cruel corage causing adversity Of womens corrupcion eke contrarious * Remember man that chaunge is perilous To breke the virginity of virgines innocent Wherfore beware wankind or thou be shent My peine is preuy impossible to deserne My lamentable thoughts by casting mourning O general Iudge Iesu sitting superne Graciously convert the loue of my swete thing O amiable lady gracious and beninge I put me wholy in your gouernaunce Exile me not out of your remembraunce Me semeth by langage ye be some protestate Or else some curious gloser disceuable What is your name mekely I make regrate Or of what science or craft commendable I am a lady excellent and honorable * He must be gay yâ— should be to mine entent Wherefore I will be ware or I be shent Lord God this is a sharpe examinacion Of her that is most in my memory Vnto you lady I make certificacion My name is trew loue of carnal desidery Of mans copulacion the very exemplary Which am one of your seruaunts of pleasaunce I must be cheefe called to remembraunce I haue sought true loue of yeres great proces Yet found I neuer loue but for a season * Some men be diuerse know no gentilnes And some lacke both wisedome and reason In some men is trust in some men is treason Wherfore I will conclude my auisement And ever beware for drede that I be shent The rectour Tullius so gay of eloquence And Ovide that sheweth the craft of loue expres With habundaunce of Salomons prudence And pulcritude of Absalons fairenesse And I were possessed with Iobs great richesse Manly as Sampson my person to auance Yet shuld I submit me in your remembrance Now sir if that it pleaseth your noblenesse To give aduertence to my question What thing is pleasure of sweetnesse And is most bitter in final successon Or what thing giveth man occasion In tender age for to be concupiscent Resolue this question or drede sir ye be shent My soueraigne lady Ouide in his writing * Saith that desire of worldly concupiscence As for a time is sweete in his worching And in his end he causeth great offence Notwithstanding my lady dame Prudence Green flowring age a manly countenaunce Causeth ladies to haue it in remembraunce Your goodly answer so notable in substaunce Wold cause the hert of womanhede conuert Vnto delite of natural pleasaunce But of one thing I wold faine be expert Why mens langage wol procure transuert The will of women and virgines innocent Wherefore I am aferd or I be shent Let neuer the loue of true loue be losed My soueraine lady in no maner wise In your confidence my wordes I haue closed My amiable loue to you I do promise * So that ye knit the knot of exercise Both lock and key ye haue in gouernance Emprint my loue in your remembrance O very trust and I were certefied The plain entention of your hertes cordiall Me seemeth in blisse then were I glorified Vnto your pleasure I would be at your call But euer I feare of chaunces casuall Of fraude disceipt and langage insolent Then were I sure maidenhed should be shent Ther was neuer tresour of terrestrial riches Nor precious stones rekened innumerable To be of comparison vnto your high goodnes Aboue all creatures to me most amiable Trust not the contrary I was neuer disceuable * Keep well true loue forge no dissemblance And graciously take me to your remembrance Me semeth by feiture of womanly properte Ye shuld be trusty and trewe of promis I finde in you no false duplicite Wherefore true loue ye haue my here I wis And euermore shall endure so haue I blis The federasie made with good auisement God graunt grace that nether of vs be shent When Phebus fresh was in chare splendent In the moneth of May erly in a morning I hard two louers profer this argument In the yeere of our Lord a M. by rekening CCCXL and VIII yeere following O potent princesse conserue true louers all And grant them thy region blisse celestiall Explicit the craft of louers A Ballad OF their nature they greatly them delite With holy face feined for the nones * In saintwary their frends to visite More for reliques than for saincts bones Though they be closed vnder precious stones To gete them pardon like their old vsages * To kisse no shrines but lusty quike Images When maidens are wedded houshold haue take All their humility is exiled away And the cruel hertes beginneth to awake They do all the besie cure that they can or may To vexe their houshold maisters yâ— soth for to say Wherfore ye yong men I rede you for thy * Beware alway the blind eats many a fly Of this mater I dare make no lenger relacion For in default of slepe my spirits wexen faint In my study I haue had so long an habitacion That my body my gost are greuously attaint And therfore of this proces I make no lenger But whether yâ— blind eat flesh or fish complaint * I pray God keepe the fly out of my dish Now I make an end lay me doun to rest For I know by experience verament If maidens and wiues knew and wist Who made the matter he should be shent Wherefore I pray God omnipotent Him saue and keepe both night and day Written in the lusty season of May. Explicit The Ten Commandments of Love CErtes ferre extendeth yet my reason This matter as it should be to discriue But I trust your grace will in this season Consider how with conning that I striue For in his fauour coud I neuer arriue Eloquence this Ballad hath in great despite The maker lacketh maner to endite Of Loues commandments x. is the number As afterward shall rudely be rehearsed And louers in no wise depart asunder Where as they be obserued and redressed Daunger and vnkindnesse been oppressed And that is commaunded this to make Is your owne all other to forsake Faith Faith is the first and principally to tell Very loue requireth soch credence That eche beleue other as true as yâ— Gospel Without adulacion or flattering audience In true meaning and trusty confidence * Paint not your conning with colour ne fable For then your loue must needs be vnstable Entencion In
anone beholding here and there I spied a friend of mine and that full sone A gentlewoman was the chamberere Vnto the quene that hote as ye shall here Philobone that loued all her life When she me sey she led me forth as blife And me demanded how and in what wise I thither come and what my errand was To seen the Court qd I and all the guise And eke to sue for pardon and for grace And mercy aske for all my great trespas That I none erst come to the court of loue Foryeue me this ye gods all aboue That is well said qd Philobone indede But were ye not assomoned to appere By Mercurius for that is all my drede Yes gentill feire qd I now am I here Ye yet what tho though that be true my dere Of your free will ye should haue come vnsent For ye did not I deme ye will be shent For ye that reigne in youth and lustinesse Pampired with ease and jalous in your age Your duty is as farre as I can gesse To loues court to dressen your viage As soone as nature maketh you so sage * That ye may know a woman from a swan Or when your foot is growen halfe a span But sith that ye by wilfull negligence This xviii year hath kept your self at large The greater is your trespas and offence And in your neck you mote bere all yâ— charge For better were ye ben withouten barge Amidde the sea in tempest and in raine Then biden here receiuing wo and paine That ordained is for such as them absent Fro loues court by yeres long and fele I ley my life ye shall full soone repent For loue will râ—iue your colour lust and he le Eke ye must bait on many an heauy mele No force ywis I stirred you long agone To draw to court qd little Philobone Ye shall well see how rough and angry face The king of Loue will shew when ye him se By mine aduise kneel down ask him grace Eschewing perill and aduersite For well I wote it woll none other be Comfort is none ne counsell to your ease Why will ye then the king of Loue displease O mercy God qd iche I me repent Caitife wretch in hert in will and thought And after this shall be mine hole entent To serue please how dere that loue be bought Yet sith I haue mine own pennance ysought With humble sprite shall I it receiue Though that the king of Loue my life bereiue And though that feruent loues qualite In me did neuer wortch truly yet I With all obeisaunce and humilite And benigne hert shall serue him till I die And he that lord of might is great and hie Right as him list me chastice and correct And punish me with trespace thus infect These words said she caught me by the lap And led me forth in till a temple round Both large and wide and as my blessed hap And good auenture was right soone I found A tabernacle reised from the ground Where Venus sat and Cupide by her side Yet halfe for drede I can my visage hide And eft againe I looked and beheld Seeing full sundry people in the place And mister folk some that might not weld Their lims wele me thought a wonder case The temple shone with windows all of glass Bright as the day with many a fair image And there I see the fresh queene of Cartage Dido that brent her beauty for the loue Of false Eneas and the weimenting Of her Annelida true as Turtle doue To Arcite fals and there was in peinting Of many a prince and many a doughty king Whose martirdom was shewed about yâ— wals And how that fele for loue had suffred fals But sore I was abashed and astonied Of all tho folke that there were in that tide And then I asked where they had wonned In diuers courts qd she here beside In sundry clothing mantill wise full wide They were arraied and did their sacrifise Vnto the God and goddesse in their guise Lo yonder folk qd she yâ— kneele in blew They weare the colour aye and euer shall In signe they were and euer will be trew Withouten chaunge and soothly yonder all That ben in black and mourning cry and call Vnto the gods for their loues bene Som sick some dede som all to sharp kene Yea then qd I with done these priests here Nonnes and Hermites Freres and all tho That sit in white in russet and in grene Forsooth qd she they waylen of their wo. O mercy Lord may they so come and go Freely to court and haue such liberty Yea men of each condition and degre And women eke For truly there is none Exception made ne neuer was ne may This court is ope and free for euerichone The king of loue he will not say them nay He taketh all in poore or rich array That meekely sew vnto his excellence With all their hert and all their reuerence And walking thus about with Philobone I see where come a messengere in hie Streight from the king which let command anone Throughout the court to make an ho cry All new come folke abide and wote ye why The kings lust is for to seene you sone Come nere let see his will mote need be done Then gan I me present tofore the king Trembling for fere with visage pale of hew And many a louer with me was kneeling Abashed sore till vnto the time they knew The sentence yeue of his entent full trew And at the last the king hath me behold With sterne visage seid what doth this old Thus ferre ystope in yeres come so late Vnto the court forsooth my liege qd I An hundred time I haue ben at the gate Afore this time yet coud I neuer espie Of mine acqueintaunce any in mine eie And shame fastnesse away me gan to chace But now I me submit vnto your grace Well all is pardoned with condition That thou be true from henceforth to thy might And seruen loue in thine entention Sweare this then as ferre as it is right thou shalt haue grace here in thy quenes sight Yes by yâ— faith I owe to your croun I swere Though death therefore me thirâ—th with his spere And when yâ— king hod seene vs euerychone He let commaund an Officer in hie To take our faith and shew vs one by one The statutes of the court full busily Anon the booke was leid before their eie To rede and see what thing we must obserue In Loues Court till that we die and sterue ANd for that I was lettred there I red The statutes hole of Loues Court hall The first statute that on the booke was spred Was to be true in thought and deeds all Vnto the king of Loue the lord ryall And to the quene as faithfull and as kind As I coud thinke with hert will and mind The Second statute secretly to kepe Councell of loue not blowing euery where All that I
And eke the Kight O admirabile This quere wil thorow mine ears pers and thril But what welcome this May season qd he And honour to the lord of loue mote be That hath this feste so solempne and so hie Amen said al and so said eke the Pie And forth the Cockow gan procede anon With Benedictus thanking God in hast That in this May would visite them echon And gladden them all while the feast shal last And therewithal a laughter out he brast I thanke it God that I shuld end the song And all the Seruice which hath ben so long Thus sang they all the seruice of the fest And that was done right erly to my dome And forth goth all yâ— court both most lest To fetch yâ— floures fresh braunch blome And namely Hauthorn brought both page grome W th fresh garlants party blew white And then rejoysen in their great delite Eke ech at other threw the floures bright The Primerose the Violete the gold So then as I beheld the royall fight My lady gan me sodenly behold And with a trewe loue plited many a fold She smote me through yâ— very heart as bliue And Venus yet I thanke I am aliue Explicit Chaucer's DREAM never Printed before the Year 1597. That which heretofore hath gone under the name of his Dream is the Book of the Dutchess or the Death of Blanch Dutchess of Lancaster This Dream devised by Chaucer seemeth to be a covert report of the Marriage of John of Gaunt the King's Son with Blanch the Daughter of Henry Duke of Lancaster who after long love during the time whereof the Poet feigneth them to be dead were in the end by consent of Friends happily Married figured by a Bird bringing in her Bill an Herb which restored them to life again Here also is shewed Chaucer's match with a certain Gentlewoman who although she was a Stranger was notwithstanding so well liked and loved of the Lady Blanch and her Lord as Chaucer himself also was that gladly they concluded a Marriage between them WHen Flora the queen of pleasaunce Had whole achieued thobeysaunce Of the fresh and new season Thorow out euery region And with her mantle whole couert That winter made had discouert Of auenture without light In May I lay vpon a night Alone and on my lady thought And how the Lord that her wrought Couth well entayle in Imagery And shewed had great maistry When he in so little space Made such a body and a face So great beauty with swich features More than in other creatures And in my thoughts as I lay In a lodge out of the way Beside a well in a forest Where after hunting I tooke rest Nature and kind so in me wrought That halfe on sleepe they me brought And gan to dreame to my thinking With mind of knowliche like making For what I dreamed as me thought I saw it and I slept nought Wherefore is yet my full beleeue That some good spirit that eue By meane of some curious port Bare me where I saw payne and sport But whether it were I woke or slept Well wot I of I lough and wept Wherefore I woll in remembraunce Put whole the payne and the pleasaunce Which was to me axen and hele Would God ye wist it euery dele Or at the least ye might o night Of such another haue a sight Although it were to you a payne Yet on the morow ye would be fayne And wish it might long dure Then might ye say ye had good cure For he that dreames and wenes he see Much the better yet may hee Wit what and of whom and where And eke the lasse it woll hindere To thinke I see this with mine eene Iwis this may not dreame kene But signe or signifiaunce Of hasty thing souning pleasaunce For on this wise vpon a night As ye haue heard without light Not all wakyng ne full on sleepe About such houre as louers weepe And cry after their ladies grace Befell me this wonder cace Which ye shall heare and all the wise So wholly as I can deuise In playne English euill written For sleepe writer well ye witten Excused is though he do mis More than one that waking is Wherefore here of your gentilnesse I you requyre my boistousnesse Ye let passe as thing rude And heareth what I woll conclude And of the endityng taketh no heed Ne of the tearmes so God you speed But let all passe as nothing were For thus befell as you shall here Within an yle me thought I was Where wall and yate was all of glasse And so was closed round about That leauelesse none come in ne out Vncouth and straunge to behold For euery yate of fine gold A thousand fanes aie turning Entuned had and briddes singing Diuers and on each fane a paire With open mouth again th aire And of a sute were all the toures Subtily coruen after floures Of vncouth colours during aye That neuer been none seene in May With many a small turret hie But man on liue could I non sie Ne creatures saue ladies play Which were such of theyr array That as me thought of goodlihead They passeden all and womanhead For to behold them daunce and sing It seemed like none earthly thing Such was their vncouth countinaunce In euery play of right vsaunce And of one age euerichone They seemed all saue onely one VVhich had of yeeres suffisaunce For she might neyther sing ne daunce But yet her countenaunce was so glad As she so fewe yeeres had had As any lady that was there And as little it did her dere Of lustines to laugh and tale As she had full stuffed a male Of disports and new playes Fayre had she been in her daies And maistresse seemed well to be Of all that lusty companie And so she might I you ensure For one the conningest creature She was and so said euerichone That euer her knew there fayled none For she was sober and well auised And from euery fault disguised And nothing vsed but faith and truth That she nas young it was great ruth For euery where and in ech place She gouerned her that in grace She stode alway with poore and riche That at a word was none her liche Ne halfe so able maistres to be To such a lusty companie Befell me so when I auised Had the yle that me suffised And whole the state euery where That in that lusty yle was there Which was more wonder to deuise Than the Ioieux paradise I dare well say for floure ne tree Ne thing wherein pleasaunce might bee There fayled none for euery wight Had they desired day and night Riches heale beauty and ease With euery thing that them might please Thinke and haue it cost no more In such a country there before Had I not bene ne heard tell That lives creature might dwell And when I had thus all about The yle auised throughout The state and how
Shewing the ships there without Tho gan the aged lady weepe And said alas our joy on sleepe Soone shall be brought ye long or night For we discried been by this knight For certes it may none other be But he is of yond companie And they be come him here to seche And with that word her failed speche VVithout remedy we be destroid Full oft said all and gan conclude Holy at once at the last That best was shit their yates fast And arme them all in good langage As they had done of old vsage And of fayre wordes make their shot This was their counsaile and the knot And other purpose tooke they none But armed thus forth they gone Toward the walles of the yle But or they come there long while They met the great lord of boue That called is the god of Loue That them auised with such chere Right as he with them angry were Auailed them not their walls of glasse This mighty lord let not to passe The shutting of their yates fast All they had ordained was but wast For when his ships had found land This lord anon with bow in hand Into this yle with huge prease Hied fast and would not cease Till he came there the knight lay Of Queene ne lady by the way Tooke he no heed but forth past And yet all followed at the last And when he came where lay the knight Well shewed he he had great might And forth the Queene called anone And all the ladies euerichone And to them said is not thus routh To see my seruaunt for his trouth Thus leane thus sicke and in this paine And wot not vnto whom to plaine Saue onely one without mo Which might him heale and is his fo And with that word his heauy brow He shewed the Queene and looked row This mighty lord forth tho anone With o looke her faults echone He can her shew in little speech Commaunding her to be his leech Withouten more shortly to say He thought the Queene soone should obay And in his hond he shoke his bow And said right soone he would be know And for she had so long refused His seruice and his lawes not vsed He let her wit that he was wroth And bent his bow and forth he goth A pace or two and euen there A large draught vp to his eare He drew and with an arrow ground Sharpe and new the Queene a wound He gaue that piersed vnto the hart Which afterward full sore gan smart And was not whole of many yeare And euen with that be of good cheare My knight qd he I will thee hele And thee restore to parfite wele And for each paine thou hast endured To haue two joys thou art cured And forth he past by the rout With sober cheare walking about And what he said I thought to heare Well wist he which his seruaunts were And as he passed anon he fond My lady and her tooke by the hond And made her chere as a Goddes And of beaute called her princes Of bounty eke gaue her the name And said there was nothing blame In her but she was vertuous Sauing she would no pity vse Which was the cause that he her sought To put that far out of her thought And sith she had whole richesse Of womanhead and friendlinesse He said it was nothing fitting To void pity his owne legging And gan her preach and with her play And of her beauty told her aie And said she was a creature Of whom the name should endure And in bookes full of pleasaunce Be put for euer in remembraunce And as me thought more friendly Vnto my lady and goodlely He spake than any that was there And for the appuls I trow it were That she had in possession Wherefore long in procession Many a pace arme vnder other He welke and so did with none other But what he would commaund or say Forthwith needs all must obay And what he desired at the lest Of my lady was by request And when they long together had beene He brought my lady to the Queene And to her said so God you speed Shew grace consent that is need My lady tho full conningly Right well auised and womanly Downe gan to kneele vpon the floures VVhich Aprill nourished had with shoures And to this mighty lord gan say That pleaseth you I woll obay And me restraine from other thought As ye woll all thyng shall be wrought And with that word kneeling she quoke That mighty lord in armes her tooke And said you haue a seruaunt one That truer liuing is there none VVherefore good were seeing his trouth That on his paines ye had routh And purpose you to heare his speech Fully auised him to leech For of one thyng ye may be sure He will be yours while he may dure And with that word right on his game Me thought he lough and told my name VVhich was to me maruaile and fere That what to do I nist there Ne whether was me bet or none There to abide or thus to gone For well wend I my lady wold Imagen or deme that I had told My counsaile whole or made complaint Vnto that lord that mighty saint So verily each thyng vnsought He said as he had knowne my thought And told my trouth and mine vnease Bet than I couth haue for mine ease Though I had studied all a weke Well wist that lord that I was seke And would be leched wonder faine No man me blame mine was the paine And when this lord had all said And long with my lady plaid She gan to smile with spirit glade This was the answere that she made Which put me there in double peine That what to do ne what to seine Wist I not ne what was the best Ferre was my heart then fro his rest For as I thought that smiling signe Was token that the heart encline Would to requests reasonable Because smiling is fauorable To euery thing that shall thriue So thought I tho anon bliue That wordlesse answere in no toun Was tane for obligatioun Ne called surety in no wise Amongst them that called been wise Thus was I in a joyous dout Sure and vnsurest of that rout Right as mine heart thought it were So more or lesse wexe my fere That if one thought made it wele Another shent it euery dele Till at the last I couth no more But purposed as I did before To serue truly my liues space Awaiting euer the yeare of grace VVhich may fall yet or I sterue If it please her that I serue And serued haue and woll do euer For thyng is none that me is leuer Than her seruice whose presence Mine heauen is whole and her absence An hell full of diuers paines VVhych to the death full oft me straines Thus in my thoughts as I stood That vnneth felt I harme ne good I saw the Queene a little paas Come where this mighty lord was And kneeled downe in presence there Of all the ladies
goodlihede and the lowlinesse of a king And specially in cheare and in speaking To his lieges and to bearen him faire In his apport and shew him debonaire And not to been to strange ne solein In countenaunce outward ne disdein Which causeth oft who that can advert Great hatred in the peoples hert And therevpon prively woll rowne When a Prince doth vpon hem frowne Shortly deme for all his excellence Emong hemselfe out of his presence Everiche conclude liche his fantasie And thus full oft gendred is enuy In folkes heartes of soleinte and pride For such as list not ones to looke aside To reward hem when they low loute * And againe kind it is out of doute That any head by record of the wise Should the foot of disdaine despise Which beareth him vp who so can take heed And susteineth in his most need As his piller and his supportaile * For finally ne were the pooraile Her bearer vp and supportation Farewell Lordship and domination Throughout the Land of every high estate Wherefore me seemeth more is fortunate Of Mercury the soote sugred Harpe Than Mars swerd whetted kene sharpe More accepted with aspects good Than is this God with his lookes wood What the goodlihead of a Prince availeth to win the hearts of his People * For humble speech with glad countenance May a Prince soothly aduance Emong his people hearts for to win Of inward love which will not twin Than gold richesse pride or tyranny Other disdaine daunger or surquedy For of lords clerkes can report But that loue her crowne doe support The fine is not in conclusion I take record of King Amphion Example good of King Amphion That built Thebes by his eloquence More than of pride or of violence Noble and rich that like was no where none And thus the wals made of lime and stone Were reised first by singing of this king Like as Poets feinen in her writing How after the opinion of some Authours King Cadmus built first the city of Thebes But soothly yet some expositours Grounding hem upon old authours Saine that Cadmus the famous old man Full long afore the city first began And the ground of building sette And the bounds by compasse out mette With thongs out kerue of a Buls side Which enuiron stretch might wide To get in land a full large space VVhereupon to build a dwelling place How the Country of Boece took first its name of a Bulls skin and after called Thebes And how King Cadmus was exiled out of Thebes by Prowess of King Amphion And called was the soile thus getten in VVhylome Boece of the Buls skin The name after into Thebes tourned But Cadmus hath not there long sojourned Like in story as it is compiled For shortly he fro thence was exiled Never after for to dwell in the toun By the knighthood of this Amphioun VVhich vp perfourmeth rich for the nones The city Thebes of mighty square stones As I you told a lite heretoforne And Cadmus thus his kingdome hath lorne Scepter and crowne and his power roiall Now have I told vnto you ground of all That ye well know by information Clerely the pith and the exposition Of this matter as clerkes can you tell It were but vaine lenger for to dwell To tarry you on this mattere Sith my tale which that ye shall here Vpon our way will last a long while The space in sooth as I suppose of vii mile And now ye know first how Amphion Built and began this city and this toun Reigning there long after as I rede Of him no more for I will procede To my purpose that I first began Not telling here how the line ran How the Line of Amphion by descent was conveyed to King Laius Fro king to king by succession Conveying downe by the stock of Amphion Seriously by line all the discent But leaue all this plainly of intent To tell forth in bookes as I rede How Laius by processe gan succede Here beginneth the Story of King Laius and Iocasta his Wife TO beare the Crowne in this mighty land Holding the scepter of Thebes in his hand Manly and wise during all his life And Iocasta called was his wife Full womanly the story saith certaine For a time though she were barraine Till Laius in full humble wise To have a child did sacrifice First to Apollo in his chaire so bright And Iupiter that hath so great a might Beseeching hem with devout reuerence To graunt only through her influence That his request executed may be And specially to goddesses three He besought Pallas and Iuno And Diane for to help also That he be not defrauded of his boon And his prayer accepted was full soone That finally through his rites old Even like as his heart would The Queen Iocasta hath anone conceived Which when the King fully hath perceived He made in haste him list not to abide Through his kingdome Messengers ride Fro coast to coast the story can deuise For Divinours and Philosophers wise For such as were famous Phisiciens And well expert Astronomiens To come in hast vnto his presence To find out shortly in sentence By craft onely of calculation The childs fate and disposition How the Astronomiens and Philosophers of Thebes calcled out the fate of Edippus And thereupon to yeue a iudgement The root I take at the ascendent Truly sought out by minute and degre The selfe houre of his natiuite Not foryet the heauenly mansions Clearely searched by smale fractions First by seconds terces and eke quartes On Augrime stones and on white cartes Ipriued out by diligent labour In tables correct deuoid of all errour Iustly sought and found out of both two The yeares collect and expanse also Considred eke by good inspection Euery houre and constellation And each aspect and looke eke diuers Which were good and which also peruers Where they were toward or at debate Happy wilfull or iufortunate The cursed Constellation and Disposition of the Heaven at the Nativity of Edippus And finally in conclusion They found Saturne in the Scorpion Heauie chered melancolike and loth And wood Mars furious and wroth Holding his sceptre in the Capricorne The same houre when this child was borne Venus direct and contrarious And depressed in Mercurious hous That the dome and judgement finall Of these clerkes to speake in speciall By fatall sort that may not be withdraw That with his swerd his father shall be slaw How the fate of Edippus disposed that he should slea his own Father There may no man helpe it ne excuse On which thing the king gan sore muse And cast he would on that other side Againe her dome for himselfe prouide Shape away and remedy toforne Bidding the quene when the child wer borne Without mercy or moderly pite That he be dead it may none other be And in all hast like as he hath sent She obeied his commaundement With wofull heart and pitous looke And face pale her yong
sworne of yore To his Crowne justly him restore And when they were at large out of the toun Vnto Arge they be descended doun And like her oth and her assurance As they were bound only of ligeance To him they come in full lowly wise Lowly to done what him list deuise And when he had her trouth full conceiued He hath to grace goodly hem receiued Assigning hem her place amid the hoast Assembled there from many a diuerse coast That finally in this company Ygadred was the floure of Cheualry Ychosen out of all Greekes lond The most knightly and manfull of her hond That as I trow sith the world began There was not seene so many a manly man So we le horsed with spere and with shield Togider sembled soothly in a field There men might see many strange guises Of arming new and vncouth deuises Euery man after his fantasie That if I should in order specifie Euery peece longing to armure And thereupon doe my busie cure It were in sooth almost a dayes werke And the tearmes also been so derke To rehearse hem clearely and to rime I passe ouer for lacke of time And tell I will forth of her lodging How Adrastus the noble worthy king Hath euery lord like to his degree Receiued wele within the citee And there they had like to her pleasaunce Of what needeth fulsome habundance For men and horse plenty of vitaile Commaunding that nothing ne faile That all these noble worthy werriours Both high and low and poore souldiours Yserued were of what they haue need For Adrastus presently tooke heed That it availeth a King to pay his People truely her fond Full lich a King touching her tearme day That they toforne were serued to her pay He was so free he list nothing restraine And no man had cause to complaine For hunger thrust ne for indigence But all thing ready was vnto her presence And in a Prince it is ful great repriefe To suffer his people liue at mischiefe It is ful heauy and greuous in her thought If he habound and they haue right nought He may not both possede body and hart He to be rich and seene his people smart He may the body of power wel constraine But her heart hath a full long raine Maugre his might to louen at her large * There may no King on hearts set a charge Ne hem coarten from her libertee Men saine ful often how that thought is free For which ech prince Lord and gouernour And specially ech conquerour Let him beware for all his high noblesse That bounty free dome plenty and largesse By one accord that they his bridle lede Least of his people when he hath most nede He be defrauded when he is but alone Then is too late for to make his mone But in his Court let him first deuise To exile Scarcehead and Couetise Then is likely with freedome if he ginne Loue of his people euermore to winne To reigne long in honour and contune Aye to encrease by fauour of Fortune And his enemies manly to oppresse * For loue is more than great richesse How love availeth more to a King than Gold or Riches Gold faileth oft but loue will abide For life or death by a lords side And the treasour shortly of a king Stondeth in loue aboue all thing Farewell lordship both morrow and eue Specially when loue taketh his leue And who so list it Mirrour for to make Of knightly freedome let him ensample take Of Adrastus the manly king famous So liberall and so bounteous Vnto his people at all times found Which made him strong his fomen to confound And loue only his enemies to werrey All Greece made his bidding to obey Of one accord to knightly by his side All at ones to Thebes for to ride For tauenge sith they were so strong The great injury and importable wrong Vnto his sonne and to his next allie As ye to forne haue heard me specifie But whiles Greekes rest a time in pees I will resort vnto Ethiocles Which in Thebes warely hath espied By his friends as he was certified Of the Greekes wholly the ordinaunce Her purpose eke and her purueyaunce And thereof had in heart a manner drede And first he tooke his counsaile and his rede How Ethiocles made him strong ayenst the coming of the Greeks Of the Lords and Barons of the toun And of the wisest of his regioun How he might maken resistence Manly to stonden at defence To be so strong that there were no dout And in the countries adjacent about And eke also in forreine regions He hath withhold all the champions And thereupon he sent out his espies And his friends and his next allies And all the worthy dwelling enuiroun Young fresh and lusty he gadred to the toun Maskewed his wals and his toures And stuffed hem with manly souldeours Round about he set many gonnes Great and small and some large as tonnes In his hasty passing feruent heat He spent his treasour and yaue yefts great Vnto knights and worthy men of name * And euermore to encrease his fame He yaue to lords jewels manyfold Clothes of Veluet Damaske and of gold To get him hearts soothly as I rede To helpe him now in his great nede And prudently purueyed him toforne Of flesh of fish of wine and of corne Set his Captaines early and late With full great stuff stonding at euery gate And made also by werkemen that were trew Barbicans and Bulwerkes strong and new Barreres cheines ditches wonder deepe Making his auow the city for to keepe While he liueth despite of all his fone And by his gods of mettall and of stone Full oft he swore both of hert and thought That it shall first full deare ben ybought And many a man with polax swerd knife Before this towne shall first lese his life And there shall eke many sides blede Ere that his brother possibly possede The toun in pees like as Greekes wene But at end the trouth it shall be sene Let him beware and we le toforne prouide For Adrastus on that other side For his party was not negligent But on a day held his parlement All his lords sitting enuiron To driue shorteley a pleine conclusion And vp tapoint the fine of her entent But some thought it full expedient Ere they procede to werke by thauise Of one that was full prudent and wise And circumspect in his werkes all A worthy Bishop into age fall And called was soothly by his name Amphiorax of whom the great fame How the Bishop Amphiorax was sent for to come unto the Greeks Throgh all the lands both East and South Among the Greekes passingly was couth A man in sooth of old antiquity And most accept of authority First by reason of his high estate And eke he was so fortunate And in his werkes was also secre With the gods knowing her priuite By graunt of whom as bookes specifie He had a spirit of trew prophecie And
home of his welfare And that he woll come hastily againe Or els had this sorrow her heart slaine Her friends saw her sorrow gan to slake And praiden her on her knees for Gods sake To come and romen in her companie Away to driuen her derke fantasie And finally she graunted that request For well she saw it was for the best Now stood her castle fast by the see And often with her friends walked shee Her to disporten on the bankes hie Where as she may ships and barges sie Sailing her course where him list go But yet was that a parcell of her wo For to her felfe full oft alas said shee Is there no ship of so many as I see Wol bring home my lord then were my hert Warished of these bitter paines smert Another time would she sit and thinke And cast her eyen downward fro the brinke But when she saw the grisly rockes blake For very feare so would her hert quake That on her feet she might not her sustene Then would she sit adoune vpon the grene And pitously into the sea behold And say right thus with sorrowfull sikes cold * Eterne God that through thy purueiaunce â—eadest this world by certaine gouernaunce In idle as men sain dost thou nothing make But lord these grisly fiendly rockes blake That seemen rather a foule confusion Of werke than a faire creation Of such a perfit God wise and stable Why haue ye wrouÈt this werk vnresonable For by this werke north south west ne east There nis fostred ne man bird ne beast It doth no good at all but annoyeth See ye not lord how mankind it destroyeth An hundred thousand bodies of mankind Haue rockes islaine all be they not in mind Sin mankind is so faire a part of thy werke That thou it madest like thy owne werke Then seemed it ye had a great cherte Toward mankind but how then may it be That ye such meanes maken it to distroyen Which means don no good but euer anoyen * I wote well clerkes woll saine as hem lest By arguments that all is for the best Though I ne cannot the causes well know But thilke God that made the wind to blow As keepe my lord this is my conclusion To clerkes lete I all this disputation And would God that all these rockes blake Were sonken into hell for his sake These rockes doe slee mine heart for feare Thus would she say with many a pitous tear Her friends saw it was for her no disport To romen by the sea but discomfort And shapen hem to plaine some where els They leaden her by riuers and by wels And eke in other places delectables They dauncen and they plaien at the tables So on a day right in the morrow tide Vnto a garden that was there beside In which that they had made her ordinaunce Of vitailes and other purueyaunce They gone and plaien hem all the long day And this was in the sixt morrow of May Which May hath painted with his soft shours This garden full of leaues and of flours And craft of mans hond so curiously Arrayed had this garden truly That neuer nas there garden of such prise But if it were the very paradise The odour of flours and the fresh sight Would have made any living hert light That ever was but it too great sicknesse Or too great sorrow held it in distresse So was it full of beauty with pleasaunce And after dinner gone they to daunce And sing also save Dorigene alone That yet unto her selfe made her mone For she ne seie him on the daunce go That was her husbond and her love also But nathelesse she must her time abide And with good hope let her sorrow slide Vpon this daunce among other men Daunced a squier before Dorigen That fresher was and iollier of array As to my dome than is the month of May. He singeth and daunceth passing euery man That is or was sithen the world began He was therewith men should him discriue One of the best faring men on liue Yong strong vertuous rich and wise And well beloued and holden of great prise And shortly if I the sooth tell shall Vnwitting of this Dorigen at all This lusty squier seruaunt to Venus Which ycleaped was Aurelius Had loved her best of any creature Two yeare more as was his auenture But never durst he tell her his greuance * Withouten cup he dronke all his pennance He was dispaired nothing durst he say Saue in his songs somewhat would he wray His wo as in generall complaining He said he loued and was beloued nothing Of which mattere made he many layes Songs complaints roundels verilayes How that he durst not his sorrow tell But languish as doth a furie in hell And die he must he said as did Ecco For Narcissus that durst not tell his wo. In other manner than ye heard me say Ne durst not he to her his wo bewray Saue perauenture sometime at daunces There young folke keepen her obseruaunces It may well be he looked on her face In such a wise as men that asken grace But nothing wist she of his entent Nathelesse it happed ere they thence went Because that he was her neere neighbour And was a man of worship and honour And she had yknowne him of time yore They fell in speech so forth more more Vnto his purpose then drow Aurelius And when he saw his time he said thus Madame qd he by God that this World made So that I wist that I might your hert glade I would that day that your Aruyragus Went ouer the sea that I Aurelius Had went there that I should neuer come again For well I wot my seruice is in vain My guerdon nis but bresting of mine hert Madam rueth vpon my paines smert For with one word ye may me slee or saue Here at your foot God would that I were graue I haue as now no leisure more to sey Haue mercy sweet or ye woll doe me dey She gan to looke vpon Aurelius Is this your will qd she and say ye thus Neuer erst qd she ne wist I what ye ment But now I know Aurelius your entent By thilke God that yaue me soule life Ne shall I neuer be vntrew wife In word ne werke as far as I haue wit I woll ben his to whom I am knit Take this for a final answere of me But after this in play thus said she Aurelius qd she by God aboue Yet woll I graunt you to been your loue Sithen I see you so pitously complaine Looke what day that endlong in Britaine Ye remeue all the rocks stone by stone That they ne let ship ne boat to gone I say when ye haue made these coasts so clene Of rockes that there nis no stone yseen Then woll I loue you best of any man Here haue my trouth in all that euer I can Is there none other grace in you qd he No by that lord qd
she that maked me For well I wote that it shall never betide Let such follie out of your heart glide * What deintie should a man haue in his life For to goe loue another mans wife That hath her body when so that him liketh Aurelius full often sore siketh Wo was Aurely when he this herd And with a sorowfull chere he thus answerd Madame qd he this were impossible Then mote I die on suddaine death horrible And with that word he turned him anone Tho come her other friends everichone And in the aleyes romeden up and doun And nothing wist of this conclusioun But suddainely began to revell new Till that the bright sonne had lost his hew For the orizont hath reft the sunne his light This is as much to say as it was night And home they gone in ioy and in solas Save onely wretched Aurelius alas He to his house is gone with sorrowfull hert He said he might not from his death astert Him seemed that he felt his heart all cold And up to heaven his honds gan he hold And on his knees bare he set him adoun And in his raving said this orisoun For very wo out of his wit he braied He ne wist what he spake but thus he said With pitous heart hath he his complaint begon Vnto the goddes and first unto the son He said God Apollo and governour Of every plant hearbe tree and flour That yeuest after thy declination To ilke of hem his time and season As thine herberow chaungeth low and hie Lord Phebus cast thy merciable eie On wretched Aurelius which am but lorne Lo Lord my Lady hath my death ysworne Without guilt but thy benignity Vpon my deadly heart haue some pity For well I wot lord Phebus if ye lest Ye may me helpe saue my lady best Now vouch ye saue that I you deuise How that I may be holpen in what wise Your blisfull suster Lucina the shene That of the sea is goddesse and queene Though Neptunus hath deitie in the see Yet empresse abouen him is she Ye knowen well lord right as her desire Is to be quickened and lighted of your sire For which she followeth you full besily Right to the sea desireth naturally To followen her as she that is goddesse Both of the sea and riuers more and lesse Wherefore lord Phebus this is my request Doe this miracle or doe mine heart brest That now next at this oppsition Which in signe shall be of the Lion As prayeth her so great a flood to bring That fiue fadome at the least it ouerspring The highiest rocke in Armorike Britaine And let this floud to duren yeares twaine Then certes to my lady may I say Holdeth your hest the rockes been away This thing may ye lightly done for me Pray her to gone no faster course than ye I say thus prayeth your suster that she go No faster course than ye in yeares two Then shall she be at the full alway And spring flood lasting both night day And but she vouchsafe in such manere To graunt me my soveraigne lady dere Pray her to sinken every rocke adoun Into her owne derke regioun Vnder the ground there Pluto dwelleth in Or nevermore shall I my lady win Thy Temple in Delphos wol I barefoot seek O lord Phebus see the teares on my cheek And on my paine haue some compassioun And with that word in swoune he fell adoun And for a long time he lay in a traunce His brother which that knew of his pennaunce Vp caught him and to bed him brought Dispaired in this turnment and this thought Let I this wofull creature lie Chese he whether he woll liue or die Aruiragus with heale and great honour As he that was of chiualrie the flour Is comen home and other worthy men O blisfull art thou now Dorigen That hast thy lusty husbond in thine armes That fresh knight that worthy man of arms That loueth thee as his own hearts life Nothing list him to be imaginatife If any wight had spoken while he was out To her of loue thereof had he no dout He entendeth not to such matere But danceth justeth and maketh her good chere And thus in joy and bliss I let hem dwell And of wofull Aurelius woll I tell In langour and in turment despitous Two yeare and more lay wretched Aurelius Ere any foot on earth he might gone Ne comfort in this time had he none Saue of his brother which was a clerke He knew of all this wo and all this werke For to none other creature certaine Of this mattere durst he no word saine Vnder his breast he bare it more secre Than euer did Pamphilus for Galathe His breast was whole without for to seene But in his heart aye was the arrow keene And well ye knowen that of a sursanure In surgerie is perâ—â—â—ous the cure But men might touch the arrow or come thereby His brother weepeth and waileth prively Till at the last him fell in remembraunce That while he was at Orleaunce in Fraunce As these clerkes yong that been likerous To readen arts that been curious Seeken in euery halke and in euery Herne Particular science for to lerne He him remembred that upon a deie At Orleaunce in studie a booke he seie Of Magicke naturall which his felaw That was in that time a batcheler of law All were he there to learne another craft Had prively upon his dexe ylaft Which booke spake of mochell operations Touching the eight and twentie Mansions That longen to the Moone and such follie As in our dayes is not worth a Flie For holy church saieth in our beleeue * Ne suffereth none illusion us to greeue And when this book was in his remembrance Anon for ioy his heart gan to dance And to himselfe he saied prively My Brother shall be warished sikerly For I am siker that there be sciences By which men maken diuers apparences Such as these subtill tregetores play For oft at â—easts haue I well heard say That tragetors within an hall large Haue made come in water and a barge And in the hall rowen up and doun Sometime hath seemed a grim Lioun And sometime floures spring as in a mede Sometime a vine grapes white and rede Sometime a Castle of lime and stone And when hem liked voiden hem anone Thus seemed it to every mans sight Now then conclude I thus if that I might At Orleaunce some old felaw find That had this Moones Mansions in mind Or other Magicke natural aboue He should wel make my brother haue his loue For with an apparaunce a clerke may make To a mans sight that all the rockes blake Of Britaine were yuoided euerichone And ships by the brinke to comen and gone And in such forme enduren a yeare or two Then were my brother warished of his wo Then must she needs holden her behest Or els he shall shame her at the lest What should I make a lenger tale of this Vnto