specially Your youth in vertue shapeth to dyspende Plante the rote of youthe in such a wyse That in vertue your growynge be alway Loke alwaye goodnesse be in your exercyse That shall you myghty make at eche assay The fende to wythstande at eche affray Passeth wysely thys peryllous pylgrymage Thynke on thys worde werke it euery day That shall you yeue a parfyte floured age Taketh also hede howe y t these noble clerkes wrytten in her bokes of great sapience Sayeng y e fayth is deed wythouten werkes And ryght so is estate wyth negligence Of vertue and therfore wyth diligence Shapeth of vertue so to plante the rote That ye therof haue full experience To worshyp of your lyfe and soules bote Taketh also hede that lordshyp ne estate wythout vertue may not longe endure Thynketh eke howe vyces vertue at debate Haue ben shall whyle the worlde may dure And euer the vycious by auenture Is ouerthrowe and thynketh euermore That god is lorde of al vertue and fygure Of all goodnesse therfore folowe his lore My mayster Chaucer god hys soule saue That in hys langage was so curious He sayd that y e father whych is deed graue Byqueth nothynge hys vertue w t his house Vnto hys chyldren and therfore laborouse Ought ye be besekynge god of grace To yeue you myght for to be vertuous Through whych ye might haue parte of his place Here may se that vertuous noblesse Cometh not to you by way of auncestrye But it cometh by leful besynesse Of honest lyfe and not by slogardrie wherfore in youth I rede you ye edifye The house of vertue in suche a manere That in your age may you kepe and gye Fro the tempest of worldes wawes here Thynketh howe betwyxe vertue and estate There is a parfyte blessed mariage Vertue is cause of peace vyce of debate In mans soule the which be full of corage Cherysheth than vertue vyces to outrage Driueth he away let hem haue no woÌ„ning In your soules leseth not the heritage which god hath yeue to vertuous lyuyng Taketh hede also how men of pore degree Through vertue haue be set in great honour And euer haue lyued in great prosperitie Through cheryshyng of vertuous labour Thynketh also how many a gouernour Called to estate hath be set full lowe Through misvsyng of ryght and of errour And therfore I couÌ„sel you vertue to knowe thus by your auÌ„cestres ye may nothiÌ„g claim As y t my master Chaucer sayth expresse But teÌ„poral thiÌ„g y t men may hurt or maym Than is god stocke of vertues noblesse And syth that he is lorde of blyssednesse And made vs al and for vs all deyde Foloweth hym in vertue with full besynesse And of this thing herk how my master seyd The fyrst stocke father of gentylnesse what man that claymeth gentle for to be Must folow his trace al his wyttes dres Vertue to loke and vyces for to flye For vnto vertue longeth dignitie And not the reuers safely dare I deme All weare he mytre crowne or dyademe The fyrst stocke was full of ryghtwysnesse True of his worde sobre pytous and free Clene of his ghost and loued besynesse Ayenst the vyce of slouth in honestie And but his heyre loue vertue as dyd he He is not gentle though he ryche seme Al weare he mytre crowne or dyademe Vyce may be an heyre to olde rychesse But there may no man al men may se Byqueth his heyre his vertuous noblesse That is appropred vnto no degree But to the fyrst father in maiestie that maketh his heyres hem y t caÌ„ hiÌ„ queâ—e Al weare he mytre crowne or dyademe Lo here this noble poete of Bretayne How lyghtly in vertuous sentence The losse on youth of vertue can coÌ„playne And therfore I pray you with your diligeÌ„ce For your profyte and gods reuerence Tempreth fully vertue in your mynde That whaÌ„ ye come to your iuges presence Ye be not vertulesse than behynde Many lordes haue a maner now adayes Though one shewe hem a vertuous matere Her feruent youth is of so false alayes That of that arte they haue no ioy to here But as a shyp that is without a stere Dryueth vp downe without gouernauÌ„ce wenyng that calme wolde laste yere by yere Ryght so fare they for very ygnoraunce For very shame knowe they not by reason y t after an ebbe there coÌ„meth a floud ful rage In y e same wyse whaÌ„ youth passeth his sesoÌ„ CoÌ„meth croked and vnweldy palled age And sone after coÌ„men y e kalendes of dotage And if y t her youth haue no vertue prouided All men wol say fye on her vassalage Thus hath her slouth fro worshyp hem deuyded Boetius the clerke as men may rede and se Sayth in his boke of Consolation what man desyreth of vyne or tree Plenteous frute in reapyng season Must euer eschue to do oppressyon Vnto the rote whyle it is yonge and grene Thus may ye se wel by that inclusyon That youth vertulesse doth moche tene Now seeth there ayenst howe vertuous noblesse Roted in youth w t good perseuerauÌ„ce Dryueth away al vyces and wretchednesse As slogardrye ryote and distaunce Seeth eke how vertue causeth suâ—â—saunce Seeth eke how vertue voydeth al vyse And who so hath vertu hath al abuÌ„daunce Of wele as ferre as reason can deuyse Taketh hede of Tullius Hostylius That fro pouerte came to hygh degree Through vertue redeth eke of Iulius The conquerour howe poore a man was he Yet through his vertue and his humilitie Of many countrie had he gouernaunce Thus vertue bringeth a man to great degre Eche wyght that lust to do him enteÌ„daunce Rede here ayenst now of Nero vertulees Taketh hede also of proude Baithasare They hated vertue equyte and pees And loke howe Antyochus fyl fro his chare That he his skyn and bones al to tare Loke what mischauÌ„ce they had for her vices who so wol not by these signes beware I dare wel say infortunate and nyce is I caÌ„ no more nowe say but herby may ye se Nowe vertue causeth perfyte sykernesse And vices exilen al prosperite The best is eche man to chose as I gesse Doth as you lyst I my excuse expresse I wolde be ryght sory yf that ye mischefe God confirme you in vertuous noblesse So that through negligence ye not it lese ¶ Explicit SOmtyme the worlde so stedfast was and stable That mannes worde was an obligation And nowe it is so false and disceyuable That worde and dede as in conclusion Is nothyng lyke for turned is vp so downe Al the worlde through mede and fykelnesse That al is lost for lacke of stedfastnesse what maketh the worlde to be so variable But lust that men haue in discention For amonge vs a man is holde vnable But yf he can by some collusion Do his neighbour wronge and oppression what causeth this but wylful wretchednesse That al is lost for lacke of stedfastnesse Trouth is put downe reason is holde fable Vertue hath
that Theseus hath der And in thys blysse lette I nowe Arâ—yte And speke I woll of Palamon a lyte In derknesse horryble and stronge prison Thys seuen yere hath sytten thys Palamon Forpyned what for wo and distresse who feleth double sore and heuynesse But Palamon that loue distrayneth so That wode out of hys wit he gothe for wo And eke therto he is a prisonere Perpetuall and not onely for a yere Who coude ryme in Englysshe properly Hys martyrdom â–ª forsoth it am nat I Therfore I passe as lyghtly as I may It befell that in the seuenth yere in May The thyrde nyght as olde bokes sayne That all thys story tellen more playne were it by auenture or by destayne As whan a thyng is shapen it shall be That soon after mydnight Palamon By helpyng of a frende brake hys prison And fleethe the cyte as fast as he may go For he had yeue hys gayler drynke so Of a clarrey made of certen wyne Wyth narcotise and opye of Thebes fyne That al y t night thogh meÌ„ wolde hym shake The gayler slept he mught nat awake And thus he fleeth as fast as he may The nyght was short fast by the day That nedes cost he mote hym selfe hyde And to a groue faste there besyde with dredfull foote than stalketh Palamon For shortly thys was hys opinyon That in y t groue he wolde hym hyde al day And in the nyght then wold he take his way To Thebes warde hys â—rendes for to prey On Theseus to helpe hym to warrey And shortly eyther he wolde lese hys lyfe Or wynne Emelye vnto hys wyfe Thys is theffecte and hys entent playne ¶ Nowe woll I torne to Arcite agayne That lytell wyst howe nye was hys care Tyl y t fortune had brought hym in her share The mery larke messanger of day Saleweth in her songe the morowe gray And firy Phebus aryseth vp so bright That all the orisoâ—â— laugheth of the syght And with hys streames drieth in the greues The syluer dropes hangyng in the leues And Arcite that in the courte ryall with Theseus hys squier principall Is rysen and loketh on the mery day And for to don hys obseruaunces to May Remembryng on the poynt of hys desyre He on hys courser startlyng as the fyre Is rydden in to the feldes hym to play Out of the court were it a myle or twey And to the groue of whyche I you tolde By auenture hys way he gan holde To maken hym a garlonde of the greues were it of wodbynde or of hauthorn leues And loude he songe ayenst the sonne shene May wyth all thy floures and thy grene welcom be thou fayre fresshe May I hope that I some grene get may And from hys courser wyth a lusty herte In to the groue full hastely he sterte And in a pathe he romed vp and doun There as by auenture thys Palamon was in a busshe that no man myght hym se For sore aferde of hys dethe was he Nothyng ne knewe he that it was Arcite God wote he wolde haue trowed full lyte But sothe is sayd go sythen many yeres That felde hath eyen and wodde hath ere 's It is full fayre a man to beare hym euyn For al day men mete at vnset steuyn Full lytell wote Arcyte of hys felawe That was so nyghe to herken of hys sawe For in the busshe sytteth he nowe full styll Whan that Arcyte had romed all hys fyll And songen all the roundell lustely In to a study he fell sodenly As don these louers in theyr quyent gyres Now in the croppe now down in y e brires Nowe vp nowe downe as boket in a well Ryght as the friday sothly for to tell Nowe it rayneth nowe it shyneth fast Ryght so gan gery Venus ouer cast The hertes of her folke ryght as her day Is geryfull ryght so chaungeth she aray Selde is the friday all the weke tlyke Whan y e Arcite had songe he gan to syke And set hym downe wythouten any more Alas ê™ he the day that I was bore Howe longe Iuno through thy cruelte Wylt thou warren Thebes the cyte â–ª Alas ybrought is to confusyon The blode ryall of Cadmus and Amphyon Of Cadmus whiche was the fyrst man That Thebes buylt or fyrst the town began And of the cyte fyrst was crowned kyng Of hys lynage am I and of hys ofspring By very lyne as of the stocke ryall And nowe I am so caytise and so thrall That he that is my mortal enemy I serue hym as hys squire poorly And yet dothe me Iuno well more shame For I dare not be knowe myne owne name But there as I was wont to hyght Arcyte Now hyght I Philostrat nat worth a myte Alas thou fell Mars alas thou Iuno Thus hath your yre our lynage all for do Saue only me and wretched Palamon That Theseus martreth in pryson And ouer all thys to sleen me vtterly Loue hath hys firy darte so bremyngly I stycked through my true carefull herte That shapen was my deth erst my sherte Ye sleen me wyth youre eyen Emelye Ye ben the cause wherfore I dye Of all the remenaunt of myne other care Ne set I nat the mountaunce of a tare So y t I coude do ought to your plesaunce And with y t worde he fell down in a traunce A longe tyme and afterwarde he vp stort This Palamon thought y e thrugh his hert He felte a colde sworde sodenly glyde For yre he quoke no lenger wolde he abyde And whan that he had herde Arcites tale As he were wood with face deed and pale He sterte hym vp out of the busshes thycke And sayd Arcyte false traytour wycke Nowe art thou hent that louest my lady so For whom that I haue thâ—â— payne and wo And art my bloode to my counsell sworn As I haue full ofte tolde the here beforn And hast be taped here duke Theseus And falsly hast chaunged thy name thus I wyll be deed or els thou shalt dye Thou shalt nat loue my lady Emelye But I woll loue her onely and no mo For I am Palamon thy mortall for Though y t I haue no weapen in thys place But out of pryson am assert by grace I drede not that eyther thou shalt dye Or thou ne shalt not louen Emelye These which thou wilt or y e shalt not assert This Arcite with full dispytous hert Whan he hym knewe had hys tale herde As sters as a lyon pulled out his swerde And sayd By god that sytteth aboue Ne were it y t thou art syck wood for loue And eke y t thou no wepen hast in thys place Thou shuldest neuer out of this groue pace That thou ne shuldest dyen of myne honde For I defye the sâ—â—etie and the bonde Whiche y t thou sayst y t I haue made to the What very fole thynke wel that loue is fre And I wyl loue her maugre all thy myght But for as moche as thou arte a
ful sothe in game and play ¶ Thou sayst ful sothe ê™ Roger by my say But soth play quade play as y e sleming saith And therfore Henry Baylly by thy fayth Be thou not wrothe or we departen here Though that my tale ben of an hostelere But nathelesse I wol not tellen it yet But er we parte ywys thou shalte be quyt And therwithal he lough and made chere And sayd his tale as ye shullen after here ¶ Here endeth the Cokes prologue and here foloweth hys tale APrentise whilom dwelte in our cyte And of the crafte of vitaylers was he Galiard he was as goldfynch in the shawe Browne as a bery a proper shorte felawe with lockes blake kempt ful fetously Daunce he couthe ful wel and ioltly He was called Perkyn Reuelour He was as ful of loue and paramout As is the hyue ful of hony swete wel was the wenche wyth hym might mete At euery bridal wolde he syng and hoppe He loued bette the tauernes than the shoppe For whan any ridyng was in chepe Out of the shoppe thider wolde he lepe Tyl that he had al the syght iseyn And daunced wel he wolde not come ageyn And gather hym a meyny of hys sorte To hop and syng and make suche disporte And there they setten steuyn for to mete To playen at the dise in suche a strete For in the cyte nas there no prentise That fayrer couthe casten a payre of dise Than Perken couthe and therto he was fre Of his dispence in place of priuyte That founde his maister wele in his chafare For oftymes he founde his bore ful bare For sikerly a prentise reuelour That haunteth dise riotte or paramour His maister shal it in hys shoppe abye Al haue he no parte of the mynstralcy For thefte and riotte they ben conuertible Al can he play on gettron or on ribible Reuel and trouthe as in lowe degre They ben ful wrothe al day as men may se This ioly prentise with his mayster abode Tyl he were nye out of his prentishode Al were he snybbed bothe early and late And somtyme ledde with reuel to Newgate But at the last his maister him be thought Vpon a day whan he hys paper sought Of a prouerbe that saith this same worde welbette is rotten apple out of horde Than that it rote al the remenaunt So fareth it by a riottous seruaunt It is moche lesse harme to let him passe Than he shende al the seruauÌ„tes in the place Therfore his maister gaue hym a quitaunce And badde him go w t sorowe myschaunce And thus this ioly prentise had his leue Nowe lette hym riot al the nyght or leue And for there is no thefe without a louke That helpeth hym to waste or to souke Of that he bribe can or borowe may Anon he sent hys bedde and hys array Vnto a compere of hys owne sorte That loued dice reuel and disporte And had a wyfe that helde for countenaunce A shoppe and swyued for her sustenaunce ¶ Here endeth the Cokes tale here foloweth the man of lawes prologue OVr hoste saw wel that the bright sonne The arke of hys artifyciall daye hath ronne The fourthe parte halfe an hour more And though he were not depe expert in lore He wyste it was the eyghtene day Of Apryl that is the messanger to May And sawe wel that the shadowe of euery tre Was as in lengthe the same quantyte As was the body erecte that caused it And therfore by the shadowe he roke his wit That Phebus whiche y t shone clere bright Degrees was fourty clomben of hyght And for that daye as in latitude It was ten of the clocke he gan conclude And sodaynly he plight hys horse aboute ¶ Lordynges ê™ he I warne you al y e route The fourthe parte of thys day is gon Now for the loue of God and of saynt Iohn Leseth no tyme as ferforth as ye may Lordinges the tyme wasteth both night and day And stealeth from vs what priuely slepyng And what through negligeÌ„ce in our wakyng As doth y e streme that turneth neuer agayn Discendynge fro the mouÌ„tayne in to y e playn Wel can Seneke and many a phylysofre By waylen tyme more than golde in cofre For losse of catel may recouered be But losse of tyme shendeth vs ê™ he It wol not come ayen withouten drede No more than wol Malkyns maydenhede Whan she hath loste it in her wantonnesse Let vs not mowlen thus in ydelnesse Syr man of lawe ê™ he so haue I blys Tel vs a tale anon as forwarde is Ye ben submytted through your fre assent To stonden in this case at my iugement Aquyteth you now of your beheste Than haue ye done your deuer at the leste ¶ Hoste ê™ he de pardeuxied assent To breke forwarde is not myn entent Byheste is dette and I wol holde fayne Al my behest I can no better sayne For such law as a maÌ„ yeueth an other wight He shulde hym selue vsen it by ryght Thus wol our text But natheles certayne I can right now no thrifty tale sayne That Chaucer though he can but leudly On metres and in rymyng craftely Hath sayd hem in suche Englysshe as he can Of olde tyme as knoweth many a man And yf he haue not sayd hem leue brother In one boke he hath sayd hem in another For he hath tolde of louers vp and doun Mo than Ouyde made of mencioun In his Epystels that ben ful olde what shuld I telleÌ„ hem sythen they ben tolde In youthe he made of syxe al a lone And sythen he hath spoken of euerychone These noble wyues and these louers eke who so that wol hys large volume seke Cleped the sayntes lyues of Cupyde There may he se the large woundes wyde Of Lucresse and of Babylon Thisbe The swerde of Dydo for the false Enee The tre of Phillis for her Demophoon The playnte of Deianire and of Hermyon Of Artadna and of Hysiphilee The baâ—ayne yle stondyng in the see That dreynte Lyandre for his Hero The teares of Heleyn and eke the wo Of Brisets and of Laodomia The crueltie of quene Media The lytel chyldren hongyng by the hals For the Iason that was of loue so fals Of Hypermistra Penelope and Alceste Your wyfehode he coÌ„mendeth with the beste But certaynly no worde ne writeth he Of thylke wycked ensample of Canace That loued her owne brother synfully Of suche cursed stories I say fy Or els of Tyro Appolloneus Howe that the cursed kyng Antyocus Byrafte his doughter of her maydenhede That is so horrible a tale for to rede whan he her drewe vpon the pament And therfore he of ful auisement Nolde neuer write in uon of hys sermons Of suche vnkynde abhominations Ne I ne wol non reherce yef that I may But of my tale howe shal I don thys day Me were lothe be lykened doutles To Muses that men clepeth Piryades Methamorphoseos wotte what I mene But natheles I
vngrene And newe frute fylled with wynter tene It is a slowe maye not forbeare Ragges rybaned with golde to weare For all so well woll loue be sette Vnder ragges as ryche rochette And eke as wel by amorettes In mournyng blacke as bryght burnettes For none is of so mokel pryse Ne noman founden so wyse Ne none so hygh is of parage Ne noman founde of wyt so sage No man so hardye ne so wyght Ne no man of so mokell myght None so fulfylled of bountie That he with loue maye daynted be All the worlde holdeth this waye Loue maketh all to gone myswaye But it be they of euyll lyfe whome Genius cursed man and wyfe That wrongly werke agayne nature None suche I loue ne haue no cure Of suche as loue seruauntes bene And woll not by my counsayle flene For I ne preyse that louynge wherthrough men at the last endyng Shall call hem wretches full of wo Loue greueth hem and shendeth so But yf thou wolt well loue eschewe For to escape out of his mewe And make all hole thy sorowe to slake No better counsayle mayst thou take Than thynke to fleen well ywys Maye nought helpe els for wyt thou this yf thou flye it it shall flye the Folowe it and folowen shall it the ¶ Lamaunt whan I had herde al Reason sayne which had spylt her speche in vayne Dame sayde I I dare well saye Of this auaunt me well I maye That from your schole so deuiaunt I am that neuer the more auaunt Ryght nought am I through your doctrine I dull vnder your disciplyne I wot nomore than wyst euer To me so contrary and so fer Is euery thynge that ye me lere And yet I can it al by partuere My hert foryeteth therof ryght nought It is so wrytten in my thought And depe grauen it is so tender That all myne hert I can it render And rede it ouer communely But to my selfe leudest am I BVt syth ye loue discryuen so And lacke and preise it bothe two Defyneth it into this letter That I maye thynke on it the better For I herde neuer defyned here And wylfully I wolde it lere Yf loue be searched well and sought It is a syknesse of the thought Annexed and lined bytwyxt tweyne with male and female with o cheyne So frely that byndeth that they ne twynne whether so therof they lese or wynne The rote spryngeth through hote brenning Into disordinate desyryng For to kyssen and embrace And at her lust them to solace Of other thynge loue retcheth nought But setteth her hert and all her thought More for delectatioun Than any procreatioun Of other frute by engendrure which loue to god is nat pleasure For of her body frute to get They yeue no forse they are so set Vpon delyte to play in fere And some haue also this manere To faynen hem for loue seke Suche loue I prayse not at a leke For paramours they do but fayne To loue truly they disdayne They falsen ladyes traytoursly And swerne hem othes vtterly with many a lesyng many a sable And all they fynden disceyuable And whan they han her lust getten The hote ernes they all foryeten women the harme byen full sore But men this thynken euermore That lasse harme is so mote I the Disceyue them than disceyued be And namely where they ne may Fynde none other meane way For I wot well in sothfastnesse That who doeth nowe his busynesse with any woman for to dele For any lust that he may fele But yf it be so for engendrure He doth trespasse I you ensure For he shulde letten all his wyll To getten a lykely thyng hym tyll And to sustayne yf he myght And kepe forth by kyndes ryght His owne lykenesse and semblable For bycause all is corumpable And fayle shulde successyoun Ne were theyr generatioun Our sectes sterne for to saue whan father or mother arne in graue Her chyldren shulde whan they ben bede Full diligent bene in her stede To vse that warke on suche a wyse That one may through another ryse Therfore set kynde therin delyte For men therin shulde haue delyte And of that dede be not erke But oft sythens haunt that werke For none wolde drawe therof a draught Ne were delyte which hath hym caught This had subtyl dame Nature For none goth ryght I the ensure Ne hath entent hole ne perfyte For her desyre is for delyte The which fortened crease and eke The playe of loue for oft seke And thrall hem selfe they be so nyse Vnto the prince of euery vyce For of eche synne it is the rote Vnlefull lust though it be sote And of all euyll the racyne As Tullius can determyne which in his tyme was full sage In a boke he made of age where that more he prayseth elde Though he be croked and vnwelde And more of cōmendatioun Than youth in his descriptioun For youth set both man and wyfe In all paryll of soule and lyfe And parell is but men haue grace The paryll of youth for to pace without any deth or distresse It is so full of wyldnesse So oft it doth shame or domage To hym or to his lynage And ledeth man now vp nowe downe In mokell dissolutioun And maketh hym loue well company And led his lyfe disrulely And halte hym payde with none estate within hym selfe is suche debate He chaungeth purpose and entent And yalte into some couent To lyuen after her empryse And leseth fredom and fraunchyse That nature in hym had sette The whiche agayne he may not gette Yf he there make his mansyon For to abyde professyon Though for a tyme his hert absent It maye not fayle he shall repent And eke abyde thylke daye To leaue his habyte and gone his waye And leseth his worshyp and his name And dare not come agayne for shame But all his lyfe he doth so mourne Bycause he dare not home retourne Fredom of kynde so lost hath he That neuer may recured be But that yf god hym graunt grace That he may or he hence pace Conteyne vnder obedience Through the vertue of patience For youth set man in all folye In vnthryft and in rybaudrye In lechery and in outrage So oft it chaungeth of corage Youth gynneth oft suche bargayne That may not ende without payne In great paryll is set youth hede Delyte so doth his brydell lede Delyte this hangeth drede the nought Both mans body and his thought Onely through youthes chambere That to done euyll is customere And of naught els taketh hede But onely folkes for to lede In to disporte and wyldenesse So is fro warde from sadnesse But elde draweth hem therfro who wote it not he may wel go And mo of hem that nowe arne olde That whylom youthe had in holde whiche yet remembreth of tender age Howe it hem brought in many arage And many a folly therin wrought But now y t elde hath hym through sought They repent hem of her follye That youth hem put in
liber secundus O Blysfull lyght of which the bemes clere Adorneth all the thyrde heuen fayre O sonnes lese o Ioues doughter dere Pleasaunce of loue o goodly debonayre In gentyll hertes aye redy to repayre O very cause of heale and of gladnesse Yheryed be thy myght and thy goodnesse In heauen and hell in erthe and salte see Is felte thy myght yf that I well dyscerne As man beest fyshe herbe and grene tree The fele in tymes wyth vapour eterne God loueth and to loue woll naught werne And in thys worlde no lyues creature wythouten loue is worth or maye endure Ye Ioues fyrst to thylke affectes glade Through whych that thynges lyuen al be CoÌ„menden and amorous hem made On mortall thynge and as you lyst aye ye Yeue hem in loue ease or aduersyte And in a thousand formes downe hym sente For loue in erth whom you lyste he hente Ye fyrce Marce apeasen of hys yre And as you lyst ye maken hertes dygne Algates hem that ye woll set afyre They dreden shame and vyces they resygne Ye done hem curteys be freshe benigne And hye or lowe after a wyght entendeth The ioyes y t he hath your myght it sendeth Ye holden reygne and house in vnite Ye soth fast cause of frendshyp ben also Ye knewen all thylke couered qualyte Of thynges whych that folke wondren so when they can not construe howe it may go She loueth hym or why he loueth here As why this fyshe not that cometh to were Ye folke a lawe haue set in vniuerse And thys knowe I by hem that louers be That who so stryueth w t you hath y e werse Nowe lady bryght for thy benignite At reuerence of hem that seruen the whose clerke I am so techeth me deuyse Some ioye of that is felt in thy seruyce Yea in my naked herte sentement I hylde and do me shewe of thy swetnesse Calâ—ope thy voyce be nowe present For â—â—we is nede seest thou not my dystresse Howe I mote tell anone ryght the gladnesse Of Troylus to Venus heriynge To whych who nede hath god hym brynge ¶ Incipit liber tertius LAy all thys meane whyle Troylus Recordynge hys lesson in thys manere Mafey thought he thus wol I say and thus Thus woll I playne vnto my lady dere That worde is good thys shal be my chere Thys nyll I not foryeten in no wyse God lene hym werken as he can deuyse And lorde so that hys herte gan to quappe Herynge her come and shorte for to syke And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe Came nere and gan in at the curteyn pyke And sayd god do bote on all syke Se who is here you comen to vysyte Lo here is she that is your death to wyte Therwyth it semed as he wepte almoste A a quod Troylus so routhfully where me be wo o myghty god thou woste who is all there I se not truly Syr ê™ Creseyde it is Pandare and I Ye swete herte alas I maye not ryse To knele and do you honoure in some wyse And dressed hym vpwarde she ryght tho Gan both her hondes softe vpon hym ley O for the loue of god do ye not so To me quod she ey what is thys to sey Syr comen am I to you for causes twey Fyrst you to thanke and of your lordshyp eke Continuaunce I wolde you beseke Thys Troylus that herde hys lady praye Of lordship him woxe neither quicke ne deed Ne myght o worde for shame to it saye All though men shulden smyten of hys heed But lorde so he woxe sodeynlyche reed And syr hys lesson that he wende conne To prayen her is through hys wyt yronne Creseyde all thys aspyed well ynough For she was wyse loued hym neuer y t lasse All nere he in all aperte or made it tough Or was to bolde to synge a foole a masse But when hys shame gan somwhat to passe hys resons as I may my rymes holde I woll you tell as techen bokes olde In chauÌ„ged voyce ryght for hys very drede whych voyce eke quoke therto hys manere Goodly abasht and nowe hys hewes rede Nowe pale vnto Creseyde hys lady dere wyth loke downe cast humble iyoldeÌ„ chere Lo the alderfyrst worde that hym after was twyse mercy mercy swete herte And stynt a while wheÌ„ he might out bring The next worde was god wote for I haue As faythfully as I haue had konnynge Ben yours all god so my soule saue And shal tyl that I wofull wyght be graue And though I dare ne can vnto you playne Iwys I suffre not the lasse payne Thus moch as nowe ah womaÌ„lyche wyfe I maye out brynge and yf thys you dysplese That shall I wreke vpon myne owne lyfe Ryght sone I trowe and do your hert an ese Yf wyth my death your herte maye apese But sens that ye han herde me somwhat sey Nowe retche I neuer howe sone that I dey Therwyth hys manly sorowe to beholde It myght haue made an hert of stone to rew And Pandare wept as he to water wolde And poked euer hys nece newe and new And sayd wo begon ben hertes trewe For loue of god make of thys thinge an ende Or slee vs both at ones er that ye wende I what ê™ she by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wylne that I sey Ey what ê™ he that ye haue on hym routh For goddes loue and doth hym not to dey Nowe then thus ê™ she I wolde hym prey To tell me the fyne of hys entente Yet wyst I neuer well what that he mente what that I meane O swete herte dere Quod Troylus o goodly freshe free That wyth the stremes of your eyen clere Ye wolden somtyme frendly on me se And then agreen that I may ben he wythouten braunche of vyce on any wyse In trouth alwaye to do you my seruyse As to my lady ryght and chefe resorte wyth all my wytte and all my diligence And to haue ryght as you lyst comforte Vnder your yerde egall to myne offence As death yf that I breake your defence And that ye deygne me so moche honour Me to coÌ„maunden aught in any hour And I to ben your very humble trewe Secrete and in my paynes pacient And euer to desyren freshly newe To seruen and to ben aye ylike dilygent And with good herte al holy your talent Receyuen wel howe sore that me smerte Lo this meane I myne owne swete hert Quod Pandarus lo here an hard request And reasonable a lady for to warne Nowe nece myne by Natall Ioues feeste were I a god ye shulde sterue as yerne That heren wel this man wol nothyng yern But your honour sene him almost sterue And ben so lothe to suffre him you to serue wyth that she gan her eyen on him cast Full easely and full debonairly Auysyng her and hyed not to fast wyth neuer a worde but sayd hym softely Myn honour safe
the fyrst that dyd amys what helpeth that to don my blame away But sens I se there is no better way And that to late is nowe for me to rewe To Diomede I woll algate be trewe But Troylus sens I no better may And sens that thus departen ye and I Yet pray I god so yeue you right good day As for the gentyllest knyght trewly That euer I sawe to seruen faythfully And best can aye his ladyes honour kepe And with y e worde she braste anone to wepe And certes you ne haten shall I neuer And frendes loue that shal ye haue of me And my good worde all shulde I lyuen euer And trewly I wolde right sorie be For to sene you in aduersyte And gyltlesse I wote wel I you leue And all shall passe and thus take I my leue But trewly howe longe it was bytwene That she forsoke him for this Diomede There is none auctour telleth it I wene Take euery man nowe to his bokes hede He shall no terme fynden out of drede For though that he began to wow her soone Er he her wan yet was there more to done Ne me ne lyste this sely woman chyde Ferther than the storie woll deuyse Her name alas is publyshed so wyde That for her gylte it ought ynough suffyse And yf I might excuse her in any wyse For she so sory was for her vntrouthe Iwys I wolde excuse her yet for routhe This Troylus as I before haue tolde Thus driueth forth as wel as he hath might But ofte was his herte hote and colde And namely that ylke nynthe nyght whiche on the morowe she had him behyght To come ayen god wote fall lytel reste Had he that night nothyng to slepe him leste The laurer crowned Phebus with his heate Gan in his course aye vpwarde as he wente To warmen of the eest see the waues weate And Cyrces doughter songe with fresh enteÌ„t whan Troylus his Pandare after sente And on the walles of the towne they pleyde To loke yf they can sene aught of Creseyde Tyll it was noone they stoden for to se who that ther came and euery maner wight That came fro ferre they sayden it was she Tyll that they colden knowen him aright Nowe was his herte dull now was it light And thus beiaped stoden for to stare Aboute naught this Troylus Pandare To Pandarus this Troylus tho seyde For aught I wotte before noone sykerly In to this town ne cometh nat here Creseyde She hath ynough to done hardely To wynnen from her father so trowe I Her olde father wol yet make her dyne Er that she go god yeue his herte pyne PaÌ„darus answerd it may well ben certayne And for thy let vs dyne I the beseche And after noon thaÌ„ mayst thou come agayn And whom they go without more speche And comen ayen but longe may they seche Er that they fynde that they after gape Fortune hem bothe thynketh for to iape Quod Troylus I se well nowe that she Is taryed with her olde father so That er she come it woll nygh euen be Come forthe I woll vnto the yate go These porters ben vnkonnyng euermo And I woll done hem holden vp the yate As naught ne were all though she come late The day gothe faste after that came eue And yet came nat to Troylus Creseyde He loketh forthe by hedge by tree by greue And ferre his heed ouer the wall he leyde And at the laste he turned him and seyde By god I wote her meanyng now Pandare Almoste ywis al newe was my care Nowe doutelesse thys lady can her goode I wote she cometh rydyng priuely I commende her wysedom by myne hode She woll nat maken people nycely Gaure on her whan y t she cometh but softly By nyght in to the town she thynketh ryde And dere brother thynke nat longe to abyde We haue naught els for to don ywis And Pandarus now wylte thou trowen me Haue here my trouthe I se her yonde she is Heaue vp thyne eyen man mayst thou nat se Pandare answerde nay so mote I the Al wroÌ„g by god what sayst y u maÌ„ wher arte That I se yonde nys but a farre carte Alas thou sayest right sothe ê™ Troylus But hardely it is nat al for nought That in myne herte I nowe reioyce thus It is ayenst some good I haue a thought Not I nat howe but sens y t I was wrought Ne felte I suche a comfort dare I say She cometh to night my lyfe y t durst I lay PaÌ„darus answerd it may be wel ynough And helde with him of al that euer he sayde But in his herte he thought and softe lough And to him selfe full soberly he sayde Frome haselwodde there ioly Robyn pleyde Shall come all that thou abydest here Yea farwell all the snowe of ferne yere The wardeyn of the yates gan to call The folke which that without y t yates were And bade hem driuen in her beestes all Or all the night they muste bleuen there And ferre within the night with many a tere This Troylus gan homwarde for to ryde For wel he seeth it helpeth nat to abyde But nathelesse he gladded him in this He thought he myscounted had hys dey And sayd I vnderstonde haue al amys For thylke night I laste Creseyde sey She sayd I shall ben here yf that I may Er that the moone o dere herte swete The Lyon passe out of this Aryete For which she may yet hold al her byâ—este And on the morowe vnto the yate he wente And vp and downe by west eke by este Vpon the walles made he many a wente But al for naught his hope alway him blent For whiche at night in sorowe syghes sore He wente hym home withouten any more This hope all clene out of hys herte fledde He ne hath wheron nowe lenger for to honge But for y t payne him thouÈt his herte bledde So were his throwes sharpe woÌ„der stroÌ„g For whan he sawe that she abode so longe He nyste what he iudgen of it myght Sens she hath broken that she hym behyght The thyrde fourthe fyfthe and syxte day After tho dayes ten of whiche I tolde Betwyxen hope and drede his herte lay Yet somwhat trustyng on her hestes olde But whan he saw she nolde her terme holde He can nowe sene none other remedye But for to shape him sone for to dye Therwith the wicked spiryt god vs blesse which that men clepen woode ialousye Gan in him crepe in al this heuynesse For whyche bycause he wolde sone dye He ne ete ne dronke for hys melancolye And eke from euery companye he fledde This was the lyfe that al this tyme he ledde He so defayte was that no maner man Vnneth him might knowen there he wente So was he leane and therto pale and wan And feble that he walketh by potente And with his ire he thus him selfe shente But who so asked him wherof hym smerte He sayd his
holy on him ley And sens he best to loue is and moste meke what nedeth fayned loues for to seke Lo here of paynems cursed olde rytes Lo here what al her goddes may auayle Lo here thys wretched worldes appetytes Lo here the fyne and guerdon for trauayle Of Ioue Apollo of Mars such raskayle Lo here the forme of olde clerkes speche In poetrye yf ye her bokes seche O moral Gower thys boke I directe To the and to the Philosophical Strode To vouchsafe there nede is to correcte Of your benignityes and zeles goode and to that sothfast Christ y t starfe on roode wythal myne herte of mercy euer I pray And to the lorde aright thus I speake say Thou one two and thre eterne on lyue That raignest aye in thre two and one Vncircumscript all mayst circumscryue Vs from visible and inuisible fone Defende and to thy mercy euerychone So make vs Iesus to thy mercy digne For loue of mayde mother thyne benigne ¶ Thus endeth the fyfth boke and last of Troylus and here foloweth the pyteful and dolorous testament of fayre Creseyde The testament of Creseyde ADolye seasonne tyll a careful dyte Shulde coresponde and be equiuolent Right so it was whaÌ„ I began to write Thys tragedy y t weder ryght feruent whan Aries in myddes of the lent showres of hayle can fro the north descende that scantly fro the colde I miÈt me defende Yet neuertheles wythin myne orature I stode whaÌ„ Titan had his beames bright withdrawen downe and scyled vnder cure And fayre Venus the beautye of the nyght Vprayse and set vnto the west ful ryght Her golden face in oppositiowne Of god Phebus directe discendinge downe ThrouÈout y e glasse her bemes brast so fayre That I might se on euery syde me by The northern wynde had purifyed the ayre And shedde his mysty cloudes fro the skye The froste fresed the blastes bytterly Fro pole Artike come whisking loud shyll And caused me remoue ayenst my wyll For I trusted that Venus loues quene To whom somtyme I hyght obedience My saded hert of loue she wold make grene And therupon with humble reuerence I thought to pray her hye magnifycence But for great colde as than I letted was And in my chambre to the fyre can pas Though loue be hote yet in a man of age It kyndleth nat so soone as in youtheed Of whom the blode is flowyng in a rage And in the olde the corage dul and deed Of which the fyre outward is beest remeed To helpe by phisyke where y e nature fayled I am experte for both I haue assayed I made the fyre and beaked me about Than toke I drinke my spirites to conforte And armed me wel fro the colde therout To cut the wynter night and make it shorte I toke a queare and lefte al other sporte written by worthy Chaucer glorious Of fayre Creseyde and lusty Troylus And there I founde after that Diomede Receyued had that lady bryght of hewe How Troylus nere out of his wytte abrede And wepte sore wyth visage pale of hewe For which wanhope his teares gan renewe whyle esperous reioysed him agayne Thus while in ioy he liued while in paine Of her behest he had great comfortynge Trusting to Troy y t she wolde make retour which he desyred most of al erthly thynge For why she was his onely paramoure But whan he saw passed both day hour Of her gayncome in sorowe can oppresse His woful herte in care and heuynesse Of his distresse me nedeth not reherse For worthy Chaucer in that same boke In goodly termes and in ioly verse Compyled hath his cares who wyl loke To breake my slepe another queare I toke In whych I founde the fatal desteny Of fayre Creseyde which ended wretchedly who wote if al that Chaucer wrote be trew Nor I wotte not yf this narration Be authoryzed or forged of the newe Of some poete by hys inuention Made to reporte the lamentation And woful ende of thys lusty Creseyde And what distresse she was in or she deyde whan Diomede had al his appetyte And more fulfylled of thys fayre lady Vpon another sette was al his delyte And sende to her a lybel repudy And her excluded fro his company Than desolate she walked vp and downe As some men saine in the courte as comune O fayre Creseyde the floure and a per se Of Troy Grece how were thou fortunate To chaunge in fylth al thy femynite And be with fleshly luste so maculate And go among the grekes early and late So giglotlyke taking thy soule pleasaunce I haue pyte the shulde fal such mischaunce Yet neuerthelesse what euer meÌ„ deme or say In scornful langage of thy brutelnesse I shal excuse as ferforth as I may Thy womanheed thy wisedome fayrnesse The which fortune hath put to such distresse As her pleased nothing through the gylte Of the through wicked langage to be spilte Thys fayre lady on thys wise destitute Of al comforte and consolation Right priuely wythout felowshyp or refute Disheuelde passed out of the town A myle or two vnto a mansioun Bylded ful gay where her father Calcas which thaÌ„ amoÌ„ge the grekes dwelling was whan he her sawe the cause he can enquyre Of her coÌ„myng she sayd syghyng ful sore Fro Diomede had goten his desyre He wore wery and wolde of me no more ê™ Calcas doughter wepe thou not therfore Parauenture al cometh for the best welcome to me thou arte ful dere a gest Thys olde Calcas after the lawe was tho was keper of the temple as a preest In which Venus and her sonne Cupido were honoured and hys chambre was nest To which Creseyde w t bale enewed in brest Vsed to passe her prayers for to say whyle at the last vpon a solempne day As custome was the people ferre and nere Before the noone vnto the temple went with sacrifyce deuoute in theyr manere But styl Creseyde heuy in her entent In to the church wolde not her selfe present For gyuyng the people any demyng Of her expulse fro Diomede the kyng But passed in to asecrete oratore where she myght wepe her woful desteny Behynde her backe she closed fast the dore And on her knees bare fel downe in hye Vpon Venus and Cupide angerly She cryed out and sayd in thys wyse Alas that euer I made you sacrifyce Ye gaue me ones a diuyne responsayle That I shulde be the floure of loue in Troy Now am I made an vnworthy outwayle And al in care translated is my ioye who shal me gyde who shal me now coÌ„uoy Syth I fro Diomede and noble Troylus Am clene excluded as abiecte odious O false Cupyde none is to wyte but thou And thy mother of loue that blynd goddace Ye caused me vnderstande alway and trow The seede of loue was sowem on my face aye grewe grene throuÈ your souple grace But nowe alas y t seed wyth frost is slayne And I
thynges by the diuyne prescience than is there fredom of arbytrie that dwelleth hole and vnwemmed to mortal meÌ„ ne the lawes ne purposen not wycked medes and paynes to the wyllynges of men that ben vnboundeÌ„ and quyte of all necessyte And god beholder foreweter of al thinges dwelleth aboue and the presente eternyte of syght renneth alwaye wyth the dyuers qualyte of our dedes dispensynge or ordeynyng medes to good men and tourmentes to wycked meÌ„ Ne in ydell ne in vayne ne ben there not put in god hope and prayers that ne mowen not ben vnspedefull ne wythout effecte whan they ben ryghtfull Withstande than and eschew thou vices worshyppe and loue thou vertues areyse thy corage to rightful hopes yelde thou humble prayers and hyghe Great necessyte of prowesse and of vertue is encharged and commauÌ„ded to you yf ye nyll not dissimulen syth that ye worchen and doone that is to sayne your dedes and your werkes beforn the eyen of the iuge that seeth and also that demeth al thynges Deo gracias ¶ Thus endeth the boke of Boecius of the consolacion of philosophie and herafter foloweth the dreame of Chaucer ✚ The dreame of Chaucer I Haue gret woÌ„der by thys lyght Howe I lyue for daye ne nyght I maye not slepe welnye nought I haue so many an ydle thought Purely for defaute of slepe That by my trouthe I take no kepe Of nothyng howe it cometh or gothe Ne me nys nothyng lefe nor lothe All is ilyche good to me Ioye or sorowe where so it be For I haue felyng in no thyng But as it were a mased thyng Al day in poynte to fall adoun For sorowfull ymagynacyoun Is alway holy in my mynde And well ye wote agaynst kynde It were to lyuen in thys wyse For nature wolde not suffyse To none erthly creature Not longe tyme to endure Without slepe and be in sorowe And I ne maye ne nyght ne morowe Slepe and this melancolye And drede I haue for to dye Defaute of slepe and heuynesse Hath slayne my spyrite of quicknesse That I haue loste all lustyheed Suche fantasyes ben in myne heed So I not what is beste to do But men myght aske me why so I may not slepe and what me is But nathelesse who aske thys Leseth hys askyng trewly My seluen can not tell why The sothe but trewly as I gesse I holde it be a sycknesse That I haue suffred thys eyght yere And yet my boote is neuer the nere For there is phisycien but one That may me heale but that is done Passe we ouer vntyll efte That wyll not be mote nede be lefte Our fyrst mater is good to kepe So whan I sawe I myght not slepe Tyll nowe late thys other nyght Vpon my bedde I sate vpryght And bade one reche me a booke A romaunce and he it me toke To rede and dryue the nyght away For me thought it better play Than play eyther at Chesse or tables And in thys boke were written fables That clerkes had in olde tyme And other poetes put in ryme To rede and for to be in mynde whyle men loued the lawe of kynde Thys boke ne spake but of suche thynges Of quenes lyues and of kynges And many other thynges smale Amonge all thys I fonde a tale That me thought awonder thyng This was the tale There was a kyng That hyght Seys and had a wyfe The beste that myght beare lyfe And thys quene hyght Alcyone So it befyll therafter sone Thys kyng woll wenden ouer see To tellen shortly whan that he Was in the see thus in thys wyse Suche a tempest gan to ryse That brake her maste and made it fall And clefte her shyp and dreynt hem all That neuer was founde as it telles Borde ne man ne nothyng elles Right thus thys kyng Seys loste hys lyfe Nowe for to speke of Alcyone hys wyfe This lady that was lefte at home Hath wonder that the kyng ne come Home for it was a longe terme Anon her herte began to yerne And for that her thought euer mo It was not wele her thought so She longed so after the kyng That certes it were a pytous thyng To tell her hertely soroufull lyfe That she had thys noble wyfe For hym alas she loued alderbest Anone she sent bothe eest and west To seke hym but they founde nought Alas ê™ she that I was wrought And wher my lorde my loue be deed Certes I nyll neuer eate breed I make a vowe to my god here But I mowe of my lorde here Suche sorowe thys lady to her toke That trewly I that made thys boke Had suche pyte and suche routhe To rede her sorowe that by my trouthe I farde the worse all the morowe After to thynken on her sorowe So whan thys lady coude here no worde That no man myght fynde her lorde Full ofte she swowned and sayd alas For sorowe full nyghe woode she was Ne she coude no rede but one But downe on knees she sate anone And wepte that pyte was to here A mercy swete lady dere ê™ she to Iuno her goddesse Helpe me out of thys distresse And yeue me grace my lorde to se Soone or wete where so he be Or howe he fareth or in what whyse And I shall make you sacrifyse And holy yours become I shall Wyth good wyll body herte and all And but thou wolte this lady swete Sende me grace to slepe and mete In my slepe some certayne sweuen where through that I may knowe euen whether my lorde be quicke or deed With that word she hynge down the heed And fell in a swoune as colde as stone Her women caught her vp anone And brought her in bed all naked And she forweped and forwaked was wery and thus the deed slepe Fell on her or she toke kepe Through Iuno that had herde her boone That made her to slepe soone For as she prayde ryght so was done In dede for Iuno ryght anone Called thus her messangere To do her erande and he come nere whan he was come she bad hym thus Gobet ê™ Iuno to Morpheus Thou knowest hym well the god of slepe Nowe vnderstande well and take kepe Saye thus on my halfe that he Go fast in to the great see And byd hym that on all thynge He take vp Seys body the kynge That lyeth full pale and nothynge rody Byd hym crepe in to the body And do it gone to Alcyone The quene there she lyeth alone And shewe her shortly it is no nay Howe it was dreynt thys other day And do the body speke ryght so Right as it was wonned to do The whyles that it was alyue Go nowe fast and hye the blyue This messanger toke leue and wente Vpon hys way and neuer he stente Tyll he came to the darke valey That stante bytwene rockes twey There neuer yet grewe corne ne gras Ne tree ne naught that ought was Beest ne man ne nought elles Saue that there were a fewe welles
queynt a sweuen That I wolde by processe of tyme Fonde to put this sweuen in ryme As I can best and that anon This was my sweuen now it is done ¶ Explicit MY mayster c. whan of Chryst our kynge was asked what is trouth or sothfastnesse He not a worde answered to that askynge As who sayeth no man is all true I gesse And therfore though I hyght to expresse The sorowe and wo that is in maryage I dare not wryten of it no wyckednesse Lest I my selfe fall efte in suche dotage I woll not say how that it is the chayne Of Sathanas on whiche he gnaweth euer But I dare sayne were he out of his payne As by his wyll he wolde be bounden neuer But thylke doted foole that eft hath leuer Ychayned be than out of prison crepe God let hym neuer fro his wo disceuer Ne no man hym bewayle though he wepe But yet lest thou do worse take a wyse Bet is to wed then bren in worse wyse But y u shalt haue sorow on thy flesh thy lyfe And bē thy wyues thral as sayn these wise And if that holy wrytte may not suffyse Experience shall the teache so may happe Take the waye leuer to be take in Fryse Than efte to fall of weddyng in the trappe This lytle wryt prouerbes or fygures I sende you take kepe of it I rede Vnwyse is he that can no we le endure Yf thou be syker put the not in drede The wyfe of Bathe I praye you y t ye rede Of this mater that we haue on honde God graunt you your lyfe frely to lede In fredome for foule is to be bonde ¶ Explicit The assemble of foules THe lyfe so shorte y e craft so longe to lerne Thassaye so harde so sharpe the cōquering The dredful ioy alway that flyt so yerne All this mene I by loue that my felynge Astonyeth with his wondrefull werkynge So sore iwys that whan I on him thynke Nought wet I wel whether I flete or sink For al be that I knowe not loue in dede Ne wot how that he quyteth folke her hyre Yet happeth me full oft in bokes rede Of his myracles and of his cruell yre There rede I well he wol be lorde and syre I dare not sayne his strokes be sore But god saue suche a lorde I can nomore Of vsage what for lust what for lore On bokes rede I oft as I you tolde But wherfore I speke all this nought yore Agone it happed me to beholde Vpon a boke was ywrytten w t letters olde And thervpon a certayne thynge to lerne The longe day ful fast I rad and yerne For out of olde feldes as men sayth Cōmeth al this newe corne fro yere to yere And out of olde bokes in good fayth Cōmeth all this newe science that men lere But now to purpose as of this matere To rede forth it gan me so delyte That al that day me thought it but lyre This boke of which I make mencyon Entytled was ryght thus as I shall tell Tullius of the dreame of Scipion Chapiters seuen it had of heauen and hell And erth and soules that therin dwel Of which as shortly as I can it treate Of his sentence I woll you sayne the great Fyrst telleth it whan Scipion was come In Affryke how he meteth Massynysse That hym for ioye in armes hath ynome Than telleth he her speche and all the blysse that was betwixe hem tyll y e day gan mysse And howe hys auncestre Affrykan so dere Gan in his slepe that nyght tyll him apere Than telleth it that from a sterry place Howe affrikan hath hym Cartage shewed And warned him beforne of al hys grace And sayd him what man lered eyther leude That loueth comune profyte wel ytheude He shulde into a blysfull place wende There as the ioye is wythouten any ende Than asked he yf folke that here bene dede Haue lyfe and dwellyng in another place And Affrikan sayd yee without any drede And howe our present lyues space ment but a maner deth what way we trace And rightful folke shul gone after they dye To heauen and shewed hym the Galaxie Than shewed he him the lytle erth y e here is To regarde of the heuens quantyte And after shewed he him the nyne speris And after that the melodye herde he That cometh of thylke speres thrise thre That welles of musyke bene and melodye In thys worlde here and cause of armonye Than sayd he him sens erth was so lyte And ful of turment and of harde grace That he ne shulde him in this worlde delyte That tolde he hym in certayne yeres space That euery sterre shuld come into his place Ther it was first and al shuld out of minde That in thys worlde is done of al mākinde Than prayed hym Scipion to tel hym al The waye to come into that heuen blysse And he sayd Fyrst know thy selfe immortal And loke aye besely that thou werch wisse To comune profite and thou shalt not misse To come swyftly vnto that place dere That full of blysse is and of soules clere And brekers of the lawe sothe to sayne And lykerous folke after that they ben dede Shul whirle about y e world alway in paine Tyl many a worlde be passed out of drede And than foryeuen al her wycked dede than shullen they come to that blysful place To whych to comen God sende the grace The day gan faylen and the derke nyght That reueth beestes from her besynesse Berafte me my boke for lacke of lyght And to my bedde I gan me for to dresse Fulfylled of thought and besy heuynesse For both I had thing which that I nolde And eke I ne had that thyng that I wolde But fynally my spyrite at laste For wery of my labour al that daye Toke reste that made me to slepe faste And in my slepe I mette as that I laye Howe Affrikan ryght in the selfe araye That Scipion hym sawe before that tyde was come stode ryght at my beddes syde The wery hunter slepyng in hys bedde To wodde ayen hys mynde goth anone The iuge dremeth how hys plees be spedde The carter dremeth howe his cartes gone the rych of golde y e knight fyght w t his fone The sycke mette he drynketh of the tonne The louer met he hath hys lady wonne Can I not sayne yf that the cause were For I had radde of affrikan beforne That made me to mete that he stode there but thus sayd he thou hast the so wel borne In lokynge of myne olde boke al to torne Of whych Macrobie rought not a lyte That somdele of thy labour wolde I quyte Citherea thou blysful lady swete That w t thy fyre brōde dauntest whā y e lest That madest me thys sweuen for to mete be thou my helpe in this for thou maist best As wysely as I seygh the north north west whan I began my sweuen for to write So yeue me myght to ryme
fantasyes in suche wordes as we lerneden of our dames tonge And although thys boke be lytel thanke worthy for the leudnesse in trauayle yet such wrytynges exciten men to thylke thynges y t bene necessarie for euery mā therby maye as by a perpetual myrrour sene the vyces or vertues of other in which thynge lyghtly may be cōceyued to eschewe peryls and necessaries to catche after as auētures haue fallen to other people or persons Certes y e soueraynst thing of desyre and moste creature reasonable haue or els shulde haue ful appetyte to theyr perfection vnresonable beestes mowen not syth reason hath in hem no werkynge Then reasonable that wol not is comparysoned to vnresonable and made lyke hem Forsothe the moste souerayne and fynall perfection of mā is in knowynge of a soth wythouten any entent dysceyuable and in loue of one very god that is inchaungeable that is to knowe and loue hys creatour ¶ Nowe principally the meane to brynge in knowlegyng and louyng hys creatour is the consyderacion of thinges made by the creatour wherthrough be thylke thynges that bene made vnderstādynge here to our wyttes arne the vnsene priuytees of god made to vs sightful knowing in our cōtemplacion vnderstandyng These thinges then forsoth moch bryngen vs to y e ful knowlegynge sothe and to the parfyte loue of the maker of heauenly thynges Lo Dauid sayeth thou haste delyted me in makynge as who sayeth to haue delite in y e tune how god hath lent me in cōsyderation of thy makynge wherof Aristotle in the boke de Animalibus sayeth to naturel philosophers It is a great lykynge in loue of knowynge theyr creatour and also in knowynge of causes in kyndelye thynges consydred Forsothe the formes of kyndly thynges y e shap a great kyndly loue mē shulde haue to the werkman y t hem made The crafte of a werkman is shewed in the werke Herefore truly the philosophers with a lyuely studye many noble thynges ryghte precious and worthy to memory wrytten by a great swet ande trauayle to vs leften of causes the properties in natures of thynges To whyche therfore Phylosophers it was more ioye more lykynge more herty lust in kyndly vertues maters of reason y e perfection by busy study to knowe thē to haue had al the treasure al the rychesse al y e vaynglory y t the passed Emperours prynces or kynges hadden Therfore y e names of hem in y e boke of perpetual memory in vertue peace arne wrytten and in the contrary that is to sayne in stixe y e foule pytte of helle arne thilke pressed that suche goodnesse hated And bycause thys boke shall be of loue and the pryme causes of sterynge in that doynge with passyons and dyseases for wantynge of desyre I wyll that this boke be cleped y e Testamēt of loue But now thou reder who is thylke y e wyl not in scorne laughe to here a dwerfe or els halfe a man say he wyll rende out the swerd of Hercules handes also he shulde set Hercules gades a myle yet ferther and ouer that he had power of strength to pul vp the spere that Alisander y e noble myght neuer wegge And that passyng al thynge to ben master of Fraunce by myght there as the noble gracious Edwarde the thyrde for all hys greate prowes in vyctories ne myght al yet cōquere Certes I wote wel ther shal be made more scorne iape of me that I so vnworthely clothed altogether in the cloudy cloude of vncōnynge wyl puttē me in prees to speke of loue or els of the causes in that mater sythen all y e greatest clerkes han had ynough to done and as who sayth gathered vp clene toforne hem wyth theyr sharpe sythes of connynge all mowen and made therof great rekes and noble full of all plentyes to fede me and many another Enuye forsothe cōmendeth nought hys reason y t he hath in hayne be it neuer so trusty And although these noble repers as good workmen and worthy theyr hyer haue al drawe and bounde vp in y e sheues made many shockes yet haue I ensample to gather the smale crōmes and fullē my walet of tho that fallen from the borde among◠the smale houndes notwythstandynge the trauayle of the almoygner y t hath drawe vp in the cloth al the remyssayles as trenchours and the relyfe to bere to the almesse Yet also haue I leue of y e noble husbonde Boece although I be a straunger of connynge to come after his doctrine and these great workmē and glene my handfuls of the shedynge after theyr handes if me fayle ought of my ful to encrease my porcion with that I shal drawe by priuytyes out of the shocke a slye seruaunt in hys owne helpe is often moche cōmēded knowyng of trouth in causes of thīges was more hardyer in the fyrst sechers and so sayth Aristotle lyghter in vs y t hath folowed after For theyr passyng study han freshed our wyttes and our vnderstandynge han excyted in cosyderacion of trouth by sharpnesse of theyr reasons Vtterly these thinges be no dremes ne iapes to throwe to hogges it is lyfelyche meate for chyldren of trouth and as they me betyden whē I pylgrimaged out of my kyth in wynter when the wether out of measure was boystous the wylde wynde Borias as hys kynde asketh wyth dryenge coldes maked the wawes of the Occian see so to aryse vnkyndely ouer the cōmune bankes that it was in poynte to spyl al the earth ¶ Thus endeth the prologue and here after foloweth the fyrst boke of the Testament of Loue. ALas Fortune alas I that somtyme in delycious houres was wont to enioy blysful stoundes am nowe dryue by vnhappy heuynes to bewayle my sondry yuels in tene Trewlye I leaue in myne herte is wryte of perdurable letters al the entencions of lamentacion that now ben ynempned for any maner dysease outwarde in sobbynge maner sheweth sorowfull yexynge from wythin Thus from my comforte I gynne to spylle syth she that shulde me solace is ferre fro my presence Certes her absence is to me an hell my sternyng deth thus in wo it myneth y t endelesse care is throughe out myne herte clēched blysse of my ioye that ofte my murthed is turned into galle to thynke on thynge that maye not at my wyll in armes me hent Myrth is chaunged into tene when swynke is there continually that reste was wonte to soiourne and haue dwellynge place Thus wytlesse thoughtfull syghtlesse lokinge I endure my penaunce in this derke prysone caytisned fro frendshyp and acquaintaunce and forsaken of all y e any worde dare speke Straunge hath by waye of intrucyon made hys home there me shuld be yf reason were herde as he shulde Neuerthelater yet hertely lady precious Margarit haue mynd on thy seruaunt and thynke on hys dysease howe lyghtles he lyueth sythe the beames brēnende in loue of thyne eyen arne so be wēt that worldes and cloudes atwene vs tweye
is faylynge wythout deserte thylke fyrst mysse amendynge in correction of tho erroures and euen waye to brynge wyth comforte of welfare into amendement wexynge And in the thyrde ioye and blysse graunted to hym that well canne deserue it and hath sauour of vnderstandynge in the tyme of grace Thus in ioye of my thyrd boke shal the mater be tyl it ende But speciall cause I haue in my hert to make this processe of a Margarit peerle that is so precious a gēme with clere and lytel of which stones or iewel y e tōges of vs English people turneth y e right names clepeth hem Margery perles thus varieth our speche frō many other langages For trewly Latyn Frenche and many mo other langages cleapeth hem Margery perles the name Margarites or Margaryte perles wherfore in that denominacion I wol me acorde to other mēs tonges in that name clepyng These clerkes that treaten of kyndes studyen out the propertye there of thynges sayne the Margarit is a lytel whyte perle throughout holowe rounde and vertuous and on the see sydes in the more Britayne in muskel shelles of y e heauenly dewe the best ben engendred in which by experience ben founde thre fayre vertues One is it yeueth comforte to the felyng spirites in bodely persones of reason Another is good it is profytable helth ayenst passyons of sorye mēs hertes And the thyrd it is nedeful and noble in staunchyng of bloode there els to moche wolde out ren To whych perle and vertues me lyst to lyken at this tyme philosophie wyth her thre speces that is naturel and moral and resonable of whych thynges hereth what sayne these great clerkes Philosophye is knowyng of deuynly manly thinges ioyned wyth studye of good lyuyng and thys stante in two thynges that is connyng and opinion connynge is when a thynge by certaine reson is cōceyued But wretches and fooles and leude men many wyll conceyue a thynge and maynteyne it as forsoth though reson be in the contrarye wherfore connyng is a straūger Opinion is whyle a thynge is in none certayne and hydde from mens very knowlegynge and by no parfyte reson fully declared as thus yf the sonne be so moke◠as men wenen or els yf it be more then the erth For in sothnesse the certayne quantyte of that planet is vnknowen to erthly dwellers and yet by opinion of some men it is holden for more then mydle erthe The fyrst spece of philosophye is naturel whych in kyndely thynges treten and sheweth causes of heuen and strength of kyndely course as by arsmetryke geometry musyke by astronomye teacheth wayes and course of heuens of planetes and of sterres aboute heuen and erthe and other clemetes The seconde spece is morall which in order of lyuyng maners techeth and by reson proueth vertues of soule most worthy in our lyuyng whych ben prudence iustyce temperaunce and strength Prudence is goodlye wysedome in knowyng of thinges Strēgth voydeth al aduersitees alyche euen Temperaunce destroyeth beestial lyuyng wyth easy bearyng And iustyce ryghtfully iugeth and iugyng departeth to euery wyght that is his owne The thyrde spece turneth into reason of vnderstandynge al thynges to be said soth and dyscussed that in two thynges is deuyded one is art another is rethorike in which two al lawes of mans reason ben grounded or els mayntayned And for thys booke is all of loue and therafter beareth hys name and phylosophie and lawe muste here to acorden by theyr clergiall dyscripciōs as philosophie for loue of wysedome is declared Lawe for maynteynaunce of peace is holden and these with loue must nedes acordē therfore of hem in this place haue I touched Ordre of homly thynges honest maner of lyuyng in vertue with rightful iugemēt in causes profitable administracion in cōminaltyes of realmes cites by euenhed profitably to raigne not by synguler auaūtage ne by priue enuy ne by soleyn purpose in couetise of worship or of goodes ben dysposed in opē rule shewed by loue philosophy law yet loue toforne al other Wherfore as susterne in vnite they acordē one ende that is peace rest they causen noryshynge in the ioye maynteynen to endure Now then as I haue declared my boke acordeth with discripciō of thre thynges the Margarit in vertue is lykned to philosophie wyth her thre speces In whych maters euer twey ben acordaūt with bodely reason the thyrde with the soule But in cōclusion of my boke of thys Margarit peerle in knyttyng together lawe by thre sondry maners shal be lykened y t is to saye lawe ryght custome whych I wold declare all y t is lawe cometh of goddes ordynaūce by kyndly worchyng thylke thynges ordayned by mānes wyttes arne ycleped ryght which is ordained by many maners in constitucion wrytten but custome is a thynge that is accepted for ryghte or for lawe there as lawe and ryght faylen and there is no dyfferēce whether it come of scrypture or of reason Wherfore it sheweth that lawe is kyndly gouernaunce Ryght cometh out of mannes probable reason and custome is of cōmen vsage by length of tyme vsed and custome not wrytte is vsage and yf it be wrytte constitucion it is ywrytten and ycleped But lawe of kynde is cōmen to euery nation as coniunction of man and womā in loue succession of chyldren in heritaunce restitucyon of thynge by strength taken or lent and this lawe amōge al other halte the soueraynest gree in worshyp whych lawe began at the begynnynge of reasonable creature it varyed yet neuer for no chaungyng of tyme cause forfothe in ordaynynge of law was to constrayne mens hardynesse into peace and wythdrawyng his euell wyl turnynge malyce into goodnesse and that innocence sykerly withouten tenefull anoye amōge shrewes safely myght inhabyte by protection of safeconducte so that y e shrewes harme for harme by brydle of ferdenesse shulden restrayne But forsothe in kyndely lawe nothynge is cōmended but suche as goddes wil hath cōfyrmed ne nothyng denyed but cōtrarioustye of goddes wyl in heauen eke then all lawes or custome or els cōstitucion by vsage or wryting that cōtraryen lawe of kynde vtterly ben repugnaunt and aduersary to our goddes wyl of heuen Trewly lawe of kynde for goddes owne lusty wil is verely to mainteine vnder which lawe vnworthye both professe and reguler arne obediencer and bounden to this Margarite perle as by knotte of loues statutes and stablyshment in kynde whyche that goodlye may not ben wythsetten Lo vnder this bonde am I constrayned to abyde and man vnder lyuyng lawe ruled by that lawe oweth after desertes to be rewarded by payn or by mede but yf mercy weyue the payne so then be parte reasonfully maye be sey that mercy both ryght and lawe passeth th entent of al these maters is the lest clere vnderstandynge to wetē at th ende of this thyrde boke ful knowyng thorow goddes grace I thinke to make neuerthelater yet yf these thynges
of my seruaunt Thy wytte is clered away is now errour of cloude in vnconnyng awaye is blyndnesse of loue awaye is thoughtfull study of medlyng maners hastly shalte thou entre into the ioye of me that am thyne owne maystres Thou haste quod she in a fewe wordes wel and clerely concluded mokel of my mater And ryght as ther is no reuers ne contrarioustie in tho thynges ryght so wythouteÌ„ any repugnauÌ„ce it is sayd somthyng to be mouable in tyme temporel for it be that in eternite dwelleth immouable not a forâ— it be or after that it is but wythout cessyng for right nought is there after tyme that same is there euerlastynge that teÌ„porallyche somtyme nys and toforne it be it maye not be as I haue sayd Nowe sothlye ê™ I this haue I wel vnderstaÌ„de so that nowe me thynketh that prescience of god and fre arbytremeÌ„t wythouten any repugnauÌ„ce acorden and y t maketh the strength of eternite which encloseth by presence duryng al tymes and al thynges that ben han ben shull ben in any tyme. I wolde nowe ê™ I a lytel vnderstaÌ„d sythen that all thyng thus beforne wot whether thylke wetynge be of tho thinges or els thylke thynges ben to ben of goddes wetyng and so of god nothynge is and yf euery thing be thorowe goddes wâ—tynge and therof take hys beynge then shuld god be maker and author of badde werkes so he shuld not rightfully punyshe yuell doynges of mankynde Quod Loue I shal tel the thys lesson to lerne myne owne tene seruauÌ„t the noble philosophicall poete in Englyshe whyche euermore hym besyeth and trauayleth ryght sore my name to encrese wherfore al that wyllen me good owe to do him worship reuerence both truely his better ne his pete in schole of my rules conde I neuer fynde He ê™ she in a treatyse y t he made of my seruauÌ„t Troylus hath this mater touched and at the full thys questyon assoyled Certaynly hys noble sayenges can I not amende In goodnes of geÌ„tyll manlyche speche wythout any maner of nycite of starteres ymaginacion in wytte and in good reason of sentence he passeth al other makers In y e boke of Troylus the answere to thy questyon mayste thou lerne neuer the later yet may lyghtly thyne vnderstandynge somdele ben lerned if thou haue knowyng of these to fornsayd thiges with that thou haue vnderstandynge of two the last chapiters of thys seconde boke y t is to say good to be somthyng and bad to want al maner beynge for badde is nothynge els but absence of good that god in good maketh that good dedes be good in yuel he maketh y t they ben but nauÈt that they ben bad for to nothyng is badnesse to be I haue ê™ I tho ynough knowiÌ„g theriÌ„ me nedeth of other thinges to here y e is to say how I shall come to my blysse so loÌ„ge desired IN thys mater toforne declared ê™ loue I haue well shewed y t euery man hath fre arbytremeÌ„t of thynges in hys power to do or vndo what hym lyketh Out of thys grounde must come the spire that by processe of tyme shall in greatnesse sprede to haue braunches blosmes of warynge frute in grace of whych the caste and the sauoure is endlesse blysse in ioy euer to onbyde Now lady ê™ I that tree to set same wold I lerne So thou shalt ê™ she er thou departe hence The fyrst thynge thou must set thy werke on grounde syker and good accordaunte to thy sprynges For yf y u desyre grapes thou goest not to the hasell ne for to fetchen roses thou sekest not on okes and yf thou shalt haue hony soukles thou leauest the frute of the soure docke Wherfore yf thou desyre this blysse in parfyte â—oye â–ª thou must set thy purpose there vertue foloweth and not to loke after the bodely goodes as I sayd when thou were wrytâ—ng in thy seconde booke And for thou hast set thy selfe in so noble a place and vtterly lowed in thyne herte the mysgoyng of thy fyrst purpose thys seâ—teles is the esyer to sprynge and the more lyghter thy soule in grace to be blâ—ssed And trewly thy desyre that is to saye thy wyll algates mote ben stedfaste in thys mater wythout any chaungynge for yf it be stedfast no man maye it voyde Yes parde ê™ Iâ—â—ny wyll maye ben turned by frendes and dysease of manace thretnyng in lesynge of my lyfe and of my lymmes in many other wyse that nowe cometh not to mynde And also it mote ofte ben out of thought for no remembraunce may holde one thynge continually in herte be it neuer so lusty desyred Nowe se ê™ she how thy wyl shal folowe thy frewyl to be grouÌ„ded coÌ„tinuelly to abyde It is thy fre wil that thou louest and hast loued and yet shal loueÌ„ thys Margaryte perle and in thy wyl thou thinkest to holde it TheÌ„ is thy wyl knyt in loue not to chauÌ„ge for no newe lust besyde thys wyll teacheth thyne hert froÌ„ al maner varyeng But theÌ„ although thou be thretened in deth or els in otherwyse yet is it in thyne arbitremeÌ„t to chose thy loue to voyde or els to holde And thylke arbytrement is in a maner a iugement bytwene desyre and thy herte And yf thou deme to loue thy good wyl fayleth then arte thou worthy no blysse that good wyl shulde deserue and if thou chose contynuaunce in thy good seruyce then thy good wyll abydeth nedes blysse folowiÌ„g of thy good wil must come by streÌ„gth of thylke iugement for thy fyrst wyl y t taught thyn hert to abyde halte it from theschauÌ„ge wyth the reson is accorded Trewly this maner of wyl thus shal abyd impossible it were to turne yf thy herte be trewe yf euery man dyligently the menynges of hys wyl coÌ„sider he shall wel vnderstande that good wyl knyt wyth reason but in a false herte neuer is voyded for power myght of kepyng thys good wyl is thorow lyberte of arbytremeÌ„t in hert but goodwil to kepe may not fayle Eke then yf it fayle it sheweth it selfe that goodwyl in kepyng is not there And thus false wyll that putteth out the good anone constrayneth the herte to accorde in louynge of thy goodwyll thys accordauÌ„ce bytwene false wyl thyne herte in falsyte ben lykened together Yet a lytel wol I say the in good wyll thy goodwylles to rayse strength Take hede to me ê™ she how thy wylles thou shalt vnderstande Right as ye han in your body dyuers membres and fyue sondrye wyttes euerych apart to hys owne doyng which thinges as instrumeÌ„tes ye vsen as your haÌ„des aparte to handle fete to go tonge to speke eye to se Ryght so y e soule hath in hym certayne sterynges strengthes whych he vseth as instrumeÌ„tes to his certayne doynges Reason is in the soule which he vseth thiÌ„ges to know to proue wil which he vseth to wilne yet is neither wyl ne