Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	virtue_n	young_a	youth_n	71	3	8.3324	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32749	The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.; Works. 1687	Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.; Speght, Thomas, fl. 1600.; Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Siege of Thebes.	1687 (1687)	Wing C3736; ESTC R3920	1,295,535	731

vertuous liuing * Take heed also how men of poore degree Through vertue haue beset in great honour And euer haue liued in great prosperity Through cherishing of vertuous labour Thinketh also how many a gouernour Called to estate hath be set full low Through misusing of right and of errour And therefore I cousaile you vertue to know Thus by your ancesters ye may nothing claim As that my maister Chaucer saith expresse But temporal thing that men may hurt or maime Then is God stocke of vertuous noblesse And sith that he is lord of blessednesse And made us all and for us all deide Followeth him in vertue with full businesse And of this thing herke how my maister seide The first stocke father of gentilnesse What man that claimeth gentill for to be Must follow his trace and all his wits dresse Vertue to looke and vices for to fly For unto vertue longeth dignity And not the reuers safely dare I deme All weare the mitre corowne or Diademe The first stocke was full of rightwisenesse True of his word sobre pitous and free Cleane of his ghost and loued businesse Ayenst the vice of sloth in honesty And but his heire loue vertue as did he He is not gentill though he rich seme All weare he mitre croune or Diademe Vice may be an heire to old richesse * But there may no man all men may see Biqueth his heire his vertuous noblesse That is appropried vnto no degree But to the first father of Majesty That maketh his heires hem that can him queme All weare he mitre croune or Diademe Lo heare this noble Poete of Brittaine How lightly in vertuous sentence The losse on youth of vertue can complaine Therefore I pray you with your diligence For your profite and Gods reuerence Tempereth fully vertue in your mind That when ye come to your judges presence Ye be not vertulesse then behind Many lords haue a manner now adayes Though one shew him a vertuous mattere Her feruent youth is of so false alayes That of that art they haue no joy to here But as a ship that is without a stere Driueth vp and doun without gouernaunce Wening that calme would last yere by yere Right so fare they for very ignoraunce * For very shame know they not by reason That after an ebb ther cometh a flood ful rage In the same wise when youth passeth his season Commeth crooked and unweldy palied age And sone after comen the Kalends of dotage And if y● her youth haue no vertue provided All men woll say fie on her vassalage Thus hath her sloth fro worship hem deuided Boecius the clerk as men may rede and see Saith in his booke of Consolation What man des●reth of Vine or tree Plenteous fruit in reaping season Must euer eschue to doe oppression Vnto the root while it is yong and grene Thus may ye see well by that inclusion * That youth vertulesse doeth much tene * Now seeth there ayenst how vertuous noblenesse Rooted in youth with good perseueraunce Driueth away all vices and wretchednesse As slogardry riot and distaunce Seeth eke how vertue causeth suffisaunce Seeth eke how vertue voideth all vice And who so hath vertue hath all habundaunce Of wele as farre as reason can deuise Take heed of Tullius Hostilius That fro pouert came to high degree Through vertue redeth eke of Iulius The conquerour how poore a man was he Yet through his vertue and humility Of many countrey had he in gouernaunce Thus vertue bringeth a man to great degree Eche wight that lust to do him entendaunce Rede here ayenst now of Nero vertulees Taketh heed also of proud Balthasare They hated vertue equity and pees And looke how Antiochus fill fro his chare That he his skin and bones all to tare Look what mischance they had for her vices Who so woll not by these signes beware I dare well say infortunate and nice is I can no more now say but hereby may ye see How vertue causeth parfite sikernesse And vices exilen all prosperity The best is ech man to chose as I gesse Doeth as you list I me excuse expresse I would be right sorry if that ye mischese God confirme you in vertuous noblesse So that through negligence ye not it lese Explicit * SOmetime the world so stedfast was and stable That mans word was an obligatioun And now it is so false and deceivable That word and deed as in conclusioun Is nothing like for tourned is vp so doun All the world through mede and fikelnesse That all is lost for lack of stedfastnesse What maketh the world to be so variable But lust that men haue in dissension * For among vs a man is hold vnable But if he can by some collusion Doe his neighbour wrong and oppression What causeth this but wilfull wretchednesse That all is lost for lack of stedfastnesse * Trouth is put downe reason is hold fable Vertue hath now no domination Pity is exiled no man is merciable Through couetise is blent discretion The world hath made a permutation Fro right to wrong fro trouth to fikelnesse That all is lost for lacke of stedfastnesse Lenvoye Prince desire to be honourable Cherish thy folke and hate extortion Suffer nothing that may be reprouable To thine estate done in thy region Shew forth the yerd of castigation Drede God do law loue trouth worthinesse And wed thy folke ayen to stedfastnesse Explicit Good Counsail of Chaucer FLY fro the prease dwell with soothfastnesse * Suffise vnto thy good though it be small * For horde hath hate and climbing tikelnesse Prease hath enuy and wele is blent ouer all * Sauour no more than thee behoue shall Rede well thy selfe y● other folke canst rede And trouth thee shall deliuer it is no drede * Paine thee not ech crooked to redresse In trust of her that tourneth as a ball * Great rest standeth in little businesse Beware also to spurn againe a nall Striue not as doth a crocke with a wall * Deme thy selfe that demest others dede And trouth thee shall deliuer it is no drede * That thee is sent receiue in buxomnesse The wrastling of this world asketh a fall Here is no home here is but wildernesse Forth pilgrime forth beast out of thy stall * Looke vp on high and thanke God of all * Weiue thy lusts and let thy ghost thee lede And trouth thee shall deliuer it is no drede Explicit A Ballade of the Village without Painting Plaintife to Fortune THis wretched worldes transmutation As wele and wo now poor now honour Without order or due discretion Gouerned is by Fortunes errour But nathelesse the lacke of her fauour Ne may not doe me sing though that I die L'ay tout pardu mon temps labour For finally fortune I defie Yet is me left the sight of my reasoun To know friend fro foe in thy mirrour So much hath yet thy tourning vp doun Ytaught me to knowen in an hou●r But truly

's and Petrarch who had done the same for the Italian Tongue Alanus for the French and Johannes Mena for the Spanish neither was Chaucer inferiour to any of them in the performance hereof and England in this respect is much beholden to him as Leland well noteth Anglia Chaucerum veneratur nostra poetam Cui veneres debet patria lingua suas Our England honoureth Chaucer Poet as principal To whom her Country Tongue doth owe her Beauties all Besides those Books of his which we have in print he wrote divers others as De Vulcani veru De Leone eius dignitate Comoedias Tragoedias Facetias Jocos Jack Vpland against Friars Now Printed And His A. B. C. Now Printed Others I have seen without any Authors Name in the hands of Mr. Stow that painful Antiquary which for the Invention I would verily judge to be Chaucer's were it not that Words and Phrases carry not every where Chaucer's Antiquity Mr. William Thynn in his first printed Book of Chaucer's Works with one Column on a side had a Tale called the Pilgrims Tale which was more odious to the Clergy than the Speech of the Plowman The Tale began thus In Lincolneshire fast by a fenne Standeth a religious house who doth it kenne The Argument of which Tale as also the occasion thereof and the cause why it was left out of Chaucer's Works shall hereafter be shewed if God permit in Mr. Thynn's Comment upon Chaucer and the Tale it self published if possibly it can be found Now concerning those Books which we have in print The Canterbury Tales for the most part were of his own Invention yet some of them translated and penned in King Richard the Second's Days and after the Insurrection of Jack Straw which was in the fourth Year of the same King for in the Tale of the Nuns Priest he maketh mention thereof The Romaunt of the Rose was translated out of French Troilus and Creseid called Trophe in the Lumbard Tongue was translated out of Latin as in the Preface to the second Book of Troilus and Creseid he confesseth in these Words To every Lover I me excuse That of no sentement I this endite But out of Latin in my Tongue it write Mary Magdalen translated out of St. Origen The Ballad Fly from the Prease made by Chaucer on his Death-bed The Letter of Cupid is none of Chaucer's doing but was compiled by Thomas Occleve of the Office of the privy Seal sometime Chaucer's Scholar The which Occleve for the Love he bare to his Master caused his Picture to be truly drawn in his Book De Regimine Principis dedicated to Henry the Fifth the which I have seen and according to which this in the beginning of this Book was done by Mr. Spede who hath annexed thereto all such Coats of Arms as any way concern the Chaucers as he found them travelling for that Purpose at Ewelm and at Wickham Occleve in that Book where he setteth down Chaucer's Picture addeth these Verses Although his life be queint the resemblaunce Of him that hath in me so fresh livelines That to put other men in remembraunce Of his person I have here the likenes Do make to the end in soothfastnes That they that of him have lost thought and mind By this peinture may again him find His Death GEffrey Chaucer departed out of this World the 25th of October in the Year of our Lord 1400 after he had lived about 72 Years Thus writeth Bale out of Leland Chaucerus ad canos devenit sensitque senectutem morbum esse dum causas suas Londini curaret c. Chaucer lived till he was an old Man and found old Age to be grievous and whilst he followed his Causes at London he died and was buried at Westminster The old Verses which were written on his Grave at the first were these Galfridus Chaucer vates fama poesis Maternae hac sacra sum tumulatus humo But since Mr. Nicholas Brigham did at his own Cost and Charges erect a fair marble Monument for him with his Picture resembling that done by Occleve and these Verses Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olint Gaufredus Chaucer conditur hoc tumulo Annum si quaeras domini si tempora vitae Ecce notae subsunt quae tibi cuncta notant Anno Domini 1400 die mensis Octob. 25. About the Ledge of which Tomb were these Verses now clean worn out Si rogites quis eram forsan te fama docebit Quod si fama negat mundi quia gloria transit Haec monumenta lege Now it shall not be amiss to these Epitaphs to add the Judgements and Reports of some learned men of this worthy and famous Poet. And first of all Thomas Occleve who lived in his Days writeth thus of him in his Book De Regimine Principis But welaway so is mine hert woe That the honour of English Tongue is deed Of which I wont was counsail have and reed O Master dere and Fadre reuerent My Master Chaucer floure of Eloquence Mirror of fructuous entendement O universal Fadre of Science Alas that thou thine excellent prudence In thy bed mortal mightest not bequeath What eyld Death Alas why would she thee sle O Death that didest not harme singler in slaughter of him But all the land it smerteth But nathelesse yet hast thou no power his Name sle His hie vertue afterteth Vnslain fro thee which ay us lifely herteth With Books of his ornat enditing That is to all this land enlumining The same Author again in the same Book My dear Maister God his soule quite And Fader Chaucer faine would have me taught But I was young and leered lite or nought Alas my worthy Maister honorable This Lands very treasure and richesse Death by thy death hath harme irreparable Vnto us done her vengeable duresse Dispoiled hath this lond of the sweetnesse Of Rhetorige for unto Tullius Was never man so like among us Also who was heire in Philosophy To Aristotle in our Tongue but thou The steppes of Virgil in Poese Thou suedest eken men know well inough That combre World that thee my Maister slough Would I slaine were Death was too hastife To renne on thee and reve thee thy life She might have tarried her vengeance a while To that some man had egal to thee be Nay let be that she knew wele that this I le May never man forth bring like unto thee And her Office needs do must she God had her so I trust all for the best O Maister Maister God thy Soul rest Dan John Lidgate likewise in his Prologue of Bocchas of the Fall of Princes by him translated saith thus in his Commendation My Maister Chaucer with his fresh Comedies Is dead alas chief Poet of Britaine That whilome made full pitous Tragedies The faule also of Princes he did complaine As he that was of making soveraine Whom all this land should of right preferre Sith of our Language he was

from us what priuely sleeping * And what through negligence in our waking As doth the streme that turneth neuer again Descending fro the mountain into the plain Well can Seneke many a Philosophre Bewailen time more than gold in cofre * For losse of cattell may recouered be But losse of time shendeth us qd he It would not come ayen withouten dread * No more than woll Malkins maidenhead When she hath lost it in her wantonnesse Let us not mowlen thus in idlenesse Sir man of Law qd he so haue I blis Tell us a tale anon as forward is Ye been submitted through your free assent To stonden in this case at my judgement Acquiteth you nowe of your behest Then haue you done your deuer at the lest Host qd he de pardeux ieo assent To breake forward is not mine intent * Bihest is debt and I woll holde faine All my behest I can no better saine * For such law as a man yeueth another He should himselfe vsen it by right Thus woll our text but nathelesse certaine wight I can right now no thrifty tale saine For that Chaucer though he can but leaudly On Metres and in rinning craftily Hath saied hem in such English as he can Of old time as knoweth many a man And if he haue not sayd hem leue brother In one booke he hath said hem in another For he hath told of louers up and doun Mo than Ouide made of mentioun In his Epistles that been full old What should I tell hem sithen they ben told In youth he made of sixe all alone And sithen he hath spoken of euerichone These noble wiues and these louers eke Who so that woll his large volume seke Cleaped the saints liues of Cupide There may he see the large wounds wide Of Lucresse and of Babylon Thisoe The swerd of Dido for the false Enee The tree of Phillis for her Demophoon The plaint of Deianire and of Hermion Of Ariadna and of Hypsiphilee The barraine Ile stonding in the see Which that dreint Liandre for Hero The teares of Helein and eke the wo Of Briseis and of Laodomia The crueltie of queene Medea The little children honging by the hals For the Iason that was of loue so fals Of Hipermistra Penelope and Alcest Your wifehood he commendeth with the best But certainely no word ne writeth he Of thilke wicke ensample of Canace That loued her owne brother sinfullie Of suche cursed stories I say fie Or els of Tyro Appoloneus How that cursed kinge Antiochus Biraft his doughter of her maidenhead That is so horrible a tale for to read When he her drew upon the pament And therefore he of full auisement Nold neuer write in none of his setmons Of such unkind abhominations Ne I woll none rehearse yef that I may But of my tale how shall I done this day Me were loth be likened doubtles To Muses that men cleaped Piriades Methamorphoseos wote what I mene But nathelesse I retche not a Bene Though I come after him with Haubake I speake in prose and let him rimes make And with that word he with a sober chere Began his tale as ye shullen after here LAdy Custance the Emperours Daughter of Rome after her marriage with the Soudan of Surrey through the Malice of the Soudans Mother suffereth great trouble and misery with her young Child Mauris but yet in the end is restored to Comfort ¶ The man of Lawes Tale. O Hatefull harme condition of pouert With thirst with cold with hunger confounded To asken helpe thee shameth in thine hert If thou non ask with need thou art so wounded That very nede vnwrappeth al thy wounds hid * Maugrie thine head thou must for indigence Or stele or beg or borow thy dispence Thou blamest Christ saiest ful bitterly He misdeparteth richesse temporall Thy neighbour thou witest sinfully And saiest thou hast too little he hath all Parfay saiest thou sometime he reken shall When that his taile shall to brenne in glede For he nought helpeth needfull in her nede Hearken what is the sentence of the wise * Better is to dien than haue indigence * Thine owne neighbour woll thee to despise If thou be poore farwell thy reverence Yet of the wise man take this sentence * All the dayes of poore men been wicke Beware therefore or thou come to the pricke If thou be poore thy brother hateth thee * And all thy friends fleech fro thee alas O rich Merchaunts full of we le be yee O noble prudent folke as in this caas Your bags been not fild with ambes aas * But with cise sink that reuneth for your chance At Christeninass mery may ye dance Ye seeken lond see for your winnings As wise folke ye knowne all the state Of reignes ye been fathers of tidings And tales many both of peace and debate I was right now of tales desolate Nere that a marchant gone many a yeare He taught a tale which ye shullen heare IN Surrey whylome dwelt a company Of chapmen rich thereto sad true That wide where senten her spicery Clothes of gold Satten rich of hew Her chafare was so thriftie and so new That euery wight hath deintie to chafare With hem and eke to sellen hem her ware Now fell it that the maisters of that sort Han shapen hem to Rome for to wend Were it for chapmanhood or for disport None other messenger would they send But comen hemself to Rome this is the end And in such place as thought hem auauntage For her intent they taken her herbigage Soiourned han these merchants in that toun Certain time as fell to her pleasance But so befell that the excellent renoun Of the emperours doughter dame Custance Reported was with euery circumstance Vnto these Surrein marchants in such wise Fro day to day as I shall you deuise This was the comen voice of euery man Our Emperour of Rome God him se A doughter hath that sithen the world began To recken as well her goodnesse as beaute Nas neuer such another as is she I pray to God in honour her susteine And would she were of all Europe the quene In her is high beautie without pride Youth without grenhed or follie To all her works vertue is her guide Humbles hath slaine in her all tyrannie She is a mirrour of all courtesie Her heart is very chamber of holinesse Her hond minister of freedome and almes And al this voice was soth as God is true But now to our purpose let vs turne ayen These marchants han don fret her ships new And when they han this blisfull maiden sein Home to Surrey been they went agein And doen her needs as they han doen yore And liuen in wealth I can say no more Now fell it that these marchants stood in grace Of him that was the Soudan of Surrie For when that they came from any strange place He would of his benigne courtesie Maken hem good cheare and busily espie

done these bauds Certes these been cursed sins Vnderstond also that aduoutrie is set gladly in the ten commaundements between theft and manslaughter for it is the greatest theft that may be for it is theft of body of soul and it is like an homicide for it kerueth atwo and breaketh atwo hem that first were made of one flesh And therefore by the old law of God they should be slaine but nathelesse by the law of Iesu Christ that is law of pity when he said to the woman that was found in auoutrie and should haue bee slayne with stones after the will of the Iewes as was her law Go said Iesu Christ and haue no more will to do sin Soothly the vengeance of auoutrie is awarded to the pains of Hell but if so be that it be disturbed by penitence Yet been there mo speces of this cursed sin as when that one of hem is religious or els both or of folk that ben entred into order as sub-Deacon Deacon or Priest or Hospitaliers euer the higher that he is in order the greater is the sin The things that greatly agredge her sin is the breaking of her auow of chastity when they receiued the order And moreouer sooth is that holy order is cheefe of all the treasorie of God and his especiall sign and mark of chastity to shew that they beene joyned to chastity which is the most precious life that is and these ordered folk ben specially titled to God and of the special meine of God for which when they done deadly sinne they been the traitors of God and of his people for they liue of the people Priestes been Angels as by the dignitie of her mysterie but forsooth Saint Poul saith That Sathanas transfourmeth him in an Angell of light Soothly the Priest that haunteth deadly sinne he may be likened to the Angel of darkenesse transformed into the Angell of light He seemeth Angell of light but forsooth he is Angel of darknesse Such Priests be the sonnes of Hely as sheweth in the book of Kings that they were the sons of Beliall that is the Diuell Beliall is to say without judge and so fare they hem thinketh they be free and haue no judge no more than hath a free Bull that taketh which Cow that him liketh in the town So fare they by women for right as one free Bull is ynough for all a town right so is a wicked Priest corruption ynough for all a parish or for all a countrey These Priests as sayth the booke ne cannot minister the mystery of Priesthood to the people ne they knowe not God they ne held hem not apayed as saith the book of sodden flesh that was to hem offered but they took by force y● flesh that was raw Certes so these shrews ne held hem not apayed of rosted and sodde flesh with which the people fedde hem in great reuerence but they woll haue raw flesh of folkes wiues and her doughters and certes these women that consent to her harlottrie done great wrong to Christ and to holy Church all Hallowes and all Soules for they bireaue all these hem that should worship Christe and holye Church and pray for Christian Souls and therefore haue such Priests her lemmans also that consent to her lecherie the cursing of all the court Christian till they come to amendment The third spece of auoutrie is sometime betwixt a manne and his wife and that is when they take no regard in her assembling but onely to her fleshly delight as saith Saint Ierom and ne reckon of nothing but that they ben assembled because they ben married all is good ynough as they thinke but in such folke hath the Diuell power as said the Angel Raphael to Tobie for in her assembling they put Iesu Christ out of her heart and yeue hemselfe to all ordure The fourth spece is the assembly of hem that ben of one affinity or else of hem with which her fathers or her kinred have dealed in the sin of lechery This sinne maketh hem like to houndes that take no kepe to kinrede And certes parentele is in two manners either ghostly or fleshly ghostly as for to deal with his godsib for right so as he that engendreth a child is his fleshly father right so is his Godfather his father espirituell for which a woman may in no lesse sinne assemble with her Godsib than with her owne fleshly father The fifth spece is that abhominable sinne of which abhominable sinne no man vnneth ought speake ne write nathelesse it is openly rehearsed in holy writ This cursed sin doen men and women in diverse entent and in divers manner But though that holy writ speake of horrible sinne certes holy writ may not be defoyled no more than the sunne that shineth on the dunghill Another sinne appertaineth to lechery that commeth sleeping and this sin commeth often to hem that been maidens and also to hem that be corrupt and this sinne men call Pollution that commeth of three manners Sometime of languishing of body for the humours been too rank and habundant in the body of man sometime of infirmity for feblenes of the vertue retentife as physicke maketh mention Sometime for surfet of meat and drink and sometime of villainous thoughts that been enclosed in mannes mind when he goeth to sleepe which may not be without sinne for whiche men must keepe hem wisely or else may men sin full greevously ¶ Remedium contra peccatum Luxuriae NOw cometh the remedy ayenst lechery and that is general chastite and continence that restrain all disordinate mevings that come of fleshly talents And euer the greater merite shall he have that most restraineth the wicked chausinges of the ordour of this sin and this is in two manners That is to say chastite in mariage chastite in widdowhood Now shalt thou vnderstonde that matrimony is leful assembling of man and woman that receiuen by vertue of this Sacrament the bonde through whiche they may not be departed in all her life that is to say while that they live both This as saith the book is a full great sacrament God made it as I have said in paradise wold himselfe be borne in mariage and for to hallow mariage he was at a wedding whereas he tourned water into wine which was the first miracle that he wrought in earth before his disciples True effecte of marriage clenseth fornication and replenisheth holy Church of good linage for that is the end of mariage and chaungeth deadly sin into veniall sin between hem that been wedded and maketh the hearts as one of hem that been wedded as well as the bodies Very mariage was established by God ere that sinne began when natural lawe was in his right point in Paradice And it was ordained that o man should haue but o woman and o woman but o man as sayeth saint Augustine by many reasons First for mariage is figured betwixt Christ and holy Church Another is for a man is

stedfast right meuable A strength weiked to stond vpright And feeblenesse full of might Witte unauised sage follie And ioy full of tourmentrie A laughter it is weeping aie Rest that trauaileth night and daie Also a sweete hell it is And a sorrowfull Paradis A pleasaunt gaile and easie prisoun And full of Frost Summer seasoun Prime temps full of Frostes white And Maie deuoid of all delite With seer braunches blossoms vngrene And new fruit filled with Winter tene It is a slowe may nat forbeare Ragges ribaned with gold to weare * For also well woll loue be sette Vnder ragges as rich rotchette And eke as well by amorettes In mourning blacke as bright burnettes For none is of so mokell prise Ne no man founden so wise Ne none so high of parage Ne no manne found of witte so sage No man so hardie ne so wight Ne no man of so mokell might None so fulfilled of bounte That he with Loue may daunted be All the world holdeth this way Loue maketh all to gone misway But it be they of euill life Whom Genius cursed man and wife That wrongly werke againe nature None such I loue ne haue no cure Of such as loues seruaunts beene And woll nat by my counsaile fleene For I ne preise that louing Wherethrough man at the last ending Shall call hem wretches full of wo Loue greueth hem and shendeth so But if thou wolt well loue eschew For to escape out of his mew And make all whole the sorrow to slake No better counsaile maiest thou take Than thinke to fleen well iwis May nought helpe els for wit thou this * If thou flye it it shall flye thee Follow it and followen shall it thee ¶ Lamaunt WHen I had heard Reason sain Which had spilt her speech in vain Dame sayd I I dare well say Of this auaunt me well I may That from your schoole so deuiaunt I am that neuer the more auaunt Right nought am I through your doctrine I dull vnder your discipline I wote no more than wist euer To me so contrarie and so fer Is euerie thing that ye me lere And yet I can it all by partuere Mine heart foyeteth thereof right nought It is so writen in my thought And deepe grauen it is so tender That all by heart I can it render And rede it ouer communely But to my selfe lewdest am I. BVt sith ye Love discriuen so And lacke and preise it both two Defineth it into this Letter That I may thinke on it the better For I heard neuer defined here And wilfully I would it lere * If Love be searched well and sought It is a sickenesse of the thought Annexed and knedde betwixt tweine With male and female with o cheine So freely that bindeth y● they nill twinne Wheder so thereof they lese or winne The roote springeth through hot brenning Into disordinate desiring For to kissen and embrace And at her lust them to solace Of other thing love retcheth nought But setteth her heart and all her thought More for delectatioun Than any procreatioun Of other fruit by engendrure Which love to God is not pleasure For of her body fruit to get They yeue no force they are so set Vpon delight to play in fere And some have also this manere To fainen hem for Love seke Such love I preise not at a leke * For Paramours they doe but faine To love truely they disdaine They falsen Ladies traitorously And swerne hem othes vtterly With many a leasing and many a fable And all the finden deceiuable And when they han her lust getten The hote ernes they all foryetten Women the harme buyen full sore But men thus thinke● euermore * The lasse harme is so mote I thee Deceiue them than deceiued be And namely where they ne may Find none other meane way For I wote well in soothfastnesse That who doeth now his businesse With any woman for to dele For any lust that he may fele But if it be for engendru●e He doth trespasse I you ensure For he should setten all his will To getten a likely thing him till And to sustaine if he might And keepe forth by kindes right His owne likenesse and semblable For because all is corrumpable And faile should succession Ne were there generation Our sectes sterne for to saue When father or mother arne in graue Her children should when they been dead Full diligent been in her stead To vse that worke on such a wise That one may through another rise Therefore set kinde therein delight For men therein should hem delight And of that deed be not erke But oft sithes haunt that werke For none would draw thereof a draught Ne were delight which hath hem caught This had subtill dame Nature For none goeth right I thee ensure Ne hath entent hoole ne perfite For her desire is for delite The which fortened crease and eke The play of Love for oft seeke And thrall hem selfe they be so nice Vnto the Prince of euerie vice * For of each sinne it is the roote Vnlefull lust though it be soote And of all euill the racine As Tullius can determine Which in his time was full sage In a booke he made of age Where that more he praiseth Elde Though he be crooked and vnwelde And more of commendatioun Then youth in his discriptioun For Youth set both man and wife In all perill of soule and life And perill is but men have grace The perill of Youth for to pace Without any death or distresse It is so full of wildnesse So oft it doeth shame and domage To him or to his linage It leadeth man now vp now doun In mokell dissolutioun And maketh him love euill companie And lead his life disrulilie And halt him payd with none estate Within himselfe is such debate He chaungeth purpose and entent And yalt into some couent To liuen after her emprise And leeseth freedome and fraunchise That nature in him had set The which againe he may not get If he there make his mansion For to abide profession Though for a time his heart absent It may not faile he shall repent And eke abide thilke day To leaue his abite and gone his way And leaseth his worship and his name And dare not come againe for shame But all his life he doth so mourne Because he dare not home retourne Freedome of kinde so lost hath he That neuer may recured be But that if God him graunt grace That he may er he hence pace Conteine vnder obedience Through the vertue of patience For Youth set man in all follie In vnthrift and in ribaudrie In lecherie and in outrage So oft it chaungeth of courage Youth ginneth oft such bargaine That may not end without paine In great perill is set Youth hede Delight so doeth his bridell lede Delight this hangeth drede thee nought Both mannes bodie and his thought Onely through Youthes chambere That to doen evill is customere And of naught else taketh hede But

she Boet. For that the common word of men qd I misuseth this maner speech of fortune and saine oft tymes that the fortune of some wight is wicked Philosophie Wilt thou then qd she that I approche a little to the words of the people so that it seme not to hem that I be ouermoch departed as fro the vsage of mankinde Boetius As thou wolt qd I. Philosophie Wenest thou not qd she that all thing that profiteth is good Boetius Yes qd I. Philosophie Certes all thing that exerceth or corrigeth it profiteth Boetius I confesse well qd I. Philosophie Then is it good qd she Boetius Why not qd I. Philosophie But this is the fortune qd she of hem that eyther be put in vertue and battaylen agaynst aspre things or els of hem that enclinen and declinen fro vices and taken the way of vertue Boetius This ne may I not deny qd I. Philosophie But what sayest thou of the merie fortune that is yeuen to good people in guerdon demeth ofte the people that it be wicked Boetius Nay forsoth qd I but they demen as it is soth that it is right good Philosophie What saiest thou of the other fortune qd she that although that it be aspre and restraineth the shrews by rightfull tourment weneth aught the people that it be good Boet. Nay qd I. but the people demeth that it is most wretched of all things that may be thought Philosophie Ware now and looke well qd she least wee in followyng the opinion of the people haue confessed and concluded thing which that is vnable to been wened to the people Boetius What is that qd I. Philosophie Certes qd she it followeth or commeth of things that been graunted that all fortune what so euer it bee of hem that been eyther in possession of vertue or in thencrease of vertue or els in the purchasing of vertue that thilke Fortune is good and that all Fortune is right wicked to hem that dwellen in shreudnesse as who saith and thus weneth not the people Boetius That is soth qd I. Albeit so that no man dare confesse it ne know it Philosophie Why so qd she For right as the strong man ne semeth not to abashen or disdaynen as oft tyme as he heareth the noyse of the battail ne also it seemeth not to the wiseman to bearen it grieuously as oft as he is ledde into strife of fortune For bothe to that one man and eke to that other the ilke difficultie is the matter to that one man of encrease of hys glorious renome and to that other man to conserue his sapience that is to say to the asprenesse of his estate * For therefore is it called vertue for that it susteyneth and enforceth by his strengthes so that it is not ouercommen by aduersities Ne certes thou that arte putte in encrease or in the height of vertue ne hast not commen to fleten with delices and for to walken in bodily lust Thou sowest or plantest a full eigre battayle in thy courage ayenst euery Fortune for that the sorrowfull fortune confounde thee not ne that the merie Fortune ne corrumpe thee not occupie the meane by stedfast strengthes For all that euer is vnder the meane or all that ouerpasseth the meane dispiseth welefulnesse as who sayeth it is vicious and ne hath no mede of his trauayle for it is set in your hand as who sayeth it lieth in your power what Fortune you is leuest that is to say good or iuel for all fortune that semeth sharpe or aspre if it ne exercise not the good folke ne chastise the wicked folke it punisheth Bella bis quinis operatus annis Ultor Atrides phrygiae ruinis c. THe werker Atrides that is to sain Agamemnon that wrought and continued the battayles by ten yeere recouered and purged in wreking by the distruction of Troie the loste chambers of Mariage in his brother that is to say that Agamemnon wan ayen Heleine that was Menelaus wife his brother In the meane while that thilke Agamemnon desired to yeuen sayles to the Grekes nauie brought ayen the windes by blood He vnclothed him of pitee of father and the sorie Priest yeueth in sacrifiyng the wretched cuttyng of the throte of the doughter that is to say that Agamemnon let cut the throte of his doughter by the Priest to maken aliaunce with his Goddes and for to haue wind with which he might wenden to Troy Itacus that is to say Vlixes bewept his fellowes ylorne the which fellowes the fiers Poliphemus liggyng in his great caue had fretten and dreint in his emptie wombe But natheles Poliphemus wood for his blind visage yeld to Vlixes joy by his sorrowfull teares that is to say that Vlixes smote out the iye of Poliphemus that stoode in the forehead for which Vlixes had joy when he saw Poliphemus wepyng and blind Hercules is celebrable for his hard trauaile he daunted the proude Centaurus halfe horse halfe man and byraft the dispoiling fro the cruel Lion that is to say he slough the Lion and birafte him his skin He smote the birdes that hight Arpies with certain arrowes He rauished Apples fro the waking dragon and his hand was the more heauy for the golden mettall He drough Cerberus the hound of hell by the triple chaynes He ouercomer as it is saied hath put an vnmeke lord fodder to his cruell horse that is to say Hercules slough Diomedes and made his horse to fretten him and he Hercules slough Idra the Serpent and brent the venim And Achileus the flood defouled in his forehedde dreint his shamefast visage in his stroundes that is to say that Achileus could transfigure himselfe into diuers likenes and as he fought with Hercules at last he tourned him into a Bull and Hercules brake one of his hornes and he for shame hid hym in his Riuer And ouer that he Hercules caste adoune Antheus the Giaunt in the strondes of Libie And Cacus appeised the wrathes of Euander that is to say that Hercules slough the monster Cacus and apeised with that death the wrath of Euander And the bristled Bore marked with vomes the shoulders of Hercules the whiche sholders the hie cercle of heauen should thrist And the last of his labours was that he susteined the heauen vpon his neck vnbowed and he deserved eftsones the heauen to be y● last ende of trauayle Goeth now yee strong men there as the great ensample leadeth you O nice men why make ye your backs as who sayeth O ye slowe and delicate men why see ye aduersities and ne fight against hem by vertue to winnen the mede of heauen for the mede ouercommen yeueth the Sterres that is to saine that when that yearthly lust is ouercommen a man is maked worthy to the heauen ¶ Thus endeth the fourth Book of Boetius Dixerat orationisque cursum ad alia quaedam tractanda atque expedienda vertebat B. Tum ego recta quidem inquam c. SHe had

then qd I that thyngs ne be not necessary by her proper nature so that they commen in all her manners in the likenesse of necessity by condicion of the diuine science Philosophy This is the difference qd she that tho thyngs which that I purposed thee a little here beforn that is to same Sunne arising and the man walking that there whiles that thilke thyngs been done they ne might not been vndone Nathelesse that one of hem or it was done it behoueth by necessity that it was done but not that other Right so it is here that the thyngs which that God hath present withouten doubt they shullen been but some of hem discendeth of the nature of thyngs as the Sunne arising and some discendeth of the power of the doers as the man walking Boetius Then said I no wrong that if these thynges bee referred to the diuine knowing then been they necessary and if they been considered by hemself then been they absolute fro the bonde of necessity Right so as all thyngs that appereth or sheweth to the wits if thou referre hem to reason it is vniuersall and if thou looke it or referre it to it selfe then is it singular But now if thou saist thus that if that it be in my power to chaungen my purpose then shall I voiden the purueyaunce of God when peraduenture I shall haue chaunged the thyngs which that he knoweth beforne Philosophy Then shall I answeren thee thus Certes thou maist well chaunge thy purpose but for as much as the present soothnesse of the diuine purueyaunce beholdeth that thou maist chaunge thy purpose and whether thou chaunge it or no and whiderward that thou tourne it thou ne maist not eschew the diuine prescience right so thou ne maist not flid the sight of the present eye although that thou tourne thy selfe by thy free will into diuers actions But thou maist sayne ayen to this thus How shall it then be shall not the diuine science ben chaunged by my disposicion when that I will one thyng now and now another thyng And thilke prescience ne see meth it not to enterchaunge stounds of knowing as who saith ne shall it not seemen to vs that the diuine prescience enterchaungeth his diuers stounds of knowing so that it know sometime one thyng and sometime it knoweth the contrary of that thing Philosophy No forsooth qd she for the diuine sight renneth beforne and seeth all the futures and clepeth hem ayen and retourneth hem to the proper prescience of his proper knowing ne he enterchaungeth not so as thou wenest the stounds of his foreknowing as now this now that but he dwelling aye commeth beforn and embraceth at o stroke all the mutacions And this prescience to comprehenden and to seen all thyngs God ne hath not taken it of the betidings of thyngs to commen but of his proper simplicity And hereby is assoiled thilke thyngs that thou puttest a little here beforne that is to sayne that it is vnworthy thyng to sayne that our futures yeven cause of the prescience of God For certes strength of the diuine science which that embraceth all thyngs by his presentary knowing establisheth manner to all thyngs and it ne oweth not to latter thyngs And sith that these thyngs ben thus that is to sain that necessity is not in thyngs by the diuine prescience then is there freedome of arbitry that dwelleth hole and vnwemmed to mortal men ne the laws ne purposen not wicked medes and pains to the willings of men that ben vnbounden and quite of all necessity * And God beholder and foreweter of all thyngs dwelleth aboue and the present eternity of sight renneth alway with the diuers quality of our deeds dispensing or ordeining medes to good men and tourments to wicked men Ne in idle ne in vain ne been there not put in God hope and prayers that ne mowen not been vnspeedfull ne without effect when they ben rightfull * Withstand then and eschew thou vices worship and love thou vertues areise thy courage to rightfull hopes yeeld thou humble prayers and high Great necessity of prowesse and of vertue is encharged and commaunded to you if ye nill not dissimulen sith that ye worchen and done that is to saine your deeds and your werks beforne the eyen of the judge that seeth and also that demeth all thyngs Deo gratias ¶ Thus endeth the Book of Boetius of the Consolation of Philosophy The Book commonly entituled Chaucer's Dream By the Person of a mourning Knight sitting under an Oak is meant John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster greatly lamenting the death of one whom he entirely loved supposed to be Blanch the Dutchess I Haue great woonder by this light How I liue for day ne night I may not sleepe welnigh nought I haue so many an idle thought Purely for default of sleepe That by my trouth I take no keepe Of nothing how it commeth or gothe To me nis nothing lefe nor lothe All is yliche good to me Ioy or sorrow where so it be For I haue feeling in nothing But as it were a mased thing All day in point to fall adoun For sorrowfull imaginacioun Is alway wholly in my mind And well ye wote against kind It were to liuen in this wise For nature would not suffise To none earthly creature Not long time to endure Without sleepe and be in sorrow And I ne may ne night ne morrow Sleepe and this melancolie And drede I haue for to die Defaut of sleepe and heauinesse Hath slaine my spirit of quickenesse That I haue lost all lustyhead Such fantasies ben in mine head So I not what is best to do But men might aske me why so I may not sleepe and what me is But nathelesse who aske this Leseth his asking truly My seluen cannot tell why The sooth but truly as I gesse I hold it be a sickenesse That I haue suffred this eight yere And yet my boot is neuer the nere For there is phisicien but one That may me heale but that is done Passe we ouer vntill eft That will not be mote needs be left Our first matter is good to keepe So when I saw I might not sleepe Now of late this other night Vpon my bed I sate vpright And bade one reach me a booke A Romaunce and he it me tooke To rede and drive the night away For me thought it better play Than either at Chesse or Tables And in this booke were written fables That Clerkes had in old time And other Poets put in rime To rede and for to be in mind While men i●ued the law of kind This booke ne spake but of such things Of queenes liues and of kings And many other things smale Among all this I found a tale That me thought a wonder thing This was the tale There was a king That hight Seys and had a wife The best that might beare life And this queene hight Alcione So it befell thereafter soone This king woll wenden ouer

god of thonder Had let me knowen and began to write Like as ye have herd me endite Wherefore to study and rede alway I purpose to do day by day Thus in dreaming and in game Endeth this litell booke of Fame ¶ Here endeth the booke of Fame The Prologue of the Testament of Love MAny men there been that with ere 's openly sprad so moch swalowen the deliciousnesse of iestes and of ryme by queint knitting coloures that of the goodnesse or of the badnesse of the sentence take they litle hede or els none Sothely dull witte and a thoughtful soule so sore haue mined graffed in my spirites that soch craft of enditing woll nat been of my acquaintaunce And for rude wordes boistous percen the hart of the herer to the intest point and planten there the sentence of thinges so that with littel helpe it is able to spring This booke that nothing hath of the great flood of witte ne of semeliche colours is doluen with rude wordes and boistous and so drawe togider to maken the catchers therof ben the more ready to hent sentence Some men there been that painten with colours rich some with vers as with red inke some with coles chalke And yet is there good matter to y● leude people of thilke chalkie purtreyture as hem thinketh for the time and afterward the sight of the better colours yeuen to hem more joye for the first leudnesse So soothly this leude clowdy occupation is not to praise but by the leud for commenly leude leudnesse commendeth Eke it shall yeue sight that other precious things shall be the more in reuerence In Latin and French hath many soueraine wits had great delite to endite and haue many noble things fulfilde but certes there been some that speaken their poisie mater in French of which speche the French men haue as good a fantasie as we haue in hearing of French mens English And many terms there ben in English which unneth we English men connen declare the knowledging How should then a french man borne such termes conne iumpere in his matter but as the Iay chatereth English right so truly the understanding of English men wol not stretch to the priuie termes in Frenche what so euer we bosten of straunge langage Let then Clerks enditen in Latin for they haue the propertie of science and the knowing in that facultie and lette Frenchmen in their French also enditen their queint termes for it is kindely to their mouthes let us shewe our fantasies in such wordes as we learneden of our dames tongue And although this booke be little thanke worthy for the leudnesse in trauaile yet such writings exciten men to thilk things that been necessary for euery man thereby may as by a perpetual mirrour seene the vices or vertues of other in which thing lightly may be conceiued to escheue perils necessaries to catch after as auentures haue fallen to other people or persons * Certes the soueraignst thing of desire and most creature reasonable haue or els should haue full appetite to their perfection unreasonable beasts mowen not sith reason hath in hem no working Then reasonable that woll not is comparisoned to unreasonable and made like hem Forsooth the most soueraigne and finall perfection of man is in knowing of a sooth withouten any entent deceiuable and in loue of one very God that is inchaungeable that is to know and loue his creator Nowe principally the meane to bring in knowledging and louing his creatour is y● consideration of things made by the creatour where through be thilke thynges that beene made understanding here to our wits arne the unseen priueties of God made to us sightfull and knowing in our contemplation and understonding These things then forsooth much bringen us to the full knowledging sooth and to that parfite loue of the maker of heuenly things Lo Dauid faith thou hast delited me in making as who saith to haue delite in the tune how God hath lent me in consideration of thy making Whereof Aristotle in the booke de Animalibus sayth to naturel Philosophers * It is a great liking in loue of knowing their creatour also in knowing of causes in kindely things considered Forsooth the formes of kindely thynges the shape a great kindely loue me should haue to the werkemen that hem made * The crafte of a werkeman is shewed in the werke Herefore truely the Philosophers with a liuely studye many noble things right precious worthie to memorie written and by a great swete and trauaile to us leften of causes the properties in natures of things to which therefore Philosophers it was more joy more lyking more heartie lust in kindely vertues matters of reason the perfection by busie studie to know than to haue had all the treasour all the richesse all the vaine-glory that the passed Emperours Princes or Kings hadden Therfore the names of hem in the booke of perpetuall memorie in vertue and peace arne written and in the contrary that is to sayne in Styxe the foule pitte of hell arne thilke pressed that such goodnesse hated And because this booke shall be of loue and the prime causes of stering in that doing with passions and diseases for wanting of desire I will that this booke be cleaped the Testament of Loue. But now thou Reader who is thilke that will not in scorne laugh to heare a dwarfe or els halfe a man say he wil rend out the swerd of Hercules handes And also hee should set Hercules gades a mile yet ferther and over that hee had power and strength to pull up the speare that Alisander the noble might never wagge And that passing all thing to been mayster of Fraunce by might there as the noble gracious Edward the third for all his great prowesse in victories ne might all yet conquere Certes I wote well there shall be made more scorne iape of me that I so unworthely clothed all togither in the cloudie cloude of vnconning will putten me in prees to speke of loue or els of the causes in that matter sithen all the greatest clerkes han had ynough to done and as who laith gathered up cleane toforne hem and with their sharpe sithes of conning all mowen and made there of great rekes and noble full of all plenties to feed me and many another * Enuy forsooth commendeth nought his reason that he hath in haine be it neuer so trustie And although these noble reapers as good workmen worthy their hire han all draw and bound vp in y● sheues and made many shockes yet haue I ensample to gader the small crums and fullin my wallet of tho that fallen from the bourde among the small hounds notwithstanding the trauaile of the almoigner that hath drawe vp in y● cloth all the remissailes as trenchours and the releefe to beare to the almesse Yet also haue I leaue of that noble husband Boece although I be a stranger of conning to come

should yet forsooth fayned I never to love otherwise than was in myne heart if I coud have made cheare to one and ythought another as many other done all day afore mine eyen I trowe it would not me have vailed Certes qd she haddest thou so done I would not now have thee here visited Ye wete well Lady eke qd I that I have not plaid raket Nettle in Docke out with the Weathercocke waved and truly there ye me set by accord of my conscience I would not fly till ye and reason by apert strength maden mine hert to tourne In good faith qd she I have knowe thee ever of tho conditions sithen thou wouldest in as much as in thee was a made mee privy of thy counsaile and judge of thy conscience though I forsoke it in tho dayes till I saw better my time would never God that I should now faile but ever I woll be ready witnessing thy sooth in what place that ever I shall ayenst all tho that woll the contrary susteine and for as much as to me is naught vnknowen ne hid of thy privy heart but all hast thou tho thynges made to mee open at the full that hath caused my comming into this prison to void the webbes of thyne eyen to make thee clearely to see the errours thou hast been in because that men been of divers conditions some adradde to say a sooth and some for a sooth anone ready to fight also y● I may nor my selfe beene in place to withsay thilke men that of thee speaken otherwise than the sooth I woll and charge thee in vertue of obedience that thou to mee dwest to writen me wordes and set hem in writings that they mowe as my witnessing beene noted among the people For bookes written neither dreden ne shamen ne strive conne but onely shewen the entent of y● w●●ter and yeve remembraunce to the hearer if any woll in thy presence say any thing to tho writers looke boldly trust on Mars to answere at the full For certes I shall him enforme of all the trouth in thy love with thy conscience so that of his helpe thou shalt not vary at thy neede I trowe the strongest and the best y● may be found woll not transvers thy words whereof then wouldest thou dreade GReatly was I tho gladded of these words and as who saith wexen somedele light in hert both for the authority of witnesse and also for sikernesse of helpe of the foresayd beheste and said Truly Lady now am I well gladded through comfort of your wordes be it nowe liking vnto your nobly to shewe which folke diffame your servants sith your service ought above all other thynges to beene commended Yet qd she I see well thy soule is not all out of the amased cloud thee were better to heare thing that thee might light out of thine heavy charge and after knowing of thine owne helpe then to stirre sweet wordes and suche reasons to heare for in a thoughtfull soule namely such one as thou art wol not yet such things sinken Come of therefore let me seene thy heavy charge that I may the lightlier for thy comfort purveigh Now certes Lady qd I y● most comfort I might haue were vtterly to w●te me bee sure in heart of that Margarite I serve so I thinke to done with all mights while my life dureth Then qd she mayst thou thereafter in such wise that mispleasaunce ne enter In good fayth qd I there shall no mispleasance be caused through trespace on my side And I doe thee to weten qd she I set never yet persone to serve in no place but if hee caused y● contrary in defaults and trespaces that hee ne sped of his service Mine owne yearthly lady quod I tho and yet remember to your worthinesse how long sithen by many revolving of yeares in time when October his leave ginneth take and November sheweth him to sight when Bernes been ful of goods as is the Qutte on every halke then good lond tillers ginneth shape for y● yearth with great travayle to bring forth more Corne to mannes sustenaunce ayenst the next yeares following In such time of plenty hee that hath an home and is wise list not to wander mar vailes to seech but he bee constrayned or excited of the lothe thyng is done by excitation of other mannes opinion whiche woulden fayne have myne abiding take in heart of lust to travayle and see the windyng of the yearth in that time of Winter by woodes that large streetes weren in by small pathes that Swine and Hogges hadden made as lanes with ladels there maste to seech I walked thinking alone a wonder great whyle and the great beastes that the wood haunten and adorneth all maner forrests and heards gone too wisd then ere I was ware I neighed to a sea bank and for ferde of the beasts shipcraft I cride for lady I trow ye wete well your self nothing is werse than the beastes that should●n beene tame if they catche her wisdnesse and ginne again waxe ramage Thus forsooth was I aferde and to Shippe me hied Then were there ynow to lach mine handes and drawe me to Shippe of which many I kn●we well the names Sight was the first Lust was another Thought was y● thirde and Will eke was there a Mayster these broughten mee wythin boorde of this Shippe of travaile So when the sayle was sprad and this Ship gan to mooue the Wind and Water gan for to rise and ouerthwartly to tourn the Welkin the wawes seemden as they kist together but often vnder colour of kissing is mokell old hate priuely closed and kept The storm so strangely and in a deuouring manner gan so fast vs assail that I supposed the date of my death should haue made there his ginning now up now down now vnder the wawe and now abouen was my Shippe a great while And so by mokell duresse of weathers and of stormes and with great auowing pilgrimages I was driuen to an Isle where vtterly I wend first to haue be rescowed but truly at the first beginning it seemed me so perillous the hauen to catch that but through grace I had been comforted of life I was full despaired Truly Lady if ye remember aright of all manner things your self came hastely to seen vs sea driuen and to weten what we weren but first ye were deignous of cheare after which ye gone better alight and euer as me thought ye liued in great dreade of disease it seemed so by your chear And when I was certified of your name y● lenger I looked on you y● more I you goodly dradde and euer mine hert on you opened the more so in a little time my Ship was out of minde But Lady as ye me lad I was ware both of beastes and of fishes a great number thronging togider among which a Muskle in a blew shell had enclosed a Margarite Pearle the most precious and best that euer

be littell wonder But on y● other side my trew seruants not faynen ne disceyue conne soothly their doyng is open my foundement endureth be the burthen neuer so great euer in one it lasteth it yeueth lyfe and blisfull goodnesse in the laste ends though the ginnings been sharp Thus of two contraries contrary ben the effects And so thilke Margarite thou seruest shall seen thee by her seruice out of perillous tribulacion delyuered bycause of her seruice in to new disease fallen by hope of amendment in the last end with joy to be gladded wherefore of kinde pure her mercy with grace of good helpe shall she graunt and els I shall her so straine that with pity shall she ben amaistred Remembre in thine heart how horrible sometime to thyne Margarite thou trespassest in a great wyse ayenst her thou forfeitest cleape ayen thy mind and know thyne owne guiltes What goodnesse what thyne own guiltes What goodnesse what bounty with mokell followyng pity found thou in that time Wert thou not goodly accepted in to grace By my plucking was she to foryeuenesse enclined And after I her stired to draw thee to house and yet wendest thou vtterly for euer haue ben refused But well thou woste sithen that I in soche sharp disease might so greatly auayle with thinkest in thy witte How ferre may my wit stretch And thou lach not on thy side I woll make the knotte Certes in thy good bering I woll accorde with the Psauter I haue found David in my seruice true and with holy oyle of peace and of rest long by him desired vtterly he shall be annointed Trust well to me and I woll thee not fayle The lening of the first way with good hert of continuaunce that I see in the grounded this purpose to parfourme draweth my by maner of constrayning that needes must I been thine helper although mirthe a while be taried it shal come at soch season that thy thought shall been joyed would neuer GOD sithen thyne hert to my reasons arne assented and openly haste confessed thine amisse going and now criest after mercy but if mercy followed thy blisse shall been ready ywis thou ne wost how sone Now be a good childe I rede The kind of vertues in thy Margarite rehearsed by strength of me in thy person shull werch Comfort thee in this for thou maist not miscary And these words said she streight her on length and rested a while ¶ Thus endeth the second book and hereafter followeth the third booke OF nombre sain these clerks that it is naturell some of discrete thinges as in telling one two three and so forth but among all nombres three is determined for most certaine Wherfore in nombre certain this werke of my besie leudenes I think to end and parfourme Ensample by this worlde in three times is deuided Of which y● first is cleped Dematian that is to say going out of true way all that tho dieden in hell were thy punished for a mans sinne till grace and mercy fet hem thence there ended the first time The second time lasteth from the coming of merciable grace vntill the end of transitory time in which is shewed y● true way in fordoing of y● badde and that is ycleped time of grace that thing is not yeuen by desert of yelding one benefite for another but onely through goodnesse of the yeuer of grace in thilke tyme. Who so can well vnderstand is shapen to be saued in souled blisse The third time shal gin when transitory things of worldes han made their end and that shall been in joy glory and red both body and soule that well han deserued in the tyme of grace And thus in y● heauen togither shull they dwell perpetuelly without any ymaginatife yuel in any halue These times are figured by tho three dayes that our God was closed in yearth and in the third arose shewyng our resurrection to joy blisse of tho that it deseruen by his merciable grace So this leude booke in three matters accordaunt to tho times lightely by a good inseer may been vnderstande as in y● first errour of misse goyng is shewed with sorrowful pine punished is cried after mercy In the second is grace in good way proued which is fayling without desert thilk first misse amending in correction of tho errours and euen way to bryng with comforte of welfare in to amendement wexing And in the third joye and blisse graunted to him that well can deserue it and hath sauour of vnderstandyng in the tyme of grace Thus in joye of my third booke shall the matter be till it end But speciall cause I haue in my heart to make this processe of a Margarit pearl that is so precious a gem with cleere and littell of which stones or Iewel the tongues of vs English people tourneth the right names and clepeth hem Margery pearles thus varieth our speech from many other langages For trewly Latine French and many mo other langages clepeth hem Margery peerles the name Margarites or Margarit perls wherefore in that denominacion I woll me accord to other mens tonges in that name cleping These clerkes that treaten of kindes studien out the property there of things sayne the Margarit is a littel white pearle throughout holow and rounde and vertuous and on the sea sides in the more Britaine in muskle shels of y● heavenly dewe the best been engendred in which by experience ben found three fayre vertues One is it yeueth comforte to the feling spirits in bodily persones of reason Another is good it is profitable health ayenst passions of sory mens hearts And the third it is needfull and noble in staunching of blood there els too much would out ren To which perle and vertues me list to liken at this time Philosophy with her three speces that is naturel and moral and reasonable of which things heareth what saine these great Clerks Philosophy is knowing of deuinely and manly things joyned with study of good liuyng and this stante in two things that is conning and opinion conning is when a thing by certaine reason is conceiued but wretches and fooles and lewd men many will conceyue a thyng maintaine it as for a sothe though reason be in the contrary wherefore conning is a straunger Opinion is while a thyng 〈◊〉 in non certayne and hidde from mens very knowledging and by no parfite reason fully declared as thus if the sonne be so mokel as men wenen or els if it be more then the earth For in soothnesse y● certaine quantity of that Planet is vnknowen to erthly dwellers yet by opinion of some men it is holden for more than middle erth The first spece of Philosophy is naturel which in kindely things treaten sheweth causes of heauen strength of kindly course as by Arsmetrike Geometry Musike by Astronomy techeth ways and course of Heauens of Planetes and of Sterres about Heauen Earth other Elements The second

spece is morall which in order of liuing maners techeth by reason proueth vertues of soule most worthy in our liuyng which been Prudence Iustice Temperaunce Strength Prudence is goodly wisedome in knowyng of thynges Strength voideth all aduersities aliche euen Temperaunce distroyeth bestiall liuing with easie bearyng And Iustice rightfully judgeth and judging departeth to euery wight that is his own The third spece tourneth in to reason of vnderstanding al things to be said sothe discussed and that in two things is deuided one is Art another is Rhetorique in which two all lawes of mans reason been grounded or elles maintayned And for this book is all of Loue thereafter beareth his name and Philosophy and law must hereto accorden by their clergial discripcions as Philosophy for loue of wisedom is declared Law for maintaynaunce of peace is holden and these with loue must needs accorden therefore of hem in this place haue I touched Order of homely things and honest manner of lyuing in vertue with rightful judgement in causes profitable administracion in communalties of Realms Cities by euenhede profitably to rayne nat by singuler auantage ne by priuy enuy ne by solein purpose in couetise of worship or of goods ben disposed in open rule shewed by Loue Philosophy law and yet loue toforne all other Wherfore as susterne in vnity they accorden one end y● is peace rest they causen nourishyng in the joy mainteynen to endure Now then as I haue declared my boke accordeth with discripcion of three things and the Margarite in vertue is likened to Philosophy with y● three speces In which matters euer twey been accordant with bodily reason the third with the soule But in conclusion of my book and of this Margarit pearle in knittyng togider law by three sondry manners shal be lykened that is to say Law Right Custom which I woll declare all that is law commeth of Gods ordinaunce by kindely worchyng thilke things ordayned by mans wittes arne icleped right which is ordayned by many maners and in constitution written But custome is a thing y● is a●cepted for right or for law there as law right faylen and there is no difference whether it come of Scripture or of reason Wherefore it sheweth that law is kindly governaunce right commeth out of mannes probable reason and custome is of commen vsage by length of time vsed and custom nat write is vsage and if it be writte constitution it is iwritten and ycleped But law of kinde is commen to euery nation as conjunction of man woman in loue succession of children in heritaunce restitucion of thing by strength taken or leant this lawe among all other halte the soueraynest gree in wurship which lawe beganne at y● beginnyng of reasonable creature it varied yet neuer for no chaunging of time cause forsooth in ordainyng of Law was to constrain mens hardines in to peace withdrawing his yuell will turning malice into goodnesse and y● innocence sikerly withouten teneful anoy among shrews safely might inhabite by protection of safe conduct so that shrewes harm for harm by brydle of feardenesse shoulden restrayn But forsothe in kindely lawe nothing is commended but soche as Gods will hath confirmed ne nothing denied but contraryoustie of Gods will in Heauen eke then all lawes or custome or els constitution by vsage or writing that contrarien law of kinde vtterly been repugnant aduersary to our gods will of Heauen Trewly lawe of kinde for goddes own lusty will is verily to mayntaine vnder which law and vnworthy both professe and reguler arn obediencer and bounden to this Margarit pearl as by knot of loues statutes stablishment in kind which y● goodly may not ben withsetten Lo vnder this bonde am I constrained to abide man vnder liuyng lawe ruled by that law oweth after desertes to been rewarded by paine or by mede but if mercy weiue the pain so than be parte reasonfully may be sey that mercy both right lawe passeth th entent of all these matters is the lest cleere vnderstanding to weten at the end of this third boke ful knowyng thorow Gods grace I thinke to make neuerthelater yet if these things han a good and a sleght inseer which that can souke hony of the hard stone oyle of y● dry rock may lightly feele nobly of matter in my leude imaginacion closed But for my booke shal be of joy as I said and I so ferre set fro thilke place fro whens gladness should come my corde is to short to let my boket ought to catch of y● water and few men be abouten my corde to ech many in full purpose been ready it shorter to make to enclose thenter y● my boket of joy nothing should catch but empty returne my carefull sorrowes to encrease if I die for payne y● were gladnesse at their hearts Good Lord send me water in to the cop of these Mountains I shall drink thereof my thrustes to stanch and sey these be comfortable welles in to health of goodnes of my sauiour am I holpen And yet I say more the house of joy to me is not opened How dare my sorrowful goost then in any matter of gladness thynken to trete for euer sobbings complaints be ready refrete in his meditacions as werbles in manyfold stoundes comming about I not than And therefore what maner of joy coude endite but yet at dore shall I knock if y● key of Dauid would the lock unshyt and he bring me in which that childrens tonges both openeth and closeth Whose spirite where he well worcheth departing goodly as him liketh Now to Gods laude reuerence profite of the readers amendment of maners of the herers encreasing of worship among loues seruaunts releuing of my hert in to grace of my jewel frendship pleasance of this pearle I am stered in this making for nothing els if any good thing to mens likyng in this scripture be found thanketh the maister of grace which y● of that good and all other is authour principal doer And if any thing be insufficient or els mislikyng with y● that y● lewdness of mine vnable conning for body in disease annoyeth the vnderstanding in soule A disesely habitation leteth the wits many thinges and namely in sorow The custome neuer the later of loue be long tyme of seruice in termes I thinke to pursue which beene liuely to yeue vnderstanding in other thinges But nowe to enforme thee of this Margarites goodness I may her not halfe prayse Wherefore not she for my book but this book for her is worthy to be commended tho my book be leude right as thinges nat for places but places for things ought to be desired and praysed NOw qd Loue truely thy words I haue well vnderstond Certes me thinketh hem right good and me wondreth why thou so lightly passest in the law Sothly qd I my wit is leude and I am right blind and

shalt qd she ere thou depart hence The first thyng thou must set thy werke on ground siker and good accordaunt to thy springs For if thou desire grapes thou goest not to the Hasell ne for to tetchen Roses thou sekest not on Okes and if thou shalt haue Honey soukles thou leauest the fruit of y● soure Dock Wherfore if thou desire this blyss in parfite joy thou must set thy purpose there vertue followeth not to look after the bodily goods as I sayed when thou were writyng in thy second book And for thou hast set thy self in so noble a place vtterly lowed in thyne heart the misgoyng of thy first purpose this setteles is y● easier to spryng the more lighter thy soul in grace to be lissed And truely thy desire that is to say thy will algates mote ben stedfast in this matter without any chaungyng for if it be stedfast no man may it void Yes parde qd I my will may been tourned by friends and disease of manace and threatening in lesing of my life and of my limmes and in many other wise that now commeth not to mynd * And also it mote oft been out of thought For no remembraunce may hold one thyng continuelly in heart be it neuer so lusty desired Now see qd she thou thy will shall follow thy free will to be grounded continuelly to abide It is thy free will y● thou louest hast loued yet shalt louen this Margarite pearle and in thy will thou thinkest to hold it Then is thy will knitte in loue not to chaunge for no new lust beside This wyll teacheth thine hert from all manner varying But then although thou be threatened in death or els in other wise yet is it in thyne arbitrement to chuse thy loue to voyd or els to hold thilk arbitrement is in a maner a judgement between desire and thy heart And if thou deeme to loue thy good will fayleth then art thou worthy no blisse that good will should deserue if thou chuse continuance in thy good seruice then thy good will abideth needs blisse following of thy good wil must come by strength of thilke judgement for thy first will that taught thyne heart to abide and halt it from the eschange with thy reason is accorded Truly this maner of will thus shall abide impossible it were to tourne if thy heart be true and if euery man dilligently the meanyngs of his will consider he shall well vnderstande that good will knitte with reason but in a false heart neuer is voided for power might of keepyng this good will is through liberty of arbitrement in heart but good will to keep may nat fayle Eke then if it fail it sheweth it selfe that good will in keeping is not there And thus false will that putteth out the good anone constraineth the heart to accord in louing of thy good will this accordaunce between false will and thyne heart in falsity been likened togither Yet a little woll I say thee in good wil thy good wils to raise strength Take heed to me qd she how thy willes thou shalt vnderstand Right as ye han in your body diuers members and fiue sundry wittes euerich apart to his owne doing which things as instruments ye vsen as your hands apart to handle feet to go tongue to speak eye to see right so the soule hath in hym certayne steryngs and strengths whyche he vseth as instruments to his certain doyngs Reason is in the soule whych he vseth thynges to know and to proue and will whych he vseth to wilne And yet is neyther will ne reason all the soule but eueryche of hem is a thyng by himself in the soul And right as euerich hath thus singular instruments by hemselfe they han as well diuers aptes and diuers manner vsings and thilke aptes mowen in will been cleaped affections Affection is an instrument of willing in his appetites Wherfore mokell folke saine if a reasonable creatures soul any thing feruently wilneth affectuously he wilneth and thus may will by tearm of equiuocas in three wayes been vnderstand one is instrument of wylling another is affection of this instrument and the third is vse that setteth it a werke Instrument of willyng is the ilke strength of the soul which thee constraineth to wilne right as reason is instrument of reasons which ye vsen when ye looken Affection of this instrument is a thyng by which ye be draw desirously any thyng to wilne in coueitous manner all be it for y● time out of your mind as if it come in your thought thilke thing to remember anon ye ben willing thilke to done or els to haue And thus is instrument will and affection is will also to wilne thing as I said as for to wilne health when will nothyng thereon thinketh for anone as it commeth to memory it is in will and so is affection to wilne sleepe when it is out of mynde but anone as it is remembred will wilneth sleep when his time commeth of the doyng For affection of will neuer accordeth to sickness ne alway to wake Right so in a true louers affection of willing instrument is to wiln truth in his seruice this affection alway abideth although he be sleping or threatned or els not thereon thinkyng but anone as it commeth to mind anone he is stedfast in y● will to abide Vse of this instrument forsooth is another thing by himself that haue ye not but when ye be doing in willed thing by affect or instrument of will purposed or desired this manner of vsage in my seruice wisely needeth to be ruled from waiters with enuye closed from speakers full of jangeling wordes from proud folke and hautaine that lambes innocents both scornen dispisen Thus in doing varieth the acts of willing euerich from other yet ben they cleped will the name of will vtterly owen they to have as instrument of will is will when ye turn into purpose of any thing to done be it to sit or to stand or any such thing els This instrument may been had although affect vsage be left out of doing right as ye haue sight reason and yet alway vse yee greatest wisedome in hem shall he be and they in GOD. Now then when all false folke be ashamed whych wenen all bestialty yerthly thing be sweeter and better to the body than heuenly is to the soul this is the grace and y● fruit y● I long haue desired it dooth me good the sauour to smell Christ now to thee I cry of mercy and of grace and graunt of thy goodness to euery maner reader ful vnderstanding in this leud pamphlet to haue and let no man wene other cause in this werke than is verily y● sooth for enuy is euer ready all innocents to shend wherfore I would y● good speech enuy euermore hinder But no man wene this werke be sufficiently maked for Gods werke passeth mans no mans

Ermin To lap hem in ayens the cold morrow After the rage of her nights sorrow To take her rest till the sonne arise And when the king in full prudent wise First of al he was not rekeles The knights herts for to sette in pees That euer after I dare 〈◊〉 it wele Ech was to other trew as any stele During her life both in word and dede Vndre a knotte bound of brotherhede And Adrastus the worthy king famous A feast made rich and plenteous To these knights himselfe thereat present And after mete full goodly he hath sent This noble king for his doughters dere Of gentillesse for to make chere To the knights come fro so ferre And like in soth as Lucifer the sterre Gladeth the morrow at his vprising So the ladies at her in comming With the stremes of her eyen clere Goodly apport and womanly manere Countenances and excellent fairenesse To all the Court broughten in gladnesse For the freshnesse of her heauenly cheres So agreable was vnto the straungeres At her entree that in especial Hem thought it like a thing celestial Enhasting hem in full knightly wise Ayenst hem goodly to arise And as they met with humble countenaunce Ful conningly did her obseruaunce Hem conueying in to her sitting place But sothely I haue leiser none ne space To reherse and put in remembraunce Holly the manere of her daliaunce It were to long for you to abide But well I wot that the god Cupide By influence of his mighty hond And the feruence of his firy brond Her meeting first fortuned hath so wele That his arowes of gold and not of stele Yperced han the knights herts tweine Through the brest with such a lusty peine That ther abode sharpe as spere or launce Depe yficched the point of remembraunce Which may not lightly rased be away And thus in joy they driue forth the day In pley and reuel for the knights sake And toward night they her chambre take At ●ue time as her fader bad And on her weie the knights hem lad Reuerently vp by many a staire Taking leue gan anon repaire To her lodging in ful stately a Toure Assigned to hem by the herbeiour And after ipices plenty and the wine In cuppes great wrought of gold full fine Without tarying to bedde straight they gon Touching her rest wheder they sleepe or non Demeth ye louers that in such maner thing By experience haue fully knowledging For it is not declared in my booke But as I find the king all night wooke Thoughtfull in hert the story specifies Musing sore and full of fantasies First aduerting the great worthinesse Of these knights and the semelinesse Her lusty youth her force and her manhode And how they were come of roial blode And this he gan to reuolue about And in his hert hauing a maner of doubt Atwene two hanging in a balance Wheder he should make an aliance Atween his doughters the knights tweine For one thing ay his heart gan constreine The remembraunce of his auision Of which aforne made is amencion Touching the Lion and the wild Bore It nedeth not to reherse it no more Casting alway in his fantasie What it might clerely signifie This darke dreame that was hid and close But on the morow Adrastus vp arose And to the Temple the right way he tooke And gan pray deuoutly on his booke To the goddes of his dreme to specifie And they him bede homward for to hie And to behold in the knights sheeldes The fell beasts painted in the fields Which shall to him be cleere inspection Full plainly making declaracion Of his dreme which he had on the night And Adrastus enhasted him full right In her sheelds wisely to behold Where that he saw as the goddes told In the sheelds hanging vpon hookes The beasts rage with her mortall crookes And to purpos like as write Bochas Polimite ful streite enbraced was In the hide of a fierce Lioun And Tideus aboue his Habergeoun A gipoun had hidous sharpe and hoor Wrought of the bristels of a wild Boore The which beasts as the story leres Were wrought and bete vpon her baneres Displaide brode whan they should fight Wherefore the king whan he had a sight At his repayre in hert was full glad And with a face full demure and sad With his lords that he about him had To the temple he the knights lad And whan they had with all circumstaunces Of Rites old done her obseruaunces Home to the Court they retourne ayein And in hall rich and well besein This worthy king of hert liberall Made a feast solempne and riall Which in deintees surely did excell But it were vein euery cours to tell Her straunge sewes and other soteltees Ne how they sat like her degrees For lacke of time I let ouerslide And after meate Adrastus took aside The knights two and like a prudent man In secree wise thus his tale he gan How Adrastus spake to the Knights in secret touching the marriage of his Daughters Sirs qd he I ne doubt it nought That it is fresh grene ay in your thought How that first by goddes ordinaunce And after next through fates purueiance And by werking of fortunes hond How ye were brought in to this lond Both tweine but now this last night Of whos comming I am full glad and light First in my selfe shortly to expresse When I consider and see the likelinesse Of your persons with the circumstaunces And holle the maner of your gouernaunces Seing full well whereto should I feigne Yee been likely hereafter to atteigne To great estate and habundance of good Through your birth and your rial blood Ye may not faile but ye haue wrong For ye are both manly and right strong And for to set your hertes more at rest My purpose is I hope for the best So that in you be no variance To make a knot as be alliance Atwene you and my doughters two Yf your herts accord we le thereto And for I am fully in despeire To succede for to haue an heire Therefore ye shall haue possession During my life of halfe my region Forth with in hond and all after my day There is no man that thereto shal say nay And sothly after when that I am graue Ech of you shall his part haue Of this kingdome as I haue prouided This is to say it shall be diuided Atwene you two euerich to be crouned Your properties be equite compouned So egaly in euery mans sight That ech of you enjoy shall his right And in your witte ye shall the lond amend And of manhood knightly it defend Ayens our enemies and our mortall foon And for the dayes passed been and goon Of my desires and my lusty youth I am full set for to make it couth That ye shall haue like mine opinioun The gouernaunce of all this Regioun To this entent me seemeth for the best Ye to gouerne and I to liue in rest Fully to follow the lust of