celestine And yet also the perfect phisyke Whiche appertcyneth well to the bodye Dothe well resemble vnto the musyke When the inwarde intrailes turneth contrary That nature can not worke dyrectly Then dothe phisyke the partes interiall In order set to their originall But yet phisyke can not be liberall As the seuen scyences by good aucthoritie Whiche leadeth the soule the way in speciall By good doctrine to dame eternitie Onely of phisike it is the propertie To ayde the body in euery sickenes That is right fraile and full of brittlenes And because phisike is appendant Unto the body by helpe of medicine And to the soule nothing apportenaunt To cause the body for to encline In eternall health so the soule to domine For to the body the sciences seuen Dothe teache to leade the soule to heauen And musyke it selfe is melodious To reioyce the eares and comfort the braine Sharpyng the wittes with sound ' solacious Deuoydyng bad thoughtes whiche did remayne It gladdeth the hart also well certaine Length the lyfe with dulcet armonye As is good recreation after study She cōmaūded her minstrels right anone to play Mamours the swete and the gentle daunce With la bell Pucell that was fayre and gay She me recommended with all pleasaunce To daunce true measure withoute variaunce O lorde God howe glad then was I So for to daunce with my swete ladye By her proper hande soft as any silke With due obeysaunce I did her then take Her skynne was white as whales bone or mylke My thoughtes was rauished I might not aslake My brennyng hart she the fire did make These daunces truely musyke hath me taught To lute or daunce but it auayled nought For the fyre kindled and waxed more and more The dauncyng blewe it with her beauty cleare My hart sickened and began to waxe sore A minute vi houres and. vi houres a yere I thought it was so heauy was my chere But yet for to couer my great loue aryght The outwarde coūtenaunce I made glad light And for feare mine eyes should mine hart bewray I toke my leaue and to a temple went And all alone I to my selfe did saye Alas what fortune hath me hither sent To deuoyde my ioye and my hart torment No man can tell howe great a paine it is But if he will fele it as I do iwysse Alas O lady howe cruell art thou Of piteous doloure for to builde a nest In my true hart as thou doest ryght nowe Yet of all ladyes I must loue the best Thy beauty therto did me surely arest Alas with loue when that it dothe the please Thou maiest cease my care my payne sone ease Alas howe sore may I nowe bewayle The piteous chaunce whiche did me happe My ladyes lokes did me so assayle That sodaynely my harte was in a trappe By Uenus caught and with so sore a clappe That throughe the great stroke did perse Alas for wo I coulde not reuerse Farewell all ioye and all perfect pleasure Fare well my lust and my likyng For wo is comen with me to endure Nowe must I leade my life in mournyng I may not lute or yet daunce or syng O la bell Pucell my lady glorious You are the cause that I am so dolorous Alas faire lady and mine owne swete hart With my seruyce I yelde me to your will You haue me fettred I may not astart At your pleasure you maye me saue or kyll Because I loue you wyll you me spyll Alas it were a piteous case in dede That you with death shoulde rewarde my mede A a that I am right wo begone For I of loue dare not to you speake For feare of nay that may encrease my mone Anay of you might cause my hart to breake Alas I wretche and yet vnhappy peke Into suche trouble misery and thought With sight of you I am into it brought And to my selfe as I made complaint I spied a man right nere me beforue Whiche right anone did with me acquaynt Me thinke he sayed that ye are neare forlorne With inwarde payne that your hart hath borne Be not to pensyfe call to mynde agayne Howe of one sorowe ye do nowe make twayne Mine inwarde sorowe ye begyn to double Go your way quod I for ye can not me ayde Tell me he sayed the cause of your trouble And of me nowe be nothing afrayed Me thynke that sorowe hath you ouerlayed Driue of no lenger but tell me your mynde It may me happe a remedy to fynde A a quod I it vayleth not your speache I wyll wyth you neuer haue medlyng Let me alone the most vnhappy wretche Of all the wretches that is yet liuyng Suche is the chaunce of my bewaylyng Go on your waye you are nothing the better To me to speake to make my sorowe greater For so the he sayed remember thinges thre The first is that ye may sorowe long Unto your selfe or that you ayded be And secondly in great paynes stronge To muse alone it myght turne you to wrong The thirde is it myght you well ease truely To tell your mynde to a frende ryght trusty It is a iewell of a frende of trust As at your nede to tell your secretenes Of all your payne and feruent lust His councell sone may helpe and redresse Your paynefull wo and mortall heauines Alone is nought for to thinke and muse Therfore good sonne do me not refuse And sythe that you are plunged all in thought Beware the pytte of dolorous dispayre So to complayne it vayleth you right nought It may so fortune ye loue a ladye fayre Whiche to loue you will nothing repayre Or els ye haue lost great lande or substaunce By fatall chaunce of fortunes ordinaunce Tell me the cause thoughe that it be so In case you loue I knowe it by experience It is a payne engendryng great wo And harde it is for to make resistaunce Agaynst suche loue of feruent vyolence The loue is dreadfull but neuertheles There is no sore nor yet no syckenes But there is a salue and remedy therfore So for your payne and your sorowe great Councell is medicine whiche may you restore Unto your desire without any let If ye will tell me where your harte is set In thy chayre of sorowe no great doubt it is To fynde a remedye for your payne I wys A phisition truely can little decerne Ony maner sickenes without sight of vryne No more can I by good counsaile you learne All suche wofull trouble for to determine But if you mekely will to me enclyne To tell the cause of your great greuousnes Of your inwarde trouble and wofull sadnes Then I began with all my diligence To heare him speake so grounded on reason And in my minde did make aduertence Howe it was holesome in tribulation To saue a good and a true companion For to knowe my sorowe and wofull grefe It might me comforte and right well relefe And of him then I asked this question What was his name I prayed him
me tell Councell quod he the whiche solucion In my wofull minde I liked right well And priuely I did his lesson spell Saiyng to him my chaunce and destiny Of all other is the most vnhappy Why so quod he thoughe fortune be straunge To you a while turnyng of her face Her louryng chere she may right sone chaung And you accept and call vnto her grace Dispayre you not for in good time and space Nothing there is but wisdome may it wâ—â— To tell your mynde I praye you to begyn Unto you quod I with all my whole assent I will tell you trouthe and you will not bewraye Unto none other my matter and entent Nay nay quod he you shall not se that daye Your whole affiaunce and trust well ye may Into me put for I shall not vary But kepe your councell as a secretary And then to him in the maner folowyng I did complayne with sighyng teares depe Alas quod I you shall haue knowlegyng Of my heauy chaunce that causeth me to wepe So wo I am that I can neuer slepe But wallowe and tumble in the trappe of care My hart was caughte or that I was ware It happened so that in a temple olde By the tower of musike at great solemnitie La bell pucell I did right well beholde Whose beauty cleare and great humilitie To my hart did cast the darte of amitie After whiche stroke so harde and feruent To her excellence I came incontinent Beholdyng her chere and louely countenaunce Her garmentes riche and her propre stature I regestered well in my remembraunce That I neuer sawe so fayre a creature So well fauouredly create by nature That harde it is for to wryght with ynke All her beautie or any harte to thinke Fayrer she was then was quene Helene Proserpyne Cresyde or yet Ypolyte Medea Dydo or yong Polexyne Alcumena or quene Menelape Or yet dame Rosamonde in certaintie None of all these can haue the preeminence To be compared to her highe excellence Duryng the feast I stode her neare by But then her beauty encreased my paine I coulde nothing resist the contrary She wrapt my hart in a brennyng chayne To the musicall tower she went then againe I went after I coulde not be behinde The chaine she haled whiche my hart did binde Till that we came into a chamber gaye Where that musike with all her minstrelsy Diuers base daunces most swetely did playe That them to here it was great melody And dame musike commaunded curteously La bell pucell with me then to daunce Whom that I toke with all my pleasaunce By her swete hande beginnyng the trace And long did daunce till that I might not hide The painefull loue whiche did my hart embrace Bicause wherof I toke my leaue that tide And to this temple where I do abide Forth then I went alone to bewaile My mortall sorowe without any faile Nowe haue I tolde you all the very trouth Of my wofull chaunce and great vnhappines I pray you nothing with me to be wrothe Whiche am drowned in careful wretchednes By fortune plunged full of doublenes A a said councell doubt ye neuer a deale But your disease I shall by wisedome heale Remember you that neuer yet was he That in this worlde did leade all his life In ioye and pleasure without aduersitie No worldly thing can not be without strife For vnto pleasure paine is affirmatife Who will haue pleasure he must first apply To take the payne with his cure busely To deserue the ioye which after doth ensue Rewardyng paine for the great busines No doubt your Lady wil vpon you rue Seyng you apply all your gentlenes To do her pleasure and seruice doubtles Harde is the harte that no loue hath felt Nor for to loue will then encline and melt Remember ye that in olde antiquitie Howe worthy Troylus that mighty champion What paine he suffered by great extremitie Offeruent loue by a great long season For his lady Cresyde by great tribulation After his sorowe had not he great ioye Of his lady the fayrest of all Troy And the famous knight yclipped Ponthus Whiche loued Sydoyne so moche entirely What paine had he and what care dolorous For his lady with loue so marueylously Was not her hart wounded right wofully After his paine his ladie did her cure To do him ioye honoure and pleasure Who was with loue more wofully arayed Then were these twaine and many other mo The power of loue had them so asayed That and I liste I coulde rehearse also To whom true loue hath wrought mykle wo And at the ende haue had their desire Of all their sorowe for to quenche the fire Languishe no more but plucke vp thy hart Exile dispayre and liue a while in hope And kepe your loue all close and couert It may so fortune that your lady wil grope Somewhat of loue for to drynke a sope Thoughe outwardely she dare not let you knowe But at the last as I beleue and trowe She can not kepe it so priuye and close But that somewhat it shall to you appeare By countenaunce howe that her loue arose If that she loue you the loue it is so deare When you come to her she wil make you chere With countenaunce according vnto loue Full priuely for to come to her aboue Sending of loue the messenger before Whiche is her eyes with louelye lokes swete For to beholde you then euer more and more After the time that you together mete With louing wordes she wil you then grete Sorowe no more for I thinke in my minde That at the last she will be good and kinde Alas quod I she is of hye degre Borne to great lande treasure and substaunce I feare to sore I shal disdayned be The whiche will trouble all my greuannce Her beautie is the cause of my penaunce I haue no great lande treasure and riches To winne the fauoure of her noblenes What thoughe quod he drawe you not backe For she hath inough in her possession For you bothe for you shall neuer lacke If that ye order it by good reason And so in perfect consideration She will with loue her grene flouryng age Passe forthe in ioye pleasure and courage Youthe is alway of the course right light Hote and moyst and full of lustines Moste of the ayre it is ruled by ryght And her complexion hath chiefe intresse Upon sanguine the ayres holesomenes She is not yet in all aboue xviii yere Of tender age to pleasure most deare Golde or siluer in any maner of wise For sanguyne youth it is all contrary So for to couet for it dothe arise Onely engendred vpon the malencoly Which is drye colde and also earthly In whiche the golde is truely nutrified Farre from the ayre so clearely purified Thus couetise shall nothing surmount Your yong ladies hart but onely nature Shall in her minde make her to account The great losse of youthe her speciall treasure She knoweth she is a right faire creature No
be contrarious But what for that your selfe in speciall Remember there is no loue so ioyous As is your owne to you most precious Will you geue your youthe and your flouryng age To them against your minde in mariage Pucell Against my ininde of that were I lothe To wedde for feare as them to obey Yet had I rather they were somewhat wrothe For I my selfe do beare the locke and keye Yet of my minde and will do many a daye Mine owne I am what that I list to do I stande vntied there is no ioye therto Amoure O swete lady the good perfect starre Of my true hart take ye nowe pitie Thinke on my paine whiche am tofore you here With your swete eyes beholde you and se Howe thought and wo by great extremitie Hath chaunged my hue into pale and wanne It was not so when I to loue began Pucell So me thinke it dothe right well appeare By your coloure that loue hath done you wo Your heuy countenaunce your doleful cheare Hath loue suche might for to aray you so In so short a space I maruell muche also That ye woulde loue me so sure in certayne Before ye knew that I woulde loue agayne Amoure My good deare hart it is no maruaile why Your beauty cleare and lonely lokes swete My hart did perce with loue so sodainely At the firste time that I did you mete In the olde temple when I did you grete Your beauty my hart so surely assayed That sithe that time it hath to you obeyed Capitu. xix Pucell YOur wo and paine all your languishyng Continuaily ye shall not spende in vayne Sithē I am cause of your great morning Nothinge exile you shall I by disdaine Your hart and mine shall neuer part in twaine Thoughe at the first I woulde not condescende It was for feare ye did some yll entende Amoure With thought of yll my minde was neuer mixt To you madame but alway cleane and pure Bothe day and night vpon you whole perfixt But I my minde yet durst nothing discure Howe for your sake I did suche wo endure Till nowe this houre with dredfull hart so faint To you swete hart I haue made my complaint I demed oft you loued me before By your demenoure I did it espye And in my minde I iudged euermore That at the last ye woulde full secretely Tell me your minde of loue right gentlely As ye haue done so my mercy to craue In all worship you shall my true loue haue Amoure O lorde God then howe ioyfull was I She loked on me with louely countenaunce I kiste her once or twise right swetely Her depured vysage repleate with pleasaunce Reioyced my hart with amerous purueyaunce O lady cleare that perst me at the rote O floure of comfort all my heale and bote O gemme of vertue and lady excellent Aboue all other in beauteous goodlines O eyen bright as starre refulgent O profounde cause of all my sickenes Nowe all my ioye and all my gladnes Woulde God that we were ioyned in one In mariage before this daye were gone Pucell A a saied she ye must take payne a while I must depart by the compulcion Of my frendes I will not you begile Thoughe they me leade to a farre nacion My hart shalbe without variacion With you present in perfite sikernes As true and stable without doublenes To me to come is harde and daungerous When I am there for gyantes vgly With monsters also blacke and tedious That by the way awaite full cruelly For to destroye you yll and vtterly When you that waye do take the passage To attaine my loue by hye aduauntage Amoure All that madame was to me certified By good dame Fame at the beginnyng When she to me of you well notified As she came from the tower of learnyng Of all suche enemies the might excluding I promise vnto you here full faithfully When I depart from dame astronomy That I will to the tower of chiualry And for your sake become aduenturous To subdue all enemies to me contrary That I may after be right ioyous With you my lady most swete and precious Wo worthe the cause of your departynge Whiche all my sorowes is in renuyng Alas what pleasure and eke without disport Shall I now haue when that ye be gone Ha ha truely nowe without good comfort My dolorous hart shalbe left alone Without your presence to me is none For euery houre I shall thinke a yere Till Fortune bryng me vnto you more neare Yet after you I will not be right long But haste me after as fast as I may In the tower of chiualry I shall make me strong And after that passe shortly on my way With diligent labour on my iourney Spite of your enemies I shall me so spede That in short time ye may reward my mede I thanke you quod she with my hart entire But yet with me ye shall make couenaunte As I to you am right lefe and deare Unto no person ye shall so aduaunte That I to loue you am so attendaunt For any thing your councell not bewraye For that full sone might vs bothe betray And to tell me I pray you hartely Yonder is councell howe were you acquainted He is bothe honest and true certainely Dothe he not knowe how your hart is fainted With feruent loue so surely attainted If he so do yet I nothing repent He is so secrete and true of entent Truely madame because ye are contente I shall you tell howe the matter was When that your beauty clearely spendent Into my hart full wondersly did passe Like as fayre Phebus dothe shine in the glasse All alone with inwarde care so rent Into a temple forthe on my way I wente Where that I walked plunged in the pitte Of great dispayre and he then me mette Alas he saied me thinke ye lose your witte Tell me the trouthe nowe without any let Why ye demeane suche mortall sorowe great Auoyde quod I you shall nothing it knowe You can not helpe me in the case I trowe But he suche reason and fruitefull sentence Did for him laye that I tolde him all When he it knewe with all his diligence He did me comfort then in speciall Unto my minde he bade me to call Who spareth to speake he to spede dothe spare Go tell your lady the cause of your care By whose councell grounded in wisdome To the entent I shoulde spede the better And right shortly I did then to you come But dreade alway made my sorow greater After great paine the ioyes is the sweter For who that tasteth painefull bitternes The ioye to him is double swetenes And therwithall I did vnto her bryng Councell my frende and full right meke Did him receiue as he was comming And of all thinges she did him beseke After her parting the same weke To haste me forwarde to my iourneyes ende Thereto quod I I do well condescende Fare well quod she I may no lenger tarye My frendes will come of
endued With so muche beauty and dame Grace also Your vertuous maners hath so muche renued Exile disdayne and let her from you go And also straungenes vnto loue the foe And let no couetise your true hart subdue But that in ioye ye may your youthe ensue For I of loue the Goddesse dame Uenus Right well do knowe that in the worlde is none That vnto you shalbe more ioyous Then graunde Amoure that loueth you alone Sythe he so did it is many dayes agone Who euer sawe a faire yong hart so harde Whiche for her sake would se her true loue marde And so shall he without ye take good hede Ifhe so be ye be cause of the same For loue with death will ye rewarde his mede And if ye do ye be to muche to blame To loue vnloued ye knowe it is no game Wherfore me thinke ye can do no lesse But with your loue his paynes to redresse If ye do not this may be his songe Wo worthe the time that euer he you mette Wo worthe your harte so doyng him wronge wo worthe the houre that his true hart was set wo worthe disdayne that woulde his purpose let wo worthe the flower that can do no boote Wo worthe you that perst him at the roote Wo worthe my loue the cause of my sorowe Wo worthe my lady that will not it release wo worthe fortune bothe euen and morowe wo worthe trouble that shall haue no peace Wo worthe cruelty that may neuer cease Wo worthe youthe that will no pitie haue Wo worthe her that will not her loue saue Wo worthe the trust without assuraunce Wo worthe loue rewarded with hate wo worthe loue replete with variaunce wo worthe loue without a frendly mate wo worthe the hart with loue at debate wo worthe the beauty whiche toke me in snare wo worthe her that will not cease my care Wo worthe her maners and her goodlines Wo worthe her eyes so cleare and amiable wo worthe suche cause of my great sickenes wo worthe pitie on her not tendable wo worthe her minde in disdaine so stable wo worthe her that hath me fettred fast And wo worthe loue that I do spende in waste Wherfore of right I pray you to remember All that I write vnto you right nowe Howe your true loue is of age but tender His humble seruice we praye you alowe And he him selfe shall euermore enprowe You for to please and geue the soueraintie Howe can you haue a more true loue then he And fare ye well there is no more to saye Under our signet in our courte royall Of September the. xxii daye She closed the letter and to her did call Cupide her sonne so deare in speciall Commaundyng him as fast as he might To la bell Pucell for to take his flyght So did Cupide with the letter flye Unto la bell Pucels domination There that he sped full well and wondersly As I shall after make relation But to my matter with breuiacion A turtle I offred for to magnifye Dame Uenus hye estate to glorifye She me exhorted for to be right hardy Forthe on to trauaile and to dreade nothing I toke my leaue of her full humbly And on my way as I was ridyng This Godfrey gobilyue came rennyng With his little nagge and cried tary tary For I wyll come and beare you company Capit. xxxii ANd forbicause that I was then full sadde And by the way he made me good game To haue his company I was somwhat glad I was not proude I toke of him no shame He came to me and saied ye are to blame So to ride louryng for a womans sake Unto the deuill I do them all betake They be not stedfast but chaunge as the mone When one is gone they loue another sone Who that is single and will haue a wife Right out of ioye he shall be brought in strife Thus when Godfrey did so merye make There did a lady vs sone ouertake And in her hande she had a knotted whippe At euery yerke she made Godfrey to skipe Alas he saied that euer I was borne Nowe am I take for all my mocke and scorne I loked about when that I hearde him crye Seyng this lady on her palfrey ride hye Madame I saied I pray you me tell Your proper name and where that ye dwell My name quod she is called Correction And the tower of chastice is my mancion This strong thefe called false report With vilayne courage and an other sort And vile perlers false coniecture All these I had in prison full sure But this false report hath broken prison With his subtill craft and euill treason And this iourney priuely to spede He hath cladde him in this foles wede Nowe haue I aunswered you your question And I pray you of a like solution You seme me thinke for to be a knyght I pray you tell me first your name aright My name quod I is la graunde Amoure A well quod she you are the perfite floure Of all true louers as I do well knowe You shall attayne la bell Pucell I trowe I knowe right well ye are aduenturous Onwarde your way to the tower perillous And for as muche as the night is neare I humbly pray you for to take the cheare That I may make you in my tower this night It is here by you shall of it haue sight And I pray you to helpe me to bynde This false reporte as you shoulde do by kinde What Godfrey quod I will ye chaung your name Nay nay qood he it was for no shame But alas for wo that she hath me taken I must obey it can not be forsaken His fete were fettred vndernethe his nagge And bounde his handes behinde to his bagge Thus Correction with her whippe did driue The little nagge wyth Godfrey gobilyue Till at the last we gan to approche Her royall tower vpon a craggy roche The night was come for it was right late Yet right anone we came to the gate Where we were let in by dame Measure That was a faire and a goodly creature And so Correction brought me to the hall Of gete well wrought glased with cristall The roufe was golde and amiddes was set A carbuncle that was large and great Whose vertue cleare in the hall so bright About did cast a great marueylous lyght So forthe we went into a chamber faire Where many ladyes did them selues repayre And at our commyng then incontinent They welcomed vs as was conuenient But of Correction they were very glad Whiche false report againe taken had There was quene Panthasile with Penalape Quene Helene and quene Menelape Quene I thesyle and quene Proserpyne The lady Meduse and yong Polixyne With many moe that I do not rehearse My time is shorte I muste fro them reuerce And dame Correction into a chamber ledde Me right anone for to go to my bedde What nede I shewe of my great cheare and rest I wanted nought but had all of the best And so I
perceueraunce Nor of the beginnyng can haue audience Then must narration begyn the sentence And if it be a little probable From any maner stedfast argument We order it for to be right stable And then we neuer begyn our sentment Recityng letters not conuenient But this commutation shoulde be rufused Without cause or thing make it be vsed This that I write is harde and couert To them that haue nothing intelligence Up so downe they make it oft transuert Or that they can knowe the experience Of this craft and facundious science By disposition the rethoricyan To make lawes ordinately began Without disposicion none order gan be For the disposition ordreth euery matter And geueth the place after the degree Without order without reason we clatter Where is no reason it vayleth not to chatter Disposition ordreth a tale dyrectlye In a perfect reason to conclude truely The fatall problemes of olde antiquitye Cloked with mist and with clowdes darke Ordered with reason and hye aucthoritye The trouth did shewe of all their couert warke Thus haue they made manye a noble clarke To disnul mischefe and inconuenience They made our lawes with great diligence Before the lawe in a tomblyng barge The people sayled without perfectnes Throughe the worlde all about at large They had no order nor no stedfastnes Tyil rethoricians founde iustice doubtles Ordeynyng kynges of right high dignitie Of all commens to haue the soueraintie The barge to stere with lawe and iustice Ouer the waues of this life transitorye To direct wronges and also preiudyce And tho that wil resist a contrarye Against their kyng by iustice openly For their rebellion and euill treason Shall suffer death by right and reason O what laude glory and great honoure Unto these poetes shalbe notified The whiche distilled aromatike lycoure Clensyng our syght with order purified Whose famous draughtes so exemplified Set vs in order grace and gouernaunce To lyue dyrectlye without encombraunce But many one the whiche is rude and dull Will despise their worke for lacke of cunnyng All in vayne they do so hale and pull When they therof lacke vnderstandyng They grope ouer where is no felyng So dull they are that they can not fynde This royall art for to perceyue in mynde Capitu. xi ANd then the thyrde parte is elocution When inuention hath the purpose wrought And set it in order by disposicion Without this thyrd part it vayleth ryght nought Thoughe it be founde and in order brought Yet Elocution wyth the helpe of Mercury The matter exorneth ryght well facundiously In fewe wordes swete and sentencious Depaynted wyth golde harde in construction To the artike eares swete and delicious The golden Rethoryke is good refection And to the reader ryght consolation As we do golde from copper purifye So that Elocution dothe right well clarifye The dulcet speache from the language rude Tellyng the tale in termes eloquent The barbary tongue it dothe farre exclude Electyng wordes whiche are expedient In latyn or in englyshe after the entent Encensyng out the aromatyke fume Our language rude to exile and consume But what auayleth euermore to sowe The precious stones among gruntyng hogges Draffe vnto them is more meter I trowe Let an hare and swyne be amonge curre dogges Thoughe to the hares were tyed great clogges The gentle beast they will regarde nothyng But to the swyne take course of runnyng TO cloke the sentence under misty fygures By many colours as I make relacion As the olde poetes couered their scriptures Of whiche the first is distribution That to the euyl for theyr abusion Dothe gyue payne and to the worthye Laude and prayse them for to magnifye Of beast or byrde they take a similitude In the condicion lyke to the partye Feble fayre or yet of fortitude And vnder coloure of this beast priuely The morall sence they cloke full subtillye In prayse or disprayse as it is reasonable Of whose faynyng fyrste rose the fable Concludyng reason greatly profitable Who that their fables can well moralyse The frutefull sentences are delectable Thoughe that the ficcion they do so deuise Under the coloure the trouthe dothe arise Concludyng reason riches and cunnyng Pleasure example and also learnyng They fayned no fable without reason For reasonable is all their moralitie And vpon reason was their conclusion That the commen witte by possibilitie May well adiudge the perfite veritye Of their sentence for reason openly To the commen witte it dothe so notifye Ryches Their frutefull sentence was great riches The whiche right surely they myght well domine For lordeship wealthe and also noblesse The chaunce of fortune can sone determine But what for this she can not decline The noble science whiche after pouertie May bryng a man agayne to dignitye Scyence Their sentence is cunnyng as appeareth well For by cunnyug their arte dothe engender And w tout cunnyng we knowe neuer a dele Of their sentence but may sone surrender A true tale that myght to vs render Great pleasure if we were intelligible Of their cunnyng nothyng impossible Pleasure O what pleasure to the intelligent It is to knowe and haue perseueraunce Of their cunnyng so muche expedient And therof to haue good vtteraunce Readyng newe thinges of so great pleasaunce Feadyng the minde with fode insaciate The tales newe they are so delicate Example In an example with a misty cloude Of couert likenes the poetes do write And vnderneth the trouthe dothe so shroude Bothe good and yll as they lyst acquite With similitude they did so well endite As I hereafter shall the trouthe soue shewe Of all their misty and their fatall dewe The poetes fayne how that kyng Athias Heauen shoulde beare vpon his shoulders hye Because in cunnyng he did all other passe Especially in the highe astronomye Of the sixe planets he knewe so perfectly The operations howe they were domified For whiche poetes him so exemplified And in likewise vnto the sagittary They feyne the centaures to be of likenes As halfe man and halfe horse truely Because Mylizyus with his worthines Did first attaine and breake the wildenes Of the royall stedes and ryght swiftly His men and he rode on them surely And also Pluto sometyme kyng of hell A citye of Grece standyng in the ssayle Betwene greate rockes as the boke dothe tell Wherin were people without any fayle Huge fierce and strong in battaile Tyrauntes theues replete with treason Wherfore poetes by true comparison Unto the deuils blacke and tedious Did them resemble in terrible fygure For their misliuyng so foule and vycious As to this daye it dothe appeare in vre Of Cerberus the defloured picture The porter of hell wyth thre heades vgly Lyke an horrible gyant fierce and wonderly Because alway his customed tyranny Was eleuate in harte by hygh presumption Thinkyng him selfe most strong and mighty And secondly he was destruction Of many Ladyes by euill compulcion And thirdly his desire insaciable Was to get riches ful innumerable Thus for these thre vyces abhōminable They made him wyth
that were I lothe I shall retaine you in my memory And thei it knewe they woulde with me be wroth To loue you best I promise you my trouth And then mine eyen great sorowe shewed With teares salte my chekes were endued Her eyes graye began to loke right redde Her gaye white coloure began for to pale Upon her chekes so the droppes were spredde Whiche from her eyen began to aduale From her swete hart she did the sighes hale Neuer before as I trowe and wene Was suche departing true louers betwene We wiped our chekes our sorowes to cloke Outwardly fayning vs to be gladde and mery That the people should not perceiue the smoke Of our hote fire to light the emispery Thoughe inwardly with a stormy pery The fire was blowen yet wee did it couer Because abroade it shoulde nothing perceuer Out of the garden to an hauen side Forthe we went where was a shippe ryght large That taried there after the flowyng tide And so then did there many a boate and barge The shippe was great fiue C. tunne to charge La bell Pucell right anone me tolde In yonder shippe whiche that ye beholde Forthe must I sayle without lenger delay It is full sea my frendes will come sone Therfore I pray you to go hence your way It draweth fast nowe towarde the none Madame quod I your pleasure shalbe done With wofull hart and great sighes oft I kissed her lippes that were swete and soft She vnto me nor I vnto her coulde speake And as of that it was no great wonder Our hartes swelled as that they shoulde breake The fire of loue was so sore kept vnder When I from her shoulde departe asunder With her fayre heade she did lowe encline And in like wise so did I with myne ¶ Of the greate sorowe that graunde Amoure made after her departyng and of the wordes of Councell Capitu. xx HEr frendes and she on their way they sayled Along the hauen god them saue and brynge Unto the land I heard wheÌ„ that they haled With a great peale of gunnes at their departyng The marueylouse tower of famous cunnyng No gunne was shotte but my hart did wepe For her departyng with wofull teares depe Councell me comforted as euer he might With many stories of olde antiquitie Remember he saied that neuer yet was wight That liued alway in great tranquilitie But that him happed some aduersitie Then after that when the payne was past The double ioye did comfort them at last Ye nede nothing for to make great doloure Fortune to you hath bene right fauourable Makyng you to attayne the good fauour Of your lady so swete and amiable No doubt it is she is true and stable And demeane you so that in no wise No man perceiue or of your loue surmise Be hardy fearce and also couragious In all your battailes without feblenes For ye shall be right well victorious Of all your enemies so full of subtilnes Arme you with wisdome for more surenes Let wisdome worke for she can stedfastlye In time of nede resist the contrary Was neuer man yet surely at debate With Sapience but that he did repent Who that is ruled by her highe estate Of his after witte shall neuer be shent She is to man right beneuolent With walles sure she dothe him fortifie When it is nede to resist a contrary Was neuer place where as she did guide With enemies brought to destruction A remedy she can so well prouide To her high worke is no comparison It hath so strong and sure foundation Nothing there is that can it molifye So sure it is agaynst a contrarye Of her alwayes it is the perfect guise To begyn nothing of mutabilitie As is the warre whiche may sone arise And will not downe it maye so sturdy be The beginner oft hath the iniquitie When he began wisdome did reply In his great nede to resist the contrary The mighty Pryant sometime king of Troye With all his citye so well fortified Little regarded all his wealth and ioye Without wisedome truely exemplified His proper death him selfe he nutrified Agaynst his warre wisdome did replye At his great nede to resist the contrary And where that wisdome ruleth hardines Hardines then is euer inuincible There may nothing it vainquishe or oppresse For prudence is so well intelligible To her there is nothing impossible Her grounded worke is made so perfitely That it must nedes resist the contrary To wofull creatures she is goodly leche With her good sister called pacience To the tower of ioye she dothe them tell weche In the way of hope without resistence Who to her lâ—st to apply his diligence She will him bringe to worship shortelye That he shall well resist the contrary Right so let wisdome your sorowe surrende And hye you fast vnto dame Geometry And let no thought in your hart engender Eur after this speake to astronomy And so from thence to the tower of chiualry Wheâ—e of the worthy king Melyzyus You shalbe made sone knight aduenturous And fare you well for I must from you go To other louers whiche are in dispaire As I did you to comfort them also It is great nede that I to them repayre Haboundaunt teares their hartes do refleire Fare well quod I my good frende so true I woulde with me ye might alway ensue Then agayne I went to the tower melodious Of good dame musike my leaue for to take And priuely with these wordes dolorous I saied O tower thou maiest wel aslake Suche melody nowe in the more to make The gemme is gone of all famous port That was chefe cause of the great comfort Whilome thou was the faire tower of light But nowe thou art replete with darkenes She is nowe gone that shone in the so bright Thou wast sometime the tower of gladnes Nowe maist thou be the tower of heauines For the chefe is gone of all thy melody Whose beauty cleare made most swete armony The faire carbuncle so full of clearenes That in the truely did most purely shine The pearle of pitie replete with swetenes The gentle gillofloure the goodly columbine The redolent plante of the dulcet vyne The dede aromatike may no more encense For she is so farre out of thy presence A a truely in the time so past Mine errande was the often for to se Nowe for to enter I may be agast When thou art hence the starre of beauty For all my delite was to beholde the A tower tower all my ioye is gone In the to enter comfort is there none So then inwardly my selfe bewaylyng In the tower I went into the habitacle Of dame musike where she was singyng The ballades swete in her fayre tabernacle Alas thought I this is no spectacle To fede mine eyen whiche are nowe all blynde She is not here that I was wont to finde Then of dame musike with all lowlines I did take my leaue withouten tariyng She thanked me with all her mekenes And all alone forthe I went musyng A a
day he set in workyng The bodies aboue to haue their mouyng In the. xii signes them selues to domifye Some rethrogarde and some directly The fift daye he did fishes make In the sea the great stormy flowde To and fro their courses for to take And in the water for to haue their fode Like to the same colde alway their bloude The sirt daye beastes with fowles sensatiue And man also with soule intellectyue The seuenth day he rested of his worke Nothing constrayned as of werines As writeth many a right famous clarke But that he had accomplished doubtles His purposed purpose by infinite prowes As to vs dothe most plainely discure The perfect grounde of holy scripture Thus God him selfe is chefe astronomer That made all thing accordyng to his will The sunne the mone and euery little starre To a good entent and for no maner of yll Withouten vayne he did all thing fulfyll As astronomy dothe make apparaunce By reason he weyed all thinges in balaunce Capitulo xxiii ANd for as muche that he made nature First of all to haue domination The power of her I shall anone discure Howe that she taketh her operation And where vpon is her foundation I simple and rude opprest with negligence Shall discriue the might of her preeminence For thoughe that aungell be inuincible In palpable and also celestiall Without substaunce as incencible Yet haue they nature whiche is angelicall For nature naturyng naturate made all Heauen and earth and the bodies aboue By course of nature for to worke and moue On man or beast without any misse She worketh directly after the aspect Of the matter be it more or lesse I wisse And dothe therof the whole forme direct After the qualitie it dothe take effect If there be more then may one suffise A by member she will then more deuise As that in vre ye may it dayly se Upon one hande some hath thombes twayne And other also sometime armes thre The superstuitie is cause therof certayne Whiche that dame nature dothe constrayne So for to do for she leseth nought Of the matter but hath it wholy wrought And in likewise where is not sufficient Of the matter for the whole formation There lacketh a member by great impediment So that there can be no perfite fashion As may be iudged by perfite reason After the qualitie of the matter lackyng So lacketh they of natures formyng Some lacketh a legge some an arme also Some a finger and some more or lesse All these causes with many other mo Nature worketh so directly doubtles Upon the matter as I do expresse After the qualitie in many a sundry wise The kinde of her we ought nothing despise Some be fayre and replete with grace Some be fayre and yet right vnhappy Some be foule and can sone purchase Landes and possessions to them shortly Some be fooles and some be right wittye Wherupon I shal shewe a difference Of the. v. wittes by good experience Capit. xxiiii THe eyen the eares and also the nose The mouth hands inward wits are none But outward offices as ye may suppose To the inward wittes whiche do iudge alone For vnto them all thinges haue gone By these outward gates to haue the knowleging By the inwarde wittes to haue decernyng These are the fiue wittes remouyng inwardly First commen witte and then ymagination Fantasy and estimation truely And memory as I make narration Eche upon other hath occupation First the commen witte vnto the front applied Dothe thinke decerne it may not be denied Of the eyen the office onely is the syght To se the fayre the lowe or altitude The white or blacke the heauy or the light The litle or great the weake or fortitude The vgly fauoure or yet the pulcritude This is the vse of the eyen enteare To se all thinges whiche may well appeare But of them selues they can decerne nothing One from an other but the commen witte Decerneth coloures by spirituall cunning To the fiue inwarde wittes it is so well knitte Nothing is sene but it dothe iudge it It dothe decerne the good from badnes The hye the lowe the foule the fairenes The nose also euery ayre dothe smell But yet it hath nothing aucthoritie If it be swete for to iudge and tell But the commen witte dothe it in certainetie Decernyng sauours in euery degre Knowyng the swete ayre from the stinkyng When that the nose therof hath smellyng The eares also ryght well geue audience Unto a tale hearyng it right perfectly But they can not discerne the sentence To knowe wherupon it dothe so ratifie Upon great wisdome or els vpon foly Thus whether the tale be ryght good or badde By the commen witte the knowledge is had Foly hath eares as well as Sapience But he can not determine by his hearyng What tale it is for lacke of intelligence For the commen witte is all vnderstandyng And that he lacketh to geue him knowyng Wherfore the eares are but an intresse To the cōmen witte that sheweth the perfectnes The mouthe tasteth bothe swete and bitternes But the commen witte decerneth properly If it be soure or replete with swetenes Nor yet the handes fele nothing certainely But the commen witte decerneth subtilly Whether it be harde moist or of drynes Hote heauy soft or yet colde doubtles Thus commen witte worketh wondersly Wpon the. v. gates whiche are receptatyue Of euery thing for to take inwardely By the commen witte to be affirmatyue Or by decernyng to be negatiue The commen witte the first of wittes all Is to decerne all thinges in generall And then secondly ymagination When the commen witte hath the thing elect It worketh by all due inclinacion For to bryng the matter to the whole affect And fantasy then hath the whole aspect The ymagined matter to bring to finishment With good desire and inwarde iudgement And estimacion dothe well comprehende The space the place and all the purueyaunce At what tyme the power myght entende To bryng the cause vnto perfect vtteraunce Often it weygheth the cause in balaunce By estimation any thing is numbred By lengthe or shortnes howe it is accombred Fiftely the mynde when the fourth haue wrought Retayned all tyll the mynde haue made An outwarde knowledge to the matter thought Because nothing shall decline and fade It kepeth the matter nothinge rethrogarde But dyrectly till the minde haue proued All suche matters whiche the. iiii haue moued Plato the cunnyng and famous clarke That well experte was in Philosophy Dothe ryght rehearse vpon natures warke Howe that she worketh vpon al wondersly Bothe for to minishe and to multiplye In sundry wise by great direction After the matter with all the whole affection In my natiue language I will not expresse More of her worke for it is obscure Who will therof knowe all the perfectnes In philosophy he shall finde it ryght sure Whiche all the trouth can to him discure No man can attayne perfect runnyng But by long study and diligent learnyng Capit. xxv THe
chaunce Thou to rule man it is a thing not true Nowe wherupon dothe hang this ordinaunce But accedent vpon the gouernaunce Of the hye bodyes whiche dothe man dispose The dede to do as him lyst purpose Capi. xxviii TO heare of Mars the maruelous argumeÌ„t And of Fortune I was sore amased Tyll that I sawe a lady excellent Clearely armed vpon whom I gased And her armes full priuely I blased The shelde of golde as I well vnderstande With a lyon of asure throughe passande To me she came with lowely countenaunce And bade me welcome vnto that mancion Leadyng me forthe with ioye and pleasaunce Into an hall of marueylous fashion Right strongly fortified of olde foundation The pillers of yuory garnished with gold With pearles set and brodred many a folde The flore was paued with stones precious And the roufe was braunched curiously Of the beaten golde bothe gaye and glorious Knotted with pommaunders right swetely Encencyng out the yll odours misty And on the walles right well did appeare The siege of Thebes depaynted fayre and cleare There were knyghtes plaâ—yng at the chestes Whiche sawe Minerue leade me in the hall They lefte their playe and all their busines And welcomed me right gently withall With sir Nurture then most in speciall Accompanied of his brother Curtesy They made me chere then full effectuallye And after that they brought me vp a stayre Into a chamber gayly glorified And at the dore there stode a knight right fayre Y clipped trouthe right clearely purified His countenaunce was ryght well modified To me he sayed that before myne entresse Him for to loue I shoulde him promise Of ryght he sayed I haue in custodye This chamber dore of kyng Melizyus That no man enter into it wrongfully Without me trouthe for to be chiualrous Here knyghtes be made to be victorious I shall you promise quod I fayethfully You for to loue and serue perdurably Abide quod he I will speake with the kyng Tell me your name and habitation And the chefe cause nowe of your comyng That I to him may make relation To knowe his minde without variation La graunde Amoure my name is saied I The cause of my commyng intentifly Is forbicause that I haue enterprised Nowe for the sake of fayre la bell pucell To passe the passage whiche I her promised That is so daungerous with serpentes cruell And for as muche as I knowe neuer a deale The feates of armes to attayne honoure I am come to learne with diligent laboure Then forthe he wente vnto the maiestie Of kyng Melizyus the myghty conqueroure Saiyng O power so hye in dignitie O prince victorious and famous Emperoure Of iustyng truely the originall floure One graunde Amoure woulde be acceptable In your hye courte for to be tendable With all my harte I will quod he accepte Him to my seruice for he is ryght worthy For vnto doctrine the hye waye he kept And so from thence to the tower of chiualry He shall attayne great actes wondersly Go on your way and bryng him fast to me For I thinke long him to beholde and se And then the good knight trouthe incontinent Into the chamber so pure sone me ledde Where sate the kyng so muche beniuolent In purple clothed set full of rubyes redde And all the floore on whiche we did treade Was cristall clere and the roufe at nyght With carbuncles did geue a marueylous lyght The walles were hanged with clothe of tissue Brodred with pearles and rubies rubiconde Mixte with emeraudes so full of vertue And bordred about with many a dyamonde An heauy hart it will make ioconde For to beholde the marueylous riches The lordship wealth and the great worthines There sate Melizyus in his hye estate And ouer his heade was a payre of balaunce With his crowne and scepter after the true rate Of another worldly king for to haue gouernance In his hande a ball of right great circumstaunce Before whom then I did knele adowne Saiyng O Emperoure most hye of renowne I the beseche of thyne haboundaunt grace Me to accept in this courte the for to serue So to continue by long time and space Of chiualry that I may nowe deserue The order ryght and well it to obserue For to attayne the hye aduauntage Of the enterprise of my doubty vyage Welcome he saied to this court ryall Mynerue shall arme you with great diligence And teache you the scates of armes all For she them knoweth by good experience In the olde time it was her science And I my selfe shall geue you a worthy stede Called galantyse to helpe you in your nede I humbly thanked his great highnes And so to Mynerue I did then apply Whiche did me teache with siker perfitnes For to haunt armes right well and nobly Sapience me ruled well and prudently Thus among knightes for to iust and tourney Mynerue me taught in sundry wise all day It was a ioyfull and a knightly sight For to beholde so fayre and goodly a sorte Of good knightes armed clere and bryght That I sawe there whiche did me well exhort Armes to haunt with couragious comforte Mynerue me taught my strokes and defence That in short space was no resistence Against my power and mighty puissaunce To my wilfull harte was nought impossible I bare my selfe so without doubtaunce My hart made my courage inuincible Of whiche the trou the was sone intelligible With my behauyng before the preeminence Of kyng Milizyus famous excellence Whiche ryght anone for dame Mynerue sent And me also with sir trouthe to obey We thought full little what the matter ment But vnto hym we toke anone the way Entryng the chamber so fayre cleare and gay The kyng vs called vnto his persone Saiyng I will graunde amoure anone Truely make knyght for the time approcheth That he must haunte and seke aduenture For la bell Pucell as true loue requireth And first of all began to me discure The high order howe I should take in cure And then anone he began to expresse What knighthode was to perfite sykernes Knighthode he sayed was first established The commen wealthe in ryght to defende That by the wrong it be not minished So euery knight must truely condescende For the commen wealthe his power to entende Agaynst all suche rebels contrarious Them to subdue with power victorious For knyghthode is not in the feates of warre As for to fight in quarell ryght or wrong But in a cause whiche trouthe can not defarre He ought him selfe for to make sure and strong Iustice to kepe myxt with mercy among And no quarell a knyght ought to take But for a trouthe or for the commens sake For first good hope his legge harneyes shoulde be His habergion of perfect ryghteousnes Gyrde fast wyth the girdle of chastitie His riche placarde shoulde be good busines Brodered with almes so full of larges The helmet mekenes and the shelde good fayeth His swerde Gods worde as S. Paule sayeth Also true wydowes he ought to restore