route Her folowed in the garden all about This yerd was large rayled all the aleyes shaddowed wel w t blosomy bowes grene And benched newe and soÌ„ded al the wayes In which she walketh arm in arme betwene Tyll at the last Antigone the shene Gan on a Troyan songe to syngen clere That it an heuen was her voyce to heare She said O loue to whom I haue shall Ben humble subiect trewe in myne entent As I best can to you lorde yeue yche all For euermore my hertes lust to rent For neuer yet thy grace no wyght sent So blysfull cause as me my lyfe to lede In al ioye and suretie out of drede The blysful god hath me so wel beset In loue iwys that all that bereth lyfe Ymagynen ne coulde how to be bet For lorde withouten ielousye or stryfe I loue one which that moost is ententyfe To seruen wel vntweryly or vnfayned That euer was lest with harme distayned As he that is the well of worthynesse Of trouth ground myrrour of godlyheed Of wyt Apollo stone of sykernesse Of vertue roote of lust fynder and heed Through which is all sorowe fro me deed Ywys I loue hym best so doth he me Now good thrift haue he whersoeuer he be whom shulde I thaÌ„ken but you god of loue Of all this blysse in which to bath I gynne And thanked be ye lorde for that I loue This is the ryght lyfe that I am in To flemen al maner vyce and synne This doth me so to vertue for to entende That daye by day I in my wyll amende And who that sayth y e for to loue is vyce Or thraldome though he felt in it distresse He eyther is enuyous or ryght nyce Or is vnmyghty for his shreudnesse To louen for suche maner folke I gesse Diffamen loue as nothyng of him knowe They speken but they bent neuer his bowe what is the sonne worse of kynde ryght Though y t a man for feblenesse of his eyen May nat endure on it to se for bryght Or loue the worse that wretches on it cryen No wele is worth y t may no sorowe dryen And for thy who that hath a heed of verre Fro cast of stones ware hym in the werre But with al myne hert and al my myght As I haue sayde wol loue vnto my last My dere hert and all myne owne knyght In which myne hert growen is so fast And his in me that it shall euer last All dredde I fyrst loue hym to begyn Now wot I well there is no peryll in And of her songe right w t the worde she stent And therwithal nowe nece ê™ Creseyde who made this song now w t so good entent Antygone answerde anone and sayde Madame ywys the goodlyest mayde Of great estate in al the towne of Troye And led her lyfe in moost honour and ioye For soth so semeth it by her songe Quod tho Creseyde gan therwtih to sike And said Lorde is there such blysse amonge These louers as they can fayre endite Yea wysse quod freshe Antygone the whyte For al the folke that haue or bene on lyue Ne conne wel the blysse of loue discryue But wene ye that euery wretche wote The parfyte blysse of loue why nay ywys They wenen al be loue yf one be hote Do way do way they wote nothing of this Menne mote asken of sayntes yf it is Ought faire in heueÌ„ why for they can tell And aske fendes yf it be foule in hell Creseide vnto the purpose naught answerde But sayd ywys it wol be nyght as faste But euery word which that she of her herde She gan to printen in her herte faste And aye gan loue her lasse for to agaste Than it dyd erst and synken in her herte That she waxe somwhat able to conuerte The dayes honour and the heuens eye The night foe al thys clepe I the sunne Gan westren fast downwarde for to wrie As he that had hys dayes course yrunne And whyte thinges woxen dymme donne For lacke of lyght and sterres for to apere That she and al her folke in went yfere So whan it lyked her to gone to reste And voyded weren they that voyden oughte She sayd that to slepen well her leste Her women sone tyl her bed her broughte whaÌ„ al was hust thaÌ„ lay she styl thoughte Of al thys thynge the maner and the wyse Reherce it nedeth nat for ye bene wyse A nyghtyngale vpon a Cedre grene Vnder the chamber wal there as she lay Ful loude songe ayen the mone shene Parauenture in hys byrdes wyse a lay Of loue that made her herte freshe and gaye That herkened she so longe in good entente Tyl at the last the deed slepe her hente And as she slept anon ryght tho her mette Howe that an Egle fethered white as bone Vnder her brest hys longe clawes sette And out her hert he rent and that anone And dyd his hert in to her brest to gone of which she nought agrose ne nothiÌ„g smert And forthe he flyeth with hert lefte for herte Nowe let her slepe we our tales holde Of troylus that is to paleys rydden Fro the scarmyshe of whych I tolde And in hys chambre sate and hath abydden Tyl two or thre of his messangers yeden For Pandarus and soughten him ful fast Tyl they him found brought him at y e last Thys Pandarus came leapyng in at ones And sayd thus who hath bene wel ybete To daye wyth swerdes and slonge stones But Troylus that hath caught him an hete And gan to iape sayd Lorde ye sweete But ryse and let vs soupe and go to reste And he answerde him do we as the leste wyth al the hast goodly as they myght They spedde hem fro the souper to bedde And euery wyght out of the dore him dyght And whyder him lyst vpoÌ„ his way him sped But Troylus thought that his herte bledde For wo tyl that he herde some tydynge And sayd frende shall I now wepe or synge Quod Pandarus be styll and let me slepe And do on thyne hoode thy nedes spedde be And chese yf thou wolt syng daunce or lepe At short wordes thou shalte trowe me Sir my nece wol done wel by the And loue the beste by god by my trouthe But lacke of pursute make it in thy slouthe For thus forforth I haue thy werke begon Fro day to daye tyl this day by the morowe Her loue of frendshyp haue I to the won and therfore hath she laid her faith to borow Algate a foote is hameled of thy sorowe what shulde I lenger sermon of it holde As ye haue herde before al he him tolde But right as floures through the colde of night I closed stoupen in her stalkes low Redressen hem ayen the sunne bryght And spreden in her kynde course by rowe Ryght so gan tho his eyen vp to throwe Thys Troylus and sayd O Venus dere Thy myght thy grace yheryed
worthe is al the chere and reuerence That men hem done at feestes at daunces Suche salutations and countynaunces Passeth as dothe the shadowe on a wal But wo is hym that paye mote for al The sely husbonde algate he mote paye He mote vs bothe cloth and eke araye Al for his owne worshippe richely In whiche array we dauncen iolyly And yf that he may nat parauenture Or els lust no suche spence endure But thynketh that it is wast and ylost Than mote another paye for our coste And lende vs golde and that is perilous This noble Marchant held a noble hous For whiche he had al day great repayre For his largesse and for hys wyfe was fayre That wonder is but herkeneth to my tale Amonge al his gestes great and smale There was a monke a fayre man a bolde I trowe thurty wynter he was olde That euer in one was drawing to that place This yonge monke y t so fayre was of face Aquaynted was with this good man Sythens that he fyrst knowlege began That in his house as famylier was he As it is possyble any frende to be And for as moche as this good man And eke this monke of which I began Were bothe two borne in one village The monke hym claymed as for cosynage And he agayne sayd not ones nay But was as glad therof as foule of day For to his herte it was a great pleasaunce Thus ben they knytte w t eterne aliaunce And eche of hem gan other for to ensure Of brotherheed whyles her lyfe may dure ¶ Fre was Dan Iohan namely of dispeÌ„ce As in that house and ful of diligence To do pleasaunce and eke great costage He foryate not to yeue the leste page In al that house but after her degre He yaue the lorde and sythen hys meyne whan y t he came some maner honest thyng For whiche they were as glad of his coÌ„ming As foule is fayne whan the sonne vp ryseth No more herof as nowe for it suffyseth ¶ But so byfel this marchaunt on a day Shepe hym to make redy hys aray Towarde the towne of Bruges for to fare â—â—bye there a porcion of ware For whiche he hath sent to parys anon A messanger and prayde hath dan Iohn That he shuld come to saint Denys to playn with him and with his wife a day or twayn Or he to Bruges went in al wyse ¶ This noble monke of which I you deuyse Hath of his abbot as hym lyst lycence Bycause he was a man of hye prudence And eke an offycer out for to ryde To seen her graunges and her bernes wyde And vnto saynt Denys he cometh anon who was so welcome as my lord dan Iohn Our dere cosyn ful of curtesye with him he brought a iubbe of maluesyâ— And eke another ful of fyne vernage And volatily as was aye his vsage And thus I let hem both eate drinke play This marchant this monke a day or tway ¶ The thyrde day this marchaunt vp ryseth And on his nede sadly hym auyseth And vp in to his countyng house gothe he To reken with hym selfe as wel may be Of thilke yere howe it with hym stoode And howe he spended had his goode And yf that he encresed were or none His bokes and his bagges many one He laythe afore hym on his counter borde Ful ryche was hys tresour and his horde For whiche ful faste his counter dore he shet And eke he nolde no man shulde hym let Of hys accomptes for the mene tyme And thus he sate tyl it was passed prime Dan Iohan was rysen in the morow also And in the garden walked two and fro And hath hys thynges sayd ful curtesly ¶ This good wyfe come walkyng priuely In to the garden there he walked softe And hym salueth as she hath done ful ofte A mayden chylde came in her companye which as her luste she may gouerne gye For yet vnder the yerde was the mayde ¶ O dere cosyn dan Iohan she sayde what eyleth you so rathe to a ryse ¶ Nece ê™ he it ought ynough suffyse Fyue houres for to slepen on a night But it were for an olde palied wight As ben these old wedded men that lye dare As in a forme sytteth a wery hare Al forstraught with houndes gret smale But dere nece why loke ye so pale I trowe certes that our good man Hath you laboured sythe this night began That you were nede to resten hastely And with that worde he lough ful merily And with his owne thought he woxe al reed This fayre wyfe gan to shake her heed And sayd thus yea god wote al ê™ she Nay cosyn myne it stondeth not so with me For by that god that yaue me soule and lyfe In al the realme of Fraunce is there no wife That lesse luste hath to that sory play For I may syngen alas and welaway That I was borne but to no wight ê™ she Dare I not tel howe it stonte with me Wherfore I think out of this world to wed Or els of my selfe sone to make an ende So ful I am of drede and eke of care ¶ This moÌ„ke began vpon this wyfe to stare And sayd alas nay nece god forbede That ye for any sorowe or for any drede For do your selfe but telleth me your grefe Perauenture I may in your mischefe Counsayle or helpe therfore telleth me Al your anoye for it shal secret be For on my portouse I make an othe That neuer in my lyfe for lefe ne lothe Ne shal I not of no counsayle you bewray The same ayen to you ê™ she I say By god and by this portouse I you swere Thoug men wolde me al in to peces tere Ne shal I neuer for to go to hel Bewray o worde of thyng that ye me tel Not for no cosynage ne for alyaunce But verily for loue and affyaunce Thus ben they sworne and here vpon kyste And ylke of hem tolde other what hem lyste ¶ Cosyn ê™ she yf I had a space As I haue none and namely in this place Than wolde I tel a legende of my lyfe That I suffred haue â–ª sythe I was a wyfe with myn husbonde though he be your cosyn Nay ê™ this moÌ„ke by god seynt Martyn He nis no more cosyn vnto me Than is this lefe that hongeth on the tre I clepe him so by saynte Denys of Fraunce To haue the more cause of aquayntaunce Of you whom I haue loued specially Abouen al other women sykerly This swere I you on my professyoun Telleth your grefe leste he come adoun And hasteth you and goth your way anon My dere loue ê™ she O my dan Iohn Ful lefe me were this counsayle to hyde But out it mote it may no lenger abyde My husbonde is to me the worste man That euer was sythe the worlde began But sythen I am a wyfe it sytte not to me To tellen no wight of our priuyte Neyther in bedde ne in none other
that he somtyme discharge hym of hem by shryft They may ful lyghtly mynysh in hym al the loue that he hath to Iesu Christ and in this wyse skyppeth venyall synne into deedly sin For certes the more that a man chargeth his soule with venyall synnes the more he is enclyned to fall into deedlye synne And therfore lette vs not be neglygent to charge vs of venyal synnes For the prouerbe sayth that many small make a great Herken this ensample A greate vawe of the see commeth sometyme with so greate a vyolence that it drowneth the shyppe And the same harme do somtyme the smal droppes of water that entreth through a lytle creueys into the tymbre and to the botume of the shyp yf men be so geglygent that they dyscharge hem not bytymes And therfore althoughe there be a dyfference betwyxt these two causes of drownynge allgates the shyppe is drowned Ryghte so fareth it sometyme of deedlye synne and of anoyous venyall synnes whan they multyplye in man so greatlye that those worldlye thynges that he loueth through whyche he synneth venyally is as great in his herte as the loue of God or more and therfore the loue of euery thing that is not beset in God ne done pryncipallye for Goddes sake althoughe that a man loue it selfe then God yet is it venyal synne and deedly synne wheÌ„ the loue of any thing weyeth in the hert of man as moche as the loue of God or more Deedly synne as sayth saynct Austyn is when a man turneth hys hert fro God which that is very souerayne bounty that maye not chaunge and gyueth his hert to a thyng that may chaunge flit and certes that is euery thyng saue God of heauen For sothe is that if a manne gyue hys loue whyche that he oweth to God with all his hert vnto a creature certes as moche of loue as he yeueth to that same creature so moche he bereueth fro God therfore doth he synne For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth not to god al his det that is to saye al the loue of his hert Now sith maÌ„ vnderstandeth generally whiche is venyall syn then it is couenable to tell specyallye of synne which that many a maÌ„ peraduenture demeth hem no synnes shryueth hym not of the same thinges yet neuerthelesse they be synnes sothly as these clerkes write that is to saye At euery tyme that man eateth or drinketh more then suffiseth to y e sustenauÌ„ce of his body in certayne he doth synne also when he speaketh more then it nedeth it is sinne Also when he herkeneth not benignly the coÌ„playnt of the pore Also when he is in heale of body and wol not fast when other folkes faste withoute cause resonable also when he slepeth more then nedeth or when he cometh perchauÌ„ce to late to church or other werkes of charitie Also when he vseth his wyfe without souerayne desyre of engeÌ„drure to the honour of god or for the entent to yelde to his wyfe dette of his body Also when he wol not vysit the sycke or the prisoner yf he maye Also yf he loue wyfe or child or other wordly thyng more then reason requyreth Also yf he flatter or blandyse more then him ought for any necessitye Also yf he minish or withdrawe y e almesse of the pore Also if he apparel his meat more deliciously then nede is or eate to hastelye by lycorousnes Also yf he talke vanityes at churche or at gods seruise or that he be a talker of ydle wordes of foly or vylanye for he shal yelde accomptes of it at the daye of dome Also when he behyghteth or assureth to do thynges that he may not performe Also when y t he by lyghtnesse or folye myssayeth or scorneth his neighbour Also when he hath any wicked susspection of any thynge that he ne wot of sothfastnesse These thinges and mo without noÌ„bre be synnes as sayth s Austyn Now shal men vnderstande that albeit so y t none erthly man maye eschue al venyal synnes yet maye he refrayne hym by the brennyng loue y t he hath to our lord Iesu chryst and by prayers and confession other good werkes so that it shal be but lytle grefe For as saeth s Austin Yf a man loue god insuch maner that al that euer he doth is the loue of god or for y e loue of god verely for he breÌ„neth in the loue of god loke how moch that one droppe of water whiche doth fal into a great furneys ful of fyre anoyeth or greueth the brennyng of the fyre in lyke maner anoyeth or greueth a venyall syn vnto that maÌ„ which is stedfast and perfyte in the loue of our sauyour Iesu Chryst Ferthermore meÌ„ maye also refrayne and put awaye venyall syn by commenyng and receyuing worthely the body of our sauyour Iesu Chryst Also by takynge of holy water by almesdede by general confessyon of Confiâ—â—or at masse and at complyn by blessynges of byshops and prestes and other good werkes ¶ De septem peccatis mortalibus et de eorum dependentus circumstantis et speciebus HOw is it expedieÌ„t to tel which bene the seuen deedly synnes that is to saye the chefetayns of synnes All they renne in o lees but in dyuers maners Now bene they called seuen Cenes for as moch as they be chefe sprynge of al other synnes Of the roote of these seuen synnes then is pryde the general rote of al harmes For of this rote spryngeth certen brauÌ„ches as yre enuy accidie or slouth auarice or couetyse to coÌ„meÌ„ vnderstanding glotony and lechery And eche of these chefe synnes haue her braunches and twigges as it shal be declared in her chapiters folowynge And though so be y t noman can vtterly tel the noÌ„bre of twigges and of the harmes that com of pryde Yet wol I shew a parte of hem as ye shall vnderstonde There is Inobedience auauntyng ypocrisy dispite errogance impedence swellyng of hert insolence elation impacience strife contumacy presumption irreuerence pertinacy veyne glory and many other twygges that I can not declare Inobedience is he that disobeyeth for dispyte the commaundementes of God to his souerains and to his gostly father Auaunter is he that bosteth of the harme or of the bouÌ„te that he hath done Ipocrite is he that bedeth to shewe hym such as he is and sheweth hym to seme such as he is not Dispitous is he that hath disdayne of hys neighbour that is to saye of hys euyn christen or hath dispite to do that hym ought to do Errogance is he that thynketh y t he hath those bouâ—â—es in hym that he hath not or weneth that he shulde haue hem by hys desertes or els that he demeth he is that he is not Impedent is he y t for hys pride hath no shame of hys pride ne synne Swellyng of hert is whan man reioyseth hym of harme that he hath done Insolence is he that dispiceth in his iudgement all other folke as
wel ê™ Pandare as I haue tolde you thrie Let be your nyee shame and your folye And speke with him in eysyng of his herte Let nycete not do you both smerte But theron was to heauen and to done Consydryng althyng it may nat be And why for shame and it were eke to sone To graunten him so great a liberte For playnly her entent as sayd she was for to loue hym vnwyst yf she myght And guerdon him w t nothiÌ„g but with syght But Pandare thought it shall not be so If that I may thys nyce opinyon Shal not ben holden fully yeres two what shuld I make of thys a long sermon He muste assent on that conclusion As for the tyme and whan that it was eue And al was wel he rose and toke hys leue And on his way faste homwarde he sped And ryght for ioye he felt his herte daunce And Troylus he founde alone abed That lay as done these louers in a traunce Betwixen hope and derke disesperaunce But Pandare ryght at hys in comyng He song as who saith lo somwhat I bring And sayd who is in his bed so sone yburyed thus it am I frende ê™ he who Troylus nay helpe me so the moone ê™ Pandarus thou shalt vp ryse and se A charme that was sent ryght nowe to the The which can healen the of thyne axesse If thou do forthwith al thy besynesse Ye through the myght of god ê™ Troylus And Pandarrus gan him the lettre take And sayde parde god hath holpen vs Haue here a lyght and loke on al these blake But ofte gan the hert glade and quake Of Troylus whyle he it gan to rede So as the wordes yaue him hope or drede But finally he toke al for the beste That she him wrote for somwhat he beheld on which he thought he might hys hert rest Al couered she the wordes vnder shelde Thus to the more worthy parte he helde That what for hope PaÌ„darus beheste His great wo foryede he at the leste But as we may al day our seluen se Through wood or coole the more fyre Ryght so encrease of hoope of what it be Therwyth he full ofte encreaseth eke desyre Or as an oke cometh of a lytle spyre so through this lettre whiche y t she him sent Encreasen gan desyre of which he brent wherfore I say alway that day nyght This Troylus gan to desyren more Than he dyd erste through hoope did his myght To preasoÌ„ on as by PaÌ„darus lore And writen to her of his sorowes sore Fro day to day he lete it nought refreyde That by PaÌ„dare he somwhat wrote or seid And dyd also his other obseruaunces That tyll a louer longeth in thys caas And after that his dyce turned on chaunces So was he eyther glad or sayd alas And helde after hys gestes aye his paas And after such answers as he had So were his dayes sory eyther glad But to PaÌ„dare was alwaye his recours And pytously gan aye on him to playne And him besought of rede some socours And PaÌ„darus that saw his wode payne wert wel nygh deed for routh soth to sayne And besyly with al his herte caste Some of his wo to sleen and that as faste And sayd Lorde frende brother dere God wote that thy disease doth me wo But wylt thou stynten al this woful chere And by my trouth er it be dayes two And god to forne yet shal I shape it so That thou shalt come in to a certayne place Ther as y u maist thy selfe prayen for grace And certaynly I not yf thou it woste But they that bene experte in loue it say It is one of the thynges forthereth moste A man to haue a leyser for to pray And syker place his wo for to bewray for in good hert it mote some routh impresse To here and se the gyltlesse in distresse ParaueÌ„ture thinkest thou though it be so That kinde wolde her done for to begynne To haue a maner routh vpon my wo Sayth dauÌ„ger nay y u shalt me neuer winne So ruleth her hertes goste within That though she bende yet she stont on rote what in effecte is thys vnto my bote Thinke here ayen whan that the sturdy oke On which men hacketh ofte for the nones Receyued hath the happy fallyng stroke The great sweyght doth it come all at ones As done these rockes or these mylne stones for swyfter course cometh thiÌ„g y t is of wight whan it discendeth than done thinges light But rede that boweth down for euery blast Ful lyghtly cesse wynde it wol aryse But so nyl not an oke whan it is cast It nedeth me nought longe the forbyse Men shal reioysen of a great empryse Atcheued wel and stant withouten dout Al haue men ben the lenger there about But Troylus nowe tell me yf the lest A thyng which that I shal asken the which is thy brother that thou louest best â–ª As in thy very hertes preuyte I wys my brother Diephebus tho ê™ he Now ê™ PaÌ„dare er houres twyse twelue He shal the case vnwyst of it him selue Nowe let me alone and worken as I maye Quod he and to Deiphebus went he tho which had his lord great frende bene aye Saue Troylus no man he loued so To tel in shorte without wordes mo Quod Pandarus I pray you that ye be Frende to a cause which that toucheth me Yes parde ê™ Deiphebus wel thou wost Al that euer I may and god to fore Al nere it but for the man I loue moste My brother Troylus but say wherfore It is for syth the day that I was bore I nas ne neuer mo to bene I thynke Ayenst a thyng that myght the forthynke PaÌ„dare gan him thanke and to him seyd Lo sir I haue a lady in thys towne That is my nece and called is Creseyd which some men wolde done oppressioun And wrongfully haue her possessioun wherfore I of your lordshyp you beseche To bene our frende withouten more speche Deiphebus hym answerde O is not thys That thou speakest of to me thus strauÌ„gely Creseyde my frende He sayd hym yes Then nedeth ê™ Deiphebus hardely Nomore of this to speke for trusteth wel y t I woll be her champion wyth spore and yerde I ne rought not though al her foes it herde But tel me howe for thou wost thys matere I myght best auaylen nowe let se Quod Pandarus yf ye my lorde so dere wolden â—s now do thys honour to me To prayen her to morowe lo that she Came vnto you her playntes to deuyse Her aduersaryes wolde of it agryse And yf I more durst praye as nowe And chargen you to haue so great trauayle To haue some of your brethreÌ„ here with you That myghten to her cause bet auayle Then wote I well she myght neuer fayle For to ben holpen what at your instaunce what wyth her other frendes gouernaunce Deiphebus whych y t comen was of kynde To all
liber secundus O Blysfull lyght of which the bemes clere Adorneth all the thyrde heuen fayre O sonnes lese o Ioues doughter dere Pleasaunce of loue o goodly debonayre In gentyll hertes aye redy to repayre O very cause of heale and of gladnesse Yheryed be thy myght and thy goodnesse In heauen and hell in erthe and salte see Is felte thy myght yf that I well dyscerne As man beest fyshe herbe and grene tree The fele in tymes wyth vapour eterne God loueth and to loue woll naught werne And in thys worlde no lyues creature wythouten loue is worth or maye endure Ye Ioues fyrst to thylke affectes glade Through whych that thynges lyuen al be CoÌ„menden and amorous hem made On mortall thynge and as you lyst aye ye Yeue hem in loue ease or aduersyte And in a thousand formes downe hym sente For loue in erth whom you lyste he hente Ye fyrce Marce apeasen of hys yre And as you lyst ye maken hertes dygne Algates hem that ye woll set afyre They dreden shame and vyces they resygne Ye done hem curteys be freshe benigne And hye or lowe after a wyght entendeth The ioyes y t he hath your myght it sendeth Ye holden reygne and house in vnite Ye soth fast cause of frendshyp ben also Ye knewen all thylke couered qualyte Of thynges whych that folke wondren so when they can not construe howe it may go She loueth hym or why he loueth here As why this fyshe not that cometh to were Ye folke a lawe haue set in vniuerse And thys knowe I by hem that louers be That who so stryueth w t you hath y e werse Nowe lady bryght for thy benignite At reuerence of hem that seruen the whose clerke I am so techeth me deuyse Some ioye of that is felt in thy seruyce Yea in my naked herte sentement I hylde and do me shewe of thy swetnesse Calâ—ope thy voyce be nowe present For â—â—we is nede seest thou not my dystresse Howe I mote tell anone ryght the gladnesse Of Troylus to Venus heriynge To whych who nede hath god hym brynge ¶ Incipit liber tertius LAy all thys meane whyle Troylus Recordynge hys lesson in thys manere Mafey thought he thus wol I say and thus Thus woll I playne vnto my lady dere That worde is good thys shal be my chere Thys nyll I not foryeten in no wyse God lene hym werken as he can deuyse And lorde so that hys herte gan to quappe Herynge her come and shorte for to syke And Pandarus that ledde her by the lappe Came nere and gan in at the curteyn pyke And sayd god do bote on all syke Se who is here you comen to vysyte Lo here is she that is your death to wyte Therwyth it semed as he wepte almoste A a quod Troylus so routhfully where me be wo o myghty god thou woste who is all there I se not truly Syr ê™ Creseyde it is Pandare and I Ye swete herte alas I maye not ryse To knele and do you honoure in some wyse And dressed hym vpwarde she ryght tho Gan both her hondes softe vpon hym ley O for the loue of god do ye not so To me quod she ey what is thys to sey Syr comen am I to you for causes twey Fyrst you to thanke and of your lordshyp eke Continuaunce I wolde you beseke Thys Troylus that herde hys lady praye Of lordship him woxe neither quicke ne deed Ne myght o worde for shame to it saye All though men shulden smyten of hys heed But lorde so he woxe sodeynlyche reed And syr hys lesson that he wende conne To prayen her is through hys wyt yronne Creseyde all thys aspyed well ynough For she was wyse loued hym neuer y t lasse All nere he in all aperte or made it tough Or was to bolde to synge a foole a masse But when hys shame gan somwhat to passe hys resons as I may my rymes holde I woll you tell as techen bokes olde In chauÌ„ged voyce ryght for hys very drede whych voyce eke quoke therto hys manere Goodly abasht and nowe hys hewes rede Nowe pale vnto Creseyde hys lady dere wyth loke downe cast humble iyoldeÌ„ chere Lo the alderfyrst worde that hym after was twyse mercy mercy swete herte And stynt a while wheÌ„ he might out bring The next worde was god wote for I haue As faythfully as I haue had konnynge Ben yours all god so my soule saue And shal tyl that I wofull wyght be graue And though I dare ne can vnto you playne Iwys I suffre not the lasse payne Thus moch as nowe ah womaÌ„lyche wyfe I maye out brynge and yf thys you dysplese That shall I wreke vpon myne owne lyfe Ryght sone I trowe and do your hert an ese Yf wyth my death your herte maye apese But sens that ye han herde me somwhat sey Nowe retche I neuer howe sone that I dey Therwyth hys manly sorowe to beholde It myght haue made an hert of stone to rew And Pandare wept as he to water wolde And poked euer hys nece newe and new And sayd wo begon ben hertes trewe For loue of god make of thys thinge an ende Or slee vs both at ones er that ye wende I what ê™ she by God and by my trouth I not nat what ye wylne that I sey Ey what ê™ he that ye haue on hym routh For goddes loue and doth hym not to dey Nowe then thus ê™ she I wolde hym prey To tell me the fyne of hys entente Yet wyst I neuer well what that he mente what that I meane O swete herte dere Quod Troylus o goodly freshe free That wyth the stremes of your eyen clere Ye wolden somtyme frendly on me se And then agreen that I may ben he wythouten braunche of vyce on any wyse In trouth alwaye to do you my seruyse As to my lady ryght and chefe resorte wyth all my wytte and all my diligence And to haue ryght as you lyst comforte Vnder your yerde egall to myne offence As death yf that I breake your defence And that ye deygne me so moche honour Me to coÌ„maunden aught in any hour And I to ben your very humble trewe Secrete and in my paynes pacient And euer to desyren freshly newe To seruen and to ben aye ylike dilygent And with good herte al holy your talent Receyuen wel howe sore that me smerte Lo this meane I myne owne swete hert Quod Pandarus lo here an hard request And reasonable a lady for to warne Nowe nece myne by Natall Ioues feeste were I a god ye shulde sterue as yerne That heren wel this man wol nothyng yern But your honour sene him almost sterue And ben so lothe to suffre him you to serue wyth that she gan her eyen on him cast Full easely and full debonairly Auysyng her and hyed not to fast wyth neuer a worde but sayd hym softely Myn honour safe
is faylynge wythout deserte thylke fyrst mysse amendynge in correction of tho erroures and euen waye to brynge wyth comforte of welfare into amendement wexynge And in the thyrde ioye and blysse graunted to hym that well canne deserue it and hath sauour of vnderstandynge in the tyme of grace Thus in ioye of my thyrd boke shal the mater be tyl it ende But speciall cause I haue in my hert to make this processe of a Margarit peerle that is so precious a gēme with clere and lytel of which stones or iewel y e tōges of vs English people turneth y e right names clepeth hem Margery perles thus varieth our speche frō many other langages For trewly Latyn Frenche and many mo other langages cleapeth hem Margery perles the name Margarites or Margaryte perles wherfore in that denominacion I wol me acorde to other mēs tonges in that name clepyng These clerkes that treaten of kyndes studyen out the propertye there of thynges sayne the Margarit is a lytel whyte perle throughout holowe rounde and vertuous and on the see sydes in the more Britayne in muskel shelles of y e heauenly dewe the best ben engendred in which by experience ben founde thre fayre vertues One is it yeueth comforte to the felyng spirites in bodely persones of reason Another is good it is profytable helth ayenst passyons of sorye mēs hertes And the thyrd it is nedeful and noble in staunchyng of bloode there els to moche wolde out ren To whych perle and vertues me lyst to lyken at this tyme philosophie wyth her thre speces that is naturel and moral and resonable of whych thynges hereth what sayne these great clerkes Philosophye is knowyng of deuynly manly thinges ioyned wyth studye of good lyuyng and thys stante in two thynges that is connyng and opinion connynge is when a thynge by certaine reson is cōceyued But wretches and fooles and leude men many wyll conceyue a thynge and maynteyne it as forsoth though reson be in the contrarye wherfore connyng is a straūger Opinion is whyle a thynge is in none certayne and hydde from mens very knowlegynge and by no parfyte reson fully declared as thus yf the sonne be so moke◠as men wenen or els yf it be more then the erth For in sothnesse the certayne quantyte of that planet is vnknowen to erthly dwellers and yet by opinion of some men it is holden for more then mydle erthe The fyrst spece of philosophye is naturel whych in kyndely thynges treten and sheweth causes of heuen and strength of kyndely course as by arsmetryke geometry musyke by astronomye teacheth wayes and course of heuens of planetes and of sterres aboute heuen and erthe and other clemetes The seconde spece is morall which in order of lyuyng maners techeth and by reson proueth vertues of soule most worthy in our lyuyng whych ben prudence iustyce temperaunce and strength Prudence is goodlye wysedome in knowyng of thinges Strēgth voydeth al aduersitees alyche euen Temperaunce destroyeth beestial lyuyng wyth easy bearyng And iustyce ryghtfully iugeth and iugyng departeth to euery wyght that is his owne The thyrde spece turneth into reason of vnderstandynge al thynges to be said soth and dyscussed that in two thynges is deuyded one is art another is rethorike in which two al lawes of mans reason ben grounded or els mayntayned And for thys booke is all of loue and therafter beareth hys name and phylosophie and lawe muste here to acorden by theyr clergiall dyscripciōs as philosophie for loue of wysedome is declared Lawe for maynteynaunce of peace is holden and these with loue must nedes acordē therfore of hem in this place haue I touched Ordre of homly thynges honest maner of lyuyng in vertue with rightful iugemēt in causes profitable administracion in cōminaltyes of realmes cites by euenhed profitably to raigne not by synguler auaūtage ne by priue enuy ne by soleyn purpose in couetise of worship or of goodes ben dysposed in opē rule shewed by loue philosophy law yet loue toforne al other Wherfore as susterne in vnite they acordē one ende that is peace rest they causen noryshynge in the ioye maynteynen to endure Now then as I haue declared my boke acordeth with discripciō of thre thynges the Margarit in vertue is lykned to philosophie wyth her thre speces In whych maters euer twey ben acordaūt with bodely reason the thyrde with the soule But in cōclusion of my boke of thys Margarit peerle in knyttyng together lawe by thre sondry maners shal be lykened y t is to saye lawe ryght custome whych I wold declare all y t is lawe cometh of goddes ordynaūce by kyndly worchyng thylke thynges ordayned by mānes wyttes arne ycleped ryght which is ordained by many maners in constitucion wrytten but custome is a thynge that is accepted for ryghte or for lawe there as lawe and ryght faylen and there is no dyfferēce whether it come of scrypture or of reason Wherfore it sheweth that lawe is kyndly gouernaunce Ryght cometh out of mannes probable reason and custome is of cōmen vsage by length of tyme vsed and custome not wrytte is vsage and yf it be wrytte constitucion it is ywrytten and ycleped But lawe of kynde is cōmen to euery nation as coniunction of man and womā in loue succession of chyldren in heritaunce restitucyon of thynge by strength taken or lent and this lawe amōge al other halte the soueraynest gree in worshyp whych lawe began at the begynnynge of reasonable creature it varyed yet neuer for no chaungyng of tyme cause forfothe in ordaynynge of law was to constrayne mens hardynesse into peace and wythdrawyng his euell wyl turnynge malyce into goodnesse and that innocence sykerly withouten tenefull anoye amōge shrewes safely myght inhabyte by protection of safeconducte so that y e shrewes harme for harme by brydle of ferdenesse shulden restrayne But forsothe in kyndely lawe nothynge is cōmended but suche as goddes wil hath cōfyrmed ne nothyng denyed but cōtrarioustye of goddes wyl in heauen eke then all lawes or custome or els cōstitucion by vsage or wryting that cōtraryen lawe of kynde vtterly ben repugnaunt and aduersary to our goddes wyl of heuen Trewly lawe of kynde for goddes owne lusty wil is verely to mainteine vnder which lawe vnworthye both professe and reguler arne obediencer and bounden to this Margarite perle as by knotte of loues statutes and stablyshment in kynde whyche that goodlye may not ben wythsetten Lo vnder this bonde am I constrayned to abyde and man vnder lyuyng lawe ruled by that lawe oweth after desertes to be rewarded by payn or by mede but yf mercy weyue the payne so then be parte reasonfully maye be sey that mercy both ryght and lawe passeth th entent of al these maters is the lest clere vnderstandynge to wetē at th ende of this thyrde boke ful knowyng thorow goddes grace I thinke to make neuerthelater yet yf these thynges
warres made wher be they now bethinke wel in thy mood The day is gone the nyght is derke fade Hir cruelte whych made hem then glade They soroweÌ„ now yet haue nauÈt y e more The blode is shad whych no maÌ„ may restore The warre is mother of the wronges all It sleeth the preest in holy church at masse Forlyth the mayde doth her flour to fall The warre maketh the great cyte lasse And doth the lawe hys rules ouerpasse Ther is nothiÌ„g wherof myschefe may grow whych is not caused of the warre I trowe The warre bringeth in pouerte at hys heles wherof the coÌ„men people is sore greued The warre hath set his cart on thylk wheles where that fortune may not be beleued For when men wene best to haue acheued Full ofte it is all newe to begyn The warre hath nothyng syker tho he wyn For thy my worthy prince in Christes halue As for aparte whose faith thou hast be gyde Ley to this olde sore a newe salue And do the warre away what so betyde Purchace peace and set it by thy syde And suffre not thy people be deuoured So shal thy name euer after staÌ„de honoured Yf any man be nowe or euer was Ayen the peace thy preuy counsaylour Let god be of thy counsayle in thys caas And put away the cruel warryour For god whych is of man the creatour He wolde not men slough hys creature wythout cause of deedly forfayture where nedeth most behoueth most to lokâ— My lorde howe so thy warres be wythout Of tyme passed who that hede toke Good were at home to se ryght wel about For euermore the worst is for to doute But yf thou myghtest parfyte peace attayne There shulde be no cause for to playne About a kyng good counsayle is to preyse Aboue al other thynges moste vaylable But yet a kynge wythin hym selfe shal peyse And sene the thynges that be resonable And thervpon he shall hys wyttes stable Amonge the men to sette peace in euen For loue of hym whych is the kyng of heuen A well is hym that shedde neuer blode But yf it were in cause of ryghtwysenesse For yf a kyng the peryl vnderstode what is to slee the people then I gesse The deedly warres and the heuynesse wherof peace dystourbed is full ofte Shulde at some tyme cesse and wexe softe O kyng fulfylled of grace and knyghthode Remembre vpoÌ„ this poynt for Christes sake Yf peace be profered vnto thy manhode Thyne honour saue let it not be forsake Though y u the warres darste wel vndertake After reason yet temper thy courage For lyke to peace there is none auauntage My worthy lorde thynke well how so befall Of thylke lore as holy bokes sayne Christ is the heed and we be membres all As well the subiecte as the souerayne So syt it wel that charite be playne whych vnto god hym selfe moste accordeth So as the lore of Christes worde recordeth In tholde lawe or Christ him selfe was bore Amonge the .x. coÌ„maundementes I rede Howe that manslaughter shulde be forbore Suche was the wyl that tyme of y e godhede But afterward wheÌ„ Christ toke hys maÌ„hede Peace was the fyrst thynge he let do crye Ayenst the worldes rancour and enuy And or Christ went out of thys erth here And slyghed to heuen he made hys testameÌ„t where he bequath to hys dyscyples there And yaue hys peace which is the fouÌ„demeÌ„t Of charite wythout whose assent The worldes peace may neuer wel be tryed Ne loue kepte ne lawe iustifyed The iewes wyth y e paynyms hadden werre But they amoÌ„ge hem self stode euer in peace why shulde then our peace stande out of erre which christ hath those to his owne encrese For Christ is more then was Moses And Christ hath set the parfyte of the lawe The whych shuld in no wyse be wythdrawe To yeue vs peace was cause why christ dyde wythout peace may nothynge staÌ„de auayled But nowe a man may se on euery syde Howe Christes fayth is euery daye assayled wyth the paynems destroyed so batayled That for defaute of helpe and of defence Vnneth hath Christ hys due reuerence The ryght fayth to kepe of holy churche The fyrst poynt is named of knyghthode And euery man is holde for to wurche Vpon the poynt that stante to hys manhode But nowe alas the fame is spred so brode That euery man thys thynge complayneth And yet is there no maÌ„ that helpe ordayneth The worldes cause is wayted ouer all There be the warres redy to the full But Christes owne cause in speciall There ben the swerdes and the speres dull And wyth the sentence of the popes bul As for to done the folke payne obey The churche is turned all another wey It is wonder aboue any mannes wyt wout warre howe Christes fayth was won And we that be vpon thys erth yet Ne kepe it not as it was fyrst begon To euery creature vnder the sonne Christ badde hym selfe that we shulde preche And to the folke hys Euangely teche More lyght it is to kepe then to make But that we founden made to fore honde we kepe not but lette it lyghtly slake That peace of christ hath all to broke his boÌ„de we rest our selfe and suffren euery londe To slee eche other as thyng vndefended So stant the warre peace is not amended But though the heed of holy church aboue Ne do not al hys hole busynesse Amonge the people to set peace and loue These kynges oughten of her rightwysnesse Her owne cause amonge hem selfe redresse Tho Peters shyp as now hath loste his stere It lyeth in hem the barge for to stere Yf holy churche after the dewte Of Christes worde ne be not all auysed To make peace accorde and vnite Amonge the kynges that be nowe deuysed Yet natheles the lawe stante assysed Of mannes wytte to be so resonable wythout that to stande hym selfe stable Of holy church we ben chyldren all And euery chylde is holde for to bowe Vnto the mother howe that euer it fall Or els he muste reason dysalowe And for that cause a knyght shal first auowe The ryght of holy church to defende That no man shal the priuylege offende Thus were it good to sette al in euen The worldes princes and the prelates both For loue of hym which is the kynge of heuen And yf men shuld algate waxen wrothe The Sarazins whych vnto Christ ben loth Let men be armed ayenst hem to fyght So may the knyght hys dede of armes right VpoÌ„ thre pointes staÌ„t Christes peace oppressed Fyrst holy church in her selfe deuyded whych ought of reason fyrst to be redressed But yet so hygh a cause is not desyded And thus when humble pacience is pryded The remnaunt whych that they shulde rule No wonder is though it stande out of rule Of that the heed is syck the lymmes aken These reignes that to Christes peace beloÌ„geÌ„ For worldes good these deedly warres makeÌ„ whych helplesse as in
folowynge be workes by them selfe THe dreme of Chaucher F. cc.lxvij The assemble of foules F. cc.lxxiij The flour of Curtesy F. cc.lxxviij Howe Pyte is deed and beryed in a gentyll herte Fol. cc.lxxix La belle dame sans mercy Fol. cc.lxxx Annelyda and false Arcyte Fol. cc.lxxxvi The assemble of Ladyes Fol. eodem The cōclusion of thastrolaby Fol. cc.xci The cōplaynt of the blacke knight Fol. ccc A preyse of women Fol. ccc.iiij ¶ The house of Fame is deuyded in to thre bookes ¶ The fyrst boke begynneth Fol. ccc.v. The seconde boke begynneth Fol. ccc.viii The thyrde boke begynneth Fol. ccc.xi ¶ Explicit the house of Fame ¶ The Testament of Loue is deuyded in to thre bokes ¶ The fyrst boke begynneth Fol. ccc.xv The seconde boke begynneth Fol. ccc.xxv The thyrde boke begynneth Fol. ccc.xlj ¶ All these workes folowynge be workes by them selfe THe lamentacyon of Marye Magdalayne Fol. ccc.l The remedy of Loue Fol. ccc.lv The cōplaynt of Mars venus fol. ccc.lviij The complaynt of Mars alone Fol. ccc.lix The complaynt of Venus alone Fol. ccc.lx. The letter of Cupyde Fol. ccc.lx. A balade of our lady Fol. ccc.lxiij A balade of kyng H. the fourth Fol. ccc.lxiiij Of y e cuckowe y e nyghtingale Fol. ccc.lxvij Scogan vnto the yonge lordes and gentylmen of the kynges house Fol. ccc.lxix Dyuers other balades of Chaucer c. ¶ Thus endeth the table of all the workes ¶ Eyght goodly questions with theyr aunsweres SOmtyme in Grece that noble region There were eightclerkes of grete science Philosophers of notable discretion Of whom was asked to proue theyr prudence Eyght questions of derke intellygence To whiche they answered after theyr entent As here dothe appere playne and euydent ¶ The fyrst questyon what erthly thyng Is best and to god moost commendable The first clerke answered without tarying A mannes soule euer ferme and stable In ryght from trouthe nat varyable But nowe alas full sore may we wepe For couetyse hath brought trouthe a slepe ¶ The seconde what thing is moost odious A double man sayd the philosophre wyth a virgyn face and a tayle venomous wyth a fayre vieu and a false profre A corrupte caryen in a golden tree It is a monster in natures lynage One man to haue a double vysage ¶ The thyrde what is the best dower That maye be to a wyfe appropriate A clene lyfe was the cleckes aunswer wythout synne chast and inuyolate From all disceytes and speches inoruate Or countenaunce whyche shall be to dispyse No fyre make and no smoke woll aryse ¶ The fourth questyon what maydē may Be called clene in chastyte The fourth clerke answerd whiche alway Euery creature is a shamed on to lye Of whom euery man reporteth gret honeste Good maydens kepe your chastyte forthe And remēbre that good name is gold worth ¶ Who is a poore man euer full of wo A couetouse man whyche is a nygon He that in his herte can neuer saye ho The more good the lesse distributyon The richer the worse of condityon Men in this cost clepen him a nygarde Sir Guy the bribour is hys stewarde ¶ Whiche is a ryche man withouten fraude He that can to hys good suffyse what soeuer he hath he yeueth god the lande And kepeth hym clene from all couetyse He desyreth nothyng in vngoodly wyse His body is here hys mynde is aboue He is a ryche man for god dothe hym loue ¶ Who is a foole is the seuenth demaunde He that wolde hurte and hath no powere Myght he mykell moche wolde he cōmaūde His malyce great his myght nought were He thretteth full faste full lytell may he dere Thynketh nat howe men haue sayd beforne God sendeth a shrewde cowe a shorte horne ¶ Who is a wyse man is the eyght question He that myght noye and dothe no noyaūce Myght punyshe and leaueth punyssyon A man mercyfull without vengeaunce A wyse man putteth in remembraunce Sayeng had I venged all myne harme My cloke had nat be furred halfe so warme ¶ Explicit ¶ To the kynges most noble grace and to the lordes and knyghtes of the garter TO you wele of honour and of worthynesse Our Christen kyng the heire and successour Vnto Iustinians deuout tendernesse In faythe of Iesu our redemptour And to you lordes of the garter floure Of cheualry as men you clepe and cal The lorde of vertue and of grace authour Graunt the frute of your rose neuer appal O liege lorde that haue eke the lykenesse Of Constantyne thensample and myrrour To princes all in humble buxumnesse To holy churche o veray sustaynour And pyller of our fayth and werryour Agayne the heresyes bytter galle Do forthe do forthe contynue your socour Holde vp Christes baner lette it nat falle This yle or this had ben but hethnesse Nad be of your fayth the force and vigour And yet this day the fendes crabbydnesse weueth fully to catche a tyme and hour To haue on vs your lieges a sharpe shoure And to hys seruytude vs knytte and thralle But aye we trust in you our protectour On your constaunce we awayten alle Cōmaundeth that no wight haue hardinesse O worthy kyng our Christen Emperour Of the fayth to dispute more or lesse Openly amonge people Her errour Spryngeth all day and engendreth rumour Maketh such lawe and for ought may befal Obserue it wele there to be ye dettour Doth so and god in glorye shall you stall Ye lordes eke shynyng in noble fame To whiche appropred is the mayntenaunce Of Christes cause in honour of hys name Shoue on and put his foes to vttraunce God wolde so so wolde eke your legiaunce To tho two prycketh you your duite who so nat kepeth this double obseruaunce Of meryte and honour naked is he Your style sayth ye be foes to shame Nowe kyth of your fayth the perseueraunce In whiche an hepe of vs be halte and lame Our christen kyng of Englande of Fraūce And ye my lordes wyth your alyaunce And other faythfull people that there be Trust I to god shal quench al this noysaūce And this lande sette in hyghe prosperite Conquest of hyghe prowesse is for to tame The wylde woodnesse of these myscreaunce Ryght to the rote repe ye that same Slepe nat this but for goddes plesaunce And hys mother and in sygnifyaunce That ye ben of saynt Georges lyuere Doth hym seruyce and knyghtly obeysaunce For Christes cause is hys well knowen ye Stiffe stand in that ye shal greue grame The foe to peace the norice of distaunce That nowe is ernest tourne it in to game Nowe kythe of your beleue the constaunce Lorde liege lordes haue remembraunce Lorde of all is the blysfull Trinyte Of whose vertue the mighty habundaunce You herte and strength in faythfull vnyte ¶ Explicit WHan faythe fayleth in preestes sawes And lordes hestes are holden for lawes And robbery is holden purchace And lechery is holden solace Than shall the londe of Albyon Be brought to great confusyon It falleth for euery
haue be steered to venge you and make werre Right so without her counsayle shall ye not accorde you ne haue peace with your aduersaries For the lawe sayth There is nothyng so good by waye of kynde as a thyng to be vnbounde by him that it was ybounde Than dame Prudence wythout delay or taryenge sent anone her messanger for her kynsfolke and her olde frendes whyche that were trewe and wise and told hem by order in the presence of Melibe al the mater as it is aboue expressed and declared And prayed hem that they wolde saye theyr aduyse and counsayle what best were to do in this nede And whan Melibeus frendes had taken her aduyse and delyberacion of the forsayd mater and had examyned it by great busynesse and dilygence They yaue ful counsaile for to haue peace and rest and that Melibee shulde receyue wyth good hert hys aduersaris to foryeuenesse and mercy And whan dame Prudence had herd thassent of her lorde Melibee and the counsayle of hys frendes accorde with her wyl and her entencion she was wondersly gladde in her hert and sayde There is an olde prouerbe sayd she That y e goodnesse that thou maist do this day do it and abyde it nat ne delay it nat tyl the next daye And therfore I counsayle that ye sende your messengers suche as be discrete and wyse vnto your aduersaries tellyng hem on your behalf that yf they wol treat of peace and accorde that they shape heÌ„ wyth out delay or taryeng to come vnto vs whyche thyng performed was in dede And whan these trespasours and repentyng folke of her folies that is to say the aduersaries of Melibeus had herde what these messangers sayd vnto hem they were ryght gladde and ioyful and answered ful mekely and benygnely yeldyng grace and thankes to her lorde Melibeâ— and to al hys companye and shope hem without delaye to go wyth the messangers and obeyed to the commaundement of her lorde Melibeus And ryght anone they toke her way to the courte of Melibe toke with hem some of their true freÌ„des to make faythe for hem for to be her borowes And whaÌ„ they were comen to the presence of Melibee he sayd to hem these wordes It stondeth thus sayde Melibee and soth it is that causelesse without skyl and reson ye haue done great iniuries and wronges to me and my wyfe Prudence and to my doughter also for ye haue entred in to my house by violence and haue done suche outrage that all men knowe wel that ye haue deserued dethe And therfore woll I knowe and wete of you whether ye woll put the punishynge and the chastylyng and the vengeaunce of thys outrage in the wyl of me and of my wyfe or ye wol not Than the wysest of hem thre answerd for hem al and sayd Sir sayd he we know wel that we ben vnworthy to come to the courte of so great a lorde and so worthy as ye be for we haue so gretly mistaken vs and haue offended and agylted in such wyse agayn your hygh lordshyp that truely we haile deserued the dethe but yet for the great goodnesse and debonairte that al the worlde wytnesseth of your person we submytte vs to y e excelleÌ„cye and benygnytye of your gracious lordeshyp and ben redy to obey to al your commaundementes besechynge you that of your merâ—iable pyte ye wel consyder oure great repentaunce and lowe submyssyon and graunt vs foryeuenesse of our outragyous trespace and offence For wel we knowe that your liberal grace and mercye stretcheth ferther in to the goodnesse than don oure outragious gyltes and trespaces in to the wyckednesse Al be it that cursedly and damnably we haue agilted agaynst your hygh lordshyp THan Melibee tooke hem vp fro the grounde ful benygnely and receyued her oblygacions and her bondes by her othes vpon her pledges and borowes and assyned hem a certayne day to retourne vnto hys courte for to receyue and accept the sentence and iugement that Melibeus wolde coÌ„maunde to be don on hem by the causes aforsayd which thynges ordayned euery man returned to hys house And whan dame PrudeÌ„ce sawe her tyme she fayned and asked her lorde Melibe what vengeaunce he thought to take on hys aduersaries To whyche Melibe answerde and sayde â–ª Certes sayde he I thynke and purpose me fully to disherit theÌ„ of al that euer they haue and for to putte them in exile for euer Certes sayd dame Prudence thys were a cruel sentence and moche ayenst reason For ye be rich ynough and haue no nede of other mennes riches And ye might lyghtly in this wyse gete you a couetous name whiche is a vicious thyng and ought be eschewed of euery good man For after the sayeng of the apostel Couetise is rote of al harmes And therfore it wer better to you to lese so moch good of your owne than for to take of theyr good in thys maner For better it is to lese good with worship than to wyn good with vilanye and shame And euerye man ought to do his dilygence and his busynesse to gette him a good name And yet shal he not onely busy him in kepyng hys good name but he shal al so enforce hym alwaye to do some thynge by whiche he may renewe hys good name For it is writteÌ„ that the old good lose of a maÌ„ or good name is soone gone and past whan it is not renewed And as touchynge that ye say that ye wol exile your aduersaries that thynketh me moche ayenst reason and out of measure consydringe the power that they haue yeue you vpon them selfe And it is wrytten that he is worthy to lese hys pryuilege that mysuseth y e might and power that is gyuen hym And I sette case ye might enioyne hem y t payne by right lawe whiche I trowe ye maye nat do I saye ye myghte not put it to execution for parauenture than it were lyke to tourne to y e werre as it was before And therfore yf ye woll that men do you obeysaunce ye muste demean you more curteisly that is to saye ye muste yeue more easy sentences and iugement For it is wrytten he that most curteisly commaundeth to hym men moost obey And therfore I praye you that in thys necessyte and in thys nede ye caste you to ouercome youre hert For as Senet sayth he that ouercometh hys herte ouercometh twise And Tully sayth there is nothyng so commendable in a great lorde as whan he is debonaire and meke and apeseth hym lyghtly And I praye you that ye woll nowe forbere to do vengeaunce in suche a maner that youre good name maye be kepte and conserued and that men may haue cause and mater to prayse you of pyte and mercye and that ye haue no cause to repent you of thynge that is done For Senecke saythe he ouercometh in an yuel manere that repenteth hym of hys victorie Wherfore I praye you let mercy be in your hert to theffecte
heuen And certes tyll they done amendemeÌ„t â–ª right as god yaue hys blessing to Pharao by the seruice of Iacob to Laban by the seruice of Ioseph Ryght so god wol yeue hys curse to such lordshyps as sustayn the wyckednes of her seruauntes but they come to amendement Pride of the table appeareth also full ofte for certes ryche men ben called to festes and pore folke benâ— put awaye rebuked And also in excesse of diuers meates and drynkes namely such maner bake meates dishemetes brenning of wylde fyre peynted and castelled wâ—th paper and semblable waste so that it is â—â—usyon to thynke And also in to greate â—â—cyousnesse of vessell and curiosytye of mâ—â—stralcye the whyche a man is sterred moâ— to delyces of lecherye yf so be he sette hys herte the lesse vpon oure Lorde Iesu Chriâ—t certaynlye it is a synne And certaynlye the delyces myght be so greate in thys case that a man myghte lyghtlye fall by hem into a deadly synne The especes that sourde of pride sothly whan they sourde of malyce ymagined auysed and forecaste or els of vsage ven deedly syn it is no dout And whaÌ„ they sourde by freelte vnauysed sodenlye sodenlye wythdrawe ayene all be they greuouse synnes I gesse that they be nat deedly Now might meÌ„ aske wherof that pride sourdeth and springeth I saye that soÌ„tyme it spryngeth of the goodes of nature somtyme of the goodes of fortune and soÌ„tyme of the goodes of grace Certes the goodes of nature stondeth only in goodes of bodye or goodes of y e soule Certes goodes of the body bene heel of body strength deliuernes beautie gentry fraÌ„chise Goodes of nature of the soule ben good with sharpe vnderstaÌ„dyng subtel engin vertue naturel good memory Goodes of fortune be ryches hye degrees of lordships praysyngs of the people Goodes of grace bene science power to suffer spounell traueyle benigne vertuous coÌ„templation vnderstanding of temptation semblable thynges of whych forsayd goodes certes it is a full greate folye a man to haue pride in any of hem all Nowe as for to speke of goodes of nature God wot that somtyme we haue hem in nature asmoche to our damage as to our profyt As to speke of heel of body truly it passeth ful lyghtly also it is full oft occasion of sickenesse of the soule for God wot y e fleshe is a great enemy to the shule therfore the more that the bodyes hole the more be we in peril to fal Also for to haue pride in hys strength of body it is an hie foly for certes the fleshe coueteth ayenst the spirite the more stroÌ„g the fleshe is the sorier maye the soule be And ouer all this strength of body worldly hardinesse causeth ful oft many man to perell and mischaunce also to haue pride of his gentry is right great foly for oftyme the geÌ„try of y e body taketh awey the gentry of the soule also we ben al of o father mother all we ben of o nature rotten corrupt both rich pore Forsoth o maner geÌ„try is for to praise that aparelleth maÌ„nes courage wyt vertue moralite maketh him Christes chyld For trust well that ouer what maÌ„ that syn hath maystry he is a very churle to synne Nowe ben there general signes of geÌ„tlenes as esche wyng of vice ribaudry seruage of syâ—n worde in werke countenaunce vsyng of vertue curtesy clennes to be liberal that is to say large by measure for y t y t passeth measure is foly synne Another is to remembre hym of bouÌ„tie that he of other folke hath receiued Another is to be benigne to hys good subictes wherfore sayth Senecke there is nothyng more couenable to a maÌ„ of hygh estate than debonairte and pite And therfore these flyes that men call bees whan they make her kynge they chese one that hath no pricke wherwyth he may stynge Another is man to haue a noble hert a diligent to attayne to the hyghe vertuous thynges Nowe certes a man to haue pride in the goodes of grace is also an outragious foly for those gyftes of grace y t shulde haue tourned hym to goodnesse and to medycen tourneth hym to venym and confusion as fayth saynte Greg. Certes also who so hath pride in the goodnesse of fortune he is a ful greate fole For somtyme is a maÌ„ a great lorde by the morne that is a catyfe and a wretche or it be nyght and somtyme the ryches of a man is cause of his death Somtyme the delyces of a man is cause of a greuous melady throughe whyche he dyeth Certes the comendation of the people is somtyme full false and brotell for to trust Thys day they prayse to morow they blame God wot desyre to haue coÌ„mendation of the people hath caused death to manye a busye man Nowe syth that so it is that ye haue vnderstande what is pride and which be the speces of it and whence it sourdeth spryngeth nowe ye shall vnderstand which is the remedy ayenst it Humilytie or mekenesse is the remedye ayenst pride y t is a vertue through whyche a maÌ„ hath very knowledge of hym selfe and holdeth of hym selfe no price ne deyntie as in regarde of hys desertes consyderynge euer hys freelte Now bene there thre maner of humilytes As humylyte in herte another humylytye is in mouthe and the thyrde is in workes The humilytie in herte is in four maners That one is whan a manne holdeth hym selfe as nought worth before God of heuen The seconde is whan he dispiceth none other man The thyrde is whan he ne recketh nat though men holde hym nought worth And the fourth is whaÌ„ he is not sory of his humiliation Also the humilitie of mouth is in four thinges In a temperate speche in humilitie of spech whaÌ„ he coÌ„fesseth with his owne mouth that he is suche as him thynketh that he is in his hert Another is whaÌ„ he prayseth the bounte of another man nothyng therof minyssheth Humilitye also in werke is in foure maners The fyrste is whan he putteth other men before him y e second is to chese the lowest place ouer al the thyrde is gladly to assent to good couÌ„sayle the fourth in to stand gladly to the awarde of his souerains or of him that is in hier degre Certeyn this is gret werke of humilite ¶ De Inuidia AFter Pride woll I speke of the foule synne of Enuye whyche that is after the worde of the philosofer sorow of other mennes prosperitie And after the worde of saynt Augustin it is sorowe of other mennes wele the ioy of other meÌ„nes harme This foule synne is platly agaynste the holy ghost al be it so that euery synne is ayenst the holy gost yet nathles for asmoch as bounte apertayneth properly to the holy gost enuy cometh properly of malice therfore it is properlye ayenst the bountie of the holy gost Nowe hath malice
of the good workes that he hathe begonne Than cometh Magnifycence that is to saye whan a man dothe and parformeth great workes of goodnesse that he hath begon and that is th ende why that men shuld do good workes For in the accomplishyng of good workes lyeth the great guerdon ThaÌ„ is there Constance that is stablenesse of corage and thys shulde be in hert by stedfast faythe and in mouthe in beâ—ynge in chere and in dede Also there ben mo specyall remedyes ayenst accidie in dyuers workes as in coÌ„syderatyoÌ„ of y e paynes of hell the ioyes of heuen and in truste of the grace of the holy ghoost that wyll yeue hym myght to performe his good entent ¶ De Auaricia AFter Accidie woll I speke of Auarice and of couetyse Of whych syn saynt Poule sayth the rote of al harmes is couetyse ad Timoth. vi For sothly whan the hert of man is coÌ„founded in it selfe and troubled and that the soule hath lost the confort of god than seketh he an ydell solace of worldlye thynges Auarice after the discryption of saynt Augustyn is a lycorousnesse in hert to haue erthly thynges Some other folke saye that auaryce is for to purchace many erthely thynges nothynge to yeue to hem that haue nede And vnderstonde that auarice stoÌ„deth nat onely in londe ne catel but somtyme in scieÌ„ce and glorye in euerye maner of outragious thynges is Auaryce And couetyse is thys Couetyse is for to coueit suche thynges that thou hast nat And auarice is to with holde kepe suche thynges as thou haste wythout right Sothly this auarice is a synne that is ful daÌ„pnable for al holy writ curseth it speketh ayenst y e vice for it doth wrong to Iesu christ for it taketh fro him the loue that men to hym owe tourneth it backeward ayenst al reason and maketh that the auarycious man hath more hoope in hys catell than in Iesu Christ and dothe more obseruaunce in kepyng of hys treasour than he dothe in the seruyce of Iesu Christ And therfore saythe saynt Poule ad Ephesios quinto That an auarycious man is the thraldome of idolatrye What dyfference is there betwyxt an ydolaster and an auaricyous man But that an ydolaster perauenture ne hathe nat but a mawmet or two the auaricious man hath many For certes euery floreyn in hys coâ—re is his maumet And certes the synne of maumetry is the fyrste that God defended as in the .x. commauÌ„dements it beareth wytnesse in Exodi Capitu. xx Thou shalte haue no false goddes before me ne thou shalte make to the no graue thynge Thus is an auaricious man that loueth hys treasour before God an idolaster And through this cursed synne of Auyryce and Couetyse cometh these harde lordeshyppes through whyche they ben streyned by tyllages customes and cariages more than her duetye or reason is or elles take they of her bondmen amercyamentes whyche myght more resonablye be called extortions than mercyamentes Of whiche amerciamentes or raunsomynge of bondmen some lordes stewardes say that it is rightful for as moche as a churle hath no temporel thynge that it ne is his lordes as they saye But certes these lordshyppes do wrong that bereue theyr bondmen thynges that they neuer yaue hem Augustinus de Ciuitate dei Libro ix Sothe is that the conditioÌ„ of thraldom and the fyrst cause of thraldome was for synne Thus may ye se that th offence deserued thraldome but nat nature Wherfore these lordes ne shulde not moche glorifye hem in her lordeshyps sythe that they by natural coÌ„dycion ben not lordes ouer thralles but for that thraldome came fyrste by the deserte of synne And more ouer there as the law sayth that temporel goodes of bonde folke ben the goodes of her lorde ye that is for to vnderstonde the goodes of the Emperour to defende hem in her ryght but not to robbe hem ne reue hem Therfore saythe Seneca thy prudence shulde lyue benygnly with y e thralles Those that thou callest thy thralles ben goddes people and for humble people ben Christes frendes they ben contubernyall w t the lordes Thynke also that of suche sede as chorles sprynge of suche sede spryng lordes as wel may the chorle be saued as the lorde The same dethe that taketh the chorle suche dethe taketh the lorde Wherfore I rede do right so with the chorle as thou woldest that thy lorde dyd wyth the yf thou were in hys plyght Euery synful man is a chorle to syn I rede the lorde certes that thou werke in suche wyse with thy chorles that they rather loue the thaÌ„ drede the. I wote wel that there is degree aboue degree as reson is and skyll is that men do her deuoyre there as it is due But certes extorcions and dispyte of your vnderlynges is dampnable And ferthermore vnderstonde wel that these conquerours or tyrauntes make ful ofte thralles of hem that ben borne of as royal bloode as ben they that hem conquere This name of thraldom was neuer erst knowe tyl that Noe sayd that his sonne Canam shulde be thral to his brethern for hys synne What saye we than of heÌ„ that pyl and do extorcions to holy church Certes the swerde that men yeue fyrste to a knyght whan he is newe dubbed sygnyfyeth that he shulde defende holy churche and not robbe and pyl it and who so doth he is traytour to Chryst And as saythe saynt Austyn they ben the dyuels woulues that strangle the shepe of Iesu christ and done worse than woulues for sothely whan the woulfe hathe full hys wombe he stynteth to strangle shepe But sothlye the pyllours and dystroyers of holy church goodes ne do not so for they ne stynte neuer to pyll Nowe as I haue sayde sythe so is that synne was fyrste cause of thraldom than is it thus that at the tyme that all thys world was in synne thaÌ„ was al this worlde in thraldom and in subiection but certes syth the tyme of grace came god ordayned y t some folke shulde be more hye in estate and in degre and some folke more lowe and that eche shulde be serued in hys astate And therfore in some couÌ„treys there they be thralles whaÌ„ they haue turned hem to y e faythe they make her thralles free out of thraldome and therfore certes the lorde oweth to hys man that the man oweth to the lorde The pope calleth hym selfe seruaunte of the seruauntes of God but for as the estate of holy churche ne might not haue ben ne the comen profyte myght not haue be kept ne peace ne reste in erthe but yf god had ordayned that some maÌ„ had hier degree and some men lower Therfore was soueraynte ordayned to kepe mayntayne and defende her vnderlynges and her subiectes in reason as ferforth as it lyeth in her power and not to distroye ne confounde hem Wherfore I say that those lordes that ben lyke wolues that deuour the possessyons or the catel of poore folkes wrongfully with out
To worchen as he had what But he fynde neyther thys ne that Than may he begge tyll that he Haue getten hys necessyte Or yf hys wynnyng be so lyte That hys labour woll not acquyte Suffyciantly all hys lyuyng Yet may he go hys breed beggyng Fro doore to doore he may go trace Tyll he the remenaunt may purchace Or yf a man wolde vndertake Any emprise for to make In the rescous of our lay And it defenden as he may Be it with armes or lettrure Or other couenable cure If it be so he poore be Than may he begge tyll that he May fynde in trouthe for to swynke And get hym clothe meate and drynke Swynke he wyth hys hondes corporell And not wyth hondes espyrituell IN all this case and in semblables If that there ben mo resonables He may begge as I tell you here And els not in no manere As willyam seynt Amour wolde preche And ofte wolde dispute and teche Of thys mater all openly At Parys full solemply And also god my soule blesse As he had in thys stedfastnesse The accorde of the vniuersyte And of the people as semeth me NO good man ought it to refuse Ne ought hym therof to excuse Be wrothe or blythe who so be For I woll speke and tel it the All shulde I dye and be put doun As was seynt Poule in derke prisoun Or be exiled in thys caas wyth wronge as mayster william was That my mother Hypocrise Banysshed for her great enuye MY mother flemed hym Seynt Amour Thys noble dyd suche labour To susteyne euer the loyalte That he to moche agylte me He made a boke and let it write wheryn hys lyfe he dyd all write And wolde yche renyed beggyng And lyued by my traueylyng If I ne had rent ne other good what weneth he that I were wood For labour might me neuer plese I haue more wyll to ben at ese And haue well leuer sothe to saye Before the people pattre and pray And wrye me in my foxerye Vnder a cope of papelardie Q Vod Loue what dyuell is this that I here What wordes tellest y u me here What sir Falsnesse that apert is Than dredest thou not god No certis â–ª For selde in great thyng shall he spede In this worlde that god woll drede For folke that hem to vertue yeuen And truely on her owne lyuen And hem in goodnesse aye coutene On hem is lytell thrifte ysene Suche folke drinken great misese That lyfe may me neuer plese But se what golde han vsurers And syluer eke in garners Taylaâ—â—ers and these monyours Bayliffâ—s bedels prouost countours These lyuen well nygh by rauyne The smale people hym mote enclyne And they as wolues wol hem eten Vpon the poore folke they geten Full moche of that they spende or kepe Nys none of hem that he nyll strepe And wâ—yne hem selfe well at full wythout scaldyng they hem pull The stronge the feble ouergothe But I that weare my symple clothe Robbe bothe robbyng and robbours And gyle gylyng and gylours By my treget I gather and threst The great tresour in to my cheste That lyeth wyth me so faste bounde Myne hygh paleys do I founde And my delytes I fulfyll wyth wyne at feestes at my wyll And tables full of entremees I woll no lyfe but ease and pees And wynne golde to spende also For whan the great bagge is go It cometh ryght with my iapes Make I not well tomble myne apes To wynnen is alway myne entent My purchace is better than my rent For though I shulde beten be Ouer all I entremet me Without me may no wight dure I walke soules for to cure Of all the worlde cure haue I In brede and length boldly I woll bothe preche and eke counsaylen with hondes wyll I not trauaylen For of the Pope I haue the bull I ne holde not my wyttes dull I woll not stynten in my lyue These Emperours for to shriue Of kynges dukes and lordes grete But poore folke all quyte I lete I loue no suche shryuyng parde But it for other cause be I recke not of poore men Her astate is not worthe an hen Where fyndest thou a swynker of labor Haue me vnto hys confessour But Empresses and duchesses These quenes and eke countesses These abesses and eke bygyns These great ladyes palasyns These iolye knyghtes and bayliues These nonnes and these burgeys wyues That ryche ben and eke plesyng And these maydens welfaryng where so they clad or naked be Vncounsayled gothe there none fro me And for her soules sauete At lorde and lady and her meyne I aske whan they hem to me shriue The proprete of all her lyue And make hem trowe bothe moste and leest Her parysshe preest nys but a beest Ayens me and my company That shrewes ben as great as I For whyche I woll not hyde in holde No pryuite that me is tolde That I by worde or signe ywis Ne woll make hem knowe what it is And they wollen also tellen me They hele fro me no pryuite And for to make you hem perceyuen That vsen folke thus to disceyuen I woll you sayne withouten drede what menne maye in the Gospell rede Of saynt Mathue the gospelere That saythe as I shall you saye here VPon the chayre of Moyses Thus it is glosed doutlees That is the olde Testament For therby is the chayre ment Sytte Scribes and Pharysen That is to sayne the cursed men whyche that we hypocrites call Dothe that they preche I rede you all But dothe nat as they done a dele That bene nat wery to saye wele But to do well no wyll haue they And they wolde bynde on folke alwaye That bene to begyled able Burdons that ben importable On folkes shulders thynges they couchen That they nyll wyth her fyngers touchen And why woll they nat touche it why For hem ne lyste nat sykerly For sadde burdons that men taken Make folkes shulders aken And yf they do ought that good be That is for folke it shulde se Her burdons larger maken they And make her hemmes wyde alwaye And louen seates at the table The fyrste and most honorable And for to hanne the fyrste chayris In synagogges to hem full dere is And wyllen that folke hem loute and grete whan that they passen through the strete And wollen be cleped mayster also But they ne shulde nat wyllen so The gospell is there agaynst I gesse That sheweth well her wyckednesse ANother custome vse we Of hem that wol ayenst vs be we hate hiÌ„ deedly euerichone we wol werrey him as one Hym y e one hateth hate we al And coÌ„iecte how to done him fal And yf we sene hym wynne honour Rychesse or preyse through hys valour Prouende rente or dignyte Full faste ywis compassen we By what ladder he is clomben so And for to maken hym downe to go with trayson we woll hym defame And done hym lese hys good name Thus from hys ladder we hym
ye lyuen by my trouth And also thynke wel that this is no gaude For me were leuer thou I and he wer haÌ„ged than I shuld be his baude As hygh as men myght on vs all yse I am thyne Eme the shame were to me As well as the yf that I shulde assent Thrugh myne abet that he thyne honoure shent Now vnderstoÌ„d for I you nought requyre To bynde you to hym through no behest Saue only that ye make hym better chere Than ye han done er this more feest So that his lyfe saued at the leest This all and some and playnly our entent God helpe me so I neuer other ment Lo this request is nought but skyll iwys Ne dout of reson parde is there none I set the worst that ye dreden this Men wold woÌ„dre to sene hym come gone Therayenst answer I this anon That euery wight but he be foole of kynde wol deme it loue of freÌ„dship in his mynde what who woll demen though he se a man To temple gon that he the ymages eeteth Thynke eke howe wel and wysely y t he can Gouerne hym selfe y t he nothinge foryeteth That where he coÌ„meth he pris thoÌ„k hiÌ„ getteth And eke therto he shal com here so seld what force were it though all the towne be helde Such loue of frendes reigneth al this toun And wrye you in that mantell euermo And god so wys be my sauacion As I haue sayd your best is to do so But good nece alway to stynt his wo So let your daunger sugred ben alyte That of his death ye be nat all to wyte ¶ Creseyde which y t herd hym in this wyse Thought I shal feleÌ„ what he meneth iwis Now Eme ê™ she what wolde ye deuyse what is your rede I shulde done of this That is well sayd ê™ he certayne best is That ye hym loue ayen for his louyng As loue for loue is skylfull guerdonynge Thynke eke how elde wasteth euery houre In eche of you a parte of beautye And therfore er that age the deuoure Go loue for olde there woll no wyght of y e Let this prouerbe a lore vnto you be To late yware ê™ bautie whan it past And elde counteth daunger at the last The kynges foole is wont to crye loude whaÌ„ y t him thinketh a womaÌ„ bereth her hye So longe mote ye loue and all proude Tyll crowes feet growe vnder your eye And send you than a myrrour in to prye In which y t ye maye se your face a morowe Nece I byd wysh you nomore sorowe with this he stynt and cast downe the heed And she began to brest a wepe anon And sayd alas for wo why nere I deed For of this worlde the fayth is all agone Alas what shulden straunge to me done whan he that for my best frende I wende Rate me to laue and shulde it me defende Alas I wolde haue trusted doutlesse That yf that I thrugh my disaduenture Had loued eyther hym or Achilles Hector or any maner creature Ye nolde haue had no mercy ne measure On me but alwaye had me in repreue This false worlde alas who may it leue what is this all the ioye and all the feest Is this your rede is this my blysful caas Is this the very mede of your behest Is all this paynted processe sayd alas Ryght for this fyne O lady myne Pallas Thou in this dredefull case for me purueye For so astonyed am I that I dye with that she gan full sorowfully to syke Ne may it be no bet quod Pandarus By god I shal nomore come here this weke And god toforne that am mystrusted thus I se well nowe ye setten lyght of vs Or of our death alas I wofull wretche Myght he yet lyue of me were nought to retche O cruell god O dispytous Marte O suries thre of hell on you I crye So let me neuer out of this house departe Yf that I ment harme or vyllanye But syth I se my lorde mote nedes dye And I with hym here I me shryue and sey That wyckedly ye done vs both dey But syth it lyketh you that I be deed By Neptunus that god is of the see Fro this forth shall I neuer eten breed Tyll I myne owne hert bloude maye se For certayne I woll dye as sone as he And vp he stert on his waye he raught Tyll she agayne hym by the lappe caught Creseyde which y e welnygh starfe for feare So as she was the fearfullest wyght That might be and herde eke with her care And sawe the sorowful ernest of the knight And in his prayer sawe eke none vnryght And for the harme eke that might fall more She gan to rewe dred her wonder sore And thought this vnhappes fallen thycke All day for loue and in suche maner caas As men ben cruell in hem selfe and wicke And yf this man slee here hym selfe alaas In my presence it nyl be no solace what men wolde of it deme I can nat saye It nedeth me ful slyghly for to playe And with a sorowfull sygh she sayd thrye Ah lorde what me is tyd a sory chaunce For myne astate lyeth in a ieopardye And eke myne emes lyfe lyeth in balaunce But nathelesse with gods gouernaunce I shall so done myne honour shal I kepe And eke his lyfe and stynt for to wepe Of harmes two the lesse is for to chese Yet had I leuer maken hym good chere In honour than myne emes lyfe to lese Ye sayne ye nothyng els me requere No wys ê™ he myne owne nece dere Now wel ê™ she I wyll do my payne I shal myne hert ayen my lust constrayne But y t I nyll nat holden hym in honde Ne loue a man that can I nought ne maye Ayenst my wyll but els wol I fonde Myn honor saue pleseÌ„ him from day today Therto nolde I nat ones haue sayde naye But that I dred as in my fantasye But cesse cause aye cesseth maladye But here I make a protestation That in his processe yf ye deper go That certaynly for no sauacion Of you though that ye steruen both two Though all the worlde on a day be my so Ne shall I neuer on hym haue other routh I grauÌ„t wel ê™ Pandare by my trouth But maye I trust wel to you quod he That of this thyng y t ye han hyght me here Ye woll it holde truly vnto me yea doutlesse quod she myne vncle dere Ne that I shal haue cause in this matere Quod he to playne or ofter you to preche why no parde what nedeth more speche Tho fyll they in other tales glade Tyll at the last O good eme quod she tho For loue of god which that vs both made Tell me how fyrst ye wysten of his wo wot none of it but ye he sayd no Can he wel speke of loue ê™ she I prey Tel me for I the bet me shal puruey Tho Pandarus a lyte gan to smyle And sayd
estate and also his renowne His wyt his shap and eke his gentyllesse But most her fauour was for his distresse was al for her thought it were a routh To sleen suche one yf that he ment trouthe ¶ Now myght some enuyous iangle thus This was a sodayn loue how might it be That she so lyghtly loued Troylus Ryght for the fyrst syght yea parde Now whoso sayd so mote he neuer the For euery thynge a gynnyng hath it nede Er al be wrought withouten any drede For I saye nat that she so sodaynly Yafe hym her loue but that she gan enclyne To lyken hym tho I haue tolde you why And after that his manhod and his pyne Made that loue within her gan to myne For which by processe and by good seruyce He wan her loue and in no sodayne wyse And also blysfull Venus wele arayed Sat in her seuenth house of heuen tho Disposed wele and with aspectes payed To helpe sely Troylus of his wo And soth to sayne she nas nat al a fo To Troylus in his natiuitie God wote that wele the sooner sped he Now let vs stynt of Troylus a throwe That rydeth forth and let vs turne fast Vnto Creseyde y t henge her heed full lowe There as she sat alone and gan to cast wheron she wolde apoynt her at the last If it so were her Eme ne wolde cesse For Troylus vpon her for to presse And lorde so she gan in her thought argue In this matter of which I haue you tolde And what to don best wer what to eschue That plyted she full oft in many solde Now was her hert warme now was it cold And what she thought soÌ„what shal I write As myne autor lysteth for tendyte She thought fyrst that Troylus persone She knewe by syght eke his gentelnesse And thus she sayd al wer it nought to don To grauÌ„t him loue yet for his worthynes It wer honour with play with gladnesse In honestie with suche a lorde to dele For myne estate and also for his heale Eke wel wot I my kynges sonne is he And syth he hath to se me suche delyte Yf I wolde vtterlyche his syght flye Peraduenture he might haue me in despite Through which I miÈt stoÌ„d in worse plyte Now were I wyse me bate to purchace without nede there I may stonde in grace In euery thyng I wot there lyeth mesure For though a man forbyd dronkenesse He nought forbyddeth that euery creature Be dâ—â—nlesse for alwaye as I gesse Eke syth I wot for me is his distresse I ne ought nat for that thyng hym despyse Syth it is so he meaneth in good wyse And eke I knowe of longe tyme agone His thewes good and that he nys nat nyce No vauntour sayne men certayn he is non To wyse is he to done so great a vyce Ne al 's I nyl hym neuer so cherice That he shall make auaunt by iust cause He shall me neuer bynde in suche a clause Now set I case the hardest is iwys Men myght demen that he loueth me what dishonour were it vnto me this May iche him let of that why nay parde I knowe also and alwaye here and se Men louen women al this towne about Be they the werse â–ª why nay without dout I thynke eke how he worthy is to haue Of al this noble towne the thryftyest That woman is yf she her honour saue For out and out he is the worthyest Saue onely Hector which that is the best And yet his lyfe lyeth al nowe in my cure But suche is loue and eke myne auenture Ne me to loue a wondre is it nought For well wot I my selfe so god me spede All woll I that none wyst of this thought I am one the fayrest out of drede And goodlyest whoso that taketh hede And so men sayne in al the towne of Troye what woÌ„der is though he of me haue ioye I am myne owne woman well at ease I thanke it god as after myne estate Right yonge stond vntyed in lusty lese withouten ielousye and suche debate Shal no husbond sayne to me checke mate For eyther they ben full of ielousye Or masterfull or louen nouelry what shal I don to what fyne lyue I thus Shal I nat loue in case yf that me lest what pardieux I am not religious And though that I myne hert set at rest Vpon this knyght that is the worthyest And kepe alway myne honour my name By all ryght it may do me no shame But right as whan the son shyneth bright In Marche y t chaungeth oft tyme his face And that a cloude is put w t wynde to flight which ouersprat the sonne as for a space A cloudy thought gaÌ„ through her soul pace That ouersprad her bryght thoughtes all So that for feare almoost she gan to fall That thouÈt was this Alas syth I am fre Sulde I now loue and put in ieopardye My sykernesse and thrallen lybertye Alas how durst I thynken that follye May I not well in other folke aspye Her dredful ioy her constreynt her payne There loueth non that she ne hath waye to playne For loue is yet the most stormy lyfe Ryght of hym selfe that euer was begon For euer some mystrust or nyce stryfe There is in loue some cloude ouer the sun Therto we wretched womeÌ„ nothing coÌ„ whan vs is wo but wepe and syt thynke Our wrech is this our owne wo to drynke Also wycked tonges bene so prest To speke vs harme eke men be so vntrue That ryght anon as cessed is her lest So cesseth loue and forth to loue anewe But harme ydo is done whoso it rewe For thouÈ these meÌ„ for loue hem first to reÌ„de Full sharpe begynnyng breketh oft at ende How ofte tyme maye men rede and sene The treson that to women hath be do To what fyne is suche loue I can not sene Or where becommeth it whan it is go There is no wyght that wote I trowe so wher it becoÌ„meth lo no wiÈt on it sporneth That erst was nothynge into nought tourneth How besy yf I loue eke must I be To plesen hem that iangle of loue demen And coyen hem that they say no harm of me For though ther be no cause yet hem semen Al be for harme y t folke her frendes quemen And who may stoppen euery wycked tonge Or sowne of bels whyle y t they ben ronge And after that her thought gan for to clere And sayd he which y t nothyng vndertaketh Nothyng acheueth be hym loth or dere And w t an other though her hert quaketh ThaÌ„ slepeth hope and after drede awaketh Now hote now cold but thus betwixeÌ„ twey She rysle her vp and went her to pley Adowne the stayre anonryght tho she went Into her gardyn with her neces thre And vp and downe they madeÌ„ many a went Flexippe she Tarbe and Antigone To playen that it ioye was to se And other of her women a great
Troylus is lorne Iwys so wolde I and I wyste howe Ful fayne ê™ she alas that I was borne Yee nece wol ye pullen out the thorne That stycketh in his herte ê™ Pandare Say al foryeue and stynt is al thys fare Yea that to me quod she ful leuer were Than al the good the sunne aboute goth And there wythal she swore him in hys eere Iwys my dere herte I am not wrothe Haue here my trouth many an other othe Nowe speke to me for it am I Creseyde but all for naught yet might he nat abreyde Therw t his ponce paumes of his handes They gan to frote wete his teÌ„ples twayn And to deliuer hym fro bytter bandes She ofte hym kyste shortly for to sayne Him to rewaken she dyd al her payne And at the last he gan his breth to drawe And of his swoune sone after that adawe And gan bet mynde and reason to hym take But wonder sore he was abashed ywys And with a sygh whan he gan bet awake He said O mercy god what thing is this why do ye wyth your seluen thus amys Quod tho Creseyde is this a mans game what Troylus woll ye do thus for shame And therwtal her arme ouer hym she sayde And al foryaue and oft tyme him keste He thonked her and to her spake and sayde As fyl to purpose for his hertes reste And she to that answerde hym as her leste And with her goodly wordes hym disporte She gan and ofte hys sorowes to comfort Quod Pandarus for aught I can espyen This light nor I ne seruen here of naught Lyght is not good for sycke folkes eyen But for the loue of god sens ye ben brought w t thus good plyte let now non heuy thouÈt Ben hangyng in the herts of you twey And bare the candel to the chymeney Soone after this though it no nede were whan she suche othes as her lyste deuyse Had of him take her thought tho no feere Ne cause eke none to byd hym thence ryse Yet lesse thyng than othes may suffyse In many a case for euery wyght I gesse That loueth wel meaneth but gentyllesse But in effecte she wolde wete anon Of what man and eke where and why He ialous was sens there was cause non And eke the signe that he toke it by She bade him that to tel her besyly Or els certayne she bare hym on honde That thys was done of malyce her to fonde wythouten more shortly for to sayne He must obey vnto thys ladyes heest And for the lasse harme he must fayne He sayd her whan she was at such a feest She myght on him haue loked at the leest Not I nat what al dere ynough a ryshe As he that nedes must a cause fyshe And she answerde swete al were it so what harme was y t sens I non yuell meane For by that god that bought vs both two In al thynge is myne entent cleene Such argumentes ne be not worth a beene wol ye the chyldyshe ialous counterfete Nowe were it worthy that ye were ybete Tho Troylus gan soroufully to syke lest she be wroth hym thouÈt hys hert deyde And sayde alas vpon my sorowes syke Haue mercy swete herte myne Creseyde And yf that in tho wordes that I seyde Be any wronge I wol no more trespace Doth what you lyst I am al in your grace And she answerde of gylte mysericorde That is to sayne that I foryeue al thys And euermore on thys nyght you recorde And bethe wel ware ye do nomore amys Nay dere herte myne ê™ he ywys And now ê™ she that I haue you do smerte For yeue it me myne owne swete herte This Troylus with blisse of that supprised Put al in goddes hande as he that mente Nothyng but wel and sodaynly auysed He her in armes faste to hym hente And Pandarus with a ful good entente Layde him to slepe and sayde yf ye be wyse Sweueneth not now lest mo folke aryse what might or may the sely larke say whan the sperhauke hath him in his fote I can no more but of these ylke tway To whom thys tale sugre be or sote Though I tarye a yere somtyme I mote After myne auctour tellen her gladnesse As wel as I haue tolde her heuynesse Creseyde which that felte her thus ytake As writen clerkes in her bokes olde Ryght as an aspen leefe she gan to quake whan she hym felte her in hys armes folde But Troylus al hole of cares colde Gan thanken tho the blysful goddes seuen through soÌ„dry paines to bring folke to heueÌ„ This Troylus in armes gan her straine And sayd swete as euer mote I gone Now be ye caught here is but we twayne Nowe yeldeth you for other boote is none To that Creseyde answerde thus anone Ne had I er nowe my swete herte dere Ben yolde ywys I were nowe nat here O soth is sayd that healed for to be As of a feuer or other great sicknesse Men must drynken as we ofte se Ful bytter drynke and for to haue gladnesse Men drynken oft payne and great distresse I meane it here by as for thys auenture that through a paine hath fouÌ„de al his cure And nowe swetnesse semeth more swete That bytternesse assayed was byforne For out of wo in blysse nowe they flete None such they felten sens they were borne Nowe is thys bet than both two be lorne For loue of god take euery woman hede To werken thus yf it come to the nede Creseyde al quite from euery drede and tene As she that iust cause had him to tryste Made him such feest it ioye was to sene whan she his trouth and cleue entent wyst And as about a tre wyth many a twyste Bytrent and writhe the swete wodbynde Can eche of hem in armes other wynde And as the newe abashed nyghtyngale that stynteth fyrst whaÌ„ she beginnneth sing whan that she hereth any heerdes tale Or in the hedges any wyght steryng And after syker doth her voice out ryng Ryght so Creseyde whan her drede stent Opened her hert and tolde him her entent And right as he y t seeth hys deth yshapen And dyen mote in aught that he may gesse And sodaynly rescous doth him escapen And from his deth is brought in sykernesse For al this worlde in such present gladnesse was Troylus and hath his lady swete wyth worse happe god let vs neuer mete Her armes smal her streyght backe soft Her sydes longe fleshly smoth and whyte He gan to stroke good thrifte bade full oft Her snowysse throte her brestes round lite Thus in thys heuen he gan him to delyte And therwithal a thousande tymes her kyst That what to done for ioye vnneth he wyst Than sayd he thus O loue O charite Thy mother eke Citheria the swete That after thy selfe next heryed be she Venus I meane the wel wylly planete And next that I meneus I the grete For neuer man was to you
The play y e laughter meÌ„ were wont to fynd On her and eke her ioyes euerychone Ben fledde and thus lyeth Creseyde alone Aboute her eyen two a purpre rynge Bytrent in sothfast tokenynge of her payne That to beholde it was a deedly thynge For whych Pandare myght not restrayne The teeres from hys eyen for to rayne But nathelesse as he best myght he seyde From Troylus these wordes to Creseyde Lo nece I trowe ye han herde al howe The kynge wyth other lordes for the beste Hath made eschaunge of Antenor and you That cause is of thys sorowe thys vnrest But howe thys case doth Troylus moleste Thys may none earthly mannes tonge say For very wo hys wytte is all away For whych we haue so sorowed he and I That into lytell it had vs both slawe But through my counsayle thys daye fynaly He somwhat is fro wepynge wythdrawe And semeth me that he desyreth fawe wyth you to ben all nyght for to deuyse Remedye of thys yf there were any wyse This shorte playne theffect of my message As ferforth as my wytte can comprehende For ye that ben of turment in suche rage May to no longe prologe as nowe entende And hervpon ye maye answere hym sende And for the loue of God my nece dere So leaue thys wo or Troylus be here Great is my wo ê™ she and syghed sore As she that feleth deedly sharpe dystresse But yet to me hys sorowe is mokell more That loue hym bet then he hym selfe I gesse Alas for me hath he such heuynesse Can he for me so pytously complayne Iwys thys sorowe doubleth al my payne Greuous to me god wot is for to twynne Quod she but yet it harder is to me To sene that sorowe whych that he is inne For well wote I it wol my bane be And dye I wol in certayne tho quod she But byd hiÌ„ come er deth y t thus me threteth Driue out y t gost whych in myne hert beteth These wordes sayd she on her armes two Fyll gruffe and gan to wepen pytously Quod Pandarus alas why do ye so Sens ye well wote the tyme is fast by That he shall come aryse vp hastely That he you not bewopen thus ne fynde But ye wol haue him wode out of his minde For wyst he that ye farde in thys manere He wolde hym selfe flee and yf I wende To haue thys fare he shulde not come here For all the good that Priam maye dyspende For to what fyne he wolde anone pretende That knowe I well and for thy yet I sey So leaue this sorowe or plainly he wol dey And shapeth you hys sorowe for to abredge And not encrease lefe nece swete Beth rather to hym cause of plat then edge And w t some wysedom ye hys sorowes bete what helpeth it to wepen full a strete Or though ye both in salte teeres dreynte Bet is a tyme of cure aye then of pleynte I meane thus wheÌ„ I hym hether brynge Sens ye be wyse and both of one assent So shapeth howe to distourbe your goynge Or come ayen sone after ye be went women ben wyse in short auysement And let sene howe your wyt shall auayle And what that I may helpe it shal not fayle Go quod Creseyde and vncle truely I shall done all my myght me to restrayne From wepynge in hys syght and besely Hym for to glad I shall done all my payne And in my herte seken euery vayne Yf to thys sore there maye ben founden salue It shall not lacke certayne on myne halue Goth Pandarus and Troylus he sought Tyll in a temple he founde hym al alone As he that of hys lyfe no lenger rought But to the pytouse goddes euerychone Full tendrely he prayed and made hys mone To done hym sone out of thys world to pace for wel he thought ther was non other grace And shortly all the soth for to seye He was so fallen in dyspayre that day That vtterly he shope him for to deye For ryght thus was hys argument alway He sayd he nas but lorne welaway For all that cometh cometh by necessite Thus to be lorne is my destyne For certaynly thys wote I well he sayd That forsyght of diuyne purueyaunce Had sene alwaye me to forgone Creseyde Sens god seeth euery thing out of doutauÌ„ce And hem dysposeth through hys ordynauÌ„ce In hys merytes sothly for to be As they shull comen by predestyne But nathelesse alas whom shall I leue For there ben great clerkes many one That destynie through argumentes preue And some sayne that nedely there is none But that free choyce is yeuen vs euerychone O welawaye so slygh arne clerkes olde That I not whose opinion I maye holde For some men sayne y e god seeth al byforne Ne god maye not dysceyued ben parde ThaÌ„ mote it fallen though meÌ„ had it sworne That purueiaunce hath sene beforne to be wherfore I saye that from eterne yf he Hath wyst beforn our thouÈt eke as our dede we haue no fre choyce as these clerkes rede For other thought nor other dede also Myght neuer ben but suche as purueyaunce whych maye not ben dysceyued neuer mo Hath feled byforne wythouten ignoraunce For yf there myght ben a variaunce To wrythen out fro goddes purueynge There nere no prescience of thynge coÌ„mynge But it were rather an opinion Vncertayne and no stedfast foreseyng And certes that were an abusyon That god shuld haue no parfite clere weting More then we men y t haue doutous wening But such an errour vpon god to gesse were false foule and wycked cursednesse Eke thys is an opinion of some That haue her top ful hygh smoth yshore They sayn right thus y t thing is not to come For that the prescience hath sene before That it shall come but they sayne y t therfore That it shall come therfore the purueyaunce wote it beforne wythouten ignoraunce And in thys maner thys necessyte Returneth in hys parte contrary agayne For nedefully behoueth it not to be That thylke thynges fallen in certayne That beÌ„ purueyed but nedfully as they sayn Behoueth it that thynges whych that fall That they in certayne ben puruayed all I meane as though I laboured me in this To enquyre which thiÌ„ge cause of which thiÌ„g be As whether that the prescieÌ„ce of god is The certayne cause of the necessite Of thynges that to comen be pardy Or of necessite of thynge comynge Because certayne of the purueyeng But now ne enforce I me not in shewyng How y e ordre of y e causes staÌ„t but wel wote I That it behoueth that the befallyng Of thynges wyst before certaynly Be necessary all seme it not therby That prescience put fallynge necessayre To thynge to come all fall it foule or fayre For yf there syt a man yonde on a see That by necessite behoueth it That certes thyne opinion soth be That wenest or coniectest that he syt And further ouer nowe ayenwarde yet Lo ryght
I swynke whan that my wyt is wery it to thynke On heuen yet the sterres weren sene Although full pale ywoxen was the moone And whyten gan the orizonte shene Al eestwarde as it is wonte to doone And Phebus wyth hys rosy carte soone Gan after that to dresse him vp to fare whan Troylus hath sent after Pandare This Pandare that of al the day beforne Ne might hym comen thys Troylus to se Although he on hys heed it had sworne For with the kyng Priam alday was he So that it laye nat in his lyberte No wher to gon but on y e morowe he went To Troylus whan that he for hym sent For in hys herte he coulde wel deuyne That Troylus al nyght for sorowe woke And that he wolde tel hym of hys pyne Thys knew he well ynough wythout boke For which to chaÌ„bre streyght y e way he toke And Troylus tho sobrely he grette And on the bed ful sone he gan hym sette My Pandarus ê™ Troylus the sorowe which that I drie I may not longe endure I trowe I shal not lyuen tyl to morowe For which I wolde alwayes on auenture To the deuysen of my sepulture The forme of my mouable thou dispone Ryght as the semeth best is for to done But of the fyre and flambe funerall In which my body brennen shall to glede And of the feest and playes palestrall At my vygyle I pray the take good hede That that be wel and offre Mars my stede My sworde myn helme leue brother dere My sheld to Pallas yeue that shyneth clere the poudre iÌ„ which min hert ibreÌ„de shal turn That pray I the thou take and it conserue In a vessel that men clepeth an vrne Of golde and to my lady that I serue For loue of whom thus pytously I sterue So yeue it her and do me thys plesaunce To prayen her to kepe it for a remembrauÌ„ce For wel I fele by my maladye And by my dreames nowe and yore ago Al certaynly that I mote nedes dye The oule eke which that hyght ascaphylo Hath after me shryght al these nyghtes two god Mercury now of me wofull wretche The soule gyde and whan the lyste it fetche Pandare answerde and sayd Troylus My dere frende as I haue tolde the yore That it is folye for to sorowen thus And causelesse for which I can no more But who so wol nat trowen rede ne lore I can not sene in hym no remedye But let hym worchen with his fantasye But Troylus I pray the tel me nowe If that thou trowe er thys that any wyght Hath loued paramours as wel as thou Ye god wote fro many a worthy knyght Hath hys ladye gone a fourtenyght And he nat yet made haluendele the fare what nede is the to maken al thys care Sens day by day thou mayst thy seluen se That from his loue or els from hys wyfe A man mote twynnen of necessyte Yee though he loue her as his owne lyfe Yet nyl he wyth him selfe thus maken stryfe For wel thou wost my leue brother dere That alway frendes may not ben yfere how don thys folke y t sene her loues wedded By frendes myght as it betydeth ful ofte And sene hem in her spouses bed ybedded God wote they take it wysely fayre softe For why good hope halt vp her herte alofte And for they can a tyme of sorowe endure As tyme hem hurteth a time doth hem cure So shuldest thou endure and letten slyde The tyme and fonde to ben gald and lyght Ten dayes nys not so longe to abyde And sens she to comen the hath behyght She nyl her heste breken for no wyght For drede the not that she nyl fynde way To come ayen my lyfe that durst I laye Thy sweuenesse eke and al such fantasye Dryue out and let hem faren to mischaunce For they procede of thy melancolye That doth the fele in slepe al thys penaunce A strawe for al sweuenes signifyaunce God helpe me so I counte hem nat abeene ther wot no maÌ„ aright what dremes meene For preestes of the temple tellen thys That dreames bene the reuelations Of goddes and al 's wel they tel ywys That they bene infernales illusyons And leches sayne that of complections Proceden they of faste or glotonye who wot in soth thus what they signyfye Eke other sayne that through impressions As yf a wyght hath faste a thinge in mynde That therof cometh such auisions And other sayne as they in bokes fynde That after tymes of the yere by kynde MeÌ„ dreme that theffect goth by the mone But leue no dreame for it is not to done well worth of dremes aye these olde wyues And trewly eke augurye of these foules For feare of which meÌ„ wemen lese her liues as raueÌ„s qualm or schriching of these oules To trowen on it both false and foule is Alas alas that so noble a creature As is a man shulde drede such ordure For which with al myne herte I the beseche Vnto thy selfe that al thys thou foryeue And ryse nowe vp withouten more speche And let vs cast how forth may best be dryueÌ„ The time eke how freshly we may lyuen whaÌ„ she cometh y u which shall be right sone God helpe me so the best is thus to done Ryse let vs speke of lustye lyfe in Troye That we haue lad and forth the time dryue And eke of tyme comyng vs reioye That bryngen shal our blysse now so blyue And langour of these twyse dayes fyue we shal therwyth so foryete or oppresse That well vnneth it done shal vs duresse Thys towne is ful of lordes al aboute And truce lasten all thys meane whyle Go we playen vs in some lusty route To Sarpedon not hence but a myle And thus thou shalt the tyme wel begyle And driue it forth vnto that blysful morow That thou her se that cause is of thy sorow Nowe ryse my dere brother Troylus For certes it non honoure is to the To wepe and in thy bedde to rouken thus For trewly of o thyng trust to me If thou thus lygge a daye two or thre The folke woll wene y t thou for cowardyse The faynest sicke that thou darst not ryse This Troylus answerde o brother dere Thys knoweÌ„ folke that haue ysuffred paine that though he wepe make sorouful chere That feleth harme and smert in euery vaine No wonder is and though I euer playne Or alway wepe I am nothyng to blame Sens y t I haue loste y e cause of al my game But sens of fyne force I mote aryse I shal aryse as sone as euer I may And god to whom myne hert I sacrifyse So sende vs hastely the tenthe daye For was there neuer foule so fayne of May As I shal ben whan y t she cometh in Troye That cause is of my turment and my ioye But whyder is thy rede ê™ Troylus That we may playe vs beste in al thys toun By
lorde thou woste wel I desyre Thy grace moste of all lustes leue And lyue and dye I woll in thy beleue For whych I ne aske in guerdon but a boone That thou Creseyde ayen me sende soone Dystrayne her herte as fast to returne As thou doest myne to longen her to se Then wote I wel that she nyll not soiourne Nowe blysfull lorde so cruell thou ne be Vnto the bloode of Troye I praye the As Iuno was vnto the bloode Thebane For which y e folk of Thebes caught her bane And after thys he to the yates wente There as Creseyde out rode a ful good paas And vp downe there made he many a weÌ„te And to hym selfe ful ofte he sayd alas Fro hence rode my blysse and my solas As wolde blysfull god nowe for hys ioye I myght her sene ayen come to Troye And to the yonder hyll I gan her gyde Alas and there I toke of her my leue And yonde I sawe her to her father ryde For sorowe of which myne hert shall to cleue And hyther home I come when it was eue And here I dwell out cast from al ioye And shall tyll I maye sene her efte in Troye And of hym selfe ymagined he ofte To ben defeyted pale and woxen lesse Then he was wont that men sayden softe what maye it be who can the soth gesse why Troylus hath all thys heuynesse And all thys nas but hys melancolye That he had of hym selfe suche fantasye Another tyme ymagynen he wolde That euery wyght that went by the wey Had of hym routh that they sayne sholde I am ryght sory Troylus woll dey And thus he droue a day yet forth or tweye As ye haue herde suche lyfe gan he lede As he that stode bytwixen hope and drede For whych hym lyked in hys songes shewe Thencheson of hys wo as he best myght And made a songe of wordes but a fewe Somwhat hys wofull herte for to lyght And when he was from euery maÌ„nes syght wyth softe voyce he of hys lady dere That absent was gan synge as ye may here O sterre of whych I lost haue al the light wyth herte sore well ought I to bewayle That euer derke in turment nyght by nyght Towarde my deth w t wynde I stere sayle For whych the tenth nyght yf that I fayle The gydyng of thy beames bryght an houre My shyp and me Carybdes woll deuoure Thys songe wheÌ„ he thus songeÌ„ had soone He fyll ayen into hys syghes olde And euery nyght as was his wont to doone He stode the bryght moone to beholde And all hys sorowe he to the moone tolde And sayd ywys wheÌ„ thou arte horned newe I shall be glad yf all the worlde be trewe I sawe thyne hornes old eke by the morowe when hence rode my ryght lady dere That cause is of my turment and my sorowe For whych O bryght Lucina the clere For loue of God ren fast aboute thy spere For when thyne hornes new gynneÌ„ sprynge Then shall she come y t may my blysse brynge The daye is more and lenger euery night Then they ben woÌ„te to be hym thought tho And that the sonne went hys course vnryght By lenger waye then it was wonte to go And sayd ywys I drede me euer mo The Sonnes sonne Pheton be on lyue And that hys fathers carte amysse he dryue Vpon the walles fast eke wolde he walke And on the grekes hoste he wolde se And to hym selfe ryght thus he wolde talke Lo yonder is myne owne lady free Or els yonder there the tentes be And thence cometh thys ayre that is so soote That in my soule I fele it dothe me boote And hardly thys wynde that more more Thus stoundemele encreaseth in my face Is of my ladyes depe syghes sore I preue it thus for in none other space Of all thys towne saue only in thys place Fele I no winde that sowneth so lyke payne It sayeth alas why twynned be we twayne Thys loÌ„ge tyme he dryueth forth ryght thus Tyll fully passed was the nynth nyght And aye besyde hym was thys Pandarus That besyly dyd all hys full myght Hym to comforte and make hys herte lyght Yeuynge him hope alway y e tenth morowe That she shal comen stynten al his sorowe Vpon that other syde eke was Creseyde wyth women fewe amonge y e grekes stroÌ„ge For whych full ofte a day alas she seyde That I was borne wel may myn herte loÌ„ge After my death for nowe lyue I to longe Alas and I ne maye it not amende For nowe is worse then euer yet I wende My father nyll for nothynge do my grace To gone ayen for ought I can hym queme And yf so be that I my terme pace My Troylus shall in hys herte deme That I am false so it maye well seme Thus shall I haue vnthanke on euery syde That I was borne so welawaye the tyde And yf that I me put in ieopardye To steale awaye by nyght and it be fall That I be caught I shal be holde a spye Or els lo thys drede I moste of all Yf in the handes of some wretche I fall I nam bust loste all bemyn herte trewe Now mighty god thou on my sorowe rewe Full pale ywoxen was her bryght face Her lymmes leane as she that all the daye Stode when she durst loked on the place There she was borne and dwelt had aye And all the nyght wepynge alas she laye And thus dyspayred out of al cure She ladde her lyfe thys wofull creature Full ofte a day she syghed eke for dystresse And in her selfe she went aye purtrayeng Of Troylus the great worthynesse And all hys goodly wordes recordyng Sens fyrst that day her loue begaÌ„ to spryng And thus she sette her wofull herte a fyre Through remembraunce of y t she gan desyre In all thys world there nys so cruel herte That her had herde coÌ„playnen in her sorowe That nold haue wepteÌ„ for her paynes smert So tenderly she wepte both eue morowe Her neded no teeres for to borowe And thys was yet the worst of all her payne There was no wyÈt to whoÌ„ she durst playne Full rewfully she loked vpon Troye Behelde the toures hygh and eke the hallis Alas ê™ she the pleasaunce and the ioye The whych that nowe al turned into gall is Haue I had ofte wythin yonder wallis O Troylus what doest thou nowe she seyde Lord whether thou yet thinke vpoÌ„ Creseyde Alas that I ne had ytrowed on your lore And went wyth you as ye me redde er thys Then had I nowe not syghed halfe so sore who myght haue sayd y t I had done amys To steale awaye wyth suche one as he is But all to late cometh the lectuary when men the corse vnto the graue carye To late is nowe to speke of that matere Prudence alas one of thyne eyen thre Me lacked alwaye er that I came here For on tyme passed well remembred me And present
harme was al aboute his herte Priam full ofte and eke his mother dere His bretherne his sustren gan him frayne why he so soroufull was in all his chere And what thyng was y e cause of al his payne But al for naught he nolde hys cause playne But sayd he felte a greuous maladye Aboute his herte and fayne he wolde dye So on a day he laye him downe to slepe And so byfell that in slepe him thought That in a forest faste he walked to wepe For loue of her y t him these paynes wrought And vp and downe as he that forest sought He mette he sawe a bore with tuskes greate That slept ayenst the bright sonnes heate And by this bore faste in her armes folde Lay kyssyng aye his lady bright Creseyde For sorow of which whan he it gan beholde And for dispyte out of his slepe he breyde And loude he cryed on Pandarus and seyde O Pandarus nowe knowe I croppe roote I nam but deed there nys non other boote My lady bright Creseyde hath me betrayde In whom I trusted moste of any wight She els where hath nowe her herte apayde The blyfful goddes through her gret might Haue in my dreame yshewed it full right Thus in my dreme Creseyde haue I behold And all this thyng to Pandarus he tolde O my Creseyde alas what subtylte what newe lust what beaute what science what wrathe of iuste cause haue ye to me what gylte of me what fel experience Hath me rafte alas thyne aduertence O trust o faythe o depe assuraunce who hath me rafte Creseyde all my plesauÌ„ce Alas why let I you from hence go For which wel nigh out of my wyt I breyde who shall nowe trowe on any othes mo God wote I wende o lady bright Creseyde That euery worde was gospel that ye seyde But who may bet begyle yf hym lyste Than he on whom men wenen best to tryste What shall I done my Pandarus alas I fele nowe so sharpe a newe payne Sens that there is no remedye in this caas That bet were it I with myn hoÌ„des twayn My seluen slowe than alway thus to playn For throgh y e deth my wo shuld haue an end Ther euery day with lyfe my selfe I shende Pandare answerde sayd alas the whyle That I was borne haue I nat sayd er thys That dreames many a maner man begyle And why for folke expounden hem amys Howe darste thou sayne that false thy lady is For any dreame right for thyn owne drede Let be this thought y u canst no dremes rede ParaueÌ„ture there thou dreamest of this bore It may so be that it may signifye Her father whiche that olde is and eke hore Ayen the sonne lythe on poynte to dye And she for sorowe gynneth wepe and crye And kysseth him there he lythe on y e grounde Thus shuldest y u thy dreme aright expounde Howe might I than done ê™ Troylus To knowe of this yea were it neuer so lyte Now sayest thou wisely ê™ this Pandarus My rede is this sens thou canst wel endyte That hastely a letter thou her write Through which y u shalt well bringen about To knowe a sothe of that thou arte in doute And se nowe why for this I dare wel sayne That yf so is that she vntrewe be I can nat trowen that she wol write agayne And yf she write thou shalt ful sone yse As whether she hath any lyberte To come ayen or els in some clause If she be let she woll assygne a cause Thou hast nat writteÌ„ to her sens y t she went Nor she to the and this I durste lay There may suche cause ben in her entente That hardely thou wolt thy seluen say That her abode the best is for you tway Nowe write her than thou shalt fele sone A sothe of all there is no more to done Acorded ben to this conclusyoun And that anon these ylke lordes two And hastely sate Troylus adoun And rolleth in his herte to and fro Howe he may best discryuen her his wo And to Creseyde his owne lady dere He wrote right thus sayd as ye may here ¶ The copy of the letter RIght freshe floure whose I haue ben and shall WithouteÌ„ parte of els where seruyce Wyth herte body lyfe luste thought and all I wofull wight in euery humble wyse That tonge can tel or herte may deuyse As ofte as mater occupyeth place Me recommaunde vnto your noble grace Lyketh it you to weten swete herte As ye wel knowe howe longe tyme agon That ye me left in aspre paynes smerte whan that ye went of whiche yet bote non Haue I non had â–ª but euer worse bygon Fro day to day am I and so mote dwell whyle it you lyst of we le and wo my well For which to you with dredeful hert trewe I write as he that sorowe driueth to write My wo that euery houre encreaseth newe Complaynyng as I dare or can endyte And that defaced is that may ye wyte The teares which that froÌ„ myne eyen rayne That wolden speke yf y t they durste playne You fyrst beseche I that your eyen clere To toke on this defouled ye nat holde And ouer al this that ye nat lady dere wol vouchsafe this letter to beholde And by the cause eke of my 〈◊〉 colde That sleeth my wyt yf aught amys me sterte Foryeue it me myne owne swete herte If any seruaunt durst or ought of ryght Vpon his lady pitously complayne Than wene I that I ought be that wyght CoÌ„sydred this that ye these monthes twayn Haue taryed there ye sayden sothe to sayn But ten dayes ye nolde in hoste soiourne But in two monthes yet ye nat retourne But for as moche as me mote nedes lyke All that you lyst I dare nat playne more But humbly with soroufull syghes syke You write I myne vnresty sorowes sore Fro day to day desyryng euer more To knowen fully yf your wyll it were Howe ye haue fared don while ye be there Whose welfare and heale eke god encrease In honour suche that vpwarde in degree It growe alway so that it neuer cease Right as your herte aye can my lady free Deuyse I pray to god so mote it be And graunt it that ye soone vpon me rewe As wisely as in all I am to you trewe And yf you lyketh knowen of the fare Of me whose wo ther may no wiÈt discryue I can no more but chest of euery care At writyng of this letter I was on lyue Al redy out my wofull gost to dryue whiche I delay and holde him yet in honde Vpon the syght of mater of your sonde Myne eyen two in vayn with which I se Of soroufull teares salte arn woxen wellis My songe in playnt of myne aduersyte My good in harm myn ease eke woxeÌ„ hell is My ioye in wo I can sey nowe nought ellis But turned is for whiche my lyfe I wary Euery ioye prease in his contrary
reclaymed to the lure So wel lerned hem to wythholde also And al to chaūg whā loue shuld best endure Lamant Whan one hath set his hert in stable wyse In such a place as is both good and trewe He shulde not flyt but do forth his seruice Alway withouten chaunge of any newe As sone as loue begynneth to remewe Al plesaunce goth anone in lytle space As for my partye that shal I eschewe whyle the soule abydeth in hys place La dame To loue truely there as it ought of right Ye may not be mystaken doutlesse But ye be foule dysceyued in your syght By lyght vnderstandyng as I gesse yet may ye wel repele your busynesse And to reason haue some attendaunce Moch better thā to abyde by foly simplenes The feble socour of disperaunce Lamant Reason coūsayle wysedome good aduise Bene vnder loue arested euerychone To which I can accorde in euery wyse For they be not rebel but styl as a stone Theyr wyl and myne be medled al in one And therwyth bouden w t so strong a cheyne That as in hem departyng shal be none But pyte breke the myghty bonde atwayne La dame Ye loue not your selfe what euer ye be That in loue stande forgete in euery place And of your wo yf ye haue no pyte Others pite beleue ye not to purchace But be fully assured as in thys case I am alway vnder one ordynaunce To haue better trust not after grace And al that leueth take to your plesaunce Lamant Haue my hope so sure and so stedfast That such a lady shulde not lacke pyte But nowe alas it is shyt vp so fast That daunger sheweth on me hys cruelte And yf she se the vertue fayle in me Of true seruice though she do fayle also No wonder were but thys is my surete I must suffre whych way that euer it go La dame Leue chys purpose I rede you for the best For the lenger ye kepe it is in vayne The lesse ye gete as of your hertes rest And to reioyce it shal you neuer attayne whā ye abyde good hope to make you fayne Ye shal be founde asotted in dotage And in the ende ye shal knowe for cartayne Hope shal pay the wretches for her wage Lamant Ye say as falleth moost for your plesaunce And your power is great al thys I se But hope shal neuer out of my remēbraunce By whych I fele so great aduersite For whan nature hath set in you plente Of al goodnesse by vertue and by grace He neuer assembled hem as semed me To put pyte out of hys dwellynge place La dame Pyte of ryght ought to be resonable And to no wight do no great disauauntage There as is nede it shulde be profytable And to the pytous shewynge no damage If a lady wyl do so great outrage To shewe pyte and cause her owne debate Of such pyte cometh dispitous rage And of such loue also ryght deedly hate Lamant To comforte hem that lyue al comfortlesse That is no harme but cōforte to your name But ye that haue a herte of such duresse And a fayre lady I must affirme the same If I dust say ye wynne all thys defame By cruelte whych sytteth you full yl But yf pyte whych may al thys attaine In your hygh herte may rest and tary styll La dame what euer he be that sayth he loueth me And perauenture I leue wel it be so Ought he be wroth or shulde I blamed be Though I did not as he wolde haue me do If I medled wyth such or other mo It myght be called pyte mercylesse And afterwarde yf I shulde lyue in wo Than to repent it were to late I gesse Lamant O marble hert and yet more harde parde whych mercy may not perce for no labour More strong to bowe than is a myghty tre what auayleth you to shew so great rygour Pleaseth you more to se me dye thys hour Before your eyen for your disport and play Than for to shewe some cōforte and socour To respyte death whych chaseth me alway La dame Of your disease ye may haue allegeaunce And as for myne I let it ouer slake Also ye shal not dye for my pleasaunce Nor for your heale I can not surety make I wyl not hurt my selfe for others sake wepe they laugh they or synge they I warant For this mater so wyl I vndertake That none of hem shal make therof auaunt Lamant I can not skyl of loue by god alone I haue more cause to wepe in your presence And wel ye wote auauntour am I none For certaynly I loue better scilence One shulde not loue by hertes credence But he were sure to kepe it secretly For a vauntour is of no reuerence whan that his tonge is his moost enemy La dame Male bouch in court hath great cōmaundement Eche man studyeth to say the worst he may These false louers in this time now present They serue best to iangle as a Iay The moost secrete ywys yet some men say Howe he mistrusted is in some partyse wherfore to ladyes whā so men speke or say It shulde be byleued in no wyse Lamant Of good and yl shal be and is alway The worlde is such the erth is not al plaine They y t be good y e profe sheweth euerye day And otherwyse great villony certayne It is reason though one his tonge distayne with cursed spech to do hym selfe a shame That such refuse shuld wrōgfully remayne Vpon the good renomed in theyr fame La dame Suche as be nought whan they here tidynges newe That eche trespas shal lightly haue pardon They that pursuen to be good and trewe wyl not set by none yl disposition To contynewe in euery good condicion They are the first that fallen in damage And ful frely the hertes habandon To lytle fayth wyth soft and fayre langage Lamant Nowe knowe I wel of very certaynte If one do truely yet shal he be shente Syth al maner of iustice and pyte Is banished out of a ladyes entente I can not se but al is at one stente The good the yl the vice and eke the vertue Such as be good such haue y e punyshment For the trespas of hem that lyue vntrue La dame I haue no power you to do greuaunce Nor to punyshe none other creature But to eschewe the more encomberaunce To kepe vs from you al I holde it sure False semblaunce hath a face ful demure Lyghtly to catche these ladyes in a wayte wherfore we must yf we wyl here endure Make ryght good watche lo this is my cōceyte Lamant Syth that of grace a goodly worde not one May now be had but alwaye kepte in store I appele to god for he may here my mone Of the duresse whych greueth me sore And of pyte I complayne furthermore which he forgate in al hys ordinaunce Or els my lyfe to haue ended before which so sone am put out of remembraunce La dame My herte nor I
thy lyfe All the Troyan bloode Ren and crye as thou were woode On Eolus the god of wyndes To blowen out of all kyndes So loude that he shulde drenche Lorde lady grome and wenche Of all the Troyans nacyon wythout any of her sauacion There sawe I suche tempest aryst That euery herte myght agryse To se it paynted on the wall There sawe I eke grauen wyth all Venus howe ye my lady dere wepynge wyth full wofull chere Prayenge Iupyter on hye To saue and kepe that nauye Of that Trogian Eneas Sythe that he her sonne was There sawe I Ioues Venus kysse And graunted was of the tempest lysse There sawe I howe the tempest stente And howe wyth all pyne he wente And pryuely toke a ryuage In to the countre of Cartage And on the morowe howe that he And a knyght that hyght Achate Metten wyth Venus that day Goyng in a queynte aray As she had be an hunteresse wyth wynde blowyng vpon her tresse And howe Eneas began to playne whan he knewe her of hys payne And howe hys shyppes dreynt were Or els ylost he nyst where Howe she gan hym comforte tho And bade hym to Cartage go And there he shulde hys folke fynde That in the see were lefte behynde And shortly of thys thyng to pace She made Eneas so in grace Of Dydo quene of that countre That shortly for to tellen she Became hys loue and let hym do All that weddyng longeth to what shulde I speke it more quaynte Or payne me my wordes to paynte To speke of loue it well nat be I can nat of that faculte And eke to tellen of the manere Howe they fyrst acquaynted were It were a longe processe to tell And ouer longe for you to dwell There sawe I graue howe Eneas Tolde to Dydo euery caas That hym was tyde vpon the see And efte grauen was howe that she Made of hym shortly at a worde Her lyfe her loue her lust her lorde And dyd to hym all reuerence And layde on hym all the dispence That any woman myght do wenyng it had all be so As he her swore and hereby demed That he was good for he suche semed Alas what harme dothe apparence whan it is false in existence For he to her a traytour was wherfore she slowe her selfe alas Lo howe a woman dothe amys To loue hym that vnknowen is For by Christ lo thus it fareth It is nat all golde that glareth For also brouke I well myne heed There may be vnder goodlyheed Couered many a shreude vyce Therfore be no wyght so nyce To take a loue onely for chere Or speche or for frendly manere For this shall euery woman fynde That some man of his pure kynde wol shewen outwarde the fayrest Tyl he haue caught that what him lest And than woll he causes fynde And swere howe she is vnkynde Or false or priuy or double was Al thys saye I by Eneas And Dydo and her nyce lest That loued al to soone a gest wherfore I wol saye o prouerbe That he that fully knoweth the herbe Maye safely laye it to hys eye wythoutyn drede thys is no lye But let vs speke of Eneas Nowe he betrayed her alas And lefte her full vnkyndely So whan she sawe al vtterly That he wolde her of Trouth fayle And wenden from her into Itayle She gan to wrynge her handes two Alas quod she that me is wo Alas is euery man thus trewe That euery yere wol haue a newe If it so longe tyme endure Or els that parauenture And thus of one he woll haue fame In magnifyeng of hys owne name Another for frenshyp sayth he And yet there shal the thyrde be That is taken for delyte Lo or els for synguler profyte In such wordes gan complayne Dydo of her great payne As me mette dremyng redyly None other authour allege wol I Alas quod she my swete herte Haue pyte on my sorowes smerte And slee me not go not away O woful Dydo welaway Quod she vnto her selfe tho O Eneas what wol ye do O that your loue ne your bonde That ye swore with your ryght honde Ne my cruel deth quod she Maye holde you styl here wyth me O haue ye of my deth no pite Iwys myne owne dere herte ye Knowe full wel that neuer yet As farre as euer I had wyt Agylte you in thought ne in dede O haue ye men such goodlyhede In speche and neuer a dele of trouth Alas that euer had routh Any woman on a false man Nowe I se wel and tel can we wretched women can no arte For certayne for the more parte Thus we bene serued euerychone Howe sore that ye men can grone Anone as we haue you receyued Certaynly we bene disceyued For though your loue lest a season wayte vpon the conclusyon And eke howe ye determyne And for the more parte defyne O welawaye that I was borne For through you my name is lorne And myne actes redde and songe Ouer al thys lande in euery tonge O wycked fame for there nys Nothynge so swyfte lo as she is O soth is euery thynge is wyst Though it be couerde with the myst Eke though I myght duren euer That I haue done recouer I neuer That it ne shall be sayd alas I shamed was through Eneas And that I shal thus iuged be Lo ryght as she hath done nowe she wol done eftesones hardely Thus saye the people priuely But that is done nys not to done But all her complaynt ne her mone Certayne auayled her not a stre And whan she wyst sothly he was forth into his shyp agone She into chambre went anone And called on her suster Anue And gan her to complayne thanne And sayde that she cause was That she fyrst loued him alas And fyrst counsayled her therto But what whan thys was sayd and do She rofte her seluen to the herte And dyed through the woundes smerte But al the maner howe she deyde And al the wordes howe she seyde who so to knowe it hath purpose Rede Virgyle in Eneydos Or the pystles of Ouyde what that she wrote or that she dyde And nere it to longe to endyte By god I wolde it here wryte But welawaye the harme and routh That hath betydde for such vntrouth As men maye ofte in bokes rede And aldaye sene it yet in dede That for to thynken it tene is Lo Demophon duke of Athenys Howe he forswore him falsely And trayed Phyllis wyckedly That kynges doughter was of Thrace And falsely gan his terme pace And whan she wyst that he was false She honge her selfe ryght by the halfe For he had done her suche vntrouth Lo was not thys a wo and routh Eke loke howe false and recheles was to Briseyda Achilles And Parys to Oenone And Iason to Hipsyphile And efte Iason to Medea And Hercules to Dyanira For he lefte her for Iolee That made him take his deth parde Howe false was eke Theseus That as the storye telleth vs Howe
graue was layde After hys great passion and deth cruell who hath hym thus agayne betrayde Or what man here about can me tell where he is become the prynce of Israell Iesus of Nazareth my gostly socour My parfyte loue and hope of all honour what creature hath hym hence caryed Or howe myght thys so sodeynly befall I wolde I had here wyth hym taryed And so shulde I haue had my purpose all I bought oyntmentes full precious royall wherwyth I hoped his corps to anoynted But he thus gone my mynde is dyspoynted whyle I therfore aduertyse and beholde This pytous chaunce here in my presence Ful lytel maruayle though my herte be colde Consydrynge lo my lordes absence Alas that I so full of negligence Shulde be founde bycause I come so late All men may faye I am infortunate Cause of my sorowe mē maye vnderstande Quia tulerunt dominum meum Another is that I ne maye fonde I wotnere Vbi posuerunt eum Thus I muste bewayle Dolorem meum wyth herty wepyng I can no better deserue Tyl deth approche my herte for to kerue My herte opprest wyth sodeyne auenture By feruent anguyshe is be wrapped so That longe thys lyfe I may not endure Such is my payne suche is my mortall wo Neuerthelesse to what partye shall I go In hope to fynde myne owne turtyll true My lyues ioye my souerayne Lorde Iesu Syth all my ioye that I call hys presence Is thus remoued nowe I am ful of mone Alas the whyle I made no prouidence For thys myshap wherfore I sygh grone Socour to find to what place might I gone Fayne I wolde to some man my herte breke I note to whom I may complayne or speke Alone here I stande ful sory and ful sadde which hoped to haue sene my lorde kynge Small cause haue I to be mery or gladde Remembrynge thys bytterfull departynge In thys worlde is no creature lyuynge That was to me so good and gracious Hys loue also then golde more precious Ful sore I sygh wythout comforte agayne There is no cure to my saluation Hys brēnyng loue my herte so doth cōstraine Alas here is a wofull permutacion wherof I fynde no ioye nor consolacion Therfore my payne all onely to confesse wyth dethe I feare woll ende my heuynesse Thys wo and anguyshe is intollerable Yf I byde here lyfe can I not sustayne Yf I go hence my paynes be vncurable wher hī to fynde I knowe no place certayne And thus I not of these thynges twayne whych I maye take whych I may refuse My hert is woūded heron to thynke or muse A whyle I shall stande in thys mournyng In hope yf any vysyon wol appere That of my loue might tel some good tiding whych into ioy myght chaūge my wepynge there I trust in his grace hys mercy dere But at the leest though I therwyth me kyll I shal not spare to wayle and wepe my fyll And yf that I dye in suche auenture I can nomore but welcome as my chaunce My bones shall rest here in thys sepulture My lyfe my dethe is at hys ordinaunce It shal be tolde in euerlastyng remembraūce Thus to departe is to me no shame And also therof I am nothynge to blame Hope agaynst me hath her course ytake There is nomore but thus shall I dye I se ryght wel my lorde hath me forsake But in my cōceyte cause knowe I none why Though he be farre hence and nothyng nye Yet my wofull herte after hym doth seke And causeth teeres to ren down by my cheke Thynkyng alas I haue lost hys presence whych in this worlde was al my sustenaūce I crye and cal wyth herty dyligence But there is no wyght gyueth attendaunce Me to certifye of myne enquyraunce wherfore I wyll to al thys worlde bewraye Howe that my lorde is slayne borne awaye Though I mourne it is no great wonder Syth he is al my ioye in speciall And nowe I thynke we be so farre a sonder That hym to se I feare neuer I shall It helpeth no more after hym to call Ne after hym to enquyre in any coste Alas howe is he thus gone and loste The iewes I thynke full of mysery Sette in malyce by theyr besy cure wyth force and myght of gylefull trechery Hath entermyned my lordes sepulture And borne awaye that precious fygure Leuynge of it nothynge yf they haue done so Marred I am alas what shall I do wyth theyr vengeaunce insaciable Nowe haue they hym entreated so That to reporte it is to lamentable They bete hys body from toppe to the too Neuer man was borne that felte suche wo They wounded hym alas wyth al greuaūce The blode downe reyled in most habūdaūce The blody rowes stremed downe ouer all They hym assayled so malycyously wyth theyr scourges and strokes beestyall They spared not but smote incessauntly To satisfye theyr malyce they were full besy They spit in his face they smote here there He groned ful sore and swette many a tere They crowned him w t thornes sharpe kene The vaynes rent the blode ran downe apace wyth bloode ouercome were both hys eyen And bolne with strokes was his blessed face They hym entreated as men without grace They kneled to hym made many a scorne Lyke helhoundes they haue hym al to corne Vpon a myghty crosse in length and brede These turmētours shewed theyr cursydnesse they nayled hym wythout pyte or brede Hys precious bloode brast out in largenesse They strayned him alonge as mē mercylesse The very ioyntes all to myne apparence Ryued asonder for theyr great vyolence All thys I beholdyng w t myne eyen twayne Stode there besyde wyth rufull attendaūce And euer me thought he beyng in that paine Loked on me wyth deedly councenaunce As he had sayd in hys speciall remembraūce Farewell Magdalen departe must I nedes hens My herte is Tāquā cera liquescens whych rufull syght when I gan beholde Out of my wytte I almost dystraught Tare my heere my handes wrange solde And of y e sight my herte drāke such a draught That many a fal swounyng there I caught I brused my body fallyng on the grounde wherof I fele many a greuous woūde Thē these wretches full of al frowardnesse Gaue him to drynke eysell tempred with gal Alas that poyson full of bytternesse My loues chere caused than to appall And yet therof might he nat drinke at all But spake these wordes as him thought best Father of heuen Consummatum est Than kneled I downe in paynes outrage Clipping y e crosse within myn armes twayn His bloode distylled downe on my vysage My clothes eke the droppes dyd distayne To haue dyed for him I wolde full fayne But what shulde it auayle yf I dyd so Sythe he is Suspensus in patibulo Thus my lorde full dere was all disgysed with bloode payne and woundes many one His veynes brast hys ioyntes all to ryued Partyng a sonder the fleshe fro the bone But I sawe
drede myne house to aproch To this sentence answerde anon Prudence Warnishyng ê™ she of hye toures of hye edyfices is with great costages and with great trauayle and whan that they ben accoÌ„plished yet ben they not worth a strawe but yf they ben defended with trew frendes that ben olde and wyse And vnderstondeth wel that y e greatest and the stroÌ„gest garnyson that ryche men maye haue as wel to kepen her parsone as her goodes is y t they be byloued with her subiectes and with her neyghbours For thus saythe Tullius that there is a maner garryson that no man may venquishe ne discomfyte and that is a lorde to be byloued of his cytezyns of his people ¶ Nowe sir as to the thyrde poynte where as your olde and wyse counsaylours sayde that ye ought not sodainly ne hastely procede in this nede â–ª but that ye oughten puruayen and aparayle you in this case with great dylygence and delyberacion Verily I trowe y t they sayde right trewly and ryght sothe For Tullius sayth In euery dede or thou begyn it apparayle the with great dyligence Than say I in vengeaunce takyng in werre in batayle and in warnestoryng or thou begyn I rede that thou apparayle the therto and do it with great delyberacioÌ„ For Tullius saith The longe apparelynge to fore the batayle maketh shorte victorie And Cassidorus saith The garryson is stronger whan it is longe tyme auysed But nowe let vs speke of the counsayle that was acorded by your neyghbours suche as don you reuerence withouteÌ„ loue your olde enemyes reconciled your flatterers that counsayled you certayne thynges priuely and openly counsayled you the contrarye The yong folke also that counsayled you to venge you to make werre anon Certes syr as I haue sayde byfore ye haue greatly erred to clepe suche maner of folke to youre counsayle whiche counsaylours ben ynoughe reproued by the resons a forsayd But nathelesse let vs nowe discende to the special Ye shul fyrste procede after the doctryne of Tullius Certes the trouthe of thys mater or of thys counsayle nedeth not dyligently to enquire for it is wel wyste which they ben that han done you this trespas and vilanye and howe many trespasours and in what maner they haue done al thys wronge to you and al this vilanye And after thys than shul ye examyne the seconde condicion whiche Tullius addeth in thys mater For Tullius putteth a thyng whiche that he clepeth consentyng this is to say who ben they and whiche ben they and howe manye that coÌ„senten to thy counsayle in thy wylfulnesse to done hasty vengeaunce And let vs consyder also who ben they and howe manye they ben that consented to youre aduersaries As to the fyrst poynt it is wel knowen whiche folke they be that coÌ„sented to your hasty wylfulnesse For trewly al tho that counsayl you to maken sodayne werre ne be not your frendes Let se nowe whiche ben they that ye holden so greatly your freÌ„des as to your person For al be it so that ye be mighty rich certes ye ben but alone for trewly ye ne haue no chyld but a doughter ne ye haue no brethern ne cosyns germayns ne none other nye kynrede wherfore your enemyes shuld stynte to plede with you ne to distroye your person Ye knowe also that youre rychesse mot be dispended in dyuers parties And whaÌ„ that euery wight hath his parte they wollen take but lytell regarde to venge your dethe But thyne enemyes ben thre they haue manye brethern children cosyns other nye kynred though so were that thou haddest slayne of hem two or thre yet dwelleth ther ynowe to auenge her dethe and to slee thy person And though so be that your kynrede be more stedfaste and syker than the kyn of your aduersaryes yet neuer the lesse your kynrede is but after kynrede for they ben but lytel sybbe to you and the kynne of your enemyes ben nye sybbe to hem And certes as in that her condicion is better than is yours Than let vs consyder also of the counsaylynge of hem that counsayled you to take sodayne vengeaunce whether it acorde to reson or non And certes ye know wel nay for as by ryght and reson there maye no man take vengeaunce of no wight but the iuge that hath iurisdiction of it whan it is graunted hym to take vengeaunce hastely or attemperatly as the lawe requireth And yet more ouer of thylke worde that Tullius clepeth coÌ„sentynge thou shalte coÌ„sent yf that thy might and thy power may consente and suffyse to thy wilfulnesse and to thy counsaylours And certes thou mayste wel saye naye for sykerly as for to speke properly we may do nothyng but suche thynge as we may done ryghtfully and certes righfully ye may take no vengeaunce as of your own propre auctorite Than maye ye se that youre power ne consenteth not ne accordeth not with your wylfulnesse Nowe let vs examyne the thyrde poynt that Tullius clepeth consequence Thou shalte vnderstonde that the vengeaunce y t thou purposest for to take is consequent and therof foloweth an other vengeaunce peryl and werre and other damages withouten nombre of whiche we be not ware as at this tyme. And as touchynge the fourth poynte y t Tullius clepeth engendring thou shalte consyder that this wrong whiche that is done to the is engendred of y e hate of thyne enemyes and of y e vengeaunce takyng vpon hem that wolde engender a nother vengeaunce and mochel sorowe wastyng of rychesse as I sayde ere Nowe sir as touchyng the fylte poynte that Tully clepeth causes whiche is the laste poynte thou shalte vnderstonde that the wronge that thou haste receyued hathe certayne causes whiche that clerkes callen orien and efficien and causa longinqua and causa propinqua that is to saye the ferre cause and the nyghe cause The ferre cause is almyghty God that is cause of al thynges The nere cause is the thre enemyes The cause accidental was hate The cause material ben the fyue woundes of thy doughter The cause formal is the maner of theyr werkynge that brought ladders and clambe in at thy wyndowes The cause fynal was for to sle thy doughter it letted not in as moche as in them was But for to speke of y u ferre cause as to what ende they shulde come or fynally what shal betyde of them in thys case ne canne I not deme but by coniectynge and supposynge for we shall suppose that they shall come to a wycked ende bycause that the boke of decrees saythe Selde or wyth greate payne ben causes brought to a good ende whan they ben badly begonne Now sir yf men wolde aske me why that god suffred men to do you this villanye truly I can not wel answere as for no sothfastnesse For the Apostel saythe that the scyences and the iugementes of our lorde God almighty ben ful depe there may no man comprehende ne serche hem Nathelesse by certayne presumpcyous
and coniectynges I holde and byleue that God whyche that is ful of iustyce and of rightwisnesse hathe suffred thys betyde by iuste cause resonable ¶ Thy name is Melibee this is to saye a man that drinketh hony Thou haste dronke so moche hony of swete temporel rychesses and delyces of honours of this worlde that thou arte dronke and haste forgoten Iesu Christ thy creatour Thou ne haste not done to hym suche honoure and reuerence as the ought ne thou ne haste not taken kepe to the wordes of Ouide that sayth Vnder y e hony of the goodes of thy body is hyd the venym that sleeth thy soule And Salomon sayth If it so he that thou hast founde hony eete of the same hony that that suffyseth For yf so be that thou eete of y e same hony out of mesure thou shalte spewe and also be nedy and poore And parauenture almyghty God Iesu Christ hath the in dispyte and hathe turned awaye fro the hys face and his eeres of myserycorde mercye And also he hath suffred gyue lycence that thou thus shuldest be punished chastised in y e maner that thou haste trespased and offended Thou hast done synne agaynst our lorde Christ for certes the thre enemyes of mankynde that is to say the fleshe the fende and the worlde thou haste suffred hem entre into thyne herte wylfully by the wyndowes of thy body and hast not defended thy selfe suffyciently agaynst their assautes their temptacions so that they haue wounded thy soule in fyue places this is to shy The deedly synnes that ben entred in to thy hert by thy fyue wyttes And in the same maner oure lorde Christ hathe wolde and suffred that thy thre enemyes beÌ„ entred in to thy house by y e wyndowes and haue wounded thy doughter in the forsayd maner Truely ê™ Melibee I se well that ye enforce you moche by wordes to ouercome me in suche maner that I shall not venge me on myn enemyes shewynge me the perilles and the yuels that myght fal of this vengeaunce but who so wolde consyder in al vengeaunces the perils and yuels that myght sâ—e of vengeaunce takyng a man wolde neuer take vengeaunce and that were harme For by y e vengeaunce takynge ben the wycked men disceuered from the good men And they that haue wyll to do wickednesse restrayn theyr wycked purpose whan they se the ponishyng and chastysyng of y e trespasours And yet say I more that ryght as a synguler person synneth in takynge vengeaunce of a nother mâ— ryght so synneth the iuge yf he do no vengeauÌ„ce of hem that haue deserued For Seneke saythe thus That mayster he saythe is good that preueth shrewes And as Cassyodor saythe A man dredeth to do outrages whan he wote and knoweth that it dyspleaseth to the iuges soueraynes And an other saythe The iuge that dredeth to do ryght maketh men shrewes And saynt Poule the Apostle saythe in hys Epystle whan he wryteth vnto the Romayns that the iuges beare not the speere wythout cause but they beare it to punyshe the shrewes mysdoers for to defende the good men ¶ Yf ye woll then take vengeaunce of your enemies ye shul returne and haue your recourse to the iuge that hath the iurisdyction vpon hem and he shall punyshe hem as the lawe asketh and requyreth A ha sayd Melibee thys veÌ„geauÌ„ce lyketh me nothynge I bethynke me nowe and take hede howe that fortune hathe nouryshed me fro my childhode and hath holpe me to passe many a stronge paas Nowe I woll assaye her trowynge wyth goddes helpe that she shall helpe me my shame for to auenge TRuely said PrudeÌ„ce yf ye wol werke by my counsayle ye shal not assay for â—â—ne by no waye ne ye shall not lene or bowe vnto her after the worde of Senek For thynges that bene foolyshlye done and that bene done in hope of fortune shal neuer come to good ende And as the same Seneke sayeth The more clere the more shynynge that fortune is the more brytel and the soner broke she is Trusteth not in her for she is not stedfast ne stable For when thou trowest to be moste sure and stedfaste of her helpe she woll fayle and dysceyue the. And where as ye saye that fortune hath nouryshed you fro youre chyldhode I saye that in so moche ye shall the lesse truste in her and in her wytte For Seneke sayeth what man that is noryshed by fortune she maketh him a great foole Nowe then syth ye desyre and aske veÌ„geauÌ„ce and the vengeaunce that is done after the lawe and before the iuge ne lyketh you not and the vengeaunce that is done in hope of fortune is peryllous vncertaine then haue ye none other remedye but for to haue your recourse vnto the soueraine iuge that veÌ„geth all vylanyes and wronges And he shal veÌ„ge you after that hym selfe wytnesseth where as he sayeth Leaue the vengeaunce to me and I shall do it Melibee answered yf I ne venge me of the villany that men haue done to me I soÌ„mmoÌ„ or warne hem that haue done to me that vyllanye and al other to do me an other vyllanye For it is wrytten Yf thou take no vengeauÌ„ce of an olde vyllany thou soÌ„monest thyne aduersaryes to do the a newe vyllany And also for my suffrauÌ„ce men wolde do me so moche vyllany that I myght neither bere it ne sustayne it and so shulde I be put holden ouer lowe For men sayne in mykel sufferyng shal many thynges fal vnto the which thou shalt not mowe suffre Certes ê™ Prudence I graunt you that ouer moch suffraunce is not good but yet ne foloweth it not therof that euery persone to whome men do vyllanye shulde take of it veÌ„geaunce for that appertayneth and longeth all only to iuges for they shulde venge y e vyllanyes and iniuryes And therfore those two authorities that ye haue sayd afore bene only vnderstande in the iuges For when they suffre ouer moche the wroÌ„ges and vyllanyes to be done wythout punyshment they sommon not a man all only for to do newe wronges but they coÌ„maunde it Also a wyse man sayeth that the iuge that correcteth not y e synner coÌ„maundeth and byddeth hym do synne And y e iuges and souerayns myght in theyr lande so moch suffre of the shrewes mysdoers that they shulde by such suffrauÌ„ce by processe of tyme wexe of such power and myght that they shulde put out the iuges and the soueraynes froÌ„ theyr places and at laste make hem lese her lordshyppes But let vs now suppose that ye haue leue to venge you I saye ye be not of myght and power as nowe to venge you for yf ye woll make comparyson vnto the myghte of youre aduersaryes ye shulde fynde in many thynges that I haue shewed you er thys y t theyr condicyon is better then yours and therfore saye I that it is good as nowe that ye suffre and be pacient Furthermore ye knowe well that after