in the which the Sunne ariseth The degrees fro the East line to the South FRo the little crosse vp to the end of the Meridionall line vnder the ring shalt thou finde the bordure deuided with xc degrees and by that same proportion is euery quarter of thine Astrolabie deuided ouer the which degrees there beene numbers of Augrime that deuiden thilke same degrees fro fiue to fiue as sheweth by long strikes betweene of the which by long strikes the space betweene conteineth a mile way and euery degree of thilke bordure conteineth foure minutes that is to say foure minutes of an houre Of the twelve Signs Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer and the others UNder the compasse of thilke degrees been written the names of the twelue signes as Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius and Pisces And the nombers of the degrees of the signes been written in Augrime aboue and with long diuisions from fiue to fiue deuideth from the time that the signe entereth vnto the last end But vnderstand well that these degrees of signes been eueriche of hem considered of fortie minutes and euery minute of fortie seconds and so foorth into small fractions infinite as saith Alcabucius And therefore know well that a degree of the bordure containeth foure minutes and a degree of a signe containeth fortie minutes and haue this in mind The Cercle of the Days NExt this followeth the cercle of the daies that been figured in manner of the degrees that conteinen in number three hundred threescore and fiue deuided also with long strikes from fiue to fiue and the numbers of Augrime written vnder the cercle The Cercle of the twelve Months NExt the cercle of dayes followeth the cercle of the twelue names of the months that is to say Ianuarius Februarius Marcius Aprill Maius Iunius Iulius August September October Nouember December The names of these Months taken her names some for properties and some by statutes of Emperors and some by other Lords of Rome Eke of these Months as liked to Iulius Cesar and Cesar Augustus some were ycompouned of diuers nombers of days as Iulie and August Then hath Ianuarius xxxi days Februarius xxviii Marcius xxxi Aprill xxx Maius xxxi Iunius xxx Iulius xxxi August xxxi September xxx October xxxi Nouember xxx December xxxi Nathelesse although that Iulius Cesar took two dayes out of Feuerere and put hem in his Month of Iuly and Augustus Cesar cleped the Month of August after his name and ordained it of xxxi days yet trust well that the Sunne dwelleth therefore neuer the more ne the lasse in one signe than in another The Names of the holy days THen followeth the names of the holye dayes in the Kalender and next hem the letters A. B. C. on which they fallen The Scale of the Astrolabie NExt the foresaid cercle of the A. B. C. vnder the crosse line is marked the scale in manner of two squires or els in manner of ledders that serueth by his xxii points and his diuisions of full many a subtell conclusion of this foresaid scale For the crosse line vnto the very angle is cleaped Umbra recta or els Umbra extensa and the nether party Umbra versa The Rule THen hast thou a broad rule that hath on euery ende a square plate parted with certaine holes some more and some lesse to receiuen the stremes of the Sunne by day and eke by mediation of thine eye to know the altitude of the sterres by night The Pin which is imagined to be Pole artike and the Horse THen is there a large pin in manner of an exiltre that goeth through the hole that halt the tables of the climathes in the reeth in the wombe of the moder thorow which pin there goeth a little wedge the which is cleped the Horse that straineth all these parts together This foresaid great pin in manner of an exiltre is imagined to be the Pole artike in thine Astrolabie For lines on the Womb side THe wombe side of thine Astrolabie is also diuided with a long crosse in foure quarters from the Cast to West and from the South to North from right side to left side as is the backside The degrees of the Womb side THe border of which wombe side is deuided fro the point of the East line vnto the point of the South line vnder the ring in 90 degrees and by the same proportion is euery quarter diuided as is the backeside that amounteth to 360 degrees And vnderstand well that the degrees of this border been aunswering and consenting to the degrees of Equinoctiall that is deuided in the same number as euery other cercle is in the high heauen This border is deuided also with 23 letters and a small crosse aboue the South line that sheweth the 24 houres equals of the clocke And I haue said fiue of these degrees maken a mile way and three mile way maken an houre and euery degree of this border containeth 4 minutes and euery minute 40 seconds Now haue I told thee twice and for the more declaration Of the principal Cercles THe plate vnder the reete is discriued with three Cercles of which the least is cleaped the Cercle of Cancer because that the head of Cancer tourneth euermore concentrike vpon the same Cercle In this half of Cancer is the greatest declination Northward of the Sunne and therefore is he ycleped Solsticium of Summer which declination after the Ptholome is 23 degrees and 50 minutes as well in Cancer as in Capricorne This signe of Cancer is cleped the Tropick of Summer of Tropos that is to saine ayenward The middle cercle in widenesse of this three is cleaped the cercle Equinoctiall vpon which tourneth euermore the heads of Aries and Libra And vnderstande well that euermore this cercle Equinoctiall tourneth justly fro very East to very West as I haue shewed in the sphere solid This same cercle is cleaped also the wayer of the day For when the Sunne is in the head of Aries and Libra then been days and nights like of length in all the world and therefore been these two signes called Equinoctis And all that mooueth within these heads of Aries and Libra is ycalled Northward and all that mooueth without these heads his meuing is cleped Southward as for the Equinoctiall take kepe of the latitudes North and South and forget it not by this cercle Equinoctiall been considered the 24 hours of the clock For euermore the arising of 15 degrees of the Equinoctiall maketh an hour equall of the clock This Equinoctiall is cleped the mid way of the first meuing or els of the Sunne And note that the first meuing is cleped meuing of the first mouable of the eighth Sphere which meuing is fro East to West and again into East Also it is cleped girdle of the first meuing For it departeth the first meuable that is to sain the sphere in two like parties euen distant fro the Poles of this world
of Capricorn vnto the head of Cancer and ayenward from the head of Cancer vnto the head of Capricorn The head of Capricorn is the lowest point where as the Sun goeth in Winter and the head of Cancer is the highest point in which the Sun goeth in Sommer And therefore vnderstand well that any two degrees that been ylike far from any of these two heads trust well that thilk two degrees been like declination be it Southward or Northward and the days of hem been like of length and the nights also and shadows ylike and the altitudes ylike at midday for euer To know the very degree of any manner Star strange after his latitude though he be indeterminate in thy Astrolabie soothly to the truth thus he shall be known TAke the altitude of thy Sterre when he is on the East side of the line meridional as nigh as thou maist gesse and take the ascendent anone right by some manner sterre fix which thou knowest and forget not the altitude of the first sterre ne thine ascendent And when that this is done aspie diligently when this same first sterre passeth any thing to the South westward and catch him anone right in the same nombre of the altitude on the West side of this line meridional as he was caught on the East side and take a new ascendent anone right by some manner fixe the which that thou knowest and forget not this second ascendent And when this is done recken then how many degrees been betwixt the first ascendent and the second ascendent and recken well the middle degree betwixt both ascendents and set thilk middle degree vpon thine East orizont and then look what degree sit vpon the line meridional and take there the very degree of the Ecliptike in which the sterre standeth for the time For in the Ecliptike is the longitude of a celestiall body reckened euen fro the half of the head of Aries vnto the end of Pisces and his latitude is reckened after the quantite of his declination North or South toward the poles of this werke As thus if it be of the Sun or any fix sterre recken his latitude or his declinacion fro the equinoctial cercle and if it be of a planet recken then the quantite of his latitude from the ecliptike line all be it so that from the equinoctial may the declinacion or the latitude of any body celestiall be reckened after the sight North or South and after the quantite of his declinacion And yet so may the latitude or the declinacion of any body celestiall saue onely of the Sun after his sight North or South And after the quantite of his declinacion be reckened from the ecliptike line fro which line all Planets sometime decline North or South saue onely the foresaid Sun To know the degrees of Longitudes of fixe Stars after that they been determinate in thine Astrolabie if it so be that they been truely set SEt the center of the sterre vpon the line meridional and take keepe of thy Zodiake and looke what degree of any signe sitte vpon the same line meridional at the same time and there the degree in which the sterre standeth and with the same degree commeth the same sterre vnto the same line from the orizont To know in special the Latitude of our Center I mean after the altitude of Oxenford and the heighth of our Pole UNderstand well that as farre is the head of Aries or Libra in the equinoctial from our orizont as is the synet from the pole artike and as hye as the pole artike from the orizont as the equinoctiall is farre from the synet I preue it thus by the latitude of Oxenford vnderstand well that the height of our pole artike from our North orizont is 51 degrees and 50 minutes then is the synet from the pole artike 38 degrees and 10 minutes then is the equinoctiall from our synet 51 degrees and 50 minutes then is our South orizont from our equinoctiall 38 degrees and 10 minutes Vnderstand well this reckening also forget not that the synet is 90 degrees of height from the orizont and our equinoctiall is 90 degrees from our pole artike Also this short rule is sothe that the latitude of any planet in a region is the distaunce from the synet vnto the equinoctiall To prove the Latitude of any place in a Region by the proof of the heighth of the Pole artike in that same place IN some winters night when the firmament is cleere and thicke sterred wait a time till that euery sterre fix sit line right perpendiculer ouer the pole artike and clepe that sterre A. and wait another sterre that sit line right vnder A. and vnder the pole and clepe that sterre F. and vnderstand well that F. is not considred but onely to declare that A. that sit euer on the pole Take then anone right the altitude of A. from the orizont and forget it not let A. and F. go farewel till against the dawning a great while and come then again and abide till that A. is euen vnder the pole vnder F. for sothely then will F. sit ouer the pole take then eftsones the altitude of A. from the orizont and note as well the second altitude as the first altitude And when that this is done recken how many degrees that the first altitude A. exceeded his altitude and take half the ilke porcion that is exceeded and adde it to his second altitude and take there the eleuacion of the pole and eke the altitude of thy region For these two been of one nombre that is to saine as many degrees as thy pole is eleuat so moch is the latitude of thy region Ensample as thus Parauenture the altitude of A. in the euening is 92 degrees of height then will the second altitude or the dawning be 21. that is to saine lesse than 92. that was his first altitude at euen Take then the half of 92. and adde to it 21. that was his second altitude and then hast thou the height of the pole and the latitude of thy region But vnderstand well to preue this conclusion and many another fayre conclusion thou maist haue a plomet hanging on a line higher than thy head on a perche and that line mote hang euen perpendiculer betwixt the pole and thine eye and then shalt thou see if A. sit euen ouer the pole and ouer F. at euen And also if F. sit euen ouer the pole and ouer A. at day Another Conclusion to prove the heighth of the Pole artike from the Orizont TAke any sterre fixe that euer descendeth vnder the orizont in thilke region and consider his highest altitude and his lowest altitude from the orizont and make a nombre of these altitudes take then and abate half that nombre and take there the eleuacion of the pole artike in that same region and for the more declaracion c. 0 82. 51. 0. 20. Another Conclusion to prove the Latitude of a Region that ye
hours and lay thy labell on the degree of the Sun and recken how many degrees of the Sun been between the line meridionall and the point of thy labell and note well the nombres Tourn then again thine Astrolabie and set the point of thy great rule there thou takest thine altitudes vpon as many degrees in his bordure from his meridional as was the point of thy labell from the line meridionall on the womb side Take then thine Astrolabie with both hands sadly and slyly and let the Sun shine through both holes of thy rule and slyly in thilke shining lay thine Astrolabie couch adown euen vpon a plain ground and then will the meridionall line of thine Astrolabie be euen South and the East line will lie euen East and the West line West and the North line North so that thou werke softly and auisely in the couching and thou hast thus the four quarters of the firmament c. To know the altitude of Planets from the way of the Sun whether they been North or South from the way aforesaid LOok when a Planet is on the line meridional if that her altitude be of the same height that is the degree of the Sun for that day and then is the Planet in the very way of the Sun and hath no latitude And if the altitude of the Planet be higher than the degree of the Sun then is the Planet North from the way of the sign South a quantite of latitude as sheweth by thine almicanteras and if the altitude be lesse than the degree of the Sun then is the Planet South from the way of the Sun soch a quantite of latitude as sheweth by thine almicanteras This is to saine from the way of the Sun in euery place of the Zodiake for on the morow the Sun will be in another degree For to know the Signet for the arising of the Sun this is to fain the party of the Orizont in which the Sun ariseth THou must first consider that the Sun ariseth not in the very East signet sometime by North East and sometime by South East sothly the Sun ariseth euermore in the very East in our orizont but if he be in the head of Aries or Libra Now is thine orizont departed into 24 parties of thy minutes in significacion of 24 parts of the world though it be so that shipmen recken all that parties in 32. Then is there no more but wait in the which minute that the Sun entreth at his arising and take there the signet of the rising of the Sun The manner of division of thine Astrolabie is thus enjoyned as in this case FIrst it is deuided in four places principally with the line that commeth fro the East to the West and then with another line that goeth fro the South to the North then is it deuided in small parties of minutes as East and East by South where that is the first minute aboue the East line and so forth fro party to party till that thou come again to the East line Thus thou might vnderstand the signet of euery sterre in which party he ariseth To know in which party of the Firmament is the Conjunction COnsider the time of the conjunction by the Kalender as thus how many hours that the conjunction is fro midday of the day before as sheweth the Canon of the Kalender Recken then that nomber in the bordure of thine Astrolabie as thou were wont to do in knowing of the hours of the day or of the night and lay thy labell ouer the degree of the Sun then will the point of the labell sit vpon the hour of the conjunction Look then in which minute the degree of the Sun sitteth and in that party of the firmament is the conjunction To know the Signet of the altitude of the Sun THis is no more to say but any time of the day take the altitude of the Sun and by the minutes in which hee ascendeth thou might see in which party of the Firmament hee is and in the same wise might thou see by night of any sterre wheder hee sit East West or South or any part betwixe after the name of the minutes in which the sterres standeth To know sothly the longitude of the Moon or any Planet that hath no Latitude from the time of the Ecliptike Line TAke the altitude of the Moone and reken thyne altitude vp among thyne almicanteras on which side that the moone standeth set there a pricke Take then anone right upon the Moones side the altitude of euery sterre fixe that thou knowest and set his cercle upon his altitude among thyne almicanteras there the Sterre is founden waite then of which degree the zodiake is to which the prick of the altitude of the Moon and there take the degree in which the Moone standeth This conclusion is very soth of the Starres in thine Astrolaby and standeth after the trouth Some treatise of the Astrolaby maketh none excepcion whether the Moone have altitude or none nor whether side of the Moone the altitude of the Sterre be found And note if the Moone shewe her selfe by day then thou mayest woorche the same conclusion by the Sunne as well as by the starre fixe This is the werching of the Conclusions to know whether any Planet be direct or retrograde TAke the altitude of any Sterre that is cleped a Planete and note it well anone right take the altitude of some sterre fixe that thou knowest and note it well also and come again the third or the fourth night next folowyng for then thou shalt perceyue well the meuyng of the Planete whether he meue forward or backward and waite well then when the sterre fixe is in this same altitude that she was when thou tooke her first altitude of the foresaid Planet and note it well for trust well if so be that the Planet be in the right side of the meridional line so that his second altitude be lesse than the first altitude was then is the Planet direct and if he be in the West side in that condicion then is he retrograde and if so be that this Planet be in the East side when his altitude is take so that the second altitude be more than his first altitude then is he retrograde and if he be in the West side of the lyne meridional then is he direct but the contrary moving of these parties is the cours of the Moone for sothly the moone moveth the contrary fro either Planets in her ecliptike line but in none other maner The conclusion of equacions of Houses after the Astrolaby SEt the beginnyng of the degree that ascendeth upon the end of the viii houre inequall then will the lyne of the second house sit upon the line of midnight remeue then the degree that ascendeth and set him upon the end of the x. houre inequale then will the beginning of the iii. house sitte upon the Midnight lyne bryng up againe the same degree that ascendeth first
men Of maisters had he mo than thrise ten That were of Lawe expert and curious Of which there was a dosen in that hous Worthy to been stewards of rent and land Of any Lord that is in England To maken him live by his proper good In honour deptlesse but if he were wood Or live as scarsly as him list desre And able to helpen all a shire In any case that might fallen or hap And yet the Manciple set all her cap. ¶ The Reue. 20. THe Reue was a slender cholerik Man His bearde was shave as nie as ever he can His heere was by his eares round ishorne His top was docked like a Priest beforne Full long were his legs and eke full lene I like a staffe there was no calfe i seene Well couth he kepe a Garner and a Binne There was none Auditour coud on him win Well wist he by the drought by the raine The yelding of his seed and of his graine His Lords Shepe his Nete and his Deirie His swine his Hors his store and his pultrie Were holly in this Reuis governing And by his Covenant yaue he rekening Sith his Lord was twentie yeere of age There could no man bring him in arerage There nas Bailie Herde nor other Hine That he ne knew his sleight and his covine They were adradde of him as of the death His wonning was full faire upon an Heath With grene trees shadowed was his place He couth better than his Lord purchace Full riche he was and stored priuely His Lord he could well please and subtiliy To yeue and lene him of his owne good And have a thank and yet a coate a hood In youth he had learned a good mystere He was a whele wright a Carpentere This Reue satte upon a right god stot That was all pomell gray and height Scot. A long surcote of perce upon he hade And by his side he bare a rustie blade Of Norfolke was this Reue of which I tell Biside a toune men clepen it Baldeswell Tucked he was as is a Frere about And euer he rode hinderest of the route ¶ The Sompnour 21. A Sompnour was with us in the place That had a fire red Cherubins face For saufleme he was with iyen narow All hot he was and lecherous as a Sparow With scaled brows blacke and pilled berde Of his visage Children were fore afferde There nas quicksilver litarge ne brimstone Borage Ceruse ne oile of Tartar none Ne Ointment that would cleanse or bite That him might helpe of his whelks white Ne of his knobbes sitting on his Chekes Well loued he Garlike Onions and Lekes And for to drink strong wine as red as blood Then would he speak cry as he were wood And when he had well idronke the wine Then would he speake no word but Latine A few terms coud he two or three That he had learned out of some degree No wonder is he had heard it all the daie And ye knowen well eke how that a Iaie Can clepe watte as well as can the Pope But who so couth in other thing him grope Then had he spent all his Philosophie A questio quid juris would he crie He was a gentill harlot and a kind A better fellow should a man not find He would suffer for a quart of Wine A good fellow to have his Concubine A twelue month and excuse him at the full * Full priuely eke a Finch couth he pull And if he found o where a good fellawe He would teachen him to have none awe In soch case of the Arch Deacons course But if mans Soul were in his Pourse For in his Pourse he should ipunished be Pourse is the Arch Deacons Hell said he But well I wote he lieth right in dede Of cursing ought eke sinfull man drede For cursing woll slea as asoiling saveth And also ware him of a Significav it In daunger had he at his own gise The young Girls of the Diocise And knew her counsaile and was of her red A garlond he set upon his hed As great as it were for an alestake A Buckler had he maked him of a Cake ¶ The Pardoner 22. WIth him there rode a gentle Pardonere Of Rouncevall his friend and his compere That strait was come fro the court of Rome Full loud song he come hider love sone This Sompnour bare to him a stiff burdoun Was never Trompe of half so great a soun This Pardoner had heer as yellow as wax But somth it hing as doth a stricke of flax By unces hing his lockes that he had And therewith he his shoulders oversprad Full thinne it laie by culpons one and one But hode for iolite ne weared he none For it was trussed up in his wallet Him thought he rode all of the new set Dishe vild save his Cappe he rode all bare Soch glaring iyen had he as an Hare A Vernacle had he sowed upon his cappe His wallet beforne him on his lappe Bret full of pardon come from Rome al hote A voice he had as small as hath a Gote No berde had he ne never should have As smoth it was as it were new shave I trow he were a Gelding or a Mare But of his craft fro Barwike unto Ware Ne was there soch another Pardonere For in his male had he a Pillowhere Which as he said was our Ladies vaile He said he had a gobbet of the saile That sanct Peter had when that he went Vpon the Sea till Iesu Christ him hent He had a Cross of Latine full of stones And in a glass he had Pigges bones But with these relikes when that he fond A poore Parsone dwelling in uplond Vpon a day he gat him more money That that Parsone gat in months twey And thus with fained flattering and japes He made the Parsone and People his apes But truly to tellen at the last He was in Church a noble Ecclesiast Well couth he read a lesson or a storie But alder best he sang an offitorie Full well he wist when that song was song He must preach and well afile his tong To winne silver as he full well coud Therefore he song so merily and loud Now have I told you sothly in a Clause The state the araie eche number the cause Why that assembled was this Companie In Southwerk at this gentell hostelrie That hight the Tabard fast by the Bell. But now is time to you for to tell How that we baren us that like night When we were in that hostelrie alight And after woll I tell of our voiage And all the remnaunt of our Pilgrimage But first I pray you of your courtesie That ye ne arrete in not my follie Though that I plainly speak in this matter To tellen you her words and eke her chere Ne though I speak her words properly For this ye knowen as well as I * Who shall tellen a tale after a man He mote rehearse as nie as ever he can Everich
yfet Duke Theseus is at the window set Arayed right as he were a god in trone The people preased thyderward full sone Him for to seen and done him high reuerence And eke to heare his hest and his sentence An herauld on a scaffold made an oo Till all the noise of the people was ydo And when he saw the people of noise still Thus shewed he forth the mighty dukes will The lord hath of his high discretion Considered that it were destruction To gentle blood to fighten in this gise Of mortall battell now in this emprise Wherefore to shapen that they shall not die He woll his first purpose modifie No man therefore up paine of losse of life No manner shot polax ne short knife Into the lists send or thider bring Ne short sword to sticke with point biting No man ne draw ne heare it by his side Ne no man shall to his fellow ride But one course with a sharp grounden spere Foin if him list on foot the same he shall were And he that is at mischiefe shall he take And not slaine but brought unto the stake That shal ben ordained on either side Thider he shall by force and there abide And if so fall that the cheefetaine be take On either side or els sleen his make No longer shall the turnament last God speed you goth and layeth on fast With swords long mases fighten your fill Goth now your way this is the lords will The voice of the people touched heuen So loud cried they with mery steuen God saue such a lord that is so good He willeth no destruction of blood Vp goth the trompes and the melody And to the lists rideth so the company By ordinance throughout the cite large Hanged with cloth of gold not with sarge Full like a lord this noble duke gan ride And these two Thebans on either side And after rode the queene and Emely And after that another company Of one and other after her degree And thus they pasten throughout the citee And to the lists comen they be by time It nas not of the day yet fully prime When set was Theseus full rich and hie Ipolita the queene and Emelie And other ladies in degrees about Vnto the seats preaseth all the rout And westward through the yates under mart Arcite and eke and hundred of his part With banner red is entred right anon And in the selue moment entred Palamon Is under Venus eastward in that place With banner white and hardy cheare face In all the world to seken up and doun So euen without variatioun There nas no where such companies twey For there was none so wise that coud sey That any had of other auauntage Of worthinesse ne of estate ne age So euen were they chosen for to gesse And into the renges faire they hem dresse When that her names red were euerichone That in her number gile were there none Tho were the gates shut and cried was loud Do now your deuoir yong knights proud The heraulds left her pricking up doun Now ringen trompes loud and clarioun There is no more to say east and west In goth the sharpe speres sadly in the arrest In goth the sharpe spurs into the side There see men who can iust and who can ride There shiueren shafts upon sheilds thicke He feeleth through the hert spoone the pricke Vp springeth the speres twenty foot on hight Out goth the swords as the siluer bright The helmes they to hew and to shred Out burst the blood with sterne stremes red With mighty maces the bones they to breke He thro the thickest of the throng gan threke There stumblen steeds strong doun gon all He rolled under foot as doth a ball He foineth on his feet with a tronchoun And he hurleth with his horse adoun He through the body is hurt and sith ytake Maugre his head brought unto the stake As forward was right there he must abide Another is lad on that other side And sometime doth hem Theseus to rest Hem to refresh and drinke if hem lest Full oft a day have these Thebans two Together met and done ech other wo Vnhorsed hath ech other of hem twey There was no tigre in the vale of Colaphey When her whelpe is stole when it is lite So cruell on the hunt as is Arcite For jealous hert upon this Palamon Ne in Belmarie there is no fell Lion That hunted is or for his hunger wood Ne of his prey desireth so the blood As Palamon to slee his foe Arcite The iealous strokes on her helmes bite Out renneth the blood on both her sides reed Sometime an end there is of euery deed For ere the sunne unto the rest went The strong king Emetrius gan hent This Palamon as he fought with this Arcite And made his sword deepe in his flesh bite And by force of twenty is he take Vnyolden and drawne to the slake And in the rescous of this Palamon The strong king Ligurge is borne adoun And king Emetrius for all his strength Is borne out of his saddle a swords length So hurt him Palamon or he were take But all for naught he was brought to the stake His hardy heart might him helpen naught He must abide when that he was caught By force and eke by composition Who sorroweth now but wofull Palamon That mote no more gone againe to fight And when that Theseus had seen that sight He cried ho no more for it is don Ne none shall lenger to his fellow gon I woll be true iudge and not party Arcite of Thebes shall haue Emely That by his fortune hath her faire ywon Anon there is a noise of people begon For ioy of this so loud and high withall It seemed that the listes shoulden fall What can now faire Venus done aboue What saith she now what doth the quene of loue But wepeth so for wanting of her will Till that her teares adowne on the lists fell She said I am ashamed doutles Saturnus said fair daughter hold thy pees Mars hath al his wil his kniÈt hath his boon And by mine dead thou shait be eased soon The trumpes with the loud minstralcie The heraulds that so loud yell and crie Been in her wele for loue of Dan Arcite But hearkeneth me and stinteth noise alite Which a miracle there befell anon The fierce Arcite hath his helme off ydon And on a courser for to shew his face He pricketh endlong in the large place Looking vpward vpon Emelie And she ayen him cast a friendly eye * For women as to speak in commune They followen all the favour of fortune And was all his chere as in his hert Out of the ground a fire infernall stert From Pluto sent at the request of Saturne For which his horse for feare gan to turne And leape aside and foundred as he lepe And ere that Arcite may taken kepe He pight him off on the pomell of his head That in the
place he lay as he were dead His breast to brosten with his saddle bow As blacke he lay as any coale or crow So was the blood yroune in his face Anon he was ybrought out of the place With hart full sore to Theseus paleis Tho was he coruen out of his harneis And in a bed ybrought full faire and bliue For he was yet in memory and on liue And alway crying after Emely Duke Theseus with all his company Is comen home to Athens his cite With all blisse and great solemnite Albeit that this auenture was fall He would not discomfort hem all Men said eke that Arcite should not die He should ben healed of his maladie And of another thing they were as faine That of hem all there was none islaine All were they sore hurt and namely one That with a spere was thirled his brest bone Two other had wounds two broken arms Some of them had salues some had charms Sundry fermaces of hearbes and eke saue They dronken for they would her liues haue For which this noble duke as he well can Comforteth and honoureth euery man And made great reuell all the long night Vnto the straunge lords as it was right Ne there nas hold no discomforting But as is at iusts or a turneying For soothly there nas no discomfiture For falling is hold but an auenture Ne to be 〈◊〉 by force unto a stake Vnyolden and with twenty knights take And one person withouten any mo To be harted forth by arme foot and too And eke his steed driuen forth with staues With footmen both yeomen and knaues It was arretted him no villanie There may no man cleape it cowardie For which anon duke Theseus did cry To stinten all rancour and enuy They gre as well of one side as of other And either side is like as others brother And yaue hem gyfts after her degree And helden a feast fully dates three And conueyed the knights worthily Out of his toune a daies iourney largely And home went euery man the right way There nas no more but farwell haue good day Of this battel I woll no more endite But speake of Palamon and of Arcite Swelleth the breast of Arcite and the sore Encreaseth at his heart still more and more The clottered blood for any lee chcraft Corrumped and is in his bouke last That neither veineblood ne vent ousing Ne drinke of hearbes may be helping By vertue expulsiue or animall For thilke vertue cleaped naturall Ne may the venim void ne expell The pipes of his lungs began to swell And euery lacerte in his breast adoun Is shent with venim and corruptioun Him gaineth neither for to get his life Vomit vpward ne downward laxatife All is to brusten thilke region Nature hath no domination * And certainly ther as nature woll not wirch Farwell physicke go beare the corse to chirch This is all and some that Arcire must die For which he sendeth after Emelie And Palamon that was his cosyn deare Then said he thus as ye shall after heare Nought may my wofull spirit in my hart Declare o point of all my sorrows smart To you my lady that I love most But I bequeath the service of my gost To you abouen any creature Since that my life may no lenger dure Alas the wo alas my paines strong That I for you haue suffered and so long Alas the death alas mine Emely Alas departing of our company Alas mine hearts queene alas my liues wife Mine hearts ladie ender of my life * What is the world what asken men to haue Now with his loue now in his cold graue Alone withouten any company Farwell my sweet foe mine Emely And soft doe take me in your armes twey For the loue of God hearkeneth what I say I haue here with my cousin Palamon Had strife and rancour many a day agon For loue of you and for my iealousie And Iupiter so wisely my soule gie To speaken of a seruant properly With circumstances all and truly That is to say trouth honor and knighthede Wisdome humblesse estate high kinrede Freedome and all that longeth to that art So Iupiter have of my soule any part As in this world right now know I non So worthy to be loued as Palamon That serueth you and woll doen all his life And if that you shall euer been a wife Foryet not Palamon the gentleman And with that word his speech faile began For from his feet vnto his breast was come The cold death that had him ouernome And yet moreouer for in his armes two The vitall strength is lost and all ago Saue only the intellect without more That dwelleth in his heart sicke and sore Gan failen wher the hart felt death Dusked been his iyen two and failed breath But on his ladie yet cast he his iye His last word was mercy Emelie His spirit chaunged and out went there Whitherward I cannot tell ne where Therfore I stint I am no diuinistre Of soules find I not in this registre Ne me list not thilke opinion to tell Of hem though they writen where they dwel Arcite is cold there Mars his soule gie Now woll I speake forth of Emelie Shright Emelie and houlen Palamon And Theseus his sister vp tooke anon Swouning and bare her fro his corse away What helpeth it to tarrie forth the day To tellen how she wept both euen morow * For in such case women haue much sorow When that her husbands been fro hem go That for the more part they sorowen so Or els fallen in such maladie That at the last certainely they die Infinit been the sorow and the teares Of old folke and folke of tender yeares In all the toune for death of this Theban For him there weepeth both child and man So great weeping was there not certaine When Hector was brought all fresh yssaine To Troy alas the pitie that was there Scratching of cheekes and renting eke here Why woldest thou be dead thus women crie And haddest gold inough and Emelie No man ne may gladen Theseus Saving his old father Egeus That knew this worlds transmutatioun * As he had seene it both vp and doun Ioy after wo and wo after gladnesse And shewed him ensamples and likenesse * Right as there died neuer man qd he That he ne liued in yearth in some degree Right so there liued neuer man he saied In this world that sometime he ne deied * This world is but a throughfare full of wo And we been pilgrimes passing to and fro Death is an end of euery worlds sore And over all this yet said he much more To this effect full wisely to exhort The people that they should hem recomfort Duke Theseus with all his busie cure Casteth now where that the sepulture Of good Arcite shall best ymaked bee And eke most honourable for degree And at the last he tooke conclusion That there as Arcite and Palamon Had for love the
fast as euer he might And graspeth by the wals to and fro To find a staffe and she stert vp also And knew the eftres bet than did this Ihon And by the wall she found a staffe anon And saw a little shemering of a light For at an hole in shone the Moone bright And by that light she saw hem both two But sikerly she nist who was who But as she sey a white thing in her eie And when she gan this white thing espie She wend the clerke had weard a voluper And with the staffe she drow ner and ner And wend haue hit this Alein at full And smote the Miller on the pilled skull That doun he goth and cried harrow I die These clerkes beat him well and let him lie And raieth hem and tooke her horse anon And eke her meale and on her way they gon And at the Mill dore they tooke her cake Of halfe a bushell floure well ybake Thus is the proud Miller well ybete And hath ylost the grinding of the whete And paid for the supper euery dele Of Alein and of Ihon that beat him wele His wife is swiued and his doughter al 's Lo such it is a Miller to be fals And therefore this prouerbe is full sooth * Him dare not well weene that euill dooth A guilour shall himselfe beguiled be And God that sit in hie maieste Saue all this company great and smale Thus haue I quit the Miller in his tale ¶ The Cookes Prologue THe Cooke of London while the Reue spake For joy he thought he claude him on the backe A ha quoth hee for Christes passioun This Miller hath a sharpe conclusioun Vpon this argument of her bigage Well sayd Salamon in his language Ne bring not euery man into thine house For herbouring by night is perillous Well ought a man auised for to be Whome that he brought into his priuite I pray to God so yeue me sorrow and care If euer sithen I hight Hodge of Ware Heard I a Miller bette isett awerke He had a iape of malice in the derke But God forbid that we stinten here And therefore if ye vouchsafe to heare A tale of me that am a poore man I woll tell you as well as I can A little yape that fell in our citee Our host saied I graunt it thee Now tell on Rodger looke that it be good * For many a pastie hast thou letten blood And many a Iacke of Douet hast thou sold That hath been twise hot and twise cold Of many a pilgrime hast thou Christs curse * For of thy persse yet fare they the worse That they haue eaten with thy stoble Goos * For in thy shop is many a Flie loos Now tell on gentle Rodger by thy name But yet I pray thee be not wroth for game * A man may say full sooth in game play Thou saiest full sooth qd Roger by my fay * But soth play quade play as the Fleming Saith And therefore Henry Bailly by thy faith Be thou not wroth or we departen here Though that my tale been of an hostelere But nethelesse I woll not tellen it yet But ere we part ywis thou shalt be quit And therwithall he lough and made cheare And saied his tale as ye shullen after heare THE Description of an unthriftie Prentice given to Dice Women and Wine wasting thereby his Masters Goods and purchasing Newgate to himself The most of this Tale is lost or else never finished by the Author ¶ The Cookes Tale. A Prentise whylome dwelt in our cite And of the craft of Vitailers was he Galiard he was as Goldfinch in the shawe Broune as a berrie a proper short felawe With lockes blacke and kemt full fetously Daunce he couth full well and jollily He was called Perkin Reuelour He was as full of loue and paramour As is the hiue full of honey sweet Well was the wench with him that might meet At euery Bridal would he sing and hop He loued bette the tauernes than the shop For when any riding was in Cheape Out of the shoppe thither would he leape Till that he had of all the sight isein And soothly he would not come agein But gather him a meinie of his sort To hop and sing and make such disport And there they set Steuin for to meet To plaien at the dice in such a street For in the city nas there no Prentise That fairer couth casten a paire of dise Then Perkin couth and thereto he was fre Of his dispence in place of priuite That found his maister well in his chafare For oft times he found his boxe full bare * For sikerly a prentise reuelour That haunteth dise riot or paramour His maister shall it in his shop abie All haue he no part of the Ministralcie For theft and riot they been conuertible All can he play on Gettron or on Rebible * Revel and truth as in lowe degree They ben full wroth all day as men may see This iolly prentise with his maister abode Till he were nigh out of his prentishode All were he snibbed both earely and late and sometime led with reuel to Newgate But at the last his maister him bethought Vpon a day when he his paper sought Of a prouerbe that saith this same word * Well bette is rotten apple out of hord Than that it should rot all the remnaunt So fareth it by a roiotous seruaunt It is much lesse harme to let him passe Then he shend all the seruaunts in the place Therefore his master gaue him a quittaunce And bad him go with sorow mischaunce And thus this iolly prentise had his leue Now let him roiot all the night or leue And for there is no theefe without a louke That helpeth him to waste or to souke Of that he bribe can or borrow may Anon he sent his bed and his array Vnto a compere of his owne sort That loued dice reuel and disport And had a wife that held for countenance A shop and swiued for her sustenance ¶ The man of Lawes Prologue OUr host saw well how that the bright Sunne The arke of his artificial day had runne The fourth part and eke halfe an houre more And though he were not deepe expert in lore He wist well it was the eighteene day Of April that is the messenger to May And saw well that the shadow of euery tre Was in length of the same quantite As was the body erect that caused it And therefore by the shadow he tooke his wit That Phebus which that shone clear bright Degrees was fortie fiue clomben of hight And for that day as in latitude It was ten of the clocke he gan conclude And suddenly he plight his horse about Lordings qd he I warne you al the rout The fourth part of this day is now agon Now for the loue of God and of saint Iohn Leseth no time as ferfoorth as ye may Lordings the time wasteth both night day And stealeth
saieth the Apostle cloth and food Sufficeth vs though they be not full good The cleanenesse and the fasting of vs Freres Maketh that Christ accepteth our prayeres Lo Moises fortie daies and fortie night Fasted ere that the high God of his might Spake with him in the mount of Sinay With empty wombe fasting many a day Receiued he the law that was written With Gods finger and Hely well witten In mount Oreb ere he had any speech With the high God that is our soules leech He fasted long and was in contemplaunce Aaron that had the temple in gouernaunce And eke the other priests euerichone Into the temple when they should gone To praien for the people and doen seruice They nold drinke in no manner wise No drinke that dronke might hem make But there in abstinence pray and wake Least that they deiden take heed what I say But they be sober that for the people pray Ware that I say no more for it sufficeth Our Lord Iesu as holy writ deuiseth Yaue vs ensample of fasting and prayeres Therefore we Mendicantes we silly Freres Ben wedded to pouert and continence To charity humblenesse and abstinence To persecution for rightwisnesse To weeping misericorde and cleanenesse And therefore may ye see that our prayeres I speake of vs mendicants we Freres Ben to the high God more acceptable Than yours with your feast at your table Fro Paradice first if I shall not lie Was man chased out for his gluttonie And chast was man in Paradice certain But herken now Thomas what I shall sain I haue no text thereof as I suppose But I find it in manner of a glose That specially our sweet Lord Iesus Spake this by Freres when he saied thus Blessed be they that poore in spirit been And so forth all the Gospell may ye seen Whether it be liker our perfection Or hers that swimmen in possession Fie on her pompe and on her gluttonie And on her leaudnesse I hem defie Me thinketh they ben like Iouinian Fat as a Whale and walking as a Swan As vinolent as bottle in the spence Her prayer is of full little reuerence When they for souls say the Psalme of Dauid Lo bouffe they sain Cor meum eructauit Who followeth Christs Gospell his lore But we that humble be chast and poore Workers of gods word and not auditours Therefore right as an hauke at a sours Vp springeth into the aire so prayeres Of charitable and cahst busie Freres Maken her sours vp to Gods eares two Thomas Thomas so mote I ride or go And by that lord that cleaped is saint Yue Ne thou our broder wer thou shouldst not thriue For in our Chapiter pray we day night To Christ that he thee send health and might Thy body for to welden hastily God wot qd he nothing therof feele I As help me Christ for within few years Haue I spended vpon diuers maner Freres Well many a pound yet fare I neuer the bet Certain my good haue I almost beset Farewell my good for it is almost ago The frere answerd o Thomas dost thou so What needeth thee diuers Freres to sech What needeth him that hath a perfit lech To sechen other leches in the town Your inconstance is your confusion Hold ye me then or els our Couent To prayen for you insufficient Thomas that iape nis not worth a Mite Your maladie is for we haue to lite A yeue that couent halfe a quarter Otes And yeue that couent four twenty gortes And yeue that Frere a penny and let him go Nay nay Thomas it may nothing be so What is a farthing worth parted in twelue Lo ech thing that is oned in himselue Is more strong than when it is so scattered Thomas of me thou shalt not be iflattered Thou wolst haue all our labour for nought The hie God that all this world hath wrought * Saith that the workman is worthy his hire Thomas naught of your treasure I desire As for my self but that all our couent To pray for you is aie so diligent And holy for to builden Christ owne chirch Thomas if ye woll learne for to wirch Of building vp of Chirches may ye sinde If it be good in Thomas life of Inde Ye liggen here full of anger and ire With which the deuil set your heart on fire And chiden here this holy innocent Your wife that is so good and patient And therfore trow me Thomas if ye lest Ne chide not with thy wife as for the best And beare this word away by thy faith Touching such thing lo what the wise saith * Within thy house be thou no Lion To thy subjects do thou none oppression Ne make not thine acquaintance to flee And yet Thomas eftsones charge I thee Beware of her that in thy bosom sleepeth Ware of the serpent that so slily creepeth Vnder the grasse and stingeth full subtilly Beware my sonne and hearken patiently That twenty thousand men han lost her liues For striuing with her lemmans her wiues Now since you haue so holy and meek a wife What nedeth you Thomas to make strife * There nis iwis no serpent so cruell When men treden on his taile ne halfe so fel As a woman is when she hath caught an ire Vengeance is then all her desire Ire is a sinne one of the greatest of seuen Abhominable unto the high God of heven And to himself it is destruction This every lewd Vicar and Parson * Can say how ire engendreth homecide Ire is in sooth the executour of pride I could of ire say so much sorrow That my tale should last till to morrow And therfore I pray God both day and night That to an irous man he send little might * It is great harme and eke great pitee To see an irous man in high degree Whiledom ther was an irous potestate As saith Seneck that during his estate Vpon a day out riden knights two And as fortune would it should be so That one of hem came home that other nought Anon the knight before the judge is brought That said thus thou hast thy fellow slain For which I deme thee to the death certain And to another knight commanded he Go lead him to the death I charge thee And hapned as they went by the wey Toward the place ther as he should dey The knight came which men wend had be ded Then thought they that it was the best reed To lede hem both to the Iudge again They saiden lord the knight hath not slain His fellow here he stant hole aliue Ye shullen be dead qd he so mot I thriue That is to say both one two and three And to the first knight right thus spake he I damned thee thou must algate be dead And thou must also leese needs thyn head For thou art cause why thy fellow dieth And to the third knight right thus he sayeth Thou hast not don that I commanded thee And thus he lete do fle hem
merry and glad of chere And ye sir host that been to me so dere I pray you that ye kisse the Pardonere And Pardoner I pray thee draw thee nere And as we did let us lough and play Anon they kissed and ride forth her way ¶ The Shipmans Prologue NOw friendes said our host so dere How liketh you by Iohn the Pardonere He hath vnbokeled well the male He hath us told right a thriftie tale As touching of mens misgouernaunce I pray to God yeue him full good chaunce As ye han heard of these riotours three Now gentle Mariner I heartely pray thee Tell us a good tale and that right anon It shall be doen by God by saint Iohn Said this Mariner as well as euer I can And right anon his tale he thus began ¶ The Shipmans Tale. A Marchant of S. Denise is cozened by his own Wife and by a Monke called Dan John This Argument is taken out of Bochas in his Novels A Marchant whilome dwelled at saint Denise That rich was for which men held him A wife he had of excellent beaute And compinable reuelous was she wise Which is a thing that causeth more dispence Than worth is all the chere reuerence That men hem doen at feasts at daunces * Such salutations and countenaunces Passeth as doeth the shaddow on a wall But wo is him that pay mote for all The sely husbond algate he mote pay He mote vs both clothe and eke array All for his owne worship richely In which array we dauncen jolily And if that he may not perauenture Or els lust not no such spece endure But thinketh that it is wast and ylost Then mote another pay for our cost And lend vs gold and that is perillous This noble Marchant held a noble hous For which he had all day great repaire For his largesse and for his wife was faire That wonder is but herkeneth to my tale Among all his guells both great imale There was a Monke a faire man a bold I trow thirtie Winter he was old That euer in one was drawing to that place This yong Monke that so faire was of face Acquainted was so well with this good man Sithens that he first knowledge began That in his house as familiar was he As it is possible any friend to be And for as much as this good man And eke the Monke of which I began Were both two yborne in one village The Monke him claimed as for cousinage And he againe saied him not once nay But was as glad thereof as foule of day For to his heart it was a great pleasaunce Thus ben they knit with eterne alliaunce And eke of hem gan other for to ensure Of brotherhed whiles her life may dure Free was Dan Iohn namely of dispence As in that hous and full of diligence To doe pleasaunce and eke great costage He foryate not to yeue the least page In all that house but after her degree He yaue the lord and sithen his meinee When that he came some maner honest thing For which they were as glad of his comming As foule is faine when the sunne vp riseth No more hereof as now for it suffiseth But so befell this Marchaunt on a day Shope him to make ready his array Toward the toune of Bruges for to fare To buy there a portion of ware For which he hath sent to Paris anon A messenger and praied hath Dan Ihon That he should come to S. Denis to plain With him and with his wife a day or twain Or he to Bruges went in all wise This noble Monke of which I you deuise Hath of his Abbot as him list licence Because he was a man of high prudence And eke an officer out for to ride To seene her graunges her bernes wide And vnto saint Denis he commeth anon Who was so welcome as my lord Dan Iohn Our dere cousin full of courtesie With him he brought a jubbe of Maluesie And eke another full of fine vernage And volatily as was aye his vsage And thus I let hem both eat drinke play This marchant this monke a day or tway The third day this Marchaunt vp riseth And on his need sadly him aviseth And vp into his counting house goth he To reckon with himselfe as well may be Of thilke yere how it with him stood And how he dispended had his good And if that he encreased were or none His bookes and his bagges many one He laieth afore him on his counter bord Full rich was his treasure and his hord For which full fast his counter dore he shet And eke he nolde no man should him let Of his accounts for the meane time And thus he sate till it was passed prime Dan Iohn was risen in the morrow also And in the garden walked to and fro And hath his things saied full courtesâ—y This good wife come walking priuely Into the garden there he walked soft And him salueth as she hath doen full oft A maiden child came in her companie Which as her lust she may gouerne and gie For yet vnder the yerd was the maid O dere cousin mine Dan Iohn she said What aileth you so rathe to rise Nece qd he it ought ynough suffise Fiue houres for to sleepen on a night But it were for an old palled wight As been these old wedded men that lie dare As in a forme sitteth a weary Hare Al forstraught with hounds great smale But deere nece why looke ye so pale I trowen certes that our good man Hath you laboured sith this night began That you were need to resten hastely And with that word he lough full merely And with his owne thought he woxe fall red Then this faire wife gan to shake her hed And saied thus ye God wote all qd she Nay cousin mine it stonds not so with me For by that God that yave me soule life In all the realme of Fraunce is there no wife That lesse lust hath to that sory play For I may singen alas and welaway That I was borne but to no wight qd she Dare I not tell how it stont with me Wherefore I think out of this world to wend Or els of my selfe soone to make an end So full I am of drede and eke of care This Monk began vpon his wife to stare And saied alas nay nece God forbede That ye for any sorrow or for any drede Fordoe your selfe but telleth me your greefe Perauenture I may in your mischeefe Counsaile or helpe and therefore telleth me All your annoy for it shall secre be For on my Porthose I make an oth That neuer in my life for lefe ne loth Ne shall I not of no counsaile you bewray The same ayen to you qd she I say By God by this Porthose I you sweare Though men would me all in peeces teare Ne shall I neuer for to goe to hell Bewray o word of thing that ye me tell Nor for
many reignes great In the Orient with many a faire cite Appertainaunt vnto the maiestie O Rome with strength held the mfull fast Ne neuer might her foemen doe her fle All the while that Odinates dayes last Her battailes who so list hem for to rede Againe Sapor the king and other mo And how all this proces fill in dede Why she conquered and her title therto And after of her mischiefe and her wo How that she was besieged and itake Let him to my maister Petrarke go That writeth ynough of this I vndertake When Odenat was dead she mightily The realmes held and with her owne honde Ayenst her foes she fought so truely That ther nas no prince ne king in all the lond But were full glad if they that grace fond That she ne should vpon his londe warrey With her they made aliaunce by bond To be in peace and let hem ride and pley The Emperour of Rome Claudius Ne him beforne the Romain Galien Ne durst neuer be so coragious Ne non Armen ne non Egipcien Ne Surrien ne none Arabien Within the field that durst with her fight Lest that she would hem with her hondes sleen Or with her maine put hem to flight In kings habite wenten her sonnes two As the lawfull heires of her realmes all And Hermanno and Titamallo Her names were as Perciens hem call * But aie fortune hath in her honie gall This mightie Queene may no while endure Fortune out of her reigne made her to fall To wretchednesse and to misauenture Aurelian when that the gouernance Of Rome came into his honds twey He shope vpon this Queene to do vengeance And with his legions he tooke his way Toward Zenobia and shortly for to say He made her flie and at last her hent And fettered her and eke her children tway And wan the land home to Rome he went Emongest other things that he wan Her chair that of gold was wrought pierre This great Romaine this Aurelian Hath with him lad that for men should it see All beforne his triumph walked she With golden chaines on her necke honging Crowned she was as after he degre And full of pierre charged her clothing Alas fortune she that whilom was Dredefull to kings and to Emperours Now gaureth all the people on her alas And she that helmed was in stark stoures And wan by force townes strong and toures Shall on her head now weare autremite And she that bare the septer full of floures Shall beare a distafe her cost for to quite Nero. ALthough that Nero were as vicious As any fende that lieth full low adown Yet he as telleth vs Suetonius All this world had in subiectioun Both East and West and Septentrioun Of Rubies Saphires and of Perles white Were all his clothes broudred vp and down For he in gemmes greatly gan delite More delicate more pompous of aray More proude was neuer Emperour than he That like cloth that he had weared o day After that time he nold it neuer see Nettes of golde threde had he great plente To fish in Tiber when him list to play His lusts were as law in his degre For fortune as his friend would him obay He Rome brent for his dilicacie The Senatours he slue vpon a day To heare how her wiues would weepe crie And slow his brother and by his sister lay His mother made he in a pitous aray For he her wombe let slit to behold Where he conceiued was so welaway That he so little of his mother told No teares out of his eyen for that sight He came but saied a faire woman was she Great wonder is that he coud or might Be Domisman of her dead beaute The wine to bring him commaunded he And dranke anon none other wo he made * When might is joined vnto cruelte Alas too deepe will the venume wade In youth a maister had this Emperour To teach him lettrure and courtesie For of moralite he was the flour And in his time but if his bookes lie And whiles his maister had of him maistrie He made him so cunning and so souple That long time it was or tyrannie Or any vice durst in him encouple Senek his maister was of which I deuise Because Nero had of him such drede For he for his vices would him chastise Discreetly as by word and not by dede Sir he would say an Emperour mote nede Be vertuous and hate tyrannie For which he made him in a bathe to blede On both his armes till he must die This Nero had eke a customaunce In youth ayenst his maister to rise And afterward him thought great grevaunce Because he often would him chastise Therefore he made him to die in this wise He chose in a bathe to die in this manere Rather than to have another turmentise And thus hath Nero slaine his maister dere Now fell it so that fortune list no longer The high pride of Nero to cherishe For tho he were strong yet was she stronger She thought thus by God I am too nice To set a man that is fulfilled of vice In high degree and an Emperour him call By God out of his seat I woll him trice When he least weneth soonest shall he fall The people rose upon him on a night For his defaut and when he it aspied Out of his dores anon he hath him dight Alone and there he wend have been allied He knocked fast and aye the more he cried The faster shet they the dores all Tho wist he well he had himselfe beguiled And went his way no lenger durst he call The people cried rombled up and down That with his ears he heard how they saied Where is this false tyrant this Neroun For feare full neere out of his wit he braied And to his gods right pitously he praied For succour but it might not betide For drede of this him thought that he deid And ran into a garden him to hide And in this garden found he chorles twey Sitting by a fire great and red And to the chorles two he gan to prey To slea him and to gird off his hed That to his body when he were ded Were no despite done for his defame Himselfe he slough he could no better red Of which fortune lough had then game Holofernes WAs neuer capitaine vnder a king That reignes mo put in subjectioun Ne stronger was in field of all thing As in his time ne greater of renoun Ne more pompous in high presumptioun Than Holoferne which fortune aye kist And so licourousâ—y lad him up and doun Till that he dead was ere that he wist * Not onely that this world had of him awe For lesing of richesse and liberte But he made euery man renie his lawe Nabuchodonosor was lord saied he None other God should honoured be Ayenst his hest there dare no wight trespace Saue in Bethulia a strong cite Where Eliachem was priest of that place But take keepe of the
laie and that know all ye But that is not the worst as mote I thee But told I you the worst point I leve All sayd I sooth ye woulden at me greve But take this that ye Lovers oft eschew Or else done of good entention Full oft thy Ladie woll it misse constrew And deeme it harme in her opinion And yet if she for other encheson Be wroth then shalt thou have a groin anon Lord well is him that may been of you one But for all this when that he seeth his time He held his peace none other bote him gained For Love began his feathers so to lime That well vnneth vnto his folke he fained That other busie needs him distrained So woe was him that what to done he nist But had his folke to gon where as hem list And when that he in chamber was alone He doune vpon his beds feet him set And first he gan to sike and eft to grone And thought aie on her so withouten let That as he sate and woke his spirit met That he her saw and temple and all the wise Right of her looke and gan it new avise Thus gan he make a mirrour of his mind In which he saw all wholy her figure And that he well coud in his heart find It was to him a right good aventure To love such one and if he did his cure To serven her yet might he fall in grace Or else for one of her servants pace Imagining that travaile nor grame Ne might for so goodly one be lorne As she ne him for his desire no shame All were it wist but in prise and vp borne Of all Lovers well more than beforne Thus argumented he in his ginning Full vnavised of his wo comming Thus took he purpose loves craft to sewe And thought he would worken privily First for to hide his desire in mewe From everie wight iborne all overly But he might ought recovered been thereby * Remembring him y◠love too wide iblowe Yelt bitter fruite though sweet seed be sowe And over all this full mokell more he thought What for to speake and what to holden inne And what to arten er to love he sought And on a song anone right to beginne And gan loude on his sorrow for to winne For with good hope he gan fully assent Creseide for to love and nought repent And of his song not onely his sentence As write mine Authour called Lolius But plainely save our tongues difference I dare well say in all that Troilus Sayed in his song lo every word right thus As I shall saine and who so list it heare Lo this next verse he may it finde there ¶ The song of Troilus If no love is O God what feele I so And if Love is what thing and which is he If love be good from whence cometh my wo If it be wicke a wonder thinketh me When every torment and adversite That cometh of him may to me savery think * Foraie thurst I the more that iche it drinke And if that at mine owne lust I brenne From whence cometh my wailing my plaint If harme agree me whereto plaine I thenne I not ne why unwery that I feint O quicke death o sweet harme so queint How may of thee in me be such quantite But if that I consent that it so be And if that I consent I wrongfully Comylaine iwis thus possed to and fro All sterelesse within a bote am I Amidde the sea atwixen windes two That in contrary stonden ever mo Alas what is this wonder maladie * For heat of cold for cold of heat I die And to the God of love thus sayd he With pitous voice O Lord now yours is My spirite which that oughten yours to be You thank I Lord that han me brought to this But whether goddesse or woman iwis She be I not which that ye do me serve But as her man I woll aie live and sterve Ye stonden in her eyen mightily As in a place to your vertue digne Wherefore Lord if my servise or I May liken you so beth to me benigne For mine estate royall here I resigne Into her honde and with full humble chere Become her man as to my Lady dere In him ne deigned to sparen blood royall The fire of love wherefro God me blesse Ne him forbare in no degree for all His vertue or his excellent prowesse But held him as his thrall lowe in distresse And brend him so in sundry wise aie newe That sixty times a day he lost his hewe So muchell day fro day his own thought For lust to her gan quicken and encrease That everiche other charge he set at nought For thy full oft his hot fire to cease To seen her goodly looke he gan to prease For thereby to ben eased well he wend And aie the nere he was the more he brend * For aie the nere the fire the hotter is This trow I knoweth all this companie But were he ferre or nere I dare say this By night or day for wisedome or follie His heart which that is his brestes eie Was aie on her that fairer was to seene Than ever was Helein or Polixene Eke of the day there passed not an hour Than to himselfe a thousand times he sayd God goodly to whome I serve and labour As I best can now would to God Creseide Ye woulden on me rue er that I deide My dere heart alas mine hele and my hew And life is lost but ye woll on me rew All other dredes weren from him fled Both of thassiege and his salvation Ne in desire none other founes bred But arguments to his conclusion That she on him would have compassion And he to ben her man while he may dure Lo here his life and from his death his cure The sharpe showers fell of armes preve That Hector or his other brethren didden Ne made him onely therefore ones meve And yet was he where so men went or ridden Found one the best and lengest time abiden There perill was and eke did such travaile In armes that to thinke it was a marvaile But for none hate he to the Greekes had Ne also for the rescous of the toun Ne made him thus in armes for to mad But onely lo for this conclusioun To liken her the bet for his renoun Fro day to day in armes so he sped That all the Greekes as y◠death him dred And fro this forth tho rest him love his slepe And made his meate his foe eke his sorrow Gan multiply that who so tooke keepe It shewed in his hew both even and morow Therefore a title he gan him for to borow Of other sickenesse least men of him wend That the hot fire of love him brend And sayd he had a fever and fared amis But were it certaine I cannot sey If that his Lady understood not this Or fained her she nist one of the twey But well rede I that by no manner wey Ne
not sighed halfe so sore Who might have said that I had done amis To steale away with such one as he is * But all too late commeth the lectuarie When men the corse vnto the graue carie Too late is now to speke of that matere Prudence alas one of thine eyen three Me lacked alway ere that I came here For on time passed well remembred mee And present time eke would I well see But future time ere I was in the snare Could I not seene that causeth now my care But nathelesse betide what betide I shal to morow at night by east or west Out of this hoast steale on some side And gone with Troilus where as him lest This purpose woll I hold and this is the best * No force of wicked tongues â—onglerie For ever on love have wretches had Endie * For who so woll of every word take hede Or rule hem by every wights wit Ne shall he never thriven out of drede For that that some men blamen ever yet Lo other manner folke commenden it And as for me for all such variaunce Felicitie clepe I my suffâ—â—aunce For which withouten any words mo To Troy I woll as for conclusioun But God it wote ere fully moneths two She was full ferre fro that ententioun For both Troilus and Troy toun Shall knotlesse throughout her hart slide For she woll take a purpose for to abide This Diomede of whom I you tell gan Goth now within himselfe aye arguing With all the sleight and all that ever he can How he may best with shortest tarying Into his nerre Creseides heart bring To this entent he couth never fine To fishen her he laid out booke and line But nathelesse well in his hart he thought That she nas nat without a love in Troy For never sithen he her thence brought Ne couth he seene her laugh or maken joy He nist how best her hart for tacoâ—e But for tassey he said nought it ne greveth * For he yâ— naught assaieth naught atcheveth Yet said he to himselfe vpon a night Now am I nat a foole that wote well how Her wo is for love of another wight And hereupon to gone assay her now I may well wete it nill nat ben my prow * For wise folke in bookes it expresse Men shall nat wo a wight in hevinesse But who so might winnen such a floure Fro him for whom she mourneth night day He might saine he were a conquerour And right anone as he that bold was aye Thought in his hart hap how hap may All should I dye I woll her heart seech I shall no more lesen but my speech This Diomede as bookes us declare Was in his nedes prest and courageous With stern voice mighty limmes square Hardy testife strong and chevalrous Of deedes like his father Tideus And some men saine he was of tonge large And heire he was of Calcidony and Arge Creseide meane was of her stature Thereto of shape of face and eke of chere There might ben no fairer creature And oft time this was her manere To gone itressed with her haires clere Downe by her colere at her backe behind Which with a thred of gold she would bind And save her browes joyneden ifere There nas no lacke in aught I can espien But for to speaken of her eyen clere Lo truly they written that her seien That Paradis stood formed in her eien And with her rich beauty evermore Strove love in her aie which of hem was more She sobre was eke simple wise withall The best inorished eke that might bee And goodly of her speech in generall Charitable estately lusty and free Ne nevermore ne lacked her pitee Tender hearted sliding of corage But truly I cannat tell her age And Troilus well woxen was in hight And complete formed by proportioun So well yâ— kind it naught amenden might Young fresh strong and hardy as Lioun Trew as steele in ech conditioun One of the best entetched creature That is or shall while that the world may dure And certainely in story as it is fond That Troilus was never unto no wight As in his time in no degree second In daring do that longeth to a knight All might a Giaunt passen him of might His hart aye with the first and with the best Stood peregall to dare done what him lest But for to tellen forth of Diomede It fill that after on the tenthe day Sens that Creseide out of the city yede This Diomede as fresh as braunch in May Came to the tent there as Calcas lay And fained him with Calcas have to done But what he ment I shall you tellen sone Creseide at short wordes for to tell Welcommed him downe him by her sette And he was ethe ynough to maken dwell And after this withouten long lette The spices and the wine men forth hem fette And forth they speke of this and that ifere As friends done of which some shall ye here He gan first fallen of the warre in speech Betwixen hem and the folke of Troy toun And of thassiege he gan eke her beseech To tellen him what was her opinioun Fro that demaund he so discendeth doun To asken her if that her straunge thought The Greeks gise werkes that they wrought And why her father tarieth so long To wedden her unto some worthy wight Creseide that was in her paines strong For love of Troilus her owne knight So ferforth as she cunning had or might Answerde him tho but as of his entent It seemed nat she wiste what he ment But nathelesse this ilke Diomede Gan on himselfe assure and thus he seide If I aright have taken on you hede Methinketh thus O lady mine Creseide That sens I first hond on your bridle leide When I out came of Troy by the morrow Ne might I never seene you but in sorrow I can nat saine what may the cause be But if for love of some Trojan it were The which right sore would a thinken me That ye for any wight that dwelleth there Shoulden spill a quarter of a tere Or pitously your selven so begile For dredelesse it is nat worth the while The folke of Troy as who saith all some In prison ben as ye your selven see Fro thence shall nat one on live come For all the gold at wixen sunne and see Trusteth well and understondeth mee There shall nat one to mercy gone on live All were he lord of worldes twise five Such wrech on hem for fetching of Heleine There shall be take ere that we hence wend That Maunes which that Goddes ben of peine Shall ben agast that Grekes wol hem shend And men shall drede unto the worlds end From henceforth to ravishen any Queene So cruell shall our wreche on hem be seene And but if Calcas lede us with ambages That is to saine with double wordes slie Such as men clepen a word with two visages Ye shall well knowen that I
the see Vnder a banke anone esped she Where lay the ship that Iason gan arrive Of her goodnesse adoune she sendeth blive To weten if that any straunge wight With tempest thider were iblow anight To done him succour as was her vsaunce To further en every wight done pleasauncâ— Of very bountie and of courtesie This messenger adoune him gan to hie And found Iason and Hercules also That in a cogge to lond were igo Hem to refreshen and to take the aire The morning attempre was and faire And in her way this messenger hem mette Full cunningly these lordes two he grette And did his message asking hem anon If yâ— they were broken or ought wo begon Or had need of lodesmen or vitaile For succour they should nothing faile For it was vtterly the Queenes will Iason answerde meekely and still My lady qd he thanke I hartely Of her goodnesse vs needeth truly Nothing as now but that we weary be And come for to play out of the see Till that the wind be better in our way This lady rometh by the cliffe to play With her meine endlong the strond And findeth this Iason and this other stond In speaking of this thing as I you told This Hercules and Iason gan behold How that the queen it was faire her grete Anone right as they with this lady mete And she tooke heed and knew by her manere By her array by wordes and by chere That it were gentill men of great degree And to the castle with her leadeth she These strange folk doth hem great honour And asketh hem of travaile and of labour That they have suffred in the salt see So that within a day two or three She knew by the folke that in his ships be That it was Iason full of renomee And Hercules that had the great loos That soughten the aventures of Colcos And did hem honour more than before And with hem dealed ever longer the more For they ben worthy folke withouten lees And namely most she spake with Hercules To him her hart bare he should be Sadde wise and true of words avisee Withouten any other affection Of love or any other imagination This Hercules hath this Iason praised That to the Sunne he hath it vp raised That halfe so true a man there nas of love Vnder the cope of heaven that is above And he was wise hardie secret and riche Of these iii. points there nas none him liche Of freedome passed he and lustie head All tho that liven or ben dead Thereto so great a gentill man was he And of Thessalie likely king to be There nas no lacke but that he was agast To love and for to speake shamefast Him had lever himselfe to murder and die Than that men should a lover him espie As would God that I had iyeve My blood and flesh so that I might live With the bones yâ— he had aught where a wife For his estate for such a lustie life She shoulden lede with this lustie knight And all this was compassed on the night Betwixt him Iason and this Hercules Of these two here was a shreud lees To come to house vpon an innocent For to bedote this Queene was her entent And Iason is as coy as is a maid He looketh pitously but naught he sayd But freely yave he to her counsailers Yefts great and to her officers As would God that I leaser had and time By processe all his wrong for to rime But in this house if any false lover be Right as himselfe now doth right so did he With faining and with every subtill dede Ye get no more of me but ye woll rede Thoriginall that telleth all the caas The sooth is this that Iason wedded was Vnto this queene tooke of her substaunce What so him list vnto his purveyaunce And vpon her begate children two And drough his faile and saw her never mo A letter sent she him certaine Which were too long to writen and to saine And him reproveth of his great vntrouth And praieth him on her to have some routh And on his children two she sayd him this That they be like of all thing iwis To Iason save they couth nat beguile And prayd God or it were long while That she that had his hart ireft her fro Must â—nden him vntrue also And that she must both her children spill And all tho that suffreth him his will And true to Iason was she all her life And ever kept her chast as for his wife Ne never had she joy at her hart But died for his love of sorrowes smart To Colcos come is this duke Iason That is of love devourer and dragon As Matire appeteth forme alway And from forme to forme it passen may Or as a well that were bottomles Right so can Iason have no pees For to desiren through his appetite To done with gentlewomen his delite This is his lust and his felicite Iason is romed forth to the citie That whylome cleped was Iasonicos That was the master toune of all Colcos And hath itold the cause of his comming Vnto Otes of that countrey king Praying him that he must done his assay To get the Fleece of gold if that he may Of which the king assenteth to his boone And doth him honour as it is doone So ferforth that his doughter and his heire Medea which that was so wise and faire That fairer saw there never man with eie He made her done to Iason companie At meat and sitte by him in the hall Now was Iason a seemely man withall And like a Lord and had a great renoun And of his looke as royall as a Lioun And godly of his speech and famil lere And coud of love all the craft and art plenere Withouten booke with everiche observaunce And as fortune her ought a foule mischaunce She woxe enamoured vpon this man Iason qd she for ought I see or can As of this thing the which ye ben about Ye and your selfe ye put in much dout For who so woll this aventure atcheve He may nat wele asterten as I leve Withouten death but I his helpe be But nathelesse it is my will qd she To forthren you so that ye shall nat die But turnen sound home to your Thessalie My right lady qd this Iason tho That ye have of my death or my wo Any regard and done me this honour I wot well that my might ne my labour May nat deserve it my lives day God thanke you there I ne can ne may Your man am I and lowely you beseech To ben my helpe withouten more speech But certes for my death shall I not spare Tho gan this Medea to him declare The perill of this case fro point to point Of his batayle and in what desioint He mote stonde of which no creature Save only she ne might his life assure And shortly right to the point for to go They ben accorded fully betwixt hem two That Iason
that saved thee fro cares cold And now if any woman helpe thee Well oughtest thou her servaunt for to bee And ben her true lover yere by yere But now to come ayen to my matere The toure there this Theseus is throw Down in the bottome derk and wonder low Was joyning to the wall of a foreine Longing vnto the doughtren tweine Of Minos that in her chambers grete Dwelten above the maister strete Of the towne in joy and in sollas Not I nat how it happed percaas As Theseus complained him by night The kings doughter that Ariadne hight And eke her suster Phedra herden all His complaint as they stood on the wall And looked vpon the bright moone Hem list nat to go to bed so soone And of his wo they had compassion A kings sonne to be in such prison And ben devoured thought hem great pite Then Ariadne spake to her suster free And said Phedra lefe suster dere This wofull lords sonne may ye nat here How pitously he complaineth his kin And eke his poore estate that he is in And guiltlesse certes now it is routh And if ye woll assent by my trouth He shall ben holpen how so that we do Phedra answerde iwis me is as wo For him as ever I was for any man And to his helpe the best rede I can Is that we done the gailer prively To come and speke with vs hastely And done this wofull man with him to come For if he may this monster overcome Then were he quit there is none other boot Let vs well tast him at his hart root That if so be that he a weapon have Where that he his life dare kepe or save Fighten with this fiend and him defend For in the prison here as he shall discend Ye wote well that the beast is in a place That is not derke hath roume eke space To welde an axe or swerde staffe or knife So that me thinketh he should save his life If that he be a man he shall do so And we shall make him balles eke also Of were and towe that when he gapeth fast Into the beestes throte he shall hem cast To sleke his honger and encomber his teeth And right anon when that Theseus seeth The beest acheked he shall on him leepe To sleen him or they comen more to heepe This we apen shal the gailer or that tide Full prively within the prison hide And for the house is crencled to and fro And hath so queint waies for to go For it is shapen as the mase is wrought Thereto have I a remedy in my thought That by a clewe of twine as he hath gon The same way he may returne anon Folowing alway the threde as he hath come And when this beest is overcome Then may he flien away out of this stede And eke the gailer may he with him lede And him avaunce at home in his countre Sens that so great a Lords sonne is he This is my rede if that ye dare it take What shold I lenger sermon of it make The gailer cometh and with him Theseus When these things ben accorded thus Downe sate Theseus vpon his knee The right lady of my life qd he I sorowfull man ydamned to the deth Fro you whiles that me lasteth breth I wol nat twinne after this aventure But in your service thus I woll endure That as a wretch vnknow I woll you serve Forevermore till that mine hert sterve Forsake I woll at home mine heritage And as I said ben of your court a page If that ye vouchsafe that in this place Ye graunt me to have soche a grace That I may have nat but my meate drinke And for my sustinaunce yet woll I swinke Right as you list that Minos ne no wight Sens that he saw me never with eyen sight Ne no man els shall me espie So slily and so well I shal me gie And me so wel disfigure and so low That in this world there shall no man me know To have my life and to have presence Of you that done to me this excellence And to my father shall I sende here This worthy man that is your gaylere And him so guerdon that he shall well be One of the greatest men of my countre And if I durst saine my lady bright I am a kings sonne and eke a knight As wold God if that it might be Ye weren in my countrey all thre And I with you to beare you companie Then shuld ye sene if that I thereof lie And if that I profer you in lowe manere To ben your page and serven you right here But I you serve as lowly in that place I pray to Mars to yeve me soch grace That shames death on me there mote fall And death and poverte to my frends all And that my sprite by night mote go After my death and walke to and fro That I mote of traitour have a name For which my sprit mote go to do me shame And if I clayme ever other degree But ye vouchsafe to yeve it mee As I have said of shames death I dey And mercy Lady I can naught els sey A semely knight was this Theseus to see And yonge but of twenty yere and three But who so had ysene his countenance He wold have wept for routh of his penance For which this Ariadne in this manere Answerde to his profre and to his chere A kings sonne and eke a knight qd she Go ben my servaunt in so lowe degree God shilde it for the shame of women all And lene me never soch a case befall And sende you grace and sleight of hert also You to defend knightly to sleen your foe And lene hereafter I may you find To me and to my suster here so kind That I ne repent nat to yeve you life Yet were it better I were your wife Sith ye ben as gentill borne as I And have a realme nat but fast by Than that I suffred your gentillesse to sterve Or that I let you as a page serve It is no profite as vnto your kinrede But what is that yâ— man woll nat do for dred And to my suster sith that it is so That she mote gone with me if that I go Or els suffre death as wel as I That ye vnto your sonne as trewly Done her be wedded at your home coming This is the finall end of all this thing Ye swere it here vpon all that may be sworne Ye Lady mine qd he or els to torne Mote I be with the Minotaure or to morow And haveth here of mine hert blood to borow If that ye woll if I had knife or speare I would it letten out and thereon sweare For then at erste I wot ye would me leve By Mars that is chiefe of my beleve So that I might liven and nat faile To morow for to taken my bataile I nolde never fro this place flie Till that ye should the very profe se
foule himself acloyeth * For office vncommitted oft annoyeth Nature which that alway had an eare To murmure of the lewdenesse behind With facond voice said hold your tongues there And I shall soone I hope a counsaile find You for to deliver fro this noyse vnbind I charge of euery flock ye shall one call To say the verdite of you foules all Assented were to this conclusion The birdes all and foules of ravine Have chosen first by plaine election The Tercelet of the faucon to define All her sencence and as him lust to termine And to Nature him they did present And she accepteth him with glad enrent The tercelet said then in this manere Full hard it were to preve it by reason Who loueth best this gentle Formell here For everich hath such replicatioun That by skils may none be brought adoun I cannot see that arguments availe Then seemeth it there must be battasle All ready qd these Eagle tercels tho Nay sirs qd he if that I durst it say Ye do me wrong my tale is not ydo For sirs taketh nat a greefe I pray It may not be as ye would in this way Ours is the voice yâ— have the charge in hand And to the Iudges dome ye must stand And therefore peace I say as to my wit Me would thinke how that the worthiest Of knighthood and lengest had vsed it Most of estate of blood the gentillest Were fitting for her if that her lest And of these three she wote her selfe I trow Which that he be for it is light to know The water foules have their heads laid Togider and of short avisement When everiche had his verdite said They said soothly all by one assent How that the goos with the facond gent That so desireth to pronounce our nede Shal tel her tale and praid to God her spede And for these water foules tho began The Goose to speake and in her cakeling She said peace now take keepe every man And herken which a reason I shall forth bring My witte is sharpe I love no tarrying I say I rede him tho he were my brother * But she will love him let him love another Lo here a parfite reason of a goose Qd. the sperhauke neuer mote she thee Lo such a thing it is to have a tongue lose Now parde foole yet were it better for thee Haue held thy peace than shewd thy nicete It lieth nat in his wit nor in his will * But sooth is said a fool cannot be still The laughter arose of gentill foules all And right anone the seed foules chosen had The turtle true and gan her to hem call And prayed her to say the sooth sad Of this matter and asked what she rad And she answerd that plainly her entent She would shew and soothly what she ment Nay God forbede a lover should chaunge The Turtle said and wext for shame all red Though that his lady evermore be straunge Yet let him serve her alway till he be deed Forsooth I praise not the gooses reed For tho she died I would none other make I will be hers till that the death me take Well yhourded qd the duck by my hat That men should love alway causelesse Who can a reason find or wit in that Daunceth he merry that is mirthlesse Who should recke of that is retchlesse Ye queke yet qd the duck full well and fair There be mo sterres in the skie than a pair Now fie churle qd the gentle Tercelet Out of the dunghill came that word aright Thou canst not see which thing is well beset Thou farest by love as Dwles do by light The day hem blindeth full well they see by night Thy kind is of so low wretchedness That what love is thou canst not se nor gess Tho gan yâ— cuckow put him forth in preace For foule that eateth worme and said bliue So I qd he may have my make in peace I retch not how long that ye strive Let ech of hem be soleine all her live This is my rede sens they may nat accord This short sesson needeth not record Ye have the glutton filde his paunch Then are we well said the Emerlon Thou murdrer of yâ— heysugge on the braunch That brought thee forth thou ruful glutton Live thou solein wormes corruption For no force is of lack of thy nature Go leud be thou while the world may dure Now peace qd Nature I commaund here For I have heard all your opinion And in effect yet be we neuer the nere But finally this is my conclusion That she her selfe shall have her election Of whom her list who so be wrothe or blithe Him that she cheseth he shall her haue as swithe For fith it may not here discussed be Who loveth her best as said the Tercelet Then woll I done this favour to her that she Shall have right him on whom her hert is set And he her yâ— his hert hath on her knet This iudge I nature for I may not lie To none estate I have none other eye But as for counsaile for to chuse a make If I were reason then would I Counsaile you the royal Tercell take As said the Tercelet full skilfully As for the gentillest and most worthy Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce That to you it ought ben a suffisaunce With dredeful voice yâ— Formel her answerd My rightful lady goddess of Nature Sooth is that I am ever under your yerd As is everich other creature And must be yours while my life may dure And therefore graunt me my first boone And mine entent you woll I say right soone I graunt it you qd she and right anone This formel Eagle spake in this degree Almighty quene unto this year be done I aske respite for to avisen mee And after that to have my choice all free This all some that I would speak and sey Ye get no more although ye do me dey I woll not seruen Venus ne Cupide Forsooth as yet by no manner way Now sens it may none other ways betide Qd. Nature here is no more to say Then would I that these foules were away Ech with his make for tarying lenger here And said hem thus as ye shall after here To you speke I ye Tercelets qd Nature Beth of good hert and serveth all three A yeare is not so long to endure And ech of you paine him in his degree For to do well for God wote quit is she Fro you this year what after fo befall This entremes is dressed fro you all And when this werk brought was to an end To every foule Nature yave his make By even accord and on her way they wend And lord the blisse and joy that they make For ech of hem gan other in his wings take And with her neckes ech gan other wind Thanking alway the noble goddess of kind But first were chosen foules for to sing As yere by yere was alway her vsaunce To sing a roundel at
Goodly abashed having aye pity Of hem that ben in tribulation For she alone is consolation To all that arne in mischeefe and in nede To comfort hem of her womanhede And aye in vertue is her busie charge Sad and demure and but of words few Dredefull also of rongues that ben large Eschowing aye hem that listen to hew Above her head her words for to shew Dishonestly to speake of any wight She deadly hateth of hem to have a sight The hert of whom so honest is ahd cleane And her entent so faithfull and entere That she ne may for all the world sustene To suffer her eares any word to here Of friend nor foe neither ferre ne nere Amisse resowning y◠hinder should his name And if she do she wexeth red for shame So truly in meaning she is set Without chaunging or any doublenesse For bounty and beauty are together knet In her person under faithfulnesse For void she is of newfanglenesse In heart aye one for ever to persever There she is sette and never to dissever I am too rude her vertues everychone Cunningly to discrive and write For well ye wore colour have I none Like her discretion craftely to endite For what I say all it is too lite Wherefore to you thus I me excuse That I acquainted am not with no muse By Rhetoricke my stile to gouerne In her preise and commendation I am too blind so highly to discerne Of her goodnesse to make description Save thus I say in conclusion If that I shall shortly commend In her is naught that nature can amend For good she is like to Polixene And in fairenesse to the queene Helaine Stedfast of heart as was Dorigene And wifely trouth if I shall nar faine In constaunce eke and faith she may attaine To Cleopatra and thereto as setrone As was of Troy the white Antigone As Hester meke like Iudith of prudence Kind as Alceste or Marcia Catoun And to Grisilde like in patience And Ariadne of discretioun And to Lucrece that was of Rome toun She may be likened as for honeste And for her faith vnto Penelope To faire Phillis and to Hipsiphile For innocence and for womanhede For seemlinesse vnto Canace And over this to speake of goodlyhede She passeth all that I can of rede For word and deed that she naught ne fall Accord in vertue and her werkes all For though that Dido with wit sage Was in her time stedfast to Enee Of hastinesse yet she did outrage And so for Iason did also Medee But my Lady is so avisee That bounty beauty both in her demaine She maketh bounty alway soveraine This is too meane bounty goth afore Lad by prudence and hath the soverainte And beauty followeth ruled by her sore That she ne fende her in no degree So that in one this goodly fresh free Surmounting all withouten any were Is good and faire in one persone yfere And though that I for very ignoraunce Ne may discrive her vertues by and by Yet on this day for a remembraunce Onely supported under her mercy With quaking hond I shall full humbly To her highnesse my rudenesse for to quite A little ballade here beneath endite Ever as I can surprise in mine hert Alway with feare betwixt drede and shame Least out of lose any word astert In this mytre to make it seeme lame Chaucer is dead that had such a name Of faire making that without wene Fairest in our tongue as the Laurer grene We may assay for to countrefete His gay stile but it woll not be The well is drie with the licour swete Both of Clye and of Caliope And first of all I woll excuse me To her that is ground of goodlihede And thus I say vntill her womanhede ¶ Ballade simple WIth all my might and my bestentent With all y◠faith that mighty God of kind Me yave sith hee mee soule knowing sent I chese and to this bond ever I me bind To love you best while I have life mind Thus heard I foules in the dawning Vpon the day of saint Valentine sing Yet chese I at the beginning in this entent To love you though I no mercy find And if you list I died I would assent As ever twinne I quicke of this line Suffiseth me to seene your feathers ynde Thus heard I foules in the morning Vpon the day of saint Valentine sing And over this mine hearts lust to bent In honour onely of the wood bind Holly I yeve never to repent In joy or wo where so that I wind Tofore Cupide with his eyen blind The foules all when Titan did spring With devout heart me thought I heard sing ¶ Lenuoye Princesse of beauty to you I represent This simyle dity rude as in making Of heart and will faithfull in mine entent Like as this day foules heard I sing ¶ Here endeth the Floure of Courtesie and hereafter followeth How Pity is dead and buried in a gentle heart PIty that I have sought so yore ago With hert sore and full of busie paine That in this worlde was never wight so wo Without death and if I shall nat faine My purpose was pity to complaine Vpon the cruelty and tyranny Of love that for my trouth doth me dye And that I by length of certaine yeres Had ever in one sought a time to speake To Pity ran I all bispreint with teares To prayen her on Cruelty me awreake But or I might with any word out breake Or tell her any of my paines smert I found her dead and buried in an hert Adowne I fell when I saw the herse Dead as a stone while that y◠swoone me last But vp I rose with colour full diverse And pitously on her mine eyen I cast And neerer the corse I gan preasen fast And for the soule I shope me for to pray I was but lorne there was no more to say Thus am I slaine sith that Pity is dead Alas that day that ever it should fall What maner man dare now hold vp his head To whom shall now any sorrowfull hert call Now Cruelty hath cast to slee vs all In idle hope folke redelesse of paine Sith she is dead to whom shal we complain But yet encreaseth me this wonder new That no wight wore that she is dead but I So many men as in her time her knew And yet she died so suddainly For I have sought her ever full busily Sith I had first wit or mind But she was dead ere I coud her find About her herse there slooden lustely Withouten any mo as thought me Bounty perfitely well armed and richely And fresh Beaute Lust and Iolite Assured manner Youth and Honeste Wisedome Estate Drede Governaunce Confedred both by bond and alliaunce A complaint had I written in my hond To have put to Pity as a bill But I there all this company fond That rather would all my cause spill Than doe me helpe I held my plaint still For to those folke withouten faile
The widest of these three cercles principall is cleped the cercle of Capricorn and tourneth euermore concentrike vpon the same cercle In the head of this foresaid Capricorn is the greatest declination Southward of the Sun and therefore it is cleped Solsticium of Winter This signe of Capricorn is also cleped the Tropick of Winter For then beginneth the Sun to come again to vs ward Of the Almicanteras the signet and what is thine Orizont UPon this foresaid plate been compassed certain cercles that highten almicanteras of which some of hem seemen parfit cercles and some seemen imparfit The centure that standeth amidst the narrowest cercle is cleped the signet And the netherest cercle that deuideth the two emisperies that is the party of the heuen aboue the earth and the party beneath These almicanteras been compouned by two and two all be it so that on diuers Astrolabies some almicanteras been deuided by one and some by two and some by three after the quantity of the Astrolabie This foresaid signet is imagined to be the very point ouer the croune of thy head and also this signet is the very pole of the orizont in euery region What been thine Azimutes FRom this signet as it seemeth there commen crooked strikes like to the clawes of a loppe or els like to the werke of a womans calle in keruing ouerthwart the almicanteras and these same strikes or diuisions been cleped Azimutes and they deuiden the Orizonts on thine Astrolaby in 24 diuisions And these Azimutes serue to know the costes of the firmament and to other conclusions as for to know the signet of the Sunne and of euery Sterre Of the Twelve Hours of the Planets NExt these Azimutes vnder the cercle of Cancer been the twelve divisions embolite much like to the shape of the Azimutes that shewen the spaces of the hours of Planets Thy Reete or else thy Zodiake THy Reete of thine Astrolabye which is thy Zodiake shapen in manner of a nette or of a lop webbe after the old description which thou mayest tourne up and doune as thy self liketh containeth certaine number of Sterres fire with her longitudes and latitudes determinate if so be that the maker have not erred The names of the Sterres ben written in the margine of thy Reete there they sit of the whych Sterres the small point is cleaped the Centure And vnderstande that all the Sterres sitting within the Zodiake of thine Astrolaby ben cleped Sterres of the North for they arisen by the North-east line and all the remenaunt fixed out of the Zodiake ben ycleped Sterres of the South but I say not that they arisen all by the South-east line witnesse of Aldeberan and also Algomisa Generally vnderstond this rule that thilke sterres that ben cleaped sterres of the North arisen rather than the degree of her longitude and all the sterres of the South arisen after the degree of her longitude that is to sayne sterres in thine Astrolaby The measure of longitude of sterres ytaken in the line ecliptick of heaven vnder the which line when the Sunne and the Moone been line right els in the superficie of this line then is the eclipse of the Sunne or of the Moone as I shall declare and eke the cause why but soothly the ecliptick line of the Zodiake is the vtterest bordure of the Zodiake there thy degrees ben marked The Zodiake of thy Astrolabye is shapen as a Compasse which that contayneth a large brede as after the quantity of thy Astrolaby in ensample that the Zodiake of heauen is imagined to be a superficies containing the latitude of twelue signes whereas all the remenaunt of the cercles in heauen ben imagined very lines without any latitude amiddes the celestial Zodiake is imagined a line whyche that is cleped the Eclipticke line vnder the whych line is euermore the way of the Sunne Thus ben there six degrees of the Zodiake on that one side of the line and sixe degrees on that other The Zodiake is deuided in twelve principal diuisions that departen the twelue signes and for the straitnesse of thine Astrolabye then is every small division in a signe yparted by two degrees and two I mean degrees containing sixty Minutes and this foresayd heauenish Zodiake is cleaped the circle of the Signes or the circle of beastes For Zodiake in language of Greke souneth beasts in Latine tongue and in the Zodiake been the twelue Signes that haue names of beasts because when the Sunne entreth in any of the Signes he taketh the property of such beasts or else for that the sterres that been there ben fixed been disposed in signe of beasts or shape like beasts or else when Planets ben under the Signes they transmue vs by her influence operations and effects like to operations of beasts And understand also that when any hote Planet cometh into an hote Signe then entereth his heat and if a Planet be cold then amenuseth his coldnesse because of the hote Signe And by this conclusion mayest thou taken ensample in all Signes be they moist or dry moueable or fixe reckening the quality of the Planets as I first said And euerich of these twelue Signes hath respect to a certain parcel of the Body of a man and hath it in gouernaunce as Aries hath thine head and Taurus thy neck and thy throte Gemini thine arm holes and thine arms and so forth as shall be shewed more plainly in the fift party of this Treatise The Zodiake the which is party of the eight Sphere ouerkerueth the equinoctiall and he ouerkerueth him again in euen parts and that one half declineth Southward and that other Northward as plainely declareth the Treatise of the Sphere The Labell THen hast thou a Labell that is shapen like a Rule saue that it is strait and hath no plates on either end but with the small point of the foresaid labell shalt thou calcule the equacions in the bordure of thine Astrolaby as by thine almury The Almury the denticle of Capricorne or else the calculere THine Almury is cleped the denticle of Capricorne or else the calculere this same almury set fixe in the head of Capricorne and it serueth of many a necessary conclusion in equacion of things as shall be shewed Here beginneth the Conclusions of thine Astrolaby to find the degree in the which the Sun is day by day after his course about REcken and know which is the day of the Moneth and lay thy rule upon the same day and then woll the very point of thy rule verely sitten on the bordure upon the degree of the Sunne Ensample as thus In the yere of our Lord 1391 the twelfth day of March at midday I would know the degree of the Sunne I sought in the backe halfe of mine Astrolaby and found the circle of the dayes the whych I knew by the names of the Months written vnder the same Circle Tho laid I my Rule over the foresaid day and found the point of my Rule in the border vpon the
first degree of Aries a litle within the degree and thus knew I this conclusion Another day I would knowe the degree of my Sunne and this was at Midday in the xiii day of December I founde the day of the moneth in manner as I said tho laid I my Rule vpon the foresaid xiii day and founde the poynt of my Rule vpon the first degree of Capricorne a little within the degree and then had I of this conclusion the very experience To know the altitude of the Sun either of celestiall bodies PVT the ring of thyne Astrolabye vpon thy right thombe and tourne thy left side againe the light of the Sunne and remeve thy Rule vp and downe till the streame of the Sunne shine through both holes of the Rule looke then howe many degrees this Rule is areised fro the litle crosse vpon the East line and take there the altitude of thy sunne and in this same wise mayst thou knowe by night the altitude of the Moone or of the bright sterres This Chapiter is so generall ever in one that there needeth no more declaration but forget it not To know the degree of the Sun and of thy Zodiake by the days in the backside of thine Astrolabie THen if thou wilt wete the reckening to know which is the day in thy Kalender of the month that thou art in lay thine Astrolabie that is to say the allidatha vpon the day in the Kalender of thine Astrolabie and he shall shew thee thy degree of the Sunne To know every time of the day by light of the Sun and every time of the night by the Stars fixe and eke to know by night or by day the degree of the Sign that ascendeth on the East Orizont which is cleped commonly ascendent TAke the altitude of the Sunne when thee list as I have sayd and set the degree of the Sunne inâ—case that it be before the middle of the day amonge thyne almicanteras on the Easte-side of thine Astrolabie and if it be after the middle of the day set the degree of the Sun vpon the West-side Take this manner of setting for a generall rule ones for ever And when thou hast yset the degree of the Sun vpon as many almicanteras of height as was the Sunne taken by thy rule lay over thy Labell vpon the degree of the Sunne then woll the point of the Labell sitten in the bordure vpon the very tide of the day Ensample of this The yeare of our Lorde a thousand three hundred ninety and one the twelfth daye of March I would know the tide of the day I tooke yâ— altitude of my Sunne and found that it was 25 degrees and 30 Minutes of height of the bordure in the backside tho tourned I mine Astrolabye and because it was before midday I tourned my reete set the degree of the Sunne that is to say the first degree of Aries in the right side of mine Astrolabie vpon the 25 degree and 30 minutes of heyght among my almicanteras Tho laid I my Labell vpon the degree of my Sunne and found the point of my Labell in the bordure on the capitall letter that is cleped an X. Tho reckened I all the capitall letters fro the line of Midnight vnto the foresaid letter X. and found it was nine of the Clocke of the day Tho looked I over my East Orizont and found there the twelue degree of Geminius ascending which that I tooke for mine ascendent and in this wise had I the experience for evermore in whych manner I should knowe the tide of the day and eke myne ascendent Tho would I wete that same night following the houre of the night and wrought in this wise among an heape of Sterres it lyked me to take the altitude of the fayre white Sterre that is cleped the Alhabor found her sitting on the West-side of the line of Mid-day eighteene degrees of height taken by my Rule on the backside Tho set I yâ— Centure of this Alhabor vpon eighteene degrees among my almicanteras vpon the West-side because that hee was found vpon the West-side tho laid I my Labell over the degree of the Sun that was discended vnder the West Orizont and reckened all the letters capitals fro the line of Midday vnto the point of my Labell in the bordure and found that it was after noon passed seven of the clocke the space of eleven degrees Tho looked I downe vpon my East Orizont and found there twenty degrees of Libra ascending whom I tooke for myne ascendent and thus learned ones for ever to know in which manner I should come to the houre of the night and to mine ascendent as verely as may be taken by so smale an instrument But nathelesse this rule in generall wil I warne thee for ever ne make thou never none ascendent at noone of the day Take a just ascendent of thine Astrolabie and have set justly a cloke when any celestiall body by the which thou wenest governe thilke thynges been nigh the South line for trust well when the Sunne is neare the Meridionall line the degree of the Sunne remayneth so long concentrike vpon thine almicanteras that soothly thou shalt erre fro the just ascendent The same conclusion say I by my centure of my Sterre fix by the night and moreover by experience I wote well that fro our Orizont fro enleven of the clocke vnto one in taking of the just ascendent in a portatife Astrolabie it is too hard to know I mean from eleuen of the clocke before noon till one of the clocke next following and for the more declaration loe here thy figure next after this rule that followeth To know the degree of the Sun in thy Zodiake by the days in the backside of thine Astrolabie THen thou wolt weten to recken know which is the day of the month that thou art in and lay the rule of thy Astrolabie that is to say the allidatha vpon the day in the Kalender of thine Astrolabie and hee shall shewe thee thy degree of the Sunne Speciall declaration of the Ascendent THe ascendent soothly is as well in all nativities as in questions and as in elections of times is a thing whyche that these Astrologians greatly observen wherfore me seemeth convenient sens I speake of the ascendent to make of it a speciall declaration The ascendent soothly to take it at the largest is thilke degree that ascendeth at any of these foresaid times on the East Orizon and therfore if that any Planet ascend at thilke same time in the foresaid same gree of his longitude men say that thilke Planet is in Horoscopo but soothly the house of that ascendent that is to say the first house or yâ— East angle is a thing more broad and large for after the statutes of Astrologiens what celestial body that is five degrees aboue thilke degree that ascendeth on the Orizont or within that number that is to saine nere the degree that ascendeth yet reckon they
thilke Planet in the ascendent and what Planet that is under thilke degree that ascendeth the space of fifteen degrees yet sain they that Planet is like to him that is the hour of the ascendent But soothly if he passe the bounds of the foresaid spaces aboue or beneath they sayne yâ— thilke Planet is falling fro the Ascendent yet sayne these Astrologiens that the Ascendent and eke the Lord of the Ascendent may be shapen for to be fortunate or infortunate as thus A fortunate Asecendent clepen they when that no wicked Planet of Saturne or Mars or els the taile of the Dragon is in the house of the Ascendent ne that no wicked Plannet have no aspect of enmity vpon the Ascendent But they woll cast that they have fortunate Planet in her Ascendent and yet in his felicity and then say they that it is well Furthermore they sayne that Fortune of an Ascendent is the contrary of these foresaid thyngs The Lord of the Ascendent sayne they that he is fortunate when he is in good place for the Ascendent and eke the Lord of the Ascendent is in an angle or in a succedent where he is in his dignity and comforted with friendly aspectes receyued and eke that he may seene yâ— Ascendent not retrograde ne combust ne joyned with no shrewe in the same signe ne that he be not in his discention ne reigned with no Planet in his discentious ne have vpon him none aspect infortunate and then they sayne that he is well Nathelesse these been observaunces of judiciall matter and rites of Painims in which my spirit hath no fayth ne knowinge of her Horoscopum for they sayne that every signe is departed in three even parts by 10 degrees and the ilke portion they cleapen a face And although a Plannet have a latitude fro the Ecliptike yet sain some folke so that yâ— Planet arise in that same signe with any degree of the foresaid face in which his longitude is reckened And yet is the Planet in Horoscopo be in nativities or in election To know the very equacion of the degrees of the Sun if it so be that it fall betwixt two almicanteras FOr as much as the almicanteras of thine Astrolaby ben compowned by two and two whereas some almicanteras in some Astrolabies be compouned by one or else by two it is necessary to thy learning to teach thee first to know and wriche with thine instrument wherefore when that the degree of the Sunne falleth between two almicanteras or else if thine almicanteras ben grauen with ouer great a point of a Compace for both these things may cause errour as well in knowing of the tide of the day as of the very ascendent Thou must werken in this wise set the degree of the Sunne vpon the higher almicanteras as of both And wait wel where thy almury toucheth the bordure set there a pricke of ynke set adoune again the degree of the Sunne vpon the nether almicanteras or both and set there another pricke remeve then thy almury in yâ— bordure even amiddes both prickes and this woll leaden justly the degree of the Sunne to sit betweene both the almicanteras in his right place Lay then the labell on the degree of the Sunne find in the bordure the very tide of the day or of the night And also verely shalt thou find vpon thy East orizont thine ascendent To know the spring of the dawning and the end of the evening the which been cleaped the two coepusculis SEt the nadyre of thy Sunne vpon 18 degrees of height among thine almicanteras on the West-side and lay thy labell on the degree of the Sunne and then shall the point of the labell shew the spring of the day also set the nadire of the Sunne vpon the 18 degrees of height among thine almicanteras on the East-side and lay over thy labell vpon the degree of the Sunne and with the poynt of thy labell find in the bordure the end of thine evening that is very night The nadire of the Sonne is thilke degree that is opposite to yâ— degree of the Sunne in the 320. sign as thus Euery degree of Aries by order is nadire to euery degree of Libra by order Taurus to Scorpion Gemini to Sagitarius Cancer to Capricorne Leo to Aquary Virgo to Pisces And if any degree in thy Zodiake be derke his nadire shall declare him To know the Arch of the Day that some folk callen the Day artificial fro the Sun rising till it go down SEtte the degree of the Sunne upon thine East orizont and lay thy labell on the degree of the Sunne and at the point of thy labell in the bordure set a pricke turn then thy reete about till the degree of the Sun sit upon the West orizont and lay the labell upon the same degree of the Sunne and at the point of the labell set another pricke Recken then the quantitie of time in the bordure betwixt both prickes and take there thine arche of the day the remenaunt of the bordure under the orizont is the arch of the night Thus maist thou reckon both arches of euery portion where that thou likest and by this manner of werkyng mayest thou see howe long that any sterre fixe dwelleth aboue the earth fro the time that he riseth till he go to rest But the day naturel that is to sayne 24 houres is the reuolution of the Equinoctial with as much partye of the Zodiake as the Sunne of his proper mouing passeth in the mean while To turn the hours inequals and the hours equals TO know the number of the degrees in the hours inequals and depart hem by 15 and take there thine houres equals To know the quantity of the day vulgare that is to say fro spring of the day unto the very Night KNow thy quantitie of thyne coepusculis as I haue it taught in the chapiter before and adde hem to the arche of the day artificial and take there thy space of all the hole day vulgare unto the very night In the same manner mayest thou werke to know the vulgare night To know the Hours inequals by Day UNderstand well that these houres inequals ben cleaped houres of the planets and understond well that sometime been they longer by day than they be by night and sometime contrary But understand thou wel that euermore generally the hours inequale of the daye with the hours inequale of the night conteyneth 30 degrees of the bordure the which bordure is euermore answering to the degrees of the equinoctial wherefore depart the arche of the day artificial in 12 and take there the quantity of the houre inequale by day and if thou abate the quantitie of the houre inequale by day out of 360 degrees thou shall the remenant that leaueth performe the houre inequale by night To know the quantity of hours equales THe quantities of houres equales that is to sayne the houres of the clock ben departed
by 15 degrees already in the bordure of thy Astrolabie as well by night as by day generally for euermore What nedeth any more declaration wherefore when thee lyst to know how many houres of the clock been passed or any part of any of these houres ben to commen fro such a time to such a time by day or by night knowe the degree of thy Sunne and lay thy label on it then turne thy reete about joyntly with thy label and with the point of it recken in the border fro the Sunne arysing into the same place there thou desirest by day as by night This conclusion woll I declare in the fourth party of the last chapiter of this treatise so openly that there shall lack no worde that needeth declaration Special declaration of the Hours of the Planets UNderstand well that euermore fro the arising of the Sunne till it go to rest the nadire of the Sunne shall shew the hour of the plannet and fro that time forward all the nyght till the Sunne arise then shal the very degree of the Sunne shew the hour of the planet Ensample as thus The 13. day of March fell upon a saturday parauenture and at the arising of the Sunne I found the second degree of Aries sitting upon mine East orizont all be it was but little Then found I the second degree of Libra nadire of my Sunne discending on my West orizont upon which West orizont euery day generally at the Sunne arising entereth the houre of any plannet under the foresaid West orizont after the which planet the day beareth his name and endeth in the next strike of the planet under the foresaid West orizont and euer as the Sunne clymbeth upper and upper so goeth his nadire downer and downer and eching fro suche strikes the houres of plannets by order as they sitten in heauen The first houre inequale of euery saturday is Saturne and the second to Iupiter the third to Mars the fourth to the Sunne the fift to Venus the sixt to Mercurius the seuenth to the Moone and then ayen the eyght to Saturn the ninth to Iupiter the tenth to Mars the eleueuth to the Sunne the twelfth to Venus And now is my Sunne gone to rest as for that saturday then sheweth the very degree of the Sunne the houre of Mercury entring under my west orizont at euen And next him succeedeth the Moone and so forth by order planet after planet in houre after houre all the night long till the Sun arise Now riseth the Sunne the sunday by the morow and the nadyre of the Sunne upon the West orizont sheweth me the entering of the hour of the foresaid Sun And in this manner succeedeth planet vnder planet fro Saturn vnto the Moon and fro the Moon vp again to Saturn hour after hour generally and thus know I this conclusion To know with which degree of the Zodiack any Star fix in thine Astrolabie ariseth upon the East Orizont although the Orizont be in another Sign SEt the centure of the sterre vpon the East orizont and look what degree of any sign that sitteth vpon the same orizont at the same time and vnderstand well that with the same degree ariseth the same sterre And this maruailous arising with a strong degree in another signe is because that the latitude of the sterre fixe is either North or South fro the Equinoctiall But soothly the latitudes of planets been commonly yreckened fro the ecliptike because that none of hem declineth but few degrees out fro the brede of the Zodiake And take good keepe of this chapter of arising of celestiall bodies for there trusteth well that neither moone neither sterre in our ambolife orizont that ariseth with the same degree of his longitude saue in one case and that is when they haue no longitude fro the eclipticke line But neuerthelesse sometime is euerich of these planets vnder the same line To know the declination of any Degree in the Zodiack fro the equinoctiall Circle SEt the degree of any signe vpon the line Meridionall and recken his altitude in the almicanteras fro the East orizont vp to the same degree set in the foresaid line and set there a pricke Turne vp then thy reere and set the head of Aries or Libra in the same Meridionall line and set there another prick And when that this is done consider the altitudes of hem both for soothly the difference of thilke altitude is the declination of thilke degree fro the Equinoctiall And if it so be that thilke degree be Northward fro the Equinoctiall then is his declination North and if it be Southward then it is South To know for what latitude in any Region the Almicanteras in my Tables been compouned REcken how many degrees of almicanteras in the Meridionall line be from the cercle equinoctiall vnto the signet or els from the Pole artike vnto the North orizont and for so great a latitude or so small a latitude is the table compouned To know the latitude of the Sun in the midst of the day that is cleped the altitude Meridian SEt the degree of thy Sun upon the line Meridionall and recken how many degrees of almicanteras been betwixe thine East orizont and the degree of thy Sun and take there thine altitude meridian that is to sayne the highest degree of the Sun as for that day So maist thou know in the same line the highest line that any star fire climbeth by night this is to sayne that when any star fire is passed the line meridionall then beginneth it to discend and so doth the Sun To know the degree of the Sun by the Reet for a manner coryosyte SEek busily with thy rule the highest of the Sun in the midst of the day tourne then thine Astrolabie and with a pricke of ynke mark the number of the same altitude in the line meridionall Tourne then thy reet about till thou finde a degree of thy Zodiake according with the pricke this is to sayne sitting on the pricke and in sooth thou shalt find but two degrees in all the Zodiake of that condition And yet thilke two degrees been in diuers signs Then maist thou lightly by the season of the year know the sign in which is the Sun To know which day is like to other in length throughout the year LOok which degrees been ylike from the heeds of Cancer and Capricorn and look when the Sun is in any of thilke degrees then been the days like of length that is to saine that as long is that day in that month as was soch a day in soch a month there varieth but littell Also if thou take two days naturelles in the year ylike far from either points of the Equinoctial in the opposite parties then as long is the day artificial on that one day as on that other and eke the contrary This Chapter is a manner declaration to Conclusions that followeth UNderstand well that thy Zodiake is departed into half cercles from the head
been in UNderstand well that the latitude of any place in a region is verely the space betwixe the signe of hem that dwellen there and the equinoctiall cercle North or South taking the measure in the meridionall line as sheweth in the almicanteras of thine Astrolabie and thilke space is as moch as the pole artike is hye in the same place from the orizont And then is the depression of the pole artentike beneath the orizont the same quantite of space neither more ne lesse Then if thou desire to know this latitude of the region take the altitude of the Sun in the middle of the day when the Sun is in the head of Aries or of Libra for then moveth the Sun in the line equinoctiall and abate the nombre of that same Suns altitude out of 90 degrees and then is the remnaunt of the nombre that leueth the altitude of the region as thus I suppose that the Sun is thilke day at noone 38 degrees of height abate then 38 degrees out of 90. so leueth there 52. then is 52 degrees the latitude I say not this but for ensample for well I wote the latitude of Oxenford is certaine minutes lesse Now if it so be that thee thinketh too long a tarying to abide till that the Sun be in the head of Aries or of Libra then wait when the Sun is in any other degree of the Zodiake and consider the degree of this declinacion be Northward from the equinoctiall abate then from the Suns altitude at noone the nombre of his declinacion and then hast thou the highest of the heads of Aries and Libra as thus My Sun parauenture is in the 10. degree of Leo almost 56 of height at noone and his declinacion is almost 18 degrees Northward from the equinoctiall abate then thilke 18 degrees of declinacion out of the altitude at noone then leueth 38 degrees lo there the head of Aries or Libra and thine equinoctial in that region Also if it so be that the suns declinacion be Southward from the equinoctiall adde then thilke declinacion to the altitude of the Sun at noone and take there the heads of Aries and Libra and thine equinoctiall abate then the height of the equinoctiall out of 90 degrees and then leueth there 38 degrees that is the distaunce of the region from the equinoctiall of any sterre fixe that thou knowest and take the nether elongacion lengthing from the same equinoctial line and werke after the manner aforesaid Declaration of the ascension of Signs as well in the Circle direct as in oblique THe excellency of the sphere solid amongs other noble conclusions sheweth manifest the diuers ascencions of signs in diuers places as well in right cercles as in embolyfe cercle These auctours writen that thilke signe is cleped of right ascencion with which the more part of the cercle equinoctiall and the lesse part of the Zodiake ascendeth and thilke signe ascendeth embolyfe with which the lesse of the Zodiake equinoctiall and the more part of the Zodiake ascendeth and euer mo the arche of the day and the arche of the night is there ylike long and the Sun twise euery yeere passing through the signet of her head and two sommers and two winters in a yeere haue these foresaid people and the almicanteras in her Astrolabie been streight as a line so hath shewed in this figure The vtilities to know the ascencions of signes in the right cercle is this Trust well that by mediacions of thilke ascencions these Astrologiens by her tables and her instruments knowen verely the ascencion of euery degree and minute in all the Zodiake in the embolyfe cercle as shall be shewed And note that this foresaid right orizont that is cleped orizont rectum deuideth the equinoctiall into right angles and embolyfe orizont whereas the Pole is enhanced vpon the orizont ouercommeth the equinoctiall embolyfe angles This is the Conclusion to know the ascensions of Signs in the right Circle that is Circulus directus SEt the head of what signe thee list to know the ascending on the right cercle vpon the line meridionall and wait where thine almury toucheth the bordure and set there a pricke tourne then thy reet westward till the end of the foresaid signe set vpon the meridionall line and eftsones wait where thine almury toucheth the bordure and set there another pricke Recken then the nombers of degrees in the bordure betwixe both prickes and take then the ascencion of the signe in the right cercle and thus maist thou werke with euery porcion of the Zodiake To know the ascensions of Signs in the embolyfe Circle in every Region I mean in circulo obliquo SEt the head of the signes which as thee list to know his ascencion vpon the East orizont and wait where thine almury toucheth the bordure and set there a pricke tourn then thy reet vpward till the end of the same signe set vpon the East orizont and wait eftsones where as thine almury toucheth the bordure and set there another pricke recken then the number of the degrees in the bordure betwixe both prickes and take there the ascencion of the signe in the embolyfe cercle And vnderstand well that all the signes in the Zodiake from the head of Aries vnto the end of Virgo been cleped signes of the North from the equinoctiall and these signes arisen betwixe the very East and the very North in our orizont generally for euer and all the signs from the head of Libra vnto the end of Pisces been cleped signs of the South fro the equinoctiall and these signs arisen euermore betwixe the very East and the very South in our orizont also euery sign betwixe the head of Capricorn vnto the end of Gemini ariseth in our orizont in lesse than two hours equalls and these same signs from the head of Capricorn vnto the end of Gemini been called tortuous signs or crooked signs for they risen embolyfe in our orizont and these crooked signs been obedient to the signs that been of the right ascencion These signs of right ascencion been fro the head of Cancer vnto the head of Sagitary and these signs arisen more vpright than doth the other and therefore they been called Soueraign signs and euery of hem ariseth in more space than in two hours of which signs Gemini obeyeth to Cancer and Taurus to Leo and Aries to Virgo Pisces to Libra Aquarius to Scorpio and Capricorn to Sagitary and thus euermore two signs that been like far from the head of Capricorn obeyeth euerich of hem to other To know justly rhe four Quarters of the World as East West South and North. TAke the altitude of thy Sun when thou list and note well the quarter of the world in which the Sun is from the time by the asymutes tourne then thine Astrolabie and set the degree of the Sun in the almicanteras of his altitude on thilke side that the Sun standeth as is in manner of taking of
with any of my seruants in mine eyen shall soch thing not be looked after How often is it commanded by these passed wise that to one God shall men serue not two Gods And who that list to haue mine helps shall aske none help of foul Spirits Alas is not man maked semblable to God Woste thou not well that all vertue of liueliche werking by Gods purueighance is vnderput to reasonable creature in yerth is not euery thing a thishalf God made buxom to mans contemplacion vnderstanding in heauen in earth and in hell Hath not man being with stones soul of wexing with trees and herbs Hath he not soul of feling with beasts fishes and fouls and he hath soule of reason and vnderstonding with Angels so that in him is knit all maner of liuings by a reasonable proporcion Also man is made of all yâ— fower Elements All uniuersity is rekened in him alone he hath under god principality aboue al things Now is his soul here now a thousand mile hence now farre now nigh now high now low as farre in a moment as in mountenance of ten Winter al this is in mans gouernance disposicion Then sheweth it that men been lich vnto gods children of most height * But now sithen al things vnderput to yâ— will of reasonable creatures God forbid any man to win that Lordship ask help of any thing lower than himselfe and then namely of foule things innominable Now then why shouldest thou wene to loue to high sithen nothing is thee aboue but God alone Truly I wote wel that the ilk jewel is in a manner euen in line of degree there thou art thy selue nought aboue saue thus Angel vpon Angel Man vpon Man Deuil vpon Deuil han a maner of Souerainty that shal cease at yâ— day of Dome so I say though thou be put to serue thilk jewel during thy life yet is that no seruage of vnderputting but a maner of travailing pleasance to conquere and get that thou hast not I set now the hardest in my seruice now thou deydest for sorrow of wanting in thy desires Truly all heauenly bodies with one voice shul come make melody in thy comming say welcome our fere and worthy to enter into Iupiters joy for thou with might hast ouercome death thou wouldest neuer flit out of thy seruice we all shul now pray to the gods row by row to make thilke Margarite that no routh had in this person but vnkindly without comfort let thee dye shall beset her self in soch wise that in yearth for part of vengeaunce shall she no joy haue in loues seruice and when she is dedde then shall her soul been brought vp into thy presence and whider thou wilt chese thilke soule shall been committed Or els after thy death anone all the foresaid heauenly bodies by one accorde shall be nommen from thilke perle all the vertues that firste her were taken for she hath hem forfeyted by yâ— on thee my seruaunt in thy liue she would not suffer to worche all vertues withdrawen by might of the high bodies Why then shouldest thou wene so any more And if thee liste to looke vpon the law of kind and with order which to me was ordayned soothly none age none ouertourning time but hitherto had no time ne power to chaunge the wedding ne that knotte to vnbinde of two hertes through one assent in my presence togither accorden to enduren till death hem depart What trowest thou euery ideot wot the meaning the priuy entent of these things They wene forsoth that soche accorde may not be but yâ— Rose of maidenhede be plucked do way do way they know nothing of this * For consente of two hertes alone maketh the fastning of the knot neither law of kind ne mans Low determineth neither yâ— age ne the quality of persons but onely accord between thilke tway And truely after time that such accorde by their consent in herte is ensealed put in my tresory amongs my priuy things then ginneth the name of spousaile and although they breken forward bothe yet soch matter ensealed is kept in remembrance for euer And see now that spouses haue the name anon after accord though the Rose be not take The Aungell bad Ioseph take Mary his spouse and to Egypt wend Lo she was cleped spouse and yet toforne ne after neither of hem both meant no fleshly lust know wherfore yâ— words of trouth accorden yâ— my seruants shoulden forsake both father and mother be adherand to his spouse and they two in unity of one flesh shoulden accorde And this wise two that werne first in a little manner disaccordaunt higher that one and lower that other been made euenliche in gree to stonde But now to enforme thee yâ— ye been liche Goddes these Clerkes sain and in determinacion shewen that three things hauen the names of Goddes been cleped yâ— is to saine Man Deuil and Images but yet is there but one God of whom all goodnesse all grace and all vertue commeth he is louing and true and euerlasting prime cause of al being things but men been goddes louing true but not euerlasting that this by adoption of the euerlasting God Deuils been goddes stirring by a manner of liuing but neither been they true ne euerlasting their name of godlihed they han by vsurpacion as the Prophet saieth Al Goddes of Gentiles that is to say Painims are Diuels But Images been Goddes by nuncupacion they been neither liuing ne true ne euerlasting After these words they clepen Gods Images wrought with mens hands But now reasonable creature that by adoption alone art to yâ— great god euerlasting therby thou art good cleped let thy fathers maners so entre thy wits that thou might follow in as much as longeth to thee thy fathers worship so that in nothing thy kind from his will decline ne from his nobley pouerty In thus wise if thou werche thou art aboue all other things saue Ood alone and to say no more thine herte to serue in too hie a place FVlly haue I now declared thine estate to be good so thou follow thereafter and that the objection first by thee alleged in worthinesse of thy Margarite shall not thee let as it shall further thee and increase thee it is now to declare the last objection in nothing may greue Yes certes qd I both greue and let must it needs the contrary may not beene proued and see nowe why While I was glorious in worldly welfulnesse and had soch goodes in wealth as maken men riche tho was I draw into compaignies that loos prise and name yeuen Tho loureden blasours tho curreiden glosours tho welcomeden flatteres tho worshipped thilke that now deinen not to looke Euery wight in soch yearthly weale habundaunt is hold noble precious benigne wise to do with he shall in any degree that menne him set all be it that the soth
know and let it sinke and flete It may not sowne in euery wights ere Exiling slaunder aye for drede and fere And to my lady which I loue and serue Be true and kind her grace for to deserue The Third statute was clerely writ also Withouten chaunge to liue die the same None other loue to take for we le ne wo For blind delite for ernest nor for game Without repent for laughing or for grame To biden still in full perseueraunce All this was hole the kings ordinaunce The Fourth statute to purchase ever to here And stirren folke to loue and beten fire On Venus auter here about and there And preach to them of loue and hote desire And tell how loue will quiten well their hire This must be kept and loth me to displease If loue be wroth passe for there by is ease The Fift statute not to be daungerous If that a thought would reue me of my slepe Nor of a sight to be ouer squemous And so verely this statute was to kepe To turne and wallow in my bed and wepe When that my lady of her cruelty Would from her heart exilen all pity The Sixt statute it was for me to vse Alone to wander void of company And on my ladies beauty for to muse And to thinke it no force to liue or die And eft againe to thinke the remedie How to her grace I might anone attaine And tell my wo vnto my soueraine The Seuenth statute was to be patient Whether my lady joyfull were or wroth For words glad or heauy diligent Wheder that she me helden lefe or loth And hereupon I put was to mine oth Her for to serue and lowly to obey In shewing her my chere ye xx sith aday The Eight statute to my remembraunce Was to speaken and pray my lady dere With hourely labour great entendaunce Me for to loue with all her hert entere And me desire and make me joyfull chere Right as she is surmouning euery faire Of beauty well and gentle debonaire The Ninth statute with letters writ of gold This was the sentence how that I and all Should euer dread to be to ouerbold Her to displease and truely so I shall But ben content for thing that may fall And meekely take her chastisement and yerd And to offend her euer ben aferd The Tenth statute was egally to discerne Betwene the lady and thine ability And thinke thy selfe art neuer like to yerne By right her mercy nor her equity But of her grace and womanly pity For though thy selfe be noble in thy strene A thousand fold more noble is thy quene Thy liues lady and thy soueraine That hath thine hert al hole in gouernaunce Thou mayest no wise it taken to disdaine To put thee humbly at her ordinaunce And giue her free the reine of her Plesaunce * For liberty is thyng that women looke And truly els the matter is a crooke The xi statute thy signes for to know With eye and finger and with smiles soft And low to couch and alway for to show For drede of spies for to winken oft And secretly to bring up a sigh aloft * But still beware of ouermuch resort For that parauenture spilleth all thy sport The xii statute remember to obserue For all the paine thou hast for loue and wo All is too lite her mercy to deserue Thou musten think whereuer thou ride or go And mortall wounds suffer thou also All for her sake and thinke it well besette Vpon thy loue for it may not be bette The xiii statute whylome is to thinke What thing may best thy lady like please And in thine herts bottome let it sinke Some thing deuise take for it thine ease And send it her that may her hert appease Some hert or ring or letter or deuice Or precious stone but spare not for no price The xiiii statute eke thou shalt assay Formely to keepe the most part of thy life Wish that thy Lady in thine armes lay And nightly dreme thou hast thy nights herts wife Sweetly in armes strayning her as blife And when thou seest it is but fantasie See that thou sing not ouer merely * For too much joy hath oft a wofull end It longeth eke this statute for to hold To deme thy lady euermore thy friend And thinke thy selfe in no wise a cokold In euery thing she doth but as she should * Construe the best beleeue no tales new For many a lye is told yâ— seemeth full trew But think that she so bounteous faire Coud not be false imagine this algate And think yâ— tonges wicked would her appair Sclandering her name worshipfull estate And louers true to setten at debate And though thou seest a faut right at thine eye Excuse it bliue and glose it pretily The xv statute vse to swere and stare And counterfeit a lesing hardely To saue thy ladies honour euery where And put thy selfe for her to fight boldely Say she is good vertuous and ghostly Clere of entent heart yea thought will And argue not for reason ne for skill Againe thy ladies pleasure ne entent For loue will not be countrepleted indede * Say as she saith then shalt thou not be shent The Crow is white ye truly so I rede And aye with thing that she thee will forbede Eschew all that and giue her soueraintee Her appetite follow in all degree The xvi statute keepe it if thou may * Seuen sith at night thy lady for to please And seuen at midnight seuen at morrow day And drinke a caudle earely for thine ease Do this and keep thine head from all disease And win the garland here of louers all That euer came in court or euer shall Full few think I this statute hold keep But truely this my reason giueth me fele That some louers should rather fall asleepe Than take on hand to please so oft and wele There lay none oth to this statute adele But keep who might as gaue him his corage Now get this garland lusty folke of age Now win who may ye lusty folke of youth This garland fresh of floures red and white Purple and blew and colours fell vncouth And I shall croune him king of all delite In all the court there was not to my sight A louer true that he ne was adrede When he expresse hath heard the statute rede The xvii statute when age approcheth on And lust is laied and all the fire is queint As freshly then thou shalt begin to fonne And dote in loue and all her image paint In thy remembraunce till thou begin to faint As in the first season thine hert began And her desire though thou ne may ne can Performe thy liuing actuell and lust Regester this in thine remembraunce rust Eke when thou maist not keep thy thing from Yet speake and talke of pleasaunt daliaunce For that shall make thine hert rejoice daunce * And when thou maist no more yâ— game assay The
prouidence hath no fauour Farewell wisedome and farewell discretion For lacke onely of supportation For vnsupported with his lockes hore Amphiorax sighen gan full sore With hed enclined many an heuy thought When yâ— he saw his counsail sâ—ood for nought For vtterly the Greekes as I told Haue fully cast her journey for to yhold Made hem ready and gonne for to hostey Toward Thebes the city for to werrey And in Greece will no lenger tarry And forth with hem Amphiorax they carry Set in his chaire with a dolefull hert When he wist he might not astert Of his fate the disposition And hosteying into the region Of Ligurge Greekes can approche A sundry lond with many a craggy roche But all the way soothly that they gone For horse ne man water was there none So dry were the valleyes and the pleines For all that yeare they had had no reines But full great drought as made is mention And all the lond searching enuiron The great Mischief that the Greeks had for default of Water They nother found Well ne Riuere Hem to refresh nor water that was clere That they alas no refute ne conne So importable was the shene Sonne So hote on hem in foulds where they ley That for mischeefe men and horse they dey Gaping full dry vpward into the South And some putten her swerdes in her mouth And speare heads in story as it is told Tassuage her thurst with the yron cold And of his life full many one despeired In this mischeefe is home ageine repeired Till on a day worthy Tideus And with him eke the king Campaneus Of purpose rode throughout the countree If they might any water see From coast to coast both ferre and nere Till of fortune they entred an herbere With trees shadowed fro the sunne shene Full of floures and of hearbes grene Wonder holesome of sight and aire Therein a lady that passingly was faire Sitting as tho vnder a Laurer tree And in her armes a little child had she Full gracious of looke and of visage And was also wonder tender of age Sonne of the king borne to succede Called Ligurgus in story as we rede Whose hearts joy and worldly eke disport All his mirth eke pleasance and comfort Was in this child of excellent fairenesse And this lady mirrour of semelinesse All sodainly as she cast vp her sight Vpon his stede saw an armed knight Greatly abashed gan her anon remue But Tideus gan after fast to sue How Tideus complained to the Lady in the Herber for Water And said suster beth nothing dismaied In your selfe displeased nor affraied For we are come onely to this place You to beseech of mercy and of grace Vs to succour in our great need Declaring you how it stand indeed Here fast by almost at hond The worthiest of all Greeks lond Kings Princes be lodged in the field And many other with polax and with shield Which in mischeef perill and great drede For want of water are likely to be dede For there was none of high ne low degree In all our hoast now passed dayes three That dranke alas I except none estate Our fate is so infortunate Praying you of womanly pitee Benignely and graciously to see How of Greece all the cheualry Of her liues stonds in ieopardy That ye would of womanhood tell If ye know any riuer spring or well Specially now in our care Of gentillesse vnto vs declare Lo here is all if ye lust to heare That I will seine mine own suster deare And when this lady inly vertuous The complaint heard of worthy Tideus Of very pity chaungeth chere and hew And in her heart vpon his wo gan rew And full goodly seeing his distresse Said vnto him in all his heauinesse How the Lady courteously taught Tideus to the Well Certes qd she if I were at large Touching this child which I haue in charge I should in hast of all that doth you greue To my power helpe you and releue Onely of routh and of compassion And leue all other occupation Conuey you and be your true guide To a riuer but little here beside But I dare not so much me assure This little child to put in aduenture I am so fearefull from it to depart But for your sake yet I shall doe part My life my death of true affection To prouide for your saluation Tooke the child and leid it in her lap And richely in clothes gan it wrap And couched it among the herbes sote And leid about many an holesome rote And floures eke both blew and rede And supprised with a manere of drede With Tideus forth anon she went As she in trouth that no treason ment And on her wey would neuer dwell Till she him brought to a right faire well And to a riuer of water full habound But who was glad and who was tho jocound But Tideus seeing the riuer Which in all hast sent his messanger To Adrastus and had him not abide But downe descend to the riuer side With all his hoast licour for to haue At this riuer her liues for to saue And they enhasted hem making none abode All at ones to the Riuer rode For to drinke they had so great lust Of appetite for to staunch her thurst And some dranke and found it did hem good And some were so feruent and so wood Vpon the water that in sikernesse Through vndiscreet and hasty greedinesse Out of measure the water so they drinke That they fell dead euen vpon the brinke And some naked into the Riuer runne Only for heat of the Summer Sunne To bathen hem the water was so cold And some also as I haue you told I meane tho that prudent were and wise The water dranke in measurable wise That of the thurst they haue before endured They were refreshed fully and recured And Greekes then of high and low degree For her profite and her commoditee Compasse the riuer Christalin of sight Of one accord they her tents pight To rest hem there in reles of here peine Onely the space of a day or tweine And whiles Grekes vpon the riuer lay This Tideus vpon the same day Full knightly hath done his diligence This yong lady with great reuerence To Adrastus goodly to present At whose comming the king himselfe went Again her she falling doun on knees All thestates tho present and degrees Of Grekes lond absent was not one And in his armes tooke her vp anon Thanking her of her besinesse Of her labour and her kindnesse Behoting her like as he was hold If any thing pleinly that she wold That he may don she should it redy find And also Greekes all the story maketh mind Of thestates being tho present Thanked her with all her holle entent For the freshing done to many a Greke And for her part they behight her eke With her bodies and goods both two What her list commaund hem for to do To be redy partly and not faile And here my Auctour
Prudent or wise discrete or besie The dome of folkes in soch thou may not fly * What ever thou doest trust well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis For in thy porte or in apparaile If thou be cladde and honestly be saine Anone the people of malice woll not faile Without advice or reason for to sain That thine array is made or wrought in vain Suffer hem speake and trust right wel this A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis Thou will to kings be equipolent With great lordes evin and peregall And if thou be torne all to rent Then woll they say and jangle over all Thou art a slougarde that never thrive shall Suffre hem speke and trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis * If it befall that thou take a wife They woll falsly say in their entent Thou art likely ever to live in strife Voide of all rest without aledgment Wifes ben maistres this is their judgment Suffren all their spech trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis * If thou be faire and excellent of beaute Yet woll they say that thou art amourous If thou be foule and vgly on to see They woll affirme that thou art vicious The people of language is so dispitous Suffre all their spech trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis If so be that of parfitenesse Thou hast vowed to live in chastitee Then woll folke of thy person expresse Thou art impotent tengendre in thy degree And thus where thou be chaste or desâ—avy Suffre hem speake and trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis If thou be fatte other corpolent Then wol they sain thou art a great gloton A devourer or els vinolent If thou be leane or megre of fashion Call thee a nigard in their opinion Suffre them speake and trust right wel this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis If thou be rich some woll yeve thee laude And say it commeth of prudent governaunce And some wol saine it commeth of fraude Other by sleight or false chevisaunce To sain the worst folke have so great pleasaunce What suffre hem say trust right wei this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis If thou be sadde or sobre of countenaunce Men woll sain thou thinkest some treason And if thou be glad of daliaunce Men woll deme it desolution And call faire speach adulacion Yet let hem speake and trust right well this A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis Who that is holy by perfection Men of malice woll clip him ypocrite And who is mery of clene entention Men sain in riot he doth him delite Some mourn in blacke some love in clothes white Suffre men speake and trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis Honest aray men deme it pompe and pride And who goeth poore men call him a waster And who goeth still men mark him on the side Seine that he is a spy or agiler Who wasteth not men sain he hath treasour Whereof conclude and trust right well this A wicked tonge will alway deme amis Who speketh moch men clepeth him prudent Who that debateth men saine that he is hardy And who saith litel with great sentement Some folke yet wol wite him of foly Trouth is put down and vp goth flattery And who that list plainly know the cause of this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis For though a man were as pacient As was David throw his humilite Or with Salomon in wisedome as prudent Or in knighthode egall with Iosue Or manly proved as Iudas Machabe Yet for al that trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis And though a man had the prowesse Of worthy Hector Troys Champioun The love of Troylus or the kindnesse Or of Cesar the famous high renoun With all Alexaunders dominacioun Yet for all that trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis Or though a man of high or low degree Of Tullius had the sugred eloquence Or of Seneca the moralitee Or of Caton forsight and providence The conquest of Charles Artures magnificence Yet for all that trust right well this A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis Touching of women the parfit Innocence Though that they had of Hester the noblenesse Or of Gresilde the humble pacience Or of Iudith the preuid stablenesse Or Polixcenes virginall clennesse Yet dare I seiue and trust right wel this * Some wicked tong would deme of them amis The wifely trouth of Penelope Though they it had in her possession Helenes beauty the kindnesse of Medee The loue vnfayned of Martia Caton Or Alcestes trewe affection Yet dare I saine and trust right well this A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis Than sooth it is that no man may eschew The swerd of tonges but it will kerve bite Full hard it is a man for to remew Out of their daunger him for to aquite * Wo to the tonges that hemselfe delite To hinder or slaunder set their study in this And their pleasaunces to deme alway amis Most noble princes cherishers of vertue Remembreth you of high discretion * The first vertue most pleasing to Iesu By the writing and sentence of Caton Is a good tonge in his opinion Chastise the reverse of wisedome do this Voideth your hearing from al yâ— deme amis A Ballad in the Praise and Commendation of Master Geffery Chaucer for his golden Eloquence Maister Geffray Chaucer that now lithe in grave The noble Rhetoricion and Poet of great Britaine That worthy was yâ— laurer of Poetry to have For this his labour and the palme to attain Which first made to distil and rein The gold dewe dropes of spech eloquence Into English tonge through his excellence Explicit Here followeth certain Works of Geffrey Chaucer annexed to the Impressions printed in the Years 1561 and 1602. All collected and adjoyned to his former Works by John Stowe A Ballad made by Chaucer teaching what is gentilness or whom is worthy to be called gentill THE first stocke Father of gentilnes What man desireth gentil for to bee Must followe his trace and all his wittes dreis Vertue to love and vices for to flee For vnto vertue longeth dignitee And not the revers falsly dare I deme All weare he miter crowne or diademe This first stocke was full of rightwisnes Trew of his worde sober pitous and free Clene of his goste and loved besineffe Against the vice of slouth in honeste * And but his eyre love vertue as did he He is not gentill though he rich seme All weare he miter crowne or diademe * Vicesse may well be heir to old richesse But there may no man as men may wel see Byquethe his eyre his vertues noblenesse That is appropried vnto no degree But to the first father in majestee That maketh his eyres them that him queme All weare he miter crowne or diademe Explicit A
Proverb against Covetise and Negligence WHat shall these clothes manifold Lo this hote somers day * After great heat commeth cold No man cast his pilch away Of all this world the large compasse It will not in mine armes twaine Who so mokel woll enbrace Litel thereof he shall distraine Explicit A Ballad which Chaucer made against Women unconstant MAdame for your new fangleness Many a servaunt have you put out of your grace I take my leave of your unstedfastness For well I wote while ye to live haue space Ye cannot love full half yere in a place * To new things your lust is ever kene In stede of blew thus may ye wear all grene Right as a mirrour yâ— nothing may enpresse But lightly as it cometh so mote it passe So fares your love your works bear witnes There is no faith may your hert enbrace But as a wedercocke that turneth his face With euery wind ye fare and that is seene In stede of blew thus may ye weare all grene Ye might be shrined for your brothilnes Better then Dalyda Cresseide or Candace For ever in changing stondeth your sikernes That catche may no wight from your hert a race If ye lose one ye can wel twein purchace * Al light for somar ye wot well with I meene In stede of blew thus may ye weare all grene Explicit Here followeth a Ballad which Chaucer made in the Praise or rather Dispraise of Women for their Doubleness THis world is full of variaunce In euery thing who taketh hede That faith and trust and all constance Exiled been this is no drede And saue onely in womanhede I can see no sekerness But for all that yet as I rede Beware alway of doubleness * Also that freshe somer floures White and rede blewe and greene Been sodenly with winter shoures Made feinte and fade without wene That trust is none as ye may seene In no thing nor no stedfastness Except in women thus I meene Yet aye beware of doubleness The croked Mone this is no tale Some while yshene and bright of hewe And after that full derke and pale And euery moneth chaungeth newe That who the veray soth knewe * All things is bilt on brotleness Saue that women aye be trewe Yet aye beware of doubleness The lusty freshe sommers day And Phebus with his beames clere Towards night they drawe away And none lenger list appere * That in this present life now here Nothing abideth in his faireness Saue women aye be found intere And deuoide of doubleness The sea eke with his sterne wawes Eche day floweth new againe And by concours of his lawes The ebbe floweth in certaine * After grete drought there cometh a raine That farewel here all stabelness Saue that women be hole and plaine Yet aye beware of doubleness * Fortunes whele goeth round about A thousand times day and night Whose course standeth euer in doubt For to transmew she is so light For which aduerteth in your sight The vntrust of worldy fikelness Saue women which of kindly right Ne hath no teche of doubleness What man may the wind restraine Or hold a snake by the taile Or a slipper ele constraine That it will voide without faile Or who can driue so a naile To make sure new fongleness * Saue women that can gie their saile To row their boote with doubleness At euery hauen they can ariue Where as they wote is good passage Of innocence they can not striue With wawes nor no rockes rage So happy is their lodemanage With needle and stone their course to dress * That Salomon was not so sage To find in them no doubleness Therefore who so them accuse Of any double entencion To speake rowne other to muse To pinch at their condicion All is but false collusion I dare rightwell the sothe express They haue no better protection But shrowd them vnder doubleness * So well fortuned is their chaunce The dice to turne vp so doune With sise and sincke they can auaunce And then by reuolucion They set a fell conclusion Of â—ombes as in soothfastness Though clerkes make mencion Their kinde is fret with doubleness Sampson had experience That women were full trew yfound When Dalyda of innocence With sheeres gan his heere to round To speake also of Rosamound And Cleopatris faithfulness The stories plainly will confound Men that apeche their doubleness Single thing ne is not praised Nor of old is of no renoun In balaunce when they be peised For lacke of waight they be bore doun And for this cause of just reason These women all of rightwiseness Of choise and free election Moste loue eschaunge and doubleness Lenuoye O Ye women which been enclined By influence of your nature To been as pure as gold yfined In your truth for to endure Arme your selfe in strong armure Least men assaile your sikerness Set on your brest your selfe to assure A mighty shield of doubleness Explicit This Work following was compiled by Chaucer and it is called the Craft of Lovers MOral is a similitude who liste their balades sewe The craft of Loues curious arguments For some been false and some been founden trewe And some been double of entendements Thus louers with their morall documents And eloquent langage they can examplifie The craft of loue what it doth signifie Who list vnto this balades have inspection Thinke that loves lordships excellent Is remedy for disease and correction To wofull herte and body impotent Suppose the maker that he be negligent In his compilyng hold him excusable Because his spirites be sory and lamentable Most soverain lady surmounting your noblenes O intenuate Ienipre daisie delicious My trust mine helth my cordiall foundres O Medicine sanatife to sores langorous O comfortable creature of lovers amorous O excellent herber of lovely countenaunce Ye regester my love in your remembraunce Certes sir your painted eloquence So gay so fresh and eke so talcatife It doth transcend the wit of dame Prudence For to declare your thought or to discrive So gloriously glad langage ye contrive Of your conceit your thought your entent I will beware for drede or I be stent O rubicunde Rose and white as the lilly O clarified Christal of worldly portraiture O Courfin figure resplendent with glory O Gem of beaute o Carboncle shining pure Your fairnes excedeth yâ— craft of dame nature Most womanly behaving your lovely countenauuce Ye regester my love in your remembraunce What availeth sir your proclamacion Of curious talking not touching to sadnes It is but winde flattering and adulacion Imesurable thought of worldly wildnes Which is cheife cause of ghostly feblenes Your wil your thought your double entendement * I wil beware of drede or I be shent My wit my thought and mine invencion Is for to please you my lady soverain And for your love throw many a region I would be exiled so that ye wold not disdain To have pity on me when I complain In wele and wo to suffre