Nowe downwarde grosse nowe vpright And walowe in wo the longe nyght Thyn armes shalte thou sprede a brede As man in werre were forwerede Than shall the come a remembraunce Of her shappe and her semblaunce wherto none other maye be pere And wete thou well wythout were That the shall se somtyme that nyght That thou haste her that is so bryght Naked betwene thyne armes there All sothfastnesse as though it were Thou shalte than make castels in Spayne And dreme of ioye al but it vayne And the delyten of ryght nought whyle thou so slombrest in that thought That so swete and delytable The whyche in soth nys but a fable For it ne shall no whyle laste Than shalte thou syghe and wepe faste And saye dere god what thynge is this My dreme is turned all amys whyche was ful swete and apparent But nowe I wake it is all shent Nowe yede thys mery thought away Twenty tymes vpon a day I wolde thys thought wolde come agayne For it alegeth well my payne It maketh me full of ioyefull thought It sleeth me that it lasteth nought Ah lorde why nyll ye me socoure The ioye I trowe that I langoure The deth I wolde me shulde slo whyle I lye in her armes two Myne harme is harde wythouten wene My great vnease full ofte I mene BVt wolde loue do so I myght Haue fully ioye of her so bryght My payne were quitte me richly Alas to greate a thynge aske I It is but folye and wronge wenyng To aske so outragious a thyng And who so asketh folyly He mote be warned hastely And I ne wote what I maye say I am so ferre out of the way For I wolde haue full great lykyng And full greate ioye of lasse thyng For wolde she of her gentylnesse withouten more me ones kesse It were to me a greate guerdon Relece of al my passion But it is harde to come therto All is but foly that I do So hygh I haue myne herte sette where I maye no comforte gette I wote not where I saye wel or nought But thys I wote well in my thought Thet it were better of her alone For to stynte my wo and mone A loke on her I cast goodly That for to haue all vtterly Of an other all hole the play Ah lorde where I shal byde the day That euer she shal my lady be He is full cured that maye her se A god whan shall the dawnyng sprynge To lyggen thus is an angry thynge I haue no ioye thus here to lye whan that my loue is not me bye A man to lyen hath great disese whyche may not slepe ne rest in ese I wolde it dawed and were now day And that the nyght were went away For were it daye I wolde vp ryse Ah slowe sunne shewe thyne enprise Spede the to sprede thy beemes bryght And chace the derkenesse of the nyght To put away the stoundes stronge whych in me lasten al to longe The nyght shalte thou contynue so wythout rest in payne and wo yf euer thou knewe of loue distresse Thou shall mowe lerne in that sickenesse And thus endurynge shalte thou lye And ryse on morowe vp erly Out of thy bedde and harneys the Er euer dawnyng thou mayst se Al priuely than shalte thou gone what whyder it be thy selfe alone For reyne or hayle for snowe for slete Thyder she dwelleth that is so swete The whiche may fall a slepe be And thynketh but lytle vpon the Than shalte thou go ful foule aferde Loke yf the gate be vnsperde And wayte wythout in wo and payne Ful yuel a coulde in wynde and rayne Than shalt thou go the dore before If thou mayst fynde any shore Or hole or refte what euer it were Than shalte thou stoupe and laye to eerâ— If they wythin a slepe be I meane al saue thy lady free whom wakynge yf thou mayst aspye Go put thy selfe in inpardye To aske grace and the bymene That she may wete wythout wene That thou nyght no reste haste had So sore for her thou were bestad women well ought pytie to take Of hem that sorowen for her sake And loke for loue of that relyke That thou thynke none other lyke For whan thou hast so great annoy Shal kysse the er thou go awey And holde that in ful great deynte And for that no man shal the se Before the house ne in the way Loke thou begone agayne er day Such commyng and such goyng Such heuynesse and such walkyng Maketh louers wythouten any wene Vnder her clothes pale and lene For loue leaueth coloure ne cleernesse who loueth trewe hath no fatnesse Thou shalt well by thy selfe se That thou must nedes assayed be For men that shape hem other way Falsely her ladyes for to betray It is no wonder though they be fatte wyth false othes her loues they gatte For ofte I se suche losengeours Fatter than Abottes or priours Yet wyth o thynge I the charge That is to saye that thou be large Vnto the mayde that her doth serue So best her thanke thou shalt deserue yeue her gyftes and get her grace For so thou may thanke purchace That she the worthy holde and fre Thy lady and al that may the se Also her seruauntes worshyp aye And please as much as thou maye Great good through hem maye come to the Bycause wyth her they bene priue They shal her tell howe they the fande Curreys and wyse and wel doande And she shal preyse wel the more Loke out of lande thou be not fore And yf such cause thou haue that the Behoueth to gone out of countre Leaue hole thyne hert in hostage Tyl thou agayne make thy passage Thynke longe to se the swete thyng That hath thyne herte in her kepyng Nowe haue I tolde the in what wyse A louer shal do me seruice Do it than yf thou wolte haue The mede that thou after craue WHan loue al thys had boden me I sayd hym sir howe may it be That louers may in such manere Endure y e paine ye haue said here I meruayle me wonder faste Howe any man may lyue or laste In such payne and such brennyng In sorowe and thought and such syghyng Aye vnrelesed wo to make whether so it be they slepe or wake In such anoy continually As helpe me god this meruayle I Howe man but he were made of stele Myght lyue a month such paynes to fele THe God of loue than sayde me Frende by the fayth I owe to the May no man haue good but he it bye A man lyueth more tenderlye The thyng that he hath bought moste dere For wete thou well wythout were In thanke that thinge is taken more For whych a man hath suffred sore Certes no wo ne may attayne Vnto the sore of loues payne None yuell therto ne may amounte No more than a man counte The droppes that of the water be For drye as wel the greate see Thou myghtest as the harmes tell Of hem that wyth loue dwell In seruice
as fast as he maye glyde Into her next paleys to abyde walkyng his course tyl she had hym atake And he prayed her to haste her for his sake Than sayd he thus my hertes lady swete Ye knowe wel my myschefe in that place For sykerly tyl that I with you mete My lyfe stant there in auenture and grace But whan I se the beautye of your face There is no drede of deth may do me smerte For all your lust is ease to myne hert She hath so great coÌ„passyon of her knyght That dwelleth in solytude tyl she come For it stode so that thylke tyme no wyght Counsayled hym ne sayd to hym welcome That nygh her wyt for sorowe was ouercoÌ„ wherfore she sped as fast in her way Almost in one day as he dyd in twaye The great ioye that was betwyxt hem wo whan they be met there may no tonge â—ell There is nomore but vnto bed they go And thus in ioye and blysse I let hem dwel This worthy Mars y t is of knyghthod wel The flour of fairnesse happeth in his armes And venus kysseth Mars y e god of armes Soiorned hath this Mars of which I rede In chambre amydde the palays priuely A certayne tyme tyl hym fel a drede Through Phebus that was comen hastely within the palays yates sturdely with torch in hand of which y e stremes briÈt On venus chambre knockeden ful lyght The chambre there as lay this fresshe quene Depaynted was with whyte boles grete And by y e lyght she knewe that shon so shene That Phebus came to bren hem w t his hete This selly Venus me dreynt in teares wete Embraceth Mars and sayd alas I dye The torch is com y t al this world wyl wrye Vp stert Mars hym lyst not to slepe whan he his lady herde so complayne But for his nature was not for to wepe In stede of teares from his eyen twayne The fyry sparcles sprongen out for payne And hent his hauberke y t lay hym besyde Flye wold he nouÈt ne might him self hyde He throweth on his helme of huge weyght And gyrt hym w t his swerde in his hond His mighty spere as he was woÌ„t to fyght He shaketh so that it almost to wonde Full heuy was he to walken ouer loude He may not holde with Venus company But bad her flyen lest Phebus her espye O woful Mars alas what mayst y u sayne That in the palays of thy disturbaunce Art left behynde in peryl to be slayne And yet therto is double thy penaunce For she y t hath thyne hert in gouernaunce Is passed halfe the stremes of thyne eyen That y u nere swyft wel mayest thou wepâ— crâ—en Now flyeth Venus into Ciclinius tour with voyde corse for feare of Phebus lyght Alas and there hath she no socour For she ne fouÌ„de ne sey no maner wyght And eke as there she had but lytle myght wherfore her seluen for to hyde and saue within the gate she fled into a caue Darke was this caue and smokiÌ„g as y e hell Nat but two paas within the yate it stode A naturel day in darke I let her dwell Now wol I speke of mars furious wode For sorow he wolde haue sene his hert blod Syth y t he might haue done her no coÌ„panye He ne rought not a myte for to dye So feble he wert for hete and for his wo That nigh he swelt he might vneth endure He passeth but a ster in dayes two But neuerthelesse for al his heuy armure He foloweth her that is his lyues cure For whose departyng he toke greater yre Than for all his brennyng in the fyre After he walketh softely apace Complaynyng that it pytie was to here He sayd O lady bryght Venus alas That euer so wyde a coÌ„pas is my sphere Alas whan shall I mete you hert dere This twelue dayes of Apryll I endure Through ielous Phebus this mysaueÌ„ture Now god helpe sely Venus alone But as god wolde it happed for to be That whil y e weping venus made her mone Câ—elimus rydyng in his chyuauche Fro Venus Valanus might his paleys se And venus he salueth and maketh chere And her receyueth as his frende ful dere Mars dwelleth forth in his aduersitie Complaynyng euer in her departyng And what his coÌ„playnt was remeÌ„breth me And therfore in this lusty morownyng As I best can I wol it sayne and synge And after that I woll my leaue take And god yeue euery wyght ioy of his make ¶ The complaynt of Mars THe ordre of complaynt requyreth skylfully That yf a wyght shall playne pytouslye There mote be cause wherfore y t meÌ„ playne Or men may deme he playneth folyly And causeles alas that am not I wherfore y e grounde cause of al my payne So as my troubled wyt may it attayne I wol reherse not for to haue redresse But to declare my grounde of heuynesse The fyrst tyme alas that I was wrought And for certayne effectes hyder brought By hym that lordeth eche intelligence I yaue my true seruyce and my thought For euermo how dere I haue it bought To her that is of so great excellence That what wight y t sheweth first her offeÌ„ce whan she is wroth taketh of him no cure He may not longe in ioye of loue endure This is no fayned mater that I tell My lady is the very sours and well Of beautie lust fredome and gentyllesse Of ryche araye how dere men it sell Of all disport in which men frely dwel Of loue and play and of benigne huÌ„blesse Of sowne of instrumentes of al swetnesse And therto so well fortuned and thewed y t through y e worlde her goodnes is shewed what wonder is than though that I beset My seruyce on such one that may me kâ—et To wele or wo sith it lyth in her myght Therfore myne hert for euer I vnto her het Ne truly for my deth shal I not let To ben her truest seruaunt her knyght I flatter not that may wete euery wyght For this day in her seruyce shall I dye But grace be I se her neuer with eye To whom shal I playne of my distresse who may me help who may my hert redres Shall I complayne vnto my lady free Nay certes for she hath suche heuynesse For feare and eke for wo that as I gesse In lytle tyme it wolde her bane be But were she safe it were no force of me Alas that euer louers mote endure For loue so many perylous auenture For though so be that louers be as trewe As any metall that is forged newe In many a case hem tydeth oft sorowe Somtyme her ladyes wol not on hem rew Somtyme yf that ielousye it knewe They myght lyghtly lay her heed to borow Somtyme enuyous folke w t tanges horow Deprauen hem alas whom may they plese But he be false no louer hath his ease But what auayleth suche a longe sermoun Of auentures
wisedome maÌ„hed Assemble al the folke of our kynred And make warre so sharpe in thys countre That by some auenture or by some treate Thou mayst haue her to lady and to wyfe For whom I must nedes lese my lyfe For as by waye of possibilite Syth thou arte at thy large of prison fre And arte a lorde great is thyne auauntage More then is myne that sterue here in a cage For I maye wepe and wayle whyles y t I lyue wyth all the wo that prison maye me yeue And eke wyth payne that loue yeueth me also That doubleth al my tourment and my wo Therwyth the fyre of ielousy vp stert wythin hys brest and hent hym by the hert So woodly that he lykely was to beholde The boxe tree or the ashen deed and colde Then sayd he O cruell goddes that gouerne Thys worlde wyth your worde eterne And wrytten in the table of Athamant Your parliament and eterne graunt what is mankynde more vnto you yholde Then is the shepe that rouketh in the folde For slayne is man ryght as another beest And dwelleth eke in prison and in arrest And hath sycknesse and great aduersite And ofte tyme gyltlesse parde What gouernaunce is in thys prescience That gyltlesse turmenteth innocence And encreaseth thus all my penaunce That man is bounden to hys obseruaunce For goddes sake to letten of hys wyll There as a beest maye all hys lustes fulfyll And when a beest is deed he hath no payne But after hys death maÌ„ mote wepe and playne Though in thys worlde he haue care and wo wythout doute it maye standen so The answere of thys lete I to diuines But well I wote in thys worlde great pyne is Alas I se a serpent or a thefe That many a true man hath do myschefe Gone at hys large where hym lyst may turne But I mote bene in prison through Saturne And eke through Iuno ielous and eke wood That hath stroyed well nye all the blood Of Thebes wyth hys wast walles wyde And Venus sleeth me on that other syde For ielousye and feare of hym Arcite Nowe wyll I slynte of Palamon a lyte And let hym in hys pryson styll dwell And of Arcite forth woll I you tell The sommer passeth and the nyghtes longe Encreaseth double wyse the paynes stronge Both of the louer and of the prisoner I not whych hath the wofuller myster For shortly to saye thys Palamon Perpetuall is dampned to prison In â—haynes and feters to the deed And Arcite is exiled on hys heed For euermore as out of that countre Or neuer more shall hys lady se You louers aske I now thys question Who hath the woâ—se Arcite or Palamon That one maye se hys lady daye by daye But in prison mote he dwell alwaye That other where hym lyst maye ryde or go But sene hys lady shall he neuer mo Nowe demeth as ye lyst ye that can For I woll tell forth my tale as I began ¶ When that Arcite to Thebes comen was Full ofte a daye he swelte and sayd alas For sene hys lady shall he neuer mo And shortly to conclude all hys wo So mykell sorowe made neuer creature That is or shal be whyle the worlde maye dure Hys slepe hys meate hys drynke is hym byraft That leane he wareth and drye as a shaft Hys eyen holowe and grysly to beholde Hys hewe pale and falowe as asshen colde And solitary he was and euer alone And waylynge all the nyght makynge mone And yf he herde songe or instrument Then wolde he wepe he myght not stent So feble were hys spirites and so lowe And chauÌ„ged so y t no man coude hym knowe Hys speche ne hys voyce though men it herde As in hys gyre for all the worlde it ferde Nought comly lyke to louers maladye Of Hereos but rather lyke manye Engendred of Humours melancolyke Beforne hys fell fantastyke And shortly was turned all vp so doun Both habyte and dysposicion Of hym thys wofull louer Arcyte what shulde I all daye of hys wo endyte When he endured had a yere or two Thys cruell torment and thys payne and wo At Thebes in hys countre as I sayd Vpon a nyght in slepe as he hym layde Hym thought howe that the wynged Mercury Beforne hym stode and bad hym to be mery Hys slepy yerde in hande he bare vpryght An harte he wered vpon hys heares bryght Arayed was thys god as he toke kepe As he was when Argus toke hys slepe And said him thus to Athenes shalt thou wend There is the shapen of thy wo an end And wyth that worde Arcite awoke and stert Nowe truly howe sore that me smert Quoth he to Athenes ryght nowe wyll I fare Ne for no drede of death shall I spare To se my lady that I loue and serue In her presence recke I not to sterue And with that word he caught a great myrrour And sawe that changed was al hys colour And sawe hys vysage all in another kynde And ryght anone it ran hym in hys mynde That syth hys face was so dysfygured Of maladye the whych he had endured He myght well yf that he bare hym lowe Lyue in Athenes euermore vnknowe And sene hys ladye well nyghe daye by daye And ryght anone he chaunged hys araye And clad hym as a poore labourer And all alone saue only a squyer That knewe hys priuitie and all hys caas whych was dysgysed poorely as he was To Athenes is he gone the nexte waye And to the courte he wente vpon a daye And at the gate he profered hys seruyce To druge and drawe what so men wold deuyse And shortely of thys mater for to sayne He fell in offyce with a chamberlayne The whiche was dwellyng with Emelye For he was wyse and sone couth espye Of euery seruaunt whiche that serued here Well couthe he hewen wodde water bere For he was yong and myghty for the nones And therto he was strong bygge of bones To done that any wyght can him deuyse A yere or two he was in thys seruyse Page of the chambre of Emely the bright And Phylostrate he sayd that he hyght But halfe so well beloued man as he Ne was there none in court of hys degre He was so gentyll of condicyon That through all the court was hys renoun They sayd that it were a charyte That Theseus wolde enhauncen hys degre And put hym in a worshyp full seruyse There as he myght hys vertue exercyse And thus wtin a whyle hys name is spronge Bothe of hys dedes and of hys good tonge That Theseus had taken hym so nere That of hys chambre he made hym squyere And yafe hym golde to maynteyn hys degre And eke men brought hym out of hys coutre Fro yere to yere full priuely hys rent But honestly and slyly he it spent That no man wondred howe he it had And thre yere in thys wyse hys lyfe he ladde And bare hym so in peace and eke in werre Ther was no man
wynter space Vnder Alla kyng of Northumberlonde That was ful wyse worthy of hys honde Agayne the Scottes as men may wel here But tourne I wol agayne to my matere Sathan that euer vs wayteth to begyle Sawe of Custaunce al her perfectioun And cast anon how he might quyte her wyle And made a yong knight y t dwelt in the toun Loue her so hotte of foule affectioun That verily hym thought y t he shulde spyll But he of her ones might haue his wyll He woeth her but it aueyled nought She wolde do no synne by no wey And for dispyte he compassed in his thought To maken her on shamfull dethe to dey He wayteth whan the constable is awey And priuely on a nyght he crepte In to Hermegildes chambre whyle she slept Wery forwaked in her orisons Slepeth Custaunce and Hermegylde also This knight through Sathans teÌ„ptacions Al softely is to the bedde ygo And cut the throte of Hermegylde a two And layde y e blody knyfe by dame CustauÌ„ce And went his waye ther god yeue him myschaunce Sone after cometh y e coÌ„stable home agayne And eke Alla that kynge was of that lande And sawe hys wyfe dyspytously yslayne For whych he wepte and wronge his hande And in the bedde the blody knyfe he fonde By dame CustaÌ„ce alas what myght she say For very wo her wytte was al away To kynge Alla was tolde al this myschauÌ„ce And eke the tyme where in what wyse That in a shyppe was fouÌ„den this CustauÌ„ce As here before ye han herde me deuyse The kynges herte for pyte gan aryse when he sawe so benygne a creature Fal in dysease and in mysaduenture For as y e laÌ„be towarde hys death is brought So stante this innocent beforne the kyng This fals knight y t hath this tresoÌ„ wrought Bereth her on haÌ„d y t she hath don this thing But nathelesse there was great mornyng Amonge the people sayd they can not gesse That she had done so great a wyckednesse For they han sene her euer so vertuouse And louyng Hermegylde right as her lyfe Of this bare witnesse eueryche in that house Saue he that Hermegyld slow w t hys knyfe This geÌ„tle kyng hath caught a great motyfe Of this wytnes thought he wold enquere Deper in thys case the trouth to lere Alas Custaunce thou hast no champion Ne fyght canst thou not so welaway But he that starft for our redempcion And bonde Sathan yet lyth there he laye So be thy stronge champion thys daye For but yf Christ on the myracle kyth without gylt thou shalt be slayne aswyth She set her doune on knees thus she sayde Immortal god that sauedest Susanne Fro false blame and thou mercyful mayde Marye I meane doughter to saynt Anne Byforne whose chylde angels synge Osanne Yf I be gyltlesse of thys felonye My socoure be or els shal I dye Haue ye not sene somtyme a pale face Amonge a prees of hym that hath ben lad Toward his deth wher as him get no grace And such a colour in his face hath had That meÌ„ might know his face y t was bystad Amonges al the faces in that route So standeth Custaunce loketh her aboute O quenes lyuynge in prosperite Duchesses and ye ladyes euerychone Haue some routh on her aduersite An emperours doughter stante alone She hath no wiÈt to whoÌ„ to make hermone O bloode royal that stondeth in this drede Farre ben thy frendes at thy great nede Thys Alla kyng hath such compassioun As gentle herte is ful of pyte That from hys eyen ran the water doun Nowe hastely do fette a boke quod he And yf thys knyght wol swere how that she Thys woman llowe yet wol we vs auyse whom that we wol shal ben our iustyse A breton boke wrytten wyth Euangeles was fette and theron he swore anone She gylty was and in the meane whyles An hande hym smote on the necke bone That downe he fyl atones as a stone And both hys eyen brast out of hys face In syght of euery body in that place A voyce was herde in generall audience That sayd Thou hast dysclandred gyltles The doughter of holy chyrch in hye presence Thus hast thou done yet I holde my pees Of this maruayle agast was al the prees As dysmayde folke they stoden euerychone For drede of wreche saue Custaunce alone Great was y e drede eke the repentauÌ„ce Of hem that hadden wrought suspection Vpon thys sely innocent Custaunce And for thys myracle in conclusion And by Custaunces mediation The kynge and many another in that place Conuerted was thanked by goddes grace This false knight was slayn for his vntroth By iudgement of Alla hastely And yet CustauÌ„ce had of his death gret roth And after this Iesus of hys mercy Made Alla wedden ful solempnely Thys holy mayde that is so bryght shene And thus hath christ made CustauÌ„ce a quene But who was woful yf I shulde not lye Of thys weddyng but Donogelde no mo The kynges mother full of tyranny Her thought her cursed hert brast a two She wolde not her sonne had do so Her thought a despyte that he shulde take So straunge a creature vnto hys make Me lyst not of the chaffe ne of the stree Make so longe a tale as of the corne what shulde I tel of the royalte Of y e mariage or whych course goth besorne who bloweth in a trompe or in an horne The frute of euery tale is for to saye They eaten and drynken daunce and playe They gon to bedde as it was skyl ryght For though y e wyues ben ful holy thynges They must take in pacience anyght Such maner necessaries as ben pleasynges To folke that han wedded hem with rynges And lay a lytel her holynesse asyde As for the tyme it may none other betyde On her he gatte a man chylde anone And to a byshoppe and to hys constable eke He toke hys wyfe to kepe when he is gone To Scotlandwarde hys fo men for to seke Now fayre CustaÌ„ce y t is so humble meke So longe is gone wyth chylde tyl that styl She halte her chaÌ„bre abyding Christes wyl The tyme is come a man chylde she bare Mauricius at fontstone they hym calle This constable doth forth come a messanger And wrote to hys kynge y t cleped was Alle Howe that thys blysful tydynge is byfal And other tydynges nedeful for to say He taketh the letter forth he goth his way Thys messanger to done hys anauntage Vnto the kynges mother rydeth swythe And salueth her ful fayre in hys langage Madame quod he ye maye be glad blythe And thanketh god an huÌ„dred thousand sythe My lady quene hath chylde wythouteÌ„ doute To ioye and blysse of all thys reygne aboute Lo here the letters sealed of thys thynge That I mote beare in al the hast I may Yf ye wol ought vnto your sonne the kynge I am your seruaunt both nyght and
and hys hallowes bryght So wylly on my soule haue mercy That of your harme as gyltlesse am I As is Maurice my sonne so lyke your face Els the fende me fetch out of thys place Longe was y e sobbyng the bytter payne Or that her woful herte myght cese Great was the pyte to here hem complayne Thrugh which plaintes gan her wo encrese I pray you al my laboure to relese I may not tel her wo tyl to morowe I am so wery to speake of her sorowe But fynally when that y e soth is wyste That Alla gyltlesse was of her wo I trowe an hundred tymes ben they kyste And such a blysse is there bytwyxt hem two That saue the ioye that lasteth euermo There is no lyke that any creature Hath seyen or shal whyle y e world may dure Tho prayed she her husbande mekely In relesynge of her pytous payne That he wolde praye her father specially That of hys maiesty he wolde enclyne To vouchsafe somdaye wyth hym to dyne She prayed hym eke he shulde by no waye Vnto her father no worde of her to saye Some meÌ„ wold say y t the chyld Maurice Doth thys message vntyl thys Emperour But as I gesse Alla was not so nyse To hym that was of so soueraygne honour As he that is of christen folke the flour Sent any chylde but it is bette to deme He went hym selfe and so it may wel seme Thys Emperour graunted gentelly To come to dyner as he hym bysought That al was redy he loked besely Vpon this chyld an his doughter thought Alla goeth to hys ynne and as hym ought Arrayde for thys feest in euery wyse As farforth as hys connynge may suffyce The morow came Alla gan hym dresse And eke his wyfe the Emperour for to mete And forth they ryde in ioye and in gladnesse And when she sawe her father in the strete She lyght a downe and falleth hym to fete Father ê™ she your yonge chylde Custaunce Is nowe ful clene out of your remembrauÌ„ce I am your doughter Custaunce ê™ she That whylom ye han sent into Surrye It am I father that in the salte see was put alone and dampned for to dye Nowe good father I you mercy crye Sende me no more into hethennesse But thanken my lorde here of hys kyndnesse who can the pytous ioye tellen al Bytwyxt hem three syn they beÌ„ thus ymette But of my tale make an ende I shal The day goth fast I wol no longer lette Thys glad folke to dyner ben sette In ioye and blysse at meate I let hem dwell A thousande folde welmore then I can tel This chyld Mauris was sythin emperour Made by the pope and lyued christenly To Christes churche he dyd great honour But I let al thys story passen by Of Custaunce is my tale specially In olde Romayne iestes men may fynde Maurys lyfe I beare it not in mynde This kynge Alla when he hys tyme sey wyth thys CustauÌ„ce his holy wyfe so swete To Englande ben they come the ryght wey where as they lyue in ioye and in quyete But lytel whyle it lasteth I you hete Ioye of this worlde for tyme wol not abyde Fro daye to nyght it chaungeth as the tyde Who lyued euer in such delyte a daye That he ne meued eyther in conscience Or yre or tallent of some kyn affraye Enuye or pryde or passion or offence I ne saye but for thys ende thys sentence That lytel whyle in ioye or in pleasaunce Lasteth the blysse of Alla wyth Custaunce For deth y t taketh of hye lowe his rente when passed was a yere euen as I gesse Out of thys worlde kynge Alla he hente For whom CustauÌ„ce hath ful gret heuynesse Nowe let vs prayen god hys soule blesse And dame Custaunce fynally to say Towarde y e towne of Rome goeth her way To Rome is come thys holy creature And fyndeth her father hole and sounde Nowe is she skaped al her auenture And when that she her father hath yfounde Downe on her knees goeth she to grounde wepynge for tendernesse in herte blythe She heryeth god an huÌ„dred thousand sythe In vertue and holy almesdede They lyuen al and neuer a sonder wende Tyl death departen hem thys lyfe they lede And fareth nowe wel my tale is at an ende Now Iesu christ y t of his myght may sende Ioye after wo gouerne vs in hys grace And kepe vs al that ben in thys place ¶ Thus endeth the man of lawes tale and here foloweth the Squyers prologue OVr hoost on hys styroppes stode anone And sayd good men herkeneth euerychone Thys was a thryfty tale for the nones Syr parysh preest ê™ he for goddes bones Tel vs a tale as was thy forwarde yore I se wel that ye lerned men in lore Can moche good by goddes dignite The parson hym answerde benedicite what cyleth the man so synfully to swere ¶ Our host answerd O Ienkyn be ye there Now good meÌ„ ê™ our host herkeneth to me I smel a loller in the wynde ê™ he Abydeth for goddes dygne passion For we shall haue a predication Thys loller here wol prechen vs somwhat ¶ Nay by my fathers soule that shal he nat Sayd the Squyer here shal he not preche Here shal he no gospel glose ne teche we leueth al in the great god quod he He wolde sowen some dyffyculte Or sprynge cockel in our clene corne And therfore hoost I warne the byforne My lolly body shal a tale tel And I shal ryngen you so mery a bel That I shal waken al thys companye But it shal not ben of philosofye Ne phisyke ne termes queynte of lawe There is but lytel laten in my mawe ¶ Here endeth the Squyers prologue and hereafter foloweth hys tale AT Sarra in the laÌ„de of Tartary There dwelt a kynge that warred Surry Thrugh which ther died many a douÈty maÌ„ Thys noble kynge was called CambuscaÌ„ Whych in hys tyme was of so great renoun That there nas no where in no regioun So excellent a lorde in al thynge Hym lacked naught that longed to a kynge As of the secte of whych he was borne He kept hys laye to whych he was sworne And therto he was hardy wyse and ryche And pytous and iuste alwaye ylyche Trewe of his worde benygne honorable Of hys corage as any centre stable Yonge freshe stronge in armes desyrous As any bacheler of al hys hous A fayre person he was and fortunate And kept alwaye so royal astate That there nas no where such another man This noble kyng this tartre this CaÌ„buscaÌ„ Had two sonnes by Eltheta hys wyfe Of whych the eldest hyght Algarsyfe That other was cleped Camballo ¶ A doughter had thys worthy kynge also That yongest was and hyght Canace But for to tel you al her beaute It lyeth not in my tonge ne in my connynge I dare not vndertake so hye a thynge Myne Englyshe eke is vnsufficient It muste be a rethor
by her wordes perceyue that she were chaunged but he neuer coulde fynde But euer in one ilyke sadde and kynde As glad as humble as busy in seruyse And eke in loue as she was wont to be was she to hym in euery maner wyse Ne of her doughter one worde spake she None accident for none aduersyte Was sene in her ne neuer her doghters name Nempned she for ernest ne for game ¶ Explicit tertia pars et incipit pars quarta IN thys estate passed ben foure yere Er she wyth chylde was but as god wolde A man chylde she bare by this waltere wel gracious and fayre to beholde And when folke it to the father tolde Not onely he but al the countre merye was for the chyld god they thonke herye when it was two yere olde from the brest Departed from hys noryce on a daye Thys Markes caught yet another lest To tempten hys wyfe efte sones yf he maye Onedelesse was she teÌ„pted I dare wel saye But wedded men ne conne no mesure when they fynde a pacient creature wyfe ê™ this Markes ye haue herd or this My people heuely bareth our mariage And namely sythen my sonne borne is Now is it worse then euer in our age The murmure sleeth my herte my corage For to myne eeres cometh y e voyce so smerte That it wel nye destroyed hath my herte Now say they thus wheÌ„ walter is agone Then shal the bloode of Iamcula succede And ben our lorde for other haue we none Suche wordes say my people it is no drede wel ought I of suche murmure take hede For certaynly I drede suche sentence Though they not playnly speke iÌ„ my audieÌ„ce I wolde lyue in peace yf that I myght wherfore I am dysposed vtterly As I hys syster serued by nyght Ryght so I thynke to serue hym priuely Thus warne I you that ye not sodeynly Out of your selfe for no wo shulde outraye Beth pacient and therof I you praye I haue ê™ she sayd and euer shal I wol â—yl nothynge certayne But as you lyst Nought greueth me at al Though y t my doughter my soÌ„ne be slayne At your coÌ„maundement thys is to sayne I haue had no parte of chyldren twayne But fyrst sycknesse after wo and payne Ye ben our lord doth w t your owne thyng Ryght as you lyste and taketh no rede of me For as I lefte at home my clothyng when I came fyrst to you ryght so ê™ she Lefte I my wyll and al my lyberte And toke your clothing wherfor I you pray Do your wyl I wol to it obey And certes yf I had prescience Your wyl to knowe er ye your lust me tolde I wolde it done wythout negligence But now I wote your lust what ye wolde Al your plesaunce fyrme stable I holde For wyste I y t my death wolde done you ese Gladly wolde I suffre it you to please Death may make no comparisoun Vnto your loue And wheÌ„ thys Markes say The constauÌ„ce of hys wyfe he cast adoun Hys eyen two and wondred how she may In suche pacience suffreth al thys array And forth he goeth wyth drery countenauÌ„ce But to hys herte it was ful great pleasauÌ„ce Thys eygre sergeant in the same wyse That he her doughter caught ryght so he Or worse yf he coulde werse deuyse Hath hente her sonne y t was ful of beaute And euer in one so pacient was she That she no chere made of heuynesse But kysseth her chylde after gan him blesse Saue thys she prayd him yf that he might Her lytel sonne he wolde in erth graue Hys tendre lymmes delycate to syght Fro foules and fro beastes to saue But she none answere of hym myght haue He went hys waye as he nothynge rought But to Boleyne he tenderly it brought This Markes woÌ„dred euer leÌ„ger y e more Vpon her pacience and yf that he Ne had sothely knowen there before That parfytly her chyldren loued she He wolde haue wende y t for some subtelte And of malyce or cruel corage That she had suffred thys w t sadde vysage But he knewe wel y t next hym selfe certayne She loued her chyldren best in euery wyse But now of women wolde I aske fayne Yf these assayes mayght not suffyse what coulde a sturdy husbonde more deuyse To preue her wyfehode her stedfastnesse But be contynuynge euer in sturdynesse But there be folke of suche condicion That wheÌ„ they han a certayne purpose take They couth not stynte of her entencion But as they were bounden to a stake They wol not of that purpose slake Ryght so thys Markes hath fully purposed To teÌ„pte hys wyfe as he was fyrst dysposed He wayteth yf by wordes or couÌ„tenaunce She were to hym chaunged of corage But neuer coulde he fynde variaunce She was aye in one herte and vysage And euer the further that she was in age The more truer yf it were possible She was to hym in loue and more penyble For whych it semeth thus that of hem two There nas but one wyl for as walter lest The same lust was her pleasaunce also And god be thanked al fel for the beste She shewed wel for no worldly vnreste A wyfe as for her selfe nothynge sholde wyllen in effecte but as her husbonde wolde The sclauÌ„der of walter woÌ„der wyde sprad That of cruel herte ful wretchedly For he a poore woman wedded had Hath murdred both hys chyldren priuely which murmure was amonge hem comenly No wonder was for to the peoples ere Ther caÌ„e no word but y t they murdred were For whych there as hys people ther before had loued him wel disclauÌ„dred of his defame Made hem that they hated hym therfore To ben a murtherer is an hateful name But nathelesse for ernest ne for game He of hys cruel purpose wolde not stent To tempt hys wyfe was al hys entent when y t hys doughter .xii. yere was of age He to the court of Rome in subtel wyse Enfourmed of hys wyl sent hys message CoÌ„maundyng hem suche bylles to deuyse As to hys cruel purpose may suffyse Howe that the pope for hys peoples reste Bade hym wedde another yf that hym leste I saye he bade they shulde countrefete The popes bulle makynge mencion That he hath leue hys fyrst wyfe to lete As by the popes dyspensacion To stynte rancoure and dyscencion Betwyxt hys people him thus spake y t bul The whych they han publyshed at the full The rude people as no wonder nys wenden ful wel it had ben ryght so But when these tydynges come to Grisyldes I deme that her herte was ful wo But she was lyche sadde euermo Dysposed was thys humble creature The aduersite of fortune to endure Abydynge euer hys luste hys pleasauÌ„te To whome she was yeuen herte and all As to her worldly suffysaunce But certaynly yf I thys storie tel shal Thys Markes ywritten hath in special A letter in whych he shewed hys entent And
be your wyll Lo thys was al the sentence of that byll ¶ Virginius gan vpon the clyent beholde But hastely er he hys tale tolde He wolde haue defeÌ„ded it as shulde a knight And by wytnesse of many a trewe wyght That al was false that sayd hys aduersarye Thys cursed iuge wolde no lenger tarye Ne here a worde more of Virginius But yaue hys iudgement and sayd thus ¶ I deme anone this client his seruauÌ„t haue Thou shalt no leÌ„ger her in thyne house saue Go brynge her forth put her in our warde This clieÌ„t shal haue his thral thus I award ¶ And wheÌ„ thys worthy knyght Virginius Through the assent of the iudge Appius Muste by force hys dere doughter yeuen Vnto the iudge in lechery to lyuen He goeth hym home and set hym in hys hall And let anone hys dere doughter call And wyth face deed as ashen colde Vpon her humble face he gan beholde with fathers pyte stickyng through his hert Al wolde he not from hys purpose conuert ¶ Doughter ê™ he Virginia by thy name There ben two wayes eyther deth or shame That thou muste suffre alas y t I was borne For neuer thou deseruedest wherforne To dyen wyth a sworde or wyth a knyfe Oh dere doughter comforte of my lyfe whych I haue fostred vp wyth such plesauÌ„ce That thou ne were out of my remembrauÌ„ce O doughter whych that arte my last wo And in my lyfe my last ioye also O iemme of chastite in pacience Take thou thy death thys is my sentence For loue and not for hate thou must be deed My pytous hande mote smyte of thyne heed Alas that euer Appius the sey Thus hath he falsly iudged the to dey And tolde her al the case as ye before Han herde it nedeth not to tel it more ¶ O mercy dere father ê™ thys mayde And wyth that worde both her armes layde About hys necke as she was wont to do The teeres braste out of her eyen two And sayd O good father shal I dye Is there no grace is there no remedye ¶ No certes dere doughter myne ê™ he Then yeue me leaue father myne ê™ she My death to complayne a lytel space For parde Iepte yaue hys doughter grace For to complayne er he her slough alas And god it wote nothynge was her trespas But that she ranne her father fyrst to se To welcome hym wyth great solempnyte And with that word she fel a swoune anone And after whon her swounynge was gone She ryseth vp and to her father sayd Blyssed be god that I shal dye a mayde Yeue me my death er that I haue a shame Doth w t your child your wil a goddes name And wyth y e worde she prayeth hym ful ofte That w t his swerd he should smitte her softe And with that word a swoune down she fel Her father wyth sorowfull herte and fell Her heed of smote and by the toppe it hente And to the iudge he it yaue in presente As he sate in dome in consystorye when the iudge it sawe as sayth the storye He bade take hym and hange hym also faste But ryght anone al the people in thrast To saue the knyght for routh and for pytie For knowen was the iudges iniquitie The people anone had suspect in this thing By maner of thys clyentes chalengynge That it was by the assent of Appius They wyste wel that he was lecherous For whych vnto Appius they gone And casten hym in prison ryght anone where as he slowe hym selfe and Claudius That seruaunt was vnto thys Appius was demed for to be hanged vpon a tre But Virginius of hys great pyte So prayed for hym that he was exiled And els certes he had ben begyled The remnaunt were hanged more and lesse That consented were to thys cursydnesse Here may men se how syn hath hys meryte Beware for no maÌ„ wot how god wyl smyte In no degre ne in no maner wyse The worme of conscience wol aryse Of wycked lyfe though it so priuy be That no man wote of it but god and he whether he be leude man or lered He not howe sone he may be affered Therfore I rede you thys counsayle take Forsake synne or synne you forsake ¶ Here endeth the doctour of Phisykes tale and foloweth the wordes of the hoost OVr hoste gan swere as he were woode Harowe ê™ he by nayles and by bloode Thys was a false thefe and a cursed iustyce As shameful death as herte may deuyse Come to the iustyce and her aduâ—cas Algate thys sely mayden is slayne alas Alas to dere bought she her beaute wherfore I saye that al men maye se That yeftes of fortune or of nature Ben cause of death of many a creature Her beaute was her death I dare wel sayne Alas so pytously as she was slayne But here of wol I not procede as nowe Men haue ful ofte more harme then prowe But truely myne owne mayster dere Thys is a pytous tale for to here But nathelesse passe ouer is no force I pray to god to saue thy gentel cors And thy vrinalles and thy iordanes Thyne ypocras and eke thy galyanes And euery boxe ful of letuarye God blesse hem and our lady saynt Marye So mote I the thou arte a propre man And ylyke a prelate by saynt Runian Saue that I can not speake wel in terme But wel I wote y u doest myn herte to yerne That I haue almost ycaught a cardyacle By corpus domini but I haue tryacle Or els a draught of moyste corny ale Or but I here anone an other mery tale My herte is loste for pyte of thys mayde Thou belamy thou Iohan pardoner he said Tel vs some mery tale or iape ryght anone It shal be done ê™ he by saynt Runyon But fyrst ê™ he here at thys ale stake I wol both drynke and eate of a cake But ryght anone these gentyls gan to crye Nay let hym tel vs of no rebaudrye Tel vs some moral thing that we mow lere Some wytte and than wol we gladly here I graunt ê™ he twys but I mote thynke On some honest thyng whyles y t I drynke ¶ Here ende the wordes of the host and here foloweth the prologue of the Pardoner LOrdynges ê™ he in chyrche whan I preche I payne me to haue an hauteyn speche And ring it out as rounde as dothe a bel For I can al be roote that I tel My teme is alwaye and euer was Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas Fyrst I pronounce fro whens I come And than my bylles I shewe al and some Our â—â—ege lorde seale on my patent That shewe I fyrst my body to warent That no man be so bolde preest ne clerke Mâ— to distourbe of Christes holy werke And after that tel I forthe my tales Bulles of Popes and of Cardynales Of Patriarkes and of Byshoppes I shewe And in latyn I speke wordes a fewe To sauer with my predication And for to steere men to deuotion
in paradyce and whan that he Ete of the frute defended on the tre Anon he was out caste to wo and payne O gloteny on the wel ought vs to playne ¶ Oh wyste a man howe many maladyes Foloweth of excesse and of glotenyes He wolde ben the more mesurable Of his dyete syttyng at his table Alas the shorte throte the tender mouthe Maketh that este west northe and southe In erthe in eyre in water man to swynke To getten a gloton dayntye mete and drinke Of this mater o Poule wel canste thou trete Mete vnto wombe wombe eke vnto mete Shal god distroy bothe as Poule saythe Alas a soule thyng it is by my faythe To say this worde and fouler is the dede whan men so drinketh of the whyte rede That of his trothe he maketh his priue Through thilke cursed superfluite ¶ The apostle sayth wepyng ful pitously There walken many of which tolde haue I I say it nowe wepyng with pitous voyce There ben enemyes Of Christes croyse Of which y e ende is deth wombe is her god O bely O wombe O stynkyng cod Fulfylled of donge and of corrupcioun At eyther ende of the soule is the soun Howe great coste and laboure is to fynde These cokes how they staÌ„pe strain grinde And turne substaunce in to accident To fulfyl al thy lykerous talent Out of the harde bones knocken they The mary for they caste it not awey That may go through the gullet safe sote Of spycerie of leues barke and rote Shal ben his sauce ymade by delyte To maken hym haue a newer apetyte But certes he that haunteth suche delytes Is deed whiles that he lyueth in the vyces ¶ A lecherouse thyng is wyne and droÌ„knesse It is ful of stryuyng and of wretchydnesse Oh dronken man disfygured in thy face Sower is thy breth foul art thou to enbrace And through thy droÌ„keÌ„ nose sowneth y e soun As tho thou saydest aye Sampson SaÌ„pson And yet god wote SaÌ„pson droÌ„k neuer wyne Thou fallest as it were a stycked swyne Thy tonge is lost and al thyne honest cure For drynkennesse is very sepulture Of mannes wytte and his discretion In whom that drinke hath domynation He can no counsayle kepe it is no drede Nowe kepe you fro the whyte and fro y e rede Namely fro the white wyne of Lepe That is to sel in Fishe strete and in Chepe This wyne of Spayne crepeth subtelly In other wynes growyng fast by Of whiche riseth suche fumosyte That whan a maÌ„ hath droÌ„ck draughtes thre And weneth that he be at home in Chepe He is in Spayne right at the towne of Lepe Nought at Rochel ne at Burdeaux toun And than wol he say Sampsoun SaÌ„psoun But herkeneth lordiges o word I you pray That al the souerayne actes dare I say Of victories in the olde Testament That thorowe very god that is omnipotent Were don in abstinence and in prayere Loketh the Byble and there ye mow it lere Loketh Attyla the great conquerour Deyd in his slepe with shame and dishonour Bledyng aye at his nose in dronknesse A capitayne shulde lyue in sobernesse And ouer al this auyse you right wel what was coÌ„maunded vnto Lamuel Nat Samuel but Lamuel saye I Redeth the Byble and fyndeth it expresly Of wyne yeuyng to hem that haue iustyce No more of this for it may ynoughe suffyce And nowe that I haue spoke of glotenye Nowe wol I defende you hasardrie Hasarde is very mother of lesynges And of disceyte and cursed for swerynges Blaspheme of christ maÌ„slauÈter wast also Of batayle ofte tyme and of other mo It is reprefe and contrarye to honour For to be holden a coÌ„men hasardour And euer the hyer that he is of estate The more he is holden desolate If that a prince vse hasardrie In al gouernaunce and policie He is as by comen opinyon Holde the lesse in reputacion ¶ Styllebon that was holde a wyse ambassadour was sent in to Corinthe w t ful great honour Fro Calydone to maken hem alyaunce And whan he came happed this chaunce That al the greatest that were of that londe Playeng at hasarde he hem fonde For whiche as sone as it might be He stale hym home ayen to his countre And sayd there wol I not lese my name I nyl not take on me so great defame For to alye you to none hasardours Sendeth other wyser enbassadours For by my trouthe me were leuer dye Than I shulde you to hasardours alye For ye that ben so gloriouse in honours Shal not alye you with hasardours As by my wyl ne by my tretie This wyse philosopher thus sayd he ¶ Loke eke howe to kyng Demetrius The kyng of Parthes as the boke saythe vs Sent hym a payre of dyce of golde in scorne For he had vsed hasardrie there byforne For which he helde his glorie his renoun At no value or reputacioun Lordes might fynde other maner play Honest ynough to driue the day away Nowe wol I speke of othes false great A worde or two as other bokes entreat Great sweryng is thyng abhomynable And false sweryng is yet more reprouable The hye god forbade sweryng at all wytnesse of Mathew but in specyall Of sweryng saythe the holy Ieromye Thou shalte swere soth thyn othes not lye And swere in dome and eke in rightwysnesse But ydle sweryng is a cursydnesse ¶ Beholde and se that in the fyrst table Of hye goddes hestes honorable Howe that the seconde heste of hym is this Take not my name in ydelnesse amys Lo he rather forbyddeth such sweryng Than homicide or any other cursed thyng I say as thus by order it stondeth This knoweth they y t his hestes vnderstondeth Howe that the seconde heste of god is that And further more I wol the tel al plat That vengeauÌ„ce shal not parte fro his houâ— That of hys othes is to outragyous By goddes preciouse herte and his bones And by the blode of Christ shed for vs ones Seuen is my chaunce and thyn fyue thre By goddes armes yf thou falsly play me This daggar shal thorowe thyn herte go This frute cometh of thylke bones two For swering ire falsnesse and homicyde Now for y t loue of Christ that for vs dyde Leaueth your othes bothe great and smale For I shal tel you a meruaylous tale ¶ These ryottours thre of which I tel Longe erste or prime ronge any bel were set hem in a tauerne to drinke And as they sate they herde a bel clynke Byforne a cors y t was caryed to his graue That one of hem gan cal to his knaue Go bette ê™ he and aske redely what cors is this that passeth forthe by And loke that thou reporte his name wele ¶ Syr ê™ he it nedeth neuer a dele It was me told er ye came here two houres He was parde an olde felowe of yours Al sodaynly was he slayne to nyght For dronke as he sate on his benche vpright There came a
a foole forsoth it apperteyneth not vnto a wyse man to maken suche a sorowe Youre doughter wyth the grace of God shall waryshe and escape And all were it so that she ryght now were deed ye ne oughte not as for her death your selfe distroye Seneke saythe the wyse man shal not take to gret discomforte for the dethe of hys children but certes he shuld suffre it in pacieÌ„ce as wel as he abydeth y e deth of hys owne proper person ¶ Thys Mellebeus answerde anon and sayd what man ê™ he shuld of hys wepynge stynt that hath so great a cause for to wepe Iesus hym selfe our lorde wepte for y e dethe of Lazarus hys frende Prudence answerd certes wel I wote a temperate wepynge is nothyng defended to hym that sorouful is amonge folke in sorowe but it is rather grauÌ„ted hym to wepe The apostel Poule vnto y e Romans writeth men shuld reioyce with heÌ„ that maketh ioye and wepe with suche folke as wepen But though a temperate wepyng be graunted certes outragyous wepynge is defended Mesure of wepyng shulde be coÌ„sydred after the lore that techeth vs Sencke Whan that thy frende is deed ê™ he let not thyne eyen to moist ben of teeres ne to moch drie although teeres comen to thyn eyen let hem not fal And whan thou hast forgon thy frende do diligence to gette a nother frende and this is more wisdom thaÌ„ for to wepe for thy frende which thou hast lorne for therin is no bote And therfor yf ye gouerne you by sapience put away sorowe out of your herte Remembreth you that Iesus Sirake sayth a man that is ioyus and glad in herte it him conserueth storishyng in hys age but sothely a sorowful here maketh hys bones drie He sayth eke thus that sorowe in herte sleeth ful manye a man Salomon sayth that right as moughthes in the shepes sleyse anoyeth the clothes and the smale wormes y t tree ryght so anoyeth sorowe the hert of man wherfore vs ought as wel in the dethe of our children as in the losse of our temporal goodes haue pacience Remembre you vpon pacient Iobe whaÌ„ he had loste hys children and hys temporal substaunce and in hys body endured and receyued ful many a greuous trybulacion yet sayde he thus Oure lorde it sent to me oure lorde hath byrafte it me right so as our lorde wold right so it be done iblessed be the name of our lorde To these forsayd thinges Melibeus vnto hys wyfe Prudence answerd Al thy wordes ê™ he ben true and therto profytable but truely myn herte is troubled with this sorow so greuously that I not what to do Let cal ê™ Prudence youre true frendes al and thy lynage which that ben wyse telleth to hem your case herkeneth what they say in counsaylyng and gouerne you after her sentence Salomon saythe werke all thy thynges by counsayle thou shalte neuer rue Than by couÌ„sayle of his wife PrudeÌ„ce this Melibeus let caule a great congrygacion of people as surgyens physicions olde folke and yong some of hys olde enemyes reconciled as by her semblant to hys loue and to hys grace And therwithal ther came some of his neighbours that dyd hym reuereÌ„ce more for drede thaÌ„ for loue as it happeth oft There comen also ful many subtyl flaterers wyse aduocates lerned in the law And whaÌ„ these folke togyders assembled were this Melibeus in sorowfull wyse shewed hem his case and by the maner of his speche it semed that in herte he bare a cruel yre redy to don vengeaunce vpon hys foos sodainly he desyred y t weâ—e shulde begyn but nathelesse yet asked he counsayle vpon this mater A surgyen by lycence and assent of suche as were wyse vp rose and vnto Melibeus sayd as ye shal here ¶ Sir ê™ he as to vs surgiens apertayneth that we do to euery wight the best that we can where as we ben withholdeÌ„ to our pacient that we don no damage wherfore it happeth many tyme ofte that whan two men haue eueriche wounded other one surgyen healeth hem both wherfore vnto oure arte it is not pertineÌ„t to norishe werre ne parties to supporte But certes as to the warysshyng of your doughter al be it so that perilously she be wounded we shal do so tentyfe besynesse fro day to night that with y e grace of god she shal ben hole and sounde as sont as is possible Almost right in the same wyse the physiciens answerd saue that they sayde a fewe wordes more That ryght as maladies ben by her contraries cured right so shal man warisshe werre by peace Hys neyghbours full of enuye hys fayned frendes that semed reconciled and his flatterers maden semblauÌ„ce of wepyng enpayred and agrutched moche of this mater in praysinge greatly Melibe of might of power of richesse and of frendes dispysing the power of his aduersaries and sayd vtterly that he anon shulde wreken hym on hys foos and begyn warre Vp rose then an aduocat that was wyse byleue and by counsayle of other that were wyse and sayd The nede for the whych we bene assembled in thys place is a full heuye thynge a great mater bycause of y e wronge and of the wyckednesse that hath be done eke by reason of great damages that in tyme commynge ben possyble to fallen for y e same and eke by reason of the great rychesse and power of the partyes both for the whyche reasons it were a full greate peryll to erren in thys matter Wherfore Melibeus thys is oure sentence we counsayle you abouen all thynge that ryghte anone thou do thy delygence in kepynge of thy proper persone in suche a wyse that thou ne wante none espye ne watche thy bodye for to saue And after that we counsayle that in thyne house thou â—et suffycieÌ„t garryson so as they may as well thy bodye as thy house defende but certes to mouen warre or to done sodeynly vengeauÌ„ce we maye not deme in so lytel tyme y t it were profytable wherfore we aske leyser space to haue delyberacion in thys case to deme for the commen prouerbe sayeth thus He that sone demeth sone shall repente And eke men sayne thylke iudge is wyse that sone vnderstandeth a matter and iugeth by leyser For all be it taryenge be noyfull algate it is not to be reproued in yeuynge of iudgemente ne in vengeaunce takynge when it is sufficyent and resonable And that shewed oure Lorde Iesu Christe by ensample for when the woman was takeÌ„ in auoutry and was brought in hys presens to knowen what shulde be done of her persone al be it that he wyst wel hym self what he wold answere yet ne wold he not answere sodeynly but he wolde haue delyberacion and in the grounde he wrote twyse and by thys cause we asken delyberation and we shall then by the grace of God couÌ„sayle you y t thynge that shal be profytable Vp sterte then the yonge folke at ones y e
her husbande auaunt hym of hys rychesse and hys money dyspraysynge y e power of hys aduersaryes she spake and sayd in thys wyse Certes dere syr I graunt you that ye be ryche myghty and that y e rychesse is good to hem that haue well gotten hem and that well can vse hem For ryght as the body of a man may not lyue wythout the soule no more may it lyue with out the temporel goodes and by ryches may a man get hym great frendes And therfore sayeth Pamphillus Yf a nerthes doughter he sayth be riche she may chefe of a thousand men whyche she woll take to her husbande for of a thousande one woll not forsake her ne refuse her And thys Pamphillus sayeth also Yf thou be ryght happy that is to say yf thou be ryche thou shalte fynde a greate nombre of felowes frendes And yf thy fortune chaūge farewel frendshyp felowshyp for thou shalte be alone wythout any cōpany but yf it be the companye of poore folke And yet sayeth thys Pamphillus more ouer that they that bene bonde and thrall of lynage shall be made worthye and noble by the rychesses And ryghte so as by the rychesses there come many goodnesses ryghte so by pouertie come there many harmes and yuels for greate pouertie cōstrayneth a man to do many yuels And therfore calleth Cassiodor pouertye the mother of ruyne that is to saye the mother of ouerthrowynge or of fallynge downe And therfore sayeth Peter Alfonce One of the greatest aduersyties of thys worlde is when a free man by kynde or of byrth is constrayned by pouerty to eat the almesse of hys enemye And the same sayeth Innocent in one of hys bokes He sayeth that sorowfull and myshappy is the condicion of a poore begger for yf he aske not hys meate he dyeth for honger and yf he aske he dyeth for shame and algates necessite constrayneth hym to aske And therfore sayeth Salomon that better is to dye then for to haue suche pouerte And as the same Salomon sayeth Better it is to dye of bytter deth then for to lyue in suche wyse By these reasons that I haue said vnto you by many other reasons that I coulde say I graunt you that rychesses ben good to hem y t getten hem well and to hem that wel vsen tho rychesses And therfore wol I shewe you howe ye shal behaue you in gatherynge of rychesses and in what maner ye shullen vse hem Fyrst ye shall get hem wythout great desyre by good leyser sokynglye and not ouerhastelye for a man that in to desyrynge to get rychesse habandoneth hym fyrste to thefte and to all other yuels And therfore sayeth Salomon He that hasteth hym to besely to waxe ryche he shall be none innocent He sayeth also that the rychesse that hastely cometh to a man sone and lyghtly goeth and passeth from a man but that rychesse that cometh lytel lytel wexeth alwaye and multiplyeth And syr ye shall gette rychesse by your wyte and by your trauayle vnto your profyte and that wythout wronge or harme doynge to any other persone For the lawe sayeth there maketh no mā him selfe riche yf he do harme to an other wyght thys is to say that nature defendeth and forbyddeth by ryghte that no man make hym selfe ryche vnto the harme of an other person And Tullius sayeth that no sorowe ne no drede of death ne nothing that maye fall vnto a man is so moche ayenst nature as a man to encreace hys owne profyte to the harme of an other mā And though the great myghty mē get rychesses more lyghtly then thou yet shalte thou not be ydell ne slowe to do thy profyte for thou shalte in all wyse flye ydelnesse For Salomon sayeth y e ydelnesse teacheth a man to do many yuels And the same Salomon sayeth that he that trauayleth and besyeth hym to tylth his lāde shall eate breed but he that is ydell casteth hym to no besynesse ne occupacion shal fal in to pouerte and dye for honger And he that is ydell and slowe can neuer fynde couenable tyme for to do hys profyte For there is a versyfyer sayeth that the ydel man excuseth him in wynter bycause of the greate colde and in sommer bycause of the heete For these causes sayeth Caton waketh and enclyne you net ouer moche for to slepe for ouer moche reste nourysheth and causeth many vyces And therfore sayeth saynt Ierom do some good dedes that the deuell whyche is our enemye ne fynde you not vnoccupyed for the dyuel ne taketh not lyghtly vnto his wer kynge suche as he fyndeth occupyed in good werkes Then thus in gettynge rychesses ye must flye ydelnesse And afterward ye shul vse the rychesses whyche ye haue gote by your wyte and by youre trauayle in suche maner that men holde you not to scarce ne to sparyng ne foole large that is to say ouer large a spēder For ryghte as men blame an auaricious mā bycause of hys scarcite and chynchery in the same wyse is he to blame that spendeth ouer largelye And therfore sayeth Caton Vse sayeth he the rychesses that thou haste gotten in suche maner that men maye haue no mater ne cause to call the nother wretche ne chynche For it is greate shame to a man to haue a poore herte and a ryche purse He sayeth also the goodes that thou haste gote vse them by measure that is to saye spende mesurably for they that foolyshly waste and dyspende the goodes that they haue when they haue no more propre of her owne then they shape hem to take y e goodes of an other man I saye then that ye shall flye auaryce vsynge youre rychesse in suche maner that men saye not that youre rychesses bene buryed but that ye haue hem in your myghte and in youre weldynge For a wyse man repreueth the auaricyous man and sayeth thus in thys verses two Wherto and why buryeth a man hys goodes by hys great auaryce and knoweth well that nedes he muste dye for death is the ende of euerye man ▪ as in thys presente lyfe And for what cause or encheson ioyneth he hym or knytteth he hym so faste vnto hys goodes that all hys wyttes mowe not dysceuer hym ne departe hym fro hys goodes and knoweth well or ought to knowe that when he is deade he shall nothynge beare wyth hym out of thys worlde And therfore sayeth saynt Augustyne that the auaricyous mā is lykened vnto hell that the more it swaloweth the more desyre it hathe to swalowe and deuoure And as well as ye wolde eschewe to be called an auaricyous man or chynche as well shulde ye kepe and gouerne you in such a wyse that men call you not foole large Therfore sayeth Tullius The goodes of thyne house ne shulde not be hydde ne kepte so close but that they myghte be opened by pyte and debonayrte that is to saye to yeue hem parte that haue greate nede Ne thy goodes shulde not be so
more foule and abhominable for ye trespace so oft tymes as doth an houÌ„de that returneth ayen to eate hys owne spewynge and yet be ye fouler for youre longe coÌ„tinuynge in synne and youre synfull vsage for whyche ye be rooted in youre synne as a beest in hys donge Suche maner of thoughtes make a man to haue shame of hys synne and no delyte As God sayeth by the prophet Ezechiel ye shal remeÌ„bre you of your wayes and they shal dysplease you sothly Synnes ben the wayes that lede folke to hell THe seconde cause that oughte make a man to haue dysdayne of sinne is this that as sayeth saynt Peter who so doth syn is thrall of synne and synne putteth a man in great thraldome And therfore sayeth the prophete Ezechiel I wente sorowfull in dysdayne of my selfe Certes well ought a maÌ„ haue dysdayne of synne and wythdrawe hym fro that thraldome and vylanye And lo what sayeth Seneke in thys mater he sayeth thus Though I wyste that neyther God ne man shulde neuer knowe it yet wolde I haue dysdayne for to synne And the same Seneke also sayeth I am borne to greater thynge theÌ„ to be thral to my body or for to make of my body a thral Ne a fouler thrall maye no man ne woman make of hys bodye then for to yeue his body to do synne al were it y e foulest churle or the foulest woman that lyueth and lest of value yet is he then more foule and more in seruitude Euer fro the hygher degre that man falleth the more is he thrall and more to God to the worlde vyle abhomynable O good God well ought man haue great dysdayne of synne sythe that throughe synne there he was free he is made bonde And therfore sayeth saynt Austyne Yf thou hast dysdayne of thy seruaunt yf he ofteÌ„de or synne haue thou then dysdayne that thou thy selfe shuldest do synne Take rewarde of thyne owne value that thou ne be to foule to thy selfe Alas wel ought they then haue dysdayne to be seruauÌ„tes and thralles to synne and sore to be ashamed of them selfe that God of hys endlesse goodnesse hathe sette in hygh astate or yeue hem wytte strength of bodye heale beauty or prosperite and boughte hem fro the death wyth hys herte bloude that they so vnkyndlye agaynst hys gentylnesse quyte hym so vylaynously to slaughter of her owne soules O good God ye women that bene of greate beautye remembreth you on the prouerbe of Salomon He sayeth he lykeneth a fayre woman that is a foole of her body to a rynge of golde y t were worne on the groyne of a sowe For ryghte as a sow wroteth in euery ordâ—ne so wroteth she her beaute in stynkyng ordâ—â—e of synne THe thyrde cause that oughte meue a man to contricion is drede of the daye of dome of the horrible paynes of hel For as saynt Ierome sayeth At euery tyme that me remeÌ„breth of the daye of dome I quake For wheÌ„ I eate and drynke or what so that I do euer semeth me that the trompe sowneth in myne eare Ryseth ye vp that bene deed coÌ„meth to the iudgement O good God moch ought a man to drede suche a iugement ther as we shal be al as saint Poule sayeth before y e sete of our Lorde Iesu Christe where as he shal make a generall congregation where as no man may be absent for certes there auayleth none essoyne ne excusation and not only that oure defautes shal be iuged but also that all our wâ—rkes shal opeÌ„ly be knoweÌ„ And as sayeth saint Bernarde there ne shal no pleading auayle ne no sleyght we shal yeue rekenyng of euery ydell worde There shall we haue a iuge that maye not be dysceyued ne corrupte and why For certes all our thoughtes bene dyscouered as to hym ne for prayer ne for mede he shall not be corrupte And therfore sayeth SalomoÌ„ The wrath of God ne wol not spare no wyght for prayer ne for yeffe And therfore at the daye of dome there is no hope to escape Wherfore as sayeth saint Anselme full greate anguyshe shall the synfull folke haue at that tyme There shal y e fyerce and wroth iuge sytte aboue and vnder hym the horrible pytte of hell open to destroy him that muste be knowe hys synnes whych synnes openlye ben shewed before God before euery creature And on the lefte syde mo dyuels then any herte may thynke for to hale drawe the synfull soules to the payne of hel and wythin the hertes of folke shal be the bytynge conscience and wythout forth shall be the worlde al brennynge whyther shal then the wretched synfull man flye to hyde hym Certes he maye not hyde hym he must come forth and shewe hym For certes as sayeth saynt Ierome the earth shall cast hym out of it and the see also and the ayre that shal be ful of thonder clappes and lyghtenynges Now sothly who so woll remembreth him of these thynges I gesse that thys synne shall not turne hym in delyte but to greate sorowe for dredde of the payne of hell And therfore sayeth Iob to God suffre lorde that I may a whyle bewaile and wepe er I go without returnynge to the derke londe couered wyth the darkenesse of death to the laÌ„de of mysese and of derknesse where as is the shadowe of death where as there is none ordre or ordynaunce but ferefull drede that euer shall last Lo here maye ye se that Iob prayed respyte a whyle to bewepe and wayle hys trespace for sothly one day of respyte is better then al the treasoure of thys worlde And for as moche as a man maye acquyte hym selfe before God by penitence in thys worlde and not by treasoure therfore shulde he praye to God to yeue hym respyte a whyle to bewepe and wayle hys trespace For certes al the sorowe that a man myght make fro the begynnynge of the worlde nys but a lytell thynge at regarde of the sorowe of hell The cause why that Iob calleth hell the lande of darknesse vnderstandeth that he calleth it lande or earth for it is stable and neuer shal fayle and derke for he that is in hell hath defaute of lyght material for certes the darke lyght that shall come out of the fyre that euer shall brenne shall turne hym all to payne that is in hell for it sheweth hym to the horrible deuels that hym turmenteth couered wyth the darkenesse of death that is to saye that he that is in hel shal haue defaute of the syght of God for certes the syght of God is y e lyfe perdurable The derkenesse of death bene the synnes that the wretched man hath done whyche that dystourbe hym to se the face of God ryght as the derke cloude betwyxt vs and the sunne Londe of mysese bycause that there ben thre maner of defautes ayenst thre thynges that folke of thys worlde haue in thys present lyfe that is to saye honours delyces and richesse Ayenst
wrought whyle he laye in synne Sothlye the good werkes that he dyd before that he fell in synne ben all mortifyed astonyed and dull by oft synnynge The werkes that he dyd whyle he laye in syne he deed as to the lyfe perdurable in heuen than the good werkes that ben mortifyed by oft synning whiche he dyd beinge in charitie may not quyck ayen without very peniteÌ„ce And of it sayth God by the mouth of Ezechiel Yf the ryght full man returne ayen fro his ryghtousnesse and do wyckednesse shall he lyue nay for al the good werkes that he hath done shal neuer be in remembraunce for he shall dye in his synne And vpon that chapter sayth S. Gregorye thus that we shall vnderstonde this principally Yf that we don deedly syn it is for nought than to reherse or drawe in to memory the good werkes that we haue wrought before for certes in the werkynge of deedlye syn there is no truste in no good werke that we haue done before that is to saye as for to haue therby the lyfe perdurable in heueÌ„ But nathelesse the good werkes quycken and come agayne and helpe and auayle to haue the lyfe perdurable in heuen whan we haue contrition But sothlye the good werkes that men do whyle they be in deedly synne for as moch as they wer don in deedly syn they may neuer quycke for ceâ—tes thynge that neuer had lyfe maye neuer quycke And nathelesse al be it that they auayle not to haue the lyfe perdurable yet auayle they to abredge of the payne of hel or els to get teÌ„porall rychesses or els that god wol the rather enlumyn or lyght the hert of the synful man to haue repentauÌ„ce and eke they auayl for to vse a man to do good werkes that the fende haue the lesse power of his soule And thus the carteys Lorde Iesu Christ ne wol that no good werke be lost for in somwhat it shal auayle But for as moch as the good werkes that men done whyle they ben in good lyfe ben all amortified by syn folowyng also syth that all the good werkes that men don whyle they ben in dedly syn ben vtterly deed as for to haue y e lyse perdurable wel may that man that no good werke ne doeth synge that fresshe newe songe Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labure For certes synne byreueth a man bothe the goodnesse of nature and also the goodnesse of grace For sothlye the grace of the holye ghooste fareth lyke fyre that maye not be ydle for fyre fayleth anon as it forletteth his werkyng and ryght so grace fayleth anon as it forletteth his werkynge Than leseth the synfull man the goodnesse of glory that onely is behyght to good men that labour and werke wel maye he be sory than that oweth all hys lyfe to God as loÌ„ge as he hath lyued also as longe as he shall lyue that no goodnesse ne hath to pay with his det to God to whome he oweth all hys lyfe for trust well he shall yeue accoÌ„ptes as sayth saynct Bernarde of the goodes that haue ben yeue hym in this present lyfe and how he hath hem dispeÌ„ded insomoch y t ther shall not perysh an heer of his heed ne a moment of an houre ne shal not perisshe of hys tyme that he ne shall yeue of it a rekenynge THe fyfth thynge that ought to moue a man to contrition is remembraunce of the passion that our Lorde Iesu Chryst suffred for our synnes For as sayth saynt Bernard whyle that I lyue I shall haue remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the trauayles that our Lord Iesu christ suffred in preachynge his werynesse in trauaylynge his temptations whan he fasted his longe wakynges whan he prayed hys teares whan that he wept for pytie of good people the wo the shame and the fylth that men sayde to hym of the foule spyttynge that men spyt in his face of the buffettes y t men yaue hym of the foule mowes and of the reproues that men sayde to hym of the nayles wyth whiche he was nayled to the crosse and of all the remnaunt of his passion that he suffred for my synnes and nothyng for his gylt And ye shal vnderstond that in mans synne is euerye maner ordre or ordynaunce turned vp so downe For it is soth that god reason sensualitie and the body of man bene ordayned that eche of these foure thynges shoulde haue lordshyppe ouer that other as thus God should haue lordshyppe ouer reason and reason ouer sensualytye and sensualitie ouer the body of man But sothly whan man synneth all this ordre or ordinaunce is turned vp so downe And therfore than for as moche as reason of man ne woll not be subiect ne obeysauÌ„t to god that is his Lorde by ryght therfore leseth it the lordshyppe that it shulde haue ouer sensualytie and also ouer the bodye of man And why for sensualitie rebelleth then ayenst reson and by that way ledeth reson the lordshyp ouer sensualitie and ouer the body For ryght as reason is rebell to god ryght so is both sensualitie rebell to reason to the body also And certes this disordinaunce and this rebellion our Lord Iesu Christ bought vpon his precious body full dere hearken in what wyse For as moche than as reason is rebel to god therfore is man worthye to haue sorowe to be deed This suffred oure Lord Iesu Christ for man after that he had be betrayed of his disciple distrayned and bound so that his bloude brast out at euery nayle of his hondes as sayth s Austin And ferthermore for as moche as reason of man wol not daunt sensualite when it may therfore is man worthye to haue shame thys suffred our Lord Iesu christ for man whan they spyt in his visage And ferthermore for as moch thaÌ„ as the caytif body of man is rebel both to resoÌ„ to sensualitie therfore it is worthy death this suffred our Lord Iesu Chryst vpon the crosse where as there was no parte of his bodye free withoute greate payne bytter passyon and all this suffred our Lord Iesu Chryst that neuer forfayted And therfore resonably maye be sayd of Iesu in this maner To moch am I pained for thinges that I neuer deserued and to moch defouled for shame that man is worthye to haue And therfore may the synful man wel say as saynt Bernarde Accursed be the bytternesse of my synne for which ther must be suffred so moche bitternesse For certes after the dyuers discordaunce of our wickednesse was the passyon of Iesu Chryste ordayned in dyuers thynges as thus Certes synfull mans soule is betrayed of the deuyll by couetyse of temporal prosperitie scorned by disceyte when that he cheseth fleshly desyres yet it is turmented by impatience of aduersitie bespet by seruage subiection of syn and at the last it is slayne fynallye For this disordinauÌ„ce of synful man was Iesu christ betrayed after y t
manere He thynketh to dishonour the Thou art well worthy to haue maugre To let hym of the Rosere wytte who serueth a felon is euyll quytte Thou woldest haue done great bountie And he with shame wolde quyte the Flye hence felowe I rede the go It wanteth lytle he wol the slo For Bialacoil ne knewe the nought whan the to serue he set his thought For thou wolt shame hym yf thou myght Both agayne reason and ryght I woll nomore in the affye That comest so slyghly for tespye For it proueth wonder wele Thy sleyght and trayson euery dele I durst nomore make there abode For the churle he was so wode So gan he thret and manace And through the hay he dyd me chace For feare of hym I trymbled and quoke So churlyshly his heed he shoke And sayd yf eft he myght me take I shulde not from his hondes scape Than Bialacoil is fled and mate And I all sole disconsolate was left alone in payne and thought For shame to death I was nygh brought Than thought I on my hygh folly How that my body vtterly was yeue to payne and to martyre And therto hadde I so great yre That I ne durst the hayes passe There was no hope there was no grace I trowe neuer man wyst of payne But he were laced in loues chayne Ne no man and soth it is But yf he loue what angre is Loue holdeth his heest to me ryght wele whan payne he sayd I shulde fele No hert may thynke ne tonge sayne A quarter of my wo and payne I myght not with the angre last Myne hert in poynt was for to brast whan I thought on the rose that so was through daunger cast me fro A longe whyle stode I in that state Tyll that me sawe so mad and mate The lady of the hygh warde which from her tower loked thytherwarde Reason men clepe that lady which from her tower delyuerly Come downe to me without more But she was neyther yonge ne hore Ne hygh ne lowe ne fat ne lene But best as it were in a mene Her eyen two were clere and lyght As any candel that brenneth bryght And on her heed she had a crowne Her semed well an hygh person For rounde enuyron her crownet was full of ryche stones fret Her goodly semblaunt by deuyse I trowe was made in paradyse For nature had neuer suche a grace To forge a werke of suche compasse For certeyne but yf the letter lye God hym selfe that is so hye Made her after his ymage And yaue her sythe suche auauntage That she hath myght and segnorie To kepe men from all folly who so woll trowe her lore Ne may offenden neuermore And whyle I stode this darke and pale Reason began to me her tale She sayde alhayle my swete frende Foly and chyldhode wyll the shende which the haue put in great affraye Thou hast bought dere the tyme of Maye That made thyne herte mery to be In euyll tyme thou wentest to se The garden wherof ydlenesse Bare the keye and was mastresse whan thou yedest in the daunce with her and had acquayntaunce Her acquayntaunce is peryllous Fyrst soft and after noyous She hath trasshed without wene The god of loue had the nat sene Ne had ydlenesse the conueyde In the verger where myrth hym pleyde Yf follye haue supprysed the Do so that it recouered be And be welware to take nomore Counsayle that greueth after sore He is wyse that wyll hym selfe chastyse And though a yonge man in any wyse Trespasse amonge and do folly Let hym not tary but hastely Let hym amende whatso be mys And eke I counsayle the ywis The god of loue holly foryet That hath the in suche payne set And the in hert turmented so I can not sene how thou must go Other wayes to garysoun For daunger that is so feloun Felly purposeth the to werrey which is full cruell the soth to sey ANd yet of Daunger commeth no blame In rewarde of my doughter Shame which hath y e roses in her ward As she that maye be no musarde And wycked tonge is with these two That suffreth no man thyther go For er a thyng be do he shal where that he cometh ouer all In fourty places yf it be sought Say thing that neuer was don ne wrought So moche trayson is in his male Of falsnesse for to sayne a tale Thou delest with angry folke ywys wherfore to the better is From these folke awaye to fare For they wol make the lyue in care This is the euyll that loue they call wherin there is but foly all For loue is folly euery dell who loueth in nowyse maye do well Ne setteth his though on no good werke His schole he leseth yf he be clerke Or other craft eke yf that he be He shall not thryue therin for he In loue shall haue more passyoun Than monke hermyte or chanoun This payne is herde out of mesure The ioye maye eke no whyle endure And in the possessyoun Is moche tribulatioun The ioye it is so short lastyng And but in happe is the gettyng For I se there many in trauayle That at last foule fayle I was nothyng thy counsayler whan thou were made the homager Of god of loue to hastely There was no wysdom but folly Thyne hert was ioly but not sage whan thou were brought in suche a rage To yelde the so redely And to loue of his great maystry I Rede the loue awaye to dryue That maketh the retche not of thy lyue The folly more fro day to day Shall growe but thou it put awaye Take with thy teeth the brydle fast To daunt thyne hert and eke the cast Yf that thou mayest to get the defence For to redresse thy fyrst offence whoso his hert alway wol leue Shall fynde amonge that shal hym greue whan I her herde thus me chastyse I answered in full angry wyse I prayed her cesse of her speche Eyther to chastyse me or teche To byd me my thought refreyne which loue hath caught in his demeyne what wene ye loue woll consent That me assayleth with bowe bent To drawe myne hert out of his honde which is so quyckly in his bonde That ye counsayle may neuer be For when he fyrst arested me He toke myne hert so sore hym tyll That it is nothyng at my wyll He thought it so hym for to obey That it sparred with a key I praye you let me be all styll For ye may well yf that ye wyll Your wordes waste in ydlenesse For vtterly wit houten gesse Al that ye sayne is but in vayne Me were leuer dye in the payne Than loue to mewarde shulde arette Falshed or treson on me sette I wyll me get pryse or blame And loue true to saue my name who that me chasteseth I hym hate with that worde Reson went her gate whan she sawe for no sermonyng She myght me fro my foly brynge Than dismayed I left all sole Forwery forwandred as a fole
nowe arte thou in the snare That whylom iapedest at loues payne Now art y u heÌ„t now gnaw thyn own chayn Thou were aye woned eche louer repreheÌ„de Of thing fro which thou canst y t not defende What wol nowe euery louer sayne of the If this be wyst â–ª but euer in thyne absence Laughen in scorne sayne lo there gothe he That is the man of great sapience That helde vs louers leste in reuerence Now thaÌ„ked be god he may gon on y e dauÌ„ce Of hem that loue lyste febly auaunce But o thou wofull Troylus god wolde Syth thou must louen through thy destyne That thou beset were on suche one y t sholde Knowe all thy wo all lacked her pyte But also colde in loue towardes the Thy lady is as froste in wynter moone And thou fordo as snowe in fyre is soone God wolde I were aryued in the porte Of dethe to whiche my sorowe wol me lede Ah lorde to me it were a great comforte Than were I quyt of languyssyng in drede For be my hyd sorowe yblowe in brede I shall beiaped ben a thousande tyme More than y e foole of whose folye men ryme But now helpe god and ye swete for whoÌ„ I playne ycaught ye neuer wight so faste O mercy dere herte and helpe me from The dethe for I while y t my lyfe may laste More than my selfe wol loue you to my laste And with some freÌ„dly loke gladeth me swete Though neuer more thyng ye me byhete ¶ These wordes ful many an other mo He spake and called euer in hys compleynte Her name for to tellen her hys wo Tyll nyghe that he in salte teeres dreynte Al was for naught she herde not his pleynte And whan that he bethought on that folye A thousande folde hys wo gan multiplye Bewaylyng in hys chambre thus alone A frende of hys that called was Pandare Came ones in vnware and herde him grone And sawe hys frende in suche distresse care Alas ê™ he who causeth all thys fare O mercy god what vnhap may this mene Han nowe thus sone grekes made you lene Or haste thou some remorce of coÌ„science And arte nowe fall in some deuocioun And waylest for thy synne and thyne offence And hast for ferde caught a contricioun God saue hem that besieged han our toun That so can lay our iolyte on presse And brynge our lusty folke to holynesse These wordes sayd he for the nones all That w t such thing he miÈt him angry makeÌ„ And with his anger don his sorowe fal As for a tyme and hys corage awaken But wel wyste he as ferre as tonges spaken There nas a man of gretter hardynesse Than he ne more desyred worthynesse ¶ what cas ê™ Troylus or what auenture Hath gyded the to sene me languyssyng That am refuse of euery creature But for the loue of god at my prayeng Go hence away for certes my deyeng woll the disese and I mote nedes dey Therfore go way there nys no more to sey But yf thou wene I be thus sycke for drede It is nat so and therfore scorne nought There is an other thyng I take of hede well more thaÌ„ aught y e grekes haÌ„ yet wrouÈt which cause is of my deth for sorow thouÈt But though that I nowe tell it the ne leste Be thou not wrothe I hyde it for the beste This PaÌ„dare y e nygh molte for wo routh Ful often sayd alas what may this be Nowe frende ê™ he yf euer loue or trouthe Hath ben er this betwyxen the and me Ne do thou neuer suche a cruelte To hyden fro thy frende so great a care woste thou nat well that I am Pandare I woll parten with the all thy payne If it so be I do the no comforte As it is frendes right sothe for to sayne To enterparten wo as glad disporte I haue and shall for trewe or false reporte In wronge and right yloued the al my lyue Hyde nat thy wo fro me but tell it blyue Than gan this soroufull Troylus to syke And said him thus God leue it be my best To tellen the for sythe it may the lyke Yet wol I tell it though my herte brest And well wote I thou mayste do me no rest But leste thou deme I truste nat to the Nowe herke frend for thus it stant with me Loue ayenst the whych who so defendeth Hym seluen moste hym alder leest auayleth with dispeyre so soroufully me offendeth That streight vnto y e deth myne hert sayleth Therto desyre so brennyngly me assayleth That to ben slayne it were a greater ioye To me than kyng of Grece be and of Troye Suffyseth this my full frende Pandare That I haue said for now wost thou my wo And for the loue of god my colde care So hyde it well I tolde it neuer to mo For harmes myghten folowen mo than two If it were wyst but be thou in gladnesse And let me sterue vnknowe of my distresse Howe hast thou thus vnkyndly longe Hyd this fro me thou fole ê™ Pandarus Parauenture thou mayst after such one loÌ„ge That myn auyse anon may helpen vs This were a wonder thyng ê™ Troylus Thou couldest neuer in loue thy selfen wysse How dyuel mayst thou bringen me to blysse ¶ Yea Troylus now herke ê™ Pandare Though I be nyce it happeth often so That one that axes dothe full yuell fare By good couÌ„sayle can kepe his frende therfro I haue my selfe seyne a blynde man go There as he fell that coude loken wyde A foole may eke a wyse man ofte gyde A whetstone is no keruyng instrument But yet it maketh sharpe keruyng tolis And ther y u wost that I haue aught miswent Eschue thou that for suche thyng to schole is This often wyse men ben ware by foolis If thou so do thy wyt is well bywared By his contrarye is euery thyng declared For how might euer swetnesse haue be know To hym that neuer tasted bytternesse Ne no man wote what gladnesse is I trow That neuer was in sorowe or some distresse Eke white by blacke by shaÌ„e eke worthinesse Eche set by other more for other semeth As men may sene and so the wyse it demeth Sythe thus of two contraries is o lore I that haue in loue so ofte assayed Greuaunces ought connen well the more Counsaylen the of that thou arte dismayed And eke the ne ought nat ben yuell apayed Though I desyre wyth the for to bere Thyne heuy charge it shall the lasse dere I wote well that it fared thus by me As to thy brother Parys an hierdesse whyche that cleped was Oenone wrote in a complaynte of her heuynesse Ye sawe the letter that she wrote I gessâ— Nay neuer yet iwys ê™ Troylus Nowe ê™ Pandare herkeneth it was thus Phebus that fyrst fonde arte of medicyne Quod she and coude in euery wightes care Remedy and rede by hertes he knewe fyne Yet to hym selfe hys connyng was ful bare For loue had
to her wende And sayd why spurnest thou agayne y e wal To slee thy selfe and mend nothynge at all Sith that thy weping but doubleth thy wo I counsayle the make vertue of a nede Go lerne to clap thy clapper to and fro And lerne after the lawe of lepers lede Ther was no bote but forth w t thaÌ„ she yede Fro place to place whyle colde huÌ„gre sore Compelled her to be a ranke beggore That same tyme of Troy the garnysoun which had the cheftayne worthye Troylus Thrugh ieopardy of war had strykeÌ„ down Knyghtes of Grece in noÌ„bre maruaylous with great triumph and laude victorious Agayne to Troy ryght royally they rode The way wher Creseyde w t the leper stode Seing that company come all with o steueÌ„ They gaue a crye shoke cups good spede worthy lordes for goddes loue of heauen To vs lepers parte of your almesse dede Than to her crye noble Troylus toke hede Hauyng pytie nere by the place gan passe wher Creseyd sat nat wetiÌ„g what she was Than vpon hym she kest vp both her eyen And w t a blynke it come intyl his thought That he sometyme her face before had seyn But she was in such plite he knew hernouÈt Yet than her loke into his mynde he brouÈt The swete vysage amorous blenkynge Of fayre Creseyd soÌ„tyme his owne derling No wonder was suppose in mynde that he Toke her fygure so soone and lo now why The ydoll of a thynge in case may be So depe emprynted in the fantasy That it defendeth the wyttes outwardly And so appereth in forme and lyke estate within the mynde as it was figurate A spark of loue than tyl his hert couth spriÌ„g And kyndeled his body in a fyre with hote feuer in swet and trymblynge Him toke whyle he was redy to expyre To beare his shylde his breest begon to tyre within a whyle he chaunged manye a hewe And neuerthelesse nat one another knewe For knyghtly pytie and memoriel Of fayr Creseyd a gyrdle gan he take A purse of golde and many a gay iewel And in y e skyrt of Creseyd downe can shake ThaÌ„ rode awaye and nat a worde he spake Pensife in hert whyle he came to y e towne And for great care oftsith almost fel downe The lepre folke to Creseyde than couth drawe To se the equall distributioun Of y e almous but whan the golde they saw Eche one to other priuely can rowne And sayd you lorde hath more affectioun How euer it be vnto you lazarous Than to vs all we knowe by his almous what lorde is you ê™ she haue ye no fele That doth to vs so great humanitie Yes ê™ a lepre man I knowe him wele Syr Troylus it is a knyght gentle free whan Creseyde vnderstode that it was he Styffer thaÌ„ stele there stert a bytter stound Thrughout her hert fyl down to y e grouÌ„d whan she ouercom with syghyng sore sad with many a carefull crye colde atone Now is my brest with stormy stouÌ„des stad wrapped in wo wretch fulwyl of one Than fel in swoun ful oft or she wolde fâ—ne And euer in her swouning cryed she chus O false Creseyd true knyght Troylus Thy loue thy laude and all thy gentylnesse I compted smal in my prosperitie So effated I was in wantonnesse And clambe vpon the fykel whele so hye All fayth and loue I promoted to the was in thy selfe fekle and furyous O false Creseyde true knyght Troylus For loue of me thou kept countenaunce Honest and chaste in conuersatioun Of all women protectour and defence Thou were and helped theyr opynioun My mynde on fleshly foule affectioun was enclyned to lustes lecherous Fye false Creseyde o true knyght Troylus Louers beware and take good hede about whom y t ye loue for whan ye suffre payne I let you wyt ther is right fewe thrughout whoÌ„ ye may trust to haue true loue agayne Proue whaÌ„ ye wol your labour is in vayne Therfore I rede ye take them as ye fynde For they are as sad as wethercock in wynd Bycause I knowe the great vnstablenesse Bryttell as glasse vnto my selfe I say Trustyng in other as great brutelnesse As inconstaunt and as vntrue of faye ThouÈ som be true I wot riÈt fewe ar they who fyndeth truthe let hym his lady â—â—se None but my selfe as now I woll accuse whan this was sayd w t paper she sat doun And in this maner made her testament Here I bequeth my corse and caryoun with wormes and with toodes to be rent My cup my clapper and myne ornament And al my gold these leper folke shal haue whan I am deed to bury me in graue This royal rynge set with this Rubye red which Troylus in dowry to me sende To hym agayne I leaue it whaÌ„ I am deed To make my careful deth vnto him kende Thus I conclude shortly and make an ende My sprit I leue to Diane where she dwels To walke w t her in waste wodes welles O Diomede thou hast both broche and belt which Troylus gaue me in tokenyng Of his true loue and w t the word she swelt And soone a leper man toke of the rynge Than buryed her withouten tarying To Troylus forth with the rynge he bare And of creseyde the deth he can declare whan he had herde her great infirmitie Her legacy and lamentatioun And how she ended in suche pouertie He swelt for wo fell downe in a swoun For sorowe his hert to brast was boun Syghyng full sadly sayde I can nomore She was vntrue and wo is me therfore Som saith he made a tomb of marble gray And wrote her name and superscription And layde it on her graue where as she laye In golden letters coÌ„taynynge this reasoun Lo fayre ladyes Creseyde of Troy y e toune Somtyme coÌ„pted the floure of womanhed Vnder this stone late leper lyeth deed Now worthy women in this balade short Made for your worshyp and instruction Of charitie I monysh and exhorte Mynge nat your loue with false disception Beare in your mynde this sore conclusion Of fayre Creseyde as I haue sayde before Syth she is deed I speke of her nomore ¶ Thus endeth the piteful and dolorous testament of fayre Creseyde And hereafter foloweth the legende of good women ¶ The legende of good women A Thousande tymes I haue herde men tel That there is ioye in heuen payne in hel And I accorde it wel that it is so But nathelesse yet wot I wele also That there nys none dwelling in this countrie That eyther hath in heuen or hel ybe Ne may of it none other wayes wytten But as he herde sayd or founde it wrytten For by assaye there maye no man it preue But god forbede but men shulde leue well more thynge than they han sene w t eye Men shall nat wenen euery thynge a lye But yf hym selfe it seeth or els it doth For god wot thyng is neuer the lesse soth Though euery
and syketh She asketh him anone what him mislyketh My dere herte whych that I loue moste Certes ê™ he thys nyght my fathers gost Hath in my slepe me so sore turmented And eke marcury his message hath presented That nedes to the conquest of Itayle My destyne is soone for to sayle For which me thinketh brosteÌ„ is myne herte Therwyth hys false teeres out they sterte And taketh her wythin hys armes two Is that in ernest ê™ she woll ye so Haue ye not sworne to wyfe me to take Alas what woman woll ye of me make I am a gentyl woman and a quene Ye woll not fro your wyfe thus foule flene That I was borne alas what shall I do To tellen in short this noble quene Dido She seketh halowes and doth sacrifyce She kneleth cryeth y t routhe is it to deuyse Coniureth hym and proffreth hym to be His thral his seruauÌ„t in the best degree She falleth hym to foote swouneth there Discheuyle with her bryght gylt heer And sayth haue mercy let me w t you ryde These lordes which y e wonnen me besyde woll me destroyen only for your sake And ye woll me now to wyf take As ye haue sworn thaÌ„ wol I yeue you leue To sleen me w t your swerd now sone at eue For than yet shall I dyen as your wyfe I am with chylde yeue my chylde his lyfe Mercy lorde haue pytie in your thought But al this thing auayleth her ryght nouÈt And as a traytour forth gan to sayle Towarde the large countre of Itayle And thus hath he left Dido in wo pyne And wedded there a lady hyght Rauyne A cloth he laft eke his swerde stoÌ„dynge whan he fro Dido stale in her slepyng Ryght at her beddes heed so gan he hye whan that he stale awaye to his nauye which cloth whaÌ„ sely Dido gan awake She hath it kyst full oft for his sake And sayd o swete cloth while iupiter it lest Take my soule vnbynde me of this vnrest I haue fulfylled of fortune all the course And thus alas withouten his socourse Twenty tyme yf wouned hath she than And whan that she vnto her suster Anne CoÌ„playned had of which I may not wryte So great routh I haue it to endyte And bad her norice and her sustren gon To fetchen fyre and other thynges anon And sayd that she wolde sacrifye And whan she myght her tyme wel aspy Vpon the fyre of sacrifyce she sterte And w t his swerde she rofe her to the hert But as myn auctor sayth yet thus she seyd Or she was hurt beforne or she deyed She wrote a letter anon and tus began Ryght so ê™ she as the whyte swan Ayenst his deth begynneth for to synge Ryght so to you I make my coÌ„playnyng Not that I trowe to getten you agayne For wel I wot it is all in vayne Syns y t the goddes ben coÌ„trarions to me But syn my name is lost thrugh you ê™ she I may well lese a worde on you or letter All be it I shalbe neuer the better For thilke wynde y t blew your shyp away The same winde hath blowaway your fay But whoso wol al this letter haue in minde Rede Ouyde and in hym he shal it fynde ¶ Here endeth the legende of Dido quene of Cartage And here foloweth the legend of Hypsiphile and Medea THou rote of false louers duke Iason Thou sleer deuourer and confusion Of gentle women gentle creatures Thou madest thy reclaymyng thy lures To ladyes of thy scathlyche apparaunce And of thy wordes farsed with pleasaunce And of thy fayned trouth and thy manere with thyne obeysaunce and humble chere And w t thy counterfayted payne and wo There other falsen one thou falsed two O oft swore thou that thou woldest dye For loue whan thou ne feltest malady Saue foule delyte whiche thou callest loue Yf that I lyue thy name shal be shoue In englysh that thy disceyte shal be knowe Haue at the Iason now thyne honoure is blowe But certes it is both routh and wo That loue with false louers worketh so For they shal haue well better loue chere Than he that hath bought loue ful dere Or had in armes many a blody boxe For euer as tender a capon eateth the foxe Though he be false hath y e foule betrayde As shall the good man y t therfore payde Although he haue to y e capon skil and right The false foxe wol haue his parte at nyght On Iason this example is wel ysene By Hypsiphyle and Medea the quene In Thessalye as Ouyde telleth vs There was a knyght that hyght Pelleus That had a brother which that hyght EsoÌ„ And whaÌ„ for age he myght vnethes gon He yaue to Pelleus the gouernyng Of al his reygne made hym lord kynge Of which Eson this Iason getten was That in his tyme and in al y e land there nas Not suche a famous knyght of gentlenesse Of fredome of strength and of lustynesse After his fathers death he bare hym so That there was none that lyst ben his so But dyd hym al honour and company Of which this Pelleus hath great enuy Imaginyng that Iason myght be Enhaunced so and put in suche degree with loue of lordes of his regyoun That froÌ„ his reigne he may be put adoun And in his wyt a nyght compassed he How Iason myght best destroyed be withouten sclaunder of his compasment And at the last he toke aduysement That to sendeÌ„ him into some ferre countrie There as this Iason may destroyed be This was his wyt al made he to Iason Great chere of loke and of affectioun For drede lest his lordes it espyde So fyll it as fame ronneth wyde Ther was suche tydyng ouer al such loos That in an yle that called was Colcos Beyonde Troy estwarde in the see That ther was a ram that men myght se That had a flees of golde y t shone so bryght That now her was ther such another syght But it was kept alwaye with a drogoun And many other maruayles vp and doune And with two bulles maked al of bras That spytteÌ„ fyre moche thyng there was But this was eke the tale nathelees That whoso wolde wynnen thilke flees He must both or he it wynne myght with the bulles and the dragon fyght And kynge Otes lorde was of that yle This Pelleus bethought vpon this wyle That he his neuewe Iason wolde exhort To saylen to that londe him to disport And sayd neuewe yf it myght be That suche worshyp myght fal the That thou this famous tresure might win And bringe it my region within It were to me great plesaunce and honour Than were I holde to quyte thy labour And all the costes I woll my selfe make And chose what folke thou wolt w t thetake Let se now darst thou taken this voyage Iason was yonge and lusty of corage And vndertoke to done this ylke emprise Anon Argus his shyppes can deuyse with
thou were any other thyng quod she No quod I Nowe wel know I quod she other cause of thy malady and that ryght great Thou hast left for to knowen thy selfe what thou art thorow whych I haue playnly founden the cause of thy maladye or els the entre of recouerynge of thy heale For why For thou arte confounded wyth foryetynge of thy selfe For thou soroudeste that thou arte exiled of thy propre goodes And y u ne wyste what is th ende of thinges for thy demeste thou that felonous and wycked mē be myghty and welful and for thou haste foryeten by whyche gouernementes the worlde is gouerned for thy wenest thou that these mutacions of fortune fleten wythout gouernour These ben the causes not onlye to maladye but certes greate causes to deathe But I thanke the auctour and the maker of heale that nature hathe not al forleten the. I haue great nouryshing of thyne heale and that is the soth sentence of gouernaunce of the worlde that thou byleuest that the gouernyng of it is not subiect ne vnderput to the foly of these happes auēturous but to the reasonne of god and therfore dout the nothing for of this lytle sparke thyne heate of lyfe shall shyne But for as moch as it is not time yet of faster remedies and the nature is of thoughtes thus disceyued that as ofte as they caste away soth opinions they clothen hem in false opinions Of the whych false opinions the darkenesse of perturbacion wexeth vp that cōfoundeth the very insyght And that derkenesse shal I somwhat assaye to makē thynne and weake by lyght and meanelyche remedyes so that after that the darkenesse of disceyuyng thinges be done away thou may know the shynyng of very lyght Nubibus atris cōdita nullum fundere possunt sydera lumen Si mare voluens turbidus auster misceat estū Vitrea dudum parque serenis c. THe sterres couered with blacke cloudes ne mowe yeten adoun no lyght yf the trouble wynde that hight Auster turning and walowyng the see medleth the heate that is to sayne the boylynge vp from the bottome The wawes that were whylom clere as glasse lyke to the fayre bryght dayes withstant anone the syghtes of men by the filth and ordure that is resolued And the fleting streme that reyleth downe diuersly from hygh mountaygnes is arrested and resisted oft time by thencoūtryng of a stone that is departed and fallen from some rocke And for thy if thou wylt loken deme sothe wyth clere lyght and holden the way wyth a right path weyue thou ioy driue fro drede fleme thou hope ne let no sorowe approche that is to sayne Let none of these foure passions ouercome or blende the. For cloudye darke is thylke thoughte and bounde wyth brydels where as these thynges reignen ¶ Explicit liber primus POst hec paulisper obticuit atque vbi attentionem meam modesta taciturnitate collegit sic exorsa est Si penitus egritudinis tuc causas habitumque c. The seconde boke of Boecius AFter thys she stynte alytell after that she had gadered by a temper stylnesse myne attētion as who so myght sayne thus After these thynges she stynt a lytle and she aperceyued by a temper stylnesse that I was ententyfe to heren her she began to speake in thys wyse Yf I quod she haue vnderstāden and knowen vtterly the causes and the habite of thy malady thou languyshest and art defected for desyre talent of thy rathar fortune She that ylke fortune onely that is chaunged as thou faynest to the warde hathe peruerted the clerenesse and the estate of thy courage I vnderstonde the fele or manyfolde colours and disceytes of thylke merueylous monstre fortune and she vseth full flateryng familiaryte wyth hem that she enforceth to begyle so longe tyl that she confounde with vnsufferable sorowe hem that she hath lefte in dispayre vnpurueyed And if thou remembrest wel the kynde the maners and the deserte of thylke fortune thou shalt well know that as in her thou neuer ne haddest ne hast ylost any fayre thynge But as I trowe I shal not greatly trauaylen to done the remēbren on these thynges For thou were wont to hurtelen dispysen her wyth many wordes whan she was blandyshynge and present and pursudeste her with sentences that weren drawen oute of myne entre that is to say of myn enformacyon but no sodayne mutation ne betydeth not wythout a maner chaūgyng of corages And so it is befal that thou art a lytyl departed fro the peace of thy thought but nowe is time that thou drynke and ataste some softe and delytable thinges so y t whan they be entred wythin the it mowen make waye to strenger drynkes of medictus Come nowe forth therfore the suasion of swetnesse rethoryen whych that goth onelye the ryght waye whyle she forsakethe not myne estatutes And wyth Rethoryke come forthe musyke a damosel of our house that syngeth nowe lyghter modes or prolacions and nowe heuyer What ayleth the man ▪ what is it that hath cast the into murnyng and in to wepyng I trowe that thou haste sene some newe thynge and vncouthe Thou wenest that fortune be chaūged ayen me ▪ but thou weneste wronge yf that thou wene alway tho ben her maners She hath rather kepte as to the warde her proper stablenesse in the chaungynge of her selfe ryght suche was she flatterde the and dysceyued the wyth vnlefull lykynges and false welefulnesse Thou haste nowe knowen and atteynte the doubtous or double vysage of thylke blynde goddesse fortune She that yet couerethe and wymplethe her to other folke hathe shewed her selfe euerye deale to the If thou apporuest her and thinkest that she is good vse her maners and playne the not and thou agryfeste her false trechexye dispyse and caste awaye her that playeth so harmefullye for she that is nowe cause of so muche sorow to the shulde be to the cause of peace and of ioy She hath forsaken the forsothe the which that neuer man maye be syker that she ne shall forsaken hym Glose But nathlesse some bokes haue the text thus Forfoth she hathe forsaken the ne there nys no man syker that she ne hathe not forsaken Holdeste thou than thylke welefulnesse precyous to the that shall passen and is present deare worthe to the whyche that nys not fayethfull for to dwell and whan she gothe awaye that she bryngeth a wyght in sorow For sens she maye not be wyth holden at a mannes wyll she makethe hym a wretche whan she depertethe fro hym what other thynge is styttyng fortune but a maner shewynge of wretchenesse that is to come Ne it sufficeth not onely to loken on thyng that is present before the eyen of a man but wisdome loketh and measureth th ende of thynges and the same chaungynge from one to another that is to sayne from aduersyte in to prosperyte makethe that the manaces of fortune ne bene not for to dreden ne the
destroyen men by wounde of thought Tu ego fateor inquam nec iniuria dici video viciosos tam et si humani corporis speciem seruent c. THen sayd I thus I confesse am aknowe it ê™ I ne I ne se not that men maye saye as by ryght that shrewes ben chaunged in to beestes by the qualite of her soules all be it so that they kepen yet the forme of the bodye of mankynde but I wolde not of shrewes of whych the thought cruell and woode woodeth alwaye to the destruccion of good men that it were lefull to hem to done that Certes quod she ne it is not lefull to hem as I shall wel shewe the in couenable place but nathelesse yf so were that thilke that men wene ben leful to shrewes were bynommed heÌ„ so that they ne myght not anoyen or done harme to good men certes a great partye of the payne to shrewes shulde ben alleged and releued For all be it so that it ne seme credyble thynge perauenture to some folke that it mote nedes be y t the shrewes ben more wretches and sely whan they may full doone and parfourme that they coueyten than yf they myght not accomplyste that they coueyten For yf so be that it be wretchydnesse to wylneÌ„ to don yuel than is it more wretchednesse to moweÌ„ done yuell without which mowyng the wretched wyl shulde languyshe without effecte Than sythe euerye of these thynges hath his wretchydnesse that is to sayne wyl to done yuell and mowyng to doone yuell it mote nedes be that they shrewes be constrayned by her vnselynesses that wolen and mowen and parfourmen felonyes and shreudnesses Boece I acorde me ê™ I but I desyre greatly that shrewes losten soone thylke vnselynesse that is to sayn that shrewes weren dâ—spoyled of mowyng to done yuel Phi. So â—ullen they ê™ she soner perauenture than thou woldeste or soner than they hem selfe wene for there nys nothing so late in so short boundes of thys lyfe that is longe to abyde namely to a courage immortell Of whyche shrewes the great hope and the hye compassynges of shreudnesse is ofte destroyed by a sodeyn ende or they be ware And that thyng establyshed to shrewes the ende of her shreudnesse for if that shreudnesse maketh wretches than must he nedes be most wretche that longest is a shrewe the whyche wciked shrewes wolde I demyn aldermoost caytyfes and vnsely yf her shrewdnesse ne were fynysshed at leest way by vtterest dethe for yf I haue concluded sothe of the vnselynesse of shrewdnes than sheweth it plainly that thilke wretchednes is wythouten ende the whych is certayn to be perdurable Boece Certes ê™ I thys conclusyon is harde wonderfull to grauÌ„te But I knowe well that it accordeth moche to thynges that I haue graunted here beforne Philo. Thou haste ê™ she ryght estymacyon of thys But who so euer wene that it be a harde thynge to accorde hym to a conclusyon it is ryght that he shewe that somme of y t premisses ben false or els he mote shewe that the collacyon of proposycyons nys not spedeful to a necessarye conclusyon And yf it ne be not so but y t the premysses ben ygraunted there nys not why he shulde blame the argument For thys thynge that I shall tell the nowe ne shall not seme lasse wonderfull but of the thynges that ben taken Also it is necessarye as who saythe it foloweth of that which that is purposed beforne Boe. What is that ê™ I Phi. Certes ê™ she that is y t these wycked shrewes be more blysfull or els lasse wretches that abyen y e tourmentes that they haue deserued than yf no payne of Iustyce ne chastysed hem Ne thys ne saye I not nowe for that any maÌ„ might thynke that the maners of shrewes ben coryged chastysed by vengeaunce and that they be brought to the ryght waye by the drede of tourment ne for that they yeuen to other folkes ensample to styen fro vyces But I vnderstande yet in another maner that shrewes ben more vnsely whan they ne be not punyshed all be it so that there ne be had no reason or law of correction ne none ensample of lokynge Boece And what maner shall that ben ê™ I other than hathe be tolde here beforne Phi. Haue we not graunted than ê™ she that good folke ben blysfull and shrewes ben wretches Boece yes ê™ I Philo. Than ê™ she yf that anye good were added to the wretchednesse of any wyght nys he not more weleful than he that ne hathe no medlyng of good in hys solitarye wretchednes Boece So semyth it ê™ I. Philo. And what sayest thou than ê™ she of thylke wretche that lacketh al goodes so that no good nys medled in his wretchednesse and yet ouer all hys wyckednesse for whyche he is a wretche that there be yet another yuell anexed and knyt to hym shall not men demen hym more vnsely than thylke wretche of whyche the vnselynesse is releued by the participacyon of some good Boece Why sholde he not ê™ I. Phi. Than certes ê™ she han shrewes whan they ben punysshed somwhat of good anexed to hyr shrewdnesse that is to sayne the same payne that they suffreÌ„ which that is good by y t reason of Iustice And whaÌ„ thilke same shrewes escapen without tourmeÌ„t thaÌ„ haue they somwhat more of yuel yet ouer the wyckednesse that they han done that is to sayn defaute of paynes whiche defaute of payne thou haste graunted is yuell for the deserte of felonye Boece I ne maye not denye it ê™ I Phi. Moche more than ê™ she ben shrewes vnselye whan they ben wrongfully delyuered fro payne than whaÌ„ they ben punished by rightfull vengeaunce But thys is open thynge and clere that it is ryght that shrewes ben punyshed and it is wyckednesse and wronge that they escapen vnpunyshed Boece Who might denye it ê™ I Philo. But ê™ she may anye man denye that all that is ryght ne is good and also the contrarye that all that is wronge is wycked Boece Certes ê™ I these thynges ben clere ynough and that we haue concluded a lytell here beforne But I pray the that thou tel me yf thou accordest to letten no tourment to the soules after that the body is ended by the deth that is to sayn vnderstandest thou aught that soules haue anye tourment after the dethe of the bodye Phi. Certes ê™ she yea and that ryght great of whyche soules ê™ she I trowe that some ben tourmented by asprenesse of payne and some soules I trowe ben exercysed by a pourgynge mekenesse but my counsayle nys nat to determyne of thys paynes But I haue trauayled and tolde yet hyderto for thou shuldest knowe that the mowynge of shrewes whyche mowynge the semeth to be vnworthy nys no mowynge and eke of shrewes of whyche thou playnedest that they ne were nat punyshed that thou woldest se that they ne weren neuer mo withouten the tourmentes of her wyckednesse And of the lycence of
from you fro no mo Fortune wyll thys that I for wele or wo My lyfe endure your mercy abydynge And very ryght wyll that I thynke also Of your worshyp aboue all other thynge La dame To your worshyp se well for that is nede That ye spende nat your season all in vayne As touchynge myne I rede you take no hede By your folly to put your selfe in payne To ouercome is good and to restrayne An herte whyche is disceyued follyly For worse it is to breke than bowe certayne Better bowe than to fall sodaynly Lamant Nowe fayre lady thynke syth it fyrst began That loue hath set myn herte vnder his cure It neuer myght ne truely I ne can None other serue whyle I shall here endure In most fre wyse therof I make you sure which may not be withdrawe this is no nay I must abyde all maner aduenture For I may neyther put to nor take away La dame I holde it for no gyfte in sothfastnesse That one offreth where it is forsake For suche a gyfte is abandonynge expresse That wyth worship ayen may not be take He hath an herte full fell that lyst to make A gyfte lyghtly that put is to refuse But he is wyse that suche conceyte wyl slake So that hym nede neyther to study ne muse Lamant He shulde nat muse y t hath hys seruyce spent On her whyche is a lady honourable And yf I spende my tyme to that entent Yet at the lest I am not reprouable Of fayned herte to thynke I am vnable Or I mystoke whan I made thys request By whiche loue hath of entreprise notable So many hertes gotten by conquest La dame If that ye lyste do after my counsayle Seche a fayrer and of more hygher fame whych in seruyce of loue wyll you preuayle After your thought accordynge to the same He hurteth both hys worshyp and hys name That follyly for twayne hī selfe wyl trouble And he also leseth his after game That surely can not set hys poyntes double Lamant This your counsayle by ought that I can se Is better sayd than done to myne aduyse Though I byleue it not forgyue it me Myne herte is such so hole without feyntyse That I ne may gyue credence in no wyse To thyng which is not sowning vnto truth Other counsayle I se be but fantasyse Saue of your grace to shewe pyte and ruth La dame I holde hym wyse that worketh no foly And whan hym lyst can leue parte therfro But in connynge he is to lerne truely That wolde hym selfe conduyte can not so And he that wyll not after counsayle do His sute he putteth in to dysperaunce And all the good that shulde fall hym to Is lost and deed clene out of remembraunce Lamant Yet wyl I sewe thys matter faythfully whyles I lyue what euer be my chaunce And yf it hap that in my truth I dye Than deth shal do me no displeasaunce But whan that I by your harde suffraunce Shall dye so true with so great a payne Yet shal it do me much the lesse greuaūce Than for to lyue a false louer certayne La dame Of me get ye ryght nought thys is no fable I wyl to you be neyther harde nor strayte And ryght wyl not no man customable To thynke ye shulde be sure of my conceyte who secheth sorowe his be the receyte Other counsayle can I not fele nor se Nor for to lerne I cast me not to awayte who wyll therof let hym assaye for me Lamant Ones must it be assayde that is no nay wyth suche as be of reputacyon And of true loue the ryght honour to pay Of free hertes gotten by dewe raunsome For frewyl holdeth thys opinion That it is great duresse and discomforte To kepe a herte in so strayte a prison That hath but one body for his disporte La dame I knowe so many causes meruaylous That I must nede of reason thynke certaine That such auenture is wonder peryllous And yet wel more the coming backe againe Good or worshyp therof is seldome sene where I ne wyll make suche araye As for to fynde a pleasaunce but a barayne whan it shal cost so dere the fyrst assaye Lamant Ye haue no cause to dout of this mater Nor you to mene with no such fantasyse To put me farre al out as a straunger For your goodnesse can thinke wel aduyse That I haue made a pryse in euery wyse By whiche my truth sheweth open euidence My longe abydyng and my trewe seruyce Maye well be knowen by playne experience La dame Of very ryght he may be called trewe And so must he be take in euery place That can discerne and set as he ne knewe And kepe the good yf he it may purchace For who y t prayeth or swereth in any case Right wel ye wote in y t no trouth is preued Such hath there bene are that getē grace And lese it sone whan they haue it acheued Lamant If truth me cause by vertue souerayne To shewe good loue alway fynde cōtrary And cherish y t which sleeth me with y e paine This is to me a louely aduersary whan y e pyte which longe on slepe doth tary Hath set the fyne of al my heuynesse Yet her comforte to me moost necessary Shal set my wyll more sure in stablenesse La dame The wofull wight what maye he thynke or say The contrary of al ioy and gladnesse A sicke bodye his thought is alway From hem that felen no sore nor sickenesse Thus hurtes bene of diuers busynesse which loue hath put to great hyndraunce And truth also put in forgetfulnesse whan they ful sore begyn to sigh askaunce Lamant Now god defende but he be harmelesse Of al worship or good that may befall That to werst tourneth by his lewdnesse A gyfte of grace or any thinge at all That his ladie vouchsafe vpon him call Or cherisheth him in honorable wise In that defaute what euer he be that fall Deserueth more than deth to suffre twyse La dame There is no iuge yset on suche trespace By whych of right loue may recouered be One curseth fast another doth manace Yet dyeth none as farre as I can se But kepe her course alway in one degre And euermore theyr labour doth encrease To brynge ladies by theyr great subtelte For others gylte in sorowe and disease Lamant Albeit so one doth so great offence And is not deed nor put to no iustyce Right well I wote him gayneth no defence But he must ende in ful mischeuous wyse And all euer sayd god wyl him dispyse For falshed is euer ful of cursedenesse that his worshyp may neuer haue interprise where it reygneth hath the wylfulnesse La dame Of that haue they no great fere now a daise Such as wyl say and maynteyne it therto That stedfast truth is nothing for to prayse In hem that kepe it longe in wele or wo Theyr busye hertes passen two and fro They be so wel
hede what shall I saye of yonge Piramus Of trewe Tristram for al hys hye renowne Of Achylles or of Antonius Of Arcite or of hym Palamowne what was the ende of her passyoune But after sorowe deth and then her graue Lo here the guerdon that these louers haue But false Iason wyth hys doublenesse That was vntrewe at Calkos to Medee And Theseus rote of vnkyndnesse And wyth these two eke the false Enâ—e Lo thus the false aye in one degre Had in loue her lust and all her wyll And saue fashode there was none other skyll Of Thebes eke the false Arcyte And Demephoon eke for his slouthe They had her lust al that myght delyte For al her falshode and great vntrouthe Thus euer loue alas and that is routhe His false lieges forthereth what he may And sleeth the trewe vngoodly day by day For trewe Adon was slayne with the bore Amydde the forest in the grene shade For Venus loue he felte al the sore But Vulcanus wiht her no mercy made The foule chorle had many nyghtes glade where Mars her knyght and her man To fynde mercy comforte none he can Also the yonge fresshe vpomedes So lusty fre as of his courage That for to serue with al his herte he ches Athalans so fayre of her vysage But loue alas quitte hym so his wage with cruell daungere playnly at the last That wyth the deth guerdonlesse he past Lo here the fyne of loues seruyse Lo how that loue can hys seruauntes quyte Lo howe he can hys faythfull men dyspyse To slee the trewe men and false to respyte Lo howe he doth the swerde of sorowe byte In hertes such as moost hys lust obey To saue the false and do the trewe dey For fayth nor othe worde ne assuraunce Trewe meanynge awayte or busynesse Styll porte ne faythfull attendaunce Manhode ne myght in armes worthynesse Pursute of worshyp nor hye prowesse In straunge lande rydynge ne trauayle Ful lytell or nought in loue doth auayle Peryll of deth nor in see ne lande Hunger ne thurste sorowe ne syckenesse Ne great empryses for to take on hande Shedynge of bloode ne manfull hardynesse Ne ofte woundynge at sautes by dystresse Nor in partynge of lyfe nor deth also Al is for nought loue taketh no hede therto But lesynges wyth her flaterye Through her falshed with her doublenesse wyth tales newe and many fayned lye By false semblaunt and couÌ„trefete huÌ„blesse Vnder colour depaynte wyth stedfastnesse wyth fraude couered vnder a pytous face Accepte be nowe rathest vnto grace And can hym selfe nowe best magnifye wyth fayned porte and presumpcion They haunte her cause wyth false surquidre Vnder meanynge of double entencion To thynke one in her opinion And saye another to set hym selfe alofte And hynder trouth as it is sene full ofte The which thynge I bye nowe al to dere Thanked be Venus and the God Cupide As it is sene by myne oppressed chere And by hys arowes that stycken in my syde That saue deth I nothynge abyde Fro daye to daye alas the harde whyle when euer his darte that hym lyst to fyle My wofull herte for to ryue a two For taute of mercy and lacke of pyte Of her that causeth all my payne and wo And lyst not ones of grace for to se Vnto my trouth through her cruelte And moste of al I me complayne That she hath ioye to laugh at my payne And wylfully hath my deth sworne All gyltlesse and wote no cause why Saue for the trouth that I had aforne To her alone to serue faythfully O god of loue vnto the I cry And to thy blende double deyte Of thys great wronge I complayne me And vnto thy stormy wylfull variaunce Yment wyth chauÌ„ge and great vnstablenesse Now vp now down so reÌ„nyng is thy chauÌ„ce That the to trust may be no sekernesse I wyte it nothynge but thy doublenesse And who that is an archer and is blynde Marketh nothynge but shoteth by wynde And for that he hath no dyscrecion wythout aduyse he let hys arowe go For lacke of syght and also of reason In hys shotynge it happeth ofte so To hurte hys frende rather then hys fo So doth thys god wyth hys sharpe flone The trewe sleeth and letteth the false gone And of hys woundyng thys y u worst of al when he hurteth doth to so cruell wreche And maketh the sycke for to crye and call Vnto hys foe for to be hys leche And harde it is for a man to seche Vpon the poynte of dethe in ieopardye Vnto hys foe to fynde remedye Thus fareth it nowe euen by me That to my foe y t gaue myne herte a wouÌ„de Mote aske grace mercy and pyte And namely there where none may be fouÌ„de For nowe my sore my leche wyll confounde And god of kynde so hath set myne vre My lyues foe to haue my wounde in cure Alas the whyle now that I was borne Or that I euer sawe the bryght sonne For nowe I se that full longe aforne Or I was borne my desteny was sponne By Parcas systerne to slee me yf they conne For they my dethe shopen or my sherte Onely for trouth I may it not asterte The myghty goddesse also of nature That vnder god hath the gouernaunce Of worldly thynges coÌ„mytted to her cure Dysposed haue throgh her wyse purueiauÌ„ce To gyue my lady so moche suffysaunce Of all vertues and therwythall puruyde To murdre trouth hath take dauÌ„ger to gyde For bounte beaute shappe and semelyhed Prudence wyt passyngly fayrnesse Benygne porte glad chere wyth lowlyhed Of womanhede ryght plenteous largenesse Nature dyd in her fully impresse when she her wrought alther last disdayne To hinder trouth she made her chaÌ„berlayne when mystrust also and false suspection wyth mysbyleue she made for to be Chefe of counsayle to thys conclusyon For to exyle trouth and eke pyte Out of her court to make mercy flee So y t dyspyte nowe holdeth forth her reyne Through hasty byleue of tales y t men feyne And thus I am for my trouth alas Murdred slayne w t wordes sharpe kene Gyltlesse god wote of all trespas And lye and blede vpon this colde grene Nowe mercy swete mercy my lyues quene And to your grace of mercy yet I preye In your seruyce that your man maye deye But yf so be that I shall dye algate And that I shall none other mercy haue Yet of my deth let thys ben the date that by your wyl I was brouÈt to my graue Or hastely yf that you lyst me saue My sharpe woundes that ake so and blede Of mercy charme and also of womanhede For other charme playnly is there none But onely mercy to helpe in thys case For though my woundes blede euer in one My lyfe my deth standeth in your grace And though my gylte be nothynge alas I aske mercy in all my best entente Redy to dye yf that ye assente For there agaynst shall I neuer stryue In worde ne werke
caused through trespasse on my syde And I do the to weteÌ„ ê™ she I set neuer yet persoÌ„ to serue in no place but yf he caused the contrary in defaultes and trespasses that he ne spedde of hys seruyce Myne owne earthlye ladye quod I tho and yet remembre to your worthynesse how longe sythen by many reuoluynge of yeres in tyme whan Octobre hys leue gynneth take and Nouembre sheweth him to sight whaÌ„ bernes ben full of goodes as is the nut on euery halke and than good lande tyllers gynne shape for the erth with great trauayle to bryng forth more corne to mannes sustenaunce ayenst the nexte yeres folowynge In such tyme of plentie he that hath an home and is wyse lyst not to wander maruayles to seche but he be constrayned or excited oft the loth thynge is done by excitacyon of other mennes opinion which wolden fayne haue myne abydynge take in hert of lust to trauayle and se the wynding of the erth in that tyme of wynter by woodes that large stretes werne in by smal pathes that swyne and hogges haden made as lanes with ladles theyr maste to seche I walked thynkynge aloone a wonder greate whyle and the greate beestes that the wood haunten and adorneth all maner forestes and heerdes gone to wylde than er I was ware I neyghed to a see banke for ferde of the beestes shypcraft I cryed For lady I trowe ye wete well your selfe nothynge is werse than the beestes that shulden beÌ„ tame yf they catche her wyldenesse and gyn ayen waxe ramage thus forsothe was I aferde and to shyppe me hyed Than were there ynowe to latch myne handes and drawe me to shyppe of which many I knewe well the names Syght was the fyrst lust was another thought was the thyrde and wyll eke was there a mayster these broughten me w t in boorde of this shyppe of trauayle So whan the sayle was sprad and this shyppe gan to moue the wynde and water gan for to ryse and ouerthwartly to turne y e welken the wawes semeden as they kyst togyther but often vnder colour of kyssyng is mokell olde hate priuily closed and kept The storm so straungely and in deuouryng maner gan so fast vs assayle that I supposed the date of my deth shulde haue made there his gynnyng now vp now downe nowe vnder the wawe and nowe abouen was my shyppe a great whyle And so by mokel duresse of wethers and of stormes and with greate auowynge pylgremages I was dryuen to an yle where vtterly I wende fyrste to haue be rescowed but truly at the fyrst gynnynge it semed me so peryllous the hauen to catche that but thorowe grace I hadde bene comforted of lyfe I was full dispayred Truly ladye yf ye be remembred aryght of all maner thynges your selfe came hastely to sene vs see driuen and to weten what we weren but fyrste ye were deynous of cheare after whyche ye goone better alyght and euer as me thought ye lyued in greate drede of disease it semed so by your chere And whan I was certifyed of your name the lenger I looked in you the more I you goddly dradde and euer myne herte on you opened the more and so in a lytle tyme my shyppe was out of mynde But ladye as ye me lad I was ware both of beestes and of fysshes a great noÌ„bre throngynge togyther among which a muskell in a blewe shel had enclosed a Margaryte perle the moost precyous and best that euer toforne came in my syght and ye tolden youre selfe that ylke iewell in his kynde was so good and so vertuous that her better shulde I neuer fynde all sought I therafter to the worldes ende and wyth that I helde my peace a greate whyle and euer sytheÌ„ I haue me bethought on the man that sought the precious Margarytes and whan he had founden one to his lykyng he solde all his good to bye that iewell Ywys thought I yet so I thynke now haue I founden the iewelle that myne hert desyreth wherto shulde I sech ferther truly now woll I stynte and on this Margaryte I â—et me for euer Nowe than also sythen I wyll well it was your wyl that I shoulde to suche a seruyce me take and so to desyre that thynge of whiche I neuer haue blysse there lyueth none but he hath disease your myght than that brought me to suche seruyce that to me is cause of sorowe and of ioye I wondre of your worde that ye sayne to bryngen men into ioye and parde ye wet well that defaulte ne trespasse maye not reasonably bene put to mewardes as farre as my conscience knoweth But of my disease me lyste nowe a whyle to speake and to enforme you in what maner of blysse ye haue me thronge For truly I wene that al gladnesse all ioye and all myrth is beshet vnder locke and the keye throwen in suche place y t it may not be founde my brennyng wo hath altred all my hewe whan I shoulde slepe I walowe and I thynke me disporte Thus coÌ„bred I seme that all folke had me mased Also ladye myne desyre hath longe dured some spekynge to haue or els at y e leest haue ben enmoysed with syght and for wanting of these thinges my mouth wolde he durst pleyne right sore sythen euyls for my goodnesse arne manyfolde to me yolden I wonder lady truly saue euermore your reuereÌ„ce how ye mowe for shame such thinges suffre on youre seruaunte to be so multyplyed wherfore knelyng with a lowe hert I praye you to rue on this caytyfe that of nothynge now may serue Good ladye yf ye lyst nowe your helpe to me shewe that am of your priuyest seruauntes at al assayes in this tyme and vnder your wynges of protection No helpe to mewardes is shapen how shal thaÌ„ straungers in any wyse after succour loke whan I that am so pryuy yet of helpe I do fayle Further may I not but thus in this prison abyde what bondes and chaynes me holden lady ye se wel your selfe A renyant foringed hath not halfe the care But thus syghyng and sobbynge I wayle here alone and nere it for coÌ„fort of your presence ryght here wold I sterne And yet alytle am I gladed y t so goodly suche grace and none happe haue I hent gracyouslye to fynde the precyous Margarete that all other leste menne shulde bye yf they shulde therfore sel all her substaunce wo is me that so manye let games and purpose brekers bene maked wayters suche prysoners as I am euermore to ouerloke and to hyndre and for suche lettoures it is harde any suche iewell to wyn Is this lady an honour to thy deytie me thynketh by ryght suche people shoulde haue no maystry ne ben ouerlokers ouer none of thy seruauntes Truly were it leful vnto you to all the goddes wolde I playne that ye rule youre deuyne purueyaunce amonges youre seruauntes nothyng as ye shulde Also lady my moeble is insuâ—â—ysaunt to countreuayle the pryce of this
ye and conspyre His death who that wol her desyre whych she perceyuyng brasteth hys gal And anone hys great wodenesse doth fal As sone as she hath knytte him that knot Nowe is he tame that was so ramagious Mekely sytteth he downe and taketh his lot Layd bene nowe hys lokes so furyous And he but late as a cocke bataylous Hote in hys quarel to auenge hym bolde Nowe is he called both coke and colde Thys sayeng to al curtesy dissonant whych semeth that it of malyce grewe In this rude treatyse I wol not plant As parcel therof but onely to shewe The opinion of the talcatyfe shrewe whych in yl sayeng is euer mery No man as I therof so wery But I as parcel of thys my boke woll graffe in some sadde counsayle wherby The wedded man yf he daigne to loke In it the better shal mowe him gye And proued for hys sayd infortunye whyche as I haue sayd with hym coÌ„playne I wol as partener of hys great payne As moost expedient to hys wele I wolde al ielousy were abiecte If he be ielous that he it concele And in his labour be circumspecte To knowe her wayes yf they seme suspecte And not for to breke for one worde broken She wol not mysse but she wol be wroken Forbyd her not that thou noldest haue done For loke what thinge she is forbood To that of al thynges she is moost prone Namely yf it be yl and no good Tyll it be executed she is nygh wood Such is woman and such is her feate Her crafte by crafte labour to defeate If thou herafter nowe a syngle man Shuldest be ielous yf thou haddest a wyfe wedde not but yf thou can trust woman For els shuldest lede a carefull lyfe That thou moost lothest shulde be full ryfe Yet I nyl gaynsay matrimony But Melius est nubert quam vri That is to saye better is in wedlocke A wyfe to take as the church doth kenne Than to be vnder the fleshes yoke In fleshly lust alwaye for to brenne But as I sayd for all ielous men So they lyue chaste I holde it lasse yll That they wedde not than them selfe spyll The syngle man whych is yet to wedde And not the wedded man thus I rede To warne him nowe he is to farre spedde It is to late him for to forbede But let him take as for his owne nede Such counsayle as is hym before tolde These wordes folowyng eke she beholde Thy water to kepe the wyse man doth teche That thou in no wyse let it haue issue At a narowe ryfte way it wol seche And semblably the woman vntrewe To gyue her frewalke in all wyse eschewe If she at large not at thyne hande walke she wol the shame thou shalt it not balke wedded or syngle thus sayth the wyse man Her that both day and nyght euermore Lyth in thy bosome wyfe or yet lemman Loue not to hote lest thou repent sore Lest she the bryng into some yll lore Thy wyfe not to loue yet I nyll supporte But that thou dote not thus I the exhort Lo if thou loue her loue eke thyne honestie Be she not ydle for what woll betyde Yf she syt ydle of very necessitie Her mynde woll serche ferre and eke wyde Namely yf she be not accompanyde How accoÌ„panyed not with yonge men But with maydens I meane or women Mayden seruauntes be ryght conuenient In house to helpe to do her seruyce In whom she maye vse her coÌ„maundement In the season at her owne deuyse To teache hem good yeue her thyne aduyce To make them huswyues thus besynesse May yet refrayne her from ydlenesse But byd her not that thou wolt haue do Of thyne entent that myght be lettyng But craftely encourage her therto By other meanes as by coÌ„mendyng And not to moche but duly mengyng Both prayse and blame and in thy reason Fyrst prayse wysely the place and season Of faythfull wyll and herte full tendre One thynge I call into remembraunce Agayne which though my wyt be slendre After my power and suffysaunce I purpose to make a purueyaunce Syth women of nature ben chaungeable Frayle not ware also disceyuable Be it that thy wyfe be excellently good That none be better of disposicion In proces of tyme she might turn her mode By some myslyuers instigation Dyuers men to thylke occupacion Applyen dayly mynde and eke herte From her goodnesse women to peruerte Yf thou espye any suspect person Drawe to thy wyfe beware in all wyse To hym nor her of thy suspection Breke not one word thouÈ thy herte agryse Kyndle no fyre no smoke woll aryse Though he be of a corrupt entent She paraduenture is not of assent ¶ Explicit The complaynt of Mars and Venus GLaddeth ye louers in the morowe graye Lo venus risseÌ„ amoÌ„g you rowes rede And floures fresh honour ye this daye For whan y e sunne vp rist thaÌ„ wil they spred But ye louers that ly in any drede Flyeth lest wycked tonges you espye Lo yonde the sunne the candle of ielousye with teres blewe and with a wouÌ„ded hert Taketh your leue w t saint Iohn toborow Apeseth somwhat of your sorowes smert Tyme coÌ„meth eft y t cessen shal your sorowe The glad nyght is worth an heuy morowe Saynt Valentyne a foule thus herd I sing Vpon thy day or sunne gan vp sprynge Yet sange this foule I rede you all awake And ye that haue not chosen in humble wise without repentyng cheseth your make Ye at the leest renoueleth your seruyce And ye that haue full chosen as I deuyse Confermeth it perpetually to dure And pacyently taketh your auenture And for the worshyp of this hye feest Yet wol I in my bryddes wyse synge The sentence of the complaynt at the leest That wofull Mars made at the departing Fro fresh Venus in a morownyng whan Phebus with his fyry torches rede Ransaked hath euery louer in his drede whylom the thre heuens lorde aboue As well by heuenlyche reuolution As by desert hath won Venus his loue And she hath take hym in subiection And as a maystresse taught hym his lesson CoÌ„maundynge hym neuer in her seruyce He were so bolde no louer to dispyse For she forbade hym ielousye at all And crueltie and boste and tyrannye She made hym at her lust so humble tall That whaÌ„ she dayned to cast on him her eye He toke in pacience to lyue or dye And thus she brydleth hym in her manere with nothing but w t scornyng of her chere who raygneth now in blysse but Venus y t hath this worthy knyght in gouernaunce who singeth now but Mars y t serueth thus The fayre Venus causer of pleasaunce He bynt hym to perpetual obeysaunce And she bynt her to loue hym for euer But so be that his trespasse it disceuer Thus be they knyt and reignen as in heuen By lokyng most as it fel on a tyde That by her both assent was set a steuen That Mars shall entre
of loue vp and downe I woll retourne and speken of my payne The poynt is this of my destructioun My ryght lady my saluacioun Is in a fray and not to whom to playne O hert swete O lady souerayne For your disese I ought wel swoun swelt Though I none other harme ne drede felt To what fyne made the god that syt so hye Beneth hym loue other company And strayneth folke to loue maugre her heed And than her ioye for ought I can espye Ne lasteth not the twynklyng of an eye And some haue neuer ioye tyll they be deed what meaneth this what is this mystihed wherto constrayneth he his folke so fast Thynge to desyre but it shulde last And though he made a louer loue a thyng And maketh it seme stedfast and duryng Yet putteth he in it suche misauenture That rest nys there in his yeuyng And that is wondre that so iust a kynge Doth suche hardnesse to his creature Thus whether loue breke or els dure Algates he that hath with loue to done Hath ofter wo than chaunged is the mone It semeth he hath to louers enmitie And lyke a fyssher as men maye all daye se Bayteth his angle hoke with some plesauÌ„ce Tyl many a fysh is wode to that he be Câ—ased therwith and than at erst hath he Al his desyre and therwith al mischaunce And though ylyne breke he hath penaunce For with that hoke he wounded is so sore That he his wages hath for euermore The broche of Thebes was of suche kynde So full of rubies and of stones of Inde That euery wyght that set on it an eye He wende anon worth out of his mynde So sore the beautie wolde his hert bynde Tyl he it had him thought he must dye And whan that it was his than shulde he dry Such wo for dred ay while y t he it had That welnygh for the feare he shuld mad And whan it was fro his possessyon Than had he double wo and passyon That he so fayre a iewel hath forgo But yet this broche as in conclusyon was not the cause of his confusyon But he that wrought it enfortuned it so That euery wyght y t had it shulde haue wo And therfore in the worcher was the vyce And in the coueyture that was so nyce So fareth it by louers and by me For though my lady haue so great beautie That I was made to I had get her grace She was not cause of myne aduersitye But he that wrought her as mote I the That put suche a beautye in her face That made me coueyten and purchace Myne owne deth hym wyte I that I dye And myne vnwyt y t euer I clambe so hye But to you hardy knyghtes of renowne Syth that ye be of my deuysyoun Al be I nat worthy to so great a name Yet sayne these clerkes I am your patrone Therfore ye ought haue some compassioun Of my disease and take it nat a game The proudest of you may be made full tame wherfore I pray you of youre gentylesse That ye complayne for myne heuynesse And ye my ladyes that ben true and stable By way of kynde ye ought to ben able To haue pytye of folke that ben in payne Now haue ye cause to cloth you in sable Syth that your empres the honorable Is desolate wel ought ye to playne Now shulde your holy teares fal rayne Alas your honour and your emprice Nygh deed for drede ne can her not cheuyce Complayneth eke ye louers al in fere For her that with vnfayned humble chere was euer redy to do you socour CoÌ„playneth her that euer hath be you dere CoÌ„playneth beautye fredome and manere CoÌ„playneth her that endeth your labour CoÌ„playneth thylke ensample of al honour That neuer dyd but gentlenesse Kytheth therfore in her some kyndnesse ¶ The complaynt of Venus THere nys so hygh comfort to my pleasaunce whan that I am in anye heuynesse As for to haue layser of remembraunce Vpon the manhode and the worthynesse Vpon the trouth and on the stedfastnesse Of hym whose I am all whyle I may dure There ought to blame me no creature For euery wight prayseth his gentylesse In hym is bountie wysdome gouernauÌ„ce wel more than any mans wyt can gesse For grace hath wolde so farforth him auauÌ„ce That of knyghthode he is parfyt ryches Honour honoureth hym for his noblesse Therto so wel hath fourmed him nature That I am his for euer I hym ensure For euery wyght prayseth his gentylesse And notwithstandyng all his suffysaunce His gentle hert is of so great humblesse To me in worde in werke in countenauÌ„ce And me to serue is all his besynesse That I am set in very sykernesse Thus ought I blysse wel myne auenture Syth that hym lyst me seruen honoure For euery wyght prayseth his gentylesse Now certes loue it is ryght couenable That men full dere abye thy noble thynges As wake a bed and fasten at the table weping to laugh syng in complayninges And downe to cast visage and lokynges Often to chaunge vysage countenaunce Playe in slepyng dremen at the daunce All the reuers of any glad felynge Ielousye he hanged by a cable She wolde al knowe through her espyinge There doth no wyght nothyng so resonable That all nys harme in her ymaginyng Thus dere abought is loue in yenyng which oft he yeueth without ordinaunce As sorowe ynough and lytle of plesaunce All the reuers of any glad felynge A lytle tyme his yefte is agreable But full accombrouse is the vsyng For subtel ielousye the disceyuable Ful often tyme causeth distourbyng Thus ben we euer in drede and suffryng In no certayne we languyshen in penaunce And haue wel oft many an harde mischauÌ„ce All the reuers of any glad felyng But certes loue I saye not in suche wyse That for to scape out of your lace I ment For I so longe haue ben in your seruyce That for to lete of wyll I neuer assent No force though ielousye me tourment Suffyseth me to se hym whan I may And therfore certes to myne endyng day To loue hym best shal me neuer repent And certes loue whan I me wel auyse Of any estate that men may represent Than haue ye made me through your frauÌ„chyse Chese the best that euer in erth went Now loue wel hert and loke thou neuer steÌ„t And let the ielous put it in assaye That for no payne woll I not say nay To loue hym best shal I neuer repent Herte to the it ought ynough suffyse That loue so hye a grace to you sent To chose the worthyest in all wyse And moost agreable vnto myne entent Seke no ferther neyther way ne went Syth ye haue suffisaunce vnto my paye Thus wol I ende this coÌ„playninge or this laye To loue hym best shal I neuer repent ¶ Lenuoye PRynces receyueth this complaynyng in gree Vnto your excelleÌ„t benignite Dyrecte after my lytle sustysaunce For elde that in my spirit dulleth me
for peyne hem sleeth And that eche man wolde flye the deth And trowe they shulde neuer escape Nere that hope couthe hem make Glad as man in prison sete And may not getten for to ete But barlye breed and water pure And lyeth in vermyn and in ordure wyth all thys yet can he lyue Good hope such comforte hath hym yeue whiche maketh wene that he shall be Delyuered and come to liberte In fortune is full trust Though he lye in strawe or dust In hope is all hys sustaynyng And so for louers in her wenyng which loue hath shytte in hys prisoun Good hope is her saluatioun Good hope howe sore that they smerte yeueth hem both wyll and herte To profer her bodye to martyre For hope so sore doth hem desyre To suffre eche harme that men deuyse For ioye that afterwarde shall aryse HOpe in desyre catche victorye In hope of loue is all the glorye For hope is all y e loue maye yeue Nere hope there shulde no lēger lyue Blessed be hope whych with desyre Auaunceth louers in such manyre Good hope is curteyse for to please To kepe louers from all disease Hope kepeth hys lande and woll abyde For any peryll that maye betyde For hope to louers as moost chefe Doth hem endure all mischefe Hope is her helpe whan myster is And I shall yeue the eke ywys Thre other thynges that greate solace Doth to hem that be in my lace The fyrste good that maye be founde To hem that in my lace be bounde Is swete thought for to recorde Thynge wherwyth thou canst accorde Best in thyne herte where she be Thynkyng in absence is good to the whan any louer doth complayne And lyueth in distresse and in payne Than swete thought shall come as blyue Awaye hys angre for to dryue It maketh louers to haue remembraunce Of comforte and of hygh pleasaunce That hope hathe hyght him for to wynne For thought anone than shall begynne As ferre god wotte as he can fynde To make a myrrour of hys mynde For to beholde he wol not lette Her person he shall afore hym sette Her laughyng eyen persaunt and clere Her shappe her forme her goodly chere Her mouth that is so gratious So swete and eke so sauerous Of all her feyters he shall take hede Her eyen wyth all her lymmes fede Thus swete thynkynge shall aswage The paynes of louers and her rage Thy ioye shall double wythout gesse whan thou thynkest on her symelynesse Or of her laughyng or of her chere That to the made thy lady dere Thys comforte woll I that thou take And yf the nexte thou wolte forsake whiche is not lesse sauerous Thou shuldest not bene to daungerous THe seconde shall be swete speche That hathe to manye on be leche To brynge hem oute of wo and were And helpe manye a bachelere And many a lady sent succour That haue loued paramour Through spekynge whan they myght here Of her louers to hem so dere To me it voydeth al her smerte The whiche is closed in her herte In herte it maketh hem glad and lyght Speche whan they mowe haue syght And therfore now it cōmeth to mynde In olde dayes as I fynde That clerkes wryten that her knewe Ther was a lady fresh of hewe which of her loue made a songe On hym for to remembre amonge In which she sayd whan that I here Speken of hym that is so dere To me it voydeth all smerte I wys he sytteth so nere my herte To speake of hym at eue or morowe It cureth me of all my sorowe To me is none so hygh pleasaunce As of his person dalyaunce She wyst ful wel that swete speakyng Comforteth in full moche thynge Her loue she had full well assayde Of hym she was full well apayde To speke of hym her ioye was set Therfore I rede the that thou get A felowe that can wel concele And kepe thy counsayle and wel he le To whome go shewe holly thyne hert Both well and wo ioye and smerte To get comfort to hym thou go And priuyly bytwene you two Ye shall speake of that goodly thyng That hath thyne hert in her kepynge Of her beautie and her semblaunce And of her goodly countenaunce Of al thy state thou shalt hym say And aske hym counsayle how thou maye Do any thyng that may her plese For it to the shall do great ese That he may wete thou trust hym so Bothe of thy wele and of thy wo And yf his het to loue be set His company is moche the bet For reson wyll he shewe to the All vtterly his priuitie And what she is he loueth so To the playnly he shall vndo without drede of any shame Bothe tell her renome and her name Than shall he farther ferre and nere And namely to thy lady dere In syker wyse yea euery other Shall helpen as his owne brother In trouth without doublenesse And kepen close in sykernesse For it is noble thynge in fay To haue a man thou darst say Thy priuy counsayle euery dele For that wyll comfort the ryght wele And thou shalt holde the wel apayed whan suche a frende thou hast assayed THe thyrde good of greate comforte That yeueth to louers most disporte Commeth of syght and beholdynge That cleped is swete lokyng The which maye none ese do whan thou art ferre thy lady fro wherfore thou prese alway to be In place where thou mayest her se For it is thyng moost amerous Moost delytable and fauerous For to aswage a mans sorowe To sene his lady by the morowe For it is a full noble thynge whan thyne eyen haue metyng with that relyke precyous wherof they be so desyrous But all daye after soth it is They haue no drede to faren amys They dreden neyther wynde ne rayne Ne non other maner payne For when thyne eyen were thus in blysse Yet of her curtesye ywys Alone they can not haue her ioye But to the hert they conuoye Parte of her blysse to hym thou sende Of all his harme to make an ende The eye is a good messangere which can to the hert in suche manere Tydynges sende that hath sene To voyde hym of his paynes clene wherof the hert reioyseth so That a great partye of his wo Is voyded and put awaye to flyght Ryght as the darkenesse of the nyght Is chased with clerenesse of the mone Ryght so is al his wo full soone Deuoyded clene whan that the syght Beholden may that fresh wyght That the herte desyreth so That all his darknesse is ago For than the hert is all at ease whan they sene that they hem please Now haue I declared the all out Of that thou were in drede and dout For I haue tolde the faythfully what the may curen vtterly And all louers that wol be Faythfull and full of stabylitie Good hope alway kepe by thy syde And swete thought make eke abyde Swete lokyng and swete speche Of all thyne harmes they shal be leche Of euery thou