his death doth pant This yong man followeth her in that stound And as a wanton Lambe full ignorant How he is pulled and drawen to be bound Vnto the time he hath his deaths wound And like a bird that hasteth to the grin Not knowing the perill of his life therein Now gentle sonne saith Salomon take hede My words in thy breast keepe and make fast Let her not thy mind in her waies mislede Be not deceiued lese not thy tast Many hath she wounded many doune cast Many strong by her hath lost their breath Her waies waies of hell leading to death And in this little narration precedent The womans manifold gilt I attend The yong man alas how she hath shent Deceiued her husband her own next friend In these both her God she doth offend To break her spousail to her is of no weight Furdermore to shew womans craft sleight A woman at her dore sate on a stall To see folke passe by streets of the cite With eye and countenance eke she gan call If there be any prety one come nere to me Come hither ye piggesnye ye little babe At last she said to a yong man hartlesse Of her deceit vnware and defencelesse * Much sweeter she saith more acceptable Is drinke when it is stollen priuely Tha when it is taken in forme auowable Bread hid and gotten jeoperdously Must needs be sweet and semblably * Venison stolne is aye the sweeter The ferther the narrower fet the better And whom this woman saith Salom. festes The yong man woteth not whom she doth fede Of the dark deepnesse of hell ben her ghests Beware yong man therefore I thee rede And how be it cheefly for thy good spede This werk to compile I haue take in charge I must of pity my charity enlarge With the selie man which is thus begiled Her husband I mean I woll wepe and waile His painfull infortune whereby reuiled Causelesse he is neuer to conuaile Euery man yong and old woll him assaile With words of occasion with the loth name And alas good soule he nothing to blame But she that coud so ill do and wold Hers be the blame for her demerite And leaue that opprobrous name cokold To aproper to him as in dispite Ransake yet we would if we might Of this worde the true Ortographie The very discent and Ethimologie The well and ground of the first inuencion To know the ortographie we must deriue Which is coke and cold in composicion By reason as nigh as I can contriue Then how it is written we know beliue But yet lo by what reason and ground Was it of these two wordes compound As of one cause to giue very judgement Themilogie let vs first behold Eche letter an hole word doth represent As C put for colde and O for old K is for knaue thus diuers men hold The first parte of this name we haue found Let vs ethimologise the second As the first finder ment I am sure C for calot for of we haue O L for leude O for demeanure The craft of the enuentour ye may see lo How one name signifieth persones two A colde old knaue cokold himselfe wening And eke a calot of leude demeaning The second cause of thimposicion Of this foresaid name of jealousie To be jelouse is greatest occasion To be cokold that men can aspie And though the passion be very firie And of continuell feruence and heete The pacient aye suffreth cold on his feete And who that is jelous and aye in a drede Is full of Melancolie and gallie ire His wiues nose if she misse trede He woll cut off ye and conspire His death who that woll her desire Which she perceiuing brasteth his gall And anone his great woodnesse doth fall As soone as she hath knit him that knot Now is he tame that was so ramagious Mekely sitteth he doune and taketh his lot Layed been now his lookes so furious And he but late as a cocke bataylous Hote in his quarell to auenge him bold Now is he called both coke and cold This saying to all curtesie dissonant Which seemeth that it of malice grewe In this rude treatise I woll not plant As parcell thereof but onely to shewe The opinion of the talcatife shrewe * Which in ill saying is euer merie No man as I thereof so werie But I as parcell of this my booke Woll graffe in some sad counsaile whereby The wedded man if he daigne to looke In it the better shall mowe him gie And prouide for his said infortunie Which as I haue said with him complaine I woll as partener of his great paine As most expedient to his weale I would all jelousie were abject If he be jelous that he it conceale And in his labour be circumspect To know her wayes if they seeme suspect * And not for to breake for one word broken She woll not misse but she woll be wroken * Forbid her not that thou noldest haue don For looke what thing she is forbod To that of all things she is most prone Namely if it be ill and no good Till it be executed she is nigh wood Soch is a woman and soch is her feat * Her craft by craft labour to defeat If thou hereafter now a single man Shouldest be jelous if thou haddest a wife Wedde not but if thou can trust woman For els shouldest lede a carefull life That thou most lothest should be full rife Yet I nill gainesay Matrimonie * But Melius est nubere quam uri That is to say better is in Wedlocke A wife to take as the church doth kenne Than to been vnder the fleshes yoke In fleshly lust alway for to brenne But as I said for all jelous menne * So they liue chaste I hold it lasse ill That they wedde not than them self spill The single man which is yet to wedde And not the wedded man thus I rede To warne him now he is too farre spedde It is too late him to forbedde But let him take as for his owne need Soch counsaile as is him before told These words folowing eke to behold Thy water to keep the wiseman doth teach That thou in no wise let it haue issue At a narow rifte way it woll seach And semblably the woman vntrue To giue her free walke in al wise eschue * If she at large not at thine hand walke She woll thee shame thou shalt it not balke Wedded or single thus saith the wiseman * Her that both day and night euermore Lithe in thy bosome wife or yet lemman Loue not to hote least thou repent sore Least she thee bring into some ill lore Thy wife not to loue yet I nill support But that thou dote not thus I thee exhort Lo if thou loue her loue eke thine honestie Be she not idell for what woll betide * If she sit idell of very necessitie Her mind woll search ferre and eke wide Namely if she be not accompanide How accompanied not with yong
that mine herte professed whilom was For to be trewe with all my full might Onely to one the which now alas Of volunte without any trespas My accusours hath taken vnto grace And cherisheth hem my death to purchace What meaneth this what is this wonder vre Of purueyaunce if I shall it call Of god of loue that false hem so assure And trewe alas downe of the whele ben fall And yet in sothe this is the worst of all That falshed wrongfully of troth hath yâ— name And trouth a yenward of falshed beareth the blame This blind chaunce this stormy auenture In loue hath most his experience * For who yâ— doth with trouth most his cure Shall for his mede finde most offence That serueth loue with all his diligence * For who can fayne vnder lowlyhede Ne fayleth not to finde grace and spede For I loued one full long sith agone With all mine herte body and full might And to be deed my herte can not gone From his heste but hold that he hath hight Though I be banished out of her sight And by her mouth dampned that I shall dey Vnto my hest yet I will euer obey For euer sith that the world began Who so liste looke and in story rede He shall aye find that the trewe man Was put abacke whereas the falshede Yfurthered was for loue taketh none hede To slea the trew and hath of hem no charge Where as the false goeth frely at her large I take record of Palamydes The trewe man the noble worthy knight That euer loued and of his payne no relees Notwithstanding his manhood his might Loue vnto him did full great vnright For aye the bet he did in cheualrie The more he was hindred by enuie And aye the better he did in euery place Through his knighthood and busie payne The ferder was he from his ladies grace For to her mercy might he neuer attayne And to his death he coud it not refrayne For no daungere but aye obey and serue As he best coude plainly till he sterue What was the fine also of Hercules For all his conquest and his worthinesse That was of strength alone peerles For like as bookes of him list expresse He set pillers through his hye prowesse Away at Gades for to signifie That no man might him passe in cheualrie The which pillers ferre beyond Inde Be set of gold for a remembraunce And for all that was he set behinde With hem that loue list feebly auaunce For him set last vpon a daunce Against whom helpe may no strife For all his trouth he lost his life Phebus also for all his pleasaunt light When that he went here in yearth lowe Vnto the hert with Venus sight Ywounded was through Cupides bowe And yet his lady list him not to knowe Though for her loue his herte did blede She let him go and toke of him no hede What shall I say of yonge Piramus Of trewe Tristram for all his hye renowne Of Achilles or of Antonius Of Arcite or of him Palomoune What was the end of her passioune But after sorow death and then her graue Lo here the guerdon that these louers haue But false Iason with his doublenesse That was vntrewe at Colkos to Medee And Theseus roote of vnkindnesse And with these two eke the false Enee Lo thus the false aye in one degree Had in loue her lust and all her will And saue falshood there was none other skill Of Thebes eke the false Arcite And Demophon eke for his slouth They had her lust and all that might delite For all her falshood and great vntrouth Thus euer loue alas and that is routh His false lieges forthereth what he may And sleeth the trewe vngoodly day by day For trewe Adon was slaine with the bore Amidde the forest in the grene shade For Venus loue he felt all the sore But Vulcanus with her no mercy made The foule chorle had many nights glade Where Mars her knight and her man To find mercy comfort none he can Also the yonge freshe Ipomedes So lustly free as of his corage That for to serue with all his hert he ches Athalant so faire of her visage But loue alas quite him so his wage With cruell daunger plainly at the last That with the death guerdâ—nlesse he past Lo here the fine of loues seruice Lo how that loue can his seruaunts quite Lo how he can his faithfull men dispise To slea the trewe men and false to respite Lo how he doth the swerde of sorow bite In herts soch as most his lust obey To saue the false and do the trewe dey For faith nor othe worde ne assuraunce Trewe meaning awaite or businesse Still porte ne faithfull attendaunce Manhood ne might in armes worthinesse Pursute of worship nor hie prowesse In straunge land riding ne trauaile Full litell or nought in loue doth auaile Perill of death nor in see ne land Hunger ne thrust sorow ne sicknesse Ne great emprises for to take in hand Sheding of blood ne manfull hardinesse Ne oft wounding at sautes by distresse Nor in parting of life nor death also All is for nought loue taketh no heed thereto But lesings with her flatterie Through her falshede with her doublenesse With tales new and many fained lie By false semblaunt counterseit humblesse Vnder colour depaint with stedfastnesse With fraud couered vnder a pitâ—us face Accept be now rathest vnto grace And can himselfe now best magnifie With fained port and presumption They haunce her cause with false surquidrie Vnder meaning of double entention To thinke one in her opinion And say another to set himselfe aloft And hinder trouth as it is scene full oft The which thing I buy now all too deare Thanked be Venus and the god Enpide As it is seene by mine oppressed cheare And by his arrowes that sticken in my side That saue death I nothing abide Fro day to day alas the hard while When euer his dart that him list to file My wofull hert for to riue atwo For faut of mercy and lacke of pite Of her that causeth all my paine and wo And list not ones of grace for to see Vnto my trouth through her cruelte And most of all I me complaine That she hath joy to laugh at my paine And wilfully hath my death sworne All guiltlesse and wote no cause why Saue for the trouth that I had aforne To her alone to serue faithfully O god of loue vnto thee I cry And to thy blind double deite Of this great wrong I complaine me And vnto thy stormy wilfull variaunce Iment with change and great vnstablenesse Now vp now down so renning is thy chance That thee to trust may be no sikernesse I wite it nothing but thy doublenesse * And who that is an archer and is blend Marketh nothing but shooteth by wend. And for that he hath no discretion Without aduise he let his arrow go For lacke of sight and also of reason In his
THE PROGENIE OF GEFFREY CHAUCER The true portraiture of GEFFREY CHAUCEER the famous English poet as by THOMAS OCCLEUE is described who liued in his time and was his Scholar THE WORKS OF OUR Ancient Learned Excellent ENGLISH POET JEFFREY CHAUCER As they have lately been Compar'd with the best Manuscripts and several things added never before in Print To which is adjoyn'd The STORY of the SIEGE of THEBES By John Lidgate Monk of Bury TOGETHER WITH The Life of Chaucer SHEWING His Countrey Parentage Education Marriage Children Revenues Service Reward Friends Books Death Also a TABLE wherein the Old and Obscure Words in Chaucer are explained and such Words which are many that either are by Nature or Derivation Arabick Greek Latine Italian French Dutch or Saxon mark'd with particular Notes for the better understanding their Original LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXXVII TO THE Right Honourable Sir ROBERT CECIL K nt PRINCIPAL SECRETARY To the QUEEN's Most Excellent Majesty Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries one of her Highness's most Honourable Privy Council and Right Worthy Chancellor of the Vniversity of CAMBRIDGE Right Honourable AT the last Impression of this Work in way of humble Duty and Thankfulness I presented to Your Honour certain Collections and Observations upon Chaucer as namely His Life Picture and Pedigree the Arguments of every Book and Tale the Explanation of old Words with Declaration of Authors by him cited and also two Treatises the Death of Blanch called his Dream and the Flower and the Leaf never before printed But as these things then through want of time were not fully perfected so were there some other things omitted at the next Impression to be performed Now therefore that both by old written Copies and by Thynn's praise-worthy Labours I have reformed the whole Work whereby Chaucer for the most part is restored to his own Antiquity and noted withal most of his Sentences and Proverbs having also with some Additions reduced into due place those former Notes and Collections as likewise proved the Significations of most of the old and obscure Words by the Tongues and Dialects from whence they are derived translated also into English all the Latin and French by him used and lastly added to his Works some Things of his own doing as the Treatise of Jack Upland against Fryars and his A. B. C. commonly called La Priere de nostre Dame I am bold to present the whole to your Honourable Favour and Patronage always mindful of my bounden Duty to Your Honour's House which with hearty Prayer I commend to the Grace of the Almighty Your Honour 's in all Duty at Commandment THO. SPEGHT To the Readers AFter this Book was last Printed I understood that Mr. Francis Thynn had a purpose as indeed he hath when time shall serve to set out Chaucer with a Comment in our Tongue as the Italians have Petrark and others in their Language Whereupon I purposed not to meddle any farther in this Work altho some promise made to the contrary but to referr all to him being a Gentleman for that purpose inferiour to none both in regard of his own Skill as also of those helps left to him by his Father Yet notwithstanding Chaucer now being Printed again I was willing not only to help some Imperfections but also to add some things whereunto he did not only persuade me but most kindly lent me his Help and Direction By this means most of his old Words are restored Proverbs and Sentences marked such Notes as were collected drawn into better order and the Text by old Copies corrected But of some things I must advertise the Readers as first that in Chaucer they shall find the Proper Names oftentimes much differing from the Latin and Greek from whence they are drawn which they must not condemn in him as a fault for both he and other Poets in Translating such Words from one Language into another do use as the Latins and Greeks do the sundry Species of Metaplasmus as Campaneus for Capaneus Atheon for Acteon Adriane for Ariadne Which Chaucer doth in other Words also as gon for begon leve for beleve peraunter for peradventure loveden for did love woneden for did won c. It is his manner likewise imitating the Greeks by two Negatives to cause a greater Negation as I ne said none ill Also many times to understand his Verb as I not what men him call for I know not c. And for the Author to name some part of his Work as Argonauticon for Apollonius Rhodius And that sometime in the Genitive Case a former Substantive being understood as read Aeneidos Metamorphoseos for the Authors of those Works And for his Verses altho in divers places they may seem to us to stand of unequal Measures yet a skilful Reader that can scan them in their nature shall find it otherwise And if a Verse here and there fall out a Syllable shorter or longer than another I rather aret it to the negligence and rape of Adam Scrivener that I may speak as Chaucer doth than to any unconning or over-sight in the Author for how fearful he was to have his Works miswritten or his Verse mismeasured may appear in the End of his Fifth Book of Troylus and Creseide where he writeth thus And for there is so great diversitie In English and in writing of our tongue So pray I God that none miswrite thee Ne thee mismetre for defaut of tongue c. Moreover whereas in the explanation of the old Words sundry of their Significations by me given may to some seem conjectural yet such as understand the Dialects of our Tongue especially in the North and have knowledge in some other Languages will judge otherwise and for the satisfying of others which want such skill I have by these Characters a. g. l. i. f. d. b. notified to them from what Tongue or Dialect such Words are derived It were a Labour worth commendation if some Scholar that hath Skill and Leisure would conferr Chaucer with those learned Authors both in Greek and Latin from whom he hath drawn many excellent things and at large report such Histories as in his Works are very frequent and many of them hard to be found which would so grace this Ancient Poet that whereas divers have thought him unlearned and his Writings mere Trifles it should appear That besides the knowledge of sundry Tongues he was a Man of great Reading and deep Judgment This course I began in the former Impression but here of purpose have left it off as also the Description of Persons and Places except some few of more worthy note as a labour rather for a Commentor for that it concerneth Matter than for him that intendeth only the explaining of Words And thus to conclude I commit to your wonted Favour this our Poet and what here is done for the Poet's sake TO HIS Very Loving and assured Good Friend Mr. THOMAS SPEGHT I Am sorry that neither the
torment and this paine and wo At Thebes in his countre as I said Vpon a night in slepe as he him laid Him thought how that the winged Mercury Beforne him stood aud bad him be mery His slepy yerd in hand he bare vpright An hat he weered vpon his hairs bright Irayed was this god as he toke kepe As he was when Argus tooke his slepe And said him thus to Athens shali thou wend There is the shapen of thy woe and end And with that word Arcite awoke and stert Now truly how sore that ever me smert Quod he to Athens right now wol I fare Ne for no drede of death shall I spare To see my ladie that I loue and serve In her presence recke I not to sterve And with that word he caught a gret mirrour And saw that chaunged was all his colour And saw his visage all in another kind And right anon it ran him in his mind That sith his face was so disfigured Of malady the which he had indured He might well if that he bare him low Live in Athens evermore unknow And sene his ladie welnigh day by day And right anon he chaunged his aray And clad him as a poore labourer And all alone saue only a squier That knew his privitie and all his caas Which was disguised poorly as he was To Athens is he gone the next way And to the court he went vpon a day And at the gate he profered his service To drugge draw what men would deuise And shortly of this matter for to saine He fell in office with a chamberlaine The which was dwelling with Emelie For he was wise and soone couth espie Of euery seruaunt which that serued here Well couth he hewen wood and water bere For he was yong and mightie for the nones And thereto he was strong and big of bones To done that any wight gan him deuise A yere or two he was in this service Page of the chamber of Emelie the bright And Philostrate he said that he hight But halfe so wel beloued man as he Ne was there none in court of his degre He was so gentill of conditioun That through all the court was his renown The said it were a charitie That Theseus would enhauneen his degre And put him in a worshipfull seruice There as he might his vertue exercise And thus within a while his name is sprong Both of his deeds and of his good tong That Theseus hath taken him so nere That of his chamber he made him squier And yaue him gold to maintaine his degre And eke men brought him out of his countre Fro yere to yere full prively his rent But honestly and slyly he it spent That no man wonderd how he it had And three yere in this wise his life he lad And bare him so in peace and eke in wer That there nas man that Theseus durst der And in this blisse let I now Arcite And speake I woll of Palamon alite In darkenesse horrible and strong prison This seven yere hath sitten this Palamon Forpined what for woe and distresse Who feeleth double sore and heuinesse But Palamon that loue distraineth so That wood out of his wit he goeth for wo And eke thereto he is a prisonere Perpetuell and not onely for a yere Who coud rime in English properly His martirdome forsooth it am not I Therefore I passe as lightly as I may It befell that in the seuenth yere in May The third night as old bookes us saine That all this storie tellen more plaine Were it by aduenture or by destine As when a thing is shapen it shal be That soone after midnight Palamon By helping of a friend brake his prison And fleeth the citie as fast as he may go For he had yeuen the gailer drinke so Of a clarrie made of certaine wine With Narcotise and Opie of Thebes fine That all the night though men would him shake The gailer slept he nught not awake And thus he fleeth as fast as he may The night was short and fast by the day That needs cost he mote himselfe hide And to a grove that was fast there beside With dreadfull foot then stalketh Palamon For shortly this was his opinion That in the grove he would him hide all day And in the night then would he take his way To Thebes ward his friends for to prie On Theseus to help him to warrie And shortly either he would lese his life Or win Emelie unto his wife This is the effect and his intent plaine Now will I turne to Arcite againe That little wist how nie was his care Til that fortune had brought him in her snare The merrie Larke messenger of the day Saleweth in her song the morrow gray And fierie Phebus riseth up so bright That all the orisont laugheth of the sight And with his stremes drieth in the greues The siluer drops hanging in the leues And Arcite that in the court riall With Theseus is squire principall Is risen and looketh on the merrie day And for to doen his obseruaunces to May Remembring on the point of his desire He on his courser startling as the fire Is riden into the fieldes him to pley Out of the court were it a mile or twey And to the groue of which I you told By aduenture his way he gan hold To maken him a garlond of the greves Were it of Woodbind or Hauthorn leves And loud he song ayenst the Sonne shene May with all thy floures and thy grene Welcome be thou said he faire fresh May I hope that I some greene thing get may And from his courser with a lusty hert Into the groue full hastily he stert And in a path he romed vp and doun There as by aduenture this Palamon Was in a bush that no man might him se For sore afraied of his death was he Nothing ne knew he that it was Arcite God wot he would have trowed that full lite But sooth is said gone sithen are many yeres * That field hath iyen the wood hath ere 's * It is full fair a man to bear him euin For all day men mete at vnset steuin Full little wote Arcite of this felaw That was so nigh to hearken of his saw For in the bush sitteth he now full still When that Arcite had romed all his fill And songen all the roundell lustily Into a studie he fell sodenly As doen these louers in their queint gires Now in the crop and now doun in the brires Now vp now doune as boket in a well Right as the Friday soothly for to tell Now it raineth now it shineth fast Right so gan gerie Venus ouercast The hearts of here folke right as her day Is gerifull right so chaungeth she aray Selde is the Friday all the weeke ilike When that Arcite had song he gan to like And set him doune withouten any more Alas qd he the day that I was bore Now long Iuno through thy crueltee Wilt
And at start he was betwixt hem two And pulled out his sword and cried ho No more on paine of lesing your head By mightie Mars he shall anone be dead That smiteth any stroke that I may seen But telleth me what mister men ye been That been so hardie for to fighten here Without iudge or other officere As though it were in listes rially This Palamon answered hastily And said sir what nedeth words mo We haue the death deserued both two Two wofull wretches been we and caitiues That been encombred of our own liues And as thou art a rightfull lord and iudge Ne yeue vs neither mercie ne refuge But slea me first for saint charite But slea my fellow as well as me Or slea him first for though thou know it lite This is thy mortal foe this is Arcite That fro thy sand is banished on his head For which he hath deserved to be dead For this is he that came unto thy yate And saied that he hight Philostrate Thus hath he iaped full many a yere And thou hast made him thy chief squiere And this is he that loveth Emelie For sith the day is come that I shall die I make plainly my confession That I am thilke wofull Palamon That hath thy prison broke wickedly I am thy mortall foe and he am I That loueth so hot Emelie the bright That I woll die here present in her sight Wherefore I aske death and my iewise But slea my fellow in the same wise For both we haue deserved to be slaine This worthy duke answered anon againe And saied this is a short conclusion Your owne mouth by your owne confession Hath damned you and I woll it record It needeth not to pine you with a cord Ye shall be dead by mighty Mars the redde The queene anon for very womanhedde Gan for to weepe and so did Emelie And all the ladies in the companie Great pitie was it as thought hem all That euer such a chaunce should befall For gentlemen they were of great estate And nothing but for loue was this debate And saw her bloudie wounds wide and sore And all criden at once both lesse and more Have mercie lord upon vs women all And on her bare knees adoune they fall And wold haue kist his feet there as he stood Till at the last assaked was his mood * For pitie renneth soone in gentle hert And though he at first for ire quoke and stert He hath considered shortly in a clause The trespasses of hem both and eke the cause And although his ire her gilt accused Yet in his reason he hem both excused * As thus he thought well that euery man Woll helpe himselfe in loue all that he can And eke deliue◠himselfe out of prison And eke his heart had compassion Of women for they weepen euer in one And in his gentle heart he thought anone And foft vnto himselfe he saied fie * Vpon a lord that woll haue no mercie But be a Lion both in word and deed To hem that been in repentaunce and dreed As well as to a proud dispitous man That will maintaine that he first began * That lord hath little of discretion That in such case can no diffinition But weigheth pride humblenesse after one And shortly when his ire was thus agone He gan to looken vp with eyen light And spake in place these words all on hight The God of loue ah benedicite How mightie and how great a lord is he Againe his might there gaineth no obstacles He may be cleaped a God for his miracles For he can maken at his owne gise Of everich hart as him list deuise Lo here this Arcite and this Palamon That quietly were out of my prison gon And might haue liued in Thebes riasly And knowne I am her mortall enemie And that her death is in my power also And yet hath loue maugre her eyen two I brought hem hither both for to die Now looketh is not this a great follie * Who may be a foole but if he loue Behold for Gods sake that sitteth aboue See how they bleed be they not well araied Thus hath her lord the god of loue hem paied Her wages and her fees for her seruice And yet they wenen to be full wise That serue loue for ought that may befall But yet is this the best game of all That she 〈◊〉 whom they haue this iollite Con hem therefore as much thanke as me She wot no more of all his hote fare By God than wot a Cuckow or an Hare But all mote been assaied hot and cold A man mote been a foole other yong or old I wot it by my selfe full yore agone For in my time a seruant was I one And therefore sith I know of loues paine I wot how sore it can a man distraine As he that oft hath be caught in her iaas I you foryeue all wholly this trespaas At the request of the queen that kneeleth here And eke of Emely my sister dere And ye shall both anon vnto me swere That ye shall neuer more my country dere Ne make warre vpon me night ne day But been my friends in all that ye may I you foryeue this trespass every dele And they him sware his asking fair and we le And him of lordship and of mercie praid And he hem graunted grace and thus he said To speake of worthie linage and richesse Though that she were a queen or a princesse Ilke of you both is worthie doubtlesse To wed when time is but nethelesse I speake as for my sister Emelie For whom ye haue this strife and ielousie Ye wot your selfe she may not wed two At ones though ye fighten euermo But one of you all be him loth or lefe He mot goe pipe in an Yuie leafe This is to say she may not haue both Been ye neuer so iealous ne so wroth And therefore I you put in this degre That each of you shall haue his destine As him is shape and hearken in what wise Lo here your end of that I shall deuise My will is this for plat conclusion Without any replication If that you liketh take it for the best That euerich of you shall goe where him lest Freely without ransome or daungere And this day fiftie weekes ferre ne nere Euerich of you shall bring an C. knights Armed for the lists upon all rights Alredy to darrein here by battaile And this behote I you withouten faile Vpon my truth as I am true knight That whether of you both hath that might That is to say that whether he or thou May with his hundred as I spake of now Slea his contrary or out of lists driue Him shall I yeue Emely to wiue To whom fortune yeueth so fair a grace The lists shall I do make in this place And God so wisely on my soule rew As I shall euen iudge be and trew Ye shall none other end with me make That one of you shall be dedde
place he lay as he were dead His breast to brosten with his saddle bow As blacke he lay as any coale or crow So was the blood yroune in his face Anon he was ybrought out of the place With hart full sore to Theseus paleis Tho was he coruen out of his harneis And in a bed ybrought full faire and bliue For he was yet in memory and on liue And alway crying after Emely Duke Theseus with all his company Is comen home to Athens his cite With all blisse and great solemnite Albeit that this auenture was fall He would not discomfort hem all Men said eke that Arcite should not die He should ben healed of his maladie And of another thing they were as faine That of hem all there was none islaine All were they sore hurt and namely one That with a spere was thirled his brest bone Two other had wounds two broken arms Some of them had salues some had charms Sundry fermaces of hearbes and eke saue They dronken for they would her liues haue For which this noble duke as he well can Comforteth and honoureth euery man And made great reuell all the long night Vnto the straunge lords as it was right Ne there nas hold no discomforting But as is at iusts or a turneying For soothly there nas no discomfiture For falling is hold but an auenture Ne to be 〈◊〉 by force unto a stake Vnyolden and with twenty knights take And one person withouten any mo To be harted forth by arme foot and too And eke his steed driuen forth with staues With footmen both yeomen and knaues It was arretted him no villanie There may no man cleape it cowardie For which anon duke Theseus did cry To stinten all rancour and enuy They gre as well of one side as of other And either side is like as others brother And yaue hem gyfts after her degree And helden a feast fully dates three And conueyed the knights worthily Out of his toune a daies iourney largely And home went euery man the right way There nas no more but farwell haue good day Of this battel I woll no more endite But speake of Palamon and of Arcite Swelleth the breast of Arcite and the sore Encreaseth at his heart still more and more The clottered blood for any lee chcraft Corrumped and is in his bouke last That neither veineblood ne vent ousing Ne drinke of hearbes may be helping By vertue expulsiue or animall For thilke vertue cleaped naturall Ne may the venim void ne expell The pipes of his lungs began to swell And euery lacerte in his breast adoun Is shent with venim and corruptioun Him gaineth neither for to get his life Vomit vpward ne downward laxatife All is to brusten thilke region Nature hath no domination * And certainly ther as nature woll not wirch Farwell physicke go beare the corse to chirch This is all and some that Arcire must die For which he sendeth after Emelie And Palamon that was his cosyn deare Then said he thus as ye shall after heare Nought may my wofull spirit in my hart Declare o point of all my sorrows smart To you my lady that I love most But I bequeath the service of my gost To you abouen any creature Since that my life may no lenger dure Alas the wo alas my paines strong That I for you haue suffered and so long Alas the death alas mine Emely Alas departing of our company Alas mine hearts queene alas my liues wife Mine hearts ladie ender of my life * What is the world what asken men to haue Now with his loue now in his cold graue Alone withouten any company Farwell my sweet foe mine Emely And soft doe take me in your armes twey For the loue of God hearkeneth what I say I haue here with my cousin Palamon Had strife and rancour many a day agon For loue of you and for my iealousie And Iupiter so wisely my soule gie To speaken of a seruant properly With circumstances all and truly That is to say trouth honor and knighthede Wisdome humblesse estate high kinrede Freedome and all that longeth to that art So Iupiter have of my soule any part As in this world right now know I non So worthy to be loued as Palamon That serueth you and woll doen all his life And if that you shall euer been a wife Foryet not Palamon the gentleman And with that word his speech faile began For from his feet vnto his breast was come The cold death that had him ouernome And yet moreouer for in his armes two The vitall strength is lost and all ago Saue only the intellect without more That dwelleth in his heart sicke and sore Gan failen wher the hart felt death Dusked been his iyen two and failed breath But on his ladie yet cast he his iye His last word was mercy Emelie His spirit chaunged and out went there Whitherward I cannot tell ne where Therfore I stint I am no diuinistre Of soules find I not in this registre Ne me list not thilke opinion to tell Of hem though they writen where they dwel Arcite is cold there Mars his soule gie Now woll I speake forth of Emelie Shright Emelie and houlen Palamon And Theseus his sister vp tooke anon Swouning and bare her fro his corse away What helpeth it to tarrie forth the day To tellen how she wept both euen morow * For in such case women haue much sorow When that her husbands been fro hem go That for the more part they sorowen so Or els fallen in such maladie That at the last certainely they die Infinit been the sorow and the teares Of old folke and folke of tender yeares In all the toune for death of this Theban For him there weepeth both child and man So great weeping was there not certaine When Hector was brought all fresh yssaine To Troy alas the pitie that was there Scratching of cheekes and renting eke here Why woldest thou be dead thus women crie And haddest gold inough and Emelie No man ne may gladen Theseus Saving his old father Egeus That knew this worlds transmutatioun * As he had seene it both vp and doun Ioy after wo and wo after gladnesse And shewed him ensamples and likenesse * Right as there died neuer man qd he That he ne liued in yearth in some degree Right so there liued neuer man he saied In this world that sometime he ne deied * This world is but a throughfare full of wo And we been pilgrimes passing to and fro Death is an end of euery worlds sore And over all this yet said he much more To this effect full wisely to exhort The people that they should hem recomfort Duke Theseus with all his busie cure Casteth now where that the sepulture Of good Arcite shall best ymaked bee And eke most honourable for degree And at the last he tooke conclusion That there as Arcite and Palamon Had for love the
as I trow these ben causes two That causen most a gentil heart wo Of other harme it nedeth not to speake For ye your selfe vpon your selfe wreake Which proueth well that either ire or dread Mote ben encheson of your cruel deed Syn that I se none other wight you chace For the loue of God so doeth your selfe grace Or what may be your helpe for west or east Ne saw I neuer er now no bird ne beast That farde with himselue so pitously Ye slea me with your sorrow verily I haue of you so great compassioun For Gods loue come fro the tree adowne And as I am a kings daughter trew If that I verily the causes knew Of your disease if it lay in my might I would amend it certes or it be night As wisely help me the great God of kind And hearbes also shall I right ynough find To heale with your hurts hastily Tho shright this Falcon yet more pitously Than er she did and fell to ground anone And lyeth a swoune deed as is a stone Til Canace had her in her lappe itake Vnto the time she gan of swoune awake And after that she of swoune can abreyd Right in her Haukes leden thus she seyd * That pity renneth soone in gentle hert Feeling his similitude in paines smert Is proued all day as men may see As well by werke as by authorite For gentle heart keepeth gentlenesse I see well that ye haue of my distresse Compassion my faire Canace Of very womanly benignite That nature in your principles hath set But for none hope for to fare the bet But for to obey vnto your heart free And for to make other beware by mee As by the whelpe chastised is the Lion Right for that cause and that conclusion While that I haue a leysure and a space Mine harme I woll confessen or I pace And euer while that one her sorrow told That other wept as she to water wold Till that the Faucon bad her to be still And with a sike thus she said her till There I was bred alas that ilke day And fostred in a roche of marble gray So tenderly that nothing aileth me I ne wist what was aduersite Till I coud flie full high vnder the skie There dwelt a Tercelet me fast by That seemed well of all gentlenesse All were he full of treason and of falsenesse It was so wrapped vnder humble chere And hew of trouth and in such manere Vnder pleasaunce and vnder busie pain That no wight coud haue wend he coud fain So deepe in greyne he died his colours Right as a serpent hideth him vnder flours Till he may see his time for to bite Right so this god of loues hypocrite Doth so his ceremonies and obeysaunce With his dissimuling and fair assemblaunce That souneth vnto gentlenesse of loue As in a tombe is all the faire aboue And vnder the corse such as ye wote Such was this hypocrite cold and hote And in this wise he serued his intent That saue the fiend non wist what he ment Till he so long had weeped and complained And many a yeare his seruice to me fained Till that mine hert too pitous and too nice All innocent of his cruell mallice For ferd of his death as thought me Vpon his othes and his surete Graunted him loue vpon this conditioun That euermore mine honour and renoun Where saued both preuy and apert This is to say that after his desert I yaue him all mine hert and all my thought God wote and in none other wise nought And tooke his hert in chaunge of mine for aye * But sooth is said gone sithen many a day A true wight and a theefe thinketh not one And when he saw the thing so fer igone That I graunted him fully my loue In such a guise as I haue said aboue And yeuen him my true heart as free As he swore he yafe his heart to mee Anon this tigre full of doublenesse Fell on his knees with so deuout humblesse With high reuerence and eke by his chere So like a gentle louer as of manere So rauished as it seemed for joy That neuer Troylus ne Paris of Troy Iason certes ne none other man Since Lamech was that alder first began To louen two as writen folke beforne Ne neuer sithen Adam was borne Ne couth man by twenty thousand part Counterfeit the sophimes of his art Ne were worthy to vnbocle his galoche Ther doublenesse or faining should approach Ne so couth thanke a wight as he did me His manner was an heauen for to see To any woman were she neuer so wise So painteth he his chere point deuise As well his words as his countenaunce And I so loued him for his obeysaunce And for the trouth that I demed in his hert That if so were that any thing him smert Were it neuer so lite and I it wist Me thought I felt death at my hart twist And shortly so ferforth this thing went That my will was his wils instrument That is to say my will obeied his will In all thing as farre as reason fill Keeping the bounds of my worship euer Ne neuer had I thing so lefe ne so leuer As him God wot ne neuer shall no mo This lasteth lenger than a yeare or two That I supposed of him nothing but good But finally thus at the last it stood That fortune would that he must twin Out of that place which that I was in Whereof me was wo it is no question I cannot make of it description For o thing dare I tell boldely I know what the paine of death is thereby Such harme I felt that he ne might bleue So on a day of me he tooke his leue So sorrowfully eke that I wend verily That he had felt as much harme as I When that I heard him speak saw his hew But natheles I thought he was so trew And eke that he repaire should againe Within a little while sooth to saine And reason would eke that he must go For his honour as oft happeth so * That I made vertue of necessite And tooke it well sith it must needs be As I best might I hid fro him my sorrow And took him by the hond S. Iohn to borow And said him thus lo I am yours all Beth such as I haue ben to you and shall What he answerd it needeth not reherse * Who can sain bet than he who can do wers When he hath al wel isaid than hath he done * Therefore behoueth him a long spoone That shal eaten with a fiend thus herd I say So at the last he mote forth his way And forth he fleeth till he come there him lest When it come him to purpose for to rest I trow he had thilke text in mind * That all thing repairing to his kind Gladeth hemselue thus sain men as I gesse * Men louen of kind newfanglenesse As birds done that men in cages feed For thogh thou night day
mowen els leuen Thonked be God in wele and aboundance Trentals deliuereth qd he fro pennance Her friends soules as well old as yong If that they be hastily ysong Not for to hold a Priest jolly and gay He singeth not but one Messe a day Deliuereth out qd he anon the soules Full hard it is with fleshhooke or with oules To be yclawed or to bren or bake Now speedeth you hastily for Christs sake And when this Frere had said all his intent With qui cum patre forth his way he went When folk in church had yeue him what hem lest He went his way no lenger would he rest With scrip and tipped staffe ytucked hie In euery hous he gan to pore and prie And begged meale and cheese or els corne His fellow had a staffe tipped with horne A paire of tables all of Iuory A pointell ypolished fetously And wrote alway the names as he stood Of all folke that yaue hem any good Askaunce that he woulden for hem prey Yeue vs a bushell Wheat Malt or Rey A Gods kichell or a trippe of Chese Or els what ye list I may not chese A Gods halfepenny or a Masse peny Or yeue vs of your Brawne if ye haue any A dagon of your blanket leue dame Our suster deare lo here I write your name Bacon or Beefe or such thing as ye find A sturdy harlot went him aye behind That was her hostes man and bare a sacke And that men yaue hem laied it on his backe And when he was out at the dore anone He plained away the names euerichone That he before had written in his tables He serued hem with nifles and with fables Nay there thou liest Sompner qd that Frere Peace qd our host for Christs mother dere Tell forth thy tale and spare it not at all So thriue I qd the Sompner so I shall So long he went fro hous to hous till he Came to an hous there as he was wont to be Refreshed more than in a hundred placis Sicke lay the good man whose the place is Bedred vpon a couch low he lay Deus hic qd he O Thomas friend good day Saied this Frere all courteously and soft Thomas God yeeld it you for full oft Haue I vpon this bench faren full weale Here haue I eaten many a merry meale And fro the bench he droue away the cat And laied adoune his potent and his hat And eke his scrip and set him soft adoune His fellow was go walked into the toune Forth with his knaue into that hostelrie Where as he shope him that like night to lie O deare maister qd this sicke man How haue ye faren sithen March began I saw you not this fourtenight and more God wot qd he laboured haue I full sore And specially for thy saluation Haue I saied many a precious orison And for our other friends God hem blesse I haue this day ben at your church at messe And said a sermon after my simple wit Not all after the text of holy writ For it is hard to you as I suppose And therfore I woll teach you all the glose Glosing is a glorious thing certain For letter slaeth as we clerkes sain There haue I hem taught to ben charitable And spend her good there as it is reasonable And there I saw our dame ah where is she Yonder in the yard I trow she be Saied this man and she woll come anon Eye maister welcome ye be by saint Ihon Saied this wife how fare ye heartily This Frere ariseth vp full courteously And her imbraceth in his armes narrow And kisseth her sweet chirketh as a sparrow With his lips dame qd he I fare right wele As he that is your seruaunt euery dele Thanked be God that you haue soul and life Yet saw I not this day so faire a wife In all the whole church so God saue me Yea God amend all faults sir qd she Algates welcome ye be by my fay Graunt mercy dame that haue I found alway But of your great goodnesse by your leue I woll pray you that ye not you greue I woll with Thomas speake a little throw These curates ben full negligent and slow To gropen tenderly a mans conscience In shrift and in preaching is my diligence And to studie on Peters words and Poules I walke to fishen Christen mens soules To yeeld Iesu Christ his proper rent To spread his words is all mine intent Now by your leaue deare maister qd she Chideth him well for saint Charite He is aye angry as a pissemire Though that he haue all that he can desire Thogh I him wrie a night make him warm And ouer him lay my leg or mine arm He groneth as our bore that lieth in the stie Other disport of him right none haue I I may not please him in no manner caas O Thomas ie vous die Thomas Thomas This maketh the fiend this must ben amended Ire is a thing that God highly defended And thereof woll I speake a word or two Now maister qd the wife ere that I go What woll ye dine I woll go thereabout Now dame qd he ie vous die sanz dout Haue I of a Capon but the liuer And of your white bread but a shiuer And after that a rosted Pigs head But I nold not for me no beast were dead Then had I ynow for my suffisaunce I am a man of little sustenaunce My spirit hath his fostring in the Bible My body is aye so ready and so penible To wake that my body is destroied I pray you dame be ye nought annoied Though I so friendly you my counsaile shew By God I now haue told it but a few Now sir qd she but one word ere you go My child is dead within these weekes two Soone after that ye went out of this toun His death saw I by reuelatioun Saied this Frere at home in our Dortour I dare well saine ere that halfe an hour After his death I saw him borne to blisse In mine auision God me so wisse So did our Sexten and our Fermerere That han been true Freres this fiftie yere They may now God be thanked of his loue Maken her Iubelie and walken alone And vp I arose and all our couent eke With many a teare trilling on our cheeke Withouten noise or clattering of bels Te deum was our song and nothing els Saue that to Christ I saied an orison Thanking him of my reuelation For sir and dame trusteth me right well Our orisons been more effectuell And more we seene of Christs secret things Than borell folke although they were kings We liue in pouerte and in abstinence And borell folke in richesse and dispence In meat and drinke and in her foule delite We han this worldly lust all in despite Lazar and Diues liueden diuersely And diuers guerdons had they thereby * Who so woll pray he must fast and be cleane And fat his soule and make his body leane We fare as
Albeit I am vnworthy thereto Madame I speake for the honour of you More than for to saue my hearts life now I haue doen right as ye commaunded mee And if ye vouchsafe ye may goe see Doeth as you list haueth your hest in mind For quick or dead right there ye shall me find In you lieth all to doe me liue or dey But well I wote the rockes been all awey He tooke his leaue and she astonied stood In all her face there nas a drop of blood She wend neuer han come in such a trap Alas qd she that euer this should hap For wend I neuer by possibilite That such a mister or maruaile might be It is against the processe of nature And home she goeth a sorrowfull creature For very feare vnneths may she go She weepeth and waileth a day or two And swouneth that it was routh to see But why it was to no wight told she For out of toune was gone Aruiragus But to her selfe she spake and saied thus In her complaint as ye shall after heare With face pale and with sorrowfull cheare Alas qd she on thee fortune I plain That vnware hast wrapped me in thy chain Fro which to escape wot I no succour Saue onely death or els dishonour One of these two behoueth me to chese But natheles yet had I leuer to lese My life than of my body to haue shame Or know my selfe false or lese my name And with my death I may be quit ywis Hath there not full many a wife ere this And many a maid yslaine her selfe alas Rather than with her body doen trespas And certes lo these stories been witnesse When thirtie tyrants full of cursednesse Had slain Phidon in Athens at the feast They commaunded his doughters to arrest And bringen hem beforne hem in dispite All naked to fulfill her foule delite And in her fathers blood he did hem dance Vpon the pauement God yeue him mischance For which these wofull maidens ful of dread Rather than they would lesen her maidenhead They priuily been stert into a well And drenched hemselfe as bookes can tell They of Messene let enquire and seeke Of Lacedemony fiftie maidens eke On which they would haue doen her lechery But there was none of all that company That she nas slaine and with a glad intent Chese rather for to dien than to assent To been oppressed of her maidenhead Why should I then to die been in dread Lo eke the tyrant Aristoclides That loued a maid that hight Simphalides When that her father slaine was on a night Vnto Dianes temple goth she a non right And hent the Image with her armes two Fro which Image would she neuer go No wight might fro it her honds to race Till she was slaine right in the selfe place Now sithens yâ— maidens had such despight To been defouled with mans foule delight * Well ought a wife rather her selfe sle Than be defouled as thinketh me What shall I say of Hasdrubals wife That at Carthage beraft her selfe her life For when she saw the Romans wan the toun She tooke her children all and lept adoun Into the fire and chese rather to die Than any Romane did her villanie Hath not Lucrece yslaine her selfe alas At Rome there as she oppressed was Of Tarquine for her thought it was shame To liue when that she had lost her name The eight maidens of Melesie also Han slaine hemselue for very dread and wo Rather than folk of Gaule should hem oppresse More than a thousand stories as I gesse Couth I now tell as touching this matere When Abradas was slain his wife so dere Her selfe slow and let her blood to glide In Abradas wounds broad and wide And saied my body at the least way There shall no wight defoule if I may What should I mo ensamples hereof sain Sithens that so many han hem slain Well rather than they would defouled be I woll conclude that it is best for me Well rather slea my selfe in some manere As did Demotius doughter dere Because that she nolde not defouled be O Sedasus it is full great pite To readen how thy doughters diden alas That slowen hemselfe for such a maner caas As great a pity was it or well more Of the Theban maid for that Nichanore One of Macedony had her oppressed With her death her maidenhead she redressed What shall I saine of Nicerates wife That for such case beraft her selfe her life How true was eke to Alcibades His loue that for to dien rather chees Than to suffren his body vnburied be Lo which a wife was Alceste qd she What saieth Homere of good Penelope All Greece knoweth of her chastite Parde of Laodomia is written thus That when at Troy was slain Protheselaus No lenger nolde she liue after this day The same of noble Portia tell I may Withouten Brutus couth she not liue To whom she had all her heart ygiue The perfit wifehood of Artemisie Honoured is throughout all Barbarie Oh Thenta Queene thy wifely chastite To all wiues liuing may a mirrour be The same thing I say of Bilia Of Rodogone and eke Valeria Thus plained Dorigene a day or twey Purposing euer that she would dey But natheles vpon the third night Home came Aruiragus the worthy knight And asked her why she wept so sore And she gan weepen euer lenger the more Alas qd she that euer was I borne Thus haue I said qd she thus haue I sworn And told him all as ye haue heard before It needeth not to rehearse it no more This husbond with glad chere in sundry wise Answerd and saied as I shall you deuise Is there ought els Dorigene but this Nay nay qd she God helpe me so as wis This is too much and it were Gods will Yea wife qd he let sleepe that may still It may be well yet parauenture to day Ye shall your trouth hold by my fay For God so wisâ—y haue mercy on me I had well leuer sticked for to be For very loue which that I to you haue But if ye should your trouth keepe and saue * Trouth is the hiest thing that men may kepe But with that word he brast anone to weepe And saied I you forbid on paine of death That never whiles you lasteth life or breath To no wight tell of this misauenture As I my best I woll my wo endure Ne make no countenance of heavinesse That folk of you may deeme harme ne gesse And forth he cleped a squier and a maid Goth forth anone with Dorigene he said And bringeth her in such a place anone They took her leue on her wey they gone But they ne wist why she thider went She nolde no wight tellen her intent This squier which that hight Aurelius On Dorigene which that was so amorous Of auenture happed her to meet Amid the toune right in the high street As she would haue gone the way forthright Toward the garden there as she had
is out of dout This false iudge I say goth now fast about To hasten his delight all that he may And so befell that soone after on a day This false iudge as telleth us the storie As he was wont sat in his consistorie And yaue his doomes vpon sundry caas This false client came forth a full great paas And said Lord if that it be your will As doth me right vpon this pitous bill In which I plaine vpon Virginius And if he woll say it is not thus I woll proue it and find good witnesse That sooth is that my bill woll expresse The iudge answerd of this in his absence I may not yeue definite sentence Let doe him call and I woll gladly here Thou shalt haue all right no wrong here Virginius came to wete the iudges will And right anon was rad this cursed bill The sentence of it was as ye shall heare To you my lord Appius so deare Sheweth your poore seruaunt Claudius How that a knight called Virginius Ayenst the law and ayenst all equite Holdeth expresse ayenst the will of me My seruant which that is my thral by right Which from mine hous was stolen on a night Whiles she was full yong I woll it preue By witnesse lord so that ye you not greue She is not his doughter what so he say Wherefore my lord iustice I you pray Yeeld me my thrall if it be your will Lo this was all the sentence of that bill Virginius gan upon the client behold But hastily ere he his tale told He would haue defended it as shuld a knight And by witnesse of many a trew wight That all was false that said his aduersarie This cursed iudge would no lenger tary He here a word more of Virginius But yaue his iudgment and said thus I deme anon this client his seruaunt haue Thou shalt no lenger her in thine house saue Go bring her forth put her in our ward This client shal haue his thrall thus I award And when this worthy knight Virginius Through the assent of the iudge Appius Must by force his deare doughter yeuen Vnto the iudge in letchery to liuen He goth him home and set him in his hall And let anon his deare doughter call And with a face dead as ashen cold Vpon her humble face he gan behold With fathers pity sticking through his hert All would he not from his purpose conuert Doughter qd he Virginia by thy name There ben two waies either death or shame That thou must suffer alas that I was borne For neuer thou deseruedest whereforne To dien with a sword or with a knife Oh dere doughter comfort of my life Which I haue fostred vp with such plesance That thou neuer were out of my remembrance O doughter which that art my last wo And in my life my last ioy also O iemmme of chastitie in patience Take thou thy death this is my sentence For loue not for hate thou must be dead My pitous hond mote smite of thine head Alas that euer Appius thee sey Thus hath he falsely iudged thee to dey And told her all the case as ye before Han heard it needeth not to tell it more O mercy dere father qd this maid And with that word both her armes laid About his necke as she was wont to do The teares brast out of her eyen two And said O good father shall I die Is there no grace Is there no remedie No certes deare doughter mine qd he Then yeue me leaue father mine qd she My death to complaine a little space For parde Iepte yaue his doughter grace For to complaine ere he her slough alas And God it wot nothing was her trespas But that she ran her father first to see To welcome him with great solemnitee And with that word she fell aswoune anone And after when her swouning was gone She riseth vp and to her father said Blessed be God that I shall die a maid Yeue me my death ere that I haue a shame Doth with your child your wil a gods name And with that word she praieth him full oft That with his swerd he should smite her soft And with that word aswoune doune she fell Her father with sorrowfull heart and fell Her head off smote and by the top it hent And to the iudge he it yaue in present As he sat in doome in consistorie When the iudge it saw as saith the storie He bad take him and hong him also fast But right anone all the people in thrast To saue the knight for routh and for pity For knowen was the iudges iniquity The people anon had suspect in this thing By manner of this clients challenging That it was by the assent of Appius They wist well that he was letcherous For which unto Appius they gone And kesten him in prison right anone Whereas he slew himselfe and Claudius That seruant was vnto this Appius Was demed to be honged vpon a tree But Virginius of his great pitee So prayed for him that he was exiled And els certes he had been beguiled The remnaunt were honged more lesse That consented were to his cursednesse * Here may men see how sin hath his merite Beware for no man wot how God wol smite In no degree ne in no manner wise The worme of conscience woll arise Of wicked life though it so priuie be That no man wote of it but God and he Whether he be leaud man or lered He not how soone he may been affered * Therefore I rede you this counsaile take To forsake sinne or sinne you forsake ¶ The words of the Host OUr host gan sweare as he were wood Harrow qd he by nailes and by blood This was a false theefe a cursed iustice As shamefull death as heart may deuise Come to the iustice and her aduocas Algate this silly maiden is slaine alas Alas too deare abought she her beautee Wherefore I say that all men may see * That yefts of Fortune or of nature Been cause of death of many a creature Her beauty was her death I dare well saine Alas so pitously as she was slaine But hereof woll I not proceed as now * Men haue full oft more harme than prow But truly truly mine owne maister dere This is a ernefull tale for to here But nathelesse passe ouer and no force I pray to God to saue thy gentle corce And thy vrinals and thy iordanes Thine ypocras and eke thy galianes And euery boxe full of letuarie God blesse hem and our lady saint Marie So mote I thee thou art a proper man And ylike a prelate by saint Runian Saue that I cannot speake well in terme But well I wot thou dost mine hert to yerne That I haue almost ycaught a cardiacle By corpus domini But I haue triacle Or els a draught of moist cornie ale Or but I heare anon another merry tale My heart is lost for pity of this maid Thou belamy thou Iohn pardoner he
where as there is none order or ordinaunce but fearfull drede that ever shall last Lo here may you see that Iob prayed respite a while to bewepe and waile his trespasse For sothely one day of respite is better than all the treasure of this world And for as much as a man may acquite himselfe before god by penitence in this world not by treasure therefore should he pray to God to yeue him respite a while to bewepe waile his trespasse for certes all the sorow that a man might make fro yâ— beginning of the world nis but a little thing at regarde of the sorrow of hell The cause why that Iob calleth hell the londe of derkenesse understondeth that he calleth it londe or earth for it is stable and never shall faile derke For he that is in hell hath defaute of light materiall for certes the derke light that shall come out of the fire that ever shall brenne shall turn him all to pain the is in hell for it sheweth him to the horrible Diuels that him turmenteth covered with the derkenesse of death that is to say * That hee that is in hell shall have defaut of the sight of God for certes the sight of god is the life perdurable The derknes of death been yâ— sins that the wretched man hath don which that disturb him to see the face of God right as the derke cloud betwixt us and yâ— sunne Londe of misese because that there been three maner of defautes ayenst three things that folke of this world have in this present life that is to say honours delices richesse Ayenst honour have they in hell shame and confusion For well ye wote that men call honour the reverence yâ— man doth to man but in hell is none honour ne reverence For certes no more reverence shal be do there to a king than to a knave For which God sayth by the Prophet Ieremie Those folke that me dispise shal be in dispite Honour is also called great lordeship there shall no wight serve other but of harme and turment Honour is also called great dignitie and highnesse but in hell shall they be all fortroden of divels As God saith the horrible Devils shall goe and come upon the heddes of damned folke and this is for as much as the higher that they were in this present life yâ— more shall they be abated and defoiled in hell Ayenste the richesse of this world shall they have misese of poverte that shall be in four thinges In defaut of treasure Of which David saith * The rich folk that embrace knit all her hert to treasour of this world shall sleep in the sleeping of death and nothing ne shull they find in her hondes of all her tresour And moreover the misease of hell shall be in defaut of meat and drinke For God sayeth thus by Moyses * They shall bee wasted with hunger and the byrdes of hell shall devour hem with bitter death and the gall of the Dragon shall be her drinke and yâ— venum of the Dragon her morsels Also her misease shall be in defaut of clothing for they shall be naked in bodie as of clothing saue the fire in which they brenne and other filthes and naked shall they be of soule of all manner vertues which that is the clothing of the soule Where been than the gay robes the soft shetes and the small sherts Lo what sayth God of hem by the Prophet Esaie * That under hem shall bee strewed moughtes and her covertures shall bee of worms of hell Also her misease shall be in defaut of friends for he is not poor the hath good frends but ther is no frend for neither God ne no creature shall be frend to hem and ech of hem shall hate other with deadly hate The sonnes and the doughters shall rebell ayenst father and mother and kinred ayenst kinred chide and dispise each other both day and night as God sayeth by the prophet Micheas * And yâ— loving children that whilom loved so fleshly ech other would ech of hem eat other if they might * For how should they love together in the paines of hell when they hated eche other in prosperity of this life for trust well her fleshly love was deedly hate As saith yâ— Prophet David Whoso that loveth wickednesse he hateth his soul and who so hateth his own soul certes he may love none other wight in no maner And therefore in hel is no solace ne no frendship but ever the more kinredes that ben in hell yâ— more cursinges the more chidinges and the more deadly hate there is among hem Also they shall have defaut of all manner delices for certes delices ben after the appetites of the five wittes As sight hearing smelling favouring and touching But in Hell her sight shall be full of derkenesse and of smoke therefore full of teares and her hearing full of wailing and grinting of teeth As saith Iesu Christ Her nosthrilles shall bee full of stinking And as saith Esay the Prophet Her savouring shall be full of bitter gall as touching of all her bodies icovered with fire that never shall quench and with wormes that never shall die As God sayth by yâ— mouth of Esay and for as much as they shall not wene that they may die for pain and by death flye fro pain that they may understond in the wordes of Iob that saieth There is the shadow of death Certes a shadow hath likenesse of the thing of which it is shadowed but shadow is not the same thing of which it is shadowed right so fareth the pain of Hell it is like death for the horrible anguish And why For it paineth hem ever as though they shold die anon but certes they shall not die For as saith saint Greg. * To wretched caitiffes shall be death without death and end without end and defaut without fayling for her death shall alway live and her end shall ever more begin and her defaut shall not faile And therefore sayth saint Iohn the Evangelist * They shall follow death they shall not find him and they shall desire to die and death shall flie from hem And also Iob saith That in hell is no order or rule And all be it so yâ— God hath create all thing in right order and nothing without order but all things been ordred and numbred yet nathelesse they that been dampned been nothing in order ne hold none order for the earth ne shall bere hem no fruit For as the Prophet David sayth God shall destroy the fruit of the earth as for hem ne water ne shall yeve hem no moisture ne the ayre no refreshing ne fire no light For as saith saint Basilie * The brenning of yâ— fire of this world shall God yeve in hell to hem that been dampned but the light and the clearnesse shall he yeve in Heaven to his children right as good men yeve flesh to her children and
Thine heauie charge it shall thee lasse deare I wote well that it fared thus by me As to thy brother Paris an hierdesse Which that icleped was Oenone Wrote in a complaint of her heauinesse Ye saw the letter that she wrote I gesse Nay never yet iwis qd Troilus Now qd Pandare hearkeneth it was thus Phebus that first found art of medicine Qd. she and coud in euerie wightes care Remedie and rede by herbes he knew fine Yet to himselfe his cunning was full bare For love had him so bounden in a snare All for the daughter of king Admete That all his craft ne coud his sorrow bete Right so fare I vnhappie for me I love one best and that me smerteth sore And yet peraventure I can reden thee And nat my selfe repreue me no more I have no cause I wote well for to sore As doeth an hauke that listeth for to play But to thine helpe yet somewhat can I say And of o thing right siker mayest thou be That certaine for to dyen in the paine That I shall never mo discover thee Ne by my trouth I keepe nat to restraine Thee fro thy love although it were Helleine That is thy brothers wife if iche it wist Be what she be and love her as thee list Therefore as friendfullich in me assure And tell me platte what is thine encheson And finall cause of woe that ye endure For doubteth nothing mine entention Nas not to you of reprehension * To speake as now for no wight may bereue A man to love till that him list to leue And weteth well that both two been vicis Mistrusten all or else all beleue But well I wote the meane of it no vice is As for to trusten some wight is a preue Of trouth for thy would I faine remeue Thy wrong conceit do the some wight trust Thy woe to tell and tell me if thou lust The wise eke sayth woe him yâ— is alone For and he fall he hath â—one helpe to rise And sith thou hast a fellow tell thy mone For this nis nought certaine the next wise To winnen love as teachen vs the wise To wallow and weep as Niobe the Queene Whose teares yet in marble been iseene Let be thy weeping and thy drerinesse And let vs lesen woe with other speech So may thy wofull time seeme the lesse Delight nought in woe thy woe to seech As doen these fooles that her sorrowes eche With sorrowe when they han misaventure And lusten nought to sechen other cure * Men saine to wretch is consolation To have another fellow in his paine That ought well been our opinion For both thou and I of love doe plaine So full of sorrow am I sooth to saine That certainly as now no more hard grace May sit on me for why there is no space If God woll thou art nought agast of me Least I would of thy Ladie thee beguile Thou wost thy selfe whom that I love parde As I best can gone sithen long while And sithen thou wost I doe it for no wile And sith I am he that thou trusteth most Tell me somwhat since all my woe thou wost Yet Troilus for all this no word said But long he lay still as he dead were And after this with siking he abraid And to Pandarus voice he lent his eare And vp his eyen cast he and then in feare Was Pandarus least that in frenseye He should either fall or else soone deye And sayd awake full wonderlich sharpe What slumbrest thou as in a litergie Or art thou like an Asse to the harpe That heareth sound when men yâ— strings ply But in his mind of that no melodie May sinke him to gladen for that he So dull is in his beastialite And with this Pandare of his words stent But Troilus to him nothing answerde For why to tell was nought his entent Never to no man for whome that he so ferde * For it is sayd men maken oft a yerde With which the maker is himselfe ibeten In sundrie manner as these wise men treten And nameliche in his counsaile telling That toucheth Love that ought been secre For of himselfe it woll inough out spring But if that it the bet gouerned be * Eke sometime it is craft to seeme flee Fro thing which in effect men hunten fast All this gan Troilus in his heart cast But natheles when he had heard him crie Awake he gan and sike wonder sore And sayd my friend though that I still lie I am not deefe now peace crie no more For I have heard thy wordes and thy lore But suffer me my Fortune to bewailen For thy proverbs may nought me availen Nor other cure canst thou none for me Eke I nill not been cured I woll die What know I of the Queene Niobe Let be thine old ensamples I thee prey No friend qd Pandarus therfore I sey * Such is delight of fooles to beweepe Her woe but to seeken bote they ne keepe Now know I that reason in thee faileth But tell me if I wist what she were For whome that thee all misaventure aileth Durst thou that I told it in her eare Thy woe sith thou darst not thy self for fear And her besought on thee to han some routh Why nay qd he by God and by my trouth What not as busily qd Pandarus As though mine owne life lay in this need Why no parde sir qd this Troilus And why for that thou shouldest never speed Wost thou that well ye that is out of dreed Qd. Troilus for all that ever ye conne She woll to no such wretch as I be wonne Qd. Pandarus alas what may this be That thou dispaired art thus causelesse What liveth nat thy Ladie benedicite How wost thou so that thou art gracelesse Such evill is not alway botelesse Why put not impossible thus thy cure * Sith thing to come is oft in aventure I graunt well that thou endurest wo As sharpe as doth he Tesiphus in hell Whose stomacke foules tiren evermo That highten vultures as bookes tell But I may not endure that thou dwell In so unskilfull an opinion That of thy woe nis no curation But ones nill thou for thy coward heart And for thine yre and foolish wilfulnesse For wantrust tellen of thy sorrowes smert Ne to thine owne helpe do businesse As much as speake a word yea more or lesse But lyest as he that of life nothing retch What woman living coud love such a wretch What may she demen other of thy death If thou thus die and she not why it is But that for feare is yolden vp thy breath For Greekes han besieged vs iwis Lord which a thank shalt thou have than of this Thus woll she saine and all the toun atones The wretch is deed the divel have his bones Thou mayest alone here weep cry knele * And love a woman that she wote it nought And she will quite it that thou shalt not feel * Vnknow vnkist
and lost that is vnsought What many a man hath love full dere ibouÈt Twentie winter that his Ladie ne wist That never yet his Ladies mouth he kist What should he therfore fallen in dispair Or he receaunt for his owne tene Or slaine himselfe all be his Ladie faire Nay nay but ever in one be fresh and green To serve and love his dere hearts queen And thinke it is a guerdone her to serve A thousand part more than he can deserve And of that word tooke heede Troilus And thought anon what folly he was in And how that sooth him sayd Pandarus That for to-slaien himselfe might he not win But both doen vnmanhood and a sinne And of his death his Ladie nought to wite For of his woe God wote she knew full lite And with that thought he gan full sore sike And sayd alas what is me best to doe To whome Pandare sayed if thee it like The best is that thou tell me thy woe And have my trouth but if thou finde it so I be thy boote or it been full long To peeces doe me drawe and sithen hong Yea so sayest thou qd Troilus alas But God wote it is nought the rather so Full hard it were to helpen in this caas For well finde I that fortune is my fo Ne all the men that ride con or go May of her cruell whele the harme withstond For as her list she playeth with free and bond Qd. Pandarus then blamest thou fortune For thou art wroth ye now at earst I see Wost thou not well yâ— Fortune is commune To everie manner wight in some degree And yet thou hast this comfort lo parde That as her ioyes moten overgone So mote her sorrowes passen everichone For if her whele stint any thing to tourne Then cesseth she fortune anone to be Now sith her whele by no way may soiourn What wost thou of her mutabilitie Whether as thy self lust she woll don by thee Or that she be nought ferre fro thine helping Peraventure thou hast cause for to sing And therfore wost thou what I thee beseech Let be thy woe and tourning to the ground * For who so list have healing of his leech To him behooveth first vnwrie his wound To Cerberus in hell aie be I bound Wer it for my suster all thy sorrow By my will she should be thine to morrow Looke vp I say and tell me what she is Anone that I may gone about thy need Know ich her aught for my love tell me this Then would I hope rather for to speed Tho gan the veine of Troilus to bleed For he was hit and woxe all redde for shame Aha qd Pandara here beginneth game And with that word he gan him for to shake And sayd him thus thou shalt her name tell But tho gan sely Troilus for to quake As though men should han had him into hell And sayed alas of all my woe the well Than is my sweet foe called Creseide And well nigh with yâ— word for feare he deide And when yâ— Pandare herd her name neven Lord he was glad and saied friend so deere Now fare a right for Ioves name in heaven Love hath beset thee well be of good cheere For of good name and wisdome and manere She hath inough and eke of gentlenesse If she be faire thou wost thy selfe I gesse Ne never seie I a more bounteous Of her estate ne a gladder ne of speech A friendlyer ne more gracious For to doe well ne lasse had ned to seech What for to doen and all this bet to ech In honour to as farre as she may stretch * A kinges heart seemeth by hers a wretch And for thy look of good comfort thou be For certainely the first point is this Of noble courage and well ordaine the A man to have peace within himselfe iwis So oughtest thou for nought but good it is * To loven well and in a worthy place Thee ought not clepe it happe but grace And also thinke and therewith glad thee That sith the Ladie vertuous is all So followeth it that there is some pitee Amonges all these other in generall And for they see that thou in speciall Require nought that is ayen her name * For vertue stretcheth not himself to shame But well is me that ever I was born That thou beset art in so good a place For by my trouth in love I durst have sworn Thee should never have tidde so fair a grace And wost thou why for thou were wont to chace At love in scorne for dispite him call * Saint Idiote lord of these fooles all How often hast thou made thy nice yapes And saied that loves servaunts overichone * Of nicete ben verie Goddes Apes And some would monche her meat all alone Ligging a bed and make hem for to grone And some thou saidest had a blaunch fevere And praidest God they should never kevere And some of hem took on hem for the cold More than inough so saydest thou full oft And some han fained oft time and told How that they waken when they sleepe soft And thus they would have set hem self a loft And nathelesse were vnder at the last Thus saydest thou and yapedest full fast Yet saydest thou that for the more part These Lovers would speake in generall And thoughten it was a siker art For sailing for to assayen over all Now may I yape of thee if that I shall But nathelesse though that I should deie Thou art none of tho I dare well seie Now bete thy brest say to God of love Thy grace Lord for now I me repent If I misspake for now my selfe I love Thus say with all thine heart in good entent Qd. Troilus ah Lord I me consent And pray to thee my yapes thou foryeve And I shall never more while I live Thou sayst wel qd Pandare now I hope That thou yâ— goddes wrath hast all appeased And sith thou hast wepten many a drop And said such thing wherwith thy God is plesed Now would never God but thou were eased * And think well she of whom rest all thy wo Here after may thy comfort been also * For thilk ground yâ— beareth yâ— wedes wick Beareth eke these holsome herbs as full oft Next the foule nettle rough and thick The Rose wexeth soote smooth and soft * And next the valey is the hill a loft And next the derke night the glad morowe And also ioy is next the fine of sorrow Now looke that attempre be thy bridell And for the best aie suffer to the tide Or else all our labour is on idell * He hasteth well that wisely can abide Be diligent and true and aie well hide Be lustie free persever in thy servise And all is well if thou worke in this wise * But he that departed is in everie place Is no where hole as writen Clerkes wise What wonder is if such one have no grace Eke wost thou how it fareth of some
wol I wende Now nece mine ye shul well vnderstonde Qd. he so as ye women demen all * That for to hold in love a man in honde And him her lefe and dere hart to call And maken him an howne above to call I mene as love an other in this mene while She doth her selfe a shame and him a gile Now wherby that I tel you al this Ye wote your selfe as wel as any wight How that your love al fully graunted is To Troilus the worthiest wight One of the world and thereto trouth iplight That but it were on him alone ye nold Him never falsen while ye liven should Now stonte it thus that sith I fro you went This Troilus right platly for to seine Is through a gutter by a privy went Into my chambre come in al this reine Vnwist of every maner wight certaine Save of my selfe as wisely have I joy And by the faith I owe to Priam of Troy And he is come in such paine and distresse That but if he be al fully wood by this He sodainly mote fal into woodnesse But if God helpe and cause why is this He saith him tolde is of a frende of his How that ye should loven one that hight Horast For sorow of which this night shal be his last Creseide which that al this wonder herde Gan sodainly about her hart cold And with a sighe she sorowfully answerd Alas I wende who so ever tales told My dere hart woulden me nat have hold So lightly faulse alas conceites wrong What harm they done for now live I to long Horaste alas and falsen Troilus I know him not God helpe me so qd she Alas what wicked spirite told him thus Now certes eme to morow and I him se I shal therof as full excusen me As ever did woman if him like And with that word she gan ful sore sike * O God qd she so worldy selinesse Which clerkes callen false felicite Ymedled is with many bitternesse Ful anguishous then is God wote qd she Condicion of veine prosperite * For either joyes comen nat ifere Or els no wight hath hem alway here O brotil we le of mannes joy vnstable With with wight so thou be or thou who play Either he wote that thou joy art mutable Or wote it nat it mote ben one of tway Now if he wot it nat how may he say That he hath very joy and silinesse That is of ignorance aie in derkenesse * Now if he wote that ioy is transitory As every joy of worldly thing mote flee Then every time he that hath in memory The drede of lesing maketh him that he May in no parfite sikernesse be And if to lese his joy he set a mite Then semeth it that joy is worth ful lite Wherefore I wol define in this matere That truely for aught I can espie There is no very wele in this world here But O thou wicked serpent Ialousie Thou misbeleved and enuious folie Why hast thou Troilus made to me vntrist That never yet agilte that I wist Qd. Pandarus thus fallen is this caas Why vncle mine qd she who told him this And why doth my dere herte thus alas Ye wote ye nece mine qd he what it is I hope al shal be wel that is amis For ye may quenche al this if that you lest And doeth right so I hold it for the best So shal I do to morow iwis qd she And God toforne so that it shall suffice To morow alas that were faire qd he Nay nay it may nat stonden in this wise For nece mine this writen clerkes wise That peril is with dretching in drawe Nay soche abodes ben nat worth an hawe * Nece all thing hath time I dare avow For when a chambre a fire is or an hall Well more nede is it sodainly rescow Then to disputen and aske amongs all How the candle in the strawe is fall Ah benedicite for al among that fare * The harme is done and farwel feldefare And nece mine ne take it nat a grefe If that ye suffre him al night in this wo God helpe me so ye had him never lefe That date I sain now there is but we two But wel I wote that ye wol nat so do Ye ben to wise to done so great folie To put his life al night in jeopardie Had I him never lefe By God I wene Ye had never thing so lefe qd she Now by my thrifte qd he that shall be sene For sith ye make this ensample of me If iche al night would him in sorow se For al the treasour in the tonne of Troie I bidde God I never mote have joie Now loke then if ye that ben his love Should put his life al night in jeopardie For thing of nought now by yâ— God above Nat onely this delay cometh of folie But of malice if that I should nat lie What platly and ye suffre him in distresse Ye neither bounte done ne gentilnesse Qd. tho Creseide wol ye done a thing And ye therwith shal stinte al his disease Have here and bere to him this blew ring For there is nothing might him better plese Save I my selfe ne more his hart apese And say my dere harte that his sorow Is causelesse that shal he sene to morow * A ring qd he ye hasel wodes shaken Ye nece mine that ring must have a stone That might deed men a live all maken And such a ring trowe I that yee have none Discrecion out of your heed is gone That fele I now qd he and that is routh * O time ilost wel maist thou cursen slouth Wote ye not wel that noble and hie corage Ne soroweth nat ne stinteth eke for lite But if a foole were in a jalous rage I nolde setten at his sorow a mite But fesse him with a fewe wordes all white Another day when that I might him find But this thing stant al in another kind This is so gentle and so tender of hart That with his death he wol his sorows wreke For trust it well how sore that him smart He woll to you no jealous wordes speke And for thy nece er that his hart breke So speke your selfe to him of this matere For with a worde ye may his hart stere Now have I told what peril he is in And his coming vnwist is to every wight Ne parde harme may there be none ne sin I wol my self be with you all this night Ye know eke how it is your owne knight And that by right ye must vpon him triste And I al prest to fetch him when you liste This accident so pitous was to here And eke so like a sothe at prime face And Troilus her knight to her so dere His priue comming and the liker place That though she did him as then a grace Considred all things as they now stood No wonder is sens he did al for good Creseide answerde as wisely God at rest My soule bring as
me is for him wo And eme iwis faine would I don the best If that I grace had for to do so But whether that ye dwell or for him go I am till God me better minde send * At Dulcarnon right at my wittes end Qd. Pandarus ye nece wol ye here Dulcarnon is called fleming of wretches It semeth herd for wretches wol nought lere For very slouth or other wilfull â—etches This is said by hem yâ— be not worth two fetches But ye ben wise yâ— ye han on hond Nis neither harde ne skilfull to withstond Then eme qd she doeth here as you list But ere he come I wol vp first arise And for the love of God sens all my trist Is on you two and ye beth bothe wise So werketh now in so discrete a wise That I honour may have and he plesaunce For I am here al in your gouernaunce That is wel said qd he my nece dere There good thrifte on that wise gentill hart But liggeth still and taketh him right here It nedeth nat no ferther for him start And eche of you easeth other sorowes smart For love of God and Venus I the herie For sone hope I that we shall ben merie This Troilus full sone on knees him sette Ful sobrely right by her beddes heed And in his beste wise his Lady grette But Lord so she woxe sodainliche reed Ne though men should smiten of her heed She could not o word a right out bring So sodainly for his sodaine coming But Pandarus that so wel could fele In every thing to play anon began And said nece se how this Lord gan knele Now for your trouth se this gentil man And with that worde he for a quishen ran And saied kneleth now while that thou lest There as God your harts bring sone at rest Can I naught sain forshe bad him nat rise If sorow it put out of her remembraunce Or els that she toke it in the wise Of duetie as for his observaunce But well find I she did him this pleasaunce That she him kist although she siked sore And bad him sit adoun withouten more Qd. Pandarus now wol ye well begin Now doth him sitte downe good nece dere Vpon your beddes side al there within That ech of you the bet may other here And with that worde he drew him to the fiere And toke a light founde his countenaunce As for to loke vpon an olde romaunce Creseide that was Troilus lady right And clere stode in a ground of sikernesse All thought she her seruaunt and her knight Ne should none vntrouth in her gesse That nathelesse considred his distresse And that love is in cause of such folie Thus to him spake she of his jalousie Lo hert mine as would the excellence Of love ayenst the which that no man may Ne ought eke goodly maken resistence And eke bicause I felte wel and say Your great trouth and service every day And that your hart al mine was soth to saine This droue me for to rewe vpon your paine And your goodnes have I founden alway yet Of which may dere hert and al my knight I thanke it you as ferre as I have wit Al can I nat as much as it were right And I emforth my conning and my might Have and aie shal how sore that ye smert Ben to you trew and hole with all mine hert And dredelesse that shal be founden at preue But hert mine what al this is to sain Shall well be told so that he nouÈt you greue Though I to you right on your self complain For there with meane I finally the pain That halte your harte mine in heauinesse Fully to slaine and every wrong redresse My good mine not I for why ne how That jelousie alas that wicked wivere Thus causelesse is cropen into you The harme of which I would faine delivere Alas that he all hole or of him some slivere Should have his refute in so digne a place That Iove him sone out of your hart race But O thou O auctour of nature Is this an honour to thy dignite That folke vngilty suffren here iniure And who that gilty is al quite goeth he O were it lefull for to plaine of the That vndeserved sufferest jalousie O that I would vpon thee plaine and crie Eke al my wo is this that folke now vsen * To saine right thus ye jalousie is love And would a bushel of venim al excusen For that a grane of love is on it shove But that wote high Iove that sit above If it be liker love hate or grame And after that it ought beare his name But certaine is some maner jalousie Is excusable more than some iwis As whan cause is and some such fantasie With pite so well expressed is That it vnneth doeth or saith amis But goodly drinketh vp al his distresse And that excuse I for the gentilnesse And some so full of fury is and despite That it surmounteth his repression But hart mine ye be not in that plite That thonke I God for which your passion I will nat call it but illusion Of haboundance of love and beste cure That doth your hart this disease endure Of which I am sory but not wrothe But for my deuoir and your harts rest When so you list by ordal or by othe By sorte or in what wise so you lest For love of God set preue it for the best And if that I be gilty do me die Alas what might I more done or seie With that a few bright teeres new Out of her eien fel and thus she seid Now God thou wost in thought ne dede untrew To Troilus was never yet Creseid With that her heed doun in the bed she leid And with the shete it wrigh and sighed sore And held her pece nat a word spake she more But now help God to quench al this sorow So hope I that he shall for he best may * For I have sene of a ful misty morow Folowen ful oft a mery somers day And after winter foloweth grene May Men sene all day and reden eke in stories That after sharpe shoures ben victories This Troilus when he her wordes herde Have ye no care him list nat to slepe For it thought him no strokes of a yerde To here or see Creseide his lady wepe But well he felt about his harte crepe For every teare which that Creseide astert The crampe of death to straine him by the hert And in his minde he gan the time accurse That he came there that he was borne For now is wicke tourned into worse And all that labour he hath doen beforne He wendeit lost he thought he nas but lorne O Pandarus thought he alas thy wile Serveth of nought so welaway the while And therwithall he hing adoun his hedde And fell on knees and sorowfully he sight What might he sain he felt he nas but dedde For wroth was she that should his
Pandare I am dead withouten more Hast thou nat heard at parliment he seide For Antenor how lost is my Creseide This Pandare full dead and pale of hew Full pitously answerde and said yes As wisely were it false as it is trew That I have heard and wote all how it is O mercy God who would have trowed this Who would have wend yâ— in so little a throw Fortune our joy would overthrow For in this world there is no creature As to my dome that ever saw ruine Stranger than this through case or aventure But who may all eschue or all devine Such is this world for thy I thus define * Ne trust no wight to find in Fortune Aye property her yeftes ben commune But tell me this why thou art now so mad To sorrowen thus why list thou in this wise Sens thy desire all holly hast thou had So that by right it ought inough suffise But I that never felt in my servise A friendly chere or looking of an eie Let me thus wepe and wailen till I die And over al this as thou wel wost thy selve This toune is full of ladies all about And to my dome falcer than such twelve As ever she was shal I finden in some rout Ye one or twey withouten any dout For thy be glade mine owne dere brother If she be lost we shall recover another * What God forbid alway yâ— ech pleasaunce In a thing were and in none other wight If one can sing another can well daunce If this be goodly she is glad and light And this is faire and that can good aright Ech for his vertue holden is for dere Both herones and faucon for rivere And eke as writ Zansis that was full wise * The new love out chaseth oft the old And vpon new case lieth new avise Thinke eke thy selfe to saven art thou hold Such fire by processe shall of kind cold For sens it is but casuell pleasaunce Some case shall put it out of remembraunce * For also sure as day commeth after night The new love labour or other wo Or els selde seeing of a wight Done old affections all overgo And for thy part thou shalt haue one of tho To abredgs with thy bitter pains smart Absence of her shall driue her out of hart These words saied he for the nones all To helpe his friend least he for sorow deide For doubtlesse to doen his wo to fall He raught nat what vnthrift that he seide But Troilus that nigh for sorow deide Tooke little hede of all that ever he ment One eare it heard at the other out it went But at yâ— last he answerd and said friend This lechcraft or dealed thus to be Were well fitting if that I were a fiend To traien a wight that true is vnto me I pray God let this counsaile never ithee But doe me rather sterue anon right here Ere thus I doen as thou me wouldest lere She that I serue iwis what so thou sey To whom mine hart enhabite is by right Shall have me holly hers till that I dey For Pandarus sens I have trouth her hight I woll nat ben vntrue for no wight But as her man I woll aye live and sterve And never none other creature serve And there thou saiest thou shalt as fair find As she let be make no comparison To creature iformed here by kind O leve Pandare in conclusion I woll nat been of thine opinion Touching all this for which I thee beseech So hold thy peace thou slaest me with thy speech Thou biddest me I should love another All freshly new and let Creseide go It lithe nat in my power leve brother And though I might yet would I nat do so * But canst thou plaien raket to and fro * Nettle in dock out now this now yâ— Pandare Now foule fall her for thy wo yâ— care Thou farest eke by me Pandarus As he that when a wight is wo bigon He commeth to him apace saith right thus Thinke not on smart thou shalt feele none Thou maiest me first transmewen in a stone And reve me my passions all Or thou so lightly doe my wo to fall The death may well out of my brest depart The life so long may this sorow mine But fro my soule shall Creseides dart Out nevermore but doune with Proserpine When I am dead I woll won in pine And there I woll eternally complain My wo and how that twinned be we twain Thou hast here made an argument full fine How that it should lasse paine be Creseide to forgone for she was mine And lived in ease and in felicite Why gabbest thou that saidest vnto me * That him is wors that is fro we le ithrow Than he had erst none of that we le know But tel me now sen yâ— thee thinketh so light To chaungen so in love aye to and fro Why hast thou nat doen busily thy might To chaungen her yâ— doth thee all thy wo Why nilt thou let her fro thine heart go Why nilt thou love another lady swete That may thine heart setten in quiete If thou hast had in love aye yet mischance And canst it not out of thine hart drive I that lived in lust and in pleasance With her as much as creature on live How would I that foryet and that so blive O where hast thou ben hid so long in mew Thou canst so well and formeliche agrew Nay God wot naught worth is al thy rede For which for what that ever may befall Withouten words mo I woll ben dede O death that ender art of sorrowes all Come now sens I so oft after thee call * For sely is that death sooth sor to saine That oft icleped commeth endeth paine Well wote I while my life was in quiete Ere thou me slue I would have yeven hire But now thy comming is to me so swete That in this world I nothing so desire O death sens with this sorow I am a fire Thou either do me anon in teares drench Or with thy cold stroke mine heart quench Sens yâ— thou slaest so fele in sundry wise Ayenst her will vnpraied day and night Doe me at my request this servise Deliver now the world so doest thou right Of me that am the wofullest wight That ever was for time is that I sterve Sens in this world of right nauÈt do I serve This Troilus in teares gan distill As licour out of Allambike full fast And Pandarus gan hold his tongue still And to the ground his eyen downe he cast But nathelesse thus thought he at last What parde rather than my fellow dey Yet shall I somewhat more vnto him sey And said friend sens thou hast such distresse And sens thee list mine argumentes blame Why nilt thy selven helpe doen redresse And with thy manhood letten all this game To rauish her ne caust thou not for shame And either let her out of toune fare Or hold her still and leave thy nice
I shall find a meane That she nat yet wete shall what I meane This Diomede as he yâ— could his good When this was done gan fallen forth in spech Of this and that and aske why she stood In soth disease and gan her eke besech That if that he encreasen might or ech With any thing her ease that she should Commaunde it him said he done it would For truely he swore her as a knight That ther nas thing with which he might her plese That he nolde done his pain al his might To done it for to done her hart an ease And prayed her she would her sorow appease And sayd iwis we Greekes can have joy To honouren you as well as folke of Troy He said eke thus I wot you thinketh strange No wonder is for it is to you new Thacquaintance of these Trojans to change For folke of Grece that ye never knew But would never God but if as true A Greeke ye should emong us all find As any Trojan is and eke as kind And bicause I swore you right now To ben your frende and helply to my might And for that more acquaintaunce eke of you Have I had than an other straunger wight So fro this forth I pray you day and night Commaundeth me how sore that me smart To done all that may like unto your hart And that ye me wold as your brother treat And taketh not my frendship in dispite And thouÈ your sorowes been for things gret Not I nat why but out of more respite Mine hart hath for to amend it great delite And if I may your harmes nat redresse I am right sory for your heavinesse For though ye Trojans with us Geeekes wroth Have many a day been alway yet parde O God of Love in sothe we serven bothe And for the love of God my lady free Whom so ye hate as beth not wroth with me For truely there can no wight you serve That half so loth your wrath would deserve And nere it that we been so nere the tent Of Calcas which that seen us both may I would of this you tell all mine entent But this ensealed till an other day Yeve me your honde I am and shall be aie God helpe me so while yâ— my life may dure Your owne aboven every creature Thus said I never eâ— now to woman borne For God mine hert as wisely glad so I loved never woman here beforne As paramours ne never shall no mo And for the love of God be not my so All can I not to my Lady dere Complain a right for I am yet to lere And wondreth nought mine owne Lady bright Though yâ— I speake of love to you thus blive For I have heard or this of many a wight Hath loved thing he never saw his live Eke I am not of power for to strive Ayenst the God of Love but him obay I woll alway and mercy I you pray There beeth so worthy knights in this place And ye so faire that everiche of hem all Woll pain him to stonden in your grace But might me so faire a grace fall That ye me for your servant would call So lowly ne so truely you serve Nill none of hem as I shall till I sterve Creseide unto that purpose lite answerde As she that was with sorow oppressed so That in effect she naught his tales herde But here and there now here a word or two Her thought her sorowfull hart brest a two For when she gan her father ferre espie Well nigh doune of her hors she gan to sle But nathelesse she thonketh Diomede Of all his travaile and his good chere And that him list his frendship to her bede And she accepteth it in good manere And woll do fain that is him lefe and dere And trusten him she would well she might As saied she and from her hors she alight Her father hath her in his armes nome And twenty times he kist his doughter swete And saied O dere doughter mine welcome She said eke she was fain with him to mete And stode forth muet milde and mansuete But here I leave her with her father dwell And forth I woll of Troilus you tell To Troy is come this wofull Troilus In sorow above all sorowes smert With felon loke and face dispitous Tho sodainly doune from his hors he stert And through his paleis with swolne hert To chamber he went of nothing toke he bede Ne none to him dare speke o worde for drede And there his sorowes that he spared had He yave an issue large and death he cride And in his throwes frenetike and mad He curseth Iuno Apollo and eke Cupide He curseth Bachus Ceres and Cipride His birth himselfe his fate and eke nature And save his Ladie every creature To bed he goth welleth there turneth In furie as doeth he Ixion in hell And in this wise he nigh till day sojourneth But tho began his hart alite vnswell Through teares which yâ— gonnen vp to wel And pitiously he cried vpon Creseide And to him self right thus he spake and seide Where is mine owne lady lefe and dere Where is her white brest where is it where Where been her armes and her iyen clere That yesterday this time with me were Now may I wepe alone many a teare And graspe about I may but in this place Save a pilow I find naught to embrace How shal I doen when shal she come again I not alas why let I her go As would God I had as tho be slain O hart mine Creseide O swete fo O Lady mine that I love and no mo To whom for ever more mine hart I vowe See how I die ye nill me not rescowe Who seeth you now my right lodesterre Who sitteth right now in your presence Who can comforten now your hartes werre Now I am gon whom yeve ye audience Who speaketh for me riÈt now in your absence Alas no wight that is all my care For well wote I as evill as I ye fare How should I thus ten daies full endure Whan I the first night have all this tene How shall she eke sorowfull creature For tendernesse how shall she this sustene Soche wo for me o pitous pale and grene Shall been your freshe womanly face For langour er ye tourne vnto this place And whan he fill in any slombrings Anon begin he should for to grone And dreamen of the dreadfullest things That might been as mete he were alone In place horrible making aie his mone Or meten that he was emonges all His enemies and in her hondes fall And therewithall his body should start And with the start all sodainly awake And soche a tremour fele about his hart That of the feare his body should quake And therwithall he should a noise make And seme as though he should fall depe From high alofe and then he would wepe And rewen on himselfe so pitously That wonder was to here
ladies for to lie Away qd he there Ioves yeve the sorow That shalt be fals peraventure yet to morow As well thou mightest lien on good Alceste That was of creatures but men lie That ever weren kindest and the best For when her husbond was in ieopardie To die himselfe but if she would die She chese for him to die and to hell And starfe anon as vs the bookes tell Cassandre goeth and he with cruell hart Foryate his wo for anger of her speech And fro his bedde all suddainly he start As though all hole him had I made a seech And day by day he gan require and seech A sooth of this with all his full cure And thus he driveth forth his aventure Fortune which that permutation Of all things hath as it is her committed Through purveyaunce and disposition Of high Iove as reignes shall ben flitted Fro folk to folk or when they shal ben smitted Gan pull away the feathers bright of Troy Fro day to day till they ben bare of joy Emong all this the fine of the ieopardie Of Hector gan approchen wonder blive The fate would his soule should vnbodie And shapen had a meane it out to drive Ayenst which fate him helpeth not to strive But on a day to fighten gan he wend At which alas he caught his lives end For which me thinketh every manner wight That haunteth armes ought to bewaile The death of him that was so noble a knight For as he drough a king by thauentaile Vnware of this Achilles through yâ— maile And through the bodie gan him for to rive And thus the worthy knight was reft of live For whom as old bookes tellen us Was made such wo that tong it may nat tell And namely the sorow of Troilus That next him was of worthinesse the well And in this wo gan Troilus to dwell That what for sorow love and for unrest Full oft a day he had his heart brest But nathelesse tho he gon him dispaire And drede aye that his lady was untrue Yet aye on her his hart gan repaire And as these lovers done he sought aye new To get ayen Creseide bright of hew And in his hart he went her excusing That Calcas caused all her tarying And oft time he was in purpose great Himselven like a pilgrime to disguise To seene her but he may not counterfeat To ben unknowen of folke that weren wise He find excuse aright that may suffise If he among the Grekes knowen were For which he wept full oft many a tere To her he wrote yet oft time all new Full pitously he left it nat for slouth Beseeching her sens that he was true That she wol come ayen shold her trouth For which Creseide upon a day for routh I take it so touching all this matere Wrote him ayen and said as ye may here Cupides sonne ensample of goodlihede O swerde of knighthood sours of gentilnesse How might a wight in turment in drede And healelesse you send as yet gladnesse I heartlesse I sicke I in distresse Sens ye with me nor I with you may deale You neither send I hart may nor heale Your letters full the paper all iplainted Conceived hath mine hearts pite I have eke seene with teares all depainted Your letter and how that ye requiren me To come ayen which yet ne may not be But why least that this letter founden were No mention ne make I now for fere Grevous to me God wote is your unrest Your hast and that the Goddes ordinaunce It seemeth nat ye take it for the best Nor other thing nis in your remembraunce As thinketh me but only your pleasaunce But beth not wroth that I you beseech For that I tary is all for wicked speech For I have heard well more than I wend Touching us two how thinges have istond Which I shall with dissimusing amend And beth nat wroth I have eke understond How yene do but holden me in hond But now no force I can nat in you gesse But all trouth and all gentilnesse Come I woll but yet in such disjoint I stond as now that with yere or what day That this shall be that can I nat appoint But in effect I pray you as I may Of your good word of your friendship aye For truly while that my life may dure As for a friend ye may in me assure Yet pray I you no evill ye ne take That it is short which that I to you write I dare nat there I am well letters make Ne never yet ne could I well endite * Eke great effect men write in place lite Th entent is all and nat the letters space And fareth well God have you in his grace La vostre C. This Troilus thought this letter all straunge When he it saw sorowfully he sight Him thought it like a kalends of eschaunge But finally he full ne trowen might That she ne would him holden that she hight For with ful evell will list him to leve That loveth well in such case though him greve But nathelesse men saine that at the last For any thing men shall the soothe see And such a case betide and that as fast That Troilus well understood that she Nas nat so kind as that her ought be And finally he wote now out of dout That all is lost that he hath ben about Stood on a day in his melancholy This Troilus and in suspectioun Of her for whom he wend to dye And so befell that throughout Troy toun As was that guise iborne was up and doun A manner cote armoure as saith the story Beforne Deiphebe insigne of his victory The which cote as telleth Lollius Deiphebe it had rent fro Diomede The same day and when this Troilus It saw he gan to taken of it hede A vising of the length and of the brede And all the werke but as he gan behold Full sodainly his heart gan to cold As he that on the coler found within A brooch that he Creseide yave at morow That she from Troy must nedes twin In remembraunce of him and of his sorow And she him laid ayen her faith to borow To keepe it aye but now full well he wist His lady nas no longer on to trift He goth him home gan full soone send For Pandarus and all this newe chaunce And of this broch he told him word end Complaining of her hartes variaunce His long love his trouth his pennaunce And after death without words more Full fast he cried his rest him to restore Then spake he thus O lady mine Creseide Where is your faith where is your behest Where is your love where is your trouth he seide Of Diomede have ye now all the fest Alas I would have trowed at the least That sens ye nolde in trouthe to me stond That ye thus nolde have holden me in hond Who shall now trowen on any othes mo Alas I never would have wend
Sith yâ— thy weping but doubleth thy wo * I counsaile thee make vertue of a nede Go learne to clappe thy clapper to and fro And learne after the lawe of lepers lede There was no bote but forthwith then she yede Fro place to place while cold hunger sore Compelled her to be a ranke beggore That same time of Troy the garnisoun Which had the chieftain worthy Troilus ThrouÈ jeopardy of warre had striken doun Knights of Grece in nomber marveilous With great triumph and laude victorious Again to Troy right royally they rode The way where Creseide with yâ— leper stode Seing that company come al with o stevin They gave a cry shoke cupps good spede Worthy lordes for Goddes love of hevin To us seper part of your almose dede Then to her cry noble Troilus toke hede Having pite nere by the place gan pas Wher Creseide sat nat weting with she was Then vpon him she kest vp both her iyen And with a blinke it come in til his thought That he sometime her face before had sein But she was in soch plite he knew her nought Yet then her loke into his minde he brought The swete visage and amorous blenking Offaire Creseid sometime his owne derling No wonder was suppose in mind that he Toke her figure so sone and lo now why * The Idoll of a thing in case may be So depe enprinted in the fantasie That it deludeth the wittes outwardly And so apereth in forme and like estate Within the minde as it was figurate A sparke of love then til his hartcouth spring And kindeled his body in a fire With hote feuer in swette and trembling Him tooke while he was readie to exspire To heare his shield his brest began to tire Within a while he chaunged many a hewe And nevertheles nat one an other knew For knightly pite and memoriell Of faire Creseide a girdel gan he take A purse of gold and many a gaie iewell And in the skirt of Creseide doun gan shake Then rode away and nat a word he spake Pensife in hart while he came to the toune And for great care oft sith almost fell doune The lepre folke to Creseide then couth draw To see the equall distributioun Of the almose but when the gold they saw Ech one to other priuely can roun And saied yon lord hath more affectioun How ever it be vnto yon Lazarous Than to vs al we know by his almous What lord is yon qd she have ye no fele That doeth to vs so great humanite Yes qd a lepre man I know him wele Sir Troilus it is a knight gentle and free When Creseide vnderstood that it was hee Stiffer than stele there sterte a bitter stound Throughout her hert fill doun to yâ— ground When she over come with sighing sore sad With many a carefull crie and cold atone Now is my brest with stormy stoundes stad Wrapped in wo wretchfull will of one Then fell in swoun ful oft or she would fone And ever in her swouning cried she thus O false Creseide and true knight Troilus Thy love thy laude all thy gentlenesse I counted small in my prosperite So effated I was in wantonnesse And clambe vpon the fickell whele so hie All faith and love I promitted to thee Was in thy selfe fekell and furious O false Creseide and true knight Troilus For love of me thou kept countenaunce Honest and chast in conuersacion Of all women protectour and defence Thou were and helped their opinion My minde and fleshly foule affection Was enclined to lustes lecherous Fie false Creseide O true knight Troilus Lovers beware and take good hede about Whom that ye love for when ye suffre pain I let you wit there is right few throughout Whom ye may trust to have true love again Proue when ye woll your labour is in vain Therefore I rede ye take them as ye find For they are sad as Wedercocke in wind Bicause I know the great vnstablenesse Brittle as glasse vnto my self I say Trusting in other as great brutelnesse As inconstaunt and as vntrue of fay Though some be true I wot riÈt few ar they Who findeth truth let him his lady ruse None but my self as now I woll accuse When this was said with paper she sat doun And in this maner made her testament Here I bequethe my corse and carioun With wormes and with Toodes to be rent My cuppe my clapper and mine ornament And all my gold these lepre folke shall have When I am dedde to bury me in grave This roiall ring set with this Rubie redde Which Troilus in dowrie to me send To him again I leaue it when I am dedde To make my careful death vnto him kend Thus I conclude shortly and make an end My spirit I leave to Diane where she dwels To walke with her in wast wodes welles O Diomede thou hast both broche belt Which Troilus gaue me in tokening Of his true love with that worde she swelt And soone a leaper man toke off the ring Then buried her withouten tarying To Troilus forthwith the ring he bare And of Creseide the death he gan declare When he had heard her great infirmite Her legacie and lamentacioun And how she ended in such poverte He swelt for wo and fell doune in a swoun For sorow his hart to brast was boun Sighing full sadly sayd I can no more She was vntrue and wo is me therefore Some saith he made a tombe of marble gray And wrote her name superscripcioun And layd it on her graue whereas she lay In golden letters conteining this reasoun Lo faire Fadies Creseide of Troie toun Somtime counted the floure of womanhed Vnder this stone late leper lieth dedde Now worthy women in this balade short Made for your worship and instruction Of charite I monish and exhort Minge nat your love with false discepcion Beare in your mind this sore conclusion Of faire Creseide as I have sayd before Sith she is dedde I speake of her no more The Legend of good Women For that some Ladies in the Court took offence at Chaucers large speeches against the untruth of Women the Queen enjoyned him to compile this Book in the commendation of sundry Maidens and Wives who shewed themselves faithful to faithless men A Thousand times I have heard men tell That there is joy in heaven pain in hell And I accord it wele that it is so But nathelesse yet wote I wele also That there nis non dwelling in this countre That either hath in heaven or in hell ibe Ne may of it none other waies witten But as he heard sayd or found it written For by assay there may no man it preve But God forbede but men should leve Wel more thing than they have seen with iye Men shall nat weâ—en every thing a lie But if himself it seeth or els it dooth For God wote thing is never the lesse soth Though every wight ne may
degree That hath so littell penaunce yeven thee That hast deserved sore for to smart * But pite renneth soone in gentle hart That maist thou sene she kitheth what she is And I answerde naie sir so have I blis No more but that I see well she is good That is a trewe tale by mine hood Qd. Love and thou knowest wel parde If it be so that thou avise the Hast thou nat in a booke in thy cheste The great goodnesse of the quene Alceste That turned was into a Daiesie She that for her husband chese to die And eke to gone to hell rather than he And Hercules rescued her parde And brought her out of hel againe to blis And I answerde againe and said yes Now know I her And is this good Alceste The Daiesie and mine owne herts reste Now fele I well the goodnesse of this wife That both after her death and in her life Her great bounte doubleth her renoun Wel hath she quit me mine affectioun That I have to her floure the daiesie No wonder is though Iove her stellifie As telleth Agaton for her great goodnesse Her white corowne beareth of it witnesse For all so many vertues had she As smal florounes in her corowne be In remembraunce of her and in honour Cibilla made the daiesie and the floure I crowned al with white as men may se And Mars yave to her a corowne reed parde In stede of Rubies set among yâ— white Therewith this quene woxe reed for shame alite When she was praysed so in her presence Then said Love a full great negligence Was it to thee that ilke time thou made Hide Absolon thy tresses in balade That thou forget in thy songe to sette Sith that thou art so greatly in her dette And wost well that kalender is she To any woman that woll lover be For she taught all the craft of trewe loving And namely of wifehode the living And all the bondes that she ought keepe Thy litel witte was thilke time a sleepe But now I charge thee vpon thy life That in thy legende make of this wife When thou hast other smale imade before And fare now well I charge thee no more But er I go thus much I will the tell * Ne shal no trewe lover come in hell These other ladies sitting here a rowe Ben in my balade if thou const hem know And in thy bokes al thou shalt hem find Have hem now in thy legende al in mind I meane of hem that ben in thy knowing For here ben twenty thousand mo sitting Than thou knowest good women all And trewe of love for ought that may befall Make the metres of hem as the lest I mote gone home the sunne draweth west To paradis with all this companie And serve alway the fresh Daiesie At Cleopatras I woll that thou begin And so forth and my love so shalt thou win For let see now what man that lover be Wol done so strong a paine for love as she I wote well that thou maist nat all it rime That suche lovers did in her time It were too long to reden and to here Suffiseth me thou make in this manere That thou reherce of al her life the great After these old authours listen for to treat For who so shall so many a story tell Sey shortly or he shall to long dwell And with that worde my bookes gan I take And right thus on my legende gan I make ¶ Thus endeth the Prologue ¶ Here beginneth the legende of Cleopatras Queene of Egipt AFter the death of Ptholome the King That all Egipt had in his governing Reigned his Queene Cleopatras Till on a time bifel there such a caas That out of Rome was sent a senatour For to conqueren realmes and honour Vnto the toune of Rome as was vsaunce To have the world at her obeisaunce And soth to say Antonius was his name So fil it as fortune him ought a shame When he was fallen in prosperite Rebel vnto the toune of Rome is he And over al this the suster of Cesare He left her falsely er that she was ware And would algates han another wife For which he toke with Rome Cesar strife Nathelesse forsoth this ilke Senatour Was a full worthy gentill werriour And of his deth it was ful great damage But love had brought this man in such a rage And him so narow bounden in his laas And all for the love of Cleopatras That al the world he set at no value Him thouÈt there was nothing to him so due As Cleopatras for to love and serve Him thought that in armes for to sterve In the defence of her and of her right This noble quene eke loved so this knight Through his desert and for his chevalrie As certainly but if that bokes lie He was of person and of gentilnesse And of discretion and of hardinesse Worthy to any wight that liven may And she was faire as is the rose in Maie And for to maken shorte is the best She woxe his wife and had him as her lest The wedding and the feast to devise To me that have itake such emprise And so many a storie for to make It were to long lest that I should slake Of thing that beareth more effect charge For men may overlade a ship or barge And for thy to effect then woll I skippe And al the remnaunt I woll let it slippe Octavian that wood was of this dede Shope him an hooste on Antony to lede Al vtterly for his distruction With stoute Romaines cruell as Lion To ship they went and thus I let hem faile Antonius was ware and woll nat faile To meten with these Romaines if he may Toke eke his rede and both vpon a day His wife and he and all his host forth went To ship anone no lenger they ne stent And in the see it happed hem to mete Vp goeth the trumpe for to shoute shete And painen hem to set on with the sunne With grisly sown out goeth the great gunne And hertely they hurtlen in all at ones And fro the top doune cometh yâ— great stones In goeth the grapenel so full of crokes Among the ropes ran the shering hokes In with the polaxe preaseth he and he Behind the maste beginneth he to flee And out againe and driveth him over borde He sticketh him vpon his speares orde He rent the saile with hookes like a sith He bringeth the cup and biddeth hem be blith He poureth peesen vpon the hatches slider With pots full of lime they gone togider And thus the long day in fight they spend Till at the last as every thing hath end Antony is shent and put him to the flight And all his folke to go that best go might Fleeth eke yâ— quene with all her purple saile For strokes which yâ— went as thicke as haile No wonder was he might it nat endure And when that Antony saw that aventure Alas qd he the day that I was
borne My worship in this day thus have I lorne And for dispaire out of his wit he start And rofe himselfe anon throughout the hart Ere that he ferther went out of the place His wife that could of Cesar have no grace To Egipt is fled for drede and for distresse But herkeneth ye that speken of kindnesse Ye men that falsely swearen many an oth That ye woll die if that your love be wroth Here may ye seene of women such a trouth This woful Cleopatra had made such routh That there nis tong none that may it tell But on the morow she woll no lenger dwell But made her subtill werkmen make a shrine Of all the rubies and the stones fine In all Egipt that she could espie And put full the shrine of spicerie And let the corse enbaume and forth she fette This dead corse and in the shrine it shette And next the shrine a pit than doth she grave And all the serpentes that she might have She put hem in that grave thus she seid Now love to whom my sorowfull hert obeid So ferforthly that fro that blisfull hour That I you swore to ben all freely your I meane you Antonius my knight That never waking in the day or night Ye nere out of mine herts remembraunce For wele or wo for carole or for daunce And in my selfe this covenaunt made I tho That right such as ye felten wele or wo As ferforth as it in my power lay Vnreprovable vnto my wifehood aye The same would I felen life or death And thilke covenaunt while me lasteth breath I woll fulfill and that shall well be seene Was never vnto her love a truer queene And with yâ— word naked with full good hart Among the serpents in the pit she start And there she chese to have her burying Anone the neders gonne her for to sting And she her death receiueth with good chere For love of Antony that was her so dere And this is storiall sooth it is no fable Now ere I find a man thus true and stable And woll for love his death so freely take I pray God let our hedes never ake ¶ The Legend of Tisbe of Babilon AT Babiloine whylome fill it thus The which toun yâ— queen Simiramus Let dichen about and wals make Full hie of harde tiles well ibake There were dwelling in this noble toun Two lords which yâ— were of great renoun And woneden so nigh vpon a grene That ther nas but a stone wal hem between As oft in great tounes is the wonne And sothe to saine that one man had a sonne Of all that lond one of the lustiest That other had a doughter the fairest That estward in yâ— world was tho dwelling The name of everiche gan to other spring By women that were neighbours aboute For in that countre yet withouten doute Maidens ben ikept for ielousie Ful straite lest they didden some folie This yong man was cleped Piramus Thisbe hight the maide Naso saith thus And thus by report was her name ishove That as they woxe in age so woxe her love And certaine as by reason of her age Ther might have ben betwixt hem mariage But that her fathers â—olde it nat assent And bothe in love ilike sore they brent That none of all her friendes might it lette But prively sometime yet they mette By sleight and spaken some of her desire As wrie the glede and hotter is the fire Forbid a love and it is ten times so wode This wal which yâ— bitwixt hem both stode Was cloven atwo right fro the top adoun Of old time of his foundatioun But yet this clift was so narrow and lite It was nat seene dere inough a mite But what is that that love cannot espie Ye lovers two if that I shall not lie Ye founden first this little narrow clift And with a sound as soft as any shrift They let her words through the clift pace And tolden while that they stoden in yâ— place All her complaint of love and all her wo At every time when they durst so On that one side of the wall stood he And on that other side stood Tisbe The sweet soune of other to receive And thus her wardeins would they disceive And every day this wall they would threte And wish to God that it were doun ibete Thus wold they sain alas thou wicked wall Through thine enuie thou vs lettest all Why nilt thou cleave or fallen all atwo Or at the least but thou wouldest so Yet wouldest thou but ones let vs mete Or ones that we might kissen swete Then were we cured of our cares cold But nathelesse yet be we to thee hold In as much as thou suffrest for to gone Our words through thy lime eke thy stone Yet ought we with thee ben well apaid And when these idle wordes weren said The cold wall they woulden kisse of stone And take her leave forth they wolden gone And this was gladly in the eventide Or wonder erly least men it espide And long time they wrought in this manere Till on a day when Phebus gan to clere Aurora with the stremes of her hete Had dried vp the dew of herbes wete Vnto this clift as it was wont to be Come Piramus and after come Tisbe And plighten trouthe fully in her faie That ilke same night to steale awaie And to beguile her wardeins everychone And forth out of the Citie for to gone And for the fieldes ben so brode and wide For to mete in o place at o tide They set markes her meetings should be There king Ninus was grauen vnder a tree For old painems that idolles heried Vseden tho in fields to ben buried And fast by his grave was a well And shortely of this tale for to tell This couenaunt was affirmed wonder fast And long hem thought that the sunne last That it nere gone vnder the see adoun This Tisbe hath so great affectioun And so great liking Piramus to see That when she saw her time might be At night she stale away full prively With her face iwimpled subtelly For all her friends for to save her trouth She hath forsake alas and that is routh That ever woman woulde be so trew To trusten man but she the bet him knew And to the tree she goeth a full good pace For love made her so hardy in this case And by the well adoun she gan her dresse Alas then commeth a wild Lionesse Out of the wood withouten more arrest With bloody mouth strangling of a beast To drinken of the well there as she sat And when that Tisbe had espied that She rist her vp with a full drery hart And in a caue with dreadfull foot she start For by the Moone she saw it well withall And as she ran her wimple let she fall And toke none hede so sore she was a whaped And eke so glad that she was escaped And thus she sat and lurketh wonder still When
For now if that the soth I shall you say I have loved you full many a day Though ye ne wist nat in my countre And aldermost desired you to see Of any earthly living creature Vpon my truth I sweare and you assure This seven yere I have your servaunt be Now have I you and also have ye me My dere hert of Athenes duchesse This Lady smileth at his stedfastnesse And at his hartely wordes and at his chere And to her luster said in this manere And sothly suster mine qd she Now be we duchesses both I and ye And sikerde to the regals of Athenes And both hereafter likely to be Queenes And saved fro his death a kings sonne As ever of gentill women is the wonne To save a gentil man enforth her might In honest cause and namely in his right Me thinketh no wight ought vs her of blame Ne bearen vs therefore an yvel name And shortly of this mater for to make This Theseus of her hath leave ytake And every point was performed in dede As ye have in this covenaunt herde me rede His wepen his clewe his thing that I have said Was by the gailer in the house ylaid There as the Minotaure hath his dwelling Right fast by the dore at his entring And Theseus is lad vnto his dethe And forth vnto this Minotaure he gethe And by the teaching of this Adriane He overcame this beest and was his bane And out he cometh by the clewe againe Ful prively when he this beest hath slaine And the gailer gotten hath a barge And of his wives treasure gan it charge And toke his wife and eke her suster free And by the gailer and with hem al three Is stole away out of the lond by night And to the countre of Enupie him dight There as he had a frende of his knowing There feesten they there daunsen they sing And in his armes hath this Adriane That of the beest hath kept him fro his bane And get him there a noble barge anone And of his countrey folke a ful great wone And taketh his leave homeward saileth hee And in an yle amidde the wilde see There as there dwelt creature none Save wild beestes and that full many one He made his shippe a londe for to sette And in that yle halfe a day he lett e. And said that on the londe he must him rest His mariners have done right as him lest And for to tell shortly in this caas When Ariadne his wife a slepe was For that her suster fayrer was than she He taketh her in his honde forth goeth he To ship and as a traitour stale away While that this Ariadne a slepe lay And to his countrey warde he sailed blive A twenty divel way the winde him drive And found his father drenched in the see Me liste no more to speke of him parde These false lovers poison be her bane But I wol turne againe to Adriane That is with slepe for werinesse ytake Ful sorowfully her hert may awake Alas for thee mine herte hath pite Right in the dawning awaketh she And gropeth in the bed fond right nought Alas qd she that ever I was wrought I am betrayed and her heere to rent And to the stronde barefote fast she went And cried Theseus mine hert swete Where he ye that I may nat with you mete And might thus with beestes ben yslaine The halow rockes answerde her againe No man she saw and yet shone the moone And hie vpon a rocke she went soone And sawe his barge sayling in the see Cold woxe her hert and right thus said she Meker then ye find I the beestes wilde Hath he nat sinne that he her thus begilde She cried O turne againe for routhe sinne Thy barge hath nat all his meine in Her kerchefe on a pole sticked she Ascaunce he should it well yse And him remembre that she was behind And turne againe on the stronde her find But all for naught his way he is gone And downe she fel a swowne on a stone And vp she riste and kissed in all her care The steppes of his feete there he hath fare And to her bed right thus she speketh tho Thou bed qd she that hast received two Thou shalt answere of two and not of one Where is the greater parte away gone Alas wher shal I wretched wight become For though so be that bote none here come Home to my countrey dare I nat for drede I can my selfe in this case nat rede What should I tell more her complaining It is so long it were an heavy thing In her epistle Naso telleth all But shortly to the end tell I shall The goddes have her holpen for pite And in the signe of Taurus men may see The stones of her crowne shine clere I will no more speake of this matere But thus this false lover can begile His trew love the divel quite him his wile ¶ The Legende of Philomene THou yever of the formes that hast wrought The fayre world bare it in thy thought Eternally er thou thy werke began Why madest thou vnto the slaunder of man Or all be that it was not thy doing As for that end to make soch a thing Why suffredest thou that Tereus was bore That is in love so false and so forswore That fro this world vp to the first heven Corrumpeth when that folke his name neven And as to me so grisly was his dede That when that I this foule storie rede Mine iyen wexen foule and sore also Yet lasteth the venime of so longe ago That enfecteth him that wolde behold The storie of Tereus of which I told Of Trace was he lord and kin to Marte The cruel God that stante with blody darte And wedded had he with blisfull chere King Pandionis faire doughter dere That hight Progne floure of her countre Though Iuno list not at the feast be Ne Himeneus that god of Wedding is But at the feast ready ben iwis The furies three with all her mortall bronde The Oule all night above the balkes wonde That Prophete is of wo and of mischaunce This revell full of song and full of daunce Last a fourtenight or little lasse But shortly of this storie for to passe For I am weary of him for to tell Five yere his wife and he togither dwell Till on a day she gan so sore long To seene her suster that she saw not long That for desire she nist what to say But to her husbond gan she for to pray For Gods love that she mote ones gone Her suster for to seene and come ayen anone Or els but she mote to her wend She praied him that he would after her send And this was day by day all her prayere With al himblesse of wifehood word chere This Tereus let make his ships yare And into Grece himselfe is forth ifare Vnto his father in law gan he pray To vouchsafe that for a moneth or tway
Drake stroier of his owne kind The Stroke wreker of aduoutrie The hote Cormeraunt ful of glotonie The Rauin and the Crowe with her voyce of care The Trostell old and the Frostie feldfare What should I say of fouls of euery kind That in this world haue fethers and stature Men might in that place assembled find Before that noble Goddess of Nature And eche of them did his busie cure Benignely to chese or for to take By her accorde his formell or his make But to the poinct Nature held on her hond A formell Egle of shape the gentillest That euer she among her workes fond The most benigne and eke the goodliest In her was euery vertue at his rest So farforth that Nature her selfe had blisse To looke on her and oft her beeke to kisse Nature the vicare of the almightie Lord That hote colde heuie light moist and drie Hath knit by euen nomber of accord In easie voice began to speake and say Foules take hede of my sentence I pray And for your own ease in fordring of your need As fast as I may speak I will me speed Ye know wel how on S. Valentines day By my statute and through my gouernance Ye doe chese your makes and after flie away With hem as I pricke you with pleasaunce But nathelesse as by rightfull ordinaunce May I not let for all this world to win But he that most worthiest is shall begin The tercell Egle as ye know full wele The foule royall aboue you all in degre The wise worthie the secret true as stele The which I haue formed as ye may see In euery parte as it best liketh mee It nedeth not his shape you to deuise He shall first chese and speaken in his gise And after him by order shall ye chese After your kind euerich as you liketh And as your hap is shall ye win or lese But which of you that loue most entriketh God sende him her that sorest for him siketh And therewithall the Tercell gan she call And said my sonne the choise is to thee fall But nathelesse in this condicion Must be the choice of eueriche that is here That she agree to his election Who so he be that should been her fere This is our vsage alway fro yere to yere And who so may at this time haue his grace Inblisfull time he came into this place With hed enclined with ful humble chere This roial Tercell spake taried nought Vnto my soueraine Lady and not my fere I chose and chese with will hart thought The Formell on your hand so wel iwrought Whose I am all and euer will her serue Doe what her luste to doe me liue or sterue Besechyng her of mercy and of grace As she that is my Ladie souerain Or let me die here present in this place For certes long may I not liue in pain For in my harte is coruen euery vain Hauing regard onely to my trouth My dere harte haue on my wo some routh And if I be found to her vntrue Disobeisaunt or wilfull negligent Auauntour or in processe loue a newe I pray to you this be my judgement That with these foules I be all to rent That ilke day that she me euer find To her vntrue or in my gilte vnkind And sith that none loueth her so well as I Although she neuer of loue me beher Then ought she be mine through her mercy For other bonde can I none on her knet For well nor wo neuer shall I let To serue her how farre so that she wende Say what you list my tale is at an ende Right as the fresh redde Rose newe Against the Sommer Sunne coloured is Right so for shame all waxen gan the hewe Of this Formell when she heard all this Neither she answerde well ne said amis So sore abashed was she till that Nature Said doughter drede you not I you assure Another Tercell Egle spake anon Of lower kind and said that should not be I loue her better than ye doe by sainct Iohn Or at the least I loue her as well as ye And lenger haue serued her in my degree And if she should haue loued for long louing To me alone had be the guerdoning I dare eke say if she me finde false Vnkind jangler or rebell in any wise Or jelous doe me hang by the halfe And but I beare me in her seruise As well as my wit can me suffise Fro poinct to poinct her honour for to saue Take she my life and all the good I haue The third Tercell Egle answerde tho Now sirs ye see the little leaser here For euery foule crieth out to be ago Forth with his make or with his Lady dere And eke nature her self ne will not here For tarying her not half that I would sey And but I speake I must for sorrow dey Of long seruice auaunt I me nothing But as possible is me to die to day For wo as he that hath be sanguishing This twenty winter and wel it happen may A man may serve better and more to pay In half a year although it were no more Than some man doth that hath served full yore I ne say not this by me for I ne can Do no service that may my lady please But I dare say I am her trewest man As to my dome and fainest wold her please At short wordes till that death me cease I will be hers whether I wake or winke And trewe in all that hert may bethinke Of al my life sith that day I was borne So gentle plee in love or other thing Ne herde never no man me beforne Who so that had leiser and conning For to rehearse their chere their speaking And from the morrow gan this spech last Till downward went the sunne wonder fast The noyse of foules for to be deliverd So loude rang Have don and let vs wend That well weend I yâ— wood had al to shiverd Come off they cryd alas ye will us shend When shal your cursed pleding have an end * How should a Iudge either party leue For ye or nay without any preue The goos the duck and the cuckow also Socried keke keke cuckow queke queke hie Through mine eares the noise went tho The goos said then al this nys worth a flie But I can shape hereof a remedie And will say my verdite faire and swithe For water foule whoso be wroth or blithe And I for worm foule said the fole cuckow now For I will of mine own authorite For common spede take on me the charge For to deliver us it is great charite Ye may abide a while yet perde Qd. the turtel if it be your will A wight may speak it were as good be still I am a sede foule one the vnworthiest That wore I well and leest of comming But better is that a wights tonge rest Than entremete him of such doing Of which he neither rede can nor sing And who so it doth full
request With hert and will all that might be done As vntill her that might redresse it best For in her mind there might she find it soone The remedy of that which was her boone Rehearsing that she had said before Beseeching her it might be so no more And in like wise as they had done before The gentlewomen of our company Put her billes and for to tell you more One of hem wrote C'est sans dire verely And her matere hole to specifie Within her bill she put it in writing And what it said ye shall have knowing It said God wote and that full pitously Like as she was disposed in her hert No misfortune that she tooke grevously All one to her was the joy and smert Sometime no thanke for all her good desert Other comfort she wanted none comming And so vsed it greeued her nothing Desiring her and lowly beseeching That she would for seke a better way As she that had ben her daies living Stedfast and trewe and will be alway Of her felaw somewhat I shall you say Whose bill was red next forth withall And what it meant rehearsen you I shall En Dieu est she wrote in her devise And thus she said withouten faile Her trouth might be take in no wise Like as she thouÈt wherfore she had mervaile For trouth somtime was wont to take availe In every matere but all that is ago The more pity that it is suffred so Much more there was wherof she shuld complain But she thoght it too great encombraunce So much to write and therfore in certain In God and her she put all her affiaunce As in her word is made a remembraunce Beseeching her that she would in this cace Shew vnto her the favour of her grace The third she wrote rehersing her grevaunce Ye wote ye what a pitous thing to here For as me thoght she felt great displesaunce One might right wel perceive it by her chere And no wonder it sate her passing nere Yet loth she was to put it in writing But need woll have course in every thing Soyes ensure this was her word certaine And thus she wrote in a little space There she loved her labour was in vaine For he was set all in another place Full humbly desiring in that cace Some good comfort her sorrow to appease That she might live more at hearts ease The fourth surely me thought she liked wele As in her port and in her behaving And bien moneste as ferre as I coud fele That was her word till her well belonging Wherefore to her she prayed above all thing Full heartely to say you in substaunce That she would send her good continuaunce Ye have rehearsed me these billes all But now let see somwhat of your entent It may so hap paraventure ye shall Now I pray you while I am here present Ye shall have knowledge parde what I ment But this I say in trouth and make no fable The case it selfe is inly lamentable And well I wote ye woll think the same Like as I say when ye have heard my bill Now good tel on I here you by saint Iame Abide a while it is not yet my will Yet must ye wete by reason and by skill Sith ye haue knowledg of that was don before And thus it is said without words more Nothing so lefe as death to come to me For finall end of my sorrowes and paine What should I more desire as seeme ye And ye knew all aforne it for certaine I wote ye would and for to tell you plaine Without her help that hath all thing in cure I cannat thinke that it may long endure As for my trouth it hath be proued wele To say the sooth I can say no more Of full long time and suffered euerydele In patience and keepe it all in store Of her goodnesse beseeching her therefore That I might haue my thanke in such wise As my desert serueth of justise When these billes were rad euerychone The ladies tooke a good aduisement And hem to answere by one and one She thought it was too much in her entent Wherefore she yaue hem commaundement In her presence to come both one and all To yeue hem her answere in generall What did she then suppose ye verely She spake her self and said in this manere We haue well seene your billes by and by And some of hem pitous for to here We woll therefore ye know all this in fere Within short time our court of parliment Here shall be hold in our pallais present And in all this wherein you find you greued There shall ye find an open remedy In such wise as ye shall be releeued Of all that ye rehearse here throughly As for the date ye shall know verely That ye may haue a space in your comming For Diligence shall it tell you by writing We thanked her in our most humble wise Our felawship ech one by one assent Submitting vs lowly till her seruise For as we thought we had our trauail spent In such wise as we held vs content Then each of vs tooke other by the sleue And forthwithall as we should take our leue All suddainly the water sprang anone In my visage and therewithall I woke Where am I now thought I all this is gone All mased and vp I gan to loke With that anon I went and made this boke Thus simply rehearsing the substance Because it shuld not be out of remembrance Now verely your dream is passing good And worthy to be had in remembraunce For though I stand here as long as I stood It should to me be none encombraunce I tooke therein so inly great pleasaunce But tell me now with ye the book do call For I must wete With right good will ye shall As for this booke to say you very right Of the name to tell you in certainte L'assemble de dames thus it hight How thinke ye that name is good parde Now go farewell for they call after me My felawes all and I must after sone Rede well my dreme for now my tale is done The Conclusions of the Astrolabie This Book written to his Son in the year of our Lord 1391 and in the 14th of King Richard 2. standeth so good at this day especially for the Horizon of Oxford as in the opinion of the Learned it cannot be amended LIttle Lowis my sonne I perceiue well by certaine euidences thine abilitie to learne sciences touching numbers and proportions and also well consider I thy busie prayer in especiall to learne the Treatise of the Astrolabie Then for as much as a Philosopher saith hee wrapeth him in his friend that condiscendeth to the rightfull prayers of his friend Therefore I haue giuen thee a sufficient Astrolabie for our orizont compouned after the latitude of Oxenford Vpon the which by mediation of this little Treatise I purpose to teach thee a certaine number of conclusions pertayning to this same instrument I say a certaine of conclusions
have letted thilke election and have made a newe himself to have been chosen and under that mokell rore have arered These things Lady knowen among the Princes and made open to the people draweth in amendment that every degree shall ben ordained to stand there as he should and that of errors coming hereafter men may lightly toforn hand puruay remedy in this wise peace and rest to be furthered and hold Of the which things Lady thilk persons broughten in answere toforne their most soueraigne judge not coarted by paining dures openly knowledgeden and asked thereof grace so that apertly it preveth my wordes been sooth without forging of leasings But now it greueth me to remember these diuers sentences in jangling of these sheepie people certes me thinketh they oughten to maken joy that a sooth may be knowe For my trouth and my conscience been witnesse to me both that this knowing soothe haue I said for no harm ne malice of tho persons but only for trouth of my sacrament in my liegeaunce by which I was charged on my Kings behalf But see ye not now Lady how the fellonous thoughts of this people and couins of wicked men conspiren ayen my soothfast trouth See ye not euery wight that to these erronious opinions were assentaunt and helps to the noise and knewen all these things better than I my seluen apparailen to finden new friends and cleapen me false and studien how they mowen in her mouthes werse plite nempne O God what may this be that thilk folk which that in time of my maintenance when my might auayleth to stretch to the foresaid matters tho me commended and yaue me name of trouth in so manifold maners that it was nigh in euery wights ear there as any of thilk people weren and on the other side thilk company sometime passed yeuing me name of bad loos Now both tho people 's turned the good into bad and bad into good which thing is wonder that they knowing me saying but soth arn now tempted to reply her old praisings and knowen me well in all doings to ben trew and sain openly that I false haue said many things And they alleaged nothing me to been false or vntrew saue thilk mater knowledged by the parties hemself and God wot other mater is none Ye also Lady know these things for trew I auaunt not in praysing of my self thereby should I lese the precious secre of my conscience But ye see well that false opinion of the people for my trouth in telling out of false conspired maters and after the judgment of these Clerks I should not hide the sooth of no maner person maister ne other wherefore I would not drede were it put in the consideracion of trew and of wise And for comers hereafter shullen fully out of denwere all the soth know of these things in act but as they wern I haue put it in Scripture in perpetuell remembrance of true meaning For truly Lady me seemeth that I ought to bear the name of trouth that for the loue of rightwisenesse haue thus me submitten But now then the false fame which that Clerks sain flieth as fast as doth the fame of trouth shall so wide sprede till it be brought to the jewell that I of mean and so shall I been hindred withouten any measure of trouth THen gan Loue sadly me behold and said in a chaunged voice lower than she had spoken in a time Fain would I qd she that thou were holpen but hast thou said any thing which thou might not prouen Pardee qd I the persons euery thing as I haue said han knowleged hemself Yea qd she but what if they hadden naied how wouldest thou haue mainteined it Soothly qd I it is well wist both amongst the greatest and other of the Realm that I profered my body so largely in to prouing of tho things that Mars should haue judged thend but for sothnesse of my words they durst not to thilk judg trust Now certes qd she aboue all fames in this world the name of marciall doings most pleasen to Ladies of my lore but sithen thou were ready and thine aduersaries in thy presence refused thilk doing thy fame ought to be so born as if in deed it had take to the end And therefore euery wight that any drop of reason hath and heareth of the infame for these things hath this answer to say trewly thou saidest for thine aduersaries thy words affirmed And if thou haddest lied yet are they discomfited the prise leaned on thy side so that fame shall hold down infame he shall bring vpon none half What greueth thee thine enemy to sain their own shame as thus We arn discomfited and yet our quarell is trew Shall not the loos of thy frends ayenward dequace thilk enfame and say they graunted a sooth without a stroke or fighting Many men in battell been discomfited and ouercome in a rightfull quarrel that is goddes priuy judgement in heauen but yet although the party be yolden he may with words say his quarrell is trew and to yeeld him in the contrary for dread of death he is compelled and he that graunted and no stroke hath feled he may not creep away in this wise by none excusacion Indifferent folk will say ye who is trew who is false himself knowledgeth tho things Thus in euery side fame sheweth to thee good and no bad But yet qd I some will say I ne should for no deth haue discouered my maistresse and so by vnkindnesse they woll knet infame to pursue me about thus enemies of will in manifold maner woll sech priuy serpentines queintises to quench distroy by venime of many businesses the light of trouth to make herts to murmour ayenst my person to haue me in hain withouten any cause Now qd she hear me a few words and thou shalt fully been aunswered I trow Me thinketh qd she right now by thy words that Sacrament of swearing that is to say charging by Othe was one of the causes to make thee discouer the malicious imaginacions tofore nempned euery othe by knitting of copulation must haue these lawes that is trewe iudgment and rightwisenesse in which thyng if any of these lacke the oth is iturned into the name of periury then to make a true serment must needs these things follow for ofte tymes a man to say soothe but iudgement and iustice folow he is forsworne ensample of Herodes for holding of his serment was dampned Also to say trouth rightfullithe but in judgment other whyle is forboden by that all sothes be not to saine Therefore in judgement in trouth and rightwisenesses is euery creature bounden vpon payne of periury full knowing to make though it were of his own person for dread of sinne after that word better is it to die than liue false and al would peruerted people false report make in vnkindnes in yâ— entent thy fame to reise when light of truth in these matters is forth sprongen and openly published
not the stedfastnesse of Noe yâ— eating of the grape became dronke Thou passeth not the chastity of Lothe that lay by his doughter Eke the nobly of Abraham whom God reproued by his pryde Also Dauids meeknesse which for a woman made Vry be slaw What also Hector of Troy in whom no defaut might be found yet is he reproued that he ne had with manhood not suffred the warre begon ne Paris to haue went into Grece by whom gan all the sorow for * truly him lacketh no venime of priuy consenting which yâ— openly leaueth a wrong to withsay Lo eke an old prouerbe among many other * He that is still seemeth as he graunted Now by these ensamples thou might fully vnderstand that these things been writ to your learning in rightwisenes of tho persones as thus To euery wight his default committed made goodnesse afterwards done be the more in reuerence and in open shewing for ensample is it not songe in holy church Lo how necessary was Adams sin Dauid the king gat Salomon the king of her that was Vries wife Truly for reproof is none of these things writte Right so tho I rehearse thy before deed I repreue thee neuer the more ne for no villany of thee are they rehearsed but for worship so thou continue well hereafter and for profite of thy self I rede thou on hem thinke Then saied I right thus Lady of unity and accorde enuy wrath lurken there thou commest in place ye weten well your selue so done many other yâ— while I administred the office of common doing as in ruling of yâ— establishments amongs yâ— people I defouled neuer my conscience for no maner deede but euer by wit by counsaile of the wisest the matters weren drawen to their right endes And thus truly for you Lady I haue desired soch cure certes in your seruice was I not idle as far as soch doing of my cure stretcheth That is a thing qd she that may draw many hertes of noble voice of common into glory and fame is not but wretched and fickle Alas that mankind coueteth in so leud a wise to be rewarded of any good deed sith glory of Fame in this world is not but hindering of glory in time comming And certes qd she yet at yâ— hardest such fame into heauen is not the yearth but a centre to the cercle of heuen A pricke is wonderful little in respect of all the cercle yet in all this prick may no name be born in manner of persing for many obstacles as waters and wildernesse and straunge languages not onely names of men ben stilled holden out of knowledging by these obstacles but also cities and realms of prosperity ben letted to be know and their reason hindred so that they mowe not ben perfitely in mens proper vnderstanding How should then the name of a singuler Londenoys passe the glorious name of London which by many it is commended and by many it is lacked and in many mo places in earth not knowen then knowen for in many countrees little is London in knowing or in speach and yet among one manner of people may not soch fame in goodnesse come for as many as praisen commonly as many lacken Fie then on soch maner fame sleep and suffre him that knoweth priuity of hertes to deale soch fame in thilke place there nothing ayenst a soth shall neither speake ne dare appere by atturney ne by other maner How many great named many great in worthinesse losed han be tofore this time that now out of memory are slidden cleanly forgetten for defaute of writings yet scriptures for great elde so been defased that no perpetualty may in hem been judged But if thou wolt make comparison to euer with joy mayst thou haue in yearthly name it is a fair likenesse a pees or one grain of Wheat to a thousand ships full of corne charged What nomber is between the one and the other and yet mowe both they be nombred and end in recknyng haue But truely all that may be nombred is nothing to recken as to thilke that may not be nombred for oft things ended is made comparison as one little an other great but in things to haue an end and an other no end soch comparisoun may not be founden Wherefore in heauen to been losed with God hath none end but endles endureth and thou canst nothing doen aright but thou desire the rumour thereof be healed and in euery wightes eare and that dureth but a prick in respect of the other And so thou seekest reward of folks small words and of vain praysings Truly therein thou lesest the guerdon of vertue and lesest the greatest valour of conscience and unhap thy renome euerlasting * Therefore boldly renome of fame of the yearth should be hated fame after death should be desired of werks of vertue asketh guerdoning and the soul causeth all vertue Then yâ— soul deliuered out of prison of yearth is most worthy soch guerdone among to haue in the euerlasting fame and not the bodye that causeth all mannes yuils OF tway things art thou answered as me thinketh qd Loue and if any thing be in doubt in thy soul shew it forth thine ignoraunce to clear and leaue it for no shame Certes qd I there ne is no body in this world that aught could say by reason ayenst any of your skils as I leue and by my wit now fele I well that euil speakers or bearers of enfame may little greue or let my purpose but rather by soche thing my quarel to be forthered Yea qd she and it is proued also that the like jewel in my keeping shall not there through be stered of the lest moment that might be imagined That is soth qd I. Well qd she then leueth there to declare that thy insuffisaunce is no manner letting as thus for that she is so worthy thou shouldest not climbe so high for thy moebles and thine estate arne voided thou thinkest fallen in soch misery that gladnesse of thy pursute woll not on thee discend Certes qd I that is soth right soch thought is in mine herte for commonly it is spoken and for an old Prouerb it is ledged * He that heweth to hie with chips he may lese his sight Wherefore I haue been about in all that euer I might to study ways of remedy by one side or by an other Now qd she God forbede ere thou seek any other doings but soch as I haue learned thee in our resting whiles and such hearbes as been planted in our Gardens Thou shalt well vnderstand that aboue man is but one God alone How qd I han men to forne this time trusted in writs and chauntements and in helps of Spirites that dwellen in the air and thereby they han getten their desires where as first for all his manly power he daunced behind O qd she fie on soch matters for truely that is sacrilege and that shall haue no sort
in euill to be laid to me wards sithen as repentant I am tourned no more I think neither tho things ne none such other to sustene but vtterly destroy without meddling maner in all my mights How am I now cast out of all sweetnesse of blysse and mischeeuously stongen my passed joye Sorrowfully must I bewayle and liue as a wretch Euery of tho joyes is turned into his contrary for richesse now haue I pouertye for dignity now am I enprisoned in steede of power wretchednesse I suffer for glory of renome I am now dispised foulich hated thus hath farne fortune that suddainly am I ouerthrowen out of all wealth dispoyled Truly me thinketh this way in entree is right hard God graunt me better grace ere it be all passed yâ— other way lady me thought right sweet Now certes qd Loue me list for to chide What aileth thy dark dulnesse Woll it not in clerenesse been sharped Haue I not by many reasons to thee shewed such bodily goods failen to yeue blesse their might so ferre foâ—th woll not stretch Shame qd she it is to say thou liest in thy words Thou ne hast wist but right few that these bodily goods had all at ones commonly they dwellen not togither * He that plenty hath in riches of his kin is ashamed another of linage ryght noble and well know but pouerty him handeleth he were leuer vnknowe Another hath these but renome of peoples praysing may he not haue ouer all he is hated defamed of things right foule Another is faire and semely but dignity him faileth and he that hath dignity is crooked or lame or els mishapen and fouly dispised Thus partable these goods dwellen commonly in one houshold been they but â—ilde Lo how wretched is your trust on thing yâ— woll not accord Me thinketh thou clepest thilke plite thou were in selinesse of fortune thou sayest for that yâ— silinesse is departed thou art a wretch Then followeth this vpon thy words euery soul reasonable of man way not dye and if death endeth selinesse maketh wretches as needes of fortune maketh it an end Then soules after death of the body in wretchednesse should lyuen But we know many that han getten the blisse of heauen after their death How then may this life maken men blisful yâ— when it passeth it yeueth no wretchednes many times blisse if in this life he con liue as he should And wolt thou accompt with Fortune that now at the first she hath done thee tene and sorrow if thou looke to the maner of all glad things and sorrowful thou maist not nay it that yet namely now thou standest in noble plite in a good ginning with good forth going hereafter And if thou wene to be a wretch for such wealth is passed why then art thou not well fortunate for badde thinges anguis wretchednes ben passed Art thou now come first into the hostry of this life or els yâ— both of this world art thou now a suddaine guest into this wretched exile Wenest there be any thyng in this yearth stable Is not thy first arrest passed that brought thee in mortal sorrow Ben these not mortal things agone with ignoraunce of beastiall wit and haste receiued reason in knowing of vertue What comfort is in thy hert The knowyng sikerly in my seruice be grounded And wost thou not well as I said that death maketh end of all fortune What then standest thou in noble plite litle heed or recking to take if thou let fortune passe ding or els that she flie when she list now by thy liue Parde a man hath nothing so lefe as his life for to hold that he doth all his cure dilligent trauaile Then say I thou art blisful and fortunate selie if thou know thy goods that thou hast yet be loued whych nothing may doubt that they ne ben more worthy than thy life What is that qd I Good contemplation qd she of well doing in vertue in time comming both in plesaunce of me of thy Margarite pearle hastely thyne heart in full blisse with her shall be eased Therefore dismay thee not fortune in hate greeuously ayenst thy bodily person ne yet to great tempest hath she not sent to thee sithen the holding cables and ankers of thy life holden by knitting so fast that thou discomfort thee nought of time that is now ne dispair thee not of time to come but yeuen thee comfort in hope of well doyng of getting again the double of thy lesing with encreasing loue of thy Margarite pearle thereto For this hiderto thou hast had all her full danger so thou might amend all that is misse and all defaultes that sometime thou diddest that now in all thy time to yâ— ilke Margarite in full seruice of my lore thine heart hath continued wherefore she ought much yâ— rather encline fro her daungerous seat These things ben yet knit by yâ— holding anker in thy liue holden mote they To God I pray all these things at full been performed For while this anker holdeth I hope thou shalt safely escape and while thy true meaning seruice about bring in dispite of all false meaners yâ— thee of new haten for this true seruice thou art now entered CErtes qd I among things I asked a question whych was the way to the knot Truely lady how so it be I tempt you with questions and answeres in speaking of my first seruice I am now in full purpose in the pricke of the hert that thilk seruice was an enprisonment alway bad naughty in no manner to be desired Ne yâ— in getting of yâ— knot may it nothing availe A wise gentill heart looketh after vertue none other bodily joyes alone And because toforne this in tho wayes I was set I wot well my selfe I haue erred of the blisse failed so out of my way hugely haue I ron Certes qd she that is sooth there thou hast miswent eschew that path from hence forward I rede Wonder I truely why the mortall folke of this world seech these ways outforth and it is priued in your self Lo how ye ben confounded with errour and folly The knowing of very cause and way is goodness and vertue Is there any thing to thee more precious than thy self Thou shalt haue in thy power yâ— thou wouldest neuer lese and that in no way may be taken fro thee and thilke thing is yâ— is cause of this knot And if deth mowe it not reue more than an yearthly creture thilk thing then abideth with thy self soul And so our conclusion to make such a knot thus getten abideth with this thing with the soul as long as they last * A soul dieth neuer vertue and goodnesse euermore with the soule endureth and this knot is perfite blisse Then this soule in this blisse endlesse shall enduren Thus shull herts of a true knot been eased thus shull their soules been pleased thus
goodnesse and little vertue right mokell goodnesse and vertue in thy Margarite to been prooued in shining wise to be found shewed How shold euer goodness of peace haue been know but if vnpeace sometime reign and mokell euill wroth How should mercy been proued and no trespass were by due justification to be punished Therefore grace and goodness of a wight is found the sorrowful herts in good meaning to endure been comforted vnite and accord between herts knit in joy to abide What wenest thou I rejoyce or els accompt him emong my seruants that pleaseth Pallas in vndoing of Mercury all be it that to Pallas he be knitte by title of Law not according to the reasonable conscience and Mercury in doing haue grace to been suffered or els him that weneth the Moon for fairness of the eue Sterre Lo otherwhile by nights light of the Moon greatly comforteth in darke thoughts and blinde Vnderstanding of loue yeueth great gladness Who so list no bileue when a sooth tale is shewed adew and adew bliss his name is entred Wise folk and worthy in gentillesse both of vertue and of liuing yeuen full credence in soothnesse of loue with a good herte there as good euidence or experience in doing sheweth not the contrary Thus mightst thou haue full prefe in thy Margarites goodnesse by commendment of other jewels badnesse and iuelnesse in doing Stoundmele diseases yeueth seueral hours in joy Now by my trouth qd I this is well declared that my Margarite is good for sithen other been good and she passeth many other in goodnes and vertue wherethrough by maner necessary she must be good and goodnes of this Margarite is nothing els but vertue wherefore she is vertuous and if there failed any vertue in any side there were lack of vertue bad nothing els is ne may be but lack and want of good and goodnes so should she haue that same lack that is to sain bad and that may not be for she is good and that is good me thinketh all good and so by consequence me seemeth vertuous no lack of vertue to haue But the Sun is not know but he shine ne vertues herbes but they haue her kinde werchyng ne vertue but it stretch in goodnes or profite to another is no vertue Then by all wayes of reason sithen mercy pity ben most commended among other vertues and they might neuer been shewed refreshment of helpe and of comforte but now at my most need that is the kind werking of these vertues trewly I wene I shall not vary from these helpes Fyre and if he yeue none heat for fire is not deemed The Sunne but he shyne for sunne is not accompted Water but it wete yâ— name shal been chaunged Vertue but it werch of goodnes doth it fail in to his contrary the name shall be reversed these been impossible wherefore the contradictory that is necessary needs must I leue Certes qd she in thy person and out of thy mouth these words lien well to been said and in thine vnderstanding to be leued as in entent of this Margarite alone and here now my spech in conclusion of these words IN these thynges qd she that me list now to shewe openly shall be founde the matter of thy sicknesse and what shall been the medecine that may he thy sorrowes liste and comforte as well thee as all other that amisse have erred and out of the way walked so that any droppe of good will in amendement been dwelled in theyr heartes Prouerbes of Salomon openly teacheth how sometime an innocent walked by the way in blindnesse of a darke night whome mette a woman if it be lefelly to say as a strumpet arayed redily purueyed in turning of thoughts with vein janglings and of rest impacient by dissimulacion of my terms saying in this wise come and be we dronken of our sweet pappes vse we coueitous collinges And thus drawen was this innocent as an Oxe to the larder Lady qd I to me this is a queint thing to vnderstand I pray you of this parable declare me the entent This innocente qd she is a scholer learning of my lore in seching of my blisse in which thing the day of his thought turning enclineth in to eue and the Sonne of very light fayling maketh darke night in his conning Thus in darknesse of many douts he walketh and for blindenes of vnderstandyng he ne wote in with way he is in forsoth soch one may lightly been begiled To whom came loue fained not clothed of my liuery but vnlefull lusty habite with softe spech and mery and with faire honied words heretikes and mis meaning people skleren and wimplen their errours Austen witnesseth of an heretike that in his first beginning he was a man right expert in reasons and sweet in his words and yâ— werkes miscorden Thus fareth fayned loue in her first werchinges thou knowest these things for trew thou hast hem proued by experience Sometime in doyng to thine own person in which thing thou hast found matter of mokell disease Was not fained loue redily purueyed thy wittes to catch tourne thy good thoughts trewly she hath wounded the conscience of many with florishing of mokell jangling words and good worthe thanked I it for no glose I am glad of my Prudence thou hast so manly her veined To me art thou moche holden yâ— in thy kind course of good meaning I returne thy minde I trow ne had I shewed thee thy Margarite thou haddest neuer returned Of first in good parfite joy was euer fayned loue impacient as the water of Syloe whiche euermore floweth with stilness priuy noyse till it come nygh the brink then ginneth it so out of measure to bolne with nouelleries of chaungyng storms that in course of euery rennyng it is in point to spill all his circuit of banks Thus fayned loue priuely at the fullest of his flowyng new storms debate to arayse And all be it yâ— Mercurius often with hole vnderstandyng knowen soch perillous matters yet Veneriens so lusty been and so leude in theyr wits yâ— in soch things right litell or naught done they fele wryten and cryen to their fellows here is blisse here is joy thus in to one same errour mokel folk they drawen Come they sayne and be we dronken of our pappes yâ— been fallas lying glose of which mowe they not souke milke of health but deadly venym poyson corruption of sorrow * Mylke of fallas is venym of disceite Milke of lying glose is venym of corrupcion Lo what thing commeth out of these pappes vse we coueited collinges desire we meddle we false wordes with sote sote with false truely this is yâ— sorinesse of fayned loue needs of these surfets sicknesse must follow * Thus as an Ox to thy langoryng death wert thou drawn yâ— sote of the smoke hath thee all defased Euer the deeper thou sometime wadest yâ— sooner thou it found if it had thee killed it had
to set mine harte in ease Wherefore to payne my self with al disease I shal not spare till he take me to grace Or els I shall sterue here in this place Ones if I might with him speake It were al my ioy with parfite pleasaunce So that I might to him my herte breake I shuld anone deuoid al my greuaunce For he is the blisse of very recreaunce But now alas I can nothing do so For in steed of ioy naught haue I but wo. His noble corse within mine harts rote Deep is graued which shall neuer slake Now is he gone to what place I ne wote I mourne I wepe and al is for his sake Sith he is past here a vowe I make With hartely promise thereto I me bind Neuer to cease till I may him find Vnto his mother I thinke for to go Of her haply some comfort may I take But one thing yet me feareth and no mo If I any mencion of him make Of my wordes she wold trimble and quake And who coud her blame she hauing but one * The son borne away yâ— mother wol mone Sorowes many hath she suffred trewly Sith that she first conceiued him and bare And seuen things there be most specially That drowneth her hert in sorrow care Yet lo in no wise may they compare With this one now the which if she knew She wold her paines euerichone renew Great was her sorrow by mennes saying Whan in the temple Simeon Iustus Shewing to her these words prophesiyng Tuam Animam pertransibit Gladius Also when Herode that tyrant furious Her childe pursued in euery place For his life went neither mercy ne grace She mourned when she knew him gone Full long she sought or she him found ayen Whan he went to death his crosse him vpon It was to her sight a rewful paine Whan he hong thereon between theues twaine And the speare vnto his herte thrust right She swouned to the ground there pight Whan deed and bloody in her lappe lay His blessed body both hands fete all tore She cried out and said now wel away Thus araide was neuer man before Whan hast was made his body to be bore Vnto his sepulture here to remaine Vnnethes for wo she coude her sustaine These sorowes seuen like swerds euery one His mothers herte wounded fro syde to syde But if she knew her sonne thus gone Out of this world she shuld with death ride For care she coude no lenger here abide Hauing no more joy nor consolacioun Than I here standing in this stacioun Wherefore her to see I dare nat presume Fro her presence I wol my selfe refraine Yet had I leuer to die and consume Than his mother should haue any more pain Neuertheles her sonne I would see ful fain His presence was very ioy and sweetnes His absence is but sorrow and heauines There is no more sith I may him nat mete Whom I desire aboue all other thing Nede I must take the sour with the swete For of his noble corse I here no tiding Full oft I cry and my hands wring Myne herte alas relenteth all in paine Which will brast both senew and vaine * Alas how vnhappie was this woful hour Wherein is thus mispended my seruice For mine intent and eke my true labour To none effect may come in any wise Alas I thinke if he doe me dispise And list not take my simple obseruaunce There is no more but death is my finaunce I haue him called Sed non respondet mihi Wherfore my mirth is tourned to mourning O dere Lord Quid mali feci tibi That me to comfort I find no erthly thing Alas haue compassion of my crying Yf fro me Faciem tuam abscondis There is no more but Consumere me vis Within myne herte is grounded thy figure That all this worlds horrible tourment May it not aswage it is so without measure It is so brenning it is so feruent Remember Lord I haue bin diligent Euer thee to please onely and no mo Myne herte is with thee where so euer I go Therefore my dere darling Trahe me post te And let me not stand thus desolate Quia non est qui consoletur me Myne herte for thee is disconsolate My paines also nothing me moderate Now if it list thee to speake with me aliue Come in hast for my herte asonder will riue To thee I profer lo my poore seruice Thee for to please after mine owne entent I offer here as in deuout sacrifice My boxe replete with pretious oyntment Myne eyen twaine weeping sufficient Myne herte with anguish fulfilled is alas My soule eke redy for loue about to pas Naught els haue I thee to please or pay For if mine herte were gold or pretious stone It should be thine without any delay With hertely chere thou shuld haue it anone Why suffrest thou me then to stand alone Thou hast I trow my weeping in disdaine Or els thou knowest nat what is my paine If thou withdraw thy noble daliaunce For ought that euer I displeased thee Thou knowest right wel it is but ignorance And of no knowledge for certainte If I haue offended Lord forgiue it me Glad I am for to make full repentaunce Of all thing that hath bin to thy greuaunce Myne herte alas swelleth within my brest So sore opprest with anguish with paine That all to peeces forsooth it woll brest But if I see thy blessed corse againe For life ne death I can nat me refraine If thou make delay thou maist be sure Myne hert woll leape into this sepulture Alas my lord why farest thou thus with me My tribulation yet haue in mind Where is thy mercy where is thy pite Which euer I trusted in thee to find Sometime thou were to me both good kind Let it please thee my prayer to accept Which with teares I haue here bewept On me thou oughtest to haue very routh Sith for thee is all this mourning For sith I to thee yplighted first my trouth I neuer varied with discording That knowest thou best my owne darling Why constrainest thou me thus to waile My wo forsooth can thee nothing availe I haue endured without variaunce Right as thou knowest thy louer iust trew With hert thought aye at thine ordinance Like to the saphire alway in one hew I neuer chaunged thee for no new Why withdrawest thou my presence Sith all my thought is for thine absence With hert intier sweet Lord I crie to thee Encline thine ears to my petition And come Voliciter exaudi me Remember mine herts dispositioun It may not endure in this conditioun Therefore out of these paines Libera me And where thou art Pone me juxta te Let me behold O Iesu thy blissed face Thy faire glorious angellike visage Bow thine eares to my complaint alas For to conuey me out of this rage Alas my lord take fro me this dommage And to my desire for mercy condiscend For none but thou
may my greuance amend Now yet good Lord I thee beseech pray As thou raised my brother Lazarous From death to life the fourth day Came ayen in body and soule precious As great a thing maist thou shew vnto vs Of thy selfe by power of thy godhead As thou did of him lying in graue dead Mine hert is wounded with thy charite It brenneth it flameth incessauntly Come my dear Lord Ad adjuvandum me Now be not long my paine to multiplie Least in the mean time I depart and die In thy grace I put both hope confidence To do as it pleaseth thy high magnificence Floods of death and tribulatioun Into my soule I feele entred full deepe Alas that here is no consolatioun Euer I waile euer I mourne and weepe And sorowhath wounded mine hert ful deepe O deare loue no maruaile though I die Sagittae tuae infixae sunt mihi Wandring in this place as in wildernesse No comfort haue I ne yet assuraunce Desolate of ioy replete with faintnesse No answere receiuing of mine enquiraunce Mine herte also greued with displeasaunce Wherefore I may say O Deus Deus Non est dolor sicut dolor meus Mine herte expresseth Quod dilexi multum I may not endure though I would faine For now Solum superest Sepulchrum I know it right well by my huge paine Thus for loue I may not life sustaine But O God I muse what ayleth thee Quod sic repente praecipitas me Alas I see it wol none otherwise be Now must I take my leaue for euermore This bitter paine hath almost discomfite me My loues corse I can in no wise restore Alas to this wo that euer I was bore Here at this tombe now must I die starue Death is about my heart for to carue My testament I woll begin to make To God the father my soule I commend To Iesu my loue that died for my sake My heart and all both I giue and send In whose loue my life maketh end My body also to this monument I here bequeath both boxe and ointment Of all my wills lo now I make the last Right in this place within this sepulture I woll be buried when I am dead and past And vpon my graue I woll haue this scripture Here within resteth a ghostly creature Christs true louer Mary Magdalaine Whose hart for loue brake in peeces twaine Ye vertuous women tender of nature Full of pitie and of compassion Resort I pray you vnto my sepulture To sing my dirige with great deuotion Shew your charitie in this condition Sing with pitie and let your herts weepe Remembring I am dead and layd to sleepe Then when ye begin to part me fro And ended haue your mourning obseruance Remember wheresoeuer that ye go Alway to search make due enqueraunce After my loue mine herts sustenaunce In euery towne and in euery village If ye may here of this noble image And if it happe by any grace at last That ye my true loue find in any cost Say that his Magdaleine is dead and past For his pure loue hath yeelded vp the ghost Say that of all thing I loued him most And that I might not this death eschew May paines so sore did euer renew And in token of loue perpetual When I am buried in this place present Take out mine hert the very root and al And close it within this boxe of ointment To my deare loue make thereof a present Kneeling downe with words lamentable Do your message speake faire and tretable Say that to him my selfe I commend A thousand times with herte so free This poore token say to him I send Pleaseth his goodnesse to take it in gree It is his own of right it is his fee Which he asked when he said long before * Giue me thy heart and I desire no more Adue my Lord my loue so faire of face Adue my turtle doue so fresh of hew Adue my mirth adue all my sollace Adue alas my sauiour Lord Iesu Adue the gentillest that euer I knew Adue my most excellent paramour Fairer than rose sweeter than lilly flour Adue my hope of all pleasure eternall My life my wealth and my prosperitie Mine heart of gold my perle orientall Mine adamant of perfite charitie My cheefe refuge and my felicitie My comfort and all my recreatioun Farewell my perpetuall saluatioun Farewell mine Emperour Celestiall Most beautifull prince of all mankind Adue my lord of heart most liberall Farewell my sweetest both soule and mind So louing a spouse shall I neuer find Adue my soueraine and very gentilman Farewell dere heart as hertely as I can Thy words eloquent flowing in sweetnesse Shal no more alas my mind recomfort Wherfore my life must end in bitternesse For in this world shall I neuer resort To thee which was mine heauenly disport I see alas it woll none other be Now farewell the ground of all dignitie Adue the fairest that euer was bore Alas I may not see your blessed face Now welaway that I shall see no more Thy blessed visage so replete with grace Wherein is printed my perfite sollace Adue mine hertes root and all for euer Now farewell I must from thee disceuer My soule for anguish is now full thursty I faint right sore for heauinesse My lord my spouse Cur me dereliquisti Sith I for thee suffer all this distresse What causeth thee to seeme thus mercilesse Sith it thee pleaseth of me to make an end In Manus tuas my spirit I commend ¶ Finis The Prologue to the Remedy of LOVE SEeing the manifolde inconuenience Falling by vnbrideled prosperitie Which is not tempred with mortal prudence Nothing more wealthy than youths freeltie Moued I am both of right and equitie To youths we le somewhat to write Whereby he may himselfe safecondite First I note as thing most noyous Vnto youth a greeuous maladie Among us called loue encombrous Vexing yong people straungelie Oft by force causeth hem to die Age is eke turmented by loue Bineath the girdle and not aboue Wherfore this werk which is right laborous For age me need nat in hond to take To youth me oweth to be obsequious Now I begin thus to worke for his sake Which may the feruence of loue aslake To the louer as a mitigatiue To him that is none a preseruatiue That mighty lord which me gouerneth Youth I meane measure if I pace In euery matter which him concerneth First as is behouefull I woll aske grace And forthwithall in this same place Ere I begin I woll kneel and sa These few words and him of helpe pray Flouring youth which hast auauntage In strength of body in lust and beaute Also a precelling hast aboue age In many a singular commodite Howbeit one thing he hath beyond thee To thy most profite greatest auaile Which shuld the conduit I mean sad counsaile And yet good lord of a presumption I nill depraue thy might and deitie I liue but vnder thy protection I am thy subiect
Her nose directed streight and euen as line With forme and shape thereto conuenient In which the goddes milk white path doth shine And eke her eyen ben bright orient As is the Smaragde vnto my judgement Or yet these sterres heauenly small bright Her visage is of louely rede and white Her mouth is short and shit in little space Flaming somedeale not ouer redde I mean With pregnant lips thick to kisse percace * For lippes thinne not fat but euer lene They serue of nauÈt they be not worth a bean For if the basse been full there is delite Maximian truly thus doth he write But to my purpose I say white as snow Been all her teeth and in order they stond Of one stature and eke her breath I trow Surmounteth all odours that euer I found In sweetnesse and her body face and hond Been sharpely slender so that from the head Vnto the foot all is but womanhead I hold my peace of other things hidde Here shall my soule and not my tong bewray But how she was arraied if ye me bidde That shall I well discouer you and say A bend of gold and silke full fresh and gay With her intresse broudered full wele Right smoothly kept and shining euerydele About her necke a flower of fresh deuise With Rubies set that lusty were to sene And she in goun was light and summer wise Shapen full wele the colour was of grene With aureat sent about her sides clene With diuers stones precious and rich Thus was she rayed yet saw I neuer her lich For if that Ioue had but this lady seine Tho Calixto ne yet Alemenia They neuer hadden in his armes leine Ne he had loued the faire Eurosa Ye ne yet Dane ne Antiopa For all their beauty stood in Rosiall She seemed lich a thing celestiall In bounty fauour port and seemelinesse Pleasaunt of figure mirrour of delite Gracious to seene and root of all gentilnesse With angell visage iusty redde and white There was not lack saufe daunger had alite This goodly fresh in rule and gouernaunce And somdele strange she was for her pleasaunce And truly sone I took my leaue and went When she had me enquired what I was For more and more impressen gan the dent Of loues dart while I beheld her face And eft againe I come to seeken grace And vp I put my bill with sentence clere That followeth after rede and ye shall here O ye fresh of beauty the root That nature hath formed so wele and made Princes and quene and ye that may do boot Of all my langour with your words glad Ye wounded me ye made me wo bestad Of grace redresse my mortall greefe as ye Of all my harme the very causer be Now am I caught and vnware suddainly With persaunt streames of your eye so clere Subject to been and seruen you mekely And all your man iwis my lady dere Abiding grace of which I you require That mercilesse ye cause me not to sterue But guerdon me liche as I may deserue For by my troth all the days of my breath I am and will be your in will and hert Patient and meeke for you to suffer death If it require now rue vpon my smart And this I swere I neuer shall out start From loues court for none aduersitie So ye would rue on my distresse and me My desteny my fate and houre I blisse That haue me set to been obedient Onely to you the floure of all iwis I trust to Venus neuer to repent For euer redy glad and diligent Ye shall me find in seruice to your grace Till death my life out of my body race Humble vnto your excellence so digne Enforcing aye my wits and delite To serue and please with glad hert and benigne And been as Troylus Troyes knight Or Antonie for Cleopatre bright And neuer you me thinkes to renay This shall I keepe vnto mine ending day Enprint my speech in your memoriall Sadly my princes salue of all my sore And think yâ— for I would becommen thrall And been your owne as I haue sayd before Ye must of pity cherish more and more Your man and tender after his desert And giue him courage for to been expert For where yâ— one hath set his hert on fire And findeth neither refute ne pleasaunce Ne word of comfort death will quite his hire Alas that there is none allegeaunce * Of all their wo alas the great greuaunce To loue vnloued but ye my lady dere In other wise may gouerne this matere Truly gramercy friend of your good will And of your profer in your humble wise But for your seruice take and keep it still And where ye say I ought you well to cherise And of your greefe the remedy deuise I know not why I nam acquainted well With you ne wot not sothly where ye dwell In art of loue I write and songs make That may be song in honour of the king And quene of Loue and then I vndertake He that is sadde shall then tull merry sing And daungerous not ben in euery thing Beseech I you but seene my will and rede And let your answere put me out of drede What is your name rehearse it here I pray Of whence and where of what condition That ye been of let see come off and say Faine would I know your disposition Ye haue put on your old entention But what ye meane to serue me I ne wote Saufe that ye say ye loue me wonder hote My name alas my hert why makes thou straunge Philogenet I calld am fer nere Of Cambrige clerk yâ— neuer think to chaunge Fro you yâ— with your heuenly stremes clere Rauish mine hert and ghost and all infere Since at the first I write my bill for grace Me thinke I see some mercy in your face And with I mene by gods yâ— al hath wrought My bill now maketh small mention That ye been lady in mine inward thought Of all mine hert withouten offencion That I best loue and sith I begon To draw to court lo then what might I say I yeeld me here vnto your nobley And if that I offend or wilfully By pompe of hert your precept disobay Or done againe your will unskilfully Or greuen you for earnest or for play Correct ye me right sharply then I pray As it is seene vnto your womanhede And rew on me or els I nam but dede Nay God forbede to fesse you so with grace And for a word of sugred eloquence To haue compassion in so little space Then were it time that some of vs were hens Ye shall not find in me such insolence * Eye what is this may ye not suffre sight How may ye looke vpon the candle light That clerer is and hotter than mine eie And yet ye sayd the beames perse and frete How shall ye then the candle light endrie For well wote ye that hath the sharper hete And there ye bid me you correct and bete
For in no wise dare I more mell Of thing wherein such perill is As like is now to fall of this This queene right tho full of great feare With all the ladies present there Vnto the knight came where he lay And made a Lady to him say Lo here the queene awake for shame What will you doe is this good game Why lye you here what is your mind Now is well seene your wit is blind To see so many Ladies here And ye to make none other chere But as ye set them all at nought Arise for his loue that you bought But what she said a word not one He spake ne answere gaue her none The Queene of very pitty tho Her worship and his like also To saue there she did her paine And quoke for feare and gan to saine For woe alas what shall I doe What shall I say this man vnto If he die here lost is my name Now shal I play this perillous game If any thing be here amisse It shall be said it rigour is Whereby my name impayre might And like to die eke is this knight And with that word her band she laid Vpon his brest and to him said Awake my knight lo it am I That to you speake now tell me why Ye fare thus and this paine endure Seing ye be in country sure Among such friends that would you heale Your hearts ease eke and your weale And if I wist what you might ease Or know the thing that you might please I you ensure it should not faile That to your heale you might auaile Wherefore with all my heart I pray Ye rise and let vs talke and play And see how many Ladies here Be comen for to make good chere All was for nought for still as stone He lay and word spoke none Long while was or he might braid And of all that the Queene had said He wist no word but at the last Mercy twise he cried fast That pitty was his voice to heare Or to behold his painefull cheare Which was not fained well was to sein Both by his visage and his eyn Which on the queene at once he cast And sighed as he would to brast And after that he shright so That wonder was to see his wo For sith that paine was first named Was neuer more wofull paine attained For with voice dead he gan to plaine And to himselfe these words saine I wofull wight full of malure Am worse than dead and yet dure Maugre any paine or death Against my will I fell my breath Why nam I dead sith I ne serue And sith my Lady will me sterue Where art thou death art thou agast Well shall we meete yet at the last Though thou thee hide it is for nought For where thou dwelst thou shalt be sought Maugre thy subtill double face Here will I die right in this place To thy dishonour and mine ease Thy manner is no wight to please What needs thee sith I thee seche So thee to hide my paine to eche And well wost thou I will not liue Who would me all this world here giue For I haue with my cowardise Lost joy and heale and my seruise And made my soueraigne Lady so That while she liues I trow my fo She will be euer to her end Thus haue I neither joy ne frend Wote I not whether hast or sloth Hath caused this now by my troth For at the hermitage full hie When I her saw first with mine iye I hied till I was aloft And made my pace small and soft Till in mine armes I had her fast And to my ship bare at the last Whereof she was displeased so That endlesse there seemed her wo And I thereof had so great fere That me repent that I come there Which hast I trow gan her displease And is the cause of my disease And with that word he gan to cry Now death death twy or thry And motred wot I not what of slouth And euen with that the Queene of routh Him in her armes tooke and said Now mine owne knight be not euill apaid That I a lady to you sent To haue knowledge of your entent For in good faith I meant but well And would ye wist it euery dele Nor will not do to you ywis And with that word she gan him kisse And prayed him rise and said she would His welfare by her truth and told Him how she was for his disease Right sory and faine would him please His life to saue these words tho She said to him and many mo In comforting for from the paine She would he were deliuered faine The knight tho vp cast his een And when he saw it was the queen That to him had these words said Right in his wo he gan to braid And him vp dresses for to knele The queene aussing wonder wele But as he rose he ouerthrew Wherefore the queene yet eft anew Him in her armes anon tooke And pitiously gan on him looke But for all that nothing she said Ne spake not like she were well paid Ne no chere made nor sad ne light But all in one to euery wight There was seene conning with estate In her without noise or debate For saue onely a looke piteous Of womanhead vndispiteous That she showed in countenance For seemed her heart from obeisance And not for that she did her reine Him to recure from the peine And his heart to put at large For her entent was to his barge Him to bring against the eue With certaine ladies and take leue And pray him of his gentilnesse To suffer her thenceforth in peace As other Princes had before And from thence forth for euermore She would him worship in all wise That gentilnesse might deuise And paine her wholly to fulfill In honour his pleasure and will And during thus this knights wo Present the queene and other mo My lady and many another wight Ten thousand ships at a sight I saw come ouer the wawy flood With saile and ore that as I sâ—ood Them to behold I gan maruaile From whom might come so many a saile For sith the time that I was bore Such a nauy there before Had I not seene ne so arayed That for the sight my heart played To and fro within my brest For joy long was or it would rest For there was sailes full of floures After castels with huge toures Seeming full of armes bright That wonder lusty was the sight With large toppes and mastes long Richly depeint and rear among At certaine times gan repaire Small birds downe from th aire And on the ships bounds about Sate and song with voice full out Ballades and Layes right joyously As they cowth in their harmony That you to write that I there see Mine excuse is it may not be For why the matter were to long To name the birds and write their song Whereof anon the ridings there Vnto the queene soone brought were With many alas and many a doubt