Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	bring_v	fruit_n	hew_v	3,413	5	12.3365	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32749	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 ... : 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 ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.; Works. 1687	Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.; Speght, Thomas, fl. 1600.; Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Siege of Thebes.	1687 (1687)	Wing C3736; ESTC R3920	1,295,535	731

world is not to account in respect of reason loue that with good wil and reason accordeth with none earthly riches may not ben amended This yeft hast thou yeuen I know it my self and thy Margarite thilke gift hath receiued in which thing to reward she hath her self bound But thy gift as I said by no maner riches may be amended wherefore with thing that may nat be amended thou shalt of thy Margarites rightwisenesse be rewarded Right suffred yet neuer but euery good deed sometime to be yold All would thy Margarite with no reward thee quite Right that neuer more dieth thy mede in merite woll puruey Certes such suddain blisse as thou first nempnest right will hem reward as the well is worthy and tho at thine eye it seemeth the reward the desert to passe right can after send such bitternesse euenly it to reward so the suddain blisse by always of reson in great goodnesse may not be accompted but blisse long both long it abideth and endlesse it woll last See why thy wil is endles for if thou lovedst euer thy will is euer there tabide and neuer more to change euen head of reward must ben done by right then must needs thy grace and this blisse endlesse in joy to vnbide Euenlich disease asketh euenlich joy which hastly thou shalt haue A qd I it sufficeth not then alone good will be it neuer so well with reason medled but if it be in good seruice long trauailed And so through seruice should men come to the joy and this me thinketh should be the wexing tree of which ye first meued VEry trouth qd she hast thou now conceiued of these things in thine heart hastely shalt thou bee able verye joye and parfite blisse to receiue And now I wote well thou desirest to knowe the manner of braunches that out of the tree should spring Thereof lady qd I heartely I you pray For then leue I woll that right soone after I shall ataste of the fruite that I so longe haue desired Thou haste hearde qd she in with wise this tree toforn this haue I declared as in ground in stock of wexing First the ground should be thy free will full in thine heart and the stock as I said should be continuance in good seruice by long time in trauail till it were in greatnesse right well woxen And when this tree such greatnesse hath caught as I haue rehersed y● branches then that the fruit should foorth bring speech must they be needs in voice of prayer in complaining wise vsed Out alas qd I tha he is sorrowfully wounded that hideth his speech and spareth his complaints to make what shall I speke that care but pain euen like to hell sore hath me assailed and so ferforth in pain me throng that I leue my tree is ser neuer shall it fruit forth bring * Certes he is greatly eased that dare his preuy mone discouer to a true fellow that conning hath and might wherethrough his pleint in any thing may be amended And mokel more is he joied y● with heart of hardines dare complain to his lady what cares that he suffreth by hope of mercy with grace to be auanced Truly I say for me sith I came this Margarite to serue durst I neuer me discouer of no manner disease well the later hath mine heart hardied such things to done for the great bounties worthy refreshments that she of her grace goodly without any desert on my halue oft hath me rekened and nere her goodnesse the more with grace and with mercy medled which passen all deserts trauels seruings that I in any degree might endite I would wene I should be without recouer in getting of this blisse for euer Thus haue I stilled my disease thus haue I couered my care y● I bren in sorrowfull annoy as gledes and coals wasten a fire vnder dead ashen Well the hoter is the fire that with ashen is ouerlein right long this wo haue I suffred Lo qd Loue how thou farest me thinketh the palsie euil hath acomered thy wits as fast as thou highest forward anon suddainly backward thou mouest Shal nat yet all thy leaudnesse out of thy brains Dull ben thy skilful vnderstandings thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred Wost thou not well qd she but euery tree in his seasonable time of bourioning shew his blomes fro within in sign of with fruit should out of him spring els the fruit for that year men halt deliuered be the ground neuer so good And tho the stock be mighty at the full the branches seer no burions shew Farewel the gardiner he may pipe with an yuy leaf his fruit is failed Wherfore thy branches must burionen in presence of thy lady if thou desire any fruit of thy ladies grace but beware of thy life that thou no wo delay vse as in asking of things y● stretchen into shame for then might thou not speed by no way y● I can espy * Vertue woll not suffer villanye out of himselfe to spring Thy words may not be queint ne of subtel manner vnderstanding Freel witted people supposen in such poesies to be beguiled in open vnderstanding must euery word be vsed * Voice wthout clere vnderstanding of sentence saith Aristotle right nought printeth in hert Thy words then to abide in hert cleane in full sentence of true mening platly must thou shew euer be obedient her hests her wils to perform be thou set in such a wit to wete by a look euermore with she meaneth And he y● list nat to speak but stilly his disease suffer with wonder is it tho he neuer come to his blisse * Who y● trauaileth vnwist and coueiteth thing vnknow vnweting he shall be quited and with vnknow thing rewarded Good lady qd I then it hath oft be seen that weathers and storms so hugely haue fall in burioning time by pert duresse han beaten off the springs so clean wherethrough y● fruit of thilk year hath failed It is a great grace when burions han good wethers their fruits foorth to bring Alas then after such storms how hard is it to auoid till eft wedring and years han maked her circuit cours all about ere any fruit be able to be tasted he is shent for shame y● foul is rebuked of his speech He that is in fire brenning sore smarteth for disease Him thinketh full long er y● water come y● should y● fire quench * While men gon after a leche the body is buried Lo how seemly this fruit wexeth me thinketh y● of tho fruits may no man atast for pure bitternesse in favor In this wise both fruit y● tree wasten away togider tho mokell busie occupation haue be spent to bring it so fer forth y● it was able to spring A litle speech hath maked that all this labour is in idle I not qd she wherof it serueth thy question to assoil me thinketh thee now duller in wits than when I with

battaile hem betweene That in the same selue groue sweet greene There as he had his amorous desires His complaint and for loue his hote fires He would make a fire in which the offis Funerall he mighten all accomplis He hath anon commaunded to hack and hew The Okes old and lay hem all on a rew In culpons well araied for to brenne His officers with swift foot they renne Right anon at his commaundement And after Theseus hath ysent A large bere and it all ouersprad With cloth of gold the richest that he had And of the same sute he clothed Arcite Vpon his hands his gloues white Eke on his head a croune of Laurell grene And in his hand a sword full bright and kene He laied him bare visaged on the bere Therewith he wept that pitie was to here And for the people should seene him all When it was day he brought him to the hall That roreth of the crying and the soun Tho come this wofull Theban Palamon With glitering beard ruddie shining heres In clothes blacke dropped all with teres And passing other of weeping Emelie The rufullest of all the companie And in as much as the seruice should bee The more noble and rich in his degree Duke Theseus let foorth the steeds bring That trapped were in steele all glittering And couered with the armes of Dan Arcite Vpon these steeds great and lilly white There saten folk of which one bare his shield Another his speare in his hand held The third bare with him a bow Turkes Of brent gold was the case and the harnes And ridden forth apace with sorie chere Toward the groue as ye shall after here The noblest of the Greeks that there were Vpon her shoulders caried the bere With slacke pace and eyen red and wete Throughout the citie by the maister strete That sprad was all with black that wonder hie Right of the same is the street ywrie Vpon the right hand went Egeus And on the other side duke Theseus With vessels in her hand of gold full fine All full of hony milke blood and wine Eke Palamon with full great companie And after that came wofull Emelie With fire in hand as was that time the gise To doen the office of funerall seruice Hie labour and full great apparelling Was at seruice and at fire making That with his green top the heaven raught And twenty fadome of bred armes straught This is to saine the boughes were so broad Of straw first there was laid many a load But how the fire was maken vp on height And eke the names how all the trees hight As oke firre beech aspe elder elme popelere Willow holme plane boxe chesten laurere Maple thorne beech ewe hasell whipuitre How they were feld shall not be told for me Ne how the gods runnen vp and doun Disherited of her habitatioun In which they wonned in rest and pees Nimphes Faunies and Amadriades Ne how the beasts ne how the birds all Fledden for feare when the trees was fall Ne how the ground agast was of the light That was not wont to see the sunne bright Ne how the fire was couched first with stre And then with drie stickes clouen a thre And then with greene wood and spicerie And then with cloth of gold and perrie And garlands hanging with many a flour The mirrhe the incense with sweet odour Ne how Arcite lay among all this Ne what richesse about his body is Ne how that Emely as was the guise Put in the fire of funerall service Ne how she souned when made was the fire Ne what she spake ne what was her desire Ne what iewels men in the fire cast When that the fire was great and brent fast Ne how some cast her shield some her spere And of her vestments which that they were And cups full of wine of milke and blood Into the fire that brent as it were wood Ne how the Greekes with a huge rout Thrice did riden all the fire about Vpon the left hand with a loud shouting And thrice on the right with her speres clatering And thrice how the ladies gan all to crie Ne how that led was homeward Emelie Ne how that Arcite is brent to ashen cold Ne how the liche wake was yhold All that night long ne how the Greeks play The wake plaies ne keepe I not to say Who wrestled best naked with oile annoint Ne who bare him best in euery point I woll not tellen eke how they gone Home to Athens when the play is done But shortly to the point then woll I wend And maken of my long tale an end By processe and by length of certain yeares All stinten is the mourning and the teares Of Greekes by one generall assent Then seemed me there was a parliament At Athens vpon a certain point and caas Among the which points yspoken was To haue with certaine countries alliance And haue of Thebanes fully obeisance For which this noble Theseus anon Let send after this gentle Palamon Vnwist of him what was the cause and why But in his blacke clothes sorrowfully He came at his commaundement on hie Tho sent Theseus after Emelie When they were set husht was the place And Theseus abidden hath a space Or any word came from his wise brest His eyen set he there as was his lest And with a sad visage he siked still And after that right thus he saied his will * The first mouer of the cause aboue When he first made the faire chaine of loue Great was theffect and high was his intent Well wist he why and what thereof he ment For with that faire chaine of loue he bond The fire the aire the water and the lond In certaine bonds that they may not flee The same prince and that mouer qd he Hath stablisht in this wretched world adoun Certaine of daies and duracioun To all that are engendred in this place Ouer the which day they may not pace All mow they yet tho daies abredge There needeth none authority to ledge For it is proued by experience But that me list declare my sentence Then may men by this order discerne That thilke mouer stable is and eterne * Well may men know but he be a foole That every part is deriued from his hoole For nature hath not taken his beginning Of one part or cantle of a thing But of a thing that perfit is and stable Descending so till it be corrumpable And therefore of his wise purueyanuce He hath so well beset his ordinaunce That spaces of things and progressions Shullen endure by successions And not eterne without any lie This maiest thou vnderstand and see at eie * Lo the oke that hath so long a norishing Fro the time that it beginneth first to spring And hath so long a life as ye may see Yet at the last wasted is the tree Considereth eke how that the hard stone Vnder our feet on which we tread and gone Yet wasteth

for suspection Of mennes spech euer had this Chanon * For Cato saieth he that gilty is Demeth all thing be spoken of him iwis Because of that he gan so nigh to draw To this yeman to herken all his sawe And thus he said vnto his yeman tho Hold now thy peace speake no words mo For if thou do thou shalt it sore abie Thou slaundrest me here in this companie And eke discouerest that thou shouldest hide Ye qd our host tell on whatsoeuer betide Of all this threting recke thee not a mite In faith qd he no more do I but lite And when this Chanon saw it would not be But this yeman would tell his priuite He fled away for very sorow and shame A qd the yemon here shall rise a game All that I can anon woll I you tell Sens he is gon the foule tende him quell For neuer hereafter woll I with him mete For peny ne for pound I you behete He that me brought first unto that game Er that he die sorow haue he and shame For it is ernest to me by my faith That fele I well what so any man saith And yet for all my smert and all my greue For all my sorow labour and mischiefe I couth neuer leaue it in no wise Now would to God my wit might suffice To tellen all that longeth to that art But nathelesse yet woll I tell you a part Sens that my lord is gon I woll not spare Such thing as I know I woll declare ¶ The Thanons yeomans Tale. A Priest of London more covetous than wise is deceived by a Chanon professing the Art of Alchimy WIth this Chanon I dwelt seuen yere And of his science I am neuer the nere All that I had I haue lost thereby And God wot so hath many mo than I. There I was wont to be right fresh and gay Of clothing and eke of other good aray * Now may I weare an hose vpon mine hedde And where my colour was both fresh redde Now is it wanne and of a leaden hew Who so it vseth sore shall him rue * And of my swinke yet blered is mine eye Lo which auantage it is to multiplie That sliding science hath me made so bare That I haue no good where that euer I fare And yet I amendetted so thereby Of Gold that I haue borowed truly That while I liue I shall it quite neuer Let euery man beware by me euer What maner man that casteth him thereto If he continue I hold his thrift ido * So help me God thereby shall he neuer win But empte his purse make his wits thin And when he through his madnesse and folie Hath lost his own good through ieopardie Than he exiteth other men thereto To lese her good as himselfe hath do * For vnto shrewes ioy it is and ese To haue her felawes in pain and disese For thus was I once lerned of a clerke Of that no charge I woll speak of our werke When we be there as we shall exercise Our eluish craft we semen wonder wise Our termes been so clergiall and so quaint I blow the fire till my hert faint What should I tell eche proportion Of things which that we werchen vpon As on fiue or sixe ounces may well be Of siluer or of some other quantite And besie me to tellen you the names Of Orpiment brent bones yron squames That into pouder grounden been full small And in an earthen pot how put is all And salt iput in and also papere Before these pouders that I speake of here And wel icouered with a lampe of glas And of much other thing that there was And of the pottes and glas engluting That of the aire might passe out nothing And of the elle fire and smart also Which that was made of the care and wo That we had in our matters subliming And in amalgaming and calsening Of quicke siluer icleped Mercurie crude For all our flight we cannot conclude Our Orpiment and sublimed Mercurie Our ground litarge eke on porphirie Of each of these ounces a certaine Not helpeth us our labour is in vaine Ne eke our spirites assentioun Ne our matters that lien all fire adoun Mowe in our werking nothing auaile For lost is all our labour and our trauaile * And all the cost a twentie deuil way Is lost also which we vpon it lay There is also full many another thing That is to our craft appertaining Though I by order hem ne rehearce can Because that I am a leude man Yet wol I tellen hem as they come to minde Though I ne can set hem in her kinde As Bole Armoniake Verdegrece Borace And sundry vessels made of earth and glas Our vrinals and our discensories Viols crossettes and sublimatories Concurbites and alembekes eke And other such deare inough of a Leke It nedeth not to rehearce hem all Waters ●ubisiyng and Boles gall Arsneke sal Armoniake and Brimstone And herbes cold I tell eke many one As Egremonie Valerian and Lunarie And other such if that me list to tarie Our lamps eke brenning both night day To bring abo●● our craft if that we may Our fournice eke of calcination And of waters albification Vns●eked lime chalke and gleire of an eye Pounders diuers ashes doung pisse cleie Sered pokettes salt Peter and Vitriole And diuers fires made of wood and cole Sal Tartre Alcaly and Sal preparate And combust matters and coagulate Cley made with horse dung mans here oile Of tartre alim glas berme wort argoile Resagor and other matters enbibing And eke of our matters encorporing And of our siluer citrination Our sementing and eke fermentation Our yngottes testes and many things mo I woll you tell as was me taught also The foure spirits and the bodies seuen By order as oft I heard my lord nemen The first spirit Quickesiluer cleped is The second Orpiment the third iwis Sal Armoniake the fourth Brimstone The bodies seuen eke lo here hem anone Sol gold is and Luna siluer we threpe Mars yron Mercurie quicke siluer we clepe Saturnus leade and Iupiter is tinne And Venus coper by my father kinne This cursed craft who so woll exercise He shall no good haue that may him suffice For all the good he spendeth thereabout He lese shall thereof haue I no doubt Who so that listen to vtter his foly Let him come forth and learne to multiplie And euery man that hath ought in his cofer Let him appere and wex a Philosopher Askaunce that craft is so light for to lere Nay nay God wot all be he Monke or Frere Priest or Chanon or any other wight Though he sit at his booke both day night In learning of this eluish nice lore All is in vaine and parde much more Is to lere a leude man this subtilte Fie speke not thereof it woll not be All could he lettcure or could he none As in effect he shall finde it all one For

both two by my saluation Concluden in multiplication Iliche well when they haue all ido This is to saine they failen both two Yet forgate I much rehearsaile Of waters corosife and of limaile And of bodies mollification And also of her induration Oiles ablusions mettall fusible To tellen you all would passe any bible That o where is wherefore as for the best Of all these names now would I me rest For as I trow I haue you told ynow To reise a fiende all looke he neuer so row A naie let be the Philosophers stone Elixer cleped we siken fast echone For had we him then were we siker inow But vnto God of heauen I make auow For all our craft when that we han all ido And all our sleight he woll not come vs to He hath made vs spenden much good For sorow of which almost we waxen wood But that good hope creepeth in our hart Supposing euer though we sore smart To been relieued of him afterward Supposing and hope is sharpe and hard * I warne you well it is to siken euer That future temps hath made men disceuer In trust thereof all that euer they had Yet of that arte they could not waxe sad For vnto hem it is a bitter sweet So seemeth it for ne had they but a sheet Which that they might wrappen hem in a night And a bratte towalken in a day light They would hem sell and spend it on this craft They conne not stint till nothing be ilaft And euermore where that euer they gone Men may hem ken by smell of Brimstone For all the world they stinken as a Gote Her sauour is so Rammish and so hote That though a man a mile from hem be The sauour woll infect him trusteth me Lo thus by smelling by thredbare array If that men list this folke know they may And if a man woll aske him priuely Why they be clothed so unthriftily Right anon they woll rowne in his ere And saien if that they aspied were Men woll hem slea because of her science Lo thus these folke betraien innocence Passe ouer this go my tale unto Er that the potte be on the fire ido Of mettals with a certaine quantite My lord hem tempereth no man but he Now he is gon I dare say boldly For as men sain he can doen craftly Algate I wote well he hath such a name And yet full oft he renneth in the blame And wote ye how full oft it happeth so The pot breaketh and farewell all is go These mettales beene of so great violence Our walles may not make hem resistence But if they were wrought of lime and stone They percen so throgh the wall they gone And some of hem sinken into the ground Thus have we lost by times many a pound And some are scattered all the flore about Some lepen into the roofe withouten doubt Tho that the fende not in our sight him shew I trow that he with us be that like shrew In hell where that he is lord and fire Ne is there no more wo ne angre ne ire When that our pot is broke as I have saied Euery man chite holte him evill apuied Some saied it was long of the fire making Some saied naie it was on the blowing Then was I ferde for that was mine office Straw qd the third ye been leude nice It was not tempred as it ought to be Nay qd the fourth stint herken me Because our fire was not made of Bech That is the cause none other so theche I can not tell whereon it is along But well I wot great strife is vs among What qd my lord there nis no more to doen Of these perils I woll beware eftsone I am right siker that the pot was crased Be as be may be ye not amased As usage is let swepe the floore as swithe Plucke vp your heart be glad and blithe The mullocke on an heape iswept was And on the floore yeast a canuas And all this mullocke in a Siue ithrow And sifted and I plucked many a throwe Parde qd one somewhat of our metall Yet is there here though we have not all And tho this thing mishapped hath as now Another time it may been well inow We mote put our good in auenture * A marchant parde may not aie endure Trusteth me well in his prosperitee Sometime his good is drowned in the see And sometime it cometh safe unto the lond Peace qd my lord the next time I woll fond To bring our craft all in another plite And but I doe sirs let me have the wite There was default in somewhat wel I wote Another said the fire was ouer hote But be it hote or cold I dare say this That we concluden euer more amis We failen of that which we would haue And in our madnesse evermore we raue And when we be together everychone Every man seemeth as wise as Salomon * But all thing which that shineth as the gold Is not gold as that I haue heard told * Ne euery apple that is faire at eie Nis not good what so men clap or crie Right so lo it fareth emong vs He that seemeth the wisest by Iesus * Is most foole when it commeth to the prefe And he that seemeth truest is a thefe That shal ye know er that I from ye wende By that I of my tale haue made an ende There was a Chanon of religioun Emongs vs would enfect all a town Though it as great were as Niniue Rome Alisaundre Troie and other three His sleight and his infinite falsenesse There couth no man written as I gesse Though that he might liue a thousand yere In all this world of falsenesse nis his pere For in his termes he woll him so wind And speake his words in so slie a kind When be comune shall with any wight That he woll make him dote anon right But if a fiende he be as himselfe is Full many a man hath he begiled er this And mo woll if that he may liue a while And yet men riden gone full many a mile Him for to seeke and haue his acquaintance Not knowing of his false gouernance And if ye lust to giue audience I woll it tellen here in your presence But worshipfull Chanons religious Ne demeth not that I slander your house Although my tale of a Chanon be * Of euery order some shrew is parde * And God forbid that all a company Should rue a singular mans folly To slander you is not mine entent But to correct that amisse is ment This tale was not onely told for you But eke for other mo ye wote well how That emong Christes Apostles twelue There was no traitour but Iudas himselue Then why should the remnant haue any blame That guiltlesse were by you I say the same Saue onely this if ye woll hearken me If any Iudas in your couent be Remeueth him betime I you rede If shame

consent That ye have power to repent For though that quicke ye would him slo Fro Love his heart may nat go Now sweet sir it is your ease Him for to anger or disease Alas what may it you auaunce To doen to him so great greauaunce What worship is it againe him take Or on your man a werre make Sith he so lowly euery wise Is ready as ye lust deuise If Love have caught him in his laas You for to beie in euery caas And been your subject at your will Should ye therefore willen him ill Ye should him spare more all out Than him that is both proud and stout Courtesie would that ye succoure Hem that been meeke vnder your cure * His hart is hard that woll not meeke When men of meekenesse him beseeke THis is certaine saied Pitie * We see oft that Humilitie Both ire and also felonie Venquisheth and also malanchollie To stond forth in such duresse This crueltie and wickednesse Wherefore I pray you sir Daungere For to maintaine no lenger here Such cruell warre againe your man As wholly yours as euer he can Nor that ye worchen no more wo Vpon this caitife that languisheth so Which woll no more to you trespace But put him wholly in your grace His offence ne was but lite The God of Love it was to wite That he your thrall so greatly is And if ye harme him ye doen amis For he hath had full hard pennaunce Sith that ye reft him thaquaintaunce Of Bialacoil his most joy Which all his paines might acoy He was before annoyed sore But then ye doubled him well more For he of blisse hath been full bare Sith Bialacoil was fro him fare Love hath to him great distresse He hath no need of more duresse Voided from him your ire I rede Ye may not winnen in this dede Maketh Bialacoil repaire againe And haveth pitie vpon his paine For Fraunchise woll and I Pite That mercifull to him ye be And sith that she and I accorde Have vpon him misericorde For I you pray and eke moneste Nought to refusen our requeste For he is hard and fell of thought That for vs two woll doe right nought Daunger ne might no more endure He meeked him vnto measure I woll in no wise saieth Daungere Denie that ye have asked here It were too great vncourtesie I woll ye have the companie Of Bialacoil as ye deuise I woll him let in no wise To Bialacoil then went in hie Fraunchise and saied full curteslie Ye have too long be deignous Vnto this lover and daungerous For him to withdraw your presence Which hath do to him great offence That ye not would vpon him see Wherefore a sorrowfull man is hee Shape ye to pay him and to please Of my love if ye woll have ease Fulfill his will sith that ye know Daunger is daunted and brought low Through helpe of me and of Pite You dare no more afterde be I shall doe right as ye will Saieth Bialacoil for it is skill Sith Daunger woll that it so be Then Fraunchise hath him sent to me BIalacoil at the beginning Salued me in his comming No straungenesse was in him seene No more than he ne had wrathed been As faire semblaunt then shewed he me And goodly as aforne did he And by the hond without dout Within the haie right all about He lad me with right good chere All enuiron the vergere That Daungere had me chased fro Now have I leave ouer all to go Now am I raised at my deuise Fro hell vnto Paradise Thus Bialacoil of gentlenesse With all his paine and businesse Hath shewed me onely of grace The efters of the swote place I saw the Rose when I was nigh Was greater woxen and more high Fresh roddy and faire of hew Of colour euer iliche new And when I had it long seene I saw that through the leaues greene The Rose spread to spannishing To seene it was a goodly thing But it ne was so sprede on brede That men within might know the sede For it couert was and close Both with the leaves and with the Rose The stalke was euen and grene vpright It was thereon a goodly sight And well the better without wene For the seed was not sene Full faire it sprad the God of blesse For such another as I gesse Aforne ne was ne more vermaile I was abawed for maruaile For euer the fairer that it was The more I am bounden in loues laas Long I abode there sooth to say Till Bialacoil I gan to pray When that I saw him in no wise To me warnen his seruise That he me would graunt a thing Which to remember is well sitting This is to saine that of his grace He would me yeue leisure and space To me that was so desirous To haue a kissing precious Of the goodly fresh Rose That so sweetly smelleth in my nose For if it you displeased nought I woll gladly as I haue sought Haue a kisse thereof freely Of your yeft for certainely I woll none haue but by your leue So loth me were you for to greue HE saied friend so God me spede Of Chastitie I haue such drede Thou shouldest not warned be for me But I dare not for Chastite Againe her dare I not mis do For alway biddeth she me so To yeue no louer leaue to kisse For who thereto may winnen iwisse He of the surplus of the praie May liue in hope to get some day For who so kissing may attaine Of Loues paine hath sooth to saine The best and most auenaunt And earnest of the remenaunt OF his answere I sighed sore I durst assay him tho no more I had such drede to greve him aye * A man should not too much assaye To chafe his friend out of measure Nor put his life in auenture For no man at the first stroke Ne may not fell downe an Oke Nor of the reisins haue the wine Till grapes be ripe and well a fine Before empressed I you ensure And drawen out of the pressure But I forpeined wonder strong Though that I abode right long And after the kisse in paine and wo Sith I to kisse desired so Till that renning on my distresse There come Venus the goddesse Which aye werrieth Chastite Came of her grace to succour me Whose might is know ferre and wide For she is mother of Cupide THe God of Loue blind as stone That helpeth louers many one This lady brought in her right hond Of brenning fire a blasing brond Whereof the flame and hote fire Hath many a Lady in desire Of Loue brought and sore hette And in her seruice her heart is sette This Lady was of good entaile Right wonderfull of apparaile By her attire so bright and shene Men might perceiue well and sene She was not of Religioun Nor I nill make mentioun Nor of robe nor of treasour Of broche neither of her rich attour Ne of her girdle about her side For that I nill not long abide

And other lasse folke as Phebuseo So that for harm that day the folk of Troy Dreden to lese a great part of her ioy Of Priamus was yeve at Grekes request A time of truce and tho they gonnen trete Her prisoners to chaungen most and lest And for the surplus yeven sommes grete This thing anon was couth in every strete Both in thassiege in toune and every where And with the first it came to Calcas ere When Calcas knew this tretise should hold In consistorie among the Greekes soone He gan in thringe forth with lords old And set him there as he was wont to done And with a chaunged face hem bade a boone For love of God to done that reverence To stinten noise and yeve him audience Then said he thus lo lords mine I was Troyan as it is knowen out of drede And if that you remember I am Calcas That alderfirst yave comfort to your nede And told well how that you should spede For dredelesse through you shall in a stound Ben Troy ibrent beaten doun to ground And in what forme or in with manner wise This toun to shend and all your lust atcheve Ye have ere this well herde me devise This know ye my lordes as I leve And for the Greekes weren me so leve I came my selfe in my proper persone To reach in this how you was best to done Having vnto my treasour ne my rent Right no regard in respect of your ease Thus all my good I left and to you went Wening in this you lordes for to please But all that losse ne doth me no disease I vouchsafe as wisely have I ioy For you to lese all that I have in Troy Save of a doughter that I left alas Sleeping at home when out of Troy I stert O sterne O cruell father that I was How might I have in that so hard an hert Alas that I ne had brought her in my shert For sorow of which I wol nat live to morow But if ye lordes rew vpon my sorow For because that I saw no time ere now Her to deliver iche holden have my pees But now or never if that it like you I may her have right now doubtlees O helpe and grace among all this prees Rew on this old caitife in distresse Sith I through you have all this hevinesse Ye have now caught and fettred in prison Troyans inow and if your willes be My child with one may have redemption Now for the love of God and of bounte One of so fele alas so yefe him me What need were it this praier for to werne Sith ye shull have both folk toun as yerne On perill of my life I shall nat lie Apollo hath me told full faithfully I have eke found by astronomie By sort and by augurie truely And dare well say the time is fast by That fire flambe on all the toun shall sprede And thus shall Troy turne to ashen dede For certaine Phebus and Neptunus both That makeden the walles of the toun Ben with the folke of Troy alway so wroth That they woll bring it to confusioun Right in despite of king Laomedoun Because he nolde paien hem her hire The toune of Troy shall ben set on fire Telling his tale alway this old grey Humble in his speech and looking eke The salt teares from his eyen twey Full fast ronnen doune by either cheke So long he gan of succour hem beseke That for to heale him of his sorowes sore They gave him Antenor withouten more But who was glad inough but Calcas tho And of this thing full soone his nedes leide On hem that shoulden for the treatise go And hem for Antenor full ofte preide To bringen home king Thoas and Creseide And when Priam his safegard sent Thembassadours to Troy streight they went The cause ytold of her comming the old Priam the king full soone in generall Let here vpon his parliment hold Of which theffect rehearsen you I shall Thembassadours ben answerde for finall The eschaunge of prisoners and all this nede Hem liketh well and forth in they procede This Troilus was present in the place When asked was for Antenor Creseide For which full sone chaungen gan his face As he that with tho wordes well nigh deide But nathelesse he no word to it seide Lest men should his affection espie With mannes hert he gan his sorowes drie And full of anguish and of gresly drede Abode what other lords would to it sey And if they would graunt as God forbede Theschange of her then thought he thing twey First how to save her honour with wey He might best theschaunge of her with stond Full fast he cast how all this might stond Love him made all prest to done her bide And rather dien than she should go But Reason said him on that other side Withouten assent of her do nat so Lest for thy werke she would be thy so And saine y● through thy medling is yblow Your brother love there it was noterst know For which he gan deliberen for the best And though the lords would that she went He would let hem graunt what hem lest And tell his lady first what that they ment And when that she had said him her entent Thereafter would he worken also blive Tho all the world ayen it wolde strive Hector which that well the Greekes herd For Antenor how they would have Creseide Gan it withstond and soberly answerd Sirs she nis no prisoner he seide I not on you who that this charge leide But on my part ye may estsoones hem tell We useli here no women for to sell The noise of people up siert then at●nes As brimme as blase of straw iset on fire For infortune it would for the nones They shoulden her confusion desire Hector qd they with ghost may you enspire This women thus in shild and done us ●ese Dan Antenore a wrong way now ye chese That is so wise and eke so bold baroun And we have need of folke as men may see He is one of the greatest of this toun O Hector lette thy fantasies bee O king Priam qd they thus segge wee That all our voice is to forgone Creseide And to delive Antenor they preide O Iuvenall lord true is thy sentence That little wenen folke what is to yerue That they ne finden in her desire offence For cloud of errour ne lette hem discerne What best is lo here ensample as yerne These folke desiren now deliverance Of Antenor y● brought hem to mischaunce For he was after traitour to the toun Of Troy alas they quitte him out to rathe O nice world lo thy discretioun Creseide which that never did hem scathe Shall now no lenger in her blisse bathe But Antenor he shall come home to toun And she shall out thus said heere and houn For which delibered was by parliment For Antenor to yeelden out Creseide And it pronounced by the

that this Lionesse hath dronke her fill About the well gan she for to wind And right anon the wimple gan she find And with her bloody mouth it all to rent When this was done no lenger she ne stent But to y● wood her way then hath she nome And at the last this Piramus is come But all too long alas at home was hee The Moone shone men might well isee And in his way as that he come full fast His eyen to the ground adoun he cast And in the sonde as he beheld adoun He saw the steppes brode of a Lioun And in his hart he suddainly agrose And pale he wext therwith his hart arose And here he came found the wimple torne Alas qd he the day that I was borne This o night woll both vs lovers slee How should I asken mercy of Tisbee When I am he that have you slaine alas My bidding hath you slaine in this caas Alas to bidde a woman gone by night In place thereas perill fallen might And I so slow alas I ne had be Here in this place a furlong way ere ye Now what Lion that is in this forest My body mote he rente or what beast That wild is gnawen mote he mine hart And with that word he to the wimple start And kist it oft and wept on it full sore And said wimple alas there nis no more But thou shalt feele as well the blood of me As thou hast felt the bleeding of Tisbe And with that word he smote him to y● hart The blood out of the wound as broad start As water when the conduit broken is Now Tisbe which that wist nat this But sitting in her drede she thought thus If it so fall out that my Piramus Be comen hither and may me nat ifind He may me holden false and eke vnkind And out she commeth after him gan espien Both with her hart and with her eien And thought I woll him tellen of my drede Both of the Lionesse and of my dede And at the last her love then hath she found Beating with his heeles on the ground All bloody and therewithall abacke she start And like the wawes quappe gan her hart And pale as boxe she woxe and in a throw Avised her and gan him well to know That it was Piramus her hart dere Who could write whiche a deadly chere Hath Tisbe now and how her haire she rent And how she gan her selfe to turment And how she lieth swouneth on the ground And how she wept of teares full his wound How medleth she his blood with her complaint How with her blood her selven gan she paint How clippeth she the red corse alas How doth this wofull Tisbe in this caas How kisseth she his frosty mouth so cold Who hath don this who hath ben so bold To sleen my lefe o speake Piramus I am thy Tisbe that thee calleth thus And therwithall she lifteth vp his head This wofull man that was nat fully dead When that he herd y● name of Tisbe crien On her he cast his heavy deadly eyen And doun againe and yeeldeth vp the ghost Tisbe rist vp without noise or bost And saw her wimple and his empty sheath And eke his swerd that him hath done to death Then spake she thus thy woful hand qd she Is strong ynough in such a werke to me For love shall yeve me strength hardinesse To make my wound large ynough I gesse I woll thee followen dead and I woll be Felaw and cause eke of thy death qd she And though that nothing save y● death only Might thee fro me depart trewly Thou shalt no more departe now fro me Than fro the death for I woll go with thee And now ye wretched jelous fathers our We that weren whylome children your We praien you withouten more enuie That in o grave we moten lie Sens love hath brought vs this pitous end And right wise God to every lover send That loveth trewly more prosperite Than ever had Piramus and Tisbe And let no gentill woman her assure To putten her in such an aventure * But God forbid but that a woman can Ben as true and loving as a man And for my part I shall anon it kithe And with y● word his swerde she tooke switche That warme was of her loves blood hote And to the hart she her selven smote And thus are Tisbe and Piramus ago Of true men I find but few mo In all my bookes save this Piramus And therefore have I spoken of him thus For it is deintie to vs men to find A man that can in love be true and kind Here may ye seene what lover so he be A woman dare and can as well as he ¶ The Legend of Dido Queene of Cartage GLory and honour Virgile Mantuan Be to thy name and I shall as I can Follow thy lanterne as thou goest beforne How Eneas to Dido was forsworne In thine Eneide and Naso woll I take The tenour and the great effects make When Troy brought was to destruction By Grekes sleight and namely by Sinon Faining the horse offred vnto Minerue Thrugh which that many a Troian must sterve And Hector had after his death apered And fire so wood it might nat ben stered In all the noble toure of Ilion That of the citie was the cheefe dungeon And all the country was so low ybrought And Priamus the king fordone and nought And Eneas was charged by Venus To flien away he tooke Ascanius That was his son in his right hand fled And on his backe he bare and with him led His old father cleped Anchises And by the way his wife Creusa he lees And mokell sorrow had he in his mind Ere that he coulde his fellawship find But at the last when he had hem found He made him redy in a certaine stound And to the sea full fast he gan him hie And saileth forth with all his companie Towards Itaile as would destinee But of his aventures in the see Nis nat to purpose for to speke of here For it accordeth nat to my matere But as I said of him and of Dido Shall be my tale till that I have do So long he sailed in the salt see Till in Libie vnneth arriued he So was he with the tempest all to shake And when that he the haven had itake He had a knight was called Achatees And him of all his fellowship he chees To gone with him the country for tespie He tooke with him no more companie But forth they gon and left his ships ride His feere and he withouten any guide So long he walketh in this wildernesse Till at the last he met an hunteresse A bow in hond and arrowes had she Her clothes cutted were vnto the knee But she was yet the fairest creature That ever was iformed by nature And Eneas and Achates she gret And thus she to hem spake when she hem met Saw ye qd she as

me drow Somwhat by force somwhat by her request That in no wise I could my selfe rescow But needs I must come in and see the feast At my comming the Ladies euerychone Bad me welcome God wore right gentilly And made me ●here euery one by one A great deale better than I was worthy And of their grace shewed me great courtesie With good disport because I shold not mourn That day I bode still in their companie Which was to me a gracious sojourne The bords were spred in right little space The Ladies sat each as hem seemed best There were no deadly seruants in the place But chosen men right of the goodliest And some there were perauenture most freshest That saw their Iudges full demure Without semblaunt either to most or lest Notwithstanding they had hem vnder cure Emong all other one I gan espy Which in great thought ful often came and went As one that had ben rauished vtterly In his language not greatly dilligent His countenance he kept with great turment But his desire farre passed his reason For euer his eye went after his entent Full many a time when it was no season To make chere sore himselfe he pained And outwardly he fained great gladnesse To sing also by force he was constrained For no pleasaunce but very shamefastnesse For the complaint of his most heauinesse Came to his voice alway without request Like as the soune of birdes doth expresse When they sing loud in frithe or in forrest Other there were that serued in the hall But none like him as after mine aduise For he was pale and somwhat lean withall His speech also trembled in fearefull wise And euer alone but when he did seruise All blacke he ware and no deuise but plain Me thought by him as my wit could suffise His heart was nothing in his own demain To feast hem all he did his dilligence And well he coud right as it seemed me But euermore when he was in presence His chere was done it nolde none other be His Schoolemaister had such authorite That all the while he bode still in the place Speake coud he not but vpon her beaute He looked still with a right pitous face With that his head he tourned at the last For to behold the Ladies euerichone But euer in one he set his eye stedfast On her which his thought was most vpon For of his eyen the shot I knew anone Which fearful was with right humble requests Then to my self I said by God alone Such one was I or that I saw these jests Out of the prease he went full easely To make stable his heauie countenance And wote ye well he sighed wonderly For his sorrowes and wofull remembrance Then in himselfe he made his ordinance And forthwithall came to bring in the messe But for to judge his most wofull penuance God wote it was a pitous entremesse After dinner anone they hem auanced To daunce aboue the folke euerichone And forthwithall this heauy man he danced Somtime with twain somtime with one Vnto hem all his chere was after one Now here now there as fell by auenture But euer among he drew to her alone Which he most dread of liuing creature To mine aduise good was his purueiance When he her chose to his mai●resse alone If that her hart were set to his pleasance As much as was her beauteous person * For who so euer setteth his trust vpon The report of the eyen withouten more He might be dead and grauen vnder stone Or euer he should his hearts ease restore In her failed nothing that I coud gesse One wise nor other priuie nor apert A garrison she was of all goodlinesse To make a frontier for a iouers hert Right yong and fresh a woman full couert Assured wele of port and eke of chere We le at her ease withouten wo or smert All vnderneath the standerd of dangere To see the feast it wearied me full sore For heauy joy doth sore the heart trauaile Out of the prease I me withdrow therefore And set me downe alone behind a traile Full of leaues to see a great meruaile With greene wreaths ybounden wonderly The leaues were so thicke withouten faile That throughout no man might me espy To this Lady he came full courtesly When he thought time to dance with her a trace Set in an herber made full pleasantly They rested hem fro thens but a little space Nigh hem were none of a certain compace But onely they as farre as I coud see Saue the traile there I had chose my place There was no more between hem two me I heard the louer sighing wonder sore For aye the more the sorer it him sought His inward paine he coud not keepe in store Nor for to speake so hardie was he nought His leech was here the greater was his He mused sore to conquer his desire thought * For no man may to more pennance be broght Than in his heat to bring him to the fire The hart began to swell within his chest So sore strained for anguish and for paine That all to peeces almost it to brest When both at ones so sore it did constraine Desire was bold but shame it gan refraine That one was large the other was full close No little charge was laid on him certaine To keepe such werre and haue so many fose Full oftentimes to speak himself he pained But shamefastnesse and drede said euer nay Yet at the last so sore he was constrained When he full long had put it in delay To his Lady right thus then gan he say With dredeful voice weeping half in a rage For me was purueyed an vnhappy day When I first had a sight of your visage I suffer pain God wote full hote brenning To cause my death all for my true seruise And I see well ye recke thereof nothing Nor take no heed of it in no kind wise But when I speake after my best aduise Ye set it at nought but make thereof a game And though I sewe so great an enterprise It peireth not your worship nor your fame Alas what should it be to you prejudice If that a man doe loue you faithfully To your worship eschewing euery vice So am I yours and will be verely I challenge nought of right and reason why For I am hole submit vnto your seruice Right as you list it be right so will I To bind my self where I was in fraunchise L'amant. Though it be so that I cannot deserue To haue your grace but alway liue in drede Yet suffer me you for to loue and serue Withouten maugre of your most goodlyhede Both faith trouth I giue your womanhede And my seruice without any calling Loue hath me bound without wage or mede To be your man and leue all other thing La dame When this lady had heardall this language She gaue answere ful soft and demurely Without chaunging of colour or courage Nothing in hast but measurably Me thinketh sir

Arcite That elde which all can frete and bite And it hath freten many a noble story Hath nigh devoured out of our memory Be favourable eke thou Polimnia On Pernaso that hath thy sisters glade By Elicon not far from Cirsa Singest with voice memorial in the shade Vnder the Laurer which that may not fade And doe that I my ship to haven winne First follow I Stace and after him Corinne Jamque domos patrias Cithiae-post aspera gentis Praelia laurigeo subeuntem Thesea curru Laetifici plausus missusque ad sidera vulgi c. When Theseus with warres long great The aspre folke of Cithe had ouercome The Laurer crowned in his chaire gold beat Home to his country houses is ycome For which the people blisful all and some So criden that to the Sterres it went And him to honouren did all her entent Before this Duke in sign of victory The Trompes come and in his baner large The Image of Mars and in token of glory Men might see of treasure many a charge Many a bright helm many a spere targe Many a fresh knight many a blisful rout On horse and on foot in all the field about Ipolita his wife the hardy Queene Of Cithia that he conquered had With Emely her young suster shene Faire in a chaire of gold he with him lad That all the ground about her chair she sprad With brightness of beauty in her face Fulfilled of largesse and of grace With his triumph laurer crowned thus In all the floure of Fortunes yeuing Lete I this noble prince Theseus Toward Athenes in his way riding And fonde I woll in shortly to bring The slye way of that I gan to write Of Queene Annelida and false Arcite Mars that through his furious course of ire The old wrath of Iuno to fulfill Hath set the peoples hertes both on fire Of Thebes and Grece euerich other to kill With bloody speres rested neuer still But throng now here now there among hem both That euerich other slue so were they wroth For when Amphiorax and Tideus Ipomedon and Partinope also Were dedde and slain proud Campaneus And when the wretched Thebans brethren two Were slain King Adrastus home ago So desolate stood Thebes and so bare That no wight could remedy his care And when the old Creon gan espy How that the blood royal was brought adown He held the Citee by his tyranny And did the gentils of that regioun To been his friends and dwell in the toun So what for loue of him and what for awe The noble folke were to the towne ydrawe Among all these Annelida the queene Of Ermony was in that towne dwelling That fairer was than the Sonne sheene Throughout the world so gan her name spring That her to see had every wight liking For as of trouth is there none her liche Of all the women in this world riche Yong was this queene of twenty yere old Of middle stature and of soch fairnesse That nature had a ioy her to behold And for to speaken of her stedfastnesse She passed hath Penelope and Lucresse And shortly if she may ben comprehended In her might nothing been amended This Theban knight eke sothe to sain Was yong thereto withall a lusty knight But he was double in love nothing plain And subtill in that craft ouer any wight And with his conning wan this Lady bright For so ferforth he gan her trouth assure That she him trusteth ouer any creature What should I sain she loueth Arcite so That when that he was absent any throw Anone her thought her herte brast atwo For in her sight to her he bare him low So that she wende have all his hert yknow But he was false it nas but fayned chere As nedeth not soche crafte men to lere But neuerthelesse full mikell businesse Had he er that he might his Lady winne And swore he would dien for distresse Or from his witte he said he would twinne Alas the while for it was routh and sinne That she upon his sorrowes would rue * But nothing thinketh the false as doth the true Her fredome found Arcite in soch manere That all was his that she hath moch or lite Ne to no creature made she cheer Further than it liked to Arcite There was no lack with which he might her wite She was so ferforth yeuen him to please That all that liked him did her ease There nas to her no maner letter sent That touched loue from any maner wight That she ne shewed him or it was brent So plain she was and did her full might That she nyl hide nothing from her knight Lest he of any vntrouth her vpbreyde Without bode his herte she obeyd And eke he made him ialous ouer her That what that any man had to her sayd Anon he would praien her to swere What was y● word or make him yuell apaid Then wende she out of her witte have braid But all was but sleight and flatterie Without love he fained jelousie And all this tooke she so debonairly That al his will her thought it skilful thing And ever the lenger she loved him tenderly And did him honour as he were a king Her herte was to him wedded with a ring For so ferforth vpon trouth is her entent That where he goth her herte with him went When she shal eat on him is so her thought That well vnneth of meate toke she keepe And when she was to her rest brought On him she thought alway till that she slepe Whan he was absent priuely doth she wepe Thus liueth faire Annelida the queene For false Arcite that did her all this tene This false Arcite of his newfanglenesse For she to him so lowly was and trewe Tooke lesse deintee for her stedfastnesse And saw another Lady proude and newe And right anon he clad him in her hewe Wote I not whether in white reed or grene And falsed faire Annelida the queene But neverthelesse great wonder was it none Though he were false for it is y● kind of man Sith Lamech was that is so long agone To be in love as false as euer he can He was the first father that began To loven two and was in bigamye And he found tents first but if men lye This false Arcite somewhat must he faine Whan he was false to coueren his tratoury Right as an horse that can both bite plaine For he bare her in honde of treachery And swore he coude her doublenesse espye And all was falsenesse that she to him ment Thus swore this thefe and forth his way he went Alas what herte might endure it For routhe or wo her sorrow for to tell Or what man hath the conning or the wit Or with man might within the chambre dwell If I to him rehersen shall the hell That suffreth fayre Annelida the queene For false Arcite that did all this tene She wepeth waileth swouneth pitously To ground deed she falleth

yong children to martire Of cruelty he left the quarele Pity he wrought and pity was his hele For thilke mans pity which he dede God was pitous and made him hole at all Siluester came and in the same stede Yaue him baptisme first in speciall Which did away the sinne originall And all his lepre it hath so purified That his pity for euer is magnified Pity was cause why this Emperour Was hole in body and in soule both And Rome also was set in thilke honour Of Christs faith so that they leue or loth Which hadden be with Christ tofore wroth Receiued were vnto Christs lore Thus shall pity be praised euermore My worthy liege lord Henry by name Which England hast to gouerne and right Men ought well thy pity to proclaime Which openliche in all the worlds sight Is shewed with the helpe of God almight To yeue vs peace which long hath be debated Whereof thy prise shall neuer be abated My lord in whome hath euer yet be found Pity without spot of violence Keepe thilke peace alway within bound Which God hath planted in thy conscience So shall the cronique of thy patience Among the saints be taken into memory To the legend of perdurable glory And to thine earthly prise so as I can Which euery man is hold to commend I Gower which am all thy liege man This letter vnto thine excellence I send As I which euer vnto my liues end Woll pray for the state of thy persone In worship of thy scepter and thy throne Not onely to my king of peace I write But to these other princes Christen all That ech of hem his owne hert endite And sease the warre or more mischeefe fall Set eke the rightfull Pope vpon his stall Keepe charity and draw pity to hand Maintaine law and so the peace shall stand Explicit carmen de pacis commendatione quod ad laudem memoriam seremssimi principis domini regis Henrici Quarti suus humilis orator Johannes Gower composuit Electus Christi pie rex Henrici fuisti Qui bene venisti cum propria regna petisti Tu mala vicistique bonis bona restituisti Et populo tristi nova gaudia contribuisti Est mihi spes lata quod adhuc per te renovata Succedent fata veteri probitare beata Est tibi nam grata gratia sponte data Henrici quarti primus regni fuit annus Quo mihi defecit visus ad acta mea Omnia tempus habent finem natura ministrat Quem virtute sua frangere nemo potest Ultra posse nihil quamvis mihi velle remansit Amplius ut scribam non mihi posse manet Dum potui scripsi sed nunc quia curva senectus Turbavit sensus scripta relinquo scholis Scribat qui veniet post me discretior alter Ammodo namque manus mea penna silent Hoc tamen in fine verborum queso meorum Prospera quod statuat regna futura Deus Explicit ¶ A Saying of Dan Iohn THere be foure thinges that maketh man foole Honour first putteth him in outrage And alder next solitary and soole The second is unweldy crooked age Women also bring men in dotage And mighty wine in many diuers wise Distempren folke which been holden wise ¶ Yet of the same THere ben four things causing great foly Honour first and vnwildy age Women and wine I dare eke specifie Make wise men fallen in dotage Wherfore by counsail of Philosophers sage In great honour learne this of me With thine estate have humilite Balade de bon consail IF it befall that God thee list visite With any tourment or adversite Thanke firste the lord and thy selfe to quite Vpon suffraunce and humilite Found thou thy quarell what ever that it be Make thy defence thou shalt have no losse The remembrance of Christ and of his crosse Explicit Of the Cuckow and the Nightingale Chaucer dreameth that he heareth the Cuckow and the Nightingale contend for excellency in singing * THE God of love and benedicite How mighty howe great a lord is he For he can make of low herts hy And of high low and like for to dy And hard herts he can maken free He can make within a little stound Of sicke folke hole fresh and sound And of hole he can make seeke He can bind and vnbinden eke That he woll have bounden or vnbound To tell his might my wit may not suffice For he can make of wise folke full nice For he may do all that he woll device And lithy folke to destroyen vice And proud herts he can make agrise Shortly all that ever he woll he may Against him dare no wight say nay For he can glad and greve whom him liketh And who that he woll he lougheth or siketh And most his might he shedeth ever in May. For every true gentle heart free That with him is or thinketh for to be Againe May now shall have some stering Or to joy or els to some mourning In no season so much as thinketh me For when they may here the birds sing And see the floures and the leaves spring That bringeth into her remembraunce A manner ease medled with grevaunce And lustie thoughts full of great longing And of that longing commeth hevinesse And thereof groweth of great sicknesse And for lacke of that that they desire And thus in May ben herts set on fire So that they brennen forth in great distresse I speake this of feeling truly If I be old and vnlusty Yet I have felt of the sicknesse through May Both hote and cold and axes every day How sore ywis there wote no wight but I. I am so shaken with the fevers white Of all this May sleepe I but a lite And also it is not like to me That any heart should sleepy be In whom that love his firy dart woll smite But as I lay this other night waking I thought how lovers had a tokening And among hem it was a commune tale That it were good to here the Nightingale Rather than the leud Cuckow sing And then I thought anon as it was day I would go some where to assay If that I might a Nightingale here For yet had I none heard of all that yere And it was tho the third night of May. And anone as I the day aspide No lenger would I in my bed abide But vnto a wood that was fast by I went forth alone boldely And held the way downe by a brooke side Till I came to a laund of white and green So faire one had I never in been The ground was green ypoudred with daisie The floures and the greues like hy All greene and white was nothing els seene There sate I downe among y● faire flours And saw the birds trip out of her bours There as they rested hem all the night They were so joyfull of the dayes light They began of May for to done hours They coud that seruice all by rote There was

the second to treate of Entencion Your louer to please do your busie cure For as min author Romance maketh mencion Without entent your loue may not endure * As women will thereof I am right sure Endeuour with herte will and thought To please him onely y● her loue hath sought Discrecion * In your dealing euer be discrete Set not your loue there as it shall be losed Aduertise in your mind whether he be mete That vnto him your hert may be disclosed And after as you find him then disposed Point by discretion your hour time place Conueniently meting with arms to embrace Pacience Of these commandments the iv is pacience * Tho by irous corage your louer be meued With soft wordes and humble obedience His wrath may sone be swaged and releued And thus his loue obteined and acheued Will in you roote with greater diligence Bicause of your meke womanly pacience Secretnesse Secretly behaue you in your werks In shewing countenance or meuing of your iye Though soch behauor to some folk be derke He that hath loued will it soone aspie Thus your selfe your counsaile may descrie * Make priuy to your deling as few as ye may For iii. may keep a counsel if twain be away Prudence * Let prudence be gouernor of your bridel reine Set not your loue in so feruent wise But that in goodly hast ye may refreine If your louer list you to dispise * Romaunce mine auctour wold you this aduise To slacke your loue for if ye do not so That wanton lust will tourne you into wo. Perseueraunce * Stablish your loue in so stedfast wise If that ye thinke your louer will be trew As entirely as you can deuise Loue him onely and refuse all new Then shall not your worship change his hew For certes masteres then is he to blame But if that he will quite you with the same Pity * Be piteous to him as womanhod requireth That for your loue endureth paines smart Whom so sore your pleasaunt looke enfireth That printed is your beauty in his hart And wounded lieth without knife or dart There let your pity spred without restraint For lacke of pity let not your seruaunt faint Measure Take mesure in your talking be not outrage For this rehearseth Romance de la Rose * A man endued with plenteous langage Oft time is denied his purpose Take measure in langage wisedom in grose * For mesure as right well proued is by reason Things vnseasonable setteth in season Mercy Soch daunger exile him vtterly Ouer all mercy to occupy his place To piteous complaints your eares apply And receiue your seruaunt in grace To him that bound is in loues lace Shew fauour lady and be not merciless Least ye be called a common murderess Lenuoye When ye vnto this balade haue inspection In my making holde me excusable It is submitted vnto your correction Consider that my conning is disable To write to you the figure vniable All deuoide of conning and experience Maner of inditing reason and eloquence Trust it well the maker your owne You to obey while his life may endure To do you seruice as a man vnknowne No guerdone desiring of yearthly treasure But if it might accord with your pleasure For true seruice him to auaunce And call him into your remembraunce Explicit the Ten Commaundements of Love The Nine Ladies worthy Queene Sinope PRofulgent in preciousnesse O Sinope queen Of all feminine bearing the scepter and regaly Subduing the large country of Armenia as it was sene Maugre their mights thou brought them to apply Thine honour to encrease thy power to magnify O renomed Hercules with all thy pompous boste This Princes tooke the prisoner and put to flight thine hoste Lady Ipolite Yet Hercules wexed red for shame when I spake of Ipolite Chief patrons captain of the people of sinope Which with amorous ther coragious miȝt Smote thee to ground for all thy cruelty Wherfore the dukeship of Diomedes dignity Vnto her great land and glory perpetuall Attributed is with triumph Laureall Lady Deifile The noble triumphe of this Lady Deifile In releue succor of the great duke of Athenes She chastised brought into perpetual exile The aureat citezeins of mighty Thebes The strong brasen pillers there had no reles But she with her sister Argia them did doun cast And with furious fire y● citee brent at last Lady Teuca O pulchrior sole in beauty full lucident Of all femine most formous flour In Italy reigning with great cheualry right feruent Chastised the Romains as maieres conqueror O lady Teuca moch was thy glory honor Yet moch more was to comend thy benignite In thy parfite liuing and virginall chastitie Queene Pantasile Oye Trogeans for this noblequene Pantasile Sorow her mortality with dolorous compassion Her loue was to you so pregnant fertile That against the proud Grekes made defension With her victorious handwas al her affection To lash y● Greks to ground was her herts joy To reuenge y● coward death of Hector of Troy Queene Thamiris O thou rigorous quene Thamiris inuincible Vpon y● strong hideous people of citees reining Which by thy power wits sensible Thou tokest in battail Cyrus the great king Of Perce Mede his head of in blood lying Thou badest him drink y● blood had thursted And xxii M. of his host there were distressed Lady Lampedo The famous trump of gold forged so bright Hath blowen so vp the fame glory enuiron Of this lady Lampedo with her sister Marthesi That al the land of Feminie Europe Epheson Be yelden applied lowly to her subjection Many an high toure she raised built toures long perpetuelly to last with huge wals strong Queene Semiramys Lo here Semiramys quene of great Babilon Most generous gem floure of louely fauor Whose excellent power fro Mede vnto septentrion Florished in her regallyas a mighty conqueror Subdued al Barbary zorast y● king of honor she slue in Ethiop conquerd Armony in Inde In which non entred but Alexander she as I finde Lady Menalip Also the lady Menalip thy sister dere Whose marcial power no man coud withstand Through the worlde was not found her pere The famous duke Thesus she had in hand She chastised him and all his land The proude Greekes mightely she did assaile Ouer came and vanquished them in battaile Explicit the Ballades of the nine Worthies of Ladies ALone walking In thought plaining And sore sighing All desolate Me remembring Of my liuing My death wishing Both early and late Infortunate Is so my fate That wote ye what Out of measure My life I hate Thus desperate In such poore estate Doe I endure Of other cure Am I not sure Thus to endure Is hard certain Suche is my vre I you ensure What creature May haue more pain My truth so plaine Is take in vaine And great disdaine In remembraunce Yet I full faine Would me complaine Me to abstaine From this