¶ The spectacle of louers ¶ Here after foloweth a lytell contrauers dyalogue bytwene loue and councell with many goodly argumentes of good women and bad very compendyous to all estates newly compyled by wyllyam walter seruaunt vnto syr Henry Marnaye knyght Chauncelour of the Duchye of Lancastre Councell Loue. ¶ Here begynneth the prologue of the auctoure FOr as moche as ydelnesse is rote of all vyces whom to eschue y e wyseman dothe vs counsayle I therfore entende with some maner of besynesse Agaynst the same that I myght preuayle Recorde of Phylosepher whiche maketh rehersayle Better it is to wryte and some thynge for to saye Than in slouthe ydelnesse to spende the tyme awaye ¶ And thus thynkynge my mynde for to apply To make some thynge for my recreacyon It came to my remembraunce to shewe and notyfy Bytwene a louer and me the greate alteracyon Of his peteous complaynt makynge demonstracyon The answeres agayne there vnto replyenge In maner of argument togyder dysputynge ¶ wherfore I requyre you with humble petycyon This my poore werke to take agreable And there as is amysse to make reformacyon From mesure good makynge whiche is so varyable Lette ygnoraunce excuse my faute reprouable whiche made it not for ony presumpcyon But onely for pastyme and recreacyon ¶ Finis IN a mornynge for my recreacyon In to the feldes as I went walkynge To beholde the grounde I had delectacyon Arayed w t floures fayre and swete smellynge The trees buddynge and the byrdes syngyng Phebus his beames shynynge lyke the golde Made my herte ioye suche pleasures to beholde ¶ And as I was thus walkynge all alone By an herber I herde ryght sodeynly A louer that pyteously made his mone Sayenge alas for sorowe I shall dye Uenus darte hath wounded me so cruelly without I maye my purpose soone attayne For sorowe my herte wyll breke in twayne ¶ O goddesse of loue that hath the sygnory Of all creatures attende to my petycyon Enclyne my lady that she do apply To my desyre by thyne instygacyon That loue in her maye haue suche operacyon That our two wylles togyder maye be knyt For as a prysoner to her I me submyt ¶ Alas how greate sorowe it is and payne To lyue in drede alwaye Imagynynge How her good grace that I myght attayne In thought and pensyfnesse alwaye desyrynge At a good ende my purpose for to brynge Thus do I lyue bytwene hope and drede Somtyme trustynge and somtyme not to spede ¶ whan her noble person fyrst I dyd beholde The souenaunce of her beaute my herte so enbraced That my coloure chaunged my blode waxed colde Loue there my herte and wyll togyder enterlaced So fyrmely that neuer it can be defaced But as her true louer to loue her pardurable whiche for no chaunce shall be founde varyable ¶ Alas good lady holde me excused Yf I desyre the whiche I am vnworthy Loue had my herte so greatly abused Aboue all other to loue you specyally To my harde fortune I can no wyse reply But to submyt me vnto your grace and wyll It is at your pleasure to saue or to spyll wherfore good lady Into your handes Loue hath me brought Lose not his lyfe In thought and care Alas swete lady Mercy I aske with pyte do entende As a prysonere Lette loue my care amende That loueth you so dere Euer I stande in fere Remembre my greate payne Do not my loue dysdayne ¶ By her loue my mynde is solycyted That slepynge nor wakynge I am in quyetnesse But in ymagynacyons thoughtes greatly turmēted My coloure is faded my mynde for heuenesse Is greatly oppressed my body for werynesse And lacke of sustenaunce is so weyke of nature That without her pyte it maye not longe endure ¶ whan that I do her beaute contemplayre Her noble vertue her goodly countenaunce who that dame nature hath made so passynge fayre Than am I supprysed with her remembraunce As a man that were all in a traunce Enflamed with the hote brennynge fyre Of loue that nothynge may slake my greate desyre ¶ I wolde Iesu she had the prerogatyfe That she knewe y e thoughtes of al creatures humayne Than sholde she knowe what a bytter lyfe I lede for her to myght she not refrayne But for pyte release me out of payne And by her loue to conforte me restore For there is nothynge that I desyre so sore ¶ Alas how am I thus greatly abused That my mynde to her dare not expresse For yf she sholde ones haue me refused Alwaye in sorowe I sholde lyue confortlesse Ones must she knowe my cause of heuynesse Or of my purpose I shall nothynge attayne But thus styll my fortune to complayne ¶ O how greate ioye sholde my herte enbrace Yf that my lady of her femynyne pyte wolde me accept in to her specyall grace That togyder in maryage vnyed we myght be Than were I brought from care to felycyte well myght I saye my loue were not in vayne Syth her goodly person that I dyd optayne ¶ Often tymes I haue ben purposed My pyteous sorowe to 〈◊〉 declare But whan my loue I sholde haue dysclosed Despayre byddeth me for to beware Lest by dysdayne I were brought in care Desyre my mynde than greatly dothe auaunce Of my fortune to knowe the fynall chaunce ¶ Thus haue I lyued alwaye languysshynge In varyaunce bytwene loue hope and drede with pensyfe thoughtes alwaye ymagynynge Of my purpose how that I myght spede And yf I sholde be vnreguardoned For the loue that I to her do bere Thus am I alwaye put in thought and fere ¶ O cruell loue O loue insacyable what haue I offended to be thus troubled By the cruell dartes of desyre intollerable whiche hath my herte so greatly abused with contynuall care to be thus tourmented That at no tyme I am in ony rest But by desyre and fere alwaye opprest ¶ Cursed be ye my cruell eyes twayne whiche haue perfyxed my mynde so desyrous That my herte in no wyse can refrayne But of my lady for to be amorous Ye haue me wounded with paynes dolorous Of sorowe and care that persed hath my herte without her conforte my lyfe wyll soone departe ¶ Consultor ¶ whan that I herde hym thus pyteously complayne My herte for pyte sorowed inwardly And for to cause hym his sorowe to refrayne with wordes of conforte I dyd my mynde apply For in trouble there is no better remedy Than to a frende for to dysclose his sore For sorowe close kepte engendreth more and more ¶ wherfore these wordes to hym dyd I saye why do ye thus pyteously lament Conforte your selfe yf that ye maye Or elles ryght soone ye wyll repent For where as sorowe on sorowe dothe augment In processe of tyme thynke it as no wonder But that it wyll perse your herte asonder ¶ Amator ¶ He loked on me with face pale and wan His face dyscouered his wofull heuynesse Alas he sayd I am a wofull man That by loue am brought
in to dystresse I loue and dare not my loue to her expresse That hath my herte hoolly in her cure Meruayle it is that I maye this woo endure ¶ I loue a lady whose beauty dothe excell Lyke as aurora all other sterres in lyght Of her noble vertue the trewthe I can not tell Nature and fortune hath gyuen her that myght Her noble beaute hath persed so my syght Enflamynge my herte by desyre contynuall That vnto loue I am made bonde and thrall ¶ Consultor ¶ Suche dysordynat loue procedeth of ydelnesse To beholde women hauynge delectacyon whiche by contynuaunce dothe more more encrese Encensynge theyr myndes by besy Imagynacyon To fynde the crafte and operacyon To brynge poore women in to suche dotage In theyr loue that they myght madde and rage ¶ Some to theyr louers tokyns do sende Other delyte them in goodly apparell Some other in wrytynge theyr louers do commende And by false ê“myses procure them to do yll Other lewde tales of rybaudry to tell And to hote meates and drynkes women desyre By suche prouocacyon to set theym on a fyre ¶ Thus do they dayly and study in theyr mynde How folysshe women that they myght abuse And yf by chaunce ony suche they fynde Than for a tyme they wyll theym haunt and vse And for an other soone after theym refuse They do not care how many they begyle For suche madde loue lasteth but a whyle ¶ Amator ¶ what man is he that wolde hym selfe abstayne From beholdynge of so noble a creature Or what is he that wolde not take greate payne Yf that he myght to purchase suche a treasure whiche myght be moost to his synguler pleasure God neuer created thynge vnder the fyrmament So noble as woman nor to man more conuenyent ¶ And where as ye saye men haue great delectacyon To dysdayne women by some subtyll trayne And to be mutable of theyr dysposycyon Trouthe it is trewe loue wyll neuer stayne But to be stedfast trewe faythfull and playne Though some entende to women to do shame All trewe louers of theym are not to blame ¶ Consultor ¶ Trewe loue nay nay madde loue men may it call A foole is he he can it not deny Where he is free to make hym bonde and thrall In louynge a woman with herte so stedfastly Whiche by his loue in no meane can apply Yet from her loue he can hym not refrayne Though that he knew his loue speâ—â— in vayne ¶ Suche is the condycyon of louers impacyent That do desyre that they may not attayne Whiche to theyr degrees is not equiualent Yet by reason they can not theym refrayne But of theyr possybylyte to complayne Of the dyffycultye they seke no remedy Bothe counsell and shame they vtterly deny ¶ Amator ¶ Why sholde not men loue women in theyr mynde Syth that brute beestes do loue theyr semblable All thynge is gouerned by nature and by kynde And syth that nature in beestes is so stable Why sholde not a man a creature reasonable Loue a woman syth nature dothe hym bynde Wolde ye haue men erre agaynst theyr kynde Specta of lo. ¶ We louers haue alway suche harde chaunce Some for to loue ferre vnder theyr degre Or theym selfe more greatly do auaunce We neuer be at our owne lyberte To haue respecte vnto the qualyte Nature hathe vs in suche subieccyon There to loue where we ought not of reason ¶ Loue her I wyll whyle my lyfe shall last What so euer therof here after shall ensewe My herte and wyll shall euer be stedfast Her onely to loue as a louer trewe Reason nor counsell my mynde can not subdewe No shame it is to loue in honeste Though that she passe ferre aboue my degre ¶ Consultor ¶ What man is so madde to loue his ennemy Whiche dayly putteth hym to suche encombraunce That at no tyme he can rest quyetly Nor many tymes take bodyly sustenaunce But leseth his colour and mysspendeth his substaunce His credence his vertue and all his good name For suche madde loue wyse men wyll hym dyffame ¶ Suche vyces ensue madde louers comynly They are suspicyous and theym do deedly hate That with theyr louers vse to company And with theym often fyght chyde and debate Moche myschefe ensueth they be infortunate Now in now out this is theyr condycyon Some lose theyr lyfe some theyr wyt and reason ¶ Amator ¶ Of a noble herte procedeth gentylnesse wolde ye haue me my louer to dysdayne Though she be parte of my greate heuynesse I am chefe grounde of my mortall payne Though I her loue she can me not refrayne why sholde I her for my mysfortune blame Syth I my selfe am chefe cause of the same ¶ It was neuer my purpose wyll nor mynde By suche mysgouernaunce my selfe to abuse No false susspeccyons in me shall she fynde For by good cause my loue she myght refuse Yf that therin I myght me not excuse Though I her loue yet wyll I not go madde Nor lose my lyfe my wyt is not so badde ¶ I meruayle that ye loue so despyse whiche of hertely kyndnesse is engendred Nature a man there vnto dothe entyse Of myrthe and pleasure it dothe also procede Frendshyp and charyte there with all agrede Rancoure and malyce it destroyeth vtterly All thynge by it dothe growe and multyply ¶ Loue dothe quycken euery mannes herte It prouoketh the mynde to pleasure and lustynesse Slouthe and sadnesse it causeth to departe Strength and manhode by it dothe encresse It haieth penury it loueth largesse Loue causeth a man to haue delyte and pleasure with a woman to do the course of nature ¶ Consultor ¶ For asmoche as ye he taken in the snare Therfore ye do loue more greatly auaunce But in loue there is sorowe and care It consumeth a man by space and contynuaunce The lenger ye loue the more is your greuaunce Loue brenneth theym so with her cruell fyre The more they take the more they do desyre ¶ Theyr laughters ben shorte theyr mournynges are longe Full lytell ioye but syghes many and greate In plente of sorowe small pleasure is amonge Anger and trouble theyr hertes dothe ofte frete Slepynge nor wakynge they be in quyete In thought and desyre they brenne feruently Suche dolefull payne they suffre wylfully ¶ Amator ¶ Loue is not so as ye haue made reporte women to men are moost profytable Theyr wordes and beaute dothe men greate conforte Theyr kysses and lokes are moche delectable To myrthe and ioye they be agreable where that woman be there is greate solace Happy is he that maye attayne theyr grace ¶ We wylfull louers do lyue pleasauntly To vs by kynde it is appropryed Somtyme to suffer sorowe pacyently And in ioye agayne to be exalted A thynge harde wonne shall better be loued He that wyll not suffre suche lytell payne Is not worthy suche pleasure to attayne ¶ Consultor ¶ O foolysshe louer false is thy sentence To thynke thy payne to be to the pleasure For well thou doest
knowe by experyence That loue thy reason hath made dull and obscure That wyll thou or not this payne thou must endure Loue hath the made for to be agast That wysedome and vertue is clerely from the past ¶ Ye louers delyte in slouthe and sadnesse In stede of myrthe ye syghe contynually Despare dothe ofte encrese your heuynesse Ye be also troubled by Ialousy By suche meanes ye be brought in fransy In ydell thoughtes and slombres of the nyght Suche is to you greate pleasure and delyght ¶ Amator ¶ To se you contynue in erroure I meruayle what man is so constaunt in his lyuynge But loue and nature shall hym ofte assayle with womento haue theyr bodyly lykynge In age wysedome and beaute florysshynge I trowe none can be founde in ony place But that loue hath or shall his herte embrace ¶ To beholde women so fayre and swete of vysage Theyr colour shynynge theyr membres well fourmed Theyr prety countenaunce with handes fayre large Theyr eyes twynkelynge theyr wordes well vttred Theyr behauour courtesy of kyndnes dothe procede What herte is so harde that coude hym selfe refrayne To eschewe theyr company or at theym to dysdayne ¶ Consultor ¶ O cruell youthe fulâ—yll thou arte abused To suffre so quyetly thy payne intollerable The flames of loue with colde thought encreased Seynge the pleasure so shorte and abhomynable Moche sorowe for small ioye is not commendable Pondre thy payne and pleasure in thy mynde For small ioye soone moche sorowe thou shalt fynde ¶ What is beaute but a floure vanysshynge The carnall felycyte the infeccyon of the eye The dysceyuynge of the mynde of men so coueytynge A frayle pleasure full of trechery There as it is taken it deceyueth kyndly Beaute and wysedome seldome dothe agre It causeth theym vnstable and inconstant for to be ¶ In youth theyr coloure is fayre and florysshynge By age and syckenesse it is soone faded Where they were ruddy they be pale and lourynge Theyr skynne in all places swarte and wrynkeled There is nothynge ought more to be mystrusted For it blyndeth the eye with suche voluptuosyte That from theyr daunger none escapeth fre ¶ Full harde it is to fynde a woman stedfast For yf one eye wepe the other dothe contrary Theyr trouth and faythe but a small whyle dothe last Theyr pleasure and lust is harde to satysfye In wrathe and malyce they be contynually Trewthe shame ne loue can not theym refrayne Theyr synguler pleasure but that they wyll optayne ¶ What woman is so stedfast chaste and sure But for prayer lust or mede she wyll be greable That thou of her sholde haue thy wyll and pleasure Scante one amonge a thousande shall be so stable Yet drede shame or wrath that one shall able Or elles she is suche the whiche that lacketh beauty Whome that no man desyreth to company ¶ Yf she be a mayden that hath the in fauoure Wyll not she for small lust lose her vyrgynyte Yf she be a wyfe consyder her erroure How by her crafte men deceyued be Yf she be a wydowe thou mayst playnly se How soone theyr husbandes deth that they do forget Wherfore he is not wyse that in theym trust doth set ¶ Yf she be an harlot she maketh no questyon Of thy maner wysdome beaute or alyaunce But for her rewarde fyrst she maketh mocyon Or that thou of her shall haue ony dalyaunce Thus dothe she loue the onely for thy substaunce As longe as ye haue so longe theyr loue dothe last Where pouerty is all loue is clerely past ¶ Loue is conuenyent to a man of sadde dyscrecyon For madde louers set lytell by theyr frendes Theyr hertes be so take by loues prouocacyon To dreme and syghe and beholde theyr semelynes To the prayse of theyr louers al thynges they do expres They haue eyen and se not and wyt without reason Thus be they brought to shame and confusyon ¶ Amator ¶ Yf fortune be to vs somtyme contrary And that loue hathe put vs to anoyaunce Fortune wyll tourne and loue wyll applye To theym that seke it in space and contynuaunce Loue healeth quyckely all sorowe and greuaunce All thynge is pleasure that we louers couet Loue causeth vs our sorowe to forget ¶ Agaynst age none can make assystence Yf beaute fayle sholde loue be mynysshed Kyndnesse and loue wolde theym recompence For that they haue had for to be cherysshed Loue seldome decayeth but sooner is encreased The bonde of wedlocke theym also dothe combynde Vnto theyr dethe to be stedfast and kynde ¶ Mannes reason to nature dothe apply For no man can haue greater delectacyon Than with women to conuerse and company And with theym to haue carnall copulat you To sowe theyr swete sede of generacyon what better pleasure maye a man couet Than chyldren of his owne sede to begee ¶ God created woman for mannes pleasure without theym the worlde coude not multyply Arystotell saythe it is the greatest pleasure Vnto a man the thynge moost necessary To haue a wyfe of excellent beauty Curteys gracyous stedfast wyfe and sad Were not a man happy that suche a louer had ¶ Suche there be and many in the nombre Yf some be lyght and vnstable of condycyon Ye ought not on all other for to wondre Lette euery for theym selfe make declaracyon And as they haue deserued so regarde the person Full many in trouble stedfast proued be Suffryng for theyr husbandes bothe payne pouerte ¶ Lyke as the doughter wyll morne and bewayle without of the mother she be conforted In lykewyse loue can no tyme preuayle without of gladnesse it be nourysshed There is no louer but that he is auaunced Somtyme in myrthe to haue delyte and pleasure Or elles theyr sorowe they myght no whyle endure ¶ What causeth a man to loue sooner apply Than a quycke wyt gentylnesse and good lyuynge Vnto a wyse man it is moost necessary That can kepe counseyll and is sadde of gouernynge Theyr ryght and honeste alwaye dyffendynge Vnkyndnesse and shames they vtterly defye wherfore in true loue all noblenesse dothelye ¶ Consultor ¶ For asmoche as these wordes can not refrayne your herte Take ensample by theym y t haue ben deceyued And in thy mynde prudently aduerte Fyrst of kynge Dauyd be it remembred For all his holynesse auoutry he commytted with one Barsabe Wyfe vnto Vrye And after for her sake caused hym to dye Specta of lo. ¶ Kynge Salomon y t all men in wysedome dyd excell By women was enclyned vnto ydolatry The wyfe of kynge Acab called Iesabell The prophetes of god caused for do dye Prognes her sone rosted full truely And gaue hym to Tereo her husbande to eate Bycause her syster Phylomine with chylde he begete ¶ Sampson the stronge Was also betrayed By balida his lemman in whome he had confydence Vyrgyll by a woman in a basket was hanged A woman rode on aristotell w t shame and vyolence Thus were they vaynquysshed for all theyr scyence Medea slewe her chylde
lyke a cruell mother And gaue Iason one parte and toke her selfe the other ¶ The Cytees of troy and also of Thebe By womans trespas was brought to destruccyon The wyfe of kynge Mynos called Pasyphe Made a Cowe of wood lyke in proporcyon Couered with a skynne by whiche decepcyon To fulfyll her lust with a Bull she medled Of whome Mynotawre the monster she conceyued ¶ Of many other I coude reherse the lyuynge But for my purpose these do no we suffyse what auayled theyr holynes wysedome cunnynge Or strength sythe women can theym so entyse To do that thynge that men sholde theym despyse Is not he madde seynge the experyence That wyll haue in theym trust or confydence ¶ Amator ¶ I meruayle that ye coude speke or thynke the same For the trespace of fewe on all other for to rayle Pretendyng by your wordes theym vtterly to dyffame How be it your saynge shall nothynge preuayle For of as many good women I shall make rehersayle The merytes of whome are asmoche to be praysed As the vyces of the other sholde be dyscommended ¶ Mynerua of Athenes was called the goddes Of her wysedome for her cunnynge and polycy Carmenta of latyn founde fyrst the letters Nycostrates also the letters of Italy what saye you to the sybylles w t theyr greate prophecy Aregenes founde also fyrst the crafte of weuynge Thus dyd they excell men by theyr wyt cunnynge ¶ What man can gyue theym praysynge conuenyent whiche studyed so besyly to get fruytfull scyence To prouoke mannes herte to study to be dylygent who can expresse the wyfely pacyence Of Grysell or of Penolype the prudence The stedfastnes of Lucres agaynst her wyl rauysshed whiche slewe her selfe after the dede publysshed ¶ Who wyll not prayse the faythfull and true Orestyll whiche whan she same Mercus prolancus to shyp goo That was her husbande agaynst her mynde and wyll For his loue fell downe there deed for woo Elyssa after the dethe of her husbande Dydo For sorow ranne vnto the funerall fyre Her body with her lordes to brenne was her desyre ¶ Of Arthemesya Porcya and also Tysbe Iudyth Iulya Valerya and Hester Reed the hystoryes there shall ye playnly se from stedfast loue they neuer dyd dysseuer For length of tyme theyr storyes I dyffer And for theyr vertues I afferme certaynly That men ought theym to prayse and magnyfy ¶ Consultor ¶ Yf men consydered the trouble and the payne That they sholde suffre whan they be maryed I thynke they wolde theym selfe soone refrayne In eschewynge the dannger that after sholde procede For an heuy lyfe many of theym do lede whiche for to treate of in euery cyrcumstaunce It wolde aske a longe contynuaunce ¶ Some of theym do wake whan y t they sholde slepe Some for theyr lyuynges labour contynually Other auenture theym in to perylles depe where they lese lyfe and substaunce sodeynly Thus do they lyue in drede and ieoperdy Some stele or borowe to bere theyr importune charge Some hanged some in pryson and dare not go at large ¶ Some to brynge vp theyr chyldren are ententyfe And greatly troubled for theyr vntowardnesse Some with theyr wyues contynue an heuy lyfe As in chydynge fyghtynge and other frowardnesse Some by Ialousy are put in heuynesse In care trouble sorowe and seldome in tranquyllyte Suche is theyr lyfe neuer at no certeynte ¶ For yf she be fayre she shall haue great resort And for her beaute she shall be moche desyred Fewe men wyll haue pleasure or confort To take a wyfe whiche that is dyfformed A fayre wyfe to kepe a man dothe stande in great drede A foule wyfe to hym is but lytell pleasure Thus is theyr mynde neyther stable nor sure ¶ Amator ¶ Holde your peace your wordes are frustrate To alledge in maryage suche importunyte For many men are so fortunate That neuer were maryed nor neuer shall be No man can contynue alway in felycyte For man is predestynate by fortunes operacyon To lyue in this worlde in trouble and vexacyon ¶ Yf men sholde folowe theyr naturall dysposycyon Bytwene beestes and theym there were no dyfference Wherfore for to haue natures operacyon By wedlocke it is suffred to be without offence Otherwyse to do is shame and inconuenyence Bothe goddes lawe mannes he offendeth greuously Wherfore no man can say but wedlocke is necessary ¶ Better than chaste loue what thynge is to be loued Whiche is grounded in holynes and also in honeste Frendshyp and affynyte is therby encreased In one body togyder ioyned be Chyldren borne in wedlocke be lawfull and fre They be combyned with bonde so charytable That nothynge but dethe can make theym separable ¶ Loue must be fyrst or they be maryed For by the bonde of loue maryage is consecrate There ought nothynge more to be commended Than loue that with charyte and peace is confyderate For there as is loue there seldome is debate And yf amonge louers happen ony varyaunce Seldome it is sene of ony longe contynuaunce ¶ It is longe of theyr husbandes yf they do not well wherfore ye do now accuse theym wrongfully To folowe theyr myndes men maye theym compell But women can not to theyrs apply what cause hath a man to be than in ialousy For yf ony trouble be angre or varyaunce women bere the brunt and suffre the penaunce ¶ What pleasure it is for a man to take a foule wyfe without her vertue be the more acceptable Full often he shall be wery of his lyfe A fayre wyfe to hym shall be more agreable As good and as kynde and as moche profytable Foly it is to haue theym mystrusted For yll they maye be yf they be so dysposed ¶ Consultor ¶ Whan brome bere apples or homlockes hony Than trust the wordes of women and stedfastnes That nature hathe gyuen theym no man can deny It is theyr proprytees to be full of dysceytfulnes To wepe and spynne and hyde no secretnes To lye and flatter suche condycyous they haue Fewe other good propryteâ—s god vnto theym gaue ¶ Beware of women for they be fraudulent Theyr wordes are venym mengled with hony Thou knowest her sayenge y u knowest not her entent A foole is he that in theym dothe affye Tell theym thy councell and they wyll it dyscrye Imparfyte dysceytfull and full of mutabylyte Suche is theyr kynde nature and properte ¶ Women can loke on men with face double For in theyr hertes they be full varyable Theyr fayned loue hath put many men to trouble Whiche haue supposed theym to be ferme and stable By blandysshynge wordes theyr bayte detestable Lyke the Scorpyon that sheweth the face smylynge And with the tayle sodeynly dothe stynge ¶ Amator ¶ Fye fye for shame ye do rayle in your sentence Theym so to dysprayse it is not commendable Syth they bebounde by vertue of obedyence To obey theyr husbandes to theym to be seruysable Not as a seruaunt but by loue charytable And as a frende to be
that â—ny man can fynde ¶ Why sholde not women of theyr tongues be ryse To plede theyr causes theyr trewthe to veryfy They haue none other armoure dyffensyfe Theyr power is to feble theyr wronges to iustyfy To speke nor to do none can lyue so pacyently Though that they chyde theyr angre is soone past Theyr wordes of wynde is lyckened to ablast ¶ Ten monethes women with theyr chyldren go And of theyr bodyes that tyme be they nourysshed with panges and stytches they suffer payne and wo In peryll of dethe whan they be delyuered with theyr mylke after a season they be fed Moche payne and trouble our mothers for vs take wherfore all women we ought to loue for theyr sake ¶ To make of women men sholde be gladde and fayne Syth they to vs be so tendre with dylygence One man for another wolde not take the payne Theyr kyndnesse we can not duely recompence To loue theym we haue good cause by experyence They are so moche our frendes in sycknesse in helthe He that theym hateth loueth not his welthe ¶ Consultor ¶ We wyll no lenger in these maters debate Folowe my counsell his company eschewe Yf ye entende your sorowe to mytygate In secrete places do not ye contynue Imagynacyons thoughtes your mynde wyl subdue wherfore suche hauntes yf ye do not cease Loue wyll in you more and more encrease ¶ Experyence by fyre whiche is nygh quenched with brymstone it wyll be kyndled soone agayne In lykewyse loue yf it be frequented wherfore from her loue do your selfe refrayne Fynde some occasyon at her to dysdayne To desyre her loue be not ye to madde Except of yours that she wolde be as gladde ¶ Amator ¶ To gyue me suche couÌ„sell me thynke ye be not wyse Your sugred lyppes can not me begyle For yf I sholde folowe your aduyse My lyfe wolde contynue but a small whyle From her company I can not me exyle To leue that thynge whiche that I loue best No reasonable man wyll make no suche request ¶ Wherfore of this talkynge now lette vs cease Eusamples I haue ryght many and excellent Theyr wysedome and noblenesse for to encrease But at this tyme these shall be competent Wherfore from hensforthe leue your false argument And of women speke not so reprouable For shame it is to you and nothynge commendable ¶ Consultor ¶ Thus dyd we fynysshe our communycacyon Desyrynge the assystence to take this agreable And in that is amysse to make reformacyon And also all women I humbly theym supply At this poore treatyse for to haue none enuye I haue nothynge sayd that is to theyr dysprayse But I haue made answer theyr honour more to rayse ¶ But for asmoche as some men haue delectacyon To rayle vpon women and theym to dyscommende I therfore entende to make demonstracyon Of theyr opprobryous wordes wherin they do offende By reasonable answeres to enduce theym to amende Wherby they may haue perfytly knowlege That women be not gyite in that they do allege ¶ Wherfore I requyre you consyder myne entent Whiche made it not for malyce or ony despytefulnesse For yf I sholde so do I were ryght neclygent And worthy to be rebuked of shame and vngentylnesse Bothe prayse and dysprayse herin I do expresse Yf I deserue blame in spekynge so largely I trust to haue thanke for replyenge the contrary ¶ Lenuoy of Robert Coplande ENdeuer thy selfe thou lytell boke I pray To thyne auctoure and vnto eche degre Excusynge thyne impressyon alway Yf to theyr mynde it fortune not to be And where mysse is that they wyll pardon me And to correct after theyr good entent With lesse or more as it is conuenyent ¶ Finis ¶ Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne by me Wynkynde worde â–ª W C mynhyg de worde