The Fifteen Joys of Marriage

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The fyftene Ioyes of maryage.

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SOmer passed / and wynter well begone

The dayes shorte / the darke nyghtes longe

Haue taken season / and bryghtnes of the sonne bryghtnes] brynghtnes 1509

Is lytell sene / and small byrdes songe

Seldon is herde / in feldes or wodes ronge

All strength and ve[r]tue / of trees and herbes sote vertue] ventue 1509

Dyscendynge be / from croppe in-to the rote

And euery creature by course of kynde

For socoure draweth to that countre and place

Where for a tyme / they may purchace and fynde

Conforte and rest / abydynge after grace

That clere Appolo with bryghtnes of his face

Wyll sende / whan lusty ver shall come to towne

And gyue the grounde / of grene a goodly gowne

And Flora goddesse bothe of whyte and grene

Her mantell large / ouer all the erthe shall sprede

Shewynge her-selfe / apparayled lyke a quene

As well in feldes / wodes / as in mede

Hauynge so ryche a croune vpon her hede

The whiche of floures / shall be so fayre and bryght

That all the worlde / shall take therof a lyght

So now it is / of late I was desyred

Out of the [f]renche to drawe a lytell boke frenche] trenche 1509drawe ='translate'; see OED s.v. draw v, 19

Of .xv. Ioyes / of whiche though I were hyred

I can not tell / and yet I vndertoke

This entrepryse / with a full pyteous loke

Remembrynge well / the case that [I] stode in I] 1509 omits

Lyuynge in hope / this wynter to begyn

Some Ioyes to fynde that be in maryage

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For in my youth / yet neuer acquayntaunce

Had of them but now in myn olde aege

I trust my-selfe / to forther and auaunce

If that in me / there lacke no suffysaunce

Whiche may dyspleasyr / clerely set a_parte

I wante but all / that longeth to that arte

Yet wyll I speke / though I may do no more

Fully purposynge / in all these Ioyes to trete

Accordynge to my purpose made tofore

All-be-it so / I can not well forgete

The payne / trauayle / besynes and hete

That some men haue after they wedded be

Because theyr wyues / want humylyte

Who shall I pray / to helpe me to endyte

Cupyde or Uenus / whiche haue me in dysdayne

And for my feblenes / in grete dyspyte

For yeres passed / may not retorne agayne

Now may I speke / and shewe in wordes playne

Whan youth is gone / and comen is stoupynge age

Then worldly Ioyes / must go on pylgrymage

If I sholde praye / vnto ymeneus

The god of weddynge / to helpe me in this charge

Then wyll he bydde me go to Morp[h]eus Morpheus] Morpleus 1509

The god of slepe / for he hath wayes large

Whiche with his rodde of leed dooth stere his barge

To brynge forthe age / vnto his slepy caue

Pray hym of rest / and nothynge elles craue

I knowe ryght well / it is but vanyte

All worldly Ioye / medled with bytternes

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Therfore these fayned goddes I lete them be

And me betake to god / whose stedfastnes

May neuer fayle / neyther his sothfastnes

Besechynge hym / that for his moders sake

He wyll me teche [t]his lytell boke to make this] his 1509

And with good-wyll I shall me soone apply

This treatyse out of frenche to translate

of .xv. Ioyes / and yf I myght therby

Purchace but one / my-selfe though it be late

I wolde be gladde / for olde paynes I hate

Trustynge to Ioye / now somwhat in myn aege

As dooth a byrde that syngeth in a cage

Now to th'effecte of this translacyon

With grete desyre shortly w[y]ll I procede wyll] well 1509

But speke I must / by protestacyon

Touchynge this mater / or elles gode forbede

Whome I beseche lowely to be my spede

Praynge also / eche other maner wyght

Take no dyspleasure with my wordes lyght

Here endeth the prologue of the translatoure.

And the prohemye of the auctour begynneth.

MYn auctour wryteth in this prohemye

That many men / haue trauayled here-tofore

To shewe by reason and auctoryte

That it is grete wytte / and wysdome more

For euery maner wyght / of woman bore

To lyue in fraunchyse / at his lyberte

Than seruaunt to hym-selfe / and thrall to be

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Without constraynt / but of his neclygence

His wyll to folowe / and his vnclene delyte

As lusty folke in theyr adolescence

Haue suche desyre / and so grete appetyte

On Uenus brydle / for to champe and byte

Tyll they with loue be stryken to the herte

Wherby full oft[ /] they suffre paynes smerte full oft /] full / oft 1509

Unto whose reason / and opynyon

It may be sayd / and answered thus agayne

Man hath no good wytte ne entencyo[n]

In his yonge tyme / whan nature dooth cons[t]rayne constrayne] conssrayne 1509

Sauynge in Ioyes / and delytes vayne

Of this frayle worlde vnsure and transytory

None other thynge is in his memory

As thus whan men in youth couragyous

With fre-wyll endewed and lustynes

Of theyr desyre / and mynde outragyous

Withouten nede / but of theyr folysshenes

Frome wele to wo / frome Ioye to heuynes

Conuey them-selfe / from all theyr lyberte

Nothynge content with theyr felycyte

For where-as they may frely ryde or go

And at theyr choyse / dysporte them ouer-all

I you ensure these yonge-men wyll not so

Whan they leest wene / than sodanly they fall

And vnconstrayned make theyr bodyes thrall

Lyke to a wyght that in-to pryson depe

Without cause / all hastely dooth crepe

So do they oft for lacke of kyndely wytte

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And whan they be within this pryson strayte

The gayler cometh and fast the dore dooth shytte

Whiche is of yren stronge / and in a wayte wayte ='a state of watchfulnes or expectation'; see OED s.v. wait n, 4

He lyeth oft / for drede that thrugh desayte

By nyght or day some sholde escape out

Ryght besyly he pryeth all about

He barreth dores / and maketh sure all the lockes

The stronge boltes / the fettres and the chayne

He sercheth well / the holes and the stockes

That wo be they / that lyeth in the payne

And out therof / they shall not go agayne

But euer endure / in wepynge care and sorowe

For good ne prayer / shall them neuer borowe

And specyally men may call hym assoted

Ferre frome reason / of wysdome desolate

That thus his tyme mysse_vsed hath and doted

Whan he had herde / suche prysoners but late

Wepynge waylynge / and with them-selfe debate

Lyenge in pryson / as he hath passed by

And put hym-selfe therin so folysshely

This auctour sayth / by-cause mankynde delyteth

Alway to haue fraunchyse and lyberte

Without the whiche / nature of man dyspyteth

Ryght thus in playne wordes speketh he

That many lordes grete / the whiche haue be

And lordshyppes haue be loste and ouerthrowe

For takynge fredomes frome theyr subgets lowe

He sheweth eke in maner semblable

That grete cytees / with many an-other toune

And comyn people of mynde vnreasonable

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Haue ben dystroyed / and sodaynly cast doune

Agaynst theyr prynces / takynge opynyon

Desyrynge fredomes / mo than here-tofore

Theyr elders had / and thus they haue be lore

By reason wherof / batayles grete and werre

Haue ben / and many folkes also slay[n]e

Syth Ihesus deyed / was neuer thynge bought derre

Whan poore subgettes on foly wyll [at]tayne attayne] pretayne 1509

Agaynst theyr prynce / or elles theyr souerayne

To moue maters / not beynge obedy[ent] obedyent] obedynge 1509

Suche by the lawe ben execute and shent

Somtyme the noble realme and men of Fraunce

Exempte were / and vtterly made fre

By theyr grete / prowes and valyaunce

Of the emperours / of Rome the cyte

As of trybutes / for whiche batayles haue be

Betwene them / and the Romayns longe ago

In whiche dayes I fynde it happed so

Upon a tyme / for cause that they ne were

Of fraunce in puyssaunce / able to withstonde

The grete army and the myghty powere

Of an emperour entred in theyr londe

But for-as-moche / as they ne wolde be bonde

Them were leuer go from that regyon

Than to remayne vnder subgeccyon

Seruynge this emperour / and trybute pay

So of hygh courage / and theyr grete nobles

All sodaynly / these nobles wente away

Conquerynge countrees / suche was theyr worthynes

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And afterwarde retorned neuertheles

Home to theyr lande / in grete prospery[t]e prospery[t]e: letter broken

Whiche they tyll now haue holde in lyberte

Unto theyr owne vse / prouffyte and auayle prouffyte: =profit

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Wherfore folkes of many a nacyon

Lyuynge in seruage / constreyned with trauayle

Desyred to haue theyr habytacyon

In fraunce / and there vnder domynacyon

To lyue in wele / lyberte / and rest

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Wherby it grewe / somtyme the noblest

Realme of the worlde / that knowen were or founde.

Moost fayre in buyldynge / and inhabyte best

The whiche in treasure / and scyence dyde habounde

Then for-asmoche / as they be fre at leest

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Prudent in fayth / in lyuynge holyest

They sholde theyr subgets / in fraunchyse kepe and vse

After theyr lawe / and neuer to refuse

Ageynst all trouthe / and inconuenyent

It is certayne / and nothynge charytable

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God knoweth well / the lorde omnypotent

A man to haue / a custome reasonable

Onely for hym-selfe / ryght prouffytable

And for his neyghboure / vse it other-wyse

Suche vsage sholde / all well-dysposed men dyspyse

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Herof it groweth that lyberte is lost

In people voyde / of reason and scyence

And thus vyces and synnes reygneth most

Some gyue to vertues lytell reuerence

Wherin to god / do they ryght grete offence

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The comyn-wele / in generalyte

All men sholde loue of perfyte charyte

Why it is thus / a man may reason make

Who loueth not his wele pertyculerly

Hath but a lytell wytte I vndertake

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Whan he may haue a prouffyte syngulerly

Hurtynge none other creature therby

And wyll not helpe hym-selfe whan he [s]o may [s]o: letter broken

But wylfully dooth cast his grace away

A fole is he / that wyttynge wyll go

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In-to a caue / a dyche / or elles a pytte

Whiche is aboue / bothe narowe and strayte also

And all within / full wyde and depe it is

So that whan he therin / is fall and shytte

Out may he not / for there he must abyde

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As wylde bestes do in forestes syde

Trapped and taken / ryght so this cr[e]ature creature] crature 1509Crature is a possible spelling of creature, but in this text the word is regularly spelled 'creature' (6x).

In lyke wyse / thrugh his owne neclygence

Is in the dyche / where-as he must endure

Lyke as these bestes / whiche gladly wolde go thens

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Sekynge the wayes with all theyr delygence

Out to auoyde / but so it wyll not be

Tyme is not then / forth of the dyche to fle

Thus one may say / and therupon conclude

By suche as in-to maryage be brought

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And herupon to make a symylytude

Unto the fysshe whiche hath his pasture sought pasture ='food'

And in a lepe / that is of twygges wrought

Is take / and out can not escape ne twynne twynne ='escape'; see OED s.v. twin v1, 2b

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But euer dwell / and tary styll therinne

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The fysshe that swymmeth in the ryuer clere

As it shall fall hym ofte by aduenture

To rayle aboute / in places here and there rayle ='wander, roam'; see OED s.v. rail v5

Fyndeth this lepe / the whiche withoute mesure

Beholdeth he with all his besy cure

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And he therin / the fysshes and the bayte

Dooth se / supposynge well in his consayte

They be in Ioye and pleasure at theyr lust

And all aboute the lepe he gooth rounde

With grete desyre / hauynge a veray trust

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To come to them / and whan that he hath founde

The entre / in he gooth gladde and Iocounde

And to the shynynge bayte / he hyeth faste

Wherof anone / he taketh his repaste

To go agayne / he thynketh but a Iape

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Forthe of the lepe / assaynge besyly

A way to fynde / how he therout may scape

And thens departe / to other company

He boreth with his byll all hastely byll ='snout'; see OED s.v. bill n2, 2

His besynes / and laboure is in waste

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Abyde a whyle / he shall for all his haste

Therin to dwell in wo and heuynes

And where-as he hath demed certaynly

Afore to haue had Ioye / and lustynes

There shall he passe his tyme ryght heuely

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By men it falleth thus moost comenly

That put them in-to maryage all-day

Experyence wyll wytnesse as I say

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Though it so be / that folkes se before

These wedded men / within the lepe enclosed

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In poynt to droune and drenche / yet not therfore

Wyll they forbere / ne tyll they be innosed innosed ='choked (with a bone)'; see OED s.v. enose v

As houndes be of bones / it is supposed

There is not one / by other can be ware

Tyll they be take / and holden in the snare

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Thus what by foly / fortune or destene

A man may se the people euery day

Demeane themselfe / forsakynge lyberte

And shortely after that repenteth they

Desyrynge it to haue / but they ne may

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At ony tyme / vnto suche grace attayne

And all to late / for them is to complayne

Moche more herof / myn auctoure dooth declare

In his prologue / or that he wyll begyn

To shewe these .xv. Ioyes / but I must spare

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By losse of tyme / there is nothynge to wynne

But pouerte / vnthryftynes / and synne

Wherfore in wordes rude to make an ende

And of these Ioyes to wryte now I entende

Some men do call these Ioyes sorowes grete

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But yet they take them well in pacyence

For of necessyte they must forgete

The care / trouble / forowe / payne and offence

The whiche they suffre at the reuerence at the reuerence of ='for the sake of'

Of theyr wyues / whiche they may not forsake

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And though they oft / mysse_vse theyr eloquence

Lytell regarde therto a man sholde take

¶Here endeth the proheme of the auctour.

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And here begynneth the fyrst Ioye of maryage

THe fyrst Ioy of maryage is this

As whan a man of tender yeres is

Flourynge in youth / pleasaunt fresshe and gay

Then in this worlde / nothynge may hym dysmay.

Ne other mynde / desyre nor appetyte

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Conforte / lykynge / pleasure / Ioye / ne delyte

Hath he except / how he may tye his poyntes

To cause his hose / to syt well on his Ioyntes

And make his vysage / and his lymmes fayre

He brussheth oft his goune / and other gayre

His hede he combeth smothe ryght as hym lyketh

Wherof the heres / pruneth he and pyketh pyketh ='picks', a collateral form of the verb

And maketh hym as clenly as he can

That folke may say / there gooth a goodly man

So wyll he synge / daunce / and balades make

And vpon hym / mo entrepryses take

That he can do / or may atchyeue perchaunce atchyeue: =achieve

Thynkynge therby / hym-selfe so to enhaunce

The fayrest creature / that he can espye

He wyll beholde / with ryght a lusty eye

As vysynge well / where he suche one may fynde vysynge ='regarding closely, observing'; see OED s.v. vise v, 5. There may be a case for emending 'as vysynge' to advysynge or avysynge, 'considering' (see OED s.v. advise v, 3).

A Ioly[u]et accordynge to his mynde Ioly[u]et= 'gay or pretty little creature'; see OED s.v. jolyvet n

And whan he hath her fast in his demayne

Ioyous he is / ryght mery / gladde and fayne

For paraduenture so the case may stande

That by his faders / or his moders lande

Or by theyr other goodes he may mayntene

His Ioly[u]ets / and go ryght well besene

Lyuynge in rest and ease habundauntly

Beholdynge other folkes certaynly

In-to the bonde of maryage ybrought

Than in his mynde he casteth and his thought

Lyke as the fysshe behelde the lepe / so he

Demeth / these wedded men in blysse be

Hauynge the bayte / and pasture at theyr wyll

Wherof they may / theyr appetyte fulfyll

Ryght well he seeth the bea[ut]e of theyr wyues beaute] beatute 1509

Supposynge that they haue so mery lyues

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With them so well appoynted and arayed

For whiche the sely husbande hath not payed

It may so be percase / at many season

Some folke wyll say / and shewe this man by reason

That so her owne fader / or her moder

Her hath arayed / and demeth he none oder

And so this yonge-man / torneth hym aboute

The lepe / wherin of wedded a route

Enclosed be / and thenne he dooth enquere

Of maryage / a lytell here and there

Soone here-vpon / aryseth suche a wynde

And smoke / that he therof is made so blynde

That he vnware / in-to the lepe is cast

Wherin he shall be kepte and holden fast

And where-as he was wonte in tyme afore

To synge and daunce / that may well be forbore

Of poyntes byenge / purses / or thynges lyke

Herof shall he not nede / whyles he may pyke

Upon the bayte / tyll he therof be full

His besynes may cause hym to be dull

Now Ioyeth he a whyle / and hym delyteth

To do pleasaunce / ryght well he hym acquyteth

Newly so entred / in-to the foresayd gin

And for a tyme nothynge dysmayed therin

Supposynge out to go / but there yet styll

He must abyde / and dwell maugre his wyll

And to repent / there is no tyme ne houre

For with the swete mete / the sauces soure

Contynuaunce wyll cause hym to assay

Syth he can not escape by ony way

And for to put his wyfe in suche degre

As appertayneth of necessyte

It hym behoueth honeste to saue

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And [s]o may be / his wyfe an herte may haue so] lo 1509

Ryght good / desyrynge to be fresshe and gay

For peraduenture / she this other day

Was at a feest / where she dyde well aduyse

Women of her degre / all otherwyse

Than she / appoynted / clothed / and arayde

Within her mynde / than to her-selfe she sayde

That by her byrthe / she ought as well as they

To be apparayled and in as good arey

So she compaceth / castynge in her mynd.

The day and houre / out craftely to fynde

To her good-man / this mater to declare

But her entent to shewe / yet wyll she spare

Tyll she with hym / at nyght be gone to bedde

For there these wyues trust well to be spedde

Of suche petycyons / as they requyre

Accordynge to theyr wylles and desyre

Whan that this wyfe / in bedde is layde thus

Sadly she sayth / for loue of cryst_Ihesus

Syr lete me be in rest / for euyll at ease

I am / and he whiche gladly wolde her please

Answereth and sayth / tell me wherfore it is

That greueth you / she sayth grete cause ywys

Haue I / for ye care nothynge what I saye

Or shewe to you / in ernest or in playe

He sayeth than / why speke ye in suche a wyse

By god and all his sayntes in paradyse

She sayth / no myster it is that ye it knewe

100

For whan I speke to you but wordes fewe

Lytell accompt therof or rekenynge

Ye make certayne / demynge for other thynge

Suche wordes I haue / and yet it is not so

Whiche causeth me / oft-tymes to be wo

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105

Truly sayth he ye shall tell your dysease

Than answereth she / syr syth it may you please

Forsothe I shall you tell / this is the cas

This other daye at suche a feest I was

The whiche in trouth / me pl[e]ased nothynge wele pleased] plased 1509pl[e]ased: plased is a possible form, but is found only here in this text.

110

And wherfore I shall tell you euery-dele

Whan I there was / I thynke it veryly

There was no wyfe arayed soo symply

Though she were neuer of soo lowe degre

As I was than / ye may byleue well me

115

How-be-it syr / surely I saye not this

For praysynge of my-selfe / but soo it is

I thanke god of his mercy and grace thanke] thaynke 1509

That I am comen / of as good a place

As ony gentylwoman that was there

120

I me reporte / to suche as knowen where reporte ='appeal'; see OED s.v. report v, 6

My lygnage and myn ancestres but late lygnage: =lineage

Abydynge were / and for myn owne estate

This saye I not / sauynge I am ashamed

That ye or elles / my kynne shall be defamed

125

Nothynge care I / of clothynge what I haue

So that alwaye / your honour ye may saue

And than sayth he / in what estate were they

At thylke feest / now tell me I you praye

Now by my trouth / syth ye wyll knowe algate

130

She sayth / there was not one in her estate

Egall to me / but she a newe gowne had

And was than better besene and clad

Of what clothe were / these gownes sayth he

Of scarlet fyne / of grene or perce sayth she perce ='blue, bluish-grey (material)'; see OED s.v. perse 2

135

Furred ryght wele / with menyuer or gray

With traynes longe / and sleues large / so they

Had eke of rede / or grene / all gyrdelles good

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Hangynge vnto the grounde / and by the rode

Theyr gownes were made of the newest gyse

140

And of the best maner / one coude deuyse

But there had I vpon my weddynge-gowne

Well ouer-worne / and of the olde facyon

Whiche ouer-lytell / and to shorte for me

Is waxen as ye may perceyue and se

145

For I am growen more / syth it was made

Than at my maryage / whan I it hade

For whan I gyuen was to you alone

I was but yonge and lytell of persone

And so moche wasted am I now for payne

150

Whiche I of late haue had / that in certayne

I seme now wele a moder for to be

To her that myght be moder vnto me

And in good fayth so sore asshamed was I

Whan that I was amonge this company

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That I ne coude ne durste make countenaunce

And yet had I more payne and dyspleasaunce

Whan that a lady there / of suche a place

Afore them all wolde saye vnto my face

Gre[t]e shame it was my clothes were so bad Gre[t]e: letter broken

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And wondred why that I no better had

For whiche they toke to me but lytell hede

Unneth they turne them wolde / so god me spede

Towarde me / saue of theyr gentylnesse

Of very pyte and of lowelynesse

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The good-man than her husbande answered tho

Ye knowe ryght wele that we haue moche to do

Wherfore my loue now herken what I saye

Remembre ye the same tyme and the daye

Whan in-to maryage we entred were

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Plente of money / plate or other gere

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We had but small / ryght wele herof ye knowe

For whiche your-selfe ye may suppose and trowe

That it [b]ehoueth vs now for to bye behoueth] hehoueth 1509

Beddes and other thynges hastelye

175

And at this tyme syluer ne golde in store

Lytell [h]aue we how-be-it ferthermore [h]aue: letter broken

Yet must we bye / for wynnynge and encres

Kyne and other catelles neuertheles

In suche a place / for our prouysyon

180

Also this other daye there fell adown

The pygnon of our hous / for couerture pygnon ='battlement, pinnacle, or gable'; see OED s.vv. pinion n2, pignon n2, cop n, 1a (1611)

It lacketh / wherfore dame I you assure

Made must it be in haast of very nede

And also other maters for to spede

185

I haue / for whiche grete money shall I spende

Or I may brynge my werkes to an ende

And ouer this certes within shorte space

Unto th'assyse holden at suche a place

For me to go it is well necessary

190

Bycause of suche a plee I may not tarye

That for your londe I haue to pursue there

Of whiche as yet I may saye this and swere

I haue had lytell prouffyte or auayle

But spende my goodes / laboure and trauayle

195

A syr she sayd / now wote I well that ye

None other-wyse can speke but repreue me

Of my landes / this may I not abyde

And in her bedde / vnto that other syde

All hastely she turneth with a grone

200

Sayenge / for goddes loue let me alone

For neuer shall I speke to you agayne

What deuyll sayth this man why do ye playne

And are so wroth / without cause resonable

sig: [B2v]

I am not syr / she sayth / ne yet culpable

205

Though ye but lytell had / whan ye me toke

For dyuers to me spake / that I forsoke

Of .xx. places / whiche wolde noo good craue

So that they myght onely my body haue

In maryage withouten golde or rente

210

My person was to them suffycyente

But so it was / that ye ofte came and wente

And many a messenger vnto me sente

By suche s[u]btyll maner crafte and mene

So that all other I refused clene

215

And had noo wyll / ony to haue but yow

For whiche grete blame and maulgre haue I now maulgre: =maugre, 'ill-will'

Bothe of my lorde / my fader be ye sure

And of my moder / out of all mesure mesure] mesures 1509

Wherof I may haue hate and grete dysdayne

220

And syr this questyon I aske agayne

If ony woman / at this sayd feest there

In suche a wyse cladde or arayed were

As I beynge to me / in lyke estate

Nay syr not one / I was infortunate

225

Thyder to come / for by saynt Iohan I saye

The symplest gownes / that they gaue awaye

Unto theyr chamberers / were better cloth

Than is the gowne / whiche on my body goth

On [s]ondayes / or on the holy-daye [s]ondayes: letter broken

230

So wote I not herof / what is to saye

Moche people good out of this worlde departe

Wherof grete domage is / but for my parte

I saye / yf god were pleased I sholde decesse

To you it wolde be lytell heuynesse

235

For noo dyspleasure / wolde ye for me take

But hastely gete you an-other make

sig: B3

By god sayth he / that is nothynge well sayd

Suche symple wordes / myght aparte be layd

For there is nothynge that I for you do

240

But wele ye ought to take regarde therto

Turne you to me / and what thynge ye lyke best

I shall perfourme / for goddes sake let me rest

Sayth she / now sothly nothynge a[yl]eth me ayleth] alyeth 1509

And wolde our lorde / that in lyke caas were ye

245

But neuer shall ye touche me after this

No shall sayth he / no syr she sayth ywys

To make all wele / than thynketh he and sayth

If I were deed I knowe it by my fayth

Unto an-other / soone wolde ye maryed be

250

Nay syr by hym that dyed on a tree

Touchynge suche pleasure as I vnto this daye

Haue had in maryage / I swere and saye

Durynge my lyfe / that neuer mouth of man

Shall touche to myn / and she to wepe began

255

Sayenge these wordes / to god I make auow

If that I knewe to lyue here after yow

I sholde so deale / that I afore wolde go

The teeres fell downe fro her eyen two

Thus he demaundeth her with wordes fayre

260

All-be-it soo / she thynketh the contrayre

The good-man demeth than / he is all eased

But yet agayne / in mynde is he dyspleased

Supposynge / that of nature she is colde

Of body chast / and deale with no man wolde

265

Also he troweth that she hym loueth wele

Thus he in herte is eased euery-dele

Bycause he seeth her som-what wepe afore

He trusteth that she loueth hym the more

Wherof he hath a pyteous herte and mynde

sig: [B3v]

270

And can not be in rest tyll that he fynde

The wayes how he may her content and ease

All that he can / he dooth her for to please

In dyuers wyse / with laboure and trauayle

But all for nought / it may nothynge auayle

275

For she alwaye awayteth for to pyke

Upon the stroke that she afore dyde stryke

That is to saye / a newe gowne wolde she haue

The whiche for cruell stomocke nolde she craue

She passeth tyme / and no good wyll she do

280

But at suche houre as she was not wonte to

Up-ryseth she / and after all that daye

A cursed angry chere maketh she alwaye

And not one fayre worde than wyll she speke

So in her breste the malyce dooth she steke steke ='shut up, enclose'; see OED s.v. steek v1, 1

285

Soone after this cometh the seconde nyght

That she to bedde must go as [it is] ryght it is] is it 1509

With her good-man / and whan that she is layde

In bedde / than he whiche is not wele apayde

Beholdeth wele loketh and taketh kepe

290

On her to knowe / whether that she wake or slepe

He wele aduyseth yf her armes bothe

Be couered wele and surely with the clothe

And heleth them yf nede or mayster be mayster ='necessity'; see OED s.v. mister n1, 8

Wherwith anone suche countenaunce maketh she

295

As thoughe she were out of her slepe awaked

Slepe ye sayth he / I thought ye had ben naked

Nay syr she sayd / what be ye not appeased

Sayth he / no syr myn herte is lytell eased

Syghynge sayth she I thanke god of his sounde sounde ='divine dispensation or ordinance'; see OED s.v. sand n1,1

300

I haue y[n]oughe to lyue vpon the grounde

By god sayth he / dame we shall haue ynowe

Of worldly goodes / and nere to her he drowe

sig: [B4]

Sayenge I haue bethought me of a thynge

Ye shall be at my cosynnes weddynge

305

And ye shall haue ordeyned as goodly gere

For you as ony gentylwoma[n] there

Certes she sayth / all-thoughe ye saye the best

Of all this yere / I wyll go to no feest

Now by my fayth he sayth but yet ye shall

310

And what ye wyll demaunde haue gowne and all

What I demaunde she sayth / that is ryght nought

For syr so god me helpe that all hath wrought

I aske not to be Ioly for enuy

Gladde wolde I be forsothe yf neuer I

315

Out of your hous but vnto chyrche sholde passe

Maytns to here euensonge and masse

I saye it not ne yet no-wayes seche

Sauynge onely for suche vngoodly speche

As was amonges other whiche I knewe

320

By my gossyp / whome I fynde euer trewe

For she the wordes harde all openly

The whiche she shewed me full secretely

Than thynketh moche this poore newe-wedded man

And in his mynde to compace he began

325

Consyderynge in what caas that he stode

A newe husholde hauynge lytell gode

And moche to do he had by many a waye

Not purueyed wele grete sommes to paye

And fyfty scutes or syxty for this gowne

330

He must bestowe / and shortly laye it downe

And in his thought / cast a cheuysaunce

For there may be none other waye ne chaunce

But that this gowne nedely must be had

Wherwith and other gere she shall be clad

335

For he perceyued hath / by his aduyse

sig: [B4v]

His wyfe a woman is / bothe good and wyse

He thanketh god / the lorde of heuen-blysse

So fayre a Iuell / to gyue hym as she is

From one syde to an-other / he turneth ofte

340

In bedde he slepeth not though he lye softe

And it may happen soo / his wyfe this seeth

Whiche subtyll is / and she within her teeth

Wyll laughe / whan that she knoweth his conceyte

Whome she hath ouercome / with her deceyte

345

After this nyght / whan comen is the morowe

Aryseth vp this good-man full of sorowe

All ouercome with syghes / that he hath take

The nyght afore / for his good-wyues sake

And in auenture to the market gothe

350

With pawne or credence / for to by the clothe credence ='a document giving claim to credit'; see OED s.v. credence n, 4

And straytly vnto marchauntes he hym byndeth

Or elles to them suche Iuelles as he fyndeth

Whether they be of syluer / or of golde

Whiche he somtyme had / of his fader olde

355

Then sell[et]h he / or elles .x. pounde or more selleth] sellteh 1509

Of rente in mortgage layeth he therfore

Shortly this man / dooth so his maters spede

That he hath all suche thynges as in that nede

Wherwith he cometh home all spedyly

360

And to haue thanke he demeth veryly

She s[ey]nge this / made semblaunt hym before seynge] syenge 1509

As though suche cost myght well haue ben forbore

And that nothynge / she sette by gowne ne gayre

That he home brought with hym for her repayre

365

Cursynge all them with tonge / and not with thought

That fyrst so grete estate and porte vp-brought

And whan she knewe that thynge was sure she sayd

To her good-man and hym besought and prayed

sig: C1

He neuer sholde reproue her of the daye

370

That she had made hym spende for her araye

His money or his goodes / and neuermore

Her to rebuke / or elles vmbrayde therfore vmbrayde ='upbraid'; see OED s.v. umbraid v

For by the gowne set I nothynge she sayth

So that I may me kepe frome colde in fayth

375

And alway haue one peny in my purse

Whiche wyll suffyse to me though it were worse

Anone was made this gowne / and eke an hood

Also a gyrdell whiche was ryche and good

And now are comen the termes and the houres

380

Whan that he must content his credytoures

And this poore-man not able is to paye

Bycause his golde and syluer ben awaye

And lenger wyll they not forbere this man

But execute in all the haast they can

385

They curse on hym / and she the same perceyueth

And therof all the circumstaunce conceyueth

And perauenture afore this curse procede

Or elles after the lawe dooth hym forbede

In chyrche to be / wherfore his company

390

Men wyll eschewe and grudge all-vtterly

Hauynge dysdayne with hym to drynke and ete

And he but lytell hath and none can gete

Of money out of daunger hym to brynge daunger ='liability'; see OED s.v. danger n, 4

God wote what Ioye he hath in his lyuynge

395

His wyfe goth cryenge in the hous aboute

Wherwith a noyse she maketh and a showte

And thus she sayth / ha cursed be the houre

That I was euer in my moders boure

Forth brought or borne / alas it had not happed

400

That in the cloth / wherin I was fyrst lapped

I had be buryed / for neuer so grete shame

sig: [C1v]

Betydde to ony woman ne dyffame

As to me and my kynne / now shall be layd

Alas I laboure sore / and fast she sayd

405

And all the laboure besynesse and cost

That I haue done of many a daye is lost

In twenty places or moo I had be maryed

If I so wolde / but lyke a fole I taryed

For where I myght grete honour and auayle

410

Haue had / and rychesse / therof now I fayle

I knowe how that theyr wyues be bysene

That wolde haue maryed me / whiche doth me [tene] tene] 1509 omits

And therfore haue I heuynesse and wo

That deth the lyfe nyll take my body fro

415

Thus she complayneth her withouten care

Of her husbande / or how the good-man fare

For hooly she hath sette her mynde vpon

Her owne estate / and shortely she is gon

Unto this maryage / and where she sholde

420

Haue thought vpon her husbande she ne wolde

But to this poore-man putteth all the wyte

Lyke as an hors that can bothe playne and byte

This woman dooth / and she is cause of all

For she this man hath made so bestyall

425

Somwhat for sorowe / or elles-wyse by playe

That well-nygh wasted is his wytte awaye

So that he wyll not vnderstonde ne knowe

That she is in defaute / wyll he not trowe

And though he se the maters euydent

430

Yet of necessytee he is content

But of the thought and sorowes to enquere

It is but waast / syth ye the causes here

Of this man whiche can neyther rest ne slepe

That thynketh euery houre and taketh kepe

sig: C2

435

How that he may in ease this woman sette

And fynde some remedy to paye his dette

But yet is he more angry for his wyfe angry ='troubled, grieved'; see OED s.v. angry adj., 2

Whiche curseth hym / than all that other stryfe

Thus soroweth he / in pouertee downe fall

440

And frome that payne recouer neuer shall

Prycked he is / but smarte can he none fele

That all is Ioye / to hym it semeth wele

Thus is this man within the lepe yclosed

And parauenture so he is dysposed

445

That he nothynge therof dooth hym repent

For yf that he out of the same were hent

Soone wolde he go agayne in-to that gynne

And all his payne and woo newly begynne

Yet sholde he neuer be in soo good cas

450

As he hath ben afore he maryed was

And there this poore-man shall vse his lyfe

Endynge his dayes in wretchednes and stryfe

¶Thus endeth the fyrst Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynnes the seconde Ioye of maryage.

sig: C2v]

AS for the seconde Ioye of maryage

It is whan that this wyfe of her courage

455

Feleth that she so rychely is arayed

In suche a wyse as here-tofore is sayd

And knoweth well ynough that she is fayre

Than wyll she go frome home to take the ayre

To many feestes and assembles eke

460

And also holy sayntes for to seke

On dyuers pylgrymages wyll she go

All-though the husbande be not pleased so

Her Iourney enterpryseth she to ryde

With her cosyon and gossyppes at a tyde cosyon: =cousin, here and twice below

465

And specyally for her kynnesmannes sake

Her pylg[rymage] deuoutly wyll she take pylg[rymage]: letters illegible

And perauenture yet it may soo be

That this man is as nyghe kynne vnto [m]e

As vnto her / but soo hym for to call

sig: C3

470

Wonte and accustomed is she ouer-all

It may be thought for some entent or cause

She calleth hym soo / but ther I leue a clause clause ='close, conclusion'; see OED s.v. clause n, 3

Her moder than seynge her besynesse

Cometh somtyme to this man I gesse

475

And as a woman can begynne to clatter

She say[t]h his herte to tycle and flatter say[t]h: letter broken

This foresayd man / her cosyn is of blode

For her to go with suche a company is good

And other-whyle the husbande is lothe

480

That she sholde go / sayth sadly by his othe

How he none horses hath ne other thynge

Her to conuey to feest or gaderynge

Than shall the gossyp or her cosyn saye

I am ryght lothe by god and by this daye

485

To go / for myn hous so god me spede

Moche thynge haue I to do of very nede

And were it not honour to you and me

Speke wolde I not as now so mote I the

For syr soo god me helpe I knowe it wele

490

Your wyfe to go is pleased neuer-a_dele

She is a woman leest that loueth waast

Of ony lyuynge / for euer she dooth haast

Homewarde whan she at ony place is oute

For your expence and charge she hath suche doute

495

So this good-man / whos wysdome is to seche

And sore abused with theyr flaterynge speche

Demaundeth who goth in this c[o]mpany company] campany 1509

Of men and other / and she sayth certaynly

My cosyon and my godfader also

500

My god-moder / and many an-other mo

Your moder-in-lawe / whiche is your wyues moder

My good cosyn your wyfe / and dyuers other

sig: [C3v]

Also the wyues of suche a place in-dede

And your cosyn and hers haue ye no drede

505

Other there be mo / dwellynge in your strete

I dare well saye this company is mete

A kynges doughter for to be amonge

And be ye sure she wyll not tarye longe

Soo is this sely man on honoure sette

510

That in no wyse wyll he this vyage lette

And perauenture she that thus dooth speke

Shall haue a gowne or other thynges to breke

The mater that the persone may be playd persone ='character, part'; see OED s.v. person n, 1

And thus it falleth ofte as it is sayd

515

He sayth this company is good and fayre

But she moche hath to do / and grete repayre

At home how-be-it / for to goo as than

She hath a lycence gyuen by this man

Whiche to her sayth / beware how by the dayes

520

Ye be demeaned trauaylynge on your wayes

Also take hede at nyght ye lodge you sure

And god you kepe frome euyll auenture

The good-wyfe than / whiche doth perceyue and here

That she hath leue / maketh countenaunce and chere

525

At home for to abyde yet had she leuer

Than forth to ryde / and from her home dysseuer

She sayth my loue this tyme no cause haue I

Out for to goo with suche a company

I praye you that I may not goo this season

530

Her cosyn than was nyghe herynge that reason

Answered and sayd / what cosyn ye shall goo

Your gentyll husband wyll that it be soo

The good-man than a lytell abacke doth drawe

And thus he sayth vnto his moder-in-lawe

535

Ne were it for the trust I haue in yow

sig: C4

She sholde not go / this make I god auow The 1507 fragment begins at this point.

Ha my good-sone she sayth by heuen-kynge good-sone ='son-in-law'; see OED s.vv. good-son, good adj., D.2.b

That made this worlde / and euery other thynge

Ye may as surely and withouten drede

540

Suffre her to go as for to saye your crede

Thus they departe and on theyr waye be gone

And as they go / these wordes than sayth one

Unto an-other he hath some Ialousye

It semeth wele he dredeth Ieopardye

545

Thus is he mocked by these womens arte

For now come galauntes forth on euery parte

Whiche at the feest afore by auenture

This foresayd werke haue made and put in vre

And there awaytynge ben vpon theyr nede

550

For to conclude and so forth to procede

But how this wyfe now fested is and serued

For loue of her good-man all vndeserued

And god wote how she doth herselfe applye

To reuell daunce / and for to synge on hye

555

Also she maketh good and mery chere

But god wote how she prayseth her bedfere

The husbande lefte at home whyle she is oute

And seeth herselfe so praysed amonge the route

Certes these galauntes than her do aduyse

560

And se she is apparaylled in suche wyse

Perceyuynge well her chere and countenaunce

Shortely to he[r] eche one hym doth auaunce her] hex 1509, her 1507

One profreth moche / an-o[t]her offreth more an-o[t]her: letter broken

Harde is to me the cause to tell wherfore

565

The Ioly chere the praty trotte and pace

With the demeanynge of a womans face demeanynge ='demeanour'; see OED s.v. demeaning vbl. n, 2

Wyll gyue these louers cause and hardynesse

To sewe for grace vnto theyr worthynesse

sig: [C4v]

One to her wordes gracyous dooth saye

570

An-other cometh as nygh her as he may An other] And other 1509, An other 1507

And setteth his fote a_lofte on hers playne

Eke by the honde quyckly he doth her strayne strayne ='clasp, squeeze'; see OED s.v. strain v1, 3

Also an-other his loke casteth a_syde

Full pyteously and sharpely for a tyde

575

An-other than vnto her dooth presente

A dyamonde ryght fayre and oryente

Or elles a ryche rubye with a rynge

Whiche she receyueth with some other thynge

By whiche thynges may she well vnderstande

580

Of theyr entent / and fele it with her hande

If she haue ony reason brayne or wyt

And other-whyles by fortune happeth it

That frome her chayre alyght wyll she adown

To doo some werkes of deuocyon

585

Or vnto Uenus to doo sacrefyse

But how can I not saye ne in what wyse

This sely man at home in poore degree

Is made and brought vnto necessytee

For thylke estate that his wyfe doth pretende

590

The mater thus hath dryuen to an ende

And made her go to gaderynges and feestes

Amonge a wycked company of gestes

For vnto her they yolden be in trust

To haue theyr pleasures appetytes and lust

595

Upon none other thynge do they aweyte

But how they may doo this poore-man deceyte

The stroke wherof he hath without escape

Whiche comynly is called but a Iape

So he is causer of his propre shame

600

None other wyght therof is for to blame

And thus it happeth by contynuaunce

sig: [C5]

That what by sygnes speche or countenaunce

Trouth of the thynge wherof he was in doute

All openly reported is aboute

605

Wherby he falleth Ialouse in a rage

Out of the whiche there is no wyght so sage

That hym can moue / for who that feruently

Of woman feleth the cruell malady

There is no medycyne that may hym cure

610

The sekenesse is so sharpe without mesure

Than wyll he bete her bytterly and curse

Wherby the werkes maketh he moche worse werkes ='troubles'; see OED s.v. work n, 6

For chastyce can he not by daye ne nyght

His wyfe but by his betynge maketh lyght

615

And hote the loue bytw[e]ne her and her frende bytwene] bytwne 1509, bytwene 1507

Thus dryueth he the mater to an ende

And soo he other-whyles fortune may

One of her lymmes breke or kytte a_way

Wherby his castell or his pyle he loseth

620

Than as a mased beest he hym dysposyth

Withouten care and all he setteth at nought

Thus hath he founde the payne whiche he hath sought

And neuer after wyll she loue hym more

Bycause that he hath beten her so sore

625

But for to passe the tyme and make a shewe

And of fayre wordes speketh she but fewe

There this poore-man in turment payne and wo

Lyueth and yet he thynketh not so

And all these sorowes / he for Ioyes doth take

630

Soo in the lepe he is I vndertake

Enclosed depe / and yf he were withoute

Yet shortely wolde he in withouten doute

There vseth he his lyfe in paynes alwayes paynes] payne 1507

And wretchedly / thus endeth he his dayes

sig: [C5v]

Thus endeth the seconde Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.

635

ANother Ioye whiche named is the thrydde

Of maryage in no wyse may be hydde

The whiche I purpose shortely to d[e]clare declare] dclare 1509, declare 1507

Accordynge to myn auctour and not spare

The whiche is whan man in youth doth wedde

640

A yonge mayde / and whan they bothe in bedde

Haue had theyr pleasures largely and desyre

And well aswaged is the brennynge fyre

The hoot heruest is well ouerblowe heruest ='autumn'; see OED s.v. harvest n, 1; ouerblowe ='past'; see OED s.v. overblow v1, 2

As it with me and other is I trowe

645

Soone after this her bely doth aryse The 1507 fragment breaks off here.

sig: [C6]

And waxeth grete / as is the comyn gyse

Wherof the husbande alwaye hath the name

And perauenture he nothynge to blame

Is of the dede / for so it happeth ofte

650

As some men saye in preuy counseyll softe

And therat meryly wyll laughe or hum

But this is de secret[i]s mulierum secretis] secretes 1509

The husbande than in-to suche thought doth fall

And turmentes that he ronne and trotte shall

655

To gete the wyfe all she shall nede

Forth on his Iourney swyftely doth he spede

And yf he tryppe or stomble by the waye

He may fall in the myre by nyght or daye

And grete auenture shall be yf he brynge

660

Uytaylles that may be good to her lykynge

All-thoughe he hath done neuer so grete payne

Whyles he was out / tyll he came home agayne

And ofte it happeth so that for suche mete

As comynly she vsed hath to ete

665

Bothe lust and appetyte from her do pas

Bycause her stomacke is not as it was

Than she desyreth to haue thynges straunge

And noueltees her dyete for to chaunge dyete] dyerte 1509

For whiche this poore-man must trotte on fote

670

Or elles ryde there is none other bote

Bothe nyght and daye / to gete where he may fynde

Suche delycates as may content her mynde

And in this turment seuen yeres and more

Is this good-man / and yet she euermore

675

Nothynge wyll do but playe the wanton so

That therof pyte hath this husbande tho

Whiche of the hous alwaye the charge doth bere

And se all thynges well-ordred euery-where

sig: [C6v]

Erly to ryse / and late to goo to bedde

680

He must and se all maters be well spede

And on his husholde / after suche estate

As he is of remembreth he algate

Now dooth the tyme approche of trauaylynge

And she a chylde in-to the worlde shall brynge

685

God-faders than in haast / god-moders eke

As she wyll ordre / besyly to seke

He hath grete thought and out-goth in an hete

The nourysses and gossyppes for to gete

Whiche must her kepe of chylde whyle she lyeth in

690

What tyme his double sorowe dooth begyn

For so they drynke the wyne in euery houre

As in-to olde botes one dyde it poure

Now lyenge in her trauayle payne and wo

This wyfe auoweth twenty waye and mo

695

On pylgrymage to go for her good spede

To be put out of her grete payne and drede

This poore-man auoweth eke for to ryde

Unto all-halowes / and now on euery syde

The gossyppes come / and this good-man must gete

700

Suche vytayles as they may well drynke and ete

So that they may in suche a wyse be eased

As they shall holde them well content and pleased

This done / the wyfe and gossyppes talke togyder

And fast they carye in for drede of weder

705

All-be-it soo / this good-man hath the payne

That trauayle must in wynde snowe hayle or rayne

And whan he is forth passed on his waye

One of the gossyppes wyll these wordes saye

Alas my gossyp whiche now is withoute

710

An harde fytte hath / that am I out of doute fytte ='position of hardship or danger'; see OED s.v. fit n2, 2

A foule and euyll weder now it is

sig: [C7]

No force an-other sayth so haue I blysse

He is ryght wele at ease / and so be we

But yf it fortune soo / somtyme that he

715

Fayle of suche thynge as were vnto theyr paye

One of the gossyppes to the wyfe shall saye

Gossyp I meruayle moche / and so dooth all

This felawshyp / that it so is befall

And we haue wonder what it may amount

720

That your husbande doth make so lytell count

Of you or of your yonge chylde here in trouthe

A gentyll herte wolde pyte haue and routhe

Beholde it wele / conceyue what he wolde do

Yf ye had chyldren fyue or syxe yet mo

725

It doth appere he l[o]u[e]th you but lyte loueth] leuoth 1509

Wherof bothe ye and we may haue dyspyte

Consydred where ye lust hym for to take Consydred ='considering'

He hath more honoure truely for your sake

Than euer ony of his lygnage bore

730

Haue had in dayes passed here-tofore

By god I saye / that is our lorde Ihesus

Rather than my husbande serued me thus

I had well leuer / eyther he were deed

Or elles that he none eye had in his heed

735

Than sayth an-other / gossyp fynde some bote

Let not this man thus cast you vnderfote

For he shall doo to you whan ye be layde

As moche agayne or more / now haue I sayde

An-other sayth / my cosyon I meruayle

740

Ye take no more regarde to your auayle

Consydred / ye be wyse of good lygnage

And he not lyke to you / though maryage

Hath coupled you and all men hygh and lowe

How ye hym suffre vnderstonde and knowe

sig: [C7v]

745

And he doth you so grete domage alwaye

Than doth the wyfe answere agayne and saye

Truely my dere gossyppes what is the best

To do as in this caas so haue I rest

Nothynge knowe I ne wayes fynde I can

750

To helpe my-selfe he is so euyll man

An euyll man he is / one of them sayth

But I shall tell you truely by my fayth

My gossyppes that be here / they knowe well whan

I was fyrst maryed to myn husbande than

755

Men sayd he was so dyuers of his wyll dyuers ='cruel, perverse'; see OED s.v. divers adj., 2

That it was wonder but he wolde me kyll

By god my gossyp though he so were named

I thanke our lorde he is now ryght wele tamed

For he had leuer fall and breke his arme

760

Than me to do dyspleasure hurte or harme

But fyrst whan we togyder maryed were

To speke than he began with angry chere

And for to stryke as dooth a carlysshe mon carlysshe ='churlish'; see OED s.v. carlish adj.

But by the sacrament of god anon

765

Fast with my tethe I toke the brydell so

That he me bette no more but tymes two

Wherin he played the very fole and more

For after was I moche wors than before

And he hath tolde my gossyp sykerly

770

That he in me coude put no remedy

Now may I speke and do all that I wyll

And be it ryght or wronge vntrouth or skyll

Alwaye with me the last worde shall remayne

So whan he speketh I chekke hym vp agayne

775

There is no game lyke it / whiche is to playe

With players and put besynesse a_waye

For gossyp neuer man yet was so harde

sig: [C8]

I you e[n]sure but yf he be answarde

Well by his wyfe she shall soone make hym fre

780

And debonarye / yf that she wytty be debonarye: =debonary, an altered form of debonair

An-other sayth my cosyn be well ware

Ye speke to hym / and for no drede ye spare

Whan he cometh home / and saye the best ye can

And in this wyse / gouerned is this man

785

Than drynke they fast and saye saynt Iohnn to borowe

And take theyr leue vnto the nexte morowe

What tyme agayne they wyll retourne to se

The maner all / how she shall gouerned be

But whan this poore-man cometh home agayne

790

With vytaylles and with other thynge certayne

And seeth there is grete waast made in his hous

Of go[o]des and he is inly couetous goodes] goddes 1509

Than [f]alleth he [in] heuynesse and payne falleth] salleth 1509; in] 1509 omits

For thought that hym doth by the herte constrayne

795

An houre or two by nyght he doth aryue

For he hath comen ferre to se his wyue

And for to vnderstonde yet ferthermore

How that she dooth / he coueyteth ryght sore

Whether she be hole / or how it with her is

800

In ony wyse to knowe wyll he not mys

One nyght frome home he dare not lodge withoute

Of his expence he hath suche fere and doute

In-to his hous with Ioye entred is he

And all his seruauntes there in theyr degre

805

Instructed be and taught in suche a wyse

Lyke as the good-wyfe lyst afore deuyse

For elles though neuer so good and true were thay

They sholde not tarye there well halfe a daye

Now he demaundeth how the good-wyfe doth

810

And therof wyll he vnderstonde the soth

sig: [C8v]

Than sayth her chamberer whiche dooth her kepe

Syr she is very seke and may not slepe

Syth ye departed hens ete myght she not

But lytell she amended is god wot

815

Than is this man all sorowfull and sadde

Whiche hath ben wette with reyne and harde-bestadde

For oftentyme by hym and other moo

Parauenture it may well happen soo

That he is faynte and his hors at assaye

820

For he hath passed by an euyll waye

And they percas of all the daye afore

Haue neyther dronke ne eten lasse ne more

And yet wyll not this poore-man ete a bytte

Tyll tyme that he may vnderstonde and wytte

825

How his wyfe dooth / and than the chamberere chamberere] chambrerere 1509

Olde matrones / and the nouryse drawen nere

And seruauntes whiche enfourmed ben how they

After theyr charge shall them demeane alwey

They shewe theyr personages as they were wroth

830

Than wyll not he abyde / but vp he goth

In-to the chambre / comynge her agayne

And at his entre / softely she dooth playne

Upon the bedde afore her leneth he

Sayenge my best byloued how do ye

835

Ryght seke she sayth my lorde / and than he there

Demaundeth how in what a wyse and where

My loue sayth she / ye knowe well that of late

I am made feble / and in poore estate

Than answereth he to her as in this wyse

840

Haue ye not ordeyned so that some colyse colyse: =cullis, 'broth'; see OED s.v. cullis n1

Of a fatte capon for you may be made

Now syr so god me helpe / ryght so I hadde

She sayth of late / but they it can not make

sig: D1

In fayth quod he loue I shall vndertake

845

To make you one full well and holsomly

The whiche shall no man touche but ye and I

And ye shall ete it for the loue of me

She sayth my loue I wyll well it so be

This good-man than goth to the coke in hast

850

He stampeth fast and ordeyned her repast

Fast chydeth he / and sayth they be but bestes

For they can dyght no metes at requestes

Than hastely he dooth this soupynge bere soupynge ='broth'; see OED s.v. supping vbl. n1, 2

Unto this wyfe / and whan he cometh there

855

With prayer he enforceth her to take

Somwhat therof and ete well for his sake

And so she dooth and sayth syr good it is

But so was not that they haue made or this

For it was nothynge worth a symple fle

860

And with that worde frome her departeth he

To souper / and adowne he dooth hym sette

And therupon the vytaylles be forth fette

None of the delycates that gossyppes ete

The daye afore / whiche were not for hym mete

865

Not perauenture of the messes chefe

He had but of the fragmentes and relefe

Wherof the olde wyues haue take theyr fyll

And god wote in what wyse they dranke theyrtyll

Thus was this wery man at souper fedde

870

Wherwith he is content and goth to bedde

All sobrely with heuynesse and sorowe

And whan that comen is the nexte morowe

Unto his wyfe he gooth / and in this wyse

He sayth / my loue tyme is ye awake and ryse

875

And go to masse for we so moche do spende

That all our money nygh is at an ende

sig: [D1v]

This cost is grete / we may not bere out it

And she answereth / a syr it is not yet

No-whyle syth I was layde / and so grete payne

880

I haue that yet I can not well sustayne

Myselfe / but now I wote it and byleue

Ye thyn[k]e it longe / and sore it doth you greue thynke] thynge 1509Although the emendation is called for here, thynge (=think) is used twice below as a rhyme-word.

That I ne laboure in the hous agayne

In suche a wyse as though I sholde be slayne

885

I vnderstonde it is your mynde and wyll

That i[n] this wyse I sholde my-selfe do kyll

Alas I se in tyme to come that I

Ryght moche shall haue to suffre certaynly

If that I sholde haue .x. or .xii. yet mo

890

Chyldren but god defende that it be so

For yf it myght hym please I wolde be gladde

That neuer one after this tyme I hadde

And please it to god that I more chylde haue neuer

But his commaundement be perfourmed euer

895

In me and all his wyll lowly obeyd

Ha sayd this man / alas what haue ye sayd

Ye mone yourselfe without cause or encheson

For I dare saye and make it good by re[a]son reason] reoson 1509

Was neuer poore-man yet of myn estate

900

That suffre[d] hath soo moche as I of late suffred] suffre 1509

Frome hens-forth-[o]n it shall me lyke and please on] in 1509

That whan ye wyll ye aryse or take your ease

Than sayth she thus / my counseyll is that one

Go streyght vnto my gossyppes all anone

905

And saye to them they come no more to me

For I am euyll-dysposed in certaynte

My loue sayth he they shall come and haue all

Suche thynges as may them please in specyall

Syr than sayth she / no more let me be styll

sig: D2

910

And do ye all thynges as it is your wyll

Than cometh a matrone with a wryngled face wryngled: =wrinkled, although this spelling variant is not recorded in OED s.v. wrinkled adj. (cf. thynge: =think)

An olde ke[m]pster with whome is lytell grace kempster] kepster 1509kempster ='wool-comber'

And to the good-man out her mynde doth breke

Pease syr she sayth / no mo suche wordes speke

915

For to a woman that is voyde of brayne

And feble / and so tender in certayne

Grete peryll is to speke so in her payne

And therwithall she draweth the courtayne

So doth this man lyue sorowfully alwayes

920

And wretchedly so shall he ende his dayes

¶Here endeth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the fourth Ioye of maryage.

THe fourth Ioye of maryage to tell

Is as to go frome purgatorye to hell

sig: [D2v]

For it is whan he whiche hath maryed be

Kepynge an housholde after his degre

925

Where he hath dwelled styll .viii. yeres euen

And hath of yonge chyldren sy[x]e or seuen syxe] syre 1509

Passynge full many an euyll nyght and daye

Unhappely as ye haue herde me saye

Wherof he hath had many an euyll ende

930

Thus is his youth gretely made colde and spende

And it were tyme for hym sore to repente

If that he coude / as synners sholde in lente

But of his hous whiche he must kepe algate

He is soo inly wery and soo mate

935

That what-someuer the wyfe wyll speke or do

Nought careth he / ne taketh hede therto

For he as harde and dull is as an asse

Whiche for no prycke ne sporre wyll faster passe

This poore-man doughters hath yet one or twayne

940

The whiche may fortune wolde be maryed fayne

They redy be and on the houre they tarye

Awaytynge fast who wyll come them to marye

They be in Ioye / and it may happen so

The man is poore / and lyueth in care and wo

945

Nygh moneyles / and hath no grete substaunce

For maryage to make his cheuysaunce

Also vnto his sones he must bye

His doughters and his other small meynye

Doublettes hosyn kyrtels and vytayle

950

And many an-other thynge withouten fayle

His sayd doughters he must repayre and kepe

All honestely and gaye / elles wyll they wepe

And for thre thynges this nedely must be done

One is bycause they may be asked sone

955

Of dyuers galauntes dwellynge them aboute

sig: D3

An-other is withouten ony doute

All were it so that this good-man ne wolde

Yet so to be / for nothynge it ne sholde

For-why the wyfe hath passed the same waye

960

And she ne wyll it suffre by this daye

Also there is an-other reason why

Bycause they haue good myndes and hertes hye

And are accustomed to be fresshe and gay

For otherwyse wyll they not be ne may

965

And in auenture yf they otherwyse

Entred were / anone they wolde practyse

To haue theyr Ioly[u]ettes / for helpe and ease

But there an ende / of that I holde my pease

So is this man on euery parte dysmayd

970

These charges berynge / as afore is sayd

And perauenture soo he is bestadde

That symplely and poorely he is cladde

Of whiche araye yet careth he nothynge

So he may haue a passe-tyme and lyuynge passe-tyme ='occupation'; see OED s.v. pastime n, 1

975

And this suffyseth well to hym alwaye

As to the fysshe doth in the lepe to playe

Whyles he may haue a tyme and suffraunce

Therin to lyue and languysshe [in] penaunce in] ni 1509

And yet therby abbredged ben his dayes

980

So fareth it by suche a man alwayes

The whiche in-to the lepe of housholdynge

Is put where he shall suffre suche turmentynge

As I haue sayd / and other innumerable

And thus he seeth these thynges so chargeable

985

That all he sette at nought soo he lyue may

As doth an hors morfounded by the waye morfounded ='benumbed with cold'

Whiche none accompte doth set by sporre ne thynge

That may to hym be done in trauaylynge

sig: [D3v]

This notwithstondynge / wheder he wyll or not

990

Forth hym behoueth for to goo and trot

To gouerne londe and lyuelode whiche is his lyuelode: =livelihood

Ryght after suche estate as he of is

And perauenture he hath horses twayne

The whiche be lene and poore for lacke of grayne

995

And it soo fortune may he hath but one

Or yet not one / but forth he gooth anone

And .xx. myle or fourty from his place

He trauaylleth / within a lytell space

Unto the parlyament / or to th'assyse

1000

Where he hath for to sewe in dyuers wyse

For suche a cause / as other thynges amonge

Hath ben dependant in the lawe there longe

A payre of botes well of thre yeres olde

Or foure he hath to kepe his legges frome colde

1005

The whiche full ofte haue mended ben alowe

Ryght craftely for drede it sholde be knowe

So that parte whiche was somtyme on the kne

Amyddes the shynne must nedely vsed be

Full ofte they chaunged haue theyr former face

1010

And that hath brought them from aboue so bace

A rustye payre of sporres he hath eke

Wherof one of the rowelles be to seke

Also of .x. yeres olde he hath a gowne

Not of the newest gyse ne facyowne

1015

The whiche for drede that he sholde it appere appere: =appair, 'impair'

Excepte on hygh feestes he nolde it were

Or elles whan he frome home sholde go or ryde

All other tymes it was layde clene a_syde

The cause why it was of so olde a shappe

1020

May be for soo it fallen is by happe

That gownes be made all in a newe gyse

sig: [D4]

But this to hym dooth well ynoughe suffyse

And in his wayes yf that he se or here

Ony Instrumentes or playes ay they answere

1025

As semeth hym by sow[n]ynge in his ere sownynge] sowynge 1509

Of his housholde bycause his mynde is there

He lyues harde and poorely by the wayes

So do his horses / and his page alwayes

Whiche page is all to_ragged and to_rent

1030

As pluto was that rode to parlyament

Upon his syde a rustye sworde and bad

He ware the whiche his mayster goten had

In flaunders at a bataylle / also he

Those bowges caryed that were wonte to be bowges ='bags'; see OED s.v. bouge n1,1

1035

Ofte vsed to conueye bothe nygh and farre

His legge-harneys alwayes in tyme of warre

S[h]ortely to speke / he doth all that he may Shortely] Sortely 1509

With lytell cost to trauayle by the waye

For he at home ynough hath for to spende

1040

Also these aduocates to hym offende offende ='assail'; see OED s.v. offend v, 5

Sergeauntes gryffyers / and suche a companye gryffyers ='registrars, clerks, notaries'; see OED s.v. greffier n,1

So largely take of hym that he doth hye

Homewarde as fast as he his hors can dryue

And perauenture whan he cometh to his wyue

1045

It is nygh the mornynge as the nyght

And whan he is at home he dooth alyght

Where he noo souper fynde can ne espye

Bycause his wyfe and other companye

Unto theyr beddes were gone som-what afore

1050

Or he came home / but he dare saye no more

But taketh all in pacyence and gree

For here-vnto accustomed hath he be

And yf it happe that he come in good houre

Wery and sadde with trauayle and laboure

sig: [D4v]

1055

Pensyfe heuy / and of his charges greued

Supposynge to be welcomed and releued

How-be-it many tymes he hath had

And he doth thynke ryght euyll chere and bad

The good-wyfe chydeth than and clappeth fast

1060

As though a tempest were or thonder-blast

Within the hous / and yf that this good-man

Lyst to commaunde / or bydde his seruauntes than

To gete hym ony-thynge that he wolde haue

There is not in his hous so lewde a knaue

1065

That maketh accompte therby ne wyll obey

So by theyr dame afore taught ben all they

Wherfore to speke he loseth tyme and payne

But she therwith be pleased in certayne

And yf his ladde in ony wyse demande

1070

Mete for hym-selfe / or for his hors prouande

He shall be checked and rebuked so

That he shall not dare speke suche wordes mo

Also this poore-man that is soo sage

Wyll make no noyse for hym ne for his page

1075

But taketh all in pacyence and sayth

Dame ye do well / and yours in good fayth

Therwith she answereth hym all hastely

Ye haue more lost and spent now folyly folyly ='foolishly'; see OED s.v. follily adv.

Than ye wyll wynne of all these yeres twaye

1080

I tolde you late in twenty deuylles waye

Ye sholde haue made our henhous close or now

A martron eten hath this tell I yow martron: =marten

Thre of myn olde hennes ye shall perceyue

What harme we haue therby / thus ye deceyue

1085

By god I knowe yf ye may lyue your age

Ye shall be poorest man of your lygnage

Fayre dame sayth he no mo suche wordes saye

sig: E1

I haue ynough / and so shall haue alway

Our lorde I thanke / and yf it do hym please

1090

I am content / and thynke me well at ease

For of my kynred there ben full ryght good men

In your kynred / ha se now / sayth she then

By saynt Mary / I knowe not where they be

And at the leest I coude them neuer se

1095

Dame by my fayth he sayth / some be ryght gode

Of my lygnage / I wolde ye vnderstode

The whiche be worthe as moche or more than ye

What they / she sayth / be they lyke vnto me

Ye dame sayth he / nay syr by god sayth she

1100

I tell you well your dedes were but small

Without my frendes helpe in especyall

Now fayre dame / for goddes loue sayth he

Haue pacyence / and lete suche wordes be

Certes she sayth / yf that my frendes were here

1105

And you suche wordes had / they wolde answere suche] suche / 1509

You well ynough / then he the mater feres

Leest it by her / sholde come vnto theyr eres

Wherfore to kepe all thynges in pacyence

No more sayth he / but resteth with sylence

1110

And here-with-all / begynneth for to wepe

A lytell chylde / that can not go but crepe

And she anone / a rodde taketh in her hande

And in dyspyte / of this good poore husbande

More than for other cause or chastysynge

1115

Upon the buttockes / she dooth it bete and dynge

This lytell babe / and than he sayth no more

Bete it fayre dame / and waxeth wrothe therfore

And she begynneth for to chyde and crye

In all the deuylles names of hell on hye

1120

To gouerne them / she sayth ye haue no payne

sig: [E1v]

They cost you nought / but I haue cause to playne

For alway vpon them I must attende

God gyue it shamefull deth / and euyll ende

Ha fayre dame sayth he / that is foule sayd

1125

With that the nouryce shortely dooth out-brayde

And sayth a syr / full lytell do ye knowe

The sorowe that here is amonge vs I trowe

And what payne that it were to you / yf ye

Sholde kepe and nourysshe them so as do we

1130

Now by my trouth / than sayth the chamberere

It is grete shame to you syr / wyll ye here /

For whan that you come home / we sholde be fayne

Of your comynge / but ye make noyse and playne

And all your hous / ye set in grete debate

1135

This man seynge this / and therwith is chekmate

How he on euery syde is prycked sore

And he can gete no remedy therfore

All wery gooth he souperles to bedde

And yf he soupe / god wote how he is fedde

1140

Or eased / after he to slepe dooth lye

And hereth all the nyght his chyldren crye

For wytyngly the nouryce and the moder

Do let them crye / they wyll it be none other

In grete dyspyte of hym whiche all the nyght

1145

Dooth passe in sorowe / vnto the dayes-lyght

All these tourmentes / he for Ioye dooth holde

For-why / none otherwyse he lyue ne wolde

Therfore he is / and alway shall abyde

In sorowe thought / and care on euery syde

1150

And wretchydly his dayes in payne and wo

He shall endure / and make an ende ryght so

¶Here endeth the fourth Ioye of maryage.

sig: [E2]

¶Here begynneth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.

OF mar[ya]ge for to declare or wryte maryage] marayge 1509

The fyfth Ioye / now god wolde I were quyte

So lytell fruyte or pleasure stante therin

1155

That I am wery [h]alfe or I begyn halfe] falfe 1509

Whiche is whan that the good-man whiche is maryed

Longe-tyme in trauayle hath / and wo taryed

And many a payne endured hath before

Whose youth is gretely ouer-drawen therfore ouer-drawen ='passed away'; see OED s.v. overdraw v, 2

1160

And he is veray wery faynte and mate

But by auenture it may so be algate

He hath a wyfe more greter of lygnage

Then he / and eke more yonger of her aege

sig: [E2v]

The whiche be two grete and doutfull thynges

1165

To medle with / and namely in weddynges

For better none can do hym-selfe to waste

Than in these twayne / to lappe or put in haste

His body / and well vnderstonde it why

For two repungnaunce / they be truely repungnaunce: =repugnance, 'contradictions'' see OED s.v. repugnance n, 1

1170

Wherfore agayne nature it were and ryght agayne] agaynge 1509

They sholde accorde by daye or elles nyght

And other-whyles so is that he and she

Some chylde may haue / or elles that none there be

This not-withstandynge she is nothynge sette

1175

To payne / for-why / the good-man wyll not lette

But she be kepte in pleasure ease and wele

Wherfore he traueyleth / and dooth euery-dele

Whiche is to mayntene suche a Ioly state

And costyous / as she wyll kepe algate

1180

And yf she wolde haue thynge that there is not

That she may haue it / he wyll go or trote

For she wyll not make lower ne empeyre

Her lygnage by her dyete ne her geyre

The husbande taketh all this for honoure

1185

And thanketh god entyerly of that houre

In whiche he of his grace / her hath hym sent

So what she dooth or sayth he is content

And often-tyme it happeth at a tyde

Whan they begyn / to vercyfy or chyde vercyfy = 'argue', a jocular sense not recorded in OED s.v. versify v

1190

She sayth to hym by maner of manace

Ye knowe ryght well / of what an house or place

I comen am / and was not gyuen to the

A drabble or elles a dreuyll for to be drabble ='a dirty person'?, perhaps with suggestions of drab, 'slattern'. Only one, late, instance of drabble in this sense is recorded in OED s.v. drabble n (1789), but see s.v. drabble v, 'to muddy', for earlier forms. Dreuyll ='drudge, a servant doing menial work'; see OED s.v. drivel n1,1

She sayth as soone / as I wyll sende or wryte

1195

Unto my kynne and frendes of this dyspyte

Anone they wyll come hyder for to se

sig: [E3]

The copytext has 'E.iiij.'

How I do here / and therfore dare not he

For ony cause / ones touche her with his hande

With staffe ne stycke / for all his goodes and lande

1200

Though [s]he with mouthe / grete wordes hath ysayd. she] he 1509

As styll he is / and muet as a mayde

In bondage grete / me-semeth that he is

And so it may well be that she or this

Had by her frendes maryed ben aforne

1205

Unto a rycher man / and better borne

Than he / and in a hygher state be sette

If that in her had ben no faute ne lette

But for there was before some lytell Iape

That in her yought fortuned for to scape yought: =youth, although the usual spelling in this text is youth(e)

1210

To cole her thryst / as dyuers folkes well trowe thryst: =thirst

She had not elles ben maryed hafe so lowe hafe: =half, although the usual spelling in this text is halfe

Wherof the husbande had no knowlegynge

Or perauenture he hath herde some-thynge

But this good-man / of suche fayth and beleue

1215

Is made / that this thynge lytell dooth hym greue

For he hath herde it sayde / and sworne or then sworne] soworne 1509

Of many folkes / and of ryght good men

That all suche cursed langage was contryued

Agaynst his wyfe / and he the same beleued

1220

They saye it is bostynges and auauntes

Made by the meanes of Ioly fr[e]sshe galauntes fresshe] frsshe 1509

And other sklaundrers that speketh shame

Of women good / and falsely them defame

Whan they togyders in the stretes walke

1225

Thus of good men and women wyll they talke

What tyme that they nothynge may elles do

Unthryftely thus speke they euer mo

Wherin god wote / grete synne do they and wronges

In suche vngoodly wyse to vse theyr tonges

sig: [E3v]

1230

And yf so be this wyfe beholde and se

Her husbande beynge in so lowe degre

That he all Ioye hath lefte / dysporte and playe

Thynkynge to make a cheuysaunce some waye

Upon her lande / or elles it may befall

1235

Of cheuysaunce he hath ynough at all

And is a very nygarde / and a chynche chynche='niggard, miser'; see OED s.v. chinch n2

That wyll not frely spende / but spare and pynche

The whiche no pleasaunt thynge is to the wyfe

That purposeth to lyue a lusty lyfe

1240

Bycause that she in seasons of the yere

Wyll haue these noueltees / though they be dere

As well in vytayle / gounes as atyre

G[yr]dels and other thynges at her desyre Gyrdels] Grydels 1509

Lyke as she seeth her felawes vse and were

1245

At feestes and daunces euery-where

There-as her cosyns / and her gossyppes be

And with an-other man / that alwayes she

Useth to call her cosyn euermo

And peraduenture yet he is not so

1250

Also somtymes well it fortune may

That for the grete pleasures ease and play

She hath / and seeth in many a sundry wyse

Dysdayne her husbande she wyll and dyspyse

And make a frende / suche as she wyll desyre

1255

Her h[u]sbande then / in water or in fyre husbande] hasbande 1509

May lye / for she wyll loue hym neuermore

Som folke wolde deme she were to blame therfore

But ye must take the mater otherwyse

For all is longe vpon his couytyse

1260

And he is sadde / and in perplexyte

But she is lyght / and in prosperyte

Not entred into thought ne negardy

sig: [E4]

She is but yonge / and so she wyll apply

Her youthe in pleasure / lustes and delyte

1265

Aege is not mete vnto her appetyte

So louynge is she / to her loue and kynde

That to suche place / as she demeth hym to fynde

Ofte wyll she take / her Iourney forthe and walke

Or secretely / and softly forthe wyll she stalke

1270

Unto her frende / that lusty is and fresshe

For veray loue her lymmes to refresshe

And it may happen many tymes that she

Sauynge her worshyp / seldon may hym se

Then for to speke her good name and honoure

1275

Her messenger she sendeth at an houre

That he shall come / and se her hastely

The whiche is done ryght well and honestly

Soone after this / whan comen is the nyght

And this good-man and she withouten lyght

1280

Be layde in bedde / and he somwhat wolde play

With her / whose mynde is with her frende a_way

This gentyll galaunt / whome of .viii. days and mo

She hath not seen / and yet it may be so

That on the morowe he wyll come for his wage

1285

All hote and hasty / hongry in a rage

For perauenture he hath suche a tatche tatche ='bad habit'?, 'distinctive quality'? '(means of) attachment'? See OED s.vv. tache n1, 2, 3, tache n2, 1c

That he hath morned sore / and keped watche

Bothe in the gardyns / also in the strete

And they ne myght yet of longe-tymes mete

1290

Ne speke togyder / but on the morowe whan

This man shall come / he wyll be hasty than

His appetyte and honger to aswage

Grete and wonder is / to speke of his courage

And it may fortune otherwyse I trowe

1295

That they haue had leyser ynough to knowe

sig: [E4v]

And [d]o suche pleasure / as a man may thynke do] so 1509

But I dare neyther speke ne loke but wynke

Myn auctour wryteth / but so wyll not I

That she demeaneth her ryght wantonly

1300

He sayth an hondred thynges she can make

That toucheth loue / for her good frendes sake toucheth] toucheteth 1509

And many a token wyll she shewe and sygne

Of loue / the whiche I can not well deuyne loue /] loue / / 1509

She maketh eke melancolyes amonge melancolyes ='expressions of tender or pensive sadness'; see OED s.v. melancholy n, 3d

1305

Whiche to her husbande made she not of longe

Also her loue dooth besynes and payne

To do her pleasure / as he can agayne

So many praty Iapes he wyll begyn

That she grete Ioye / and conforte hath therin

1310

And those suche maner Iapes ben or playe

That wedded men can not / ne wyll assaye

And yf the[y] can / afore or that they wedde they] the 1509

Those they forbere / and set at nought in bedde

Wherfore to shewe it to a wyfe or teche

1315

The whiche more able is to rede or preche

Then for to lerne percase moche more than he

The good-wyfe can in her necessyte

Therfore he wyll not teche her in that guyse

For she / than he more connynge is and wyse

1320

Now whan this wyfe / her loue hath at her wyll

And they haue tyme / and leaser to fulfyll

Theyr appetytes / suche Ioyes as they shewe

To_gyder / men haue herde of but a fewe

For there no wyght is / that can tell or saye

1325

The pleasure that haue ben betwene them twaye

And so she hath had suche dysporte and spede

That nothynge prayseth she her husbandes dede

After the whiche pleasures / Ioye and game

sig: [E5]

As grete delyte / and pleasure taketh the dame

1330

Of her good-man / as one that tasteth wyne

Whiche hath reboyled / and wyll neuer fyne reboyled 'fermented a second time'; see OED s.v. reboil v1, 1. Fyne ='become clear or pure' ; see OED s.v. fine v3, 2

After he hath dronke good wyne or ypocras ypocras] yopocras 1509ypocras: =hippocras, 'spiced wine'

And otherwhyle yet / thus may stande the case

A drynker good whiche hath a feruent thyrste

1335

And drynketh small and musty wynes fyrste

He thynketh them good ynough / his thyrst so grete

Is / and the dryenes of his mouthe and hete

But after he therof hath dronke his fyll

He fyndeth a cursed tarage and an yll tarage ='taste, flavour'; see OED s.v. tarage n1

1340

And yf that he sholde drawe agayne and taste

Yet though he myght / he nolde vnto it haste

But in defaute of better w[y]ne it were wyne] wene 1509

Ryght so knowe ye that this good-wyfe dooth here

The whiche her louer / alway hath at nede

1345

At her desyres / suche maters for to spede

And taketh a taste somtyme at request

Of her husbande / for lacke of her good gest

To passe the tyme and dryue the nyght a_waye

But otherwhyle / whan he hath luste to playe

1350

And she not so / she sayth lete me be styll

Abyde / and towardes mornynge do your wyll

Nay certes dame / so wyll I not sayth he

Wherfore I pray you / torne you vnto me

Nay loue she sayth / by god and by saynt Ma[ry]e Marye] Mayre 1509

1355

Ye shall do me grete pleasure for to tarye

Unto the morowe / and then he torneth awaye

And dare not touche her ne no mo wordes saye

So all the nyght / he lyeth styll in rest

And slepeth metely well at her request

1360

Then this good-wyfe / that on her loue dooth thynge

Not carynge whyder her husbande flete or synge The rhyme-words in this couplet, thynge (=think) and synge (=sink), are perhaps cast in this form for humorous effect; but see below, where thynge (=think) and drynke are made to rhyme.

sig: [E5v]

Entendeth for to se vpon the morne

Her owne loue / whome she hath longe forborne

Sayth to her-selfe / for she is not alone

1365

My husbande shall not yet touche my persone

Tomorowe / and therfore erly she arose

A[n]d lefte her husbande / routynge in the nose routynge ='snoring'; see OED s.v rout v1

And maketh suche a countenaunce as she

A houswyfe good / and houssholder sholde be

1370

And peraduenture the husbande is in bedde

Whyles that his wyfes m[a]ters is well spedde

By her good loue / and she hath her desyre

And he content is / with his wage and hyre

Thus all that day / she is so well apayde

1375

That neyther seruaunt nedeth she ne mayde

In euery place / so ordreth she the house

And skyppeth aboute / as q[u]yckely as a [m]ouse

She clappeth to the doores and the wykket

And is as mery as it were a crykket

1380

And somtyme it may fortune other-wyse

Whan that she wyll not frome her bedde a_ryse

But lyke a wanton or nycet play nycet ='a wanton girl'; see OED s.v. nysot n

Then wyll she playne / a lytell afore the day

And this good-man dooth aske her what she eyleth

1385

In trouthe she sayth / I thynke my herte me feyleth

Within my syde / I haue so grete a payne

And in my bely whiche do me sore constrayne

That it is meruayle / but as Cryst me saue

I deme syr that the same sykenes I haue

1390

The whiche wonte was afore-tyme me to take

And namely whan I ouermoche dyde wake

Torne you to me sayth he I you requyre

By god sayth she / I am as hote as fyre

For this nyght haue I had so sore a fytte

sig: [E6]

1395

That lytell haue I slepte / or nothynge yet

Then this good-man her clepeth with his arme

And feleth well that she is very warme

He sayth then / trouth now saye ye certaynly

But she hath other maner malady

1400

Of feuers / than that she wyll tell or shewe

For peraduenture / this false wyle shrewe

Thought that she was with her loue in her dreme

Whiche made the swetynge frome her body streme

Then this good-man / her felynge in this hete

1405

Dooth couer her frome wynde / lest that the swete

Sholde inwarde passe / all sodaynly or drynke drynke ='be absorbed'? This sense is not recorded in OED s.v. drink v1.

Whiche were a peryllous thynge as he dooth thynge thynge: =think

To her sayth he / dame kepe you well and sure

Lye styll in bedde / whyle your swete dooth endure

1410

And I shall cause suche werkes to be doone

As nedefull is / and vp he ryseth soone

Perchaunce withouten fyre or candell-lyght

Some-what afore the day / within the nyght

And whan he so is vp all hastely

1415

He maketh a fyre for her / whiche easely

Lyeth in her bedde / and laugheth by her-selfe

That in the derke / he walketh lyke an elfe

An-other tyme / yf this good-man play wolde

With her / as I here-tofore haue tolde

1420

She well excuseth her / in suche a wyse

Full ofte / as ye haue herde me late deuyse

To scape away / euer wyll she fynde a mene

For she his dede / not prayseth worthe a bene

And yet hath he / gret besynes ywysse

1425

At many a tyme / her for to coll and kysse

But god wote how she is eased therfore

If she be suche one / as is sayd tofore

sig: [E6v]

Unto this man / the good-wyfe wyll say thus

I wolde that it myght please our lorde Ihesus

1430

Ye neuermore sholde doo / ne yet assay

Suche thynges as ye or this haue herde me say

Ye sholde forbere / and how what wolde [ye] not ye] yet 1509

Do it your-selfe sayth he / nay god it wot

Sayth she / for yf that ye suche thynge wolde spare

1435

Bothe ye and I sholde moche the better fare

If I had knowen this or ye dyde me wedde

I neuer wolde haue gone vnto mannes bedde

What saye ye dame / now speketh this good-man

For what encheson dyde ye mary than

1440

I note quod she / but whan I was a mayde note: =ne wote

So as my fader and my moder sayde

I dyde / and thought she spake suche wordes waste

Yet peraduenture afore she toke a taste

What thynge is this to say / the good-man sayth

1445

I founde you neuer afore this by my fayth

To say the trouthe in your entencyon

But alway fast in this opynyon

I wote not by my soule she sayth my loue

This knoweth well the myghty lorde aboue

1450

Ne were it not / for your pleasure alone

Now neuer wolde I do it by saynt Ihone

This man well eased is / as god it wolde

And to hym-selfe he sayth / my wyfe is colde

Wherof he maketh none accompte ne tale

1455

And peraduenture she is whyte or pale

Of nature feble / and complexcyon

But he hath her / in his subieccyon

And her he clepeth / and he kysseth so

That all his pleasure / hath he or she go

1460

And this good-wyfe / whiche for the tyme is there

sig: [E7]

Thynketh on other thynges and elles-where

She wolde she were / and god wote heuely

Is she content / but well and womanly

She kepeth her [s]kyll / and dooth hym as moche good skyll] kyll 1509

1465

As cast a stone agaynst a pyece of wood

For helpe hym-selfe / can he not ne socoure

And she nothynge is gladde of his laboure

How-be-it other dyde ryght well afore

And she asyde turneth her chere therfore

1470

A lytell / for that tyme / so stant the cas

For this is not / the good wyne ypocras

Whiche she afore at other tymes had

This dooth her sore anoye / for it is bad

My loue she sayth / ye make me all a fole

1475

Better it were for you vpon a stole

To sytte / and of suche besynes you rest

This good-man whiche all taketh for the best

Kepeth hym as well / and derely as he may

That he of longe-tyme wyll by no way

1480

Do her dyspleasure / trespace or offence

The payne he dooth endure with pacyence

He doubteth [s]ore the good-wyfe to dysplease [s]ore: letter broken

And so he resteth / somwhat for his ease

For he beleueth well / that of the game

1485

Nothynge she wolde / in ony wyse attaine

So putteth he hym-selfe in suche dotage

That he supposeth well it were domage

To her complexyon she is so lowe

And symple eke suche wordes for to knowe

1490

Bycause percase / that lately of her hewe

She is dyscoloured in a maner newe

Wherfore the mater better he beleueth

And it may fortune after thus it preueth

sig: [E7v]

That this good-wyfe a goune or other thynge

1495

Of her husbande wolde haue to her lykynge

She knoweth well by his condycyon

Whan tyme is best to make a mocyon

Aduysynge in her mynde hym to begyle

To haue all her desyre / and on this wyle

1500

Remembreth she / that whan they and no mo

In chambre be / and it dooth fortune so

That they in pleasures and delytes be

And in her mynde / she dooth perceyue and se

That he with some-thynge wolde haue to do

1505

Then wyll she put her good-wyll ther-vnto

And to make hym suche dalyaunce and chere

That it is meruaylous to tell or here

For-why / a woman lerned in that arte

A thousande thynges newe vpon her parte

1510

Can do / to make good chere and dalyaunce

To whome she lust / suche is the guyse of fraunce

So in this dede the good-man is well eased

For he is not accustomed to be pleased

With so good maner chere / and contenaunce

1515

She clepeth hym with all the cyrcumstaunce

And on the vysage / kysseth she hym ofte

Where-as she lyketh / with her lyppes softe

Then this good-man in this maner dooth say

I deme ye wyll aske some-thynge by my fay

1520

Of me / and she sayth nay my frende as now

Nothynge but make good chere I craue of yow

For yf it pleased god / I wolde deuyse

To haue none other Ioye ne paradyse

Than euermore bytwene your armes twayne

1525

To be / wherby exyled were my payne

Truely my loue / and also god me saue

sig: [E8]

None other blysse wolde I desyre to haue

For my mouthe touched not ne neuer shall

No mannes mouthe / but yours in specyall

1530

Sauynge your cosyns and myn / well may ye wyt.

And not but whan ye lyst to commaunde it

Syr I beleue so gracyous and swete

There is no man as ye / ne to me mete

My loue sayth he / yf it a squyre were

1535

I wolde beleue you for to be your fere

By god she sayth / whan ones I dyde you se By] By / 1509

Ferre of / the same syght so rauyshed me

And yet I dyde you but beholde a lyte

Than ye had all myn herte / loue and delyte

1540

I wolde haue had none other by my choys

Though it had ben the dolphyn of vyennoys

I thynke almyghty god / wyll it so be

That I shall lyue with you / and you with me

For-why / my fader and my moder bothe

1545

Dyspleased were with me / and wonder wrothe

Bycause to haue suche one I nolde accorde

But neuer wolde I by our blyssed lorde

Though that one wolde haue slayne me with a knyfe

Yet thought I euer for to be your wyfe

1550

And I ne knowe what thynge that this may be

Sauynge I thynke it is our destyne

Than dooth this man his pleasure as hym lyketh

And she is yelden therwithall and pyketh

A countenaunce and sayth / now wote ye what

1555

I wyll demaunde / my loue refuse not that

To promyse me I you beseche and pray

The good-man sayth / I wyll it not denay

Yf that it be suche thynge as I may do

Ryght well dysposed wyll I be therto

sig: [E8v]

1560

My loue she sayth / the wyfe of suche a man

A furred goune with myneuers had on

This other daye / and yf that I durst craue

I wolde praye you / that suche one I may haue

Syr by my soule / for pryde or for enuy

1565

I saye it not / ne for to be Ioly

But for-by_cause syr / that I thynke ye be

As able as her husbande to kepe me

And of more su[b]staunce / yf I sholde not lye substaunce] sustaunce 1509

To maynteyne me / bothe well and honestlye

1570

And she is not to make comparyson

That knowe ye well / as vnto my person

Ne syr yet to haue honoure / pray[s]e or laude prayse] praye 1509

I saye it not for gyle / deceyte / ne fraude

But for this woman hath so grete a pryde

1575

I wolde be gladde that she layde it asyde

And for none other thynge so haue I blys

Than this good-man / whiche perauenture is

A grete nygarde / thynketh in his entente

That she of gounes hath suffycyente

1580

And so a whyle he resteth in a thought

And sayth my loue yf that it be well sought

Haue ye not gounes ynowe you to suffyse

Of dyuers sortes furred in goodly wyse

Yes syr she sayth / for yf I but a goune

1585

Had and no mo / though it were a russet broune

I wolde not recke / and yet it were grete shame

Than sayth this man / now care ye not good dame

Now lete them speke / and talke ynough with sorowe

For we of them / nothynge do begge ne borowe

1590

By god ye saye the trouthe / but wyll ye here

I am not lyke vnto a chamberere

Of theyrs / and not so well cladde ne besene

sig: F1

As is my syster / ne as other bene

And yet of yeres / more olde I am than she

1595

Whiche is a foule / and an euyll thynge to se

Then peraduenture / wyll this man consent

That shortely she shall haue all her entent

And what she wyll desyre in suche a rage

Whiche vnto hym / is nothynge but domage

1600

For whan that her demaunde / and her request

She hath / for to be fresshe than is she prest

To go where feestes / and these daunces be

Wherof no maner prouffyte geteth he

Peraduenture she shall her dresse and paynt

1605

And haue so lytell vertue and restraynt

That she in suche vnthryfty wyse shall preue

And neuer man suppose wolde ne beleue

And yf this gowne her please not / wyll ye knowe

She hath an-other loue / ye may well trowe

1610

Whiche peraduenture hath no ryches grete

And is a galaunt fresshe / and can not gete

More than to holde / and may[n]tene his degre mayntene] maytene 1509

And therfore soone / aduyse herselfe dooth she

Upon an-other galaunt / stoute and gay

1615

The whiche a dyamounde this other day

Whan that she was / at suche a maner feste

Unto her wolde haue gyuen as a geste geste: =jest, 'notable deed'? See OED s.v. jest n1

And sent vnto her / by her chamberere

Well twenty scutes / in his best manere

1620

Or thyrty / but so soone she ne them toke

How-be-it / she gaue a goodly loke

All-though she gretely / dyde refuse as than

Wherby suche comforte / toke this gentylman

That he spake to her chamberere agayne

1625

Whome he met goynge / towarde a fountayne

sig: [F1v]

Or elles-where / and to her thus he sayde

O Iane my veray loue / come hyder mayde

I haue to speke some thynges with you now

Well syr sayth she / whan that it pleaseth you

1630

Good Iane he sayth / ye knowe ryght well the loue

That I vnto your maystresse haue / aboue

All other creatures / now I you pray

Tell me yf ye haue herde her of me say

Ony wordes / syr by my fayth sayth she

1635

Nothynge certayne / but good and honeste

And she wolde you none euyll / hurte ne harme

With that he taketh her softely by the arme

Saynge good Iane my loue remembre me

That I to her may recommaunded be

1640

And in good faythe here a goune I you gyue

With all my herte / and seruyce whyle I lyue

Now certes sayth the chamberere agayne

That redy is to take the goune and fayne

Whiche he to her presenteth as I say

1645

Syr I wyll not receyue it by no way

By god sayth he fayre Iane / but yet ye shall

It is god wote / a symple gyfte at all

And then he sayth vnto the chamberere

I pray you that to_morowe I may here

1650

Some newes of you / and thus god be your guyde

Fare-well syth ye / no lenger may abyde

Than to her maystres streyght she gooth / and sayth

Folkes haue I founde / in good poynt by my fayth

What be they sayth her maystresse / tell me now

1655

The same it is / the whiche ryght well ye know

And he as yet / is in good cas and plyte

For he is taken / with the feuers whyte

In suche a wyse / that what is best to do

sig: [F2]

He knoweth not / loue dooth constrayne hym so

1660

The wyfe sayth than / a goodly man he is

And gracyous / ye say full sothe ywys

The chamberere than sayth for in my dayes

Suche one I neuer knewe at all assayes

He is moost fayre full ryche / and well yshape

1665

Moost true of loue withouten deceyte or Iape

And he can do ynough / his loue to please

A lady myght / with hym be well at ease

O Iane she sayth / by god I can not haue

No suche thynges of myn husbande as I craue

1670

And yet yf he me hate / he playeth the fole

For we shall brynge hym / in-to an-other scole

By god my Iane / I haue so loued longe

This gentylman / though I haue kepte my tonge

That to none other / coude I gyue myn herte

1675

So am I take / that I can not asterte

And this grete foly is / by god aboue

For ony woman thus to sette her loue

On ony man / that in this worlde is here

And I shall tell you why / Iane wyll ye here

1680

For whan these men / on women lordes be

All sod[a]ynly in moost necessyte sodaynly] sodoynly 1509While sodoynly (=suddenly) is a possible form, the usual spelling in this text is sodaynly.

Causeles the[y] wyll forsake them and betraye they] theo 1509

And therof make / a tryfle or playe

Then cometh this galaunt or that other parte

1685

And to the chamberere he speketh a_parte

Saynge in this maner / with handes vp

Togyder Ioyned / close as ony cup

My fayre loue Iane / ryght humbly I you pray

Tha[t] ye wyll do / and helpe all that ye may Tha[t]: letter broken

1690

So that my werke ye well achyeue and spede

And I shall neuer fayle you at your nede

sig: [F2v]

So ye my maystresse / shall be euermo

Then answereth she / and sayth yf I myght so

Syr for your loue / I wolde speke what I myght

1695

B[u]t neuer medled I by day ne nyght

Of thynges suche / alas my loue sayth he

What shall I do / for goddes loue counceyle me

By god she sayth / best is for you to speke

Your-selfe / and vnto her your stomacke breke

1700

All well to poynte / the mater comen is

For of her husbande / hath she late or this

A goune desyred / onely but of clothe

Whiche he denayed her / and she is wrothe

I counceyle you / to_morowe that ye be

1705

Tymely at chyrche / where-as ye may her se

And whan it happeth you / with her to mete

So as it lyketh you / ye may her grete

There may ye shewe / your mater and entent

And suche as ye wyll / gyue to her present

1710

All-be-it so / that she it wyll not take

Yet more she wyll you prayse I vndertake

Your largesse and your bounte shall she se

Alas my loue / me leuer were that she

Take it that I wyll gyue her / than refuse

1715

Now syr sayth Iane / she wyll make her excuse

But I shall say you / what thynge ye shall do

After that ye / haue offred her vnto

That thynge the whiche / ye wolde her gyue in-dede

And she refuse it / than your cause to spedde

1720

Delyuer it to me / and at the lest

To cause her take it / I shall do my best

For I anone / can knowe her mynde and fele fele ='sense, understanding, knowledge'; see OED s.v. feel n, 2b

Now truely gentyll Iane / ye say ryght wele

Then gooth the chamberere / in Crystes name

sig: F3

1725

And whan she cometh home / she sayth madame

A longe tyme it is / yf it you please

Or that some folke be brought to hertes-ease

And who is that good Iane / tell me anone

Ywys m[a]dame / ye knowe the same mon madame] medame 1509

1730

What do away / I pray you tell me how

It is fayre Iane / what tydynge with you now

Certes madame / he wyll not fayle to_morowe

In chyrche to speke with you / and all his sorowe

Unto you wyll he shewe / so as he can

1735

Ye may be sure / he is a gentylman

But well and wysely / gouerne you alway

And make it straunge / so as ye goodly may

Not ouer-moche of straungenes ne dysdayne

Use may ye not / but so betwene twayne

1740

Demeane yo[u] womanly / in hope that grace

Therof shall growe within a lytell space

Upon the morowe this wyfe gooth to kyrke

As whan a thynge shall be / nedes must it wyrke

So dooth this galaunt / whiche thre houres and more

1745

In good deuocyon god wote afore

Passeth the tyme / and draweth to a place

Where he the holy-water / in her face

May cast / and for to kepe all-thynge frome shame

He vnto other women dooth the same

1750

The whiche with her / be present than and there

And they thanken hym in theyr best maner

But this poore-man / wolde do them more seruyce

If he so myght / and dooth hym well aduyse

That this good-wyfe / styll resteth in her sete

1755

Lyuynge in hope / some grace of her to gete

And sayth his bedes demeanynge hym with-all

As swetely as an ymage in a wall

sig: [F3v]

And god wote / she is dressed proprely

After her power / whiche he well dooth espy

1760

Beholdynge how she kneleth in her pewe

So well apparayled / with so fresshe a hewe

And vnto her / anone he draweth nere

Where at theyr leyser / they do speke in fere

But nothynge wyll she say / but herkeneth styll

1765

Unto the tyme / that he hath spoken his wyll

Ne nothynge of hym / then wyll she receyue

But so she answereth hym / that he perceyue

May well / that she hym loueth peramoure peramoure: =paramour, 'amorously'

And that she dredeth not / but dyshonoure

1770

Wherof he is well eased / and ago ago ='departed'; see OED s.v. ago v, 3

Frome her / and frome the chamberere also

And so he walketh forthe his stacyon

Then entren they in-to collacyon

That is to wete / the maystresse and her mayde

1775

Remembrynge well / suche wordes as were sayd

And shortely / so conclude vpon theyr dede

How that theyr werke / they may perfourme and spede

And then the chamberere sayth secretely

Madame I knowe well / he hath grete enuy

1780

To speke to me but I wyll to hym say

That ye nothynge for hym / by ony way

Wyll do / and therfore wrothe I wyll me make

For pure pyte / the whiche I on hym take

And I shall to hym say / our syre is out

1785

So he at nyght may come withouten doute

Into your chambre secretely I trowe

I shall hym let / as though ye dyde not knowe

And I shall shewe as I were wrothe / wherfore

He shall you pray / well better and th[e] more th[e]: letter illegible

1790

And syth he afterwarde / shall lenger tary

sig: [F4]

The same thynge I wyll do brynge and cary

Whiche he wolde gyue you / for I knowe that he

To_morowe wyll delyuer it to me

And I to hym shall say / so god me saue

1795

That ye it neyther / wyll receyue ne haue

And whan it happeth shall / that after soone

The proces and the actes be well doone

Wherfore the goune / he gyueth you in rewarde

The whiche afore he put in-to my warde

1800

Then ye therfore / shall chyde me fast and blame

Afore hym / saynge / damoysell fye for shame

Wherfore dyde ye / this thynge with you retayne

Why wolde not ye delyuer it agayne

But how-someuer it come to passe / knowe ye

1805

That I shall put all-thynge in certaynte

For some there be that haue ryght many a wyle

Wherby innumerable they begyle

Of women good / and neuer can be styll

Now Iane / frome this daye forwarde do your wyll

1810

Forthe gooth this galaunt than / and so dooth mete

The chamberere / somdele without the strete

And asketh her / what newes she hath brought

Of her maystresse / by god sayth she ryght nought

I haue her founde / so daungerous and straunge

1815

That sore I drede shame wyll make her to chaunge

But for-because I medled haue so ferre

Thynkynge no tyme is / lenger to deferre

This mater / I shall say you what is best

That ye may do / to brynge your mynde in rest

1820

Thyder shall ye go this nyght to werke and spede

Your maters / and yet haue I so grete drede

That she wyll to her hus[b]ande me accuse husbande] husande 1509

Or to her frendes / but I thynke and muse

sig: [F4v]

That yf she wyll receyue / suche thynges as ye

1825

To her wolde gyue / your dede soone spedde shall be

And yet by god / I shall proue and assay

To cause her take it shortely yf I may

For well it is / at poynt to brynge aboute

The mater / for her husbande ryden out

1830

Is now / and hath denyed her vtterly

A goune / wherof she hath so grete enuy

That it is meruayle / and this galaunt tho

Twenty scutes / or thyrty / elles mo

Delyuereth vnto her / and Iane sayth than

1835

By god ye be an honourable man

But well ye se / how I aduyse me

And yet I drede that troubled shall I be

For neuer dyde I thus / for man or now

As I for you haue done / I make auowe

1840

And wyll ye knowe / how grete daungere that I

Haue put me in / and I shall tell you why

For yf so be / that knowen were one worde

That ony-thynge I sholde do by our lorde

Herin / I sholde haue euer suche a blame

1845

That euer after / myght I loke for shame euer] neuer 1509

But for-bycause I truste you perfytely

I shall me put / in this grete Ieoperdy

Knowynge that she / you loueth well at all

And that our syre is out / wherfore ye shall

1850

This same nyght / come fayre and honestly

Unto her chambre / and I secretely

Wyll let you in / for neyther barre ne locke

Shall cause you eyther / for to call or knocke

And thus at .xii. houres within the nyght

1855

Ye must walke in the derke withouten lyght

For that tyme sadly / dooth she slepe alway

sig: [G]1

The copytext has 'F.j.'

And there is but a lytell chylde in fay

To her in bedde than shall ye go and lye

For I can se / none other remedy

1860

And peraduenture your dede shall be good

Now whan a man / all naked is by the rode

In bedde with her / that naked is and bare

A full grete thynge it is and she vnware

And whan she seeth none other choys ne rede

1865

As styll she lyeth then / as she were dede

So sore she dredeth shame and vylany

That in the derke she may not se to crye

For though she answere straungely on the day

At suche a sodayne countre she ne may countre ='encounter'; see OED s.v. counter n1

1870

O Iane my loue / this gentyll galaunt sayth

I neuer shall haue peny by my fayth

But ye therof that one halfe and well more

Shall haue alway / so wele ye do therfore

Whan nyght shall come the galaunt gothe a_pace

1875

As Iane hym hath / aduysed to the place place] pleace 1509

And she vnto her maystresse secretely

Hath shewed all the processe manerly

And whan this galaunt comen is and crepte

In-to the bedde / she letteth as she slepte letteth ='waits, holds back'? See OED s.v. let v2, 2

1880

This galaunt there / her shortely doth embras

Then starteth she and sayth / who is there alas

My loue sayth he / no more for it is I

A by the sacrament of god I crye

She sayth it shall not come to passe yet so

1885

And thynketh for to call / on Iane whiche tho

No worde to her agayne answerde or sayd

Ha now I se it wele / I am betrayed

Myn auctor sayth / the[y] fyght togyder bothe they] the 1509

In dyuers wyse / and she is passynge wrothe

sig: [G1v]

1890

And fast she panteth / bothe for fere and yre

Wh[ic]he is as angrye / as the brennynge fyre Whiche] Whcihe 1509

And sore abasshed of this rekenynge

Ye may well knowe / it is a pyteous thynge

A woman onely whan she lacketh helpe

1895

No more of strength is then a lytell whelpe

But yf it had not ben for drede of shame

More hyghe she wold haue cryed in goddes name

Then she dyde than but all was for the best

That she to saue her honoure so dyde rest

1900

Was neuer fythyll / shalmeulx / pype ne rote fythyll: =fiddle; shalmeulx: =shawm

That better dyde accorde in euery note

Of musyk / or in gemetrye then they gemetrye: =geometry

Whiche enterpryse / gode tyme agayne to play

Thus for the husbande that tyme beynge o[u]te

1905

Ryght well to poynt the werke they brynge aboute

Now hath this wyfe the gowne that was denayed

By her good-man / and she is wele apayed

And for-bycause he nolde it to her gyue

It shall cost hym full dere yf she may lyue

1910

All-be-it so that he in tymes afore

Wele more then it was w[or]the hath payed therfore worthe] wrothe 1509

And this good-wyfe / all thynges to excuse

And bycause no wyght herof sholde muse

Her moder wyll she cause with dylygence

1915

This goune to gyue her in his presence

All [d]oubtes to auoyde that he may haue doubtes] boubtes 1509

Thus honestly she can her worshyp saue

And she her moder maketh to byleue

That this clothe she hath bought as she can preu[e] preu[e]: letter illegible

1920

Of those lytell thynges whiche she solde

Wherof her husbande yet she neuer tolde

So he therof dothe vnderstonde no dele

sig: [G2]

Or parauenture he may knowe it wele

And so it happeth ofte with her and mo

1925

After this goune another cometh also

That is to wyte / a newe thynge must be had

For her that she / may honestly be clad

Also of gyrdels harneysed two or thre

Of syluer-gylte / elles angry wyll she be

1930

Or other thynges / wherof her husbande than

Wyll be as sore dyspleased as he can

The whiche is veray melancolyous

Or lyke to Naball auarycyous

As I haue sayd afore / and he dothe doubte

1935

Or narowly he pryeth [a]nd loketh oute

So that he wele perceyue[d] hathe some-thynge perceyued] perceyue 1509

Wherin he toke no pleasure nor lykynge

Or vnto hym it hathe be tolde or shewed

O[f] her good loue / this galaunt all beshrewed Of] Or 1509

1940

By some fast frende of his this hath he knowen

For at longe rennynge out it shall be blowen

Then entreteth he in rage of Ialousy

And putteth hym in-to an agony

Anone he maketh semblaunt to go oute

1945

And cometh at nyght / starynge all aboute

Full sodaynly supposynge in his mynde

Oute of araye some folkes to fynde

The whiche is not so easely to be done

Then hydeth he hym in his chambre sone

1950

And by auenture / some-thynge dothe espye

Wherfore he chydeth and she can wele replye

She feleth that she wylye is and sage

And that she comen is of good lygnage

This sely man remembreth hym agayne

1955

Of his frendes how they haue spoken playne

sig: [G2v]

So they in ryot and grete debate

And sorowe and care / shall rest vpon his pate

For Ioyes shall he neuer haue in-dede

Fro that tyme forth / but euer gnawe and fede

1960

On heuynesse / and euer amonge alye alye] a lye 1509alye: =ally, 'kin, relatives'

Shall cast be in the vysage prately cast: ='set'(?), although OED s.vv. cast v, cast ppl. adj. do not record this sense; prately: =prettily, 'considerably; see OED s.v. prettily adv., 3

His cheuysaunce / shall lessen sodaynly

Also his pore body shall be drye

So shall he cesse of werkes and besynesse

1965

And neuer lyue in wele nor lustynesse

Thus closed in the lepe / abyde shall he

These paynes takynge for prosperyte

For yf that he this lepe were not within

Yet neuer wolde he / tary rest ne blynne

1970

Unto the tyme that he therto myght crepe

And put hym-selfe in-to the same more depe

Thus he ne wolde that otherwyse he were

Ryght so this poore-man / as ye may here

Shall euer languysshe in captyuyte

1975

And depe within the lepe shall barred be

So wretche[d]ly his dayes shall he ende wretchedly] wretchely 1509

Fro suche auenture god vs all defende

¶Here endeth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the syxte Ioye of maryage.

sig: G3

THe syxte Ioye of maryage it is so

That he whiche was wedded longe ago

1980

Endured hath the trauayles / and the payne

As I afore haue sayd / all or certayne

Of them / and hath a wyfe especyall

Dyuers of her condycyons at all

A veray subtyll fal[s]e and wyle shrewe false] falfe 1509

1985

She is / as I here-after shall you shewe

Cautelous wylfull / and eke malycyous Cautelous ='deceitful, wily'

Frowarde / wanton / nyce and dysdaynous

And her husbande a good man is and playne

The whiche her loueth well / and she agayne

1990

Loueth hym I trowe / wherfore alway he

sig: [G3v]

So as he may by possybylyte

Dothe vnto her / all pleasures that he can

For she of body is a good woman

How-be-it holly her entencyon

1995

Is sette so fast and her oppynyon

That euer by some crafte or subtyllyte

Fayle wyll she not to haue the soueraynte

And of her husbande werkes wyll she knowe

Wheder he of his degree be hyghe or lowe

2000

So wyll she medle ofte answere and speke

Yf myster be / and many maters breke

Suche is of her the dysposycyon

And after nature the condycyon

Of all wyues / what husbandes so they haue

2005

Or at leest / the maystrye wyll they craue

For tho this wyfe be wele and wante ryȜt nought

Yet euer wyll she set her mynde and thought

To brynge her husbande / into wo and care

And make hym thynke and muse / euyll fare

2010

And otherwhyles it may fortune so

That he and she in chambre and no mo

Be all the nyght and som-what of the daye

In theyr delytes Ioye dysporte and playe

And they togyder kysse and make good che[re] che[re]: letters illegible

2015

But he aryseth fyrst that theyr dynere

May redy be / and also he must thynke

O[n] other thynges mo then mete and drynke On] Oo 1509

The hous aboute and whan tyme is to dyne

He calleth her but she wyll not enclyne

2020

Unto his speche but sendeth downe anone

Her lytell chylde or of her seruauntes one

Whiche vnto hym then shall these wordes saye

Syr in good fayth she wyl not dyne to_daye

sig: [G4]

Wele sayth the good-man / go agayne in hast

2025

And byd her come anone to this repast

Then gothe the seruaunt or the chylde and sayth

My mayster byddeth you come now by my fayth

To dyner sone for he wyll nothynge eate

Tyll ye be come and set with hym at mete

2030

Go say to hym I wyll not dyne sayth she

Upon whiche answere streyght to her gothe he

And sayth to her what ayleth you my dere

She speketh not / wherfore he draweth nere

And sayth what chere my loue and is dysmayde

2035

How-be-it he hath sene suche pagentes playde

Afore that tyme / but for request ne worde

That can be sayd she nyll go to the borde

But playe ryght so / and perchaunce in no wyse

Wyll dyne that day for thynge he can deuyse

2040

Another tyme / vnder her arme a_syde

He ledeth her as thoughe she were a bryde

And they to dyner go / but colde is all

The vytaylles on the table grete and small

For so longe hath she [c]aused them to tarye caused] saused 1509

2045

Thus often-tymes wyll she do contra[ry]e contrarye] contrayre 1509

To reason / and suche countenaunce and chere

With maners wyll she make at her dynere

That no-thynge wyll she ete / ne bytte

For whiche so dull and mate he is of wytte

2050

And lyke a mased beest for wele the more

He loueth her / and hath her dere therfore

For suche melancolyes she dothe hym gyue

In thought and heuynesse to cause hym lyue

Wherin ryght wele she dothe and cunnyngly

2055

Syth he wyll suffre it so curteysly

For-why a woman for to gete the grace

sig: [G4v]

Of hym whome she hath bounden in her lace

Hath not to do / syth that he loueth her wele

With herte / body / mynde and euery-dele

2060

And dooth her all the pleasures that he may

Her nedeth not / with suche one for to play

But she must set her thought holy to gete

The loue of hy[m] / the whiche her doo[t]h foryete doo[t]h: letter broken; foryete: =forget

And by her setteth / none accompte ne tale

2065

She sholde assay to make suche one auale

Unto her hande by chere and countenaunce

By pleasaunt speche / with all the cyrcumstaunce

A fayre dede / she thynketh to haue wrought

Whan she her husbande / in-to care hath brought

2070

It happeth otherwhyle this man gooth out

Her werkes / and his besynes about

And whan he homewarde dooth retorne agayne

With hym he bryngeth of his frendes twayne

In-to his hous / bycause he hath to do

2075

With them / or elles ryght well it may be so

That they of hym haue perfyte cognysaunce

Or elles they be of his acquayntaunce

Whan he without is / as is sayd before

His yoman or his page / he sendeth afore

2080

Unto his wyfe / and prayeth her hertely

For to make redy / well and honestly

The houses all about / and other thynge houses= 'sets of rooms (occupied by one tenant or family)'? See OED s.v. house n1, 1b

For suche frendes as he wolde with hym brynge

Bycause to them / he gretely is beholde

2085

Also he prayeth her hastely that she wolde

Ordayne vytayles to make them well at ease

For what he can / he wyll do them to please

And he with them percase hath for to do

Now gooth this messenger his wyfe vnto

sig: [G5]

2090

And salueth her and sayth / madame truely salueth ='salutes'; see OED s.v. salue v

My mayster cometh / and in his company

Two of his frendes / men of good estate

For to be lodged here this nyght algate

Wherfore he prayeth you ryght specyally

2095

To se the souper dyght be / and redy

And she dooth answere saynge / what haue I

And do with feestes / or of his company with] with / 1509

Why cometh he not hym-selfe to se it dyght

I wote not sayeth the seruau[n]te by thys lyght

2100

But thus to say / he hath commaunded me

Tho[u] arte accursed knaue by god / sayth she

This felawe than holdeth his peas anone

And she in-to a chambre is agone

Suche one she is / whiche dooth none otherwyse

2105

And wors is / she hath a praty guyse

For all the seruauntes here and there about

Bothe one and other / shortely she sendeth out she] she / 1509

And ouer this / yf chamberere there be

Or of her doughters / one / or two / or thre

2110

The whiche at home abyde / be taught how they

Unto the good-man of the house shall say

Whan he cometh home / and now he comen is

And calleth vpon a doughter fyrst of his

Or elles a chamberere / and sayth is all

2115

Thynges redy made / the whiche we nede shall

In fayth she sayth / my maystresse is full seke

Your seruauntes and your meyny be to seke

And certaynly as yet / nothynge is done

Wherwith the good-man waxeth angry soone

2120

How-be-it / bothe his frendes forth-withall

He bryngeth them curteysly in-to the hall

Or in-to other places elles-where

sig: [G5v]

As they be of estate / and fyndeth there

Nothynge redy for to make them gladde Nothynge] Nothynges 1509

2125

It is no nede to aske / yf he be sadde

For perauenture his frendes whiche he brought

Perceyue ryght wele enpryntynge in theyr thought

That where he sente his seruaunt or his page

Afore vnto his wyfe on his massage massage: =message

2130

They myght wele thynke that his commaundement

Was not so sure as acte of parl[ya]ment parlyament] parlayment 1509

This good-man then dothe call his folkes on hye

But none of them he fynde can nor espye

Excepte a pore knaue or elles a mayde

2135

That nought can do / and then he in a brayde

Gothe to his wyues chambre sodaynly

And [to her] speketh hygh and hastely to her] her to 1509

Wherfore haue ye not done I you demaunde

As by my messagere I dyde comaunde

2140

A syr she sayth so many thynges ye

Commaunde / that by the holy trynyte

One shall not vnderstande ne knowe wele how

What for to do / o saynt Mary now

Then sayth this man / clawynge fast his hede

2145

Now of this worlde / the moost vngodely dede

And euyll haue ye done and vncurteysly

Se here the folkes / that I moost specyally

Am bounde vnto / how may I do therto

Sayth she / what wolde ye syr that I sholde do

2150

Now with your cosyns moche to do haue we

It sheweth wele an vnwyse man be ye

Do as ye wyll after your guyse for I

Care not therof a rysshe / nor yet a fly

Fayre dame sayth he I you demaunde wherfore

2155

Ye haue sente out / your seruauntes here-tofore

sig: [G6]

Knewe I quod she / that ye suche besynesse

Had [t]ake[n] on hande / how-be-it neuerthelesse taken] dakeu 1509

She sente them forthe / in dyspyte wyttyngly

Of this good-man / afore all by and by

2160

Then he the whiche wyll suffre and obeye

Unto her faute / dothe no mo wordes saye

But fro her gothe with care and heuy chere

For parauenture suche his gestes were

That he had leuer / an hondreth scutes and more

2165

Haue spente but she / nothynge dothe care therfore

She hath hym sene and knoweth he wyll not byte

And that afore he was not wonte to smyte

Shortly to speke he torneth hym aboute

And of his folkes gadreth in a route

2170

Suche as he fyndeth and dothe the best he can

Towelles of werke he demaundeth than Towelles of werke ='ornamented table-napkins'; see OED s.vv. towel n, 1a, work n, 15

Fayre / fyne / whyte and other naperye-ware

Of dyapre and byddeth that they none spare dyapre: =diaper, 'the name of a textile fabric'; see OED s.v. diaper n, 1

And table-clothes or they to souper go

2175

But of the good-wyfe / he is answerde so

Towaylles she sayth ryght good and fyne there be Towaylles: =towels

And for moche better men / in theyr degre

Then be these folkes / and of as good a place

They gete none other as euer haue I grace

2180

These other clothes in vessels ben to stepe

As wasshynge-tubbes / layed in the water depe

How-be-it for the towaylles I say not this

For erly haue I lost the kayes ywys

Of the dores / se how the chamberere

2185

Dothe seke them besyly bothe here and there

And of the bedde she torneth to and fro

The strawe / also the good-wyfe thus sayth tho

I wote not what I haue done of late so bad

sig: [G6v]

My wytte and eke my heed is made so madde

2190

With besynes / and mased is my brayne

That where for to renne / I ne wote certayne

Truely sayth he /I am begyled wele

The coffres shall I breke now euery-dele

A fayre thynge do ye than / the good-wyfe sayth

2195

And I shall tary with you by my fayth

I wolde ye had them all in pyeces broken

So that they neuer sholde be shytte ne loken

Suche thynge somtyme a man may do in haste

That afterwarde he shall repent the waste

2200

Than how to do / he knoweth not what is best

But for all this / he is in peas and rest

Supposynge that she sheweth hym the trouthe

And forth-with-all / without ony slouthe

Unto the table go they for to suppe

2205

Of fresshe pypes / then to fyll the cuppe pypes ='wine-casks'; see OED s.v. pipe n2, 2

Grete nede it were for wyne wherof they spende

Gooth lowe / and draweth fast vnto an ende

And it as now / is neyther good ne able

Well for to serue these gentylmen at table

2210

And though that he byd one for to go

He geteth none / bycause she wyll not so

And as for these fruyte or other thynge

At his commaundement / or elles byddynge

None can be had / for yf he wyll them haue

2215

Unto his neyghboure he must sende his knaue

Afore the table his page and theyrs stande

And them amonge they compte and vnderstande

Seynge the wyues cursed loke and chere

They say by_cause our maysters comen ben here

2220

The wyfe is wrothe but after souper then

Tyme dooth approche that these good gentylmen

sig: [G7]

Shall go to bedde / and this man dothe entrete

His wyfe for shetes whyte / but he can gete

None good ne fyne / bycause erly that day

2225

Afore the good-wyfe lost hath euery kay

Hedshetes wolde he haue / and pylowes whyte

And she them kepeth frome his ghestes quyte ghestes: =guests

In comen shetes so all that nyght they ly

But erly in the mornynge hastely

2230

These frendes aryse / and homwarde them auaunce

Whiche haue wele knowen the wyues countenaunce

Theyr pages by the waye haue comynynge

Wherof the mannes page made rekenynge

To them afore and laughen by the way

2235

Nothynge content the whiche togyder say

They wyll not theder come agayne of longe

Suche comenynge these pages haue amonge

Better had ben this good-man to haue lost

Moche of his good then to haue ben theyr host

2240

And so to brynge them theder to his shame

Wherof the wyfe all holly was to blame

The same morowe / I meruayle moche sayth he

Unto his wyfe / o benedycyte

Of your maners / for-why I knowe not how

2245

I shall demeane or gouerne me with yow demeane ='conduct (myself)'; see OED s.v. demean v1, 1

A[u]e maria / with me is moche to do

She sayth. I nourysshe chekyns duckes pygges also

And euermore I laboure and I spynne

And do all that I may some-thynge to wynne

2250

Yet can I not one houre haue on the day

Of rest ne ease / and ye trauayle alway

Aboute nothynge / but euer wast and spende

And of our goodes destroye and make an ende

Upon suche men with whiche I nothynge haue

sig: [G7v]

2255

To do / thus ye wyll neyther gete ne saue

With them sayth he / yes these good men be they

That bothe vs helpe / anoye or hyndre may

Then sadly he remembreth in his mynde

How that his wyfe so gentyll is and kynde

2260

That whan a galaunt cometh he dothe thynke

Anone she wyll cause hym to ete and drynke

And vpon hym no good thynge shall be spared

Wherfore to her hath [he] sayd and declared he] 1509 omits

That he wyll not this galaunt come more there

2265

And thervppon he byddeth her forbere

To drawe hym to her hous / for he nothynge

There hath to do / and she sayth I shall brynge

Hym whan me lust and cause him to come ynne

Wherwith gret noyse bytwene them doth begynne

2270

The good-man angrye then these wordes sayth

Wherin he sheweth wele the fole he playeth

Now by the sacrament of god yf I

After this tyme can fynde or elles espye

He with you speke / I shall make you more wrothe

2275

Then euer ye were / all be you leue or lothe

Now by my fayth she sayth nothynge I recke

All-thoughe he were hye hanged by the necke

B[u]t now I se ryght wele / it is full sothe

A good woman the whiche no synnes dothe

2280

Shall haue as moche reproue / and more dyffame

Then she that whiche dothe wyckednes attayne

She sayth yf that I suche a woman were

Whiche dyde her gouerne euyll in manere

I had no nede then for to be dysmayde

2285

For moche better she had done she sayde

Then I now do / and thus he and the wyue

Togyder make a noyse / and so they stryue

sig: [G8]

This in auenture / by the malyce grete This: =thus

Of hym or her / in suche a fume and hete

2290

They fall / that they wyll not togyder ly

Of longe-tymes in this melancoly

And that it is / that she desyreth sore sore] sores 1509

For this squyer / of whome he spake afore

Shall perauenture come within the nyght

2295

In at the backe dore out of his syght

Or elles clyme in at a wyndowe hye

And to the wyues bed go secretely

Not for to synne / ne do her hurte ne harme

But in her good-mannes stede to kepe her warme

2300

For of her bodye she was good and trewe

As it is sayd afore / or elles of_newe

Myn auctor varyeth somwhat in his tale

And taketh a k[u]kko for the nyghtyngale

After all this the thynge is well appeased

2305

And for-bycause the good-wyfe shall be pleased

This good-man dothe begynne her for to flatre

And she can suffre hym to speke and clatre

For euer wolde a woman flatred be

And lyghtly / troweth it in certaynte

2310

Yf it in praysynge be of her godenesse godenesse: =goodness

Of beaute bounte / or of gentylnesse or of] or of / 1509

Thus passeth he the tyme tyll at the laste

His wyfe he fyndeth somtyme spekynge faste

Unto this forsayd squyre in his place

2315

Or in the chyrche / or elles-where as she was

At suche a feest and in-to Ialousye

He entreth in his mynde / more feruentlye

Then euer a_dayes afore he dyde

By meane wherof so now it is betyde

2320

Of worldly Ioye he dothe hymselfe defayte defayte ='deprive'; see OED s.v. defeat v, 7b

sig: [G8v]

And entreth in-to thought and awayte thought] the thought 1509

He lyeth and requereth subtylly requereth ='seeks'? See OED s.v. require v, 9

Her to espye or take with some foly

Wherin he playeth the very fole alwaye

2325

Bycause the noble herte of man ne maye

Ne ought of womens werkes to enquere

For yf he sholde / the faute knowe and here

Ones of his wyfe / he myght fall in suche plyte

That medecyne neuer sholde hym hele ne quyte

2330

And then his shame / he sercheth in his mynde

Enquerynge fast and he the same doth fynde

Good reason is that he endure therby

The shame whiche he afore sought besyly

As in this case I counte hym cast-away

2335

And lost / for on his body and goodes alway

Grete peryll renneth and aege cometh hym vpon

So is he folysshe lyke a beestly man

In euery-thynge by reason of the play

And he within the lepe I dare well say

2340

Yclosed is / in sorowe and heuynesse

Whiche he doth take / for Ioye and gladnesse

Seynge that he / ne wolde but it were so

Thus shall he dwell in paynes euermo

And so shall ende his dayes wretchydly

2345

Syth he wyll fynde / none other remedy

¶Here endeth the .vi. Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the .vii. Ioye of maryage

sig: H1

THe .vii. Ioye of maryage to knowe

Is as I fynde it wryten on the rowe

Whan that somtyme / the man whiche maryed is

Hathe founde a wyfe / as I haue sayd or this

2350

Whiche is a felowe good / at euery season

And neuer wyll refuse nor forsake reason

Whan it is profered her / but knowe ye may

Thoughe she be good / as ye haue herde me say

And of her body chast or otherwyse

2355

Yet euer hathe she suche maner guyse

The whiche a rule is named generall

In maryage and vsed ouerall

For euery wyfe byleueth verayly

And holdeth this oppynyon stedfastly

2360

That her husbande the weykest creature

And moost wretche is and leest werke may endure. werke ='trouble, affliction'

As in regarde / vnto the secrete crafte

Of all other whiche in the worlde be lafte lafte: =left

And so it happeth ofte / and hathe ben sene

2365

That whan a yonge lusty man and grene

Dothe marye hym vnto a good true mayde

And they theyr pleasures take and be apayde

In suche a wyse that maruayle is to here

And take all that he may within a yere

2370

Of theyr dysporte / or elles in two or thre

Or mo in dyuers wyse so may it be

Wherby theyr youthe is greatly waxen colde

But yet the good-wyfe by an hundreth-folde

Her wasteth not so moche / as dothe the man

2375

In no maner for she so wysely can

Her body kepe / fro besynesse and payne

With laboure wyll she not herselfe constrayne

Nor yet with pensyfnesse to saye the sothe

sig: [H1v]

With care ne sorowe / so as the good-man dothe

2380

And though they dyde but play / and make solace

Yet wolde she not waste in so shorte a space

As her good-man dothe in this secrete playe

Wherwith then he / she bettre may awaye

But trouthe it is / whan women chyldre bere

2385

And they be grete / lyuynge in drede and fere

Whan they drawe nere theyr tyme of chyldes-byrthe

They suffre peynes grete withouten myrthe

Myn auctor sayth that it is to accounte

To mannes peyne / the whiche all dothe surmounte

2390

He sayth the husbande[s] peynes be wele more husbandes] husbande 1509

The whiche must thynke / and care all thynges fore

Aboute his housholde / as he hathe to do

He suffreth anger trouble peyne and wo

But of the sorowe / and the anguysshe grete

2395

Of chyldes-byrthe / all dothe he clene forgete

How-be-it many wordes dooth he speke

Whiche in his brest he myght well shyt and steke

For I wyll not those wordes put in ryme

But holde my tongue / and speke whan it is tyme

2400

He sayth these husbandes besy be to gete

But wyues do no good / but drynke and ete

And after this it falleth saunce-fayle

That for suche thoughtes / labours and trauayle

The husbande gretely wasted is and spent

2405

Wherfore his mynde he setteth and entent

Some elles-where / applyenge not the game

More then of custome / for to please our dame

And also yf he wolde the fayte assay fayte: =feat

For lacke of power / perchaunce he ne may

2410

Perfourme his appetyte / desyre and wyll

Wherfore as in that cace / he holdeth hym styll

sig: [H2]

But this good-wyfe / yet leueth not the crafte

Her luste / ne courage be not her byrafte

As hotte she is as euer she was before

2415

And so it is that he may do no more

Thenne for-be_cause / her lyueree / and her fee

Of her delytes dayly mynysshed be

Whiche she was wont to haue of her good-mon

In noyse ryot bothe they falle anone

2420

Lyke as her leuere / mynyssheth lyte and lyte leuere: = livery, 'provision, allowance'

They so begynne to gren as they wolde byte

And though this lyuere / wyll her not suffyce

Yet euyll dothe she not / for she is wyse

But she ne leueth of deme / that he

2425

In power is / moche wors thenne other be

And she the more bel[e]ueth it by reason beleueth] belueth 1509

Because afore she neuer in her season

Non other man / but hym onely assayed

Of whome she neyther was content ne payed

2430

And he to her was in_suffycyente

Without her lyuere ofte she came and wente

And yet by reason / and the ordynaunce

of holy chirche / it is a suffysaunce

One man vnto one woman to be knyt

2435

But other-whyle / the wyfe wyll Ieoparde it

For to assaye of other / two or thre

Yf they so symple as her husbande be symple ='weak, feeble'; see OED s.v. simple adj., 7a

And thenne she whiche / that crafte so dare assaye

Parauenture beleueth it alwaye

2440

More certaynly thenne she hathe done afore

And suche a felawe taketh she therfore

That of the crafte / the whiche she dothe begynne

But yf it be for drede / she may not blynne

Or elles / with plente / she be satysfyed

sig: [H2v]

2445

She wyll not be content / ne pacyfyed

For whan this felawe cometh happyly

He is enfamyned wherfore meruaylously enfamyned: =enfamined, 'starved of sex'? Such a sense is not recorded in OED s.v. enfamine.

Dothe he / and she her husbande thynketh on

Reputynge hym / a veray semple mon

2450

And of ryght lytell power she byleueth

The better for so surely she it preueth The phrase 'better for' is probably an anticipatory error (see line 2453).

For suche thynges as somtyme cometh by stelthe

Is better for a sykely wyues helthe

Then suche as she at home hathe but a lyte

2455

Hauynge therto no lust nor appetyte

And thus she is in fast byleue and sure

Experyence alwaye dothe her assure

And sometyme so fortuneth it that she

Another gossyp / whiche hathe maryed be

2460

And knoweth reason / whan it is to her shewed

Good in her maners beynge and wele thewed

The whiche byleueth eke that her husbande

As dothe that other / for she can vnderstande

And parauenture she hathe taken assaye

2465

Of other mo as ye haue herde me saye

Wherof wele gretter is the werke and dede

Then of the good-man hauynge lytell mede

Whiche gyueth not hym-selfe to so grete payne

For-why he knoweth wele / that for certayne

2470

Nyghe hym alwaye good plente shall he fynde

But knowe ye wele / that many me[n] by kynde

Use contrary to this that women do

For surely they byleuen euermo

What maner women so they haue and wedde

2475

They be moost wyse / and best for them in bedde

Of all other / but this rule otherwhyle

Do fayle / and that is by deceyte and gyle

sig: [H3]

Amonge rybauldes lyuynge in despeyre

To whome no wytte ne reason dothe repayre

2480

Ofte it is sene / that maryed men wyll prayse

The maners of theyr wyues and vpreyse

And euery vertue whiche they in them fynde vertue] verture 1509

They shewe supposynge / surely in theyr mynde

That better women / be there none then they

2485

Ne lyke to them none can be founde they saye

In goodnesse ferre all other they excede

Suche appetyte to them haue they at nede

Thus dothe myn auctor speke of wedded men

And forth-withall thus he declereth then

2490

Saynge / that gladly ofte it hathe ben sene

Than whan a woman / hathe a wydowe bene

Then shortely to another wyll she marye

And otherwhyles she nyll abyde ne tarye

A moneth but she wyll her wedde agayne

2495

For to assaye and proue in certayne

Yf that another of his power be

So symple in his werkes as was he

The whiche out of this worlde of late is past

And thus in wedlocke she is bounden fast

2500

Wherin she kepeth neyther trouthe ne fayth

But wasteth folyly myn auctor sayth

Loseth and gyueth moche goodes awaye

For whiche her husbande many a wery daye

Hath had in l[a]boure / or that they haue ben goten laboure] loboure 1509

2505

After his degree / but all hathe she forgoten

By many maner wayes dothe she spende

As well vpon her lemman / or her frende

As olde baudes / and on her confessour

A frere-prechour / or elles a lymatour

2510

Whiche yerely hathe of her a pensyon

sig: [H3v]

For she of hym hathe absolucyon

Suche folkes haue grete power of the pope

For to absoyle / enserche / and for to grope grope ='make examination of, probe (the conscience, etc.)'; see OED s.v. grope v, 4c

The conscyence of wydowes and of wyues

2515

And them to teche how they shall lede theyr lyues

This man her husbande on the other syde

As warely / as he can dothe hym gyde

Withouten grete expence or elles coste

And casteth accompte / what he hath wonne or loste

2520

Of marchaundyses / after suche degree

As he is of / and shortly fyndeth he

That in his godes he gothe faste abakke

And knoweth well ynough there is grete lakke

Thenne he to syghe / and sorowe dothe begynne

2525

And whan that he / his compter is withynne compter ='counting-house'? See OED s.v. counter n3, 5

Unto his wyfe / the whiche he loueth more

Thenne that he dothe hym-selfe he speketh therfore

And thus he sayth myn owne loue verayment

I knowe not how our goodes be waste or spent

2530

Or where they be become I can not telle

Golde or syluer wherwith / we bye and selle

Wyne corne / and other marchaundyse

And yet alwaye I take hede and aduyse

The beest wyse that I can loke or espye beest: =best

2535

And haue to euery-thynge / as good an eye

As is possyble vnto me to haue

Oure goodes for to gouerne rule and saue

So that one gowne / that good is for my corce

I dare not haue / A syr she sayth no force

2540

And whan that he is / in a secrete place

Unto his wyfe he speketh / this percase

Truely / but late it hathe be shewed to me

Some wordes whiche dyspleasaunt to me be

sig: [H4]

By god my loue ryght so it dooth appere

2545

For of longe-tyme ye haue made euyll chere

She sayth / I haue ben sore affrayed and dradde

That ye some hurte or heuynesse haue hadde

Or that some of your frendes had ben past

To god / or had ben kepte in pryson fast

2550

With englysshe-men / ytake at some affray

Nay nothynge so / but moche wors than ye do say

It is / Aue maria sayth she than

If it please you / tell me good gentylman

What thynge it is / fayne wolde I that I knewe

2555

Certes sayth he / my faythfull frende and true

Hath shewed me / that suche one maynteneth yow

And other thynges he hath sayd ynow

Then she begynneth for to crosse and blis

And many meruayles maketh she of this

2560

Demurely she begynneth for to smyle

My loue she sayth / m[a]ke no wors chere a_whyle

Of all my synnes / as quyte I wolde I were

And eke towarde almyghty god as clere

As I of hym am / and she therwithall

2565

Her handes lyfteth / and letteth them fall

Upon her heed / and sayth myn owne herte dere

By this all-onely wyll I not now swere

But to the deuyll gyue I all at ones

Under my handes / all-be-it flesshe and bones

2570

If euer mannes mouthe yet touched myne

Except your mouthe / your kynnesmen and cosyne

And neuer but at your commaundement

The whiche ye knowe was but in good entent

Fy / fy sayth she / what maner is it

2575

I am ryght gladde that ye do me to wit

I doubted it had ben some other thynge

sig: [H4v]

But now I knowe from whens cometh this lesynge

And all these wordes vnto you shewed of_newe

But for what cause wolde god that ye knewe

2580

He hathe it sayd to you for by my fayth

Ryght sore abass[h]ed wolde ye be she sayth abasshed] abassed 1509

For so moche as he maketh hym your good frende

But I ryght well am eased in my mynde

For he awaked hathe / the slepynge catte

2585

My loue sayth he now tell me what is that

Syr care ye not therof she sayth but lyte

An-other tyme I shall do you to wyte

Truely sayth he I wyll knowe it anone

By god my loue ye be an hasty mon hasty] hastly 1509

2590

She sayth I was ryght wrothe be_cause that ye

Made hym to come so ofte for to be

Within youre hous / but I forb[o]re to saye forbore] forbere 1509

Be_cause that ye loued hym so well alwaye

Tell me sayth he / certes my loue as now

2595

She sayth no nede it is to tell it you

I praye you she[we] it me so as it is shewe] she 1509

He sayth. And she thenne swetely dothe hym kysse

And clyp saynge my dere loue and myn lorde

Ha that false traytour whiche make wolde dyscorde

2600

Bytwexte vs tweyne / and do you euyll or gryfe

God gyue hym veray vengeaunce and myschyefe

Tell me my loue sayth he / what maner wyght

He is that thus wolde do / and what he hyght

Now in good fayth my lorde whome I loue beste

2605

Aboue all thynges that in this worlde do reste

That false traytour and that sclaunderour

Hathe prayed me to be his paramoure

The whiche ye trust and louen so entyer

This hathe he ben aboute more thenne two yere

2610

But I alwayes haue hym full well refused

sig: I1

With grete payne / and maners that I vsed

And whan he came in-to your hous ye thought

It for your loue had ben / but it was nought your] your your 1509

For with his false flatterynge wordes gay

2615

He came for no cause / but you to betray

Ne neuer ceased he tyll tyme that I

Say[d th]at I wolde tell you it certaynly Sayd that] Sayhd tat 1509

Nothynge herof to me was charge ne cure

For of my-selfe alway was I so sure

2620

And though I suche vnthryfty maners hate

Yet wolde I not make noyse wrathe ne debate

Betwene you thus and hym / me-thought no nede

It was / bycause I kepte hym from the dede

Alas there was no faute in hym truely

2625

For to haue done you shame and velony

A saynt Mary sayth the good-man tho

He is a traytoure that I trusted so

For neuer had I of hym ony doute

By god she sayth / yf he come in and oute

2630

And that I knowe that he dooth with you speke

Or dele then vp / our housholde may we breke

For after that I shall none with you holde

If ye so do / for syluer ne for golde

She sayth / in fayth ye nede not me to garde

2635

I am suffycyent myselfe to warde

If it please god / I wyll not now begyn

Agaynst his lawes to do / or vse a synne

With handes Ioyned / to god almyght I pray

That fyre frome heuen aboue descende may

2640

And brenne my body all to nought and spyl

Well rather than I sholde be in suche wyll

Then she clepeth hym in her armes twaye

And sayth my lorde / herken what I saye

sig: [I1v]

Ouer-false I were / yf I sholde euyll do

2645

To you that be so fayre and good therto

For what I wyll / my loue ye wyll the same

But yf I loued you well I were to blame

I wyll that ye so god me saue and mende

Your hous frome hym forbede wolde and defende

2650

With whome your frende / me falsely hath accused

And you deceyued thus / and sore abused

How-be-it frely do I gyue or sell

My soule vnto the foulest fende of hell

If euer he to me spake lesse or more

2655

But notwithstandynge yet by cryst therfore

I wyll not that he come in place where I

Shall happen for to be in company

Than she to wepe began ryght tenderly

And this good-man appeased her spedely

2660

Promysynge her with othes grete that he

Wolde kepe and holde all thynges whiche that she

Afore had sayd / excepte he nolde defende

This felawe frome his house / and there an ende

All-be-it in his herte with some remors

2665

He shall be charged sore / but yet no force

For so it happeth in conclusyon

That suche dyspleasure and deuysyon

Betwene hym and his frende herof dooth fall

That he the gretest ennemy of all

2670

To hym shall be / the whiche for loue hym tolde

Hath all the trouthe / whome he beleue ne wolde

So this good-man a veray beest is made

Suche Ioyes of the husholde he hath had

And in the lepe he is yclosed depe

2675

Out of the whiche he shall not lyghtly crepe

And this good-wyfe moche better in her guyse

sig: [I2]

Shall do / then euer she dyde or coude deuyse

And neuer man of her shall tell hym thynge

For he wyll not beleue suche rekenynge

2680

And he the whiche this velony hath done

The best beloued frende shall be then sone

That he shall haue / and thus aege hym vpon

Shortely dooth fall / and pouerte anone

Wherwith perchaunce so sore he may be greued

2685

That neuer after shall he be releued

Suche is the pleasure / whiche this man hath founde

Within the lepe / and yet folkes on the grounde

Wyll speke to hym after theyr fantasy

One sayth of hym / thus as he passeth by

2690

He is good Iohan / an-other maketh a shewe

With his fynger / an-other vnthryfty shrewe

Sayth that it is grete domage for to se

This sely man in suche perplexyte

An-other sayth / no force of hym in fay

2695

It is nothynge but good ryght of the play play ='sexual activity'?

So lyueth he / with payne in pacyence

And all these sorowes dooth hym none offence

The whiche for Ioyes alwaye taketh he

Bycause he wyll that it none other be

2700

So shall he euermore dwell in dystres

And ende his dayes in payne and wretchednes

¶Here endeth the seuenth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the eyght Ioye of maryage.

sig: [I2v]

UNto the .viii. Ioye syth I must go

Of maryage / knowe ye that it is so

As whan a man suche meane hath founde and skyft skyft ='artifice'; see OED s.v. skift n1

2705

Thus he vnware in-to the lepe is l[y]ft lyft] left 1509

Wherin he hath had grete felycyte

Takynge his pleasures / yeres two or thre

And hath so besy ben to repe and sowe

That well the hote heruest is ouerblowe

2710

Then other mennes werke wyll he assay

No man at base ne barres may sporte alway base ne barres ='the game of "prisoner's base" or "chevy"'; see OED s.vv. base n2 ; prisoner's bars, base; bar n1, 17

And peraduenture he hath had greuaunce

Ynough of trouble / and of dyspleasaunce

Wherof enfebled gretely than is he

sig: I3

2715

So that regarde taketh he none to fle

Perchaunce his wyfe / hath chyldren thre or mo

And grete with chylde agayne she gooth also

But she more seke is or this chylde be borne

Than she of all these other was beforne

2720

Wherfore the good-man is in thought and drede

To gete her suche thynge as she must haue nede

But this good-man / dooth his auowes make

To dyuers holy sayntes for her sake

And also she auoweth in that houre

2725

Unto our blessyd lady of Rochemadoure

So happeth it / as god wyll after this

And saynt Mary that she delyuered is

Of suche a fayre chylde and goodly thynge

As myght be well the sone vnto a kynge

2730

She lyeth longe in bed / now in this wyse

The gossyppes to her come / as is the guyse

And maketh [a riote / and mery syttynge] vp a riote / and mery syttynge] arete / andtt mery syynge 1509

Where besely gooth rounde about the cup

And so it falleth she hath two or thre

2735

Gossyppes / the whiche abyde with her / and be

Within the house to rule merely

With her / and gossyp in her company

And so shall peraduenture be that they

May talke of tryf[f]les / whiche I wyll not say tryffles] tryftles 1509

2740

And more goodes spende they in suche wyse

Then for to fynde the housholde wolde suffyse

The newe tyme approcheth her / and she

Is puryfyed with solempnyte

Unto the feldes then / to roue and playe

2745

She and her gossyppes take the ryde-waye ryde-waye ='bridle-path'

Where-as they speke to go on pylgrymage

And fast they entrepryse for theyr vyage

sig: [I3v]

For what thynge so the husbande hath to do

They care nothynge / ne haue regarde therto

2750

Then this good-wyfe of whome we speke of now

Sayth to her gossyppes I wote neuer how

I may haue lycence to performe this dede

And they her answere saynge haue no drede

Good gentyll gossyp / for we haue no doubte

2755

But ye shall brynge your purpose well aboute

And we shall go and vs dysporte togyder

Whan god w[y]ll [s]ende tyme and merye weder wyll] well 1509[s]ende: letter broken

Now haue they entreprysed as I saye

This forsayd vyage and departe awaye

2760

One frome an-other a myle two or more

And thenne this wyfe of whome we spake afore

Cometh to her hous. And whan she draweth nere

Unto her housbande she maketh euyll chere

And he is lately comen frome the towne

2765

Or elles frome other werkes and setteth downe

And her demaundeth how it with her is

Ha syr sayth she I am ryght wrothe ywys

Our lytell chylde is euyll at ease and seke

Wherof the good-man is as angrye eke

2770

And sorowfull and cometh it to see

Whan he it seeth / the teres falle in his eye

For pure pytye / and thenne cometh nyght vpon

And whan they be in secrete place allone

The wyfe begynneth for to sygh and saye

2775

Truely my loue ye me forgete alwaye

And how sayth he thynke ye not on sayth she

Whan that I was in grete infyrmyte

Of our yonge chylde / and that I made auowe

Unto our lady of rochemadoure / and nowe

2780

Therof it semeth ye take lytell hede

sig: [I4]

O god he sayth / my loue ye knowe what nede

Ther is / and how moche that I haue to do

Good syr she sayth. I put case it be so

Yet neuer shall I be at ease ne gladde

2785

By god tyll I this pylgrymage haue made

And by my fayth because we do not seke

These sayntes therfore is oure chylde so seke

My loue sayth he god knoweth well your good-wyll

And myn also. Ha syr she sayth be styll

2790

For certaynly yf it please god and you

I wyll accordynge vnto myn auowe

Go with my cosyns and my gossyppes als

Unto our lady I wyll not be fals

Then this good-man the mater myndeth sore

2795

And peraduenture hath not all in store

That to this vyage sholde be requysyte

Accordynge to his wyfes appetyte

Now is he brought to suche encombraunce

That nedely must he make a cheuysaunce must he] must he must he 1509

2800

Of horses / and perchaunce for them shall paye

A certayne hyre to trauayle by the waye

After suche porte / estate or elles degre

As he is / and it behoueth that she

A newe gowne haue to ryde in honestly

2805

And peraduenture in that company

A gentyll galaunt is the whiche shall do

With ryght good-wyll some seruyce her vnto

Also this good-man percase with her gothe

On pylgrymage all be he neuer so wrothe

2810

Yf he so do / moche better were that tyde

For hym at home to tary or abyde

Alway so sore she wyll hym ch[y]de or chekke ch[y]de: letter illegible

That he shall bere the stones vpon his nekke

sig: [I4v]

And neuer can she be content ne fayne

2815

But whan that he hath hurte myschefe or payne

Now in that Iourney / as she sytteth softe

Upon the horse she her complayneth ofte

Anone she sayth / one styrope is to longe

An-other is to shorte and lacketh a thonge

2820

Also she sayth / her horse dooth trotte to sore

And eke to harde / and she is seke therfore

Then frome her horse she must alyght anone

And she agayne shall sette be hym vpon

This good-man then / for he shall not be ydle

2825

Ouer suche a brydge / must lede her by the brydle

Or elles a peryllous path / or a narowe way

And whan they come be frome this Iourney

If he therby haue had wele or dysporte

That it of her longe / she wyll reporte

2830

And yf that ony losse / or euyll fall

She chydeth and sayth / on hym it is longe all

So thus and otherwyse his goodes waste

His housholde eke / and his expence in haste

Then mynysshed be / and she sayth hym beforne

2835

How by his chyldren whiche that she hath borne

She gretly wasted is / and this man so

Yclosed is within the lepe also

In sorowes grete / and paynes sharpe and sore

And taketh them for Ioyes euermore

2840

In whiche alway he shall be and remayne

And wretchedly his dayes ende in payne

¶Here endeth the eyght Ioye of maryage

sig: [I5]

¶Here begynneth the nynth Ioye of maryage.

THe nynthe Ioye of maryage is when

One of these yonge lusty and fresshe men

Is put in-to the pryson or the lepe

2845

Of husbandry and can not go ne lepe

Out of the same / and grete pleasure hath hadde

Whiche newely hath be founde in dayes gladde

And peraduenture euyll is his wyfe

As many be / wherby aryseth stryfe

2850

And he a man is of good gouernaunce

The whiche none euyll suffre wyll perchaunce

How-be-it dyuers argumentes haue bene

And otherwhyles strokes them betwene

So in suche warre / well thyrty [yeres] or more yeres] 1509 omits

2855

They haue contynued / and ye may knowe therfore

sig: [I5v]

He hath had moche to suffre and sustayne

For so may be that he hath had certayne

Grete parte of sorowes / and aduersytees

The whiche afore be sayd / in theyr degrees

2860

And many other suche as ben conteyned

Here-after in this lytell boke vnfayned

But neuerthelesse / he dooth remayne alway

Uyctoryous / what-euer she do or say

And hath not ben in shame and velony

2865

Though moche to suffre he hath had therby

And for to thynke vpon bycause that he

Perchau[n]ce hath doughters fayre / wel two or thre Perchaunce] Perchauce 1509

Whiche wysely he hath maryed here and there

To put them out of Ieoperdy and fere

2870

So happeth it that in a lytell space

Suche fortune hath this sely man and grace

That for the euyll nyghtes and the dayes

And colde whiche he hath taken many wayes

A cheuysaunce to make / this man dooth fall

2875

In sekenes of the goute / then forth-withall

Or elles for aege / he is vnweldy so

That he can neyther vp-aryse ne go

And whan that he is set in suche a place

As he shall in remayne his lyfes space

2880

In euyll maner tourned is the chaunce

For than the warre is ended and dystaunce dystaunce ='discord, dissension'; see OED s.v. distance n, 1

And wors it is for dyuers tymes a daye

Of veray hate she wyll vnto hym saye

She is ryght well assured in certayne

2885

How for his synnes / he hath all that payne

And one may thynke / whan she afore hym is

Thus wyll he to her say / my loue ywys

Ye be the thynge that I owe best to loue

sig: [I6]

Of all the worlde / excepte our lorde aboue

2890

And ye also of dutye ben ybounde

To loue me moost of all that lyue on grounde

But wyte ye well / my loue that it is so

Some thynges be / that folkes vnto me do do] dos 1509

Wherwith I am not well contente sayth he

2895

Ye knowe of ryght I am and so shall be

The lorde and mayster of this house whyles I

May lyue / but yet folkes do not lyke truely

To me / for yf that I a poore-man were

Whiche sholde go fetche his brede bothe ferre and nere

2900

Men wolde not do to me as is done now

And ye my loue may vnderstanden how

That I haue done grete payne and dylygence

To make a cheuysaunce for our expence

Your doynges to sustayne / and your estate

2905

And all our chyldren whiche to me of late

Behaue them-selfe full symply as ye se

Ha what wolde ye that one sholde do sayth she

To you is doone the best we can or may

And ye wote not what we demaunde or say

2910

Now sayth this man / holde your peas good dame

And kepe your tonge in rest for worldly shame

The sone also to hym dooth speke and rayle

So what this good-man sayth may not auayle

And thus she and the sone departe hym fro

2915

His herytage emperynge euermo

And for the good-man / no prouysyon

Is made / and thus they in conclusyon

Agre and make accorde bytwene them bothe

That neuer creature / whiche cometh or gothe

2920

Shall with hym speke / and then the sone anon

The gouernaunce presume wyll hym vpon

sig: [I6v]

And take the rule more than he dyde afore

And well content his moder is therfore

For she so dooth supporte hym and may[n]tene mayntene] maytene 1509

2925

Also they make well euery man to wene

That he is fall in-to a frenesy

Or is retorned to his Infancy

Thus vnto euery wyght sayth she and he

And this good-man must take it all in gre

2930

For other remedy none may be hadde

Amonge them so harde he is bestadde

And as to me I well beleue certayne

This is one of the gretest erthely payne

And sorowe / that on the grounde a man may fele

2935

Thus this good-man his penaunce dooth ryght wele

And so shall be in mornynge euermore

Endynge his dayes wretchedly and sore

Cursynge the tyme that in the lepe he came

To be enclosed / and in this wyse made tame

¶Here endeth the nynth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here beg[y]nneth

begynneth] begnneth 1509

the tenth Ioye of maryage.

sig: [I7]

2940

THe tenthe Ioye of maryage to wyte

Is as I fynde it in a boke ywryte

Whan that he whiche in-to the lepe is brought

Bycause that he hath sene so as he thought

Other fysshes them baynynge in the same baynynge ='bathing'; see OED s.v. bain v

2945

Whiche to his demynge / had a mery game

And so he trauayled hath tyll tyme he

In-to the lepe hath founde the ryght entre

And one may say that he by subtylte

Made was to come / in-to that gynne and be

2950

Of maryage / lyke as a fouler olde

These byrdes taketh in the wynter colde

With other byrdes whiche he afore hath had

sig: [I7v]

And for that feate hathe them well taught and made /

And bereth them about vpon his backe

2955

Within his panyer or elles a sacke

Whiche with a threde be teyed by the fote

For to remayne there is none other bote

Moche eased were these poore byrdes yf they

Myght be at lyberte and fle away

2960

As other do frome a ryuer or a dyke

Unto an-other where they myght fede / and pyke

Of euery maner vytayle / for them mete

Whan other se these byrdes by the fete

Yteyed fast / they haste vnto the gynne

2965

And sodaynly they be taken therin

But yf it be some wyle byrdes that haue

Experyence them to preserue and saue

Frome suche daungere / and wysely can beware

Surely to kepe them frome the nette or snare

2970

For they in tyme afore haue herde and sene

Of other byrdes whiche in that case haue bene

This notwithstandynge they that w[e]dded are wedded] wydded 1509

Of whiche we shewe the passe-tyme and declare

Haue them aduysed of this crafte / and they

2975

But lytell euyll thought in it alway

Or elles percase without aduyse in haste

In-to the gynne one hath his body caste

Where-as in Ioyes demed he to tary

Neuerthelesse / he fyndeth the contrary

2980

And otherwhyles it may fortune so

That for suche thynges as shewed are them to

By totelers or flatterers that vse totelers ='whisperers, gossips'; see OED s.v. tuteler n

To cause d[i]scorde / and falsely folke acc[u]se discorde] descorde 1509

The wyfe shall neuer-more for erthely thynge

2985

Her husbande loue / vnto her last endynge

sig: [I8]

Then wyll she saye vnto her moder thus

Or to [her] cosyn / by our lorde Ihesus her] our 1509

Whan I with hym in bedde am layde adoune

His flesshe it stynketh lyke a caryoune

2990

And he to her shall neuer pl[ea]sure do pleasure] plaesure 1509

Ne loue / but euer lyue in malyce so

And ofte it happeth / many men that he

In suche estate / of hyghe and lowe degre

And women bothe yet wyll they not lyue chaste

2995

But ease them-selfe by other meanes in haste

And whan that she a whyle hath ben away

With her good loue / for to dysporte and play

And largely hath her parte had of the game

Then her to kepe frome velony and shame

3000

Some of her frendes good / wyll she entrete

Peace with her moder shortely for to gete

The whiche by coloure / and craftely can saye

That she within her house hath ben alwaye

The poore doughter pryuely is gone

3005

For she so sore her dredde / that her good-mon

Wolde her haue bet / as he hath doone or than

Wherfore vnto her moders house she ranne

And he hathe wonder where that she may be

But so it was that afterwardes he

3010

Within her moders house / soone dooth her fynde

To whome he speketh with an hasty mynde

What deuyll brought the hyder / and for why

Departed thou frome home so sodaynly

Syr by our lorde she sayth / for drede that ye

3015

Withouten cause / sore wolde haue stryken me

Then sayth the moder / certes me were leuer

That ye sone / and my doughter sholde dysseu[er] dysseuer] dysseu 1509

And that ye leue her here with me to kepe

sig: [I8v]

Then for to bete her alway tyll she wepe

3020

For I knowe well / my doughter hath not done

Defaute to you / but ye be angry sone

Beholde this mater / loke theron and se

If she of euyll gouernaunce had be

She had be lost / but ye may se here

3025

Frome shame and mysrule for to kepe her clere

Streyght vnto me she came / for she ne had

None other helpe / wherof ye may be glad

And she by ryght / her may repente and rewe

That she to you / hath ben so kynde and trwe trwe: =true

3030

And it may fortune otherwhyles that they

Demaunde to be departed by some wey

Wherfore the husbande dooth accuse the wyfe

And she agayne / as sharpe as swerde or knyfe

Unto the husbande quyckely dooth the same

3035

Ye may be sure / her tonge shall not be lame

So are they in the lepe / and wolde be out

But so it may not be withouten doute

It is no tyme them to repente / for-why

Then is none other way ne remedy

3040

Afore the lawe / faste do they plede theyr cause

And by theyr aduocates shewe many a clause

But otherwhyle allegge they no cause why

They sholde haue theyr entente so hastely

Than sayth the Iuge ryght playnly in Iugement

3045

Unto them thus by good aduysement

The lawe it wyll that ye togyder holde

In company your lyues and housholde

And here-vnto the Iuge them dooth aduyse

But so to do / yet be they not so wyse

3050

For-why / suche goodes as they hadde afore

They haue mysse_vsed euyll spente and lore

sig: K1

And yet they be not werye but endure

In theyr oppynyons stydfaste and sure While stydfaste is a possible form, the commoner spelling stedfast occurs twice in this text.

So mokke and skorne them folkes ferre and nere

3055

Whiche of the mater / vnderstande or here

And other-whyles / causes reasonnable

One dooth alledge / and thynges acceptable

For whiche the Iuge departeth them a_sondre

All-be-it so that folkes vpon it wondre

3060

Thenne one of them or other folysshely

Wyll vse them-selfe in lyuynge vycyousely

Some-tyme the woman gothe fro t[ow]ne to towne towne] twone 1509

And in-to the mennys chambres vp and downe

Where she her pleasures taketh of the game

3065

And parauenture he wyll do the same

Supposynge they ben at theyr lyberte

Out of the lepe of maryage and free

But yet be they in wors cas thenne before

And thus this man hym wasteth more and more

3070

Of what astate so-euer that he be astate: =estate

And in the same maner / wasteth she

For neuer after maye they wedde agayne

Durynge theyr lyues by the lawes playne

Of fraunce but yet in englonde other-wyse

3075

They vse and haue a custome and a gyse

Whiche is an-other for to take and wedde

Man or woman / where best they can be spedde

Men thynke in fraunce / suche shamed be for euer

As in that wyse contynue and perse[uer] perseuer] perserue 1509

3080

And namely yf they be of hyghe parentage

Borne or descended / fro a good lynage

For parauenture a galaunt openly

Within his hous shall kepe her shame_fully

So shall he be within the lepe adowne

sig: [K1v]

3085

In sorowe care and l[a]mentacyon lamentacyon] lementacyon 1509

Where he alwaye in paynes and dystresse

Shall lyue and ende his dayes in wretchednesse

¶Here endeth the .x. Ioye of maryage

¶Here begynneth the .xi. Ioye of maryage

THe .xi. Ioye of maryage to saye

Is whan a yonge lusty man and gaye

3090

A gentyll ioly galaunt wyll go oute

For his dysporte / the countrees hym aboute

Into ryght many places all the yere

And in especyall he wyll go where

sig: [K2]

These ladyes and the gentylwomen be

3095

After th'estate condycyon or degree

That he is of / and for that he is yonge

And amerous / he preceth them amonge preceth: =presses

No charge hathe he of ony other thynge

So that he may contynue his lyuynge

3100

In pleasures whiche by nyghtes and by dayes

Ryght many profres maketh and assayes

And yf it fortune so that he may fynde

A lady or a gentylwoman kynde

With whome he hathe some-thynge to do or say

3105

His mynde and wyll applyeth he alway

And dothe his best / her for to please and serue

To that entente he may her grace deserue

And somtyme cometh he in suche place

Where-as a mayde he fyndeth fayre of face

3110

And parauenture not so grete is he

Of lygnage / ne of noble as is she

And for that she so goodly is and fayre

These supplyauntes somtyme to her repayre

And them amonge one is that dothe entrete

3115

Her for to haue / and profereth gyftes grete

Whome she but lyte refuseth or denyeth

For euery gentylwoman her applyeth

The whiche debonayre is and hathe pyte

Compassyon to haue in that degree

3120

On suche as them / humbly beseche and praye

In goodly wyse / they ought not to denaye

Yf theyr petycyon be resonnable

Withouten vylonye / a[nd hon]ourable a[nd hon]ourable: letters illegible

Torne we agayne to this fayre damoysell

3125

That of her maners somwhat I may tell

Of her conceytes and dysposycyon

sig: [K2v]

Whiche by constraynt or elles oppressyone

Of suche a poore felowe is forlayne forlayne ='deprived of (her) chastity'; see OED s.v. forlain ppl. a, 1

And neuer shall she fynde ne gete agayne

3130

That she hathe lost / for where she was a mayde

So hathe this homely felowe her betrayde homely ='familiar, intimate'; see OED s.v. homely adj., 2

That she is grete with chylde / the whiche her dame

Perceyueth wele / for she knoweth of the gam[e] gam[e]: letter illegible

And in that crafte she wylye is and f[a]lse false] felse 1509

3135

For so it fortune may / that she hathe alse

Somtyme ben / in lyke condycyon

The better can she fynde prouysyon

And neuer shall this felowe touche her more

Nor come to her as he was wonte before

3140

The wyfe this mater wyll / so rule and gyde

This counseyll kepynge closse on euery syde closse: =close

All thynges muste be taken as they be

Of reason / wysedome / and necessyte

This poore damoseyll with chylde / is grete

3145

Which of conceyuynge / hathe the tyme foryete

For of herselfe knoweth she but lyte

How she was brought in-to suche case and plyte

And she nothynge knoweth of that arte nothynge] nothynges 1509

Ne what it is she toke so lytell parte

3150

But yf it please our lorde god she shall knowe

How sedes groweth after they be sowe

The moder auyseth wele and seeth her hewe

Whiche knoweth the olde testament and newe

And calleth her in-to a secrete place

3155

She sayth come hyder with an euyll grace

Haue I not sayd to the afore this houre

That thou hast lost thy worshyp and honoure

To do as thou hast done thus folyly

But whan a thynge is done what remedye

sig: [K3]

3160

That thou arte grete with chylde I knowe it wele /

Tell me the trouthe and drede the neuer-a_dele

Now fayre moder I wote not as ye saye

To tell you trouthe wheder it be so or naye

Then sayth the moder / it semeth me alwaye

3165

Whan that the morowe cometh euery daye

I here the coughe / and pytously forbrake forbrake ='retch, vomit'? See OED s.v. brake v6, 'to spue, vomit'

And dyuers other countenaunces make

Now truely so it is she sayth madame

Ha sayth her moder holde thy pease for shame

3170

Thou arte with chylde / tell it not all aboute

Ne to none erthely persone breke it out

And alwaye take a good respecte and hede

To do as I the shall commaunde and bede

Madame so shall I do in euery-thynge

3175

And lowely you obeye / and your byddynge

The moder then sayth to her doughter tho

Hast thou not sene so often come and go

In-to our hous suche a yonge squyer ofte

And she sayth yes madame with wordes softe

3180

Now then aduyse the wele for in certayne

To_morowe heder wyll he come agayne

Then take good hede that thou make hym good chere

In godly wyse and in thy best manere

And whan that other gentylmen and me

3185

Thou seest togyder talke / then cast an eye

On hym alwaye / and this good moder so

Her doughter techeth wele how she shall do

Also I the commaunde and charge yf he

Of ony maner thynges speke to the

3190

Herken hym wele / and answere curteysly

And swetely rule thy speche and manerly

And yf he speke of loue / or thynges lyke

sig: [K3v]

Thenne otherwhyles softely gyue a syke

And thanke hym hertyly / but say ywys

3195

Thou knowest not yet / what maner thynge loue is

Ne it to lerne / thou wylte not the apply

Rule and demeane the well and womanly

And golde or syluer yf he proffre the

Thenne take it not in hast / but herken me

3200

Yf he the proffre Iuell crosse or rynge

Gyrdell bracelet owche or other thynge

Refuse it gracyouesely / but at the last

Yf he it often offre the and fast

Receyue it thenne / in goodly wyse and take

3205

For loue of hym / saynge that for his sake

Thou wyll it kepe / thy[n]kynge no vyllonye thynkynge] thykynge 1509

Shame ne deceyte / that shall ensue therby ensue] ensuye 1509

And whan he taketh leue of the to go

Thenne hym demaunde or he departe the fro

3210

Yf one shall see hym hastyly agayne

Wherof say that / thou wolde be glad and fayne

H[e]re is this galaunt come whiche shall be cast Here] Htre 1509

Ynto the lepe / and therin holden fast

For-why the dame wyll cause hym for to wedde

3215

Her doughter sone / and with her do to bedde

Yf that she can by ony caste or wyle caste] carste 1509

This galaunt she porposeth to be_gyle

For he moche hathe / of herytage and rent

And is / but symple and an Innocent

3220

Now cometh he this damoysell to see

In hast for ouer-wele at ease is he

Ryght many galauntes bent haue theyr engyn[e] engyn[e]: letter illegible

To take this damoysell / and vndermyne vndermyne ='persuade or win over by subtle means'; see OED s.v. undermine v, 5

The lady taketh a squyer by the hande

3225

Or elles a knyght and other sytte or stande

sig: [K4]

Whiche Ioyeously togyder talke and rayle

This galaunt eke draweth to the damoysayle

And by the hande he dothe her take and holde

Sayenge fayre damoysell good god it wolde

3230

That ye my thought wele knewe and vnderstode

And how may I she sayth for any gode

Knowe it / but yf ye wyll it to me saye

What do ye thynke suche thynges as ye ne may

Telle me / nay by my fayth I wolde that ye

3235

Knewe it so that It were not sayd by me

Truely she sayth and laugheth pratyly

Ye telle a thynge to me / so meruaylousely

Whiche to be done it is as / in_possyble

As for to cause an horse walke in_vysyble

3240

Yf it had lyked you this g[a]launt sayth galaunt] glaunt 1509

And no dyspleasyr taken in good fayth

I wolde haue playnely shewed you my thought

Now syr sayth she telle on and spare it nought

So moche of you knowe I that by the rode

3245

Ye wyll not say / ne shewe thynge / but all gode

Maystresse he sayth / ye knowe ryght welle that I

Am but a poore gentylman for-why

I wote I am vnworthy / and vnable

To be youre loue / or with you compaygnable

3250

For ye be gentyll fayre and gracyouse

And of all vertues full and beauteuouse beauteuouse: =beauteous

And yf it pleased you to do to me

Suche honour that your louer I myght be

I durst ma[k]e myn avaunt that with good-wylle make] maste 1509

3255

I sholde do all the pleasyrs you vntylle

That any man / by possybylyte

May to his lady do in soueraynte

I shall you serue / and eke your honour kepe

sig: [K4v]

More thenne myn owne whether ye wake or slepe

3260

Graunt mercy syr thenne sayth this damoysell

But for the loue of god speke neueradell

Of suche thynges vnto me after this

For I knowe not what maner thynge loue is

Ne yet I wyll not lerne it ferthermore

3265

For it is not doctryne ne the lore

The whiche my moder hathe me taught alwaye

Thenne sayth this squyer damoysell in fay

My fayre lady of whome ye speke is good

But I wolde not yet that she vnderstode

3270

Suche thynges as be sayd be_twexte vs twaye

A syr she sayth yf you I haue herde saye

This other daye / that ye sholde maryed be

Wherof I maruayle and ye come to me

And speke suche ydell wordes / and thenne he

3275

Sayth damoysell O benedycyte

Now by my faythe yf that it please yowe

I shall neuer other wedde I make auowe

Whyle that I lyue / so that ye wyll me take

As for youre seruaunt and I vndertake

3280

That with my seruyce ye shall be contente

What wolde ye haue me deshonoured and shente

She sayth / nay yet me leuer were to dye

Sayth he / thenne for to do you vyllonye

For godes loue be styll and speke no more godes] goodes 1509

3285

Herof and I shall tell you syr wherfore

Yf that / my moder it perceyue or wytte my] my / 1509

I shall destroyed be I knowe wele it

And parauenture the moder maketh a sygne

That of her spekynge she shall cesse and fyne

3290

And thenne this galaunt gyueth her a rynge

Under her hande or elles some other thynge

sig: L1

Saynge to her / fayre lady I you pray

Take this and kepe it / for my loue alway

Certes sayth she I wyll not take no

3295

Alas my loue he sayth / why saye ye so

I pray you hertely / and in her hande

He putteth it agayne so as they stande

And she it taketh and sayth / this I receyue

To haue your loue as you may well perceyue

3300

Without thought of thynge / but all honoure

I take wytenesse vnto my sauyoure

The lady of that house thus speketh then

In curteyse wyse vnto the gentyll-men

To_morowe must I go with goddes grace

3305

Unto a blyssed lady of suche a place

On pylgrymage to suche a toune here-by

Truely madame they say / ryght vertuously

And well ye speke / and forth-withall they go

To souper / and this galaunt euermo

3310

Anenst this damoysell is put or set

That he to her may talke withouten let

And she so well can make her personage

In suche a wyse / that he halfe in a rage

With loue is take of her that was so bryght

3315

And beauteuous as semed to his syght

The morowe cometh this company must ryde

On pylgrymage / and lenger not abyde

And all men say they can not se ne fynde

An horse amonge them all that bereth behynde

3320

Excepte this galauntes horse there by saynt loy

Wherof grete pleasure taketh he and Ioy

For one the damoysell behynde his backe

Dooth sette vpon his horse / and he no lacke

Fyndeth therin / and she clyppeth hym fast

sig: [L1v]

3325

To holde her on the horse / that he ne cast

Her doune / and god wote therwith he is eased

As an hauke whiche hathe an heron seased

Now draweth he nyghe the lepe withouten bote

They do this foresayd vyage god it wote

3330

With perfyte mynde / and good entencyon

And home retorne / as made is mencyon

Where merely / they set them doune to mete

With suche vytayles as they can fynde and gete

And after mete the lady fayre and well

3335

Gooth to her chambre / and this damoysell

To whome she sayth / whan thou spekest with this man

Say vnto hym as sadly as thou can

That there is one / whiche spoken hath to the

Of maryage but thou ne wylte accorded be

3340

As yet / and yf he offre the to take

Thanke hym / and say that he must meanes make

To me / and put the mater to my wyll

And that I do therin thou shalte fulfyll

On my behalfe / and say that there is none

3345

Lyuynge in this worlde I excepte not one

That thou louest halfe so wele in certaynte

As hym / so as may stande with honeste

And all they after walketh twayne and twayne

Togyder arme in arme to the gardeyne

3350

Where-as amonge the herbes / and the floures

They smell and taste the holsom swete odoures

And playenge take the floures by the stalke

Whiche to theyr nose they put so as they walk[e] walk[e]: letter illegible

One taketh a gelofer or vyolere gelofer: =gillyflower; vyolere: perhaps a nonce-form of violet

3355

An-other plucketh of the eglentere eglentere] englentere 1509eglentere: = eglatere, 'eglantine'; see OED s.v. eglentere n

And euery one of them as they espye

Take herbe or floure after theyr fantasye

sig: [L2]

This galaunt squyre with the doughter gothe

And telleth her euery-thynge / but she is wrothe

3360

Alas she sayth / speke no more so for I

Shall yf ye do / forsake your company

What wolde ye do me-semeth ye suppose

To cause me / myn honoure for to lose

Haue ye not herde of late dayes ysayde

3365

That one to mary me hath spoke and prayde

Now by my soule he sayth I can not blame

Hym / though to mary you / he wolde attame attame ='undertake'; see OED s.v. attame v, 4

But I thynke that of myn habylyte

I am as good in value as is he

3370

And eke as able / seruyce you to do

As is the man of whome that ye speke so

Now by my fayth she sayth than with a syke

I wolde that he were to your persone lyke

Graunt mercy fayre damoysell he sayth

3375

For of your grete curteysy in fayth

Well more than I am worthy / ye me prayse

But ye myn honoure gretely may vp-rayse

Yf ye wolde take me as your man to grace

To do you seruyce all my lyues space

3380

And she sayth syr graunt mercy therwithall

This must be spoken in especyall

Unto my fader sadly and my moder

And to my kynne / and frendes dyuers oder

Than sayth he thus / yf I myght knowe that they

3385

Sholde be content / I wold bothe speke and prey

A syr she sayth / beware that ye ne saye

That ye to me haue spoken by ony way

For rather wolde I suffre dethe than ye

Sholde ony wordes shewe of preuyte

3390

That hathe be sayd in ony maner wyse

sig: [L2v]

Bytwene vs twayne / nay that is not my guyse

Sayth he / whiche to the moder speketh soone

And as god wolde in suche poynte was the moone

Whan he vnto the moder made request

3395

That he all his desyre had at the leest

For she and other haue them trouthes plyght

And peraduenture caused them at nyght

Togyder / for to lye in bedde and slepe

Now is this poore squyre plonged depe

3400

Within the lepe / and spedely they make

The weddynge / for this gentylwomans sake

And hastely they do this mater spede

Bycause her frendes haue grete doute and drede

Leste ony let may come in this matere

3405

For in the wynde the weder was clere

The nyght is come after they be wedde

This damoysell with man must go to bedde

And knowe ye wele / the olde wyle dame

Wyll teche her doughter / somwhat of the game

3410

How she ryght maydenly shall her demeane

As though she were an holy vyrgyn cleane

Myn auctour sayth her moder dooth her teche

That whan her husbande wyll vnto her reche

She shall for drede tremble / quake and crye

3415

And hym withstande / and how that she shall lye

In many maner wyse as sholde a mayde

Upon the nyght whan she fyrst is assayde

Also the moder dooth her well enfourme

How she shall her demeane / and in what fourme

3420

Whan that this galaunt her wolde enforce or stryke

Also sodaynly than shall she sterte and syke

As though she w[e]re cast in colde water depe were] wrre 1509

Up to the brestes / also she shall wepe

sig: L3

But in conclusyon as to the dede

3425

She playneth metely wele whan she must nede

And yet the fader and the moder bothe

For loue and pyte angry be and wrothe

Whiche that they haue vpon theyr doughter yonge

Supposynge that this man hath doone her wronge

3430

And causes them in presence to be brought

Now hath this squyre founde that he hath sought

Here may ye se one of the gretest payne

For she whiche with a ladde hath ben forlayne

Or monethes thre may passe and come aboute

3435

Shall haue a baby lapped in a cloute

Of tymes a_go then Ioyes and pleasaunce

To heuynes be tourned and penaunce

And peraduenture he shall her after bete

And manace curse and chyde with wordes grete

3440

And neuer after shall good housholde kepe

So in the lepe he put is for to stepe

And out therof he neuer shall departe

Of sorowe and heuynes he shall haue parte

And euer-more abyde shall in dystres

3445

Endynge his dayes in care and wretchednes

¶Here endeth the enleue[n]th

enleuenth] enleueth 1509

¶Here begynneth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.

sig: [L3v]

THe twelfth Ioye of maryage for to say

Is whan a yonge-man by many a day

In suche a maner comen hath and gone

That he in-to the lepe hath founde anone

3450

The streyght entre / and also ferthermore

He hath her founde whome he demaunded sore

And he some other myght percas haue had

But for no-thynge he wolde / and he is glad

Of this / for as hym semeth he hath sete

3455

His loue so wele / that no man coude do bete

And that he was so happy her to fynde

Whiche so good is / and mete vnto his mynde

And peraduenture suche a man is he

sig: [L4]

As by her councell wyll well ruled be

3460

So that whan ony wyght hath for to do

With hym / he sayth I shall go speke vnto

The good-wyfe of our house / and yf she wyll

It shall be doone / and yf so be she nyll

In no wyse shall the mater take effecte

3465

As pleaseth her she wyll graunt or reiecte

And here it cometh to the poynte anone

I put the case he be a gentylmon

And that his prynce an army do prepare

With whiche he is commaunded for to fare

3470

Then yf the wyfe it wyll forthe shall he go

And yf she do replye / he shall not so

Unto the wyfe / thus may he say perchaunce

My loue I must me spedely auaunce

Streyght to the kynges army well arayed

3475

And she shall say syr / be ye not afrayed

What wyll ye go and cause you to be slayne

How sholde we do yf ye come not agayne

Ye thynke but lyte what shall become of me

And in good poynt / than sholde your chyldren be

3480

But shortely for to speke / yf it her please

He shall go forthe / and somtyme for her ease

Of hym the hous she can delyuer clene

Whan that her lyketh best / here what I mene

For whyder it pleaseth her hym out to sende

3485

He shall go quyckely forthe / and there an ende

Unto suche sayntes as she auowe hath made

Whiche to perfourme for her he wyll be glade

And whyder that it be wynde / snowe hayle or rayne

Upon her byddynge shall he go certayne

3490

And so may be a galaunt herynge this

The whiche her lemman or her louer is

sig: [L4v]

And knoweth the entres of the house about

Well vnderstandynge that this man is out

Desyrynge with her for to speke and talke

3495

Withouten taryenge wyll to her walke

For lenger in no wyse may he abyde

But on the nyght / whan come is the tyde

In-to her house he entreth secretely

And where-as the good-man was wonte to ly

3500

This homely galaunt boldely lyeth hym doune

Whiche hath god wote a grete deuocyon

For to accomplysshe his desyres and wyll

And this good-wyfe her kepeth close and styll

The whiche dysdeyneth for to crye or call

3505

Ryght well in pacyence she taketh all

For whan some woman seeth a man dooth take

Grete payne and labour onely for her sake

Of pyte neuer wyll she hym refuse

And though that she sholde deye he shall her vse

3510

She hath a bowe that by her standeth bent

And he artyllery that must be spent

It happeth ofte he in the house abydeth

And in a corner preuyly hym hydeth

Whan that a lytell dogge dooth at hym bay

3515

And yf the good-man / what is that wyll say

The wyfe wyll answere / syr it is a ratte

That he dooth barke / or elles at the catte

For ofte-tymes afore he hath doone so

Thus wyll she say with many wordes mo

3520

So shortly for to speke this man is trapped

And in the lepe he closed is and lapped

She maketh hym the chyldren for to bere

Whan they wolde play / and dady here and there dady ='toddle'; see OED s.v. dade v

Also she causeth hym to take and holde

sig: [L5]

3525

Her spyndell and the thredes to vnfolde

Upon the saterday / whan she dooth rele rele: =reel, 'to wind thread on a reel'; see OED s.v. reel v2, 1

And she wyll chyde yf he do not wele

Now hath he founde a thynge whiche he hath sought

And vpon hym newly dooth fall a thought

3530

For warre begynneth in that regyon

And euery man vnto the strongest toune

Wyll drawe that he can fynde to saue his lyfe

But he at home abyde must with his wyfe

And may not leue her wherfore he perchaunce

3535

Is take prysoner / and grete fynaunce

Then must he pay / or elles in pryson dwell

This can this man of care and sorowe tell This: =thus?

Whiche in his husholde-kepynge he hath founde

For nyght and day he must trotte on the grounde

3540

Uytayles to gete / or for some other nede

And shortly for to say so dooth he spede

That his poore body neuer shall haue rest

Unto the tyme he put be in his chest

Then falleth he in sykenes and in aege

3545

Wherby with hym is past lust and courage

Well lesse than pray[s]ed shall he be alway praysed] prayed 1509

And lyke a foule couer be cast away foule couer ='wrapper'?

Whiche is not w[or]the to occupy that crafte worthe] wrothe 1509

So is all Ioye and pleasure hym beraft

3550

The wyfe hath doughters two or thre or mo

Whiche wolde be maryed / and they be not so

Wherfore they prayse this good-man but a lyte

But haue hym in dysdayne / and grete dyspyte

In-to the goute he falleth seke and sore

3555

And helpe hymselfe so shall he neuer-more

For euyll paynes suche as he hath had

Whiche with his wyfe / hath thus ben ouerlad

sig: [L5v]

Than may this poore-man his synnes wepe

Within the lepe / where he is closed depe

3560

Out of the whiche he neuer shall departe

But styll remayne / and euer take his parte

Of Ioyes suche as be in maryage

Whiche he from youth hath founde vnto his aege

And yet hym fallen is more heuynesse

3565

For he ne dare cause for to synge a messe

Ne make his last wyll and testament

But yf his wyfe ther-vnto wyll consent

For he to her so buxome is and bonde

That body and soule he putteth in her hande

3570

Thus vsyth he his lyfe in languysshynge

Alway / and eke a sorowfull endynge

He shall sustayne and wretchedly his dayes

This man shall ende withouten myrth or playes

And all is the cause of his good-wyfe

3575

That causeth hym so to be caytyfe

¶Here endeth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage

sig: [L6]

THe .xiii. Ioye of maryage is so

That whan that he whiche wedde is also

Within the lepe hathe ben and dwelled there

With his good-wyfe well syxe or seuen yere

3580

Or elles peraduenture more or lesse

The certaynte wherof I do but gesse

And demeth he is sure by his aduyse

That he hath founde a woman good and wyse

With whome he rested hath in grete pleasaunce

3585

And he a gentylman may be perchaunce

Whiche for to gete hym worshyp and honoure

Wolde put hym forthe / to do his best deuoure

Then to his wyfe he wyll declare and say

sig: [L6v]

My loue I must ryde out on my Iourney

3590

To suche a londe nyghe to the realme of fraunce

Where I may wynne grete fame and valyaunce

And she therwith ofte wolde hym clyppe and kys

Wepynge and syghynge / and say O what is thys

Alas my loue wyll ye departe so soone

3595

Leuynge me here with all this charge to doone

And in no wyse ye vnderstande certayne

If ones or neuer ye shall come home agayne

Bothe nyght and daye she dooth vpon her syde

All that she can to cause hym to abyde

3600

My loue sayth he. I must of veray nede

This Iourney take on me how so I spede

Or elles shall I lese / bothe the fees and wage

All that I haue and eke myn herytage

The whiche I holde / and with goddes grace

3605

I shall come home agayne in lytell space

And in aduenture he gooth ouer the se

With suche a prynce or in a grete arme

To gete hym honoure / or for chyualry

So of this wyfe than taketh he congye

3610

Whiche maketh all the dole that one can make

At suche departynge for her husbandes sake

For yf he be suche one as loueth honour

There is no wyfe loue ne peramour

That frome the dede of armes may hym holde

3615

If he an hardy persone be and bolde

Turne we agayne to this noble man anone

The whiche vpon his vyage forthe is gone

And vnto god he recommaundeth all

His wyfe and his chyldren in especyall

3620

It happeth that he ouer the see gooth clere

And where his ennemyes are he draweth nere

sig: [L7]

His fortune may so by aduenture vary

That yeres thre or foure he shall out-tary

How he is deed the wyfe than hath herde say

3625

Wherof she maketh sorowes nyght and day

So grete that for to here it is meruayle

But alway may she not so wepe and wayle

For blyssed be god / she dooth appece at last appece: =appease, 'calm (herself)'

And so it happeth that she is maryed fast

3630

Unto an-other man / and dooth forgete

Her olde husbande / and all the Ioyes grete

And loue / that she vnto hym bare in her mynde

Here may ye se / that she can torne and wynde

For now the solace and the pleasures olde

3635

And feruent loue with her be waxen colde

Whiche to her husbande she was wonte to make

And reason why / for she a newe hath take

The folkes then / suche as afore haue sene

The maner of the delynge them bytwene

3640

Sayth that this newe man she loueth more

Than that she dyde her husbande here-tofore

But so it is as fortune dooth constrayne

Her other husbande cometh home agayne

Whiche olde and feble growen is to se

3645

For alway at his pleasure was not he

And whan he to his countree draweth nere

Of newes hastely he dooth enquere

Bothe of his wyfe / and of his chyldren all

Grete doute he hath / how it is with them all

3650

Supposynge they be deed or elles greued

Some otherwyse whiche he wolde were releued

And prayeth god them for to saue and kepe

Full pytously well nye in poynte to wepe

And it may happen well in the same houre

sig: [L7v]

3655

That this man prayed deuoutly [for socoure] for socoure] foro socure 1509

He whiche the wyfe so wedded late agayne

Enbraceth her fast in his armes twayne

Than hereth he how that they maryed were

But how he pleased is suche newes to here

3660

I trowe the sorowe of Abraham and the payne

Was not so grete / whiche his sone sholde haue slayne

Ne yet the sorowe of Iacob and his sone

To his were lyke / ne none vnder the sonne

For Tantalus whiche cheyned lyeth in hell

3665

Can not of greter payne and sorowe tell

Than this poore-man whiche dooth hym-selfe so cast

In suche a sorowe as shall endure and last

Perpetuelly / whiche he shall not recure

Ne yet forgete / but in the same endure

3670

And other-whyle the chyldren haue grete shame

To se theyr moder / brought in suche defame

And neuer shall they mary one ne other

Of many a yere / for mysrule of the mother

It fortune may / somtyme that in batayle

3675

As it dooth oft / some man dooth not preuayle

But at a skarmysshe / slayne is cruelly

Or in a felde myn auctour sayth / for-why

Ofte happeth it / that he whiche hath the ryght

Shall vaynquysshed be / or elles put vnto flyght

3680

I put case that this man gooth to his wyfe

And in his yre wyll make debate and stryfe

With her and with her husbande wedded newe

Now what a vengeaunce herof may ensewe

He cometh home with swerdes sharpe and bryght

3685

And peraduenture late within the nyght

Whiche fyndeth them togyder bothe in bedde

Than swereth he by the blode that Ihesus bledde

sig: [L8]

They shall be slayne withouten ony remedy

And they aryse bothe all hastely

3690

Afore that he the doores can vp-breke

And ryght pyteously to hym dooth speke

Alas my loue she sayth / what do ye now

I wende ye had ben deed I make auow

By many a man it hath ben shewed and sayd

3695

That ye were slayne and in your graue ylayde

But for that I wolde knowe the certaynte

I was vnmaryed more than yeres thre

And suche a sorowe made I nyght and day

That all my wytte and reason fyll away

3700

Helples I was / longe-tyme in wo and care

And god it wote full euyll dyde I fare

That ye were deed / eche man sayd out of doute

And I ne coude well brynge the worlde aboute

Wherfore my frendes aduysed me to mary

3705

And so I dyde / for what cause sholde I tary

Ye neuer sente me worde / how that ye dyde

But ye alway your counceyle fro me hyde

And as this wyly woman stode and talked

The newly wedded husbande / softely stalked

3710

And toke a bowe in hande / and dyde it bende

And boldly sayd / he wolde his place defende

Than sayd the wyfe vnto her husbandes bothe

Good gentyll syrs / yf ye wolde not be wrothe

But well agre / I trust you bothe to please

3715

My-selfe / and you at euery tyme well ease

The olde husbande thus knowynge of theyr dede

Departeth sodaynly for he must nede

With shame ynough / and hasteth hym away

And they within the house fast laugh and play

3720

And after this so seke he is and sadde

sig: [L8v]

That he within a whyle is waxen madde

Wherfore I say / he that may fortune so

As dyde this man whiche wolde for honour go

The way in-to the lepe of maryage

3725

Streyght hath he founde as byrde into the cage

How-be-it he afore was not so wyse

Of so grete Ieoperdyes to take aduyse

So shall he lede his lyfe and hym enable

To be a fole / and mete to bere the bable

3730

And at the last in paynes greuously

He shall his dayes ende / and wretchedly

¶Here endeth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage.