The Pastime of Pleasure

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¶Here begynneth the passe-tyme of pleasure.

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HOw graunde_amoure walked in a medowe and met with fame enuyronned with tongues of fyre. ca. i.

¶Of the swete reporte of fame of the fayre lady la_bell_pucell in the toure of musyke. ca. .ii.

¶How fame departed frome Graunde_amoure and lefte with hym Gouernaunce and grace / and howe he went to the toure of doctryne. ca. iii.

¶How he was let in by countenaunce the porteresse / and of the meruaylous buyldynge of the same toure. Capitulo iiii.

¶How scyence sent hym fyrst to gramer wher he was receyued by dame congruyte. ca. v.

¶How he was receyued of logyke. ca. vi.

¶How he was receyued of rethoryke / and what rethoryke is ca. vii.

¶Of the fyrst parte called Inuencyon / and a commendacyon of poetes. ca. viii.

¶A replycacyon agaynst ignoraunt persones. ca. ix.

¶Of dysposycyon the .ii. parte of rethoryke. ca. x.

¶Of elocucyon the thyrde parte of rethoryke with colourynge of sentences. ca. xi.

¶ Of pronuncyacyon the .iiii. parte of rethoryke. ca. xii.

¶Of memory the .v. parte of rethoryke. ca. xiii.

¶A commendacyon of Gower / chaucer / and lydgate. ca. xiiii.

¶Of Arysmetryke. ca. xv.

Of musyke mundayne / humayne / and instrumentall. xvi.

¶How graunde_amour was enamoured of la_bell_pucell in the toure of musyke / and met with counsayle in a temple. ca. xvii.

¶Of the dolorous and louely dysputacyon bytwene la_bell_pucell and graunde_amour. ca. xviii.

¶How la_bell_pucell graunted Graunde_Amoure loue / and of her dyspytous depart[a]ge departage] departyoge 1517, departage 1554, 1555. ca. xix.

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¶Of the grete sorowe that graunde_amoure made after her departyn[g]edepartynge] departyne 1517, departynge 1554, departyng 1555 / and of the wordes of counsayle. Capitulo. xx.

¶How Graunde_amoure wente to geometry / and what geometry is. ca. xxi.

¶Of dame astronomy. ca xxii.

¶Of the derecte operacyons of nature. ca. xxiii.

¶Of the fyue Interyall wyttes. ca. xxiiii.

¶Of the hye influences of the supernall bodyes. Capitulo. xxv.

¶How graunde_amoure departed frome the toure of scyence / and wente to the toure of chyualry where he was let in by fortytude. ca. xxvi.

¶Of the meruaylos argument bytwene Mars and fortune. ca. xxvii.

¶How mynerue ledde Graunde_Amoure to kynge Melyzyus whiche made hym knyght. ca. xxviii.

¶How he departed frome kynge Melyzyus with his grehoundes and attendaunce his varlet and met with false_reporte / that chaunged his name to Godfraye_gobylyue. ca. xxix.

¶How graunde_amoure in the temple of Venus made his supplycacyon. ca. xxx.

¶The copy of the lettre that Venus sent to la_bell_pucell. ca. xxxi.

¶How Godfraye_gobylyue was taken of correccyon and punysshed. ca. xxxii.

¶How graunde_amour dyscomfyted the gyaunt with thre heedes / and was receyued of .iii. ladyes. ca. xxxiii.

¶How [h]ehe] be 1517 mette with Perceyueraunce / and reposed hyȜ in the manoyr-place of dame comforte. ca. xxxiiii.

¶How he vaynquysshed a gyaunt / with seuen heedes and was receyued of .vii. ladyes. ca. xxxv.

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¶How he made oblacyon to the goddes Pallas and sayled ouer the tempestous flode. ca. xxxvi.

¶How he dyscomfyted the wonderfull monstre of the vii. metalles made by enchauntement. ca. xxxvii.

¶How he was receyued of la_bell_pucell. ca. xxxviii.

The maryage of graunde_Amour and la_bell_pucell. [ca.]ca.] 1517 omits xxxix.

¶How Whan graunde_Amour had lyued longe with la_bell_pucell [he]he] 1517 omits, he 1555 was arested by aege that brought vnto hym polycy and auaryce. ca. xl.

¶How he was arested by dethe. ca. xli.

¶How remembraunce made his epytaphy on his graue. ca. xlii.

¶How fame came in-to the temple with burnynge tonges / and of her prayse. ca. xliii.

¶How tyme came in-to the temple in meruaylous semylytude / and of his replycacyon. ca. lxiiii.

¶How eternyte came in-to the temple / and of her vertuous exortacyon. ca. xlv.

¶The excusacyon of the auctour. ca. lxvi.

¶This boke called the pastyme of pleasure was made and compyled by Stephen_hawes one of the gromes of the most honorable chambre of our souerayne lorde kynge Henry the seue[n]th.

seuenth] seueth 1517, seuenth 1555

chapytred] chapytted 1517

RYght myghty prynce / and redoubted souerayne RYght] RYyght 1517

Saylynge forthe well / in the shyppe of grace

Ouer the wawes / of this lyfe vncertayne

Ryght towarde heuen / to haue dwellynge place

Grace dothe you guyde / in euery doubtfull cace

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Your gouernaunce / dothe euermore eschewe

The synne of slouthe / enemy to vertewe

Grace stereth well / the grace of god is grete

Whiche you hathe brought / to your ryall se

And in your ryght / it hath you surely sette

Aboue vs all / to haue the soueraynte

Whose worthy power / and regall dygnyte

All our rancour / and our debate [did] ceace did ceace] and ceace 1517, gan ceace 1554

Hath to vs brought / bothe welthe reste and peace. Hath to vs] And hath vs 1554

Frome whome dyscendeth / by the ryghtfull lyne

Noble pry[n]ce Henry / to succede the crowne

That in his youthe / dothe so clerely shyne

In euery vertu / castynge the vyce adowne

He shall of fame / attayne the hye renowne

No doubte but grace / shall hym well enclose

Whiche by trewe ryght / sprange of the reed rose

Your noble grace / and excellent hyenes

For to accepte / I beseche ryght humbly

This lytell boke / opprest with rudenes

Without rethorycke / or colour crafty

Nothynge I am / experte in poetry

As the monke of Bury / floure of eloquence

Whiche was in tyme / of grete excellence in] in the 1554, 1555

Of your predecessour / the .v. kynge henry

Vnto whose grace / he dyde present

Ryght famous bokes / of parfyte memory

Of his faynynge with termes eloquent

Whose fatall fyccyons / are yet permanent

Grounded on reason / with clowdy fygures

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He cloked the trouthe / of all his scryptures

The lyght of trouthe / I lacke connynge to cloke

To drawe a curtayne / I dare not to presume

Nor hyde my mater / with a mysty smoke

My rudenes connynge / dothe so sore consume

Yet as I maye / I shall blowe out a fume

To hyde my mynde / vnderneth a fable

By couert colour / well and probable, couert] conuert 1517

Besechynge your grace / to pardon myne ignoraunce

Whiche this fayned fable / to eschewe ydlenesse

Hane so compyled / now without doubtaunce Hane] Haue 1554, 1555

For to present / to your hye worthynesse

To folowe the trace / and all the parfytenesse

Of my mayster Lydgate / with due exercyse

Suche fayned tales / I do fynde and deuyse

For vnder a colour / a truthe maye aryse

As was the guyse / in olde antyquyte

Of the poetes olde / a tale to surmyse

To cloke the trouthe / of theyr infyrmyte

Or yet on Ioye / to haue moralyte moralyte] mortalitie 1555

I me excuse / yf by neclygence

That I do offende / for lacke of scyence

¶How graunde_Amoure walked in a medowe and met with fame enuyronned with tongues of fyre. ca. i.

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WHan Phebus entred was / in Gemyny

Shynynge aboue / in his fayre golden spere

And horned Dyane / than but one degre

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In the Crabbe hadde entred / fayre and clere

Whan that Aurora / dyde well appere

In the depured ayre / and cruddy fyrmament

Forthe than I walked / without impedyment

In-to a medowe / bothe gaye and gloryous

Whiche Flora depaynted with many a colour

Lyke a place of pleasure / most solacyous

Encensynge out / the aromatyke odoure

Of zepherus brethe / whiche that euery floure

Throughe his fume / dothe alwaye engendre

So as I went / amonge the floures tendre

By sodayne chaunce / a fayre pathe I founde

On whiche I loked / and ryght ofte I mused

And than all aboute / I behelde the grounde

With the fayre pathe / whiche I sawe so vsed

My chaunce or fortune / I nothynge refused

But in the pathe / forthe I went a pace

To knowe whyther / and vnto what place

It wolde me brynge / by ony symylytude

So forthe I wente / were it ryght or wronge

Tyll that I sawe / of ryall pulcrytude

Before my face / an ymage fayre and stronge

With two fayre handes / stretched out alonge

Vnto two hye-wayes / there in pertycyon

And in the ryght hande / was this dyscrypcyon

This is the streyght waye / of contemplacyon

Vnto the Ioyfull toure pe[r]durable perdurable] pedurable 1517, perdurable 1554, 1555

Who that wyll walke / vnto that mancyon

He must forsake / all thynges varyable

With the vayneglory / so moche deceyuable

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And thoughe the waye / be harde and daungerous

The laste ende therof / shall be ryght precyous

And in the other hande / ryght fayre wryten was

This is the waye / of worldly dygnyte

Of the actyfe lyfe / who wyll in it passe

Vnto the toure / of fayre dame beaute

Fame shall tell hym / of the waye in certaynte in] of 1555

Vnto la_bell_pucell / the fayre lady excellent

Aboue all other / in clere beaute splendent

I behelde ryght well / bothe the wayes twayne

100

And mused oft / whiche was best to take

The one was sharpe / the other was more playne

And vnto my-selfe / I began to make

A sodayne argument / for I myght not slake

Of my grete musynge / of this ryall ymage

105

And of these two wayes / so moche in vsage

For this goodly pycture / was in altytude

Nyne fote and more / of fayre marble stone

Ryght well fauoured / and of grete fortytude fortytude] altitude 1554, 1555

Thoughe it were made / full many yeres agone

110

Thus stode I musynge / my-selfe all alone

By ry[gh]t longe tyme / but at the last I went ryght] ryhgt 1517; but] 1555 omits

The actyfe waye / with all my hole entent

Thus all alone / I began to trauyle

Forthe on my waye / by longe contynuaunce

115

But often tymes / I hadde grete meruayle

Of the by-pathes / so full of pleasaunce

Whiche for to take / I hadde grete doubtaunce

But euermore / as nere as I myght

I toke the waye / whiche went before me ryght

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120

And at the last / whan Phebus in the west

Gan to auayle / with all his beames mery,

Whan clere Dyana / in the fayre southest

Gan for to ryse / lyghtynge our emyspery

With cloudes clere / without the stormy pery

125

Me-thought a_fer / I hadde a vysyon

Of a pycture / of meruoylous facyon

To whiche I went / without lenger delaye

Beholdynge well / the ryght fayre purtrayture

Made of fyne copre / shynynge fayre and gaye

130

Full well truely / accordynge to mesure

And as I thought .ix. fote of stature

Yet in the breste / with lettres fayre ande blewe

Was wryten / a sentence olde and trewe

This is the waye / and the sytuacyon

135

Vnto the toure / of famous doctryne

Who that wyll lerne / must be ruled by reason

And with all his dylygence / he must enclyne

Slouthe to eschewe / and for to determyne

And set his hert / to be intellygyble

140

To a wyllynge herte / is nought Impossyble

Besyde the ymage / I adowne me sette

After my laboure / myselfe to repose

Tyll at the last / with a gaspynge nette

Slouthe my heed caught / with his hole purpose

145

It vayled not / the body for to dyspose

Agaynst the heed / whan it is applyed

The heed must rule / it can not be denyed

Thus as I satte / in a deedly slombre

Of a grete horne / I herde a ryall blast

150

With whiche I awoke / and hadde a grete wondre

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From whens it came / it made me sore agast

I loked aboute / the nyght was well nere paste

And fayre golden Phebus / in the morowe graye

With cloude reed began / to breke the daye cloude] cloudes 1554, 1555

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I sawe come rydynge / in a valaye ferre

A goodly lady / enuyronned aboute

With tongues of fyre / as bryght as ony sterre

That fyry flambes / ensensed alwaye out

Whiche I behelde / and was in grete doubt

160

Her palfraye swyfte / rennynge as the wynde

With two whyte grehoundes / that were not behynde

Whan that these grehoundes / had me so espyed

With faunynge chere / of grete humylyte

In goodly hast / they fast vnto me hyed

165

I mused why / and wherfore it shoulde be

But I welcomed them / in euery degre

They leped ofte / and were of me ryght fayne

I suffred them / and cherysshed them agayne

Theyr colers were of golde / and of tyssue fyne

170

Wherin theyr names / appered by sc[r]ypture scrypture] scypture 1517, scripture 1554, 1555

Of Dyamondes / that clerely do shyne

The lettres were grauen fayre and pure

To rede [t]heyr names / I dyde my besy cure theyr] rheyr 1517

The one was gouernaunce / the other named grace

175

Than was I gladde / of all this sodayne cace

And than the lady / with fyry flame

Of brennynge tongues / was in my presence

Vpon her palfraye / whiche hadde vnto name

Pegase the swyfte / so fayre in excellence

180

Whiche somtyme longed / with his premynence

To kynge Percyus / the sone of Iubyter

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On whome he rode / by the worlde so fer

To me she sayde / she meruayled moche why

That her grehounde / shewed me that fauour grehounde] greyhoundes 1554, grayhoundes 1555

185

What was my name / she axed me treuly

To whome I sayde / it was la_graunde_Amour

Besechynge you / to be to me socour

To the toure of doctryne / and also me tell

Your propre name / and where you do dwell

190

My name quod she / in all the worlde is knowen

Yclypped Fame / in euery regyon

For I my horne / in sondry wyse haue blowen

After the dethe / of many a champyon

And with my tonges / haue made aye mencyon

195

Of theyr grete actes agayne to reuyue

In flammynge tongues / for to abyde on lyue

It was the custome / in olde antyquyte in] of 1554, of an 1555

Whan the golden worlde / hadde domynacyon

And nature hygh / in her auctoryte

200

More stronger hadde / her operacyon

Than she hath nowe / in her dygressyon

The people than dyde / all theyr besy payne

After theyr dethe / in fame to lyue agayne

Recorde of Satourne / the fyrste kynge of Creete

205

Whiche in his youthe / throughe his dylygence

Founde fyrst plowynge / of the landes swete

And after this / by his grete sapyence

For the comyn profyte / and beneuolence

Of all metalles / he made deuysyon

210

One frome an-other / by good prouysyon

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And than also / as some poetes fayne

He founde shotynge / and drawenge of the bowe

Yet as of that / I am nothynge certayne

But for his connynge / of hye degre and lowe

215

He was well beloued / as I do well knowe

Throughe whose labour / and aye besy cure

His fame shall lyue / and shall ryght longe endure

In whose tyme reygned / also in Thessayle

A parte of Grece / the kynge Melyzyus

220

That was ryght stronge / and fyerce in batayle

By whose labour / as the story sheweth vs

He brake fyrst horses wylde and rygoryous

Techynge his men / on them ryght well to ryde

And he hymselfe / dyde fyrst the horse bestryde

225

Also Mynerue / the ryght hardy goddes

In the same tyme / of so hyghe renowne

Vaynquysshed Pallas / by her grete worthynesse

And fyrste made harneys / to leye his pryde adowne

Whose grete defence / in euery realme and towne

230

Was spredde aboute / for her hye chyualry

Whiche by her harneys / wanne the vyctory

Doth not remayne / yet in remembraunce

The famous actes / of the noble hercules

That so many monstres / put to vtteraunce

235

By his grete wysdome / and hye prowes

As the recule of Troye / bereth good wytnes

That in his tyme / he wolde no batayle take

But for the welthe / of the comyns sake

Thus the hole myndes / were euer fyxte and set

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240

Of noble men / in olde tyme to deuyse

Suche thynges as were / to the comyn proffet

For in that tyme / suche was theyr goodly guyse

That after dethe theyr fame shoulde aryse

For to endure / and abyde in mynde

245

As yet in bokes / we maye them wryten fynde

O ye estates / surmountynge in noble[ne]sse noblenesse] nobesse 1517, noblenes 1554, noblenesse 1555

Remembre well the noble pay[n]yms all paynyms] payyms 1517, paynyms 1554, panyms 1555

How by theyr laboure / they wanne the hyenesse

Of worthy fame / to reygne memoryall

250

And them applyed / euer in specyall

Thynges to practyse / whiche shoulde prouffyte be

To the comyn-welthe / and theyr heyres in fee

¶Of the swete reporte of Fame of the fayre lady la_bel_pucell in the toure of musyke. ca. ii.

ANd after this / fame gan to expresse

Of Ieoperdous waye / to the toure peryllous

255

And of the beaute / and the semelynesse

Of la_bell_pucell / so gaye and gloryo[u]s

That dwelled in the toure so meruaylous

Vnto whiche myght come / no maner of creature

But by grete laboure / and harde aduenture

260

For by the waye / there ly in wayte

Gyauntes grete dysfygured of nature

That all deuoureth / by theyr yll conceyte yll] euil 1554

Ageynst whose strength / there maye no man endure

They are so huge / and stronge out of mesure

265

With many serpentes / foule and odyous

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In sundry lykenesse / blacke and tydeus

But beh[y]nde them / a grate see there is behynde] behonde 1517, 1554, behynde 1555

Beyonde whiche see / there is a goodly lande

Moost full of fruyte / replete with Ioye and blysse

270

Of ryght fyne golde / appereth all the sande

In this fayre realme / where the toure dothe stande

Made all of golde / enameled aboute

With noble storyes / whiche do appere without

In whiche dwelleth / by grete auctoryte

275

Of la_bell_pucell / whiche is so fayre and bryght

To whome in beaute / no pere I can se

For lyke as Phebus / aboue all sterres in lyght

Whan that he is / in his spere aryght

Dothe excede / wi[t]h his beames clere with] wieh 1517, with 1554, wyth 1555

280

So dothe her beaute / aboue other appeere

She is bothe good / aye wyse and vertuous

And also dyscended / of a noble lyne

Ryche / comly / ryght meke / and bounteous

All maner vertues / in her clerely shyne

285

No vyce of her / maye ryght longe domyne

And I dame fame / in euery nacyon

Of her do make / the same relacyon

Her swete reporte / so my herte set on fyre

With brennynge loue / moost hote and feruent

290

That her to se / I hadde grete desyre

Sayenge to fame / o lady excellent

I haue determyned / in my Iugement

For la_bell_pucell / the most fayre lady

To passe the waye / of so grete Ieopardy

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295

You shall quod fame / atayne the vyctory atayne] obtayne 1555

Yf you wyll do / as I shall to you saye to] 1555 omits

And all my lesson / retayne in memory

To the toure of doctryne / ye shall take your waye

You are now within / a dayes Iourneye

300

Bothe these grehounde[s] / shall kepe you company grehoundes] grehounde 1517, greyhoundes 1554, 1555

Loke that you cherysshe them full gentely

[A]nd countenaunce / the goodly portres And] Ind 1517, And 1554, 1555

Shall let you in / full well and nobly

And also shewe you / of the parfytenes

305

Of all the seuen scyences / ryght notably

There in your mynde / you maye ententyfly

Vnto dame doctryne / gyue parfyte audyence

Whiche shall enfourme you / in euery scyence

Fare-well she sayde / I maye not now abyde

310

Walke on your waye / with all your hole delyght

To the toure of doctryne / at this morow-tyde

Ye shall to_morowe / of it haue a syght

Kepe on your waye / now before you ryght

For I must hens / to specyfy the dedes

315

Of theyr wort[h]ynesse / accordynge to theyr medes worthynesse] wortynesse 1517, worhtines 1554, worthynesse 1555

And with that she dyde / fro me departe

Vpon her stede / swyfter than the wynde

Whan she was gone / full wofull was my herte

With inwarde trouble / oppressed was my mynde

320

Yet were the grehoundes / lefte with me behynde

Whiche dyde me comforte / in my grete vyage

To the toure of doctryne / with theyr fawnynge courage

So forthe I went / tossynge on my brayne

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Gretely musynge / ouer hyll and vale

325

The waye was troublous / and ey nothynge playne

Tyll at the laste / I came to a dale

Beholdynge Phebus / declynynge lowe and pale

With my grehoundes / in the fayre twy-lyght

I sate me downe / for to rest me all nyght

330

Slouthe vpon me / so fast began to crepe

That of fyne force / I downe me layde

Vpon an hyll / with my greyhoundes to slepe

Whan I was downe / I thought me well apayde

And to my-selfe / these wordes than I sayde

335

Who wyll attayne / soone to his Iournays ende

To nourysshe slouthe / he may not condyscende

¶How fame departed frome graunde_amoure and lefte with hym gouernaunce and grace / and howe he wente to the toure of doctryne. Ca. .iii.

THus than I slepte / tyll that Auroras beames

Gan for to sprede / aboute the fyrmament

And the clere sonne / with his golden streames

340

Began for to ryse / fayre in the oryent

Without Saturnus / blacke encombrement

And the lytell byrdes / makynge melodye

Dyde me awake / with theyr swete armonye

I loked aboute / and sawe a craggy roche

345

Ferre in the west / nere to the element

And as I dyde than / vnto it approche

Vpon the toppe / I sawe refulgent

The ryall toure / of morall document

Made of fyne coper / with turrettes fayre and hye

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350

Whiche agaynst Phebus / shone so meruaylously

That for the veray perfyte bryghtnes

What of the toure / and of the clere sonne

I coude nothynge / beholde the goodlynes

Of that palays / where-as doctryne dyde wonne

355

Tyll at the last / with mysty wyndes donne

The radyant bryghtnes / of golden Phebus

Auster gan couer / with cloudes tenebrus cloudes] clowde 1555

Than to the toure / I drewe nere and nere

And often mused / of the grete hyghnes

360

Of the craggy rocke / whiche quadrant dyde appere

But the fayre toure / so moche of rychesse

Was all about / sexangled doubtles

Gargeylde with grehoundes / and with many lyons

Made of fyne golde / with dyuers sundry dragons

365

The lytell turrets / with ymages of golde

Aboute was set / wiche with the wynde aye moued

With propre vyces / that I dyde well beholde

Aboute the toures / in sondry wyse they houed

With goodly pypes / in theyr mouthes Ituned

370

That with the wynde / they pyped a daunce

Yclyped amour de la hault pleasaunce

¶How he was lette in by Countena[u]nce the porteres and of the meruaylous buyldynge of the same toure. Capitulo. iiii.

ref.ed: 19

sig: B2

THe toure was grete / and of meruaylous wydnes

To whiche there was / no way to passe but one

In-to the toure / for to haue an intres

ref.ed: 20

sig: [B2v]

375

A grece there was / ychesyled all of stone

Out of the rocke / on whiche men dyde gone

Vp to the toure / and in lykewyse dyde I

With bothe the greho[u]ndes in my company

Tyll that I came / to a ryall gate

380

Where I sawe stondynge / the goodly portres

Whiche axed me / from whens I came a_late

To whome I gan / in euery-thynge expresse

All myne aduenture / chaunce and busynesse

And eke my name / I tolde her euery dell

385

Whan she herde this / she lyked me ryght well

Her name she sayde / was called countenaunce

In-to the besy courte / she dyde me than lede

Where was a fountayne / depured of pleasaunce fountayne] fountauyne 1517, 1554, 1555

A noble sprynge / a ryall conduyte-hede

390

Made of fy[n]e golde / enameled with reed

And on the toppe / fo[u]re dragons blewe and stoute

This doulcet water / in foure partyes dyde spoute

Of whiche there flowed / foure ryuers ryght clere

Sweter than Nysus / or Ganges was theyr odoure

395

Tygrys or Eufrates / vnto them no pere

I dyde than tast / the aromatyke lycoure

Fragraunt of fume / swete as ony floure

And in my mouthe / it hadde a meruaylous cent

Of dyuers spyces / I knewe not what it ment

400

And after this / ferder forthe me brought

Dame countenaunce / in-to a goodly hall

Of Iasper stones / it was wonderly wrought

The wyndowes clere / depured all of crystall

ref.ed: 21

sig: B3

And in the rose / on hye ouer all

405

Of golde was made / a ryght crafty vyne

In-stede of grapes / the rubyes there dyde shyne

The flore was paued / with berall claryfyed

With pyllours made / of stones precyous

Lyke a place of pleasure / so gayly gloryfyed

410

It myght be called / a palays gloryous

So moche delectable / and solacyous

The hall was hanged / hye and cyrculer

With clothe of aras / in the rychest maner

That treted well / of a full noble story

415

Of the doughty waye / to the toure peryllous doughty] doubty 1554, 1555

How a noble knyght / shoulde wynne the vyctory

Of many a serpent / foule and odyous

And the fyrste mater / than appered thus

How at a venture / and by sodayne chaunce

420

He met with fame / by fortunes purueyaunce

Whiche dyde hym shewe / of the famous pulcrytude

Of la_bell_pucell / so clere in beaute

Excellynge all other / in euery symylytude

Nature her fauoured / so moche in degre

425

Whan he herde this / with feruent amyte

Accompaned with grace and gouernaunce

He toke his waye / without encombraunce

Vnto the ryght famous toure of lernynge

And so frome thens / vnto the toure of c[h]yualry chyualry] clyualry 1517, chyualry 1554, 1555

430

Where he was made knyght / the noble kynge

Called Melyzyus / well and worthely

And ferthermore / it shewed full notably

ref.ed: 22

sig: [B3v]

Vpon the aras / ybro[d]red all of blewe ybrodred] ybrobred 1517, imbrodred 1554, 1555

What was his name / with lettres all of grewe

435

Thus with his varlet / he toke on his waye

To the peryllous toure / and sytuacyon

Metynge foly / as he rode on his Iournaye

Rydynge on a mare / by grete yllusyon

After whome / ensued fast correccyon

440

And in her hande / a stronge knotted whyppe

At euery Iarte / she made hym for to skyppe

And than correccyon / brought la_graunde_amoure

Vnto the toure / where-as he myght well se

Dyuers men / makynge ryght grete doloure

445

That defrauded women / by theyr duplycyte

Yet before this / in perfyte certaynte

As the aras / well dyde make relacyon

In Venus temple / he made his oblacyon

After whiche / he mette an hydeous gyaunt

450

Hauynge thre hedes of meruaylous kynde

With his grete strokes / he dyde hym daunt

Castynge hym downe / vnder the lynde

With force and myght / he dyde hym bynde

Strykynge of his hedes than euerychone

455

That of all thre hedes / he left not one

This terryble gyaunt / yet hadde a broder

Whiche graunde_amoure / destryed also

Hauynge foure heedes / more than the oder

That vnto hym / wrought mykell wo

460

But he slewe soone / his mortall fo

Whiche was a grete gyaunt / with hedes seuen

ref.ed: 23

sig: [B4]

To meruaylous / now for me to ne[u]en

Yet more-ouer / he put to vtteraunce

A venymous beest / of sundry lykenes

465

Of dyuers beestes / of ryght grete myschaunce

Wherof the pycture / bare good wytnes

For by his power / and his hye worthynesse

He dyde [di]scomfyte / the wonderous serpent discomfyte] scomfyte 1517, discomfyte 1554, 1555

Of the se[ue]n metalles / made by enchauntement seuen] seeun 1517, same 1554, seuen 1555

470

And eke the clothe / made demonstracyon

How he weded /the grete lady beauteous

la_bell_pucell / in her owne domynacyon

After his labour / and passage daungerous

With solempne Ioye / and myrthe melodyous

475

This famous story / well pyctured was

In the fayre hall / vpon the aras

The marshall / yclyped was dame reason

And the yewres / also obseruaunce

The panter pleasaunce / at euery season

480

The good butler / curteys_contynuaunce

And the chefe coke / was called temperaunce

The lady chambrelayne / named fydelyte

And the hygh stuarde lyberalyte

There sate dame doctryne / that lady gent

485

Whiche called me / vnto her presence

For to knowe / all the hole entent

Of my comynge / vnto her exellence

Madame I sayde / to lerne your scyence

I am comen / now me to apply

490

With all my cure / in perfyte study in] and 1555

ref.ed: 24

sig: [B4v]

And yet also / I vnto her than shewed

My name and purpose / without doublenes

For very grete Ioye / than were endued

Her crystall eyes / full of lowlenes

495

Whan that she knewe / for veray sykernesse for] of 1555

That I was he / that shoulde so attay[n]e

La_bell_pucell / with my busy payne

And after this / I hadde ryght good chere

Of mete and drynke / there was grete pleynte

500

Nothynge I wanted / were it chepe or dere

Thus was I serued / with delycate dysshes daynte

And after this / with all humylyte

I went to doctryne / prayenge her good grace

For to assygne me / my fyrst lernynge-place

505

Seuen doughters / moost experte i[n] connynge

Withouten foly / she hadde well engendred Withouten] Without 1554

As the seuen scyences / in vertue so shynynge

At whose encreace / there is grete thankes rendred

Vnto the moder / as nothynge surrendred

510

Her good name / and her dulcet sounde

Whiche dyde engendre / theyr orygynall grounde

And fyrst to gramer / she forthe me sent

To whose request / I dyde well obay

With dylygence / forth on my waye I went

515

Vp to a chambre / depaynted fayre and gay

And at the chambre / in ryght ryche araye

We were let in / by hygh auctoryte

Of the ryght noble / dame congruyte

¶How Scyence / sent hym fyrste / to gramer where he was receyued by dame Congruyte. ca. v.

ref.ed: 25

sig: C1

THe lady Gramer / in all humbl[e] wyse humble] humble 1509, 1554, humbly 1517, 1555

520

Dyde me receyue / in-to her goodly scole

To whose doctryne / I dyde me aduertyse

For to attayne / in her artyke poole

Her gylted dewe / for to oppresse my doole

To whome I sayde / that I wolde gladly lerne

525

Her noble connynge / so that I myght decerne

What that it is / and why that it was made

To whiche she answered / than in specyall

Bycause that connynge / shoulde not pale ne fade

Of euery scyence / it is orygynall

ref.ed: 26

sig: [C1v]

530

Whiche dothe vs teche / euer in generall

In all good ordre / to speke dyrectly

And for to wryte / by true artogrofy

Somtyme in Egypte / reygned a noble kynge

Yclyped Euander / whiche dyde well abounde

535

In many vertues / especyally in lernynge

Whiche hadde a doughter / that by her study founde

To wryte true latyn / the fyrst parfyte grounde

Whose goodly name / as her story sayes

Was called Carmentis / in her lyuynge dayes

540

Thus in the tyme / of olde antyquyte

The noble phylozophres / with theyr hole delyght

For the comyn prouffyte / of all humanyte

Of the seuen scyences / for to knowe the ryght

They studyed / many a longe wynters nyght

545

Eche after other / theyr partes to expresse partes] partyes 1509

This was theyr guyse / to eschewe ydlenesse

The pomped carkes / with fode delycyous

They dyde not fede / but to theyr sustynaunce

The[y] folowed not / theyr flesshe so vycyous They] the all texts

550

But ruled it / by prudent gouernaunce

They were content / alwaye with suffysaunce

They coueyted not / no worldly treasure

For they knewe / that it myght not endure

But now-a_dayes / the contrary is vsed

555

To wynne the money / theyr studyes be all sette

The comyn prouffyte / is often refused

For well is he / that maye the money gette

Frome his neyghboure / without ony lette

ref.ed: 27

sig: C2

They thynke nothynge / they shall from it pas

560

Whan all that is / shall be tourned to was

The brytell flesshe / nouryssher of vyces

Vnder the shadowe / of euyll slogardy

Must nede haunt / the carnall delyces nede] nedes 1554

Whan that the brayne / by corrupte glotony

565

Vp-so_downe / is tour[n]ed than contrary

Frayle is the body / to grete vnhappynes

Whan that the heed / is full of dronkenes

So do they now / for they nothynge prepence

How cruell dethe / dothe them sore ensue

570

They are so blynded / in wor[l]dly neclygence worldly] wordly 1517, worldly 1554, 1555

That to theyr meryte / they wyll nothynge renewe

The seuen scyences / theyr slouthe to eschewe

To an-oders profyte / they take now no kepe

But to theyr owne / for to ete drynke and slepe

575

And all this dame gramer / tolde me euery dele

To whome I herkened / with all my dylygence

And after this / she taught me ryght well

Fyrst my donet / and than my accydence

I sette my mynde / with percynge influence

580

To lerne her scyence / the fyrst famous arte

Eschewynge ydlenes / and layenge all aparte

Madame quod I / for as moche as there be

Viii. partes of speche / I wolde knowe ryght fayne

What a nowne substantyue / is in his degre

585

And wherfore it is / so called certayne

To whome she answered / ryght gentely agayne

Sayenge alwaye / that a nowne substantyue

ref.ed: 28

sig: [C2v]

Mygh[t] stande / without helpe of an adiectyue Myght] Mygh 1517, Myght 1554, 1555

The latyn worde / whiche that is referred

590

Vnto a thynge / whiche is substancyall

For a nowne substantyue / is well auerred

And with a gendre / is declynall

So all the eyght partes in generall

Are laten wordes / annexed properly

595

To euery speche / for to speke formally

And gramer is / the fyrste foundement

Of euery scyence / to haue construccyon

Who knewe gramer / without impedyment

S[h]oulde perfytely haue intelleccyon Shoulde] Soulde 1517, Sholde 1509

600

Of a lytterall cense / and moralyzacyon

To construe euery thynge ententyfly

The worde is gramer / well and ordynatly

By worde the worlde / was made orygynally

The hye kynge sayde / it was made incontynent

605

He dyde commaunde / all was made shortly

To the worlde / the worde is sentencyous Iugement

I marked well / dame gramers sentement

And of her than / I dyde take my lycence

Goynge to Logyke / with all my dylygence

¶How he was receyued / of Logyke. ca. vi.

610

SO vp I went / vnto a chambre bryght

Where was wonte / to be a ryght fayre lady was wonte to be] [w]as dame logyke 1509

Before whome than / [with all] my hole delyght with all] it was 1517, with all 1509

I kneled adowne / full well and mekely

Besechynge her / to enstructe me shortely

ref.ed: 29

sig: C3

615

In her noble scyence / whiche is expe[di]ent expedient] experyent 1517, expedient 1509, 1554, 1555

For man to knowe / in many an argument

You shall quod she / my scyence well lerne

In tyme and space / to your grete vtylyte

So that in my lokynge / you shall than decerne

620

A frende from fo / and good from inyquyte

Ryght from wronge / ye shall knowe in certaynte

My scyence is / all the yll to eschewe

And for to knowe / the false from the trewe

Who wyll take payne / to folowe the trace

625

In this wretched worlde / of trouthe and ryghtwysenes

In heuen aboue / he shall haue dwellynge place

And who that wal[k]eth / the waye of derkenes walketh] walbeth all texts

Spendynge his tyme / in worldly wretchednes

Amyddes the erth / in hell most horryble

630

He shall haue payne / nothynge extynguyssyble

So by logyke / is good perceyueraunce

To deuyde the good / and the euyll a_sondre

It is alway / at mannes pleasaunce

To take the good / and cast the euyll vnder

635

Yf god made hell / it is therof no wonder

For to punysshe man / that hadde intellygence

To knowe good from yll / by trewe experyence

Logyke alwaye / doth make probacyon

Prouynge the pro / well from the contrary

640

In sundry wyse / by argumentacyon

Grounded on reason / well and wonderly

Who vnderstode / all logyke treuly

Nothynge by reason / myght be in pledynge

ref.ed: 30

sig: [C3v]

But he the trouthe / shoulde haue in knowlegynge

645

Her wyse doctryne / I marked in memory

And toke my leue / of her hye personne

Bycause that I myght no lenger tary

The yere was spente / and so ferre than goone

And of my lady / yet syght hadde I none

650

Whiche was abydynge / in the toure of musyke

Wherfore anone / I went to Rethoryke

¶How he was receyued of Rethoryke / and what Rethoryke is. ca. vii.

ref.ed: 31

sig: C4

THan aboue Logyke / vp we went a stayre

In-to a chambre / gayly gloryfyed

Strowed with floures / of all goodly ayre

655

Where sate a lady / gretely magnyfyed

And her trewe vesture / clerely puryfyed

And ouer her heed / that was bryght and shene

She hadde a garlande / of the laurell grene

Her goodly chambre / was set all about

660

With depured myrrours / of speculacyon

The fragraunt fumes / dyde well encense out

All mysty vapours / of perturbacyon

More lyker was / her habytacyon

Vnto a place / whiche is celestyall

665

Than to a terrayne / mancyon fatall terrayne] certayne 1555

Before whome / than I dyde knele a_downe

Sayenge o sterre / of famous eloquence

O gylted goddesse / of the hygh renowne of the hygh] of hyghe 1554, 1555

Enspyred / with the heuenly influence

670

Of the doulcet well / of complacence

Vpon my mynde / with dewe aromatyke

Dystyll adowne / thy lusty Rethoryke

And depaynt my tonge / with thy ryall floures

Of delycate odoures / that I maye ensue

675

In my purpose / to glade myne audytoures

And with thy power / that thou me endue

To moralyse / thy lyterall censes trewe

And clense awaye / the myst of ygnoraunce

With depured beames / of goodly ordynaunce

680

With humble eeres / of parfyte audyence

ref.ed: 32

sig: [C4v]

To my request / she dyde than enclyne

Sayenge she wolde / in her goodly scyence

In short space / me so well indoctryne

That my dull mynde / it shoulde enlumyne

685

With golden beames / for euer to oppresse

My rude langage / and all my symplenesse

I thanked her / of her grete gentylnes

And axed her / after this questyon

Madame I sayde / I w[o]lde knowe doubtles wolde] welde 1517, wolde 1509, 1554, woulde 1554

690

What rethoryke is / without abusyon

Rethoryke she sayde / was founde by reason

Man for to gouerne / well and prudently

His wordes to ordre / his speche to puryfy

Fyue partes hath rethoryke / for to werke trewe

695

Without whiche fyue / there can be no sentence

For these fyue / do well euermore renue

The mater parfyte / with good intellygence

Who that wyll se them / with all his dylygence

Here folowenge / I shall them specyfy

700

Accordynge well / all vnto myne ordynary

¶Of the fyrste called inuencyon. And a commendacyon of poetes. Ca. viii.

ref.ed: 33

sig: [C5]

THe fyrste of them / is called inuencyon

Whiche sourdeth / of the most noble werke

Of .v. inwarde wyttes / with hole affeccyon

As wryteth ryght many a noble clerke

705

With mysty colour / of cloudes derke

How comyn wytte / dooth full well electe

What it sholde take / and what it shall abiecte

And secondly / by ymagynacyon

To drawe a mater / full facundyous

710

Full meruaylous / is the operacyon

To make of nought / reason sentencyous

ref.ed: 34

sig: [C5v]

Clokynge a trouthe / with colour tenebrous

For often vnder a fayre fayned fable

A trouthe appereth gretely profytable

715

It was the guyse in olde antyquyte

Of famous poetes / ryght ymagynatyfe

Fables to fayne / by good auctoryte

They were so wyse / and so inuentyfe

Theyr obscure reason / fayre and sugratyfe

720

Pronounced trouthe / vnder cloudy fygures

By the inuencyon / of theyr fatall scryptures

And thyrdly they hadde suche a fantasy

In this hygh arte / to be intellygyble

Theyr fame encreasynge / euermore truely

725

To slouth euer / they were inuyncyble

To theyr wofull hertes / was nought impossyble wofull] wylfull 1509

With brennynge loue / of insacyate fyre

Newe thynges to fynde / they set theyr desyre

For though a man / of his propre mynde

730

Be inuentyf / and he do not apply

His fantasye / vnto the besy kynde

Of his connynge / it maye not ratyfye

For fantasye / must nedes exemplyfy

His newe inuencyon / and cause hym to entende

735

With hole desyre / to brynge it to an ende

And fourtely / by good estymacyon fourtely] fourthly 1509

He must nombre all the hole cyrcumstaunce

Of this mater / with breuyacyon

That he walke not / by longe contynuaunce

740

The perambulat waye / full of all varyaunce

ref.ed: 35

sig: [C6]

By estymacyon / is made annuncyate

Whether the mater be longe or breuyate

For to inuencyon / it is equypolent

The mater founde / ryght well to comprehende

745

In suche a space / as it is conuenyent it] 1554 omits

For properly / it doth euer pretende

Of all the purpose / the length to extende

So estymacyon / maye ryght well conclude

The parfyte nombre / of euery symylytude

750

And yet than / the retentyfe memory

Whiche is the fyfte / must euer agregate

All maters thought / to retayne inwardly

Tyll reason therof / hath made a[p]robate aprobate] a brobate 1517, a probate 1509, 1554

And by scrypture / wyll make demonstrate

755

Outwardly / accordynge to the thought

To proue a reason / vpon a thynge of nought thynge] tale 1509

Thus whan the fourth / hath wrought full wonderly

Than must the mynde / werke vpon them all

By cours ingenyous / to rynne dyrectly

760

After theyr thoughtes / than in generall

The mynde must cause them to be memoryall

As after this / shall appere more openly

All hole exprest / by dame phylosophy

O thrust of vertue / and of ryall pleasure thrust] thurst 1509, trust 1554

765

Of famous poetes / many yeres ago

O insacyate couetyse / of the specyall treasure

Of newe inuencyon / to ydlenes the fo to ydlenes] of idlenes 1554

We maye you laude / and often prayse also

And specyally / for worthy causes thre

770

Whiche to this daye / we maye both here and se

ref.ed: 36

sig: [C6v]

As to the fyrste / your hole desyre was set

Fables to fayne / to eschewe ydlenes

With amplyacyon / more connynge to get

By the labour / of inuentyfe besynes

775

Touchynge the trouthe / by couert lykenes

To dysnull vyce / and the vycyous to blame

Your dedes therto / exemplyfyde the same

And secondly / ryght well you dyde endyte

Of the worthy actes / of many a conqueroure

780

Throughe whiche laboure / that you dyde so wryte

Vnto this daye reygneth the honoure

Of euery noble / and myghty warryoure

And for you[r] labour / and your besy payne your] youe 1517, your 1509, 1554, 1555

Youre fame yet lyueth / and shall endure certayne

785

And eke to prayse you / we are gretely bounde

Bycause our connynge / frome you so procedeth

For you therof / were fyrst orygynall grounde

And vpon youre scryptu[r]e / our scyence ensueth scrypture] scryptue 1517, scripture 1554, 1555

Your splendent verses / our lyghtnes renueth

790

And so we ought to laude and magnyfy

Your excellent sprynges / of famous poetry

Ca. ix.

BUt rude people / opprest with blyndnes

Agaynst your fables / wyll often solysgyse

Suche is theyr mynde / suche is theyr folysshnes

795

For they byleue / in no maner of wyse

That vnder a colour / a trouthe may aryse

For folysshe people / blynded in a mater

Wyll often erre / whan they of it do clatter

O all ye cursed / and suche euyll fooles

800

Whose syghttes be blynded / ouer all with foly

ref.ed: 37

sig: [C7]

Open your eyes / in the pleasaunt scoles

Of parfyte connynge / or that you reply

Agaynst fables / for to be contrary

For lacke of connynge / no meruayle thoughe you erre

805

In suche scyence / whiche is frome you so ferre

For now the people / which is dull and rude

Yf that they do rede / a fatall scrypture

And can not moralyse / the semelytude

Whiche to theyr wyttes / is so harde and obscure

810

Than wyll they saye / that it is sene in vre

That nought do poetes / but depaynt and lye

Deceyuynge them / by tongues of flatery

But what for that / they can not defame

The poetes actes / whiche are in effecte

815

Vnto themselfe / remayneth the shame

To dysprayse that / whiche they can not correcte

And yf that they / hadde in it inspecte

Tha[n] they wolde it prayse / and often eleuate Than] That 1517, than 1554, 1555, 1509 omits

For it shoulde be / to them so delycate

.ca. x.

820

The seconde parte / of crafty rethoryke

Maye well be called dysposycyon

That doth so hyghe mater aromatyke aromatyke] aromatytyke 1517

Adowne dystyll / by consolacyon

As olde poetes / make demonstracyon

825

That Mercury thrugh his premynence premynence] preemynence 1509, preeminence 1554, 1555

His natyues endueth / with famous eloquence

By veray reason / it maye ryght well appere

That dyuers persones / in sundry wyse delyght

Theyre consolacyons / doth contrary so steere contrary] contratry 1517, contrary 1509, 1554, 1555

ref.ed: 38

sig: [C7v]

830

That many myndes / maye not agre aryght

Suche is the planettes / of theyr course and myght

But what for that / be it good or yll

Them for to folowe / it is at mannes frewyll

And dysposycyon / the trewe seconde parte

835

Of rethoryke / doothe euermore dyrecte

The maters founde / of this noble arte

Gyuynge them place / after the aspecte

And oftyme / it hathe the inspecte

As frome a fayre parfyte narracyon

840

Or elles by a stedfaste argumentacyon

The whiche was constytute / by begynnynge

As on the reason / and yf apparaunce

Of the cause / than by outwarde semynge

Be harde and dyffyculte / in the vtteraunce

845

So as the mynde / haue no perceyueraunce

Nor of the begynnynge / can haue audyence

Than must narracyon / begynne the sentence

And yf it be a lytle probable

Frome ony maner stedfast argument

850

We ordre it / for to be ryght stable

A[n]d than we neuer / begyn our sentement And] Aad 1517, And 1509, 1554, 1555

Recytynge lettres / not conuenyent

But this commutacyon / shoulde be refused

Without cause or thynge / make it be vsed

855

This that I wryte / is harde and couert

To them that haue / nothynge intellygence

Vp-so_downe / they make it oft transuert make] may 1509; it] 1555 omits

Or that they can knowe / the experyence

ref.ed: 39

sig: [C8]

Of this crafte / and facundyous scyence crafte] crafty 1509

860

By dysposycyon / the rethorycyan

To make lawes / ordynatly began

Without dysposycyon / none ordre [c]an be can] gan 1517, can 1509

For the dysposycyon / ordreth euery matter

And gyueth the place / after the degre the place] place 1509

865

Without ordre / without reason we clatter

Where is no reason / it vayleth not to chatter

Dysposycyon / ordreth a tale dyrectly

In a perfyte reason / to conclude truely

The fatall problemes / of olde antyquyte

870

Cloked with myst / and with cloudes derke

Ordred with reason / and hye auctoryte

The trouthe dyde shewe / of all theyr couert werke

Thus haue they made / many a noble clerke

To dysnull myschefe / and inconuenyence

875

They made our lawes / with grete dylygence

Before the lawe / in a tumblynge barge

The people sayled / without parfytenes

Throughe the worlde / all aboute at large

They hadde none ordre / nor no stedfastnes

880

Tyll rethorycyans / founde Iustyce doubtles

Ordenynge kynges / of ryghte hye dygnyte

Of all comyns / to haue the souerainte all] all the 1509

The barge to stere / with lawe and Iustyce

Ouer the wawes / of this lyfe transytorye

885

To dyrecte wronges / and also preiudyce

And tho that wyll resyste a contrary

Agaynste theyr kynge / by Iustyce openly

ref.ed: 40

sig: [C8v]

For theyr rebellyon / and euyll treason

Shall suffre dethe / by ryght and reason

890

O what laude / glory and grete honoure

Vnto these poetes / shall be notyfyed

The whiche dystylled / aromatyke lycour

Clensynge our syght / with ordre puryfyed

Whose famous draughtes / so exemplyfyed

895

Sette vs in ordre / grace and gouernaunce

To lyue dyrectly / without encombraunce

But many one / the whiche is rude and dull

Wyll dyspyse theyr warke for lacke of connynge warke] werke 1509

All in vayne / they do so hayle and pull

900

Whan they therof / lacke vnderstandynge

They grope ouer / where is no felynge

So dull they are / that they can not fynde

This ryall arte / for to perceyue in mynde

ca. xi.

ANd than the .iii. parte / is elocucyon

905

Whan inuencyon / hath the purpose wrought

And set it in ordre / by dysposycyon

Without this thyrde parte / it vayleth ryght nought

Thoughe it be founde / and in ordre brought

Yet elocucyon / with the power of Mercury

910

The mater exorneth / ryght well facundyously

In fewe wordes / swete and sentencyous

Depaynted with golde / harde in construccyon

To the artyke eres / swete and dylycyous

The golden rethoryke / is good refeccyon

915

And to the reder / ryght consolacyon

As we do golde / frome coper puryfy

ref.ed: 41

sig: D1

So that elocucyon / doth ryght well claryfy

The dulcet speche / frome the langage rude

Tellynge the tale / in termes eloquent

920

The barbary tongue / it doth ferre exclude

Electynge wordes / whiche are expedyent

In latyn / or in englysshe / after the entent

Encensynge out / the aromatyke fume

Our langage rude / to exyle and consume

925

But what auayleth euermore to sowe

The precyous stones / amonge gruntynge hogges?

Draffe vnto them / is more meter I trowe

Let an hare and swyne / be amonge curre dogges

Though to the hares / were tyed grete clogges

930

The gentyll best / they wyll regarde nothynge

But to the swyne / take course of rennynge

TO cloke the sentence / vnder mysty fygures

By many coloures / as I make relacyon

As the olde poetes / couered theyr sc[r]yptures scryptures] scyptures 1517, scriptures 1509, 1554, 1555

935

Of whiche the fyrste / is dystrybucyon

That to the euyll / for theyr abusyon

Doth gyue payne / and to the worthy

Laude and prayse / them for to magnyfy

Of beest or byrde / they take a semylytude

940

In the condycyon / lyke to the party In] Of 1554, 1555

Feble fayre / or yet of fortytude

And vnder colour of this beest pryuely

The morall cense / they cloke full subtyly

In prayse or dysprayse / as it is reasonable

945

Of whose faynynge / fyrste rose the fable

ref.ed: 42

sig: [D1v]

Concludynge reason / gretely profytable

Who that theyr fables / can well moralyse

The fruytfull sentences are delectable

Though that the fyccyon / they do so deuyse

950

Vnder the colour / the trouthe dooth aryse

Concludynge reason / rychesse and connynge

Pleasure / example / and also lernynge

They fayned / no fable without reason

For reasonable is / all theyr moralyte

955

And vpon reason / was theyr conclusyon

That the comyn wyt / by possybylyte

Maye well adiuge / the perfyte veryte

Of theyr sentence / for reason openly

To the comyn wyt / it doth so notyfy

Rychesse.

960

Theyr fruytfull sentence / was grete rychesse

The whiche ryght surely / they myght well domyne

For lordeshyppe / welthe / and also noblesse

The chaunce of fortune / can soone determyne

But what for this / she can not declyne

965

The noble scyence / whiche after pouerte

May brynge a man agayne to dygnyte

Scyence.

Theyr sentence is connynge / as appereth well

For by connynge / theyr arte dooth engendre

And without connynge / we knowe neuer a dele

970

Of theyr sentence / but maye soone surrendre

A true tale / that myght to vs rendre

Grete pleasure / yf we were intellygyble

Of theyr connynge / nothynge impossyble

Pleasure.

O what pleasure to the intellygent

ref.ed: 43

sig: D2

975

It is to know / and haue perceyueraunce

Of theyr connynge / so moche expedyent

And therof to haue good vtteraunce

Redynge newe thynges / of so grete pleasaunce

Fedynge the mynde / with fode insacyate

980

The tales newe / they are so delycate

Example.

In an example / with a mysty cloude

Of couert lykenesse / the poetes do wryte

And vnderneth the trouthe / doth so shroude

Both good and yll / as they lyst acquyte

985

With symylytude / they dyde so well endyte

As I here-after / shall the trouthe soone shewe

Of all theyr mysty / and theyr fatall dewe

The poetes fayne / how that kynge Athlas

Heuen shoulde bere / vpon his shoulders hye

990

Bycause in connynge / he dyde all other pas

Especyally / in the hygh astronomye

Of the .vi. planettes / he knewe so parfytely .vi.] .vii. 1509

The operacyons / how they were domyfyed

For whiche poetes / hym so exemplyfyed

995

And in lykewyse / vnto the sagyttary

They feyne the centaures / to be of lykenesse

As halfe man / and halfe horse truely

Bycause Mylyzyus / with his worthynesse

Dyde fyrste attame / and breke the wyldnes

1000

Of the ryall stedes / and ryght swyftly

His men and he / rode on them surely

And also Pluto / somtyme kynge of hell

A Cyte of Grece / standynge in thessayle

ref.ed: 44

sig: [D2v]

Betwene grete rockes / as the boke doth tell

1005

Wherin were people / without ony fayle

Huge / fyerse / and stronge in batayle

Tyrauntes / theues / replete with treason

Wherfore poetes / by true comparyson

Vnto the deuylles / blacke and tedyous

1010

Dyde them resemble / in terryble fygure

For theyr mysselyuynge / so foule and vycyous

As to this daye / it doth appere in vre

Of Cerberus / the defloured pycture

The porter of hell / with thre hedes vgly

1015

Lyke an horryble gyaunt / fyrse and wonderly

Bycause alwaye / his customed tyranny

Was elate in herte / by hygh presumpcyon elate] eleuate 1554, 1555

Thynkynge hymselfe / moost stronge and myghty

And secondly / he was dystruccyon

1020

Of many ladyes / by yll compulcyon yll] euill 1554

And thyrdly / his desyre insacyable

Was to get ryches / full innumerable

Thus for these thre vyces abhomynable

They made hym / with thre hedes serpentyne

1025

And lyke a fende / his body semblable

For his pryde / auaryce / and also rapyne

The morall cense / can soone enlumyne

The fatall pycture / to be exuberaunt

And to our syght clere / and not varyaunt

1030

Also rehersed / the cronycles of Spayne

How redoubted Hercules / by puyssaunce

Fought with an Ydre / ryght grete certayne

ref.ed: 45

sig: D3

Hauynge seuen hedes / of full grete myschaunce

For whan that he / with all his valyaunce

1035

Had stryken of an heed / ryght shortly

An-other anone / arose ryght sodaynly

Seuen sophyms / full harde and fallacyous

This Ydre vsed / in p[re]posycyon preposycyon] perposycyon 1517

Vnto the people / and was full rygoryous

1040

To deuoure them / where lacked responcyon

And whan one reason / had conclusyon

An-other reason / than incontynent

Began agayne / with subtyll argument

For whiche cause / the poetes couertly

1045

With .vii. hedes / doth this Ydre depaynt

For these .vii. sophyms / full ryght closely

But of rude people / the wyttes are so faynt

That with theyr connynge / they can not acquaynt

But who that lyst / theyr scyence to lerne

1050

Theyr obscure fygures / he shall well decerne

O redolent well / of f[a]mous poetry famous] fomous 1517, famous 1509, 1554, 1555

O clere fountayne / replete with swetenes

Reflerynge out / the dulcet dylycacy dylycacy] delicacy 1554, 1555

Of .iiii. ryuers / in meruaylous wydenesse

1055

Fayrer than Tygrys / or yet Eufrates

For the fyrste ryuer / is vnderstondynge

The seconde ryuer / close_concludynge

The thyrde ryuer / is called nouelry

The fou[r]th ryuer / is called carbuncles fourth] fouth 1517

1060

Amyddes of whome / the toure so goodly toure] toure is 1517

Of Vyrgyll standeth / most solacyous

ref.ed: 46

sig: [D3v]

Where he is entered / in stones precyous

By this fayre toure / in a goodly grene

This well doth sprynge / both bryght and shene

1065

To vnderstandynge these .iiii. accydent .iiii.] .iiii. are 1509

Doctryne / perceyueraunce / and exercyse

And also therto is equypolent

Euermore / the parfyte practyse

For fyrst doctryne / in all goodly wyse

1070

The perceyuerant ro[we]th / in his bote of wyll ro[we]th] routh 1517, roweth 1509, trouthe 1554, trowthe 1555; bote] booth 1554

In vnderstondynge / for to knowe good from yll

So famous poetes / dyde vs endoctryne

Of the ryght waye / for to be intellectyfe

Theyr fables they dyde / ryght so ymagyne

1075

That by example / we maye voyde the stryfe

And without myschefe / for to lede our lyfe

By the aduertence / of theyr storyes olde

The fruyte w[h]erof / we maye full well beholde wherof] werof 1517

Depaynted on aras / how in antyquyte

1080

Dystroyed was / the grete cyte of Troye

For a lytell cause / grounded on vanyte

To mor[t]all ruyne / they tourned theyr Ioye mortall] morall 1517, mortall 1554, 1555

Theyr vnderstandynge / they dyde than occoy occoy] occupy 1555

Nothynge prepensynge / how they dyde prepare

1085

To scourge themselfe / and brynge them in a snare themselfe] themselves 1554

Who is opprest / with a lytell wronge

Reuengynge it / he maye it soone encreace

For better it is / for to suffre amonge

An iniury / as for to kepe the peace

1090

Than to begynne / whiche he shall neuer ceace

ref.ed: 47

sig: [D4]

Warre ones begon / it is harde to knowe

Who shall abyde / and who shall ouerthrowe

The hygh power / honour / and noblenesse

Of the myghty Romaynes / to whose excellence

1095

All the wyde worlde / so moche of gretenes

Vnto theyr empyre / was in obedyen[ce] obedyence] obedyent 1517, obedyence 1509, obedience 1555

Suche was theyr famous porte / and preemynence

Tyll within themselfe / there was a contrauersy

Makynge them lese / theyr worthy sygneoury

1100

It is euer / the grounde of sapyence

Before that thou / accomplysshe outwardly

For to reuolue / vnderstandynge and prepence

All in thy-selfe / full often inwardly

The begynnynge / and the myddle certaynly

1105

With the ende / or thou put it in vre

And werke with councell / that thou mayst be sure

And who that so doth / shall neuer repent

For his dede is founded / on a parfyte grounde

And for to fall / it hath none impedyment

1110

With surenes / it is so hygh walled rounde

In welthe and ryches / it must nedes habounde

On euery syde / it hath suche ordynaunce

That nothynge can do it anoyaunce

Thus the poetes / conclude full closely

1115

Theyr fruytfull problemes / for reformacyon

To make vs lerne / to lyue dyrectly

Theyr good entent / and trewe construccyon

Shewynge to vs / the hole affeccyon

Of the waye of vertue / welthe and stablenes

ref.ed: 48

sig: [D4v]

1120

And to shyt the gate / of myscheuous entres

And euermore / they are ymagynatyfe

Tales newe / from daye to daye to fayne

The errynge people / that are retractyf

As to the ryght waye / to brynge them agayne

1125

And who that lyst / theyr sentence retayne

It shall hym prouffyte / yf he wyll apply

To do therafter / full conuenyently

Carbuncles / in the most derke nyght

Doth shyne fayre / with clere radyant beames

1130

Exylynge derkenes / with his rayes lyght

And so these poetes / with theyr golden streames

Deuoyde our rudenes / with grete fyry lemes

Theyr centencyous verses / are refulgent

Encensynge out / the odour redolent

1135

And is theyr warke also extynguysshyble warke] werke 1509

Nay treuly / for it doth shyne ry[g]ht clere ryght] ryhht 1517

Thrugh cloudes derke / vnto the[m] odyble them] the 1517, them 1509

To whome truely / it maye nothynge appere

Where connynge fayleth / the scyence so dere

1140

Ignoraunce hateth / with feruent enuy

And vnto connynge / is mortall ennemy

O ygnoraunce / with slouth so opprest

Open thy curtayne / so ryght dymme and derke

And euermore remembre / the behest

1145

Of thy labour / to vnderstande th[e] werke the] thy 1517

Of many a noble / and ryght famous clerke

Fy upon slouth / the nouryssher of vyce

Whiche vnto youthe / dooth often preiudyce

ref.ed: 49

sig: E1

Who in youth lyst / nothynge to lerne

1150

He wyll repent hym / often in his age

That he the connynge / can nothynge decerne

Therfore now youth / with lusty courage

Rule thy flesshe / and thy slouth aswage

And in thy youth / the scyence engendre

1155

That in thyne age / it maye the worshyp rendre

Connynge is lyght / and also pleasaunt

A gentyll burden / without greuousnes

Vnto hym / that is ryght well applyaunt

For to bere it / with all his besenes

1160

He shall attaste / the well of fruytfulnesse

Whiche Vyrgyll claryfyed / and also Tullyus

With latyn pure / swete and delycyous

From whens my mayster Lydgate deryfyde

The depured rethoryke / in englysshe language

1165

To make our tongue / so clerely puryfyed

That the vyle termes / shoulde nothynge arage

As lyke a pye / to chattre in a cage

But for to speke / with Rethoryke formally

In the good ordre / withouten vylany

1170

And who his bokes / lyste to here or se

In them he shall fynde elocucyon

With as good ordre / as ony maye be

Kepynge full close / the moralyzacyon

Of the trouth / of his grete entencyon

1175

Whose name is regestered / in remembraunce

For to endure / by longe contynuaunce

Now after this / for to make relacyon

ref.ed: 50

sig: [E1v]

Of famous rethoryke / so in this party

Is to the fourth parte pronuncyacyon Is] As 1509, 1554, 1555

1180

I shall it shewe / anone ryght openly

With many braunches / of it sykerly

And how it taketh the hole affecte effect 1554, 1555

In every place / degre and aspecte

Ca. xii.

WHan the mater / is founde by inuencyon

1185

Be it mery / or yet of grete sadnes

Sette in a place / by the dyspocycyon a] 1509 omits

And by elocucyons / famous clerenes

Exornate well / and redy to expres

Than pronuncyacyon / with chere and countenaunce

1190

Conuenyently / must make the vtteraunce

With humble voyce / and also moderate

Accordynge / as by hym is audyence

And yf there be / a ryght hye estate

Than vnder honoure / and obedyence

1195

Reasonably done / vnto his excellence

Pronounsynge his mater so facundyous

In all due maner / to be centencyo[u]s

For thoughe a mater be neuer so good

Yf it be tolde / with tongue of barbary

1200

In rude maner / without the dyscrete mode

It is dystourbaunce / to a hole companye

For to se them / so rude and boystously

Demeane themselfe / vtterynge the sentence themselfe] them selues 1554

Without good maner / or yet intellygence

1205

It is a thynge / ryght gretely conuenable

To pronounce the mater / as it is conuenyent

ref.ed: 51

sig: E2

And to the herers / ryght delectable

Whan the vtterer / without impedyment

With ryght good maner / countenaunce and entent

1210

Doth tell his tale / vnto them tretably

Kepynge his maner / and voyce full moderatly

This is the costome / that the p[o]etes vse poetes] petes 1517, poetes 1509, 1554, 1555

To tell theyr tale / with all due cyrcumstaunce

The vylayne courage / they do moche refuse

1215

That is boystous and rude of gouernaunce

And euermore / they do to them auaunce to] 1555 omits

Nurture maner / and all gentylnes

In theyr behauynge / with all semelynes

And thus the gentyll rethorycyan

1220

Through the labour / of his ryall clergy

The famous nurture / orygynally began

Oppressynge our rudenes / and our foly

And for to gouerne vs / ryght prudently

The good maner / encreaseth dygnyte

1225

And the rudenesse / also inyquyte

The famous poete / who so lyste to here

To tell his tale / it is solacyous

Beholdynge his maners / and also his chere

After the maner / be it sad or ioyous

1230

Yf it be sadde / his chere is dolorous

As in bewaylynge / a wofull tragedy

That worthy is / to be in memory

And yf the mater / be ioyfull and gladde

Lyke countenaunce / outwardly they make

1235

But moderacyon / in theyr myndes is hadde

ref.ed: 52

sig: [E2v]

So that outrage / maye them not ouertake

I can not wryte / to moche for theyr sake

Them to laude / for my tyme is shorte

And the mater longe / whiche I must reporte

Ca. xiii.

1240

ANd the .v. parte / is than memoratyfe

The whiche / the perfyte mynystracyon

Ordynatly causeth / to be retentyfe

Dryuynge the tale / to good conclusyon

For it behoueth / to haue respeccyon

1245

Vnto the tale / and the veray g[r]ounde grounde] gcounde 1517

And on what ymage / he his mater founde

Yf to the orature / many a sundry tale orature] oratour 1554, 1555

One after other / treatably be tolde

Than sundry ymages / in his closed male

1250

Eche for a mater / he doth than well holde

Lyke to the tale / he doth than so beholde

And inwarde / a recapytulacyon

Of eche ymage the moralyzacyon

Whiche be the tales / he grounded pryuely

1255

Vpon these ymages / sygnyfycacyon

And whan tyme is / for hym to specyfy

All his tales / by demonstracyon

In due ordre / maner and reason

Than eche ymage / inwarde dyrectly

1260

The oratoure / doth take full properly

So is enprynted / in his propre mynde

Euery tale / with hole resemblaunce

By this ymage / he dooth his mater fynde

Eche after other / withouten varyaunce

ref.ed: 53

sig: E3

1265

Who to this arte wyll gyue attendaunce

As thereof / to knowe the perfytenes

In the poetes scole / he must haue intres

Than shall he knowe / by perfyte study

The memoryall arte / of rethoryke defuse

1270

It shall to hym / so well exemplyfye

Yf that hym lyste / the scyence to vse

Thoughe at the fyrste / it be to hym obtuse

With exercyse / he shall it well augment

Vnder cloudes derke / and termes eloquent

1275

But now-of-dayes / the synne of auaryce now of dayes] now a dayes 1555

Exyleth the mynde / and the hole delyght

To coueyt connynge / whiche is grete preiudyce

For insacyatly / so blynded is theyr syght

With the syluer / and the golde so bryght

1280

They nothynge thynke / on fortune varyable

Whiche all theyr ryches / can make transmutable can] shal 1555

The olde sawes / they ryght clene abiect

Whiche for our lernynge / the poetes dyde wryte

With auaryce / they are so sore infect

1285

They take no hede / nothynge they wryte

Whiche morally / dyde so nobly endyte

Reprouynge vyce / praysynge the vertue

Whiche ydlenes / dyde euermore eschewe

Now wyll I cease / of lusty rethoryke

1290

I maye not tary / for my tyme is shorte

For I must procede / and shewe of arysmetryke

With dyuers nombres / whiche I must reporte

Hope inwardly / doth me well conforte conforte] comforte 1554, 1555

ref.ed: 54

sig: [E3v]

To brynge my boke / vnto a fynysshment

1295

Of all my mater / and my true entent

Ca. xiiii.

O Thoughtfull herte / tombled all aboute

Upon the se / of stormy ygnoraunce

For to sayle forthe / thou arte in grete doute

Ouer the wawes / of grete encombraunce

1300

Without ony comforte / saufe of esperaunce

Whiche the exorteth / hardely to sayle

Vnto thy purpose / with dylygent trauayle

Aufrycus_auster / bloweth frowardly

Towarde the lande / and habytacyon

1305

Of thy well-fauerde / and most fayre lady

For whose sake / and delectacyon

Thou hast take / this occupacyon

Pryncypally / ryght well to attayne

Her swete rewarde / for thy besy payne

1310

O pensyfe herte / in the stormy pery

Mercury northwest / thou mayst se appere

After tempest / to glad thyne emyspery

Hoyse vp thy sayle / for thou muste drawe nere

Towarde the ende / of thy purpos so clere

1315

Remembre the / of the trace and daunce

Of poetes olde / with all thy purueyaunce

As morall gower / whose sentencyous dewe

Adowne reflayreth / with fayre golden beames

And after Chaucers / all abrode doth shewe

1320

Our vyces to clense / his depared stremes

Kyndlynge our hertes / with the fyry leames

Of morall vertue / as is probable

ref.ed: 55

sig: E4

In all his bokes / so swete and prouffytable

The boke of fame / whiche is sentencyous

1325

He drewe hymselfe / on his owne inuencyon

And than the tragydyes / so pytous pytous] pyteous 1509

Of the nyntene ladyes / was his tra[n]slacyon translacyon] traslacyon 1517, translation 1554

And upon his ymagynacyon

He made also / the tales of Caunterbury

1330

Some vertuous / and some glade and mery

And of Troylus / the pytous dolour

For his lady Cresyde / full of doublenesse

He dyde bewayle / full well the langoure

Of all his loue / and grete vnhappynesse

1335

And many other bokes doubtles

He dyde compyle / whose goodly name

In prynted bokes / doth remayne in fame

And after hym / my mayster Lydgate

The monke of Bury / dyde hym well apply

1340

Bothe to contryue / and eke to translate

And of vertue / euer in especyally

For he dyde compyle than full [r]yally ryally] nyally all texts

Of our blyssed lady / the conuersacyon

Saynt Edmundes lyfe / martred with treason

1345

Of the fall of prynces / so ryght wofully so] 1554 omits

He dyde endyte / in all pytous wyse

Folowynge his auctour / Bocas rufully

A ryght grete boke / he dyde truely compryse

A good ensample / for vs to dyspyse

1350

This worlde so full / of mutabylyte

In whiche no man / can haue a certaynte

ref.ed: 56

sig: [E4v]

And thre reasons / ryght gretely prouffytable

Vnder coloure / he cloked craftely

And of the chorle / he made the fable

1355

That shytte the byrde / in a cage so closely a] 1509 omits

The pamflete sheweth it expressely

He fayned also / the court of sapyence

And translated / with all his dylygence

The grete boke / of the last dystruccyon

1360

Of the cyte of Troye / whylome so famous

How for woman / was the confusyon

And bytwene vertue / and the lyfe vycyous

Of goddes and goddes[ses] / a boke solacyous goddesses] goddes 1517, goddesse 1509, 1554

He dyde compyle / and the tyme to passe

1365

Of loue he made / the bryght temple of glasse

Were not these thre / gretely to commende

Whiche them applyed suche bokes to contryue

Whose famous draughtes no man can amende

The sy[nn]e of slothe they dyde frome them dryue synne] syme 1517, tyme 1554

1370

After theyr dethe for to abyde on-lyue

In worthy fame by many a nacyon

Theyr bokes / theyr actes do make relacyon

O mayster Lydgate / the moste dulcet sprynge

Of famous rethoryke / with balade ryall

1375

The chefe orygynall of my lernynge

What vayleth it / on you for to call

Me for to ayde / now in especyally especyally] especiall 1554, 1555

Sythen your body / is now wrapte in cheste

I praye god / to gyue your soule good rest

1380

O what losse is it / of suche a one

ref.ed: 57

sig: [E5]

It is to grete truely / me for to tell me for] for me 1554

Sythen the tyme / that his lyfe was gone

In all this realme / his pere dyde not dwell

Aboue all other / he dyde so excell

1385

None syth his tyme / art wolde succede art] in arte 1554

After theyr deth / to haue fame for theyr mede

But many a one / is ryght well experte

In this connynge / but vpon auctoryte

They fayne no fables / pleasaunt and couerte

1390

But spend theyr tyme / in vaynfull vanyte

Makynge balades / of feruent amyte

As gestes and tryfles / without fruytfulnes

Thus all in vayne / they spende theyr besynes

I lytell or nought / expert in poetry

1395

Of my mayster Lydgate / wyll folowe the trace

As euermore / so his name to magnyfy

With suche lytell bokes / by goddes grace

Yf in this worlde / I maye haue the space

The lytell connynge / that his grace me sent

1400

In tyme amonge / in such wyse shall be spent

And yet nothynge / upon presumpcyon

My mayster Lydgate / I will not enuy

But all onely / is myne intencyon

With suche labour / my-selfe to occupy

1405

As whyte by blacke / doth shyne more clerely

So shall theyr maters / appere more pleasaunt

Bysyde my draughtes / rude and ygnoraunt

Ca. xv.

NOw in my boke / ferder to procede

To a chambre I went / replete with ryches

ref.ed: 58

sig: [E5v]

1410

Where sat arysmetryke / in a golden wede

Lyke a lady pure / and of grete worthynes

The walles about / dyde full well expres

With golde depaynted / euery perfyte nombre

To adde / detraye / and to deuyde asonder

1415

The rofe was paynted / with golden beames

The wyndowes crystall / clerely claryfyde

The golden rayes / and depured streames

Of radyant Phebus / that was puryfyde

Ryght in the bull / that tyme so domyfyde

1420

Thrughe wyndowes / was resplendyshaunt

About the chambre / fayre and radyaunt

I kneled downe / ryght soone on my kne

And to her I sayd / o lady meruaylous

I ryght humbly beseche your mageste

1425

Your arte to she[w]e / me so facundyous

Whiche is defuse / and ryght fallacyous

But I shall so apply myne exercyse

That the vary trouth / I shall well deuyse

My scyence sayde / she is ryght necessary she] it 1509

1430

And in the myddes / of the scyences all

It is now sette / ryght well and parfytely

For vnto them / it is so specyall

Nombrynge so theyr werkes in generall

Without me / they had no perfytenes

1435

I must them nombre / alwaye doubteles

Without nombre / is no maner of thynge

That in our syght / we maye well se

For god made all [at] the begynnynge at] 1517 omits, 1555 omits, at 1554

In nombre perfyte / well in certaynte

1440

Who knew arsmetryke / in euery degre

All maner nombre / in his mynde were had

ref.ed: 59

sig: [E6]

Bothe to detraye / and to deuyde and adde

¶But who wyll knowe / all the experyence

It behoueth hym / to haue grete lernynge

1445

In many thynges / with true intellygence

Or that he can haue perfyte rekenynge

In euery nombre / by expert connynge

To reherse in englysshe / more of this scyence

It were foly / and eke grete neclygence

1450

¶I thought full longe tyll I hadde a syght

Of la_bell_pucell / the most fayre lady

My mynde vpon her was / both daye and nyght

The feruent loue / so perst me inwardly

Wherfore I went / anone ryght shortly

1455

Vnto the toure / swete and melodyo[u]s

Of dame musyke / so gaye and gloryous

Ca. xvi.

WHan splendent Phebus / in his myddaye spere

Was hygh in gemyne / in the fresshe season hygh] hyght 1517, hyghe 1554

Of lusty maye / with golden beames clere

1460

And derke Dyane / made declynacyon

Whan Flora florysshed in this nacyon

I called vnto mynde / ryght inwardly vnto] to 1555

The reporte of fame / so moche ententyfly

¶Of la_bell_pucell / in the toure musycall

1465

And ryght anone / vnto the toure I went

Where I sawe a temple / made of crystall

In whiche musyke / the lady excellent

Played on base organs expedyent

Accordynge well / vnto dyopason

1470

Dyapenthe / and eke dyetesseron

¶In this temple was / grete solempnyte

And of moche people / there was grete prease

I loked about / whether I coude se

ref.ed: 60

sig: [E6v]

La_bell_pucell / myn langour to cease

1475

I coude not se her / my payne dyde encrease

Tyll that I spyed her / aboue / in a vaut

Whiche to my hert / dyde make so sore assaut

With her beaute clere / and swete countenaunce

The stroke of loue / I coude nothynge resyst

1480

And anone / without lenger cyrcumstaunce

To her I went / or that her persone wyste

Her thought I knewe not / she thought as she lyste

By her I stode / with hert sore and faynt

And dyde myselfe / with her soone acquaynt

1485

The comyn wyt / dyde full lytell regarde

Of dame musyke / the dulcet armony

The eres herde not / for the mynde inwarde

Ven[u]s had rapte / and taken feruently

Ymagynacyon / wrought full pryuely

1490

The fantasy gaue / perfyte Iugement

Alway to her / for to be obedyent Alway to] Alway to to 1517

By estymacyon / moche doubtfully I cast

Wheder I shoulde / by longe tyme and space

Atteyne her loue / or elles to loue in wast

1495

My hert sobbed / and quaked in this cace

I stode by her / ryght nere in the place

With many other / fayre ladyes also

But so fayre as she / I neuer sawe no mo

The feest done / dame musyke dyde go

1500

She folowed after / and she wolde not tary

Farewell she sayde / for I must parte you fro

Alas thought I / that fortune doth so vary

My sadde body / my heuy hert dyde cary

I coude not speke / my hert was nere broken

ref.ed: 61

sig: [E7]

1505

But with my heed / I made her a token

Whan she was gone / inwardly than wrought

Upon her beaute / my mynde retentyfe

Her goodly fygure / I graued in my thought

Excepte her-selfe / all were expulcyfe

1510

My mynde to her / was so ententyfe

That I folowed her / in-to a temple ferre

Replete with Ioye / as bryght as ony sterre

Where dulcet Flora / her aromatyke dewe

In the fayre temple / adowne dyde dystyll

1515

All abrode / the fayre dropes dyde shewe

Encensynge out / all the vapours yll

With suche a swetenes / Flora dyde fulfyll

All the temple / that my gowne well shewed

The lycoure swete / of the droppes endewed

1520

And so to a chambre / full solacyous

Dame musyke wente / with la_bell_pucell

All of Iasper / with stones precyous

The rofe was wrought / curyously and well

The wyndowes glased / meruaylously to tell

1525

With clothe of tyssue / in the rychest maner rychest] riches 1554

The walles were hanged / hye and cyrculer

There sate dame musyke / with all her mynstralsy

As taboures / trumpettes / with pypes melodyous

Sakbuttes / organs / and the recorder swetely

1530

Harpes / lutes / and crouddes ryght delycyous

Cymphans / doussemers / with clarycymbales gloryous

Rebeckes / clarycordes / eche in theyr degre

Dyde sytte aboute / theyr ladyes mageste

ref.ed: 62

sig: [E7v]

Before dame musyke / I dyde knele adowne

1535

Sayenge to her / o fayre lady pleasaunt

Your prudence reyneth / most hye in renowne

For you be euer / ryght concordant

With perfyte reason / whiche is not varyaunt

I beseche your grace / with all my dylygence

1540

To instructe me / in your noble scyence

It is she sayde / ryght gretely prouffytable

For musyke doth sette / in all vnyte

The dyscorde thynges / whiche are varyable

And deuoydeth myschefe / and grete inyquyte

1545

Where lacketh musyke / there is no pleynte

For musyke is concorde / and also peace

Nothynge without musyke / maye well encreace

The .vii. scyences / in one monacorde

Eche vp-on other / do full well depende

1550

Musyke hath them / so set in concorde

That all in one / maye ryght well extende

All perfyte reason / they do so comprehende

That they are waye / and perfyte doctryne they are waye] theyr waye 1555

To the Ioye aboue / whiche is celestyne

1555

And yet also / the perfyte physyke

Whiche appertayneth well to the body

Doth well resemble / vnto the musyke

Whan the inwarde intrayles / tourneth contrary

That nature can not / werke dyrectly

1560

Than doth phesyke / the partes interyall

In ordre set / to theyr orygynall

But yet physyke / can not be lyberall

ref.ed: 63

sig: [E8]

As the .vii. scyence[s] / by good auctoryte scyences] scyence 1517, 1555, scyences 1554

Whiche ledeth the soule / the waye in specyall

1565

By good doctryne / to dame eternyte

Onely of physyke / it is the propryete

To ayde the body / in euery sekenes

That is ryght frayle / and full of bryttylnes

And bycause physyke / is apendant

1570

Vnto the body / by helpe of medycene

And to the soule / nothynge apportenaunt

To cause the body / for to enclyne

In eternall helthe / so the soule to domyne

For to the body / the scyence[s] seuen scyences] scyence 1517, 1555, scyences 1554

1575

Doth teche to lede / the soule to heuen

And musyke selfe it is melodyous selfe it] it selfe 1554

To reioyce the yeres / and confort the brayne yeres] eeres 1509, eares 1554

Sharpynge the wyttes / with sounde solacyous

Deuoydynge bad thoughtes / whiche dyde remayne

1580

It gladdeth the herte / also well certay[n]e

Lengthe the lyfe / with dulcet armony

It is good recreacyon / after study It] As 1554, 1555

She commaunded her mynstrelles / ryght anone to play

Mamours the swete / and the gentyll daunce

1585

With la_bell_pucell / that was fayre and gaye

She me recommaunded / with all pleasaunce

To daunce true mesures / without varyaunce

O lorde god / how glad than was I

So for to daunce / with my swete lady

1590

By her propre hande / soft as ony sylke

With due obeysaunce / I dyde her than take

ref.ed: 64

sig: [E8v]

Her skynne was whyte / as whalles bone or mylke

My thought was rauysshed / I myght not aslake thought] thoughtes 1517, thought 1555

My brennynge hert / she the fyre dyde make

1595

These daunces truely / musyke hath me tought

To lute or daunce / but it auayled nought

For the fyre kyndled / and waxed more and more

The dauncynge blewe it / with her beaute clere

My hert sekened / and began waxe sore

1600

A mynute .vi. houres / and .vi. houres a yere

I thought it was / so heuy was my chere

But yet for to couer / my grete loue aryght

The outwarde countenaunce / I made gladde and lyght

And for fere myne eyes / shoulde myne hert bewraye

1605

I toke my leue / and to a temple went

And all alone / I to my-selfe dyde saye

Alas what fortune / hath me hyder sent

To deuoyde my Ioye / and my hert tourment

No man can tell / how grete a payne it is grete a payne] great payne 1555

1610

But yf he wyll fele it / as I do ywys

Chapter xvii begins here, but all texts fail to indicate this

Alas o lady / how cruell arte thou

Of pytous doloure / for to buylde a nest

In my true herte / as thou dost ryght now

Yet of all ladyes / I must loue the best

1615

Thy beaute thereto / dyde me sure arest

Alas with loue / whan that it doth the please

Thou mayst cease my care / and my payne soone ease

Alas how sore / maye I now bewayle

The pyteous chaunce / whiche dyde me happe

1620

My ladyes lokes / dyde me so assayle

ref.ed: 65

sig: F1

That sodaynly / my herte was in a trappe

By Venus caught / and with so sore a clappe

That throughe / the grete stroke dyde perse

Alas for wo / I coude not reuerse

1625

Farewe[ll] all Ioye / and all perfyte pleasure Farewell] Farewe 1517, Farewell 1554, Farewel 1555

Fare-well my lust / and my lykynge

For wo is comen / with me to endure

Now must I lede / my lyfe in mornynge

I maye not lute / or yet daunce / or synge

1630

O la_bell_p[u]cell / my lad[y] gloryous lady] lad 1517, lady 1509, 1554, 1555

You are the cause / that I am so dolorous

Alas fayre lady / and myne owne swete-herte

With my seruyce / I yelde me to your wyll

You haue me fettred / I maye not asterte

1635

At your pleasure / ye maye me saue or kyll

Bycause I loue you / wyll you now me spyll

Alas it were a pytous cace in-dede

That you with deth / shoulde rewarde my mede

A / a / that I am ryght wo-bygone

1640

For I of loue / dare not to you speke

For fere of nay / that maye encrease my mone

A naye of you myght / cause my herte to breke

Alas I wretche / and yet vnhappy peke

Into suche trouble / mysery and thought

1645

With syght of you / I am in-to it brought

And to my-selfe / as I made complaynte

I spyed a man / ryght nere me beforne

Whiche ryght anone / dyde with me acquaynt

Me-thynke he sayde / that ye are nere forlorne

ref.ed: 66

sig: [F1v]

1650

With inwarde payne / that your hert hath borne

Be not to pensyfe / call to mynde agayne

How of one sorowe / ye do now make twayne

Myne inwarde sorowe / ye begyn to double

Go your waye quod I / for ye can not me ayde

1655

Tell me he sayde / the cause of [your] trouble your] my 1517, 1555, your 1554

And of me now / be nothynge afrayde of me now] of my wo 1555

Methynke that sorowe / hath you ouerlayde

Dryue of no lenger / but tell me your mynde

It maye me happe a remedy to fynde

1660

A a quod I / it vayleth not your speche

I wyll with you / neuer haue medlynge

Let me alone / the most vnhappy wretche

Of all the wretches / that is yet lyuynge

Suche is the chaunce / of my bewaylynge

1665

Go on your waye / you are nothynge the better

To me to speke / to make [my] sorowe gretter my] the 1517, 1555, my 1554

Forsothe he sayde / remembre thynges thre

The fyrste is / that ye maye sorowe longe

Vnto yourselfe / or that ye ayeded be

1670

And secondly / in grete paynes stronge

To muse alone / it myght tourne you to wronge

The thyrde is it myght / you well ease truely

To tell your mynde / to a frende ryght trusty

It is a Iewell / of a frende of trust

1675

As at your nede / to tell the secretenes

Of all your payne / and feruent lust

His counseyle soone / maye helpe and redres

Youre paynfull wo / and mortall heuynesse

ref.ed: 67

sig: F2

Alone is nought / for to thynke and muse

1680

Therfore good sone / do me not refuse

And syth that you are / plunged all in thought

Beware the pyt / of doloros dyspayre

So to complayne / it vayleth you ryght nought

It maye so fortune / ye loue a lady fayre

1685

Whiche to loue you / wyll nothynge repayre

Or elles ye haue lost / grete londe or substaunce

By fatall chaunge / of fortunes ordynaunce

Tell me the cause / though that it be so

In case you loue / I knowe it by experyence case] case 1509, 1554, cause 1517, 1555

1690

It is a payne / engendrynge grete wo

And harde it is / for to make resystence

Agaynst suche loue / of feruent vyolence

The loue is dredefull / but neuertheles

There is no sore / nor yet no sykenes

1695

But there is a salue / and remedy therfore

So for your payne / and your sorowe grete

Councell is medycyne / whiche maye you restore

Vnto your desyre / without ony let

Yf ye wyll tell me / where your herte is sette

1700

In the chayre of sorowe / no grete doubte it is

To fynde a remedy / for your payne ywys

A physycyen truely / can lytell decerne

Ony maner sekenes / without syght of vryne

No more can I / by good counseyle you lerne

1705

All suche wofull trouble / for to determyne

But yf you mekely / wyll to me enclyne

To tell the cause / of your grete greuousnesse

ref.ed: 68

sig: [F2v]

Of youre inwarde trouble / and wofull sadnes

Than I began / with all my dylygence

1710

To here hym speke / so grounded on reason

And in my mynde / dyde make aduertence

How it was holsome / in trybulacyon

To [h]aue a good / and a true companyon haue] saue all texts

For to knowe my sorowe / and wofull grefe

1715

It myght me confort / and ryght well relefe

And of hym than / I asked this questyon

What was his name / I prayde hym me tell

Counseyle quod he / the whiche solucyon

In my wofull mynde / I lyked ryght well

1720

And pryuely I dyde / his lesson spell

Sayenge to hym / my chaunce and destyny

Of all other / is the most v[n]happy

Why so quod he / thoughe fortune be straunge

To you a whyle / tornynge of her face

1725

Her lourynge chere / she maye ryght soone chaunge

And you accepte / and call vnto her grace

Dyspayre you not / for in good tyme and space

Nothynge there is / but wysdome maye it wynne

To tell your mynde / I praye you to begynne

1730

Vnto you quod I / with all my hole assent

I wyll tell you trouthe / and you wyll not bewraye

Vnto none other / my mater and entent

Nay naye quod he / you shall not se that daye

Your hole affyaunce / and trust ye well ye maye

1735

In-to me put / for I shall not vary

But kepe your counseyle / as a secretary

ref.ed: 69

sig: F3

And than to hym / in the maner folowynge

I dyde complayne / with syghynge teres depe

Alas q[u]od I / you shall haue knowlegynge

1740

Of my heuy chaunce / that causeth me to wepe

So wo I am / that I can neuer slepe

But walowe and tumble / in the trappe of care

My herte was caught / or that I was ware

It happened so / that in a temple olde

1745

By the toure of musyke / at grete solemnyte

la_bell_pucell / I dyde ryght well beholde

Whose beaute clere / and grete humylyte

To my herte dyde caste / the darte of amyte

After whiche stroke / so harde and feruent

1750

To her excellence / I came incontynent

Beholdynge her chere / and louely countenaunce

Her garmentes ryche / a[n]d her propre stature

I regestered / well in my remembraunce

That I neuer sawe / so fayre a creature

1755

So well-fauourdly / create by nature fauourdly] fauored 1555

That harde it is / for to wryte with ynke

All her beaute / or ony hert to thynke

Fayrer she was / than was quene Elyne

Proserpyne / Cresyde / or yet ypolyte

1760

Medea / Dydo / or yonge Polexyne

Alcumena / or quene Menelape

Or yet dame rosamounde / in certaynte

None of all these / can haue the premynence premynence] preemynence 1509, preeminence 1554

To be compared / to her hyghe excell[e]nce excellence] excellcnce 1517

1765

Durynge the feest / I stode her nere-by

ref.ed: 70

sig: [F3v]

But then he[r] beaute encreased my payne her] he 1517, her 1554

I coude nothynge / resyste the contrary

She wrapte myn herte / in a brennynge chayne

To the musycall toure / she went than agayne

1770

I wente after / I [c]oude not be behynde coude] roude 1517, 1555, coude 1509, 1554

The chayne she haled / whiche my hert dyde bynde

Tyll that we came / in-to a chambre gaye

Where that musyke with all her mynstralsy

Dyuers base daunces / moost swetely dyde playe

1775

That them to here / it was grete melody

And dame musyke / commaunded curteysly

La_bell_pucell / with me than to daunce

Whome that I toke / with all my pleasaunce

By her swete honde / begynnynge the trace

1780

And longe dyde daunce / tyll that I myght not hyde

The paynfull loue / whiche dyde my herte enbrace

Bycause wherof / I toke my leue that tyde

And to this temple / where I do abyde

Forthe than I went / alone to bewayle

1785

My mortall sorowe / without ony fayle

Now haue I tolde you / all the veraye trouthe

Of my wofull chaunce / and grete vnhappynesse

I praye you nothynge / with me to be wrothe

Whiche am drowned / in carefull wretchednesse

1790

By fortune plunged / full of doublenes

A a sayde counseyle / doubte ye neuer a dele

But your dysease / I shall by wysdome hele

Remembre you / that neuer yet was he

That in this worlde / dyde lede all his lyfe

ref.ed: 71

sig: [F4]

1795

In Ioye and pleasure / without aduersyte

No worldly thynge / can be without stryfe

For vnto pleasure / payne is affyrmatyfe

Who wyll haue pleasure / [he] must fyrste apply he] phe 1517, he 1509, 1554, 1555

To take t[h]e payne / with his cure besely the] tge all texts

1800

To deserue the Ioye / whiche after d[o]th ensue doth] deth 1517, death 1555, doth 1509, 1554

Rewardynge payne / for the grete besynesse

No doubte your lady / wyll vpon you rue

Seynge you apply / all your gentylnes

To do her pleasure / and seruyse doubtles

1805

Harde is herte / that no loue hath felte

Nor for no loue / wyll than enclyne and melte

Remembre ye / that in olde antyquyte

How worthy Troylus / the myghty champyon

What payne he suffred / by grete extremyte

1810

Of feruent loue / by a grete longe season

For his lady Cresyde / by grete trybulacyon

After his sorowe / had not he grete Ioye

Of his lady / the fayrest of all Troye

And the famous knyghte / yclypped Ponthus

1815

Whiche loued Sydoyne / so moche entyerly

What payne had he / and what care dolorous

For his lady / with love so meruaylously

Was not h[is] hert / wounded ryght wofully his] her all texts

After his payne / his lady dyde her cure

1820

To do hym Ioye / honoure and pleasure

Who was with loue / more wofully arayde

Than were these twayne / and many other mo

The power of loue / hath them so asayde

ref.ed: 72

sig: [F4v]

That and I lyste / I coude not reherse also

1825

To whome true loue / hath wrought mykell wo

And at the ende / haue hadde theyr desyre

Of all theyr sorowe / for to quenche the fyre

Languysshe no more / but plucke vp thyne herte

Exyle dyspayre / and lyue a whyle in hope

1830

And kepe your loue / all close and couerte

It maye so fortune / that your lady grope

Somwhat of loue / for to drynke a sope

Thoughe outwardly / she dare not let you knowe

But at the laste / as I beleue and trowe

1835

She can not kepe it / so preuy and close

But that somwhat / it shall to you appere

By countenaunce / how that her loue arose

Yf that she loue you / the loue it is so dere it] 1509, 1555 omit

Whan you come to her / she wyll make you chere

1840

With co[u]ntenaunce / accordynge vnto loue

Full pryuely for to come to her aboue

Sendynge of loue / the messangere before

Whiche is her eyes / with louely lokes swete

For to beholde you / than euermore and more

1845

After the tyme / that you togyder mete

With louynge wordes / she wyll you than grete

Sorowe no more / for I thyn[k]e in my mynde thynke] thynge 1517

That at the laste / she wyll be good and kynde

Alas quod I / she is of hye degre

1850

Borne to grete londe / treasure and substaunce

I fere to sore / I shall dysdayned be

The whiche wyll trouble / all my greuaunce

ref.ed: 73

sig: G1

Her beaute is / the cause of my penaunce

I haue no grete lande / treasure and ryches

1855

To wynne the fauoure / of her noblenesse

What thoughe quod he / drawe you not abacke

For she hath ynoughe / in her possessyon

For you both / for you shall neuer lacke

Yf that ye ordre it / by good reason

1860

And so in perfyte consyderacyon

She wyll with loue / her grene flourynge age

Passe forth in Ioye / pleasure and courage

Youth is alwaye / of the course ryght lyght

Hote and moyst / and full of lustynes

1865

Moost of the ayre / it is ruled by ryght

And her complexyon / hath chefe intres

Vpon sanguyn / the ayres holsomnes

She is not yet / in all aboue .xviii. yere

Of tendre age / to pleasure most dere

1870

Golde or syluer / in ony maner of wyse

For sanguyne youthe / it is all contrary

So for to coueyte / for it doth aryse

Onely engendred / vpon the malencoly

Whiche is drye colde / and also erthely

1875

In whiche the golde / is truely nutryfyde

Ferre frome the ayre / so clerely puryfyde

Thus couetyse / shall nothynge surmount

Your yonge ladyes herte / but onely nature

Shall in her mynde / make her to account

1880

The grete losse of youth / her specyall treasure

She knoweth she is / a ryght fayre creature

ref.ed: 74

sig: [G1v]

No doubte it is / but yet pryuely amonge yet] you 1509, ye 1555

So hye is nature / with his werkes stronge

That she of force / the mannes company

1885

Muste well co[uet] / for she maye not resyste couet] conueyte 1517, couet 1554

Dame natures werke / whiche is so secretely Dame] Damne 1517

Thoughe she be mayde / lette her saye what she lyst

She wolde haue man / thoughe no man it wyst

To make her Ioye / whan nature doth agre

1890

Her thought is hers / it is vnto her fre

Who spareth to speke / he spareth to spede

I shall prouyde for you conuenyente

A gentyll tyme / for to attayne your mede

That you shall go / to your lady excellent

1895

And ryght before take good aduysement

Of all the mater / that ye wyll her shewe

Vpon good reason / and in wordes fewe

Thus past we tyme / in communycacyon

The after-none / with many a sentement

1900

And what for loue / was best conclusyon

We demed oft / and gaue a Iugement

Tyll that in the euen / was refulgent

Fayre golden Mercury / with his beames bryght

Aboute the ayre castynge / his pured lyght

1905

The[n] to a chambre / swete and precyous Then] Them 1517

Councell me ledde / for to take my reste

The nyght was wete and also tenebrous

But I my-selfe / with sorowe opprest

Dyde often muse / what was for me best

1910

Vnto my fayre lady / for to tell or saye

ref.ed: 75

sig: G2

And all my drede was / for fere of a naye

Though that my bedde / was easy and softe

Yet dyde I tomble / I myght not lye styll

On euery syde / I tourned me full ofte

1915

Upon the loue / I hadde so sette my wyll

Longynge ryght sore / my mynde to fulfyll

I called counseyle / and prayed hym to wake wake] a wake 1509

To gyue me counseyle / what were best to take

Ha ha quod he / loue doth you so prycke

1920

That yet your herte / wyll nothynge be eased

But euermore / be feble and syke

Tyll that our lady / hath it well appesed our] your 1509, 1554

Thoughe ye thynke longe / yet ye shall be pleased

I wolde quod I / that it were as ye saye

1925

Fye fye quod he / dryue suche dyspayre awaye

And lyue in hope / whiche shall do you good

Ioye cometh after / whan the payne is paste

Be ye pacyent / and sobre in mode

To wepe and wayle / all is for you in wast

1930

Was neuer payne / but it hadde Ioye at laste

In the fayre morowe / ryse and make you redy

At .ix. at the clocke / the tyme is necessary

For vs to walke / vnto your lady gent

The bodyes aboue / be than well domyfyde

1935

To helpe vs forwarde / without impedyment

Loke what ye saye / loke it be deryfyde

Frome perfyt reason / well exemplyfyde

Forsake her not / though[e] that she saye naye thoughe] thought 1517, thoughe 1554, 1555

A womans guyse / is euermore to delaye

ref.ed: 76

sig: [G2v]

1940

No castell can be / of so grete a strength

Yf that there be / a sure syege to it layde

It muste yelde vp / or elles be wonne at lengt elles be] elles me be 1517, elles be 1509, elles we be 1555; lengt] length 1509

Thoughe that tofore / it [h]athe ben longe delayde hathe] bathe 1517, hath 1509, 1554, 1555

So contynuaunce / maye you ryght well ayde

1945

Some womans herte / can not so harded be

But besy labour / maye make it agre

Labour and dylygence / is full meruaylous

Whiche bryngeth a louer to his promocyon

Nothynge to loue / is more desyrous

1950

Than instaunt labour / and delectacyon

The harded hert / it gyueth occasyon

For to consyder / how that her seruaunt

To obtayne her loue / is so attendaunt

Thus all in comynynge / we the nyght dyde passe comynynge] comunyng 1554, comonyng 1555

1955

Tyll in the ayre / with cloudes fayre and rede

Rysyn was Phebus / shynynge in the glasse

In the chambre / his golden rayes were sprede

And dyane de[c]lynynge / pale as ony lede declynynge] derlynynge 1517, declynynge 1509

Whan the lytell byrdes / swetely dyde synge

1960

With tunes musycall / in the fayre mornynge

¶Of the dolorous / and lowly dysputacyon bytwene la_bell_Pucell and graunde_Amoure. Ca. xviii.

ref.ed: 77

sig: G3

COuncell and I / than rose full quyckely

And made vs redy / on our waye to walke

In our clenly wede / apparayled proprely our] your 1509, 1554, 1555

What I wolde saye / I dyde vnto hym talke

1965

Tyll on his boke / he began to calke

How the sonne entred was in Gemyne

And eke Dyane / full of mutabylyte

Entred the Crabbe / her propre mancyon

ref.ed: 78

sig: [G3v]

Than ryght amyddes / of the dragons heed

1970

And Venus / and she made coniuncyon

Frome her combust waye / she hadde her so sped

She had no let / that was to be dredde

The assured ayre / was depaynted clere

With golden beames / of fayre Phebus spere

1975

Than forth so went / good counceyll and I

At .vi. at clocke / vnto a garden fayre

By musykes toure / walled most goodly

Where la_bell_pucell / vsed to repayre

In the swete mornynge / for to take the ayre

1980

Amonge the floures / of aromatyke fume

The m[y]sty ayre / to exyle and consume

And at the gate / we mette the portresse

That was ryght gentyll / and called curteysy

Whiche salued vs / with wordes of mekenesse

1985

And axed vs / the veraye cause and why

Of our comynge / to the gardeyne sothel[y] sothely] sothel 1517, 1554, 1555'sothely' variant of 'subtly' or 'soothly'

Truely sayde we / for nothynge but well

A lytell to speke / with la_bell_pucell

Truely quod she / in the garden grene

1990

Of many a swete / and soundry floure soundry] sundry 1554, 1555

She maketh a garlonde / that is veraye shene

With trueloues / wrought in many a coloure

Replete with swetenes / and dulcet odoure

And all alone / withouten company

1995

Amyddes an herber / she sytteth plesaunt[l]y plesauntly] plesaunty 1517

Now stande you styll / for a lytell space

I wyll lette her / of you haue knowlegynge

[A remedy swete lady / of my herte

It is youre owne / it can nothynge asterte] Previous two lines, mistakenly printed here in 1517 ed., appear after line 2140 in all other texts.

ref.ed: 79

sig: G4

And ryght anone / she went to her grace

Tellynge her than / how we were comynge

2000

To speke with her / gretely desyrynge

Truely she sayde / I am ryght well contente

Of thyer comynge / to knowe the hole entent thyer] their 1554

Then good curteysy / without taryenge

Came vnto vs / with all her dylygence

2005

Prayenge vs / to take our entrynge

And come vnto the ladyes presence

To tell our erande / to her excellence our] your 1517, 1554, 1555, our 1509

Than in we went / to the gardyn gloryous

Lyke to a place / of pleasure moost solacyous

2010

With flora paynted / and wrought curyously

In dyuers knottes / of meruaylo[u]s gretenes

Rampande Lyons / stode vp wondersly

Made all of herbes / with dulcet swetenes

With many dragons / of meruaylous lykenes

2015

Of dyuers floures / made full craftely

By flora couloured / with colours sundry

Amyddes the garden / so moche delectabl[e] delectable] delectably all texts

There was an herber / fayre and quadrante

To paradyse / ryght well comparable

2020

Sette all aboute / with floures flagraunt flagraunt] fragraunt 1555

And in the myddle / there was resplendysshaun[t] resplendysshaunt] resplendysshaune 1517, resplendysshaunte 1509

A dulcet sprynge / and meruaylo[u]s fountayne

Of golde and asure / made all certayne

In wonderfull / and curyous symylytude

2025

There stode a dragon / of fyne golde so pure

Upon his tayle / of myghty fortytude

ref.ed: 80

sig: [G4v]

Wrethed and skaled all with asure

Hauynge thre hedes / dyuers [i]n fygure in] ln 1517, in 1509, 1554, 1555

Whiche in a bath / of the syluer grette

2030

Spouted the water / that was so dulcette

Besyde whiche fountayne / the most fayre lady

la_bell_pucell / was gayly syttynge

Of many floures / fayre and ryally

A goodly chaplet / she was in makynge

2035

Her heer was downe / so clerely shynynge

Lyke to the golde / late puryfyde with fyre

Her heer was bryght / as the drawen wyre

Lyke to a lady / for to be ryght trewe

She ware a fayre / and goodly garment

2040

Of most fy[n]e veluet / all of Indy-blewe

With armynes powdred / bordred at the vent

On her fayre handes / as was conuenyent

A payre of gloues / ryght sclender and soft

In approchynge nere / I dyde beholde her oft

2045

And whan that I came / before her presence

Vnto the grounde / I dyde knele adowne

Sayenge O lady / moost fayre of excellence

O sterre so clere / of vertuous reno[u]wne

Whose beaute fayre / in euery realme and towne

2050

Indued with grace / and also goodnes also] also wyth 1555

Dame fame the her-selfe / dooth euermore expresse the] 1509 omits

Amoure.

Please it your grace / for to gyue audyence

Vnto my wofull / and pytous complaynt

How feruent loue / without resystence

2055

My carefull herte / hath made lowe and faynte

ref.ed: 81

sig: [G5]

And you therof / are the hole constraynt

your beaute truely / hath me fettred faste

Without youre helpe / my lyfe is nerehande past

Pucell.

Stande vp quod she / I meruayle of this cace

2060

What sodayne loue / hath you so arayde

With so grete payne / youre herte to enbrace

And why for me / ye shoulde be so dysmayde

As of your lyfe / ye nede not to be afrayde

For ye of me / now haue no greter awe greter] great 1554

2065

But whan ye lyste / ye maye your loue withdrawe

Amoure.

Than stode I up / and ryght so dyde she

Alas I sayde than / my herte is so sette

That it is youres / it maye none other be

Yourselfe hath caught it in so sure a nette

2070

That yf that I maye not / your fauour gette

No doubte it is / the grete payne of loue

Maye not aswage / tyll deth it remoue

Pucell.

Truely quod she / I am obedyent

Vnto my frendes / whiche do me so guyde

2075

They shall me rule / as is conuenyent

In the snare of loue / I wyll nothynge slyde

My chaunce or fortune / I wyll yet abyde

I thanke you / for your loue ryght humbly

But I your cause / can nothynge remedy

Amoure.

2080

Alas madame / yf I haue enterprysed

A thynge to hye truely / for my degre

All th[ose] causes / whiche I have commysed those] that 1517, 1555, those 1554

Hath ben on fortunes gentyll vnyte

Trustynge truely / that she wolde fauour me

ref.ed: 82

sig: [G5v]

2085

In this case / wherfore now excuse

Youre humble seruaunte / and not me refuse

Pucell.

Ha ha / what vayleth all your flatery

Your fayned wordes / shall not me appese

To make myne herte / to enclyne inwardly

2090

For I myselfe / now do nothynge s[u]ppose

But for to proue me / you flater and glose

You shall not dye / as long [a]s you speke

There is no loue / can cause your herte to breke

Amoure

I wolde madame / ye hadde pr[e]rogatyue prerogatyue] prrrogatyue 1517, prerogatyue 1509

2095

To kn[o]we the preuyte / of my perfyte mynde knowe] knewe 1517, knowe 1554, 1555

How all in payne / I lede my wofull lyue

Than as I trowe / ye wolde not be vnkynde

But that some grace / I myght in you fynde

To cause myne herte / whiche you fetred sure

2100

With brennynge cheynes / suche wo to endure

Pucell.

By veraye reason / I maye gyue Iugement

That it is [the] guyse / of you euerychone the] 1517, 1555 omit, the 1554

To fayne you seke / with subtyll argumente

Whan to youre lady / ye lyst to make youre mone

2105

But of you true / is there fewe or none

For all your payne / and wordes eloquent

With dame repentaunce / I wyll not be shent

Amoure.

O swete madame / now all my desteny

Vnhap and happy / vpon you doth growe

2110

Yf that you call me vnto your mercy

Of all happy the most happy I trowe

ref.ed: 83

sig: [G6]

Than shall I be / of hye degre or lowe

And yf ye lyste / so me than to forsake

Of all vnhappy / none shall be my make

Pucell.

2115

Your fortune on me / is not more applyed

Than vpon other / for my mynde is fre

I haue your purpose / oft ynoughe denyed

You knowe your answere / now certaynte certaynte] certayne 1555

What nede your wordes / of curyosyte

2120

[We will] here nomore / for you shall not spede We will] Wowe 1517, We will 1509, Woe 1554

Go loue an-other / where ye may haue mede

Amoure.

That shall I not / thoughe that I contynewe

All my lyfe / in payne and heuynes

I shall not chaunge you / for none other newe

2125

You are my lady / you are my maysteres

Whome I shall serue / with all my gentylnes

Exyle hym neuer / frome your herte so dere

Whiche vnto his / hath sette you most nere

Pucel.

The mynde of men / chaungeth as the mone

2130

Yf you mete one / whiche is fayre and bryght

Ye loue her best / tyll [y]e se ryght soone ye] he 1517, 1555, ye 1509, 1554

An-other fayrer / vnto your owne syght

Vnto her than / youre mynde is tourned ryght

Truely your loue / thoughe ye make it straunge

2135

I knowe full well / ye wyll it often chaunge

Amoure.

Alas madame / now the bryght lodes-sterre

Of my true herte / where euer I go or ryde

Thoughe that my body / be frome you aferr

Yet my herte onely / shall with you abyde

2140

Whan than you lyste / ye maye for me prouyde

[A remedy swete lady of my herte

It is youre owne it can nothing asterte] The last two lines are mistakenly printed at ll. 1998a-b in 1517 ed., but appear here in all other texts

ref.ed: 84

sig: [G6v]

Pucell.

Naye truly / it can nothynge be myne

For I therof / take no possessyon

2145

Your hert is your[s] / by substancyall lyne yours] your 1517

It is not in my domynacyon

Loue where ye lyst / at euery season

Your hert is fre / I do not it accepte

It is your owne / I haue it neuer kepte

Amoure.

2150

Alas madame / ye maye saye as ye lyste

With your beaute / ye toke myne herte in snare

Youre louely lokes / I coude not resyst

Your vertuous maner / encreaseth my care

That of all Ioye / I am deuoyde and bare

2155

I se you ryght often / as I am a_slepe as] when 1554

And whan I wake / do sygh with teres depe

Pucell.

So grete deceyte / amonge men there is

That harde it is / to fynde one full stable

Ye are so subtyll / and so false ywys

2160

Youre grete deceyte / is nothynge commendable

In storyes olde / it is well probable probable] prouable 1555

How many ladyes / hath ben ryght falsely

With men deceyued / yll and subtylly

Amoure.

O good madame / though that they abused

2165

Them to theyr ladyes / in theyr grete deceyte

Yet am I true / let me not be refused

Ye haue me taken / with so fayre a bayte

That ye shall neuer / out of my conceyte

I can not wrynche / by no wyle nor Croke

2170

My herte is fast / vpon so sure a hoke

Pucell.

Ye so sayde they / tyll that they hadde theyr wyll

ref.ed: 85

sig: [G7]

Theyr wyll accomplysshed / they dyde fle at large

For men saye well / but they thynke full yll

Though outwarde swetenes / your tonge doth enlarge

2175

Yet of your hert / I neuer can haue charge

For men do loue / as I am ryght sure

Now one now other / after theyr pleasure

Amoure.

All that madame / I kn[o]we ryght perfytely knowe] knewe 1517, knowe 1509, 1554

Some men there be / of that condycyon

2180

That them delyte / often in nouelry

And many also / loue perfeccyon

I cast all suche /nouelles in abieccyon abieccyon] obiection 1555

My loue is sette / vpon a perfyte grounde

No fals[h]ed in me / truely shall be founde falshed] falsed 1517, falshed 1555

Pucell.

2185

Ye saye full well / yf ye meane the same

But I in you / can haue no confydence

I thynke ryght well / that it is no game

To loue vnloued / with percynge influence

You shall in me fynde / no suche neclygence

2190

To graunt you loue / for ye are vnthryfty

As two or thre / to me doth specyfy

Amoure.

Was neuer louer / without enmyes thre

As enuy malyce / and perturbaunce

Theyr tonges are poyson / vnto amyte

2195

What man on lyue / can vse suche gouernaunce

To attayne the fauoure / withouten varyaunce

Of euery persone / but ryght pryuely

Behynd his backe / some sayth vnhappely

Pucell.

Trouthe it is / but yet in this cace

2200

Your loue and myne / is full ferre asondre

ref.ed: 86

sig: [G7v]

But thoughe that I do / your herte so race

Yf I drede you / it is therof no wondre

With my frendes / I am so sore kepte vnder

I dare not loue / but as they accorde

2205

They thynke to wedde me / to a myghty lorde

Amoure.

I knowe madame / that your frendes all

Vnto me sure / wyll be contraryous

But what for that / your-selfe in specyall

Remembre there is / no loue so Ioyous

2210

As is youre owne to you most precyous

Wyll you gyue your youthe / and your flourynge aege

To them / agaynst your mynde in maryage

Pucell.

Agaynst my mynde / of that were I lothe

To wed for fere / as them to obey

2215

Yet had I leuer / they were somwhat wrothe

For I my-selfe / do bere the locke and kaye

Yet of my mynde / and wyll do many adaye

Myne owne I am / what that I lyste to do

I stande vntyed / there is no Ioye therto

Amoure.

2220

O swete lady / the good perfyte sterre

Of my true herte / take ye now pyte

Thynke on my payne / whiche am tofore you here

With youre swete eyes / beholde you and se

How thought and wo / by grete extremyte

2225

Hath chaunged my hue / in-to pale and wanne

It was not so / whan I to loue began

Pucell.

So me-thynke / it doth ryght well appere

By your colour / that loue hath done you wo

Your heuy countenaunce / and your dolefull chere

ref.ed: 87

sig: [G8]

2230

Hath loue s[u]che myght / for to araye you so

In so short a space / I meruayle moche also

That ye wolde loue me / so sure in certayne

Before ye knewe / that I wolde loue agayne

Amoure.

My good dere herte / it is no meruayle why

2235

Your beaute clere / and louely lokes swete

My hert dyde perce / with loue so sodaynly

At the fyrste tyme / that I dyde you mete

In the olde temple / whan I dyde you grete

Youre beaute my herte / so surely assayde

2240

That syth that tyme / it hath to you obayde

Ca. xix.

the section heading 'Pucel' appears here in 1554

YOur wo and payne / and all your languysshynge

Contynually / ye shall not spende in vayne

Sythen I am cause / of your grete mornynge

Nothynge exyle you / shall I by dysday[n]e dysdayne] dysdayae 1517, dysdayne 1509

2245

Your hert and myne / shall neuer parte in twayne

Thoughe at the fyrste / I wolde not condescende

It was for fere / ye dyde some yll entende

Amoure.

With thought of yll / my mynde was neuer myxte

To you madame / but alwaye clene and pure

2250

Both daye and nyght / vpon you hole perfyxte

But I my mynde / yet durst nothynge dyscure

How for your sake / I dyde suche wo endure

Tyll now this houre / with dredefull hert so faynt

To you swete herte / I haue made my complaynt

heading 'Pucell' lacking in 1517

2255

I demed ofte you loued me before

By your demenour / I dyde it aspye

And in my mynde I Iuged euermore

That at the laste / ye w[o]lde full secretly wolde] welde 1517, wolde 1509

ref.ed: 88

sig: [G8v]

Tell me your mynde / of loue ryght gentylly

2260

As ye haue done / so my mercy to craue

In all worshyppe / you shall my true loue haue

Amoure.

O lorde god than / how Ioyfull was I

She loked on me / with louely co[u]ntenaunce

I kyst her ones or twyes ryght swetely

2265

Her depured vysa[g]e / replete with pleasaunce vysage] vysake 1517, vysage 1509, 1554, 1555

Reioyced my herte / with amerous purueyaunce

O lady clere / that perste me at the rote

O floure of conforte / all my hele and bote

O gemme of vertue / and lady excellent

2270

Aboue all other / in beauteous goodlynesse

O eyen bryght / [a]s sterre refullgen[t] as] os 1517, as 1509; refullgent] refullgenr 1517, refulgent 1554, 1555

O profounde cause / of all my sekenesse

Now all my Ioye / and all my gladnesse

Wolde god that we were / Ioyned in one

2275

In maryage before / this daye were gone

Pucell.

A a sayde she / ye must take payne a whyle

I must departe / by the compulcyon

Of my frendes I wyll not you begyle

Though they me lede / to a ferre nacyon

2280

My herte shall be / without varyacyon

With you present / in perfyte sykernesse

As true and stable / without doublenes

To me to come / is harde and daungerous

Whan I am there / for gyauntes vgly

2285

With monstres also / blacke and tedyous

That by the waye / awayte full cruelly

For to dystroye you / yll and vtterly

ref.ed: 89

sig: H1

[Whan I am there / for gyauntes vgly

With two monstres / also blacke and tedyous

That by the waye / awayte full cruelly

For to destroye you / yll and vtterly] Duplication of four lines in copytext.

Whan you that waye / do take the passage

To attayne my loue / by hye aduauntage

Amoure.

2290

All that madame / was to me certyfyde

By good dame fame / at the begynnynge

Whan she to me / of you well notyfyde

As she came frome / the toure of lernynge

Of all suche enemyes / the myght excludynge

2295

I promyse vnto you / here full faythfully

Whan I departe / f[r]ome dame astronomy frome] ftome 1517, frome 1509, 1555

That I wyll to the toure of chyualry

And for youre sake / become aduenturous

To subdue / all enmyes / to me contrary

2300

That I maye after / be ryght Ioyous

With you my lady / most swete and precyous

Wo worth the cause of youre departynge

Whiche all my sorowes / is in renuynge

Alas what pleasure / and eke without dysporte

2305

Shall I now haue / whan that [ye] be gone ye] 1517 omits, ye 1509, 1554, 1555

Ha ha truely / now without good conforte

My dolorous herte / shall be lefte alone

Without your presence / to me is none

For euery houre / I shall thynke a yere

2310

Tyll fortune brynge me / vnto you more nere

Yet after you / I wyll not be ryght longe

But hast me after / as fast as I maye

In the toure of chyualry / I shall make me stronge

ref.ed: 90

sig: [H1v]

A[n]d after that passe / shortly on my waye

2315

With dylygent laboure / on my Iourney

Spyte of your enemyes / I shall me so spede

That in short tyme / ye maye rewarde my mede

I thanke you quod she / with my hert entere

But yet with me / ye shall make couenaunt

2320

As I to you / am ryght lefe and dere

Vnto no persone / ye shall so aduaunte

That I to loue you / am so attendaunte

For ony thynge / your councell not bewraye

For that full soone / myght vs both betraye

2325

And to tell me / I praye you hertly

Yonder is counseyle / how were ye acquaynted

He is both honest / and true certaynly

Doth he not knowe / how your herte is faynted

With feruent loue / so surely attaynted

2330

Yf he so do / yet I nothynge repent

He is so secrete / and true of entent

Truely madame / bycause ye are content

I shall you tell / how the mater was

Whan that youre beaute / clerely splendent

2335

In-to my herte / full wonderly dyde pas

Lyke as fayre Phebus / doth shyne in the glas

All alone / with inwarde care so rent

In-to a temple forth on my waye I went

Where that I walked / plunged in the pytte

2340

Of grete dyspayre / and he than me mette

Alas he sayde / me thynke ye lose your wytte

Tell me the trouthe now / without ony lette

Why ye demeane / suche mortall sorowe grette

ref.ed: 91

sig: H2

A_voyde quod I / you shall nothynge it knowe

2345

You can not helpe me / in the case I trowe

But he suche reason / and fruytfull sentence

Dyde for hym laye / that I tolde hym all

Whan he it knewe / with all his dylygence

He dyde me conforte / than in specyall

2350

Vnto my mynde / he bad me to call

Who spareth to speke / he to spede doth spare

Go tell your lady / the cause of youre care

By whose counseyle / grounded in wysdome

To the entent / I shoulde spede the better

2355

And ryght shortly / I dyde than to you come

But drede alwaye / made my sorowe greter

After grete payne / the Ioyes is the swetter

For who that tasteth / paynfull bytternes

The Ioye to hym / is double swetenes

2360

And ther-with-all / I dyde vnto her brynge

Councell my frende / and full ryght meke

Dyde hym receyue / as he was comynge

And of all thynges / she dyde hym beseke

After her partynge / the same weke

2365

To hast me forwarde / to my Iourneys ende

Therto quod I / I do well condyscende

Fare-well quod she / I maye no lenger tary

My f[r]endes wyll come / of that were I lothe frendes] feendes 1517, frendes 1509, 1554, 1555

I shall retayne you in my memory

2370

And they it knewe / they wolde with me be wrothe

To loue you best / I promyse you my trouthe

And than myne eyen / grete sorowe shewed

With teres salte / my chekes were endewed

ref.ed: 92

sig: [H2v]

Her eyes graye / began to loke ryght reed

2375

Her gaye whyte colour / began for to pale

Upon her chekes / so the droppes were sprede

Whiche frome her eyen / began to aduale

Frome her swete herte / she dyde the syghes hale

Neuer before / as I trowe and wene

2380

Was suche departynge / true louers betwene

We wyped our chekes / our sorowe to cloke

Outwardly faynynge / vs to be gladde and mery

That the people / shoulde not perceyue the smoke

Of our hote fyre / to lyght the emyspery

2385

Thoughe inwardly / with a stormy pery

The fyre was blowen / yet we dyde it couer

Bycause abrode / it shoulde nothynge perceyuer

Out of the garden / to an hauen syde

Forth we went / where was a shyp ryght large

2390

That taryed there / after the floynge tyde floynge] flowynge 1509

And so than dyde there / many a bote and barge

The shyp was grete / fyue .C. tonne to charge

La_bell_pucell / ryght anone me tolde

In yondre shyp / whiche that ye beholde

2395

Forthe must I sayle / without longer delaye

It is full see / my frendes wyll come soone

Therfore I praye you / to go hens your waye

It draweth fast / now towarde the none

Madame quod I / your pleasure shall be done

2400

With wofull herte / and grete syghes ofte

I kyssed her lyppes / that were swete and softe

She vnto me / nor I vnto her coude speke

ref.ed: 93

sig: H3

And as of that / it was no grete wondre

Our hertes swelled / as that they shoulde bre[k]e breke] brede 1517, breke 1509, 1555

2405

The fyre of loue / was so sore kepte vnder

Whan I frome her / shoulde departe asondre

With her fayre heed / she dyde lowe enclyne

And in lykewyse / so dyde I with myne

¶Of the grete sorowe that graunde_Amoure made after her depa[r]tynge

departynge] depatynge 1517, departynge 1509, 1555

/and of the wordes of counceyle. Capitulo. xx.

HEr frendes and she / on theyr waye they sayled

2410

Alonge the hauen / god them saue and brynge

Vnto the londe / I herde whan that they hayled

With a grete peale / of gunnes at theyr departynge

The meruaylous toure / of famous cunnynge

No gunne was shotte / but my herte dyde wepe

2415

For her departynge / with wofull teres depe

ref.ed: 94

sig: [H3v]

Councell me comforted / as euer he myght

With many storyes / of olde antyquyte

Remembre he sayde / that neuer yet was wyght

That lyued alwaye / in grete tranquylyte

2420

But that hym happed / some aduersyte

Than after that / whan the payne was paste

The double Ioye / dyde comforte them at last

Ye nede nothynge / for to make grete dolour

Fortune to you / hath ben ryghte fauourable

2425

Makynge you / to attayne the good fauour

Of your lady / so swete and amyable

No doubte it is / she is true and stable

And demeane you so / that in no wyse

No man perceyue / or of youre loue surmyse

2430

Be hardy / fyers / and also coragyous

In all youre batayles / without feb[l]enes feblenes] feb[e]nes 1517, feblenes 1509, 1554, 1555

For ye shall be / ryght well vyctoryous

Of all youre enmyes / so full of subtylnes

Arme you with wysdome / for more surenes

2435

Let wysdome werke / for she can stedfast[l]y stedfastly] stedfasty 1517, stedfastly 1509, 1554

In tyme of nede / resyste the contrary

Was neuer man / yet surely at the bate

With sapyence / but that he dyde repent

Who that is ruled / by her hygh estate

2440

Of his after-wytte / shall neuer be shent

She is to man ryght benyuolent

With walles sure / she doth hym fortyfye

Whan it is nede / to resyste a contrary

Was neuer place / where as she dyde guyde

ref.ed: 95

sig: [H4]

2445

With enmyes / brought to destruccyon

A remedy / she can so well prouyde

To her hygh werke / is no comparyson

It hath so stronge / and sure fundacyon

Nothynge there is / that can it molyfy

2450

So sure it is / agaynst a contrary

Of her alwayes / it is the perfyte guyse

To begynne nothynge of mutabylyte

As is the warre / whiche maye soone aryse

And wyll not downe / it maye so stourdy be

2455

The begynner oft / hath the inyquyte

Whan he began / Wysdome dyde reply

In his grete nede / to resyste the contrary

The myghty pryant / somtyme kynge of Troye

With all his Cyte / so well fortyfyed

2460

Lytell regarded / all his welthe and Ioye

Without wysdome / truely exemplyfyed

His propre deth / hymselfe he nutryfyde

Agaynst his warre / wysdome dyde reply

At his grete nede / to resyst the contrary

2465

And where that wysdome / ruleth hardynes

Hardynes than is / euer inuyncyble

There maye nothynge / it vaynquysshe or oppres

For prudence is / so well intellygyble

To her there is / nothynge impossyble

2470

Her grounded werke / is made so perfytely

That it must nedes / resyste the contrary

To wofull creatures / she is goodly leche

With her good syster / called pacyence

ref.ed: 96

sig: [H4v]

To the toure of Ioye / she doth them [w]ell [t]eche well teche] tell weche 1517, 1554, 1555, well teche 1509

2475

In the waye of hope without resystence

Who to her lyst / to applye his dylygence

She wyll hym brynge / to worshyp shortly

That he shall well resyste the contrary

Ryght so let wysdome / youre sorowe surrend[r]e surrendre] surrende 1517, surrendre 1554, 1555

2480

And hye you fast / vnto dame geometry

And let no thought / in youre herte engendre

But after this / speke to Astronomye

And so frome thens / to the toure of chyualry

Wher of the worthy kynge Melyzyus

2485

You shall be made / soone knyght aduenturous

And fare you well / for I must frome you go

To other louers / whiche are in dyspayre

As I dyde you / to confort them also

It is grete nede / that I to them repayre

2490

Habundant teres / theyr hertes do refleyre

Farewell quod I / my good frende so true

I wolde with me / ye myght alwaye ensue

Then agayne / I went to the toure melodyous

Of good dame musyke / my leue for to take

2495

And pryuely / with these wordes dolorous

I sayde o toure / thou mayst well aslake

Suche melody now / in the more to make

The gemme is goone / of all famous porte

That was chefe cause / of the grete conforte

2500

Whylome thou was / the fayre toure of lyght

But now thou arte replete with derkenes

She is now gone / that shone in the so bryght

ref.ed: 97

sig: I1

Thou was some-tyme the toure of gladnes

Now mayst thou be the toure of heuynes

2505

For the chefe is gone of all thy melody

Whose beauty clere made moost swete armony

The fayre carbuncle so full of clerenes

That in the truely dyde moost purely shyne

The perle of pyte replete with swetenes

2510

The gentyll gyllofer the goodly columbyne gyllofer] gyllofloure 1554

The redolente plant of the dulcet vyne

The dede aromatyke may no more ensence dede] dewe 1509

For she is so ferre out of thy presence

A / A truely in the tyme so past

2515

Myne erande was the often for to se

Now for to entre I may be agast

Whan thou arte hens the sterre of beaute

For all my delyte was to beholde the

A toure / toure all my Ioye is gone

2520

In the to entre conforte is there none

So then inwardly my-selfe bewaylynge

In the toure I wente in-to the habytacle

Of dame musyke where she was syngynge

The ballades swete in her fayre tabernacle

2525

Alas thought I this is no spectacle

To fede myn eyen whiche are now all blynde

She is not here that I was wonte to fynde

Than of dame musyke with all lowlynes

I dyde take my leue withouten taryenge

2530

She thanked me with all her mekenes

And all alone fourth I went musynge

ref.ed: 98

sig: [I1v]

A / A quod I my loue and lykynge

Is nowe ferre hens on whome my hole delyght

Dayly was sette vpon her to haue syght

2535

Fare-well swete herte / fare-well / farwell / fare-well

Adieu / adieu I wolde I were you by

God gyue me grace with you soone to dwell

Lyke as I dyde for to se you dayly

Your lowly chere and gentyll company

2540

Reioysed my herte with fode moost delycate

Myn eyen to se you were insacyate

Now good swete herte my lady and maystresse

I recommaunde me vnto your pyte

Besechynge you with all my gentylnesse

2545

Yet other whyle to thynke vpon me

What payne I suffre by grete extremyte

And to pardone me of my rude wrytynge

For with wofull herte was myne endytynge.

ref.ed: 99

sig: I2

¶Ca. xxi.

SO forth I went vpon a craggy roche

2550

Vnto the toure moost wonderfully wrought

Of geometry / and as I dyde approche

The altytude all in my mynde I sought

Syxe hondreth fote as I by nombre thought

Quadrant it was and dyde heue and sette

2555

At euery storme whan the wynde was grette

Thus at the last I came into an halle

Hanged with aras ryche and precyous

And euery wyndowe glased with crystalle

Lyke a place of pleasure moche solacyous

2560

With knottes sexangled gay and gloryous

The rofe dyde hange ryght hygh and plesauntly

By geometry made ryght well and craftely

In this meruaylous hall replete with rychesse

At the hye ende she satte full worthely

2565

I came anone vnto her grete nobles

And kneled adowne before her mekely

Madame I sayd ye werke full ryally

I beseche you with all my dylygence

To instructe me in your wonderfull scyence

2570

My scyence sayd she it is moost profytable

Vnto astronomy for I do it mesure

In euery thynge as it is probable

For I myselfe can ryght well dyscure

Of euery sterre whiche is sene in vre

2575

The meruaylous gretenes by my mesurynge

For god made all at the begynnynge

By good mesurynge bothe the heyght and depnes

ref.ed: 100

sig: [I2v]

Of euery thynge as I vnderstande

The length and brede with all the gretnes

2580

Of the fyrmamente so compassynge the londe

And who my cunnynge lyst to take in honde

In his emyspery of hye or lowe degre

Nothynge there is but it may mesure be

Though that it be frome vs hye and ferre

2585

Yf ony thynge fall we may it truly se

As the sonne or moone or ony other sterre

We may therof knowe well the quantyte

Who of this syence dooth knowe the certaynte

All maystryes myghte mesure parfytely

2590

For geometry dooth shewe it openly

Where that is mesure / there is no lackynge

Where that is mesure / hole is the body

Where that is mesure / good is the lyuynge

Where that is mesure / wysedome is truely

2595

Where that is mesure / werke is dyr[e]ctly dyrectly] dyrcctly 1517

Where that is mesure / nature [i]s werkynge nature is] natures all texts

Nature encreaseth by ryght good knowlegynge

Where lakketh mesure / there is no plente

Where lakketh mesure / seke is the courage

2600

Where lakketh mesure / there is iniquyte

Where lakketh mesure / there is grete outrage

Where lakketh mesure / is none aduauntage

Where lakketh mesure / there is grete glotony

Where lakketh mesure / is moost vnhappy

2605

For there is no hye nor grete estate

Withoute mesure can kepe his dygnyte

ref.ed: 101

sig: I3

It doth preserue hym both erly and late

Kepynge hym frome the pytte of pouerte

Mesure is moderate to all bounte

2610

Gretely nedefull for to take the charge

Man for to rule that he go not at large

Who loueth mesure can not do amys

So perfytely is the hygh operacyon

Amonge all thynges so wonderfull it is

2615

That it is full of all delectacyon

And to vertue hath inclynacyon

Mesure also dooth well exemplefye

The hasty dome to swage and modefye

Without mesure / wo worthe the Iugement

2620

Without mesure / wo worth the temperaunce

Without mesure / wo worth the punysshement

Without mesure / wo worthe the purueyaunce

Without mesure / wo worthe the sustenaunce

Without mesure / wo worth the sadnes

2625

And without mesure / wo worth the gladnes worth] worth he 1517

Mesure / mesurynge / mesuratly taketh

Mesure / mesurynge / mesuratly dooth all

Mesure / mesurynge / mesuratly maketh

Mesure / mesurynge / mesuratly guyde shall

2630

Mesure / mesurynge / mesuratly dooth call

Mesure / mesurynge / to ryght hye preemynence

For alway / mesure is ground[e] of excellence grounde] groundc 1517, grounde 1509, 1554, 1555

Mesure / mesureth / mesure / in effecte

Mesure / mesureth / euery quantyte

2635

Mesure / mesureth / all-way the aspecte

ref.ed: 102

sig: [I3v]

Mesure / mesureth / all in certayn[t]e all in certaynte] all in certayne 1517, all in certaynte 1509, in certaintie 1554

Mesure / mesureth / in the stabylyte

Mesure / mesureth / in euery doutfull case

And mesure is the lodesterre of all grace

2640

Affecte of mesure is longe contynuaunce

Quantyte without mesure is nought

Aspecte of mesure deuoydeth repentaunce

Certayn[t]e wolde weye all thynges thought Certaynte] Certayne 1517, Certaynte 1509

Stabylyte vpon a perfyte grounde is wrought

2645

Cace doutfull may yet a whyle abyde

Grace may in space a remedy prouyde

Countenaunce causeth the promocyon

Nought auayleth seruyse without attendaunce

Repentaunce is after all abusyon

2650

Thought afore wolde haue had perceueraunce

Wrought how sholde be by dede the myschaunce

Abyde nothynge tyll thou do the dede

Prouyde in mynde how thou mayst haue mede

Promocyon groweth after good gouernaunce

2655

Attendaunce doth attayne good fauoure

Abusyon is causer of all varyaunce

Perceyueraunce causeth the grete honoure

Myschaunce alway is rote of doloure

Dede done can not be called agayne

2660

Mede well rewarded bothe with Ioye and payne

Than I toke my leue and went frome geometry

Towarde astronomye as fast as I myght

For all my mynde was sette ryght inwardly

Vpon my lady that was fayre and bryght

ref.ed: 103

sig: I4

2665

My herte with her was bothe day and nyght

She had it locked with a lokke so sure

It was her owne she had therof the cure.

chapter xxii begins here in 1554, but is not indicated in 1509, 1517 or 1555

THan forthe I wente into a medowe grene

With flora paynted in many a sondry coloure

2670

Lyke a gay goddesse of all floures the quene

She encensed out her aromatyke odoure

The brethe of zepherus encreased the floure

A_myddes the medow fayre resplendysshaunt

Was a pauylyon ryght hye and quadraunt

2675

Of grene sarcenet bordred with golde

Where-in dyde hange a fayre astrologye

Whiche ofte astronomye dyde full well beholde

Vnto whome than I came full shortly

And kneled a_downe before her mekely

2680

Besechynge her of grete gentylnes

ref.ed: 104

sig: [I4v]

Of her scyence to shewe the perfytenes

My scyence sayd she it is ryght resonable

And is the last of the scyences seuen

Vnto man it is also ryght profytable

2685

Shewynge the course aboue of the heuen

Ryght merueylous for ony man to neuen

Who knewe astronomy at euery maner season

Myght set in order euery thynge by reason

Also the other .vj. scyences lyberall

2690

By astronomy pryncypally were founde

And one were lost they were vaynysshed all

Eche vpon other hath so sure a grounde

In all the worlde that is so wyde and rounde

Is none so wyse that can them multeply

2695

Nor knowe them all ryght well and surely

The hye astronomyer that is god omnypotent

That the fyrst day deuyded all the lyght

Frome the derkenes with his wyll prepotente

And the seconde day with his excellent myght

2700

The waters aboue he dyde deuyde aryght

Frome the erthely waters whiche are inferyall

The thyrde daye / herbes and fruytes in specyall

In erthe he planted for to haue theyr lyfe

By dyuers vertues and sundry growynge

2705

So to contynue and be vegytatyfe

And the [fourthe] day he sette in werkynge fourthe] thyrde 1517, fourthe 1554

The bodyes aboue to haue theyr mouynge

In the .xij. sygnes themselfe to domyfy

Some rethrogarde / and some dyrectly rethrogarde] rethrograde 1509

ref.ed: 105

sig: [I5]

2710

The fyfth day he dyde fysshes make

In the see the grete stormy flode

To and fro theyr courses for to take

And in the water for to haue theyr fode

Lyke to the same colde alway theyr blode

2715

The .vj. day bestes with [s]oules sensatyue soules] foules all texts

And man also with soule intellectyue

The seuenth day he rested of his werke

Nothynge constrayned as of werynes

As wryteth many a ryght famous clerke

2720

But that he had acomplysshe doutles acomplysshe] accomplished 1554

His purpensed purpose by infynyte prowes purpensed] purposed 1554

As to vs doth moost playnely dyscure

The perfyte grounde of holy scrypture

Thus god hymselfe is chyef astronomyer

2725

That made all-thynge accordynge to his wyll

The sonne the mone and euery lytell sterre

To a good intente and for no maner of yll

Withouten vayne he dyde all-thynge fulfyll

As astronomy doth make apparaunce

2730

By reason he weyed all thynges in balaunce.

¶Ca. xxiij.

ANd for-asmoche that he made nature

Fyrst of all to haue domynacyon

The power of her I shall anone dyscure

How that she taketh her operacyon

2735

And wher-vpon is her foundacyon

I symple and rude opprest with neclygence I] In 1517

Shall dyscryue the myght of her preemynence

ref.ed: 106

sig: [I5v]

For though that aungell be inuysyble

In_palpable and also celestyall

ref.ed: 107

sig: [I6]

2740

Withouten substaunce as in_cencyble Withouten] Without 1554

Yet haue they nature whiche is angelycall

For nature / naturynge / naturate made all

Heuen and erthe and the bodyes aboue

By course of nature for to werke and moue

2745

On man or beest without ony mys

She werketh dyrectly after the aspecte

Of the mater be it more or lesse ywys

And doth therof the hole fourme dyrecte

After the qualyte it doth take effecte

2750

Yf there be more than may one suffyse

A bye-membre she wyll than more deuyse

As that in vre ye may it dayly se

Vpon one hande some hath thombes twayne

And other also somtyme armes thre

2755

The superfluyte is cause therof certayne

Whiche that dame nature dooth constrayne

So for to do for she leseth noughte

Of the mater but hath it hooly wroughte

And in lykewyse where is not suffycyent

2760

Of the mater for the hole formacyon

There lacketh a membre by grete impedyment

So that there can be no perfyte facyon

As may be Iuged by perfyte reason

After the qualyte of thy mater lackynge

2765

So lacketh they of natures fourmynge

Some lacketh a legge / some an arme also

Some a fynger / and some more or lesse

All these causes with many other mo

ref.ed: 108

sig: [I6v]

Nature Werketh so dyrectly doutles

2770

Vp-on the mater as I do expresse

After the qualyte in many a sondry wyse

The kynde of her we ought nothynge despyse

Some be fayre and replete with grace

Some be fayre and yet ryghte vnhappy

2775

Some be foule and can sone purchace

Landes and possessyons to them shortly

Some be fooles and some be ryght wytty

Where-vpon I shall shewe a dyfference

Of the .v. wyttes by good experyence.

¶Ca. xxiiij.

2780

THe eyen / the eres and also the nose

The mouth and handes inwarde wyttes are none

But outwarde offyces as ye may suppose

To the inwarde wyttes whiche do Iuge alone

For vnto theym all thynges haue gone

2785

By these outwarde gates to haue the knowlegynge

By the inwarde wyttes to haue decernynge

These are the fyue wyttes remeuynge inward[l]y inwardly] inwardy 1517, inwardly 1509, 1554, 1555

Fyrst comyn wytte / and than ymagynacyon

Fantasy and / estymacyon truely

2790

And memory as I make narracyon

Eche vpon other hath occupacyon

Fyrst the comyn wytte vnto the front aplyde

Doth thynke decerne / it may not be denyde

Of the eyen the offyce onely is the syght

2795

To se the fayre the lowe or altytude

The whyte or blacke / the heuy or the lyght

The lytell or grete / the weyke / or fortytude

ref.ed: 109

sig: [I7]

The vgly fauoure or yet the pulcrytude

This is the vse of the eyene intere

2800

To se all thynges whiche may well appere

But of themselfe they can decerne nothynge themselfe] themselues 1554

One frome an-other / but the comyn wytte

Decer[n]eth colours by spyrytuall connynge

To the fyue inwarde wyttes it is so well knytte

2805

Nothynge is sene but it doth iuge it

It dooth decerne the g[o]od frome badnes good] god 1517, good 1554, 1555

The hye the lowe / the foule the fayrnes

The nose also euery ayre doth smell

But yet it hath nothynge auctoryte

2810

Yf it be swete for to Iuge and tell

But the comyn wytte dooth it in certaynte

Decernynge sauours in euery degre

Knowynge the swete ayre frome the stynkynge

Whan that the nose therof hath smellynge

2815

The eres also ryght well gyue audyence

Vnto a tale herynge it ryght perfytely

But they can not decerne the sentence

To knowe where-vpon it doth so ratyfy

Vpon grete wysedome or elles vpon foly

2820

Thus whether the tale be ryght good or bad

By the comyn wytte the knowlege is had

Foly hath eres as well as sapyence

But he can not determyne by his herynge

What tale it is for lacke of intellygence

2825

For the comyn wytte is all vnderstondynge

And that he lacketh to gyue hym knowynge

ref.ed: 110

sig: [I7v]

Wherfore the eres are but an intres

To the comyn wytte that sheweth the perfytnes

The mouth tasteth bothe swete and bytternes

2830

But the comyn wytte decerneth proprely

Yf it be soure or replete with swetenes

Nor yet the handes fele nothynge certaynly

But the comyn wytte decerneth subtelly

Whether it [b]e harde / moyst or of drynes be] he 1517, be 1509, 1554, 1555

2835

Hote / heuy softe or yet colde doutles

Thus comyn wytte werketh wonderly

Vpon the .v. gates whiche are receptatyue

Of euery thynge / for to take inwardly

By the comyn wytte to be affyrmatyue

2840

Or by decernynge to be negatyue

The comyn wytte the fyrst of wyttes all

Is to decerne all thynges in generall

And than secondly ymagynacyon

Whan the comyn wytte hath the thynge electe

2845

It werketh by all due inclynacyon

For to brynge the mater to the hole affecte

And fantasy than hath the hole aspecte

The ymagyned mater to brynge to fynysshement

With good desyre and inwarde Iugement

2850

And estymacyon doth well comprehende

The space / the place / and all the purueyaunce

At what tyme the power myghte entende

To brynge the cause vnto perfyte vtteraunce

Often it weyeth the cause in balaunce

2855

By estymacyon ony thynge is nombred

ref.ed: 111

sig: [I8]

By length or shortnes how it is accombred

Fyftely the mynde whan the fourth haue wrought

Retayne[th] all tyll the mynde haue made Retayneth] Retayned 1517, 1554, 1555, Retayneh 1509

An outwarde knowlege to the mater thought

2860

Bycause nothynge shall declyne and fade

It kepeth the mater nothynge rethrogarde

But dyrectly tyll the mynde haue proued

All suche maters whiche the .iiij. haue moued

Plauto the connynge and famous clerke

2865

That well experte was in phylosophy

Doth ryght reherce vpon natures werke

How that she werketh vpon all wonderly

Bothe for to mynysshe and to multeply

In sundry wyse by grete dyreccyon

2870

After the mater with all the hole affeccyon

In my natyf language I wyll not oppres oppres] expresse 1554

More of her werke for it is obscure

Who wyll therof knowe all the parfeytnes

In phylosophy he shall fynde it ryght sure

2875

Whiche all the trouthe can to hym dyscure

No man can attayne perfyte connynge

But by longe stody and dylygente lernynge.

¶Ca. xxv.

THe ryght hye power nature naturynge

Naturate made the bodyes aboue

2880

In sundry wyse to take theyr werkynge

That aboute the worlde naturally do moue

As by good reason the phylosophres proue

That the planettes and sterres instrumentes be

To natures werkynge in euery degre

ref.ed: 112

sig: [I8v]

2885

God gaue grete vertue to the planettes all

And specyally vnto depured Phebus

To enlumyne the worlde euer in specyall

And than the mone of her-selfe tenebrus

Made lyght with the beames gay and gloryous

2890

Of the sonne is fayre resplendysshaunte

In the longe nyght with rayes radyaunte

By these twayne euery thynge hath growynge

Bothe vegytatyfe and ce[ns]atyue also censatyue] cesnatyue 1517, censatyue 1554

And also intellectyue without lesynge

2895

No erthly thynge may haue lyfe and go

But by the planettes that moue to and fro

Whan that god sette them in operacyon

He gaue them vertu in dyuers facyon

Some hote and moyst and some colde and dry

2900

Some hote and drye moyst and colde

Thus euery one hath vertues sundry

As is made mencyon in the bokes olde

They shewe theyr power and werke many a folde

Man vpon them hath his dysposycyon

2905

By the naturate power of constellacyon

What sholde I wryte more in this mater hye

In my maternall tonge opprest with ignoraunce

For who that lyst to lerne astronomye

He shall fynde all fruytfull pleasuance

2910

In the latyn tongue by goodly ordenaunce

Wherfore of it I wyll no lenger tary

For fere frome trouthe that I happen to vary

Of dame astronomy I dyde take my lycence

ref.ed: 113

sig: K1

For to trauayle to the toure of chyualry

2915

For all my mynde with percynge influence

Was sette vpon the moost fayre lady

La_bell_pucell so moche ententyfly

That euery day I dyde thynke fyftene

Tyll I agayne had her swete persone sene

2920

TO you experte in the seuen scyence

Now all my maysters I do me excuse

Yf I offended by my grete neclygence

This lytell werke yet do ye not refuse

I am but yonge it is to me obtuse

2925

Of these maters to presume to endyte

But for my lernynge that I lyst to wryte

Vnder obedyence and the correccyon

Of you my maysters experte in connynge

I me submytte now with hole affeccyon

2930

Vnto your perfyte vnderstondynge

As euer more mekely to you inclynynge

With dylygent laboure now without doutaunce

To detray or adde all at your plesaunce

How graunde_amoure came to the toure of chyualry. ¶Ca. xxvj.

WHan clene aurora with her golden bemes

2935

Gan to enlumyne the derke cloudy ayre

And combust Dyane her grete fyry lemes

Amyddes of the bull began to reflayre

Than on my Iorney myselfe to repayre

With my verlet called attendaunce

2940

Forthe on I rode by longe contynuaunce

ref.ed: 114

sig: [K1v]

With my greyhoundes bothe grace and gouernaunce

Ouer an hyll and so downe in a valey

Amonge the thornes of grete encumbraunce

The goodley greyhoundes taught me on my wey

2945

So fourth I passed my troublous Iourney

Tyll that I came into a ryall playne

With flora paynted in many a sundry vayne

With purple colour the floures enhewed

In dyuers knottes with many one full blue

2950

The gentyll gelofer his odoure renued

With sundry herbes replete with vertue

Amonge these floures as I dyde ensue

Castynge my syght sodaynly so ferre

Ouer a toure I sawe a flambynge sterre

2955

Towarde this toure as I rode nere and nere

I behelde the rocke of merueylous altytude

On whiche it stode that quadra[n]te dyde appere

ref.ed: 115

sig: K2

Made all of stele of wonderous fortytude

Gargeylde with beestes in sundry symylytude

2960

And many turrettes aboue the toures hye

With ymages was sette full meruaylouslye

Towarde this toure forthe on my way I wente

Tyll that [I] came to a myghty fortresse I] all texts omit

Where I sawe hange a meruaylous instrumente

2965

With a shelde and helmet before the entres

I knewe nothynge therof the perfytenes

But at a uenture the instrumente I toke

And blewe so loude that all the toure I shoke

Whan the porter herde the hydeous sounde

2970

Of my ryght lusty and stormy blast

That made the walles therof to redounde

Full lyke a knyght that was nothynge agast

Towarde the gate he gaue hym-selfe to hast

And opened it and asked my name

2975

And for whens I came to certyfy the same

My name quod I is graunde_amoure

Of late I came fro the toure of doctryne

Where I attayned all the hygh honoure

Of the seuen scyences me to enlumyne

2980

And frome thens I dyde determyne

Forth to tr[a]uaylle to this toure of chyualry trauaylle] trouaylle 1517, trauaile 1509, 1554, 1555

Where I haue blowen this blast so sodaynly

Whan he herde this ryght gentylly he sayd

Vnto this toure ye must resorte by ryght

2985

For to renue that hath be longe decayd be] bene 1554

ref.ed: 116

sig: [K2v]

The floure of chyualry with your hole delyght

Come on your way it draweth towarde nyght

And therwithall he ledde me to his warde

Me to repose in plesaunt due saufgarde

2990

After the trauayle my-selfe for to ease

I dyde there rest than in all goodly wyse

And slepte ryght well without ony dysease

Tyll on the morow the sonne dyde aryse

Than vp I rose as was my perfyte guyse

2995

And made me redy into the courte to go

With my verlet and my grehoundes also

The gentyll porter named stedfastnes

Into the basse-courte on my way he brought he] me 1554

Where stode a toure of meruaylous hyghnes

3000

That all of Iasper full wonderly was wrought

As ony man can prynte in his thought

And foure ymages aboue the toure there were

On hors-backe armed and euery one a spere

These ymages were made full curyously

3005

With theyr horses of the stele so fyne

And eche of them in theyr places sundry

Aboute were sette that clerely dyde shyne

Lyke Dyane clere in her spere celestyne

And vnder eche horse there was full pryuely

3010

A grete whele made by crafty geometry crafty] craftly 1517, crafty 1554

With many cogges vnto whiche were tyed

Dyuerse cordes that in the horses holowe

To euery Ioynte full wonderly applyed

Whan the wheles went the horses dyde folowe

ref.ed: 117

sig: K3

3015

To trotte and galop both euen and morowe

Brekynge theyr speres and coude them dyscharge

Partynge asonder for to turney at large.

¶Ca. xxvij.

BEsyde this toure of olde foundacyon

There was a temple strongly edefyed

3020

To the hygh honoure and reputacyon

Of the myghty Mars it was so fortefyed

And for to know what it sygnyfyed

I entred in and sawe of golde so pure

Of worthy Mars the meruaylous pycture

3025

There was depaynted all aboute the wall

The grete dystruccyon of the cyte of troye

And the noble actes to reygne memoryall

Of the worthy Ector that was all theyr Ioye

His dolourous deth was herde to occoye

3030

And so whan Ector was cast all downe

The hardy Troylus was moost hyghe of renowne

And as I cast my syght so asyde

Beholdynge Mars how wonderly he stode

On a whele-top with a lady of pryde

3035

Haunced aboute I thought nothynge but good

But that she had two faces in one hode

Yet I kneled adowne and made myne oryson

To doughty Mars with grete deuocyon

Sayenge / O Mars / O god of the warre

3040

The gentyll lodesterre of an hardy herte

Dystyll adowne thy grace from so farre

To cause all fere frome me to asterte

That in the felde I may ryght well subuerte

ref.ed: 118

sig: [K3v]

The hedyus monsters / and wynne the vyctory

3045

Of the sturdy g[y]auntes with famous chyualry gyauntes] grauntes 1517, gyauntes 1554, giauntes 1555

O prynce of honoure and of worthy fame

O noble knyghtes of olde antyquyte

O redouted courage the causer of theyr name

Whose worthy actes fame caused to be

3050

In bokes wryten as ye may well se

So gyue me grace ryght well to recure recure] secure 1555

The power of fame / that shall longe endure

I thought me past all chyldly ygnoraunce

The .xxj. yere of my yonge flourynge aege

3055

I thought that Venus myght nothynge auaunce

Her strength agaynst me with her lusty courage

My wytte I thought had suche auauntage

That it sholde rule bothe Venus and Cupyde

But alas for wo for all my sodayne pryde.

3060

WHan that Phebus entred was in gemyne

Towarde the crabbe takynge ascencyon

At the tyme of the grete solempnyte

From heuen aboue of goddes descencyon

In a grete temple with hole entencyon

3065

As I went walkynge my-selfe to and fro

Full sodaynly Venus wrought me suche wo

For as I cast than my syght all a_lofte

I sawe Venus in beaute so clere

Whiche caused Cupyde with his darte so softe

3070

To wounde my herte with feruent loue so dere

Her louynge countenaunce so hygh dyde appere

That it me rauysshed with a sodayne thought

ref.ed: 119

sig: [K4]

Alas for wo it vayled me ryght nought

To gyue audyens vnto the melody

3075

Of waytes and organs that were at the fest

Loue had me wounded so sore inwardly

What was to do I knewe not the best

Replete with sorow and deuoyde of rest

Sythen the tyme that she my herte soo wounded

3080

My Ioy and pryde she hath full lowe confounded

And so now for to attayne her grace

As thou doost knowe become aduenturous

Besechynge the in this peryllous case

O Mars me socoure in tyme tempestyous

ref.ed: 120

sig: [K4v]

3085

That I may passe the passage daungerous

And to thy laude honoure and glorye

I shall a temple ryght strongly edefye

Well than sayd Mars I shall the fortefye

In all thy warre as fast as I canne

3090

But for thy payne I knowe no remedy

For Venus reyned whan that thou beganne

Fyrst for to loue makynge the pale and wanne

And of the trouthe to make relacyon

Thou was borne vnder her cons[tellati]on constellation] consolacyon 1517, constellation 1554

3095

Wherfore thou must of veray perfyte ryght

Vnto her sue by the dysposycyon

Whiche the constrayneth with hole delyght

For to loue ladyes by true affeccyon

Suche is her course and operacyon

3100

Wherfore whan thou hast lerned perfytely

The for to gouerne by prudent chyualry

Than to fulfyll thy ryght hye enterpryse

Forthe on thy way thou shalte thy Iorney take

Vnto a temple in all humble wyse

3105

Before dame Venus thyn oblacyon to make

Whiche all thy payne may sone redresse and slake

For at that tyme she holdeth a parlemente

To redresse louers of theyr Impedymente

Aha quod fortune with the faces twayne

3110

Behynde syr Mars / I haue a grete meruayle

That thou doost promyse hym that he shall attayne

Vnto his purpose with all dylygente trauayle

Through thyn ayd eke strength and counsayle

ref.ed: 121

sig: L1

Sythens dependeth in myn ordenaunce

3115

Hym to promote or brynge to myschaunce

My power / estate and ryall dygnyte

Doth torne the whele of worthely glorye

Often vp-so_downe by mutabylyte

Haue not I promoted full nobly

3120

Many a lowe degre to reygne full ryally

And often haue made a transmutacyon

Of worldly welthe in-to trybulacyon

Thus can I make an alteracyon

Of worthely honoure whiche doth depende

3125

All onely in my domynacyon

Through the worlde my whele doth extende

As reason doth ryght well comprehende

Of my grete chaunces whiche are vnsure

As dayly dooth appere well in vre

3130

Yf I sholde werke with perfyte stedfastnes

As to exalte some to be honourable

And that they knewe by perfyte sykernes

That it sholde dure and not be varyable

It were a thynge vnto me culpaple

3135

For grete orguell pryde sholde them so blynde

To knowe themselfe they sholde lose theyr mynde themselfe] themselues 1554

Thus whan that they sholde themselfe forgete themselfe] themselues 1554

And in no wyse theyr owne persone knowe

Full lytell than they wolde by me sette

3140

That them exalted to hye degre from lowe

And by my chaunce coude nought them ouerthrowe

Thus sholde they do and drede me nothynge

Wherfore my whele is euermore tournynge

ref.ed: 122

sig: [L1v]

And where that I sholde torne my face

3145

Castynge some in pytte of pouerte

They were condampned without ony grace

As for to attayne ony prosperyte

Whiche were a cause of grete iniquyte

For ryche mennes goodes I must ofte translate

3150

Vnto the pore them for to eleuate

And thyrdly I sholde lese my name

For this worde fortune is well derefyde

Of an accydent chaunce bothe good or shame chaunce] chaunge 1555

Whan that the dede is so exemplefyde

3155

Wherfore by reason I must be duplyfyde

And nothynge stable in myn hye werke

As wryteth many a ryght noble clerke

Therfore by reason I must be mutable

And torne my whele ryght oft vp-so_downe

3160

Labourynge in werkes whiche are vnstable

On some to laugh and on some I must frowne

Thus all aboute in euery realme and towne

I shewe my power in euery sundry wyse

Some to descende and on some to aryse

3165

Wherfore my power doth ryght well excell

Aboue the Mars in thyn house enclosed

For to rule man thou hast power neueradell

Saue after the somwhat he is dysposed

Thy consolacyon hath hym so apposed consolacyon] constelation 1554

3170

Who vnder the taketh his natyuyte

Yet god hath gyuen hym power to rule the

Wherfore I am of a ferre hyer power

ref.ed: 123

sig: L2

Than thou arte for there is no defence

Agaynst my wyll at ony tyme or houre

3175

And in my name there is a d[if]ference difference] deference 1517, difference 1554, 1555

For in these wordes i[s] my magnyfycence is] in all texts

Predestynate and also desteny

As I shall shewe anone more formably

Predestynate dooth ryght well sygnyfy

3180

A thynge to come whiche is prepayred

None but god doth knowe it openly

Tyll that the dede cause it be declared cause it be] cause it to be 1554, caused to be 1555

For many a one whan they well fared

Full lytell thought than trybulacyon

3185

To them was ordeyned by predestynacyon

The desteny is a thynge accydent

And by the werke dooth take the effecte

Tyll it be done it is ay precedent

No man from it can hymselfe abiecte

3190

Thus euery chaunce doth fortune derecte

Wherfore by reason la_graunde_amoure

Must sue vnto me to do hym socoure

Aha quod Mars suche a one as thou

I neuer knewe byfore this season

3195

For thou thy-selfe doost so moche enpro[u]

Aboue the heuens by exaltacyon

But what for all thy commendacyon

Arte thou now ony-thynge substancyall

Spyrytuall or elles yet terrestryall

3200

How can a werke perfytely be grounded

But in th[ese] two and thou arte of those these] this 1517, 1509, these 1554, 1555; of] none of 1509

ref.ed: 124

sig: [L2v]

Wherfore for nought thou mayst be confounded

For nought in substaunce can nothynge transpose

Of none effecte thou canst thy-selfe dysclose

3205

How hast thou power in ony maner of case

In heuen or erthe without a dwellynge-place

But that poetes hath made a fygure

Of the for th[y] grete sygnyfycacyon thy] the 1517, 1509, 1555

The chaunge of man so for to dyscure chaunge] chaunce 1554

3210

Accordynge to a moralyzacyon

And of the trouth to make relacyon

The man is fortune in the propre dede in the] in his 1554

And not thou that causeth hym to spede

What nedeth hym vnto hi[m]-selfe to sue him selfe] his selfe 1517, him selfe 1554

3215

Sythen thou art the dedes of his chaunce

Thou to rule man it is a thynge not true

Now where-vpon doth hange this ordenaunce

But accedent vpon the gouernaunce

Of the hye bodyes whiche doth man dyspose

3220

The dede to do as hym lyst purpose

Chapter xxviii begins here in 1554, but is unindicated in other texts

TO here of Mars the meruaylous argument

And of fortune I was sore amased

Tyll that I sawe a lady excellent

Clerely armed vpon whome I gased

3225

And her armes full preuely I_blased

The shelde of golde as I well vnderstande

With a lyon of asure through passande

To me she came with lowely countenaunce

And bad me welcome vnto that mancyon

3230

Ledynge me forthe with Ioy and plesaunce

ref.ed: 125

sig: L3

Into an hall of meruaylous facyon

Ryght strongly fortyfyed of olde foundacyon

The pyllours of yuory garnysshed with golde

With perles sette and broudred many a folde

3235

The flore was paued with stones precyous

And the rofe was braunched curyously

Of the beten golde both gay and gloryous

Knotted with pomaunders ryght swetely

Encencynge out the yll odours mysty

3240

And on the walles ryght well dyde appere

The sege of Thebes depaynted fayre and clere

There were knyghtes playenge at the chesse

Whiche sawe Mynerue lede me in the hall

They lefte theyr play and all theyr besynesse

3245

And welcomed me ryght gentely withall

With syr Nurture than moost in specyall

Accompanyed of his brother curtesy

They made me chere than full effectually

And after that they brought me vp a stayre

3250

In-to a chambre gayly gloryfyed

And at the dore there stode a knyght ryght fayre

Yeclypped trouthe ryght clerely purefyed

His countenaunce was ryght well modyfyed

To me he sayde that before myn entres

3255

Hym for to loue I sholde hym promes

Of ryght he sayd I haue in custody

This chambre dore of kynge Melyzyus

That no man entre in-to it wrongfully

Without me trouthe for to be chyualrous

ref.ed: 126

sig: [L3v]

3260

Here knyghtes be made to be vyctoryous

I shall you promyse quod I faythfully

You for to loue and serue perdurably

Abyde quod he I wyll speke with the kynge

Tell me your name and habytacyon

3265

And the chefe cause now of your comynge

That I to hym may make relacyon

To knowe his mynde without varyacyon

La_graunde_amoure my name is sayd I

The cause of my comynge intentyfly

3270

Is for bycause that I haue enterprysed

Now for the sake of fayre la_belle_pucell

To passe the passage whiche I her promysed

That is so daungerous with serpentes cruell

And for-asmoche as I knowe neueradell

3275

The feates of armes to attayne honoure

I am come to lerne with dylygent laboure

Than forthe he wente vnto the mageste

Of kynge Melyzyus the myghty conqueroure

Saynge O power so hye in dygnyte

3280

O prynce vyctoryous and famous Emperoure

Of Iustynge truely the or[y]gynall floure orygynall] orgynall 1517, orygynall 1509, originall 1554, 1555

One graunde_amoure wolde be acceptable

In your hye courte for to be tendable

With all my herte I wyll quod he accepte

3285

Hym to my seruyce for he is ryght worthy

For vnto doctryne the hye-way he kepte

And so frome thens to the toure of chyualry

He shall attayne grete actes wonderly

ref.ed: 127

sig: L4

Go on your way and brynge hym fast to me

3290

For I thynke longe hym to beholde and se

And than the good knyght trouthe incontynent

In-to the chambre so pure / soone me lede

Where sate the kynge so moche benyuolent

In purple clothed set full of rubyes rede

3295

And all the flore on whiche we dyde trede

Was crystall clere and the rofe at nyght

With [c]arbuncles dyde gyue a meruaylous lyght carbuncles] tarbuncles all texts

The walles were hanged with clothe of tyssue

Broudred with perles and rubyes rubyconde

3300

Myxte with emeraudes so full of vertue

And bordred abou[t] with many a dyamonde about] aboue 1517, about 1554

An heuy herte it wolde make Iocunde

For to beholde the meruaylous ryches

The lordeshyp / welthe / and the grete worthynes

3305

There sate Melyzyus in his hye estate

And ouer his heed was a payre of balaunce

With his crowne / and ceptre after the true rate

Of an-other wor[l]dly kynge for to haue gouernaunce worldly] wordly 1517, worldly 1509, 1554

In his hande a balle of ryght grete cyrcumstaunce

3310

Before whome than I dyde knele adowne

Saynge O Emperoure moost hygh of renowne

I the beseche of thyn haboundaunt grace

Me to accept in this courte the for to serue

So to contynue by longe tyme and space

3315

Of chyualry that I may now deserue

The ordre ryght and well it to obserue

For to attayne the hygh aduauntage

ref.ed: 128

sig: [L4v]

Of the enterpryse of my doughty vyage

Welcome he sayd to this courte ryall

3320

Mynerue shall arme you with grete dylygence

And teche you the feates of armes all

For she them knoweth by good experyence

In the olde tyme it was her scyence

And I my-selfe shall gyue you a worthy stede

3325

Called galantyse to helpe you in your nede

I humbly thanked his grete hyenes

And so to Mynerue I dyde than applye

Whiche dyde me teche with syker perfytnes

For to haunt armes ryght well and nobly

3330

Sapyence me ruled well and prudently

Thus amonge knyghtes for to Iust and tourney

Mynerue me taught in sundry wyse all day

It was a Ioyfull and a knyghtly syght

For to beholde so fayre and good a sorte

3335

Of goodly knyghtes armed clere and bryght

That I sawe there whiche dyde me well exorte

Armes to haunte with couragyous comforte

Mynerue me taught my strokes and defence

That in shorte space was no resystence

3340

Agaynst my power and myghty puyssaunce

To my wylfull herte was nought impossyble

I bare myselfe so without doubtaunce

My herte made my courage inuyncyble

Of whiche the trouthe was soone intellygyble

3345

With my behauynge before the preemynence

Of kynge Mylyzyus famous excellence

ref.ed: 129

sig: [L5]

Whiche ryght anone for dame Mynerue sent

And me also with syr trouthe to obey

We thought full lytell what the mater ment

3350

But vnto hym we toke anone the way

Entrynge the chambre so / fayre / clere and gay

The kynge vs called vnto his persone

Sayenge I wyll graunde_amoure anone

Truly make knyght for the tyme approcheth

3355

That he must haunt and seke aduenture

For La_bell_pucell as true loue requyreth

And fyrst of all began to me dyscure

The hyghe order how I sholde take in cure

And than anone he began to expresse

3360

What knyghthode was to perfyte sykernesse

Knyghthode he sayd was fyrst establysshed

The comyn-welthe in ryght to defende

That by the wronge it be not mynysshed

So euery knyght must truely condyscende

3365

For the comyn-welthe his power to entende

Agaynst all suche rebelles contraryous

Them to subdue with power vyctoryous

For knyghthode is not in the feates of warre

As for to fyght in quarell ryght or wronge

3370

But in a cause whiche trouthe can not defarre

He ought hymselfe for to make sure and stronge

Iustyce to kepe myxte with mercy amonge

And no quarell a knyght ought to take

But for a trouthe or for the comyns sake

3375

For fyrst good hope his legge harneys sholde be

ref.ed: 130

sig: [L5v]

His habergyon of perfyte ryghtwysnes

Gyrde fast with the gyrdle of chastyte

His ryche placarde sholde be good besynes

Braudred with almes so full of larges Braudred] Brodered 1554

3380

The helmet mekenes / and the shelde good fayth

His swerde goddes worde as saynt Poule sayth worde] wordes 1517, worde 1554, 1555

Also true wydowes he ought to restore

Vnto theyr ryght for to attayne theyr dower

And to vpholde and maynteyne euermore

3385

The welthe of maydens with his myghty power

And to his souerayne at euery maner hower

To be redy true and eke obeysaunt

In stable loue fyxt / and not varyaunt

Thus after this noble and solempne doctryne

3390

He made m[e] knyght and gaue me in charge me] my 1517, me 1509, 1554, 1555

Vnto these poyntes ryght lowe to enclyne

And to stere well the frayle tumblynge barge

Ouer vaynglorye whan I sayle at large

Whan the wynde is ryght the barge can not fayle

3395

Vnto his purpose so with hardynes to sayle

I dyde well regystre in my remembraunce

Euery-thynge whiche he hathe to me tolde

And ryght anone in good resemblaunce

The kynge I thanked with courage ryght bolde

3400

Of his grete gyftes and grace many a folde

Whiche vnto me ryght openly he shewed

With golden droppes so lyberally indewed

I toke my leue of his ryght hye estate

And then Mynerue in-to the hall me brought

ref.ed: 131

sig: [L6]

3405

Accompanyed of trouthe my faythfull mate

Vs for to solace there lacked ryght nought

That ony man can prynte in his thought

The knyghtes all vnto theyr armes wente

To brynge me forwarde with a true entente

3410

And Mynerue armed me as she coude deuyse

And brought vnto me my fayre barbed stede

On whome I mounted in all goodly guyse

With shelde and spere as nothynge to drede

In ryght to fyght for to attayne my mede

3415

So with me went bothe my greyhoundes twayne

And good attendaunce my verlet certayne

The good knyght trouthe brought me on the way

Accompanyed than of syr fydelyte

With haute_courage betrapped fayre and gay

3420

With shynynge trappoures of curyosyte

And thenne also there rode forth with me

The sturdy knyght well named fortytude

With the noble veterane syr consuetude

And eke syr Iustyce and syr myserycorde

3425

Syr sapyence with good syr curteysy

With famous nurture / and than syr concorde

Accompanyed me full ryght gentylly

Oute of the castell rydynge ryally

And dame Mynerue the chyualreous goddes

3430

Dyde me endue then with herty hardynes

And whan we came in-to a goodly playne

Ryght of them all I toke my lycence

Me-thought it tyme that they tourne agayne

ref.ed: 132

sig: [L6v]

Vnto the kynge with all theyr dylygence

3435

I made myn othe with percynge influence

Vnto them all for to remayne full true

In stedfast loue all treason to eschue

Full lothe they were fro me to departe

Euery one of them as ye may vnderstande

3440

With salte teres full wofull was my harte

Whan all on rowe they toke me by the hande

Adyeu they sayd and grace with you stande

You for to ayde whan that you do fyght

And so they torned vnto the castell ryght

3445

And good dame Mynerue vnto me than sayde

Be not adredde of your hye entrepryse

Be bolde and hardy and nothynge afrayde

And rather deye in ony maner of wyse

To attayne honoure and the lyfe dyspyse

3450

Than for to lyue and to remayne in shame

For to dye with honoure it is a good name

Fare-well she sayd and be of good chere

I must departe I may no lenger tary

Ryde on your way the weder is full clere

3455

Seke your aduenture and loke ye not vary

Frome your hye ordre by ony contrary

And therwithall forthe on her way she rode

Ryght so dyde I whiche no lenger abode

With bothe my greyhoundes and my varlet

3460

Thrughe the playne and in-to wyldernes

And so alofte amonge the hylles gret

Tyll it was nyght so thycke of derkenes

ref.ed: 133

sig: [L7]

That of constraynt of veray werynes

We lyght adowne vnder an hyll-syde lyght] lighted 1554

3465

Vnto the day to rest vs there that tyde

And whan my page my helmet vnlaced

He layde it downe vnderneth my hede

And to his legge he my stede enbraced

To grase about whyle on the grase he fed the grase] the grasse 1554

3470

And than also his horse in lyke stede

With bothe our greyhoundes lyenge vs nere-by

And slouthe our hedes had caught so sodaynly

That all the nyght we slepte in good reste

Tyll agaynst day began to nese and cry nese] neye 1554

3475

My stede galantyse with a rorynge breste

And eke began to stampe full meruaylously

Whose hye courage awaked vs wonderly

And ryght anone we kest vp our eyes

Beholdynge aboue the fayre crystall skyes

3480

Seynge the cloudes rayed fayre and rede

Of Phebus rysynge in the oryent

And aurora her golden bemes sprede

Aboute the ayre clerely refulgent

Withouten mysty blacke encombremente

3485

Vp I arose and also my page

Makynge vs redy for to take our vyage.

¶Ca. xxix.

ANd so forth we rode tyll we sawe a_ferre

To vs came rydynge on a lytell nagge

A folysshe dwarfe nothynge for the warre

3490

With a hood / a bell / a foxtayle / and a bagge

In a pyed cote he rode brygge-a_bragge

ref.ed: 134

sig: [L7v]

And whan that he vnto vs drewe nye

I behelde his body and his vysnamye

His hede was grete betled was his browes

3495

His eyen holowe / and his nose croked

His [e]ryes brystled truely lyke a sowes eryes] bryes all texts

His chekes here / and god wote he loked here] heerie 1554

Full lyke an ape / here and there he tot[r]ed totred] toted all texts

With a pyed berde / and hangynge lyppes grete

3500

And euery tothe as blacke as ony gete

His necke shorte his sholders stode awry

His brest fatte and bolne in the wast

His armes grete with fyngers crokedly

His legges kewed he rode to me fast

3505

Full lyke a patron to be shaped in hast

Good euen he sayd and haue good day

Yf that it lyke you for to ryde meryly meryly] merely away 1554

Welcome I sayd I pray the now tell

Me what thou art and where thou doost dwell

3510

So the ych quod he whan I cham in kent

At home I cham though I be hyther sent

I cham a gentylman of moche noble kynne

Though Iche be cladde in a knaues skynne

For ther was one called peter_prate_fast

3515

That in all his lyfe spake no worde in wast

He wedde a wyfe that was called maude

I trowe quod I she was a gorgyous baude

Thou lyest quod he she was gentyll and good

She gaue her husbande many a furde hode

3520

And at his melys without ony mys

ref.ed: 135

sig: [L8]

She wolde hym serue in clenly wyse ywys

God loue her soule as she loued clennes clennes] clenlines 1554

And kepe her dysshes from all foulnes

Whan she lacketh cloutes without ony fayle lacketh] lacked 1554

3525

She wyped her dysshes with her dogges tayle

And they had yssue sym_sadle_gander

That for a wyfe in all the worlde dyde wander

Tyll at the last in the wynters nyght

By temmys he sayled and aryued a_ryght

3530

Amonge the nunnes of the grene cote

He wente to lande out of his prety bote

And wedde there one that was comen a_newe

He thought her stable and faythfull and trewe

Her name was Betres that so clenly was

3535

That no fylthe by her in ony wyse sholde pas

For in her lyfe that ony man coude spy

She let no ferte nor yet fyst truely

And bytwene them bothe they dyde gete a sone

Whiche was my fader that in Kent dyde wone

3540

His name was dauy_dronken_nole

He neuer dranke but in a fayre blacke boule

He toke a wyfe that was very fayre

And gate me on her for to be his ayre

Her name was alyson that loued nought elles

3545

But euer-more to rynge her blacke belles

Now are they deed all so mote I well thryue

Excepte my-selfe Godfrey_gobylyue

Whiche rode about a wyfe me to seke

But I can fynde none that is good and meke

3550

For all are shrewes in the worlde aboute

I coude neuer mete with none other route

For some deuylles wyll theyr husbondes bete

And tho that can not they wyll neuer lete

ref.ed: 136

sig: [L8v]

Theyr tonges cease but gyue thre wordes for one

3555

Fy on them all I wyll of them haue none

Who loueth ony for to make hym sadde

I wene that he become wors than madde

They are not stedfast nothynge in theyr mynde

But alway tornynge lyke a blast of wynde

3560

For lete a man loue them neuer so wele

They wyll hym loue agayne neuer a dele

For though a man all his lyfe certayne

Vnto her sue to haue release of payne

And at the last she on hym do rewe

3565

Yf by fortune there come an-other newe

The fyrst shall be clene out of her fauoure

Recorde of Creseyd and of Troylus the doloure

They are so subtyll and so false of kynde

There can no man wade beyonde theyr mynde

3570

¶Was not Arystotle for all his clergy

For a woman rapt in loue so meruaylously

That all his connynge he had sone forgoten

This vnhappy loue had his mynde so broken

That euermore the salte teres downe hayled

3575

Whan the chaunce of loue he hymselfe bewayled

Aferde he was of the true loue to breke

For saynge nay whan he therof sholde speke

Tyll of constraynt of wofull heuynes

For to haue remedy of his sore sekenes

3580

Whan he her spyed ryght secrete alone

Vnto her he wente and made all his mone

Alas he sayde the cause of my wo

Myn onely lady and maystres also

Whose goodly beaute hath my herte enrached

3585

With feruent loue and fyry lemes entached

Wherfore take pyte of the paynfull sorowe

ref.ed: 137

sig: M1

Of me your seruaunt bothe euen and morowe

She stode ryght styll and herde what he sayd

Alas quod she be ye nomore dysmayde

3590

For I am contente to fulfyll your wyll

In euery maner be it good or yll

Of this condycyon that ye shall release

Me fyrst of wo and of my grete dystres

For I my-selfe haue thoughte many a day

3595

To you to speke / but for fere of a nay

I durst neuer of the mater meue

Vnto your persone leest it sholde you greue

Nay nay quod he with all my hole entente

I shall obey to your commaundemente

3600

Well than quod she I shall you now tell

How the case stondeth truely euerydell

For you knowe well that some women do longe

After nyce thynges be it ryght or wronge

Ryght so must I vpon your backe now ryde

3605

In your mouthe also a brydle you to guyde

And so a brydle she put in his mouthe

Vpon his backe she rode bothe northe and southe

Aboute a chambre as some c[l]erkes wene clerkes] cherkes all texts

Of many persones it was openly sene

3610

Lo what is loue that can so sore blynde

A phylosophre to brynge hym out of kynde

For loue dothe pas ony maner of thynge

It is harde and preuy in werkynge

So on the grounde Arystotle crepte

3615

And in his tethe she longe the brydle kepte

Tyll she therof had ynough [h]er fyll ynough her] ynougher 1517, inoughe her 1554

And yet for this he neuer had his wyll

She dyde nothynge but for to mocke and scorne

ref.ed: 138

sig: [M1v]

This true louer whiche was for loue forlorne

3620

But whan he knewe the poynt of the case

The fyry angre dyde his herte enbrace

That he hym-selfe dyde anone well knowe

His anger dyde his loue so ouerthrowe

And ryght anone as some poetes wryte

3625

He the grete mockage dyde her well acquyte

¶Dyde not a woman the famous Vyrgyle

By her grete fraude full craftely begyle

For on a day for his owne dysporte

To the courte of Rome he gan to resorte resorte] resporte 1517, resorte 1554, 1555

3630

Amonge the ladyes the tyme for to passe

Tyll at the last lyke Phebus in the glasse

So dyde a lady with her beaute clere

Shyne through his herte with suche loue so dere

Than of grete force he must nedes obey

3635

She of his mynde bare bothe the locke and kay

So was his herte sette vpon a fyre

With feruent loue to attayne his desyre

She had hym caught in suche a wyly snare

Grete was his payne and moche more his care

3640

To fynde a tyme whan it sholde be meued

To her of loue and he nothynge repreued

Thus euery day by ymagynacyon

In his mynde was suche perturbacyon

And at the laste he had founde a tyme

3645

Hym thought to speke and vnto hym no cryme Hym thought] He thought 1554

Mercy lady now in all humble wyse

To her he sayd for yf ye me dyspyse

So hath your beaute my true herte arayde

It is no meruayle though I be afrayde

3650

To you to speke yf that you deny

My purpose / truely I am marde vtterly

ref.ed: 139

sig: M2

So do I loue you with all my herte entere

With inwarde care I by your beauty dere

Must abyde with all my hole entent Must] I must 1517, 1554, 1555

3655

Of lyfe or dethe your onely Iugement

With fayned eres of perfyte audyence

She dyde hym here gyuynge this sentence

Vyrgyll she sayd I wolde fayne you ease

Of your trouble and of your grete dysease

3660

But I wote not how that it sholde be

Without tournynge vs to grete dyshoneste

Yf it be knowen / than bothe you and I

Shall b[e] reheyted at full shamefully be] by 1517, be 1554, 1555

But what for that I haue me bethought

3665

A praty crafte by me shall be wrought

Ye knowe my chambre Ioyneth to a wall

Beynge ryght hygh and a wyndowe withall

Soone at nyght whan all folke be at reste

I shall take a basket as me thynketh beste

3670

And therto I shall a longe corde well tye

And frome the wyndowe lete it downe pryuelye

Ryght so whan it is adowne on the grounde

Ye may well entre in it bothe hole and sounde

And my two maydens the whiche secrete be

3675

Shall anone helpe to hale you vp with me

Lo in this wyse you may haue ryght well

Your owne desyre in shorte space euery dell

At a .xj. of clocke in the nyght so derke

They dede appoynt for to fulfyll this werke

3680

He often thanked her grete gentylnes

And so departed with grete gladnes

And so he wente vnto his study

Passynge the tyme hym-selfe full merely

Tyll that the cloke dyde stryke aleuen

ref.ed: 140

sig: [M2v]

3685

Than to the wall he wente full euen

And founde the basket at the grounde a_redy

And entred into it full sodaynly

Waggynge the rope whiche the lady espyed

Whiche to the wyndowe ryght anone her hyed

3690

With her two maydens she dyde hym vp wynde

Amyddes the wall and lefte hym there behynde

That was fyue fadam and more frome the grounde fadam] fadom 1554, 1555

Whan hymselfe in suche a case he founde

Alas he sayd my owne lady saue

3695

Myn honeste and what ye lyst to haue

Ye shall haue it at your owne desyre

Now wynde me vp my herte is on fyre

Thou shalte quod she in that place abyde

That all the cyte so ryght longe and wyde

3700

May the beholde and the mater knowe

For myne honeste and thy shame I trowe

So there he hynge tyll none of the day hynge] hong 1555

That euery persone whiche went by the way

Myght hym well se and also beholde

3705

And vnto them the very cause she tolde

Lo how with shame she her loue rewarded

His payne and sorow she nothynge regarded

Thus at the last he adowne was brought

Replete with shame it vayled hym ryght nought

3710

Thus with grete angre he his loue confounded

Helynge the stroke whiche that she had wounded

And by his crafte he in Rome dyde drenche

Euery fyre / for he lefte none to quenche

And towarde Rome a grete [c]yrcuyte aboute cyrcuyte] tyrcuyte 1517, cyrcuyte 1509, circuite 1554, 1555

3715

There was no fyre that was vn_put oute

He at her buttockes set a brennynge cole

No fyre there was but at her ars-hole

ref.ed: 141

sig: M3

She torned her tout that was cryspe and fat

All about Rome dyde fetche theyr fyre therat

3720

One of an-other myght no fyre get

It wold not kyndle without he it fet

Frome her ars by the magykes art

She blewe the fyre whan she lete a fart

Thus euery man myght beholde and se

3725

With the lyght of fyre her praty preuyte

Thus all the cyte vpon her dyde wonder

For perfyte sorowe her herte was nere a_sonder

And thus Vyrgyll with crafty subtylnes

Rewarded her falshede and doublenes

3730

All this I tell though that I be a fole

To the yonge knyght for thou mayst go to scole

In tyme comynge of true loue to lerne

Beware of that for thou canst not decerne

Thy ladyes mynde though that she speke the fayre

3735

Her herte is false she wyll no trouthe repayre

Nay quod I they are not all dysposed

So for to do as ye haue here dysclosed

Aha quod he I trowe well ye be

A true louer so mote I thryue and the

3740

Lete not thy lady of thyn herte be rother

Whan thou arte gone she wyll soone haue another

Thus forthe we rode tyll we sawe a_ferre

A ryall toure as bryght as ony sterre

To whiche we rode as fast as we myght

3745

Whan we came there adowne my stede I lyght

So dyd this Godfrey_gobylyue also

In-to the temple he after me gan go

There sat dame Venus and Cupyde her sone

Whiche had theyr parlyament ryght newly begone

ref.ed: 142

sig: [M3v]

3750

To red[re]sse louers of theyr payne and wo redresse] redersse 1517, redresse 1554, 1555

Whiche in the temple dyde walke to and fro

And euery one his byll dyde present

Before Venus in her hygh parlyament

The temple of her ryall consystory

3755

Was walled all aboute with yuory

All of golde lyke a place solacyous

The rofe was made of knottes curyous

I can nothynge extende the goodlynes

Of her temple so moche of ryches

3760

This Godfrey_gobyleue wente lyghtly

Vnto dame sapyence the secretary

That dyde hym make this supplycacyon

To the goddes Venus with breuyacyon

O lady Venus of loue the goddes

3765

Redres my payne of mortall heuynes

I dyde ones wowe an olde mayden ryche

A foule thefe an olde wydred wyche

Fayre mayd I sayd wyll ye me haue

Nay syr so god me kepe and saue

3770

For you are euyll-fauoured and also vgly

I am the worse to se your vysnamy

Yet was she fouler many an hondred-folde

Than I my-selfe as ye may well beholde

And therwith-all he caused to depaynt

3775

His face and hers all vnder his complaynt

And to Venus he made delyueraunce

Of his complayn[t] by a shorte cyrcumstaunce complaynt] complayne 1517, complaint 1554, 1555

Whiche ryght anone whan she had it sene

Began to laugh with all the courte I wene

3780

Lo here the fygures of them both certayne

Iuge whiche is best-fauourde of them twayne.

ref.ed: 143

sig: [M4]

THus godfrey_gobyl[y]ue dyde make suche a sporte gobylyue] gobyloue 1517, gobylyue 1509, 1555, gobilyue 1554

That many louers to hym dyde resorte

Whan I sawe tyme I went to sapyence

3785

Shewynge to her with all my dylygence

How that my herte by Venus was trapte

With a snare of loue so preuely berapte

And in her toure to haue a dwellynge place

I seke aduentures to attayne her grace

3790

Her name quod I / la_belle_pucell is

Bothe est and west she is well kno[w]en ywys knowen] knoken 1517, knowen 1554, 1555

ref.ed: 144

sig: [M4v]

And my name la_graunde_amoure is called

Whose herte with payne she all aboute hath walled

With her beaute whiche dame nature create

3795

Aboue all other in moost hye estate

Well sayd sapyence I thynke in my mynde

Her loue and fauoure you shall attayne by kynde

And I wyll drawe to you incontynent

All your complaynt as is conuenyent

3800

Vnto dame Venus to se derectly

For your payne and sorowe soone a remedy

She drewe my pyteous lamentacyon

Accordynge to this supplycacyon.

¶Ca. xxx.

O Venus lady and excellent goddes

3805

O celestyall sterre hauynge the souerayn[ti]e souerayntie] souerayne 1517, souerayntie 1554, 1555

Aboue all other sterres as lady and prynces

As is accordynge vnto your deyte

Pleaseth it now your grete benygnyte

Vnto my complaynt for to gyue audyence

3810

Whiche brenne in loue with percynge vyolence brenne] burne 1554, 1555

For so it happed that the lady fame

Dyde with me mete and gan to expresse

Of a [f]ayre lady whiche had vnto name fayre] payre 1517, faire 1554, fayre 1555

La_belle_pucell come of hye noblesse

3815

Whose beauty clere and comly goodlynesse

Frome daye to daye doth ryght well ren[u]e

With grace brydled and with grete vertue

She tolde me of her fayre habytacyon

And of the wayes therto full daungerous

3820

Her swete reporte gaue exortacyon

ref.ed: 145

sig: N1

Vnto my herte for to be cour[a]gyous couragyous] courygyous 1517, couragyous 1509, couragious 1554, courigious 1555

To pas the passage harde and troblous

And to brynge me out of grete encumbraunce

She me delyuered bothe grace and gouernaunce

3825

So forthe we went to the toure of scyence

For to attayne in euery artyke poole

And fyrst doctryne by good experyence

Vnto dame gramer dyde sette me to scoole

Of mysty ygnoraunce to oppres the doole

3830

And so I ascended vnto dame logyke

And after her vnto lusty rethoryke

Tyll at the last at a feest solemply

To a temple I went dame musyke to here

Play on her organs with swete armony

3835

But than on-lofte I sawe to me appere

The floure of comforte the sterre of vertue clere clere] celere 1517, celre 1509, cleare 1554, clere 1555

Whose beaute bryght in-to my herte dyde passe

Lyke as fayre Phebus dooth shyne in the glasse

So was my herte by the stroke of loue

3840

With sorowe perst and with mortall payne perst] prest 1555

That vnneth I myght frome the place remoue

Where as I stode I was so take certayne

Yet vp I loked to se her agayne

And at auenture with a sory moode

3845

Vp than I went where as her persone stoode

And fyrst of all my herte gan to lerne

Ryght well to regyster in remembraunce

How that her beaute I myght than decerne

Frome toppe to too endued with pleasaunce

ref.ed: 146

sig: [N1v]

3850

Whiche I shall shewe withouten varyaunce

Her shynynge here so proprely she dresses

A_lof[t] her forhede with fayre golden tresses A_loft] A lofe 1517, Alofte 1509, Aloft 1554

Her forhede stepe with fayre browes ybente

Her eyen gray / her nose strayght and fayre

3855

In her whyte chekes the fayre blode it wente

As amonge the whyte the reed to repayre

Her mouthe ryght small her brethe swete of ayre

Her lyppes softe and rudy as a rose

No herte on-lyue but it wolde hym oppose

3860

With a lytell pytte in her well-fauoured chynne

Her necke longe and whyte as ony lyly

With vaynes blewe in whiche the blode ranne inne

Her pappes rounde / and therto ryght praty

Her armes sclender / and of goodly body

3865

Her fyngers small / and therto ryght longe

Whyte as the mylke with blewe vaynes amonge

Her feet propre she gartred well her hose

I neuer sawe so swete a creature

Nothynge she lacketh as I do suppose

3870

That is longynge to fayre dame nature

Yet more-ouer her countenaunce so pure

So swete / so louely wolde ony herte enspyre

With feruente loue to attayne his desyre

But what for her maners passeth all

3875

She is bothe gentyll good [and] vertuous and] 1517 omits, included in all other texts

Alas what fortune dyde me to her call

Without that she be to me pyteous

With her so fetred in paynes dolourous

ref.ed: 147

sig: N2

Alas shall pyte be frome her exyled

3880

Whiche all vertues hath so vndefyled

Thus in my mynde whan I had engraued

Her goodly countenaunce and fayre fygure

It was no wonder that I was amased

My herte and mynde she had so tane in cure

3885

Nothynge of loue I durst to her dyscure

Yet for bycause I was in her presence

I toke acquayntaunce of her excellence

My herte was drenched in grete sorowe depe

Though outwardly my countenaunce was lyght

3890

The inwarde wo in-to my herte dyde crepe

To hyde my payne it was grete force and myght

Thus her swete beaute with a sodayne syght

My herte hath wounded which must nedes obeye

Vnto suche a sorowe now alas welawaye

3895

For she is gone and departed ryght ferre

In her countre where she doth abyde

She is now gone the fayre shynynge sterre

O lady Venus I pray the prouyde

That I may after at the morowe-tyde

3900

And by the waye with herte ryght rygoryous

To subdue myn enemyes contraryous contraryous] to me contrarious 1554

And yet thy grace moost humbly I praye

To sende thy sone lytell Cupyde before

With louynge letters as fast as thou maye

3905

That she may knowe some-what of paynes sore

Whiche for her sake I suffre euermore

Now lady Venus with my hole entente

ref.ed: 148

sig: [N2v]

Of lyfe or dethe I byde thy Iugement

Well than sayd Venus I haue perseueraunce

3910

That you knowe somwhat of myghty power

Whiche to my courte sue for acquayntaunce

To haue release of your grete paynes sower

Abyde a whyle ye must tary the hower

The tyme renneth towarde ryght fast

3915

Ioy cometh after whan the sorowe is past

Alas I sayd who is fettred in chaynes

He thynketh longe after delyuera[unce] delyueraunce] delyueracyon 1517, deliueraunce 1554

Of his grete wo and eke mortall paynes

For who abydeth paynfull penaunce

3920

Thynketh a shorte whyle a longe contynuaunce

Who may not speke with her he loueth beste

It is no wonder thoughe he take no reste

Abyde quod she you must a whyle yet tary

Though to haue comforte ye ryght longe do thynke

3925

I shall prouyde for you a lectuary

Whiche after sorowe into your herte shall synke

Though you be brought now vnto dethes brynke

Yet drede exyle and lyue in hope and trust

For at the last you shall attayne your lust

3930

And specyally I gyue to you a charge

To fyxe your loue for to be true and stable

Vpon your lady and not to fle at large

As in sundry wyse for to be varyable

In corrupte thoughtes vyle and culpable

3935

Prepence nothynge vnto her dyshoneste

For loue dyshonest hath no certaynte

ref.ed: 149

sig: N3

And sythen that I was cause you begone begone] be gone 1555

Fyrst for to loue I shall a letter make

Vnto your lady / and sende it by my sone

3940

Lytell Cupyde / that shall it to her take

That she your sorowe may detray or slake

Her harded herte it shall well reuolue

With pyteous wordes that shall it desolue

And ryght anone as the maner foloweth maner] mater 1555

3945

She caused sapyence a letter to wryte

Lo what her fauoure vnto me auayleth

Whan for my sake she dyde so well endyte

As I shall shewe in a shorte respyte

The gentyll fourme and tenoure of her letter

3950

To spede my cause for to attayne the better.

¶The copy of the letter. Ca. xxxj.

RIght gentyll herte of grene flourynge age

The sterre of beaute and of famous porte

Consyder well that your lusty courage

Age of his cours must at the last transporte

3955

Now trouth of ryght dooth our-selfe exorte

That you your youth in ydlenes wyll spende

Withouten pleasure to brynge it to an ende

What was the cause of your creacyon

But man to loue the worlde to multeply

3960

As to sowe the sede of generacyon

With feruent loue so well conuenyently

The cause of loue engendreth perfytely

Vpon an entente of dame Nature

Whiche you haue made so fayre a creature

3965

Than of dame nature what is the entent

ref.ed: 150

sig: [N3v]

But to accomplysshe her fayre sede to sowe

In suche a place as is conuenyent

To goddes pleasure for to encrease and growe

The kynde of her ye may not ouerthrowe

3970

Say what ye lyst ye can nothynge deny

But otherwyle ye thynke full pryuely

What the man is and what he can do

Of chambre-werke as nature wyll agre

Though by experyence ye knowe nothynge therto

3975

Yet ofte ye muse and thynke what it may be

Nature prouoketh of her stronge degre

You so to as hath ben her olde guyse to] to do 1509

Why w[i]ll you than the true loue dyspyse will] well 1517, will 1554, wyll 1555

In our courte there is a byll presented our courte] cour ourte 1509, your courte 1517, our courte 1554

3980

By graunde_amoure whose herte in dures

You fast haue fetred not to be absented

Frome your persone with mortall heuynes

His herte and seruyce with all gentylnes

He to you oweth as to be obedyent

3985

For to fulfyll your swete commaundement

What you auayleth your beaute so fayre

Your lusty youthe and gentyll countenaunce and] and your 1554, 1555

Without that you in your mynde wyll repayre

It for to spende in Ioye and pleasaunce

3990

To folowe the trace of dame natures daunce

And thus in doynge you shall your seruaunt hele

Of his dysease / and hurte you neuer a dele

One must you loue it can not be denyed

For harde it is to voyde you of the chaunce

ref.ed: 151

sig: N4

3995

Than loue hym best that you haue so arayed

With fyry chaynes fettred in penaunce

For he is redy without doubtaunce

In euery thynge for to fulfyll your wyll

And as ye lyst ye may hym saue or spyll

4000

Alas what payne and mortall wo

Were it to you / and ye were in lyke cace

With hym dysmayde whiche you haue rayed so

Wolde you not than thynke it a longe space

In his swete herte to haue a dwellynge place

4005

Than in your mynde ye may reuolue that he

Moost longe do thynke that Ioyfull day to se

Is not he yonge bothe wyse and lusty

And eke descended of the gentyll lyne

What wyll you more haue of hym truly

4010

Than you to serue as true loue wyll enclyne

But as I thynke you do now determyne

To fyxe your mynde for worldly treasure

Though in your youth ye lese your pleasure

Alas remembre fyrst your beaute

4015

Your youthe / your courage / and your tender herte

What payne here-after it may to you be

Whan you lacke that whiche is true louers deserte

I tell you this your-selfe to conuerte

For lytell knowe ye of this payne ywys

4020

To lyue with hym in whome no pleasure is

Where that is loue there can be no lacke

Fye on that loue for the lande or substaunce

For it must nedes ryght soone abacke abacke] drawe abacke 1509

ref.ed: 152

sig: [N4v]

Whan that youth hath no Ioy nor pleasaunce

4025

In the party with natures suffycysaunce suffycyaunce] suffisaunce 1554

Than wyll you for the synne of au[aryce] auaryce] aueryche 1517, auaryce 1509

Vnto your youth do suche a preiudyce

Thus sythen nature hath you well endued

With so moche beaute / and dame grace also

4030

Your vertuous maners hath so moche renued

Exyle dysdayne and let her frome you go

And also straungenes vnto loue the fo vnto] and to 1555

And let no couetyse your true herte subdue

But that in Ioye ye may your youthe ensue

4035

For [I of] loue the goddes dame Venus I of] of I 1517, 1509, 1555

Ryght well [d]o knowe that in the worlde is none do] to 1517, 1509, 1555

That vnto you shall be more Ioyous

Than graunde_amoure that loueth you alone

Syth he so dyde it is many dayes agone

4040

Who-euer sawe a fayre yonge herte so harde

Whiche for her sake wolde se her true loue marde

And so shall he without ye take good hede

Yf he so be / ye be cause of the same

For loue with dethe wyll ye rewarde his mede

4045

And yf ye do ye be to moche to blame

To loue vnloued ye knowe it is no game

Wherfore me-thynke ye can do no lesse

But with your loue his paynes to redresse

Yf ye do not this may be his songe

4050

Wo worthe the tyme that euer he you met

Wo worthe your herte so doynge hym wronge

Wo worthe the houre that his true herte was set

ref.ed: 153

sig: [N5]

Wo worthe dysdayne that wolde his purpose let

Wo worthe the floure that can do no bote

4055

Wo worthe you that perst hym at the rote

Wo worthe my loue the cause of my sorowe

Wo worthe my lady that wyll not it releace

Wo worthe fortune bothe euen and morowe

Wo worthe trouble that shall haue no peace

4060

Wo worthe cruelte that may neuer sease

Wo worthe youthe that wyll no pyte haue

Wo worthe her that wyll not her loue saue

Wo worthe the truste without assuraunce

Wo worthe loue rewarded with hate

4065

Wo worthe loue replete with varyaunce

Wo worthe loue without a frendely mate

Wo worthe the herte with loue at debate

Wo worthe the beaute whiche toke me in snare

Wo worthe her that wyll not cease my care

4070

Wo worthe her maners and her goodlynes

Wo worthe her eyes so clere and amyable

Wo worthe suche cause of my grete sekenes

Wo worthe pyte on her not tendable

Wo worthe her mynde in dysdayne so stable

4075

Wo worthe her that hath me fettred faste

And wo worthe loue that I do spende in waste

Wherfore of ryght I pray you to remembre

All that I wryte vnto you ryght nowe

How your true loue is of aege but tendre

4080

His humble seruyce we pray you alowe

And he hym-selfe shall euermore enprowe

ref.ed: 154

sig: [N5v]

You for to please and gyue the soueraynte

How can you haue a more true loue than he

And fare ye well there is no more to say

4085

Vnder our sygnet in our courte ryall

Of Septembre the two and twenty day

She closed the letter and to her dyde call

Cupyde her sone so dere and specyall

Commaundynge hym as fast as he myght

4090

To la_bell_pucell for to take his flyght

So dyde Cupyde with the letter flye

Vnto la_bell_pucelles domynacyon

There that he spedde full well and wonderlye

As I shall after make relacyon

4095

But to my mater with breuyacyon

A turtle I offred for to magnefye

Dame Venus hye estate to gloryfye

She me exorted for to be ryght hardy

Forthe on to trauayle and to drede nothynge

4100

I toke my leue of her full humbly

And on my way as I was rydynge

This Godfrey_gobylyue came rennynge

With his lytell nagge and cryed tary tary

For I wyll come and bere you company

chapter xxxii begins in 1554, but unindicated in other texts

4105

ANd for bycause that I was than full sadde

And by the waye he made me good game

To haue his company I was somwhat gladde

I was not proude I toke of hym no shame

He came to me and sayd ye are to blame

4110

So to ryde lourynge for a womans sake

ref.ed: 155

sig: [N6]

Vnto the deuyll I do them all betake

¶They be not stedfast but chaunge as the mone

Whan one is gone they loue an-other sone

Who that is syngle and wyll haue a wyfe

4115

Ryght out of Ioye he shall be brought in stryfe

Thus whan Godfrey dyde so mery make

There dyde a lady vs sone ouer-take

And in her hande she had a knotted whyppe

At euery yerte she made Godfrey to skyppe yerte] yerke 1554

4120

Alas he sayd that euer I was borne

Now am I take for all my mocke and scorne

I loked about whan that I herde hym crye

ref.ed: 156

sig: [N6v]

Seynge this lady on her palfray ryde hye

Madame I sayd I pray you me tell

4125

Your propre name and where that ye dwell

My name quod she is called correccyon

And the toure of chastyse is my mancyon

This stronge thefe called false_reporte

With vylayne_courage and an-other sorte

4130

And vyle_perlers false_coniecture

All these I had in pryson full sure

But this false_reporte hath broken pryson

With his subtyll crafte and euyll treason

And this Iourney pryuyly to spede

4135

He hath cladde hym in this foles wede

Now haue I answered you your questyon

And I pray you of a lyke solucyon

You seme me-thynke for to be a knyght

I pray you tell me fyrst your name a_ryght

4140

My name quod I is la_graunde_amoure

A well quod she you are the perfyte floure

Of all true louers as I do well knowe

You shall atteyne la_belle_pucell I trowe

I knowe ryght well ye are aduenturous

4145

Onwarde your way to the toure peryllous

And for-asmoche as the nyght is nere

I humbly pray you for to take the chere

That I may make you in my toure this nyght

It is here-by you shall of it haue syght

4150

And I pray you to helpe me to bynde

This false_reporte as you sholde do by kynde

What Godfrey quod I wyll ye chaunge your name

Nay nay quod he it was for no shame

But alas for wo that she hath me taken

4155

I must obey it can not be forsaken

ref.ed: 157

sig: [N7]

His fete were fettred vnder-nethe his nagge

And bounde his handes behynde to his bagge

Thus correccyon with her whyp dyde dryue

The lytell nagge with Godfrey_gobylyue

4160

Tyll at the last we gan to approche

Her ryall toure vpon a craggy roche

The nyght was come for it was ryght late

Yet ryght anone we came vnto the gate

Where we were lete in by dame mesure

4165

That was a fayre and a goodly creature

And so correccyon brought me to the hall

Of gete well wrought glased with crystall

The rofe was golde and a_myddes was sette

A carbuncle that was large and grette

4170

Whose vertue clere in the hall so bryght

About dyde cast a grete meruaylous lyght

So forthe we wente in-to a chambre fayre

Where many ladyes dyde them-selfe repayre them selfe] them selues 1554

And at our comynge than incontynent

4175

They welcomed vs as was conuenyent

But of correccyon they were very gladde

Whiche false_reporte agayne taken hadde

There was quene Panthasyle with penalape

Quene Helayne / and quene menalape

4180

Quene Ithesyle and quene procerpyne

The lady Meduse and yonge Polyxyne

With many mo that I do not reherce

My tyme is shorte I must fro them reuerce

And dame correccyon into a chambre ledde

4185

Me ryght anone for to go to my bedde

What nede I shewe of my grete chere and rest

I wanted nought but had all of the best

And so I slepte tyll that aurora clere

ref.ed: 158

sig: [N7v]

Began to shyne a_myddes her golden spere

4190

Than vp I rose and my verlet also

Whiche made me redy and to my stede dyde go

And dame correccyon at this morowe-tyde

Dyde me entrete a whyle to abyde

And ryght anone my brekefast was brought

4195

To make me chere there wanted ryght nought

And after this dame correccyon

Dyde lede me to a meruaylous dongeon

And fyrst she ledde me to the vpper warde

Where shamefastenes dyde vs well regarde

4200

For he was Iayler and had at his charge

Euery rebell not for to go at large

In the fyrst warde there wente to and fro

Bothe men and women that myght no ferther go

But yet they hoped for to haue releue

4205

Of theyr impryson whiche dyde them so greue

These prysoners whan true loue was meued

They wolde dryue of and not release the greued

And for this cause by egall Iugement

Lyke as they dyde here ha[ue] they punysshement haue] hath 1517, haue 1554

4210

And shamefastnes lower dyde vs brynge

Where we sawe men that were in tormentynge

With many ladyes that theyr mouthes gagged

And fals_reporte on me his heed wagged

Than ryght anone a lady gan to scrape

4215

His furde tonge that he cryed lyke an ape

And vyle_peller in lyke wyse also

His tonge was scraped that he suffred wo

And yet we wente in-to a deper vale

Where I sawe men that were in grete bale

4220

In holly busshes they dyde hange a_lofte

Theyr hedes downewarde for to fall vnsofte

ref.ed: 159

sig: [N8]

And two ladyes dyde theyr bodyes bete

With knotted whyppes in the flesshe to frete

That the desyre it sholde sone a_swage

4225

And specyally of the vylayne_courage

These men with sugred mouthes so eloquente

A madyens herte coude ryght soone relente

And these yonge maydens for to take in snare

They fayne grete wo and for to suffre care

4230

The folysshe maydens dyde byleue they smarted

That to theyr wyll the men them conuerted

Thus whan that they had them so begyled

And with theyr fraude these maydens defyled

They cast them of they toke no lenger kepe

4235

Go where ye lyst though they crye and wepe

Therfore these ladyes with theyr whyppes harde

Theyr bodyes bete that theyr bodyes hath marde

And euery man as he hath deserued

A payne there is whiche is for hym obserued

4240

Thus whan I had all the pryson sene

With the tourmente of many a one I wene

And forthe we wente agayne to the hall

My stede was redy and brought to the wall

And of the ladyes clere in excellence

4245

I toke my leue with all due reuerence

And thanked correccyon with my herte entere

Of my repose and of her louynge chere

To me she sayd remembre you well

Of the swete beaute of La_belle_pucell

4250

Whan you her herte in fettres haue chayned

Lete her haue yours in lyke wyse retayned

Loke that your herte / your worde / and countenaunce

Agre all in one withouten varyaunce

Yf she for pyte do release your payne

ref.ed: 160

sig: [N8v]

4255

Consyder it and loue her best agayne

Be true and secrete and make none aduaunte

Whan you of loue haue a perfyte graunte

And yf ye wyll come vnto your wyll

Bothe here and se and than holde you styll

4260

Drede you nothynge but take a good herte

For ryght soone after you frome hens departe

Ryght hygh aduentures vnto you shall fall

In tyme of fyght vnto your mynde than call

Yf you preuayle you shall attayne the fame

4265

Of hye honoure to certefye the same

And therwith I lyght vpon my stede

Madame I sayd I pray god do you mede

Fare-well she sayd for you must now hens

Adue quod I with all my dylygens.

¶How graunde_amoure dyscomfyted the gyaunt with thre hedes and was receyued of thre fayre ladyes. ¶Ca. xxxiij.

ref.ed: 161

sig: O1

4270

WHan golden Phebus in the Caprycorne

Gan to ascende fast vnto aquary

And Ianus_byfrus the crowne had worne

With his frosty berde in Ianuary

Whan clere Dyana Ioyned with mercury

4275

The crystyall ayre and asured fyrmamente

Were all depured without encumbremente

Forthe than I rode at myne owne aduenture

Ouer the mountaynes and the craggy rockes

To beholde the countrees I had grete pleasure

4280

Where corall growed by ryght hye stockes

And the popyngayes in the tre-toppes

ref.ed: 162

sig: [O1v]

Than as I rode I sawe me beforne

Besyde a welle hange bothe a shelde and a horne

Whan I came there / adowne my stede I lyght

4285

And the fayre bugle I ryght well behelde

Blasynge the armes as well as I myghte

That was so grauen vpon the goodly shelde

Fyrst all of syluer dyde appere the felde

With a rampynge lyon of fyne golde so pure

4290

And vnder the shelde there was this scrypture

Yf ony knyght that is aduenturous

Of his grete pryde dare the bugle blowe

There is a gyaunte bothe fyerce and rygoryous

That with his myght shall hym soone ouerthrowe

4295

This is the waye as ye shall now knowe

To la_belle_pucell but withouten fayle

The sturdy gyaunte wyll gyue you batayle

Whan I the scrypture ones or twyes hadde redde

And knewe therof all the hole effecte

4300

I blewe the horne without ony drede

And toke good herte all fere to abiecte

Makynge me redy for I dyde suspecte

That the grete gyaunte vnto me wolde hast

Whan he had herde me blowe so loude a blast

4305

I alyght anone vpon my gentyll stede

Aboute the well then I rode to and fro

And thought ryght well vpon the Ioyfull mede

That I sholde haue after my payne and wo

And of my lady I dyde thynke also

4310

Tyll at the last my varlet dyde me tell

ref.ed: 163

sig: O2

Take hede quod he here is a fende of hell

My greyhoundes leped and my stede dyde sterte

My spere I toke and dyde loke aboute

With hardy courage I dyde arme my herte

4315

At last I sawe a sturdy gyaunte stoute

Twelue fote of length to fere a grete route

Thre hedes he had and he armed was

Bothe hedes and boody all aboute with bras boody] bodye 1554

Vpon his fyrst hede in his helmet creest

4320

There stode a fane of the sylke so fyne

Where was wryten with letters of the best

My name is falshed I shall cause enclyne

Myn neyghboures goodes for to make them myne

Alwaye I gete theyr lande or substaunce

4325

With subtyll fraude deceyte or varyaunce

And whan a knyght with noble chyualry

Of la_belle_pucell sholde attayne the grace

With my grete falshed I werke so subtylly

That in her herte he hath no dwellynge place he] she 1517

4330

Thus of his purpose I do lete the cace

This is my power and my condycyon

Loue to remoue by a grete yllusyon

And of the seconde hede in a sylken tassell

There I sawe wryten ymagynacyon

4335

My crafty wytte is withouten fayle

Loue for to brynge in perturbacyon

Where la_belle_pucell wolde haue affeccyon

To graunde_amoure I shall a tale deuyse

To make her hate hym and hym to despyse

ref.ed: 164

sig: [O2v]

4340

By my fals wytte so moche ymagynatyfe

The trouthe full ofte I brynge in dysease

Where-as was peas I cause to be stryfe

I wyll suffre no man for to lyue in ease

For yf by fortune he wyll [m]e dysplease me] be all texts

4345

I shall of hym ymagyn suche a tale

That out of Ioy it shall torne in-to bale

And on the thyrde hede in a stremer grene

There was wryten my name is pariury

In many a towne I am knowen as I wene wene] wend 1554

4350

Where as I lyst I do grete Iniury

And do forswere my-selfe full wrongfully

Of all thynges I do hate conscyence

But I loue lucre with all dylygence

Betwene two louers I do make debate

4355

I wyll so swere that they thynke I am true

For euer falshed with his owne estate

To a lady cometh and sayth to eschewe

An inconuenyence that ye do not rue

Your loue is nought ymagynacyon knoweth

4360

I swere in lykewyse and anone she troweth

That we haue sayd is of veray trouthe

Her loue she casteth ryght clene out of mynde

That with her loue she is wonderly wrothe

With fayned kyndnes we do her so blynde

4365

Than to her louer she is full vnkynde

Thus our thre powers were Ioyned in one

In this myghty gyaunt many dayes a_gone

And whan that I had seen euery-thynge

ref.ed: 165

sig: [O3]

My spere I charged that was veray grette

4370

And to this gyaunt so fyersly comynge

I toke my course that I with hym mette

Brekynge my spere vpon his fyrst helmet

And ryght anone adowne my stede I lyght

Drawynge my swerde that was fayre and bryght

4375

Yclypped Claraprudence that was fayre and sure

At the gyaunte I stroke with all my valyaunce

But he my strokes myght ryght well endure

He was so grete and huge of puysaunce

His glayue he dyde agaynst me aduaunce

4380

Whiche was .iiij. fote and more of cuttynge

And as he was his stroke dyschargynge

Bycause his stroke was heuy to bere

I lepte a_syde frome hym full quyckely

And to hym I ranne without ony fere

4385

Whan he had dyscharged agayne full lyghtly

He rored loude and sware I sholde abye

But what for that I stroke at hym fast stroke] strake 1554

And he at me but I was not agast

But as he faught he had a vauntage

4390

He was ryght hye and I vnder hym lowe

Tyll at the last with lusty courage

Vpon the syde I gaue hym suche a blowe

That I ryght nere dyde hym ouerthrowe

But ryght anone he dyde his myght enlarge

4395

That vpon me he dyde suche strokes dyscharge

That I vnneth myght make resystence

Agaynst his power for he was so stronge

ref.ed: 166

sig: [O3v]

I dyde defende me agaynst his vyolence

And thus the batayle dured full ryght longe

4400

Yet euermore I dyde thynke amonge

Of la_belle_pucell whome I sholde attayne

After my batayles to release my payne

And as I loked I sawe than auale

Fayre golden Phebus with his beames rede

4405

Than vp my courage I began to hale

Whiche nyghe before was agone and dede

My swerde so entred that the gyaunt blede

And with my strokes I cut of anone

One of his legges amyddes the thye-bone

4410

Than to the grounde he adowne dyde fall

And vpon me he gan to loure and glum

Enforcynge hym so for to ryse with-all

But that I shortely vnto hym dyde cum

With his thre hedes he spytte all his venum

4415

And I with my swerde as fast as coude be

With all my force cut of his hedes thre

Whan I had so obtayned the vyctory

Vnto me than my varlet well sayd

You haue demeaned you well and worthely

4420

My greyhoundes lepte and my stede than brayde

And than frome ferre I sawe well arayde

To me come rydynge thre ladyes ryght swete

Forthe than I rode and dyde with them mete

The fyrst of them was called veryte

4425

And the seconde good_operacyon

The thyrde also clypped fydelyte

ref.ed: 167

sig: [O4]

All they at ones with good opynyon

Dyde gyue to me grete laudacyon

And me beseched with theyr herte entere

4430

With them to rest and to make good chere

I graunted them and than backewarde we rode

The myghty gyaunte to se and beholde

Whose huge body was more than fyue carte lode

Whiche lay there bledynge that was almoost colde

4435

They for his dethe dyde thanke me many a folde

For he to them was enmy mortall

Wherfore his thre hedes they toke in specyall

And than veryte on the fyrst fane

Dyde sette a_lofte of falshode the hede

4440

And good_operacyon in lykewyse had tane

Of ymagynacyon that full sore than bledde

Vpon his hede alofte vpon his baner rede

And in lyke wyse fydelyte had serued

Periuryes hede as he had well deserued

4445

And with swete songes and swete armony

Before me they rode to theyr fayre castell

So forthe I rode with grete Ioy and glory

Vnto the place where these ladyes dyde dwell

Sette on a rocke besyde a sprynge or a well

4450

And fayre obseruaunce the goodly portres

Dyde vs receyue with solempne gladnes

Than to a chambre that was very bryght

They dyde me lede for to take myn ease

After my trouble and my grete sturdy fyght

4455

But thre woundes I had causynge my dysease

ref.ed: 168

sig: [O4v]

My payne and wo they dyde soone appease

And heled my woundes with salue aromatyke

Tellynge me of a grete gyaunt lunatyke

Whose name truely was called varyaunce

4460

Whome I sholde mete after my departynge

These ladyes vnto me dyde grete pleasaunce

And in meane-whyle as we were talkynge

For me my souper was in ordenynge

Thus whan by temper[a]unce it was prepared temperaunce] temperunce 1517, temperaunce 1509, 1554, 1555

4465

And than to it we wente and ryght well fared

Tell me quod veryte yf you be content

What is your name so hye aduenturous

And who that you in-to this coste hath sent

Madame I sayd I was so amorous

4470

Of la_belle_pucell so fayre and beauteuous

la_graunde_amoure truely is my name

Whiche seke aduentures to attayne the fame fame] same 1509

Aha quod she I thought as moche before

That you were he for your grete hardynes

4475

La_belle_pucell must loue you euermore

Whiche for her sake in your hye nobles

Dooth suche actes by chyualrous exces

Her gentyll herte may nothynge deny

To rewarde your mede with loue full feruently

4480

Thus dyde we passe tyme in all maner of Ioye

I lacke[d] nothynge that myght make me solace lacked] lacketh 1517, 1555, lacked 1509, 1554

But euermore as noble Troylus of Troye

Full ofte I thought on my fayre ladyes face

And her to se / a moche lenger space

ref.ed: 169

sig: P1

4485

Whan tyme was come to rest I was brought

All to me longynge there lacked ryght nought

What sholde I wade by perambulucyon

My tyme is shorte and I haue ferre to sayle

Vnto the lande of my conclusyon

4490

The wynde is eest ryght slowe without fayle

To blowe my shyppe of dylygent trauayle

To the laste ende of my mater troublous

With wawes enclosed so tempestyous

Ryght in the morowe whan Aurora clere

4495

Her radyaunt beames began for to sprede

And splendent Phebus in his golden spere

The crystall ayre dyde make fayre and rede

Derke Dyane declynynge pale as ony lede

Whan the lytell byrdes swetely dyde synge

4500

Laudes to theyr maker erly in the mornynge

¶Ca. xxxii[i]j.

xxxiiij] xxxiij 1517, xxx.iiii 1545, 1555

VP I arose and dyde make me redy

For I thought longe vnto my iourneys ende

My greyhoundes lepte on me ryght meryly

To chere me forwarde they dyde condyscende

4505

And the thre ladyes my chere to amende

A good brekefast dyde for me ordayne

They were ryght gladde the gyaunt was slayne

I toke my leue and on my way I rode

Thorrugh the wodes and on rokkes hye

4510

I loked about and on the hyll abode

Tyll in the vale I sawe full hastely

To me come rydynge a lady sykerly

I well behelde the hye-way so vsed

ref.ed: 170

sig: [P1v]

But of this lady ryght often I mused

4515

Tyll at the last we dyde mete to-gyder

Madame I sayde the hye god you saue

She thanked me and dyde axe me wheder

That I so rode and what I wolde haue

Truly quod I nothynge ellys I craue

4520

Of the hye god but to be so fortunate

La_belle_pucelle to haue to my mate

What is your name than sayd she

La_gr[a]unde_amoure forsothe madame quod I graunde] grounde 1517

Than was she glad as ony-one myghte be

4525

And sayd she was sente fro myn owne lady

Tydynges I sayd I pray you hertely

Your lady quod she is in perfyte helthe

And wolde be gladde to here of your welthe

She promysed you in a gardyn grene

4530

To loue you best of ony creature

So dooth she yet as I thynke and wene

Though that dysdayne brought her to her lure

But of her herte nowe you shall be sure

Be of good chere and for nothynge dysmaye

4535

I spake with her but now this other daye

And she my-selfe vnto you hath sente

My name is called dame Perceueraunce

A lytell before that I frome her wente

To her came Cupyde with grete cyrcumstaunce

4540

And brought a letter of Venus ordenaunce

Whiche vnto her he dyde anone presente

Whan she it redde and knewe the entente

ref.ed: 171

sig: P2

All inwardly full wonderly dysmayed

Witho[u]ten worde she dyde stonde ryght styll

4545

Her harded herte was full well delayed delayed] declayed 1517, delayed 1509, 1554, 1555

What for to do she knewe not good or yll

You for to helpe or lete you so spyll

Dysdayne and straungenes dyde stonde then therby

Seynge her countenaunce they gan to drawe ny

4550

Madame quod they why are you so sadde

Alas quod she it is no meruayle why

Ryght nowe of Cupyde a letter I hadde

Sent fro Venus full ryght merueylously

By whiche I haue perceyued vtterly

4555

That a yonge knyght called graunde_amoure

Dooth for my sake suffre suche doloure

That of constraynte of wofull heuynes

He is nere deed all only for my sake

Shall he now dye or shall I hym reles

4560

Of his grete wo and to my mercy take

Abyde quod straungenes and your sorowe slake

Haue you hym sene in ony tyme before

Yes yes quod she that doth my wo restore

At pentycost nowe many dayes agone

4565

Musyke to here at grete solempnyte

To and fro he walked hym-selfe all alone

In a grete temple of olde antyquyte

Tyll that by fortune he had aspyed me aspyed] espyed 1509

And ryghte anone or that I was ware

4570

To me he came I knewe nought of his care

He semyd gentyll his maners ryght good

ref.ed: 172

sig: [P2v]

I behelde ryght well all his condycyon

Humble of chere and of goodly mode

But I thought nothynge of his afflyccyon

4575

But his hauoyr shewed the occasyon hauoyr] behauoure 1554

Of feruente loue as than in myn entente

I ofte dyde deme and gyue a Iugemente

So after this I dyde than sone departe

Home to my countree where I dyde abyde

4580

Whan I was gone full heuy was his herte

As Cupyde sayth I must for hym prouyde

A gentyll remedy at this sodayne tyde

And for my sake he is aduenturous

To subdue myn enmyes contraryous contraryous] to me contrarious 1555

4585

A quod dysdayne knowe ye his substaunce

Why wyll you loue suche a one as he

Though he seme gentyll and of good gouernaunce

You shall haue one of ferre hyer degre

He is nothynge mete as it semeth me

4590

To be your fere your fauoure to attayne

What is it to you though he suffre payne

Coude your-selfe lete his eyen to haue a syght

Of your beaute or his herte to be sette

What skylleth you though that he dye this nyght

4595

You called hym not whan he with you mette

And he wyll loue you / ye can not hym lette

Be as be may ye shall haue myn assente

Hym for to forsake as is moost expedyente

Alas madame than sayd dame straungenes

4600

Whan he cometh hyder your courage abate

ref.ed: 173

sig: P3

Loke hye vpon hym be ware of mekenes

And thynke that you shall haue an hye astate

Lete not graunde_amoure say to you chekmate

Be straunge vnto hym as ye knowe nothynge

4605

The perfyte cause of his true comynge

And in meane-whyle came to her presence

Dame peas and mercy and to her they sayde

Alas madame consyder your excellence

And how your beaute hath hym so arayed

4610

Yf thou haue hym ye may be well apayed thou] you 1509, 1554, 1555

And doubte thou not yf that ye loue for loue thou] you 1554, 1555

God wyll sende ryches to come to you aboue you] your 1509, 1517, you 1554, 1555

Wyll you for loue lete hym dye or perysshe

Whiche loueth you so with feruente desyre

4615

And you your-selfe may his sorow mynysshe

That with your beaute set his herte a_fyre

Your swete lokes dyde his herte enspyre

That of fyne force he must to you obey

To lyue or dye there is no more to say

4620

Alas quod pease wyll ye lete hym endure

In mortall payne withouten remedy

Sythen his herte you haue so tane in cure

Your hasty dome loke that ye modefy

Exyle dysdayne and straungenes shortely

4625

And sende perceueraunce as fast as ye may

To comforte hym in his troublous Iourney

Than in her mynde she gan to reuolue

The louynge wordes of mercy and peace

Her hardy herte she gan for to dyssolue

ref.ed: 174

sig: [P3v]

4630

And inwardly she dyde to me releace

Her perfyte loue [your] grete payne to ceace your] my 1517, your 1554, 1555

And dyde exyle than frome her to wyldernes

Bothe dame dysdayne and eke dame straungenes

And dyde me sende to you incontynent

4635

With this goodly shelde that ye sholde it were

For her swete sake as is conuenyent

It is sure ye shall not nede to fere

The stroke of swerde or yet the grate of spere

She prayeth you for to be of good chere

4640

Aboue all men ye are to her moost dere

Now sayd perceueraunce I pray you repose

This longe nyght with my cosyn comforte

A gentyll lady as ony may suppose

She can you tell and also well exorte

4645

Of la_belle_pucell with a true reporte

I thanked her of her grete goodnes

And so we rode with Ioye and gladnes

Tyll that we came vnto a manoyr place

Moted aboute vnder a wood-syde

4650

Alyght she sayd for by ryght longe space

In payne and wo you dyde euer abyde

After an ebbe there cometh a flowynge tyde

So downe I lyght frome my goodly stede

After my payne to haue rest for my mede

4655

Than dame perceueraunce on the way me ledde

In-to the place where dyde vs gentylly mete

The lady comforte without ony dredde

With countenaunce that was demure and swete

ref.ed: 175

sig: P4

In goodly maner she dyde vs than grete

4660

Ledynge vs to a chambre precyous

Dulcet of odoure and moost solacyous

And preuely she axed a questyon

Of perceueraunce what I called was

La_graunde_amoure without abusyon

4665

Cosyn quod she he dooth all louers pas

Lyke as dooth Phebus in the pured glas pured] pure 1554, 1555

So dooth his dedes extoll the soueraynte

Of the derke gyauntes by hye auctoryte

Whan she it knewe she was of me ryght fayne

4670

Nothynge I lacked that was to my pleasaunce

After my trauayle and my wofull payne

Good meet and drynke I had to sustenaunce

We sate togyder by longe contynuaunce

But euermore comforte gaue exortacyon

4675

To me of pacyence in trybulacyon

Thynke well quod she that in the worlde is none

Whiche can haue pleasure without wo and care

Ioye cometh after whan the payne is gone

Was neuer man that was deuoyde or bare

4680

Alway of Ioye after his wofull snare

Who knoweth payne and hath ben in trouble

After his wo his Ioye is to hym double

It may so fortune that la_belle_pucell

Hath dyuers frendes that be not contente

4685

That her fauour ye sholde attayne so well

For you of them she may often be shente

ref.ed: 176

sig: [P4v]

But what for that she shall not her repente

And yf her frendes be with you angry

Suffre theyr wordes and take it pacyently

4690

Agaynst theyr yll do vnto theym good

Theym for to please be alwaye dylygente

So shall you swage the tempestyous flood

Of theyr stormy myndes so impacyente

And inwardly they shall theym-selfe repente theym selfe] theym selues 1554, 1555

4695

That they to you haue [ben] contraryous ben] 1517 omits

In suche fyry ang[er] hote and furyous anger] angry 1517, anger 1554, 1555

Thus by your wysdome ye shall them so wynne

Vnto your frendes that dyde you so hate

For it is reason you sholde obey youre kynne

4700

As by obedyence bothe erly and late

Make theym your frendes withoute the debate

For euermore the spyryte of pacyence

Doth ouercome the angry vyolence

Be hardy bolde and also couragyous

4705

For after that ye be gone frome hence

You shall mete with a gyaunte rygoryous

Hauynge seuen hedes of yll experyence

You shall subdue hym with your prudence

And other aduentures shall vnto you fall

4710

Whiche fame shall cause to be memoryall

Whan it was tyme I was brought to bedde

So all the longe nyght I endured in rest

With suche a slouthe I_taken was my hedde

That my softe pylowe I founde a good gest

4715

For longe before I was so opprest

With inwarde trouble that I myght not slepe

ref.ed: 177

sig: [P5]

But ofte wake and sygh with teres depe.

chapter xxxv begins in 1554 and 1555, but unindicated in other texts

WHan mornynge came vp anone I rose

And armed me as fast as I myght

4720

Forthe for to trauayle vnto my purpose

I toke my leue and on my stede I lyght

Thankyng dame comforte of her [chere] that nyght chere] 1517 omits, chere 1554, 1555

S[o] with perseueraunce in my company So] Se 1517, So 1509, She 1554, 1555

Forthe on the waye we rode full merely

4725

Ouer the hethe tyll we sawe frome ferre

A ryall castell ry[gh]t strongly fortefyed ryght] ryhgt 1517, ryght 1509, 1554, 1555

Bulwerke aboute accustomed for warre

ref.ed: 178

sig: [P5v]

On a craggy roche it was so edyfyed

Walled with gete so clerely puryfyed

4730

To whiche we rode and drewe nere and nere

Tyll in our syght dyde openly apere

A myghty gyaunt .xv. fote of length

With hedes seuen and armed full sure

He semed well to be a man of strength

4735

Than quod perce[ue]raunce ye must put in vre perseueraunce] perceraunce 1517, perseueraunce 1509. 1554, 1555

This daye your power in honoure to endure

Agaynst this gyaunt your mortall enemy

Be of good chere you shall haue vyctory

Besyde this gyaunt vpon euery tre

4740

I dyde se hange many a goodly shelde

Of noble knyghtes that were of hye degre

Whiche he had slayne and murdred in the felde

Frome ferre this gyaunt I ryght well behelde

And towarde hym as I rode my way

4745

On his fyrst hede I sawe a baner gay

Wherin was wryten dyssymulacyon

Whose nature false is full of flatery

That vnder a fayned commendacyon

Can cloke a mocke and fraude full subtylly

4750

So dooth he loue deceyue ofte pryuely

For the blynde loue dooth perceyue ryght nought

That vnder hony the poyson is wrought

And [on] the seconde hede was a baner blewe on] 1517 omits, of 1509, on 1555

In whiche was wryten in letters ryght whyte

4755

Delay my name is that can longe eschewe

A true louer with my fatall respyte

ref.ed: 179

sig: [P6]

That loue for loue shall not hym acquyte /

For euermore I lye ofte in awayte

Loue to delay and caste hym frome consayte

4760

On the thyrde heed in a banner square

All of reed was wryten dyscomforte

Causynge a louer for to drowne in care

That he of loue shall haue no reporte

But lokes hye his herte to transporte

4765

And I my-selfe shall hym so assayle

That he in loue shall nothynge preuayle

On the fourthe heed on the helmet creste

There was a stremer ryght whyte large and longe

Where-on was wryten with byse of the beste

4770

My name is varyaunce that euer amonge

The mynde of loue dooth chaunge with grete wronge

That a true louer can not be certayne

Loue for his mede ryght stedfast to retayne

And yet a_lofte on the fyfte helmet

4775

In a blacke baner was wryten enuy

Whose herte euer inwardly is fret

Whan graunde_amoure sholde attayne his lady

He museth ofte in hym-selfe inwardly

To let the lady for to sette her herte

4780

On graund_amoure for to release his smerte

In a russet baner on the .vj. hede

There was wryten this worde detraccyon

That can open in a couerte stede

His subtyll male replete with treason

4785

To cause a lady to haue suspeccyon

ref.ed: 180

sig: [P6v]

Vnto her true louer with his bytter tale

That she her loue frome hym than dyde hale

On the .vij. hede in a baner of ryches

Was wryten with letters all of grewe

4790

My name truely is called doublenes

Whiche I do owe vnto all ladyes trewe

At a tyme vnware my dette shall be dewe

To graunde_amoure for to make hym repente

That he his loue on la_belle_pucell spente

4795

Whan in my mynde I had well agregate

Euery-thynge that I in hym had sene

Bothe of his heed and of his hye estate

I called for helpe vnto the heuen quene

The day was fayre the sonne was bryghte and shene

4800

Besyde a ryuer and a craggy roche

This gyaunt was whiche spyed me approche

He hurtled aboute and kest his shelde afore hurtled] hurled 1554

And toke his axe of myghty fortytude

That was of length .xx. fote and more

4805

Whiche he had vsed by longe consuetude

To daun[t]e true louers and theyr power exclude daunte] daunce 1517, 1554, daunte 1509, 1555

I toke my spere and dyde it well charge

And with hardynes I made my force enlarge

I toke my course and to the gyaunte ranne

4810

On his seconde hede brekynge than a_sonder

My myghty spere that he to rore beganne

With so bace a crye that I had grete wonder

His seuen hedes so rored lyke the thonder

Ryght frome my stede I lyght to the grounde

ref.ed: 181

sig: [P7]

4815

And drewe clara_prudence that was hole and sounde

The myghty gyaunte his axe dyde vplyfte

Vpon my hede that the stroke sholde fall

But I of hym was full ware a[n]d swyfte

I lept a_syde so that the stroke withall

4820

In the grounde lyghted besyde a stone wall

Thre fote and more / and anone than I

Dyde lepe vnto hym strykynge full quyckly

But aboue me he had suche altytude

That I at hym coude haue no full stroke

4825

He stroke at me with many strokes rude

And called me boye and gaue me many a mocke

At the last he sayd I shall gyue the a knocke

That with thy braynes I shall the trees depaynte

Abyde quod I thou shalte be fyrst full faynte

4830

And ryght anone I by me espyed

On the rockes syde .xij. steppes full sure

And than ryght fast I vpon theym hyed

That we were bothe aboute one stature

My strength I doubled and put so in vre

4835

The grete strokes that I cut of anone

Syxe of his hedes leuynge hym but one

Whan he felte hymselfe hurte so greuously

He stretched hym vp and lyfte his axe a_lofte

Strykynge at me with strokes wonderly wonderly] wondersly 1554, 1555

4840

But I full swyftely dyde gyue backe full ofte

For to deuoyde his grete strokes vnsofte

Whan he sawe this he thought hym forlore

With a hydeous voyce he began to [r]ore rore] tore 1517, rore 1509, 1554, 1555

ref.ed: 182

sig: [P7v]

The batayle dured bytwene vs ryght longe

4845

Tyll I sawe Phebus declynynge full lowe

I auaunced my swerde that was sure and stronge

And with my myghte I gaue hym suche a blowe

On his seuen[th] he[a]de that he dyde ouerthrowe seuenth heade] seuen hedes 1517, 1509, seuenth heade 1554, 1555

Whan he was downe he gan to crye and yell

4850

Full lyke a serpente or a fende of hell

Whan I sawe this as fast as myghte be

A_downe I came and dyde then vnlace

His seuenth helmet ryght ryche for to se

And hym beheded in a ryght shorte space

4855

And than full soone there came to the place

Perseueraunce and my varlet also

Alas they sayde we were for you ryght wo

But we were glad whan ye had forsaken

The lowe vale and vp the craggy fayre

4860

For your aduauntage the hye waye had taken

Thus as we talked we dyde se ladyes fayre

Seuen in nombre that were debonayre debonayre] debonaryre 1517, 1554, 1555, debonary 1509

Vpon whyte palfreys eche of them dyde ryde

To vs ryght gentylly frome the castell syde

4865

The fyrst of them was named Stedfastnes

And the seconde amerous_purueyaunce

The thyrde was Ioye_after_grete_heuynes

The .iiij. of them was dame contynuaunce

And the .v. of them called dame pleasaunce

4870

The .vj. was called reporte_famous

The seuenthe amyte_to_louers_dolourous

And ryght anone with all humylyte

ref.ed: 183

sig: [P8]

They lyghte adowne and than incontynente

Eche after other they came vnto me

4875

I kyssed them with all my hole entente

Hayle knyght they sayde so clere and excellente

Whiche of this gyaunte our hydeous enemy

So worthely hath wonne the vyctory

Ladyes [I] sayd I am moche vnworthy I sayd] he sayd 1517, 1554, 1555

4880

So to accepte your grete prayse and fame

They prayed me to kepe them company

I wyll quod I or elles I were to blame

They prayed me to shewe them my name

La_graunde_amoure it is I sayde in-dede

4885

And then sayde they no wonder though ye spede

No doubte it is but ye shall obtayne

La_belle_pucell so ryght fayre and clere

We were with her exyled by dysdayne

And thenne besyeged in this castell here

4890

With this grete gyaunte more than a hole yere

And you this nyght and it do you please and it] and if it 1554, 1555

In this poore castell shall take your ease

I thanked them and so I rode anone

In-to the castell of olde foundacyon

4895

Walled aboute with the blacke touche-stone

I toke there than my recreacyon

Amonge these ladyes with commendacyon

And whan tyme came that they thought best

To a ryall bedde I was broughte to rest

4900

After my wery and troublous trauayle

I toke myn ease tyll that it was day

ref.ed: 184

sig: [P8v]

Than vp I rose withoute ony fayle

And made me redy for to ryde my waye

But than anone into the chaumbre gaye

4905

The seuen ladyes came with perseueraunce

Sayenge they wolde gyue me attendaunce

And brynge me to la_belle_pucell

Where that she is in her courte ryall

And lykewyse as Phebus doth hye excell

4910

In bryghtnes truely the fayre sterres all

So in beaute and vertue specyall

She dothe excede ony erthely creature

That is nowe made by fayre dame Nature

We brake our fast and we made vs redy

4915

To la_belle_pucelle on our waye to ryde

My stede was brought I lepte vp shortly shortly] shorthly 1517, shortly 1509

So dyde the ladyes they wolde nothynge abyde

Thus forthe we rode at the morowe-tyde

Oute of the castell with all Ioye and pleasure

4920

Forthe on our way at all aduenture.

ref.ed: 185

sig: Q1

¶Ca. xxxvj.

SO longe we rode ouer hyll and valey

Tyll that we came in-to a wyldernes

On euery syde there wylde bestes lay

Ryght straunge and fyerse in sundry lykenes

4925

It was a place of dyssolate derkenes dyssolate] dissolute 1554, 1555

The ladyes and I were in fere and doubte

Tyll at the last that we were goten oute

Of the grete wood vpon a craggy roche

Whan clere Dyana in the scorpyon

4930

Agaynst fayre Phebus began to approche

For to be at her hole opposycyon

We sawe frome ferre a goodly regyon

Where stode a palays hye and precyous

Beyonde an hauen full tempestyous

4935

Than sayd perseueraunce beholde ye and se

ref.ed: 186

sig: [Q1v]

Yonder is the palays gay and gloryous

Of la_belle_pucelles grete humylyte

A place of pleasure moost solacyous

But then we spyed a fende fallacyous

4940

Beyonde the hauen at the sure entres

Blowynge out fyre by meruaylous wydnes

The fyre was grete it made the ylonde lyght

He rored loude it semed lyke the thonder

But as me-thought he was of grete myght

4945

To knowe his lykenes we were ferre asonder

But of the fyre we dyde often wonder

We axed perceueraunce what that it myght be

Alas quod she with fraude and subtylte

Of dame straungenes and of dame dysdayne

4950

Whan la_belle_pucell dyde them so abiecte

Bycause that they myght not reuerte agayne

With mortall enuy they dyde then coniecte

To make a fende in lykewyse to deiecte deiecte] directe 1554, 1555

Syr graunde_amour with the feruent fyre

4955

Of euyll treason to lette his desyre

For dame dysdayne the crafty sorceres

With arte magyke hath wrought full craftely

Of the .vij. metalles a dragon doubtles

And dame straungenes by her nygromancy

4960

Hath closed therin a fende ryght subtylly

That the fyre encenseth by grete outrage

But graunde_amoure shall it well aswage

Benethe this roche there is well fortefyed

An olde temple to the laude and glory

ref.ed: 187

sig: Q2

4965

Of wyse dame Pallas it was so edyfyed

We wyll ryde vnto it full lyghtly

And do oblacyon vnto her truely

She wyll vs tell by good experyence

How we may scape the brennynge vyolence

4970

So to the temple of dame Pallas

Anone we rode and dyde lyght adowne

Of depured crystall her hole ymage was

The temple walles were ryght olde and browne

And than ryght soone before her hygh renowne

4975

Prostrate we fell mekely to the grounde

And sodaynly we were caste in a swounde

Thus as we lay in a deedly chaunce

We thought to her we made petycyon

And all in englysshe with longe cyrcumstaunce

4980

She shewed vs all the hole condycyon

Of the meruaylous serpentes operacyon

And dyde shewe vs a perfyte remedy

To withstande all the craft of sorcery

And in lykewyse as the maner foloweth

4985

In depured verses of crafty eloquence

Euery-thynge vnto vs she sheweth

And fyrst of all with all our dylygence

These verses we sayd vnto her excellence

But she with crafty verses eloquent

4990

Gaue vs an answere full expedyent

Whan golden Phebus in the fyrst houre

Of his owne day began for to domyne

ref.ed: 188

sig: [Q2v]

The sorceres the falce rote of doloure

All of golde that was so pure and fyne

4995

Of the best made the hede serpentyne

And eke therof she dyde make his face

Full lyke a mayde it was a wonders cace

And euery oure as the planettes reyned

She made the serpente of theyr metalles seuen theyr] the 1554, 1555

5000

Tyll she her purpose had fully attayned

And whan fyue bodyes aboue on the heuen

Wente retrograde meruaylously to neuen

With dyuers quartyls and the moone combust

In the dragons tayle to lette a louers lust

5005

These cursed wytches dysdayne and straungenes

Made the monster of a subtyll kynde

To let my purpose and all my gladnes

But that dame pallas of her gentyll mynde

Of meruaylous herbes a remedy dyde fynde

5010

And anone a boxe of meruaylous oyntemente

She toke to me to withstonde the serpente

Thus all esmeruayled we dyde than awake

And in my hande I had the oyntemente

Closed in a boxe of whiche I sholde take

5015

To anoynte my harneys for the serpente

Whiche shall deuoyde his fyre so feruente

And my swerde also to cause to departe

Astroth the fende so sette with Magyckes arte.

ref.ed: 189

sig: Q3

THan whan the sonne with his bemes mery

5020

Began to ryse in the fayre morowe graye

All about lyghtynge our emyspery

Exylynge mystes and derke cloudes awaye

And whan we sawe that it was bryght daye

Nere-by the ryuage at the last we spyed

5025

A goodly shyppe whiche vnto vs fast hyed

And ryght anone by the ryuage-syde

She kest an anker and dyde vs than hayle

With a pele of gonnes at the morowe-tyde

Her bonet she valed and gan to stryke sayle

5030

She was ryght large of thre toppes withoute fayle

Her bote she made oute / and sente to the lande

What that we were to knowe and vnderstande

That so dyde walke by the ryuer-cost cost] coast 1554, 1555

ref.ed: 190

sig: [Q3v]

And with two ladyes we sodaynly met

5035

So whan that they were come to vs almost

Frome theyr shyp bote curyously counterfet

Hayle knyghte they sayd now frome a lady gret

Called dame pacyence we are hyther sente

To knowe your name / and all the hole entente

5040

What you make here and the ladyes all

Truely quod I ouer this stormy flode

We wolde haue passage now in specyall

Tary she sayde / it were to you not good

There is a serpente eu[i]ll ryght fyerse and wode euill] eull 1517, full 1509, euill 1554, 1555

5045

On the other syde / whiche wyll you de[u]oure

Nay then quod I my name is graunde_amoure

I haue dyscomfyted the gyauntes terryble

For la_belle_pucell the moost fayre lady

And for her sake shall be inuyncyble

5050

Of this grete monster to haue the vyctory

You haue quod they demeaned you nobly

And we anone to our lady pacyence

Wyll gyue of you perfyte Intellygence

Thus they departed and to theyr bote they wente

5055

And the ryall shyppe yclypped perfytnes

They dyde a_borde and than incontynente

Vnto dame pacyence they gan to expres

My name / myn actes / and all my prowes

Ha ha quod she how gladde may I now be

5060

Whiche in this place may hym bothe here and se

And in grete hast she made them rowe agayne

Towarde the lande with all due reuerence

ref.ed: 191

sig: [Q4]

For to receyue me and the ladyes certayne

And so we than with all our dylygence

5065

Entred the bote without resystence

And dyde aborde than perfytnes so sure

Whiche the grete wawes myght ryght well endure

And pacyence with grete solempnyte

Dyde me receyue and the ladyes also

5070

Welcome she sayd by hye auctoryte

I am ryght gladde that it hath happed so happed] happened 1554, 1555

That la_belle_pucell must redresse your wo

And on your-selfe with your worthy dedes on] you 1509

Of fame and her hath wonne ryghte hye medes

5075

And then theyr anker they weyed in hast

And hoyst theyr sayle / whan many a claryon

Began to blowe / the mornynge was past

But Afrycus_Auster made surreccyon

Blowynge his belowes by grete occasyon

5080

So forthe we sayled ryght playne southwest

On the other syde where the serpente dyde rest.

¶How graunde_amoure dyscomfyted the wonderfull monster of the seuen metalles made by enchauntemente. ¶Ca. xxxvij.

ref.ed: 192

sig: [Q4v]

ANd at the lande we aryued than

With all the ladyes in my company

Whiche to praye for me sodaynly began

5085

To the god Mars lodesterre of chyualry

I toke my leue of them full gentylly

And ryght anone to fynde oute my fo

This mortall dragon / I wente to and fro

Tyll at the last besyde [a] craggy roche a] n 1517, a 1509, 1554, 1555

5090

I sawe the dragon whiche dyde me aspye

And nere and nere as I gan to approche

ref.ed: 193

sig: R1

I behelde his heed with his grete body

Whiche was mysshaped full ryght wonderly

Of golde so shene was bothe his hede and face

5095

Full lyke a mayden it was a meruaylous cace

His necke syluer and thycke lyke a bull

His brest stele and lyke an olyphante

His forlegges latyn and of feders full

Ryght lyke a Grype was euery tallaunt

5100

And as of strength he nothynge dyde want

His backe afore lyke brystles of a swyne

Of the fyne coper dyde moost clerely shyne

His hynder legges was lyke to a catte

All of tynne / and lyke a scorpyon

5105

He had a tayle with a heed theratte

All of lede of plyaunte facyon

His herte stele without menyssyon

Towarde me he came rorynge lyke the thonder

Spyttynge oute fyre for to se grete wonder

5110

In his forhede with letters all of grewe

Was wryten my name is malyce_preuy

That olde debate can full sone re[n]ewe renewe] remewe 1517, renewe 1509, renue 1554

Bytwene true louers with coloure crafty

Agaynst graunde_amoure I shall so fortefy

5115

My euyll subtyll power and cursed courage

To let hym truly of his hye passage

I toke my boxe as Pallas commaunded

And my swerde and shelde with all my armure

In euery place I ryght well anoynted

5120

To hardynes I toke my herte in cure

ref.ed: 194

sig: [R1v]

Makynge me redy / and whan I thought me sure

I toke my swerde and with an hardy herte

Towarde the dragon I began to sterte

And as I gan my grete stroke to charge

5125

He blewe out so moche fyre innumerable

That on the grounde I dyde my myght dyscharge

The smoke was derke full gretly domageable

And the hote fyre was so intollerable

Aboue me fleynge that vnneth I myght Aboue] About 1554

5130

Through my vysure cast a_brode my syght

But the swete oyntemente had suche a vertue

That the wylde fyre myght nothynge endomage

Me through hete / for it dyde extue

The magykkes arte with grete aduauntage

5135

Causynge the fyre ryght well to a_swage

And with my swerde as nothynge a_gast

Vpon the serpente I dyde stryke full fast

His body was grete as ony tonne

The deuyll aboute dyde his body bere

5140

He was as egre as grype or lyon

So with his tallantes he dyde my harneys tere

That ofte he put me in a mortall fere

Tyll at the last I dyde his body perce

With my good swerde he myght not it reuerce

5145

Ryght ther-withall the dragon to_brast

And out ther flewe ryght blacke and tedyous

A foule ethyope whiche suche smoke dyde cast

That all the ylonde was full tenebrous

It thondred loude with clappes tempestyous

ref.ed: 195

sig: R2

5150

Then all the ladyes were full sore adred

They thought none other but that I was deed

The spyryte vanysshed the ayre wexed clere

Then dyde I loke and beholde aboute

Where was the toure of my lady so dere

5155

Tyll at the last I had espyed it oute

Set on a rokke ryght hye without doubte

And all the ladyes with perseueraunce

To me dyde come with Ioye and pleasaunce

Forsothe quod they you are moche fortunate

5160

So to subdue the serpente venymous

Whiche by sorcery was surely ordenate

You for to sle with fyre so vycyous

Blyssed [b]e Pallas the goddes gloryous be] the 1517, 1555, be 1509, 1554

Whiche that thou taught a perfyte remedy thou] you 1509, 1554

5165

For to deuoyde the crafte of sorcery

It was no wonder thoughe that I was glad

After the payne and trybulacyon

That in many places I ryght often had

For to attayne the hye promocyon

5170

Of la_belle_pucelles domynacyon

Consyderynge in my passage daungerous

All I subdued to me contraryous

And than ryght sone with grete solempnyte

So forthe we rode to the solempne mancyon

5175

Of la_belle_pucelles worthy dygnyte

Whiche was a toure of meruaylous facyon

Replete with Ioye without suggestyon

Walled with syluer and many a story

ref.ed: 196

sig: [R2v]

Vpon the wall enameled ryally

5180

So at the last we came vnto the gate

Whiche all of syluer was knotted proprely

Where was a lady of ryght hye estate

Whiche vs receyued well and nobly

And than perseueraunce went full shortly

5185

To la_belle_pucell shewynge euery-thynge

Of myne aduenture and sodayne comynge

¶How graunde_amoure was receyued of la_belle_pucell. Ca. xxxviij.

ref.ed: 197

sig: R3

WHan she it knewe than ryght incontynent

She called to her peace and dame mercy

With Iustyce and reason the lady excellent

5190

Pleasaunce grace with good dame memory

To weyte vpon her full ententyfly

Me to receyue with all solempne Ioye

A_downe her chambre she wente on her waye

And in meane-whyle the gentyll porteres in] in the 1554

5195

Called countenaunce on my way then me lede

In-to the basse-courte of grete wydnes basse] base 1554

Where all of golde there was a conduyte hede

With many dragons enameled with reed

Whiche dyde spoute oute the dulcet lycoure

5200

Lyke crystall clere with aromatyke odoure

Alofte the basse-toure foure ymages stode basse] base 1554

Whiche blewe the claryons well and wonderly

Alofte the toures the golden fanes gode

Dyde with the wynde make full swete armony

5205

Them for to here it was grete melody

The golden toures with crystall clarefyed

Aboute were glased moost clerely purefyed

And the grauell where-vpon we wente

Full lyke the golde that is moost pure and fyne

5210

Withouten spotte of blacke encombremente

Aboute our fete it dyde ryghte clerely shyne

It semed more lyke a place celestyne

Than an erthely mansyon whiche shall away

By longe tyme and proces an-other day

5215

And towarde me I dyde se than comynge

ref.ed: 198

sig: [R3v]

La_belle_pucell the moost fayre creature

Of ony fayre erthely persone lyuynge

Whiche with me mette with chere so demure

Of the shynynge golde was all her vesture

5220

I dyde me duty / and ones or twyes ywys me] my 1509, 1554, 1555; ones] once 1509, 1554

Her lyppes softe I dyde full swetely kys

Aha quod she that I am very fayne

That you are come / for I haue thought longe

Sythen the tyme that we parted in twayne

5225

And for my sake you haue had often wronge

But your courage so hardy and stronge

Hath caused you for to be vyctoryous

Of your enmyes so moche contraryous

With her fayre hande whyte as ony lyly

5230

She dyde me lede into a ryall hall

With knottes kerued full ryght craftely

The wyndowes fayre glased with crystall

And all aboute vpon the golden wall

There was enameled with fygures curyous

5235

The syege of Troye so harde and dolorous

The flore was paued with precyous stones

And the rofe of meruaylous geometry

Of the swete sypres wrought for the nones

Encensynge oute the yll odours mysty

5240

Amyddes the rofe there shone full wonderly

A poynted dyamonde of meruaylous bygnes

With many other grete stones of ryches

So vp we wente to a chambre fayre

A place of pleasure and delectacyon

ref.ed: 199

sig: R4

5245

Strowed with floures flagraunte of ayre

Without ony spotte of perturbacyon

I behelde ryght well the operacyon

Of the meruaylous rofe set full of rubyes

And tynst with saphers and many turkeys

5250

The walles were hanged with golden aras

Whiche treated well of the syege of Thebes

And yet all aboute vs depured was

The crystallyne wyndowes of grete bryghtnes

I can nothynge extende the goodlynes

5255

Of this palays / for it is impossyble

To shewe all that vnto me [was] vysyble was] 1509, 1517, 1555 omit, was 1554

But la_bell_pucell full ryght gentylly

Dyde syt adowne by a wyndowes syde

And caused me also full swetely

5260

By her to sytte at that gentyll tyde

W[e]lcome she sayde ye shall with me abyde Welcome] Whlcome 1517, Welcome 1509, 1554, Whelcome 1555

After your sorowe to lyue in Ioye and blysse

You shall haue that ye haue des[e]rued ywys deserved] desrued 1517, deserued 1554, 1555

Her redolente wordes of swete influence

5265

Degouted vapoure moost aromatyke

And made conuersyon of my complacence

Her depured and her lusty rethoryke

My courage reformed that was so lunatyke

My sorowe defeted and my mynde dyde modefy

5270

And my dolourous herte began to pacyfy

All thus my loue we gan to deuyse my] in 1509

For eche of other were ryght Ioyous

Than at the last in a meruaylous wyse

ref.ed: 200

sig: [R4v]

Full sodaynly there came vnto vs

5275

Lytell Cupyde with his moder Venus

Whiche was well cladde in a fayre mantyll blewe

With golden hertes that were perst a_newe

And rounde aboute vs she her manytll cast

Sayenge that she and her sone Cupyde

5280

Wolde vs conioyne in maryage in hast

And to lete knowe all your courte so wyde

Sende you perseueraunce before to prouyde

To warne your ladyes for to be redy

To_morowe be_tyme ryght well and solemply be tyme] by time 1554

5285

We answered bothe our hertes were in one

Sayenge that we dyde ryght well agre

For all our foes were ad[e]ed and gone adeed] added all texts

Ryght gladde I was that Ioyfull day to se

And than anone with grete humylyte

5290

la_bell_pucell to a fayre chambre bryght

Dyde me than brynge for to rest all nyght

And she toke her leue I kyst her louely And] As 1509

I wente to bedde but I coude not slepe

For I thought so moche vpon her inwardly

5295

Her moost swete lokes in-to my herte dyde crepe

Percynge it through with a wounde so depe

For nature thought euery houre a daye

Tyll to my lady I sholde my dette well paye

¶Of the grete maryage bytwene graunde_amoure and La_belle_pucell. Ca. [x]xxix.

xxxix] xxix all texts

ref.ed: 201

sig: [R5]

THan perseueraunce in all goodly hast

5300

Vnto the stuarde called lyberalyte

Gaue warnynge for to make redy fast

Agaynst this tyme of grete solempnyte

That on the morowe halowed sholde be

She warned the coke called temperaunce

5305

And after that the ewres obseruaunce

With pleasaunce the panter / and dame curteysy

The gentyll butler with the ladyes all

Eche in her offyce was prepayred shortly

Agaynst this feest so moche tryumphall

5310

And la_belle_pucell thenne in specyall

Was vp be_tyme in the morowe graye

Ryght so was I whan I sawe the daye

And ryght anone la_belle_pucell me sente

ref.ed: 202

sig: [R5v]

Agaynst my weddynge of the satyn fyne

5315

Whyte as the mylke a goodly garmente

Bra[u]dred with perle that clerely dyde shyne

And so the maryage for to determyne

Venus me broughte to a ryall chapell

Whiche of fyne golde was wrought euerydell

5320

And after that the gay and gloryous

La_bell_pucell to the chapell was ledde

In a whyte vesture fayre and precyous

With a golden chaplet on her yalowe hede

And lex_ecclesie dyde me to her wedde

5325

After w[h]iche weddynge there was a grete fest whiche] wiche 1517

Nothynge we lacked but had of the best

What sholde I tary by longe contynuaunce

Of the feest for of my Ioye and pleasure

Wysdome can Iuge withouten varyaunce

5330

That nought I lacked as ye may be sure

Payenge the swete due det of nature

Thus with my lady that was fayre and clere

In Ioye I lyued full ryght many a yere

O lusty youth and yonge tender herte

5335

The trewe companyon of my lady bryght

God let vs neuer frome other asterte

But all in Ioye to lyue bothe day and nyght

Thus after sorow Ioye aryueth aryght

After my payne I had sporte and playe

5340

Full lytell thought I that it sholde dekaye

Tyll that dame nature naturynge had made

All thynges to growe vnto theyr fortytude

ref.ed: 203

sig: [R6]

And nature naturynge waxte retrograde

By strength my youthe so for to exclude

5345

As was euer her olde consuetude

Fyrst to augmente and than to abate

This is the custome of her hye estate.

Chapter xl begins here, but all texts fail to indicate it

THus as I lyued in suche pleasure gladde

In-to the chaumbre came full pryuely

5350

A fayre olde man and in his hande he hadde

A croked staffe he wente full wekely

Vnto me than he came full softly

And with his staffe he toke me on the breste

Obey he sayd I must you nedes a_reste

5355

My name is age whiche haue often sene

ref.ed: 204

sig: [R6v]

The lusty youthe perysshe vnhappely

Through the deserte of the selfe I wene

And euermore I do thynke inwardly

That my dedes of youthe were of grete foly

5360

And thou thy-selfe ryght Ioyous may be

To lyue so longe for to be lyke to me

Happy is [he] that may well ouer-passe he] the 1517, he 1509, 1554, they 1555

The narowe brydge ouer fragylyte

Of his wanton youthe brytle as the glasse

5365

For the youthe is open to all fraylte

Redy to fall in-to grete iniquyte

Full well is he that is brydled fast

With fayre dame reason tyll his youth be past his] this 1517, his 1509, 1554, 1555

I obeyed his reest there was no remedy reest] rest 1554, 1555

5370

My youthe was past and all my lustynes

And ryght anone to vs came polyzy

With auaryce bryngynge grete ryches

My hole pleasure and delyte doubtles

Was sette vpon treasure insacyate

5375

It to beholde and for to agregate

The flesshely pleasure I had cast asyde

Lytell I loued for to playe or daunce

But euer I thought how I myght prouyde

To spare my treasure londe and substaunce

5380

This was my mynde / and all my purueyaunce

As vpon dethe I thought lytell or neuer

But gadred ryches as I sholde lyue euer.

ref.ed: 205

sig: [R7]

Chapter xli begins here, but all texts fail to indicate it

BUt whan I thoughte longest to endure

Dethe with his darte a_rest me sodaynly

5385

Obey he sayd as ye may be sure

You can resyste nothynge the contrary

But that you must obey me naturally

What you auayleth suche treasure to take

Sythens by force ye must it now forsake

5390

Alas quod I nothynge can me ayde

This worldly treasure I must leue behynde

For erth of erthe wyll haue his dette now payde

What i[s] this worlde but a blast of wynde is] it 1517, is 1554, 1555

I must nedes dye / it is my natyf kynde

5395

And as I was at this conclusyon

To me dyde come dame confessyon

With dame contrycyon whiche gan to bewayle

ref.ed: 206

sig: [R7v]

My synnes grete with hole_repentaunce hole] whole 1554

And satysfaccyon without ony fayle

5400

With dame conscyence dyde wey in balaunce

How that they myght than without doubtaunce

My treasure and good so goten wron[g]fully wrongfully] wronfully 1517, wrongfully 1509, 1554, 1555

To restore agayne to the ryghtfull party

Of holy chyrche with all humylyte

5405

My ryghtes I toke and than incontynent

Nature auayled in so lowe degre

That dethe was come / and all my lyfe was spent

Out of my body my soule than it went

To purgatory for to be puryfyed

5410

That after that it myght be gloryfyed

¶Ca. xlij.

THe good dame mercy with dame charyte

My body buryed full ryght humbly

In a fayre temple of olde antyquyte

Where was for me a dyryge deuoutely

5415

And with many a masse full ryght solempnely

And ouer my graue to be in memory

Remembraunce made this lytell epytaphy

O erthe on erthe it is a wonders cace

That thou arte blynde and wyll not the knowe

5420

Though vpon erthe thou hast thy dwellynge place

Yet erthe at laste must nedes the ouerthrowe

Thou thynkest the [t]o be none erthe I trowe to] do 1517, 1555, to 1517, 1554

For yf thou dydest thou woldest than apply

To forsake pleasure and to lerne to dy

Pryde.

5425

O erthe of erthe why arte thou so proude

Now what thou arte call to remembraunce

ref.ed: 207

sig: [R8]

Open thyn eres vnto my songe aloude

Is not thy beaute strength and puyssaunce

Though [it] be cladde with clothes of pleasaunce it] 1517, 1555 omit, it 1509, 1554

5430

Very erthe and also wormes fode

Whan erthe to erthe shall [s]o tourne the blode so] to 1517, 1554, 1555, so 1509; tourne the] turne to the 1555

Wrathe.

And erthe with erthe why arte thou so wrothe

Remembre the that it vayleth ryght nought

For thou mayst thynke of a perfyte trothe

5435

Yf with the erthe thou hast a quarell sought

A_myddes the erthe there is a place ywrought

Whan erthe to erthe is torned proprely

The for thy synne to punysshe wonderly

Enuy.

And erthe for erthe why hast thou enuy

5440

And the erthe vpon erthe to be more prosperous

Than thou thy-selfe fretynge the inwardly

It is a synne ryght foule and vycyous

And vnto god also full odyous

Thou thynkest I trowe there is no punysshemente

5445

Ordeyned for synne by egall Iugemente

Slouthe.

Towarde heuen to folowe on the way

Thou arte full slowe and thynkest nothynge

That thy nature dooth full sore dekay sore] sone 1554

And dethe ryght fast is to the comynge

5450

God graunte the mercy / but no tyme enlongynge

Whan thou hast tyme / take tyme and space

Whan tyme is past / lost is the tyme of grace

Couetyse.

And whan erthe to erthe is nexte to reuerte

And nature lowe in the laste aege

5455

Of erthely treasure erthe doth set his herte

ref.ed: 208

sig: [R8v]

In-sacyatly vpon couetyse to rage

He thynketh not his lyfe shall aswage

His good is his god with his grete ryches

He thynketh not for to leue it doutles

Glotony.

5460

The pomped [car]kes with fode delycyous carkes] clerkes all texts

Erthe often fedeth with corrupte gloto[n]y

And nothynge with werkes vertuous

The soule doth fede ryght well ententyfly

But without mesure full inordynatly

5465

The body lyueth and wyll not remembre

How erthe to erthe must his strength surrendre

Lechery

The vyle carkes set vpon a fyre

Dooth often haunte the synne of lechery

Fulfyllynge the foule carnall desyre

5470

Thus erthe with erthe is corrupte meruaylously

And erthe on erthe wyll nothynge pur[y]fye puryfye] purfye 1517, puryfye 1509, purifye 1554, 1555

Tyll erthe to erthe be nere subuerted

For erthe with erthe is so peruerted

O mortall folke / you may beholde and se

5475

How I lye here / somtyme a myghty knyght

The ende of Ioye / and all prosperyte

Is dethe at last / through his course and myght

After the day there cometh the derke nyght

For though the day be neuer so longe

5480

At last the belles ryngeth to euensonge

And my-selfe called la_graunde_amoure

Sekynge aduenture in the worldly glory

For to attayne the ryches and honoure

Dyde thynke full lytell that I sholde here ly

ref.ed: 209

sig: S1

5485

Tyll dethe dyde marke me full ryght pryuely

Lo what I am and where-to you must

Lyke as I am / so shall you be all dust

Than in your mynde inwardely dyspyse

The bryttle worlde so full of doublenes

5490

With the vyle flesshe / and ryght soone aryse

Out of your slepe / of mortall heuynes

Subdue the deuyll with grace and mekenes

That after your lyfe / frayle and transytory

You may than lyue in Ioye perdurably.

ref.ed: 210

sig: [S1v]

Ca. xli[i]j.

xliij] xlij 1517, xliii 1554, 1555

5495

ANd as remembraunce myn epytaphy set

Ouer my graue in came dame fame

With brennynge tongues withoute ony let

Sayenge that she wolde sprede aboute my name

To lyue in honoure withoute ony shame

5500

Though that adeed were my erthely body adeed] deade 1554, 1555

Yet my renowne sholde reygne eternally

The power estate and ryall dygnyte

Of dame fame in euery regyon

Is for to sprede by hy auctoryte

ref.ed: 211

sig: S2

5505

The noble dedes of many a champyon

As they are worthy in myne opynyon

For though his body be deed and mortall

His fame shall dure / and be memoryall dure] endure 1554, 1555

Dyde not graunde_amoure with his ryall dedes

5510

Wynne la_belle_pucell the moost fayre lady

And of hyghe honoure attayned the medes

In the demeanynge hym so worthely

Sleynge the grete terryble gyauntes vgly

And also the fyry monster vyolente

5515

Of the seuen metalles made by enchauntemente

Aboute the worlde in euery nacyon

That euermore he shall abyde alyue

Of his grete actes to make relacyon

In bokes many I shall of hym contryue

5520

Frome one to other I shall his name so dryue

That euermore withoute extyngysshemente

In brennynge tongues he shall be parmanente

Ector of troy.

¶Vnto this day reygneth the hye renowne

Of the worthy Ector prynce vyctoryous

5525

Aboute is spredde in euery regyon and towne is] his 1517, is 1554

His noble actes and courage chyualrous

In full many bokes ryght delycyous

Vnto the reders who lyst gyue audyence

To here reporte of his grete excellence

Iosue.

5530

¶And in lyke wyse duke Iosue the grete grete] gent 1554, gente 1555

Whiche was ryght stronge and fyerse in batayle

Whose noble feates hygh and excellente

ref.ed: 212

sig: [S2v]

I haue caused with dylygent trauayle

To abyde in bokes without ony fayle

5535

Who lyst his story for to se or here

In the byble it dooth ryght well appere

Iudas_machabeus.

¶Also the noble and hardy feates of warre

Of Iudas_machabeus I about haue cast

In euery nacyon for to reygne a_ferre

5540

Thoughe that his lyfe out of this worlde be past

His fame shall prospere and shall neuer wast

Thus with my power of euery worthy

I spred his dedes in tonges of memory

Dauyd.

¶Dyde not kynge Dauyd a lyons Iawes tere

5545

In his tender youthe he so hardy was

The lyons cruelte myght nothynge hym fere

And after that he slewe grete Golyas

All in his tyme he dyde in honoure pas

And I dame fame without ony doute

5550

Haue spredde his name in all the worlde aboute

Alexander.

¶Also kynge Alexander the noble conqueroure

Whose grete power in all the worlde was knowen

Of me dame fame he wanne the honoure

As I my trompe after his dethe haue blowen

5555

Whose sounde aloude can not be ouerthrowen

Thus in flamynge tonges all about I fly

Through the worlde with my wynges swyftly

Iulius sezar.

¶And of the worthy sezar Iulius sezar] Cezar 1554

All about with golden beames bryght

5560

His name shall dure and be full gloryous

ref.ed: 213

sig: [S3]

In all the worlde with ardaunt tonges lyght

His fame shall reygne he hath it wonne by ryght

For to abyde / and euer to augment

Withouten lette or yet impedyment

Arthur.

5565

¶Also yet Arthur the good kynge of Brytayne

With all his knyghtes of the rounde table

I now dame fame shall make to remayne

Theyr worthy actes hygh and honorable

Perpetually for to be commendable

5570

In ryall bokes and Iestes hystoryall

Theyr fame is knowen ryght hye tryumphall

Charles.

¶And than Charles the grete kynge of Fraunce

With all his noble douse pers also

As Roulande and Olyuer of his alyaunce

5575

With all the resydue and many other mo

Theyr fame encreaseth rennynge to and fro

The hardy dedes dyde them magnyfy

Vnto me fame theyr names to notyfy

Godfrey of Boleyn.

¶And Godfrey of Boleyn of hardy courage

5580

That of the paynyms wanne the vyctory

His worthy actes dyde theyr strength aswage

Whose fame renowmed is full openly

About the worlde reygnynge so ryally

In flamynge tongues to be intellygyble

5585

His moost hye actes so moche inuyncyble

And in lykewyse without abatement

I shall cause for to be memoryall

The famous actes so hygh ben[e]uolent beneuolent] benouolent 1517, beneuolent 1554, 1555

Of graunde_amoure my knyght in specyall

ref.ed: 214

sig: [S3v]

5590

His name shall dure and be eternall

For though his body be wrapte in claye

Yet his good fame shall remayne alwaye

And ryght anone she called remembraunce

Commaundynge her ryght truely for to wryte

5595

Bothe of myn actes and my gouernaunce

Whiche than ryght sone began to endyte

Of my feates of armes / in a shorte respyte

Whose goodly storyes in tongues seuerall

Aboute were sente for to be perpetuall

5600

And thus I fame am euer magnyfyed

Whan erth in erthe hath tane his estate

Thus after dethe I am all gloryfyed

What is he nowe that can my power abate

Infenyte I am nothynge can me mate

5605

The sprynge of honoure / and of famous clerkes

My-selfe I am to renowne theyr werkes

ref.ed: 215

sig: [S4]

Ca. xliiij.

ANd as dame fame was in laudacyon

In-to the temple with meruaylous lykenes

Sodaynly came tyme in breuyacyon

5610

Whose symylytude I shall anone expres

Aged he was with a berde doubtles

Of swalowes feders his wynges were longe

His body fedred he was hye and stronge

In his lefte hande he had an horology

5615

And in his ryght hande a fyre brennynge

A swerde aboute hym gyrte full surely

ref.ed: 216

sig: [S4v]

His legges armed clerely shynynge

And on his noddle derkely flamynge

Was sette Saturne pale as ony leed

5620

And Iupyter a_myddes his forhed

In the mouthe Mars / and in his ryght wynge

Was splendent Phebus with his golden beames

And in his brest there was resplendysshynge

The shynynge Venus with depured streames

5625

That all about dyde cast her fyry leames

In his left wynge Mercury / and aboue his wast

Was horned Dyane / her opposycyon past

My name quod he / is in dyuysyon

As tyme_was tyme_is / and the tyme_future

5630

I meruayle moche of the presumpcyon

Of the dame fame / so puttynge in vre

Thy grete prayse / saynge it shall endure

For to be infynyte / euermore in preace

Seynge that I shall all thy honour seace

5635

Shall not I tyme dystroye bothe se and lande

The sonne and mone / and the sterres all

By veray reason thou shalte vnderstande

At last shall lese theyr course in generall

On tyme_past / it vayleth not to call

5640

Now by this horologe / it dooth well appere

That my laste name dooth euermore drawe nere

In my ryght hande / the grete fyre so feruent

Shall brenne the tyme / and also mynysshe

The fatall tongues / for it is accydent

5645

Vnto me tyme / all thynges to perysshe

ref.ed: 217

sig: T1

Whan my last ende I shall accomplysshe

And thus in vayne thou hast thy laboure spente

Whan by me tyme thou shalte be so brente

In eternyte before the creacyon

5650

Of aungell and man all-thynge was vysyble

In goddes syght as due probacyon

Of his godhede whiche is intellygyble

To whome nothynge can be impossyble

For in my-selfe / a[s] hye and suffycyente as] a 1517, as 1509

5655

Before all thynges he was refulgente

Vnto whome onely is apparaunce

Of my last ende / as myne orygynall

Was in his syght withoute doubtaunce

For onely of hym it is especyall

5660

The hye power and godhede infynall

The future tence to knowe dyrectly

Vnto whome it appereth openly

I am the lode-sterre to dame eternyte

Whan man of erthe hath his creacyon

5665

After the mynute of his natyuyte

He taketh than his operacyon

Vpon me tyme at euery season

In the same houre the worlde was create

Orgynally I toke myn estate

5670

Coude the .ix. worthyes s[o] vyctoryous so] se 1517, so 1509, 1554, 1555

Do all theyr actes withoute tyme or space

Tyme is a thynge bothe gay and gloryous

Whan it passeth with vertue and grace

Man in this worlde hath a dwellynge-place

ref.ed: 218

sig: [T1v]

5675

Eyther hell or heuen without lesynge

Alwaye he geteth in his tyme spendynge

Withouten tyme is no erthely thynge

Nature / fortune / or yet dame sapyence

Hardynes / clergy or yet lernynge

5680

Past / future / or yet in presence

Wherfore I am of more hye preemynence

As cause of fame / honoure and clergy

They can nothynge without [me] magnyfy me] hym all texts

Do not I tyme / cause nature to augment

5685

Do not I tyme / cause nature to decay

Do not I tyme cause man to be present

Do not I tyme / take his lyfe away

Do not I tyme / cause dethe take his say

Do not I tyme / passe his youth and age

5690

Do not I tyme / euery-thynge aswage

In tyme Troye the cyte was edefyed

By tyme also was the dystruccyon

Nothynge without tyme can be fortefyed

No erthely Ioye nor trybulacyon

5695

Without tyme is for to suffre passyon

The tyme of erthe was our dystruccyon

And the tyme of erthe was our redempcyon

Adam of erthe sone of vyrgynyte

And Eue by god of adam create

5700

These two the worlde dampned in certaynte

By dysobedyence so foule and vycyate dysobedyence] dyscobedyence 1517, disobedience 1554, 1555

And all other than frome them generate

Tyll peace and mercy made ryght to enclyne

ref.ed: 219

sig: T2

Out the lyon to entre the vyrgyne

5705

Lyke as the worlde was dystroyed totally

By the vyrgyns sone / so it semed well

A vyrgyns sone to redeme it pyteously

Whose hye godheed / in the chosen vessell

Forty wekes / naturally dyde dwell

5710

Nature [takynge as the hye] god of kynde takynge as the hye] wekes naturally dyde 1517, takynge as the hye 1509; god] good 1554, 1555

In the vyrgyn he dyde suche nature fynde

Thus without nature / nature wonderly

In a vyrgyn pure openly hath wrought

To the god of nature nothynge truely

5715

Impossyble is / for he made of nought

Nature fyrst / whiche naturynge hath tought

Naturately / ryght naturate to make

Why may not he than the pure nature take

By his godhede of the vyrgyn Mary

5720

His electe moder and arke of testament

Of holy chyrche the blessyd lumynary

After the byrthe of her sone excellent

Vyrgyn she was yet alway permanent

Dysnullynge the sectes of false ydolatry

5725

And castynge downe the fatall heresy

Thus whan I tyme in euery nacyon

Reygne in rest and also in peace

And Octauyan in his domynacyon

Thorough the worlde and the peopled preace

5730

Lettres had sent his honoure to encreace

Of all the nombre for to be certayne

For to obey hym as theyr souerayne

ref.ed: 220

sig: [T2v]

In whose tyme god toke his natyuyte

For to redeme vs with his precyous blode

5735

Frome the deuylles bonde of grete iniquyte

His herte was perst / hangynge on the rood

Was not this tyme / vnto man ryght good

Shall not I tyme euermore abyde

Tyll that in libra at the dredefull tyde

5740

Of the day of dome than in the balaunce

Almyghty god shall be Iust and egall

To euery persone withouten doubtaunce

Eche as they dyde deserue in generall

Some to haue Ioye / some payne eternall

5745

Than I am past I may no lenger be

And after me is dame eternyte.

ref.ed: 221

sig: T3

ANd thus as tyme made his conclusyon

Eternyte in a fayre whyte vesture

To the temple came with hole affeccyon

5750

And on her hede a dyademe ryght pure

With thre crownes of precyous treasure

Etern[iti]e she sayde I am nowe doubtles Eternitie] Eterne 1517, Eternitie 1554, 1555

Of heuen quene / and of hell empres

Fyrst god made heuen his propre habytacle

5755

Though that his power be in euery place

In eterne heuen is his tabernacle

ref.ed: 222

sig: [T3v]

Tyme is there in no maner of cace

Tyme renneth alwaye his ende to enbrace

Now I my-selfe shall haue none endynge

5760

And my maker had no begynnynge

In heuen and hell I am contynually

Withouten ende to be in_extynguyssyble

As euermore to reygne full ryally

Of euery-thynge I am inuyncyble

5765

Man of my power shall be intellygyble

Whan the soule shall ryse agaynst the body

To haue Iugemente to lyue eternally

In heuen or hell as he dothe deserue

Who that loueth god aboue euery thynge

5770

All his commaundementes he wyll then obserue

And spende his tyme in vertuous lyuynge

Ydlenes wyll euermore [be] eschewynge be] 1517 omits, be 1554, 1555

Eternall Ioye he shall then attayne

After his laboure and his besy payne

5775

O mortall folke reuolue in your mynde

That worldly Ioye and frayle prosperyte

What is it lyke but a blaste of wynde

For you therof can haue no certaynte

It is now so full / of mutabylyte

5780

Set not your mynde vpon worldly welthe

But euermore regarde your soules he[lt]he helthe] hetlhe 1517, health 1555, 1555

Whan erthe in erth hath tane his corrupte taste

Than to repente it is for you to late

Whan you haue tyme spende it nothynge in waste

ref.ed: 223

sig: [T4]

5785

Tyme_past with vertue must entre the gate

Of Ioye and blysse with myn hye estate

Withoute tyme for to be euerlastynge

Whiche god graunte vs at our last endynge

Now blyssed lady of the helthe eternall

5790

The quene of comforte and of heuenly glorye

Pray to thy swete sone / whiche is infynall

To gyue me grace to wynne the vyctory

Of the deuyll / the worlde and of my body

And that I may my-selfe well apply

5795

Thy sone and the to laude and magnyfy.

¶Explicit. The pastyme of pleasure

¶The excusacyon of the auctore. Ca. xlvj.

¶Vnto all poetes I do me excuse

Yf that I offende for lacke of scyence

This lytell boke yet do ye not refuse

Though it be deuoyde of famous eloquence

5800

Adde or detray by your hye sapyence

And pardon me of my hye enterpryse

Whiche of late this fable dyde fayne and deuyse

Go lytell boke I pray god the saue

Frome mysse-metrynge / by wronge Impressyon

5805

And who that euer lyst the for to haue

That he perceyue well thyn entencyon

For to be grounded withoute presumpcyon

As for to eschewe the synne of ydlenes

To make suche bokes I apply my besynes

ref.ed: 224

sig: [T4v]

5810

Besechynge god for to gyue me grace

Bokes to compyle of morall vertue

Of my mayster lydgate to folowe the trace

His noble fame for to laude and re[n]eue reneue] remeue 1517, reneue 1509, renue 1554, 1555

Whiche in his lyfe the slouthe dyde eschewe

5815

Makynge grete bokes to be in memory

On whose soule I pray god haue mercy

¶Here endeth the pastyme of pleasure. Inprynted at London in Fletestrete / at the sygne of the sonne / by Wynkyn_de_Worde / the yere of oure lorde .M.CCCCC. and .xvij. therd daye of December.