| sig: [A1] | |
| ¶The spectacle of louers. | |
| ¶Here-after foloweth a lytell contrauers dyalogue bytwene loue and councell / with many goodly argumentes of good women and bad / very compendyous to all estates / newly compyled by Wyllyam_Walter seruaunt vnto syr Henry_Marnaye knyght Chauncelour of the Duchye of Lancastre. | |
| sig: [A1v] | |
|
¶Here begynneth the prologue of the auctoure. |
|
| FOr-as-moche as ydelnesse is rote of all vyces | |
| Whom to eschue the wyse man dothe vs counsayle | |
| I therfore entende with some maner of besynesse | |
| Agaynst the same that I myght preuayle | |
| 5 | Recorde of Phylosepher whiche maketh rehersayle |
| Better it is to wryte and some-thynge for to saye | |
| Than in slouthe and ydelnesse to spende the tyme awaye | |
| ¶And thus thynkynge my mynde for to apply | |
| To make some-thynge for my recreacyon | |
| 10 | It came to my remembraunce to shewe and notyfy |
| Betwene a louer and me the greate alteracyon | |
| Of his peteous complaynt makynge demonstracyon | |
| The answeres agayne there-vnto replyenge | |
| In maner of argument togyder dysputynge | |
| 15 | ¶Wherfore I requyre you with humble petycyon |
| This my poore werke to take agreable | |
| And there-as is amysse to make reformacyon | |
| From mesure and good makynge whiche is so varyable | |
| Lette ygnoraunce excuse my faute reprouable | |
| 20 | Whiche made it not for ony presumpcyon |
| But onely for pastyme and recreacyon | |
|
¶Finis. |
|
| sig: A2 | |
| IN a mornynge for my recreacyon | |
| In-to the feldes as I went walkynge | |
| To beholde the grounde I had delectacyon | |
| Arayed with floures fayre and swete-smellynge | |
| 5 | The trees buddynge and the byrdes syngyng |
| Phebus his beames shynynge lyke the golde | |
| Made my herte ioye suche pleasures to beholde | |
| ¶And as I was thus walkynge all alone | |
| By an herber I herde ryght sodeynly | |
| 10 | A louer that pyteously made his mone |
| Sayenge alas for sorowe I shall dye | |
| Uenus darte hath wounded me so cruelly | |
| Without I maye my purpose soone attayne | |
| For sorowe my herte wyll breke in twayne | |
| 15 | ¶O goddesse of loue that hath the sygnory |
| Of all creatures attende to my petycyon | |
| Enclyne my lady that she do apply | |
| To my desyre by thyne instygacyon | |
| That loue in her maye haue suche operacyon | |
| 20 | That our two wylles togyder maye be knyt |
| For as a prysoner to her I me submyt | |
| ¶Alas how greate sorowe it is and payne | |
| To lyue in drede alwaye Imagynynge | |
| How her good grace that I myght attayne | |
| 25 | In thought and pensyfnesse alwaye desyrynge |
| At a good ende my purpose for to brynge | |
| Thus do I lyue bytwene hope and drede | |
| Somtyme trustynge / and somtyme not to spede | |
| sig: [A2v] | |
| ¶Whan her noble person fyrst I dyd beholde | |
| 30 | The souenaunce of her beaute my herte so enbraced |
| That my coloure chaunged / my blode waxed colde | |
| Loue there my herte and wyll togyder enterlaced | |
| So fyrmely that neuer it can be defaced | |
| But as her true louer to loue her pardurable | |
| 35 | Whiche for no chaunce shall be founde varyable |
| ¶Alas good lady holde me excused | |
| Yf I desyre the / whiche I am vnworthy | |
| Loue had my herte so greatly abused | |
| Aboue all other to loue you specyally | |
| 40 | To my harde fortune I can no-wyse reply |
| But to submyt me vnto your grace and wyll | |
| It is at your pleasure to saue or to spyll | |
| Wherfore good lady With pyte do entende | |
| Into your handes As a prysonere | |
| 45 | Loue hath me brought Lette loue my care amende |
| Lose not his lyfe That loueth you so dere | |
| In thought and care Euer I stande in fere | |
| Alas swete lady Remembre my greate payne | |
| Mercy I aske Do not my loue dysdayne | |
| 50 | ¶By her loue my mynde is solycyted |
| That slepynge nor wakynge I am in quyetnesse | |
| But in ymagynacyons and thoughtes greatly turmented | |
| My coloure is faded / my mynde for heuenesse | |
| Is greatly oppressed / my body for werynesse | |
| 55 | And lacke of sustenaunce is so weyke of nature |
| That without her pyte / it maye not longe endure | |
| sig: A3 | |
| ¶Whan that I do her beaute contemplayre | |
| Her noble vertue / her goodly countenaunce | |
| Who that dame nature / hath made so passynge fayre | |
| 60 | Than am I supprysed with her remembraunce |
| As a man that were all in a traunce | |
| Enflamed with the hote brennynge fyre | |
| Of loue / that nothynge may slake my greate desyre | |
| ¶I wolde Iesu she had the prerogatyfe | |
| 65 | That she knewe the thoughtes of al creatures humayne |
| Than sholde she knowe what a bytter lyfe | |
| I lede for her / so myght she not refrayne | |
| But for pyte release me out of payne | |
| And by her loue to conforte me restore | |
| 70 | For there is nothynge that I desyre so sore |
| ¶Alas how am I thus greatly abused | |
| That my mynde to her dare not expresse | |
| For yf she sholde ones haue me refused | |
| Alwaye in sorowe I sholde lyue confortlesse | |
| 75 | Ones must she knowe my cause of heuynesse |
| Or of my purpose I shall nothynge attayne | |
| But thus styll my fortune to complayne | |
| ¶O how greate ioye sholde my herte enbrace | |
| Yf that my lady of her femynyne pyte | |
| 80 | Wolde me accept in-to her specyall grace |
| That togyder in maryage vnyed we myght be | |
| Than were I brought from care to felycyte | |
| Well myght I saye my loue were not in vayne | |
| Syth her goodly person that I dyd optayne | |
| sig: [A3v] | |
| 85 | ¶Often-tymes I haue ben purposed |
| My pyteous sorowe to her to declare | |
| But whan my loue I sholde haue dysclosed | |
| Despayre byddeth me for to beware | |
| Lest by dysdayne I were brought in care | |
| 90 | Desyre my mynde than greatly dothe auaunce |
| Of my fortune to knowe the fynall chaunce | |
| ¶Thus haue I lyued alwaye languysshynge | |
| In varyaunce bytwene loue / hope and drede | |
| With pensyfe thoughtes alwaye ymagynynge | |
| 95 | Of my purpose how that I myght spede |
| And yf I sholde be vnreguardoned | |
| For the loue that I to her do bere | |
| Thus am I alwaye put in thought and fere | |
| ¶O cruell loue O loue insacyable | |
| 100 | What haue I offended to be thus troubled |
| By the cruell dartes of desyre intollerable | |
| Whiche hath my herte so greatly abused | |
| With contynuall care to be thus tourmented | |
| That at no tyme I am in ony rest | |
| 105 | But by desyre and fere alwaye opprest |
| ¶Cursed be ye my cruell eyes twayne | |
| Whiche haue perfyxed my mynde so desyrous | |
| That my herte in no wyse can refrayne | |
| But of my lady for to be amorous | |
| 110 | Ye haue me wounded with paynes dolorous |
| Of sorowe and care that persed hath my herte | |
| Without her conforte my lyfe wyll soone departe | |
| sig: [A4] | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Whan that I herde hym thus pyteously complayne | |
| My herte for pyte sorowed inwardly | |
| 115 | And for to cause hym his sorowe to refrayne |
| With wordes of conforte I dyd my mynde apply | |
| For in trouble there is no better remedy | |
| Than to a frende for to dysclose his sore | |
| For sorowe close-kepte engendreth more and more | |
| 120 | ¶Wherfore these wordes to hym dyd I saye |
| Why do ye thus pyteously lament | |
| Conforte your-selfe yf that ye maye | |
| Or elles ryght soone ye wyll repent | |
| For where-as sorowe on sorowe dothe augment | |
| 125 | In processe of tyme thynke it as no wonder |
| But that it wyll perse your herte asonder | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶He loked on me with face pale and wan | |
| His face dyscouered his wofull heuynesse | |
| Alas he sayd I am a wofull man | |
| 130 | That by loue am brought in-to dystresse |
| I loue and dare not my loue to her expresse | |
| That hath my herte hoolly in her cure | |
| Meruayle it is that I maye this woo endure | |
| ¶I loue a lady whose beauty dothe excell | |
| 135 | Lyke as aurora all other sterres in lyght |
| Of her noble vertue the trewthe I can not tell | |
| Nature and fortune hath gyuen her that myght | |
| Her noble beaute hath persed so my syght | |
| Enflamynge my herte by desyre contynuall | |
| 140 | That vnto loue I am made bonde and thrall. |
| sig: [A4v] | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Suche dysordynat loue / procedeth of ydelnesse | |
| To beholde women / hauynge delectacyon | |
| Whiche by contynuaunce / dothe more and more encrese | |
| Encensynge theyr myndes / by besy Imagynacyon | |
| 145 | To fynde the crafte / and operacyon |
| To brynge poore women / in-to suche dotage | |
| In theyr loue / that they myght madde and rage | |
| ¶Some to theyr louers / tokyns do sende | |
| Other delyte them / in goodly apparell | |
| 150 | Some other in wrytynge / theyr louers do commende |
| And by false promyses procure them to do yll | |
| Other lewde tales / of rybaudry to tell | |
| And to hote meates and drynkes women desyre | |
| By suche prouocacyon / to set theym on a_fyre | |
| 155 | ¶Thus do they dayly / and study in theyr mynde |
| How folysshe women / that they myght abuse | |
| And yf by chaunce / ony suche they fynde | |
| Than for a tyme / they wyll them haunt and vse | |
| And for an-other / soone after theym refuse | |
| 160 | They do not care / how many they begyle |
| For suche madde loue lasteth but a whyle | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶What man is he / that wolde hym-selfe abstayne | |
| From beholdynge of so noble a creature | |
| Or what is he that wolde not take greate payne | |
| 165 | Yf that he myght / to purchase suche a treasure |
| Whiche myght be moost / to his synguler pleasure | |
| God neuer created thynge / vnder the fyrmament | |
| So noble as woman / nor to man more conuenyent | |
| sig: B1 | |
| ¶And where-as ye saye men haue great delectacyon | |
| 170 | To dysdayne women by some subtyll trayne |
| And to be mutable of theyr dysposycyon | |
| Trouthe it is / trewe loue wyll neuer stayne | |
| But to be stedfast / trewe / faythfull and playne | |
| Though some entende to women to do shame | |
| 175 | All trewe louers of theym are not to blame |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Trewe loue / nay nay / madde loue men may it call | |
| A foole is he / he can it not deny | |
| Where he is free to make hym bonde and thrall | |
| In louynge a woman with herte so stedfastly | |
| 180 | Whiche by his loue in no meane can apply |
| Yet from her loue he can hym not refrayne | |
| Though that he knewe his loue spent in vayne | |
| ¶Suche is the condycyon of louers impacyent | |
| That do desyre / that they may not attayne | |
| 185 | Whiche to theyr degrees is not equiualent |
| Yet by reason they can not theym refrayne | |
| But of theyr possybylyte to complayne | |
| Of the dyffycultye they seke no remedy | |
| Bothe counsell and shame they vtterly deny | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| 190 | ¶Why sholde not men loue women in theyr mynde |
| Syth that brute beestes do loue theyr semblable | |
| All-thynge is gouerned by nature and by kynde | |
| And syth that nature in beestes is so stable | |
| Why sholde not a man / a creature reasonable | |
| 195 | Loue a woman syth nature dothe hym bynde |
| Wolde ye haue men erre agaynst theyr kynde | |
| sig: [B1v] | |
| ¶We louers haue alway suche harde chaunce | |
| Some for to loue ferre vnder theyr degre | |
| Or theym-selfe more greatly do auaunce | |
| 200 | We neuer be at our owne lyberte |
| To haue respecte vnto the qualyte | |
| Nature hathe vs in suche subieccyon | |
| There to loue / where we ought not of reason | |
| ¶Loue her I wyll whyle my lyfe shall last | |
| 205 | What-so-euer therof / here-after shall ensewe |
| My herte and wyll shall euer be stedfast | |
| Her onely to loue / as a louer trewe | |
| Reason nor counsell / my mynde can not subdewe | |
| No shame it is to loue in honeste | |
| 210 | Though that she passe ferre aboue my degre |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶What man is so madde to loue his ennemy | |
| Whiche dayly putteth hym to suche encombraunce | |
| That at no tyme he can rest quyetly | |
| Nor many tymes take bodyly sustenaunce | |
| 215 | But leseth his colour / and mysspendeth his substaunce |
| His credence / his vertue and all his good name | |
| For suche madde loue / wyse men wyll hym dyffame | |
| ¶Suche vyces ensue madde louers comynly | |
| They are suspicyous and theym do deedly hate | |
| 220 | That with theyr louers vse to company |
| And with theym often fyght / chyde and debate | |
| Moche myschefe ensueth / they be infortunate | |
| Now in / now out / this is theyr condycyon | |
| Some lose theyr lyfe / some theyr wyt and reason | |
| sig: B2 | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| 225 | ¶Of a noble herte procedeth gentylnesse |
| Wolde ye haue me my louer to dysdayne | |
| Though she be parte of my greate heuynesse | |
| I am chefe grounde of my mortall payne | |
| Though I her loue she can me not refrayne | |
| 230 | Why sholde I her for my mysfortune blame |
| Syth I my-selfe am chefe cause of the same | |
| ¶It was neuer my purpose wyll nor mynde | |
| By suche mysgouernaunce my-selfe to abuse | |
| No false susspeccyons in me shall she fynde | |
| 235 | For by good cause my loue she myght refuse |
| Yf that therin I myght me not excuse | |
| Tho[u]gh I her loue / yet wyll I not go madde | |
| Nor lose my lyfe / my wyt is not so badde | |
| ¶I meruayle that ye loue so despyse | |
| 240 | Whiche of hertely kyndnesse is engendred |
| Nature a man there-vnto dothe entyse | |
| Of myrthe and pleasure it dothe also procede | |
| Frendshyp and charyte there-with-all agrede | |
| Rancoure and malyce it destroyeth vtterly | |
| 245 | All-thynge by it dothe growe and multyply |
| ¶Loue dothe quycken euery mannes herte | |
| It prouoketh the mynde to pleasure and lustynesse | |
| Slouthe and sadnesse it causeth to departe | |
| Strength and manhode by it dothe encresse | |
| 250 | It hateth penury / it loueth largesse |
| Loue causeth a man to haue delyte and pleasure | |
| With a woman to do the course of nature | |
| sig: [B2v] | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶For-asmoche as ye be taken in the snare | |
| Therfore ye do loue more greatly auaunce | |
| 255 | But in loue there is sorowe and care |
| It consumeth a man by space and contynuaunce | |
| The lenger ye loue the more is your greuaunce | |
| Loue brenneth theym so with her cruell fyre | |
| The more they take the more they do desyre | |
| 260 | ¶Theyr laughters ben shorte theyr mournynges are longe |
| Full lytell ioye but syghes many and greate | |
| In plente of sorowe small pleasure is amonge | |
| Anger and trouble theyr hertes dothe ofte frete | |
| Slepynge nor wakynge they be in quyete | |
| 265 | In thought and desyre they brenne feruently |
| Suche dolefull payne they suffre wylfully | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶Loue is not so as ye haue made reporte | |
| Women to men are moost profytable | |
| Theyr wordes and beaute dothe men greate conforte | |
| 270 | Theyr kysses and lokes are moche delectable |
| To myrthe and ioye they be agreable | |
| Where that woman be / there is greate solace | |
| Happy is he that maye attayne theyr grace | |
| ¶We wylfull louers do lyue pleasauntly | |
| 275 | To vs by kynde it is appropryed |
| Somtyme to suffer sorowe pacyently | |
| And in ioye agayne to be exalted | |
| A thynge harde-wonne shall better be loued | |
| He that wyll not suffre suche lytell payne | |
| 280 | Is not worthy suche pleasure to attayne |
| sig: B3 | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶O foolysshe louer / false is thy sentence | |
| To thynke thy payne / to be to the pleasure | |
| For well thou doest knowe / by experyence | |
| That loue thy reason hath made dull and obscure | |
| 285 | That wyll thou or not / this payne thou must endure |
| Loue hath the made / for to be agast | |
| That wysedome and vertue / is clerely from the past | |
| ¶Ye louers delyte / in slouthe and sadnesse | |
| In-stede of myrthe / ye syghe contynually | |
| 290 | Despare dothe ofte encrese your heuynesse |
| Ye be also troubled by Ialousy | |
| By suche meanes / ye be brought in fransy | |
| In ydell thoughtes / and slombres of the nyght | |
| Suche is to you / greate pleasure and delyght | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| 295 | ¶To se you contynue in erroure I meruayle |
| What man is so constaunt / in his lyuynge | |
| But loue and nature / shall hym ofte assayle | |
| With women to haue / theyr bodyly lykynge | |
| In age / wysedome / and beaute florysshynge | |
| 300 | I trowe none can be founde in ony place |
| But that loue hath / or shall his herte embrace | |
| ¶To beholde women / so fayre and swete of vysage | |
| Theyr colour shynynge / theyr membres well-fourmed | |
| Theyr prety countenaunce / with handes fayre and large | |
| 305 | Theyr eyes twynkelynge / theyr wordes well-vttred |
| Theyr behauour and courtesy of kyndnes dothe procede | |
| What herte is so harde / that coude hym-selfe refrayne | |
| To eschewe theyr company / or at theym to dysdayne | |
| sig: [B3v] | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶O cruell youthe / full yll thou arte abused | |
| 310 | To suffre so quyetly / thy payne intollerable |
| The flames of loue / with colde thought encreased | |
| Seynge the pleasure / so shorte and abhomynable | |
| Moche sorowe for small ioye / is not commendable | |
| Pondre thy payne / and pleasure in thy mynde | |
| 315 | For small ioye / soone moche sorowe thou shalt fynde |
| ¶What is beaute / but a floure vanysshynge | |
| The carnall felycyte / the infeccyon of the eye | |
| The dysceyuynge of the mynde of men so coueytynge | |
| A frayle pleasure full of trechery | |
| 320 | There-as it is taken / it deceyueth kyndly |
| Beaute and wysedome / seldome dothe agre | |
| It causeth theym vnstable / and inconstant for to be | |
| ¶In youth theyr coloure / is fayre and florysshynge | |
| By age and syckenesse / it is soone faded | |
| 325 | Where they were ruddy / they be pale and lourynge |
| Theyr skynne in all places / swarte and wrynkeled | |
| There is nothynge ought more to be mystrusted | |
| For it blyndeth the eye / with suche voluptuosyte | |
| That from theyr daunger / none escapeth fre | |
| 330 | ¶Full harde it is / to fynde a woman stedfast |
| For yf one eye wepe / the other dothe contrary | |
| Theyr trouth and faythe / but a small whyle dothe last | |
| Theyr pleasure and lust / is harde to satysfye | |
| In wrathe and malyce / they be contynually | |
| 335 | Trewthe / shame / ne loue / can not theym refrayne |
| Theyr synguler pleasure / but that they wyll optayne | |
| sig: [B4] | |
| ¶What woman is so stedfast / chaste and sure | |
| But for prayer / lust or mede she wyll be greable | |
| That thou of her sholde haue thy wyll and pleasure | |
| 340 | Scante one amonge a thousande shall be so stable |
| Yet drede / shame / or wrath that one shall able | |
| Or elles she is suche / the whiche that lacketh beauty | |
| Whome that no man desyreth to company | |
| ¶Yf she be a mayden that hath the in fauoure | |
| 345 | Wyll not she for small lust lose her vyrgynyte |
| Yf she be a wyfe / consyder her erroure | |
| How by her crafte men deceyued be | |
| Yf she be a wydowe / thou mayst playnly se | |
| How soone theyr husbandes deth that they do forget | |
| 350 | Wherfore he is not wyse / that in theym trust doth set |
| ¶Yf she be an harlot / she maketh no questyon | |
| Of thy maner / wysdome / beaute or alyaunce | |
| But for her rewarde fyrst she maketh mocyon | |
| Or that thou of her shall haue ony dalyaunce | |
| 355 | Thus dothe she loue the / onely for thy substaunce |
| As longe as ye haue / so longe theyr loue dothe last | |
| Where pouerty is / all loue is clerely past | |
| ¶Loue is conuenyent / to a man of sadde dyscrecyon | |
| For madde louers set lytell by theyr frendes | |
| 360 | Theyr hertes be so take by loues prouocacyon |
| To dreme and syghe / and beholde theyr semelynes | |
| To the prayse of theyr louers al thynges they do expres | |
| They haue eyen and se not / and wyt without reason | |
| Thus be they brought to shame and confusyon | |
|
Amator. |
|
| sig: [B4v] | |
| 365 | ¶Yf fortune be to vs / somtyme contrary |
| And that loue hathe put vs / to anoyaunce | |
| Fortune wyll tourne / and loue wyll applye | |
| To theym that seke it / in space and contynuaunce | |
| Loue healeth quyckely / all sorowe and greuaunce | |
| 370 | All-thynge is pleasure / that we louers couet |
| Loue causeth vs / our sorowe to forget | |
| ¶Agaynst age / none can make assystence | |
| Yf beaute fayle / sholde loue be mynysshed | |
| Kyndnesse and loue / wolde theym recompence | |
| 375 | For that they haue had / for to be cherysshed |
| Loue seldome decayeth / but sooner is encreased | |
| The bonde of wedlocke / theym also dothe combynde | |
| Unto theyr dethe / to be stedfast and kynde | |
| ¶Mannes reason to nature dothe apply | |
| 380 | For no man can haue greater delectacyon |
| Than with women to conuerse and company | |
| And with theym to haue carnall copulacyo[n] | |
| To sowe theyr swete sede of generacyon | |
| What better pleasure maye a man couet | |
| 385 | Than chyldren of his owne sede to beget |
| ¶God created woman for mannes pleasure | |
| Without theym the worlde coude not multyply | |
| Arystotell saythe / it is the greatest pleasure | |
| Unto a man / the thynge moost necessary | |
| 390 | To haue a wyfe / of excellent beauty |
| Curteys / gracyous / stedfast / wyse / and sad | |
| Were not a man happy / that suche a louer had | |
| sig: C1 | |
| ¶Suche there be / and many in the nombre | |
| Yf some be lyght / and vnstable of condycyon | |
| 395 | Ye ought not / on all other for to wondre |
| Lette euery for theym-selfe / make declaracyon | |
| And as they haue deserued / so regarde the person | |
| Full many in trouble / stedfast proued be | |
| Suffryng for theyr husbandes / bothe payne and pouerte | |
| 400 | ¶Lyke as the doughter / wyll morne and bewayle |
| Without of the mother / she be conforted | |
| In lykewyse loue / can no tyme preuayle | |
| Without of gladnesse / it be nourysshed | |
| There is no louer / but that he is auaunced | |
| 405 | Somtyme in myrthe / to haue delyte and pleasure |
| Or elles theyr sorowe / they myght no-whyle endure | |
| ¶What causeth a man / to loue sooner apply | |
| Than a quycke wyt / gentylnesse and good lyuynge | |
| Unto a wyse man / it is moost necessary | |
| 410 | That can kepe counseyll / and is sadde of gouernynge |
| Theyr ryght and honeste / alwaye dyffendynge | |
| Unkyndnesse and shames / they vtterly defye | |
| Wherfore in true loue / all noblenesse dothe lye | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶For-asmoche as these wordes can not refrayne your herte | |
| 415 | Take ensample by theym / that haue ben deceyued |
| And in thy mynde / prudently aduerte | |
| Fyrst of kynge Dauyd be it remembred | |
| For all his holynesse / auoutry he commytted | |
| With one Barsabe / wyfe vnto Urye | |
| 420 | And after for her sake / caused hym to dye |
| sig: [C1v] | |
| ¶Kynge Salomon that all men in wysedome dyd excell | |
| By women was enclyned vnto ydolatry | |
| The wyfe of kynge Acab / called Iesabell | |
| The prophetes of god caused for [t]o dye to] do 1533 | |
| 425 | Prognes her sone / rosted full truely |
| And gaue hym to Tereo / her husbande to eate | |
| Bycause her syster Phylomine / with chylde he begete | |
| ¶Sampson the stronge / was also betrayed | |
| By dalida his lemman / in whome he had confydence | |
| 430 | Uyrgyll by a woman / in a basket was hanged |
| A woman rode on aristotell / with shame and vyolence | |
| Thus were they vaynquysshed / for all theyr scyence | |
| Medea / slewe her chylde / lyke a cruell mother | |
| And gaue Iason one parte / and toke her-selfe the other | |
| 435 | ¶The Cytees of troy / and also of Thebe |
| By womans trespas / was brought to destruccyon | |
| The wyfe of kynge Mynos / called Pasyphe | |
| Made a Cowe of wood / lyke in proporcyon | |
| Couered with a skynne / by whiche decepcyon | |
| 440 | To fulfyll her lust / with a Bull she medled |
| Of whome Mynotawre / the monster she conceyued | |
| ¶Of many other / I coude reherse the lyuynge | |
| But for my purpose / these do nowe suffyse | |
| What auayled theyr holynes / wysedome and cunnynge | |
| 445 | Or strength / sythe women can theym so entyse |
| To do that thynge / that men sholde theym despyse | |
| Is not he madde / seynge the experyence | |
| That wyll haue in theym / trust or confydence | |
| sig: C2 | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶I meruayle that ye coude speke or thynke the same | |
| 450 | For the trespace of fewe / on all other for to rayle |
| Pretendyng by your wordes theym vtterly to dyffame | |
| How-be-it your saynge / shall nothynge preuayle | |
| For of as many good women I shall make rehersayle | |
| The merytes of whome / are as moche to be praysed | |
| 455 | As the vyces of the other / sholde be dyscommended |
| ¶Mynerua of Athenes / was called the goddes | |
| Of her wysedome / for her cunnynge and polycy | |
| Carmenta of latyn / founde fyrst the letters | |
| Nycostrates also / the letters of Italy | |
| 460 | What saye you to the sybylles / with theyr greate prophecy |
| Aregenes founde also / fyrst the crafte of weuynge | |
| Thus dyd they excell men / by theyr wyt and cunnynge | |
| ¶What man can gyue theym praysynge conuenyent | |
| Whiche studyed so besyly / to get fruytfull scyence | |
| 465 | To prouoke mannes herte / to study to be dylygent |
| Who can expresse / the wyfely pacyence | |
| Of Grysell / or of Penolype the prudence | |
| The stedfastnes of Lucres / agaynst her wyl rauysshed | |
| Whiche slewe her-selfe / after the dede publysshed | |
| 470 | ¶Who wyll not prayse the faythfull and true Orestyll |
| Whiche whan she sawe Mercus_prolancus to shyp goo | |
| That was her husbande / agaynst her mynde and wyll | |
| For his loue fell downe there deed for woo | |
| Elyssa / after the dethe of her husbande Dydo | |
| 475 | For sorow ranne / vnto the funerall fyre |
| Her body with her lordes / to brenne was her desyre | |
| sig: [C2v] | |
| ¶Of Arthemesya / Porcya / and also Tysbe | |
| Iudyth / Iulya / Ualerya / and Hester | |
| Reed the hystoryes / there shall ye playnly se | |
| 480 | From stedfast loue / they neuer dyd dysseuer |
| For length of tyme / theyr storyes I dyffer | |
| And for theyr vertues / I afferme certaynly | |
| That men ought theym to prayse and magnyfy | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Yf men consydered / the trouble and the payne | |
| 485 | That they sholde suffre whan they be maryed |
| I thynke they wolde theym-selfe soone refrayne | |
| In eschewynge the da[u]nger / that after sholde procede | |
| For an heuy lyfe / many of theym do lede | |
| Whiche for to treate of / in euery cyrcumstaunce | |
| 490 | It wolde aske / a longe contynuaunce |
| ¶Some of theym do wake / whan that they sholde slepe | |
| Some for theyr lyuynges / labour contynually | |
| Other auenture theym / in-to perylles depe | |
| Where they lese lyfe / and substaunce sodeynly | |
| 495 | Thus do they lyue in drede and ieoperdy |
| Some stele or borowe / to bere theyr importune charge | |
| Some hanged / some in pryson and dare not go at large | |
| ¶Some to brynge vp theyr chyldren / are ententyfe | |
| And greatly troubled / for theyr vntowardnesse | |
| 500 | Some with theyr wyues / contynue an heuy lyfe |
| As in chydynge / fyghtynge / and other frowardnesse | |
| Some by Ialousy / are put in heuynesse | |
| In care / trouble / sorowe / and seldome in tranquyllyte | |
| Suche is theyr lyfe / neuer at no certeynte | |
| sig: C3 | |
| 505 | ¶For yf she be fayre / she shall haue great resort |
| And for her beaute she shall be moche desyred | |
| Fewe men wyll haue pleasure or confort | |
| To take a wyfe whiche that is dyfformed | |
| A fayre wyfe to kepe a man dothe stande in great drede | |
| 510 | A foule wyfe to hym is but lytell pleasure |
| Thus is theyr mynde neyther stable nor sure | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶Holde your peace / your wordes are frustrate | |
| To alledge in maryage suche importunyte | |
| For many men are so fortunate | |
| 515 | That neuer were maryed / nor neuer shall be |
| No man can contynue alway in felycyte | |
| For man is predestynate by fortunes operacyon | |
| To lyue in this worlde in trouble and vexacyon | |
| ¶Yf men sholde folowe theyr naturall dysposycyon | |
| 520 | Bytwene beestes and theym there were no dyfference |
| Wherfore for to haue natures operacyon | |
| By wedlocke it is suffred to be without offence | |
| Otherwyse to do / is shame and inconuenyence | |
| Bothe goddes lawe and mannes / he offendeth greuously | |
| 525 | Wherfore no man can say / but wedlocke is necessary |
| ¶Better than chaste loue / what thynge is to be loued | |
| Whiche is grounded in holynes and also in honeste | |
| Frendshyp and affynyte is therby encreased | |
| In one body togyder ioyned be | |
| 530 | Chyldren borne in wedlocke be lawfull and fre |
| They be combyned with bonde so charytable | |
| That nothynge but dethe can make theym separable | |
| sig: [C3v] | |
| ¶Loue must be fyrst / or they be maryed | |
| For by the bonde of loue maryage is consecrate | |
| 535 | There ought nothynge / more to be commended |
| Than loue that with charyte / and peace is confyderate | |
| For there-as is loue / there seldome is debate | |
| And yf amonge louers / happen ony varyaunce | |
| Seldome it is sene of ony longe contynuaunce | |
| 540 | ¶It is longe of theyr husbandes / yf they do not well |
| Wherfore ye do now / accuse theym wrongfully | |
| To folowe theyr myndes / men maye theym compell | |
| But women can not to theyrs apply | |
| What cause hath a man to be than in ialousy | |
| 545 | For yf ony trouble be / angre or varyaunce |
| Women bere the brunt / and suffre the penaunce | |
| ¶What pleasure it is for a man to take a foule wyfe | |
| Without her vertue be the more acceptable | |
| Full often he shall be wery of his lyfe | |
| 550 | A fayre wyfe to hym / shall be more agreable |
| As good and as kynde / and as moche profytable | |
| Foly it is / to haue theym mystrusted | |
| For yll they maye be / yf they be so dysposed | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Whan brome bere apples / or homlockes hony | |
| 555 | Than trust the wordes of women / and stedfastnes |
| That nature hathe gyuen theym / no man can deny | |
| It is theyr proprytees / to be full of dysceytfulnes | |
| To wepe and spynne / and hyde no secretnes | |
| To lye and flatter / suche condycyo[n]s they haue | |
| 560 | Fewe other good proprytees / god vnto theym gaue |
| sig: [C4] | |
| ¶Beware of women / for they be fraudulent | |
| Theyr wordes are venym / mengled with hony | |
| Thou knowest her sayenge / thou knowest not her entent | |
| A foole is he / that in theym dothe affye | |
| 565 | Tell theym thy councell / and they wyll it dyscrye |
| Imparfyte / dysceytfull / and full of mutabylyte | |
| Suche is theyr kynde / nature and properte | |
| ¶Women can loke on men / with face double | |
| For in theyr hertes / they be full varyable | |
| 570 | Theyr fayned loue / hath put many men to trouble |
| Whiche haue supposed theym / to be ferme and stable | |
| By blandysshynge wordes / theyr bate detestable | |
| Lyke the Scorpyon / that sheweth the face smylynge | |
| And with the tayle / sodeynly dothe stynge | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| 575 | ¶Fye fye for shame / ye do rayle in your sentence |
| Theym so to dysprayse / it is not commendable | |
| Syth they be bounde / by vertue of obedyence | |
| To obey theyr husbandes / and to theym to be seruysable | |
| Not as a seruaunt / but by loue charytable | |
| 580 | And as a frende / to be to theym stedfast |
| In worde and dede / whyle that theyr lyues last | |
| ¶Why do ye despyse women / so shamefully | |
| Syth that in these offence / that men be more infecte | |
| What is he that Iustly can deny | |
| 585 | In none of theym / that he maye be detect |
| Some women in wysedome / haue better cyrcumspect | |
| Than some haue / with wysedome and prouydence | |
| To eschewe suche shame / and inconuenyence | |
| sig: [C4v] | |
| ¶To haue a frende / it is a synguler pleasure | |
| 590 | Who can haue a better / than his wedded wyfe |
| For she can do to hym no dyspleasure | |
| Syth she is partener / of all his sorowe and stryfe | |
| With hym she must contynewe all her lyfe | |
| And to her power to helpe theym at theyr nede | |
| 595 | For of theyr husbandes they stande in fere and drede |
| ¶Women be full of pyte and compassyon | |
| Theyr merytes can not be to moche praysed | |
| Loue is in theym / by nature and complexcyon | |
| Of hertly kyndnes / to men so perfyxed | |
| 600 | In welthe and wo it is not mynysshed |
| All payne and trouble / they take agreable | |
| That myght for vs be good and profytable | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Now-adayes olde women / and yonge go straungely | |
| Lyke comen women / theyr apparell is dysguysed | |
| 605 | To prouoke yonge hertes / theyr desyres to apply |
| Theyr heer dysplayed / theyr faces paynted | |
| Theyr gownes lowe-collered / theyr brestes enhaunced | |
| Suche venym they profer / though it be not acceptable | |
| Yet is theyr entent / approued dampnable | |
| 610 | ¶Thus fewe of theym / do regarde theyr honeste |
| And folowe theyr pleasure / and sensuall delectacyon | |
| For at feestes and esbatementes there wyll they be | |
| Where yonge people resorte / for theyr recreacyon | |
| Whiche are dysposed / by naturall inclynacyon | |
| 615 | To talke and dally / and besyly to procure |
| To prouoke theym to apply to theyr disordynat pleasure | |
| sig: D1 | |
| ¶All-thynge that youth and courage can delyte | |
| At suche feestes as is prepared comynly | |
| Theyr myndes to solace and pleasure to excyte | |
| 620 | As good metes and drynkes / mery talkynge and mynstralsy |
| Dauncynge and syngynge / and iestes of rybaudry | |
| Whiche bryngeth women to suche perplexyte | |
| That they forget bothe shame and honeste | |
| ¶O what grete myschefe ensued and aduersyte | |
| 625 | For that quene Helyn by coloured deuocyon |
| Went to Uenus temple there Parys was for to se | |
| And the other troyans makynge theyr oblacyon | |
| To se the experyence she had delectacyon | |
| Yf his beauty were as it was reported | |
| 630 | Where-by her argument after she was rauysshed |
| Under suche colour they vsed theyr hauntes dampnable | |
| To be newe-fangled it is theyr properte | |
| And blasyngly to shewe theyr beauty delectable | |
| And to be prompte in spekynge suche is theyr felycyte | |
| 635 | By suche meanes they breke theyr wedlocke and chastyte |
| For the shyp sholde neuer by tempest spyll | |
| Yf in the hauen it contynued styll | |
| ¶Whan ye haue a wyfe kepe her from lyberte | |
| On her do not dote nor be not to tendre | |
| 640 | For by suche meanes she wyll haue suche felycyte |
| That of the she wyll not stande in ony fere | |
| To moche famylyaryte / dysdayne dothe engendre | |
| Without drede be / loue they soone forget | |
| Loue and drede togyder yll-purpose dothe let | |
| sig: [D1v] | |
|
¶Amator |
|
| 645 | ¶Why sholde not women vnto feestes resorte |
| One frende with another I thynke ordynate | |
| To passe the tyme with honest game and sporte | |
| For to be solytary / the mynde is fatygate | |
| To be in company / the mynde is recreate | |
| 650 | Yll thoughtes and humours / engendreth of ydlenes |
| It shorteth the lyfe with slouth and heuynes | |
| ¶To were suche apparell / it is the guyse comynly | |
| From the comen vsage they may theym not refrayne | |
| Theyr husbandes pleasures for to satysfy | |
| 655 | To were newe facyons they must be glad and fayne |
| Or as an abiecte they wyll at them dysdayne | |
| And as vnworldly they shall be elles reprobate | |
| Not regardynge theyr honeste and estate | |
| To go on pylgrymage it is merytoryous | |
| 660 | For god wolde be worshypped in many a sondry place |
| Bothe to body and soule it is commodyous | |
| For by it the soule purchaseth pardon and grace | |
| It febleth the body by contynuaunce and space | |
| Theyr hertes to more deuocyon doth enclyne | |
| 665 | Wherfore at theyr doynge men ought not to repyne |
| ¶To kepe theyr wedlocke they haue great dylygence | |
| Yf they breke wedlocke they lyue in worldely shame | |
| To god they make an heuy offence | |
| Theyr husbandes honesty they vtterly dyffame | |
| 670 | Wronge heyres enheryte by theyr importune blame |
| With penaunce they may theyr synnes puryfy | |
| But the trespas and sclaundre they can neuer remedy | |
| sig: D2 | |
| ¶Full lytell a man / regardeth his honeste | |
| Yf he kepe his wyfe / in suche subieccyon | |
| 675 | That seldome she sholde haue ony lyberte |
| With her frendes to haue recreacyon | |
| To kepe theym to streyte / it is a prouocacyon | |
| To cause a good woman / her husbande for to hate | |
| For yf she be yll / nothynge can her abate | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| 680 | ¶Women be lykened / to the Chymer of Thesayle |
| Hauynge the symylytude / or heed of a lyon | |
| The body of a Gote / the last parte or tayle | |
| Unto a Chure / a venymous Dragon | |
| To this monstre / by theyr dysposycyon | |
| 685 | They be lykened / by the poetes faynynge |
| For .iij. pryncypall vyces in them moost reygnynge | |
| ¶Fyrst they do loke / with a lyons countenaunce | |
| To haue preemynence / they desyre vtterly | |
| And that men sholde theym / in euery place auaunce | |
| 690 | And to theym do seruyce / pleasure or curtesy |
| They frete in theyr hertes / for dysdayne and enuy | |
| Yf they se ony better / than they be apparelled | |
| Or better taken / or more to be commended | |
| ¶The seconde to a Gote / for synne and vycyousnesse | |
| 695 | They be lykened / and to the see swalowynge |
| A man shall neuer fynde theym out of redynesse | |
| How moche he wyll do / he shall haue no denyenge | |
| But alwaye more and more / they be coueytynge | |
| And for-as-moche / as one can not suffise theyr appetyte | |
| 700 | To haue helpe of many / some of theym delyte |
| sig: [D2v] | |
| ¶The .iij. they be lykened / to a dragon venymous | |
| For theyr besy tongues / that alwaye talke and clatter | |
| Yf they be dyspleased / than be they so fumous | |
| That they care not what they say or who they sclaunder | |
| 705 | Moche grudge and quarelynge myschefe and daunger |
| Ensueth by theyr tongues serpentyne | |
| Whiche are so double that they can byte and whyne | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶To dysprayse women it can not you preuayle | |
| Theyr good names by you can not be empayred | |
| 710 | It becommeth no man on theym so to rayle |
| Though some haue done amysse all haue not offended | |
| For one womans trespas sholde all be dyscommended | |
| No man wyl repute your sayenge reasonable | |
| To allege on theym suche vyces detestable | |
| 715 | ¶Men gyue them preemynence by custome and curtesye |
| Though that women wolde they can it not refrayne | |
| Theyr dutyes they must vse and occupye | |
| Not by no pryde suche custome they do vse | |
| They are not so ignorant theym-selfe so to abuse | |
| 720 | Nor to dysdayne ony that theym dothe excell |
| In beaute substaunce or good apparell | |
| ¶The Phylosopher sayth it is expedyent | |
| The gentyll to be of greater strength and vertue | |
| The pacyent in nature more feble and impotent | |
| 725 | For yf they were equall than myght they not subdue |
| The one the other / nor no fruyte sholde ensue | |
| Wherfore the coldest man is of more hoter kynde | |
| Than the hotest woman that ony man can fynde | |
| sig: D3 | |
| ¶Why sholde not women / of theyr tongues be ryfe | |
| 730 | To plede theyr causes / theyr trewthe to veryfy |
| They haue none other armoure dyffensyfe | |
| Theyr power is to feble / theyr wronges to iustyfy | |
| To speke nor to do / none can lyue so pacyently | |
| Though that they chyde / theyr angre is soone past | |
| 735 | Theyr wordes of wynde / is lyckened to a blast |
| ¶Ten monethes / women with theyr chyldren go | |
| And of theyr bodyes / that tyme be they nourysshed | |
| With panges and stytches / they suffer payne and wo | |
| In peryll of dethe / whan they be delyuered | |
| 740 | With theyr mylke after / a season they be fed |
| Moche payne and trouble / our mothers for vs take | |
| Wherfore all women / we ought to loue for theyr sake | |
| ¶To make of women men sholde be gladde and fayne | |
| Syth they to vs / be so tendre with dylygence | |
| 745 | One man for an-other / wolde not take the payne |
| Theyr kyndnesse we can not duely recompence | |
| To loue theym we haue good cause / by experyence | |
| They are so moche our frendes in sycknesse and in helthe | |
| He that theym hateth / loueth not his welthe | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| 750 | ¶We wyll no lenger / in these maters debate |
| Folowe my counsell / his company eschewe | |
| Yf ye entende your sorowe to mytygate | |
| In secrete places / do not ye contynue | |
| Imagynacyons and thoughtes / your mynde wyl subdue | |
| 755 | Wherfore suche hauntes / yf ye do not cease |
| Loue wyll in you / more and more encrease | |
| sig: [D3v] | |
| ¶Experyence by fyre / whiche is nygh quenched | |
| With brymstone it wyll be kyndled soone agayne | |
| In lykewyse loue / yf it be frequented | |
| 760 | Wherfore from her loue / do your-selfe refrayne |
| Fynde some occasyon / at her to dysdayne | |
| To desyre her loue / be not ye to madde | |
| Except of yours / that she wolde be as gladde | |
|
¶Amator. |
|
| ¶To gyue me suche counsell / me-thynke ye be not wyse | |
| 765 | Your sugred lyppes can not me begyle |
| For yf I sholde folowe your aduyse | |
| My lyfe wolde contynue / but a small whyle | |
| From her company / I can not me exyle | |
| To leue that thynge / whiche that I loue best | |
| 770 | No reasonable man / wyll make no suche request |
| ¶Wherfore of this talkynge / now lette vs cease | |
| Ensamples I haue / ryght many and excellent | |
| Theyr wysedome and noblenesse / for to encrease | |
| But at this tyme / these shall be competent | |
| 775 | Wherfore from hensforthe / leue your false argument |
| And of women speke not so reprouable | |
| For shame it is to you / and nothynge commendable | |
|
¶Consultor. |
|
| ¶Thus dyd we fynysshe / our communycacyon | |
| Desyrynge the assystence to take this agreable | |
| 780 | And in that is amysse / to make reformacyon |
| And also all women / I humbly theym supply supply='supplicate' | |
| At this poore treatyse / for to haue none enuye | |
| I haue nothynge sayd / that is to theyr dysprayse | |
| But I haue made answer / theyr honour more to rayse | |
| sig: [D4] | |
| 785 | ¶But for-asmoche as some men haue delectacyon |
| To rayle vpon women and theym to dyscommende | |
| I therfore entende to make demonstracyon | |
| Of theyr opprobryous wordes / wherin they do offende | |
| By reasonable answeres to enduce theym to amende | |
| 790 | Wherby they may haue perfytly knowlege |
| That women be not gylte in that they do allege | |
| ¶Wherfore I requyre you consyder myne entent | |
| Whiche made it not for malyce or ony despytefulnesse | |
| For yf I sholde so do / I were ryght neclygent | |
| 795 | And worthy to be rebuked of shame and vngentylnesse |
| Bothe prayse and dysprayse herin I do expresse | |
| Yf I deserue blame in spekynge so largely | |
| I trust to haue thanke for replyenge the contrary | |
|
¶Lenuoy of Robert_Coplande. |
|
| Endeuer thy-selfe thou lytell boke I pray | |
| To thyne auctoure and vnto eche degre | |
| Excusynge thyne impressyon alway | |
| Yf to theyr mynde it fortune not to be | |
| 5 | And where mysse is / that they wyll pardon me |
| And to correct after theyr good entent | |
| With lesse or more as it is conuenyent. | |
|
¶Finis. |
|
| ¶Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne by me Wynkyn_de_worde | |
| sig: [D4v] |