The Complaint of Them That be Too Late Married

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¶Here begynneth the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed.

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AF[t]er playes sportes and daunces of solace After] Affer 1518

We must thynke to come to prosperyte

After that god of his haboundaunte grace

Wyll prouyde how that I may gouerne me

In mynde I purpose wedded to be

In a better lyfe may no man lyue in

Than to be maryed and ly[u]e out of synne lyue] lyfe 1518

All yonge louers sholde them so affyle

That they loue trewely and so for to lyue

With ardaunte wytte and perfyte style

All vnto goodnesse themselfe for to gyue

Than may they be sure that they shall thryue

So wyll I lyue in maryage clene and pure

To goddes be_houe and in_creasynge of nature

To longe haue I lyued without ony make

All to longe haue I vsed my yonge age

I wyll all for_go and a wyfe to me take

For to encreace both our twoos lynage

For saynt Iohnn sayth that he is sage

That ayenst his wyll doth hym gouerne

And our lordes preceptes hym-selfe for to lerne

There is no greter pleasure than for to haue

A wyfe that is full of prudence and wysdome

Alas for loue [r]yght I am in poynte to raue ryght] nyght 1518

These cursed olde men haue an yll custome

Women for to blame / both all and some

For that th[e]y can not theyr myndes full_fyll they] thy 1518

Therfore they speke of them but all yll

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Now syth that I haue my tyme vsed

For to folowe / my folysshe pleasaunces

And haue my-selfe oftentymes sore abused

At plaes and sportes / pompes and daunces

Spendynge golde and syluer and grete fynaunces

For faut of a wyfe the cause is all

To late maryed / men may me call

The holy sacramente of maryage

Before holy chyrche was ordeyned

For to encrease humayne lynage

He that doth other-wyse is [n]ot receyued

Before god / thus was man guerdoned

With woman for to lyue at his owene wyll

He is a fole that elles-where doth nature spyll

I haue done as the labourer doth

That somtyme is payned with trobyll grete

For he leseth his payne for certayne soth

That in the hye-waye soweth his whete soweth] sotweth 1518

Well I perceyue that I dyde me forgete

Or that I put me in-to housholde

I haue lost my seed my worke is but colde

Women and maydens / both good and yll

With me I helde my-selfe for to please

The one dyde rebell / the other abode styll

Other made me well at myn ease

Cupydo than came me for to cease cease: =seize

Uenus lyghted her bronde of fyre

For suche seruyce suche guerdo[n] and hyre guerdon] guerdob 1518

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Thus rauysshed in this sayd abusyon

I was taken with a cautelous wyle

That me-thought to make conclusyon

Of my weddynge within a whyle

But yet dyde they me begyle

They caused me for to make grete dyspence

For I was no soner wed through my neglygence

I wolde do make comune I_wys

My propre goodes so was I lyght

Of wytte and was all-wayes redy as is

A man of armes in poynt to fyght

Other-whyles I went me ryght

In-to places my-selfe solysytynge solysytynge: =soliciting

But nother frequented that beynge

Yf I with_helde ony praty one

Swetely ynough she made me chere

Sayenge that she loued no persone

But me / and therto she dyde swere

But whan I wente fro that place there

Unto an-other she dyde as moche

For they loue none but for theyr poche

I had fyue or syxe companyons

That haunted with me euery houre

But I haue knowen to suche garsons

In secrete they haue done socoure

Yf that they enioyed my paramoure

With grete payne durste I it to them saye

Force me was to kepe counseyll alwaye

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I wote well that I haue ryght sore varyed

For to haue wylled for to lyue alone

For to haue ben to late maryed

For that I haue herde so longe a_gone

For she that abandoneth to more than one

I dare wyll swere and ther-with it sust[a]yne sustayne] sustyne 1518

That she abandoneth vnto a dosayne

Folysshe regardes full of vanyte

I kest ouer-[t]warte and eke contrauers ouer-[t]warte] ouer swarte 1518ouer-twarte ='crosswise'; see OED s.v. overthwart; contrauers ='in the opposite direction'? See OED s.v. contraverse adv., where this example is quoted.

To_daye I had peas rest and vnyte

To_morowe I had plete and processe dyuers plete: =plea

Breke I dyde dores and fenesters

Sargeauntes met me by the waye

And enprysoned both me and my praye

Subiecte I was to a meyny of bawdes

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And vnto a grete company of brothelles

Whiche to me brought an hepe of rybaudes

Dronkardes that loued well good morselles

Knaues and theues that wolde pyke quarelles

I gaue them clothes I knewe not theyr vse

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There is none so subtyll but loue doth hym abuse

Alas I haue all my tyme spent and lost

Whiche for to recouer is impossyble

Spent haue I nature at grete expens and cost

Ayenst the ryght canon and of the holy byble

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Offens done to god neuer ceasyble

In daunger for to forfayte bothe soule and lyfe

By defaute for to haue taken vnto me a wyfe

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Lyke vnto a best an hors or an asse an hors] and hors 1518

That careth not for to tomble in the fen

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Yf that ony with me playenge there was

An-other to helpe I wolde go then

Mo gallantes a man sholde se than ren

After a wentche and lepe and hytche

Than dogges do about a farowinge bytche

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She wolde to no maner a man escondyte escondyte ='give a refusal to'; See OED s.v. escondyte v, for which this example is the sole attestation.

Eche one she appetyted for to receyue

Takynge therein pleasure and delyte

To the ende theyr syluer for to haue

But in the stede chyldren to conceyue

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Botches pockes / and goutes they engendre

In hedes and in legges and in euery me[m]bre membre] menbre 1518

In this maner of sykenesse many ther be

That ben Impotentes hanged and dede

But lytell semblaunce they make on to se

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Taken as they ben / not beggynge theyr brede

Hast you to be wedded thus I you rede

Unto the ende that ye be not cappable

Of this grete daunger / deedly and vncurable

Now am I out of this daunger so alenge alenge: =alange, 'protracted, tedious'.

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Wherfore I a[m] gladde it for to perseuer am] an 1518

Longe about haue I ben me for to renge

But it is better to late than to be neuer

Certes I was not in my lyfe tyll hyther

So full of Ioye that doth my herte in_spyre

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Wedded folke haue tyme at theyr desyre

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Out am I now of thought dole and mone

Lyuynge euer-more ryght amorously

For I haue a wyfe by my-selfe alone

At my commaundement both late and erely

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And yf it happen that I loke heuely

My wyfe me kysseth and than she me colleth

And ryght woman there she me consolleth

To that I wyll haue done she is redy

Neuer wyll she ayenst my wyll saye

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She doth to me the best that she can truely

Nothynge of my volenty she doth me naye

Yf I be angred or trobled ony-waye

Redy she is to chaunge [her] purpose her] my 1518

Unto the ende that I may haue all my repose

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I haue me all to longe refrayned

Furnysshe I can not to all her pleasyre

And for to promyse her I am constrayned

More than I can do to her desyre

She appetyteth it moche and doth me enspyre

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Gorgyously shewynge her fayre corsage

But I am all caduc and wery for age

I ought for to haue by this many chyldren

Some sporte and playe and some at fyre syttynge

Other in the felde to shote lepe and ren

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And some hardy / some mery / and tryumphynge

In whome I sholde haue all my delytynge

But to late maryd withouten dout

May neuer se his chyldren ren out

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My wyfe shewed to me her proper dugge

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On the mornynge her delyte for to make

And to haue me for to playe nugge_a_nugge nugge_a_nugge: =nooky?

Alas I wolde it full fayne forsake

But force it is suche lessons to take

And to ryse vp erly as I thynke best

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In the mornynge and go vnto my rest

Whan I se her lye in shetes fayre and whyte

As rede as the button of the rose

With good wyll wolde I take than delyte

Neuertheles I lete her haue her repose

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For it is force that I cast agayne on the close

And to make a pawse than I am conioynt

For th'ynstrument is not yet well in poynt

But yet somtyme I me constrayne

To take nature[s] solace thus thynke I natures] nature 1518

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But all sodeynly I me refrayne

For I do fere to be to soone wery

And than I slepe with courage all drery

And yet am I / I can not passe

Upon women more than euer I was

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Constrayned I am to be full of Ialousy

Seynge that I can not content her mynde

Touchynge the playe of loue all softely

Often ynough the experyence to fynde

She me assayeth and tourneth by kynde

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Castynge vnto me her beggynge legge

But I do slepe I care not for suche a begge

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With her eyen pleasaunte castynge a regarde

In chastynge a laughter amerous chastynge] castynge 1501chaste ='restrain, subdue'

Than with a praty smyle she doth me larde

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And that maketh me somwhat Ioyous

But comynge to a bed delycyous

For to holde the spere in a full hande

It plyeth and fayleth for [it] wyll not stonde it] 1518 omits; it 1501

Whan I herde her bable and langage

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Her gentyll termes spoken so properly

I do me wysshe for to be in-to the age

Of eyghten / neyntene / or foure and twenty

Suche assautes than gyue wolde I

That for it [she] sholde haue no nede to craue she] 1518 omits; she 1501

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Of the grete pleasure that she sholde haue

If that she go to banckettes and daunces

She doth none offence therin certayne

Nedes she must haue her plesaunces

In some place to make her glad and fayne

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Wherfore I dare well say and susteyne

That after with me I wolde haue her ledde

Yf ony soner I had ben to her wedde

We twayne sholde haue all our yongenesse

After maryage custome and ryght

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Passed in Ioye / solace / and gladnesse

And is wherfore I haue me pyght

Force it is to me that the fyre be nyght

That at a nede I can not haue quenched

To late maryed is for to be complayned

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It is sayd that man in seruytude

Hym putteth / whan he doth to woman bende

He ne hath but only habytude

Unto her the whiche well doth hym tende

Who wyll to housholde comprehende

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And there-a_bout studyeth in youth alwayes

He shall haue honoure in his olde dayes

Some chyldren vnto the courtes hauntes

And ben puruayed of benefyces

Some haunteth markettes and be marchauntes

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Byenge and sellynge theyr marchaundyses

Or elles constytued in offyces constytued =constituted

Theyr faders and moders haue grete solace

That to late maryed by no waye hase

I be_wayll the tyme that is so spent

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That I ne me hasted for to wedde

For I shall haue herytage and rente

Both golde and syluer and [grete] kynred grete] 1518 omits; grete 1501

But syth that our lorde hath ordeyned

That I this sacrament take me vpon

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I wyll kepe it trewely at all season

Theophrastus vs sheweth in his prose

That in maryage all is out of tune

So doth also the roma[un]te of the rose romaunte] romanute 1518, 1505

Composed by mayster Iohan_de_mehune

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Yet neuertheles it is all comune

That they neuer were in bonde of maryage

Wherfore at all aventures is theyr langage 1505 fragment breaks off.

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Matheolus that was holden so wyse

For to blame wome[n] was all his ebate women] womem 1518ebate ='sport'

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Suppose that he was maryed twyse

For he was so olde that balde was his pate

For he came the last tyme so very late

That in hym there was no puyssaunce

Amyte / solace / Ioye ne pleasure

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But whan that a man may do no more

He blame that / that he can not do

To late wedded the surplus therfore

May not furnysshe as other may do

For whan he wened to satysfye lo

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Nature at nede wyll not hym preuayle

Suche wenes do to well that other-whyle fayle

Yf that there be ony tryfelers

That haue wylled for to blame maryage

I dare well saye that they ben but lyers

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Or elles god fayled in the fyrste age

Adam bereth wytnesse and tesmonage tesmonage: =testimonage

Maryed he was and comen we ben

God dyde choyse maryage vnto all men

Now syth it is thus befall

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Why than ought we it to blame

Us for to put we ben holden all

So sholde we alwayes holde with the same

Or elles holy scrypture sayeth it is shame

And that alleggeth all predycacours

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Our lorde god hateth all fornycatours

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I am now sory that I haue no rathe

Put my-selfe in-to maryages rout

For many a folysshe loke it hathe

It hath me cost / here and there about

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But yet my soule is in grete doute

For god fornycatures punyssheth

And out of this realme he them banyssheth

There is no man lyuynge that can commyt

Without[en] [d]out the worke of nature Withouten dout] Without outen 1518The phrase 'withouten dout' recurs above, A4.

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But he in maryage doth commyse it

As vs telleth the holy scrypture

It is than foly to ony creature

Thus for to blame his creas[y]on creasyon] creason 1518creasyon: =creation

For ony maner of folysshe opynyon

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All they that by theyr subtyll artes

Hath wylled for to blame maryage

I wyll susteyne that they be bastardes

Or at leest waye an euyll courage

For to saye that therin is seruage

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In maryage / but I it reny reny ='deny'; see OED s.v. renay v, 2b

For therin is but humayne company

Yf ther be yll women and rebell

Shrewed dispytous and eke felonyous

There be other fayre and do full well

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Propre / gentyll / lusty / and Ioyous

That ben full of grace and vertuous

They ben not all born vnder a sygnet

Happy is he that a good one can get

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To late maryed now helpe than me

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To make my sorowes and complayntes

For by my fayth I swere to the

I haue suffred many dolours and crayntes

And haue sustayned mo attayntes

Than euer dede wat after the hounde

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At dyspence I lyued and that haue I founde

Galantes playne ye the tyme that ye haue lost

Mary you be_tyme as the wyse-man sayth

Tossed I haue ben fro pyler to post

In commysynge natures werke alwayes

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I haue passed full many quasy dayes quasy ='unhealthy'; see OED s.v. queasy adj, 2b

That now vnto good I can not mate

For mary I dyde my-selfe to late

Rychely in a_raye ought for to go

These women that be obedyent

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Better than these cursed wyues do

That ben not to theyr husbandes pacyent

To take a wyfe was myn intent

Goddes lawes to kepe and them to obserue

Sauynge of nature and heuen to preserue

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Afore that euer I was maryed

Bordeles I haunted and places of infame

But I am now vnto a wyfe [alyed] alyed] alayed 1518

The worlde to holde and honoure goddes n[a]me name] neme 1518

That wycked man I holde to blame

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That foloweth euyll ruell and wyll not amende ruell: =rule

Unto his soulles he[l]th and honoure to pretende helth] heth 1518

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Whan a man to olde age is faden and fall faden='declined'; see OED s.v. fade v1, 2.

Lerne this lesson herken my sentence

Fewe frendes meteth he with-all

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That wyll to his pouerte take ony intellygence

Wo worthe than crye they of the expence

That they haue spent vnto youthes lust

And now they must dye for hunger and thurst

Better it is in youth a wyfe for to take

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And lyue with her to goddes pleasaunce

Than to go in age for goddes sake

In wordely sorowe and perturbaunce wordely: =worldly

For youthes loue and vtteraunce

And than to dye at the last [e]nde ende] ande 1518

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And be dampned in hell with the foule fende

¶The auctour.

Rychenes in youth with good gouernaunce

Often helpeth age whan youth is gone his gate

Both yonge and olde must haue theyr sustenaunce

Euer in this worlde soo fekyll and rethrograte

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Ryght as an ampte the whiche all-gate

Trusseth and caryeth for his lyues fode

Eny-thynge that whiche hym semeth to be good

Crysten folke ought for to haue

Open hertes vnto god almyght

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Put[t]ynge in theyr mynde th[e]yr soule to saue Puttynge] Putrynge 1518; theyr] thyr 1518

Lernynge to come vnto the eternall lyght

And kepe well theyr maryage and trouth plyght

Nothynge alwaye of theyr last ende Nothynge: =noting

Durynge theyr lyues how they the tyme spende

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Here endeth the complaynt of to late maryed

For spendynge of tyme or they a_borde

The sayd holy sacramente haue to longe taryed 1505 fragment begins again.

Humayne nature t'assemble and it to accorde

Enprynted in Fletestrete by Wynkyn_de_Worde

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Dwellynge in the famous cyte of London

His hous in the same at the sygne of the Sonne.

¶FINIS.

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