A Ioyfull Medytacyon To All Englonde Of The Coronacyon Of Our Moost Naturall Souerayne Lorde Kynge Henry The Eyght.

The prologue

The prudent problems/& the noble werkes
Of the gentyll poetes in olde antyquyte
Unto this day hath made famous clerkes
For the poetes wrote nothynge in vanyte
But grounded them on good moralyte
Encensynge out the fayre dulcet fume
Our langage rude to exyle and consume
The ryght eloquent poete and monke of bery
Made many fayre bookes/as it is probable
From ydle derkenes/to lyght our emyspery
Whose vertuous pastyme/was moche cōmendable
Presentynge his bookes/gretely prouffytable
To your worthy predecessour the .v. kynge Henry
Whiche regystred is in the courte of memory
Amyddes the medowe of flora the quene
Of the goddes elycon/is the sprynge or well
And by it groweth/a fayre laurell grene
Of whiche the poetes do ofte wryte and tell
Besyde this olyue/I dyde neuer dwell
To tast the water whiche is aromatyke
For to cause me wryte with lusty rethoryke
Wherfore good souerayne/I beseche your hyghnes
To pardon me whiche do rudely endyte
As in this arte hauynge small intres
But for to lerne is all myn appetyte
In folowynge the monke whiche dyde nobly wryte
Besechynge your hyghnes and grace debonayre
For to accepte this rude and lytell quayre
Explicit prologus.

O God alone in heuen werynge crowne
In whose inspecte is euery regall se
Both to enhaūce & for to cast adowne
Suche is y&supere; power of th&ybar; hygh magiste
Neyther hardynes treasour nor dygnyte
May withstande thy strength whiche is ī euery place
So grete and myghty is thy dyuyne grace
Two tytles in one thou dydest well vnyfye
Whan the rede rose toke the whyte in maryage
Reygnynge togyder ryght hygh and noblye
From whose vnyd tytyls and worthy lygnage
Descended is by ryght excellent courage
Kynge Henry the .viii. for to reygne doutles
Unyuersall his fame honour and larges
Whiche hathe spousyd a fayre floure of vertue
Descended of kynges dame kwtheryn of Spayne
Descended of Kynges dame Kathelyn of Spayne
By grace and prudens the peace to attayne
Wherfore Englonde thou nedes not complayne
Syth thou hast crowned openly in syght
This kynge and quene by good true loue and ryght
What sholde I shewe by perambulacyon
All this grete tryumphe of whiche reporte
Is made aboute nowe in euery nacyon
Unto all this realme to be Ioy and comforte
Wherfore you lordes I humby you exhorte
Spyrytuall and temporall with the comyns vnyfyde
To gyue god the prayse whiche dothe grace prouyde
Englonde be gladde/the dewe of grace is spred
The dewe of Ioy/the dewe holsome and soote
Dystylled is nowe from the rose so red
And of the whyte so spryngynge from the roote
After our trouble to be refute and boote
This ryall tree was planted as I knowe
By god aboue the rancour to downe throwe
Who is the floure that dothe this grace dystyll
But onely Henry the .viii. kynge of his name
With golden droppes all Englonde to fulfyll
To shewe his larges his honour and his fame
His dedes therto exemplefye the same
Wherfore nowe Englonde with hole deuocyon
For this yonge kynge make dayly orayson
Our late souerayne his fader excellent
I knowe ryght well some holde oppynyon
That to auaryce he had entendement
Gadrynge grete rychesse of this his regyon
But they lytell knowe by theyr small reason
For what hye entente he gadered doutles
Unto his grace suche innumerable ryches
For I thinke well and god had sente him lyfe
As they haue meruaylled moche of this gadrynge
So it to them showe haue best affyrmatyfe
To haue had grete wonder of his spendynge
It may fortune he thought to haue mouynge
Of mortall warre our fayth to stablysshe
Agaynst the turkes theyr power to mynysshe
But syth that dethe by his course naturall
Hathe hym arested/and wolde not delay
Lyke wyse as he was so be we mortall
How/where/or whan I cam nothynge say
Therfore to god aboue let vs all pray
For to graunt hym mercy whiche was our kynge
Bryngynge his soule to Ioy euerlastinge
A fayre Englonde mystruste the ryght nought
Regarde ryght well/his sonnes Iustyce
Se how that they whyche inuencyons sought
Delytynge them in the synne of auaryce
To oppresse the comyns by grete preiudyce
Dothe he not punysshe them accordynge to lawe
Suche newe promocyons to dampne and withdrawe
Fy on the saturne with thy mysty fume
Replete with fraude treason and wyckednes
To shewe thy beames thou darest not presume
So cursed thou arte withouten stablenes
Deuoyde of grace fulfylled with doblenes
Thy power to Englonde was neuer amyable
But alwayes euyll vntrue and varyable
Now gentyll Iupyter the lodesterre of lyght
Thy stedfast beames so fayre and so clere
Cast now abrede that we may haue a syght
To gladde vs all whan that they do appere
Sendynge downe trouthe from thy fulgent spere
For to make our hertes mekely to enclyne
To serue our souerayne whiche doth nowe domyne
O myghty Mars o god of the warre
O flambynge honour of euery hardy herte
Sende downe thy power truely from so ferre
Us to encourage that we do not sterte
But by hardynes that we maye subuerte
Our soueraynes enemyes to hym contraryous
By bataylles fyerse ryghtfull and rygorous
And thou fayre bryght/and aureate phebus
Encreace now lyght with loue aud honoure
Amonge the lordes so gay and gloryus
With thy radyant beames so hye of fauoure
Deuoydynge all trechery debate and rancoure
And yllumyne the mynde with lyberalyte
Of our good souerayne with welth and vnyte
And lady Uenus with thy sone Cupyde
Of euery lorde do nowe the herte enspyre
With feruent loue that he do not slyde
And of the comyns set the hertes on fyre
To loue our souerayne with theyr hole desyre
Folowynge his grace with dulcet armonye
To the ryghtfull waye withouten Ieoperdye
Also thou Mercury the god of eloquence
The gentyll sterre of grace and vertue
Thy beames of ryght peace and conscyence
On our kynges counsayll downe sende and renue
The trouthe of Iustyce/that they may extue
For to do wronge by the synne of couetyce
That here before hathe done grete preiudyce
And thou watery dyane of the se the goddes
With thy broder eolus the god of the wynde
Encourage the hertes by in warde hardynes
And enmyes ryse that they be not behynde
Them for to chace and the se to scoure
By grace and fortune in many a stormy stoure
O god aboue/trononysed in heuen
In whose wyll resteth euery thynge alone
The skye/the erthe/with all the planettes seuen
Without whose grace/comforte haue we none
As thou arte thre enclusyd in one
So saue our souerayne/from all maner wo
And this his realme from mortall warre also
Holy chirche reioyse/with all your lybertees
Withouten dōmage/the kynge wyll ye encreace
And be your shelde from all aduersytees
No wronge shall be but he wyll it soone seace
Knyttynge the knotte of fayth loue and peace
Bytwene you and hym without dysturbaunce
So for to endure by longe contynuaunce
Ryght myghty prynce our good souerayne lorde
To god enclynynge be hardy and gladde
Of you and your realme he wyll se concorde
Though other nacyons be therfore full sadde
Agaynst you murmurynge with theyr werkes badde
Yet drede ye nothynge for god with his myght
Wyll be alwaye redy to defende the ryght
Ryght noble/wyse/and excellent pryncesse
Ryght benygne lady/lyberall and vertuous
Dyscended lynyally of the lyne of noblenesse
Fayre quene Katheryne so swete and precyous
To our souerayne espoused with Ioy solacyous
Almyghty god gyue grace to multyplye
From you your floures to reygne ryght ryally
And lady Mary prynces ryght beauteuous
Indued with honour/vertue/and prudence
Ryght meke/goodly/gentyll and gracyous
Syster ryght dere vnto the excellence
Of our good souerayne/surmountynge in sapyence
Ryght fayre yonge lady/the grete lorde aboue
He graunte you grace/hygh fame/fortune/and loue
And all you lordes and ladyes honourable
And you noble knyghtes so hauntynge chyualry
Unto our souerayne be meke and tendable
Whiche wyll rewarde you well and nobly
As to shewe his largesse vnyuersally
Encouragynge your hertes y&supert; courage chyualrous
In tyme of batayll for to be vyctoryous
And all ye offycers of euery degree
Beware extorcyon/for and it be knowen
No doute it is but ye shall punysshed be
Take hede of them/the whiche be ouerthrowen
Remembre well how fortune hathe blowen
The promoters downe/and castynge them full lowe
In folowynge them ye shall fall as I trowe
Englonde be true and loue well eche other
Obey your souerayne/and god omnypotent
Whiche is aboue/of all the worlde the rother
Wyll sende you welth/from whome all good is sente
He gyue vs grace to kepe his comaundement
And saue our souerayne/with his semely quene
With all theyr bloode/without trouble and tene.
Amen

The Example Of Vertu : Cantos I.-Vii.

Here begynneth the boke called the example of vertu.

The prologe.

Whan I aduert in my remembraunce
The famous draughtes of poetes eloquent
Whiche theyr myndes dyd well enhaunce
Bokes to contryue that were expedyent
To be remembred without Impedyment
For the profyte of humanyte
This was the custume of antyquyte.
I now symple and moost rude
And naked in depured eloquence
For dulnes rethoryke doth exclude
Wherfore in makynge I lake intellygence
Also consyderynge my grete neglygence
It fereth me sore for to endyte
But at auenture I wyll now wryte.
As very blynde in the poetys art
For I therof can no thynge skyll
Wherfore I lay it all a part
But somwhat accordynge to my wyll
I wyll now wryte for to fulfyll
Saynt Powles wordes and true sentement
All that is wryten is to oure document
O prudent Gower in langage pure
Without corrupcyon moost facundyous
O noble Chauser euer moost sure
Of frutfull sentence ryght delycyous
O vertuous Lydgat moche sentencyous
Unto you all I do me excuse
Though I your connynge do now vse
Explicit prologus.

Capitulum Primsi.
In Septembre in fallynge of the lefe
Whan phebus made his declynacyon
And all the whete gadred was in the shefe
By radyaunt hete and operacyon
Whan the vyrgyn had full domynacyon
And Dyane entred was one degre
Into the sygne of Gemyne
Whan the golden sterres clere were splendent
In the firmament puryfyed clere as crystall
By imperyall course without incombrement
As Iuppyter and Mars that be celestyall
With Saturne and Mercury that wer supernall
Myxt with venus that was not retrograte
That caused me to be well fortunate
In a slombrynge slepe with slouth opprest
As I in my naked bedde was leyd
Thynkynge all nyght to take my rest
Morpleus to me than made abreyd
And in my dreme me thought he sayd
Come walke with me in a medowe amerous
Depeynted with floures that be delycyous
I walked with hym into a place
Where that there grue many a fayre floure
With Ioye replete and full of solace
And the trees dystyllynge redolent lycoure
More sweter fer than the Aprell shour
And tary I dyd there by longe space
Tyll that I saw before my face
A ryght fayre lady of myddell stature
And also enduyd with grete vertue
Her apparell was set with perlys pure
Whose beaute alway dyd renue
To me she sayd and ye wyll extue
All wyldnes I wyll be your guyde
That ye to fraylte shall not slyde.
Unto her I answerde o lady gloryous
I pray you tell me what is your name
For ye seeme to be ryght precyous
And I am yonge and sore to blame
Of vyces full and in vertue lame
But I wyll be ruled now by your pleasure
So that your order be made by mesure
Eclepyd I am she sayd dyscrecyon
And yf ye wyll be ruled by me
Ye shall haue Ioye without reprehencyon
And neuer fall in to fragylyte
Youth lackynge me it is grete pyte
For in what place I am exyled
They be with synne ryght oft defyled
It longeth euer vnto my properte
Youth to gyue courage for to lerne
I wyll not medle with no duplycyte
But faythfulnes I wyll dyscerne
And brynge thy soule to blesse eterne
By wyse example and morall doctryne
For youth hauynge to me is a good syne
Forsake also all euyll company
And be founde true in worde and dede
Remembre that this worlde is transytory
After thy desert shall be thy mede
Loue god alway and eke hym drede
And for no mannes pleasure be thyn owne foo
Gyue theym fayre wordes and lete theym goo.
Be to thy kynge euer true subgete
As thou sholdest be by ryght and reason
Lete thy herte lowely on hym be sete
Without ony spot of euyll treason
And be obedyent at euery season
Unto his grace without rebellyon
That thou with trouth may be companyon
Loue neuer vnloued for that is payne
Whyle that thou lyuest of that beware
Loue as thou seest the loued agayne
Or elles it wyll torne the to care
Be neuer taken in that fast snare
Proue or thou loue that is moost sure
And than thou in doubte shalt not endure.
Beware byleue no flaterynge tonge
For flaterers be moost disseyuable
Though that they company with the longe
Yet at the ende they wyll be varyable
For they by reason are not fauorable
But euermore fals and double
And with theyr tonges cause of grete trouble
This brytell worlde ay full of bytternes
Alway turnynge lyke to a ball
No man in it can haue no sykernes
For whan he clymmeth he hath a fall
O wauerynge shadowe bytter as gall
O fatall welth full soone at ende
Though thou ryght hy do oft assende
Whan she to me had made relacyon
Of all these prouerbes by good conclusyon
She gaue to me an Informacyon
For to depryue all yll abusyon
And to consydre the grete derysyon
Whiche is in youth that may not se
No thynge appropred to his prosperyte
Forth than we went to an hauen syde
Wher was a shyp lyenge at rode
Taryenge after the wynde and tyde
And with moche spyces ryght well lode
Upon it lokynge we longe abode
Tyll colus with blastes began to rore
Than we her aborded with payne ryght sore
This water eclyped was vayneglory
Euer with yeopardy and tempestyous
And the shyp called was ryght truly
The vessell of the passage daungerous
The wawys were hyghe and gretly troublous
The captayn called was good comfort
And the sterysman fayre pasport.

Capitulum II.

Longe were we dryuen with wynde & weder
Tyll we arryued in a fayre Ilonde
Wher was a boote tyed with a teeder
Of merueylous wood as I vnderstonde
Precyous stones ley vpon the sond
And poynted dyamondes grewe on the rockes
And corall also by ryght hyghe stockes
Amased I was for to beholde
The precyous stones vnder my fete
And the erth glysterynge of golde
With floures fayre of odour swete
Dame dyscrecyon I dyd than grete
Praynge her to me to make relacyon
Who of this Ilonde hath domynacyon
She sayd foure ladyes in vertue excellent
Of whiche the eldest is dame nature
That dayly fourmeth after her entent
Euery beest and lyuynge creature
Both foule and fayre and also pure
All that dependynge in her ordynaunce
Where that she fauoureth there is grete pleasaunce
The seconde is called dame fortune
Ayenst whome can be no resystence
For she doth sette the strynges in tune
Of euery persone by her magnyfycence
Whan they sound best by good experyence
She wyll theym loose and let theym slyp
Causynge theym fall by her turnynge tryp
The thyrde called is dame hardynes
That often rulyth by her cheualry
She is ryght stowt and of grete prowes
And the captayn of a lusty company
And ruleth theym euer full hardely
And to gete honour and worldely tresure
She putteth her oft in auenture
The fourth is wysedome a lady bryght
Whiche is my syster as ye shall se
Whom I do loue with all my myght
For she enclyneth euer to benygnyte
And medeleth not with fraude nor subtylyte
But maketh many noble clerkes
And ruleth theym in all theyr werkes
They dwell all in a fayre castell
Besyde a ryuer moche depe and clere
And be expert in feytys manuell
That vnto theym can be no peere
Of erthely persone that lyueth here
For they be so fayre and wounderous
That theym to se it is solacyous.
Longe haue they trauerst gretly in the lawe
Whiche of theym sholde haue the preemynence
And none of them theyr case wyll withdrawe
Tyll of dame Iustyce they knowe the sentence
They argue often and make defence
Eche vnto other withouten remedy
I wyll no lenger of them specefy.

Capitulum Tercium.

Come on fayre youth and go with me
Unto that place that is delectable
Bylded with towres of curyosyte
And yet though that ye be lamentable
Whan thou art there you wylt be confortable
To se the merueyles that there be wrought
No man can prynt it in his thought
A path we founde ryght gretely vsed
Where in we went tyll at the last
A castell I sawe wherof I mused
Not fully from me a stones cast
To se the towres I was agast
Set in a valey so strongely fortefyed
So gentyll compassed and well edefyed
The towres were hyghe of adamond stones
With fanes wauerynge in the wynde
Of ryght fyne golde made for the noonys
And roobuckes ran vnder the lynde
And hunters came theym fer behynde
A Ioye it was suche sawe I neuer
Abyde quod she ye shall se a better.
Forth she me ledde to the castell warde
Where we were let in by humylyte
And so after she lede me forwarde
Tyll that I sawe a royall tre
With buddys blossomed of grete beaute
And than we wente in to the hall
That glased was truely with crystall
And hanged was with clothes of Aras
Made of fyne golde with a noble story
How that there some tyme reynynge was
In the regyon of hyghe Italy
A valyaunt emperour and a myghty
That had to name forsothe Tyberius
Whiche dyde enquere of prudent Iosethus
Why he his offycers so longe kepte
Unto hym he answered a good cause why
Somtyme I sawe a man that slepte
That wounded was full pyteously
And on his woundes suckynge many a fly
I than for pyte moued theym away
By whiche he woke and to me dyde say
Wher that thou trowed to me comfort
Thou now hast done me double greuaunce
Puttynge away the flyes that dyde resorte
To me beynge full of blody sustynaunce
By this thou mayst haue good perseueraunce
That now wyll come the flyes moost hungry
That wyll me byte .x. tymes more greuously
The roof was wrought by merueylous gemetry
Colered with asure gold and gowlys
With knottes coruen full ryght craftely
And set also with wanton fowlys
As popyn iays/pyes/Iays/and owlys
And as I loked on my ryght syde
A lady I sawe of meruellous pryde
Syttynge in a chayer at the vpper ende
Of all the hall as a lady and prynces
Amonge many kynges that dyde entende
To be obedyent to her hyghe noblenes
Her apparell was made of moche fayre ryches
Set with rubyes moost pure and rubicound
Embrawded with perles and many a dyamound

Besydes her sate the worthyes nyne
And she amonge theym a whele turnynge
Full lowe to her they dyd than enclyne
She somtyme laughynge and somtyme lowrynge
Her condycyon was to be dyssymelynge
And many exalten vpon her whele
Gyuynge theym grete falles that they dyd fele
Than sayd dyscrecyon beholde and see
That in dame fortune is no stablenes
This worlde also is but a vanyte
A dreme a pompe nothynge in stedfastnes
For fortune is fals and full of doblenes
Whan she moost flatereth she is not sure
As thou mayst se dayly in vre.

Capitulum IIII.

Forth than we went vnto the habytacle
Of dame hardynes moost pure and fayre
Aboue all places a ryght fayre spectacle
Strowyd with floures that gaue good eyer
Of vertuous turkeys there was a cheyr
Wherin she sate in her cote armure
Berynge a shelde the felde of asure
Wherin was sette a rampynge lyon
Of fyne golde ryght large and grete
A swerd she had of merueylous fassyon
As though a thousand she sholde bete
No man the vyctory of her myght gete
A noble vyrgyn there dyde her serue
That fyrst made harnes called Mynerue
The chaumbre where she held her consystory
The dewe aromatyke dyde oft degoute
Of fragraunt floures full of delycasy
That all yll heyres dyde ensence oute
A carbuncle there was that all aboute
Enlumyned the chaumbre both day and nyght
My thought it was an heuenly syght
Nyne quenes I sawe that satte her by
Beynge all armed of grete fortytude
In many a stower they wanne the vyctory
And were endued with facounde pulcrytude
For to haunte armes was theyr consuetude
Many a regyon they often wanne
And also vaynquysshed many a noble man
Nexte vnto her sate the hyghe quene Azia
That was a conqueres so puyssaunt
And besyde her the quene of Saba
Whiche in grete ryches was tryumphaunt
And also Ipolyte in armes valyaunt
Sate with her besyde quene Hecuba
And yet also the quene Europa
Present ther was the wiche quene Iuno
And quene Pantasyll wyth fayre quene Elyn
And yet I sawe by her than also
The noble vyrgyn yonge Polyxyn
That was destroyed at the last ruyn
Of Troye the grete by cruelll Pyrrus
The sone of Achylles that was so cheualrus
As I dyd loke I had commaundement
Of dame dyscrecyon for to remembre
These noble ladyes so pure and excellent
Hardy in corage of age ryght tendre
Yet not withstandynge deth dyde surrendre
And all theyr strength and lusty corage
For he spareth nother youth ne age.

Capitulum V.

Forth we walked to the dwellynge place
Of dame sapyence so full of blys
Replete with Ioye vertu and grace
No thynge there lacked that possyble is
Man for to comfort withouten mys
Though he were derke in wordely foly
He sholde there b enlumyned shortely
Her towre was made of werkes curyous
I can no thynge extende the goodlynes
Of her palays so good and gloryous
Bylded in the place soth of fastnes
With owten tast of wordely bytternes
No persone can extoll the souerente
Of her worthy and royall dygnyte
She eche estate sholde haue in gouernaunce
As theym to rule or that they repent
For better it is to haue good puruyaunce
At the begynnynge as is expedyent
Than for to wyssh for thynges myspent
That myght be saued longe afore
And with a for wytte kepte in store
Her chaumbre was glased with byrall clarefyed
Depeynted with colours of delectacyon
A place of pleasure so heuenly gloryfyed
In vertue heale lyfe and saluacyon
Without ony stormy trybulacyon
That myght anoy the heuenly helth
But alway comfort to the sowlys welth
There sate dame prudence in vertue magnyfyed
Impossyble it is to shewe her goodelyhed
She was so fayre and clerely puryfyed
And so dyscrete and full of womanhede
That and I trowe vertue were deed
It sholde reuyue yet in her agayne
She was so gentyll and without dysdeyn
It was grete comfort vnto my hert
For to beholde that heuenly syght
Dyscrecyon sayd I sholde not depert
Tyll I had spoken with her syster bryght
Forth she me ledde with all her myght
Unto that prynces and royall souerayn
Ergo my labour was not in vayn
Than spake dame prudence with meke contenaūce
Welcome dyscrecyon my syster dere
Where haue ye ben by longe contynuaunce
Wyth youth she sayd that ye se here
And for my sake I you requere
Hym to receyue in to your seruyse
And he shall serue you in goodely wyse
Welcome she sayd for my systers sake
And yet also now for your owne
In to my seruyce I wyll you take
Sythens that your wyldnes is ouerblowen
The sede of vertu on you shall be sowen
Uyce to depryue by his good auctoryte
As for to subdue all yll iniquyte
Of other mennes wordes be thou not bolde
And of theyr promys make no behest
And yf thou here an yll tale tolde
Gyue no iugement but say the best
So shall thou lyue euermore in rest
Who lytell medeleth is best at ease
For well were he that all myght please
Beware kepe the from grete offence
That thou condempned be not by ryghtwysnes
Whan she doth gyue her mortall sentence
Without pease or mercy cause her reles
Her iugement of mortall heuynes
That the best frende to the wyll be
The for to socour in grete necessyte
But yet in theym haue none affyaunce
As fyrst to synne thynkynge that they
At the ende to the wyll be delyueraunce
Nay ryghtwysnes wyll dryue theym away
For of all synnes without delay
Suche synne in hope it is the moost
For it is the synne of the holy ghoost
Now I amytte you into your rome
In the whiche ye shall your selfe apply
Of myn owne chaumbre ye shall be grome
Loke ye be dylygent and do not vary
From my cōmaundementes neuer specyally
For and ye wyll theym well obserue
A moche better rome ye do deserue
The fyrst cōmaundement that I gyue the
Thynke on the ende or thou begynne
For thou by ryght may knowe the certente
That deth is fyne of euery synne
Be neuer taken in dyabolycall engyne
But that repentaunce may loose the sone
Of that grete synne that thou hast done
Trust not to moche in fortunes grace
Though that she laugh on the a whyle
For she can sodenly turne her face
Whan that she lyst the to begyle
She welth and Ioye can sone defyle
And plonge the in the pyte of pouerte
Wherfore in her haue thou no suertye
Presume no ferther than the behoueth
For it wyll turne the to grete shame
For who that from his rome remoueth
He is often full gretely to blame
And medeleth with other in theym lame
As no thynge connynge nor expert
They may hym say syr malapert
Or that thou speke call to remembraunce
Unto what mater thy worde shall sygnyfye
Loke that it torne no man to greuaunce
Though that it be spoken merely
Yet many a one wyll take it greuously
Whiche that myght cause wroth and debate
Whyle that thou lyues beware of that
For a thynge lost without recouer
Loke that thou neuer be to pensyfe
Thanke god of it thynke to haue an other
Lete wysedome than be to the comfortyfe
That to thy brayn is best preseruatyfe
For euermore ryght wyse is he
That can be pacyent in aduersyte
Proue thy frende in a mater fayned
Or thou haue nede than shalt thou se
Whyther he be iustly with the reteyned
The for to socour in thy necessyte
By profe thou mayst knowe the veryte
For profe afore that nede requere
Defeteth dowte euer in fere
Be thou neuer so blynde in wylle
Yet loke thou be refourmed by reason
Than shalt thou my mynde fulfyll
And thou therto thy selfe abandon
Stryue not with reason for none encheson
For wher she lacketh ther is grete outrage
And without her may not aswage
Eschew also the synne of pryde
The moder and the feruent rote
Of all the synnes at euery tyde
Wherfore trede thou her vnder fote
With helpe of vertue so swete and sote
Whiche is best salue to hele thy sore
And to thy helth the to restore
Wo worth synne without repentaunce
Wo worth bondage without reles
Wo worth man without good gouernaunce
Wo worth infynall payne and dystresse
Wo worth vyce put fer in presse
Wo worth soueraynte hauynge dysdeyn
And wo worth pyte that doth refrayn
Wo worth ryght that may not be herd
Wo worth frendshyp without stabylyte
Wo worth true sentence that is deferd
Wo worth the man full of duplycyte
Wo worth hym without benygnyte
Wo worth lybertye withouten pease
And wo worth crueltye that may not cease
Wo worth connynge that is abused
Wo worth promys withouten payment
Wo worth vertue that is refused
Wo worth trouble without extynguysment
Wo worth foly on message sent
Wo worth reason that is exyled
And wo worth trouth that is defyled
Wo worth the trust without assuraunce
Wo worth grace not sette by
Wo worth Iustyce kepte in dystaunce
Wo worth welth replete with enuy
Wo worth the batayll without vyctory
Wo worth begynnynge without good ende
And wo worth wronge that doth defende
These commaundementes I put in memory
Theym for to kepe doynge my dylygence
With dame Sapyence I dyd longe tary
Whiche dyd me teche with partynge influence
Of her delycate and doulcete complacence
Than spake dyscrecyon anone to me
In the presens of her systers mageste
Thou art beholdynge to my syster reuerent
That the reteyned hath vnto her seruaunt
Wherfore be thou to her obedyent
And at euery houre to her attendaunt
And ryotous company do thou not haunt
For that wyll payre and yll thy name
Wherfore of vertuous myrth let be thy game.

Capitulum VI.
Discrecyon ferther forth me lede
Unto the solempne and royall mancyon
Of dame nature in humayne stede
Ryght pleasaunt was her habytacyon
Of merueylous werke and sytuacyon
And she her selfe helde her estate
In a gloryous chaumbre without chekmate
Her towre was gylted full of sonne bemys
And within hanged with cloth of aras
The roof was paynted with golden stremys
And lyke crystall depured was
Euery wyndowe aboute of glas
Where that she sat as a fayre goddes
All thynges creatynge by her besynes
Me thought she was of merueylous beaute
Tyll that Dyscrecyon lede me behynde
Where that I sawe all the pryuyte
Of her werke and humayne kynde
And at her backe I dyd than fynde
Of cruell deth a dolfull ymage
That all her beaute dyd perswage
Full wonderous was her operacyon
In euery kynde eke and ryght degre
Withouten rest or recreacyon
I wyll not medle with her secrete
For it no thynge longeth to my faculte
But somwhat after I wyll expres
Of her grete power and worthynes
But in my boke well for to procede
Dame dyscrecyon ferther me brought
Into a fayre chambre as ye may rede
Of fyne gemetry ryght well wrought
To comfort man there lacked nought
But that me thought there was no company
Saue onely dame dyscrecyon and I
We had ben but a lytell whyle there
But that we sawe a lady clere
Ryght well appareled in sad gere
Mylde in her hauour dyscrete of chere
That came vs by and very nere
Ascendynge vp in to her hyghe sete
Garnysshed with perle and with gold bete
Than sayd dyscrecyon this is dame Iustyce
Clene of conscyence without corrupcyon
And neuer be spotted with the synne of couetyse
But true as stele in the entencyon
Of ryght euermore without destruccyon
Geuynge alway a ryghtfull iugement
Obey thou youth this lady reuerent
A iuge fulfylled with the synne of auaryce
Or with fauour of kynne made blynd
Must nedys do wronge by grete ⪯iudyce
For fauour shold not conscyence bynd
Ryght to dyssymyll as I now fynd
In problemys wryten of antiquyte
Made by phylosophers of auctoryte
As we stode talkynge thus to gydere
Up came dame fortune so gayly gloryfyed
Impossyble it is for me to dyscouere
How gorges she was & gretly magnyfyed
Full lyke a goddes that had ben deyfyd
Clothed with gold sette full of rubyes
And tynst w&supert; emeraudys & many a turkes
And next to her there dyd ensue
Dame Hardynes that noble lady
After whome anone dyd pursue
Dame Sapyence whiche dyd not tary
Than came dame nature appareled royally
And all the other cladde in gold
Set with dyamondes many a fold
They lowted all vnto the ground
Afore dame Iustyce for obeysaunce
That sate there both hole and sound
Withouten ony dyscontynuaunce
Gyuynge god ere vnto the vteraunce
Of these foure ladyes pledynge at barre
With all theyr cases dyd well avarre.
Capitulm VII.

Fyrst dame hardynes began to plede
Saynge she was to man moost profytable
For she the hertes hath often fede
Of conquerous as it was couenable
And by my corage haue made theym able
Regyons to wynne theyr ennemyes to subdue
And yf I were not they had it rue
And yf a man be neuer so wyse
Withouten me he getyth none vteraunce
Wherfore his wysedome may not suffyse
All onely without myn allegeaunce
For I by ryght must nedys enhauncce
A lowe born man to an hyghe degre
Yf that he wyll be ruled by me
Haue I not caused many a noble warreour
To wynne the batell by my grete myght
Without me was made neuer conquerour
Nor yet man coragious whan he dyd fyght
No man without me may defende his ryght
I may be worst from hym forborne
For and I were not he were forlorne
Dyd I not cause the noble hercules
By my power to wynne the vyctory
Of the sturdy and stronge Philotes
As is recorded in bokes of memory
For without me can be no cheualry
And vnder the wynge of my proteccyon
All rebels brought be to subieccyon
A realme is vpholden by thynges thre
The fyrst and the chyef it is the swerd
Whiche causeth it to be in good suerte
And other realmes of it to be aferd
By whiche the vsurpers be dyfferd
From theyr wyll with treason knyte
And by me slayn for theyr fals fyte
The seconde is lawe that euer serueth
But within the realme onely
For other nacyons our lawe ne dredeth
But our swerd they do in specyally
For and they roose ayenst vs proudly
As they haue done often in tymes past
Yet w---supert; our swerd they shold be ouercast
The thyrde be marchauntes that do multyply
In this realme welth and prosperyte
For of euery thynge they often occupy
Euery man lyke vnto his faculte
For without marchauntes can not be
No realme vpholden in welth & pleasure
For it to vs is a specyall tresure
Also yet hercules the puyssaunt geaunt
Dyd flee the monstre afore Troy the grete
And with his strokes he dyd hym daunt
They were so peysantly on hym sette
That he the vyctory on hym dyd gette
Had I not be comfort vnto his harte
Suche vyctory had ben leyd aparte
Dyd he not vaynquysshe in y&supere; forest of Nemee
The thre mortall lyons by his grete hardynes
And ryued theyr Iawes as was to se
By twene his handes by chyualrus prowes
And yet by armes and knyghtly exces
In egypt he slewe the tyraunt Busyre
And brent hym after in a grete fyre
Also he slewe the tyraunt Cacus
For his tyranny and grete myschefe
By cause his dedys were so odyous
For he dyd murdre and was a thefe
Wherfore his deth to many was leef
Who more of his actes wyll haue report
To the Troyans story lette hym resort
Also the worthy and the noble hectour
That eclyped was the troyans champyon
And of all cheualry called the flour
In his tyme reynynge and of renowne
Of whose noble dedes the brute and sowne
Was spred by euery straunge habytacyon
That they of his faytys dyde make relacyon
By his power and hardy corage
He put the grekes full often to flyght
And bete theym downe by a grete outrage
That well was he that hym saue myght
Full often he brought theym to the plyght
His dedes were pure without magycyon
And without nygromancy or suche corrupcyon
Dyd I not cause also kynge dauith
A lyon Iawbones to rent and tere
That dyd deuour his shepe in the fryth
As he sat kepynge of theym there
The lyons crueltye myght not hym fere
And he in his youth so hardy was
That he dyd sle the gyaunt Golias
Dyd I not cause the noble Iulius
Emperour of rome for to be electe
By cause he was so stronge and cheualrus
Whan in armes he knewe the affecte
He all his ennemyes dyd abiecte
And by the support of my chyef socour
He gouerned hymselfe lyke a noble emperour
And also Arthur kynge of Bretayne
With all the knyghtes of the rounde table
Neuer auentures had sought certayne
And I therto had not ben greable
They for to fyght had not ben able
Who that me lacketh is but a coward
And shame is euer his rewarde
Also kynge Charlemayne kynge of Fraunce
With his dyssypers Rowland and Olyuer
With all the resydue of his alyaunce
That in all armes so noble were
On goddys ennemyes brake many a spere
Causynge them to flee to theyr grete vylony
Hardynes was cause that they had vyctory
O worthy hardynes the shynynge sterre
Alway to mannys herte the comfort
Whan that it is the tyme of werre
Unto what partye that thou resort
They wynne the batall by thy support
And wher that thou lettest thy bemys dyssende
They often hye to honoure assende
Than sayd dame hardynes vnto the Iuge
I pray you that ryght I may haue
Sythens I to man am chyef refuge
Whan that he lysteth of me to craue
I make hym coragyous and his worshyp saue
Wherfore I owte to haue the preemynence
By ryght reason and good experyence
That I deny you sayd dame Sapyence
Of whom haue you your ordre of pledynge
For ye neuer can haue none intellygence
But by the meane of myn informynge
For I am alway your mynde techynge
And without me your tale were but a fable
For ye without wytte sholde alway bable
This wyll I proue by myn opynyon
That I am grounde of the artes seuen
And of all good werkes in cōmunyon
For no man without me can go to heuen
My dedys be merueylous for man to neuen
Whan they beu wrought in to theyr degre
Who that wyll lerne theym he hath the lyberte
Of my dedes bokes do make recorde
The whiche clerkes put into remembraunce
For an example without dyscorde
Of heuenly way by vertuous gouernaunce
Without me man can haue no pleasaunce
Nor yet hym rule in no maner wyse
A man without wytte is to dyspyse
Hardynes without prudence may not auayle
Though that a man be neuer so sturdy
For a wyseman feble may wynne the batayle
Of hym that is ryght stronge and myghty
For better it is for to be ryght wytty
In the defence of his good saue garde
Than often to stryke and to renne forwarde
That thynge that hardynes may not wynne
May be goten by my hyghe souerente
And with the helpe of subtyle engynne
It may be brought to the extremyte
Wher that it myght not by possybylyte
Of hardynes longe afore be wonne
Yet by grete wysedome it may be donne
Unto dyuers cases I take excepcyon
Of dame Hardynes whiche are no lawe
Unto the fyrst vndre your correccyon
She sayd and she her power dyd wythdrawe
No rebell than shold stand in awe
And she is the chyef as I knowe well
That causeth hym for to be rebell
By her foly and folysshe hardynes
She causeth men to ryse ayenst theyr lorde
She is the cause of mortall heuynes
Whan she doth breke the good concorde
Wherfore me thynke by one accorde
For to exyle her it is now the best
Than man sholde lyue in peas and rest
And where she sayd that she exalted
Iulius cesar by her grete exylence
In that case she ryght clerely varyed
For it was I by my grete dylygence
That neuer was out of his presence
But ruled hym and made hym worthy
To be chosen emperour of all Italy
Chosen he was by the comyn assent
For the grete wysedome that in hym shone
With a grete voyce and a hole entente
For lyke vnto hym was there none
That was so abell as he alone
For to occupye an Emperours dygnyte
Of his promocyon he myght thanke me
I Sapyence am endewed with grace
And the lode sterre of heuenly doctryne
The sprynge of comfort Ioye and solace
Who that lyst to me for to enclyne
He shall knowe thynges that be dyuyue
And at his ende beholde the deyte
That is one god and persones thre
It pleased the fader that is omnipotent
His sone to send to be incarnat
Of the vyrgyn Mary the sterre moost excellent
Mayden and moder yet not vyolate
Lyke a vessell chosen and made ornat
All onely for to be goddys moder
All he hym selfe vnto man broder
But a stryfe there was bytwene god and man
Whan man consented to synne dedely
By that the dyscorde fyrst began
Whan he the sone of god on hy
That is his brother agayn wyll crucefy
Yf he had power by whiche is offended
The fader of heuen as is entended
Therfore lete vs to our brother go
Named Ihesu Cryst and axe hym mercy
With a good entent and hert also
There is for vs none other remedy
That ony tonge truely can specyfy
And he wyll take it for a correccyon
And of all vengeaunce sease the affeccyon
That we may of hym haue forgyuenes
Of our grete synne with reformacyon
Of peas bytwene the faders hyghenes
Of heuen and vs in suspyracyon
Therfore yf thou drede the amocyon
Of his ryghtwysnes loke that thou flee
Ryght fast vnto his mercyfull pyte
For his mercy is more than all our mysery
And eke aboue his werkes all
As Dauyd sheweth in his prophecy
Saynge his mercy is ouer all
To whom I pray euer in especyall
To gyue me grace well my penne to lede
That quaketh aye for drede
Dame Sapyence sayd I do procede
Of the strength of the holy ghoost
That is and shall be mater in dede
God and lorde of myghtys moost
Whose infynall power was neuer lost
And yet neuer had no begynnynge
But alway lyke stronge without endynge
Where that dame hardynes in her pledynge
Made her selfe to knyghtes moost necessary
By the meanes of her power shewynge
That I by ryght do now well deny
For in that case she dyd moche vary
For syxe there are that more profyte be
Of whiche the lest is better than she
The fyrst is prudence that is the chefe
That hym doth rule and is his gyde
And kepeth hym from grete reprefe
And causeth his worshyp for to abyde
So euery crysten man shold prouyde
By his wit to withstand the deuyll
That he consent not to do euyll
The seconde is that he sholde be true
To his souerayn lorde that on hym reyneth
And all treason for euer to eschewe
In whiche grete shame often remayneth
And by whiche he his kyne dysteyneth
So a crysten man sholde be true euer
To Ihesu Cryst that was his redemer
The thyrde is that he sholde be lyberall
Amonge his cōmons withouten lette
That is the cause euer in generall
That he the loue of theym doth gette
For it causeth theyr hertes on hym be sette
So euery true crysten man sholde be
To god intended with lyberalyte
The fourth is that he sholde be stronge
His ryght euer for to defende
And neuer to no man for to do wronge
But wronges for to dyrecte and amende
As ferre as his power wyll extende
So a true crysten man sholde exclude
All maner of vyces by his fortytude
The fyfth is y&supert; he sholde be mercyable
In all his dedes withouten furoure
For that to hym is gretly conuenable
And eke to kepe hym out of erroure
For he of mercy sholde be a myrroure
So vnto them it is ryght necessary
Who that wyll be saued for to haue mercy
The syxte is a knyght ought for to kepe
The poore folke in theyr grete nede
That often for hungre and thyrst do wepe
He ought with almes theym for to fede
And the better he shall than spede
So euery true crysten man sholde do
As ferre as his power cometh vnto
I Sapyence am of the kynges counsayll
Whiche is clothed with purple that sygnyfyeth
The grace and the pulcrytude without fayll
Of grete vertues that in hym shyneth
For to no vyces he neuer enclyneth
Hauynge in his hede a fayre crowne royall
That sheweth his dygnyte to be regall
Whiche to his people is the chefe glory
Thrugh whome his subgectes be dyrecte
And made obedyent to hym certaynly
At euery houre by ryght true effecte
But forthermore by good aspecte
He bereth a ball in his lefte hande
The whiche betokeneth as I vnderstande
A kynge to be a good admynystratour
Unto his subgectes in euery place
And to be for theym a good prouysour
As reason requyreth in euery case
I Sapyence do rule his noble grace
In his ryght hand he hath a septure
That doth sygnyfye by ryght his rygoure
Yll men to punysshe for theyr offence
By his ryghtwysnes whome the loue
Of vertue shynynge in experyence
Doth not extoll nor yet now remoue
A lampe doth hange his heed aboue
Alway lyght and clerely brennynge
Whiche sygnyfyeth the mercy of a kynge
The olde philosophers by theyr prudence
Fonde the seuen scyences lyberall
And by theyr exercyse & grete dylygence
They made theyr dedes to be memoryall
And also poetes that were fatall
Craftely colored with clowdy fygures
The true sentence of all theyr scryptures
O Iustyce lady and souerayne goddesse
Gyue you true sentence now vpon me
As ye be surmountynge in vertue & noblesse
Lete me dame Sapyence haue the soueraynte
As is accordynge to my royall dygnyte
For I am moost profytable vnto man
And euer had ben syns the world began
Than sayd dame Fortune ye are imperfyte
Without that I therto be accordaunt
For all your hardynes & prudence perfyte
I vnto you must be well exuberaunt
And with your werkes euer concordaunt
Where that I fauer they haue good cōfort
In all theyr dedes by my swete resort
I Fortune am the rule and steere
Of euery persone lyke to my wyll
That in this worlde now lyueth here
Whan that I lyst for to fulfyll
My mynde ryght sone I can dystyll
The dewe of comfort welth and rychesse
To man exaltyuge hym to noblenesse
Though that a man were neuer so hardy
Without me he myght not attayne
And though that a man were neuer so wytty
And I dyd my power from hym refrayne
All his labour were lost in vayne
So hardynesse and prudence in no wyse
Without good fortune may well suffyse
Though that a man were but a fole
Yf I consent that he be fortunate
He nedyth not to make no grete dole
For I shall mayntene so his estate
That he in rychesse shall be so eleuate
Fulfylled with welth & worldely tresure
That he shall lacke no maner of pleasure
Where that dame hardynes wold afferme
By her cases that are so vnsure
That she by her power doth conferme
The knyghtes of vyctory for to be sure
Whan she doth take theyr hertes in cure
Yf fortune be awaye she may not auayle
For they by reason must lose the batayle
Yet forthermore as I do well consyder
How dame hardynes dyd expresse
Sythens the tyme that I came hyder
That she promoted had to worthynes
Hector dauid and the noble hercules
With many other wherof she fayleth
For it was fortune as she well knoweth
For in olde tyme the noble warryours
For to eschewe euer my grete daungere
In whiche tyme they were ydolestours
Than they to put hym oute of fere
To ydols went that theyr goddes were
For to haue answer yf they sholde wynne
The batayll or they dyd begynne
What nede I pleed by longe contynuaunce
As dame Sapyence dyd in maters hy
It were of tyme but dyscontynuaunce
But o dame Iustyce the gentyll lady
Loke that ye Iuge my mater ryght wysely
That I of hardynes may be the pryncypall
And of dame prudence & nature with all
Than sayd dame nature that may not be
As I can proue by ryght and reason
For I am moost confort to humanyte
As man well knoweth at euery encheason
And can not be forborne for none season
For where I lacke without ony delay
Man is but dede and turned to clay
That nature gyueth by her power
Wysedome nor hardynes may not defete
For I to man am the chefe doer
Durynge his lyfe without retrete
Also dame fortune may not well lete
Me of my course though she it thought
In sondery wyse my dedes are so wrought
Though that a man were infortunable
And though that he were neuer so folysshe
And a grete coward to fyght not able
Yet shulde he lyue and neuer perysshe
Tyll that my power of hym doth fynysshe
Whiche fayle must ones it is my proprete
And that was gyuen me by the deyte
I am the orygynall of mannes creacyon
And by me alway the world doth multyply
In welth pleasure and delectacyon
As I wyll shewe now in this party
My dedes be subtyll & wrought craftely
What were the worlde yf I were note
It were sone done as I well wote
The lawe of nature doth man bynde
Both beste foule and fysshe also
In theyr degre to do theyr kynde
Blame theym not yf they do so
For harde it is euer to ouer go
The kynde of nature in her degre
For euery thynge must shewe his proprete
Who of theyr propretes lyst to rede
Lete hym loke in the boke of barthelmewe
And to his scripture take good hede
That ryght nobly of theym do shewe
With all theyr actes beynge not a fewe
But wounderous many by alteracyon
For lyke hath lyke his operacyon
I nature norysshe by myn afflyccyon
Mannes humayne partyes superfyxcyall
And am the sprynge of his complexion
The fonteyne of his vaynes inferyall
To hym conserue moost dere and specyall
Though he were hardy & wyse he myzt not me forbere
Nor fortune without me auayleth not hym a pere
Wherfore dame Iustyce be you now indyfferent
Consydre that I am moost dere and lefe
Unto euery man that is eliquylent
And aboue all medycyns to hym moost chefe
And by my strongh vnto hym relefe
In his dysease wherfore as thynke me
I ought of reason to haue the soueraynte
Than spake dame Iustyce with meke contenaūce
I wyll all your contrauersy now redresse
For I of your reasons haue good perseueraunce
And after your cases both more and lesse
Wherfore I Iustyce by good ryghtwysnesse
Gyue now vpon you a fynall Iugement
That ye foure agree by a hole assent
Man for to please at euery houre
Without dysgrement or contradiccyon
And in his nede to do hym socoure
With louynge herte and true affeccyon
He shall be in your good iurysdyccyon
And you of hym shall be copertyners
Both of his lyfe and of his maners
Than sayd dame hardynes I agre therto
And so do I than sayd dame Sapyence
Than sayd dame Fortune I also do
Agre vnto dame Iustyce sentence
And I dame Nature wyll do my dylygence
Lyke as ye do man for to please
And hym to strength in his dysease
With that dame Iustyce vp arose
Unto the ladyes byddynge fare well
And went into her chaumbre close
I cleped conscyence wher she dyd dwell
As dame Dyscrecyon dyd me tell
Than hardynes & fortune went downe the stayre
And after theym Nature so clere and fayre.

The CōForte Of Louers

The prohemye.

The gentyll poetes/vnder cloudy fygures
Do touche a trouth/and clokeit subtylly
Harde is to cōstrue poetycall scryptures
They are so fayned/& made sētēcyously
For som do wryte of loue by fables pryuely
Some do endyte/vpon good moralyte
Of chyualrous actes/done in antyquyte
Whose fables and storyes ben pastymes pleasaunt
To lordes and ladyes/as is theyr lykynge
Dyuers to moralyte/ben oft attendaunt
And many delyte to rede of louynge
Youth loueth aduenture/pleasure and lykynge
Aege foloweth polycy/sadnesse and prudence
Thus they do dyffre/eche in experyence
I lytell or nought/experte in this scyence
Compyle suche bokes/to deuoyde ydlenes
Besechynge the reders/with all my delygence
Where as I offende/for to correct doubtles
Submyttynge me to theyr grete gentylnes
As none hystoryagraffe/nor poete laureate
But gladly wolde folowe/the makynge of Lydgate
Fyrst noble Gower/moralytees dyde endyte
And after hym Cauncers/grete bokes delectable
Lyke a good phylozophre/meruaylously dyde wryte
After them Lydgate/the monke commendable
Made many wonderfull bokes moche profytable
But syth the are deed/& theyr bodyes layde in chest
I pray to god to gyue theyr soules good rest

Finis prohemii.

Whan fayre was phebus/w&supere; his bemes bryght
Amyddes of gemyny/aloft the fyrmament
Without blacke cloudes/castynge his pured lyght
With sorowe opprest/and grete incombrement
Remembrynge well/my lady excellent
Saynge o fortune helpe me to preuayle
For thou knowest all my paynfull trauayle
I went than musynge/in a medowe grene
Myselfe alone/amonge the floures in dede
With god aboue/the futertens is sene
To god I sayd/thou mayst my mater spede
And me rewarde/accordynge to my mede
Thou knowest the trouthe/I am to the true
Whan that thou lyst/thou mayst them all subdue
Who dyde preserue the yonge edyppus
Whiche sholde haue be slayne by calculacyon
To deuoyde grete thynges/the story sheweth vs
That were to come/by true reuelacyon
Takynge after theyr hole operacyon
In this edyppus/accordynge to affecte
Theyr cursed calkynge/holly to abiecte
Who dyde preserue/Ionas and moyses
Who dyde preserue yet many other mo
As the byble maketh mencyon doubles
Who dyde kepe Charles frome his euyll fo
Who was he/that euer coude do so
But god alone/than in lykewyse maye he
Kepe me full sure/frome all inyquyte
Thus as I called to my remembraunce
Suche trewe examples/I tenderly dyde wepe
Remembrynge well/goddes hyghe ordynaūce
Syghynge full oft/with inwarde teres depe
Tyll at the last/I fell in to a slepe
And in this slepe/me thought I dyde repayre
My selfe alone/in to a garden fayre
This goodly gardyn/I dyde well beholde
Where I sawe a place/ryght gaye and gloryous
With golden turrettes/paynted many afolde
Lyke a place of pleasure moste solacyous
The wyndowes glased/with crystall precyous
The golden fanes/with wynde and melody
By dulcet sounde/and meruaylous armony
The knottes flagraunt/with aromatyke odoure
With goodly sprynges/of meruaylous mountaynes
I dyde than tast/the redolent lycoure
Moost clere and swete/of the goodly vaynes
Whiche dyde me ease/somwhat of my paynes
Tyll to me came/a lady of goodly age
Apareyled sadly/and demure of vysage
To me she sayd/me thynke ye are not well
Ye haue caught colde/and do lyue in care
Tell me your mynde/now shortly euerydeie
To layne the trouthe/I charge you to beware
I shall for you/a remedy prepare
Dyspeyre you not/for no thynge that is past
Tell me your mynde/and be nought agast
Al as madame/vnto her than I sayd
It is no wonder/of myne inwarde payne
Yf that my herte be meruayllously dysmayde
My trouthe and loue/therof is cause certayne
Dyuers yeres ago/I dyde in mynde retayne
A lady yonge/a lady fayre of syght
Good//wyse/and goodly/an holsome sterre of lyght
I durst not speke vnto her of my loue
Yet vnder coloure I dyuers bokes dyde make
Full pryuely/to come to my aboue
Thus many nyghtes/I watched for her sake
To her and to hers/my trouthe well to take
Without ony spotte/of ony maner yll
God knoweth all myn herte/my mynde & my wyll
The hygh dame nature/by her grete myght & power
Man/beest/and foule/in euery degre
Fro whens they came at euery maner houre
Dooth trye the trouthe/without duplycyte
For euery thynge must shewe the properte
Gentyll vngentyll/dame nature so well tryet
That all persones it openly espyeth
The lorde and knyght/delyteth for to here
Cronycles and storyes/of noble chyualry
The gentyll man gentylnes/for his passe tyme clere
The man of lawe/to here lawe truely
The yeman delyteth to talke of yomanry
The ploman his londe for to ere and sowe
Thus nature werketh/in hye degre and lowe
For yf there were one of the gentyll blode
Conuayde to yomanry for nourysshement
Dyscrecyon comen he sholde chaunge his mode
Though he knewe not/his parentes verament
Yet nature wolde werke/so by entendyment
That he sholde folowe/the condycyons doubtles
Of his true blode/by outwarde gentylnes
In all this worlde/ben but thynges twayne
As loue and hate/the trouth for to tell
And yf I sholde hate my lady certayne
Than worthy I were/to dye of deth cruell
Seynge all ladyes/that she doth excell
In beaute/grace/prudence and mekenes
What man on lyue/can more in one expres
Yf she with me sholde take dyspleasure
Whiche loueth her by honoures desyre
What sholde she do/with suceh a creature
That hateth her/by inwarde fraude and yre
I yet a louer/do not so atyre
My fayth and hope/I put in her grace
Releace to graunt me/by good tyme and space
Thretened with sorowe/of may paynes grete
Thre yeres ago my ryght hande I dyde bynde
Fro my browes for fere/y&supere; dropes doune dyde sweet
God knoweth all it was nothynge my mynde
Unto no persone/I durst my her to vntwynde
Yet the trouthe knowynge/the good gretest P
Maye me releace/of all my/p/p/p/thre
Now ryght fayre lady/so sadde and demure
My mynde ye knowe/in euery maner thynge
I trust for trouthe/ye wyll not me dyscure
Sythes I haue shewed you without lesynge
At your request/the cause of my mournynge
Whiche abyde in sorowe/in my remembraunce
Without good conforte/saufe of esperaunce
Fayre sone sayd she/sythens I knowe your thought
Your worde and dede/and here to be one
Dyspayre you not/for it auayleth nought
Ioye cometh after/whan the payne is gone
Conforte yourselfe/and muse not so alone
Doubt ye no thynge/but god wyll so agre
That at the last/ye shall your lady se
Be alwaye meke/let wysdome be your guyde
Aduenture for honoure/and put your selfe in preace
Clymbe not to fast/lest sodenly ye slyde
Lets god werke styll/he wyll your mynde encrece
Begynne no warre/be gladde to kepe the peace
Prepence no thynge/agaynst the honoure
Of ony lady/by fraudolent fauoure
Alas madame/vnto her than sayd I
Aboue .xx. woulues/dyde me touse and rent
Not longe agone/delynge moost shamefully
That by theyr tuggynge/my lyfe was nere spent
I dyde perceyue/somwhat of theyr entente
As the trouthe is knowen/vnto god aboue
My ladyes fader they dyde lytell loue
Seynge theyr falshode/and theyr subtylte
For fere of deth/where as I loued best
I dyde dysprayse/to knowe theyr cruelte
Somwhat to wysdome/accordynge to behest
Though that my body had but lytell rest
My herte was trewe vnto my ladyes blood
For all theyr dedes I thought no thynge but good
Some had wende the hous for to swepe
Nought was theyr besom/I holde it set on fyre
The inwarde wo in to my herte dyde crepe
To god aboue/I made my hole desyre
Saynge o good lorde of heuenly empyre
Let the mouut with all braunches swete
Entyerly growe/god gyue vs grace to mete
Soma had wened for to haue made an ende
Of my bokes/before he hadde begynnynge
But all vayne they dyde so comprehende
Whan they of them lacke vnderstandynge
Uaynfull was & is theyr mysse contryuynge
Who lyst the trouthe of them for to enfuse
For the reed and whyte they wryte full true
Well sayd this lady I haue perceueraunce
Of our bokes/whiche that ye endyte
So as ye saye is all the cyrcumstaunce
Unto the hyghe pleasure of the reed and the whyte
Which hath your trouth/and wyll you acquyte
Doubte ye no thynge/but at the last ye maye
Of your true mynde yet fynde a Ioyfull daye
Forsothe I sayd/dysdayne and straungenesse
I fere them sore/and fals reporte
I wolde they were/in warde all doutles
Lyke as I was/without conforte
Than wolde I thynke/my lady wolde resorte
Unto dame mercy/my payne to consyder
God knoweth all/I wolde we were togyder
Though in meane season/of grene grasse I fede
It wolde not greue me/yf she knewe my heuynesse
My trauayle is grete/I praye god be my spede
To resyste the myght/of myn enmyes subtylnesse
Whiche awayte to take/me by theyr doublenesse
My wysdome is lytel/yet god may graunt me grace
Them to defende/in euery maner of cace
Lerne this she sayd/yf that you can by wytte
Of foes make frendes/they wyll be to you sure
Yf that theyr frendshyp/be vnto yon knytte
It is oft stedfast/and wyll longe endure
Yf alwaye malyce/they wyll put in vre
No doubte it is/than god so hyght and stronge
Ful meruaylously/wyl soone reuenge theyr wronge
And now she sayd come on your waye with me
Unto a goodly toure whiche is solacyous
Beholde it yonder/full of felycyte
Quadrant it was/me thought full meruaylous
With golden turrettes/gaye and gloryous
Gargayled with greyhoūdes/and with many lyons
Made of fyne golde/with dyuers sondry dragons
The wyndowes byrall/without resplendysshaunt
The fayre yuery/coloured with grene
And all aboute there was dependaunt
Grete gargeyles of golde/full meruaylously besene
Neuer was made/a fayrer place I wene
The ryght excellent lady toke her intresse
Ryght so dyde I/by meruaylous swetnesse
Whan we came in/I dyde aboute beholde
The goodly temple/with pynacles vp sette
Wherin were ymages/of kynges all of golde
With dyuers scryptures/without ony lette
Aloft the roofe/were emeraudes full grette
Set in fyne golde/with amyable rudyes
Endented with dyamondes/and mayn turkyes
The wyndowes hystoried/with many noble kynges
The pyllers Iasper/dyuersed with asure
By pendaunt penacles/of many noble rynges
The pauement calcedony/beynge fayre and sure
The aras golde/with the story pure
Of the syche of thebes/with actes auenturous
Of ryght noble knyghees/hardy and chyualrous
Than sayd this lady/I must now go hence
Passe ye tyme here/accordynge to your lykynge
It maye fortune/your lady of excellence
Wyll passe her tyme here/soone by walkynge
Than maye she se/your dolefull mournynge
And fare ye well/I maye no lenger tary
Marke well my lesson/and from it do not vary
Whan she was gone/the temple all alonge
I went my selfe/with syghtes grete and feruent
Alas I sayd/with inwarde paynes stronge
My herte doth blede/now all to torne and rent
For lacke of conforte/my herte is almost spent
O meruelo&us; fortune/whiche hast ī loue me brought
Where is my conforte/that I so longe haue sought
O wonderfull loue/whiche fell vnto my lotte
O loue ryght clene/without ony thought vntrue
Syth thy fyrst louynge/not blemyssed with spotte
But euermore/the falseshede to extue
O dolorous payne/whiche doste renue
O pyteous herte/where is the helthe and boote
Of thy lady/that perst the at the roote
What thynge is loue/that causeth suche turment
From whens cometh it/me thynke it is good questyō
Yf it be nature/from nature it is sent
Loue maye come of kynde by true affeccyon
Loue may appetyte/by natururall eleccyon
Than must loue nedes be/I perceyue it in mynde
A thynge fyrst gyuen/by the god of kynde
Alas o nature/why mayst not thou truely
Cause my lady loue/as thou hast me constrayned
Hath she power to domyne the vtterly
Why mayst not thou/cause her be somwhat payned
With natures moeuynge/for loue is not fayned
Alas for sorowe/why madest thou her so fayre
Without to loue/that she lyst soone repayre
Two thynges me conforte/euer in pryncypall
The fyrst be bokes/made in antyquyte
By Gower and Chauncers/poetes rethorycall
And Lydgate eke/by good auctoryte
Makynge mencyon/of the felycyte
Of my lady and me/by dame fortunes chaunce
To mete togyders/by wonderull ordynaunce
The seconde is/where fortune dooth me brynge
In many placys/I se by prophecy
As in the storyes/of the olde buyldynge
Letters for my lady/depeynted wonderly
And letters for me/besyde her meruayllously
Agreynge well/vnto my bokes all
In dyuers placys/I se it in generall
O loue moost dere/o loue nere to my harte
O gentyll floure/I wolde you knewe my wo
How that your beaute/perst me with the darte
With your vertue/and your mekenes also
Sythens ye so dyde/it is ryght longe ago
My herte doth se you/it is for you bebledde
Myne eyen with teeres/ben often made full redde
Where are ye now/the floure of Ioye and grace
Whiche myght me conforte/in this inwarde sorowe
Myne excellent lady/it is a ryght pyteous case
Good be my guyde/aud saynt George vnto borowe
O clere Aurora/the sterre of the morowe
Whiche many yeres/with thy bemes mery
Hath me awaked/to se thyne emyspery
Thus as I mourned/I sawe than appere
Thre goodly myrours dependaunt on the wall
Set in fyne golde bordred with stones clere
The glasses pure/they were of crystall
Made longe ago to be memoryall
And vnder the fyrst glasse ryght fayre wryten was
Beholde thy selfe/and thy fautes or thou passe
By a sylken threde/small as ony heere
Ouer I sawe hange/a swerde full ponderous
Without a scauberde/full sharpe for to fere
The poynt dounwarde/ryght harde and asperous
All this I sawe/with hert full dolorous
Yet at auenture/to se the mystery
In the myroure/I loked than full sodenly
In this glasse I sawe/how I had ledde my lyfe
Sythens the tyme of my dyscrecyon
As vnto wyldnesse/alwaye affyrmatyfe
Folowynge the pleasure/of wylfull amonycyon
Not vnto vertue, hauynge intencyon
Ihesu sayd I/thou hast me well preserued
From this swerdes fall/whiche I haue oft deserued
O ye estates/aloft on fortunes whele
Remembre this swerde/whiche ouer you dependeth
Beware the fall/before that ye it fele
Se your one euyll/se what vengeaunce ensueth
Correcte none other/whan that your fautes renueth
Calke not not goddes power/bryef not y&supere; tens future
Beholde this glasse/se how he may endure
Many one wanteth the nature sens to brefe
By calculacyon goddes power to withstande
Bathynge theyr swerdes/in blode by myschefe
Tyll at the last as I do vnderstande
This swerde doth fal by the myght of goddes hande
Upon them all/whiche wolde his power abate
Than they repent but than it is to late
This goodly myrour/I ryght well behelde
Remembrynge well/my dedes done in tymes past
I toke forwytte/than for to be my shelde
By grace well armed/not to be agast
Thus as I stode/I dyde se at the last
The seconde myrour/as bryght as phebus
Set rounde about/with stones precyous
Ouer whiche dyde hāge/a floure of golde ryght fyne
Wherin was set/an emeraude full bryght
Ryght large and grete/whiche wōderfull dyde shyne
That me thought it was/grete conforte to my syght
Bordred dyamondes/castybarge a meruaylous; lyght
This floure dyde hange/by a ryght subtyll gynne
With a chayne of yron/and many a pryue pynne
Besyde whiche there was/a table of golde
With a goodly scrypture/enameled of grene
The sentence wherof/I dyde well beholde
The whiche sayd thus/it is openly sene
That many a one/full pryuely dooth wene
To blynde an other/by crafte and subtylnes
That ofte blyndeth hym/for all his doublenes
In this myrour whiche is here besyde
Thou shalt well lerne/thy selfe for to knowe
Passe forth no ferder/but loke and abyde
Se what shall come/lest that thou ouer throwe
A sodayne rysynge dooth oft fall alowe
Without the grounde/beryghe sure and perfyte
Beholde well this glasse/& take thy respyte
Whan thou hast so done/to this floure resorte
Laboure to gete it/from this harde yren chayne
Unto the gynnes/vnto thy grete conforte
Yf that thou canst/and take it for thy payne
To be thy helpe/in thy Journaye certayne
Lo here the vertues vnder wryten be
Of this ryall floure in euery degre
This ryche emeraude/who so dooth it bere
From his fyrst werynge/his syght shal not mynysshe
Payne of the heed he nedeth not to fere
By dynt of swerde/he shall neuer perysshe
Ne no thynge begyn/but he shall well fynysshe
Yf it be ryghtfull aftyr a true entent
Without resystence of grete impedyment
Of all nygromancy/and fals enchauntement
Agaynst hym wrought/he shall knowe the effecte
They can not blynde hym by cursed sentement
But he theyr werkes may ryght soone abiecte
No maner poyson he nedeth to susspecte
Neyther in mete not yet in ale ne wyne
Yf it beset well besyde a serpentyne
Yf he vntrue be vnto his gentyll lady
It wyll breke asondre/or crase than doubtlesse
It kepeth close/neuet the auoutry
This gentyll emeraude/this stone of rychesse
Hath many mo vertues/whiche I do not expresse
As saynt Iohan euangelyst doeth shewe openly
Who of his makynge lyst se the lapydary
Whan I had aduerted/in my remembraunce
All the maters/vnto the glasse I wente
Beholdynge it/by a longe cyrcumstaunce
Where as I dyde perceyue well verament
How preuy malyce/his messengers had sent
With subtyll engynes/to lye in a wayte
Yf that they coude take me with a bayte
I sawe there trappes/I sawe theyr gynnes all
I thanked god than/the swete holy goost
Whiche brought me hyder so well in specyall
Without whiche myrour/I had ben but loost
In god aboue/the lorde of myghtes moost
I put my trust/for to withstande theyr euyll
Whiche dayly wrought/by the myght of the deuyll
I sawe theyr maysters blacke and tydyous
Made by the craft of many a nacyon
For to dystroye me/with strokes peryllous
To lette my Iournaye/as I make relacyon
Peryllous was the waye/and the cytuacyon
Full gladde was I of the vertu of this glasse
Whiche shewed me/what daungers I sholde passe
O all ye estates/of the hygh renowne
Beware these gynnes/beware theyr subtylte
The deuyll is grete/and redy to cast downe
By calculacyon/of the cursed cruelte
Of the subtyll beestes/full of inyquyte
In the olde tyme what snares were there sette
By fals calkynge/to dystroye lordes grete
Than after this to the yron gynne
I wente anone my wyte for to proue
By lytell and lytell/to vndo euery pynne
Thus in and out/I dyde the chayne ofte moue
Yet coude I not come/vnto myne aboue
Tyll at the last/I dyde the crafte espy
Undoynge the pynnes/& chayne full meruaylously
Full gladde was I than/whan I had this floure
I kyst it oft/I behelde the coloure grene
It swaged ryght well/myn inwarde doloure
Myn eyes conforted/with the bryghtnes I wene
This ryall floure/this emeraude so shene
Whan I had goten it by my prudence
Ryght gladde I was/of fortunes premynence
O fortune sayd I/thou arte ryght fauorable
For many a one/hath ben by symylytude
To wynne this floure/full gretely tendable
But they the subtylnes/myght nothynge exclude
Sythen by wysdome/I dyde this fraude conclude
This floure/I sette nere my harte
For perfyte loue/of my fayre ladyes darte
So this accomplysshed/than incontynent
To the thyrde myrour I went dyrectly
Beholdynge aboute by good auysement
Seynge an ymage madefull wonderly
Of the holy goost with flambes ardauntly
Under whiche I sawe with letters fayre and pure
In golde well grauen this meruaylous scrypture
Frome the fader and the sone my power procedynge
And of my selfe I god do ryght ofte inspyre
Dyuers creatures with spyrytuall knowynge
Inuysyble by dyuyne flambynge fyre
The eyes I entre not it is not my desyre
I am not coloured of the terrestryall grounde
Nor entre the eres for I do not sounde
Nor by the nose for I am not myxte
With ony maner of the ayry influence
Nor by the mouthe for I am not fyxte
For to be swalowed by erthly experyence
Nor yet by felynge or touchynge exystence
My power dyuyne can not be palpable
For I myselfe am no thynge manyable
Yet vysyble I may be by good apparaunce
As in the lykenesse of a doue vnto chryste Ihesu
At his baptysme I dyde it with good countenaunce
To shewe our godhed to be hygh and true
And at his transfyguracyon our power to ensue
In a fayre cloude with clere rayes radyaunt
Ouer hym that I was well apparaunt
Also truely yet at the feest of pentycoste
To the sones moder and the apostelles all
In tonges of fyre as god of myghtes moost
I dyde appere shewynge my power spyrytuall
Enflambynge theyr hertes by vertues supernall
Whiche after that by languages well
In euery regyon coude pronounce the gospell
And where I lyst by power dyuyne
I do enspyre oft causynge grete prophecy
Whiche is mysconstrued whan some do enclyne
Thynkynge by theyr wytte to perceyue it lyghtly
Or elles calke with deuylles the trouth to sertyfy
Whiche contrary be to all true saynge
For deuylles be subtyll and alwaye lyenge
Whan I had aduerted with my dylygence
All the scrypture I sawe me besyde
Hāge a fayre swerde & shelde of meruailous excellēce
Whiche to beholde I dyde than abyde
To blase the armes I dyde well prouyde
The felde was syluer/and in it a medowe grene
With an olyue trefull meruaylously besene
Two lyons of asure vpon euery syde
Couchande were truely besyde this olyue tree
A hande of stele wherin was wryten pryde
Dyde holde this ryall swerde in certaynte
A scrypture there was whiche sayd by subtylte
Of a grete lady hondred yeres ago
In the hande of stele this swerde was closed so
No maner persone/may withstande this swerde
But one persone/chosen by god in dede
Of this ladyes kynred/not to be aferde
To touche this hande/his mater for to spede
And to vndo it/and take it for his mede
But yf that he/be not of the lygnage
The hande wyll sle hym/after olde vsage
This ryall swerde/that called is preprudence
Who can it gette/it hath these vertues thre
Fyrst to wynne ryght/without longe resystence
Secondly encreaseth/all trouth and amyte
Thyrdly of the berer through duplycyte
Be pryuely fals/to the ordre of chyualry
The swerdes crosse wyll crase/and shewe it openly
This shelde also/who so dooth it bere
Whiche of olde tyme/was called perceueraunce
Hath thre vertues/fyrst he nedeth not fere
Ony grete blodeshede/by wronge incombraunce
Secondly/it wolde make good apparaunce
By hete vnto hym/to gyue hym warnynge
To be redy/agayst his enmyes comynge
The thyrde is this/yf this calenge be ryghtfull
Neuer no swerde/shall through his harneys perce
Nor make hym blody/with woundes rufull
For he there steength/may ryghtfully reuerce
Yet moreouer/as I do well reherce
This ryall shelde/in what place it be borne
Shall soone be wonne/and shall not be forlorne
These thynges sene/to the thyrde myroure clere
I went anone/and in it loked ryght ofte
Where in my fyght/dyde wonderly appere
The fyrmament/with the sonne all alofte
The wynde not grete/but blowynge fayre and softe
And besyde the sonne/I sawe a meruaylous sterre
With beames twayne/the whiche were cast aferre
The one turnynge towarde the sterre agayne
The other stretched ryght towarde Phebus
To beholde this sterre/I was somwhat fayne
But than I mused with herte full dolorous
Whyder it sygnyfyed thynges good or peryllous
Thus longe I studyed/tyll at the last I thought
What it sholde meane/as in my herte I sought
This sterre it sygnyfyeth the resynge of a knyght
The bowynge beame agayne so tournynge
Betokened rattonnes of them whiche by myght
Wolde hym resyst by theyr wronge resystynge
The beame towarde Phebus clerely shynynge
Betokened many meruaylous fyres grete
On them to lyght that wolde his purpose lete
In the fyre clerest of euery element
God hath appered vnto many a one
Inspyrynge them/with grete wytte refulgent
Who lyst to rede many dayes agone
Many one wryteth trouthe/yet cōforte hath he none
Wherfore I fere me/lyke a swarme of bees
Wylde fyre wyll lyght amonge a thousande pees

Sepe expugnauerunt me a inuentute mea:etenim non potuerunt michi.
As the cantycles maketh good mencyon
They haue oft expugned me/syth my yonge age
Yet coude they haue me/in theyr domynyon
Though many a one/vnhappely do rage
They shall haue sorowe that shytte me in a cage
In a grte dyspyte of the holy goost
He maye them brenne/theyr calkynge is but loost

Supra dorsum meū fabricauerūt peccatores: prolongauersit iniquitatē suā.
Upon my backe synners hath fabrysed
They haue prolonged theyr grete inyquyte
From daye to daye it is not mynysshed
Wherfore for vengeaunce by grete extremyte
It cryeth aboue/now vnto the deyte
Whiche that his mynysters haue suffred so longe
To lyue in synne and euyll wayes wronge
Whan I had perceyued euery maner thynge
Of this ryall myrour/accordynge to effecte
Remembrynge the verses/of the olde saynge
Whiche in my mynde I dyde well coniecte
Than to the swerde/I thought to haue respecte
Ryght so I went/than at all auenture
Unto the hande/that helde the swerde so sure
I felte the hande/of the stell so fyne
Me thought it quaked/the fyngers gan to stretche
I thought by that/I came than of the lyne
Of the grete lady/that fyrst the swerde dyde fetche
The swerdes pomell/I began to ketche
The hande swerued/but yet neuer the lesse
I helde them bothe/by excellent prowes
And at the last/I felte the hande departe
The swerde I toke/with all my besynesse
So I subdued/all the magykes arte
And founde the scauberde/of meruaylous rychesse
After that I toke the shelde doune doubtlesse
Kyssynge the swerde/and the shelde ofte I wys
Thankynge god/the whiche was cause of this
Gladde was I than/of my ryall floure
Of my swerde and shelde/I reioyced also
It pacyfyed well/myn inwarde doloure
But fro my ladyes beaute/my mynde myght not go
I loued her surely/for I loued no mo
Thus my fayre floure/and my swerde and shelde
With eyen ryght meke/full often I behelde
Than sayd I (well) this is an happy chaunce
I trust now shortly/my lady for to se
O fortune sayd I/whiche brought me on the daūce
Fyrst to beholde her ryght excellent beaute
And so by chaunce/hast hyder conueyde me
Getynge me also/my floure my shelde and swerde
I nought mystrust the/why sholde I be aferde
O ryght fayre lady/as the bryght daye sterre
Shyneth before the rysynge of the sonne
Castynge her beames/all aboute aferre
Exylynge grete wyndes/and the mystes donne
So ryght fayre lady/where as thou doost wonne
Thy beautefull bryghtnes/thy vertue and thy grace
Dooth clere Illumyne/all thy boure and place
The gentyll heren is plonged in dystresse
Dooth walowe and tomble in somers nyght
Replete with wo/and mortall heuynesse
Tyll that aurora/with her beames bryght
Aboute the fyrmament/castynge her pured lyght
Ageynst the rysynge/of refulgent tytan
Whan that declyneth/the fayre dame dyan
Than dooth the louer/out of this bedde aryse
With wofull mynde/beholdynge than the ayre
Alas he sayth/what nedeth to deuyse
Ony suche pastyme/here for to repayre
Where is my conforte/where is my lady fayre
Where is my Ioye/where is now all my boote
Where is she nowe/that persed my herte rote
This maye I saye/vnto my owne dere loue
My goodly lady/fayrest and moost swete
In all my bokes/fayre fortune doth moue
For a place of grace/where that we sholde mete
Also my bokes full pryuely you grete
The effectes therof/dooth well dayly ensue
By meruelous thynges/to proue them to be true
The more my payne/the more my loue encreaseth
The more my Ieopardy/the truer is my harte
The more I suffre/the lesse the fyre releasheth
The more I complayne the more is my smarte
The more I se her/the sharper is the darte
The more I wryte/the more my teeres dystyll
The more I loue/the hotter is my wyll
O moost fayre lady/yonge/good/and vertuous
I knewe full well/neuer your countenaunce
Shewed me ony token/to make me amerous
But what for that/your prudent gouernaunce
Hath enrached my herte/for to gyue attendaunce
Your excellent beaute/you coude no thynge lette
To cause my herte vpon you to be sette
My ryght fayre lady/yf at the chesse I drawe
My selfe I knowe not/as a cheke frome a mate
But god aboue the whiche sholde haue in awe
By drede truely euery true estate
He maye take vengeaunce/though he tary late
He knoweth my mynde/he knoweth my remedy
He maye reuenge me/he knoweth my Ieoperdy
O thou fayre fortune/torne not fro me thy face
Remembre my sorowe/for my goodly lady
My tendre herte/she dooth full oft enbrace
And as of that it is no wonder why
For vpon her is all my desteny
Submyttynge me/vnto her gracyous wyll
Me for to saue or sodaynly to spyll
O ryght fayre lady of grene flourynge age
You can not do but as your frendes agre
Your wyte is grete/you mekenes/dooth not swage
Exyle dysdayne/and be ruled by pety
The frenshe man sayth/that shall be shall be
Yf that I dye louer was neuer none
Deyed in this worlde/for a fayrer persone
Your beaute causeth all my amyte
Why sholde your beaute/to my dethe condyscende
Your vertue and mekenes/dyde so arest me
Why sholde ye than to dame dysdayne intende
Your prudence your goodnes/dooth mercy extende
Why sholde ye than enclyne to cruelte
Your grace I trust wyll non extremyte
A dere herte I maye complayne ryght longe
You here me not/nor se me not arayed
Nor causes my paynes for to be stronge
It was myn eyes/that made me fyrst dysmayde
With stroke of loue/that coude not me delaye
My ryght fayre lady/my herte is colde and faynt
Wolde now to god/that you knewe my complaynte
Thus as I mourned I herde a lady speke
I loked asyde I sawe my lady gracyous
My herte than fared/as it sholde breke
For perfyte Ioye whiche was solacyous
Before her grace/ryght swete and precyous
I kneled doune/saynge with all mekenesse
Please it your grace/& excellent noblenes
No dyspleasure to take for my beynge here
For fortune me brought/to this place ryall
Where I haue wonne this floure so vertuous & dere
This swerde and shelde/also not peregall
Towadre hym aduenture to be tryumphall
And now by fortunes desteny and fate
Do here my duety vnto your hygh estate
Ihesu sayd she than/who hadde wende to fynde
Your selfe walkynge/in this place all alone
Full lytell thought I/ye were not in my mynde
What is the cause/that ye make suche mone
I thynke some thynge/be from you past and gone
But I wonder/how that ye dyde attayne
This floure/this swerde/the shelde also certayne
For by a lady in the antyquyte
They were made to a meruaylous entente
That none sholde get them/but by auctoryte
Whiche onely by fortune/sholde hyder be sent
Full many knyghtes by entendement
Hath them aduentred/to haue them in dede
But all was vayne/for they myght neuer spede
Wherfore surely/ye are moche fortunate
Them for to wynne by your aduenture
But it was no thynge to you ordynate
And you dyde well/to put your selfe in vre
To proue the Ieoperdy/whiche hath made you sure
Leue all your mournynge/for there is no wyght
Hath greter cause/for to be gladde and lyght
I behelde well her demure countenaunce
Unto her swete wordes/gyuynge good audyence
And than I marked in my remembraunce
Her pleasaunt apparayle/with all my dylygence
Whiche was full ryche of meruaylous excellence
Fyrst alofte her forheed/full properly was dressed
Under her orellettes/her golden heere well tressed
About her necke whyte as ony lyly
A prety chayne of the fynest golde
Some lynkes with grene enameled truely
And some were blacke/the whiche I dyde beholde
The vaynes blewe/in her fayre necke well tolde
With her swete vysage tydynges to my herte
That sodynly my thoughtes were asterte
Her gowne was golde/of the clothe of tyssewe
With armyns poudred/and wyde sleues pendaunt
Her kyrtell grene of the fyne satyn newe
To bere her longe trayne/was well attendaunt
Gentyll dame dylygence/neuer varyaunt
Than as touchynge her noble stature
I thynke there can be/no goodlyer creature
As of her aege/so tendre and grene
Fayre/gracyous/prudent/and louynge humylyte
Her vertue shyneth/beynge bryght and shene
In her is nether pryde ne sybtylte
Her gentyll herte/enclyneth to bounte
Thus beaute/godlynesse/vertue/grace/and wytte
With bounte and mekenesse/in this lady is knytte

Amour.
Thus whan my eyes hadde beholde her wele
Madame I sayd how may I now be gladde
But sygh and sorowe with herte euery dele
Longe haue I loued/and lytell conforte hadde
Wherfore no wonder though that I be sadde
Your tendre age/full lytell knoweth ywys
To loue vnloued/what wofull payne it is

Pucell.
Thoghe that I be yonge/yet I haue perceueraūce
That ther is no lady/yf that she gentyll be
But ye haue with her ony acquayntaunce
And after cast/to her your amyte
Grounded on honoure/without duplycyte
I wolde thynke in mynde/she wolde condescende
To graunt your fauoure/yf ye none yll intende

Amour.
A fayre lady I haue vnto her spoken
That I loue best/and she dooth not it knowe
Though vnto her/I haue my mynde broken
Her beuaet clere/dooth my herte ouerthrowe
Whan I do se her/my herte booth sobbe I trowe
Wherfore fayre lady/all dysparate of contorte
I speke vnknowen/I must to wo resorte

Pucell.
Me thynke ye speke/now vnder parable
Do ye se her here/whiche is cause of your grefe
Yf ye so dyde/than sholde I be able
As in this cause/te be to your relefe
Ryght lothe I were to se your myschefe
For ye knowe well/what case that I am yn
Peryllous it wolde be/or that ye coude me wyne

Amour.
Madame sayd I/thoughe myn eyes se her not
Made dymme w&supert; wepynde/& with grete wo togyder
Yet dooth myn herte/at this tyme I wote
Her excellent beaute/ryght inwardly concyder
Good fortune I trust/hach now brought me hyder
To se your mekenes/whiche doth her repayre
Whose swete conforte/dooth kepe me fro dyspayre

Pucell.
Of late I sawe aboke of your makynge
Called the pastyme of pleasure/whiche is wōdrous
For I thynge and you had not ben in louynge
Ye coude neuer haue made it so sentencyous
I redde there all your passage daungerous
Wherfore I wene for the fayre ladyes sake
That ye dyd loue/ye dyde that boke so make

Amour.
Forsothe madame/I dyde compyle that boke
As the holy goost/I call vnto wytnes
But ygnorauntly/who so lyst to loke
Many meruelous thynges in it/I do expresse
My lyue and loue/to enserche well doublesse
Many a one doth wryte/I knowe not what in dede
Yet the effecte dooth folowe/the trouthe for to spede

Pucell.
I graunt you well/all that whiche you saye
But tell me who it is/that ye loue so sure
I promyse you that I wyll not bewraye
Her name truely to ony creature
Pyte it is/you sholde suche wo endure
I do perceyue/she is not ryght ferre hence
Whiche that ye loue/wihtouten neclygence

Amour.
Surely madame/syth it pleaseth your hyghnesse
And your honour to speke so nobly
It is your grace/that hath the intresse
In my true herte/with loue so feruently
Ryght longe ago/your beaute sodanly
Entred my mynde/and hath not syth dekayde
With feruent loue/moost wofully arayde

Pucell.
And is it I/that is cause of your loue
Yf it so be I can not helpe your payne
It sholde be harde/to gete to your aboue
Me for to loue/I dyde not you constrayne
Ye knowe what I am/I knowe not you certayne
I am as past your loue to specyfy
Why wyll ye loue where is no remedy

Amour.
A madame you are cause of my languysshe
Ye maye me helpe/yf that it to you please
To haue my purpose/my herte dooth not menysshe
Thoughe I was seke/ye knewe not my dysease
I am not hole/your mercy maye me ease
To proue what I am/the holy goost werke styll
My lyfe and deth/I yelde nowe to your wyll

Pucell.
Fortune me thynke/is meruaylous fauorable
To you by getynge/of this ryall floure
Hauynge this swerde/and shelde so profytable
In mortall daungers/to be your socoure
But as touchynge your loue and fauoure
I can not graunt/neyther fyrst ne last
Ye knowe what I am/ye knowe my loue is past

Amour.
Madame the floure/the swerde and shelde also
Whiche fortune gate me/are not halfe so dere
As your persone the cause of my wo
Whose grace and beaute/shyneth so ryght clere
That in my herte your beaute doth appere
Nothynge is past/but that fortunes pleasure
May call it agayne/in the tyme futrure

Pucell.
I denye not but that your dedes do shewe
By meruaylous prowes/truely your gentylnesse
To make you a carter/there were not afewe
But tho by crafte/whiche thought you to oppresse
To accombre them selfe applye the besynesse
Yet thynke not you/so soone to se a cradle
I graunt you loue/whan ye were golden sadle

Amour.
Madame truely/it is oft dayly sene
Many a one dooth trust/his fortune to take
From an other man/to make hym blynde I wene
Whiche blyndeth hym/and dooth his pompe aslake
Often some hye/do fall alowe and quake
Ryght so maye they/whiche dyde fyrst prepence
My wo and payne for all theyr yll scyence

Pucell.
To loue me so/whiche knoweth my persone
And my frendes eke/me thynke ye are not wyse
As now of me conforte haue ye none
Wherfore this answere/maye to you suffyse
I can not do/but as my frendes deuyse
I can no thynge do/but as they accorde
They haue me promest/to a myghty lorde

Amour.
Madame in this worlde ben but thynges twayne
As loue and hate/ye knowe your selfe the trouthe
Yf I sholde hate you/deth I were worthy playne
Than had you cause/with me to be wrothe
To deserue dyspleasure/my herte wolde be lothe
Wherfore fayre lady/I yelde at this hower
To your mekenes/my herte my loue and power

Pucell.
Thynke you past all chyldy ygnoraunce
That gladde I am/yf prudence be your guyde
Grace cometh often after gouernaunce
Beware of foly/beware of inwarde pryde
Clymbe not to fast/but yet fortune abyde
For your loue I thanke you/yf trouthe haue it fyxte
As with yll thought/neuer for to be myxte

Amour.
Surely my mynde/nor yet my purpose
In ony cause by foly dyde vary
Neuer doynge thynke open ne close
That to your honour sholde be contrary
As yet for grace I am content to tary
For myn enmyes fraude and subtylnes
Whiche pryuely begyne theyr owne vnhapynesse

Pucell.
Now of trouthe/I do vnto you tell
The thynge y&supere; to your enmyes is moost dyspleasure
Is for to gouerne you by wysdome ryght well
That causeth enuy in theyr hertes to endure
But be ye pacyent and ye shall be sure
Suche thynges as they ordayne vnto your gref
Wyll lyght on them fo theyr owne myschefe

Amour.
Surely I thynke/I suffred well the phyppe
The nette also dydde teche me on the waye
But me to bere I trowe they lost a lyppe
For the lyfte hande extendyd my Iournaye
And not to call me for my sporte and playe
Wherfore by foly yf that they do synne
The holy goost maye well the batayle wynne

Pucell.
Yf fortune wolde/for the payne ye haue taken
I wolde graūt you loue/but it may noth&ybar;ge al
My loue is past/it can not be forsaken
Therfore I praye you leue your trauayle
Full lothe I were/your deth to bewayle
There is no nette/nor no tempted snare
But ye them knowe/wherfore ye maye beware

Amour.
The snares and nettes/set in sondrye maner
Doone in tyme past/made many abyrde a dawe
The tempted gynnes/were sette so cyrculer
But euermore it is an olde sayd sawe
Examples past dooth theche one to withdrawe
Frome all suche perylles/wherfore than maye I
By grace of god/beware full parfytly

Pucell.
Ye saye the trouthe/and I do not submytte
My wyll and thought to the lady Uenus
As she is goddesse/and doth true loue knytte
Ryght so to determyne/the mater betwene vs
With assent of fortune/so good gracyous
Besechynge you now for to holde you styll
For these two ladyes/maye your mynde fulfyll

Amour.
My ryght dere lady/I do therto consente
Swete are your wordes they confort my thought
Of Uenus and fortune/I abyde the Iugement
But ryght dere lady/whome I longe haue sought
Forgete me not/remembre loue dere bought
Of my herte/I wolde ye knewe the preuyte
Than as I thynke ye wolde remembre me
That came ladyes [illeg.]
The our talkynge/y&supere; tyme dyde surrendre
Dame/ye do well here repayre
Ly temple/for to take the ayre
With that sodaynly/I truely awoke
Takynge pen and ynke to make this lytell boke
Go lytell treaty se submyte the humbly
To euery lady/excusynge thy neclygence
Besechynge them/to remembre truely
How thou doost purpose to do thy dylygence
To make suche bokes by true experyence
From daye to daye theyr pastyme to attende
Rather to dye/thon thau wolde them offend.

The Example Of Vertu : Cantos Viii.-Xiv.

Capitalum VIII.

Dame Sapyence taryed a lytell whyle
Behynd the other saynge to Dyscrecyon
And began on her to laugh and smyle
Axynge her how I stode in condycyon
Well she sayd in good perfeccyon
But best it is that he maryed be
For to eschewe all yll censualyte
I knowe a lady of meruelous beaute
Spronge out of hyghe and noble lynage
Replete with vertue and full of bounte
Whiche vnto youth were a good maryage
For she is comen of royall apparage
But herde it wyll be to gete her loue
Without youth frayltye do sore reproue
I kneled downe than vpon my kne
Afore dame Sapyence with humble chere
Besechynge her of me to haue pyte
And also Dyscrecyon her syster dere
Than dame Sapyence came me nere
Saynge youth wyll ye haue a wyfe
And her to loue durynge her lyfe
Ye madame that wolde I fayne
Yf that she be both fayre and bryght
I wyll her loue euer more certayne
And pleas her alway with all my myght
Of suche a persone wolde I haue a syght
With all my herte now at this houre
Wolde to god I had so fayre a floure
Than sayd dyscrecyon there is a kynge
Dwellynge fer hens in a fayre castell
Of whome I oft haue herd grete talkynge
Whiche hath a doughter as I you tell
I trowe that youth wyll lyke her well
She is both good eke fayre and pure
As I report me vnto dame Nature
But yf that youth sholde her go seke
Ye must syster than hym well indue
With your grete power so good and meke
That he all frayltye may eschue
For by the way it wyll oft pursue
On hym by flatery and grete temptacyon
That shall brynge hym in tribulacyon
As for that sayd she he shall not care
For he shall theym sone ouercome
And of theyr flatery ryght well beware
For I to hym shall gyue grete wysedome
Theyr dedes to withstande & make theym dōme
Wherfore dere syster as I you pray
Unto her lede hym now on the way
Loke that ye send me in his necessyte
By dame swyftnes full sone a letter
By whiche that I may knowe the certaynte
That I may come to ayde hym beter
So that fraylte to hym be no freter
And though I be not alway vysyble
With hym my power he hath inuyncyble
Than sayd dame Sapyence to dyscrecyon
Fare well dere syster I may not tary
Loke ye of youth haue the tuycyon
That he fall not into vaynglory
And that ye puruey for hym shortly
That he may wedde the fayre dame clennesse
Whiche for her loue haue ben in duresse
With that dame Sapyence downe went
Into her place that was the doctrynall
Of famous clerkes in connynge splendent
A myrrour of lernyng that was dyuynall
With all the craftes artyfycyall
Byfore her dame Fortune went to her mancyon
And eke dame hardynes to her habytacyon

Capitulum nonum

Forth than went dyscrecyon and I
Out of the castell into a grene
Where byrdys sange by grete melody
There daunst also the fayre quene
Besyde a ryuer named Ephesene
Ouer whiche we wente to the other syde
That was a medowe both longe and wyde
Longe there we wandred tyll at the last
We came vnto a ryght grete wyldernes
By that tyme Phebus was ouer past
Wherfore we walked in grete derkenes
The whiche to me was a grete heuynes
For Lucyna eke dyd her shrowde
Under a blacke and mysty clowde
For she was horned and no thynge cleere
And entred into the sygne of caprycorne
Ryght ferre from phebus fulgent speere
And not ayenst hym the crowne had worne
I went vp and downe tyll on the morne
That phebus his golden reyes dyd sprede
Than dyscrecyon ferther forth me lede
Amonge thornes sharpe & bestes wylde
There was the lyon the wolf & the bere
But I coude mete nother man ne chylde
But many serpentes that dyde me fere
And by a swete smelle I knewe a pantere
So forth I went by longe contynuaunce
Tyll that I sawe an herber of pleasaunce
To whiche I toke anone my waye
Where that I sawe a lady excellent
Rydynge on a goote in fresshe arraye
Ryght yonge of age & lusty of entent
Prayenge me to her for to assent
As to fulfyll the flesshly pleasure
Whiche she desyred me out of mesure
Nay sayd dyscrecyon that may not be
No sayd I in no maner of wyse
To her request I wyll now agree
But euermore here foule lust despyse
For I my selfe do now aduyse
To kepe me chast that I may mary
Fayre dame Clennes that noble lady

So forth I went walkynge my iournay
Metynge a lady olde and amyable
Syttynge in a castell both fressh and gay
On an olyphauntes backe in strength so stable
Whiche it to bere was good and able
Hauynge in her hande a cup of golde
Sette with perles ryght many afolde
She sayd she was the lady of rychesse
The quene of welth and worldely glory
Praynge me to company with her noblenesse
And she than wolde promote me shortely
To innumerable ryches and make me worthy
Where I am poore and sette by nought
By her to worshyp I sholde be brought
Unto her I answered I wolde not so
As for to hunt in the parke of pryde
The whiche to Clennes is mortall fo
But with Dyscrecyon I wyll abyde
Whiche doth a wyfe for me prouyde
By whome I shall haue the possessyowne
Of heuenly kyngdome & grete renowne
So forth I went and had grete trauayle
Without the comfort of ony persons
Saue of dyscrecyon whiche dyd me counsayle
As she went walkynge with me alone
Unto her I made full grete mone
And lykened the wyldernes by morall scence
Unto worldely trouble by good experyence
She sayd the fyrst lady that I dyd mete
Iclyped was dame Sensualyte
Whiche can well flater with wordes swete
Causynge a man to fall into fragylyte
And for to haunt the carnall freylte
Whiche vnto clennes is abhomynable
For they in werke be gretely varyable
The seconde was pryde enduyd with couetyse
A lady of ryght fruytles medytacyon
Delytynge gretly in the synne of auaryce
The whiche is cause of her dampnacyon
For she by her fals supportacyon
Blyndeth many a mannes conscyence
And dryueth ryght oft fer in absence
So ferther I went tyll at the last
I was in a mase goynge in and oute
Ther was none other way I was agast
But forth I walked in grete doute
Now here now there and so rounde aboute
Than sayd vnto me dame Dyscrecyon
Ye are in the besynes of worldely fastyon
There in I trauayled by longe space
Tyll that I mette a lady gloryous
Indued with vertue and grete grace
To whom I sayd o lady precyous
As ye seme to be good and vertuous
I you beseche now without delaye
Unto dame Clennes to teche me the waye
I Sapyence now wyll shewe to the
The ryght waye vnto fayre clennes
And yf thou wylt be ruled by me
Thou shalt mary that noble prynces
Yes that wyll I sayd than douteles
Dyscrecyon sayd she wolde be my suerte
Sapyence sayd none better myght be
Than sayd dyscrecyon to dame sapyence
Welcome to vs my syster dere
And I to her dyd humble reuerence
Saynge who had went to fynde you here
Yes she sayd I haue ben neere
You often tymes syth my departynge
And haue ben cause of your goode gydynge

Capitulum X.

Come on your waye walke on a pace
For ye longe for to haue a syght
Of dame Clennes so clere a face
So goodely of body in beauty bryght
That there can not be so fayre a wyght
So forth we walked to a ryuer syde
That ebbed and flowed at euery tyde
Than I saw a castell a pales royall
Bylded with marble blacke as the gette
With glasse wyndowes as clere as crystall
Whiche on the other syde was sette
No man to the castell myght gette
But ouer the water on a lytell brydge
Not halfe so brode as a hous rydge
But as I cast myn eye than asyde
I saw a lady wounderous fayre
Demure of contenaunce without pryde
That went her selfe for to repayre
By the water syde to take the ayre
Beholde and se than sayd dame sapyence
Yonder is dame Clennes the sterre of excellence
Full glad was I than in my mynde
For to se that flour of complacence
The syght of her dyd my herte bynde
Euer her to loue with percynge influence
Unto her I sayd o well of contynence
Unto your grace fayne wolde I go
Ner lettynge of this water blo
To me she answered than agayne
Saynge this worlde withouten mys
Is but a vanyte no thynge certayne
In the lyke wyse as this water is
Ye can not come to me now ywys
But by that brydge that goth ouer
This stormy troublous & wawy water
Therof sayd sapyence he shall not lette
Well sayd Clennes be you his gyde
And dyscrecyon also for to be sette
For to vpholde hym vnto the other syde
That he do not in the water slyde
So to the brydge they dyde me lede
I quacked than for fere and drede
I sawe there wryten this lytterall sence
No man this brydge may ouer go
But he be pure without neglygence
And stedfast in goddes byleue also
Yf he be ignoraunt and do not so
He must nedys into this water fall
Ouer the heed and be drowned with all
They led me ouer this brydge so peryllous
Tyll that I came to a preuy place
Where were wryten with letters gloryous
This is the kyngdome of grete grace
No man by yonde this marke may trace
But yf he be brought in by dame wysedome
If he so be he is moche welcome
So forthermore yet forth we went
Into a hall that was solacyous
Made of precyous stones splendent
That theym to se it was ryght wounderous
They were there so gretly plenteuous
That the hall paued was for the nones
With none other grauell but precyous stones

There was dame Clennes that lady gent
And eke her fader the kynge of loue
He satte in a chayre ryght clere and excellent
At the vpper ende of the hall aboue
He satte styll and dyd not remoue
Gyrde with wylowes and myght not se
No maner a thynge in his degre
He had two wynges ryght large and grete
And his body also was naked
And a dart in his ryght hand was sette
And a torche in his left hand brenned
A botell aboute his necke was hanged
His one leg armed and naked the other
Hym for to se it was a wonder
Sapyence bad me meruayll no thynge
For she wold shewe me the sygnifycacyon
Why he so sate by shorte rekenynge
Accordynge to a morylyzacyon
Now of the fyrste to make relacyon
Loue sholde be gyrde faste with stabylyte
Without whiche loue can haue no suerte
Loue may not se but is alway blynde
And wenyth no man can haue perseueraūce
Where that he loueth by naturall kynde
But he do shewe hym by wordes of vteraūce
Trught he bewreyeth hym by contenaunce
For hard it wyll be loue so to couere
But that som man shall it perceuere
Also his nakednes doth sygnyfy
That true loue no thynge ellys desyreth
But the very persone and eke body
That he so well and feruentely loueth
His wynges also well betokenyth
That his mynde fleeth vnto the persone
That he doth loue so well alone
And also loue is stryken with a sharpe darte
That maketh a man for to complayn
Whan that it hath wounded sore his herte
It brenneth hote lyke fyre certeyn
Than loue his purpose wolde fayne atteyn
And is euermore both hoot and drye
Tyll his lady gyue hym drynke of mercy
His one legge is armed to defende
The ryght that longeth vnto amyte
And wronge loue for to amende
His naked legge betokeneth charyte
That is the Ioye of grete felycyte
So charyte ryght loue and good concorde
With stablynes reygneth in this myghty lorde

Capitulum XI.

Than forth me led good dame Sapyence
Afore that myghty lordes mageste
Come on she sayd put the in presence
hat thou mayst se dame clennes beaute
Ponder in thy mynde by veryte
That so fayre as she was not quene helyn
Quene Ipolyte or yonge Polyxyn
This lady is clene without corrupcyon
And wereth thre crownes for her vyrgynyte
One is for people of perfyt relygyon
An other for maydens kepynge chastyte
The therde for true wedowes as y&superu; mayst se
I wyll the now to her fader present
Her for to mary yf she wyll consent
Than sayd dame sapyence o noble emperour
O souerayne lorde and royall potestate
O vyctoryous prynce & famous conquerour
O kynge of loue and seaser of debate
To the no creature may say chekmate
I present the now this vertuous knyght
For to mary clennes your doughter bryght
I thanke you he sayd for your good wyll
But he that to Clennes maryed must be
He must my commaundement fyrste fulfyll
As to scomfyte the dragon with heedes thre
That is a serpent of grete subtylte
Whiche well betokeneth as we do fynde
The worlde the flesshe & the deuyll by kynde
Sapyence sayd I sholde not fayle
To do his commaūdement for Clennes sake
As for to sle the dragon in batayle
That lay in a marys in a grete lake
Whiche was moche stynkynge foule & blake
Wysedome bade me be not aferde
For she wolde gyue me a shelde and swerde
And arme me also with fayre armure
To vaynquysshe that dragon so ferse & grete
She sayd it sholde be so good and sure
That I no harme of hym sholde gete
Though he his teth on me had sete
Yet sholde I slee hym for all his myght
By my grete strokes whan I dyd fyght
Fyrst she my legge harneys sette on
And after my plackerd of grete ryches
She armed me her selfe alone
And laced my helmet of her gentylnes
I thanked her for her grete goodnes
And gaue me my swerde and sheld also
Saynge lete vs to the dragon go
This is the armure for the soule
That in his epystole wrote saynt Poule
Good hope thy legge harneys shall be
The habergyn of ryghtwysnes gyrde w&supert; chastyte
Thy plackarde of besynes w&supert; braūches of almes dede
Thy shelde of beleue and mekenes for the hede
Thy swerde shall be the to defend
The worde of god the deuyll to blynde

Dame sapyence & I dyd take our lycence
Of the kynge of loue in vertue depured
And of his doughter shynynge in excellence
Whiche to me sayd with wordes assured
O vertuous knyght you for me haue dured
Ingrete wo & payne but thynke you verely
To scomfyt that dragon by wysedome shortly
Than went we forth to that serpent
In merueylous trauayle of sorowe and bale
By that tyme the daye ryght fayre was spent
And phebus his course began to auale
But at the last we came into a dale
Wher we felt the sauer of a dungeon
Of the foule and stynkynge dragon
Nere to that dragon there was a way
That men vsed vpon a fayre hyll
Unto hyghe heuen so fressh and gay
But that dragon lette theym theyr wyll
And by the way he dyd theym kyll
Bryngynge theym vnto the dungeon
Iclyped the place of grete oblyuyon
I had not be there halfe an houre
But that this dragon me approched
As though that he wolde me deuoure
He so fersly than on me marched
The batayle bytwene vs longe contynued
But he had me ryght sone ouercome
If I had not helpe of dame wysedome
I strake at hym fast with my swerde
And with my shelde dyd me defende
Wysedome bad me not be aferde
But my stroke that for to amende
As fer as my myght weld extende
So by her wordes I plucked vp myn herte
And dyd than vnto the dragon sterte
But he caught me than in his clawes
And so we wrasteled longe to gyder
But he hyld me sharpely in his pawes
Tyll wysedom my feblenesse dyd consyder
Beholde she sayd dame clennes yonder
Than as a syde I cast all my syght
I sawe that lady so pure and bryght
My strength than dobeled an hundred folde
And I from hym brake by vertuous prowes
My herte was warme that afore was colde
With the cōfortable syght of fayre dame clennes
Than I to hym gaue strokes of exces
And with my sharpe swerde cut of anone
Two of his heedes leuynge hym but one
These two heedes by good morall sens
The worlde and the flesshe do sygnyfy
As I in scrypture haue intellygence
The fyrste the worlde that is transytory
Lyeth bytwene man and heuenly glory
Lettyuge hym often of his passage
If it of hym can gete auauntage
The seconde is the flesshly desyre
That troubleth a man ryght sore within
Settynge his courage vpon a fyre
Causynge hym to enclyne to dedely syn
His flessh the batayll of hym doth wyn
Often bryngynge hym into dampnacyon
If repentaunce were not his saluacyon
Repentaunce alway requyreth mercy
And penaunce to god is a satisfaccyon
For god desyreth euermore truely
An humble herte full of contrycon
And the worlde desyreth restytucyon
Of goodes that haue be goten wrongfully
To be restored vnto the ryghtfull party
Whan I by wysedom had won the vyctory
Of these two heedes I was ryght glad
His thyrde heed marched ayenst me sharpely
But I my swerd in my hand had
Strykynge at hym with strokes sad
And blode of hym coude I drawe none
For he had nother flesshe ne bone
But at the last I dyd hym vaynquysshe
Dryuynge hym home to his derke regyon
Of infernall payne that shall not fynysshe
For hell is called his propre mancyon
And of all other of his opynyon
That do the preceptes of god forsake
And to deuelyche werkes theym do be take
God by his ryghtwysnes made a lawe
By whiche man for dedely synne is condēpned
If god his vengeaunce do not withdrawe
In euerlastynge payne he sholde be prysoned
But and man mercy of hym requyred
With penytent hert he sholde it haue
And with his mercy he wyll man saue.

Capitulum XII.
Whan I had scomfyte this serpent venymous
Sapyence to me ryght gentely sayd
Blessyd be god ye are so gracyous
That ye shall mary Clennes the mayd
But yet erwhyles ye were a frayd
Ye I sayd and swet full ryght sore
Tyll ye newe strength dyd me restore
This batayll was grete & longe endured
Whiche caused me to be ryght wery
But sapyence with her wordes me mured
With walles of comfort makynge me mery
Come on she sayd and walke on lyghtly
Unto the castell that we come fro
I answered to her I wolde do so
Than forth we went a grete pace
Tyll that we came to the castell syde
There mette vs ladyes with grete solace
And welcomed vs at the same tyde
So fayre a sort in the worlde so wyde
May not be founde by no maner of reason
As I sawe there at the same season
The fyrste lady that dyd vs mete
Iclyped was dame perseueraunce
Whiche to me sayd with wordes swete
Blessyd be god of your good gouernaunce
That hath kept you from the incomberaunce
Of the serpent with the heedes thre
And caused you vyctor of hym to be
Than came dame fayth that lady gloryous
Welcome she sayd with wordes amyable
I am ryght glad ye ar so vyctoryous
Of that foule dragon so abhomynable
She sayd that I was euermore stable
In her in dede eke worde and thought
Or elles my labour had ben to nought
Than spake the lady fayre dame charyte
Welcome vertue the noble veteran
Sythens that ye alway haue loued me
From the fyrst season that ye began
Bothe in your youth & syth ye were man
Ye haue had me in humble reuerence
And haue ben ruled by my preemynence
Than sayd dame prayer in my presence
Ye neuer cast me in oblyuyaunce
By no slouth nor wordely neglygence
But haue had me in grete remembraunce
Whiche hath ben to me very grete pleasaunce
Wherfore welcome vertue my dere
Unto this castell that ye se here
Than came fast to me dame lowelynes
Clyppynge me harde with louely chere
Byddynge me welcome with grete gladnes
As by her contenaūce it dyd well appere
Come on she sayd and walke on nere
So than amonge these fayre ladyes all
I went in to the grete castell hall
And there met me dame clennes blyue
And dame grace bare vp her trayne
Whiche euer to her was affyrmatyue
From whome dame clennes myght not refrayne
Than sayd she to me I am ryght fayne
That ye ar comen in to this place
Where ye shall wedde me in short space
Upon my kne I kneled than downe
Saynge o sterre of the blysse eterne
O well of vertue and of grete renowne
O dyuyne comfort moost sempyterne
Whan I your beautye do so well decerne
Ye set myn hert vpon a brennynge fyre
With feruent loue to come to my desyre
To me she answered in this wyse.
O my dere herte my spouse so pure
Why do ye not on your fete aryse
You of my true loue shall be sure
For ye my hert haue now in cure
Lete vs go now to our fader reuerente
So forthe vnto hym than we wente
Whan that we came afore his fayre face
Dame clennes made curtesye vnto the grounde
Saynge o fader kynge of grete grace
This knyght to loue ye are now bounde
And so am I for I haue often founde
Grete kyndnes on hym both nyght and day
For he hath loued me ryght well alway
Welcome he sayd ryght noble knyght
How haue ye done sythens your departynge
Haue ye scomfyted with your myght
The merueylous dragon so gretly stynkynge
Ye I sayd with the power shynynge
Of my maystresse good dame sapyence
I dyd hym vaynquysshe by her experyence
Wher is dame Sapyence than sayd he
And eke her syster dame dyscrecyon
Syr I sayd they are comen with me
And they haue had me in iurisdyccyon
Syns my departynge without destruccyon
Than spake dame sapyence by her faculte
Unto that myghty lordes mageste
Saynge this knyght than cleped vertue
Hath loued your doughter by longe contynuaūce
With stable loue so faythfull and true
And for her sake hath put to vteraunce
The thre heeded dragon by wyse puruyaunce
Wherfore me thynke he ought to mary
Your doughter Clennes that noble lady
The kynge sayd me thynke the same
If that my doughter wyll agre
And she do not she moche is to blame
Consyderynge his wysedome & grete beaute
Come hyder he sayd my doughter fre
To be wyfe to vertue wyll ye consent
Ye fader she sayd with hole entent
Than he called vnto his presence
Perseueraunce charyte and fydelyte
With lowlynes prayer and intellygence
Shewynge vnto theym the certeynte
How clennes his doughter wedded shall be
Unto me now vertu in all godely hast
By fore that thre dayes be ryght fully past
He called me than to his magnyfycence
Byddynge me go to bed and to rest
In the chaumbre of clene conscyence
Than so to do I thought it the best
For phebus was tourned into the west
So sapyence and I went forthe to bed
For lake of rest oppressed was my hed
A lytyll welp within this chaumbre was
That lay wakynge and barked alway
That no man in to it sholde passe
That wolde with conscyence make a fray
I dyd slepe there tyll that it was day
Than vp I rose and made me redy
Callynge vnto me dame sapyence shortely
Saynge vnto her o lady and maystres
O comfortable salue vnto euery sore
O fontayne of welth and carbuncle of clernes
Without ye helpe me I am forlore
Wherfore I shewe you as now before
Without I mary fayre dame clennes
I shall endure in mortall heuynes
Therof sayd she be no thynge adred
For ye shall mary here ryght soone
By me your mater shall be well sped
And the same daye it shall be doone
Aboute the houre truely of noone
And there shall be at your good dyner
Charyte fayth penaunce and prayer
Dame sapyence led me into a gardeyn
Where Clennes was amonge floures swete
Her to repayre without dysdeyn
As I to her wente she dyd me mete
Bryngynge me a floure called the margarete
Whiche is a floure ryght swete and precyous
Indued with beaute and moche vertuous
This floure I kyst often ryght swetely
Settynge it nere vnto my hert
Dame Clennes loked vpon me louely
Saynge that I sholde not depert
Tyll she had shewed me a grete couert
So with her I wente without delay
Where byrdes sate on many a spray
By this tyme phebus had begon
His ascencyall cours in grete bryghtnes
In to the sygne of the fierous lyon
Exylynge the fenerous frosty coldnes
And depryuynge the noxyall derkenes
And also setherus his fragraunt breth
Dystylled had vpon euery heth
Than to her I sayd my lady dere
Beholde this weder so clere and fayre
How royall walkynge that it is here
Lyke a place of pleasure you to repayre
Amonge the floures so swete of ayre
An other she had as she me tolde
Bryghter than phebus a thousande folde
This is a place of recreacyon
My mynde to comfort after study
In welth pleasure and delectacyon
For yf I sholde my selfe applye
Euer to pray to god an hye
Without this place I may not be sure
An other tyme in prayer to endure
But the other gardyn is celestyall
That longeth to vs by enherytaunce
And is entayled to vs in generall
For our clene lyfe & vertuous gouernaūce
Who that vs loueth without doubtauūce
With vs shall go to eternall glory
In short space or elles to purgatory
Than forth we went to her fader royall
Whiche welcomed vs by grete humylyte
Saynge my doughter dere and specyall
Ye shall this daye by grete solempnyte
Be wedded to vertue with benygnyte
We kneled downe and thanked his grace
And than forth we went to an other place

Capitulum XIII.
In to a chapell gayly gloryfyed
And also hanged with cloth of tyssue
A place it was ryght gretly deyfyed
The roof was set with stones of vertue
As with rubyes and emeraudes bryght of hue
The rood loft was yuery garnysshed with gold
Set with dyamoundes ryght many a fold
Ther I dyd se the arke of god
With many sayntes that suffred martyrdom
And also I sawe there Moyses rod
And saynt Austyn that brought crystendom
Into englonde by his grete wysedom
And the xii. apostles that fast gan wryte
Of our byleue and eke dyd endyte
There was saynt peter the noble pope
That dyd stande on the ryght syde
Of the hyghe auter in a ryche cope
Dame clennes and I dyd there abyde
And vp there came than at that tyde
Dame prayer with her syster charyte
And eke dame penytence with humylyte
Than came dame fayth anone to vs
With ryghtwysenes peas and dame mercy
With dame contrycyon gay and gloryous
Whiche after theym dyd not longe tary
And than came bede and eke saynt gregory
With saynt ambrose the noble doctour
Whiche of our fayth was good protectour
Than came the kynge of feruent loue
Led with argos in goodely wyse
Without whome he myght not remoue
From his sete by ryght prudent gyse
Who loueth argos wyll not deuyse
Nor yet begynne no maner of thynge
Without in his mynde hese good endynge
Also saynt Ierome the noble cardynall
Came vp to vs by humble reuerence
Whiche euermore was a good doctrynall
Prechynge to vs by vertuous influence
With exhortacyon of dyuyne complacence
And than foure bysshoppes in grete dygnyte
Ryght connynge cernynge vnto the deyte
On hym wayted by grete dylygence
And neuer dyd forsake his company
But hym obeyed by good experyence
And from his cōmaundement dyd not vary
But in the chapell they dyd there tary
And than saynt Ierome wente to the kynge
Of feruent loue vnto hym saynge
O amyable kynge seasour of debate
O ioyner of vertue and well of vnyte
O royall emperour o souerayne estate
O messenger of feruent amyte
O feruent dart of cordyall pryuyte
Here is your doughter fayre dame clennes
That must be maryed with good ryghtwysenes
Unto vertue the louely knyght
Whiche the batayle now hath won
By dame sapyence helpe and myght
Of the foule thre heeded dragon
This maryage by me shall be don
Go ye now streyght into your tabernacle
Whiche is to you moost propre habytacle
Than the souerayne kynge to hym dyd call
Dame fayth dyscrecyon and dame sapyence
With dame contrycyon & charyte withall
And eke dame mercy and dame penytence
Unto theym saynge ye haue intellygence
That this daye clennes my doughter dere
Shall be maryed to vertue that ye se here
Than they dyde all come vnto me
With dame peas and dame grace
And after theym came dame virgynyte
Whiche in her armes dyd me enbrace
Saynge that I was to her grete solace
Gyuynge me vnto my good maryage
A gowne of syluer for grete aparage
She gafe an other of the same
Unto dame clennes puttynge it one
Upon her back withouten blame
After whiche Clennes wente anone
Unto her fader her selfe alone
And I with saynt Ierome dyd there tary
To wed dame Clennes that noble lady
And all the ladyes with meke contenence
Stode on a rewe besyde the closette
Of Clennes fader without resystence
Whiche hanged was gayly with blue veluet
And with perles & rubyes rychely set
Than forth came Clennes with two aūgels led
Whiche theyr golden wynges abrode dyd spred
Dame grace after her bare vp her trayn
And .xv. ladyes her dyd ensue
Fyrst went dame humylyte certayn
And after her than dyd pursue
Dame fayth in stablenes so true
Ledynge with her the fayre dame pease
That welth and ryches doth well encrease
Than went dame reason with perseueraūce
And than dame mercy with contricyon
And than exersyce with remembraunce
After whome went dame restytucyon
With dame prayer and dame confessyon
And dame charyte with obedyence
And after theym came fayre dame abstynence
Saynt Ierome dyd make there coniunccyon
Of dame Clennes and me in matrimonye
With heuenly wordes and vertuous fastyon
And aungels came downe from heuen hye
As saynt Mychell with gabryell & the gerachye
To helpe saynt peter the masse to synge
The organs went and the bellys dyd rynge
My penne for feblenes may not now wryte
Nor my tonge for domnes may not expresse
Nor my mynde for neglygence may not endyte
Of the aungelycall Ioye and swete gladnesse
That I sawe there without heuynesse
And whan this weddynge holy was fynysshed
The aungels than to heuen vanysshed
Than downe I went in to the hall
Where ordeyned was by grete solempnyte
A dyner of vertue moost celestyall
To whiche came my wyf full of benygnyte
On the one syde led by good auctoryte
With saynt Edmond the noble kynge
And martyr whiche dyd her downe brynge
And she was led on the other syde
With saynt Edward the kynge and confessour
And so bytwene theym wente this bryde
To whom all the ladyes made grete honour
As alway seruynge her without errour
And a lytell whyle anone after her
Ergos brought downe her noble fader
The kynge of loue than sat hym downe
At the table for that tyme to ette
Causynge dame Clennes for her renowne
On his one syde than for to be sette
And I on the other without ony lette
And besyde me sapyence and dyscrecyon
And than by theym sat dame contrycyon
Than sate saynt Edwarde with vyrgynyte
And afore hym sate dame obedyence
Saynt Edmond and dame charyte
And than dame prayer with dame abstynence
And than dame fayth shynynge in excellence
With saynt Ierome and saynt Austeyn
And than saynt gregory without dysdeyn
There was two aungels holdynge fast
The table cloth at euery ende
Knelynge downe humbly and stedfast
Whose seruyce no man coude amende
Other there were that dyd entende
Us for to serue with theyr grete dylygence
That in theym founde coude be no neglygence
There dyd saynt Peter by grete holynes
Serue vs of our swete lordes body
Fyrst he serued the fader of clennes
And after that he serued her shortly
With charyte fayth and dame mercy
And I with dyscrecyon and dame sapyence
Of saynt Peter was serued with grete indulgence
So dame obedyence with contrycyon
With saynt Edwarde and virgynyte
In lykewyse were serued without corrupcyon
And saynt Edmond with dame charyte
And saynt Ierome with dame humylyte
With saynt austyn and saynt gregory
What nede I lenger of theym specyfy
This was a fest moost swete and precyous
To fede the soule with dyuyne comfort
This was a mete moost dere and gloryous
That causeth all man for to resorte
To sempyternall lyfe and comforte
Than saynt ambrose beynge dyuyne
After our mete gafe vs good wyne
By this tyme was I .lx. yere olde
And desyred for to lyue in peace
For I began to growe two folde
And my feblenes dyde sore encreace
For nature her strength than dyd seace
Wherfore after this ghoostly fest
I thought with my wyfe to abyde in rest
And I to her sayd with louynge chere
O my swete spouse moost fayre and beauteous
To me euer ryght leyfe and dere
Where is your lande that is solacyous
Ye shewyd me of your gardeyn gloryous
Unto whiche now fayne wolde I go
There for to dwell and you also
Syr she sayd the aungell raphaell
Shall with these martyrs & noble confessours
Brynge you thyder with theym to dwell
Where ye shall see all your progenytours
With many sayntes and gloryous auctours
This lande is heuen that to vs longeth
As our euydence the gospell telleth
Than came my fader in lawe to vs
Saynge by ryght I dyd combynd
Clennes my doughter with vertue precyous
And you must I loue by naturell kynde
For on you now is all my mynde
Afore hym I kyst my wyfe moost swetely
For we loued to gyder hote and truely
Than came my good aungell to me
Causynge me with hym for to go
With clennes my wyfe wher I dyd se
The paynes of hell full of grete wo
There was the dragon that I dyd slo
Bounde with chaynes in fyer infynall
With the seuen dedely synnes in generall
Than my good aungell to me sayd
If ye had loued dame sensualyte
The whiche with you dyd make a brayde
Ye had ben dampned by ryght and equyte
In to this pytte full of all iniquyte
Wherfore thanke god that sent you wysedome
Suche deedly perylles for to ouercome
Also the lady with the cup of golde
Is here condempned for her grete pryde
In endeles payne both hote and colde
Where in for synne she shall abyde
This is a dongeon longe and wyde
Made for theym that do synne dedely
And of cryst Ihesu wyll axe no mercy
This is a place full of all derkenes
Wherin be serpentes foull and odyous
This is a place of mortall heuynes
Where I sawe deuyles blacke and tedyous
Dampned soules turmented with hokes rygorous
This is the vppermoost parte of hell
In whiche paynyms dampned do dwell
For as moche as they lacked instruccyon
For to be leue in god omnypotent
They haue deserued the lesse correccyon
Yet theyr payne haue none extinguysshement
For they are dampned by true sentyment
For theyr byleue and fals idolatry
That made theyr goddes of mars & mercury
Than went we doune to an other vaute
Where Iewes lay in grete paynes stronge
Whome deuylles tourmented by grete assaute
Drawynge theym with hokes a longe
For theyr opynyon so fals and wronge
Whiche byleued not in the natyuyte
Of Ihesu cryst and the vyrgyn Mare
Nor yet that he dyd suffre passyon
Bothe for theym and all mankynde
Nother yet of his resurreccyon
In theyr byleue they are so blynde
Yet as in bokes wryten we do fynde
That they haue ben taught many a tyme
For to forsake theyr owne fals cryme
Than went we downe to a depper vale
Where crysten soules dyd weppe & crye
In grete sorowe payne and bale
Brennynge in fyer moost hote and drye
And some in Ice ryght depe dyd lye
For to expresse it is impossyble
The paynes there they are so horryble
These crysten men knowe goddes lawe
And euery daye had informacyon
From deuelysshe werkes theym to withdrawe
That they sholde not fall in dampnacyon
Yet wyll they not make sequestracyon
Of goddes cōmaundement but syn deedly
Therfore here are they dampned ryght wysey
And thou haddest set thy delectacyon
In flesshely pleasure and vayne glory
Thou haddest ben here without saluacyon
Without thou of god had axed mercy
Who that it axeth shall haue it truely
Yf he be contryt and do repent
That he his lyfe in yll hath spent
This place sythens it is moost heuy
Moost derke and moost ferre from lyghtnes
As philosophers afferme by astronomy
Is in the myddes of the erthe doutles
That is a place of dyssolate derkenes
Wherfore by reason it must nedes be sette
In the myddes of the erthe both longe & grette.

Capitulum XIIII.

My good aungell by his grete vertue
Shewed me all this in a shorte space
And after hym I dyd than pursue
With my wyfe vnto the fayre place
That we came fro full of all solace
Where was my fader in the company
Of many sayntes that dyd there tary
My wyfe and me than for to brynge
To the place of eternall glory
With heuenly tewnes swetely syngynge
That theym to here it was grete melody
More than ony tonge can specyfy
This was theyr songe so swete and gloryous
That they dyd synge with voyce so vertuous
O celestyall kynge one two and thre
All people prayse the god and lorde
Whiche art in heuen o noble trynyte
Whose royall power and miserycorde
Confermed is by thyn hye accorde
On vs with trouth for to endure
Withouten ende as we are sure
Glory be to the fader almyghty
And to the sone and to the holy ghoost
Thre persones and one god truely
Whose power neuer can be loost
For he is lorde of myghtes moost
And so hath ben without begynnynge
And euer shall be without endynge
Whan we were in the ayre of asure
There dyd vs mete the noble Ierarchy
As Cherubyn and Seraphyn so pure
With other aungels in theyr company
That dyd proclayme & synge on hye
With voyce insacyat moost melodyous
To god aboue Sanctus sanctus sanctus
There dyd I se the planettes seuen
Moue in ordre by alteracyon
To merueylous for me to neuen
For they seassed not theyr operacyon
Some assended some made declynacyon
Entrynge theyr houses of the .xii. synes
Some indyrectly and some by dyrecte lynes
To heuen we styed a place moost gloryous
Where that we dyd beholde the deyte
With insaciable contenaunce moost desyrous
And truely than the more that we
Dyd loke vpon his souerayne beaute
The more our desyre dyd encreace
This is a Ioye that shall not seace
This is a regyon moost full of swetnes
This is a realme of delectacyon
This is a lande of infenyte gladnes
Without ony stormy tribulacyon
This place is of eterne saluacyon
Where aungels and sayntes for theyr solace
Euermore do loke on goddes face
What sholde I wryte thynges of dyuynyte
Or endyght of suche maters hye
Sythen it no thynge longeth to my faculte
Therfore of it I wyll not lenger tarye
For fere that I in it sholde varye
And by cause that trouth shall be my mede
I wyll now leue and take me to my crede
So vertue and clennes by good ryght
Truely in maryage ioyned must be
For they loue to gyder with all theyr myght
Without dyscencyon or duplycyte
And they both are alway in vnyte
To whome heuen by tayll generall
Entayled is by a dede memoryall
Now are they to gyder to heuen gone
There for to dwell in Ioye eternall
Where that there is the heuenly trone
Of our sauyour Ihesu deere & specyall
Who that hym loueth truely ouer all
Ledynge his lyfe with vertue and clennes
Shall come vnto the glory endeles
But in the fynysshynge of my mater
To god the maker of all thynge
Deuoutely now I make my prayer
To saufe kynge Henry our ryghtfull kynge
From all treason and dolefull mornynge
And for to maynteyn the grete honour
Of this swete rede rose so fayre a colour
This floure was kepte ryght longe in close
Amonge the leuys holsom and sote
And regally sprange and arose
Out of the noble stoke and rote
Of the rede rose tre to be our bote
After our bale sente by grete grace
On vs to reygne by ryght longe space
O lorde god what Ioye was this
Unto his moder so good and gracyous
Whan that she sawe her sone I wys
Of his ennemys to be so vyctoryous
It caused her to be moost Ioyous
And yet there of no wonder why
For he was ryght longe from her truely
A ioyfull metynge than bytwene
The moder and the sone so dere
A daye of gladnes bryght and shene
Fressher than phebus myddaye spere
Whan her sone to vs dyd appere
He dyd vs lyght with his pure bemys
Quenchynge of mars the fyrous lemys
O heuenly kynge o eternall emperoure
O thre persons and one god equall
I praye the to kepe from all doloure
This moder with her sone in specyall
With all theyr noble buddes in generall
And laude be to the that dyd enhaunce
Hym to his ryght and propre herytaunce
The whyte rose that w&supert; tempestes troublous
Aualed was and eke blowen asyde
The reed rose fortyfyed and made delycyous
It pleased god for hym so to prouyde
That his redolent buddes shall not slyde
But euer encrease and be vyctoryous
Of fatall brerys whiche be contraryous
Thus god by grace dyd well combyne
The rede rose and the whyte in maryage
Beynge oned ryght clere doth shyne
In all clennes and vertuous courage
Of whose ryght and royall lynage
Prynce Henry is spronge our kynge to be
After his fader by ryght good equyte
O noble prynce Henry our seconde treasure
Surmontynge in vertue & myrour of beaute
O geme of gentylnes & lanterne of plasure
O rubycound blossome and sterre of humylyte
O famous bud full of benygnyte
I pray to god well for to encrease
Your hyghe estate in rest and pease
O thoughfull hert for lack of connynge
Now layde to slepe this longe wynters nyght
Ryse vp agayne loke on the shynynge
Of fayre lucyna clere and bryght
Beholde eke mercury with his fayre lyght
Castynge a doune his stremys mery
It may well glad thyn emyspery
O gower fountayne moost aromatyke
I the now lake for to depure
My rudnes with thy lusty retoryke
And also I mys as I am sure
My mayster Chaucers to take the cure
Of my penne for he was expert
In eloquent termes subtyll and couert
Where is now lydgate flourynge in sentence
That shold my mynde forge to endyte
After the termes of famous eloquence
And strength my penne well for to wryte
With maters fresshe of pure delyte
They can not helpe me there is no remedy
But for to praye to god almyghty
For to dystyll the dewe of influence
Upon my brayn so dull and rude
And to enlumyn me with his sapyence
That I my rudnes may exclude
And in my mater well to conclude
Unto thy pleasure and to the reders all
To whome I excuse me now in generall.

Explicit exemplum virtutis.