Front matter (continued 12)

"We been," quod I, "fyve ladies al in-fere, And gentilwomen foure in company; Whan they begin to open hir matere, 410 Than shal ye knowe hir wordës by and by; But as for me, I have non verely, And so I told Countenaunce here-before; Al myne aray is blew; what nedeth more?"

"Now than," quod she, "I wol go in agayn, 415 That ye may have knowlege, what ye shuld do." "In sooth," quod I, "if ye wold take the payn, Ye did right moch for us, if ye did so. The rather sped, the soner may we go. Gret cost alway ther is in tarying; 420 And long to sewe, it is a wery thing."

Than parted she, and cam again anon; "Ye must," quod she, "come to the chamberlayn." "We been," quod I, "now redy everichon To folowe you whan-ever ye list, certayn. 425 We have non eloquence, to tel you playn; Beseching you we may be so excused, Our trew mening, that it be not refused."

Than went we forth, after Perséveraunce, To see the prees; it was a wonder cace; 430 There for to passe it was greet comb[e]raunce, The people stood so thikke in every place. "Now stand ye stil," quod she, "a litel space; And for your ese somwhat I shal assay, If I can make you any better way."

435 And forth she goth among hem everichon, Making a way, that we might thorugh pas More at our ese; and whan she had so don, She beckned us to come where-as she was; So after her we folowed, more and las. 440 She brought us streight unto the chamberlayn; There left she us, and than she went agayn.

We salued her, as reson wolde it so, Ful humb[el]ly beseching her goodnesse, In our maters that we had for to do 445 That she wold be good lady and maistresse. "Ye be welcome," quod she, "in sothfastnesse, And see, what I can do you for to plese, I am redy, that may be to your ese."

We folowed her unto the chambre-dore, 450 "Sisters," quod she, "come ye in after me." But wite ye wel, there was a paved flore, The goodliest that any wight might see; And furthermore, about than loked we On eche corner, and upon every wal, 455 The which was mad of berel and cristal;

Wherein was graven of stories many oon; First how Phyllis, of womanly pitè, Deyd pitously, for love of Demophoon. Nexte after was the story of Tisbee, 460 How she slew her-self under a tree. Yet saw I more, how in right pitous cas For Antony was slayn Cleopatras.

That other syde was, how Hawes the shene Untrewly was disceyved in her bayn. 465 There was also Annelida the quene, Upon Arcyte how sore she did complayn. Al these stories were graved there, certayn; And many mo than I reherce you here; It were to long to tel you al in-fere.

470 And, bicause the wallës shone so bright, With fyne umple they were al over-sprad, To that intent, folk shuld nat hurte hir sight; And thorugh it the stories might be rad. Than furthermore I went, as I was lad; 475 And there I saw, without[en] any fayl, A chayrë set, with ful riche aparayl.

And fyve stages it was set fro the ground, Of cassidony ful curiously wrought; With four pomelles of golde, and very round, 480 Set with saphyrs, as good as coud be thought; That, wot ye what, if it were thorugh sought, As I suppose, fro this countrey til Inde, Another suche it were right fer to finde!

For, wite ye wel, I was right nere that, 485 So as I durst, beholding by and by; Above ther was a riche cloth of estate, Wrought with the nedle ful straungëly, Her word thereon; and thus it said trewly, A endurer, to tel you in wordës few, 490 With grete letters, the better I hem knew.

Thus as we stode, a dore opened anon; A gentilwoman, semely of stature, Beringe a mace, cam out, her-selfe aloon; Sothly, me thought, a goodly crëature! 495 She spak nothing to lowde, I you ensure, Nor hastily, but with goodly warning: "Mak room," quod she, "my lady is coming!"

With that anon I saw Perséveraunce, How she held up the tapet in her hand. 500 I saw also, in right good ordinaunce, This greet lady within the tapet stand, Coming outward, I wol ye understand; And after her a noble company, I coud nat tel the nombre sikerly.

505 Of their namës I wold nothing enquere Further than suche as we wold sewe unto, Sauf oo lady, which was the chauncellere, Attemperaunce; sothly her name was so. For us nedeth with her have moch to do 510 In our maters, and alway more and more. And, so forth, to tel you furthermore,

Of this lady her beautè to discryve, My conning is to simple, verely; For never yet, the dayës of my lyve, 515 So inly fair I have non seen, trewly. In her estate, assured utterly, There wanted naught, I dare you wel assure, That longed to a goodly crëature.

And furthermore, to speke of her aray, 520 I shal you tel the maner of her gown; Of clothe of gold ful riche, it is no nay; The colour blew, of a right good fasoun; In tabard-wyse the slevës hanging doun; And what purfyl there was, and in what wyse, 525 So as I can, I shal it you devyse.

After a sort the coller and the vent, Lyk as ermyne is mad in purfeling; With grete perlës, ful fyne and orient, They were couchèd, al after oon worching, 530 With dyamonds in stede of powdering; The slevës and purfilles of assyse; They were [y-]mad [ful] lyke, in every wyse.

Aboute her nekke a sort of fair rubyes, In whyte floures of right fyne enamayl; 535 Upon her heed, set in the freshest wyse, A cercle with gret balays of entayl; That, in ernest to speke, withouten fayl, For yonge and olde, and every maner age, It was a world to loke on her visage.

540 Thus coming forth, to sit in her estat, In her presence we kneled down echon, Presentinge up our billes, and, wot ye what, Ful humb[el]ly she took hem, by on and on; When we had don, than cam they al anon, 545 And did the same, eche after her manere, Knelinge at ones, and rysinge al in-fere.

Whan this was don, and she set in her place, The chamberlayn she did unto her cal; And she, goodly coming til her a-pace, 550 Of her entent knowing nothing at al, "Voyd bak the prees," quod she, "up to the wal; Mak larger roum, but look ye do not tary, And tak these billës to the secretary."

The chamberlayn did her commaundëment, 555 And cam agayn, as she was bid to do; The secretary there being present, The billës were delivered her also, Not only ours, but many other mo. Than the lady, with good advyce, agayn 560 Anon withal called her chamberlayn.

"We wol," quod she, "the first thing that ye do, The secretary, make her come anon With her billës; and thus we wil also, In our presence she rede hem everichon, 565 That we may takë good advyce theron Of the ladyes, that been of our counsayl; Look this be don, withouten any fayl."

The chamberlayn, whan she wiste her entent, Anon she did the secretary cal: 570 "Let your billës," quod she, "be here present, My lady it wil." "Madame," quod she, "I shal." "And in presence she wil ye rede hem al." "With good wil; I am redy," quod she, "At her plesure, whan she commaundeth me."

575 And upon that was mad an ordinaunce, They that cam first, hir billës shuld be red. Ful gentelly than sayd Perséveraunce, "Resoun it wold that they were sonest sped." Anon withal, upon a tapet spred, 580 The secretary layde hem doun echon; Our billës first she redde hem on by on.

The first lady, bering in her devyse Sans que jamais, thus wroot she in her bil; Complayning sore and in ful pitous wyse 585 Of promesse mad with faithful hert and wil And so broken, ayenst al maner skil, Without desert alwayes on her party; In this mater desyring remedy.

Her next felawës word was in this wyse, 590 Une sans chaungier; and thus she did complayn, Though she had been guerdoned for her servyce, Yet nothing lyke as she that took the payn; Wherfore she coude in no wyse her restrayn, But in this cas sewe until her presence, 595 As reson woldë, to have recompence.

So furthermore, to speke of other twayn, Oon of hem wroot, after her fantasy, Oncques puis lever; and, for to tel you plain, Her complaynt was ful pitous, verely, 600 For, as she sayd, ther was gret reson why; And, as I can remembre this matere, I shal you tel the proces, al in-fere.

Her bil was mad, complayninge in her gyse, That of her joy, her comfort and gladnesse 605 Was no suretee; for in no maner wyse She fond therin no point of stablenesse, Now il, now wel, out of al sikernesse; Ful humbelly desyringe, of her grace, Som remedy to shewe her in this cace.

610 Her felawe made her bil, and thus she sayd, In playning wyse; there-as she loved best, Whether she were wroth or wel apayd She might nat see, whan [that] she wold faynest; And wroth she was, in very ernest; 615 To tel her word, as ferforth as I wot, Entierment vostre, right thus she wroot.

And upon that she made a greet request With herte and wil, and al that might be don As until her that might redresse it best; 620 For in her mind thus might she finde it sone, The remedy of that, which was her boon; Rehersing [that] that she had sayd before, Beseching her it might be so no more.

And in lyk wyse as they had don before, 625 The gentilwomen of our company Put up hir billës; and, for to tel you more, Oon of hem wroot cest sanz dire, verily; And her matere hool to specify, With-in her bil she put it in wryting; 630 And what it sayd, ye shal have knowleching.

It sayd, god wot, and that ful pitously, Lyke as she was disposed in her hert, No misfortune that she took grevously; Al oon to her it was, the joy and smert, 635 Somtyme no thank for al her good desert. Other comfort she wanted non coming, And so used, it greved her nothing.

Desyringe her, and lowly béseching, That she for her wold seke a better way, 640 As she that had ben, al her dayes living, Stedfast and trew, and so wil be alway. Of her felawe somwhat I shal you say, Whos bil was red next after forth, withal; And what it ment rehersen you I shal.

645 En dieu est, she wroot in her devyse; And thus she sayd, withouten any fayl, Her trouthë might be taken in no wyse Lyke as she thought, wherfore she had mervayl; For trouth somtyme was wont to take avayl 650 In every matere; but al that is ago; The more pitè, that it is suffred so.

Moch more there was, wherof she shuld complayn, But she thought it to greet encomb[e]raunce So moch to wryte; and therfore, in certayn, 655 In god and her she put her affiaunce As in her worde is mad a remembraunce; Beseching her that she wolde, in this cace, Shewe unto her the favour of her grace.

The third, she wroot, rehersing her grevaunce, 660 Ye! wot ye what, a pitous thing to here; For, as me thought, she felt gret displesaunce, Oon might right wel perceyve it by her chere, And no wonder; it sat her passing nere. Yet loth she was to put it in wryting, 665 But nede wol have his cours in every thing.

Soyes en sure, this was her word, certayn, And thus she wroot, but in a litel space; There she lovëd, her labour was in vayn, For he was set al in another place; 670 Ful humblely desyring, in that cace, Som good comfort, her sorow to appese, That she might livë more at hertes ese.

The fourth surely, me thought, she liked wele, As in her porte and in her behaving; 675 And Bien moneste, as fer as I coud fele, That was her word, til her wel belonging. Wherfore to her she prayed, above al thing, Ful hertely (to say you in substaunce) That she wold sende her good continuaunce.

680 "Ye have rehersed me these billës al, But now, let see somwhat of your entent." "It may so hap, paraventure, ye shal. Now I pray you, whyle I am here present, Ye shal, pardè, have knowlege, what I ment. 685 But thus I say in trouthe, and make no fable, The case itself is inly lamentable.

And wel I wot, that ye wol think the same, Lyke as I say, whan ye have herd my bil." "Now good, tel on, I hate you, by saynt Jame!" 690 "Abyde a whyle; it is nat yet my wil. Yet must ye wite, by reson and by skil, Sith ye know al that hath be don before:—" And thus it sayd, without[en] wordes more.

"Nothing so leef as deth to come to me 695 For fynal ende of my sorowes and payn; What shulde I more desyre, as semë ye? And ye knewe al aforn it for certayn, I wot ye wolde; and, for to tel you playn, Without her help that hath al thing in cure 700 I can nat think that I may longe endure.

As for my trouthe, it hath be proved wele, To say the sothe, I can [you] say no more, Of ful long tyme, and suffred every dele In pacience, and kepe it al in store; 705 Of her goodnesse besechinge her therfore That I might have my thank in suche [a] wyse As my desert deserveth of justyse."

Whan these billës were rad everichon, This lady took a good advysement; 710 And hem to answere, ech by on and on, She thought it was to moche in her entent; Wherfore she yaf hem in commaundëment, In her presence to come, bothe oon and al, To yeve hem there her answer general.

715 What did she than, suppose ye verely? She spak herself, and sayd in this manere, "We have wel seen your billës by and by, And some of hem ful pitous for to here. We wol therfore ye knowe al this in-fere, 720 Within short tyme our court of parliment Here shal be holde, in our palays present;

And in al this wherin ye find you greved, Ther shal ye finde an open remedy In suche [a] wyse, as ye shul be releved 725 Of al that ye reherce here, thoroughly. As for the date, ye shul know verily, That ye may have a space in your coming; For Diligence shal it tel you by wryting."

We thanked her in our most humble wyse, 730 Our felauship, echon by oon assent, Submitting us lowly til her servyse. For, as we thought, we had our travayl spent In suche [a] wyse as we helde us content. Than eche of us took other by the sleve, 735 And forth withal, as we shuld take our leve.

Al sodainly the water sprang anon In my visage, and therwithal I wook:— "Where am I now?" thought I; "al this is gon;" And al amased, up I gan to look. 740 With that, anon I went and made this book, Thus simplely rehersing the substaunce, Bicause it shuld not out of remembraunce.'—

'Now verily, your dreem is passing good, And worthy to be had in rémembraunce; 745 For, though I stande here as longe as I stood, It shuld to me be non encomb[e]raunce; I took therin so inly greet plesaunce. But tel me now, what ye the book do cal? For I must wite.' 'With right good wil ye shal:

750 As for this book, to say you very right, And of the name to tel the certeyntè, L'assemblè de Dames, thus it hight; How think ye?' 'That the name is good, pardè!' 'Now go, farwel! for they cal after me, 755 My felawes al, and I must after sone; Rede wel my dreem; for now my tale is doon.'

Here endeth the Book of Assemble de Damys.

¶ Moder of norture, best beloved of al, And fresshest flour, to whom good thrift god sende. Your child, if it list you me so to cal, Al be I unable my-self so to pretende, 5 To your discrecioun I recommende Myn herte and al, with every circumstaunce, Al hoolly to be under your governaunce.

Most desyre I, and have, and ever shal Thing, whiche might your hertës ese amende; 10 Have me excused, my power is but smal; Natheles, of right ye ought[e] to commende My good[e] will, which fayn wolde entende To do you service; for al my suffisaunce Is hoolly to be under your governaunce.

15 Meulx un: in herte, which never shal apal, Ay fresshe and newe, and right glad to dispende My tyme in your servyce, what-so befal, Beseching your excéllence to defende My simplenesse, if ignoraunce offende 20 In any wyse; sith that myn affiaunce Is hoolly to be under your governaunce.

¶ Daisy of light! very ground of comfort! The sonnes doughter ye hight, as I rede; For when he westreth, farwel your disport! 25 By your nature anon, right for pure drede Of the rude night, that with his boystous wede Of derkness shadoweth our emispere, Than closen ye, my lyves lady dere!

Dawing the day to his kinde resort, 30 Phebus your fader, with his stremes rede, Adorneth the morow, cónsuming the sort Of misty cloudës, that wolde overlede Trewe humble hertës with hir mistihede, Nere comfort a-dayes, whan eyën clere 35 Disclose and sprede my lyves lady dere.

[A stanza lost; lines 36-42.]

¶ Je vouldray:—but [the] gret[e] god disposeth And maketh casuel by his providence 45 Such thing as mannës frelë wit purposeth; Al for the best, if that our conscience Nat grucche it, but in humble pacience It receyve; for god saith, without[e] fable, A faithful hertë ever is acceptáble.

50 Cautels who useth gladly, gloseth; To eschewe suche it is right high prudence; What ye said[e] onës, [now] myn herte opposeth, "That my wryting japës, in your absence, Plesed you moche bet than my presence!" 55 Yet can I more, ye be nat excusáble; A faithful hertë ever is acceptáble.

Quaketh my penne; my spirit supposeth That in my wryting ye finde wol som offence; Myn herte welkeneth thus sone, anon it †roseth; 60 Now hot, now cold, and eft in [al] fervence; That mis is, is caused of negligence And not of malice; therfor beth merciable; A faithful hertë ever is acceptáble.

Lenvoy.

¶ Forth, complaynt! forth, lakking eloquence, 65 Forth, litel lettre, of endyting lame! I have besought my ladies sapience Of thy behalfe, to accept in game Thyn inabilitee; do thou the same! Abyd! have more yet; Je serve Jonesse. 70 Now forth; I close thee, in holy Venus name; Thee shal unclose my hertes governeresse.

Finis.

Rex sine sapiencia: Episcopus sine doctrina. Dominus sine consilio: Mulier sine castitate. Miles sine probitate: Iudex sine Iusticia. Diues sine elemosina: Populus sine lege. Senex sine religione: Seruus sine timore. Pauper superbus: Adolescens sine obediencia.

Go forth, king, rule thee by sapience; Bishop, be able to minister doctryne; Lord, to trew consayl yeve audience; Womanheed, to chastitè ever enclyne; 5 Knight, let thy dedes worship determyne; Be rightwis, jugë, in saving thy name; Rich, do almesse, lest thou lese blis with shame.

People, obey your king and the lawe; Age, be thou ruled by good religioun; 10 Trew servant, be dredful, and keep thee under awe, And thou, povre, fy on presumpcioun; Inobedience to youth is utter distruccioun; Remembre you how god hath set you, lo! And do your part, as ye be ordained to.

With timerous hert and trembling hand of drede, Of cunning naked, bare of eloquence, Unto the flour of port in womanhede I write, as he that non intelligence 5 Of metres hath, ne floures of sentence; Sauf that me list my writing to convey, In that I can to please her hygh nobley.

The blosmes fresshe of Tullius garden soote Present thaim not, my mater for to borne: 10 Poemes of Virgil taken here no rote, Ne crafte of Galfrid may not here sojorne: Why nam I cunning? O well may I morne, For lak of science that I can-not write Unto the princes of my life a-right

15 No termes digne unto her excellence, So is she sprong of noble stirpe and high: A world of honour and of reverence There is in her, this wil I testifie. Calliope, thou sister wise and sly, 20 And thou, Minerva, guyde me with thy grace, That langage rude my mater not deface.

Thy suger-dropes swete of Elicon Distill in me, thou gentle Muse, I pray; And thee, Melpomene, I calle anon, 25 Of ignoraunce the mist to chace away; And give me grace so for to write and sey, That she, my lady, of her worthinesse, Accepte in gree this litel short tretesse,

That is entitled thus, 'The Court of Love.' 30 And ye that ben metriciens me excuse, I you besech, for Venus sake above; For what I mene in this ye need not muse: And if so be my lady it refuse For lak of ornat speche, I wold be wo, 35 That I presume to her to writen so.

But myn entent and all my besy cure Is for to write this tretesse, as I can, Unto my lady, stable, true, and sure, Feithfull and kind, sith first that she began 40 Me to accept in service as her man: To her be all the plesure of this boke, That, whan her like, she may it rede and loke.

When I was yong, at eighteen yere of age, Lusty and light, desirous of pleasaunce, 45 Approching on full sadde and ripe corage, Love arted me to do myn observaunce To his astate, and doon him obeysaunce, Commaunding me the Court of Love to see, A lite beside the mount of Citharee,

50 There Citherea goddesse was and quene Honoured highly for her majestee; And eke her sone, the mighty god, I wene, Cupid the blind, that for his dignitee A thousand lovers worship on their knee; 55 There was I bid, on pain of death, t'apere, By Mercury, the winged messengere.

So than I went by straunge and fer contrees, Enquiring ay what costes †to it drew, The Court of Love: and thiderward, as bees, 60 At last I sey the peple gan pursue: Anon, me thought, som wight was there that knew Where that the court was holden, ferre or ny, And after thaim ful fast I gan me hy.

Anone as I theim overtook, I said, 65 'Hail, frendes! whider purpose ye to wend?' 'Forsooth,' quod oon that answered lich a maid, 'To Loves Court now go we, gentill frend.' 'Where is that place,' quod I, 'my felowe hend?' 'At Citheron, sir,' seid he, 'without dowte, 70 The King of Love, and all his noble rowte,

Dwelling within a castell ryally.' So than apace I jorned forth among, And as he seid, so fond I there truly. For I beheld the towres high and strong, 75 And high pinácles, large of hight and long, With plate of gold bespred on every side, And presious stones, the stone-werk for to hide.

No saphir ind, no rubè riche of price, There lakked than, nor emeraud so grene, 80 Baleis Turkeis, ne thing to my devise, That may the castell maken for to shene: All was as bright as sterres in winter been; And Phebus shoon, to make his pees agayn, For trespas doon to high estates tweyn,

85 Venus and Mars, the god and goddesse clere, Whan he theim found in armes cheined fast: Venus was then full sad of herte and chere. But Phebus bemes, streight as is the mast, Upon the castell ginneth he to cast, 90 To plese the lady, princesse of that place, In signe he loketh aftir Loves grace.

For there nis god in heven or helle, y-wis, But he hath ben right soget unto Love: Jove, Pluto, or what-so-ever he is, 95 Ne creature in erth, or yet above; Of thise the révers may no wight approve. But furthermore, the castell to descry, Yet saw I never non so large and high.

For unto heven it streccheth, I suppose, 100 Within and out depeynted wonderly, With many a thousand daisy, rede as rose, And white also, this saw I verily: But what tho daises might do signify, Can I not tell, sauf that the quenes flour 105 Alceste it was that kept there her sojour;

Which under Venus lady was and quene, And Admete king and soverain of that place, To whom obeyed the ladies gode ninetene, With many a thowsand other, bright of face. 110 And yong men fele came forth with lusty pace, And aged eke, their homage to dispose; But what thay were, I coud not well disclose.

Yet ner and ner furth in I gan me dresse Into an halle of noble apparaile, 115 With arras spred and cloth of gold, I gesse, And other silk of esier availe: Under the cloth of their estate, saunz faile, The king and quene ther sat, as I beheld: It passed joye of Helisee the feld.

120 There saintes have their comming and resort, To seen the king so ryally beseyn, In purple clad, and eke the quene in sort: And on their hedes saw I crownes tweyn, With stones fret, so that it was no payn, 125 Withouten mete and drink, to stand and see The kinges honour and the ryaltee.

And for to trete of states with the king, That been of councell chief, and with the quene, The king had Daunger ner to him standing, 130 The Quene of Love, Disdain, and that was seen: For by the feith I shall to god, I wene, Was never straunger [non] in her degree Than was the quene in casting of her ee.

And as I stood perceiving her apart, 135 And eke the bemes shyning of her yen, Me thought thay were shapen lich a dart, Sherp and persing, smale, and streight as lyne. And all her here, it shoon as gold so fyne, Dishevel, crisp, down hinging at her bak 140 A yarde in length: and soothly than I spak:—

'O bright Regina, who made thee so fair? Who made thy colour vermelet and white? Where woneth that god? how fer above the eyr? Greet was his craft, and greet was his delyt. 145 Now marvel I nothing that ye do hight The Quene of Love, and occupy the place Of Citharee: now, sweet lady, thy grace.'

In mewet spak I, so that nought astert, By no condicion, word that might be herd; 150 B[ut] in myn inward thought I gan advert, And oft I seid, 'My wit is dulle and hard:' For with her bewtee, thus, god wot, I ferd As doth the man y-ravisshed with sight, When I beheld her cristall yen so bright,

155 No respect having what was best to doon; Till right anon, beholding here and there, I spied a frend of myne, and that full soon, A gentilwoman, was the chamberer Unto the quene, that hote, as ye shall here, 160 Philobone, that lovëd all her life: Whan she me sey, she led me furth as blyfe;

And me demaunded how and in what wise I thider com, and what myne erand was? 'To seen the court,' quod I, 'and all the guyse; 165 And eke to sue for pardon and for grace, And mercy ask for all my greet trespace, That I non erst com to the Court of Love: Foryeve me this, ye goddes all above!'

'That is well seid,' quod Philobone, 'in-dede: 170 But were ye not assomoned to apere By Mercury? For that is all my drede.' 'Yes, gentil fair,' quod I, 'now am I here; Ye, yit what tho, though that be true, my dere?' 'Of your free will ye shuld have come unsent: 175 For ye did not, I deme ye will be shent.

For ye that reign in youth and lustinesse, Pampired with ese, and †jolif in your age, Your dewtee is, as fer as I can gesse, To Loves Court to dressen your viage, 180 As sone as Nature maketh you so sage, That ye may know a woman from a swan, Or whan your foot is growen half a span.

But sith that ye, by wilful necligence, This eighteen yere have kept yourself at large, 185 The gretter is your trespace and offence, And in your nek ye moot bere all the charge: For better were ye ben withouten barge, Amiddë see, in tempest and in rain, Than byden here, receiving woo and pain,

190 That ordeined is for such as thaim absent Fro Loves Court by yeres long and fele. I ley my lyf ye shall full soon repent; For Love will reyve your colour, lust, and hele: Eke ye must bait on many an hevy mele: 195 No force, y-wis, I stired you long agoon To draw to court,' quod litell Philobon.

'Ye shall well see how rough and angry face The King of Love will shew, when ye him see; By myn advyse kneel down and ask him grace, 200 Eschewing perell and adversitee; For well I wot it wol non other be, Comfort is non, ne counsel to your ese; Why will ye than the King of Love displese?'

'O mercy, god,' quod ich, 'I me repent, 205 Caitif and wrecche in hert, in wille, and thought! And aftir this shall be myne hole entent To serve and plese, how dere that love be bought: Yit, sith I have myn own penaunce y-sought, With humble spirit shall I it receive, 210 Though that the King of Love my life bereyve.

And though that fervent loves qualitè In me did never worch truly, yit I With all obeisaunce and humilitè, And benign hert, shall serve him til I dye: 215 And he that Lord of †might is, grete and highe, Right as him list me chastice and correct, And punish me, with trespace thus enfect.'

Thise wordes seid, she caught me by the lap, And led me furth intill a temple round, 220 Large and wyde: and, as my blessed hap And good avénture was, right sone I found A tabernacle reised from the ground, Where Venus sat, and Cupid by her syde; Yet half for drede I gan my visage hyde.

225 And eft again I loked and beheld, Seeing full sundry peple in the place, And mister folk, and som that might not weld Their limmes well, me thought a wonder cas; The temple shoon with windows all of glas, 230 Bright as the day, with many a fair image; And there I sey the fresh quene of Cartage,

Dido, that brent her bewtee for the love Of fals Eneas; and the weymenting Of hir, Anelida, true as turtill-dove, 235 To Arcite fals: and there was in peinting Of many a prince, and many a doughty king, Whose marterdom was shewed about the walles; And how that fele for love had suffered falles.

But sore I was abasshed and astonied 240 Of all tho folk that there were in that tyde; And than I asked where thay had [y-]woned: 'In dyvers courtes,' quod she, 'here besyde.' In sondry clothing, mantil-wyse full wyde, They were arrayed, and did their sacrifice 245 Unto the god and goddesse in their guyse.

'†Lo! yonder folk,' quod she, 'that knele in blew, They were the colour ay, and ever shall, In sign they were, and ever will be trew Withouten chaunge: and sothly, yonder all 250 That ben in blak, with morning cry and call Unto the goddes, for their loves been Som fer, som dede, som all to sherpe and kene.'

'Ye, than,' quod I, 'what doon thise prestes here, Nonnes and hermits, freres, and all thoo 255 That sit in white, in russet, and in grene?' 'For-soth,' quod she, 'they wailen of their wo.' 'O mercy, lord! may thay so come and go Freely to court, and have such libertee?' 'Ye, men of ech condicion and degree,

260 And women eke: for truly, there is non Excepcion mad, ne never was ne may: This court is ope and free for everichon, The King of Love he will nat say thaim nay: He taketh all, in poore or riche array, 265 That meekly sewe unto his excellence With all their herte and all their reverence.'

And, walking thus about with Philobone, I sey where cam a messenger in hy Streight from the king, which let commaund anon, 270 Through-out the court to make an ho and cry: 'A! new-come folk, abyde! and wot ye why? The kinges lust is for to seen you soon: Com ner, let see! his will mot need be doon.'

Than gan I me present to-fore the king, 275 Trembling for fere, with visage pale of hew, And many a lover with me was kneling, Abasshed sore, till unto tyme thay knew The sentence yeve of his entent full trew: And at the last the king hath me behold 280 With stern visage, and seid, 'What doth this old,

Thus fer y-stope in yeres, come so late Unto the court?' 'For-soth, my liege,' quod I, 'An hundred tyme I have ben at the gate Afore this tyme, yit coud I never espy 285 Of myn acqueyntaunce any with mine y; And shamefastnes away me gan to chace; But now I me submit unto your grace.'

'Well! all is perdoned, with condicion That thou be trew from hensforth to thy might, 290 And serven Love in thyn entencion: Swere this, and than, as fer as it is right, Thou shalt have grace here in my quenes sight.' 'Yis, by the feith I ow your crown, I swere, Though Deth therfore me thirlith with his spere!'

295 And whan the king had seen us everichoon, He let commaunde an officer in hy To take our feith, and shew us, oon by oon, The statuts of the court full besily. Anon the book was leid before their y, 300 To rede and see what thing we must observe In Loves Court, till that we dye and sterve.

And, for that I was lettred, there I red The statuts hole of Loves Court and hall: The first statut that on the boke was spred, 305 Was, To be true in thought and dedes all Unto the King of Love, the Lord ryall; And to the Quene, as feithful and as kind, As I coud think with herte, and will and mind.

The secund statut, Secretly to kepe 310 Councell of love, nat blowing every-where All that I know, and let it sink †or flete; It may not sown in every wightes ere: Exyling slaunder ay for dred and fere, And to my lady, which I love and serve, 315 Be true and kind, her grace for to deserve.

The thrid statut was clerely write also, Withouten chaunge to live and dye the same, Non other love to take, for wele ne wo, For brind delyt, for ernest nor for game: 320 Without repent, for laughing or for grame, To byden still in full perseveraunce: Al this was hole the kinges ordinaunce.

The fourth statut, To purchace ever to here, And stiren folk to love, and beten fyr 325 On Venus awter, here about and there, And preche to thaim of love and hot desyr, And tell how love will quyten well their hire: This must be kept; and loth me to displese: If love be wroth, passe forby is an ese.

330 The fifth statut, Not to be daungerous, If that a thought wold reyve me of my slepe: Nor of a sight to be over squeymous; And so, verily, this statut was to kepe, To turne and walowe in my bed and wepe, 335 When that my lady, of her crueltè, Wold from her herte exylen all pitè.

The sixt statut, it was for me to use, Alone to wander, voide of company, And on my ladys bewtee for to muse, 340 And to think [it] no force to live or dye; And eft again to think the remedy, How to her grace I might anon attain, And tell my wo unto my souverain.

The seventh statut was, To be pacient, 345 Whether my lady joyfull were or wroth; For wordes glad or hevy, diligent, Wheder that she me helden lefe or loth: And hereupon I put was to myn oth, Her for to serve, and lowly to obey, 350 Shewing my chere, ye, twenty sith a-day.

The eighth statut, to my rememb[e]raunce, Was, To speke, and pray my lady dere, With hourly labour and gret attendaunce, Me for to love with all her herte entere, 355 And me desyre, and make me joyfull chere, Right as she is, surmounting every faire, Of bewtie well, and gentill debonaire.

The ninth statut, with lettres writ of gold, This was the sentence, How that I and all 360 Shuld ever dred to be to over-bold Her to displese; and truly, so I shall; But ben content for thing[es] that may falle, And meekly take her chastisement and yerd, And to offende her ever ben aferd.

365 The tenth statut was, Egally discern By-twene thy lady and thyn abilitee, And think, thy-self art never like to yern, By right, her mercy, nor of equitee, But of her grace and womanly pitee: 370 For though thy-self be noble in thy strene, A thowsand-fold more nobill is thy quene,

Thy lyves lady, and thy souverayn, That hath thyn herte all hole in governaunce. Thou mayst no wyse hit taken to disdayn, 375 To put thee humbly at her ordinaunce, And give her free the rein of her plesaunce; For libertee is thing that women loke, And truly, els the mater is a-croke.

The eleventh statut, Thy signes for to †con 380 With y and finger, and with smyles soft, And low to cough, and alway for to shon, For dred of spyes, for to winken oft: But secretly to bring a sigh a-loft, And eke beware of over-moch resort; 385 For that, paraventure, spilleth al thy sport.

The twelfth statut remember to observe: For al the pain thow hast for love and wo, All is to lite her mercy to deserve, Thow must then think, where-ever thou ryde or go; 390 And mortall woundes suffer thow also, All for her sake, and thinke it well beset Upon thy love, for it may be no bet.

The thirteenth statut, Whylom is to thinke, What thing may best thy lady lyke and plese, 395 And in thyn hertes botom let it sinke: Som thing devise, and take [it] for thyn ese, And send it her, that may her herte †apese: Some hert, or ring, or lettre, or device, Or precious stone; but spare not for no price.

400 The fourteenth statut eke thou shalt assay Fermly to kepe the most part of thy lyfe: Wish that thy lady in thyne armes lay, And nightly dreme, thow hast thy hertes wyfe Swetely in armes, straining her as blyfe: 405 And whan thou seest it is but fantasy, See that thow sing not over merily,

For to moche joye hath oft a wofull end. It longith eke, this statut for to hold, To deme thy lady evermore thy frend, 410 And think thyself in no wyse a cocold. In every thing she doth but as she shold: Construe the best, beleve no tales newe, For many a lie is told, that semeth full trewe.

But think that she, so bounteous and fair, 415 Coud not be fals: imagine this algate; And think that tonges wikke wold her appair, Slaundering her name and worshipfull estat, And lovers true to setten at debat: And though thow seest a faut right at thyne y, 420 Excuse it blyve, and glose it pretily.

The fifteenth statut, Use to swere and stare, And counterfet a lesing hardely, To save thy ladys honour every-where, And put thyself to fight [for her] boldly: 425 Sey she is good, virtuous, and gostly, Clere of entent, and herte, and thought and wille; And argue not, for reson ne for skille,

Agayn thy ladys plesir ne entent, For love wil not be countrepleted, indede: 430 Sey as she seith, than shalt thou not be shent, The crow is whyte; ye, truly, so I rede: And ay what thing that she thee will forbede, Eschew all that, and give her sovereintee, Her appetyt folow in all degree.

435 The sixteenth statut, kepe it if thow may:— Seven sith at night thy lady for to plese, And seven at midnight, seven at morow-day; And drink a cawdell erly for thyn ese. Do this, and kepe thyn hede from all disese, 440 And win the garland here of lovers all, That ever come in court, or ever shall.

Ful few, think I, this statut hold and kepe; But truly, this my reson giveth me fele, That som lovers shuld rather fall aslepe, 445 Than take on hand to plese so oft and wele. There lay non oth to this statut a-dele, But kepe who might, as gave him his corage: Now get this garland, lusty folk of age.

Now win who may, ye lusty folk of youth, 450 This garland fresh, of floures rede and whyte, Purpill and blewe, and colours †ful uncouth, And I shal croune him king of all delyt! In al the court there was not, to my sight, A lover trew, that he ne was adred, 455 When he expresse hath herd the statut red.

The seventeenth statut, Whan age approchith on, And lust is leid, and all the fire is queint, As freshly than thou shalt begin to fon, And dote in love, and all her image paint 460 In rémembraunce, til thou begin to faint, †As in the first seson thyn hert began: And her desire, though thou ne may ne can

Perform thy living actuell, and lust; Regester this in thy rememb[e]raunce: 465 Eke when thou mayst not kepe thy thing from rust, †Yit speke and talk of plesaunt daliaunce; For that shall make thyn hert rejoise and daunce. And when thou mayst no more the game assay, The statut †bit thee pray for hem that may.

470 The eighteenth statut, hoolly to commend, To plese thy lady, is, That thou eschewe With sluttishness thy-self for to offend; Be jolif, fresh, and fete, with thinges newe, Courtly with maner, this is all thy due, 475 Gentill of port, and loving clenlinesse; This is the thing that lyketh thy maistresse.

And not to wander lich a dulled ass, Ragged and torn, disgysed in array, Ribaud in speche, or out of mesure pass, 480 Thy bound exceding; think on this alway: For women †been of tender hertes ay, And lightly set their plesire in a place; Whan they misthink, they lightly let it passe.

The nineteenth statut, Mete and drink forgete: 485 Ech other day, see that thou fast for love, For in the court they live withouten mete, Sauf such as cometh from Venus all above; They take non heed, in pain of greet reprove, Of mete and drink, for that is all in vain; 490 Only they live by sight of their soverain.

The twentieth statut, last of everichoon, Enroll it in thyn hertes privitee; To wring and wail, to turn, and sigh and grone, When that thy lady absent is from thee; 495 And eke renew the wordes [all] that she Bitween you twain hath seid, and all the chere That thee hath mad thy lyves lady dere.

And see thyn herte in quiet ne in rest Sojorn, to tyme thou seen thy lady eft; 500 But wher she won by south, or est, or west, With all thy force, now see it be not left: Be diligent, till tyme thy lyfe be reft, In that thou mayst, thy lady for to see; This statut was of old antiquitee.

505 An officer of high auctoritee, Cleped Rigour, made us swere anon: He nas corrupt with parcialitee, Favour, prayer, ne gold that cherely shoon; 'Ye shall,' quod he, 'now sweren here echoon, 510 Yong and old, to kepe, in that †ye may, The statuts truly, all, aftir this day.'

O god, thought I, hard is to make this oth! But to my pouer shall I thaim observe; In all this world nas mater half so loth, 515 To swere for all; for though my body sterve, I have no might the hole for to reserve. But herkin now the cace how it befell: After my oth was mad, the trouth to tell,

I turned leves, loking on this boke, 520 Where other statuts were of women shene; And right furthwith Rigour on me gan loke Full angrily, and seid unto the quene I traitour was, and charged me let been: 'There may no man,' quod he, 'the statut[s] know, 525 That long to woman, by degree ne low.

In secret wyse thay kepten been full close, They sowne echon to libertie, my frend; Plesaunt thay be, and to their own purpose; There wot no wight of thaim, but god and fend, 530 Ne naught shall wit, unto the worldes end. The quene hath yeve me charge, in pain to dye, Never to rede ne seen thaim with myn ye.

For men shall not so nere of councell ben, With womanhode, ne knowen of her gyse, 535 Ne what they think, ne of their wit th'engyn; I me report to Salamon the wyse, And mighty Sampson, which begyled thryes With Dalida was: he wot that, in a throw, There may no man statut of women knowe.

540 For it paravénture may right so befall, That they be bound by nature to disceive, And spinne, and wepe, and sugre strewe on gall, The hert of man to ravissh and to reyve, And whet their tong as sharp as swerd or gleyve: 545 It may betyde, this is their ordinaunce; So must they lowly doon the observaunce,

And kepe the statut yeven thaim of kind, Or such as love hath yeve hem in their lyfe. Men may not wete why turneth every wind, 550 Nor waxen wyse, nor ben inquisityf To know secret of maid, widow, or wyfe; For they their statutes have to thaim reserved, And never man to know thaim hath deserved.

Now dress you furth, the god of Love you gyde!' 555 Quod Rigour than, 'and seek the temple bright Of Cither[e]a, goddess here besyde; Beseche her, by [the] influence and might Of al her vertue, you to teche a-right, How for to serve your ladies, and to plese, 560 Ye that ben sped, and set your hert in ese.

And ye that ben unpurveyed, †pray her eke Comfort you soon with grace and destinee, That ye may set your hert there ye may lyke, In suche a place, that it to love may be 565 Honour and worship, and felicitee To you for ay. Now goth, by one assent.' 'Graunt mercy, sir!' quod we, and furth we went

Devoutly, soft and esy pace, to see Venus the goddes image, all of gold: 570 And there we founde a thousand on their knee, Sum freshe and feire, som dedely to behold, In sondry mantils new, and som were old, Som painted were with flames rede as fire, Outward to shew their inward hoot desire:

575 With dolefull chere, full fele in their complaint Cried 'Lady Venus, rewe upon our sore! Receive our billes, with teres all bedreint; We may not wepe, there is no more in store; But wo and pain us frettith more and more: 580 Thou †blisful planet, lovers sterre so shene, Have rowth on us, that sigh and carefull been;

And ponish, Lady, grevously, we pray, The false untrew with counterfet plesaunce, That made their oth, be trew to live or dey, 585 With chere assured, and with countenaunce; And falsly now thay foten loves daunce, Barein of rewth, untrue of that they seid, Now that their lust and plesire is alleyd.'

Yet eft again, a thousand milion, 590 Rejoysing, love, leding their life in blis: They seid:—'Venus, redresse of all division, Goddes eterne, thy name †y-heried is! By loves bond is knit all thing, y-wis, Best unto best, the erth to water wan, 595 Bird unto bird, and woman unto man;

This is the lyfe of joye that we ben in, Resembling lyfe of hevenly paradyse; Love is exyler ay of vice and sin; Love maketh hertes lusty to devyse; 600 Honour and grace have thay, in every wyse, That been to loves law obedient; Love makith folk benigne and diligent;

Ay stering theim to drede[n] vice and shame: In their degree it maketh thaim honorable; 605 And swete it is of love [to] bere the name, So that his love be feithfull, true, and stable: Love prunith him, to semen amiable; Love hath no faut, there it is exercysed, But sole with theim that have all love dispised.

610 Honour to thee, celestiall and clere Goddes of love, and to thy celsitude, That yevest us light so fer down from thy spere, Persing our hertes with thy pulcritude! Comparison non of similitude 615 May to thy grace be mad in no degree, That hast us set with love in unitee.

Gret cause have we to praise thy name and thee, For [that] through thee we live in joye and blisse. Blessed be thou, most souverain to see! 620 Thy holy court of gladness may not misse: A thousand sith we may rejoise in this, That we ben thyn with harte and all y-fere, Enflamed with thy grace, and hevinly fere.'

Musing of tho that spakin in this wyse, 625 I me bethought in my rememb[e]raunce Myne orison right goodly to devyse, And plesauntly, with hartes obeisaunce, Beseech the goddes voiden my grevaunce; For I loved eke, sauf that I wist nat where; 630 Yet down I set, and seid as ye shall here.

'Fairest of all that ever were or be! †Lucerne and light to pensif crëature! Myn hole affiaunce, and my lady free, My goddes bright, my fortune and my ure, 635 I yeve and yeld my hart to thee full sure, Humbly beseching, lady, of thy grace Me to bestowe into som blessed place.

And here I vow me feithfull, true, and kind, Without offence of mutabilitee, 640 Humbly to serve, whyl I have wit and mind, Myn hole affiaunce, and my lady free! In thilkë place, there ye me sign to be: And, sith this thing of newe is yeve me, ay To love and serve, needly must I obey.

645 Be merciable with thy fire of grace, And fix myne hert there bewtie is and routh, For hote I love, determine in no place, Sauf only this, by god and by my trouth, Trowbled I was with slomber, slepe, and slouth 650 This other night, and in a visioun I sey a woman romen up and down,

Of mene stature, and seemly to behold, Lusty and fresh, demure of countynaunce, Yong and wel shap, with here [that] shoon as gold, 655 With yen as cristall, farced with plesaunce; And she gan stir myne harte a lite to daunce; But sodenly she vanissh gan right there: Thus I may sey, I love and wot not where.

For what she is, ne her dwelling I not, 660 And yet I fele that love distraineth me: Might ich her know, that wold I fain, god wot, Serve and obey with all benignitee. And if that other be my destinee, So that no wyse I shall her never see, 665 Than graunt me her that best may lyken me,

With glad rejoyse to live in parfit hele, Devoide of wrath, repent, or variaunce; And able me to do that may be wele Unto my lady, with hertes by plesaunce: 670 And, mighty goddes! through thy purviaunce My wit, my thought, my lust and love so gyde, That to thyne honour I may me provyde

To set myne herte in place there I may lyke, And gladly serve with all affeccioun. 675 Gret is the pain which at myn hert doth stik. Till I be sped by thyn eleccioun: Help, lady goddes! that possessioun I might of her have, that in all my lyfe I clepen shall my quene and hertes wife.

680 And in the Court of Love to dwell for ay My wille it is, and don thee sacrifice: Daily with Diane eke to fight and fray, And holden werre, as might well me suffice: That goddes chaste I kepen in no wyse 685 To serve; a fig for all her chastitee! Her lawe is for religiositee.'

And thus gan finish preyer, lawde, and preise, Which that I yove to Venus on my knee, And in myne hert to ponder and to peise, 690 I gave anon hir image fressh bewtie; 'Heil to that figure sweet! and heil to thee, Cupide,' quod I, and rose and yede my way; And in the temple as I yede I sey

A shryne sormownting all in stones riche, 695 Of which the force was plesaunce to myn y, With diamant or saphire; never liche I have non seyn, ne wrought so wonderly. So whan I met with Philobone, in hy I gan demaund, 'Who[s] is this sepulture?' 700 'Forsoth,' quod she, 'a tender creature

Is shryned there, and Pitè is her name. She saw an egle wreke him on a fly, And pluk his wing, and eke him, in his game, And tender herte of that hath made her dy: 705 Eke she wold wepe, and morn right pitously To seen a lover suffre gret destresse. In all the court nas non that, as I gesse,

That coude a lover †half so well availe, Ne of his wo the torment or the rage 710 †Aslaken, for he was sure, withouten faile, That of his grief she coud the hete aswage. In sted of Pitè, spedeth hot corage The maters all of court, now she is dede; I me report in this to womanhede.

715 For weile and wepe, and crye, and speke, and pray,— Women wold not have pitè on thy plaint; Ne by that mene to ese thyn hart convey, But thee receiven for their own talent: And sey, that Pitè causith thee, in consent 720 Of rewth, to take thy service and thy pain In that thow mayst, to plese thy souverain.

But this is councell, keep it secretly;' Quod she, 'I nold, for all the world abowt, The Quene of Love it wist; and wit ye why? 725 For if by me this matter springen out, In court no lenger shuld I, owt of dowt, Dwellen, but shame in all my life endry: Now kepe it close,' quod she, 'this hardely.

Well, all is well! Now shall ye seen,' she seid, 730 'The feirest lady under son that is: Come on with me, demene you liche a maid, With shamefast dred, for ye shall spede, y-wis, With her that is the mir[th] and joy and blis: But sumwhat straunge and sad of her demene 735 She is, be ware your countenaunce be sene,

Nor over light, ne recheless, ne to bold, Ne malapert, ne rinning with your tong; For she will you abeisen and behold, And you demaund, why ye were hens so long 740 Out of this court, without resort among: And Rosiall her name is hote aright, Whose harte †as yet [is] yeven to no wight.

And ye also ben, as I understond, With love but light avaunced, by your word; 745 Might ye, by hap, your fredom maken bond, And fall in grace with her, and wele accord, Well might ye thank the god of Love and lord; For she that ye sawe in your dreme appere, To love suche one, what are †ye than the nere?

750 Yit wot ye what? as my rememb[e]raunce Me yevith now, ye fayn, where that ye sey That ye with love had never acqueintaunce, Sauf in your dreme right late this other day: Why, yis, parde! my life, that durst I lay, 755 That ye were caught upon an heth, when I Saw you complain, and sigh full pitously;

Within an erber, and a garden fair With floures growe, and herbes vertuous, Of which the savour swete was and the eyr, 760 There were your-self full hoot and amorous: Y-wis, ye ben to nice and daungerous; A! wold ye now repent, and love som new?'— 'Nay, by my trouth,' I seid, 'I never knew

The goodly wight, whos I shall be for ay: 765 Guyde me the lord that love hath made and me.' But furth we went in-till a chambre gay, There was Rosiall, womanly to see, Whose stremes sotell-persing of her ee Myn hart gan thrill for bewtie in the stound: 770 'Alas,' quod I, 'who hath me yeve this wound?'

And than I dred to speke, till at the last I gret the lady reverently and wele, Whan that my sigh was gon and over-past; And down on knees full humbly gan I knele, 775 Beseching her my fervent wo to kele, For there I took full purpose in my mind, Unto her grace my painfull hart to bind.

For if I shall all fully her discryve, Her hede was round, by compace of nature, 780 Her here as gold,—she passed all on-lyve,— And lily forhede had this crëature, With lovelich browes, flawe, of colour pure, Bytwene the which was mene disseveraunce From every brow, to shewe[n] a distaunce.

785 Her nose directed streight, and even as lyne, With fourm and shap therto convenient, In which the goddes milk-whyt path doth shine; And eke her yen ben bright and orient As is the smaragde, unto my juggement, 790 Or yet thise sterres hevenly, smale and bright; Her visage is of lovely rede and whyte.

Her mouth is short, and shit in litell space, Flaming somdele, not over-rede, I mene, With pregnant lippes, and thik to kiss, percas; 795 (For lippes thin, not fat, but ever lene, They serve of naught, they be not worth a bene; For if the basse ben full, there is delyt, Maximian truly thus doth he wryte.)

But to my purpose:—I sey, whyte as snow 800 Ben all her teeth, and in order thay stond Of oon stature; and eke hir breth, I trow, Surmounteth alle odours that ever I fond In sweetnes; and her body, face, and hond Ben sharply slender, so that from the hede 805 Unto the fote, all is but womanhede.

I hold my pees of other thinges hid:— Here shall my soul, and not my tong, bewray:— But how she was arrayed, if ye me bid, That shall I well discover you and say: 810 A bend of gold and silk, full fressh and gay; With here in tresse[s], browdered full well, Right smothly kept, and shyning every-del.

About her nek a flour of fressh devyse With rubies set, that lusty were to sene; 815 And she in gown was, light and somer-wyse, Shapen full wele, the colour was of grene, With aureat seint about her sydes clene, With dyvers stones, precious and riche:— Thus was she rayed, yet saugh I never her liche.

820 For if that Jove had [but] this lady seyn, Tho Calixto ne [yet] Alcmenia, Thay never hadden in his armes leyn; Ne he had loved the faire Europa; Ye, ne yet Dane ne Antiopa! 825 For al their bewtie stood in Rosiall; She semed lich a thing celestiall

In bowntè, favor, port, and semliness, Plesaunt of figure, mirrour of delyt, Gracious to sene, and rote of gentilness, 830 With angel visage, lusty rede and white: There was not lak, sauf daunger had a lite This goodly fressh in rule and governaunce; And somdel straunge she was, for her plesaunce.

And truly sone I took my leve and went, 835 Whan she had me enquyred what I was; For more and more impressen gan the dent Of Loves dart, whyl I beheld her face; And eft again I com to seken grace, And up I put my bill, with sentence clere 840 That folwith aftir; rede and ye shall here.

'O ye [the] fressh, of [all] bewtie the rote, That nature hath fourmed so wele and made Princesse and Quene! and ye that may do bote Of all my langour with your wordes glad! 845 Ye wounded me, ye made me wo-bestad; Of grace redress my mortall †grief, as ye Of all myne †harm the verrey causer be.

Now am I caught, and unwar sodenly, With persant stremes of your yën clere, 850 Subject to ben, and serven you meekly, And all your man, y-wis, my lady dere, Abiding grace, of which I you requere, That merciles ye cause me not to sterve; But guerdon me, liche as I may deserve.

855 For, by my troth, the dayes of my breth I am and will be youre in wille and hert, Pacient and meek, for you to suffre deth If it require; now rewe upon my smert; And this I swere, I never shall out-stert 860 From Loves Court for none adversitee, So ye wold rewe on my distresse and me.

My destinee, †my fate, and ure I bliss, That have me set to ben obedient Only to you, the flour of all, y-wis: 865 I trust to Venus never to repent; For ever redy, glad, and diligent Ye shall me finde in service to your grace, Till deth my lyfe out of my body race.

Humble unto your excellence so digne, 870 Enforcing ay my wittes and delyt To serve and plese with glad herte and benigne, And ben as Troilus, [old] Troyes knight, Or Antony for Cleopatre bright, And never you me thinkes to reney: 875 This shall I kepe unto myne ending-day.

Enprent my speche in your memorial Sadly, my princess, salve of all my sore! And think that, for I wold becomen thrall, And ben your own, as I have seyd before, 880 Ye must of pity cherissh more and more Your man, and tender aftir his desert, And yive him corage for to ben expert.

For where that oon hath set his herte on fire, And findeth nether refut ne plesaunce, 885 Ne word of comfort, deth will quyte his hire. Allas! that there is none allegeaunce Of all their wo! allas, the gret grevaunce To love unloved! But ye, my Lady dere, In other wyse may govern this matere.'

890 'Truly, gramercy, frend, of your good will, And of your profer in your humble wyse! But for your service, take and kepe it still. And where ye say, I ought you well cheryse, And of your gref the remedy devyse, 895 I know not why: I nam acqueinted well With you, ne wot not sothly where ye dwell.'

'In art of love †I wryte, and songes make, That may be song in honour of the King And Quene of Love; and than I undertake, 900 He that is sad shall than full mery sing. And daunger[o]us not ben in every thing Beseche I you, but seen my will and rede, And let your aunswer put me out of drede.'

'What is your name? reherse it here, I pray, 905 Of whens and where, of what condicion That ye ben of? Let see, com of and say! Fain wold I know your disposicion:— Ye have put on your old entencion; But what ye mene to servë me I noot, 910 Sauf that ye say ye love me wonder hoot.'

'My name? alas, my hert, why [make it straunge?] Philogenet I cald am fer and nere, Of Cambrige clerk, that never think to chaunge Fro you that with your hevenly stremes clere 915 Ravissh myne herte and gost and all in-fere: This is the first, I write my bill for grace, Me think, I see som mercy in your face.

And what I mene, by god that al hath wrought, My bill, that maketh finall mencion, 920 That ye ben, lady, in myne inward thought Of all myne hert without offencion, That I best love, and have, sith I begon To draw to court. Lo, than! what might I say? I yeld me here, [lo!] unto your nobley.

925 And if that I offend, or wilfully By pompe of hart your precept disobey, Or doon again your will unskillfully, Or greven you, for ernest or for play, Correct ye me right sharply than, I pray, 930 As it is sene unto your womanhede, And rewe on me, or ellis I nam but dede.'

'Nay, god forbede to feffe you so with grace, And for a worde of sugred eloquence, To have compassion in so litell space! 935 Than were it tyme that som of us were hens! Ye shall not find in me suche insolence. Ay? what is this? may ye not suffer sight? How may ye loke upon the candill-light,

That clere[r] is and hotter than myn y? 940 And yet ye seid, the bemes perse and frete:— How shall ye than the candel-[l]ight endry? For wel wot ye, that hath the sharper hete. And there ye bid me you correct and bete, If ye offend,—nay, that may not be doon: 945 There come but few that speden here so soon.

Withdraw your y, withdraw from presens eke: Hurt not yourself, through foly, with a loke; I wold be sory so to make you seke: A woman shuld be ware eke whom she toke: 950 Ye beth a clark:—go serchen [in] my boke, If any women ben so light to win: Nay, byde a whyl, though ye were all my kin.

So soon ye may not win myne harte, in trouth The gyse of court will seen your stedfastness, 955 And as ye don, to have upon you rewth. Your own desert, and lowly gentilness, That will reward you joy for heviness; And though ye waxen pale, and grene and dede, Ye must it use a while, withouten drede,

960 And it accept, and grucchen in no wyse; But where as ye me hastily desyre To been to love, me think, ye be not wyse. Cese of your language! cese, I you requyre! For he that hath this twenty yere ben here 965 May not obtayn; than marveile I that ye Be now so bold, of love to trete with me.'

'Ah! mercy, hart, my lady and my love, My rightwyse princesse and my lyves guyde! Now may I playn to Venus all above, 970 That rewthles ye me †give these woundes wyde! What have I don? why may it not betyde, That for my trouth I may received be? Alas! your daunger and your crueltè!

In wofull hour I got was, welaway! 975 In wofull hour [y-]fostred and y-fed, In wofull hour y-born, that I ne may My supplicacion swetely have y-sped! The frosty grave and cold must be my bedde, Without ye list your grace and mercy shewe, 980 Deth with his axe so faste on me doth hewe.

So greet disese and in so litell whyle, So litell joy, that felte I never yet; And at my wo Fortune ginneth to smyle, That never erst I felt so harde a fit: 985 Confounded ben my spirits and my wit, Till that my lady take me to her cure, Which I love best of erthely crëature.

But that I lyke, that may I not com by; Of that I playn, that have I habondaunce; 990 Sorrow and thought, thay sit me wounder ny; Me is withhold that might be my plesaunce: Yet turne again, my worldly suffisaunce! O lady bright! and save your feithfull true, And, er I die, yet on[e]s upon me rewe.'

995 With that I fell in sounde, and dede as stone, With colour slain, and wan as assh[es] pale; And by the hand she caught me up anon, 'Aryse,' quod she, 'what? have ye dronken dwale? Why slepen ye? it is no nightertale.' 1000 'Now mercy, swete,' quod I, y-wis affrayed: 'What thing,' quod she, 'hath mad you so dismayed?

Now wot I well that ye a lover be, Your hewe is witnesse in this thing,' she seid: 'If ye were secret, [ye] might know,' quod she, 1005 'Curteise and kind, all this shuld be allayed: And now, myn herte! all that I have misseid, I shall amend, and set your harte in ese.' 'That word it is,' quod I, 'that doth me plese.'

'But this I charge, that ye the statuts kepe, 1010 And breke thaim not for sloth nor ignoraunce.' With that she gan to smyle and laughen depe. 'Y-wis,' quod I, 'I will do your plesaunce; The sixteenth statut doth me grete grevaunce, But ye must that relesse or modifie.' 1015 'I graunt,' quod she, 'and so I will truly.'

And softly than her colour gan appeare, As rose so rede, through-out her visage all, Wherefore me think it is according here, That she of right be cleped Rosiall. 1020 Thus have I won, with wordes grate and small, Some goodly word of hir that I love best, And trust she shall yit set myne harte in rest.

. . . . . .

'Goth on,' she seid to Philobone, 'and take This man with you, and lede him all abowt 1025 Within the court, and shew him, for my sake, What lovers dwell withinne, and all the rowte Of officers; for he is, out of dowte, A straunger yit:'—'Come on,' quod Philobone, 'Philogenet, with me now must ye gon.'

1030 And stalking soft with esy pace, I saw About the king [ther] stonden environ, Attendaunce, Diligence, and their felaw Fortherer, Esperaunce, and many oon; Dred-to-offend there stood, and not aloon; 1035 For there was eke the cruell adversair, The lovers fo, that cleped is Dispair,

Which unto me spak angrely and fell, And said, my lady me deceiven shall: 'Trowest thow,' quod she, 'that all that she did tell, 1040 Is true? Nay, nay, but under hony gall! Thy birth and †hers, [they] be nothing egall: Cast of thyn hart, for all her wordes whyte, For in good faith she lovith thee but a lyte.

And eek remember, thyn habilite 1045 May not compare with hir, this well thow wot.' Ye, than cam Hope and said, 'My frend, let be! Beleve him not: Dispair, he ginneth dote.' 'Alas,' quod I, 'here is both cold and hot: The tone me biddeth love, the toder nay; 1050 Thus wot I not what me is best to say.

But well wot I, my lady graunted me, Truly to be my woundes remedy; Her gentilness may not infected be With dobleness, thus trust I till I dy.' 1055 So cast I void Dispaires company, And taken Hope to councell and to frend. 'Ye, kepe that wele,' quod Philobone, 'in mind.'

And there besyde, within a bay-window, Stood oon in grene, full large of brede and length, 1060 His berd as blak as fethers of the crow; His name was Lust, of wounder might and strength; And with Delyt to argue there he thenkth, For this was all his [hool] opinion, That love was sin! and so he hath begon

1065 To reson fast, and legge auctoritè: 'Nay,' quod Delyt, 'love is a vertue clere, And from the soule his progress holdeth he: Blind appetyt of lust doth often stere, And that is sin: for reson lakketh there, 1070 For thow [dost] think thy neighbours wyfe to win: Yit think it well that love may not be sin;

For god and seint, they love right verely, Void of all sin and vice: this knowe I wele, Affeccion of flessh is sin, truly; 1075 But verray love is vertue, as I fele, For love may not thy freil desire akele: For [verray] love is love withouten sin.' 'Now stint,' quoth Lust, 'thow spekest not worth a pin.'

And there I left thaim in their arguing, 1080 Roming ferther in the castell wyde, And in a corner Lier stood talking Of lesings fast, with Flatery there besyde; He seid that women were attire of pryde, And men were founde of nature variaunt, 1085 And coud be false, and shewen beau semblaunt.

Than Flatery bespake and seid, y-wis: 'See, so she goth on patens faire and fete, Hit doth right wele: what prety man is this That rometh here? Now truly, drink ne mete 1090 Nede I not have; myne hart for joye doth bete Him to behold, so is he goodly fressh: It semeth for love his harte is tender nessh.'

This is the court of lusty folk and glad, And wel becometh their habit and array: 1095 O why be som so sorry and so sad, Complaining thus in blak and whyte and gray? Freres they ben, and monkes, in good fay: Alas, for rewth! greet dole it is to seen, To see thaim thus bewaile and sory been.

1100 See how they cry and wring their handes whyte, For they so sone went to religion! And eke the nonnes, with vaile and wimple plight, There thought that they ben in confusion: 'Alas,' thay sayn, 'we fayn perfeccion, 1105 In clothes wide, and lak our libertè; But all the sin mote on our frendes be.

For, Venus wot, we wold as fayn as ye, That ben attired here and wel besene, Desiren man, and love in our degree, 1110 Ferme and feithfull, right as wold the quene: Our frendes wikke, in tender youth and grene, Ayenst our will made us religious; That is the cause we morne and wailen thus.'

Than seid the monks and freres in the tyde, 1115 'Wel may we curse our abbeys and our place, Our statuts sharp, to sing in copes wyde, Chastly to kepe us out of loves grace, And never to fele comfort ne solace; Yet suffre we the hete of loves fire, 1120 And after than other haply we desire.

O Fortune cursed, why now and wherefore Hast thow,' they seid, 'beraft us libertè, Sith nature yave us instrument in store, And appetyt to love and lovers be? 1125 Why mot we suffer suche adversitè, Diane to serve, and Venus to refuse? Ful often sith this matier doth us muse.

We serve and honour, sore ayenst our will, Of chastitè the goddes and the quene; 1130 Us leffer were with Venus byden still, And have reward for love, and soget been Unto thise women courtly, fressh, and shene. Fortune, we curse thy whele of variaunce! There we were wele, thou revest our plesaunce.'

1135 Thus leve I thaim, with voice of pleint and care, In raging wo crying ful pitously; And as I yede, full naked and full bare Some I behold, looking dispitously, On povertè that dedely cast their y; 1140 And 'Welaway!' they cried, and were not fain, For they ne might their glad desire attain.