.The compleynt of the man.
Reading edition
Redresse of sorow O Citherea That witħ the stremys of thy playsaunt hete Gladest the mounte of al Cirrea Where thou hast chosen thy paleys and sete Whos bright beames ben wesshen and wete In the ryuer of Elycon the welle Haue now pyte of that I shal you telle
And not desdayne ye of your benygnyte My mortal woo O lady myn goddesse Of grace and bounte & mercyful pyte Benygnely to helpe and to redresse And thaugħ so be I can not wel expresse The greuous harmes that I fele in my herte Haue neuer yet the lesse mercy of my smerte
This is to sayne O cler heuenes light That next the sonne sercled han your spere Sitħ ye me hurte witħ your dredful myght By influence of your beames clere And that I by your seruyse now so dere As ye me brought in to this maladye Be ye gracyous and shape ye remedye
For in you hoolly lietħ help of al this caas And knowe best my sorow and al my peyne For drede of detħ, how I ne dar allas To aren mercy ones, ne me compleyne Now witħ your fyre her hert so constrayne Witħ oute more, or I deye atte leste That she may witte what is my request
How I no thyng in al this world desire But for to serur fully to myn ende That goodly freshe so womanly of chere Witħout chaunge whyle I haue lyf & mynde And that ye wold suche grace sende Of my seruyse that she not disdeyne Sithen her to serue I may not me restreyne
And sitħ that hope me hatħ yeue hardynes To loue her best and neuer to repente Whylis that I lyue witħ al my besynes To drede & serue, thaugħ daunger neuer assente And here vpon ye knowe myn entente How I haue vowed fully in myn mynde To ben her man, thaugħ I no mercy fynde
For in my hert emprynted is so sore Her shap her forme & al her semelynes Her porte her chere, her godenes more & more Her womanhed and eke her gentiles Her troutħ, her faitħ and her kyndnes Witħ alle vertues eche set in her degre Ther is no lack, sauyng only of pyte
Her sad demenyng of wyl not variable Of loke benygne, and rote of al plesance And exemplayre to alle that wyl be stable Discrete prudent of wisedom suffisance Mirrour of witte ground of gouernance A world of beaute compassed in her face Whos persant loke doth thurgħ my hert race
And ouer this wonder secrete and true A wel of fredome and right bounteous And euer encrecyng in vertu new & newe Of speche goodly, and wonder gracyous Deuoyd of pryde, to poure not despytous And yf that I shortly shal not feyne Saue vpon mercy I no thing compleyne
What wonder thenne, thougħ I be witħ drede Inly supprised for to axen grace Of her that is quene of womanhede For wel I wote in so higħ a place Hit wil not be, therfore I ouer pace And take lowly what wo I endure Til she of pyte me take to her cure
But one auowe plainly here I make That whethir so be, she do me lyue or deye I wil not gruoche, but humbly hit take And thanke god and wilfully obeye For by my troutħ my hert shal neuer reneye For lyf ne detħ mercy ne daunger Of wil and thought to be at her desire
To ben as trewe as euer was antonyus To cleopatre whyle hym lastetħ bretħ Or vnto thesbe yong Piramus That was faithful found, til them deptid deth Right so shal I til Antropos me sletħ For whele or woo her faithful man be found Vnto my last, like as my hert is bound
To loue as wel as did Achilles Vnto his laste the fair Polixene Or as the grete famous Hercules For dyanyre that felte the shott kene Right so shal I saye right as I mene Whyle that I lyue, her botħ drede and serue For lack of mercy thougħ she do me sterue
Now lady venus to whom nothing vnknowe Is in the world hid, ne nought may be For ther nys thing nether hye ne lowe May be conceyled from your pryuete Fro whom my menyng is not now secret But wite fully that myn entent is true And liche my trouthe now on my peyne rue
For more of grace than of presumpcion I axe mercy, and no thing of dute Of lowly humbles, witħ oute offencion That ye enclyne of your benygnyte Your audience vnto my humylyte To graunte me that to you I clepe & calle Sum day relees yet of my peynes alle
And sitħ ye haue the guerdon and the mede Of alle louers pleinly in your honde Now of grace and pyte take ye hede Of my distrees, that am vnder your bonde So lowly bound, as ye wel vnderstonde In that place where I toke first my wounde Of pyte suffre ye my heltħ may be founde
That liche as she me hurte witħ a sight Right so with helth late me hur sustene And as the stremes of her eyen bright Whylom my hert witħ woundes sharp & kene Thurgħ persed haue and yet be fresh & grene So as she me hurte, lete her me socoure Or ellis certayn I may not long endure
For lack of speche I can say you no more I haue mater but I can not pleyne My witte is duƚƚ to tel al my sore A mouth I haue, And yet for al my peyn For want of wordes I may not now atteyn To tel half, that dotħ my hert greue Mercy abydyng, til she me list releue
But this theffect of my mater fynal Witħ detħ or mercy relees for to fynde For hert body thought lyf lust and al Witħ al my reson and al my ful mynde And fyue wittes of on assent I bynde To her seruyse witħ oute ony stryf And make her pryncesse of my detħ or lyf
And now I pray of routħ and eke pyte O goodly planet, O lady venus bright That ye your sone of his deyte Cupide I mene that witħ his dredful myght And witħ his brond that is so clere of light Her herte so to fyre and to marke As ye me whylem brent witħ a sparke
That euenlicħ and with the same fyre She may be hit, as I now brenne and melte So that her herte be flamed witħ desire That she may knowe by feruence hou I swelte For of pyte plainly yf she felte The self hete that doth myn hert enbrace I hope of routħ she wiƚƚ do me grace
And ther witħ al bemis as me thought Towardes this man ful benyngely Gan cast her eye, like as that she rought Of his disease, and said ful goodly Sith it is so, that thou so humbly Witħ out gruachyng our hestes liste obeye Toward thyn help I wil anon pourueye
And eke my sone Cupyde that is so blynde He shal be helpyng fully to performe Your hool desire, that nothing be behynde Ne shal be lefte, so we shal reforme This pietous cōpleynt, that maketħ the to morne That she for whom thau sorowest most in hert Shal thurgħ hur mercy relece al thy smert
Whan she scetħ tyme, thurgħ our purueaunce Be not to hasty, but suffre althing wele For in abydyng, thurgħ lowly obeyssaunce Lyetħ ful redres, of al that ye now fele And she shal be as trewe as ony stele To you allone, by our myght and grace Yf ye list mekely abyde a lityl space
But vnderstande ye that al her cherising Shal be grounded vpon honeste That no wight shal by ony compacyng Demen amys of hur in no degre For neyther mercy, coutħ ner pyte She shal not haue ne take of the non hede Further than longetħ vnto her womanhede
Be not astonyed of no wilfulnes Ne not despeyred of this dissolucion Late reson bridle lust by buxumnes Witħout gruochyng or rebellyon For ioye shal folowe al this passion For who can suffre torment and endure Ne may not faylle, but folowe shal his cure
For to fore alle she shal the louen best So shal I her witħoute offencion By Influence enspire in her brest In honest wyse witħ ful entencion For tenclyne by clene affection Her hert fully on the to haue routhe Be cause I knowe that thou menest trouthe
Go now to hir where as she stant a syde Witħ humble chere, and put the in her grace And al beforn lete hope be thy guyde And thaugħ that drede wold witħ the pace Hit sittetħ wel, but loke that thou arace Out of thyn hert wanhop and despeire To her presence er thou haue repeir
And mercy first shal thy way make And honest menyng afore do thy message To make pyte in her herte awake And secretnes to further thy viage Witħ humble porte to her that is so sage Shal menes be, and I my self also Shal the fortune, or thy tale be do
Go fortħ anon, and be right good of chere For specheles nothing mayst thou spede Be good of trust & be no thing in were Sitħ I my self shal helpen in this nede For atte lest of her goodly hede She shal to the her audience enclyne And lowe the to her til thou thy tale fyne
For wel thou wost yf I shal not feyne Witħoute speche thou maist no mercy haue For who that wil of his pryue peyne Fully be cured his lyf to helpe and saue He must mekely out of his hert graue Discure his wound and shewe hit his leche Or ellis deye for defaute of speche
For he that is in myschief reklees To seche help I holde hym a wrecche And she ne may thyn hert bryng in pees But yf thy compleynt to hir hert strecche Woldest thou be cured & wilt no salue fecche Hit wil not be, for no wight may atteyne To come to blys, yf he list lyue in peyne
Therfore attones go fortħ in humble wyse To fore thy lady and lowly knele a doun And in al trouthe thy wordes so deuyse That she on the haue compassion For she that is of so hye renoun In al vertues as quene and souerayn Of womanhed shal rue on thy payn
And whan the goddes this lesson had told Aboute me so I gan behold Rigħt so a stoned stode in a traunce To se the maner and contenance And al the chere of this woful man That was of hue dedely pale and wan Witħ drede supprised in his owne thought
Makyng chere as thaugħ he rought nought Of lyf ne detħ ne what so hym betyde So moche fere he had on euery side To put hym fortħ to tel his peyne Vnto his lady, other to compleyne What woo he felt torment or disese What dedely sorow his hert dide sese For coutħ of whiche his wo as I endite My penne I fele quaken as I wryte Of hym I had so grete compassion For to reherce his weymentacion That vnnethe, thougħ I witħ my self stryue I want connyng his peynes to discryue Allas to whom shal I for help calle Not to the muses for cause they ben alle Help of right in Ioye and not in woo And in matiers that they delite also Wherfore they nyl as now directe my style Nor me enspiren Alas the hard whyle I can no further but to the siphon And to her suster to calle help vpon That be goddesses of torment and peyne Nowe lete your teris in to myn Inke reyne
Witħ woful wordes my paper for to blotte This woful mater not to peynt, but spotte To tel the maner of this dredeful man Vpon his complaynt whan he first began To tel his lady whan he gan declare His hid sorowis, and his euel fare That at his herte constreyned so sore Theffect of whiche was this witħoute more
Pryncesse of yougtħ & flour of gentilesse Ensample of vertu ground of curtesye Of beaute rote quene and eke maistres To alle women how they shal hem gye And sotħfast mirrour texemplifye The right way of port and of womanhede What I shal saye, of mercy take ye hede Besechyng first vnto your hye nobles Witħ quakyng hert of my Inward drede Of grace and pyte & not of right wysnes Of verrey coutħe to help in this nede This is to say O wel of goodlyhede That I ne rekke thaugħ ye do me deye So ye list first to heven what I seye
The dredeful stroke the gret force and might Of god cupide that noman may rebelle So inwardly thurgħ out myn hert right Y perced hatħ that I ne may councele Myn hid wound ne I ne may apele Vnto no gretter, this mighty god so faste You to serue hatħ me bound vnto my laste
That hert and aƚƚ witħ out stryf ar yolde For lyf or detħ to your seruyse allone Right as the goddesse myghty venus wolde To for her mekely whan I made my mone She me constrayned witħoute chaunge anone To your seruyse and neuer for to fayne Wherso euer ye list to do me ease or payne
So that I can no thing but mercy crye Of you my lady, and chaunge for no newe That ye list godely to fore er that I dye Of verray couthe vpon my paynes rue For by my trouthe, and ye my peynes knewe What is the cause of myne aduersite On myn disese ye wolde haue pyte
For vnto you trewe and eke secre I wil be founde to serue as I best can And therwitħ al as lowly in eche degre To you be allone as euer yet was man Vnto his lady from the tyme I began And shal so fortħ witħouten ony sleutħ Whylis that I lyue, by god & by my troutħ
For leuer I had to deyen sodenly Than you offende in any maner wyse And suffre paynes inward priuely Than my seruyse as now ye shold dispyse For I right neught wil axe in no wyse But for your seruaunt ye wold me accepte And whan I trespace, goodly me correcte
And for to graunte of mercy the prayer Only of grace and womanly pyte From day to day that I myght leve You for to plese, and therwitħ al that ye Whan I do mys, list for to teche me In your seruyse hou that I may amende From hensfortħ and neuer you offende
For vnto me it doth ynowħ suffyse That for your man ye wold me resseyue Fully to ben as you lyst deuyse And as ferforth as my wittes can conceyue And therwith al liche as ye preue That I be true, to guerdone me of grace Or ellis to punysshe after my trespace
And yf so be that I may not atteyne Vnto your mercy, yet graunte at the leste In your seruyse for al my wo and peyne That I may deyen after my beheste This is al and som the fyn of my request Outher with mercy your seruaunt to saue Or mercyles that I may be begraue
And whan this benygne of her entent true Conceyued hatħ the compleynt of this man Right as the fresh rody Rose newe Of her colour to wexen she began Her blood astoned so from her herte ran In to her face of verray femynyte Thurgh honest drede abasshed was she
And humbly she began her eyen caste Towardes hym of hir benygnyte So that no word by her lippes past For hast nor drede mercy ne pyte For so demened she was in honeste That vnaduysed no thing fro her stert So moche of reson was compassed in her hert
Til atte last of whiche she did abreyd Whan she is trouthe and menyng did fele And vnto hym ful goodly spack and seyd Of your behest and your menyng wele And your seruyse so faitħful euerydele Whiche vnto me so lowly now ye offre Witħ al my herte, I thanke you of your profre
That for so moche your entent is sette Only in vertu y bridled vnder drede Ye must of right nedis face the bet Of your request, and the better spede But as for me I may of womanhede No further graunte to you in myn entente Than as my lady venus wil assente
For she wel knoweth I am not at my large To doon right nought but by her ordynance So am I drownd vnder her dredeful charge Her lyste tobbeye withoute variaunce But for my parte so hit be pleasaunce Vnto the goddesse for troutħ in your empryse I you accepte fully to my seruyse
For she my herte hath in subiection Whiche hoolly is youres & neuer shal repente In thought ner dede in myn election Witnes on venus that knoweth myn entent Fully tobeye hir dome and Iugement So as hir liste disposen and ordeyne Right as she knoweth the troutħ of vs tweyne
For vnto the tyme that venus list prouyde To shape away for our hertis ease Bothe ye and I mekely must abyde To take at gree, and not of our disease To grucche agayn til that she list tappease Our hid woo so Iuly that constreynetħ From day to day and our hertis peyneth
For in abidyng of woo and al affraye Who so can suffre is founden remedye And for the beste ful ofte is made delaye Er men be heled of their maladye Wherfore as venus list this mater to gye Leet vs agreen, and take al for the best Til her liste, sette bothe our hertes in rest
For she is that byndetħ and can constreyn Hertes in one, this fortunate planete And can relece louers of her peyn To turne fully her bitter in to swete Now blisful goddes doun fro thy sterry sete Vs to fortune cast your stremes shene Lyke as ye knowe, that we troutħ mene
And ther witħ al as I myn eyen caste For to perceyue the maner of these tweyne To fore the goddesse mekely as they paste Me thought I saw witħ a goldyn cheyne Venus, anon enbrace and constreyne Her bothe hertes in one, for to perseuere Whilis that they lyue, and neuer to disseuere
Seyng right thus with a benygne chere Sith it is so, ye be vnder my myght My wil is thus, that ye my doughter dere Ful accepte this man as it is right Vnto your grace anon here in my sight That euer hath ben so lowly you to serue Hit is good shil your thank that he deserue
Your honour sauf and eke your womanhede Hym to cherisshe, hit sittetħ you right wele Sith he is bounde vnder hope and drede Amyd my cheyne that forged is of stele Ye must of mercy shape that he fele In yow som grace of his long seruyse And that in hast lik as I shal deuyse
This is to sayn that ye taken hede Hou he to you most faitħful is and true Ofal your seruauntes, & nothing for his mede Of you ne asketh, but ye on hym rue For he vowed hath to change for no newe For lyf ne detħ, for ioye ne for peyne Ay to be youris, so as ye list ordeyne
Wherfore ye muste or els it were wrong Vnto your grace fully hym receyue In my presence, by cause he hatħ so long Hooly ben youris, as ye may conceyue That from your mercy, yf ye hym weyue I wyl my silf recorden cruelte In your persone, and gret lack of pyte
Late hym for his troutħ fynde than agayn For long seruyse, guerdon hym witħ grace And late ye pyte weye doun his payn For tyme is now daunger to arace Out of your hert, and mercy in to pace And loue for loue world wel beseme To yeue agayn and this I plainly deme
And as for hym I wil ben his borowe Of lowlihede and besy attendance How he shal be bothe eue and morowe Ful diligent to doon his obseruance And euer awaytyng, you to do playsance Wherfore my sone, listen and take hede Fully tobeye, as I shal the rede
And first of aƚƚ my wiƚƚ is that thou be Feithful in hert and constant as a wal True humble, meke and therwith al secre Witħ out change in partie or in aƚƚ And for no torment that the fallen shal Tempest the not, but euer in stedfastnes Rote thyn herte, and wyde doublenes
And furthermore haue in reuerence These women al for thy lady sake And suffre neuer that men hem do offence For loue of one, but euermore vndertake Hem to defende whether they slept or wake And ay be redy to holden them party Ayenst aƚƚ tho that to hem haue enuye
Be curtais ay and lowly of thy speche To riche and poure ay fressħ & wel beseyn And euer besy weyes for to seche Alle true louers to relece of her peyn Sith thou art one, & of no wight haue disdeyn For loue hath power hertes for to daunte And neuer for cherising, the to muche auaunte
Be lusty eke voyd of aƚƚ tristesse And take no thought but euer be iocound And not to pensif for none heuynes And witħ thy gladnes, lete sadnes ay be found Whan woo approched, lete mirtħ most habound As manhod ayid, and though thou fele smert Late not to many knowen of thyn hert
And alle vertues besily thou sue Vices eschewe for the loue of one And for no tales thyn hert not renewe Word is but wynd that shal soon ouergoon What euer thou here be domb as ony stoon And to answere to sone, not the delyte For here she standetħ that al this shal the quyte
And wherther thou be absent or in presence None others beawte lete in thy hert myne Sitħ I haue yeue hir of beaute excellence Aboue al other in vertu for to shyne And thynke hou in fyre men ar wont to fyne This pured gold to put hit in assaye So to the proue, thou art put in delaye
But tyme shal come thou shalt for thy suffrance Be wel apaid and take for thy mede Thy lyurs ioye and al thy suffisance So that good hope alway thy bridel lede Lete no dispeir hyndre the with drede But ay thy trust vpon her mercy grounde Sith none but she may thy sorowe sounde
Eche hour and tyme. weke. day and yere Be lich faithful and vary not for lyte Abyde a whyle and than of thy desire The tyme neygheth that shal the most delyte And late no sorow in thy hert byte For no differring, sith thou for thy mede Shal reioyse in pees the flour of womanhede
Thinke hou she is this worldis sonne & light The sterre of beaute the flour eke of fairnes Both crop and robe and eke the rubye bright Hertes to glade, y troubled with derknes And hou I haue made her, thin hertes Empresse Be glad therfore to be vnder her bond Now come ner doughter & take him by the hond
Vnto this syn that aftir alle these shouris Of his torment he may be glad and light Whan by your grace ye take hym to be youris For euermore anon here in my sight And eke I wil also as hit is right Without more his langour for to lysse In my presence anon that ye hym kysse
That ther may be of al your old smertis A ful relees vnder ioye assured And that one lok be of your bothe hertis Shet with my keye of gold so wel pured Only in signe that ye haue recured Your hool desire here in this hooly place Within my temple now in the yere of grace
Eternally be bounde of assuraunce The knot is knyt, that may not be vnbounde That alle the goddes of this aliaunce Satorne. Joue. and Mars as it is founde And eke Cupyde that first did you wounde Shal bere record, and ouermore bewreke On whiche of yow, his troutħ first breke
So that by aspectes of their fair lokis Witħoute mercy shal fal the vengeance For to be raced clene out of my bokis On whiche of you be found of variance Therfore attones settetħ your plesance Fully to ben whyle ye haue lyf and mynde Of one acorde vnto your lyues ende
That yf the spiryte of newfanglenes In ony wyse your hertes wold assaylle To meue or styre to brynge in doublenes Vpon your troutħ to gyuen a bataylle Lete not your corage ne your force faylle Nor none assaultes you flitten or remeue For vnassayed no man may troutħ preue
For whyte is whitter yf it be set by black And swete is swetter after bitternes And falshed euer is dryue and put a back Where trouthe is roted witħ doblenes Witħout preue ther may be no sekernes Of loue or hate and therfore of you two Shal loue be more, for hit was bought with woo
And euery thing is had more in deynte And more of pris whan it is dere bought And eke loue stondeth more in sewrte Whan it is to fore with payne woo & thought Conquerd was first whan hit was sought And euery conquest hath his excellence In his poursute as it fyndeth resistence
And so to you more sote and agreable Shal loue be found I do you plainly assure Witħout grucchyng that ye were suffrable So lowe so meke paciently to endure That al attones I shal do now my cure For now and euer your hertis so to bynde That nought but deth shal the knot vnbynde
Now in this mater what shold I lenger dwelle Come ye attones and do as I haue said And first my doughter that ar of bounte welle In hert and thought be glad & wel apayd To done hym grace that shal & hath obeyd Your lustes euer, and I wil for his sake Of trouth to you be bounde and vndertake
And so fortħ witħin presence as they stand To fore the goddes this fair and wele Her humble seruant toke goodly by the hond As he to fore her, mekely did knele And kyssed hym after fulfillyng eueridele From poynt to poynt in ful thryfty wyse As ye to forn haue venus herd deuyse
Thus is this man to ioye and al plesance From heuynes and from his peynes olde Ful reconcyled, and hatħ ful suffisance Of her that euer ment wel, and wold That in good faitħ and I tel shold The inward mirthes did her hertis brace For al my lyf to telle, it were to lityl space
For he hatħ wonne hir that he louetħ best And she to grace hatħ take hym of pyte And thus her hertes ben botħ set in rest Witħoute chaunge or mutabilite And venus hatħ of her benygnyte Confermed al what shal I lenger tary These tweyne in one and neuer to vary
That for the ioye in the temple aboute Of this acorde by grete solempnyte Was laude and honour within & witħoute Yeue to venus, and to the deyte Of god cupide, so that Caliope And al her sustren in her armonye Soon with songes the goddes did magnifye
And al attones with notes loud & sharp They did her honour and her reuerence And Orpheus among them with his harp Gan strynges touche with his diligence And Amphion that hath suche excellence Of musyke ay dyde his besynes To plese and queme venus the goddesse
Only for cause of the affinyte Betwix these two not lusty to disseuere And euery louer of lowe and hye degre Gan venus pray fro thens fortħ and euer That hool of them the loue may perseuere Witħouten ende in suche wyse as they gonne And more encrece that hit of hard was wonne
And the goddes heryng this request As she that knewe the clene entencion Of bothe them tweyne made a bihest Perpetuelly by confirmacion Whylis they lyue of one affection They shal endure ther is no more to sayne That neyther shal haue mater to complayne
So ferfurtħ euermore in our eternal see The goddes haue in our presence Fully deuysed thurgħ their deyte And hooly concluded by her Influence That by thair myght and Iuste prudence The loue of hem by grace and eke fortune Witħ oute chaunge shal euermore contune
Of whiche graunt the temple enuiron Thurgħ hye comfort of them that were present Anon was begun witħ a melodyous sowun In name of tho that troutħ in loue ment A balade newe in ful good entent To fore the goddes witħ notis londe and clere Syngyng right this anon as ye shal here
Fayrest of sterres that with your persant light And with the cherysyng of your stremes clere Causen in loue hertes to be light Only by shynyng of your glad spere Now lawde and pryce O venus lady dere Be to your name that haue without synne This man fortuned his lady for to wynne
Willy planete O esperus so bright That woful hertes can appese and stere And euer ar redy by your grace & might To helpe al tho that bye loue so dere And haue power hertis to sette on fyre Honour to you of al that ben here Inne That haue this man his lady made to wynne
O mighty goddesse day sterre after nyght Gladyng the morowe whan ye don appere To wyde derknes by freshnes of your sight Only witħ twinkyng of your plesaunt chere To you we thanke louers that ben here That ye this man and neuer for to twynne Fortune haue, his lady for to wynne
And witħ the noyse an heuenly melodye Witħ that they made in her armonye Thurgħ out the temple for this mans sake Out of my slepe anon I dyde awake And for astonyed knewe as tho no rede For sodeyn chaunge oppressed witħ drede Me thought I was cast in a traunce So clene away was tho my remembrance Of alle my dreme, wherof gret thought & wo I had in herte and nyst what was to doo For heuynes for that I had lost the sight Of her that I al the longe nyght Had dremed of in myn aduision Wherof I made grete lamentacion Be cause I had neuer in my lyf beforn Saw none so fair sitħ that I was born For loue of whom so as I can endyte I purpose here to make and to wryte A lityl tretyse and processe make In pryce of women only for her sake Hem to comence as it is skyl and right For her godenes witħ al my myght Prayng to her that is so bounteuous
So ful of vertu and so gracyeus Of womanhede and mercyful pyte This symple tretyse for to take in gre Til I haue leyzer vnto her hye renoun For to expound my forsaid visioun And tel in playn the signefyaunce As it cometh to my remembraunce So that her after my lady may hit loke Now go thy way thou litil rude boke To her presence as I the comande And first of aƚƚ thou me recomande Vnto hir and to her excellence And pray to hir, hit be non offence Yf ony word in the be myssaid Besechyng her, she be not euyl a paid For as her list I wil the efte correcte Whan that her liketħ ageinward the directe I mene that benygne and goodly of face Now go thy way and put the in her grace