Anonymous British

Here Begynneth A Lyttell Treatyse Cleped La Conusaunce Damours

Forth gone the virgyns euerychone Replet with ioye/and eke felicite To gether floures. And some vnto one Haue more fantasy/whan they it se Than to all that in the medowes be Another shall incontrary wyse Gether other after theyr deuyse. So done clerkes/of great grauite Chose maters/wheron they lyst to wryte But I that am of small capacite Toke on me this treatyse to endyte Tauoyde ydelnesse/more than for delyte And most parte therof/tolde was to me As here after/ye may rede and se. Thus endeth the prologue. The thyrde idus/in the moneth of July Phebus his beames/lustryng euery way Gladdynge the hartes/of all our Hemyspery And mouynge many/vnto sporte and playe So dyd it me/the treuthe for to saye To walke forth/I had great inclination Per chaunce some where/to fynde recreation And as I walked/ever I dyd beholde Goodly yonge people/that them encouraged In suche maner wyse/as though they wolde Ryght gladly have songe or daunsed Or els some other gorgious thynge deuysed Whose demeanynge/made me ryght ioyous For to beholde/theyr dedes amorous. To wryte all thynges of plesure/that I se In euery place/where I passed by In all a day recunted it can nat be Who coude discryue the fresshe beauty Of dames and pusels/attyred gorgiously So swete of loke/so amiable of face Smilyng doulcely/on suche as stande in grace Certaynly theyr boute/and curtesy Ofte moueth me/for to do my payne Some thynge to wryte/them to magnifye Aboue the sterres. But ay I may complayne Ignoraunce/gouerneth so my brayne That I ne dare/for nothynge presume Out of my mouthe/to blowe suche a fume It is a laboure/great and hyedous Requirynge study/and moche experience For my shulders/it is to ponderous Whiche am priuate/of suche condigne science It is for a man/of hygh eloquence And worthynes/fame and memorie So noble a thynge/to laude and magnifie. But nowe to purpose/where I began Walkyng abrode/wandryng to and fro Beynge alone/with me was no man Sodaynly/came in my mynde to go Se. A faire pusell/and two or thre mo Of her companions. This was myn entent And by and by/forth thetherwarde I went. Whan I came there/I founde at the dore A dammusell/standyng all alone Who I dyd salute/and ferthermore Of her demaunded I/curtesly anone Gentyll mayde where is your companion? Syr she sayd (her hart on a mery pyn) ye be welcome. she is nat nowe within But by her faire/and swete countenance I perceyued lyghtly/what she ment Dame daunger moued her to that daliaunce But Desyre bad me go. and in I went And sodaynly/by the hand me hent This most curtes mayde/who I went to se Sayenge welcome/most derely vnto me. And by the hande/than as she me had In we went/talkynge joyously Into a goodly parler/she me lad And caused me to sytte/curtesly Than vnto vs/came shortly by and by Another/that me swetely dyd welcome Bryngyng fresshe floures/and gave me some. Than we began/to talke and deuyse Of one and other/of olde acqueyntaunce For comonly/of maydens is the gyse Somtyme to demaunde for pastaunce If that a man be in loues daunce Or stande in grace/of any dammusell Under suche maner/in talkynge we fell We spake of loue/yet none of vs all Knoweth perfectly/what loue shulde be The one affyrmed/people veneriall Folowynge the course/of their natiuite Endure great sorowe/and moche aduersite And many suffre/suche peyne and turment That as mad folke/them selfe all to rent Thus sayd one/and vp helde it styffely That loue was of suche maner nature That it myght rather be called a mad fury Than any maner thynge of pleasure To whiche wordes/thother mayden demure Replyed. Prayeng vs/to gyue her licence In this matter/to shewe forth her sentence Gladly (we sayd (therto we assent In this to here/your opinion Forsoth (sayd she) ye shall nat be myscontent All though therin/I make obiection Where as nowe/ye haue made conclusion Sayeng loue was a fury or a madnesse Without all grauite/measure/or sadnesse Nay surely/your reason is defectyue For this ye knowe very perfectly That they that loue/and hate for to stryue Lyue a thousande tymes more quietly Than they/that hate eche other mortally For where as is no loue/nor tranquillite There is myschef/langour/and all aduersite. Loue is the very true manocorde That euery wyght shulde harpe vpon Louyng well eche other by very concorde To this reason/byndeth vs euerychone And this maner loue/is nat in vs alone For bestes that haue/sence and vnderstandynge By companies go/to gether right louynge Whiche doyng I repute very perfect loue Whan by no crafte/nor male engyn From their amite/wyll nat remoue The one to socour other shall neuer blyn Who can depart true louyng folkes at wyn? Father/children/and frendes of aliaunce/ And good neyghbours helpe other i eche chauce. This maner frendshyp/very loue I call Other than this/or lyke no man can fynde Abyde (sayd the other) I thynke ye shall Here my reason/contrary to your mynde I trowe none hence to the lande of Inde Can be founde. Whiche hath nat tasted Other loue/than ye haue nowe rehersed Harde you neuer tell/of yonge Pyramus/ And his swete loue/called fayre Thysby: In all Babylon/the moost swete and gracious Bothe shynyng/full of fresshe beauty Dwellynge also/togyder very nye Wherby the more/as I haue herde tell Fro day to day/in feruent loue they fell They wold both/ryght fayne haue bespoused After suche lawe/as in that tyme they vse But by theyr parentes/they were alway letted Who of theyr myschief/I may well accuse Neuer wolde one/the other of them refuse The strayter they were kept/and inclosed The more feruently/in loue they burned And whan they coude nat to gyther speke They made signes/tokyn and lokynge By suche meanes/theyr myndz wolde they breke That one of other had perfect vnderstandynge Nowe it happed/as loue is euer sekynge To fynde remedye/what therof befall So at last they founde/a chenke in a wall At whiche place/oft these louers two Mette and talked/of their wo and payne Many tymes/theder wolde they go And on the wall/piteously complayne That he stode/betwene them louers twayne Nat openyng to them so moche space To come to gether/eche other to enbrace These and like wordes/ofte wolde they say O enuious wall certes thou doest amysse If thou wylt nat suffre/that we may Ioyne our bodies/suffre vs to kysse Agaynst the/we neuer dyd amysse Wherfore be nat thou/to vs vnkynde Opyn thy selfe/and obey to our mynde. And whan they shulde part eche other fro They toke leaue/and that ryght curtesly yet alway/before or they wolde go On eche syde/they kyst the wall swetely Syghyng a lytell/very amorously So wolde they stande/all many a longe nyght Tyll Aurora/exild them with her lyght And whan Phebus gan/his bemes downespred Dryeng vp the dewes/in the medowes grene Than wolde they stele priuely to bed That they shulde/of no persone be sene Where most of all/theyr sorowe sharpe and kene At the hart/gan to prycke a pace That they ne coude/rest in any place. Nowe languysshe they/with syghes profoude Nowe sorowe they/nowe they turne and wynde Nowe fresshely bledeth/their incurable woude Nowe cast they/right busely in mynde Nowe they may/some crafte and maner fynde Theyr kepers to deceyue/by some wyle And to stele out/in the nyght by gyle. After they had/fixed theyr myndes heron They agreed/at theyr metyng place That they wolde/into the feldes gon The next nyght/and mete at a certayn place And which, of them two/were first per case Theder come/shulde no ferther go Tyll the other/were ycome also. Their metyng place/I vnderstande shulde be At the supulchre/or tombe of kyng Ninus (Kyng of Assiriens) vnder a goodly hye tre Bearyng white aples/the tre cleped Morus Growyng fast by/a fountayne delicious In the sayd place/couenaunted to mete yonge Pyram/and gracious Thysby swete. Whan the longe day/was gone and past And nyght come/every thynge at rest The tendre mayde/hyed her ryght fast To the dore she goth/redely and prest And put therto/her doulce and softe brest Openynge itso/for feare lest it shulde crake And therwith/some of her kepars wake. So out at the dore/gote preuely is she And through the towne/alone is went Into the fyldes/towarde the foresayd tre O swete Thysbe/howe true was your entent Howe curtesly your hart dyd assent For the loue of gentyll Pyramus To enterprise/a thynge so perillous. Myghty loues power/here may we beholde Proued on this goodly damosell What but loue coude make her so bolde? She feared nat/the sauage beestes fell Wherto shulde I any longer dwell? Upon her way she went styll apace Castyng euer/towarde the appointed place. One myght demaunde/who was her gyde Bycause it was in the quyet nyght I answere none/but the hygh lorde Cupide Whose souerayne puysaunce/and great myght Turneth obscure darkenesse/vnto lyght He leadeth folkes/that way as he wyll In great parilles/redy for to spyll. So this lorde/of his myght and grace Conduced Thysbe/in the wylde felde Tyll she came vnto the foresayd place Where she sate downe/vnder Morus selde And as she sate/a ferre of she behelde Towarde the wode/by lyght of the mone A lyonesse/whiche towarde her dyd come. This lyones/in the wode had slayne A beest before/and deuoured hym also And came to drynke/at the sayd fountayne Where Thysbe sate alone with her no mo For feare wherof/lyghtly she to go Into a denne/that was there besyde Swete Thysbe ran/her for to hyde. (In moche perill/and great ieopardye Thysbe was brought/by this sodayne fraye For in that denne/wylde beestes vsed to lye) For hast she fell/her kerchefe by the way Whiche the lyones (as I haue harde say) Founde. And in her blody mouthe toke Rent/tore/and out agayne it shoke. Than forthwith she ran into the wode And as soone as euer she was gone Pyram came/and founde the cloth all blode His hart gan to be/as colde as any stone Sayeng these wordes/with most pitous mone O nyght thou losest/and art distruction Of two yonge louers of Babylon. Of whiche two/she that most worthy was For to haue lyued/is deed fyrst of all I am the cause/swete Thysbe (her alas) That you ben slayne/of this beest truculentall If I had come fyrst/than had it nat befall O wretche that I am/to suffre swete Thysbe To come alone/and here for to dye. O ye moost cruell/and rabbysshe lions fell Come nowe and teare/the corps of Pyramus ye sauage beestes/that in these rockes dwell If blode to you be so delicious Come and gnawe/my wretched body dolorous And on the kerchef/with face pale and tryst He loked ofte/and it right swetely kyst. With deedly syghes/his swerde out he drewe Under the vmbre/of the forsayd tre Wherwith shortly/hym owne selfe he slewe Sayeng/take drynke nowe the blode of me With whiche stroke/the blode (as it had be Water spoutynge/out of a condite heed) Spouted vp/whan he fell downe deed. And with the blode/in suche wyse sprynklyng The frute of the tre/whiche that before Was white. Turned as blacke as any thynge And the blode/that sanke to the more Depeinted it/a fayre purple colore Whiche vnto this day/so remayne But nowe to Thysby/turne I wyll agayne. All though her feare were neuer the las yet bycause she wolde nat breke promesse She came softly/towarde thappoynted place Bothe mynde and eye/lokyng without cesse For yonge Pyram/the floure of gentylnesse She loked euer/her swete hart to se Tyll she approched/and came vnder the tre. Whan she behelde/the transformacion Of the tre. She was right sore abasshed And bycause it was in suche condicion She thought it was nat/the place appoynted But at last/as she more nerer loked She sawe a corps/vpon the grounde lye Newly slayne/tremblyng and all blody. Wherwith she gan/to be as pale as leed And stepped backe/a lyttell sodaynly Incontinent she perceyued the corps deed Was her owne swete hart/the noble Pyramy O howe she gan moost piteously to crye Her handes strayne/and her fyngers wrynge Enragiously/her armes out castynge. She rent and tore/her goodly youlowe heare And toke the corps/in her armes twayne Desperously/wepynge many a teare Amonge the blode/of her louer slayne Her bytter teares/lay as thycke as rayne And ofte she kyssed/his deedly colde visage Styll cryeng/as though she wolde enrage. O swete Pyram/who hath taken you me fro? O curtesse Pyram/speke nowe vnto me I am thyn owne Thysby/full of wo Here thy dere loue/that speketh vnto the Lyfte ones vp thyn eyes Pyram me to se And as she lay/this tomblyng on the grounde At longe her kerchefe/in the blode she founde Than she knewe/howe he deceyued was By the kerchefe/and the lyonesse Agayne she cryed/o Pyram her alas For my loue/doure of gentylnesse Haue slayne your selfe/in peinfull distresse O swete Pyram/syth it is for my sake Of my dolorous lyfe/suche ende shall I make. Of ioye with you/parttaker haue I be What tyme ye lyued/most curtes Pyramus Shulde deth thau departe you and me? With you to dye/I am ryght desyrous O parentz parentz/of our deth reous To you our bodyes/I bequeth and take To bury togyther/for neuer we shall forsake. O miserable tre/with thy bowes longe Coueryng nowe/lyeng deed on the grounde The noble Pyram/that whilom was so strouge Thou shalt anone/of suche another wounde Couer my corps. And in a littell stounde She pulled the swerde out of Pyramy And therwith slewe herselfe pyteously. Thautor. Than the damosell/that the storie tolde Sygheh softe/and loked me vpon Wherwith ye teares/downe on her chekes rolde She had of theyr deth/so great compassion That she was stryken in cogitacion And stode a whyle/as one had ben dismayde And these wordes/after to vs she sayd The damosell. O curtes Pyram/and swete Thysbe also Herde was your fortune and destanye your pitous deth/maketh myn hert wo yet me thynke/I se your bodies lye The tre and fountayne/ryght sorowfully Unto this day/wepe and complayne The lamentable dethe/of you louers twayne. Here was true loue/who can it deny? Here were the burnyng sparcles of Cupyde Here were two hertes/closed in one truly Here were two louers/nat swaruyng asyde O cursed lyonesse/wo mote the betyde Thou were the cause/that these louers twayne Were so soone/thus miserably slayne. O ye parentes/of these louers two Why suffred you them/so for to spyll? ye caused them/thether for to go Wherof succeded/all their myschiefe and yll ye myght haue had your goodly children styll If ye had done/as reason doth require To marry them/after theyr desyre. These gentyls dyd/as christens nowe a day Moost comonly/vse for to do Whiche no doubt is/a moche cursed way And causer of many yuels also They marry/without consent of the two Whiche mariage is nat worth an hawe Damnable/and eke ayenst the lawe. For to receyue this hygh sacrament Is required moche solemnite But one moost speciall/that is fre assent Of both persones/of hye and lowe degre Without whiche/mariage can nat be Perfectly allowed/before the glorious face Of the hygh god/in the celestiall place. Whan two maried/ayenst their myndes be What is the very true consequens? Contynuall discorde/moost comenly wese Braulyng/chidyng/and other inconuenience And another/moost poysonfull pestilence For therof right ofte/aduoutry doth succede Murdre/and many a myscheuous dede. We se oft tymes/whan two to gether come By great loue/and longe continuaunce yet of suche/there haue ben founde some Whiche dayly haue ben at distaunce To them selfe/and other great noyaunce And coude by no meanes/togyther agre And by deuorse/departed haue they be. Than moche sooner/suche as by compulsion Ben spoused/agaynst theyr owne fre wyll Shulde nat do well. But to make relacion Particlerly/of all and euery yll That clamdestinat mariage doth fulfyll I shulde than/to longe tary you twayne Where I was/turne I shall agayne Before this tyme/you bothe haue harde tell Of the trojan knyght/called Troylus And of Creseide/the goodly damosell On whom he was so depely amorous For whom he was/so heuy and dolorous That had nat ben Pandare/his trusty frende Of his lyfe/he had lyghtly made an ende. For one syght he had/of that fresshe may As he walked within the temple wyde He loked as his hart/had ben pulde away And coude nat moche longer there abyde The fyrie dart/of the hygh lorde Cupyde Had made in hym/so great and large a wounde That lytell lacked/he fell nat to the grounde. There was none so expert phisician That coude cure or helpe his maladye To serche the wounde/myght no surgian It was impossible/to come therby None coude cure/saue the faire lady Creseide. On whom he loked oft Syghyng depe/and gronyng lowe and softe. What shulde I herof/longer processe make Theyr great loue is wrytten all at longe And howe he dyed onely for her sake Out ornate Chaucer/other bokes amonge In his lyfe dayes/dyd vnderfonge To translate:and that most plesantly Touchyng the mater/of the sayd story. Of Cannace/somwhat wyll I tell And of her brother/cleped Machareus Howe Aeolous/her father ryght cruell Made her dye a deth full pitous But first she wrote/a pistoll dolorous To her brother/of her wofull chaunce These were her wordes to my remembraunce. Cannace doughter/of Aeolous the kynge Greteth Machare/her owne brother dere In owne hande/a naked swerde holdynge With the other writyng/as doth appere In this epistoll that she sendeth here Howe by naught els saue deth she can fynde To content her fathers cruell mynde. O my father most innaturall This swerde to me his daughter hath he sende With whiche swerde/shortly anone I shall Of my lyfe and sorowe make an ende To other pite/he wyll nat condiscende Wherfore his fierce mynde to content To slee my selfe I must nedes assent. Thautor. Than spake I/and wolde suffre her no more Of this wofull mater/forther for to tell Suche lamentable louers/greueth my hart sore And also we coude nat moche longer dwell Ryght glad was I/that it so happy fell To here the hole of wofull Pyramus Of her tolde/with gesture dolorous. She wolde haue tolde/of many other mo The great loue/and fatall destenye Howe Phillis desolate/ofte alone wolde go By hylles and dales/mornyng tenderly For Demophon/and howe she dyd dye But styll I prayed her to kepe silence And leaue of her tragicall sentence. A man that sweteth/and is very hote Brought to the fyre/is nat well content What I meane/euery man doth wote yet for this/I wolde nothyng assent That she had declared/appert and euydent To our fyrst purpose/what loue shulde be And wherupon/we gan to argue all thre. The fyrst damosell/proued loue by reason The other spake all by auctorite Declaryng olde stories/of antique season But to neyther of them wolde I agre Without experience/proued can nat be What is the myghty power of Cupyde Whiche regneth through the great worlde wyde Experience (sayd they) we desyre to here What therby to proue/you entende Than loked I on them/with sad chere Castyng howe for to make an ende Of our argument/and nat offende Nother of them/through my negligence For one of them/was myn experience. Forsoth (I sayd) I nat howe it may be But ones I behelde/with great affection A fayre pusell/whiche happed yll for me For neuer syth/by no compulsion I coude nat put her in obliuion Nor my mynde pulle from her away Nor neuer shall/to myn endyng day. With her regarde/and swete countenaunce She gave me a great mortall wounde Through whiche deth/dayly both auaunce Towarde me/onely to confounde My wretched corps:whiche in the grounde Must of foule wormes be eate and gnawe So condemned/by cruell loues lawe. This lorde Cupide/lyst of his cruelte Without reason/my body to turment To mount an hylle/he constrayneth me With his arowes/sharpe and violent And me burnyng/with his brande ardent yet vp the hyll/no way can be sought To geat alone:so lowe am I brought. O Hyppomenes/howe happy thou were? What tyme thou wast so moche amorous On Atalanta/that curtes damosell dere For whose loue/ne had nat ben Venus Thou shuldest haue dyed a deth ryght greuous But by. iii. balles (that she the gaue) of golde Thou gotest thy loue of truthe/as it is tolde Clas suche socour/no where fynde I may That me wyll helpe in myn heuynesse And more encreaseth my sorowe day by day Cruell thought on me doth neuer cesse With feare and drede/my body to manesse And with Dispeare/I haue so great stryfe That gladly I wolde be reft of my lyfe And than call I vnto the systers thre To come out of their furious selle And from my peyne to delyuer me I care nat/though I with them shulde dwell Or rauenyng wolues/hungry/fierse/and felle My body gnawe/and to peces rent To be losed/of my great turment. O Pole wheron the great worlde rounde Turneth about/by cours naturall If a place may/vnder the be founde I wolde gladly/therin that I shulde fall O ye dogges/whiche to peces small Tare Acreon/for Diana sake I pray you of me an ende to make. O crowes/rauons/and foules euerychone What tyme my lyfe ended thus shalbe Come than and take eche of you abone And do beare them into what countre Pleaseth you/for all is one to me So I be out of this greuous payne For any longer/I can it nat sustayne. Wherwith dame Reason cometh vnto me Very swetely lokynge in my face With whom cometh other two or thre Good Esperaunce/and the lady Grace And reason begynneth for to chace The lordens away/whiche before Turmented my wretched body sore Fyrst Reason to Disperaunce doth speke Hym banysshyng out of our company On hym she wolde gladly her angre wreke But lady pacience standyng by Sayeth to her very curtesly ye must swetely shewe your selfe vntyll This pacient here redy for to spyll. Than by the hande Reason doth me take Sayeng/what though the gentyle Hypsiphyle Distroyed her selfe for prue Jasons sake That ayenst his promes/dyd her begyle Leape nat thou/tyll thou come to the style For thou hast here nowe before thy face (Whiche she lacked) the goodly lady Grace. Reason. Thou knowest after our hygh religion Who that slee them selfe wylfully By iuste sentence/of lastyng damnacion Of helle. Be in great ieopardye Wherfore I aduise the/loke theron wysely Take nat example of/Dido and Myrra. Nor yet of Phillis/Scylla/and Phedra. I say to the as I sayd before They lacked Grace/ye and me also Whiche thou hast/and shalt haue euer more In case that thou gladly woldest do As we shall shewe the or that we go Principally beware of Dispayre In no wyse abyde that sower ayre. Another/thou shalt kepe moderacion In all thynges/that thou gost about Both in gladnesse/and lamentacion Beware of thought/the villayn bolde and stout Of heuynesse/with theyr cruell route Feare/drede/discomfort/and mystrust Incline the neuer after their peruers lust. What foly is it for a womans sake Nat knowyng your corage nor entent Suche lamentacion/and sorowe for to make Perauenture her swete hart wolde assent In all honour be at your comaundement Wherfore fyrst/ye shulde by my counsell Knowe the pleasure of the damosell. Thautor. To whiche counsell/accorden an agre Desyre/and the curtes esperaunce They two promesse/for to go with me Dame fauour sayth she wyll so auaunce With the helpe of prudent Gouernaunce To solicite my mater in best wyse And dame Discrecion shall it deuyse. The good holsome lady Remembraunce Sayth recorde/was nat worthy Theseus The hye conquerour/delyuered fro myschaunce By socour of two ladyes gratious For hym they were so moche pitous That they put them selfe/in dauger of moche yll Hym for to saue/that he shulde nat spyll. For he had ben put to the Minataurus Without prouise/of these ladies twayne Within the mase/made by Dedalus All though he had/the hidous monstre slayne yet coude he neuer come out therof agayne But by the ladies subttle inuencion He slewe the beest/and came out anone. Thou hast redde/ryght many an history Of ladies and damosels great bounte And howe soone they ben inclyned to mercy As was the curtes lady/Hypermestre For nothyng perswaded wolde she be For all her father myght do or say She conueyed her loue and lorde away. And bycause this lady wolde nat do Scelerously/as dyd her systers all Afterwarde she suffred moche wo But no punyisshement/to her myght fall That she ne thought the peyne very small Suche ioye she had/of her spouse delyueraunce That all her payne/to her was no greuaunce Thus tender pite/in the hart feminall Ronneth alway/vnto mannes defence Theyr gentyll hertes/swete and liberall Be lyghely turned/with great diligence To mannes socour/and beneuolence They speke/they praye/they labour and they go Ryght tenderly/mannes profite for to do. Thautor. So these ladies/debated with me styll In whole company I was ryght ioyous And at last/they sayd me all vntyll Be mery and glad thou louer dolorous For thy loue is so moche gracious That we thynke vnto thy desyre She wyll obey/as thou wylt requyre. Thautor. Than call I/vnto my remembraunce The great promesses/that Paris of Troye Made to Heleyn/yet scant it was his chaunce Her loue to gette/or her to enioye All that he sayd was of perfect foye He was a prince/and a kynges son also yet longe it was/or she wolde with hym go. Whan I mynde Echates/ye woman beautious All my sorowe begynneth to renewe She and the fayre yonge man/called Hyrus Betoken howe my loue shall neuer rewe Nor pite me. yet as Acontius vntrue To her wyll I vse neyther fraude ne wyle Lyke as he dyd Cydippes begyle. Thus thought and feare/all the longe day Turment me/tyll Phebus the hemyspery Hath fally ronne/so that we may Perceyue the blacke nyght aprochyng nye To bedde I go/lasshe and eke wery In hope some repose for to take And by that meane/my payne for to slake. Sone after/that I am downe layde Morpheus/softely cometh to me Who at the fyrst/maketh me afrayde Tyll I knowe/what man he shulde be He leadeth me where as I may se My swete loue/vnto whom I wolde Desyrously/ryght oft my mynde haue tolde. And whan I haue ben about to speke Cruell drede/hath stepped me before He and feare/alway my purpose breke yet her swete visage sheweth euermore That of dame Pite/she knoweth well the lore It can nat be/that her great beauty Shulde be voyde/and without mercy. Thus I stande debatyng a longe space Than Morpheus/bryngeth me agayne And whan I fynde me in the same place Where I lay downe/with myn handes twayne I graspe and fele/I sygh and complayne And fynde it colde about me euery where And perceyue that she was nat there. O howe thought taketh me by the hert And heuynesse/falleth me vpon Those two from me wyll neuer departe Tyll they make my body as colde as stone They say to me/remedy is none In this behalfe ferther to pursewe For on me/my loue shall neuer rewe. Thought and heuynesse. Thou mayst here lye/sygh/sorowe and wayte And on thy miserable state complayne For her beautye/frendes/and apparayle Causeth her to haue the in disdayne She forceth nat/of thy wo and payne She is a fresshe yonge swete creature Well bequeynted/with the lady pleasure. So stode the heuyns/whan thou were bore And suche is thy fatall destenye To loue one/whiche setteth lytell store By the that art oppressed with mysery What careth she/though thou for sorowe dye? Or all thy lyfe/morne without a make In wyldernesse/wandryng for her sake. We haue tolde the ofte/and longe agone That thy swete loue/fresshe and gorgious Loketh to stande in grace of suche one That may stipate/her port sumptuous To sayle forth/with fame glorious Lackyng nothyng/that dame Volunte Wyll demaunde/longyng to Leberte. For all thy lorde/who thou seruest so true Whiche is the very blynde god Cupyde Bearyng his signe/a face pale of hewe As any ashes/wherto thou doest abyde Vpholdyng it/with syghes large and wyde yet we two shall do so moche our payne Of Acrapos/shortly thou shalt be slayne. Thautor. Thus many a nyght/ofte I dryue away Whiche me thynke longer than a yere And whan I se the spryngynge of the day yet somwhat gladed is my chere For busynesse to me doth appere Byddyng me to ryse and come lyghtly Fye he sayth/vpon all sluggardy. Than I ryse/and my clothes take As preuely and soft as it may be Wherwith diligence begynneth to awake Whiche ones vp/a newe wyll turment me And whan I can no other way se With them I go/where they wyll me leade For as than/I can no better reade. Where euer I go/thought is neuer behynde Nor heuynesse/they be alway present To leaue them/I can no crafte fynde For I beyng neuer so diligent With busynesse/bothe mynde and eke entent yet those two euer styll apeace Come on me/my body to disease. These two ofte/handle me so harde That I am made lyke vnto a stone To busynesse/hauyng no regarde I leaue hym/and forth with anone To some secrete place must I gone A lytell whyle/my sorowe to complayne From company/I do my selfe restrayne. Than I begyn in this maner wyse Lowe and softe/that none shulde here me O Venus Venus/is this your cruell gyse? Styll to turment vnto the extremite My pore body/whiche as you may se Is brought into so great miserye That for loue/shortly must I dye. The burnyng fyre of loue/doth me assayle In suche wyse/that remedy is none To quenche it/no water can auayle Nor yet versus of cantacion Of Pean/the artes euerychone Nor of Mede/be nat worth a flye I am condemned/and nedes must I dye. Of all vnlucky/I most infortunate Most sorowfull/most heuy and lamentable What is my wretched body/lyfe/and state? Nought els/but a thynge miserable Replenisshed with paynes intollerable To syghe/to sorowe/and morne tenderly And by loue/condemned for to dye. Of all louers/none can be founde Whose case may well compared be Vnto myn : through all the worlde rounde Were out sought/yet shulde ye nat se But that they had some felicite But nought haue I/but all miserye And by loue/condemned to dye. Troylous/of whom men so moche tell That he so great a louer was Vnto hym/the case ryght happy fell For in his armes ofte he dyd enbrace His swete loue/and stode so in her grace That nothyng to hym wolde she denye But by loue/condemned I am to dye. Many a nyght with his loue he lay And in his armes/swetely can her holde Of nothynge to hym sayd she nay That he of her/aske or desyre wolde His great ioy forsoth can nat be tolde He had souerayne blysse/and I miserye And by loue condemned for to dye. What ioy had Paris we Heleyn ye fresshe quene? Deyanira/with fierce Hercules Briseis/the lady bryght and shene With her lorde/the hardy Achilles And Penelope/with her spouse Ulixes Great gladnesse they had/with som miserye I haue no ioy: and am condemned to dye. Many a nyght/the friscant Leander Lay also slept with his loue Herus To passe Hellespont/she was his lode stere And in all thynges to hym gracious O these louers/fresshe and amorous Ofte passed the tyme to gether ioyously But by loue/condemned I am to dye. Fayre Phillis/and eke Demophon Had togyther ryght great felicite So had the lady Sapho with Phaon So had Machare/with his syster Canace Dido with Aene/what ioy had she? Ryght longe hym reteynyng curtesly No ioy haue I/and am condemned to dye. Myrra that loued her owne father dere Wyckedly/by loue abhominable Dyd so moche/that they lay both infere All a nyght. doyng the dede damnable Se howe Cupyde was fauorable To her stynkyng loue/and transgression And wyll me slee/for loyall affeccion. Wherby I se/it is predestinate Vnto me : most wretched creature For to haue this miserable state And infinite sorowe to endure Or bate of all ioy/and eke pleasure Full of luctuous syghes and misery And vtterly condemned for to dye. Wherfore adieu/all worldly vanite Adieu frayle pleasure/rollynge lyke a ball Adieu brytell trustes/that in this worlde be Adieu I say/disceytes great and small Adieu slipernesse styll redy for to fall Lastly adieu/swete hert without mercye For whose sake/I am condemned to dye. Thautor to the two damosels. Lo nowe you two/haue herde to the ende What is loue/by suche experience As I haue had. And nowe I you comende Unto god/for I must depart hence I thanke you hertely of your pacience your curtesy/and eke your louyng chere Of gentylnesse/that you haue made me here. your chere here (they sayd) is but small We wolde it were moche better for your sake Our tanglynge/that to vs nowe hath fall Wolde suffre vs/no chere for to make And so theyr leaue/swetely of me they take At the port or gate/and in they go And I went strayght to my home also. The prologue of the author: In tyme of May/whan Flora the fresshe quene Through arte and crafte/of swete zephirus Depeynted hath/feldes and medowes grene With sondry colours/very delicious White/redde/and crymoysyn amorous Tauny/youlowe/violet/and blewe With ryght many a nother dyuers hewe