But sore I was abashed and astonied
Of all tho folke that there were in that tide,
And than I asked where they had wonned :
"In diuers courts" (quod she) "here beside,
In sundry clothing mantill wise full wide
They were arraied, and did their sacrifise
Unto the god, and goddesse in their guise.
AND for that I was lettred, there I red
The statutes hole of Loues Court and hall:
The first statute that on the booke was spred,
Was to be true in thought and deeds all
Unto the king of loue the lord ryall,
And to the quene as faithfull and as kind,
As I coud thinke with herte, will and mind.
"Lo yonder folke" (quod she)" that kneele in blew, The second statute secretly to kepe
They weare the colour aye and euer shall,
In signe they were and euer will be trew
Withouten chaunge: and soothly yonder all
That ben in black, and mourning cry and call
Unto the gods, for their loues bene,
Som sick, some dede, som all to sharp and kene."
Councell of loue, not blowing euery where
All that I know, and let it sinke and flete,
It may not sowne in euery wights ere:
Exiling slaunder aye for drede and fere,
And to my lady which I loue and serue,
Be true and kind her grace for to deserue.
The third statute was clerely writ also,
Withouten chaunge to liue and die the same,
None other loue to take for wele ne wo,
"Yea than" (quod I)" what done these priests here, Nonnes and hermites, freres, and all tho, That sit in white, in russet, and in grene :" "Forsooth" (quod she) "they waylen of their wo." For blind delite, for ernest nor for game:
"O mercy lord, may they so come and go
Freely to court and haue such liberty!"
"Yea men of each condition and degre.
"And women eke: for truly there is none
Exception made, ne neuer was ne may:
This court is ope and free for euerichone,
The king of loue he will not say them nay:
He taketh all in poore or rich array,
That meekely sew vnto his excellence
With all their herte and all their reuerence."
And walking thus about with Philobone
I see where come a messengere in hie
Streight from the king, which let command anone,
Throughout the court to make an ho and cry:
"All new come folke abide, and wote ye why,
The kings lust is for to seene you sone:
Come nere let see, his will mote need be done."
Than gan I me present tofore the king,
Trembling for fere with visage pale of hew,
And many a louer with me was kneeling,
Abashed sore, till vnto the time they knew
The sentence yeue of his entent full trew:
And at the last the king hath me behold
With sterne visage, and seid, "What doth this old
"Thus ferre ystope in yeres, come so late
Unto the court?" "Forsooth, my liege" (quod I)
"An hundred time I haue ben at the gate
Afore this time, yet coud I neuer espie
Of mine acqueintaunce any in mine eie:
And shamefastnesse away me gan to chace,
But now I me submit vnto your grace."
"Well, all is pardoned with condition
That thou be true from henceforth to thy might
And seruen Loue in thine entention,
Sweare this, and than as ferre as it is right,
Thou shalt haue grace here in thy quenes sight.”
"Yes by the faith I owe to your croun, I swere,
Though Death therefore me thirlith with his spere."
And whan the king had seene vs cuerychone,
He let commaund an officer in hie
To take our faith, and shew vs one by one
The statutes of the court full busily:
Anon the booke was leid before their eie,
To rede and see what thing we must obserue
In Loues Court, till that we die and sterue.
VOL, I.
Without repent for laughing or for grame,
To bidden still in full perseueraunce,
All this was hole the kings ordinaunce.
The fourth statute to purchase ever to here,
And stirren folke to loue, and beten fire
On Venus auter, here about and there
And preach to them of loue and hote desire,
And tell how loue will quiten well their hire:
This must be kept, and loth me to displease:
If loue be wroth, passe: for there by is ease.
The fifth statute, not to be daungerous,
If that a thought would reue rae of my slepe:
Nor of a sight to be ouer squemous,
And so verely this statute was to kepe,
To turne and wallow in my bed and wepe,
Whan that my lady of her cruelty
Would from her herte exilen all pity.
The sixt statute, it was for me to vse,
Alone to wander, void of company,
And on my ladies beauty for to muse,
And to thinke it no force to liue or die,
And eft againe to thinke the remedie,
How to her grace I might anone attaine,
And tell my wo vnto my soueraine.
The seventh statute, was to be patient,
Whether my lady joyfull were or wroth,
For words glad or heauy, diligent,
Wheder that she me helden lefe or loth:
And hereupon I put was to mine oth,
Her for to serue, and lowly to obey,
In shewing her my chere ye xx. sith aday.
The eight statute to my remembraunce,
Was to speaken and pray my lady dere,
With hourely labour and great entendaunce,
Me for to loue with all her herte entere,
And me desire and make me joyfull chere,
Right as she is surmouning euery faire,
Of beauty well and gentle debonaire.
The ninth statute, with letters writ of gold,
This was the sentence how that I and all,
Should euer dread to be to ouerbold
Her to displease, and truely so I shall,
But ben content for thing that may fall,
And meekely take her chastisement, and yerd,
And to offend her euer ben aferd.
The tenth statute, was egally to discerne,
Betwene the lady and thine ability,
And thinke thy selfe art neuer like to yerne,
By right her mercy nor her equity,
But of her grace and womanly pity:
For though thy selfe be noble in thy strene,
A thousand fold more noble is thy quene.
Thy liues lady and thy soueraine,
That hath thine herte al hole in gouernaunce,
Thou mayst no wise it taken to disdaine,
To put thee humbly at her ordinaunce,
And give her free the reine of her plesauce,
For liberty is thing that woman looke,
And truly els the matter is a crooke.
The xi. statute, thy signs for to know
With eye and finger, and with smiles soft,
And low to couch, and alway for to show,
For drede of spies, for to winken oft:
And secretly to bring up a sigh aloft,
But still beware of ouermuch resort,
For that parauenture spilleth all thy sport.
The xii. statute remember to obserue:
For all the paine thou hast for loue and wo,
All is too lite her mercy to deserue,
Thou musten think, whereuer thou ride or go:
And mortall wounds suffer thou also,
Ail for her sake, and thinke it well besette
Upon thy loue, for it may not be bette.
The xiii. statute, whylome is to thinke,
What thing may best thy lady like and please,
And in thine hertes bottome let it sinke:
Some thing deuise, and take for it thine ease,
And send it her, that may her herte appease:
Some herte, or ring, or letter, or deuice,
Or precious stone, but spare not for no price.
The xiiii. statute eke thou shalt assay,
Formely to keepe the most part of thy life:
Wish that thy lady in thine armes lay,
Againe thy ladies pleasure ne entent?
For loue will not be countrepleted indede?
Say as she saith, than shalt thou not be shent,
The crow is white, ye truly so I rede:
And aye what thing that she thee will forbede,
Eschew all that, and giue her soueraintee,
Her appetite followe in all degree.
The xvi. statute keepe it if thou may,
Seuen sith at night thy lady for to please,
And seuen at midnight, seuen at morrow day,
And drinke a caudle earely for thine ease.
Do this and keep thine head from all disease,
And win the garland here of louers all,
That euer came in court, or euer shall.
Full few, think I, this statute hold and keep:
But truely this my reason giueth me fele,
That some louers should rather fall asleepe,
Than take on hand to please so oft and wele.
There lay none oth to this statute adele,
But keep who might, as gaue him his corage
Now get this garland lusty folke of age:
Now win who may ye lusty folke of youth,
This garland fresh, of floures red and white,
Purple and blew, and colours fell vncouth,
And I shall croune him king of all delite,
In all the court there was not to my sight,
A louer true, that he ne was adrede,
Whan he expresse hath heard the statute rede.
The xvii. statue, whan age approcheth on,
And lust is laid, and all the fire is quent,
As freshly than thou shalt begin to fonne
And dote in loue, and all her image paint
In thy remembraunce, till thou begin to faint,
As in the first season thine herte began:
And her desire, though thou ne may ne can
Performe thy liuing actuell, and lust,
Regester this in thine remembraunce:
Eke whan thou maist not keep thy thing from rust,
And nightly dreme, thou hast thy nights hertes wife, Yet speake and talke of pleasaunt daliaunce,
Sweetly in armes, strayning her as blife:
And whan thou seest it is but fantasie,
See that thou sing not ouer merely.
For too much joy hath oft a wofull end,
It longeth eke this statute for to hold,
To deme thy lady euer more thy friend,
And thinke thy selfe in no wise a cokold.
In euery thing she doth but as she should:
Construe the best, beleeue no tales new,
For many a lye is told, that seemeth full trew.
But thinke that she, so bounteous and faire,
Coud not be false: imagine this algate,
And think that tonges wicked would her appair,
Sclandering her name and worshipfull estate,
And louers true to setten at debate:
And though thou seest a faut right at thine eye,
Excuse it blue, and glose it pretily.
The xv. statute, vse to swere and stare,
And counterfeit a lesing hardely,
To save thy ladies honour euery where,
And put thy selfe for her to fight boldely:
Say she is good, vertuous, and ghostly,
Clere of entent, and herte, yea, thought and will,
And argue not for reason ne for skill.
For that shall make thine herte rejoice and daunce,
And whan thou maist no more the game assay,
The statute bid thee pray for them that may.
The xviii. statute, holy to commend,
To please thy lady, is that thou eschew
With sluttishnesse thy selfe for to offend,
Be jollife, fresh, and fete, with things new,
Courtly with manner, this is all thy due,
Gentill of port, and louing cleanlinesse,
This is the thing, that liketh thy maistresse.
And not to wander liche a dulled asse,
Ragged and torne, disguised in array,
Ribaud in speech, or out of measure passe,
Thy bound exceeding, thinke on this alway:
For women been of tender hertes aye,
And lightly set their pleasure in a place,
Whan they misthinke, they lightly let it passe.
The xix. statute, meat and drinke forgete:
Ech other day, see that thou fast for loue,
For in the court, they liue withouten mete,
Saue such as cometh from Uenus all aboue,
They take none hede, in pain of great reproue
Of meat and drinke, for that is all in vaine,
Onely they liue by sight of their soueraine.
The xx. statute, last of euerychone,
Enroll it in thyne hertes priuitee;
To wring and waile, to turne, and sigh and grone,
Whan that thy lady absent is from thee,
And eke renew the words all that she
Between you twain hath said, and all the chere
That thee hath made, thy liues lady dere.
And see thine herte in quiet, ne in rest
Sojourne, till time thou seene thy lady eft,
But where she won, by south, or east, or west,
With all thy force, now see it be not left:
Be diligent, till time thy life be raft,
In that thou mayest, thy lady for to see,
This statute was of old antiquitee.
An officer of high authority,
Cleped Rigour, made vs to swere anone:
He nas corrupt with partiality,
Fanour, prayer, ne gold that clerely shone ;
"Ye shall" (quod he) " now sweren bere echone,
Yong and old, to kepe in that they may
The statutes truly, all after this day."
O God thought I, hard is to make this oth:
But to my power shall I them obserue,
In all this world nas matter halfe so loth
To sweare for all for though my body sterue,
I have no might them hole to obserue.
But herken now the case how it befell,
After my oth was made, the troth to tell.
I tourned leaues, looking on this booke,
Where other statutes were of women shene,
And right forthwith Rigour on me gan looke
Full angerly, and sayed unto the queene
I traitour was, and charged me let been,
"Now dresse you forth, the god of loue you guide"
(Quod Rigour than) "and seek the temple bright
Of Cithera, goddesse here beside,
Beseech her by influence and might
Of all her vertue, you to teach aright,
How for to serue your ladies, and to please
Ye that been sped, and set your herte in ease.
"And ye that ben vnpurueyed, pray her eke
Comfort you soone with grace and destiny,
That ye may set your herte there ye may like,
In such a place, that it to loue may be
Honour and worship, and felicity
To you for aye, now goeth by one assent,"
"Graunt mercy sir" (quod we) and forth we went
Deuoutly soft and easie pace to see
Uenus the goddesse image all of gold :
And there we found a thousand on their knee,
Some fresh and faire, some deadly to behold,
In sundry mantils new and some were old,
Some painted were with flames red as fire,
Outward to show their inward hote desire.
With dolefull chere, ful fell in their complaint,
Cried" Lady Uenus, rew vpon our sore,
Receiue our bils, with teares all bedreint,
We may not weepe, there is no more in 'store
But wo and pain, vs fretteth more and more:
Thou blisseful planet, louers sterre so shene,
Haue routh on vs, that sigh and carefall bene.
"And punish lady greuously we pray,
The false vntrue, with counterfeit pleasaunce:
That made their oth, be true to liue or dey,
With chere assured, and with countenaunce:
And falsely now they footen loues daunce,
"There may no man" (quod he)" the statute know, Barraine of routh, vntrue of that they saied,
That long to women, hie degree ne low.
"In secret wise they kepten been full close,
They soune echone to liberty, my friend,
Pleasaunt they be, and to their owne purpose,
There wote no wight of them, but God and fiend,
Ne naught shall wit, vnto the worlds end.
The queen hath yeue me charge in pain to die
Neuer to rede ne seene them with myne eie.
"For men shall not so nere of counsaile bene
With womanhood, ne knowen of her guise,
Ne what they think, ne of their wit thengine,
I me report to Salomon the wise,
And mighty Sampson, which beguiled thrise
With Dalida was, he wote that in a throw,
There may no man statute of women know.
"For it perauenture may right so befall,
That they be bound by nature to deceiue,
And spinne, and weep, and sugre strew on gall,
The herte of man to rauish and to reiue,
And whet their tongue as sharpe as swerde or gleue,
It may betide, this is their ordinance,
So must they lowly doen their obseruaunce.
"And keepe the statute yeuen them of kind,
Of such as loue hath yeue hem in their life.
Men may not wete why turneth euery wind,
Nor waxen wise, nor been inquisitife
To know secret of maid, widow, or wife,
For they their statutes haue to them reserued,
And neuer man to know them hath deserued.
Now that their lust and pleasure is alaied."
Yet eft againe a thousand million
Rejoycing loue, leading their life in blisse,
They sayd" Uenus, redresse of all diuision,
Goddesse eternell, thy name ihired is:
By loues bond is knit all thing iwis,
Beast vnto beast, the yearth to water wan,
Bird vnto bird and woman vnto man,
"This is the life of joy that we ben in,
Resembling life of heauenly paradise,
Loue is exiler aye of vice aud sinne,
Loue maketh hertes lusty to deuise,
Honour and grace, haue they in euery wise,
That been to loues law obedient,
Loue maketh folke benigne and diligent.
Aye stering them to drede vice and shame:
In their degree, it maketh them honourable,
And sweet it is of loue to beare the name,
So that his love be faithfull, true and stable:
Loue pruneth him, to semen amiable,
Loue hath no faut, there it is exercised,
But sole with them that have all loue dispised.
"Honour to thee celestiall and clere
Goddesse of loue, and to thy celsitude,
That yeuest vs light so fer doun from thy spere,
Piercing our hertes with thy pulcritude,
Comparison none of similitude
May to thy grace be made in no degree,
That hast vs set with loue in vnitie.
"Great cause haue we to praise thy name and thee,
For thorough thee we liue in joy and blisse.
Blessed be thou, most soueraine to see,
Thy holy court of gladnesse may not misse:
A thousand sith we may rejoyce in this,
That we ben thine with herte and all yfere,
Euflamed with thy grace, and heauenly fere."
Musing of tho that spaken in this wise,
I me bethought in my remembraunce
Mine orizon right goodly to deuise,
And pleasantly with hertes obeisaunce,
Beseech the goddesse voiden my greuaunce,
For I loued eke, saufe that I wist not where,
Yet downe I set and sayd as ye shall here.
"Fairest of all, that euer were or bee,
Licour and light, to pensife creature,
Mine hole affiaunce, and my lady free,
My goddesse bright, my fortune and my ure,
I yeue and yeeld my herte to thee full sure,
Humbly beseeching lady of thy grace
Me to bestow now in some blessed place.
And here I vow me, faithful, true, and kind,
Without offence of mutabilitie,
Humbly to serue, while I haue wit and mind,
Mine hole affiaunce, and my lady free,
In thilke place, there ye me signe to be:
And sith this thing of new is yeue me aye
To loue and serue, needly must I obey.
"Be merciable with thy fire of grace,
And fix mine herte, there beauty is and routh:
For hote I loue, determine in no place,
Saufe onely this, by God and by my trouth
Troubled I was, with slumber, slepe, and slouth
This other night, and in a visioun
I see a woman romen vp and doun,
![[blocks in formation]](https://books.google.com.eg/books/content?id=D-IUAAAAYAAJ&hl=ar&output=html_text&pg=PA372&img=1&zoom=3&q=editions:UOM39015058694616&cds=1&sig=ACfU3U15rYWIEumgh3gxpUgP7RMNAVFF3A&edge=0&edge=stretch&ci=73,880,470,171)
"For what she is, ne her dwelling I not,
And yet I fele that loue distreineth me:
Might iche her know, her would I faine God wot
Serue and obey with all benignitie,
And if that other be my destinie,
So that no wise I shall her neuer see,
Than graunt me her that best may liken me.
"With glad rejoyce to liue in parfite hele,
Deuoid of wrath, repent or variaunce:
And able me to doe that may be wele
Unto my lady, with hertes hie pleasaunce:
And mighty goddes through thy purueiaunce
My wit, my thoght, my lust and loue so guide,
That to thine honor I may me prouide
"To set mine herte in place there I may like,
And gladly serue with all affection,
Great is the paine, which at mine herte doth sticke,
Till I be sped by thine election:
Helpe lady goddesse, that possession
I might of her haue, that in all my life
I clepen shall my quene, and hertes wife.
"And in the Court of Loue to dwell for aye
My will it is, and done thee sacrifice:
Daily with Diane eke to fight and fraye,
And holden werre, as might will me suffice:
That goddesse chast, I keepen in no wise
To serue, a figge for all her chastity,
Her law is for religiousity."
And thus gan finish prayer, laud, and preice,
Which that I youe to Uenus on my knee,
And in mine herte to ponder and to peice,
I gan anone her image fresh beautie:
"Heile to that figure sweet, and heile to thee
Cupide" (quod I) and rose and yede my wey,
And in the temple as I yede, I sey
A shrine surmounting all in stones rich,
Of which the force was pleasaunce to mine ey,
With diamond or saphire, neuer liche
I haue none seene, ne wrought so wonderly:
So whan I met with Philobone in hie,
I gan demaund, who is this sepulture,
"Forsooth" (quod she) "a tender creature
"Is shrined there, and Pity is her name,
She saw an egle wreke him on a flie,
And pluck his wing, and eke him in his game,
And tender herte of that hath made her die :
Eke she would weep and mourn right pitously
To seene a louer suffer great distresse,
In all the court nas none, as I do gesse,
"That coud a louer halfe so well auaile,
Ne of his wo the torment or the rage
Asken, for he was sure withouten faile,
That of his greef she coud the heat assuage.
In steed of Pity, speedeth hote courage
The matters all of court, now she is dead,
I me report in this to womanhead.
"For weil and weep, and cry, and speak, and pray,
Women would not haue pity on thy plaint,
Ne by that mean, to ease thine herte conuay,
But thee receiuen for their owne talent:
And say that Pity causeth thee in consent
Of reuth to take thy seruice and thy paine,
In that thou maist, to please thy soueraine.
"But this is counsaile, keepe it secretly,"
(Quod she)" I nold for all the world about,
The queene of loue it wist, and wite ye why,
For if by me this matter springen out,
In court no lenger should I out of dout
Dwellen, but shame in all my life endry,
Now keepe it close" (quod she)" this hardely.
"Well all is well now shall ye seen," she said
"The fairest lady vnder Sunne that is:
Come on with me, demean you lich a maid,
With shamefast drede, for ye shall speak ywis
With her that is the mirrour joy and blisse:
But somewhat strange and sad of her demearf
She is, beware your countenaunce be seen,
"Nor ouer light, ne rechelesse, ne too bold,
Ne malapert, ne renning with your tong,
For she will you obeisen and behold,
And you demand why ye were hence so long
Out of this court, without resort among :
And Rosiall her name is hote aright,
Whose herte as yet is yeuen to no wights
And ye also been, as I vnderstond,
With loue but light auanced, by your word,
Might ye by hap your freedom maken boud,
Aud fall in grace with her, and wele accord,
Well might ye thank the god of loue and lord,
For she that ye saw in your dreame appere,
To loue such one, what are they than the nere,
"Yet wote ye what, as my remembraunce
Me yeueth now, ye faine where that ye say,
That ye with loue had neuer acquaintance,
Saue in your dream right late this other day:
Why yes parde, my life that durst I lay,
That ye were caught vpon an heath, whan I
Saw you complain, and sigh full pitously.
"Within an herber, and a gardein faire
Where flowers grow, and herbes vertuous,
Of which the sauour swete was and the aire,
There were your self full hote and amorous:
Iwis ye been too nice and daungerous,
I would ye now repent, and loue some new,"
"Nay by my trouth," I said "I neuer knew
"The goodly wight, whose I shall be for aye:
Guide me the lord, that loue bath made and me."
But forth we went into a chamber gay,
There was Rosiall, womanly to see,
Whose streames, sotell piercing of her eye,
Mine herte gan thrill for beauty in the stound,
"Alas" (quod I)" who hath me yeve this wound."
And than I drede to speake, till at the last
I grete the lady reuerently and wele,
Whan that my sigh was gone and ouerpast,
Than doun on knees ful humbly gan I knele,
Beseeching her my feruent wo to kele,
For there I tooke full purpose in my mind
Into her grace, my painfull herte to bind.
For if I shall all fully her discriue,
Her head was round, by compasse of nature,
Her haire as gold, she passed all on liue,
And lilly forehed had this creature,
With liueliche browes, flaw of colour pure,
Betwene the which was meane disceueraunce
From euery brow, to shew a due distaunce.
Her nose directed streight, and euen as line,
With forme and shape thereto conuenient,
In which the goddes milk white path doth shine,
And eke her eyen ben bright and orient,
As is the smaragde, vnto my judgement,
Or yet these sterres Heauenly small and bright,
Her visage is of louely rede and white.
Her mouth is short, and shit in little space,
Flaming somedeale, not ouer redde I mean,
With pregnant lips, and thick to kisse percase,
For lippes thinne not fat, but euer lene,
They serue of naught, they be not worth a bean,
For if the basse been full, there is delite,
Maximian truly thus doth he write.
But to my purpose, I say white as snow
Been all her teeth, and in order they stond
Of one stature, and eke her breath I trow
Sumounteth all odours that euer I found
In sweetnesse, and her body, face, and hond
Been sharpely slender, so that from the head
Unto the foot, all is but womanhead,
I hold my peace, of other things hidde,
Here shall my soule, and not my tong bewray,
But how she was arraied, if ye me bidde,
That shall I well discouer you and say,
A bend of gold and silke, full fresh and gay,
With her intresse, broudered full wele,
Right smoothly kept, and shining euerydele.
About her necke a flower of fresh deuise,
With rubies set, that lusty were to sene,
And she in goun was light and summer wise,
Shapen full wele, the colour was of grene,
With aureat sent about her sides clene,
With diuers stones, precious and rich,
Thus was she rayed, yet saw I neuer her lick.
For if that Joue had but this lady scine,
Tho Calixto ne yet Alcmenia,
They neuer hadden in his armes leine,
Ne he had loued the faire Europa,
Ye ne yet Dane ne Antiopa,
For all their beauty stood in Roșiall,
She seemed lich a thing celestiall.
In bounty, favour, port, and seemelinesse,
Pleasaunt of figure, mirrour of delite,
Gracious to seene, and root of all gentilnesse,
With anugell visage, lusty redde and white:
There was not lack, saufe daunger had alite
This goodly fresh in rule and gouernaunce,
And somdele strange she was for her pleasaunce.
And truly sone I took my leaue and went,
Whan she had me enquired what I was,
For more and more impressen gan the dent
Of Loues dart, while I beheld her face,
And eft againe I come to seeken grace,
And vp I put my bill, with sentence clere,
That followeth after, rede and ye shall here.
|