sig: [A1] | |
¶A contrauersye bytwene a louer and a Iaye. | |
sig: [A1v] | |
[¶The prologue.] Upper margin trimmed.
|
|
THoughe laureate poetes in olde antyquyte | |
Fayned fables vnder clowdy sentence | |
Yet some intytuled fruytfull moralyte intytuled: =entitled, 'ascribed, imputed'?; see OED s.v. intitule v, 5b. | |
Some of loue wrote greate cyrcumstaunce | |
5 | Some of cheualrous actes made remembraunce |
Some as good phylosophers naturally endyted | |
Thus wysely and wytly theyr tyme they spended. | |
¶ Ouyde of loue made matters wonderfull | |
Good to be knowen for eschewynge more euyll | |
10 | But Calaunce and Tybull with style moche paynfull |
Tenderly wrote of loue delectable | |
Gallus and Sappho ben nothynge profytable | |
For yonge folkes to rede of lusty courage | |
Lest they be tangled in Venus bondage | |
15 | ¶ Chaucer floure of rethoryke eloquence rethoryke: =rhetorical |
Compyled bookes pleasaunt and meruayllous | |
After hym noble Gower experte in scyence | |
Wrote moralytees harde and delycyous | |
But Lydgates workes are fruytefull and sentencyous | |
20 | Who of his bookes hathe redde the fyne |
He wyll hym call a famous rethorycyne | |
¶Yonge Steuen_Hawse whose soule god pardon | |
Treated of loue so clerkely and well | |
To rede his werkes is myne affeccyon | |
25 | Whiche he compyled of Labell_pusell |
Remembrynge storyes fruytfull and delectable | |
I lytell or nought experte in poetry | |
Of lamentable loue hathe made a dytty. | |
sig: A2 | |
¶Here begynneth the auctoure. |
|
IN an arbere | |
Late as I were | |
The foules to here | |
Was myne entente | |
5 | Syngynge in fere |
With notes clere | |
They made good chere | |
On bowes bente | |
¶Theyr tewnes swete | |
10 | Moued me to slepe |
Ferther to flete | |
I coude not restrayne | |
To take my rest | |
Me-thought it best | |
15 | It was my lust |
Styll to remayne | |
¶The floures florysshed | |
The trees burnysshed | |
The odoure me nourysshed | |
20 | With greate suauyte |
That styll I laye | |
All the longe daye | |
In sporte and playe | |
By songes of melody | |
25 | ¶Me-thought in slombre |
I harde a louer | |
Without recouer | |
Cryenge alas. | |
sig: [A2v] | |
My loue vnkynde | |
30 | That dyd me bynde |
Hathe chaunged her mynde | |
For no trespas. | |
¶With rewfull songe | |
His handes he wronge | |
35 | Endurynge longe |
His herte was thro. | |
Bothe erthe and heuen | |
With planettes seuen | |
Myght here his steuen | |
40 | Where he dyd go |
¶His coloure reed | |
Was pale as leede | |
Lyke asshes deed | |
For greuous payne | |
45 | In herte can dare |
And lothely fare | |
In greatter care | |
Was neuer man. | |
¶His herte was faynte | |
50 | For greate complaynte |
His heere he rente | |
Without pyte | |
And fell to the grounde | |
Oftentymes that stounde | |
55 | With mortall wounde |
He cryed on hye | |
¶ Amator. |
|
¶O herte vnfayne. | |
sig: A3 | |
Thou may complayne | |
Of thy lemman | |
60 | And lady swete. |
For lacke of comforte | |
Or goodly sporte | |
Thou must resorte | |
And wayle and wepe | |
65 | ¶O paynes outtragyous |
Greate and contagyous | |
No myrthe solacyous | |
Maye you abbate | |
But euer to renewe | |
70 | And euer to extewe extewe: =eschew |
She is vntrewe | |
Alacke alacke. | |
¶O inwarde sorowe | |
Bothe euen and morowe | |
75 | Saynt George to borowe |
Thou hast greate wronge | |
Without on thought | |
Auaylynge nought | |
For loue hath wrought | |
80 | The in suche thronge |
¶O wonderfull loue | |
That me dyd moue | |
Without reproue | |
¶Of thought vntrue | |
85 | O loue ryght clene |
As Phebus beme | |
Syth the fyrste tyme | |
sig: [A3v] | |
That I the knewe | |
¶O loue constrayned | |
90 | O loue sore payned |
O loue not fayned | |
O loue of lykynge | |
Where is thy solace | |
Where is thy maystres | |
95 | Where is thy gladnes |
Where is thy swetynge | |
¶O gentell floure | |
Reclayme thy paramoure | |
Wounded ryght sore | |
100 | With loues launce |
Reclayme reclayme | |
And thynke no shame | |
Exyle dysdayne | |
From your remembraunce | |
105 | ¶Lette pyte lede |
Your womanhede | |
And mercy guyde | |
Your tendre aege | |
O famous pucell | |
110 | Meke courtoys and gentell |
Semynge to be ryght well | |
Of noble parentage | |
¶Retourne retourne | |
Beholde I mourne | |
115 | Was neuer none borne |
That loue more greued | |
Full lytell ywys. | |
sig: [A4] | |
[Knowe ye I gesse] Upper margin trimmed. | |
What payne it is | |
120 | To loue vnloued |
¶Alas o nature | |
Why dyd ye fygure | |
So fayre a creature | |
Of flesshe and bone | |
125 | Excepte that she |
To loue wolde plye | |
And haue pyte | |
On her true man | |
¶O cupyde kynge | |
130 | Of loue and louynge |
Greate is thy werkynge | |
And vyolent powre | |
Constrayne constrayne | |
To me agayne | |
135 | Myne owne lemman |
And paramoure | |
¶O Venus hyghe | |
Of goddes chefe | |
Beholde my grefe | |
140 | And wofull chere |
Redresse my smerte | |
And cause my swete-herte | |
Shortely reuerte | |
To her prysonere | |
145 | ¶O meruaylous fortune |
That hath domynyon | |
And in thy bandon | |
Euery lyuynge wyght | |
sig: [A4v] | |
Helpe to preuayle | |
150 | My paynfull trauayle |
I wepe and I wayle | |
Bothe daye and nyght | |
¶Syth you me brought | |
To loue vnsought | |
155 | My-thynke you ought |
By reason good. | |
To wounde her sore | |
With dyntes of armoure | |
That pyte poore | |
160 | May chaun[g]e her mode chaunge] chaunce 1532 |
¶O dethe do swarue | |
My herte-vayne to carue | |
That I may sterue | |
My lyfe is lorne | |
165 | He fell in swowne |
Recouerynge soone | |
He set hym downe | |
Vnder o thorne | |
¶The auctoure. |
|
¶The byrdes aboute | |
170 | Sange in a route |
With tewnes stoute | |
Of armony. | |
Hym to aswage | |
Fallynge in rage | |
175 | Of loues bondage |
For his lady. | |
sig: B1 | |
[¶Coude not refrayne] Upper margin trimmed. | |
His mortall payne | |
But dyd complayne | |
180 | With heuynesse |
Alas sayd he | |
What cause hath she | |
Vnkynde to be | |
For no trespace | |
¶ Graculus loquitur amatori. |
|
185 | ¶In that affraye |
A Ianglynge Iaye | |
Sange on a spraye | |
Bothe to and fro | |
Thou carefull man | |
190 | That dothe complayne |
In herte vnfayne | |
Why doest thou so | |
¶ Amator. |
|
¶With wofull chere | |
And sorowes sere | |
195 | Was nought afere |
Trouthe to reporte | |
That vnkyndnesse | |
Of his maystresse | |
Was paynfulnesse | |
200 | Without comforte |
¶ Graculus. |
|
¶To sette thy mynde | |
On one vnkynde | |
Thy wyttes were blynde | |
Yet neuerthelesse | |
sig: [B1v] | |
205 | [Thyselfe to spyll] Upper margin trimmed. |
Do way be styll | |
For after trouble | |
Cometh Ioyfulnesse | |
¶Exyle despayre | |
210 | To myrth repayre |
For sorowe and care | |
Auayleth nought | |
To good request | |
Be alwaye prest | |
215 | For wytte is best |
Whan it is bought | |
¶ Amator. |
|
¶Her beaute pure | |
And countenaunce demure | |
Is prynted sure | |
220 | In myne herte-rote |
No remedy | |
But I must dye | |
Without that she | |
Wyll be my bote | |
225 | ¶With greate tourment |
And syghes feruent | |
I make complaynte | |
To god aboue | |
Was neuer wyght | |
230 | So dolefully dyght |
By daye nor nyght | |
And all for loue | |
¶Erly or late | |
No rest I take | |
sig: B2 | |
235 | But for her sake |
Mourneth styll | |
Trustynge for grace | |
But none can purchace | |
Adue alas | |
240 | God knoweth my wyll |
¶ Graculus. |
|
¶Syth fortunes chaunce | |
Hath made instaunce | |
The to auaunce | |
In venus playe | |
245 | Beware agayne |
Of false dysdayne | |
That with gyle and trayne | |
Wyll the betraye | |
¶Whan thou wenest leest | |
250 | And trusteth best |
Thou shalte be fyrst | |
Deceyued in-dede | |
For loue is vayne | |
And neuer certayne | |
255 | But full of payne |
And foly to mede | |
¶Loue is delycyous | |
Loue is prymrose | |
Loue is more precyous | |
260 | Than golde and topasyon |
Loue is a prety cage | |
For fowles of tender aege | |
Loue is but dotage | |
When we haue all done | |
265 | ¶Loue is greate pleasure |
sig: [B2v] | |
To euery yonge creature | |
Loue is treasure | |
That wasteth faste | |
Loue is comfortable | |
270 | Loue is ofte varyable |
Loue is deceyuable | |
And nought at the laste | |
¶What thynge is loue | |
That so dothe moue | |
275 | Fayne wolde I proue |
How it dothe come | |
Nothynge loue is | |
But nature I gesse | |
And from nature it comes | |
280 | By faythfull affeccyon |
¶Thoughe nature moue | |
And bydde the loue | |
Yet wysdome wolde proue | |
Or it be hote | |
285 | Whan fortune sowre |
Dothe on the lowre | |
Thou getest an ore | |
In cocke_lorels bote | |
¶Auyse the well | |
290 | And take good counsell |
Thou hast fre-wyll | |
To rule and guyde | |
For loue is daungerous | |
False and contagyous | |
295 | And as sure as a mouse |
Tyed at a threde | |
sig: B3 | |
¶I can not contrary | |
But mannes moost felycyte | |
Is close in femynyte | |
300 | B[y] affeccyon naturall By] But 1532 |
Yet trewly it is but foly | |
To loue contynually | |
A thynge that is transytory | |
And not perpetuall | |
305 | ¶Thou mayst take en_sample |
Of Graundamoure and Grysyll | |
Iason and Isaphyll | |
Ferther to pursewe | |
Of Tysbe and Pyramys | |
310 | Heleyne and Parys |
Scylla and Mynoys | |
That were louers trewe | |
¶What is become | |
Of Phylys and Demophon | |
315 | Alcumena and A[m]phyt[r]yon Amphytryon] Alphytyon 1532 |
With many thousandes mo | |
Pollyxena and Achylles | |
Dyanyra and Hercules | |
Where is theyr greate gladnes | |
320 | And amyable Ioye |
¶Where is Semele and Iocasta | |
Cleopatre and Ixonya | |
Semyramys and Syluya | |
So fayre of fauoure | |
325 | What auayleth the beauteousnesse |
Of Medea and Lucresse | |
Syth all-thynge is vanytees | |
sig: [B3v] | |
And fadeth as a floure | |
¶Whyle fortune was frendely | |
330 | And tourned her whele kyndely |
They had moche felycyte | |
In loue and lykynge | |
Greate was theyr affeccyon | |
In carnall delectacyon | |
335 | Now are they all gone |
For all theyr louynge | |
¶ Penelope was faythfull | |
Cyrcys was deceytfull | |
Neobe was carefull | |
340 | And Hester was good |
Theyr pageandes are past pageandes: =pageants | |
And ours wasteth fast | |
Nothynge dothe aye last | |
But the grace of god | |
345 | ¶Therfore well consyder |
This worldes Ioye is slyder | |
Nothynge is more sweter | |
And decayeth so soone | |
With reason be contente | |
350 | For fere thou repente |
To my counsayle consente | |
And lette loue alone | |
¶ Amator. |
|
¶O fowle of fayrenesse | |
Swete are thy storyes | |
355 | That thou doest expresse |
To me in doloure | |
Yet neuerthelesse | |
sig: [B4] | |
Nature is [fresshe] Upper margin trimmed. | |
And woundeth me doubtlesse | |
360 | With dyntes of amoure |
¶I knowe ryght well | |
No loue is durable | |
Whan fortune vnstable | |
Tourneth her face | |
365 | On wretches to wrythe |
And her power kythe | |
Be they wrothe or blythe | |
She chaungeth theyr solace | |
¶Yet my poore herte | |
370 | Can not awaye sterte |
From the penetrable darte | |
Of blynde Cupido | |
His doughter wyll | |
Woundeth me styll | |
375 | With paynes vnmedsynable |
Where-euer I go | |
¶Thus am I wrapped | |
And in wo vmbelapped | |
Suche loue hath me trapped | |
380 | Without ony cure |
Syr Trystram the good | |
For his lemman Isoude | |
[More] sorowe neuer bode Upper margin trimmed. | |
Than I do endure | |
385 | ¶ Lamwell and Lamaroke |
Gawayne and Launcelotte | |
Garathe and Craddocke | |
With the table rounde | |
sig: [B4v] | |
Syr Beuys / Syr Eglamoure | |
390 | Syr Terry / Syr Tryamoure |
In more greuous doloure | |
Was neuer in bounde | |
¶ Phedra and Theseus | |
Progne and Thereus | |
395 | Pasyphe and Taurus |
Who lyketh to proue | |
Canace and Machareus | |
Galathea and Pamphylus | |
Was neuer more dolorous | |
400 | And all for true loue |
¶ Dydo and Deydamya | |
Leda and Lanynya | |
Marra and Medusa | |
And Tomyrys so hynde | |
405 | Candacys and Cyrene |
Calysto and Cydyppe | |
Was neuer none lyke me | |
In trewe herte and mynde | |
¶ Treusa and Cletemnestra | |
410 | Smylax and Latona |
Bybles and Atalanta | |
Of arcady the quene | |
Daphnys Hypermestra | |
Dyrce and Cloylea | |
415 | Hypolyte and Dyana |
All these louers hath ben | |
¶I haue serched of late | |
Many poete-laureate | |
That dyuers bookes dyd make | |
sig: C1 | |
420 | And storyes regystred |
Yet in comparyson | |
Of my true affeccyon | |
Scarsely can I fynde one | |
Syth Troylus reygned | |
425 | ¶That was trewe and faythfull |
In loue that is paynfull | |
Without fraude dysceytfull | |
Or preuy stryfe | |
Therfore as I fynde | |
430 | I wyll shewe my mynde |
Ryght fewe of Grysyldes kynde | |
Is now lefte on_lyue | |
¶This worlde is altered | |
Condycyons are chaunged | |
435 | As is dayly proued |
By trewe experyence experyence] experyencery 1532 | |
Trust is now treche[ry] trechery] treche 1532 | |
And loue is but lechery | |
All thynges decayeth dayly | |
440 | Without repentaunce. |
¶Thoughe I more speke | |
My herte wyll breke | |
So loue wyll wreke | |
On me with tene | |
445 | Fare-well delectacyon |
Welcome my fortune | |
I must be content with reason | |
As other hath ben | |
¶ Graculus. |
|
¶For thy dystresse | |
sig: [C1v] | |
450 | And heuynesse |
I wyll expresse | |
In wordes playne | |
That women frayle | |
Are seldome leale | |
455 | The trouthe to tell |
I wyll not layne | |
¶They wyll consente | |
And soone repente | |
It is them lente | |
460 | And gyuen by nature |
Therfore beware | |
To proue ouer-ferre | |
For to loues daungere | |
They wyll the flatter | |
465 | ¶Theyr wordes softe blandysshynge |
Are quaynte with flaterynge | |
And with countenaunce faynynge | |
They can make it nyse | |
Couered aboue falsely | |
470 | Forgynge fraudes craftely |
That they haue brought many | |
To a fooles paradyse | |
¶Lyke serpentes furyous | |
Amonge floures odyous | |
475 | Theyr venym hydeous |
Remayneth styll | |
The seugre appereth | |
The gall behynde leueth | |
What man that proueth | |
480 | Shall lyke them full yll |
sig: C2 | |
¶[Theyr speche is amyable] Upper margin trimmed. | |
Theyr hertes are chaungeable | |
Theyr myndes are varyable | |
With mutabylyte | |
485 | They are worthy no prayse |
They are [s]o tempred with all wayes Letter broken. | |
And as Guydo sayes | |
They are neuer in suretye | |
¶In teres they seme carefull | |
490 | And inwardly they are dysceytfull |
Ryght fewe that be faythfull | |
For sykernes | |
They wyll speke fayre outwarde | |
And thynke the contrary | |
495 | Thus do they alwaye vary |
With all doublenesse | |
¶Recorde of Cresyde | |
Whome Troylus loued | |
And was sore payned | |
500 | Chauser dothe tell |
Her loue was fayned | |
And wrothly chaunged | |
And gyuen to Dyomede | |
With grekes to dwell | |
505 | ¶Who trusteth them best |
He shall be the fyrst | |
Desceyued I trust | |
By fortune euen | |
Than may he go | |
510 | Where he came fro |
With sorowe and wo | |
sig: [C2v] | |
Iacke vnthryuen | |
¶Ofte-tymes they smyle | |
In loues style | |
515 | And dothe begyle |
Yonge louers faynte | |
With sportes and playes | |
But now-a_dayes | |
He that trewth sayes | |
520 | He shall be shente |
¶Very fewe or none | |
Is content with one | |
But as the mone | |
Oftentymes they chaunge | |
525 | Therfore lette a man |
Do as well as he can | |
For lytell_brytayne | |
Is no graunge | |
¶Serche scrypture and polycy | |
530 | Crownacle and phylosophy |
The fraudes of femynyte | |
With gylefull trayne | |
Hathe brought to confusyo[n] | |
Many a chefe champyon | |
535 | As Sampson and Salomon |
Whose storyes are playne | |
¶ Dauyd the conquerour | |
Arystotle the phylosopher | |
Hercules and Arthure | |
540 | With many other mo |
Defamed was craftely | |
Thrughe womens fraylte | |
sig: C3 | |
Answere lette vs se | |
Is it not so | |
545 | ¶Many cytees and townes |
Many countrees and regyons | |
Many Erles Dukes and Barons | |
Destroyed hathe ben | |
Many a kynge and Emperoure | |
550 | And bolde knyghtes of aduenture |
Hathe dyed with doloure | |
And all for women | |
¶ Pryamus and Parys | |
Hector and Achylles | |
555 | Patraclus and Palomydes |
Dyepholus a roy | |
Many a noble freke | |
Of Asye and of Greke | |
For fayre Heleyns sake | |
560 | Was slayne at the syege of troy |
¶How sholde I more wryte | |
Or yet endyte | |
My herte dothe wepe | |
To thynke therupon | |
565 | What myschefe what murmure |
What slaundre and manslaughter | |
What dysdayne and what murdre | |
That hathe ben for women | |
¶Ferther to procede | |
570 | Me-thynke no nede |
To regystre in-dede | |
Theyr propertees peryllous | |
Yet who wolde here | |
sig: [C3v] | |
Mo craftes of them sere | |
575 | Lette hym rede and lere |
Guydo and Secundus | |
¶Thus in conclusyon | |
Women are confusyon | |
And fynall destruccyon | |
580 | To man at the ende |
Yet shame it is | |
To blame them doubtlesse | |
For as clerkes sayes | |
They haue it of kynde | |
585 | ¶Therfore remembre |
Theyr yonge ages tendre | |
That to loue is egre | |
With lusty courage | |
To loue in youthe | |
590 | Is pleasure ynoughe |
And in age forsothe | |
It is but dotage | |
Trust not theyr wordes | |
Nor mery bourdes | |
595 | For knyghtes and lordes |
Desceyued haue ben | |
They are ofte mutable | |
They are false and varyable | |
Therfore trust them but lytell | |
600 | For all theyr fayre eyen |
¶Take comforte good | |
And chaunge thy mode | |
For by the swete rode | |
They tourne as the wynde | |
sig: [C4] | |
605 | On the see I haue bene |
And many Ieoperdyes sene | |
What nede I more to rekyn | |
Thou knowest my mynde | |
¶Remembre well I saye | |
610 | I must awaye |
Passed is the daye | |
I maye not abyde | |
She toke her flyght | |
And flewe forthe-ryght | |
615 | And the wofull wyght |
Fast after yede | |
¶The auctoure. |
|
¶With that I awoke | |
And toke my booke | |
Theron to loke | |
620 | Was my solace |
Lyke as I herde | |
I was not aferde | |
But worde by worde | |
I wrote this treatyse | |
¶ Finis. |
|
¶Lenuoye of the auctoure. Lenuoye: =the envoy; see OED s.v. l'envoy, lenvoy.
|
|
¶Go lytell booke with rudenes replete | |
Presente the humbly before lecture lytterall | |
Excusynge thy maker by way or by strete | |
And pronounce thy sentence with language lyberall | |
5 | Praye them to correcte thy paynes rustycall |
For made thou was of shorte aduysement | |
By meruayllous instaunce of a louer verament | |
sig: [C4v] | |
¶Fayned thou arte with wordes obprobryous | |
Regystrynge the actes and propertyes of women | |
10 | That some men wyll Iudge the enuyous |
Naye truely than were he to blame | |
This is his mynde and entendement certayne | |
Where-as they rede and fynde them gyltye | |
Lette them amende / this counsayle gyueth he | |
15 | ¶Who lyketh thy sentence and pondereth it ryght |
Coniectynge well in his remembraunce | |
Knowe may he truely that by a lady bryght | |
Thou was compyled by pastymes pleasaunce | |
Suche great vnkyndnesse whiche caused varyaunce | |
20 | Was shewed to a louer called .F._T. |
Her name also begynneth with .A._B. | |
¶Thus endeth the treatyse of the louer and a Iaye lately compyled by me Thomas_Feylde. | |
¶Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn_de_Worde. | |