sig: [A1] | |
¶Here begynneth the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed. | |
sig: [A1v] | |
AF[t]er playes sportes and daunces of solace After] Affer 1518 | |
We must thynke to come to prosperyte | |
After that god of his haboundaunte grace | |
Wyll prouyde how that I may gouerne me | |
5 | In mynde I purpose wedded to be |
In a better lyfe may no man lyue in | |
Than to be maryed and ly[u]e out of synne lyue] lyfe 1518 | |
All yonge louers sholde them so affyle | |
That they loue trewely and so for to lyue | |
10 | With ardaunte wytte and perfyte style |
All vnto goodnesse themselfe for to gyue | |
Than may they be sure that they shall thryue | |
So wyll I lyue in maryage clene and pure | |
To goddes be_houe and in_creasynge of nature | |
15 | To longe haue I lyued without ony make |
All to longe haue I vsed my yonge age | |
I wyll all for_go and a wyfe to me take | |
For to encreace both our twoos lynage | |
For saynt Iohnn sayth that he is sage | |
20 | That ayenst his wyll doth hym gouerne |
And our lordes preceptes hym-selfe for to lerne | |
There is no greter pleasure than for to haue | |
A wyfe that is full of prudence and wysdome | |
Alas for loue [r]yght I am in poynte to raue ryght] nyght 1518 | |
25 | These cursed olde men haue an yll custome |
Women for to blame / both all and some | |
For that th[e]y can not theyr myndes full_fyll they] thy 1518 | |
Therfore they speke of them but all yll | |
sig: A2 | |
Now syth that I haue my tyme vsed | |
30 | For to folowe / my folysshe pleasaunces |
And haue my-selfe oftentymes sore abused | |
At plaes and sportes / pompes and daunces | |
Spendynge golde and syluer and grete fynaunces | |
For faut of a wyfe the cause is all | |
35 | To late maryed / men may me call |
The holy sacramente of maryage | |
Before holy chyrche was ordeyned | |
For to encrease humayne lynage | |
He that doth other-wyse is [n]ot receyued | |
40 | Before god / thus was man guerdoned |
With woman for to lyue at his owene wyll | |
He is a fole that elles-where doth nature spyll | |
I haue done as the labourer doth | |
That somtyme is payned with trobyll grete | |
45 | For he leseth his payne for certayne soth |
That in the hye-waye soweth his whete soweth] sotweth 1518 | |
Well I perceyue that I dyde me forgete | |
Or that I put me in-to housholde | |
I haue lost my seed my worke is but colde | |
50 | Women and maydens / both good and yll |
With me I helde my-selfe for to please | |
The one dyde rebell / the other abode styll | |
Other made me well at myn ease | |
Cupydo than came me for to cease cease: =seize | |
55 | Uenus lyghted her bronde of fyre |
For suche seruyce suche guerdo[n] and hyre guerdon] guerdob 1518 | |
sig: [A2v] | |
Thus rauysshed in this sayd abusyon | |
I was taken with a cautelous wyle | |
That me-thought to make conclusyon | |
60 | Of my weddynge within a whyle |
But yet dyde they me begyle | |
They caused me for to make grete dyspence | |
For I was no soner wed through my neglygence | |
I wolde do make comune I_wys | |
65 | My propre goodes so was I lyght |
Of wytte and was all-wayes redy as is | |
A man of armes in poynt to fyght | |
Other-whyles I went me ryght | |
In-to places my-selfe solysytynge solysytynge: =soliciting | |
70 | But nother frequented that beynge |
Yf I with_helde ony praty one | |
Swetely ynough she made me chere | |
Sayenge that she loued no persone | |
But me / and therto she dyde swere | |
75 | But whan I wente fro that place there |
Unto an-other she dyde as moche | |
For they loue none but for theyr poche | |
I had fyue or syxe companyons | |
That haunted with me euery houre | |
80 | But I haue knowen to suche garsons |
In secrete they haue done socoure | |
Yf that they enioyed my paramoure | |
With grete payne durste I it to them saye | |
Force me was to kepe counseyll alwaye | |
sig: [A3] | |
85 | I wote well that I haue ryght sore varyed |
For to haue wylled for to lyue alone | |
For to haue ben to late maryed | |
For that I haue herde so longe a_gone | |
For she that abandoneth to more than one | |
90 | I dare wyll swere and ther-with it sust[a]yne sustayne] sustyne 1518 |
That she abandoneth vnto a dosayne | |
Folysshe regardes full of vanyte | |
I kest ouer-[t]warte and eke contrauers ouer-[t]warte] ouer swarte 1518ouer-twarte ='crosswise'; see OED s.v. overthwart; contrauers ='in the opposite direction'? See OED s.v. contraverse adv., where this example is quoted. | |
To_daye I had peas rest and vnyte | |
95 | To_morowe I had plete and processe dyuers plete: =plea |
Breke I dyde dores and fenesters | |
Sargeauntes met me by the waye | |
And enprysoned both me and my praye | |
Subiecte I was to a meyny of bawdes | |
100 | And vnto a grete company of brothelles |
Whiche to me brought an hepe of rybaudes | |
Dronkardes that loued well good morselles | |
Knaues and theues that wolde pyke quarelles | |
I gaue them clothes I knewe not theyr vse | |
105 | There is none so subtyll but loue doth hym abuse |
Alas I haue all my tyme spent and lost | |
Whiche for to recouer is impossyble | |
Spent haue I nature at grete expens and cost | |
Ayenst the ryght canon and of the holy byble | |
110 | Offens done to god neuer ceasyble |
In daunger for to forfayte bothe soule and lyfe | |
By defaute for to haue taken vnto me a wyfe | |
sig: [A3v] | |
Lyke vnto a best an hors or an asse an hors] and hors 1518 | |
That careth not for to tomble in the fen | |
115 | Yf that ony with me playenge there was |
An-other to helpe I wolde go then | |
Mo gallantes a man sholde se than ren | |
After a wentche and lepe and hytche | |
Than dogges do about a farowinge bytche | |
120 | She wolde to no maner a man escondyte escondyte ='give a refusal to'; See OED s.v. escondyte v, for which this example is the sole attestation. |
Eche one she appetyted for to receyue | |
Takynge therein pleasure and delyte | |
To the ende theyr syluer for to haue | |
But in the stede chyldren to conceyue | |
125 | Botches pockes / and goutes they engendre |
In hedes and in legges and in euery me[m]bre membre] menbre 1518 | |
In this maner of sykenesse many ther be | |
That ben Impotentes hanged and dede | |
But lytell semblaunce they make on to se | |
130 | Taken as they ben / not beggynge theyr brede |
Hast you to be wedded thus I you rede | |
Unto the ende that ye be not cappable | |
Of this grete daunger / deedly and vncurable | |
Now am I out of this daunger so alenge alenge: =alange, 'protracted, tedious'. | |
135 | Wherfore I a[m] gladde it for to perseuer am] an 1518 |
Longe about haue I ben me for to renge | |
But it is better to late than to be neuer | |
Certes I was not in my lyfe tyll hyther | |
So full of Ioye that doth my herte in_spyre | |
140 | Wedded folke haue tyme at theyr desyre |
sig: [A4] | |
Out am I now of thought dole and mone | |
Lyuynge euer-more ryght amorously | |
For I haue a wyfe by my-selfe alone | |
At my commaundement both late and erely | |
145 | And yf it happen that I loke heuely |
My wyfe me kysseth and than she me colleth | |
And ryght woman there she me consolleth | |
To that I wyll haue done she is redy | |
Neuer wyll she ayenst my wyll saye | |
150 | She doth to me the best that she can truely |
Nothynge of my volenty she doth me naye | |
Yf I be angred or trobled ony-waye | |
Redy she is to chaunge [her] purpose her] my 1518 | |
Unto the ende that I may haue all my repose | |
155 | I haue me all to longe refrayned |
Furnysshe I can not to all her pleasyre | |
And for to promyse her I am constrayned | |
More than I can do to her desyre | |
She appetyteth it moche and doth me enspyre | |
160 | Gorgyously shewynge her fayre corsage |
But I am all caduc and wery for age | |
I ought for to haue by this many chyldren | |
Some sporte and playe and some at fyre syttynge | |
Other in the felde to shote lepe and ren | |
165 | And some hardy / some mery / and tryumphynge |
In whome I sholde haue all my delytynge | |
But to late maryd withouten dout | |
May neuer se his chyldren ren out | |
sig: [A4v] | |
My wyfe shewed to me her proper dugge | |
170 | On the mornynge her delyte for to make |
And to haue me for to playe nugge_a_nugge nugge_a_nugge: =nooky? | |
Alas I wolde it full fayne forsake | |
But force it is suche lessons to take | |
And to ryse vp erly as I thynke best | |
175 | In the mornynge and go vnto my rest |
Whan I se her lye in shetes fayre and whyte | |
As rede as the button of the rose | |
With good wyll wolde I take than delyte | |
Neuertheles I lete her haue her repose | |
180 | For it is force that I cast agayne on the close |
And to make a pawse than I am conioynt | |
For th'ynstrument is not yet well in poynt | |
But yet somtyme I me constrayne | |
To take nature[s] solace thus thynke I natures] nature 1518 | |
185 | But all sodeynly I me refrayne |
For I do fere to be to soone wery | |
And than I slepe with courage all drery | |
And yet am I / I can not passe | |
Upon women more than euer I was | |
190 | Constrayned I am to be full of Ialousy |
Seynge that I can not content her mynde | |
Touchynge the playe of loue all softely | |
Often ynough the experyence to fynde | |
She me assayeth and tourneth by kynde | |
195 | Castynge vnto me her beggynge legge |
But I do slepe I care not for suche a begge | |
sig: B1 | |
1505 fragment begins. | |
With her eyen pleasaunte castynge a regarde | |
In chastynge a laughter amerous chastynge] castynge 1501chaste ='restrain, subdue' | |
Than with a praty smyle she doth me larde | |
200 | And that maketh me somwhat Ioyous |
But comynge to a bed delycyous | |
For to holde the spere in a full hande | |
It plyeth and fayleth for [it] wyll not stonde it] 1518 omits; it 1501 | |
Whan I herde her bable and langage | |
205 | Her gentyll termes spoken so properly |
I do me wysshe for to be in-to the age | |
Of eyghten / neyntene / or foure and twenty | |
Suche assautes than gyue wolde I | |
That for it [she] sholde haue no nede to craue she] 1518 omits; she 1501 | |
210 | Of the grete pleasure that she sholde haue |
If that she go to banckettes and daunces | |
She doth none offence therin certayne | |
Nedes she must haue her plesaunces | |
In some place to make her glad and fayne | |
215 | Wherfore I dare well say and susteyne |
That after with me I wolde haue her ledde | |
Yf ony soner I had ben to her wedde | |
We twayne sholde haue all our yongenesse | |
After maryage custome and ryght | |
220 | Passed in Ioye / solace / and gladnesse |
And is wherfore I haue me pyght | |
Force it is to me that the fyre be nyght | |
That at a nede I can not haue quenched | |
To late maryed is for to be complayned | |
sig: [B1v] | |
225 | It is sayd that man in seruytude |
Hym putteth / whan he doth to woman bende | |
He ne hath but only habytude | |
Unto her the whiche well doth hym tende | |
Who wyll to housholde comprehende | |
230 | And there-a_bout studyeth in youth alwayes |
He shall haue honoure in his olde dayes | |
Some chyldren vnto the courtes hauntes | |
And ben puruayed of benefyces | |
Some haunteth markettes and be marchauntes | |
235 | Byenge and sellynge theyr marchaundyses |
Or elles constytued in offyces constytued =constituted | |
Theyr faders and moders haue grete solace | |
That to late maryed by no waye hase | |
I be_wayll the tyme that is so spent | |
240 | That I ne me hasted for to wedde |
For I shall haue herytage and rente | |
Both golde and syluer and [grete] kynred grete] 1518 omits; grete 1501 | |
But syth that our lorde hath ordeyned | |
That I this sacrament take me vpon | |
245 | I wyll kepe it trewely at all season |
Theophrastus vs sheweth in his prose | |
That in maryage all is out of tune | |
So doth also the roma[un]te of the rose romaunte] romanute 1518, 1505 | |
Composed by mayster Iohan_de_mehune | |
250 | Yet neuertheles it is all comune |
That they neuer were in bonde of maryage | |
Wherfore at all aventures is theyr langage 1505 fragment breaks off. | |
sig: B2 | |
Matheolus that was holden so wyse | |
For to blame wome[n] was all his ebate women] womem 1518ebate ='sport' | |
255 | Suppose that he was maryed twyse |
For he was so olde that balde was his pate | |
For he came the last tyme so very late | |
That in hym there was no puyssaunce | |
Amyte / solace / Ioye ne pleasure | |
260 | But whan that a man may do no more |
He blame that / that he can not do | |
To late wedded the surplus therfore | |
May not furnysshe as other may do | |
For whan he wened to satysfye lo | |
265 | Nature at nede wyll not hym preuayle |
Suche wenes do to well that other-whyle fayle | |
Yf that there be ony tryfelers | |
That haue wylled for to blame maryage | |
I dare well saye that they ben but lyers | |
270 | Or elles god fayled in the fyrste age |
Adam bereth wytnesse and tesmonage tesmonage: =testimonage | |
Maryed he was and comen we ben | |
God dyde choyse maryage vnto all men | |
Now syth it is thus befall | |
275 | Why than ought we it to blame |
Us for to put we ben holden all | |
So sholde we alwayes holde with the same | |
Or elles holy scrypture sayeth it is shame | |
And that alleggeth all predycacours | |
280 | Our lorde god hateth all fornycatours |
sig: [B2v] | |
I am now sory that I haue no rathe | |
Put my-selfe in-to maryages rout | |
For many a folysshe loke it hathe | |
It hath me cost / here and there about | |
285 | But yet my soule is in grete doute |
For god fornycatures punyssheth | |
And out of this realme he them banyssheth | |
There is no man lyuynge that can commyt | |
Without[en] [d]out the worke of nature Withouten dout] Without outen 1518The phrase 'withouten dout' recurs above, A4. | |
290 | But he in maryage doth commyse it |
As vs telleth the holy scrypture | |
It is than foly to ony creature | |
Thus for to blame his creas[y]on creasyon] creason 1518creasyon: =creation | |
For ony maner of folysshe opynyon | |
295 | All they that by theyr subtyll artes |
Hath wylled for to blame maryage | |
I wyll susteyne that they be bastardes | |
Or at leest waye an euyll courage | |
For to saye that therin is seruage | |
300 | In maryage / but I it reny reny ='deny'; see OED s.v. renay v, 2b |
For therin is but humayne company | |
Yf ther be yll women and rebell | |
Shrewed dispytous and eke felonyous | |
There be other fayre and do full well | |
305 | Propre / gentyll / lusty / and Ioyous |
That ben full of grace and vertuous | |
They ben not all born vnder a sygnet | |
Happy is he that a good one can get | |
sig: B3 | |
To late maryed now helpe than me | |
310 | To make my sorowes and complayntes |
For by my fayth I swere to the | |
I haue suffred many dolours and crayntes | |
And haue sustayned mo attayntes | |
Than euer dede wat after the hounde | |
315 | At dyspence I lyued and that haue I founde |
Galantes playne ye the tyme that ye haue lost | |
Mary you be_tyme as the wyse-man sayth | |
Tossed I haue ben fro pyler to post | |
In commysynge natures werke alwayes | |
320 | I haue passed full many quasy dayes quasy ='unhealthy'; see OED s.v. queasy adj, 2b |
That now vnto good I can not mate | |
For mary I dyde my-selfe to late | |
Rychely in a_raye ought for to go | |
These women that be obedyent | |
325 | Better than these cursed wyues do |
That ben not to theyr husbandes pacyent | |
To take a wyfe was myn intent | |
Goddes lawes to kepe and them to obserue | |
Sauynge of nature and heuen to preserue | |
330 | Afore that euer I was maryed |
Bordeles I haunted and places of infame | |
But I am now vnto a wyfe [alyed] alyed] alayed 1518 | |
The worlde to holde and honoure goddes n[a]me name] neme 1518 | |
That wycked man I holde to blame | |
335 | That foloweth euyll ruell and wyll not amende ruell: =rule |
Unto his soulles he[l]th and honoure to pretende helth] heth 1518 | |
sig: [B3v] | |
Whan a man to olde age is faden and fall faden='declined'; see OED s.v. fade v1, 2. | |
Lerne this lesson herken my sentence | |
Fewe frendes meteth he with-all | |
340 | That wyll to his pouerte take ony intellygence |
Wo worthe than crye they of the expence | |
That they haue spent vnto youthes lust | |
And now they must dye for hunger and thurst | |
Better it is in youth a wyfe for to take | |
345 | And lyue with her to goddes pleasaunce |
Than to go in age for goddes sake | |
In wordely sorowe and perturbaunce wordely: =worldly | |
For youthes loue and vtteraunce | |
And than to dye at the last [e]nde ende] ande 1518 | |
350 | And be dampned in hell with the foule fende |
¶The auctour. |
|
Rychenes in youth with good gouernaunce | |
Often helpeth age whan youth is gone his gate | |
Both yonge and olde must haue theyr sustenaunce | |
Euer in this worlde soo fekyll and rethrograte | |
355 | Ryght as an ampte the whiche all-gate |
Trusseth and caryeth for his lyues fode | |
Eny-thynge that whiche hym semeth to be good | |
Crysten folke ought for to haue | |
Open hertes vnto god almyght | |
360 | Put[t]ynge in theyr mynde th[e]yr soule to saue Puttynge] Putrynge 1518; theyr] thyr 1518 |
Lernynge to come vnto the eternall lyght | |
And kepe well theyr maryage and trouth plyght | |
Nothynge alwaye of theyr last ende Nothynge: =noting | |
Durynge theyr lyues how they the tyme spende | |
sig: [B4] | |
365 | Here endeth the complaynt of to late maryed |
For spendynge of tyme or they a_borde | |
The sayd holy sacramente haue to longe taryed 1505 fragment begins again. | |
Humayne nature t'assemble and it to accorde | |
Enprynted in Fletestrete by Wynkyn_de_Worde | |
370 | Dwellynge in the famous cyte of London |
His hous in the same at the sygne of the Sonne. | |
¶FINIS. |
|
sig: [B4v] |