sig:
[A1] |
|
|
¶A complaynt of them that be to soone maryed. |
|
sig:
[A1v] |
|
|
¶For-as-moche as many folke there be |
|
That desyre the sacramente of weddynge |
|
Other wyll kepe them in vyrgyny[t]e vyrgynyte] vyrgynye 1535
|
|
And wyll in chastyte be lyuynge |
5 |
Therfore I wyll put now in wrytynge |
|
In what sorowe these men lede theyr lyues |
|
That to soone be coupled to cursed wyues |
|
|
NOw am I in grete myschefe and sorowe |
|
To soone I put my body in gage |
10 |
I lyue in care / nyght / euen / and morowe |
|
Lytell lacketh that I ne enrage |
|
To be to soone maryed I layde my gage |
|
Cursed be the tyme that I it euer knewe |
|
The deuyll haue his parte of maryage |
15 |
And of hym that me fyrste therto drewe |
|
|
My herte ryght yll dyd me counsell |
|
To a yonge woman me for to same same ='join'; see OED s.v. sam, v1.
|
|
To soone wedde there they dyd me compell |
|
Wherfore I holde my-selfe in_fame |
20 |
By god I swere and by his name |
|
I wyll all louers clene dyscourage |
|
That wolde not with there wyll take them a dame |
|
And put them-selfe in suche domage |
|
|
Better it were to be a man sauage |
25 |
Than to be take in that ylke lase |
|
Gentell galauntes flee that passage |
|
Besyde that waye loke that ye passe |
sig:
A2 |
|
|
Go out of that waye that wyll the chase |
|
Go out of that waye or ye be loste |
30 |
Go ye therfro / tourne ye your face |
|
Go frome that waye to another coste |
|
|
Go ye thense my frendes I you [desire]
desire] praye 1535'praye' is corrected in ink in the Huntington copy to 'desire'. |
|
'praye' is corrected in ink in the Huntington copy to 'desire'.
|
Go ye therfro I you do praye |
|
Go ye frome that hote flambe of fyre |
35 |
Go ye therfro as I you saye |
|
Or ye wyll repente an-other daye |
|
Go ye therfro full loude I crye |
|
Go ye fro the bonde of welawaye |
|
Whiche is the arke of all folye |
|
40 |
Fle I praye you for goddes sake |
|
Fle this passage that is ryght daungerous |
|
Fle ye frome that peryllous lake |
|
Of muddy myre so clam and comberous clam ='sticky'
|
|
Fle that darke place so myrke and tenebrous |
45 |
Fle fro that ylke cursed temptacy[o]n
temptacyon] temptacyn 1535
|
|
I fynde it nothynge auauntagyous |
|
But it all tourneth into perdycyon |
|
|
Alas my bretherne ye crysten men |
|
For god take ye in pacyence |
50 |
To heare the sorowe that I in ren |
|
For to acquyte my consyence |
|
I requyre you in the reuerence |
|
Of the swete vyrgyn mary
|
|
For to eschewe all vnpacyence |
55 |
Loke to soone that ye not mary |
|
sig:
[A2v] |
|
|
The wyse-man vs ensygneth and saythe |
|
That none shulde other repreue |
|
Of any vyce / hurte / yll / or scathe |
|
That they se of hym morne or eue |
60 |
I saye it for I dyd my-selfe meue |
|
To lerne to make playes Ioyous |
|
Kepe hym that wyll and me byleue |
|
For there maye be many enuyous |
|
|
Outragyous alas I dyde not thynke |
65 |
Thre tymes of that that I wolde do |
|
But hastely I dyde me clynke clynke ='assent'? Not recorded in this sense in OED.
|
|
Unto my wyl and wente therto |
|
Symple I was and humble also |
|
Euyll thought was not myne entent |
70 |
Now haue I for my laboure lo |
|
Anoye / thought / payne / and torment |
|
|
Thynke thou now what it is of seruyce |
|
Thynke also what it is of franchyse |
|
The seruytude of maryage |
75 |
Afore all other seruage lyse |
|
All wyse-men dothe it despyse |
|
Let none take it nor other make |
|
For it is the moost fole enterpryse |
|
That ony man maye vndertake |
|
80 |
Take ye hede where that ye go |
|
Poore whystelers folysshe and sturdy |
|
Be not assoted nor peuysshe also |
|
So outragyus nor so hardy |
sig:
A3 |
|
|
That for one dede ne for a crye |
85 |
Ye caste your-selfe in suche a snare |
|
For ye shall not bewrynge nor wrye bewrynge ='twist away, struggle free': not recorded in OED or MED; but see OED s.v. wring v, 19.
|
|
Come out therof therfore beware |
|
|
Better ye were withouten harme |
|
For to become a celestyne |
90 |
A grey-frere Iacopyn or a carme |
|
An hermyte or a frere Austyne |
|
Fle ye therfro / ye seke your fyne |
|
And the abregmente of your dayes |
|
Wherfore do not your-selfe enclyne |
95 |
To entre with ryght and other wayes |
|
|
Man the wiche hathe no tytell |
|
Nor seruytude by ony sent |
|
He is in his owne frewyll |
|
And at his good commaundemente |
100 |
Man maketh his auowe and talente |
|
For all that god hathe hym gyue |
|
By no maner for to consente |
|
For to bynde hym in seruytude to lyue |
|
|
Yf thou knowe what charge it is |
105 |
To take a wyfe and her to kepe |
|
So preest thou wolde not be ywys |
|
At suche a snare in for to crepe |
|
Nor let thy-selfe so to be yclepe |
|
To be engloted in suche a clyfte engloted ='swallowed up'; see OED s.v. englut v.
|
110 |
Out of whiche thou mayste not pepe |
|
Tyll that she be broke and ryfte |
|
sig:
[A3v] |
|
|
These relygyous maundiens maundiens ='mendicants, beggars': not recorded in OED, but see OED s.v. maunder n1
|
|
May well an-other order take |
|
So many chanons and dekenes |
115 |
Offycers theyr offyces may forsake |
|
None maye ayenste them noyse make |
|
But we the whiche ben maryed |
|
May nether mount nor yet downe slake |
|
So ben we in this poynt alyed |
|
120 |
It is well knyte that is so bounde |
|
That no man can it vndo |
|
In weddynge-knote I haue me founde |
|
That I cou[l]de not from it go
coulde] counde 1535
|
|
Yf I were lous no more ther-to |
125 |
Wolde I retourne forsothe certayne |
|
I rede them that hathe ben so |
|
Beware and go not to it agayne |
|
|
Certaynly I wyll not blame |
|
Maryage that god Instytued |
130 |
But honour it withouten grame |
|
For the order sholde be worshypped |
|
And I haue me auaunced |
|
Than I ought for to speke more |
|
The charge to yll wyues be deled |
135 |
For I se euer eche daye wherfore |
|
|
And for to gyue you for to wyt |
|
The pouerte that therin is founde |
|
I ought well to dysprayse it |
|
For there I haue be bounde |
sig:
[A4] |
|
140 |
Alas my werke dyde lytell rebounde |
|
And lytell befell to me than |
|
Than to lerne I dyd recounde recounde: =recount, 'consider, reflect on'? See OED s.v. recount v1, 2.
|
|
By my-selfe or by some good man |
|
|
I_nought I wende that I had lerned |
145 |
I thought that I was full sage |
|
But for all that I was clyked clyked ='seized'; see OED s.v. click v2.
|
|
As a byrde is in a cage |
|
That hath nothynge auauntage |
|
But as longe as the cage maye dure |
150 |
In lyke wyse I am in maryage |
|
Enclosed nedes I must endure |
|
|
Endure I must who that nay saythe |
|
For to endure I a[m] constraynt
am] and 1535
|
|
For I swere to you on my faythe |
155 |
The Ioye that I make it is but faynte |
|
I am so holden in fere and in craynt |
|
That I am worse than dyseased |
|
I am not come to that attaynt |
|
That I thought in tyme passed |
|
160 |
Whan that I was newely maryed |
|
I had good tyme aboute thre dayes |
|
I was not chydde ne haryed |
|
I was fulfylled with loue-rayes loue-rayes: unrecorded in OED, if a compound.
|
|
I made gambandes / lepes / and playes |
165 |
I helde me neyther nere ne ferre |
|
But soone ynoughe I had assayes |
|
Of sorowe and care that made me bare |
|
sig:
[A4v] |
|
|
Rynnynge they came me to assayle |
|
On the other syde ryght asprely asprely: =asperly, 'harshly'
|
170 |
Full sore they made me to auayle |
|
Were it slepynge or wakyngly |
|
Thought alwaye was present me by |
|
And yet before me made frontere frontere ='attack'; see OED s.v. frontier n, 3
|
|
With them in theyr companye |
175 |
Greate charge whiche bare the baner |
|
|
About eyght dayes or soone after |
|
Our maryage the tyme for to passe |
|
My wyfe I toke and dyd set her |
|
Upon my knee for to solace |
180 |
And began her for to enbrace |
|
Sayenge syster go get the tyme loste |
|
We must thynke to laboure a_pace |
|
To recompence that it hathe vs coste |
|
|
Than for despyte she vp arose |
185 |
And drewe her faste behynde me |
|
To me sayenge is this the glose |
|
Alas pore caytyfe well I se |
|
That I neuer shall haue quod she |
|
With you more than payne and turmente |
190 |
I am in an euyll degre |
|
I haue now loste my sacramente |
|
|
For me be to longe with you here |
|
Alas I ought well for to thynke |
|
What we sholde do within ten yere |
195 |
Whan we shall haue at our hert[h]e-brynke
herthe] herte 1535
|
sig:
B1 |
|
|
Many chyldren on for to thynke |
|
And crye after vs without fayle |
|
For theyr meate and theyr drynke |
|
Than shall it be no meruayle |
|
200 |
Cursed be the houre that I ne was |
|
Made a none in some cloyster |
|
Neuer there for to passe |
|
Or had be made some syster |
|
In seruage with a clousterer |
205 |
It is not eyght dayes sythe oure weddynge |
|
That we two togyther were |
|
By god ye speke to soone of werkynge |
|
|
But syr sythe it dothe you please |
|
It pleaseth me as is reason |
210 |
Your wyll dothe not me dysplease |
|
It pleaseth me at eche ceason |
|
Ye be syr of this mansyon |
|
And I am your chamb[r]ere chambrere] chambere 1535
|
|
I wolde fayne fynde some encheso[n]
encheson] enchesom 1535
|
215 |
That lyenge deed I were on bere |
|
|
Wolde to god that I were deed |
|
Than sholde ye be quyte of me |
|
In lytell whyle knowe you I dyde |
|
And neyther I perceyue nor se |
220 |
Ne knowe how that reason sholde be |
|
That to me ye speke of that wyrke |
|
By my soule I se at the eye |
|
That of you I shall haue but yrke |
|
sig:
[B1v] |
|
|
For god syr aduyse you well |
225 |
That I dyde neuer besynesse |
|
In the house there-as I dyde dwell |
|
Many there were that put them in prese |
|
Me for to loue aboue excesse |
|
And yet I put them all awaye |
230 |
Thoughe they had moche greate rychesse |
|
No man but you was to my paye |
|
|
Am I of suche lygnage comen |
|
For to haue payne and greate trauayle |
|
I that was so derely holden |
235 |
And neuer loked for none auayle |
|
N[e] that thynge sholde me prouayle Ne] No 1535thynge ='anything'; prouayle: = prevail, 'benefit, profit'?; see OED s.v. prevail v, 4 |
|
thynge ='anything'; prouayle: = prevail, 'benefit, profit'?; see OED s.v. prevail v, 4
|
I was wonte but to go and playe |
|
Daunce and synge at eche spousayle |
|
And ye frome me put all that awaye |
|
240 |
Thanked be god ye haue had of me |
|
Of ryche cheuaunce good and fayre |
|
Golde and syluer greate plente |
|
Rentes and herytage you to prepayre |
|
In all this countre there is none ayre |
245 |
Be ye neuer so ryche of lynage |
|
But he myght of that affayre |
|
Make ryche all his parentage |
|
|
I do not saye that ye were dygne |
|
To haue one ten tymes better than I |
250 |
Alas ye shewed vnto me sygne |
|
Of greate grace welth and curteysy |
sig:
B2 |
|
|
That whan I herde ony company |
|
That spake of you in ony place |
|
I had my herte rauysshed truely |
255 |
For greate pleasure and solace |
|
|
Whan she had made her complaynt |
|
Lyke an woman all an_angred |
|
She than seased vnder a faynt |
|
Full of sorowe and all be_weped |
260 |
The daye and houre there she cursed |
|
With a tryste herte wryngynge her hande |
|
That euer she was nourysshed |
|
For to espouse suche an husbande |
|
|
Whan that I herde and vnderstode |
265 |
That the whiche she me reproched |
|
I was abasshed and styll stode |
|
And durst not to her be approched |
|
Her tonge towarde me was declyned |
|
I wote not where that she had fysshte |
270 |
The wordes that she there dysgorged |
|
That I was fayne to be whysshte |
|
|
In this sayd dolorous songe |
|
I dyde me put for to haue pease |
|
Force it was in to be thronge |
275 |
Yet wente I not in with myne ease |
|
But my wyfe me to dysplease |
|
Abode not longe for to perceyue |
|
The sorowe that dyde my herte pryse pryse: a possible reading of the copytext here is: peyse.
|
|
Where-throughe she dyde deceyue |
|
sig:
[B2v] |
|
280 |
Than came her mother to hous |
|
That founde her how she was wepynge |
|
And soone she sayd my nowne sone dous |
|
Why maketh she that waymentynge |
|
And sayd it was not her lernynge |
285 |
To haue her doughter so to be chydde |
|
And that she had a perceyuynge |
|
That I had her so an_angred |
|
|
By my faythe sayd I good mother |
|
Nought haue I done nor her myssayde |
290 |
Serue her I wyll as my syster |
|
With good herte and wyll puruayed |
|
For ayenst her I nothynge sayd |
|
But that wayes we muste fynde |
|
Us for to store and she me nayed |
295 |
Iwys she hath to fyrse a mynde |
|
|
By god my fayre sone you ne ought |
|
So alwaye for to threten her |
|
For ywys she was neuer taught |
|
For to werke therfore dele softer |
300 |
But she wyll do well here-after |
|
Wherfore speke no more I you praye |
|
Neuer was I in suche daungere |
|
Wherfore I thanke god nyght and daye |
|
|
Than cometh her cosyns also |
305 |
For to complysshe my passyon |
|
Her gosseps and her neyghboures to |
|
Semblynge lyke a prosessyon |
sig:
B3 |
|
|
God knewe what destruccyon
destruccyon] desstruccyon 1535
|
|
Drynkynge my wyne all at theyr ease |
310 |
All-thynge goeth to perdycyon |
|
Neuertheles I muste holde my pease |
|
|
To a feest they brought me on a daye |
|
Aboute two or thre myle hense |
|
God knoweth what great Ioye led they |
315 |
Takynge lytell intellygence |
|
Her frendes lede her at myne expence |
|
How that the game goeth they ne care |
|
I saye that by experyence |
|
It wyll make a man all threde-bare |
|
320 |
Now muste they make a pylgrymage |
|
To saynt
Lenarde or saynt
Laurence
|
|
For good they be for the grete rage |
|
That they haue / as I maye purpence |
|
Who maye than haue ony pacyence |
325 |
For to se suche derysyon |
|
Trottynge alwaye without resystence |
|
And not k[e]pynge theyr mansyon
kepynge] kypynge 1535
|
|
|
Than must they haue newe habytes |
|
Gownes and other abyllementes |
330 |
Rynges of golde perles and cresolytes
of] of of 1535
|
|
Bedes and gyrdelles with longe pendentes |
|
I haue nether hous ne rentes |
|
Wheron that I maye lyue |
|
A man with many suche paymentes |
335 |
Maye lyue longe or euer he may thryue |
|
sig:
[B3v] |
|
|
Wene ye that they take ony kepe |
|
How that syluer is spente anone |
|
The deuyll brenne them on an hepe |
|
Them and all theyr opynyon |
340 |
We gyue to them suche a bandon bandon ='authority, power of disposal'.
|
|
Be they fayre or be they foule |
|
That we haue therfore suche guerdon |
|
That we be caytyfes be my soule |
|
|
Almyghty god gyue me suffraunce |
345 |
For I am sore passyoned |
|
With payne / sorowe / and dystourbaunce |
|
As moche as ony man hath suffred |
|
But sythe I am therto condempned |
|
I thanke our lorde of paradyse |
350 |
For therto I am ordeyned |
|
I se it is none otherwyse |
|
|
Consyderynge that I ne maye |
|
Hyte / nor ho auaunte / ne arere Hyte / nor ho ='hope nor think?'
|
|
I wysshe my dethe euery daye |
355 |
Hyde me I muste neuer to appere |
|
In donge stynkynge neuer to come here |
|
Desyrynge dethe is my resorte |
|
Chowynge my bytte in this maner |
|
Without bydynge ony comforte |
|
360 |
You the whiche are clene acquyted |
|
Praye ye for that pore caytyfe |
|
The whiche is all dysheryted |
|
And hathe yspended by his wyfe |
sig:
[B4] |
|
|
His good that neuer in his lyfe |
365 |
Shall be rendered to hym agayne |
|
Wherfore I maye with herte pensyfe |
|
Crye out alas and thus complayne |
|
|
I make an ende I lyue in greate martyre |
|
So do they that be to soone maryed |
370 |
The thynge that moost of all I desyre |
|
Is that they be ryght well haryed |
|
For by women men be so [w]aryed waryed] varyed 1535
|
|
Eche leseth his vnderstondynge |
|
Wherfore I wyll that they be for-prayde for-prayde: unrecorded in OED, if a compound.
|
375 |
That god gyue them sorowe euerlastynge |
|
|
For suche is my dyffynement |
|
And wyll proue it before our lorde |
|
That women ben abusement |
|
All aboute in playe / stryfe / and borde |
380 |
To soone maryed maye mete accorde |
|
Unto them wolde I or naye
|
|
I leue them here at this sayd worde |
|
And no more of them wyll I saye |
|
|
¶Ryght dere frendes louely I do you submite |
385 |
Of my fyrst werke into correccyon |
|
But myne owne wyll can not as yet |
|
Endewe ony-thynge of myne intencyon |
|
Rather I wyll abyde a lytell season |
|
Than to put my wytte afore intellygence |
390 |
Uentosyte must abyde dygestyon |
|
So I muste do or I come to eloquence |
|
sig:
[B4v] |
|
|
Cunny[n]ge must I haue fyrste of all |
|
Or that I come to perseueracyon |
|
Put forthe I wyll and than somwhat call |
395 |
Lernynge with good delyberacyon |
|
And than I wyll with good intencyon |
|
Note some werkes of god almyghty |
|
Desyrynge to come vnto his regyon |
|
Euer there for to dwell perdurably |
|
¶Here endeth a full dolefull complaynte |
|
Of many a man of there one concorde |
|
Lokynge with face pale wanne and faynte |
|
Cursynge the tyme of theyr accorde |
5 |
Fynyss[h]ed and done the yere of our lorde
Fynysshed] Fynysssed 1535
|
|
A thousande .CCCCC. and .xxxv. at London
|
|
Enprynted also by Wynkyn_de_Worde
|
|
In fletest[r]ete at the sygne of the son
fletestrete] fletestete 1535
|