And why for me ye should be so dismayde? As of your lyfe ye nede not to be afrayde. For ye of me now have no greater awe, 90 But whan ye lyst ye may your love wythdraw. Amoure Than stode I up, and right so did she, Truely, quod she, I am obedient Amoure I knowe, madame, that your frendes all ΤΟΙ As is your owne to you most precyous; 110 Wyll you gyve your youthe and your flour My good dere herte ! it is no mervayle why; Your beaute cleare and lovely lokes swete My herte dyde perce with love so sodayuly At the fyrste tyme that I dyde you mete; In the olde temple whan I dyde you grete, Your beaute my herte so surely assayde, 139 That syth that tyme it hath to you obayde. (From Cap. xix. How La Bell Pucell Graunted Graund Amoure Love, and of her Dispiteous Departage.1) Your wo and payne, and all your languishynge, Continually ye shall not spende in vayne, Sythen I am cause of your great mornynge, Nothynge exyle you shall I by dysdayne; Youre hert and myne shall never parte in twayne: Though at the fyrste I wolde not condescende, It was for fere ye dyde some yll entende. Amoure With thought of yll my minde was never myxte, To you, madame, but alway clene and pure, Bothe daye and nyght upon you hole perfyxte.2 10 But I my mynde yet durst nothynge dis cure,8 I demed ofte you loved me before, By your demenour I dyde it aspye, And in my mynde I juged evermore 1 merciless departure. 2 quite fixed. 3 disclose, His head was greate, beteled was his browes, And every tothe as blacke as ony gete.1 His necke shorte, his sholders stode awry, 'Welcome,' I sayde; I praye the now tell Me what thou arte and where thou dost dwell.' 'Sothelyche,' quod he, 'whan Icham 8 in Kent At home Icham; though I be hether sente, Icham a gently man of much noble kynne, Though Iche be clad in a knaves skynne. For there was one called Peter Prate fast, That in all hys lyfe spake no worde in waste; 30 He wedde a wyfe that was called Maude.' 'I trowe,' quod I, 'she was a gorgious baude.' 'Thou lyest,' quod he, 'she was gentyl and good, She gave her husbande many a furde hode,9 And at his melys, without any mys, She wolde him serve in clenly wyse ywys. God love her soule as she loved clennes, And kepe her dysshes from al foulnes. Whan she lacketh cloutes, without any fayle She wyped her disshes wyth her dogges tayle. And they had yssue Sym Sadle-gander, 40 That for a wyfe in all the worlde did wander, Tyll at the last, in the wynters nyght, jet. 6 meaning uncertain, perhaps askew, bowed. 7 pattern. s I am. This is Kentish dialect. furred hood, i.e., hoodwinked him. 10 courtesans. Whiche was my father, that in Kente did wonne.12 His name was Davy Dronken-nole; He toke a wyfe that was very fayre, But ever more to rynge her blacke belles. 13 Now are they deade all, so mote I well thryve, Excepte my selfe Godfray Gobelive, For all are shrewes in the world aboute, And tho that can not, they wyll never let Their tongues cease, but gyve thre wordes for one, Fy on them all! I wyll of them have none: Who loveth any for to make hym sadde, mynde, 70 But alway tornyng lyke a blaste of wynde. They are so subtyll and so false of kynde, 80 mynde. 11 common enough. 12 dwell. 18 Meaning doubtful, THE EXCUSATION OF THE AUCTOUR UNTO all Poetes I do me excuse, 10 Go, little boke! I praye God the save Besechyng God for to geve me grace Finis 20 |