LOVE.

SETNG the manyfolde inconvenience
Falling by unbrydlid profperite,
Whiche is not temprid with moral prudence,
Nothing more welthie than in youth'is frelte,
Movid I am bothe of right and equite
To youth'is wele fomwhat for to endite
Whereby he may himselfin fafecondite.
And firfte I note as a thinge moft noyous,
And unto youth a grevous malady,
Amongis us callid love encombrous,
Vexyng alway yonge peple ftraungèly,
Oftin by force it caufith 'hem to dye,
And age is alfo turmentid by love,
I mene bineth the girdle' and not above.
Wherfore this werke, whiche is right laborous,
For age me nedith nat in honde to take,
To youthe me owith to be' obfequious;
Nowe I begin thus to 'worke for his fake,
Whiche may the fervence of love aflake,
To the lovir as a mitigative,

To him that is none a preservative.

That mighty lorde whiche that me govirneth, "Tis Youthe I mene, mefure if that I pace In every matir whiche that him concerneth: First, as is behoveful, I wol afke grace, And forthwithal now in this famè place Er I begin I wol yknele and fay

These fewe wordis, and him of helpè praye:
Thou flouring Youth, whiche hast the avauntage
In ftrength of body, in lufte, and beaute,
Alfo a precelling haite above Age
In many' a finguler commodite,

Howe be it one thing he hath beyonde the
To thy most profite and gretift availe,

Whiche fhuld the conduit, I mene fad counfaile.
And yet, gode lorde, of a prefumpcion
I n'il deprave thy might and deite,
I lyve but undir thy protection,
I am thy fubjecte, I were thy lyverie,
For thou arte grounde of my profperite,

And freshift flowir of al my garlande,
My fingu❜ler aide, as I well undirftande.

But as he that oweth his lorde best service
And entire faithe, his honour to supporte,
Right fo I fpeke, and in none othir wife;
I knowlege my felf one of the left forte
Of thy fervauntes, to our eldirs comforte,
Drawe fadde counfaile unto the if thou lifte,
The and thy powir who maie then refifte?

Fie on Age, I fay, undir wordis fewe,
And his erroneous opinion!

What spekift of him whiche saieth moste untrue
All youth to be of ill difpoficion?
Dampnith us all without excepcion,
And for a colerable avauntage

He faieth in hym reftith all counfaill sage.
Well fothly maie fadde counfaile in him reft,
But yet his dedis ben full ferre therefro;
He maie wel fayin with our parishe prest,
Doith as I faie and not as I do;
For I my felfin know wele one or two
Well ftrickin in age that for neighbourhedde
Ywollin to ther neighbours wivis bedde.

He will in prefence of the yonge man
Her clippe and kiffe, ye, and her doune ylaie,
And to blere his eye thus he sayith than,
O fuffre yet olde Morell for to plaie,
Now have I doin that I can or maie :
Thus he sayith her husband for to queme,
That he nor no man shouldin not misdeme.

In worde nor dede nedith him not be cole,
It'is impoffible that he doe amiffe:
If the yong man fspeke, anon he faleth, Boic,
To rebuke age befemeth the not iwis:
And thus his olde face aye his warrantiis;
All is in hym but fleight and fubtilte,
And ferre from right refon, I tellin the.

And, fhortly, Age is not abovin me;
Age is impotent, and of no resistence;
Age unweldie ne maie not fight nor fle;

What werin Age withoutin my defence?
Sad counfaile faieft, Givith hym affistence;
Right refon is freshift where that I amc,
Wherfore in thy faiyng thou art to blame.
Sith refon to me is rathir accompanied
Then unto Age, whiche is the opinion
Of every wife man not to be denied,
And fith fad counfaile procedith of refon,
Sad counfaile in me hath his chefe mancion;
This is no naie; but what then is the ende
Of this thy fuafion; what doest entende?
Age to compare unto thyne excellence
I n'ill prefume hym fo to dignifie,
Ye be not egall, how be it Experience
Hym avauntageth, for the moste certainly
Hym tęchith what thing to hym is contrary,
And ofte to fore fe 'and warily efchewe
Whiche thou nevir affaidift yet nor knewe.
Experience makith a man mofte certain
Of thing erthly, and of neceffite

Sad counfaile requirith certaintie plain,
So ferre to movin thus whereto nede we?
But to my purpose, as thou commaundest me;
Shortly mine entent is thus, and none other,
Under thy licence to counfaile my brother.

How fhouldift give any counfaile so yong, Lacking experience? unto thine owne speche

I report me, I wote as for thy tong
Will ferve the right wel, but than for to tech
I doubte me left that thy wit woll not rech;
Youth and Experience thou faift be not convert,
How thouldift thou then teche well unexpert?

Scripture witniffith that God will oft fhitte
Fro the' hie wittid man and thew it the child,
To hym I mene that of his owne witte
Prefumeth not, but is debonaire and milde;
By counfaile I entend vertue to bilde,
Whiche of myne elders part have I borowed,
And part of experience, which I' have forowed.
Well, than, if it be as thou lettist fare
Shewe forthe thy doctrine, be not ought agafte;
I woll the fupporte; loke thou doe not spare
Maugre Age, although that he frete or gnate; .
To afke Age counfail herein were but waft:
Boldely begin; go forthe to the proceffe;
Fere not, fithins thou art of foche fureneffe.

Graunt mercie, lorde! fithin it the doeth like To licence me, now I woll and dare boldly Affaile my purpose; with scriptures autentike My werke woll I ground, undirfet, and fortefie: Afpire my ginnyng, o thou wode Furie Alecto, with thy fultirs! and in speciall To the, mother of Jeloufie, Juno, I cali.

THIS werke who fo fhall fe or yrede
Of incongruite do me not impeche;
Ordinatelie behoveth me first to procede
In deduccion thereof, right as the leche
His paciente's ficknes oweth first for to feche,
The which knowen medicin he should aplie,
And fhortly as he can fhape remedie.

Right fo by counfail, willing the to' exhort,
O yong man profperous! which doth abounde
In thy floures of lufte, belongeth on the fort,
Me first to confidir what 'is rote and ground
Of thy mifchefe, whiche is plainlie yfound
Woman, yfarcid with fraud and difceipt,
To thy confufion mofte allective baite.

Flie the mifwoman left fhe the difceve, Thus faith Salomon, which taught was fullie The falfhed of women in his daies to' conceve; The lips of a ftrumpet ben fwetir than honie, Her throte fouplid with oile of flatiric, How be it the ende and effece of all Bitterer is then any wormwode or gall.

Flie the mifwoman if thou love thy life: Beware of the ftraungir's blande eloquence; Straungir I call her that is not thy wife;

Of her beautie have no concupifcence,
Her countinaunce, pretendyng benevolence;
Beware her fignes and eye fo amiable,
Holde it for ferme thei ben difcevable.
Lo, here an enfample what women be
In ther fignis and continuance fhortlie!
I woll fhewin the how loviris thre
Ylovid one woman right entirelie,
Eche of them knewe othiri's maladie,
Wherefore it was all ther daily labour
Who coud approchin next in her favour.

At fondrie fefons, as fortune requireth,
Severallie thei came to fe her welfare,
But ones it happinid Love them so fireth,
To fe ther ladie thei all would not spare;
Of othir's comyng none of them were ware,
Till all thei mette whereas thei in o place
Of ther ladie fawe the defirid face.

To fuppir fet, full smallie thei coude etc; Full fobir and demure in countinaunce, There taried none of 'hem for any mete, But on his ladie to give attendaunce, And in fecrete wife fome fignifiaunce Mm iiij

Of love to have, the whiche percevyng the
Fetelie' executid thus her properte.

In due fefon, as she alwaie afpied
Every thyng to' execute convenientlie,
Her one lovir first frendêlie the eyed,
The fecond the offred the cuppe fo curtiflie,
The thirde fhe gave a tokin fecretlie,
Undirneth the borde fhe trade on his fote,
Through his entrailis tiklid the herte rote.

By your leve, might I here aske a question
Of you my maiftirs that fewe lov'is trace,
To you likely belongeth the folucion
Whiche of these thre yftode now in her grace!
Clerely to anfwere ye would afke long space,
The mattir is doubtfull and opinable;
To' ascertain you I woll my felf enable.

Of the forefayid thre my felf was one,
No man can answere it bettir then I;
Hertely of us bilovid was there none,
But Watt'is packe we bare all by and by,
Whiche at the laft I my felf gan aspie,
And time as me thought then I left the daunce:
O thoughtfull hertè, gret is thy grevaunce!

Hence fro me! hence! that me for to endite
Halpe aie here afore, o ye Mufis Nine!
Whilom ye were wont be mine aide and light,
My penne to direct, my brain to' illumine;
No lengir, alas! maie I fewe your doctrine,
The freshe luftie metirs I wont to make
Have ben here afore I' uttirlie forfake,

Come hither Erinnys, and ye Furies all
Whiche fer ben undre' us nigh the nethir pole,
Where Pluto reignith, o kyng Infernall!
Sende out thine Arpies, fend Anguishe and Dole,
Miferie and Wo, leve ye me not fole,
Of right be prefent must Fain and Turment,
The pale Deth befemeth not to be abfent.

To me now I call all this lothsome fort
My paines t'encrefe, my forowes to augment,
For worthie' I am to' be bare of all comfort,
Thus fith I have confumid and mifpent
Not onely my daies but fivefolde talent
That my Lorde gave me, I can not recompence,
I maie n'ot to derely' abye my negligence.

By the' path of penaunce yet woll I revert
To the well of grace, mercie there to fetche;
Defpifift not God the meke contrite herte,
Of the cocke crowe, alas! I would not retche,
And yet it is not late in the' feconde wetche:
Mercie fhall I purchace by 'inceffaunt criyng,
The mercies of our Lorde er fhall I fyng.

But well may ift thou waile, wicked woman,
That thou fhuldeft difceve thus an innocent;
In recompence of my finne, fo' as I can,
To' al wol I make and leve this monument,
In fhewing part of thy falfhed is myne entent,
For all were to moche, I cann'ot, well I wote,
The caufe fhewith plainly he that thus wrote.

If al the yerth wer parchment fcribable,
Spedie for the hande, and all manir wode
Wer hewed and proporcioned to pennis able,
All water ynke eithir in damme or flode,
Every man being a parfite fcribe and gode,
The curfidneffe yet and defceipt of women
Coud not be fhewid by the mene of penne,

I flie all odious refemblaunces; The devil'is bronde call women I might, Whereby man is encenfid to mischaunces, Or a stinkyng rose, that faire is in fight, Or dedly' empoison, like the fugir white, Whiche by his fwetneffe caufith man to taft, And fodainly fleeth and bringeth him to' his laft. It 'is not my manir to use foche langage, But this my doctrine as I maie lawfullic I' woll wholly grounde with authoritie fage, Willing wifedome and vertue edefie: Wine and women into apoftafie Caufe wifemen to fall; what is that to faie? Of wifedome cause them to forget the waie ; Wherefore the wifemen doith the advise, In whose wordis can be founde no lefyng, With the ftraungir to fittin in no wife Whiche is not thy wife; fall not in clippyng With her, but beware eke of her kiffyng, Kepe with her in wine no altercacion, Left thyne herte fall by inclinacion,

Maie a man, thinkift, hide and safely laie Fire in his bofome without empairement And brenning of his clothes? or whider he may Walke on hotte colis his fete not ybrente? As who faith naie, and whereby is mente This forefaied proverbe and fimilitude, But that thou ridde the plainly to denude

From the flattirirs forgettyng her gide, The gide of her youth, I mene Shamfaftnes, Whiche fhould cause her maidinhed to abide, Her Godd'is behefte eke fhe full recheleffe Not retching committeth to forgetfulnes, Neithir God ne fhame in her havyng place; Nedis muft foche a woman lackè grace.

And all that neighin her in waie of fin To tourne of grace shall lacke the influence, The pathis of life no more to come in, Wherefore first frendè the with Sapience, Remembring God, and aftir with Prudence, To thyne owne wele, that fo thei may the kepe, Unto thype hertè left her wordis crepe.

In his boke where I take my mofte ground,
And in his Proverbis, fage Salomon
Tellith a tale which is plainly found
In the fiveth chapter, whedir in dede don
Or mekely feined to our inftruccion
Let clerkes determine, but this am I fure,
Moche like thyng I my self have had in ure,

At my windowe, faieth he, I lokid out,
Faire yongè peple where I fawe many,
Emong 'hem all, as I lokid about,
To a yong man fortuned I lent myne eye,
Eftraungid from his minde it was likely;
By the' ftrete at a cornir, nigh his own hous,
He went about with eye right curious.

When that the daie his light began withdrawe,
And the night approchid in the twinlight,
How a woman came aad met hym I sawe,
Talking with him undir fhade of the night;
Now bleffid be God (quod fhe) of his might,
Whiche hath fulfillid myne hert'is defire,
Aflaked my painis, which were hote as fire.
And yet myne authour, as it is gode skill
To folowe I must tell her araiment

She was full nice foulis like to fpill,
As nice in countinaunce yet as in garmente,
For janglyng fhe was of reft impaciente,
Wandiryng ftill in no place fhe yftode,

But reftleffe now, and now out forthe she yode:
Now in the hous fhe was, now in the strete,
Now at a cornir she standeth in awaite,
Inceffauntly bufie her praie to gete,
To bring to the lure whom the doith laite.
Now where I left unto my mattir straite
I woll tournin again, how the hym met,
Swetily kiffid, and frendly him grette.
With wordes of curtifie many' and diverse,
Right as in part I have before ytolde,
Now as I can I purpose to reherfe
How the flattiring faied with vifage bolde,
I have made vowes and offringes manifolde
For thy fake, o myne herte! o my love dere?
This daie I thanke God all performid were;

Therefore I came out and made thus afterte,
Verie defirous your welfare to se;
Now I have feen you plefid is myne herte;
In faith shall none yhave my love but ye ;
As true as I am to you be to me :
I praie you hertily, dere herte: come home,
No man fhould be to me fo much welcome.

And in gode faithe, the fothè for to faie, Your comyng unto me ran in my thought: Harke in your ere; my bedde freshe and gaie I have behanged with tapettis new bought, From Egypte and from far countries ybrought, Steinid with many a luftie freshe hewe, Excedyng golde or jafpir in value :

My chambir is ftrowed with mirre and infenfe,
With fote fav'oring aloes and finnamome,
Brethyng an aromatike redolence,
Surmountyng olibane in any man's dome ;
Ye shall bitwene my breftes reft if ye come;
Let us now have our defirid halfyng,
For we maie fafe be till in the mornyng.

Myne hufband is not at home, he is went
Forthe in his journey a farre waie from hence,
A bagge with money he hath with hym hent,
As hym thought nedefull was for his expence ;
Unto my wordis give faith and credence;
Now is the monè yong and of light dulle,
Ere he come home it woll be at the fulle.

And thus craftily hath she hym besette
With her lime rodis, and pantir; and fnare,
The felie foule ycaught hath in her nette,
Of her fugrid mouthe, alas! nothyng ware;
And thus is he left gracèleffe and bare
Of helpe, and comfort, and ghostly fuccour,
And, furthirmore, as fayith myne au&hour,

As a beft ledde to his deth doith pante
This yong man folowith her in that stounde,
And as a wanton lambe full ignorante
How he is pulled and drawin to be bounde
Unto the tyme he hath his deth'is wounde,
And like a birde that haftith to the grin,
Not knowing the perill of his life therein.
Now, gentle fonne, faith Salomon, take hede,
My wordis in thy breft kepe and make faste,
Let her not thy mynde in her waies mislede,
Be not decevid, lesth not thy taste,

Many hath fhe woundid, many doune caste, Many ftrong men by her hath lofte ther breth; Her waies are waies of hell ledyng to deth.

And in this lite narracion precedente The womanne's manifolde gilte I attende, The yongè man, alas, how the hath fhent! Difcevid her husbande her own next frend; In these bothe her God she doith offende; To breke her spoufail to her is of no weight. Furdirmore to thew woman's craft and feight, A woman at her dore fate on a stall To se folke passe by stretes of the cite, With eye and countinaunce eke fhe gan call, If there be any pretie' onè come to me, Come hithir ye piggis nye, ye little babe! At laft fhe faied to a young man hertleffe, Of her deceipt unware and defenceleffe,

Moche fwetir, fhe faith, and more acceptable; Is drinke when it is ftollin privily Then when it' is taken in form avowable; Bread hiddin and gottin jeoperdouflie Ymuft nedis be fwete and femblablie; Venifon ftolin is aie the fwetir,

The ferthir the narowir fet the bettir.

And whom this woman, faith Salomon, festes
The yong man wotith not whom she doth fede;
Of the darke depeneffe of hell ben her geftes;
Beware, o yong man! therefore I the rede,
And how be it chiefly for thy gode fpede
This werke to compile I have take in charge
I must of pitie my charitie' enlarge;

With the felie man whiche is thus begiled
Her husband I mene, I wol wepe and waile
His painfull infortune, whereby reviled
Caufeleffe he is, nevir to convaile;
Every man yong and olde woll him affaile
With wordes of occafion with the loth name,
And, alas, gode fouls! he nothyng to blame :

But the whiche that coud fo ill doe and wolde,
Hers be the blame for her foule demerite,
And leve that opprobrious name Cuckold
To apropir to hym as in difpite:
Ranfake yet we wouldin if that we might
Of this worde the true ortographie,
The verie difcent and etymologie.

The well and grounde of the firste invencion
To knowe the' ortographie we must derive,
Whiche is Coke and Cold in compoficion,
By refon as nigh as I contrive,

Then how it is writtin we knowe belive;
But yet, lo! by what refon and what grounde
Ywas it of these two wordis compounde?

As of one caufe to give very judgement,
The' etymology let us firfte beholde;
Eche lettir an whole worde doeth represent,
As C put for Colde, and O put for Olde,
K is for Knave; thus divers men don holde :
The firfte parte of this name we have yfounde,
Let us ethimologife the fecounde.

As the firfte findir mente I am right sure
C for Calot, for Of we havin O,
And L for Leude, and D for Demenure,
The craft of the' enventour ye maie fe, lo!
How one name fignifieth perfonis two,

A Colde Olde Knave, Cokcold himself wenyng, And eke a Calot of Leude Dem.enyng.

The feconde caufe of the' impoficion
Of this forefayid name was jeloufie:
To be jeloufe is gretift occasion

To be cokcold that men can wel afpie,
And though the passion be very firic,
And of continuell fervence and hete,
The pacient aye fuffrith colde on his fete.

And who that 'is jelous and aye in a drede
Is full of melancolie and galie ire;
His wiv'is nose if the onis miffetrede
He woll cut off, ye, and he woll confpire.
His deth who evir that woll her defire,
Whiche she percevyng brastith streight his gall;
And anone his grete wodeneffe doith fall.

As fone as fhe hath knit for him that knot
Now is he tame that was so ramagious;
Mekely fittith he doune and takith his lot;
Layid ben now his lokes fo furious,
And he but late as a coke batailous,
Hote in his quarell, to avenge hym bolde,
Now is he callid bothè Coke and Colde.

This faying, to' all curtifie diffonant,
Which yfemith that it of malice grewe,
In this rude tretife I ne woll not plant
As parcill thereof, but onely to fhewe
The opinion of the talcatife fhrewe,
Whiche in ill faiyng is ever merie
No man as Ii thereof fo werie.

But I as parcill of this my lite boke
Woll graffin in some sadde counfaill wherby
The weddid man, if that he daigne to loke
In it, the bettir fhall mowin hym gie,
And provide for his faied infortunie,
Whiche as I have fayid with him complaine
I woll, as partinir of his grete paine.

As mofte expedient unto his wele
I woulde that all jeloufie were abjecte,
If he be jelous that he it concele,
And in his labour be full circumfpecte,
To knowe her waies if thei femin fufpecte,
And not for to breke, for one worde brokin
She woll not miffe but fhe woll be brokin.

Forbid her not that thou n'oldift have don,
For loke what thyng fo e'ere fhe is forbod
To that of all thyngis fhe is moft prone,
Namily if it be ill and no gode;
Till it be executid fhe' is nigh wode:
Soche is a woman, and foche is her fete;
Her craft by craft than labour to defete.
If thou hereaftir, now a single man,
Shouldist be jelous if thou haddeft a wife,
Wedde not but if thou can truft a woman,
For els fhouldift thou lede a carefull life;
That thou fofte lothift should ybe full rife;
Yet I ne will gainfaie matrimonic,
But Mellus eft nubere quàm uri.

That is to faie, Bettir is in wedlocke

A wife to take, as the churche doith kenne,
Then for to ben undir the flesh'is yoke,
In flefhlie luftis alwaie for to brenne;
But, as I fayid, for all jeious menne,
So thei livin chafte, I holde it laffe ill
That thei ne wedde not than them felfin fpill.

The fingle man whiche that is yet to wedde,
And not the weddid man, thus I arede,
To warne hym now he is to farre yspedde,
It is all to late hym for to forbede,
But let hym take as for his ownè nede
Soche counfaile as is hym before ytolde,
These wordis folowyng eke to beholde.

Thy watir to kepe the wifeman doth teche,
That thou in no wife let it have issue,
At a narowe rifte waie it woll yfeche;
And femblablie the woman that 'is untrue
To give her fre walke in all wife efchue;
If fhe at large, not at thine handè, walke
She woll the fhamin, thou fhalt it not balke.

Weddid or fingle thus faith the wifeman,
Her which that both daic and night evirmore
Lithe in thy bosome, wife or yet lemman,
Love not to hote, left thou repent it fore,
Left the the bryngin into fome ill lore:
Thy wife not to love yet I n'ill fupport,
But that thou doe not thus I the exhort.

Lo if thou love her love thine honestie;
Be fhe not idill for what woll betide;
If fhe fit idle' of very neceffitie
Her mindè woll ferchin ferre and eke wide,
Namelie if the be not accompanide:
How accompanied? not with yongè men,
But with maidinis I mene or women.

Maidin fervauntes be right convenient
In house to helpin to doe her service,
In whom the maie use her commanndèment
In the fefon all at her owne device;
To techin 'hem gode yeve her thine advice
To make them hufwifis: thus businesse
Maie yet refrainin her from idleneffe.

But bid not her that thou wolt have her do,
Of thine entent that might be a lettyng,
But craftily encourage her therto
By othir menis, as by commendyng,
And not to moche, but dailyng mengyng
Bothe praise and blame, and in thy refon
First raise wifily the place and fefon.

Of faithfull will and hertè full tender
One thing I call into remembèraunce
Again, which though my wit be to flender
Aftir my powir and my fuffifaunce
I purpofe to makin a purveiaunce,
Sith women of nature ben chaungeable,
Frcle, and not ware, also discevable.

Be it that thy wife be excellently gode,
That none be bet of difpoficion,

In proceffe of time the might turn her mode
By fome miffe-liver's inftigacion;
Divers men to thilke occupacion
Aplyin daily ther mynde and eke herte,
From ther godeneffe frele women to perverte.
If thou afpie any suspect person,
Drawe to thy wife, beware in alle wife;
To hym nor her of thy fufpeccion
Breke not one worde though that thine herte agrife;
Kindle no fire and no fikoke woll arife :
Although he be of a corrupt entent
She peraventure is not of affent.