42

THE COMPLEYNTE TO PITE. FAIRFAX 16.

(8)

Then leve we al vertues / saue oonly pite
Kepynge the corps / as ye haue herde me seyñ
Cofedered by bonde / and by cruelte
And ben assented/ when I shal be sleyñ
And I haue put my complaynt / vp ageyn
For to my ffoes / my bille I dar not shewe
Theffect of which / seith thus in wordes fewe

(9) [The Bill of Complaint.] (Tern I. 1)

Humblest of herte / highest of reuerence
Benygne flour/ corovne of vertues alle
Sheweth vn-to youre rialle / excellence
Youre servaunt/ yf I durst me / so calle
Hys mortal harme / in which he is falle
And noght' al oonly / for his euel fare
But for your renouñ / as he shal declare

(10) (I. 2)

Hit stondeth thus / that your contrary crueltee
Allyed is/ayenst your regalye

Vnder colour of womanly beaute

53

56

60

63

For men shulde not / knowe hir tirannye

67

With bounte gentilesse / and curtesye

And hath depryved yow / of your place

That is hygħ beaute / apertenent to your grace

(11) (I. 3)

For kyndely / by youre herytage ryght'
Ye be annexed euer / vnto bounte
And verrely ye oughte/ do youre myght'
To helpe trouthe/ in his aduersyte
Ye be also the corowne/of beaute

And certes yf ye want / in these tweyn

70

[leaf 188]

74

PAR.-TEXT 46

THE COMPLEYNTE TO PITE. FAIRFAX 16.

(12) (Tern II. 1)

Eke what availeth maner / and gentilesse
Withoute yow / benygne creature
Shal cruelte / be your gouerneresse

Allas what herte / may hyt longe endure
Wherfore but ye / the rather take cure
To breke that perilouse / alliaunce
Ye sleen hem that ben / in your

obeisaunce

(13) (II. 2)

43

81

84

And further ouer / yf ye suffre this

Youre renouñ ys fordoo / in a throwe

Ther shal no mañ wete well/what pite is

Allas that euer your renouñ / is falle so lowe

Ye be also fro youre heritage y-throwe /

By cruelte / that occupieth youre place

88

And we despeyred / that spekeñ to your grace

91

(14) (II. 3)

Haue mercy on me / thow herenus quene
That yow haue sought / so tendirly and yore
Let somme streme of lyght / on me be sene

That loue and drede yow / euer lenger the more
For sothely for to seyne / I bere so soore

95

And though I be not kunnynge / for to pleyne

For goddis loue / haue mercy on my peyne

98

(15) (Tern III. 1)

My peyne is this / that what so I desire
That haue I not ne no thing / lyke therto

And euer setteth desire / myn hert on fire

Eke on that other sydes / where so I goo
What maner thinge / that may encrese my woo
That haue I redy vnsoghte / euery where

102

Me lakketh but my deth / and thañ my bere

105

44

THE COMPLEYNTE TO PITE. FAIRFAX 16.

(16) (III. 2)

What nedeth to shewe parcel / of my peyne
Syth euery woo/ that herte may be-thynke
I suffre and yet I dar not to yow pleyne
/
For wel I wote / thougħ I wake or wynke
Ye rekke not where I flete or synke
But natheles yet / my trouthe I shal sustene
Vnto my deth / and that shal wel be sene

(17) (III. 3)

This is to seyne / I wol be youres euer
Though ye me slee / by crueltee your soo
Algate my spirite / shal neuer disseuer
Fro youre seruise / for eny peyne or woo
Sith ye be yet ded/ allas that hyt is soo

[leaf 188, back]

109

112

116

Thus for your deth / I may wel wepe and pleyne
With herte sore / and ful of besy peyne

119

¶ Explicit.

III.

The Parlement of Foules.

46 PARLAMENT OF FOULES. Gg. 4. 27, CAMBR. UNIV. LIBR.

[MS Gg. 4. 27, Cambr. Univ. Libr. (vellum, ?1430-40 a.d.).]

Here begynyth the parlement of ffoulys. [on leaf 480, back] (1) [The Proem.]

He lyf so short the craft so longe to lerne [leaf 481]
Thassay so sharp / so hard the conquerynge

The dredful Ioye / alwey that slit so zerne

Al this mene I/ be loue / that myn felynge
A-stonyd with his wondyrful werkynge

So sore I-wis that whan I on hym thynke
Nat wot I wel wher that I slete or synke

(2)

4

7

For al be that I knowe nat loue In dede
Ne wot how that he quitith folk here hyre
3it happith me ful ofte / in bokis reede
Of hise myraklis & his crewel yre

11

That rede I wel / he wele be lord & syre
I dar nat seyn/ his strokis been so sore
But god save swich a lord I sey na moore

14

But wherfore that I speke al this nat 300re
Agon. it happede me for to be-holde

18

Vp on a bok was wrete with letteris olde
And ther vpon a certeyn thing to lerne
The longe day ful faste I redde & zerne

(4)

For ofte of olde feldys / as men sey

Comyth al this newe1 corn from zer to zere [1in Corrector's hand]

And out of olde bokis in good fey

Comyth al this newe science that men lere

But now to purpos as of this matere

25

To rede forth so gan me to delite