The eighth statute to my remembraunce 351 Was, To speke and praye my lady dere, With hourely laboure and grete attendaunce, Me for to love with all her harte entiere, And me desire and make me joyfull chere, Right as she is, surmountyng every faire,1 Of bewtie well,2 and gentill debonayre.

360

The ninth statute, with lettres writ of gold, This was the sentence, How that I and alle Shuld ever drede to be to overbolde Her to displease; and truly so I shall; But ben content for thyng that may befalle, And mekely take her chastisement and yerde, And to offende her ever ben aferd.

The tenth statute was, Egally discerne Bytwene thy lady and thyn abilitee,

And thynke thyself arte never like to yerne,* By right, her mercy nor of equite,

But of her grace and womanly pitee;

For though thy self be noble in thy strene, 370 A thowsand fold more nobill is thy quene.

Thy lives lady and thy souverayn,

That hath thyne harte all hole in governaunce, Thow maist no wise hit taken to disdayne,

To put the humbly at her ordynaunce,

And gife her free the reyne of her plesaunce; For libertie ys thing that women loke,*

And truly ellis the mater is a croke.

The eleventh statute, Thy signes for to knowe Source. Rod. Desire. Pedigree.

1 Fair one.

WITH IE AND FYNGER.'

491

With ie and fynger, and with smyles softe, 380
And iowe to kowch, and alway for to showe,

For dred of spies, for to wynken ofte ⚫
But secretly to bring up a sigh alofte,
And eke beware of overmoche resorte;
For that paraventure spilleth1 all thy sporte.
The twelfth statute remember to observe :
For alle the payne thou haste for love and we,
All is to lite her mercy to deserve,

Thow muste thynke, where ever thow ride or

goo,2

And mortall woundes suffer thow also,
All for her sake, and thynke it wel beset,
Upon thy love, for it may be no bette.

390

The thirteenth statute, Whilom is to thynke Whate thyng may best thy lady lyke and please, And in thyne hartes botom let it synke: Som thing devise, and take for thyne ease, And send it her, that may her harte pease: Some hert, or ryng, or letre, or devise, Or precious stone; but spare not for no price.

8

The fourteenth statute eke thou shalt assaye Firmely to kepe the moste parte of thy life: 40s Wisshe that thy lady in thyne armes laye, And nyghtly dreme thou hast thy nyghtes harte

wife

Swetely in armes, straynyng her as blife:
And whanne thou seest it is but fantasye,
Se that thow syng not over merily,

1 Destroveth. 2 Walk. 3 Appease.

410

For to moche joye hath oft a wofull end. It longith1eke this statute for to holde, To deme thy lady evermore thy frende, And thynke thyself in no wise a cocold. In every thing she doth but as she shulde : Construe the beste, beleve no tales newe, For many a lie is told, that semyth full trewe. But thinke that she, so bounteous and fayre, Cowde not be fals: imagyne this algate; And thinke that tonges wykked wold her appaiere,

Sklaunderyng her name and worshipfull estate, And lovers true to setten at debate:

And though thow seest a fawte2 right at thyne

、ye,

Excuse it blive, and glose it pretily.

420

The fifteenth statute, Use to swere and stare,

And counterfete a lesyng hardely,

To save thy ladys honoure every whare,
And put thyself for her to fighte boldely:

Sey she is gode, vertuous, and gostely,

Clere of entent, and harte, and thought and

wille ;

And argue not for reson ne for skille

4

Agayne thy ladys plesire ne entent, For love wille not be counterpleted' indede : Sey as she seith, than shalte thowe not be shent, The crowe is white; ye truly, so I rede.

1 Belongeth. gued against.

431

Fault (Fr. faute). Palliate.
Advise.

• Cause

Ar

"SEY AS SHE SEITH."

493

And ay whate thyng that she the wille torbidde,
Eschewe all that, and give her soverentie,
Hir appetite folowe in all degree.

The sixteenth statute, kepe it yf thow may:
Seven sithat nyght thy lady for to please,
And seven at mydnyght, seven at morowe day,
And drynke a cawdell erly for thyne ease.
Do this and kepe thyne hede from all dyssease,
And wynne the garland here of lovers alle, 440
That ever come in courte, or ever shalle.

448

Full fewe, thynke I, this statute hold and kepe ; But truly this my reason giveth me fele,2 That som lovers shulde rather fall aslepe, Than take on hand to please so ofte and wele. There lay none othe to this statute adele, But kepe who myght as gave hym his corage: Nowe get this garlant lusty folke of age. Nowe wynne whoo may, ye lusty folke of youth, This garland fressh, of floures red and white, Purpill and blewe, and colours ful uncowth,3 And I shall crowne hym kyng of all delite! In all the courte there was not, to my sight, A lover twewe, that he ne was adrede,

When he expresse hath hard the statute redde. The seventeenth statute, When age approch

ith on,

And lust is leide, and all the fire is queynt, As fresshly than thowe shalte begynne to fonne,*

1 Times. Many New. Be fond.

And dote in love, and all her ymage paynte
In the remembraunce, till thow begynne to

faynte,

460

As in the firste season thyne hart beganne : And her desire, though thowe ne may ne can Perfourme thy lyvyng actuell, and lust ;

Regester this in thy remembraunce:

Eke whan thow maist not kepe thy thing from rust,

Yet speke and talk of pleasaunt dalyaunce; For that shall make thyne harte rejoyse and daunce,

And when thou maist no more the gam as

saye,

The statute bidde the praye for hem that maye.
The eighteenth statute, holy to commende,
To please thy lady, is, That thow eschewe 47 1
With sluttisshnesse thyself for to offende;
Be jolif, fressh, and fete,' with hinges newe,
Courtly with maner, this is all thy due,
Gentill of porte, and loving clenlynesse ;'
This is the thing that liketh thi maistresse.

8

2

And not to wander liche a dulled asse, Ragged and torn, disguysed in array, Rybaude in speech, or oute of mesure passe, Thy bounde excedyng; thynk on this alway: For women been of tender hartes aye, And lightly sette there plesure in a place; When they misthinke, they lightly let it passe.

1 Neat. Purity. Pleaseth.

481