Of thy behalfe, to accept in game Thyn inabylite; do thou the same: Abyde! have more yet! Je serve Jouesse.1 Nowe forth I close the in holy Venus name! The shal unclose my hertes governeresse. A PRAISE OF WOMEN. бо AL tho that lyste of women evyl to speke, And sayn of hem worse than they deserve, I praye to God that her neckes to-breke, Or on some evyl dethe mote tho janglers sterve; For every man were holden hem to serve, And do hem worship, honour, and servyce, In every maner that they best coude devyse. For we oughte first to thinke on what manere They bring us forth, and what payn they endure First in our byrth, and syth 2 fro yere to yere 10 How busely they done hir busy cure,3 To kepe us fro every misaventure In our youthe, whan we have no might Our selfe to kepe, neither by day nor nyght. Alas! howe may we say on hem but wele, Of whom we were fostred and ybore, And ben al our sucoure, and ever trewe as stele, 1 I serve Joyous. Then. Care. 20 WHAT LOVE WAS." 569 This is wel knowen, and hath ben or1 this, Glad and mery, and trewe in every wyse truthe, 29 And to your fayre wordes wold aught assente, 40 Then wyl ye swere that ye knewe never before What Love was, ne his dredful observaunce, But nowe ye fele that he can wounde sore; Wherfore ye putte you into her governaunce, Whom Love hath ordeyned you to serve and do piesaunce Ere. 2 Joyousness. Ruined for their fault • Little. With al your might your lytel lyves space, Whiche endeth sone but if she do you grace. And then to bedde wylle ye soone drawe, 50 And sone sicke ye wylle you than fayne, And swere faste your lady hath you slawe, And brought you sudeynly so high a payne That fro your deth may no man you restrayne, With a daungerous loke of her eyen two, That to your dethe muste ye nedes go. Thus wylle ye morne, thus wylle ye sighe sore, As if you lyst mercy on me to have ;" wyse For pyte of your false othes sere, 69 So that innocent weneth that it be as you devyse And weneth your herte be as she may here, Thus for to comfort and somwhat do you chere ; "YE BE TO BLAME." 571 Than wol these janglers deme of her ful ylle, And sayne that ye have her fully at your wylle. Lo, howe redy her tonges ben, and preste To speke harme of women causelesse ! Alas! why might ye not as wel saye the beste, As for to deme hem thus gyltelesse? 81 In your herte, ywis, there is no gentylnesse, That day and night we payne us evermore And if falshede shulde be reckened and tolde In women, iwys ful trouthe were, Not as in men, by a thousand fold; I wolde fayne wete wher ever ye coude here, Withoute mennes tysing, what women dyd amis, 100 For ther ye may get hem ye lye fro yere to yere, And many a gabbing ye make to hem, iwys; Defame. 3 Hide. Except. Know. 5 Enticing. That. For I could never here ne knowen ere this, With al your herte, and al your besynesse, And alle your craftes that touche falsnesse, 66 hertes quene" I2C Lo, whiche a paynted processe can ye make, These harmlesse creatures for to begyle! And whan they slepe, ye payne you to wake, And to bethinke you on many a wicked wyle |