To be i-named of your fest, And do after your usaunce, In obeying your pleasaunce. At your request this I consent, To please you in your entent; And eke the Soveraine above Commanded hath me for to love And before other him prefer,
Against which prince may be no wer,' For his power over all raigneth,
That other woulde for nought him paineth, And sith his will and yours is one, Contrary in me shall be none."
Tho, as me thoughte, the promise Of marriage before the mese3 Desired was of every wight To be imade the same night, To put away all maner doute Of every wight thereaboute.
And so was do; and on the morrow, When every thought and every sorrow Dislodged was out of mine herte,
With every wo and every smerte, Unto a tent prince and princesse,
Me thoughte, broughte me and my maistresse,
And saide we were at full age
There to conclude our marriage;
With ladies, knightes, and squiers,
And a great host of ministers;
War. Then. 3 Mass.
With instruments and sounes diverse,
That longe were here to rehearse.
Which tent church perochiall
Ordaint was in especiall
For the feast and for the sacre,1 Where archbishop and archdiacre' Songe full oute the servise, After the custome and the guise, And the churches ordinaunce.
And after that to dine and daunce Brought were we, and to divers plaies, And for our speed ech with praies,* And merry was most and leaste, And said amended was the feaste, And were right glad, lady and lord, Of the marriage and thaccord; And wished us heartes pleasaunce, Joy, hele, and continuance.
And to the ministrils made request, That in encreasing of the fest They woulde touchen their cords, And with some new joyeux accords Moove the people to gladnesse ; And praiden of all gentilnesse Ech to paine hem for the day, To shew his cunning and his play.
Tho beganne sownes mervelous Entuned with accords joyous,
1 Sacrament (of matrimony). Prayers. Made more pleasant. Take pains.
Round about alle the tentes,
With thousandes of instrumentes,
That every wight to daunce hem painede; To be merry was none that fainede. Which sowne me troubled in my sleepe, That fro my bedde forth I lepe, Wening to be at thilke feast.
But when I woke all was ceast, For ther nas lady ne creature, Save on the walles olde portraiture Of horsmen, haukes, and houndes, And hurte deere full of woundes, Some like bitten, some hurt with shot, And, as1 my dreame, seemed that was not. And when I wake, and knew the trouth,. And ye hadde seen, of very routh, I trow ye would have wept a weke, For never man yet halfe so seke; I went escaped with the life, And was for fault that sword ne knife I finde me mighte my life tabridge, Ne thing that kervede, ne had edge, Wherewith I mighte my woful paines Have voided with bleeding of my vaines. Lo, here my blisse, lo, here my paine, Which to my lady I do complaine, And grace and mercy her requere, To ende my wo and busie fere, And me accepte to her servise,
After her service in such avise, That of my dreame the substaunce Mighte once turne to cognisaunce, And cognisaunce to very preve By full consent and goode leve Or elles without more I pray That thilke night, or it be day, I mote unto my dreame returne, And, sleeping so, forth aie sojourne About the yle of pleasaunce, Under my ladies obeisaunce In her servise, and in such wise As it please her may to devise, And grace ones to be accepte, Like as I dreamed when I slepte, And dure a thousand yeare and ten In her good will. Amen! Amen!
Fairest of faire, and goodliest on live, All my secret to you I plaine and shrive, Requiring grace and of complaint, To be healed, or martyred as a saint ; For by my trouth I sweare, and by this booke, Ye may both heale and slea me with a looke.
Go forth, mine owne true hart innocent, And with humblesse do thine observaunce, And to thy lady on thy knees present
Thy servise new, and think how great pleasance
It is to live under thobeisance
Of her that may with her lookes softe Give thee the blisse that thou desirest ofte.
Be diligent, awake, obey, and drede, 2220 And be not too wild of thy countenaunce, But meeke and glad, and thy nature feede, To do each thing that may her pleasance, When thou shalt sleep, have aie in remembrance Thimage of her which may with lookes softe Give thee the blisse that thou desirest ofte.
And if so be that thou her name finde Written in booke, or elles upon walle, Looke that thou, as servaunt true and kinde Thine obeisaunce, as she were there withalle ; Faining in love is breeding of a falle From the grace of her whose lookes softe May give the blisse that thou desirest ofte.
Ye that this ballade reade shalle,
I pray you keep you from the falle.
ALONE walkyng,
In thought pleynyng, And sore syghyng,
Al desolate,
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