Part 2 (1/2)

For vnto you trewe and eke secre I wil be founde to serue as I best can And therwith al as lowly in eche degre To you be allone as euer yet was man Vnto his lady from the tyme I began And shal so forth withouten ony sleuth Whylis that I lyue, by G.o.d & by my trouth

For leuer I had to deyen sodenly Than you offende in any maner wyse And suffre paynes inward priuely Than my seruyse as now ye shold dispyse For I right neught wil axe in no wyse But for your seruaunt ye wold me accepte And whan I tres.p.a.ce, goodly me correcte

And for to graunte of mercy the prayer Only of grace and womanly pyte From day to day that I myght leve You for to plese, and therwith al that ye Whan I do mys, list for to teche me In your seruyse hou that I may amende From hensforth and neuer you offende

For vnto me it doth ynowh suffyse That for your man ye wold me resseyue Fully to ben as you lyst deuyse And as ferforth as my wittes can conceyue And therwith al liche as ye preue That I be true, to guerdone me of grace Or ellis to punysshe after my tres.p.a.ce

And yf so be that I may not atteyne Vnto your mercy, yet graunte at the leste In your seruyse for al my wo and peyne That I may deyen after my beheste This is al and som the fyn of my request Outher with mercy your seruaunt to saue Or mercyles that I may be begraue

And whan this benygne of her entent true Conceyued hath the compleynt of this man Right as the fresh rody Rose newe Of her colour to wexen she began Her blood astoned so from her herte ran In to her face of verray femynyte Thurgh honest drede aba.s.shed was she

And humbly she began her eyen caste Towardes hym of hir benygnyte So that no word by her lippes past For hast nor drede mercy ne pyte For so demened she was in honeste That vnaduysed no thing fro her stert So moche of reson was compa.s.sed in her hert

Til atte last of whiche she did abreyd Whan she is trouthe and menyng did fele And vnto hym ful goodly s.p.a.ck and seyd Of your behest and your menyng wele And your seruyse so faithful euerydele Whiche vnto me so lowly now ye offre With al my herte, I thanke you of your profre

That for so moche your entent is sette Only in vertu y bridled vnder drede Ye must of right nedis face the bet Of your request, and the better spede But as for me I may of womanhede No further graunte to you in myn entente Than as my lady venus wil a.s.sente

For she wel knoweth I am not at my large To doon right nought but by her ordynance So am I drownd vnder her dredeful charge Her lyste tobbeye withoute variaunce But for my parte so hit be pleasaunce Vnto the G.o.ddesse for trouth in your empryse I you accepte fully to my seruyse

For she my herte hath in subiection Whiche hoolly is youres & neuer shal repente In thought ner dede in myn election Witnes on venus that knoweth myn entent Fully tobeye hir dome and Iugement So as hir liste disposen and ordeyne Right as she knoweth the trouth of vs tweyne

For vnto the tyme that venus list prouyde To shape away for our hertis ease Bothe ye and I mekely must abyde To take at gree, and not of our disease To grucche agayn til that she list tappease Our hid woo so Iuly that constreyneth From day to day and our hertis peyneth

For in abidyng of woo and al affraye Who so can suffre is founden remedye And for the beste ful ofte is made delaye Er men be heled of their maladye Wherfore as venus list this mater to gye Leet vs agreen, and take al for the best Til her liste, sette bothe our hertes in rest

For she is that byndeth and can constreyn Hertes in one, this fortunate planete And can relece louers of her peyn To turne fully her bitter in to swete Now blisful G.o.ddes doun fro thy sterry sete Vs to fortune cast your stremes shene Lyke as ye knowe, that we trouth mene

And ther with al as I myn eyen caste For to perceyue the maner of these tweyne To fore the G.o.ddesse mekely as they paste Me thought I saw with a goldyn cheyne Venus, anon enbrace and constreyne Her bothe hertes in one, for to perseuere Whilis that they lyue, and neuer to disseuere

Seyng right thus with a benygne chere Sith it is so, ye be vnder my myght My wil is thus, that ye my doughter dere Ful accepte this man as it is right Vnto your grace anon here in my sight That euer hath ben so lowly you to serue Hit is good s.h.i.+l your thank that he deserue

Your honour sauf and eke your womanhede Hym to cherisshe, hit sitteth you right wele Sith he is bounde vnder hope and drede Amyd my cheyne that forged is of stele Ye must of mercy shape that he fele In yow som grace of his long seruyse And that in hast lik as I shal deuyse

This is to sayn that ye taken hede Hou he to you most faithful is and true Ofal your seruauntes, & nothing for his mede Of you ne asketh, but ye on hym rue For he vowed hath to change for no newe For lyf ne deth, for ioye ne for peyne Ay to be youris, so as ye list ordeyne

Wherfore ye muste or els it were wrong Vnto your grace fully hym receyue In my presence, by cause he hath so long Hooly ben youris, as ye may conceyue That from your mercy, yf ye hym weyue I wyl my silf recorden cruelte In your persone, and gret lack of pyte

Late hym for his trouth fynde than agayn For long seruyse, guerdon hym with grace And late ye pyte weye doun his payn For tyme is now daunger to arace Out of your hert, and mercy in to pace And loue for loue world wel beseme To yeue agayn and this I plainly deme

And as for hym I wil ben his borowe Of lowlihede and besy attendance How he shal be bothe eue and morowe Ful diligent to doon his obseruance And euer awaytyng, you to do playsance Wherfore my sone, listen and take hede Fully tobeye, as I shal the rede

And first of all my will is that thou be Feithful in hert and constant as a wal True humble, meke and therwith al secre With out change in partie or in all And for no torment that the fallen shal Tempest the not, but euer in stedfastnes Rote thyn herte, and wyde doublenes

And furthermore haue in reuerence These women al for thy lady sake And suffre neuer that men hem do offence For loue of one, but euermore vndertake Hem to defende whether they slept or wake And ay be redy to holden them party Ayenst all tho that to hem haue enuye

Be curtais ay and lowly of thy speche To riche and poure ay fressh & wel beseyn And euer besy weyes for to seche Alle true louers to relece of her peyn Sith thou art one, & of no wight haue disdeyn For loue hath power hertes for to daunte And neuer for cherising, the to muche auaunte

Be l.u.s.ty eke voyd of all tristesse And take no thought but euer be iocound And not to pensif for none heuynes And with thy gladnes, lete sadnes ay be found Whan woo approched, lete mirth most habound As manhod ayid, and though [thou] fele smert Late not to many knowen of thyn hert

And alle vertues besily thou sue Vices eschewe for the loue of one And for no tales thyn hert not renewe Word is but wynd that shal soon ouergoon What euer thou here be domb as ony stoon And to answere to sone, not the delyte For here she standeth that al this shal [the] quyte