of speche

For he that is in myschief reklees
To seche help I holde hym a wrecche
And she ne may thyn hert bryng in pees
But yf thy compleynt to hir hert strecche
Woldest thou be cured & wilt no salue fecche
Hit wil not be, for no wight may atteyne
To come to blys, yf he list lyue in peyne

Therfore attones go fortħ in humble wyse
To fore thy lady and lowly knele a doun
And in al trouthe thy wordes so deuyse
That she on the haue compassion
For she that is of so hye renoun
In al vertues as quene and souerayn
Of womanhed shal rue on thy payn

And whan the goddes this lesson had told
Aboute me so I gan behold
Rigħt so a stoned stode in a traunce
To se the maner and contenance
And al the chere of this woful man
That was of hue dedely pale and wan
Witħ drede supprised in his owne thought

Makyng chere as thaugħ he rought nought
Of lyf ne detħ ne what so hym betyde
So moche fere he had on euery side
To put hym fortħ to tel his peyne
Vnto his lady, other to compleyne
What woo he felt torment or disese
What dedely sorow his hert dide sese
For coutħ of whiche his wo as I endite
My penne I fele quaken as I wryte
Of hym I had so grete compassion
For to reherce his weymentacion
That vnnethe, thougħ I witħ my self stryue
I want connyng his peynes to discryue
Allas to whom shal I for help calle
Not to the muses for cause they ben alle
Help of right in Ioye and not in woo
And in matiers that they delite also
Wherfore they nyl as now directe my style
Nor me enspiren Alas the hard whyle
I can no further but to the siphon
And to her suster to calle help vpon
That be goddesses of torment and peyne
Nowe lete your teris in to myn Inke reyne

Witħ woful wordes my paper for to blotte
This woful mater not to peynt, but spotte
To tel the maner of this dredeful man
Vpon his complaynt whan he first began
To tel his lady whan he gan declare
His hid sorowis, and his euel fare
That at his herte constreyned so sore
Theffect of whiche was this witħoute more

Pryncesse of yougtħ & flour of gentilesse
Ensample of vertu ground of curtesye
Of beaute rote quene and eke maistres
To alle women how they shal hem gye
And sotħfast mirrour texemplifye
The right way of port and of womanhede
What I shal saye, of mercy take ye hede
Besechyng first vnto your hye nobles
Witħ quakyng hert of my Inward drede
Of grace and pyte & not of right wysnes
Of verrey coutħe to help in this nede
This is to say O wel of goodlyhede
That I ne rekke thaugħ ye do me deye
So ye list first to heven what I seye

The dredeful stroke the gret force and might
Of god cupide that noman may rebelle
So inwardly thurgħ out myn hert right
Y perced hatħ that I ne may councele
Myn hid wound ne I ne may apele
Vnto no gretter, this mighty god so faste
You to serue hatħ me bound vnto my laste

That hert and aƚƚ witħ out stryf ar yolde
For lyf or detħ to your seruyse allone
Right as the goddesse myghty venus wolde
To for her mekely whan I made my mone
She me constrayned witħoute chaunge anone
To your seruyse and neuer for to fayne
Wherso euer ye list to do me ease or payne

So that I can no thing but mercy crye
Of you my lady, and chaunge for no newe
That ye list godely to fore er that I dye
Of verray couthe vpon my paynes rue
For by my trouthe, and ye my peynes knewe
What is the cause of myne aduersite
On myn disese ye wolde haue pyte

For vnto you trewe and eke secre
I wil be founde to serue as I best can
And therwitħ 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 fortħ witħouten ony sleutħ
Whylis that I lyue, by god & by my troutħ

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 trespace, 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 therwitħ al that ye
Whan I do mys, list for to teche me
In your seruyse hou that I may amende
From hensfortħ and neuer you offende

For vnto me it doth ynowħ 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 trespace

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 hatħ 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 abasshed 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 compassed in her hert

Til atte last of whiche she did abreyd
Whan she is trouthe and menyng did fele
And vnto hym ful goodly spack and seyd
Of your behest and your menyng wele
And your seruyse so faitħful euerydele
Whiche vnto me so lowly now ye offre
Witħ 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 assente

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 goddesse for troutħ 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 troutħ 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 constreynetħ
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 byndetħ 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 goddes doun fro thy sterry sete
Vs to fortune cast your stremes shene
Lyke as ye knowe, that we troutħ mene

And ther witħ al as I myn eyen caste
For to perceyue the maner of these tweyne
To fore the goddesse mekely as they