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"For euermore Loue his seruants amendeth,
And from all euill taches hem defendeth,
And maketh hem to brenne right in a fire,
In trouth and in worshipfull desire,

And whan him liketh, joy inough hem sendeth."

"Thou nightingale" he said, "be still,
For Loue hath no reason, but it is will,
For oft time vntrue folke he easeth,
And true folke so biterly he displeaseth,
That for default of courage he let hem spill."

Than tooke I of the nightingale keepe,
How she cast a sigh out of her deepe,
And said, "Alas that euer I was bore,
I can for tene not say one word more,"

And right with that word she brast out to weepe.

"Alas" (quod she) "my herte woll to breake,
To hearen thus this leaud bird speake
Of Loue, and of his worshipfull seruise,
Now God of loue thou help me in some wise,
That I may on this cuckow been awreake."

Me thought than he stert vp anone,
And glad was I that he was agone,
And euermore the cuckow as he flay,
Said "Farewell, farewell popingay,"
As though he had scorned me alone.

And than came the nightingale to mee,
And said, "Friend forsooth I thanke thee,
That thou hast liked me to rescow,
And one auow to loue make I now,
That all this May I woll thy singer be."

I thanked her, and was right well apaied:
"Ye" (quod sbe)" and be thou not dismaied,
Tho thou haue herd the cuckow erst than me,
For if I liue, it shall amended be
The next May, if I be not affraied.

"And one thing I woll rede thee also,

Ne leue thou not the cuckow, ne his loues so,
For all that he hath said is strong leasing:"
"Nay" (quod I) "thereto shall nothing me bring,
For loue and it hath doe me much wo.

"Ye, vse" (quod she) "this medicine
Euery day this May or thou dine,
Go looke vpon the fresh daisie,

And though thou be for wo in point to die,
That shall full greatly lessen thee of thy pine.

"And looke alway that thou be good and trew, And I woll sing one of the songs new For loue of thee, as loud as may crie :" And than she began this song full hie, "I shrew all hem that been of loue vntrue."

And whan she had song it to the end,
"Now farewell" (quod she) "for I mote wend,
And god of loue, that can right well, and may,
As much joy send thee this day,
As any yet louer he euer send."

Thus taketh the nightingale her leaue of me,
I pray to God alway with her be,
And joy of loue he send her euermore,
And shilde us fro the cuckow and his lore,
For there is not so false a bird as he.

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Than spake o bird for all, by one assent, "This matter asketh good auisement, For we ben birdes here in fere,

And sooth it is, the cuckow is not here,
And therefore we woll haue a parliment.

"And thereat shall the egle be our lord,
And other peres that been of record,
And the cuckow shall be after sent,
There shall be yeue the judgement,
Or els we shall finally make accord.
"And this shall be without nay
The morrow after saint Ualentines day,
Under a maple that is faire and grene,
Before the chamber window of the quene,
At Woodstocke vpon the grene lay."

She thanked hem, and than her leaue toke,
And into an hauthorne by that broke,
And there she sate and song vpon that tree,
"Terme of life loue hath withhold me,"
So loud that I with that song awoke.

EXPLICIT.

O LEUD book with thy foule rudenesse,
Sith thou haste neither beauty ne eloquence.
Who bath thee caused or yeue the hardinesse
For to appeare in my ladies presence,

I am full siker thou knowest her beneuolence,
Full agreeable to all her abying,
For of all good she is the best liuing.

Alas that thou ne baddest worthinesse,
To shew to her some pleasaunt sentence,
Sith that she hath through her gentillesse
Accepted the seruant to her digne reuerence,
O, me repenteth that I ne had science
And leiser als, to make thee more flourishing,
For of all good she is the best liuing.

Beseech her meekely with all lowlinesse,
Though I be ferre from her in absence,
To think on my trouth to her and stedfastnesse,
And to abridge of my sorrowes the violence,
Which caused is, wherof knoweth your sapience,
She like among to notifie me her liking
For of all good she is the best liuing.

LANUOYE.

AURORE of gladnesse, and day of lustinesse, Lucern a night with heauenly influence Illumined, root of beauty and goodnesse, Suspires which I effunde in silence,

Of grace I beseech alledge let your writing, Now of all good, sith ye be best liuing.

EXPLICIT.

THE COURT OF LOVE.

This book is an imitation of the Romaunt of the Rose, shewing that all are subject to love, what impediments soever to the contrary: containing also those twenty statutes which are to be observed in the Court of Love.

There Citherea goddesse was and quene:
Honoured highly for her majeste,
And eke her sonne, the mighty god I wene,
Cupide the blind, that for his dignite
A M. louers worship on their kne,
There was I bid in paine of death to pere,
By Mercury the winged messengere.

So than I went by strange and fer countrees,
Enquiring aye what coast had to it drew
The Court of Loue: and thiderward as bees,
At last I see the people gan pursue:

And me thoght some wight was there that knew
Where that the court was holden ferre of nie,

WITH timerous herte, and trembling hand of drede, And after them full fast I gan me hie.

Of cunning naked, bare of eloquence,
Unto the floure of porte in womanhede
I write, as he that none intelligence
Of metres hath, ne floures of sentence:
Saufe that me list my writing to conuey,
In that I can to please her high nobley.

The blosomes fresh of Tullius gardein soot
Present they not, my matter for to born:
Poemes of Uirgil taken here no root,
Ne craft of Galfride, may not here sojourn:
Why nam I cunning? O well may I mourn
For lacke of science, that I cannat write
Unto the princes of my life aright.

No tearmes digne vnto her excellence,
So is she sprong of noble stirpe and high:
A world of honour and of reuerence
There is in her, this will I testifie,
Caliope thou suster wise and slie,

And thou Minerua, guide me with thy grace,
That language rude, my matter not deface.

Thy suger dropes sweet of Helicon
Distill in me, thou gentle Muse I pray,
And thee Melpomene I call anone,
Of ignoraunce the mist to chase away:
And give me grace so for to write and say,
That she my lady of her worthinesse
Accept in gree this little short treatesse,

That is entituled thus, The Court of Loue:
And ye that ben metriciens me excuse,
I you beseech for Uenus sake aboue,
For what I mean in this, ye need not muse:
And if so be my lady it refuse

For lacke of ornate speech, I would be wo,
That I presume to her to writen so.

But my entent and all my busie cure
Is for to write this treatesse, as I can,
Unto my lady, stable, true, and sure,
Faithfull and kind, sith first that she began
Me to accept in seruice as her man:
To her be all the pleasure of this book,
That whan her like she may it rede and look.

WHAN I was young, at eighteene yeare of age,
Lusty and light, desirous of pleasaunce,
Approching on full sadde and ripe courage,
Loue arted me to do my obseruaunce,
To his estate, and done him obeisaunce,
Commaunding me the Court of Loue to see,
Alite beside the mount of Citharee.

Anone as I them ouertooke, I said:
"Heile friends, whither purpose ye to wend"
"Forsooth" (quod one) that answered liche a maid,
"To Loues Court now go we gentle friend."
"Where is that place" (quod I) "my fellow hend?"
"At Citheron, sir," said he, "without dout,
The king of loue, and all his noble rout,

"Dwelleth within a castle rially."
So than apace I journed forth among,
And as he said, so fond I there truly :
For I beheld the toures high and strong,
And high pinacles, large of hight and long,
With plate of gold bespred on euery side,
And precious stones, the stone werke for to hide.

No saphire in Inde, no rube rich of price,
There lacked than, nor emeraud so grene,
Bales Turkes, ne thing to my deuice,
That may the castle maken for to shene:
All was as bright as sterres in winter bene,
And Phebus shone to make his peace ageine,
For trespas done to high estates tweine.

Uenus and Mars, the god and goddesse clere,
Whan he them found in armes cheined fast,
Uenus was than full sad of herte and chere:
But Phebus beams streight as is the mast,
Upon the castle ginneth he to cast,
To please the lady, princes of that place,
In signe he looketh after Loues grace.

For there nis god in Heauen or Hell ywis,
But he hath ben right soget vnto Loue:
Joue, Pluto, or whatsoever he is,

Ne creature in yearth, or yet aboue,`
Of these the reuers may no wight approue:
But furthermore, the castle to descrie,
Yet saw I neuer none so large and hie.

For vnto Heauen it stretcheth, I suppose,
Within and out depeinted wonderly,
With many a thousand daisie rede as rose,
And white also this saw I verely:
But who tho daisies might do signifie,
Can I not tell, safe that the quenes floure,
Alceste it was that kept there her sojoure:

Which vnder Uenus lady was and quene,
And Admete king and soueraine of that place,
To whom obeied the ladies good ninetene,
With many a thousand other bright of face:-
And yong men fele came forth with lusty pace,
And aged eke, their homage to dispose,
But what they were, I coud not well disclose.

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Yet nere and nere forth in I gan me dress
Into an hall of noble apparaile,
With arras spred, and cloth of gold I gesse,
And other silke of esyer auaile:

Under the cloth of their estate sauns faile
The king and quene there sat as I beheld:
It passed joy of Helise the field.

There saints baue their comming and resort,
To seene the king so rially beseine
In purple clad, and eke the quene in sort,
And on their heads saw I crownes tweine,
With stones fret, so that it was no paine,
Withouten meat and drink to stand and see
The kinges honour and the rialtee.

And for to treat of states with the king,
That ben of councel cheef, and with the quene:
The king had Danger nere to him standing,
The queue of loue, Disdain, and that was sene:
For by the faith I shall to God, I wene
Was neuer straunger none in her degree,
Than was the quene in casting of her eye.

And as I stood perceiuing her apart,
And eke the beames shining of her eyen,
Me thought they weren shapen lich a dart,
Sharpe and persing, and smal and streight of line:
And all her haire it shone as gold so fine,
Dishiuil crispe, downe hanging at her backe
A yard in length: and soothly than I spake.

"O bright regina, who made thee so faire?
Who made thy colour vermelet and white?
Wher wonneth that god, how far aboue the aire?
Great was his craft, and great was his delite.
Now maruell I nothing that ye do hight
The quene of loue, and occupie the place
Of Cithare: now sweet lady thy grace."

In mewet spake I so, that nought astart
By no condition word, that might be hard:
But in my inward thought I gan aduert,
And oft I said "My wit is dull and hard:"
For with her beauty, thus God wot I ferde,
As doth the man yrauished with sight,
Whan I beheld her cristall eyen so bright:

No respect hauing what was best to done,
'Till right anone beholding here and there,
I spied a friend of mine, and that full sone,
A gentlewoman was the chamberere
Unto the quene, that hote as ye shall here,
Philoboue, that loued all her life:
Whan she me sey, she led me forth as blife;

And me demanded how and in what wise
I thither come, and what my errand was?
"To seen the court" (quod I)" and all the guise,
And eke to sue for pardon and for grace,
And mercy aske for all my great trespas,
That I none erst come to the Court of Loue:
Foryeue me this, ye gods all aboue."
"That is well said" (quod Philobone)
But were ye not assomoned to appere
By Mercurius, for that is all my drede:"
"Yes gentill feire" (quod 1) "now am I here,
Ye yet what tho though that be true my dere :"
"Of your free will ye should haue come vnsent,
For ye did not, I deme ye will be shent.

"indede:

"For ye that reigne in youth and lustinesse,
Pampired with ease, and jalous in your age,
Your duty is, as ferre as I can gesse,
To Loues Court to dressen your viage,
As soone as nature maketh you so sage,
That ye may know a woman from a swan,
Or whan your foot is growen halfe a span.

"But sith that ye by wilfull negligence
This eighteene year hath kept your self at large,
The greater is your trespas and offence,
And in your neck you mote bere all the charge:
For better were ye ben withouten barge
Amidde the sea in tempest and in raine,
Than biden here, receiuing wo and paine

"That ordained is for such as them absent
Fro Loues Court by yeres long and fele.
I ley my life ye shall full soone repent,
For Loue will reiue your colour, lust, and hele:
Eke ye must bait on many an heauy mele:
No force ywis: I stirred you long agone
To draw to court" (quod little) Philobone.

"Ye shall well see how rough and angry face
The king of loue will shew, whan ye him se:
By mine aduise kneel down and ask him grace,
Eschewing perill and aduersite,

For well I wote it woll none other be,
Comfort is none, ne counsall to your ease,
Why will ye than the king of loue displease?"

"O mercy God" (quod iche)" I me repent,
Caitife and wretch in herte, in will and thought,
And after this shall be mine hole entent
To serue and please, how dere that loue be bought:
Yet sith I haue mine own pennance ysought,
With humble sprite shall I it receiue,

Though that the king of loue my life bereiue.

"And though that feruent loues qualite
In me did neuer wortch truly: yet I
With all obeisaunce and humilite,
And benigne herte shall serue him till I die:
And he that lord of might is great and hie,
Right as him list me chastice and correct,
And punish me with trespace thus infect."

These wordes said, she caught me by the lap,
And led me forth in till a temple round,
Both large and wide: and as my blessed hap
And good auenture was, right soone I found
A tabernacle reised from the ground,
Where Uenus sat, and Cupide by her side,
Yet halfe for drede I can my visage hide.

And eft againe I looked and beheld,
Secing full sundry people in the place,
And mister folke, and some that might not weld
Their lims wele, me thought a wonder case,
The temple shone with windows all of glass,
Bright as the day, with many a fair image,
And there I see the fresh quene of Cartage

Dido, that brent her beauty for the loue
Of false Eneas, and the weimenting
Of her Annelida, true as turtle doue,
To Arcite fals: and there was in peinting
Of many a prince, and many a doughty king,
Whose martirdom was shewed about the wals
And how that fele for loue had suffred fals.

But sore I was abashed and astonied

Of all tho folke that there were in that tide,
And than I asked where they had wonned:
"In diuers courts" (quod she) "here beside,
In sundry clothing mantill wise full wide
They were arraied, and did their sacrifise
Unto the god, and goddesse in their guise.

AND for that I was lettred, there I red
The statutes hole of Loues Court and hall:
The first statute that on the booke was spred,
Was to be true in thought and deeds all
Unto the king of loue the lord ryall,
And to the quene as faithfull and as kind,
As I coud thinke with herte, will and mind.

"Lo yonder folke" (quod she)" that kneele in blew, The second statute secretly to kepe

They weare the colour aye and euer shall,
In signe they were and euer will be trew
Withouten chaunge: and soothly yonder all
That ben in black, and mourning cry and call
Unto the gods, for their loues bene,

Som sick, some dede, som all to sharp and kene."

Councell of loue, not blowing euery where
All that I know, and let it sinke and fiete,
It may not sowne in euery wights ere:
Exiling slaunder aye for drede and fere,
And to my lady which Iloue and serue,
Be true and kind her grace for to deserue.
The third statute was clerely writ also,
Withouten chaunge to liue and die the same;
None other loue to take for wele ne wo,

"Yea than" (quod I)" what done these priests here, Nonnes and hermites, freres, and all tho, That sit in white, in russet, and in grene :" "Forsooth" (quod she) "they waylen of their wo." For blind delite, for ernest nor for game:

"O mercy lord, may they so come and go Freely to court and haue such liberty!" "Yea men of each condition and degre.

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"Thus ferre ystope in yeres, come so late
Unto the court?"" Forsooth, my liege" (quod I)
"An hundred time I haue ben at the gate
Afore this time, yet coud I neuer espie
Of mine acqueintauuce any in mine cie:
And shamefastnesse away me gan to chace,
But now I me submit vnto your grace."

"Well, all is pardoned with condition
That thou be true from henceforth to thy might
And seruen Loue in thine entention,
Sweare this, and than as ferre as it is right,
Thou shalt haue grace here in thy quenes sight."
"Yes by the faith I owe to your croun, I swere,
Though Death therefore me thirlith with his spere."

And whan the king had seene vs euerychone,
He let commaund an officer in hie
To take our faith, and shew vs one by one
The statutes of the court full busily:
Anon the booke was leid before their eie,
To rede and see what thing we must obserue
In Loues Court, till that we die and sterue.
VOL. I.

Without repent for laughing or for grame,
To bidden still in full perseueraunce,
All this was hole the kings ordinaunce.

The fourth statute to purchase ever to here,
And stirren folke to loue, and beten fire
On Venus auter, here about and there
And preach to them of loue and hote desire,
And tell how loue will quiten well their bire:
This must be kept, and loth me to displease:
If loue be wroth, passe: for there by is case.

The fifth statute, not to be daungerous,
If that a thought would reue me of my slepe:
Nor of a sight to be ouer squemous,
And so verely this statute was to kepe,
To turne and wallow in my bed and wepe,
Whan that my lady of her cruelty
Would from her herte exilen all pity.

The sixt statute, it was for me to vse,
Alone to wander, void of company,
And on my ladies beauty for to muse,
And to thinke it no force to liue or die,
And eft againe to thinke the remedic,
How to her grace I might anone attaine,
And tell my wo vnto my soueraine.

The seventh statute, was to be patient,
Whether my lady joyfull were or wroth,
For words glad or heauy, diligent,
Wheder that she me helden lefe or loth:
And hereupon I put was to mine oth,
Her for to serue, and lowly to obey,
In shewing her my chere ye xx. sith aday.

The eight statute to my remembraunce,
Was to speaken and pray my lady dere,
With hourely labour and great entendaunce,
Me for to loue with all her herte entere,
And me desire and make me joyfull chere,
Right as she is surimouning euery faire,
Of beauty well and gentle debonaire.

The ninth statute, with letters writ of gold,
This was the sentence how that I and all,
Should euer dread to be to ouerbold
Her to displease, and truely so I shall,
But ben content for thing that may fall,
And meekely take her chastisement, and yerd,
And to offend her euer ben aferd.

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The tenth statute, was egally to discerne,
Betwene the lady and thine ability,
And thinke thy selfe art neuer like to yerne,
By right her mercy nor her equity,
But of her grace and womanly pity:
For though thy selfe be noble in thy strene,
A thousand fold more noble is thy quene.

Thy liues lady and thy soueraine,
That hath thine herte al hole in gouernaunce,
Thou mayst no wise it taken to disdaine,
To put thee humbly at her ordinaunce,
And give her free the reine of her plesaunce,
For liberty is thing that woman lookc,
And truly els the matter is a crooke.

The xi. statute, thy signs for to know
With eye and finger, and with smiles soft,
And low to couch, and alway for to show,
For drede of spies, for to winken oft:
And secretly to bring up a sigh aloft,
But still beware of ouermuch resort,
For that parauenture spilleth all thy sport.

The xii. statute remember to obserue:
For all the paine thou hast for loue and wo,
All is too lite her mercy to deserue,
Thou musten think, whereuer thou ride or go:
And mortall wounds suffer thou also,
All for her sake, and thinke it well besette
Upon thy loue, for it may not be bette.

The xiii. statute, whylome is to thinke,
What thing may best thy lady like and please,
And in thine hertes bottome let it sinke:
Some thing deuise, and take for it thine ease,
And send it her, that may her herte appease:
Some herte, or ring, or letter, or deuice,
Or precious stone, but spare not for no price.

The xiiii. statute eke thou shalt assay,
Formely to keepe the most part of thy life:
Wish that thy lady in thine armes lay,

And nightly dreme, thou hast thy nights hertes wife,
Sweetly in armes, strayning her as blife:
And whau thou seest it is but fantasie,
See that thou sing not ouer merely.

For too much joy hath oft a wofull end,
It longeth eke this statute for to hold,
To deine thy lady euer more thy friend,
And thinke thy selfe in no wise a cokold.
In euery thing she doth but as she should:
Construe the best, beleeue no tales new,
For many a lye is told, that seemeth full trew.

But thinke that she, so bounteous and faire,
Coud not be false: imagine this algate,
And think that tonges wicked would her appair,
Sclandering her name and worshipfull estate,
And louers true to setten at debate:
And though thou seest a faut right at thine eye,
Excuse it bliue, and glose it pretily.

The xv. statute, vse to swere and stare,
And counterfeit a lesing hardely,
To save thy ladies honour euery where,
And put thy selfe for her to fight boldely:
Say she is good, vertuous, and ghostly,

Clere of entent, and herte, yea, thought and will,
And argue not for reason ne for skill.

Againe thy ladies pleasure ne entent:
For loue will not be countrepleted inderle :
Say as she saith, than shalt thou not be shent,
The crow is white, ye truly so I rede:
And aye what thing that she thee will forbede,
Eschew all that, and giue her soueraintee,
Her appetite followe in all degree.

The xvi, statute keepe it if thou may,
Seuen sith at night thy lady for to please,
And seuen at midnight, seuen at inorrow day,
And drinke a caudle earely for thine ease.
Do this and keep thine head from all disease,
And win the garland here of louers all,
That euer came in court, or euer shall.

Full few, think I, this statute hold and keep:
But truely this my reason giueth me fele,
That some louers should rather fall asleepe,
Than take on hand to please so oft and wele.
There lay none oth to this statute adele,
But keep who might, as gaue him his corage
Now get this garland lusty folke of age:

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Now win who may ye lusty folke of youth,
This garland fresh, of floures red and white,
Purple and blew, and colours fell vncouth,
And I shall croune him king of all delite,
In all the court there was not to my sight,
A louer true, that he ne was adrede,
Whan he expresse hath heard the statute rede.

The xvii. statue, whan age approcheth on,
And lust is laid, and all the fire is queint,
As freshly than thou shalt begin to fonne
And dote in loue, and all her image paint
In thy remembraunce, till thou begin to faint,
As in the first season thine herte began:
And her desire, though thou ne may ne can

Performe thy liuing actuell, and lust,
Regester this in thine remembraunce:
Eke whan thou maist not keep thy thing from rust,
Yet speake and talke of pleasaunt daliaunce,
For that shall make thine herte rejoice and daunce,
And whan thou maist no more the game assay,
The statute bid thee pray for them that may.

The xviii. statute, holy to commend,
To please thy lady, is that thou eschew
With sluttishnesse thy selfe for to offend,
Be jollife, fresh, and fete, with things new,
Courtly with manner, this is all thy due,
Gentill of port, and louing cleanlinesse,
This is the thing, that liketh thy maistresse.
And not to wander liche a dulled asse,
Ragged and torne, disguised in array,
Ribaud in speech, or out of measure passe,
Thy bound exceeding, thinke on this alway:
For women been of tender hertes aye,
And lightly set their pleasure in a place,
Whan they misthinke, they lightly let it passe

The xix. statute, meat and drinke forgete:
Ech other day, see that thou fast for loue,
For in the court, they liue withouten mete,
Saue such as cometh from Uenus all aboue,
They take none hede, in pain of great reproue
Of meat and drinke, for that is all in vaine,
Onely they line by sight of their soneraine.

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