For loves lust and lockes hore
In chambre acorden neveremore；
And thogh thou feigne a yong corage；
It scheweth wel be the visage
That olde grisel is no fole：
There ben fulmanye yeres stole
With thee and with suche othre mo；
That outward feignen youthe so 2410
And ben withinne of pore assay。
Min herte wolde and I ne may
Is noght beloved nou adayes；
Er thou make eny suche assaies
To love； and faile upon the fet；
Betre is to make a beau retret；
For thogh thou myhtest love atteigne；
Yit were it bot an ydel peine；
Whan that thou art noght sufficant
To holde love his covenant。 2420
Forthi tak hom thin herte ayein；
That thou travaile noght in vein；
Wherof my Court may be deceived。
I wot and have it wel conceived；
Hou that thi will is good ynowh；
Bot mor behoveth to the plowh；
Wherof the lacketh； as I trowe：
So sitte it wel that thou beknowe
Thi fieble astat； er thou beginne
Thing wher thou miht non ende winne。 2430
What bargain scholde a man assaie；
Whan that him lacketh forto paie？
Mi Sone； if thou be wel bethoght；
This toucheth thee； foryet it noght：
The thing is torned into was；
That which was whilom grene gras；
Is welked hey at time now。
Forthi mi conseil is that thou
Remembre wel hou thou art old。〃
Whan Venus hath hir tale told； 2440
And I bethoght was al aboute；
Tho wiste I wel withoute doute；
That ther was no recoverir；
And as a man the blase of fyr
With water quencheth； so ferd I；
A cold me cawhte sodeinly；
For sorwe that myn herte made
Mi dedly face pale and fade
Becam； and swoune I fell to grounde。
And as I lay the same stounde； 2450
Ne fully quik ne fully ded；
Me thoghte I sih tofor myn hed
Cupide with his bowe bent；
And lich unto a Parlement；
Which were ordeigned for the nones；
With him cam al the world at ones
Of gentil folk that whilom were
Lovers； I sih hem alle there
Forth with Cupide in sondri routes。
Min yhe and as I caste aboutes； 2460
To knowe among hem who was who；
I sih wher lusty Youthe tho；
As he which was a Capitein；
Tofore alle othre upon the plein
Stod with his route wel begon；
Here hevedes kempt； and therupon
Garlandes noght of o colour；
Some of the lef； some of the flour；
And some of grete Perles were；
The newe guise of Beawme there； 2470
With sondri thinges wel devised；
I sih； wherof thei ben queintised。
It was al lust that thei with ferde；
Ther was no song that I ne herde；
Which unto love was touchende；
Of Pan and al that was likende
As in Pipinge of melodie
Was herd in thilke compaignie
So lowde； that on every side
It thoghte as al the hevene cride 2480
In such acord and such a soun
Of bombard and of clarion
With Cornemuse and Schallemele；
That it was half a mannes hele
So glad a noise forto hiere。
And as me thoghte； in this manere
Al freissh I syh hem springe and dance；
And do to love her entendance
After the lust of youthes heste。
Ther was ynowh of joie and feste； 2490
For evere among thei laghe and pleie；
And putten care out of the weie；
That he with hem ne sat ne stod。
And overthis I understod；
So as myn Ere it myhte areche；
The moste matiere of her speche
Was al of knyhthod and of Armes；
And what it is to ligge in armes
With love； whanne it is achieved。
Ther was Tristram； which was believed 2500
With bele Ysolde； and Lancelot
Stod with Gunnore； and Galahot
With his ladi； and as me thoghte；
I syh wher Jason with him broghte
His love； which that Creusa hihte；
And Hercules； which mochel myhte；
Was ther berende his grete Mace；
And most of alle in thilke place
He peyneth him to make chiere
With Eolen； which was him diere。 2510
Theses； thogh he were untrewe
To love； as alle wommen knewe；
Yit was he there natheles
With Phedra； whom to love he ches：
Of Grece ek ther was Thelamon；
Which fro the king Lamenedon
At Troie his doghter refte aweie；
Eseonen； as for his preie；
Which take was whan Jason cam
Fro Colchos； and the Cite nam 2520
In vengance of the ferste hate；
That made hem after to debate；
Whan Priamus the newe toun
Hath mad。 And in avisioun
Me thoghte that I sih also
Ector forth with his brethren tuo；
Himself stod with Pantaselee；
And next to him I myhte se；
Wher Paris stod with faire Eleine；
Which was his joie sovereine； 2530
And Troilus stod with Criseide；
Bot evere among； althogh he pleide；
Be semblant he was hevy chiered；
For Diomede； as him was liered；
Cleymeth to ben his parconner。
And thus full many a bacheler；
A thousend mo than I can sein；
With Yowthe I sih ther wel besein
Forth with here loves glade and blithe。
And some I sih whiche ofte sithe 2540
Compleignen hem in other wise；
Among the whiche I syh Narcise
And Piramus； that sory were。
The worthy Grek also was there；
Achilles； which for love deide：
Agamenon ek； as men seide；
And Menelay the king also
I syh； with many an other mo；
Which hadden be fortuned sore
In loves cause。 And overmore 2550
Of wommen in the same cas；
With hem I sih wher Dido was；
Forsake which was with Enee；
And Phillis ek I myhte see；
Whom Demephon deceived hadde；
And Adriagne hir sorwe ladde；
For Theses hir Soster tok
And hire unkindely forsok。
I sih ther ek among the press
Compleignende upon Hercules 2560
His ferste love Deyanire；
Which sette him afterward afyre：
Medea was there ek and pleigneth
Upon Jason； for that he feigneth；
Withoute cause and tok a newe；
Sche seide； 〃Fy on alle untrewe！〃
I sih there ek Deijdamie；
Which hadde lost the compaignie
Of Achilles； whan Diomede
To Troie him fette upon the nede。 2570
Among these othre upon the grene
I syh also the wofull queene
Cleopatras； which in a Cave
With Serpentz hath hirself begrave
Alquik； and so sche was totore；
For sorwe of that sche hadde lore
Antonye； which hir love hath be：
And forth with hire I sih Tisbee；
Which on the scharpe swerdes point
For love deide in sory point； 2580
And as myn Ere it myhte knowe；
Sche seide； 〃Wo worthe alle slowe！〃
The pleignte of Progne and Philomene
Ther herde I what it wolde mene；
How Teres of his untrouthe
Undede hem bothe； and that was routhe；
And next to hem I sih Canace；
Which for Machaire hir fader grace
Hath lost； and deide in wofull plit。
And as I sih in my spirit； 2590
Me thoghte amonges othre thus
The doghter of king Priamus；
Polixena； whom Pirrus slowh；
Was there and made sorwe ynowh；
As sche which deide gulteles
For love； and yit was loveles。
And forto take the desport；
I sih there some of other port；
And that was Circes and Calipse；
That cowthen do the Mone eclipse； 2600
Of men and change the liknesses；
Of Artmagique Sorceresses；
Thei hielde in honde manyon；
To love wher thei wolde or non。
Bot above alle that ther were
Of wommen I sih foure there；
Whos name I herde most comended：
Be hem the Court stod al amended；
For wher thei comen in presence；
Men deden hem the reverence； 2610
As thogh they hadden be goddesses；
Of al this world or Emperesses。
And as me thoghte； an Ere I leide；
And herde hou that these othre seide；
〃Lo； these ben the foure wyves；
Whos feith was proeved in her lyves：
For in essample of alle goode
With Mariage so thei stode；
That fame； which no gret thing hydeth；
Yit in Cronique of hem abydeth。〃 2620
Penolope that on was hote；
Whom many a knyht hath loved hote；
Whil that hire lord Ulixes lay
Full many a yer and many a day
Upon the grete Siege of Troie：
Bot sche； which hath no worldes joie
Bot only of hire housebonde；
Whil that hir lord was out of londe；
So wel hath kept hir wommanhiede；
That al the world therof tok hiede； 2630
And nameliche of hem in Grece。
That other womman was Lucrece；
Wif to the Romain Collatin；
And sche constreigned of Tarquin
To thing which was ayein hir wille；
Sche wolde noght hirselven stille；
Bot deide only for drede of schame
In keping of hire goode name；
As sche which was on of the beste。
The thridde wif was hote Alceste； 2640
Which whanne Ametus scholde dye
Upon his grete maladye；
Sche preide unto the goddes so；
That sche receyveth al the wo
And deide hirself to yive him lif：
Lo； if this were a noble wif。
The ferthe wif which I ther sih；
I herde of hem that were nyh
Hou sche was cleped Alcione；
Which to Seyix hir lord al one 2650
And to nomo hire body kepte；
And whan sche sih him dreynt； sche lepte
Into the wawes where he swam；
And there a Sefoul sche becam；
And with hire wenges him bespradde
For love which to him sche hadde。
Lo； these foure were tho
Whiche I sih； as me thoghte tho；
Among the grete compaignie
Which Love hadde forto guye： 2660
Bot Youthe； which in special
Of Loves Court was Mareschal；
So besy was upon his lay；
That he non hiede where I lay
Hath take。 And thanne； as I behield；
Me thoghte I sih upon the field；
Where Elde cam a softe pas
Toward Venus； ther as sche was。
With him gret compaignie he ladde；
Bot noght so manye as Youthe hadde： 2670
The moste part were of gret Age；
And that was sene in the visage；
And noght forthi； so as thei myhte；
Thei made hem yongly to the sihte：
Bot yit herde I no pipe there
To make noise in mannes Ere；
Bot the Musette I myhte knowe；
For olde men which souneth lowe；
With Harpe and Lute and with Citole。
The hovedance and the Carole； 2680
In such a wise as love hath bede；
A softe pas thei dance and trede；
And with the wommen otherwhile
With sobre chier among thei smyle；
For laghtre was ther non on hyh。
And natheles full wel I syh
That thei the more queinte it made
For love； in whom thei weren glade。
And there me thoghte I myhte se
The king David with Bersabee； 2690
And Salomon was noght withoute；
Passende an hundred on a route
Of wyves and of Concubines；
Juesses bothe and Sarazines；
To him I sih alle entendant：
I not if he was sufficant；
Bot natheles for al his wit
He was attached with that writ
Which love with his hond enseleth；
Fro whom non erthly man appeleth。 2700
And overthis； as for a wonder；
With his leon which he put under；
With Dalida Sampson I knew；
Whos love his strengthe al overthrew。
I syh there Aristotle also；
Whom that the queene of Grece so
Hath bridled； that in thilke time
Sche made him such a Silogime；
That he foryat al his logique；
Ther was non art of his Practique； 2710
Thurgh which it mihte ben excluded
That he n