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Withinne hire herte and gan to swere
That sche none haltres wolde bere。
Lo； Sone； hier miht thou taken hiede；
How ydelnesse is forto drede；
Namliche of love； as I have write。
For thou miht understonde and wite； 1450
Among the gentil nacion
Love is an occupacion；
Which forto kepe hise lustes save
Scholde every gentil herte have：
For as the ladi was chastised；
Riht so the knyht mai ben avised；
Which ydel is and wol noght serve
To love； he mai per cas deserve
A grettere peine than sche hadde；
Whan sche aboute with hire ladde 1460
The horse haltres； and forthi
Good is to be wel war therbi。
Bot forto loke aboven alle；
These Maidens； hou so that it falle；
Thei scholden take ensample of this
Which I have told； for soth it is。
Mi ladi Venus； whom I serve；
What womman wole hire thonk deserve；
Sche mai noght thilke love eschuie
Of paramours； bot sche mot suie 1470
Cupides lawe； and natheles
Men sen such love sielde in pes；
That it nys evere upon aspie
Of janglinge and of fals Envie；
Fulofte medlid with disese：
Bot thilke love is wel at ese；
Which set is upon mariage；
For that dar schewen the visage
In alle places openly。
A gret mervaile it is forthi； 1480
How that a Maiden wolde lette；
That sche hir time ne besette
To haste unto that ilke feste；
Wherof the love is al honeste。
Men mai recovere lost of good；
Bot so wys man yit nevere stod；
Which mai recovere time lore：
So mai a Maiden wel therfore
Ensample take； of that sche strangeth
Hir love； and longe er that sche changeth 1490
Hir herte upon hir lustes greene
To mariage； as it is seene。
For thus a yer or tuo or thre
Sche lest； er that sche wedded be；
Whyl sche the charge myhte bere
Of children； whiche the world forbere
Ne mai； bot if it scholde faile。
Bot what Maiden hire esposaile
Wol tarie； whan sche take mai；
Sche schal per chance an other dai 1500
Be let； whan that hire lievest were。
Wherof a tale unto hire Ere；
Which is coupable upon this dede；
I thenke telle of that I rede。
Among the Jewes； as men tolde；
Ther was whilom be daies olde
A noble Duck； which Jepte hihte。
And fell； he scholde go to fyhte
Ayein Amon the cruel king：
And forto speke upon this thing； 1510
Withinne his herte he made avou
To god and seide； 〃Ha lord； if thou
Wolt grante unto thi man victoire；
I schal in tokne of thi memoire
The ferste lif that I mai se；
Of man or womman wher it be；
Anon as I come hom ayein；
To thee； which art god sovereign；
Slen in thi name and sacrifie。〃
And thus with his chivalerie 1520
He goth him forth； wher that he scholde；
And wan al that he winne wolde
And overcam his fomen alle。
Mai noman lette that schal falle。
This Duc a lusti dowhter hadde；
And fame； which the wordes spradde；
Hath broght unto this ladi Ere
How that hire fader hath do there。
Sche waiteth upon his cominge
With dansinge and with carolinge； 1530
As sche that wolde be tofore
Al othre； and so sche was therfore
In Masphat at hir fader gate
The ferste； and whan he com therate；
And sih his douhter； he tobreide
Hise clothes and wepende he seide：
〃O mihti god among ous hiere；
Nou wot I that in no manere
This worldes joie mai be plein。
I hadde al that I coude sein 1540
Ayein mi fomen be thi grace；
So whan I cam toward this place
Ther was non gladdere man than I：
But now； mi lord； al sodeinli
Mi joie is torned into sorwe；
For I mi dowhter schal tomorwe
Tohewe and brenne in thi servise
To loenge of thi sacrifise
Thurgh min avou； so as it is。〃
The Maiden； whan sche wiste of this； 1550
And sih the sorwe hir fader made；
So as sche mai with wordes glade
Conforteth him； and bad him holde
The covenant which he is holde
Towardes god； as he behihte。
Bot natheles hire herte aflihte
Of that sche sih hire deth comende；
And thanne unto the ground knelende
Tofore hir fader sche is falle；
And seith； so as it is befalle 1560
Upon this point that sche schal deie；
Of o thing ferst sche wolde him preie；
That fourty daies of respit
He wolde hir grante upon this plit；
That sche the whyle mai bewepe
Hir maidenhod； which sche to kepe
So longe hath had and noght beset；
Wherof her lusti youthe is let；
That sche no children hath forthdrawe
In Mariage after the lawe； 1570
So that the poeple is noght encressed。
Bot that it mihte be relessed；
That sche hir time hath lore so；
Sche wolde be his leve go
With othre Maidens to compleigne；
And afterward unto the peine
Of deth sche wolde come ayein。
The fader herde his douhter sein；
And therupon of on assent
The Maidens were anon asent； 1580
That scholden with this Maiden wende。
So forto speke unto this ende；
Thei gon the dounes and the dales
With wepinge and with wofull tales；
And every wyht hire maidenhiede
Compleigneth upon thilke nede；
That sche no children hadde bore；
Wherof sche hath hir youthe lore；
Which nevere sche recovere mai：
For so fell that hir laste dai 1590
Was come； in which sche scholde take
Hir deth； which sche may noght forsake。
Lo； thus sche deiede a wofull Maide
For thilke cause which I saide；
As thou hast understonde above。
Mi fader； as toward the Love
Of Maidens forto telle trowthe；
Ye have thilke vice of Slowthe；
Me thenkth； riht wonder wel declared；
That ye the wommen have noght spared 1600
Of hem that tarien so behinde。
Bot yit it falleth in my minde；
Toward the men hou that ye spieke
Of hem that wole no travail sieke
In cause of love upon decerte：
To speke in wordes so coverte；
I not what travaill that ye mente。
Mi Sone； and after min entente
I woll thee telle what I thoghte；
Hou whilom men here loves boghte 1610
Thurgh gret travaill in strange londes；
Wher that thei wroghten with here hondes
Of armes many a worthi dede；
In sondri place as men mai rede。
That every love of pure kinde
Is ferst forthdrawe； wel I finde：
Bot natheles yit overthis
Decerte doth so that it is
The rather had in mani place。
Forthi who secheth loves grace； 1620
Wher that these worthi wommen are；
He mai noght thanne himselve spare
Upon his travail forto serve；
Wherof that he mai thonk deserve；
There as these men of Armes be；
Somtime over the grete Se：
So that be londe and ek be Schipe
He mot travaile for worschipe
And make manye hastyf rodes；
Somtime in Prus； somtime in Rodes； 1630
And somtime into Tartarie；
So that these heraldz on him crie；
〃Vailant； vailant； lo； wher he goth＇〃
And thanne he yifth hem gold and cloth；
So that his fame mihte springe；
And to his ladi Ere bringe
Som tidinge of his worthinesse；
So that sche mihte of his prouesce
Of that sche herde men recorde；
The betre unto his love acorde 1640
And danger pute out of hire mod；
Whanne alle men recorden good；
And that sche wot wel； for hir sake
That he no travail wol forsake。
Mi Sone； of this travail I meene：
Nou schrif thee； for it schal be sene
If thou art ydel in this cas。
My fader ye； and evere was：
For as me thenketh trewely
That every man doth mor than I 1650
As of this point； and if so is
That I have oght so don er this；
It is so litel of acompte；
As who seith； it mai noght amonte
To winne of love his lusti yifte。
For this I telle you in schrifte；
That me were levere hir love winne
Than Kaire and al that is ther inne：
And forto slen the hethen alle；
I not what good ther mihte falle； 1660
So mochel blod thogh ther be schad。
This finde I writen； hou Crist bad
That noman other scholde sle。
What scholde I winne over the Se；
If I mi ladi loste at hom？
Bot passe thei the salte fom；
To whom Crist bad thei scholden preche
To al the world and his feith teche：
Bot now thei rucken in here nest
And resten as hem liketh best 1670
In all the swetnesse of delices。
Thus thei defenden ous the vices；
And sitte hemselven al amidde；
To slen and feihten thei ous bidde
Hem whom thei scholde； as the bok seith；
Converten unto Cristes feith。
Bot hierof have I gret mervaile；
Hou thei wol bidde me travaile：
A Sarazin if I sle schal；
I sle the Soule forth withal； 1680
And that was nevere Cristes lore。
Bot nou ho ther； I seie nomore。
Bot I wol speke upon mi schrifte；
And to Cupide I make a yifte；
That who as evere pris deserve
Of armes； I wol love serve；
And thogh I scholde hem bothe kepe；
Als w