¶ The maidens dream Compiled and made by Chrystofer Goodwin, In the year of our Lord. M. CCCCC.xlij. ¶ The Prohemye of the Author. Behold you young Ladies, of high parentage And you young virgins, of each degree Here is a pamphlet, even meet for your age Where as in a mirror, you may learn and see, How vicious love, you should eschew and i'll Having always shamefastness, in your maidenly face Then can you never miss, of virtue and grace. ¶ To love I council you, never incline Excepe only, it be for marriage To the intent, to have thereby line yet in that case, take heed you not rage For hasty love commonly, right soon will assuage And beware that you love not, before you be wise Lest you repent you, more ofter than twice. ¶ Yet divers in love, hath had happy chance I speak by myself, and many one more That of perfit chaste love, have been in the dance And sped to our minds, yet for to do so thousands have missed, and finished in woe Therefore I read you, take good advisement Of good abiding, none can repent. ¶ Called is the name, of this little book The (maidens dream) which I hope shallbe For your eruditions, if you therein look Many a good instruction, here shall you see How virtue to ensue, and vice for to i'll For herein is contained, both gold and glass They that work well, shall well bring to pass. ¶ Thus to god, I do you commit praying you to accept, this my little work For that it is so rudely done, is but for lack of wit How be it every man, can not be a clerk Nor every bird fly, so high as the lark Ye wots what I mean, thus far you well Happy be they, that follow good council. ¶ Thus endeth the Prologue. ¶ The maidens Dream. IN the lusty, fresh month of may When the birds rejoice, every glad spirit With their venerien voices, in the dawn of the day Than I which had not slept, of the hole night By Morpleus suddenly, had lost my sight Which in a golden slumber, right soon had me cast reckless youth, oft slepyth full fast. ¶ As soon as I in, this slumber was brought Two persons meseemeded, appeared in my sight The one said (fair love) change you must your thought For come is the day, passed is the night Of childish ignorance, wherefore of right you must now learn, what you are come to your years shall ensign you, what you shall do. ¶ You are, she said, fair, fresh, and goodly Of all your membres, well proportioned One of the mynyonest, under the sky Amiable, pleasant, and well favoured Wherefore you should do, a great mysded if to your age, you apply not your reason For each thing ought, to be taken in season. ¶ I never knew, a more goodly maiden More comely of body, ne fairer of visage In your apparel, so freshly beseen All correspondent, unto your sweet age Your white quaverig dugs, would make a manrage Of nature and love, you be the chief mark, Good is the workman, that fortunately doth mark, ¶ Of reason and wisdom, you have sufficient As a maid, of tender an age In you there wanteth, none intendment You are both wise, be discrete and sage You be also extract, of noble lineage Yet all this we may, as nothing repute Unless in due season, be gathered the fruit. ¶ If I were a man, believe me for certain To be my love, I would you require For of all other, you be the most sovereign Of beauty, favour, and fresh attire There is none living, but would you desire Your excellent beauty, would a saint move Right happy is he, that hath a fair love. ¶ The maiden. THen with that, made they a pause These two semblances, that I have of told The one approached nigh, promoting her cause The other was not, fully so bold Her mind yet to utter, I perceived she would Thus with me in my slumber, they wonderly wrought Sowndly they sleep, that taketh no thought. ¶ Thus as I was, slombering in my sleep The sweet sygnyfiaunce, of my dream I 'gan to devise Also what were these Ladies, I took busy keep That had with me reasoned, in so strange wise Then their apparel, I did well advise Wherein were great letters, which I did read with ease Always new things, doth marvelously please. ¶ These letters forthwith, I began for to spell And set them together, with all mine intent As a maiden that could not, read very well yet at the last, I knew what they meant The names of these ladies, that were so gent In them were contrived, wherefore to my mind He that well searcheth, shall alway well find. ¶ The one was named (Amours) a noble dame richly arrayed, and it had been a queen As a lady of great renown and fame Which we call love, so freshly beseen The other was shamefastness, that worketh love moche tene To wicked love contrary, ever she is bend Simple was her cheer, and also her raiment. ¶ Love then began, with me for to reason So did shamefastness, when she see her time They told me many, a goodly sermon Coming before me, as straight as a line And gave me great battle, each one in their time Assailing me with words, that pierced my heart Great is the assault, where none will astart. ¶ love. ¶ Love spoke first, and to me she did say My fair minion daughter, so tender and young Acustome thy youth, to sport and to play To dance and to lute, with many a sweet song To haunt wanton company, to daily among For fro me thou hast not, yet scaped the trase youth must acquit her, or she from the pass. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Then answered shamefastness, in sentence short My fair daughter, you shall not do so For evil is the world, beware of report If you so offended, how should you then do your lovers would despise you, and leave you in woe So should you be shamed, in every town beauty is nothing, without good renown. ¶ love. ¶ Shame which of fear, is engendered & sprung With this her daughter, Shamefastness Never did good, to them that be young (Said love) for youth to deceive doughtelesse They are evermore ready, to put them in press Believe her not fair maid, for all her prattle For age can nothing, but babble and tattle. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Ha my dear dought, how sore were you to blame If such an evil woman, you did believe Not worth a festue, were then your good name For every creature, then would you reprove Which at the last, full sore should you grieve Therefore beware, lose not your byrgyvyte A virgin is a name, of great honour & oygnyte. ¶ love. ¶ If you give credence, to this dastardly shame you shall never be set by, a putrid onion Take now your pleasure, like a lusty young dame Or ever that youth be, departed and gone Wherefore choose, some goodly companion With whom you may take, all your lust & pleasance There is no treasure, without suffycyaunce. ¶ Shamefastness, ¶ Such light council, so soon to believe And after to take thereby, some disease With great pain you should, yourself then relieve Wherefore I will tell, that should you best please Such hasty love, is not worth a pease To cast away yourself, evil were the quayntaunce For hasty love, engendereth repentance. ¶ love. ¶ To such a young damosel, it doth appertain To be fryske, both joyous, and jolly And when in such point, she doth her maintain To count her amiss, it were a great folly For she that with youth, can dance best and dalye Is counted most noble, be it maiden or wife We have in this world, no more but a life. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Helas, advise thee, or ever thou smart Or else thou shalt be, like a march hare lifting thy head up, even like a heart That thorough the world, is chased with care From such folly, my daughter, alway beware Be sober and simple, and keep the at home A maybe is not set by, when her sadness is gone. ¶ love. Yea thou art thy mothers only darling Therefore thou mayst, love secretly In goodness and honour, care for nothing Praised therefore, thou shalt be highly At Banquets and plays, be present daily At great feasts & tornays, where most people resort To much to be fearful, doth greatly discomfort. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ To be timorous in youth, as seemeth me Is a sign, greatly for to be praised For fear with youth, alway should be For reckless youth is, to be despised Wherefore dread is a sign, as I have devised Of peewit and clean chastity, in maiden and wife Each noble heart, aught to dread a shameful life. ¶ love. ¶ Is it then shame, for to be joyous And for to please, the people thereby What should we be, of other scrypulous Or for that ensueth, to care for so greatly Who that in youth, will live solitary proveth by reason, to have a week spirit The assay (at the last) maketh the work perfit ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Other to avail, thyself for to harm Is no great wisdom, as seemeth me I swear to thee, by this right arm If thou to love assent, thou dost great folly For though thou, to thousands set forth thy beauty They will therefore esteem thee, but like a be'st savage Filthy is the water, out of the rivage. ¶ love. ¶ thinkest thou it sin, for to behold Upon their fresh cousers, these galantes so gay Betraped in silk, silver, and gold Which with spear & shield, at the jousts doth assay Manfully to win, the prise if they may Which won thorough your love, they give you the praise Thus amorous hearts, rejoicen always. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Thou canst not do, to be more defamed Then of a lover, to have the name For soonest by him, thou shalt be shamed That flattering in Amours, will call the his dame God keep the from such, perpetual shame Or to be in such a hazard, for to desire A green bough will bren, if it be in the fire. ¶ love. ¶ reknowledge the goods, given the by nature That so largely hath endued thee, with vertus manifold And eke there which hath form thee, so fair a creature That it is a great pleasure, the for to behold Lease not therefore thy time, adventure and be bold lest thou yield account, at the day of doom We ought to take heed, of that shall after come. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ The more goodly that nature, hath the formed And with the more beauty, she hath the furnished So much more with grace, thou shouldest be endoctrined And with great virtues, for to be garnished For if thy heart to evil, then be employed For evermore, thou shalt lose thy good name Well doth they watch, that flieth fro shame. ¶ love. ¶ It were no need (me think) the to warn If ever love, had done the displeasure Or to move the thereto, so it were for thy harm Reed the histories, and thou shalt find I am sure What pain noble parsons, for love would endure Yea were she never so high a princes To love or be loved, would put her in prees. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Some ladies I think, hath been converted With dissolute love, themselves to acquaint Which after right sore hath them repent In making many a doleful complaint Better thou were of that to make restraint Then forthwith to repent, as it were past and gone For a thing that is done, remedy is none. ¶ love. ¶ Did not king Arthur's most noble wife Ysode polixiene, and also medee And many more ladies, of excellent life To Amorous love, give all their stude Which hath given them a name of perpetuity Now of this tell me, who can them reprove They never had joy, that never did love. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Who that would search, their stories thorough out Should find their end, to be nothing honourable For dolorously all they ended, without doubt As god be unto me favourable Therefore be not to them agreeable Of examples there be, more than one or two lascivious love, doth finish in wo. ¶ love. ¶ Narcissus that to love, would never assent Was changed by a fountain, as in Ovid we find By the god's sharp, and rightful judgement Be never therefore, so haught nor unkind But love them again, whose heart thou haste & mind So shalt thou love, for love obtain Honourable love, is never in vain. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Susanne for her chastity, of god was preserved Because to foolish love, she would not condyscend Saved she was, from being defoiled Her honour to keep, she did ever intend Hard was her beginning, victorious was the end Therefore learn this of me, both maiden and wife To dread toffend god, is a blessed life. ¶ love. ¶ One may well love, without villainty Or that any dishonour, thereby should arise For if that any villain, do think any folly God can correct him, in sundry wise In all honour (my daughter) do not despise To love, as nature doth intend They that do as they ought, do not offend. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ Sweet and atrayant, is the entering in to love It is honey with gall, and myrrh confect The beginning dowse, the end bitter to prove For it will leave the assoon, as it seeth the discomfit In woe and care, wherefore it were great profit Never therein to enter, for all the kind feminine For in the tail, lieth all the venom. ¶ love. ¶ When a secret man, you do perceive and find Him truly to love, you need not to dread So that he be loyal, secret and kind In loving such one, you can not ill speed For each of you shall have to your meed All your pleasure together, with great joy & solace One can not love, in every place. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ nothing there is, so secretly hid But it is openly known, to all at the last There was never woman, so well assured That to cover her crime, yet had the cast But out it must, by some evil blast For fear to every hascard, then must thou incline Love can depart, when she seeth time. ¶ love. ¶ hearken (my sweet love) is it not great outrage That is thus spoken, by this hypocrite Helas, what wilt thou do, with thy young age Shalt thou pass it over, as in the dark night And thus cowardly, to put love to flight Not paying the tribute, of thy young days work be not finished, without the assays. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ My sister to love, without flattering Engendereth good love, withouten fable But the stroke of the matrasse, aft loosed is the string If it fly far, is not very stable So cordial love, to all agreeable If it be put to far, at adventure With pain can forget, such is her nature. ¶ love. ¶ If nature would forfeit, above yet is dame reason For to withdraw, and in time to correct To th'end that none should be deceived at no season Therefore thou mayst love, withouten suspect Of any creature, for to be detect If thou rule the by reason▪ I swear by god on high For reason doth govern, above the sterry sky. ¶ Shamefanes. ¶ Who trusteth all upon reason, as seemeth me May their good name, adventure to far But who that, his neighbour's house doth see To be brenning, in flaming fire To save their own, had need have desire Lest other likewise, by theirs should them warm They are wise can beware, by an others harm. ¶ love. ¶ Each one may know, and it is no fable That a fair maiden, that will have no love seemeth to be foolish, nice, and unstable And knoweth no goodness, ne none will prove Whose eye as a sleep, never doth move Without fashion, good maintain or manner To have knowledge, is a great treasure. ¶ Shamefastness. ¶ To have sober knowledge, I count it not ill Without coveting, to be subtle wise From prateling language, keep your tongue still For that is in a maiden, the mother of all vice Be simple in cheer, in answer take advise Speke but little, unless ye be demanded For in moche clatter, many lies are discharged. ¶ love. ¶ Yea, let them say, what they say will That maiden, hath no manner of goodness That alway from love, will keep herself still None shall her comfort, in her distress For every creature, is loved doubtless For their graces, and good condition A maiden ought not, to be a rebellion. ¶ Shamefastness ¶ Have shame always, before your eyes When you shall be to love esprised The world shall love you, in the more goodly wise And you shall not thereby, of god be despised Thus let alway your emprise, be wisely conduted To god I commend you, for done is my message Who good council believeth, is counted as sage. ¶ The maiden. THen did I thank, these ladies both twain For the good council, that they did me give promising I would, do my busy pain Never toffende, while that I did live With that dame Aurora, of my dream did me deprive Wherewith all suddenly from my sleep I abraid Pleasant dreams, maketh folk well a paid. ¶ When I fully was awake, out of this slumber I thought oft of that in my sleep I had seen And many times in my mind, I did it remember For I would thereof fain, perfit have been Thus at the last I had it so graven In my heart that I could not put it away dreams often are true, it can be no nay. ¶ Then when I was up, I went for to find If by adventure I could, get one to write For I had fixed holy my mind My dream to enpresse, if that I might Thus found I one, that did it gladly endyght Whose pen to be swift, I did greatly desire Long tarrying on rivers, oft is great daungyre. ¶ Thus have I recited it word for word As in my dream I did it find As well as I could in my mind it record One sense unwritten not leaving behind And if I have failed, it was not my mind Wherefore accept my good will, I heartily you pray The most expert is not assured alway. ¶ And if therebe contained of never so small substance Any thing herein, worthy of memory Or that thereby any may take their pleasance Let them the give credence as they see cause why Herein yet may you learn, how to avoid folly And if the name hereof you would weet The maidens dream, called is this pamphlet. ¶ lenvoy of the Author. GO forth little book, and do thyself present Unto my young ladies, & maidens of each a state praying them with the to be content And also with me that do the dedicate Unto them chiefly, wishing them fortunate And although the metre, devoid be of eloquence Yet is therein to be noted, many a good sentence. ¶ Wherefore good virgins all, I heartily you pray For to take in gree, this my little pain Howbeit I know well, that no man may Take in hand a work, but some will it disdain But as for the judgement, of any such light brain I force not, so you thereby I not offend Whom alway (god wots) to please I do intend. ¶ The Authors name. THus Adieu, mine own mistresses all To (Chryst) I commend you, that sitteth on high Unto whom my prayers, I (Offer) shall That with him you may reign, above the sterry sky So I require you all heartily (Good) virgins to pray that I may (win) The eternal Glory, in avoiding sin. ¶ Thus endeth this little book called the maidens dream. ¶ Imprinted by me Robert wyet, For Richard Banks. ¶ Cum privilegio Regali.