The complaint of a lovers life  
 depiction of two people and tree   


IN may when flora the fresh lusty queen  
The soil hath clad in green red & white  
And phoebus 'gan to shed his streams sheen  
Amid the bull with all the beams bright  
And lucyfer to chase away the night  
Against the morrow our orison hath take  
To bid out of her sleep awake   

¶ And hearts heavy for to recomfort  
From sluggerdy and heavy nights sorrow  
Nature bade them rise and disport  
Against the glad grey morrow  
And hope also with saint johan to borrow  
Bad in despite of danger and despair  
For to take the wholesome lusty air   

¶ And with a sigh I 'gan for to abraid  
Out of my stombre and suddenly out start  
As he alas that nigh for sorrow died  
My sickness sat aye so nigh mine heart  
But for to find succour smart  
Or at the least some release of pain  
That me full sore held in every vain   

¶ I rose me up and thought I will anon  
Unto the wood to here the birds sing  
When that the misty vapour was agone  
And clear and fair was the morning  
The dew also dying like silver in shining  
Upon the leaves as any balm sweet  
Till fiery tytan with his persant heat   

¶ Had dried up the lusty liquor new  
Upon the herbs in every green meed  
And that the flowers of many divers hew  
Upon their stalks 'gan for to spread  
And for to splay out their leaves on breed  
Against the son gold borned in his spear  
That down to them cast his beams clear   

¶ And by a river forth I 'gan costey  
Of water clear as berell or crystal  
Till at the last I found a little way  
Toward a park enclosed with a wall  
In compass round and by a gate small  
Who so would freely might gone  
In to this park walled with green stone   

¶ And in I went to here the birds song  
Which on the branches both in plain & vale  
So loud song that all the world rung  
Like as it should shiver in pieces small  
And as me thought that the nightingale  
With so great might her voice 'gan out wrest  
Right as her heat for love would breast   

¶ The soil was plain smooth & wonder soft.  
All over spread with tapetis that nature  
Had made herself coloured eke aloft  
With bows green the flowers for to cure  
That in her beauty they may not long endure  
From all assault of phoebus fervent fere  
Which in his spear so hot is and so clear   

¶ The air attempre and the smooth wind  
Of zephyrus among the blossoms white  
So wholesome was and so nourishing by kind  
That small buds and round blomes light  
In manner 'gan of her breath delight  
To give us hope the air fruit shall take  
Against autumn ready for to shake   

¶ I saw there daphne closed under rind  
Grene laurere and the wholesome pine  
The myrrh also that weepeth ever of kind  
The cedries high as upright as a line  
The phylberde eke that low doth incline  
Her bows green to the earth down  
Unto her knight I called demophowne   

¶ There saw I eke the fresh hawthorn  
In white moteley that so sweet doth smell  
ash/ fyrre/ and oak/ with many a young acorn  
And many a tree more than I can tell  
And me before I saw a little well  
That had his course as I can behold  
Under an hill with quick streams cold   

¶ The gravel gold the water pure as glass  
The banks round the well enuyronning  
And soft as velvet the young grass  
That thereupon lustily 'gan spring  
The suit of trees about compassing  
Their shadow cast closing the well round  
And all the herbs growing on the ground   

The water was so wholesome and so vertuus  
through might of herbs growing beside  
That like the well where as nareyus  
Slain was through vengeance of cupyde  
Where so covertly he died hide  
The grins of death upon each brink  
That death might follow who that ever drink   

¶ Ne like the pit of the pegate  
Under pernase where poets slept  
Nor like the well of chastity  
Which diane with her vymphes kept  
When she naked in to the water leapt  
That slew Actaeon with his hands fell  
Only for he came so nigh the well   

¶ But this well that I here rehearse  
So wholesome was that it would assuage  
Swollen hearts and the venom perish  
Of pensy shed with all the cruel rage  
And evermore refresh the visage  
Of them that were in any usher  
Of great labour or fallen in distress   

¶ And I that had through danger and disdain  
So dry a thirst thought I would assay  
To taste a draft of this well or twain  
My bitter languor if it might allay  
And on the bank anon down I lay  
And with mine heed in to the well I reached  
And of the water I drank a good draft   

¶ Whereof me thought I was refreshed weal  
Of the brenning that sat so nigh my heart  
That verily anon I 'gan to feel  
An huge part released of my smart  
And therewithal anon up I start  
And thought I would walk and see more  
yet forth in the Park and in the holtes hoar   

¶ And through a launde as I go apace A lovers life.  
I 'gan about fast to behold  
I found anon a delectable place  
That was beset with trees young and old  
Whose names here for me shall not be told  
Amid of which stood an herber green  
That benched was with turfs new and clean   

¶ This herber was full of flowers rind  
In to the which as I behold 'gan  
between an Ulfre and a woodbine  
As I was ware I saw where lay a man  
In black and white coulre pale and wan  
And wonder deely also his hew  
Of hurts green and fresh wounds new   

¶ And evermore destreyned with sickness  
Beside as this he was grievously  
For upon him he had a hot access  
That day by day him shaken full piteously  
So that for constreyning of his malady  
And heartily woe thus dying all alone  
It was a death for to see him groan   

¶ Whereof astonied my foot I 'gan withdraw  
greatly wondering what it might be  
That he so lay and had no fellow  
Ne that I could no wight with him see  
Whereof I had truth and eke pity  
I 'gan anon so softly as I could  
Among the bushes me privily to shroud   

¶ if that I might in any wise espy  
What was the cause of his deadly woe  
Or why that he so piteously 'gan cry  
On his fortune and on his fever also  
With all my might I laid mine ere to  
Every word to mark what he said  
Out of his swoon among as he brayed   

¶ But first if I shall make mention  
Of his person and plainly him describe  
He was in sooth without any exception  
To speak of manhood one of the best alive  
There may no man against troth strive  
For of his time and of his age also  
He proved was there men should have ado   

¶ For one of the best there of breed and length  
So well made by good proportion  
if he had be in his deliver strength  
But thought and sickness were occasion  
That he thus lay in lamentation  
Grovelling on the ground in place desolate  
Sole by himself awaked and mate   

¶ And for me seemeth that it is fitting  
His words all to put in remembrance  
To me that heard all his complaining  
And all the ground of his woeful chance  
if there withal I may do pleasance  
I will to you so as I can anon  
Like as he said rehearse everichone   

¶ But who shall help me now to complain  
Or who shall now my style guide or lead  
Of Niobe let now the tears rain  
In to my pen and eke help in this need  
Thou woeful myrrh that feelest my heart bleed  
Of piteous we and my hand eke quake  
When that I write for this man's sake   

¶ For unto woe accordeth complaining  
And doleful cheer unto heaviness  
To sorrow also sighing and weeping  
And piteous mourning unto drearinesss  
And who that shall write of distress  
In party needeth to know felyngely  
Cause and rote of all such malady   

¶ But I alas that am of wit but dull  
And have no knowing of such matter  
For to describe and write at the full  
The woeful complaint which that ye shall here  
But even like as doth a skryvenere  
That can no more what that he shall write  
But as his master beside doth indite   

¶ Right so far I that of no sentiment  
Say right nought as in conclusion  
But as I heard when I was present  
This man complained with a piteous sown  
For even like without addycyowne  
Or dysencrease either more or less  
For to rehearse anon I will me dress   

¶ And if that any now be in this place  
That feel in love brenning or fervence  
Or hindered were to his ladies grace  
With false tongues that with pestilence  
Sle true men that never did offence  
In word ne deed ne in their intent  
if any such be here now present   

¶ Let him of ruth lay to audience  
With doleful cheer and sober countenance  
To here this man by full sentence  
His mortal woe and his perturbance  
Complaining now dying in a trance  
With look up cast and rueful cheer  
The fit of which was as ye shall here   

¶ The thought oppressed with inward sighs sore  
The painful life the body languishing  
The woeful ghost the heart rent and and tore  
The piteous cheer pale in complaining  
The deadly face like ashes in shining  
The salteteeres that fro mine eyen shall  
Parcel declare ground of my pains all   

¶ Whose heart is ground to bleed on heaviness  
The thought receit of woe and of complaint  
The breast is chest of dole and drearinesss  
The body eke so feeble and so faint  
With hot and cold mine access is so meynte  
That now I shiver for default of heat  
And hot as gleed now suddenly I sweet   

¶ Now hot as fire now cold as ashes deed  
Now hot for cold for heat again  
Now cold as ice now as coals read  
For heat I bren and thus between twain  
I passed am and all forecast in pain  
So that my cold plainly as I feel  
Of grievous cold is cause everydeal   

This is the cold of inward high disdain  
Cold of despite and cold of cruel hate  
This is the cold that ever doth busy pain  
Against troth to fight and make debate  
This is the cold that would the fire abate  
Of true meaning alas the hard while  
This is the cold that will me beguile   

¶ For ever the better the troth I mente  
With all my might faithfully to serve  
With heart and all to be diligent  
The less thank alas I 'gan deserve  
Thus for my truth danger doth me starve  
For one that should my death of mercy let  
Hath made despite now his sword to whet   

¶ Against me and his arrows to file  
To take vengeance of wilful cruelty  
And tongues false through their slyghty while  
Hath begun a war that will not stinted be  
And false envy of wrath and eunyte  
Have conspired against all rygh and law  
Of their malice that troth shall be slawe   

¶ And malebousche 'gan first the tale tell  
To slander truth of indignation  
And false report so loud range the bell  
That mysbeleve and false suspection  
Have troth brought to his damnation  
So that alas wrongfully he dieth  
And falsnes his place occupieth   

¶ And entered is in to truths loud  
And hath thereof the full possession  
O rightful god that first the troth found  
How may thou suffer such oppression  
That falsehood have jurisdiction  
In truths right to slay him gylteles  
In his franchise he may not live in pes   

¶ Falsely accused and of his fone forjudged  
Without answer while he was absent  
He dampened was and may not be excused  
For cruelty sat in judgement  
Of hastiness without advisement  
And bad disdain do execute anon  
His judgment in presence of his fone   

Attorney none ne may admitted been  
To excuse truth a word to speak  
To faith or oath the judge lust not to seen  
There is no gain but he will be wreak  
O lord of troth to the I call and clepe  
How may thou see this in thy presence  
Without mercy murdered innocence   

¶ Now god that art of troth sovereign  
And seest how I lie for truth bound  
So sore I knit in loves fiery chain  
Even at the death through girt with many a wound▪  
That likely am never for to sound  
And for my truth am dampened to the death  
And nought abide but draw along the breath.   

¶ Consider and see in thine eternal sight  
How that my heart professed whilom was  
For to be true with all my full might  
Only to one the which now alas  
Of volunty without more trespass  
Mine accusers hath taken unto grace  
And cherished him my death for to purchase   

¶ What meaneth this what is this wonder ●re  
Of purveyance if I shall it call  
Of god of love that false him so assure  
And true alas adown of the wheel befall  
And yet in sooth this is the 〈…〉 she of all  
That falsehood wrongfully of troth hath the name  
And troth againward us falsehood beareth the blame   

This blind chance this stormy adventure  
In love hath his most experience  
For who that doth with troth most his cure  
Shall for his meed find most offence  
That serveth love with all his diligence  
For who can feign under lovelyhede  
Ne faileth not to find grace and speed   

¶ For I loved one full long sith agone  
With all my heart body and full might  
And to be deed my heart can not gone  
from his hest but hold that he hath height  
Though I be banished out of her sight  
And by her mouth dampened that I shall die  
Unto my behest yet ever obey will I   

¶ For ever sith that the world began  
Who so list to look and in story read  
He shall aye find that the true man  
Was put aback where as the falsehood  
Furthered was for love taketh none heed  
To slay the true and hath of him no charge  
Where as the false goeth freely at their large   

¶ I take record of Palamydes  
The true man the noble worthy knight  
That ever loved and of his pain no ●eles  
Not withstanding his manhood and his might  
None unto him died full great unright  
For aye the better he died in chivalry  
The more he was hindered by envy   

¶ And aye the better he died in every place  
through his high knighthood and busy pain  
The ferther was he fro his ladies grace  
For to her mercy might he never attain  
And to his death he could it not refrain  
For to danger but aye obey and serve  
As he best could plainly till he starve   

¶ What was the fine also of Hercules  
For all his conquest and worthiness  
That was of strength alone peerless  
For like as books list of him express  
He set pillars through his high prowess  
Alway at gades for to signify  
That no man might him pass in chivalry   

¶ The which piles been far be yond ynde  
Be set of gold for a rembraunce  
And for all that was he set behind  
With them that love lust feebly to advance  
For him set last upon a dance  
Against whom help may not strife  
For all his truth he lost his life   

¶ Phoebus' also for all his persaunte light  
When that he went here in earth low  
Unto the earth with venus' sight  
I wounded was through cupydes bow  
And yet his lady list him not to know  
Though for her love his heart died bleed  
She let him go and took of him none heed   

¶ What shall I say of young Pryamus  
Of true Trystram for all his high renown  
Of achilles or of antonyus  
Of arcyte of him palamowne  
What was the end of their passyowne  
But after sorrow death and than their grave  
Lo here the guerdon that lovers have   

¶ But false Jason with his doubleness  
That was untrue at colcoes to meed  
And Terens rote of unkindness  
And with these two eke the false Even  
Lo thus the false aye in one degree  
Had in love their lust and all their will  
And save falsehood their was none other skill   

¶ Of thebes eke the false arcyte  
And demophon eke for his sloth  
They had their lust and all that might delight  
For all their falsehood and great untruth  
Thus ener love alas and that is ruth  
His false legis furthereth what he may  
And sleeth the true ungodly day by day   

For true Adone was slain with the bore  
Amid the forest in the green shadow  
For venus' love he felt all the sore  
But vulcanus with her no mercy made  
The foul churl and many nights gladi  
Where mars her knight and her man  
To find mercy comfort none he can   

¶ Also the young fresh Ipomones  
So lusty fire and of his courage  
That for to serve with all his heart he cheese  
Athalans so fair of her visage  
But love alas quit him so his wage  
With cruel danger plainly at the last  
That with the death guardonles he passed   

¶ Lo here the fine of lovers service  
Lo how love can his servants quite  
Lo how he can his faithful men despise  
To slay the true man and false to respite  
Lo how he doth the sword of sorrow bite  
In hearts such as must his lust obey  
To save the false and do the true to day   

¶ For faith nor oath word ne assurance  
True meaning await or bulynesse  
still port ne faithful attendance  
Manhood ne might in arms worthiness  
pursuit of worship nor high prowess  
In strange land riding ne travail  
Full little or nought in love doth avail   

¶ peril of death neither in see nor land  
Hunger ne thrust sorrow ne sickness  
Ne great emprises for to take on hand  
shedding of blood ne manful hardiness  
Nor oft wounding at sawtes by distress  
Nor in parting of life and death also  
All is for nought love taketh no heed thereto   

¶ But losings with her false flattery  
through her falsehood and with her doubleness  
With tales new and many feigned lie  
By false semblance and counterfeit humblesse  
Under colour depeynte with steadfastness  
With fraud covered under a piteous face  
Accept been now rathest unto grace   

¶ And can themself now magnify  
With feigned port and presumption  
They change her cause with false surquidry  
Under meaning of double intention  
To think one in their opinion  
And say another to set themself aloft  
And hinder truth as it is seen full oft   

¶ The which thing I buy now all to dear  
Thanked be venus and the god cupid  
As it is seen by mine oppressed cheer  
And by his arrows that stycken in my side  
Save only the death I nothing abide  
From day to day alas the hard while  
When ever his dart that him list to file   

¶ My woeful heart for to rive a two  
For fault of mercy and lack of pity  
Of her that causeth all my pain and woe  
And lust not once of grace for to see  
Unto my truth through her cruelty  
And most of all I me complain  
That she hath joy to laugh at my pain   

¶ And wilfully hath my death sworn  
All guiltless and wot no cause why  
safe for the 〈…〉 that I have afore  
To her alone to serve faithfully  
O god of love 〈◊〉 the I cry  
And to thy blind double deity  
Of this great wrong I complain me   

¶ And to thy stormy wilful variance  
Ymeynte with change and great unstableness  
Now up now down so running 〈◊〉 thy chance  
That the to trust may be no sickness  
I wite it nothing but thy doubtiness  
And who that is an archer and is blind  
Marketh nothing but shooteth by weening   

¶ And for that he hath no discretion  
Without advise he letteth his arrow go  
For lack of sight and also of reason  
In his shooting it happeth oft so  
To hurt his friend rather than his foe  
So doth this god with his sharp 〈…〉 one  
The true sleeth and letteth the falls gone   

¶ And of his wounding this is the worst of all  
When he hurteth he doth so cruel wretch  
And maketh the seek for to cry and call  
Unto his foo for to be his leech  
And hard it is for a man to seche  
Upon the point of death in jeopardy  
Unto his foo to find remedy   

Thus fareth it now even by me  
That to my foo that gave my heart a wound  
Must ask grace mercy and pity  
And namely there none may be found  
For now my sore my leech will confound  
And god of kind so hath see my life  
My lives foo to have my wound to cure   

¶ Alas the while now that I was borne  
Or that I ever saw the bright son  
For now I see that full long afore  
Or I was borne my destiny was spun nne  
By percase susten to slay me if they con  
For they my death shapen ere my shirt  
Only for 〈◊〉 I may it not after●e   

¶ The mighty gods also of nature  
That under god hath the governance  
Of worldly things committed to her cure  
disposed hath through her purveyance  
To give my lady so moche 〈…〉 ysaunce  
Of all virtues and therewithal puruyde  
To murder troth hath taken danger to guide   

¶ if for bounty beauty shape and semelyhede  
Prudence wit passyngely fairness  
benign port glad cheer with lowlyhede  
Of womanhead right plenteous & largesse  
Nature in her fully died empress  
when she her wrought and all their last disdain  
To hinder troth she made her chamberlain   

¶ When mistrust also and false suspection  
With mys●yleue she made for to be  
Chief of counsel to this conclusion  
For to exile troth and eke pity  
But of her court to make mercy i'll  
So that despite now holleth forth her rain  
through hasty believe of tales that men feign   

¶ And thus I am for my truth alas  
Murdered and slain with words sharp & keen  
guiltless god wot of all trespass  
And lie and bleed upon this cold green  
Now mercy sweet mercy my lives queen  
And to your grace of mercy yet I pray  
In your service that your man may they   

¶ But and so be that I shall die algate  
And that I shall none other mercy have  
Yet of my death let this be the date,  
That by your will I was brought to my grave  
Or hastily if that yelyste me save  
My sharp wounds that ache so and bleed  
Of mercy charity and also of womanhead   

For other manner plainly is there none  
But only mercy to help in this case  
For though my wound bleed ever in one  
My life my death standeth in your grace  
And though my guilt be nothing alas  
I ask mercy in all my best intent  
Ready to die if that ye assent   

For there against shall I never strive  
In word ne work plainly I ne may  
For liefer I have than to be alive  
To die soothly and it be to her pay  
ye though it be this each same day  
Or when that ever her list to devise  
sufficeth me to die in your service   

¶ And god that knowest the thought of every wight  
Right as it is in every thing thou mayst see  
Yet or I die with all my full might  
Lowly I pray to grant unto me  
That ye goodly fair fresh and free  
Which slay me only for default of ruth  
Or that I die may know my truth   

¶ For that in sooth sufficeth me  
And she it know in every circumstance  
And after I am well apaid that she  
If that her lust of death to do vengeance  
Unto me that am under her legiance  
It sit me not her doom to disobey  
But at her lust wyfully to die   

¶ Without grudging or rebellion  
In will or word hotly I assent  
Or any manner contradiction  
Fully to be at her commandment  
And if I die in my testament  
My heart I send and my spirit also  
What somever she lust with them to do   

¶ And alder last to her womanhead  
And to her mercy me I recommend  
That lie now here between hope and dread  
Abiding plainly what shelyst command  
For utterly this is no demand  
Welcome to me while me lasteth breath  
Right at her choyle whether it be life or death   

In this matter more what might I say  
Sith in her hand and in her will is all  
Both life and death my Joy and all my pain  
And finally my heart hold I shall  
Till by my spirit by destiny fatal  
When that her lust fro my body wend  
Have here my truth and thus I make an end.   

¶ Nota perseverantiam. Amantis.  

¶ And with that word he can sigh as sore  
Like as his heart would rive a twain  
And held his peace & spoke not a word more  
But for to see his woe and mortal pain  
The tears 'gan fro mine eyen rain  
Full piteously for very inward ruth  
That I him saw so languysshe for his truth   

¶ And all this while myself I kept close  
Among the bows and myself 'gan hide  
Till at the last the woeful man arose  
And to a lodge went there beside  
Where all the may his custom was to abide  
Sole to complain of his pains keen  
From year to year under the bows green   

¶ And for because that it drew to the night  
And that the son his ark diurnal  
Passed was so that his persant light  
His bright beams and his streams all  
Were in the wawas of the water fall  
Under the bordure of our occyan  
His char of gold his course so swiftly ran   

¶ And while the twilight and rows read  
Of phoebus light were dyaurate a light  
A pen I took and 'gan me fast speed  
The woeful plaint of this man to write  
word by word as he died indite  
Like as I heard and could him the report  
I have here set your hearts to disport   

¶ if ought be amiss lay the fault in me  
For I am worthy for to bear the blame  
if any thing amiss reported be  
To make this dytte for to feyve lame  
Through mine unkunning but for to say the same  
Like as this man his complaint did express  
I axe mercy and forgiveness   

¶ And as I wrote me thought I saw a far  
Far in the west lustily appear  
Esperus the goodly bright star  
So glad so fair so persant eke of cheer  
I mean venus with her beams clear  
That heavy hearts only to relieve  
Is wont of custom for to show at eve   

¶ And I as fast fell down on my knee  
And even thus to her I 'gan to pray  
O lady venus so fair upon to see  
Let not this man for his truth day  
For that Joy thou hadst when thou lay  
With mars thy knight whom vulcanus found  
And with a rain unuysybly you bound   

¶ together both two in the same while  
That all the court about celestial  
At your shame 'gan laugh and smile  
O fair lady well willing found at all  
comfort to careful o goddess immortal  
be helping now and do thy diligence  
To let the streams of thine influence   

¶ Dessende down in furthering of the truth  
Namely of them that lie in sorrow bound  
Show now thy might & on their woe have ruth  
Their false danger slay them and confound  
And specially let thy might be found  
For to succour what so that thou may  
The true man that in the herber lay   

¶ And all true further for his sake  
O glad star o lady venus' mine  
And cause his lady him to grace take  
Her heart of steel to mercy so incline  
Or that thy beams go up to decline  
And or that thou now go fro us adown  
For that love thou hadst to down   

¶ And when she was gone to her rest  
I rose anon and home to bed went  
For very weary me thought it for the best  
praying thus in all my best intent  
That all true lovers that be with danger shent  
With mercy may in release of her pain  
Recured be or may come eft again   

¶ And for that I may no longer wake  
Farewell ye lovers all that be true  
praying to god and thus my live I take  
That or the son tomorrow be risen new  
And or he have again his rosin hew  
That each of you may have such a grace  
His own lady in arms to embrace   

¶ I mean thus that in all honest  
Without more ye may together speak  
What so you list at good liberty  
That ce●● may to other their heart break  
On Jealousy only to be wreak  
That hath so long of malice and envy  
Warred troth with his tyranny    

¶ lenvoy.  

princess pleafeth it your benignity  
This little dytte to have in mind  
Of woman heed also for to see  
your true man may mercy find  
And pity eke that long hath been behind  
Let again be provoked to grace  
For by my truth it is against kind  
False danger to occupy his place    

¶ lenvoy du quayer  

¶ Golytell quayre go unto my lives queen  
And my very hearts sovereign  
And be right glad for she shall the seen  
Such is thy grace but I alas in pain  
Am left behind but not to whom to complain  
For mercy truth grace and eke pity  
Exiled be/ that I may not attain  
Recure to find of mine adversity    
¶ Finis.   

¶ Imprinted at London in the Flete street at the sign of the Son by Wynkynde word.