. The temple of glass.  
Or thought constrynt & grievous heaviness  
For pensifhed and high distress  
To bed I went now this other night  
When that lucina with her pale light  
Was joined last with phoebus in aquary  
Amid december/ when of Ianuarye  
there be kalends of the new year  
And dark diane horned and nothing clear  
Had her beams under a misty cloud  
With in my bed for cold I 'gan me shroud  
All desolate for constraint of my woe  
The long night wallowing to and fro  
Tif at last ere I began take keep  
Me died oppress a sudden deadly sleep  
With in the which me thought I was  
ravished in spirit in to a temple of glass  
I nist how far in wilderness  
That founded was as by liklynes  
Not upon steel/ but on a craggy roche  
Like ice y frore/ and as I did approach  
Again the son that shone so clear  
As any Crystal and ever ner and ner  
As I came nigh this grisly dreadful place  
I way astonied/ the light so in my face  
Be 'gan to smite/ so piercing ever in one  
On every part where that I 'gan gone  
That I ne might no thing as I would  
About me considere and behold  
The wonder estres for brightness of the son  
Till act last certain skies done  
With wind chased han her tours y went  
To fore the streams of titan and blended  
So that I might with in and with out  
Wherso I would beholden me about  
For to report the fashion and manner  
Of all this place that was circular  
In compass wise/ round by entail; e wrought  
And when I had long gone and sought  
I found a wiket and entered in as fast  
In to the temple and mine eyen cast  
On every side now low eft aloft  
And right anon as I 'gan walken soft  
If I the soothe a right report shall  
I saw depainted upon a wall  
From eft to west many a fair image  
Of sundry lovers like as they were of age  
Y set in order after they were true  
With lively colours wonder fresh of hue  
And as me thought I saw some sit & some stand  
And some kneeling with bills in their hand  
And some with complaint woeful & piteous  
With doleful cheer to putten to venus  
So as she sat fleeting in the see  
Upon her woe forto have pity  
And first of all I saugh there of cartage  
Dido the queen so goodly of visage  
That 'gan complain her adventure and cas  
How she deceived was of Aeneas  
For all his hests and his oaths sworn  
And said alas that ever she was born  
When she saw that dead she must be  
And next I saw the complaint of Medee  
How that she falsed was of jason  
And nigh by venus saw I sit atheon  
And all the manner how the boo: him slough  
For whom she wept and had pine enough  
There saw I also how that Pegasus  
For she so long her lord ne might see  
Was of colour both pale and green  
And after next was the fresh queen  
I mean all the noble true wife  
And for admete how she lost her life  
And for her troth if I shall not lie  
How she was turned in to a daysye  
there was Grisildes' Innocence  
And all her meekness and patience  
There was eke Isode & many other moo  
And all the torment and the cruel woe  
That she had for tristram all her live  
And how that Tisbe her heart died rive  
With thilk sword of sir Pyramus  
And all the manner how that Theseus  
The mynotaure slow amid the house  
That was forwrynked by craft of dedalus  
When he was in prison shit in Crete  
And how that philles feast of loves heat  
The great fire of demephon alas  
And for his falsehood and for his trespass  
Upon the walls depaint men might see  
How she hinge upon a fylberd tree  
And many a story moo than I reckon can  
Were in the temple/ and how that paris won  
The fair Eleyne a lusty fresh queen  
And how Achilles was for Policene  
Y slain unwarely within Troy toun  
All this saw I walking up and down  
There saw I written eke the hole tale  
How Philomene in to a nightingale  
Y turned was/ and proigne unto a swallow  
And how the sabyns in their manner hallow  
The feast of lucresse yet in Rome toun  
There saw I also the sorrow of Palamon  
That he in prison felt and all the smart  
And how that he through unto his heart  
Was hurt unwarely by casting of an eye  
On fair fresh the lusty young emily  
And all the strife between him & his brother  
And how that one fought with that other  
within the grove/ till they by Theseus  
Accorded were as Chaucer telleth us  
And furthermore as I 'gan behold  
I saw how phoebus with an arrow of gold  
Y wounded was through out his side  
Only by envy of the god cupid  
And how that diane unto a laurel tree  
Y turned was when that she died i'll  
And how that jove changed his cope  
Only for love of the fair Eurepe  
And in to a bull/ when he did he fue  
List of his godhead his form to transmue  
And how that he by transmutation  
The shap 'gan take of Amphitrion  
For Alcumena so passing was of beauty  
So was he hurt for all his deity  
With Louis dart/ and might it not escape  
There saw I also how mars was take  
Of vulcanus and with venus found  
And with the chains Inuysible bound  
There was also all the poesy  
Of him Mercury and all the philogye  
And how that she for her sapience  
Y wedded was to the god of eloquence  
And how that Muses lowly did obey  
High in to heaven this lady to convey  
And with her song how she was magnefied  
With jubiter there to be stellefied  
And uppermore depaint men might see  
How with her ring the goodly canece  
Of every fawle/ the leydons and song  
Coude understand as she walked them among  
And how her brother so often helped was  
In his mischief/ by the stead of bras  
And furthermore in the temple were  
Full many a thousand lovers here & there  
In sundry wise ready to complain  
Unto the goddess/ of her woe and pain  
How they were hindered some for envy  
And how the serpent of false jealousy  
Full many a lover hath put a back  
And causeless on them have leid a lack  
And some there were that plained on absence  
That were exiled and put out of presence  
Thurgh wicked tongues and falls suspicion  
Without mercy or any remissionn  
And other eke her service spent in veyn  
And of her lady were not loved again  
And other eke that for poverty  
Dursten in no wise her great adversity  
discover ne open/ left they were refused  
And some for wanting also were accused  
And other eke that loved secretly  
And of her lady durst axe no mercy  
Lest that she would of him have despite  
And some also that putten right great wit  
Ou double lovers that love things new  
Thurgh whose falseness hindered be the true  
And some there were as it is oft found  
That for her lady many a bloody wound  
Endured hath in many a region  
Whiles that an other hath had possession  
Al of his lady and beareth a way the fruit  
Of his labour and of all his fuyt  
And other complained of richesses  
How he with treasure doth his business  
To win against all kind and right  
Where as true lovers have force none ne might  
And some there were as maydyns young of age  
That plaineth so with piping & with rage  
That were coupled again all nature  
With crooked eld that may not long endure  
For to perform the lust of loves play  
For hit ne sit not unto fresh may  
For to be coupled to old Ianuarye  
They be so diverse that they must vary  
For eld is gruoching and malencolious  
Ay full of ire and suspicious  
And youth intendeth to joy & lustynes  
To mirth and play and to all gladness  
Alas that ever it should fall  
So sweet fugre y coupled be to gall  
These young folk crieden oft scythe  
And prayed venus her power to kithe  
Upon this mischief and shape remedy  
And right anon I heard other cry  
With sobbing teres and piteous sowo●  
To fore the goddess by lamentation  
That were constrained in their yougihe  
And in childhood as is oft coutle  
Y entered were in to Religion  
Or they had years of discretion  
That all her life can not but complain  
In wide Copes perfection forto feign  
Full covertly for to coveren their smart  
And show the contrary of their heart  
Thus saw I weep many a fair maid  
That on their friends all the wite they laid  
And other next I saw there in great rage  
That they were married in their tender age  
With out freedom of free election  
Where leave hath seld domination  
For love at large and at liberty  
Would freely cheese and not with such treat  
And other saw I full oft weep and wring  
That they in men fond such varying  
To leave a season while that beauty flourith  
And after by disdain so ungodly lourith  
On her that whilom he called his lady dear  
That was to him so pleasant and entire  
But lust with fairness is so over goon  
That in her heart truth abideth noon  
And some also I saw in teres rain  
And pietously on god and kind plain  
That ever they would on any creature  
So moche beauty passing be measure  
Set on a woman to give occasion  
A man/ to love to his confusion  
And namely there/ where he shall have no grace  
For with a look forth by as he doth pace  
Full oft falleth through casting of an eye  
Aman is wounded that he must nedis die  
That never peraunter after he shall her set  
Why will god done so great a cruelty  
To any man/ or to his creature  
To make him so much woe endure  
For her/ percas/ whom he shall in no wise  
Rejoice never/ but so forth in juice  
lead his life till that he be grave  
For he ne durst of her no mercy crave  
And eke paunter though he durst & would  
He can not wit where he her find should  
I saw there eke/ and thereof had I ruth  
That some were hindered by covetise & slougthe  
And some also for their hastiness  
And other eke for their rechesesnes  
But altherlast as I walked and beheld  
Beside passas with her Crystal shield  
Tofore the statue of venus set on height  
There kneeled a lady in my sight  
To fore the goddess/ which as the son  
Passeth the sterris/ and eke the storms done  
And lucifer to wide the nights sorow●  
In clearness passeth early the morrow  
And so as may hath the sovereignty  
Of every month the fairness and beauty  
And as the Rose in sweetness and odour  
Surmounted flouris/ and bame of all liquor  
Hath the prise/ and as the ruby bright  
Of all stones in beauty and in sight  
As it is know hath the Regalye  
Right so this lady with her goodly eye  
And with the streams of her look so bright  
Surmounteth all thorough beauty in my sight  
That for to tell her great seemliness  
Her womanhood her port and her fairness  
Hit was a marvel/ how ever that nature  
could in her works make a creature  
So angelic so goodly on to see  
So femynyn or passing of beauty  
whose sonnysh here brighter than goldwire  
Lyche phoebus beams shining in his spire  
The goodlihed eke of her fresh face  
So replenished of beauty and of grace  
So well ennewed by nature and depaint  
As Rose and lilies to guider were meint  
So equally by good proportion  
That as me taught by mine inspection  
I 'gan marvel how god or work of kind  
Mighten of beauty such a treasure find  
To yeven her so passing excellence  
For in good faith through her high presence  
The temple was enlumined environ  
And forto speak of her condition  
She was the best that might be on five  
For there was none that with her might strive  
To speak of bounty or of gentilesse  
Of womanhead or of lowliness  
Of curtoysie or of goodlihede  
Of speech of cheer or of semelihede  
Of port benign or of dalliance  
The best taught and thereto of pleasance  
She was the well eke of honest  
An Examplair and mirror eke was she  
Of secretness of truth of faith fullness  
And to all other lady and maistres  
To show virtue who so list to lere  
And so this lady right humble of cheer  
Kneeling I saw/ clad in green and white  
To fore venus' goddess of all delight  
Enbrowded all with stones and perre  
So richly that joy it was to see  
With sundry rolls on her garment  
For texpowne the troth of her intent  
To show fully that for her humblesse  
And for her virtue and her stableness  
That she was rote of all womanly pleasance  
Therefore her word without variance  
Enbrowded was as men might see  
De mieulx en mieulx with stones of perre  
This is to say that she was so benign  
From better to better her heart doth resign  
And all her will to venus the goddess  
When that her fist her harms to redress  
For as me thought somewhat by her cheer  
For to complain she had great desire  
For in her hand she held a little bylle  
For to declare the sum of all her will  
And to the goddess her quarrel for to show  
Theffect of which was in words few  

. The copy of the supplication.  

O lady venus' mother of cupyde  
That in this world hast the governance  
And hearts high that hawteyn be by pride  
Enclynest meekly to thine obeisance  
Causer of joy Resees of penance  
And with thy streams canst every thing discern  
Thurgh heavenly fire of love that is etern   

O blissful star persant and full of light  
Of beams gladsome/ devoider of darkness  
Chief recomfort after the black night  
To void woeful hearts out of their heaviness  
Take now good heed lady and goddess  
So that my bill may your grace attain  
Redress to find of that I me complain   

For I am bound to thing that I nold  
Freely to cheese that lack I liberty  
And so I want of that mine heart would  
The body is knit/ though my thought be free  
So that I must of necessity  
My hearts list outward contrary  
Though we be oon the deed must vary   

My worship safe I fail election  
Again all right both of god and kind  
Thereto be knit under subjection  
For whence for both are out of mind  
My thought goth forth my body is behind  
For I am here/ and yond my remembrance  
Between two so hang I in balance   

devoid of joy/ of woe I have plenty  
What I desire/ that may I not possede  
For that I nold is ready ay to me  
And that I love/ for to sue I dread  
To my desire contrary is my meed  
And thus I stand departed in twain  
Of will and deed ylaced in a chain   

For though I burn with fervence & heat  
within mine heart I moat complain of cold  
And by excess though I swelte and sweet  
Me to complain god wot I am not bold  
Unto no wight/ ner one word unfold  
Of all my pain/ alas the hard stound  
The hotter that I brenne/ the colder is my wound   

For he that hath mine heart faithfully  
And whole my love in all honest  
Without change all be hit secretly  
I have no space with him for to be  
O lady venus consider now and see  
Unto theffect and complaint of my byff  
Sith life and death I put all in thy will   

And though me thought the gods did incline  
meekly her heed and softly 'gan express  
That in short time her torment should fine  
And how of him for whom all her distress  
Contynned had and all her heaviness  
She should have joy and of her purgatory  
Be helped soon and so live forth in glory   

And said daughter for thy sad truth  
Thy faithful meaning and Innocence  
That planted be withouten any sloth  
In your person devoyed of all offence  
So han they attained to our audience  
That with our grace ye shall be was relieved  
I you behete of all that hath you grieved   

And for that ye be ever of one intent  
Without change or mutability  
And in your pains been so patient  
To take lowly your adversity  
And that so long through the cruelty  
Of old saturn my father unfoztuned  
Your woe shall now no longer be contuned   

And thinketh this with in a little while  
Hit shall a suage and over passen soon  
For men by laysir passen many a mile  
And oft after a dropping moan  
The weather cleareth/ and when the storm is done  
The son shineth in his spyer bright  
And joy waketh when woe is put to flight   

Remember eke how never yet not wight  
Ne came to worship with out some debate  
And folk rejoice also more of light  
That they with darkness were waped & mate  
No mans chance is allway fortunate  
Ne no wight praiseth of sugar the sweetness  
But they tofore have tasted bitterness   

Gryssyld was asayed at full  
That turned after to increase of joy  
Penolope 'gan eke for sow wes dull  
For that her lord abode so long at troy  
Also the torment there coude noman accore  
Of dorygene flower of all Bretaigne  
Thus ever joy is fyn and end of pain   

And trusteth this for conclusion  
The end of sorrow is joy void of dread  
For holy saints through her passion  
Have heaven won by their sovereign meed  
And plente gladly followeth after need  
And so my daughter after your grievance  
I you behote ye shall have full pleasance   

For ever of love the manner and the guise  
Is for to hurt his servant & to wound  
And when he hath taught them his emprise  
He can in joy make them to abound  
And sith that ye have in my laas be bound  
With out grucching or rebellion  
Ye must of right have consolation   

This to sayne doubteth never a deel  
That ye shall have full possession  
Of him that ye now cherish so we'll  
In honest manner with out offention  
By cause I know your intention  
Is truly sect in party and in all  
To love him best and most in special   

For he that ye have chosen you to serve  
Shall be to you such as ye desire  
With out change fully till he starve  
So with my brand I have set him a fire  
And with my grace I shall him so inspire  
That he m heart shall be right at your wis  
Wherso you list to save him or to spill   

For unto you I shall his heart so low  
With out spot of any doblenesse  
That he ne shall escape from the bow  
Though that himself by unsteadfastness  
I mean of cupide that shall him so distress  
Unto your hand with tharrow of gold  
That he ne shall escapen though he Bold   

And sith ye list of pity and of grace  
In virtue only his yonghthe to cherish  
I shall by aspects of my benign face  
Make him t'eschew every sin and Vice  
So that he shall have no manner spice  
In his courage to leave things new  
He shall to you so plain be found and true   

And when this goodly fair fresh of hue  
Humble and benign of troth crop & rote  
conceived had how venus 'gan to rue  
On her prayer plainly to do boat  
To change her bitter actones in to soot  
She fell on knees of high devotion  
And in this wise began her orison   

highest of high queen and Emperier  
Goddess of love/ of good yet the best  
That through your beauty without vice  
Whilom conquered thappeal act fest  
That jubiter through his high request  
To ass the gods above celestial  
Made in his pasais most imperial   

To you my sady upholder of my fyfMekesy I thank so as I may suffice  
That ye list now with heart intentive  
So graciously for me to devise  
That Whyse I sieve with humble sacrifice  
Upon your auters your fest year by yer  
I shall incense casten in to the fire   

For of your grace I am full reconciled  
From every trouble unto joy and ease  
That sows ass be from me exised  
Sith ye my lady list now t'appease  
My pains of the and fully my disease  
Unto gladness so suddenly to borne  
Having no cause from henceforth forth to morn   

For sithen ye so meekly list to daunt  
To my service him that loveth me best  
And of your bounty so graciously to grant  
That he ne shall vary though him lest  
Whereof mine heart is fully brought to rest  
For now and ever o lady mine benign  
That heart and wit I holy to you resign   

Thanking you with all my full heart  
That of your grace and visitation  
So humble list him to convert  
Fully to been at my subjection  
With out change or transmutation  
Unto his last/ now laud and reverence  
Be to your name and excellence   

This all and sum and chief of my request  
And hool substance of my full intent  
You thanking ever of your grant & best  
Both now and ever that ye me grace sent  
To conquer him that never shall repent  
Me for to serve and humbly for to please  
As final treasure of my hearts ease   

And than anon venus cast a down  
In to her lap brauches white and green  
Of hawthorn that wenten environ  
About her heed that joy was to seen  
And bade her keep 'em honestly and clean  
Which should not fade ne never weigh old  
If she her bidding keep as she hath told   

And as these bows be both fair and sweet  
Follow theffect that they do speciafye  
This is to say both in cold and heat  
Be ye of one heart and of one fantasy  
As are these leaves which may not die  
By no duresse of storms that be keen  
no more in Winter than in summer green   

Right so by ensample of weal or woe  
For joy torment or for adversity  
Whether so fortune favour/ or be foo  
For povert riches or prosperity  
That ye your heart keep in on degree  
To love him best for no thing that ye fine  
Whom I have bound so low under your chain   

And with that word the goddess shaken her heed  
And was m peace & spoke as though no more  
And therewith all full femynyn of dread  
Me thought this lady sighen 'gan full sore  
And said again/ lady that mayst restore  
hearts in joy from their adversity  
To do your will de mieulxr en mieuly ma gree   

Thus ever sleeping dreaming as I lay  
within the temple me thought I say  
great press of folk with murmur wonderful  
To crowd and shove/ the temple was so full  
everich full busy/ in his own cause  
That I n● may shortly in a clause  
Discriven all the rites and the guise  
And eke I want cunning to devise  
How some there were with blood incense & milk  
And some with flouris sweet & soft as silk  
And some with sparrows & doves white  
That for to offren 'gan 'em delight  
Unto the goddess with sigh and prayer  
Hem to release of that they most desire  
That for the press shortly to conclude  
I went my way for the multitude  
Me for to refresh out of the prees all one  
And by myself me thought as I 'gan gone  
With in the estres and 'gan a While tarry  
I saw a man that walked all solitary  
That as me seemed for heaviness and dole  
Him to pompleyne/ that he walked so sole  
With out espying of any other wight  
And if I shall discryven him a right  
If that he had not been in heaviness  
Me thought he was/ to speak of seemliness  
Of shap of form/ and also of stature  
The most passing/ that ever yet nature  
Made in her works/ and like to be a man  
And there with all as I rehearse can  
Of face and cheer the most gracious  
To be beloved happy and ewrous  
But as it seemed outward by his cheer  
That he complained for lack of his desire  
For by himself as he walked up and down  
I heard him make a lamentation  
And said alas, what thing may this be  
That now am bond that whilom was free  
And went at large at mine election  
Now am I caught under subjection  
For to become a very homager  
To god of love/ where ere I came here  
Felt in mine heart/ nought of loves pain  
But now of new/ within her fiery chain  
I am embraced so that I may not strive  
To serve and love While I am on live  
The godly fresh in the temple yonder  
I saw right now/ that I had wonder  
How ever god/ for to reckon all  
Might make a thing so celestial  
So angelic on earth to appear  
For with the streams of her eyen clear  
I am wounded even to the heart  
That fro the death I may not astart  
And most I marvel that so sodemly  
I was so yold to be at her mercy  
Without more/ I must her lust obey  
Whether that she list me to sieve or die  
And take meekly my sudden adventure  
For sith my life/ my death/ and eke my cure  
Is in her hand it will not avail  
To grucche again/ for of this battle  
The palm is hers/ and plainly the victory  
If I rebelled honour none ne glory  
I might not in any wise achyeve  
Sith I am yolden/ how should I theme prove  
To run a weigh/ I wot it will not be  
Though I be loose/ at large I may not i'll  
O god of love how sharp is now thine arrow  
How mayst thou now so cruelly and so narrow  
With out couse hurt me and wound  
And takest none heed my sorrows to found  
But liche a bird that fleeth at her desire  
Till suddenly within the pantere  
She is caught though late she was at large  
Anew tempest forcasteth now my barge  
Now up now down/ with wind it is so blow  
So am I possed and almost overthrow  
For drive in darkness of many sundry wave  
Alas when shall this tempest overdrawe  
To clear the skies of mine adversity  
The load star when that I ne may see  
Hit is so hid with clouds that he black  
Alas when will this torment overslake  
I can not wite/ for who is hurt of new  
And bleedeth inward till he wax pale of hue  
And hath his wound unwarely fresh & green  
And hit is not couth unto the harms keen  
Of mighty cupid that can so hearts daunt  
That no man may in his war him vaunt  
To get a price but only by meekness  
For their ne vaileth strife ne sturdiness  
So may I say that with a look am yold  
And have no power to strive though I would  
Thus stand I ever betwixt life and death  
To love and serve while I have breath  
In such a place where I dar not plain  
Liche him that is in torment and in pain  
And knoweth not to whom to discover  
For there that I have holly set my cure  
I dar not well for dread ne for danger  
And for unknown tell how the fire  
Of loves brand is kyndlid in my breast  
Thus am I murdered and slain act les●e  
So privily wrthyn my thought  
O lady venus whom I have sought  
So wis me now what me is best to do  
That am distraught with myself so  
That I ne Boat what way for to torn  
Sauf by myself sullen for to morn  
Hanging in balance betwixt hope and dread  
With out comfort remedy or rede  
For hope biddeth pursue and assay  
And agaynward dread answerth nay  
And now with hope I am set a loft  
But dread and danger hard & nothing soft  
Hath overthrow my trust and put a down  
Now at my large/ now fettered in prison  
Now in torment/ now in sovereign glory  
Now in paradise and now in purgatory  
As man despaired in a double were  
Born up with hope/ and thenne anon danger  
Me draweth aluck/ and saith it shall not be  
For where as I of mine adverfite  
Am bold somewhile mercy to require  
Themie cometh despair & gymieth me to lere  
A new lesson to hope full the contrary  
They be so diverse they will do me vary  
And thus I stand dismayed in a trance  
For when that hope were likely me tavaunce  
For dread I tremble & dar one word not speak  
And if it so be/ that I not out break  
To tell the harms that grieven me so sore  
But in myself increase them more and more  
And to be slain fully me delight  
When of my death she is nothing to wite  
For but if she my constraint plainly knew  
How should she ever/ on my pains rue  
Thus oft time with hope I am moved  
To tell her all/ how I am grieved  
And to be hardy on me for to take  
To ask mercy/ but dread doth me thenne awake  
And than wanhop answerth me again  
That better were than she have disdain  
To die atones vnknowe of any wight  
And there with all biddeth hope anon right  
Me/ to be bold and prayen her of grace  
And sith all virtues be portrayed in her face  
Hit were not sitting/ that pity were behind  
And right anon within myself I find  
A new plea brought on me with dread  
That me so maseth that I see no speed  
Be cause he saith that stonyeth all my blood  
I am so simple and she is so good  
Thus hope & dread in me will not sense  
To plead and strive my harms to entrect  
But at hardest yet or I be deed  
Of my distress sith I can no read  
But stand dom still as any stone  
To fore the goddess I will me haste anon  
And complain with out more sermon  
Though death be fyn and full conclusion  
Of my request/ yet I will assay  
And right anon me thought I say  
This woeful man as I have memory  
Full lowly entre in to an oratory  
And kneeled a down in full humble wise  
To fore the goddess and 'gan anon devise  
His piteous quarrel with a doleful there  
saying right this as ye shall here    

. The complaint of the man.  

Redress of sorrow O Cytherea  
That with the streams of thy pleasant heat  
Gladest the mount of all Cirrea  
Where thou hast chosen thy paleys and seat  
whose bright beams been wesshen and wet  
In the river of Elycon the well  
Have now pity of that I shall you tell   

And not disdain ye of your benignity  
My mortal woe O lady mine goddess  
Of grace and bounty & merciful pity  
benignly to help and to redress  
And though so be I can not well express  
The grievous harms that I feel in my heart  
Have never yet the less mercy of my smart   

This is to say O clear heaven's light  
That next the son sereled han your spear  
Sith ye me hurt with your dreadful might  
By influence of your beams clear  
And that I by your service now so dear  
As ye me brought in to this malady  
Be ye gracious and shape ye remedy   

For in you wholly buyeth help of all this ●●as  
And know best my sorrow and all my pain  
For dread of death/ how I ne dar all as  
To axen mercy ones/ ne me complain  
Now with your fire her heart so constrain  
With out more/ or I die atte lest  
That she may wit what is my request   

How I no thing in all this world desire  
But for to serve fully to mine end  
That goodly fresh so womanly of there  
Without change while I have life & mind  
And that ye would such grace send  
Of my service that she not disdain  
Sithen her to serve I may not me restrain   

And sith that hope me hath give hardiness  
To love her best and never to repent  
whiles that I live with all my lesynes  
To dread & serve/ though danger never assent  
And here upon ye know mine intent  
How I have vowed fully in mine mind  
To been her man/ though I no mercy find   

For in my heart imprinted is so sore  
Her shap her form & all her seemliness  
Her port her cheer/ her goodness more & more  
Her womanhood and eke her gentiles  
Her trough/ her faith and her kindness  
With all virtues each set in her degree  
There is no lack/ saving only of pity   

Her sad demeaning of will not variable  
Of look benign/ and rote of all pleasance  
And eyemplayre to all that will be stable  
Discrete prudent of wisdom fuffisance  
Mirror of wit ground of governance  
A world of beauty compassed in her face  
whose perceant look doth through my heart race   

And over this wonder secret and true  
A well of freedom and right bounteous  
And ever increasing in virtue new & new  
Of speech goodly/ and wonder gracious  
Devoid of pride/ to pour not despitous  
And if that I shortly shall not feign  
Save upon mercy I no thing complain   

What wonder the nne/ though I be with dread  
Inly surprised for to axen grace  
Of her that is quence of womanhead  
For well I wot in so high a place  
Hit will not be/ therefore I over pace  
And take lowly what woe I ordure  
Till she of pity me take to her cure   

But one avow plainly here I make  
That whethir so be/ she do me live or die  
I will not grucche/ but humbly hit take  
And thank god and wilfully obey  
For by my troth my heart shall never reneye  
For life ne death mercy ne danger  
Of will and thought to be at her desire   

To been as true as ever was antonyus  
To cleopatra while him lasteth breath  
Or unto thesbe young Pyramus  
That was faithful found/ till them deptid death  
Right so shall I till Antropos me slayeth  
For wheel or woe her faithful man be found  
Unto my last/ like as my heart is bound   

To love as well as did Achilles  
Unto his last the fair Polyxena  
Or as the great famous Hercules  
For dyanyre that felt the shot keen  
Right so shall I say right as I mean  
While that I live/ her both dread and serve  
For lack of mercy though she do me starve   

Now lady venus to whom nothing unknown  
Is in the world hide/ ne nought may be  
For their nies thing nether high ne low  
May be concealed from your privity  
Fro whom my meaning is not now secret  
But wit fully that mine intent is true  
And liche my truth now on my pain rue   

For more of grace than of presumption  
I ask mercy/ and no thing of duty  
Of lowly humbles/ with out offention  
That ye incline of your benignity  
Your audience unto my humility  
To grant me that to you I clep● & call  
Sum day release yet of my pains all   

And sith ye have the guerdon and the meed  
Of all lovers plenily in your hand  
Now of grace and pity take ye heed  
Of my distrees/ that am under your bond  
So lowly bound/ as ye well understand  
In that place where I took first my wound  
Of pity suffer ye my health may be found   

That liche as she me hurt with a sight  
Right so with health late me hur sustain  
And as the streams of her eyen bright  
Whilom my heart with wounds sharp & keen  
Thurgh pierced have and yet be fresh & green  
So as she me hurt/ lete her me succour  
Or elliss certain I may not long endure   

For lack of speech I can say you no more  
I have matter but I can not plain  
My wit is dull to tell all my sore  
A mouth I have/ And yet for all my pain  
For want of words I may not now attain  
To tell half/ that doth my heart grieve  
Mercy abiding/ till she me list relieve   

But this th'effect of my matter final  
With death or mercy release for to find  
For heart body thought life lust and all  
With all my reason and all my full mind  
And five wits of on assent I bind  
To her service with out any strife  
And make her princess of my death or life   

And now I pray of routh and eke pity  
O goodly planet/ O lady venus' bright  
That ye your son of his deity  
Cupid I mere that with his dreadful might  
And with his brand that is so clear of light  
Her heart so to fire and to mark  
As ye me whilom brent with a spark   

That everlich and with the same fire  
She may be it/ as I now burn and melt  
So that her heart be flamed with desire  
That she may know by fervence how I swelte  
For of pity plainly if she felt  
The self heat that doth mine heart enbruce  
I hope of routh she will do me grace   

And there with all venus as me thought  
Towards this man full benyngely  
'Gan cast her eye/ like as that she wrought  
Of his disease/ and said full goodly  
Sith it is so/ that thou so humbly  
With out grucching our hests list obey  
Toward thine help I will anon purvey   

And eke my son Cupyde that is so blind  
He shall be helping fully to perform  
Your hool desire/ that nothing be behind  
Ne shall be left/ so we shall reform  
This piteous compleynt/ that maketh the to morn  
That she for whom thau sorrowest most in heart  
Shall through her mercy release all thy smart   

When she seeth time/ through our purveyance  
Be not to hasty/ but suffer allthing weal  
For in abiding/ through lowly obeisance  
Lieth full redress/ of all that ye now feel  
And she shall be as true as any steel  
To you alone/ by our might and grace  
If ye list meekly abide a little space   

But understand ye that all her cherising  
Shall be grounded upon honest  
That no wight shall by any compacing  
Demen amiss of hur in no degree  
For neither mercy/ routh ner pity  
She shall not have ne take of the non heed  
Further than longeth unto her womanhead   

Be not astonied of no wilfulness  
Ne not despeyred of this dissolution  
Late reason bridle lust by buxumnes  
Without grucching or rebellion  
For joy shall follow all this passion  
For who can suffer torment and endure  
Ne may not fail/ but follow shall his cure   

For to fore all she shall the loven best  
So shall I her without offention  
By Influence inspire in her breast  
In honest wise with full intention  
For tenclyne by clean affection  
Her heart fully on the to have ruth  
Be cause I know that thou meanest truth   

Go now to her where as she stant a side  
With humble cheer/ and put the in her grace  
And all before lete hope be thy guide  
And though that dread would with the pace  
Hit sitteth well/ but look that thou a race  
Out of thine heart wanhop and despair  
To her presence ere thou have repeir   

And mercy first shall thy way make  
And honest meaning afore do thy message  
To make pity in her heart a wake  
And secretness to further thy voyage  
With humble port to her that is so sage  
Shall means be/ and I myself also  
Shall the fortune/ or thy tale be do   

Go forth anon/ and be right good of cheer  
For speechless nothing mayst thou speed  
Be good of trust & be no thing in were  
Sith I myself shall helpen in this need  
For at lest of her goodly heed  
She shall to the her audience incline  
And low the to her till thou thy tale fine   

For well thou wost if I shall not feign  
Without speech thou mayst no mercy have  
For who that will of his prive pain  
Fully be cured his life to help and save  
He must meekly out of his heart grave  
Discure his wound and show hit his leech  
Or else die for default of speech   

For he that is in mischief reklees  
To seche help I hold him a wrecche  
And she ne may thine heart bring in peace  
But if thy complaint to her heart strecche  
wouldest thou be cured & wilt no salve fecche  
Hit will not be/ for no wight may attain  
To come to bliss/ if he list live in pain   

Therefore atones go forth in humble wise  
To fore thy lady and lowly kneel a down  
And in all truth thy words so devise  
That she on the have compassion  
For she that is of so high renown  
In all virtues as queve and sovereign  
Of womanhood shall rue on thy pain   

And when the gods this lesson had told  
About me so I 'gan behold  
Right so a stoned stood in a trance  
To see the manner and countenance  
And all the cheer of this woeful man  
That was of hue deadly pale and wan  
With dread surprised in his own thought   

Making cheer as though he wrought nought  
Of life ne death ne what so him betide  
So moche fere he had on every side  
To put him forth to tell his pain  
Unto his lady/ other to complain  
What woe he felt torment or disease  
What deadly sorrow his heart died sese  
For routh of which his woe as I indite  
My pen I feel quaken as I write  
Of him I had so great compassion  
For to rehearse his weymentation  
That uneath/ though I with myself strive  
I want cnning his pains to describe  
Alas to whom shall I for help call  
Not to the muses for cause they been all  
Help of right in joy and not in weo  
And in matters that they delight also  
Wherefore they nyl as now direct my style  
Nor me enspiren Alas the hard while  
I can no further but to the syphon  
And to her sister to call help upon  
That be goddesses of torment and pain  
Now lete your teris in to mine Ink rain  
With woeful words my paper for to blot  
This woeful matter not to paint/ but spot  
To tell the manner of this dreadful man  
Upon his complaint when he first began  
To tell his lady when he 'gan declare  
His hid sorrows/ and his evil fare  
That at his heart constrained so sore  
The ffect of which was this without more   

princess of youth & flower of gentilesse  
Ensample of virtue ground of courtesy  
Of beauty rote queen and eke masters  
To all women how they shall hem gye  
And soothfast mirror texemplifye  
The right way of port and of womanhead  
What I shall say/ of mercy take ye heed  
beseeching first unto your high nobles  
With quaking heart of my Inward dread  
Of grace and pity & not of righteousness  
Of berrey ruth to help in this need  
This is to say O well of goodly heed  
That I ne relic though ye do me die  
So ye list first to hearen what I say   

The dreadful stroke the geret force and might  
Of god cupide that noman may rebel  
So inwardly through out mine heart right  
Y pierced hath that I ne may counsel  
Mine hid wound ne I ne may apele  
Unto no greater/ this mighty god so fast  
You to serve hath me bound unto my last   

That heart and all with out strife are yold  
For life or death to your service alone  
Right as the goddess mighty venus would  
To for her meekly when I made my moan  
She me constrained without change anon  
To your service and never for to fain  
Wherso ever ye list to do me ease or pain   

So that I can no thing but mercy cry  
Of you my lady/ and change for no new  
That ye list godly tofore ere that I die  
Of very ruth upon my pains rue  
For by my truth/ and ye my pains knew  
What is the cause of mine adversity  
On mine disease ye would have pity   

For unto you true and eke secre  
I will be found to serve as I best can  
And therewith all as lowly in each degree  
To you be alone as ever yet was man  
Unto his lady from the time I began  
And shall so forth withouten any sleuth  
whiles that I live/ by god & by my troth   

For liefer I had to deyen suddenly  
Than you offend in any manner wise  
And suffer pains inward privily  
Than my service as now ye should despise  
For I right neught will ask in no wise  
But for your servant ye would me accept  
And when I trespass/ goodly me correct   

And for to grant of mercy the prayer  
Only of grace and womanly pity  
From day to day that I might lere  
You for to please/ and therewith all that ye  
When I do miss/ listen for to teach me  
In your service how that I may amend  
From henceforth and never you offend   

For unto me it doth enough suffice  
That for your man ye would me receive  
Fully to been as you list devise  
And as farforth as my wits can conceive  
And therewith all liche as ye prove  
That I be true/ to guerdon me of grace  
Or ell is to punish after my trespass   

And if so be that I may not attain  
Unto your mercy/ yet grant at the lest  
In your service for all my woe and pain  
That I may deyen after my behest  
This is all and some the fyn of my request  
either with mercy your servant to save  
Or merciless that I may be begrave   

And when this benign of her intent true  
conceived hath the complaint of this man  
Right as the fresh rody Rose new  
Of her colour to wexen she began  
Her blood atoned so from ler heart ran  
In to her face of very femynyte  
Thurgh honest dread abashed was she   

And humbly she began her eyen cast  
Towards him of her benignity  
So that no word by her lips passed  
For haste nor dread mercy ne pity  
For so demeaned she was in honest  
That unadvised no thing fro her start  
So moche of reason was compassed in her heart   

Till at last of which she did abraided  
When she is truth and meaning did feel  
And unto him full goodly spoke and said  
Of your behest and your meaning weal  
And your service so faithful everydeal  
Which unto me so lowly now ye offer  
With all my heart/ I thank you of your proffer   

That for so much your intent is set  
Only in virtue y bridled under dread  
Ye must of right nediss far the bet  
Of your request/ and the better speed  
But as for me I may of womanhead  
No further grant to you in mine intent  
Than as my lady venus will assent   

For she well knoweth I am not at my large  
To done right nought but by her ordinance  
So am I drowned under her dreadful charge  
Her list tobbeye without variance  
But for my part so it be pleasance  
Unto the goddess for troth in your emprise  
I you accept fully to my service   

For she my heart hath in subjection  
Which wholly is yours & never shall repent  
In thought ner deed in mine election  
Witness on venus that knoweth mine intent  
Fully t'obey her doom and judgement  
So as her list disposen and ordain  
Right as she knoweth the troth of us twain   

For unto the time that venus list provide  
To shape a way for our hertis ease  
Both ye and I meekly must abide  
To take at gree/ and not of our disease  
To grucche again till that she list t'appease  
Our hid woe so july that constraineth  
From day to day and our hertis paineth   

For in abiding of woe and all affray  
Who so can suffer is founden remedy  
And for the best full oft is made delay  
Ere men be heeled of their malady  
Wherefore as venus list this matter to gye  
Leet us agreen/ and take all for the best  
Till her list/ sect both our hearts in rest   

For she is that bindeth and can constreyn  
hearts in one/ this fortunate planets  
And can release lovers of her pain  
To turn fully her bicter in to sweet  
Now blissful gods down fro thy sterey seat  
Us to fortune cast your streams sheen  
Like as ye know/ that we troth mean   

And there with all as I mine eyen cast  
For to perceive the manner of these twain  
To fore the goddess meekly as they passed  
Me thought I saw with a goldyn chain  
Venus/ anon embrace and constrain  
Her both hearts in one/ for to persevere  
Whilis that they live/ and never to dissever   

Seeing right thus with a benign cheer  
Sith it is so/ ye be under my might  
My will is thus/ that ye my daughter dear  
Full accept this man as it is right  
Unto your grace anon here in my sight  
That ever hath been so lowly you to serve  
Hit is good skill your thank that he deserve   

Your honour safe and eke your womanhead  
Him to cherish/ it sitteth you right weal  
Sith he is bound under hope and dread  
Amid my chain that forged is of steel  
Ye must of mercy shape that he feel  
In you some grace of his long service  
And that in haste like as I shall devise   

This is to say that ye taken heed  
How he to you most faithful is and true  
Ofal your servants/ & nothing for his meed  
Of you ne asketh/ but ye on him rue  
For he vowed hath to change for no new  
For life ne death/ for joy ne for pain  
Ay to be yours/ so as ye list ordain   

Wherefore ye must or else it were wrong  
Unto your grace fully him receive  
In my presence/ by cause he hath so long  
holy been yours/ as ye may conceive  
That from your mercy/ if ye him weyve  
I will myself recorden cruelty  
In your person/ and great lack of pity   

Late him for his troth find than again  
For long service/ guerdon him with grace  
And late ye pity weigh down his pain  
For time is now danger to arace  
Out of your heart/ and mercy in to pace  
And love for love world well beseem  
To give again and this I plainly dame   

And as for him I will been his borrow  
Of lowlithede and busy attendance  
How he shall be both eve and morrow  
Full diligent to done his observance  
And ever awaiting/ you to do pleasance  
Wherefore my son/ listen and take heed  
Fully t'obey/ as I shall the rede   

And first of all my will is that thou be  
faithful in heart and constant as a wall  
True humble. meek and therewith all secre  
With out change in party or in all  
And for no torment that the fallen shall  
Tempest the not/ but ever in steadfastness  
Rote thine heart/ and void doubleness   

And furthermore have in reverence  
These women all for thy lady sake  
And suffer never that men hem do offence  
For love of one/ but evermore undertake  
Hem to defend whether they sleep or wake  
And ay be ready to holden them party  
Against all though that to 'em have envy   

Be curtais ay and lowly of thy speech  
To rich and pour ay fresh & well beseyn  
And ever busy ways for to seche  
all true lovers to release of her pain  
Sith thou art one/ & of no wight have disdain  
For love hath power hearts for to daunt  
And never for cherising/ the to much avaunt   

Be lusty eke void of all tristesse  
And take no thought but ever be jocund  
And not to pensif for none heaviness  
And with thy gladness/ lete sadness aye be found  
When woe approached/ lete mirth most abound  
As manhood ayid/ and though thou feel smart  
Late not to many known of thine heart   

And all virtues busily thou sue  
Vices eschew for the love of one  
And for no tales thine heart not remewe  
Word is but wind that shall soon overgoen  
What ever thou here be dumb as any stone  
And to answer to soon/ not the delight  
For here she standeth that all this shall the quite   

And wherther thou be absent or in presence  
None others beauty lete in thy heart mine  
Sith I have give her of beauty excellence  
Above all other in virtue for to shine  
And think how in fire men are wont to fine  
This pured gold to put it in assay  
So to the prove/ thou art put in delay   

But time shall come thou shalt for thy sufferance  
Be well a paid and take for thy meed  
Thy lives joy and all thy suffisance  
So that good hope all way thy bridle lead  
let no dispeir hinder the with dread  
But ay thy trust upon her mercy ground  
Sith none but she may thy sorrow sound   

Each hour and tyme. week. day and year  
Be liche faithful and vary not for light  
Abide a while and than of thy desire  
The time neigheth that shall the most delight  
And late no sorrow in thy heart bite  
For no differing/ sith thou for thy meed  
Shall rejoice in peace the flower of womanhead   

Think how she is this world is son & light  
The star of beauty the flower eke of fairness  
Both ●op and rote and eke the ruby bright  
hearts to glade/ y troubled with darkness  
And how I have made her/ thin hearts Empress  
Be glad therefore to be under her bond  
Now come ner daughter & take him by the hand   

Unto this sin that after all these shouris  
Of his torment he may be glad and light  
When by your grace ye take him to be yours  
For evermore anon here in my sight  
And eke I will also as it is right  
Without more his languor for to lysse  
In my presence anon that ye him kiss   

That there may be of all your old smertis  
A full releases under joy assured  
And that one lok be of your both hertis  
Shut with my key of gold so well pured  
Only in sign that ye have recured  
Your hool desire here in this holy place  
Within my temple now in the year of grace   

Eternally be bound of assurance  
The knot is knit/ that may not be unbound  
That all the gods of this alliance  
Satorne. jove. and Mars as it is found  
And eke cupid that first did you wound  
Shall bear record/ and overmore bewreke  
On which of you/ his troth first break   

So that by aspects of their fair lokis  
Without mercy shall fall the vengeance  
For to be razed clean out of my books  
On which of you be found of variance  
Therefore atones setteth your pleasance  
Fully to been while ye have life and mind  
Of one accord unto your lives end   

That if the spirit of newfangledness  
In any wile your hearts would assail  
To move or stir to bring in doubleness  
Upon your troth to given a battle  
let not your courage ne your force fail  
Nor none assaults you flitten or remove  
For unassayed no man may troth prove   

For white is whiter if it be set by black  
And sweet is swecter after bitterness  
And falsehood ever is drive and put a back  
Where truth is rooted with out doblenes  
Without preue there may be no sekernes  
Of love or hate and therefore of you two  
Shall love be more/ for it was bought with woe   

And every thing is had more in dainty  
And more of pris when it is dear bought  
And eke love standeth more in sewrte  
When it is tofore with pain woe & thought  
Conquered was first when it was sought  
And every conquest hath his excellence  
In his pourfute as it findeth resistance   

And so to you more sweet and agreeable  
Shall love be found I do you plainly assure  
Without grucching that ye were sufferable  
So low so meek patiently to endure  
That all atones I shall do now my cure  
For now and ever your hertis so to bind  
That nought but death shall the knot unbind   

Now in this mater what should I longer dwell  
Come ye atones and do as I have said  
And first my daughter that are of bounty well  
In heart and thought be glad & well a puyd  
To done him grace that shall & hath obeyed  
Your lusts ever/ and I will for his sake  
Of troth to you be bound and undertake   

And so forth within presence as they stand  
To fore the gods this fair and weal  
Her humble servant took goodly by the hand  
As he to fore her/ meekly did kneel  
And kissed him after fulfilling everidele  
From point to point in full thrifty wise  
As ye toforn have venus' herd devise   

Thus is this man to joy and all pleasance  
From heaviness and from his pains old  
Full reconciled/ and hath full suffisance  
Of her that ever meant well/ and would  
That in good faith and I tell should  
The inward mirths did her hertis brace  
For all my life to tell/ it were to little space   

For he hath won her that he loveth best  
And she to grace hath take him of pity  
And thus her hearts been both set in rest  
Without change or mutability  
And venus hath of her benignity  
confirmed all what shall I longer tarry  
These twain in one and never to vary   

That for the joy in the temple about  
Of this accord by great solemnity  
Was laud and honour within & without  
Yeve to venus'/ and to the deity  
Of god cupide/ so that Calliope  
And all her sistren in her harmony  
Soon with songs the gods did magnify   

And all atones with notes loud & sharp  
They did he honour and her reverence  
And Orpheus among them with his harp  
'Gan strings touch with his diligence  
And Amphion that hath such excellence  
Of music ay died his business  
To please and queem venus the goddess   

Only for cause of the affinity  
Betwixt these two not lusty to dissever  
And every lover of low and buy degree  
'Gan venus' pray fro thence forth and ever  
That hool of them the love may persevere  
Withouten end in such wise as they gemie  
And more increase that it of hard was womie   

And the god's hearing this request  
As she that knew the clean intention  
Of both them twain made a behest  
Perpetuelly by confirmation  
whiles they live of one affection  
They shall endure there is no more to say  
That neither shall hive matter to complain   

So far forth evermore in our eternal see  
The gods have in our presence  
Fully devised through their deity  
And holy concluded by her Influence  
That by their might and just prudence  
The love of 'em by grace and eke fortune  
With out change shall evermore contune   

Of which grant the temple enuicon  
Thurgh high comfort of them that were present  
Anon was begun with a melodious sowun  
In name of though that troth in love meant  
A ballad new in full good intent  
To fore the gods with notis land and clear  
Singing right this anon as ye shall hear   

Fairest of stars that with your psant light  
And with the sherysing of your streams clear  
Causen in love hearts to be light  
Only by chining of your glad spece  
Now laud and and prece O vemus lady dear  
Be to your name that have without sin  
This man fortuned his lady for to win   

Willy planet O esperus so bright  
That woeful hearts can appease and steer  
And ever are ready by your grace & might  
To help all though that buy love so dear  
And have powerhe/ rtis to set on fire  
Honour to you of all that been here Inn  
That have this man his lady made to win   

O mighty goddess day star after night  
Gladding the morrow when ye don appear  
To void darkness by freshness of your sight  
Only with twinking of your pleasant cheer  
To you we thank lovers that len here  
That ye this man and never for to twin  
Fortune have/ his lady for to win   

And with the noise an heavenly melody  
With that they made in her harmony  
Thurgh out the temple for this man's sake  
Out of my sleep anon I died awake  
And for astonied knew as though no rede  
For sudden change oppressed with dread  
Me thought I was cast in a trance  
So clean a way was though my remembrance  
Of all my dream/ Whereof great thought & woe  
I had in heart and nist what was to do  
For hevyntes for that I had lost the sight  
Of her that I all the long night  
Had dreamed of in mine advision  
Whereof I made great lamentation  
Be cause I had never in my life before  
Saw none so fair sith that I was born  
For love of whom so as I can indite  
I purpose here to make and to write  
A little tretyse and process make  
In price of women only for her sake  
Hem to commend as it is skill and right  
For her goodness with all my might  
praying to her that is so bountevous  
So full of virtue and so gracycus  
Of womanhead and merciful pity  
This simple treatise for to take in gre  
Till I have leisure unto her high renown  
For to expound my foresaid visioun  
And tell in plain the signefyaunce  
As it cometh to my remembrance  
So that her after my lady may hit look  
Now go thy way thou little rude look  
To her presence as I the comande  
And first of all thou me recomande  
Unto her and to her excellence  
And pray to her/ it be non offence  
If only word in the be myssaid  
Beseeching her/ she be not evil a paid  
For as her list I will the eft correct  
When that her liketh againward the direct  
I mean that benign and goodly of face  
Now go thy way and put the in her grace    
. Explicit the temple of glass.