A new comedy in english in manner Of an interlude right elygant & full of craft of rhetoric/ wherein is showed & described as well the beauty & good properties of women/ as their vices & evil conditions/ with a moral conclusion & exhortation to virtue  Melebea 

¶ Franciscus petrarcus the poet lawreate  
Saith that nature which is mother of all thing  
without strife can give life to nothing create  
And Eraclito the wise clerk in his writing  
Saith in all things create strife is their working  
And there is no thing under the firma●…ent  
with any other in all points equivalent   

¶ And according to their dictys ●…ehersyd as thus  
All things are create in manner of 〈◊〉  
These foolish lovers then that be so amorous  
From pleasure to displeasure how lead they their life  
Now sorry now sad now Joyous now pensive  
●…as I poor maiden than what shall I do  
cumbered by dotage of one Cali●…to   

¶ I know that nature hath given me beauty  
with sanguynyous compleccy●…●…uour & fairness  
The more to god ought I to do fewte  
with will life laud and love of perfyt●…es  
I deny not but calisto is of great worthiness  
 
 
 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh me almost weary  
O his lamentations & exclamations on fortune  
with similitude manner as one that should die  
But who shall pity this Infayth not I  
Shall I accomplish his carnal desire  
Nay yet at a stake rather bren in a fire   

¶ Of troth I am sorry for his trouble  
To strive with himself thus for love of me  
But though his sorrows I assure you should double  
Out of his danger will I be at liberty  
what a miss woman now christ benedicite  
Nay nay he shall never that day see  
●…ys voluptuous appetite consented by me   

¶ wist he now that I were present here  
I assure you shortly he would seek me  
And without doubt he doth now inquire  
weather I am gone or where I should be  
Se./ is he not now come I report me  
Alas of this man I can never be rid  
w●…ld to cryst I wist where I might be hid   Calysto 

¶ By you fair melebea may be seen  
The grace the gifts the greatness of god   M 

where i/   C. 

In taking effect of dane nature stren●…  
Nor earthly but angellyke of likelihood  
In duty so passing the kind of womanhod  
O god I might in your presence be able  
To manifest my dolours incomparable   

¶ Greater were that reward than the grace  
heaven to obtain by works of pity  
Not so glorious be the saites that see god's face  
Ne joy not so much as I do you to see  
yet dyffereus there is between them & me  
For they glorify by his assured presence  
And I in torment be cause of your absens   M 

¶ why thinkest thou that so great a reward   Ca 

ye more greater than if god would set me  
In heaven above all saints & more in regard  
And think it a more higher felicity   M 

yet more greater thy reward shallbe  
if thou i'll 〈◊〉 the determination  
Of thy ●…sent of mind by such temptation  
I perceive the intent of thy words all  
As of the wit of him that would have the vert●…w  
Of me such a woman to be come thrall  
Go thy weigh with sorrow I would thou kuew  
I have foul scorn of the I tell the true  
Or any human creature with me should begin  
Any communication pertaining to sin   

¶ And I promise the where thou art present  
while I life by my will I will be absent   Et exeat 

¶ Lo out of all joy I am fallen in woe  
Upon whom adverse fortune hath cast her chauns  
Of cruel hate which causeth now a wayto go  
The keeper of my joy and all my pleasauns  
Alas alas now to me what noyauns   S 

Dew guard my lord and god be in this place   C 

Sempronio/   S. 

ye sir.   C. 

a sir I shrew thy face   

¶ why hast thou been from me so long absent   S 

For I have been about your business  
To order such thing as were convenient  
your house and horse and all thing was to dress   C 

O sempronio have pity on my distress  
For of all creature I am the woefullest   S 

How so what is the cause of your unrest   C 

¶ For I serve in love to the goodliest thing  
That is or ever was.   S. 

what is she  
It is one which is all other exceeding  
The picture of angel if thou her see  
Phoebus or phebe no comparison may be  
To her.   S. 

what height she/   C. 

melebea is her name   S 

Marry sir this would make a wild horse tame   C 

¶ I pray the sempronio go fet me my lute  
And bring some chair or stole with the  
The argument of love that I may dispute  
which science I find the art without pity  
Hylas the sempronio hy the I pray the   S 

Sir shortly I assure you it shallbe done   C 

Then farewell christ send the again soon   

¶ O what fortune is equal unto mine  
O what woeful wight with me may compare  
The thirst of sorrow is my mixed wine  
which daily I drink with deep draught of ca●…   S 

Tush sir be merry let pass away the mare  
How say you have I not hied me lightly  
Here is your chair and lute to make you merry   C 

¶ Miry quod a/ nay that will not be  
But I must needs sit for very feebleness  
give me my lute and thou shalt see  
How I shall sing mine unhappiness  
This lute is out of tune now as I ge  
Alas in tune how should I set it  
when all armony to me discordeth each whit   

¶ As he to whose will reason is unruly  
For I feel sharp nedyls within my breast  
Peas war truth haterad and injury  
Hope and suspect and all in one chest   S 

Behold nero in the love of tapaya oppressed  
Rome how he brent/ old and young wept  
But she took no thought nor never the less slept   C 

¶ Gretter is my fire and less pity showed me   S 

I will not mok this foul is a lover   C 

what sayest thou/   S. 

I say how can that fire be  
That tormentyth but one living man greater  
Than that fire that brenneth a hole city here  
And all the people therein.   C. 

marry for the fire is grettyst  
That burneth very sore and lasteth lengyst   

¶ And greater is the fire that brenneth one soul  
Than that which brenneth an hundred bodies   S 

His saying in this none can control   C 

None but such as list to make lies  
And if the fire of purgatory bren in such wise  
I had liefer my spirete in brute bestis should be  
Than to go thydyr and than to the deity   S 

¶ Marry sir that is a spice of heryse   C 

why so/   S. 

For ye speak like no crystyn man  
I would thou knewest melebea worship I  
In her I believe and her I love/   S. 

A ha than  
with the melebea is a great woman  
I know on which foot thou dost halt on  
I shall shortly hele the my life thereupon   C 

¶ An uncredable thing thou dost promise me   S 

Nay nay it is easy I enough to do  
But furst for to hele a man knowledge must be  
Of the sickness than to give counsel thereto   C 

what counsel can rule him sempronio  
That keepeth in him keepeth no 〈◊〉 of counsel   S 

A is this Calisto his fire/ now I know well   

¶ How that love over him hath cast her net  
In whose perseverans is all inconstans   C 

why. is not Eliceas love and thine met   S 

what than.   C. 

why reprovest me than of ignorans   S 

For thou settyst man's dignity in obeysanus  
To the unperfection of the week woman   C 

A woman Nay a god of goddesses.   S. 

belevyst y● than   C 

¶ ye and as a gods I here confess  
And I believe there is no such sufferayn  
In heaven though she be in earth.   S. 

peace peace   S 

A woman a god nay to god a vylayn  
Of your saying ye may be sorry.   C. 

it is playu   S 

why so.   C. 

because I love her and think surely  
To obtain my desire I am unworthy   S 

¶ O fearful heart why comparyst thou with Nembroth  
Or alexander of this world not lord only  
But worthy to subdue hevyu as saying goth  
And thou reputyst thyself more high  
Than them both and dyspayryst so cowardly  
To win a woman of whom hath been so many  
Gotten and ungotten never hard of any   

¶ It is recited in the fest of saint Ihonn  
This is the woman of auncyoun malice  
Of whom but of a woman was it long on  
That adam was expulsed from paradise  
She put man to pain whom ely did despise   C 

Than sith adam gaff him to their governance  
Am I greater than adam myself to avannce   S 

¶ Nay but of those men it were wisdom  
That overcame them to seek remedy  
And not of those that they did overcome  
flee from their beginning eschew their folly  
Thou knowest they do evil thing many  
They keep no mean but rigour of intention  
Be it fair foul wilful without reason   

¶ Keep them never so close they willbe she wyd  
Gyff tokens of love by many subtle ways  
Seeming to be sheep and serpently shrewd  
Craft in them renewing that never decays  
their saying sighting provoking their plays  
O what pain is to fulfil their appetite  
And to accomplish their wanton delytiss   

¶ It is 〈◊〉 to see their dissembling:  
their flattering count nann●…●…heyr ingratituding  
〈◊〉 falls witnese feigned weeping  
There vain glory and how they can delude  
their folysh●…es their ●…anglyng not mewed  
their lecherous lust and wylenes therefore  
whychcrafte & charmies to make men to theyr●… lore   

¶ their enba winning & their unshamefastness  
their bawdry their suttelte & fresh attiring  
what trimyng what painting to make fairness  
their false intent & flykkering smyl●…ng  
Therefore lo it is an old saying  
That women be the devil net and head of sin  
And man's misery in paradise did begin   C 

¶ But what thinkest thou by me yet for all this   S 

Marry syrye were a man of clear wit  
whom nature hath endued 〈◊〉 the best gift  
As beauty & greatness of membres perfit  
Strength lightness & beyond this each whit  
Fortune hath parted with you of her influens  
For to be able of liberal expense   

¶ For without good whereof fortwe is lady  
Noman can have wealth therefore by conjecture  
you should be beloved of every body   Calisto 

But not of Melebea now I am sure  
And thought thou hadst praised me which out measure  
And compared me without comparison  
yet she is above in every condition   

¶ Behold her nobleness her ancient lineage  
Her great patrimony her excellent wit  
Her resplendent virtue high portly courage  
Her godly grace her suffereyn beauty perfit  
No tongue is able well to express it  
But yet I pray the let me speak a while  
My sel●… to refresh in rehearsing of my style   

¶ I begin at her hair which is so goodly  
crisped to her heels tied with fine lace  
far shining beyond fine gold of araby  
I trow the son collar to it may give place  
That who to behold it might have the grace  
would say incomparison nothing counteruaylys   S 

Then is it not like here of ass tails   Ca 

¶ O what foul comparison this fellow raylys  
Her gay glazing eyen so fair and bright  
Her brows her nose in a mean no fashion faylys  
Her mouth ●…per & feat her teeth small & white  
●…er lyppis 〈◊〉 her body straight upright  
Her lyttyll teties to the eye is a pleasure  
O what joy it is to see such a figure   

¶ Her skin of whiteness endarkyth the snow  
with rose colour ennewyd I the ensure  
Her lyttyll hand in mean manner this is no trow  
Her fingers small & long with naylys ruddy most pure  
Of proportion none such in purtrayture  
without peer worthy to have for fairness  
The apple that paris gave venus the gods   S 

¶ Sir have ye all done.   C. 

ye marry what than   S 

I put case all this ye have said be true  
yet are ye more noble sith ye be a man   C 

wherein.   S. 

she is unperfect I would ye knew  
As all women be and of less value  
Phylozophers say the martyr is less worthy  
Than the form/ so is woman to man surely   C 

¶ I love not to here this alter●…ion  
Between melebea and me her lover   S 

Possible it is in every condition  
To abbot her as much as you do love her  
In the winning/ begiling is the danger  
That ye shall see he●…e after with eyen fire   C 

with what eyes.   S. 

with clear eyen trust ●…e   C 

¶ why with what eyen do I see now   S 

with dime eyen which show a little thing much  
But for ye shall not despair I assure you  
No labour nor diligences in me shall gruch  
So trusty & fryndely ye shall ●…ynd ●…he ●…urh  
In all thing possible that ye can 〈◊〉  
The thing to accomplish to your desire   C 

¶ God bring that to pace so glad it is to me  
To here the thus though I hope not in thy doing   S 

yet I shall do it trust me for a suret●…   C 

God reward the for thy gentle intending  
I give the this thayn of gold in rewarding   S 

Sir god reward you & lend us good spe●…  
I doubt not but I shall perform it in deed   

¶ But without reward it is har●… to work well   C 

I am ●…ontent so thou be not negligent   S 

Nay be not you/ for it passeth a marvel  
The master slow/ the servant to ●…e diligent   C 

How thynky●…t it can be show me thine intent   S 

Sir I have a neighbour a mother of 〈◊〉  
That can provoke the har●… rokkys to 〈◊〉   

¶ In all evil deed she is perfect wise  
I trow more than a M virgins  
Have been destroyed by her subtle devise  
For she never faylyth where she begynnis  
All only by this craft her lyffing she wynnis  
Maid wyffys widows and everichone  
If she once meddyll there skapyth none   C 

¶ How might I speak with her sempronio   S 

I shall bring her ●…ydyr unto this place  
But ye must in any wise let rewardis go  
And show her your griefs in every case   C 

elys were I not worthy to attain grace  
But alas sempronio thou tarriest to long   S 

Sir god be with you.   C. 

Lryst make the strong   

¶ The mighty and petdurable god be his guide  
As he guided the 〈◊〉 king in to bedleme  
From the est by the start and again did provide  
As their conduct to return to their own ream  
So speed my sempronio to quench the leme  
Of this fire which my heart doth waste & spend  
And that I may come to my desired end   

¶ To pass the time now will I walk  
Up and down within mine orchard  
And to myself go common and talk  
And pray that fortune to me be nothard  
Longing to here whether made or marred  
My message shall return by my servant sempronio  
Thus far well my lords for a while I will go   C 

¶ Now the blessing that our lady gave her sone  
That same blessing I give now to you all  
That I come thus homely I pray you of ●…don  
I am sought and sendfore as a woman universal  
Celestina of truth my name is to call  
Sempronio for me about doth inquire  
And it was told me I should have found him here   

¶ I am sure he will come hither anon  
But the whylyst I shall tell you a pretty game  
I have a wench of Sempronios a pretty one  
That soiornyth with ●…e Elecea is her name  
But the last day we were both nigh a stark shame  
For sempron●…o would have her to himself several  
And she loveth one Cryto better or as well   

¶ This Cryto and Elicea sat drinking  
In my house and I also making merry  
And as the devil would far from our thynkyug  
Sempronio almost came on us suddenly  
But then wrought I my craft of bawdry  
I bade Cryto go up and make himself roam  
To hide him in my chamber among the broom   

¶ Then made I Elicea sit down a sowing  
And I with my rock began for to spin  
As who saith of sempronio we had no knowing  
He knocked at the door and I let him in  
And for a countenance I did begin  
To catch him in mine arms and said see see  
who kyssyth me Elicea and will not kiss the   

¶ Elicea for a countenance made her grieved  
And would not speak but still did sow  
why speak ye not quod sempronio be ye moved  
Have I not a cause quod she no quoth he I trow  
A traitor quod she full well dost thou know  
where hast thou been these. three days fro me  
That the inpostume and evil death take the   

¶ Pease mine Elicea quoth he why say ye thus  
Alas why put you yourself in this woe  
The hot fire of love so burneth between us  
That my heart is with yours where ever I go  
And for iii days absens to say to me so  
In faith me thinketh ye be to blame  
But now hark well for here beginneth the game   

¶ Cryto in my chamber above that was hyddyn  
I think lay not easily and began to rumble  
Sempronio hard that and asked who was within  
Above in the chamber that so did jomble  
who quoth she a lover of mine/ may hap ye stumble  
Quoth he on the truth as many one doth  
Go up quoth she and look whether it be sooth   

¶ well quoth he I go/ nay thought I not so  
I said come sempronio let this fool alone  
For of thy long absens she is in such woe  
And half beside herself and her wit nigh gone  
well quoth he above yet there is one  
wilt thou know quoth I ye quoth he I the require  
It is a wench quod I sent me by a frere   

¶ what frere quod he wilt thou nedis know 〈◊〉 I than  
It is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
O quod he what a load hath that woman  
To bear him/ ye ●…uod I though women per case  
Bear heavy full oft yet they gall in no place  
Then he laughed/ ye quoth I no more word of this  
For this time to long we spend here amiss   Intrat sempronio S 

¶ Omoder Lelestyne I pray god prosper the   C 

My son sempronio I am glad of our meeting  
And as I here say ve go about to seek me   S 

Of troth to seek you was mine hither coming  
Mother lay a part now all other thyug  
And all only tend to me and imagine  
In that that I purpose now to begin   

¶ Calisto in the love of fair melebea  
Burnyth wherefore of the he hath great need   C 

Thou sayst well knowest not me Celestina  
I have the end of the matter and for more speed  
Thou shalt wade no ferther/ for of this deed  
I am as glad as ever was the surgeon  
For saluys for broke heed to make provision   

¶ And so intent I to do to Calisto  
To give him hope and assure him remedy  
For long hope to the heart much trouble will do  
wherefore to the effect thereof I will high   S 

Peas for methinks Calisto is nigh   Intrat Calisto et parmeno C 

Parmeno.   P. 

what say you.   C. 

wottyst who is here  
Sempronio that reviveth my cheer   P 

¶ It is sempronio with that old bearded hoar  
Be ye they my master so sore for doth long   C 

Peas I say parmeno or go out of the door  
Commyst thou to hinder me then dost thou me wrong  
I pray the help for to make me more strong  
To win this woman ells god forbade  
She hath equal power of my life under god   P 

¶ wherefore to her do ye make such sorrow  
think ye in her arse there is any shame  
The contrary who telleth you be never his borrow  
For as much she glorifieth her in her name  
To be called an old whore as ye would of fame  
Dog in the street and children at every door  
Bark and cry out there goth an old hore   C 

¶ how knowest all this dost thou know her   P 

ye that 〈◊〉 lou●…th one Cryto better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agone  
For a falls whore the devil over throw her  
My mother when she died gave me to her alone  
And a sterker bawd was there never none  
For that I know I dare well see  
Let see the contrary who can lay   

¶ I have been at her house & seen her trynkette  
For painting thing innumerable  
Squalmies & ●…almys I wonder where she get  
The thing that she hath with folk for to fable  
And to all bawdry ever agreeable  
yet worse than that which will never be laft  
Not only a bawd but a who by her craft   Ce 

¶ Say what thou wilt son spare not me   S 

I pray the permeno lief thy malicious envy   P 

Hark hydyr sempronyo here is but we three  
In that I have said canst thou dcnye   Ca 

Come hens permeno I love not this I  
And good mother grieve you not I you pray  
My mind I shall show now hark what I say   

¶ O notable woman O ancient virtue  
O'gloryous hope of my desired intent  
th'end of my delectable hope to renew  
My regeneration to this life present  
Resurrection from death/ so excellent  
Thou art above other/ I desire humbly  
To kiss thy hands wherein lieth my remedy   

¶ But mine unworthiness maketh resistance  
yet worship I the ground that thou ghost on  
Beseeching the good woman with most reverens  
On my pain with thy pity to look upon  
without thy comfort my life is gone  
To revive my deed sprite thou mayst prefer me  
with the words of thy mouth to make or mar me   Ce 

¶ Sempronio can I life with these bones  
That thy master gyffyth me here for to eat  
words are but wind therefore attons  
Bid him close his mouth and to his purse get  
For money maketh merchant that must jet  
I have herd his words but where be his deeds  
For with out money with me no thing spedies   Ca 

¶ what saith she sewpronio alas my heart bledes  
That I with you good woman mistrust should be   S 

sir she thinketh that money all thing fedies  
Than come on sempronio I pray the with me  
And ta●… here mother a while I pray the  
For where of mistrust ye have me appealed  
have here my cloak till your doubt be assoylid   S 

¶ Now do ye well for weed among corn  
Nor suspicious with friend did never well  
Or faithfulness of word turned to a scorn  
maketh mind doubtful good reason doth tell   Ca 

Lome on sempronio thou gyffyst me good counsel   S 

Go ye before & I shall wait you upon  
Farewell mother we will come again anon   P 

¶ How say ye my lords se ye not this smoke  
In my masters eyes that they do cast  
The one hath his chain the other his cloak  
And I am sure they will have all at last  
Ensample may be by this the is past  
How servants be dissaytfull in their masters folly  
Nothing but for lucre is all their bawdry   Ce 

¶ It pleaseth me parmeno that we together  
May speak whereby thou mayst see I love the  
yet undeserved now thou commyst hydyr  
whereof I care not but virtue warnyth me  
To i'll temptation & follow charity  
To do good against ill & so I read the  
Sempronio & I will help thy necessity   

¶ And in token now that it shall so be  
I pray the among us let us have a ●…ong  
For where armony is there is amity   P 

what a old woman sing/   Ce. 

why not among  
I pray the no longer the time prolong   P 

Go to when thou wilt I am ready   Ce 

Shall I begin/   p. 

ye but take not to high/ & cantan●…   

¶ How say ye now by this little young fool   C 

For the third part sempronio we must get  
After that thy master shall come to skole  
To sing the fourth part that his purse shall sweat  
For I so craftily the song can set  
Though thy master be horse his purse shall sing clear  
And taught to solf that woman's flesh is dear   

¶ How sayst to this thou pretty parmeno  
Thou knowest not the world nor no delytis therein  
Dost understand me infeyth I trow no  
Thou art young enough the game to begin  
Thy ●…aisterhath waded himself so far in  
And to bring him out lieth not in me old poor   P 

Thou shnldyst say it lieth not in me old hore   Ce 

¶ A hotesona a shame take such a knau●…  
How darest thou with me thou boy be so 〈◊〉   M 

Because such knowledge of the I have   Ce 

why who art/   p 

pineno son to albert the old  
I dwelled which the by the river where wine was sold  
And thy mother I trow height claudena  
That a wild fire burn the celestena   Ce 

¶ But thy ●…oder was as old a hore as I  
Lome hydyr thou little fool let me see thee  
A it is even he by our blessed lady  
what little urchin hast forgotyn me  
when thou layst at my bed feet how merry were we   P 

A thou old matron it were alms thou were ded  
How woldestthou pluk me up to thy bed head   

¶ And inbrace me hard unto thy belly  
And for thou smelledest oldly I ran from the   Ce 

A shameful whoreson fie upon thefy fie  
Lome hither and now shortly I charge thee  
That all this foolish speaking thou let be  
Leave wantonness of youth than shalt thou do well  
Follow the doctrine of thy Elders and counsel   

¶ To whom thy parent on whose soulis god have 〈◊〉  
In pain of cursing bad the be obedient  
In pain whereof I command the straightly  
To much i mastership put not thine intent  
No trust is in them if thine owen be spent  
Masters now adays coveyt to bring about  
All for themself & let their servants go without   

¶ Thy mai●…er men say and as I think he be  
But light karych not who come to his service  
Fair word shall not lak but ●…inal reward trust me  
Make sempronio thy friend in any wise  
For he can handle him in the best guise  
Keep this & for thy profit tell it to none  
But look that sempronio and thou be one   P 

¶ Mother celestine I wots not what ye mean  
Calisto is my master and so I will take him  
And as for riches I de●…ye it clean  
For who so ever with wrong rich doth make him  
Sooner than he got it/ it will forsake him  
I love to life in yoyfull poverty  
And to serve my 〈◊〉 with truth and honest   Ce 

¶ ●…roth and honest ●…e riches of the name  
But surety of wealth is to have riches  
And after that for to get him good fa●…e  
By report of fryndꝭ this is truth doubtless  
Than no such manner friend can I express  
As sempronyo for both your ꝑfettꝭ to speed  
which lieth in my handis now if ye be agreed   

¶ O ꝑmeno what a life may we endure  
Sempronyo loveth the daughter of elyso   P 

And who arusa/   Ce. 

lykyst her/ ꝑ/ peradventure  
I shall get her to the that shall I do   P 

Na mother celystyne I purpose not so  
A man should be conversant I here tell  
with them that be ill & think to do well   

¶ Sempronyo his ensample shall not make me  
Better nor worse nor his fautis will I hide  
But mother celestine a question to the  
Is not sin a non in one espied  
That is drowned in delight/ how should he provide  
against virtue to save his honest   Ce 

Like a child with out wisdom thou answerest me   

¶ without company mirth can have non estate  
use no sloth nature abhorreth idleness  
which loseth delight to nature appropriate  
In sensnall causes delight is chief masters  
specially recounting Louis business  
To say thus doth she the time thus they pass  
And such manner they use and thus they kiss & base   

¶ And thus they meet & enbrase together  
what speech what graze what pleys is between them  
where is she there she goth let us see whither  
Now pleased now froward now mume now hem  
Strike up mynstryl with sawꝭ of love the old problen  
sing sweet songꝭ now Justꝭ & tourney  
Of new inventions what conseytꝭ find they   

¶ Now she goth to mass to morrow she cometh out  
Behold her better yonder goth a cokold  
I left her alone/ she cometh/ turn about  
●…o thus permeno thou mayst behold  
Fryndꝭ will talk together as I have told  
wher fore perceive thou that I say truly  
Never can be delight with out company   hic iterum intrat calisto Ca 

Mother as I promised to assoil thy doubt  
here I gift the an.   C. 

pesis of gold   Ce 

Sir I promise you I shall bring it about  
All thing to purpose even as ye would  
For your reward I will do as I should  
Be merry fere nothing content ye shall be  
Then mother far well be diligent I pray the   C 

¶ how sayest semptonio have I done well   S 

ye sir in my mind & most according   Ca 

Then wilt thou do after my council  
After this old woman will thou be hyeng  
To remember & hast her in every thing   S 

Sir I am content as ye command me   Ca 

Then go & bid ꝑmeno come I pray the   

¶ Now god be their gyddies the post of my life  
My relief fro death the ●…mbassade of my wealth  
My hope my hap my quietness my strife  
My Joy my sorrow my sickness my health  
The hope of this old woman my heart telleth  
That comfort shall come shortly as I Intent  
Or else come death & make of me an end   P 

¶ In faith it maketh no force nor matter much   Ca 

what sayst ꝑmeno what sayest to we   P 

Marry I say plainly that yonder old who  
And sempronio together will undo the   Ca 

A ill tongued wrech will ye not see  
Thynkyst thou lordeyn thou handelyst me fair  
why knave wouldest thou put me now in despair   Et exeat calisto P 

¶ Lo sirs my master ye see is angry  
But this it is tell fools for their proffyt  
〈◊〉 warn them for their wealth it is but folly  
For stryk them on the heel and as much wit  
Shall con forth as at their forehead to ꝑscyve it  
Go thy way calesto for on my charge  
Thy thrift is sealed up though thou be at large   

¶ O how unhappy I am to be trem  
For other men win by falsehood & flattery  
I lose for my troth the world doth so ensue  
Troth is put back & take for folly  
Therefore now I will change my copy  
If I had done as celystyne bade me  
Lalysto his minion still would have had me   

¶ This giveth me warning from hens forward  
how to deal with him for all thing as he will  
I will the same forward or backward  
I will go straight to him and follow him still  
Say as he saith be it good or ill  
And sith these vawde get good provoking lechery  
I trust flattery shall speed as well as bawdry   Hic exeat parweno et intret melebea M 

¶ I pray you cawe this wowan here never sin  
In faith to enter hear I awe half adread  
And yet why so/ I may boldly come in  
I am sure frow you all I shall not be had  
But jesus jesus be these men so wad  
On wowen as they say/ how should it be  
It is but fables and lies ye way trust in   Intret Celestina C 

God be here i   M. 

who is there   C. 

will ye buy any thread   M 

ye marry good woder I pray you come in   C 

Lryst save you fair mestres & god be your sped●…  
And health be to you & all your kin  
And marry godde mother that blessed virgin  
Preserve & prosper your womanly parsonage  
And well to enjoy your yough & pusell age   

¶ For that time pleasures are most eschewed  
And age is the hospital of all manner sickness  
The resting place of all thought unrelevyd  
The sport of time past the end of all quickness  
neighbour to death a dry stock without sweetness  
Discomfort disease all age alowith  
A tree without sap that small charge boweth   M 

¶ I marvel mother ye speak so much ill  
Of age that all folk desire effectuously   C 

They desire hurt for themself as all of will  
And the cause why they desire to come thereby  
Is for to life for death is so loathly  
He that is sorrowful would life to be sorrier  
And he that is old would life to be elder   

¶ Fair damosel who can show all the hurt of age  
His weariness feebleness his discontenting  
His childishness frowardness of his rage  
wrynkeling in the face lak of sight and hearing  
hollowness of mouth fall of teth faint of going  
And worst of all possessed with poverty  
And the lymmys arrested with debylite   M 

¶ Mother ye have take great pain for age  
would ye not return to the beginning   C 

Folys are they that are past their passage  
To begin again which be at the ending  
For better is possession than the desiring   M 

I desire to life lengger do I well or no.   C 

That ye desire well I think not so   

¶ For as soon goth to market the lambies fell  
As the ship/ none so old but may life a year  
And there is none so young but ye wots well  
May die in a day than no advantage is here  
Between youth & age the matter is clear   M 

with thy fabling & thy reasoning I iwis  
I am beguiled but I have known the or this   

¶ Art not celystyne that dwelled by the river syd●…   C 

ye for sooth/   M 

in deed age hath array the  
That thou art she now can scant be espied  
Me thynkyth by thy favour thou shouldest be she  
Thou art sore changed thou mayst believe me  
Fair maydon keep thou well this time of youth  
But beauty shall pass at the last this is truth   

¶ yet I am not so old as ye judge me  
Good mother I joy much of thine accoyntanaunce  
And thy motherly reasons right well please me  
And now I thank the here for thy pastance  
Far well till another time that hap may chance  
Again that we two may meet together  
May hap ye have business I know not whether   C 

¶ O angelic image o ꝑle so precious  
O how thou spekyst it reioysyth me to here  
Knowist thou not by the divine month gracious  
That against the infernal fiend lucifer  
we should not only life by bred here  
But by our good works where in I take some pain  
if ye know not my mind now all is in veyn   M 

¶ Show me mother hardly all thy nesessite  
And if I can I shall provide the remedy   C 

My necessity nay god wots it is not for me  
As for mine I laft it at home surely  
To eat when I will & drink when I am dry  
And I thank god ever one penny hath be mine  
To by bred when Ilyst & to have. iiii. for wine   

¶ Afore I was widow I carried never for it  
For I had wine enough of mine own to sell  
And with a tossed in wine by the fire I could sit  
with two dozen sop the collyk to quell  
But now with me it is not so well  
For I have nothing but that is brought me  
In a pitcher pot of quarts scant three   

¶ Thus I pray god help them that be needy  
For I speak not for myself alone  
But as well for other how ever speed I  
The infirmity is not mine though that I groan  
It is for another that I make moan  
And not for myself it is another way  
But what I must moon where I dare not say   M 

¶ Say what thou wilt & for whom thou lest   C 

now gracious damsel I thank you than  
That to give audyens ye be so priest  
with liberal readiness to me old woman  
which gyffyth me boldness to show what I can  
Of one that lieth in danger by sickness  
remitting his languor to your gentyllnes   M 

¶ what meanyst thou I pray the good mother  
Go forth which thy demand as thou hast done  
On the one part thou provokyst me to anger  
And on the other side to compassion  
I know not how thy answer to fashion  
The words which thou spekyst in my presence  
Be so misty/ I ꝑseyve not thy sentence   C 

¶ I said I laft one in danger of sickness  
Drawing to death for aught that I can see  
Now chose you or no to be murderes  
Or revive him which a word to come from the   M 

I am happy if my word be of such necessity  
To help any crystyn man or else god forbade  
To do a good deed is liking to god   

¶ For good dedis to good men be allowable  
And specially to needy above all other  
And ever to good deeds ye shall find me agreeable  
trusting ye will exhort me to non other  
Therefore fear not speak your petition good mother  
For they that may he'll sekefolk & do refuse them  
surely of their death they can not excuse them   Ce 

¶ Full well & graciously the case ye consider  
For I never believed that god in vain  
would give you such countenaunnce & beauty together  
But charity therewith to relieve folk in pain  
And as god hath given you so give him again  
For folkis be not made for themself only  
For then they should life like bestis all rudely   

¶ Among which bestis yet some be pitiful  
The unicorn humblyth hy●… self to a maid  
And a dog in all his power ireful  
Let a man fall to ground his anger is delayed  
Thus by nature pity is conveyed  
The kok when he skrapith & happeth meet to find  
Lallith for his hen lo see the gentle kind   

¶ Should human creatures than be of cruelness  
Should not they to their neighbours show charity  
And specially to them wraped in sickness  
Than they that may he'll them cause the infirmity   M 

Mother without delay for godde sake show me  
I pray the heartily without more praying  
where is the patient that so is paining   Ce 

¶ Fair damsel thou mayst well have knowledge hereto  
That in this Light is a young knight  
And of clear lineage called Calisto  
whose life & body is all in the I plight  
The pellycan to show natures right  
Fedyth his birds me thinketh I should not ●…ch the  
Thou wot what I mean lo nature should tech the   M 

¶ A ha is this the intent of thy conclusion  
Tell me no more of this matter I charge thee  
Is this the dolent for whom thou makyst petition  
Art thou come hither thus to desseyve me  
Thou bearded dame shameless thou seemest to be  
Is this he that hath the passion offolishnes  
Thikyst thou rybaud I am s●…ch one of lewdness   

¶ It is not said I see well in vain  
The tongue of man & woman worst members be  
Thou brut bawd thou great enemy to honest certain  
Lause of secret errors Ihu Ihu bnedicite  
Son good body take this old thef●… fro me  
That thus would me deceive me 〈◊〉 her false sleight  
Go out of my sight now/ get the hens straight   C 

¶ In an evil hour came I hither I may say  
I would I had broken my leg twain   M 

Go ●…ens thou brothel go hens in the devil way  
B●…yst thou yet to increase my pain  
wilt thou make me of this fool to be fain  
To give hymlyfe to make him merry  
And to myself death to make me sorry   

¶ wilt thou ●…ere a way profit for my perdi●…ion  
And make me lose the house of my fathe●…  
To win the house of such an old matron  
As thou art shamfullyst of all other  
Thikist thou that I understand not thou falls mother  
Thy hurtful message thy false subtle ways  
Make a mend to god thou lyffyst to long days   

¶ Answer thou traytres how darest be so bold   Ce 

The fere of the maketh me so dismayed  
That the blood of my body is almost cold  
Alas fair maydyn what hast thou said  
To me poor widow why am I denayed  
Here my conclusion which is of honest  
with out cause ye blame this gentleman & me   M 

I say I will here no more of that fool  
was he not here with me even now  
Thou old which thou bringest me in great dole  
Ask him what answer he had of me & how  
I took his demand as now know mayst thou  
More showing is but lost where no mercy can be  
Thus I answered him & thus I answer the   Ce 

¶ The more strange she maketh the gladder am I  
There is no tempast that ever doth endure   M 

what sayst thou what sayst thou shameful enemy  
Speke out.   Ce. 

so fir I am of your displeasure  
your anger is so great I ●…seyue it sure  
And your patience is in so great an heat  
That for woe & fere I both weep & sweet   M 

¶ little is the heat incoparyson to say  
To the great boldness of thy demeaning   Ce 

Fair maiden yet one word now I you pray  
Appease with sentence & here my saying  
It Is for a prayer mestres my demanding  
That is said ye have of saint appolyne  
For the tooth ache where of this man is in pine   

¶ And the girdle there thou wearest about the   

¶ So many holy relic it hath touched  
That this knight thinketh his boat thou mayst be  
Therefore let thy pity now be a vouchid  
For my heart for fere like a dog is couthyd  
The delight of vengen●…s who so doth use  
pity at their need shall they●… refuse   

¶ if this betrew that thou s●…yst to me 〈◊〉  
Mine heart is ligthened ●…eyuyng thecase  
I would be content well 〈◊〉 I wist how  
To bring this seek knight unto some 〈◊〉   Ce 

Fair damsel to the be hesth & grace  
For if this knight & ye were aquap●…tyd both two  
ye would not judge him the man that ye do   

¶ By god & by my soul in him is no malyncoly  
with grace indewid in freedom as alexandre  
In strength as hectour in countenance merry  
Gracious/ envy in him reigned never  
Of noble blood as thou knowest/ & if ye ●…uer  
Saw him armed he seemeth a saint george  
Rather than to be made in nature forge   

¶ An angel thou wouldest judge him I make avow  
The gentle narciso was never so fair  
That was enamoured on his own shadow  
wherefore fair maid let thy pity repair  
Let mercy be thy mother & thou her heir  
This knight whom I come for never seasyth  
But crieth out of pain that still encresyth   M 

¶ How long time I pray the hath it holden him   Ce 

I think he be. xxiiii. years of age  
I saw him born & holp for to fold him   M 

I demand the not thereof thine answer assuage  
I ask the how long in this painful rage  
He hath lain/   Ce. 

of truth fair maydyn as he says  
He hath be in this agony this. viii. days   

¶ But he seemeth he had lain this. seven. year   Me 

O how it grieveth me the ill of my patient  
Knowing his agony & thy innocency here  
Unto mine anger thou hast made resistens  
wherefore thy demand I grant in recompens  
Have here my girdle the prayer is not ready  
To morrow it shallbe/ come again secretly   

¶ And mother of these word passed between us  
Show vothing thereof unto this knight  
Lest he would report me cruel & furious  
I trust thee/ now be true for thougte be light   Ce 

I marvel greatly thou dost me so atwyght  
Of the doubt that thou hast of my secretness  
As secret as thyself I shall be dowteles   

¶ And to calisto with this girdle celestina  
Shall go and his ledy heart make hole & light  
For gabriel to our lady with ave maria  
Came never gladder than I shall to this knight  
Calisto how wilt thou now sit up right  
I have showed thy water to thy physician  
Comfort thyself the field is half won   M 

¶ Mother he is much beholdyn unto the   Ce 

Fair maydyn for the mercy thou hast done to us  
This k●…yght & I both thy bedfolkis shall be   M 

Mother if need be I will do more than thus   Ce 

It shallbe needful to do so/ & righteous  
For this thus begun must nediss have an end  
which never can be without ye condescend   Me 

¶ well mother to morrow is a new day  
I shall perform that I have you promised  
Show to this seek knight in all that I may  
Bid him be bold in all things honest  
And though he to me as yet be but a gest  
If my word or deed his holth may support  
I shall not fail and thus bid him take comfort   Et exeat melebea. Ce 

¶ Now cryst comfort the & keep the in thy need  
Now say you now is not this matter carried clean  
Can not old celestina her matter speed  
A thing not well handled is not worth a been  
Now know ye by ye●…alf tale what the hole doth ●…eane  
These women at the furst be angry & furious  
Fair we their cometh after storms tempestuous   

¶ And now to calisto I will me dress  
which lieth now languishing in great pain  
And show him that he is not remedyless  
And bear him this to make him glad and fain  
And handyll him so that ye shall say plain  
That I am well worthy to bear the name  
For to be called a no●…le arch dame   Danio pate●… melebee. 

¶ O marvelous god what a dream had I to night  
Most terrible vysy on to report and here  
I had never none such nor none yerthely wight  
Alas when I think thereon I quake for fere  
It was of melebe●… my daughter dear  
God send me good tythyuge of her shortly  
For till I here from her I can not be merry   M 

¶ O dear father nothing may me more displease  
Nothing may do me more anoyans  
Nothing may do me greater disease  
Than to see you father in any perturbans  
For me chiefly or for any other chauns  
But for me I pray you not to be sad  
For I have no cause but to be merry and glad   Da 

¶ O sweet melebea my daughter dear  
I am replete with ●…oy and felicity  
For that ye be now in my presence here  
As I perceive in joy & prosperity  
From death to life me thinketh it reviveth 〈◊〉  
For the fearful dream that I had lately   M 

what dream sir was that I pray you heartily   D 

¶ Doubtless me though that I was walking  
In a fair orchard where were places two  
The one was a hot ●…ath wholesome & pleasing  
To all people that did repair thereto  
To was●…h them & clen●… them from sickness also  
The other a pit of foul stinking water  
shortly they died all that there in did enter   

¶ And unto this wholesome bath me thought that ye  
In the right path were coming 〈◊〉  
But before that me thought that I did see  
A foul rough bych aprikeryd cur it was  
which straking her body along on the grass  
And with her tail licked her so that she  
Made herself a fair spaniel to be   

¶ This bych than me thought met you in the way  
Leaping & fawning upon you apace  
And round about you dydrenne & play  
which made you then dysport & solas  
which liked you so well that in short space  
The way to the hot bath anon ye left it  
And took the straight way to the foul pit   

¶ And ever ye looked continually  
upon that same bych & somoth her eyed  
That ye cain to the foul pit brink suddenly  
Luke to have fallen in & to have been destroyed  
which when I saw anon than I cried  
starting in my sleep & therewith did awake  
That yet for fere me think my body doth quakes   

¶ was not this a fcrefull dream & marvelous  
I pray you daughter what think ye now to this  
Hic mese●…ea certo tempore nō●…oquit̄ sed vustu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
why speak ye not why be ye now so studious  
Is there any thing that hath chanced you 〈◊〉  
I am your father tell me what it is   M 

A 'las now your dream which ye have expressed   

¶ Hath made me all pensive & sore abashed  
I pray you dear daughter now tell me why   M 

Sir I know the cause of your vision  
And what your dreadful dream doth signify  
There of would I fain now have notition   M 

Alas dear fade●… alas what have I done  
Offended god as a wrech unworthy   D 

wherein/ despair not god is full of mercy   Et genuflectat 

¶ Than on my knees now I fall down  
And of god chiefly asking forgyfnes  
And next of you for in to oblivion  
I have put your doctrine & lessons doubtless   D 

Fere not daughter I am not merciless  
I trust ye have not so greatly offended  
But that right well it may be amended   M 

¶ ye have fosterid me up full lovingly  
In virtuous dis●…plyne which is the right path  
To all grace & vert●…w which doth signify  
By your dream y●●…ayre pleasant wholesome bath  
The foul pit whereof ye dreamed which hath  
Destroyed so many betokeneth ●…yse & sin  
In which alas Thad almost fallen In   

¶ The prickered cur & the foul ●…ych  
which made herself so smooth & fair to see  
Betokenyth an old queen a bawdy who  
Lallyd celystyne that woe might she be  
which with her fair word ay so ●…swadydme  
That she had almost brought me here unto  
To fulfil the foul lust of calis●…   D 

¶ Alas dear daughter I taught you a lesson  
wh●…ch way ye should attain unto virtue  
That was every morning to say an orason  
praying god for grace all vice to eschew   M 

O dear father that lesson I have kept true  
which preserved me/ for though I did consent  
In mind/ yet had he never his intent   D 

¶ The virtue of that prayer I see well on thing  
hath preserved you from the shame of that sin  
But because ye were somewhat consenting  
ye have offended god greatly therein  
wherefore daughter ye must now begin  
humbly to beseech god of his mercy  
For to forgive you your sin & misery   M 

¶ O blyssid lord & father celestial  
whose infinite merci no tongue can exprese  
Though I be a sinner wrech of wrechiss all  
yet of thy great mercy grant me forgifnes  
Full sore I repent my sy●… I confese  
Intending hens forth never to offend more  
Now humbly I beseech thy mercy therefore   D 

¶ Now that is well said mine one feat daughter  
Stand up therefore or I know verily  
That god is good & merciful ever  
To all sinners which will ask mercy  
And be repentant & in will clearly  
To sin no more he of his great goodness  
will grant them therefore his grace & forgif●…es   

¶ Lo here ye may see what a thing it is  
To bring up young people virtuously  
In good custom/ fo●… gra●… doth never miss  
To them that use good prayers daily  
which hath preserved this maid undoubtedly  
And kept her from actual deed of shame  
Brought her to grace preseruy●… her good name   

¶ wherefore ye virgins & 〈◊〉 maidens all  
Unto this example now take good h●…de  
Serve god daily the sone●… ye shall  
To honest & goodness no doubt proceed  
And god shall send you ever his grace at need  
To withstand all evil temptations  
That shall come to you by any occasions   

¶ And ye faders moders & other which be  
Rulers of young folk your charge is doubtless  
To bring them up virtuously & to see  
Them occupied still in some good business  
Not in idle pastime or unthriftiness  
But to teach them some art craft or learning  
whereby to be able to get their lyffing   

¶ The bringers up of youth in this region  
have done great harm because of their neclygens  
Not putting them to learning nor occupations  
So when they have no craft nor sciens  
And come to man's state ye see thexperience  
That many of them compelled be  
To beg or steel by very necessity   

¶ But if there be therefore any remedy  
The heads & rulers must furst be diligent  
To make good laws & execute them straightly  
Upon such master that be neclygent  
Alas we make no laws but punishment  
when men have offended/ but laws evermore  
would be made to prevent the cause before   

¶ if the cause of the mischief were seen before  
which by conjecture to fall be most likely  
And good laws & ordinances made therefore  
to put a way the cause/ that were best remedt  
what is the cause that there be so many  
Theft & robberies/ it is be cause men be  
driven thereto by need & poverty   

¶ And what is the very cause of that need  
Be cause they ●…abur not for their lyffing  
And truth is they can not well labour in deed  
Be cause in youth of their ydyll upbrynging  
But this thing shall never come to reforming  
But the world continually shallbe nought  
As long as young people be evil upbrought   

¶ wherefore the eternal god that raynyth on high  
Send his merciful grace & influens  
To all governors that they circumspectly  
May rule their inferiors by such prudence  
To bring them to virtue & dew obedyeus  
And that they & we all by his great mercy  
May be ꝑteners of his blessed glory.   
Amen.   

Iohens rastell me imprimi fecit  
Cum privilegio regali  
Johannes Rastell