¶ Here beginneth a little treatise of the Knight of Courtesy and the lady of Faguell. a man and a lady, accompanied by another lady, in courtly dress IN Faguell a fair country A great lord sometime did dwell Which had a lady so fair and free That all men good of her did tel ¶ Fair and pleasant she was in sight gentle and amiable in each degree Chaste to her lord both day and night As is the turtle upon the tree ¶ All men her loved both young and old For her virtue and gentleness Also in that land was a knight bold Right wise and full of doughtiness ¶ All men spoke of his hardiness Rich and poor of each degree So that they called him doubtless The noble knight of courtesy ¶ This knight so courtesy was and bold That the lord heard there of anon He said that speak with him he would For him the messengere is gone ¶ With a letter unto this knight And said sir I pray god you see My lord of Faguell you sendeth right An hundred fold greeting by me ¶ He prayeth you in all hasting To come in his court for to dwell And ye shall lake no manner of thing As towns towers and many a castle ¶ The courtesy knight was soon content And in all diligence that might be With the messyngere anon he went This lord to serve with humility ¶ Fast they road both day and night Till he unto the lord was come And when the lord of him had a sight Right friendly he did him welcome ¶ He gave him towenes castles & towers Whereof all other had envy They thought to reave him his honours By some treason or treachery ✿ This lady of whom I spoke before Seeing this knight so good and kind Afore all men that ever were bore She set on him her heart and mind ¶ His paramour she thought to be Him for to love with heart and mind Nat in vice but in chastity As children that together are kind ✿ This knight also courteous and wise With heart and mind both farm and fast loved this lady withouten vyse Which till they died did ever last ¶ Both night and day these lovers true Suffered great pain woe and grievance How each to other their mind might show Till at the last by a sudden chance ✿ This knight was in a garden green And thus began him to complain Alas he said With murning eyen Now is my heart in woe and pain From mourning can I not refrain This ladies love doth me so wound I fear she hath of me disdain with that he fell down to the ground ¶ The lady in a window lay With heart cold as any stone She wist not what to do nor say When she heard the knights moan ¶ Sore sighed that lady of renown In her face was no colour found Than into the garden came she down And saw this knight lie on the ground ¶ when she saw him lie so for her sake Her here 〈…〉 was almost gone To her 〈…〉 could she none take But in swo●● fell down him upon ✿ So sadly that the knight awoke And when that he saw her so near To him comfort anon he took And began the lady for to cheer ¶ He said lady and love alas In to this cure who hath you brought She said my love and my solas Your beauty standeth so in my thought ✿ That if I had no worldly make Never none should have my heart but ye The knight said lady for your sake I shall you love in chastity ✿ Our love he said shall be none other But chaste and true as is between A goodly sister and a brother For lust our bodies to keep clean ✚ And where so ever mi body be Both day and night at every tide My simpele heart in chastity Shall ever more lady with you abide ✿ This lady white as any flower Replete with feminine shamefastness Begayn to change her face colour And to him said my love doubtless ¶ Under such form I shall you love With faithful heart in chastity Next unto god that is above Both in wealth and adversity ✿ Each of them kissed other truly But ever alas there was a foe Behind the wall them to espy Which after turned them to much woe ¶ Out of the garden when they were gone Each from other did depart Away was all their woeful moan The one had lighted the others heart ✿ Than this spy of whom I told Which stood behind the garden wall Went unto his lord full bold And said sir show you I shall ¶ By your garden as I was walking I heard the knight of courtesy which with your lady was talking Of love unlawful privily ¶ Therefore if ye suffer him for to proceed With your lady to have his love He shall be lead fro you in deed Or else they both shall you destroy ✿ When than the lord had understand The words that the spy him told He swore he would rid him fro that Where he never so strong and bold ¶ He swore an oath by god almight That he should never be glade certain While that knighe was in his sight Till that he by some mean were slain ✚ Than let he do cry a feast For every man that thither would come For every man both most and least thither came lords both old and young ✿ The lord was at the table set And his lady by him that tied The knight of courtesy anon was set And set down on the other side ¶ Their hearts should have be woe begone If they had known the lords thought But when that they were still eachone The lord these words anon forth brought ✿ My think it is sitting for a knight For adventures to inquire And not thus both day and night At home to sojourn by the fire ¶ Therefore sir knight of courtesy This thing will I you counsel To ride and go through the country To seek adventures for your avail ¶ As unto roads for to fight The christian faith for to maintain To show by arms your force and might In Lombary, Portyngale & in Spain ✿ Than spoke the knight to the lord anon For your sake will I adventure my life Whether ever I come against or none And for me ladies sake your wife ¶ If I did not I were to blame Than sighed the lady with that word In dolour deep her hirte was ta'en And sore wounded as with a sword ✿ Than after diver the knight did go His horse and harneyse to make ready The woeful lady came him unto And to him said right piteously ¶ Alas if ye go I must complain Alone as a woeful creature If that ye be in battle slain On live may I not endure ✿ Alas unhappy creature Where shall I go where shall I bide Of death soothly now am I sure And all worldly joy I shall set a side ¶ A pair of shears than did she take And cut of her here both yellow and bright Were this than said she for my sake Upon your helm moche cutuyse knighe I shall dear lady for your sake This knight said with still morning No comfort to him could he take Nor abstain him fro perfounde sighing ¶ For pity I can not write The sorrow that was between them two Also I have to small respite For to declare their pain and woe ✿ The woeful departing and complaint That was between these lovers twain Was never man that could detaynt So woeful did they complain ¶ The tears ran from their eyen twain For dolour when they did depart The lady in her castle did remain With languor replenished was her heart ✿ Now leave we here this lady bright Within her castle making her move And turn we to the courteous knight Which on his journey forth is gone ¶ Unto himself this knight said he Against the christian I will not fight But to the roads will I go Them to sustain with all my might ✿ Than did he her here unfold And one his helm it set on high With read threads of rich gold Which he had of his lady ¶ Full richly his shield was wrought With azure stones and beaten gold But on his lady was his tohught The yelo we hear when he did behold ¶ Than forth he road by dale and down After adventures to inquire. By many a castle city and town All to battle was his desire ● In every jousting where he came None so good as he was found In every place the price he won And smote his adversaries to the ground ¶ So when he came to Lumberdye There was a dragon there about Which did great hurt and villainy Both man and best of him had doubt ¶ As this knight road there alone Save only his page by his side For his lady he began to moon Sore sighing as he did ride ✚ Alas he said my lady sweet God wot in what case ye be God wot when we two shall meet I fear that I shall never you see ✚ Than as he looked him a bout Toward a hill that was so high Of this dragon he hard a shout Yonder is a feast he said truly ¶ The knight him blessed & forth did go And said I shall do my travail Betide me well betide me woe The ●●ers find I shall assail ¶ Than with the dragon did he meat When she him saw she gaped wide He took good heed as ye may wit And quickly started a little a side ¶ He drew his sword like a knight This dragon fiercely to assail He gave her strokes full of might Strong and mortal was the battle ¶ The dragon gave this knight a wound With his tail upon the heed that he fell down unto the ground In a sown as he had been deed ¶ So at the last he rose again And made his move to god almight And to our lady he did complain their help desiring in that fight than start he with a fayrse courage Unto the dragon without fail He looked so for his advantage that he smote of her tail ¶ Than hegan the dragon for to yell And turned her upon her side the knight was ware of her right well And in her †bodt† made his sword to slide ¶ So that she could not remove seartely the knight that seeing approached near And smote her heed of lightly than was he escaped that danger ✿ Than thanked he god of his grace Which by his goodness and mercy Him had preserved in that place Through virtue of his deity ¶ Than went he to a nonrye there beside And there a surgeon and by his art heeled his wounds that were so wide And than fro thence he did depart ✿ To ward the roads for to fight In battle as he had undertake The faith to sustain with all his might For his promise he will not break ¶ Than of saracens there was a rout All ready armen and in array That syeged the roads round about Fyersly against the good Friday ✿ The knight was welcomed of eachone That within the city were They provided forth battle anon So for this time I leave them there ¶ And turn to his lady bright Which is at home with woeful moan Sore mourned both day and night saying alas my love is gone ✿ Alas she said my gentle knight For your sake is my heart full sore Might I once of you have a sight Afore my death I desire no more ¶ Alas what treason or envy Hath made my love fro me to go I think my lord for Ire truley By treason him to death hath do. ¶ Alas my lord ye were to blame Thus my love for to betray It is to you a right great shame Sith that our love was cast all way ¶ Our love was clean in chastity Wichout sin still to endure We never intended villainy Alas most courtesy creature ✿ Where do ye dwell where do ye bide Wold god I knew where you to find Where ever ye go where ever ye ride Love ye shall never out of my mind ¶ A death where art thou so long fro me Come and depart me fro this pain For dead and buried till I be Fro morning can I not refrain ✿ Far well dear love, where ever ye be By you pleasure is fro me gone Unto the time I may you see Without comfort still must I moon ¶ Thus this lady of colour clear alone mourning did complain Nothing could her comfort ne cheer So was she oppressed with woe and pain ✿ So leave we her here in this train For her love mourning alway and to the knight turn we again which at Rhodes abideth the day ¶ Of battle, so when the day was come The knights armed them each one And out of the city went all and some Strongly to fight with gods fone ¶ Fair and seemly was the sight To see them ready unto the war there was many a man of might That to that battle was come full far ✿ The knight of courtesy came into the field well armed right fast did ride Both knights and barans him beheld How comely he was on each side ¶ Above the helm upon his heed was set with many a precious stone The comely hear as gold so read Better armed than he was none ✿ Than the trumpets began to sound The spears ran and broke the taye the noise of gonnes did rebound In this meeting there was no play ¶ Great was the battle on every side the knight of courtesy was not behind He smote all down that would abide His manche could he no where find ✿ There was a Sarazin strong & wight that at this knight had great envy He ran to him with all his might and said traitor I thee defy ¶ They ran together with spears long anon the Sarazin lay on the ground The knight drew out his sword so strong and smote his head of in that stound ¶ Than came twelve Saracens in a taught and the knight did sore assail So they beset him round about There began a strong battle ¶ The knight kest four unto the ground with four strokes by and by the other gave him many a wound For they did ever multiply ¶ They laid on him on every side with cruel strokes and mortal They gave him wounds so deep and wide that to the ground down did he fall ¶ The Saracens went and let him lie with mortal wounds piteous to see He called his page hastily and said my time is come to die ¶ In mi heart is so deep a wound that I must die without nay But or thou me bury in the ground Of one thing I thee pray ¶ Out of mi body to cut my heart and wrap it in this yellow here And when thou dost from hence depart Unto my lady thou do it bear ¶ This promiss thou me without delay to bear my lady this present And bury mi body in the cross way the page was sorry and dolent ¶ The knight yielded up the ghost anon the page him buried as he had him bad And toward Faguell is he gone The heart, and here, with him he had ¶ Sometime he went sometime he ran with woeful moan and sorry jest Till unto Faguell he came near to a castle in a forest ✿ The lord of Faguell without let was in the forest with his main with this page anon he met Page he said what tidings with thee ¶ With thy master how is the case Show me lightli or thou go Or thou shalt never out of this place The page was a feared when he said so ✿ The page for fear that he had the heart unto the lord he took tho In his courage he was full sad He took the heart to him also ¶ He told him troth of every thing How that the knight in battle was slain and how he sent his lady that thing For a special token of love certain ⚜ The lord thereof took good heed And beheld the heart that high present their love he said was hot in deed they were both in great torment ¶ Than home is he to the kitchen gone Coke he said hearken unto me Dress me this heart and that anon In the daintiest wise that may be ¶ Make it swear and delicate to eat For it is for my lady bright If that she wist what were the meat soothly her heart would not be light ✿ Thereof said the lord full true That meat was doleful and mortal So though the lady when she it knew Than went the lord into the hall ¶ Anon the lord to meat was set And this lady not far him fro The heart anon he made be set Whereof proceeded much woe ¶ Madam eat hereof he said For it is dainteous and pleasant The lady eat and was not dismayed For of good spice there did none want ✿ When the lady had eaten weal Anon to her the lord said there His heart have ye eaten every deal To whom you gave your yellow hear ¶ Your knight is dead as you may see I tell you lady certainly His own heart eaten have ye Madam at the last we all must die ✿ when the lady heard him so say She said my heart for woe shall braced Alas that ever I saw this day Now may my life no longer last ¶ Up she rose with heart full woe And straight up into her chamber went She confessed her devoutly tho And shortly received the sacrament ¶ In her bed mourning she her laid God wot right woeful was her moan Alas mine own dear love she said Sith ye be dead my joy is gone ✿ Have I eaten thy heart in my body That meat to me shall be full dear For sorrow alas now must I die A noble knight withouten fere ¶ That heart shall certain with me die I have received thereon the sacrament All earthly food here I deny For woe and pain my life is spent ✿ My lord and husband full of cruelty Why have you done this cursed deed Ye have him slain so have ye me The he god grant to you your meed ¶ Than said the lord my lady fair Forgive me if I have misdone I repent I was 〈◊〉 ware That ye would your heart oppress so soon ¶ The lady said I you forgive A dew my lord for evermore My time is come I may not live The lord said I am woe therefore ✿ Great was the sorrow of more and less Both lords and ladies that were there Some for great woe swooned doubtless All other death full woeful were Her complaint piteous was to here A dieu my lord now must we dissever I die to you husband a true wedded fere As any in Faguell was found ever ¶ I am clean of the knight of courtesy And wrongfully are we brought to confusion I am clean for him and he for me And for all other save you alone ✿ My lord ye were to blame truly His heart to make me for to eat But sith it is buried in mi body On it shall I never eat other meat ¶ thereon have I received eternal food earthly meat will I never none Now jesus that was done on the road Have mercy on me my life is gone ✿ With that the lady in all their sight Yielded up her spirit making her moan The high god most of might On us have mercy and us eachone ¶ And bring us to that glorious throne To see the joy of paradise Which god grant to us eachone and to the readers & hearers of this treatise. ¶ Thus eneth this little treatise of the knight of courtesy & of the fair lady of Faguell. ¶ Imprinted at London by me William Copland.