 | The fyftene Ioyes of maryage |  |
Here begynneth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.
Of marayge for to declare or wryteThe fyfth Ioye/now god wolde I were quyte
So lytell fruyte or pleasure stante therin
That I am wery falfe or I begyn
Whiche is whan yt the good man whiche is maryed
Longe tyme in trauayle hath/and wo taryed
And many a payne endured hath before
Whose youth is gretely ouer drawen therfore
And he is veray wery faynte and mate
But by auenture it may so be algate
He hath a wyfe more greter of lygnage
Then he/and eke more yonger of her aege
To medle with/and namely in weddynges
For better none can do hymselfe to waste
Than in these twayne/to lappe or put in haste
His body/and well vnderstonde it why
For two repungnaunce/they be truely
Wherfore agaynge nature it were and ryght
They sholde accorde by daye or elles nyght
And other whyles so is that he and she
Some chylde may haue/or elles that none there be
This not withstandynge she is nothynge sette
To payne/for why/the good man wyll not lette
But she be kepte in pleasure ease and wele
Wherfore he traueyleth/and dooth euery dele
Whiche is to mayntene suche a Ioly state
And costyous/as she wyll kepe algate
And yf she wolde haue thynge that there is not
That she may haue it/he wyll go or trote
For she wyll not make lower ne empeyre
Her lygnage by her dyete ne her geyre
The husbande taketh all this for honoure
And thanketh god entyerly of that houre
In whiche he of his grace/her hath hym sent
So what she dooth or sayth he is content
And often tyme it happeth at a tyde
Whan they begyn/to vercyfy or chyde
She sayth to hym by maner of manace
ye knowe ryght well/of what an house or place
I comen am/and was not gyuen to the
A drabble or elles a dreuyll for to be
She sayth as soone/as I wyll sende or wryte
Unto my kynne and frendes of this dyspyte
Anone they wyll come hyder for to se
For ony cause/ones touche her with his hande
With staffe ne stycke/for all his goodes and lande
Though he with mouthe/grete wordes hath ysayd.
As styll he is/and muet as a mayde
In bondage grete/me semeth that he is
And so it may well be that she or this
Had by her frendes maryed ben aforne
Unto/a rycher man/and better borne
Than he/and in a hygher state be sette
If that in her had ben no faute ne lette
But for there was before some lytell Iape
That in her yought fortuned for to scape
To cole her thryst/as dyuers folkes well trowe
She had not elles ben maryed hafe so lowe
Wherof the husbande had no knowlegynge
Or perauenture he hath herde some thynge
But this good man/of suche fayth and beleue
Is made/that this thynge lytell dooth hym greue
For he hath herde it sayde/and so worne or then
Of many folkes/and of ryght good men
That all suche cursed langage was contryued
Agaynst his wyfe/and he the same beleued
They saye it is bostynges and auauntes
Made by the meanes of Ioly frsshe galauntes
And other sklaundrers that speketh shame
Of women good/and falsely them defame
Whan they togyders in the stretes walke
Thus of good men and women wyll they talke
What tyme that they nothynge may elles do
Unthryftely thus speke they euer mo
Wherin god wote/grete sȳne do they & wronges
In suche vngoodly wyse to vse theyr tonges
Her husbande beynge in so lowe degre
That he all Ioye hath lefte/dysporte and playe
Thynkynge to make a cheuysaunce some waye
Upon her lande/or elles it may be fall
Of cheuysaunce he hath ynough at all
And is a very nygarde/and a chynche
That wyll not frely spende/but spare and pynche
The whiche no pleasaunt thynge is to the wyfe
That purposeth to lyue a lusty lyfe
Bycause that she in seasons of the yere
Wyll haue these noueltees/though they be dere
As well in vytayle/gounes as atyre
Grydels and other thynges at her desyre
Lyke as she seeth her felawes vse and were
At feestes and daunces euery where
There as her cosyns/and her gossyppes be
And with an other man/that alwayes she
Useth to call her cosyn euermo
And peraduenture yet he is not so
Also somtymes well it fortune may
That for the grete pleasures ease and play
She hath/and seeth in many a sundry wyse
Dysdayne her husbande she wyll and dyspyse
And make a frende/suche as she wyll desyre
Her hasbande then/in water or in fyre
May lye/for she wyll loue hym neuermore
Som folke wolde deme she were to blame therfore
But ye must take the mater other wyse
For all is longe vpon his couytyse
And he is sadde/and in perplexyte
But she is lyght/and in prosperyte
Not entred into thought ne negardy
Her youthe in pleasure/lustes and delyte
Aege is not mete vnto her appetyte
So louynge is she/to her loue and kynde
That to suche place/as she demeth hym to fynde
Ofte wyll she take/her Iourney forthe and walke
Or secretely/and softly forthe wyll she stalke
Unto her frende/that lusty is and fresshe
For veray loue her lymmes to refresshe
And it may happen many tymes that she
Sauynge her worshyp/seldon may hym se
Then for to speke her good name and honoure
Her messenger she sendeth at an houre
That he shall come/and se her hastely
The whiche is done ryght well and honestly
Soone after this/whan comen is the nyght
And this good man and she withouten lyght
Be layde in bedde/and he somwhat wolde play
With her/whose mynde is with her frende away
This gentyll galaunt/whome of .viii. dayes & mo
She hath not seen/and yet it may be so
That on the morowe he wyll come for his wage
All hote and hasty/hongry in a rage
For perauenture he hath suche a tatche
That he hath morned sore/and keped watche
Bothe in the gardyns/also in the strete
And they ne myght yet of longe tymes mete
Ne speke togyder/but on the morowe whan
This man shall come/he wyll be hasty than
His appetyte and honger to aswage
Grete and wonder is/to speke of his courage
And it may fortune otherwyse I trowe
That they haue had leyser ynough to knowe
But I dare neyther speke ne loke but wynke
Myn auctour wryteth/but so wyll not I
That she demeaneth her ryght wantonly
He sayth an hondred thynges she can make
That toucheteth loue/for her good frendes sake
And many a token wyll she shewe and sygne
Of loue//the whiche I cannot well deuyne
She maketh eke melancolyes amonge
Whiche to her husbande made she not of longe
Also her loue dooth besynes and payne
To do her pleasure/as he can agayne
So many praty Iapes he wyll begyn
That she grete Ioye/and conforte hath therin
And those suche maner Iapes ben or playe
That wedded men cannot/ne wyll assaye
And yf the can/afore or that they wedde
Those they forbere/and set at nought in bedde
Wherfore to shewe it to a wyfe or teche
The whiche more able is to rede or preche
Then for to lerne percase moche more than he
The good wyfe can in her necessyte
Therfore he wyll not teche her in that guyse
For she/than he more connynge is and wyse
Now whan this wyfe/her loue hath at her wyll
And they haue tyme/and leaser to fulfyll
Theyr appetytes/suche Ioyes as they shewe
Togyder/men haue herde of but a fewe
For there no wyght is/that can tell or saye
The pleasure that haue ben betwene them twaye
And so she hath had suche dysporte and spede
That nothynge prayseth she her husbandes dede
After the whiche pleasures/Ioye and game
Of her good man/as one that tasteth wyne
Whiche hath reboyled/and wyll neuer fyne
After he hath dronke good wyne or yopocras
And other whyle yet/thus may stande the case
A drynker good whiche hath a feruent thyrste
And drynketh small and musty wynes fyrste
He thynketh them good ynough/his thyrst so grete
Is/and the dryenes of his mouthe and hete
But after he therof hath dronke his fyll
He fyndeth a cursed tarage and an yll
And yf that he sholde drawe agayne and taste
yet though he myght/he nolde vnto it haste
But in defaute of better wene it were
Ryght so knowe ye that this good wyfe dooth here
The whiche her louer/alway hath at nede
At her desyres/suche maters for to spede
And taketh a taste somtyme at request
Of her husbande/for lacke of her good gest
To passe the tyme and dryue the nyght awaye
But other whyle/whan he hath luste to playe
And she not so/she sayth lete me be styll
Abyde/and towardes mornynge do your wyll
Nay certes dame/so wyll I not sayth he
Wherfore I pray you/torne you vnto me
Nay loue she sayth/by god and by saynt Mayre
ye shall do me grete pleasure for to tarye
Unto the morowe/and then he torneth awaye
And dare not touche her ne no mo wordes saye
So all the nyght/he lyeth styll in rest
And slepeth metely well at her request
Then this good wyfe/that on her loue dooth thynge
Not carynge whyder her husbande flete or synge
Her owne loue/whome she hath longe forborne
Sayth to her selfe/for she is not alone
My husbande shall not yet touche my persone
To morowe/and therfore erly she arose
And lefte her husbande/routynge in the nose
And maketh suche a countenaunce as she
A houswyfe good/and houssholder sholde be
And peraduenture the husbande is in bedde
Whyles that his wyfes maters is well spedde
By her good loue/and she hath her desyre
And he content is/with his wage and hyre
Thus all that day/she is so well apayde
That neyther seruaunt nedeth she ne mayde
In euery place/so ordreth she the house
And skyppeth aboute/as quyckely as a mouse
She clappeth to the doores and the wykket
And is as mery as it were a crykket
And somtyme it may fortune other wyse
Whan that she wyll not frome her bedde a ryse
But lyke a wanton or nycet play
Then wyll she playne/a lytell afore the day
And this good man dooth aske her what she eyleth
In trouthe she sayth/I thynke my herte me feyleth
Within my syde/I haue so grete a payne
And in my bely whiche do me sore constrayne
That it is meruayle/but as Cryst me saue
I deme syr that the same sykenes I haue
The whiche wonte was afore tyme me to take
And namely whan I ouermoche dyde wake
Torne you to me sayth he I you requyre
By god sayth she/I am as hote as fyre
For this nyght haue I had so sore a fytte
Then this good man her clepeth with his arme
And feleth well that she is very warme
He sayth then/trouth now saye ye certaynly
But she hath other maner malady
Of feuers/than that she wyll tell or shewe
For peraduenture/this false wyle shrewe
Thought that she was with her loue in her dreme
Whiche made the swetynge frome her body streme
Then this good man/her felynge in this hete
Dooth couer her frome wynde/lest that the swete
Sholde in warde passe/all sodaynly or drynke
Whiche were a peryllous thynge as he dooth thynge
To her sayth he/dame kepe you well and sure
Lye styll in bedde/whyle your swete dooth endure
And I shall cause suche werkes to be doone
As nedefull is/and vp he ryseth soone
Perchaunce withouten fyre or candell lyght
Some what afore the day/within the nyght
And whan he so is vp all hastely
He maketh a fyre for her/whiche easely
Lyeth in her bedde/and laugheth by herselfe
That in the derke/he walketh lyke an elfe
An other tyme/yf this good man play wolde
With her/as I heretofore haue tolde
She well excuseth her/in suche a wyse
Full ofte/as ye haue herde me late deuyse
To scape away/euer wyll she fynde a mene
For she his dede/not prayseth worthe a bene
And yet hath he/grete besynes ywysse
At many a tyme/her for to coll and kysse
But god wote how she is eased therfore
If she be suche one/as is sayd tofore
I wolde that it myght please our lorde Ihesus
ye neuermore sholde doo/ne yet assay
Suche thynges as ye or this haue herde me say
ye sholde forbere/and how what wolde yet not
Do it your selfe sayth he/nay god it wot
Sayth she/for yf yt ye suche thynge wolde spare
Bothe ye and I sholde moche the better fare
If I had knowen this or ye dyde me wedde
I neuer wolde haue gone vnto mannes bedde
What saye ye dame/now speketh this good man
For what encheson dyde ye mary than
I note quod she/but whan I was a mayde
So as my fader and my moder sayde
I dyde/and thought she spake suche wordes waste
yet peraduenture afore she toke a taste
What thynge is this to say/the good man sayth
I founde you neuer afore this by my fayth
To say the trouthe in your entencyon
But alway fast in this opynyon
I wote not by my soule she sayth my loue
This knoweth well the myghty lorde aboue
Ne were it not/for your pleasure alone
Now neuer wolde I do it by saynt Ihone
This man well eased is/as god it wolde
And to hym selfe he sayth/my wyfe is colde
Wherof he maketh none accompte ne tale
And peraduenture she is whyte or pale
Of nature feble/and complexcyon
But he hath her/in his subieccyon
And her he clepeth/and he kysseth so
That all his pleasure/hath he or she go
And this good wyfe/whiche for the tyme is there
She wolde she were/and god wote heuely
Is she content/but well and womanly
She kepeth her kyll/and dooth hym as moche good
As cast a stone agaynst a pyece of wood
For helpe hym selfe/can he not ne socoure
And she nothynge is gladde of his laboure
How be it other dyde ryght well afore
And she asyde turneth her chere therfore
A lytell/for that tyme/so stant the cas
For this is not/the good wyne ypocras
Whiche she afore at other tymes had
This dooth her sore anoye/for it is bad
My loue she sayth/ye make me all a fole
Better it were for you vpon a stole
To sytte/and of suche besynes you rest
This good man whiche all taketh for the best
Kepeth hym as well/and derely as he may
That he of longe tyme wyll by no way
Do her dyspleasure/trespace or offence
The payne he dooth endure with pacyence
He doubteth fore the good wyfe to dysplease
And so he resteth/somwhat for his ease
For he beleueth well/that of the game
Nothynge she wolde/in ony wyse attaine
So putteth he hym selfe in suche dotage
That he supposeth well it were domage
To her complexyon she is so lowe
And symple eke suche wordes for to knowe
Bycause percase/that lately of her hewe
She is dyscoloured in a maner newe
Wherfore the mater better he beleueth
And it may fortune after thus it preueth
Of her husbande wolde haue to her lykynge
She knoweth well by his condycyon
Whan tyme is best to make a mocyon
Aduysynge in her mynde hym to begyle
To haue all her desyre/and on this wyle
Remembreth she/that whan they and no mo
In chambre be/and it dooth fortune so
That they in pleasures and delytes be
And in her mynde/she dooth perceyue and se
That he with some thynge wolde haue to do
Then wyll she put her good wyll there vnto
And to make hym suche dalyaunce and chere
That it is meruaylous to tell or here
For why/a woman lerned in that arte
A thousande thynges newe vpon her parte
Can do/to make good chere and dalyaunce
To whome she lust/suche is the guyse of fraunce
So in this dede the good man is well eased
For he is not accustomed to be pleased
With so good maner chere/and contenaunce
She clepeth hym with all the cyrcumstaunce
And on the vysage/kysseth she hym ofte
Where as she lyketh/with her lyppes softe
Then this good man in this maner dooth say
I deme ye wyll aske some thynge by my fay
Of me/and she sayth nay my frende as now
Nothynge but make good chere I craue of yow
For yf it pleased god/I wolde deuyse
To haue none other Ioye ne paradyse
Than euermore bytwene your armes twayne
To be/wherby exyled were my payne
Truely my loue/and also god me saue
For my mouthe touched not ne neuer shall
No mannes mouthe/but yours in specyall
Sauynge your cosyns and myn/well may ye wyt.
And not but whan ye lyst to commaunde it
Syr I beleue so gracyous and swete
There is no man as ye/ne to me mete
My loue sayth he/yf it a squyre were
I wolde beleue you for to be your fere
By/god she sayth/whan ones I dyde you se
Ferre of/the same syght so rauyshed me
And yet I dyde you but beholde a lyte
Than ye had all myn herte/loue and delyte
I wolde haue had none other by my choys
Though it had ben the dolphyn of vyennoys
I thynke almyghty god/wyll it so be
That I shall lyue with you/and you with me
For why/my fader and my moder bothe
Dyspleased were with me/and wonder wrothe
Bycause to haue suche one I nolde accorde
But neuer wolde I by our blyssed lorde
Though that one wolde haue stayne me wt a knyfe
yet thought I euer for to be your wyfe
And I ne knowe what thynge that this may be
Sauynge I thynke it is our destyne
Than dooth this man his pleasure as hym lyketh
And she is yelden ther withall and pyketh
A countenaunce and sayth/now wote ye what
I wyll demaunde/my loue refuse not that
To promyse me I you beseche and pray
The good man sayth/I wyll it not denay
yf that it be suche thynge as I may do
Ryght well dysposed wyll I be therto
A furred goune with myneuers had on
This other daye/and yf that I durst craue
I wolde praye you/that suche one I may haue
Syr by my soule/for pryde or for enuy
I saye it not/ne for to be Ioly
But for by cause syr/that I thynke ye be
As able as her husbande to kepe me
And of more sustaunce/yf I sholde not lye
To maynteyne me/bothe well and honestlye
And she is not to make comparyson
That knowe ye well/as vnto my person
Ne syr yet to haue honoure/praye or laude
I saye it not for gyle/deceyte/ne fraude
But for this woman hath so grete a pryde
I wolde be gladde that she layde it asyde
And for none other thynge so haue I blys
Than this good man/whiche perauenture is
A grete nygarde/thynketh in his entente
That she of gounes hath suffycyente
And so a whyle he resteth in a thought
And sayth my loue yf that it be well sought
Haue ye not gounes ynowe you to suffyse
Of dyuers sortes furred in goodly wyse
yes syr she sayth/for yf I but a goune
Had and no mo/though it were a russet broune
I wolde not recke/and yet it were grete shame
Than sayth this man/now care ye not good dame
Now lete them speke/& talke ynough with sorowe
For we of them/nothynge do begge ne borowe
By god ye saye the trouthe/but wyll ye here
I am not lyke vnto a chamberere
Of theyrs/and not so well cladde ne be sene
And yet of yeres/more olde I am than she
Whiche is a foule/and an euyll thynge to se
Then peraduenture/wyll this man consent
That shortely she shall haue all her entent
And what she wyll desyre in suche a rage
Whiche vnto hym/is nothynge but domage
For whan that her demaunde/and her request
She hath/for to be fresshe than is she prest
To go where feestes/and these daunces be
Wherof no maner prouffyte geteth he
Peraduenture she shall her dresse and paynt
And haue so lytell vertue and restraynt
That she in suche {vnthrifty} wyfe shall preue
And neuer man suppose wolde ne beleue
And yf this gowne her please not/wyll ye knowe
She hath an other loue/ye may well trowe
Whiche peraduenture hath no ryches grete
And is a galaunt fresshe/and can not gete
More than to holde/and maytene his degre
And therfore soone/aduyse her selfe dooth she
Upon an other galaunt stoute and gay
The whiche a dyamounde this other day
Whan that she was/at suche a maner feste
Unto her wolde haue gyuen as a geste
And sent vnto her/by her chamberere
Well twenty scutes/in his best manere
Or thyrty/but so soone shene them toke
How be it/she gaue a goodly loke
All though she gretely/dyde refuse as than
Wherby suche comforte/toke this gentylman
That he spake to her chamberere agayne
Whome he met goynge/towarde a fountayne
O Iane my veray loue/come hyder mayde
I haue to speke some thynges with you now
Well syr sayth she/whan that it pleaseth you
Good Iane he sayth/ye knowe ryght well the loue
That I vnto your maystresse haue/aboue
All other creatures/now I you pray
Tell me yf ye haue herde her of me say
Ony wordes/syr by my fayth sayth she
Nothynge certayne/but good and honeste
And she wolde you none euyll/hurte ne harme
With that he taketh her softely by the arme
Saynge good Iane my loue remembre me
That I to her may recommaunded be
And in good faythe here a goune I you gyue
With all my herte/and seruyce whyle I lyue
Now certes sayth the chamberere agayne
That redy is to take the goune and fayne
Whiche he to her presenteth as I say
Syr I wyll not receyue it by no way
By god sayth he fayre Iane/but yet ye shall
It is god wote/a symple gyfte at all
And then he sayth vnto the chamberere
I pray you that to morowe I may here
Some newes of you/and thus god be your guyde
Fare well syth ye/no lenger may abyde
Than to her maystres streyght she gooth/and sayth
Folkes haue I founde/in good poynt by my fayth
What be they sayth her maystresse/tell me now
The same it is/the whiche ryght well ye know
And he as yet/is in good cas and plyte
For he is taken/with the feuers whyte
In suche a wyse/that what is best to do
The wyfe sayth than/a goodly man he is
And gracyous/ye say full sothe ywys
The chamberere than sayth for in my dayes
Suche one I neuer knewe at all assayes
He is moost fayre full ryche/and well yshape
Moost true of loue withouten deceyte or Iape
And he can do ynough/his loue to please
A lady myght/with hym be well at ease
O Iane she sayth/by god I can not haue
No suche thynges of myn husbande as I craue
And yet yf he me hate/he playeth the fole
For we shall brynge hym/in to an other scole
By god my Iane/I haue so loued longe
This gentylman/though I haue kepte my tonge
That to none other/coude I gyue myn herte
So am I take/that I can not asterte
And this grete foly is/by god aboue
For ony woman thus to sette her loue
On ony man/that in this worlde is here
And I shall tell you why/Iane wyll ye here
For whan these men/on women lordes be
All sodoynly in moost necessyte
Causeles theo wyll forsake them and betraye
And therof make/a tryfle or playe
Then cometh this galaunt or that other parte
And to the chamberere he speketh a parte
Saynge in this maner/with handes vp
Togyder Ioyned/close as ony cup
My fayre loue Iane/ryght humbly I you pray
That ye wyll do/and helpe all that ye may
So that my werke ye well achyeue and spede
And I shall neuer fayle you at your nede
Then answereth she/and sayth yf I myght so
Syr for your loue/I wolde speke what I myght
But neuer medled I by day ne nyght
Of thynges suche/alas my loue sayth he
What shall I do/for goddes loue counceyle me
By god she sayth/best is for you to speke
your selfe/and vnto her your stomacke breke
All well to poynte/the mater comen is
For of her husbande/hath she late or this
A goune desyred/onely but of clothe
Whiche he denayed her/and she is wrothe
I counceyle you/to morowe that ye be
Tymely at chyrche/where as ye may her se
And whan it happeth you/with her to mete
So as it lyketh you/ye may her grete
There may ye shewe/your mater and entent
And suche as ye wyll/gyue to her present
All be it so/that she it wyll not take
yet more she wyll you prayse I vndertake
your largesse and your bounte shall she se
Alas my loue/me leuer were that she
Take it that I wyll gyue her/than refuse
Now syr sayth Iane/she wyll make her excuse
But I shall say you/what thynge ye shall do
After that ye/haue offred her vnto
That thynge the whiche/ye wolde her gyue in dede
And she refuse it/than your cause to spedde
Delyuer it to me/and at the lest
To cause her take it/I shall do my best
For I anone/can knowe her mynde and fele
Now truely gentyll Iane/ye say ryght wele
Then gooth the chamberere/in Crystes name
A longe tyme it is/yf it you please
Or that some folke be brought to hertes ease
And who is that good Iane/tell me anone
ywys medame/ye knowe the same mon
What do away/I pray you tell me how
It is fayre Iane/what tydynge wish you now
Certes madame/he wyll not fayle to morowe
In chyrche to speke with you/and all his sorowe
Unto you wyll he shewe/so as he can
ye may be sure/he is a gentylman
But well and wysely/gouerne you alway
And make it straunge/so as ye goodly may
Not ouer moche of straungenes ne dysdayne
Use may ye not/but so betwene twayne
Demeane yon womanly/in hope that grace
Therof shall growe within a lytell space
Upon the morowe this wyfe gooth to kyrke
As whan a thynge shall be/nedes must it wyrke
So dooth this galaunt/whiche thre houres & more
In good deuocyon god wote afore
Passeth the tyme/and draweth to a place
Where he the holy water/in her face
May cast/and for to kepe all thynge frome shame
He vnto other women dooth the same
The whiche with her/be present than and there
And they thanken hym in theyr best maner
But this pooreman/wolde do them more seruyce
If he so myght/and dooth hym well aduyse
That this good wyfe/styll testeth in her sete
Lyuynge in hope/some grace of her to gete
And sayth his bedes demeanynge hym with all
As swetely as an ymage in a wall
After her power/whiche he well dooth espy
Beholdynge how she kneleth in her pewe
So well apparayled/with so fresshe a hewe
And vnto her/anone he draweth nere
Where at theyr leyser/they do speke in fere
But nothynge wyll she say/but herkeneth styll
Unto the tyme/that he hath spoken his wyll
Ne nothynge of hym/then wyll she receyue
But so she answereth hym/that he perceyue
May well/that she hym loueth peramoure
And that she dredeth not/but dyshonoure
Wherof he is well eased/aud ago
Frome her/and frome the chamberere also
And so he walketh forthe his stacyon
Then entren they in to collacyon
That is to wete/the maystresse and her mayde
Remembrynge well/suche wordes as were sayd
And shortely/so conclude vpon theyr dede
How that theyr werke/they may perfourme & spede
And then the chamberere sayth secretely
Madame I knowe well/he hath grete enuy
To speke to me but I wyll to hym say
That ye nothynge for hym/by ony way
Wyll do/and therfore wrothe I wyll me make
For pure pyte/the whiche I on hym take
And I shall to hym say/our syre is out
So he at nyght may come withouten doute
Into your chambre secretely I trowe
I shall hym let/as though ye dyde not knowe
And I shall shewe as I were wrothe/wherfore
He shall you pray/well better and the more
And syth he afterwarde/shall lenger tary
Whiche he wolde gyue you/for I knowe that he
To morowe wyll delyuer it to me
And I to hym shall say/so god me saue
That ye it neyther/wyll receyue ne haue
And whan it happeth shall/that after soone
The proces and the actes be well doone
Wherfore the goune/he gyueth you in rewarde
The whiche afore he put in to my warde
Then ye therfore/shall chyde me fast and blame
Afore hym/saynge/damoysell fye for shame
Wherfore dyde ye/this thynge with you retayne
Why wolde not ye delyuer it agayne
But how someuer it come to passe/knowe ye
That I shall put all thynge in certaynte
For some there be that haue ryght many a wyle
Wherby innumerable they begyle
Of women good/and neuer can be styll
Now Iane/frome this daye forwarde do your wyll
For the gooth this galaunt than/and so dooth mete
The chamberere/somdele without the strete
And asketh her/what newes she hath brought
Of her maystresse/by god sayth she ryght nought
I haue her founde/so daungerous and straunge
That sore I drede shame wyll make her to chaunge
But for because I medled haue so ferre
Thynkynge no tyme is/lenger to deferre
This mater/I shall say you what is best
That ye may do/to brynge your mynde in rest
Thyder shall ye go this nyght to werke and spede
your maters/and yet haue I so grete drede
That she wyll to her husande me accuse
Or to her frendes/but I thynke and muse
To her wolde gyue/your dede soone spedde shall be
And yet by god/I shall proue and assay
To cause her take it shortely yf I may
For well it is/at poynt to brynge aboute
The mater/for her husbande ryden out
Is now/and hath denyed her vtterly
A goune/wherof she hath so grete enuy
That it is meruayle/and this galaunt tho
Twenty scutes/or thyrty/elles mo
Delyuereth vnto her/and Iane sayth than
By god ye be an honourable man
But well ye se/how I aduyse me
And yet I drede that troubled shall I be
For neuer dyde I thus/for man or now
As I for you haue done/I make auowe
And wyll ye knowe/how grete daungere that I
Haue put me in/and I shall tell you why
For yf so be/that knowen were one worde
That ony thynge I sholde do by our lorde
Herin/I sholde haue euer suche a blame
That neuer after/myght I loke for shame
But for bycause I truste you perfytely
I shall me put/in this grete Ieoperdy
Knowynge that she/you loueth well at all
And that our syre is out/wherfore ye shall
This same nyght/come fayre and honestly
Unto her chambre/and I secretely
Wyll let you in/for neyther barre ne locke
Shall cause you eyther/for to call or knocke
And thus at .xii. houres within the nyght
ye must walke in the derke withouten lyght
For that tyme sadly dooth she slepe alway
To her in bedde than shall ye go and lye
For I can se/none other remedy
And peraduenture your dede shall be good
Now whan a man/all naked is by the rode
In bedde with her/that naked is and bare
A full grete thynge it is and she vnware
And whan she seeth none other choys ne rede
As styll she lyeth then/as she were dede
So sore she dredeth shame and vylany
That in the derke she may not se to crye
For though she answere straungely on the day
At suche a sodayne countre she ne may
O Iane my loue/this gentyll galaunt sayth
I neuer shall haue peny by my fayth
But ye therof that one halfe and well more
Shall haue alway/so wele ye do therfore
Whan nyght shall come the galaunt gothe a pace
As Iane hym hath/aduysed to the pleace
And she vnto her maystresse secretely
Hath shewed all the processe manerly
And whan this galaunt comen is and crepte
Into the bedde/she letteth as she slepte
This galaunt there/her shortely doth embras
Then starteth she and sayth/who is there alas
My loue sayth he/no more for it is I
A by the sacrament of god I crye
She sayth it shall not come to passe yet so
And thynketh for to call/on Iane whiche tho
No worde to her agayne answerde or sayd
Ha now I se it wele/I am betrayed
Myn auctor sayth/the fyght togyder bothe
In dyuers wyse/and she is passynge wrothe
Whiche is as angrye/as the brennynge fyre
And sore abasshed of this rekenynge
ye may well knowe/it is a pyteous thynge
A woman onely whan she lacketh helpe
No more of strength is then a lytell whelpe
But yf it had not ben for drede of shame
More hyghe she wold haue cryed in goddes name
Then she dyde than but all was for the best
That she to saue her honoure so dyde rest
Was neuer fythyll/shalmeulx/pype ne rote
That better dyde accorde in euery note
Of musyk/or in gemetrye then they
Whiche enterpryse/gode tyme agayne to play
Thus for the husbande that tyme beynge oute
Ryght well to poynt ye werke they brynge aboute
Now hath this wyfe ye gowne that was denayed
By her good man/and she is wele apayed
And for bycause he nolde it to her gyue
It shall cost hym full dere yf she may lyue
All be it so that he in tymes afore
Wele more then it was wrothe hath payed therfore
And this good wyfe/all thynges to excuse
And bycause no wyght herof sholde muse
Her moder wyll she cause with dylygence
This goune to gyue her in his presence
All boubtes to auoyde that he may haue
Thus honestly she can her worshyp saue
And she her moder maketh to byleue
That this clothe she hath bought as she can preue
Of those lytell thynges whiche she solde
Wherof her husbande yet she neuer tolde
So he therof dothe vnderstonde no dele
And so it happeth ofte with her and mo
After this goune another cometh also
That is to wyte/a newe thynge must be had
For her that she/may honestly be clad
Also of gyrdels harneysed two or thre
Of syluer gylte/elles angry wyll she be
Or other thynges/wherof her husbande than
Wyll be as sore dyspleased as he can
The whiche is veray melancolyous
Or lyke to Naball auarycyous
As I haue sayd afore/and he dothe doubte
Or narowly he pryeth and loketh oute
So that he wele perceyue hathe some thynge
Wherin he toke no pleasure nor lykynge
Or vnto hym it hathe be tolde or shewed
Or her good loue/this galaunt all beshrewed
By some fast frende of his this hath he knowen
For at longe rennynge out it shall be blowen
Then entreteth he in rage of Ialousy
And putteth hym in to an agony
Anone he maketh semblaunt to go oute
And cometh at nyght/starynge all aboute
Full sodaynly supposynge in his mynde
Oute of araye some folkes to fynde
The whiche is not so easely to be done
Then hydeth he hym in his chambre sone
And by auenture/some thynge dothe espye
Wherfore he chydeth and she can wele replye
She feleth that she wylye is and sage
And that she comen is of good lygnage
This sely man remembreth hym agayne
Of his frendes how they haue spoken playne
And sorowe and care/shall rest vpon his pate
For Ioyes shall he neuer haue in dede
Fro that tyme forth/but euer gnawe and fede
On heuynesse/and euer amonge a lye
Shall cast be in the vysage prately
His cheuysaunce/shall lessen sodaynly
Also his pore body shall be drye
So shall he cesse of werkes and besynesse
And neuer lyue in wele nor lustynesse
Thus closed in the lepe/abyde shall he
These paynes takynge for prosperyte
For yf that he this lepe were not within
yet neuer wolde he/tary rest ne blynne
Unto the tyme that he therto myght crepe
And put hym selfe in to the same more depe
Thus he ne wolde that otherwyse he were
Ryght so this poore man/as ye may here
Shall euer languysshe in captyuyte
And depe within the lepe shall barred be
So wretchely his dayes shall he ende
Fro suche auenture god vs all defende
Here endeth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.
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