 | The fyftene Ioyes of maryage |  |
Here begynneth the syxte Ioye of maryage.
That he whiche was wedded longe ago
Endured hath the trauayles/and the payne
As I afore haue sayd/all or certayne
Of them/and hath a wyfe especyall
Dyuers of her condycyons at all
A veray subtyll false and wyle shrewe
She is/as I here after shall you shewe
Cautelous wylfull/and eke malycyous
Frowarde/wanton/nyse and dysdaynous
And her husbande a good man is and playne
The whiche her loueth well/and she agayne
Loueth hym I trowe/wherfore alway he
Dothe vnto her/all pleasures that he can
For she of body is a good woman
How be it holly her entencyon
Is sette so fast and her oppynyon
That euer by some crafte or subtyllyte
Fayle wyll she not to haue the soueraynte
And of her husbande werkes wyll she knowe
Wheder he of his degree be hyghe or lowe
So wyll she medle ofte answere and speke
yf myster be/and many maters breke
Suche is of her the dysposycyon
And after nature the condycyon
Of all wyues/what husbandes so they haue
Or at leest/the maystrye wyll they craue
For tho this wyfe be wele & wante ryzt nought
yet euer wyll she set her mynde and thought
To brynge her husbande/into wo and care
And make hym thynke and muse/euyll fare
And other whyles it may fortune so
That he and she in chambre and no mo
Be all the nyght and som what of the daye
In theyr delytes Ioye dysporte and playe
And they togyder kysse and make good chere
But he aryseth fyrst that theyr dynere
May redy be/and also he must thynke
Oo other thynges mo then mete and drynke
The hous aboute and whan tyme is to dyne
He calleth her but she wyll not enclyne
Unto his speche but sendeth downe anone
Her lytell chylde or of her seruauntes one
Whiche vnto hym then shall these wordes saye
Syr in good fayth she wyll not dyne to daye
And byd her come anone to this repast
Then gothe the seruaunt or the chylde and sayth
My mayster byddeth you come now by my fayth
To dyner sone for he wyll nothynge eate
Tyll ye be come and set with hym at mete
Go say to hym I wyll not dyne sayth she
Upon whiche answere streyght to her gothe he
And sayth to her what ayleth you my dere
She speketh not/wherfore he draweth nere
And sayth what chere my loue and is dysmayde
How be it he hath sene suche pagentes playde
Afore that tyme/but for request ne worde
That can be sayd she nyll go to the borde
But playe ryght so/and perchaunce in no wyse
Wyll dyne that day for thynge he can deuyse
Another tyme/vnder her arme a syde
He ledeth her as thoughe she were a bryde
And they to dyner go/but colde is all
The vytaylles on the table grete and small
For so longe hath she saused them to tarye
Thus often tymes wyll she do contrayre
To reason/and suche countenaunce and chere
With maners wyll she make at her dynere
That no thynge wyll she ete/ne bytte
For whiche so dull and mate he is of wytte
And lyke a mased beest for wele the more
He loueth her/and hath her dere therfore
For suche melancolyes she dothe hym gyue
In thought and heuynesse to cause hym lyue
Wherin ryght wele she dothe and cunnyngly
Syth he wyll suffre it so curteysly
For why a woman for to gete the grace
Hath not to do/syth that he loueth her wele
With herte/body/mynde and euery dele
And dooth her all the pleasures that he may
Her nedeth not/with suche one for to play
But she must set her thought holy to gete
The loue of hym/the whiche her dooth foryete
And by her setteth/none accompte ne tale
She sholde assay to make suche one auale
Unto her hande by chere and countenaunce
By pleasaunt speche/with all the cyrcumstaunce
A fayre dede/she thynketh to haue wrought
Whan she her husbande/in to care hath brought
It happeth other whyle this man gooth out
Her werkes/and his besynes about
And whan he home warde dooth retorne agayne
With hym he bryngeth of his frendes twayne
In to his hous/bycause he hath to do
With them/or elles ryght well it may be so
That they of hym haue perfyte cognysaunce
Or elles they be of his acquayntaunce
Whan he without is/as is sayd before
His yoman or his page/he sendeth afore
Unto his wyfe/and prayeth her hertely
For to make redy/well and honestly
The houses all about/and other thynge
For suche frendes as he wolde with hym brynge
Bycause to them/he gretely is beholde
Also he prayeth her hastely that she wolde
Ordayne vytayles to make them well at ease
For what he can/he wyll do them to please
And he with them percase hath for to do
Now gooth this messenger his wyfe vnto
My mayster cometh/and in his company
Two of his frendes/men of good estate
For to be lodged here this nyght algate
Wherfore he prayeth you ryght specyally
To se the souper dyght be/and redy
And she dooth answere saynge/what haue I
And do with/feestes/or of his company
Why cometh he not hymselfe to se it dyght
I wote not sayeth the seruaunte by thys lyght
But thus to say/he hath commaunded me
Thou arte accursed knaue by god/sayth she
This felawe than holdeth his peas anone
And she in to a chambre is agone
Suche one she is/whiche dooth none other wyse
And wors is/she hath a praty guyse
For all the seruauntes here and there about
Bothe one and other/shortely she/sendeth out
And ouer this/yf chamberere there be
Or of her doughters/one/or two/or thre
The whiche at home abyde/be taught how they
Unto the good man of the house shall say
Whan he cometh home/and now he comen is
And calleth vpon a doughter fyrst of his
Or elles a chamberere/and sayth is all
Thynges redy made/the whiche we nede shall
In fayth she sayth/my maystresse is full seke
your seruauntes and your meyny be to seke
And certaynly as yet/nothynge is done
Wherwith the good man waxeth angry soone
How be it/bothe his frendes forth withall
He bryngeth them curteysly in to the hall
Or in to other places elleswhere
Nothynges redy for to make them gladde
It is no nede to aske/yf he be sadde
For perauenture his frendes whiche he brought
Perceyue ryght wele enpryntynge in theyr thought
That where he sente his seruaunt or his page
Afore vnto his wyfe on his massage
They myght wele thynke that his commaundement
Was not so sure as acte of parlayment
This good man then dothe call his folkes on hye
But none of them he fynde can nor espye
Excepte a pore knaue or elles a mayde
That nought can do/and then he in a brayde
Gothe to his wyues chambre sodaynly
And her to speketh hygh and hastely
Wherfore haue ye not done I you demaunde
As by my messagere/I dyde comaunde
A syr she sayth so many thynges ye
Commaunde/that by the holy trynyte
One shall not vnderstande ne knowe wele how
What for to do/o saynt Mary now
Then sayth this man/clawynge fast his hede
Now of this worlde/the moost vngodely dede
And euyll haue ye done and vncurteysly
Se here the folkes/that I moost specyally
Am bounde vnto/how may I do therto
Sayth she/what wolde ye syr that I sholde do
Now with your cosyns moche to do haue we
It sheweth wele an vnwyse man be ye
Do as ye wyll after your guyse for I
Care not therof a rysshe/nor yet a fly
Fayre dame sayth he I you demaunde wherfore
ye haue sente out/your seruauntes heretofore
Hadd akeu on hande/how be it neuerthelesse
She sente them forthe/in dyspyte wyttyngly
Of this good man/afore all by and by
Then he the whiche wyll suffre and obeye
Unto her faute/dothe no mo wordes saye
But fro her gothe with care and heuy chere
For parauenture suche his gestes were
That he had leuer/an hondreth scutes and more
Haue spente but she/nothynge dothe care therfore
She hath hym sene and knoweth he wyll not byte
And that afore he was not wonte to smyte
Shortly to speke he torneth hym aboute
And of his folkes gadreth in a route
Suche as he fyndeth and dothe the best he can
Towelles of werke he demaundeth than
Fayre/fyne/whyte and other naperye ware
Of dyapre and byddeth that they none spare
And table clothes or they to souper go
But of the good wyfe/he is answerde so
Towaylles she sayth ryght good & fyne there be
And for moche better men/in theyr degre
Then be these folkes/and of as good a place
They gete none other as euer haue I grace
These other clothes in vessels ben to stepe
As wasshynge tubbes/layed in the water depe
How be it for the towaylles I say not this
For erly haue I lost the kayes ywys
Of the dores/se how the chamberere
Dothe leke them besyly bothe here and there
And of the bedde she torneth to and fro
The strawe/also the good wyfe thus sayth tho
I wote not what I haue done of late so bad
With besynes/and mased is my brayne
That where for to renne/I ne wote certayne
Truely sayth he/I am begyled wele
The coffres shall I breke now euery dele
A fayre thynge do ye than/the good wyfe sayth
And I shall tary with you by my fayth
I wolde ye had them all in pyeces broken
So that they neuer sholde be shytte ne loken
Suche thynge somtyme a man may do in haste
That after warde he shall repent the waste
Than how to do/he knoweth not what is best
But for all this/he is in peas and rest
Supposynge that she sheweth hym the trouthe
And forth with all/without ony slouthe
Unto the table go they for to suppe
Of fresshe pypes/then to fyll the cuppe
Grete nede it were for wyne wherof they spende
Gooth lowe/and draweth fast vnto an ende
And it as now/is neyther good ne able
Well for to serue these gentylmen at table
And though that he byd one for to go
He geteth none/bycause she wyll not so
And as for these fruyte or other thynge
At his commaundement/or elles byddynge
None can be had/for yf he wyll them haue
Unto his neyghboure he must sende his knaue
Afore the table his page and theyrs stande
And them amonge they compte and vnderstande
Seynge the wyues cursed loke and chere
They say by cause our maysters comen ben here
The wyfe is wrothe but after souper then
Tyme dooth approche yt these good gentylmen
His wyfe for shetes whyte/but he can gete
None good ne fyne/bycause erly that day
Afore the good wyfe lost hath euery kay
Hedshetes wolde he haue/and pylowes whyte
And she them kepeth frome his ghestes quyte
In comen shetes so all that nyght they ly
But erly in the mornynge hastely
These frendes aryse/and homwarde them auaunce
Whiche haue wele knowen the wyues countenaūce
Theyr pages by the waye haue comynynge
Wherof the mannes page made rekenynge
To them afore and laughen by the way
Nothynge content the whiche togyder say
They wyll not theder come agayne of longe
Suche comenynge these pages haue amonge
Better had ben this good man to haue lost
Moche of his good then to haue ben theyr host
And so to brynge them theder to his shame
Wherof the wyfe all holly was to blame
The same morowe/I meruayle moche sayth he
Unto his wyfe/o benedycyte
Of your maners/for why I knowe not how
I shall demeane or gouerne me with yow
Aue maria/with me is moche to do
She sayth. I nourysshe chekyns duckes pygges also
And euermore I laboure and I spynne
And do all that I may some thynge to wynne
yet can I not one houre haue on the day
Of rest ne ease/and ye trauayle alway
Aboute nothynge/but euer wast and spende
And of our goodes destroye and make an ende
Upon suche men with whiche I nothynge haue
With them sayth he/yes these good men be they
That bothe vs helpe/anoye or hyndre may
Then sadly he remembreth in his mynde
How that his wyfe so gentyll is and kynde
That whan a galaunt cometh he dothe thynke
Anone she wyll cause hym to ete and drynke
And vpon hym no good thynge shall be spared
Wherfore to her hath sayd and declared
That he wyll not this galaunt come more there
And thervppon he byddeth her forbere
To drawe hym to her hous/for he nothynge
There hath to do/and she sayth I shall brynge
Hym whan me lust and cause him to come ynne
Wherwt gret noyse bytwene them doth begȳne
The good man angrye then these wordes sayth
Wherin he sheweth wele the fole he playeth
Now by the sacrament of god yf I
After this tyme can fynde or elles espye
He wt you speke/I shall make you more wrothe
Then euer ye were/all be you leue or lothe
Now by my fayth she sayth nothynge I recke
All thoughe he were hye hanged by the necke
But now I se ryght wele/it is full sothe
A good woman the whiche no synnes dothe
Shall haue asmoche reproue/& more dyffaine
Then she ye whiche dothe wyckednes attayne
She sayth yf that I suche a woman were
Whiche dyde her gouerne euyll in manere
I had no nede then for to be dysmayde
For moche better she had done she sayde
Then I now do/and thus he and the wyue
Togyder make a noyse/and so they stryue
Of hym or her/in suche a fume and hete
They fall/that they wyll not togyder ly
Of longe tymes in this melancoly
And that it is/that she desyreth sores
For this squyer/of whome he spake afore
Shall perauenture come within the nyght
In at the backe dore out of his syght
Or elles clyme in at a wyndowe hye
And to the wyues bed go secretely
Not for to synne/ne do her hurte ne harme
But in her good mannes stede to kepe her warme
For of her bodye she was good and trewe
As it is sayd afore/or elles of newe
Myn auctor varyeth somwhat in his tale
And taketh a kukko for the nyghtyngale
After all this the thynge is well appeased
And for bycause the good wyfe shall be pleased
This good man dothe begynne her for to flatre
And she can suffre hym to speke and clatre
For euer wolde a woman flatred be
And lyghtly/troweth it in certaynte
yf it in praysynge be of her godenesse
Of beaute bounte/or of/gentylnesse
Thus passeth he the tyme tyll at the laste
His wyfe he fyndeth somtyme spekynge faste
Unto this forsayd squyre in his place
Or in the chyrche/or elles where as she was
At suche a feest and in to Ialousye
He entreth in his mynde/more feruentlye
Then euer a dayes afore he dyde
By meane wherof so now it is betyde
Of worldly Ioye he dothe hymselfe defayte
He lyeth and requereth subtylly
Her to espye or take with some foly
Wherin he playeth the very fole alwaye
Bycause the noble herte of man ne maye
Ne ought of womens werkes to enquere
For yf he sholde/the faute knowe and here
Ones of his wyfe/he myght fall in suche plyte
That medecyne neuer sholde hym hele ne quyte
And then his shame/he sercheth in his mynde
Enquerynge fast and he the same doth fynde
Good reason is that he endure therby
The shame whiche he afore sought besyly
As in this case I counte hym cast away
And lost/for on his body and goodes alway
Grete peryll renneth & aege cometh hym vpon
So is he folysshe lyke a beestly man
In euery thynge by reason of the play
And he within the lepe I dare well say
yclosed is/in sorowe and heuynesse
Whiche he doth take/for Ioye and gladnesse
Seynge that he/ne wolde but it were so
Thus shall he dwell in paynes euermo
And so shall ende his dayes wretchydly
Syth he wyll fynde/none other remedy
Here endeth the .vi. Ioye of maryage.
| The fyftene Ioyes of maryage | |