Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte Edited from the Fairfax MS. 16 (Bodleian) and the additional MS. 29,729 (Brit. Mus.) by Ernst Sieper |
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Here Venus discryveth to thauctour the gardyne of Deduit. |
 | Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte |  |
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Here Venus discryveth to thauctour the gardyne of Deduit.
“This lusty Erber most notableSo plesaunt ys and agreable,
The which, yif trouthe be nat spared,
May of beaute be compared,
Of lustynesse and of delys,
Werreyly to paradys.
And, as to myn entencion,
That heuenly habitacion
So excelleth in beaute
That hit may nat descrived be,
Nouther by worde nor by wryting;
For to remembren euery thing,
Of lustynesse and of plesaunce
It hath so moche suffisaunce,
In dede and nat in apparence,
Foundyd by the diligence
Of Deduit, which day by day
Ful besy is with nyw aray
To conserve hyt, and to Raylle
With fresh and lusty apparaylle,
To kepe yt, that by violence
No man do ther-to offence.
Euer y-lyche fressh of hewe
He yt preserveth, new and newe,
Ful of suetnesse and of grace.
For hyt ys the playing place
Vn-to the myghty god Cupide,
Wher Deduit doth ay provyde
For his solace and hys disport,
Wher love hath euer most comfort.
For he pleynly of entent
Selde doth him self absent,
But gladly euer ys ther present.
For the chefe of his entent
Ys noght but study, nyght and day,
Vnto solace and to play,
Therin he haunteth al his lyf.
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Pompe, pride, and surquedye,
Malys, rancour, and envye,
Angwyssh, sorowe, and hevynesse,
Pensyfhede, nor tristesse
May nat ther, for foul nor fair,
Soiourne ther nor ha repair;
For hyt voydeth al distresse,
That no thing but glad[e]nesse
Abydeth ther, yt is no doute;
For al raskayl ys put oute,
For which this place most entere
Of glad[e]nesse hath noo pere.
| Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte | |