The Castell of Pleasure by William Nevill: The text of the first issue of the poem with variant readings from the reprint of 1518; Together with introduction, notes and glossary by Roberta D. Cornelius |
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 | The Castell of Pleasure |  |
Coplande the prynter to the auctor.
Your mynde consydered / & your good entent
Theffecte regarded / in euery maner case
Your cyrcumstaunce / and labour dylygent
Who wyll construe / is of grete effycace
Your sentences morally tenbrace
Concerneth reason of lauryate grauyte
Yonge tender hertes / talecte with amyte
Theffecte regarded / in euery maner case
Your cyrcumstaunce / and labour dylygent
Who wyll construe / is of grete effycace
Your sentences morally tenbrace
Concerneth reason of lauryate grauyte
Yonge tender hertes / talecte with amyte
Your aege also flourynge in vyrent youthe
So to bestowe is gretly to commende
Bookes to endyte of maters ryght uncouthe
Ensample gyuynge to all suche as pretende
In tharte of loue theyr myndes to condescende
In termes freshe / theyr courage to endewe
Not with rude toyes / but elegant and newe
So to bestowe is gretly to commende
Bookes to endyte of maters ryght uncouthe
Ensample gyuynge to all suche as pretende
In tharte of loue theyr myndes to condescende
In termes freshe / theyr courage to endewe
Not with rude toyes / but elegant and newe
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Yet ben there many that lytell regarde
Your pleasures castell / inhabyte with beaute
And I am sure wolde gyue but small rewarde
For this your labour / and studyous dyte
But had ye compyled some maner subtylte
Lucre to gete / theyr neyghbour to begyle
They wolde alowe it a perfyte dyscrete style
Thauctor.Your pleasures castell / inhabyte with beaute
And I am sure wolde gyue but small rewarde
For this your labour / and studyous dyte
But had ye compyled some maner subtylte
Lucre to gete / theyr neyghbour to begyle
They wolde alowe it a perfyte dyscrete style
My boke of loue / belonges to no suche arte
But to the pleasure / is his hoole affeccyon
Of gentyll people / whiche lyketh to take parte
In pleasaunt youth / with amorous dyleccyon
Honour regarded / in clene cyrcumspeccyon
Layenge a parte / all wylfull vayne desyre
To conforte them that brenne in louynge fyre
But to the pleasure / is his hoole affeccyon
Of gentyll people / whiche lyketh to take parte
In pleasaunt youth / with amorous dyleccyon
Honour regarded / in clene cyrcumspeccyon
Layenge a parte / all wylfull vayne desyre
To conforte them that brenne in louynge fyre
Coplande.
Bokes of loue innumerable prynted be
I mene of ladyes / and many a hardy knyght
Without regarde of sensuall nycete
In loue exploytynge / truely with all theyr myght
But loue of golde / these dayes blyndeth the syght
Of men and women / hauynge theyr delyte
Onely for mede to do theyr appetyte.
I mene of ladyes / and many a hardy knyght
Without regarde of sensuall nycete
In loue exploytynge / truely with all theyr myght
But loue of golde / these dayes blyndeth the syght
Of men and women / hauynge theyr delyte
Onely for mede to do theyr appetyte.
Thauctor.
Enprynt this boke / Coplande at my request
And put it forth to euery maner of state
It doeth no good lyenge styll in my chyst
To passe the tyme some wyll bye it algate
Cause it is newe / compyled now of late
At leest way yonge folke / wyll gladly seke recure
Beauty to gete in the toure of pleasure.
And put it forth to euery maner of state
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To passe the tyme some wyll bye it algate
Cause it is newe / compyled now of late
At leest way yonge folke / wyll gladly seke recure
Beauty to gete in the toure of pleasure.
Coplande.
At your instaunce / I shall it gladly impresse
But the utteraunce I thynke wyll be but smale
Bokes be not set by theyr tymes is past I gesse
The dyse and kardes / in drynkynge wyne and ale
Tables / cayles / and balles / they be nowe set a sale
Men let theyr chyldren use al suche harlotry
That byenge of bokes they utterly deny
But the utteraunce I thynke wyll be but smale
Bokes be not set by theyr tymes is past I gesse
The dyse and kardes / in drynkynge wyne and ale
Tables / cayles / and balles / they be nowe set a sale
Men let theyr chyldren use al suche harlotry
That byenge of bokes they utterly deny
Finit prologus
En passant le temps sans mal peucer.
| The Castell of Pleasure | |